Health & Fitness

Cycling Dos and Don'ts

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 23:51:00 +0000

From Alex, a former YMCA instructor colleague who was in category II for 12 years, raced as a pro for 3 years, won 2 national championships, and was the 2003 state team time trial champion.

Top BAD things she's seen over the years:

Low RPM (Revolutions Per Minute; cadence). I've had instructors telling me that I'm not working hard enough because I'm pedaling too fast. Good cycling generally involves higher RPM (80-120) than beginners are comfortable with at first. Of course, you may approach a 'hill' so hard (with so much resistance), that you cannot maintain high RPM.
Upper Body Movement. I've had instructors tell me I'm not working hard enough because my upper body is too still. Good cycling generally involves little or no upper body movement. Of course, some movement is natural at high levels of effort. Not only should the upper body be still, it should be RELAXED. If you can effortlessly keep your upper body still and relaxed while spinning high RPM, you are on your way to good technique.
Poor Pedal Stroke. Instructors have often told me to pull this way or that, with little regard for the most effective technique. Beginning cyclists have a very short power stroke. They only push down quickly on the down stroke. Good cycling attempts to lengthen the power stroke beyond the bottom of the cycle as far as possible. To achieve this, the conscious effort is "pulling back." Think about moonwalking, or "scraping mud." Admittedly, this can be difficult for cyclists without clipless pedals. Nevertheless, cyclist should not be instructed to pull up, push forward over the top, or even to push down (down is all too natural).
Excessive Gymnastics. While instructors are free to ask students to do much of what they feel is best, I would discourage inefficient movements on the bike that tend to interfere with correct pedal technique. As Ray S. has pointed out, they are often discouraged because they are DANGEROUS. This includes rapid stand/sit transitions (with frequencies less than 15 seconds); moving forward or back with respect to the saddle; and any upper body movements other than hand positions, standing, or stretching.

Now the list of what constitutes Good Pedal Technique, starting with the feet and working up:

Light feet. Weight on the seat not the feet.
High RPM. Feet move at high RPM (80-120) whenever possible (until resistance is so high it is impossible). If you are bouncing on the saddle, you are probably spinning faster than your technique allow at this point.
Drop Heel. Attempt to drop heel (heel will not actually drop below ball of foot) at bottom of pedal cycle to include calf muscle in action.
Moonwalk. Scrape mud off shoe; pull back through bottom half of pedal cycle. This pull-back motion is perhaps the most important technical improvement and the real key to success in cycling. It takes years to develop this somewhat unnatural technique and the tendons and muscles to support it. Even when mastered, it does not come naturally. The reason is to involve more muscles in the cycle and lengthen the "power cycle" over the short down-only technique of beginners. More muscles shifts the burden of hills etc to your heart and away from your legs. Your heart will be your work horse, only needing carbs to keep going. Legs fill with lactate and cannot be trusted like your heart.
Hips still. Imagine a glass of water on attached to your belt that should not spill. Attach another glass to your forehead: your body follows your head's movement. Don't spill the water.
Relax. While your hips and head are still, they should also be relaxed. This can be a challenge, esp. at higher RPM. Analogy: a smooth cyclist is 'playing the piano.'
Flat Back. Back should be flat, not curved (hunched), nor hyper-extended (butt too far out). The best reminder of this is the position that allows your jersey to ride the lowest on your lower back.
Wrists straight. (This applies more to road cycling, but injuries can result if you hit a bump with wrists locked in 'down' position.)
Bend elbows slightly. (This is more for road, too, but good to learn.)
Breath. Breathe in through the nose deeply and slowly, out through the mouth when possible (at lower intensity). This will help lower your heart rate and make you more efficient. The spin bikes have no calibration for reality; no speed, distance, or calories burned. As a result, spinners get sloppy, since there is no advantage to being efficient. But if you want to become a better cyclist, indoors and out, you will benefit by being efficient, and spending all your energy on forward propulsion rather than on sloppy styles. For outdoor cycling, I like to suggest thinking in terms of going 'faster' rather than going 'harder,' since often speed increases are possible without any additional effort (i.e., at the same heart rate) through efficiency increases including those outlined above (as well as mechanical advantages like aero positioning, etc.). Unfortunately, no speed or efficiency criterion is available indoors.

Road Cycling Addiction

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 05:27:00 +0000

It's been forever and a day since I've cycled (and less likely going forward now that I have a new little man in my life) but I thought I'd post this anyway for yuks!

You know you're an addicted roadie when...

... Your surgeon says you need a heart valve replacement and you insist on presta.
... You find nothing disgusting about discussing the connection between hydration and urine color.
... You empathize with roadkill.
... You take your bike when shopping for a motor vehicle, just to make sure it'll fit inside.
... Good cycling roads are the main thing that matters when hunting for a new house.
... You view crashes as an opportunity to upgrade components.
... You say "On your left!" when walking around another pedestrian.
... Dessert is the first thing you order when eating out.
... You smile at someone, who informs you that you have bugs in your teeth

Zero Trans Fat Krispy Kreme Doughnuts!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 00:05:00 +0000

Once upon a time, I wrote about my disappointment that Krispy Kreme doughnuts contained trans fat. I have a soft spot for these specific sugary concoctions. In fact, my wedding cake was made out of Krispy Kremes, and in moments of weakness, I have been known to buy some, albeit rarely (once every few months).

One such moment came yesterday, and as my husband and I guiltily skulked into the store, I saw a sign saying "0g trans fat". I did a search on the web, and it appears that all their products now contain 0g of trans fat. The Krispy Kreme website also displays a big banner with the same message, along with their new "Zero TFA" TV commercial.

Happy day for me, although there's still enough refined sugar, fat and other stuff in those suckers to be more unhealthy than not!

Pure Yoga

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 15 Jul 2007 20:35:00 +0000

It's been a while since I've done yoga, so I wanted to start up again, and who better to partner up with than Wendy. She's a member of Pure Yoga, a chain yoga studio s which I've seen advertised extensively in Hong Kong, and I've wanted to try it for a long time. Fortunately, Pure Yoga had a five-year anniversary promotion while I was in Hong Kong where members could give their friends a free seven-day pass.

I went to The Centrium location, and did "Hatha I" with Tanu. Tanu is lean, fit, and energetic. Wendy says she has three children: I couldn't believe it. I expected Hatha I to be relatively mellow, but Tanu turned up the energy level several notches above what I had anticipated. Before the class started, she said something that stuck in my mind, something in the lines of, "For the next hour, focus on yourself and this practice. There is no future, there is no past." It was helpful for me because my mind tends to wander, and it helped me focus on what I was doing. Tanu also said she was excited (!) and you could tell that she wanted to be there, and genuinely enjoyed teaching.

The class started with some heavy duty breathing exercises. Throughout the class, Tanu would also tell us when to inhale and exhale. Her voice was energizing and it helped me concentrate. We did some sun salutations and some standing poses, but I don't remember much more. Despite how that sounds, I mean that as a compliment because time just flew by. In most yoga clases, I tend to lose interest after about 40 minutes, but this class went by extremely quickly. I was so engrossed it we were halfway through when I realized there was no background music. Before I knew it, we had reached the end for savasana (corpse pose). It was 60 minutes long but it felt like a 30-45 minute class. The moves were simple and weren't fancy, but obviously effective since to my surprise, I worked up a healthy sweat - that has never happened to me before during yoga. What a great workout!

