CAS PROJECT
:My CAS project consists of collaboratively preparing for the OAE trip to Huaraz, were we will try to escalate to glacier Vallunaraju's peak (5678 masl). The preparation will be meticulously planned, attacking most points that will influence in our journey, by the entire team. For the sake of clarity, I will first explain what OAE is, present my team, and then deepen on the stages (Investigation, Preparation, Action, Reflection) that will structure my project.
OAE
I've been enrolled in the Outdoor Adventure Experience course since the start of my Junior year. This course has been a great opportunity for me to identify with my nation by getting to visit remote and beautiful places such as Lunahuana, Oxapampa, Rio Blanco, etc. Throughout an entire semester we are required to attend the three trips that I so much enjoy, learning survival skills and trying extreme sports. I see this course as an opportunity to escape from my urban, monotonous routine, connect with nature, and learn to become a fully independent individual. The trip to Huaraz is, perhaps, the most exciting one in the OAE agenda because it allows us, the members, to escalate one of the highest peaks in Peru. The altitude, the cold, and the fatigue, will be my biggest enemies when climbing the glacier. It is, indeed, an ambitiuos goal the one I've set, bearing in mind that last year only one person reached the summit. Nonetheless, I love to surpass my limits and I'm confident that a strong and disciplined will can achieve almost the impossible. I'm certain that I will reach the top.
The team:
Valentina Alvarez, Ana Lucia Cabrera, Rafael Franco, and myself.
INVESTIGATION
When the CAS project was introduced, I had brainstormed several ideas that fitted to what my coordinator and the CAS rubric demanded. In fact, I was close to pursuit one of those, which I found exceedingly exciting: I wanted to found, along some other friends, an organization that would inculcate the passion for soccer to children with disabilities that aren't able to fully practice the sport. Nonetheless, talking with my partners, the idea of using the CAS opportunity to prepare for what would be the most exciting adventure in our lives surged and seemed more rewarding than any other idea. Thanks to this project I would be able to mature my passion for outdoors and do what I love: surpassing my limits.
Nonetheless, reaching Mount Vallunaraju's peak is no easy task. There are several factors to consider before planning any type of training technique. Our exercising method should be specifically focused on the muscle stress we will experience during the climb. That being said, here are the factors that we had in mind while developing our training plan. a) the climb will last 12 hours of continuous fatigue / b) the terrain we are going into is either bumpy due to the rocks, or dense becuase of the snow's powder / c) we are escalating up to 5600 asl, meaning that oxygen will be scarce / d) I will carry with me about 15 kilograms more than my corporal weight / e) my current fitness is not apt to endure such effort / f) I only have 5 weeks to prepare. Considering that I've been going to the gym to lift weights and build muscle mass, I have to change the entire focus of my training. Being heavier will not help in my way to the summit. That said, instead of placing on more weight to my excercises, I should focus on doing many repetitions with not so much weight. Also, I'll have to focus more in my cardiovascular and aerobic training since there will be few oxygen particles to inhale.
PREPARATION
One day's training will consist of three different methods: building muscle mass, cardiovascular, and interval training.
Building muscle mass
perhaps I miscommunicated before when I stated that building muscle mass would be counterproductive "since it only makes me gain weight". This is actually inaccurate, buidling muscle mass will help me in my journey to Vallunaraju's summit, as long as I don't exceed in my muscle gains. See, as I contract my muscles with weights, certain bodily fluids (like blood) are pumping up my muscles and giving it nutrients to grow. By doing so, my muscles seek for the fat around to convert them into more nutrients and ultimately into muscles. That said, I have decided to maintain my muscle building exercises, although I'll reduce the amount of days per week to two (approx.).
My building muscle mass will primarily focus on my back core and legs.
The following will be the exercises I will use for the back core:
OAE
I've been enrolled in the Outdoor Adventure Experience course since the start of my Junior year. This course has been a great opportunity for me to identify with my nation by getting to visit remote and beautiful places such as Lunahuana, Oxapampa, Rio Blanco, etc. Throughout an entire semester we are required to attend the three trips that I so much enjoy, learning survival skills and trying extreme sports. I see this course as an opportunity to escape from my urban, monotonous routine, connect with nature, and learn to become a fully independent individual. The trip to Huaraz is, perhaps, the most exciting one in the OAE agenda because it allows us, the members, to escalate one of the highest peaks in Peru. The altitude, the cold, and the fatigue, will be my biggest enemies when climbing the glacier. It is, indeed, an ambitiuos goal the one I've set, bearing in mind that last year only one person reached the summit. Nonetheless, I love to surpass my limits and I'm confident that a strong and disciplined will can achieve almost the impossible. I'm certain that I will reach the top.
