Always remember the five D's of dodgeball!

Recreational Sports patrons try their best to follow the five D's of dodgeball: dodge, duck, dip, dive and dodge, at Medic during Friday Night Line Up at the Siegel Center.

What separates Medic from normal games of dodgeball is the inclusion of its namesake, the medic. The medic has the ability to bring teammates back into the game by tagging them after they get out

Casey Coble, a junior studying psychology, said his favorite part of the game was catching unsuspecting players with a well aimed throw.

“I search for people who aren't looking and I make them pay by hitting them in the face,” Casey said.

Casey said his strategy for ensuring another win for his team was to protect the medic and try to stay close to the middle line of the court.

“It's a lot easier the closer you are when throwing,” he said.

Steven Aliyetti, a sophomore studying forensic science, said the key to winning was being aggressive and not making sloppy mistakes.

Steven said his favorite part of the game was catching hard throws because all the players notice a hard catch and acknowledge it with yelling and clapping.

“It's awesome to get a one hander,” Steven said.

Medic is held Fridays from 2:00 – 4:30 pm in the Siegel Center Activity Center as part of the Friday Night Line Up. Soccer runs from 4:30 – 7, and Volleyball from 7:00 – 8:45.

Kick off your workout with Turbo Kick

If you're looking for a full-body workout, look no further than Turbo Kick classes held at Siegel Center.

Turbo Kick uses punches, kicks and other routines set to dance to provide an action-packed, fun and effective cardiovascular workout for beginner to advanced levels.

Candace Dillon, a second year biology graduate student who has taken the class multiple times during the past year, said she enjoyed how the class involved all parts of the body.

“It's a total body workout and it's fun,” Dillon said.

Dillon said the class is good for a first timer because the instructor shows the participants exactly what to do when in the class.

Bonita Johnson, a sophomore studying radiation science who was taking the class for the first time, said she was attracted to the class because it caught her eye when she entered the gym.

Johnson said her favorite part of the class was the stretching.

“I didn't know you could stretch out the hip,” Johnson said.

Turbo Kick classes are held on.....through October 15. Check out our full schedule of free Group Exercise Classes for Session I http://www.recsports.vcu.edu/fitness/group_exercise.php. Session II begins after Reading Days.

Anne Zielinski Employee Profile

Anne Zielinski is the assistant director of Recreational Sports and is in charge of student development and sports clubs. She received her bachelor's in sports marketing from University of Connecticut in 1998 and her master’s in recreational sports administration from Indiana University in 2000. After graduation, she worked at Ball State University for two years before moving to VCU in 2002.

As the assistant director of student development, Anne manages the student workers in all of the recreational facilities on both campuses.

Anne said she always worked out, but still had weight fluctuations, in some cases losing, then regaining 60 pounds. After learning her stepmother was joining the Weight Watchers program, Anne found motivation to join the group herself.

“There was no way she was going to look better and I wasn’t,” she said.

Anne said for her workout program, she usually does 45 minutes to an hour of cardio, followed by light lifting. By sticking to this program almost every day, Anne has lost 90 pounds.

Anne said in addition to Weight Watchers and working out, she cut down on how much she ate and tried to make healthier choices when preparing food.

“I started to make vegetables my friend,” she said.

Anne said she also rediscovered her love of running. A three-time finisher of the Richmond Marathon and numerous other races, Anne said nothing takes the pounds off like running.

“I’ve found that running is the best exercise for me. When I couldn’t run, I walked, which is also more effective for me than using an elliptical trainer. Walking uses all of your muscles and balance, where the elliptical trainer maintains you in one position.”

As a result of her weight loss, Anne said that it has been easier for her to shop for clothes, she has not had any debilitating back pain since January and she feels that people’s perception of her have changed for the better. “It’s much better with 90 pounds off my back,” she said.

Anne said even if people are capable of living their lives at their current weight, if they feel they could stand to shed some pounds, it will improve their overall standard of living.

“It’s the rest of your life. It can be so much better,” she said.

If you have any questions about Anne’s weight loss journey, please contact her at azielinski@vcu.edu.

A.B.S. doesn't just stand for abs

The class may be called A.B.S., but that’s not the only thing it trains.

A.B.S., which stands for “Abs, Back and Sweat,” is a high-intensity approach to shaping and strengthening the midsection using a number of abdominal, oblique and lower back exercises.

Dr. Eric W. West, Fitness and Wellness Program coordinator for Rec Sports and an instructor for A.B.S. class, said A.B.S. is not only a good way to work on the core, back and abs, but is also “a good way to educate,” about fitness.

Atalie Senty, a freshman mass communications and business dual major, said she always went to fitness classes at her gym in Washington D.C. and she wanted to continue that habit in college.

“I wanted to take advantage of them here,” Senty said.

Senty said the class is good for first timers because the instructors always alternate the exercises done for each class and tailor the exercises towards different skill levels.

Dennis Quaye, a senior criminal justice major, said his desire to stay in shape is what initially drew him to the class and it completely met his expectations for a workout.

“The whole hour is worth it,” Quaye said.

Recreational Sports offers A.B.S. group exercise classes Mondays from 5:00pm to 6:00pm and Tuesdays from 6:00pm to 7:00pm during Session I, which runs until October 15th. All classes are free to enrolled VCU students and Recreational Sports members

You can view the schedule for this session’s other group exercise classes by clicking here.