Spin/Group Cycle Class Plan: Interval Grind 9

Interval Grind 9

• Warmup
• 9 min climb – 3 rounds of 1 min standing/seated/hover (65%/70%/75%)
• 2 min recovery – start right leg only with 2 min left of song – 1 min@75%, 1min@80%, Both legs together for 30 sec as you drop down to 70%, Sprint for 30sec, drop to 65%, recover for 30 sec, Sprint for 30sec
• Recover for 1 min
• Start with 30 sec left in song, Left leg only, 1 min@75%, 1min@80%, Both legs together for 30 sec as you drop down to 70%, Sprint for 30sec, drop to 65%, recover for 30 sec, Sprint for 30sec
• (Kelly Rowland - Motivation) – Stand and increase to 70% - standing hover/standing climb, 20 sec each, 4 rounds, 2 min reverse hover (increase to 75% after 1 min), repeat 4 rounds of standing hover/standing climbs 20 sec each.
• 1 min recovery
• Last 6 min push – 1 min in saddle, 2 min standing, 3 min saddle (start at 60% increase every 30 sec 5% until you are at 90% and drop to saddle, maintain for 2 min, increase to 95% for last min push to breathless)
• Cooldown and stretch

My name is Sarah and I am addicted to workout clothing....

So I am just going to come out and say it... I am addicted to workout clothing.
I find myself frequenting lululemon.com at least once a day and browsing e-bay contently for the next great deal.

This past week I made a trip to Lululemon Athletica (Square One) and made quite a hefty purchase. Because this trip only happens every 3-4 months because of distance and prices, I find myself going a little crazy when I am there. On this trip, I ended up purchasing a hoodie, a running pullover and a pair of crops. Before I go, I like to assess what I have and what could fill the holes in my workout wardrobe. I knew that I needed to buy another pair of crops, so I picked up another pair of my trusty groove crops, in a size down!!  (I now have 6 pairs of good crops, one for each workout day of the week)


As the weather is getting colder, I am still pushing myself to continue to run outside so I splurged on a Run For It Tech Fleece Pullover. I also think this will be great for layering under my snowboarding gear and wearing too and from the gym. Although it is still a fairly new product, and is still in stores, it is now gone from the website. You can check out pictures HERE on one of my favourite  blogs (luluaddict.blogspot.com) This pullover runs a bit small in the arms and shoulders and I ended up going with the bigger of the two sizes that I normally wear so that it would not ride up and so that I could layer underneath it. Some of the great features are the offset zipper, hand warming cuffs and ponytail hole in the hood (which I think looks rediculous, but I would use it in a pinch).

I also picked up one of their headbands (the kind that keeps ears warm) which I love. It is made of Luon, so it wicks sweat and keeps ears warm at the same time. This product has also disappeared from the website, but is still available in the stores.

Now, I know Lululemon is expensive, I only treat myself every once and awhile. I also have found lots of other great cheaper alternatives that fit and work just as well as Lululemon products. Also - fellow instructors, make sure you sign up for the Research and Development Program at Lululemon to receive 15% off your purchases (regular and sale priced items!!)

I am also a huge fan of Nike products - I find their DriFit crops and pants fit very well on me. I wear a size M in Nike tops, bottoms and bras. (I usually wear around a size 8/10 in most clothes, including Lulu) The Nike Pro DriFit collection is my favourite. Their tees tend to fit long, which is great for running. There is also various local outlet stores in Canada to find product at, as well as a great Outlet Store just across the border on Military Rd., Niagara Falls, NY. (There is also an Under Armour Outlet there as well)

If you are making the trip to the states, you should also check out good old Target. I love their C9 by Champion Line of workout clothing and am very excited that they are coming to Canada in the next year.

If you are stuck in good old Canada, and have a limited budget to update your workout clothing with. Check out Joe Fresh Style at Zehrs or Real Canadian Superstore, they have a good line of affordable workout clothing. (I save up my PC points and use them here.)
Old Navy and Walmart are also two good places to look for workout clothing. Their designs and materials have improved in the past year. I recently found a pair of pants at Walmart that are the closest thing to Lululemon's Grove pant ($99) that I have ever found and the best part is, they are reversible and they only cost $30!!

