“I Just Don’t Have Time”
This is one of the most common objections I hear from both members and potential members of
Penance Gym. It’s a sentiment that often comes up in casual conversations with friends or
family at gatherings. And while it’s easy to sympathize with the idea that there aren’t enough
hours in the day, the truth is that time, or more accurately, the perceived lack of it, has become a
universal barrier.
In today’s world, time management feels harder than ever. With the rise of technology, we’re
constantly connected to work, family, and social obligations, leaving us feeling like there’s no
time left to take care of ourselves. In decades past, when the workday ended, people would
disconnect, go home, and enjoy personal time. Now, smartphones and constant notifications
blur the lines between work and personal life, creating the illusion that we don’t have time to
exercise, rest, or even take a break.
However, when we break down how we spend our day, small pockets of time do
exist—moments we could be using to improve our health. The issue is often less about time and
more about our perception of what working out should be. Many of us are conditioned to believe
that a “proper” workout requires a significant chunk of time— examples include 30-minute
walks, 45 minutes of weights followed by 45 minutes of cardio, etc. This rigid view can make
exercise seem overwhelming, even when the reality is much simpler.

1. Anything Is Better Than Nothing
   If your current activity level is zero, doing anything is better than doing nothing. You don’t need
   an hour-long session to see benefits; even five minutes of purposeful movement can positively
   impact your health. The important thing is to start where you are, rather than overwhelming
   yourself with expectations of long workouts.
   In fact, studies have shown that short bursts of activity can significantly improve your health.
   According to research from the American Journal of Physiology, even 10 minutes of
   moderate-intensity exercise can boost your cognitive function and elevate your mood. This is
   especially important in our hyper-connected, busy lives—taking even a small amount of time to
   move can have a ripple effect throughout your day, improving your energy, focus, and
   productivity.
2. Prioritize Strength Training Over Cardio
   While we often hear about the importance of getting more steps in, it’s crucial to understand the
   bigger picture—strength training should be prioritized over simply increasing daily movement.
   Strength training doesn’t just improve muscle mass; it’s vital for joint health, metabolism, and
   glucose management, which is key to preventing conditions like diabetes and Alzheimer’s.
   As we age, muscle mass naturally declines, leading to a condition called sarcopenia. Strength
   training is one of the most effective ways to prevent this, preserving your body’s functional
   capacity to handle day-to-day tasks. So, if you only have a few minutes, choose strength over
   cardio. Strength training has a higher return on investment when time is limited.
3. Short Bursts of Bodyweight Training
   For those who struggle to find time, consider short, manageable bodyweight exercises that can
   be done anywhere. Five to ten minutes is all you need. These exercises don’t require a gym,
   equipment, or a big time commitment. Here are three highly effective movements you can fit into
   your day:
   ● Push-ups: One of the best upper-body exercises, working your chest, shoulders,
   triceps, and core. For beginners, modify by using a wall or countertop to elevate your
   hands. https://youtu.be/BmSHz9pGkAo
   ● Bodyweight Squats: This is one of the most essential patterns for us as we age, and it
   is the pattern I see the most people deficient in. Squats target your legs, glutes, and core
   while improving balance and flexibility. Beginners can start by sitting down onto a chair
   and standing back up. https://youtu.be/HjHty0FnDzA
   ● Good Mornings: This simple hip-hinge movement strengthens your hamstrings, lower
   back, and glutes—critical areas for those who spend long hours sitting. This also does
   wonders for the stiff feeling that we often feel in our lower back.
   https://youtu.be/3h5CjNRJwUw this is shown with a sandbag, but the pattern is the same
   The beauty of bodyweight training is that you can do it multiple times throughout the day. Just
   five minutes here and there can make a significant impact on your strength and mobility over
   time.

Stay Tuned for Part Two!

