Fitness Archives

Use These Weight Machines At The Gym For A Total Body Workout

When is the last time you used a weight machine at the gym? If strength training is part of your routine, these machines can come in handy, but a lot of gym-goers have no idea how to use these machines. These machines are a great way to introduce your body to new movements, and they can be helpful during busy times at the gym. If the squat rack is occupied or a fellow member has snagged your preferred size of free weights, there is likely a machine available that you can use to work the same muscles groups.

We get it, the machines section of the gym can be intimidating. You’re not sure what this knob controls, what that cable does or where to sit on the machine. To help you get started, we highlight three of our favorite weight machines at the gym in this post and show you exactly how to use them for a great total body workout. Let’s get started!

Weight Machine Safety And Etiquette

Before you start using the weight machines at the gym, there are a few important safety and etiquette tips to go over.

Adjust the height of the seat, handlebars, etc and test that your settings are appropriate for your body before beginning the movement. Never touch the adjustment levels while you are performing an exercise!
Check the weight stack on the machine and adjust to your preferred weight where you can perform 8 good reps. It’s always best to start with a lighter weight and adjust to a heavier weight if needed.
Don’t let the weight stack slam at the end of your rep.
If resting between sets, please allow others who may be waiting to work in between your sets.
Wipe down the seats, handles, etc on the machine before moving on to your next machine.

How To Use The Lat Pulldown Machine

The Lat Pulldown machine mainly focuses on the muscles in your back and works your biceps as well. After adjusting your seat height and selecting your weight, place your hands on the handlebars about shoulder-width apart. Grab the handles and then sit down. Your thighs should fit snugly under the pads.

Keep a nice tall posture with your eyes looking straight ahead. Exhale as your pull down on the handlebars, inhale as you return as you return the handles overhead. As you perform this exercise, your shoulders should be pulling down into your armpits, activating the lats. After your set of reps is complete, slowly raise the handlebars back overhead, stand and lower the weight gently.

How To Use The Leg Press Machine

The leg press machine works all of your leg muscles. The first thing to check when you’re using the leg press machine is the seat set-up. There is a lever on the seat that allows you to move the seat closer to and farther away from the platform where you place your feet. For the leg press, the starting position for the seat should be close to the platform. Next, select your weight and then take a seat.

Place your feet flat onto the platform at about hip-width distance. Make sure your lower back is pressed fully against the back of the seat and grab onto the handles on the side of the seat. Keeping your spine tall, press away from the platform so that your legs are extended. Be careful to keep a slight bend in the knee – there is no need to lock out your knees here. Inhale as you pull yourself back down to the platform, knees pointing slightly out. Before the weight plates touch, push yourself back away from the platform for the second rep.

How To Use The Chest Press Machine

The chest press machine works your chest, shoulders and triceps. To set up for the chest press, first check your seat height, then sit down and check that your wrists are lined up with your low to mid pec when you place your hands on the handlebars. This helps ensure that your shoulders are in a relaxed position. Lastly, select your weight on the machine.

After you’ve selected your weight, take a seat. There is usually another lever near the handlebars that controls how close or how far away your starting position is from your body. You don’t want your starting position to be back so far that your chest muscles are being stretched when you place your hands on the handlebars, but your wrists should be relatively close to your body to begin.

While gripping the handlebars, pull your elbows done to align them with your wrists. Make sure your spine is resting on the seat behind you, drive your feet into the ground to activate your legs and hips and exhale as you push the weight away from you. Inhale as you pull the weight back toward you, using your lats for control. Before the weight plates touch, push the handlebars back away from your body for the second rep.

20 Minute Weight Machine Workout

Put these three movements together for a great total body workout using the weight machines at the gym. Here is the workout:

10 Reps at the Lat Pulldown Machine

Rest – 30 seconds to 1 minute

10 Reps at the Leg Press Machine

Rest – 30 seconds to 1 minute

10 Reps at the Chest Press Machine

Rest – 30 seconds to 1 minute

Repeat this circuit 3 times. If the machines become occupied during your workout, you can mix in mountain climbers, dead bugs or planks while you are waiting. This workout should take you between 15-20 minutes to complete. You can also pair this workout with cardio for a great 30-40 minute workout!

Post written by FFC Contributor Natalie Casper. Video and workout courtesy of FFC Fitness Director Mario Dato.

by Sydney Meyer

Fitness, Info, Workouts

New To Kettlebell Training? Try This Kettlebell Workout

When gyms (and just about everything else) shut down in early 2020, did you invest in at-home fitness equipment? Thousands of Americans were clamoring to get their hands on dumbbells, weight plates and kettlebells early during the Covid-19 pandemic, driving fitness equipment sales to increase more than 1000% from 2019, according to eBay.com data.

Perhaps you went to Target or Facebook Marketplace in the hopes of finding a pair of dumbbells, only to be left with a selection of kettlebells (if you were lucky to see anything other than empty shelves!). Whether the kettlebells in your living room are gathering dust or you’re curious about working with kettlebells at the gym, use this blog post as a guide for how to safely and effectively make the most of this versatile tool.

What Are The Benefits Of Kettlebell Training?

Using kettlebells can help simplify your workout routine because you typically only need one or two kettlebells for a workout, and you can hit every major muscle group in the body during a kettlebell workout. In particular, kettlebells are excellent for strengthening your posterior chain – the glutes, hamstrings, etc – and because these are the body’s biggest muscles, kettlebells can deliver a calorie-torching workout.

Depending on the number of reps and the amount of rest between sets, kettlebell training can also count as cardio training. Popular kettlebell exercises, like kettlebell swings for example, raise your heart rate while building strength.

Additionally, many kettlebell exercises including the kettlebell press which we go over below, are done unilaterally – one side at a time. Unilateral work can help improve your balance and strengthen the stabilizer muscles in your core.

Basic Kettlebell Safety

Before you get started with kettlebell training, there are a few important safety tips to go over.

Remove all rings, watches and other jewelry from hands and wrists before beginning a kettlebell workout.
Wear shoes with a flat sole, or perform kettlebell movements in socks so you can feel the ground.
Make sure to grab the correct weight. Keep in mind that most kettlebell weights are listed in kilograms. 1 KG = 2.2 lbs. Typically, women will start with a 10kg, 12kg or 16kg kettlebell while men usually start with a 16kg, 20kg or 24kg kettlebell.

How To Kettlebell Goblet Squat

The first move in our kettlebell workout is the Goblet Squat. To perform a kettlebell goblet squat, begin by picking up the kettlebell with both hands and holding it right below your chin. Remember to keep your elbows in close to your body, and be careful not the rest the kettlebell on your chest but to hold slightly away from your body.

With your feet in shoulder-width position, squat down, aiming to bring your elbows down to the inside of your knees. Then, drive away from the ground to stand up nice and tall. That’s one rep!

How To Kettlebell Deadlift/Hip Hinge

The hip hinge that is performed in the kettlebell deadlift is a foundational movement for other kettlebell exercises like the swing, the clean and the snatch. When you are performing the hip hinge correctly, you should feel your glutes and hamstrings fire up. You should not feel pain in your lower back while performing this movement.

Begin by standing directly over the kettlebell. Reach down to grab the kettlebell. Hinge your hips backward, keeping your shoulders higher than your knees and hips higher than your knees. Drive through your feet to stand up tall. That’s one rep!

How To Kettlebell Press

You may need a lighter kettlebell for this movement than you used for the goblet squat and deadlift. Once you’ve selected a weight that you feel comfortable pressing overhead, begin by picking up your kettlebell with both hands and bringing it up to one of your shoulders. This is the kettlebell racked position. When you’re in this position, straighten your wrist to ensure your knuckles are facing the ceiling.

From here, engage your core, squeeze your butt and press the kettlebell straight overhead, keeping your bicep close to your ear when your arm is fully extended. Bring the kettlebell back to that racked position before pressing overhead again. Once you’ve completed the set on the first side, bring the kettlebell to the ground, lift again with both hands and bring the bell to the racked position on the opposite shoulder. Perform the press for the same number of reps on this side of the body.

20 Minute Kettlebell Workout

This kettlebell workout will give you a total body workout using just one or two pieces of equipment in 20 minutes:

10 Kettlebell Goblet Squats

Plank – 30 seconds

10 Kettlebell Deadlifts

10 Kettlebell Presses (5 on each side)

Reduce reps by 1 in every round (9 reps of each movement, 8 reps of each movements, etc) until you reach 1 rep of each movement. Keep the plank at 30 seconds each round. This workout should take you about 15 to 20 minutes to complete.

Post written by FFC Contributor Natalie Casper. Video and workout courtesy of FFC Senior Fitness Director Sarah Ashenden.

by Sydney Meyer

Fitness, Info

How To Stay Motivated To Reach Your Fitness Goals This Holiday Season

The holiday season is once again upon us, and for a lot of us, it’s a season full of good old family fun and cheer. Holiday parties stocked with seasonal snacks and festive drinks keep us busy, and when our alarms go off to tell us it’s time to hit the gym, we might think twice about braving the chilly Chicago morning air.

So, how can you stay motivated and on track to hit your fitness goals during this often chaotic and unpredictable time of year? And for the bravest (or craziest) of us who dare to face the crowded airports, how do you manage your workout schedule while traveling? Here are four ways to keep your eyes on the prize this holiday season.

