Maybe you don't have the time, or, for that matter, the motivation to strength train regularly.

Both may be true, and then you ask yourself: Is it worth strength training at all if I can only do it one or two times a week? The answer is yes.

Studies have shown that there are definite benefits to strength training on a limited basis – 'limited' meaning one or two times a week. It may not enable you to develop the massive biceps you secretly desire, but it has many positive benefits. But first, let's take a quick look at why strength training is good for you.

The Benefits

There are a multitude of reasons to lift. It can improve your physical performance and movement control. For that matter, it can provide a boost to your cognitive abilities and self-esteem.

It also decreases your chances of getting injured because strength training increases bone density and strengthens your tendons and ligaments.

Here's another benefit: Research has shown that men who did weight training had a smaller increase in belly fat than those that did cardio exercise for the same duration.

How Much?

As mentioned earlier, strength training provides benefits even if done only once or twice a week. Again, you may not develop a Hulk-like physique, but you'll strengthen muscles and preserve your fast-twitch muscle fibers.

Lifting also increases your endurance. Scientifically speaking, it increases your lactate threshold, the amount of time it takes for your muscles to fatigue. For endurance athletes, strength training once or twice a week helps the body cope with repetitive stress that comes with running, cycling or swimming. Even if strength training once or twice a week is your only exercise, studies show that it still stimulates muscle growth while improving endurance.

Two Is Better Than One

While strength training once a week can have benefits, many experts say that training twice a week provides much better benefits. Research has shown that sedentary men and women who lifted once a week added 0.7 pounds of lean weight, while those who lifted two to three times a week added over three pounds of lean weight.

Lifting twice a week is also less of a shock to your body, giving it proper time to adapt to your training. And an added bonus of a twice-a-week regimen is that it gives your body time to recover, as opposed to over-training.

The bottom line: It's always better do something rather than nothing, and small gains are better than no gains. Make the most of your workout time by joining the Downtown Athletic Club in Amarillo. We’ve even got a full staff of personal trainers to help you develop a strength training plan to meet your goals.

There's no denying the benefits of working out with a TRX suspension training system. Every move on the system provides a core exercise as you work against your own body weight and gravity – while also working to keep yourself stabilized.

But to someone who has never tried it, TRX can look downright intimidating. With a few pointers, though, you can master this awesome training system. That said, here are some things to keep in mind as you begin your TRX training program:

1. Adjustments

Get comfortable with adjusting the straps frequently as the TRX cables depend on the exercise you’re performing. Remember: The yellow tabs on each strap should be even with one another.

2. Lengths

The majority of TRX exercise will require you to use four standard strap lengths:

• Short
  
• Mid-calf
  
• Mid-length
  
• Long
  
  

When the tabs are to the top, the system is in the short position. Long, or fully extended, is when the tabs are at the end of the straps. As an example, the straps should be adjusted to mid-calf for doing planks and pushups.

3. Intensity

You determine how much weight you'll have to push or pull by how far you step your feet out from your body. If you're just starting out, keep your feet closer to your body to focus on form before cranking up the intensity.

4. Tension

While keeping your feet close to your body is a good idea as you're mastering TRX, you don't want to keep them so close that you're not able to move through each exercise's full range of motion.

5. Learning The Moves

The TRX enables you to do the same movements that you'd use with dumbbells, kettlebells and the like, and they'll probably be harder as you work your stabilizer muscles to the max.

6. Get Guidance

It always helps to get advice from a pro as you're working through the steps of mastering the TRX system. A trainer, like those you'll find at Amarillo's Downtown Athletic Club, will help you set up and do the exercises correctly. The DAC even offers a TRX group class to help you get your feet wet.

The elliptical is a great way to get an effective cardio workout – when done right. While some studies have shown the elliptical to be boring and inefficient, this is only the case when proper form isn’t followed during your workout. With the right technique, you can reap the many benefits of the elliptical. Take a look at these tips to get the most out of your time on the machine.  

Know Your Goal

The first step toward success with any exercise program is to make a plan. What do you want to achieve during your workout? Are you simply looking to get your heartrate up, or do you have something more specific in mind? Believe it or not, the elliptical yields different results based on the way you work the machine. Here are some ways to streamline your elliptical workout.

• Focus on cardio by keeping your stride per minute rate between 140 and 160. When doing sprinting intervals, your sprint stride per minute rate should exceed 160.

• Pay attention to your feet when aiming for a thigh workout. Pressing with your heels works your hamstrings and backside, while pressing with your toes works the front of your thighs.

