Cross Training Workouts of the Week 9/28

Cross Training for the week of 9/28!


Lunch Time Training 
(Meet at 12:30 at HCC. Tuesday is at 12 noon led by Patti Mantia.  Laura will be away Thursday and Friday at a conference, so fitness enthusiasts are on their own!  Follow the workout as planned below!

Monday: 5-10 minute warmup on treadmill or bike. 3 rounds of (1 minute rowing machine/1 minute pushups or burpees/1 minute bicycles/1 minute pullups/1 minute bear crawl) Rest 2 minutes.  Then, repeat!

Tuesday: 5 minute warmup, Weights (full body routine), 10 minute stretch.

Wednesday: 5 minute warmup on treadmill or bike. 10 rounds of 1 minute hill/1 minute jog down/30 second hill/30 second jog down.  If possible, we will perform this workout on spin bikes, as we will miss Friday’s spin workout!

Thursday: 5 minute warmup, Weights (full body routine), 10 minute stretch.  Do the same movements as last week, but add either 5lbs or two reps to each exercise!

Friday: 5 minute warm up. Run 8 laps around the track as fast as possible.  Record your time for future reference!  Then, do 3 rounds of 10 pushups, 20 squats, 30 crunches, and 40 lunges (20 each leg).  Have a restful weekend!

Cardio (performed on Monday 5:30pm spinning at HCC-come join us!)
10 minute warmup; 6 rounds of 2 minute hill/1 minute rest/1 minute as hard as possible at 100rpm/1 minute rest/30 seconds max watts any way you choose/1 minute rest

Bootcamp (performed on Wednesday 5:45 at HCC-come join us!)
1 mile run or 10 minute bicycle
Grassy hill sprints: 45 minutes of: sprint up hill, run down hill, 20 pushups with side plank, 15 squats, 10 lunges each side, 5 burpees with perfect form, 10 kb swings, 20 bicycles, 20 mountain climbers each leg.

Focus Exercise of the Week 9/28

This is a short introduction to a variety of meditation focusing techniques.  It is part 1 of a five part series that I will be posting over the next few weeks!

Flexibility Training of the Week 9/28

Try this 20 minute yoga flow to promote healthy digestion!  The twists in this practice also do a great job opening up the chest and hips.  In addition, this quick practice will get your heart rate up AND stretch you out!

Rowing Workouts of the Week 9/28

Technique this week

This week we will clean up some of our bad habits...dragging the blades on the water, feathering with our wrists instead of our fingers, and bending our elbows at the catch.

Drill of the day for scullers will be  Quarter feather rowing(and rowing on the square if you are brave!).  We will row for about 10 minutes on the square or quarter feather, then for 10 minutes alternating 10 on the square/10 quarter feather/10 full feather.

Weekly workouts rowers include:

Tuesday: short interval-2 minute pieces (8-12) with 2 minute rest between

Thursday: 3 by 12 minutes with 6 at 24, 3 at 26, 2 at 28, 1 at 30 strokes per minute with 3 minute rest between each

Nutrition Tip of the Week 9/28

Mason Jar Salads for a Quick Lunch on the Go!

http://wwlp.com/2015/02/20/mason-jar-salads-and-dressings/

Between meetings, phone calls and emails (and lunch time fitness at HCC), it can be hard to find time to eat a healthy lunch. But with a little planning ahead you can have a delicious easy lunch-on-the-go! Dr. Laura Christoph, Professor of Nutrition, showed us some quick Mason jar salad ideas.

Mason Jar Salads and Homemade Salad Dressing

Leafy greens (2 cups):
Try the deep leafy greens such as chopped kale, arugula, romaine, and spinach.
You can also try a shredded broccoli or brussels sprout mix

Healthy protein (1/2 cup):
Try some chopped chicken breast, lentils, chickpeas, or hard boiled eggs.

Colorful veggies (1 cup):
Try a purple veggie like beets, orange carrots or sweet potatoes, white veggies like cauliflower, or deep red cherry tomatoes or red peppers.

