WOD: Monday June 1, Strength

We are back to school this week, but will keep the blog posted with activities for you to continue to do at home.

Monday:  WOD = Today's Strength workout is brought to you by former RSS grad, Beth Granstrom. 
Beth Granstrom, known as not just a Nordic Skier in our small town but also as a Aquaducks swimmer and coach.  She has not just Aquaducks swim records but a few provincial records for swimming under her belt too.  She has also medaled at the National level for Nordic skiing.  Currently Beth is training at the Alberta World Cup Academy for Nordic skiing and skiing on the BC ski team while studying sciences at the University of Calgary. 

Here's her favourite strength workout:
10 min aerobic activity - run or bike for warm up.

Strength - Repeat each set of two exercises 3x (finish one set before moving onto next)

1. Goblet Squats - use any appropriate weight you can find around the house. 10x
2. Push ups - start doing full push ups but then move to knees as needed. 10x

1. One leg squats - start on one leg and sit down onto a chair and then stand up again. 10x per leg
2. Dips - 10x

Core - hold each exercise for 45s with 15s rest, repeat 2x
1. Leg raises
2. V-sits
3. Russian twists
4. Superman plank - in plank position raise opposite arm and leg

OR try the Darabee "Gargoyle" workout, because who wouldn't want to do a workout called "Gargoyle"!!!?  https://darebee.com/workouts/gargoyle-workout.html

Need a video for motivation try this strength work it has a beginner, intermediate and advanced version.

Thursday May 27- Cardio

Get out for a walk(fast), ride or a run.  Remember the training principals that we have posted over the past weeks.  Check your heart rate/breathing rate to get some feedback that you are in your zone!!  30 minutes minimum.

Here is a workout you can do...remember to warm-up 10 min or so.

https://darebee.com/workouts/top-of-the-world-workout.html


Or this one

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ml6cT4AZdqI

See you next week!!

WOD - Wednesday May 27 - CORE & FLEXIBILITY

Today's WOD on core strength & flexibility is brought to you by Jaime Marshall another former RSS grad who lives and works in our great town.  Jaime currently works as a combined X-ray and Lab tech at Queen Victoria Hospital and is also a certified pilates instructor here in Revelstoke.  She also has a BSc in Zoology from the University of Calgary. 


Since we have also been doing a little history of....how about the history of pilates:  Joseph Pilates was the founder of the pilates movement which started in the 1920's when he and his wife Clara emigrated from Germany to New York and opened the first pilates studio.  Joseph based his work on three main principals:  breath, whole body health & whole body commitment so mind body and spirit.  Today we know pilates to work on core (which encompasses much more than just your abs!)

Here is Jaime's favourite pilates and flexibility pieces:

Workout: Combo of Pilates and some Yoga moves for a full body workout and stretch!

Bridges – mobility bridge (see pelvic curl below in large images)

-        Stability bridge – double leg

-        Heel lifts

-        Single leg bridges

-        Single leg bridge + heel lift

Figure 4 stretch – (hold min 20 sec each side)

Roll up/Roll down

Hip lifts

Roll over

Boomerang

4 point kneeling

Cat/Cow stretch

Plank  - scapular push-up

            -full push up

Down dog – shoulder presses

Plank/bear/downdog x5. Link here:

Side Lying – clock stretch link

-        Leg lifts

-        Leg circles

-        Bicycle

-        Clam

*Switch sides

Finish in child’s pose – walk hands to side of mat, lat stretch

Or try this 20 minute pilates video

Or try these 5 pilates exercises:

1. Pelvic Curl

Lie on your mat with your knees bent, feet flat on the floor. Make sure your feet are hip-distance apart. 

Inhale – prepare

Exhale – articulate your spine up into a bridge position one vertebra at a time

Inhale – pause at the top and reach your knees over your toes to open up your hip flexors

Exhale – soften your chest and articulate your spine down to the ground one vertebra at a time

Repeat 8-10x.

2. The Hundred

Lie on your mat with your knees in table top position. Gently hold behind your thighs, nod your chin to your chest and lift your head, neck and chest up off of the mat using your abdominals Flatten your back into the mat, reach your arms forward and extend your legs on a 45 degree angle.

Inhale for the count of 5 – pumping your arms as you go

Exhale for the count of 5 – continuing to pump your arms

Repeat the breath cycle 10x.

