IT FEELS LIKE SUMMER!!! That on top of hump day [which is actually my Friday this week], I am all smiles. 70 and sunny while walking to work, iced coffee in hand, no jacket. I can't imagine anything better...unless I was walking along the beach and worked full time as a life guard. I will only wish for the small things. I jet off to Chicago tomorrow for a weekend of family celebrations, I couldn't be more excited. I hope this gorgeous weather pulls through for the Windy City, we have plans to catch a Cubs game which should be great.
Today's post is a combination of various anecdotes. Enjoy!
1. Tuesday's spin class with Derek was awesome. Again he took us through a stage of the Giro d'Italia, but put a little spin on it by adding some group intervals. While most of the class was grinding along at race pace [60% resistance, strong cadence], he had two people at a time up in 3rd kicking ass at 90% for 1-2 minutes. The class took turns up in 3rd until everyone had gone. It was actually a really cool way to make the class feel like a team environment. Plus there was the added benefit of killer intervals and being engaged in something new. Another A+ for my fave instructor, he continues to impress me!
2. Last night was the...drum roll please...season 11 Biggest Loser FINALE! One of my favorite days of the year. It is really fun to watch the amaaaazing transformations of these previously hopeless, unhealthy people, into empowered, fit, and incredibly kickass individuals. They all have glowing smiles on their faces and exude confidence like most of them had never experienced. I love every minute of this freaking show. Olivia [opera singer and sister to another finalist, Hannah] lost like 49% of her weight [260's down to 130's] and won $250k, it was super exciting. What wasn't exciting? The fact that ex-tennis player Anna Kournikova is *attempting* to replace Jillian Michaels as the female trainer. Are you KIDDING ME? She walks on the show and looks like she is going to topple over, she is so so thin. Her leg? Size of my bicep. She is a washed out athlete and has no training experience. What these contestants need is a strong, muscular role model with years, if not decades, of training experience. I am not pleased. At all. Uggggggg. Apparently I just need to apply to train on the show if it is this easy to get on.
3. A certain man at the gym took Hump Day quite literally when it came to his workout this morning. He had attached a body band to a squat rack, put it around his waist, and proceeded to squat and hump as hard as possible using the resistance band. I thought I perhaps saw something I wasn't supposed to see, but then I looked back and this was his actual exercise. It is NEVER ok to perform humping exercises at the gym, even on Hump Day. If you feel like you need that as part of your routine, please do it in private. It was nasty.
4. I had to condense my upper body workouts into one morning this week in case I can't get in what I need for the rest of this week [vacation tends to do that to your routine, but I have every intention of kicking ass in Chi Town]. I generally do bis/tris and shoulders/back/chest on different days, but I went ahead and condensed into a single workout, and added core!
Bis/Tris x 3:
Alternating dumbell bicep curls - x10 each [@30lbs]
Standing dumbell tricep extension - x10 [@40lbs]
Chest x 3:
Alternating dumbell chest press [keeping weights at the top as you alternate pressing] - x6 each [@35lbs]
Dumbell fly - x10 [@20lbs]
Shoulders x 3:
Lateral dumbell raise - x 10 [@15lbs]
Core x 3:
Medball atomic crunches - x 15, as heavy of a medball as you can find. If you use a heavy medball, 3 sets are brutal [just the way I like core!]
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Monday, May 23, 2011
Limits: Everybody has them!
Happy Monday friends! I hope everyone had a great weekend. I had lots of old friends in town so it was fun [but exhausting]. Saturday was absolutely beautiful, I cherished every single minute of sunshine, knowing I may never see it again [due to Boston's weather pattern, not the impending 'rapture']. A short week at work as I leave Thursday morning to see my amazing sister graduate from medical school in Chicago, actually a double celebration because it is also her birthday. How wonderful! I'm really looking forward to a loooong weekend in the Windy City with my entire fabulous family.
How do I celebrate 65 degree perfectly sunny Saturdays? Why, stadiums of course! After yummy brunch, I hopped on my bike and pedaled my way to Harvard's stadium to enjoy the weather the best way I know how - physical challenges! After a little slap on the ass via text message, I decided I was going to conquer the whole stadium one section at a time. I have done this before [last summer] on the small steps, since my back and legs were not in good enough shape for the big girl stairs a year ago. I am happy to report that my back and legs have since gotten themselves together, and I divided and conquered all 37 sections one at a time! It felt great, and I was proud of myself. All the lifting I have done in the past 6 months or so has obviously benefitted my body a ton, which is great to see. I had to do a bit of weaving around the parents watching their adorable little boys playing youth lax, but it was a welcome distraction. Overall perfect Saturday afternoon of ass kicking and new accomplishments!
With friends in town I didn't have enough time to exercise yesterday, and the 50 degree overcast weather wasn't particularly enticing. I figured given my Saturday feat it would be ok to give myself the day off. And then....I woke up this morning. Per usual, my 6am alarm went off and instead of popping out of bed ready to take on the world, I groaned until I turned my alarm clock off. I was exhausted, my knees and calves are really worn out from stadiums, and I decided that I was going to....GASP...sleep in.
I woke up at 7:30 [still really tired] and after experiencing feelings of remorse throughout my shower, I realized that is it OK to give yourself a break. That is a really hard thing for me to accept, as I feel like I am 'too tough' to need rest or off days. The reality is, everybody has limits. I clearly reached a limit as of this morning, I was physically, mentally and emotionally exhausted. There are times when you need to push past your limits, and there are times when it is ok to cave in to your exhaustion. It is up to each individual to learn how to optimally challenge your body, mind and soul. We all have different limits and it is very important to be able to listen to your body/mind/soul so you give yourself what you need for a long, happy life.
So, for today, I am resting. It is my body's Sabbath. Tomorrow? Double spin class. Git er done.
How do I celebrate 65 degree perfectly sunny Saturdays? Why, stadiums of course! After yummy brunch, I hopped on my bike and pedaled my way to Harvard's stadium to enjoy the weather the best way I know how - physical challenges! After a little slap on the ass via text message, I decided I was going to conquer the whole stadium one section at a time. I have done this before [last summer] on the small steps, since my back and legs were not in good enough shape for the big girl stairs a year ago. I am happy to report that my back and legs have since gotten themselves together, and I divided and conquered all 37 sections one at a time! It felt great, and I was proud of myself. All the lifting I have done in the past 6 months or so has obviously benefitted my body a ton, which is great to see. I had to do a bit of weaving around the parents watching their adorable little boys playing youth lax, but it was a welcome distraction. Overall perfect Saturday afternoon of ass kicking and new accomplishments!
With friends in town I didn't have enough time to exercise yesterday, and the 50 degree overcast weather wasn't particularly enticing. I figured given my Saturday feat it would be ok to give myself the day off. And then....I woke up this morning. Per usual, my 6am alarm went off and instead of popping out of bed ready to take on the world, I groaned until I turned my alarm clock off. I was exhausted, my knees and calves are really worn out from stadiums, and I decided that I was going to....GASP...sleep in.
I woke up at 7:30 [still really tired] and after experiencing feelings of remorse throughout my shower, I realized that is it OK to give yourself a break. That is a really hard thing for me to accept, as I feel like I am 'too tough' to need rest or off days. The reality is, everybody has limits. I clearly reached a limit as of this morning, I was physically, mentally and emotionally exhausted. There are times when you need to push past your limits, and there are times when it is ok to cave in to your exhaustion. It is up to each individual to learn how to optimally challenge your body, mind and soul. We all have different limits and it is very important to be able to listen to your body/mind/soul so you give yourself what you need for a long, happy life.
So, for today, I am resting. It is my body's Sabbath. Tomorrow? Double spin class. Git er done.
Friday, May 20, 2011
Can some addiction be healthy?
HAPPY FRIDAY! We deserve this one [I'm speaking for the collective group here]. I assume everyone has worked as hard as me this week and is ready for a fun filled weekend. I said a little prayer last night for some sun to arrive...still crossing my fingers. A great Bruins win last night, up 2-1 in the series. Great season to be a Bs bandwagon fan, I'll tell you that much. The OKC Thunder tied the series 1-1 last night with a great win. I have a feeling this will be an awesome series until the end.
I hope everyone had an awesome thirsty Thursday experience last night. Spin class was totally kick ass. Besides the fact I could barely cycle at the beginning due to complete leg exhaustion, the muscles pulled through for me once again and gave me an hour of solid effort. Walking home in a straight line was a challenge, but what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Which brings me to the topic for today....I think I am addicted. To exercise.
Addicted? To exercise? It sounds weird, but upon reflection I think it might be true. One workout a day is no longer enough for me. Two workouts and I feel satisfied. A day off? GASP!!! Don't even threaten me with that. Andrew forced me to take Sunday off this past weekend and I was pouty the whole day. I think about how I will feel once I'm on the spinner, treadmill, holding the weights, under the squat rack and the endorphins that ensue, and I grin. I want it all the time. Multiple times a day. Every day. I think that is probably called addiction, you are never satisfied and want more.
