To honor this celebration and to help  promote awareness of the value of physical activity and healthy eating habits in the pursuit of a happier, healthier lifestyle we’re recognizing YOU - our Total Gym users.

We encourage you to share your personal stories of success with us in the hope that you will help inspire others to follow your example and make physical activity a part of their daily life as well.

Our first success story come by way of Total Gym fitness guru and blogger, Amanda Lynn Mayhew-Hare, who shared the following Total Gym user testimonial:

Amanda,

I wanted to write you a quick letter to let you know how you have inspired me to get back into fitness and take back my health. A very good friend of mine began her fitness journey last year and introduced me to your website and blog and I was immediately hooked!! I must say that you are one dedicated and very inspiring woman!! It wasn’t long afterwards that I became aware of your love of the total gym, and how you incorporate it into your daily fitness routine. I had purchased a total gym years ago….many years ago in fact. I believe it was the original, or one of the earliest versions anyway, it was the total gym 1000. You inspired me to dig mine out of storage and I began using it again everyday and loving it again the way I once did!! Quickly I learned that there were newer versions of this wonderful machine as I had seen on your website, and I found myself ordering the total gym XLS. Lets just say I LOVE IT!! I recieved all of the attachments that come with this machine and love everyone of them…..I am completely hooked and use it every single day!! I haven’t felt this good in a very long time!! I was injured quite badly 11 years ago in a car accident and fractured my spine and had a long recovery process and developed chronic back pain and found it difficult to workout. This machine is fantastic in the sense that it is so easy on my body, fluid in the motions, along with the stretching of the muscles you are working, it is very easy and pain-free for me to workout and get in shape. I cannot thank you enough Amanda, for your inspiration and ongoing support and encouragement. You have helped to bring fitness and health back into my life and for that I am so very grateful!! You have lit the fire in me once again and you can be sure I will keep it burning thanks to the total gym!! Thanks so much,and take care….Melissa.

Congratulations to Melissa! We here at Total Gym are proud of you! Keep up the good work!

“Being selected ‘Most Improved’ was a special individual award because when I speak to young people I always try to tell them the importance about it’s not where you start but where you end up.”

- Kevin Johnson, former NBA Point Guard and  mayor of Sacramento, California.

So, what is gluten?  Gluten is a protein that is typically found in many grains.  It is used to enhance the flavor and consistency of many foods.  It is also used as a thickener, which is why you’ll find it in many soups and condiments like ketchup and soy sauce.

What is a gluten intolerance? This term usually refers to two types of people – those with a celiac disease and those with a gluten sensitivity.  Celiac disease produces a dangerous immune response and impacts ~1% of the US population.  Symptoms include chronic diarrhea, fatigue and weight loss.  Overtime damage occurs to the small intestine, which impacts the absorption of many vitamins and minerals.  Those with celiac disease must maintain a 100% gluten free diet and can even be impacted if their food is cooked in the same vicinity as that containing gluten.

Those with a gluten sensitivity tend to have less severe symptoms, which can make it even harder to diagnose.  It is estimated that 5%-10% of Americans have a sensitivity to gluten.  The symptoms that I see most frequently in my practice are acid reflux, hives, gas/bloating and severe fatigue.

How do I know if I have a gluten sensitivity?  If you think that you do have a gluten sensitivity, I suggest removing gluten from your diet for 30 days and seeing how you feel.  This doesn’t mean that you need to go to the store a spend a lot of money on specialized gluten free products!  Instead make some simple substitutions.  Choose risotto over pasta, corn tortilla over flour and tamari over soy sauce.  For a complete list of foods to avoid check out the Mayo Clinic’s website.  Most restaurants have a gluten free menu so don’t hesitate to ask your server to alter the ingredients in your meal.

If you find that your symptoms alleviate after a month you may want to explore some of the many gluten free products that are hitting the shelves.  If not, then you are most likely one of the 90% of American’s that are not impacted by gluten.  Congratulations and go have a sandwich!

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

Get Out of Your Workout Rut and Start to Move Your Butt!

Workouts should be interesting, challenging, goal achieving, and most importantly fun!

So often, the “fun” is not so fun and then your workouts begin to suffer.  As a trainer, I see how working out can be put as a last priority – you start to find ‘other’ things to do with your time, whether it is running errands, taking the kids to their activities or just sitting around. It usually boils down to lack of motivation or not knowing the right exercises to perform.

Total Gym Master Trainer Maria Sollon Scally, MS, CSCS has created an express workout using the Total Gym that will help get you out of the rut… and up off your butt.

This simple, yet challenging workout will have your entire body shaped up in no time!