3. Single Leg Stretch

Lie on your mat with your knees in table top position. Gently hold behind your thighs, nod your chin to your chest and lift your head, neck and chest up off of the mat using your abdominals. Place both hands on your right knee as you extend your left leg out on a 45 degree angle. 

Inhale – switch legs, drawing your bent knee in toward you and flexing at the hip crease

Exhale – switch legs

Perform 8-10 reps on each side.

4. Teaser

Lie on your back with your legs long and arm yours down by your side. 

Inhale – raise you arms up by your ears

Exhale – drop the shoulder blade down onto the back 

Inhale – raise your straight legs up off of the mat and reach your arms toward your toes, beaming your chest to the sky

Exhale – lower your body with control to return to starting position

Repeat 8-10x.

5. Swimming

Lie on your tummy with your arms stretched out in front of you. Lengthen your lower back and pull your belly button off of the mat. Float your arms, legs and head off of the floor, keeping your gaze down toward the mat.

Perform a swimming motion by raising your right arm and left leg, then switching to the other side, maintaining stable trunk the entire time.

As you move the arms and legs quickly, the breath pattern is one inhale per two swims and one exhale per two swimming motions.

Repeat for 8-10 breaths.

PE WOD - Tuesday May 26 - HIIT

PE - Workout of the Day
Focus:  HIIT 

A quick reminder - with HIIT workouts - we want to really push ourselves during the activity and get our heart rates up into our upper target zone range (80% of our max - for you that means about 160 bpm.)  It should be difficult for you to speak more than a few words when you are working at this intensity.  Make sure you rest in between sets or exercises (follow workout directions).

Dynamic Stretching Warm-up:  


HIIT Workout: Option 1



HIIT Workout: Option 2  

Do each move in this HIIT cardio workout below for your selected interval. At the end of each circuit, rest for 60 seconds. Each circuit will be seven minutes total, including the rest period. Do the entire circuit four times for a total of 28 minutes. Note: You can easily adjust the length of this workout by simply adding or eliminating a circuit.

• Option 1: 30 seconds of work, 30 seconds of rest
• Option 2: 45 seconds of work, 15 seconds of rest

Exercise 1 - Butt Kicks

Exercise 2 - Reverse Lunges

Exercise 3 - Pop Squats

Exercise 4 - Downward Dog to Toe Tap

Exercise 5 - Skater

Exercise 6 - Forearm Plank Hold

Taken from: https://www.self.com/gallery/hiit-cardio-workout

***Remember to log your activity using the 

PE Journal 2020 Form

Mon May 25th WOD

If you have been following along with the blog through our time away form regular class, you should be seeing excellent progress with your strength and conditioning... I bet you feel great!

It is always important to work muscle groups in pairs.  For example, if we work the biceps, we also want to make sure we work the triceps, two muscles that move in opposite directions.  This pairing is called an antagonistic pair.  This is why we often prescribe a push-movement and a pull-movement.  While it isn't a requirement that you necessarily hit both sides of a pairing on the same day, it is important that a strength program targets both muscles in a balanced way.  So, you might see someone at the gym doing a "chest day" workout one day, but hopefully that person has an equivalent "back day" later in the week.

See if you can match-up the muscles and their movements... you may have to google a muscle or two (or three!) if they aren't familiar.

It is good to re-visit some workouts to gauge your improvement.  Here is the workout from back on April 21st. Modify the exercises to give you a good workout (ie feet on a chair for pushups, weight in a backpack for squats, deeper rows)

Complete a short dynamic warmup (5min) to get ready for the workout.
The classic four-pack of body weight exercises.  Complete all of one exercise before moving on to the next.  We will do four sets of each exercise with 2 min rest in between.

Squats-4 sets of 10-15
-Slowly squat down counting a full three seconds on the way down.  Pause for 1 second at the bottom of the squat and then rise back to full stand taking 2 full seconds. (3-1-2 timing)
-Keep a strong neutral spine and make sure your knees are tracking to your toes

Push Ups-4 sets of as many reps as possible
-ideally your target is between 10-20
-modify to knees if necessary
-if crushing more than 20 in a set put your feet up on a couch or chair to increase the challenge
-if more of a challenge is necessary, do the 3-1-2 technique as in the squats

Rows
-4 sets of 10-15
-Use the bedsheet hack for a home row station Bedsheet in Doorframe rows

Hollow Holds-4 sets of as long as you can hold it :)

WOD: Thursday May 21 CARDIO

Today is cardio day!!  Get out there and ride your bike, run, walk, rollerblade or roller ski!  Try and find a dry moment if you can but I quite enjoy running in the drizzle!  Combine a couple of activities but get out there and move for at least 30 minutes! 



