Jun

30

Non Gym Workouts

Filed Under Alternative Workouts, Motivation | 6 Comments

I usually try to work out at least once over the weekend. Rather than hitting the gym, I try to do something active like hiking or biking. This weekend however, I found myself without a lot of spare time. Not only was it a school weekend, but my wife and I were in the middle of a move.  Here’s a funny thing though, with a little change here and there, I changed a weekend that was going to be bad into one that was fun, productive and physically active.

Stairway To Fitness

The biggest change I made was during the move.  Our old house was one the fourth floor of an apartment building.  So rather than make each trip up and down using the elevator, I did it using the stairs.  Total time was about the same but I was burning a ton of calories just moving.

Ten trips means 40 stories up.  It also means 40 stories down while carrying boxes, plants and bags.  This is about as good as an hour of cardio on the treadmill, except I also moved all my stuff.

Biking Trip

I also needed to go to the store to pick up a few things for the new house.  Rather than take the car, I took the bike.  The store is pretty close so the time spent is about the same, but I ended up with more physical activity and I actually saved money.

Gardening

We have a backyard at the new place which needs a bit of work.  Rather than put this off to a later day, I decided to do this yesterday.  About an hour of digging around in the yard, trimming branches and planting ground cover was another shot of good physical activity.  I needed to do this anyway this week so why not do it on a day when I need a workout?

What Can You Do?

  • Going somewhere?  How about walking or biking instead of driving?  How about taking the stairs instead of the elevator?
  • Got a yard?  Why not do the gardening yourself instead of hiring someone?
  • Got friends who needs help moving?  Tell them you’re in and then revel in the fact that someone is going to feed you and thank you for working out.
  • Shopping for a small amount of things at the supermarket?  How about using a basket instead of a cart?

It’s the little things that matter folks.  All these little things combined will turn your life from sedentary to active and isn’t that what you’re looking for?

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While the gardening helped, the most important changes were the stairs while moving and the bike to the store.  These are things most people choose not to do.  In our day to day lives, we usually choose the easy path.  The easy path is more comfortable and it requires less effort, but it’s also less beneficial.

I chose the less than easy path and it paid off.  I got a good workout while also being very productive.  What about you?  Is there something in your life that you could make a bit more physically active?  I realize it sounds counter intuitive, almost like asking you to do something the hard way on purpose.  However, when you think about it, aren’t you here and reading this because you want to get in shape?  If that’s the case, then the “hard” way might actually be the right way for you.


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Feb

27

Bounce Skyhigh! A Great Alternative Workout.

Filed Under Alternative Workouts, Cardio, Exercise | 2 Comments

Every once in a while, I try to high light an alternative workout on 60 in 3. No, an alternative workout is not something that involves a lot of candles and chanting, it’s simply a way to get your heart rate up and your body moving without going to the gym. Today, I wanted to talk about something I mentioned in my weekend update, Sky High Sports.

What The Heck Is Skyhigh?

Skyhigh is a big warehouse full of trampolines. Of course, that’s only part of the story. Skyhigh was the brainchild of two bay area brothers who wanted a fun and safe place to play with their kids. Being trampoline enthusiasts, they came up with the idea of a play house filled with trampolines. Of course, this being the Silicon Valley, the two brothers decided to turn their idea into a business and Skyhigh was born.

Skyhigh has three main areas. The first is a large freeform area where people simply bounce up and down as much as they want. The trampolines are all set up right next to the other with the frames covered up by soft foam. That way you can bounce from one trampoline to the other without the fear of falling in between. There are also trampolines set up on the walls so you can bounce into them and back out. The second area is similar to the first except it’s dedicated to playing dodgeball. Yep, you heard me, dodgeball. And oh wow is it a blast! The third and final area is again set up with multiple trampolines, but it also has a big foam pit into which you can dive off of the trampolines.

Skyhigh and Exercise

When my wife first suggested Skyhigh, I was a bit reluctant. After all, aren’t trampolines for kids? Well, I take that all back now. First of all, Skyhigh was an amazing workout. Within 5 minutes of bouncing up and down, my heart was racing and I was struggling for breath. My first bouncing dodge ball game was incredible fun, but it was also a wonderful cardio workout and some great balance work. Overall, our stay at Skyhigh was the equivalent of a high end cardio workout with some lower back, legs and arm work thrown in.

