by Ellen Yates, N2SHAPE,  ellen@n2shape.com

Equipment Needed:  Stability Ball, Medium Tubing, 2 Dumbbells

Stability Ball (20 reps)

Ball Squats (holding weight if tolerated)

Ball Rolls on forearms and kneeling on knees

Ball Crunches

Ball Lunges (holding dumbbells)

Ball Chest Presses

Ball Bicep Curls

Ball Overhead Presses

Ball Tricep Extensions

Tubing (20 reps)

Side Lateral Raises and Side Lunges

Bicep Curls

Rowing (wrap around pole)

Abduction with Tubing

Tricep Extensions

Front Lateral Raises

Leg Circles with Tubing

Body Weight

Pushups (20)

Wall Sit (60 seconds)

Plank (60 seconds)

Side Lunges (20)

Dips (20)

Leg Raises (20 on each leg)

Side Plank (up to 60 sec on each side)

Here is the workout that I promised I would send many of you. This is the Boot Camp workout that I taught on Sat, April 28 at 730 am in Tysons Corner.

Equipment Needed: Kettlebell (wgt of your choice), 2-Dumbbells (or cans), timer, mat, Ipod in your ears (recommended but not necessary)

First Round 60 seconds; Second Round 45 seconds

Kettlebell Swings
Rowing with Kettlbell (30 seconds on each side, then 22.5 seconds on each side for 2nd round)
Freaky Planks (Planks on hands, then down to forearms, then back up to hands. Lead with one arm 1st, then other).
Burpees (Fun and my favorites)
Pushups (Spider man – Bring one knee to handand then pushup.  Alternate right and left knees).
Side Planks (Raise Hand and Foot to touch throughout time period).
Squat Jumps (No Weights. Slow and Steady. Will wear your heart out!)
Standing Bicep Curls (Dumbbells)
Regular Situps (Nothing holding your feet.  Knees bent.  Hand behind head.)
Stationary Lunges (Hold Dumbbells.  60 seconds per leg, then 45 seconds per leg on 2nd round)
Dips
Side to Side with KB – Sitting on floor, knees slightly bent.  Bring kettlebell side to side.
Figure Eights with KB – Behind one leg and in front of other. Change direction after 30 seconds. Use legs & bend knees to help.
Front or Side Lateral Raises with DB
Rotisserie Chicken – Side Plank and rotate to other side without hand or other foot on floor. Keep repeating and control.

Have fun. Do what you can. Make adjustments for your own level or orthopedic restrictions.

If you have any questions, hit me up!

Start out with 10 to 15 reps of the exercises that you can do. Some of these exercises may be too difficult to do so just choose 3 and stick with those. Over time, increase your reps and try another exercise on this page that may offer more of a challenge. You will see that your balance and core strength improve.

Stability Ball Exercises that you can do, Home Alone

Do 10 to 15 reps of each exercise every other day. Over time, your muscular endurance and balance will improve. They are also a lot of fun to do.

For all of you who are parents, make sure your kids are getting cardiovascular exercise 3 or more times per week.

http://www.stonehearthnewsletters.com/aerobic-fitness-in-kids-tied-to-cognitive-skills-in-new-fmri-study/benefits-exercise/

Brooke Curran, a 43 year old lady from Alexandria, just recently ran a marathon in Antarctica.  She was the top female finisher because she was fit, had trained, but most of all, in my opinion, she had a strategy.  She decided to walk up the steep hills and by mile 16 or 17, she decided to make her move while the rest of the pack had worn themselves out.

Just recently, I was coaching my 9 year old son to run or should I say “win”  an 800 meter race on the McLean Youth Track Team.  I ran this race in high school, used the same strategy as Brooke, and then taught my son how to use it last week:

Do not wear yourself out, stay with the pack but towards the back, and on the final lap, start speeding up and finally break into a full sprint (or at least as much as you have left) for the last 200 meters.  The strategy works as you still have energy left because you paced yourself, no one knows what a strong athlete you are, and then you blow them out of the water as your mind tells the body to sprint to win!

Now, if we all could remember, that slow and steady always wins the race with a kick at the end!

http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/wellness/alexandrias-brooke-curran-on-winning-the-antarctica-marathon/2012/04/02/gIQAfhWbrS_story.html?wpisrc=nl_health

What’s the Best Test to Predict Who Will Win a Race?

Before a 24-mile cycling time trial, scientists measured the maximum amount of oxygen that riders could take in (VO2max) and the peak power Output (PPO) adjusted for body weight. The Peak Power Output adjusted for weight is the maximum force that a bicycle rider can generate on his pedals. It is the best predictor for how fast the bicycle riders could race (British Journal of Sports Medicine, January 2012; 46(1):36-41).

