So here we go. If you are reading this you saw Katie's post on Facebook "Hates to see people that need to lose weight doing machine workouts. But I have to think at least they're doing something...makes me feel a little better :-)"

Maybe you are wondering why she said that...if so, this is our explanation. 

Let me start by saying that machines have their place. For example, if you are looking to isloate a certain muscle, they are great for that.

Or if you are a beginner, and you need a safe, somewhat effective way to build strength and muscle tone - they are good for that also.

But to relate more specifically to Katie's post - if you are looking to lose weight, the LAST thing you need to do is sit your behind down on a machine and start pushing.

Let's look at how we lose weight in a simple sense - burn calories!

What is a calorie? A calorie is a unit of energy.

So if you are trying to burn calories you need to use as much energy as you can during your workout.

Do you think you use more or less energy when you use one muscle, or when you use several muscles at the same time? If you said several at the same time, you're right.

When you sit in a machine and push (or pull) you are engaging a primary mover, and a secondary mover. Your glutes, legs, and core are relaxed and not working (which is a whole other issue). So you might get a good "pump" in your chest, shoulders, and triceps...but are you trying to "pump" or lose weight?

On the contrary, if you stand in the middle of a cable tower with your feet close together, grab the cables by the handles, and push them forward - you will be engaging your chest, shoulders, and trcieps just like the machine. But you are also using your legs and your core. So simply by standing up and doing the same movement you go from using 2-3 muscles to using practically every muscle in your body!

Which means you will use more energy = burn more calories!!!

Maybe that didn't seem to simple, but thats about as simple as I can make it. :-)

If you would like to learn more or are curious exactly how this works, contact us to schedule a free workout - you'll be glad you did.

As we start off another year, most of us will make a commitment to change something – to “better ourselves”. And for a lot of us, it will involve in some way our health. Whether it be eat less junk food, lose weight, commit to exercise, or any other wording of something similar – that is a very popular theme at this time.

But if we are honest with ourselves – how many of us had made this resolution before..?

Probably all of us…and if you need proof of that just go to the gym one Monday evening in the beginning of January, and then go back on a Monday evening in March…

The point is, why do we that? We obviously want to change something – and we probably know we also need to…but what happens?

And before you start listing off all of your “reason”, let me stop you. They are not “reasons”, they are EXCUSES.

So I have a challenge for you – let this year be different. Make this the year you OVERCOME those “reasons” (excuses) and finally make the change you have wanted to make for (x) years…

So when it gets hard, it’s simple – just don’t quit. I watched my wife complete an Ironman triathlon in November of 2011 – talk about a humbling experience. She trained for an entire year, hated every minute of it, and didn’t even enjoy one of the events, but never the less completed it and beat her goal by over 2 hours…all with a stomach infection and severe dehydration.

Am I bragging on my wife – yes I am. But the point is, every time it was “hard” and she wanted to quit, she didn’t. And it really was as simple as that. Not easy by any stretch, but simple.

Don’t quit – OVERCOME!

No…it isn’t.

This one is simple – think about it. Anyone who has ever accomplished anything worthwhile, from someone you know all the way to Michael Jordan and Lance Armstrong, there were deciding moments in their lives and on their path where they had a choice – quit…or try again.

Because I don’t know everyone you do, let’s look at a few people we have all more than likely heard of.

Michael Jordan

When Michael Jordan tried out for the Varsity basketball team in high school he didn’t make it. He lost over 300 games in his career and missed over 15,000 shots. 26 times he had the ball in his hands with the chance to win the game, and missed. At each of those moments he made choice…not to give up.

In his career Jordan made 20,100 shots, won 6 NBA Championships, 2 gold medals, was a 14 time all-star, and is in the NBA Hall of Fame as one of the greatest players in the history of the game….because he never gave up…he NEVER quit.

Lance Armstrong

At age 25 he was diagnosed with stage 3 testicular cancer. The cancer had also spread to his lungs, abdomen, and brain. The original prognosis gave him less than a 40% chance of survival and less than 10% that he would ever compete in cycling again.

Then in 1999 Lance Armstrong won his first of 7 consecutive Tour de France races, including 22 individual stage wins. Some of his career accolades include: Wide World of Sports Athlete of the year (1999), Prince of Asturias Award in Sports (2000), Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year (2002), Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year (2002-2005), and the ESPN Espy Award for Best Male Athlete (2003-2006).

So the next time your workouts get hard or eating healthy gets hard and you want to quit remember that as a pivotal moment in your life and on your fitness journey. If you quit, you will NEVER succeed. W only truly fail when we stop trying.