The team:
Valentina Alvarez, Ana Lucia Cabrera, Rafael Franco, and myself.
INVESTIGATION
When the CAS project was introduced, I had brainstormed several ideas that fitted to what my coordinator and the CAS rubric demanded. In fact, I was close to pursuit one of those, which I found exceedingly exciting: I wanted to found, along some other friends, an organization that would inculcate the passion for soccer to children with disabilities that aren't able to fully practice the sport. Nonetheless, talking with my partners, the idea of using the CAS opportunity to prepare for what would be the most exciting adventure in our lives surged and seemed more rewarding than any other idea. Thanks to this project I would be able to mature my passion for outdoors and do what I love: surpassing my limits.
Nonetheless, reaching Mount Vallunaraju's peak is no easy task. There are several factors to consider before planning any type of training technique. Our exercising method should be specifically focused on the muscle stress we will experience during the climb. That being said, here are the factors that we had in mind while developing our training plan. a) the climb will last 12 hours of continuous fatigue / b) the terrain we are going into is either bumpy due to the rocks, or dense becuase of the snow's powder / c) we are escalating up to 5600 asl, meaning that oxygen will be scarce / d) I will carry with me about 15 kilograms more than my corporal weight / e) my current fitness is not apt to endure such effort / f) I only have 5 weeks to prepare. Considering that I've been going to the gym to lift weights and build muscle mass, I have to change the entire focus of my training. Being heavier will not help in my way to the summit. That said, instead of placing on more weight to my excercises, I should focus on doing many repetitions with not so much weight. Also, I'll have to focus more in my cardiovascular and aerobic training since there will be few oxygen particles to inhale.
PREPARATION
One day's training will consist of three different methods: building muscle mass, cardiovascular, and interval training.
Building muscle mass
perhaps I miscommunicated before when I stated that building muscle mass would be counterproductive "since it only makes me gain weight". This is actually inaccurate, buidling muscle mass will help me in my journey to Vallunaraju's summit, as long as I don't exceed in my muscle gains. See, as I contract my muscles with weights, certain bodily fluids (like blood) are pumping up my muscles and giving it nutrients to grow. By doing so, my muscles seek for the fat around to convert them into more nutrients and ultimately into muscles. That said, I have decided to maintain my muscle building exercises, although I'll reduce the amount of days per week to two (approx.).
My building muscle mass will primarily focus on my back core and legs.
The following will be the exercises I will use for the back core:
The following will be the exercises I will use for building mass in my legs:
Cardiovascular excercise
May 16, 2016
Today I started to train thinking about the exhaustive effort that I am going to do in Huaraz. Before, I went to the gym and trained only to build muscle, now I have started to do more cardiovascular workout. Also, my training has now shifted. Instead of isolating small muscles in my body to gain shape and tune them, I am now trying to burn fibers in bulk form. For instance, today I did 3 series of deadlifting. It is the first time that I do this excercise and I had to ask for the help of the Gym's trainer. This excercise works the entire back core; before, I did particular excercise for particular parts of the back.
After this intense workout, in which I trained my back and cardio, I felt much more fatigued than before. This is, perhaps, because my body had already get used to the workouts I did, and the one I did today was completely different to the previous ones. The fibers I have burned today are those that the workouts of before did not reach. I am happy for that, since I think that my training is becoming more efficient and significantly rewarding for me.
After this intense workout, in which I trained my back and cardio, I felt much more fatigued than before. This is, perhaps, because my body had already get used to the workouts I did, and the one I did today was completely different to the previous ones. The fibers I have burned today are those that the workouts of before did not reach. I am happy for that, since I think that my training is becoming more efficient and significantly rewarding for me.
May 24, 2016
I have decided to change a bit today, since during the last workouts I felt that my body was not feeling the fatigue of the first week. Perhaps I was suffering from muscle memory - my body is used, now, to the monotonous routine and is not feeling all of the effort. Therefore, I have constructed a new routine for today:
New Routine:
I will start the routine doing an Apley Scratch Test, this test consists in placing your hand overhead and reaching your upper back. Then, you place your hand in the lower back and, when reaching as high as possible, you try to grab the palm of your other hand. This test checks “glenohumeral adduction, internal rotation and scapular retraction”. According to the official page of Bodybuilding, if one can’t touch his opposite hand, it indicates low shoulder flexibility.
Glute stretch: Sit on the floor, stretch your left leg and cross your right leg over the left one. Place the left elbow over your right leg and push backwards. Do this with both legs.
Adductor Stretch: Your left feet should support your entire weight, while your right feet must be totally stretched. Reach towards right foot and stretch as you shift your weight to the opposite side. Do this with both legs.
