For When There Just Isn't Time

You know when you have one of those weeks where you seem to be half as busy as normal? Like things magically solved themselves and you accumulated free time that you hadn't known existed before professors learned how to post mandatory assignments at random online.  Okay really these types of weeks happen once in a blue moon most of the time, but what's worse is the following week. These 'home-free-things-fixed-themselves' days usually signify that the to-do list is merely stocking up its arsenal. I get genuinely suspicious when I find myself with options for how to spend my time, and almost every time, a calm week signifies the craziness that is to come.

Last week was one of those weeks. So of course this week was double the madness IE extra work hours, double the meetings, and a very dirty apartment that needed a bath.  When things get hectic finding time to workout can be a very real struggle.  While anyone on the outside would just tell you to wake up at the crack of dawn to fit it in like it's some no brainier,  I wonder how willing would you be to step out of bed after 4 hours of sleep and a marathon of a day under your belt? Not very I'm assuming. From there you are forced to make choices and what's the first to go you ask...probably not your favorite hour of TV...nor eating (thank goodness for necessities)... but an hour long session in the weight room, sweat drenched clothes, and achy muscles? I suppose we could find room for some cuts.

The result is the cycle of un-productivity. No workout leads to feeling like a slug, feeling like a slug leads to Netflix marathons, lack of real marathons happening means even less working out, and so on. So for when your weeks sneak up on you, and there just isn't time I am telling you there is time so just do it you will thank yourself later.

Multitask: read while walking or walk while reading whatever works best. Sure there are studies that have shown the ineffectiveness of pairing work with your workout, but even 20 minutes of the two works your brain in a totally different way that counts.

Stop sitting: burn more cals per hour and feel more awake by not sitting. Pace around, walk backwards whatever works for you. Progressive "fit companies" have the stand up desk and so can you.

5 minute fire drill: there are TONS of pre-made minute by minute workouts at your finger tips, so use em! In 5 minutes you can supposedly burn 100 cals with 40 jumping jacks, 30 crunches, 20 squats, and 15 push ups...can't argue with that.

Roll with it: once you get going and start demolishing your to-do list it can be hard to slow down. Use that energy to squeeze in even a half hour of gym time, in the case of thee overworked college student a little goes a long way in most situations.

Reward system: 10 push ups for every page studied? how exciting! Okay so feeling the full force of your body weight and your ability (or lack there of in my case) to support it may not be the most enjoyable way to spend a minute, but the adrenaline from upping your heart rate for a little can get you focused by working both your brain and your muscles.

When things get crazy even the smallest workout can be the best form of therapy. Try to keep making your health a priority even through the hectic times.

-R

Why Sweat?

We all workout for different reasons. Whenever I am asked or think about why I choose to sweat things out as opposed to other hobbies or interests, it is always a little challenging to describe. Yes like most of us, a huge reason is so I can squeeze into pants when the opportunity presents itself. Yes, so I can go wild and get desert with dinner from time to time. I can even admit that I workout because I fear what my backside would look like otherwise. But the more I think about it, the more I know it is for more than that.

People try to start loving fitness all the time, and half the time this attempt at the treadmill results in reinforcing why Netflix and ice cream made you feel much better. It is pretty mind blowing that some people would kill for a full day of gym time, while others would rather go get a splinter and then slam their finger in there car door before they looked at the weight room.

After considering possible reasons as to why there is such a great exercise divide, I have decided that it comes down to individual motivation. Are you the 'will sweat for beach season' kind? Or the 'it fulfills my soul' type? Even having a combination of the two can put you at various points on the 'why bother working out at all' spectrum.

Your workout goals can be the deciding factor in the future of your fitness minded lifestyle. It is important to understand your motivation towards an active lifestyle which will allow you to more easily anticipate how you will handle potential obstacles and the experience as a whole. If you had to generalize the one major reason why people push themselves to the point of physical exhaustion one answer is probably for happiness. You want to feel happy with yourself, your thoughts, your appearance, etc. From there everything else will start heading in the right direction...at least it should if your goals are in order.

