Every year on November 11th, the United States celebrates Veterans Day. This federal holiday honors the brave men and women who have served in any branch of our nation’s armed forces — military, naval, air, or space.
This November 11th, everyone at our gym in Thornton is remembering Veterans Day with an abundance of gratitude. To all those who have served, and to those who continue to serve our country, Happy Veterans Day from AFAC gym! There is no way to thank you and your loved ones for everything you’ve sacrificed for our freedom, but on Veterans Day, we have to try. Veterans, we salute you! From our hearts to yours, thank you for all you do to protect our citizens, our country, and our way of life.
Who is your favorite veteran? Whether they’re a family member, friend, or famous vet you admire, we challenge you to remember them by completing a special workout in their honor. Read on to learn how you can sweat for a vet at our gym near you.
The Veterans Day Workout at AFAC Gym
It’s easy to commemorate your special veteran at AFAC gym on Veterans Day or any other day. After all, veterans should be honored all year long!
To dedicate a workout to your veteran, take the letters of their first name and complete the exercises below listed by each letter. Repeat the entire circuit 2 to 5 times.
A
Do 25 jumping jacks
You probably started doing jumping jacks as a child, but did you know that these simple exercises have several health benefits? First, they are easy to do and can be learned by people who have never worked out at a gym before. They also provide a full-body workout that burns quite a few calories, increases bone density, and boosts your cardiovascular health. And finally, jumping jacks build muscles in the calves, hips, core, lower back, and shoulders.
B
Do 25 decline bench sit-ups
Decline sit-ups are performed on a special bench that positions your hips and thighs above your upper body. This position causes you to work harder because you have to lift your body against gravity through a wider range of motion.
Before you start your decline sit-ups, you can adjust the angle of the bench to increase or decrease the difficulty of the exercise. The higher the angle, the more difficult the sit-ups will be.
First, lay down face-up with your upper body on the lower part of the bench, your knees bent over the pads, and your feet hooked under the padded bar. Cross your arms over your chest or interlace your fingers around the back of your head. Lift your torso up to bring your chest to your thighs. Pause, and then return to the starting position.
C
Do 25 push-ups
Pushups are a fundamental exercise that works muscles all over your body including your chest, arms, stomach, hips, and legs. Doing pushups also burns calories, protects your shoulders and lower back from injuries, improves your balance and posture, and enhances your flexibility.
D
Do 10 burpees
This exercise with the funny name works many of the major muscle groups in your body. Essentially, a burpee is a two-part exercise — a pushup followed by a jump in the air and a squat (jump squat). While doing 10 burpees in a row can be tiring, they will burn calories and boost your cardio fitness, in addition to strengthening your legs, hips, glutes, abdomen, arms, shoulders, and chest.
E
Do a 1-minute wall sit
Who knew that sitting could seriously work your glutes, quads, and hamstrings? This is no ordinary “take a seat” moment, though. Wall sits require you to hold yourself in a seated position – without any support underneath you – for a predetermined amount of time. All you need is a wall to lean against, and you’re good to go!
F
Do 15 triceps bench dips
If you want stronger arms, bench dips may be the exercise you’re looking for. Even though this bodyweight exercise mainly targets your triceps (hence the name), it also works your chest, anterior deltoid, and shoulders.
G
Do 10 lunges per leg
Lunges are a super strength training exercise that helps sculpt and tone the body, boost athletic performance, and support overall fitness. This resistance exercise strengthens your back, hips, and legs while also improving your stability and mobility. It’s particularly popular for runners and cyclists.
H
Do 15 leg raises
This exercise primarily targets your lower abdominal muscles. Leg raises also improve the strength and flexibility of your lower back and hips. It’s also a beneficial exercise for anyone who spends a lot of time sitting at a desk.
I
Do 30 glute bridges
Also known as a hip raise, the glute bridge exercise will help you develop bigger, stronger glutes, and can boost your performance in weightlifting, running, cycling, and a variety of team sports. Glute bridges can also help you to correct your posture and alleviate lower back and knee pain.
J
Do 10 windmills per side
The windmill — which can be done with or without weights — is a complex exercise that improves strength and flexibility in the glutes, shoulders, and obliques (sides of the torso).
