Climbing Past Rush Hour

 

I HATE when the gym is crowded. This usually means the first few weeks after new years, Monday and Tuesday evenings after work and Friday mornings before work. Why? Well, for one there are just too many people around and I can’t relax. There are cardio machines available and the line is long. The ab space is completely taken up. The weight room is jam packed and the free weights are all being used. There is just no space. I happen to go to a $20 a month gym, which propagates this type of crowdedness…I mean, who can turn down that kind of membership fee for the same amenities you would get anywhere else?

But yesterday I had a breakthrough. On busy days I usually rush to the gym as soon as work is over, beating out the crowd by mere minutes to hop on one of the last available cardio machines. But yesterday I worked late and got to the gym at peak cardio hour. The line stretched all the way down the corridor to the women’s locker room and I was not pleased. There were no magazines available on the stand either except for a old battered copy of TimeOutNewYork. Instead of letting it bother me I miraculously hopped on the only available machine, a stairmaster with no TV, which was of course why no one was on it. I busted out my ipod, which I hadn’t used in awhile and got to climbing.

The thing about the stairmaster is that I don’t really like it until I’m doing it. I never choose that machine because it’s HARD! I mean, sure you can put the level to 5 and barely move, but if you’re gonna workout then at least commit to level 15. On the stairmaster I break a sweat within two minutes. It’s not only phenomenal cardio exercise and leg strength building, but it targets your core. In 30 minutes I was sweatier than after an hour and a half on the elliptical. The cardio rush hour broke and I was able to switch to the treadmill for my last 30 minutes. The treadmill seemed easy after the stairmaster, and I actually found myself enjoying the workout immensely and pushing myself harder than I would have if I had found my usual elliptical.

Moral of this story: switch up your cardio machine. Not every day, but at least once or twice a week if you can. You will feel yourself maximizing your workouts, not as bored, and you actually burn more calories by challenging your body to adjust to using different movements and muscle groups. It’s alright to break your workout up over two or three machines if you’re really feeling restless, or adventurous! The rowing machine is GREAT for your core and your back and arms. Try pairing it with a running elliptical or stairmaster that focuses more on a leg workout after.