Where those trying to break into fitness fall short, are those goals that are materially focused. Meaning you ellipticize because you will be the best looking naked person in the room. You strut around hoping to bump into that gorgeous dumbbell dude you see every day. Or the classic doing laps for the best gym candid to hit Instagram in 2013. These are all extrinsically minded goals. When you are shooting for status over fulfillment, chances are your plan to become a fitness enthusiast will last about as long as your new Nike shoes are in style. Really at this point the goal isn't even to enjoy a workout, but you still pretend that was the original goal. As a result, you the gymstagramer will resolve yourself to the fact that it "just wasn't for you", and bitterly recall that one time you tried...insert grand workout plan here. 

People who act on extrinsic motivations are dramatically less happy and successful than those who are intrinsically motivated.

A few CHAARG girls reaching their goals

The majority of researchers agree that when it comes to the human brain you've gotta use it or lose it. Contrary to how you may feel after your first date with the personal trainer, your mind loves change. One of the best ways to enhance happiness is to change it up in simple ways. Intrinsic goals and trying new things in hopes of personal growth end up being more rewarding and keep you feeling fulfilled. These motivations are why you all of a sudden can appreciate stepping in someones sweat imprint after hot yoga, or why sweat flinging off the back of the treadmill doesn't make you nauseous. When you are in the process of trying out a lifestyle in fitness, it is a beneficial choice to try it for the reward of the sweat, or the sheer accomplishment of trying something new. If you have realistic expectations and hope for how a workout will be rewarding, the habit will catch on and become a part of your lifestyle.

There is a reason material wants are objects. They remain detached and only surface level. Utilizing intrinsic goals in your workout journey will ensure that whatever the outcome is, it will be a meaningful one. This idea clearly applies to anything you could want in life from careers to relationships, and it certainly pertains to achieving a more worthwhile existence.

Whether fitness is already a lifestyle or something you have considered pursuing, have balance, an open mind, and you will never cease to surprise yourself!

 

-R

So You Want to Follow a Health Plan

I recently started following an exercise plan. A full blown this is what you do every day scheduled agenda. This was my first time ever tackling something that involved commitment and accountability in terms of fitness.  Usually my attention span fails me once I get a week in and I'm on to the next thing. I'm sure this tendency is linked to some deeper trait that reflects qualities in personal character, but for now I'm choosing to look at it for face value.  It is just such a foreign concept. Usually my decision to either go to the gym or run outside is decided on a 5 minute walk in between classes where I gauge the weather and/or how enjoyable it would be to run outside. I have run half marathons and never followed a strict race schedule, and I rarely know what I weigh (the universal agonizing number for most gals). I am quickly realizing that my "fitness routine" is more like a trip to IKEA you never know what you'll be walking home with.

This method has benefited me in numerous ways, primarily though keeping everything guessing from my body to running buddies; it's all just up in the air, non-committal and pressure free. For some reason I have always disregarded the 90 day shred, or whatever intense daily commitment a lot of people choose to make. It's not that there is any issue with doing something every day, but more so attempting to avoid the stress that comes with accountability. The thought of analyzing every single day's work is intimidating, especially when the last time you paid this much attention to your personal daily life was coping with the emotional aftermath of the Dexter series finale.

some of the lovely fitplan participants

 When it comes to workouts, finding what works for you can be hard enough on top of keeping track of the fit schedule you willingly registered for.  Here are a few things I felt the need to write out in hopes of motivating others who are wary of things with a specific time of commitment.  

Adjustments a non-commiter must make towards commitment:

One commitment doesn't need to turn into 5: It was like once I successfully accomplished a few days of the plan I had these adrenaline induced muscles that allowed me to be in 5 places at once.  Once you are productive in some aspect of your life, you suddenly find this motivation to start giving 150% at everything you do. While this is a really amazing thing, one day of power yoga isn't going to give you the ability to seamlessly rehab your entire life resist the urge to spread yourself too thin.  

Change IS stressful: This workout just asked me to go into the weight room. Like the room that has the bar and the sweaty dudes slinging weights around. It is a place where neon Nike frees and Luluemon tights are like having an extra limb coming out of your chest.  I have always been amazed at people who can just move to a new place, transition into a new job, break up with their boyfriend, and go on like all is right with the world. Tackling a workout regimen will challenge you to accept change both with your body and routine. It may feel a little stressful, but a little change can go a long way.
 
