SPLENDORA TEST KITCHEN: Alternative Workouts 2008by Heidi Atwal
Trapeze Arts Hooping Kinesis Some
people proudly call themselves gym rats, hitting
the treadmill and bench pressing their
way to a more toned physique. Yet these workouts can become tedious, or
worse yet, just plain boring, over time. So, my
mission was simple: find three atypical exercises that
Splendora readers should know about for 2008. I settled upon trapeze arts, hooping, and Kinesis, a triad of
fitness activities that, while wildly different, are all challenging
and fun. I hope they inspire you to abandon the stationary bike and try
something different, at least for one day.
 The Activity: Trapeze Arts
The Breakdown:
Sex and the City
may have brought attention to trapeze arts as an activity existing
beyond the Big Top, but I doubt many attempted to actually fly through the air after watching that episode. Let me break it
down: it ain't easy. However, it ain't impossible, either, and it's
challenging in the most positive way.
My high flying adventures took place at Trapeze Arts
in Oakland. Right away students are
introduced to the bar - on the ground to begin with - and taught how to
lift their legs up and over in one seamless maneuver. Initially, I
found it difficult to swing my hips in such a way to accomplish this,
let alone hang and stretch my body in the opposite direction. But it wasn't long before I was attached to safety equipment, climbing a ladder, and
replicating the actions I first attempted on the ground.
After each
attempt I was invited to view a TiVo'd video of my jumps and was given
feedback about timing and positioning. Some of the experience runs
counterintuitive to other more conventional physical activities. My
mistake: using my abs to lift my legs rather than trusting the momentum
of the swing. As President and Artistic Director Stephan Gaudreau
explained, "with trapeze, less is more." It's a matter of activating
energy at the right moment to execute certain maneuvers. "It's a great
upper body exercise, and [...] it's a mental exercise" he said.
Gaudreau offers this essential advice to beginners: "Just trust
the instructor. Don't get so caught up in your own mind." For me, that
was the key. Letting go mentally allowed me
to let go physically, and it was on my last attempt that I finally
reached an enchanting touchstone for trapeze first-timers: a catch.
Carrie may have an enviable closet overflowing with Manolos and
Balenciaga, but I managed to one-up her in the arena of three-ring acts.
Trapeze Arts is located at: 1822 9th Street, Oakland, CA; 510-419-0700; www.trapezearts.com
 The Activity: Hooping
The Breakdown:
Core
strengthening classes abound in today's workout world, from Pilates to
Ab Blasting classes. But unlike far too
granulated approaches to muscle building, hooping - otherwise known as
modern day hoop dance - integrates several different disciplines within
360 cozy degrees.
"Hooping...is a total wellness exercise," says instructor and dancer "Miss Rosie" of Hoolie Hoop.
"With hooping, you're getting a cardiovascular workout, you're
strengthening every major muscle group and increasing flexibility in every major joint region." The one sound you hear echoed
throughout class is what Rosie calls "the sound of learning", the
clatter of a hoop hitting the floorboards. And trust
me, after just one enjoyable but formidable class, I can say with
conviction that it is an art.
What
ultimately drew me to hooping is the fun factor. It conjures up memories of childhood play, but
hoop dance isn't relegated to the under-twelve set. It's about dance,
coordination, strength-building, movement, even sensuality, and it's
criminally entertaining to boot.
Visit www.hooliehoop.com for more information.
The Activity: Kinesis
The Breakdown:
In
the large and labyrinthine facilities that constitute The Sports
Club/LA, members aren't at a loss when it comes to finding ways to burn
calories and build muscle. Women hesitant to try weight training or resistance exercises should reconsider their stance and give Kinesis a whirl,
literally. Unlike your standard bench press, Kinesis is less
constrictive and more dynamic, much like working out within a 360
degree orb of movement, as Assistant Fitness Manager Michael Halatyn
explained during our session together. Rather than being relegated to
one machine, the Kinesis workout guides trainees through different
exercises among four separate stations, all of which are outfitted with
weighted pulleys that move in all directions.
Halatyn
guided me through the Kinesis Experience, an introduction to this alternative form of resistance training
encompasses. He taught me the four basic positions I would
transition among: static partial squat, static full squat, static
lunge, and lunge to crane. Committing these to memory, I moved from one
station to the next - starting with "Alpha" and ending with "Delta" -
performing chest press, high row, lat pull down, and upright row moves
while holding the different stances for approximately 30 seconds at a
time. In between stations, only 30 seconds of rest were given, ensuring
that my heart rate stayed up and that my body was constantly
challenged, but not fatigued to the point of exhaustion.
The
session was quick, but the effects immediately discernible. Fifteen
minutes after leaving the gym, a burning ache began to creep up my arms
and legs, a tell-tale sign that my body responded to the exercises. For
those wanting a convenient but no less effective routine to supplement
aerobic activity, Kinesis may be a winning choice. You can play
with different stances and movements depending on the type of
conditioning your body needs. That Kinesis actually burns 30% more
calories in comparison to traditional equipment training, and in a
shorter amount of time, is yet another benefit. Finally, an animated
alternative to performing endless free weight reps.
The Sports Club/LA is located at 747 Market Street, San Francisco, 415.633.3900; www.thesportsclubla.com
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