Bink's Gym Site

The website is back up - find it at http://www.binksgym.com
A change of providers briefly interrupted service - but the email is back as well.

Welcome to Winter!

Cold and snow have settled in and it's time to adjust your workout routine to accommodate the weather. Snow shoveling is, of course, a good workout if you use your legs and not your back to lift that snow. Indoor options are very appealing, too, and a vibration platform makes a great way to intensify your workout. Try buying or making your own or find a gym with a PowerPlate. What to do on the machines? try deep squats, lunges with your front leg up on the machine, planks with your elbows on the plate, and pushups and tricep dips, too. You'll be surprised at the results! It's also a great time to get out and ski - apline or nordic, classic or skate style, it's a good way to get outdoors and get some exercise. Check your local parks for groomed ski trails. Dressing for winter is an art - and starting with SmartWool items or Icebreaker (I like the 260 collection) clothing and accessories - esp. the neck gaiters - keeps you nimble and just the right temperature. I was recently hiking with Icebreaker layers at a MN park in below zero temperatures and enjoyed the walk. Doubling up on glove and sock layers as well as adding leggings under your pants can improve a winter walk!

What's New in Fitness?

Technology! The iTouch may be your least expensive trainer. Try one of the fitness apps like the free iTrain. This app gives you fitness tests, training programs, and an exercise library. Set goals, monitor progress, and change things up a bit. Load a program before heading out to exercise in the great outdoors!

More Support for Efficient Workouts

This Sprint Exercise Article describes an interval workout that saves you time when you workout. I LOVE 15-30 minute workouts. It's easy to motivate yourself for a 20-minute workout. Some of us find an hour too large a time demand - especially with jobs or children to tend. A great anaerobic workout for alternate days (use the sprints for aerobic days) is the 21-15-9 workout. Pick 3 exercises each week and do a circuit of 21 reps of each, then 15, then 9, and follow with stretches. Warm up with a carefully selected first exercise (deep squats without weight, for example) or a brisk walk. The whole workout takes under 20 minutes. Aim for hitting the large muscle groups - for example, squats, pushups, and crunches (weighted). The next week, substitute single limb exercises (20 21 reps each side!) like weighted lunges, single arm military press, and dumbell deadlifts (not single limb, but a nice back exercise).

RX Help

Ohio residents are eligible for a prescription discount card available at created by a committee headed by former governor Greg Lashutka.Ohio Drug Card

How to Live Longer

Today's New York Times has an article about living longer. It is a humorous look at our potential and our foibles. Based on Blue Zones website, it is based on an algorithm by a Minnesota professor and calculates life expectancy as well as healthy life expectancy.

Nutrition for April

As warm weather returns and we start to think about getting tomato plants out, we might also benefit from a diet tune-up. Look for nutrition articles in this month's newsletter on the web (you can also find it on the Training News section of www.binksgym.com). I also recommend reading one of Michael Pollan's books, perhaps The Omnivore's Dilemma, available in print or on Kindle.

Wellness Coaching

Want help identifying and reaching your wellness goals? For accountability, you can't beat a live human serving as trainer or coach, but if you want affordable online guidance, you may love this wellness resource, mentioned in an article in today's NYTimes.