Total Gym

Fitness Wisdom Wednesday: Eric’s V for Victory Workout Circuit

Hi, I’m Eric Isaacson. Spring is here and summer is on the way!

Most fitness experts agree that the V-shape in the back is what most people want before swimsuit season. The key is to strengthen the muscles of your core, back and shoulders. So I’ve designed my special “V for Victory” Super Circuit!

I’m going to show you 6 simple exercises to strengthen your core and tone your back and shoulders so you can show off that new beach body! Let’s start with the back, which is the largest muscle group in the body.

Here are two exercises that I believe are simply the best! The lateral pull down is an exercise that tones the mid to lower back muscles. Everyone needs to strengthen their back muscles because a strong back reduces the chance of injury. The swimmer exercise on Total Gym is the perfect exercise for toning the back muscles that surround the spine.

The kneeling upright row and lateral shoulder raise are two great exercises for the shoulders. The pullover crunch and seated torso rotation are two exercises that will strengthen your core and get you looking fit for summer. In fact, the seated torso rotation is my new personal favorite core exercise because it really works the oblique muscles as well as the abdominals!

There you have it! Now you can spring into action to get ready for summer. I recommend starting with one circuit and progressing to 2-5 sets of the circuit for your V for Victory summer body!

Suggested workout circuit:

Exercise 1: Lateral pull down

Exercise 2: Seated torso rotation

Exercise 3: Kneeling upright row

Exercise 4: Swimmer

Exercise 5: Lateral shoulder raise

Exercise 6: Pullover crunch

Complete 1^st circuit at a level which allows you to comfortably complete 10 repetitions.

Refer to your Total Gym exercise guide for specific information for sets and repetitions for your personal fitness goals.

Introducing the newest line of Total Gym incline trainers -- the all-new Total Gym Sport and newly enhanced Total Gym GTS and PowerTower. More incline levels, a larger glideboard, all-aluminum rails and convenient folding/unfolding capabilities take Total Gym training to a new level. See what we mean: www.totalgym.com/products. Give us a call to discuss your new Total Gym model for summer 800-541-4900 ext. 300.

Total Gym Training with Joel Mackes

Total Gym trainer Joel Mackes, of Newport Beach, CA, demos his favorite bodyweight training exercises on the new Total Gym PowerTower. Using the adjustable LAT bars on the PowerTower, Joel demonstrates pull-ups and reverse flys to keep the upper body fit and functional.

Don’t have LAT bars on your Total Gym? Just use the 3Grip Pull-up Bar for Total Gym 14000, 26000 and the new Sport model or the Wing Attachment for Total Gym XLS, as seen on TV.

Accessories can help advance your Total Gym workouts over time. Browse our lineup of accessories – from the Weight Bar, allowing for the addition of weight plates on the glideboard, to the Cyclo Trainer, to add cardio training to your strength routine: http://www.efisportsmedicine.com/commercial/product-line/accessories/3grip-pull-up-bar.htm.

Tara's Friday Bite – Water is Your friend

We all know that drinking water is important, but with our busy lives and sugary, carbonated liquid temptations, most of us find it hard to stay hydrated. First, let’s take a look at a few of the many benefits of water:

• Improves Your Skin – Your skin will be the first to show dehydration. You will either look dried out and fatigued, or puffy and bloated. Water flushes out the toxins and keeps your skin looking young and healthy.
• Helps Your Heart – When you are properly hydrated, your blood is thinner making it easier for your heart to pump blood through the body. This means less work for your heart so it can keep ticking for much longer.
• Flushes Toxins – Even though you are reading this blog, there’s still a lot of action going on in your body. You are thinking, breathing, digesting, etc. All of those actions create waste. A build up of that waste causes headaches, fatigue and cloudy thinking. It’s water’s job to flush that waste out of your body and keep you feeling healthy and energized.
• Increases Your Metabolism – Last but certainly not least, dehydration causes you to burn less calories. Your body can confuse thirst with hunger so you may end up eating more throughout the day.

As a rule of thumb, you should be drinking half your bodyweight in ounces of water each day. So if you are 150 lbs, you should drink 75 oz of water, or about 9 glasses. If you aren’t drinking anywhere near this amount of water, don’t start all at once or you will be running to the bathroom every 15 minutes! Ease into it by adding an extra 8 oz every 2-3 days to allow your body to actually absorb the water rather then it just going through you!

I know this is easier said than done. Sometimes I’m so busy that I’m surprised I even remember to breathe, let alone drink 8 oz of water every hour. Seriously, who has time to think about that? So I take the thought out of it and keep a reusable water bottle with me at all times. You’ll be amazed how easy it is to remember to take a refreshing swig when you simply keep it in your line of sight.

