CONCLUSION:
RESULTS!
I have just finished my last "Fitness Conditioning" Class at Nick's Pro Fitness in Evergreen, CO. My final weigh-in had me at 190lbs. That is nineteen (19) pounds lost since I began my workout classes at Nick's. More importantly, my body fat index went down from 34.5% to 20%. That is more than 30lbs of fat LOST, and 10lbs of muscle GAINED!
Needless to say, I am VERY, very pleased with my results from this "Challenge". Nick has kept his promise, and put me into the best shape of my life. Don't get me wrong, I worked extremely HARD at it. Nick is not your average fitness instructor. Nick puts his money where his mouth is, working out with the class every step of the way and practicing what he preaches. Nick doesn't just wander around the gym, barking out orders. Nick is in front of the class, doing all of the exercises with the class. He is as serious as he is fit. And he takes every single one of his member's fitness and health seriously. Nick is an incredible person, and doesn't just push you to do more push ups or mountain climbers. He motivates his members to not only get in shape, but to stay in shape. He gives a motivational talk at the end of each of his classes, providing uplifiting stories of success and positive thought. He works out your mind and spirit as well as your body.
This is just one of the many things that makes Nick's Pro Fitness such an incredible gem in the foothills of Denver. As you have read in my postings before, Nick's is not just a place to get fit. It is a community center in which people gather to catch up with one another and help each other out. The members of Nick's Pro Fitness form their own social network, in the ways before the electronic age took over: Face to Face! Nick's is also home to one of the most impressive baseball training facilities I have seen. Everyone from professional baseball players in the major leagues, to Little Leaguers work out at Nick's. Improving their form and their game. Nick's is THE place to improve your game. Whether it's baseball, or your own personal fitness, I would recommend this place to anyone and everyone who will listen.
"What now" you ask? Maintainance. I have worked incredibly hard at losing the weight and building the muscle. My goal now is to maintain my new found physique! I will continue to work out at Nick's Pro Fitness, practicing the many new exercises and levels of intensity I have learned these past 7 weeks. I would like to lose about 5 more pounds, and keep the weight off for good. I am ready to keep up the intensity and maintain the level of commitment to making it to Nick's every day for a workout. I sincerely hope that, through reading these postings, you have somehow been either inspired or challenged to do the same in your own lives. To either lose some weight, or to maintain your own level of fitness. I also hope that you may find some time in the near future to give Nick's Pro Fitness a try. To stop and visit with Nick Kapande! He would love to meet you, and then invite you to one of his "Fitness Conditioning" classes!
So, the next time you are in or near Evergreen, CO, stop by Nick's Pro Fitness and say "Hello". Who knows? You may see me there - working out, or sitting at the table near the reception desk, chatting with Nick himself.
Thank you for reading.
Jeffrey Bowers
Director of Sales
Denver Life Magazine
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Monday, February 28, 2011
WEEK 7
WEEK 7
CHALLENGE UPDATE!
This posting is unusual in that it will cover the entire week of February 21 - 26 (last week). Unfortunately, with getting the new March/April "Renovation" issue of Denver Life Magazine ready to gou out to the printer so that it will hit newsstands on time this week, my previous week flew by and my daily postings got away from me.
Last week was no walk in the park, as with ANY of my previous six (6) weeks at Nick's Pro Fitness. Now you may notice that the title of this posting is "Challenge Update" of my "6 Week Fitness Challenge"! You see, upon conclusion of my 6 weeks, Nick decided that because I had missed an entire week of working out at Nick's while I was in Pennsylvania, he said that I needed to make that week up. Never mind the fact that I was able to lose another 5lbs while I was away in PA! That didn't matter. It was the simple fact that I was not working out with Nick that week. And that is all there was to that particular conversation.
So here I sit, at the start of Week 7. I should also point out at this point where I currently stand with my fitness and weight loss goals.
