Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Tuesday Bootcamp Workout and Stretch Routine

Hi Internets!

So today I'm going to write down the bootcamp workout I gave the girls at lunch today and their stretch routine that they are going to do tomorrow and Friday as part of their training. I like my clients to stretch as much as possible outside of class so they can keep better form when performing exercises.

I appologize about my blogging absence D:

Set Up:
  • Upper Body, Lower Body, Cardio
  • 40 seconds per station, around twice before a 2 minute break then performed 2 more times before abdominals.
  • Goal: form and working above 80% of maximum effort.
Exercises:
  1. Forward Alternating Lunge Curl Press
  2. Medicine Ball Alternating Push Ups
  3. Lateral Box Shuffle
  4. Bent Over K-Bell Rows (switch half time)
  5. In Out Squat Jumps
  6. 1 Burpie to 6 Mountain Climbers
Abdominal Circuit:
  1. 25 second 4 point plank
  2. 25 second double crunch (heels to floor then knees to chest with crunch)
  3. 25 second toe touch
  4. 25 second Russian twist
  5. 25 seconds reverse crunch
  6. 25 second flutter kick
1 minute break then repeat 3 times....wooo hoo

Stretch Routine: (I'll try and convince my fiancé to take pictures of me tonight while climbing)
  1. Cobra to Extended Childs Pose: Hold each pose for 20 seconds repeat three times
  2. Spine Twist: Start with legs in the air, knees bent, extend arms out to side. Keeping both shoulders on the mat drop the knees to one side keeping feet stacked. Hold each side for 20 seconds and repeat 3 times.
  3. Hamstring Stretch: One leg straight and down, one leg straight and up, press the heel to the ceiling and grasp your leg behind the thigh (not knee) keeping both shoulders on the ground. Hold for 20 seconds.
  4. Hip Opener: In the same position as the previous stretch drop the leg out to the side away from your body. Hold for 20 seconds
  5. Repeat 3 + 4, 3 times on each leg.
  6. Hip Opener # 2: Starting on hands and knees extend one leg out behind you. Take the other leg in front of you with your knee bent at 90 degrees. Move forward onto the bent leg keeping your back straight: Hold for 20 seconds, repeat 3 times on each leg.
Pictures will help. Stay tuned for those.

Any questions or comments always appreciated.

Byn

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Pre Workout Nutrition: Sorting Out the Confusion

Hello Internets!
I’ll start by apologizing for the delay in this week’s blog post. A combination of a busy and blog-blocked Byn equals delayed-ness in posting.
However, one of my clients has sparked my writing topic this week by asking a question I have heard a lot over the years, “What should I eat before coming to work out with you, why and when?”

Is it time to eat yet?!
This question is usually spurred after a first session or a wicked hard high intensity workout. Why? Because this is when we notice most how nutrition affects our performance when being active.  If we don’t eat properly for the workload we are about to ask our bodies to handle, we can easily go from a superstar to a wet piece of gym towel in minutes.
This often leaves us feeling out of shape and frustrated, which is less than motivating! So, if this scenario sounds familiar to you, try some of these tips to improve your workouts DESPITE your fitness level.
Tip #1: Do NOT eat within the hour before a workout
This is something I learned from my exercise physiology professor, and it has changed my workouts (specifically when I go climbing).  It can seem counterintuitive at first glance and I often get perplexed looks when I preach this all important concept.
When and What You Eat is Important
It is true that we need fuel to exercise, but eating within the hour before starting to be active is setting your body up for metabolic failure.
What we need during exercise is to have level blood sugar so our cells get what they need. If you eat, say, 30 minutes before working out your body will spike in insulin levels to deal with the blood sugar rise.  This is bad because when you start exercising you are in a hypoglycemic state, as insulin tells all the sugar to go into your cells to be used or stored. This leaves you feeling sluggish, light headed and weak.
Now, the beautiful thing about exercise is that it suppresses insulin release due to two hormones called norepinephrine and epinephrine. So it is ok to eat once you have begun to exercise, as insulin will not be released and you will not become hypoglycemic.
For example, say you have a volleyball game at 6. You ate lunch at 12 and now its 5… and you’re starving. If you wait until you are already playing volleyball to eat that granola bar and banana your blood sugar will stay much more level than if you eat it on your way to the game… causing you to play better.
A note of caution with this…  I would not recommend downing a banana right after the warm up before an intense circuit training class. What you eat is important as well…

