Tuesday, September 4, 2012

A Peek at Purgatory


Today Gabe posted a pic of the V-Fit space at Spohn Shoreline.  I've told you about it before.  This is the place I have been working out all summer.

It looks like this:



Lovely, isn't it?  Bright, sunny and roomy.

Let me give you a brief tour:


 
 

1. The Box.  This is where the Burpees happen.  Burpees are the fun thing where Gabe makes you drop to your hands, kick your feet out behind you to a push-up position, then bring your feet back in, then jump.  Gabe likes to do sets of 25.  Sometimes 30.  Sometimes more. 

The Box is also for Mountain Climbers and Step Ups.  Gabe likes to do those in sets of 50 or 100.  I mean, Gabe likes ME to do those in sets of 50 or 100.

Also, Gabe loves to do four sets of everything.  Sometimes he likes five sets.  Five sets of 30 burpees is 150 burpees.  Just in case you hadn't noticed.

2.  The Bosu.  This is a fun toy.  When my kids come with me they LOVE to bounce on the Bosu!  The Bosu is great for increasing stability.  Which is why sometimes Gabe likes me to do Burpees off this instead of the Box.  Sometimes he likes it when I turn the Bosu over and do Sprawls.  Sprawls are kinda like Burpees, only instead of dropping to your hands, you grip the sides of the Bosu, sprawl your legs out, bring them in, then LIFT the Bosu over your head.  One Hundred and Fifty Times.

It's not heavy.  For the first 75 reps.

The Bosu is also used to do push ups -- sometimes your hands are on the bouncy part, sometimes your feet are.  It's used to balance while you do arm curls with 15 lb dumb bells.  Gabe has ALL sorts of fun with the Bosu.

3.  The Bench.  You've heard of the Bench Press.  This is where Gabe gives me 12-20 lb weights and has me press them over my head, or "fly" them (drop my arms to the sides like a cross then pull them over my head) or do "Skull Crushers".  Skull Crushers are where Gabe gives me the heaviest weight he has in stock and hold my arms straight over my face.  Then I bend my elbows back until the weights are behind my head, then I lift the weights back to over my face.  Fear of being permanently maimed is great incentive for hanging on to the dumb bells.

Gabe's favorite use of the Bench is to have me do Dips.  Dips use my own body weight to strengthen my triceps.  I sit on the edge with my palms flat on the bench, fingers curling over the edge.  Then I scoot my butt WAY over the edge and "dip" myself.  Then I straighten up.  Considering my body weight is WAY heavier than anything in the V-Fit arsenal, these are one of Gabe's favorites.

Here is what it looks like:

Oh yeah -- he likes me to keep one foot in the air.  Heh.
 4.  The FLOOR.  While this looks like a lovely, open space, this is where I get to do things like "Suicides", "Bear Crawls", "Walk Outs" and all the fun abdominal exercises.  The Floor is one of the most difficult stations there is.

5. Machines.  What the photo doesn't show you is that around the corner resides dozens of exercise machines.  Some work your abs, some your arms, some do legs.  All are really really hard. 

6. The most terrifying of all:  The Scale.  This is where we measure how far we've come and how far we've got to go.

I hope you enjoyed this little tour of the V-Fit facility.  This area is only a small portion of the whole area, but it's used to its fullest capacity.  Some day, maybe Gabe will post a pic of the elevator bay where he makes his cousin Albert chase me in circles for 45 minutes.  Or the stairway where sometimes people have to walk ELEVEN flights. 

Like the real purgatory, great suffering goes on here.  So too, like the real purgatory, the suffering will one day be rewarded. 

It will, won't it?  Please?

3 comments:

  1. Purgatory? That can't be Purgatory! I don't see my dad. Oh...wait. He's in that...uh...other place.
    My bad.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think he's here, Al. That might explain the giggling I hear in the shadows every time I accidentally fart. . .

      Delete
  2. You're doing so awesome! Keep it up. I just need to start.

    ReplyDelete

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