I was so inspired that I went again the next day to the 10 a.m. Sunday Hatha I class taught by Jo. I was hoping that it would be similar to Tanu's class, but at the back of my mind, I suspected it was wishful thinking - and it was. Jo's class was very different. It was a lot slower to the point of being a little boring. I was accustomed to a lot of the poses which included Tree Pose, Warrior II, Triangle Pose, etc. The good news is, I used ujayi breathing throughout the class. The bad news is, I kept on wondering how much longer the class would be, and after fifty-five minutes, I even snuck a peek at my watch to make sure we hadn't already been there for 1.5 hours.

As an epilogue, part of the catch of getting a free pass is that I got a heavy duty pitch from a salesperson who tried to pitch me. Being the direct person I am, I cut him off when he tried to give me an intro to Pure Yoga and I asked him point blank what type of package he could offer somebody like me who rarely goes to Hong Kong (since you need to be a member in order to attend classes). I would have gladly signed up for one, but the best he could come up with was a package of 10 classes for ~HK$1,888 which you have to use within three months. No dice. I guess I'll have to suck it up and pay HK$250 per drop in class.

Cycling Quotes

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 05:35:00 +0000

"I wish to Christ we had bicycles," Bonello said. "Do they ride bicycles in America?" Aymo asked. "They used to." "Here it is a great thing," Aymo said. "A bicycle is a splendid thing." "I wish to Christ we had bicycles," Bonello said. "I'm no walker." -- Ernest Hemingway, A Farewell to Arms
"This is not Disneyland, or Hollywood. I'll give you an example: I've read that I flew up the hills and mountains of France. But you don't fly up a hill. You struggle slowly and painfully up a hill, and maybe, if you work very hard, you get to the top ahead of everybody else." -- Lance Armstrong
"When the spirits are low, when the day appears dark, when work becomes monotonous, when hope hardly seems worth having, just mount a bicycle and go out for a spin down the road, without thought on anything but the ride you are taking." -- Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, January 18, 1896, Scientific American Magazine
"She who succeeds in gaining the mastery of the bicycle will gain the mastery of life." -- Frances E. Willard, How I Learned to Ride the Bicycle
"Getting up at six and racing up a col from the gun is a bitch." -- Jacky Durand
"Think of bicycles as rideable art that can just about save the world." -- Grant Peterson
"Enough with this sunday stroll...let's hurt a little bit." -- American Flyers
"When I see an adult on a bicycle, I do not despair or the future of the human race." -- H.G. Wells
"The best rides are the ones where you bite off much more than you can chew--and live through it." -- Doug Bradbury
"You get a feeling on certain trails, when you're reacting like you and your machine are just one thing. It's the feeling of physical exertion and speed and technique all wrapped into one." -- Ned Overend
"Passing softly through the backcountry creates a fascinating tension. On one hand is the environment, generating powerful swells of energy that course through our psyches. There's something about mountains, deserts, woods, that excites us. Yet, on the other hand, the awesomeness of it all diminishes our importance in the earth's affairs." -- Hank Barlow
"Toleration is the greatest gift of the mind; it requires the same effort of the brain that it takes to balance oneself on a bicycle." -- Helen Keller
"A bicycle ride is a flight from sadness." -- James E. Starrs, The Literary Cyclist
"Wheel, kindly light, along life's cycle path, Wheel Thou on me! The road is rough, I have discerned Thy Wrath, But wheel me on!" -- Christian Hymn
"The pack is a single, fickle entity, a blaze of color leaving only a trail of dust in its vacuum wake. Even the most pervasive social conventions fall by the wayside under physical stress, as mere survival takes precedence over winning. The pack may be heedless of its own stragglers and have no more sympathy or sense of smell than hounds chasing a fox. In the end, you are on your own, a particle in the false constant of motion." -- Laurence Malone
"There is something uncanny in the noiseless rush of the cyclist, as he comes into view, passes by, and disappears." -- Popular Science, 1891
"For all their fearlessness, sprinters are a delicate breed. At the peak of form they effuse an aura of invincibility, suggesting no bicycle rider ever pedaled as fast. To win, sprinters must have everything: physical condition, confidence, luck, aggression and committed team support. An elusive combination, attainable but not sustainable." -- David Walsh, Inside the Tour de France
"You have to sprint on feeling, not thinking. You must have faith in yourself but you cannot think about it too much." -- Jean Paul Van Poppel
"Let me tell you what I think of bicycling. I think it has done more to emancipate women than anything else in the world. It gives women a feeling of freedom and self-reliance. I stand and rejoice every time I see a woman ride by on a wheel...the picture of free, untrammeled womanhood." -- Susan B. Anthony
"Don't be afraid of going fast and getting hurt. (You can always wear black stockings to cover up the scars!) You just have to forget what your parents taught you--stuff like being careful, looking good and catching the best man available." -- Marla Streb
"You not bike rider, you nobody." -- Eddie B.
"I still feel that variable gears are only for people over forty-five. Isn't it better to triumph by the strength of your muscles than by the artifice of a derailer? We are getting soft... As for me, give me a fixed gear!" -- Henri Desgrange
"But to say that the race is the metaphor for the life is to miss the point. The race is everything. It obliterates whatever isn't racing. Life is the metaphor for the race." -- Donald Antrim
"Eat before you are hungry. Drink before you are thirsty. Rest before you are tired. Cover up before you are cold. Peel off before you are hot. Don't drink or smoke on tour. Never ride just to prove yourself." -- Paul de Vivie
"Perhaps the single most important element in mastering the techniques and tactics of racing is experience. But once you have the fundamentals, acquiring the experience is a matter of time." -- Greg LeMond
"It never gets easier, you just go faster." -- Greg LeMond
"The bicycle is just as good company as most husbands and, when it gets old and shabby, a woman can dispose of it and get a new one without shocking the entire community." -- Ann Strong, Minneapolis Tribune, 1895
"To be a cyclist is to be a student of pain....at cycling's core lies pain, hard and bitter as the pit inside a juicy peach. It doesn't matter if you're sprinting for an Olympic medal, a town sign, a trailhead, or the rest stop with the homemade brownies. If you never confront pain, you're missing the essence of the sport. Without pain, there's no adversity. Without adversity, no challenge. Without challenge, no improvement. No improvement, no sense of accomplishment and no deep-down joy. Might as well be playing Tiddly-Winks." -- Scott Martin
"Winning never gets repetitive" - Mat "Cashmoney" Glaser
"Nothing compares to the simple pleasure of a bike ride." -- John F. Kennedy
"If you were a spectator on one of the mountain passes today, the super-light bikes would be little different in appearance from the machines of years ago, pedaled by earlier heroes, Coppi, Anquetil, Merckx, Hinault, LeMond, Roche. They would look like the bikes our dads rode when we were kids. But the Tour is a commercial race, and innovation must be given its place on the catwalk, or in this case the velodrome...." -- James Waddington, Bad to the Bone
"The riders come out, knights for the tournament, neck to thigh in slippery lycra with the sheen of deep space condoms, faired helmets on their heads like the glans from another galaxy and neoprene pixyboots to slide the air around their feet, mounted on gaudily caparisoned donkeys - the carbon fibre monocoque monoblade." -- James Waddington, Bad to the Bone
"What was supposed to be a summer of fun on the bike turned into a year, then two years. It certainly wasn't a calculated plan to have a career as a cyclist." -- Derek Bouchard-Hall
"Pain is a big fat creature riding on your back. The farther you pedal, the heavier he feels. The harder you push, the tighter he squeezes your chest. The steeper the climb, the deeper he digs his jagged, sharp claws into your muscles." -- Scott Martin
"There was a second supremely sweet moment of victory. As I made my way through the finish area, I passed the Cofidis team. Assorted members of the organization stood around, the men who I felt had left me for dead in a hospital room. "That was for you," I said as I moved past them." -- Lance Armstrong after winning the opening time trial and becoming the leader of the 1999 Tour de France
"There are no races. Only lotteries." -- Jacques Anquetil
"I won! I won! I don't have to go to school anymore." -- Eddy Merckx, after winning his first bike race
"I guess I just have bigger ovaries." -- Missy Giove
"I was a hero, and a second afterwards it was all over. Casartelli was dead so what I had achieved was worth nothing." -- Richard Virenque, on winning the Tour de France stage in which Fabio Casartelli died in a crash
"He's dancing on the pedals in an immodest way!" -- Phil Liggett, on a victory by Dag-Otto Lauritzen
"The Europeans look down on raising your hands. They don't like the end-zone dance. I think that's unfortunate. That feeling - the finish line, the last couple of meters - is what motivates me." -- Lance Armstrong
"It was eleven more than necessary." -- Jacques Anquetil, after winning a race by tweleve seconds
"The bicycle riders drank much wine, and were burned and browned by the sun. They did not take the race seriously except among themselves." -- Ernest Hemingway, The Sun Also Rises
"A mountain bike race is a constant hard effort for two to three hours. In road racing the efforts often come in surges. You ride easy for awhile then you have to make an extreme, hard effort. They are two different efforts, two different forms of suffering." -- John Tomac
"I picked my head up during an interval and saw an enormous ostrich zigzagging in the road. I swung wide to get by - and just as I did he started chasing me. These guys can motor. I had to sprint to drop him." -- Tyler Hamilton
"To prepare for a race there is nothing better than a good pheasant, some champagne and a woman." -- Jacques Anquetil
"Ride lots." -- Eddy Merckx
"I'm fascinated by the sprinters. They suffer so much during the race just to get to the finish, they hang on for dear life in the climbs, but then in the final kilometers they are transformed and do amazing things. It's not their force per se that impresses me, but rather the renaissance they experience. Seeing them suffer throughout the race only to be reborn in the final is something for fascination." -- Miguel Indurain
"Downhill's the future of the sport. Cross-country's not geared for TV. Some fat guy watching it with a beer in one hand and potato chips in the other is going to say, 'I can do that.' America likes to see people crash." -- Missy Giove
"My favorite courses are nasty, technical downhills that frighten my mom." -- Josh Ivey
"I'm lucky that mountain biking wasn't around when I was 20, because I wouldn't have won the Tour de France. It's my kind of sport - hard, individualistic, and not a lot of tactics." -- Greg LeMond
"Cycling is like a church - many attend, but few understand." -- Jim Burlant
"Some people pay a thousand dollars for a tattoo. This scar cost me twenty grand." -- Matt Hoffman
"First week you feel good, the second week you lose strength. Third week, f_cked." -- Per Pedersen, on the Tour de France
"A woman without a man is like a fish without a bicycle." -- Gloria Steinem
"The main thing is to not cut yourself and bleed to death in the tub." -- Frankie Andreu (Retired USPS Racer) on leg shaving advice
"I looked back and bikes and riders were flipping in the air. There must have been 20-30+ riders in the pile." -- overheard after Early Bird 4/5 race

