Training Session Via Twitter

As I was training in the gym a couple of weeks ago, with my phone and twitter page on view, I realised I could happily tweet whilst doing interval training. It has to be said I normally advise clients to not watch TV, let alone tinker with their phone. The reason for this is, when using such distractions, your intensity will lower, your technique will suffer and your workout will be less effective.

As I started to tweet on each rest period of my session however, I realised that, rather than making my workout worse, it was providing me with a motivation tool to keep going. I was tweeting to the world at large and wasn't even sure if anyone was listening, yet it still helped me to work with more determination
What then, if we were all tweeting together as we worked out? Encouraging each other in one big group session? It gave me the idea of a #trainingsessionviatwitter and at 12.30pm this Thursday 19th August, we will start our first session. Anyone can join in, anywhere. You can do this in the park, gym, at home, in the office. You can be of any fitness level. Now, apologies for this, but have to do it - the official stuff...Please note that I nor my company Body A-Wake Ltd can be at all responsible for any accident, injury, death or near mishap occurring as a result of the training advice or tweeting activity given through this idea. Anyone joining in must be a healthy adult and if you are not sure of your health status then you must get approval from your GP first. If you are pregnant or recently had a baby you also need consent from your GP. Don't be a donkey by doing this in a place or position where you could come to harm - riding a bike through Trafalgar square comes to mind, as does any water based activity or high risk sport. Treadmills are tricky - I've seen some nasty accidents where a slight lack of concentration can send you flying off the back...What you do need to do is follow the advice below and follow me www.twitter.com/janewake. It's worth having this page to hand on your phone and having a little practise run-through before the session on Thursday. Good luck and I'll see y'all (well your avatar at least), Thursday, 12.30pm sharp! (Best to get there a few minutes early if you can)

How to do this...Choose your mode of exercise, you can either be doing cardio on a stationery machine such as a bike or x-trainer in the gym or walking or running in the park. Alternatively you can choose one of our cardio options below which are ideal for working out at home or in the office. Make sure you are wearing suitable clothing, shoes, have water to drink and have eaten something within two hours - grab a banana half an hour before if you haven’t had time for anything else.

How it works
Follow this intensity guide...

1 - Easy peasy, working up a sweat but could chat for hours at this pace
2 - Starting to feel challenged but only just and can talk comfortably throughout
3 - Getting harder now, but can still talk comfortably
4 - Really hard can only keep this up for a minute or so.

If you feel any pain, feel sick or faint, STOP.

If you are pregnant or recently had a baby and not use to exercise, stay within levels 1 - 2. If you are new to exercise or pregnant or recently had a baby but use to exercise stay within levels 1 – 3. Also click on Baby A-Wake Complete Antenatal and Postnatal Exercise and Wellbeing DVD For more advice before your start.

The workout will have 4 components, 1) Warm up, 2) Cardio mode 3) Recovery tweeting exercise, 4) Cooldown. It will last approximately 30 minutes. I will send you tweets so that you know what to do at any given moment during the 30 minute session, plus some handy hints and tips to keep you going. During your recovery 'tweeting' exercise, you can reply to me and let me know how you are getting on. At easier intensities you can also tweet during your warm up and cool down sections BUT, make sure you don't lose your intensity. During cardio sections, you shouldn't be able to tweet, if you can - you are not concentrating or working hard enough!

1) Warm up (5 MINUTES)
Before you start – be aware of your posture at all times, back tall, tummy in, shoulders back and down and looking straight ahead.
If out in the park or on a cardio machine, start warming up at a pace between levels 1 – 2, if you are new to exercise, stay at level 1, if you are use to exercise, take it to level 2. Start with slower smaller movements and gradually increase.

Otherwise you will do...

- Walking or marching on the spot x 1 minute, As you march/walk, roll shoulders back x 10, then place your hands on your shoulders and circle your elbow backwards x 10.
- Next lift your knees alternately, bringing opposite elbow to knee, back up tall x 1 minute
- Next curl your legs behind you, bringing your heel up towards your bum x 1 minute
- Next repeat 1 minute of knee lifts and 1 minute of curls but move a little faster, whilst staying at the right intensity.

2) Cardio Mode (19 mins)
You need to be able to do your cardio at harder and easier levels. If you are walking or running in the park, just move at a harder or slower pace. If in the gym, find a level on your machine that gives you the correct intensity.
Otherwise you will do any one of the following. Again, go at a faster pace to increase intensity but make sure you follow the technique described below. Never sacrifice technique for speed. For more variety, choose 2 or more options. You can also do things like running on the spot, faster knee lifts and legs curls as described in the warm up.

