winners in the game of life
Jennifer Berg
Age: 30 -- Mother of one -- Fitness Product of Choice: Go Fit Gravity Bar
I was never really in that great of shape to begin with but after having my first child I had ballooned up to 165 lbs. I tried unsuccessfully for about 6 months to lose weight but the scale was not budging. One afternoon I received an email from a local personal trainer requesting participants for a focus group trying out a new piece of equipment called the Gravity Bar. Thankfully, I was chosen as one of the participants and that is where my successful weight loss journey begins.
The Gravity Bar Program consisted of 2-3 days a week of 30 min on the gravity bar doing an all-over body workout. Five days per week of cardio between 14 and 30 minutes using the 30/30 watch on any type of cardio equipment, running, jump roping, stair climbing etc. It was great and easy to change it up to any type of cardio I could find that day and using the 30/30 watch made my interval training simple and fun. Along with the Gravity Bar training and cardio I ate a calorie restricted diet low in sugar and refined carbohydrates.
Although it was not always easy after 3 months I lost 25lbs over 20" and 10% body fat, going from 165lbs to 140 lbs.
When the program was over I knew that I wanted to continue to lose more weight. Being inspired by my sister in law to train for a figure competition I hired a coach/trainer and got to work on the weights trying to gain muscle mass. I continued to use my gravity bar for additional at home resistance training and my 30/30 watch for interval training cardio sessions.
After training for 3 months I competed in my first figure competition. Currently weighing 125lbs I use the Gravity Bar and 30/30 watch several times a week to maintain my weight loss.
Our panel of fitness Experts answer your questions
Many workout routines require pull ups. I'm having trouble doing one. What can I do?
Posted by Devin on August 4, 2010
GoFit Expert Chris Camacho says:
The GoFit Assisted Chinup Station reduces the overall workload (your body weight) when doing pull-ups. This reduction in workload allows you to use proper form and complete your exercise routines while reducing the risk of injury (due to straining). Once you have perfected your form and built your strength, you're ready to remove the Gravity Band and you're on your own!
As a beginner, how do I know which kettlebell is right for me?
Posted by Karen on July 27, 2010
GoFit Expert Brook Benten says:
For beginning kettlebell training: 10-20 pounds for women, and 15-30 pounds for men. The higher end of that range is recommended for those who are accustomed to strength and power training. If you intend on doing cardio kettlebell workouts, workouts comprised of continuous movement for >20 minutes, select a kettlebell slightly lighter than the recommendation above (as low as 7 pounds for women, or 10 pounds for men). One of the great things about kettlebell training is that you can customize it to more of a strength sport by performing short bursts of movement with a challenging sized kettlebell, followed by a break period before repeating, or you can customize it to more of a cardio sport by performing continuous, non-stop movement with a lighter kettlebell over an extended period of time. To get the most results from kettlebell training, mix the strength and cardio workouts to shock your body.
In order to train both ways you need a heavier bell for strength-focused workouts, and a lighter bell for cardio-focused workouts. Good news!! GoFit Kettlebell Kits come with TWO kettlebells (one slightly heavier than the other), and an introductory kettlebell DVD.
How is body weight training (like with the Gravity Bar) as effective as using traditional strength equipment?
Posted by Sarah on July 22, 2010
GoFit Expert Chris Camacho says:
When we think of traditional body weight exercises we think of pull-ups and push-ups, where a person uses their own body weight as the resistance or workload. Remember, all strength training - traditional (i.e., free weights or machines) or body weight depends on one thing – our ability to resist or move gravity. With weights our muscles have to overcome the resistance of the external weight we're moving. As we get stronger our ability to lift or push more weight increases. With the Gravity Bar you're able to use both the bar and bands to suspend the body, creating various angles and movements in which to work. You utilize your own body weight to create your workload resistance depending upon the angle in which you're in (i.e., the greater the angle, the greater the resistance).
Muscular strength development, no matter the format (weight resistance or body weight), is increased when there is sufficient overload to the muscles. That's accomplished by increasing the weight, sets, reps, duration or in the case of the Gravity Bar – by increasing the angle. The benefits of body weight training and the Gravity Bar is that 95% of all movements have some sort of "core" involvement. Meaning that there is activation of the core muscles when even doing lower or upper body exercises. With many traditional weight machine exercises you're either sitting or lying to do your movements. There is no core engagement. However, the Gravity Bar allows you to truly train your whole body simply using your own body's weight. Making it a great tool for the home or office.
what are people saying about Gofit products?
When my life gets too busy and I can't get to the gym, I can still get a full body workout in with the
Gravity Bar in the comfort of my own home. By using my own body weight, I get a more proportional workout--not to mention it saves me time and gives me great results!
—Stacy Keibler Actress & Former Professional Wrestler
GoFit gives me the quality and the variety I need in my training programs. When we were on the set of
Fighter we used everything from
medicine balls,
kettlebells,
bands,
mats, you name it and we used it. Because I try and make every workout better than the last, I need products I can trust. GoFit does that for me.
—Brian Nguyen Hollywood Trainer, and Personal Trainer to Mark Wahlberg
With all equipment, safety is a #1 factor. What I love about the
Gravity Bar is that its anchored to the wall, so there is no room for mishaps. Having a piece of equipment that uses your own body weight is essential in a full body strength training program. I'm obsessed with the variety of strength and core moves the gravity bar offers. Even better, you can do a tremendous 20 minute workout with the
Gravity Bar and feel challenged - for me, efficiency is always key.
—Ashley Borden Fitness & Lifestyle Consultant
I've absolutely hated training with workout gloves in the past because they tend to be more heavy and masculine. I'm a big fan of the
GoFit Pearl Tac Gloves - they actually breathe and have lightweight durability.
—Juliet Kaska Celebrity Trainer
The
GoFit Power Loops are a favorite for Valerie (Bertinelli). They make working out easy when she is traveling and needs to work up a sweat.
—Christopher Lane Celebrity Trainer for Valerie Bertinelli
I'm constantly on movie sets trying to squeeze in workouts whenever there's a chance. Products from GoFit are second to none when it comes to quality, ease of use and effectiveness. The
Gravity Bar has become my absolute favorite tool, giving my clients the best results we've seen so far. It's a great product for any range of skill, allowing me to produce an innovative workout that my celebrity clients can't get enough of.
—Brian Nguyen Hollywood Trainer, and Personal Trainer to Mark Wahlberg