Ok...enough from me...I think I need to seek some type of therapy....over and out!

<3 Sarah

Fitness Product Review - Fitbit

This review comes via my mom and her new fitness product.

Remember awhile back I told you all about the UP by Jawbone? Well I thought that it was going to be such a great gift for my mom....however I went home for dinner and to visit my parents this past Sunday night and she showed me her new toy...the Fitbit, which is basically the exact same thing as the UP. So there goes my gift idea....at lease I was on the right track...

The Fitbit, similar to the UP tracks sleep patterns, steps, distance and calories, and gives users the option to download data to the computer and track food choices. Although I haven't had the opportunity to check out the UP first hand, I did like the fitbit because it works independently of the Ipod/Iphone and also has a digital screen to check your progress throughout the day. I also liked that it will upload to your computer automatically and wirelessly through a reciever, whenever you are in range. The other neat thing that I noticed is that it tracks the number of flights of stairs you climb throughout the day.

I suppose this product is the ideal solution for someone who does not have an Iphone/Ipod, but would still like to track their progress with a computer program. (Although there is an available Iphone/Ipod app for people who would like to track on the go.) Since they cost the same amount ($99), it really is just a matter of preference. Would you rather clip something to your waist/clothing or wear it around your wrist. I think for me, I like the idea of having a waterproof bracelet that you never take off, which makes it far less easy to lose.

Overall, my mom is very happy with her new fitbit and is excited to meet her step and calorie goals as well as track her sleep patterns.

Here is another REVIEW of the fitbit.

Running with Santa??

A Family that runs together stays together? One thing that I have been blessed with is a great extended family, and not only are they awesome to drink, eat and party with, but they are also awesome to work out with.

Remember when I told you about my first 5km race? Well I ran that with 5 of my cousins and my aunt, while numerous other cousins, aunts, uncles and my dad cheered us on. It was amazing to have such a big group there motivating each other.

Last year, I went to watch as my aunt, uncle and two cousins participated in the annual Santa Claus Race in Burlington, Ontario. Dubbed the largest all-Santa race in Canada, it boasts over 3000 people dressed in Santa suits. I have to admit, it was very cool to watch them all take off from the start line. Check it out here.

This year, a group from our family is again signing up to run this 5km race. It's sure to be quite the experience. I am nervous and excited, and also glad to have my family joining me. Hopefully my training will also pay off and I will have a good time! I wonder if dogs are allowed, I think it would be awesome to take Cyper (my neighbour's dog) with me and dress him up as a reindeer to pull me along ;)

Nike+ Running and Ellie Goulding...

I am a huge fan of Ellie Goulding and also recently started running with the Nike+ system (which I love - review to come), so imagine my excitement when I found this on Youtube! Ellie has partnered with Nike to promote their Nike+ system. Check out the video! PS - she is so fierce in concert!

Also - check out the video below to see Ellie design her own running shoe just like I did last week.

ALBUM REVIEW: Kelly Clarkson - Stronger

It's been a little while since I have done an album review so here is a quick one. Kelly Clarkson's new album, Stronger is her 5th album and two and a half years since her last album.

Honestly, I'm not quite sure what to think of this album. I like how she has revisited some of her bluesy attitude that I liked on her earlier album, but I don't find any of the songs particularly catchy, except for "What doesn't kill you (Makes you Stronger)",  and "Don't be a girl about it" which have made it onto recent spin class playlists. Some of the slower songs may grow on me but I recall there being a lot songs that I skipped half way through. I found them generic, boring, too poppy or busy and just over all uninteresting. I want her to go back to those simple, clean melodies and catchy hooks that let her voice shine and stop looking for over-produced tracks and trying to be "edgy" or "different". Overall, unimpressed, I was hoping for more, I know she is capable of more and has a great voice. I think she needs to work with better writers and producers and possibly go back to her style from her first couple albums. Less is more Kelly!!

