The Kettler Ergoracer GT is probably the best indoor racing bike ever developed. Built well, strong, heavy and designed to accommodate any height of user.

Its specialty is that is uses a different kind of brake system compared to most other bikes. It has what’s called an electromagnetic brake system.

What is the definition of electromagnetic brake?

A non-contact brake design actuated when an electric current charges a coil that acts as an electromagnet. Meaning that an electrical current goes into a coiled block of metal and wire to create a magnet. The power of the magnet is dictated by the amount of current given to it. There are no moving parts, servo motor or anything else that could go wrong down the road with extensive use.

The performance of speed is measured in Watts from 25 to 600. This is certainly way more resistance than the normal bikes will offer, either with a moving magnet plate or a padded brake system. It is also noiseless. You can’t hear a thing. This system offers 115 levels of electromagnetic, frictionless Eddy Current brake resistance.

The saddle is geared to move up and down as well as front to back. Because of the v shape of the bike, the handlebars are also geared for the bigger and taller user as it will extend outwards and away from the cyclist who would have a long reach. The flywheel is a heavy 18 kg, or 40 lbs. The regular/kombi-click pedals are geared for both cyclists using regular sports footwear, or shoes with SPD click system. The frame is factory milled and robotically welded, using a design steel tubing for greater strength, corrosion proof, galvanized coating outside and in, finished with a high quality powder coat.

It comes with a Polar, wireless chest strap, giving you and accurate heart rate reading. There are elbow pads for the cyclist that likes to ride bent forward. It uses a poly v-ribbed belt that is much quieter than a regular chain
belt.

The Kettler Ergoracer GT’s computer provides 8 training programs including a heart rate control. You can enter your age, and either fat burning or fitness zone to determine your upper pulse limit. There is a recovery pulse feature that helps track improvements in cardiovascular conditioning with personal grades from 1, being the best, to 6. For the serious user, you can use the USB Interface for interactive software training and interchangeable pre-set programs with internet downloads from www.kettlerusa.com.

Kettler Ergoracer GT weighs just under 175 lbs. This gives it great stability when the user is over 250 lbs. It’s capacity is 285 lbs. It comes with a lifetime warranty on frame, 3s electronics and parts, and 1 year labor. Most spinning bikes have what’s called a direct drive system that make the pedals move as long as the flywheel moves. The Ergoracer GT has a coasting flywheel that lets the user free pedal if he wishes to take a break from pedaling. All he has to do is start pedaling again and he’ll
reach the motion of the flywheel.

If you’re Joe athlete, this is a bike you’ll appreciate. the Kettler Ergoracer GT will last an eternity, and is almost a toy for the hard core athlete as well as the beginner. I’ve sold many and have yet to have any problems, big or small. There are a lot of bikes on the market today, but few if any can compare with the Kettler Ergoracer GT.

Yukon Wolverine Gym Review
There are not many homes gyms out there with a 200 plus lb stack and the high number of exercises and attachments like the Yukon Wolverine gym priced at under $2000.00.

Most gyms require additional benches to accommodate extra exercises needed to fulfill a proper workout program.

The Yukon Wolverine Gym is not one of those. It also comes with a leg press that is different than most others. The seat moves back and forth as opposed to a metal pad that moves when the legs press the metal pad.

Lets start with chest. It comes with a chest press that has handles that accommodate a wide or narrow grip for outer pecs as well as lower pec muscles. It comes with an adjustable seat to accommodate a person tall or short. A knob atop the press tightens the press so that you can use the pec deck to work the inner pecs. With the handles wide, you can perform a wide grip flye that work both the outer and inner pecs. From a seated position, grab the above lat bar and with arms straight, and about 10″ apart, pull the bar down to the ab level to work the middle pecs that run vertically under the regular pec muscles. This will add thickness to your chest. Finish off with wide grip dips at the leg raise part of the gym. This will work the lower pecs and frame up the chest by making a line in the lower pec area. This helps to show separation between the chest and abs. Make sure you hunch over the chest and bend your head forward as this will isolate the lower pec muscles. Do not squeeze the handles.