GUIDELINES:

• Perform each exercise 10-15x’s
• Work with full range of motion through each move
• Be sure to keep the core tight/active and breathe efficiently through each exercise
• Repeat the circuit as may times as desired or as time permits

THE WORKOUT:

INCLINE 1-2 (just glide board)

• Reverse lunge & twist
• Lunge runners
• Inverted plank, knee tucks/ pikes
• REPEAT OTHER SIDE

CHANGE INCLINE 4-5 (depending on strength level

• Cable leg sweeps
• Cable leg kickbacks
• REPEAT OTHER SIDE

CHANGE INCLINE 3-4 (depending on strength level)

Face tower

• Kneeling surfer
• Kneeling high rows
• Kneeling triceps extensions

REMOVE Cable & Put Foot Holder Up

• Hamstring Curls
• Decline Crunch with MedBall Twist

“Inches make a champion.” 

- Vince Lombardi

What “inches” are you making towards your fitness goals?

Courtesy SDNN.com

Do you own any of these classic Total Gym units: 14000, 26000, Total Gym GTS Classic, Total Gym Power Tower Classic?

Expand your Total Gym training repertoire and enhance your and your clients’ workouts with popular accessories like the Press Bar, Retractable Dip Bars, Squat Handle Bar, 3 Grip Pull Up Bar and Leg Pulley System to enhance and diversify your workouts for the optimum Total Gym experience.

Now’s your LAST CHANCE to purchase ACCESSORIES at closeout prices!

Hurry! Once they’re gone – they’re gone for good. (Limited qualities available.) 

Contact Scott here at Total Gym for information: slord@totalgym.com
(858) 586-6080 ext. 203

Purchase by April 30

“Champions aren’t made in gyms. Champions are made from something they have deep inside them – a desire, a dream, a vision. They have to have the skill and the will. But the will must be stronger than the skill.”

- Muhammad Ali

Q: I want to maximize my workouts and my recovery.  Are there special foods or supplements that can help me perform best and recover quickly?

A: This is an excellent question and can best be answered by understanding what happens to our bodies when we exercise.

Exercise causes the depletion of the glycogen stores (which are carbohydrates that are stored in muscles) and the breakdown of muscle protein.

Immediately after exercise is the ideal time to replete these stores of carbohydrates and proteins. It is critical that you eat at least six hours post exercise in order to provide the raw materials that are needed for muscle recovery.  If you fail to eat post exercise, you diminish the chance to promote full recovery of your muscles.

Muscles are the most efficient at carbohydrate and energy uptake during these six hours, so the bulk of the day’s calorie intake should ideally come during this time.

Since muscles typically need 24-48 hours to repair and rebuild, the idea is to consume enough carbohydrates in the 6-hour time frame to promote the release of a hormone called insulin which helps to shuttle carbohydrates and amino acids (the building blocks for protein repair) into the muscles.  Elevated insulin levels promote the storage of glycogen which helps to promote protein repair.  The ideal amount of carbohydrate intake is 0.8-1.2 grams per kilogram of body weight which maximizes glycogen syntheses and accelerates protein repair. The ideal amount of protein that should be consumed is 0.2-0.4 grams per kilogram of body weight. You can calculate your weight in kilograms by taking your body weight in pounds and dividing that by 2.2.

It’s best to avoid fats post workout as fats slows digestion and transit time of nutrients through the gastrointestinal tract.  Liquid supplements are ideal, especially ones that contain whey proteins and carbohydrates. Solid foods tend to be harder to digest post exercise, but if you do choose to consume solid foods, then focus on items such as fruits, yogurt, cottage cheese or even chocolate milk.

So, after your work out, maximize your recovery by consuming the ideal amounts of proteins and carbohydrates and staying well hydrated.  Our bodies perform best if we give them the proper substrates needed to rebuild.

Until, keep working out with your Total Gym and sculpting your physique!!

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.

I have to congratulate Bubba Watson on his victory at the Masters Tournament this past weekend – his first major championship win.

As golf’s longest driver, one thing Watson needs is a STRONG CORE and STRONG LEGS.

Strong legs = more distance and power in golf. But to get more club head speed in your golf swing you also want more flexibility and a strong core to transfer the power from your legs and protect your back from the rigors of the golf swing.

Here is a FUN and EFFECTIVE trilogy of exercises any fitness enthusiast can do to increase power in your legs, strengthen your core and stretch your hamstrings and lower back! Click the image to watch the video.

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.

 Ever wonder what world-class, elite-level athletes do before they get on the field?

They do the same thing that well-informed fitness enthusiasts, celebrity trainers and leading coaches do.  They use relaxation and visualization techniques to boost their performance.

While there are many studies that document the value of visualization and imagery in enhancing muscular-related sports and fitness performance, one is worth noting: visualization.

Russian scientists discovered that when a group of Olympic athletes spent 25% of their time in physical training and 75% of their time in mental training, their performance rose to their best level of performance.

The famed Cleveland Clinic Foundation explored the effects of visualization on muscle strength and reported increases to muscle strength through visualization.

Visualization helps build concentration, confidence, control and commitment — the four main mental qualities related to elite level performance in most athletic activities.

When you mentally “see” yourself doing an exercise, that imagery transmits impulses from your brain to those muscles involved in the exercise you visualize. This, in turn, leaves your body feeling as if it actually performed the exercise you imagined. Your Total Gym workout becomes easier and more likely to be accomplished with success because “you’ve already done it” biochemically in your mind.