I am 100% ok with being addicted to exercise at this point in my life. If you have to pick an addiction, this is a good one to have. My other addiction is definitely coffee. I can't remember the last time I didn't have coffee in any given day. It is a calorie free happy beverage addiction [with nutritional benefits]. I also find that the healthier I eat, the more addicted I get to a very nutritional, healthy diet. It is a very positive cycle with most people when it comes to diet and exercise, the more you do it, the easier it is to continue and the more motivated you tend to be. The hardest part is getting started and establishing the optimal routine!
My conclusion is that healthy addictions can be okay. If it starts to take over all aspects of your life, perhaps reconsider your balance a bit, but allow yourself to really dive in to your passions! I plan to satisfy this addiction with a Friday happy hour workout before the evening of festivities begin....
Enjoy the weekend!
I hope everyone had an awesome thirsty Thursday experience last night. Spin class was totally kick ass. Besides the fact I could barely cycle at the beginning due to complete leg exhaustion, the muscles pulled through for me once again and gave me an hour of solid effort. Walking home in a straight line was a challenge, but what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Which brings me to the topic for today....I think I am addicted. To exercise.
Addicted? To exercise? It sounds weird, but upon reflection I think it might be true. One workout a day is no longer enough for me. Two workouts and I feel satisfied. A day off? GASP!!! Don't even threaten me with that. Andrew forced me to take Sunday off this past weekend and I was pouty the whole day. I think about how I will feel once I'm on the spinner, treadmill, holding the weights, under the squat rack and the endorphins that ensue, and I grin. I want it all the time. Multiple times a day. Every day. I think that is probably called addiction, you are never satisfied and want more.
I am 100% ok with being addicted to exercise at this point in my life. If you have to pick an addiction, this is a good one to have. My other addiction is definitely coffee. I can't remember the last time I didn't have coffee in any given day. It is a calorie free happy beverage addiction [with nutritional benefits]. I also find that the healthier I eat, the more addicted I get to a very nutritional, healthy diet. It is a very positive cycle with most people when it comes to diet and exercise, the more you do it, the easier it is to continue and the more motivated you tend to be. The hardest part is getting started and establishing the optimal routine!
My conclusion is that healthy addictions can be okay. If it starts to take over all aspects of your life, perhaps reconsider your balance a bit, but allow yourself to really dive in to your passions! I plan to satisfy this addiction with a Friday happy hour workout before the evening of festivities begin....
Enjoy the weekend!
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Thirsty Thursday...?
Happy Thursday! SO CLOSE TO FRIDAY I can basically taste it. A couple of my great college friends come into town tomorrow so Harvard Womens Track and Field will be taking over Boston for the weekend. I can't wait. Day 6 of rain. I've stopped complaining and just resolved myself to understanding sun as a luxury, not an expectation. It is sort of working! Work has been busy so cloudy rainy days aren't so bad, not much temptation to go outside and play which can be helpful during weeks like this.
So...thirsty Thursday? Mine has been filled with thirst all day. Morning sweat-fest, morning coffee, afternoon coffee, multiple nalgenes of delicious water, and soon I will be doing 'super spin' which will obviously be another sweat-fest. I'm beginning to love my thirsty Thursday dates with spin class. There is a group of young women about my age that all go to the Thursday evening spin class. They have a blast, they laugh, they sing along to the music, they smile, they whoop and holler with excitement...and that makes me really happy. As a working professional, you can easily get sucked in to the happy hour lifestyle. You are surrounded by young single coworkers, tons of downtown bars, and the 'need a drink' mentality you hear coming from everyone toward the end of the week.
I am happy to admit that I totally give in to my thirsty Thursday temptation by joining this group of fun young women at 'super spin.' We satisfy our thirst in a different way by sweating it out and replenishing with water! There is nothing better to boost your mood than exercising with a bunch of other people who love it. The energy is contagious and the endorphins last all night long. Next time your friend or coworker suggests a casual happy hour drink, mention going for a run or even catching a spin class together. The request might result in a strange look, but keep asking around and you are bound to find a peer with similar interests. Workout buddies are great! I love to meet new people at the gym, so I go alone and interact with this group of women that are already clearly besties. I don't think I can consider myself in the 'in crowd' yet but I am wedging my way in week by week.
I challenge you to satisfy your thirsty Thursday with something fun and active! I promise you will be thrilled with the results.
So...thirsty Thursday? Mine has been filled with thirst all day. Morning sweat-fest, morning coffee, afternoon coffee, multiple nalgenes of delicious water, and soon I will be doing 'super spin' which will obviously be another sweat-fest. I'm beginning to love my thirsty Thursday dates with spin class. There is a group of young women about my age that all go to the Thursday evening spin class. They have a blast, they laugh, they sing along to the music, they smile, they whoop and holler with excitement...and that makes me really happy. As a working professional, you can easily get sucked in to the happy hour lifestyle. You are surrounded by young single coworkers, tons of downtown bars, and the 'need a drink' mentality you hear coming from everyone toward the end of the week.
I am happy to admit that I totally give in to my thirsty Thursday temptation by joining this group of fun young women at 'super spin.' We satisfy our thirst in a different way by sweating it out and replenishing with water! There is nothing better to boost your mood than exercising with a bunch of other people who love it. The energy is contagious and the endorphins last all night long. Next time your friend or coworker suggests a casual happy hour drink, mention going for a run or even catching a spin class together. The request might result in a strange look, but keep asking around and you are bound to find a peer with similar interests. Workout buddies are great! I love to meet new people at the gym, so I go alone and interact with this group of women that are already clearly besties. I don't think I can consider myself in the 'in crowd' yet but I am wedging my way in week by week.
I challenge you to satisfy your thirsty Thursday with something fun and active! I promise you will be thrilled with the results.
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Beware: Do. Not. Bother. Me. [sometimes....]
Happy rainy hump day...afternoon. So we are even further over the hump than this morning, I'll take it! Day 5 of rain in Boston, I honestly feel like I moved to a different region of this earth where sun doesn't exist. Sort of weird and a little depressing. It will clear up for this weekend, so weekend please come faster! Sports update: great Bruins' win last night, what a crazy entertaining game to watch. I was in bed as the basketball game was happening so can't comment on that. Biggest Loser was amazing last night, the two smallest girls lost the highest % of weight and I was super super impressed. There may or may not have been tears on my end, it gets emotional.
I went to bed a little earlier last night [granted my standard bedtime is before 10:30pm so not saying much] because I had an impromptu appointment with a trainer at my gym at 6:15am. I don't really know what it is about me, but trainers love talking to me. What sports I do, my lifting program, technique, you name it and they want to chat with me about it. Anyway, one of the trainers at my gym came up to me last week and asked if he could show me a few new moves so I was like....ok go for it. He showed me these weird cross over pushups and 1-arm dumbell clean and squat. Both were fine but clearly not life-changing. After his little demonstration, he asked if he could do some muscle testing so he could help show me what muscle groups I should focus on going forward. I figured hey ok, he wants to do this for free, I'll let it happen.
Fastforward to 6:15am this morning. I show up at the gym and he asks me to sit in his office, where he proceeds to force me through a 30 minute conversation about my athletic history, future goals, injuries, nutrition, and everything else you could possibly talk about. 1. I was not prepared to talk for 30 minutes, nor did I have any interest in doing so and 2. I was comatose, it was 6:15am. Finally we got to the muscle testing portion of this little free consultation and he was like 'squat', so I squatted and he nodded. 'Do a pushup', so I did a pushup and he nodded. 'Lay down and extend one leg at a time to exhibit your hamstring flexibility', so I did as I was told and he nodded. After 10ish minutes of this routine, he goes 'well, you are very well balanced' at which point I told him that the session had finished because I needed to do my workout.
Ummmm that was SO not worth my time. Not only did I get up an extra 15 minutes early for this, but I also wasted 45 minutes of valuable workout time and SOME of us have to be at work by 9am. UGGGG. I managed to squeeze in a killer lower body circuit in the 20ish minutes I had left, but I did not leave smiling. I understand that his intentions were good, but the actual process and outcome was pretty worthless. Fault is totally mine, I will never accept a 'free fitness consultation' again. I advise you all to pass on the opportunity [unless this process sounded eye opening to you]. I feel like I need to wear a sign 'please don't disturb' around the gym sometimes. Goodness gracious! That is my rant for the day.
If you ever find yourself with an unexpectedly SHORT amount of time to workout, give this circuit a shot. It made my legs exhasuted and I was super sweaty, so I'm sure it did some good:
4-5x through the circuit - 90 to 120 seconds rest between sets
10x each kettlebell front lunges
20x squat jumps
20x weighted leg press
20x kettlebell squats
I went to bed a little earlier last night [granted my standard bedtime is before 10:30pm so not saying much] because I had an impromptu appointment with a trainer at my gym at 6:15am. I don't really know what it is about me, but trainers love talking to me. What sports I do, my lifting program, technique, you name it and they want to chat with me about it. Anyway, one of the trainers at my gym came up to me last week and asked if he could show me a few new moves so I was like....ok go for it. He showed me these weird cross over pushups and 1-arm dumbell clean and squat. Both were fine but clearly not life-changing. After his little demonstration, he asked if he could do some muscle testing so he could help show me what muscle groups I should focus on going forward. I figured hey ok, he wants to do this for free, I'll let it happen.