For back, work with the lat bar. Lats pulldowns to the back of the neck for the lats, (don’t hit the neck) and lat pulldowns to the chest for lower lat and lower trap muscles. For regular rowing, go to the low pulley row and grab a triangle bar. I prefer it to a straight bar as the hands face each other in a normal position, not hard on the elbow joint. Use a thumbless grip, thumbs on the same side with the other
fingers, letting your elbows lead the movement. For shoulders, there is a shoulder press with back support and 2 sets of handles. One set works the middle and front delts. The other helps to concentrate on the two, but with the help of the upper trap muscles.

To work the three heads of the shoulder girth, use the low pulley. Working with this pulley will help to isolate the muscles better that working with dumbbells. You can to side laterals for the middle head, bent over laterals for the rear delt, and front raises for the front delts as well as the upper traps, using a single handle. Finish off with low pulley upright rows with a straight bar. This helps to work
thickness to the shoulder area, combining front delt, upper trap and middle head muscles.

For legs, the first exercise I recommend is the leg curl. This will work the hamstrings and warm them up so they perform without injury when doing leg presses afterwards. In the leg press, keep the knees and toes pointed in the same direction, about 10 to 12 inches apart. To work the hamstrings again, put the heels of your feet on the upper edge of the metal plate and push hard, contracting the hamstrings, You’ll
feel them working. They seem to get injured a lot in many sports, so I would work them out every leg workout. Next, go to the legs extension.

This is a move that should be deliberate and slow. Contract at the top and lower slowly. It’s very easy to get injured if done too fast. This help produce separation in the quad muscles. Next, go to the Shoulder press, adjust the bar to perform hack squats. Finally, on the same shoulder bar, do some standing calf raises to work your calves.

Before I work out, I like to warm up my core muscles, which include the lower and upper abs. Go to the seated press, grab the handles that come with the gym, attach it to the middle pulley behind your head and do your crunches, tightening the upper abs, the so called 6 pack. Do as many reps as you can with just a little resistance. Next, go to the leg raise part of the gym and and do leg raises with your back against the
pad and make sure to bend the knees to take the stress off the lower back. Again go to failure, one set.

To work biceps, use the low pulley, Attach the straight bar and do curls, making sure you keep your elbows to your side and slightly in front of your waist. Do not squeeze the bar. Feel the biceps working. Dumbbells can help add different movements to your biceps by adding a variety of curls.

For triceps, you can use dumbbells for extensions behind the head. Also, use the lat bar to perform a tricep pressdown. This is one of my favorites. I’d do as many as I could, then lower the weight by one plate and continue doing as many as I could again, and continue lowering the plates till I could not do any more, even with one plate
remaining. My triceps grew very well. You can also do narrow grip dips on the leg raise machine, making sure your torso is vertical. There are still a variety of exercises you can do with the addition of dumbbells, but this gym certainly handles most exercises, like inner and outer thigh kicks with the ankle strap.

You can purchase the Yukon Wolverine Gym in our store.

For the more serious body builder, I recommend the Yukon Caribou III Gym. But as a gym that can work all body parts and accommodate any person willing to put in a serious workout to stay in shape and put a few lbs of muscle on, this gym will do the job very well. I recommend a space of about 12 x 13 feet. Total weight is over 600 lbs. Strong and durable with life warranties on all parts. This gym will last a lifetime.

The Yukon Ab Crunch Machine is one of the best ab crunch  machines I’ve ever had the pleasure to work out on. It sells for just over 300.00 and all parts are warrantied for life.
It’s actually quite simple to use and will work both upper and lower abs. The seat is adjustable for people of varying heights. You sit upright and grab 2 bars positioned on either side of your head. Then, you crunch at the pelvis in a forward movement using only your stomach muscles to do this. Your feet are locked in under two foam pads at the bottom of the crunch machine. Make sure your elbows are facing forward.
To increase resistance, you can add weights to a vertical bar behind the back pad. You lean forward approx 10 to 12 inches, no more. This will work what is called the six pack. From the navel to the rib cage. I suggest doing a set to failure, till you can’t do another rep and the muscles in the stomach are sore. The abs should be worked prior to any workout with weights.
To work the lower abs, from the navel to the groin, you can do leg raises. Adjust the way you sit on the seat by positioning yourself to the edge of the seat. Lean back on the back pad and raise your knees above parallel to the floor. Squeeze at the top for a few seconds then straighten the legs out. Do as many as you can to failure. Again, this exercise should be done every time you work out.
The movement on this machine is exquisite. It suits every one and is very easy to use. I’ve sold it to a few light commercial gyms as well.