Routine is a good thing: Non-commiters are no stranger to chaos. In fact a day filled with simultaneous failed plans, spilled coffee, and forgotten exams is almost expected.  Once you avoid commitment for so long the idea of a routine can seem daunting.  Let your new workout plan help bring you back to some semblance of a schedule.  Just when you are feeling too overwhelmed by the day, your daily workout can help ease the stress. 

No 'do this to do that' mentality: The beautiful thing about a fitness plan is that it is solely focused on producing change for YOU. None of that SHAPE magazine run for an hour to burn off the two cookies you had at lunch, or swimming a bazillion laps equals the calories in your sliver of cake.  "Motivators" like that can make anyone turn towards a pack of Oreos to avoid all of the calculations.  Your fitness plan is meant to be an aid, not a tool through which you continue to over analyze your life.  

Let go of control: I know...you have run a for half hour on the treadmill every day since you were in the fourth grade.  Your fitness plan is going to challenge that need to control your routine.  Whatever it is about working out it seem like once you find what you enjoy the thought of missing your squat reps can seem downright insane.  A fitness regimen will help broaden your interests as well as reveal new opportunities you may not have considered. 

It doesn't mean you are doing it wrong: Now you didn't get to do your squat reps and some other weird rep came and took its place. I found myself  going back and doing my 'comfort zone workout' after completing the new plan's daily routine.  It took a few days for it to sink in that whatever plan you are following is called a plan for a reason.  The new workouts may not be the same, but they still count!

Thank you Share it Fitness for challenging us to step out of our comfort zones and try something new. It will be exciting to see the changes!

-RV

The 10 Workouts you Already Dominate

A friend of mine was talking about the fact that she was going to three different workout classes the other day for a total of three straight hours of activity. Besides the fact that she was able to find three straight hours to fill, I was dumbfounded as to why on earth someone would feel the need to inflict that kind of personal exhaustion for the time it takes Dexter to off 4-5 criminals. I realize that I am not one to talk being known to spend the majority of my time doing various active things, but that doesn't mean I go spin for three hours straight (at least not yet).

Then I realized a lot of people around me were rattling off the 50 new awesome workouts they tried this week one of which being karaoke spinning...excuse me? Suddenly I felt like I had missed the memo. You hear every day about all of the workouts you need to start doing, how you aren’t doing enough to be active. Basically you can’t turn on the TV without being made to feel insecure about the freshly scooped ice cream you just busted out because supposedly everyone else is just constantly going on runs and all 'sweat is weakness leaving the body'. I would say most people know where to draw the line between inducing a heart attack and glistening after the elliptical, but recently I have had my doubts. Basically my primary concern is that you and your working out are not turning to a microphone on a spin bike just like iPhone turned to selfies and filters; rather than pure exercise goodness. 

This little article is meant to highlight how you may be overlooking your already fit choices you are making without running 10 miles to feel validated.  So you may not be killing it in the gym every single day, but I can think of 10 pretty legitimate workouts that you do daily that go unaccredited because you aren’t wearing cool Nike swag, or eating colorful quinoa, or ready for the classic instawitter combo (that’s when you tweet and gram it at the same time fyi) when you do these things, and no one really cares unless its documented through 5 mediums of social networking right? 

10 Workouts you Already Dominate 

I led a hip-hop yoga...not quite karaoke status

1. Walking...with your life on your back: Jobs, class, workouts, clubs whatever it is; usually demands at least a few extra articles of clothing and/or every textbook you own. Come Tuesday I usually have enough in my backpack to last me a week. 

2. Your life without a dishwasher: enough said. If you added the hours spent scrubbing with that 'leaves your hands smelling like mold' sponge, you may realize you just fulfilled a week of workouts. 

3. Logging on: I don't know about you but I have at least 10 different email accounts for myself and jobs that I am forced to regularly check. Not to mention the 40 different sites that require a username and password. I have every variation of my dogs name and capital letter with an exclamation point you can imagine and remembering them is no walk in the park.

4. Scaling the climb to your front door: That super cute vintage gaslight apartment up on the hill located on the 5th floor that was the best idea you have ever had...probably not as awesome once you make it up 6 flights of stairs carrying that bag that has your life in it. 

5. Research Methods and Analytical Patterns (insert torturous class here): maintaining consciousness through 15 weeks of PowerPoint presentations without collapsing on the floor in a heap of boredom exhibits the endurance of a true champion.  