Fastforward to 6:15am this morning. I show up at the gym and he asks me to sit in his office, where he proceeds to force me through a 30 minute conversation about my athletic history, future goals, injuries, nutrition, and everything else you could possibly talk about. 1. I was not prepared to talk for 30 minutes, nor did I have any interest in doing so and 2. I was comatose, it was 6:15am. Finally we got to the muscle testing portion of this little free consultation and he was like 'squat', so I squatted and he nodded. 'Do a pushup', so I did a pushup and he nodded. 'Lay down and extend one leg at a time to exhibit your hamstring flexibility', so I did as I was told and he nodded. After 10ish minutes of this routine, he goes 'well, you are very well balanced' at which point I told him that the session had finished because I needed to do my workout.
Ummmm that was SO not worth my time. Not only did I get up an extra 15 minutes early for this, but I also wasted 45 minutes of valuable workout time and SOME of us have to be at work by 9am. UGGGG. I managed to squeeze in a killer lower body circuit in the 20ish minutes I had left, but I did not leave smiling. I understand that his intentions were good, but the actual process and outcome was pretty worthless. Fault is totally mine, I will never accept a 'free fitness consultation' again. I advise you all to pass on the opportunity [unless this process sounded eye opening to you]. I feel like I need to wear a sign 'please don't disturb' around the gym sometimes. Goodness gracious! That is my rant for the day.
If you ever find yourself with an unexpectedly SHORT amount of time to workout, give this circuit a shot. It made my legs exhasuted and I was super sweaty, so I'm sure it did some good:
4-5x through the circuit - 90 to 120 seconds rest between sets
10x each kettlebell front lunges
20x squat jumps
20x weighted leg press
20x kettlebell squats
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Why do you do it?
Happy Tuesday! Didn't get around to posting yesterday, good ol' Monday morning whirlwind at work. For your daily dose of Shannon the Weatherwoman, it is epically bad weather for the latter half of May here in Boston. At several points over the past couple days, there was zero sun in the 10 day forecast. Not just cloudy, but rainy. For 10 days. 10 days of rain. It is opening up a bit but that is pretty pathetic. What happened to April showers bring May flowers? Boston's flowers are drowning. I am trying to embrace the Seattle-esque weather, which is most easily done by reassuring myself that 1. it isn't yet Memorial Day so there is plenty of time for the weather gods to figure their shit out, and 2. rainy days bring gorgeous green trees/grass/flowers! Patience my dear friends...our time for lovely sunny warm weather will come!
For a short recap, yesterday's workouts were muscle beach in the AM and stairmaster + core in the PM. After 1 mile warmup on the treadmill, triceps were barbell skullcrushers [3x10], standing dumbell overhead extension [3x10] and cable pressdowns [3x15]. Biceps were heavy alternating dumbell curls [3x8each] and alternating dumbell hammer curls [3x10each]. Stairmaster was 30 minutes 'fat loss' program followed by 5 x 15 medball atomic crunches. Good day of muscle building and fat burning, what more can you ask for? This morning was another killer spin class by Derek, we did a stage of the Giro d'Italia which climbs a mountain and a volcano [won by none other than Alberto Contador this weekend]. I LOVE that he tries to simulate real rides during class, it is a great workout and gives you an awesome visual. Most instructors simply come up with a schedule of sprints, jumps, climbs, double times, etc with the only purpose being sweating and pumping your legs to the music. Anyone can do the latter, it is really cool that Derek integrates real rides into our classes. Anyway, happy Shannon post Tuesday AM spin class. Planning on spin class #2 this evening. I don't know what it is lately but I just CAN'T GET ENOUGH.
So...why do you do it? Why do you get up at 6 am every morning to workout before heading to the office when sleep looks much more appealing? Why do you spend an hour planning your weekend bikeride when the average American lays on their couch watching crappy TV? Why do you pour so much blood, sweat, and tears into athletics? Why do you say no to happy hour and yes to an hour long sweat-fest of choice at the gym?
I thought a lot about this question last night after I received a text while I was on the stairmaster. I was right in the thick of my fat burning mission when I got a text that read "yay, keeping that tummy flat!." While that was meant to be a positive, supportive comment, it really drove me nuts. I exercise for many reasons, a flat stomach NOT being one of them. A muscular, toned physique is a wonderful result of daily exercise, but that alone won't successfully drive you toward a life-long journey in fitness.
I choose to exercise on a daily basis for the following reasons:
1. Sanity. The realities of a desk job require daily exercise.
2. The physical challenge. I am lucky to LOVE to feeling of lactic acid, muscle burn, sweat, completely physical exhaustion.
3. Long-term health benefits. Having seen family and friends struggle with health problems, the #1 method to combat anything of the sort is daily exercise.
4. Strength. I refuse to be a physically weak woman, I don't need a man to do anything for me. 100% independent, strong [and yes...muscular] woman at your service.
5. I am an athlete. I have always been and will forever be an athlete, it is my job to continue my athletic pursuits long after organized sports have finished.
So what drives you???
For a short recap, yesterday's workouts were muscle beach in the AM and stairmaster + core in the PM. After 1 mile warmup on the treadmill, triceps were barbell skullcrushers [3x10], standing dumbell overhead extension [3x10] and cable pressdowns [3x15]. Biceps were heavy alternating dumbell curls [3x8each] and alternating dumbell hammer curls [3x10each]. Stairmaster was 30 minutes 'fat loss' program followed by 5 x 15 medball atomic crunches. Good day of muscle building and fat burning, what more can you ask for? This morning was another killer spin class by Derek, we did a stage of the Giro d'Italia which climbs a mountain and a volcano [won by none other than Alberto Contador this weekend]. I LOVE that he tries to simulate real rides during class, it is a great workout and gives you an awesome visual. Most instructors simply come up with a schedule of sprints, jumps, climbs, double times, etc with the only purpose being sweating and pumping your legs to the music. Anyone can do the latter, it is really cool that Derek integrates real rides into our classes. Anyway, happy Shannon post Tuesday AM spin class. Planning on spin class #2 this evening. I don't know what it is lately but I just CAN'T GET ENOUGH.
So...why do you do it? Why do you get up at 6 am every morning to workout before heading to the office when sleep looks much more appealing? Why do you spend an hour planning your weekend bikeride when the average American lays on their couch watching crappy TV? Why do you pour so much blood, sweat, and tears into athletics? Why do you say no to happy hour and yes to an hour long sweat-fest of choice at the gym?
I thought a lot about this question last night after I received a text while I was on the stairmaster. I was right in the thick of my fat burning mission when I got a text that read "yay, keeping that tummy flat!." While that was meant to be a positive, supportive comment, it really drove me nuts. I exercise for many reasons, a flat stomach NOT being one of them. A muscular, toned physique is a wonderful result of daily exercise, but that alone won't successfully drive you toward a life-long journey in fitness.
I choose to exercise on a daily basis for the following reasons:
1. Sanity. The realities of a desk job require daily exercise.
2. The physical challenge. I am lucky to LOVE to feeling of lactic acid, muscle burn, sweat, completely physical exhaustion.
3. Long-term health benefits. Having seen family and friends struggle with health problems, the #1 method to combat anything of the sort is daily exercise.
4. Strength. I refuse to be a physically weak woman, I don't need a man to do anything for me. 100% independent, strong [and yes...muscular] woman at your service.
5. I am an athlete. I have always been and will forever be an athlete, it is my job to continue my athletic pursuits long after organized sports have finished.
So what drives you???
Friday, May 13, 2011
Proper gym attire
TGIF!!! Blogspot has been down this morning recovering posts from yesterday so sorry this is an afternoon blog session. Feels sort of weird for me too...usually I'm sitting here coffee in hand ready to take on the blogging WORLD. By the way my coworker sent around this hilarious link about blogging, check it out if you are interested: http://www.liewcf.com/resignation-letter-from-a-blogger-2770/ Mostly I think the whole blogging and getting fat thing is hilarious.
I have spent a sufficient amount of time on this blog discussing gym etiquette. Obviously you can tell that I think it is really important! It can make or break your gym experience and I honestly wish they gave every gym member a tutorial before they are allowed to step foot on the floor. Maybe I need to create that job...look at me stimulating the economy. One issue I haven't discussed is proper gym attire. This isn't as subjective of an issue as some people might imagine, there are some definite dos and don'ts associated with public exercise. I bring this up because in the past week I have seen some things I never hope to see again. They include a 50-something year old woman working out in a sports bra [only], an old man working out in a speed suit [unfortunately stretching when I saw him], and a very hairy man wearing a wifebeater and old school running shorts [read: very short]. All of the above? NOT OK.
