Its all in the Timing (Part III of the Body Pump Trilogy)

I am finally fully Les Mills Body Pump certified. It was a difficult process (see links below to posts) and I am so proud of this certification. Although I received a full ‘Pass’ on the initial training, I received a ‘Pass-Withheld’ on my video assessment. This meant that I did not need to re-submit my video, but I had to ‘clean-up’ any areas where I fell short and then have my Group Fitness Manager (GFM) review and sign-off before the certification can be issued.

The components of the video assessment for Body Pump are; Position, Execution, Timing, Fitness, and Feel. I received my assessment via email while on vacation in mid-July and it was very thorough. I was actually feeling wonderful as I started reading the complimentary tone of my assessor.  I had 100% on Position, Fitness, and Feel. and 90% on Execution but I did not get a full Pass. Well, ladies and gentlemen, my Timing really was that bad!

Well, I really couldn’t argue with the assessment. In fact, from the review and the suggestions to improve timing, it seemed to me as though the assessor really wanted to pass me but rightfully could not. In my defense, I did not have experience teaching to the beat. I primarily teach Pilates and Spinning. I used to teach a lot of Boot Camp and Total Body Conditioning, but those also do not use a beat. I also am not blessed with a natural talent for music. Yes, I had my work cut out for me.

I really have to give a lot of thanks to my GFM and the other Body Pump instructors who worked with me. They gave me lessons on counting the beats to many different tempos. I also thank my daughter for practicing with me. She has a natural feel for music and helped me practice the various tempos. I practiced by counting the beat and moving to the beat of all types of music.

Enough about me: What does this mean for you? Why is it so important for me to have my timing perfect in order to be certified? Well, it does make the class flow and it is more natural to move to the beat, but there is a much better benefit to the various tempos used in Body Pump.

Tempo Exercises are a great way to train your muscles to burn fat for energy. In Body Pump you perform tempo exercises at various slow steady tempos without pausing at the top or bottom. An example of this would be the 2/2 squats or even the 4/4 super-slow tempos. These put your muscles under a constant low level tension, which slightly restricts blood flow to the working muscles, depriving them of oxygen during the exercise. The muscles compensate for the low levels of oxygen by increasing the size of the slow-twitch fibers, which contain a high level of mitochondria. Mitochondria are the powerhouse of the muscle cell that produces energy from fat. So, the more mitochondria you have, the more body fat you can burn. Also, since you are producing more energy, you can work out longer and harder and therefore burn more total calories.

As well as the slow tempos of 2/2, 3/1, 1/3, and 4/4, Body Pump also uses singles to drive your heart rate up and burn calories and incorporates isometric holds (1/1/2 count tempo) to recruit even more muscle fibers. So, by making sure we instructors are proficient in Timing, Les Mills creates a workout that will build lean muscles, shape and tone your body, build bone density, burn calories, and will not bulk you up! Timing is everything….

Make fitness part of your ‘back to school’ routine this week

XOX

http://sharonsherryfitness.blogspot.com/2011/05/pump-it.html
http://sharonsherryfitness.blogspot.com/2011/06/body-pump-part-deux.html

This blog is for informational purposes only.  It’s not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any health problem, nor is it intended to replace the advice of a physician.  No action should be taken solely on the contents of this website.  Always consult your physician or qualified health professional on any matters regarding your health. It is advised see your physician before changing your diet, starting an exercise program, or taking any supplements of any kind.

Make Sure Your Hard Work at the Gym isn't Hidden

Unfortunately, you cannot ‘out-train’ a poor diet. When you work so hard building muscles and shaping your body, it is important to keep your body-fat low so the results can be seen. The late Jack LaLanne had said ‘exercise is king, nutrition is queen, put them together and you have a kingdom’.

Since each person is metabolically unique and has personal food preferences, diet really isn’t a ‘one size fits all’ program. But it is still important to use the following general guidelines:

• Eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables.
• Fuel your muscles with lean protein such as fish, chicken, turkey, egg whites, lean cuts of beef, whey protein powder, tofu, or beans.
• Limit dairy to non-fat or low fat choices. Plain Greek yogurt is a good choice since it is high in protein and low in sugar.
• Choose whole grains such as brown rice, oats, amaranth and quinoa over processed carbohydrates. Fiber is your friend since it will keep you full.
• Eat healthy fats such as nuts, avocados, coconut, and olive oil but in moderation. They are healthy but still high in calories.
• Eliminate (or have in very limited quantity) refined starches and sugars. These are ‘empty calories’ that can quickly pack on pounds, add bloat, and prevent you from being lean.
• Be aware of ‘liquid calories’ and try to drink water as your primary beverage.

