REALLY? It's been almost 7 months since my last post (and first post in ages)?
The title of this post reminds me of one of the interval training songs I like to use in my indoor cycling classes.
I've been searching all over the internet for freestyle classes in Hong Kong. There seem to be plenty over there. What intrigues me is the names they give their classes.
Here in Melbourne, we're simply happy to call our Step Aerobics classes by one of several, fairly straightforward and self-explanatory names - Step (intermediate), Step Basic, and for the more advanced or those who like more full on choreography, Step Moves. Every now and then you might even still see Step Athletic which is like Step Basic, but traditionally guarantees lots of high intensity, high impact-style moves for those really focussed on high-caloric expenditure.
As for the names they use in Hong Kong...
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Facebook's advertising scheme is clever. Clearly their filters or whatever technology they use have determined I'm some sort of gym freak, hence I came across a website for a cool company that sells funky gym clothes.
Gym Funky - www.gymfunky.com.au
They're based in QLD. The only downside for me is, well, I like to actually try on clothes to see how they look and fit before buying.
If you get any cool gym clothing from them, let me know!
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fashion
Exactly one month ago, I ended this post wondering how other instructors taught over 20 classes per week. Well, I think I have my answer... she probably didn't do it for long.
Since that last post, I've averaged out at over 14 classes per week. I can in fact list the number of classes I've taught each week since 4 September until today: 15, 16, 16, 13, 17, 16, 17, 18.
Wow... when you put it in that context it looks like a lot, huh?
So anyway I've discovered a few key secrets to personal health management - in this case, the health factor being NOT overtraining or subjecting one's body to overuse injury. Newer instructors, or those looking to increase your current weekly teaching schedule, take heed. More experienced instructors, if you've anything to add please do so!
**Vary your class types - try to avoid doing more than maybe 4 or 5 of one particular class type. In fact, for certain class types, less than this even - e.g. no more than 3 Bodypump classes per week was highly recommended to my classmates and I by our trainer, who has been an instructor for over 8 years. Wise words from someone who's been there, done that!
**Whilst we're on the topic of class choices, if you can get some classes that require a little less exertion on your part, even better! Good examples include circuit classes and fit ball classes.
**Another veteran instructor I met a few months ago advised me against taking triples on a regular basis (non-instructors, this simply means 3x back-to-back classes). He has stopped teaching due to major issues with his feet. He learnt his lesson the hard way and has kindly tried to pass this on to me.
**If you're feeling sick or rundown, don't keep going, get a cover and give your body a break!
**Plan your breaks in advance, organise your covers early, take some time out every now and again to recuperate. Not just physically but mentally too! It will prevent you from getting into a "rut" and you'll find you'll still be able to give your participants the best of yourself.
**Today, an instructor who has been teaching for 20 years told me something very profound (in relation to Bodypump but it applies across the board too) - your class numbers/sizes are not determined by the amount of weight you lift, it's the energy and quality with which you deliver the class. By all means, set the example and be inspiring, but don't pressure yourself to perform beyond your means. Remember - it's THEIR workout, not yours!
**Practise what you preach to your own participants. I tell my participants all the time - if it's GOOD pain, keep pushing through, but if it's BAD pain then please, please stop! I need to remember this for myself too! (So do you!)
**It is okay to say no to cover requests. Let me repeat: IT IS OKAY TO SAY NO TO COVER REQUESTS! Looking after yourself is not selfish. Your first responsibility is to your permanent classes before any covers you do, so by looking after yourself you are ensuring you can deliver your best to your regulars.
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Heya Bodypumpers,
I've been Googling around online at all things Bodypump, in an effort to learn about past releases so I can figure out where to get started learning more chorey to add to my limited repertoire of ONE release (haha) and came across some very funny blog posts, thought I'd share the love around.
http://rickinoz.com/2008/07/06/you-know-you-do-bodypump-too-much-when
http://www.dietgirl.org/dietgirl/2005/05/diy_body_pump.html
For you non-pumpers out there who might be interested in some great reading that is diet and weight loss-related, here's a good one for you:
http://www.dietgirl.org/dietgirl/about-shauna-reid.html
I've seen this girl's book in the bookstores recently, haven't picked up a copy to read for myself yet but after reading the above post I think I just might have a browse.
