In this post, I want to shift away from all of the intense and heart-rate pumping talk to something a little bit more calming: stretching. I must admit, I am not the best at this before and after my workouts. Usually, I just want to get started right away or want to get out of the gym as soon as possible and go eat… However, stretching is extremely important and should not be overlooked.

For one, stretching before a workout really gets your muscles warmed up for the intense movements and stresses you might be putting on them. In fact, stretching (not just because of an upcoming workout) keeps muscles loose, relaxed, and increases their range of motion.  Now, stretching can entail different routines for everyone. For some, it can mean a controlled set of exercises that focus on the core muscles to be used during a workout or as a simple way to kick start the day. For others, and what I find is best for my training, dynamic stretching is the better option.

Dynamic stretching entails a combination of extending and contracting muscles while simultaneously moving (Image from Insider).

In short, dynamic stretching is just like normal, but it has the added component of moving around. For example, if you want to stretch out your hamstrings, a common move would be to stick your foot out, plant your heel, and lean over. Put in a dynamic stretch manner, you can do toe swings or more commonly known as “sweeps”.

The main reason stretching comes into conversation is because of working out and the necessity to warm up and loosen muscles in order to prevent injury. However, there are many long term benefits of stretching for reasons other than working out. In particular, with older adults, stretching first thing in the morning helps relieve joint stiffness and increase blood flow to all parts of the body. These are processes that become limited and decline in efficiency as we age, so taking advantage of a simple task like stretching can be very useful in maintaining a healthy lifestyle.  In 2000, there was a study conducted that analyzed the bodily pain between two groups of older adults (65 years and older) where one group was involved in active stretching and the other was not. To no surprise, the group that stretched (stretch and flex) had significantly higher score improvements than the group that did not (fit and firm).

Significant pain score improvement for group that stretched on a daily basis (Image from the study).

Although this analysis is a bit old, the findings are consistent with those of more current studies that employ modern techniques. Nevertheless, it is clear that stretching, in both the short and long terms, has significantly beneficial effects on our muscles, our body, and consequently our lives. So, when you find yourself bored, maybe spend two minutes loosening the quads with a good old quad-stretch?

It has been a while since I opened up the blog post draft page! Nevertheless, it feels good to be back to blogging and sharing about my excursion in the gym. Since last time (February 21st), nothing much has changed. I have consistently been going to the gym six times a week and enjoy seeing the progress I have made as I read through these posts.

In this post, I want to talk about breaks and other events that break our consistency in the gym (pun intended). For most of us, this was recently spring break, as many of us went home or traveled. I spent the week in Canada skiing with my family (see picture below)!

From left to right it’s my dad, my sister, my mom, and me! 

This inarguably put a stop in our routines (for all the fitness fanatics) and likely resulted in that awful “first day back”. When we returned on campus, I decided to start the week with a leg day – a mistake. I was so out of shape due to not working out the whole week, it was difficult to walk. Nevertheless, the break was much needed.

As researchers from Ohio State have said, sometime breaks are just what you need to restore your mental and physical state to come back even stronger. In fact, for individuals like myself who workout four to six times per week, a couple day long break should not contribute significantly to loss of conditioning and muscle. Unless, of course, this break entails only sitting and eating…

It’s understandable how longer breaks can not only set back individuals, but also play a significant role in someone’s mental health. Personally, I went through a period in high school where I HAD to workout everyday otherwise I would lose all my progress. This is NOT the case. As mentioned above, you need a break (whether it’s one or two days) to let your muscles and mind recover. Most importantly, you need a day that lets you internalize the fact that you have the ability to work out and that it shouldn’t be taken for granted. Rationales like these are just a few of a bunch that enable us to be motivated to continue to workout, even on weeks we don’t want to.

I’ve included a rough outline of what my workout week looks like to show that rest days are necessary, especially when you have another leg day coming up after the break 🙂 Routines are different for everybody. It’s all a matter of tailoring a schedule that works best for you and your body, regardless of how much time it may take to curate*.

*For reference, it has taken me five years to create this workout routine which best aligns with my body’s ability to handle exercise and activities outside of the gym.

My personal workout routine integrated with rest days and always subject to change.