Lake Merced Run

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 02 Jul 2007 05:00:00 +0000

Today, D & I did the Lake Merced Run hosted by Dolphin South End Runners (DSE Runners). The entry fee was only $5 a person! As the name suggests it's a 4.5 mile loop around Lake Merced in San Francisco. Since I have been running 3.1 mile races lately, I was worried about doing poorly since it's 50% farther than I'm used to, but the course is flat and if I really ran out of steam, I could always walk. D used to train around Lake Merced, so I asked him what the terrain was like and whether it was flat. "It sound be flat," he replied, "The course description says it's paved." That's when I pointed out to him that being paved or not paved is completely independent of the gradient since it's possible to have a steep paved road.

It was a casual race, and the organizers were friendly. They even offered us free Bay to Breakers Volunteer T-shirts that they had left over from the even a few weeks ago. There was no race T-shirt (I actually prefer that) and no timing chip (I didn't expect one for a $5 entry fee race!)

As the crowd gathered, I noticed that there were some "older" runners. "These guys are going to blow by me, aren't they?" I asked D. "Yes." "I hate it when somebody twice my age overtakes me and leaves me in the dust!" I complained. "Ah," replied D, "But think how great these folks feel when they smoke somebody half their age!". Touche.

Per my usual practice, I positioned myself at the back of the group before the race began. I started out at an easy, leisurely pace that I was confident I could at least maintain throughout the run. I wore my black zip up jacket which is perfect for running - I wear it at the start of the race when it's chilly, but when I get hot, I can easily take it off during the race and tie it around my waist. I also carried a water bottle full of Gatorade which was a great idea since there were no water stops along the way. For this race, I tried holding in my hand for the entire run instead of carrying it in a waist pouch. I think I expended to much energy and focused too much on gripping the bottle, so I'll revert back to the pouch next time.

The run itself was fantastic. It was relatively flat, and the scenery was pleasant since you could peek through the trees to see the lake. There were other pedestrians, runners and the occasional cyclist using the same path, but it wasn't crowded at all. Partway through the run, I realized that I had traveled the course before: I had cycled around that lake many moons ago. I even remembered the exact spot where I fell off my bike trying to get back to the Great Highway.

They had marked the path with chalk... although they really didn't have to since all you had to do was follow the sidewalk. The only time where the chalk marks came in handy where on sections where you were tempted to take a short cut across a parking lot - the chalk marks reminded you to take the longer way! I didn't notice it at the time, but they also marked the number of miles covered with chalk as well. I had a sense of how far I had run just from looking at how far around the lake I had traveled. I didn't figure out the exact distance I had covered until I saw "4M" (four miles) in big letters. Yippee! That meant there was only half a mile to go. Of course, there's a slight incline at the 4th mile marker. Nothing that steep, but just enough to slow you down and make you realize you're running uphill. Fortunately, that only lasted a wee bit, and the home stretch was flat and fast.

I did better than expected! Given the 11-12 per minute miles I've been slogging through lately, I was quite happy to have finished in 46:47 minutes (10:23 pace), placing 107 out of 148 overall. There's a lot of room for improvement, of course, but it appears that I'm on a much more promising trajectory now, and I'm really excited about running again. I'm scouring Active.com for the next one.

P.S. A confession: D & I stopped by Krispy Kreme on the way home and bought half a dozen donuts to celebrate. Maybe a little counterproductive to all the hard work we put in, but still well deserved!

