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.

AFAC gym is excited to announce our new Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) classes taught by Trainer Nick every Friday evening at 5:00.

These classes are FREE for members of AFAC gym, and non-members can join us for a $10 drop-in fee. You don’t want to miss out on this chance to learn from Nick’s years of experience as a professional MMA fighter. This class is open to ALL LEVELS, so even if you’ve never tried an MMA workout, we invite you to join us and learn the ropes!

Read this blog to find out more about Nick, his new class at our Thornton gym, and the benefits of mixed martial arts training. We can’t wait to see you there!

Have you ever wondered what your body fat percentage is? Or have you been working hard at the gym and want to know how much muscle you’ve built? Whether you’re a fitness enthusiast or just concerned about your health, it can be incredibly helpful to know the amount of fat, muscle, water, and minerals you have in your body so that you can make the best decisions about your diet and exercise program.

AFAC gym has the perfect solution for you. We are the only facility in the Thornton, CO, area that has an InBody 770 Body Composition and Body Water Analyzer. In a few minutes, this device can measure your fat mass, muscle mass, and much more to give you a comprehensive analysis of your entire body. Both members and non-members of our Thornton gym can take advantage of InBody 770’s exclusive metrics. Read this blog to learn more!

At Adventure Fitness Athletic Club, we’re here to help our gym members with all their fitness questions. One of the most common questions we hear is, “What’s better — lifting fewer reps of heavier weights, or more reps of lighter weights?”

The answer to this question can be a bit confusing and mostly depends on what your fitness goals are at our Thornton gym. Read this blog to learn more!

Members of AFAC gym are fortunate because they have access to all the best workout equipment, including a landmine. The landmine is one of the most versatile, effective weight training tools for increasing functional strength and athletic performance.

If you’ve never heard of or used a landmine, you’re not alone. In this blog, we’ll describe what a landmine is, its benefits, and a few of the best landmine exercises you can try at our Thornton gym.

Big biceps show the world that you’ve put in some serious time at the gym. After all, they’re the first muscles you show your friends when they ask if you’ve been working out, and they’re even the emoji we all use to represent pure strength 💪 Who among us hasn’t rolled up our shirt sleeve and flexed?

But biceps aren’t there just for show. As the main muscles that flex your elbows, your biceps help you do everything from lifting a protein shake to your lips to picking up your kid. They serve a real function in your daily life.

On the surface, building better biceps seems pretty simple—you complete curl after curl until your biceps grow over time. However, there are many other workouts you can do at our Thornton gym to build your biceps. In this blog, we’ll review some exercises that focus on developing your biceps so that you can put on the gun show you’ve always dreamed of.

Well, here we are, already several weeks into the New Year. In January, many of us found ourselves with a fresh passion to live healthier and more active lifestyles. We resolved to eat better, get more sleep, and go to the gym every day to reach our fitness goals.

As the weeks go by, however, it’s completely natural to lose a little of that fitness enthusiasm we had at the beginning of the year. Life gets busy, it’s cold outside, and we feel too tired or overwhelmed to work out. Exercise becomes yet another item to check off our long to-do list, and it’s almost too easy to skip sometimes.

Don’t give up, though! Even the most diehard fitness fans struggle with motivation sometimes. You just need to find ways to get over the hump and inspired to move again. If you’re looking for some ideas to recharge your excitement for exercise at our Thornton gym, read this blog!