Category Archives: BOSU

BOSU, Butt, Chest, Core, Fitness, Plank, Running

Still Not Running (11/2 – 11/8)

November 8, 2014 Kim 40 Comments

Sometimes as runners/athletes we make choices based on what we want to do and not what we should do – at least I know I’m like that. This week was one of those times – I just tried to do what I wanted as far as working out. It didn’t really work but…..

Sunday 11/2 – 45 machine gun kicks.

balance on right leg - left leg kicks — balance on right leg – left leg kicks

These go quickly – the challenge is supporting yourself on the standing leg and staying balanced while moving your leg back and forth!! And, both sides have to be worked equally –

This move is actually one I learned from TaeBo!!!

After a week almost completely off and a couple other minimal weeks, I decided to try and run. It wasn’t great but I pushed through and did a slow 5 miles. (sometimes I’m not very smart!!!)

Monday 11/3 – 45 star crunches – right hand to left foot, down, left hand to right foot = 1 rep.

Return to extended position then switch sides –

And, since I was already working my core I decided to do TaeBo Insane Abs. This workout always makes me sore for a few days!!!

Tuesday 11/4 – 45 standing crunches (hold each crunch about 3 seconds).

round and squeeze - blow all the air out and hold — round and squeeze – blow all the air out and hold

I really like standing crunches like this even though it looks a little odd!!!

I wanted to run again but it only took about 3 steps to realize that wasn’t going to happen. So I walked 6.35 miles at a 10% incline.

Wednesday 11/5 – 45 elbow plank with knee tap to a leg lift – alternate sides (right – left = 1 rep).

Return to plank then do left side –

This ended up being a LONG time to hold plank by the time I did all 45 reps!!!

I pulled out another older DVD – Denise Austin: Personal Training System. Many years ago this was my go-to workout when I had a stress fracture in my foot and we were traveling – 20 minutes of cardio, 10 minutes upper body, 10 minutes lower body, 10 minutes abs and 10 minutes stretching.

Thursday 11/6 – 45 fly to pull-over. (8 pounds because 45 is a lot!!)

bring arms back to certain and push weights together — bring arms back to center and push weights together

pull arms over head (don't touch the ground) — pull arms over head (don’t touch the ground)

Keeping this movement slow and controlled is the key (especially on the down part!!). My chest is still sore from this one!!!

I’ve mentioned before that I love the 10 Minute Solution DVDs. I chose Sculpt, Tone & Reshape with the Figure 8 for the workout. The figure 8 is a resistance band.

I like the combination of moves in the workout using the band!!

Friday 11/7 – 45 side plank dips on the BOSU. This move is a move I got from Nellie (Brooklyn Active Mama) and her weekly Wednesday Workouts.

Holding plank while lifting and lowering your hips is a challenge – holding the plank on the BOSU makes it an even better challenge!!!

And, I tried and failed at running again!! So I just walked 4.25 miles at a 10% incline.

Saturday 11/8 – 45 standing pilates leg circles.

to back – squeeze your butt at this point to help with balance!!

If you look closely you can see that my foot is barely off the ground. Even to close the circle (half circle actually) you keep it just above the ground.

I did all 45 on one leg before switching sides.

I like this move even though it is small – after several reps you will start to feel it in your thighs, core and butt!!

I’m not thrilled that I can’t run still but I guess I will just keep doing things that don’t make my leg hurt worse until I get some answers from the DR(s)!!!

Happy Saturday!

Kim

BOSU, Butt, Core, Fitness, Plank, Running, Triceps

A Weak Week (10/19 – 10/25)

October 25, 2014 Kim 28 Comments

This week was pretty light on the workout front. But I did get in some really fun 45s!!!

Sunday 10/19 – 45 side lunge (stay in wide position between).

I did all 45 to the left (just returning to the middle position in between. Then switched and did 45 to the right.

Monday 10/20 – 45 BOSU balances (start with hands on BOSU, feet on ground – raise right arm to side and left leg, hold then switch to left arm and right leg for 1 rep).

This move was HARD!!! I like it because it worked everything – triceps, shoulders, core, butt, quads, hamstrings….

I tried to run – 3 miles in 25:40 and then realized that my leg is hurt more than I thought so I ended up walking 4.5 miles with an incline.

Tuesday 10/21 – 45 twisting elbow planks (twist right, then left = 1 rep).

Return to middle then twist the other way –

This move was hard – 45 complete reps ended up being a long time to stay in a plank!!!!

I did a workout that I hadn’t done in a long time and it ended up being great – The Firm: Cardio Fusion. The workout uses these little balls –

I will definitely be doing this workout again!!!

Wednesday 10/22 – 45 twisting frog crunches with weighted (5 pound) punches. (right-left = 1 rep)

up - twist and punch right with left hand — up – twist and punch right with left hand

Return to the ready position and then go the other way –

I did another workout that I’ve always enjoyed – Cross Training for Fitness.