Have A Plan

I know it sounds simple, but it’s always best to have a game plan, especially when it comes to your own health and fitness. You first need to build a foundation that will keep you accountable and on top of your own schedule. Pick a realistic amount of days you see yourself being able to make it to the gym. Choose a time on those days that works best for you – ideally a time where you feel most energized. Lock that time in your schedule as your own personal time and stick to it.

After your days of the week and times are set, start to break down what you will be doing at the gym. If you’re in the gym three or more days per week, find a program split that works best for your goal. If you find yourself in the gym one or two times a week, put together a full body workout you can do on both days.

Have A Plan B

Like I mentioned, the holiday season can be unpredictable. If we don’t have a backup plan for the days when we really can’t make it into the club for a workout, we are bound to fail. Your Plan B can be as simple as having a go-to at home workout to do or having another day in your schedule that you can use as a backup time slot just in case.

Find A Group Fitness Class You Love

Even when it’s too early and you’ve not had your coffee yet or you’re drained after a long day of work, booking a spot in the group fitness class is a great way to stay motivated this holiday season. The energy in a group fitness class is infectious. The music is pumping and the instructor has their eyes on all of you. Your only option is to give it your all.

Find a class with a focus you love or a coach that pushes you, and you’ll find a community that will keep you coming back. If you’re looking for a new class to try, check out my small group training class, Critical Hit, Fridays at 7 AM at FFC West Loop. The class is dedicated to mixed martial arts drills and kettlebell movements, and I might tell one too many corny jokes throughout the class.

Hire A Personal Trainer

This is my number one suggestion to help you stay motivated this holiday season, and it’s not just because I’m a personal trainer myself. Why would you want to add more work and complication to your life during an already stressful time? If you’re not sure what to do at the gym, or even just don’t want to do it, why not hire someone who specializes in motivating you?

A personal trainer has experience helping people reach their goals safely and successfully. As a coach, I spend tons of time writing workout programs, checking in with clients, running my personal training sessions or small group classes. Sometimes that leaves me too busy to write my own workouts, which is where my own personal trainer comes in to motivate and keep me accountable.

All in all, staying motivated during the holiday season doesn’t always have to take a toll. Remember that you always have options and support from those around you in your fitness community.

I’d like to close this topic out with a bonus option: Bring a friend or make a workout buddy. I know your workout can seem like a slice of alone time during your day, but it doesn’t have to be. Your friends and family can help keep you motivated and can push you in a way you’re comfortable with.

As always, I wish you luck in your fitness journey. If you have any questions, concerns, or would like to schedule a session, don’t hesitate to reach out! I can be reached at mriley@ffc.com. Happy holidays to all!

Post written by FFC Personal Trainer Mike Riley.

by Sydney Meyer

Fitness, Info

5 Ways To Easily Switch Up Your Exercise Routine

When is the last time you tried something new at the gym? Everyone – from professional athletes to weekend warriors – should vary their exercise routine from time to time. The pros have an advantage over the rest of us since they usually have access to an arsenal of coaches and fitness professionals who can guide them along the way, keeping them healthy, engaged and injury-free (at least most of the time).

However, for the rest of us, varying up our exercise routine can be a real challenge. Many of us fall into the same routine week after week, month after month and even year after year. What’s the danger of never changing up your routine? Two things: boredom (which means you are more likely to quit your routine completely) and plateaus in weight loss/muscle gain and performance.

The body generally adapts to an exercise routine in approximately six to eight weeks and repeating that routine only means you lose the training stimulus. Additionally, changing up your exercise routine can jump start weight loss, prevent injury and stave off boredom. While consistency and practice are still important, especially if you are training for a specific event, variety in your routine will only help to enhance your fitness level and help you reach your goals faster. The problem is so many of us feel “stuck” when it comes to changing up our routine. So, I want to share 5 ways you can easily change up your exercise routine for the better!

1. Try A Group Fitness Class

Do you always head straight to the treadmill or elliptical when you get to the club? Why not mix it up and try one of FFC’s Signature Strength classes? Check out our schedule here and look for classes Chisel or Critical Mass. These all strength (no cardio) classes might be what you need to kickstart your routine. Or, maybe you need a little stress relief and want to slow things down. Try out one of our Yoga formats (Vinyasa, Hatha, Restorative and more), or look for our Foundations class, where you don’t have to worry about being a beginner and we take things nice and slow. Check out our complete Group Fitness program here and remember, all of our group fitness classes are complimentary with your membership!

Plus, included in every FFC membership is access to FFC On Demand! FFC On Demand is home to more than 1,000 fitness classes, and new classes are streamed weekly. Try out one of our group fitness classes anywhere, anytime on FFC On Demand.

2. Check out The Faction at FFC Park Ridge

The Faction is a small group training program currently running at FFC Park Ridge that provides intense workouts for individuals who are always up for a challenge. The program covers strength, power, agility and HIIT. These sessions are coach-led and the workouts vary from week to week. Participants also use our MyZone Heart Rate system along with regular fitness testing to track their progress. For more information on the Faction, please click here.

3. Ask About Small Group Training

These personal trainer-led “boot camps” (usually 3-8 people) are offered at every club and cover a variety of exercise modalities: Boxing, Kettlebells, Barbells and even bodyweight. Sessions are usually 50 minutes, with personalized instruction from a trainer and the added benefit of the camaraderie between participants. Check out any of our small group sessions: Kettlebell Boot Camp, Factor 5 Boxing, Factor 5 HIIT and HIIT & Stab just to name a few. For more info reach out to your Club’s Fitness Director!

4. Start A Pilates Practice

While lifting weights is an important part of any complete exercise routine, many people choose to perform the same lifts over and over again (can you say bench press?), meaning they focus on only the large muscle groups. Pilates, a form of exercise and body conditioning developed by Joseph Pilates in the early 20th century, is a low-impact form of exercise that aims to strengthen muscles while improving postural alignment and flexibility. Performed under the watchful eye of a Pilates Trainer, it can be quite challenging and lots of fun. For more info on our FFC Pilates program, head to our website or reach out to our Regional Pilates Manager Kristin Strom at kstrom@ffc.com.

5. Hire A Personal Trainer

Working with a FFC personal trainer is a sure way to vary your exercise routine. In your first session, your trainer will discuss any goals and/or roadblocks you have with your training routine. Then, they will build a program specifically for your needs and will assist you in managing your intensity to keep you injury-free. In addition, a great trainer will give you much of what you want in an exercise routine while at the same time sneaking in what you “need.” Often times, it is those exercises/movements, the weight selection and the set/rep ranges that can make all the difference. Plus, we know you won’t do those exercises on your own! To learn more about the Personal Training options at FFC, click here and book your first session for free.

Don’t let your “comfortable” exercise routine become a permanent one. By keeping your exercise routine new and fresh, you keep workouts fun and your mind and muscles challenged!

Post written by FFC Group Fitness Manager Lara Mele.

by Sydney Meyer

Fitness, Info

The Evolution of Group Fitness: From Aerobics To Modern Day Fitness Classes

At Fitness Formula Clubs, we know that our members value variety when it comes to their fitness routines. Our members have the option of hitting the fitness floor for a solo weight-lifting session, diving into one of our indoor pools to swim laps or participating in one of our many group fitness classes. Group fitness classes in particular have grown in popularity over the past decade, with IHRSA reporting that nearly 40% of regular exercisers attend group fitness classes.

What we’ve come to known as “group fitness” is a far cry from what it was five decades ago when it burst onto the exercise scene. In this blog post, we’ll take a journey through the evolution of group fitness. This timeline will give you an idea of where your current favorite formats originated, and we’ll also include exactly where our FFC team of group fitness managers (Lois Miller, Dominick DeFranco, Lara Mele, Paige Bartley, Elissa Peterson and Laurie Streff) entered the group fitness stratosphere.

1951: The Jack LaLanne Show

In 1951, health and exercise expert Jack LaLanne brought exercise to the American public via his television show, where he performed exercises and encouraged his viewers to join in at home. Because of its daytime television slot in the 1950s, much of LaLanne’s audience was stay-at-home mothers who would tune in to join the exercise class. While not a direct correlation to the idea of group fitness, The Jack LaLanne Show is our first example of a virtual workout program which served as an inspiration for decades to follow.

1966: The Invention of Aerobics

Group fitness would not exist today without aerobics. The word “aerobics” was coined in 1966 by physician Dr. Kenneth Cooper, a physiologist/ physician in the Air Force and founder of the Cooper Aerobics Center in Dallas. Cooper set out to study and develop a series of exercises to help combat coronary artery disease. His first of many books, titled “Aerobics” was published in 1968.

1969: Aerobic Exercise

Dr. Kenneth Cooper’s book, “Aerobics,” inspired dancer Jacki Sorensen to put exercises together in a rhythmic fashion to create an Aerobic Exercise Pattern, Dance Aerobics and high/low impact Aerobics.

1970: Jazzercise

In 1970, Jazzercise took the fitness industry by storm. In 1969, Judy Sheppard Missett was teaching dance classes in Evanston, IL. After learning that more of her students were interested in the fitness-aspect of dancing than actually becoming dancers, she blended the two to create an exercise program that included both aerobics and easy dance moves. Jazzercise was the first franchised group fitness program.

1980s: The Rise of Celebrity Fitness

In the 1980s, Richard Simmons created a fitness program geared toward weight loss. Using motivational and inspirational mantras, he encouraged healthy living during his aerobic dance workouts themed to music (you may remember “Sweatin’ To The Oldies”). Jane Fonda joins the explosion of the home video workouts and delivers a series of VHS workout tapes. This is the era where group fitness classes really start to evolve and become more mainstream. Health clubs and YMCAs become more popular, and with them, so does the demand for group exercise classes.