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"Discover Oprah's top-rated diet that celebrities use to get thin. I'm no celebrity, but it worked for me."
I found this line on an advertisement on Facebook. Celebrities are just people like us. They work hard to get the bodies they have. They don't just sit around and any eating or exercise regime they follow is not more magical than yours.
But there is one other tip you can learn from celebrities. If you want to become a certain way, you need to surround yourself with people who live in that way. They are all (seemingly) slim, trim and gorgeous. They are surrounded by people who are slim, trim and gorgeous... so if one day they walked out amongst their other slim, trim, gorgeous friends with frizzy hair, out-of-date clothing and a few extra kilos, well they would probably stand out a whole lot more than if they did the same thing amongst us.
If you want to eat healthily and exercise regularly, surrounding yourself with people who do the same will help you a lot. That doesn't mean you should just go out and ditch any friends who don't eat healthily, of course not! But if you regularly interact with people who live in the way you want to live, then they will become your benchmark. They will become your "norm" and not only will you find it easier to rise to the occasion to live the same, well, it will just become "normal" for you to live like that.
When I am out in the "normal" world, I sometime feel like a bit of a freak. I mean, I exercise more than 12 times a week (because it's my job not cos I'm a fanatic!) and my standard of what food is and isn't healthy are, well, a fair bit higher than most others. But when I hang out in "fitness instructors" world, it is normal to exercise as much as I do. In "fitness instructors" world my physique is also normal, whereas in "normal" world, to some I am skinny or petite.
Here's an example of how you can step out of the norm without ditching your friends:
Let's pretend you've decided for yourself that you're not going to eat pizza anymore, but there's been a long-standing tradition amongst you and your friends... a weekly movie & pizza. Instead of ditching your long-time friends for gym junkies, why not find a buddy amongst them who has also been thinking about eating healthier, and is willing to not eat pizza together with you? Rather than missing out on the weekly festivities, the two of you can still go to movie night. Instead of pizza, you could split a healthier option meal together - say, roast chicken and a gigantic, colourful garden salad.
Don't make a big fuss of it and certainly don't make an issue of the pizza. Just do what you feel is best for you whilst maintaining the fun and relationships. Everyone wins! And who knows, over time you might find yourself with a few additional converts to healthier eating... although there will always be that one person who likes to add a handful (or two) of chips to their meal, haha!
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If you want to lose weight... SERIOUSLY... then your success will largely depend on your diet. Not enough exercise in the world is going to help you if you can't master the principles of calories out vs calories in.
How do I know? Personal experience. I am an aerobics instructor. I teach at least 10 classes per week but currently average at about 13-14. And over the last 3 months I've put on about 3kgs.
Most people's first response is "well, that's because you're putting on muscle!". Trust me, honey... it ain't muscle! Muscle doesn't bulge at the tummy or under the arms or around the tights. Okay well maybe a tiny bit of it is, but if only you knew how difficult it is to gain muscle mass - especially for females - then you would understand.
So why did I put on weight? Same reason a lot of other people do - I thought I could get away with the bad eating. The yummy extras. I figured, hey, what the heck, I've done 16 classes this week, I can have that second piece of cake! Not only can I have it, I deserve it! Never mind that one piece of cake probably requires 1.5, maybe even 2 classes to burn off. I mean, the average gym-goer probably does 3 classes per week, maybe 4 or 5 if they're hardcore. At 16, I've got at least 10 classes worth of eating on them! Probably more than 10 classes, because I also work harder than most of them trying to set the example on that stage!
It is this sort of self-justification that will greatly slow down if not ruin your chances of success.
I didn't put the 3kg on overnight, it was a gradual process. Chances are your weight gain was also a gradual process. You didn't suddenly wake up one morning 3 dress sizes larger than you used to be and feeling overwhelmed, wondering how you're ever going to lose it all without the help of the people at the Fat-zap clinic.
Some tips? Little, baby steps. One decision at a time. One little 'no' here and there. Deciding before you head out to a social function what your limits are and stick to them. Don't treat every meal and every dessert and every opportunity to eat chocolate like it's the last opportunity you'll ever have, because it ISN'T. Allow every good decision, no matter how small or big, to empower you towards making the next good decision.
And if you stuff up, don't beat yourself over the head like I like to do to myself. Pick yourself up and try again.