6. Brushing: your hair, teeth, the stains from last nights fun, only because a load of laundry costs $3 these days, whatever it is you brush you know how your arm burns after wrestling with the knot after mere minutes.

7. If you have ever tried to decipher how to operate a Clifton lock and key: the chances of you actually having the right key to the right lock are about as likely as the lock actually being installed right side up and clockwise.  They are a mental puzzle that even the brightest have failed to accomplish.

8. Carrying 30 bags of groceries simultaneously: similar to the brush workout. I'd like to see any of these new hip workouts make you feel as if your arm is literally going to rip off of your body. Combine this workout with #1 & #4 and you're spring break ready. 

9. Getting clothes on for Friday night: 4 pairs of pants=20 burpees...and a strained hip. 

10. 9-12 hour part-time job shifts: everyone complains about their 9-5 and there are plenty of reasons as to why this happens, but I would say anyone working a part time job for more than 8 hours a day has every right to complain a little bit. Corporate professionals deal with meetings, ridiculous bosses, and monotonous days. The part-timers deal with this corporate person who is miserable after leaving their full time job and now they are hungry, miserable, angry, and their shoes are too small.  Dealing with the public provides a lifetime of tactical moves.  If you have ever powered through your full day at a part time job congrats you earned your workout. 

Did you get your workout in yet today?

-R

The Best Workout you Haven't Tried

I have always been a serial workout dater. There are only so many ways you can repeat those sun salutations in yoga, or sit up and down on your spin bike. When I meet a new one it doesn't take long before I'm signed up 4 times a week giving up my independent freedom to workout on my own time and consuming myself in the workout of the month.  Like many serious relationships that interest begins to fade. You know they start being too needy, taking up too much of your time, trying to hold your hand too much, and being generally smothering.  Basically my attention span to fitness is comparable to that of a two year old at the zoo.  Every foreign sweat session is my new favorite animal without the public yells of excitement and Velcro shoes of course. I have actually enjoyed the majority of new ones that were tried with the exception of this one yoga class where we had to make animal like sounds while breathing the entire time. That one threw me off a little bit. 

When summer rolls around and college students are given the choice to pay for a gym membership or wait until they are members through studentship again chances are my bagel and oatmeal budget is going to take precedence. Every summer I wonder how on earth I will fill the gym void. I wish I could be one of those people who can magically run 50 miles a week and never feel pain, not the case for this average runner (click to read more on what it means to be average). My legs tend to lose it upon consecutive days of hilly runs which leaves me sore and without gym relief.

However, this summer I believe I found my workout soul mate.  It is the perfect compliment to my exceptionally short attention span in the midst of adrenaline pumping fitness.  This workout encompasses aspects of the tons of different little workouts that have come in and out of the routine, minus the bizarre animal sounds you can make through doing a headstand and restricting your breathing (post to come on this experience). If you feel the same lack of focus towards one monotonous fitness routine then this workout is for you.

Tabata

I realize it is fairly common by now and a general practice among those who prefer high intensity interval training, but the amount of people I have talked to about it look at me with this perplexed reaction and proceed to butcher how the word is either spelled or spoken.  I get it...it's a weird word.   It even isn't recognizing it as a real word when you type it.  Why tabata you ask? Here is why

hill run tabata day in AZ

1. It goes fast: Tabata works like this-20 seconds on 10 seconds rest.  During your 20 second interval you go as fast as you can until the timer beeps your rest period. Then repeat 8 times. For those math whizzes out there that's only a mere 4 minutes per tabata.  I do the routine and it is over before I start getting bored of it. With an incredibly hectic schedule this workout fits perfectly if you need a quick and thorough workout.  You can pick a combination of moves and alternate throughout the 8 rounds to give a more total body workout.  

2. User Friendly: My mom who I can guess would rather do just about anything else than participate in a high intensity interval training workout even enjoys tabata. This routine is absolutely perfect for anyone interested in trying new moves or a quick and potentially painless routine.  You are able to pick moves that are as difficult as you want them to be. So you want to walk in circles as hard as you can every 20 seconds? Do it, it's still tabata!

3.You sweat...a lot: transitioning from burpees to tuck jumps and back to burpees 8 times makes me start sweating at the mere thought. Upping your heart rate so suddenly and then tricking it by stopping for 10 seconds really gets the blood pumping which means after a thorough tabata it would not be abnormal to be sweating as if you just ran uphill with a bag of bricks strapped on your back wearing a vinyl body suit.

