Nikewomen NFR Blog

Mix It Up

MaryCatherineHolcomb — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 20:45:04 GMT

After the long and painful five minutes it took me to actually sit down, I realized that mixing up my normal workout with a program called CrossFit can leave some pretty sore effects on the body. The strength and conditioning program of CrossFIt utilizes all parts of the body in various ways is exploding across the world and making its participants hurt in places they never thought possible.

Four times a week of weightlifting and cardiovascular activities unfortunately can turn quite boring quite fast. A friend of mine mentioned she got her push into CrossFit from a friend of hers and she decided to give it a try – and she hasn't looked back.

“The best part about CrossFit is that it's a great way to amp up your workouts by maximizing your efforts,” said Amanda Rhodes of Morgan City, La., “And a lot of the moves require you to only use your body weight as resistance--which is actually harder than you'd think.” Believe me, I know. As hard as it is to take in, five sets of 30 glute-ham sit-ups and 25 back extensions aren't as fun, or easy, as they may seem.

And before you think, “Oh, well. I can't do that program because I have no clue what those exercises are anyway.” Hold up. You didn't think CrossFit trainers would let you get off that easily, right? On its Web site, www.crossfit.com, a workout of the day is posted with the type of exercise and sets required, along with video demonstrations of the exercises. And don't be discouraged if you can't lift the amount listed or complete the full set. Modification is allowed. (Whew. You can now breathe.) Oh, but what's that? You have no one to push you through the exercises and make sure you do them correctly? Think again. Check out the site under “Start Here” for locations in your area that have facilities equipped with trainers ready to teach and people ready to learn. “I love it because it's very challenging, and when you finish it, you feel like you've accomplished something,” Rhodes noted. “Anyone who stays committed to it and maintains their diet will start to notice endurance and strength gains within the first few weeks--not to mention loss of inches.” Besides the plus of strength gains and loss of inches, isn't it always rewarding to try something new? Even though the handstand pushups and pull-ups that I will have to endure in the next workout won't feel rewarding at the time, the feeling I get when I proudly drop to the ground will be worth it all. So, what about you? You in?

-Mary Catherine Holcomb

At Ease with the H2O

AllisonObrien — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 20:45:26 GMT

The dreadful test, a long day at work or stress for whatever reason, we deal with these roadblocks in our everyday life. In the last year, I found my remedy! Like many young kids, I too swam competitively for several years. I put swimming on the back burner as my interest in other sports began to grow, but about a year ago I revisited my swim cap and goggles.

In hope to find a cardio cross-training workout to relieve the wear and tear on my joints, I gave the pool a second chance. I can honestly say I was pleasantly surprised! Not only is a pool workout offering relief to my joints, it has also become my home remedy for unwinding after a long day. Something about being in the water puts my mind at ease. The rhythm of my stroke and focus on my breath not only relaxes me, but it has also become a time that I can allow my mind to wonder. Don’t get me wrong, my hamstrings are burning and my biceps become exhausted, but some how I forget about any issue, any stress and any worry. I work hard, lap after lap to stay in the pool for 1760 yards = 36 laps = 1 mile and trust me, my mind is so far out of the water sometimes, I loose track of the 36 lap count!

I’m sharing this because swimming has become this double edge sword in my workout routine – a great workout and a source of relaxation. It’s a workout I look forward to, while reaping the cardio health benefit to my heart and lungs. Not to mention the endurance, muscle strength and cardio fitness I gain. This is my H2O testimonial and my advice to all the young athletes out there – currently a swimmer or not - jump in the pool and do something for yourself! Your joints will be happy and your mind will be at ease.

-Allison O'Brien

The Famous Santa Monica Steps

IsisRoberts — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 21:05:30 GMT

Guess what I did today! I ran up and down a very, very big flight of stairs. Ok, I know you’re probably thinking, “What’s so special about that?” Well, let me explain. I worked out on the famous Steps of Santa Monica. These steps are arguably the most popular workout stairway in America. On any given day, you can spot a celebrity running up them. If you are really into fitness and you either live in Los Angeles or have visited, then you have probably heard of these steps.