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I taught 5 aerobics classes on Tuesday. Before I became an instructor I was doing well if I could manage 5 classes in a week! Yes they were all classes I did myself too, i.e. no circuit classes or anything.
Some sort of cold or flu is going around hitting aerobics instructors thoughout Melbourne. Ok I am sure it's also hitting others too but you notice it when it's aerobics instructors. Most of you who have office/desk jobs can take a sickie or holiday without needing to find someone else to do your job for the day. Not us. So despite not being sick myself I felt the effects of that sickness.
Then somehow I caught it myself and was out on Wednesday! I was already feeling it coming on by mid-Tuesday, but it was too late to find someone else to cover my classes so I just went ahead, did them anyway but thankfully had enough time to cancel my commitments for Wednesday.
Thankfully it didn't end up being too bad.
Haha... I know, I haven't been bloggin much lately (I still don't have internet at home!) and now my entries are sounding like excerpts from a diary rather than fitness tips. I guess what I am trying to say, or what I'm really thinking, is that when you all tell me that I'm so lucky cos I have a job that keeps me fit, well, at times I look at you and feel you're luck for having a job that doesn't make your knees sore and creaky or threaten to give you plantar fasciitis.
But then I still love my job more than yours, which is why I am doing my job and not yours!
P.S. by the end of this week I'll have a tally of 14 classes. I know an instructor who taught 25 per week at her peak... HOW THE HECK DID SHE DO THAT? :o)
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Haha I can't believe it. I am posting today because I am excited about petrol being under $1.50 per litre. "Cheap" by recent standards. So today if I fill up I spend a whopping $4 less (or thereabouts) than last week.
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It's Saturday morning. This weekend, a lot of other instructors are at the Mini Master Blaster. In laymen's terms, a conference full of workshops and therefore new ideas for us to subject our participants to. I'm not going this year. Just returned from a holiday in Sydney a couple of weeks ago so could do with the extra cash that I'll get this weekend doing a couple of extra classes by filling in for other instructors at the conference.
What a busy morning.
07:30 - Woke up, got ready for the day. Ate lots of breakfast, will be burning a lot of energy today.
08:20 - Hopped in the car, drove to my first class of the day.
09:00 - 60 minute Step & Body Strength class.
10:10 - Quickly hopped in to car, running a little late, rushing to the next class.
10:40 - Arrived barely in time for second class. 60 minute Hilo class.
11:40 - Chatted to a couple of participants after the class.
11:45 - Hopped into car to rush to next class.
12:00 - 60 minute Beginner Aerobics class. Third and final class of the day. Whew.
Calories burned for the three classes combined: 1600+
Life is not usually as hectic as that for me, but it was fun for today. Don't think I could do it every week though, that would drive me nutty.
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I popped in to Coles today to pick up some grocery items and noticed a sign in the checkout lane, announcing two Mum-friendly checkout lanes. The lane I was lining up in happened to be one of them.
What's the difference? The contents of those shelves just above the conveyor belt. Typically stocked up with junk food goodies such as chocolate bars on special, lollipops and Kinder Surprise eggs, the two aisles claiming to be Mum-friendly have "healthier snack options" instead.
I must admit I didn't look at the items on offer any more than beyond a glance, but they seemed to be filled instead with things like granola/muesli bars, etc, with not a chocolate in sight. I'll have to have a proper look the next time I'm there.
What an interesting concept. It will be interesting to see if the alternative options really are healthy or not... my first instinct is to think that they might be healthier than chocolate bars, but not necessarily healthy. Most snack bars of any sort tend to be filled with sugars, possibly preservatives, and, well... maybe they could pop some fresh fruit, nuts and less processed items on those last minute shopping shelves instead of a "lesser of two evils".
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I don't even have a decent excuse for not blogging for so long. Let's just say, Facebook has heaps of neat little applications and I've been hooked on The Hatchery during my free time.
The night before last, Jamie Oliver's "Eat to Save Your Life" aired on Channel Ten at 9:30pm. What an eye-opening show. For example, we all vaguely know that sausages aren't particularly healthy, but Jamie got a butcher on the show, who made typical sausages from scratch. He started by mincing leftover cuts of meat (they were more like fat and sinew lined with a touch of meat) into a bowl, then adding the preservatives (including copious amounts of salt, sugar and unidentifiable emulsifiers) usually added to give that nasty, cheap, tasteless stuff some flavour. UGH. I am NEVER eating a sausage again. I don't usually eat them anyway, but will at times have a bite of James'. Forget that.
