A small fact I have never participated in a team sports event, I played hockey at school but I was always a reserve, team sport and I don’t go hand in hand. This is really out of my comfort zone so it’s natural that I would be anxious.

Our team is made up of a group of novices, we had a training session scheduled for last Thursday, I was filled with trepidation, and the weather was horrible with 80% chance of rain scheduled for the day. I don’t know why it never occurred to us that we might get wet; I was struggling with really cold feet that day.

FitnessEd gave us a little pep talk promising us that once we get into it we will enjoy it.

At the practice point we got our oars, and life jacket (yeah I wore one just in case). Seeing the other teams gliding along the water really made me nervous, would I get this right?

It’s really taking difficult taking 9 people putting them together and getting them to row as one. The instructor taught us basic techniques, and by the end of the evening we got the hang of it. We even had a little race with the other teams and came in second, not too shabby. And we did end up having lots of fun.

What surprised me the next day is how much of a workout we really had, I could feel it in my triceps, back, abd and even thighs.

We’re scheduled to do the 200m, not sure about the 500m race though. Go 24Dragons!

Team 24

Igsaan demonstrating the moves

The trail we would be doing would be a 4 1/2-hour hike, we took the Manganese Mine route, which starts at Constantia Nek and ends at Chapman’s Peak.

According to the hiking book it is, “strenuous only because of its duration, this walk affords splendid land and sea views. In addition, you can explore a fascinating old mine which penetrates all of 84m into the mountainside…”

On the day of the hike we were blessed with beautiful weather it was definitely the last taste of summer that day. We started at Constanstia Nek, then progressed to Vlakkenberg and carried on from there.

The walk started relatively mild until we reached the inclines, boy was I huffing and puffing. We liberally took breaks along the route and marvelled at the beautiful views.

We finished the hike in about 5 hours.

The next day I felt all that walking, in my calf, thighs, lower abs and glutes. It was an awesome experience just being outdoors and being physically active.

Check out the beautiful pictures.

My next fitness adventure will be Dragonboat racing, hold thumbs for me.

These are my results:

1,2km run – 5.11 min

1 minute sit ups – 53

1 minute lady push ups – 55

And overall I lost 9cm.

The rest of the session was filled with FitDeck exercise playing cards. We were all a bit lacklustre though.

We had a sort certificate ceremony and I won most improved run time *yay*.

Overall the course was a great experience, I’d definitely do another bootcamp round, I do enjoy the group aspect of it and the outdoors. I’m feeling fitter, leaner and stronger.

I’m summer ready!

We’ve dubbed Wednesday’s hell day, cos its lower body day.

This is how last night’s circuits looked with lots of jogging and jumping jacks in between:

• Lunges
• Walking lunges
• Reverse lunges
• Curtsy lunges
• Squats
• Sumo squats
• One leg side squats
• One leg step ups
• One leg squats with pulses
• Step kicks
• Step ups
• Glute kickback with dumbbell

I probably missed a couple. I’m feeling all of last night’s squats and lunges in my glutes, thighs and legs. I even borrowed FitnessEd’s donught to get me through the day…

2 more days of camp left I’m looking forward to assessment on Friday to see just how far I’ve come.

Here’s hoping Jason isn’t too hard tonight *fingers crossed*

Monday was Women’s Health day

This is how things started

Warm up: star jumps – increase at each station from 1 – 10 followed with squat kicks from 1 -10 and a jog around the field.

Circuits

• 30 squats with dumbbell drop between legs
• 30 hammer press with dumbbell
• 30 alternating knee jumps with dumbbell
• 30 star jumps with weights
• 30 walking lunges
• 30 pec decs
• 30 tricep dips
• 30 tricep extensions with theraband
• 30 side to side push ups
• Crunches, bicycle crunches
• Plank – up down, side to side

Tuesday…

Arms and core continued

Each round lower rep, starting with 15

Circuits

• Side to side push ups
• Centre push ups
• Star jumps
• Tricep dips
• Tricep extensions
• Lateral raises
• Shoulder raises
• Bicep curls
• Two  back exercises with a rope can’t remember their names
• Plank – side plank, one leg side raise plank, reverse plank with flutter kicks and cross kicks
• Crunches, bicycle crunches, v-sit

With the higher reps the workouts are more intense, this week my goal is to pace myself do as many as I can and to do the exercises properly.

