Hitting the Home Gym

3/18/2016

If this isn't an over-done topic, I don't know what is. Every equestrian magazine in the world does a rider fitness article at least once a year, probably even more. It's an issue we all face and (I think) hate equally. Even so, here I go ...

Oh, Treadmill, how I hate thee.

My weight goes up and down every few years. It's not like I get really heavy, but I am definitely two sizes more than I'd like, and on a 5'3" frame, that means tubby. Carrying that extra weight is frustrating because both my husband and I already maintain a very healthy lifestyle. There's not a lot I can just cut out to easily drop five to ten pounds. We live an active lifestyle and eat really well: no fast food, no sodas, no coffee, I eat a healthy protein breakfast every day, I pack a lunch, and I cook dinner nightly.

The only way for me to drop some weight is to move more. Like everyone else, I already use all of the minutes in my twenty-four day. I leave for work around 6:00 a.m. and get home from the barn around 6:00 p.m. I cook dinner, spend an hour or two with my husband and the dogs, and then it's off to bed. That means that if I want to increase my exercise, I have to do it at 4:30 a.m. So that's what I am doing.

I got back on the treadmill in mid-January and have been slowly increasing my speed and distance. my goal is always to keep my average pace at 6 miles per hour, a 10-minute mile. In the beginning, I ran for 15 minutes, slowly bumping up my speed until I was running at least one 10-minute mile during the time frame.

I am now up to 2 miles in a shade under 20 minutes. I just reached that goal today (yesterday I did it in 20:15). Next week, I'll be running ten miles a week (I run five days a week). I know I am getting fitter, and I am definitely feeling stronger through my core, but the pounds aren't coming off. No matter what the scale says, I am certain my horses appreciate a fitter rider.

Do you have a fitness routine that is outside of the barn? Gym? Home? Walk the dog? Just don't tell me it's running 20 miles a week - thinking about the 10 is already depressing!

Austen link

3/18/2016 07:02:11 am

Hahaha! When I was unemployed I ran 30 miles a week. That's the only time I could find time for it! Right now, I'm running 10-15 a week. I'd like to bump that back up to 18 (I run short distances, 2-3 miles, before work 3-4 days a week, and longer runs on the weekend). I also go to the gym 2-3 days a week, and ride 1hr 4-5 days a week. I walk a TON on top of that.

Whenever I talk to someone starting a fitness plan, I find myself suggesting to them they check out a GOOD calorie calculator. This one is okay. https://www.supertracker.usda.gov/bwp/index.html It tends to overestimate activity effect on your diet. I suggest using it with "very light/no" activity levels specified or increased to get a baseline calorie amount readout. I would then redo it with a "light-moderate" activity level specified. I would make those two calorie amounts your "range" for each day. Then I would suggest tracking obsessively everything you eat and all exercise you do for a week, being brutally honest.

I've noticed that even though I eat really well, I'm constantly surprised by what I let sneak in to my diet that is derailing me. I've also found that for most people, diet changes make the biggest difference. I mean, running 15 miles a week like me only burns about 1500 calories (or a half a pound of fat!). So diet changes have the largest effect, unless you can suddenly change your daily baseline activity level (example: go from being a desk-bound office worker to being an always-moving barn worker).

Honestly, though. My issue is usually doing too much and not eating enough for the energy I need. So these sorts of calculators are good for me to realize how much I actually need to be shoving into my body daily (leading to me huffing down peanut butter at the end of the day to pull me out of a deficit). Either way, lots of good info.

Obviously you already know your body super well, and you've been successful at weight control before. I just like writing about methods. :)

Bakersfield Dressage link

3/18/2016 08:34:20 am

I am laughing soooo hard! Of course I consume too many calories. LOL! :0)

I read somewhere once that you have to feed the body you want. You want a skinny body - feed it what a skinny person eats. That being said, a nutrition/trainer friend of mine also pointed out that it's in our lifestyle choices as well. Some of us just don't want to spend three hours a day working out. I am in that camp.

