Do you ever feel tired and worn down? Do you struggle to get out of bed some mornings? Do you get drowsy in the middle of the day? After work, are you too tired to go to the gym — or really do anything at all — except sit on your couch and watch TV?

We’ve all felt exhausted at one point or another during our busy days, and most of us just accept it as a routine part of life or a symptom of getting older. When that feeling becomes chronic fatigue, it can hinder your performance at home, work, or school – and it could also be preventing you from achieving your fitness goals at the gym.

Fortunately, there are many simple ways to boost your energy, and some of these ways can even slow the aging process. Read this blog to learn about what fatigue is, some common causes of fatigue, and how to fight them so that you have plenty of energy to exercise at our Thornton gym!

Why do you work out at the gym? In 2016, 603 people were asked this question, and the answers were not all that surprising. In the survey, where respondents could pick multiple reasons for their gym memberships, 54% said the gym helps them stay healthy, 42% said the gym helps them optimize their strength and endurance, and 41% said the gym helps them manage their weight. Other reasons included that the gym “helps me get a better-looking body” (38%) and “helps me optimize my appearance” (37%).

There’s no doubt that exercising at the gym can crush all these goals, but there are lots of different exercises out there and each one affects the body differently. While most people associate gym exercise with losing weight, this assumption overlooks the other positive changes that occur with your body’s composition when you work out regularly.

In this blog, we’ll discuss what body composition is and how it can be impacted by various workouts at our Thornton gym.

When you join a gym to embark on a fitness journey, one of your first questions is probably, “How fast will I see results?” That’s a fair question since you want your hard work to pay off as soon as possible. But the reality is that most fitness goals like losing fat, gaining muscle, and getting stronger require consistent lifestyle changes over a long period of time. None of it happens overnight.

The desire to see positive health changes is great, but without a lot of patience and a solid plan, some people find themselves getting discouraged before they reach the finish line.

Why is it so difficult to change your body composition and maintain it over the long haul? In this blog, we’ll discuss some common setbacks that people face at our Thornton gym and how to overcome them.

Could stronger muscles lead to a longer life? According to a recent study out of Japan, the answer is yes! The study found that lifting weights at the gym for just 30 minutes per week cuts the risk of dying early by up to 20%.

Today’s blog will discuss the findings of this study and the many strength training options we offer at our Thornton gym to help our members live longer, healthier lives.

The barbell might be the simplest-looking piece of equipment at AFAC gym, but it also can be one of the most challenging to master. Modern 45-pound barbells have been around for at least 100 years, yet some gym members can go their entire lives without ever touching one. Hopeful weightlifters have also been known to try barbell training, only to injure themselves due to poor form.

Whatever the case, the only negative part of training with barbells is that many gym members don’t know how to use them, but if you really want to test your strength, barbells are the way to go. And if you’d like to give barbells a try at our Thornton gym, our team of personal trainers is here to assist you every step of the way.

Read this blog to learn about the benefits of barbell training and the best barbell exercises to add to your gym routine.

Most of us know that a proper diet is essential for weight loss. To lose weight, you need to maintain a calorie deficit by eating fewer calories than you burn and exercise at the gym to torch extra calories. Plus, it helps to eat plenty of protein so that your body has what it needs to maintain and build metabolism-boosting muscle tissue after your strength training days at the gym.

One of the most debated topics when you’re trying to lose weight, however, is whether it’s better to eat before or after gym workouts. This is a particular focus for those who exercise first thing in the morning. In this blog, we’ll discuss everything you need to consider about eating before or after your workouts.

After you’ve finished an intense strength training session at AFAC gym, you might be tempted to spend the next day or two resting so that your muscles can recover.

But is sitting around doing nothing for a couple days really the best approach? Many experts say no. Instead of being completely inactive, it can be more beneficial to move during your recovery period. This is called an “active recovery” because it keeps your blood flowing to help your muscles rebuild after your rigorous workout.

As long as you’re not in a lot of pain after your workout — which could be the sign of an injury that needs medical attention — an active recovery comes with several benefits. Read this blog to learn about the advantages of active recovery days, the different types of active recovery, and some active recovery exercises you can try at our Thornton gym.

