Tag Archives: balance

Core, Fitness, Shoulders, Thighs

Early Mornings

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Today’s 43 worked my shoulders, hips (with abduction) and definitely challenged my balance!!!  I did a combined arm & leg lift to the side.

start with weight in right hand
start with weight in right hand
lift (try to keep your balance)
lift (try to keep your balance)

I had a hard time keeping my balance long enough for Chris to take the picture!  And, you know that I can’t just do 43 on my right side – I had to do another set on the left.

ready for left side
ready for left side

 

lift and hold
lift and hold

I just used  a 5 pound dumbbell for this move because I knew that I wouldn’t be able to raise my arm to shoulder height with anything heavier.

At 6:00am I taught a 45 minute bootcamp class (my first one in ages!!).  5 ladies came and hopefully they all got a great workout!!!  

After bootcamp, I did Insanity Asylum – Strength.  I used heavier weights today than I did the first time through this program and I can already feel the difference in my upper back!!!  I figure the only way to get stronger is to push myself so that’s exactly what I’m trying to do!!!

Screen shot 2013-06-03 at 8.12.55 AM

 

Early mornings used to be my very least favorite thing ever!!!!!  When I was in college, it was almost a daily thing for me to roll out of bed 5 minutes before class, pull my hair back (in a bow clip!), throw on sweats, brush my teeth and run to class.   Screen shot 2013-06-03 at 8.18.58 AM

And the infamous snooze button – Screen shot 2013-06-03 at 8.15.25 AM

I’m pretty sure that I used to hit that thing between 5 & 8 times every day.  I would lay in bed and think about what part of my morning routine I could skip if I stayed in bed another 9 minutes!!!  

Then, Chris and I got married!!  And he is one of those annoying super cheerful morning people!Screen shot 2013-06-03 at 8.20.39 AM

Yikes!!!  We had to come to an agreement –Screen shot 2013-06-03 at 8.18.34 AMPretty much, the only time we had a morning conversation was if I initiated it – very RARE!!!  

For years, I basically dragged myself out of bed every morning (usually not in a pleasant manner!).  Then something happened – after being a stay home mom for 9+ years, I went back to work.  And I realized that if I wanted to make sure I got my workout done (and I definitely wanted that), I had to get up early.Screen shot 2013-06-03 at 8.25.29 AMNo more snooze button (that took time out of my workout, you know)!!  

And, the beauty of getting up so early, by the time I was actually around people, I had been up long enough that I could be semi-friendly!!!

Now, I find it much easier to get up in the mornings.  And, I LOVE how much more productive I feel for the entire day!!!  In fact, there are mornings now when Chris is off that I get up before him (that never used to happen)!!!  

Are you a morning person?  Do you like to talk (or whistle) first thing in the morning or slowly ease into the day (you know by doing Insanity or running 8 miles!!!)?

Happy Monday!!!  (8:30am  and I have the whole day to enjoy now!!!)

Kim

Core, Fitness, Thighs

Reality Shows

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Today’s 43 was all about balance and working the hips (and outer thigh).  This is a move that I got from TaeBo!

Start with all of you weight on your left leg (don’t worry – we will get to the other side!!) with your left toe turned to the side and your knee slightly bent.

start
start

Lift your right leg (hip height if possible) and get balanced.

get ready
get ready

From this position – extend your leg out straight.

extend
extend

Continue bending and extending your leg for your desired # of reps (43 here!).  Then the real fun begins because you get to switch sides (and the second leg always starts feeling the pain quicker!!).

switch sides
switch sides

Try to do the same # of reps on the second side!!!  Of course that means 43 for me!!

keep going!!
keep going!!

I like this move – it works an area that I try to spend time on (hips/thighs) pretty often to prevent injuries when I’m running.  Plus, the balance challenge helps strengthen my core – always a good thing!!!

The rest of my workout was great!!!  I tried out another Cathe DVD – HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training).  The DVD has 3 HIIT segments – each about 30 minutes long. I decided (cause I’m a glutton) to do 2 of the segments.  I started with the 30/30 which starts with a warm-up and then has 16 intervals each 30 seconds long followed by 30 seconds rest.  It’s amazing how the same amount of time can feel so different!!!

After that I did the 40/20 which also starts with a nice warm-up followed by 16 intervals. That extra 10 seconds is brutal!!  The nice thing on this section, even though the rest is only 20 seconds, after each 4th interval, you get a 1 minute break!!!

I thought about doing the 3rd section but that just seemed like a bit much on the HIIT action!!  Soon!!

I’ve decided I might be a bit of a reality TV show addict!!  I’m not sure what the draw is but I get totally caught up in a lot of the reality shows on TV.  Some of my favorites:

Celebrity Apprentice – what’s not to love about watching the celebrities go after each other.  Plus, it’s always good to see the Donald!  This season (All Stars) is really entertaining – how long can Gary Busey last?!

Screen shot 2013-04-22 at 9.56.49 AM

I’m not sure why I enjoy Dance Moms so much – I have never danced, my boys don’t dance…I guess it is just watching Abby!!!Screen shot 2013-04-22 at 9.58.35 AM

America’s Next Top Model is another one that entertains me.  My favorite is when the whole season airs in a single day (usually a Saturday!!) – especially if I have a long treadmill run planned!!Screen shot 2013-04-22 at 10.01.09 AMI loved the season with the British included!!

