Cindy Cordova is the assistant to the dean of the UCLA Graduate School of Education & Information Studies, where she ensures that the dean's work life is organized, timely, flawless, and well maintained. On staff at UCLA since 2007, Cindy says that she “plans on being here a long, long time.” She joined BHIP so that when she turns 40 this summer, “I’ll be able to out-squat a 20-year-old.” In her spare time, she
volunteers, mentors, gardens in an organic community garden and loves to travel with her partner, Renee.
May 17, 2010
DAY 1: We meet 'The Rusticle'
Today we were introduced to Russ, the coach — or “The Rusticle,” as he refers to himself. The Rusticle makes lots of martial arts jokes and describes working out as “becoming harder to kill.” I think about Demi Moore in “G.I. Jane” and wonder if I’ll have a shaved head and be able to do one-armed pushups come the end of the program.
The Rusticle started us off slowly, explaining proper standing and form. Then came an endless number of squats — but I wasn’t dipping low enough, he said, so he put a very small ball behind me and told me to squat until my behind touched it — Is he insane? That ball was like six inches from the ground! — but I touched down after three attempts while the coach closely observed before moving on to his next victim.
Next came planks: Your straight-back torso parallel to the floor, hold yourself up with your hands and toes for 15 seconds, then rest 15. By the fourth rep, fellow BHIPsters were grunting. Six rounds in, loud wails of pain. We made it to eight.
Read the complete post....May 27, 2010
Being in the noon class gives me what I call the Glimpse of Horror. I get to see the tail-end of the 11:00 a.m. class, which is usually BHIPsters gasping sweating like crazy and gasping for air. Today was no different: several people doing dead weight lifts with those enormous weights you see in Olympic competitions -- you know, the ones that weightlifters grunt and moan to lift. That would be the 11 a.m.-ers, grunting and moaning.
Read Cindy's complete post here.May 27, 2010
First week of BHIP completed, and I had the weekend to regain mobility. Less handicap bathroom stalls, less elevators, less leaving things on the floor because I can’t bend over to pick them up. I feel great!
I think I’ve cracked the code of the coaches. They use the word “skill” to mean “exercise”. If they said “exercise”, we’d all moan and groan, but skill denotes something new and exciting, like juggling or fire swallowing. We’re always eager to learn our new skill... I almost had to miss class today to attend a meeting, and I actually started freaking out. I had no idea that BHIP was addictive as white cheddar Cheez-Its. I can’t believe it’s only been two weeks and exercise has already become part of my daily life.
Read the complete post here.May 28, 2010
Burpee knees. Doesn’t sound pleasant, and it isn’t. I’ve developed bruises on both my knees from throwing myself on the ground on the hard gym floor. I know with proper form my knees shouldn’t be hitting the ground so hard, but this girl is still learning! If you don’t know what a burpee is, you can
view this oddity here. ... You know what I love about BHIP? No, it’s not the everyday pain and stiffness, not the sweat falling in my eyes and up my nose, not even the burning lungs. I love the people.I look around at my noon cohort and see people of all different sizes and fitness levels, all trying to better themselves. When I did my 500 squats over the weekend, I noticed it was just a little bit tougher without my workout friends around me. There’s strength and power in numbers -- I’m a believer!
Read the complete post here. Jun 04, 2010
There it is! I can finally feel changes in my body. They’re not the changes an outsider can see; they’re subtle -- like Madonna’s British accent. Just enough to know they’re there. A tighter leg muscle here, showing tiny triceps there. The sweat of the past three weeks is slowly paying off.
My diet has changed a bit since I’ve started the program. I’m a relatively healthy eater. I don’t eat meat and grow my own organic vegetables. Even so, I’ve noticed it’s hard for me to eat junk food lately.
Read Cindy's complete post here.
Jun 07, 2010
It started out like any other BHIP day — the arm circles, the Drake Stadium stairs, the lap around the track. The weather was not on our side. It sprinkled when the vanpool dropped me off in the morning, but the hot sun was out just in time for our noon class. ... Rusticles gave us the workout: 10 hoop pullups, 15 pushups, 20 situps and 30 squats — then rest for two minutes. Repeat five times. I got through two reps before I realized things seemed a bit fuzzy. I sat down, unable to talk ...
Read Cindy's complete post here.
Jun 22, 2010
My Dearest BHIP - It seems like only yesterday that we first laid eyes on each other. Like so many relationships nowadays, we met online and realized we had similar interests. I wanted to get healthy; you were the beacon of fitness. We spent that first hour together and you intrigued me. You left me with a feeling of wonderment, and I was oh-so-eager to see you again. ... The next few weeks were a steamy, sweaty, animalistic blur. We got into positions I didn’t think were possible, and you asked of me things I never thought I’d do. ...
Read the complete post here.Jul 09, 2010
There’s changes in town, and it’s called the BHIP miracle. BHIPsters feel it. Our squats are just a little bit deeper, we run just a little bit harder, our pushups are a little bit stronger. The workouts no longer seem impossible, at the same time getting increasingly challenging. "Can't" has been removed from our vocabulary. ... Did you ever think on Day 1 that you could deadlift a barbell with weights? Or when you started Week 2, could you see yourself on the Drake steps? WITH A SANDBAG???I think not. Progress, my friends, progress!
Read Cindy's complete post here.