STEP UPS - choose a stair run, bench or low wall of around 20 – 40 cm high. The higher it is the harder it is. Your height however is also important, make sure your step up height is below your knee height and that you are able to step up correctly i.e. stand tall, step up with your right foot, whole foot on the step. Follow with your left foot, pushing up through your right heel. Step back down with your right, then with your left and repeat. Half way through the allocated time (I will give you a half way tweet point) you need to change your leading leg.

SKIPPING – you can use a skipping rope or mimic a skipping movement, i.e. - Lift your right knee. Hop on your left foot as you bring your right heel down in front. This is your hop skip action, i.e. lift right knee, hop on left, strike down with right heel in front. Rotate your forearms forward once for each hop skip action. As your right heel strikes down, place your weight onto your right foot and repeat the pattern by now lifting your left knee, hopping onto your right foot and striking down with your left heel. Keep repeating.

LUNGE JACKS - Start with your feet together. Step out wide to the side with your right foot and lift your arms to the side, as if doing a jumping jack. Bring your foot back to the start, arms back by your side. Repeat with left leg out to the side. Keep repeating, alternating from right to left. To make the exercise harder, substitute lunges for jump jacks, e.g. jump jack x 4, lunge x 8 and repeat. The bigger the moves you make and the more jacks you add, the harder it will be.

3) Recovery Tweeting Exercises
These are simple exercises that will keep your heart rate up whilst also working on your lower body strength at the same time as being able to tweet your progress! If you are running/walking or using a cardio machine you can instead stay in this mode, just work at a lower intensity so you can recover but make sure it’s safe for you to tweet whilst you do this.

SQUATS - Stand with your feet wider than hip width, feet turned out at 45 degrees. Squat back, weight into your heels, back up tall (don't round your back). Keep your knees behind your toes as you squat. The best way to describe a perfect squat is to imagine your bums on fire and you want to stick it in a bucket of cold water behind you! Lift back up squeezing your bum and repeat.

REVERSE LUNGES - With your feet hip width, take a big step back with your right foot so that you weight is distributed between your left heel at the front and your right toe at the back (your right heel should be off the ground) bend at both knees to lower your torso, vertically to the ground . Keep your back up tall. Lift back up, step back in with the right foot and repeat on the left. Keep repeating.

SIDE SQUATS – Start with your feet together, step wide to the right, right foot turned out at 45 degrees, and squat down as in the squats description above. Lift back up but draw your right leg in to work your inner thigh. Repeat to the left and keep repeating, alternating right to left.

4) Cool Down (6 minutes)
Walk around or on the spot for 2 minutes, taking big slow, deep breaths. Now do the following stretches, holding each one for 30 seconds...

LOWER LEG - Lean against a wall, right leg bent, in front, left leg straight behind and heel on the ground. Lean forward with your whole body, back tall. Hold and change sides

FRONT THIGH - Lift your right foot off the floor. Bend your knee and take a hold of your ankle or back of your shoe. Keeping your knees together, push your hips forward. Hold and change sides

BACK THIGH - Stick your right leg out in font on the floor or a low bench, heel down, toes up, lean forward keeping your back straight to bring your chest towards your lower leg. Stick your bum out behind you. Hold and change sides

BACK & BUM - Kneel on your hands and knees, hands in line with shoulders and knees in line with hips. Arch your back up like a cat, hold, then take your knees wide and sit back resting your bum on your heels with your arms out stretched in front.

How it will happen (times are approximate)
Warm up 12.30 - 12.35 level 1 - 2
Squat or recovery tweet mode 12.35 - 12.37 level 1 - 2
Cardio 12.37 - 12.39 level 2 - 4
Squat or recovery tweet mode 12.39 - 12.40 level 1 - 2
Cardio 12.40 - 12.42 level 2 - 4
Backward lunge/recovery tweet 12.42 - 12.43 level 1 - 2
Cardio 12.43 - 12.45 level 2 - 4
Backward lunge/recovery tweet 12.45 - 12.46 level 1 - 2
Cardio 12.46 - 12.48 level 2 - 4
Wide Squat/recovery tweet 12.48 - 12.49 level 1 - 2
Cardio 12.49 - 12.50 level 2 - 4
Wide Squat/ or recovery tweet 12.50 - 12.52 level 1 - 2
Cardio 12.52 – 12.54 level 2 - 4
Walk cool down 12.54 - 12.56 level 1 - 2
Lower leg stretch 12.56 - 12.57 level 1
Front thigh stretch 12.57 - 12.58 level 1
Back thigh stretch 12.58 - 12.59 level 0
Back and bum stretch 12.59 - 13.00 Relax!!