Tag: fitness

Diary of a Fit Patriot: Ladies—We Need to Strength Train!

By: Alison M. Hall, MS, CPT

Ladies—it’s a simple fact. We NEED to strength train. A basic strength training program will not make you bulky. I repeat, it will not make you bulky. You will not look like a body builder unless you are specifically trying to do so, which takes a regimented training program and diet. Yes, your clothes might feel a little tighter in the beginning while you’re building muscle and starting to lose fat, but if you strength train, get your cardio in, and have a healthful diet, you increase your potential to lose the fat. Either way, the beauty of who you are will beam through.

I am challenging you to strength train. Last month, almost twice as many males as females used our strength training machines. That’s alarming, but even more alarming, six times as many males as females used free weights (dumbbells and barbells) in our facilities. Strength training machines are a great place to start. Get a free equipment orientation to learn how to use the machines correctly then start lifting. Once you feel comfortable on the machines and learn proper lifting technique, go for it with the free weights. I understand that it can be intimidating to use the free weights around the guys, but grab a friend and give it a try—there’s safety in numbers, right? The guys might even think it’s pretty cool that you’re there. If you still don’t want to go on the weight floor, try the free weights in the AFC stretch room or the RAC and Skyline upstairs areas. These areas usually are less crowded but have the weights you need. You also can use weights in the AFC group exercise room if it isn’t being used by a fitness class.

Speaking of fitness classes, we offer group strength training classes, which are a great place to learn how to use free weights safely. Totally Sculpt is all strength. Boot Camp, Total Body Conditioning (TBC), Cardio Sculpt, and Zumba Toning offer strength combined with cardio in one neat package. In the same month mentioned above, women outnumbered men in strength classes more than 14 to 1, which shows you there is a comfortable place for women to lift. Schedules are posted on our website.

Why am I harping on this? Body composition, which is the makeup of the body in terms of the relative percentage of fat free mass and body fat, is affected by strength training. A component of body composition is body fat percentage. A good range for a female to target for body fat percentage is 14 to 24%.

Science and personal experience show how important strength training is for women. The American Council on Exercise (ACE) Personal Trainer manual outlines the science behind how strength training increases overall physical capacity, improves body composition, raises resting metabolic rate resulting in more calories burned on a daily basis, reduces injury risk, and helps prevent disease. One of the examples they give shows that a woman who does not strength train loses about half a pound of muscle each year. This woman weighs 120 pounds with 20% body fat. Without strength training, 20 years later the same woman, still weighing 120 pounds, likely would increase in body fat to 28.3%, losing 10 pounds of muscle while gaining 10 pounds of fat. This same woman likely reduce her metabolism by 3-8% each of those two decades, which equals approximately 120 fewer calories burned at rest per day.

The National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) states that women who strength train regularly can improve their health, reduce their risks of degenerative diseases, enhance sport performance, and develop good feelings about themselves. I don’t need science to know this last benefit is true. While increasing the weight of my barbell makes me feel good about myself, real life situations really make the difference. Telling the male employee at the sporting goods store “no thanks, I can carry these 25-pound dumbbells to the car myself” is empowering. Hearing the massage therapist say “wow you have strong back muscles” gives you a sense of accomplishment. And being strong enough to do the physical activities you love while staying injury free is a great way to live your life.

References

American Council on Exercise Personal Trainer Manual, Fifth Edition, pages 327-330.

Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning, National Strength and Conditioning Association, Third Edition, pages 152-153.

Beach Body Workouts

10. Running

Alright, men. It’s that time of the year! It’s Spring Time and that means it’s time to get those beach bodies ready! That means chest workouts. That means working those shoulders and arms. That means getting yourself a six pack (and I don’t mean of beer).

We all want to look our best during the warm days of summer, so here are 10 things you need to start doing in order to be #BeachBodyReady.

It’s that exercise we all know and few of us enjoy. While the mere thought of running can turn people away, we can’t deny the benefits it has to help you get #BeachBodyReady. Running will help improve your cardiovascular system so that you can workout longer. Running also helps build muscles in the legs and core, so really it’s like working out three parts of the body in one!

People wear tank tops and cutoffs for a reason. Muscular arms are a feature of a proper Beach Body. And When we say to workout your arms, we mean from fingertip through the shoulder. Forearms, biceps, triceps, and shoulders. Do multiple variations of the bicep curl by switching grips, changing weights, and changing the direction you curl up. Find a machine or grab some dumbbells for tricep extensions, or find a chair or bench and do as many dips as you can. For shoulders, shoulder flys and shoulder press are two of our favorites, but there are multiple exercises you can do.

