Rev Up Your Cardio Routine

April 1, 2011 By bobroche Leave a Comment

Our expert shows you the best exercises to help you burn, baby, burn, with tips on how to maximize results and lose weight.

Anyone can pedal away the minutes on an exercise bike — only to end up with the same lack of results. Let's set the record straight: To lose weight, you've got to burn more calories than you take in. So this month resolve to make your workout work for you.

"To keep your calorie-burning high, you have to keep your body guessing," says Jeff Williams, a certified personal trainer for Gold's Gym in Manhattan. "The more you do something, like running on a treadmill, the easier it gets, because your body adapts to the activity." And eventually your body learns how to perform that activity using fewer calories, he says.

UPRIGHT BIKE

Exercise 1

Interval Training

10 to 15 minutes

Adjust the bike's workout setting to Interval Training. This routine will lead you through periods of high and low activity with varying levels of resistance.

Then get into a "spinning" position: butt off the seat, arms braced on the handles, weight forward.

Exercise 2

Lateral Shoulder Raises

Two sets of 10 to 12 reps

Find a comfortable position so that your knees are just slightly bent when the pedal is at its lowest point. Maintain a constant pace as you pedal at a challenging but doable resistance.

Hold a dumbbell in each hand with arms straight down at your sides, palms facing in.

With elbows slightly bent and abs tight, slowly raise arms outward and away from your body in a wide arc until the dumbbells are at shoulder level and your body looks like a "T." Slowly return to starting position.

Exercise 3

Bicep Curls

Two sets of 10 to 12 reps

Find a comfortable position so that your knees are just slightly bent when the pedal is at its lowest point. Maintain a constant pace as you pedal at a challenging but doable resistance.

Hold a dumbbell in each hand with arms straight down at your sides, palms facing in.

With elbows slightly bent and abs tight, slowly curl both forearms upward until your elbow is bent 90 degrees. Slowly return to starting position.

Exercise 4

Shoulder Press

Two sets of 10 to 12 reps

Find a comfortable position so that your knees are just slightly bent when the pedal is at its lowest point. Maintain a constant pace as you pedal at a challenging but doable resistance.

Hold a dumbbell in each hand with arms raised to the sides and bent 90 degrees, palms forward. (The dumbbells should be about level with your ears.)

Push the weights upward and toward each other until arms are nearly straight, but don't lock elbows. Slowly return to starting position.

Treadmill

Exercise 1

Interval Training With Punches

10 to 15 minutes

Adjust the machine's workout setting to Interval Training. This routine will lead you through periods of high and low activity with varying levels of resistance.

With abs tight, hold your fists in front of you at chin level or slightly below. Your arms should be bent about 90 degrees and held close to your body. Jab forward quickly with one hand, rotating your wrist so that your knuckles face away from your body when your arm is fully extended. Quickly recover by pulling back into the starting position. Alternate hands in a steady rhythm.

Exercise 2

Side Shuffle

3 to 5 minutes

Adjust the machine's workout setting to a steady but challenging pace between 2 and 4 mph. Once the program has begun, pivot 90 degrees so you face the side rail. Holding a handrail for support, shuffle sideways, leading with the foot closest to the control pad.

Exercise 3

Backward

3 to 5 minutes

From the side-shuffle position, pivot another 90 degrees so your back faces the control pad and walk, jog or run backward. For a bigger challenge, increase the speed by 1 to 2 mph.

Elliptical

Exercise 1

Interval Training

10 to 15 minutes

Step onto the machine and stand with back straight, arms gripping both handles and feet firmly planted in footholds. Adjust the machine's workout setting to Interval Training. This routine will lead you through periods of high and low activity with varying levels of resistance.

Halfway through the routine, change directions by pedaling backward.

Stair Climber

Exercise 1

Interval Training

10 to 15 minutes

Step onto the machine and stand with back straight and hands lightly holding the bars for support. Adjust the machine's workout setting to Interval Training. This routine will lead you through periods of high and low activity with varying levels of resistance.

Exercise 2

Sidestep

3 to 5 minutes

Step onto the machine turned so that you are facing the side rail. Carefully step at a steady but challenging pace, crossing foot over foot as you climb sideways.

Halfway through the routine, pivot 180 degrees and sidestep leading with your opposite foot.

