Since we will be bringing Alfie to obedience school in February, I will be missing out on one of my favorite gym classes: Strength. Yeah, there are other times and days I can go but that means I’ll have to be at the gym for 6:45AM, or leave work 15 minutes earlier(4:45PM), or head home and come back to the gym for a 7:00 sesh. Not so convenient.
The instructor is so consistent (no MP3 players allowed!) with keeping us all interested and switching up the routines weekly, that we never get bored of showing up to a class. For instance, two weeks ago it was all about setting ourselves up individually and doing our own thing on the floor like lunges, push ups and stability exercises.
On Wednesday it was set up with 5 circuits where at each of the five stations you have to be doing three different exercises for three minutes.
Circuit 1
Bosu ball. (see here)
1st minute: “v-set bar raises” (forgive me in advance since I really don’t remember the name of all of the exercises) where you sit in a mid-sit up position on the bosu with a weight in your hand. Your feet must not touch the ground. You lift the weight like you’re raising it above your head.
2nd minute: You kneel on the bosu with your feet again, not touching the ground and you do arm raises with a weight. Alternate arms once you get restless.
3rd minute: One foot on bosu ball, the other foot on floor. Do a squat then when you go to stand, bring the foot that was on the floor with you, and raise it up to a knee raise when you’re standing. Then squat, again.
Circuit 2
Lunges.
Oh the most despised exercise known to me. But those are the exercises that usually work, right?
For three consecutive minutes: You do dynamic lunges with weights in both hands and take a step forward each time you lunge. (see here)
Circuit 3
1 large Barbell.
1st minute: Bent over rows (see here) Ouch, this one was hard, but I was bent over more as my instructor stated me to. The second time round, everyone was racing to get the lightest weights – however the second time around we did it the “narrow” way. (see here)
2nd minute: Barbell squat. (see here)
3rd minute: Bicep curl. (see here)
Circuit 4
Stability ball.
1st minute: Lay on the ball with your lower back touching the ball. Secure legs by pushing against a wall and do sit ups. Add a weight if need be. (see here)
2nd minute: Sit up on ball and take weights in your hands and raise them above your head (see here)
3rd minute: Back extensions on stability ball (see here)
Circuit 5
Step platform.
1st minute: Toe touches. Clearly that’s not the actual name for it, and I failed at finding a good picture to describe it so I’ll try my best. You’re standing on a platform and you just let one foot hang off the edge and almost do a squat until your toe touches the ground. Stand up, and squat again with the toe touching the ground. Repeat for 30 seconds, then switch to other leg.
2nd minute: Push ups on this platform thing. I did them on my knees, since I’m not strong enough yet to do a full minute of push ups on my toes. (see here)
3rd minute: Triceps dips! Killerrrrrr. I was trembling by the end of this exercise! (see here)
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Annnnnd repeat. What a day to forget my water bottle, right?
Hope I get to see some results within the next few months!