One of the things I enjoy most about the White building and the atmosphere is how spontaneous everything is, especially when it comes to basketball. I can walk into the gym,  start shooting for 15 minutes, and the next thing I know, I am surrounded by a group of guys trying to play a game. Rudeness aside, it’s a nice way to get me into the game because once they start, my options are either:

1.  Play with them and just run around OR
2.  Leave

This is exactly what happened yesterday. I finished up my homework and decided to go shoot around for a little bit to remind my muscles of what it means to throw a basketball. The gym was somewhat busy and I ended up sharing a basket with one other guy who was also just shooting around. I put in my AirPods, turned on my basketball playlist, and got into a zone. It wasn’t long before a wave of guys walked in, holding shoes of all colors and sizes, with a pair of bright green Nike’s grabbing my attention the most (see image below):

Kyrie Flytrap 4 “Barely Volt” Shoes (Image from KicksCrew).

A pickup game was inevitably going to take place. For those of you that are not very familiar with a pickup game, this is a good place to pick up some of the key points (see what I did there?) Basically, it’s a game for fun. Points are probably going to be counted differently, fouls will likely not be called as normal, and the idea of running a set or a play is pretty much out the window. Some people hesitate to join a game because they don’t know who they are going to be working with or against. However, a game like this is the perfect way to boost self-confidence, communication skills, and exercise the notion of exploring the unknown.

This is why I decided to join the 15 other guys who were going to start this pickup game, without knowing any of them and accepting the fact that this may be a great experience or one of the worst days in my life.

Once everyone started, we split into two teams of eight, with subs for each team. Being the only girl, I was picked last and sat out as the first sub… you know how it is. In the beginning, my team was doing poorly. We weren’t hitting our shots, the other team was really fast, and they could not miss. When I got into the game, it did not get better. My shots were either flat (not enough arc) or airballs (not enough power). It was embarrassing and confusing. I was just shooting yesterday and knocking down 80% of my threes, what happened? Then I looked at the ball. 29.5. Men’s size.

For reference, here are the different ball sizes:

Various basketball sizes and weights (Image from Anthem Sports).

There are many reasons why different basketball sizes are used, such as gender, skill, game level, and more. Regardless, it is important to use the right size based on all of these characteristics. So, you can understand my poor performance when I was shooting with a ball that was an inch bigger and two ounces heavier… it makes a big difference! If anything, this game taught me to be aware of what’s going on and encouraged me to practice with a men’s size basketball from time to time.

We are all way too familiar with the torturous routine of having to run on a machine. No matter how motivated I am, time is always slower on the treadmill and completing a single mile feels like a marathon. Now, the treadmill and I have a love-hate relationship. When I was younger, I loved to split a three mile run into a two mile, steady-state jog and a one mile interval session alternating between jogging and sprints for 0.10 miles each. As I grew older, I was really intrigued by endurance, driving me to run hours on the treadmill for 6-15 miles. This was really unsustainable and in part the reason why I don’t enjoy running more than three miles inside. Also, the type of treadmill has an effect as well. If it isn’t the one with the sliding knob, it doesn’t work for this type of training (see image below). This week, I decided to go back to my old routine and test out some interval runs.

Knob-style treadmill that makes interval training easy. Image from Runner’s World (Dengate, 2019). 

There is a lot of benefit to interval training, especially when it comes to running. A few pros include increased aerobic endurance, VO2 max (the most oxygen your body will use during exercise), and running performance. Essentially, you are putting your body in one state and then shocking it by adding in the surprise of a new movement (sprinting) that requires more effort. This is seen easily in figures looking at how heart rate fluctuates over time in a workout (see figure below). However, these effects are “moment specific”. In fact, a study found that individuals who completed continuous workouts had higher average heart rates and oxygen uptake levels, which contradicts the accepted science. Further, scientists cannot say what the implications will be a month or a year into training either continuously or via intervals.

 Heart rate recovery throughout an interval-based workout (Image from Stöggl & Björklund, 2017).

For this week, I decided to do some digging on some of my favorite running websites and find a program to do from there. I settled on a nice one from Road Runners Sports, consisting of:

• Walking for 3:00 at 3 mph
• Running for 5:00 at 7 mph
• Sprinting for 2:00 at 12 mph
• Repeat intervals for 5 sets
• Walking for 3:00 at 3 mph

*Anything in red is a change I made from the site’s suggestions because they were a little elementary 🙂

I worked out everyday except Thursday morning and before each of my sessions, I used this interval routine as warm up cardio before my resistance training.