If you are trying to lose weight, it is best to aim for a gradual weight loss of one-half to two pounds a week for women, and one to three pounds a week for men. Quick weight loss doesn’t last. Instead of a ‘diet’, think of a lifestyle change that you can maintain.  To successfully lose weight and maintain the loss:

1. Use the guidelines above to make good food choices.
2. Find a reasonable desired weight and then calculate the estimated calories needed to maintain that weight. Multiply by 12-15 calories for light to moderate activity and 15-20 calories for higher levels of activity.
3. Create a calorie deficit for weight loss (to get to that desired weight) by subtracting 20% of the maintenance calories per day.
4. Try to eat the majority of calories during the day so you don’t ‘blow it’ at night by being too hungry.

For example, if your desired weight is 125lbs and you are moderately active, your maintenance calories are (125*15) 1,875 calories per day.  To reach that desired weight, create a deficit for weight loss by subtracting 20% of maintenance calories (375 calories) for a total of 1,500 calories per day. Again, weight loss should be no more than one-half to two pounds a week.

Soon, you will look great both in and out of your jeans!

Have a wonderful and healthy week

XOX

This blog is for informational purposes only.  It’s not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any health problem, nor is it intended to replace the advice of a physician.  No action should be taken solely on the contents of this website.  Always consult your physician or qualified health professional on any matters regarding your health. It is advised see your physician before changing your diet, starting an exercise program, or taking any supplements of any kind.

No Equipment? No time?

No excuse!

Here is something you can do at home, visiting relatives, at a hotel, anywhere. It combines fat-burning, heart-pumping exercises with strength conditioning and toning exercises. It requires absolutely no equipment and it is quick!

Circuit 1 – Scorching body fat

1. Jumping Jacks - keep heels on the ground and do not lock your knees.
2. Mountain Climbers - start in plank and, alternating legs, bring your knee into your chest and back.
3. Quick Feet - get into a squat stance and quickly run in place staying low.
4. Burpees – stand, squat down touching the floor, jump your legs out into a plank, jump back in and stand.
5. High Knees – run in place bringing your knees as high as you can.

Do each of these for a minute (beginners start with 30 seconds) and go from one exercise straight to the next one. Rest for a full minute, repeat the circuit, and rest for a full minute again. That is a total of 12 minutes. Move right to Circuit 2.

Circuit 2 – Lean muscles

1. Prisoner Squats – squat while holding your hands behind your head like a sit-up. Remember to stand slightly wider than hip distance, keeping feet forward and knees soft. Knees are in line with 2^nd toe.
2. Pushups – you can modify on knees if needed.
3. Walking lunges – you will need some space for this. Remember to keep your forward-leg toes in front of your knee so that your knee stays over your ankle.
4. Sit-ups – you can modify with crunches.

Do each of these for a minute (beginners start with 30 seconds) and go from one exercise straight to the next one. Rest for a full minute and repeat the circuit. That is a total of 9 minutes. The entire workout is only 21 minutes! If you have more time, repeat each circuit three times.

But make sure to make the time to go to the gym for a group exercise class, weight-room strength train, take Pilates, do yoga, go running, try cycling, dance at Zumba, or whatever else you enjoy.

Wishing you an active and strong week.

XOX
Photo credit: www.kristenjensen.com

This blog is for informational purposes only.  It’s not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any health problem, nor is it intended to replace the advice of a physician.  No action should be taken solely on the contents of this website.  Always consult your physician or qualified health professional on any matters regarding your health. It is advised see your physician before changing your diet, starting an exercise program, or taking any supplements of any kind.

