Two Step Platforms Are Better Than One

Okay, so I saw this tweet from Bob Harper this morning. Do I really need a lot of incentive to do crazy things? Negative.

How is it that I got up before 8:00 a.m. and still managed to be late for a 10:30 a.m. Step class?

I guess that I do like to get up gently which is why I have a moonbeam clock which flashes light to wake you up.

I went back to Stacey's class which I really enjoy love. Only, I don't get to go often since her classes are at 10:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.

Stacey is calm and friendly and she has easy steps but you still get a good workout. In fact, she might want to consider naming her class Step For Dummies. Stacey did something today that I've never seen before. She used two step platforms. Platform one was Home and the one to the right was Away. We left just enough space between Home and Away to do jumping jacks. I absolutely loved the stomp move that she incorporated and I don't think that I was the only one. Stacey also had me chuckling with her curl and repeat command since it sounded like we were in a salon.

I also liked that Stacey invited questions and feedback. One class member told her of hip discomfort when she steps and Stacey asked her if she wanted to stretch. First class...

When I finished with Step class, I made a pit stop at home, grabbed a Clif Kid bar and headed to Upper Limits to climb a few routes. Remember what Trainer Bob said now.

I didn't have a belay partner so I used the auto-belays and, because I suddenly got a little freaked out by being up 30 feet up with no person on the ground to lower me, I climbed down every route. All that to say, I'm beat and my hand calluses are tender from back-to-back rock climbing stints.

The moral of this story: take what Trainer Bob has to say with a grain of salt.

Up And Ovah

The thought of getting on a machine today was pretty unappealing. I guess that I'm getting a little tired of the machines.

I'm also inspired by an older woman that I met. She exclusively takes classes -- doesn't like to wait for the machines, she says. The class-taker looks good, I know that much.

I pulled out the schedules that I have for three branches of my fitness club and decided to go to the one that's actually the closest to me -- something that I wouldn't dream of on a regular day. It's the closest and it's the smallest and the machines and classes fill up fast.

There were only 10 people in Step. Unlike the other step classes, Stacey relied almost exclusively on a step routine. We did use light weights and did some crunches in the end but those exercises only comprised about 10% of the class.

Stacey kept it simple and, because of that, I had very little trouble with the choreography.

I also liked the terminology that she used. When she said Rockette, I anticipated what we would be doing. We also shot the hoop at one point, did the mambo, rocking horse and V-step. And, for some reason, I love hopping up, doing a jumping jack on the step then jumping down on the floor and doing a jumping jack.

I completely enjoyed the up and over move when you go up and do what another step instructor calls a sunburst then come back down on the other side of the step. Up and over… And I loved the way that Stacey said over. Ovah. Up and Ovah. Ovah.

I would be so lost on this knee around the world move (3:07).



I was so hyper after class that I got on the treadmill to do a bit of jogging. It's something about step class that gets the endorphins all revved up.