Category Archives: Hamstrings

Butt, Fitness, Hamstrings, Running, Treadmill

Workout Options – Videos, Pinterest, Machines, Classes, Wing-It

January 16, 2014 Kim 84 Comments

Today’s 44 came from Nellie (Brooklyn Active Mama) and her Weekly Wednesday Workout. The move was a butt bench raise – looks fairly simple but after a few you will definitely feel it.

Lay on your back with your feet on a bench at about 90 degrees –

Squeeze and lift your butt off the ground –

The last 10-15 were hard – my butt and hamstrings were burning!!!

Today was also another running day – 1.5% incline – 8 miles in 62:47 + 1.5 easy cool down miles. After almost 30 years of running I’ve finally learned that slowing down and just logging the miles is a better choice if I want to run more often and higher mileage!!!

Workout Options: How do you choose?

There are so many different workout options available and all of them are a little different. How do you choose what to do?!

my fitness DVDs – I’ve been adding to this collection for years!!!

Workout videos are always an option!! I love using DVDs especially at 5:00 am (or for years 4:30 am) because I can get a great workout without having to think a lot. Funny that I can move around and push my body early in the morning but it takes my mind a bit longer to get going.

Pinterest is a great source of workouts or a perfect place to store all the great ones that you find through blogs or other places. My workout board grows every single day!!

There are always options like treadmills (LOVE) and ellipticals (HATE)!! And if you go to a real gym, not just my basement, you have so many other great options!!!

Another option is the many classes available. I think that DVDs are similar except you don’t get the social benefit and for some people a class can be far more motivating because you have the encouragement of an instructor and the other participants.

Or, you could just wing it. This option doesn’t work for me (it goes back to the early morning thing and having to think!!!) but might be great for others to just show up and make something up as they go.

Of course, there is always the completely natural – walk or RUN outside!!!!!

What other workout options are there? What is your favorite?

Happy Thursday!!!

Kim

Fitness, Hamstrings, Recovery

Do You Like to Know When Something Dreadful Is Coming up or be Surprised?

January 9, 2014 Kim 96 Comments

Because this is the state of my legs (again) this morning –

I just went with a simple 44 today. I did a stretch instead of a true exercise – forward bends to a toe touch. Super easy but it was actually a nice move for my hamstrings – I should probably do that a bit more!!!

Other than my core challenge with Taylor (1 minute plank and 30 push-ups this week), I ended up taking an unplanned day off.

So, yesterday I had a Drs appointment that I thought was just a follow-up. Remember in November I had LOTS of injections in my veins? Well, I had a 2 month “check-up.”

I went in thinking I would probably be there about 5 minutes or so (didn’t even have my Nook with me!!).

The DR looked at my legs and the couple of places that still hurt (all the time) and said, “Yep, there are still some pieces (of veins, I guess) there that we need to get.”

Next thing I know they start setting things up –

(don’t be fooled that there are just 4 syringes – she added a couple more but she can do multiple injections with each one!!)

I had a moment of panic!!! I told the DR and nurse that I wasn’t really expecting shots and wasn’t mentally prepared.

The response, “Maybe just as well.” Nice!

She used a stronger solution this time and YIKES!!! Probably good that I hadn’t known because it was painful!!!

So, a couple of unplanned “easy” days (glad I got in a good run yesterday morning!!) and then hopefully I can be done with all of this!!! (unless I get another surprise at the March appointment!)

Do you like to know when stuff like this is coming up so you can prepare mentally or would you rather just show up and find out at the last minute?

Happy Thursday!!!

Kim

Butt, Fitness, Hamstrings

All Good Things Must End

December 1, 2013 Kim 52 Comments

Today I did a bridge move for my 44 – it was a walking bridge.

Start in a bridge position with your feet on a bench (or a chair which is what I did) –

This move was a challenge – hard to keep my hips lifted the whole time. (a right and left foot up = 1 rep)

My family is leaving today – always a sad thing because it will be awhile before we get together again!!!

I really wish we lived closer!!!