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About the Author
Clint Cox is the owner and strength & conditioning coach at Penance Gym. A native son of
Fayette County, raised on a family farm and active in athletics throughout his youth, Clint
developed a deep connection to physically demanding activities early on. His passion for health
and fitness led him to begin his professional training career in 2010, and in 2013, he founded
Penance Gym. Originally focused on supporting athletes, Clint soon recognized a greater need
for strength and fitness training among adults, prompting a shift in the gym’s mission.
Clint believes in a simple, sustainable approach to fitness, emphasizing strength, stability, and
exercises that enhance everyday life. He has developed a particular expertise in rehabilitating
lower back issues, helping clients eliminate pain and rebuild functional strength.
When he’s not coaching, Clint enjoys life on his homestead, where he cares for longhorn cattle,
pigs, turkeys, and chickens. He spends his free time enjoying outdoor activities with his family,
from camping and kayaking to playing sports—living an active life that reflects his passion for
health.

When I called Rusty Bliss to ask him if he’d be willing to have me interview him for all of Fayette County to read about, he chuckled then said, “I’m not that interesting. I just cut the grass and stuff.” If you know Rusty, nothing could be further from the truth.

Rusty’s story started in Oklahoma where he was born and returned often because this was his family’s permanent residence. He was raised all over the world as an Army brat; from Japan to Germany and Iceland but spending most of his formative years in the Southeast. He moved 23 times before he was 18 years old!

His great-grandparents were Vaudeville actors, but after many years of acting his great-grandfather decided to attend medical school to become a doctor. After graduating, he struggled to find work as people questioned why he was a doctor so late in life. It wasn’t normal, then, for people to attend medical school at an age when they should have already had a successful career. After some time, he decided he’d create a solution to his problem. He built a hospital. His three sons, one of whom was Rusty’s grandfather, all became doctors and worked in Hubbard Hospital. The hospital remains today but is now a rehabilitation hospital in Oklahoma City. You can read Dr. Hubbard’s story in a book titled “Oklahoma Rebel”. Rusty comes from a long line of military service; his grandfather and two great-uncles served in World War II and his dad was an Army pilot. His life was built around flying from an early age.

At the tender age of 5 he already knew how he wanted to spend the rest of his life: flying airplanes. While doing his basic flight training, he was flying a night solo cross-country and listening to Roberta Flack crooning “Killing me softly with his song”.  He said to himself in that moment, “Please God let me do this (flying) for a living.” (Ironically almost 40 years later he had the opportunity to fly Ms. Flack as the Captain on a Delta B747-400 from New York’s JFK airport to Tokyo, Japan and penned a letter to her expressing how influential she was in his career path and hand-delivered it!)  He obtained his pilot’s license at 17 and at 24 he was hired by North Central Airlines which would merge with Southern, later becoming Republic Airlines. Republic merged with Northwest Airlines in 1986 and then Northwest merged with Delta Air Lines in 2008. He would fly with them (Delta Airlines) until 2019 when they fired him. Or at least that’s how Rusty’s version of the story goes. “They took my ID card, locked me out of the computer and said I didn’t work there anymore.” He told me this with the most serious of looks. I sat shocked knowing the character of the man in front of me. Then he gave me a sideways grin. “They called it retirement, since I was 65, but I didn’t ask to retire. As a matter of fact, I wrote my congressman.” All to no avail, as you might expect, but it sure does make the story more interesting told from his angle!

For the majority of Rusty’s years as a pilot his route took him to Asia on 12-day tours. It might seem odd to some, but that schedule allowed him to spend the most time possible with his 4 kids and his wife, Kris. After 41 years of flying, they accompanied him on his last official flight which was from Beijing, China. After being fired, I mean, retired, Rusty wasn’t sure what was next for this stage of life. Initially he and Kris thought they would do the Great American Loop. Its courses are somewhat varied, but the general gist is taking a boat south to the Gulf, then winding around Florida, up the East Coast, into the Great Lakes and then home again. In 2019 they set out to complete the Loop. What they didn’t anticipate was a pandemic. As the docks and ports began to close, they realized they had no option but to turn around and make their attempt another time.