The Santa Monica Steps are such a popular fitness spot because of the number of steep steps it has. There are actually two sets of steps about 200 feet from each other. One set has about 300 cement steps with a zig zag looking trail and the other set has almost 180 wooden steps with more of a straightforward stair way that runs north and south. I ran up and down the wooden set and I tried to keep count of the number of steps, but I lost count because I was more focused on not falling down and not getting tired!

I did about four rounds of steps today, which equals about 700 steps. When I was about to start running up, I just looked up at the stairs in amazement. Although it’s about 180 steps, when you’re at the bottom looking up, it looks like a thousand. I just tried not to look up and focused on the task step by step. In my first round, I thought I could just run up the stairs two steps at a time quickly without getting tired. That turned out to be a bad idea because I was totally exhausted when I got to the top. I learned my lesson for the next three rounds and developed a little slower tempo in order to pace myself for a longer workout. There was definitely a lot of huffing and puffing and sweating going on, but it paid off. This was such a great work out!

There were about 60 people on my set of steps when I went at around 11 a.m. today. It is said that about 1,500 people make the steps their workout destination on any given weekend. One of the guys that I kept bumping into said he works out there daily. He told me that the steps are like his coffee that he needs every morning.

I highly recommend you try the steps if you ever visit L.A. Santa Monica is about 15 minutes west of L.A. (If there’s no traffic!) Plus the famous Santa Monica Pier is about 22 blocks from the steps, so you can check that out too. It has a very nice view of the beach at the top of the stairs. Several Hollywood stars are always seen working up a sweat on the steps also. Check out why these steps are so popular and I guarantee once you see them, you’ll want to run up!

-Isis Roberts

Tone Up By Chilling Out

FrankieThieriot — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 20:30:45 GMT

As the soothing breeze lightly tossed my long hair I realized I had found pure bliss. I was slowly meandering through a lazy lake in the heavily wooded Howarth Park in Santa Rosa, CA, letting the California sunshine melt away the recent stresses that had clouded my life for the past weeks. Summer is coming to an abrupt end and I wanted to enjoy one final day of outdoor fun with one of my closest friends.

As my friend and I slowly churned the pedals of the paddle boat we had recently rented, we reminisced about the good times we had and the upcoming events that were crowding our already hectic schedules. It was great to be able to leave the stresses of the real world behind and just completely enjoy the company of one of my best friends.

After about thirty minutes of cruising around the small lake, I noticed I was feeling a familiar burn throughout my legs. I was used to this feeling, but normally it came when I was sweating my way through a grueling workout in my local gym. I realized I was getting one heck of a leg workout as I was enjoying my idle afternoon.

The thought that I could do something so enjoyable and still get a workout was a new revelation for me. I no longer felt the slight remorse of skipping a day at the gym, but instead took greater satisfaction in the fact that I had found a great leg workout to top it all off. This got me to thinking about what other activities were possible.

I have always felt that in order to get a great workout you have to work as hard as you can and get a good sweat going, but I now ask, WHY? I just spent an entire day peddling aimlessly through a beautiful lake without once breaking a sweat or trying to work harder than anyone. I am not saying to skip the gym completely but on your next off day, why not grab a friend and go down to your nearest lake? If paddle boating isn’t an option then swimming is a great substitute. Anything is possible!

Just remember you can switch up the daily grind of pounding away at the gym for hours and still make positive physical gains. So soak up those last few days of summer, get outdoors and enjoy yourself.

-Frankie Thieriot

Kick Butt

TanyaLopez — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 14:17:19 GMT

I have been learning to defend myself while having fun and burning calories. How you ask? I have had many things buried in my garage over the years, but after an extensive cleaning I have uncovered a lot of things I have been missing. One being the lock to my bike that I was so desperately searching for at the beginning of the summer, but the other was the punching bag that I never thought of using…until now.

A friend of mine told me about the kickboxing classes that she had been taking and said it was an awesome workout. So I thought of trying it for myself. It’s amazing how many classes I found in my area with all different ways of approaching the bag.

