AFAA APEX Weekend: Kickboxing Certification

Another exciting AFAA APEX weekend has come to an end. I always try and take a certification or attend a workshop when APEX comes to town. This year I decided to try for my Kickboxing Certification.

From the time I started teaching group fitness, I have wanted to get my Kickboxing Certification.  I loved doing Turbo Kick at home and it helped me to lose weight without running. During undergrad at UGA I took Intro to Karate for my fitness requirement; It helped me develop proper form for kicks and strikes and I earned an Orange Belt in the process. When I came to Georgia Tech I took a sparring style boxing class to work on my agility, coordination, and punches. I have used those experiences to teach cardio kickboxing classes over the years. This year I made sure my schedule was open so that I could participate in the Kickboxing Certification.

It was a long day but it was a great investment. I got to meet some great people, gained some new skills, and earned my required CEUs. I look forward to applying some new drills and combos to my next classes. I hate I waited so long to take this cert!

What AFAA Workshop/Certification did you participate in during APEX weekend? Comment below and share your experience.

APEX is the start of my conference circuit. In July I have SCW and Blogfest. Then I usually end the year with September APEX. Let the fun begin!

Health and Happiness,

Larissa

Fall Semester Wrap Up

1 Year Anniversary, 2 New Classes, and the Return of Flirty Girl Fitness

Another semester at Georgia Tech has come to an end. I had some big successes and some classes did not go as well as I had hoped. For me it is all about expirementing and figuring out what works best for my community. I try, assess, and try again. Here are some of my reflections from the semester.

APPH 1050 Weight Training

We celebrated our 1 year anniversary of APPH this semester. I love teaching this class. It combines my love for exercise science and my abilities as a health educator and really allows me to make a huge impact on student fitness. Over the past 4 semesters I have helped over 100 students learn safe and effective weightlifting technique and customize their weight training programs. My students range from complete newbie to experienced Olympic and Power Lifters. They keep me on my toes and remind me to be flexible in my programming; they gave me some great ideas for next semesters class.  

Short Circuit 

This class was my baby and a new addition to the schedule.  I loved teaching this class. The turn out was not what I had anticipated, attendance was strong at the beginning of the semester but dwindled towards the end. The class really focused on incorporating strength training with cardio just to boost the heart rate. After talking with several participants I think they wanted more cardio based, high intensity, circuits. In the process I have created a full 12 week circuit program that I could implement anywhere. I will make a few tweaks and try again during summer semester.

PlayFit

Another newbie to the schedule. I really do think this program could work, but it was such a new idea that I would need to do a better job promoting it. My intention was for the class to be a way for the new exerciser to get in a workout through game play and for the experienced exerciser to put some fun into their workouts. I realized I had not properly promoted the class when one of my fellow instructors wanted to promote it but had no idea how to describe it to participants. That was my error in not marketing the class properly. Those who did attend really seemed to enjoy themselves. I do have a book full of game ideas now that I could incorporate in bootcamps or if I am asked to sub a class. Or if you are looking for fitness game ideas contact me. I have 12 weeks worth.

FlirtyGirl Fitness

An old favorite that I brought back to the schedule. Guess what? People still love dance fitness and I fell in love with FlirtyGirl all over again. Looking forward to new music and new dance moves in the new semester!

Did you try any new formats this semester? 

What worked? What didn't work?

Looking forward to a new semester and a new opportunity to improve the health of my community.

Health and Happiness,

Larissa

AFAA APEX in the ATL: Part 2

Day 2 was even better than Day 1.  Day 2 was all about resistance training, I was definitely in my comfort zone.

The 1st half of the day was anatomy and kinesiology. I love talking about muscle function and programming. Then we moved into "choreographed" resistance training. We utilized varied tempo or time under tension using the beat: 2-2, 3-1, 1-3. Similar concepts and patterns that I teach my clients and students.

The 2nd half of class we applied the AFAA 5 Questions to exercises for the major muscle groups. Then we designed progressions and regressions for exercises in small groups. We finished out the day combining our efforts to design a 15 station circuit.

Each group was challenged to create at least 1 exercise progression that no one in the group had tried before. Here are our 2:

Partner band lat Pulldown with BOSU. Partner A uses core and shoulder stabilization to act as anchor for the band. Partner B kneels on BOSU while performing core stabilization. 

Partner Leg Extension with Squat. Partner A anchors band under heels and performs isotonic squat. Partner B attaches band to foot and stabilizes on support leg while performing resisted knee extensions on the other leg.

Could group resistance training be path to getting more women to lift?  I learned how to work with the music and add some fun variations to my favorite exercises in the GRT workshop.  I do the majority of my lifting in the gym or the fitness floor. Many women still have reservations about resistance training on their own. If I could put together a well designed studio program maybe I could help my fellow ladies love lifting as much as I do! I look forward to applying what I learned to add some resistance training classes to the schedule in January! 

A big thank you to our AFAA Presenter Linda for sharing her knowledge and experience. 

What was 1 thing you learned at APEX?

Until next post,

Health and Happiness,

L

AFAA APEX in the ATL: Part 1

Day 1 of AFAA Apex I got to hang out with AFAA Presenter Yoko and 10 other fitness professional during Group Exercise: The Practical Way

Our gym was hosting so I assisted with registration and lunch logistics.

My favorite part of the day was the practical skills portion. We discussed musicality and practiced cueing and creating 6 progressions for a variety of exercises. 

Can you think of 6 progressions for a lunge?

We used:

- wall assisted step forward

- step up onto step

- isolated lunge forward

- forward alternating lunge

- walking lunge

- plyometrics lunge

Below is a picture of My partner Catherine and I after successfully demonstrating our excercise cueing skills. 

It is not as easy as it looks, and it is definitely a skill worth practicing and perfecting.

Yoko did a great job leading our group for the day. She has over 30 years of experience and her blend of knowledge, humor, and sincere desire for our success made for a great workshop.

I look forward to gaining more knowledge and practicing more skills tomorrow.

Health and Happiness,

Larissa