 

4. High calorie burn: hello ice cream for dessert! The elevated heart rate combined with the muscle confusion of always changing up the move= tons of calories burned in a much shorter time period. As opposed to stuffing grass and heads of lettuce in your mason jar ice water to conserve calories try to sweating it out instead with tabata. If you pick moves that target multiple muscles and incorporate cardio you will feel the results of your self inflicted ass kicking. 

5. Expand your horizons: ugh one hyphenated word.... push-ups.  I just can't learn to love them no matter how hard I try, but tabata makes trying them out a lot more bearable.  Just when I'm starting to look like a slug crawling up the driveway the timer beeps and I can begin forgetting how ridiculous trying to bench my body weight ends up looking.  Whatever moves you have in mind just try it, it's only 20 seconds. Hope you love it!

-R

Switching Gears

I was looking around my room last night and was horrified to find out that I had been forgetting to clean it the past two months. Not that it looked atrocious or really all that unmessy to the general visitor, but after being in the habit of obsessively cleaning my hardwood floors every other day, the dust that I knew I would find and that pile of laundry in the corner weren't making things better.  All stages of summer were just hanging around sucking the motivation out of the place. For example... I should be working on my resume but oh look there is my tennis racket...anyone want to hit?! The entire day I mentally prepared for the intense cleaning I was going to do when I got off work because both myself and my room needed it. I had bags of things. It was like I spent my entire summer living on foot out of some random over sized bag that looked horribly banged up and worn from grinding the skin off my shoulders as I trekked around doing whatever I just spent my entire summer doing (working). Literally I had accumulated four tooth brushes, random un-matched socks, and for some reason lots of unused napkins.

I finally got home so excited to clean it all and found myself done a mere half hour later. So the big room cleanse wasn’t as eventful as I thought… nor was it as messy as I was hoping. Classes were starting the next day and I realized a lot of the stress was coming from the fact that we are transitioning back into school. The thought of managing 7 classes, jobs, workouts, clubs, and a social life made me want to drop kick my planner out of the third story window in hopes that it could all just work itself out...clearly not the case. For some reason my brain didn’t (and still on day two of classes really doesn’t) want to go back to school. I don’t know why it wouldn’t want to change gears…obsessively relying on blackboard to tell you what you will be doing next and discussion boards that won’t load on your computer that are due in 30 minutes for 50% of your grade sound like a blast! Anyways…I tried to think of other things that could be done to help trick myself into thinking that colder months, hours of note taking, and the fear of not graduating could be more enjoyable than spending afternoons by the pool, or having the time to read a book that doesn’t cost $500.

loved these relaxing summer mornings

Here are a few that I came up with…

1. Throw away unnecessary last year school junk: as I was cleaning I came across this 6 page handwritten mess I actually turned in for a grade last year and the wave of school anxiety began to surface. Looking back on all of the hard work you put in during previous year’s work for many can feel intimidating, unless you are truly one of those go get em’ students who lives for long weekends of APA formatting. 

some gals working on their fitness

2. Restock hygiene products: your deodorant-less summer may have been acceptable since you spent it on the beach, but intro to sociology doesn’t need to know about your brief lifestyle change. You will feel better if you show up feeling clean and sanitary.

3. If all else fails…run through it: Figure out how to sweat about it.  What screams sweltering 90 degree summer day like sweat dripping down your face and awkwardly sporting a t-shirt that is soaked in all the most flattering areas? Integrating fitness into your new school schedule has infinite health benefits (that I am sure we will tell you more about :]).  Exercise allows you to channel all of the back to school energy into something productive.

4. Look in the mirror really fast: so the last time you got a hair cut there was snow on the ground. And your makeup may have gone missing since it melted off in the heat anyways.  No big deal but you may want to consider not looking like a member of the white walkers (Game of Thrones reference see picture here) on the first day. Besides, nothing resets the dread of anything like a new hair-cut and fresh appearance.  

