Exercise Diary: Random Thoughts

• The spinning classroom in our school gym recently got new spinning bikes that made the old bikes (which are currently sitting sadly in the hallway outside of the room) look like yucky ancient dinosaurs.  The new bikes are shiny, slick, and got a nice touch of red color.  They are also equipped with a display monitor that shows you how long you have been spinning, rpm, watts, calories burned, and distance.  I was very sad to learn today that after 35 minutes of peddling I only burned 197 kcals.  Also I really hope the distance display is in miles and not kilometers.
• This is the fourth week into my gym class and 2nd full week of 4-5 days/wk workouts.  Sadly my weight has not been dropping like I had hoped, and different parts of my body have been hurting everyday.  But I think I've got more arm muscles already, as I can already see a little bulge when I flexed my arms in front of the mirror today.  So that's kind of cool.  If I can build up some arm/upper body strength this summer I will be very happy.
• One morning (could've been Tuesday) as we were leaving I saw a very old woman in the gym getting ready for her workout.  The whole time I was watching her she was just stretching and flexing her extremities, but she looked very lean and muscle-y, probably more fit than I am, and  looked as if she's in her 80s.  I really wish I could be like that when I'm her age.
• This week I also saw a girl doing what I like to call "seizure crunches." She was doing crunches, and then bicycle crunches, but it was obvious from the way she worked that she valued speed more than anything else.  Her head and shoulders weren't lifted very high, which is totally fine since I think that's how I look when I'm doing crunches, but she was doing it so fast that she looked like a crazy person.  It was funny to watch if anything else.
• Speaking of abs, crunches are very effective when they are done on an exercise ball.  I felt that I could lift my body up much more, and my feet are more grounded in order to be properly balanced on the ball.  And afterwards you can stretch and drape yourself over the ball with arms extended like nobody's watching.  It felt good.
• I force myself to go to the gym and workout ridiculously early in the morning by paying and working out with people who are considerably older than me, but every time I go the gym is also well populated with other people and after a while you notice that it's always the same crowd.  And they are just there by themselves, working their heart out, apparently with only their self-motivation.  And my emotion switches between admiration and jealousy.  
• The steps class that usually take place on Wednesdays has now been switched to spinning.  Which means that instead of getting to the gym 4 days a week I am now doing 5.  I actually really like this since even with 4 days a week I still manage to complete not follow my routine on my day offs.  And with the new spinning bikes I got a very nice workout today.  
• I still don't know everyone's name in my class but they all seem to know mine.  Awkward.

This Week on the Net (7/14-7/20)

Wasn't even going to do one, but saw this new concept of spinning class and thought I would share.

• Soulcycle.  Found a new concept of exercising, and this is called soul cycle.  It doesn't have any studios near where I live, and the closest one is in Chestnuthill in MA.  I decided that it's too far away from me and too much hassle just to go experience it.  But there are a good number of studios in New York, so maybe the next time I go home I will try a class.  It's basically a spinning class with a lot of other workout added to it, such as yoga-like stretches, and strength training involving weights.  They also emphasize the importance of upbeat music, and the fact that the classroom is lit not with lights but candles, to make you feel private about what you are doing.  Upon first glance it felt very hippie and pretentious, but I think it can be a much better workout than just a boring spinning classes (which I've never attended).  And as far as I know it doesn't require extra, novel equipment.  Maybe in the near future our school's PE classes will introduce a soul cycle class in addition to the traditional spinning classes it already offers.