workouts

so, i know we're starting the paleo challenge and there are specific workouts we're already supposed to do on there, but I already had this post started so I thought I might as well get it posted.  Here are some great resources for workouts and inspiration online.

do yoga with me is a great site with all the yoga routines you could ask for in varying levels and timeframes.  it's free but you can donate money to keep it going.  LOVE this site when my body has been through the ringer and I'm feeling tight.  And don't be fooled, some of these are dang hard and will make you sweat!

brett cap.  maybe a little 'hollywood' but I've done a few of his workouts and really like them.  and he's got some vidoes on nutrition too.

we all know gillian michaels from 'The Biggest Loser'.  I love to do her videos on youtube.   She's got some good ones like 30 day shred, 6 pack in six weeks, yoga, etc.

the daily hiit.  My go-to workout site.  Used to be bodyrock.  Love it!!  So many quick, high intensity workouts.  They work.  They really do.  They've gotten me into some really good shape and you can always fit them into your day.  A good place to start is clicking 'check out today's workout' on the homepage.  That's what I do mostly, but as you get more familiar with it, you can explore.  Often, they have challenges you can do too.  They've also got some new hosts which I think has helped a bit with the 'trashy' issue.

thalita pascual is a personal trainer and bodybuilder.  This is a link to her instagram.  I just like her for inspiration.  She works SO hard for her body.  She posts small clips of her workouts, inspirational quotes, meals, and pictures.  I get a lot of inspiration from her, to keep pushing and never give up.  I have learned though, that some things that motivate me, totally do the opposite for others, so I don't know if anyone would feel the same.

ab ripper x.  P90X ab workout.  me and brad do this every other day (and he does it with the guys he works with too).  11 moves, 25 reps of each.  It's good.  Funny, cause we watched one of the ab videos in the paleo challenge and it's seriously a copy of this one, with a few minor changes, but same moves in the same order.

Zuzka Light.  She charges now for her ZCut : ( , but you can still get some free videos of her older workouts (ZWODs and ZWOWs) and some diet help

Tone It Up.  Love their workouts.  tabs at the top of the page so you can read about fitness or nutrition.  simple but effective.

workout tips, part 3

the last of my workout tips:

-posture.  it is amazing what posture can do for you.  something else I'm working on.  I tend to slouch but I look ten times better when I stick my chest out and lift my head to the sky.  Look in the mirror and try it.  I remind myself often throughout the day, to stand or sit up tall.  It feels a little strange but the more you do it, the more natural it will become.

-don't just go through the motions.  visualize your muscles and squeeze the ones you're working.  Stay FOCUSED throughout.  if your mind starts wandering you won't get as good of a workout. push yourself! set tiny goals within your workout.  'i'm going to go .5 more miles on the treadmill' and when you reach it, say, 'just .2 more'.  or add an extra set of squats after you finish what you had planned to do.  use enough weight that it's not easy for you and you're fatigued by the last rep.

-stretch.  it's really important to stretch GOOD.  don't just lean over each leg for 2 seconds and swing your arms around and call it good.  really sit in the stretch for awhile.  take deep breaths and go deeper on every exhale.  try to sit in each stretch for 5 breaths.  Stretching helps get you the long, lean muscles we all strive for.

workout tips, part 2 of 3

sorry, i have a lot to say about working out.  : )  just some things that have helped me stick to my workouts daily:

-set aside a time each day for your workout.  It's easier to stick to if it's part of a routine.  Every day, I wake up and put on my workout clothes first thing.  then I eat a healthy breakfast, drop the kids off at school, and prepare to workout (fill up my water, get my protein shake ready for post-workout, write down my workout, drive to the gym, etc.). it's part of my everyday routine and it's easy.  last year, i volunteered in colsie's class every wednesday, soon after dropping him off, so there wasn't time for the workout.  i just knew on those days, the routine was volunteer and THEN workout.  It was a little change in the regular flow, but I just knew every wednesday THAT was the routine.  again, it wasn't hard.   

-do something active EVERY DAY.  every day doesn't have to be the same intensity.  do yoga the day after you lift hard.  go on a walk or hike. try a new workout video.