I feel like proper gym attire should be pretty obvious. There are a few rules that shouldn't be broken, by anyone, ever:
1. Wear shorts and a shirt. Both. A sports bra is NOT a shirt, I don't care how fit you are.
2. Don't wear anything that has the possibility of flashing your genitals. This mostly includes too-short shorts for men.
3. If you are hairy, cover it up. It is legit unsanitary.
4. Wear gym shoes. As cool as converse or keds might be, they are not for working out.
5. Dress for your age. If you are older and have a little loose skin, perhaps all spandex is not the best choice.
6. No speed suits. Ever. You are IN A GYM.
I feel like that should pretty much cover it. I know it doesn't sound very restrictive, because it is not. I don't understand what some people are thinking about when they get dressed for the gym. There is this guy who shows up every morning wearing a hooded zip-up. He wears the hood for his whole workout. Like...what? It is just very confusing to me. I want to make him do plyos so the damn hood falls off his head.
Girls - please don't bring your skank outfit to the gym. Shirt + shorts. You need both. I know you feel and look hot, just save it for the clubs. It is not appropriate gym attire to done a sports bra and a sports bra only.
If you have problems following these simple guidelines, the solution is to GO OUTSIDE! There are no rules outside, you can wear whatever feels right as long as you don't get arrested for public indecency. I love running shirtless outside, but that is wear it belongs. Men, wear those short shorts outside. Please. I hope to survive the next week without any such sightings...wish me luck and I will do the same for you!
Enjoy the weekend!
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Explode! It's good for your health.
Hump day! Inching closer and closer to the weekend. I have a lot to look forward to, Andrew is coming to Boston, college friends are arriving for a big wedding weekend [next wknd], spring dinner party, basically overall love and happiness. This has been a crazy week at work so far, so I am very much looking forward to Friday evening for some relax and unwind time. I don't have much for you in the way of sports updates, I definitely watched Biggest Loser last night instead of the Bulls game, it was a lot more interesting. Last night on BL there was the final elimination to determine the final four, who are competing for the huge cash prize at the end of the show. It was an impressive episode, all three women left are in the 150's and posted losses of 4, 5, and 5 lbs. One week, 5 lbs, already weighing 155lbs. KICKING ASS. I get so fired up watching this show, probably not normal. I would like nothing more than to make a guest appearance and get my butt kicked by Jillian and Bob for a couple of days. Shannon's paradise.
Theme of the day: explosion. I realize this could be taken many ways, and do with it as you wish, but my use of the word 'explode' relates to moving explosively during your workouts. I am going strong with 2-a-days this week, upper body Mon AM, running Mon PM, spin Tues AM & PM, so as I sat last night thinking about my morning's workout, I realized I needed some explosiveness in my life. The motion of exploding does WONDERS for your body. It engages your core, back, glutes, thighs all in one exercise. It increases heart rate and burns calories at an insane rate. Essentially, there is nothing better for your body than explosive plyometic exercises. As you probably know by now, slow and steady is not my jam. It really shouldn't be anyone's jam on a consistent basis. Nothing wrong with settling into the occasional long run or bike ride, but intervals, hills, plyos etc are much more effective methods of exercise.
I incorporated a couple of different explosive exercises into this morning's lift, and my body is already thanking me for it! For a frame of reference, I sweat as much lifting as I do while running intervals. If you are lifting hard enough, and explosive enough, it almost counts as cardio [but not really, DO BOTH!].
Hump Day EXPLOSIONNNNN
Circuit of explosion - x3
Kettlebell swings x 20 - get into a deep squat while swinging the ball back between your legs, explode forward with your hips and glutes
Jump squats x 20
Leg press x 20 - slow on the way down, explode up for each rep
Power pulls & cleans
Power pull x 6, power clean x 6 @ 95lbs
Power pull x 5, power clean x 5 @ 115lbs
Power pull x 4, power clean x 4 @ 125lbs
Power clean x 3 @ 135lbs
Deadlift
3 x 8 @ 145lbs
There is no better exercise [maybe other than clean and jerk] for exploding than power cleans. Coupling that with the 'circuit of explosion', you are going to explode right out of the gym! Deadlifts are obviously great for glutes, thighs and back strength. Explode all you want with deadlifts but be careful of jarring your back.
Theme of the day: explosion. I realize this could be taken many ways, and do with it as you wish, but my use of the word 'explode' relates to moving explosively during your workouts. I am going strong with 2-a-days this week, upper body Mon AM, running Mon PM, spin Tues AM & PM, so as I sat last night thinking about my morning's workout, I realized I needed some explosiveness in my life. The motion of exploding does WONDERS for your body. It engages your core, back, glutes, thighs all in one exercise. It increases heart rate and burns calories at an insane rate. Essentially, there is nothing better for your body than explosive plyometic exercises. As you probably know by now, slow and steady is not my jam. It really shouldn't be anyone's jam on a consistent basis. Nothing wrong with settling into the occasional long run or bike ride, but intervals, hills, plyos etc are much more effective methods of exercise.
I incorporated a couple of different explosive exercises into this morning's lift, and my body is already thanking me for it! For a frame of reference, I sweat as much lifting as I do while running intervals. If you are lifting hard enough, and explosive enough, it almost counts as cardio [but not really, DO BOTH!].
Hump Day EXPLOSIONNNNN
Circuit of explosion - x3
Kettlebell swings x 20 - get into a deep squat while swinging the ball back between your legs, explode forward with your hips and glutes
Jump squats x 20
Leg press x 20 - slow on the way down, explode up for each rep
Power pulls & cleans
Power pull x 6, power clean x 6 @ 95lbs
Power pull x 5, power clean x 5 @ 115lbs
Power pull x 4, power clean x 4 @ 125lbs
Power clean x 3 @ 135lbs
Deadlift
3 x 8 @ 145lbs
There is no better exercise [maybe other than clean and jerk] for exploding than power cleans. Coupling that with the 'circuit of explosion', you are going to explode right out of the gym! Deadlifts are obviously great for glutes, thighs and back strength. Explode all you want with deadlifts but be careful of jarring your back.
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
75% diet + 25% exercise = recipe for success
I am feeling particularly blessed on this Tuesday. It definitely is not the cold rainy spring day. I feel happy, healthy, awake, energized, loved, and supported. Spin class is partially responsible for a few of those feelings, it was really awesome this morning when Derek came in with a map of Giro d'Italia stage 5 for our ride this morning [happening tomorrow in real time]. We followed the map of the stage as close as possible and it was a cool feeling of accomplishment that is hard to come by when you are sweating on a stationary bike. He may be one of the best spin instructors of all time, he better not go anywhere! Last night I received my sister's med school graduation announcement in the mail, I am SO PROUD of her. Very excited to spend Memorial Day in Chicago to celebrate her amazing accomplishments [and birthday!]. Friends and family are doing amazing things all around me and I feel very blessed to be part of their lives.
I am currently partaking in a 3 week weight loss challenge with two of my best friends from college. Just for the hell of it. This is what former track athletes do on their free time. Since I already workout like a crazy woman, I had to think about how I was going to be competitive. Obvious answer - diet overhaul [in addition to adding a couple of 30 min cardio sessions a week]. So the other problem is I also eat really healthy. Unfortunately/fortunately I can't just stop eating fast food and drinking pop and drop 10 lbs. My diet is already full of lean protein, veggies and fruit with the occasional complex carb. So I knew this was going to have to be more extreme. Solution? A bodybuilding fat loss diet. Four meals a day consisting of all lean protein [egg whites, chicken breast, white fish, tofu] and dark green veggies. You can sprinkle fruit and a complex carb here and there but very sparingly. No salt, no oil, no dairy, no nuts. You get the general idea. I may be a total weirdo for saying this...but I actually like it. You feel SO incredibly clean and healthy. Tomorrow is our second weigh in so I will see how the diet is working, I'm pretty excited [in a really dorky way].
The reason I bring this competition up is because I think it is really important for everyone to understand the influence of diet on your overall health, especially if you are looking to change your body in any way. Obviously I am passionate about exercise, but that only gets you 25% of the way there. You can exercise for 4 hours a day, but if you don't put the right foods in your body you will be stuck at a plateau...forever. I am a firm believer in putting the right kind of calories in your body. Programs like Weight Watchers encourage simply counting calories, and science suggests that as long as you burn more calories than you consume, you will be fine. I strive for more, I strive for clean, whole foods because in the long run I think that has a huge influence on your health. Nothing packaged, nothing processed, and I eat all organic foods. The standard visual I like to remember is to fill 1/2 your plate with dark green veggies, 1/4 with lean protein, and 1/4 with a complex carb [no bread, pasta, potato etc]. I tend to eat a bit more protein and less carb, but the optimal combination is different for everyone. I also stay away from gluten and dairy, most bodies don't digest these food groups well, so you are only doing yourself a favor.
