Winter Fitness Group - Week 12: Final Weigh-In & Victory Run

The time is here.

It's been quite a journey, battle, fight and anything in-between. For many it was harder to start, for others it was easy to begin but hard to adapt. No matter what experience you felt, what matters most is that I saw people start to look deep into themselves and desire change. To become the greatest version of yourself requires passion, dedication, and above all else constant effort. People like to believe that champions are born and they sit and mope. Champions are built from clay and rubble to their final product.

This week is the final weigh in week. The following is my schedule for you guys to come on in and record your final weight:

Tuesday, April 28th: 7:00 pm - 7:30 pm (at the free weights office)

Thursday, April 30th: 4:00 pm - 6:00 pm (ask front desk to contact me)
Saturday, May 2nd: 11:00 am - 11:30 am (at the free weights office)

That being said, I'll hold another run over the bridge and back for a victory run at 11:30 am on Saturday, May 2nd. Meet up will be same as last time, at the front desk.

Winter Fitness Group - Week 9: Group Run (59th St Bridge)

IT'S FINALLY HERE!!!

It's time to get our run on for week 9 aka the 59th street bridge group run!

Now I've talked with a few of you and decided that the best opportunity to get everyone together for the group run would be a Saturday. Remember, if you have been holding up your end with cardio each week, this run should be a breeze in the park. The run is approximately four miles with a nice incline once we hit the bridge and a steep incline at the turnaround point.

Therefore the group run will be held on April 11th at 11:30 AM

We will assemble at the lobby area near the front desk ten minutes before and will give a grace period of five minutes before we go off.

RSVP for the run either by responding or by sending me an email. Bring friends and family along if you wish. If we get a large group, we can support a fast-pace group and a slower-pace group. As of right now Sunday, April 5th... the forecast says it's going to be 66 degrees and slightly cloudy. 

Week 8: Submission Time!

Get ready for our group run next Saturday! 

Share what you've done this week.

Share your submission today!

*Respond to this blog post down below*

Workout Submission Saturday - Week 7

Submission Saturday!

Hopefully you've been inspired to share your MyPlate with everyone. Remember half the fight is in the kitchen. Here's a little tid-bit of information just to prove my point:

According to the November issue of the public Health Nutrition, people consume 200 more calories when they eat out as opposed to having home-cooked meals. Researchers also found that diners in both fast-food and sit-down restaurants upped their intake of saturated fat and sodium.

As for myself this week, while I couldn't make a cooking video of this creation: here it is - Chicken Pilaf. Now the way I did it was using a Tajikan recipe somewhat similar to what I found here. 

http://foodperestroika.com/2013/10/18/traditional-uzbek-plov/

The only difference was that I used chicken thighs, had onion, and added in turmeric.

This took lots of time to prepare and cook, but all that work paid off to nearly five meals I could spread out throughout the week.

Now even though this week was dedicated to getting active in the kitchen, that's no excuse to stop getting work in and burning those calories. Share what you've done this week.

Share your submission today!

*Respond to this blog post down below*

Heads Up! Our Week 9 run over the 59th st Bridge is coming up. Ramp up the cardio and start getting prepared!

Workout Submission Saturday - Week 6

Submission Saturday!

Amp up the submissions if you want to see that summer beach body now!

Share your submission today!

*Respond to this blog post down below*

Workout Submission Saturday - Week 5

Submission Saturday!

We're five weeks into the challenge and does time fly by. By this point your workout submissions should be looking more rounded-out than before. I appreciate  the turnout this week.

Let's keep it up!

Share your submission today!

*Respond to this blog post down below*

Winter Fitness Group Challenge - Week 1: Cardio

   

** Please follow the blog on the right hand side to get constant updates on new content and updates **

** Check out at the bottom additional times to meet up with me for Week 1 **

Here we are at the beginning of our journey together. I want to welcome and thank everyone for displaying their passion for changing themselves for the better in 2015 by joining the Winter Fitness Group Challenge. I loved the turnout for Saturday afternoon during the open house for the kickoff event. We had great questions and conversations that I think helped certain individuals clear up any misconceptions or misinterpretations about cardiovascular activity.

When it comes to cardio, thinking about how important it is to building a healthy individual is the same as if we are to think about how an architect draws up his or her blueprint. That architect knows that they cannot build a piece of infrastructure with just walls or just a roof. Rather that architect immediately knows that the foundation plays the most important part in building a strong, efficient, and reliable building. We're taking that same approach when it comes to cardio: we're building our foundation bit by bit, week by week, and relentlessly continuing to strengthen our base. 

This week is dedicated to cardio. For those who I have not yet had the chance to talk to during the open house, I want you to think of cardio in multiple ways. The machines in the cardio side do serve a purpose from the treadmill, elliptical, stair master, and stationary bicycles. However, there is more than meets the eye when it comes to the Y. We also offer group exercise classes like salsa, dance, zumba, and bootcamp that raise your heart rate up into desirable ranges to burn fat and develop lean muscle. Swimming is also an excellent choice: zero impact on the joints (big plus). 

This Week's Goal: 

Collectively perform 120 minutes of cardiovascular activities

Cardio can also be recorded as simple activities as walking in the park, a light jog on the treadmill, or a steady pace on the bicycle. 

Here's a great picture that's in our cardio room next to the Healthy Lifestyles Office (near the recumbent bicycles) that gives a great description of heart rate zones:

For those who have not yet come in to get their baseline weigh-in and body composition readings, I have added the addition time slots for you to come in and record your information. The times are the following:

Tuesday, February 10th: 8:30 PM - 9:30 PM

&

Friday , February 13th: 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM

** You have just this week to record your first week's baseline weight and body composition **

Welcome to the 12-Week Winter Fitness Group Challenge!

Hello, hello - welcome to the Long Island City YMCA 12-Week Winter Fitness Group Challenge. We're fighting off the cold weather and working on our New Year's resolutions in this 12-Week program. It is free to signup if you are a member of the LIC branch and here are a few reasons why you should join:

• You will learn a great tips in multiple areas of fitness
• Get help learning proper form and exercises oriented towards your goal
• Get another whole level of accountability when it comes to your workout by coming to each week's hands-on session and submitting your weekly workout log
• Great support from the entire Healthy Lifestyles & Fitness Department
• Push yourself further than before with our week 9 run over the 59th street bridge and back!

As mentioned, each week will have a new agenda and during the first, sixth, and final week we will record your weight and body composition. The program has had successful stories in the past and it is time to get dedicated for this results-oriented program. If you have not done so already, please fill out a Winter Fitness Group Challenge application at the front desk or email me at jshapiro@ymcanyc.org. 

Come this Saturday, February 7th at 1:30 PM for our kickoff event during our Open House! You'll get your baseline weigh-in and body composition checked, learn more about what the program is all about, and get in the know about the agenda for week 1 of the challenge.

Can't wait to get the fire started this weekend!