This weeks focus is strengthening the core which is why each day includes a 30 second plank. Back to a 5-day week of workouts. As usual, Monday was crazy and I couldn't get to they gym until late afternoon. All the treadmills were full, so I went grocery shopping and came back later. Then the treadmills AND the ellipticals were all full. Plan B - workout on Tuesday. So, I'm posting these as Monday through Friday, but the reality is Tuesday through Saturday.
Still trying to drink more water - I'm not sure why I struggle with that so much.
Monday - Endurance Training + 30 Second Plank: Cardio interval training kicked up another notch (5 min/1 min). Kept the slight incline and increased my sprint rate. Definitely tired at the end but made it through. 30-second plank wasn't so bad - at least my feet weren't moving!
Tuesday - Upper and Lower Body Circuit + 30 Second Plank. The Upper Body Circuit is from Week 2 (pushups, bent-over rows, tricep dips and hammer/bicep curls with jumping jacks in between) and the Lower Body Circuit is from Week 3 (squats, alt front lunges, single leg extensions and plie squats with jump rope in between). Once through with no repeats and end with a 30-second plank. I started with 5 minutes on the elliptical to get warm.
Wednesday - Endurance Training + 30 Second Plank: Same as Monday, only on the elliptical. Done and done.
Thursday - Quick Full Body Circuit I & II (no repeats) + 30 Second Plank: A quick strengthening workout that targest both upper and lower body. I still hate the push-up to T-lift, but they are getting easier.
Friday - Endurance Training + 30 Second Plank: Same as Monday. I was feeling a lot of stress today and needed to burn off some steam, so I added another interval and 30 seconds to the plank.
Week 4 is done!
Saturday, March 30, 2013
Saturday, March 23, 2013
90-day Slim Down: Week 3
This weeks focus goal is "listen to your body". I'm adding an additional goal:
Monday - Endurance Training: Cardio interval training kicked up a notch (4 min/45 sec). I also added a slight incline to the treadmill and increased my rate. I was really impressed at the increase in stamina/endurance in just two weeks. I was working hard, but recovered well after the sprints. Woo hoo!
Tuesday - Lower Body Strength Circuit: Squats, lunges, leg extensions and plie squats with jumping rope in between. No repeat. I kept looking for the repeat thinking surely I need to do this 3 times?! I can't be done already. But no, there is no repeat. A good thing too as I started at 9:30 at night.
Wednesday - Endurance Training: Same as Monday, only on the elliptical. Done and done.
Thursday - Quick Full Body Circuit II: 5 minute warm-up (jog, jumping jacks, whatever) then 20 squats w/knee lift, 10 pushups to T-lift, 10 traveling lunges (each leg), and 10 tricep dips with leg raised (each leg). Complete 3 circuits. I have to admit this one almost killed me and I'm not always clear on the directions. Does that mean 20 squats on each side? Or 20 total. Same with the pushups to T-lift. So I either overdid the first 2 circuits or modified the 3rd. Either way I was out of breath and tired by the end, so I'll call it good.
Friday - I don't know why there is no Friday. It's good timing though because my parents are coming in town for the weekend and this week has been insane! Monday through Thursday became Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. But I got them all in.
Week 3 is done!
Monday - Endurance Training: Cardio interval training kicked up a notch (4 min/45 sec). I also added a slight incline to the treadmill and increased my rate. I was really impressed at the increase in stamina/endurance in just two weeks. I was working hard, but recovered well after the sprints. Woo hoo!
Tuesday - Lower Body Strength Circuit: Squats, lunges, leg extensions and plie squats with jumping rope in between. No repeat. I kept looking for the repeat thinking surely I need to do this 3 times?! I can't be done already. But no, there is no repeat. A good thing too as I started at 9:30 at night.
Wednesday - Endurance Training: Same as Monday, only on the elliptical. Done and done.
Thursday - Quick Full Body Circuit II: 5 minute warm-up (jog, jumping jacks, whatever) then 20 squats w/knee lift, 10 pushups to T-lift, 10 traveling lunges (each leg), and 10 tricep dips with leg raised (each leg). Complete 3 circuits. I have to admit this one almost killed me and I'm not always clear on the directions. Does that mean 20 squats on each side? Or 20 total. Same with the pushups to T-lift. So I either overdid the first 2 circuits or modified the 3rd. Either way I was out of breath and tired by the end, so I'll call it good.
Friday - I don't know why there is no Friday. It's good timing though because my parents are coming in town for the weekend and this week has been insane! Monday through Thursday became Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. But I got them all in.
Week 3 is done!
Sunday, March 17, 2013
90-day Slim Down: Week 2
Every week has a "focus goal". Last week was simply to find the time to workout. This week is to give up or reduce one bad habit. I'm trying to reduce my sugar addiction. Not going cold turkey on desserts but limiting myself to one dessert each day.