The Yukon Ab Crunch Machine is money well spent because it’s a piece that can be used almost every day and will last for years with virtually no wear and tear on it. It’s a must to own in any home gym.

One of my best selling workout machines, and with good reason, is the Yukon Hyper Extension Machine. It doesn’t do many exercises, and it’s not very expensive… under $300.00.

What it does do, however, is extremely important because it has to do with 3 body parts that are important in their own right. The hamstrings (back of the leg), the lower back and the glutes (your posterior!). By strengthening all three muscle groups, you add to the overall conditioning of the whole body. It’s difficult to leg press or squat if your hamstrings are weak. They can pull in the middle of a squat, then you go down. The lower back is… well, we all know what a strong lower back means in almost all exercises. And what about the glutes. I’d rather a shapely rear end than one that droops and sags, which helps contribute to the saddlebag
effects, especially on women.
You perform these exercises by lying face down, balancing on a pad in the hip area for lower back, or upper thigh area for hamstrings and glutes. The back of the feet are held in place by a pad behind the heels. The front of the body is in mid air. Fold your arms across your chest and bend at the waist till your upper body is perpendicular to the floor. Then, you raise slowly till parallel to the floor, letting your back do the work, if the pad is on your hips, or your hamstrings and glutes do the work, if the pad is on your upper thigh. Hold that position for a couple of seconds, then lower yourself to the starting position. When doing the lower back, you’ll feel a stretch in the lumbar area. Make sure the movements are slow and deliberate as you can get injured if you jerk upward. Never cross your hands at the back of your head as this puts pressure on your cervical spine and can overextend the lower back. To add a little resistance, hold a weight plate in your arms.
When doing hamstrings and glutes, the pad is on the upper thigh. When you lower yourself, you’ll feel a stretch on the hamstrings. As you tighten them, you’ll also feel a contraction of the glute muscles. Go up to parallel and squeeze the hams and glutes for a couple of seconds. The glutes will start to shape themselves and perk up tighter. This will help to re shape the saddlebags that many women get after giving
birth. With tightening of the glutes, the hips become slimmer and you’ll be able to fit into clothes you haven’t gotten into in years. Strong hamstrings help in many sports. I see football players walk off the field with pulled hamstrings all the time. It’s very painful, and can be avoided with exercises done on the Hyperextension machine. The lower back exercise can be done on back day. It’s the exercise I
recommend doing first before all other back exercises. The glute and ham exercises can be done on leg day. Again, you should do them first before anything else.
This bench should be part of anyone’s home gym system. It doesn’t take much space and is easy to move around. I strongly suggest you Yukon Hyper Extension Machine to your gym.

Powertec WB-LS Gym is also called the Powertec Workbench Leverage Gym.

The Powertec WB-LS Gym is a winner. It has every advantage over it’s nearest competitor and then some. It’s under $1000.00,  not too big in size, completely safe and comes with a lifetime warranty on all parts. It takes approx 3 hours or less to put together and can be done by one person. If you ever move, it’s easy to split it into 2 pieces, making it easy to move through doorways. It’s based on a leverage system that helps the user control the movement of the presses.
ThePowertec WB-LS Gym is easy to sell because it literally can do almost any exercise, with the help of some dumbbells and accessories such as bars and handles. Because of it’s ease of use, women find this gym a pleasure to work out with. There’s no need to balance a bar where one can lose a grip and injure oneself. It’s just a matter of putting on the weight plates you need to perform the exercise with the resistance you want.

