Denver Fitness: Why Running Red Rocks is the Best Workout In the World!

In Denver Colorado there is a mythical indian ceremonial ground just a few miles down from a place that is affectionately called ‘Red Rocks’.  Sometimes people like to run up these mythical stairs, perhaps drawn to the redness of the rocks or the beautiful landscape that comes with it.  One thing is for sure, when taking part in a boot camp class, the landscape certainly helps take one’s mind off of the intense fitness workout they usually face.

The old ‘last one to the top is a rotten egg’ trick…. never fails 🙂

UPDATE – RED ROCKS BOOTCAMP IS IN FULL SWING ALL YEAR ROUND!:

Details:

Our boot camp classes meet every tuesday, thursday at 6am, 815am on Saturdays.  Prices vary depending on how often you’d like to come.

Live in Denver?  email info@bonzabodies.com or call 720 257 9328 to get a free pass to one of our classes

meet at the visitors center up top of red rocks.  just look for the 6’7″ Australian guy or a small group of friendly lookin’ people waiting for me to show up 🙂

As you can see, it is well worth the visit:

don’t worry – you don’t have to climb them all.  Just most of them.  Numerous times.

Multiple bands of Red Rock boot camp exercise groupies have been known to gather at various times of morning, but depending on what world famous band is playing later that night, sometimes will show up early in the afternoon to get a quick stair session in.

Some come well prepared to sweat.  Some just show up to play.  All leave with a smile on their face.  Here’s why:

Three reasons why a Red Rocks Boot Camp is the Best Workout in the World:

#1 – The air

If you like running, think of any stadium you might have been in.  Now imagine the traffic, industry and stagnant air you were breathing in.  The air at red rocks is worth bottling and selling – unfortunately you are at such a high elevation you might not get much in the jar!

The air is clean, but also it is thin – perfect for hardening any cardiovascular system to compete with regular sea-level loving folks.

#2:  The stairs

They come in a variety of punishing depths and widths, each with their own cardiovascular and muscular challenges.  It is almost as if climbing to the top of these stairs is to overcome gravity itself – which seems to get significantly more challenging as you keep going up…

Maybe its a heavier gravity area at the top of the stairs 😉  you know, increased density of rock and all that physics jargon.  Here is my new theory of Red Rocks relativity:    E = MC vomit

#3:  The people

Imagine going to a track meet.  Or maybe a spin class.  You might even like going to the gym with all its recycled air and minimal stairs 🙂

Every time I go to Red Rocks to teach boot camp I know I will see something I have never seen before.

It might be someone climbing up the stairs backwards on hands and feet.

Perhaps some collection of guys who have decided to risk skin cancer on 90% of their body in the middle of winter.

Or even just sitting back and absorbing the massive blend of people all accepting each other for just being there.  For releasing their inner child and just playing.

“Just one more round of stairs, Mom!”

So if you are in the Denver area and you have never been to Red Rocks, go check it out.  Go any morning (Saturday is always a popular day) and bring your running shoes – even if you have no plans to workout (you will at least look the part, right?).

The fever is contagious.  Seeing so many people with smiles on their faces may cause you to remember what it felt like to exercise without worrying about what ‘zone’ your heart rate was in.

So that’s my Red Rocks.  I urge you to go – but I also urge you to have fun with it.  Treat the large open landscape of rocky goodness with the same joy that you would a playground in your younger years.

Forget about the sets and reps and just experiment and play.  Do some smaller steps, bigger steps, side to side steps, funky push-ups, stretches on the rail, breathe deep, laugh with a friend and most importantly, feed your playful spirit.

Exercise should not be about how many calories you burned in that hour, but how much life you squeezed out of every minute of it.

Or maybe I’m crazy.  If you know me, then you already know my obsession with the integrative nature of the muscles of the body and the intricate muscles that hold us all together (which I guess answers the whole ‘crazy’ question)

Want to be part of a boot camp class at Red Rocks?

If you haven’t figured it out by now, I teach a class there every saturday at 815am.  If you are interested, you can email info@bonzabodies.com or call me on 720 257 9328 with any questions you might have, boot camp related or not.  or just comment on this post and I will track you down from there.

Now go get to Red Rocks and start a’ steppin’!

Yours in health,

Jamie Atlas

 

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