Cardiac rehab patients pump it up to help hearts

"As Ronald Vaughn worked through the maintenance phase of cardiac rehabilitation following a heart attack, he jumped at the chance to add rigorous resistance training. 'Some programs rehab you to where you were (before the heart attack),' says Vaughn, 60, of Southfield. 'I wanted to do something more.' The 'something more' for this self-described workout fanatic turned out to be the advanced training program in Beaumont Hospitals' Cardiac Rehabilitation gym. The novel program employs medium-to-high level resistance training - with free weights, exercise bands, medicine and stability balls, body bars and weight machines - to help participants increase muscle strength, endurance and heart function" - Beaumont Hospitals