Healthy fat (1-2 Tbsp):
To add to your salad satisfaction, top your lunch with some nuts or seeds, and a bit of crumbled cheese.
Fat adds a creamy texture and causes your stomach to empty slower, leaving you feeling fuller for longer!

Fun flavor (1-2 Tbsp):
Looking for sweet? Try some dried cherries, raisings, or chopped apples.
Feeling spicy? Try some fresh cilantro or jalapeno peppers.
Looking for salty and sour? Try some pickled veggies, sundried tomatoes, or olives.

The layering:
Put the wet ingredients on the bottom.This will prevent your salad from getting soggy!

Homemade vs. storebought dressing:
You will save on money, lots of chemicals, processed fats, and added sugars!

How to Build a Healthy Salad DressingCombine the following:

1 Tbsp Oil – EVOO, Walnut, Hazelnut, Avocado, Flavored
1 Tsp Vinegar – Balsamic, Sherry, Apple Cider, Rice Wine, Falvored
1/2 Tsp Sweetness – Honey, Maple Syrup, Brown Sugar, Jam
1/2 Tsp Mustard – Dijon, Honey Mustard, Grainy, Spicy
2 Pinches Herbs – Herbs de Provence, Rosemary, Thyme, Basil, Dill
1 Pinch Seasoning – Salt, Pepper, Garlic, Smoked Paprika

Nutrition Tip Week of 9/21

Nutrition Tip of the Week:  Focus on Portion Sizes!

http://wwlp.com/2015/09/03/how-to-measure-healthy-portion-sizes-for-adults/

Portion sizes have grown exponentially over the past thirty years, a major factor contributing to the obesity epidemic.  Many people learn from a young age to “clean their plates”, and this habit carries over in to adulthood, even though “cleaning your plate” at a restaurant might mean consuming a day’s worth of food in one sitting. 

The following are examples of “servings” from each food group:

1 ounce grain=1 slice bread, 1 cup ready to eat cereal, ½ cup rice or oatmeal or pasta

1 cup vegetables=2 cups spinach, lettuce or other leafy green, 1 cup raw or cooked vegetable, 8 ounces vegetable juice

1 cup fruit=1 cup raw or cooked fruit, ½ cup dried fruit, 8 ounces 100% fruit juice

1 cup dairy=8 ounces milk, 8 ounces yogurt, 1.5 ounces cheese, or 2 ounces processed (American) cheese

1 ounce protein=1 ounce lean meat, poultry or fish, 1 egg, 1 Tbsp. peanut butter, ¼ cup cooked beans or peas, ½ ounce nuts

Here are some helpful handouts for estimating serving sizes!

Creating a Healthy Meal Pattern

In the US, the average male and female stats for height and weight are the following:

·         Men:
Height (inches): 69.3
Weight (pounds): 195.5

Healthy weight for a male who is 69 inches: 128-162lbs (note, this is not accurate for a person with high muscle mass, as it factors in height and weight, but not lean body mass)

·         Women:
Height (inches): 63.8
Weight (pounds): 166.2

Healthy weight for female who is 64 inches: 110-140lbs (note, this is not accurate for a person with high muscle mass, as it factors in height and weight, but not lean body mass)

Meal plans are based on height, weight, age, physical activity level, Since most people are working toward a healthy weight, and it is recommended that we get at least 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity per week, I have designed two meal plans: one for a 40-year old male who is 69 inches and 160lbs, and one for a 40-year old female who is 64 inches and 140lbs.

To design a meal plan that is appropriate for your age, gender, and life stage (there are plans for pregnancy, lactation, and childhood as well!) go to www.choosemyplate.gov. 

Male needs: 9 ounces grain, 3.5 cups vegetables, 2 cups fruit, 3 cups dairy, 6.5 ounces protein, 8 teaspoon oil, 360 discretionary Calories-Calories can be used by adding more healthy foods or consuming added sugar and solid fat (2600 Calorie pattern)

Female needs: 7 ounces grain, 3 cups vegetables, 2 cups fruit, 3 cups dairy, 6 ounces protein, 6 teaspoon oil, 270 discretionary Calories-Calories can be used by adding more healthy foods or consuming added sugar and solid fat (added fat and sugar) (2200 Calorie pattern)

See the video segment link above for some tips on how to put this together in a meal plan!

