September Challenge: Week 3 Recap

Well, my game face is on and I finally feel like I have made some real headway this week.

• 25 miles/40.2336 km per week – this week was a crazy week, with a very limited amount of time to run over the weekend, I got up early for not just one but two 7am runs. I am not a roll out of bed and into my running gear kinda girl either. I don’t leave the house until all systems are a go, so I am giving myself a big pat on the back for getting up at 6am BOTH days of the weekend, and they were rainy days to boot.  Weekly mileage was 28.76 miles/46.29km, bringing my total mileage for the month to 93.65 miles, I’m so close I can taste it!

• 100 push-ups a day – although they are getting easier to do (I am up to 50 consecutive now) I don’t know why I wait until 9 0′clock every night to do them. I was pleased to find out that I have had a few takers on the challenge, welcome Kimberley and Soraiya…of course Soraiya is doing them from her toes.

• Big progress on my Weight Room Certification this week.  My 12 page exam is complete and has been delivered for marking, three of my five training plans are complete, my evaluation date has been scheduled and little miss push ups from her toes has agreed to be my “client” for my evaluation.

One more week to go!

13 Things Your Group Fitness Instructor Won’t Tell You

Ever wondered what your fitness instructor was really thinking?

Recently, I, along with several other fitness leaders, contributed to a Reader’s Digest article by Amy Zerello called “13 Things Your Group Fitness Instructor Won’t Tell You”. While I won’t tell you which quote(s) belong to me, I will tell you that I can relate to more than a few of them. Check it out..

13 Things Your Group Fitness Instructor Won’t Tell You

1. Follow my lead.

I get aggravated when students do a different workout than the one I’m teaching — and they’re in the front row! You come to class but choose to do your own thing… really, what’s the point?!

2. It takes a lot to be entertaining, funny, and likeable

all while trying to motivate people to do things that will cause them pain. I think the 80’s thong leotards and side-ponytails gave aerobics instructors a bad rap. We’re also not all super bubbly and rail-thin.

3. Leave your cell at home.

Can you not exercise for an hour without checking your text messages?

4. Yes, I’ve embarrassed myself.

I was chewing gum while teaching and it flew out and stuck onto the mirror in front of me during class. Oh, and it was bright green!

5. Coffee’s my friend.

When I don’t feel like teaching I have a GIANT cup of coffee. I usually don’t feel like teaching when I’m tired or run down, so caffeine usually does the trick. And if that fails, keep smiling. As the saying goes, fake it ‘til you make it!

6. Preparing is a lot of work!

Pre-choreographed classes, like BodyPump and Turbo Kickboxing, take hours of prep. We’re sent materials every 6 weeks and we have to review and learn all the music and choreography before we teach it to you.

7. Stop weighing yourself constantly.

Newbies expect miracles without realizing that while the added muscle may not make the scale drop, it will bring the pants’ size down. But you can’t change your physique simply by working out; 80 percent of any change and fat loss is the result of a clean diet.

8. I wish you’d be more vocal

when you’ve had a great workout, but save the moaning, grunts, and other weird noises for home.

9. Music matters.

When I want you to work hard, I use really upbeat songs with pounding bass. If we’re doing something that requires a slower tempo, I turn it down. If the music sucks it doesn’t matter how high energy or good the instructor is. It’s also about what I like. If it’s not something I’d work out to, it never makes it to the class playlist.

10. Dress appropriately.

Ladies, consider wearing a cami or additional liner under your low cut Lululemon or Lucy yoga tops. I get an eyeful I really don’t wish to see when you’re in downward dog. And guys, don’t forget your liner shorts! I don’t want to see anything poking through your gym shorts in class!

11. We don’t all have perfect relationships with health and fitness.

People assume we spend our days eating salad without dressing and train ALL the time. Sometimes I’m tired, cranky, hungry, or want a pizza but I have to put on the show. Sometimes I want to veg out and eat junk food, and sometimes I actually do!

12. When you’re sick, stay home.

You may want to sweat out your cold or flu, but I don’t want your germs, especially when you want a really good workout and position yourself in the front row and cough and sneeze your way through the class.

13. It kills me when you come into the fitness studio without water!

Proper hydration is just so important that I mandate a water break just after the turbo section of class. It’s my biggest pet peeve because I am going to make you sweat!

