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Category: Beginner Fitness Tips

Functional Fitness for Golf Season

Posted on by axavier

With golf season in full swing, we want to help you step up your game with some functional fitness tips. We’ve highlighted a few golf workouts you can try on the XT-900 Functional Trainer to help you get the most out of your training. Targeting different muscle groups can help improve your swing speed, power and accuracy. It can also help improve your overall quality of life by strengthening your full body. With that being said, are you ready for your best swing of 2022?

Functionally Fit Down to the Core

Having a strong and stable core is beneficial for many things in your daily life like running errands, enjoying time with your family, work, fitness, and recreational activities. When it comes to golf specifically, having a great golf game requires proper training and consistency. Regularly training your core along with your upper and lower body, will pave a road for success in the long run. If you would like to gain a firm foundation to drive the ball further, try these functional fitness exercises:

Core Workout

One of the main components of your physical foundation would be your core. Improving your core strength allows you to transfer energy, generate force and protect your low back during movement. When it comes to golf fitness, the condition of your core is especially important to help power your swing.

Tip #1

High-to-low Trunk Rotation

Do three sets and choose a weight that will allow you to do 12-15 reps on each side.

1.   Position pulley above user head height.

2.   Stand two feet away from the machine with your left side towards the pulley. Position feet shoulder-width apart with knees slightly bent.

3.   Grasp the handle with the left hand first, followed by the right hand on top of the left hand.

4.   Pull the handle downward and diagonally across the body until it passes the right thigh. Rotate the entire torso and keep the arms fully extended throughout the movement.

5.   Return to start position. Switch sides after the prescribed number of reps.

*Tip: Remember to rotate shoulders and not just the arms. Note the weight distribution from one leg to the other during the exercise.

Muscles worked: abdominals, obliques.

Bonus benefit: Helps improve thoracic spine mobility.

Tip #2

Low-to-high Trunk Rotation

Do three sets and choose a weight that will allow you to do 12-15 reps on each side.

Repeat the instructions above, excluding step #1.

Upper and Lower Body Workout

For your golf swing to be powerful yet controlled, the smaller stabilizing muscles need to be working in sync with the larger force-producing ones. The following two functional exercises will train your balance and target stabilizer muscles from head to toe, as well as the small muscles in the foot and ankle.

Tip #3

Single-leg Pallof Figure 8

Perform three sets of 12 “figure 8”.

1.   Position the pulley at approximately chest height.

2.   Stand with your right side 2-3ft away from the pulley.

3.   Grasp handle with the right hand first, followed by the left hand on top of the right hand. Extend your arms forward at chest level with your hips and shoulders squared.

4.   With arms fully extended and standing on the right leg only, draw a “figure 8”.

5.   Remember to keep the torso and hips stable. Switch sides after the prescribed number of reps.

*Tip: Remember to keep the core engaged to prevent any rotation from occurring. You will also feel your hip rotators working hard to maintain balance and stability.

Muscles worked: Obliques, abdominals, hip rotators.

Tip #4

Single-arm/Single Leg Reverse Fly

Perform three sets of 12 reps.

1.   Position the pulley at the lowest position.

2.   Stand with your right side 2-3ft away from the pulley.

3.   Grasp the handle with your left hand, and stand on your right leg only.

4.   Hinging forward with your torso at a 30-45 degree angle, perform a reverse fly as shown.

5.   Switch sides after completing the set.

Muscles worked: Hip rotators, core, posterior deltoid, mid and lower traps, and rhomboids.

Stretch

The best way to cool down from these great exercises is with some stretching. You can use the TRUE Stretch Golf to help aid in recovery, reduce your risk of injury and increase mobility.

TRUE Stretch Golf functional fitness workout guide

TRUE At-Home Workouts

Posted on by NWV

#TRUEHomeWorkoutTips

We want to you in light of the COVID-19 outbreak. Our new at-home trainer tip series was created to support you in your home fitness.

Our new at-home trainer tips series will offer exercises that require no equipment that you can try at home. If you’re looking to mix it up, you can also add in some treadmill or elliptical exercises if available!