Working Out in Asia

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 02 Jul 2007 04:00:00 +0000

I bring workout gear on all my business trips. 99% of the time, it comes back unworn, and the only use I get out of it is the incremental 2 calories I burn carrying the extra weight around in my luggage. On my latest trip to Asia, however, I worked out almost every day!

In Hong Kong, I ran along a path near where my parents live that has very little traffic. Coincidentally, it's the same dreaded course I used to run in high school that we referred to as "The Second Pagoda". It was named such because we'd start running from our school, and from there, we'd go past the first pagoda, and then turn around when we reached the second one on the trail. We would do this course three times a year as part of our physical education class. I was slow (well, still am actually) and my fastest time was 17 minutes. If I recall it's supposed to be a 2 mile run... I guess it's possible that I used to run an 8.5/min mile back in the day. Second Pagoda was D's worst nightmare back in the day, and the last time both of us were in Hong Kong last year, he made a point of sprinting the course to banish his demons and prove to himself that he isn't the same weight challenged kid that he used to be.

One of the prime challenges with running outdoors in Hong Kong during the summer is that it's so darn humid. It's bad enough that it's hot (30 Celsius in June - I can't remember what the equivalent temperature is in Fahrenheit), but the humidity makes it that much worse because I end up sweating up a storm, but the sweat doesn't evaporate. Under those conditions, there is a real risk of overheating, especially when you factor in the air pollution. Under such adverse conditions, I needed extra motivation to get moving, so I listened to my iPod (I run without music in the U.S.).

I recently bought a pair of Sony MDR-G57G S2 Sports Street Style Headphones with Reflective Ear Piece for the express purpose of listening to my iPod while exercising. They stay on extremely well. A bit too well actually because they're too tight and they hurt my ears after about 45 minutes. I'm quite surprised about this because I have a relatively small head and tiny ears. If they hurt me, I imagine "normal" sized people must experience excruciating pain after wearing them for any extended period of time. A reviewer on Amazon.com who owns these earphones recommended this: "The second you take them out of the box, TEAR OUT those little D-shaped plastic wedges that are supposed to dig down behind your ears. Just grab ahold of each one tightly and tear it right out of the headphone arm. The headphones will stay on just as firmly, and your ears will be MUCH more comfortable. Did this with both pairs I've owned and they have yet to slip off." I like the idea of improving comfort without compromising functionality so I'll need to give this a shot.

In China, I worked out in the hotel gyms. Some of them are quite small, but even those have at least a few elliptical machines and treadmills. I expected to use my iPod while in the gym too (I hate using cardio machines, talk about boring), but most of them actually have individual TV monitors. One of the best gyms I've seen so far is the one at the Grand Hyatt in Shanghai. It's called Club Oasis, and you don't have to pay extra to use the facilities. I was most impressed with their swimming pool which is absolutely gorgeous. The ambiance is that of a tropical rain forest. Having said that, I didn't investigate the layout, so it's possible that it's more of a wading pool, and not suitable for laps.

The trick now is to maintain some sort of workout regimen when I'm back at home...

Ujayi Breathing

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 06 Jun 2007 05:30:00 +0000

A friend recently taught me Ujayi breathing. I first heard about it as it related to yoga, but people also do it just before going to bed for deeper sleep. I'm posting it here as a reminder to myself.

Breathe in 2-3-4
Hold 2-3-4
Breathe out 2-3-4-5-6
Hold 2
Repeat

Work up to 8 breaths in a round. 3 rounds.

Turbo Kick Round 28 Workshop

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 29 Jan 2007 04:15:00 +0000

It's been a while since I've updated this blog, and there have been many changes to my teaching schedule. For starters, I have given up my weekly cardio kickboxing class. It's been so long that I can't remember when that happened exactly. Some time in 2005, perhaps?

Without a regular class, I haven't had any pressing need to purchase any new Turbo Kick (TK) rounds, but given that I need to renew my TK certification very soon, I looked for workshops in the Bay Area, and also any specials they may have on purchasing rounds. Here are the two most surprising things I found during my research:

Inflation! Rounds used to cost $50 each, and now they're $60. I wonder if the price was ever raised to $55 at any point, or they just went ahead and instituted the $10/round price increase.
Older rounds are no longer for sale. I used to really like the fact that they used to have offers like "buy 5 rounds for the price of 3" (not exactly this offer necessarily since I'm doing this from memory, but it was something like that). This was great for somebody like me since I don't own the most recent 4-5 rounds, and it was a price effective way for me to catch up. It's also beneficial to Power Blue as well: since the marginal cost to them for selling older rounds is incredibly low, the margins for selling old inventory/rounds is extremely high. Maybe these rounds are still available somehow, but I couldn't find it on the website.

The workshop I attended was at the Shih Yu-Lang Central YMCA which is one of the few YMCA's in the San Francisco Bay Area that neither D nor I have visited before. D noticed that this is a traditional Y where they offer accommodations. I checked and and sure enough, according to their website, Single Occupancy (one twin bed and shared bath) costs $43.62 per night. This is extremely cheap for a hotel room in San Francisco, especially if you consider that continental breakfast and use of gym facilities are also included.

Most of the workshop was as I expected. The warm up has not changed much, but I think it's shorter than it used to be. I was familiar with most of the choreography (after all, most of the moves are based on jab, cross, hook, uppercut, knee strikes and kicks), but the wheel was new to me. I think it's a variation of a Capoeira move (reminiscent of the beginning of a cartwheel), and while it has been incorporated in earlier Turbo Kick rounds, I hadn't seen before. Another new move is the turtle which is a variation of an urban dance move. Now, during the workshop, I could have SWORN the master trainer said the name of the original dance where the turtle is derived is called "crocking", and that it was developed by some guy while he was in prison, but I couldn't find reference of "crocking" on the web (assuming I heard correctly, and spelling it the right way). Fortunately, another instructor (they call her "Dr. Paula" because she is a chiropractor) also mentioned that a movie/documentary called Rize has been made about this urban dance, and I was able to look that up.

Turbo Kick has also become dancier than I remember. There is a lot more clapping (eee!) and there is even A GRAPEVINE in one of the sections! Yes, you heard me, a grapevine -- the ultimate hi-low move that is further away from hard core kickboxing than almost anything I can think of. Since instructors are free to modify rounds to suit their own style, you can bet that I will not be grapevining if I ever teach it.

The two sections that I liked the most are (leg) strength and abs. In fact, I may use some of the moves at the end of my step class since I think they're great for conditioning and not specific to cardio kickboxing.

One of my New Year's resolutions for 2007 is to work out more. So far, I've been able to incorporate Body Pump (weights) into my routine by attending classes at the Pacific Athletic Club, but I'm struggling to find any interesting cardio classes that fit into my schedule. Even though I don't teach cardio kickboxing any more, I should prepare to teach one in case I sub for somebody else. So I think I'll learn this round, and by following the DVD and practising at home, it can double as cardio exercise for me.

Dublin's 2006 Shamrock 5K Fun Walk & Run

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 20 Mar 2006 05:47:00 +0000

Once upon a time, I was in decent shape and could run a 9 min mile over 6.2 miles (10km) - nothing earth shattering, mind you, but respectable. Due to work and other Life Issues, the frequency of my workouts dwindled, and I have spent the last few months leading a rather unhealthy, sedentary lifestyle.