• Use the handles to get an upper body workout. Don’t lean on the handles for support; this renders your entire workout ineffective. Instead, push and pull the handles to work your arms.

• Engage your core by letting go of the handles. This causes you to work your core even more by having to keep your balance while moving your legs.
  
  

Watch Your Posture

Perhaps the reason some people consider the elliptical ineffective is because they aren’t holding their form. Slouching over the handles is a quick way to waste your time. In order to get the best results from this machine, you should stand up straight, engage your core, and avoid slouching.

Mix It Up

Our bodies are designed to become accustomed to any new physical activity within about four to six weeks. Once that happens, you’ll reach a plateau and no longer see increasing results. To avoid this, try mixing up your workout by increasing and decreasing speed and incline on the elliptical. This type of interval training will not only keep your body guessing, but it will also keep you from getting bored.

Every exercise is what you make it. If you simply go through the motions while on the elliptical, you won’t see your desired results. But if you take these tips into consideration, you’ll be feeling the burn in no time. To get fit in Amarillo, check out the Downtown Athletic Club today.

Finding time to fit in a full-on sweat session is difficult in today’s hectic world. It’s all too easy to skip your daily workout when work, family, and house chores are screaming your name. But getting a little exercise doesn’t have to be a struggle. There are several small life changes you can make that will help you feel the burn in your daily life. Check out these simple tips to get fit gradually.

Don’t Sit Still

It can be hard to tear yourself away from work. Fortunately, even small movements make a difference in your health. Stop occasionally to grab a cup of coffee from the break room, reorganize your office shelves, or walk into your coworkers office to say “hi.”

Skip The Elevator

One of the most effective changes you can make is to skip the elevator in favor of the stairs. Climbing steps each day gives you enough cardio to help shed some of those extra pounds.

Get On Your Feet

Studies show that being sedentary not only keeps your from getting fit, but it actively causes your body harm. Sitting for long periods of time has negative effects on your overall health, so be sure to take “standing breaks” every half-hour or so.

Walk To Work

Walking has numerous health benefits, and studies have shown that walking 10,000 steps a day can help you lose weight. Walking to work is a simple way to increase your daily number of steps. But if you can’t do that, consider parking farther away than usual from your office.

Phone A Friend

Whether it’s walking to meet a friend for lunch, or convincing a coworker to take a walk around the parking lot with you while discussing work, having someone join your fitness efforts is a good way to stay motivated.

Clean To Burn

Those everyday chores you dread? They can actually help you stay fit. Vacuuming alone burns about 75 calories in a 30-minute period, and washing your car almost doubles that number.

Have A Date Night

We all know date nights are important for the health of a relationship, but they can also be beneficial to your physical health. Challenge your spouse to a game of tennis or take a romantic stroll through the park.

Go Dancing

Need a night out with the girls? Hit the dance floor to get fit – just 30 minutes burns between 180 and 266 calories.

Working out doesn’t have to be a time-consuming downer. Try these tips to incorporate movement into your everyday life, and you’ll soon reap the rewards. For more information on how you can get fit and stay healthy, reach out to Downtown Athletic Club in Amarillo today.

Ever feel like you’re stuck in a rut with the same old workout routine? Sure, it’s great that you’re making it to the gym three times a week, but what benefits do you see by sticking to the same exercise each session? You may be maintaining your weight or shape, but you’re not improving anything. When it comes to fitness, change is king.

How To Know If It’s Time For A Change

Because the human body adapts quickly to exercise stimuli, switching it up is crucial. While doing the same routine day after day will keep you healthy (after all, any exercise is better than no exercise), you won’t experience continuous progress without change. How do you know when your regimen needs refreshing? Watch for the following three signals to determine what your body’s trying to tell you:   

1. Your body remains the same. This is the most obvious sign that you’re not progressing in your fitness goals. Many people complain of hitting a weight-loss plateau, but what they don’t realize is that they’ve lost all the weight they can with the same exercises. In order for your body to continue its fat loss, introduce new workouts that challenge different muscle groups.
   
   
2. You get bored. While being bored with your routine isn’t directly tied to physical progress, it can certainly hinder you from reaching goals. If your routine doesn’t excite you and leave you happily anticipating your next session, then you’re more likely to give up altogether – especially if you’ve hit a plateau (see No. 1). Keep things interesting by taking a new dance class at the gym, working out with a partner, or sprinting instead of jogging.
   