Exercise 3

Leg Flex

3 to 5 minutes

Step onto the machine and stand with back straight; lightly hold the bars for support. Set the machine for a steady but challenging pace. As you step with your left leg, swing your right leg behind you. Then switch: Step with your right leg and swing your left leg behind you.

Exercise 4

Double Step

3 to 5 minutes

Step onto the machine and stand with back straight; lightly hold the bars for support. Continuing to step at a steady but challenging pace, take stairs two at a time.

Filed Under: Exercise tips Tagged With: exercise, fitness, golds gym, health, lose weight, Nutrition, Weight Loss, workout

FREE Ab Secrets for Women Book

February 3, 2011 By bobroche Leave a Comment

Dr. Darden Reveals the AB SECRETS Olympic Gymnasts Have Practiced for Years!

Apply These Secrets for a Flatter, Firmer Stomach in Only 14 Days.
Do you want firm and lean abdominals – especially your lower abs? Do you wish that you could finally discover how to get the best results from your eating and exercising?

Download the FREE Book: http://bit.ly/Ab-Secrets

Golds Gym
15 Industrial Drive
Middletown NY 10941
845-344-4653
http://www.goldsgym.com/middletownny
http://www.facebook.com/goldsgymmiddletown
http://www.goldsmiddletown.com/ggx

Filed Under: Exercise tips Tagged With: abs, exercise, fitness, golds gym, health, lose weight, Nutrition, Weight Loss, workout

Slim at Any Age

January 2, 2011 By bobroche 1 Comment

The bummer truth is that weight becomes easier to gain and harder to lose as you get older, but you can reclaim your slim self by following our targeted strategies.

Your 30s

"Women generally tend to lose about 1 percent of their muscle mass each year starting around age 30,” explains Riva Rahl, MD, medical director of the Cooper Wellness Program in Dallas. “That gradually slows your metabolism.” And because about three-quarters of women in their 30s have had at least one child, you may be juggling young children as well as a career.

Translation: You barely have a free moment to brush your teeth, much less focus on getting to the gym regularly. Happily, though, you can fight back—and win.

Get Intense

What 30-something woman has an hour to spend at the gym? No worries. To get the most bang for your time-starved buck, try interval training—alternating short bursts of high-intensity exercise with short recovery periods. Women who did intervals for 20 minutes crushed three times as much fat as those who worked steadily for 40 minutes, a study from the University of New South Wales found. Try it on the treadmill or elliptical, or during your morning walk.

Your 40s
By age 40, you’ve lost up to 10 percent of your muscle mass—and, thus, may be burning about 100 fewer daily calories than you were 10 years ago. Plus, you’re approaching perimenopause (if you haven’t hit it already), which tends to spell trouble for your midsection. “This decade is when a lot of weight goes toward the abdomen, hips and thighs,” White says. Here’s how to keep your dress size stable.

Kick Up Workouts
A slowing metabolism begins to make it even harder to ditch extra pounds, so you’re going to have to take your workout up a notch and make sure you do some full-body strength training two to three times per week, says celeb trainer Kathy Kaehler, author of Fit and Sexy for Life.

Do vigorous cardio, such as a Spinning class, for at least 40 minutes most days each week. You’ll burn mega calories, and your metabolism will get a boost for up to 19 hours afterward, a University of Alabama at Birmingham study suggests.

Your 50s+
This is a decade of transition: You’re going through perimenopause or menopause and battling a sluggish metabolism, too. The scale can creep up—if you let it. “The reality is that many women do gain weight in their 50s, but that doesn’t have to be the case,” Brown says. No need to bid your sleek stomach good-bye—you just have to work a little harder to keep it.

Put the Time In
Aim for 60 minutes of moderate exercise every day, says Jennifer Huberty, PhD, associate professor of physical activity and health promotion at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. If you’re time-crunched, 30 minutes a day of vigorous activity can do the trick, too. Also, do two to three strength-training sessions per week to help speed metabolism.

Filed Under: Exercise Benefits, Exercise tips Tagged With: exercise, fitness, golds gym, health, lose weight, Nutrition, Weight Loss, workout

The All New Gold’s Gym Breakover Makeover

January 2, 2011 By bobroche Leave a Comment

Gold’s Gym Fitness Institute member Belisa Vranich shows you how to turn a breakup into a “break-over”—a fitness-fueled makeover that will help you beat that broken heart.