A couple of weeks ago, I decided that enough was enough, and I had to get off my rear end and start training again. Since St. Patrick's Day was around the corner, I thought the best way to ease into a program was to run the Dublin's Shamrock 5K Fun Run & Walk. I remember D did this race back in 2003 and he had a fantastic time. Not only he get awesome schwag, but he was rewarded with free Krispy Kreme donuts at the finish line! With this happy thought in mind, I signed us both up for the race.

The race had a staggered start with markers indicating difference paces. D & shuffled back towards where the 9-10 per minute mile folks were hanging out, although I was tempted to move even further back. D said it was fine where we were since the important thing was to avoid being in the front where we would be trampled on by sprinters. There were quite a few people with strollers and I secretly dreaded that some of those people would actually be faster than me.

There were a ton of people so the race started slowly. We walked for a bit before there was room for us to jog, and once D started going, he waved goodbye to me before taking off into the distance (so depressing when he does that).

I started off at any easy pace and kept on reminding myself that it was ONLY 3.1 miles. After all, aside from the running portion of a sprint triathlon, I've never been in a race that was shorter than 6.2 miles.

Boy was I wrong. It took a ton of effort to get through those three teeny tiny miles. The first 10 minutes of any race are always the worst, because it takes time for my body to become accustomed to running, especially when I'm simultaneously sucking down cold air. I was happy to see the first mile marker, but that quickly turned into disappointment when I heard the person there call out a time that began with "12 minutes...". 12 MINUTES? 12 minutes to run a lousy mile? Thinking that was going to be the low point of the race, I became truly demoralized when stroller people started passing me. It wasn't so bad the first time, because the lady was pushing an Iron Man stroller, so I figured she was a super fit person. Then when a second and third stroller lady left me in the dust, I wanted to cry.

I felt myself slowing down around the 2.5 mile mark. It's such a terrible feeling knowing that I can run faster, but not being able to move my legs any faster. When I reached the 3 mile mark, I told myself that I have never decelerated towards the finish line so I forced myself to sprint the last 0.1 miles to the end, but by then it was too little, too late.

Afterewards, I met up with D near the food stalls. To my utmost horror, THERE WERE NO KRISPY KREME DONUTS! Instead, I had a tasty mini-brownie. D said that his first mile was slow too, but his splits continually improved throughout the race. After having a snack, we looked at some of the stalls that were part of the Dublin fair, and I scored myself a pair of nice earrings.

My results were dismal: I finished the course in 34:40 (11:11/M pace), placing 613 out of 1369 overall, and 77 out of 196 in my age group, although these aren't fair comparisons because I was "running" *cough* while plenty of people were walking. It's a lousy time, but hey, I had to (re)start somewhere! As I told D, it doesn't get much worse than this (I hope), so I can look forward to nothing but improvements going forward!

Subbing Step Blitz at Page Mill Y

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 12 Mar 2006 04:14:00 +0000

Although I've given up teaching my weekly cardio kickboxing class *sob*, I am trying to make up for it by subbing classes for other instructors whenever possible. This morning, for instance, I subbed a 45 minute "Step Blitz" class (8:15am-9:00am) at the Page Mill YMCA in Palo Alto.

8:15am is kinda early to be teaching a class on a Saturday morning, but I really needed the exercise. It was supposed to be an intermediate class, but I found that most of the participants leaned towards basic/intermediate rather than intermediate/advanced. Before I even started, the first thing one of the participants suggested was "you can make it a 60 minute class!" I took that advice and did indeed teach for an hour. I think that 45 minutes is short for a step aerobics class, because if you consider the warmup/cooldown takes 15 minutes, you're down to 30 minutes of cardio; less if you throw in ab work at the end. Besides, it's hard to teach any fancy combinations because by the time you've managed to break down a couple of 32-count combos, you're basically done.

The class went well for the most part, although I initially had some microphone issues. There's something about this gym: I *always* encounter sound problems there. This week's crisis was annoying feedback from the microphone which reverberated through the speakers which was highly annoying. Fortunately, one of the helpful YMCA staff was able to fix it partway through class. The other minor thing was that a couple of the participants requested that I cue the lead food. Since I teach tapless step, I almost never have to cue the lead leg. I tried explaining this, but they didn't understand what I was talking about. Rather than argue, since I sensed they were getting frustrated, I just cued the lead to avoid further angst. Things went very smoothly after that.

Starting Anew!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 02 Mar 2006 05:35:00 +0000

Oh. My. Gawd. It's been an ENTIRE YEAR since I last wrote about anything health and fitness related, mostly because I haven't had anything to write about. I've stopped training (I haven't participated in an event in months) and the only thing I was doing on any sort of regular basis was teach a weekly cardio kickboxing class at the Sequoia YMCA in Redwood City... and I recently had to give that up as well. I love teaching, but given the hours I'm working, I wasn't putting enough time and effort to prepare for class, and it just wasn't fair to the participants. I still sub though, and I try to make it to other classes so I can still get some regular exercise. I recently went to a Body Pump class at the Palo Alto Y but I'm not a fan of the music in the current release.

D has been working his tail off as well (much longer hours), so he too has fallen off the wagon with respect to training. He still gets in the occasional run or workout, but not consistently.

Both of us are currently traveling on business, and I was complaining to him over instant messaging (how sad is that? We're so busy we don't even have time to talk on the phone) about my physical well being and I told him that we should participate in the Dublin's 2006 Shamrock 5K Fun Run & Walk and he has agreed to do it with me. I'd like to say that I will be running, especially since it's such a short distance, but given my sorry condition, I have a feeling there will be a lot of walking involved!

Dance Dance Revolution (DDR)

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 21 Feb 2005 05:08:00 +0000

Even though the name may not be familiar, I'm positive you know what Dance Dance Revolution (aka DDR) is -- y'know, the arcade game you often see at movie theatres that's dominated by teenagers. It's very distinctive: players stomp to the beat on a lit platform with four arrows.

I've wanted one for several years now, so I was psyched that D bought me one for Christmas. I had desperately wanted a metal one that simulated real arcade game play; but it weighted 40lbs which meant that it would be a permanent fixture somewhere in my home and I wasn't quite ready for that. After doing some extensive research, I chose the BNS Ultra DX-Xteme from BuynShop. It was $50 cheaper than the Ignition Pad from Red Octane.

We also bought the DDR Extreme game to go with the pad. Both D & I have played it a few times now. I don't know about him, but it makes me feel old and uncoordinated. I'm especially embarrassed with my low scores since I thought I'd have some sort of an advantage with regards to rhythm and coordination (given I teach group exericse and all). Theoretically, the verison of DDR we have can work together with the Sony EyeToy. It's a great thought but given I can barely figure out the steps, I'm not going to be adding hand movements any time soon!

Regardless, it's oodles of fun, and I work up a good sweat playing this game. In fact, there's lots of anecdotal articles regarding the weight loss benefits. Even if you're not a fan of exercise, you'll probably like this since it's an easy way of incorporating cardio activity in your daily routine.

