The Chairman's Fitness Challenge Blog

It's Wednesday, and I feel like I'm hitting a bit of a rut after a great start to the challenge. I missed out on CE's two evenings in a row, after dragging the family to a buffet restaurant on Monday and having a couple pints of beer after class last night. Still ahead of my CE target, but trying to tell myself that isn't helping.

My legs were absolutely leaden during cardio this morning - I almost bailed even before class started since I could feel the inertia. I did power through the 45 minutes, though, and hopefully I'll get a little more spring in my step for tomorrow.

I added a link today to Alex Hutchinson's blog, Sweat Science. It has some great discussion of the scientific research behind fitness and exercise. I'm not all that familiar with the site yet, but will definitely be spending some time digging through it.

Alex Hutchinson had an article in the Globe & Mail this week comparing indoor "spin" class to outdoor cycling. An interesting conclusion - "the ingredients of a typical indoor cycling class somehow combine to lift workouts to heights that most participants wouldn't achieve on their own." Research shows that the group dynamics of a spin class can push participants to achieve a better workout - so much so that some participants exceeded their measured VOmax capacity. (This, by the way, indicates an error in VOmax measurement, not people reaching superhuman output.)

I have become a convert to the "RPM" version of spin class - for me, it achieves many of the objectives of HIIT and interval training in terms of varying intensity, and I tend to work harder than if I'm on my own. YMMV, of course.

So far so good on all aspects of the challenge - got in an RT session yesterday (chest/back/arms) and got my butt kicked in a spin class this morning. I ran out of gas at about the 30 minute mark (middle of a long climb) and had a tough time keeping up for the last third of the session. Looked like a drowned rat by the end - kind of like Blaze here. I might have to invest in some dry-fit workout clothes!
The different styles of the class leaders really make a difference on how the sessions go - today's instructor comes across as a bit of a drill sergeant (in a good way) and you feel like you're letting the whole room down if you don't get up, dig, or sprint when she says so.

For me, the toughest part of the challenges are the weekends. Sneaking away from the family for 90 minutes or so to get in a workout seems wrong on the few days we get to spend together, and wine and beer seem to call my name a lot louder on Saturday and Sunday. Taking full advantage of the few cheat meals available, and paying close attention to portion control (including recorking the wine bottle after one glass) are skills I'm still learning here at the beginning of my second challenge.