The exercise professionals who founded and run the five facility fitness organization in South Jersey, Future Fitness, know that in order to attract and retain membership, a fitness center must be customer oriented.  No one knows this better than Craig Ehleider, President of Future Fitness.  Craig has been a fixture in the fitness industry for many years and is known for his application of scientific principles to exercise physiology.  In addition the corporate philosophy is to provide more and better services than any of the competitors, all for the same costs.

With five locations in the South Jersey, Philadelphia area, Future Fitness is well equipped to provide physical fitness training to meet every need, from the hardcore exercise enthusiast to the businessman or busy homemaker who wants to improve their health and get into good physical condition.  Future Fitness professionals offer personal training, but go a step further by offering all members one personal training hour per month as part of their membership.  This helps clients with their personal routine and gives them an unbiased evaluation of their progress.  Also as part of their services, Future Fitness offers nutritional advice and a monthly health and progress evaluation by a medical professional.

Future Fitness Centers are located in Cherry Hill, Mt. Laurel, Turnersville, Berlin and Mullica Hill.  They are well equipped with the latest in fitness machines and free weights and each center is staffed by professional trainers, certified massage therapists and nurses.  They also feature childcare centers so those busy homemakers can get in a training session.  Their website, www.futurefitnesscenters.com is easy to navigated and loaded with information about the company, their personnel and their locations.  There are also a number of informative videos featuring Craig and his staff.

In the late 1970s, a group of extreme athletes participated in the ultimate test of fitness and endurance, The IRONMAN Triathlon Competition. From inauspicious beginnings, The IRONMAN is recognized worldwide today as the most extreme form of endurance competition.  The event is held annually on the island of Hawaii and consists of three phases run sequentially:  A 2.4 mile swim in open water; a 112 mile bike race; and a run of 26.2 miles (the marathon distance).  There are a number of classes of competition by sex, age groups, professional and amateur.  Just finishing The IRONMAN gives significant bragging rights and hero-points enough to last a lifetime.

The promoters and developers of IRONMAN produce IRONMAN Fitness Equipment for the North and South American markets and they have licensed the manufacture outside of the Western Hemisphere.  The three primary products are; treadmills, exercise bikes and elliptical exercise machines.

• Treadmills – Two models, 1911 and 1921, with respectively; 2.5 and 3 HP continuous electric motors, 10 and 12 mph top speeds.  Each has 13 exercise programs and handlebar controls for ease of operation.
• Exercise bikes – Eight models, 3 upright and 5 recumbent, all with a wide variety of resistance and features.
• Elliptical Exercise Machines – Five models, 1 with eight levels of resistance, 4 with sixteen levels.  The base model has 1 heart-rate control and 1 program, the other four have 4 HR controls and up to 12 custom programs

Though IRONMAN Fitness Equipment was developed for home use, they are of commercial quality with sturdy frames, decks, motors, controls and features.  Independent reviewers rate all IRONMAN equipment very highly.  Further information is available on their webpage or through any of a number of equipment distributors found online.

Much like the arm biceps, the hamstring benefits from a “curling” movement with moderate resistance, using pulleys or dumbbells.  Additionally, there are specific machines in many fitness centers that are designed for “thigh curls.”  Other hamstring curls may be executed using Swiss balls, benches or simply a supine position on a floor exercise mat.

• Swiss Ball Hamstring Exercise – lie prone with feet on the ball, elevate hips and bend legs at knee, rolling the ball towards your buttocks, hold for one second, the straighten legs while keeping butt elevated.  Repeat for ten or more reps.
• Hamstring Curls with Ankle Weights – strap on weights, stand erect, moving leg only from the knee down, raise foot until lower leg is at ninety degrees or more.  Lower and repeat for ten or more reps.
• Good Mornings – stand erect with a light barbell held at arms length.  Bend forward, keeping legs straight, and place the barbell against the floor.  Straighten and repeat for ten reps or more.
• Donkey Kicks – on hands and knees, straighten and raise one leg, then raise the leg as high as possible while clenching the buttocks.  Lower leg, but don’t touch the ground with foot or leg.  Repeat for ten or more reps.
• Hip Raises – supine on floor exercise mat, raise knees to 45 degree angle.  Thrust hips up as far as you can.  Lower butt and repeat then or more times.
• Bench Hip Raises – same as above, but begin with feet elevated on a bench.
• Hamstring Stretch – seated with legs together in front.  Bend forward and touch forehead to knees (or a close as you can get).  Straighten up, then repeat ten or more times.

