Total Gym

The Total Gym Workout Date: It’s More FUNctional Than You Thought

Today’s post comes from guest contributor Dr. Michael Mantell, a clinical and fitness psychologist in San Diego. Dr. Mantell regularly writes for San Diego Magazine and has appeared on “Oprah,” “Nightline,” “Larry King,” and “Good Morning America.” Dr. Mantell is a Total Gym user and sits on the Sports Medicine staff at The Sporting Club – a Total Gym GRAVITY facility in San Diego.

A couple of years ago, a series of studies came out that showed that couples who work out together increase their chances of sticking to their exercise program more than 90%! This can’t be ignored and it got me thinking about couples I treat for relationship problems. Maybe they ought to go from a therapy session to their gym, and they’ll not only stick to their exercise program, but also stick together.

The friendliest total body workout that offers couples a chance to exercise together in the privacy of their own home is certainly the Total Gym. It offers couples the opportunity to spend quality time with each other, the chance to discuss mutual goals and fitness levels, build a shared commitment to well-being and health, create mutual motivation, develop a deeper bond with each other, and when done right, it provides couples with opportunities to celebrate each other’s successes in a non-competitive way.

For many couples that do belong to a gym, he goes his way and she goes her way. The Total Gym is an up-close, even intimate, work out in which instead of exercising apart, husbands and wives are right next to each other doing the same exercises at different bodyweight levels, each achieving the same type of gains.

Matters of the heart beyond fitness benefits are only some of the rewards you can look forward to with a Total Gym couple’s exercise date. Remember, there are studies that show that men and women who exercise regularly report better and more frequent sex with their partners—so how much more enjoyable can exercising with each other be on a machine that promotes the right kind of movement for all activities of daily living, personal and otherwise?

It’s been well known that FUNctional exercise is good for the body, soul and mind. Now, we can add, it’s also good for our relationships. Why not use the Total Gym to fuel and fortify not only your physical fitness, but your physical and emotional relationship as well?

Here are five Total Gym “workout date” ideas:

1. Learn how to stretch each other. Gently helping each other with a pull or push can ease each other’s muscles before and after your workout.
2. Build total trust with each other simply by serving as each other’s spotter. And there’s nothing like saying “thanks” to help a relationship.
3. Eye contact and communicating while exercising offer chances for intimacy building that can extend to other activities that are, well, a bit more intimate.
4. Celebrate each other’s achievements and successes. Working out on Total Gym is not about competing, but succeeding. You’ll both work at your own level and speed, and of course, bodyweight, so you both win!
5. Want to give each other a real gift of love? Create 20-30 minutes several times a week to help each other lose weight, burn calories, build muscle and core stability, tone up, build body strength and change body composition.

There is nothing like this love-building, home-based, full-body exercise machine that I can recommend with such confidence for couples who want to build their bodies and their relationships.

Michael Mantell earned his Ph.D. degree at the University of Pennsylvania after completing his M.S. degree in clinical psychology at the Hahnemann Medical College, where he wrote his thesis on the psychology of obesity. He has served as Chief Psychologist of Children’s Hospital and Health Center of San Diego, and created and led the nationally recognized Psychological Services and Employee Assistance/Wellness program for the San Diego Police Department.

Weekly Workout – Total Gym Total Body Circuit

Join Doug Balzarini, trainer at Fitness Quest 10 and founder of DB Strength, for this high-performance Total Gym circuit workout. Try these 5 movements that Doug uses with his clients – ranging from MMA fighters, to pro athletes and every day Joes. Challenge the total body from lower body explosiveness, to pulling and grip strength, to core endurance. Perform in a non-stop circuit to really push your cardiovascular conditioning!

Inspiring Story of Determination: Catching up with Kendell Hall

Last summer, we introduced you to a young woman who has personally touched my life. Her name is Kendell Hall and she is a true inspiration to all of us at Total Gym.