True, I could make them myself or pay premium prices for good quality sausages that actually contain meat and natural flavours, but why bother? There's plenty of other stuff out there I'd rather eat.
Other interesting features in this 90 minute show were an interesting look at the cross-section of two people, one of a healthy weight and size and the other an obese size. Yes, literally a cross-section ~ they were two bodies that had been frozen and preserved and then slice taken from head to toe for our viewing and education. The freaky Dr Gunther also performed a dissection of a 25 stone man (that's over 150kg for the non-British out there). The amount of fat stored in his belly area was typical of males that overweight. What I NEVER knew was that the fat was so excessive, his lungs were tiny, only HALF the size of that of a normal man! Shocking. So a large part of the reason that people who are too overweight can't really do any cardiovascular activity without wheezing and half collapsing to death is because they don't even have the lunge size to take in enough oxygen to fuel their bodies.
If you didn't watch the show, it is certainly worth it. In our modern society many of us are eating ourselves to death, with NO IDEA of what we're doing to our bodies! I hope Jamie releases this show on DVD because I'll be buying myself a copy.
Next week, Wed 9:30pm on Channel Ten is another show by Jamie Oliver - "Jamie's Fowl Dinners", this time about the chicken and egg farming industries. I'm not looking forward to watching that one, but whilst I feel I want to avoid the discomfort of learning the truth, avoiding the truth never actually made the truth less true.
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I am a member of Spark People. It is a great resource for me to get ideas for how to motivate my clients as well as to get some personal inspiration of my own. Below is a bulletin board post from one of Spark People's members that was highlighted this week - it's a good one!
"If you forgot to brush your teeth last night, did you decide this morning to throw in the towel and never brush your teeth again? Since you're obviously a slob who doesn't have enough self- discipline to remember to brush your teeth, why bother brushing them at all if you forgot to last night?
Of course not.
So if you had ice cream for dinner last night, or didn't exercise yesterday, or gained a pound this week, don't throw in the towel! Make a healthier choice for dinner tonight by eating something lean. Go for a short walk. Weigh in again next week.
Just do NOT give up."
P.S. I forget to brush my teeth all the time! I know... that's yuck of me isn't it? Here's another bit of news for you: personal trainers and/or aerobics instructors sometimes put on weight too (shock, horror!).
So I just heard on the radio this afternoon that tomorrow is International No Diet Day. And to celebrate, you can head to The Butterfly Foundation at Federation Square tomorrow morning to receive your free inspirational postcard and sweet treat.
What is International No Diet Day supposed to represent? According to The Butterfly Foundation website, "This important day is designed to highlight the dangers of punitive & restrictive dieting & encourage people to accept their natural body shape."
Before today, I didn't know anything about The Butterfly Foundation. But having a browse through their website I like some of what I hear, e.g. promoting positive body image, teaching people to accept themselves, etc.
However, I do not think that giving out free sweets is the best way to protest going on a restrictive diet. By definition, a restrictive diet is one where you eat so little that your body is not getting the nutrients it requires to function at its best. Eating food that is otherwise typically known as junk food is going to provide energy, but is not going to provide much else in the way of nutrients.
It would seem to me that the wrong message is being sent - the message should be "Today is International Diet Day: we want to educate you so that you don't unnecessarily restrict your food intake in an attempt to get really thin."
Instead, the message that is being sent is, "Today is International Diet Day: so ditch the stupid diet! Here, let's have some free junk food."
Ironically enough, is it most likely that if anyone is going to be eating the "free sweet treats" tomorrow morning, it will not be those who are currently severely restricting their food intake (unless they plan to vomit it back up again).
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It's just about to start! How exciting. Two women in the final... my money is probably still on Sam but it would be nice to see Kirsten or Alison take out the title of the first ever female Biggest Loser... if Kirsten can't do it, not sure who else can, given her competitive nature.
They are all going to look so awesome! I hope they're doing that thing again where each contestant walks out alongside a life-size digital image of themselves at the start of the game!!!
1. Exercise Daily.
3-4 times per week is fine if your goal is cardiovascular fitness, but weight loss is a different goal altogether. Research has shown that weight loss efforts are more successful if you exercise daily. Why? Read my previous post for one reason.
