In this Workout of the Week, we use a piece of equipment we thought we were familiar with ... but it turns out we had no clue how many exercises you can do with a BOSU. For those of you who aren't familiar, that stands for "both sides up" and that's the beauty of it.
It looks like half of an exercise ball, but you’ll get a full workout with the Bosu ball – especially if you’re training with Doug Van Why of Gym FX in downtown Des Moines.
“A lot of people look at that and see people do crunches off of it and think that’s about all you can really do off of it,” says Doug.
Doug shows us there’s a lot more we can do with the Bosu. We begin with burpees. Throw in some split jumps and the heart rate soars.
Doug urges us to continually engage our core. In fact, he says that’s what the Bosu is all about.
“You’re incorporating stabilizing muscles… stability, but ultimately balance as well, which is a key aspect, especially for people as they age.”
Kettlebell squats on the Bosu when it’s right-side-up are hard enough. For the ultimate challenge, flip it over and throw in a weighted Romanian Deadlift on one foot! Simply getting on the Bosu when it’s wobbling on its top is a workout in itself.
The instability created by the Bosu, builds the stabilizing muscles in the body.
“It’s going to attack the weakest areas, where normally you would protect those or avoid those,” says Doug.
It also maximizes your workout time.
“Basically, you’re going to be able to work the stabilizer muscles, muscles you won’t be able to target when you’re doing traditional training.”
The traditional push-up gets a makeover with the Bosu too. The “push-up pop” involves lifting, or “popping” the Bosu off the ground after each push-up.
And then there’s the abdominal workout. Most of us have seen the Bosu crunch – it’s basically a crunch done on the Bosu. But performing it to perfection is an entirely new experience.
“You want to make sure your hips stay level,” explains Doug. “Envision a string attached to your sternum and you’re pulling straight up to the ceiling.”
In less than an hour on the Bosu ball, we’re tapped. And Doug says we’ve only sampled a fraction of what it has to offer.
“I think you got a good taste of the Bosu ball,” says Doug. “Anything you can do on the floor, you can do on the ball.”
Sonya and I were incredibly sore after this workout - especially through our abs and back. If you're looking for a new way to challenge yourself, the BOSU is great.
For information on Gym FX and the Bosu ball, contact Doug Van Wyk at 515-288-1111 or visit the gym. It’s located at 418 6th Ave. Ste 110 in downtown Des Moines.
Have a healthy week!
EEK
Erin.Kiernan@whotv.com
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
A cool fitness tool
Hello workout friends! This week we're telling you about a cool fitness tool that can help you with all aspects of your routine.
It’s called ActivTrax and it's like having a personal trainer in your computer. You plug in your workout preferences, fitness history and goals and it tells you what you need to do to achieve success.
Danielle Ricke is a Wellness Coach at the Healthy Living Center in Clive and she knows her way around a gym. Even so, she starts her workout at the computer – the ActivTrax computer.
“I don’t have to sit and think about what I want to do,” says Danielle. “It just prints it off. It’s a change and I don’t have to come up with my own workout.” ActivTrax does it for her. It prints out a workout, tracks her results and stores information on things like workout preferences, and even injuries.
“For those who work out often, it’s going to mix it up a little bit - give them some variety and new things to think about,” says Meg Kayko, a Healthy Living Specialist.
For those who don’t know their way around a gym, Kayko says ActivTrax provides clear instructions on how to perform each move. “There’s exercise instruction, so if you don’t know what a dead lift is, you can go to the exercise instruction and watch a video.”
The system will also maximize the amount of time you spend at the gym. “If I only have 15 or 25 minutes, it’s going to tell me what to work for my desired results, whether it be endurance, weight loss or strength,” says Kayko.
Your fitness program wouldn’t be complete without nutritional information. ActivTrax will keep track of that for you too. Its database includes about 20,000 foods. It tracks how many calories you’re taking in and how many you’re burning. “The food journal is nice,” says Ricke. “It’s amazing what you eat.” It’s up to you how much time you invest in this part of the plan. “Really, about five minutes,” says Kayko. “You can go as detailed as you want or you can be really diligent and track things like sodium or carbs in addition to calories.”
The real-time dashboard also shows you the strides you’ve made and where you’re heading before you see it in the mirror. Essentially, it takes the weight of planning a workout off your shoulders and leaves it up to your computerized personal trainer.
If you want to see how the ActivTrax system works just visit the YMCAs in Windsor Heights, Waukee and Clive.
Here's to a healthy week!
EEK
Erin.Kiernan@whotv.com
It’s called ActivTrax and it's like having a personal trainer in your computer. You plug in your workout preferences, fitness history and goals and it tells you what you need to do to achieve success.
Danielle Ricke is a Wellness Coach at the Healthy Living Center in Clive and she knows her way around a gym. Even so, she starts her workout at the computer – the ActivTrax computer.
