I am *very* excited about it and so I am *very* happy to share it with you!
For some framing information, I recently started a new assignment at work. This particular assignment allows for me to participate in a fitness program where I can work out up to 3 days per week for up to an hour per day. I am beginning to brew over a blog post in my head describing why I think *every* employer should incorporate something similar, but I don't have it ready yet. Soon, friends. Soon.
Anyways, as if this fitness program were not amazing enough in its own right, my office has a small workout group who faithfully utilize the program and have graciously invited me to join. It. Is. Awesome!
Side (yet related) story: When I first learned of the program, I assumed I'd always use the final hour of my workday. I just could not envision myself being able to get a reasonable workout in, shower, dress, put on make up and fix my hair in sixty minutes. Also, I have an aversion to showering at work. It's weird. So, fast forward to me now and I do shower at work (I just had to get over it for the sake of these workouts) and I get a *GREAT* workout in and am ready all in <60 minutes. Did I mention this workout group is amazing?????
So, what are these workouts all about? And, Erin, how *do* you fit it all in in 60 minutes? Allow me to explain...
Protip: Wear your workout clothes to work. Saves time changing into them and saves you from buying that extra cup of coffee because you are not going to be leaving the office for anything except bathroom trips pre-workout.
0:00-0:05: Walk to gym. Drop gym bag in locker room. Put hair in tight ponytail/bun.
0:05-0:15: Cardio warm-up. So far I have solely used the elliptical. I just love it for warming up. Love it.
0:15-0:20: Transition to the fitness room and set up any equipment needed for the day's workout.
0:20-0:32: Twelve minutes of fun*.
0:32-0:36: Various ab exercises.
0:36-0:40: Stretch/Clean up.
0:40-0:55: Shower, dress, make up, run comb through hair.
0:55-1:00: Transit back to office.
Yes, it is that amazingly perfect.
*So what is this twelve minutes of fun? Well, I'm sure you've heard of something similar, but I wouldn't know an official name for it, so I'll just explain it. For us, we do 6 different exercises, for 50 seconds each, with a 10 second rest in between, twice. (<-----I hope that sentence is parse-able.) The actual 6 exercises vary daily. My friend designs the workout and she is great at it! It's always tough, always different and always leaves me feeling great. Sometimes they are more cardio, sometimes more toning, sometimes a combination. Today's was much more toning focused:
Alternating Single Arm Kettlebell Swings
Bent-Over Dumbbell Rows into Dumbbell Kick-Backs
Walk-Over Aerobic Step followed by High Jump
Elevated Mountain Climber followed by Elevated Fire Hydrants (feet on step)
Abs on Step (lay down on step, bring legs in and out)
Lying Dumbbell Chest Flyes into Chest Presses (lying on step)
But we have done all sorts of crazy things like: star jacks (jumping jacks from a crouched position on the floor), around the worlds (push up position, slide feet in to chest then separate feet in a circle back to the original position), burpees, low jacks, and many, many more. If I can't do one, or if I can do it the whole time, I simply modify it and keep chugging. It's a great environment and really pushes me.
It's amazing to me that I can sweat so much and feel so sore in all the right places after only 12 minutes of work. But it is an intense 12 minutes. I am really loving this. It's every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, so you may hear it about more often (if I remember to post....).