As of Saturday, February 26th, I have lost a total of 19lbs. But that number is a bit misleading. You see, my Body Fat Index has dropped from 34.5% at the start of this challenge to 20.2% BFI. That is a loss of 14.3% in Body Fat alone! In pounds, that is 29.6lbs of FAT. Yes, you read that right. 29.6 pounds of fat I have lost over the past 6 weeks. I have gained ten (10) pounds of just muscle. No six pack abs yet, but the muscle's absotuley there. It's just protected by a soft tissue layer. That's my story, and I'm stickin' to it.
So here I start, Week 7 of my Fitness Challenge and I am sincerely impressed and pleased with my results to date. I have gone down two (2) belt loop holes in all of my belts, and my clothes are looser-fitting. I feel great, and my energy level during the day is non-stop. This has been a wonderful transition and I am excited to continue the work that lies ahead. I honestly hope that, through my own personal experiences, you yourself have been motivated - or at least intrigued - to get up off that couch or desk chair and do something about your own health and fitness. I hope that you have been at curious to see what Nick's is all about, and about how SPECIAL Nick's Pro Fitness truly is. Please do not let the distance hold you back from going up to Evergreen at least ONE TIME to check Nick's out. I promise you that, if nothing else, you will experience something fun, unique and motivating. Give it a shot! You just never know what will come of it. Besides, who doesn't like driving through the beautiful little community of Evergreen, CO and looking at all of the Elk in the Taco Bell Drive-Thru lane on Stagecoach Pass & Evergreen Parkway? It's a great Kodak moment, for sure.
Thank you for reading.
Jeffrey Bowers
Director of Sales
Denver Life Magazine
CHALLENGE UPDATE!
This posting is unusual in that it will cover the entire week of February 21 - 26 (last week). Unfortunately, with getting the new March/April "Renovation" issue of Denver Life Magazine ready to gou out to the printer so that it will hit newsstands on time this week, my previous week flew by and my daily postings got away from me.
Last week was no walk in the park, as with ANY of my previous six (6) weeks at Nick's Pro Fitness. Now you may notice that the title of this posting is "Challenge Update" of my "6 Week Fitness Challenge"! You see, upon conclusion of my 6 weeks, Nick decided that because I had missed an entire week of working out at Nick's while I was in Pennsylvania, he said that I needed to make that week up. Never mind the fact that I was able to lose another 5lbs while I was away in PA! That didn't matter. It was the simple fact that I was not working out with Nick that week. And that is all there was to that particular conversation.
So here I sit, at the start of Week 7. I should also point out at this point where I currently stand with my fitness and weight loss goals.
As of Saturday, February 26th, I have lost a total of 19lbs. But that number is a bit misleading. You see, my Body Fat Index has dropped from 34.5% at the start of this challenge to 20.2% BFI. That is a loss of 14.3% in Body Fat alone! In pounds, that is 29.6lbs of FAT. Yes, you read that right. 29.6 pounds of fat I have lost over the past 6 weeks. I have gained ten (10) pounds of just muscle. No six pack abs yet, but the muscle's absotuley there. It's just protected by a soft tissue layer. That's my story, and I'm stickin' to it.
So here I start, Week 7 of my Fitness Challenge and I am sincerely impressed and pleased with my results to date. I have gone down two (2) belt loop holes in all of my belts, and my clothes are looser-fitting. I feel great, and my energy level during the day is non-stop. This has been a wonderful transition and I am excited to continue the work that lies ahead. I honestly hope that, through my own personal experiences, you yourself have been motivated - or at least intrigued - to get up off that couch or desk chair and do something about your own health and fitness. I hope that you have been at curious to see what Nick's is all about, and about how SPECIAL Nick's Pro Fitness truly is. Please do not let the distance hold you back from going up to Evergreen at least ONE TIME to check Nick's out. I promise you that, if nothing else, you will experience something fun, unique and motivating. Give it a shot! You just never know what will come of it. Besides, who doesn't like driving through the beautiful little community of Evergreen, CO and looking at all of the Elk in the Taco Bell Drive-Thru lane on Stagecoach Pass & Evergreen Parkway? It's a great Kodak moment, for sure.
