Category Archives: Biceps

Biceps, Fitness, Running, Shoulders, Treadmill, Triceps

Back to Work!!! (5/18-5/24)

May 24, 2014 Kim 30 Comments

This week has been all about getting back into a solid workout groove. For the past couple of months I sort of let my weight training and cross training take a back seat to running. Even though I plan to keep logging lots of miles, I need to add in the other work again!!!

Sunday 5/18 – 44 shoulder burners!! This move was a front raise, flip arms over and do a bicep curl with arms out in front (and up), shoulder press, then reverse each step for 1 rep – oh, and I stood on my wobble balls just to increase the FUN!!!

flip arms over - palms up — flip arms over – palms up

Not gonna lie – my shoulders were dying by the time I finished all 44 of these!!!! (and I only used 5 pound dumbbells)

I did a DVD that I haven’t done in a long time – Jackie Warner X-Treme Crunch Free Abs. This is just over 30 minutes of serious ab/core work. The first half is all done standing and the 2nd half is on the ground. About midnight Sunday night I could really feel all of those moves!!!

I also did a treadmill run. Lately I haven’t even tried to push my pace much and I’m still going to focus on running more miles at an easy pace but every once in awhile I need to pick it up.

5 miles – 35:27 + 1 easy mile to cool down (all at 1.5% incline)

Monday 5/19 – 44 step-ups with a bicep curl.

Push off foot on step to lift up and curl at the same time.

After I did 44 on this side I had to switch sides – a total of 88 bicep curls!!! (the main reason I stuck with 8 pound dumbbells!)

ready (not sure what I'm doing with the weights!) — ready (not sure what I’m doing with the weights!)

The nice thing about this move was that it got my heart rate up besides working my biceps, butt and quads!!!

I did one of my favorite workouts – Les Mills Combat – Extreme Cardio Fighter. 60 minutes of kicking and punching at a fairly high intensity!!! Love it!

Tuesday 5/20 – 44 fall backs with medicine ball.

This move was HARD!!! It is great for your core and also for your quads.

The rest of the workout was 10 Minute Solutions – Hot Body Boot Camp. Not gonna lie, of the 5 10 minute sections my favorite this time was the stretching!!! I think I was dragging a little!!!

Wednesday 5/21 – 44 waving triceps while standing on wobble balls.

Trying to stay balanced on the wobble balls and keeping my arms extended the entire time turned this into a great challenge!!! (8 pound dumbbells)

This was a running day – 10 miles in 78:43 plus 1.2 easy miles.

Thursday 5/22 – 44 pull-overs while on a stability ball. This move was from Nellie (Brooklyn Active Mama) and her weekly Wednesday workout.

I’m not sure I dropped my arms as far as you are supposed to but I was trying to keep my form good and not bend my arms – lots of muscles involved here!!! (1 12 pound dumbbell)

I wanted to do something a little easier so I did The Biggest Loser – Weight Loss Yoga. Ummm….there was very little easy about the workout. Bob Harper knows his stuff and after 50 minutes of yoga I felt like I had worked out for sure!!!

Friday 5/23 – 44 triceps kickbacks while in chair.

I know that I should have been lower in “chair” but my quads were burning!!! (8 pound dumbbells)

It was another run day and I decided to make it a bit of a harder pace because lately I feel like I’ve been running slower most of the time.

8 miles (1.5% incline) in 53:27 + 2.4 easy miles. I try not to run hard too often anymore (I used to do it every single run – part of why I was injured more than not) but it was nice to push the pace. (6:41 average)

Saturday 5/24 – 44 leg lifts with a medicine ball between my lower legs.

Yikes – that move was hard!!! The medicine ball I used was 8 pounds and I told Chris that the hardest part was the ball hurt my ankle bones!!! Even with the whining, I still did another set of 44!!!

Hunter and I are supposed to be out running right now – his final long run but it is raining and I’m not a diehard!!! I have zero desire to be soaking wet for over an hour and a half!! We will run later or even in the next day or two – we have some flexibility since he is going to run quite a bit this week before scaling back for the final week before his race!

This week wasn’t a high mileage week for me but it felt good to get in a few runs again. I’m ready to focus on a new goal and plan to keep my miles up while getting in more strength work again!!!

Happy Saturday!!

