Douglasville Gold’s Gym Ezine

By Kathy Scapin 

Two Great Health Clubs for Women to Exercise

If you live in Douglasville, GA and want to lose weight, get in shape, or stay in shape Gold’s Gym is the place.  As a female, there are some days I want to exercise with women only and I have that choice at Gold’s Gym on Hospital Drive in Douglasville, Ga or the West Cobb location in Austell, GA.  Both facilities have exercise areas that are reserved for women only and they are privately situated.  In the women’s only section at the West Cobb facility there is a 30-minute circuit for those days when I am really pressed for time.

Do you have a busy schedule?  Group Active is the Answer!

With my busy schedule, time is something I never have enough of.  I am always looking for a way to exercise efficiently. This summer I got hooked on one of the great exercise classes called Group Active.  The class increases my cardio fitness, helps me build strength and it has improved my balance and flexibility.  I really like the fact that it targets my abs, arms and back.  Being a baby boomer, these areas are always areas that need special attention.

Gold’s Gym, Douglasville GA Takes Away All The Reasons Not to Exercise. 

• “I don’t have enough time”…the 30-minute women’s only circuit is available.
• “I don’t like to exercise alone”…there are 11 group fitness classes to chose from and Personal Trainers available on staff.
• “I don’t want to work out in a co-ed environment”…two locations have private, women’s only facilities.
• “I don’t want to work out with just women”…each location has co-ed facilities with the best equipment.
• “I had a tough day”…the staff is always so friendly, at the end of the workout life always looks better.
• “I don’t have any energy”…I always feel more energized after a workout.
• “ I have children”…each location has a Kid’s Klub with a caring staff.  Not to mention the Fit Kids program.
• “ I get board easily”…in addition to all of the items mentioned above there is a pool and tennis courts available.
• “I don’t like to exercise” …just enjoy the steam room and Jacuzzi.

Learn more about all the Great Programs at Gold’s Gym in Douglasville, GA.  Tour the facility and see for yourself how we can help you overcome all of you excuses.    

Lunges are an exceptional exercise for conditioning a mom’s lower body. They stress the muscles from a perfect angle to develop beautiful shape and symmetry in your legs, thighs and butt.

Because they require balance, lunges also build nueromuscular and functional capacity - helping your body go through it’s daily motions and let you pick up your children with ease.

Whether you’re caring for a child, trying to lose weight, want to look sleeker in shorts or improve your athletic performance, lunges should be part of your training program.

The Ultimate Lunge is the Reverse Lunge
There are many types of lunges. In my opinion, the best is the reverse lunge. here’s why:

- Because you have more balance and support, it’s easy to learn and perform. Plus you have less momentum to contend with during the exercise which provides more effective stress to the muscles and yields better results.

- It’s safer and softer on your knees because your back foot absorbs the ballistic shock of the lunge step. (Contrasted to the front lunge where impact shock can transfer to the knee even if you land heel to toe.)

- It creates muscular balance by initiating the movement backward as opposed to most other exercise movement patterns that take you forward and bias your musculature toward forward motion.

How To Do A Reverse Lunge Correctly
- Start facing forward feet shoulder width apart arms at your side.

- Step back with one leg far enough to allow your knees to bend at 90 degree angles. You can simultaneously bring your arms up to act as a slight counter balance. If you want a greater challenge, hold light weights in your hands.

Reverse Lunge - You’re in correct position at the bottom of your lunge when your front knee is directly over the ankle. (See picture)

IMPORTANT - To go back to the start position, start dropping your arms and lift from the heel of your front leg. DO NOT PUSH OFF YOUR BACK LEG. This simple advice will dramatically improve the effectiveness of your reverse lunge, give you a butt I can bounce a quarter off of and get you much better results in half the time.

Try doing reverse lunges 3 times-a-week on non-consecutive days. Work up to 2 sets of 10 repetitions on each leg. After a month I think you’ll be amazed at the impact the reverse lunge will have on your physique.

By Skip Johnson

Improve Tennis Skills with Exercise

Over the past decade, the fitness industry has seen double-digit growth. As a tennis director for ten years, a player for over thirty years, and now a partner in Gold’s Gym, I have seen the tremendous benefits that players receive from starting a workout program. The challenge for most players, and Americans in general, is simply overcoming their perceived obstacles to getting in a health club in the first place.

 You Can Overcome Your Fears

1) People don’t want to look stupid when they workout. That’s right, and tennis players don’t want to look stupid playing tennis. In fact, come to think of it, nobody wants to look stupid doing anything. Human nature says that people typically want to be in their comfort zone and they don’t want to be rocked out of that security, even if they are learning a new skill. The great thing about starting an exercise program is that most quality clubs provide a trainer to show you how to use the equipment at no charge. Wouldn’t it be great to have a club teach you how to play tennis at no charge when you first join! If you are taking group fitness classes, start off with classes that have simple movements like Group Power or Ride classes. You’ll be comfortable very quickly and you’ll get quick results in these types of group environments.
2) People are afraid they won’t have time to workout. Let’s face it, this is a time-compressed society we live in, and tennis players are no exception. You will see many fitness club ads geared toward “fast results” or “30 minutes or less workouts” or programs that talk of helping you get fit in only “20 minutes, 3 times per week.” These programs really can produce positive results, and if you would like to see substantially quicker and more obvious results, increase the duration. For example, a workout class should last no more than an hour, and three to four classes per week is plenty of exercise to see results. As far as on-court results, tennis players who participate in weight training and cardiovascular training programs such as this will see benefits such as increased power with less effort, and increased endurance in long matches.
3) People are afraid of not knowing anyone else at a health club. Especially since September 11, the need for support-type activities has grown dramatically and health clubs are no exception. In fact, even before that fateful day, the fitness industry realized that individual workouts were sometimes just plain boring. Thus, the explosion of group fitness activities such as kickboxing, weight-training classes and yoga/relaxation classes. To put it in tennis terms, private lessons may be efficient, but they are undoubtedly not as emotionally fulfilling for the majority of adult players as group programs. Round robins and tennis socials are winners, and in gyms, group fitness is a great way to be around like-minded folks and get fit while doing so.
4) People feel that they need to be in shape before joining a club. We have become a country obsessed with our appearance and the public has often thought that one would need to look “perfect” before walking in to see all those “perfect-looking” people at a health club. The reality of it is that the industry in general has moved away from the old school “beach beauty” and “body builder” types of advertising and thus has become a place for mainstream America. For example, the Gold’s Gym tagline is now “Serious Fitness for Every Body”. Clubs have begun focusing on the healthy, attractive look that comes from feeling fit and being fit. Walk into a health club today and you will more likely see moms and business people working out, as opposed to models and chiseled hardbodies.
5) People think that health clubs are expensive. The truth of it is that a health club membership will typically cost less than two dollars per day—about the price of a soft drink and a candy bar, and less than most specialty coffees! You can pay monthly, yearly or just about any way you’d like. Most regular health club users feel that it is one of the best investments they could possibly make.

Become a Better Tennis Player

The bottom line: Face your fears and give the health club route a shot. Joining a gym can provide tremendous mental, physical and emotional health and benefits. Players from local leagues to professional circuits are realizing the potential edge that a structured fitness program can offer.

Learn more about the Gold’s Gym Tennis Program.