HIIT Training

Have you ever noticed the people at the gym putting in their time on the elliptical, treadmill, or bike for 60 minutes looking bored and staying the same? Or worse, is that you? It can make you think that cardio is a waste of time! Especially when you hear that strength training increases your metabolism and burns fat (this is true and you do need to strength train). So, do we even need to do cardio to stay lean and healthy? The answer is YES! Cardiovascular training is both necessary and effective, if done correctly. To be effective, you need to be efficient. Who wants to waste their time at the gym? If you want to read a magazine, wait until after your workout and read it with a nice cup of coffee as a reward for your hard workout. Instead of doing a lame 60 minutes of cardio, it is much more efficient to do an intense 20-30 minutes. Welcome to HIIT and Tabata!

High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is a form of interval training that alternates short bursts of maximum intensity with longer levels of lower to moderate intensity. Since it pushes you briefly out of your aerobic zone, it also trains your anaerobic energy systems. You hit your anaerobic energy systems during the max intervals, and then use the recovery intervals to replenish your glycogen stores. HIIT burns much more calories than long duration steady cardio, both during the actual exercise, and also after since it takes your body longer to recover from each session. This is referred to as Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption (EPOC) and represents the additional calories your body will burn as needed to return to its pre-exercise state. HIIT also has been shown to maintain muscles while muscle loss may occur with long duration steady cardio. Often, in a quest to get lean, exercisers lose hard earned muscle by doing too much long duration steady cardio. Remember, the goal is to lose fat rather than weight. HIIT cardio will preserve your muscles while scorching body fat. As Charlie Sheen would say, “Winning!!!’

There are many ways to do HIIT. Basically, you alternate short sprints with slightly longer recoveries. Spinning is a form of HIIT and below is an example of a treadmill interval workout. You can make up your own HIIT workout with any form of cardio and make it fun.

Time (minute)	Speed	Incline
0:00-5:00	4.0	2.5
5:00-6:00	6.0	1.0
6:00-6:30	7.0	1.0
6:30-8:00	5.0	1.0
8:00-8:30	8.0	1.0
8:30-10:00	4.0	1.0
10:00-11:00	6.5	1.0
11:00-13:00	5.0	1.0
13:00-13:30	8.5	1.0
13:30-16:00	4.0	1.0
16:00-16:30	8.0	1.0
16:30-18:00	4.0	1.0
18:00-18:30	7.5	1.0
18:30-20:00	5.0	1.0
20:00-20:30	8.0	1.0
20:30-22:00	5.0	1.0
22:00-23:00	6.5	1.0
23:00-24:00	5.0	1.0
24:00:25:00	7.0	1.0
25:00-30:00	4.0	2.0

Tabata Training is a form of HIIT. It is the most intense, yet the shortest duration. You really need to just remember 20/10/8.

Tabata intervals follow this structure:

1)    Push hard for 20 seconds

2)    Rest for 10 seconds.

3)    Repeat this eight times.

The entire session lasts only 4 minutes; you go completely all out for 20 seconds and then completely stop for 10 seconds. An example of a sprint tabata on a treadmill is to go as fast as 9.0 or 10.0 for 20 seconds and then just hop off the belt to the side of the treadmill for 10 seconds, hopping back on to full speed and repeat this eight times. Tabatas are so versatile that you may even do these with kettle bells, squats, burpees, and pushups, just to name a few. You must use your large muscle groups for tabatas though. It would not have the same effect with a triceps kickback. I also suggest using a timer or doing these with a personal trainer so you can go all out without worrying about time.

There is still a time and place for Long Duration Steady cardio.  If you are new to exercise, it is important to first build up an aerobic base and that is done by working at a light to moderate pace, increasing your time gradually. HIIT is for an advanced fitness level. A beginner will also see results initially with steady-state cardio. But, there is the ‘Law of Diminishing Returns,’ so once you get to a stronger fitness level, you will need to kick it up using HIIT. It is fun and you will enjoy the challenge and love the results. Even for the super-fit, long duration cardio is great for mental clarity. I sometimes enjoy a long run just to clear my head, but for fitness I do HIIT cardio and strength training.

Enjoy a happy and healthy holiday week.

XOX

Get on Your Bikes and Ride!

