Category Archives: Hamstrings

Happy Birthday, Hunter!!! (and the link-up that wasn’t meant to be)

April 8, 2013 Kim 24 Comments

Today is Hunter’s birthday – my little boy is growing up – not really little anymore!!

I still got in a 43 amidst the before school birthday festivities! Today I adapted a move that Tina at Best Body Fitness had as part of her Move-It Monday Lower Body Burner. She had a sumo deadlift as one of the moves. I did a pretty close version of the move she showed but I chose to keep my legs straight on the way down.

I used my kettlebell (20 pounds) which I really like for deadlifts – it helps keep me centered!!I stood with my feet in a wide squat:

From that position, I leaned forward until the kettlebell was right at the ground.

I love deadlifts – I think because you are supposed to stick your butt out!!!

This was a fun 43!!

The rest of my workout was a run. I was planning to link up with Miss Zippy because she is having a #Best Run link-up today. However, near the end of my run I decided there was no way to qualify today’s run as a best of anything!

I ran 5 miles in 37:00 (1.5% incline) and did another 1.5 miles as a cool-down. The problem today is my hamstring hurt the entire time I was running. Last week when I ran 24 miles the only part of my body that was really sore was my left hamstring and butt. I figured it would go away (isn’t that how things usually work??!!) Today it still hurt when I ran – really?? I thought that a hamstring injury was a sprinter problem!!! (OK – I know it can happen to anyone but seriously, I just got back into hard running after my stress fracture – ugh, and it was my left hip – coincidence?)

Anyway…..this wasn’t my best run so I’m not going to even pretend that it was even though I really wanted to participate in the link-up fun!

But, it’s still a great day because today is my baby’s birthday – I guess being 12 means he isn’t really a baby at all!

Hunter was born 6 weeks early and had to spend his first week in the NICU. Sadly, I didn’t even get to hold him until he was already a day old because I had my own problems and the nurses and DR wouldn’t let me get up. The bottom pictures are his last day in the hospital (which was Easter that year!) and Jordan meeting Hunter for the first time – brotherly love from the start!!

This morning, Hunter opened his presents – mostly new Rubik cubes which is exactly what he wanted! The bottom right picture is him under the clock at his exact time of birth (7:31 am).

I’m very proud of the young man that Hunter is becoming! It is been 11 awesome years and 1 year that was not quite as awesome :Wink: (When Hunter was 3, was really into pitching fits – lots of them -all the time for no reason at all – GOOD TIMES!!!) Hunter really does make me happy every day!!!

Happy birthday, Hunter!!! I love you!!

Happy Monday!

Kim

Butt, Fitness, Hamstrings, Recovery, Treadmill

A Life of Moderation or a Life of Extremes – Can the 2 Combine??

March 26, 2013 Kim 25 Comments

Today I used a simple little band for my 43.

This band is fairly small and provides a lot of resistance. ( Note: you could do the move without a band.) I started with the band around one ankle and the bottom of my other shoe:

(Check out my super cute running skirt!! MizFit workout skirt – check it out here.)

From this position, I pushed my foot straight back (it’s not a big move) and then brought it back to the start.

After 43 of the back-push move, I did another set of 43 where I flexed my leg down (without touching the ground) and back up.

push leg down (don't touch ground) — push leg down (don’t touch ground)

These moves may look like nothing but if you squeeze your butt as you do both of them, you will feel it for sure!

Of course, I don’t want my hamstrings or butt to be lopsided so I had to repeat both of the 43s on the other leg. I think the second leg is always harder because it is already a little fatigued from supporting you while you work the first side.

Today was a running day for a couple of reasons: it’s been a few days since my last run and that’s about the only thing I can do because my arms HURT!!!! I’m not sure who thought doing thousands of jumping jacks was a good idea!! Moving my arms to run was OK once I got started but lifting my arms to the side or over my head – painful. I had no idea that jumping jacks could do that to a person – maybe it is because I’m an idiot and did 4,300!!!

Anyway – I ran on my treadmill (I don’t run in snow, you know) at a 1.5% incline – 8 miles (52:17) and then 2.5 more miles much easier for a total of 85:00 minutes.

Moderation can apply to so many things and areas of our lives. We all know that I like wine and cosmos and… but I do try to always use moderation in that part of my life.Potato chips – ummm…..hard to have moderation here! (I have to just not buy them!!!)

What about other areas of life (not just food/beverages)? Is moderation important?

In a lot of ways, I’m an all-or-nothing person. I know that isn’t always for the best but

I don’t really think that (all the time)! Some days I need to work on moderation (like when I have a stupid idea to do 4,300 jumping jacks!!!) but other days I kind of like extremes!

What are you – moderate, extreme, mixture of both, neither?

Happy Tuesday!!

Kim

Butt, Fitness, Hamstrings

What’s Your Favorite Exercise or Move?

March 14, 2013 Kim 10 Comments

Today is my 180th consecutive day of the daily 43!!! I’m enjoying my daily adventures and have so many ideas but I’m always looking for new things – please share any moves or exercises that you think would make a fun 43. Thanks!!

