Happy Tuesday!
This week is shut down week, so the entire Rec center is off-limits to students, members, and faculty/staff. It’s also cleaning, reorganizing equipment, and making sure the gym looks spotless before the semester starts next week.
Yesterday was painfully spent moving equipment from one side of the center to the other so a cleaning crew could come in and deep clean the floors and mats. Do you realize HOW MUCH equipment a gym has? When you look at a gym, you see the whole picture, however, when you move the equipment, that “whole picture” has about 50 “littler pictures” that attach to it. Every single plate (and its brother) needs to be moved AND all the accessories that come with each piece of equipment (clamps, straps, etc.).
It’s now day 2 of equipment moving and cleaning, or, day 2 of working on my grip strength because I’m carrying 45 plates from one side of the gym to the other. Ouchie!
The point of this post was not to rant about moving equipment and the pain its inflicting on me, because it’s soooo detrimental but rather, the run/walk interval I completed prior to the agony!
The campus is a complete circle, which makes running routes easy to follow. I haven’t ventured too far because I am still super new and, with my lack of direction-sense, that circle will turn into a maze. There are a couple routes (courtesy of the fitness department!) that I’ve been on and are simple to remember:
As a way to change-up the monotony of running, I decided to include intervals into the 2.2 mile route:
- from the Rec Center, turn right onto Pioneer Dr.
- turn left onto Ravine Dr.
- turn left onto Meadow Brook Rd. you’ll pass the residence halls and a huge parking lot. walk/run towards the traffic circle and follow it all the way around until you’re heading down a hill.
- when you reach Pioneer Dr. again, turn left. push up the hill to the Rec Center and you’re there!
Usually I stick to interval training on the treadmill where I can really push myself, speed and incline-wise, and can’t cheat, but today I was taking it outside! You really can’t be nature; the natural inclines of the hills, the wind blowing against you, various terrains, and the spontaneous “Do Not Enter” signs that make you re-route are all perks of exercising outside.
Next time you head to the gym to do your treadmill workout, take it outside instead! Alternate power walking for 30-60 seconds (fitness level TBD) with running/sprinting for 30-45-60-90 seconds. Not only will you have completed a functional, heart-pumping workout, but you’ll feel rejuvinated and have a post-workout glow-sans blush!
Tags: blush, Campus Recreation, HIIT, incline, Interval training, Oakland university, OU Campus Recreation, post-workout, running intervals, speed, treadmill, walking intervals
Supersets are a great way to push through a plateau; our bodies are smart machines, they recognize when we’re doing the same workout(s) over and over again. This not only stops producing results, but also takes a toll on our motivation.
Presenting at NIRSA Student Lead-on in Chicago in January!! Cannot wait!
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