This is part three of a three-part series about staying fit and healthy while on lockdown. Read Part One and Part Two here.
Don’t worry. You’ll be out there again one day. (Image: author’s own.)
You’re stuck inside alone, or possibly with pets and other people that you used to like.
You need some kind of stress release, both as a way to combat the extra snacks you’re eating All. The. Time. and to stop you from killing the people that are Always. Right. There.
Yeah. You’re motivated to work out.
You’ve also sorted out where you’re going to work out, set up your schedule, and have access to countless options for indoor, small-space workouts.
All that’s missing is a way to ensure that you’re properly harnessing the essential element of improving your fitness level: progressive resistance and a way to keep yourself honest.
There are many easy ways to track your workouts, as well as many ways to share them for social support and bragging rights. I’ll outline several of my favourites here…and the below are all either free or have free versions available.
Tools and trackers for the self-motivated
Pencil and paper
Of course, you can just write it down. An actual, honest-to-goodness paper notebook or calendar is a great way to track your workouts (as is a chisel and slab of stone, for that matter). You can see at a glance what you did and when you did it, and it’s low-tech…never a need to upgrade or install updates.
You can get a great workout in a 2'x6' space. Please move your dog first. (Image: author's own)
Whether you're just at the physical distancing stage of this pandemic or you're in full lockdown, one thing is certain: you're not getting to the gym today. Depending on where you are and what you have access, to, there are some great free (or cheap) ways to stay fit while avoiding the rest of the world and/or being stuck at home.
How much space do you have?
A large backyard and an open-plan basement? A balcony the size of a yoga mat? An actual yoga mat beside your bed where you hide from your kids that are "homeschooling" themselves? There are lots of ways to get an effective workout even in a tiny space. Yoga, calisthenics and Pilates are natural choices for small spaces. These two home workouts don't require any equipment, but will get your heart rate up in a 2' x 6' space: KISS Your Excuses Goodbye This small-space body-weight workout can be dialled up with cardio intervals or kept simple with supersets. 5 Exercises in 5 Minutes Take five minutes to rev up your metabolism and wake up your body and mind. Read more...
I review My Workout Plan Daily Workout Planner Fitness App by Sosis Apps.
Screenshot of My Workout Plan App, courtesy of Google Play
Since my last foray into home exercise apps, I have branched out again. I'm still consistent to the point of insanity in my workouts (Sane person: "I have a fever. I'm staying on the couch." Me: "It's just 20 minutes of HIIT. The fever means I'm already warmed up."), but I decided that, as a fitness professional-type-person myself, I'd rather create my own balanced and effective workout... and then have an app tell me when and how to do it.
I come from a long past of carrying a workout notebook with me every time I went to the gym. Literally, ten years into lifting weights four to five days per week, I would set my workout for the day before starting, and record it faithfully in my little book as I went, checking it between sets, tracking my weights, and noting how little abs and cardio I did.
My gym buddies used to mock me for this. "Don't you know what you're doing yet?" But it was helpful, reassuring. If I had a drink of water and forgot what I was doing, it was there. If I had written it on the page, I had to do it, even if I no longer felt like it. It kept me focused and honest. It made sure that I lifted the right weight for each exercise, not the weight I wanted to choose. It helped me progress.
I haven't done that in years, though, entirely because I lost my Fat Little Notebook somewhere and am horrified by its replacement value. And, since this is 2019, I thought that I should try something new. Something digital.
I sat down to play with it and was pleased to find a large variety of exercises, equipment options, and workout styles. You can create supersets, rest periods, timed sets... it's very versatile.
The pros
I set up my own workout
I'm a professional. I know what's good for me and how not to overtrain my shoulders or do a pushups-only workout. I chose exercises and variations that I wanted, arranged them as I saw fit, grouped smaller muscles into supersets and gave myself more rest with larger muscle groups. It's extremely customizable, which is a huge plus.
So many options
You want to do pushups, but different pushups? No problem. The only equipment in your gym is an Olympic bar and a Swiss ball? Great. This app has what seems like hundreds of exercises (with videos!) for each muscle group and piece of equipment; great for inspiration if you're comfortable weight training and want to try something new.
Not there? No problem!
This app is just so customizable. You can rename an existing exercise to whatever you'd like ("Those lunges that Lisa hated doing") and add exercises that aren't in the (extensive) list.
Relevant reminders
I sometimes need a bit of a push to get going. This app sends me motivational reminders I can appreciate, like "Sweat is just fat crying," and I can customize them to say something like, "Dammit Karen, get off the couch and do some pushups."
(I didn't, but I can.)
