Conditioning and transforming our bodies in the New Year is something most of us think about — with some of us actually getting into action.
But at Tampa’s MI40 Gym, located just a stone’s throw from West Tampa’s Alessi Bakery, this Pollyannaish concept of “New Year / New You” just doesn’t meet muster.
And that’s because Ben Pakulski, MI40’s founder and owner, is a lifelong advocate of conditioning and body transformation.
He’s not some fly-by-night personal trainer who just landed a cushy job at a local health club/meat market, where clients are told they can become lean and mean machines after just 30 days.
Nope. Ben is a purist when it comes to strength and conditioning, a mindset that enabled him to climb the ranks of the world’s best and highest achieving bodybuilders.
For instance, in 2012, Ben was ranked the No. 1 bodybuilder in all of Canada, according to the International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness.
But before we tell you more about Ben and the remarkable health & fitness business he’s building right here in Tampa, let’s take a step back and discuss the benefits of a consistent exercise regimen.
The Benefits of Exercise
At BioDesign Wellness Center, we encourage all our patients to incorporate 30 to 60 minutes of daily exercise into their lives.
Whether you walk, run, swim, ride a bicycle, lift weights, or engage in any other physically strenuous activity, your body and mind benefit in numerous ways, including the following:
- Improved mood
- Increased energy and metabolism
- Improved brain function (thinking and memory)
- Improved body tone (more muscle, less fat)
- Improved skin tone (more youthful appearance)
- Increased bone density, especially with higher-impact activities
- Improvements in overall health (reduced inflammation and risk of chronic illnesses)
- Improved sleep and relaxation
- Reduced pain
- Better sex
One of the key ingredients to a successful exercise program is that you stick to it. That means selecting one or more physical activities that you enjoy and then making a commitment to perform those exercises 30 to 60 minutes daily.
One good way to stay consistent is to add your exercise routine to your daily schedule. Make it right up there between making your bed and brushing your teeth in the morning. Or as a break between your commute home and dinner.
The secret is not to overdo it — especially if you’re just getting started. A brisk 30-minute walk every day can do wonders with a very low risk of injury. Start with something slightly challenging and work your way up as your ability and motivation allow.
Get More Dramatic Results Faster
To become fit and trim faster — and to achieve that objective in a sustainable manner — we encourage our patients to join a gym. And not just any gym. We strongly recommend MI40.
Although Ben Pakulski is a world-renowned bodybuilder, his focus now is on helping his clients establish and maintain an optimal lifestyle for long-term health, fitness, and fulfillment.
Unlike other trainers who focus solely on cardiovascular exercise and weight lifting, the trainers under Ben’s tutelage at MI40 know that results depend on much more than spending 30 to 60 minutes a day in the gym.
They believe results are achieved through the Six Pillars of Health and Fitness, which include:
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Pillar I: Proper training: The trainers at MI40 are experts at changing body composition, focusing as they do on “smart first, before hard.” MI40’s clients start by reducing how much weight they use and focus instead on the proper execution of exercises.
As a result, clients start seeing better results in half the time with a greatly reduced risk of injury.
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Pillar II: A balanced autonomic nervous system: For best results from any exercise regime, MI40 believes the two components of the autonomic nervous system — the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems — must be balanced.
The sympathetic nervous system is responsible for the fight-or-flight response. The parasympathetic nervous system is responsible for the rest-and-digest response.
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Pillar III: Sufficient quality sleep: A sufficient amount of high-quality sleep is required of all MI40 clients.
That’s because for the body to restore, repair, and refresh itself, it needs to sleep in a quiet room that is as close to pitch black as possible and between 64 to 69 degrees Fahrenheit.
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Pillar IV: Proper nutrition: Ben Pakulski believes you are what you eat, but more importantly, you are what your body absorbs.
As you’ll see, as a Mi40 client, Pakulski advocates eating whole, organic foods, mostly green vegetables, along with berries, nuts, healthy fats (olive oil, avocado, and coconut oil), and wild meats.
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Pillar V: A positive mindset: Pakulski also advocates setting goals and striving daily to meet them, so you always have something to look forward to.
As you’ll quickly see, when he or one of his trainers trains you, you’ll be asked to change the language of your thoughts and speech to avoid negative words such as “can’t” and “impossible.”
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Pillar VI: A healthy environment: As much as possible, Pakulski stresses that you live in a natural environment.
He demands that you get plenty of sunshine and fresh air and drink pure water. He’ll also ask that you limit your exposure to artificial light and electronic devices, which emit blue light and potentially harmful electromagnetic frequencies (EMFs).
Oh, and in case you’re wondering, “MI40” stands for Muscle Intelligence 40. Under Ben Pakulski’s watchful eye and approach to health and fitness, every 40 days or so, your body will experience a new growth spurt utilizing the Six Pillars of Health and Fitness.
There’s more to the MI40 approach than just that, which Ben or one of the pros at the MI40 Gym — located at 1355 W Gray Street here in Tampa — will be happy to explain further when you call them at (813) 559-1077.
Complimentary Fitness Assessment
Here at BioDesign, we’re pleased to share that our patients receive a free fitness assessment at MI40.
During your initial consultation, you discuss your fitness goals and current health and fitness status with Pakulski or a Mi40 trainer, who will then lead you through a free training session to get you started. Your trainer will then recommend the next steps to take to achieve your goals.
Note that Mi40 is not a typical gym with endless rows of cardio workout equipment. This gym has a stair stepper, two treadmills, and a stationary bicycle, but most of the equipment is for building strength and muscle.
The truth is steady-state cardio workouts do not get most people the results they want, whereas strength workouts build both muscle and stamina while restoring health at the cellular level.
Unfortunately, people are often intimidated by weights because they don’t know how to use them properly. With MI40 training, you learn to correctly — and safely — work out with weights, reaping the many health benefits of a strong, well-toned body.
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Disclaimer: The information in this blog post on the value of exercise and the benefits of working out at Tampa’s MI40 Gym is provided for general informational purposes only and may not reflect current medical thinking or practices. No information contained in this post should be construed as medical advice from the medical staff at BioDesign Wellness Center, Inc., nor is this post intended to be a substitute for medical counsel on any subject matter. No reader of this post should act or refrain from acting on the basis of any information included in, or accessible through, this post without seeking the appropriate medical advice on the particular facts and circumstances at issue from a licensed medical professional in the recipient’s state, country or other appropriate licensing jurisdiction.