Category Archives: Fitness

Packing Up

January 5, 2013 Kim 1 Comment

My shoulders are burning from today’s 43 – get a pair of dumbbells and try it yourself!!! The move was fairly simple – hold both arms up at 90 degrees (with a dumbbell if you want to really up the challenge!). Keep the left arm stationary, press the right arm up and twist your body to the left – hold for a 2 count. Return to start.

[youtuber youtube=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4teQ6eZJioA&feature=youtu.be’]

In the demo I only did 3 reps per side. You know I really did 43 with my right side and then another 43 with my left. I used 10 pound dumbbells and even just holding my arm at 90 was brutal – the press was a total killer! Now I know y’all want to bust out a few!!!

Day 11 of the 12 Days of Fitness today. The new move – weighted squats. I used 25 pounds and held each squat for a 3-count. Only 1 more exercise to add to complete the series!

Today I also did an amazing ab/core that I got from Tamara at Fitknitchick. It is just 6 abdominal exercises and you do each one for a minute – as many reps as possible. I set my Gymboss timer for 2 intervals – a 1 minute one and a 10 second one.

I love this handy timer!!! After 1 minute, it immediately starts on the 10 second rest count-down and then BOOM – you start on the next 1 minute exercise.

The AB plan:

standing oblique crunches
walking plank
feet elevated crunches
V-sit with alternating side rotations
side plank with hip drop
reverse curls

Tamara suggested 30 seconds per side for the side plank. I changed it a little – I did the entire series 2x and did a left side plank the first time and a right side plank the second set. This was a great work-out!!!

Today is going to be a work day here – time to pack up all of the Christmas decorations and trees for another year!!! It will be a chore – good thing the boys are ~~volunteering~~ ~~willing~~ ~~gladly~~ going to help!!!! There will be 100s of trips up & down the stairs hauling ~~crap~~ all of our decorations and my cookbooks!!! Chris gets to miss the fun – drill weekend for him. I guess I will let it slide since technically he is working, too!! (plus he had to get up at 5:00 again this morning and I slept till 7:00!!!)

Good-bye trees!!! I’m ready to put the stuff up but I really like having the tree lights in all of the rooms. Maybe I should string lights up all around the inside of the house…hmmm.

Happy Saturday!!!

Kim

Fitness, Shoulders

Friday, Friday, Friday – 3 Favorites

January 4, 2013 Kim 10 Comments

The 43 today was one more kettlebell move!!! I feel like I turned this week into – Theme Week! Today I thought it was going to be a super easy move – WRONG!!! (I guess it could have been easier if I took a couple of the plates out of my KB but I left it at the full 20 pounds!)

I started with the KB in my right hand – passed it behind my body to my left hand – passed it in front of my body back to my right hand – did an upright row with my right hand/arm for 1 rep. The row was the killer part!!!

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

In the demo (made the other day), I switched directions after just a few reps. This morning, however, I did 43 with my right hand then switched and did 43 more with my left. Good stuff!!

Today for day 10 of the 12 Days of Fitness we added in 10 overhead presses (I used 15 pound dumbbells). Just 2 more days and I will have successfully completed this fun challenge!!!

For my work-out I picked something that would be more like a recovery day! I did a FIRM DVD – Cardio Sculpt Fusion. This was a fun mix of cardio, body sculpting and dynamic yoga/pilates stretches. I enjoyed it a lot and still got in a good work-out!

[youtuber youtube=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_-v_51d5No’]

This is one of my favorite songs (and bands!)!!! Just hearing this song makes me happy, happy, happy!!! (even when I have my toes in the snow instead of sand!!) Jordan gets on to me every time I sing it – “Mom, you’re cussing!!” Not cussing (this time!) – just singing!!!

Chris is my favorite person in the whole world!!!

Yesterday, even though he also worked all day, when I came home from the library (checked in and out books to over 300 kiddos yesterday!) he said he would make dinner! (He probably cooks as often as I do!) Last night he made chili which was awesome because it is cold here!!!