It definitely felt different, but in a good way. It reminded me of my running days when I was younger and taking pride in being the loudest in the gym because a treadmill going at a speed of 12 or higher isn’t exactly the most quiet. In the beginning, it was easy to sprint the entire two minutes. However, as I progressed through this interval for a 4th and 5th set, it was hard to keep up with the moving track. This is what being out of shape means with regards to interval running… I did get tired and sweaty much faster compared to my steady run, but this makes sense according to science. Either way, I am glad that I integrated this workout back into my routine because it definitely helped with the boredom I experience during long runs.

Last semester, my routine was very consistent in terms of going to the gym. I was up at 5AM every morning and at the gym by 6AM, right when the doors opened. I would workout for 1.5-2 hours every morning, shower, eat, and head to class at 9AM. I thoroughly enjoyed this part of my day as the gym was close to being empty and afterwards, the endorphins keep you motivated to get through classes up until lunchtime. Not to mention, you get to see beautiful sunrises like this one:

Sunrise after my morning workout at 7AM on December 2nd.

My parents always tell me to sleep in because that is very important for someone my age, especially with my engagements. However, each time I go back to everything I have read on how morning workouts are better for cognition and energy during the day. I kept to this routine for the majority of the semester, taking a break when I had exams or when a rest-day was much needed.

This semester though, I decided to try something different – working out later in the day, closer to dinner time. These past three weeks I have gone to the gym about 5 times every week and my views are mixed. For starters, the physical act of getting myself into the gym is not as hard since I am coming from class and not straight from my bed. I have also noticed that I have a lot of energy to get into the gym, as if I don’t complete this task of my day, I will go crazy. Also, from reading about nighttime exercise, there are many benefits, including minimal time constraint (you aren’t rushing before class), greater endurance, and increased energy levels. 

The biggest, and arguably most off-putting downside of later workouts is how busy the gym is. You would think students have homework or other commitments to attend. No. Every living soul is in that gym. On average, my wait time for a squat rack is 15 minutes and 20 minutes for a normal bench. It gets annoying because I just want to get my workout in without having to wait.

Many of my friends suggested that I should forego the White Building and try going to Planet Fitness (closer to Target), LionHeart CrossFit, or even the Hepper gym close to Rec Hall. Those are all valid options, however, I don’t want to spend any more money than I already do, so Planet Fitness and CrossFit are out. As far as Hepper, well just look at the map and I think it speaks for itself:

Direction and travel time to Hepper Fitness Center from Simmons (Image from Google Maps).

Making the almost 20 minute walk around 9PM or 10PM is not the most ideal, especially if I am alone. I think for now, I will have to settle with the White Building and its huge student crowd. After all, working out around more people helps build a strong fitness community and also boost personal sense of belonging. Looking at it this way, it doesn’t seem like the worst place… Plus, you get used to the smell of sweat so at least that isn’t a problem anymore 🙂

It feels weird to be back… Not only back to school, but back to blogging. I didn’t think I would miss this part of my daily assignments but upon reflection, I really enjoy sharing all things fitness with my peers! As this is the first time many of you are meeting me, allow me to introduce myself once more!

My name is Rosi Tsarnakova and I am currently studying biochemistry and molecular biology with the goal of pursuing medical school and research! In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my family and friends, reading, baking, and most notably working out! This is essentially what my blog will entail: my fitness progression over the course of the semester from a lifting and cardio point of view.

Tuesday was my first day back to the campus gym (gotta love the White building) and I deemed it necessary to do a proper leg day.  I brought along a gym buddy, which may have been a mistake in hindsight, as he is quite strong and compiles workouts that I describe as “insanity”. The process started once I I finished office hours with my chemistry professor and headed off to change into workout attire. This was the first obstacle, as my lifting shoes, Nike Blazers (below), are quite a struggle to put on. This usually aggravates me, as it did Tuesday, but upon more reading on why they are so difficult to put on, I understand the limitation in comfort for style and shape.

