Training doesn’t need to be tied to a specific sport. Many individuals utilize personal training for general health and wellness. Regular exercise can help with cardiovascular health, prevent health conditions such as high blood pressure or Type 2 diabetes, boost energy, improve sleep, promote weight loss and so much more. If you have a specific health concern or simply want to add more physical activity into your routine, our experienced personal trainers at Downing’s Gym will help you achieve greater overall health and wellness.

Strength training can significantly improve your overall health and well-being. Not only do you use strength workouts to build muscle, you also gain increased bone, muscle tendon and ligament strength and toughness, improved joint function, reduced potential for injury, increased bone density, a temporary increase in metabolism, improved cardiac function and elevated HDL (good) cholesterol. While it is primarily an anaerobic activity, some proponents have adapted to provide the benefits of aerobic exercise through circuit training.

Strength training differs from bodybuilding, weightlifting, powerlifting and strongman, which are considered sports rather than forms of exercise, although training for these sports is inherently interconnected with strength training.

Strength training is important to overall health at any age, but for those over 50, the benefits can be even greater. Without weight training, you risk losing muscle over time, slowing your metabolism and increasing your risk of a fall. Strength and weight training can also help slow the deterioration of bone density and help maintain a healthy weight thanks to calorie-burning muscle tissue. At Downing’s Gym, we offer personal training and programs to help members over 50 maintain or improve their overall fitness, including Silver & Fit and Silver Sneakers Fitness.

Weightlifting, also commonly referred to as weight training, tests ballistic limits (explosive strength) with smaller weights, requiring lifts to be executed faster and with more mobility due to the greater range of motion during the lifts. Powerlifting is a strength sport that consists of three events: the squat, the bench press and the deadlift. Olympic weightlifting is a sport in which participants attempt a maximum weight single lift of a barbell loaded with weight plates in either the clean and jerk or the snatch. Powerlifting is similar to Olympic weightlifting as they both involve lifting weights in three attempts. Downing’s Gym specializes in both powerlifting and Olympic weightlifting, and we are the only gym in the area with Olympic-style lifting and USPA Certification.

In athletics and sports, speed is king. Speed is a combination of strength and power, or how strong your muscles are and how fast you can make them react. It is the microsecond difference between beating your opponent to the ball or getting open for a shot. Many athletic movements take place in only 0.1 to 0.2 seconds. To help increase maximum force production, strength training can be used to increase power. In fact, both strength and power training are integral to improving overall speed, so it’s important to combine speed training with a form of strength training appropriate for your goals.

At Downing’s Gym, we understand that for some, trying to make it to the gym for regular activity is difficult, whether it is due to location constraints or scheduling conflicts. We are proud to offer our members access to virtual training packages, making it easy to receive the workout support and guidance you’re looking for from your own home, office or anywhere you need it. Each of our online, virtual training packages includes:

Comprehensive intake form used by our trainers to create your

-Personalized plan

-Programming

-Diet tips to help your progress stay on track