I also LOVE good quality food. I cook with lots of yummy fats and other higher calorie ingredients (we had a ground turkey ragu with shredded carrots with a cream/tomato sauce over fettuccine for dinner last night). My portions are good, but if I REALLY wanted to be two sizes smaller, I could shrink them.

The truth is that I would rather be healthy and a bit pudgy and be able to enjoy a hearty meal with a couple of glasses of wine. On top of loving the good life, I am in my mid-40s - an age at which it gets MUCH harder to drop those pesky ten pounds.

So, you are absolutely right: more activity only goes so far when you put rocket fuel in your body. If it's not getting burned up, it's going to get stored up. :0)

Cheers!

Austen link

3/19/2016 09:10:11 am

That ragu sounds absolutely amazing! I wish there was a way to share prepared food via the Internet, so I don't have to make it! ;)

Bakersfield Dressage link

3/21/2016 06:52:25 am

I really like to cook. For a little while I was also doing a food blog. I would love to revive it, but it's hard enough writing seven posts here a week.

If I didn't cook nightly, I'd have more time to exercise, and I'd probably be thinner. :0)

Exploringdressagebiomechanics link

3/18/2016 07:06:37 am

My New Year's resolution was to stretch and either ride or interval train on the eliptical EVERY SINGLE DAY. It was really hard the first month but now it has become more habit and so quite a bit easier. My other resolution was to cut back on carbs a bit, because that helps me so much with junk cravings and maintaining weight, and that has been more of a work in progress. But I figure two out of three isn't bad, and at least I'm fitter right?

Bakersfield Dressage link

3/21/2016 06:33:32 am

I always tell myself that something, anything, is better than nothing. :0)

Emily Conforti

3/18/2016 07:21:21 am

Steady state cardio won't burn fat - and beyond 20 minutes your body will begin to catabolize muscle and preserve fat. HIIT is preferable to steady state cardio for anything other than cardiovascular endurance.

The best way to lose weight is to increase lean muscle mass and raise your BMR is strength training. "Lifting heavy" is the best thing for us more 'seasoned' ladies ;) (you cannot get bulky without extreme dedication to high calorie bulks and hypertrophy) The more muscle you have the more calories you burn just being alive. Your body wants to preserve its fat stores, though, so you have to prove to your body that you're using your muscles in order to keep fat burning the priority.

Bonus: it's also been shown to reduce osteoporosis!

Bakersfield Dressage link

3/21/2016 06:36:50 am

Well, unfortunately a trip to the gym isn't going to happen. Truthfully, if I really wanted to lose weight, I would reduce my calorie intake. Running for 20 minutes on the treadmill is more about keeping my joints moving and being fit enough to do barn chores, travel, and hike. Fighting inertia (the desire to sit on the couch and not get up) is more my goal. :0)

And yes, being "seasoned" makes it all that much harder. :0)

Sarah Kinninger link

3/18/2016 09:00:10 am

I run but not enough to really do anything except exercise my lungs and legs. What I found to be EXTREMELY helpful was getting some kettlebell training. I then bought a kettlebell and (with proper instruction because you can wreck your back) do that several mornings a week. That has greatly improved my core and helped with trimming down. At the end of December I was really snug in my favorite pair of jeans and now they fit just like they should.

But yeah, it takes a puzzle master to fit everything in to one day.

Bakersfield Dressage link

3/21/2016 06:37:54 am

That's about what I run for - just to keep everything moving and prepared. :0)

jenj

3/18/2016 09:03:09 am

Yeeeeah... so this is something my husband and I are working on. I hate doing exercise for the sake of exercising, but I'll happily take the dogs on a 6 mile hike because it's for the dogs, right? We're trying to do at least 10-15 mins of yoga every morning, walk the dogs at night, and I ride a horse every day. I'm also trying to fit in 30 mins of walking at lunch in our office gym, but so far that's been hit or miss.