Nike Blazers by xMarshall via Adobe Stock

Geared up, I headed to the gym which was packed, as usual. At that point all I wonder is, do these people not have classes? Having said this, you can imagine that it was difficult to get any sort of major equipment, such as rack or bench. The gym quite frankly looked like the YMCA after New Years, full of many weight-loss or “new year, new me” driven individuals. Once a rack finally opened up, we were able to start the workout.

The series of exercises we did does not seem like a lot, theoretically. Physically, it was a different story because at the end, my legs were shaking, my shirt was soaked, and I almost made my friend carry me up the steps. The format of the workout is listed here with a representation of how sweaty my friend was after the session:

4 sets x 12 reps squats

4 x 12 single leg lunge

4 x 12 RDLs (Romanian deadlifts)

3 x 20 hamstring curls

4 x 12 abductions

3 x 20 leg extension

4 x 20 calf raises

If I had to describe it, that’s easy! Brutal. It may have been him trying to make this workout incredibly hard or just the fact that I am out of shape (most probable), but it’s a fitness experience I will never forget… At the end of the day, I was interested in seeing how I could modify this scheme of exercises into a routine that is backed by the professional fitness community. In order to make it more agreeable with my body’s limitations, it would have been best to pair the compound movements like squats with an isolation movement such as a single leg press.  Overall, I am glad that my fitness lifestyle resurfaced with difficulty because it’s a great analogy for the start of this new semester: nothing will be easy in the beginning.

For the final time, hello first semester friends! It seems that this blogging series may have to come to an end alongside the semester. I wanted to dedicate this final post to both look back on my fitness journey and share with you some of the things I have planned ahead.

I started out this blog with the intention of detailing different aspects of my basketball workouts and found myself elaborating on my lifting, running, and swimming. There’s a lot of value in reflection, especially within the scope of fitness and working out. For example, I wouldn’t have considered swimming to be an enjoyable form of cardio, yet I continue to do it before some of my lifting sessions. When school started, I thought that running would be my only form of exercise, but stepping into the gym, I discovered the multitude of ways that you can work and isolate different muscle groups. Squatting more than my body weight used to be just an aspiration. Now, it’s the reality. As it is the season to be grateful, I can only be thankful that going to the gym and being active helped develop an aspect of myself and my personality that I cherish so much.

In terms of looking ahead, next semester entails more lifting, more running, and overall, more challenges to see how much I can push myself. In fact, it’s official – I am running a half-marathon this Sunday and I will be training for a full marathon in the spring! Although I haven’t trained much, I am not worried. I’ve been running inside and outside all my life so if I can run 7 miles now without stopping, what’s 6 more? If you haven’t been able to gather from my previous blogs, I REALLY love researching and getting as much information as I can on a certain topic. As a result, I now know what the best gels are to use during the race, the frequency at which they should be consumed, how to get over mental slumps during the race, and most importantly, the best running shoes. Brooks Ghost 13s will be the pair that (I hope) will carry me through the race and the meddling 850 feet elevation gain (below). In my spare time, I’ve been looking through the course and for the most part, I’ve gone through the whole course in some form (walking, running, biking, by car, etc.). Consulting with various runners from town, I know that the hardest part will be the end. Not only is it the final stretch of a long race, but it’s ALL uphill. There is a 200 foot climb after mile 10 that is absolutely killer. Nevertheless, I enjoy challenges and will take on this one with eagerness.

Brooks Ghost 13 

Course Map 

While I would usually take part in such events with my dad, since he is the one that got me into running, I am tackling this race by myself. However, my chemistry teacher from last year was very passionate about running and would always brief us on his upcoming runs. He heavily pushed all of us to sign up for the Nittany Half and that is why I decided not only to sign up, but to reach out to him as well! Now, I look forward to running 13 miles with one of the best teachers I’ve ever had.

That’s all for now friends. I thank you for sticking with me for the past 14 weeks and I wish all of you only the best in all of your endeavors at Penn State and further out.

Hello friends! I hope you are as excited as I am that Thanksgiving break is finally here after 13 long, long weeks of school. While tests and other forms of examination have increased, I have stayed consistent with my gym habits, setting apart two hours every morning to get my body active and moving.