Make it a priority. The sooner you start building the habit, the better.
2. When you do cardiovascular exercise, make it brisk.
A leisurely stroll does burn energy (more so than sitting on the couch watching TV!) but if you are time-poor and need to make the most of your exercise minutes, aim for a slight amount of breathlessness. You should still be able to carry on a conversation but only between deeper-than-usual breaths. This breathlessness is an indicator that your heart rate is increased. The higher your heart rate, the harder your body is working and therefore the more calories you burn. As your fitness increases, you should find that you need to increase the pace/intensity of your exercise in order to achieve the same level of breathlessness.
3. Strength training 2-3 times per week.
This keeps your muscles stimulated and will encourage your body to maintain its muscle mass, and possibly even gain some. Remember - you want to lose fat, not muscle.
4. Change your program at least every 6 weeks.
Our bodies are amazing. They don't like to be stressed... so they adapt to cope with stresses better and more efficiently. So you need to keep changing your program in order to challenge your body to continue adapting. If you stick to the same routine for a long time, there will come a point where you hit a "plateau" which is another way of saying that your body has become efficient at doing whatever activities you are making it do, and so it doesn't need to adapt anymore.
5. Seek professional guidance.
You're probably thinking that now I'm just trying to make a sale. But that is far from the truth. One key element to a great training program is knowing how to do the exercises correctly and effectively. There is no point being able to do hundreds of chin ups, only to discover that this is because your arms are really strong and doing all the work and your back muscles are virtually doing nothing. Too often we focus on the end product (getting our chin up to the bar) rather than the process involved (activating the right muscles and getting them to work together as a team). Getting some sessions with a (good) personal trainer will set you up on the path to training success. And that trainer will also probably get a lot more effort out of you in a short session with him/her than you would get out of yourself in the same amount of time (which usually means more calories burnt during that time too!).
If finances are an issue, consider getting at least a few sessions to kickstart yourself, so that you can at least learn the correct technique and glean as much as you can from those session before you then try to go at it on your own. Or maybe request contributions towards sessions as birthday or Christmas gifts... after all, your personal health is one of the most valuable things your possess.
The same thing applies to group fitness classes, which are a service provided by most gyms at no additional cost. I know I work much harder during a Cycle class with an instructor urging me to push myself than just going for a cycle by myself in the cardio area of the gym (whilst watching a program on TV at the same time, which of course means I'm less focussed and don't work as hard).
6. Find something you enjoy!
If you hate running, then don't run. Simple as that. If you prefer the gym to the park, then by all means invest in a membership. In order to keep up an active lifestyle you need to find something you enjoy. Something that is able to get you up in the morning or out after a hard day's work (or during your lunch break). I don't try to cajole my husband into weekly aerobics classes, just like he'd never pressure me into joining him in a basketball game. Better yet, if you can find a friend or two that enjoy the same things you do, then you'll have a buddy to not only keep you accountable, but encourage you to keep going on days you feel like skipping a session.
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I've been meaning to post this one for a little while, just never got around to it. But to mark the final week of the Biggest Loser contestants' residence in the White House, I thought now might be a good time to open some eyes.
I love watching The Biggest Loser. But one thing a lot of people just don't comprehend is how difficult it is to lose weight. So I thought a little math lesson in weight loss might help some of you to see what sort of effort is required to lose weight.
The generally recommended rate of weight loss amongst nutritionists and fitness professionals is between 0.5 to 1kg per week. This is considered to be both safe and maintainable in the long term. Does that rate sound too slow for you? Well then keep reading.
When I refer to "weight loss" I am specifically talking about FAT LOSS. Most of us are aware that if you drink 1L of water then you will weigh 1kg heavier... but losing water weight is not what ultimately will change your body shape.
For the purposes of this math lessons, let's be conversative and aim for a weekly loss of 0.5kg (500g) of fat. To lose weight, you essentially have to spend more energy than what you eat. So, how much energy is in 500g of fat?
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I know this will make no sense to anyone else except for me and possibly some other instructors who might be able to decipher my language, but I just absolutely love my new step routines and had to publicly declare them somewhere.
Both routines total 32 counts and change legs ready to repeat on the other leg for a second set of 32.
Routine #1:
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