K
Do 50 high knees (25 per leg)
You might remember high knees from elementary or middle school PE class, or maybe even marching band practice. While it might have been a long time since you tried them, high knees improve cardiovascular fitness, burn calories, boost lower-body strength, and strengthen abdominal muscles.
L
Do mountain climbers for 1 minute
What better exercise to do at a gym in Thornton, Colorado, than mountain climbers? This compound exercise strengthens your arms, back, core, shoulders, and legs. It also increases your heart rate and helps you burn calories.
M
Do 10 minutes of upright cycling
Upright cycling at AFAC gym provides you with a solid cardio workout that is low-impact and burns a good amount of calories.
N
Do 10 hip thrusts
Hip thrusts are the must-do exercise for anyone who wants to build great glutes at the gym. There are several variations of hip thrusts, and you can also use a variety of equipment for resistance like barbells, dumbbells, resistance bands, or weighted plates.
O
Do 5 deadlifts
The deadlift is a fundamental weightlifting exercise that works most muscle groups in the body in a short amount of time. Just make sure to use proper form to maximize your results and prevent injury.
P
Do 25 squats
Squatting is a movement that we master as toddlers, but we can lose this skill over the years if we don’t practice it. As an exercise, squats can improve your performance in running, jogging, skiing, hiking, and climbing. They are also a functional exercise that can help you maintain your ability to balance, walk, bend, climb stairs, and carry heavy loads as you get older.
Q
Climb 10 minutes on the StairMaster 10G
The StairMaster 10G offers one of the most difficult workouts at AFAC gym. Get ready to sweat as you climb this endless staircase that can be set to whatever speed you think you can handle.
R
Climb 10 minutes on the VersaClimber
The VersaClimber at AFAC gym allows you to mimic the same climbing motion that you’d experience in the mountains, without the worry of bad weather or slippery rock surfaces.
S
Climb 10 minutes on Jacobs Ladder
Are you ready to work your way up the fitness ladder? Then Jacobs Ladder at AFAC gym is perfect for you. This machine burns a ton of calories and is easy on the joints.
T
Hold a 1-minute plank
After a few seconds, planking can be a true test of your discipline and endurance. Once you get used to planking, though, you’ll notice an improvement in your core, shoulder, back, glute, and leg muscles.
U
Do 15 dumbbell curls
Dumbbell curls are a classic arm exercise. They can help you build bigger bicep muscles, strengthen the functional movement of your elbows, and improve your grip strength.
V
Do 2 minutes of bicycle crunches with a resistance band
Grab a mini resistance band at AFAC gym and lay down on a mat to try this exercise that targets the deep abs.
W
Jump rope for 5 minutes
Remember all the fun you had jumping rope as a kid? It’s time to walk — or should we say, jump — down memory lane with this exercise that burns calories, improves coordination, and strengthens bone density.
X
Spend 10 minutes on an elliptical or treadmill
With this letter, you have a choice between an elliptical or treadmill session at AFAC gym. Both of these machines will give you a reliable cardiovascular workout that gets your heart pumping and lungs breathing.
Y
Do 15 kettlebell swings
The number of benefits you’ll get from kettlebells swings is surprising. This exercise targets almost every major muscle group in your body, gives you an effective cardio workout, and improves your balance and posture.
Z
Spend 10 minutes on a rowing machine
The rowing machine might be last on our list of Veterans Day exercises, but rowing is a top-tier exercise that works 86% of the muscles in your body, burns a lot of calories, and provides fast results.
AFAC Gym Thanks Our Veterans for Their Service
At AFAC gym, we’re proud of the veterans at our gym and in our community. On Veterans Day and every day, we honor all current and former members of America’s military forces. Thank you, veterans, for dedicating your lives to keeping our country safe and strong.
To learn more about becoming a member at the best gym in the Thornton area, please stop by AFAC or call to speak to a member of our staff. You can also contact our gym owner, Susan, at 720-849-0245 or susan@adventurefitness.club for assistance.
To read more articles from Adventure Fitness Athletic Club, check out our Adventure Corner blogs by clicking here.