Cowboy Boots – Love them!!! At least while my toes are in the snow I can wear my fun boots. I wear them with everything – jeans, dresses, leggings….In fact here are the ones I’m wearing today – happiness!!

I’m not sure that Friday is my favorite day – that probably changes daily – but it is always sure to be a

Happy Fun Friday – hopefully y’all have some of your favorite things to enjoy today!!!

Kim

Biceps, Butt, Core, Fitness, Lunges

Back to Reality!

January 3, 2013 Kim 2 Comments

This morning when my alarm started screaming a little after 5 – all I could think about were the words to this song.

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

I, however, was not dancing around like Will! (Cannot lie – I always liked Will Smith in The Fresh Prince!)

So, I ~~jumped out of bed~~ rolled slowly out of bed, and got on with my daily 43. Today I used my kettlebell again – love it!!! The sequence for 1 rep:

right knee lift with KB pass under
left knee lift with KB pass under
right lunge with KB pass under
left lunge with KB pass under

[youtuber youtube=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=72jW0_PWL6U’]

Hunter helped me out with the demo yesterday afternoon. We took a couple of plates out for him. This morning I did all 43 reps with the 20 pound kettlebell and I tried to lift my knees to chest height and go into a deep 90 degree lunge – I was sweating for sure!!! What I really love is the number of muscles that I could feel working – legs, butt, core and arms.

Today was day 9 of the 12 Days of Fitness. (I sort-of have to sing the song to remember how many of each exercise, especially when I’m doing this at 5am!!) Today we added in lateral lunges (I used 25 pound dumbbells for this move.)

For the rest of my work-out, I pulled out an old classic – TaeBo! I did the Ab Bootcamp DVD from Billy’s Bootcamp series. It is 35 minutes of solid core work and I’m sure that tomorrow I will remember the work-out!!!

Gotta get moving – boys back to school today and I’m back to my long-term library gig! First though, Hunter has an 8:00am orthodontist appointment – who scheduled this thing?!?!

Everyone has to face reality after the joy of Christmas break – so let’s do this!!!

Plus, you know what today is, right?

Happy Thursday (or Thirsty Thursday if you like!)!!!

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!!!

Happy Wednesday!

Kim

Core, Fitness, Running, Treadmill

2013 – Off to a Great Start!

January 1, 2013 Kim 4 Comments

Even though it was after 2am when we went to bed this morning, we were still up by 8 – crazy!!! No need to sleep the day away I guess (although I think a nap might be on tap later today!).

For the 43 today, I went way back to my days as a college track coach – sprinter abs. It is similar to a crunch: keep your core contracted and move your feet and arms sort of like you are running. (maybe the video will help – my brain is sort of mush today!!!)

[youtuber youtube=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nTMV5ATLrNg’]

I counted a right knee and left knee as 1 rep. This was a quick 43 but I definitely felt it.

I’m still keeping up with the 12 Days of Fitness – today was day 7!

I wore my new running outfit for the first time today!! MizFit running skirt and sports bra – super cute. (I was getting frustrated with the picture taking – hard to get a shot that didn’t make my gut look disgusting!!!)

Because last night had a lot of this:

I needed a good work-out today. Plus, I always start the New Year with a run!!! 4 weeks ago when the DR said no weight-bearing, blah……for 8 weeks I knew that would never work! I also knew that I would run today – gotta ~~sweat out the tequila~~ start the New Year right!!

Chris said – how about 1 mile? Really?!! I’ll just do 5. I did run 5 miles (on the treadmill at 1.5 incline in 40 minutes) – I am out of shape!!! It was awesome to run again – hopefully I don’t pay a high price in the next day or so! (I’m sure it will be fine!)

We had a great time last night (into the early morning) bringing in the new year with friends! I’m looking forward to a great year! I truly want to enjoy every part of my life this year – the small, daily things as well as the big “high-light” events!!

Happy 2013 – I hope y’all are all off to a great start!!

Kim

Day With KT