Catherine Roberts, OSAI PR counselor, is today’s guest
blogger.
Just a few days into camp, and it already feels like
weeks—for my legs and abs, that is. In the interest of inquiry (and so I could
share with our readers), I’ve taken it upon myself to attend each of the three
fitness classes offered here at Quartz Mountain. These are elective classes
available to all students, faculty and staff, and are taught by Rebecca
Penniman, a Pilates instructor from Baton Rouge.
Yesterday morning, after I finished complaining about the
soreness of my poor, weak limbs, my office-mate and fellow counselor Victoria
Harrell advised, “You should stretch after you work out.” That’s an excellent
tip for everyone. Rebecca, resident tough girl and fitness instructor, works
her student to their limits. She teaches three classes: plyometrics/cardio
conditioning, total body conditioning and Pilates.
Plyometrics, Rebecca says, “involves a lot of jumping
exercises.” The class features jump rope, jumping jacks, squat-thrusts, etc. On
days without rain, Rebecca holds class outside, in the Great Plains
Amphitheater, for multi-level maneuvers.
“The steps in the amphitheater, instead of a traditional
aerobic bench, we just use what’s out there, which has been great because the
weather has been beautiful,” Rebecca says. “It keeps us outdoors; you feel
really healthy being out there.” The morning I participated, we had rain, so
the amphitheater steps were a no-go, but we’ve got many days of sunshine in the
forecast.
Total body conditioning, the first of the triad that I
attempted, is just what it sounds like. The exercises work your quads and
hamstrings, glutes and abs, biceps and triceps, and I’m sure many other muscles
that will be sore the next morning regardless of whether or not you know their
names. Rebecca says what differentiates this workout is that much of it is done
standing, and while it’s hard work, your heart rate won’t be elevated as much
as in the plyometrics class. This workout consists of simple and targeted
movements and is great for anyone looking to build strength in every part of
the body.
A Pilates workout focuses on the core. Rebecca is quick to
provide an accurate definition of the term. “I hear the term ‘core’ ad nauseam,” she says. “The core is
your abdominals, your rectus, your transverse and your obliques. It also is
your glutes, your hamstrings and your quads.” If that sounds like a lot, it
feels like it, too. Going into the Pilates class, I had only a vague notion of
it being something related to yoga, but with all of those muscle groups to
strengthen, it too is a workout. Rebecca says that her focus is less on
flexibility and more on stability, especially for the dance students.
[Staff and students take Pilates at today's lunchtime class.]
This is Rebecca’s third year teaching fitness classes at
Quartz Mountain, and she says she loves it. “I think it’s a great opportunity
for the faculty, staff and the other students to remain active while they’re
here,” she says. I asked whether most people who take her classes at camp are
beginners or gurus. She said she thinks most are beginners, and she’s mindful
of it as she teaches. “My philosophy this year,” she says, “and my motto to
everybody is, ‘you can adjust [the workout] to your fitness level.’”
I’ve certainly had to “adjust.” But my goal is to be able to
keep up and complete every set by the time camp is over. (Secondarily, to have a six-pack.)
The Basics:
Classes are offered twice each day—before class at 7 a.m.
and during lunch at 12:15 p.m. They’re only about 45 minutes long, but Rebecca
makes every minute count. If anyone needs to leave early, they’re welcome to do
so, and will likely still have gotten a great workout. There are also a few
more guided hikes and runs that anyone at camp can sign up for—if they’re willing to get up even earlier.