Like any other muscle, the hamstrings should be warmed up before stretching them in order to avoid injury.  Cold muscles are injury prone if not warmed before strenuous stretching, so some light, high repetition exercise should be performed before beginning a hamstring routine.

Bodybuilders spend a lot of time exercising, the purpose of which is to tear down muscle tissue so that it will grow bigger when it recovers and heals.  The diet of a bodybuilder is very high in protein, the tissue building material in their diet.  While they rest and recover, the protein they ingest goes to work rebuilding the damaged muscle tissue.  With enough strenuous exercise and enough protein, the muscles grow.  It all sounds very simple . . . and it is, but the process may take many years of iron-pumping and proper nutrition, before the results are impressive.  Old timey bodybuilders often didn’t reach their peak of development until they were in their late thirties.

Enter the nutritionists.  Studies of how the body metabolizes proteins and carbohydrates resulted in a greater understanding of what an athlete should eat in order to maximize their performance.  Bodybuilders (definitely an extreme athletic endeavor) wanted to maximize their development as well as their performance.  Dietary supplement makers used their research labs to identify those natural substances that would provide athletes what they wanted.  Amino acids, the building blocks of protein, were isolated and synthesized and incorporated into supplements formulated to increase both performance and muscle size.  Protein sources were identified and categorized by how they were used by the human metabolism.  Protein supplementation is designed to facilitate growth, recovery and bodily functions.

• Whey Protein – milk-based whey is a source of essential amino acids.  Whey helps produce greater muscle mass and is absorbed rapidly by the system.  Taken immediately after a workout.
• Soy Protein – Soy is the only vegetable source of a complete protein.  It is more slowly absorbed.
• Casein – aids in muscle recovery and basic body functions.  Very slow absorption, so it is best taken at bedtime.

Other supplements were developed that also aided bodybuilders in achieving their goals.

• Creatine Monohydrate – a performance enhancer that stimulates the production of testosterone.  Should be cycled.
• Nitric Oxide (NO) – stimulates muscle recovery, aids circulation.
• Human Growth Hormone (HGH) – after being vilified initially, HGH is now recognized as an important part of many fitness and health programs.  Studies have shown that as the body ages it produces less HGH.  Supplemental HGH usage not only will slow the aging process, but it will even reverse it.  HGH will stimulate muscle growth.

It all comes back to protein, how the body uses it, how we get it and how it may be supplemented in the diet.  Any active bodybuilder or other athlete should be getting between one and two grams of protein per pound per day.  A 180 pound athlete should be consuming between 180 and 360 grams of protein throughout the day.  This requires supplementation in most properly balanced diets.

Right after the New Year the business booms at fitness clubs, bodybuilding gyms, health spas and the YMCA.  The reason is New Years Resolutions.  It seems that nearly everyone, male and female, makes a commitment to get into better shape, so they flock to the venues with all those weights, machines, exercise bikes, treadmills and floor exercise areas.  Their resolve lasts about three months, if that.  A few, however, make a serious commitment to themselves and resolve to stick with the program.  Health club owners make their biggest advertising and promotional push during the holiday season, counting on the first three months making their years revenues.

Those who stick with the program do so because many of them are lucky enough to have the personal initiative and true desire to create a better body.  If they are really lucky, they connect with someone to motivate them; a personal trainer, a club owner who will work with them or a workout partner to keep them on track.  They embark upon a basic fitness program to prepare for the real work to come.  A complete body workout program will tone and condition all of the major muscle groups in the body:  Chest, Shoulders, Back, Arms, Waist, Thighs and Calves.

• Chest – Bench Press, Incline Bench Press, Decline Bench Press, Dumbbell or Pec-Deck Flies, Push-ups.
• Shoulders – Military Press, Upright Rowing, Dumbbell Press, Dumbbell Lateral Raises, Bent-over Lateral Raises, Shrugs.
• Back – Lat Machine Pull-downs, Bent-over Rowing, Seated Rowing, Chin-ups, Front-levers.
• Arms – Bicep Curls, Dumbbell Curls, Three-Way Curls (21 Count Curls), Preacher Bench Curls, Triceps Press Downs, Close Grip Triceps Presses, Wall Push-ups, French Presses.
• Waist – Crunches, Leg Raises, Incline Crunches, Decline Leg Raises.
• Thighs – Squats, Leg Extensions, Hack Squats, Abductor-Adductor Extensions, Calf Raises, Lunges.