January has always been the month to ditch old habits, which may be why in recent years it’s become the month to ditch relationships. It’s even been dubbed Official Breakup Month. In fact, divorce lawyers say their phones never stop ringing in January, and dating Website analysts have noticed an increase in new memberships after the big ball drops in Times Square.

Psychologists say that there are two underlying reasons for this phenomenon. One is that many couples would rather ride out a rocky relationship than face the holidays alone — and couples with children don’t want to throw a gray cloud over Christmas by announcing breakup plans. On the flip side, holidays chock-full of family events and pricey presents can add stress to already strained relationships. On New Year’s Eve, as the clock approaches midnight, those couples are ready to kiss their relationships good-bye.

After a breakup, it’s easy to fall into crying jags, plates of french fries or a few extra glasses of wine instead of facing down a treadmill. Gold’s Gym Fitness Institute member and clinical psychologist Belisa Vranich says a little wallowing and overeating isn’t such a bad thing, but only up to a point. If you start gaining weight and stop smiling, all the bad feelings the breakup caused will just keep bubbling up. Here are Vranich’s six reasons to get a “break-over”— a new kind of makeover that gets your endorphins pumping, your confidence flowing and your body and mind back in first-date-ready form.

A natural high. When you work out, your brain pumps out endorphins, which are naturally produced opiates that fill your whole body with a sense of well-being. “When endorphins run through you, it feels like you are taking care of your body,” Vranich says, “which is just what you need when your mind and soul are hurting.” Exercise also reduces the chemicals in your immune system that can worsen depression.

New friends and — maybe — new mates. “The gym is a great place to meet people because there are so many natural conversation starters,” Vranich explains. If you’re waiting for a fitness class to begin, ask the person next to you if he or she has taken the class before. If you get short answers, that might be a signal that the person isn’t interested in chatting, but longer responses that encourage you to talk are a good sign that you might have made a new gym buddy. If you notice an attractive stranger using a weight machine, ask for a few pointers — and see if there’s a spark.

A healthy routine. When a relationship ends, you might feel like the rug has been pulled out from under you. Life might seem empty and uneventful without a partner. The best way to combat that feeling is to fill up your calendar — make dinner dates with friends, check out local museum exhibitions, and schedule gym visits. The less time you spend sitting alone on your couch, the better off you’ll be.

Free fuel. A little anger and sadness might not be such a bad thing for your fitness goals. “Since exercise stimulates positive feelings and lifts your spirits, you might start hitting the gym more frequently, run for longer intervals or lift more weights,” says Vranich. Channeling those self-defeating emotions into better workouts means you’ll get results even faster.

A safe escape. If you’re not feeling social after a breakup but you know you need to spend more time out of your house, the gym can be a sanctuary. “It’s a place where you can be around people, but you can interact as little or as much as you want to,” Vranich says. More important, the cardio room is a much healthier place to release your sorrows than the local bar.

Positive feedback. Getting back in shape won’t just help your mental health; your physical appearance will get a big boost too. “When you lose weight and gain muscle, you glow,” Vranich says. “Friends and family will notice, and you’ll start getting compliments.” That kind of positive attention is a great cure for any feelings of inadequacy. Instead of wallowing in negative thoughts about the past, you start looking toward the future. After all, isn’t looking good the best revenge.

OFFICIAL GOLD’S GYM BREAK-OVER ROADMAP

Week 1: Make a pledge to hit the gym at least 3 days a week for 30 minutes.

Week 2: Start a workout journal. Write down your fitness goals and ideal BMI (calculate your current BMI here). Make entries at least once a week to track your progress and, more importantly, how your workouts make you feel.

Week 3: Commit to trying three different fitness classes. If you have any questions about a class, you can always ask a gym staff member, or swing by the class before it gets started to chat with the instructor.

Week 4: Try to cut out one unhealthy food choice per day. An afternoon M&M splurge is fine when you’re first healing, but the sooner you swap fattening treats for healthy picks, the sooner you’ll start seeing your body change.

Week 5: Make an appointment with a Gold’s Gym personal trainer to assess your routine and learn some new moves to spice up your workout.

Week 6: Buy yourself some new gym clothes to show off your sleeker figure and inspire you to stay focused on your fitness goals.

Week 7: Begin eating five fruits and vegetables a day—just like you know you should. Filling up on fruits and vegetables has been shown in study after study to help with weight loss and protect you from chronic diseases.