Legs and cardio tonight.

Wednesday

A couple of rounds of each, each round you lower your rep, with lots of running in between.

• Squat clock – which ever number you were on you did the about of squats, my legs were like jelly
• 20 high leg step ups
• 20 reverse lunges
• 20 high step ups
• 20 walking lunges
• 20 star jumps
• 20 side walking squats
• 20 crunches
• Plank
• 20 side leg pulses with weights (each leg)

Thursday’s session was cancelled

Friday

Jayson really made up for the session we missed on Thursday.

Arms galore, halfway through the exercises I wondered whether or not 3kg weights were a good idea.

Same pattern a couple of rounds each, each round you lower your rep.

• 20 tricep extensions
• 20 overhead press
• 20 bicep curls
• 20 lateral raises
• 20 tricep dips
• 20 pec decs
• 20 push ups

And then we did some core:

• Plank, side plank, side plank with one arm raises, side plank with one leg raise,  reverse plank, reverse plank with flutter kicks, reverse plank with cross leg kicks
• 3 way crunches with weights, 180 degree, 90 degree, bicycle crunches and 20 star jumps thrown in for fun

After week 2 I’m definitely feeling stronger, and my body is starting to feel stronger especially my arms and stomach. My running is improving; I can keep out for much longer when I’m jogging at a steady pace. I’ve also changed my eating habits getting in more fruit and greens and I’ve cut down on sweets which are my Achilles’ heel.

I can only image what Jayson has in store for this week…

This is what Monday’s workout looked like, couple of rounds of:

• 20 incline push-ups
• 20 squats
• 20 star jumps
• 20 tricep dips
• 20 reverse lunges (each leg)
• 20 high kicks (each leg)
• 20 step leg lifts (each leg)
• 20 pectoral flies
• 20 tricep extensions
• 20 overhead shoulder press
• 20 bicep curls
• 20 tricep flies
• 20 leg extension crunches with weights
• 20 bicycle crunches
• 20 star jumps

Tuesday was more upper body and core; this is what the workout looked like:

• 20 push-ups
• 20 pectoral flies
• 20 crunches with weights
• 20 bicycle crunches
• 20 reverse crunches
• Leg raise with up and down leg lifts
• Side plank (hold for 45 sec)
• Plank (hold for 45 sec) each side
• 50 star jumps with weights (20, 10, 20 at different stations)
• 20 pec decs with weights
• 20 tricep extensions with weights
• 20 bicep curls
• 20 shoulder raises with weights
• 20 lateral pulls downs (each arm)

We did so many exercises I probably forgot half of them, but I am feeling them in my chest, triceps and lateral muscles. Overall my energy levels have increased and my mood has improved, less aggro than what I’ve been a few weeks ago.

Some pics of yesterday’s session.

Warm up

Pec pulses

Planking

Shakey push-ups

Started with the usual warm up, jog around the field, star jumps, side hops, butt kicks, high kicks.

Circuit

Each round your lower your reps

• 20 skips
• With a partner and ball: 20 squats and around the body ball passes
• Mountain climbers
• Side step leg extensions
• Tricep dips
• Star jumps
• 10 walking lunges with weights
• Skid jumps
• Hill run (up and down 4 times)
• Shoulder raises with weights
• Tricep extension with weights
• Shoulder press with weights

Then we did a round of:

• Plank
• Plank one leg raised
• Bridge
• Bridge with leg extensions

And a quartet of ab exercise

• Crunches
• Bicycle crunch
• Standing bicycle crunch
• Standing crunch

I was so tired slept well that night for the first time in a very long time.

Friday A-Day (assessment that is…)

These are my numbers:

1,2km run – 6.12 min

1 minute sit ups – 40

1 minute lady push ups – 44

In my opinion that’s not too shabby, but the critics at home say it’s bad, way to burst my bubble family.

