Total Gym

TUESDAY TESTIMONIAL: ON THE SET WITH TOTAL GYM

Hollywood’s premier fitness expert, Dan Isaacson, has been a leader in the health and fitness field for over 25 years. His vision and creative entrepreneurship has helped establish, promote and expand the health and fitness industry.

In his role as a celebrity trainer, Dan has taken the Total Gym “on-set” to help shape the likes of John Travolta, Tom Hanks, Laurence Fishburne and many more, for various movie roles.

Hear what Dan has to say about his experience with Total Gym:

ASK DR. SALADA – EXERCISE FOR OSTEOARTHRITIS

Q:  My mother suffers from osteoarthritis of her back and hips.  What types of exercises should she be doing to keep her from making things worse and having more pain?

A: That’s a great question and one we are asked quite often.  Osteoarthritis has to do with inflammation (-itis) of the joints (osteo) of the body.  This condition is not to be confused with osteoporosis which has to do with softening of the bones due to loss of calcium.

Osteoarthritis tends to occur most often in the larger joints such as the hips, knees and back but can affect almost any joint.  It is caused from excessive wear and tear on the joints and can be aggravated by trauma, overuse and excessive pressure on the joints which tends to occur with obesity or excessive high impact sports like running.  Our joints wear out over time with resultant thinning of the tissues that provide cushioning of the joints called cartilage. Eventually the cartilage erodes completely and there is significant pain and swelling of the joint.  In the most extreme cases, the joint needs to be replaced due to the complete loss of cushion and thus loss of function due to extreme pain.

But there are exercises that can be done to help support the joint and keep it from wearing out.

Exercise that improves your range of motion such as rotating your arms or using your Total Gym for arm pull downs and squats helps to lubricate and strengthen your joints.  Anything that helps to provide support to the joint will cause less wear and tear.

Using the Total Gym for exercises like pull ups and abdominal exercises can also provide low impact, cardiovascular and muscle training and is uniquely designed to raise your heart rate and strengthen your muscles. In turn, your metabolism is raised which helps to facilitate weight loss.  Weight loss unloads the joints and keeps them from eroding.

In addition, core exercises that strengthen the abdominal and back muscles help to unload the delicate spinal joints which cause less spinal disc erosion and thus less back pain.

Osteoarthritis symptoms can be lessened by regular exercise and training.  So continue to use your Total Gym to enjoy the best of health!

Until next time, stay well and keep training!

Elizabeth Salada, MD

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. Visit Dr. Salada’s website for more information:http://elizabethsaladamd.com.

TOTAL GYM WEEKLY WORKOUT: PREVENT INJURY AND INCREASE YOUR POWER BY STRETCHING

Hey Total Gym Insiders and my fellow golfing fanatics!

I want to talk about the importance of stretching. As I’ve mentioned before, in golf, the more flexible you are, the more range of motion you have and the more powerful your golf swing will be. But this applies to fitness in general.

Stretching will also help prevent injury, which is why you need to make sure you are incorporating a stretching regimen into your fitness routine.

This month I am demonstrating some core exercises and low back/hamstring stretches using one of my favorite Total Gym accessories: The Leg Pulley System. Not just for Pilates (this wonderful accessory also allows you to transform your Total Gym into a versatile Pilates studio apparatus), these really help to get a focused stretch on areas that are often tight or stiff.

Remember, take your time when stretching, don’t rush. Enjoy the stretch. The leg pulleys allow you to perform multiple types of stretches from static stretches to PNF stretching without a partner.  Whatever type of stretching you do, you will benefit from increased flexibility and range of motion, greater core strength and body awareness.  All great for improving your golf game or the overall health of your body!

Enjoy and Hit em’ Straight,

JayDee Cutting III

JayDee Cutting is a GRAVITY Master Trainer, certified personal trainer, Pilates instructor and creator of the “Core Golf Fitness” program. JayDee’s Core Golf Fitness DVD offers on-course and warm-up exercises proven to help advance your golf game and is available for purchase at http://coregolffitness.com.

TUESDAY TESTIMONIAL: FIFTY AND FABULOUS

For the past 13 years, Paula Harvatine has found the time and motivation to workout on her Total Gym and we think her results speak for them self.

Read Paula’s story of success and find out how she incorporates Total Gym into her life.

“I’ve been using my Total Gym for 13 years and it’s my absolute favorite form of exercise. I enjoy it so much and it works! I used to work out on a Nordic Track and a stationary bike, but everything I was doing was aerobic exercise.  At that time I thought, “working out is working out”— it did not matter what you did.  But I was not doing any strength training and I was not seeing the results I wanted even though I was using them long- term on a regular basis.