Turbo Kick Theology

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 19 Feb 2005 04:23:00 +0000

I enjoy teaching Turbo Kick but I'm not a fan of the "TK Police" so it was refreshing to read an email by Chalene Johnson, creator of Turbo Kick, and hear her personal views on Turbo Kick Theology.

Controversies in Indoor Cycling

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 02 Dec 2004 07:31:00 +0000

From a recent ACE newsletter comes an article about indoor cycling safety. It's called Controversies and Contraindicated Moves in Indoor Cycling By Stephanie Harris, M.D. I've posted the contents below:

Since the introduction of Spinning, indoor cycling has become a significant force in the group fitness arena. Companies involved with indoor cycling have developed their own styles which are presented to group fitness instructors as "the" way to teach cycling classes. Many different formats have evolved and the sport has gone through a significant evolution. Instructors continue to search for ways to make the classes more interesting or more intense, often at the expense of safety and form. As with all aspects of fitness, change occurs as the fund of knowledge expands and instructors need to think critically. A review of the cycling literature suggests there are contraindicated moves and teaching situations that have evolved which are not beneficial for students. Although not everyone may agree with all of the following information, it is a compilation from multiple sources (Spinning, Schwinn, Precision, Keiser, 24-Hour Fitness and Reebok Cycling).

Instructors are constantly pressured to provide intense workouts in shorter periods of time. As a result, cycling classes often lack adequate warm-up and cool-down. Proper progression building to higher intensity levels helps the body to prepare for increased work loads and is important for injury prevention. Adequate cool-down is essential to prevent pooling of blood and the possibility of dizziness or fainting. This guideline is similar to any group fitness class.

Pedaling at high cadences with too little resistance (standing or sitting) results in sacrificing form for speed and a decrease in caloric expenditure. Pedaling at very slow cadences with high resistance can result in premature fatigue and can be inefficient metabolically. Both can put undue stress on joints (especially knee) and muscle. Cadence and resistance need to be balanced to safely increase workload. The most efficient riders ride at cadences between 60 and 90 RPMs (recommended limits range from 50-120 RPMs) with the resistance set to prevent "bouncing" or to increase workload within the class format.

Rapid lifts (jumps or hurdles) out of the saddle or excessive numbers in a row (such as 100 or more) have been used as a method to increase intensity. Often they are done at high cadences with too little resistance. This technique sacrifices safety and form.

Cycling without hands (except during posture breaks) in order to increase the workload (such as in a climb or seated with high resistance) can compromise the knee joints. Also cycling posture must change producing stress on the low back.

Cycling without a saddle or lowering the saddle so that participants cannot sit down has been used as another method to increase intensity. A number of safety issues arise including the danger of not being able to sit if the bike malfunctions or the participant gets tired. Changes in position (e.g. standing to sitting) help to decrease the injury potential.

Hovering with the hips back and off the saddle with the arms fully extended to the ends of the handlebars produces excessive hip flexion which can stress the low back and alter pedaling form forcing the knees outward.

Standing starts with resistance have been used to simulate race starts. If used, they should be limited in number and reserved only for the very fit. The amount of stress on the knees, limits the usefulness of this technique.

Stretching while seated or standing on the bike is thought to be less safe and less adequate for the improvement of range of motion than stretching off the bike. Inadequate time spent stretching increases injury potential. Stretching off the bike but also including the bike as a prop for assisting the stretches is a great way to end the class!

As instructors we strive to keep our classes interesting and fresh. However, we must not lose sight of the need to provide a safe environment for all participants. We also need to move forward as information changes with ongoing research. Interesting and fun classes using formats that are scientifically sound can be taught without the use of controversial or contraindicated moves.

Cycling/Body Pump Combo

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 18 Sep 2004 05:03:00 +0000

John G teaches back to back cycling/Body Pump classes on Fridays. Unfortunately, I arrived to his cycling class about 10 minutes late, but still worked sufficiently hard to feel exhausted afterwards. So much so that I wanted to curl up and take a nap.

As a result, I was tempted to take it easy during Body Pump and lift lighter weights. On the other hand, I didn't want to lose the progress I had made on Tuesday when I took Debbie's Body Pump class and managed to pile on more weight for each exercise. So I convinced myself to maintain my new weight load. As tiring as it was, I felt really pumped (no pun intended) afterwards. It must have been those endorphins kicking in! I think I'll make this my new Friday routine from now on.

The OTHER Johnny G!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 16 Sep 2004 04:23:00 +0000

I've been taking John G's Body Pump classes at The Pacific Athletic Club (PAC), and I really like his style. I even introduced myself to him as a fellow instructor last week. He told me he also teaches Spinning cycling and he joked that he *is* Johnny G! I haven't cycled in months - either indoor or outdoor - so I took the opportunity to try John's cycling class and get back into cycling form. I didn't know what to expect but I thought my odds were pretty good at "Aerobics Roulette".

Aerobics Roulette = Taking another instructor's class. It can be a fantastic experience where I have a great workout and learn a lot, or it can be a complete disaster.

Like many other gyms, PAC has a dedicated Cycling Studio so you don't have to waste time setting up/putting away bikes before and after class. They use Star Trac spinner bikes (thank goodness) so you can adjust the fore/aft position of both the saddle and the handlebars.

I always thought that one had to be a World Class Spinner to be a great cycling instructor. Here's how the logic goes: to get people to work harder, you should be able to cycle like Superman to "show them how it's done". But John really opened my eyes to a new way of instructing -- aside from the warm up and the cooldown, he didn't do any cycling. Now I don't know whether this is John's usual style of teaching or whether he's taking it easy because he's injured (which I know he is). In any case, it was FINE that he didn't cycle. It was still a great class.

Instead of cycling, John walked around the class correcting form. In general, he reminded people to keep their elbows and during standing climbs to (1) maintain weight above the saddle (as opposed to the arms) and to (2) concentrate on a side-to-side motion rather than up-and-down. (2) was a new cue to me, and one that I may use in the future because it helps people visualize and prevent them from bouncing and killing their knees. John also made a point to go around and encourage individual participants BY NAME. I think he knew everybody in that class and gave personalized feedback. That was cool.

John perfectly coordinated his drills with music selection, i.e., fast songs for sprints, slower ones for climbs. I recognized about half of the songs he played. He encouraged people to "cycle to the beat", so I did. The resulting cadence seemed a little on the slow side, but I'll count next time to make sure. Even if it is slower, it's easier to monitor your cadence that way, i.e., you're slowing down if you were on beat but now you're moving slower than the music. He also coordinated his drills perfectly each song. For example, we would sprint only during the chorus, or coordinate our jumps to a refrain. John was familiar enough with the music so he knew exactly when to cue us for it. That was impressive. It may be from his Body Pump training since with that format, you're forced to match choreography with the music exactly. Contrast this to how Dino teaches: he doesn't follow the music's BPM but since he cycles when he teaches, I can try to match his leg speed. I'm not saying that John's method of teaching is better than Dino's or vice versa. Both methods are effective.