To start of with, there is a bench that can change positions from incline to flat to decline. All positions will work with the U shaped bar that pivots at one end and has handles on both sides of the U shape. The bench can also pivot out of the way for someone wanting to squat with the U shaped bar. You can also do calf raises with the help of a block to elevate the feet off the floor.
You’ll need at least 7′ of height to accommodate the lat tower. You can do lat pulldowns, tricep pushdowns and all kinds of pulley exercises. There is also a low pulley row to do low rows for the back and pull ups for the shoulders. With the help of dumbbells, you can perform all kinds of exercises using the bench. The u shaped bar can be lowered out of the way. There is only one wire that is used. This will make it last much longer as most of the exercises are done with the leverage bar.
The thing I like most about this gym is the safety behind it. A regular bar has to be balanced during the whole movement or you could stretch or pull a muscle while performing the exercise. If the weight gets heavy and you can’t perform another rep, you may not be able to return the bar to the rack. Not so with the Leverage Gym. Just set the bar down on it’s own spotter. This makes it very easy to work alone if you don’t have a training partner. it also has two weight plate holders to help keep the plates of the floor. This gym takes Olympic plates only.
At the end of the bench sits a leg extension, leg curl attachment. A pin lock this attachment into place to help one do crunches with the feet supported under the lower pads. A preacher attachment can be added to add to a bicep workout.

Sample list of exercises you can do with the Powertec WB-LS Gym:

Chest:
Flat bench press
Incline bench press
Flat flyes w/dumbbells
Incline flyes w/dumbbells
Cross bench pullover

Back:
Lat pulldown to the back
Lat pulldown to the chest
Rows w/low pulley
One arm dumbbell row
Bent over bar rows on incline bench
Lat pulldown with chinning triangle

Legs:
Squats
Leg curls w/leg attachment
Leg extension w/leg attachment
Calf raises with U bar and a block
Hack squat w/ U bar

Shoulders:
Presses behind the neck
Presses to the front w/ U bar
Side laterals w/Low pulley row (Can also be done w/dumbbells)
Front laterals w/Low pulley row (Can also be done w/dumbbells)
Rear delt bent over rows W/Low pulley
Pull ups w/low pulley row
Shrugs w/ dumbbells

Biceps:
Curls w/EZ curl bar
Supinated curls w/ dumbbells
Preacher curls w/Preacher attachment on bench
Reverse grip chins with lat attachment (This also works the lats)
Concentration curls while seated on the bench.

Triceps:
Lying tricep extensions w/ EZ curl bar
Dips with plates on your lap. Feet are elevated and hands are on
the bench next to you.
Tricep pressdowns with angled bar, rope, or single handle.
Tricep press behind the head w/dumbbell. (Can also be done with
2 hands)

Remember to take in the right supplements to help give you the right energy for the entire workout, and a good post workout meal, consisting of a protein shake with a good starchy carb like malto dextrin found in Pro-Labs’ N-Large, that will replenish glycogen in the liver and muscles cells, as well as elevate blood sugar to it’s proper level. Have a banana as well to help replenish potassium levels.

Purchase your Powertec WB-LS Gym or contact us with questions if you have any.

The Yukon Caribou III Gym is one of the nicest complete gyms I’ve had the pleasure to have sold. When properly equipped with all options, any and almost all exercises can be performed by anyone from a beginner to a hardcore bodybuilder. Most gyms will do a few  exercises, especially for beginners. Not the case with this gym. It’s very easy to make any kind of program and add many other exercises to complete anyone’s program.