If you find water gets boring to drink throughout the day try jazzing it up a bit. You can add some fresh fruit to flavor the water or brew a pitcher of cool iced tea for added antioxidants. With each delicious sip, you’ll be well on your way to becoming a clear skinned, heart healthy, toxin-free, calorie burning machine!

Tara Coleman www.taracoleman.com

Tara Coleman is a Clinical Nutritionist in San Diego, CA. She’ll be guest blogging twice a month with “Tara’s Friday Bite.” Leave us your comments with ideas for future topics or email Tara directly attara@taracoleman.com.

Happy Easter and Passover from Total Gym

The Total Gym team would like to wish you and yours a Happy Easter and Passover this weekend. Be safe, be kind and be fit!!!

Ask Dr. Salada – Should I take a break from exercise on vacation?

Q:  It’s time for Spring Break and I’m wondering if I should take a break from my exercise routine while I am on vacation?

A:  This is a great question and the simple answer is “Heck NO!”  The reason for this is that as hard as it is to “get into shape,” it also doesn’t take long to lose that edge. Just 48 hours of inactivity causes a drop in metabolism and muscle mass. If anything, I view vacations as a golden opportunity to work out MORE not LESS!!

Vacation time tends to be less pressured, which allows for longer, more focused workouts with more intensity and variety. Try to mix up your cardio routine by doing activities that you don’t normally do, such as biking, hiking, rowing, tennis or try new strength routines like Pilates or yoga. Our bodies crave variety in order to perform to their maximal capacity. Try running while up in the mountains, which over time can increase the oxygen carrying capacity of your red blood cells …. watch your endurance soar when you return to sea level!!

Vacations are for relaxing your mind and rejuvenating your soul … and taking your body to places it may have never been. There’s nothing like an endorphin rush at an altitude of 7,000 feet! As always, check with your doctor if you have any questions about your work out routine and always remember to stay well hydrated to enhance your performance.

Until next time, keep moving!

Elizabeth Salada, MD

Medical Expert, Total Gym Inside Blog

Have a medical question for Dr. Salada? Leave a comment below or email us at TotalGymBlog@totalgym.com.

Dr. Salada is board certified in Internal Medicine and has been in practice in San Diego since 1996. She attended medical school at Wake Forest University where she received high honors in Family Practice and Internal Medicine. Her final training was obtained from Pennsylvania State University where she completed her residency in Internal Medicine.

Tom's Log – FIBO 2011 News

A look into the fitness world in Europe

What a pleasant surprise to visit the FIBO 2011 trade show in Essen, Germany, last week and see the amazing reaction from attendees to our new Total Gym product line! They loved it!

The Total Gym FIBO team

My wife, Joy, and I have not been to the FIBO show in two years. Last year’s volcano in Iceland made it impossible for international travel. However, our German distributors have been exhibiting at this show for the last 15 years and this was the first year that we all saw a major shift to personal training in health clubs!

As little as two years ago, you would go to Germany and other countries in Europe and industry people would tell you they don’t do personal training or charge extra for it? Are you kidding?!

Wow, what a shift in the market today! The new design and branding of our Total Gym equipment was so well received! Our German distributors sold up a storm. We also noticed the paradigm shift in rehab, where physical therapists are starting to offer cash-based fitness programming to provide the full continuum of patient care and boost revenue. In fact, there are clinics in Germany using 10, 15 and as many as 50 – yes, 50 – Total Gym GTS and

The new look of Total Gym revealed to the world

PowerTower commercial units for rehab!!!!

Other countries are also starting to embrace personal training and Total Gym equipment is the centerpiece of those fitness offerings!!!

Total Global will soon be moving into India, Brazil, Israel, Greece, Sweden and Lebanon, and many more countries! Stay tuned …

Yours in good health on our way home from Germany,

Tom

Greet the new Total Gym product line at www.totalgym.com/products. Leave a comment and tell us what you think of the new Total Gym Sport, GTS and PowerTower!

Total Gym Weekly Workout: Unleashed Total Body Circuit

We are mixing it up this week with a Total Body Circuit.

Todd Durkin is here with more from the The GRAVITY :: Unleashed DVD. Today he incorporates some explosive moves on the PlyoRebounder and band exercises. Follow Todd and Nicole through this challenging, body transforming routine!

Q410_Unleashed – (GC) Total Body Circuit

For more from Todd and to purchase or review more Trainer Tips for the Unleashed DVD, visit www.GravityClubhouse.com. Enter your GRAVITY Clubhouse username and password to purchase the DVD, or create your free account now. It’s quick and easy!