Simply the Best

SI Women wants only the best for you. And to prove it we've assembled dozens of the best things on earth. Below you'll find five of them. To see our complete "Best of" package -- including the best new adventure destination, the best thing money can't buy, and many more -- check out Sports Illustrated Women's September issue, on newsstands now.

BEST FITNESS PHILOSOPHY

Leading man Liam Neeson is one of Manocchia's many celebrity clients.   AP

Before Pat Manocchia will consider taking you on as one of the 200 or so members of La Palestra, his exclusive New York City fitness center, he'll ask you your objective. Choose your answer carefully. "If they tell me, 'I want to lose this stuff on the back of my arms,'" Manocchia says, "I'll say, 'Get out of here!'"

On the other hand, if you are serious about fitness, Manocchia is the man to see. Athletes, celebrities, media titans and semiregular folks who happen to have $8,000 a year to spend come through La Palestra's unmarked front door every day and step into two cavernous rooms carved out of the 19th-century ballroom of the old Hotel Des Artistes. Among Manocchia's clients are Lauren Bacall and Liam Neeson.

Manocchia, a former hockey star and classics major at Brown University, was already one of New York City's most sought-after personal trainers in 1992 when he saw a need for a fitness hub modeled on a university, which would have on staff not only trainers but also specialists in orthopedics, psychology, nutrition and cardiology. He looked backward for inspiration. "To the ancient Greeks a gym wasn't a place you went to fix something," Manocchia says. "It was a place you went to stay well and develop character through physical and mental discipline."

The La Palestra difference? "Everything here is based on dialogue," Manocchia says. "Nothing is generic. You have a yoga studio downtown that you love? Great. Let's work that into your program." All new clients undergo a thorough series of medical and physical tests, fill out a comprehensive lifestyle questionnaire and review the results with Manocchia. A six-month goal is set, be it running a marathon -- after taking La Palestra's prep course, no one has failed to complete the New York City Marathon -- or climbing up Mount Kilimanjaro (another annual outing). Clients are expected to master a repertoire of more than 30 fundamental exercises. Every six months they sit down with Manocchia for a reevaluation and a new six-month goal, and if they happen to get great arms in the process, no one will complain.

BEST ON-THE-GO GADGET

Sprint has just begun rolling out its 3G (third-generation) phone network in the U.S. It allows Internet access and data transmission to be just as fast from your phone as it is from your desktop. Samsung's n400 takes full advantage of 3G's capabilities: It's equipped with voice-activated dialing, a built-in speakerphone, instant messaging, a personal organizer and a full-color LCD screen for easier Internet surfing. Weighing just four ounces, it packs a wallop. Available in silver or blue. $199; 800-726-7864, www.samsungusa.com

BEST REASON TO CONSUME 20 CALORIES

Raspberry Emer'gen-C. Pour this tiny power packet into a six-ounce glass of water and voilà: You have a raspberry-flavored fizzy drink with eight times the amount of potassium in Gatorade. Touted as the "super energy booster," the caffeine-free formula contains a whopping 1,000 milligrams of vitamin C and 28 mineral electrolytes. Also available in 14 other flavors, including coffee, cranberry, lemon-lime and tangerine. Box of 36 packets $12; 800-854-0249, www.alacercorp.com

BEST RUNNING STROLLER

Among cyclists, the name BOB is synonymous with bicycle cargo trailers -- the trunks-on-wheels that riders can use to tow supplies. But when the company's founders became dads, they devoted their attention to more precious cargo and came up with the Sport Utility Stroller for runners. Christened "the Volvo of running strollers," it has a patented suspension system and polymer wheels giving both runner and child a smoother ride, either on or off the road. From $280; 800-893-2447, www.bobgear.com

BEST REASON TO CALL YOUR CABLE OPERATOR

The group that created the Classic Sports Network is now working on their next big idea: the National College Sports Network. Slated to launch in the first quarter of 2003, NCSN may become the best place to see women's sports on TV. College sports tend to feature more women competitors, and as NCSN founder Brian Bedol notes, "the fact that so little women's sports is currently on television creates a great opportunity for someone who is building a new network."

To see our complete "Best of" package check out Sports Illustrated Women's September issue, on newsstands now.