Monday - Running Interval: Just like the Cardio Interval from last week (3 min steady / 30 sec sprint) but on the treadmill. Would have been nice to run outdoors but I'm not very good at pacing myself and timing intervals is just easier with a hands-free timer in front of you. I finished strong which means I can add incline and/or increase my pace the next time around.
Tuesday - Upper Body Strength Circuit: Arm workout (pushups, rows, tricep dips, curls) interspersed with cardio (jumping jacks). Repeat 3 times. Sort of feels like a non-workout after the interval cardio but I know my arms will be sore tomorrow.
Wednesday - 15-30 minute brisk walk. I'd rather run, but I understand the need to pace myself (these are 40 year-old knees after all). The weather was nice so I headed to the park to walk 30 minutes at a solid pace. I think my calorie burning was kicked up a notch by the 30-40 mph headwind - wow is it windy out there today! But the sun was shining and the temperature not too cold. It does feel good to get out of the gym and into the sunshine.
Thursday - Elliptical Intervals: Same intervals as Monday (3 min / 30 sec) but on the elliptical. This is the last time before we start increasing the sprints. I was more tired today than Monday but i think that had more to do with being thirsty the entire time. Second lesson learned - hydrate, hydrate, hydrate! Tomorrow is yoga so I'll be spending some time searching for a video online or on demand.
Friday - Vinyasa Yoga Class: I looked up Vinyasa Yoga to see what that meant and it is a combination of strengthening and stretching. On YouTube I found a 40 minute "Vinyasa Flow" workout that was probably above my level. Thankfully, the instructor kept encouraging everyone that it was fine to "go as far as you can" - in my case, not far! I was very impressed at how much muscle strengthening goes into yoga - and with how inflexible I really am. I would like to try some beginner's yoga to improve.
Week 2 Complete!
Monday - Running Interval: Just like the Cardio Interval from last week (3 min steady / 30 sec sprint) but on the treadmill. Would have been nice to run outdoors but I'm not very good at pacing myself and timing intervals is just easier with a hands-free timer in front of you. I finished strong which means I can add incline and/or increase my pace the next time around.
Tuesday - Upper Body Strength Circuit: Arm workout (pushups, rows, tricep dips, curls) interspersed with cardio (jumping jacks). Repeat 3 times. Sort of feels like a non-workout after the interval cardio but I know my arms will be sore tomorrow.
Wednesday - 15-30 minute brisk walk. I'd rather run, but I understand the need to pace myself (these are 40 year-old knees after all). The weather was nice so I headed to the park to walk 30 minutes at a solid pace. I think my calorie burning was kicked up a notch by the 30-40 mph headwind - wow is it windy out there today! But the sun was shining and the temperature not too cold. It does feel good to get out of the gym and into the sunshine.
Thursday - Elliptical Intervals: Same intervals as Monday (3 min / 30 sec) but on the elliptical. This is the last time before we start increasing the sprints. I was more tired today than Monday but i think that had more to do with being thirsty the entire time. Second lesson learned - hydrate, hydrate, hydrate! Tomorrow is yoga so I'll be spending some time searching for a video online or on demand.
Friday - Vinyasa Yoga Class: I looked up Vinyasa Yoga to see what that meant and it is a combination of strengthening and stretching. On YouTube I found a 40 minute "Vinyasa Flow" workout that was probably above my level. Thankfully, the instructor kept encouraging everyone that it was fine to "go as far as you can" - in my case, not far! I was very impressed at how much muscle strengthening goes into yoga - and with how inflexible I really am. I would like to try some beginner's yoga to improve.
Week 2 Complete!
Saturday, March 9, 2013
90-Day Slim Down: Week 1
Well here we are 90-days until summer vacation and I've begun my 90-day workout plan. Week 1 starts off easy and only covers four days. I have no idea why it doesn't start on a Monday. The plan actually starts on Wednesday and includes Saturday, but I moved everything up a day as we're out of town this weekend.
Tuesday - 30 minute morning cardio of your choice. The weather held out for me and although cold/windy there was no rain. So I headed to the park, set my timer for 30 minutes, and ran the outdoor path. 20 minutes at a good jog and then 10 minutes walking. Not bad!
Wednesday - Cardio Circuit. Squats, push-ups, lunges, and tricep dips....repeat, repeat, repeat! Finished it and learned some important lessons: (1) I have really poor upper body strength, (2) I need to get my workout in as early as possible before I run out of time, and (3) I wouldn't last a day at basic training.
Thursday - Cardio Intervals. Headed to the gym to hit the elliptical for this one. Easier to time myself for those 30 sec sprints and my knees will thank me in the morning. I know the length of these sprints is going to go up as I move through the program, but today I felt good and was able to finish strong. Good cardio and calorie-burning in a quick 30 minutes!
