My week at a glance

Sometimes people ask me what I do for exercise in a week. This is an idea of what I am doing next week. I change it up constantly depending on my moods so I like options.

Monday: leg weights (either plyos, circuit, or P90X legs and back)

Tuesday: cardio (45-50 run with hill sprints around my neighborhood, or 30 min intervals on the treadmill or elliptical)

Wednesday: arm weights (arm circuit)

Thursday: cardio (intervals or Cardio Jam)

Friday: Ass&Abs workout-a circuit of butt exercises and abdominal exercises

Saturday: Anything goes, but if I don't skip this day I go running with Jeremy

Sunday: P90X Yoga

At Home Workout

I've said it before and I'll say it again. There IS a way to get in shape with little to no equipment. You'll just have to get creative, know a couple good moves, and be willing and able to push yourself. Here is a basic but great no equipment workout:

• 3 min warm up (march in place, do a couple jumping jacks, swing your arms back and forth, lift your knees high)
• Set of push ups. Do as many as you can on your feet.
• 1 minute any cardio (see ideas below)
• Set of lunge jumps...as many as you can
• 1 minute any cardio
  
• Set of triceps push ups. Keep elbows in close to your body and don't let them flair out.
• 1 minute any cardio
• One-leg squat: find something to hold onto (counter, door frame) and squat down and up using one leg. Push hips back and drive through the heel on the way up. Try 15 on each leg.
• 1 minute any cardio
• Set of wide stance push ups (hands are wide as are feet; keep abs tight and butt down) As many as you can.
• 1 minute any cardio
• Wall sit (like in P.E. where you have your back against a wall and squat down so thighs are parallel to the ground) Hold for 1 to 1 and a half minutes.One-leg squat: find something to hold onto (counter, door frame) and squat down and up using one leg. Push hips back and drive through the heel on the way up. Try 15 on each leg.
• 1 minute any cardio

• Set of Dive Bomber push ups. Start as shown below, duck head then chest then hips toward the ground like you are diving under something but don't let anything but hands and feet touch the ground. Try 8-10 reps.
• 1 minute any cardio
• One leg dead lift: Standing on one leg, keep back straight and leg slightly bent. Bend only at the hips to touch the ground with hands on either side of foot. Stand back up and repeat. Change sides.
• 1 minute any cardio

Cardio options: Jumping Jacks, High Knee Run, Run in Place, Shuffle Side to Side, Jump Rope, Mountain Climbers, Cross Country Skiers, Punches, Skip in Place-with high knee, Stair Runs

Aim for 45-60 minutes of this circuit. So if you have to do it 2-3 times through then that is what you'll have to do. Have fun!!

Good Exercise Advice

Get moving. Late afternoon to early evening (5 to 6 p.m.) may just be the best time to exercise, because that's when you're hottest, literally. Your body temperature reaches its daily peak (2 to 3 degrees warmer than in the morning), giving you maximum muscle strength, flexibility, agility, and stamina as well as faster reaction times. Even your lungs are using oxygen more efficiently at this time. You'll work out harder with less perceived effort and are less likely to injure yourself. Of course, any exercise is better than none, so if an early workout fits best with your schedule, keep it there. In fact, a.m. exercisers are most likely to stick to their habit: Studies have shown that more than 90 percent of people who work out in the morning are consistent about doing it.

Legs, heart and core

Need an exercise that works your legs, heart and core? Do you own a trampoline??? Try it. I jumped with my kids yesterday for the first time since before winter and today my legs are still jello. Bouncing them high into the air is best for the legs, running around and falling and jumping works the heart, and laughing so hard I almost peed my pants worked my core...all the way down to the kegels :)

Plus my kids thought I was the best mom yesterday. Belle even told Tre that they are "so lucky to have a mom and a tramp so she can bounce us SO high". The best exercise is the kind when you don't even realize it's exercise because it's so much fun. Bonus!

P90X Core Synergistics

Wow! This is my new favorite DVD from P90X. I LOVE it! This is a total body workout that involves multiple muscle groups at one time for serious calorie burn and muscle tone. I used no more than 8 pound hand weights and I felt like I was running a 10K. Some of my favorite exercises from this video are as follows:

Staggered hand push ups: In push up position place one hand more forward than normal and one hand back more than normal. Stack your toes (so you are on just one foot) and do 5 push ups. Then switch hand and feet positions and do 5 more. Keep going until you can't go anymore!

Lunge with kickback and curl press: This one is hard to explain but I'll try. With weights in hand lunge forward and keep back leg straight. While in the lunge, lean forward, pull elbows back and weights close to chest and perform a tricep kickback. While still in the lunge straighten upper body and perform a curl press (bicep curl right into a overhead press and reverse to the start) then stand up out of lunge. Repeat process on other side for one rep. Repeat for 14 reps. Killer!

The Dreya Roll: Stand in front of yoga mat or soft surface. Sit on heels and roll back pointing toes to the ceiling (in gymnastics we call this a candlestick). Roll back up to standing position without arms if possible and do an X jump (star jump). Repeat for 1 minute.

The Banana Roll: This one is hard to explain too but (again) I'll try. Lie on your back and lift arms, shoulders and legs off the ground. You should look like a banana shape. Hold for 10 seconds then roll onto one side and hold for 10 more seconds. Roll onto stomach in a "superman" position and hold for 10 more seconds. Roll onto other side and hold 10 seconds. Your core is engaged the ENTIRE time. Repeat several times...as many as possible.

If you want any demonstrations on these exercises I'd be happy to post a video. All you have to do is ask. Thanks!