Adding exercises: simple, but time-consuming. (image courtesy of Google play)
The cons
Timing
I hate to admit, but I haven't mastered the timing of the rest intervals between sets. Sometimes, I get a full twenty seconds after a superset, sometimes between exercises within the superset, but not after. I've read through several of the app's reviews, but nobody else mentioned it as a problem, so it's probably just me. It's definitely just me. Never mind.
Cumbersome to set up
Compared to writing it down in my trusty old notebook (man, I miss my notebook - it has my entire history of heavy lifting in there, too, like that one time that I deadlifted 185 lbs. Yeah.), it took a while to set up. The exercise options are there, but each time you add a new move, you start fresh: equipment, body part, scroll down, set reps and sets and rest periods.
Planner, not a tracker
Once set up, the app works very well, but when I finished a set, I had nowhere to quickly keep track of how easy or hard it felt, and without manually changing it each time, I couldn't set my progression. You can add "notes" to each exercise, but I'd prefer something more intuitive.
Beginners, beware
If you're not really sure what you're doing, it's probably best to consult a certified (and educated) trainer. That way, you'll be sure that you've got a balanced workout and you have a plan in place for progressions as you get stronger.
My own upper body workout. (Screenshot of My Workout Plan by Sosis Apps.)
The verdict
My Workout Plan is free and it's fantastic. It works great as a motivator and planner, and it's just so incredibly customizable that I have to recommend it as long as you know what you're doing. And have the time to play with it. But trust me, hire a trainer for a session or two first (and always consult your healthcare practitioner before you start an exercise program).
(Despite its many, many positives, this app fell just short of my precious, precious paper notebook.)
Nodding off at your desk? Feeling guilty and slothful as you lie on your couch to watch the telly? Feeling too overwhelmed or too busy to commit to a longer workout? Take five minutes right now to rev up your metabolism, wake up your body and mind and (maybe) justify sitting down for another hour or two.
Equipment needed:
A timer on your watch or phone. (This is my favourite timer app.) If you're fancy, you can grab a yoga mat and a 5-lb hand weight, but it's not necessary at all.
Set a timer for five minutes in one-minute intervals (or just watch your watch).
Start with the first exercise and perform it correctly for as many good reps as you can do, then rest for the remainder of the minute. When the timer goes off, start the next exercise. (As you get stronger and fitter, you'll be able to do more (perfect) repetitions and get shorter rest intervals, which is great for progressive overload training.)
The five exercises:
1. Rainbows
Start from an upright, wide stance (feet twice as wide as your shoulders), knees and toes turned out about 45 degrees. Keeping your right leg straight, bend your left leg and lunge over to touch the ground on the outside of your left foot with both hands, sitting back into your heels. Pushing through your heel, come up to standing, drawing the biggest arc possible with your arms until they are stretched above your head. Continue the arc as you lunge down to the right (this time with your left leg straight) to touch the ground beside your right foot. (Dial it up: hold a 5-lb dumbbell)
2. Pushups
Make sure that your body is a straight line from your shoulders to your toes (or knees) - do this by pushing your hips forward and squeezing your glutes. Look about a foot in front of your hands (don't tuck in your chin). Your hands should be a little wider than your shoulders, so that at the bottom, you have a 90-degree bend in your elbows and your neck is straight. Dial it down: drop to your knees to finish the set, as needed. If you're struggling, but still up for of a challenge, keep your legs extended for the lowering phase of the movement, and only drop your knees down for the pushing UP part.
3. Burpees
Start standing, feet shoulder-width apart. Squat down (hips back) and place your hands flat on the ground, between your feet. Brace your core and jump your feet back to that you’re in a strong plank position. Jump your feet back in to the outside of your hands, keeping your hips low. Stand up and jump with your arms up. That’s one. Keep your head up, looking forward the whole time. (Option: walking burpees.)
4. Mountain Climbers
Start with a strong high plank, with your core tight and braced, and jog your knees in and out. Left in, right in - that counts as one rep.
5. Bicycles
Lie on your back, pushing your lower back into the mat, drawing in your bellybutton, and lift up your knees to a tabletop position (knees and hips bent 90 degrees, thighs perpendicular/shins parallel to the floor. Place your fingers at your temples. Twist through the torso, bringing your elbow to the opposite knee, extending the other leg out straight. Switch. Keep this movement controlled.
Just five exercises for five minutes will have your heart pumping and your muscles activated again; you'll feel fitter and energized for whatever comes next.
A reality check for a so-called "fitness professional"
"How do you, as a personal trainer-slash-fitness instructor, fit your own workouts in?"
The question came out of the blue from an acquaintance, and it threw me for a loop. I sucked in my stomach and wondered how I could cover up my arms without pulling them, turtle-like, into the top of my sleeveless dress.