Kim

Biceps, Core, Fitness, Running, Shoulders, Treadmill, Triceps

It’s All About the Weights, Running, Moving

April 5, 2014 Kim 55 Comments

So the title is my poor attempt at a catchy song – but I think I’ve always said it wrong!! I thought it was supposed to be, “It’s all about the money, money, money.” Ummm….maybe it’s supposed to be “It’s NOT about the money, money, money.”

Oh, well – this week has been all about weights and running!!!

Sunday 3/30 – 44 stacked leg oblique crunches with dumbbell (15 pound)

start - right leg on top — start – right leg on top

After doing 44 to the left, I switched my top leg and crunched the other direction.

Reaching with the dumbbell made this move a challenge!!!

I ran 9 miles (72:51) + 1 easy mile. Trying to continue to increase my miles for about another month (big race coming up!!).

Monday 3/31 – 44 alternating shoulder press while standing on wobble balls. I used 10 pound dumbbells and that was hard by the end!

I love using the wobble balls for moves like this because you have to keep a slight bend in your knew to hold the balance and that helps take pressure off of your low back!!!

This was also a running day!!! 8 miles (59:57) plus 2 nice and easy miles.

Tuesday 4/1 – 44 combo shoulder/arm move (5 pound dumbbells – this was hard plenty!) Start with palms facing body –

ready (don't forget to look bored!) — ready (don’t forget to look bored!)

Raise arms straight up in front –

Rotate weights so that your palms are facing down –

Pull arms back (squeeze your shoulder blades together) –

Lower arms down to side –

Curl arms down so that you are back to the start position.

I liked this move – it was a great way to work my entire upper body!!!

I needed a little break from running so I did a 10 Minute Solution DVD – Sculpt, Tone and Reshape with the Figure 8.

There are so many fun moves with this band – I love what a great workout you can get with it. This DVD was just over 50 minutes and I worked my entire body!!!

Wednesday 4/2 – 44 triceps kickbacks (10 pound dumbbells)

This was a challenge with the amount of weight I used but I don’t want to have saggy arms!!!

I did Shelly McDonald (a Caribbean workout) Core Pilates. I had a horrible headache (woke up around 1:00 am with it and it never went away) so I thought some pilates would be a good choice. I made it through almost the whole hour before I quit!

Thursday 4/3 – 44 side bend with shoulder press (8 pound dumbbells).

down with right hand, really reach up with left hand

After doing 44 to one side, I had to switch and do another set!

By the time I finished, I had worked not only my core but also my shoulders – just holding an 8 pound weight up for the entire time was a workout!!!

I did a double run on Thursday to break in my new shoes!!! Well, really just to get used to running on tired legs but….

new shoes - Mizuno Wave Prophecy 3 — new shoes – Mizuno Wave Prophecy 3

First run – 10 miles (79:24) plus 1.15 easy.
Second run about an hour and a half later – 5 miles (36:53) plus 2.35 miles at a nice pace.
Total – 15 miles of hard running and 3.5 easier miles!

Friday 4/4 – 44 bicep curls in Warrior I (5 pound dumbbells).

I had to do another set after I finished 44 that way!!

5 pounds doesn’t seem like much until you do a total of 88 bicep curls and keep your arms extended out the entire time – then it feels like at least 20 pounds!!!

The workout was a fun one – Turbo Jam – Cardio Party 3. 50 minutes of pure fun with Chalean and her crew!!!

Saturday 4/5 – 44 lateral raise on wobble balls (first 22 with 8 pounds, second 22 with 5 pounds).

This move is always hard for me!!! After the first 22 I knew that I couldn’t continue to use good form unless I dropped down in weight!!!

And, today was another day of running!! 9 miles – 63:17 plus 1.1 to cool down.

Overall, this was a great week of strength work and running!!!!

41 miles of hard running plus 7.6 easier miles for a total of 48.6 miles!!!

Did you move this week?

Happy Saturday!!

Kim

Back, Biceps, Cardio, Core, Fitness, Hamstrings, Plyo, Running, Shoulders, Treadmill

Daily Moves 3/16 – 3/22

March 22, 2014 Kim 44 Comments

It might take me awhile to figure out how I want to do my Daily 44s since I’m not posting every day!!

Sunday 3/16 – 44 Squat thrust with 4 plank jacks

No other workout – Sunday is usually my day off if I take one for the week.

Monday 3/17 – 44 seated row with band

I ran 11 miles in 88:07 followed by an easy cool down mile.