Let’s start of by describing the Yukon Caribou III Gym. It’s a combination gym, including a Smith machine and a power rack. The lat attachment is an option as well, contributing to at least 12 to 15 exercises on it’s own. It comes with a flat, incline and decline bench that also includes the leg curl, leg extension attachment. A preacher curl attachment can be attached to where the leg attachment is. It saves on buying a preacher curl bench at a higher cost.
A Smith machine is a gym that has the bar attached to 2 vertical bars that guide the horizontal bar on an even plane, up and down the 2 bars.
What makes the Yukon Caribou III Gym a great piece of equipment to work on is that you can isolate any presses with complete control. The horizontal bar will not sway back and forth, or one side will go up higher than the other. It is completely safe and will work out as well as working with a free bar, if used correctly. I’ve used one for years and would never go back to a free bar. There are safety spotters for any angle of bench presses, or shoulder press. You can also squat with confidence as you won’t bend forwards or backwards while squatting. You can do standing calf raises with the smith, as this is almost impossible with a free bar.
The bench is separate from the gym and can accommodate all kinds of dumbbell work. You can also do abs on the bench where the feet are locked under the lower part of the leg attachment and crunches are performed in isolation and control. A pec dec and cable crossovers are optional to add to a chest workout. The gym comes with high and low cable pulleys that vary back exercises as well as triceps. Different attachments will add more to the exercise roster. Attachments like chinning triangle, revolving curl bar, single handles and tricep rope will vary the angles muscles can be worked. You need a room at least 10′ wide to accommodate the width of the Smith horizontal bar, and to have room to add the plates to the bar. A dip station can be purchased to work either the triceps or lower pecs. The Smith bar glides along 2 bars using 2 oilite bushings. I highly recommend getting the linear bearing system that replaces the bushings. They are not inexpensive, but well worth the extra money as the bar will glide freely and perfectly, while being able to lock both sides of the horizontal bar at the same time without the bar swaying.
A selectorized 200 lb weight stack can be added for those that prefer to move a pin up and down as opposed to adding plates to the lat attachment. This will affect all exercises from the lat attachment, cable crossover and pec deck.
A chinning bar is placed between the two front uprights for wide grip chinning. For those that are not up on squatting, you can purchase a leg press attachment that connects to the low pulley row. It has wheels on one end to facilitate moving the press into place or to take it away.
For those who already have plates or are contemplating getting Olympic plates, adapters can be purchased for the lat and leg attachments.

Here are some exercises that can be done with the Caribou III Gym

Chest: Flat bench press
Incline bench press
Flat flyes w/dumbbells
Incline flyes w/dumbbells
Pec deck flyes
Cross bench pullover
Cable crossover
Dips

Back: Lat pulldown to the back
Lat pulldown to the chest
Rows w/low pulley
One arm dumbbell row
Dumbbell rows on incline bench
Bent over rows with Smith bar
Chins
Lat pulldown with chinning triangle

Legs: Squats w/Smith machine
Leg curls with leg attachment
Leg extension w/leg attachment
Leg press with leg press attachment
Calf raises with Smith machine and a block
Hack squat w/Smith machine

Shoulders:
Presses behind the neck with Smith machine
Presses to the front w/Smith machine
Side laterals w/Low pulley row (Can also be done w/dumbbells)
Front laterals w/Low pulley row (Can also be done w/dumbbells)
Rear delt bent over rows W/Low pulley
Pull ups w/low pulley row
Shrugs w/ dumbbells

Biceps:
Curls w/EZ curl bar
Supinated curls w/ dumbbells
Preacher curls w/Preacher attachment on bench
Reverse grip chins with chinning bar (This also works the lats)
Concentration curls while seated on the bench.

Triceps:
Lying tricep extensions w/ EZ curl bar
Dips with plates on your lap. Feet are elevated and hands are on the bench next to you.
Tricep pressdowns with angled bar, rope, or single handle.
Tricep press behind the head. (Can also be done with 2 hands)
Tricep presses w/ Smith bar. (Push off of chest w/ both hands touching)

These are main exercises that can be done with the Yukon Caribou III Gym. You’ll be able to invent many more as I have in my years of bodybuilding. Make sure you use the safety spotters and take in the proper nutrition before and after your workout.
Always train safe and allow proper rest between sets, especially going heavy. All parts of this gym have life time warranties and will last a lifetime if used properly.

Purchase your Yukon Caribou III Gym at a great price!

#1  Muscle turns to fat when you stop working out.

False. Muscle will lose size when you stop working out, but most people still eat like they were still working out, taking in more calories than they expend.

#2  Women will look like men if they work out with weights.

False. Men produce more testosterone than women, giving them more dense and bigger muscles. Women that work out will define more red fiber muscles and give their bodies shape and definition, rather than size.

#3   To not gain fat, take in only protein after a workout with weights.

False. The protein is needed to rebuild the muscles torn during the workout, however, you need to replenish the energy expended during this workout, or muscle will break down to do it for you. This is where a starchy carbohydrate is best to replenish glycogen in the liver and muscle cells, and glucose in the blood.

#4   Do cardio before weights to warm up the body.