Since I am a beginner I decided to do a cardio kickboxing class which gives you that sweat you are looking for but teaches you many other skills.

As the class progressed I was having fun just hitting the bag but could feel my body working hard. During one of my kicks I realized that I was not only working out but I was learning defensive moves as well. So if anyone tries to attack me they are in for a big surprise when I hit them with a leg–arm combo. Well, maybe I need a few more sessions for that, but ill get there.

The class was very informative and as I left I thought of that lonely bag sitting in my garage. So I went home and practiced my moves on the dusty bag. I’m sure it wont be getting dusty anymore.

-Tanya Lopez

Don’t Let Gravity Hold You Down!

IsisRoberts — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 20:05:04 GMT

When I was younger, one of the things that I loved to do was jump on a trampoline. It was one of those activities that I had so much fun doing and never even knew I was working out. I am definitely the type of athlete who believes fitness should be fun. So when I discovered Sky Zone, it was as if I had entered Fitness Heaven!

Sky Zone Recreational Center is the world’s first all-trampoline walled playing field. It’s a three-dimensional surface that consists of a series of custom built trampoline beds linked together surrounded by side wall panels. The larger playing field is about 70 feet wide and 130 feet long, about the size of a basketball court. The smaller field, where a lot of the fitness classes are held, is 50 feet by 60 feet.

I was literally bouncing off the walls once I was inside Sky Zone. I participated in an hour-long open jumping session with people of all ages, sizes and athletic abilities. I did flips, jumped on all the trampoline beds and I even played a game of 3-D dodge ball. (Just imagine how fun dodge ball in the sky would be!)

I never knew an hour of jumping could be so much fun, but also exhausting. Although I had worked up a sweat, the fun had just begun. I signed up for a 60 minute class of SkyRobics.

Trust me when I say, you are definitely missing out when you just take a regular class of aerobics. In the SkyRobics class, you can burn up to 1000 calories in just one hour. It is low impact and the instructor combines advanced calisthenics, core exercises and strength building aerobics, all done on the amazing trampoline walled surface.

I think I worked out every muscle in my body during the hour. The workout was definitely intense, but also fun and easy on my joints. The first class of SkyRobics is free so try it out! They offer a beginning, intermediate and mixed class so it’s whatever you prefer.

Sky Zone is fairly new and is quickly becoming a hot new way to exercise. Professional basketball players, fighters and gymnasts are just some of the athletes who are taking advantage of the unique way of cross training cardio movement offered at Sky Zone.

Sky Zone is quickly expanding around the country so check out skyzonesports.com for a location near you. Don’t let gravity hold you down!

-Isis Roberts

Bounce Back

AshleyJohncola — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 14:14:13 GMT

I recently rediscovered one of my favorite childhood past times...the pogo stick! I’ve been helping my mom clean out our basement and garage and low and behold, among all of the junk, there it stood-like an old forgotten friend. Obviously I automatically took it to the street to see if I was still the pro I once was. (Not to brag or anything, but my second grade self could out jump all of the kids on the block…if only the Olympics had room for this kind of stuff).

Anyway, I am proud to say that when it comes to pogo stick jumping, once a pro, always a pro! And it was still so much fun! Plus, it’s really great if you want to practice your balance and challenge yourself with different types of jumps and tricks (just be careful). Also, if you live in a neighborhood with a lot of kids, you might make a few more friends because the pogo tends to bring people out of their houses. It’s not the most intense form of working out…but it will get you outside on a nice day and at least get your heart rate going.

Plus, pogo sticking leads to excellence in things like walking on stilts and such. Try it! Or any other long lost activity that you may have retired from over the years-you too may be pleasantly surprised and extremely entertained!

~Ashley Johncola

Cardio With A Canine

LaurenBrill — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 14:40:24 GMT

When you go to workout it is always beneficial to go with someone who will push you to reach your potential. When I was younger I’d go running with friends or workout at the gym with family. But now my schedule rarely seems to match-up with any of my former workout partners. These days when I feel the need to be pushed or inspired, I have found a new partner that does the trick, his name is Mickey. I am 25 times his size but he can run just as fast as me for twice as long. He is my five-pound energetic puppy.

