Total Gym

Fitness Wisdom Wednesday: Winter Workout with Eric Isaacson

Here’s a another guest post from Eric Isaacson, former collegiate tennis player and son of Dan Isaacson, personal trainer to Hollywood A-listers.

This is my winter workout routine which focuses on the legs, chest, shoulders, triceps and back. I’m going to show you how to take advantage of the Total Gym accessories and how easy they are to use.  The Total Gym attachments are very easy to put on and take off, although most people may not don’t bother to use them because they think it’s too much of a hassle. Believe it or not, it only takes about 5 seconds to attach and take off accessories!

In this video, I will demonstrate a squat exercise and take you through a series of leg/hip movements. The squat exercise focuses on the thighs and glutes. Feet turned out/wider stance emphasizes the inner thigh. Unilateral squat increases the overload by using just one leg at a time. This unilateral squat is tougher, but can yield better results. Did you know that more than half of your muscle mass is from your waist down? Most people do not focus enough on training the lower body.

Stay warm this winter and heat up your workouts with these fun exercises!

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Fitness Wisdom Wednesday – 5 Ways to Beat Workout Burnout

My coworker came to me the other day and suggested I write about how to beat workout burnout.  She wanted to know how to plow through exercise plateaus and continue seeing results. So here we are!

We’ve all been there. Here you are chugging along with a new fitness routine on Total Gym or in the gym and you’re seeing great results – whether it’s weight loss, muscle tone, increased speed or endurance. Then a few weeks pass doing the same routine but the results seem to halt in their tracks. What gives? Welcome to your plateau. A plateau is when the body naturally becomes immune to repetitive exercise over time, stopping any potential progress.

Good news is there are ways to prevent exercise burnout. Here are some simple tips:

1. Vary your workout schedule. Instead of working out every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, mix it up by working out a few days in a row then take a rest day. Keep this up for a few weeks to help reprogram your body and avoid hitting a plateau and save muscles and joints from constant pounding.
2. Try something new for a week. If you’re no longer seeing results from your usual routine (e.g., running), then try switching it up by taking a week off to do something new. For example, try a mind/body exercise like yoga or Pilates. While yoga or Pilates may not give you the intense sweat session you’re used to, that’s OK. You will be strengthening and stretching important muscles needed to support your current routine. This way you’ll feel more rejuvenated when you head back to running.
3. Incorporate interval training. You don’t need to go all out in every workout. Instead of going for complete burnout, try incorporating intervals to challenge the body in new ways. I remember my triathlon coach told me that even the world’s top athletes like Lance Armstrong don’t go full press when training for their races. Instead they often take it slow to work on their endurance and form. Vary up your routine by incorporating 30 second to 1 minute intervals that include a faster pace, steeper incline or higher resistance.
4. Cross-train. Cross training is imperative to avoiding a workout plateau. Try new activities like weight lifting, plyometrics or other new fitness activities to improve your chances of seeing results. Using your muscles in a new and different way will prevent burnout – and it’s fun!
5. Take time off. This may seem counterproductive but on the contrary it’s actually quite efficient. The body needs rest to let muscles and joints recoup after a hard workout session and to keep the body from automatically plateauing. Try taking a full rest day after every two to three days of exercise. It may seem tough but trust me, it works!

Now get out there and beat those plateaus!

Cassie is the Communications Manager for efi Sports Medicine/Total Gym and a published fitness writer

Total Gym Exercises: Tom’s Weekly Tip – Introducing Cyclo Trainer

“Cyclo-what?” you may be asking. Cyclo Trainer is quite a unique piece of cardio equipment and a great aerobic compliment to your Total Gym strength routine.

I introduce you to our Cyclo Trainer in the video, but in short, the Cyclo Trainer attaches to all Total Gym models and offers a low-impact, effective and time-efficient cardio workout. Watch the video and click here for more information.

Add a challenge to your Total Gym workout by incorporating Cyclo Training intervals. Do a minute on the Cyclo Trainer, then do two to three strength exercises on Total Gym. Then go back to the Cyclo Trainer and repeat these intervals two or three times.

A quick disclaimer: be sure to consult your doctor or rehabilitation specialist before performing Total Gym exercises if you are injured or recovering from an injury.

Total Gym Interval Training

This post was written by Maria Sollon Scally MS, CSCS. She received a Masters Degree in Performance Enhancement/ Injury Prevention and Kinesiology.  She holds numerous certifications in various areas of fitness, including Polestar Pilates and Yoga.  She is a GRAVITY MasterTrainer and a national conference presenter. You can find her online at www.groovysweat.com or email her at maria@groovysweat.com.

There are a lot of training modalities out there to enhance your performance levels. But

Maria Scally

what is the best way to achieve the most out of a cardio/strength interval training program? To maximize time and efficiency of your workouts by combining targeted functional training with minimal rest periods! To accomplish this, the Total Gym works wonders. The Total Gym is easy to follow where a specific training workout can be designed by your trainer to blend explosive power moves with variable resistance to raise and control the heart rate and intensity. The intense workout can be followed by an active recovery of strength moves performed on the Total Gym.

The cardio movements can vary from plyometrics, drills on the floor, to sprints on a machine. While doing an interval of power, your trainer is able to set up a strength segment on the Total Gym for your very next routine. Each interval can be prepared several times or changed each time through. The versatility of the Total Gym is so dynamic that the whole body is working in all ranges of motion.  It’s a quick and effective way to change up the routine and challenge the entire body.

Interval Training needs to be challenging- but fun.  There are fun fat blasting, cardio vascular and strength movements that your trainer can provide a few times a week. You will be amazed how fast time goes when you perform workouts utilizing the Total Gym… all you have to do is loose the weight!

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