Friday - Fitness Class of your choice. To be honest, this happened on Saturday morning and it wasn't really a "class of my choice". Friday was positively insane around here with kids out of school, lots of activities on the calendar and several deadlines from work. At 9:30 I was frazzled, tired and looking at the pilates DVD in my hand wishing it was a glass of wine when I realized I was not in the right frame of mind to be working out. So I shelved the DVD, drank a glass of skim milk instead and went to bed! Alarm set for 7am, I got up Saturday morning and polished off the Pilates Fat Burning workout. I am missing the coordination gene, which is why I do these "classes" in private! Pretty sure my rhythm was off but my hear rate was up and that's what counts.
So Week 1 of the 90-day Slim Down is complete - 11 weeks to go!
Tuesday - 30 minute morning cardio of your choice. The weather held out for me and although cold/windy there was no rain. So I headed to the park, set my timer for 30 minutes, and ran the outdoor path. 20 minutes at a good jog and then 10 minutes walking. Not bad!
Wednesday - Cardio Circuit. Squats, push-ups, lunges, and tricep dips....repeat, repeat, repeat! Finished it and learned some important lessons: (1) I have really poor upper body strength, (2) I need to get my workout in as early as possible before I run out of time, and (3) I wouldn't last a day at basic training.
Thursday - Cardio Intervals. Headed to the gym to hit the elliptical for this one. Easier to time myself for those 30 sec sprints and my knees will thank me in the morning. I know the length of these sprints is going to go up as I move through the program, but today I felt good and was able to finish strong. Good cardio and calorie-burning in a quick 30 minutes!
Friday - Fitness Class of your choice. To be honest, this happened on Saturday morning and it wasn't really a "class of my choice". Friday was positively insane around here with kids out of school, lots of activities on the calendar and several deadlines from work. At 9:30 I was frazzled, tired and looking at the pilates DVD in my hand wishing it was a glass of wine when I realized I was not in the right frame of mind to be working out. So I shelved the DVD, drank a glass of skim milk instead and went to bed! Alarm set for 7am, I got up Saturday morning and polished off the Pilates Fat Burning workout. I am missing the coordination gene, which is why I do these "classes" in private! Pretty sure my rhythm was off but my hear rate was up and that's what counts.
So Week 1 of the 90-day Slim Down is complete - 11 weeks to go!
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
90-Day Slim Down to Summer
After making plans for our summer trips a few months ago, the kiddos kept asking "how many days until....." over and over. So I hopped on to the AppStore and found a countdown app to count down the days (for free, of course). I settled on the simplest one with the best ratings - Countdown+++. It's super easy to set-up, has a range of colors, and lets you create countdowns for multiple events. Courtesy of that fabulous app, I noticed 2 weeks ago that it was rapidly approaching 100 days until I had to sqeeze myself into a bathing suit. Ugh.
Needless to say, I am not at my fittest. I've never been athletic or prone to working out. A fast metabolism has always kept me relatively within the same 10-15lb weight range although not toned. And while turning 40 didn't stop that metabolism (thank goodness!), the effect of gravity over the last four decades has left me feeling lumpy and saggy.
I know from past experience that I need a plan to follow. It's just the way I work - tell me what to do, give me a box to check off and I'm there. If I could hire a personal trainer to whip me into shape, I would totally do it. Unfortunately we didn't win the lottery this week and leprechauns aren't stashing pots of gold around the house. So I turned to Pinterest in search of a plan.
After many sidetrips I found a link to this wonderful 90-day plan: Get Fit in 90 Days. I have no idea when it was originally posted. Broken down into 12 weeks, it slowly ratchets up the intensity level and provides enough variety to keep things from getting boring. And I love that the exercises are all things you could do without going to they gym. I'll likely spend some time on the elliptical and the treadmill, but it's nice to not have to commit to being boxed in to the gym 5 days a week.
I've made a spreadsheet of the daily workouts (of course I did - total nerd) and will happily be checking the boxes as I go. Stay tuned!
Needless to say, I am not at my fittest. I've never been athletic or prone to working out. A fast metabolism has always kept me relatively within the same 10-15lb weight range although not toned. And while turning 40 didn't stop that metabolism (thank goodness!), the effect of gravity over the last four decades has left me feeling lumpy and saggy.
I know from past experience that I need a plan to follow. It's just the way I work - tell me what to do, give me a box to check off and I'm there. If I could hire a personal trainer to whip me into shape, I would totally do it. Unfortunately we didn't win the lottery this week and leprechauns aren't stashing pots of gold around the house. So I turned to Pinterest in search of a plan.
After many sidetrips I found a link to this wonderful 90-day plan: Get Fit in 90 Days. I have no idea when it was originally posted. Broken down into 12 weeks, it slowly ratchets up the intensity level and provides enough variety to keep things from getting boring. And I love that the exercises are all things you could do without going to they gym. I'll likely spend some time on the elliptical and the treadmill, but it's nice to not have to commit to being boxed in to the gym 5 days a week.
I've made a spreadsheet of the daily workouts (of course I did - total nerd) and will happily be checking the boxes as I go. Stay tuned!
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