He never gives up, he is always up for a challenge and he starts barking at me when I slow down. Only seven months old, exercise is equally important for both of us. Since the nice weather has arrived we began running the exercise paths throughout New York City. He truly helps me cover more ground, simply because he is open to express his frustration when I slow down whereas a partner that runs on two legs is often more polite and eases up when signs of exhaustion appear. He also revolves his life around my schedule, if only the rest of the world follow his example. So in search for a motivating workout I partner, I discovered that a man (or women’s) best friend is also a man’s toughest exercise companion.

-Lauren Brill

Learning To Teach Spinning!

DanaFine — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 16:19:14 GMT

For the past year and a half I have been a personal trainer. I have trained people to have more endurance and gain muscle. Recently, I wanted to advance my career and I decided I should become a certified Spinning instructor. Spinning is a great total body exercise and it is a lot of fun.

There are three parts or phases to becoming a certified Spinning instructor. You need to go to an orientation, read the instruction manual and train for 6-8 weeks at home and take a written test. It takes approximately six months to complete.

The day long orientation begins with a lesson on the history of Spinning as well as learning the benefits of Spinning. You then learn how to adjust the bike to make it correctly fit your clients. Once that is done you hop on the bike for about an hour and learn to perfect each move. After learning and sweating there is a short break before more learning and sweating. You learn how to make a fun and exciting ride as well as how to choose music for each ride. At the end of learning there is a 40-minute intense Spinning class and then you can go home. The class lasts from nine in the morning until about six thirty at night. Although the class was long and intense it was so much fun and informative. When you are done with orientation one can start teaching at some gyms but you still have to take the test at the end of six months to be fully certified.

Spinning is a new way for me to help people gain endurance, muscle mass and confidence in just 40 minutes. Although Spinning is a high intensity workout, people can go at their own speed and anyone can do it. People with back or knee pain can have great rides as well as people who are overweight. I am looking forward teaching Spinning.

-Dana Fine

Rage Against The Step Machine

AshleyJohncola — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 21:23:17 GMT

So you know there is a problem when you work out on the Stairmaster for at least 20 minutes at the gym and, according to the little computer, successfully climb “20 flights” with no problem; but THEN cannot even breathe when your elevator breaks and you are forced to climb real flights of actual steps in a real live building...HMMMMM.

If you have not guessed already, I’m reflecting on a rather irritating personal experience. I really like using the Stairmaster at the gym because I feel that it really works out my legs and allows me to practice engaging my core (which I learned in Pilates and have been trying to apply in my everyday life); however, it just is not the same as real steps. So I decided to switch to the other stepper machine (most gyms have one or the other, but I’m referring to the one that actually has legit steps moving down as you race to climb). Anyway, this was far more challenging than the Stairmaster that only pumps your legs up and down.

After a week of my new stepping machine routine, I headed to my buildings stairwell to see if my endurance had improved. Well! Thankfully it did, but not by as much as I thought it would! So I’m going completely organic on this issue…real steps are the most challenging and in my opinion a way better work out to invest time and energy into. Plus, you don’t even have to go to the gym to do it!! Just be careful not to trip, and make sure to avoid dark stairwells late at night!

-Ashley Johncola

Kranking It Up

AshleyCeaser — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 18:35:44 GMT

Imagine an exercise that gives you the great benefits of biking, but is low impact and focuses on upper body rotational exercise (an often neglected part of a fitness routine). Can you imagine what a great cardiovascular and strength-conditioning workout that would be? Well, such a thing exists. Called “kranking," this exercise was designed by the inventor of Spinning, Jonny G. It consists of a stationary hand cycle that utilizes an adjustable, variable-resistance mechanism connected to a floating flywheel. Basically, it is similar to a spin bike except your arms do all the peddling.