The right answer, of course, is that I make time for myself.
That, despite my time-consuming "serious work" of writing and editing, and my one-hour-at-a-time "superhero work" of training clients -- which usually involves demonstrating correct form or partnering up for a move or two -- and leading boot camps (with more demos and partnering) -- and teaching a fitness class (or two) per week, I still have the focus and energy to get to the gym for proper strength-training sessions, and I never miss the time I set aside for my running group. Yes, all this and the kids and the dog too!
And my hair? Beautifully styled, of course!
Now that you're shielding your eyes from the glare off my halo, let me reassure you: the truth, of course, is different than the right answer.
I do demo moves for clients and participate whenever I can, but I am definitely not getting the same benefits from the workouts as my participants. I sneak in five to ten minutes of strength work before each session as I set up and practice the routines. I stay 15-20 minutes after my clients have left the gym or field and put myself through the same paces.
(In the case of my aqua fitness class, however, I am definitely working harder, since I'm jumping against gravity, while they are being buoyed up. Also, they're all at least 60.)
And, when my kids are at swimming lessons, I sprint up the stairs to the leisure centre gym and work harder for 22 minutes than anyone else in the gym does for 60, so that I can be back down to greet them before they even get out of the pool.
My running group is sacred, too. It's time that I have scheduled into my calendar, three times a week, and I go, and I run 6-10 miles to wherever the group has planned for that day. If I need to, I choose a faster pace group that promises to be back to our neighbourhood even 10 minutes earlier than my usual group (and skip the coffee afterwards), but I do it.
On days that I really can't do the run and give the dog enough of a walk, he comes along to Primrose Hill, and gets off-leash, run-like-crazy frolic time while I do hill repeats four to six times. Forty minutes, and we're both back home, sweaty, tired and ready for a shower or nap, respectively (lucky dog).
Lately, I've been adding in extra bursts of activity, especially on days when my kids need motivation. They absolutely abhor the monthly "fitness" days at their kickboxing class, and I've made them a deal to make the extra conditioning more mentally acceptable for them: for each pushup and burpee that they have to do, I will do the same number. As there are three of them and only one of me, it's really not a fair bargain; it adds up quicky, but I do it, and I usually let them watch. Sometimes, when I feel that I haven't lifted anything in a while, I'll drop and do a few sets of 25-30 pushups in the afternoon, or after dinner. Without having to think too much, I can do up to 90 pushups, which seems like bragging, but it's really not (this strength and endurance has been built by 30-plus years of doing pushups...with short-armed biomechanical efficiency).
Also, having been plagued with low-back issues for years (possibly exacerbated by pregnancy, my swayback is not making me look taller), I recently undertook a 21-day "fix" that involved repeating a short, low-intensity routine every evening. I completed it in only 26 days (ha!), and have realized that working my core daily (or almost-daily), even if I'm half-paying-attention-while-watching-tv really does make a difference to my posture, my pain and how I feel about my body.
So, there's how I do it. A little piece here, a little piece there.
And no, my hair is not styled. Don't be ridiculous.
No gym? No space? Limited time? No problem. This body-weight workout can be dialled up with cardio intervals or kept simple with supersets when you’re in a hotel room, on vacation, or binge-watching GLOW in your tiny living room.All you need is a space the size of a yoga mat, and a bench, be it park, couch or coffee table for dips.
(And, of course, check with your doctor if this workout is right for you.)
Having your routine, your favourite bench in the weight room, and the time you carve out for yourself to keep personal fitness a priority? Priceless. But every so often, we are all yanked out of The Zone for a work trip, a half-term with the kids, or -- more importantly -- a series finale, and though we’re still focused on our goals and good intentions, we have no equipment, and no room to move. So, what’s a girl to do?
Keeping It Simple is always the best strategy, especially when caught out of the comfort zone of your gym. Whether you’re travelling for work and stuck in a hotel room, trying to stay fit on a picnic blanket, or fitting in a session in your tiny living room while binge watching GLOW, the SS here stands for Small Space, or maybe Sans Supplies.
This Seriously Sweet body-weight programme can be done in the space of a yoga mat (or a beach towel), and hits your major muscle groups to build dynamic strength through explosive/plyometric moves, supersets with complementary muscle groups to increase intensity, and a challenging core routine as a finisher.
It can be done as a Straightforward Strength workout, or with cardio intervals to up the calorie burn and cardiovascular effect. Either way, you’ll be back on the couch, feeling Smugly Sweaty and Self-Satisfied in under 20 minutes.
So, what are you waiting for? Grab your water bottle and trainers (and maybe a towel if you don’t want to Sweat on your Stuff), and try it out.
