Category Archives: Back

Back, Biceps, Core, Fitness, Quad, Triceps

Zumba – A Few Thoughts

June 5, 2013 Kim 57 Comments

For my 43 this morning, I did a running row. This move worked many parts of my body – back, biceps, triceps, quads and core!!!

Start by standing on your left leg with your left arm extended in front, right knee up and your right arm pulled back –

(I used a 5 pound dumbbell in my right hand.) From the start position, hinge forward from the waist and push right leg straight back while extending your right arm –

Repeat this move in a nice fluid motion – I did have a few balance checks before I reached 43. And of course, after I finished the right side, I had to get my left side.

I like combo moves because I feel like I get so much out of them!!!

I taught a 6 am boot camp class and then it was time for Insanity Asylum – Vertical Plyo. This one might be my least favorite because it has SO MUCH jumping!!! But, I will keep doing it and maybe one day it will be easier!! I decided to go ahead and double up the Insanity workouts today so I also did Relief. My new favorite – 25 minutes of stretching!!! This definitely felt good after the past few days of workouts!!!

So, last night I finally got up the nerve to try Zumba. I don’t know if I’ve ever mentioned on here, but I have less than zero rhythm!!! And, my hips don’t roll, sway, swivel or any of the other moves that tend to be part of Zumba.

But, I tried it!!! Pretty sure I looked sort of like this for the entire hour – I placed myself over to one side of the room (fortunately I was near 3 ladies that were very fun and NICE) and kept my eyes on the instructor (a friend of mine who happens to ROCK at Zumba!!) the entire time.

During some of the hip moves I just sort of did my own thing because I do not have near enough coordination for hip rolls.

[youtuber youtube=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fM4_T0FzbAs&list=PL798DD5698EFD74F4′]

Um….not so much here!!!

And, there was a lot of this – I can only imagine what the people on the treadmills (they can see into the room) think while we are doing this?!

Oh, and if you have never done Zumba, it is different from other aerobic type classes in that there is very little cuing. I had to really pay attention cause I did not want to be the only one thrusting my pelvic while everyone else was sambaing or mambaing or whatever those steps are called!!!

[youtuber youtube=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBq5J3Xph8k’]

So, even though I didn’t know the routine and couldn’t move the way some people can, I thought it was a fun workout!! The hour went quickly and I worked up a good sweat! I’m trying to force myself to occasionally get out of my comfort zone and try new things – and this definitely counts!!!

I am planning to go back next week – gotta give it a few tries!!!!

Have you tried Zumba? What are your thoughts?

Happy Wednesday!!

Kim

Back, Cardio, Chest, Core, Fitness, Running, Shoulders, Squats

Happy Anniversary to the Love of my Life!!!!

May 25, 2013 Kim 22 Comments

Today’s 43 was brutal in every way!! I did Man-Makers!! Heard of them? Get a set of dumbbells (I used 15 pounds) and get ready!!

Put the dumbbells on the ground about a foot apart. Jump down to plank placing hands on DBs and do a push-up (you know, like a burpee). Then do alternate arm rows (while still in plank!!). Jump up into a low squat and bring weight to your shoulder. Stand, using your legs for power and push arms straight overhead. That was 1 rep!!! Repeat (43x if you are doing my version!).

[youtuber youtube=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmcosP5QWo0′]

After I finished that ~~torture~~ 43, I decided to go out for a run to shake out the last bit of soreness in my legs from Thursday’s long run. I finally used my new Garmin on a run!!! I just ran 3 miles in 26:00 + 0.5 miles walking to cool down!! It is already muggy and humid today!!!

Chris and I are celebrating 17 years of wedded bliss today!!! So, I think it’s a good time to share some of our story.

We met in August of 1995 at Whalers Bay in Lubbock, TX. (yep – we met at a bar!!!) Chris was with 3 other guys and I was with a group of people. My roommate that summer was a hostess there and had seen Chris in before. She purposely seated me next to him and his friends. Chris and his buddies all had large notebooks with them (the Dash 1) and were “studying”.

I started talking to Chris and asked him, “Are you a pilot?” His response, “No, but I want to be.” (he was in pilot training at the time)

I drank Rum & Coke that night (more than a few) all paid for by Chris and his pals, and because of that Chris’ buddies called me “rum & coke” for months after we met!!

