Strength training is a powerful tool that does so much more than sculpt a chiseled physique. While it’s true that hitting the gym can help you build muscle and get lean, the benefits of strength training extend far beyond aesthetics. Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned fitness enthusiast, incorporating strength training into your routine can have a profound impact on your overall wellbeing. In this blog, we’ll explore 17 compelling reasons why you should consider adding strength training to your fitness regimen at AFAC’s gym in Thornton, Colorado.

Step into a world where your steps at the gym are transformed into a journey toward a healthier, fitter you.

At AFAC gym, you can stride along a path that leads not only to physical wellness but also mental rejuvenation. Welcome to the captivating realm of walking on a treadmill, where the act of putting one foot in front of the other becomes an exhilarating voyage.

Beyond its undeniable convenience, this indoor exercise holds a plethora of surprising benefits that can revolutionize your fitness routine.

So, lace up your virtual sneakers and read this blog where we’ll unveil the remarkable advantages awaiting those who embark on the rhythmic, energizing experience of walking on a treadmill at AFAC’s gym in Thornton, Colorado.

Lots of people work hard to lose weight to make their heart healthier and avoid type 2 diabetes. But as many of us know, it’s no walk in the park to shed those pounds by cutting calories and hitting the gym.

And guess what? Sometimes, even after you’ve worked your butt off for months or even years, you might end up gaining some weight back. So, does that mean all the hard work you did to improve your health was a waste?

According to one recent study, the answer is no. Even if you gain some lost weight back, your efforts may still reduce your risk of heart problems and type 2 diabetes in the long run.

In today’s blog, we’ll tell you about this study and discuss the top ways to lose weight and keep it off at AFAC’s gym in Thornton, Colorado.

Losing belly fat can be really tough for many people who want a slimmer tummy.

The fat around the belly is often stubborn and hard to get rid of. Contrary to popular belief, it’s not as simple as working out at the gym. Things like your genes, hormones, eating habits, and stress can all make it harder to lose belly fat. That’s why it can be a frustrating journey. To succeed, you need to have a plan that includes exercise, eating well, and managing stress. It’s not easy, but with the right approach, you can overcome the challenges of losing belly fat.

In this blog, we’ll unravel a treasure trove of tips, tricks, and tactics that will guide you towards a flatter midsection. Say goodbye to the muffin top and hello to a trimmer waistline as AFAC’s gym in Thornton, Colorado, unveils the wisdom that will help you bid adieu to belly fat once and for all.

Strength training is a favorite workout style for AFAC gym members aiming to increase muscle mass and enhance their strength.

But did you know that it can have a positive impact on your blood pressure, too? Engaging in strength training exercises not only offers full-body benefits, but it can also contribute to improved blood pressure readings over time.

In this blog, we’ll delve into the relationship between strength training and blood pressure and discuss how incorporating strength training into your routine at AFAC’s gym in Thornton, Colorado can help you regain control over high blood pressure readings.

Practice makes perfect. We’ve all heard this cliché since childhood. A simple piece of wisdom telling us the way to get better at anything is to do it over and over again until we master it.

For the most part, it’s true. But there are times when mixing things up can help you improve your performance. Cross-training is an excellent example of this.

What is cross-training and how does it make you stronger, give you more energy, and allow you to move better? In this blog, we’ll talk about cross-training at AFAC’s gym in Thornton, Colorado, and how it can be a smart addition to your workout routine.

Week in and week out, you go to the gym to grow your muscles. Muscle building takes time, for sure, but you don’t want the process to take any longer than it has to.

A common question at the gym is, when you want to build muscle, should you lift light weights or heavy weights? There are many opinions on this subject. In this blog, we’ll see what science says about lifting light and heavy so you can make the most of your workouts at AFAC’s gym in Thornton, Colorado.

There are many different weights, machines, and other equipment you can use for strength training at the gym, but one of the most unique is the humble kettlebell.

With one simple kettlebell, you can strength train every major muscle group in your body. Read on to learn the benefits of kettlebell training and how to achieve a full-body workout with kettlebells at AFAC’s gym in Thornton, Colorado.

The dumbbell chest fly is a fantastic exercise to do at the gym if you’re looking to build strength in your chest, shoulders, and arms. In addition to the strength training gains that come with this exercise, there are many other benefits you can enjoy.

In this blog, we’ll discuss how to do dumbbell chest flys, the muscles worked, and 12 surprising advantages of adding this workout to your regular rotation at AFAC’s gym in Thornton, Colorado.

How many times have you been told to check your form when you work out at the gym? More times than you can count, right?

And that’s good advice. You must maintain proper form when you exercise to get the results you want and avoid injury. Good form, however, is only possible because of your stabilizer muscles.

What are stabilizer muscles, you ask? Read this blog to learn all about them and what they do when you exercise at AFAC’s gym in Thornton, Colorado.

When you go to the gym, you might feel overwhelmed by the complex exercises you see other gym members performing.

Have you ever looked around and thought, “Am I doing all the exercises I should be doing? What if I’m missing something important?”

While the sheer number of exercises seems endless, if you look closely, you’ll notice that almost all exercises fall into 10 basic movement patterns. Once you become familiar with these fundamental movement patterns, you can make sure your training program is well-rounded.

Regardless of the latest fancy move people are showing you at the gym, there’s no substitute for mastering the basics of exercise. This blog will walk you through the 10 foundational movement patterns and how you can ensure they show up in your program at AFAC’s gym in Thornton, Colorado.

