Weekly Workout

This is my ease back into it week.  Or at least that is what I thought.  The xFinity App on my tablet has a fitness channel.  There is a variety of workouts that vary in length so it is nice to select something based on the amount of time you have.

This week I am going to be doing one of the walking workouts.  What is considered a walking workout is more what I know as aerobics.  Since the beginner level was fine a few weeks a go I upped it a notch.  A walking workout, easy peasy right.  Even moving up a step it shouldn't be to bad.  WRONG!!!  Have you all noticed I am wrong a lot!!

Yesterday sucked.  For real.  As I was working out my body began to feel every motion.  The first 5 minutes were the worst and that was just the warm up.  Admittedly I am severely out of shape so surprise was not an emotion that even surfaced.  But my goodness.  Anyhow,  the good thing is I finished and I plan to be back at it tomorrow.

Yep, I took that first step and even though I am not a workout rockstar yet my mantra for the week is JUST FINISH.  I think that is what counts.  Off to take my measurements so I can have reference point to see how I am progressing.

I MUST Be Crazy

Last year of a friend of mine did the Warrior Dash and wanted me to do it.  Thinking it would be something fun for me and my girls to do together we were a little disappointed when my youngest didn't meet the age requirement.  Well, here we are one year later and one year older.  So guess who is all signed up for the Warrior Dash.  I think this will be a lot of fun for me and my girls.

(photo courtesy of Warrior Dash Facebook page)

I'll let you know how it goes

Fit Test 3

I have made it to the 3rd fit test for Insanity!!! Here are my results. Month 2 has officially begun and all I can say is OMG. Please wish me luck.

Fit Test	Day 1	Day 15	Day 36
Date	1/2/12	1/16/12	2/5/2012
Switch Kicks	94	108	106
Power Jacks	52	63	65
Power Knees	80	105	112
Power Jumps	23	31	41
Globe Jumps	5	8	9
Suicide Jumps	13	14	20
Push-up Jacks	15	26	29
Low Plank Oblique	32	47	56

Fit Test 2

I am still going strong with INSANITY. Today was my 2nd Fit Test. I am pleased to see my work is paying off.

I think I have another one 2 weeks from now so I really have to continue to push myself.

On the Bookshelf- Knit and Be Fit

A quick peek at the latest books I checked out from the library.

Fitness and Knitting. They go hand and hand right :-)

I have gotten a chance to flip through all of the books and have actually read a good bit of the High-Intensity training. When it comes to health and fitness there is soooo much information out there it is easy to get confused. I am a keep it simple kind of person so cardio, weights, eat right should do the trick. I like to thumb through the fitness books to find new exercises. Yes, I know anything can be found on the Internet but there is something about having a book in my hand and turning pages. I wonder if in my lifetime books will be obselete.

The Christmas Balls book has some cute ornaments that can be knitted up. I probably should have checked this out well before Christmas but it isn't to late to make a couple of ornaments for next year. We'll see. If anything I can revisit it in October or November.

Utter INSANITY!!!

That's right. The first 60 days of the year is being dedicated to INSANITY!!! This was a Christmas gift and I couldn't be more excited about it. Should I be scared? The month of December was great getting back into the gym but now the time has come for me to kick it up a notch.

Before I started I knew I would need some new shoes. The sneakers I have now are about 2 years old and I really shouldn't be wearing them at all because there is absolutely NO cushion left in them. Bad, bad, bad.

Talk about a rude awakening taking pictures of myself. I want the t-shirt which means I have to show someone else those pictures.. oh geez. If anything they will be a great motivator because I refuse to look like that.

If you have done INSANITY before and have any advice please share.

Week 3- Seriously?

This DVD (Jillian Michaels Ripped in Thirty) is off the chain challenging. If you can make it straight through any of these workouts at the advanced level you are a BEAST. Therefore, I am not a beast. But that is okay, I am trying my best. The week 3 workout will make you want to run to your room crying. I really liked it though. This series of exercises seems to go by faster than the other weeks. I am not sure what it is but in the blink of an eye you are sweating bullets, screaming for mercy and then done.

