Nothing suits a Victorian house like a fresh blanket of snow.  We had a lot of the fluffy white stuff this past winter and during the big storm back in early January, I snapped a photo (below) of the big house with my iphone.  Since my Dad’s passing, Mom has been revisiting her creative side and this is her masterpiece!  The photo taken of her painting does not quite do it justice.   Needless to say, I am thrilled to have such a beautiful painting by my talented mother, Joan Davis!

But Mom’s not the only talent in my family.  My sister, Pamela Steuart, is a wonderful fine artist who also does amazing reproductions from photos. She has an affinity for and a distinct style in her collection of trees, does commissioned paintings of  companions & animals, paints lovely figuratives and photo-like still life art. 

Pam also does traditional reproductions of homes, but she distinguishes herself in her ’dwellings‘  collection with a style she calls “Gondole” – French for warped.

Pam’s site offers several of her oil paintings for sale, but you won’t find Mom’s painting there – because it’s all mine to be forever cherished!

I posted a Question on Facebook the other day to see what type of workout would be of most interest.  At first I just asked it and got a wide range of responses on the thread.  Then I used the Question feature and Step was the overall winner - Strength came in second.

Today I posted a question on format.  Since some people are not on Facebook, I’ll ask it here too.  To encourage response, we’ve temporarily lifted the requirement to register in order to respond.

Here are the options:

1. Circuit – Alternating Step with Strength
2. Interval – Alternating Bouts of High Intensity Step followed by Low Intensity Step
3. Circuit WITH Interval – Alternating Bouts of High Intensity Step followed by Strength for recovery
4. Step - Steady State Cardio Step

Every year on my father’s Birthday, August 23, we plant a tree in our yard, as per his request. This year he is 79 years old. “I’ve got everything I could possibly need,” he says, “I don’t want for a thing–just plant a tree.”

Darn trees. 

Many times in the past, on his Birthday, I’ve tried to forgo the tree planting ritual and try to take the easy way out–a Reebok Jacket or a pair of Rockport shoes. Ultimately, however, regardless of the gifts, guilt takes over and I plant the blasted tree at 11:00 at night–out in the dark, with a flashlight. 

When I was first married, I must admit, I’ve grabbed whatever poor little “Charlie Brown Christmas tree,” was on sale and reluctantly plopped it down in the dirt somewhere, clapping my hands together and mumbling something like, “Gee, I hoped I haven’t killed it.” 

You see, planting Dad’s birthday tree is not an easy thing. First of all, it’s usually hot, and the gardening tools are somewhere… somewhere … somewhere. Planting a tree is not as easy as sticking a tie in a birthday bag. First you have to figure out what kind of tree you want–not just any old pine tree you know, it’s gotta be something with character–something that will grow with dignity and majesty–something that people will slow down their cars for–as they drive by, mouths agape….mumbling ”L o o k a t t h a t t r e e……” 

Once you’ve chosen the most respectable tree at the nursery, noticing that the price tag inevitably reflects your good taste, you have to make sure it will actually grow in Georgia. Too hot for Blue Spruces and too cold for Palms, you settle for a tree no one has ever heard of — except the 16 year old democrat with the pierced everything that sold it to you. Not wanting to seem “un-cool”, you jokingly ask, “Are you sure this is a tree, dude?” And, if you take that little plastic tab off, you’ll never be able to identify it again. As far as you know, it came from the rain forest of a country whose name you can’t pronounce, and whose capitol has never been an answer on jeopardy — because it has too many vowels. 

Well, it’s time to dig–the torture begins. Of course, there’s that shovel, behind the refrigerator that doesn’t work, that your husband said he was going to fix every year since 1981. We still have to keep the broken refrigerator, because otherwise where would we put the shovel? 

I usually stand on the shovel and ride it around like a pogo-stick hoping it will find a soft spot on its own. Once ground is broken, I can continue until I hit something like a root or a telephone wire. My husband, 6’ 4”, 250 lbs, helps out by standing over the hole with his arms at his sides like one of those silver-back mountain gorillas, and staring–like maybe oil will come spurting out if I just follow his explicit digging instructions.

I don’t know how a man that big and strong can stand so still when I’m obviously doing it all wrong. How badly do I have to perform this task before he yanks the shovel out of my hand and says, “Here, let me…”? It works when I try to drive him somewhere…every time. 

The hole is never big enough. What the hell is going on? Is the dirt caving in faster than you can dig the hole? After you lift the tree in and out of the hole several times–you realize you will never get that hole big enough or wide enough–in disgust you just decide to dig a crater size hole before you check it for the seventh time…I’ll show you–you stupid dirt.

