Earlier this week I paid tribute to fintess pioneer Jack LaLanne, who died at the age of 96 on Jan. 23, in a blog for At Home Fitness.
Today, I came across some great advice from LaLanne in the fitness magazine “Self” to share with my AHF blog readers.
Drawing on information contained in LaLanne’s book published just last year, “Live Young Forever,” here are his top five fitness tips.
1. Lift weights – When LaLanne came onto the scene, lifting weights was relegated to bodybuilders. “But through his fitness clubs and TV show, he helped Americans realize that strength training isn’t just about baby oil and bulging biceps,” writes Self. Rather, pumping iron stabilizes joints, boosts metabolism, burns more fat, and keeps you healthier, longer.
2. Eat lots of fiber – “What I do today, I am wearing tomorrow,” LaLanne once said, reported in the article. “If I put inferior foods in my body today, I’m going to be inferior tomorrow, it’s that simple.”
3. Women should exercise, too – Before Jane Fonda, LaLanne was encouraging women to the hit the gym, back when most health clubs catered only to men.
4. Set lofty goals – At age 42, LaLanne did a record 1,033 pushups in 23 minutes. That swim while reportedly towing 10 boats carrying 77 people? LaLanne was 66 years old.
5. Don’t put too much stock in the scale – The better gauge is how your clothes fit, how strong and fit you are, and how you feel, cites the magazine.

At Home Fitness consultant Aaron Dorksen’s blog deals with a variety of fitness topics, ranging from workout tips, motivational ideas and feature stories on how exercise impacts people’s lives. E-mail him with comments, questions or ideas for future blogs at aaron@athomefitness.com

Landice is extremely well know in the treadmill business, but did you know the company also makes some of the premier elliptical machines in the country?
Elliptical machines allow you to burn lots of calories without the weight-bearing stress of jogging. By grabbing the machine’s handles with your arms, you’ll also build strength and firm up the muscles in your arms. The core is engaged during the workout, so your stomach muscles will also get a workout.
The smooth, low-impact glide of the Landice elliptical machines provide a fun way to get a great workout for people of all ages.
If you want to purchase a Landice product, here’s a look at some of their top ellipticals on the market, along with Landice descriptions:
Landice E950 Pro Trainer ElliptiMill – The Landice E950 Elliptimill is the commercial version of the E7 with a standard, full 5 year commercial warranty. If you need an elliptical for commercial use, this is the perfect model.
This is the most basic model within the Landice E950 ElliptiMill series, providing a smooth workout, five built-in programs, and an excellent display. MSRP: $3,695.00
Landice E950 Pro Sports Trainer ElliptiMill – This is the commercial version of the E7 with a standard, full 5 year commercial warranty. If you need an elliptical for commercial use, this is the perfect model. MSRP: $3,895.00
Landice E950 Cardio Trainer ElliptiMill – This machine is the commercial version of the E7 with a standard, full 5 year commercial warranty. If you need an elliptical for commercial use, this is the perfect model. MSRP: $3,995.00
Landice E950 Executive Trainer ElliptiMill – The Landice E950 Elliptimill is the commercial version of the E7 with a standard, full 5 year commercial warranty. If you need an elliptical for commercial use, this is the perfect model. This is the top-of-the-line model in the E950 ElliptiMill series, featuring an 8.5 inch computer animated video display and six different fitness tests. MSRP: $4,695.00

At Home Fitness consultant Aaron Dorksen’s blog deals with a variety of fitness topics, ranging from workout tips, motivational ideas and feature stories on how exercise impacts people’s lives. E-mail him with comments, questions or ideas for future blogs at aaron@athomefitness.com

Everyone in the fitness industry owes a special thank you to Jack LaLanne. The American fitness pioneer died Sunday at his residence in Morro Bay, California at age 96.
It seemed like LaLanne would go on forever, but as we know all good things must come to an end — even the seemingly immortal LaLanne.
Born in 1914, LaLanne admittedly had a poor diet as a youngster, but changed his life around when he started lifting weights and bodybuilding as a teenager.
By the 1930s, he was spreading the word to as many people as possible about the benefits of healthy eating and strength training. He opened his own health spa in California in 1936, many decades before the fitness craze would sweep the nation.
LaLanne is actually credited with developing the leg extension machine, along with numerous other innovations in the fitness industry.
As the years went on, LaLanne became known far and wide for his feats of strength and endurance. He swam the length of the Golden Gate Bridge underwater in 1954. As if that wasn’t hard enough, he was also loaded up with 140 pounds of equipment for the swim.
LaLanne also became famous for his pushup feats, including performing over a thousand in a little over 20 minutes.
The nation learned about the fitness guru when “The Jack LaLanne Show” was aired on national TV beginning in 1959, and continued into the 1980s.
LaLanne stayed in the spotlight with infomercials and regular appearances on talk shows, such as the CNN’s “Larry King Live.”
“There was no one like Jack LaLanne,” King commented Sunday. “He would go on forever … a true guru. I guess Charles Atlas from the old comic books would be the predecessor for Jack LaLanne.”
Although LaLanne initially made an impact on younger generations, in his latter years he was a tremendous motivator for senior citizens who learned the benefits of exercise and clean living from him.
LaLanne’s total influence is immeasurable on the American fitness movement.
Instead of raising a champagne glass to toast LaLanne, the best way we can honor is to get an extra-good workout in this week.
Jump on the treadmill , grab some weights or do some other exercises and say: “Thanks Jack. This workout’s for you!”