False. Cardio will deplete the blood of glucose needed for energy, taken in as glycogen by the muscle cells. You may do cardio for 30 minutes and only lose glucose and not fat. Do cardio after the weight workout when blood sugar is low. This way, the body will use fat as the energy source.

#5  I only have 20 minutes for cardio, so I’ll increase the resistance to
burn fat.

False. Muscle contraction burns glycogen in the cells. Fat is too dense to be used for muscle contraction. It’s a slow release energy source and will respond to low heart beats per minute and only when blood sugar is low. Do cardio first thing in the morning, or at least 3.5 hours after your last meal.

#6    To lose fat, eat plenty of fruit.

False. Fruit contains a sugar called fructose. The liver can’t convert it to glycogen, energy for muscle contraction. It will store it as fat. When attempting to lose fat, small snacky meals consisting of protein like lean meats and
complex carbohydrates like vegetables will keep sugar low in the blood and will prevent an insulin release that will store excess sugar to fat cells.

#7    Don’t eat any carbs after 6 at night if you don’t want to get fat.

False. If you work out late with weights, let’s say 9 pm, and will eat at about 10:30, you’ll need to replenish glycogen and glucose levels, or muscle will break down to do it for you. Remember, the stomach has no clock and doesn’t know what time it is. The carbs you take in will be sucked in like a sponge by the blood and liver. Then the protein will
start repairing the damage because growth hormones have been produced to help repair.

#8    I don’t need supplements. I get protein from lean meats.

False. When working out, not only do you need protein for the repair of muscle tissue, but you need it quick. A workout will produce high levels of testosterone and produce growth hormones. Meat takes from about 5 to 7
hours to get to the liver where it can be sent for repairs. Protein powder will do it in about 2 hours or less. You want protein as quick as you can. Which would you choose.

#9   Before a workout with weights, I eat oatmeal, fruit and a protein
shake.

False. Oatmeal, despite being a good carb to eat, is too slow and will not produce enough glucose for a full workout. Fruit, a complex carb is also a slow release sugar carb, but fructose will not be converted to glycogen in the liver, making it not a good carb for a muscle workout. Protein takes too long to use as energy and is also a slow release energy. The body will use as much glycogen as is available from the liver and uptake glucose from the blood, as much as is allowed. When glucose is low, muscle will be used.
Hint: When this happens, your sweat will smell like ammonia, which is produced when muscle is used as energy.

#10    To build big arms, train them every day.

False. Muscle needs time to recover. When overworked, they will give up size, and joints will be
sore. To build a good body, you need to give it time to recover. A body
part should only be worked once a week. It doesn’t seem like much, but
believe me, it is. Try it.

#1

Eat small meals every 3 hours, consisting of lean proteins and complex carbs like fibrous vegetables. This will also get rid of cravings, when glucose is low in the brain, and the brain wants glucose bad.

#2

If overweight by a lot, don’t eat fruit. Fruit contain a sugar called fructose which is not broken down into glycogen by the liver. It will be stored as fat.

#3

Feed and fuel your body for the tasks you’ll be performing for the next 3 hours. If working out with weights, try a baked potato an hour before. It’s a starchy carb that will provide glucose that will be taken into the muscle cells as glycogen and used as energy. It also contains potassium, a mineral needed in muscle contraction.

#4

Make sure the foods you eat will do the jobs they are meant to do. Protein builds all the body. Carbohydrates are used as energy. Fats are needed for hormonal production, cell protection, lubrication and many other jobs. Don’t over do any of them. All can be stored as fat if too much is ingested for the job they do.

#5

Since carbs come in different speeds of digestions, take the proper carbs to do the job. If watching tv that night, eat a salad. If you’ll be shoveling the driveway, eat bread, pasta, potatoes or rice an hour before. The amount will depend on how much work you’ll be performing.

Think: Where am I going with my car…if it’s a five hour trip, fill up the tank. If it’s a trip around town for a few errands, a gallon should do.

Remember: your body is a machine like a car. Think common sense and you will never store fat.

#1

Do cardio when your blood sugar levels are low, as in first thing in the morning or about 3.5 hours after your last meal.

#2

Increase your metabolic rate, the rate at which you use energy from your blood sugar (glucose) on a daily basis by doing weights to increase muscularity or density of muscle.

