Here’s what’s going on this week at the gym!
Week of August 21st – 27th, 2022
Birthdays
August 21 – Ashlee R.
Announcements
Starting next month we will be requiring everyone to sign in/reserve their class time. This will give us the opportunity to have a plan in mind on how we can best serve and coach each person that is coming that day. It will also help us to improve on class sizes and make sure we will have enough equipment available.
Watch this video for a quick tutorial on how to reserve your class
Our next Gains and Games night will be Friday, September 16 at 6:30pm and the theme will be “Let’s have a Farkel Party!” . Please reserve your spot by filling out this form.
Reminder that this week our fall schedule is in effect. The class times are 5, 6, and 8:30am, then 4:30 and 5:30pm.
InBody Scans
All Vernal Fitness members are eligible for a complimentary InBody scan each month. Aside from tracking our performance in Wodify, body composition scans are the best way to track progress and measure results.
PROGRAMMING OVERVIEW
August 22-28
We start two new strength cycles this week!!!
Cycle #1 is, “Clean Complex,” that will combine Power Cleans + Hang Power Cleans. The goal is to build confidence in cycling and improve overall technique.
Cycle #2, “Chest and Tris,” is a superset of floor press + dips. This complex will be much more challenging than you may think, so start light and prioritize full range of motion.
Our sprint style workout this week is a spin off of DT. We’ve broken up the rounds to allow you to go heavier and move faster than you have in the past.
Monday
Weight on this interval workout will likely be dictated by the S2OH weight.
Aim to work at a moderate to high intensity through the burpees and barbell movements.
This is good practice for recovering from higher intensity sets. The work/rest ratio should allow for a consistent speed through all 5 sets.
Tuesday
Approach this WOD at a moderate, consistent pace for the full 15 minutes (70-80% of max HR).
For some, the skipping and positional change required for the Wall Walks will spike heart rate quickly so pacing and good breathing strategies will be key to manage effort today.
Wednesday
This should be a moderate sustainable intensity from start to finish, with higher power outputs as the bike demands get smaller!
You will likely find that the weight on the Power Cleans is light enough to cycle quickly. This is a great opportunity to translate strength into Bike Cals with strong sustained efforts that will help to boost stamina and aerobic endurance.
Thursday
Big, long pulls on the row and quick, efficient Sit-Ups and Pushups should lead to two periods of elevated heart rate which will help to build a bigger engine for work capacity.
The longer rest break should be enough to bring you back to a baseline heart rate, this means you should be able to put out the same level of effort in the second round.
Friday
Training in elevated heart rate zones (85-90% of max HR) can make the body more efficient at buffering lactate and using carbohydrates. It might improve mitochondrial efficiency and density.
Training at this intensity will make the body more efficient at competing at lower intensities as well as delaying the complete crossover to 100% carb utilization.
This is a great chance for athletes, working on increasing strength, to work on higher end conditioning and muscular endurance!
Saturday
Pick a partner who is evenly matched to your goals for today’s WOD!
Devise a solid game plan and stick to it for as long as possible – trading off reps in small numbers will allow you both to keep moving with more speed and movement quality for a longer period of time than trying to do large chunks.
Scale movement standards and weights as necessary to allow you and your partner to keep moving when it is your turn to work!
Full workout descriptions and notes are available to all members of Vernal Fitness & Nutrition. For more info, email us here.
ROUTINES
One of the best ways that we can reduce stress is by having a consistent routine. This may seem boring to some but routine has a way of reducing stress. A routine can provide us with longer periods of homeostasis. If our bodies and brains are in homeostasis they are not in a state of “fight or flight” stress response brought on by constant change and the need to adapt to it. The unknown and unknowable can be very stressful. Routine is predictable. If you would like to create or improve a routine, you should look for super small wins. These compound into huge impacts over time. Some examples:
- Add a glass of water to drink after you brush your teeth upon waking
- Walk your dog for 5 minutes longer than normal – Get to the gym 5 minutes earlier and hop on the bike for an easy spin
- Put your phone down during meal time
- Write a blog with a pen first, away from the computer and phone
Some may push back against the idea of creating a routine for any number of reasons, but in reality we are all creatures of habit more than we realize. It might be beneficial to find out what stressors are experienced because of chaos and work to eliminate stressors by creating better daily routines.
JUST SAY NO
Saying no is ok. Saying yes to everything you are asked to do (even if you really don’t want to) can be a significant source of stress for some. There can be a real cathartic feeling when you learn that you can say no to some things.
Specifically, we are encouraging you to say no to actions that are misaligned with your values and priorities (make a list and reinforce it!).
This could be a habit of your own or feeling like you need to say yes to someone asking for something from you. This is likely the most difficult as most of us want to make others happy! Here are a few ways to develop this skill:
- Practicing with a friend or coach, in a role-play manner, is a low-consequence environment and a great option to warm you up to the idea. It will give you the freedom to fumble over your words and stumble with how to respond when you return the serve of your ‘NO’ with something like, “Well why not? What else are you doing?”
- You could also choose one specific thing in your life to say ‘no’ to and just shoot for that.
- Carry your values/priorities list around in your pocket and look at it before responding to any request you receive from a friend.
- Sometimes it’s helpful to point out the opposite of saying no and what it really means. Saying ‘YES’ to things that you’d really rather not do is also saying ‘NO’ to those things that you truly want to do!
No matter which option above that you choose to go with, we recommend giving yourself four to six weeks to master this new stress management technique. After that, you can add more to that option (expand your routine, say no to more things, etc) or layer on another tactic we outline (maintain
routine, add gratitude practice).
Lastly, you have to make sure you’ve defined (with help from a coach, if need be) what success looks like. Just saying ‘I want less stress in my life’ is not enough. Defining that success, or how the future you that manages stress better, can help you hone in on how to get to that end goal of setting boundaries and sticking to them to manage your stress better.
