Hello HC Fitness Readers!
I am currently on my last week of classes before my spring break! Well, technically it is considered fall break in New Zealand – I’m still getting used to the exact opposite seasons on this side of the world. I have been busy preparing for mid-semester tests and exams, and am spending some quality time with the University of Otago library. Similar to how I was encouraging you a few weeks earlier to push through the exams, enjoy the outdoors and find yourself working out at the gym, I find I am telling myself the exact same thing.
[Photo: Just enjoying an afternoon at Tunnel Beach, New Zealand]
Surprisingly, despite the increase of homework and projects, I actually feel I have worked out harder this week. Listening to Katrina’s tips from my last blog, I decided to incorporate some new exercises into my workout regimen: sprints and interval training. Unfortunately, The University of Otago doesn’t have an indoor track, where I would typically find myself doing these exercises. Instead I have been getting used to doing various intervals on the treadmill.
For this week, with school work being pretty busy, I am reminding myself to hit the gym every day and even try new workouts. This next workout I learned while watching a few girls in the gym do it, and thought I should try! If you don’t want to use the weights, I recommend doing the squats in general, after a few days you will feel sore going up the stairs, but it is so worth it. To make sure I was doing this exercise right I looked it up on Shape:
- To do it:
“Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, with the barbell on the back of your shoulders. Lower your body toward the floor, sending your hips back and down and bending your knees. Push through your heels to return to start position, keeping your back flat and head up throughout the movement. Try to do 8-10 reps for 3 sets (resting 45-60 seconds between sets).” –Jessica Smith, Shape Magazine
Here is the link for more information on that exercise and many other good ab workouts: