Since moving to BC, I’ve had to get used to long stretches of rainy weather. I’ve always liked a lot of diversity in my exercise and training, but it’s easier when I don’t have to worry about an upcoming event where my training has to focus on swimming, biking and running.
Sun Hang Do
The Lightning Kid and I have been practicing this martial art for the past 3 years. It’s a bit of a local phenomenon with clubs throughout BC’s lower mainland and it’s descended from/similar to Tae Kwon Do.
We recently got tested for new belts, and we’re excited to join the ‘Black Belt Club’ where we add grappling and weapons to our training. I honestly could have/should have/would have devoted an entire post to Sun Hang Do, but in the meantime here’s a video of the Lightning Kid’s first belt test, and another of us both testing 2 years later.
Iron Cycle
Iron Cycle is a spin studio in Downtown Abbotsford. My wife and I used to do spin classes at a GoodLife Fitness, but with the advent of Peloton, Soul Cycle and the like, spin classes have stepped up a level. The class is conducted with very low lighting, and the club provides shoes with clips and towels. The song lists are heavily curated and the instructors pump you up with their high energy levels. We come out of the class drenched with sweat, but with a feeling of accomplishment, and it’s a nice ‘date’ that doesn’t revolve around food. Keeping up my bike fitness is a good idea for the next triathlon season and it would pay dividends if I’m on a bike event for the Ski 2 Sea.
We usually do the ‘Capable Ride’, but there are also Yoga classes and a hybrid class that combines spin with stretching and strength work – I hope I can try these sometime too. And yeah, I dig the name.
Body bar
I’ve been interested in these as a piece of strength training equipment for a while now. Between strengthening for kayaking (in case I need to do it for the Ski 2 Sea) or for Bo Staff work in Sun Hang Do (see above), I think it could be a nice addition to my home gym.
Cindy + other Crossfit.
I read somewhere that the ‘Cindy’ Crossfit workout is Tom Holland’s (a.k.a. Spider-Man) favourite workout. It’s 20 minutes of doing As Many Rounds As Possiple (a.k.a. AMRAP) of 5 pull-ups, 10 push-ups and 15 squats. I can’t do unassisted pull-ups so I use a band.
This workout makes me sweat a lot, and I’ve found that I’ve improved on the pull-ups already after doing it sporadically throughout the summer. I sometimes do variant push-ups, or lunges instead of squats .
Project Climbing
Project Climbing is a bouldering gym that has branches in Abbotsford, Chilliwack and Cloverdale. The boys and I have experimented with bouldering from time to time in Mississauga, on our trip to Berkeley, California and at both the Abbotsford and Chilliwack location. Bouldering is a form of rock climbing that is performed on small rock formations or artificial rock walls without the use of ropes or harnesses. Indoors, it’s a pretty low commitment way to get a full body workout that works your stabiliser muscles and co-ordination. I’m hoping I can squeeze in a few visits to this gym and improve my skills, grip strength (a significant marker of longevity) and upper-body strength.
Rucking
I had an old backpack that I filled with old weights and kept it in my car – sometimes when there was time to go for a little walk, I’d throw it on for a bigger calorie burn. Unfortunately, while parked in downtown Vancouver (Gastown to be precise) while the Lightning Kid was rehearsing for Toronto Kids Fashion Week, someone smashed in my car’s back window to take the backpack. I was upset, obviously, but I had to laugh at the idea that the thief probably thought they’d scored a laptop, when it was just relatively worthless weight. I hope they nearly dislocated their shoulder when they snatched it. So I might spring for a high-end ‘official’ pack and use it in the same way – but not keep it in my car when parked in a bad neighbourhood.
Mamba Cycle
This would probably feel like cheating on Iron Cycle (above), but it’s apparently a fitness studio with spinning, strength circuits, and heavy bag work. I guess the latter would potentially make it feel like cheating on Sun Hang Do (also above).
Mountain Biking
I honestly thought I’d be mountain biking more regularly when I moved to B.C. It’s been hard to find trails that are appropriate for my beginner skill level. They’re either on the side of a mountain where one slight bobble would send me careening to my doom, or simple flat gravel trails. At least those are the kinds I find in our neck of the woods; I lose interest if I have to drive more than 20 minutes to find the ‘right’ trail. Furthermore, this activity is one that I’m unlikely to do in lousy weather, so maybe it shouldn’t be on this list – but still I’m hopeful that I can find some subset of trails within the local networks that I could practice and improve my skill on.