Total Gym

NEW!! "Mind/Body Monday with Valerie" – The Infamous Fitness Rut

We are very excited to introduce a new contributor to Total Gym Inside. Say hello to Valerie Paule, a Los Angeles-based certified group fitness instructor, dance fitness instructor and creator of fusion dance fitness classes – World Dance Funk and World Dance Boxing. Valerie is naturally drawn towards speaking about the mind/body/lifestyle approach to achieving fitness goals. Here she offers her tips for beating a fitness rut and achieving your health and fitness goals:

Could your fitness regimen use some oomph? Has progress toward your goals taken a turn southbound? Do you generally feel disconnected from the aspirations you initially created?

If you answered yes to even one of the questions above, you might be running on “physical activity autopilot.” The reason behind your stagnant program, or fitness rut, could be that your goals don’t have the necessary gusto to get you to the finish line.

Ask yourself: Do your current fitness goals inspire your fitness program? Do they move you to take diligent, committed, consistent and – hopefully – upbeat action? Let’s use an example to illustrate this point.

You need to lose 10 lbs. Which option is more appealing and/or motivating to you?

1. You’re giving yourself 3 months to lose the final 10. It’s about time and you just have to find a way to suck it up and do it.
2. Your goal is to be one of the first 15 people to cross the finish line of your favorite charity’s upcoming 5K run. The marathon takes place 3 months from now. You’re sure you can drop the final 10 through the training program to prepare for the marathon.

I don’t know about you, but #2 has an inspiration-inducing joie de vivre that A does not.

Now in order to be one of those top 15 finishers you may decide to push yourself during your training to naturally release the final 10 lbs that will help you improve your stamina and decrease the strain on your joints.

You’re still working at the weight loss goal, but instead of focusing on the dauntingly uninspiring “I just wanna lose these extra 10 lbs”, your focus is really on living an enlivened life that matters to you. Your focus is on the great thing you get to do in your life as a natural byproduct of not having to contend with the extra weight.

When you attach a mundane goal to a bigger why your actions to reaching that goal take on a new life. The resulting invigoration will probably motivate you to leap onto your Total Gym or meet your personal trainer with glee and enlightened focus rather than performing these same activities with a sense of disheartening obligation.

In short: Get out of any fitness rut by picking fitness goals that excite you!

Watch the video for a simple 3 step process to help you create fitness goals with gusto:

Valerie Paule is a Los Angeles-based dance fitness instructor and the creator of fusion dance fitness classes World Dance Funk and World Dance Boxing. She is also a Life Success Facilitator who has a knack for combining life success principles with fun physical fitness. Valerie will guest blog on Total Gym Inside monthly. For more information, visit www.FunLifestyleFitness.com.

NEW!! “Mind/Body Monday with Valerie” – The Infamous Fitness Rut

We are very excited to introduce a new contributor to Total Gym Inside. Say hello to Valerie Paule, a Los Angeles-based certified group fitness instructor, dance fitness instructor and creator of fusion dance fitness classes – World Dance Funk and World Dance Boxing. Valerie is naturally drawn towards speaking about the mind/body/lifestyle approach to achieving fitness goals. Here she offers her tips for beating a fitness rut and achieving your health and fitness goals:

Could your fitness regimen use some oomph? Has progress toward your goals taken a turn southbound? Do you generally feel disconnected from the aspirations you initially created?

If you answered yes to even one of the questions above, you might be running on “physical activity autopilot.” The reason behind your stagnant program, or fitness rut, could be that your goals don’t have the necessary gusto to get you to the finish line.

Ask yourself: Do your current fitness goals inspire your fitness program? Do they move you to take diligent, committed, consistent and – hopefully – upbeat action? Let’s use an example to illustrate this point.

You need to lose 10 lbs. Which option is more appealing and/or motivating to you?

1. You’re giving yourself 3 months to lose the final 10. It’s about time and you just have to find a way to suck it up and do it.
2. Your goal is to be one of the first 15 people to cross the finish line of your favorite charity’s upcoming 5K run. The marathon takes place 3 months from now. You’re sure you can drop the final 10 through the training program to prepare for the marathon.

I don’t know about you, but #2 has an inspiration-inducing joie de vivre that A does not.

Now in order to be one of those top 15 finishers you may decide to push yourself during your training to naturally release the final 10 lbs that will help you improve your stamina and decrease the strain on your joints.

You’re still working at the weight loss goal, but instead of focusing on the dauntingly uninspiring “I just wanna lose these extra 10 lbs”, your focus is really on living an enlivened life that matters to you. Your focus is on the great thing you get to do in your life as a natural byproduct of not having to contend with the extra weight.

When you attach a mundane goal to a bigger why your actions to reaching that goal take on a new life. The resulting invigoration will probably motivate you to leap onto your Total Gym or meet your personal trainer with glee and enlightened focus rather than performing these same activities with a sense of disheartening obligation.

In short: Get out of any fitness rut by picking fitness goals that excite you!