I love Spinning®, so I am very excited to write this post. I tried my first Spinning® class in 1997 and I was hooked from there. I became a certified Spinning® instructor in 2002 and currently teach seven Spinning® classes per week. There are other versions of indoor cycling classes, but Spinning® is a trademark name, so an instructor must be certified though Mad Dogg Athletics (www.spinning.com) for the class to be called Spinning®.

Spinning® was founded by cyclist Jonathan “Johnny G’ Goldberg, who in 1989 opened his first studio in Santa Monica, CA. He later, with a partner, founded Mad Dogg Athletics to train and certify instructors in his program.

Spinning® is a type of Group Fitness class in a special studio with bikes. Generally the music is loud, the lights are dimmed, and the energy is high. It is an amazing and fun workout option available at most fitness clubs. The class generally lasts 45 minutes and is led by instructors who guide participants through a series of phases, from warm-up to more challenging phases, to a period of peak effort followed by a cool down.

The intensity of the workout is influenced by; cadence (pedal rate), resistance (which is controlled by a red knob and is adjusted throughout the class to make pedaling easier or more difficult), and body position (seated vs. standing).

The Spinning® program identifies five Core Movements (note that I reference ‘hand positions’, it is important for the instructor to show these to you before starting the class).

1.  Seated Flat:  This is the most basic movement in the Spinning® program and it helps build strength, stamina and a strong fitness base. It may be done in hand position 2 or 1.
2. Seated Climb:  In hand position 2, resistance (hill) is added to challenge the lower body, targeting the butt and hamstrings for strength and definition.
3. Standing Flat: This is an upright, standing run performed in hand position 2 with light to moderate resistance. Core muscles are engaged to stabilize the body, giving you a nice strong stomach in addition to toned legs.
4. Standing Climb: This is the only safe position to be in hand position 3. It is an out-of-the-saddle hill climb using heavy resistance to challenge the quadriceps.
5.  Jumps: Jumps are performed in hand position 2, transitioning in and out of the saddle in a controlled manner.

I tend to use these advanced movements, based off the basic core movements, since they are fun and challenging. Running With Resistance, Jumps on a Hill, Seated Flat Sprint, and Standing Hill Sprint.

The Spinning® program also indentifies five Energy Zone™ programs which are specific ‘types of rides. They are Endurance, Interval, Race Day, Recovery, and Strength. As with the majority of instructors, I tend to teach my classes as Interval since this is the zone where the class will sprint, run, climb, and jump all in the same ride, but there will not be definable pattern to the exercises. I find that the other zones of doing just one type of ride can become boring, and intervals tend to burn the most calories. I will write about High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) in a future post, but for now take away that you tend to burn more calories even after your workout is done due to excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC, informally called after-burn).

Now that you know what Spinning® is, here are some reasons why you should give it a try:

• Cardiovascular Health – It is a wonderful, fun way to burn about 400-500 calories in a 45-minute class. Great for your heart and lungs!
• Great for All Levels of Fitness – You control the amount of resistance, so you can progress gradually. Also, it is easy to follow so you don't feel out of place for not knowing an aerobic routine.
• Time Flies – It is so much fun and the music is loud and motivating. Before you know it, the class is over and you are done!
• Low Impact - Spinning® keeps the pressure off of your knees and feet, so it is a good workout for those who cannot use the treadmill or elliptical because of arthritis or other orthopedic issues.
• Toned and Defined Legs – In addition to relatively fast weight loss from the cardiovascular benefit, Spinning® uses large muscle groups in your legs. Before long your thighs, hamstrings, and calves will begin to really show lean definition
• The Additional Core Workout - In addition to the major leg muscles, you abdominal muscles are also used. Over time you will begin feel your entire body begin to tighten up as well.
• Mental Health – It is a great way to release bottled-up emotions, release stress, and clear one’s mind. Plus strong friendships tend to develop in classes. I even know of a couple that got married as a result of meeting in a Spinning® class.

I strongly suggest trying a Spinning® class. It is so much fun, and you will easily see why people become addicted to it. Don’t be intimidated by all of the hard-core participants. They were once beginners themselves. Make sure to get there about 10 minutes early so the instructor can help you get properly set up on the bike. Also, feel free to remain seated for the entire first class, that is a great way to get used to it. You will be one of the ‘hard-core’ in no time! And most of all, HAVE FUN!

Enjoy a strong, healthy week

XOX