My friend had a Total Gym and said she really saw a difference, so I bought one. I started out using it 4 – 5 times a week and in a short time I could see the results! Now I just do it 1-2 times a week, but I am able to maintain a fit physique and it’s fun!

Even after horrible injuries stemming from an assault three years ago left me with joint issues and ongoing pain from injuries, I can still get on my Total Gym and workout because of how it works; the mechanics of it. I can’t run because it’s too jarring on my injuries, but the Total Gym has helped me. I have to keep a tight core in order to be in less pain and working out on the Total Gym allows me to do just that. The Total Gym is so good at helping me focus on my core because every move you do on it requires you to keep your core engaged.

Raising two kids and running a business, it just wasn’t possible for me to get to a gym – I wanted to spend time with my family when I wasn’t working. Having the Total Gym has allowed me to do that and still stay in shape.  I put on some Backstreet Boys, hop on my Total Gym and get my ‘40-minutes of me time’ and I have a ball while I’m doing it!

My husband and son have even used the Total Gym after they saw the results I was getting. In fact, my son got many comments about his ‘six-pack’ abs when he was using the Total Gym and my husband often gets comments about how fit he is. It has truly made a difference for all of us.

I turned 50 this year and just the other day I overheard a woman talking about how the ‘belly roll’ just comes with being over 50 and I wanted to say ‘No it does not! Not with Total Gym!’

Basically, I love my Total Gym!”

Story submitted by Paula Harvatine

Edited by permission only.

“BACK IN THE SADDLE” WITH TOTAL GYM FOUNDER TOM CAMPANARO

One step forward, two steps back…. 

TOTAL GYM WEEKLY WORKOUT: TOTAL BODY STRETCHING

Aerobic exercise, strength training, and nutrition are three components of a balanced fitness regime, but there is one often neglected component too – stretching.

Stretching is important for every work out.  It improves balance, stability, and circulation; aids athletic performance, relaxation, and posture and helps you to avoid injury by maximizing the range of motion of your joints; minimizing unnecessary strain and cramping; and increasing your overall flexibility.

Without stretching, tendons, ligaments and muscles will shorten, causing damage over time.

Total Gym Inside blogger and “Fytness Fanatik” Amanda Lynn Mayhew demonstrates how to use your Total Gym to get a total body stretch for your back, arms, hamstrings glutes and thighs.

These stretches isolate specific muscles for a few breaths. Hold each stretch at least thirty seconds to lengthen muscles and lead to flexibility.

Amanda Lynn Mayhew has been a Total Gym user since 1998. Amanda Lynn is here to share her enthusiasm for healthy, fit and fun living.

“BACK IN THE SADDLE” WITH TOTAL GYM FOUNDER TOM CAMPANARO

When I tell people I had a total ankle replacement, the first reaction is, “I didn’t know they did that.” Knees and Hips are common, but ankles – that’s new!

After a motor cycle accident when I was 16, a broken leg that was just set with traction and a cast, (now steel pins would have made the alignment perfect) and all the sports, plyometrics and heavy weight lifting I’ve done, my left ankle had had enough! It was gone.

Four years ago the doctors said just get it fused, but I wanted full mobility – I am an active guy after all. So, I figured, why not an ankle joint replacement? However, ankle joint replacements were then very new and did not have a lot of success.

Pre-op. Getting ready to go into surgery.

After doing the research I found the STAR system out of Scandinavia, (Scandinavia Total Ankle Replacement). Although the medical technology had been used for over 25 years in Scandinavia, the STAR took nine years to receive FDA approval for use in the US, finally getting the go-ahead in 2009. I found Dr. Clanton at the Steadman Clinic in Vail Colorado, he was one of the doctors who took the STAR system through the FDA process.

Off Joy and I went to Vail on May 12th for my ankle replacement surgery on the 17th. The results were instant and awesome, that is until I got an infection in the surgical wound.

So it was back to surgery (twice) to clean it out. Fortunately, the infection was not in the joint, (if it had been they would have had to take the replacement hardware out!), so this was only a two week set back.

Now, nine weeks “post-op”, I’m onto rehab (yes on the Total Gym), and my physical therapist says it’s looking really good. And while I won’t be running, jumping, biking, snowboarding, or playing golf any time soon, I’m walking with no pain and no limp (be it at a slow pace).