Posted by terrepruitt on November 21, 2009
Lat pull down while squatting (on Machine)
Bicep dumbbell curls with walking lunges
One arm dumbbell row (on bench alternating sides)
Hamstring curls using stability ball
Kettlebell swing
Stability Ball Hand/Foot Pass Sit-up
Back extension on stability ball
Straight leg deadlift with Kettlebell alternating legs
Wide grip row on Machine
Single Leg Squat using bench
As you can see the first two exercises prove that the generalization of push muscles being on the front and pull muscles being on the back is not great, but for some it is helpful although not entirely accurate. You use your back muscles and your biceps to pull. With most movements more than one muscle or more than one muscle group is being used, but usually we say the exercise works which ever muscles it works the most. As with the Lat pull down, it is called a Lat pull down because the Latissimus dorsi is responsible for most of the effort, however in most cases your biceps are assisting. There are other muscles in your back that are putting in some effort too and it depends on which kind of lat pull down you are doing. Yes, there are different kind.
Usually when the exercise being done is with free weights there is less muscle isolation. Some machines do a great job of muscle isolation. Sometimes an exercise can be considered both or neither and it is add to a workout to work a “popular muscle”. The sit ups were added because most of the time people want to work the abs. I think of the single leg squat as either a push or a pull because sometimes I really feel it in the glutes and sometimes I swear it is all quads.
This is just a sample of what a “pull workout” could look like. The weight used, the reps done, the speed in which do it and how many times you do it all depends on what you are trying to accomplish. This can be done different ways. It could be done all in a row as listed or done in sets. Depends on what you want.
The picture is of the Cable Cross Machine at least Freemotion calls it that. I call “the Machine”. It lives at the gym in San Jose.
Posted in working out | Tagged: dumbbell, Freemotion Cable Cross Machine, kettlebell, Lat Pull Down, Pull workout, San Jose exercise, San Jose Gym, San Jose movement, San Jose Workout, Sit-up, squats, stability ball | Leave a Comment »
Posted by terrepruitt on November 19, 2009
As a Nia teacher there are prescribed steps we are to take to learn a routine. It is easy to skip steps in the interest of time. We all learn in different ways and as humans we tend to follow the easiest path. No matter what we are doing our tendency is to do it the easiest way possible. So some of the steps might be skipped.
I recently attended a FAB*, it was short workshop that covered some of those steps. Being in a workshop with everyone focusing on the same thing made it a lot easier to learn. At home, when I set about working on learning a routine, I get very distracted by things. So being in a room where there was no cat, no computer, no dirty dishes, no laundry, and no cleaning that needed to be done was awesome. It really enabled me to focus.
The routine that we were working on is called Aya (one of Carlos AyaRosas, FKA Carlos Rosas). It is very Latin based–it has both Latin music and Latin moves allowing for a lot of hip swaying and sexy moves. One of the songs that we reviewed was not in English and someone translated it for us. I have to say that sometimes when you know the words of the song it can make the movements different.
This workshop was a shortened version of another workshop that was recently held in Concord. That was a two day workshop where they reviewed the entire routine. The one I attended in Nevada City was only four hours. We reviewed two songs. I will be honest and tell you that I could not do the songs without seeing them again. But I am confident that once I purchase the routine and set out to learn it, these two songs will be a snap.
I also returned to San Jose with a renewed sense of knowledge. I might KNOW something, but it always helps to review and to look at it from different angles. I enjoy hearing how information filters into people differently.
Nia is so wonderful because it is so many things. It is a workout, it is a practice, it is exercise, it is something that brings people together, it can be the basis of a workshop, it is just fabulous.
*FAB = For all belts. Nia White Belts, Blue Belts, Brown Belts, and Black Belts.
NOTE: The pictures are actually from the little birthday acknowlegement we had for the owner of the studio.
Posted in Nia | Tagged: and Nia Black Belts, Aya, Carlos Rosas, exercise, exercise routine, FAB, For all belts, latin moves, Latin music, Latin routine, latin songs, Nia, Nia Blue Belts, Nia Brown Belts, Nia Concord, Nia exercise, Nia Nevada City, Nia Practice, Nia routine, Nia San Jose, Nia Teacher, Nia White Belt, Nia White Belts, Nia workshop, San Jose exercise classes, San Jose Nia, San Jose Nia classes, San Jose Workout, workout, workout routine, workshop | Leave a Comment »
Posted by terrepruitt on November 17, 2009
Recently I was listening to a discussion about Push Workouts and Pull Workouts. One person wasn’t understanding the Push/Pull phrase because technically (as the other person pointed out) all muscles pull on bone to move it. We move because a muscle contracts and pulls the bone in the direction of the contraction so the Push/Pull workout wasn’t registering for this person.