Watch the video for a simple 3 step process to help you create fitness goals with gusto:

Valerie Paule is a Los Angeles-based dance fitness instructor and the creator of fusion dance fitness classes World Dance Funk and World Dance Boxing. She is also a Life Success Facilitator who has a knack for combining life success principles with fun physical fitness. Valerie will guest blog on Total Gym Inside monthly. For more information, visit www.FunLifestyleFitness.com.

Do Protein Sports Drinks Work?

Article courtesy of New York Times

Could sports drinks be improved with the addition of protein? That question has long gripped physiologists and nutritionists. It’s well established that the carbohydrates(sugars) that sweeten most sports drinks aid performance. They provide immediate fuel for straining muscles, keep blood-sugar levels stable and allow you to work out for a longer period of time or at a higher intensity, or both, than if you don’t swallow any extra fuel. But why wouldn’t taking in protein, together with carbohydrates, during a workout or race make you even more speedy and durable? Protein, after all, is what muscles fundamentally are made of, so it seems reasonable to imagine that adding it to sports drinks could provide some additional benefit.

Read more …

Are you a fan of sports drinks and think they’ve had a positive effect on your training? Leave us a note or share your thoughts on this article.

Total Gym Users Share Their Inspiring Health Stories

We regularly receive testimonials from Total Gym customers young and old, long time users and those new to Total Gym. We hear stories about how Total Gym has helped you lose weight, shape up for a sport or event, or simply maintain a healthy lifestyle. Sometimes we receive inspiring stories from customers who are overcoming health obstacles with the help of their Total Gym. Here are actual letters from Total Gym users Alan and Jeremy:

I have used the Total Gym for 30 years. During that time, I have recovered from several major surgeries and a severe car accident. Recently, I was diagnosed as having severe disc compression causing terrible back pain. The Total Gym has allowed me to recover from these medical issues and maintain a healthy lifestyle. You can use the machine when you cannot walk and, when recovered, train for The Iron Man event. It is the only exercise machine that can do this.

Sincerely,
Alan

Total Gym Weekly Workout: Caloric Burn!

Hello everyone welcome to a new Monday!

It’s the second week of November; Thanksgiving is just around the corner and then it’s full speed ahead to your Holiday festivities. For that reason this week’s exercise is Caloric Burn!  Nicole is going to demonstrate ways to incorporate cardio exercises into your Total Gym workout.  This is a non-stop workout and that’s the key to burning those calories.

The weather might not be ideal to take your Total Gym outside, or to the park, but you hopefully have room to mix in some step ups, high knees or if you’re limited on space try some jumping jacks!

GRAVITYPick_Caloric Burn

GRAVITY Evolved! Former Teacher Follows Her Passion to Open Training Studio

Working as a high school science teacher for nine years, Heather Warren knew she needed a career change. She felt compelled to follow her passion, which involved learning more about physical fitness, staying healthy, being fit and helping others do the same. In early 2007, at the age of 33, Heather was diagnosed with late on-set juvenile (type-1) diabetes. As an endurance athlete she then realized how important it was for EVERYONE to maintain balance and a healthy lifestyle, no matter what obstacles come your way.

In 2009, Heather took a risk and left her high school teaching position, sold her home and started to look into opening her own training studio in San Diego.

Heather wanted her studio to be unique and she was familiar with the GRAVITYSystem from taking sessions for years at LAVA Sport and Fitness in Carlsbad and Point Loma, Calif. While working out at LAVA, Heather realized that a majority of the members were there to take fitness classes. She also took spinning classes for 20 years and was a big fan of the workout. With this in mind, Heather decided that when she opened her own training studio, she would offer GRAVITY, Spinning and GRAVITY/Spin Fusion classes, providing both cardio and resistance training for everyone.

In June 2010, Heather’s dreams came true when she opened the doors to Evolve Heath and Fitness in the San Diego neighborhood of Mission Hills. Heather became certified in GravityPersonal Training and GravityPilates and purchased eight Total Gym GTS machines to begin her GRAVITY program. She liked GRAVITY for the different types of exercises that could be performed on one piece of equipment, allowing her to put clientele at any fitness level on the machine.

Evolve offers GRAVITY and Spin sessions seven days a week. Heather’s clientele ranges from those who work out a couple of times a week, to people recovering from injuries, to the 60+ crowd and ambitious tri-athletes—all of whom can accomplish total-body functional training on the GTS.  Heather also implemented a popular “End of Month Friday Free Day” promotion where new members can try out GRAVITY for free.

Evolve’s Yelp page is flowing with rave reviews about the studio:

“I love everything about Evolve! It’s been a while since something has sparked my interest in the fitness field and kept me coming back. Not only do I love the Mission Hills area, but Evolve has a great energy, is clean, not intimidating, and everyone is so genuinely nice and ready to help with your fitness goals! I was able to bring my mom to a GRAVITY class today (End of Month Friday Free Day) and she signed up for a monthly package and just loved [the] workout! Give it a shot if you are in the area ~ Sarah M, San Diego.

With the small group training environment, Heather’s staff is able to give the personal attention needed during GRAVITY sessions. Plus, the safety element is there to ensure everyone has correct form. To read more about Heather’s story and Evolve Health and Fitness, please visit evolvehealthfitness.com.