Preparations 3: The Body

For me, the physical preparation was my primary concern regarding this trip. It is not that I am lazy; I just have never had a desire to go to a gym and work out. However, when I commit, it is a commitment of 100%+. Since January, I have been training three days a week at the gym, and have incorporated core training into my daily yoga practice.

Let me begin with the daily core training. It is really basic. There are four exercises, and I do two sets of each. First, I do twenty crunches; my legs are elevated at a 45-degree angle, with my lower leg parallel to the ground. As I do my crunch, I bring my legs in toward me, and roll my lower back off the ground. The next exercise is resistance walking. I do twenty steps to each side, using a bungee cord for resistance; this has helped to increase my hip stability. I then lay down on my back, and do twenty single-leg bridges with a press. For this, I place one foot flat on the floor, with the other calf resting on my knee. I lift up in a yoga-based bridge pose; at the top, I stop to do a press with a relatively light weight. (This exercise is done on one leg the first set, and the other leg the second set.) This has contributed to stability and balance, as well as strength. Finally, I roll over, and do ten slow diamond push-ups.

On Saturdays, my workout is strictly cardio. (I generally do yoga in the morning and the cardio workout in the afternoon.) After my stretching, I move to the bike. Using my heart rate monitor, I establish my training heart rate zones for the day. Then I spend 45-60 minutes on the bike, and the remaining 30-45 minutes (a total of 90 minutes) on the elliptical trainer. I vary the resistance to keep me in my heart rate training zones. Usually I am between 75% and 100% of maximum on the bike. By the time I get to the elliptical, it is time to back off to a lesser resistance and a lower training zone.

Tuesdays and Thursdays, I train with Mitchel Heard at the New York Sports Club here in Hoboken. It has been a great experience, and I can definitely see the results! I begin with some stretching, followed by 20 minutes on the bike in advance of my work with Mitchel. We tend to train in “super sets,” groups of exercise with no breaks between one and the next. This helps to push up the cardio. Most often, the session will combine resistance training with cardio-oriented work (hop up/hop down, shuffle on the step, lunge walking with a medicine ball, mountain climber, agility ladder, etc.). Mitchel is constantly keeping an eye on my heart rate monitor. For those who are interested, this is my training chart for May 10.

Super set: Skull crusher (35 pounds, 15 reps); Reverse bench pushup (12 reps)
Super set: Lateral pull down (70 pounds, 15 reps); Seated row (95 pounds, 15 reps)
Super set: Bench chest press (dumbbells 20 pounds each, 15 reps); Bench dips (10 reps)
Super set: Incline bench row (20 pounds, 15 reps); Seated bicep curl (12.5 pounds, 15 reps)
Super set: Squats (Smith machine, 95 pounds, 20 reps); Stationary lunge (25 pounds, 10 reps each side)
Super set: Frontal lunge (10 reps each leg); Wall sit (1 minute)

For me, it has been an interesting experience as I have brought my yoga training into the gym. Balance, breathing, concentration, and practice are all concepts that have facilitated my physical conditioning. The heart rate monitor has been an invaluable tool. And Mitchel is nothing less than the best trainer I could ask for.