The things that makes the most difference for me are 1) not eating more than 3 hours before bedtime (I also have to pay attention to this because of acid reflux), and 2) Being aware of what I eat. If I've gained a pound or two, I think about how I've been eating, and likely it's been crap. I try to watch the snacks, carbs, and alcohol for a few weeks and it goes away. We generally eat very simple, whole foods - grilled meat and steamed veggies or a salad for dinner is pretty standard. We don't like rice, noodles, or potatoes much, although I'm a huge bread fan (with butter. or brie. load me up!), so generally the carbs stay fairly low. As we get older, it's harder to stay fit, but we both want to and are trying to help encourage each other to be more active. It's tough to find time in the day to do it, but so worthwhile!

Kudos to you, though, because the thought of jogging 2 miles makes me want to take a nap.

Bakersfield Dressage link

3/21/2016 06:39:59 am

I think you're right - age is the number 1 thing working against me. It is just harder and harder to lose as I approach 50 (omg - 50?!?!?!). The number 2 thing working against me is the love of the good life (good food and good wine :0).

Val

3/19/2016 05:50:15 am

I agree with others that you deserve major props for exercising at 4:30 am. I get up early, but waking up to exercise that early just isn't going to happen.

I have taken up running several times over the years but I always stop usually because exercising for the sake of exercising bores and annoys me.

My weight training right now is carrying around a 30 pound toddler and trimming my horse's feet.

Bakersfield Dressage link

3/21/2016 06:42:51 am

I hear you, Val. There are only so many minutes in the day. Right now, I have a bout 30 minutes to give: a few to slip into some running shoes and clothes, run, and then a few minutes to cool off be fore I hit the shower. And those cool off minutes, I am feeding the dogs. And doing it at 4:30 in the a.m. is absolute hell.

Dom link

3/19/2016 09:41:13 am

Mike and I have started really truly working out. We bought a stationary bike for cardio (I can't take the impact of running since I broke my leg). I do an hour on the bike, five days a week (about 15 miles). We also lift, and Mike designed a workout for me. He's amazing at the working out stuff since he was a big time baseball player and spent a lot of time working on strength and fitness. I'm feeling a difference already in my daily life. Like you, I struggle to find the time to do it. I rarely get home before 7:30pm, and by the time we take care of the animals, work out and eat it's 10pm, and I'm exhausted. To be honest, I find it hard to get motivated, but I'm doing it anyway. Mostly because I want to do longer distances in endurance this year, but also because I look like a slob and want that to change before I fit into a wedding dress this fall. *faint* (So, long comment short, I don't think this topic is over done and thank you for posting it!)

Bakersfield Dressage link

3/21/2016 06:46:24 am

I would be in Heaven if someone would give me a "plan" and then help me do it. My husband uses the treadmill in the afternoon after he takes the dogs for a run/walk (4 month old puppies don't cover much ground). I would go with him, but he does the dog walk while I am at the barn.

Working and riding pretty much take up every minute of my life. So yes, finding time is really hard to do.

ColbyJazzmus link

3/19/2016 02:12:04 pm

Lucky for me to still have a young person metabolism. I made it more of a priority to get fitter and stronger this year. It started out wanting to be strong to advance in vaulting, but once I started dressaging it became more about riding, and cardio became more important now that I'm struggling at the end of my 45 minute lessons. I'm nowhere near as consistent exercising as I'd like to be, but I try to go to the campus gym once a week to do strength work, and at home I focus more on cardio. I HATE cardio with a passion, so I don't use our elliptical, but I do have an old zumba fitness game for the wii, so I usually do a long, high-intensity class and then stretch. Whenever I have a really busy week at school, I let exercise slide to the back burner a bit, but I'm doing better than I have in the past since I've started to see how useful it is for stress relief

Bakersfield Dressage link

3/21/2016 06:50:35 am

Age definitely plays a part. I don't want to be one of those old ladies sho is stooped over and can't do things for herself. I am okay being a few pounds tubby. I mostly want to maintain my flexibility and cardio vascular health.