Skyhigh and Fun

The best part was that Skyhigh was an incredible amount of fun. I didn’t even notice the clock and I certainly wasn’t bored. Even simple bouncing was enjoyable and I cannot even begin to explain the amount of sheer fun that trampoline dodgeball is. In other words, this was a workout that I LOVED!

Cost

Skyhigh was a bit expensive, $9 for two hours per person, so it’s not exactly a gym replacement. However, for slightly less than a movie ticket, we spent two hours having fun together and getting exercise. That sounds like a great evening out to me.

But What If I’m Not In The Bay Area?

I realize Skyhigh is a local thing. If you live in the Bay Area or Sacramento (where they just opened up their second warehouse), then I highly recommend you check them out. However, what if you don’t? Well, if you don’t live in this area then how about going online to check out what other fun alternative workouts are available in your area? Is there an indoor rock climbing gym? How about something like city beach where you can run through obstacle courses? Looked at the local dance studios lately? How about that martial arts class you’ve been thinking of? Every area has its own unique offerings. A quick online search can help you find quite a few of these fun alternative workouts.

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A workout doesn’t necessarily have to occur in the gym and it doesn’t have to be boring. Take a break and check out an alternative workout, they’re a fun way of exercising.

Sky High


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Feb

11

Half The Weight And Twice The Reps = Kick Ass Workout!

Filed Under Alternative Workouts, Exercise, Work Out | 3 Comments

Every once in a while, I try out a slightly different workout. It keeps me interested and it also challenges my body. I have no scientific evidence to back this up, but I just feel like my body tends to get used to certain workouts and stop improving. So every few weeks I like to try something new.

The Workout

This week I went with a weights workout that was almost a cardio workout. I did all the same exercises and sets, but I did twice the reps and half the weight. So if I was going to do 10 reps of squats with 100lbs of weight, I did 20 reps with 50lbs. I kept the same slow pace with good form while doing the exercises but I rested for only 15 to 30 seconds in between each set as opposed to the 30 to 60 seconds of rest I usually do. Overall, I ended up doing the following on each workout:

(Most of these exercises are from the Four Day Workout. So if you want more information on them, take a look at that series of posts).

Abs and Back

  • 20 dead lifts with 25lb dumbbells
  • 20 leg lifts (wow, this one was tough!)
  • 20 bent rows with 20lb dumbbells
  • 20 crunches
  • 20 Single arm rows with 20lb dumbbells

Legs

  • 40 lunges with 20lb dumbbells (this one was another tough one)
  • 20 dead lifts with 25lb dumbbells
  • 20 squats with 20lb dumbells
  • 20 calf raises with 20 lb dumbbells
  • 20 adduction on each side
  • 20 abduction on each side

Biceps and Triceps

  • 20 bar curls with 40 lbs
  • 20 triceps push down with 40lbs
  • 40 hammerhead curls with 15lbs
  • 20 overhead tricep extensions with each hand with a 15lb dumbbell
  • 20 concentration curls with each arm with a 15lb weight
  • 20 dips

Chest and Shoulders

  • 20 dumbbell presses with 30lb weights
  • 20 rear flies with 15 lb weights
  • 30 press ups (push ups)
  • 20 standing rows with 20lb dumbbells
  • 20 dumbbell pullovers with a 25lb dumbbell
  • 20 Shoulder presses (Arnold Press!) with 20lb dumbbells

Results

This was an incredible workout. It took a bit longer than I wanted, but wow! By the end, I was out of breath and barely able to move but I felt great. It felt like I had just done a complete cardio workout AND a complete weights workout. In fact, that was one of the downsides. I was so tired that I didn’t do my cardio workout. Rather than 45 minutes of running on the treadmill, I ended up doing a 10 minute walk and 10 minutes on the elliptical. I just couldn’t do another full cardio workout after that weights routine.

Would I Do It Again?

Heck yah! I don’t think this will become my standard workout since I’m currently training for a marathon and I do need to work on my running. However, I loved the feeling at the end of this workout so I’ll definitely do it again. It’s not quite a cardio workout and it’s not quite a weights workout, but it’s a really fun combination of both.

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Don’t be afraid to try new things.  Who knows, you may just find something you really enjoy doing.


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Nov

9

3 Things To Do This Weekend

Filed Under Alternative Workouts, Exercise | 3 Comments

It’s Friday, almost time for the weekend. So here are three quick to do’s for this weekend that will keep you healthy and entertained.

