While we are waiting for our phenomenal new location to open at 1717 Chestnut (2nd floor), you may find yourself having a few more “rest” days than you used to. If you’re not able to make it to the Art Museum workouts that Mike and Petar are running, this post is for you!

We talk often about the whole-body workout of rowing, and the workout described here is meant to keep your total body fitness primed until you can get back on the rowing machine. The challenge?  To move your bodyweight!  Give this workout a try at home, preferably in the morning before you grab breakfast (which you really should not skip, by the way!), or somewhere outside if the weather permits.

Bodyweight Workout:

Go through this circuit 5 times without breaks if you can. The goal is to do as many as you can in each time interval.  Try and stay consistent from interval to interval (e.g., do 30 squats in each of the five 1-minute intervals you complete).

Squats – 1 minute (See the picture, forgive the clearly photoshopped image, and note the good form!  Hips drop back and thighs parallel to the ground!)
Planks – 45 seconds (Do not listen to your abs!  They lie to you!)
Push-ups – 30 seconds (Emphasize your form.  Elevate your hands on a bench, table, or wall, as needed to accommodate your current strength.)_

After:
Hamstring stretches!  At least two minutes per leg.  The overall theme for stretching = stretch until you feel a difference.  It takes longer than one might want, but not so long as we imagine.

Post your reps to the comments section below!

Justin here!  So this is my maiden post on the RowZone blog, and hopefully it’s the first of many.  For those of you that have ventured down to the Rittenhouse RZ on Saturday mornings, you’ll recall that during the 8am, 9am, and 10am workouts I lead, I am always rambling on about rowing better in order to row faster.  The human body has ways in which it likes to move; there are certain progressions that are stronger and more efficient, and the rowing stroke is no exception to that rule.  The legs, having the strongest muscles in the body, press down flat to start the stroke.  Then, we pivot our body on the seat by “laying back.”  And lastly, we draw the arms in, maintaining the momentum created by the legs pressing and body swinging open.  Sounds simple, right?  But as we all know after our first session on the rowing machine, it ends up being hard to put into practice.  And so we must work on it, every time we row.

With every stroke you take, you’re either building up good rowing technique, or reinforcing some sub-optimal movement pattern.  That’s why I am always wandering around the rowing studio, offering feedback on what we can all do to be more effective.  If that ever gets frustrating, then allow me to appeal to a more respected authority:  Picasso.  The master painter once said, “The more technique you have, the less you have to worry about it.”  That’s my hope for everyone at the RowZone, that by working hard on our technique, technique will become something that we need to worry about less.

So give it your all!  Concentrate on rowing well, and that’ll free your mind and energy to row hard, get fit, and be healthy.

Photo Credit:  http://www.masters-of-photography.com/D/doisneau/doisneau_picasso_full.html

- Eat 4-5 equal meals per day with no snacks.

- Eat whole wheat instead of white flour.

- Only drink alcohol once per week.

- Exercise at least 3 times per week to see results.

- Enjoy your workout routine.

-Drink 60% of your body weight in ounces of water.

- Eat at least 2 servings of vegetables per day.

- Learn how to row the correct way.

- Focus on your posture.  Sit up straight!

- Realize that your good health is the most important thing in this world!!

• Dairy Most milk, yogurt, and cheese contains vitamin D and calcium. These nutrients work together to prevent bone loss.
• Slow-cooked stews Made with lean beef, postrun stews provide iron needed for red blood cell production.
• Green tea A mug will warm you up post-workout—plus, research shows EGCG (a compound in green tea) has anticancer properties that may prevent skin-tumor growth.
• Canned tuna It’s a good source of vitamin D, important in the winter when less sun exposure decreases our body’s ability to produce it.
• Barley This chewy grain (perfect for soups and stews) is high in cholesterol-lowering fiber and selenium, which reduces free-radical damage.
• Winter squash Sharpen your eyesight for dark months with vitamin A superstars, such as pumpkin and butternut squash.
• Onions and garlic These bulbs provide a boost of flavor along with antimicrobial properties, which may help protect you from winter bugs.
• Kale In season in early winter, this leafy green delivers a megadose of vitamin K, which helps maintain strong bones and form blood clots.
• Baked potatoes White spuds are high in vitamin C, while sweet potatoes are rich in vitamin A—two antioxidants that help protect your immune system.
• Citrus Oranges, grapefruits, and other types of citrus fruits (at their peak in the winter months) are high in fiber and immune-boosting vitamin C.

It is important to understand that there are going to be obstacles on the road to getting in shape. Understand that you are not alone.

You CAN do it!

Obstacle: Affordability

Heard:
“Are you crazy, I can’t afford a gym membership!”

“Eating healthy and working out is expensive.”

Solution:

Ok, so you think you can’t afford to live healthy. Wrong!

A healthy lifestyle can be broken down into two parts: diet and exercise.  Keep the diet simple, eat between 3-5 meals per day, drink 50% of your body weight in ounces of water (if you weigh in at 140 pounds, target 70 ounces of water), eliminate snacks, and don’t within an hour of your bedtime.

Try to make each meal equal in size, and replace white flour with whole wheat wherever you can.

The American Dietetic Association provides excellent resources for making healthy diet choices. For more information, check their website here.

No matter who I talk to, I can usually come up with exercise options to fit their budget. I recommend checking out the Mayo Clinic’s recommendations in this article, Fitness for less: 4 low-cost ways to shape up.