One of my favorite phrases is 'it takes 2 weeks to create a habit'. Everyone has something they can do better when it comes to eating well. Do this one thing [or multiple things if you feel ambitious] continually for two weeks and I think you will see huge results. Always remember, food is fuel. Only in modern times has food become a leisure activity. We eat to live. Feed your body the best fuel possible, since you only have one shot. My current goal is to eliminate excess salt from my diet, pepper is my new best friend. Flavor with lemon or lime juice, or delicious spices. Salt is the primary cause of many health issues, so why tempt fate?
Next time you are looking to lose a couple of lbs or you just want to feel healthier and happier, look no further than your next meal. Exercise is fabulous for all aspects of your body, mind and soul, but diet can easily outweigh all the work you put in at the gym. If you need some advice on how to eat cleanly and healthy, check out books written by Jillian Michaels or Tosca Reno.
I am currently partaking in a 3 week weight loss challenge with two of my best friends from college. Just for the hell of it. This is what former track athletes do on their free time. Since I already workout like a crazy woman, I had to think about how I was going to be competitive. Obvious answer - diet overhaul [in addition to adding a couple of 30 min cardio sessions a week]. So the other problem is I also eat really healthy. Unfortunately/fortunately I can't just stop eating fast food and drinking pop and drop 10 lbs. My diet is already full of lean protein, veggies and fruit with the occasional complex carb. So I knew this was going to have to be more extreme. Solution? A bodybuilding fat loss diet. Four meals a day consisting of all lean protein [egg whites, chicken breast, white fish, tofu] and dark green veggies. You can sprinkle fruit and a complex carb here and there but very sparingly. No salt, no oil, no dairy, no nuts. You get the general idea. I may be a total weirdo for saying this...but I actually like it. You feel SO incredibly clean and healthy. Tomorrow is our second weigh in so I will see how the diet is working, I'm pretty excited [in a really dorky way].
The reason I bring this competition up is because I think it is really important for everyone to understand the influence of diet on your overall health, especially if you are looking to change your body in any way. Obviously I am passionate about exercise, but that only gets you 25% of the way there. You can exercise for 4 hours a day, but if you don't put the right foods in your body you will be stuck at a plateau...forever. I am a firm believer in putting the right kind of calories in your body. Programs like Weight Watchers encourage simply counting calories, and science suggests that as long as you burn more calories than you consume, you will be fine. I strive for more, I strive for clean, whole foods because in the long run I think that has a huge influence on your health. Nothing packaged, nothing processed, and I eat all organic foods. The standard visual I like to remember is to fill 1/2 your plate with dark green veggies, 1/4 with lean protein, and 1/4 with a complex carb [no bread, pasta, potato etc]. I tend to eat a bit more protein and less carb, but the optimal combination is different for everyone. I also stay away from gluten and dairy, most bodies don't digest these food groups well, so you are only doing yourself a favor.
One of my favorite phrases is 'it takes 2 weeks to create a habit'. Everyone has something they can do better when it comes to eating well. Do this one thing [or multiple things if you feel ambitious] continually for two weeks and I think you will see huge results. Always remember, food is fuel. Only in modern times has food become a leisure activity. We eat to live. Feed your body the best fuel possible, since you only have one shot. My current goal is to eliminate excess salt from my diet, pepper is my new best friend. Flavor with lemon or lime juice, or delicious spices. Salt is the primary cause of many health issues, so why tempt fate?
Next time you are looking to lose a couple of lbs or you just want to feel healthier and happier, look no further than your next meal. Exercise is fabulous for all aspects of your body, mind and soul, but diet can easily outweigh all the work you put in at the gym. If you need some advice on how to eat cleanly and healthy, check out books written by Jillian Michaels or Tosca Reno.
Monday, May 9, 2011
It is all about the competition?
Another Monday following another great weekend. It is tough to say whether awesome weekends make Monday easier or harder, right now it is on the harder side. It is beautiful outside and I want to go out and PLAY all day! With the small exception of being really allergy stricken at the moment. Allergy meds have been consumed in three forms [pill, nasal spray, eye drops] and I will keep them coming until my body figures out how to properly respond to spring. I'm annoying my body isn't toughing it out, come ON NOW!
I spent the weekend at Yale cheering on Harvard Track and Field at the Ivy League Track Championships [Heps]. Not many people are excited about spending 6 hrs at the track each day...but I am one of them. It was great to be in the middle of action for the weekend. When I was a senior, two freshman multis came into the program and were my training partners. I have seen them develop athletically and it has been really fun. This weekend, both competed in the heptathlon and had entirely opposite experiences. One of the girls had multiple lifetime PRs and finished 2nd after running an insane 800m to climb from 5th to 2nd. The other really struggled after a disaster hurdle race and had her most disappointing finish at Heps. Going into the weekend, they had both done identical training for the season, same preparation, same meet schedule, no variability to speak of.
And that is why you compete. Training is predictable, regimented, charted, and recorded. Competition throws all that out the window when you step on the line. Some days, with little training, you step on the track and have the best day of your athletic life. Other days, you are completely physically and mentally prepared, and it just doesn't come together. As I told heptathlete #2 this weekend, you compete because nothing is ever set in stone. Training does not always correlate to performance level. The variability is what makes competition interesting. But not always fun.
I hitched a ride home from the meet with heptathlete #1's mother and sister [amazingly generous of them]. As we were driving, the mother asked me if I continue to train and compete. I sort of stuttered...I was like 'well yeah I definitely still train. I do a lot of running, lifting and cardio. But I guess I haven't competed since last year.' [My half marathons were hardly competitions, more like survival experiences]. The mother's question made an excellent point. In order to train....you need to compete. Otherwise, what is the purpose of your training? I am actually highly unusual in that I love to train, with or without a competition in my future, so this is less pertinent to me. But I think that most people have trouble staying motivated in their training without an end goal. Solution: find a competition! Whether it be a half marathon, a tri, a cycling race, or just a personal cardio or lifting goal with a deadline, set it up! I think the next competition in my future may be a fitness competition. It would couple my passion of cardio and lifting with a tangible goal and timeline. There is also a really strong community of women surrounding the sport. I'll have to do some research [and come to terms with a spinach and chicken breast diet] but I think I'm about ready to compete, and win, again! Do yourself a favor and find YOUR next competition, your training will be appreciative!
I spent the weekend at Yale cheering on Harvard Track and Field at the Ivy League Track Championships [Heps]. Not many people are excited about spending 6 hrs at the track each day...but I am one of them. It was great to be in the middle of action for the weekend. When I was a senior, two freshman multis came into the program and were my training partners. I have seen them develop athletically and it has been really fun. This weekend, both competed in the heptathlon and had entirely opposite experiences. One of the girls had multiple lifetime PRs and finished 2nd after running an insane 800m to climb from 5th to 2nd. The other really struggled after a disaster hurdle race and had her most disappointing finish at Heps. Going into the weekend, they had both done identical training for the season, same preparation, same meet schedule, no variability to speak of.
And that is why you compete. Training is predictable, regimented, charted, and recorded. Competition throws all that out the window when you step on the line. Some days, with little training, you step on the track and have the best day of your athletic life. Other days, you are completely physically and mentally prepared, and it just doesn't come together. As I told heptathlete #2 this weekend, you compete because nothing is ever set in stone. Training does not always correlate to performance level. The variability is what makes competition interesting. But not always fun.
I hitched a ride home from the meet with heptathlete #1's mother and sister [amazingly generous of them]. As we were driving, the mother asked me if I continue to train and compete. I sort of stuttered...I was like 'well yeah I definitely still train. I do a lot of running, lifting and cardio. But I guess I haven't competed since last year.' [My half marathons were hardly competitions, more like survival experiences]. The mother's question made an excellent point. In order to train....you need to compete. Otherwise, what is the purpose of your training? I am actually highly unusual in that I love to train, with or without a competition in my future, so this is less pertinent to me. But I think that most people have trouble staying motivated in their training without an end goal. Solution: find a competition! Whether it be a half marathon, a tri, a cycling race, or just a personal cardio or lifting goal with a deadline, set it up! I think the next competition in my future may be a fitness competition. It would couple my passion of cardio and lifting with a tangible goal and timeline. There is also a really strong community of women surrounding the sport. I'll have to do some research [and come to terms with a spinach and chicken breast diet] but I think I'm about ready to compete, and win, again! Do yourself a favor and find YOUR next competition, your training will be appreciative!
Friday, May 6, 2011
Mother Nature is free therapy
TGIF! And what a glorious, sunny, happy Friday it is. I'm pretty sure everyone I have encountered today is in a good mood, just one of those days. The sky in Boston right now is literally perfect. Perfect color blue, not a single cloud. It looks strangely like....Denver. Whoa. Boston really isn't so bad when the weather behaves, unfortunately that is like once or twice a month. For now I will just appreciate that God gave us a beautiful happy Friday! I have been so focused on working my butt off all week [twice a day], so I am really excited to relax and hang out with friends tonight. Social hour? What is that? I guess I will rediscover at 5pm.