“I don’t have to sit and think about what I want to do,” says Danielle. “It just prints it off. It’s a change and I don’t have to come up with my own workout.” ActivTrax does it for her. It prints out a workout, tracks her results and stores information on things like workout preferences, and even injuries.
“For those who work out often, it’s going to mix it up a little bit - give them some variety and new things to think about,” says Meg Kayko, a Healthy Living Specialist.
For those who don’t know their way around a gym, Kayko says ActivTrax provides clear instructions on how to perform each move. “There’s exercise instruction, so if you don’t know what a dead lift is, you can go to the exercise instruction and watch a video.”
The system will also maximize the amount of time you spend at the gym. “If I only have 15 or 25 minutes, it’s going to tell me what to work for my desired results, whether it be endurance, weight loss or strength,” says Kayko.
Your fitness program wouldn’t be complete without nutritional information. ActivTrax will keep track of that for you too. Its database includes about 20,000 foods. It tracks how many calories you’re taking in and how many you’re burning. “The food journal is nice,” says Ricke. “It’s amazing what you eat.” It’s up to you how much time you invest in this part of the plan. “Really, about five minutes,” says Kayko. “You can go as detailed as you want or you can be really diligent and track things like sodium or carbs in addition to calories.”
The real-time dashboard also shows you the strides you’ve made and where you’re heading before you see it in the mirror. Essentially, it takes the weight of planning a workout off your shoulders and leaves it up to your computerized personal trainer.
If you want to see how the ActivTrax system works just visit the YMCAs in Windsor Heights, Waukee and Clive.
Here's to a healthy week!
EEK
Erin.Kiernan@whotv.com
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Hello fitness friends!
This week we have a great follow up to a success story we aired last November. When we met Lyndee Underbakke and Molly Fairchild they'd already started their weightloss journey. They were motivated by the fact that they hadn't been picked to compete on The Biggest Loser and decided to get in shape on their own. Now, they're at the one year mark, and more than halfway to their goal of losing 320 pounds.
"It's great," says Lyndee, "we're down 180.25 pounds!" Molly is just as excited. "I figured out I've lost almost as many inches as I am tall," she says with a grin. Those are amazing numbers, racked up through lots of hard work. "The weight we lift goes up or the reps go up or the timing. Fifteen used to be the magic number and then one day he figured out how to count to twenty!!!"
"He" is Scott Kauffman - the personal trainer the gals have been working with at Aspen Athletic. "As a trainer, it's important to constantly be changing what they're doing because the body adapts. When they come in here, they have no idea what's in store for them."
That's part of the reason Molly and Lyndee have made such great progress, but they've also had to push through frustrating plateaus. "We can track absolutely everything," says Scott, "some weeks your body will just not let go of what you want it to let go of."
And sometimes, it's self-inflicted. Lyndee says there are times she dreads going to the gym and Molly admits to cheating on her diet. But they keep getting back on track and both weigh less than they ever have as adults.
"It just feels good, it feels really good. I don't think there's any other way to put it... ya just feel stronger and better!"
Amen to that! If you need some inspiration, you can keep tabs on Molly and Lyndee on their facebook page, Send Lyndee and Molly to Biggest Loser Season 10!!!
Have a healthy week!
EEK
Erin.Kiernan@whotv.com
This week we have a great follow up to a success story we aired last November. When we met Lyndee Underbakke and Molly Fairchild they'd already started their weightloss journey. They were motivated by the fact that they hadn't been picked to compete on The Biggest Loser and decided to get in shape on their own. Now, they're at the one year mark, and more than halfway to their goal of losing 320 pounds.
"It's great," says Lyndee, "we're down 180.25 pounds!" Molly is just as excited. "I figured out I've lost almost as many inches as I am tall," she says with a grin. Those are amazing numbers, racked up through lots of hard work. "The weight we lift goes up or the reps go up or the timing. Fifteen used to be the magic number and then one day he figured out how to count to twenty!!!"
"He" is Scott Kauffman - the personal trainer the gals have been working with at Aspen Athletic. "As a trainer, it's important to constantly be changing what they're doing because the body adapts. When they come in here, they have no idea what's in store for them."
That's part of the reason Molly and Lyndee have made such great progress, but they've also had to push through frustrating plateaus. "We can track absolutely everything," says Scott, "some weeks your body will just not let go of what you want it to let go of."
And sometimes, it's self-inflicted. Lyndee says there are times she dreads going to the gym and Molly admits to cheating on her diet. But they keep getting back on track and both weigh less than they ever have as adults.
"It just feels good, it feels really good. I don't think there's any other way to put it... ya just feel stronger and better!"
Amen to that! If you need some inspiration, you can keep tabs on Molly and Lyndee on their facebook page, Send Lyndee and Molly to Biggest Loser Season 10!!!
Have a healthy week!
EEK
Erin.Kiernan@whotv.com
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Getting Crushed
Hello workout friends!
This week we tackle a new team sport. Literally. You've already seen us try roller derby, rugby and hockey ... now we're giving football a try.