What the Push/Pull Workout phrase means is that the muscles USED to push or pull are being worked. So a push workout would primarily work the muscles in the front of the body and a pull workout would work the muscles in the back. That is just a generalization. As you know for some muscle groups and for some exercises it is not possible to JUST use one muscle group or one side of the body.
A pull workout works “primarily” the lats, back, biceps, glutes, hamstrings, back, and biceps. Where a push workout includes exercises that “primarily” work the chest, shoulders, triceps, quads, and calves. It would typically be done on alternating days.
This type of workout could be seen as a functional type workout since when you think about it we do a lot of pushing and pulling. Think of grocery shopping, who has not had to yank a cart out of a row of carts, then pull the groceries out of the cart once they are bagged, then push them into the back of the SUV, then pull them out again. Pull, push, pull, push . . . . Its a very functional workout.
Posted in Training and Exercise | Tagged: exercises, functional exercises, functional workout, Push pull workout | 2 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on November 14, 2009
Not the string you use to tie up a pig or a ham, but the muscle group. There are three muscles that make up the Hamstrings; the Semimembranosus, the Semitendinosus, and the Biceps Femoris.
These muscles flex the knee bringing your foot toward your buttocks, extend the thigh, and rotate the hip/leg.
I have been thinking about my hamstrings A LOT the past few days because of a recent workout where I did a few exercises that really worked my hamstrings. There are a lot of gyms in San Jose but where my friend and I were is a tiny gym that does not have a lot of machines, but you don’t need machines to really work the back of the legs.
We did some deadlifts, hamstring curls, and worked with a kettlebell, not to mention our warm up lunges. So, yes, I have been thinking about my hamstrings a bit.
I wanted to point out that the hamstrings are three different muscles and remind you of that.
Posted in Misc | Tagged: Biceps Femoris, deadlifts, hamstring curls, Hamstrings, kettlebell, lunges, San Jose exercise, San Jose Gym, San Jose Workout, Semimembranosus, Semimembranousus, Semitendinousus, the Semitendinosus | Leave a Comment »
Posted by terrepruitt on November 12, 2009
Today is “whatever” Thursday, I wanted to find some pictures to post, but nothing really struck me. I have thought about it all day and I couldn’t come up with anything. Then I thought of lists. People are always posting lists. In fact, my last post was somewhat of a list; a list of benefits of resistance training. On my short drive after class from Santa Clara to San Jose, I decided to post ten of my favorite exercise in no particular order:
1) Dumbbell Chest Press (especially on a stability ball)
2) Upright Row (on one Pilates DVD I have she calls this the “Zip Up”)
3) Lat Pull Down with Alternating Backward Lunge
4) Tricep Kickback (with a dumbbell)
5) Standing Tricep Pushdown
6) Heel Raises
7) Wood Chops
8) Bent-Over Row
9) Bicep Curl
10) Sit-ups (on the BOSU) (she did NOT just say that, oh yeah, I did)
Of course, I love Nia for my aerobic (cardio) workout and with that I get a lot of these same motions as some of my favorite exercise, but this is just a list of some of my favorite exercises I like to do with equipment and/or weights.
Comments? Questions? What are your favorite exercises? What do you like to include in your workout?
Share your list.
Posted in Training and Exercise | Tagged: aerobic classes, aerobic workout classes, Backward Lunge, Bent-Over Row, Bicep Curl, BOSU, Cardio classes, cardio workout, dumbbell, Dumbbell Chest Press, Dumbell Chest Press, exercies classes, exercise, exercise equipment, favorite exercise, Heel Raises, Lat Pull Down, list of exercises, Nia Classes, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia workout classes, Pilates DVD, San Jose exercise, San Jose Nia, San Jose Nia classes, San Jose Pilates, San Jose Workout, Santa Clara exercise, Santa Clara Nia, Santa Clara workout, Sit-up, stability ball, Standing Tricep Pushdown, Tricep Kickback, Upright Row, Wood Chops, Zip Up | 4 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on November 10, 2009
Resistance Training has many benefits. I say resistance training because the resistance may be any force the body has to overcome. It does not have to be weights, it can be bands, springs, or even your own body weight. In addition to doing something that you like you want to train according to your goals.