God works things in strange ways. It wasn’t long after their dreams had been put on hold that the Fayette County Airport called. Rusty was more than qualified to run the airport and truth be told it needed a little reinvigoration. He was the man for the job. Soon after taking the position as director of the airport, he began hosting once-a-month luncheons. People from all over fly in to eat whatever Kris & Rusty are cooking. It was through one of these lunches that Rusty coordinated a plan with a long-time friend and fellow college roommate who is a pilot for the Titan Formation Team, an aerobatics team. The director, Jimmy Fordham, told Rusty he needed to have an airshow so that’s just what he did. In 2021 the Fayette County Airport hosted their first airshow. Last year they had nine performances and hosted over 5000 people. This year there will be ten performances on September 28, 2024. Tickets start at $5 for General Parking, $11.25 a child and $22.50 an adult. You can also purchase a Family 4 Pack for $60 which includes general parking. Tickets are available online at https://fayettecountytnairport.com/airshow/  This airshow, which takes place in the afternoon, evening and night, is truly unlike any other. Attendees are able to get right up to the performers and be one on one. You won’t find that at the big airshows. In case you think the only place to see world class performers is at one of those big shows, think again. Fayette County is hosting some of the best performers in the world!

I asked Rusty why he does all that he does. He told me he wants to share his passion for aviation, “maybe you plant a seed in a kid”. That happens through instruction, hosting an annual Aviation camp for 10–14 year olds, the airshow and sharing his stories of flying with the next generation. Ever humble, he’s quick to say he doesn’t do this all on his own. He has a great team who help spread the passion for aviation to younger folks by hiring them to help with the day-to-day activities. I asked Rusty if our airport has room to grow. “Growth is mandatory, it’s good for business, good in case of a crisis and good to support our community.” he told me. Many small aircraft and jets pass over the busy Memphis airport in favor of our friendly airport, which I might add is designed and decorated like you would expect to find in the high-end private airports of the Northeast coast. This year so far there have been 16,572 take offs and landings. 40 private jets have used our airport as well. Small town airports are vital to keeping a town going. If ever there were a disaster in Memphis and airports were affected, our airport could step up and help with air traffic flow for both private and crisis aircraft. It’s important that our airport continues to grow as our county grows.

If you have ever thought of being a pilot, or just want to see all that our airport is doing, take a drive out to the Fayette County airport. Rusty and his team would be glad to show you all that they are doing and will help you get set up with an instructor to begin your own aviation hobby or career. Don’t forget to grab your tickets for the airshow, it is an event you don’t want to miss. In the meantime, don’t forget to shop local and shop Fayette first!

~Written By Karri Buck~

Published in Fayette Falcon

September 17, 2024

This weekend Somerville will host the 25^th Annual Cotton Fest. Now that you know the history, you might want to know who’s going to be there. Since we are the Fayette County Chamber of Commerce it should come as no surprise that our biggest passion is businesses here in Fayette County. Often those are brick and mortar but for this one weekend each year it is about so much more. It’s about those who live for festivals like ours bringing their talented giftings to our county and sharing them with you. I wish I could name them all, but space doesn’t permit for such things. So when you visit a vendor take an extra moment to thank them for coming and contributing to our county. We are grateful for each one!

Sweet Lily Cookies based out of Oakland. Laura’s cookies and cookie cakes are beautiful creations made to perfectly reflect whatever event you are celebrating. Whether you need cookies for a baby shower, graduation, birthday or just simply because it’s a Tuesday, look for Sweet Lily Cookies to make your event extra special.

Belle’s Grace All Natural Dog Treats has everything the special canine in your life needs. If chemicals and toxins are a concern for you, look for Belle’s Grace at Cotton Fest. They have blueberry & peanut butter, pumpkin & peanut butter and strawberry & apple treats available…for you dog… if you’re looking for something for you, check out

Warren Road Honey Farms where you’ll find honey that is local to Fayette County. Mix a little honey into your favorite coffee with some cream and have a delicious cup of home sweetened goodness. Local honey is full of nutritious benefits, as well. Make sure to grab a bottle or two at their booth.

KC Poly Clay will be there with a booth full of beautiful, hand-crafted earrings. If you’re looking for a gift for the special lady in your life, stop by Marsha’s booth, you’re sure to find it there. She has earrings for every occasion.

Mrs. Bear’s Wood Art has just what you need to decorate any door in your home or office. Erin’s signs are made with solid wood, are hand-painted and are interchangeable for each season. If you look down the halls of your local school, you’re sure to find one of Erin’s creations decorating classroom doors.

Faith Farms will have their locally famous goat milk soap, lotion, lip balm, laundry detergent, beard oils and more at the 2024 Cotton Fest. Come buy a bar or two and see what all the fuss is about. Goat milk is good for you, inside and out!

