Bartendaz Workout

The Bartendaz of New York want to serve as many young people as possible -- and that's a good thing.

These fitness gurus aren't promoting underage drinking. Named for the creative moves they perform on the pull-up bar, the Bartendaz are empowering youths through calisthenics.
By ditching free weights and weight machines in favor of using their own body weight on the bar and the floor, the Bartendaz have developed a series of acrobatic strength exercises that have sparked attention on YouTube and from such celebrity clients as rapper Ludacris and mixed martial arts champion Rashad Evans. Some members also earned a stint with New York's Apollo Circus of Soul.

But Bartendaz founder Hassan Yasin's proudest achievement is his program's impact on youths.
"My number one claim to fame [is] ... when I walk in the park and they're not chilling on the benches, they're at the bars," said Yasin, 40. "All the guys that [were] hanging out there, taking up space, [are] now leaving because there's too many youth coming back."

Dozens of New York City schools have adopted Bartendaz moves into their physical education programs through grass-roots networking, Yasin said. He believes the exercises resonate among students who have been otherwise tough to reach.

Read the rest of the CNN article here.

Memphis in May 2009

You do not want to miss Memphis in May 2009! The event will kick-off on May 1-3 with the Beale Street Music Festival at Tom Lee park in downtown Memphis. The music line-up is action-packed and is sure to be a hit no matter what your musical taste! Here are just a few of the artists that will be performing that weekend:

Snoop Dogg, Hinder, Katy Perry, Jerry Lee Lewis, Steve Miller Band, The All-American Rejects, Elvis Costello, James Taylor, 311, Fall Out Boy, Ben Harper & Relentless7, G. Love & Special Sauce, Tommy Castro, The Cult, Jack's Mannequin, Rise Against, Ronnie Baker, Brooks, Matt Nathanson, Korn, Los Lobos, George Clinton & Parliament, Funkadelic

The best way to get your tickets is through Ticketmaster. Be sure to arrive early! Ticket holders can enter the park from the River Walk at the North and South bluff stairs.