This week’s Active Badger Spotlight is Rachel S.! This leg day-loving Group Fitness instructor gets down to business with fast paced, high intensity, and strength training workouts and can also be spotted on occasional runs up the infamous Bascom Hill. (Don’t sign me up!) Keep reading to get to know more about Rachel S!
1.What is your current status at UW-Madison and what are you going to school for?
I am a senior here at UW majoring in Retailing and Consumer Behavior, with a Certificate in Entrepreneurship.
2.What Group Fitness classes do you teach and which is your favorite to teach?
This semester I teach Kickboxing, Tabata Plus, and Group Strength. My favorite class to teach is Tabata Plus because it is a high intensity workout, fast paced, and a lot of fun. It incorporates both cardio in the form of high intensity intervals, and strength exercises during active recoveries. High intensity training is an efficient way to train muscles and burn fat.
3.How long have you been with Rec Sports?
I have been with Rec Sports for about 1 year. I started training to be a Group Fitness instructor in January of last year.
4.Have you always been passionate about fitness?
I was in sports in high school which required me to be pretty active, but at the time I was mostly going to sports practices and lifting weights. Once I got to college I had to find a way to incorporate exercise into my routine since I was no longer part of a sports team. That’s when I started attending Group Fitness classes, and my interest in fitness and training really took off. The variety of training techniques that Group Fitness classes provide is amazing. From cycling to high intensity interval training or strength training, the program really opened up my eyes to the fitness world.
5.What is your favorite song to work out to?
Right now it’s “Lockjaw” by French Montana. I’m also currently feelin’ Kodak Black. BUT, Future’s “Where Ya At” is always my go-to pump up song.
6.Do you do any fitness activities outside of Rec Sports?
I’ll go for a run on occasion, and have attended some fitness classes at other gyms. When it’s
warm out, I’ll tackle Bascom Hill. I do some light dancing on the weekends.
7.Name some healthy foods you love.
I love a good salad, especially with chicken or shrimp. When I’m feeling ambitious I will make banana chocolate ice cream by blending a frozen banana and adding a scoop of chocolate protein powder. I don’t know if you would necessarily consider this healthy, but Cookie Dough Quest Bars are my favorite snack.
8.What is your favorite guilty pleasure food?
I have a lot of these. I love chocolate ice cream or chocolate cake. My mom makes chocolate fudge during the holidays and I’d say that’s one I cannot pass up.
9.What is your favorite muscle group to work and exercises to go with it?
Glutes, quads, and hams (a.k.a. “Leg Day”). Some of my favorite exercises to target these muscles would be glute bridges, one leg deadlifts, and plie squats.
10.What advice would you give to students in order to motivate them to make healthy choices?
One way to motivate yourself to make healthy choices is to think about how your daily actions affect your overall health. A lot of us think of exercising and eating healthy as a way to “look good,” and that definitely is a plus, but we don’t always think about how it improves your overall health. If we focus on healthy choices as a way to avoid disease, provide energy, and increase our overall well-being, rather than just a way to alter our physical appearance, we will realize its true importance.
Don’t forget to catch one of Rachel’s classes at the SERF this week! Next week’s spotlight is a Badger you won’t want to miss. Stay tuned, friends.