Total Gym

Total Gym “Rap-Up” 2011: Year in Review

Take a look at what the creative Total Gym Team put together to “RAP” up the year!

2011 was the Year of Total Gym!

We started by unveiling the NEW Total Gym product line to our distributors and trainers in Italy last October. Next, it was on to our public debut as “Total Gym” (formerly efi Sports Medicine) at IHRSA 2011. Before that, a hiccup with a “booth drenching” at the APTA Combined Sections meeting in New Orleans. We pulled through to produce exciting new GRAVITY DVDs with renowned GRAVITY Trainers. We also enjoyed new staff additions, a wedding and many more memories.

Cheers to the new era of Total Gym and GRAVITY Training!

Fitness Psych – Total Gym Adds Healthy Life-Years

If you work out in a gym take a look around. You’ll probably notice that about 1 in 4 people are in the baby boomer generation, born between 1946 and 1964. There are 78 million baby boomers in America. Within less than 10 years, the 65+ population will increase by about 40% to 55 million adults. And of those 65+, 7 million will be 85+. Nearly 11 million of us boomers belong to gyms.

These people aren’t your grandparents. No, these are actively aging, healthy folks pushing off any age-related disability as late into life as they –ok, WE—can … if not forever.

This generation is looking at every anti-aging solution available, from specific nutritional recommendations to support mitochondrial energy production, to therapeutic levels of vitamin and mineral supplements, to smart drugs for preserving and enhancing oxygen supply and neural function in the brain, adding therapeutic doses of hormones, decreasing cortisol and enzymes like MAO, and heavy doses of “clean living.” This is the generation that is avoiding toxins, pesticides, pollution, using chelation to remove heavy metals from their bodies and avoiding radiation (good luck!).

Why? Are we just trying to live forever? No. We want to increase our “healthy life-years.” But there is a simpler, well-proven and ultimately healthier and frankly more enjoyable way to add life to our years and years to our lives. It involves movement, activity, exercise.

Inactivity doubles the risk of mobility limitations and propels cognitive decline. The amount of data demonstrating the effect of exercise in slowing the aging process is simply staggering.

We are looking for gentler, kinder “fitness” workouts like low-impact, comfort and diminished risk of injury, but that still leave us feeling like we got vigorous exercise. We know we need to incorporate training in posture, strength, endurance, flexibility and balance to promote the kind of activity-related benefits that favorably impact our hearts, weight, blood pressure, sexuality, blood chemistry, state of mind, physique and social abilities.

That’s where I believe the Total Gym comes in. At home or at the gym, the Top 5 Total Gym Exercises for boomers today are all a central part of the hundreds of exercises available on this fitness marvel.

1. Cardio – easy enough to use your full-body to get your heart pumping to the max in five minutes, kicking and pushing off the glideboard at an intensity level that you can increase as your fitness level improves.
2. Strength training – we lose 30% of our muscle strength between the ages of 50 and 70 years. Normally, adults who are sedentary beyond age 50 can expect muscle loss of up to 0.4 pounds a year. This reduction in muscle strength leads to impairment in carrying out the ADLs, “activities of daily living.” Resistance training for each of the muscle groups, head to toe, is straightforward on the Total Gym. Bicep curls, chin-ups, chest presses, chest fly (incline, decline and lateral), shoulder presses, upright rows, front and lateral deltoid raises, pull-ups, kneeling rows, leg curls, squats, and many more are easy and efficient on the Total Gym.
3. Flexibility training—here’s where stretching and range of motion exercises become important to connective tissue, so regular stretching is an important part of the Total Gym ROM workout.
4. Balance training – musculoskeletal injuries are the number one reason people seek medical help and are among the leading causes of death for the 65+ population.  Balance training as you work your core muscles on the Total Gym, is built into nearly every exercise.
5. Core training – boomers can easily forget they have abs. The abdominal exercises available on the Total Gym, including crunches, reverse curls, sit-ups and side planks, will quickly reintroduce you to your six pack.

Find these and more Total Gym exercises at www.TotalGym.com/exercises.

Michael R. 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. He is a member of the Sports Medicine Team at The Sporting Club in La Jolla, California, maintains a private clinical practice in La Mesa, California, and writes and speaks for the American Council on Exercise.