If you need a little more motivation here is a bike workout from Emily Unterberger that might just be the ticket today!! 

Bike Work Out


Warm up 15 minutes
2 x 6 second starts
40 seconds easy
2 x 15 second starts
2 minutes easy
2 x 30 second starts
3 minutes easy

** Pretend you are starting a race for these. Start from a standing position and visualize yourself starting amongst a large group of people. If you don’t have a convenient way to measure time
pick a marker on the side of the road at approximately a 6 second, 15 second and 30 second distance to race to. These can be done on a flat road or on a slight incline.


5-10 minutes of steady riding

2 sets of:
4 x 2 minutes of force climbs
2 minutes rest between reps
4 minutes rest between sets
** These are to be done on a climb in a hard gear and low cadence (slow pedalling but really pushing on the pedals; 60-70 rpm if you have a cadence sensor)

Wed-May 20 Tabata Workouts

The History of Tabata

Tabata training was discovered by Japanese scientist Dr. Izumi Tabata and a team of researchers from the National Institute of Fitness and Sports in Tokyo.

Tabata and his team conducted research on two groups of athletes. The first group trained at a moderate intensity level while the second group trained at a high-intensity level. The moderate intensity group worked out five days a week for a total of six weeks; each workout lasted one hour. The high-intensity group worked out four days a week for six weeks; each workout lasted four minutes and 20 seconds (with 10 seconds of rest in between each set).

The results; Group 1 had increased their aerobic system (cardiovascular), but showed little or no results for their anaerobic system (muscle). Group 2 showed much more increase in their aerobic system than Group 1, and increased their anaerobic system by 28 percent.

In conclusion, high-intensity interval training has more impact on both the aerobic and anaerobic systems.

An example of a Tabata workout looks like this:

1. Push-ups (4 minutes) 
2. Bodyweight Squats (4 minutes)
3. Burpees (4 minutes)
4. Mountain Climbers (4 minutes)

Start with push-ups. Perform them for 20 seconds at a high-intensity. Rest for 10 seconds, and then go back to doing push-ups for 20 seconds. Once you complete eight sets of push-ups, rest for one minute.

Next, move on to squats and repeat the sequence of 20 seconds on, 10 seconds off. Once you finish eight sets of squats, rest for one minute, and then do burpees. After burpees, finish the workout with mountain climbers.

Here are a couple options....

For those of you who like to follow a video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JaRd29k0RYY

WOD: May 19, strength

Well, the distance challenge is over...do you know which team won and got to Bend?

Today's WOD is a strength workout brought to you by a former RSS grad.

Emily Unterberger.....do you know that name?  She was a pretty amazing alpine racer in her high school days.  After she graduated from RSS she moved toward biking and today is a high end cross country mountain bike racer.  She currently is training with Pendrel Racing Development.  If you mountain bike in Revelstoke you will likely see her training..  She balances this with going to Uni.  I ran into her on the trails this weekend and she sent me a couple of workouts for you folk!

Here is her favourite strength workout (look out for her favourite cardio workout later this week or next).

Strength Work Out from Emily
(as with all workouts, if there is a section that causes you pain or the number of reps is too high scale back accordingly)


Warm up:
5-10 min warm up run
2 x 15 A skips (video here)
2 x 15 butt kickers
2 x 15 karaoke
3 x 30 seconds skipping (if skipping rope available)

Lower Body:
3 x 10 walking lunges (per leg)
3 x 5-10 single leg squats (or normal squats and work up to doing single leg squats)
2 x 5 Box jumps

Upper Body:
3 x 10 bench dips
3 x 10-15 push ups

Core:
3 x 60 second swiss ball plank (as described in this video)
3 x 30 s per side, side plank (can increase difficulty by lifting top leg or doing side plank dips)
3 x 20-30 swiss ball knee ins
3 x 20-30 swiss ball ham curls


** If no swiss ball available:
3 x 60 sec plank with alternating arm and leg lifts
3 x 30s per side, side plank
3 x 30 v- ups (video here)
3 x 20-30 single leg back bridges  (video here)

Stretch or foam roll

Friday-May 15  History-Intervals-Fartlek

The following link includes an article and a video which focuses on one of Canada's best runners and a little snapshot of how athletics were done in the past.

