Wednesday, July 30, 2003

Get fit

By MIKE CALDARELLO
Special to The Citizen

Is the gym a place where only the "beautiful people" go?Is it the Bastian solely of the hard bodies?Although many people in the general public think so, the answer to the previous questions is no.

Today, the gym is genuinely a place where people can attain a variety of goals.Some come to train for athletic events, some come for weight-loss and body toning, some for rehab, still others come for the camaraderie of group exercise classes.The gym serves those who are looking for fitness and/or wellness.Youths and seniors, men and women, fit and unfit, all can find benefits at the gym.

Sam is 13 and is preparing for football.He lifts weights to build strength and power.Sam's lifting regimen is very structured.In order to build strength and power, he follows a program designed for each muscle group.The program requires doing a variety of exercises for the respective muscle groups.Requirements call for a specified number of repetitions, sets of repetitions, amount of weight to be lifted, and the proper rest time between these activities.

Sam also does cardiovascular and pulmonary work to help build his endurance.A combination of running on the treadmill and in the parking lot and use of the Stairmaster helps him in this area of training.His agility and balance training is enhanced with use of the stability ball.His goal is make the football team.

Mary is 51 and is working to reduce fat and build lean muscle tissue.Mary doesn't want to just lose weight; she wants to change the composition of her body.In order to do this, Mary does a variety of activities.She is building her metabolic efficiency by lifting weights.Weight lifting, or resistance training, builds lean muscle.The more muscle she has, the more fat her body can burn.Mary also does cardiovascular training.This is done on treadmills, stationary bikes, elliptical machines, and more.Calories and fat are burned during this phase of her training.Mary's goal is to reduce her body fat to 22 percent.

Miss Rose is 83 and comes to the gym to build strength and balance.She knows that with age comes loss of muscular strength and mobility.A brisk walk on the treadmill and a session on the rowing machine help her with mobility and balance.She uses specific weight machines to build her strength.Miss Rose performs about fifteen repetitions of light weight on the machines for her strength maintenance.Even though Miss Rose is eighty-three, she doesn't want to feel old.Her goal is to "stay young."

The activities of these people demonstrate that the gym is more than just a place for body builders.All of these people are focused on their own goals and are not concerned with others who are working on theirs.There is no need to be intimidated by other members lifting more, running faster, or being thinner because each one is working to accomplish an individual goal that is obviously different from the others; yet all come to the same place.

(Mike Caldarello is a personal trainer and fitness specialist who is affiliated with Fayette County's Gold's Gyms.)