Graduation Day!!!

May 22, 2013 Kim 32 Comments

Today’s 43 was all about the core!! I got this move from Nellie’s blog Brooklyn Active Mama. Every Wednesday she features a new move and today’s Weekly Wednesday Workout was the windshield wiper!!!

I made a slight change to the way she had it demoed – in her version, you keep your knees bent. I decided to increase the challenge and keep my legs straight!!! You lay on your back with your arms extended out from your body and legs straight up. Slowly lower your legs to the right (as far as you can go while keeping your upper body still) then move your legs slowly to the left – a right and left = 1 rep. Confused? – watch the video!

[youtuber youtube=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lMDsIFtV4w’]

I had a hard time keeping my shoulder still – gotta keep working on it!! Try some of these and you will immediately feel it in your obliques!! After completing 43 I think I will be sore tomorrow!!!

Today I went back to one of my favorite workouts – Combat!! I did Combat 60 – Ultimate Cardio Fighter!!! It was awesome – I’ve definitely missed my combat time!!!!

I don’t know about other places/school districts but in our district you have 4 graduations before you finish school!!! Kindergarten, 6th grade, 8th grade and of course, the final graduation from high school.

Today, I have a 6th grader and an 8th grader graduating!!! (Which means that we are officially done with elementary school – Hunter and entering high school – Jordan!!!)

The 8th grade graduation is just names being called out – not really a ceremony. The rest of the day is just “filler” for the kids. We may win a “bad parent” award but Jordan didn’t want to go today and we said it was fine – his summer started yesterday!!!

I still made him let me take a picture!! Can you tell he has only been up a few minutes?! And, of course, he is in his standard white!!! (He has worn white Nike shorts and a white Nike T-shirt every day since the beginning of 6th grade – with a few exceptions when he had to wear specific things!!!)

Hunter’s graduation from 6th grade starts with a lunch for students and parents/families followed by a 6th grade talent show and then the “graduation.” It will be fun!!

Hunter loves neon yellow!!! And the bowtie is nice addition for sure!!!

Do y’all have graduations from each “level” of school?

Happy Wednesday!!!

Kim

Butt, Cardio, Core, Fitness, Power Moves, Push-Ups, Running, Shoulders, Treadmill

Tornado Tragedy

May 21, 2013 Kim 29 Comments

Today’s 43 was a killer!!! Taylor at Lifting Revolution did a post a couple weeks ago featuring 30 variations of burpees!!! I decided to turn some of those burpee variations into my daily 43s since I like ~~pain~~ to challenge myself.

Today I did a burpee with a box jump (43 times – what was I thinking???).

[youtuber youtube=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XA3x26yZPf8′]

Disregard the fact that I look like a total dork – and about killed myself jumping on the step!! Check out Taylor’s site – she makes the move look easy and she actually jumps into a squat on the box!! (I was lucky to jump up and not fall off!!)

Since yesterday I talked about my lack of motivation these past few days and the overwhelming consensus was to just “suck it up” and do it – that’s what I did today!!! After the intense 43 I ran!

I ran on the treadmill (still hesitant to hit the streets!!) – 1.5% incline, 6 miles in 40:43. I felt better after that run about working out than I have in awhile!!! I went for an easy 2 mile walk with a neighbor for my cool-down!!

Tragedies affect all of us differently. The devastating tornado in Moore, OK yesterday really hits home with me. I’ve never lived there but I think the fact that I’ve driven through Moore (on I-35) literally hundreds of times (one of those being less than 2 weeks after the huge tornado in 1999) and the fact that so many children were killed makes this one of those things that strikes a major chord with me!!!

The tornado was about 2 miles wide! I know last night they had 51 confirmed dead and 20 of those were children!! Plus all the people they are still searching for!! And the loss of virtually everything for those who survived is mind boggling.

some of the heros!! — some of the heroes!!

Many prayers for all of the people who have been affected by this and other tornados recently!!!

Kim

Cardio, Fitness, Quad

Motivation – What Motivation??

May 20, 2013 Kim 28 Comments

Today for my 43 I used my figure-8 band:

I put it around each ankle and started with my feet in close then jumped them out wide, wider, widest (squat) and back in – got it?!

[youtuber youtube=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7vfat-jyKVQ’]

This was a quick 43 that I felt in my quads and it got my heart pumping – success!!

Today’s workout was HARD!!! I did Turbo Barre with Cathe and YIKES!! I might have even moaned and whimpered during the workout because my hips and legs were on fire and overall I was dying!! I have done this workout before and I knew it was challenging but I don’t remember it being so brutal. I guess that’s what happens when you have 3 weeks of almost no activity/working out!!