Thank you for reading.
Jeffrey Bowers
Director of Sales
Denver Life Magazine
Sunday, February 20, 2011
DAY 34
DAY 34 - Saturday
Don't Get Chubby!
Saturday's class was MUCH bigger than Friday night's small gathering of Nick's Pro Fitness followers. Many more people showed up for a Saturday morning workout this Holiday weekend. As we were stretching out, getting ready for the beat-down about to take place, Nick wanders over to a small group of us and starts chatting. As we spoke, Nick gave one of the most inspirational and note-worthy quotes I have heard in a long time: "If you're not exercising and staying in shape, than you're chubby! And you don't want to be chubby." Hmm. Monumental. That line pretty much summed up the two years of my life prior to coming to Nick's Pro Fitness to take part in this Fitness Challenge. It's all Nick had to say on Day 1 to get me signed up and in the gym.
To hear Nick, who is typically full of inspirational and thought-provoking speaches, say the word: "chubby" made us all laugh out loud. I don't know if it was the word, or just the simplistic reality of the observation that we all found so funny and true. The laughter was a great way to start the day. It really did set the tone for the rest of the workout as we struggled to keep up with Nick's frantic pace and aggressive spirit this Saturday morning. And Nick was right. If I wasn't there at Nick's Pro Fitness that bright, sunny Saturday morning, I might have been home or someone else getting "chubby". And who wants to be chubby?
This has been an amazingly tough, and invigorating, six weeks of working out at Nick's Pro Fitness. Six days a week. 90 minutes a day. To date, I have lost a total of 16 pounds and I feel great. I can definately feel that my muscle mass has grown and I have more energy throughout the day. For those of you reading this who do not live in Evergreen, but are inspired - or at least intrigued - by my experiences at Nick's Pro Fitness, I encourage you to do something about it. Get out of the house and exercise. If you feel that Evergreen is just too far to drive for a workout, at least give it a try. Just once! Nick holds his Fitness Conditioning Classes six (6) days a week, 2 times a day. Go online to http://www.nicksprofitness.com/ and check out the schedule. And then come on up for ONE class! It is absolutely worth the drive just to give it a try and see the special bond that Nick has with his members, and that everyone has with each other. Nick's Pro Fitness truly is unlike ANYTHING I have seen. And you owe it to yourself to at least come up one day out of your life to give it a try. Remember this: there are several members of Nick's Pro Fitness that live in the Denver area and make the commute daily. It MUST be worth it for them!
Thank you for reading.
Jeffrey Bowers
Director of Sales
Denver Life Magazine
Don't Get Chubby!
Saturday's class was MUCH bigger than Friday night's small gathering of Nick's Pro Fitness followers. Many more people showed up for a Saturday morning workout this Holiday weekend. As we were stretching out, getting ready for the beat-down about to take place, Nick wanders over to a small group of us and starts chatting. As we spoke, Nick gave one of the most inspirational and note-worthy quotes I have heard in a long time: "If you're not exercising and staying in shape, than you're chubby! And you don't want to be chubby." Hmm. Monumental. That line pretty much summed up the two years of my life prior to coming to Nick's Pro Fitness to take part in this Fitness Challenge. It's all Nick had to say on Day 1 to get me signed up and in the gym.
To hear Nick, who is typically full of inspirational and thought-provoking speaches, say the word: "chubby" made us all laugh out loud. I don't know if it was the word, or just the simplistic reality of the observation that we all found so funny and true. The laughter was a great way to start the day. It really did set the tone for the rest of the workout as we struggled to keep up with Nick's frantic pace and aggressive spirit this Saturday morning. And Nick was right. If I wasn't there at Nick's Pro Fitness that bright, sunny Saturday morning, I might have been home or someone else getting "chubby". And who wants to be chubby?