When you are walking on the beach with your shirt off, you’re going to want a defined chest. The bench press and the push-up are the most well-known ways to work out your chest. The RAC, AFC, and Skyline all have multiple machines that work out your chest and plenty of free weights. Remember to always to have a spotter when increasing your weight on the bench press.

There’s a difference between dieting and eating right. We prefer you eat right as opposed to eating less. Your muscles need protein, but your stomach doesn’t need that extra fat you’re trying to cut. Beans, nuts, and cheese are all packed with protein and are a good substitute to a fatty meat product. Be sure to eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, too. A Beach Body should be muscular and lean, not only big all the way around.

The classic thought of being #BeachBodyReady is when you have a six-pack of abs. If you are going for the ultimate Beach Body that satisfies all critical areas, then you are going to have to work those abs. And I mean work them. It doesn’t have to be a daunting process, though. Add them into your other workouts in between sets or while you’re taking a break. Pretty soon you’ll get an entire ab workout in without even realizing it. From sit-ups to crunches, to leg raises, to planks, to Russian twists and more, get that six-pack ready for summer.

The first thing on this list was run. That is important (otherwise it wouldn’t be on this list) but it is not the only form of cardio you should be doing in order to be #BeachBodyReady. Running only works so many muscles and if we are being honest with ourselves, you won’t want to only run to get your cardio. Add on to your exercise list things like jumping jacks, plyometrics, or even play a game like basketball. You’ll get your heart rate up and your lungs working as if you were running, but you’ll also work other parts of the body as well.

Why be the only one that is getting #BeachBodyReady? Get your friends to join you so that you all can be ready for the summer. Not only will it be a fun way for all of you to hang out, but you’ll work harder, too. Having your friends around will cause you to challenge each other to work harder and serve as a reminder or motivator to finish the task at hand. Working out is often easier, more fun, and yields more results when it is done with friends.

This potentially goes hand in hand with getting your friends to join you. Striving toward your workout goals isn’t always easy. You need to find a way to continually stay motivated. Whether it be through motivational video, a motivational speaker, a reminder you set for yourself every day, or your friends motivating you, you’ll have to find that motivation day in and day out. If getting #BeachBodyReady were easy, everyone would do it.

While it helps to have a friend or a motivator by your side, it all comes down to you in the end. No matter how motivated you are or how much support you have, you still have to challenge yourself. A highly motivated person can do a workout that they are used to doing. The key is to challenge yourself with more weight, more reps, and harder workouts throughout the process of getting #BeachBodyReady.

Rest is often forgotten by those who work out to build muscle mass. Your muscles need rest in order to heal and rebuild. Take a break now and then. Make sure to get enough rest every night. Even the king of the jungle needs his sleep! Sleeping is just as important as exercising. Just don’t let the sleep stop you from working out!

We all want to feel confident with our shirts off. Follow these 10 steps and you will be, too.

Are you ready to get #BeachBodyReady?!?!

http://www.menshealth.co.uk/building-muscle/abs-workout/the-ultimate-beach-body-workout-498575

http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/workout/lose-weight/bikini-season/get-your-best-beach-body-ever-in-21-days/

By: Dan Ward

Take Me Out To The Ball Game

It’s that time of the year again. Opening Day has come and gone and a brand new season of MLB Baseball is here. The 162 game season is by far the longest of the four main sports in America. In order to fit all the games in, teams play basically every single day. If you are a big sports fan like me, you try to watch as many games as possible. This is sometimes a problem because baseball games usually take about three hours. How can I go to school, the gym, and watch baseball every day?

The solution is simple. Do you remember the NCAA March Madness Workout Challenge? Well, something similar can be done while watching baseball games.

Between every half inning, there are commercials while the teams switch positions and the pitcher warms up. This is at least two minutes of nothing happening. You can maximize this time by simply doing 10 push-ups and 10 sit-ups. That’s it. Get your workout in and watch as much baseball as you want by simply doing 10 push-ups and 10 sit-ups every half inning. Seems easy doesn’t it? Well, that’s because it is. It doesn’t take a lot to do 1 set of 10 pushups and 1 set of 10 sit ups. However, when you think about it, you’re not only doing one set. If you do this every half inning, you’ll end up doing 18 sets of push-ups and sit-ups. That’s 180 reps of each! That will put a strain on your muscles from the sheer numbers.

If 10 ends up being too difficult, start with 5 until you can work your way up. The key is to be diligent and do the exercises every half inning. It may not feel like much, but if you do it consistently and every time you watch a baseball game, you will see the results sooner than you think.

By: Dan Ward

NCAA Tournament Workout Routines

Oh! George Mason! Are you kidding me?! It’s March Madness, baby!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We are down to the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament! Villanova! Oklahoma! North Carolina! Syracuse! Who will make it to the Championship game?! I can’t tell you, but I can tell you it’s going to be AWESOME, BABY!