So, confession time: The past few days, I’ve been lacking any motivation to workout. I’m not gonna lie, this is really rare for me because I usually love the feeling of a really hard workout or run!!Typically, I don’t even think about if I’m going to workout – I just have to decide what I’m going to do. Over the weekend I did my daily 43 but that was the extent of my working out which is pretty sad since I just started back last week!!! I tried to justify it in my mind by saying that I needed to ease back in – NOT TRUE!!! I just didn’t want to do it!!! Then this morning I still didn’t want to do anything – not cool!!! I read a few blogs thinking that would inspire me. Finally I just buckled down and did it!! I really needed some help – I’m not sure a carrot stick is going to cut it either!!! I think that part of the problem is the fact that I got out of the habit and feel like I’m starting from scratch! Plus, I told Chris last night that it isn’t as fun to workout when my legs hurt before I even start! I try to just suck it up and do it but it is sapping the joy out of my workouts for sure!I’m hoping that this is a temporary thing because fitness is really my passion so I don’t know how to deal with this lack of desire to get a good sweat on!!I guess I will just keep forcing myself to hit it hard and hope that the joy comes back!!Either that or find a new passion – JUST KIDDING!!!In the meantime I will make this my mantra –

Does anyone else ever struggle with a lack of motivation (even for things that you generally love)? What do you do about it?

And just for fun – here are some of the pictures I took yesterday on our 2 hour drive through a major storm. (I was keeping myself busy while Chris had the stressful job of driving – he said it doesn’t bother him – perk of being a pilot, I guess!!)

Check out the storm chaser! Look how dark it is between 4 & 6 in the afternoon!!

Happy Monday – I’m off to find some motivation!!!

Kim

Butt, Fitness, Lunges, Quad, Squats

Silver Linings

May 19, 2013 Kim 27 Comments

Today for my 43 I did some squat and lunge work because yesterday I caught a glimpse of my backside and realized that I have lost a lot of butt toning the past few weeks (TMI??) and swimsuit season is here!!! Yikes!!

So today, I did a 4-step move to try and start back in the right direction (ie – not saggy!!!). I held 12 pound dumbbells during this move to add some extra intensity and weight!

I started with a side-lunge to the right –

Then I stepped my foot back to the center for a squat with feet together –

A side-lunge to the left –

lunge to the left (don't mind the fact that I'm not going super low - wraps get in the way!) — lunge to the left (don’t mind the fact that I’m not going super low – wraps get in the way!)

And finally, another center squat to finish the rep –

One thing I love about doing lower body work like this, I can get my heart rate up while toning!! By the time I finished all 43 reps, I was breathing hard for sure!!

I’m giving myself another recovery day because between being an idiot last week, the storms last night, and being awake from 2-4 this morning while waiting for Jordan and the rest of the band kids to get back, I think it will be the best idea for the day!!

A couple of weeks ago I read the book The Silver Linings Playbook by Matthew Quick and loved it!! It is pretty intense but the concept is awesome (I’m not going to do a book review here because you might want to read it yourself!!). The other day, Chris and I watched the movie!!! Awesome movie – great story (and enough humor that Chris even enjoyed it!!).

A lot of times, I don’t like to read a book then watch the movie – it drives me crazy when they don’t match up. However, in this case, I didn’t mind the differences between the 2 (and there were plenty!!). I enjoyed the movie more – it wasn’t as intense (plus, hello, Bradley Cooper!!).

One thing I noticed, though, the concept of Silver Linings is brought out a lot more in the book. Pat (Bradley Cooper), is convinced that he will have a silver lining after all of the hardships he has gone through. I tend to agree with this idea most of the time. I think the times that we need the silver lining the most are sometimes the times it is hardest to really remain positive and believe that every bad situation has some good aspect to it. I think we all have different ways of “looking for the silver linings”. Some of us run! Some of us pray. Some of us turn to friends and/or family. I think the main thing is to keep looking for that Silver Lining because it’s there!!Without the trying times in our lives, we would never fully appreciate the happy times!!

How do you look for the Silver Lining during the low times?

Happy Sunday – I hope it’s full of Silver Linings!!!

Kim

PS – I highly recommend the book (if you’re a reader) and the movie!!

Cardio, Core, Fitness, Shoulders

Roller Coasters – Love them or Hate them?

May 18, 2013 Kim 20 Comments

Today’s 43 was a lot of jumping!! I haven’t done a single burpee in weeks now – and as much as I hate burpees, I love them even more!!! I didn’t do a true burpee today (no push-up) but close.

I did a squat thrust (burpee with no push-up) and then 2 floor jack before jumping back in and jumping up.

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

This was a fairly quick 43 but it definitely got my heart rate up!!

No other workout today – going to gear up for the “party” circuit!!!

Roller coasters are not my thing!!! They don’t make me sick – I just don’t like them!!!And, the wooden roller coasters – don’t get me started on how much I hate them!! I haven’t been on one in about 20 years!So, today, Jordan is with a band group at

I’m not really worried (maybe a little). I’m super happy that I’m not there!!I hope that he and all of the band (and orchestra) members have a great time!!!And, hopefully, Jordan has inherited his Dad’s love of roller coasters and not my ~~fear~~ aversion to them!!!