-get creative.  of course, even with a routine, sometimes things get thrown off.  this morning, for example, i skipped meals and therefore felt very lethargic.  I didn't get my morning workout in.  Colse had soccer practice at 5:30, so I put on my workout clothes, drove him to practice, let the other two kids play on the playground, while I did box jumps on a 3 foot curb right by the playground.  I could watch the kids and get my heart rate up.  I did a couple (kind of) pull-ups on the monkey bars (it's my goal to be able to do 5 pull-ups without help but I'm nowhere near being able to yet), a few lunges, and some push-ups in the grass.  the kids even joined me for those. You do NOT need a gym.  there are plenty of online workouts.  go to a park, use your kitchen table for pull ups, do dips between two chairs.  no excuses!  you can workout ANYWHERE!  i don't think i got the best workout today but it doesn't matter to me.  I had a killer workout yesterday, so taking it a bit easier was probably a good thing.  i'm just glad i did SOMETHING instead of writing it off since it didn't happen in the morning!

-set goals.  like i said, my goal is to be able to do 5 pull-ups without help.  make it attainable so you don't set yourself up for failure.  last year, i had a goal to be able to do 10 guy push-ups without dropping to my knees.  i started with the girl version at the beginning, and it felt SO gratifying when I could do a few guy push-ups after a month of hard work.  Hard work pays off.  don't give up!  When you have a goal, it gives you a reason to keep working at a skill.  If I didn't have the pull-up goal, I probably wouldn't even do pull-ups, but with my goal in mind, I try to fit in a couple sets every other day, using a chair to help myself up.  That's the only way I'll improve and meet my goal.

workout tips: part 1 of 3

I LOVE to workout.  It gives me more energy, more confidence, and more motivation to do better in other parts of my life.

Some tips to get the most out of your workout:

-Eat a healthy, well-balanced diet. Eating meals as outlined in the previous post, gives me the energy I need to get a GOOD workout.  If I'm not going to eat like this, I'm wasting my time working out.  I won't have the protein to maintain my muscle, I won't have the veggies to replenish my vitamins.  I won't have the carbs to give me energy and I won't have the fat to help burn fat. FOOD IS FUEL.  when i started seeing it that way, it became easier to eat a healthy diet.

-LIFT WEIGHTS!!!!  Just trust me.  I'm doing squats with 95 lbs and cleans with, i think, 55lbs and that's HARD for me.  But I'm not getting big.  I'm getting smaller.  muscle is waaaay more compact than fat, so if you're following a good diet and burning fat, you'll look smaller when you lift weight because the fat is coming off and the (tight, compact) muscle is building.  but if you don't have a gym membership, never fear.  at least invest in a couple weights.  maybe some 15 lb dumbbells for squats and some 5s or 8s for smaller muscles (biceps, triceps).  Or just buy one 15-20lb kettlebell and do kettlebell swings.  a great full body workout!

-get rest!  When you're working out, your body needs to rest so it can heal.  Exercise definitely makes you feel energized but you also get tired by the end of the day.  You're body needs rest so it can go at it again in the morning.  Keep your immune system strong by going to bed early.  I always get sick when I'm lacking sleep.

-Don't work the same muscle group two days in a row.  When we rest, we get stronger.  When you work a muscle, you're essentially damaging that muscle and, on your rest day, the muscle repairs itself, making it stronger.  If it doesn't have a day of rest, it won't be able to strengthen.  I do abs monday, wednesday, and friday.  That part of my routine is set.  But my other body parts, I switch around.  If I feel like a leg day I might do squats, lunges, deadlifts, and cleans.  The next day I'll do push-ups, pull-ups, dips, weights, and maybe do my cardio too.  Then I go back to legs the next day.  It's different each week, depending on how I feel. (and i will do cardio on consecutive days)

-Cardio.  If you want to see results you must have the trifecta: DIET, WEIGHTLIFTING, and CARDIO.  We've talked about the first two, but cardio will help burn that fat.  YOU NEED ALL THREE! Something I'm FINALLY learning.  I'm usually doing good with one or two of these at any given time, but not usually all three.  I haven't focused on cardio in forever but I just started running again.  It's so hard for me, because I don't have great endurance, but I'm going to commit to at least 3x a week.  You don't need a ton of cardio.  Just 30 minutes, 3-5 times a week.  Go jogging, do the elliptical, do an aerobics video, do a 20 minute HIIT workout with jumprope, high knees, burpees, etc.  mix it up so you don't get bored.  Right now, I can handle maybe 2 miles on the track, but as I get better I'll be able to go further.