With regards to resistance, John would occasionally tell us to "add/remove a gear" which was rather nebulous. What does that mean exactly? How many gears are there in total? Are we on gear 2, and we're supposed to increase that to gear 3? Or gear 5 moving to gear 6? I should have asked -- it could have been that everybody else knew what he was talking about since they were regulars so he didn't feel the need to elaborate. But he did touch on the important stuff - like reminding people to add enough resistance to support their weight when moving from sitting to standing positions. Consistent with his "cycling to the beat" theme, he also asked us to use the music to determine resistance level. For example, if we were cycling faster than the music, we should add resistance. On the other hand, if we couldn't cycle fast enough to match the beat, we should reduce resistance level.

Overall, class was great so I plan to attend it regularly. Out of all the cardiovascular group exercise formats, I find that cycling is _by far_ the hardest. I hope to get back into cycling shape soon.

Six Subbing Survival Tips

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 12 Sep 2004 02:05:00 +0000

I don't teach many classes, but I try and sub for others when I can. It's tough being a sub. Class counts are usually lower since I often sub during holidays, plus participants tend not to show up if they know that the regular instructor is not teaching. Here's some helpful tips for subbing that I'm reposting from the August 2003 Turbo Kick newsletter:

Avoid apologies: Let's pretend your young child had separation anxiety. Imagine now that your babysitter spends the first hour apologizing, "I'm sorry I'm not your mommy," more crying ensues. She continues, "I bet you really miss your mommy." Rule No. 1, apologizing only reminds your class that your are not their regular instructor. Be a good babysitter and employ the art of diversion. Example, "I'm so excited to be here today! I've heard this class has amazing energy. Thanks for having me!" Remember, out of sight is out of mind. Don't invite separation anxiety by apologizing for not being 'so and so'.
Do your homework: Make subbing as painless as possible for both you and your temporary class. Begin by asking the regular instructor to briefly describe how he/she formats the hour. Next, ask the following questions.
- Describe your teaching style for me.
- What type of music does your class prefer?
- What BPM are they accustom to working at?
- What do they love the most about your class?
- Is there anything they really hate, or I should completely avoid?
Be proud of your unique style, but consider the fact that a "similar" class will likely be more successful than a radical change in style or formatting.
When in Rome: People don't like change. The first change is they have a "different" instructor. Don't expect this group to be receptive to even more change. Put personal teaching convictions aside, and remember that it's their workout. Instead of trying to prove that your style of teaching is superior, win them over with your natural charisma and charm.
Never let 'em see ya sweat!: Dozens of people walk through the group exercise room door to take this class. How is it they know that YOU'RE the sub? Could it be the "deer in the headlights" look on your face? Confidence is the key. Enter the room with a big smile and relaxed presence. Greet people in the back. Ask names. Avoid comments like "I haven't taught this type of class before" or "I've already taught 2 classes today", which immediately lower expectations. Get people excited about your energy and what's in store for them. Steer clear of comments which might be misconstrued as self-doubt, such as "I know Lisa is much more advanced than me."
Attitude is everything: A great attitude can get you through anything and is more important than experience, physical strength, choreography, and skill. Make it a personal challenge to get 5 or more students to inquire about your normal teaching schedule (the ultimate sign of approval). Mentally prepare for a handful of regulars to walk-out so you're not frazzled if they do. (It's their loss anyway!)
Give 'em something special: You've got something you do in your classes that people ABSOLUTELY LOVE. Maybe it's your sense of humor or that you sing the cool down song accapella. Whatever it is, you know it works and it's uniquely you. Give this class something to remember you by and take the opportunity to self-promote. "Thanks for having me guys! You were great. I teach on Thursday at 5:30. Come and see me!"

Group Exercise Motivational Cues

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 08 Sep 2004 04:05:00 +0000

The following is a section called "Watch Your Words" from an old Reebok Alliance catalog. It helps group exercise instructors select appropriate motivational phrases. The idea is to replace critical cues with body-positive cues:

Critical Cues

I feel fat.
Let's make your thighs lean.
Were you "bad" at dinner last night?
Burn those buns!
Burn more calories like this.
She has a flabby gut.
This move zaps cellulite.
You could lose fat from your arms.
Watch your abs.
You need to lose about 30 lbs.
Let's target your trouble spots.

Body-Positive Cues

I feel strong.
Feel how strong your quads are.
I hope you fueled up to work out.
Feel the power in your glutes.
Enjoy the challenge of this intensity.
I love her charisma.
It feels so good to dance.
We can improve your strength over all.
Notice how good this move feels.
We're going to energize you.
Think of your body as balanced.

Fellow Turbo Kick instructor Linda Ross provided helpful commentary to "Watch Your Words":

Vogel (2003) wrote a masters thesis investigating how participants respond to their instructors. She found that most women unfavorably compared their bodies to their instructors' and felt demotivated when they heard her make image-conscious comments like, "This workout will help you lose weight" or "This move will prep your butt for a bikini."

While instructors are powerful role models, they might also be the industry's most dangerous weapon for those struggling with poor self-image. And an instructor wrestling with body issues can be a double whammny. I wasn't aware of this, but according to one study, (Olson, 2002), many instructors have dramatically worse body images than non-instructors--despite the fact that the instructors in this study were much leaner than non-instructors (16 to 18% body fat vs. 22%). Heaner suggests that the fitness industry may actually be CAUSING some of these issues...it's very much a chicken-egg thing.

It IS the instructor's responsibility to promote positive body images. That's why we NEED instructors of all shapes and sizes to model fitness as a lifestyle, not a look.

According to Heaner, "Our main mission as fitness educators is to give others emotional strength--to make them feel loved. That way they don't feel like everything depends on how they look."

Chain Oil Removal

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 07 Sep 2004 05:48:00 +0000

Somebody posted to the Velo Girls mailing list asking how to remove chain oil from her waterproof jacket. I know I'll need this information later so I'm posting responses here:

Use regular butter: enough on the stain, scrub a little and let stand a few hours. Then wash.
The VERY best oil/grease remover ever is Fast Orange. Use it WITHOUT water to break up the oil.....most any gritty, orange, pumice product does the trick. Just apply a little elbow grease in the process
Simply Green
Fels Naptha soap
Dawn for Dishes
NikWax Tech Wash. Put it on undiluted with a soft cloth and rub

Labor Day Weekend Workout

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 05 Sep 2004 01:07:00 +0000

I taught cardio kickboxing at Sequoia Y today because both Loida and Ernie were out of town. It's a fun class with about 10 participants. I told them that I usually teach on Thursday evenings so I hope some of them will start coming to my regular class.

Afterwards, I met up with D at the Pacific Athletic Club (PAC) to do some swimming. A small confession: I have not done any swimming since the Treasure Island Triathlon last November. That was nine months ago! It felt good to swim again even though I was rusty. PAC has several pools, including a dedicated 8-lane 25-yard pool for adults only. That's a great idea since it's difficult to swim while kids are just playing and splashing water everywhere.

Both of us were pretty tired, so we only swam a few laps before lazing around on the deck chairs in the hot sun. It reminded us both of our recent trip to O'ahu. It's a slow start to swimming, but a start nonetheless.

Body Pump with John

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 04 Sep 2004 04:33:00 +0000

I was first introduced to Body Pump seven years ago in Hong Kong. My sister & I spent a summer there, and we both joined California Fitness where my brother was a member. We went to the gym almost every morning, and did Body Pump around 3 times a week. Body Pump is a choreographed muscle endurance workout that incorporates the use of barbells with adjustable weights to work different major muscle groups in the body. It became so popular, that Reebok developed a competing copycat program called "Rep Reebok". I tried Rep Reebok last year. It paled in comparison.

