Cruise: Day 7 - Exercise routine
Nov. 24th, 2007 10:00 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
livingdebSome of us went to an aerobics/strength building class on ship days at eight in the morning. Two of these days it was taught by this guy who felt that you need only six exercises to work all your muscles. I don't believe this, but still, it sounded like a good start. We only did four of these:
* squats
* push-ups
* abs - lie on back with feet straight out in front of you, slightly off the floor, and criss-cross your feet
* back - lie on your stomach like Superman flying and lift either your right arm and left leg, your left arm and right leg or both arms and legs
He also mentioned:
* pull-ups
I can't remember the last one. The point is that you don't need to be in a gym and that if you switch between these without resting in between (actually, we "rested" in a plank position after before starting over with lunges each time), then it's aerobic. You do each of these, one at a time, a different way each time. You might do them quickly during one circuit, slowly once, pulsing once, and statically staying in the hardest position of the movement once.
Today was the second class with this guy, and there were fewer of us, so he got to teach the class the way he preferred: with stations.
Squats - Station 1 had a huge ball which you would put between your back and a wall to help you do squats. For a while there was also a somewhat redundant station 4.5 for doing lunges while we had an extra person.
Shoulder presses - Station 2 had a couple of 2.5-kg (6-lb) with which you would do shoulder presses. Imagine doing a handstand, then doing push-ups in that position, only it's more like air push-ups because you're standing up and just lifting these tiny weights (comparied to your own body weight) into the air.
Tricep dips - Station 3 had a step like they have in step aerobics which you could use to do tricep dips. You can also do these using the edge of a chair or bed by acting like you're trying to sit on the chair, but you're missing the chair and instead sitting in front of the chair, but catching yourself before you hit the floor because you've got your hands on the edge of the chair seat.
Back exercise - Station 4 had a mat and you were to do the same "swimming" exercise we did earlier.
Push-ups - Station 5 had a mat for push-ups. You could do regular, girls--ahem--modified (knees on floor) to make it easier, or with one leg in the air to make it harder.
We did a circuit at normal pace, doing about a count of fifteen at each station. Then a circuit where you find the toughest position and hold that for about fifteen seconds. Then two circuits with pulses. Then another one holding the roughest position. Then do ten as fast as you can, only you'd probably do fewer because once the first person finished, everyone moved.
He explained that moving from station to station was one of the more important parts of this routine and helps keep you from becoming one of those people who can never get on the floor because you won't be able to get up; and if you fall over you're just stuck there until someone can help you.
So you should do this however long it takes to get twenty minutes in. A nice quick work-out (except it doesn't seem so nice the next day). I think this is a good idea that I should copy at home.
* squats
* push-ups
* abs - lie on back with feet straight out in front of you, slightly off the floor, and criss-cross your feet
* back - lie on your stomach like Superman flying and lift either your right arm and left leg, your left arm and right leg or both arms and legs
He also mentioned:
* pull-ups
I can't remember the last one. The point is that you don't need to be in a gym and that if you switch between these without resting in between (actually, we "rested" in a plank position after before starting over with lunges each time), then it's aerobic. You do each of these, one at a time, a different way each time. You might do them quickly during one circuit, slowly once, pulsing once, and statically staying in the hardest position of the movement once.
Today was the second class with this guy, and there were fewer of us, so he got to teach the class the way he preferred: with stations.
Squats - Station 1 had a huge ball which you would put between your back and a wall to help you do squats. For a while there was also a somewhat redundant station 4.5 for doing lunges while we had an extra person.
Shoulder presses - Station 2 had a couple of 2.5-kg (6-lb) with which you would do shoulder presses. Imagine doing a handstand, then doing push-ups in that position, only it's more like air push-ups because you're standing up and just lifting these tiny weights (comparied to your own body weight) into the air.
Tricep dips - Station 3 had a step like they have in step aerobics which you could use to do tricep dips. You can also do these using the edge of a chair or bed by acting like you're trying to sit on the chair, but you're missing the chair and instead sitting in front of the chair, but catching yourself before you hit the floor because you've got your hands on the edge of the chair seat.
Back exercise - Station 4 had a mat and you were to do the same "swimming" exercise we did earlier.
Push-ups - Station 5 had a mat for push-ups. You could do regular, girls--ahem--modified (knees on floor) to make it easier, or with one leg in the air to make it harder.
We did a circuit at normal pace, doing about a count of fifteen at each station. Then a circuit where you find the toughest position and hold that for about fifteen seconds. Then two circuits with pulses. Then another one holding the roughest position. Then do ten as fast as you can, only you'd probably do fewer because once the first person finished, everyone moved.
He explained that moving from station to station was one of the more important parts of this routine and helps keep you from becoming one of those people who can never get on the floor because you won't be able to get up; and if you fall over you're just stuck there until someone can help you.
So you should do this however long it takes to get twenty minutes in. A nice quick work-out (except it doesn't seem so nice the next day). I think this is a good idea that I should copy at home.