At some point that night, Chris and I made plans to go out over the weekend. He called me the next day and asked if I had a chance to go out of town would I do it. I figured he was standing me up. Actually, he invited me to go to Austin to hook up with some friends of his and go to a Live concert.

We went to the concert, did 6th Street up rightgot a little sleep and drove back to Lubbock (Oh – it is 7 hours each way). Yep, we met in a bar, our first date was over 7 hours from were we lived – pretty sure we broke a lot of “dating rules” but it all worked out and look at us now!!! And we didn’t go as crazy as some people – the SLS Dating Site scene isn’t for us – but we did break a few conventions here and there!

Chris told me later that he knew on the way to Austin that I was the person he wanted to marry!!! The Monday after our first date he sent these to me at work!!

We dated the rest of the year (my first year as a teacher – 6th grade Science) while Chris was in pilot training. Most of our dates were like this:

[youtuber youtube=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b8wFBUF1ZWY’]

Well, maybe not exactly, but we did spend lots of time with the other guys (and their wives or girlfriends) in pilot training at a great piano bar called Off Broadway and karaoke happened often – good thing Chris can sing!!!

We were engaged all of 8 weeks!!! Not because we “had” to get married! Chris graduated from pilot training on May 24 and we got married the day after – we figured it would save his family a trip to TX (from Kansas).

at 2 and on the day of Pilot Training Graduation

The frame says – From long ago and far away…Love brought us to our wedding day.

It was a busy but incredible weekend!!! Chris sang to me at our wedding (a complete surprise to everyone, especially me!!)

Beautiful in my Eyes by Joshua Kadison (now know as “our song”)

[youtuber youtube=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRKqxSZeq4s’]

Obviously that isn’t him singing but it could be!!! (If you’ve never heard the song, it is definitely worth listening to!!)

Our wedding was Saturday and on Monday, Chris had to go to Altus, OK for his next training phase. I still had a week to finish school. So, we started our married life the way it would frequently be – the life of a military pilot and spouse!!!

The night I got to Altus, we ate at the O Club (Officer’s Club) – right when we walked in we heard our song so of course we danced cause that’s what you do!!!

I can’t even count how many times we have gotten up in the middle of dinner or while cleaning the kitchen to dance to our song (because I had my ipod playing on random)!!! The boys ~~love it~~ just roll their eyes and ignore us!!!

Happy Anniversary, Chris – you will always be the love of my life!!!

Do you and your spouse/significant other have a song? Do you drop everything and dance when you hear it?

Happy Saturday!!! I’m off to spend the day with my true love!!!

Kim

Back, Core, Fitness, Hamstrings

Going from 0 to 100 Might Qualify me for an Idiot Award!!

May 17, 2013 Kim 16 Comments

Today’s 43 was a great one to work on balance! I did a single leg, bent-over row.

Start on your right side (or left – whichever you want to do first!!):

Then row (keep leg up for all reps):

After completing all reps (43 for me!) then you get to switch legs and start over!!

(Can you tell these pictures were all after I was completely done and showered – dressed for a day of PE – and totally rocking my lovely compression stockings!!)

I got up at 5:00 to do my work-out because I’m ~~an idiot~~ subbing PE today. I struggled through my entire 43 and workout today. I did a SELF DVD – Trim and Tone Fast. It was a fine workout – 60 minutes with a warm-up plus the following 6 sections and a cool-down:

legs
back
arms & shoulders
chest
core
full body

There wasn’t any cardio in this workout which was perfect for me today because I was having a hard enough time just doing basics this morning.

I think the fact that I spent almost 3 weeks like thisand the past 4 days I’ve been more like thishave left me a little drained and very sore. I’m telling myself I’m just sore from lack of activity and that I need to just suck it up!!!

In reality, I think the fact that I took the DR very literally when she said that I couldn’t hurt anything by “jogging” at this point – I felt the need to hit it hard and now I’m paying feeling it big time!!

Add to the workouts and all of my normal daily activity the fact that I haven’t slept more than 1-2 hours at a time for the past several nights (my legs sort-of throb all night long) and I should probably wear this today:But – I won’t!! I’ll just go up to the school and spend the day teaching PE to a bunch of wound-up kids (last Friday of the school year!!)!!! Oy!!