Some of the benefits of resistance training:
- Increase in strength, power, and endurance in the muscles
- Increase in size of the muscle
- Increase in lean mass (or maintained lean mass)
- Increase in the tone of the muscles
- Increase in metabolism
- Increase in bone density
- Increase in energy
- Improvement in the body’s muscle to fat ratio
- Improvement in mood
- Improvement in Insulin Sensitivity
and
- can assist in lower your resting blood pressure
- can assist in preventing sarcopenia
- can assist in lowering your resting heart rate
I met up with a friend today in San Jose at the gym we had a nice workout. We played with some of the equipment and managed to get a great set of exercises in. It is nice to be reminded of why resistance training is important.
Posted in Training and Exercise | Tagged: blood pressure, bone density, endurance training, hypertrophy, muscle to fat ratio, power training, resistance training, resting heart rate, San Jose excercise, San Jose Gym, San Jose training, San Jose weight training, San Jose Workout, sarcopenia, strength training, toning muscles, training, weight training | Leave a Comment »
Posted by terrepruitt on November 7, 2009
There is always something Nia going on. Often times visting instructors will host a workshop or two. When they are in an area doing a workshop they often tack on a class or two so that even if you are not going to partake in the workshop you still can do Nia with them. It is a great way to other teachers from all over. This weekend there is a workshop that I am able to attend but I was able to go to the Nia class that was held the night before the workshop.
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It was an hour and a half class. Due to the huge amount of commute traffic from San Jose to Concord we missed the first 20 minutes, but we were able to jump right in and get a great workout in the time we had.
The visiting instructor was Winalee Zeeb. She has been doing Nia since 1991. She is a first degree Nia Black Belt, a Nia White Belt Trainer, and she has her own studio in Michigan called Heartdance.
The event is being held at The Big C Athletic Club. The class I went to was also at that location. I had a great time moving on carpeted thick padded floor. We moved fast and slow, and experienced fire and soul. It was a great workout. Always amazing me because it never feels like exercise. I am always amazed when the class ends. It was the first time I had the pleasure of meeting Winalee. She said we did a bit of Aya and a bit of Velvet. I am not sure what other routines were in there, but it was a great time.
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I often post events on my site so if you are interested in attending Nia workshops and events in my area check my site.
I was still trying to get in the swing of things when I decided to snap a few photos. I was planning on taking more, but since we had missed a few minutes already I didn’t want to take time standing around taking the pictures, but I snapped it and a couple more just to give you an idea.
Posted in Nia | Tagged: Aya, Concord, dance studio, Heartdance, Nia, Nia Black Belt, Nia class, Nia event, Nia exercise, Nia exercise class, Nia forms, Nia instructor, Nia routines, Nia San Jose, Nia studio, Nia teachers, Nia workout, Nia workshop, San Jose, San Jose exercise class, San Jose Nia, San Jose Workout class, The Big C Athletic Club, Velvet, Winalee Zeeb | 4 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on November 5, 2009
Recently I posted a bit about Focus and Intent. One comment on that post was from someone who sets a daily intent, but hadn’t thought to carry the focus she has during her workout into her day. She brought up that during her morning Yoga she is able to focus on her shoulders but during the day she forgets.
Well, a lot of us might do that, not remember to carry our focus and intent into the day. There is so much going on it is easy to forget. So there is a little helpful reminder that Nia’s co-creator does. I heard her share it on one of the monthly teleconferences that Nia offers. She said when she wakes up she thinks of a color. I believe she indicated that the color presented itself or just came to her, as a thought. If that doesn’t necessarily happen for you, pick one. (I am amending this because the co-creator of Nia, Debbie Rosas, did say that she used a color for something, but it was not to assist her with the focus and intent. It was for something else . . . . I don’t want to bring up what it was for because that is a subject that requires another post entirely. I was reminded about picking a color in a Nia teleconference.) So . . . Here is a little something to help you remember, when you wake up . . . . .
Pick a color. Now what you do with that color is: throughout the day, when you see that color think of your focus and remember your intent.
So if your focus is to remember to keep your shoulders down and in their place (this is something I struggle with, that is why I bring it up) you can be reminded of it every time you see your chosen color. Doesn’t mean you have to stop what you are doing and examine yourself or rearrange yourself, it is just a gentle nudge. Green (for example) whispering, “shoulders”.
Or let’s say you’ve decided to drink more water. So every time you see the color that you decided upon for the day you take a sip of water (or drink a glass—whatever you set your intention to be).
You get the point? You can set your focus and intent on whatever you would like, by having chosen a color is a tool to help remind you of your focus and intent. Choosing a color can assist you in taking your focus and intent from your workout and/or from your exercise class into your day.
Share with me your stories.