5. Don’t hate me but, check your check book (Had to say it): When you are about to transition back into a new phase of your life your entire daily routine will change as well. This means that while you may have avoided knowing the true balance for the past few months, chances are you will need to assess the damage done on those three vacations you took.  Dread is a very accurate way to describe how many students feel about finances, but the more you understand where your money goes, the easier it will be to avoid those emotional back to school shopping sprees. 

sorry for this moody candid but I <3 tea

6. Do spend money on: a travel coffee mug (or the alike). Whether you are on the morning caffeine or not the daily habit of starting your day off in a certain way is extremely beneficial. Research studies show that daily routines as simple as a morning cup of coffee can help calm stress and give the individual the comfort to go and take on the day in a slightly more coherent manner.  Your daily stress reliever may not come in the form of a travel mug, but find something that works for you.  For many it is a workout, listening to music, sitting down to breakfast etc. As long as your cute travel mug doesn’t become 12 donuts on a daily basis (i.e taking healthy to sugar coma). 

Once you establish your routine, the rest will follow. 

GOOD LUCK WITH CLASSES!

Click here to check out more health and wellness postings at the UC Student Wellness Center's Blog written by yours truly

-R

Life Lessons According to a Four Year Old Tennis Player

I have spent the majority of my summer interacting with humans who are pushing four feet, show up with fart puddy in their back pockets, and are in the midst of understanding which one is truly the writing hand.  When I say interacting with I mean trying to gain some sense of dominance over 10+ little ones on a tennis court.  Yes bribery has been utilized and I am not ashamed to admit it, but understanding what goes through the mind of a person who's greatest desire is to eat ice cream for breakfast is exhausting.

These future tennis stars have become masters at the step and punch as well as "that one shot you hit with one hand instead of two"...better known as a forehand. I can only hope they have as much fun playing as I do coaching them into pre-kindergarden. I expected to have only about 10-15 minutes of actual tennis play happen, spending the rest of the time struggling to carry all of the heavy balls into the cart discussing the latest gossip...who scored their first goal in soccer, who scraped their face while bike riding, why ants are the 8th wonder of the world...etc.  What I didn't expect were the incredible life lessons these kids would teach me on a daily basis and how insanely hilarious each one of them is in their own special way.

Here are a few invaluable life lessons according to a pewee tennis player...

Own up to your mistakes: "that toss was too high"..."you ignored me"..."we didn't play around the world." The amount of times I was called out due to making my feeds too challenging or calling one of the 4 Maggies in the class Megan by accident was unbearable. I never realized the gravity of my own flaws until I was surrounded by 10 little voices waiting to pounce on the next slip up.  Everyone in life will hold you accountable on some level whatever your role is someone is counting on you. When you devalue that accountability your stock begins to drop.  In my case accountability was more along the lines of that one time I accidentally put the Friday Fun Day Popsicles in the refrigerator over night and was forced to admit my bonehead move publicly to a pack of sugar hungry children with tennis rackets.
 
You always get another chance: Life is hard as a pewee. You see your older siblings hit each shot over the net with such ease and here you are 20 balls later still double bouncing into the net or rocketing off into the shelter. If there is one thing a pewee is sure of it is that there is always "just one more try." When real life starts happening it is easy to feel like you only get one try at things, or sometimes you just don't get what you want. Watching these little players try as hard as they can to get that ball over after so many tries is an amazing reminder to continually strive for what you want out of your current situation. There is always another chance.

Admit when you are wrong: An ongoing moment of shame in the beginner tennis lessons is happened frequently while warming up in the process of switching from forehands to back hands. They are two completely different shots requiring the racket to go to either side of your body.  Once the peewee would realize their mix-up the panic would ascend...heaven forbid...and in front of the whole class too...simply mortifying.  And you thought you were a perfectionist, try being newly graduated from Velcro shoes trying to find your place in the world.  I had never seen someone fight so strongly in the refusal of accepting their mix-up.  You would have thought I was asking them to admit a felony.  It was a lesson we learned together in creating an environment where it was okay to acknowledge where you were wrong and make corrections for the better.  If you don't feel safe to admit your wrongs in the current environment there is no room to cultivate growth from learning, and essentially no use in my endless reminders "racket low..all the way sideways..."  

Run don't walk : No matter what at any point in time everything in the life of a pewee is a race. You win the race then you are the best no matter what. In the world of a swim club you constantly hear "WALK WALK WALK" hollered by the life guards all day every day. There is no easier way to wipe a smile from a child's face than by forcing them to stop running. The joy quickly returns when they get to start running again. Lifeguards will disagree but having the desire to run though life can only lead to better things especially if you go really really fast!

Follow Through: Oh my I would be embarrassed to know how many times I uttered these words in hopes of the pewee hitting just one ball over the net. While the goals may have been small at the time this necessary aspect of the tennis swing clearly translates into all facets of life.  "You promised we would play a game after this"..."You said I could have a drink"..."I thought we were getting candy today"...You would have thought I magically acquired the ability to harvest slushies out of my ears at the rate they were asking for them.  This lesson correlates with being held accountable. The more I followed through on my promises, the more willing the kids were to listen as I hollered this lesson for hours on end.  If you don't follow though with your shot you will lose the point. Simple as that.

 Sometimes they deserved it: Picture this... pewee #1 goes and deliberately smacks his brother (pewee #2) in the face. Now multiply that situation by 5 and you start to consider the idea of revenge.  While I am not a supporter of whacking the people who wrong you with a racket, there is something to be said for standing up for what you want.  Maybe it is my job to teach them to be selective about who they whack. Slinging your racket around and hitting people clearly is no way to solve the problem, but it always opens the conversation for how to have better handled that situation. 

-R

Two Dudes and Country Music

There is nothing better than a great solo workout. I really can't think of something I enjoy more alone than zoning out and breaking a sweat. It's not that I hate working out with others, but I generally find that my patience for humanity is much lower if you decide to text after every circuit, or pause to dramatically talk about how much you are sweating.  I guess what I mean is that your workout buddy holds a very special position in my personal life. This person sees you at your least glamorous, most smelly, and absorbs the often times obscene site of your 'just did 100 burpees face.' Clearly a great workout buddy is no ordinary pal.  This is why when I was in the situation to workout with two dudes I wasn't sure how this would play out. I knew all of the risk factors of hitting the gym with your girlfriend.  The texting, the talking, the unwelcome sweating, endless butt routines, and the ever common 'lets just go get food instead' suggestion.  Hitting it with some dudes was a different story. Would I even be able to keep up? I could already hear the ridicule of whipping out some 5lb weights. How would we all get a good workout from the same moves? Oh gosh not to mention the 'gasping for air' face.

Below is the best example I could find of this face...

After many workouts both alone and with amazing friends, I figured trying it out with the guys would at least be a guaranteed sweat session.  Whether they were workout buddy material was still left to establish.

We all met up a tiny garage gym.  I could hear the country music humming as I walked up, oh joy sob songs of women and tractors to get us motivated.  Maybe a little judgmental I know, but hey when you normally get moving to Pandora's power workout play list Garth Brooks is downright inappropriate. I walk in to grunting, pull-ups, and a box fan to circulate the air sweat...yikes, no more yoga mats and Lululemon for me.

So here is why I decided doing it with dudes is actually a great idea:

1. My kind of man talk: so maybe I didn't have much to contribute here.  I knew the man talk was coming.  There was primarily talk of protein and working out, how huge your lats will look, the right form...yada...yada. Which makes a heck of a lot more sense than what goes on during a girl geared sweat session. No who has the cutest sports bra on, where has the best Pilates, how your butt got so perky, did the boyfriend really say that, why my yoga pants are better than yours...etc.  While I am equally as guilty of LOVING to discuss these riveting topics (really I do...everyone wants a perky butt), the conversation was focused to the task at hand which made the workout feel more rewarding.  I felt the focus of a solo session. Working out with your best friend demands a different mindset and is almost more challenging.  You have to mentally be able to run and jump around while telling the dramatic story of what happened Saturday night, which in my opinion can be equally as hard as trying to juggle while standing on your head.  Less talk=more effort elsewhere. 

2. Sweat...everywhere: The group setting made for an extremely competitive motivation. I sure as hell wasn't trying to be the slowest in the room which resulted in an extremely manly amount of sweating.  Imagine droplets flying all over the room, the floor slippery with body stains (it sounds more gruesome than it actually was). There was no shame about the infamous swamp ass, or taking your drenched shirt to your dripping wet face, it was more a badge of honor...as dirty as that sounds.  As someone who appreciates a good sweat it was a highly successful experience.  

3. No mirror gazing: Apparently in garage gyms there are no fancy mirrors to adore how ripped your abs look after crunches on the Swiss ball.  Putting the vanity aside was also a welcomed change.  After many instances of seeing the meat head man flex after a round of bicep curls at the gym I was fully prepared for the gun show.  Luckily these dudes kept moving too much to stop and stare.