For the 43 today I did a front-kick and back-kick combo. (I already did a similar move except last time it was the same leg that kicked front & back.) So, today I did a right front kick and a left back kick for the first set of 43 and then switched and did a left front kick and right back kick for another 43.

[youtuber youtube=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1s6Mp4fdD0′]

This was a good 43 after yesterday’s brutal one!!!

Today I tried another Cathe DVD – XTrain – Tabatacise!! I did all 5 of the Tabatas and Bonus Core #1. This workout is on my list of favorites (I know it’s a longish list but….)! Even though the Tabatas are intense, the time flies by (especially the 10 second recovery!!). If you like to jump – this workout is definitely for you!!!

(Tabata training is a form of HIIT – high intensity interval training. It is a 4 minute segment consisting of 20 seconds of super high intensity followed by 10 seconds of recovery.)

Yesterday afternoon I convinced Chris and Jordan to try the 3 ball push-up. Hunter was going to try but once he put his hands on the ball he realized that his wrist (he broke it the end of July) still wasn’t quite strong enough.

OK - I'm balanced - now what? — OK – I’m balanced – now what?

Chris did 10 (without falling off in between any of them!).

I think Jordan did 2 but he may have just done 1. Either way – Good job, guys!!!

I really am open to ideas/suggestions for exercises – I love to try new moves or a classic move in a different way. Feel free to send me links to some of your favorites!

Happy Thursday!

Kim

BOSU, Fitness, Hamstrings

Hi-Ho, Hi-Ho, It’s Off to the Doc I Go!

February 11, 2013 Kim 10 Comments

For my 43 today, I had Jordan take a couple of pictures yesterday since I knew it would be an early morning! (However, I’m a complete dodo and set my alarm for 5:00 PM instead of AM – good thing I still woke up at 5:08!!!)

Anyway, the 43 would have been easy – a dead lift holding 15 pound dumbbells – but I decided to add an extra challenge:

Yep – I stood on the BOSU!!!

start (try to not slump those shoulders!!!)

Standing still wasn’t too hard – the difficulty came when I started moving!!

I really do have my shoulders back - they just look schlumpy! — I really do have my shoulders back – they just look schlumpy!

I love the extra benefit of using the BOSU for this move! (I can’t believe that this is the first time I’ve ever used it for dead lifts!!!)

Dead lifts are one of my favorite moves – I think because they are so great for my hamstrings and butt!!!

After the balancing act I moved on to the rest of my work-out. Les Mills Combat – Combat 60 Ultimate Fighter!!! Perfect way to start a Monday!!! Other than my 11 wall-sits at 1 minute each, that is the extent of working out today. Super big plans for tomorrow’s work-out!!! One I’m really looking forward to!!!

Today is my yearly physical/well-check – WooHoo – Good Times for Sure!!!! Actually, I’m sort-of glad because this getting older is really not working out like I thought! I’m pretty sure my DR will be happy when I leave today cause I have quite a list of stuff to ask her about!!! Sadly, I’m sure I will be wearing one of these lovely items:

Can hardly wait for that – I hope I can leave my socks on so I don’t freeze. (Fashion is over-rated sometimes!!)

I’m sure that even with my list (just petty little things, really!) I will walk away and not see her again until next year! (Rare for me to go to the DR other than for my physical – except when I crack my hip!!!)

Happy Monday!!! (hopefully y’all have as much fun this morning as I know I will!)

Kim

Back, Butt, Cardio, Fitness, Hamstrings

Camera Issues (might have to go shopping!)

January 2, 2013 Kim 5 Comments

So weird – this morning when I went downstairs to do my daily 43, Jordan recorded me and everything worked fine. However, after I finished my work-out and came up to upload the video – NOTHING!!! I can’t get the camera to turn on. I plugged it in to computer – NOTHING! I plugged it in to wall to charge – STILL NOTHING!!! Crazy! (and a bit frustrating!)

Today for my 43, I used my kettlebell again.

This time I kept all of the plates in it so it was the full 20 pounds. I used it for kettlebell swings. (Last night I watched this video, so I will use it since I can’t get to mine!!!)

[youtuber youtube=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJqPgV681Hg’]

I used the same form she did – just not as much weight!!! Still, 43 with 20 pounds was no joke!!! I was panting by the end!!! This move worked so many different muscle groups – I should really incorporate more kettlebell into my work-outs!

I’m still keeping up with the 12 Days of Fitness. Today (day 8) added bicep curls – I used 15 pound dumbbells for this move.

I felt pretty good after my run yesterday – I don’t have the sharp pain in my hip that I had for months!!! I haven’t decided if I will give it the rest of the 8 weeks (4 more left) to heal or just start running again. I might give it another week or two – I’m all about compromising!!!

I did Turbo Jam, Cardio Party 2 today. Chalene really does make the work-out feel like a party! I still kept it semi-low impact – I would rather be able to run sooner than later!!!

Today, is the last day before school starts back! Jordan is in a bit of a funk – this hasn’t been his favorite year of school. :Worry: I told him that tomorrow is a new start and we just have to be positive!!! I hope the spring semester is better for him!!!

Maybe we should watch this movie today – there is a lot we can learn from Mary Poppins!!!