Next week is Week 4. I am proud of myself for sticking with this. At this point I need to focus on my eating too. Baby steps I guess. The measurements I was supposed to take at the start of this were never taken but I am starting to see some changes in my body. I will stick with this workout DVD well past the 4 weeks I am sure.

Week 2

I made it through week one of Jillian Michaels Ripped in 30 and let me tell you I am liking it. By the end of the week a was comfortable yet challenged. I started Week 2 this morning and it is pretty much as if I did nothing all last week. Oh my!!!

The Week 2 warm up is great. I really like the moves to get you stretched out and ready to go. Be careful and get familiar with the moves for Week 2. I needed to put the weights down and focus on getting the proper form and pefecting the move. Tomorrow I am going to pick up the weights I need to do this.

The abs portion of Week 2 is tough. I haven't seen some of these ab moves before and it is always nice to see something new. They are killer but its all good. Truth be told I have no clue how am going to make it through this week but I thought the same about Week 1 so I am seriously crossing my fingers.

As great as this workout is I don't think 30 min is enough for my to achieve the results I am looking for. It feels like I should be doing another 20 min. I am seriously thinking of doing one workout in the morning and one in the evening. I might even try hopping on the treadmill for 20-30 min after. We'll see.

I meant to take my measurements last week so maybe at some point tomorrow I'll get around to dealing with those pesky numbers.

My Quads are DONE!!!

Thanks to Jillian Michaels I am hurting. This was Day 1 of the Ripped in 30 program. Somebody give me a massage now. The initial plan was to get the Beachbody Insanity workouts but I didn't get them yet so I needed to get started with something. Lots of people recommended Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred but the store didn't have that either. The Ripped in 30 came out this year and for $10 I had nothing to lose.

Day 1 Thoughts

Pros- the workout is between 20-25 minutes so you don't need a lot of time to fit it in, you hit a lot of muscle groups, variations of each exercise

Cons- none yet other than the pain I am in, requires weights and I didn't see that mentioned on the packaging

There is a meal plan that goes with this that you have to download. I haven't decided if I am going to follow that or not. Once I get out of this stupor I am in I'll check it out.

Anyone else on a get in shape for the summer kick? What is your workout plan?

10K.. Who Me?

What? Run a 10K? I have never even done a 5K!! I haven't been to the gym in 6 months!! It's to, cold!!

In other words, every excuse in the book. Those were my response to a New Year's Eve call from a friend telling me that he wants me to do a 10K with him in April. His response. "You have 4 months."

So it looks like I will be training for a 10K. I really need to lay off all of the reasons why I can't do something so on the first day of 2011 I found a 30 day plan to get me to 3 miles. Not 30 consecutive days but what you should be doing for each of 30 workouts. I'll start with that and see how I do.

Cross your fingers for me. I am going to need some good workout vibes on this one!! Workout 1 is done and I don't feel bad. I know that I am not in the shape I used to be but that is all in the past. I am looking forward to wiping the slate clean and starting 2011 fresh. It will hold great things for me. Nothing like taking a good thing (me) and making it better (a better me)!!

Killer Abs

Oy!! My abs hurt. My daughter has me doing this with her. Eight minutes of pain. No pain, no gain. This is supposed to be part of my slow road back to working out.

100 Pushups Revisited

So many excuses for why I haven't be working out lately (last 4 months) but I won't even bother because they are just that, excuses.  Instead I am going to try and get my butt in motion by doing the 100 Push Up Challenge again.  Yes, again.  I have done it several times even though I have never made it all the way through the program.  Maybe this will be the time.

This morning I did my initial test and I was able to do 12 pushups.  Looking back that is the same amount I did on my initial test last year.  Don't laugh.  Hopefully muscle memory will kick in and it won't be too hard to double or triple that number.  I have got to start somewhere.

For more information take a look at the program website.  They also have a squats, situps, and pullups program. Would it be to much to do all three?  I think not.  I'll have a go at the squats tomorrow.

Anyone want to join me? 

Hitting the Gym

I am mentally back in gym mode so let's see if my body can follow suit. Today was my second day back. Yesterday I did 20 minutes of intervals on the treadmill and a full body workout. I didn't have a set plan going in so today I made sure I did. My routine in the past has been a 5 days of gym and 2 days off. Three days were dedicated to legs and two days arms.

