Are You Fit Enough To Finish The Total Gym Challenge?

The Total Gym Challenge

Are you looking for a dynamic and inspiring way to challenge your body, to reach a higher fitness level, and produce real results?

If you can say “YES!” to this question, then my friend, we have a goal! It’s not about being fit enough, it’s about having the will to commit and accept the challenge for YOU. Everyone will start at a different level of fitness and progress at their own pace. This is the exciting part about accepting a challenge for a set period of time and seeing how your body responds.

The workouts can be modified for any fitness level to accommodate a novice or a more experienced participant. So why not accept a challenge that is beneficial for your health and your fitness goals?

What Is The Total Gym Challenge?

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Total Gym’s 8 Do’s and Don’ts To Tighten Your Stomach After 40

July 10, 2015
Maria Sollon
Health & Fitness / Workout Videos / Workouts
1 Comment

How Get A Flat Belly After 40

Life after forty can be fabulous and fit rather than fat and flabby.

Some may say that the second the birthday candles are blown out, their metabolism went on vacation! Was it the extra cake? Or was the culprit the aging process taking over? How do we prevent this from occurring, knowing aging is inevitable?

If you are over 40, at some point or another, you may have developed a middle age pouch either from lack of exercise, a poor diet, or post-baby. Even though a tummy tuck may sound like a good solution, there are good and natural ways to slow down the fat-storing process, such as eating healthy foods, performing intense core workouts, and having the goal to make it happen!

The 8 Do’s and Don’ts:

Having a flat and firm core after forty takes patience, effort and knowledge of some important facts. A tight tummy is more than just for looks. Here are some ‘core truths’ that can help you banish belly fat and get a flatter, tighter, and ageless midsection!

DO Strengthen Your Core To Improve Your Overall Health– Core muscles support the back, protect vital organs, and allow daily functional movement. Ignoring the core and allowing extra fat increases the risk for coronary artery disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes. (See the workout at the end of the article!)
DON’T Go Crazy On The Crunches – Performing traditional crunches have value, but doing hundreds will not lead to a tighter midsection! Abdominal muscles often stay hidden underneath a thick layer of belly fat, so the key is to train your abs a few times a week with a variety of core movements and burn fat with cardio sessions. More isn’t better!
DON’T Ignore Cardio and Strength Training- A solid combination of cardio and strength training plays a vital role in melting the excess fat the body holds onto. To get a flat tummy and muscle tone, you need to burn off the top layer of fat in order to replace it with lean muscle from strength training. (more…)

Fat Burning Workout Day 3

Miss Fitness America Sherry Goggin joins us on Total Gym Pulse to conclude her 3 day fat burning working program using The Total Gym!

Sherry begins by sitting on her knees on the glide board with cables in hand as she prepares for a bicep curl. Sherry demonstrates a regular bicep curl, alternating bicep curl and hammer curls throughout this position.

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Total Gym’s Most Comprehensive List of Pilates Moves To Burn Calories

July 8, 2015
Elizabeth Leeds, DPT
Health & Fitness / Workout Videos / Workouts
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Sculpting Pilates Moves That Burn Serious Calories

Want a leaner and stronger body? You can transform your Pilates workout into cardio, strength, or combination workouts, by changing the pace (tempo), incline level (intensity) and repetitions. These alterations can provide enough tweaks to change the body without having to learn a large repertoire of exercises. Increasing your pace and adding explosive Plyometric moves will help to raise the heart rate, while slowing down the movements and adding increased resistance will focus more on muscular development.

Click here to download the Total Gym Cardio Pilates Exercise Table

Tips and Recommendations for This Pilates Workout:

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Fat Burning Workout Day 2

July 7, 2015
Total Gym Direct
Health & Fitness / Workout Videos / Workouts
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Fat Burning Workout Day 2

Miss Fitness America Sherry Goggin joins us once again on Total Gym Pulse to bring us day 2 of her 3 day fat burning workout series on The Total Gym. Today Sherry is going to focus on the lower body to help you develop those lean legs and firm butt you desire!