This week, once again, I decided to try something new in my workouts. Instead of doing my traditional cardio (running or swimming) paired with weight training afterwards, I tried to do one HIIT workout. Here’s a brief overview of what this is:

HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) is a form of exercise where you essentially push yourself to 110% with the movements over a short span of time, usually 30-45 seconds. The goal of HIIT is to “shock” your body and your heart. You trick your body into thinking this will be steady state exercise for 2-3 minutes at a heart rate of about 100 bpm but in reality you are going at it with 200 bpm for a short amount of time. Biologically, this causes the heart to pump blood at a REALLY high rate because the intensity of your exercise is unexpected and almost like a stressor. So, to compensate, heart rate shoots up and this is what causes the extra “calorie burn”.

I used to do HIIT workouts with my family in the basement when I was younger, so I had some experience with the format. P90X taught me well and I think due to the frequency with which we would file into the basement for an evening workout, the plyometrics sequence is deeply ingrained in my memory. I considered a workout among two options: find a video online or make my own plan of movements and time segments. In the end, I went with the video because I figured that I won’t be able to push myself as much as I can since human nature usually take us down the easier path.

My Instagram is flooded by posts about exercise and diet, so luckily I was able to find a couple of influencers that had Youtube channels with HIIT workouts.

This week, I tried workouts from Caroline Girvan (below), a Youtuber from Northern Ireland. The general format of her channel is built upon different workout programs that span anywhere from 2-4 weeks. Most recently, she posted her Fuel Series and that was the one that I referenced for my workout. The layout for the week was as follows:

Monday –  dumbbell full body cardio

Tuesday – shoulder, chest, and triceps

Wednesday – dumbbell full body core

Thursday – leg day complex

Workouts were 30 minutes and let me tell you, I was sweating after the first 10. I now understand why they are called “high intensity”. 15 seconds is not a long enough break! It is clear that she invests a lot of time into making her videos because they have a timer and progress tracker on the screen that always match the colors of her outfit. Not to mention, the music that she picks is also fitting: fast paced and gives you little time to think. While I didn’t feel any fatigue in the coming days after doing these workouts, I give them a solid 7/10.

Would I do HIIT workouts again? Yes, but not as frequently as I did this week. While I enjoy the feeling of being sweaty immediately after starting my exercise, I don’t think I can push myself hard enough. In part, I think it’s due to personal sabotage. I know that I need to last the full 45 seconds, so I purposely limit intensity in the beginning to have enough energy to get through the time interval. I have nothing against anyone that enjoys HIIT regularly but I don’t think they are the best workout format for me. However, it was nice to break up the constant cardio and weights I’ve been doing to add some variety in my fitness journey.

Caroline’s Youtube Channel – if anyone is interested in trying some of her workouts, I highly recommend you check this channel out!

Over the past few weeks, I’ve focused a lot on different types of exercises and routines that you can implement in your fitness journey, but this week I want to shift focus outside of the gym and examine the importance of diets.

You could work out for hours every day if you wanted to and had the time. However, if the food you use to refuel and replenish you body is “trash”, you are not going to see any significant changes. There’s value in having some insight about this because many individuals don’t understand just how important it is towards your fitness progress. For example, it is crucial to eat a lot of protein before and after your workouts (especially if you are lifting very heavy), in order rebuild muscle and “get big” because lifting and other forms of strenuous activity actually break down muscle fibers. Similarly, if you plan on running 10 miles three out of your five running days, you want to get in a lot of carbs, since they will provide that immediate energy needed to go the extra miles when the fatigue kicks in.

I’ve mentioned proteins and carbs, but what exactly are they? When fat is included in this list, they can be referred to as macronutrients. These substances are required by our body in order for us to grow, develop, and function properly.

Carbohydrates are basically sugars which can be split into three groups: monosaccharides, disaccharides, and polysaccharides based on how many individual sugar molecules are involved in the structure (biology come through!). However, most people prefer to look at carbs as simple or complex. Simple carbs, like fruit and milk, digest very quickly. Complex carbs, such as brown rice and high-fiber cereals, take slower to digest, releasing energy over a longer period of time. You can’t say which one is better than the other, it depends on your goal. Working out? Opt for the a banana or apple to get a boost. Not eating dinner until very late? Sub out bread for brown rice to keep you full for longer.