Tuesday 3/18 – 44 windshield wipers with bender ball. This move is awesome for your entire core!!!

I counted a right – left as 1 rep. Not gonna lie – this move was hard for me!! I guess my core/obliques need more work!!!

Another long run (trying to get used to running on tired legs!) – 12 miles in 95:36 followed by 2 easy miles.

Wednesday 3/19 – 44 hammer curls while standing on wobble balls.

I used 10 pound dumbbells which was about as heavy as I could handle for that many reps.

I pulled out another DVD that I haven’t done in a long time – Shape Sculpt Your Abs. I did the entire 60 minutes plus the 12 minute bonus. I like that even though the title implies that it is just an Ab workout, it is really a full body workout!!!

Thursday 3/20 – 44 side lying hip abductions. This move was thanks to Nellie (Brooklyn Active Mama) and her Weekly Wednesday Workout. I have done a move similar before but this one had a slight variation – when you lift your leg, you pull it slightly back.

It didn’t take very many of these to feel it in my hip and outer thighs!!! And, you know I don’t want to be unbalanced so I flipped over and did 44 more!

I also got in my 3rd run of the week. 8 miles in 62:13 followed by 1.6 miles nice and easy!!!

Friday 3/21 – 44 Jefferson Dead Lifts. This move was brand new to me and I liked it OK since I like to find new things to try for my daily moves but I’m not sure I would do it regularly. I saw it on Tamara’s (Fitknitchick) Facebook page the other night and thought it would be fun!

You can see in the picture that the grip is different from a standard grip with one hand facing out and the other in.

I decided that since it seemed like one side was working a little differently I should flip around and do another set of 44 the other way.

I think that I prefer the straight leg dead lift to really target my hamstrings and butt!!

I did a new workout that I just won from Kim (BusyBod) “Thanks, Kim!!!” – The MashUP Conditioning DVD. This workout was intense!!! The idea is to work the entire body in a short time (longer if you combine segments). Each 15 minute segment consists of 3 parts – 5 minutes of strength based moves (also some agility involved). This is 5 moves for 1 minute each!

The next section was HIIT – 30 seconds on and 30 seconds off for 5 minutes. I’ve never done HIIT with that long of a rest but it was kind of nice.

The final 5 minutes was the mind/body connection – 5 primarily core moves for 1 minute each and you were encouraged to stretch as needed.

I did 2 (there are 7 total) of the Tempo segments for a 30 minute intense workout!!

Saturday 3/22 – 44 jump squats onto wobble balls. You know I’m loving my wobble balls and this was a fun way to do some jump squats!!!

I tried flipping them over and really working my balance but after nearly twisting my ankle twice I decided that it was challenging enough the way I did it!!!

And, I ran again this morning!!! 8 miles in 56:52 plus 2.2 easy miles. Today for the HappyFitMarch challenge we were supposed to run a mile and compare it to the past 3 Saturdays. I used my 8th mile today (I’ve been using my first mile which is never my fastest!) – 6:00 for the final mile.

Overall, it was a great week of 44s and working out!! I ran 4 out of 7 days for a total of 31 miles plus 6.8 easy miles.

Did you do any new moves or workouts this week?

Happy Saturday!!

Kim

Biceps, Fitness, Uncategorized

Learning to Let Go

March 19, 2014 Kim 108 Comments

Today for my 44 I used my wobble balls –

While standing on the balls, I did hammer curls.

This was hard to maintain my balance but I liked the extra challenge!!! (I used 10 pound dumbbells which was almost too heavy for 44 reps – I stopped at 24 for a few seconds to stretch!)

I’m still trying to decide if I should still share my 44 on the days I do post or just wait and include all of them in my weekly wrap – gonna take me a while to figure out exactly how to make this work!

Just know, whether I share them each day or just once a week, I’m still doing a daily 44!!! Not ready to give up that part of daily activity – I figure I can make it to 50 at least!!

Last week, I had to realize that my boys are growing up and I won’t have them around that much longer. :Cry-Out:

While Jordan was off in Los Angeles having a great time –

I was home thinking about the fact that in just over 3 years (which I know will fly by!!) he will be leaving home and starting life on his own!!!

I started thinking that the best thing I can do in times like a big trip away or some of the other things that will come along in the next few years is to show how much I love him by letting go and supporting him as he spreads his wings!!!