Tom Longboat

Try this interval session for runners

Fun Way to Improve Your Speed and Endurance Fart-lek

Fartlek, a Swedish term that means "speed play," is a form of interval or speed training that can be effective in improving your running speed and endurance. Fartlek running involves varying your pace throughout your run, alternating between fast segments and slow jogs.

WOD: Thursday May 14

Lindsey Corrigan is a former RSS grad, amazing athlete and now is a physiotherapist in town at Mountainside Physiotherapy.  She has spent a lot of time on her bike, and done a bit of racing too.   
Here is a strength and stretching workout that she designed especially for you!  Thanks Lindsey!!!
https://ca.physiapp.com/program/2020-05-13

Note each of these pictures has a video with description.

Wed May 13th - WOD

Check out the meet up with special guest Casey Brown!

LINK TO THE VIDEO -->> HERE

Updated!

Casey's Bodyweight circuit

Alternating lunge jump squats x 16 (8 each side)

Scapula pushups x 5

(add elbow touch in the middle as Casey describes in the video)

Deadbugs x 20 sec

Supermans x 10

COMPLETE 5 Rounds at your own pace

WOD: Tuesday May 12

Go Crush some km's!!! 
The goal of this distance challenge is to get everyone moving, outside!!
The weather is great and it's fun to do with a friend, you can easily social distance and ride, walk or run!

Why biking is a great cardio choice?
Number one reason, it is easy on your joints!  It is really great for your legs, gluts and your core.  It's great when you can double up a commute with your exercise!! 
You should aim to be on your bike for at least 30 minutes and if you're just going for a ride, try and fit in at least one hill!  Social Distancing on a bike is very doable while having a conversation!

A few Great places to ride your bike in Revelstoke (there a lots, but here are a few great choices):
1.  Have you ridden out over the pedestrian bridge off the green belt?  Did you know you can ride all the way to the airport?  It's flat and super scenic!  Go beyond and you might be treated by the otters playing in the ponds past the airport.

2.  Want an easy road ride?  Head out to the end of the pavement along airport way, there's not much traffic right now so give it a try.....even if you just go to the Cartier trail head, it's a great scenic ride.

3.  Mountain biker?  CPR Hill is all open (easy access via trail behind museum), lower Macpherson is all open (access via Begbie Falls Road or , lower ski hill riding is open, Tantrum, Buff Enough, Tight Rope, lower Berm Donor are all open (a couple of snow patches).

4.  Want some easy km's?  Ride both Green Belts!  Or ride the paved path from Columbia Park under the highway bridge to Big Eddy Bridge and then hit up the Big Eddy Green Belt.  (Lots of easy trails to run or ride on both these Green Belts).

Taking a day off the bike and want to do some light strength and cardio? (From clymb cycling blog)
THE WRESTLER’S SQUAT
It’s simple to do, in theory. Kneel on the floor or on an exercise mat and slowly, one leg at a time, step up into a squatting position. Your legs should never be straight during this process, and you shouldn’t be standing straight up either. Now, one leg at a time, step back into the kneeling position. Continue this for at least 60 seconds, go for two if you can, and alternate the lead leg halfway through.
ONE-LEG BRIDGE CHANGEOVERS
Lie on your back and place both feet flat on the floor. Your arms should be flat on the floor or lying across your chest. Now, push your pelvis up off the floor so you’re creating a flat plane from your knees down to your chest. Holding this position, lift your right leg into the air until it’s straight. Squeeze your left glute tight and hold for three seconds. Lower it back down and repeat with the opposite leg.
Continue for 60 seconds.
SKIP ROPE
To amp up the exercise, with each skip drive your knee up toward your chest and back down, alternating legs every few skips. Do this for five sets of 12 reps, or 60 seconds.
LUNGES
You don’t have to get fancy to increase your cycling skills, and lunges are a great cycling-specific exercise to help increase your quad strength. They’re also good for increasing hip flexibility and strengthening the hamstrings, so make sure to fit them into your workout program.
It’s important to remember when doing lunges to avoid jerking movements or extending your knee too far forward. A slow, controlled lunge with the front of the knee lining up with the edge of your toe is the goal. Aim for 5 sets of 15 reps without weights when you’re starting out.

A LITTLE CORE (is good for every person and every sport)
Here is a video with a 5 exercises that include beginner and more advanced exercise variations.  It is a good reminder that our core is more than just our abs.  Click HERE for video.

Here is a little post bike ride 10 minute yoga /stretching sequence video. 

