BLRC - Day 2

Wow, today was a long day!  We started with a class called 'Know Your Gym'.  Basically, it was a demo of the different cardio machines, and then we got a chance to play on them for a while.  I even did a minute on the Jacob’s Ladder!  Then we had breakfast, and a class called Cardio Circuit.  It was three minutes at a time on each of the machines.  The trainer would call out different instructions to make it interesting. So, sometimes we would go all out on speed for 30 seconds, other times we would up the intensity for 30 seconds or so.  And, since each machine was only three minutes, the whole class went by quickly.

Then we had the killer class.  It was called ‘Athletes in the Making’ and wow, it was intense.  It was a team exercise where one person did a specific movement across the gym floor while the partner did floor exercises on a mat.   When the first person came back, you switched.  Did I mention how hard it was?  There were things like burpees and bear crawls, along with planks and sit ups.  I took a picture of the whole thing and will see if I can upload it to facebook.  There was a quick stretch session at the end, and boy did it feel good!

We finally got a break for a class.  It was an explanation of the body composition assessment that they did at check in.  And, it made me feel better.  Basically, it said that I have gained a LOT of muscle in the last year, and only lost a little fat.  So, even though my weight is up, my body fat percent has gone down, and my BMR has gone up.  That was definitely good news, and gives me a lot to think about.  I am so glad I went to that class!

I guess I should back up and explain some of the differences in this trip compared to Niagara last year.  Where Niagara was very cardio intense, and relied on machines for about 50% of the strength classes, the philosophy here is very different.  Classes here are shorter, about 45 minutes, and you have about 20 minutes between classes to recover.  But, the classes are so much more intense.  About half the classes seem to be body weight intense strength classes, and the rest are more traditional cardio.  But, even the cardio classes are interval based.  You work all your muscles here, and work them HARD!

After class we had lunch, which was a nice break.  Then, there was another lecture.  But, it was repeat of a basic class from Niagara so I went to the workout option instead.  It was a DIY type class where the trainers had written out the workout on a board and you just followed it.  It was similar to the AIM class this morning, but with different exercises.  I took a picture here, too, and will try to post it.  Again, ouch!

The last big event of the day was a hike around a local lake.  I lasted an hour, but went back to gym with a full vanload of people.  It was so cold, and my knee was killing me.  So, I ended up doing an hour walking and 30 minutes of cardio at the gym to make up for leaving early.  Not a bad tradeoff.  And, I am choosing to be really, really proud of myself for lasting so long at the lake.  I was one of the last people in my van, so I didn’t get any break and got the full 90 minutes of activity in.  So, again, I’m really proud of myself.

We ended the day with a really nice stretch.  It was the second stretch of the day and felt really good.  I love that they have two stretch sessions just casually built into the day.  Dinner was a little disappointing in that it was a cold chicken salad with peppers and pineapple.  It was delicious, but I really prefer dinner to be hot.  Especially on such a cold day!  Now, I am really sore and looking forward to an Epsom salt bath before bed.  If I make it until 8:00 tonight, I will be shocked!