Option 1: Kick It (Super Set) workout:
Warm up, then superset the movements by performing 10-12 repetitions of both exercises in each pairing at a steady, 2 seconds up/2 seconds down pace, then repeat, with no break in between. Take 30 seconds to review the next pair, then superset them twice each. Take another 30-second break (drink your water while reviewing!) and perform the last superset. Use the last 30-second break to take a look at the core sequence, and perform all three exercises without a break, and without a break again. Well done, you.
Option 2: Kill It (Seriously Sweaty) workout:
Start with the warm up, then perform 15 reps of the first pairing of two exercises quickly (but with good form); do them back-to-back, then a cardio interval. Rest 15 seconds and repeat. Do the next pairing, followed by the cardio interval and timed rest twice, then the third. Take a 30-second break before doing your core set twice through, with no rest. It’s quick, sweaty, and possibly fun, if you’re into that kind of thing. Dial it up: Perform the cardio intervals for a full minute instead of just 30 seconds.
OR, you can just go Straight and Simple, and run through the moves one after the other. Twice.
Warm Up:
Walking Burpees x 10 reps each leg
Workout:
1 - Reverse Lunges with Knee Lift (Both Legs)
2 - Good Mornings (One Leg)
Cardio - Side Step with Squat - 30 seconds
3 - Pushups
4 - Mountain climbers (Don’t get up from your plank!)
Cardio - Jumping Jacks - 30 seconds
5 - Jump squats
6 - Triceps dips
Cardio - Side-to-Side Body-weight Lunges (just stay low and shift your weight side to side, keeping your weight back in your heels, and feeling the stretch in your inner thighs) - 30 seconds
Simply Superb Core Combo:
Russian Twists x 15 each side
Plank with Knee to Outside of Elbow x 8 each side
Side Plank x 30 seconds each side
Good job! Now, REPEAT!
Check out form notes and full descriptions of the exercises HERE.
***
This post is in collaboration with other bloggers. Check out the blogs below over the next few days for some lovely spring content.
DammitKaren: Fit, Quick! An at-home workout.Yesterday was a long, busy day, but I made time for a really quick, at-home workout: strength, endurance and plyos for legs, core, shoulders, chest, back... I've hit every major muscle group quickly and (somewhat) easily, with only a yoga mat, fitbands, and 5-lb dumbbells, all optional. Take out the jumps and dumbbells if you need to, but give it a try! *** 1 - plyo squat jumps x15 2 - single-leg deadlifts with lateral delt holds x 12 each side 3 - plyo lunges with biceps curls x 15 each side 4 - pushups with plank jacks and bird dogs x 20 5 - side planks with reverse flyes x 15 each side REPEAT. Videos of exercises are here. #workout#homeworkout#fitathome#sweaty#fitgirl#exercise#squat#lungesandsquats#plyometrics#pressup#pushup#plank
DammitKaren: Boot CampI am currently lucky enough to live in a climate that allows for all-weather outdoor workouts, so for the past 18 months, I've managed to Embrace Winter!TM. But this time around, I'm sincere.*
My running group runs in all (London) weather: sun, wind, rain, rain, rain, and a little bit of snow. But mostly rain. Early on, before I found these amazing women, I found local trim trails, and was always impressed by the fitness level and creativity of their superfit users. I still am, in fact. There are always people working out at parks, with trainers and groups or alone, with boxing pads, jump ropes, elastic straps, and TRX equipment, no matter how cold and wet the day. It's wonderful.
My first experience with "boot camp" was circa 1997. I worked as a fitness trainer, and the gym started to offer a boot camp-style fitness class for the lunchtime exercisers. I recall the instructor wearing camo-print pants, the music being louder than normal, and the participants shouting "Camp!" as loudly as they could whenever she yelled, "Boot!" There were pushups, burpees, jumping on and off of aerobic steps... it looked like fun.
About ten years later, I had the opportunity to teach some boot camp-style classes myself, and I liked them; they were simple but tough, with no tricky choreography, full of body-weight, multi-joint movements and a disconcerting-yet-addictive mix of sadism and camaraderie.
A typical (if there is such a thing) class can be done anywhere, with as little or as much equipment as the instructor likes. Calisthenics are foundational; here you learn how to work with the body you've got and how to make it work for you, with pullups, pushups, situps and squats. There are challenges, as well, to manipulate very large objects: running with eight other people while holding a giant rope above your head, or climbing over and under a really big log come to mind as "two things that you wouldn't even question at boot camp but probably wouldn't float any other time".
Tire flipping. Park bench step-ups. Relay races.
