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| Ritual Exhaustion and pain |
Today was my scheduled High Intensity Interval Training day so I had to do the full on thing. And today it was boxing by using what's called a Tabata schedule: 20 seconds full exertion followed by 10 seconds rest repeated eight times.
The complication was that I was stifled by stiffness and pain and had spent a few hours abed prior to -- but not immediately before -- the session.
So I was really in no fit state for fitness exercising -- or so it seemed.
But true grit will prevail and the great thing about the way I do this, is that when I follow the ritual and plug my mp3 player into my ear and slip on the boxing gloves I am locked in for the next five minutes.
No turning back.
So while I know what pain to expect I also know it will end sooner rather than later ... and the wonderful irony is that what with (1) music, (2)ritual ,(3)intense exertion and (4) episodic rests I'm going to snap out of my malaised condition.
And I did. It is amazing, truly amazing. (Aside from the fact that I don't die.)
How much of this is a placebo effect I cannot measure but if it is it would have to be weird one. But I assume that my body's chemistry shifts sharply into a new mode. So this is a neurological and muscular mix with no doubt major hormonal consequences.
As I've pointed out before I can foster a similar response by dancing.
When I next do my overall medical workup -- blood and such -- I'm expecting significant changes: in insulin response and blood sugar, in my blood pressure, and muscle mass.
I'm also back losing weight again after plateauing. I think the weight loss will be the most subjective marker of consequence. Although I do feel very different in myself -- more alive and movement aware -- because of these workouts. I do push it during these sessions but so far my major response is dire gasping for air. But recovery is remarkably quick.
Maybe too quick? Maybe I am not being intense enough?
This week I have to go interstate so my routine may be challenged. While I'll have my mp3 player, I won't have my kettleblls, kickbike or boxing gear to use. That means I'll have to maybe do squats -- the so called Tabata Squats -- and find other means to exert myself. Some are suggested in Highcock's handy manual HillFit which I recommend thoroughly to anyone who may want to pursue this regime and get on top of the rationale.
Forming within me is a desire to do stair climbing. So long as I can find myself some stairs. Around where I live it's flat and the buildings are single story. But to go to foreign parts and climb upwards, knee over knee, in intense 20 second bursts -- or 40 second bursts -- oh what fun! So when I go to any Big Smoke city with a suffeit of skyscrapers I gonna git meself a workout.
So for me now, Long Slow activities over a Distance -- like walking or kickbiking or paddling are more about pleasure and relaxation and aren't layered with exercise imperatives.
Stair climbing burns about twice as many calories than any other sport or activity.
Because it is a grueling sport, stair climbing requires less time to do the same intensity of a workout...
Stair climbing is a total body workout. It makes the arms stronger with the use of the arms pulling you up with the use of the rails (or banister) which is allowed and encouraged. Stair climbing especially builds muscle mass in the legs, including the quadriceps and calfs. It is an aerobic sport as it works the cardio-vascular lung package. Stair climbing becomes an anaerobic event after about 10 to 20 flights of stairs as it strains your aerobic capacity to hold an intense load on the cardio-vascular package to the top of a very tall building. Since the contest is vertical, even a 70 story race up is not a total sprint and requires endurance, sprint, and muscular strength to complete in a fast time.
Stair climbing is excellent for cross-training. Runners, swimmers, cyclists, rowers, soccer (or football), and others find stair climbing to be helpful with its total workout. Cyclists, skiers, and rowers are especially attracted to the muscle mass in the legs which can be developed with stair climbing...
Stair climbing does not require the purchase of any expensive equipment. It can be done almost anywhere. You could practice stair climbing at any public place that has many flights of steps, including, but not limited to: your apartment building, condominium building, your house stairs, the stairs leading to a public building, the library, or at a gym.