Group Cycle / Spinning Class Plan - Hills and Sprints - Thurs Nov 17

Hills and Sprints Week 9 - (I am also using this format for my Zenergy Cycle class this week too, just doing weight sets between drills)

• Warmup
• 6 min climb to breathless (increase every 30 sec to 80%, hold at 80%, increase to 85 or 90% for last min)
• 5 x 30 sec sprints (increase each set for 3, decrease for last 2)
• 4 min endurance hover (every min give a 10 sec break to shake it out)
• 5x 30 sec sprints (increase each set for 3, decrease for last 2)
• 6 min climb to heavy (increase every 30 sec to 80%, hold at 80%, increase to 85 or 90% for last min)
• Seated 1 min – decrease 2 final sprints (2x30sec)
• Cooldown and Stretch

YouTube Fav - Christina Perri - A Thousand Years

I actually not a huge Twilight fan, but I absolutely LOVE this song that was written for and is featured on the Soundtrack for the movie, which opens today. I spent all week procrastinating by learning to play this song on guitar. (Find the Chords HERE)Also - for those of you who didn't know, Christina Perri got her start by posting videos on her Youtube Channel. I had the pleasure of seeing Christina Perri live this past summer in Toronto and I have to say, she is a very talented songwriter with an amazing voice. LOVE!

Crossfit - Getting Started - Training Session #1

This morning I had my very first into to the various basics of lifting in Crossfit. I have to say that I am pleasantly surprised with myself, but also slightly disappointed in myself that I couldn't do more.

Overall, I was told I had good posture, strength and flexibility....but also have room for of improvement. One area that I am going to need to focus on is core strength....and pull ups...

After 2 decent runs and teaching 3 spin classes in the last week, I was unfortunately feeling the effects in my hip flexers/quads which made it difficult to fully perform when learning the squat techniques. Today I learned to do the front squat, back squat and overhead squat. After years of doing squats in group fitness classes, I realize that I have been lacking some technique that is sometimes hard to focus on in the fast pace of a fitness class. I feel like this will be something I am going to have to focus on from now on in Crossfit classes. (I also feel like I am going to be hurting a bit tomorrow, which is why I am hitting up a yoga class tonight to recover.)

Session two will be next week where I will learn some basic lifts. Looking forward to it!

My Success with Group Fitness

For the past 3.5 years, I have been a member of The Athletic Club (Guelph), which is, in my opinion, one of the best fitness clubs in Guelph in terms of classes and facilities. The week before I joined this gym, I went for my annual physical, where I was forced to get on the scale...and finally face how much I weighed. My heart sank as I saw the scale. I'm not going to put any numbers out there, but I am happy to say that through working out and eating properly, 3.5 years later I am now down a total of 40lbs. (as of this week) When I joined the gym, one of the things that I was told (which irritated me) was that I would probably not be successful in reaching my weight loss goals without a personal trainer. I said thanks, but no thanks. I took this as a sort of personal challenge to do it on my own. I have never been one to be told I had to do something a certain way or I wouldn't succeed.

Over the course of my journey, I have basically only done fitness classes (spinning, land and occasionally water) and a bit of running on my own. I never set foot in the "men's" weight area or ran on a treadmill for hours. I simply did fitness classes. 45min or 1hr classes 4-5 times a week. I figured it was like free personal training, someone to coach me and motivate me and give me a good workout. The trick is to keep consistent, challenge yourself with heavier weights and get your heart rate up. If you stick with it, you are bound to see results and changes in your body.

Fast forward to today, I am a spinning instructor and am finishing up my certification in group fitness. I feel like group fitness has become such a huge part of my life and I am thankful that I found it. I have seen changes in the bodies of women in my club who are regulars at fitness classes, and one day I actually had a fellow member that I did not know come up to me in class and tell me that she remembered me from when I first started coming to classes and that it was amazing how much my body had changed. I was so proud and happy in that moment.

After doing all of this reflecting, I dug out a couple pictures to show you my success. On the left is a picture of me as a bridesmaid at my friend's wedding a month before I joined the gym and the right is a picture of me last Christmas. (11 months ago - I think I am down 10lbs since then)
Check out my before and after... What a change!!