Focus Trainining for Week of 9/21

Try this self-compassion meditation for times you feel overwhelmed or down on yourself.  If you are a person who has a hard time closing your eyes for a few minutes while meditating, the scenery in this video is gorgeous!

Flexibility Training for Week of 9/21

This week, our focus is on quick and simple yoga workouts to start of and finish off your days!

Try this energizing morning routine to start your day of right!

Try this relaxing evening yoga routine to unwind after a long work day.

Rowing Workouts Week of 9/21

Technique this week

This week, we will be focusing on slide control. We will do some pause drills, focusing on patience during the recovery.

Drill of the day:

Tuesday: 3 part pause

Thursday: half slide pause 

We will also review last week's drills (reverse pick drill and cut the cake).  You might want to throw these is during your erg and sculling sessions!

Weekly workouts

Tuesday: Tempo-3 by 8 minutes (2 at 20, 2 at 22, 2 at 24, 2 at 26 stroke rate for the first, bump up the rate by 2 for each of the following pieces)

Thursday: We will warm up to the 90 bridge. On the way back, we will do a pyramid-1 min on/1 min off/2 min on/2 min off/3 min on/3 min off/2 min on/2 min off/1 min on (repeat if time and space)

Cross Training Week of 9/21

Cross Training for the week of 9/21!


Lunch Time Training 
(Meet at 12:30 at HCC. Tuesday is at 12 noon led by Patti Mantia and Friday is led by Laura.  There is a $5 fee for spin on Fridays.  Other days are informal!)

Monday: 5 minute warmup on treadmill or bike. 12 minutes of (1 minute rowing machine/1 minute pushups/1 minute crunches).  Rest 2 minutes.  Then, 12 minutes of (1 minute burpees, 1 minute set of max pullups or low row, 1 minute squat to overhead press).  Stretch for 5 minutes. This is a great workout to grab a partner and switch exercises each minute!

Tuesday: 5 minute warmup, Weights (full body routine), 10 minute stretch.

Wednesday: 5 minute warmup on treadmill or bike. 20 minutes “track workout”: outside, or on bike or treadmill, do 5 rounds of 2 minutes steady/1 minute hard/30 seconds sprint/30 seconds easy  Cool down 5 minutes

Thursday: 5 minute warmup, Weights (full body routine), 10 minute stretch.  Check out this workout for a full body weight routine:

1. Squats
   3 sets of 8-10 reps.
   1 minute rest between sets.
2. Bench Press
   2 sets of 8-10 reps.
   1 minutes rest between sets.
3. High Rows
   3 sets of 8-10 reps.
   1 minutes rest between sets.
4. Deadlifts
   3 sets of 8-10 reps.
   1 minutes rest between sets.
5. Pull-Ups (or Lat Pull-Downs)
   3 sets of 8-10 reps.
   1 minutes rest between sets.
6. Overhead Shoulder Press
   3 sets of 8-10 reps.
   1 minutes rest between sets.

Friday: 5 minute warm up. Hill workout: 8 by 2 minute hard hill/1 minute rest. 6 by 20 seconds max effiort/40 second rest. 5 minutes cooldown

Cardio (performed on Monday 5:30pm spinning at HCC-come join us!)
10 minute warmup; 4 rounds of: 3 minutes hard steady, 1 minute rest, tabata, 1 minute rest; 10 minute cooldown

Bootcamp (performed on Wednesday 5:45 at HCC-come join us!)
1 mile run or 10 minute bicycle
30 minutes of stair climbing and pushups (divide however you would like, but make sure to get at least 150 pushups and 30 flights of stairs in).

TRX routine: 3 sets of 10 one-armed row/high row/pushups/bicycles, plank holds (30 sec each side/front/back)

Focus Training for the Week of 9/14

Try this 10 minute body scan meditation at least once this week.  Check in with your body, take 10 minutes to be completely present with the here and now, and work those concentration "muscles"!

