Category Archives: Core

Biceps, Core, Fitness, Lunges, Plank, Running, Treadmill

Almost Time to Bring out the Trees!!!

November 25, 2013 Kim 84 Comments

Today I did another one of Allie’s moves from her Trifecta Arm video – she called this one “pick up the baby.” I called it HARD!!!!

Start in a plank with dumbbells (I used 10 pounds) – step right foot in, stand and lunge with a bicep curl – step right foot back to plank – repeat on left side = 1 rep.

44 of these and I nearly called my workout for the day done!!! (just kidding – sort of!)

I did Jillian Michaels Hard Body – Level 2. Umm….this was the first time I’ve done this part and it was a great workout! Lots of plyo moves with weights, some balance challenges and some core work – awesome!!!

I decided to get in a quick run – last week I had a great week of long and slow but every once in awhile I like to push my speed a little. I did 4 miles at 1.5% incline in 24:27 then 0.6 miles easy to cool down.

Today is deep clean day – baseboards, corners, under furniture – I can hardly wait!!! (well, that might be exaggerating a bit!!)

But, it’s for a good cause –

Some of my favorite people are coming later this week to spend Thanksgiving with us!!! And that is something I truly am excited about!!!

And then I can turn my super clean house into a Christmas wonderland!!! I’ve made myself hold off on decorating this year until after Thanksgiving and I feel like I’m missing out on trees and lights but it will be worth it soon!!!

I love having Christmas decorations all over the house!!! Christmas trees in every room and Santas galore – it is awesome!!!

Have you decorated for Christmas or do you wait until after Thanksgiving?

Happy Monday!

Kim

Core, Fitness, Plank, Running, Shoulders

Sore not Hurt!!!

November 23, 2013 Kim 44 Comments

Today’s 44 was one of those that seemed like a great idea until I did about 10 – then it was just HARD!!! I used a stability ball and got into the plank position (feet on ball). Then I alternated bringing my knee to my elbow (a right and left was 1 rep).

The last 20ish were rough – I had a hard time staying in plank because the ball kept rolling around (maybe I wasn’t holding my core tight enough)!!! Fun times!!!

This week I’ve actually been doing a little experiment with my running – and it has been great!!!

3 mornings – Monday, Wednesday and Friday – after my first workout and getting the boys to school I have hopped on the treadmill to log some miles. I have forced myself to slow my pace so that I can increase my mileage.

I’ve mentioned many times that I can’t run every day anymore because of the many injuries (mostly stress fractures) that I’ve had over the past few years. Chris always says that the problem isn’t just running but that I tend to run too hard.

So, this week, I just ran!
Monday – 12 miles
Wednesday – 10.5 miles
Friday – 16.5 miles
Week total – 39 miles!!

I think that running on semi-tired legs is going to help me later (if I decide to try another ultra!!!).

The best part about my experiment?! My legs were a bit sore after each run (part of why I’ve forced myself to stretch this week!) but I completed all of my runs without any pain!!!!

Maybe Chris has been right all along – just don’t tell him!!! :Wink:

Happy Saturday!!

Kim

Core, Fitness, Triceps

A Valuable Lesson

November 22, 2013 Kim 77 Comments

Today’s 44 was all about control. I used my favorite piece of equipment –

and did a walking movement by lifting my right hand and left foot, holding then switching to the other side.

Left hand & right foot up and hold — left hand & right foot up and hold

This was a fun and challenging move – great for core and triceps. I had a few wobbles before I finished all 44. (I counted the above sequence as 1 rep.)

I used another DVD that I rarely do – Crunch – Fat Burning Fitness – this one is sort-of dancey but since it was just me and the TV I did OK!!! When the instructor said more hip swing I just added in some jumps – worked out perfectly!!!

One morning this week when I was driving the boys to school, we passed a couple of cars that had crashed (the front car slowed and the back car hit it) shortly before we got to that spot.

Thankfully no one was hurt!!! The lesson I learned – don’t dress like this to drive:

OK – this might be a slight exaggeration but the lady driving the front car was in her nightgown and robe – about 1 block from the middle school and high school right at the time that everyone was headed that way.

