Today I took a couple of basic moves and combined them for the 44. I did a squat with a row. But, I wanted to make it even more challenging so I made the squat a jump squat.
I used my kettlebell for the rows – 20 pounds. This move got my heart rate way up there!!!
I don’t always work out on the weekend but since I took the entire past week off I decided to do a short workout today. I did Turbo Jam, Cardio Party 2. It is amazing how much conditioning you can lose in a short time – I was huffing and puffing through most of this workout!
I decided that I want to really enjoy the next couple of weeks and not feel guilty for certain things. So I have given myself permission to:
Sleep until I wake up and skip the normal 5:00 am wake-up alarm. Some days I wake up and feel guilty if I don’t get up super early but I’m going to give myself these couple of weeks to sleep without guilt!
Go simple with meals – use the crock pot as much as possible to make life easier. (I actually do this a lot but sometimes around the holidays I feel like meals have to be more elaborate and this year I’m letting that go.)
Spend time doing things that aren’t productive – TV, computer stuff (not work related), reading.
Hang out – after this Christmas break, Jordan only has 3 more before he will not always be home with us. I want to take advantage of the time and make the boys spend time together playing games or whatever.
Enjoy life and not be stressing or rushing around thinking about lists and things that need to be done. This one will be hard because I spend most of my time thinking about the next thing and the next and the next…
Basically I am going to try and just enjoy the next couple of weeks without getting stressed or feeling guilty (easier said than done!) about things.
What are you giving yourself permission to do? Is it hard for you to relax without feeling guilt?
Today for my 44 I did a move using my agility ladder – squat-hop-squat. This move is fun because squats are always “fun” but also because of the cardio benefit and the agility work from the ladder.
I counted a rep as a squat-hop-squat each way (so you end where you start).
Then I did the Insanity the Asylum vol.2 workout that I think is the hardest (at least so far) – Upper Elite. The number of reps in this workout are killer – plus all of the push-ups!!! Once again, I had to drop to my knees for some of the push-ups – sort of frustrating but I figure it is better to use good form and full range of motion than to stay on my toes. Plus, all the girls on the DVD end up on their knees so I don’t feel as lame!!!
Yesterday wasn’t a great day! By 10 (AM) I was pretty much over the entire day and the next hour only got worse.
So, I did what pretty much anyone would do in that type of situation. I hopped on my treadmill and pounded out a fast 5 miles!!!
If I can’t be on the beach then I’m pretty happy here!!
That helped some but mostly I was glad when the day ended especially because about an hour before I went to bed my tooth (maybe it’s multiple teeth – can’t tell) started hurting a LOT again!!! Even with some pain meds, the aching kept me awake past 1:00am – not cool since my alarm goes off at 5:00!!!
I guess I’m finally going to have to break down and call my dentist – I really thought that my ignoring tactic was going to work out.
Here’s to a better day all around!
Happy Tuesday!!! I hope that no matter what your Monday was like you have an incredible day!
Today’s 44 was a great way to work your hip flexors and butt while getting a triceps workout.
In the tricep dip position on the floor, pull one knee in to your chest –
readyextend leg and dip
After doing 44 with one leg, it is necessary to switch legs and repeat (DUH!)!! The downside is your arms don’t get any break!!! 88 total dips!
ready on side 2extend and dip
So, Chris actually took the pictures for me last night (see the fuzzy socks?) but I did the 44 this morning. However, the first time through I did them wrong – I was just reclining on my elbows and thinking it was a super easy move. When I uploaded my pictures I realized my mistake so I had to do them all (both sides) again – my butt and hip flexors really got a workout!!!
I know lots of people who would rather spend hours with a group of little kids than middle school kids. However in my previous life (before kids so 15 years ago) I was a middle school science teacher and a coach (volleyball, basketball and track).
I love the 11-14 year old range of kids – they are still on the cusp of wanting to please adults but also needing to venture off – very teachable!!!
And – they are also capable of teaching us (adults) many things if we are willing to be receptive to them.
Yesterday while “enjoying” my time in a gym surrounded by adolescents (mostly boys!), I observed several things that I thought were worth sharing.
A little background on the tournament – this was a varsity level tournament so it was mostly 8th graders and many of these boys have been wrestling on club teams for 5-7 years. (Hunter was 1 of only a few 7th graders from our school who went.)
1. One of the boys on our team lost his 2nd match and was upset. As an 8th grader (13 or 14 years old) it is so hard to let anyone see you cry – he was trying to fight it and brush off the tears so no one would notice. Another one of the 8th grade boys was sitting close to him on the bleachers. He didn’t say a word – just slid over and put his arm around him for just a second before moving back to his spot.
I thought it was the kindest gesture he could have made! He showed he cared but he didn’t make a big deal about it. Most importantly – he didn’t make the other kid feel bad for the tears!!!