This has been an amazingly tough, and invigorating, six weeks of working out at Nick's Pro Fitness. Six days a week. 90 minutes a day. To date, I have lost a total of 16 pounds and I feel great. I can definately feel that my muscle mass has grown and I have more energy throughout the day. For those of you reading this who do not live in Evergreen, but are inspired - or at least intrigued - by my experiences at Nick's Pro Fitness, I encourage you to do something about it. Get out of the house and exercise. If you feel that Evergreen is just too far to drive for a workout, at least give it a try. Just once! Nick holds his Fitness Conditioning Classes six (6) days a week, 2 times a day. Go online to http://www.nicksprofitness.com/ and check out the schedule. And then come on up for ONE class! It is absolutely worth the drive just to give it a try and see the special bond that Nick has with his members, and that everyone has with each other. Nick's Pro Fitness truly is unlike ANYTHING I have seen. And you owe it to yourself to at least come up one day out of your life to give it a try. Remember this: there are several members of Nick's Pro Fitness that live in the Denver area and make the commute daily. It MUST be worth it for them!
Thank you for reading.
Jeffrey Bowers
Director of Sales
Denver Life Magazine
DAY 33
DAY 33 - Friday
Atomic Friday!
Friday nights have long been known amongst the Nick's Pro Fitness community as "Atomic Fridays" for the rather tough and strenuous workouts that Nick likes to doll out at the end of the week. As a result, you pretty much know what you're in for when you head in to Nick's on a Friday night. And tonight, Nick did not disappoint.
It was a night of hard work, intense exercises and complete exhaustion! And tonight, I was given an added bonus ... Nick as my exercise partner for Double Leg Presses. Yippee. Now if you have been following along with my daily postings, you have read about my past experience with doing these unbelievably hard and painful leg exercises with Nick as a "partner". And, as such, you have read about how Nick really pushes you to do the exercise completely on your own - without the minor "assistance" you MAY recieve from one of the other class members. I'm not saying anyone does such a thing, because that would be frowned upon by Nick and a big "no-no" in class. I'm just saying that it may, or may not, happen on occassion. But not on purpose, of course. That's all I'm gonna say about that.
In the end, the 15 or so of us that did show up for Friday night's workout got our money's worth and our butts kicked. Lucky us!
Thank you for reading.
Jeffrey Bowers
Director of Sales
Denver Life Magazine
Atomic Friday!
Friday nights have long been known amongst the Nick's Pro Fitness community as "Atomic Fridays" for the rather tough and strenuous workouts that Nick likes to doll out at the end of the week. As a result, you pretty much know what you're in for when you head in to Nick's on a Friday night. And tonight, Nick did not disappoint.
It was a night of hard work, intense exercises and complete exhaustion! And tonight, I was given an added bonus ... Nick as my exercise partner for Double Leg Presses. Yippee. Now if you have been following along with my daily postings, you have read about my past experience with doing these unbelievably hard and painful leg exercises with Nick as a "partner". And, as such, you have read about how Nick really pushes you to do the exercise completely on your own - without the minor "assistance" you MAY recieve from one of the other class members. I'm not saying anyone does such a thing, because that would be frowned upon by Nick and a big "no-no" in class. I'm just saying that it may, or may not, happen on occassion. But not on purpose, of course. That's all I'm gonna say about that.
In the end, the 15 or so of us that did show up for Friday night's workout got our money's worth and our butts kicked. Lucky us!
Thank you for reading.
Jeffrey Bowers
Director of Sales
Denver Life Magazine
Friday, February 18, 2011
DAY 32
DAY 32 - Thursday
Me and the Girls!
Due to meetings this morning, I had to miss the regularly scheduled morning Fitness Conditioning class at Nick's and instead workout with the evening Tae-Kwon Do class. I have done this before, and it is a change in the normal workout routine. The Tae-Kwon Do group does more running and aerobic exercises, versus the strength-building Fitness Conditioning classes. So the change is a good one, because I can get some cardio exercise into my weekly workouts.