The first time I tried it, I was in so much pain afterwards that I couldn't bend my arms for two days. But I loved it. I had finally found a weight-lifting format that I enjoyed. Lifting weights can be fun when it's choreographed to blood-pumping music. Also, Body Pump is one of the few group exercise formats that men feel comfortable doing. In fact, I met the actor Michael Wong (Russell Wong's brother) in a Body Pump class! I enjoyed Body Pump so much in fact, that I jokingly told mom I wanted to become an instructor.

Fast forward to today, and I really have become a group exercise instructor, although I don't teach Body Pump... yet. They introduced it at Palo Alto Family YMCA this year, so I'm toying with the idea of becoming certified in Body Pump. It's a controversial topic at Turnstep.com. It's extremely popular with members but some instructors think that the format is too rigid. Unlike Turbo Kick, you have to follow the choreography EXACTLY - you can't do an extra set of something, and you certainly can't substitute one move for another. The real kicker, however, is that the music isn't 32-count, so you have to memorize the transitions via brute force.

I took John's Body Pump at Pacific Athletic Club (PAC) today. It was was recently introduced there, and is tremendously popular. It's in such high demand that classes are often full. PAC has dealt with this by establishing an online signup system where you can put your name down for a class up to two days in advance. If the class is full, you have the option of being waitlisted in case of cancellations. There is a $10 fee charged if you reserve a spot, and don't show up without cancelling.

Class was good even though John wasn't as dynamic as the instructors I had in Hong Kong. I liked the fact that he paid a lot of attention to form, described what participants should be focused on, and walked around throughout class correcting form. The music was motivating, just as I remembered, but now that I teach, it's painfully obvious that the music isn't 32-count. It must take a lot of time and effort to learn a routine. I wonder how long it would take me to memorize a Program Release? Sue, the group ex instructor at Palo Alto Family YMCA, says it's hard, but gets easier over time. The more often you teach it, the easier it is to learn the material. If you only teach one class a week, she suggested taking somebody else's class as a participant to become more familiar with the music and transitions. That's a great idea.

Taking Body Pump is a humbling experience for me because it's so hard. It reminds me that I need to significantly improve my musclular endurance, and muscular strength for that matter. Each song (track) lasts about five minutes, and those weights feel staggeringly heavy by the third or fourth minute. The actual exericses have not changed over the years. Same ol' dead lift, dead rows, chest press, etc. done at various tempos: singles, two up two down, super slow (four up four down), three up one down... I aim to take it 2-3 times a week and become RIPPED!!

Step with Judy

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 04 Sep 2004 03:20:00 +0000

Hubby & I just joined the Pacific Athletic Club (PAC) in Redwood City. It has the most extensive athetlic facilities I've seen in a single club. D is interested in playing pickup basketball in their gym, and both of us want to participate in their Masters swimming program. They also have a full group exercise program.

In the spirit of becoming a better step instructor, I tried Judy's step class today in the hopes of either learning new moves or methods to break down combos. I had no idea what to expect, but since Lloyd Merrill, the group exercise director, had told me that the instructors at PAC have been teaching for an average of 15 years, I assumed she should be pretty darn good. Just before class, I overheard one of the participants mention to her friend that she was going to take Judy's class, so I asked her whether it was an advanced step class. She said that it was an easy step class (rats) that was great for beginners. That sent off warning bells in my head, but I decided to give it a shot anyway.

Now that I teach the format, I know I've become quite the step snob, so take this with a grain of salt when I say that this was the WORST step class I have ever taken. I desperately wanted to leave about halfway through, but I stuck with it out of respect for the instructor. That didn't prevent me from involuntarily rolling my eyes throughout class. Yes, it was that bad. Here are my gripes:

The warmup was too long. It consisted almost exclusively of step-touches and grapevines. Yawn. It was pretty obvious that Judy is primarily a hi-lo instructor and probably picked up teaching step when it becoming the "in" thing.
Use of taps to change leads. Unless a move naturally has a tap at the end, like a Turnstep, or an Over-the-Top, there is absolutley no reason to use a tap to change leads. Doing so requires more cueing than necessary and makes the routine more choppy.
Right lead dominant. She had participants use Basic Right as a holding pattern to get to the top of the 32-count phrase. I would have preferred an alternating move, like Step Knee Center, to balance things out.
Only traveled in one direction. We had some moves where we moved around the bench, and we only moved in a clockwise direction throughout. Again, this shows lack of balance in the routine.
Lack of choreography. I spoke with the group exercise director, Lloyd Merrill, earlier in the week, and he was very proud of the fact that PAC instructors have an average of 15 years of teaching experience. I believe it, because I don't think Judy has changed her routine in 15 years! I understand that moves should be simpler with Basic Step (although Judy claimed it was an Intermediate class), but you can still structure them to develop interesting self-reversing combos.
Increasing step speed. Halfway through class, Judy upped the intensity of class by increasing step speed! I didn't clock it, but it seemed quite a bit over 128 bpm. She should have used more complicated moves to increase the difficulty level, or at least introduced impact options. Instead, she used exactly the same routine (if you could call it that) but just increased the step speed to above industry-approved levels. It was dangerous and unnecessary.
Steping with weights. This is one of the most contradicted things to do. Ever.

Turbo Kick Round 17

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 20 Aug 2004 05:06:00 +0000

I have been embarrassingly lazy about learning a new round. It got so bad, that I had to go back to teaching Turbo Kick Round 16, which is the round I certified on back in April 2003. I finally put my foot down, and told participants that I would have new music and new choreography when I returned from vacation.

I've been getting a little tired of teaching cardio kickboxing lately, but I was completely invigorated by Round 17. I liked the music, and the choreography is interesting - there's enough options for an advanced class, but you can keep it at the basic layers for a beginners' class.

Part of the appeal is that they've finally indexed the DVD properly now, so each chapter corresponds to a new section. Moreover, they've separated the "breakdown" from the "class" so you can easily find and focus on whichever part you want.

I'm really excited about my renewed interest in Turbo Kick. Good thing too, because I need to renew my certification in the next eight months, and part of the process includes attending two workshops.

Fitness Vacation

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 16 Aug 2004 02:49:00 +0000

I just came back from a much needed vacaaaaation! In fact, it's my quasi-honeymoon. Yes, hubby & I have already been married for a while, and we finally got around to taking some time off for a trip. In fact, our holiday was prompted by a friend of ours (Corinna) who lives in Hawaii and just got married in Honolulu. We took the opportunity to tack on a few extra days all to ourselves.

I had hoped this would be a workout vacation. Afterall, one of the Ironman races is held in Kona on the Big Island. It seemed like the perfect environment for me to swim and run my heart out. Afterall, we stayed at the gorgeous Turtle Bay Resort, which had miles of beach and running trails.

Alas, it was not to be.

Guess how many times I did any exercise? All of two times. The first time we ran on a 3.5 mile trail. The distance wasn't very far, and the terrain was flat, but HEAT and HUMIDITY wore me out. The second time was when we went snorkeling. I can't even call it swimming with a straight face.

I guess that's why the call it "vacation"!