Have you decided to log regular cardio workouts at the gym? That’s great! Cardiovascular workouts help you burn calories, get your heart pumping and lungs breathing, tone muscles, and increase your endurance. And, once you’re done with your cardio workout at the gym, your endorphins will be flowing and you’ll feel energized. What’s not to love?

There’s just one problem. When you walk into the gym, there are so many cardio machines to choose from that you might wonder, which one will give me the best workout? Should you hop on the treadmill or elliptical? How about a stationary bike? The StairMaster, VersaClimber, and Jacobs Ladder can surely make you sweat, and the rowing machine works almost all the muscles in your body. But which machine is the best?

The good news is, they all are the best, but for different reasons. One machine is not necessarily better than the other — it all depends on your fitness goals, physical abilities, and personal preferences.

To help you make the decision about which cardio machine is best for you at our Thornton gym, this blog will discuss the unique benefits of each.

Let’s face it – aging is inevitable. But unfortunately, aging well is not. There are many factors that can influence your physical and mental well-being as you age, but one of the most important is strength training.

Exercise not only helps you feel and look younger, but it also has been shown to slow down the aging process. Exercise takes many forms and all of them are beneficial, but strength training seems to be where the anti-aging magic happens – it’s one of the best types of exercise people over 50 can do!

It’s never too late to start going to the gym and work on getting stronger, building your dream body, and even sculpting that summer six-pack.

In this blog, we’ll explore the benefits of strength training for people over 50 and some specific exercises you can do at our Thornton gym.

Think about the times you’ve witnessed jaw-dropping examples of athletic power. It might have been a receiver on the football field, a figure skater on the ice, or a snowboarder on the slopes. Regardless of where it happens, when you see these talented stars perform seemingly impossible feats, chances are they’re young – in their teens, 20s, 30s, or maybe 40s. Rarely do you see someone in their 50s or above reach their peak of athletic prowess.

There are multiple reasons why athletic performance tends to decrease as the years go by. One main culprit is, as our bodies age, our muscles don’t respond to exercise the way they used to.

While people of all ages build muscle in the same way, as you get older, the biological processes that turn your gym workouts into muscle become less effective. This makes it harder for you to build strength, but at the same time, it makes your workouts at the gym that much more important as you age.

Read this blog to learn more about how your body builds muscle, how that process changes as you age, and how you can stay fit at our Thornton gym.

If one of your fitness goals at AFAC gym is to reduce belly fat, make sure to pay attention to what you’re eating, too. It turns out, your diet is a key factor in how much fat you have around your midsection, and by “diet,” we don’t only mean how many calories you eat.

In addition to watching your calories, it also pays to watch what you eat – making sure you consume plenty of vegetables to give yourself the healthy body and trim tummy you’ve always wanted.

Are you wondering what the link is between eating vegetables and reducing belly fat? Read this blog to learn more!

It’s no secret that stretching is an important part of physical fitness, and many of us stretch to ensure that our bodies are loose and ready for any upcoming exercise. Stretching can also boost overall performance and help you prevent injuries during your workout. But did you know that there are two different types of stretching?

They’re called static stretching and dynamic stretching. While static stretching was the fitness industry’s go-to technique for decades, dynamic stretching has gained popularity in recent years as the preferred method.

In today’s blog, we’ll discuss what dynamic stretching is, how it’s different from static stretching, when to use each type of stretching, and some examples of dynamic stretches you can try at our Thornton gym.

Most of us understand that drinking water is important. Getting plenty of water to stay hydrated helps your body carry nutrients and oxygen to your cells, aids in your digestion, regulates your body temperature, boosts brain function, and maximizes your physical performance at the gym.

But did you know that staying well-hydrated throughout your life could also reduce your risk of developing heart failure?

One recent study says this might be true. In this blog, we’ll discuss the findings of this study, which we hope will inspire our gym members to consume plenty of fluids both inside and outside AFAC’s gym in Thornton.