Boot camp goes back to not only the basics of fitness (strength, endurance, flexibility, agility and balance), but also the games that children play and the movements that they do naturally, just because they're kids.
Last May, one of the runners suggested meeting with her trainer for a boot camp session. I agreed to try it out, and four of us showed up at a local park. Week after week, rain or shine, Shane put us through our paces, quickly sized up our strengths and weaknesses and made sure we paid for them (for me, an inflexible lower back and a weak core). We did rugby drills and medicine ball slams. We did pullups and bear walks. As the summer drew to an end, he approached me to ask if I would be interested in taking on some classes with his studio, Brick Fit House. I was in the middle of refreshing my fitness certifications to UK standards, and had insurance, and there it was.
So now, I'm running my own boot camp again, my way. We currently wear layers and mittens, but we're still there, every week, getting #fittertogether.
You love to run. So you run. You run faster, farther, more frequently.
You love to cycle/swim/lift/dance. So you do what you love. You do it often, consistently, and you do it well. You progress. You get faster, fitter, better, doing what you like to do.
So, why crosstrain? Why do the kinds of exercises you didn’t really like in the first place, instead of the ones that you enjoy?
It’s simple. You do them to get even faster, even fitter, even better at your exercise of choice; to reduce the risk of overuse injuries in your (overused) muscles; to give you a workout that challenges your mind and muscles, that releases the endorphins you’re not “allowed” to have on your rest days. Or, if all you do is run long distances, crosstraining helps you build your butt back up.
(This is possibly written from experience, and I am possibly referring to my own back end.)
Whatever your sport is, taking a day per week (and not your sacred day of complete rest) to train your body in a different way is good for you. Done properly, it will improve your performance in your main exercise and either open your mind to a new activity, or make you appreciate your main sport even more.
Plyometric lunges. LOVE THEM.
Take me: I’m a jumper. I love weight training, but I always have plyometrics in there somewhere. Without them, I feel like I just haven’t worked hard enough. Eleven years ago, leading up to my wedding, I realized that with everything else going on, I couldn’t do it all — work, wedding planning, teaching fitness classes and weight training — something had to give. So, I let my weight/plyo training fall off for about six weeks and, looking at my wedding photos, I still regret it. My body does what it does, and it responds better to weight training than to anything else. For me, cardio is a fairly unenjoyable bonus activity, a few extra calories burned, but the weights are what give me my shape.
When I moved here, I looked at gym memberships so I could keep on jumping. Having taught a class or three every week since I was 17, I’ve never had to pay for a gym membership; the prices were a shock, not even factoring in the London prices and the exchange rate. So, when our boxes arrived, I unrolled my yoga mat and considered myself happy enough. I’d done yoga on and off for 20 years. It feels good, is great for my hips and low back, and when I do it consistently, I feel great. But it turns out that I don’t feel great if it’s my only workout.
A few months of yoga, and I took up with a very organized and ambitious running group three times per week. I don’t like running, but I liked them. I thought that the combination of running and yoga would be a good balance, and I was right: upper body static strength, lower body endurance, and stretching out overused muscles…there’s a reason why running and yoga is a classic pairing. With my group, I ran 6–10 miles three times a week, and still yoga’d (real word) once a week. I dropped a few pounds and after a few months, I went out to buy new pants.
The reflection in the change room mirror (the rear view, to be specific) told me what I already knew: I needed my weight training, stat. Still a cheapskate, I added in calisthenics — bodyweight exercises at my local trim trail. Surrounded by super-fit current-and-former gymnasts, all men, most of them shirtless, I struggled to do some pullups. Some leg lifts. Some swinging across monkey bars and and upside-down shoulder presses. Twenty minutes later, I had finished up with jump lunges, skaters and burpees, and I was not only humbled and shaky, but done. I was unable to walk naturally, nor sit nor stand without whimpering for a few days, but gradually I was able to do more reps of more exercises, become more creative with my movements, and sit down with (relative) ease within two days of working out.
Between the running (Monday/Wednesday/Friday), yoga (Tuesday) and calisthenics (Thursday), yes, I was exercising five days per week, but with the addition of my booty-building routine (see what I did there?), suddenly, my body shape started to change, and so did my outlook. I could comfortably chat as I ran up the hills. I enjoyed yoga more, because instead of trying to squeeze as much of a workout out of it as possible, I could focus on trying to master the poses (as far as I was able to). And on Thursdays or Saturdays, I would happily tackle the trim trail with vengeance, adding in plyometrics and aiming to be a little beast in each exercise, easily getting it over with in 30 minutes or less.
This combination gave me peace of mind and mindfulness (yoga), social time and inadvertent cardio (running group), and stronger muscles, more body confidence, and a nicer “hanger” for my clothes.