Read the entire article

September Challenge: Week 2 Recap

It’s recap time! Two weeks down and two to go…

• 25 miles/40.2336 km per week  – easy peasy!  The sun was out and knowing that week 3 would be a busy one I decided to take full advantage of it logging a few extra miles.  Weekly mileage was 33.26 miles/53.53km.  Bringing my total to 64.88 miles.

• 100 push-ups a day – I thought on day 10 and 11 that this might become a family affair.  I guess it sort of has, they sure like to remind me to get them done.  I dedicated day 12’s push-ups to Adam Levine and hope that he noticed the gun show coming from row 9 during the Maroon 5 concert. Day 13 almost didn’t happen, but the thought of doing 200 on day 14 was enough for me to suck it up and get ‘er done.

• I finally made some good progress with my Weight Room Certification.  There is still plenty to do, and the clock is tick, tick, ticking.

Salutation Nation

Salutation Nation is an annual, international day of yoga hosted by Lululemon where people from all over the world gather to do yoga together at the same time (9-10am).  And yesterday we rolled out our mats and joined the Lululemon Coquitlam Centre community for their inaugural Salutation Nation led by the fabulous Andrew Colyn!

But what would Saturday morning be without a run?  Not Saturday.  We hit the road early and made our way to a place very near and dear to my heart, Rocky Point.  I got to ride shotgun with Smurfraiya for the journey and was educated almost immediately about the vulgarity of hamster music – shame on you! I also found out that the Jersey Shore theme song really is a song!  I hope that my Tommy is receiving copyrights.

The morning could not have been anymore lovely; the sun shone, the water was calm, lots of runners/hikers out, and all so well dressed! We ran an out and back to Old Orchard Park, nothing serious but enough to get our sweat on.

We made our way over to the Plaza at Coquitlam Centre, signed our lives away, secured a good spot for our mats, grabbed a complimentary coconut water (I have always wanted to try, but never have, turns out it’s not my thing) and ever so discreetly changed out of our sweaty running gear. It is never an easy task changing out of a sweaty sports bra into a dry sports bra, the dry one gets stuck half way up your back, there is always a lot of twisting and grunting, and that is in the privacy of a change room, try it in a car in the middle of a parking lot.

By the time we were on our mats, the sun was high in the sky it was hot!

This pose is called as Astavakrasana and as you can see from my positioning, it is absolutely not going to happen, but check out little miss Conny!

Thank you ladies, Lulu and Andrew for a wonderful morning. Namaste.

Salutation Nation Photography by Olga Kundilivski, Happy Moments

Body Camp: Tabata Style

Tabata was my favourite workout discovery of 2010 and on Monday evening, I formally introduced my Outdoor Body Camp to it…and have been receiving love-to-hate mail ever since.

If you are not familiar with Tabata, it has absolutely nothing to do with a sandwich, is a 16-minute intense interval training routine.  So why would I get love-to-hate mail from a 16-minute workout you ask?  Well, 4 exercises are used, each exercise is performed for 20 seconds of activity at full effort with 10 second rest periods (8 sets) consecutively for a 4 minute duration.  Still not convinced?  I wasn’t either so I added a second Tabata circuit for insurance.

For those who like to play along at home, welcome to Body Camp: Tabata style!

• 10 minute – walk/run

• 1 minute – break

• Tabata Circuit 1:

1.     Speed squat – hands behind head, squat up and down as fast as you can

2.     Split lunge- alternating leg lunges with a jump – modification: walking lunges

3.     Mountain climber – knee into chest – modification: leap frog

4.     Push-up

• 1 minute – break

• 5 minute – walk/run

• Tabata Circuit 2:

1.     Big jump fwd, 2 jumps back

2.     Jumping jacks

3.     Suicide plank – prone plank to plank on elbows and back up, and back down…

4.     Bicycle crunches – done from tabletop position

• 1 minute – break

• Cool down and stretch

The entire workout should take you about an hour, with effects lasting a couple of days! Give it a try and let me know what you think.

Is She Naturally Thin, Or Disciplined?