Total Gym Weekly Workout – Hamstrings & Abs

This week’s Total Gym workout focuses on the hamstrings and abdominals. Watch the progression from ab crunches, to unilateral and bilateral hamstring curls, and finally to challenging compound ab crunch + hamstring movements. Incorporate these exercise into your Total Gym or GRAVITY workouts today!

Upper Extremity Progressions

Tara’s Friday Bite – Power Bars: Healthy Snacks or Glorified Candy Bars?

Tara Coleman www.taracoleman.com

Power bars can be a convenient way to eat on the go or fuel your workouts. However, if you look closely, you will find that many of these “healthy” options are nothing more than glorified candy bars!

The first thing you need to identify is what you are going to use the bar for? Is it a snack, a pre-workout meal or a full meal replacement? Once you have that determined you can follow these quick tips to help select the healthiest option:

Snack Bar – If you are using a power bar as an afternoon snack to keep you fueled during the day, shoot for something between 150-200 calories. Protein and fiber should be your main focus for this option because they will keep you full and energized much longer than the high sugar alternative. Try to find a bar with 8-15g of protein and make sure the grams of sugars and fiber are about equal.

Pre-/Post-workout Bars – These bars are designed to fuel you pre-workout or help start the recovery post-workout. Again, I recommend around the 200 calorie range for the average 45 min-1hr workout.  Carbohydrates are going to be the most important thing to look for, however, that doesn’t mean you should go sugar crazy! Choose a bar that has a majority of the carbohydrates in the “other carbohydrate” category rather than sugar.

Meal Replacement – The biggest mistake that I see people make is using a snack bar as a replacement for a full meal. If you only eat 200 calories as a meal, I promise that you will be pulling over at 7-11 or raiding the vending machine within the hour! Choose a bar that has between 350-450 calories. As with the snack bars, protein is going to be important so make sure it has between 10-20g of protein.

Finally, remember that these bars are meant to SUPPLEMENT a healthy diet, not replace one.  There are some great options out there but make sure that the majority of the food that you eat every day comes from a farm not a factory!

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

Testimonies to Total Gym Success … and Scaling Fences?

We get so many wonderful and encouraging testimonials on this blog and our Facebook , Twitter and LinkedIn pages.

Here are a few testimonials that caught our attention on Facebook:

“I’ve been using a Total Gym for a little over two months now. A couple of days ago, I jumped straight up and over a three foot chain link fence and crawled across loose firewood, then jumped down from a five foot chain link fence to rescue a cat from a dog pack. Never could have done that two months ago. I was way too out of shape and weak. I’m 53 years old, BTW. Thirty minutes of squats a day on a Total Gym really built up my thigh and calf muscles and pulling and rowing exercises built up biceps and back muscles that I used to lower myself to the ground in a controlled jump over the taller fence. Thank you, Total Gym, for such an easy to use method to get back into shape. I can’t even begin to imagine what kind of great shape I’ll be in a year from now using my Total Gym.” ~ Charlotte

“This is starting week 3 of my Total Gym…I started at level 2, 12 reps and I am now level 3 and 20 reps of the starter program..while I realize this is only the beginning…just these past couple of weeks have left me feeling stronger, more energized…and I am so in love with my Total Gym. Thank you so much.” ~ Joanna

“OK I am going to sound like an advertisement for a moment. The Total Gym XLS is no joke. Make fun of Chuck Norris and Wesley Snipes if you will, I use it and love it. As of right now I have lost 22 pounds and my body fat is at 17.8%. I am seeing muscles I haven’t seen in 25 years. All I have to say is the Total Gym Rocks! (Disclaimer) This is not a paid advertisement for the Total Gym but just a user that is super happy with it.” ~ Don

Please keep the testimonials coming on any of our social media sites! We hope you’ll connect with us on Facebook , Twitter and LinkedIn!

Have a great weekend!

In PT with Jessie Carter – Total Joints on the Total Gym?

Q:  I’ve had a total knee replacement, is it safe for me to work out on my Total Gym?

A:  This is a common question we receive at my clinic High Pointe Rehab. In a nutshell, the answer is absolutely! The Total Gym is a great equipment choice following both total knee and hip replacements. While it is important to adhere to certain restrictions, Total Gym is an integral part of our rehabilitation program for clients who have had either or both knee and hip surgeries.

