A dispute over exercise equipment at a local gym boiled over into a physical altercation between Palm Springs’ top airport official and a hospital security guard.

Palm Springs International Airport Executive Director Tom Nolan and Desert Hot Springs resident Tupe Faleafaga gave conflicting accounts Wednesday of what happened Monday at the Gold’s Gym on Airport Centre Drive.

The incident took place about 12:40 p.m., according to police.

Neither man was arrested after officers arrived because it was ruled a “mutual” assault, and both men declined to press charges, according to Palm Springs Police Department spokeswoman Rhonda Long.

In a statement to The Desert Sun, Nolan said he was hit in the head, cut over his right eye and briefly knocked unconscious while using weight equipment during his lunch hour at Gold’s.

“I gained consciousness on the floor with a young man attempting to choke me while others quickly came to my rescue,” he said.

Nolan described the police report as “inaccurate” and said he did not fight with Faleafaga, who he said assaulted him without provocation.

“My only regret is that I should have been more cautious about this individual’s behavior, and I should have summoned the club’s management to address the situation,” Nolan said in the statement.

The police report has not been released because the case has not been closed by detectives, according to Sandra Benstead, the police department records supervisor.

Faleafaga said Nolan prompted the fight by taking the workout bench Faleafaga was using and aggressively guarding it after another patron took Nolan’s neighboring bench.

Gym patrons often have to share weights and equipment with others when their workouts overlap and the room gets crowded.

“He just came in and pushed me away,” Faleafaga, 23, said Wednesday. “I asked him nicely” to give it back, Faleafaga said. Nolan refused and the exchange grew heated, Faleafaga said.

Faleafaga said Nolan told him, “When I’m done with this, I’m going to knock you out.”

He said Nolan physically blocked him from taking the bench and that Nolan later kicked him in the knee.

“That’s when I just swung at him, and we both went down,” Faleafaga said. Other patrons broke up the men and then police officers arrived.

Nolan, who earlier said he considered the “personal matter closed,” did not respond to requests for comment about Faleafaga’s account.

He has served as the Palm Springs airport’s executive director since 2007 and earned more than $184,000 in 2009, according to the latest salary data filed with the state controller’s office.

Faleafaga said he regretted hitting Nolan.

“I was nervous and scared at the same time,” he said. “I’m not that kind of guy, getting in trouble and starting stuff. I felt embarrassed with him treating me like that.”

In his statement, Nolan said he asked if the club had security cameras that could “set the record straight” on the police report but there were none.

“I hope that anyone reading this does not conclude that health clubs are dangerous because they are not,” he stated. “I highly recommend becoming a member of a local club because the benefit from the exercise gained in these fine facilities greatly outweighs the probability of ever experiencing what I did.”

source: http://www.mydesert.com/article/20110630/NEWS01/106300325/Airport-executive-involved-scuffle-Gold-s-Gym?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|Frontpage

The topic today is going to be the different ways to get in shape through using various pieces of exercise equipment. People tend to get stuck inside the box and let their workouts become dull and mundane over time and once exercises become more like a chore than anything else, the mind becomes disinterested and the body becomes disengaged. Daily exercise is like most things that are good for you. Not fun. Running miles on your favorite Precor will be fantastic for your health, however it will be the furthest thing from fun. However, there is a way to have some fun when you lift on your treadmill home fitness equipment, or lift weights on your home gym and that is by keeping detailed statistics of your exercise sessions. By tracking your workout and carefully watching the amount of miles you are running and the amount of time it is taking you, it becomes easy to set goals for yourself  when you exercise.  When you set goals, using your home fitness equipment becomes fun because you are so curious each and every day as to whether or not you are going to surpass your previous highs.

Early in the morning is one of the best times to get sets of weight lifting done. People often forget how crucial weight lifting is towards maintaining a healthy physique. Weight lifting increases muscle mass, metabolism and reduces body fat. Yet somehow, fitness experts and gym goers alike tend to neglect the overall importance on strength training and it shows. It is very simple, try and spend as much time working out on your home gym as you do on your cardiovascular home fitness equipment. Nine out of ten people that call and speak to our fitness experts are inquiring about treadmills and ellipticals and that is great, but there needs to be an equilibrium that incorporates weight lifting too.