The first exercise Sherry demonstrates works the inner and outer thighs. With your chest out and back straight, place your feet inside the cables towards the top of The Total Gym. Move your legs in and out for a total of 10 reps and be sure to keep your breathing controlled as you go.

Next, Sherry tells us to raise the level on the machine and detach the pulleys for the next exercise which is squats. Place your feet on the squat stand shoulder width apart and sit at the end of the glide board. From here, squat all the way down and on the way up be sure to squeeze your buttock muscles. Make sure to keep your movements slow and controlled. Do 10 reps on this exercise as well.
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Fat Burning Workout Day 1

Miss Fitness America Sherry Goggin joins us again on Total Gym Pulse to show us how to get a bikini body by doing some amazing fat burning exercises in a three day program using The Total Gym. In today’s workout Sherry will demonstrate how to work on your back, shoulders and abs.

Begin by sitting on your knees on the glideboard. Squeeze your back and do a low pull bringing the cables to your midsection. This isolates your muscles and works the lower back. From here, Sherry transitions into what she calls an “X” exercise by pulling the cables apart diagonally – then alternating each hand up and down. Sherry says to work your way to do 3 sets of 10 for each exercise in this series.
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What’s In Your Workout Closet?

Workout Clothes: Essentials Vs. Fads

If you are one of the few people left who think that trendy workout clothes only belong in the closet or in the gym and not on the sidewalks, in coffee shops or roaming around shopping malls, you may be in for a shock.

Popular brands such as Nike, Under Armour, Lululemon, Gap’s Athleta, Urban Outfitters, and even Costco’s Kirkland brand, are out to extend workout clothing into every nook and cranny of life they can find.

Those keeping an eye on this industry estimate that the U.S. athletic apparel market could grow by 50% in the next six years, hitting $100 billion in annual sales. The denim manufacturers do not like this too much. The trendy look of gym and yoga clothing on the streets is being blamed for a decline in denim sales, which fell 6% in 2013.

This isn’t a fad where the novelty falls off in a year or two. No, this is a trend, growing for more than a decade with widespread popularity continuing to take hold among celebrities, athletes, CrossFit followers, bootcampers, everyday gym rats, at home workout folks, members of Silver Sneakers, and even the two thirds of American that struggles with “overbesity” (overweight and obesity) find comfort in “plus size” workout clothing.

Business casual in many companies has come to mean any variety of Lululemon’s Find Your Bliss Jacket, All You Need crops, Easy Breezy Pant, The Principle Tank, No Limits Tank, Pure Balance Sweater, a scoop back tank, a Vinyasa scarf, and maybe even a pair of Minnetonka Moccasins.

The trend, it seems, is definitely on a brightening trajectory, not just in bright, daring colors, but in technology as well. I’m wearing a pair of workout pants lined with antimicrobial silver and a compression shirt, both quick dry, odor controlling and moisture wicking. I thought about wearing those compression shorts but after a weekend of visiting (ok, eating our way through) the San Diego County Fair’s fried food extravaganza, the workout pants were a better choice. Oh, and a shirt I just ordered is all set to “talk with” my Apple Watch — only thing is I don’t have one of those. Yet. Accepting all gifts, however.

My wife, a personal trainer, loves the Gap Athleta line for everyday fashion and workout comfort, but also pulls out her Nike, Adidas and Under Armour head band when she’s really pumping up a new Les Mills routine. She just told me about a company called Naked Sports Gear that makes sports bras that promise that UV rays will get through to ensure an “all-over” tan.

While we aren’t seeing the legwarmers of the 80’s any longer, yoga pants and leggings have taken over and show up everywhere—literally, including in Houses of Worship, weddings, formal dinners, all with the latest fabric technology, of course.