The strength and endurance of the athletes are going to be challenged. It’s time for you to be challenged as well. There are only three more games in college basketball, so use this time to better yourself and your body with the March Madness Workout Challenge.

Take the challenge of working out while watching basketball. #fithappens

Action	Classic	Lower Body	Core
3 Point Shot Taken	5 Push-Ups (classic)	3 Squats (add 3 if “trifecta” is used)	10 Crunches
Slam Dunk	10 Sit-Ups	15 Calf Raises	8 Leg Raises
Foul is Called	5 Rows (use door or bed frame)	10 Lunges	8 Knee Tuck Crunches/Leg Pull-Ins
Jump Ball	5 Burpees	5 Burpees	5 Burpees
Turnover	10 Dips	10 Glute Bridges	10 Bicycle Kicks
Game goes to Commercial	60 Jumping Jacks	60 Jumping Jacks	60 Jumping Jacks
Referees go to the Monitor	20 Mountain Climbers	20 Mountain Climbers	20 Mountain Climbers
Close up of the Announcers	5 Push-ups (wide arm)	10 Side Lunges	8 Flutter Kicks
Buzzer-Beater Make	5 Shoulder Presses or 30 Second Handstand (using wall)	30 Second Chair Pose	20 Alternating Heel Touches (10 for each heel)
There’s an upset ANYWHERE in the Tournament	1 Minute Plank(per upset) (per upset)	1 Minute Wall Sit (per upset)	1 Minute of Russian Twists (per upset)

Are you up to the FINAL FOUR challenge?

Diary of a Fit Patriot: Try Something New

By: Alison M. Hall

When is the last time you tried a new fitness activity? Did you try bubble soccer when Mason Rec had it on the RAC field? Have you tried the tread climber at Skyline yet? What about open climb at the EDGE at Mason on the Science and Technology campus? Stand-up paddleboarding? Backpacking? Intramurals? Parkour? Racquetball? I could go on and on. I dare you to try something new!

I have done several of the above: climbing at the EDGE at Mason, stand-up paddleboarding, parkour, and racquetball. I was pretty scared trying all of them, but here I am living to tell the tale. They all were outside of my comfort zone. I climbed at the EDGE at Mason as part of a class project I had to do about a fitness activity I knew little about. I thought stand-up paddleboarding looked cool, so when I had the chance, I gave it a try (with my extended family watching me fall in the river a few times). My dad convinced me to play racquetball with him. A friend convinced me to try parkour because she loves it so much. There are many reasons to try something new.

My challenge to you is to find something at Mason Rec to try for the first time. It can be something that doesn’t take much planning like your first Zumba, Cycle, or Boot Camp class. They’re FREE to full-time students and Mason Rec members. Another option is take the plunge and pay for one of our martial arts or self-defense classes such as Capoeira or Krav Maga. It’s only $8 drop in to give it a go, or unlimited classes are half-price now. If you are a planner, sign up for an Outdoor Adventures trip this spring. There are many to choose from. You also could commit to playing on an intramural team. If you don’t have a whole team together, Mason Rec lets you sign up as a free agent, where you can either request to join a team or a team can find you.

Bringing it back to Mason Fitness, if you see a piece of equipment at the gym that looks interesting to you but you don’t know how to use it, you can sign up for a free equipment orientation. We will teach you how to use any piece of fitness equipment in our buildings for free. If you want guidance on how to put that equipment in a workout, sign up to work with a personal trainer.

You won’t regret trying something new. Even if you really don’t like it, now you know, and you can move on to trying something else. I promise, I will try something new too before the end of the semester.

Diary of a Happy Yogi: Headstands

By: Ashley Whimpey

An inversion in the air is a gross layer of smog from car and factory exhaust that can’t raise up and away. An inversion in yoga is putting your head below your hips in a lovely, brain blood flow stimulating experience. Such a large definition means there are lots of options for inversions: handstands, downward dog, shoulder stand, or—often regarded as the epitome of yogic lifestyle—the headstand.

Of course, yoga is about much much more than standing on your head. It’s about balance on and off the mat, wholistic self appraisal, third person objectivity in evaluating your life, flow, flexibility, etc.

Regardless, the appeal of a headstand is potent. Many people are afraid of a headstand, or being upside down in general. It’s intimidating and unfamiliar. However, overcoming the fear is something that’s worthwhile for a few reasons and can be done safely with a few things in mind.

