The Game On! Diet
Page 12
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A word from spinning instructor Sue Molnar
Since I believe that MUSIC can turn an average, arduous “workout” into a transformative, joyous experience, I think that if people can find music that is particularly inspiring to them (at home or in a group exercise format) they might just trick themselves into enjoying exercise after all.
Trying to force yourself to exercise or work out when you don’t enjoy it is riding the horse backwards. It is self-defeating. Once you figure out a way to make exercise not only tolerable, but enjoyable and thrilling, which is what the right music does for me, you’re finally riding the horse in the right direction. You’re naturally transported to a place of better fitness, greater stress relief, more energy, a better sex life, a stronger heart, increased self-esteem, the ability to eat the foods you love without worrying about your waistline…the list goes on.
Of course, any list is going to be arguable, but I just went through my iPod, which is filled with music culled over my past fifteen years as a fitness instructor, and picked the songs that have consistently been received with the most enthusiasm over the years. Here they are—in no particular order.
“Unleashed”—Chris Classic
“Lose Yourself”—Eminem
“No More Drama”—Mary J. Blige
“Bawitdaba”—Kid Rock
“Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’”—Michael Jackson
“Gonna Fly Now” (Theme from Rocky)—Bill Conti
“Stronger”—Kanye West
“Bodies”—Drowning Pool
“Freedom”—George Michael
“Hazy Shade of Winter”—The Bangles
“River Deep, Mountain High” (Live)—Celine Dion
“Proud Mary”—Ike & Tina Turner
“Good Vibrations”—Loleatta Holloway & Marky Mark & The Funky Bunch
“Gloria”—Laura Branigan
“Mamma Mia”—Abba
“Hush”—Kula Shaker
“I Just Want to Celebrate”—Rare Earth
“Heroes”—U-Traxx
“Hurricane 2000”—Scorpions & Berliner Philharmoniker
“Fame 02”—Tommy Lee
Have a great workout, y’all!
—Sue Molnar, spinning instructor, Soul Cycle, New York City For more music and fitness tips, go to www.SuesTrax.com
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So it’s music that motivates me. Figure out what motivates you. Here’s a list of possibilities.
Do you need new workout clothes ’cause you like the added possibility of meeting your soul mate at the gym? Buy them!
Do you need a new gym membership ’cause all the guys at your gym are gay (and you’re not)? Get one!
Do you need new shoes so you can run faster/longer/better? Buy them today. It’s an investment in your health.
Do you require a workout buddy—someone to show up for or who will show up for you? Ask a teammate or opponent to be your person.
Don’t know what you and your workout buddy will talk about while you run around the park? Read the same book for your healthy habit—and then you can have a running book club.
Do you love to read but don’t have time? Download an audio book to your iPod. Make it a scary one, and you’ll run even faster!
Do you need a good excuse to read trashy celebrity gossip magazines? Give yourself permission to read them on the stationary bike—as long as you keep your effort at 80 percent or more.
Do you have a friend you haven’t seen in ages and feel like you have no time to catch up? Ask her to meet you for a hike or a fast walk in the local park before or after work.
BE CREATIVE. Most of us don’t exercise because we think it’s boring and/or time we could be spending doing other things. So make it not boring—and combine it with other things! For me, it’s both workout and mental health break. Getting my heart rate up while shouting Avril Lavigne lyrics makes me feel better in about sixteen different ways. Believe it or not, I look forward to it now. I actually enjoy it. Almost as much as I enjoy camping out in my squishy green chair.
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• • • A High-Intensity Interval Training Session with Az!• • •
Studies show that high-intensity interval training (HIIT) is by far the most efficient way to burn calories and maximize weight loss.
HIIT is so effective because it raises your heartbeat to close to your maximum, and in doing so, it raises your resting metabolic rate. That means you’re burning calories at a higher rate for up to twenty-four hours after your exercise. And the best part is that you get this benefit in only a 20-minute workout! As with most things in life, your best workout is about quality not quantity.
So how do you do it? You simply vary your pace from minute to minute, or in ten-or twenty-or thirty-second segments. That’s it! And you can apply this principle to any form of workout you can imagine.
If you’re at the walking level, then you simply pick a landmark, like a telephone pole, and you walk as quickly as you can to that point. Then you pick another landmark and walk there at a moderate pace to recover. Then you pick another landmark and walk as quickly as you can again, and so on until your 20 minutes is up.
If you’re riding a stationary bike or using a Stairmaster or running on a treadmill, alternate between riding/climbing/running at your hardest pace for 30 seconds, then drop back down to about 60 percent for 30 seconds, then back up again.
If you’re swimming, swim as hard and fast as you can for a lap and then cruise for the next and so on.
If you’re cycling, then cycle as quickly as you can for 30 seconds, and then cruise for 30 seconds to recover.