Monday May 11

Hi All;

No class has achieved the Distance Challenge..... YET.  So let's keep logging those kms - get out there and continue to walk, jog, cycle, etc.  Let's see who can get to 1000 kms first.

Here are some tips for climbing hills when cycling (according to British Cycling).

Whether you are new to cycling or just looking to improve your technique, here are 10 tips for getting up and over those hills.

1)     Pacing -If the gradient allows, pace the early sections of a climb conservatively, ride within your ability and avoid going into the red. Using heart rate or a power meter is ideal but another good guide is that you are still able to talk, even if it is just in short sentences. 

2)     Cadence -Some very steep climbs are inevitable grinds but, if possible, look to maintain a cadence of 75-90 rpm. 

3)     Gear selection - Use your gears to maintain your cadence. Think ahead with your gear selection and try to avoid shifts, especially between chainrings, when under heavy load or you will risk dropping your chain.

4)     Seated climbing - In general it is more efficient and sustainable to climb in a seated position. Try to keep your head up, a relaxed grip on your bars and a still and stable upper body.

5)     Standing climbing - Sometimes the gradient, or just a need for some variety, will get you up and out of your saddle. Try to shift up a gear when you stand and, although it is normal to gently rock the bike from side to side, don’t exaggerate it

6)     Relax - Whether you are standing or sitting, keep your upper body as still and relaxed as possible. Avoid bobbing or swaying as this wastes energy and don’t wrestle with your bike.

7)     Traction - If the road is wet or slippery, stay seated, drop your chest towards your handlebars and shift forwards on your saddle.

8)     Take a breather - If the hill eases off, take the opportunity to catch your breath but don’t lose your momentum. If there is a downhill, shift up a couple of gears, try to keep pedalling and carry some speed onto the next uphill ramp. 

9)     Pedalling technique - Really focus on pedalling smooth circles rather than just stamping on your pedals. This will increase efficiency, recruit more muscles and improve traction. 

10)  Rhythm - If you watch a top climber, they will often look as though they are “dancing” up a climb. You might not quite manage this but, by holding a tune or rhythm in your head or even just counting, you might find this helps your climbing.

For those of you who are beginner joggers, here are some simple tips (taken from a website:  Tips for Beginning Joggers.)

1. START WITH SHORT RUNNING INTERVALS - As a new runner, you shouldn’t plan on running the entire distance in one go. “Break it down into intervals and try to keep them short at the beginning. Don’t be ashamed to walk between the intervals so you can recover a little.  Begin by alternating between 2 minutes of jogging and 2 minutes of walking. Increase your running intervals by one minute per workout until you can run the entire distance at a stretch without having to walk.

2. DON’T START OUT RUNNING TOO FAST - Your body has to get used to the new stresses and strains of running. Many beginners start out running too fast and pay the price for this mistake within just a few minutes. Frustration, overexertion, pain or even injuries are just some of the consequences. Therefore, start running at a moderate pace (i.e. where you can easily hold a conversation). 

3. YOUR BODY NEEDS TIME TO RECOVER - Your first run went well and you want to head out again right away? Great!  But you should wait a day before attempting the next workout: your body needs to rest so it can recover from the first running session. Schedule your training so you run one day and rest the next. This simple training plan can help beginners achieve the greatest training effect and avoid overuse injuries.

4. RUN EASY AND TAKE SHORT STEPS - Running is a technically challenging sport. Try to run relaxed and with good form. Short, easy steps are more effective than long, powerful strides that act as a brake, slowing your forward momentum with every footfall. 

5. DON’T GET WORKED UP ABOUT SIDE ACHES - Many people suffer from side aches when jogging. Try to avoid eating anything solid about two hours before your workout and only drink in small quantities. When a side ache does strike, take a break and walk. Breath calmly and in a relaxed rhythm. Press your hands against the side that hurts. Don’t start running again (and then only slowly) until the pain has gone away.

6. TAKE CARE OF YOUR BODY - Running is a full-body workout. Your core is the control center. Through it, your arm swing influences every movement from your hips down, including step length and cadence. In order to run tall, you need a strong, healthy, stable core. The rest of your muscles should also be in good shape so you can run light on your feet. Plus, a well-conditioned body helps prevent overuse and compensation injuries. This applies for all the body parts involved in running. Regular strength training leads to better running performance.

7. MAKE SURE TO CROSS TRAIN - Your heart loves variety, and doing different types of sports also reduces the stress running places on your joints and spine and keeps things from getting boring. 

On that note, anyone looking for a little more exercise for the day?