The limiting factor to how fast an athlete can move over long distances is the time it takes for oxygen to get into his muscles. So for athletes in any endurance sport, the more oxygen they can take in and use continuously, the faster they will race. When you are exercising so fast that you can’t get all the oxygen you need to convert food to energy for your muscles, you become so short of breath that you have to slow down.

However, there is an increase in oxygen requirements as you pedal with more force. The harder you have to press on the pedals to move your bike, the greater your needs for oxygen.

If you are stronger than your opponent, you need to contract fewer fibers at the same time to move your pedals. Therefore, you require less oxygen and should be able to go at a faster pace. At the end of a race, the stronger rider almost always can ride faster. So the maximal amount of oxygen that you can take in is important, but stronger trained riders win.

Thank you to Dr. Gabe Mirkin.  http://www.drmirkin.com/public/ezine031812.html

As a Spinning instructor, I try to teach classes with different goals for variety and to continually shock our muscles so they never become complacent.  In this article, I have taken information from the Spinning website on Energy Zones to include heart rate as well as cadence.

The classes that I teach right now encompass all Energy Zones.  However, starting this week, I will include rides that focus on one or two Energy Zones.    So, if you have a heart rate monitor, wear it to my classes.  If you don’t have one, then let’s get one.  Its time to shake things up a bit!

Spinning Energy Zone™ Heart Rate Chart

Endurance Energy Zone™

The lowdown: Endurance training is your foundation and should constitute the bulk of your workouts.
The payoff: Shorter recovery times, higher fat metabolism and a lower resting heart rate.

Resistance: Light to moderate
Cadence: 80–110 RPM
Intensity: 65%–75% of maximum heart rate
Frequency: 3–4 times per week

N2Shape Spinning Group

Strength Energy Zone™

The lowdown: Using high resistance and a slower cadence, you’ll hover between aerobic and anaerobic zones.
The payoff: Tone your legs and build your mental strength.

Resistance: Moderate to heavy
Cadence: 60–80 RPM
Intensity: 75%–85% of maximum heart rate
Frequency: 1–2 times per week after building a strong aerobic base

Interval Energy Zone™

The lowdown: Alternate bursts of speed and power with recovery.
The payoff: You’ll increase your aerobic and anaerobic capacity, which will lead to bolstered stamina and endurance.

Resistance: Light to heavy
Cadence: 60–110 RPM
Intensity: 65%–92% of maximum heart rate
Frequency: 1 workout per week after building a strong aerobic base

Race Day Energy Zone™

The lowdown: Challenge your body and celebrate your strength.
The payoff: Training at or above anaerobic threshold teaches your body to perform at higher intensities.

Resistance: Moderate to heavy
Cadence: 80–110 RPM
Intensity: 80%–92% maximum heart rate
Frequency: Monthly

Recovery Energy Zone™

The lowdown: Without sufficient rest, your body can’t get stronger.
The payoff: Recovery Rides promote healing and circulate oxygen to tired muscles, ligaments and tendons.

Resistance: Light
Cadence: 80–110 RPM
Intensity: 50–65% of maximum heart rate
Frequency: 1–2 times per week

Spinning is for any level.  It is fun, non-impact, and burns a lot of calories in a short amount of time.  N2SHAPE’s Spin Schedule is as follows:

Mon, Wed, Fri 6 am; Sat 830 am – 8000 Towers Crescent Drive, Vienna, VA  22182.

Thurs 830 am 1489 Chain Bridge Road Ste 100-102 McLean Va 22101

Come join me and take your first class for free.  We have no membership fees – just purchase a pack and use as you go along.  E-mail ellen@n2shape.com or call (703)9064413.

Take your fitness to the next level with Spinning with Ellen! 

http://www.spinning.com/spinning-enthusiasts/energy-zone-chart.asp

Stress – we all have it. A recent study published in Current Directions in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, reviews how, under stress, people pay more attention to the upside of a possible outcome rather than the downside.

Stress is usually associated with negative experiences, so obviously we may think that our focus would be on negative outcomes. However, the researchers have found that when people were put under various stressful conditions, they are more attentive to positive information while discounting negative information – Example: Someone who’s deciding whether to take a new job and is feeling stressed by the decision might weigh the increase in salary more heavily than the worse commute.

Stress is also linked to addiction which explains the findings as to why people under stress have a hard time in controlling their urges. “The compulsion to get that reward comes stronger and they’re less able to resist it,” says Mather, one of the author’s of the article. So a person who’s under stress might think only about the good feelings they’ll get from a drug, while the downsides shrink into the distance.

My answer to fight stress: Exercise first to relieve stress and calm you. Then, make the decisions you need to make. Your head will be clearer, you will be more calm, and feel better – thus your decision is more likely to be the right one for you.

Newssource: http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-02-stress-people-decisions.html

Click on this link to view classes and group locations for N2SHAPE, Spring 2012.

http://bit.ly/ycsbxA

To reserve a seat or more information, contact ellen@n2shape.com or call (703)9064413.