Farmers’ Market

Find the nearest Farmers’ Market and go there. Take your wife or your husband, perhaps a few friends, and go enjoy the market. Make a morning out of it. Shop for some fresh produce and then have lunch with whoever you went with. Farmers’ Markets are a great place to find cheap and fresh vegetables and fruit. Stock up on your favorites and don’t forget to try something new. The stalls at a market will usually let you sample stuff so if you see a fruit or vegetable you never heard of, try it and see if you like it. Who knows, you might find a new favorite.

For more information about local farmers’ markets, check out your city’s website or Local Harvest.

Go Dancing

Another great social activity for this weekend.  Grab your friends and go to your nearest club, bar or dance hall.  It doesn’t matter what kind of dancing or what kind of music, it’s all good.  From salsa to ballroom, folk to line, dancing is a great exercise and a very fun activity.  If you’re single, dancing can be a great place to meet people and if you’re not single, dancing can be a great activity to do with a partner.  Most dance halls or clubs with specialized forms of dancing like salsa or line dancing will offer classes for beginners earlier in the evening.  So show up early, learn to move your feet, and then stay for the rest of the night.

Take A Walk

And finally, the best activity of all.  Even if you live in areas that are getting a bit cold these days, you can still take a walk.  Many malls and stores open early on weekends just to allow people to walk for some exercise.  So leave the credit cards in the car and just walk through checking out store fronts and people.  This is a simple activity you can do with friends or by yourself

Summary

There you go, three simple but fun activities that will make your weekend enjoyable AND healthy.


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Sep

24

The Yoga Workout

Filed Under Alternative Workouts, Exercise, Fitness, Work Out | 1 Comment

My wife has been talking about working out for a while now. She’s had back issues that prevented her from doing weight and cardio workouts with me, but those have been getting better lately. She’s already physically active, walking a lot and riding horses, but she wanted a more structured workout that will exercise the whole body. She was looking into a variety of options with the following criteria:

  • Convenient - Like me, she has a very busy schedule. The workout had to mesh with her life.
  • Affordable - She didn’t want to pay hundreds of dollars a month for a personal trainer and gym.
  • Low Strain - She wanted to minimize the risk of injury or of aggravating her old back injuries.
  • Interesting - She didn’t want something dull and boring.
  • Social - She wanted to work out with someone.

So putting all that together, she came up with a yoga course offered at her company’s gym.

Yoga As A Workout

I’ve never tried yoga myself, but after she described it to me, I got curious enough to research it. Yoga is an ancient tradition originating from India. Unlike most Asian influenced workouts, yoga did not start out as a martial art. Instead, it used to be a form of meditation in which the body was moved through postures and poses to gain a better understanding of the world inside and outside. I’m not going to go into the metaphysical details of yoga since I’m not particularly interested in them and since this is a fitness blog, but if anyone is interested, here’s the Wikipedia article that gives a bit more detail.

What I was interested in was the physical aspect of yoga.  Is it really a good workout?  Is it more of a cardio workout or a resistance one?  Is it just stretching?  Well, the answers are going to be slightly different depending on the style of yoga you choose to practice, but for the most part yoga can be an excellent workout with its combination of stretching and resistance training.

Stretching and Posing = Workout

A typical yoga session consists of moving through a variety of postures very slowly and in a controlled manner.  The postures themselves can be challenging, although a beginner’s yoga course is not going to ask you to do the splits.  Because you move through the poses very slowly, you can actually get a great workout, almost like a weights workout but with very low weight.

Yoga is also excellent for teaching you control of you body and proper posture and form.  Rather than quickly moving through exercises, yoga teaches you to slowly move each muscle using controlled gestures rather than jerky movement.  You’ll definitely gain a better understanding of your body and how it works after a few yoga sessions.  You might even gain some insight into how to properly exercise and maintain good form.  In fact, after seeing a few yoga videos, I think most gym goers could benefit from a class or two.

Non physical benefits of yoga

Yoga was originally intended for meditation, and many people still find it relaxing.  It’s also a social activity usually done with a group, so if you hate working out alone, you may wish to consider it.

Warning, Expenses Ahead

The only negative to yoga is the slightly higher than usual cost associated with most yoga classes.  They’re typically more expensive than the usual gym membership, unless you can find a good deal like my wife did.  There’s usually no equipment needed, but the yoga classes themselves can range from $5 to $20 a session.

Summary

If you can afford it, yoga is an excellent workout in addition to or instead of your usual weight lifting.  It does not replace cardio but it’s a good form of stretching and resistance training.  It won’t build big muscles, but it can tone up existing muscles while teaching you a lot you didn’t know before about your body.


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