Single Leg Hamstring: Stretch out your left leg and bend the right one so that it bisects its opposite leg. Shift your weight forwards towards the tip of your stretched leg (your back should be totally straight) and hold your toes with both hands.
There are several misconceptions about exercising flexibility (doing yoga) and building muscle. However, the official Bodybuilding website says that the key to this year’s Mr. Olympia competition were the yoga exercises. See, it reduces the risk of injury and osteoarthritis; therefore, it allows you to lift more weight.
New Routine:
I will start the routine doing an Apley Scratch Test, this test consists in placing your hand overhead and reaching your upper back. Then, you place your hand in the lower back and, when reaching as high as possible, you try to grab the palm of your other hand. This test checks “glenohumeral adduction, internal rotation and scapular retraction”. According to the official page of Bodybuilding, if one can’t touch his opposite hand, it indicates low shoulder flexibility.
Glute stretch: Sit on the floor, stretch your left leg and cross your right leg over the left one. Place the left elbow over your right leg and push backwards. Do this with both legs.
Adductor Stretch: Your left feet should support your entire weight, while your right feet must be totally stretched. Reach towards right foot and stretch as you shift your weight to the opposite side. Do this with both legs.
Single Leg Hamstring: Stretch out your left leg and bend the right one so that it bisects its opposite leg. Shift your weight forwards towards the tip of your stretched leg (your back should be totally straight) and hold your toes with both hands.
There are several misconceptions about exercising flexibility (doing yoga) and building muscle. However, the official Bodybuilding website says that the key to this year’s Mr. Olympia competition were the yoga exercises. See, it reduces the risk of injury and osteoarthritis; therefore, it allows you to lift more weight.
April 6, 2016
Given that I am now in the first week of the month, and in only three more I will be trying to accomplish my goal of reaching the summit of Huaraz's galcier, I have decided to shift my workout into a more intense one, in order to ensure that I will not collapse during the expedition. Nevertheless, I have only changed the training method of two days, and I am keeping the rest. I did this in order to diversify my muscle burning fibers and to reduce muscle memory.
Tuesdays:
Fridays:
Muscle memory: As you can see, I have different workouts for different says. This is because of the muscle memory concept. This theory, supported by scientific evidence, explains that if the muscle trains with the same exercise, it will adapt. Henceforth, the amount of workout and muscle pain will gradually decrease.
Tuesdays:
- I first start the routine by warming up with 10 standard pull-ups, which consist of grabbing the bar with your hands pointing forward, your arms parallel to your shoulders and totally stretched, your knees bent in 90 degrees, and, when pulling-up your body, your chin should reach the height of the bar and your elbows should be in a 90 degree angle. This warm-up is important because it increases the blood flow to the muscles of incidence (bicep, forearm, and back core).
- Start to work out specific muscles: Do 15 wide pull-ups (hands should be 2 feet away from shoulders). This exercise will work the entire back core, especially the upper part- Teres muscle, Deltoid muscle, and Infraspinatus fascia.
- Since this unit is about baseball, I decided to add explosive pushups to my routine since they are a good work out for the shoulders. This consists in forming a triangle shape with your hand, and placing your arms (when comparing it to the standard push-up position) half feet closer to your legs. Then, try to slowly touch the floor with your chest by bending your elbows (minimum 3 seconds). After this, when your body is in a flat position, push with all your force downwards, and return to the initial position (this should be done as fast as possible). This excersice does not only work out the shoulder, in fact, it exercises the triceps and back core, as well.
- Stretch the back muscles by hanging your entire weight from the bar.
Fridays:
- Do the same workout of Tuesday’s.
- Do 2 repetitions of 15 “Muscle-ups”. This is an extremely difficult pull-up, since you need to lift your entire torso over the bar (initial position) and extend your arms totally (final position). You should keep your legs bent, in a 90-degree position, and try to balance your entire body in order to build momentum. This exercises work the entire triceps and trapezoid muscle.
- Do 10 “Around the Worlds”: This is a very difficult drill. In order to stress one side of the back versus the other, it is required that you pull yourself up the diagonally to one side of the bar, then, you pull yourself across the entire bar. After this you drop yourself diagonally back to the starting point. It looks like if you are doing circles in the bar. This workout works especially the forearm and entire back.
- Do the same stretching exercise as in Tuesdays.
Muscle memory: As you can see, I have different workouts for different says. This is because of the muscle memory concept. This theory, supported by scientific evidence, explains that if the muscle trains with the same exercise, it will adapt. Henceforth, the amount of workout and muscle pain will gradually decrease.