Whether he is posing with some of the Princesses at Disney (this is the only one he took a picture with because she is a Samuri!) or being goofy with his friends, I have to trust that the training we have done up to this point is enough and that he will make good choices!!

The more I think about it, when we have kids, we start letting go in small ways from the beginning and continue to let go a little more and a little more until one day…

I’m thankful that I’m not quite to that day but I know it will come SOON and I need to start preparing myself mentally!!

Maybe I could pull a Jordan…When Jordan was just over 2.5 years old, he was the ring bearer in Sam & Stacy’s (my younger brother and awesome sis-in-law) wedding. After the ceremony, when Sam & Stacy were fixing to leave, everyone had a white balloon to release when they drove away. They left, and Jordan was so proud –

He said, everyone else lost their balloon but I still have mine!!!

I want to do the same – hold on tight!!! But, I will keep telling myself that I have to let go for the boys to move forward!!

Are you good at letting go? (of anything, doesn’t have to just apply to kids)

Happy Wednesday!!

Kim

Biceps, Butt, Cardio, Core, Fitness, Lunges

In Case You Were Wondering….

February 21, 2014 Kim 69 Comments

Today’s 44 was one of those that worked multiple muscle groups – my favorite kind of moves!!!

I used 1 dumbbell (10 pounds) and started with it in my right hand –

Step back to right lunge with your leg extended and touch the dumbbell to the ground –

Stand with a knee lift and bicep curl –

And, after you finish 44 on the right side you have to switch sides and do 44 more!!

I enjoyed this move because it was pretty much a full body move and since I was working upper and lower at the same time, I really got my heart rate up.

Today was a fun workout day – Turbo Fire!!! I did Fire 55EZ which is not easy but a 55 minute workout that flies by!!!

I feel like sometimes I talk about stuff on here and then never really get back to it so today I thought I would share a few

1. I don’t set New Year’s resolutions but in January I did share a post with some things I wanted to do and try this year. So far I haven’t made a lot of progress but we did try something new to us the other night!! I made a Greek Barley Salad –

We had never tried barley – not sure why??? The entire family enjoyed this side dish!!!

2. I’ve been wearing a FitBit Force since the start of the year and I reviewed it after just a few days. I still pretty much just use it as a pedometer but that is working out well!! The first few weeks I didn’t really do anything different – just wore it to track and I realized that the only days I reached 10,000 steps were running days. Now, I try to get 10,000 steps in addition to whatever number I reach during my workout.

One way that I increase my steps is through the use of my Christmas gift – my standing desk!!

I love using this desk and when I read blogs I either pace around in between each one or I jog in place while I read!! Yesterday I hit 20,000 steps by the end of the day!!!

3. I mentioned that Hunter wants to run a half marathon this spring to celebrate turning 13 and we all know that I think running your age for your birthday is the best way to celebrate so we are going to do one together. We were going to run a large one in Kansas City in April but when it came time to start training and the weather looked like this –

Hunter wasn’t a fan of the training (and I’ve made it clear how much I hate running in the snow and cold!). For some reason Hunter didn’t want to log his miles here –

Weird but true!

So we picked a different race that I think will work better. We are going to do a race that is smaller the first weekend in June. He will start his official training in March and hopefully by then all of his runs can be outside.

4. Last week I shared a dilemma concerning our event venue and a couple who had sort of strung me along about turning in a contract and paying. Well, they did turn in the contract and full payment by the weekend so they are officially booked.

However, they are still causing me stress!!! They called early this week to set up another meeting at the venue. I let them set the day and time. Yesterday at 11:00 we were supposed to meet. I drove over in the sleet – waited for 20 minutes (past the time) – drove home in blowing snow – in other words I wasted an hour of my day and never saw them!

You know how sometimes you just don’t have a good feeling about a situation? That’s pretty much me with this whole deal!!!

5. I have mentioned that this year I’m trying to increase my mileage and still be smart about it and this morning I looked to see how many miles I have for the year compared to this time last year. I have more than 2x the miles already compared to last year at this point!!! Actually, it is about 2.36 times more!!! (yes – I did the real math!!!)

What updates do you have to share?

Happy Fun Friday!!!

Kim

Day With KT

Category Archives: Biceps

Back to Work!!! (5/18-5/24)

It’s All About the Weights, Running, Moving

Daily Moves 3/16 – 3/22

Learning to Let Go

In Case You Were Wondering….

Fitness – Food – Fun