If you’re pushing a stroller, push it as fast as you can for 30 seconds and then amble for 30 seconds to recover. (Your kids will love it and giggle all the way!)
Again, if you don’t have a watch handy you can just pick landmarks. Go as quickly as you can for a block and then slow down to recover. It is that simple to do.
If you’re at home with a sleeping baby and don’t have the chance to get out, a jump rope is an awesome way to complete an interval training. Jump hard for a minute, then jog in place for a minute.
Or, if you have stairs in your house, you can run up the stairs and then walk back down, then run, then walk down…
If you don’t have stairs, try doing twenty jumping jacks at full speed, then jogging in place for 30 seconds, then jumping jacks, then jogging…The point is, you can’t convince me you can’t do HIIT! Be creative and you absolutely can.
As with any form of exercise, warm up for several minutes before each workout. And please do consult your doctor before embarking on this or any exercise program.
Because of the intensity of HIIT, give yourself a day off in between. That means you should do HIIT three times per week.
So what do you on the other three days per week?
I’m a massive advocate of weight training (also known as resistance training). The reason weight training is so effective is that, like HIIT, it will raise your metabolism not just while you exercise but for hours after. It also changes your body composition, allowing you to increase your muscle mass (which helps you burn more calories) while you lose body fat.
But I understand that not everyone can get to the gym. So if you can’t do weight training, then choose an activity that you love—dance, tennis, water sports, beach volleyball, or, like Krista, jumping around the house to random eighties songs. Just get active!
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And here, as an added bonus, is a 20-minute workout from the phenomenal trainer to the stars Doug Kraft. He helped me lose a bunch of weight for my wedding several years ago. He’s mean in the gym! (But really nice the rest of the time!)
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“Twenty & Plenty”
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The 20 Minute Core, Cardio & Resistance Jam Session
Why 20 you ask? Twenty minutes is a good amount of time to get your heart pumping, calories burning, and muscles firing up! And why “plenty?” �
�Cause it rhymes with twenty. And, as Az said, if you don’t have time for a full workout, a hard 20 minutes is plenty to maximize your metabolism.
I’m keeping this simple and prop-free so no one has any excuses for not giving it all you’ve got. All you need is enough room to do a push-up, run in place, and perform jumping jacks. Along with that, you’ll need a chair, a bench, a bed, or any flat surface a foot or two off the ground that is sturdy enough to hold your weight. Finally, you’ll need a watch or a clock.
One session of Twenty & Plenty consists of the following six sets book-ended by the stretching exercises.
(Note from Krista: I just tried this workout! It’s REALLY hard. You may have to do half the number of reps to begin with, then work your way up!)
First, gently stretch to warm up
From a standing position, drop down and reach for your toes.
Next, sit with your legs flat in front of you. Lean forward and reach for your toes.
Stretch your arms by pulling each arm across your body, using your opposite hand to pull it into a stretch.
Reach your arms over your head—reach higher. Now, lean to the right, holding for a few seconds, and then lean to the left.
Okay. Now you’re ready. Check the pictures if you’re not sure about the form. Now load up Sue’s tunes and get fired up for a hardcore Twenty & Plenty!
• • • Set #1 • • •
20 Push Ups! If you need to, put your knees on the floor. Go go go!
Jumping Jacks! Watch the clock. Do Jumping Jacks for a full minute. Faster!
20 Crunches! Keep it small. Crunch it fast! Keep that heart rate up!
• • • Set #2 • • •
20 Incline Push Ups See the picture? You can do it—go go go!
Jumping Jacks A full minute again
20 More Crunches!
• • • Set #3 • • •
20 Push Ups!
Jumping Jacks! Keep it up for one minute
20 More Crunches! Don’t forget to breathe!
• • • Set # 4 • • •
20 Bench Ups (these work your triceps) Look at the picture for some guidance. Keep your back straight and your weight on your heels! Draw in your tummy and extend your arms till they lock. It’s hard, but you can do it!
Jumping Jacks One minute!
20 Bench Ups
Jumping Jacks One more minute!
20 Bench Ups! GO GO GO! Don’t forget to breathe!
• • • Set #5 • • •
20 Squats! Look at the picture then bend those legs. Take 2 seconds to bend down and two seconds to stand back up. You will feel this one in your legs tomorrow!
Run in place For a full minute! Knees high! Quick steady pace!
20 More Squats
Run in place For a full minute!
20 More Squats Feeeeeel the burn. Loooove the burn!
Run in place For a full minute!
• • • Set #6 • • •
Boxing Punches One full minute. See the picture? Stand in place and alternate punches one, two; one, two; one, two; quick speed, full force! Picture someone you’d like to punch!
20 Crunches Get back on the floor!
Boxing Punches Box hard for another full minute!