Trends in Fitness: Sneakers

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The Total Gym Plyometric Squat Challenge For All Levels

Plyometric Squat Workout– Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced Progressions

Bathing suit season is here and it is time to tone up those legs, thighs, and glutes! Let’s get down to business and discuss how plyometric squats performed on the Total Gym can help get you there. Plyometrics, performed properly, are a great way to increase quad and hamstring strength, tone muscles and increase stamina to help get you through a busy day.

Let’s take a look at how plyometric squats can be performed at a beginner, intermediate and advanced level – keeping you challenged and motivated for weeks to come. Remember it is always good to set goals and keep challenging yourself as you progress to go to the next level while having some fun in the process!

Before you begin this workout, just a quick reminder on the importance of a proper warm-up. Make sure you take a few minutes to get your muscles warm and heart rate up before performing these exercises. This may involve a quick ten-minute walk/jog around the block or some basic squats with arm raises on the Total Gym.

Starting Position:
Make sure to disconnect the pulley from the glideboard and properly store it behind the tower. Now push the glideboard halfway up the rails, straddle the rails, and sit at the bottom edge facing away from the tower. Place your feet on the squat stand, positioned shoulder width apart. Slowly lie back, ensuring your head is fully supported by the glideboard and any hair/ponytails are tucked underneath your head to avoid it getting caught under the glideboard.

Plyo-Squats for Beginners

With your Total Gym set on a lower level you are going to release your feet off the glideboard as you move smoothly up and down the rails. As you go up and down the rails visualize your feet landing in the same place on the squat stand. Now change the position of your feet by pointing your toes out to the right and left. This will challenge different muscle groups muscles and tone those inner thighs. Keep things interesting by placing your feet and ankles together like you are skiing down a mountain. As you release both feet at the same time try and land softly on the squat stand by decelerating through the range of motion.
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Tips For Getting A Six Pack

Summer is just around the corner – it’s time to bring out the swimsuits! Of course we all want to look our best and one of the best features to showcase at the beach are “six pack” abs. Joining us once again on Total Gym Pulse is fitness trainer John Peel to give us some great tips on how to get a six pack using The Total Gym.

The first exercise John demonstrates is a plank. With your feet on the floor and arms on the glideboard position yourself horizontally. Make sure to keep your back straight to prevent yourself from injuring your lower back. From here, move your arms forward and move back and forth with the glide board. Go for 15-20 reps and if you can’t move the glide board, simply hold the plank position in place.

Next, John gets to the side of The Total Gym and places one elbow on the glideboard and stacks his feet on top of each other. Keep your hips up high as this exercise works the obliques. (more…)

How to Use Total Gym’s Golf Core Grip Accessory

June 19, 2015
JayDee Cutting III, MBA
Health & Fitness / Workout Videos / Workouts
0 Comments

The Father’s Day Total Gym Attachment Spotlight: Golf Core Grip

Hey Total Gym Team,

With the golf season in full swing and Father’s Day around the corner, the Total Gym Core Grip Workout System is the perfect gift for the man in your life. This accessory works seamlessly with your Total Gym and is guaranteed to improve your golf game.

The Core Grip Workout System attaches to your Total Gym cables, which allows you to emulate natural golf movements while maintaining a neutral grip that all great golfers aspire to.

My dad got me into golf when I was two years old and I have been in love with the game ever since. When I began my fitness training career, I tried everything I could think of to help my golf clients; it wasn’t until I used the Total Gym eleven years ago that I realized its potential in this area. The best benefit of the Total Gym is functional training. The Golf Core Grip takes the best benefit of the Total Gym, functional training, to a new level.

Check out the video to learn some exercises that strengthen AND improve your core flexibility.

5 Reasons To Fall In Love with The Golf Core Grip

Wrist Strength and Stability
If you look at the big hitters, they all have well developed forearms. From old-school players like Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus to modern day bombers like Dustin Johnson, a powerful wrist release through impact creates more club head speed, which equates to more distance. Improving your wrists and forearms strength is huge for those moments when you miss the fairway, by giving you the power to get through the rough with maximum force.

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