However, it is always an interesting dynamic when you go to the Tae-Kwon Do class! In addition to all of the kids in their Tae-Kwon Do, white uniforms running around, you also have those of us who are there for the fitness aspect. Half are dressed to attack and defend and exercise self-discipline and mental toughness, half of us are dressed to sweat and go home. Tonight's "workout" group was a small one. Six girls from the Evergreen High School girl's soccer team, and five of us well beyond our high school days!
After the Tae-Kwon Do portion of the workout (running, sprints, bear crawls, high knees, etc.) was completed, it was time to split the group. Those dressed in white and ready to defend and pursue where sent to one side of the gym to work on their Tae-Kwon Do skills and yelling, while those of dressed in mis-matched shorts and t-shirts were sent to the other side of the gym to get in more exercises. For me, I was grouped together with the Evergreen High School Girl's Soccer Team. Me and the girls. Teeny-Boppers and a middle-aged man with a gut! I knew this would get interesting.
As instructed, the girls and I had to do jumps, runs, and suicide sprints. As these athletic soccer players took off with gusto, it was all I could do just to keep up. Without hesitation, they would jump over the cones, sprint to the wall, run backwards, and then side-shuffle back to the start. They were like a pack of gazelles!! Leaping and running like it was a fun game, or something. And then there was the Wildebeast behind them. Jumping and landing with an audible "Thud", and then jogging to the wall while I tried to control my breathing, only to then have to turn around to run backwards and concentrate so as not to trip over anything! The girl's soccer team was very considerate so as NOT to lap me! And they all yelled encouraging words to each other as a cohesive group during the workout. I tried to join in, but my words came out breathy and sometimes inaudible as I tried to cheer us on without passing out from exhaustion.
At the end of the workout, as I lay on my back trying to catch my breath and stretch my sore leg muscles while my knees and ankles cracked with every movement, the Evergreen High School Girl's Soccer Team all leaped to their feet, gave each other fist bumps, and then exchanged kind, sympathetic words of: "Good job!" to me as they filed out of the gym. Buncha show-offs!
Thank you for reading.
Jeffrey Bowers
Director of Sales
Denver Life Magazine
Me and the Girls!
Due to meetings this morning, I had to miss the regularly scheduled morning Fitness Conditioning class at Nick's and instead workout with the evening Tae-Kwon Do class. I have done this before, and it is a change in the normal workout routine. The Tae-Kwon Do group does more running and aerobic exercises, versus the strength-building Fitness Conditioning classes. So the change is a good one, because I can get some cardio exercise into my weekly workouts.
However, it is always an interesting dynamic when you go to the Tae-Kwon Do class! In addition to all of the kids in their Tae-Kwon Do, white uniforms running around, you also have those of us who are there for the fitness aspect. Half are dressed to attack and defend and exercise self-discipline and mental toughness, half of us are dressed to sweat and go home. Tonight's "workout" group was a small one. Six girls from the Evergreen High School girl's soccer team, and five of us well beyond our high school days!
After the Tae-Kwon Do portion of the workout (running, sprints, bear crawls, high knees, etc.) was completed, it was time to split the group. Those dressed in white and ready to defend and pursue where sent to one side of the gym to work on their Tae-Kwon Do skills and yelling, while those of dressed in mis-matched shorts and t-shirts were sent to the other side of the gym to get in more exercises. For me, I was grouped together with the Evergreen High School Girl's Soccer Team. Me and the girls. Teeny-Boppers and a middle-aged man with a gut! I knew this would get interesting.
As instructed, the girls and I had to do jumps, runs, and suicide sprints. As these athletic soccer players took off with gusto, it was all I could do just to keep up. Without hesitation, they would jump over the cones, sprint to the wall, run backwards, and then side-shuffle back to the start. They were like a pack of gazelles!! Leaping and running like it was a fun game, or something. And then there was the Wildebeast behind them. Jumping and landing with an audible "Thud", and then jogging to the wall while I tried to control my breathing, only to then have to turn around to run backwards and concentrate so as not to trip over anything! The girl's soccer team was very considerate so as NOT to lap me! And they all yelled encouraging words to each other as a cohesive group during the workout. I tried to join in, but my words came out breathy and sometimes inaudible as I tried to cheer us on without passing out from exhaustion.