I think that overall, I am in pretty good shape. I can do an hour long lesson and then clean stalls and ride another horse. That's good enough for me. A fitness trainer friend told me that our bodies reflect a lifestyle choice - if you want a beautiful body, your lifestyle has to revolve around that. No thanks. :0)

Ronnie

3/21/2016 12:29:38 pm

I've known for ages that I ride better when I'm fit. I look like a little munchkin on my big redhead, basically a kid on a giant pony! Unfortunately, working full time and riding creates a lack of time, especially over the winter with the short daylight hours. I finally bit the bullet and sucked it up. Added Crossfit to my life. Man that has added so much strength, especially in my core. It has made a huge difference. So I am doing that 4-5 days a week and just added running back in (10-12 miles/week). I think that is a little bit overdone for you =) but my horse is slightly larger than Mr Speedy!!!

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About the
Writer & Rider

I am a lifelong rider.
I began endurance riding in 1996 where I ultimately completed five, one-day 100 mile races, the 200-mile Death Valley Encounter, and numerous other 50, 65, and 75 mile races. I began showing dressage in 2010.
Welcome to my dressage journey.

Photo by Lori Ovanessian

Email Karen

About Speedy G

Speedy went from endurance horse to dressage horse. We're currently showing Third Level for the 2020 show season. Speedy is a 2004, 15'1 hand, purebred Arabian gelding. His Arabian Horse Registry name is G Ima Starr FA.

August 2018

About Izzy

Izzy was started as a four-year old and then spent the next 18 months in pasture growing up. I bought him as a six-year old, and together, we are schooling and showing at the lower levels. He is a 2008, 16'3 hand warmblood gelding. His Rheinland Pfalz-saar International (RPSI) name is Imperioso.

March 2019

Bakersfield Dressage approved!

FOR THE SMALLER EQUINE ATHLETE

I love her stuff!

National Awards

USDF Bronze Medal - 2020

USDF Second Level Rider Performance Award - 2018

2nd Level Rider Performance, 2018

USDF First Level Rider Performance Award - 2015

1st Level Rider Performance, 2015

USDF Training Level Rider Performance Award - 2013

Training Level Rider Performance, 2013

State Awards

CDS Third Level Horse Performance Award - 2020 (pending receipt)

CDS Ruby Rider Award - 2018

Ruby Rider Award, 2018

CDS Second Level Horse Performance Award - 2018

2nd Level Horse Performance Award - 2018

Working Towards:

CDS Sapphire Rider Award
Third Level: 63.514%
Third Level: 62.105%
Fourth Level:
Fourth Level:

2020 Show Season

Show Rating
(***) CDS/USDF/USEF
(*) CDS
(s) Schooling
(c) Clinic
(r) Ride-a-Test Clinic
(Q) Must Qualify

2020 Pending …
7/11-12 SLO-CDS WC (***)
7/26 TMC (*)
8/8 - 9 RAAC (Q) (***)
8/30 TMC (*)
9/20 TMC (*)
10/11 TMC (*)
10/24-25 SCEC (***)

2020 Completed …
10/26-27/19 SCEC (***)
6/20-21/20 SCEC (***)
6/29 Ulf Wadeborn (c)

2020 Qualifying Scores

Regional Adult Amateur Competition (RAAC)
3rd Level Qualifying Modified for 2020
2 Scores/1 Judge:
Score 1: 60.405% Atkins
Score 2: 62.432% Atkins

CDS Championship
3rd Level Qualifying Modified for 2020
3 Scores/2 Judges:
Score 1: 60.405% Atkins
Score 2: 62.432% Atkins
Score 3: 61.750% Johnson