Straight Leg Lunge

Try this "fun" exercise:

Straight Leg Lunge: using a chair or bench, place your back foot on top of it and step your front foot forward. Making sure your back leg stays straight and your front knee stays behind your front toe, bend down and up 25 times on each leg. You can add weight or not. I do these without weight and still feel it the next day deep in my inner thigh and hamstrings.

Add this exercise to your leg routine doing two to three sets. Enjoy!

Tip of the Week

My workout tip of the week: "Bring It"! That is what they say in P90X and although it's kinda cheesy it's true. You have to put everything that you've got into every workout you do. Sure any exercise is good for you but if you really want to change your body, you have to work hard.

This means pushing the envelope every time. Go faster, harder, and lift heavier than you ever thought possible. If it's too much you can always tone it down. But if it's not enough, it's not like you're going to re-do the workout to get more out of it.

Set a goal in your head. Set it high. You won't be discouraged if you don't reach that goal that day, but you will be determined to strive for that goal the next day you do that workout. 90% of people don't know their own strength and/or abilities. You can lift more than you think. You can run faster or further than you ever thought possible. You can do it. All you have to do is push yourself.

Back to P90X

Well, I survived my first week of P90X. Not bad! I got to do that back and chest workout where you do a million pull ups and a million and a half push ups again yesterday. I'm really sore today, but feel like I am getting a stronger upper body (honestly I didn't think that was possible...not to toot my own horn). Today is PlyometriX (I changed the name, it fits better don't ya think?) which is my favorite. I'll be pushing myself today and hopefully I don't die!

Did anyone who has done the P90X program think there is not quite enough cardio involved? I keep thinking I should add it but after doing 80-90 minutes of exercise I just don't have it in me to add more. Maybe I'll just do jumping jacks between sets during the weight workouts. Any thoughts?

KenpoX

This was pretty good. Just pretty good. It's like doing a semi watered down version of Tae Bo but without the spandex clad penis. Hey, I'm just sayin'! In fact just thinking about the spandex makes me want to do KenpoX verses Tae Bo any day.

Today is supposed to be my "rest day". I can do the StretchX or nothing. I will be doing a boot camp class this morning at the church and then teaching a gymnastics boot camp class tonight. What is wrong with me? I am obsessed with exercise. But if I have to be obsessed, it might as well be that!

P90X Update

Sooo...what's better than doing 171.5 push ups and 56 pull ups on Friday? Doing 72 more pull ups on Sunday, that's what! Legs and Back was yesterday and it was fun. This workout got my heart rate up (because of the leg work) and was tough of course, but doable.

YogaX was on Saturday and I LOVED it! 90 minutes of stretching, balancing, and breathing. It was definitely one of the best yoga DVDs that I've seen. Pretty comparable to my favorite yoga teacher, Heidi.

Today is KenpoX and I've heard it's the best DVD of the bunch. It's a cardio workout and I'll tell you how it goes later...

171 and a half pushups and 56 pull ups later...

...OUCH!

P90X Chest and Back is so far the hardest workout I've done. Then add Ab Ripper X at the end and you've got yourself a very productive day!

P90X Plyometrics

I was a little nervous to do this workout. First my good friend and fellow "tough girl" tells me that it "seriously changed her life". Then as I was waiting for the DVD to start, Tony Horton is talking about how this is the "X" in P90X and if you are not P90X ready you should not do this workout.

As I start the workout I decide to take it "easy" and do the modified moves. I don't want my ego to get in the way and end up injured. As I get into the workout and decide that I can handle the "bring it" exercises I bump up the intensity. Sure it was hard and I was breathing hard, but they take lots of breaks and only do the plyos for 30 seconds each. By the time the video was over my heart rate and breathing had dropped to normal and I wasn't sweating much anymore.

So the moral of the story? Go hard or go home. I should have started out high intensity and if I needed a break at the end I could have taken it. But....we'll see how I feel tomorrow morning. It may be a whole other story at that point. I can't wait for another fun workout tomorrow!!

P90X

Okay, so I know that I am the trainer and am supposed to be designing the workouts but I've fallen in love with P90X. I first saw it on an infomercial and wanted it but it was pretty expensive. Then I heard of all these people that did the program and loved it and decided that I needed to do it. I am always looking for fun new ways to exercise and this definitely fits the bill. I recently got a copy of all the DVD's from a friend of mine (thanks Tyler) and now I am ready to start. I'm just waiting for Bethany to send me the info so I can do it the way it's designed to be followed. I did CardoX on Monday and really liked it. I have 11 more videos to try and can't wait! I'll keep you posted on how it goes.

So I guess my exercise tip today is to find something new and exciting to do. Don't get bored in your old routine by doing the same things over and over. Always look for a different activity to "shake" things up! If you run, try walking hills. If you bike, try a stair stepper. If you only do classes, try cardio machines and weights. If you only lift weights, try adding 1-2 minutes of cardio inbetween sets. If you do all these things, drop them and try a program like Body-For-Life or P90X.

Good luck!

Slacker

I am a complete and udder slacker. Life gets busy and I quit blogging for Tough Girl. So I am here to say I am sorry and I will be adding more posts in the coming months. Thanks for being patient.

Tip of the Week:

Food is just food and nothing more. It is not a reward, a punishment, or a favorite pastime. Get over it. Food is fuel for our bodies. The better fuel we put in, the better performance we get out. End of story.

Goal of the Week:

Eat breakfast within 2 hours of waking every morning this week. Good examples are: eggs with toast and fruit; PB&J sandwich on whole wheat; yogurt, fruit, and a handful of nuts; oatmeal; cold cereal like Cheerios, Kashi, FiberOne, etc. with skim milk and fruit.

There you have it. A tip and goal for the week. Come back next week for an update. Leave your comments and let me know how things are going.