Last year, I was asked to contribute to a book project Naturally Thin, or Discipline? Insider Secrets of the Super-Slim. The book would feature 101 women in their 20′s, 30′s, 40′s, 50′s and 60′s and their secrets to living thin.

Wow! Flattered and extremely excited, I shared my story on diet and exercise as well as my numbers with author Sally Sheilds, and she wanted to know everything; what I ate, how much, when, was I always thin, and if not, what I did about it. Did I drink a lot of water, use supplementation? What are my fitness routines, and did they include weight training? What attitudes and philosophies did I embody?

So today marks the official book launch and I am very proud to present “Is She Naturally Thin, Or Disciplined? Insider Secrets Of The Sexy And Slim”!

Visit www.sallyshields.com and order your copy today!

A Little Wednesday Rant

On so many levels there are so many things wrong with this…

According to an article in today’s New York Daily News, Leonard Armato, president of Skechers Fitness Group, said the company is trying to send a positive message about fitness. “The whole message behind Shape-ups is to get moving, get exercise, and get fit,” he told the News in a statement. “This is the same messaging being used by the First Lady’s Let’s Move initiative, which is aimed specifically at children.”

Really? “Heidi’s got new Shape-ups, got everything a girl wants. She’s got the height, got the bounce, yes, she’s looking good and having fun,” doesn’t sound much like creating a healthy start for children, empowering parents and caregivers, providing healthy food in schools, improving access to healthy, affordable foods and increasing physical activity.  Shameless marketing my friends.

Sketchers Shape-ups for girls are currently not available for purchase on their website.

The Stink Factor

This is has not been scientifically proven, but I can attest to it, and your friends and family want me to let you know…you have exactly one hour from the time that you stop sweating until the time you start to stink. And if you don’t care, you should.

Even for those who take every precaution not to stink before or even during (insert activity here), I guarantee that you stink after; this is where the stink factor comes in. Starting your workout with clean clothes and a clean body (wash your parts, there is no excuse for poor personal hygiene) only guarantees that you will get closer to that hour, you will never no matter what you do extend the non stink factor for over an hour.

Keeping that in mind, when you finish your workout, you absolutely have time to go grab a quick coffee but only those who have just been sweating with you, you can even pick up a couple of groceries, but mark my words if you are not back in your car heading to make a deposit in your laundry hamper and then into the shower, you stink. So for those of you that continue your day after the coffee shop, by stopping by to visit a friend, running an errand or three and then why not you are out anyway go for lunch. That funny aroma you can smell every once in a while when you turn a certain way or a little too quickly, it’s you. Those grimacing looks that you keep seeing, yup they are for you. The dogs that are stiffing your crotch are not doing so because they are crotch sniffers, they are doing it because you stink, really.

Which brings up another point, just because the clever marketing says that your workout attire can be worn from the gym to the streets, doesn’t mean that you should. Although they don’t make your ass look quite as fantastic, pajamas are also comfortable, but would you wear them to meet the ladies for brunch on the patio?

If you must venture out after your workout, might I suggest that you take a complete change of clothes. Change at the coffee shop (most have friendly bathrooms), and if you plan on wearing a hat, the change should also include a clean one. I think hats are the biggest mistake most make. Your hat requires washing every time you sweat in it, trust me. Your head stays warm with your hat on, and when the sweat dries, your head, although not sweaty warm, is the perfect breeding ground for stench, think about it, you know that I am right.

Don’t be frightened to wash your gear; delicate cycle, use cold water, hang to dry or tumble dry on cool. Be careful with anything Velcro, it will stick to anything and I have learnt too many times it will leave Velcro marks on technical fabrics. My advice is to hang these items to dry.

What about washing the stench out? Try an antibacterial detergent, oxyclean, fabreeze, soak your gear in white vinegar or baking soda, I have even heard of washing it in a coke (of the cola variety). And if you just can’t get rid of the funk, toss it, even if it is your favourite piece or you have spent a small fortune on it, just get rid of it.

TRX’ing It Up

I have been curious about TRX for some time.  So with Pilates By The Lake on hiatus for spring break, instead of enjoying martini Monday, I tried a TRX class.