The past couple of days I have been feeling really antsy. Sort of that unsettled, restless feeling that you want to be doing anything BUT what you are actually doing. A lot of it stems from me trying to take on other people's issues, I stress myself out when I try to figure out solutions to other people's lives. There has been too much of that going on this week, so my natural response was to work my body to exhaustion and eventally my mind would follow. Well. It worked. After Monday's PM muscle beach workout, Tuesday's AM spin class, Wednesday's AM leg workout, PM run, Thursday's AM upper body workout, PM 'super spin' class, and Friday's AM run, I think I'm on my way to relaxation. Physical exhaustion is the only proven method to relaxing my mind. Luckily working out has endless benefits so I think it is a pretty decent way to cope with stress.
While we are on the topic of spin class [again? yes again. accept it.], last night I tried a new class, 'super spin' [just a longer spin class] with a new instructor. Let's just say I only followed the instructor for the first 20 minutes of class. She had what I would call 'spastic spinning ADD.' She couldn't do one thing for more than 30 seconds, we were constantly sitting, standing, sprinting, standing, double time, sitting, jumping. OMG I couldn't handle it. I wondered if she had ever rode a real bicycle outside before. So I just focused on the good beats and did my own thing. Life lesson: don't try to spin in Nike Frees. AKA the closest to barefoot running while wearing real shoes. It was painful, uncomfortable and super annoying. I'm tempted to carry my spin shoes everywhere I go from now on in case I want to hop into a spin class on a whim.
NOW onto the topic that is behind the title of this post....morning runs on the river. After a serious week of gym time, I was thinking last night about what I wanted to do this morning. Knowing it was set up to be a glorious sunny spring day, I was pained to think I was going back in the gym again. I have already hit all my muscle groups for the week so I would just be doubling up if I lifted again. Running has been out of my routine for so long because of my foot, I had to think for a few minutes before I remembered that running...outside...was even an option. And what a perfect option for such a fine day! I tied my hot pink Frees, put on tights and a long sleeve shirt [from this past year's 10k Turkey Trot in Chicago, it is hot yellow, I was looking very stylish], plugged in my iPod and went on my way! Since it has been so long since I've run any further than 3 miles, and I've only run on the treadmill and the track since January, I figured I would do a short little loop to feel it out. Once I starting moving, it felt amazing. The air was crisp, the sun was rising, and my legs felt surprisingly fresh. There is something about fresh crisp air first thing in the morning before the rest of the world is bustling that is seriously therapeutic. The Charles River is pristine and everyone else running is as happy as you are. Only happy people run at 6am, it is a great thing. I make it a goal to smile at every runner that I pass, I honestly think it makes a difference. 4.5 miles later I felt like a new, relaxed, rejuvinated woman!
I mentioned in a previous blog that next time you feel down or depressed, get up and out of the house and into the gym. You can do even BETTER by getting up and out...and experiencing Mother Nature. Hard day at work? Skip happy hour and go for a run. [Sidenote - alcohol is obviously a depressant and despite what you may think, does no good long term in perking you up]. Have a free weekend morning or afternoon? Get out and do something outside. It does the body, mind, and soul wonders. Enjoy this wonderful spring Mother's Day weekend and play outside! Your entire being will thank you.
The past couple of days I have been feeling really antsy. Sort of that unsettled, restless feeling that you want to be doing anything BUT what you are actually doing. A lot of it stems from me trying to take on other people's issues, I stress myself out when I try to figure out solutions to other people's lives. There has been too much of that going on this week, so my natural response was to work my body to exhaustion and eventally my mind would follow. Well. It worked. After Monday's PM muscle beach workout, Tuesday's AM spin class, Wednesday's AM leg workout, PM run, Thursday's AM upper body workout, PM 'super spin' class, and Friday's AM run, I think I'm on my way to relaxation. Physical exhaustion is the only proven method to relaxing my mind. Luckily working out has endless benefits so I think it is a pretty decent way to cope with stress.
While we are on the topic of spin class [again? yes again. accept it.], last night I tried a new class, 'super spin' [just a longer spin class] with a new instructor. Let's just say I only followed the instructor for the first 20 minutes of class. She had what I would call 'spastic spinning ADD.' She couldn't do one thing for more than 30 seconds, we were constantly sitting, standing, sprinting, standing, double time, sitting, jumping. OMG I couldn't handle it. I wondered if she had ever rode a real bicycle outside before. So I just focused on the good beats and did my own thing. Life lesson: don't try to spin in Nike Frees. AKA the closest to barefoot running while wearing real shoes. It was painful, uncomfortable and super annoying. I'm tempted to carry my spin shoes everywhere I go from now on in case I want to hop into a spin class on a whim.
NOW onto the topic that is behind the title of this post....morning runs on the river. After a serious week of gym time, I was thinking last night about what I wanted to do this morning. Knowing it was set up to be a glorious sunny spring day, I was pained to think I was going back in the gym again. I have already hit all my muscle groups for the week so I would just be doubling up if I lifted again. Running has been out of my routine for so long because of my foot, I had to think for a few minutes before I remembered that running...outside...was even an option. And what a perfect option for such a fine day! I tied my hot pink Frees, put on tights and a long sleeve shirt [from this past year's 10k Turkey Trot in Chicago, it is hot yellow, I was looking very stylish], plugged in my iPod and went on my way! Since it has been so long since I've run any further than 3 miles, and I've only run on the treadmill and the track since January, I figured I would do a short little loop to feel it out. Once I starting moving, it felt amazing. The air was crisp, the sun was rising, and my legs felt surprisingly fresh. There is something about fresh crisp air first thing in the morning before the rest of the world is bustling that is seriously therapeutic. The Charles River is pristine and everyone else running is as happy as you are. Only happy people run at 6am, it is a great thing. I make it a goal to smile at every runner that I pass, I honestly think it makes a difference. 4.5 miles later I felt like a new, relaxed, rejuvinated woman!
I mentioned in a previous blog that next time you feel down or depressed, get up and out of the house and into the gym. You can do even BETTER by getting up and out...and experiencing Mother Nature. Hard day at work? Skip happy hour and go for a run. [Sidenote - alcohol is obviously a depressant and despite what you may think, does no good long term in perking you up]. Have a free weekend morning or afternoon? Get out and do something outside. It does the body, mind, and soul wonders. Enjoy this wonderful spring Mother's Day weekend and play outside! Your entire being will thank you.
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Benching for women
Happy almost Friday! Another B's victory last night [albeit less exciting of a game than game 2] but I'll take it. Also how about them Spurs? Down with the Lakers! Any team that sinks the Lakers is a friend of mine. Excited to see how the rest of the series progresses. Glad the Bulls evened the series. I'm a big fan of D Rose this year, along with everyone else watching the NBA this season, and after watching his tearful acceptance MVP speech giving a huge shout-out to his momma, I'm obsessed. What a humble, hard working, incredibly talented dude.
This past weekend at Penn Relays, the recent UPenn men track alums got together for something they call the "Cobra Combine." The Combine is essentialy a multi-event competition that involves the consumption of malt liquor [ewwww]. It is definitely an improvised multi-event, no high jump or pole vault for these guys. It started with the 40 chug, followed by bench press [max reps at 185lb], keg run [running on top of a rolling keg], shuttle run, and ending with beirut. I think only 4 people made it to beirut, but strong showing through the shuttle run. Andrew took both keg run and shuttle run like a true sprinter should, I was proud. I bring the Cobra Combine up because of bench press. It was hilariously wonderful to see all sorts of track athletes try and bench together on a really shaky/sketchy rack in the basement of the track house. As expected there were several guys that did great [the multis and sprinters of the world] while the mid-D and D guys didn't do so hot. 1 rep was a victory in the land of 150-160lb men.
What was most interesting for me to watch was everyone's form. There is one main difference in watching men and women bench in my experience, primarily the width of the grip. Women tend to hold the bar much more narrow, probably because it is more in line with smaller shoulders, whereas men grip widely [sometimes wider than looks optimal]. Regardless, after all the dudes finished repping 185lbs, I stayed downstairs and gave the wider grip a shot [with...um...95lbs, don't judge]. Result? Awesome. It works your upper body differently and gives you more control over the motion of the lift. Ladies, next time you bench try opening your grip up a bit and see how it feels.
I was able to practice my wider bench grip this morning during my upper body workout. After an awesome lower body workout in the morning and a run after work, my upper body wanted some attention!
