Bikram Yoga

Hello again my fellow Broncos!!

As an exercise enthusiast, I just couldn't wait to tell you about my experience with Bikram Yoga. I just finished my introductory week last Monday at the Bikram Yoga in Covina and I have nothing but postive notes to report back to all of you. When I first heard about this, I thought "What?! Yoga in a 95-100 degree room for 90 minutes, that's just crazy talk!" Boy, did I bite my words after my first two sessions.

So what's all the hype you ask? Well, as you can imagine, a vigorous yoga session at this temperature promotes profuse sweating and makes the body very warm, and therefore more flexible. The heat warms muscles, which allows you to work deeper into your body in a shorter amount of time. The heat takes the trauma out of stretching, heals and prevents injuries according to this practice. The heat also helps flush stagnant toxins from your body through sweating.

Like any form of exercise here are Bikram Yoga's health benefits:

• Builds core strength and increases muscle tone
• Detoxifies and purifies the body
• Rebuilds and establishes balance and body symmetry
• Strengthens lung capacity, making breathing easier and more efficient
• Increases mental clarity, focus and concentration
• Limits the effects of aging
• Increases flexibility

Bikram's beginning yoga class consists of a series of 26 hatha yoga postures and 2 breathing exercises taught in a heated room for 90 minutes. By the end of each class session you will have worked every muscle, tendon, joint, ligament, internal organ and gland while systematically moving freshly oxygenated blood to 100% of your body. Students of all ages and levels benefit from this total mind and body workout (I am not flexible at all, so if I can do it you can too!). Whether you have injuries that need to heal, looking to shed a few pounds or need a challenging and meditative regimen...Bikram Yoga wants you!

The first few sessions are a little tough because you MAY experience some dizziness or nausea, but don't be discouraged, that is just your body getting acclimated to the heat and detoxifying from all the toxins you have built up in your body. They do advise you to take a seat and drink some water if this happens. Like I always say: "Just give it a shot, you have nothing to lose!"

If you do decide to try this out be sure to bring:

1. 2 towels, one to put on your mat (it gets pretty sticky) and one to wipe of your sweat
2. Bottle of water
3. Yoga mat
4. Clothes that are not too lose (you will sweat A LOT so the less the better!)
5. Extra set of clothes (Going home with wet clothes isn't a nice feeling!)
6. Empty stomach (it is recommended that you do not eat 2-3 hours prior to the session so that your body focuses on your muscles rather than the food you just put in it)

One last thing, if you go to the studio in Covina and it's your first time you can pay $10 for 7 sessions (introductory week) IF you have a referral card.

Hope all of you are surviving the quarter, it's WEEK 9! Best of luck with school and hope to see you here at the Bronco Fitness Center! Don't be afraid to come and ask us questions if you have any, we'll be more than happy to help you with your workout :)

Over and out.

Stephanie Sandino

Fashions of Fitness

A big hello to my fellow Cal Poly Pomona students! It's been awhile since we last spoke, so I've come to grace you with a new current fitness issue...fashions of fitness.

Like everything else, aspects of fitness go through fads. According to a new survey forecasting fitness trends for 2011...bootcamps are on the rise!

So what exactly do bootcamps consist of you ask? Well, the standard fitness bootcamp offers all or most of the following:
-Small group environments (often 6-10 people)
-Open public outdoor space such as a park or a big indoor space like CPP's
Ursa Major
-Warm-up for about 10 minutes at the start of each class

The 30-40 minute workout will include:
-Push-ups
-Plyometrics
-Interval training
-Squats
-Lunges
-Burpees
-Speed training with sprints
-Core strength
-Team competitions
-Obstacle courses
-Cool down and stretching
-Fitness retesting. This will allow you to see how much you've improved by
taking the initial fitness assessment at the beginning of bootcamp.

Did you know that your very own Bronco Fitness Center offers bootcamp EVERY quarter? Let me tell you, if you are seriously considering getting back into shape this is a great idea! Katie and Jessica, two of our certified personal trainers, will give you a heck of a workout that will leave you wanting more. They do a great job at engaging the class and most importantly, making it FUN. I hope to see many of you next Spring Quarter signing up for bootcamp. It's $65 for members and $70 for non-members, trust me when I say you will NOT regret this investment. I myself have taken their bootcamp classes and I absolutely love it. As a soccer athlete, I love the feeling of exercising with a group as opposed to working out by myself. There's a lot more motivation, determination, and encouragement when exercising in a group. Not only will you get a fantastic workout but you will also meet incredible people and learn lifelong fitness skills. All levels are welcome!