After a high degree of fitness is achieved, specialized exercises may be added to work to blitz the muscles that are slower to respond.  Advanced students should focus on one major muscle group per workout, with the waist being exercised every day.

Diet is a critical part of every bodybuilding program.  A balanced diet, high in protein with some unrefined carbohydrates is in order.  Alcohol and caffeine should be avoided.

Protein powders and other supplements can be very beneficial, particularly those that will promote greater assimilation of nutrients and those that provide greater energy.

Like all athletic wear, bodybuilding clothing must perform a number of functions:

• It must be comfortable and allow for ease of movement without binding or restrictions.
• It must be protective in that there is a layer of material between the body and any benches, machine seats and backrests.
• It must be functional; perspiration absorbing, elastic and sturdy.
• It should also allow for enough musculature exposure for a “set of mirrors.”  Seeing the muscles work aids in focus and concentration on the area being worked.  Gyms and fitness clubs are usually walled with mirrors for self-examination.
• Stylish – It doesn’t hurt to look good.
• Durable – It must hold up to wear-and-tear and multiple washings.

Typical bodybuilding clothing will often consist of:

• Outerwear – Sweatshirt and sweatpants or an athletic warm-up jacket and pants, loose-fitting, absorbent and easy to take off without removing the gym shoes.
• Loose-fitting shorts.
• Baggy T-Shirt.
• Tank-top.
• Athletic, supportive undergarments.
• Athletic socks.
• Gym shoes.
• Lifting gloves – Positive grip and lessens the development of calluses.

Most of the major athletic equipment companies also offer lines of athletic wear, all specifically designed for sporting activity.  Bodybuilding clothing is very sport specific and some care should be made in the selection of what is worn.  Most bodybuilding gyms offer workout gear.  An online search will also uncover many mail order sources of bodybuilding clothing.

Serious bodybuilders in the fifties used to spend many long, tough hours in the gym pumping iron, straining against massive weights, ignoring the pain of unavoidable injuries to shoulders, elbows, knees, toughing it out through tendonitis flare-ups . . . all in the name of body perfection.  They ate copious amounts of protein and popped vitamin and supplement pills by the handful. They used to joke that someday, someone would invent a pill that would build their muscles without all the hard work and dieting.  Careful what you wish for, Big Man, you might just be faced with a moral dilemma.

Along came Dianabol in the late 1950s, developed by a chemist for use by the US Olympic Weightlifting Team in response to the discovery that Soviet and their Eastern Bloc cohorts had been using anabolic steroids to improve performance, as early as in the late 1940’s.  Dianabol was formulated to reduce some of the negative side-effects experienced by the Russian and East German lifters, but still give the testosterone boost needed for increased strength, endurance and muscle density.  The “little blue pill” was quickly snapped up by the bodybuilding world and became regularly available in serious bodybuilding gyms, under-the-counter after it became regulated by the FDA.  Steroid abuse became commonplace and resulted in many health problems.

Further research into performance enhancement without drugging or putting athletes’ health at risk has come up with a number of natural substances that can be artificially formulated and easily used.  Human Growth Hormone (HGH) was found to be the best of these chemicals that are produced naturally by the human body.  The production of HGH fades after maturity and ultimately is almost absent in the system of the average person.  Medical researchers focused on aging have found that injections of HGH can not only slow and halt the aging process, but in many carefully supervised cases, has actually reversed the aging process, tightening the skin, increasing muscle density and size and restoring many of the age diminished faculties.

A properly applied and medically supervised program of HGH usage by bodybuilders will permit the individuals to develop to their maximum potential.  But, it still requires exercise as part of the program.  Heavy weight training will tear down the muscles and the high-protein, HGH enhanced diet will rebuild that damaged tissue faster and bigger than without the hormone.  So, lifting heavy weights will never be replaced, but that activity may be augmented by a program of HGH bodybuilding to achieve great results, faster.

One exercise that you must do if you want to gain strength is squats. When you focus on your legs — which many people don’t — you’re releasing more HGH throughout your system, which allows you to grow bigger faster. Many people take supplements to get bigger and don’t do leg exercises. What they don’t realize is that they could be saving their money and potentially their health by just doing leg exercises. You will often get the same result.

