My “bucket list” places an emphasis on the word….BUCKET!  They’ve been sitting in my garage since December, itching to get out for WAWA….much like some of you, perhaps??!!  Workout posted below.  Weather should be very dry with temperatures in the upper 40’s.

I’m slowly increasing the running portion again, by design.  Within the next few weeks we’ll get back into a regular rhythm of one week “run focused” and the following week “non running focused”.

If you’re not ready for running quite yet, or under doctor’s orders not for a huge amount of running, then this workout is for you!  Minimal amount of running with this workout!

MEETING LOCATION:  Meet outside The Cornwell Center on Selwyn Avenue, ready to start at 5:40 am.  Quick ballistic stretching then jog over to the Queen’s University parking deck area.

WARM-UP:

Focused static stretching

1 lap around the soccer fields track

WORKOUT:

Jog over to parking deck stairwell, approximately a 1/4 mile.  It’s right across the street from The Cornwell Center!

Grab one of the buckets at the bottom of the stairs; yes, they will be filled with something!

Run, jog or walk up 4 flights of stairs to the top

Put down your bucket

50 jumping jacks at the top

Run back down 4 flights of stairs bringing your bucket with you.

Leave the bucket at the bottom of the stairs.

1 lap around the fields.

NOTE:  If you cannot complete the running portion…that’s okay!  You’ll do a wall sit exercise for about 90 seconds while other participants run the lap around the soccer field.

Return to base of stairwell for 45 second breather

“Rinse and repeat” five (5) more times.  Change the exercise at the top as follows:

2nd set:  50 flutter kicks

3rd set:  30 skaters

4th set:  50 jumping jacks

5th set:  20 “fist pump” pushups with a partner

Final set:  20 pushups, staggered, 10 on “each side”

Note:  If we have time, we’ll throw in a few core strengthening exercises before jogging back to our starting point at The Cornwell Center.

COOL DOWN
Light jog back to The Cornwell Center then stretching.

Exercise Leader: Mike Leader

Devotion Leader: Mike Lenhart

Read more "MAR 30, 2016 WAWA: Bringing Back My Bucket List!"

We’re taking a break this week to “reset our minds and reset our bodies“!  Enjoy this Wednesday off from WAWA.

We’re back at it next Wednesday, March 30th!

Happy Easter!

Read more "No WAWA this week….Enjoy Holy Week, Easter and Spring Break!"

I’m feeling very GREEN this week!  The weather is finally turning, the grass is definitely growing, and, to make things even more perfect, it’s St. Patrick’s Day week!

Weather this Wednesday morning is calling for dry and 60 degrees ….. SO we’re finally taking WAWA back OUTDOORS!

Meet in front of The Cornwell Center for stretching beginning at 5:40 am.  We’ll work out in the grassy area just in front of the center.  This will be a great workout to jump start your outdoor running as the season begins to turn.  

DYNAMIC WARM-UP
Do each drill for 10 yards then turn around and go back another 10 yards. Do warmup circuit 2-3 times through to really get muscles firing.

• Butt kicks
• High knees
• Side shuffle
• Carioca
• Backwards running
• Skipping
• Walking lunges

We’ll do a light jog “around the block” to close out the Warm Up.

THE WORKOUT

CIRCUIT 1: STATIONS (3 times through the circuit: 45 sec each station w/ 15 sec rest)

• Station #1: Burpees
• Station#2: Bicycle Crunches 
• Station #3: Push-Ups
• Station #4: Skaters
• Station #5: Plank
• Station #6: Jump Lunges
• Station #7: Tricep Dips
• Station #8: Jumping Jacks

CIRCUIT 2: SPRINT LADDERS (5 times: Rest 15-30 seconds between sprints)

• Sprint to Cone #1 and back
• Sprint to Cone #2 and back
• Sprint to Cone #3 and back
• Sprint to Cone #4 and back
• Sprint to Cone #5 and back
• Sprint to Cone #4 and back
• Sprint to Cone #3 and back
• Sprint to Cone #2 and back
• Sprint to Cone #1 and back
• Sprint to Cone #5 and back

COOL DOWN
Static stretching, bringing the heart rate back down.

Exercise Leader:  Mike Leader

Devotion Leader:  Mike Lenhart

Read more "MAR 16, 2016 WAWA: Finding Your Inner Leprechaun!"

A few weeks back, I introduced an indoor obstacle course for WAWA.  Many of you really enjoyed this so I’m bringing it back again this week, with some changing out of the previous obstacles.

As before, the course will consist of 9 obstacles around the basketball court and three laps running on the upper track.  We’ll practice each of the 9 obstacles as part of the initial 20 minutes of WAWA.  Then each participant will negotiate the course, start-to-finish, for time!

MEETING TIME:  5:30 am at The Cornwell Center.  Meet in the downstairs basketball court.  We’ll begin at approximately 5:40 am.  We’ll be done by 6:30 am!

The WORKOUT:

-Light warm up

-3 laps around the basketball court

-20 minutes explanation and practice on each obstacle as well as overall course preview.

-20 minutes of competition.  Participants will line up individually according to numbers drawn; number 1 goes first, then number 2, etc.  Staggered start times; 45 seconds between each participant.

-Participants are encouraged to go through the course more than just once!  Believe me, you’ll want to do this!

Here’s a rundown of the obstacles and the 3 laps on the track.  For the competition portion, participants will execute the obstacles in order from 1 to 9, then run upstairs to the track.