Every year around this time the Kings of Cardio begin an amazing 8 day clearance sale on all of our fitness equipment. In an effort to liquidate our surplus, we are now cutting costs on all exercise equipment to all time lows, that are far below minimum advertised pricing guidelines.  Never before could you buy a top-of-the-line cardio piece, for 50% off of its minimum advertised price, but now you can. We have rowing machines that need to go. Thousands of treadmills that we are are basically giving away. Our Life Fitness and Precor Ellipticals are being sold for such low prices right now, that Precor and Life Fitness called us directly to find out what is going on! Sarah Barker, our receptionist, told both companies that we are giving the people what they want;  Home gym equipment with fantastic reviews, at the guaranteed lowest price in the nation!

There are so many things that hold people back from living their life to the fullest and staying healthy. We do not want one of those things to be the cost of the sports gear, so we guarantee  for 1 full year after you purchase home fitness equipment with us, that if you find the piece of fitness equipment you purchased with us, whether a new treadmill, used elliptical, or demo exercise bike, for a lower pirce than you bought it for, we will refund you the differnce, plus a 10% cash spiff. That is how sure the  are that we are providing the highest quality sports equipment on the planet, at lower prices than every other fitness equipment store in the world. Don’t believe it? All you have to do is call one of our friendly and informative fitness experts and you will notice right away that our employees know the pros and cons of every piece of gym equipment that are currently in the health and fitness industry, along with all fo the classic, discontinued models of the past.

This is a PSA to all football players, basketball stars, baseball players, swimmers, or any other kind of athlete, or an aspiring athlete, you will be blown away by how amazingly low our prices are on all of our exercise equipment and home fitness products. When you call to purchase, mention code 491009 and you will receive a free floor mat and 2 extra years of electronics coverage on your sports equipment. A thick, hi-density rubber floor mat can easilly be placed under t pieces of exercise equipment to dampen noise and reduce static.

Are you looking for sports equipment? If so, you have come to the right home fitness store! When is the last time your fitness equipment broke down? If you are like most people, then your exercise equipment and other sports equipment has had many service issues, and the home gym supplier that you purchased from, has done little to help.

The Kings of Cardio set ourselves apart from the rest of the fitness business by actually taking care of our customers. When you call and inquire about exercise equipment, we do not like to just give you a quick price, and then make the sale. Our fitness experts go the extra mile and pay attention to detail more than your standard sales rep just trying to get in your pocket! Whether you are looking for a treadmill, elliptical, an exercise bike, rowing machine, or other “fitness” equipment, our friendly staff full of friendly and informative personal trainers and fitness experts would take great pride in helping you chose the right piece of hoem fitness equipemnt for you!

Speaking of “Sports Equipment”, I was recently involved in an argument with a group of friends over which sport was more dangerous, Rugby or Football? I personally believe, and basically know for a fact, that American Football is much tougher on the body and causes more injuries than Rugby. Those sports fanatics that argue the other side, base their flawed argument on the fact that SPORTS EQUIPMENT is used in American Football and their is no SPORTS EQUIPMENT in Rugby! W A T ?????? That arguement makes zero sense.

The arguement that Rugby is more dangerous because they do not use sports equipment such as football helmets, shoulder pads and so on, is wrong for several reasons. First of all the flow of the game itself, American football that is, is sooooooo much faster than Rugby. The speed difference is extrememly relevant because when players move faster in Sports, whether or not they are using sports equipemnt, they are prone to more injury than if they were moving at slower speeds. For Example, if two cars collide and they are each moving at 10 miles and hour, there will not be nearly as much of an impact as there would be if they were moving at 50 miles per hour. For those of you who do not think the speed differential between American Football players and Rugby players is equal to that of the example mentioned above, then you are right. The speed difference is much greater! Football players are that much faster than rugby players that whether or not they are wearing sports equipment or not is irrelevant.

If you are looking for Precor, Life Fitness, Star Trac, Kettler, BodyCraft, Cybex, BodySolid, Hoist, First Degree Fitness, or any other brand of fitness or weight equipement, then look no further. You have arrived at the promise land! Call 800-990-1108 right now for more exercise equipment and fitness info! Talk to you soon….