Visions of Rudy Ruetigger poured through our helmet protected heads as we took to the field with the Iowa Crush, Iowa’s Independent Women’s Football League. But before we scrimmage, Coach Michael Dale puts us through a warm-up.
“Here we go, side lunges,” he shouts. We do all of the things that come to mind when you think of football teams warming up on the field ... high knees, squats, lunges, hamstring curls ... then it's time for drills. Or as coach Dale puts it, “Time to have some fun and hit some people!”
Every time the whistle blows, we rotate between ladders, sprints and high knee hurdles, to name a few of the stations laid out across the field. The women have to be in good condition. Unlike high school or college football, the IWFL plays 15 minute quarters – just like the NFL.
“When I first got into it, I had no idea what to expect,” says Dale. By day, he’s a science teacher and football coach at Roosevelt High School in Des Moines. Now, into his third season with the Crush, Dale has a new appreciation for the IWFL.
“The most surprising thing, other than that they hit as hard as they do – they hit harder than men – is that it’s so much easier,” says Dale. He says the women don’t come to practice with bad habits, because for many of them, this is their first time playing in an organized league. “You get a clean slate,” says Dale. “You can teach them the fundamentals, the right way.”
Coach Dale attempts to teach us the fundamentals too. The youngest member of the team comes barreling towards us, while we attempt to stay in-bounds and avoid being “crushed.” We're only successful part of the time, and getting sacked - hurts.
During another drill, we train with the defensive line. We’re called “run stoppers” and we’re instructed to follow the guards.
“You have to be in pretty good shape to do this in the first place,” says Jennifer McIntire, the Crush’s petite, blonde quarterback. By day she works at HyVee. She says the women come from all sorts of backgrounds. There’s the 220 pound figure skater, the school teacher, one lady does hair, “You name it, it’s out here,” says McIntire. Playing in the IWFL is a dream come true for Jennifer, “I love it, I love it. It’s a huge adrenaline rush to make that touchdown.”
We get a sense of that rush, when we finally get to scrimmage. We execute some of the plays better than others and the women admittedly go easy on us. But after a few attempts, we finally score – with the help of the defense.
Rudy Ruetigger we’re not, but at least we’ve experienced the rush of working out with the Iowa Crush.
If you're interested in trying out for the team or just watching a game, check out www.theiowacrush.com. We had a blast with this group of women and we think you'll be impressed by what you see on the field.
Have a healthy week!
EEK
Erin.Kiernan@whotv.com
This week we tackle a new team sport. Literally. You've already seen us try roller derby, rugby and hockey ... now we're giving football a try.
Visions of Rudy Ruetigger poured through our helmet protected heads as we took to the field with the Iowa Crush, Iowa’s Independent Women’s Football League. But before we scrimmage, Coach Michael Dale puts us through a warm-up.
“Here we go, side lunges,” he shouts. We do all of the things that come to mind when you think of football teams warming up on the field ... high knees, squats, lunges, hamstring curls ... then it's time for drills. Or as coach Dale puts it, “Time to have some fun and hit some people!”
Every time the whistle blows, we rotate between ladders, sprints and high knee hurdles, to name a few of the stations laid out across the field. The women have to be in good condition. Unlike high school or college football, the IWFL plays 15 minute quarters – just like the NFL.
“When I first got into it, I had no idea what to expect,” says Dale. By day, he’s a science teacher and football coach at Roosevelt High School in Des Moines. Now, into his third season with the Crush, Dale has a new appreciation for the IWFL.
“The most surprising thing, other than that they hit as hard as they do – they hit harder than men – is that it’s so much easier,” says Dale. He says the women don’t come to practice with bad habits, because for many of them, this is their first time playing in an organized league. “You get a clean slate,” says Dale. “You can teach them the fundamentals, the right way.”
Coach Dale attempts to teach us the fundamentals too. The youngest member of the team comes barreling towards us, while we attempt to stay in-bounds and avoid being “crushed.” We're only successful part of the time, and getting sacked - hurts.
During another drill, we train with the defensive line. We’re called “run stoppers” and we’re instructed to follow the guards.
“You have to be in pretty good shape to do this in the first place,” says Jennifer McIntire, the Crush’s petite, blonde quarterback. By day she works at HyVee. She says the women come from all sorts of backgrounds. There’s the 220 pound figure skater, the school teacher, one lady does hair, “You name it, it’s out here,” says McIntire. Playing in the IWFL is a dream come true for Jennifer, “I love it, I love it. It’s a huge adrenaline rush to make that touchdown.”
We get a sense of that rush, when we finally get to scrimmage. We execute some of the plays better than others and the women admittedly go easy on us. But after a few attempts, we finally score – with the help of the defense.
Rudy Ruetigger we’re not, but at least we’ve experienced the rush of working out with the Iowa Crush.
If you're interested in trying out for the team or just watching a game, check out www.theiowacrush.com. We had a blast with this group of women and we think you'll be impressed by what you see on the field.
Have a healthy week!
EEK
Erin.Kiernan@whotv.com
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