1986: FFC’s Lois Miller Begins Her Career In Group Fitness

FFC’s very own Group Fitness Director Lois Miller entered this amazing industry in 1986. Lois was inspired by getting people moving and seeing how happy it made her class participants. Creating high/low aerobic choreography was her start and her specialty!

1989: Step Aerobics

Founder Gin Miller created a workout phenomenon based on her physical therapy routine to rehabilitate her knee by stepping up and down on a box. Reebok teamed up with Gin, and by 1995, Step Aerobics was hitting its peak. Thousands of instructors worldwide were trained by Gin herself, memorizing the bible she created of all the possible moves: how to teach them, how to cue them and how to build choreography. With the invention of Step Aerobics, more men started to join group fitness classes.

1989: FFC’s Laurie Streff Begins Teaching

Laurie Streff, our Group Fitness Manager at FFC Park Ridge, started her fitness career in 1989. After giving birth, Laurie improve her strength and fitness to be able to keep up with her child. Step aerobics was her jam, and she began her teaching career with Step.

1990: FFC’s Lara Mele Pops Onto The Group Fitness Scene

When FFC Group Fitness Manager Lara Mele was a freshman in college, she decided to stay physically active by participating in an aerobics class being offered at her school’s gym. Lara was inspired to become an aerobics instructor herself after watching her class’s instructor jump and yell on stage, motivating everyone to follow along. High/low impact was her very first class as an instructor.

Early 1990s: Tae Bo

Like Step, Tae Bo continued to draw more men into classes. Creator Billy Blanks brought elements of martial arts and boxing training into the group fitness arena with intense cardio and exercises that strengthen all muscles of the body. Kickboxing and boxing-inspired workouts to this day can thank Tae Bo for bringing boxing into health clubs.

1992: I (Dominick DeFranco) Join The Group Fitness Movement

Professionally trained in dance, my initial inspiration to become a group fitness instructor came from watching a class at my gym in New Jersey that was being led by an instructor that was not so proficient, rhythmically. I thought, “I’ve got more rhythm, I can move, let’s jump in.” Shortly after, I auditioned and was hired to teach cardio dance.

Fun fact: I got to work with Step Aerobics creator Gin Miller in Puerto Rico filming a series of Step and dance workouts for Reebok and FitTV.

1993: Spinning

South African distance cyclist, Johnny “Johnny G”Goldberg, introduced the world to cycling in 1993. He and his business partner launched the “Spinning” indoor cycling fitness program. They made a deal with Schwinn and in 1995, they premiered their brand and bikes at a trade show. In 2021, indoor cycling classes are equally, if not more, popular than they once were as the experience continues to evolve.

1993: Welcome FFC’s Paige Bartley To Group Fitness

FFC Group Fitness Manager Paige Bartley started out teaching high/low and Step, and her inspiration for getting into fitness also came from her dance background.

2001: Zumba

Echoes of Jazzercise and dance aerobics resurface in another trend and brand that changed the game in dance fitness: Zumba. Zumba was created by Beto Perez, a fitness instructor from Columbia who once forgot his aerobics tapes for class and had to improvise by grabbing a salsa tape he had in his car. Zumba is now offered in over 186 countries.

2009: FFC’s Elissa Peterson Becomes A Group Fitness Instructor

FFC group fitness manager Elissa Peterson gets bitten by the fitness bug when she goes through some life experiences and finds her yoga practice to be an escape. The first format she started teaching was yoga, part time, and soon after jumped into the fitness industry full time and couldn’t be happier to have made that decision.

Present Day: Group Fitness in 2021

Today, our options for physical fitness are limitless. Such a simple and basic concept has evolved as our needs and fitness goals have evolved, but the foundation continues to exist today with every new class concept, exercise brand, trend or boutique.

There is no denying that the continued success of group fitness is in part due to the human need for interaction and connection. How better to interact than with the synchronized connection of moving together, through music, as one? What are you waiting for? Check out all of the classes we offer at FFC, and book a class today in the FFC+ app. We’ll see you in the studio soon!

Post written by FFC Group Fitness Manager Dominick DeFranco.

by Sydney Meyer

Fitness, Info

How To Schedule Your Weekly Workouts According To A Personal Trainer

As a personal trainer, one of the questions I’m asked most frequently from new clients is: how should I schedule my weekly workouts? If you are wondering how many times to lift during the week or how many cardio sessions you should do to reach your goals, know that there is a lot of science and personal information that goes into this planning process, and the perfect one-size-fits-all schedule doesn’t really exist. So, how do you determine what your weekly workouts should look like for you?

Determine Your Goals

In the early days of my career as a fitness coach, I believed my number one job was to give people a killer workout and make sure they had a great time in the gym. While this isn’t inherently “wrong,” I’ve learned over the years that my priority is to safely and successfully help clients reach their goals, whatever those may be. Setting up your goals and determining your “why” is the most important variable of programing your weekly workouts. What is it that you’re looking to achieve through training? And why is that important to you? Whether your “why” is losing weight for an upcoming event like a wedding or college reunion, or getting stronger for a specific sport or hobby, the more focused you are on why you’re training, the more you will get out of it.

I highly recommend meeting with a personal trainer at your local gym or club to gather some data and talk through your goals with a professional. Trust me, most trainers (myself included) are nerds about the science of exercise and would love to answer any questions you have about training or debunk any fitness fads that might distract from or get in the way of your personal fitness journey.

Choose Your Main Exercises

Once your goals are established and you’ve determined the “why” behind your training, it’s time to plan out your program for the week. First, you need to decide how often you plan on coming to the gym/how many days you will realistically exercise each week. From there, keep in mind that it’s important to hit each muscle group during the week through all planes of motion: sagittal (forward and backward), frontal (side to side), and transverse (rotational).

Related: Breaking Up Your Daily Fitness

When it comes to my own training and that of my clients, I like to keep things as simple as possible. When planning a program for a client, I choose 3-5 main exercises that are best suited for that person to reach their goal.

For example, I personally train for athletic performance to be better at combat sports like martial arts. So, the main exercises I have chosen to focus on in my program are bench press, deadlifts, and squats for strength and olympic lifts like cleans and snatches for explosive power. Now that I’ve determined my 5 primary lifts, I schedule my workouts to include one or two of these prime movements and then add remaining lifts to that day to make me stronger and more stable when it comes to that specific movement. I also will add an exercise to work the antagonist (opposing) muscle.

Let’s say I split these five main exercises into three lifting days at the gym (day one: bench press; day two: squats and cleans; day three: deadlifts and snatches). Mondays are the days when I focus on my bench press as my primary lift. The other lifts in my workout that day might include a dumbbell press to strengthen the stability muscles that assist me in my bench press, or a single arm row, which strengthens the opposing lats while pushing.

How Does Cardio Fit In?

In the example above, we have three days at the gym for weightlifting. If you want to incorporate goal-specific cardio into your routine, make sure you choose a form of cardio that you enjoy. Your cardio doesn’t have to be running on the treadmill staring blankly at the gym TV. It’s best to find a balance between cardio and weight training. If your goal is to put on muscle mass, be careful not to overdo the cardio. Yes, you still need cardio in your routine to keep your heart healthy, but you also want to reserve your calories for your heavy lifts. If losing weight is your goal, walking on the treadmill for 10 minutes isn’t the best way to get you there. You’ll have to get your heart rate up in order to bring your body into a state of burning calories.

Don’t Forget To Schedule Recovery

Although an often overlooked aspect of programming, your recovery is one of the most important pieces to the puzzle. The recovery process can come in many different forms and is vital to building a stronger body. The most common forms of recovery are sleep, proper nutrition and stretching. Plan your lifts with movement-specific stretches pre- and post-exercise. With your new training program, your body will be under a higher physical demand due to the breaking down of muscles fibers post workout, so be sure to get enough sleep to help you recover.

Putting It All Together

When it comes to putting this all together, it’s important to take the time to commit to your plan and track your progress. Knowing you’re on the right track toward reaching your goals is the difference between having a program and just working out. If things aren’t progressing like you had planned, take the time to go through your process and see where you’re not improving. It’s your own personal journey and it’s okay to take time to re-evaluate your goals or direction.

If you feel lost, please feel free to reach out to me at mriley@ffc.com or another trainer at FFC to go over your goals and we can discuss what will work best for you. In the meantime, happy lifting.

Post written by FFC Personal Trainer Mike Riley.

by Sydney Meyer

Fitness

Cross Training Your Group Fitness Workouts: How Taking Different Instructors And Formats Can Breathe New Life Into Your Program

Admit it: you have your favorite group fitness instructors whose classes you take from week to week. You reschedule meetings, change Friday night plans and show up late to Sunday brunch just to take their classes. For instructors, having a big following can be a primary indicator of education, experience and possessing that X Factor. And while it’s okay to play favorites, there is value in switching up the classes you take at the gym and trying a new-to-you instructor or class format.

All beneficial exercise programs should be results-driven, fun and diverse. To get the most out of your workouts, I suggest you try something, or someone, new. Even within a single format (take our Chisel class for example), the benefits of “cross training” the instructors are plenty. Every teacher moves differently; they interpret music and combine exercises in a way that is unique and natural to them. Taking class from a different instructor can improve your overall training effect by pushing you in a way that is unfamiliar and challenging.