Whatever your sport, you are missing out if you don’t add another (drastically different) element (or two) to your fitness routine. It’s good for your go-to workout, good for your mind, and great for my glutes.
So, there are many wonderful things about London so far.
For example, the kettles boil water for tea in literally 30 seconds. It's ridiculous that this technology exists here, but not in North America. I love it. I have also purchased a teapot, so I can boil it quickly, then refill my cup over the next hour or two. (Mom has promised to make me a tea cosy, so in the meantime, I use a dishtowel. Which is probably simply not done. Note to self: only invite expats over for tea.)
Ummm....
Oh yes! There are super-fun workout stations at lots of parks. Now that I know better, I can call them by their proper name: Trim Trails (such fun!). There was a trim trail looping around behind the Nepean Sportsplex when I was little, and it was fun to do as a kid. As an adult, I have discovered that I am far heavier than a child (ok, I am somewhat heavier) and thus enjoy these body-weight exercises proportionally less.
But, as gym memberships are very expensive (the cheapest I've found so far is £49*, and I'm proud to say that I think I held my poker face quite well when I got a quote from Virgin Active for £93 per month**), and I don't have all my ducks in a row yet to have my Canadian certifications recognized, I have been slumming it out in the open.
Now, I'd heard of the Primrose Hill Set, a very posh and famous group of people who sat on the hill in the 90s, but imagine my delight to discover that it's a 10-minute run from my flat, and also incorporates an amazing dog park, clean public washrooms and a fantastic trim trail! I sussed it out one Sunday with the kids, and ran back on the Monday morning, to do a proper workout.
Well.
I was the least fit person there, by a landslide, and worked harder than I ever have (sorry, @StadiumWorkout, you don't even come close) to just barely struggle through a few reps at each station...and paid for it for three days after. I'm not exaggerating: these are, seriously, my fellow participants.
So far, I am Not Enjoying It At All, especially on rainy days*** when my already poor grip strength is absolutely nonexistent. Or at the finishing move of the workout, which involves me sprintingrunningjogging whimpering to the top of Primrose Hill, then slowly coming back down for the cooldown jog home. Or on any day (or two) after the workouts, when it just hurts to be. But, as my goal is to become (re-become?) "prison fit", I'd best keep on. I want to feel challenged and exhilarated, not defeated, and I know that it will come, as long as I keep going.
After all, as they say, "whatever doesn't kill me will make me stronger."
However, as I like to point out, OR it will kill me.
Fun fact: I walk up and down High Street almost daily, and hang out on the Hill (at the bottom of the hill, or at the top for an instant, gasping and aching), but I am getting very tired of being mistaken for Kate Moss. Or would be, if anyone had ever mistaken me for someone exactly a foot taller and startlingly good-looking, which they possibly haven't yet.
Hey, it could happen.
*Thanks for the keyboard tip, Jolene! ** For example, I didn't splutter, "Don't you know who I AM? Shouldn't YOU be paying ME to be here?" See? Poker face. *** Most days are rainy days.
The view from the bottom of the steps, looking up, up, up, is daunting. The view from the top is dizzying. There’s a new fitness experience in Ottawa this fall, making use of Lansdowne stadium, and it’s open to everyone.
Free fitness movements are a growing trend. The most famous of its kind, The November Project (november-project.com), was started in Boston in 2011 by two Northeastern rowing alumni as a method of staying motivated to train in the cold months. Over the winter, the group gained momentum and members. Today, upwards of 200 people meet three times a week at 6:30 am to run stadium steps or hills in Boston alone, with satellite groups all over the United States and Canada (the Toronto group meets Wednesdays at 6:30 am at Casa Loma).
Free fitness is not a new concept in Ottawa. Lululemon provides instructors for the free and immensely popular Yoga on the Hill every Wednesday at noon from May 6 to September 30. As of July 30 this year, a free Bootcamp (www.phbootcamp.com) is hosted on a rotating basis by several of Ottawa’s fitness companies and professionals, Thursdays at noon.
But certified fitness instructors Tracy Glennon and Andrea Laporte decided that Ottawa was in need of more. Both employees of GoodLife Fitness (Tracy is a Group Fitness Divisional Manager and Andrea is a Group Fitness Manager), whose new Lansdowne location is the meeting place for the stadium workout, they asked if they could have access to one of the city’s most incredible facilities for a new kind of workout. The stadium owners, the Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group, agreed, and a crowd of about 15 friends and fitness colleagues came out for the first stadium workout on Sunday, September 13.
After a thorough warm up at field level, during which everyone sensible should be wondering why they are doing this so early on a Sunday, the participants head up the steps to the North Side stands. They are divided among the stairways, then are put through their paces for 60 minutes.