Obstacle: Injuries (My neck and my back)

Heard:

“I would exercise but I have a bad back.”

“Last time I worked out, I couldn’t move for TWO weeks!”

Solution:

First off, if you do have an injury or some other medical condition that puts you at risk, it’s a good idea to check with your family doctor for recommendations on the best way to break into your new fitness program. Check with your doctor if you fall into one of the following groups:

• You’ve been diagnosed with heart problems, high blood pressure or other medical conditions
• You’ve been sedentary for over a year
• If you’re over 65 and don’t currently exercise
• You’re pregnant
• You have diabetes
• You ever experience chest pains, dizziness or fainting spells
• You’re recovering from an injury or illness
• You have a diagnosed medical condition or illness

For many people, injuries can actually stem from a lack of activity, poor flexibility, or an unbalanced workout program.  While we don’t want to readily admit it, we are all getting older.  Becoming active and getting in better shape can actually help.

Make sure that your workout program includes a balance of resistance training, flexibility training, and cardiovascular training.  Only use about 60% of your energy for the first month, and gradually get your body into shape pain free!  If you don’t know what to do, it might be a good idea to hire a professional to help you come up with a program.

Obstacle: You hate to exercise

Heard:

“I HATE going to the gym.”

“I wish I could just take a pill to get me in shape.”

Solution:

This is me playing good cop-bad cop.  Ready?  Here I go.  The good cop says, “You just haven’t found the right workout yet.  Look around and find something that interests you.  If you don’t like running, then don’t run! Get it?  Research different workout programs and see which one you like the best.”

The bad cop says, “You have to do things in this life that you might not want to do.  Exercising is not an option but an important part of a healthy lifestyle.  Ok, so you have a few hours a week in which you aren’t indulging yourself.  Deal with it (and then pay your taxes).”

For the record, the good cop and the bad cop are both right on this obstacle!

Obstacle: Time

Heard:

“I just don’t have the time.”

“Between work and family life, I just can’t make it to the gym.”

Solution:

First of all, I understand this obstacle 100%, but this is a very personal decision that requires unparalleled commitment. Making the time for fitness is essential to the success of your program. Period.

Remember that crush that you had in the seventh grade? You would have done anything in your power to get a smile, or find out if he liked you. If he asked you to go on a three day walk in the desert with you would have done it. Well all we are asking for about 10% of that dedication or two hours and fifteen minutes per week.  That’s only going to the gym three times for 45 minutes each time. If you are in shape you will have more energy and also sleep better.  This will cause you to improve your quality of life and get more out of your day.  Make time for yourself.

Obstacle: Emotionally Not Ready

Heard:

“I really don’t want to workout.  It’s not my thing.”

“I always feel so out of place when I go to the gym.”

This is the biggest issue that nobody wants to talk about, but trust me this is number one.

We live in a society where the beautiful are revered and the imperfect are ostracized. This causes people to be incredibly embarrassed by their bodies. For most people it is a very difficult decision to get in shape, then they have to deal with going into a scary, new environment where they feel like they are the center of attention.

Rest assured, the first day of getting in shape will be the hardest one, then every day after that will become easier. You must take yourself out of your comfort zone to make the change.  That being said, make sure that you find an environment that feels the most comfortable to you.  Starting the journey is often the biggest step to your success.

“This is the first program that I have been excited about coming to a couple of times a week and taken off seven pounds and I get psyched every time I come.”

“I finally found something we go together first of all.”

Watch the full interview below about their positive RowZone success story.

About a month ago, I purchased this state-of-the art printer from Staples.  The sales associate demonstrated how this beautiful specimen could print, fax, copy and make a mean cup of coffee.

But it was a monster.

I got home, unwrapped it and then proceeded to burn the next 3 hours of my life in a vain attempt to install it.  Fail.  Disgusted at myself and the T90XPC (or whatever it was called), I shot a text to my good friend Omar, my go-to techno-geek.

Four minutes after Omar’s arrival, everything was running smooth as a jazz song.

When I watched Omar compress my hours into minutes, a light bulb went off in my head.  I need to start eliminating the learning curve.  Why do I constantly try to do things myself that others can do in a fraction of the time? Hint, hint.

There is no better place to eliminate the learning curve then in the fitness world.  The truth is, without the proper training, most people have no idea what they are doing in the gym.  I mean think about it, how do most people learn how to work-out? From their friend?  Family member?  A Jane Fonda workout tape?

The moral of my story is that time is perhaps the most valuable asset that we have on this planet.  And those who take advantage of it is what often separates failure from success.   Learn from someone who knows what they are doing!

Here are some quick tips to help you eliminate your fitness learning curve:

• Hire a trainer for two sessions every three months. Have him set you up with a workout program, stay consistent with the program and change it up every 12 weeks.
• Talk to the new trainers at your gym. Most new trainers at a gym usually start with very few clients if any.  They have plenty of free time and usually eager to help people around the gym with questions.  Don’t be shy!
• Take classes. Almost all gyms offer classes lead by a group fitness instructor who will take you through an awesome workout.  By mixing two or three totally body conditioning classes per week with a few days of cardio you can have a fun, effective workout routine.
• Row. Rowing is a full body exercise that will take care of muscle toning and cardio while doing wonders for your posture.  Start with smaller intervals and build your way up to amazing results!
• YouTube. Learning how to perform exercises the proper way makes all the difference in the world.  Search different exercises on YouTube. Find trainers with good references in other places, then simply copy their form to shorten your learning curve.