Cueing is another example of a benefit of cross training instructors. It is such a prime component of teaching classes, and it is so much more than counting down from eight. Just like we all move differently, we all communicate differently, and how our students comprehend our cues whether they are verbal, non verbal or kinesthetic can make or break getting the most out of your workouts. Finding a few new teachers with different motivational skills or buzz words that resonate with you is always a win-win.

Getting out of your weekly routine and breaking away from your comfort zone can be that one element that can take your training to the next level. Our bodies process stimulus very much like our brains do. Keeping workouts fresh and exciting is going to keep you active and on track.

As important as diversifying your instructors can be, so is the type of classes you participate in. If you think a cardio dance class like Jam Session, Hip Hop or Zumba is out of the question, think again. Research shows that learning choreography can improve brain power by increasing memory and recall. Moving to music is a great way to alleviate stress and improve balance, coordination and rhythm. Conversely, if you consistently choose aerobic based workouts, schedule at least two strength training sessions such as Critical Mass or S&M – strength and mobility. While HIIT workouts are still very popular, in part because they can be done anywhere and are highly focused on bodyweight exercises, the original bodyweight format is yoga. Being able to push and pull your own body is the true measure of strength, not to mention the mental and emotional benefits of adding yoga to your weekly lineup.

If variety is the spice of life, we have you covered at FFC with our wide range of group fitness formats. And keep in mind, the rest is equally as important as the work.

Post written by FFC Group Fitness Director Lois Miller.

by Sydney Meyer

Fitness, Workouts

Try This Full Body Dumbbell Workout On Your Next Strength Day

Now that restrictions have been lifted and we are back to a more comfortable state in our local gyms, some of you might be wondering where to start when returning to a regular fitness routine. If you are a new member at FFC, I highly recommend taking advantage of the complimentary training sessions that you receive when joining the club. These sessions give you access to a professional coach who can help you create a plan that works best for you and your goals.

If you’ve already completed your complimentary training sessions, try your hand at this simple full body workout that I have designed for you. In this full body dumbbell workout, you’ll be using your body weight and dumbbells to add resistance and build strength. Now, let’s get to it!

The Warm Up

Let’s start out with a few dynamic stretches:

Complete 5 repetitions on each side of the body, one time through.

Trunk rotations
Knee hugs
Knee circles
Arm circles
Straight leg toe touches
Straight leg kicks
Lateral lunges

After you’ve completed these dynamic stretches, we’ll go right into this 6 minute bodyweight cardio routine to ramp up the heart rate:

Perform each move for 30 seconds each, no rest between exercises. Complete this series three times through.

Jog in place
Jumping jacks
High knees
Lateral shuffle

Warming up prior to lifting is an important process that primes our bodies for the physical stress we put ourselves under during a workout.

Related: HIIT Workouts For Beginners

The Full Body Dumbbell Workout

After you’ve completed the warm up, grab some water and get ready to start the full body dumbbell circuit. All the exercises listed can be done with 2-3 different sizes of dumbbells:

A heavy one to start your circuit out strong with your heart rate elevated.
A medium dumbbell for the rest of the exercises.
A medium or light dumbbell for the core circuit finisher.

It’s important to pick weights that challenge you. We are looking for simple but not easy.

Perform 3-4 sets of these 5 exercises. No rest between exercises; 30 seconds rest between sets.

1. Single Arm Clean To Squat To Press (Heavy): 5 repetitions each side, alternating

2. Double Dumbbell Deadlift (Medium-Heavy): 12 repetitions

3. Dumbbell Bridge To Press (Medium-Heavy): 12 repetitions

4. Dumbbell Lunges (Medium): 10 repetitions each side, alternating

5. Dumbbell Stability Row (Medium): 10 repetitions each side

Core Finisher

Dumbbell Pull Under (Light-Medium): 10 repetitions each side

Dead Bugs (Bodyweight): 10 repetitions each side, alternating opposite arm and leg

Bird Dogs (Bodyweight): 10 repetitions each side, continuous opposite arm and leg

The Cool Down

Your workout is complete! Spend 20-30 seconds in each of these cool down stretches to properly lower your heart rate and relieve tension in the muscles you’ve just worked.

Cobra position
Child’s pose
Downward dog
90/90 hip stretch
Low lunge

If you have any questions about any of the exercises or stretches in this program, or if you are looking to work with a trainer to improve your strength and conditioning, feel free to reach out to me: mriley@ffc.com. We can set up a session to speak and go over your goals. In the meantime, happy lifting.

Post written by FFC Personal Trainer Mike Riley.

by Sydney Meyer

Fitness

Using Your WorkOUT to WorkIN: 3 Ways To Tune In To Your Mind/Body Connection During Exercise

If you’re reading this blog, most likely you are a fan of working out. Our FFC clubs are bursting with enthusiastic members who LOVE a great workout, amiright?! Most of the time we think about exercise as an output and it’s done on autopilot; running on the treadmill for miles, pushing pedals for RPMs, completing numerous sets and reps, following cues from our favorite group fitness instructors… and the endorphin highs and feelings of accomplishment are awesome rewards for our efforts!

What if we took our efforts to another level every once in a while? What if we tuned IN to how we are exercising so that our workouts could be more effective? Here are a few ways I encourage my students and clients to work IN while they are working out to increase the benefits they receive while moving through their favorite activities:

Breathe

Using your breath is a quick and effective way to flip the switch and move a workout to a work IN. Rushed to the club to make it to class? Have a million things on your to-do list spinning in your head while you’re cranking the bike? When our minds are wandering during our workouts we can’t get “in the zone.” Focused breathing draws the curtains on a busy mind and cultivates presence. Simply experiencing a few rounds of conscious breathing before a workout can anchor your mind-body connection so you can make the most of your sweat time.

Dropping back into thoughtful breathing a few times during your workout keeps you in the zone, too. Pre and post workout, try a couple rounds of slow diaphragmatic breathing; inhale 4-6 counts and exhale 6-8 counts. Box breathing is another great way to press the mind-body reset button; inhale 4 counts, hold 4 counts, exhale 4 counts, hold 4 counts.

Slow Down

One of the ways I really enjoy working IN is to slow things waaaay down. I know, this is asking a lot from cardio aficionados, but to feel what’s actually happening in your body while you’re moving takes effort – and time. Mindful movement can be achieved by finding ways to listen to what feels good in your body. Instead of contorting yourself into a picture-perfect exercise position or yoga asana that you think needs to be done a certain way, give yourself the time and the freedom to discover how your body wants to do it – your way. No need to pose the Instagram way or move exactly how the instructor is demonstrating or use a set program on a machine. Instead, slow things down and think it through to explore exercises suited to your individual structure and fitness levels.

Additionally, having an extra set of eyes on you can assist you with deepening your mind-body connection. Working with a trainer to have someone watch your form, ask you questions about how things feel while you’re moving, and to show you exercise variations, can be a crucial step in gaining mindful movement skills as well.

Rest

Raise your hand if rest is hard for you. I don’t know about you, but I’ve got two hands up in the air right now. Rest is a crucial part of working out. Without rest, your body cannot adequately benefit from all the time you spend training it. Dedicating time to rest INto your exercise routine will supplement your last workout and nourish your next. And yes, I just said rest is part of your workout – your dedication exercise. Reframing rest as a component of fitness might make it easier to find room for it in your schedule.

If you know rest is challenging for you, book an appointment to do it for accountability; a massage or facial at the spa or a casual walk through nature with a friend (emphasis on the casual and no fast-paced here!). You can also schedule meditation and restorative yoga classes at FFC clubs and through FFC On Demand into your fitness regime which offer variety and supplementation to your commitment to rest.

The next time you’re focused on getting in your work-OUT, give yourself the opportunity to really get IN-tune with your mind and body. Take the time to move to feel good, to get mind-body connected, to recharge, to feel as many feels as you can. It might not be your fastest run, your longest ride, or your sweatiest vinyasa practice, but it’ll be conscious movement done in ways that work for your unique body, giving you benefits that can take you to greater fitness gains.

Post written by FFC Group Fitness Manager Laurie Streff.

by Sydney Meyer

Fitness, Workouts

Try This Core Workout For Beginners

You’ve likely heard a fitness instructor or personal trainer tell you to “engage your core” during exercise. There is no doubt, your core is very important. You need your core for everything, from getting out of bed in the morning to grabbing your groceries out of your car. If you’re looking to strengthen your core, we’ve got a beginners workout for you.

But first, what exactly is your core? Is it just your 6-pack of muscles? The core, in its simplest terms, is the midsection of the body that includes the front, back and side muscles of your body. The stronger your core is, the less likely you are to injure yourself. With a strong core, you can move more efficiently in your daily life by recruiting the proper muscles for movements. In addition, a strong core gives you a solid foundation for your workouts, regardless of if you are doing cardio or strength training.

Core training does not have to be complicated, and every person with a strong core was once a beginner. Here are 5 of my favorite core exercises that require no equipment and can be done in between Zoom calls or commercial breaks.

Core Workout For Beginners: Try These 5 Moves Today

Plank

Start off in a push up position but place your forearms on the floor. Your elbows are directly under your shoulders and your forearms are facing forward. Your eye focus is at the floor.

Engage your abdominal muscles, drawing your navel toward your spine. Keep your torso straight and rigid and your body in a straight line from ears to toes with no sagging or bending. This is the neutral spine position. Ensure your shoulders are down, not creeping up toward your ears. Your heels should be over the balls of your feet.

Hold this position for 15 seconds and then relax. Over time, work up to 30 seconds. If this becomes too easy, you can always come onto your hands into a full push up position, holding this position.

