Published: May 01. 2010 2:00AM

By Kondria Woods
CONTRIBUTING WRITER

May has finally arrived, and we all know what that means: the countdown to summer — and a summer-ready body — begins now . The good news is there's no need to panic. This is the perfect time to get on track and get in shape with an exciting solution that's close to home.

Go no further than the Acceleration Sports Institute (ASI), a part of Greenville Hospital System University Medical Center's Institute for Musculoskeletal Health & Wellness. Long understood to be the place for “next level training” for professional athletes, ASI has opened its doors to everyone seeking the route to the best possible body.

Go no further than the Acceleration Sports Institute (ASI), a part of Greenville Hospital System University Medical Center's Institute for Musculoskeletal Health & Wellness. Long understood to be the place for “next level training” for professional athletes, ASI has opened its doors to everyone seeking the route to the best possible body.

“ASI offers Speedflex training, which is a program that combines all types of full-body motions,” said Darren Holmes, program director of sports performance and 13-year veteran of Major League Baseball. “This training increases cardio, muscular endurance and flexibility, all in 30 minutes and burning 700 to 900 calories. If you go to the gym to get this kind of a workout, you're looking at one hour of cardio, one hour of weight training and a Pilates or yoga class for stretching. That's about two-and-a-half hours, and you're not burning nearly as many calories.”

Developed by the braintrust of ASI and Steadman Hawkins Clinic of the Carolinas, the miracle machine behind this innovative workout program involves no additional weights. The medically based facility is uniquely capable of assuring that every workout really is safe and sound.

“We try to do complex movements, two or more different movements, in one exercise,” Holmes said. “With multiple movements, more body parts are moving and getting some flexibility.”

That idea was especially important to Kelli Silliman, a member of ASI's Cougar Challenge group. A summer-ready body isn't the only milestone she plans to celebrate.

“I'm turning 50 in June, and one of my goals is to get into the best shape I can and look good,” she said. “Walking and lifting weights can be monotonous, not to mention being hard on the body. This workout is challenging, but you know there's an end in sight. It goes so quickly.”

While Silliman agreed that the “instant gratification” aspect of Speedflex training is appealing, there's a lot more methodology at work. Every session is supervised by certified trainers and each exercise has its own set of guided instructions. Session participants like Silliman are hooked to heart monitors, allowing every step of their progress to be charted and reviewed. The whole process begins with a full-body assessment: Measurements, including body mass index, are taken, overall flexibility is reviewed and a customized nutrition plan is created.

“Nutrition fuels the element to get you ready for the workout,” said Sanjeev “Jeevers” Javia, director of health, fitness and nutrition for the Musculoskeletal Health & Wellness Institute. “There's a difference between losing weight and body transformation. This program replaces fat with muscle and incorporates healthy weight management. I believe in wholesome nutrition and a balanced diet. With each participant in the Cougar Challenge, I wanted to focus on eating to live, and how everyone eats based on how they live.”

Javia described the nutrition diary he requires of every participant as a teaching tool. “People don't realize what they write and what's happening,” he said. “They're eating the wrong thing, eating late at night, all sorts of things. You can't do something bad to your body one or two times, but doing it consistently will do bad things.”

While Silliman and most of her Cougar counterparts balked at the requirement to eat more “small meals,” Javia explained the reasoning.

“When you start eating, you always have more energy,” he said. “If you're doing a workout that burns 600 calories and you eat something that provides 600 calories, they net each other out. The other thing our participants notice is that the quality of their sleep improves. Sleep is the body's way to replenish itself and rebuild. If someone says they don't sleep well, that's the No. 1 indicator that some part of their lifestyle is unhealthy. Eating nutritious food and getting the right amount of calories help you sleep well and you have more energy. Ultimately you're getting through the workout better.”

“For me, this is something I can do for myself and I can see the results,” Silliman said. “My body mass is down, I'm losing inches and feeling better than ever, and I know I'm still burning calories. It's got me fired up about working out again!”