Bench press
x 10, x 8, x 6, x 4
[@ 75lb, 85lb, 95lb, 105lb - good weight progression for women]
Back superset x 3
10 x dumbell upright row [@ 25lb dbs]
10 each x dumbell bent over row with twist grip [@ 40lb db] - start with db perpendicular to feet, as you row, twitst the db so you finish parallel to feet
Shoulder superset x 3
10 x parallel dumbell military press [@ 25lb dbs] - press from shoulders with dbs parallel to feet
10 each x alternating lateral and front dumbell raises [@ 10lb dbs]
This past weekend at Penn Relays, the recent UPenn men track alums got together for something they call the "Cobra Combine." The Combine is essentialy a multi-event competition that involves the consumption of malt liquor [ewwww]. It is definitely an improvised multi-event, no high jump or pole vault for these guys. It started with the 40 chug, followed by bench press [max reps at 185lb], keg run [running on top of a rolling keg], shuttle run, and ending with beirut. I think only 4 people made it to beirut, but strong showing through the shuttle run. Andrew took both keg run and shuttle run like a true sprinter should, I was proud. I bring the Cobra Combine up because of bench press. It was hilariously wonderful to see all sorts of track athletes try and bench together on a really shaky/sketchy rack in the basement of the track house. As expected there were several guys that did great [the multis and sprinters of the world] while the mid-D and D guys didn't do so hot. 1 rep was a victory in the land of 150-160lb men.
What was most interesting for me to watch was everyone's form. There is one main difference in watching men and women bench in my experience, primarily the width of the grip. Women tend to hold the bar much more narrow, probably because it is more in line with smaller shoulders, whereas men grip widely [sometimes wider than looks optimal]. Regardless, after all the dudes finished repping 185lbs, I stayed downstairs and gave the wider grip a shot [with...um...95lbs, don't judge]. Result? Awesome. It works your upper body differently and gives you more control over the motion of the lift. Ladies, next time you bench try opening your grip up a bit and see how it feels.
I was able to practice my wider bench grip this morning during my upper body workout. After an awesome lower body workout in the morning and a run after work, my upper body wanted some attention!
Bench press
x 10, x 8, x 6, x 4
[@ 75lb, 85lb, 95lb, 105lb - good weight progression for women]
Back superset x 3
10 x dumbell upright row [@ 25lb dbs]
10 each x dumbell bent over row with twist grip [@ 40lb db] - start with db perpendicular to feet, as you row, twitst the db so you finish parallel to feet
Shoulder superset x 3
10 x parallel dumbell military press [@ 25lb dbs] - press from shoulders with dbs parallel to feet
10 each x alternating lateral and front dumbell raises [@ 10lb dbs]
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Maintaining flexibility while building muscle
Hump hump hump day! Also, Bruins v Flyers game 3 tonight. Glorious Wednesday. I'm ready for Bruins to take a 3-0 lead and close the series out with another win on Friday. Friday night plans of friends, fun and hockey make this week look a whole lot better. On the contrary, the C's looked pathetic last night. Granted the Heat played well, but how can the big 3 not put up serious points when we turn the ball over with more frequency than we make a jump shot. We shall see if they can recover at home, a 0-2 deficit is tough to overcome regardless of who you are or where you play.
I've had several conversations over the past week about lack of muscular flexibility. While I am the first one to say that flexibility is overrated [sorry yoga fans], maintaining a certain level of flexibility is essential to being an athlete. I think flexibility is best maintained through stretching, foam rolling and making sure your fitness routine has a lot of variety. If your body is only conditioned to move in one direction [say running or cycling only], once you hop in the pool and start your freestyle, it will be more difficult for your shoulders, hips etc... to adjust to a new exercise. If you continue to stress your body with different motions on a consistent basis, flexibility will be a result.
A lot of the lack of muscular flexibility comes from building muscle really quickly. I experienced this issue in high school, when I went from no lifting routine to an intense 4 day/week power lifting routine. My lower body maintained pretty good flexiblity because of the running, drills, and hurdling I was doing on a daily basis, but my upper body, particularly my shoulders and traps/upper back, had no chance. It became a team joke to compare my level of flexibility to every other team member, I lost every time. My issue with flexibility became a problem when I started throwing the javelin and I couldn't physically get my arm in the position it needed to be because of a serious lack of shoulder flexibility. It took many years of stretching and variety of lifts and exercises to gain the necessary flexibility [although jav never really happened for me...I am not a natural thrower].
My mom is training for a sprint triathlon and had an awesome opportunity yesterday to use video during a swim lesson. She was able to see that her freestyle stroke is really limited by lack of flexibility in her arms and shoulders. Her instructor encouraged her to lay off lifting for awhile and gain flexibility. DON'T DO THAT! Lifting only helps your training for events, whether it be a race, triathlon, dodgeball game etc. It is essential strengthening and cross training for whatever events you have in your athletic future. You can work on flexibility and continue your lifting regiment simultaneously. As I suggested before, add more motion variety to your workouts and build in an extra 5-10 minutes after your lift to stretch it out. Stretch before you go to bed, stretch with a friend, stretch while watching your favorite show or sports game. As important as it is to build muscle, it is equally as important to maintain flexibility so you can use that muscle for whatever athletic endeavours you choose.
This topic is especially important today as I sit in my desk chair with a really tight lower back. My workout today was awesome, but I clearly need a bit more back flexibility work in my future.
Today's lower bod workout of CHAMPIONS:
Circuit x 3
Forward lunge x 10 each @ 20lb dumbells
Jump squats x 20
Leg press x 20 @ 2 plates each side
Back Squat
x 8 @ 155lb
x 6 @ 175lb
x 4 @ 185lb
x 2 @ 205lb
Deadlift
3 x 8 @ 145lb
Going to continue this Hump Day fun with a run after work to stretch everything out and get the blood flowing. ENJOY!
I've had several conversations over the past week about lack of muscular flexibility. While I am the first one to say that flexibility is overrated [sorry yoga fans], maintaining a certain level of flexibility is essential to being an athlete. I think flexibility is best maintained through stretching, foam rolling and making sure your fitness routine has a lot of variety. If your body is only conditioned to move in one direction [say running or cycling only], once you hop in the pool and start your freestyle, it will be more difficult for your shoulders, hips etc... to adjust to a new exercise. If you continue to stress your body with different motions on a consistent basis, flexibility will be a result.
A lot of the lack of muscular flexibility comes from building muscle really quickly. I experienced this issue in high school, when I went from no lifting routine to an intense 4 day/week power lifting routine. My lower body maintained pretty good flexiblity because of the running, drills, and hurdling I was doing on a daily basis, but my upper body, particularly my shoulders and traps/upper back, had no chance. It became a team joke to compare my level of flexibility to every other team member, I lost every time. My issue with flexibility became a problem when I started throwing the javelin and I couldn't physically get my arm in the position it needed to be because of a serious lack of shoulder flexibility. It took many years of stretching and variety of lifts and exercises to gain the necessary flexibility [although jav never really happened for me...I am not a natural thrower].
My mom is training for a sprint triathlon and had an awesome opportunity yesterday to use video during a swim lesson. She was able to see that her freestyle stroke is really limited by lack of flexibility in her arms and shoulders. Her instructor encouraged her to lay off lifting for awhile and gain flexibility. DON'T DO THAT! Lifting only helps your training for events, whether it be a race, triathlon, dodgeball game etc. It is essential strengthening and cross training for whatever events you have in your athletic future. You can work on flexibility and continue your lifting regiment simultaneously. As I suggested before, add more motion variety to your workouts and build in an extra 5-10 minutes after your lift to stretch it out. Stretch before you go to bed, stretch with a friend, stretch while watching your favorite show or sports game. As important as it is to build muscle, it is equally as important to maintain flexibility so you can use that muscle for whatever athletic endeavours you choose.
This topic is especially important today as I sit in my desk chair with a really tight lower back. My workout today was awesome, but I clearly need a bit more back flexibility work in my future.
Today's lower bod workout of CHAMPIONS:
Circuit x 3
Forward lunge x 10 each @ 20lb dumbells
Jump squats x 20
Leg press x 20 @ 2 plates each side
Back Squat
x 8 @ 155lb
x 6 @ 175lb
x 4 @ 185lb
x 2 @ 205lb
Deadlift
3 x 8 @ 145lb
Going to continue this Hump Day fun with a run after work to stretch everything out and get the blood flowing. ENJOY!
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Rush hour lifting etiquette!
Happy Tuesday! I hope every survived Monday [smiling if possible]. If you watched the Bruins last night, no way you didn't go to bed smiling. WHAT A GAME. I vouch that last night's game was among the best hockey games I have ever seen. Both teams were on absolute fire, execution on both sides was impressive [besides a few lost breakaway opportunities] and the intensity made me want to dance around my apartment. Thomas killed it, personal MVP of the night. It has been hard for me to get back into hockey after the NHL strike, but I can now say that my love for hockey is well on it's way to recovery post broken hockey-heart. Can't wait for the rest of the series! NBA playoffs have gotten interesting as well...underdog victories always trigger my interest. Again, great month to be a sports fan. WOOHOO!
Last night after work I hit the gym for my weekly muscle beach workout. I'm so used to doing bis and tris in the morning that I don't remember how incredibly busy the gym gets during the after-work rush. Every man living in my hood must have been on the same lifting schedule. Luckily I am not a shy woman, and I claimed what I needed for my workout. A couple notes on gym etiquette when the gym is super busy:
- Don't claim a bench with your towel for more time than it takes to do a normal 3 set exercise, let others work in. And don't just leave your towel there for the duration of your workout in case you might need the bench again at some point, it is rude.