The hole is too big. The tree looks like its being buried instead of planted. Feeling sorry for the tree, you try to put some dirt back in the hole, but somehow the dirt has literally melted into the grass and you can’t get it out unless you get the vacuum. When you use the vacuum on the lawn, people look at you funny. Somehow you scrape enough dirt back into the hole, drop the root ball in, and finally the tree looks good, short–but good. My husband kneels down ever so slowly and pats the dirt a couple of times. 

Dad always says, “Never let a plant know it’s been transplanted, be gentle and water it well.” Whoops–My tree has been tied to the roof, drug across the driveway, turned on its side and rolled until the plastic tub came off, and yanked out of an insufficiently sized hole half a dozen times–I think it suspects something. By this time, I’m too tired to fetch the hose, so I just pour my $2.50 bottled water on it, somehow hoping the expensive liquid will calm its nerves. 

My husband is still staring, but now he has his hands in his pockets, because he really thinks we planted the tree together. Thank God he was there for those two pats–otherwise I don’t know if that tree will know its okay to grow here. 

But it does, and it will, and they have—we’ve been in this house 11 years, and 10 beautiful trees (minus the one we lost one to a winter storm) stand in our yard to be counted as Dad’s Birthday trees – with dignity and majesty. 

This one is my favorite; you should see it in the Spring. I always look out my kitchen window and say, 

“L o o k a t t h a t t r e e……”

Thanks, Dad.  It really was a great idea… now, every time I look at the trees, I’ll think of you.

Robert C. Davis passed away on the morning of the 8th of December, 2010.  He was Gin’s father and her inspiration.  She was his Daddy’s Girl. 

Over the last several months, Gin spent many hours visiting and talking with her father.  Robert C. Davis was a World War II veteran, and like many other members of “The Greatest Generation”, he had a profound love for God, family and country. 

He was 85 years old, born August 23, 1925 to the late Malcolm Lynn Davis and Ellen Marion Bond Davis. Born and raised in Williamstown, PA, he joined the 504^th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 82^nd Airborne Division. He became Staff Sergeant with Company G serving in Europe during World War II in Operation Market (A Bridge Too Far) and The Battle of the Bulge where he was awarded a Purple Heart. After the war he attended Virginia Polytechnical Institute (now Virginia Tech) on the GI Bill graduating with the Class of 1950.

Mr. Davis married Joan Madeline Ware on July 11, 1953 in the Mikell Chapel of the Cathedral of St. Phillips in Atlanta. They have five children. Bob worked for Pfizer Pharmaceuticals from August 8, 1954 until his retirement as Southern Regional Manager in 1987. Mr. Davis volunteered with “Mended Hearts Program” of Emory University Hospital, Fernbank Science Center, and the Fox Theatre. He is survived by his wife, Joan Davis; daughters, Julia Young, Virginia “Gin” Miller, Beverly Farris, Pamela Steuart; son, Robert Charles Davis, V.; and 11 grandchildren.

Grandchildren include; Michael Stephen Young, James Ian MacGregor Miller, Lee Duncan Farris, Christine Marie Davis, Justin Tyler Farris, Cameron Davis Steuart, Rebecca Ashley James Steuart.Farris, Danielle Rose Davis, Nicholas Richard Steuart, Laura Heather Farris, Riley Benjamin

Services will be held on Saturday, December 11th, 4 pm, at St. Bedes Episcopal Church (770.939.8103), located at 2601 Henderson Mill Road, Tucker, GA 30345.

In lieu of flowers, Gin’s request is for donations to be made to her the Gin Miller’s Daddy’s Girl Foundation, which was established in honor of her father and other Veterans of WWII.  Contributions to his memory can also be made to St. Bede’s Church, www.stbedes.org.

Cards for Gin can be sent to:

Gin Miller
1281 East Main Street
Canton, GA  30114

As the holiday filled with family and fun comes to an end, we hope that all of you and yours shared in the same.

And now, it begins…

Thanksgiving, which used to be ALL about time spent with family, friends and football, has now turned into the weekend for holiday shopping deals.  If you’re a brave soul, you’ve already reaped the rewards of shopping the wee hours of Black Friday.  This year, American Express also added Small Business Saturday to reward customers who shop at Mom and Pop shops with $25 credits to their accounts.  But if you can’t handle the insanity of holiday shopping crowds and opt to stay home and enjoy Thanksgiving the old fashioned way, you’re more likely to wait for Cyber Monday to take advantage of online shopping offers. 

This year in particular, with a down economy and many consumers on tight budgets, businesses are offering incredible deals to inspire shoppers.  Typically, like most fitness-related businesses, we tend to do the bulk of our sales in the first month of the year when people resolve to ‘lose weight’ or make a ‘fresh start’ on a healthier lifestyle.   But why wait?  

So this year, we’re in on the holiday savings game. We’ve marked down most of Gin’s dvds and Yes! music CDs from 25% to 50% and thru Monday, we’re offering an extra 10% off with the coupon code ‘cyber’.  The code will also apply to Gin’s ever-popular Step Reebok dvds, which are rarely available at any kind of discount.  