Flexibility Training for the Week of 9/14

Try this yoga routine! Great for someone who wants a workout, some stress relief, and flexibility training in a short 30 minute session!

Nutrition Tip of the Week 9/14

Too busy for breakfast?  Try one of these breakfasts on the go for a healthy meal that won't make you late for work!

Mass Appeal Segment: Healthy Breakfast on the Go

Building a Healthy BreakfastAll you need is five minutes and 4 key principles in mind: high fiber carbs, high quality protein, healthy fat, and hydration.

High fiber carbs – might include a whole grain, such as oatmeal, quinoa or 100% whole grain bread! or fruits and vegetables. These give you energy while traveling slowly through your GI tract to help keep your blood sugar level and keep you full until lunch time. Avoid high sugar foods and white flour, which give you a sugar rush and crash, leaving you craving coffee with cream and sugar around 10am.

High quality protein – includes nuts, seeds, eggs, lean meats, greek yogurt, or protein powder in a pinch. High quality protein helps repair muscles that worked hard during your morning workout and keeps you satiated.

Healthy fat – includes coconut or olive oil, avocados, or nuts and seeds. Egg yolks in moderation can also be considered healthy fat, but may have implications for increasing cholesterol for those at risk.

Hydrating beverages – include water and herbal tea. A cup of coffee in the morning is fine for most, but watch what goes in that cup. A coffee with cream and sugar ordered at the drive through puts you close to your daily allotment of saturated fat and added sugar (probably not what you bargained for at 6 in the morning!).

Craving sweet?
Try a slice of whole grain bread with 1/2 banana (high fiber carb), and 1 Tbsp. Almond butter (protein and fat) with a glass of water
1 cup greek yogurt (protein), with 2 Tbsp. Flax seeds (healthy fat) and 1 cup berries (high fiber carb)
Cook 1 packet oatmeal (high fiber carb) as directed and add 1/4 cup raisins (high fiber carb), almonds (fat and protein), and 1/2 cup almond milk (fat and protein) with side of herbal tea.

Craving salty?
Try a microwave egg muffin: scramble 1 egg or 2 egg whites (protein) and put in ziplock bag. Microwave for 30 seconds. Add 1/2 cup veggies (high fiber carb) and microwave for another 30 seconds. Slice tomato and avocado (healthy fat) and place on 1/2 English muffin or whole grain bread (high fiber carb). Add the egg, put the to her slice of bread or other 1/2 English muffin on top, and you are set to go!

Try savory oatmeal: cook instant oats as directed above, but add in a few leftover cooked veggies from the night before (my favorites are peas and mushrooms) and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese, a Tbsp of pine nuts and a teaspoon of olive oil and lemon.

No time to spare? Make a smoothie the night before and press “blend” in the morning. Try a high quality protein powder, a fruit, a veggie and a nut butter for some high quality nutrition! Or, grab a premise smoothie that is made with real fruits, veggies, and a high quality protein with no added sugar. Naked, Odwalla, and. Boathouse farms all have good choices. A bar such as a LaraBar, made of nuts and seeds can be a great alternative to the traditional pop tart in a pinch, and having some precooked hard boiled eggs, individual bags of nuts and whole fruits on hand can be a great way to grab and go as well!

Crosstraining Workouts of the Week 9/14

Each Week I will post a series of mid-day "lunch time training" suggested mini workouts, as well as a longer cardio and bootcamp workout.


Lunch Time Training 
(Meet at 12:30 at HCC. Tuesday is led by Patti Mantia and Friday is led by Laura.  There is a $5 fee for spin on Fridays.  Other days are informal!)

Monday: 5 minute warmup on treadmill or bike. 10 minutes of (1 minute rowing machine/1 minute burpees).  Rest 2 minutes.  Then, 10 minutes of (1 minute run on treadmill/1 minute max set of pullups or low rows with dumbells).  Stretch for 5 minutes. This is a great workout to grab a partner and switch exercises each minute!

Tuesday: 5 minute warmup, Weights (full body routine), 10 minute stretch. If you need a suggested stretching routine, check this one out!