Dead Bug

Lie face up on your mat with your arms in the air above your torso and your legs in tabletop position. Reach and lower the opposite arm and extend your opposite leg towards the floor in a slow and controlled manner. Return to center and then repeat on the other side.

Bird Dog

Starting on your hands and knees, start by extending your right arm and left leg straight out in opposite directions. Focus on engaging your core to stay stable. Think of a hot cup of coffee sitting on your hips and another on your shoulder blades, and you can’t drop them. The slower the better.

The Pilates 100

Lie on your back, bring your knees into a tabletop position. Lift head, neck and shoulders and reach the arms long, hovering over the mat. Start to inhale for 5 counts and exhale for 5 counts while pumping your arms up and down in a small range of motion.

To begin, start off with just 5 cycles and work up to 10 cycles.

The Roll Up

Lie on your back with your legs extended out and together with feet flexed. Lift your arms up to the ceiling to begin. Slowly lift your head up as you roll up reaching towards your toes on the inhale and exhale as you roll down through your spine back to the start position.

If this is difficult, you can either have your legs bent or use a towel or band under your feet to assist you.

Post written by FFC Pilates Trainer Joy Miles.

by Sydney Meyer

Fitness, Info

Your Breath, Your Power: How To Harness Your Biggest Training Asset

If you’ve ever been to a yoga class, chances are the instructor talked about controlling your breathing, even if it’s just to align your inhales and exhales to your poses. Have you ever wondered why breath work is such an important part of a yoga practice?

Whether you’re practicing yoga or participating in another form of exercise, being aware of your breath is extremely important. Your breath is your power, your path to presence and your body’s life force. Breathing delivers oxygen to every cell of our body and rids it of carbon dioxide. The rate of our breathing relates directly to the beat of our hearts, and the quality of our breath can affect our brains. And yet we take this involuntary function for granted.

How often do you actually think about your breath? Let’s take a moment to focus on your breathing. Close your eyes and take three deep breaths. Think about each inhale and exhale. Notice: What’s happened physically? What’s happened mentally? Do you feel more present?

When it comes to our training sessions, mindful breathing can transform our workouts.

Mindful breathing helps us:

Avoid Injury: Proper breathing will ensure your muscles receive the oxygen they need to keep contracting.
Lift Heavier: In strength training, focusing your exhale on the exertion will help you lift heavier.
Avoid Negative Thinking: When you’re mindful of your breath, you can be mindful of your thoughts. Each inhale is an opportunity to change the negative to positive; to reset. As humans, we have single track minds. If you’re thinking about your breath, you aren’t thinking about how hard you’re working.
Increase Endurance: Even breathing helps you maintain a steady, consistent pace in long distance endurance exercises.
Release Tension: Breathing creates space in the body and helps release tension.

Mindful breathing can be uncomfortable at first, but like any other muscle you work, your lungs respond to repetition. Whether on the treadmill or in the weight room, start each workout with 3 mindful breaths. Practice mindful breathing throughout your day. As with any habit, the more you do it, the more natural it becomes, and soon you’ll start to feel the effects mindful breathing can have on your mental and physical health.

Post written by FFC Contributor and Group Fitness Manager Elissa Peterson.

by Sydney Meyer

Fitness, Info

Women And Weights: Why You Should Lift Heavy

FFC Group Fitness Manager Lara Mele debunks the theory that lifting heavy weights will make women “bulky” and shares why weightlifting is a great form of exercise for women.

I am definitely of the opinion that women should lift “heavy.” Strength training is not only for men, professional athletes or people who belong to a CrossFit box (gym). Most importantly, lifting heavy won’t make you “big” or “bulky” as many women still (unfortunately) believe.

If this sounds like you, STOP being afraid! I am here to spread the word that strength training, especially with heavy weights, has many health benefits for women.

Where To Begin With Lifting “Heavy” Weights

The word “heavy” when it comes to weightlifting means something different for everyone. What may be considered heavy for you could be considered light for someone else and vice versa.

Your “heavy” lift will also change over time as you gain strength from your training.

If you have little to no experience with weightlifting, your best bet is to hire a qualified personal trainer or strength coach or participate in a class where the focus is weightlifting. It’s important to have someone who can oversee your workouts, teach correct techniques and suggest ways to build strength and prevent injury.

If you are going to make a go of it on your own, there are several different approaches you can take. A good place to start is finding your one-rep max (1RM) for a certain lift. Your one repetition maximum is the maximum amount of weight that you can possibly lift for one repetition. Once you find this number, you generally work in the 70-90% range from this number.

Again, I believe that hiring a qualified coach is the best approach; investing in just a few sessions can make a huge difference. However, this article lists multiple ways to establish your 1RM depending on how long you’ve been lifting for.

Reasons To Lift Heavy

Lifting heavy builds bone density: Strength training can both slow bone loss and rebuild bone density. The force that comes with training the muscle attached to the bone can actually stimulate bone-forming cells (preventing or slowing osteoporosis). Stronger muscles = stronger bones.
It promotes fat loss: Strength training, while it generally doesn’t burn as many calories during the session as running, walking, swimming or biking (think “cardio”), will give you a greater post-exercise calorie burn. Building muscle can increase your resting metabolic rate and enable your body to keep burning calories even when you’re not training.
It improves libido: One surprising benefit that lifting heavy can have for many women is that it can increase their libido because heavy lifting naturally elevates testosterone. It gives your body the boost it needs to produce healthy levels of this sex hormone.

Ok, but what about the “bulk?”

The number one myth that is still circulating (unfortunately) is that lifting heavy will make you look “bulky,” muscular and “unfeminine.”

First and foremost, large muscle size comes from a combination of higher testosterone levels (like the testosterone levels found in males), excessive calorie consumption and daily intense weight training. It takes an immense amount of dedication to develop large muscles like a bodybuilder or high level CrossFit athlete, no matter what gender. Also, many “bodybuilders” (both male and female) take steroids in order to get unnaturally large. A woman’s testosterone levels just aren’t naturally high enough to promote that level of muscle gain.

Even without steroids, it takes a very long time to build muscle. You don’t wake up after a month of lifting heavy 2-3 times a week and look like Mr. or Mrs. Universe (don’t know who that is? Google it). Rather than give into the fear of getting “bulky,” just give heavy lifting a try and find out for yourself how much you might enjoy it.

Lastly and probably most importantly, heavy lifting can cause a shift in your mindset that is incredibly liberating. It gives you a chance to see what you’re capable of and shifts your own personal thoughts/feelings about your body. It creates a platform for you to focus on what your body “can do” instead of being so fixated on “how it looks.”

Ready to give it a try and need some guidance? You can get more info on how to safely and effectively start your strength program by reaching out to any of our FFC Personal Trainers or you can contact me directly at lmele@ffc.com.

Check out some of our amazing and STRONG female members below who do some heavy lifting! Are they too “bulky”? Nope, I don’t think so…

FFC Park Ridge Member Ania deadlifting 300 pounds.

FFC Park Ridge Member Annie can do a Turkish get up with a 22kg bell (48.5 lbs).

FFC Gold Coast Member Kelly lifting a 48 kg (105 lb) KB over her head.

Post written by FFC Contributor and Group Fitness Manager Lara Mele.

by Sydney Meyer

Fitness, Info

Lights, COVID, Action: Behind The Scenes Of Bringing You Digital Fitness Classes

Oh, the challenges and obstacles 2020 (and now 2021) presented for something as simple as taking a group fitness class. We transitioned from the comfort and ease of the group fitness studio to the great outdoors, in both warm and cold weather, to parking lots, garages, living rooms, kitchens – wherever – all in the name of fitness.

As class participants, this shift toward taking class outside the studio may have been different than you expected. Suddenly you’re using household objects in place of dumbbells or maybe taking more bodyweight classes than you normally would. You might have missed the live, energetic experience and camaraderie that comes with in studio live group fitness classes (nothing compares), but regardless, we all had to lean in, figure it out and keep moving.

As instructors, we had so many technical challenges to overcome when we first started streaming, and we had to learn quickly in order to keep you engaged, to keep you moving, and to keep you from not giving up. We know that making time for your workout is half the battle, so when you show up for class (whether in person or digitally), we want to make sure we’re providing you with a quality workout that helps keep you fit and helps give you that mental stability you may have been needing. We instructors quickly learned that this isn’t as easy as popping up the smart phone on a tripod, turning on the overhead lights and pushing “go live”.

Many group fitness instructors are performers – showmen and show-women by nature – and they bring an entertainment element to their program, workout or class. Transitioning to virtual fitness means the stage we once graced (the fitness studio) with its lighting options, mics and professional sound systems, is gone. These elements beyond the fitness program help create an experience for you and keep you addicted to your favorite class(es) and now they’re suddenly gone. So, we, the fitness instructor, put on a couple more hats as the director, the stage manager, the lighting technician, the sound engineer, and oh yeah, the location scout!

We know the top priority here is the content and effectiveness of the workout, but taking class from home can be challenging because of all the distractions and potential loss of focus and drive. By putting on our “production,” we hope to diminish those distractions and make you feel like there’s nothing unusual about doing push-ups while your dog or cat climbs onto your mat.

When streaming live on Facebook and FFC On Demand or other streaming platforms like Zoom and Twitch, there are a lot of technical issues to overcome. Lighting is a big one that includes lots of trial and error: you grab a ring light, use indirect lighting, maybe add some color hues, light from the front, block out back light, and more because a bright, well-lit livestream is less grainy and has more clarity.

