Issue link: http://www.wacmagazine.com/i/920099
JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2018 21 living fit meet the athlete / exercise of the month Meet the athlete Chris Hernandez By Mae Jacobson, Associate Editor The son of a basketball coach, Chris Hernandez grew up on the court. He eventually took his skills to Stanford University, where he was named to the All Pac-10 first team three years in a row. Chris went on to play basketball professionally for four years in Spain, followed by two years in Mexico. When a job at Amazon brought him to Seattle in 2015, he settled down and joined the WAC. He now plays for the Club's open team. Q. Tell us about your time at Stanford. A. I was in a great community that supported young people in reaching their potential. I led a team that started out 26-0 and stayed in the No. 1 spot for many weeks. We also reached the NCAA tournament four of the five years I played. Attending Stanford and benefiting from the diverse student body made me a better person. Q. What's your favorite part about basketball? A. e team aspect. Getting 10 to 12 players with different goals to have one vision is not easy. It's an amazing feeling when every- thing clicks. Q. Tell us about playing basketball at the WAC. A. It's been rewarding. I play with former college basketball players who treat the game, their teammates, and fellow WAC members with the utmost respect. It's a warm community to be a part of. Q. Do you have any advice for aspiring basketball players or other young athletes? A. Put as much time into academics as you do to becoming a great athlete. e skills you gain in the classroom help you on your journey and give you the foundation to succeed when your athletic career ends. S TA N F O R D P H O T O . C O M Exercise of the Month: Push Press WAC personal trainer Kelvin Wallace demonstrates a Push Press. This exercise increases strength and power in the upper and lower body. 1 Stand with feet at hip-width. Position barbell at chest height with an overhand grip slightly wider than your shoulders. Keep your torso tight and your head retracted. 2 Bend your knees, hips and ankles slightly (not shown) and then explosively drive upward with legs, pushing barbell up off your shoulders, and extend your arms overhead. Return barbell to shoulders and repeat. Complete 8–10 reps. See this exercise in action: wac.net/push-press 1 2 A N I TA N O W A C K A ( 2 ) Q. How are self-propelled treadmills—such as the SkillMill in Coed Fitness—beneficial to a runner? A. These machines rely on the user, so your workout be- comes pure human effort. That translates into a 30 percent increase in caloric expenditure. You're also working more of your hamstrings and glutes than you would on a motorized treadmill. Best of all, you are in total control of your pace. Changes in speed happen naturally, so it's the most organic way to experience an indoor run. Ask the Trainer With Darrick Kung