-Switch it up.  Don't do the same old workouts every single week.  it eventually gets boring and you won't stick to it.  I love to workout because it's an adventure every day.  I actually get excited at night, thinking about what i'm going to do in the morning.  i sincerely look forward to going to the gym the next day, or staying home and trying a new youtube video, or going for a jog, or doing yoga.  it's so much fun to me.  I definitely have workouts that i love and repeat, but I switch it up often.  Compare it to the way you eat.  Would you want to eat the same dinner every single night?  NO WAY!  You switch it up often.  I'm sure we all have recipes that we make more than once because our family loves them, but we definitely try new things to keep it interesting and fun.

in a future post, i'll give some links of good workouts and fitness sites that i love.

Sweatin' Like a Pro

This is what I looked like this morning, after my B.RUTAL workout.

MAN, bodyrocking is HARD, but oh so worth it.

BR: DAY 5 WEEK 4!!!!!

I finished the 30 day challenge!!

Okay, like i said, i don't know if anyone else can see a difference. you might all think I look exactly the same as before, but -I- can tell a difference and I'm loving it. I will continue to bodyrock and hopefully see more results. I'm sure I would have seen MORE results, had I continued to eat better but that is something I still need to work on. What can I say? I like food. A lot.

beginning weight: 123

ending weight: 120.8

BEFORE:

AFTER:

So, it's not very dramatic, but I definitely see more definition in my whole body. My arms are more toned (which I love love love!), my legs have always been a problem area and I'm starting to see a little bit of muscle there, and my stomach is even flatter. I'm really happy with the outcome. There's a new February Challenge, so I think I'll have to do that one next!

.....................................

Today marks one month since i started BodyRocking! I took the fit test again today, for the third time this month, to see what kind of improvement I've made over the past 30 days:

here are my results from all three times (first day, two weeks in, and today):

Squat Jump 27 33 46

Push-up 22 17 25

Burpees 17 20 20

High Knees 90 130 148

Switch Lunges 32 38 40

Tuck Jumps 24 27 31

Straight Abs 15 17 21

Day 4 Week 4!!

word of the day: ACHIEVED!

i'm so proud of what i've achieved this month! i kind of treated this as my LAST CHANCE WORKOUT, because it really is the last workout of the challenge. tomorrow is just a 7 minute fit test, to see how far i've come!

i set my interval timer to 10/30 and did this circuit only 1x through, doing as many of these exercises as i could in the 30 second time period. and i was able to do it full out without hurting. i guess yesterday's injury was just a fluke (thank goodness!)

this is actually the same workout we did last tuesday, so i put my previous scores in parentheses.

Workout Breakdown:

1 Push-up + Burpee + Tuck Jump 7 (6)

*High Knees Skip 77 (76)

Switch Lunge 25 (23)

*High Knees Skip 79 (72)

Press up with Spider Knee (on my knees) 11 (7)

*High Knees Skip 82 (86)

High Knees x 10 + Mountain Climbers x 10 4 (3)

*High Knees Skip 80 (60)

Side Burpee & Oblique Abs 7 (6)

*High Knees Skip 80 (80low)

Push-up + Side Plank Twist + Oblique Drop 7 (5)

*High Knees Skip 80 (75)

V Abs Left 19 (16)

*High Knees Skip 70 (76)

V Abs Right 20 (18)

*High Knees Skip 80 (66)

Hug Knees + Star Jack 19 (20)

*High Knees Skip 85 (74)

Single Toe Touch Abs 15 (10)

*High Knees Skip 83 (80)

Squat Jump 20 (20)