We want to hear from you! Let us know what trainer tips you want to see next on our Facebook or Instagram!

Check out our At-Home Workout Series here.

5 Fitness Tips To Help You See Impressive Results

Posted on by NWV

Being fit has many physical and mental benefits for your health. However, many people may not understand what it fully requires to fully reach their goals. Follow these 5 fitness tips to help you see impressive results.

1. Stay Consistent

Consistency will lead you on the road to success the quickest. It doesn’t matter what your goals are. If you have consistency and develop a routine that you know that you can rely on, it will lead to you reaching your goals quicker.

For example, if you want to lose weight, you should be consistent in your cardio exercise regimen. This consistency cannot just stop at your physical exercise, though. This consistency has to extend into another important part of your routine, which is your diet.

2. Watch Your Diet

Maintain a good diet to reach your fitness goals.

Many people only focus on the gym and exercise component of attaining fitness goals. As mentioned before, your diet is one of the most important parts of your fitness regimen, but having a great diet, regardless of your fitness goals, will impact whether or not you are successful in your goals as much or more than actual exercise. This is because your body will reflect what you eat and your diet can either progress your goals further or set you back.

It may be helpful for you to keep a log of what you eat and determine which foods you need to eliminate and which foods you need to add. In addition, you also want to be mindful of when you are eating, because it can also affect your performance in the gym.

For those who are bodybuilding or looking to build muscle, it’s recommended to incorporate some kind of carbohydrates before a workout session, and then have a protein-heavy meal once you are finished to speed up the recovery process. Protein shakes are a popular commodity in this regard. However, different protein powders can have different vitamins, minerals, and ingredients that can be more effective for men or women.

Ladies can check out a variety of protein powders to see what’s available for their needs. There tend to be more protein powders available for men that already have the extra minerals and vitamins included to help them get gains. So when guys are searching for the best protein powder, it’s better to decide if they’re trying to get lean or gain weight.

3. Have Realistic Expectations

Having the right mindset is imperative to achieve the fitness goals of any kind, and it starts by having realistic expectations. If you don’t like what you see in the mirror, then you have to work hard to see a change. However, if you are looking to shed some pounds and reduce your waistline, you can’t expect it to be done within a week.

Realistic expectations directly correlate with being consistent. Gaining weight means you will need to take the time to increase the amount of food in your diet and the number of weight-bearing activities that you engage in.

Losing weight will take a gradual amount of time with you engaging in vigorous cardio and making healthy choices. Your body cannot adapt to the changes that you plan to make overnight.

4. Hire A Trainer

A trainer helping a client reach their goals

You don’t have to achieve your fitness goals alone. Getting a certified trainer can help expedite the process because the odds are pretty great that they have already achieved the goals you are trying to achieve.

While some people may be nervous about working with someone out of fear of embarrassment, a fitness trainer will not only teach you the fundamentals of what you are trying to achieve, but they will hold you accountable and push you to reach your goals. Besides, it can be nice to have support from someone who knows how to work out to get the results you want, and what kind of fitness equipment and accessories you need to help you obtain those results. By the end of your regimen, you will feel more motivated to keep engaging in habits that will give you the body you want.

5. Stay Active

Finally, one of the most important things that you can do to help your exercise routine is to remain active in whatever you do. For those seeking to lose weight, this is especially important. One of the biggest risk factors of being overweight is living a sedentary lifestyle.

This means that it is entirely possible that you spend a lot of time sitting down or being inactive. Even if you are at home, try moving around. Find 20 minutes or so a day and take a walk around the neighborhood. Remaining active will not only benefit your health tremendously, but it will keep you in an active, fit mindset.

As you can see, being fit requires a lot of discipline and consistency on your end. However, if you follow all of these tips, you are sure to get the results that you desire.