After a bit of research to find a class in my area I found that the instructors mix the kranking in with spinning classes. The instructor explained how to use the machine, and proceeded to tell me that if I could do krank for 5 minutes straight, it would be pretty impressive. Only 5 minutes? That's all? I immediately thought no problem. But boy, was I wrong. Kranking is definitely not for the faint of heart. I started off on the spinning bike for 15 minutes and then decided to switch to the krankcycle. Less than a minute later, I knew what my instructor was talking about. Immediately my heart rate jumped and I was nearly out of breath. I felt every muscle in my upper body. After couple more minutes I got back on the bike. 20 minutes later, I decided to try the krankcycle once more. Although it wasn't any easier this time around, I went for 5 minutes alternating from sitting to standing. Finally, for the last 10 minutes, I jumped back on the bike to finish out the class.

Kranking is highly cardiovascular and will definitely keep you in shape. I recommend it if you're looking to change up your cardio fitness routine or build strength and endurance. Kranking classes can be found in various gyms on the east and west coast. Check out www.krankcycle.com for more info.

-Ashley Ceaser

Making The Climb

LaurenBrill — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 17:47:59 GMT

When the temperature goes down, some of New York City’s finest athletes go up. Recently several hundred athletes climbed 86 floors, a total of 1,576 stairs, when they competed in the 32nd annual Empire State Run-up. The race began in the world-renowned building’s lobby and ended on its observation deck. For the third consecutive year, 35 year-old Suzy Walsham of Australia won the race for the women, completing the climb in 13 minutes and 27 seconds. For the men, Thomas Dold, a 24-year old German native, won the invite-only stairway race for the fourth consecutive year, finishing the climb in a brisk 10 minutes and seven seconds.

The New York Road Runners Club arranges the annual event to satisfy their appetite for exercise and competition during the bitter cold months. However, the Empire State Run-Up is not the only one of its kind as tower running events occur around the world in cities such as Taiwan, Milan and Las Vegas. I have yet to participate in a tower race, but a similar workout is not hard to come by in the Big Apple. In a city dominated by skyscrapers and massive apartment buildings, stairs are always near but often ignored.

To gain some perspective on what it is like to climb the stairways of a New York building I decided to pass by the crowded elevators and make a treacherous climb in my own apartment building. I began in the lobby and finished at my door on the 33rd floor five minutes later. My quadriceps and my calves felt most effected by the climb, as I needed to stop once to stretch both muscles. To be honest, I wasn’t sure I’d make it all the way through but once I did it felt great. That being said, on a daily basis the only climb I will be making is the one into my bed.

-Lauren Brill

Bop To The Top

KatieOsborne — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 10:58:47 GMT

Have you ever had a tight feeling in your legs after going up only a couple flights of stairs and then question how only a few flights can be so challenging? How about after 37 flights of stairs? I had no idea what that feeling would be like until I participated in the annual Bop to the Top race which was up 37 flights of stairs this past weekend. After flight number 17, I thought to myself, "Why again am I doing this? This hurts. There is that exit door right ahead..." After complaining to myself, I then thought, "Really Katie? This pain is nothing compared to what the kids undergo for treatment." And after thinking that, I remembered the reason I was doing this; to help kids fight their own pain and battles.

Bop to the Top is an annual event held in Indianapolis, Indiana where the goal is to raise money for the Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis through donations and entries. This wonderful and helpful event has been raising money for the last 26 years. This year, there were over 1,400 participants, exceeding last year's total of 1,300. I was amazed with the amount of people who came to go up the many flights because they wanted a challenge (which they most definitely had) and because they wanted to raise money for the kids.

At one point during the morning, there was a section of the pre-race room that was filled with neon yellow t-shirts that were supporting "Team Luke." People from all over joined forces to create "Team Luke" in support of Luke Andritsch, a 5 year old who is currently being treated for leukemia at Riley Hospital for Children. He was full of spirit, cheering on his team as they filed into the stairwell to attempt this 37 flight stair race. It was absolutely amazing to see all of the neon yellow shirts putting in an effort to support Luke and all the other kids that are being treated at Riley Hospital for Children.