After heading over to ExRx.net my go to resource for looking at different excercises I decided to try one of their workout templates. Here is a 3 Day Split Program that I will try out for 1-2 months. Basically my weekly workout will be ABCAB and then week 2 will be CABCA and week 3 continues with BCABC. You get the drift.

Workout A: Pull Back (Lats) Deltoid (Side) Back (General) Trapezius (Upper) Deltoid (Rear) Biceps Brachialis Brachioradialis Wrist Flexors Wrist Extensors

Workout B: Push Chest (General) Calves (General) Chest (Upper) Calves (Soleus) Chest (General) Deltoid (Front) Tibialis Anterior Triceps Triceps

Workout C: Thighs Quadriceps Hamstrings Quadriceps Hamstrings Quadriceps Hip Adductors Hip Abductors Neck Extensors Neck Flexors Hip Flexors Abdominal Obliques

Workout courtesy of ExRx.net

Are You Serious Taco Bell!!

The first time I saw this commercial I had to do a double take. Charles Barkley endorsing Taco Bell. It had to be a joke but it wasn't. Each time I see this commercial I cringe. Why would Taco Bell choose Charles Barkley to promote this product. Watching Barkley squeeze through a phone booth and hobble across my screen with his beer belly poking out of his blazer I need to know what the marketing department was thinking. Yes it is a catchy jingle but looking at Barkley painfully waddle through the commercial is enough to make me swear off Taco Bell for life!!

A Little Treadmill Action

Admittedly I have been a slacker this year when it comes to working out. I know my body feels 200% better when I get in some serious cardio and weights but me being lazy has preferred to sit on my butt and come up with a million excuses of why I haven't been to the gym.

Finally on Friday morning I hit the treadmill. Was I nervous? Of course. Not knowing if I am about to pass out can bring on some bit of anxiety. Nevertheless I laced up my sneakers and hopped on the treadmill. The poor treadmill hasn't been used in so long but it was just like I left it, ready to kick me in to high gear.

Here is what I ended up doing on Friday:

Minutes 40:03

Distance 3.273 miles

Calories 530 calories

Carbs 92.7

I was proud of myself. I did take 3 breaks to hop off and grab some water at the end of each mile. It is a work in progress but I have to start somewhere. On Saturday here is what I did!!

Woo hoo!!

Today was a rest day, thank goodness.

Back to Basics..Detox Time

I feel "blah". "Blah" to me means my body is just off. I am running at 75% which is where I have been all year. So much for starting 2010 off right. With high levels of stress, low levels of sleep, low levels of exercise, and inability to focus it is time to get back on track.

Step 1 is to get back to eating correctly. Easier said than done I know but kudos to the Fat Smash diet for making it extremely easy. I follow the Phase 1 which is considered the detox phase and that typically puts me back on track to feeling better. The thing I like about the Fat Smash Diet is it doesn't feel as limiting as other diets do (probably because I actually like the foods on the list of things you can eat). The detox phase is more or less to rid your body of all the yucky stuff you put in it on a daily basis. Eating as many fruits and vegetables as you want and limited quantities of other items helps to cleanse your system of all the nasty processed foods and refined sugars that wreak havoc on your body.

The CAN eats:

All fruits and veggies in any quantity (except white potatoes and avocados)

Beans

Brown rice- 2 cups cooked per day

2 cups low-fat, skim, or soy milk per day

Oatmeal- 1 cup per day

6 oz. low-fat yogurt (2 times per day)

4 egg whites per day

2 cups herbal tea per day

3 tablespoons low-fat dressing on salad

The NO-NOS:

white rice

meat

fish

cheese

bread

raisins

nuts

dried or preserved fruits

candy/popcorn/chips

ice cream

alcohol

juice

soda

coffee and all coffee drinks

sports drinks

milkshakes

whole eggs or yolks

fried foods

fast food

Honestly, it is not that bad as long as you have what you need in your cupboards. If not you will be like I was today, scratching my head trying to figure out what to eat. I will be going to the grocery store tomorrow to load up on fruits and salads. I can't wait until the end of this week when I know my body and mind will start responding and feeling less sluggish.

One of the Best Things I Have Ever Done..