Hunter getting ready to start
2. When Hunter lost (rather quickly because he got pinned) in his 2nd match, his opponent took the time to talk to him for several minutes. This was a boy from another school who had never met Hunter. On the way home I asked Hunter what they were talking about. He said the boy was offering up a couple of pointers and things for Hunter to try in future matches.
Wow!! That kid could have made fun of Hunter for getting pinned so quickly but instead he was kind and offered up some help!!!
waiting for his turn
3. Team support is alive and well!!! Hunter could have left anytime after his 2nd match because he was done for the day. However, he wanted to stay and watch his teammates – and these boys really did watch and cheer on the other guys from their team!
Even though wrestling isn’t my favorite, I’m all about supporting your team, so we stayed and watched (well, I watched when someone from our school was up but mostly read my Nook!).
4. I was a litte worried about how Hunter would react after his 2nd match – he actually got pinned in both of his matches yesterday. However, he was completely fine when he came over and sat down. At first I thought his attitude was kind of lax and that he should at least be a little upset.
What I didn’t realize at the time was that he knew going in that he was going to be up against boys who were older and had been competing much longer than he has (just over a month for him!) and that the day would be a great learning experience for him – he went in planning to do his best and to learn as much as he could during the whole experience.
Hunter didn’t win any matches yesterday but he still came out a winner because of his attitude and willingness to learn!!
So, the next time you’re surrounded by a group of loud, noisy (maybe stinky) pre-teens and teens, remember – they have plenty to teach you if you let them!!!
Favorite age group to be around – babies, preschooler, elementary kids, middle school, high school, college or adults – What is your pick?
For my 44 today I did a move that worked just about every part of my body!!!
A single leg squat –
squat on right leg
into warrior 3 –
warrior 3 (with arms down not out)
then a row.
row
44 of these were HARD!! My right leg was shaking pretty much after 3!!! Then, I got to switch and start all over on the left leg!
squat
warrior 3
And, in case you care – Hunter did the pictures last night since no one would be able to this morning!!! (Chris has drill this weekend, Hunter had to leave at 6 with Chris to get to school, Jordan is sleeping.) I didn’t feel the need to put on my shoes – pink fuzzy socks are fine for pictures!!!
The reason Hunter had to be at the school so early – another ALL DAY wrestling tournament! Also the reason I’m up early!!! Good thing I love Hunter so much because I don’t love wrestling that much (at all!).
Another thing I don’t love? Cold weather!!!!
Nothing would make me happier than to spend the day in my sweats inside with the Christmas lights – good thing I love Hunter so much!!!
So – I need to get a move on so I can drive an hour away to spend the day in the gym with a lot of sweaty middle school kids – good thing I love Hunter so much!!!
I thought I would share a few things that have entertained me recently.
Today’s 44 was just a hodge-podge of moves combined to make a challenging 44!! I used my agility ladder –
I forget about this when I’m not using it everyday!
I jumped back to a plank with my feet in the middle 2 rungs – jacked my feet out to the outside rungs then back in to the middle – jumped into a squat (sort of squat and not sure why I kept checking my butt out) and repeated!
This move worked my entire body and got my heart rate way up – perfect 44!!!
On tap with Insanity the Asylum vol. 2 today – Back and 6-Pack (I hope it works!!). This workout was only 40 minutes and, like the name implies, full of moves for the back and abs – complete core work today!!! The funny (not in a HaHa kind of way!) thing is we did moves similar to the one I used for my 44 just without the ladder – good times!!
But – over at the Governor’s Row House (our event venue) I have been working on putting up some Christmas decorations and trying to keep it simple and classy. It’s a huge learning curve!!!
The previous owner had a few things in the basement and then I’ve added quite a few more – not sure how classy it is but it’s starting to look Christmasy!!!
front room – mantel
I just put some small ornaments in glass jars to add color on the mantel. And, I found an old tree that had some colored lights – I added a few clear to fill in the gaps – for the front window.
not sure why this is so dark?
The staircase is pretty by itself but I wound some garland around the rail and put a few splashes of red along the way.
staircase
In the front hall I removed a couple of chairs and put a couple of cute little lighted trees.
front hall
There is another fireplace in the room with the bar –
no red here with the wall color
The ball room is fun – I put up 2 unique trees I found downstairs, added a couple of tree skirts and am in the process of hanging lights around the top of the room.
only corner of the ball room that is complete
So, hopefully even though I don’t do elegant, it is festive without being tacky!!!
Now, I’m off to climb up and down a ladder a couple hundred times to finish lighting the ball room and then I have to clean the place to get ready for tomorrow night’s event!!
I decided that I want to really enjoy the next couple of weeks and not feel guilty for certain things. So I have given myself permission to:
Basically I am going to try and just enjoy the next couple of weeks without getting stressed or feeling guilty (easier said than done!) about things. 