This year there are over 40 arts & craft vendors, but there are also boutiques, churches, local businesses with booths and food trucks! Thinking about changing careers? UT Martin will be on site to answer all of your questions about higher education. Blue Oval City will be there showing their commitment to the community. Does physical therapy seem like something you only do after surgery? Stop by the Dynamix booth to learn more about PT and how it can prevent surgery in some cases! Fayette Cares and the Carl Perkins Center will each have booths. Make sure to visit with the wonderful folks running their booths. They would love to share with you ways you can donate time or money to make important changes for your community. Come be part of one of the most highly anticipated events of 2024 here in Fayette County. Come shop local and shop Fayette first!

~Written By Karri Buck~

Cotton Fest. If you’re from Fayette County those words may drum up images of fields slowly turning white as the season changes from the hot and humid summer to warm days with cooler evenings. It might bring back memories of music on the town square, of cotton candy from a vendor, or hearty hellos from neighbors you haven’t seen all summer. And if you’re not from here, Cotton Fest brings with it an air of intrigue.

   What started as an egg festival many years ago when Cargill and Rus-Dun egg farms made their home here shifted as the industry shifted from eggs, to BBQ, to now Cotton. Fayette County is currently the third largest producer of cotton in the state of Tennessee. That’s something to be celebrated!

   In 1980 the First Annual Egg Festival was held in Somerville.  At the time Fayette County was considered the Egg Capital of Tennessee, producing about 35% of the eggs in the state, so it only seemed right to shine a light on that industry. There were games on the arcade, a parade, egg throwing contests, eggs dropped from airplanes (what an idea this was!), pageants, carnival games bake offs, ice cream eating contests, art contests and even a World Chicken Beauty Pageant; complete with a trophy that rivals anything NASCAR hands out! Visiting with the locals, the chicken that stands out in memories is the one that was dressed up like Dolly Parton. Oh, the creativity that must have gone into that one! You could also find egg packing contests, music on the square, a craft fair and I’ve heard delicious tales of the omelets served at the Methodist church. As with all good things, this too had its end. Though it’s hard to find an exact date, there is no mention of the Egg Festival after 1986 in the papers. Egg production had moved out and with it, the festivities.

   In the early 1990’s Hog Mania became a headlining event for the Fall season here in Fayette County. Some years it was accompanied by the Fayette County Fair which included a carnival and a rodeo. People came for miles around to show off their BBQ and Backyard cooking skills. In 1996, the “Huff ‘N’ Puff Porkers” from Mississippi took home the trophy for Hog Mania. This was no small honor. The winner of Hog Mania moved on to the World Championship Barbecue contest held later in Memphis. Fayette County knows good barbecue!

In 2000, the First Annual Cotton Festival came to fruition. Cotton is as Southern as biscuits and gravy, so it’s no surprise that it has become the star of the show. The first year a fashion show, beauty pageant, Hog Mania cook off, Cotton picking contest, parade, Cotton Gin tours, art show and arts and craft fair were on the agenda. As the years have progressed Horse shows, Agricultural awards, Galas, a dog show, sidewalk art contest, a motorcycle run and more have all made their appearance in the yearly line up.

Today the Cotton Fest is as highly anticipated as it has been for the last 25 years. It’s a time for neighbors to catch up after a flurry of summer activities and responsibilities. If you are a runner, or just want to be one for a day, supporting Fayette Cares in their 5K/1K charity run is a great way to join the festivities. Are cars the thing that makes your heart beat a little faster? There’s a car show from 8am-3pm on the north side of the square. Many local representatives will be making an appearance in the morning, including State Senator Page Walley, Congressman David Kustoff and State Representative Ron Gant. Make sure to come hungry as there will be a pancake breakfast from 7-10am at the Methodist Church plus a variety of Food Trucks to satisfy, no matter the craving. The Tennessee Farm Bureau Women will be hosting a canning and baking contest. Live music will be provided by Volunteer Country Band with different community members performing in the afternoon. And if all that isn’t enough, don’t forget the plethora of art and craft vendors. You can find everything from pottery to earrings to duck calls to hair bows. There is truly something for everyone. Mark your calendars because September 14, 2024 is a day you don’t want to miss. See you at Cotton Fest!

~Written By Karri Buck~