Kickboxing Chic’s BodyBlog

A week or so ago a guy at the gym says to me “you sure don’t waste any time.” I don’t waste time because I don’t have time to waste. During the week, work and family consume most of the day. Then on the weekends, it’s all about cramming in laundry, household chores, errands, and preparing to do it all again next week. So in a 168 hour week, I don’t have a single hour to waste. I’ve gotta burn my 500 calories in 1 hour so I can attend to the other tasks that consume my day. Some women at the gym may perceive me as snobby and self-absorbed. The reality is I’m there for a specific reason and don’t have time for chit-chat. I crank my Zune and get to work. The guy who made this comment to me is not the first to share such an observation. In fact, some try to strike a conversation with me because they are impressed with my gym efficiency and want to get some tips. Some of the things I do to maximize my time:

·         Always go in with a plan. Whether you write it on paper or just sketch it out in your mind on the way to the gym, know what exercises you plan to do, how many reps, how many sets, cardio plan, etc.

·         Do super sets or giant sets. Keep your HR up, calorie furnace burning, and time maximized by doing your chosen exercises with minimal rest in between sets.

·         Do it circuit style. Identify about 10 exercises and do them one after the other. Do legs, upper body, core, repeat to allow rest for those areas since you aren’t resting between exercises.

·         Do plyos or calisthenics in between exercises. Spike your HR with a set of burpees, mt climbers, or jumping lunges in between sets to keep your HR up. You may find that your HR is maintained in the same HR zone as if you were doing cardio (or higher). Weight training with the benefits of cardio… who doesn’t want that???

·         HIIT Cardio… no exceptions. Unless you are training for something specific or have a medical condition that requires low intensity cardio, HIIT is the only way to get it done. The other cool thing about HIIT training is you never get bored or acclimated with this type of cardio. You can vary the intensity with incline, resistance, and/or speed on most cardio machines. You can also vary the interval periods. If you can read a book or magazine while doing cardio, then that’s exactly what you are doing… reading a book or magazine.

Calorie burn is all about how much oxygen your body processes. If you take the slow and steady approach to training, it will take you two hours to consume enough oxygen to burn 500 calories. Or you can up the intensity, which creates a greater demand for oxygen, and consume enough oxygen to burn 500 calories in half the time. It is a simple math equation.

As you can see, it is possible to get it done in less time and lots of options of doing so. For me, finding ways to get it done in an hour is what keeps it fun and challenging for me.

A gal who regularly attends my kickboxing class made a comment to me last week that really hit the nail on the head as to why I work so hard to keep myself in tip-top shape and why I spend time continuing to learn more about proper exercise and nutrition. Most can barely keep up with work and family, and I am no exception. But being an example for others and helping others achieve their goals is incredibly important to me. Which is why I wake up at 4:30am to either train or study for my Personal Training certification; why I maintain a clean-eating plan for myself AND my family; why I spend time online learning from all of you. Hearing someone say to me “you make it real for me” is nuff said. Seeing the gals in the magazines is one thing, but actually knowing someone and being able to relate to them on one level or another (i.e. coworkers, fellow parents, fellow gym member, etc) is a whole other story. People who actually know and see me regularly know of the effort I put in, they know that it is not always easy for me, they know that I’m not always perfect. Obviously, I do all this for me, but I also do it for you… helping others achieve their health and fitness goals is equally rewarding to me. I think it is important to see that I don’t achieve my fitness goals through magic supplements, starving myself from real food, or spending hours going at some steady state on the elliptical. It take planning, self-discipline, and flat-out hard work.  After all, this is what is reality.