4. Okay fine...let's do push ups: Knew this was coming. I really did have to resist my feminine urge to turn every move into some type of squat. It's like all of these Jillian Michaels flicks have conditioned women to this booty focused mentality. I really liked the challenge of even considering focusing on my arms. These little toothpicks are easily the most forgotten zone due to my having zero upper body strength.  I would hang upside down from a pull up bar and do crunches before I attempt any sort of actual pull up. While we didn't do an intense upper body routine, I woke up the next morning feeling like my back had cemented over night.  Who knew after avoiding upper body strength for so long those muscles even still existed...I'll take it!!

 5. No bootys or bikinis here: Brazilian booty, bikini body (insert frilly workout series here)...instead of the girl power look good embellishments, our moves were basic and without fabulous adjectives to make them sound less miserable. Basic squat with weight and lunges did not need to be translated, what you see is what you get with dudes in the garage gym.  The simplicity of the moves not only allowed for everyone to know what was going on, but isolated the specific regions that were being worked. It took out the forced Zumba fun that makes me cringe at the thought of shimmying for fitness. 

The two dudes themselves

Possibly the highlight of doing circuits with these workout dudes was when they compromised to let me change the music selection. Literally Jamey Johnson  "Lead Me Home" was playing...wait what did you say? Sorry I passed out mid squat. We experimented with Beyonce radio which needless to say is a classic. Whether they admit it or not I knew it was a hit. 

Contrary to my anticipation these dudes were excellent workout buddies.  Really I just enjoyed the chance to change it up a little bit.  The sweating, push-ups, and bikini-less focused bodies proved to be an awesome workout. Next time I plan to suggest more workout jam classics...maybe Rhianna Radio? I know baby steps...

-R

Snack time

skeptically checking out the options

Coaching a bunch of boys ages 10-18 on the same tennis team is like some social experiment that depicts the male hierarchy from start to finish. When the older boys do one thing the younger half try to do the same thing only “twice as cool.” There is always a big man at practice which is subject to change depending on whether he can bum a ride from his mom up to the courts that day. One day two from the middle of the pack members tried to get the attention of the older crew by spinning around in circles while swinging their rackets at each other. This resulted in one puking from the heat and confusion while the other got hit in the face and complained of a head ache.  Even though things like this happen on a constant basis the one thing that is common between the ranks of this unique team is that they all, like most teenage boys, love to eat! I have tried so many times to reward with food and with good conscious cannot come to terms with giving them unhealthy cookies and processed sugar that sends them home in a coma.  One day I was naive enough to serve ants on a log. I guess that tactic loses effectiveness when the kid learns how to spell their name and realizes that celery tastes like a hand full of grass. The boys took the logs and launched them into the fence with their rackets in protest, okay dumb idea.  Last time I redeemed myself by getting store bought cookies paired with some Laffy Taffy. The jokes and fake sugars were a hit until I read that the cookies had 170 calories (more than they probably burned the entire practice spent eating them). I was further horrified when one player ate 6 of them…there had to be another way.

Stamp of approval

The boys have been winning their matches and doing really well at practices. I am so proud of them and am constantly amazed at how quickly they improve on a weekly basis. I spent an afternoon with one of my close friends and she decided to make these really healthy snacks. No bake protein balls. Thank you Pinterest for yet again solving all life problems.

These balls solved two problems.

1. My inability to bake: I will surely botch anything the requires precision and awareness of oven time

2. They have nutritional value with the disguise of a sweet treat. WIN!

Recipe here

The balls took about as much skill as it takes to flush a toilet. I was even a little embarrassed to try and call them a real ‘baked good’ but I’ll take a kitchen success however I can get it. After bragging about how wonderfully healthy and delicious these things were about to be, I unveiled them to the team. They skeptically grabbed them and devoured. My visions of the baked goods being used as make shift tennis balls were quickly alleviated as all of them begged for another OH YEAH!

 

I may try out a few more similar recipes on these balls to see how healthy they can get, but would absolutely recommend something quick and easy like this for anyone in the situation of impressing a herd of boys ranging from “when do you get your braces on?” to “dude, did you ask that girl to prom yet?”

-r