What’s the best time of day to work out at the gym? Most of us have such busy schedules that our answer is, “Whenever we can!”

That might mean we go to the gym before or after work. Or we could show up in the afternoon when our kids are in school. Or we may go when our favorite personal trainer is teaching the group class we love the most.

So, it really boils down to each person’s individual choice and needs. And, if the results are the same, does it really matter what time of day we go to the gym?

Yet some studies seem to indicate that the results aren’t the same. Read this blog to learn about the advantages and disadvantages of working out at various times of the day so that you can make the best decision about when to work out at AFAC’s gym in Thornton, Colorado.

You hear the word “core” thrown around a lot at the gym, so you know it’s important.

But when you stop to think about it, you still might wonder, what exactly is my core? Why is it so important to train my core muscles? And what exercises can I do to strengthen them?

This blog has some answers. Read on to learn all about the value of core stability and how to stabilize your core at AFAC’s gym in Thornton, Colorado.

If we asked you to name the best abdominal exercises, you’d probably list workouts like sit-ups, crunches, and planks.

And, if we asked you to name the best dumbbell exercises, you’d probably list workouts like bicep curls, goblet squats, and bent-over rows.

Those are all good answers, but what if we asked one final question — What are the best dumbbell abdominal exercises?

That one might stump you because dumbbells are not typically thought of as ab blasters. But, when used properly, these weights can give you big gains as you work toward the perfect six pack.

Read this blog to learn about why it’s important to keep your abs strong, as well as some of the best dumbbell ab exercises you can try at AFAC’s gym in Thornton, Colorado.

By now, you’ve heard many tips on what you can do to improve the results of your gym workouts. Things like eating lots of lean protein, drinking water, and getting plenty of rest.

On the other hand, some of the things you’re doing might have the opposite effect. You could be sabotaging your fitness journey before you even take the first step.

If you’re going to put in time and effort at the gym, you might as well make the most of it by avoiding some routine mistakes! In this blog, we’ll list some of the worst things you can do before a workout at AFAC’s gym in Thornton, Colorado, and how to correct them.

The team at AFAC gym does everything possible to keep our gym sanitary and prevent the spread of illnesses like COVID-19. Several times per week, we fog the gym and ventilation system with hospital-grade disinfectant. We also provide sanitation stations throughout the gym where members can disinfect their hands and gym equipment before and after each exercise. AFAC gym also cleans and sanitizes all common areas multiple times a day.

In addition to sanitation, there are other ways to avoid the health risks of COVID such as vaccinations and booster shots.

And, on top that, doctors believe regular exercise can decrease the risk of severe COVID-19 outcomes like hospitalization and death. While that’s great news, healthcare professionals have never explained exactly how much exercise people need to reduce their risk.

Will a couple workouts a week be enough to lessen our chances of severe COVID? Or do we need daily workouts?

A new study gives us some answers on how different amounts of exercise can affect one’s COVID prognosis. Read on to learn more about what the study found and other benefits of regular workouts at AFAC’s gym in Thornton, Colorado.

It’s one of the most common mantras at the gym – “You can’t out-train a bad diet.”

When most people hear it, they think in terms of calories. In other words, they hear, “Just because you go to the gym doesn’t mean you can eat whatever you want and not gain weight.”

But what about when you exercise for longevity and disease prevention? Can you eat unhealthy foods but still save yourself from serious health problems by exercising at the gym?

Some recent research attempted to answer this question. Read on to learn what science says about whether you can cancel out the effects of a bad diet by exercising at our gym in Thornton, Colorado.

Did you know that one of the best exercises you can do may only take a minute or two?

It might feel like the longest minute of your life, but spending just 60 seconds doing a plank can pay big dividends.

There’s a lot of debate, however, about how long one should hold a plank. A few seconds? One minute? Two? Five whole minutes? The Guinness World Record for holding a plank is 9 hours, 30 minutes, and 1 second, achieved by Daniel Scali in Australia on August 6, 2021! Is that the kind of planking time we should all be striving for?

In today’s blog, we’ll discuss what a plank is, how long and how often you should plank at our gym in Thornton, Colorado, and the benefits you can enjoy from this grueling exercise.

Your quadriceps, or “quads,” are some of the largest and strongest muscles in your body. Quads are the crown jewel of your legs, filling out the entire front of your thigh. And, if you’ve been training your quads diligently, you’ll notice them bulging out from under your pants or shorts.

But strong quads can give you more than a set of shredded-looking legs. They’re also important for optimum performance in most sports — plus a muscle you must train for greater overall athleticism. In addition, quads are essential for many everyday functions like walking, running, getting up from a chair, climbing the stairs, and lifting something off the floor.

In this blog, you’ll learn the anatomy of your quads, reasons why you should train them, and the most efficient exercises for building bigger and more powerful quad muscles at our gym in Thornton, Colorado.

If you’ve never joined a gym before, are new to a gym, or are coming back after a long break, it can be intimidating to walk in the front doors.

Deep down inside, we all realize no one is judging us at the gym. But it’s normal to feel self-conscious about how we look, our form (or lack thereof), and our inexperience with the gym equipment.

In today’s blog, we’ll share some tips on how to get familiar with AFAC gym and feel comfortable with any workout you choose to do.

One of our top tips is to take advantage of AFAC’s personal training special! For just $50, you can receive a session with one of our trainers who will show you everything you need to know to get started like a pro at our gym in Thornton, Colorado. Read this blog to learn more.