Next comes bandwidth, and boy this one is a huge challenge for all workouts – mainly your dance formats – as now we are working to bring you an image synced perfectly with our music. Weak bandwidth or Wifi inhibits a great experience, so what do we do? Well, we get an adaptor and connect our device to ethernet directly, maybe use a faster speed external camera…Perfect!

Then we’ve got the sound. What happens when sound travels through a device through wifi? There’s often a lag or delay so we work on feeding the music directly to you with an interface, which can allow for a mic too, or maybe we share our music source directly with you to be better synced and avoid image delays.

And that’s just a touch on the technical!

Teaching live on camera takes a whole different set of skills than teaching live to a group of people who are in the same room. Cuing, exercise selections, body positioning in front of the camera and simply getting a message across can become a challenge. When we are left with no live physical class and a camera lens where you can see us but we can’t see you, a whole new power and performance level must take over.

Believe it or not, our in-person group fitness classes are powered by you, the participants. We feed off your energy and we work harder when we see you push yourselves in class. In a virtual class, our cues must be on point and pre-cuing is a must, including visual cues, motivational cues and choreography cues. Our internal dialog is moving faster than ever to prepare you for the next exercise as our bodies stay in the moment with you doing the current exercise. AND we want to simultaneously hold a conversation with you at home.

While virtual fitness wasn’t how we planned to spend our 2020, we all adapted and grew together. I believe so many of us have grown stronger in many ways over the past year, and now we are able to return to the group fitness studio to safely lead classes. We couldn’t be more grateful that you joined us for class from your living room, and we couldn’t be happier to be able to offer you the live in-person class experience once again. We hope to see you in class soon!

Post written by FFC Group Fitness Manager Dominick DeFranco.

by Sydney Meyer

Fitness, Info

The Great Weight Debate

Our group fitness schedule at FFC features a wide variety of classes, including yoga, dance, indoor cycling and a number of strength training classes. Depending on the class type, these strength training classes may utilize bodyweight movements or the instructor may call for the use of dumbbells.

Most of the questions I receive from students in group fitness classes are about training with weights: Which dumbbells should I grab? Will lifting weights in class make me bulky? How should I schedule my weight training? I answer these questions and give my recommendations below.

What Size Weights Should I Use?

One of the most commonly asked questions when it comes to group fitness classes is what size weights should I use? With all of the different class formats we offer at FFC, I can understand why this can be so confusing.

I like to classify muscle conditioning classes in two ways; muscular strength and muscular endurance. Keep in mind, muscular conditioning classes do crossover between these two training systems. When a student asks me what size dumbbells should they should use, my answer is pretty simple: grab something you believe to be light and something you believe to be heavy.

Here is where it gets tricky. A heavy weight to one person could be considered light for another, so it becomes a very personal choice. It can also change from day to day or week to week depending on what other forms of exercise people are doing. For example, if it is a Saturday morning and you’re headed to take Chisel and you have been training hard all week, you may need to go with a lower weight to accommodate how you are feeling.

Our signature class Critical Mass is considered a strength training class, meaning slower tempo, full range of movement, lower repetition range and heavier weights to build strength. As a student, your choice in weights would be determined by how well you can meet the demands of the class where the work is challenging and you feel successful. Conversely, our signature format Formula 94 is classified as a muscular endurance workout; fast moving, high repetition, non-stop high intensity. The size of dumbbells you choose need to be lighter to be able accommodate this style of training. My recommendation here is 2.5 – 5 lbs.

Will Training With Heavy Weights Make Me Bulky?

The truth here is that in order to build real lean muscle your nutritional requirements need to support such growth. Most people that use the word bulk are not considering the amount of body fat that still exists, giving the look of muscular bulk when in fact their body fat percentages are too high. With proper nutrition, training heavy will provide a dense musculature giving a lean sculpted physique.

If I Stop Weight Training, Will My Muscles Turn In To Fat?

The reality here is muscle and fat are two completely different entities. An apple will never become a bagel no matter what happens. Muscle, on the other hand, will increase the amount of fat burned during a training session. If you want to burn fat as fuel, trade out a cardio session for a strength workout.

Is The Best Way To See Results To Train One Body Part Per Day?

Finding classes that incorporate compound exercises which work more than one body part at a time will deliver a more effective workout within a shorter amount of time. This is where taking group fitness classes can be so valuable! Most of our weighted class formats at FFC contain different elements of cardiovascular training, muscle conditioning and core specific drills giving you a comprehensive total body workout all in 45 minutes. Check out our signature classes LOADED, Chisel, Total Body Blast, The Formula and #312 for a full body, fun workout.

What Exercises Are Most Beneficial For Older Adults?

Any good trainer or group fitness instructor knows that we should not classify people’s optimal exercise program based on their age; we need to classify people’s training protocol based on their ability. There it is, I said it! Just because we have reached a certain age does not mean we cannot or should not run incline sprints on a treadmill or take a kettlebell class on the turf. Whether you are a beginner or a competitive fit athlete, your fitness game plan will ebb and flow. Our goal always is to provide safe, effective, results driven workouts that keep you engaged, healthy, with a continued path toward success and well being.

Post written by FFC Group Fitness Director Lois Miller.

by Sydney Meyer

Fitness, Info

Combat Lower Back Pain With These Strengthening and Mobility Moves

If you have noticed aches or pains in your low back at some point over the past few months, you are not alone. This year has been filled with all sorts of changes, from transitioning to working from home to changing how we exercise or stay active. Despite our best efforts to create a proper work from home space or exercise routine, back pain has found its way into many of our lives.

Strengthening your core and improving your posture can create a huge impact on reducing those low back aches and pains. Our spine is made up of several bones (vertebra) that all join together to essentially create a chain. Along with strengthening muscles throughout the core, it is important to help these bones move the way they are designed to move by incorporating spinal mobility exercises. If you are one of the many others that is experiencing new or recurring back pain, give some of these strength and mobility exercises a try.

Strengthening

Pelvic Tilts

Lie down on your back with your knees bent and feel flat on the floor. Place your hands on your hips to help get a feel for this motion. Squeeze your belly as if you are trying to bring your belly button in toward the ground. Gently exhaling can help to activate this contraction. The goal is to feel your pelvis rotate backward (posterior pelvic tilt). Repeat this for 12-15 repetitions.

Marches and Dead Bugs

Position yourself the same way as above with the pelvic tilts. Begin with the pelvic tilt and lift one knee toward your chest, then back down. Alternate left and right 20 times. If this is not challenging enough for you, lift both knees at the same time and alternate lowering one leg down to the table as seen below. Perform 20 repetitions.

Bird Dogs

This will target your hip and back extensors as well as help to strengthen your shoulder blades to keep them in a good position throughout the day. On your hands and knees, extend your left arm and right leg simultaneously. Alternate between left arm-right leg and right arm-left leg. Really focus on keeping your hips and low back stable so you aren’t overarching your back or leaning to the side.

Bridges

To strengthen your glutes, these hip bridges will be a good starting point. Lie on your back, knees bent and feet flat on the ground. Push through your heels and lift your hips off the ground. Repeat for 12-15 repetitions. For an added challenge, try straightening one leg and lift your hips with only one leg (single leg bridge).

Mobility

Lower Trunk Rotations

This exercise is great for opening up and loosening your lower back. Start with lying on your back, then bend your knees so your feet are flat on the ground. With your knees together, slowly lower them down to the left and then to the right. Do this back and forth motion about 20 times.

Single Knee To Chest Stretch

Bring your knee to your chest and hold it there for 30 seconds or more. This will help to stretch those pesky hamstrings. Alternate between left and right for two times on each side.

Standing Hip Flexor Stretch

Our hip, pelvis, and low back positioning all have an influence on each other. We have muscles that attach to our lower back and hip, if these muscles become tight or shortened they also affect our posture. Stand with a staggered stance, right leg in front of the left. The left leg will be the one being stretched. Try squeezing your belly button in, this will help to keep your core tight. Shift your weight forward until you feel a stretch in the front of the left hip. Hold in this position for 30 seconds, then switch for the other side.

Open Book

Sitting in a chair for longer periods of time can lead to sitting with less than ideal posture. Rounding through the middle of the back (thoracic spine) for long periods can leave us feeling stiff. This exercise will help to get the thoracic spine moving. Lie on right your side with your knees tucked up towards your chest. With your arm reaching straight out, slowly rotate as far and you comfortably can to the left as if you are trying to touch the left shoulder to the table. Repeat 10 times, then switch to the other side.

Post written by FFC Contributor and Physical Therapist at RUSH Physical Therapy Nate Deblauw.

Nate Deblauw is a physical therapist at our Gold Coast FFC and Rogers Park centers. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in exercise science from Indiana University and a doctorate of physical therapy from Northwestern University. Nate has achieved success in the treatment of orthopaedic and musculoskeletal injuries, running injuries, shoulder pain, low back pain and post-operative rehabilitation. He works with his patients to create an individualized treatment plan to achieve their goals and get them back to their optimal level of function.

by Sydney Meyer

Fitness, Info

Breathe Easy At The Gym With These Plastic Mask Inserts

FFC Elmhurst General Manager Scott Lewandowski is a 3-time Ironman finisher and 8-time Boston Marathon qualifier. When the statewide mandate for wearing masks while exercising indoors went into effect, Scott decided to try a variety of plastic mask inserts to help him breathe properly during speed interval workouts on the treadmill and high intensity training on the turf. Check out his findings below.