So, happy shopping!  And, we’ll leave it up to you to decide if you’re buying as ‘a gift of health’ for someone else, or just as a gift to self!

• Overhead Press
• Plie Squats
• Plie Squats with Press
• Lunges
• Biceps
• Lunge w/ Biceps
• Lunges
• Overhead Pull
• Lunge w/ Overhead Pull

Workout B: using plates - works shoulders, hips, legs, & back (Time – 11:00)

• Shoulder Rotations
• Squats
• Lateral Raises
• Single Leg Hinges
• Hinges w/ Rear Leg Lift & Rear Flyes
• Jumper Squats w/ Calf Raise
• 1/4 Leg Dip w/ Upright Rows
• 1/4 Leg Dip w/ Front Shoulder Raise

• Lunge position – Rows & Reaches
• Core – pot stirs
• Push Ups / Chest Flyes

• Pelvic tilts / hip lifts
• V sits
• V sit pulls w/ double leg opposition
• Sit Ups w/ backstrokes

Order Barbell Blast

Kettlebells – These kettlebells feature a large rounded grip and is available in 5lbs, 10lbs & 15lbs.  Comes with Gin’s Kettlebell workout as the inbox dvd.

Medicine Balls – These soft medicine balls feature a texture that provides excellent grip when you do the Gin’s Power Abs workout, which you get as an inbox dvd!  Available in 6lbs, 8lbs & 10lbs

Soft Walking Handweights - These cushy-comfy soft handweights are 2lbs each. 

Weighted Walking Vest - Walking is the #1 fitness activity!  Increase your workout intensity and burn more calories in less time – vest weighs 4lbs and you can add 4 more to it for a total of 8lbs!  This weighted walking vest has a strap that clips to adjust size and keep vest secure while exercising. It’s fashionable, comfortable and one size fits most women.

Pilates Portable Studio -  This padded Pilates Portable Bar features 30″ Straps with foot loops on each end.  The bar comes with an inbox DVD workout featuring Gin.

Scented Stress Balls -  These scented stress balls can be used to squeeze and relieve stress as well as help improve coordination, help prevent arthritis, help stimulate blood circulation, help during physical therapy, assist with meditation and help in the prevention or treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome. Available in 4 colors and aromas: Red- Rose, Purple-Lavender, Blue-Lilac, Green- Eucalyptus

Deluxe Fitness Mat with Carry Strap  - This deluxe fitness mat provides you with a well cushioned non-slip supportive surface and comes with a handy carrying strap so you can roll and go!
Available in Teal or Purple

Gin was featured in a segment done by Lori Corbin of ABC7 in Los Angeles:

If you look back at exercise trends you’ll think of things like high-impact aerobics, step classes, spinning, and mind-body workouts like yoga and Pilates. So what’s next in the world of fitness?

Read Full Text Article

For the last decade – at the very least - we’ve been contacted by frustrated instructors and program directors for information on the issue of step speed.  (You can read the archive article about the evolution of step or the pages about step speed that start here.)  Truth is, while Gin Miller is well-known as the creator of step, she doesn’t exactly considered herself as the arbiter of what’s ‘right’ or that the final word belongs to her, even though she’s deemed to be the expert who started it all.

Step grew way beyond Gin - and way beyond the purview of Reebok.  Reebok University, who first commissioned the research and set the initial guidelines, last weighed in on the issue in 1997 pushing the top limit to 128 bpms, up from 126 bpms.  And then Reebok University quietly dissolved.

My recent conversation with Julie Upton (stepgirl4fr – see her post) covered several aspects of the topic.  What prompted the discussion was that she had been told that AFAA had upped the high end speed of step to 135 bpms, a fact that I have since confirmed with Kathy Stevens (former Reebok Master Trainer, now associated with AFAA, pictured above w/ Gin):

Based on research provided over the past decade, here are the recommendations AFAA has listed in their updated training materials:

Step aerobics: 118–128 bpm (up to 135 for advanced, highly-skilled participants)

The original guidelines were developed when step was a vertical climbing activity and typically performed at a much slower pace than today’s classes – relatively speaking, alot slower.  Intensity was provided by step height (participant controlled), levers and range of motion (participant controlled), power options (participant controlled), sequential patterning (instructor controlled), and music cadence or tempo (instructor controlled). 

Thru adaptation and evolution, step height came down as music tempo increased – or vice versa.  Whichever was the cause and effect, step became less of a vertical climbing activity as step height decreased and tempo increased beyond 128 bpms – the speed that had been determined in the original guidelines to be the threshold between low impact and high impact.

