Fit Me With Your Best Shot

Happy Thursday!

Class last night was a disaster.  For me, not for the class, they were great.  I got a KILLER stomach/side cramp at the beginning of class and it pretty much got worse as the class wore on.  This meant that I had to do some teaching off the bike (or sitting on the bike but not pedalling).  I'm a big fan of being right there with the class and motivating them by working hard, so this was hard for me.

My stomach is weird annoying picky unpredictable.  There are certain foods that I can not eat any time before spinning because the above mentioned cramps make an appearance if I do.  Yesterday I was experimenting with what to eat and when on a double spin day (AM and PM).  I had a smoothie at around 4p and clearly that was the wrong decision.  Oh well, lesson learned.

Tonight is boot camp, as a student, not teacher.  Yay!

I thought I'd mention a few tools that this guy likes to use in his classes.

Kettlebells - currently all the rage.  I'm not a big fan of the exercises involving swinging because I feel that they are a back injury waiting to happen.  But some of the moves using them as just a handled weight are great.  Using them does manage to work your muscles and get your heart rate up, always a good thing.

Stairs - We have to run up and down the stairs holding a medicine ball.  Single steps on the way down, double steps with the ball over our heads on the way up.  This is my idea of hell.  Somehow I can spin all-out for hours, yet can hardly manage the stairs for 5 minutes.

Source

Big Rope - He doesn't use this one as much as I'd like.  It too is kind of hellish, but such a great workout.  Typically the rope is looped around a pole (ceiling support).  You then grab both ends and waving your arms get the rope to dance.  It's hard to describe but it really gets the heart rate up and makes you feel the burn in your arms.  Love/hate it!

It's a hard class, and that's what I like.  During class I'm hating it, yet kind of liking it at the same time.  At the end, I'm loving it.

I'm all about out of the box exercises and exercise equipment.  What unique tools have you used or seen?