Treadmills Aren't All That

Running every day on the treadmill can help you burn calories and get a good sweat on, but limits how well you will do on the trail. It also robs you of necessary development of the hamstrings and glutes by pulling your foot behind you as compared to outdoor "real world" running where you propel yourself forward by pushing off the ground and creating forward motion, but as every trail runner knows, hardly ever in a straight line. On a treadmill you are essentially lifting your back foot forward then cushioning the impact with your knees in a steady and repetitive manner. Your muscles won't fully contract to pull the front leg back behind you again. While I am not saying you should quit running on the treadmill, I am definitely saying that you should vary your cardiovascular machine workouts. Get away from the boring same-all-the-time run and play with incline, speed, and additions like ankle or hand weights. Your body might be shocked by a bigger change like a variation in cardio machine such as the elliptical or spin bike. Be sure to also set aside some time to get in the weight room and work those hammys and glutes. Schedule a session or two with me or another ACB trainer if you aren't sure what direction to take your workouts other than away from the treadmill.

Fitness Minded

Just a quick note to let tell you all about the online, local news-source called On the Go-Go. Check out my first blurb - Fitness Minded. This week's article is just an introduction of my addition to the group. The articles will be more informative and interesting in the weeks to come! Plus, there are quite a few other interesting sections On the Go-Go is covering. Check it out and happy reading!

Lost It at the Club Update

More than 60 club members are "Losin' It at the Club". We are 2 weeks in and have seen some great progress. I have had my clients lose inches off of their waists and hips and good job to all of you for trying different classes and getting your Activity Card checked off! In our weekly success meetings we have tackled goal setting and have learned more about weight loss myths, nutrition, and the body's response to stress. We have shared lots of ideas with each other and it has been very motivating. Check out our first Lost It Newsletter. Keep up the good work everyone!

Trainer Jess Wins Bridal Survivor

Jessie just won the 2009 Bridal Survivor Contest. She outlasted 6 other soon to be brides in a Bridal Survivor Contest much like the television show, Survivor. Jessie's prize is an entire wedding package that includes; catering, party rentals, tux and wedding dress, cake, DJ's, and photography! Now, we are just waiting for her to pick a location and a date!! I'm sure winning this package will make it much easier. Click here to see pics of Jess in action or should I say trapped on her "island" playing the game.

Why is Fitness Testing Important

January 28 - Feb 1st we will be testing body composition using the Bod Pod and VO2 Max using a mask for measuring the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide as you breathe and perform a graded exercise test on a treadmill. This VO2 sub-max test will be very accurate and will be important in determining a correct workout heart-rate range for weight loss and increased performance! Knowing your results on these tests, you can better tailor your workouts to meet your specific needs and you can "tweak" your training to get the best results. Ahhh.... very efficient and if you're going to workout - you might as well have it work!

One Hour of Power on Tuesday Evenings

ACB's power plyometric workshop is back. HIGH INTENSITY TRAINING will be held on Tuesday evenings from 6:00 - 7:00pm beginning January 6th. This is a great class for athletes looking for a competitive edge or for those who just enjoy a challenging workout that changes every week. Concentrate on technique and alignment to help quickly improve your overall athletic performance including components such as stamina, speed, power, strength, agility and reaction time. There is a $10 drop in fee with discounts for the those who come regularly and also for Lost It at the Club participants. Get your 2009 workout plan off to a great start! Sign up or get more information at the front desk.

WINTER FITNESS TIPS - Story by ACB Personal Trainer Jessie Macpherson

Check out Cascades East Magazine's Winter 2008-09 edition for the Winter Fitness Tips article including eight challenging exercises to spice up your workout. It was absolutely a blast being a contributor this season. Working in-studio at Joseph Eastburn Photography was amazing as Joseph is incredibly talented and has a great eye for detail. A huge thanks goes to Susanne Orton of Cascades East and On the Go-Go.com for coordinating everything for the story and photo shoot, as well as doing some personal training to work on mastering the exercises in the article. Let me know if you have any questions or need a little help with the workout!!

Women's Fitness Area Open

Yeah! The women's fitness area is now open.

Time for... "I Lost It at the Club"!

This year will be ACB's 2nd time running, "I Lost It at the Club". This year it will be exciting with 2 options - one with personal training and weekly weigh-ins included (like the "Biggest Loser" TV show) and one do it yourself option. The program will run for 7 weeks from Jan. 12th - Mar. 2nd. I'm sure participants who sign up with the training and weekly weigh-ins will have much more guidance and perhaps more success than those that go it on their own. After all, studies do show that having a trainer /coach makes for more measurable results and greater success! Myself and the rest of the trainers are excited to really get involved with participants and help them reach their weight loss goals. We are looking forward to being a great resource for training and nutrition tips as well as killer workouts! This program is open to club members and non-members and a great way to meet people and get support with your goals. We will have a weekly group sharing meeting in the evening and daily lunch time walks with a few exercises thrown in! It will be soooooo much better than last year! I look forward to changing people's lives!

This program is nationwide and we undergo this weight loss challenge with many other high quality IHRSA clubs! IHRSA stands for "International Health and Racquet Sportsclub Association". Here are some 'I Lost It at the Club!' 2008 Highlights:

During the 4th annual 'I Lost It at the Club!' a total of 11,128 participants lost 36,564 pounds, one of which was Megan Nelson, a member at Universal Athletic Club in Lancaster, PA.

"I joined…for the motivation,” Nelson said. “The program worked for me because of the accountability, knowing that I would be weighing in once a week. I'm ready to lose another 20 lbs. and feel confident that I can. ‘I Lost It at the Club!’ really motivated me!"

'I Lost It at the Club!' 2008 was a tremendous success! We are proud to announce that 646 IHRSA clubs participated in 'I Lost It at the Club!' 2008, which is our highest participation rate ever.

'I Lost It at the Club!' 2008 winners:

• Greatest amount of total weight loss: Universal Athletic Club
  


• Greatest average weight lost per participating member: Anytime Fitness at Grand Island
  


• Greatest number of members participating: Gold's Gym at Bloomington
  


• Greatest percentage of club members participating: Discover Fitness Center at New Castle
  


• Greatest average number of inches lost per participating member: Wave Health & Fitness
  


• Greatest total number of inches lost: The Works Family Health & Fitness