Posted in Nia | Tagged: Color reminder, daily focus, daily intent, Debbie Rosas, exercise class, focus and intent, morning Yoga, Nia, Nia class, Nia exercise, Nia exercise class, Nia focus and intent, Nia's co-creator, teleconference, workout class, workout focus, workout intent, Yoga, Yoga focus, Yoga intent | 6 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on November 3, 2009
In a Nia workout class* there are seven cycles. The first cycle is setting your focus and intent. In my classes before we step in, cycle two, I state the focus and the intent of the class. Every once in awhile I do remind my students that they are welcome to set their own focus and intent, but there is always a class focus and intent.
Nia teachers are supplied with and can purchase routines. With our routines comes a focus and intent. We receive the routine DVD along with a pamphlet that explains what the routine’s original focus and intent was. Nia teachers are encouraged to change focuses and intents. In fact, in addition to the one main focus and intent, there is a list of optional foci and intents.
I was reminded on a Nia teleconference call recently, that a focus is what you give your attention to, in order to get a desired result. And not only can you have a focus and intent for the workout, but you can carry that focus and intent throughout the day.
As an example, let’s say the focus of the class is set on shoulders, with the intent of remembering to keep them down and not scrunch them up toward the ears. So during the entire Nia class, I will remind myself and the class that we are focusing on our shoulders. When we lift our arms to part the clouds we will be conscious of keep our shoulders down. When we swim as we do our side steps I might remind the class to keep a long graceful neck (which can be achieved by holding the shoulders down). Throughout the class with each movement we will be focusing on our shoulders which could assist in strengthening the muscles in our back and enable us to keep them down where they belong. Then after class the focus and intent can be carried out into the day.
If you find yourself holding your phone with your shoulder hunched up toward your ear you have the opportunity to stop, which would help you keep the intent. Since you have set your shoulders as a focus you would be more likely to notice. Or while you are on the computer you might notice your shoulders bunched up around your ears and you could be aware of that and choose to sit up straight and pull your shoulders down.
In class we move to music and sometimes students might be concerned that the first time they participate they cannot move their feet AND their arms, so I often set the focus as one or the other. I might set the focus on the upper extremities, with the intent to move them in a conscious manner connecting to the music. Then I remind them that as they concentrate on their hands and arms it is ok if their feet are not perfect. That sometimes helps people to move more freely and actually focus on the focus.
These are just examples of foci and intents. There are an endless number of foci and intents. These examples are body related, but you can, of course, make your focus anything to get the intent you desire. If you were setting a focus and intent for your workout, what would it be? What would it be if you were going to carry it from your workout into your day?
(Want a tip on how to remember your focus throughout your day?)
*I make the distinction because there is also the Nia 5 Stages classes which is different
Posted in Nia | Tagged: focus and intent, movement class, Nia, Nia 5 Stages, Nia 5 Stages class, Nia Classes, Nia cycles, Nia routines, Nia teachers, Nia workout, Nia workout class, strengthening class, strengthening muscles, strengthening workout, teleconference, workout class, workout classes, Workout cycles | 6 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on October 31, 2009
I teach my Nia classes in a studio in San Jose that is next to a pet store. The groomer that works there usually gets there before the shop is open so she sits outside in front waiting. Often she has a puppy or a dog that she has rescued and is trying to adopt out. She seems to be able to rescue them and it works out that she can find someone to adopt them pretty quick.
This time she had her own animals. I heard them yelping and realized they were puppies so I peeked out. Imagine my surprise when I saw a purple puppy with black patches. Her sister was black and pink. They were jumping and yelping and vying for attention. They were obviously cute little girls, but with their bright colors it made them even more adorable.
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Keep in mind these animals are puppies and you know how puppies are. It was a miracle that they were still long enough to get a shot, but having them be in a particular spot for correct lighting was not possible. In fact I don’t think the little one was still at all. I did not retouch the puppies, but I did blur some of the background.
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The sun was really bright when it was shining on the purple puppy. The sun almost washed out the purple. It definitely made her color seem less bright.
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But she was pretty purple. And her sister had a pink muzzle, chest, and pink feet.
It was really cute. They were really cute. Full of energy.
Since it is Halloween, I thought it would be cute to post pictures of Purple and Pink puppies!
Posted in Humor | Tagged: adopt a puppy, Halloween, Nia Classes, Nia classes in San Jose, Nia workout, pink puppy, puppies, Purple puppy, San Jose Nia classes, San Jose pet store, San Jose studio, San Jose Workout, workout classes in San Jose | Leave a Comment »
Terre Pruitt