Might as well jump
jumping rope, circuit training, cardio
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As the saying goes, it's a sad day when you don't learn something new.
Well, today I learned something cool ... I learned to jump rope!
I've been following the Men's Fitness series "The Eternal Beach Body Plan." Several of the most recent workouts have included jumping rope, which until now I had never been able to learn.
This morning when I was warming up for my workout at the gym, I noticed a guy jumping rope in the aerobics studio. He seemed to have mastered it...doing all sorts of cool variations.
I got up and went into the studio, grabbed a jumprope off the rack, and when he was taking a break, I went up to him and asked if he had any pointers on how to get started. He suggested that I try jumping up and down while twirling the rope in one hand to get the rhythm. I took his advice, and did the jumping for a minute. Then I tried it with the rope, and of course caught it on my feet on the second jump.
But even with the jumping alone, I could feel an awesome burn in my abs. Hmmm...maybe this is the way to get a sixpack, after all!
The way the workout was structured, I was to do a circuit of 10 exercises, which included two sets of jumping rope alternating with lifting exercises. When I came back for the second set, I jumped for 70 seconds, and to my amazement after that I was able to jump with the rope about five times! Excited, I told my new friend that was the most I'd ever done in my life!
By the last set of jumps, I was up to 10! It felt so cool!
As soon as my workout was finished, I drove straight to Sports Authority and bought a speed rope. As soon as I got home, I started practicing on my driveway...doing a few more jumps each time. The last time I kept count, I was up to 28!
I got my son Doug to take pictures of me as proof of my new skill. As an aspiring trainer, the more exercises I know that I can teach,... read entire entry
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on 6/22/2008
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12.1
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Spinning wheels got to go round
spinning, workout music, stretching, cardio
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In the last month or so, I've added a spinning class to my workout program.
Spinning is basically pedaling on a stationary bike, on which you can adjust the resistance to simulate riding on a flat surface or climbing hills of varying steepness. The instructor tells you when to raise or lower the resistance. It's both a great cardio workout and a strength training exercise.
Until recently I had been doing my cardio on a treadmill, but the pounding had been doing a number on my back. I have very bad bunions, which put extra stress on my hips when I'm running. I was looking for an alternative.
I had been leery of spinning because my wife had a bad experience the first time she took a class. She evidently pushed herself a little too hard, and ended up losing her breakfast. She was so embarrassed she never came back to that gym, let alone to a spinning class.
I gave spinning a second look last month when I was interviewing "Biggest Loser" contestant Jenn Widder for my Star-Ledger story. Jenn said spinning was a big part of her workout program, and at that point she had lost 62 pounds. As part of the interview process, I joined Jenn and her parents for a spinning class at Body Designs in Paramus led by trainer Viola Stewart. I really enjoyed the class and judging from the amount of sweat that poured off me, it was a good workout.
So for the last month I've been taking part in Brian Mahoney's Wednesday morning class at my gym, World Gym in Paramus. It's a great class, always fully booked.
The idea of spinning, as the name implies, is that you don't just press down on the pedals; you try to move your feet in a full circle, pulling upwards as well as downwards. That's the most efficient way to ride a real bicycle. You get the most power out of your pedaling that way, and you save wear and tear on your knees. The stationary bike is equipped with toeclips and straps so that you can attach your feet... read entire entry
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on 3/20/2008
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8.2
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