In November 2009, a bad car accident left Kendell paralyzed from the neck down. Now, as a client at Project Walk, a San Diego nonprofit that offers intense exercise-based recovery programs for people with spinal cord injuries, Kendell is making amazing progress toward her goal of walking again. Total Gym has been a major part of the fantastic work Project Walk is doing for spinal cord injury patients. Kendell uses it everyday at Project Walk and at home to progress her rehabilitation.

Last we reported on Kendell, she had regained movement in her upper body and was performing load bearing exercises to help her regain strength in her legs. We are VERY happy to share that Kendell is now WALKING with assistance!!! Unbelieveable!

See the video below or click this link:

To read more about Kendell’s story and how you can help with her continued rehabilitation, click here.

Total Gym PowerTower – Fit Test Dummies Approved!

The IHRSA International Trade Show last month was certainly more fun when the Fit Test Dummies were around! The dynamic duo of David Norton and Madison Gray – Los Angeles-based trainers – kept us on our toes with their high energy and comedic talents!

David and Madison tried out the new Total Gym PowerTower at IHRSA with GRAVITY Trainer Cristy Owens. You couldn’t ask for a more glowing endorsement! Coming soon … an entire Fit Test Dummies webisode on Total Gym!

Click on the image below to see their review:

Total Gym Weekly Workout: Pedal Power!

This is for all the cyclists out there! Amber and Chad introduce some strength training exercises to increase your power and endurance on the bike.

Now get out there and ride!

Give your Total Gym workouts a cardio kick with the Cyclo Trainer! Get low impact “cyclocentric” training using the Cylo Trainer with your Total Gym. See what we mean here.  

Tara's Friday Bite: The Facts About Fiber

Fiber is one of those things that we all know is important, but few of us really know why? In fact, even the word makes many of us feel awkward. It brings up images of uncomfortable looking people on commercials or cereals that look more like kindling than actual food! So before we start force feeding ourselves bran muffins, let’s take a step back and really understand what fiber is.

Quite simply, fiber is a type of carbohydrate that cannot be digested by the body. That means, it is not absorbed into our blood stream but rather moves through your body picking up waste and then makes its exit. It is found in all plant based foods (i.e. fruits, vegetables, grains and legumes). There are two types of fiber:  Insoluble and Soluble.

Insoluble fiber’s job is to move bulk through our intestines. It’s the type of fiber that we typically think of because it promotes bowel movements and helps prevent constipation. It is primarily found in the following foods:

• Skins of fruits and vegetables
• Dark leafy greens
• Whole-wheat products
• Nuts and seeds

Soluble fiber actually forms a gel when mixed with liquid, which helps it bind with fatty acids and carry them out of your body. This is why soluble fiber is most typically associated with lowering cholesterol. It also slows the emptying of the stomach so it helps control blood sugar, which is extremely important in weight management and controlling diabetes. It is primarily found in the following foods:

• Oats.
• Beans
• Barley
• Fruits and veggies
• Psyllium husk
• Flaxseed

The FDA recommends the average person consume at least 25g of dietary fiber each day, although many health professionals (including myself) recommend adults shoot for 30-35g depending on your caloric intake. If you are unsure how much you are getting, try tracking your food for a day to get a ballpark idea. If you find you are falling short, try these tips:

• Start with breakfast—I find this is the easiest meal to increase your fiber. Oatmeal is an ideal source but many cereals are starting to increase their fiber content – and not only the ones that look like twigs!
• Eat raw—Incorporate more raw fruit and vegetables into your diet and make sure to include the skin.  Quick tip: produce with more skin surface area (i.e., peas, berries, etc.) tend to have more insoluble fiber.
• More beans please—Try to incorporate one vegetarian legume-based meal a week. You’ll kick up your fiber and you may actually like it!
• Top it off with some flaxseeds—Flaxseeds are a quick and easy way to add in fiber. Try sprinkling some on top of your salad or mixing it in with your yogurt or smoothie. You’ll hardly taste it and it will make your already healthy meal even more balanced

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.