Wonder Workouts?

ANCHOR LEAD
DON'T HAVE AN HOUR OR TWO TO SPARE AT THE GYM? EXPRESS WORKOUTS PROMISE TO GET YOU IN AND OUT THE DOOR IN 30 MINUTES OR LESS. BUT ARE THESE EXERCISE QUICKIES AS GOOD FOR YOUR HEALTH AS A TRADITIONAL HOUR-LONG SWEAT FEST? _____________ GIVES YOU THE HEADS UP ON A NEW STUDY THAT COMPARES BOTH TYPES OF TRAINING.

TRACK ONE Length :06
LIKE MANY OF US, JUDY DLESK (duh-lesk) HAS A JAM-PACKED SCHEDULE. SHE FITS IN FITNESS BY USING THE EXPRESS LINE.

SOT
KEY @ :08 Judy Dlesk, Express Line User
"I can come in when I need to, get my workout done, and be gone."

TRACK TWO Length :12
JUDY USES A SERIES OF WEIGHT MACHINES GEARED TOWARDS EACH MAJOR MUSCLE GROUP.
USING SLOW, CONTROLLED MOVEMENTS, SHE DOES ONE SET OF REPETITIONS AT EACH STATION. THE GOAL...TO BE DONE IN 22 MINUTES!

SOT
NO KEY
"I sort of mix-up the different machines."

SOT
NO KEY (too quick)
"...that's a pretty brief and interesting workout!"

TRACK THREE Length :13
FITNESS RESEARCHER WAYNE WESTCOTT WANTED TO KNOW IF IT REALLY WORKED. HE RECENTLY CONDUCTED A STUDY COMPARING THE EXPRESS LINE TO A TRADITIONAL WORKOUT, WHICH IS MORE VARIED AND LONGER.
AFTER TWO MONTHS, THE EXPRESS LINE USERS...

SOT
KEY @ :43 Wayne Westcott, Fitness Researcher
"...lost about 2.5 pounds of fat weight. They added almost 4 lbs. of lean weight, replacing muscle that we lose to the aging process."

TRACK FOUR Length :12
AND THAT'S ABOUT THE SAME AS GYM-GOERS WHO SPENT TWICE THE AMOUNT OF TIME EXERCISING...PEOPLE WHO WENT EXPRESS ALSO....
*LOWERED THEIR BLOOD PRESSURE JUST AS MUCH...
*WORKED HARDER...
*AND STUCK WITH THE PROGRAM LONGER.

SOT
KEY @ 1:05 Wayne Westcott, Fitness Researcher
"...and they simply looked better, felt better, and functioned better by their own admission at the end of the program."

TRACK FIVE Length :09
STILL....SOME DOCTORS FEAR THESE WEIGHT-BASED PROGRAMS WON'T GIVE YOUR HEART AND LUNGS THE AEROBIC PUSH THEY NEED.
WAYNE ADMITS IN SOME CASES THAT MAY BE TRUE. HIS SUGGESTION....

SOT
KEY @ 1:19 Wayne Westcott, Fitness Researcher
"Combine the express strength workout with about 15 or 20 minutes of cardio work on the treadmill or the stationary bikes."

TRACK SIX Length :06
BEFORE SHE DOES THE EXPRESS LINE, JUDY TAKES ON THE ELLIPTICAL TRAINER....AND JOGS DOWN THE PATH TO A HEALTHIER BODY.

SOT
NO KEY
"I'm much stronger. And I just feel a little firmer in the right areas... (laughs)."

ANCHOR TAG
THE PARTICIPANTS IN WAYNE'S STUDY WEREN'T ASKED TO CHANGE THEIR DIET, JUST TO EXERCISE.
IF YOU ARE TRULY TIME STARVED...WAYNE RECOMMENDS COMPLETING THE EXPRESS WORKOUT QUICKLY WITH VERY LITTLE REST BETWEEN MACHINES. HE SAYS THIS WILL HELP YOU DEVELOP SOME LEVEL OF CARDIOVASCULAR FITNESS.

SOURCE LIST

WAYNE WESTCOTT
Fitness Research Director
South Shore YMCA
79N Coddington Street
Quincy, MA 02169
617-479-8500 ext.140
WWESTCOTT@SSYMCA.ORG

Wayne Westcott has a Ph.D. in fitness research. He has authored 19 books on strength training.