*High Knees Skip 80 (75)

1/2 Burpee + 1 Push-up 8 (8)

*High Knees Skip 90 (70)

I LOVE getting to see some improvement!! i feel like i was a lot more consistent this time around (my high knee skips stayed in the 70s or 80s and i kept my knees high)

Day 3 Week 4

i was excited for today because, instead of 12 minutes with lisa marie, and THEN an additional weight routine with sean, they mixed the two into one workout. so it was only 12 minutes, but you get your weights AND your cardio. NICE!

it was REALLY disappointing when i went to do the workout and somehow injured a muscle, so the whole workout was not done to my full potential. very frustrating.

word of the day: CAPABLE

Set your interval timer to 12 rounds of 10/50 and complete the following 6 exercises 2 times through. ( 3 times if you want to really push hard ;) ) brad wasn't home today, so no scores for him

Lisa-Marie’s 3 Exercises:

1. Push-up & Front Raise using 8 lb weights 6 5

2. Bag Drag using the Pink Sandbag (i did it without equipment) 8 7

3. Commando Push Up, Roll & Mountain Climbers 4 3

Seans 3 Exercises:

1. Shoulder Lift & Squat & One Leg Lift using the Pink Sandbag 7 (this is where i felt the pain in my inner thigh. i didn't lift a leg, just squatted) 8

2. Round the world using 8 lb weights 10 (could hardly do them) 16

3. Squat & Press using 8 lb weights (the first time through, i just did a press. i couldn't squat anymore) 20 16

and then the second time through everything, i was able to do everything (all of the squats). still not completely 100%, but better than the first round. i need to do some serious stretching and resting tonight. i'm bummed about this. i wanted to work SO HARD this week, since it's kind of my last chance before the end of the challenge. i HOPE i'll heal before friday! that's the fit test and i NEED to see some improvement or i'll be a little disappointed. : (

Day 2 Week 4

the countdown is officially on. only three days left!! i'm feeling so much better about my body. i feel more FIRM. it's a really good feeling. not to say i don't have jiggles, but i love what bodyrock is doing for me, after only 30 days!! i won't stop after these three days. if only i can figure out how to motivate myself to stick to the diet plan....

word of the day; CONQUER

Set your interval timer to 12 rounds of 10/50 and complete the following 4 exercises 3 times through. ( 4 times if you feel brave enough ;) )

1. Push-up + Clean & Press & Squat & Press – using 8 lb weights 6 7 6 (8 6 5)
2. Plyo-metric Jump & Press Up & Tuck Jump 8 6 9 (8 6 7)
3. Plank & Floor touch & Knee Tuck – Alternate Sides Using Table & Stability Ball (we ended up just doing it on the floor without equipment) 8 11 18 (16 16 20)
4. Reverse Pull Up’s 17 15 22 (25 22 22)

Day 1 Week 4

ONLY 4 DAYS TO GO!!!

word of the day: FEEL IT

Set your interval timer to 12 rounds of 10/50 and complete the following 4 exercises 3 times through. ( 4 times if you feel brave enough ;) ) brad's scores are in ( ):

1 Leg Push-Ups and Jump Over 10 9 9 (15 8 10)

Side Straddle Run’s & Burpee’s 12 13 12 (11 12 9)

Squat and Woodchop – Alternate Sides Using the big exercise ball 23 24 23 (22 27 30)

Plank Jumps using the core disc 38 47 38 (42 44 50)

Set your interval timer to 12 rounds of 10/50 and complete the following 4 exercises 3 times through. oh my goodness! brad and i BOTH were doing the easiest style of pushups by the third time through. this was killer. pushups are not a strength of mine. but i guess that's why i need to do them. i won't improve if i never try.

1. Elevated Push Up’s with spider knee 14 8 12 (21 18 16)

2. Star or Diamond Push Up 14 13 15 (21 15 17)

3. Explosive Push Ups using the core disc 8 10 10 (9 12 16)

4. Tricep Alternating Lunges using the Pink Sandbag (we just did dips on the side of a chair) 12:i wasted about ten seconds, trying to get situated correctly 20 25 (25 24 27)