Gym Work
August 29, 2002 | 12:00am
Say good-bye to fad diets and throw those "miracle machines" out the window! Loose 10 pounds in 1 week? Guaranteed results or your money back? Please. These are all fairy tales. There are no short cuts when it comes to looking good the healthy way. Fitness is not a crash course, it’s a lifestyle!
Many of you might have your qualms about enrolling in a gym but it is one of the best ways to "get with the program"! Gold’s Gym, one of the world’s most renowned names in fitness centers has made its way to Manila. Three floors of top-of-the-line equipment, a dance area, and a great view makes it hard not motivated. Their trainers and health experts are there to set you up with a program that suits your lifestyle perfectly so fitness is something you learn to adapt, not something you get into on special occasions. With a spa and a health and fitness bar to follow, Gold’s Gym is set to respond to your all-around fitness needs.
Workout should be efficient, not too long and a lot of fun. It should be something that you look forward to and not something that you dread doing all the time. (Like exams or job assignments) Ley Fernandez, Fitness Manager of Gold’s Gym, helped us construct a workout for active and trendy young adults.
Start warming up those muscles with a little stretching and a quick cardio workout. It’s guaranteed to get your heart pumping and it will definitely make you work up a sweat. Gold’s Gym has a whole array of aerobic classes to fit your fancy. If dancing is your desire, "Aero HipHop" is the class for you! Learn the latest dance moves and bounce with the music while developing coordination of movement and burning those calories! Need to release a little (or a lot) of angst? Let it out and beat the stress with a "Cardio Kickbox" class that kicks ass! Too slow? Pick up the speed with indoor cycling or "Spinning Class." (pictures: aero hip hop class and stationary bikes).
After an hour of cardio, lets focus on strength and muscular endurance. The "Express Way Workout" zeros in on many muscle groups we’d like to target. It’s very time efficient, as the name implies, allowing the exerciser to finish workout it as short as 24 minutes!
We selected a few exercises for men and women targeting those problem areas we’d most like to deal with. Follow the specific instructions on the machine or if you’d like some variations, ask your trainer to help you out.
For the men:
Tips: Start out with moderate weight. Begin 2-3 sets of 10-12 repetitions. You may eventually increase the weight after a few sessions to make a muscle statement.
Lower Body (Legs)
Leg Press – Works the quadriceps, hamstrings, and gluteals.
Leg extension – Works the quadriceps
Common guys! Girls don’t like men with legs skinnier than theirs! Anyways, you need a strong base to support your upper body or any other body you’d like to sweep off their feet!
Upper Body
Incline Press – Works the pectoralis major, anterior and middle deltoids, upper trapezius triceps
Biceps Curls – Works your biceps
Build up, firm up, and in a few weeks your t-shirts will probably get a little tighter! Soon enough people might be calling you Johnny Bravo by mistake!
For the women:
Tips: Since you’re more interested in fighting the flab than building the bulge, use less weight but do more repetitions. Start out with the lightest (usually 15 pounds) weights doing 2-3 sets with 12-15 repetitions.
Prone leg curl – Works the hamstrings or the back of the thigh. If you’ve got a problem with a little jiggle here and there when you walk, this machine will fix it so the next time you strut down the hall way, the only thing you’ll be hearing are jaws dropping.
Hip Abduction – Works the outer thighs. Extra baggage should be put in suitcases, don’t you think? Say good-bye to those saddlebags once and for all!
Abdominals – You already have a six pack?! If you’re counting the folds in your tummy I suggest you get on this! This machine may look fierce but its certainly friendlier to your back than those crunches.
Pec Flex – Works the pectorals. Do you avoid tube tops or spaghetti strapped tops because of unsightly underarm flab? ‘Nuf said. Get working, girls!
Don’t forget to stretch the muscles you worked out! Ask your trainer to help you with the stretches. Cool down and relax! Try going to the gym 3 times a week. If you’ve got a little extra time on your hands you might want to try a yoga or pilates class improve your flexibility and tone up a little bit more
Now don’t get me wrong, working out is not just about looking good and getting the body you’ve always wanted. Vanity aside, working out regulates your body, gives you more energy, and makes you feel great! Its about achieving goals and living a healthy life. Those are the reasons you’ll keep on coming back to the gym. Your body will look for it, trust me! So get your ass of the couch! Get with the program!
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