Wednesday: 5 minute warmup on treadmill or bike. 20 minutes of as many rounds as possible: 5 pullups or low rows, 10 pushups, 15 squats, 20 bicycles each leg.

Thursday: 5 minute warmup, Weights (full body routine), 10 minute stretch

Friday: 5 minute warm up. 6 minutes hard/1 minute easy/5 minutes hard/1 minute easy/4 minutes hard/1 minute easy/3 minutes hard/1 minute easy/2 minutes hard/1 minute easy/1 minute hard/5 minute cooldown, 5 minute stretch.

Cardio (performed on Monday 5:30pm spinning at HCC-come join us!)
10 minute warmup
3 rounds of: 3 minutes hard/2 minutes harder/1 minute hardest/2 minute rest/6 by 30 seconds hard/30 seconds rest.
10 minute cooldown

Bootcamp (performed on Wednesday 5:45 at HCC-come join us!)
1 mile run or 10 minute bicycle
40 minute workout: 4 rounds of: 2 minutes bike/2 minutes lunges/1 minute pushups/1 minute situps/1 minute kettlebell swings/1 minute burpees/1 minute mountain climbers/1 minute rest.
10 minute stretch

Rowing Workouts of the Week 9/14

Technique this week!

For week 1, we will review the basics of the rowing stroke:

1. The catch

2. The drive

3. The release

4. The recovery

Drill of the Day!

Each day, we will focus on a different drill, or sets of drills, to reinforce the skill we teach.  Practice will begin at 5:30 with a coach led dynamic warmup, followed by a 5:40 demo of the drill of the day. We will launch by 6:00 and be off the water by 7:15.  

You can check out these Youtube videos for some drill instruction if you come late to practice or miss a day!

Tuesday Drill of the Day: reverse pick drill

Thursday Drill of the Day: cut the cake drill

Weekly Workouts!

I will post workouts each week.  Workouts will be labeled "short interval" (2 minutes or less per interval), "long interval" (3 minutes or more per interval), "tempo" (nice solid effort of 7-20 minute increments), or "time trial" (an all out effort of a certain length---these won't come in to the mix until week 3)

Tuesday: (Tempo Intervals): 4 by 7 minutes at a steady rate of 24-26 with a 3 minute rest.  Focus on a quick release of the blade and quick hands away, allowing the boat to run during that key part of the stroke.

Thursday: (Short Interval): Thursdays are race days! Today we will do 15x1 minute pieces.  All rowers will line up, coach will call a start and rowers will race off the line.  You must maintain good form (do not exceed the stroke rate that your technique allows) and pay attention to the direction your boat is going in!  Once you start pulling hard, it is easy to zig zag all over the river.  Coach Laura will be there to give feedback on maintaining your course. Plus, your fellow scullers will let you know if you are about to run in to them :-)

I look forward to seeing you out on the river!

Welcome to Christoph Coaching!

Welcome to Christoph Coaching!

The purpose of this blog is to help my clients address the components of fitness: cardiorespiratory endurance, muscular strength, muscular endurance, flexibility, and body composition by consciously practicing healthy nutrition and physical activity behaviors.

Through my weekly posts, I will share the weekly workouts I lead with my clients, suggest some recovery strategies related to nutrition and exercise, and encourage healthy eating habits.  Each week, 

I will post in 5 different areas:

1.      Rowing workouts of the week: This is for rowers at Pioneer Valley Riverfront Club who are involved in my morning sculling program.  Each post will include drills for the week with video and workouts for the week.

2.       Weekly cross training workouts: These are for classes I lead both formally and informally at Holyoke Community College.  All other clients are encouraged to try one or more as well!

3.       Flexibility video(s) of the week: These include yoga, foam rolling, and stretching videos to encourage the practice of focus and flexibility.

4.       Nutrition tip of the week: This will include a nutrition article, video, and/or healthy recipe to help clients optimize their health and athletic performance through good nutrition practices.

5.       Focusing workout of the week: This will include a meditation or restorative yoga video to encourage relaxation, recovery, and rejuvenation!