Thursday 10/23 – 45 back bow cross-over. This move is one I had never seen before until Nellie (Brooklyn Active Mama) showed it as her Weekly Wednesday workout. (another one where right-left = 1 rep)

up and squeeze - move to other side — up and squeeze

While in the up position, move your arms to other side –

moving over (dropped the legs a little:)

small break before moving back to the start — small break before coming up and moving back the other way

I might have adapted it a little (I used a wobble ball as my cross-over object instead of a yoga block) but this was a really good move!!!

Thanks to Hunter for doing the pictures for me on Friday morning since no one was around when I did the move Thursday!!!

Friday 10/24 – 45 leg abductions while balancing on upside down wobble ball.

I managed all 45 with my left leg without tapping my toe down – I wobbled and looked like a goof but…..

On this leg, I ended up tapping my toe down 2 times during the reps – my left leg balance isn’t as strong!!!

Saturday 10/25 – 45 stability ball side crunches.

After completing the first set of 45, I flipped over and did 45 more.

I’m hoping that next week I can get back to working out the way I like to work out!!!

Happy Saturday!

Kim

BOSU, Butt, Calves, Cardio, Core, Fitness, Lunges, Quad, Running

Increasing the Daily Reps (9/14 – 9/20)

September 20, 2014 Kim 32 Comments

This week saw in a change in daily moves from 44 to 45. What’s one more rep of anything?!

Sunday 9/14 – 44 heel raises while doing a wall sit and holding up a 20 pound kettle bell.

Not gonna lie – my quads were burning by the time I finished these!!

Monday 9/15 – 44 super burpee (had to have something big for my last Daily 44.)

To do the move: jump back into plank – push-up – jump legs in and right – jump back to plank – jump legs in and left – jump back to plank – jump feet in to hands – jump back to plank – plank jack – jump up to standing – do 8 fast feet. Hooray – 1 rep is done!!!

10 of these would have been OK but 44 was tough!!!

And I’m finally back to normal workouts!!! I started a new program – PIYO – Align the Fundamentals. Not sure how much I’m going to like it but I will give it a try!!!

Tuesday 9/16 – 45 minutes of running (to see how far I could get).

I did 7.43 miles in 45 minutes (7:23, 6:17, 5:51, 5:34, 5:39, 5:54, 5:50 and 6:01 to finish the 8th mile)

I haven’t run hard like this in awhile so I paid the price for this run for the rest of the week – stairs were rough until yesterday and my shins were very tight!!!

Wednesday 9/17 – 45 crunches while on a BOSU with a stability ball between the ankles.

You can see in the pictures that I had to keep my hands on the side of the BOSU – I didn’t hold the entire time but I sure did have to hold a lot for balance!!!

I also did 2 more of the PIYO workouts – Define Lower Body and Define Upper Body.

Thursday 9/18 – 45 plie with hands touching the floor – spring up onto toes and reach hands up.

up onto toes - reach hands up — up onto toes – reach hands up

This was another day of PIYO – Sweat. I looked ahead at the way the program is laid out and it just repeats the same workouts from this week over and over for a few weeks – not sure that I will do this program as it is written!!!

Friday 9/19 – 45 curtsey lunge with hop to opposite leg and another curtsey lunge – stay low the entire time. (right-left = 1 rep)

Then I did one of my favorite workouts – Turbo Fire!!! I did Fire 55EZ (not to be confused with easy!!). Fun way to start the day.

Saturday 9/20 – 45 mountain climbers in low plank.

I let Hunter do the demo since he is the one who told me about this lovely move!!! It was hard but I liked it!!!

So, this wasn’t a super hard week of workouts but it was nice to be back in the routine!!!

Happy Saturday!

Kim

Biceps, BOSU, Butt, Core, Fitness, Push-Ups, Running

Tired Running Legs (8/24 – 8/30)

August 30, 2014 Kim 32 Comments

This week was all about really pushing my legs past the point of being tired and then running just a little bit more and I’m happy to say I achieved that by Friday’s run!!!

Sunday 8/24 – 44 reverse frogs while on a stability ball. (Hopefully the pictures help explain the move.)

start facedown on ball with hands on ground, heels together

lift legs up (squeeze butt) keeping heels together

Don’t mind the fact that I look crooked in the picture above – it’s hard staying on the ball!!

slowly lower toes to the ground to finish the first rep

This move was sort of fun – I liked the slow moving holds and squeezes!! I’m not really a fan of how large my backside looks in the pictures though – oops!!

Monday 8/25 – 44 bicep curls while standing on upside down BOSU (10 pound DBs)

The act of staying balanced on the BOSU made these curls much harder than a standard curl – super fun!!

Run – 12 miles in 91:40 followed by 0.4 easy miles

Tuesday 8/26 – 44 plank with feet on upside down BOSU – alternate toe taps to the sides (right/left tap = 1 rep).

Not sure why it looks like my arms are bowed or too close in – hmmm…..

Run 10 miles – 82:35 followed by 0.8 miles

After taking Hunter to school I changed into dry clothes (I sweat a LOT when I run) and ran some more!