Obstacle 1:  Low Crawl beneath 3 benches approximately 20 yards.

Obstacle 2:  Balancing walk across 5 benches zig-zagged and connected.  Jump off the end of the last bench onto a thick mat and execute a forward “tumble” roll.

Obstacle 3:  Three free-throws.  Your “bank” will consist of 15 pushups when you approach the free throw line.  Make the first shot, subtract 5 pushups; make the second, subtract 5 more, etc.  After your third shot, complete any pushups you have remaining in your “bank”.  Make all three shots, and your balance is zero pushups!

Obstacle 4:  NEW!  Jump Rope.  100 repetitions before moving on to the next obstacle.

Obstacle 5:  BOSU bridge.  One of my favorite core exercises!  10 BOSU balls lined up “end-to-end”.  Participants will walk across the bridge while holding an exercise bar.  Left foot steps forward, participants swings the bar horizontally across from the right-side; next, the right foot steps forward, and participant swings the bar forward from the left-side.  This one will make more sense when you see it!  Oh, and if you fall off the BOSU bridge, you have to go back to the beginning of the bridge.

Obstacle 6:  NEW!  Bicep dumb bell curls to overhead press.  Just like it sounds.  10 curls to overhead press.  No quite as simple when I throw in a BOSU ball with the rounded side down!

Obstacle 7:  NEW!  Medicine ball pushups.  10 on right side; 10 on left side.  Place one hand on top of the medicine ball with the other hand flat on the ground.  Do 10 pushups then switch sides.

Obstacle 8:  Rope climb.  We’ll practice this one in advance.  Short climb approximately 12 feet up.  Slap the wall then descend the rope.  I’ll show you a trick where you’re actually using your feet and NOT your upper-body to climb the rope!  I recently purchased a new rope that will be very gentle to your hands.  Leather gloves available if desired.  Remember, rope climbing is “all legs and technique” which I will show you in advance!

Obstacle 9:  NEW!  Dead lift or weighted exercise bar.  10 dead lifts with the barbell OR 20 with the exercise bar.  We’ll practice this in advance!

After Obstacle 9, participants will run out the door to the basketball court, down the hall and up the stairwell.  Exit the stairwell on the main level and enter the track.  Participants will run three laps as follows on the track:

Lap 1:  Grab 10 lb medicine ball and run 1 lap around the track.

Lap 2:  Drop the medicine ball and grab the large exercise ball.  Run 1 lap around the track.

Lap 3:  Drop the exercise ball and run empty handed for the final lap.

Cross the finish line and receive your time!

Who’s ready??!!

YOU CAN DO THIS!!

WORKOUT LEADER:  Mike Lenhart

DEVOTION LEADER:  Mike Lenhart

Read more "MARCH 9, 2016 WAWA: The Return of Charlotte’s Ninja Warrior….sort of"

I hinted last week to some of you that I wanted to incorporate jumping rope into a future WAWA.  Well….one week later, the future is now!  I’ve got a great 30-minute jump out circuit drill designed.  And, since we never stop at just 30 minutes, we’ll do some a few strength-training relays to close out the morning.

See you then!

Workout:

Warm-up:

Gather at downstairs basketball court at The Cornwell Center.

Light stretching then five “laps” around the upstairs track.  Meet back downstairs at the center of the basketball court once you’ve completed your five laps.

Main-Set:

Every one will grab a jump rope and we’ll spend a few minutes to “reacquaint” ourselves with this exercise.  I am fully aware that some may not have touched a jump rope since childhood!

Once everyone is familiar with their jump roping skills, we’ll do the following circuit (one time).  We’ll do each exercise for 60 seconds, resting for 15 seconds in between.  NOTE:  I’ll demonstrate each exercise to everyone before we begin the circuit!

1. Jump Rope
2. Jumping Jacks
3. Jump Rope
4. Mountain Climbers
5. Jump Rope
6. Skaters
7. Jump Rope
8. High Knees
9. Jump Rope
10. Squat Jumps
11. Jump Rope
12. Burpees
13. Jump Rope
14. Regular Pushups
15. Jump Rope
16. One leg hop (30 sec. each side)
17. Jump Rope
18. Plank
19. Jump Rope
20. Walking Lunges
21. Jump Rope
22. Wide Arm Pushups
23. Jump Rope
24. Flutter Kicks

Relays:  We’ll set up as 2 or 3 teams, depending on total number of participants.

Relay 1:

Equipment:  None needed!

Distance:  End Line to Half Court and back

Exercise:  Starting at the end line, the first person on each team will do 10 burpees, then sprint to the half court line.  Then the same person will do 10 flutter kicks and sprint back to the end line, tagging the next person in line.  The second person will do the same 10 burpees and 10 flutter kicks.  Team that completes the exercises first, wins!

Relay 2:

Equipment:  Medicine ball, barbell w/ weights, exercise bar

Distance: End Line to End Line

Exercise:  Starting at the end line, the first person on each team will bounce the medicine ball 10 times on the end line, then run with the medicine ball to the opposite end line.  Place the ball down, and complete 10 dead lift exercises with the barbell or 15 dead lift exercises with the weighted exercise bar.  Then pick up the medicine ball, run back to the first end line, tagging the next person in line.  The second person will do the same exercises as the first person.  Team that successfully completes the exercises first, wins!

Cool Down and Devotion

Work out leader:  Mike Lenhart

Devotion Leader:  Mike Lenhart

Read more "MARCH 2, 2016 WAWA: Jumping into March!"