The main goal after total joint replacement is to restore functional movement. This includes walking, squatting, and performing transitional movements, such as rolling over in bed and going from sit to stand and vice versa. To achieve this, exercises must focus on improving range of motion, strength, balance, and endurance. While there are different approaches used in therapy settings to focus on these goals, I prefer to perform the specific activities we are trying to restore.  I find that exercises with the feet planted (closed kinetic chain) are particularly effective. This includes squatting and heel/toe raises on the Total Gym. Beyond allowing us to strengthen the lower extremities and core musculature, these partial to full weight bearing exercises help to properly seat the implanted artificial joint components. For some patients, aquatic therapy unweights the joint too much while full weight bearing can be quite painful. The Total Gym offers the perfect medium.

An important thing to remember when returning to exercise following a total joint replacement is to follow the guidelines provided by the surgeon and physical therapist. With total knee replacements, our referring physicians discourage bending of the knee past 120 degrees therefore limiting squat depth. We also recommend avoiding knee compression or kneeling. Unfortunately, kneeling exercises on Total Gym might be out after a knee replacement!

Hip precautions are typically more involved but again this depends on the specific surgical technique. Our patients must avoid hip motion past midline, such as when crossing one leg over another or side lying and letting the top leg fall in front of the bottom leg. As with knee replacement, there are range of motion limitations with hip replacements. When squatting, patients must avoid going deeper than a 90 degree bend at the hip. This can be controlled when using exercise equipment but very difficult when getting up from a plush couch or low surface.

Right after surgery, patients are typically in pain and guard how much weight they put through the involved joint. The Total Gym allows me to decrease the weight through the painful joint to a tolerable level. With the patient’s back supported on the glideboard, I find that stability is improved and there is less tendency to “cheat” with the uninvolved side.  As strength increases, the glideboard is moved up to allow more weight bearing until the patient eventually resumes normal function.

Happy rehabbing!

Jessie Carter is the owner of High Pointe Rehab in Clarksville, TN, where she utilizes Total Gym for physical therapy and fitness training to offer the full continuum of patient care. Jessie is a 2001 graduate of the University of Evansville (UE) in Evansville, IN, where she earned both her BS and Master’s degrees in physical therapy. Contact Jessie at jessie@highpointetn.com with your questions or ideas for future topics.

Prevent Fitness Plateaus with Total Gym Training DVDs

At some point, everyone reaches a fitness plateau. It’s perfectly natural. Your body gets used to doing the same workout routine day in and day out. The secret to breaking through a plateau is to change how you perform your workout by adding new variables like increasing weight load, changing the duration of your workouts or trying new training techniques (e.g., high intensity interval training).

Add diversity to your Total Gym routine with GRAVITY Training DVDs. Led by GRAVITY Master Trainers, the DVDs are designed to challenge the body in new and fun ways.

Trainers – Total Gym DVDs offer dynamic exercise alternatives to keep GRAVITY sessions fresh and participants coming back!

Check out these popular DVDs and click here to explore the entire DVD library:

GRAVITY :: Core Centric (NEW) Join recognized fitness presenter Rob Glick for GRAVITY :: Core Centric — Total Gym training for the all-important core! Develop a “Foundation,” get “Defined” and go “Extreme” with three Core Centric workouts that deliver dynamic functional training straight to the midsection to fortify core muscles, reduce back pain and build solid, lean abs at any fitness level.

GRAVITY :: Totally Hot Award-winning international presenter Helen Vanderburg throws out a high-energy total-body sculpting workout. This fun cardio-resistance program drives participants through high-rep exercises with minimal recovery to get fat-burning results! A “Hot” series of challenging, quick tempo exercises focuses on every muscle group while working in multiple planes of motion with little to no rest for a fast-track to improved strength, endurance, speed and muscle definition. Take hot up a notch.

More tips for plateau prevention:

Maintain a regular workout routine & healthy diet (think about calories in vs. calories out).

Check out the newest Total Gym models Sport, GTS and PowerTower, with more incline levels and advanced features to progress Total Gym training.

Get exclusive Trainer Tips to modify and/or challenge Total Gym DVD workouts at GRAVITYClubhouse.com. It’s FREE to become a member. Just create your log in and click on “All Programming and Online Extras” to find Trainer Tips for most GRAVITY DVDs.