New York Daily News - The Biggest Newser

Newser makes idle threat to win »

Will Pakutka has threatened to take up smoking to win The Biggest Newser contest, but in my opinion, that will never happen. Cigarettes are a filthy habit, what with the foul smell and the ashtrays and the butts and all. Will is the neatest journalist I’ve ever met. Most journalist desks, including mine — especially mine — resemble the Fresh Kills dump, but Will’s is spotless. He’s the Felix Unger of the Daily News sports department. He named his kids Ajax and Windex. I think old Will is just blowing smoke.

Rock Star Sweeney, meanwhile, continues to make impressive strides. He’s noticeably slimmer, even if he did fall off the wagon over the weekend with his butter and lobster and butter dinner. Some of the other Newsers say Rock Star is peaking too soon and they may have a point — Sweeney said in a blog entry last week that he is already suffering from hunger-induced hallucinations about cheese. But if you wear as much tie-dye as Rock Star, there could be any number of reasons for hallucinations.

My first workout with fabulous personal trainer Becky Wenner had to be rescheduled until Thursday because of last week’s snowstorm, so I’m eager to get going. Becky has been checking in with me regularly ever since she agreed to work with me, and her enthusiasm is contagious. She’s going to be a great resource.

Becky sent me a dozen or so MP3 workouts and I’ve tackled three so far. Becky is a great teacher, and her workouts are so simple that even a copy editor can follow them. OK, that’s probably a stretch, but the routines are straightforward and don’t require a lot of equipment — usually just two dumb bells and a mat. I’m feeling pretty good. I don’t know if I’ve dropped any pounds yet, but I’m already feeling leaner and more energetic.

The MP3 workouts are available on her Web site: http://www.beckysfitnesscompany.com/

I went to the gym semi-regularly before the Biggest Newser contest began, but the great thing about Becky’s MP3 workouts is that I’ve been forced to exercise parts of my body that I’ve ignored in the past, such as my hamstrings. My hammys have been pretty sore when I wake up in the morning, but that’s a small price to pay for health and fitness.

One thing I wonder about as I pass exercise classes at my local gym: How come they always play pounding techno music during those classes? Why do I always feel like I’m at a European disco, circa 1979? I think Americans would become more health-conscious if exercise music was a little less intimidating. Why doesn’t somebody come out with a bluegrass workout, or a Rodgers & Hammerstein exercise CD?

- By Michael O’Keeff

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