On Tuesday, November 24, I ran 5 miles on the treadmill with a traditional mask, and within 2.5 miles, my mask was soaked and I struggled to breathe. Elite Trainer Brent Yao then introduced me to plastic mask inserts that sit just underneath your mask and help prevent the mask material from clinging to your mouth when sweating and breathing heavily.

The next day, I ran 5 miles with an insert under my mask. The first insert I tried is the Xinber Silicone Face Inner Support Frame (Large Size). It is 4” tall x 3.6” wide.

I found that it was easier to breathe with the insert, and I completed the distance 4 minutes faster than the previous day. This plastic insert was a bit big but made a huge difference in my performance.

Ad for free personal training session at FFC.

I then decided to purchase additional plastic mask inserts and noticed that there were many different brands and styles. I purchased two other brands to test out for comfort and the Xinber inserts were sold out.

First, I ran 5 miles with the mask insert pictured below. It is the MicroBird Face Mask Bracket. This insert has clips to hook inside pleated masks and is 3.1” tall x 4.1” wide.

The clips intrigued me but my cloth mask does not have pleats to attach the hooks. This mask insert did move around during my run and was a bit annoying.

Next, I ran 5 miles with the mask insert pictured below. It is the KDRose 3D Face Inner Bracket. The insert is 3.54” tall x 3.54” wide.

At first, I thought this insert would be too small for my face, but in fact, it fit perfectly and was more comfortable than the Xinber mask.

If you would like to give this mask insert a try, the KDRose 3D Face Inner Bracket will be available for $4 at all FFC locations by December 17.

There are so many insert options available to help you breathe easier while exercising with a mask. I hope my experience helps narrow down the best choice for you. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at sl@ffc.com.

Post written by FFC Contributor Scott Lewandowski.

by Sydney Meyer

Fitness, Workouts

Bring It In: 3 Safe Indoor Workouts To Do At The Gym

We get it. Returning to the gym right now can be intimidating. You might be wondering what it’s like to work out in a mask, how to transition your workout from the outdoors to the club or simply how to start exercising again after some time away from the club.

Here at FFC, we want you to succeed and we’re committed to helping you formulate a plan so you can achieve your personal health and fitness goals. That’s why we created a brand new ebook that is specifically designed to help you make the most of your time while keeping a safe social distance from fellow gym-goers.

When FFC reopened in July 2020, FFC Senior Fitness Director Sarah Ashenden found that she had to adjust the structure of her personal workout program in order to have a more efficient and effective session.

“It’s very time consuming to use a ton of equipment because you need to make sure everything is clean before and after you use it,” she said. “I’ve found that my own workouts have become more simplified, and I’m choosing to use just one set of dumbbells or equipment that is close to each other so I’m not walking all around the gym.”

Using her own experience and the feedback she received from members as they returned to the gym, Ashenden created three workouts that allow you to choose a spot in the club that is a safe social distance from others and use minimal equipment to have a great workout session.

Each of the workouts is paired with a fitness goal to help you choose which is the best fit for you: Get Lean, Improve Endurance and Build Muscle. While each workout can be adjusted based on experience level, Ashenden suggests taking a look at what you’ve been doing throughout quarantine or while at home to choose a starting point for these workouts.

“If you’ve been running or doing cardio outside all summer, maybe start with the Get Lean program to slowly get back into strength training because it uses lighter weights,” she said. “If you’ve been lucky enough to have heavier dumbbells at home, maybe it’s time to switch up the program by working with even heavier weight with the Build Muscle program. And if you’ve been avoiding all exercise, start with the Improve Endurance and the Get Lean programs to ease your way back into exercise.”

If you’re in a place where you feel comfortable with your level of training over the past few months, these workouts can also be used in conjunction with one another as a weekly program. Should you decide to complete these three workouts on a weekly basis, Ashenden notes that it’s important to keep track of the weights you are using and the number of reps you are completing on a weekly basis.

“If by the end of four weeks you’re feeling that the workouts don’t feel as hard anymore, then it’s time to increase your weights, increase your reps or decrease your rest time to progress the program,” Ashenden said.

These workouts are an excellent resource to help you get back into the swing of things and structure your time at the club efficiently. If you have specific goals in mind or are looking for something tailored to your abilities, Ashenden recommends reaching out to the Fitness Director at your club for more information on personal training.

“Hiring a personal trainer is going to take you to the next level beyond what these workouts can do for you,” Ashenden said. “The Fitness Director at each club can best pair you with a personal trainer that will create a program that you really love and that will help you hit any goals that you may not be accomplishing during your workouts.”

Because training is only part of the equation for a healthy lifestyle, Ashenden asked FFC Registered Dietitian Alicia Huggler to include some recipes in our ebook. Even if weight loss is not part of your goal, proper nutrition can give you more energy, decrease pain and inflammation, help with sleep, improve your mood and so much more.

“What we really see at every club is someone who is seeing a registered dietitian to focus on their diet and then getting three to four days of exercise in is going to see results 10 times faster than someone who is just exercising,” Ashenden said.

Ready to take the first step toward a healthier you? Download our ebook today. If you have any questions about the exercises in the ebook or need assistance, please contact Sarah at sashenden@ffc.com or stop by the Fitness Desk at the club to speak with a member of our fitness team who will be happy to assist.

Post written by FFC Contributor Natalie Casper.

by Sydney Meyer

Fitness, Info

Can Walking Really Help You Lose Weight?

Be honest: how many of you were lacing up your sneakers and going on regular walks pre-COVID? I don’t mean your power walk to the train or your half walk, half jog to get to the office on time; I’m talking about a dedicated, intentional walk for the purpose of exercise.

I’m an active person who exercises 5-6 times a week, but walking was never really part of my exercise regimen. I like high intensity interval training (HIIT) classes, lifting heavy weights and leaving the gym in desperate need of a shower. Walking never seemed “worth it” to me. Why would I walk for exercise when I could run and burn more calories?

I started walking during quarantine mainly out of embarrassment. Sometimes I would glance down at my Apple Watch and see that I’d only walked 232 steps that day (presumably on my long walks from my couch to my fridge). Once I started going on daily walks, I instantly noticed a shift in my mood, and everyone I talked to during quarantine said the same thing: getting outside, inhaling fresh air and taking a moment to disconnect was doing wonders for their mental health.

I’ve kept up with my daily walk habit, and judging by the crowdedness of my neighborhood’s sidewalks, so has everyone else. As I mentioned, many people have credited walking with helping their mental health during this time, but what does walking provide for us in terms of physical health? Daily movement is obviously important, but with so many options for exercise, why should we choose to walk?

“Walking is beneficial for literally every person because it strengthens the heart,” FFC Group Fitness Instructor Becca Faria said. “Young, old, injuries or no injuries, walking can benefit everyone.”

Faria teaches HIIT classes at FFC, and these quick, efficient workouts have been gaining in popularity over the last several years. HIIT classes may have stolen the limelight from steady state cardio options like walking and biking, but that doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be included in your training plan.

“If you’re a high intensity interval training type of person who is always putting that strain on your body, it’s good to supplement your program with steady state cardio like walking because it is lower impact and helps you recover more quickly,” Faria said.

In fact, if weight loss is one of your goals, Faria said “walking absolutely needs to be part of your routine” because steady state cardio helps train your body to be more efficient at using fat to fuel muscle activity.

“If you’re in a high intensity interval training (anaerobic) zone, you’ll be pulling energy from carbohydrates, but if you’re in a steady state cardio (aerobic) zone, then you’re going to be pulling from your fat stores,” Faria said. “This makes a huge difference, and it’s definitely beneficial if you’re trying to lose weight.”

Fitness trackers like Fitbit popularized the goal of hitting 10,000 steps per day, but Faria said the amount of time you should spend walking per day can depend on your goals.

“The very minimum amount of walking to try to hit would be 30 minutes a day, 3 to 4 times a week,” Faria recommends. “If you’re in this to lose weight, I would definitely increase that to 1 hour for 4 to 5 days a week.”

If you’re transitioning your daily walk indoors to a treadmill as the weather turns colder, Faria suggests playing with incline intervals to add some variety to your cardio session. For example, you could begin by walking 1 minute at incline 1, 1 minute at incline 2, going all the way to incline 5 and then returning to incline 0.

“In terms of your speed, make sure you do a 2-3 minute warm-up and then get into that 5 or 6 zone on the rate of perceived exertion (RPE) scale (50-70% of your maximum heart rate), and try to stay within that fat burning zone for as long as you can,” Faria said.

Keep in mind that walking is only one example of steady state cardio, and you can choose how to get in your 30 minutes per day.

“If you’re the type of person who would get bored walking for 30 minutes, I suggest switching up machines for your steady state cardio,” Faria said. “You could use a stationary bike, an elliptical, a treadmill and do 10 minutes of steady state cardio on each machine, hitting that RPE of 5-6 for your 30 minutes.”

Steady state cardio can serve as your entire workout for the day, or you can tack it onto the end of your lifting session or HIIT class.

So, the next time you’re in the middle of a Netflix marathon and think to yourself “maybe I should go for a walk,” know that both your body and your mind will thank you and that it’s definitely worth your while.

Post written by FFC Contributor Natalie Casper.

by Sydney Meyer

Fitness, Workouts

Make Your Halloween Movie Night Extra Spooky With These Workouts

Grab your candy, popcorn and blankets, folks, because it’s officially spooky movie season!

If your family or friend group is anything like mine, you might find yourself watching a certain Halloween movie more than once this October (cough: Hocus Pocus). Keep things interesting this year by challenging yourself or your friends to follow along with one of these spooky workouts during your next movie night.