   
3. You’re sore and tired. A bit of soreness is to be expected after an intense workout, and you’ll certainly be tired. That said, if you’re experiencing extreme soreness and fatigue, it could mean you’re pushing your body too hard. Overtraining can lead to burnout or injury, keeping you out of the game and resulting in a halt on your progress. To prevent this, change up your regimen to include lighter workouts or more days of recovery between workout sessions.
   
   

Tips For Making The Transition

Change isn’t easy, which is why so many people hesitate to try new exercises. But the benefits far outweigh the risks. For the best results, ease into change; don’t do too much of a new exercise at once, especially one you’ve never done before.

It’s also beneficial to ask for help from a professional. At the Downtown Athletic Club, we offer personal training as well as group classes, both of which are great avenues for finding the help and support you need to stay on track with your fitness goals.

We all want to lose weight, look great and feel amazing. Most days, you probably get off to a good start with a healthy breakfast and lunch. Then evening hits. You come home feeling completely drained, in need of anything that will refuel your body.

Good news! Dinner doesn’t have to be a struggle every day. It’s simple to stay on track with these tips on the best way to fill your plate. Pick one from each of the four categories, and you’ve got a delicious, healthy dinner.  

Embrace Protein

Protein is not just for muscle mass and weight gain. Lean protein is crucial to weight loss because it provides a feeling of fullness for longer than other foods. You also burn more calories while processing high-protein foods, because your body has to work harder to digest, metabolize and use them. Here are a few examples of delicious, lean protein options for dinner:

• Grass-fed bison burger (4oz)
  
• Wild Atlantic salmon (5oz)
  
• Chicken kebabs (4oz)
  
  

To season, consider using Greek yogurt and other healthy additions like lemon, dill, and garlic.

Include Nonstarchy Vegetables

Vegetables are an important part of any meal. To make the most of your veggies, choose those that are of the nonstarchy variety. These are rich in fiber, phytonutrients and minerals that are needed for optimal performance. Fiber-rich vegetables also aid in the digestion process. Some examples include:

• Asparagus spears (10)
  
• Green beans (2 cups)
  
• Zucchini linguini (2 cups)
  
• Simple butter lettuce salad (2 cups)
  
  

To make these veggies extra-yummy, add seasonings like extra-virgin olive oil, Dijon mustard, sea salt, lemon juice and fresh herbs.

Eat Good Carbohydrates

All we seem to hear is that carbs are evil, but that’s not the case. While some carbs should certainly be avoided, others are vital to a well-balanced diet. Appropriately portioned complex carbs fuel your body and help you feel more satisfied with less. Try one of these side dishes:

• Cooked quinoa (? cup)
  
• Cooked black beans (½ cup)
  
• Cooked brown rice (? cup)
  
• Cooked lentils (½ cup)    
  
  

Choose Healthy Fats

Eating too much of any macronutrient (carbs, protein, fat) will cause weight-gain, but consuming healthy fats in the right portions is a great way to add flavor to your diet. Healthy fats also keep you feeling full, and many are high in inflammation-fighting omega-3 fatty acids. For a delicious dinner, skip the grease and try these oils instead:

• Coconut
  
• Walnut
  
• Grapeseed
  
• Sesame
  
• Extra-virgin olive
  
  

One to two tablespoons is all you need, since a little goes a long way.

Eating a balanced dinner is crucial to weight-loss success, as is exercise. To find the support you need to stay on your health journey, reach out to Downtown Athletic Club today.

For decades, fitness experts preached stretching before exercising to prevent post-workout muscle pain. Recent research, however, suggests that stretching has no impact on muscle soreness related to exercise. Even so, experts agree on the importance of regular stretching.

Stretching Benefits

While studies about the benefits of stretching vary in their results, proper stretching plays a crucial role in physical fitness. Although stretching is now known not to prevent muscle soreness, it does improve range of motion. Why is that important? Aside from making your everyday life more simple, good range of motion has a positive impact on athletic performance and helps decrease the risk of injury.

Think of it this way: increased range of motion equals increased flexibility. This means your muscles are able to flow through the entire range of a move without incurring damage or causing you to stop. The result? Better performance and less injury.  

Stretching Dos And Don’ts

Proper technique is just as important for stretching as it is for the rest of your workout. Failing to use caution while stretching may cause more harm than good. Here are three tips to keep you safe and help you maximize your stretch.