At the end of the workout, as I lay on my back trying to catch my breath and stretch my sore leg muscles while my knees and ankles cracked with every movement, the Evergreen High School Girl's Soccer Team all leaped to their feet, gave each other fist bumps, and then exchanged kind, sympathetic words of: "Good job!" to me as they filed out of the gym. Buncha show-offs!
Thank you for reading.
Jeffrey Bowers
Director of Sales
Denver Life Magazine
Thursday, February 17, 2011
DAY 31
DAY 31 - Wednesday;
RIGHT versus WRONG
At Nick's, there is a "right" way of doing things, and a "wrong" way of doing things. And if you are not doing it the "right" way, every time, there are consequences. Nick expects, and demands, perfection from his members. As Nick says: "short cuts don't get you in shape! Short cuts don't do anything but hurt you. I do not teach you short cuts, so I do not ever want to see short cuts in my classes."
I learned that lesson the hard way today. Today, we had to do a series of one-legged presses. That is where you stand parallel to a wall with a railing and place your hand closest to the wall on that railing. Only for balance, Nick says. The other hand is held firmly in place, again just for balance, by your workout partner who is standing on the other side of you. With one leg extended out in front of you, you slowly bend at the knee and squat all the way down until your butt is inches from the floor with your other leg. You then push back up to a standing position. The "short-cut" in this difficult maneuver comes from your workout partner (and new BFF if they are "aiding" you!). As you squat down, they will place their hand on your elbow and "assist" you on the way down, and again on the way up, by applying slight pressure. This is a huge "No-No" at Nick's, and he can spot an "assist" a mile away.
As my workout partner - whom I shall remain nameless out of respect and my sincere appreciation for the short time he was "assisting" me - was providing some "assistance", Nick was on it like flies at a picnic. He immediately came over to us, and relieved my partner of his duties. With Nick holding my hand for balance, all of a sudden, the exercise became damn near impossible!! There was no support. There was no assistance. I was 100% completely on my own for the one-legged press. It became disconcertingly clear and obvious that my legs are NOT in as good of shape as I had previously felt. As I would begin the downward motion, I would almost drop down instead of doing it in a nice, smooth motion. The way up was worse! I had nothing there. My leg would be shaking and my hands were sweaty and I was making funny faces as I strained to stand up! And with Nick as your partner, he makes you do the exercise until failure. He keeps pushing and pushing until your legs literally give out and not push up anymore. Needless to say, Nick would not become my BFF today. We are "Frenemies" at the moment.
However, I did finish up a shortened version of the exercise - I could only hammer out about 15 on each leg, instead of the 30 he was asking for and would have completed with my BFF workout partner assisting me. As I have written before, I am a man who looks for the short-cuts in a workout because they don't hurt as much. And as I have also written before, Nick is endless in his pursuit to kick that bad habit out of my workout routines. He constantly strives to push me to do my best, and never give up. Thus, why we are still at least "frenemies" and not total enemies to date.
Thank you for reading.
Jeffrey Bowers
Director of Sales
Denver Life Magazine
RIGHT versus WRONG
At Nick's, there is a "right" way of doing things, and a "wrong" way of doing things. And if you are not doing it the "right" way, every time, there are consequences. Nick expects, and demands, perfection from his members. As Nick says: "short cuts don't get you in shape! Short cuts don't do anything but hurt you. I do not teach you short cuts, so I do not ever want to see short cuts in my classes."