Tune in to these family-friendly flicks and get ready to work up a sweat!

Hocus Pocus (1993)

This cult classic Halloween flick follows the story of the Sanderson Sisters, a trio of witches, who are resurrected by a Salem teen on Halloween night. Currently streaming on Disney+.

Black and white image with workout. Workout is also explained below the image.

Thackery Binx says “Emily”: 10 Squats

A witch laughs: 15 Crunches

A character mentions the spell book: 5 Push-ups

The witches use their magical powers: 10 Lunges

Someone says “Trick or Treat”: 10 Burpees

The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)

Halloweentown’s Pumpkin King, Jack Skellington, trades the spooky and scary haunts of Halloween for the warm traditions of Christmas in Tim Burton’s 1993 stop-motion animated film. Currently streaming on Disney+.

Anyone says or sings the words “Halloween” or “Christmas”: 1 Squat

The mayor’s face switches from happy to sad: 5 Push-ups

The characters begin to sing a song: Hold plank for 30 seconds

Zero makes an appearance: 10 Reverse Lunges

Sally makes a concoction: 20 Jumping Jacks

The Addams Family (2019)

The latest iteration of The Addams Family franchise stars the voices of Oscar Isaac, Charlize Theron, Chloë Grace Moretz, Finn Wolfhard, Nick Kroll, Snoop Dogg, Bette Midler, and Allison Janney. The animated film is currently streaming on Hulu.

Lurch plays the piano: 10 Jump Squats

Pugsley plays with explosives: 5 Push-ups

A visitor arrives at the Addams house: 10 Tricep Dips

Wednesday plays with a weapon: 20 Bicycle Crunches

The Addams Family theme song plays: 30 Second Wall Sit

Post written by FFC Contributor Natalie Casper.

by Sydney Meyer

Fitness, Workouts

Goodbye, Chicago Summer: Move Your Exercise Routine Into The Club With These Two Cardio Workouts

Here in Chicago, we joke that the city only has two seasons: winter and construction. And with winters as notoriously brutal as ours, it’s no wonder that Chicagoans wait all year for the fleeting 100 days of summer. The city comes alive in the summertime with movies in the parks, festivals in the streets and crowds spilling out of Wrigley Field.

This summer, however, in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, bicycles replaced Lollapalooza tickets as the must-have item of the season, and runners and walkers took to the lakefront with renewed enthusiasm for logging their daily steps.

With the temperatures starting to drop, we want to encourage Chicagoans to stay active by moving their outdoor workouts indoors to FFC.

FFC Group Fitness Director Lois Miller and FFC Group Fitness Manager Lara Mele, both outdoor fitness enthusiasts in their own right, have developed two 30 minute workouts and accompanying playlists to assist with the transition to indoor cardio sessions.

Lace up those running shoes or clip into a stationary bike, and let’s get moving!

Rate Of Perceived Exertion (RPE)

For these 30 minute workouts, Lois and Lara both measure different levels of intensity using a Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE). Do you best to push yourself or take it easy based on Lois and Lara’s recommendations for RPE throughout the workouts.

30 Minute Treadmill Workout

Lois’s RPE Scale: Intensity levels are based on a scale of 1 – 10 (how hard do you think you are working?) 1 = complete rest, 6 = conversational moderate intensity, 8 = fast/hard to maintain conversation, 10 = maximum effort

A great playlist makes for a great workout. Tune in to Lois’s Spotify playlist for this workout below!

Warm Up Jog/Run (5 minutes)

Before jumping into the warm up, please take a few minutes to walk or incorporate some dynamic stretches to get your blood flowing and muscles warm.

Jog: Incline 1.0 / Speed RPE: 6 (1 minute)
Run: Incline 1.0 / Speed RPE: 8 (1 minute)
Jog: Incline 1.0 / Speed RPE: 6 (1 minute)
Run: Incline 1.0 / Speed RPE: 8 (1 minute)
Walk Rest: Incline 1.0 / Speed RPE 3 (1 minute)

Drill 1: Rolling Hills (6 min 15 sec)

For our first drill, set and keep your speed at an RPE of 6 (scale of 1 – 10, a 6 is moderate intensity). While your speed stays the same throughout, your incline will change every 45 seconds.

Incline 1.0 – 45 seconds
Incline 4.0 – 45 seconds
Incline 2.0 – 45 seconds
Incline 6.0 – 45 seconds
Incline 3.0 – 45 seconds
Incline 8.0 – 45 seconds
Incline 4.0 – 45 seconds
Incline 1.0 – Recovery Walk for 45 seconds

Drill 2: Speed Work (7 minutes)

For our second drill, the goal is to keep your speed at an RPE of 8 (scale of 1 – 10, an 8 is fast/hard to maintain conversation) while the incline changes. You will have 6 sprint intervals, 30 seconds on, 30 seconds off.

Incline 1.0: 30 seconds on, 30 second recovery (straddle the treadmill)
Incline 3.0: 30 seconds on, 30 second recovery (straddle the treadmill)
Incline 1.0: 30 seconds on, 30 second recovery (straddle the treadmill)
Incline 3.0: 30 seconds on, 30 second recovery (straddle the treadmill)
Incline 1.0: 30 seconds on, 30 second recovery (straddle the treadmill)
Incline 3.0: 30 seconds on, 30 second recovery (straddle the treadmill)
Incline 1.0: 1 minute to walk and recover

Drill 3: Walking Climb (12 minutes)

For our third and final drill, begin walking at a comfortable pace, no faster than 4.0. Input treadmill to Incline 15 and continue to walk as the treadmill reaches an Incline of 15.

Once you hit the incline, continue walking for 1 more minute. Return the treadmill to Incline 1.0, and continue to walk as the treadmill declines.

Once it reaches 1.0, stay there for another minute. Repeat this process for a total of 4 rounds.

Congratulations, your workout is complete! Be sure to stretch your hamstrings, quads, glutes, calves and upper back after your workout.

30 Minute Cycling Workout

Lara’s RPE Scale: Intensity levels are based on a scale of 1 – 4 (how hard do you think you are working?) 1 = easy, light 2 = moderate, aerobic endurance 3 = hard, challenging effort, 4 = breathless, all out

RPMs: Stands for rotations per minute. This is your cadence, or speed of the your legs, on the bike.

Lara’s class is built off of the Spotify playlist below. Tune in and get ready to sprint and climb to these Top 40, Dance, Rock and Alternative tunes all released in 2020!

Song 1: Lose Control (Pink Panda Remix) – MEDUZA, Becky Hill, Goodboys, Pink Panda (2:51)

Start your ride with an easy spin (80-90 rpms) and light resistance. You have two chances to raise your intensity a touch and spin up over 100 rpms at :45-1:15 & again at 2:15-2:45. RPE 1-2.

Song 2: Malibu – Kim Petras (3:11)

Start climbing your first of 3 hills during this song by adding resistance and slowing that cadence to 65 rpms. Pop out of the saddle during the chorus. RPE 2-3.

Song 3: Head & Heart (feat. MNEK) – Joel Corry, MNEK (2:45)

Get ready for some 2-count jumps during this song. Be sure you give yourself enough resistance when you stand up. 3 sets of 16 jumps on :38-1:09, 1;25-1:56 & 2:12-2:45. RPE 3.

Song 4: Don’t Start now – Dua Lipa (3:03)

Climb #2 at 65 rpms, maintain that steady cadence. Increase your resistance slightly and stand up for 30 seconds at :33, 1:27 & 2:30 on the clock! RPE 3.

Song 5: Hero – Weezer (3:56)

Ride easy while you recover from your hill, and get ready for BREATHLESS sprints. You have 3 sprints, and you can choose to do these seated at 100-120 rpms or standing 85-105 rpms. Hit it hard at :54-1:22, 2:03-2:30 & 3:25-3:45 on the clock. Earn those recoveries by going as hard as you can on your sprint! RPE 4.

Song 6: Smile – Katy Perry (2:46)

Ride easy to recover from your last sprint then slowly bring yourself back into RPE 2 at 100 rpms. Try to keep it steady as you spin those legs fast, but keep your heart rate from rising too high.

Song 7: I Really Wish I Hated You – blink-182 (3:10)

Settle in at 70-75 rpms for your final climb. This climb is not as steep as your previous climb, but you have 3 hard accelerations on this hill. Add resistance and pick up your rpms by 15-20 at :55-1:09, 1:35-2:05 & 2:43-3:10. RPE 3-4.

Song 8: Blinding Lights – The Weekend (3:20)

Spin easy for about 60 seconds while you recover from your last climb. Then get ready to ramp it up again with a goal or 100-110 rpms at 1:00-1:34, 1:57-2:19 & 2:42-3:05. Remember to add enough resistance so you don’t bounce in the saddle. RPE 2-3.

Song 9: Father of All – Green Day (2:31)

Finish your ride with some short, HARD sprint efforts. Increase your resistance and jump out of the saddle and SPRINT at :45 (10 seconds), 1:37 (10 seconds) & 2:00 (30 seconds). RPE 4.

Song 10: Level of Concern – Twenty One Pilots (3:40)

You made it! Time to cool-down. Ride easy to finish your workout to this latest release by Twenty One Pilots. RPE 2-1.

Post written by FFC Contributor Natalie Casper, with workouts created by FFC Group Fitness Director Lois Miller and FFC Group Fitness Manager Lara Mele.

by Sydney Meyer