Do you ever drive anywhere in your robe? NO for me – I always look like a rag for the morning school drive but it is in sweaty workout clothes.

Happy Fun Friday!!!

Kim

Biceps, Core, Fitness

Stretching – Good for the Body, Great for the Mind

November 21, 2013 Kim 74 Comments

Today’s 44 was fun because it is primarily an arm move but it also works the core! This move is from Allie @ VitaTrain4Life. She did an awesome arm workout for us yesterday and I borrowed one of the moves for my 44.

The move is a bicep curl with your legs lifted (that’s why your abs get involved!!).

I think the hardest part of this move was to try and keep my arm movements controlled.

I pulled out a DVD that I tend to forget about today – Exhale Core Fusion Body Sculpt. I forgot how great this workout is. It is 5 10-minute sections (although a couple are a little longer) of slow moving work.
Upper body
Thighs
Butt
Abdominal
Stretching

I’m not sure which of the sections was the hardest – they all seem like they should be easy and innocent but they really work the designated areas!!!

The final section – stretch – is one that I tend to skip in lots of workouts. However, today I decided to spend the 10ish minutes and tried to completely relax into it.

Usually I will spend about 10 seconds in the corpse pose and decide I don’t have time for that. Today, I don’t know if my body was telling me it needed the time to relax and prepare for the day or what but the stretching was awesome!!! I enjoyed the entire time both physically and mentally!!!

Lately I’ve read several posts about stretching – Kris on Fitness had a great one yesterday talking about stretching to help prevent injury and how as we age it is a vital part of fitness. Abby @ Change of Pace wrote a post about the “torture tools” that are available (foam rollers, sticks, balls, etc.) to help with preventing injuries and the value of taking the time to use them.

Even knowing about the importance of stretching to help prevent injuries has rarely been enough to make me stop and do it.

However, today I discovered that being willing to spend a few minutes calming my mind after working out can be very enjoyable – who knows maybe next time I will do 15 minutes!!!

Do you enjoy stretching?

Happy Thursday!

Kim

Butt, Core, Fitness, Thighs

Use It or Lose It

November 19, 2013 Kim 75 Comments

I decided to use my bands for the 44 today – I did a leg abduction with the resistance of the bands.

I only did one side for this demo – but you can sort-of see that I stepped on the band with my stationary leg to get the resistance. Besides working my thighs and hips, this is a great balance challenge (I wobbled a lot and had to tap my toe/foot a lot!). And, of course, I did 44 with each leg!

Then I pulled out one of my favorite workouts – Les Mills Combat – Combat 60 Live – Ultimate Warrior’s Workout. This workout is awesome because just when you think your legs can’t handle another rep, you switch over to punching again!!! The hour flies by in a sweaty blur!!!

I’m sure that everyone has heard the phrase “Use it or Lose it” many times before. I think it’s true in lots areas of our lives – fitness, knowledge, some insurance plans, vacation days…

We all know how hard it is to achieve the level of conditioning/strength that we want to be at and many of us have seen how quickly those gains can deteriorate when we can’t work out because of injury, illness or whatever other reason.

I think another area that we can quickly “lose it” is our brain power!!!

Yesterday Jordan was talking about the Trojan War and the guy who suggested that they get in the horse (I can’t remember his name!). He said, “Didn’t you learn all of this in school?” Ummm…Yes – like 30 years ago!!! And, I’ve never used it since!

There was a time (in grad school and for a few years after) that I could do a thorough observation of the entire human body, palpating and naming each bone, tendon and ligament as I went. Now, I can name and identify only a very few of those because it has been 20 years since I really studied and applied all of that knowledge.

Sometimes I look back at all the years I spent in school and wonder how hard it would be to re-learn all that I’ve forgotten.

Maybe I should work on actually using some of the information that I’ve learned over the years so that by the time I’m 70 I have at least a little knowledge of something left!!!

What have you lost because you haven’t used it? (please tell me I’m not the only one!!!)

Happy Tuesday!!! I’m going to try to learn and apply at least one thing today!!!

Kim

Day With KT