Friday, June 12, 2015

Grey's Anatomy Workout

The pacing of this show lends itself better to yoga and body weight exercises than some of the other shows I've seen. This routine is largely based on yoga, pilates and other similar body weight exercises. For the yoga exercise, assume three sets of 10 reps. You may choose to rest for 1-2 minutes between each set. Make sure that you are moving at a comfortable pace and not rushing these exercises. 

You may not have enough time to complete the set before the next item comes up in the plot. If this occurs, merely pause the episode to complete your sets or continue working out until you have completed 15-30 minutes of exercise at a comfortable pace. (Remember my disclaimer from last post, I am not a personal trainer nor a doctor, so feel free to verify with them if this, or any other, exercise plan is right for you).

Feel free to leave a comment if you need a link to a how-to guide for any of the exercises below.

Also, let me know if you have any ideas for television series on Netflix or movies that you would like to take to the gym!

Arms:
You see a shot of the Space Needle:
Tricep extensions.
Derek's Sidekick mobile phone:
Single leg extensions.
You see the Port of Seattle fly over shot of the orange cranes on Harbor Island:
Push-ups.
You see a shot of the Catwalk, the bridge in the main lobby of Seattle Grace:
Side planks.
Someone mentions pain: 

Seated tricep push-ups.
Legs:
Code (plus anything) is mentioned:
Warrior pose.
Someone asks, "What are you doing?":
Bridge pose.
Someone asks for a page: 
Palm tree pose.
Someone mentions a room number:
Standing knee pose.
Someone talks about an STD:

Dance pose.
Abs:
There is a conversation in the women's bathroom:
Half moon pose.
Alex exercises:
Chair pose.
Izzy bakes:
Plank.
The interns take bets:
Torso twists.
Dr. Isobel Stevens introduces herself as "Izzie":

Shoulder stand.
Full body:
Cristina rides her motorcycle:
Sun salutation.
Meredith is in Derek's car:
Cobra (back).
The interns fight over patients:
Squat rows.
The doctors have a nickname for a patient:
Lunge with overhead press.
One of the couples on staff has a tense or dramatic moment:
Opposite arm/opposite leg lift (from kneeling position).
Someone says, "Scrub up":
Downward facing dog pose.

Monday, June 8, 2015

Welcome to my blog

Hello!

I wanted to take a moment to write a brief message to introduce myself, and my new blog.

I watch a lot of television.

Well, let me back up. I haven't always watched a lot of television, but I do now. Of course, I can quit any time I want.

My parents didn't buy a television set until I was five years-old. There was no cable TV package until I had already graduated from high school and was out of the house.

Now you might be thinking, "Wow! You are so lucky! Think of all the time you have been able to devote to intellectual and physical pursuits over the years..." Or you might be in the, "Oh my gosh! You missed out on all the seasons of THE. BEST. SHOW. EVER! We must catch you up to speed immediately," group. I have friends in both camps and I feel as though after several years of practice navigating the waters of both camps that I can help provide a new diversion to folks living in either camp (or somewhere in between).

Early on in my career I took a corporate job where I discovered just how relevant maintaining a Netflix account can be in the corporate world. I would guess that approximately 95% of office water cooler chatter, you know the part of the day that people actually remember and isn't marked by the blur of repetition and monotony of the cubicle life (the above percentage is a non-scientific estimate, intended for entertainment purposes only).

To make a long story even longer (I initially wrote this post as: "This is a blog. You know what to do with it."), I find many series and movies to be fairly repetitive. One thing I learned at seventeen years-old (to my child-like wonder and amazement) is that many people capitalize on this repetition, even going so far as to develop and play drinking games based on repeated plot and subplot lines. Now I still have not had the opportunity to participate in one such game, I do find these games inspirational in writing this blog.

As an avid reader, bored TV watcher and fitness enthusiast, I give you "The Netflix Binge Watcher's Exercise Routines" blog! No, I won't ask you to try saying that three times fast. I probably could have chose a shorter title (hindsight).

Basically if you are watching (or re-watching, I don't judge) a popular series or movie, I just might have already posted or be able to post a workout for you based on the plot and themes. These workouts are designed to be completed with minimal equipment. So far I have used 5lb dumbells, a yoga mat and a Thera-Band, because that's about as much as I would like to invest in my own home gym. I also have one of those small balls made for adding resistance for inner thigh and behind the knees type exercises, and I may toss some moves in that involve that little piece of equipment, but you can always substitute a folded blanket or towel.

Comment sections would be a great place to post a series that you'd like to workout to. I also recognize that these might not eat up an entire episode, so a good rule of thumb is to complete 15 or more minutes of exercise. If the episode you are watching did not provide you with enough material, you can complete the circuit the old fashioned way during the episode (or after, if you are completely sucked in).

Oh! I almost forgot. If you'd like to be a guest writer (or happen to be a plot expert on a particular series) go ahead and let me know by commenting or shooting me an email at: sarahmcr@gmail.com.

One last thing, this blog is just for fun. I am in no way certified in anything related to fitness nor do I possess a medical degree of any kind. You should talk to your doctor and personal trainer about technique and if an exercise program like this is right for you.

I do possess a Bachelors degree in English Literature which I suppose qualifies me to assess the plots, characters and themes of television shows in a way, but I won't bore you with too many character analyses here.

Enjoy!