Hope all of you are surviving midterms week! I know it can be quite stressful so if you need to blow off some steam stop by and get a workout in. Come say hello, we don't bite I promise!

-Stephanie Sandino
*To the bootcampers enrolled in Winter Qtr it is week 6, so keep pushing and striving for success because I assure you it will pay off!!!

Getting In Shape Only Takes 15 Minutes

As Jessica efficiently points out below, February is Cardio Month!! I don’t think I need to remind you of that, but I would like to let you know about a new program that we are running starting today!

Have you been exercising for awhile and not seeing the results you’re looking for? Or are you looking for a few new exercises to expand your fitness library? Or maybe you’re just starting out and could use a little help getting going. We have the remedy for all of these concerns and many more.

Our new program is called Focus Training. It is 15 minutes of specific exercise targeted at muscle groups that you choose accompanied by motivation from a personal trainer. These workouts are already pre-determined so all you need to do is decide what you want to work on, and let us do the rest.

The program is broken down into four main workouts that can be modified for intensity levels and experience levels. Organized like a restaurant menu, members and non-members (that’s right, you don’t need to be a member to take advantage of this deal) can order their workouts like a fast-food value meal. Starting with the Complete Bronco which targets the body’s core and hits all areas of the abdominal and oblique muscles. Second is the Bronco Xplosion which focuses on plyometrics (jumping movements), agility drills and balance exercises intended to improve your explosive power.

The third workout which is titled CPP Zone is a full-body workout intended to hit many different parts of the body through simple yet challenging exercises. With a circuit training mindset, the trainer will motivate the client to complete the exercises in timely fashion while burning the highest amount of calories possible.

The fourth workout is somewhat complicated so pay attention. It is titled the Strong Bronco and is broken down into five muscle groups including back, shoulders, legs, arms and chest. Each muscle group contains four different exercises that will focus specifically on that area. The client can choose one muscle group or two muscle groups. If two muscle groups are chosen, the client will do two exercises from each group. The Strong Bronco is a very versatile workout that can be adapted to any client.

So if you’re looking for a way to mix-up your workouts and could benefit from a trainer’s motivation, then give Focus Training a chance. Hey, it’s only $5. You can schedule the session(s) in advance or just walk right in.

Also, in case you haven’t heard, we have lowered the prices of our full personal training sessions based on your feedback. Each session is one hour and the workouts will be crafted by a nationally certified trainer of your choice based on your fitness goals. If you have any questions about either of these options feel free to contact us on Facebook, call 909-869-2109 or stop at the front desk.

Keep exercising and we look forward to hearing from you.

--Andrew

American Heart Month

February is all about hearts, but this has nothing to do with Valentine’s Day. February is cardio vascular awareness month. The CDC reports that heart disease is the number one killer in the United States. The Bronco Fitness Center is celebrating by giving you $5.00 towards your membership for every friend that you get to join the gym. This is valid up to $15.00 dollars. Get those who you care about to keep their hearts healthy as well by joining the fitness center. We have also created a focus training program with various routines that are geared towards specific areas. These routines are done with a trainer and last for fifteen minutes, and the best part is that they only cost five dollars.

Prevention is critical when it comes to heart disease and steps can be taken with your diet. According to the CDC in order to avoid heart disease you should enjoy a low fat diet. This includes eating lean meats without skin, and incorporating fat free and low fat dairy products into your diet. Also try to cut back on your sodium intake and keep your cholesterol intake at about 300mg a day. You need to keep your alcohol intake at a minimum as well. If you drink, it is recommended that women only consume one drink a day and men keep it at two.

Smoking is also a huge culprit when it comes to heart disease. If you are not a smoker, second hand smoke is also very dangerous so beware of surrounding yourself with it.

Physical activity plays an important role in heart health. Try to find a work out that you enjoy and keep with it for thirty minutes five days a week. These activities don’t have to be extreme to reap benefits. The CDC reports that you can even spread out your workout into ten minute chunks. You should make sure these ten minutes require effort and are somewhat vigorous in order to increase your cardio health.

-Jessica