Treadmill Workout from Jill

When I asked for workout ideas in my most recent blog entry, Jill (trainer/instructor/SWAT owner!) handed me one the next day.  I had a chance to try it on Friday, and it is definitely a great one!  It was super tough - and I had even cut it in half because I was short on time (I did 2 repeats of each set instead of 4)!!  I was definitely huffing and puffing, and I needed to pause the treadmill more than once to catch my breath so I could keep going.  Jill said she had used this as part of her marathon training a couple years ago, and I can see how it would really build speed and endurance.

The first step is to decide on your base pace (indicated by "BP" from now on).  Your BP should be a pace that is a quick walk, one where you can keep up a conversation and are pretty comfortable.  I chose 4.0 MPH as my base pace.  I thought that might be cheating because it's pretty slow, but I'm soooo glad I chose that!  

Here is the workout:

*10 minute warm-up at BP
*4 repeats of the following:
       -90 seconds at BP + 2 MPH with a 1.5 elevation
       -30 seconts at BP + 2 MPH with 0 elevation
*2 minutes at BP
*4 repeats of the following:
       -90 seconds at BP + 2.5 MPH with a 2.0 elevation
       -30 seconts at BP + 2.5 MPH with 0 elevation
*2 minutes at SP
*4 repeats of the following:
       -90 seconds at BP + 3 MPH with a 2.5 elevation
       -30 seconts at BP + 3 MPH with 0 elevation
*2 minutes at BP
*3 repeats of the following:
       -60 seconds at BP + 4 MPH with a 3.0 elevation
       -60 seconds at BP with 0 elevation

Workout Ideas?

If you're anything like me, you go to group fitness classes or pay extra for HIIT, kettlebell, or personal training sessions because, well, you just don't know what to do on your own.  If I go to the gym without a plan, I end up on the elliptical for an hour, or chatting with people instead of working out, or wandering the gym floor, randomly doing an exercise here or there, without a solid idea of what I should be doing.

This morning, I did this workout given to me by Emma, which I've used a few times.  I can't say it gets any easier or that I enjoy it more with each time I complete it, but I do huff and puff and leave red-faced and feeling like I've accomplished something!!  

Does anyone else have any workout ideas - circuits, HIIT routines, etc. - that you would be willing to share?  I know I can't be the only person who feels a little lost!

Yummy Summer Recipe: Grilled Chicken Tenders with Cilantro Pesto

I tried a new recipe last night: Grilled Chicken Tenders with Cilantro Pesto (click on that link for the recipe).  

It was definitely a hit with the kids and adults!  The pesto is pushing the boundaries of what the kids will try, but they did at least try it (Braeden cut up the scallions and helped blend the pesto, so he wanted to try what he had helped to make).  I served it with quinoa (cooked in chicken broth) and mixed veggies.  Healthy dinners like this make me feel slightly less guilty about the increase in beer and ice cream in my diet during the summer.

Tips: 
*I used two pounds of chicken tenders and doubled the marinade recipe so that I'd have leftover chicken for lunch the next day.
*Even if you double the amount of chicken, you do NOT need to double the amount of pesto you make; one batch will be plenty.
*Although I used the lower sodium soy sauce, the pesto still tasted salty to me (Asa said he didn't notice that).  Next time, I may add more lime juice.

  

In the Swing of Summer

Ah, summertime: that blissful time for teachers when we don't have to set an alarm.  Life is lazier (well, mostly - Braeden's team is still in the dang Little League tournament and then he goes on to All Stars, so our evenings are consumed by baseball).  

As far as exercising goes, I'm trying to get to the gym for the 9:15 classes.  I'm so jealous of the people who get to go to 9:15 classes every day; by that time, my body is awake and ready to work hard (as opposed to when I go to the 5:30 am classes), and I'm not stressed out and needing to cook dinner and get ready for the next day (as opposed to when I go to the 5:30 pm classes after work).  It's just so...nice!

In the past, I had noticed the class sizes dwindling in the summer.  Yesterday, however, Pump was completely full.  We ran out of bars - Jessica even gave hers up to the last class participant to walk in, and she taught holding plates!  It's such a great feeling to have that much energy in the room.  Attack today wasn't quite as full, but we still had a lot of people, and Jenny and Emma amped up the energy as usual.  