• Warm up first - The old way of stretching before you do anything else is one exercise myth that has been debunked. Injury can occur if you try to stretch cold muscles, and you won’t get the most improvement in flexibility from that kind of stretch. So before you reach for your toes, take a light walk, jog, or bike ride for five to 10 minutes.
  
  
• Don’t bounce - When you stretch, reach for your goal and then hold the position for 30 to 60 seconds. Try not to bounce back and forth, as this may injure the muscle being worked. Aim for a smooth movement and continue to breathe as normally as possible while in the stretch.
  
  
• Keep pain at bay - It’s natural to feel tension when you stretch; it’s simply a side effect of the movement. However, back off when that tension turns into pain. Remember that, just like weight-lifting or cardio, stretching gets easier over time. So be patient. Do as much as you can without pain now, and gradually you’ll be able to deepen the stretch.
  
  

Stretching Support

If you’re not sure you’re headed in the right direction when it comes to stretching, consider seeking the support of others. At Downtown Athletic Club in Amarillo, we offer yoga classes several times a week to engage you while you stretch. Reach out today to learn more.

Those who strive to stay active have an assortment of high tech devices at their disposal. There are all sorts of fitness trackers, pedometers and apps that monitor your behavior and provide feedback regarding your health. New to the market, one of the best health-related devices is Athos smart apparel. Unlike many other fitness gauges, smart apparel focuses on providing feedback regarding how you perform while exercising and whether you are performing your physical activity in the proper manner.

Smart Apparel Helps You Exercise The Right Way

For many, heading outside or going to the gym to get in a workout is not enough in and of itself. The manner in which you exercise is much more important than the actual activity itself. Smart apparel plays a key supporting role in helping active people achieve fitness success as most people are unaware of the complexities required of perfect exercise techniques. Smart apparel provides all sorts of information about your workout, including whether you are exercising the proper parts of the body, the fundamentals of your exercise form and much more. Perhaps you constantly favor one side over the other and don’t even know it. Smart apparel will raise your awareness of this type of flaw as well as a myriad of others so that you can make the most of your workout.

How Smart Apparel Works

Athos smart apparel contains built-in sensors that are engineered to monitor your physical activity and the effort of each of your body's individual muscles. The recorded information is collected, analyzed and sent to an app on your smartphone. This data is quite helpful in terms of studying your workout efficiency and your overall fitness performance. You can access the information while you are in the midst of your workout or study it after you have finished your exercise routine. Smart apparel is currently available in shorts or shirts that measure the efficacy of lower body and upper body activity, respectively. There is also an Athos core device available as well.

Sign up for a membership at the Downtown Athletic Club in Amarillo and you will find health conscious people who embrace fitness technologies like smart apparel. We offer personal training, group fitness classes, massage therapy, racquetball, an indoor running track, basketball training, free weights and so much more. We invite everyone in the greater Amarillo area to join the Downtown Athletic Club. Contact us today to learn more.

Vitamin C is an essential vitamin necessary for normal development. You’ve probably already heard how beneficial vitamin C is for fighting off various colds and flu. However, this important vitamin offers an array of other health benefits you may not know about. Below is a quick look at some other great benefits that will encourage you to make vitamin C a part of your diet year round.

1. Helps with Weight Loss

Vitamin C can make your workouts more effective at burning fat. It’s believed to help regulate both oxidation and energy intake and consumption. This combination helps the body burn as much as 30% more fat during an average workout than those who do not maintain a healthy level of vitamin C.

2. Fights Inflammation

Inflammation causes free radicals to develop in the body, which can cause cell damage and lead to a slower healing process. However, vitamin C works to fight these unwanted radicals and to promote faster healing.

3. Reduces Risk of Sun Damage

While sunscreen is still required when you’ll be outside for extended periods of time, studies suggest vitamin C can reduce a person’s risk for melanoma. It is also believed to help lower your chance of getting sunspots.

4. Lowers Risk for Many Cardiovascular Diseases

One of the best benefits of vitamin C is its ability to lower your risk for a variety of cardiovascular diseases, such as stroke, high blood pressure and heart disease. It’s believed Vitamin C promotes healthy blood cell function that keeps the cardiovascular system operating properly.

It is easy to see just how important vitamin C is to your overall health. Unfortunately, your body does not produce this vitamin, so it’s crucial you include plenty of foods that are high in this vitamin (citrus fruit, berries, peppers, and dark green leafy vegetables).

For more great health tips, head over to the Downtown Athletic Club in Amarillo, where we offer a wide range of both group fitness and personal training classes that help to promote overall wellness and healthy living.