Run 10 miles – 86:38 followed by 2 easy miles

Wednesday 8/27 – 44 alternating side bends while standing on an upside down BOSU (12 pound DBs).

I liked this move – I love the little crunch in my obliques while doing side bends and the fact that I had the extra balance challenge was a bonus!!

Run 10 miles – 77:12 followed 1.05 miles nice and easy!!

Thursday 8/28 – 44 push-ups with toes on upside down BOSU.

You can see how hard it is to stay balanced on the BOSU – it tips back a lot!!

Not gonna lie – these were hard!!! I don’t think I’ve been doing enough push-ups lately!!!

Run – 8 miles in 57:45 + 0.5 miles (I was pressed for time so I thought I would do a harder run since I’ve been logging lots of slower miles).

Friday 8/29 – 44 body extended to V-sit on upside down BOSU.

I wobbled a lot on these!! And, this was one of those moves that I felt in my core and also in my hip flexors!!

Run – 10 miles in 79:47 followed by 3 easy miles.

This was my final long run before my upcoming race. My goal this week was to run enough that my legs were fatigued but still able to turn-over pretty well. I’m happy with how the week went!!

Saturday 8/30 – 44 calf stretches on upside down BOSU. This move felt good after all of the running!!

I had fun this week doing moves on my BOSU in a more nontraditional way!!!

So in 5 days (Monday – Friday), I ran 60 miles at a good pace + 7.75 easy miles. (my easy miles are always a mix of slow running that ends with walking)

The next week and a half will still have plenty of daily 44s but the workouts will be fairly light and I’m not planning to do any long or hard runs.

Happy Saturday!!

Kim

BOSU, Butt, Chest, Core, Fitness, Hamstrings, Lunges, Push-Ups, Running, Treadmill, Triceps

BOSU Fun (4/13 – 4/19)

April 19, 2014 Kim 44 Comments

This week the daily 44s were all about my favorite piece of equipment –

Sunday 4/13 – 44 curtsy lunge on upside down BOSU.

After 44 on my right leg, I had to switch feet and do another set!!

The pictures were actually after Hunter and I did his first 60 minute run!!! We ended up doing 61 minutes so we could do an even 6 miles!!! For the run we did a 5 minute run/1 minute walk cycle and he did great!!!

Monday 4/14 – 44 tricep dips on upside down BOSU.

By the 25th rep my arms were shaking – 44 of this move was no joke!!!

And, I decided to run a marathon!! Actually, I wanted to get in a long run of 2-3 hours. When I got close to 3 hours I thought I would keep going to 25 miles and then I decided to just go to 26.2!!!

26.2 miles – 3:40.57 + 0.8 easy miles

Tuesday 4/15 – 44 push-ups with one arm on the BOSU.

And, of course, I had to do 44 more with my right arm on the BOSU.

(I know I have on the same clothes from Monday’s pictures – Chris took the pictures on Monday morning before he left to go out of town for a few days!!)

I only did 22-24 on each side on my toes and the rest were on my knees.

I wanted to do an easier workout since my legs were tired from Monday so I did Poise-Core Training. It was a lot like pilates and a nice 45 minute workout!!

After school, I ran with the boys – 30 minutes (we did 3.25 miles) and then walked 0.25 miles. The first couple minutes were rough and I almost stopped but by the end I was happy I had gone with them.

Wednesday 4/16 – 44 side leg abduction on BOSU.

This was another one of those moves that I had to do one set of 44 and then switch sides to do another set!

I tried to hold each lift for a couple seconds and then control my leg on the way down – my base leg was shaky!!!

And, since the week was already about the BOSU, I did a couple of BOSU DVDs – BOSU Balance Trainer and BOSU Reactive Strength & Power. Both of these workouts had a mix of cardio, strength moves and some core work!!

Thursday 4/17 – 44 crunches on BOSU.

The start position was nice because it was a good back stretch!!

It wasn’t a big crunch (otherwise I would have rolled off!) but it was very effective!

And, I ran again!! 8 miles (63:03) + 0.5 easy miles.

Friday 4/18 – 44 BOSU butt bridges.

down (butt slightly off ground even in this position)

I liked this move – I don’t think I work my hamstrings as much as I should but this move definitely did the trick!

I did a fun DVD – Cross Training for Fitness. It is a lot of kickboxing with some great core work thrown in.

Hunter and I also ran. It was a 35 minute run but we ended up coin 36:51 so we could finish our 4th mile. Hunter is doing a great job with his training – so far he is still enjoying it and I love the time we spend running together!!!

Saturday 4/19 – 44 squats with a twist (holding a medicine ball) on upside down BOSU.

I did all 44 to the right side and then switched and did 44 more.

You can look back at the week and see that I did several moves with the BOSU upside down. If you have never tried using the BOSU this way, you should!! The balance challenge is incredible!!!

There are so many ways to use a BOSU – I think I will have to pick another week soon to focus on it again!!!

Weekly mileage 47.45 + 1.55 easy miles for a total of 49 miles.

Happy Saturday!!! Have a great Easter weekend!

Kim