Other gym exercises you will want to strongly consider are dead lifts, the military press, pull-ups and curls. Dead lifts will improve your overall strength. The military press will build your shoulders, but you should not do them at all if you have any shoulder problems. If you do, you could be out of commission for a while. Pull-ups are the best back exercise out there. There is absolutely no replacement for them. The best thing about pull-ups is that you can improve very fast if you stick with them. Don’t be surprised by a 100% gain for reps in three months if you stay consistent. And if you want ripped guns, you have to do curls. That said, triceps are also very important and underrated. Add some skull crushers to your repertoire.

When it comes to gym exercises, a lot will depend on the equipment at your gym, as well your body type and goals. All of these factors must be considered before you come up with a workout plan. You can often find the correct plan for you online.

Have fun getting ripped!

Many bodybuilding exercises work well for men and women, but there are certain bodybuilding workouts that really seem to trigger muscle growth in women. These exercises are described below:

Abdominals:

The abdominals are traditionally the main area targeted by women bodybuilders. Many women make the mistake of limiting their abdominal workouts to sit-ups and crunches, which fail to target the lower abdominals. Toned lower abdominals make the most difference in muscle definition of the abdominals-you can do as many crunches as you want, but until you work those lower abs, you won’t see results!

The best abdominal exercises for women bodybuilders include the plank, side bends, and leg tucks. You should still do crunches and sit-ups, but don’t make these exercises the sole focus of all your bodybuilding workouts.

Upper Body:

Women tend to have more trouble building muscle in the upper body (biceps, triceps, chest and shoulders). Often, their negative attitudes are more limiting to their upper body strength than any biological factors. Many women believe that trying to build upper body strength is futile, and as such, they spend minimal time on the upper body and see minimal results.

The truth is, women have the same ability to gain muscle in the upper body as they do in the lower body and abdominals. A strong upper body is beneficial in many sports and even can be helpful for women carrying out daily chores (i.e. shoveling snow, carrying groceries, mowing the lawn, etc.)

There are several great exercises that target the upper body. Many women find that doing bicep curls and triceps dips with dumbbells or barbells effectively tone the arms and shoulders, while the bench press improves chest strength.

Lower Body:

Whether they’re involved in bodybuilding or not, women who desire long and lean legs spend a great deal of time executing lower body exercises. Bodybuilding workouts for the lower body are great because they target multiple muscles at once. The best lower body exercises include squats, lunges, leg curls, calf raises, the wall sit, and my personal favorite, the doggie and the fire hydrant.

If you execute these bodybuilding workout routines several times a week, you will see results quickly. In no time, you’ll have a firmer body and increased self-confidence!

Some of the more well-known people that have made bodybuilder videos include:

• Arnold Schwarzenegger
• Rachel McClish
• Cory Everson
• Lee Haney

You can find bodybuilders videos that are made especially for men, female bodybuilder videos, and other videos that can be used by either sex. You can also find videos for beginners as well as videos to that can give experienced bodybuilders different exercises to add to their regimen. These usually fall into three categories which are:

• Beginner or Starter Workout Programs
• Intermediate Workout Programs
• Advanced Workout Programs

Simply by doing a search, you can find many free bodybuilding videos on various websites across the internet. Many of these videos also come with other information that can be helpful in achieving your bodybuilding goals, such as the type of diet you should maintain and other related tips.

While these videos can help you achieve a healthier lifestyle, many people use them to make themselves more attractive to the opposite sex. While a bit of personality is always crucial to attraction, having a nice body sure doesn’t hurt either.

There are also bodybuilding videos that present How-To guides. These can provide direct answers to some workout questions you might have, as well as show you how to perform a certain technique correctly to achieve maximum results. No matter how advanced someone is in bodybuilding, proper technique and form are essential. When looking for any type of bodybuilding videos it is good to know that there are videos available that will provide exercises you can do for all different body parts, including:

• Neck
• Traps (Trapezius)
• Shoulders (Deltoids)
• Chest (Pectoralis)
• Triceps
• Biceps
• Forearms
• Abs
• Thighs(Quadriceps)
• Calves
• Glutes
• Hamstring
• Back

If a bodybuilding video is what you seek, you will not have trouble finding one that suits your needs. As you can see, there are bodybuilding videos that cover any body part you want to improve, as well as ones that are made to help any level of bodybuilder someone might be. Simply doing a search for whatever you might need should provide you with the results you seek.