Tips for Fitness-Oriented New Year’s Resolutions

Posted on by Angie Tinsley

Whether you have an actively used membership at the local fitness center or spend most of your exercise routine on home treadmills, the new year is the perfect reason to ramp up your fitness regime. Think about it, the new year represents a new beginning for everyone who celebrates the holiday. Regrettably, it also tends to represent a fair amount of excess for many of us as the celebrations for the event can get a little bit…loud. Nonetheless, it behooves all of us to take this turning of the season to focus on some of the things that we want to improve about ourselves. This year, whether you’re happy with your current level of fitness or not, make it a healthy 2015 by adding several health goals to your new year’s list of resolutions. Worried that you’ll start out strong but fall off with your goals by the time Valentines Day rolls around? No worries. While it’s certainly a possibility that things won’t go perfectly, following these three pointers can ensure that you’re ready for every obstacle the new year throws at your fitness goals. Continue reading “Tips for Fitness-Oriented New Year’s Resolutions”

Save Your Posture! Battling “Tech Neck”

Posted on by Angie Tinsley

Smartphones and tablets have revolutionized how we live on a daily basis. With technology, we can do so much right at our fingertips, even work out. The amount of time spent looking down at a screen has increased significantly over the past 10 years. The posture made when looking down at a phone or tablet, or some mobile device usually consists of rounded shoulders and a flexed forward head – this is called “Tech Neck.” Continue reading “Save Your Posture! Battling “Tech Neck””

How to maintain your exercise motivation

Posted on by Angie Tinsley

With the busy schedules we all have to maintain, by the end of the day, we’re usually exhausted. Working out is the last thing we’re thinking about. However, there are simple ways to keep up your motivation and jump on those stationary bikes or fitness treadmills to fit in a workout.

Turn to social media
If you’re struggling to find a reason to workout, fire up Instagram. The platform is filled with motivational quotes, quick workouts and before and after pictures of people who have had success with exercise. Seeing someone in good shape can give you the inspiration you need to get up and get moving. Try searching for a role model of yours on Instagram that, in your eyes, has the perfect body. That image will stick with you and give you constant motivation to reach your goals.

Have your workout materials ready
Sometimes, the most exhausting part of working out is actually getting everything ready. If you plan to sneak in a morning workout, have your clothes and accessories packed and ready to go to the gym. This way, you can just grab everything and go!

Kick out negative thoughts
Thoughts like, “this workout won’t make a difference anyway” or “I never workout well in the morning” can really halt your motivation. Try turning these thoughts around. Instead, try saying or thinking something along the lines of “this workout is a step in the right direction.”

Greg Dale, professor of Sport Psychology and Sport Ethics, told Runner’s World, “It’s important to acknowledge negative thoughts, then to rationalize them with thoughts that are positive, truthful, and relevant to you.”

Grab a friend
Having a buddy to always workout with is one of the best ways to get yourself moving. Chances are, one of the friends is going to hold the other one accountable. You’re much less likely to skip a workout if you have someone encouraging you to workout with them. Having someone there with you can also make exercising more fun!

Explore what works best
Maybe you discover you workout best in the mornings or when you’re listening to music. Either way, find what keeps you motivated, and stick to it.

“Find out what works, then feed it,” sports psychologist Alison Arnold told Runner’s World. “Once you figure out which positive thoughts fuel your best performance, feed them with breathing, music and continued positive self-talk.”

Make Sure You Are Getting Enough Zzzzz’s! It’s Important!

Posted on by Angie Tinsley

One of the most frequently overlooked factors in health and fitness is sleep. As busy as life can get, it is easy to forget to make sure you are getting enough sleep every day. In fact, when it comes to prioritizing fitness goals, many people put sleep as one of the least important factors related to those goals. Not getting enough sleep can affect your focus, energy, body composition, and weight loss or gain. Continue reading “Make Sure You Are Getting Enough Zzzzz’s! It’s Important!”

I Kept a Fitness Journal For a Week…

Posted on by lancel

Let me start by saying, I thought this would be time consuming or that I would forget, but keeping a fitness journal for the week actually helped me stay more accountable than I have been in a while in regards to my overall health. It also helps that when you work for a fitness company, you have access to the equipment they make, so I had no excuses not to work out! Continue reading “I Kept a Fitness Journal For a Week…”