No doubt the AFAA materials will cite sources for the research, but I decided to do a little of my own with a recently discovered tool called “Google Scholar“.  By using the terms “step aerobics speed“, I reviewed articles on at least 10 pages of results.  The frustrating thing about trying to research something on your own is that many of the results require you to sign up or pay to read much more than a brief summary on a paper.  Understandable, of course, but it takes time to find anything that is accessible to the average inquisitive instructor.  Second challenge, if you do find a full article,  is trying to understand what it means!

Here’s what I found. 

First, you can read the first page of an article Michele Scharff Olson, Ph.D. and Henry Williford, Ed.D., FACSM did for ACSM’s Health & Fitness Journal back in 1998, where they cite the 1993 study about the expenditure and impact levels associated with various step heights and the increase in expenditure with the addition of arms.  (Content is clearly labeled as ‘not for reuse’ so I’m being vague here.)  One can safely assume, based on the date, that the study is the same one done at the aforementioned slower speed.  Nevertheless, the information about impact associated with various step heights is good foundational knowledge.

I also ran across an article published by American Fitness (AFAA’s magazine) in 2001 written by Jonna Hayden Robinson called “Speed Demons – Step Aerobics“ :  

“Excuse me … Please stop teaching this step aerobics class right now!” I demand from the doorway of the gym, official badge in hand. The instructor and her students look at me with puzzlement as the music pounds in the background. She asks, “Who are you? And what is my offense?” I reply, “I am a member of the Step Speed Patrol–and you were speeding! My job is to ferret out step aerobics instructors who are conducting classes at speeds faster than the recommended industry standard of 128 BPM.” The step aerobics instructor frowns and says, “But my students are demanding a better workout! I have to speed up the tempo to give them what they need.”

Yes indeed, that article is a classic.  So now, in that AFAA has officially given instructors permission to up their speed, let me skip the research stuff and just talk some common sense.

Provide variety: If your step classes are all the same or perhaps the numbers are dwindling, consider that new members may find it difficult to learn step at today’s faster speeds.  Think about providing a variety of types of step and clarify the classes for the potential participants.  Since few want to be considered ‘beginners’ and everyone wants to be ‘advanced’ or at least attempt the ‘hard’ class, try labeling classes by types such as ’basic, athletic or vertical step’, ‘moderate choreographed hi/low step’, or ‘fast & fancy high impact step’.

You can’t be all things to all people:  If you have someone who is complaining or rudely hinting that you need to pick up the pace, make your general recommendations for how the individual can increase their intensity with step height, impact or levers, and from there, focus on the rest of the people who are there because your class fits their needs.  Same goes for program directors.  Thank the complainer for their input and kindly suggest a different class or instructor.

Have the courage of your convictions: For the last decade, we’ve tried to encourage program directors to consider who they have as members and determine their needs.  Everyone wants to know the final word on what is right, but you have to look at your demographics to determine what is right for your club. If you have predominantly young 20-somethings, your program offerings will likely differ from a club with an older population or mixed membership.  The same goes for individual instructors.  Assess, determine and decide – YOU are the expert!

To summarize, arm yourself with knowledge, apply good common sense, stick to your guns - but keep in mind WHO the workout is for… or perhaps who most NEEDS to be participating.  If they are not, don’t be afraid to ask why.  The answer may surprise you.

********

Below, I’ve listed some articles to save you some time in clicking the same links that I visited – although you may wish to try some different keywords in your own research - some are full articles, and others you can glean at least a little insight:

Metabolic Cost of Aerobic Dance Bench Stepping at Varying Cadences and Bench Heights - Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research.  2002.  This may be worth paying for access – abstract says:

In conclusion, it appears that bench height is more of a factor than cadence in increasing metabolic cost of ADBS. Results from this study provide information about the energy cost of ADBS at the common bench heights and cadences used in this study and, therefore, may be used to help aerobic participants select the proper bench height and cadence combination to control body weight and develop cardiorespiratory fitness safely and effectively.

Efficiency of Walking and Stepping: Relationaship to Body Fatness- Obesity Research (2004): Especially good if you want to target the market that needs help the most – lots of letters and numbers in this full research article pdf!

Effects of Ballates, Step Aerobics, and Walking on Balance in Women Aged 50-75 Years- full pdf article from the Journal of Sports Medicine and Science (2006).  (Especially good if your class members tend to be of an older population.)

International Journal for Consumer perceptions of injuries sustained in aerobic classes: “The conclusion of the study is that the intensity or nature of step classes may be contributing to overuse symptoms. Beginners may have to be monitored so that they progress gradually in program frequency.”  Australia, published 1996 (Interesting because this is about the time that step height started to come down.)

Osteogenic index of step exercise depending on choreographic movements, session duration, and stepping rate – July 2006 - Just the abstract, but you have options to investigate further.

If you run into other research articles using different keywords, please let us know by making a comment below – and as always, your comments are appreciated!