While Sam & Stacy were here they wanted to try and get some pictures for their Christmas card – we went over to our event venue and I took a few – fun times for sure!!

fun - Hays likes to say "cheeeeeese" — fun – Hays likes to say “cheeeeeese”

I’m happy that we were able to spend the past 4 days together!!!! Being with them is always fun!!

No time to be too sad today – it is time to bust out all of the Christmas stuff!!! Tomorrow I will sit down and try to catch up on blog reading!

Happy Sunday!!

Kim

Butt, Fitness, Hamstrings

Strength Days – Cardio Days – Combo Days

November 4, 2013 Kim 67 Comments

Today’s 44 was fun – one of my favorite moves in a new way!! I love deadlifts and today I did a sumo deadlift (legs wider then hip width with toes slightly turned out) – go down one leg, while down (back flat) rotate torso slowly over to other leg and come up – reverse the move – once you are back at the starting position you have completed 1 rep.

[youtuber youtube=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZvH8qySj_q8′]

This 44 took awhile just because it is a move that has to be done slow and controlled to avoid injury. I’m pretty sure that tomorrow I will feel this in my hamstrings and glutes!!!

I did another Jari Love DVD today – Get Extremely Ripped – Boot Camp. This was about an hour and 10 minutes of hard work!!! The segments alternated between combo moves for the upper and lower body with weights, cardio blasts (3 minutes each), ab work – basically some of everything in a nonstop workout. It was awesome!!!

While I was working out this morning I started thinking about my workouts and how much they have changed over the years.

About 10 years ago, all I did was run. No weights, no cross-training of any sort, no toning/strengthening exercises – just running. And I was injured a LOT!!!

It finally got to the point where I knew that I couldn’t keep running every day but I still wanted to work out so I started trying new things – lifting (P90X, the Get Ripped series, Chalean Extreme), Insanity, Turbo Fire, Jillian Michaels workouts, even some Pilates and Yoga!!!

I used to alternate days between weight training

and running

and that worked for awhile.

Then, I went back to working full time and had to fit my workout in between 4:30 and 6:00 am. And I discovered how great combo workouts can be!!

There are still days that I only run and there are some days that I don’t do any cardio – just a hard weight workout.

But, my favorite workouts are those that integrate weights and cardio (like the one I did this morning!).

So, what do you prefer – keeping your strength and cardio separate or workouts that mix the two? Or do you skip weights completely?

Happy Monday!!! (wish me luck – I’m off to tackle the nasty apartment!)

Kim

BOSU, Butt, Fitness, Hamstrings, Quad, Shoulders, Treadmill

Being a Landlord is not for the Weak

November 2, 2013 Kim 58 Comments

Today’s 44 is one that Tamara (Fitknitchick) demoed the other day – a BOSU deck squat. (Check out her site because her video is great – lots of tips on the proper way to perform this move.)

My video is not nearly as informative – just me, my BOSU, and a dumbbell (15 pounds).

[youtuber youtube=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5qA3UA7hbZ0′]

This was a fun move – hard for sure!!! Definitely going to do this one again and again!!

I also got in a short run today (4 miles 24:19) plus another 1.5 miles nice and easy!!

Earlier this week I shared about the scare I had when one of our tenants decided to use the venue as her moving out route. Yesterday I went over to make sure that she had moved out and pick up her keys (she didn’t return them – BIG SHOCK!!!). Good thing I’m friends with a locksmith now!!!

Here are some pictures of the apartment and the way she left it – I’m sad that there is no way to share the STENCH through the internet – the smell about sent me over the edge – a mix of urine, a cat litter box that hadn’t been emptied in a good year, body odor, garbage and shit (literally!).

So much stuff everywhere – hard to believe that she actually moved out.

And….the final picture (brace yourself!!) –

Yep – that is what you would not except to find in a place where real people live. Just seeing the picture is grossing me out since I saw (and smelled) it in person.

Who knew that being a landlord would be so much fun?! I’m hoping that once we get the place cleaned up and ready to rent again we will find someone as great as our other new tenant!!!

Happy Saturday!!

Kim

Day With KT