The PACE circuit training and cardio theater will burn fat, increase muscle tone, increase strength, increase flexibility and most importantly produce a healthier heart, but they will do very little to increase muscle mass. I am not talking about bodybuilding but just increasing muscle mass to increase your metabolism. The best definition of metabolism I have heard is simply the ratio of muscle to fat. As we get older our metabolism slows down. That statement is only true if you allow your body to decrease in muscle mass, which will automatically convert to fat. It is a fact that a pound of muscle will burn twice as many calories as a pound of fat even when the muscle isn’t being worked. My goal is to burn as many calories as possible when I’m sitting in front of the T.V. To achieve that goal I have chosen the Body for Life program, which primarily uses dumbbells to isolate muscle groups. We have the forms available to get you started in the forms section of our web site. They are called upper body and lower body levels I and II as well as a blank for each. The levels I and II are just a place to begin adjusting your proper weight for each exercise. Eating for life is another form you can use to track your food consumption. Twenty minute aerobic solution shows how to use cardio equipment with the Body for Life twist. For more information you may purchase the book at PACE Fitness Zone or visit Body for Life

The Body for Life is a very intense program. If that’s not what you are interested in, we have another option for you to incorporate your free weight training into the circuit, cardio and ab workouts. Look in the forms section under training log.

We have books at the club to show proper form for each exercise but please call us to set up an appointment for instruction on proper form and execution of any strength training you may wish to begin. Remember you should never sacrifice proper form to lift more weight. You will hurt yourself sooner or later. Even if you think you won’t get hurt, you still will get more benefit from less weight and proper form than you will from more weight with sacrificed form.