Sprinter Hell...Ya!

I started with this name for the class:  Sprinter Hell.  Because a class focused on speed training to develop quickness and explosive power is hellish.   But in an effort to embrace it... to cultivate the craving for it... I opted for Sprinter Hell Ya! 

This is a full-gas, high velocity-level workout.  The challenge is to do various sprint-level efforts with minimal recovery, calling again and again on your anaerobic energy supply until your body is shaken to the core. I expect that after the first set you'll be feeling pretty great. And you should! But the thing about anaerobic training is that you feel it the most after the work is done.

There are three energy systems in the body (ATP-CP, Anaerobic Glycolysis and Aerobic Glycolysis), and two of them are anaerobic energy pathways (ATP-CP and Anaerobic Glycolysis). That means they function without oxygen. These are the two that we're tapping into with this workout in a major way. 

It helps to understand how the body converts energy in order to understand what's happening in your body and to improve athletic performance.

ATP-CP:  Sometimes called the V8 of the energy systems, ATP-CP stands for Adenosine Triphosphate - Creatine Phosphate.  Both ATP and CP are stored in muscle cells.  There isn't much stored, but that's okay because the importance of this energy system comes from how fast the energy is available (immediately!) not how much.  This system gives you the ability for maximum intensity over a short (10-15 second) duration before fatiguing. Our Sprinter Hell Ya! training will help develop this energy  system.

Anaerobic Glycolysis:  If ATP-CP is the V8 engine of the energy system, then consider anaerobic glycoloysis as the V6.  This system produces a lot of power, but not quite as much or as quickly as the ATP-PC system.  And because the fuel supply from this system is bigger, it doesn't conk out as quickly as the ATP-PC system.  This energy system uses carbohydrates to create ATP for energy.  Glucose is broken down to make ATP and lactic acid. Training this system is aimed at increasing tolerance to lactate, the removal of lactate and improving the rate at which glycolysis produces ATP.  Developing it is going to increase anaerobic power, local muscular endurance, speed and muscular power.


Playlist
We Will Rock You - Britney Spears, Beyonce, Pink
House vs Rock 2012
Gorky Park Electro House Rock Agosto 2012 - Nivana, Red Hot Chili Peppers
House Electro Mix 2013 (April)
Cooldown
I Wanna Be Sedated - Ramones
Tous Les Même - Stromae

Class Profile
Warm-Up
:30 Sprint / 1:00 Recovery x5 [Z5/Z6 Power - that's 5-25% above Threshold (Z4) Power, 95/100 RPMs in Sprint, whatever you want in Recovery]
Full Recovery
:20 Sprint / 1:00 Recovery x5 [Z6/Z7 Power]
Full Recovery
3:00 Lead Out [Z4] / :30 Sprint [Z6/7] / 2:00 Recovery x4
Cooldown

Great Quote
...to those of you who have ever felt injustice because of who you are or who you love, tonight I stand here in front of the world with with you and for you.  - Jared Leto, Oscar Speech

Get Motivated With A New Playlist

I don't normally use playlists twice, but couldn't help myself with this one!  High energy, high intensity for turbo classes at Fitness Company and Rocky's!  We kept it "simple"(!):    Climb, Sprint, Climb, Sprint...until a double climb through tracks 9 and 10.  It's nearly 7 hours later, and the endorphins are still flying!

Workout:
Rest of My Life (feat. Usher & David Guetta) - Ludacris
Amazing Grace - Dropkick Murphys
Sin Ti (I Don't Want to Miss a Thing (feat. Pitbull & Beatriz Luengo)
Run Boy Run - Woodkid
Smile?  - The Crystal Method
Seven Bridges - Scooter
Galvanize - The Chemical Brothers
The Boys of Summer - The Ataris
Reagan's Skeleton - Yeasayer (my new favorite song!)
Ridin' (Explicit Version, of course) - Chamillionaire, Krayzie Bone
Eye of the Tiger - Eye of the Tiger

Cooldown/Stretch:
How - Regina Spektor
All I Want Is You - U2
Sunday Afternoon - Rachel Yamagata

Spinning Queen Paula

After a punishing workout,
Paula shows off her prize.

I think all my students kick serious spinning ass!  But there are always those who stand out because of their commitment to health and fitness.  Paula from Rocky's Gym is one of those!  For the past 6 months, she's been dedicated to losing weight, and building muscle and cardiovascular endurance.  And it's working!  She's spinning three times a week, lifting and eating right.  Go, Paula!

We celebrated Paula in class today by naming her Spinning Queen, and giving her a small prize:  a delish bottle of Bragg's Apple Cider Vinegar Grape-Acai drink.  There are lots of amino acids in apple cider vinegar that can help keep you operating at peak performance.  Amino acids repair cells and build muscle, and exercising increases your body's demand for them.

Paula, you're an inspiration! Keep up the great work!

Curing with Cayenne

Thanks to the remarkable producer, filmmaker, and grass-roots organizer Anne Hubbell, I discovered Prometheus Springs' Citrus Cayenne drink. You can find it at Whole Foods, but it's more fun to sip the morning away at Irving Farm, a trendy cafe on New York's Upper West Side. I rate this drink a TEN - in taste and health benefits! Not enough good things can be said about cayenne pepper, a food that can truly be called a fundamental form of medicine. It's the capsicum in cayenne pepper that makes it hot and healthy. The list of health benefits includes its ability to serve as a powerful anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, digestive aid, pain reliever. It also reduces cholesterol and improves blood pressure making it a great choice for heart health. There's a reason it's called the King of Herbs and has been used for centuries as a natural remedy! Where does it get its name? From the city of Cayenne in French Guiana.