After assessment we played a card game.

• Aces – 20 mountain climbers 20
• Kings – 20 bicycles crunches
• Queens – 20 lunges
• Jacks – 20 jumping jacks

Numbered cards

• Black – push ups
• Red – bodyweight squats

Perform the number of reps of squats/pushups on the # card

I swear those cards weren’t shuffled properly cause my team ended up doing a whole lot of squats and lunges, I’m still feeling it in my bum today.

That’s week 1 done and dusted, feeling a bit stronger ready to push myself and get those numbers up this week.

Armed with my weights and mat I was ready to go. Man, were all my illusions about my fitness shattered on Monday during the warm up, freaking hell. Jogging, star jumps, side hops, butt kicks, high kicks had me winded, panting and legs burning. It was going to be a long session of swearing, and asking myself why I signed up to do a 5 day camp (madness).

Monday’s are full body workouts, we did a circuit comprised of:

• Squats
• Lunges
• Star jumps
• Stair climbs

Switched to arms:

• Push ups
• Tricep dips

Then abs:

• Crunches, bicycle crunches
• Plank
• Leg lifts

It felt like the longest session ever . I had lots of stiffness the next day, especially in my thighs and bum.

Tuesday’s are upper body and core, circuit comprised of:

Each round your lower your reps

• Crunches
• Mountain walking
• Tricep dips
• Star jumps
• Bicep curls with theraband
• Skid runs
• Pectoral flys with theraband
• Shoulder press with theraband
• Forearm extension with theraband
• High kicks
• Bicycle crunches

Ended with abs

• More crunches
• Plank
• One sided plank
• And the dreaded V-sit

Really enjoyed this session, the only stiffness I had felt was in my chest area.

Wednesday’s are cardio and legs.

We had a warm up that felt like a workout in itself, it was a blur all I remember is that we did a whole lot of running (I still don’t like running btw)

Circuit comprised of:

Each round your lower your reps with a jog in between

• Squats
• Reverse lunges
• Cross lunges

And then came running…

Interval running comprised of a slow jog, medium paced run and a full out sprint. (#deathby…)

Another circuit comprised of:

Again each round lower reps

• Backward leg extension
• Sideward leg extension

Followed by two rounds of stair snaking

We ended with:

• Bent sideward leg raises
• Extended leg raises
• Bridges

It was a killer workout, feeling lots of stiffness in my bum, legs and thighs.

Monday was a rocky start but I’m getting into it. I like that the instructors emphasise that you can do everything at your own pace, I just have to quiet the competitive devil in me now and then and remind myself that it’s only the first week.

It feels good to be exercising again in the outdoors I love the feel of the sun on my skin as it sets and the fresh wind we had yesterday. Still being a newbie Northern Suburban seeing the lush landscape is breathtaking.

Tonight  it’s full body again….

I had my last session today; we started with a warm up:

• Lateral pull downs
• Squats
• Overhead tricep extension with squats
• Overhead and side to side extension with squats
• Forward and backward on your toes extension in a squat position

Set 1

• Pectoral flies
• Left and right lateral pull downs
• Left and right lateral pull downs with knee lift
• Left and right lateral pull downs with knee lift and jump
• Calf raise

Set 2

• Sit ups
• Crunches
• Push ups with forward extension
• Push up with side-to-side extension
• Squats with 180 degree body rotation
• On your toes in a squat position 180 degree body rotation

Set 3

• Bunny hops with squats
• Walking lunges
• Jumping lunges
• Side to side skipping and a sprint

And the killer: Squat with a forward extension and then roll your body forward to balance on your toes while maintaining the squat position. (Best way I can explain it)

The verdict

After four sessions I can really feel a difference especially in my abdominal area, my core feels tighter. What I like most about XCO is that it’s so easy to use, everybody can use it no matter you fitness level.  It’s a full body workout that can be done in 20 minutes and gets the heart rate pumping.

Flexi-Sports will be launching XCO in Virgin Active gyms next month, if you can give it a try, it will be worth it.

On to the next one…