Some people have been raising money for Riley Hospital for Children by bopping to the top for many years. Cindy Harris has competed 18 times and has won 15 of those races. This year, she won the event in a fast 4:42. After completing my race in 7:50, I can’t believe the effort, energy and burning sensation she must have felt. Cindy has been a runner for years, but does stair climbs on the side just for fun. In order to get ready for the race, Cindy does many different types of activities. "I mostly run, but will do the stairs 2-3 times a week. I also do Pilates and spin classes to keep in shape." Cindy has definitely set the record high for Bop to the Top, but it is definitely something to work towards. Knowing that this event is for a great cause and because it is such a challenge, it is something that I will definitely want to do next year. Anyone else down for a little stair climbing?

-Katie Osborne

Jump Rope...Not Just A Playground Game Anymore!

MeaganStratton — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 12:52:35 GMT

As I was perusing through the Fitness section of a local Denver newspaper, I found something that caught my attention…a jump roping class. From the second I read the ad, I knew I wanted to participate. I used to be good at jump roping, but that was many moons ago, sometime around second grade was probably when I hit the peak of jump roping career. Now, someone was going to give me the opportunity to give it another whirl. That someone was Molly Metz, five-time world champion rope skipper. Molly has jumped for over 25 years; her rope and her have seen 35 different countries and she has conducted 1,000+ workshops in an attempt to spread the love of jump roping. I wasn't sure what to expect, all I knew was that the class was three hours long, THREE HOURS. I brought water and a snack, assuming at some point I would need to put more fuel in the tank. I got fitted for my rope and then we got going, and to be honest, at first, it looked like I had two left feet. It took me several minutes to find a rhythm and groove. Molly was great, she was patient with all us old-fogies, and took the time to give us all individual attention to help hone our newly acquired jump rope skills. By the end of the three hours, I was hot and sweaty and red marks had taken up residency on the back of my calves, a sign of my inability to control the rope at times. I was doing 360's, going forward and backward, and even beginning to perfect the double-Dutch. Then as our little treat at the end, Molly's team, The Claim Jumpers took the stage. They were unbelievable, I thoroughly enjoyed watching them, and at the end I picked my chin up off the floor and exited the gym. I went to work that day and boasted to everyone about this phenomenal class I just took, and something that Molly said really stuck with me. Sometimes, we find that one machine, or that one specific class and we get into this rut of repeating the same workout, and as Molly said, sometimes you need to "stun" the body. It surely stunned. I woke up the next day, sore as ever. It was that good sore though, the sore that makes you confident results were right around the corner. I was happily sore and happily stunned.

-Meagan Stratton

Running on Solar Power

AshleyJohncola — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 06:36:39 GMT

I'm just not a fan of the winter when it involves below freezing temperatures, and I always thought that people who ran outside during the winter were crazy when they could have taken advantage of the wonderful treadmills that live inside, surrounded by heat and some form of entertainment. However, something happened to me over my winter break in PA that has changed my views on running outside in the cold forever...my treadmill broke.

Now I know this was not a major crisis, as I could have easily gotten a monthly membership at my local gym. But on this particular day, the sun was unusually bright and it inspired me to attempt running in the cold.

As I stretched, the numbing process took place, I adjusted my breathing to allow the intake of frigid air, placed my headphones neatly under my earmuffs, and I was ready to go. I initially thought that I would have to cut my run in half because I was so cold, but I was so wrong. I ended up running twice as far and felt a million times better afterward than I did running in place in my basement. It was so nice to just be outside for a change and I honestly believe that getting sun and fresh air put me in a better mood (since normally when it's cold I am only outside for as long as it takes me to get from one place to another).

Since I've been back in New York, I started running outside here as well and I have so much more energy than I did before. Now I'm not saying that I'm turning my back on treadmills because I still love them and their many functions, but sometimes even a personal television cannot cure a minor case of seasonal depression.

So in conclusion, like a plant, I too need a decent amount of sunlight to survive, and running outside in the cold is the perfect way to achieve it during the winter months!

~Ashley Johncola