- Try to limit circuit training [unless you are using one machine] so that others can use the weights, machines etc...
- Try to use minimal 'toys' with the cable machines so others can use what they need. Do you really need the rope...and wide grip bar...and v-bar? Probably not, improvise!
- Be flexible. If you have your workout written down, see what is available and work with it! If you can't use what you need, you can always perform a similar exercise using different equipment. Tap into that creativity...
- Don't be lazy. Put everything back where it belongs even if you didn't find it there. Be the better person and keep the gym organized, it benefits everybody.
- Be aware and let others work in. Ignoring your surroundings and turning your music up super loud may seem like the best option, but remove your headphones, smile and try and make friends if someone looks like they are waiting. Next time you need to squat and all racks are taken or you need a quick spot, you can ask your new friends! Good lifting karma goes a long way
Last night's muscle beach workout:
Barbell skullcrushers: 3 x 10 @ 50lbs
Cable rope tricep extensions: 3 x drop sets [10-12 @ 40lbs, 10 @ 35lbs, 8-10 @ 30lbs, no rest]
Alternating dumbell bicep curls: 3 x 8 each @ 30lbs
Two arm cable bicep curl: 4 x 10 @ 25lbs each [curl opposite sides of cable machine in toward ear at the same time]
Not a ton of reps, but go heavy enough and your arms will feel like bricks. Literally and figuratively.
Last night after work I hit the gym for my weekly muscle beach workout. I'm so used to doing bis and tris in the morning that I don't remember how incredibly busy the gym gets during the after-work rush. Every man living in my hood must have been on the same lifting schedule. Luckily I am not a shy woman, and I claimed what I needed for my workout. A couple notes on gym etiquette when the gym is super busy:
- Don't claim a bench with your towel for more time than it takes to do a normal 3 set exercise, let others work in. And don't just leave your towel there for the duration of your workout in case you might need the bench again at some point, it is rude.
- Try to limit circuit training [unless you are using one machine] so that others can use the weights, machines etc...
- Try to use minimal 'toys' with the cable machines so others can use what they need. Do you really need the rope...and wide grip bar...and v-bar? Probably not, improvise!
- Be flexible. If you have your workout written down, see what is available and work with it! If you can't use what you need, you can always perform a similar exercise using different equipment. Tap into that creativity...
- Don't be lazy. Put everything back where it belongs even if you didn't find it there. Be the better person and keep the gym organized, it benefits everybody.
- Be aware and let others work in. Ignoring your surroundings and turning your music up super loud may seem like the best option, but remove your headphones, smile and try and make friends if someone looks like they are waiting. Next time you need to squat and all racks are taken or you need a quick spot, you can ask your new friends! Good lifting karma goes a long way
Last night's muscle beach workout:
Barbell skullcrushers: 3 x 10 @ 50lbs
Cable rope tricep extensions: 3 x drop sets [10-12 @ 40lbs, 10 @ 35lbs, 8-10 @ 30lbs, no rest]
Alternating dumbell bicep curls: 3 x 8 each @ 30lbs
Two arm cable bicep curl: 4 x 10 @ 25lbs each [curl opposite sides of cable machine in toward ear at the same time]
Not a ton of reps, but go heavy enough and your arms will feel like bricks. Literally and figuratively.
Monday, May 2, 2011
Spring awakening - try something NEW!
Happy Monday to all, it is a beautiful Spring day here in Beantown. I hope everyone had an amazing weekend and did something fun, new, and active! I spent the weekend in Philly for the 2011 Penn Relays. I love being surrounded by a bunch of fellow track crazies, and Penn Relays attracts a really diverse international crowd, so that was great. As Andrew said [very accurately] it was a home field advantage for Jamaica on Saturday, what a showing. The U.S. vs the World races were exciting and everything went off smoothly. It is such an interesting meet, as you sit there you watch the entire range of athletics from prepubescent high school boys to world champions and Olympians, even >75 masters races [new >75 world record in the 100m, who knew!]. It was a great race day on Saturday [albeit very chilly at the start, jorts were a poor choice] and overall it was a fun day of competition. Felt sort of weird to be a 'commoner' just watching the meet and not competing, but we sat with a bunch of other track alums which was great.
The theme for Spring 2011 is 'try something new.' If ever there is a season for diving into something new, different, and exciting, Spring is definitely it. Sun comes out, temp warms up, flowers bloom, pollen infiltrates your eyeballs, and Mother Nature awakens. Coincidentally, I FINALLY started Born to Run [barefoot running book] this weekend on my bus rides to/from NYC. 200 pages later, I am totally obsessed. The best part of the book is that McDougall isn't trying to sell anything to the reader. It is an honest and unbiased account of his experience with the Tarahumara tribe, as well as the most prolific ultramarathoners of all time. Barefoot running sounds crazy/nerdy/who the hell does that to the average runner, but I highly encourage every single runner out there to pick up this book. Not only is it a very entertaining read, it also covers so much information essential to a successful lifelong running career.
To me, barefoot running is one of those 'don't talk until you've tried it' activities. After you read the endless evidence of the modern ['supportive'] running shoe causing - yes, CAUSING - the majority of foot and knee problems modern runners experience, there is just no way you won't want to try barefoot running. The modern running shoe wasn't developed until the late 1970's and early 1980's, coincidentally when all the modern foot, ankle and knee problems spread like wildfire. Putting the injury analysis aside, barefoot running is simply freeing. Our feet were designed to be extremely receptive of our environment, the nerve endings are superbly sensitive. Next time you are on a soft grass field, take off your shoes and socks and give it a shot. If you are willing to look a bit granola [I am!] and have some extra cash, pick up a pair of Vibram FiveFingers and go for a quick jog. It is an amazing feeling - try something NEW!
There are so many other options, beyond running, for new fun activities during the Spring season. First of all - GET OUTSIDE! Pump up those bike tires, find those hiking boots and go explore your surroundings. You don't have to be in picturesque locations to go exploring [not everyone can be so blessed as to live in Colorado], so take advantage of your current situation and bike/run/hike away. Take a tennis or golf lesson, find a running club and tag along, sign up for a sprint triathlon [GO MOM GO]! On Shannon's Spring to-do list: mixed martial arts and rock climbing. Thanks to Groupon [and sites of the sort], I have opportunities at a mixed martial arts gym right by my apartment and a rock climbing lesson at one of the best climbing gyms on the East Coast. So excited to try something NEW! So make your own list and get excited for your own Spring awakening.
The theme for Spring 2011 is 'try something new.' If ever there is a season for diving into something new, different, and exciting, Spring is definitely it. Sun comes out, temp warms up, flowers bloom, pollen infiltrates your eyeballs, and Mother Nature awakens. Coincidentally, I FINALLY started Born to Run [barefoot running book] this weekend on my bus rides to/from NYC. 200 pages later, I am totally obsessed. The best part of the book is that McDougall isn't trying to sell anything to the reader. It is an honest and unbiased account of his experience with the Tarahumara tribe, as well as the most prolific ultramarathoners of all time. Barefoot running sounds crazy/nerdy/who the hell does that to the average runner, but I highly encourage every single runner out there to pick up this book. Not only is it a very entertaining read, it also covers so much information essential to a successful lifelong running career.
To me, barefoot running is one of those 'don't talk until you've tried it' activities. After you read the endless evidence of the modern ['supportive'] running shoe causing - yes, CAUSING - the majority of foot and knee problems modern runners experience, there is just no way you won't want to try barefoot running. The modern running shoe wasn't developed until the late 1970's and early 1980's, coincidentally when all the modern foot, ankle and knee problems spread like wildfire. Putting the injury analysis aside, barefoot running is simply freeing. Our feet were designed to be extremely receptive of our environment, the nerve endings are superbly sensitive. Next time you are on a soft grass field, take off your shoes and socks and give it a shot. If you are willing to look a bit granola [I am!] and have some extra cash, pick up a pair of Vibram FiveFingers and go for a quick jog. It is an amazing feeling - try something NEW!
There are so many other options, beyond running, for new fun activities during the Spring season. First of all - GET OUTSIDE! Pump up those bike tires, find those hiking boots and go explore your surroundings. You don't have to be in picturesque locations to go exploring [not everyone can be so blessed as to live in Colorado], so take advantage of your current situation and bike/run/hike away. Take a tennis or golf lesson, find a running club and tag along, sign up for a sprint triathlon [GO MOM GO]! On Shannon's Spring to-do list: mixed martial arts and rock climbing. Thanks to Groupon [and sites of the sort], I have opportunities at a mixed martial arts gym right by my apartment and a rock climbing lesson at one of the best climbing gyms on the East Coast. So excited to try something NEW! So make your own list and get excited for your own Spring awakening.
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