I was at a crossroads. Turning 30, you know that point where your body typically goes one way or the other. My body was going the other way and not the good other way. I was the gym's best client, the one that sends in a monthly donation right on time but doesn't ever come. When I looked in the mirror I was not happy with what I saw. Where did my body go? I had put on weight slowly over the course of time but now it was becoming very noticeable to me.

After deciding to leave my job and work from home my schedule was more flexible so it was time to take action and wipe the dust off the gym membership. Going to the gym on a semi regular basis wasn't doing the trick either so my husband suggested I talk to a one of the trainers.

BEST SUGGSTION EVER. BEST DECISION EVER.

by  Vook tv

I signed up with a trainer and I will say he whipped me into shape. It was hard initially but the results were amazing. Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday I had a standing appointment to do one hour of things I really did not want to do. He pushed me to do things I didn't ever realize I was capable of doing. Box jumps with 14 risers, squats with lots of weight on the barbell, leg presses to make some men question their strength.


If you find that you are running in circles and not achieving the results you want I would urge you to get a trainer. A good one will help you reach your goals. The beauty of it is you can buy 1 session, 30 sessions, or whatever. Get what you need to get motivated again, learn some more tricks to help achieve your goals, and get the push to go at it on your own again.

200 Hundred Squats- Yes I Said TWO HUNDRED

 

(photo courtesy of http://www.twohundredsquats.com)

TWO HUNDRED SQUATS.  I am kidding, nope, I surely am not.  This program comes by way of the same lovely folks that have given us the oh so wonderful One Hundred Push Ups program (which I still have 2 more weeks of).  The concept is the same..do a bunch of squats until you can't, see where you should start in the program, squat like crazy 3 times a week, and when it is all said and done you will be able to do 200 squats and have an backside to rival J-Lo's.

I did the initial test and day 1 on the same day.  That is not the recommended way to do it but I had to so I could keep my scheduling on track.  This morning I set up shop with everything I needed in my living room (and all you ever need is yourself) and commenced to squatting.  Sixty-one squats later I was bored and thought enough was enough.  And so it was.  According to the program I should start in week 3.  Okay,  hopefully I can finish this quicker than planned and reward myself quicker than planned.  

As with the One Hundred Push Ups I will be posting my weekly results and exhaustion tests.  Wish me luck and feel free to join me.  It is much more fun knowing someone is doing it with you.  The program can be found here: http://www.twohundredsquats.com.

Week 4- Quite A Struggle

So here are my Week 4 stats. Admittedly this challenge is getting harder and harder. The breaks they give you are not nearly enough so I always find myself taking a longer break. By Day 3 of each week the break is around 4-5 minutes instead of 2. Oh well, I need longer to recover but I am forging ahead.

Week 4 Stats:
Day 1 18-22-16-16-30
Day 2 20-25-11/9-16/4-20/10 --- KILLER DAY..ugh!!!
Day 3 23-28-23-23-34---- WOOT WOOT!! long breaks but did them all each time!

The excitement of actually doing so many negates the fact that my breaks were longer. At least in my mind it does. I am a little off so I am going to have to play catch up this week some how. Give me credit though, my Day 2 was on Christmas Day and I actually did them.

Next is another exhaustion test. Oh joy. Results to come.

Week 3 Down

This week was a tough one for the push ups. I wasn't doing my normal get to the gym and go workout routine so really it was just the push ups at random times. I got all 3 days in though.

Week 3 Stats:
Day 1 12-17-8/5-13-20
Day 2 14-19-14-14-20
Day 3 16-21-15-14-14/4/4

As you can see the last set of Day 3 gave me a heck of a time. Depending on how Day 1 of Week 4 goes I may repeat Week 3. It really just depends. This week was all about gripping dumbbells instead having my hands on the floor. Using the dumbbells makes my wrists feel a lot better but then the palms of my hands hurt. By the time the last set rolled around I had wrapped the sleeves of my sweatshirt around the dumbbells to provide some relief. It did help a lot but that set was really, really hard.

I am proud of myself though. I am going to forge into week 4 being optimistic but may have to take a step back and get a solid set for Week 3. Overall the week wasn't so bad but I felt like I hit a brick wall on the very last set.

Stay tuned because next week will also mark the start of the 200 Squats Challenge!!!