Here are 4 points in the acronym V.I.B.E. that my paying clients use to raised their fitness levels out of the basement. 

Exercise V.I.B.E.

Variety – To avoid boredom and unwanted plateaus it’s best to keep muscles confused with different and challenging exercises.  A walk every day or only doing the same three strength training exercises is recipe for a plateau in weight loss and lean muscle gain.

How do you spice up a workout? Or, what do you do each week to keep variety in your overall plan?  Try a new group exercise class every 4 weeks.  In addition, get a new strength training plan every 4-6 weeks.   Hire a trainer to give you a plan and run with it!

Intensity- The greater the intensity the greater the fat loss.  Simply speaking, it is a fact that metabolic rate is increased as the intensity is increased (Tremblay).  I like to tell my clients that the engine is burning a lot longer (up to 36hrs) and consuming calories after a high intensity exercise workout versus a long slow aerobic workout.

I’m a runner and I like to run long distance for the challenge, or for a goal race.  However, the cornerstone of my fitness involves interval training  to burn the unwanted stuff and build power.  I use a similar strategy for my strength training.

What specific ways do you create intensity in your strength or cardio programs?

Brief- If your workouts integrate the element of intensity then you will only be able to sustain brief bouts before dialing it back to recover (let your heart rate lower) and then you can ramp it up again. A workout like this is taxing and requires less time in your schedule than a long aerobic bike ride, for example. On average, I spend 45 minutes doing a workout, including the warmup and cool down.

Entertaining- I make my workout session just that! I like to have fun music and a pre-determined plan of cardio intervals or strength training exercises in a circuit format. My mind is active and focused because I’m anticipating the switch from one drill to the next in intervals ranging anywhere from 30 seconds to 5 minutes.

Another way to keep it fun is engage in group exercise. The community feel is electric and often your best efforts summoned when in a group or team setting.

What do you do to make your workouts entertaining?  And, if you listen to music what is your favorite artist or song that gets you through your workout?

Establishing The Pace

I met up with my five running partners (pace-pushers).  These women are all older than me.  You’d think I’d have an advantage.  No way!  They are part of the ultra marathon crowd.  That distance both intimidates and taunts me.  They run 30-100 mile races.  I understand the whole endurance sport, having done a couple of Ironman Triathlons.  However, I just can’t fathom being on my feet for up to 24 hours for one of those ultra marathons.  If I could check into a little hotel – of which there are none on those courses – and put my feet up for about 3 hours I could see that distance as somewhat more attractive.  For now, I’ll hang on to their training pace on our Saturday runs and log on to find out their race results.  But today we had some business to take care of – a fast 12 mile run.

After we made our last visit to the port-o-potty (because women after having babies=NO bladder control) we started out at a comfortable warm up pace and by the first half mile I knew I was going to be okay today.  I chatted with Liz for about 3 miles and then at a stream crossing I switched and paired up with Judy through some tall narrow grasses.  Each of us switched off and took the lead at certain times througout the run.  

Feeding off Each Other for Strength

There was an unspoken law that the one feeling the best would step forward and push the pace while the others would be off her shoulder keeping stride.  It was obvious that some were hurting more than others at times.  I know that there was no way I could have held on without those women to drive me up the hills and encourage me.  I know that I offered them the same.  We were all drawing on the power of tandem (when a group works together) running.    

The success that I experienced and the speed that I was able to pull off was not soley because of my physical training.  There was a huge mental aspect that John Hanc wrote about in his article Team In Training.

Hanc wrote:

One Rat, Bill Gironda, began training with the group in the late 1980s. The longer he’s run with them, the better he’s run: Two years ago, at 46, he clocked a 16:54 5-K. The following year, he ran a 1:19 half-marathon. Both were personal bests. Running with the group, Gironda says, “makes workouts easier. You feed off each other.”

So it was for me.  The run was hard, but not as impossible as it would have been had I been alone.  I also enjoyed the social aspect that made the time and hills fly by.  So, as much as I may kick and scream, I will still make it to the trail head for my Saturday group runs.

If you’ve experience the power of collaboration, group training – fitness or otherwise - add it here.  I’d love to know your story.

Best of Energy!

Ashley Mahaffey