Every year, starting on Mother’s Day, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Office on Women’s Health (OWH) promotes National Women’s Health Week as a time to encourage women and girls to make their health a priority. In addition, the National Cervical Cancer Coalition (NCCC) sets aside the entire month of May as Women’s Health Month, to shine a bright spotlight on the unique health needs of girls and women.

During National Women’s Health Week – May 8-14, 2022 – we should all reflect on women’s individual health needs and think of ways to improve the overall health of women and girls. Whether you continue to pursue your current healthy path or find new ways to achieve a healthy lifestyle, the team at AFAC gym is here to assist you! In this blog, we’ll discuss some ways you can enjoy better health during National Women’s Health Week and Month, both inside and outside our woman-owned gym in Thornton.

AFAC gym is chock full of fitness equipment, which means you’ll have everything you need to pursue your fitness goals. But when you start to strength train at the gym, it can be overwhelming to choose between resistance bands, barbells, trap bars, the landmine, the cable machine, and plate loaded or selectorized equipment.

It can even be tough to select seemingly simple pieces of equipment like dumbbells and kettlebells. On the surface, these two weights might appear straightforward, but they’re designed to fit different fitness needs and should be used accordingly. In this blog, we’ll explore the differences between dumbbells and kettlebells so that you can decide whether to use one, the other, or both at AFAC’s gym in Thornton.

Many women who lift weights at the gym worry that their grip is too weak and wish they could improve their grip strength. They’re also looking for ways to improve their overall strength, posture, and weight loss efforts.

There is one “game changing” exercise that can accomplish all those goals, and more! We’re talking about heavy carries, also known as weighted or loaded carries. With an almost unlimited number of variations, all heavy carry exercises come with similar benefits of boosting grip strength, muscle gains, core stabilization, weight loss, and injury prevention.

In this blog, we’ll discuss what heavy carries are, their benefits for women in particular, and some variations you can try at AFAC’S gym in Thornton.

Summer is right around the corner and with it comes a lot of fun outdoor activities like swimming, volleyball, and tennis. To prepare for the physical demands of the season – and to look our best in those summer outfits – many of us are working extra hard at the gym to get in our best shape.

One of the most common goals this time of year is to lose fat, particularly in the belly area. There’s no doubt that belly fat is the most stubborn fat that exists! If you’re fighting a few pounds around the middle, read this blog to learn if there are any exercises you can do at our Thornton gym to get the flatter, leaner tummy you’re striving for.

At AFAC gym, the options for your fitness regimen are virtually limitless. Whether you want to pursue strength training, amp up your cardio, work with trainers at our fitness classes, or enjoy the mental health boost that comes with regular exercise, our gym has plenty of choices at your disposal.

Sometimes, however, it can be difficult to pick which workouts will help you achieve your fitness goals. Most effective strength training schedules include a ton of bilateral movements like cable Y raises, chinups and pullups, deadlifts, and squats. Research also suggests that we can benefit from adding unilateral training — working out one side of the body at a time — to our training routines.
Check out this blog to learn more about what unilateral training is, its benefits, and ways to incorporate it into your regular workouts at our Thornton gym.

Are you one of the many people wanting a bigger, stronger, better set of pecs? Well-developed chest muscles are a hallmark of weightlifters who’ve spent many hours at the gym, training hard. They’re also a sign of someone who’s been training smart. Whether you’re doing bodyweight exercises like pushups or bench-pressing hundreds of pounds, make sure your chest workouts are giving you the results you’re after. Read this blog to learn more about the best chest workouts to do at our Thornton gym.

Shoulders are among the most hard-working joints in our bodies, which is probably why shoulder pain affects 18-26% of adults at any point in time. Weak or painful shoulders can hold back anyone’s progress at the gym, as your shoulders are actively involved in training your arms, back, core, and even your lower body. Plus, everyone loves to have strong, developed shoulder muscles, right? That’s why it pays to invest your time in exercises that build your shoulder strength and stability.

One way to keep your shoulders in good shape is to add cable Y raise exercises to your gym workout. In this blog, we’ll discuss the benefits of cable Y raises and how to do them at our Thornton gym.