The workout is, admittedly, not suitable for everyone. Although the leaders offer options to reduce the intensity and impact, and remind participants to work at their own pace, the hour-long interval workout uses the stadium stairs as its gym. The intensity of the moves varies, but make no mistake, this can be as challenging or hardcore as the individual. Sprinting up the steps, high-knee runs, two-footed jumps, lunges, pushups, squats, and planks…. The most shocking move yet? Walking up the steps on your hands, with your lower body being supported in a wheelbarrow position by the person behind you.
The group, so far, is heavily weighted with other fitness instructors, who can be heard calling out support and motivation to their fellow participants. For others, the challenge is personal.
Last Sunday, when the whistle blew to signal the end of a second set of two-footed jumping all the way up to the top of the stadium, one of the participants yelled out in frustration. “I was three steps away!” She vowed to make it to the top in two minutes next week.
No equipment is mandatory, other than good athletic shoes, but a water bottle is a good idea, as are gloves; after all, you’re putting your hands on stadium steps that have, at the very least, bird poop on them.
The workouts will continue at Lansdowne every Sunday at 8 am until the end of November, after which time there may be issues with snow buildup on the steps. The instructors hope to negotiate something with the City by then. In the meantime, Tracy is passionate about building this group. “Spread the word. Bring someone you like.” She laughs. “… Or someone you don’t like.”
Well, I'm ending week 27 (heeeey, third trimester!) and, to (probably) misquote Kaz Cooke, people have stopped coming up to me to say, "Pardon me, but aren't you Audrey Hepburn?" Also, I am feeling, to (probably) misquote Douglas Adams, "less sylph-like than, to pick a name at random, the Princess of Wales."*
I've been feeling more and more ungainly lately (and I have that nasty diastasis recti thing again, which means that I can't sit up/forward without the help of a wall, a handle, a helping hand, or, as I keep lobbying for, a winch). The mirrors in my step class, though I feel somewhat graceful still, show that I am not, in fact, graceful. At all. Think lumbering, sweaty hippo in workout clothes, attempting complicated choreography.
Hey, time for a crafty segue!
Speaking of grace and not being able to get up (nice, eh?), I've learned that, at the start of the class when you give your introduction (Hi, I'm Karen/this is a 60-minute class involving step and strength intervals/please drink water throughout/if you need to leave early, give me a wave/I won't be joining you for the abdominal portion of the workout/etc) you should NOT say, "If I fall down, just keep going."
I learned this about 3 years ago, while teaching at the GoodLife on Queen Street. The studio there is odd; it's short, but very wide, and for a while, was the only GL without a stage for intructors, which is a problem if your instructor is only three apples tall. It helps if you can SEE what she's trying to show you, I've heard. Anyhoo. They finally put in a stage. It wasn't very deep. Altogether now: HOW DEEP WASN'T IT? Well, in a lunge position, I had about 2 inches to spare on either side. Also, the first time I taught on it, it wasn't securely fastened to the floor or back wall.
"If I fall down, just keep going." Ha ha! What an odd, amusing thing for an instructor to say, before embarking on another BodyAttack class, involving lots of high-impact moves, most notably the afore-mentioned lunges...done plyometrically.
Well, we all know where this is going.
The first three tracks of the class went well, with only a few wobbles at the front and back of the stage. It was during the fourth -- the plyometric track -- that I fell down. Well, half of me fell down. My back leg, in its enthusiasm to shoot back into a gorgeous, visually-effective and gluteal-toning low plyometric lunge, shot back about an inch too far. I missed the back of the stage with the ball of my foot, and the edge scraped most of the skin off my shin as I tipped over backwards...not gracefully...and got stuck.
Good thing I had made that announcement, though! Not one participant paused in their workouts! Nobody rushed the stage to see if their beloved, mangled, bleeding instructor was ok. They were in the zone! They were following directions! They were sweaty!
Somehow, I managed to extricate myself without doing too much more damage (and without a winch), and finished the class a bit gimpy, limpy, and bruised (with a Blood, Sweat and Tears song stuck in my head; ironic because that's what was soaking into my sock).
So, lessons learned:
Know when to quit and/or modify exercises (eg. this hippo marches instead of cross-country skis) (aerobics lingo) (also, the oh-so-attractive waddlerun will soon be replaced with a less-horrifying quick waddle);
Sometimes a tie-dye shirt just isn't slimming (nothing to do with this post, but true nonetheless);
There's nothing wrong with asking for help when you're jammed, bleeding and helpless, behind an aerobics stage (also, if you can't reach the spare toilet paper which for some reason, Chris keeps up on a 7-foot-tall shelf); and
When you think you're being funny, you're probably just asking for the universe to bite you in the butt (ongoing lesson, not actually learned yet - as Chris can attest).