I learned that lesson the hard way today. Today, we had to do a series of one-legged presses. That is where you stand parallel to a wall with a railing and place your hand closest to the wall on that railing. Only for balance, Nick says. The other hand is held firmly in place, again just for balance, by your workout partner who is standing on the other side of you. With one leg extended out in front of you, you slowly bend at the knee and squat all the way down until your butt is inches from the floor with your other leg. You then push back up to a standing position. The "short-cut" in this difficult maneuver comes from your workout partner (and new BFF if they are "aiding" you!). As you squat down, they will place their hand on your elbow and "assist" you on the way down, and again on the way up, by applying slight pressure. This is a huge "No-No" at Nick's, and he can spot an "assist" a mile away.
As my workout partner - whom I shall remain nameless out of respect and my sincere appreciation for the short time he was "assisting" me - was providing some "assistance", Nick was on it like flies at a picnic. He immediately came over to us, and relieved my partner of his duties. With Nick holding my hand for balance, all of a sudden, the exercise became damn near impossible!! There was no support. There was no assistance. I was 100% completely on my own for the one-legged press. It became disconcertingly clear and obvious that my legs are NOT in as good of shape as I had previously felt. As I would begin the downward motion, I would almost drop down instead of doing it in a nice, smooth motion. The way up was worse! I had nothing there. My leg would be shaking and my hands were sweaty and I was making funny faces as I strained to stand up! And with Nick as your partner, he makes you do the exercise until failure. He keeps pushing and pushing until your legs literally give out and not push up anymore. Needless to say, Nick would not become my BFF today. We are "Frenemies" at the moment.
However, I did finish up a shortened version of the exercise - I could only hammer out about 15 on each leg, instead of the 30 he was asking for and would have completed with my BFF workout partner assisting me. As I have written before, I am a man who looks for the short-cuts in a workout because they don't hurt as much. And as I have also written before, Nick is endless in his pursuit to kick that bad habit out of my workout routines. He constantly strives to push me to do my best, and never give up. Thus, why we are still at least "frenemies" and not total enemies to date.
Thank you for reading.
Jeffrey Bowers
Director of Sales
Denver Life Magazine
DAY 30
DAY 30 - Tuesday;
Curse of the Dreaded Mountain Climber!
For those of you who are unaware of what the exercise is, a "Mountain Climber" is where you start out in a runner's starting position: Hands, or knuckles, planted firmly on the floor. Your right knee tucked under your chin with your right foot planted on the floor beneath you - toes flat and your heal up. Your left leg slightly bent, knee on the ground, and toes flat on the floor and ready to push. Just like a runner in the starting gate before a sprint. When you do the exercise, you stay in that runner's position the entire time. The only movement is from your hips, your stomach, and your legs. You swiftly switch from right foot, to left foot, and back to right foot while maintaining your hands or knuckles firmly on the floor, and your back slightly arched in the air. You move your legs back and forth under you, making as little sound or impact as possible with your toes as you push your right leg forward, then your left leg forward! It is an exhausting workout that strains your lower stomach, your legs, and your hip flexors. And it burns after doing about 40 of them.
A "Kick Back" is where you start out in a squatting position. Knees bent, both feet side-by-side under you and balancing on the balls of your feet, with your hands planted firmly on the floor on either side of your feet. Kind of like a Catcher in baseball, only hunched forward with your hands on the floor. From this position, you kick both of your legs out behind you in one movement, forming a push-up position with your body. You finish by thrusting both of your legs back underneath you into the starting position. That's one! It's a lovely exercise that strains your hip flexors, quads, shoulders, and lower back muscles. And the Kick Back makes you do funny faces as you struggle to keep up and push yourself to continue doing one after another of this torture! So much so that even Nick notices and has to yell out during the exercise: "RELAX YOUR FACE! NO MAKING FACES!" It always makes me chuckle when I hear him say that because you really can't help making a face when you're straining so much to complete the task. Kick Backs are a real delightful movement that you don't see enough of in yoga or pilates! Probably because, like mountain climbers, kick backs are annoying too! Even more so than mountain climbers, though.