The Real Housewives of New York – I know these shows offer nothing in the way of education or even real life experiences (at least not my life) but I enjoy them!!!  I liked the RH of NY best when Bethany was part of the group!!Screen shot 2013-04-22 at 10.19.33 AM

I taught myself to sew just enough to make curtains – so basically I can make fairly straight lines.  And, I don’t have a creative bone in my body.  But – I love Project Runway!!  Do people really wear the type clothes they make?!Screen shot 2013-04-22 at 10.04.15 AM

My favorite of all the reality shows I watch (and the one I want to be on) – The Amazing Race!!!Screen shot 2013-04-22 at 10.06.21 AMFor years I’ve talked about being on this show.  One night we had friends over and Chris mentioned something about the Amazing Race and the fact that it would be fun but he didn’t know who he would go on it with – WHAT?!  ME! ME!  I’M RIGHT HERE!!!

I’m pretty sure he doesn’t want to go on it with me because he thinks knows that I might would definitely yell and probably curse at him on national TV.  I might be am a little insanely competitive!!!  It might not be great for our marriage if we went on the show together!! Plus, Chris is one of those super sweet and caring people and would want to help everyone along the way!  (see why we haven’t signed up yet?)  I guess it is better for us to just continue watching it together and not be contestants.  Maybe I can convince my younger brother, Sam to go on with me!!!  

Do you watch reality shows on TV?  Would you ever go on one?

Happy Monday!!!

Kim

Fitness, Triceps

Rainy Day Randomness

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I had a great circuit planned for my 43 today but I woke up not feeling great so I changed the plan and made my 43 a little less challenging (no jumping today!!!).

I decided to do triceps dips but make them more difficult by putting my feet on a stability ball.

start - full extension
start – full extension

Keeping my feet on the ball was difficult enough but then I did 43 dips – my arms were shaking!!

down - butt close to stool
down – butt close to stool

Putting my feet on the ball really did change the move from the way I normally do dips – fun to try new moves!!!

[youtuber youtube=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ct2UMRwnvNs’]

You can tell in the video that it is hard to keep your body straight and the ball in place (or at least it was hard for me)!!

And, who knew that this stool could be such a great work-out tool?!

handy work-out item
handy work-out item

After I finished, Jordan started messing around with my stability ball – check out his mad balancing skills:

pretty impressive balancing!
pretty impressive balancing!

Not gonna lie – I tried this after he did it – I could have been seriously injured!!!  It’s not nearly as easy as he is making it look!

It rained all day yesterday and today is supposed to be more of the same with some snow mixed in (good thing it is warm enough that the snow won’t stick!!).

Here is a view of our rainy day entertainment:

[youtuber youtube=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1RK7MiUVhQ’]

Hunter just keeps getting faster and faster on the Rubik cube (all types!) and now he is combining his brain power with a little ab work – LOVE it!!!

Last night, Jordan was with some friends so it was just Hunter home with us for awhile.  After dinner we decided to watch a movie together.Screen shot 2013-03-09 at 8.50.27 PMThis was a great movie!!  It was a little sad at times but I loved the overall story (and the little girl was so cute!!).  Movies based on true stories are usually some of my favorites.  Of course, Hunter said that he prefers Matt Damon in the Bourne movies over this one.  Really??!!

Well, I think I have rambled enough.  Gonna  spend the day relaxing and enjoying the rain/snow and the fact that I don’t have to go out in it!!

Happy Sunday!

Kim

BOSU, Cardio, Fitness, Running, Squats, Treadmill

Unlimited Potential

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Today for the  43 I used my BOSU again!!!

BOSU
BOSU

Today I used it for cardio, balance and toning all at the same time!!!  I started by standing behind the dome, jumped onto it and squatted, jumped off the sides (straddle) into a squat, jumped back on and squatted then stepped off the back for 1 rep.

[youtuber youtube=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFsT5a6WHyk’]

The demo is painful (I could not get my balance!!).  I found during my actual 43 that if I kept my center of gravity lower (basically stayed in a partial squat) during the jumps, it was easier to stay balanced and do the squats.  I enjoyed this 43!!!

I also did Les Mills Combat – Power HIIT.  I’m not gonna lie – that work-out seems harder every time I do it!!!  Maybe because I know all the exercises and can really push hard the entire 30 minutes.  It has things like power press x 20 (which is actually 60 squats with shoulder presses) and I used 15 pound dumbbells for those today!!  Burpees with push-ups and up into 2 tuck jumps x about a million!  Fun stuff!!!

I wanted to really push myself (I think a couple of lazy days helped me kick my tiny illness and now I’m ready to go hard again!!!) so I decided to hop on my treadmill after the HIIT.  (15 degrees outside is way too cold for me to attempt an outdoor run!!!)

4 miles at 1.5 % incline   25:19    (+ an easy 2 total time 48:45)

  1. 7:48
  2. 6:32
  3. 5:46
  4. 5:13

It was hard but it felt good to push like that after my pathetic attempt outside the other day.  Hopefully it will warm up and I will get back out on the road again this week!!!

Last night on the Biggest Loser, the contestants ran a 5K.  Because I am a complete geek – I actually clapped for each of them as they crossed the finish line!!!  I love it when they (or anyone for that matter) really dig deep and push themselves to do something they thought was completely impossible!!!

Screen shot 2013-01-22 at 10.32.03 AM

I think we all have unlimited potential – we just have to dig deep to find it and then push ourselves to reach it!!!

This guy has the right idea:Screen shot 2013-01-21 at 5.44.41 PM

Yesterday was a big day for Hunter!!!

Hunter before braces - nice pic!
Hunter before braces – nice pic!
Hunter after braces
Hunter after braces

This morning he told me he is already ready to have them off.  Ummm…..soon (like 1.5-2 years!!!).  I think they make him look even older than he really is.

Happy Tuesday!!!

Kim