#3

Since calorie expenditure produces heat, dress to create heat in the body and you will increase the usage of fat as an energy source, provided you do cardio where fat will be the main source of energy.

#4

Keep active on a regular basis, not allowing your body to be sedentary for long. Do not sit in front of the television for hours. Go for a walk, do yard work, shovel snow, etc… as long as it’s active and you increase the heart rate.

#5

When doing cardio, do not increase the resistance too much as this will use muscle energy called glycogen, and very little fat will be used. Always do cardio after your workout with weights, never before, not even as a warm up. Warm up the muscles you’ll be working on with light dumbbells.  All you want is to get oxygen in the cells.

With the  emphasis on fitness these past few years, I notice more people of varying ages working out to stay fit. Although their goals will be different than those much younger, many people over 50 have been going to gyms and buying gym equipment for their homes. They want to continue the trend they started over 20 years ago…and I applaud them.

As we age, the body tends to change it’s hormonal output. We don’t rebuild as easy as when we were much younger. At 20, a person can up their testosterone levels by quite a bit just by doing something athletic. They seem to bounce back in no time. It’s more difficult as we get older, especially over 40. Growth hormones are produced less and the
muscle tissues start to decline as much as 2% per annum, especially over 50. We also don’t produce collagen as much at that age and that makes our skin look droopy,saggy and not as tight. Also, as we lose muscle, we also lose fluids in the cells. Our discs shrink in size and we get shorter as we get older.

So, how do we stop age from creeping up. We can’t. However, we sure can
slow it down a lot!

As we get older, we tend not to be as active as we once were. We feel that we are content with life and enjoy some of life’s finer pleasures…like foods, television, golf, as opposed to rigorous sports like tennis, running, basketball, football. Get my drift? Well, these fine foods are still a big part of the plan, even though being active is not. We still eat like we were 20, but move like we’re 50. We don’t spend the same amount of calories, hence the weight gain. When I give a nutrition seminar, one of the things I say is “feed and fuel the body for the tasks you’ll perform in the next 3 hours“. If watching tv, then eat some protein and complex carbs like veggies, not a starch carb like bread. But if you’ll be playing basketball for an hour, a starchy carb, one hour before will give you the energy you need to perform. This principle is the same whether you’re 20 or 50.

When people go to a gym, the competitive edge is always present. Everyone wants to lift more than the guy a few benches over. Ok if you’re younger, but over 50, change your mandate. You’ll never be able to compete at that level, for the most part. Lift for muscle conditioning and not so much for strength. Up the reps, don’t go as heavy, don’t take as much time between sets and you’ll be out of the gym in an hour, unless you add cardio to the workout. Take one body part at a time, once a week. The rest of a week will rebuild the tissues and get you ready for the next workout.

EXAMPLE:

• Monday, chest and triceps
• Tuesday, legs.
• Wednesday, cardio only…treadmill, elliptical or bike.
• Thursday, back and biceps.
• Friday, shoulders.

This workout will up your testosterone levels and repair tissues and other things that make you look your age. Have you ever noticed that people that work out on a regular basis don’t seem as old as others that don’t?

The same applies to women. Don’t like the flabby arms, then workout with weights. You wont get big like a bodybuilder, but you will tone up the muscles and up your metabolic rate, the rate at which the body uses
average energy (glucose) so no extra can elicit an insulin release and drive this extra sugar into fat storage.

Are the gyms too intimidating?  Too far?  Music too loud and obnoxious?

Work out at home. There are many gyms that work well for people over 50 that just want to keep up their fitness levels and stay healthy. You don’t have to lift tons of weights either. Just get a good pump in the body part you’re working on and do your cardio on a machine you feel comfortable on, be it a treadmill, bicycle or elliptical. You can also spend less because you won’t be putting it to the test in comparison to a younger person with a mission. You won’t need a treadmill that has a 400 lb capacity.

Remember:  to be active, you have to stay active. Plan your work, work
your plan. Insert the workout as part of your day, and don’t let
anything get in the way.

At 70, you won’t look a day over 45 or 50, I’ll guarantee it!!  Call or email today for more information on the home gym, elliptical or treadmill that’s best  for you.