20 More Crunches!
Boxing Punches Another full minute! Kick his ass!
20 More Crunches!
Aaaand…Rest
Great Job!!!
Make sure you stretch to cool down for a full 5 minutes!
Sit with your legs flat in front of you. Lean forward and reach for your toes. If you’re still breathing fast, keep your head high, up above your heart!
Now pull each arm across your body and use your opposite hand to pull it into a stretch.
Reach your arms over your head—reach higher. Now, lean to the right for a few seconds, before you lean to the left for a few seconds.
Keep breathing, keep working out every day, keep up your game and you will see results!
Doug Kraft, Personal Trainer, Los Angeles, www.dougkraft.com
Frequently Asked Questions
Q:
What counts as exercise?
A:
Anything that speeds up your heart rate and breathing. The rule here is that you want to be able to carry on a conversation but you shouldn’t be able to effectively sing a song.
Q:
What if I exercise more than 20 minutes? Do I get bonus points?
A:
No. You get the pride of accomplishment! You get bragging rights! You probably get quicker weight loss! But you don’t get bonus points, because the game has to maintain a level playing field. You have time to exercise for more than 20 minutes. Some of your teammates and opponents may not, and we want them to have equal point-earning opportunities.
Q:
What if I miss a day of exercise? Can I make it up by exercising more the next day?
A:
You can make it up to your body by exercising more the next day and if you have the time and energy you absolutely should. But you can’t make up the points. Those are gone forever.
Q:
Whhhhhhyyyyyyy can’t I make up the points???
A:
Because, in case you haven’t noticed, this game is all about implementing healthy habits. We are trying to get you into the HABIT of exercising every day. So stop whining. It doesn’t burn nearly as many calories as you think. (Unless you are actually tantruming and stomping your feet on the floor, in which case, have at it!)
Q:
What if I’m sick? Should I still exercise?
A:
You have to listen to your body. Sometimes a little walking to get your blood moving or some gentle stretching will make you feel better when you’re sick. And when you’re sick—REALLY SICK—we allow stretching and slow walking to count as exercise. (You need not move fast enough to speed up your breathing.) But sometimes, you really just want to stay in bed. If your body is saying “Hell, no, I’m not moving!” listen to it. You will lose your exercise points for the day but you will get healthier faster and you will be able to exercise effectively sooner if you get the rest you need.
Q:
Wait. I LOSE my points if I’m too sick to exercise?? That seems totally unfair.
A:
I know. But our experience here it that it generally balances out. (E.g.: Someone on the opposing team gets sick too. Not that you should wish for that. ’Cause that would be bad karma.) And if we had a “sick rule” exception, it would be too easy to abuse. Still, if you can get out of bed and just stretch gently, that earns you full points when you’re sick and may actually make you feel better. A little blood flow goes a long way.
Q:
I’m training for a marathon and running several miles a day. Why should my wife get equal points for just walking around the neighborhood?
A:
Be fair. Your wife is walking FAST around the neighborhood. Her heart rate is up; her breathing is labored (and if it’s not, she should speed up). And she gets equal points because she has no time to train for a marathon, because she’s too busy taking care of you, you selfish prick.
Q:
I am injured and my doctor has advised against exercise but I really want to play the game. What do I do?
A:
Ask your doctor and/or a fitness expert if there’s ANY exercise you can do without further injuring yourself. If it’s a leg injury, are there arm exercises you can do? Or are there physical therapy exercises you can do? If so, they count for your points. If not—if, say, you are recovering from major surgery and have been instructed to SIMPLY NOT MOVE, then talk to your teammates and opponents. Ask them to give you a task that takes 20 minutes a day and will count for your 20 exercise points. It must be something they feel will be a little hard for you but beneficial. Maybe you can write in a journal for 20 minutes a day or if you are terrible at returning e-mails or phone calls, they can assign you that task. I personally have over 15,000 e-mails in my in
-box. If I were recovering from surgery, my teammates could assign me to spend 20 minutes a day organizing and deleting the e-mails in my in-box. It’s not physical exercise, but it’s mental exercise that would improve my life. You get the idea. Be creative. And yay you for wanting to play despite your debilitating injury. You rock.
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Play by the Rules
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Putting your body in motion for 20 minutes a day is worth 20 points a day.
Do whatever fits into your life. We are not exercise snobs; just be sure to do something that makes your breath speed up.
Take a day off.
If serious weight-loss results are what you want, do the HIIT exercise three days a week and lift weights three days a week.
Exercising in the morning jump-starts your metabolism, prompting you to burn more calories throughout the day.
Exercise makes you feel good and clears your head.
Exercise fights disease, strengthens your heart and lungs, and helps you sleep better.
Regular exercise will increase your energy level.
Everyone (even you) can find 20 minutes in the day to move.