Filed Under: Exercise Benefits, Exercise tips Tagged With: breakup, exercise, fitness, golds gym, health, lose weight, Nutrition, Weight Loss, workout

The New Year’s Resolution Builder

December 30, 2010 By bobroche Leave a Comment

10 Fail Proof Resolution Tips from our experts at the Gold's Gym Fitness Institute.

1. Visualize your end result. —Mike Ryan, certified personal trainer

2. Get a fitness assessment to figure out your starting point and learn your strengths and weaknesses. Going forward, continue to get a fitness reassessment every eight to 12 weeks to track progress. —Adam Friedman, certified personal trainer

3. A goal without a plan is only a wish. Stop wishing you were in great shape and start mapping out a concrete plan to get there. (Our New Year's Resolution Builder can help…) —Belisa Vranich, Phy.D.

4. Set small, achievable goals that build momentum. Long-term goals are important, but short-term goals provide bursts of motivation with each mini success. —M. R.

5. Create a schedule to keep yourself consistent. —A. F.

6. Journal your exercise and dietary intake on a daily basis. —A. F.

7. Change up your exercise routine every four to six weeks. Strive for consistent progression in your program so that every workout is a challenge. —A. F.

8. Troubleshoot your excuses. Write them down, then ask yourself, "How would others respond to that?" You'll be surprised at how impactful seeing them in writing can be! —B. V.

9. When it comes to seeing results, be patient. —A. F.

10. Tell your friends about your goals. This will create a support system and make you accountable to someone, so you'll be less likely to ditch working out. —M. R.

The Gold's Gym Workout Builder is here to help you make a plan and stick to that resolution! See it here at:

https://www.goldsgym.com/tipsandtools/tools/workout-builder/

Filed Under: Exercise tips, Personal Training Tagged With: exercise, fitness, golds gym, health, lose weight, Nutrition, Weight Loss, workout

Set Your Fitness Goals on Facebook

December 30, 2010 By bobroche Leave a Comment

my strength

Our members show their strength and accomplish amazing things every day. These transformations are nothing short of inspiring. Share your Stories of Strength with the world to help motivate others to reach their fitness goals.

Create your goal Share your goal
Log your progress

Filed Under: Exercise tips, Training Tools Tagged With: exercise, fitness, golds gym, health, lose weight, Nutrition, Weight Loss, workout

Golds Gym Middletown Adds New Concept 2 Rower

December 13, 2010 By bobroche Leave a Comment

Due to the increasing interest in CrossFit workouts, Golds Gym Middletown has added a new Concept 2 Rowing Machine.

Concept2 Indoor Rowers are the machine of choice for people and athletes of all ages and ability. For more than 30 years Concept2 Indoor Rowers have been the best-selling rowing machines in the world.

Golds Gym Personal Trainers will be happy to explain the use and features of the rowing machine to all members and guests. Feel free to ask for help anytime.

Online Logbook

The Concept2 Online Logbook is a free, web-based application where you can record your rowing and skiing workouts, track your total meters and compare your times with other athletes from around the world. You can also participate in the many individual and team challenges that run throughout the year.

Creating an Online Logbook

To create a logbook:

Go to concept2.com/logbook.
Under NEW USERS, click REGISTER.
Follow the instructions to set up your logbook.

For more information check out these links to the user manuals:

UPRIGHT BIKE

Exercise 1

Interval Training

Exercise 2

Lateral Shoulder Raises

Exercise 3

Bicep Curls

Exercise 4

Shoulder Press

Two sets of 10 to 12 reps

Treadmill

Exercise 1

Interval Training With Punches

10 to 15 minutes

Adjust the machine's workout setting to Interval Training. This routine will lead you through periods of high and low activity with varying levels of resistance.

Exercise 2

Side Shuffle

3 to 5 minutes

Exercise 3

Backward

Elliptical

Exercise 1

Interval Training

Stair Climber

Exercise 1

Interval Training

Exercise 2

Sidestep

Exercise 3

Leg Flex

Exercise 4

Double Step

10 Fail Proof Resolution Tips from our experts at the Gold's Gym Fitness Institute.

Online Logbook

Creating an Online Logbook

Golds Gym

15 Industrial Drive

Middletown NY 10941

845-344-4653

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