Tip #2: Choose Appropriate Food Depending on Your Impending Workout  
As afore mentioned, eating a banana right after a crazy warm up (*cough* Bobby*) and right before an impending ass kicking is probably gonna make you vomit. So –what- you eat is also as important as when you eat it.
I don’t recommend falling into the volleyball scenario mentioned above, but hey life happens. So if you do find yourself staring down an over-enthusiastic trainer holding a sledge hammer with an empty stomach, reach for something that will digest very quickly and is bulk free.
There are several options you can choose from, including glucose gels to energy drinks. These are a quick fix and I do not suggest falling into a habit of using them on a regular basis, but keep some with you incase crap hits the fan and you have a Bootcamp at 5. 
Gels often don’t taste the greatest, but I prefer them to energy drinks as they often contain less sugar, for example try Clif Bar energy shots. Gatorade has come out with a new line of pre- during and post- workout nutrition. I haven’t tried these supplements myself but those are another possibility to avoid puke-age. DO NOT drink energy drinks… they are not the same thing… they are very very bad for you.
The goal, however, is to eat 2 to 3 hours before your workout. What you should eat should depend on what you are about to do. I am a fan of high intensity training, and for this you want to make sure you have a low fat, high carbohydrate meal with some protein.
Some examples could include;
·         Banana and half a class of orange juice with 8 almonds: The banana and orange juice is light, quick digesting and high in potassium which will allow you to avoid cramping and keep you going through those burpies.

·         Small Chicken Salad with Fruit in it: This is a good choice for 3 hours before. Two hours may be pushing it as the roughage may not sit well. It really depends how your body handles food. For me, I have to stay away from too much roughage if I want to avoid heart burn, but some people it doesn’t bother them. Make sure to have fruit (i.e. grapes, blueberries, strawberries) for those quick digesting carbohydrates that will help you last longer.

·         Fat Free Yogurt and Berries: You’re probably getting the idea that fruit is a good thing before a workout. Fat free yogurt is a great paring because you’ll be getting some protein, which is important to maintain your blood sugar and is very very light.

·         1 Piece of 12 grain Toast/ 1 Tbs of Peanut Butter and 1 Banana: This is my favourite pre-workout meal not only because I’m addicted to peanut butter but my body handles it very well.

·         Apple and a Handful of Walnuts

So as you can see, you’re eating light, nutritious foods with something quick digesting.  The most important thing is to listen what your body is telling you. If you eat an apple and walnuts 3 hours before and you feel like you have 0 energy to finish a class, re-evaluate and try something different.
Tip #3: Please Drink Water
This can either be the easiest or hardest thing for people to do in my experience. You either hate drinking water because you were raised on pop and Sunny D or you don’t mind drinking it, well at least that’s what I have found.
Drinking plain and simple water before exercise is very important for performance, which a lot of people don’t realize. Most of us think that we just need to drink during a workout, when we are sweating. However, if you go into a workout dehydrated your body will be struggling to keep up with your crazy fitness instructor, personal trainer, workout program, workout partner… you get the idea.
So how much water should you drink? Simply put, you need 2-3 cups 2 hours before a work out and ½ to 1 cup directly before a workout. There’s no playing around with this one… that’s what you need. So drink that water!
I find putting stickers on my water bottle helps…

Mmmmm Water!

That’s it for this week! My regular followers may have noticed a lack of vlog action. I hang my head in shame as this regular vlogging thing seems to be harder than I first anticipated…mainly the editing.
I’m not giving up though! There will be more to come, I promise.
As always, questions, comments and suggestions make me VERY happy!
Stay Strong
Byn