Proteins, in my opinion, are the most important. They are the main character in the muscle rebuilding process. Go amino acids! Sources of protein will include meats (chicken, beef, fish, etc.), eggs, dairy, lentils, beans, grains, and nuts. These sources will differ in their composition of amino acids (the building blocks of proteins) and have different effects on the body. For example, casein and lactoglobulin are some of the proteins found in different dairy products. Eating foods rich in these (over plant protein) is better for protein synthesis and thus, muscle recomposition. Again, it depends on your goals.

Last are the fats. The macronutrient most people fear. Fats, or lipids, are very simple in molecular structure: phosphate head and two fatty acid (hydrocarbon) tails. This allows them to stack easily, forming saturated fats or if a chain is “kinked”, unsaturated fats. For avid fitness-goers, it is best to keep a diet low in saturated fats (butter, lard, etc.) and high in unsaturated fats (oils). This is because unsaturated fats are involved in lowering cholesterol and keeping the levels of “good” cholesterol, HDL, high. Fats are essential in our diet for serving as insulation and long term energy. Just think about it this way, if it wasn’t for fat, when you let go of your weight at the top of the pull up bar, it would hurt a lot more than it does now….

For many individuals working out, a lot of time is put into creating the perfect composition of macronutrients. Runners need a lot of carbs and protein, so their composition may look be 50% carbs, 30% protein, 20% fats. Powerlifters need a lot for more protein in their diet so their composition might formulate as 40% protein, 30% carbs, 30% fats. These variations can then be used to figure out exactly how many grams of each you need based on your caloric needs. Yes, you can go through the math that combines overall calories, calories per gram of macronutrient, and the percentages above but there is an easy way: use an app!

It’s important to consider that composition and macronutrients needs will vary from person to person based on what goals they are trying to achieve. However, as long as you are getting the necessary amounts and from healthy sources that benefit your body and make you feel good, that is all that matters.

Defined abdominal muscles (abs): the thing everyone wants but very few seem to have. Personally, I like to view abs as one of the most unforgiving muscles there are in the body. You can diet, be in a calorie-deficit, lose a lot of body fat, train you core, etc. for extended periods of time to get some definition (it also depends on genetics and other lifestyle choices) in your stomach. However, it only takes one week of missing workouts or easing up on your diet to lose the “gains”.

As I mentioned, genetics and other parts of someone’s body play a big role in how defined someone’s abs are or aren’t. Individuals with faster metabolisms might need less training and time invested in core work to attain the same definition someone with a slower metabolism might have to invest to get the same definition.

This caveat of abdominal muscles has always fascinated me and led me down another path of more research (as usual) and here’s what I found:

• everyone has abs, it’s just a matter of how much body fat you have that is “hiding” the definition of your core muscles
• fat cannot be spot reduced effectively, you have to train your whole body in order to get abs BUT isolation (core exercises) help
• its harder for women to get abs because fat is so essential in the reproductive cycle
• to fastest way to get abs is to diet (limited sugar, processed foods, alcohol, etc.) and implement a lot of strength and HIIT training

I would say that this is a valid interpretation of abs. Personally, I find that it is easier to maintain definition in that core area over the summer as opposed to the winter. The reason for this is that during the winter, we are stuck inside for the majority of the day. If we don’t play sports or exercise regularly, physical and vigorous movement is not really present. This is also the reason why a lot of people gain weight as the weather gets colder and bulking is favored in the fitness world. In the summer, think about what you are eating: fruit, salad, etc. You are also drinking a lot of water because it’s hot. This, combined with being outside and possibly having more movement, makes a lot of people lose weight. For this reason, training abs in order to bring out the “six-pack” is not as difficult as it would be in the winter (which is usually filled with a lot of bread, cheese, and other “heavy” foods). Yes, abs are nice to have and they indicate that you’ve been putting work in the gym. However, there is no reason to kill yourself over Chloe Ting workouts three times a day in order to get a flat stomach.

Having said all that, I’ll share a couple of the ab exercises I currently do. The frequency with which I do them has definitely decreased since the start of the school year but I enjoy the burn once in a while. The general layout of the workout is 5 exercises. I do each for 45 seconds with a 15 second break between each exercise. I repeat the set of exercises 5 times for a 25 minute workout!

1. Knee Raises 

2. Oblique Twists

3. Side Plank (Right)

4. Side Plank (Left)

5. Plank (full minute!)