Not one to go into things blindly, especially after the karate chopping belly dancing debacle from a few years ago, I did a bit of research prior to going to the class.  I found several videos online; one in particular, once I got past the extremely fit young gentleman’s lack of shirt and resemblance to a hairless cat, was very informative and helpful.  But no amount of ‘how to’ video watching could prepare me for what was in store.

I arrived for class 15 minutes early, signed my life away, got a brief overview of what to expect from the instructor and waited patiently for Soraiya, after all she was the one who talked me into this.  Soraiya said that I would do fine in the class and not to worry, but she did look a little nervous for me when she finally arrived.

After a quick warm-up we moved to the centre of the room to start our workout.  For those of you that aren’t familiar with TRX, from the TRX website:

Born in the U.S. Navy SEALS and developed by Fitness Anywhere®, Suspension Training® is a revolutionary method of leveraged bodyweight exercise. Easily set up the portable TRX® Suspension Trainer™ and you’re in control. Safely perform hundreds of exercises that build power, strength, flexibility, balance, mobility, and prevent injuries, all at the intensity you choose.

I fully expected the apparatus to be bouncy, not like a trampoline, but more like resistance tubing, TRX is not bouncy.  The goal is to perform a variety of exercises using your body weight while keeping the ‘straps’ taut.  Sounds easy enough, but the straps are hanging from the ceiling and they have the tendency to make you sway, lose your balance and turn what looks like a simple exercise (when performed by the instructor) into an intense, painful and frustrating one minute interval.

I am not going to lie to you, I was humbled, it was tough.  Hanging from various angles, supported only at times by the back of your heel, not using your arms then using your arms, you not only have to trust the equipment, you have to trust yourself, and I don’t trust easily anymore. Did I mention getting tangled up in the straps? At the end of the arm sequence I was barely able to hold my arms overhead, the hamstring curls were torture, I faired ok (I thought) with the abs, but I did have to modify by supporting myself with my elbows instead of my hands, who am I kidding, I was terrible.   The muscle burn didn’t stop at the end of the workout either; my biceps and triceps were still quivering when I got home, my shoulders were on fire…enough with the whining.

Was it a good workout?  Hell yes, there are parts of me still that are having problems moving fluidly.  Did I enjoy it? No, and it wasn’t because of the intensity either.  I tried to follow along as best as I could but was never sure if I was doing the right movements (which was no fault of the instructor, it was all me).  Being a visual learner in a facility without mirrors, I was unable to see exactly what I was doing, how my alignment looked, etc.  Like anything else there is a learning curve and from what I hear it can take more than a few sessions.   Will I do it again?  At our house, we use the three times rule, you must try something at least three times (unless of course the first time it causes you to vomit) in order to form a true distaste for it.  So although I did feel like vomiting during the last set of shoulders, I didn’t…so I guess I am going back.

Coming To a Gym Near You?

So here I am, minding my own business, sitting at my kitchen counter reading an article on the Vancouver Sun’s website about “Seven bizarre side-effects of exercise ”. Gas…I’ve heard it can happen; heartburn…absolutely, tacos and Pilates don’t mix; cramps…yup; hives…maybe; yawning…I thought it was just Tori; ear-popping…a bit unusual (still minding my own business) and coregasms…ummm, now you have my attention, I’m guessing yours as well.

According to the description under the photograph depicting a woman clearly enjoying an abdominal crunch “…not just any fitness routine can trigger the big O. Coregasms commonly happen during an intense core workout, which may explain the wait for the Ab Roller at the gym.”

I can’t vouch for everyone I train but until now I was completely unaware of any heightened experience that could be gained from doing killer abs (is that intense enough for you?). That said, this could explain the “moaner” and the “eye roller” who frequented my spin classes and the “breather” who was beside D the other morning at yoga.

After further investigation, I found that I really must have been living under a rock. There has been plenty of discussion about this very topic in health and fitness magazines, there are coregasm workouts and there was even this “how to” segment on The Doctors

Although it was a little awkward in spots, I was actually disappointed in this clip because it had such huge train wreck potential.

Not one to tell half a story, I present exhibits B through F, The Coregasm workout according to Women’s Health Magazine

…

…

…

….

And there you have it, what you chose to do with it is entirely up to you. Thinking about whatever you need to think about to get yourself through the exercise has now taken on a whole new meaning.

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