Tonight, Nick was in a playful mood and decided that we would do mountain climbers and kick backs for the entire first half of our workout. In my mind, we must have spent an entire 45 minutes doing just these two exercises, and probably did about 1,000 of each! In reality, it may have been more like 10-15 minutes, and only 300-400 of each. Either way, it hurt. But to Nick's credit, he was there in the front of the hot gym, doing every single one of them with us. And he was counting them out too! I know I have said this before, but at 48 years old, Nick Kapande is in the best shape of anyone I have ever met in my life. He is truly impressive. No less aggrivating and frustrating when he's making your do these incredibly tiring exercises for long periods of time! But that is what makes working out at Nick's so special; he is right there with you, pushing you "through the wall" as he likes to say. Forcing you to do your best, and get in shape. No shortcuts, no freebies. It is why, after five weeks, I have been able to lose 14 pounds. And if muscle weighs more than fat, I am exciting to see how much my Body Fat Index has changed in this time period. I feel great. My clothes are looser fitting. And I have noticed a change in my energy level and quality of sleep. What's next?
Thank you for reading.
Jeffrey Bowers
Director of Sales
Denver Life Magazine
Curse of the Dreaded Mountain Climber!
For those of you who are unaware of what the exercise is, a "Mountain Climber" is where you start out in a runner's starting position: Hands, or knuckles, planted firmly on the floor. Your right knee tucked under your chin with your right foot planted on the floor beneath you - toes flat and your heal up. Your left leg slightly bent, knee on the ground, and toes flat on the floor and ready to push. Just like a runner in the starting gate before a sprint. When you do the exercise, you stay in that runner's position the entire time. The only movement is from your hips, your stomach, and your legs. You swiftly switch from right foot, to left foot, and back to right foot while maintaining your hands or knuckles firmly on the floor, and your back slightly arched in the air. You move your legs back and forth under you, making as little sound or impact as possible with your toes as you push your right leg forward, then your left leg forward! It is an exhausting workout that strains your lower stomach, your legs, and your hip flexors. And it burns after doing about 40 of them.
A "Kick Back" is where you start out in a squatting position. Knees bent, both feet side-by-side under you and balancing on the balls of your feet, with your hands planted firmly on the floor on either side of your feet. Kind of like a Catcher in baseball, only hunched forward with your hands on the floor. From this position, you kick both of your legs out behind you in one movement, forming a push-up position with your body. You finish by thrusting both of your legs back underneath you into the starting position. That's one! It's a lovely exercise that strains your hip flexors, quads, shoulders, and lower back muscles. And the Kick Back makes you do funny faces as you struggle to keep up and push yourself to continue doing one after another of this torture! So much so that even Nick notices and has to yell out during the exercise: "RELAX YOUR FACE! NO MAKING FACES!" It always makes me chuckle when I hear him say that because you really can't help making a face when you're straining so much to complete the task. Kick Backs are a real delightful movement that you don't see enough of in yoga or pilates! Probably because, like mountain climbers, kick backs are annoying too! Even more so than mountain climbers, though.
Tonight, Nick was in a playful mood and decided that we would do mountain climbers and kick backs for the entire first half of our workout. In my mind, we must have spent an entire 45 minutes doing just these two exercises, and probably did about 1,000 of each! In reality, it may have been more like 10-15 minutes, and only 300-400 of each. Either way, it hurt. But to Nick's credit, he was there in the front of the hot gym, doing every single one of them with us. And he was counting them out too! I know I have said this before, but at 48 years old, Nick Kapande is in the best shape of anyone I have ever met in my life. He is truly impressive. No less aggrivating and frustrating when he's making your do these incredibly tiring exercises for long periods of time! But that is what makes working out at Nick's so special; he is right there with you, pushing you "through the wall" as he likes to say. Forcing you to do your best, and get in shape. No shortcuts, no freebies. It is why, after five weeks, I have been able to lose 14 pounds. And if muscle weighs more than fat, I am exciting to see how much my Body Fat Index has changed in this time period. I feel great. My clothes are looser fitting. And I have noticed a change in my energy level and quality of sleep. What's next?
Thank you for reading.
Jeffrey Bowers
Director of Sales
Denver Life Magazine
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