Benefits of the headstand start with the way it relaxes strain on the heart (which is usually pumping blood up with force) by tipping everything the other direction. It slowly invigorates the body and rushes oxygen-rich blood through the upper part of the body (especially to the brain). There is an increase in stretch on the legs, and a slight stretch on the thighs and feet in particular. Said to “harmonize blood circulation,” getting upside down is physically very rewarding. Let’s also mention headstands have been used to treat rotator cuff tears.

A headstand is rewarding in psychological, spiritual, and emotional ways as well. The literal idea of flipping the perspective is a wonderful metaphor for a lot of difficulties. Conquering fears is good for increased resiliency and well-being. Mastering the “king of asanas” can make any yogi a little more confident in their journey.

Even with all this good knowledge, there are some safety considerations. When a headstand is done wrong it can damage the spinal cord, twist the neck, disrupt blood flow, or put a nice little bruise on the top of the head. These things mainly come from misguided practice techniques, however, and if safely instructed and slowly built up to, a headstand can be for literally anyone. Just Google “84 year old does headstand.” I’ve personally witnessed a 67-years-young woman (having begun a yoga practice at age 65) master the headstand.

Tips and tricks to be awesome in headstand (safely):

Start small. Just sit with your head on the ground and your legs in a pike position, slowly bringing your hips up over your head – toes still on the ground. Get familiar with the “stacking” of the body into a line.
Put your elbows at 90 degrees. They should be directly in front of your shoulders, fingertips facing your face. Too many people let their elbows flare out and don’t keep the 90 degree rule, so they disrupt the three-point advantage of keeping your head and wrists down.
Try a bound headstand. Interlace your fingers and place them behind your head. Squeeze your forearms into your head and use the entire distance (from wrist to elbow) to equally press down and support yourself on the ground.
Raise both legs together. This is shown to decrease the load put on the back that is induced by lifting one bent leg and then the other. It requires more core strength, so that will need to be built up first.
Lower one leg down at a time. Unlike coming up, when coming down it’s best to then move one leg at a time for the same reason – decreased loading on the spine. You’re already all stacked up, so carefully come off of that.
Name check. You should be able to say your own name comfortably. If you can, you are in alignment. If not, come down and work on building back up.
Relax your grip on the mat. Digging in your fingertips simply increases the chance of losing focus and of falling out to one side or another. It’s not recommended to begin practicing headstands on the grass because of this tendency. If the ground is relatively flat and you can restrain from pulling on the weeds, it can be a good idea.
If you do fall: tuck and roll. Chin into chest, knees to stomach.
Avoid headstands if you have hypertension, recent back surgery, ocular hypertension, or if you are currently pregnant or menstruating.
Be willing to try something new. Believe you can and you can. Believe you cannot and you cannot.

References:

Hector, R., & Jensen, J. L. (2014). Sirsasana (headstand) technique alters head/neck loading: Considerations for safety. Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies.

Narasimhan, A., & Prasad, M. G. (2012). The role of Yoga-Asanas in Mind-body Harmony.

Diary of a Fit Patriot: At the Barre

By: Alison M. Hall

Do you spend time at the JC, AFC, or RAC? You can participate in Mason Recreation’s Barre classes at any of these three locations. But what is Barre?

Rachel Gill, Barre instructor at the AFC, describes the class as “an exciting and new program that strengthens, tones, and improves balance and flexibility through ballet inspired moves.” She explains that Barre is unique to other strength classes because “instead of only targeting the large main muscle groups, it focuses on the smaller stabilizing muscles that are necessary for increased performance and injury prevention. Barre is perfect for anyone ready to mix up their workout, find balance and control, and have a lot of fun doing so.”

Some Barre classes actually use a ballet barre on the wall, while others are taught without the physical barre there. Patty Jarrett, Mason Recreation Group Fitness Coordinator, explains that classes without the barre “are the same leg and arm movements but done lying on the floor, with props, and/or have added Pilates and yoga movements. They are challenging to both men and women and NO dance experience is required.” Whether your class uses the barre or not, Patty says “the classes incorporate many muscle groups that are not used regularly in daily living or even in the gym period. Barre is also very challenging to the core muscles and help to balance the body.”

This semester, Mason Recreation is offering Barre classes at the following times:

Class	Day & Time	Location
Barre Works	Mondays, 6:30-7:25pm	AFC
Pilates/Barre Fusion (co-sponsored by the Center for the Advancement of Well-Being)	Tuesdays, 12:00 -1:00pm	JC Dance Studio
Barre None	Wednesdays, 6:30-7:30pm	RAC

All Barre classes are Green Access, which are free to full-time students and Mason Recreation members. The Pilates/Barre Fusion class at the JC is free and open to the entire Mason community. For more information about Barre and all of our fitness classes, visit recreation.gmu.edu/fitness.