At Home Fitness consultant Aaron Dorksen’s blog deals with a variety of fitness topics, ranging from workout tips, motivational ideas and feature stories on how exercise impacts people’s lives. E-mail him with comments, questions or ideas for future blogs at aaron@athomefitness.com

When it comes to getting in shape, and staying that way, a treadmill is one of the single best investments a person can ever make in their home gym.
From elite athletes to senior citizens trying to get in a 15-20 minutes of exercise a day, a treadmill offers tremendous versatility.
Here’s a countdown of the top five ways a treadmill can help you lose weight:
5. Numbers don’t lie – Treadmills are the No. 1 selling home exercise machine for a reason – they get results. If you purchase a treadmill for your home there are a multitude of ways it will help you get in better shape.
4. Comfort factor – It’s Ok to admit, some people really don’t like to exercise at all. A great attribute of the treadmill is that it makes exercising a lot more entertaining.
You can set up the treadmill in front of a TV and watch your favorite show or a good movie while exercising, or play the home stereo.
Treadmills can also have a rack set up to place a magazine or book to read while you’re working out.
3. Privacy factor – Working out in the privacy of your own home, you don’t have to worry about walking outside and having smart alecks in the neighborhood slowing down and eyeballing you or yelling comments as they drive by.
Some people don’t feel much more comfortable in a health club gym, either.
With a set-up at home, you can have your exercise environment just the way you want it – and only have people around you want to see.
2. Increase your metabolism – Walking is great for your circulation, and boosts metabolism. Running also boost metabolism and suppresses your appetite as well. Combined with healthy eating, how much cardio activity you do and other factors like age and weight, you could lose 2-4 pounds a week after starting a walking program.
1. Get a leg up – By exercising the biggest muscles in the bodies – the legs – you’ll burn maximum calories which translates into losing more weight. You’ll also strengthen the base of your body, which keys everything you do, and build up your cardiovascular system.

At Home Fitness consultant Aaron Dorksen’s blog deals with a variety of fitness topics, ranging from workout tips, motivational ideas and feature stories on how exercise impacts people’s lives. E-mail him with comments, questions or ideas for future blogs at aaron@athomefitness.com

For a top-quality cardio workout that will burn the most calories, in many cases people rate the elliptical over the treadmill.
Because ellipticals give a thorough, complete-body workout for the upper and lower body simultaneously, the heart rate elevates quickly.
Consequently, the entire body is being worked and less time is required to achieve more results.
If you walk or only lightly jog on a treadmill, it will take you considerably longer to burn as many calories as on an elliptical machine.
However, if you run at a fast rate on a treadmill, that requires a great deal of energy and the calorie burn is just about the same.
If you prefer to do low-impact cardio workouts, an elliptical machine will be more beneficial in many instances.
However, if you prefer to run, then a treadmill is the better choice.
And what really burns the most calories over the long run for some people is making sure you buy a piece of equipment you like enough to use consistently.
The best advice I can give is to try out both machines before making a decision. Bring your running shoes to a specialty fitness store, such as At Home Fitness, and give both machines a thorough tryout.

At Home Fitness consultant Aaron Dorksen’s blog deals with a variety of fitness topics, ranging from workout tips, motivational ideas and feature stories on how exercise impacts people’s lives. E-mail him with comments, questions or ideas for future blogs at aaron@athomefitness.com

Most people who have worked out even a little bit know about elliptical machines nowadays. Although treadmills are the longtime dominant fitness machine for cardio exercises, elliptical machines continue to gain in popularity.
Go to any fitness club or gym that has both machines and you’ll likely see people getting great workouts on both.
If you observe people using both machines and try them yourself, it may still leave you wondering which is better.
Here are some things to consider when deciding between a treadmill or elliptical machine if you are only able to include one in your gym.
* Elliptical trainers have an edge over treadmills in that they give you an upper body workout as well thanks to the handles you grab onto.
* Ellipticals keep you secured on the footpads so there is little or no impact on your feet, knees and joints as you perform the elliptical motion.
* Many people switch to ellipticals because it’s less harsh on the joints, especially older folks.
* If you like to run or walk, nothing beats a treadmill machine. It actually cushions you more than running outside, but there is still more wear and tear than using an elliptical.
* I feel a treadmill gives you more variation on your workouts because you can vastly change the speeds, incline or decline and easily get intervals in. Of course, you can do some of those same things on an elliptical, although you can’t get the feeling of speed of running at a high rate on a treadmill.
* Treadmills offer great versatility for anyone from a rehab patient to elite athlete trying to push themselves in high-impact running.
* Ellipticals can be good for someone looking to change up their workout or get more motivation as it’s a different type of movement than walking – something we’ve all done for as long as we can remember.
* On the flip side, some people quickly become bored of being locked into a set motion on an elliptical and do go back to walking.
* Older people or those looking for a new twist to their workout might like the elliptical better, but whatever direction you choose both pieces of equipment offer an excellent way to improve cardio health and tone muscles.
* As far as price goes, treadmills often tend to be pricier, but if you shop around you can find bargains for both. It all depends what you’re looking for and how sturdy a piece of equipment you want.
Coming Wednesday, I’ll answer the question: Which burns more calories, treadmill or elliptical?
At Home Fitness consultant Aaron Dorksen’s blog deals with a variety of fitness topics, ranging from workout tips, motivational ideas and feature stories on how exercise impacts people’s lives. E-mail him with comments, questions or ideas for future blogs at aaron@athomefitness.com