* The Douglas Adams line comes from a very amusing bit involving why he loves scuba diving. Being 6'5" (and less sylph-like, etc.), it's the only experience that makes him feel graceful. Also, he usually throws up afterwards, which is a great way of working up an appetite. The man was a genius.
It's now been 11 weeks since the blessed/dreaded event, and although I'm now back to my pre-pregnancy weight, give or take 3-5 lbs, I'm definitely not the same shape that I was. My theory is that my pelvis hasn't shrunk back together yet, but that probably doesn't explain why some of my shirts don't fit well on my arms... I know that nursing will keep some extra baby fat on me till I stop, but still! And there is definitely a bit more pooch to the stomach than there used to me, but it seems to be tightening a little bit more every week.
Here's what I've been doing to get back into shape: From 5 - 8 weeks post-baby, I was getting to the gym 2 times a week (they have a babysitting room at the Y), and sometimes getting out for a stroll with Vaughn strapped to me. (Aside: I REALLY didn't think that walking was a workout, but I've changed my mind...especially with my walking buddy - that 10 lbs makes a difference!) I would do 30 minutes of weights, supersetting everything, with as little rest as possible. The order of exercises would change with each workout, depending on what equipment was free, but there would be 2 sets of 15 reps of:
Squats Stiff-Legged Deadlifts Leg Extension Leg Curl Lat Pulldown or Seated Cable Row Incline Dumbbell Press or Dips Lateral Raises Biceps Curls
This would be immediately followed by a dash to the babysitting room to make sure that Little V was still sleeping (nice that he sleeps when we're out!), then a dash up to the cardio room for 30 minutes of elliptical or stairmaster. All of this felt good, and I was seeing definition in my arms again, and feeling stronger and fitter.
THEN, I re-read the Oxygen magazine that I got in my stocking for motivation, and switched to a 3-day routine, involving three sets of one of three options for each body part, with a progressive load structure, so that each workout would be slightly different, attacking the muscles from varied angles and rep ranges.
Confused? So am I. Good thing I still have my handy-dandy fitness logbook, to keep everything straight. For each day, I need to choose one of the below exercises for each muscle group, and select a weight that will challenge me within the rep range given, making sure that I do all three variations in any given week. Generally, I shouldn't ever do the same workout twice.
Day 1: 3 sets of 6-9 reps / Day 2: 8 - 12 reps / Day 3: 12-15 reps
..followed by my new attempt at cardio, which I like to call Trying To Run, But Failing Miserably And Feeling Foolish. My first "run" involved a 5-minute walking warmup, followed by a 1-minute run and a 3-minute recovery, of which I needed every second. The next day, it felt like I had a bowling ball bouncing around inside me...not good. However, I'm up to 3-4 minutes running, 2 minutes recovery now, and hope to manage a full 20 minutes, straight, within the next 3 weeks.
It seems to be going fairly well, but I've already started "slacking" on the biceps and triceps, only doing 2 sets. After all, I put the little pooper on a postal scale the other day, in his car seat. He weighed in at 20.5 kg, which any gym bum knows is exactly one of the big weight plates, or 45 lbs. THAT explains my somewhat-toned arms!!!
And FINALLY, I'm back on the schedule! I got a call last Tuesday night, saying that they really needed someone to teach the Wednesday morning step class the next day, that they had called everyone else already, and that they were desperate. I felt the love. So, the class is mine, at least till May.
Obviously, Milo's bull was much lighter than a Huffalump. I haven't even attempted a chinup in ... 2 months... and I've decided to drop pushups-from-my-toes from my repertoire, as well. I'll use the excuse of my 2-inch range of motion - by the time I bend my elbows 10 degrees, the belly is on the floor.
At left, a Heffalump (not to be confused with the Huffalump).
So, I went to the gym today at lunch and proceeded with my Milo and the Bull workout*; that is, I figure that if I continue doing body-weight exercises -- like chinups and dips -- as my weight/waist/girth expands, I will be lifting more, getting stronger, and be, well, strong as a beastie by the time this whole fiasco is over.
I forgot to consider how humbling/disheartening/HARD it would be to lift my enhanced poundage ... and honestly, it made Friday at the gym even less fun than usual. I'm up 8 lbs so far, and that apparently makes a huge difference!
...but doesn't Roo look like he's having a good time?
*This legend, which is the basis for modern progressive resistance training, is fantastic...except for the bit where he ate the bull... And also, in my version, I am both Milo AND the bull. Niiiice.