I also love the "real" exercise that summer vacation brings: nature walks, kayaking (I have yet to try this with my kids; that's a goal for this summer!), swimming, outside play, mowing the lawn, weeding the garden, berry picking - all activities that aren't necessarily the butt-busting workouts we put ourselves through in the gym, but they still keep you moving (and let me tell you, my squat training came in handy while strawberry picking!).  

Happy summer!

FEATURED MEMBER: Jim

This week's Featured Member is Jim.  I have seen Jim in the front row of 5:30 am RPM classes many times, and I officially met him when we were in the same HIIT class.

Tell us a little about yourself.

I might be known a little better at SWAT as Jimmy rather than Jim.

I'm originally from Grand Rapids and graduated from Calvin College where I met my wife, Lorraine.  We moved to Kalamazoo after we graduated and have four children (Jessalyn, Josiah, Micah and Isaac) ranging from 22 to 14.  We currently live out towards Paw Paw so my wife can drive into St. Joseph where she owns a Christian Bookstore.  It also allows us to be closer in the summer as we have a condo on Lake Michigan in St. Joseph too.

I am a CPA and currently the Managing Partner of the Jansen, Valk, Thompson, & Reahm accounting firm which I helped start 19 years ago.  We recently built our own office building on Stadium Drive near Eighth street and so it's nice being so close to SWAT.

What is your usual weekly workout routine?

I'm an early morning class guy.  Right now its 5:30 am RPM two days a week and 5:45 am HIIT two days a week.

What are your go-to snacks and meals? 

Go to snacks are usually some sort of fruit.

How do you balance being active with the demands of your daily life?

 The trick for me has been finding a routine and structure that works for me.  The early morning classes work great for me as it doesn't affect my family life and I can head right to work after working out.

What is a fitness or healthy living goal you have for yourself? 

 A couple of years ago I was diagnosed with diabetes and so my main goal is stay in shape and keep my blood sugar in check.  A regular workout plan is critical for me to stay healthy and prevent any of the typical diabetes issues.

What do you like about being a member at SWAT?

This is going to sound like a broken record, but it’s the classes and the people.  I am not self-disciplined enough to set up a work-out routine and so I need the classes to instruct me.  In addition, I've gained many new friends at SWAT and they all help keep me accountable.  It's awesome.

What is your favorite class at SWAT?

That's a tough one.  Probably RPM, but I am really enjoying HIIT too.

  

Do you have a person who is your healthy living/fitness inspiration? Who and why? 

You know there are so many inspirational people at SWAT that I see on a regular basis and am continually amazed at what they accomplish.  I'm especially thankful to my wife for encouraging me to come up with an exercise plan and to my business partner, Deb Pellerito, for introducing me to the plan at SWAT and helping keep me accountable.

Anything else you'd like to say?

SWAT has become so much more than a Fitness club to me.  It's part of my life and who I am now.

A Little Monday Morning Fun

I really enjoyed my HIIT class on Monday and Thursday mornings, but I dropped the ball on signing up for this session, and the class was full when I tried to join.  Bummer.  I didn't want to replace the rigor of HIIT with something like the elliptical machine, but I'm also not great at kicking my own butt. 

Luckily, in the locker room yesterday, Emma happened to mention a workout that she and Megan have been doing (and if you know either of them, that should be enough to scare you - they are both hard core and super fit!).  So, I tried it this morning, and it turned out to be a great substitute for HIIT class.  Emma said it takes her and Megan just under half an hour; it took me 38 minutes (so that's my goal to beat the next time I try it!).  Emma says to move quickly from one exercise to the next without stopping, but since I felt like I was going to puke a couple times, I definitely had to rest occasionally.  Here it is:

100 jump ropes
60 box jumps (smallest box)
50 ten-pound medicine ball throws (squat down and throw ball over your head)
40 elbow to opposite knee (like a standing cross crawl)
30 burpees
20 leg presses (ninety lbs)
10 pushups
1 mile run on the treadmill
10 pushups
20 leg presses
30 burpees
40 elbow to opposite knee
50 ten-pound medicine ball throws
60 box jumps
100 jump ropes