Oh, well – I can rest over the weekend – OH WAIT – that won’t happen since we have 6-7 graduation parties to attend and we have to take Jordan up to the middle school at 2:45am Saturday morning and pick him up between 3:00 & 4:00am Sunday morning!! (love a band contest/6 Flags trip!!)

Happy Fun Friday!! I’m thinking today will be a Diet Coke day for sure (rare for me but…)

Kim

Back, Biceps, Core, Fitness

A Mom’s Reflections

May 12, 2013 Kim 18 Comments

Today I used my Turbo Fire band for my 43 –

I did a combo move consisting of a seated row, bicep curl and reverse crunch.

[youtuber youtube=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Unyz49-LDgA’]

I liked this 43 a lot!!! I leaned back enough that I was working my core the entire time. During the rows I tried to really squeeze my shoulder blades together so I could feel it deep in my upper back. The reverse crunch was just a slow move back with my upper body (without ever resting my back on the ground) and a slow trip back up. This was a great way to work a variety of different muscle groups!!!

There are so many stages to this journey of motherhood and, for me, each stage has been better than the one before it. Here are some of my thoughts/memories of motherhood:

* I spent years (junior high, high school, college, grad school, and a couple years after) saying that I was NEVER going to have kids. It wasn’t until after Chris and I were married that I decided I really did want to have children – I guess it just took being married to the perfect guy!!!

* From the minute I found out that I was pregnant with Jordan, I was in love with him! (and again a couple years later when I found out I was pregnant with Hunter!)

* The baby stage was hard for me! I hadn’t spent much time around babies and they made me a bit nervous. Thankfully, Chris was very calm and relaxed and knew exactly what to do!!

* Toddlers – what a fun stage!! I made MANY mistakes and went to bed beating myself up for my lack of patience many nights but those sweet boys just loved me anyway!!!

When Hunter was about 20 months old and Jordan was barely over 4, the boys were playing in a sandbox. Hunter had a little pocket on his shirt which he filled with sand. He wanted it out so being the “uber smart mom” that I am, I picked him up and dumped him upside down. Jordan said, “I don’t think that’s a good idea.” Hunter of course ended up screaming and with sand in his mouth, nose, eyes. Of course, the other mom’s (yep, this was in front of a group) were all appalled and thought I was a total buffoon!!!

We made it through without anyone being scarred for life on that one!!

* Preschool years were a major time of learning (on my part!!). Jordan was always pretty easy-going and we didn’t really go through the terrible 2s or 3s. On the other hand, when Hunter was 3 I wasn’t sure that we were both going to make it through whole!!! Thankfully, we did and now I can look back on those days and laugh (or at least not cry)!!!

* I was not the type of mom who cried when either of my boys started kindergarten. However, the first day I dropped Jordan off at the middle school (7th grade) I thought I was going to have to be medicated. That was a rough day for me!!! Thankfully, he loved it!! (I don’t know what I’m going to do in August when he starts HS and Hunter goes to middle school!!)

* When my boys were little, people always told me that it only gets harder to be a mom as your kids get older. For me, that hasn’t been the case!! Every stage we have come to I have enjoyed more than the previous ones and my life has gotten so much easier!!

* Today I can truly say that I wouldn’t change a thing about the past 14.5 years since I became a mom – even the millions of mistakes and rough times – because they have all led me to where I am today!!!

Surrounded by my 2 handsome boys – the ones who still call me MOM!!! (Jordan and pictures is always a treat!!!) I feel truly blessed!!!

Happy Mother’s Day to all moms, moms-to-be, grandmas, step-moms, etc!!!

Kim

Back, Biceps, Circuit, Fitness, Shoulders, Triceps

Saturday Morning Circuit

May 4, 2013 Kim 2 Comments

Today for my 43 I did a circuit for my arms. All I can say is OUCH!!!

[youtuber youtube=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1NzTzWvH1A’]

(The demo is actually my last 3 – I had to go wake Hunter to come record me! Chris has drill this weekend and Jordan stayed with a friend last night.)

I did the first 13 with 8 pound dumbbells then I dropped down to 5 pound dumbbells for the next 30!! This was a great workout for my entire upper body and exactly the kind of 43 I needed today!!

Obviously, you don’t have to do 43 reps of the circuit (unless you really want to!!) but I promise you if you do even 5 or 10 you will feel this!! Try it, I know you want to!!!

Happy Saturday!!