Category Archives: Fitness

Exercise Is NOT One Size Fits All

November 6, 2013 Kim 78 Comments

Today’s 44 was fun!!! Kristen @ Stuft Mama demoed this super cool move yesterday and I knew that I had to give it a try. It is called – The Monkey.

Basically it is a cross body mountain climber using the

See why I had to try it?!

[youtuber youtube=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XxBG2OW98hs’]

You can do this move without a BOSU if you don’t have one available.

Since I already had my BOSU out I decided to do a workout with it – I did BOSU Total Body Conditioning. It is a fun workout that mixes cardio, strength moves, balance training and core work. The biggest downside – it was only about 30 minutes.

So, I also did Les Mills Pump – Combat. This has been one of my favorite workouts from the very first time I tried it. It is 45 minutes worth of non-stop cardio in the form of kicking and punching. The time flies by and I always feel like I’ve gotten a great workout.

I’ve never really understood the concept of “one size fits all.” How is it even possible when we are all so different?!?!

I think that with exercise we really have to steer away from the idea that one size fits all.

Everyone needs to figure out what works for them and not do something just because it seems to be what everyone else is doing.

For the past few months I’ve tried a bit of an experiment with my working out and it hasn’t worked well for me. For a long time I have read about and observed many people who thrive on minimal amounts of time for working out.

Workouts like the 7 minute workout are everywhere these days!!! And, I truly love that type of workout!!!

However, for me, it isn’t enough!!!

This fall I made a conscious effort to try and cut down on my workout time – most days I have only spent 40-45 minutes total working out instead of the 1-2 hours that I used to spend.

I’ve realized that I actually feel better when I workout longer – it may be all psychological and I’m totally OK with that.

So, I tried something and figured out that it was not a fit for me!!

Have you tried things that seem to be the “norm” and realized they weren’t for you?
Do you like short workouts or longer sessions?

Happy Wednesday!!!

Kim

Core, Fitness

The Joys of Moody Teenage Boys!!!

November 5, 2013 Kim 70 Comments

Today’s 44 is a Special Ops move!!! Well, maybe not but I did see it in a book called Special Ops Fitness. It is a reverse crunch and it started off fairly easy until about 8 or so and then it was HARD!!!

Keep your arms crossed and tight to your chest as you slowly lower your upper body.

hold - don't rush!! — hold – don’t rush!!

Move your arms away from your body as you SLOWLY return to the seated position.

Tuck your arms back to your chest and repeat!

Garage Boot Camp was fun – some weights and cardio – my favorite!!! We did Tone and Hold Boot Camp.

Most school days, the high light of my day is when Jordan gets off the bus. (Hunter usually has stuff after school so he gets home later.) Jordan will have a snack and sit and tell me ALL about his day – lots of days he talks for over an hour!!! I do my very best to always be available at this time because I don’t want to miss out on him sharing with me.

Jordan is usually a very happy positive person – pleasant and fun to be around. Except when he’s not!!! For some reason yesterday afternoon he was in a mood and the longer we talked the worse it got.

It didn’t help that he had homework and I actually dared to ask about it (just like I do most days!!!). Oops!!!

Fortunately, he went down and did his homework and then chilled for a bit before dinner. By dinner he was back to being his normal sweet self – HOORAY!!!

This morning Hunter is in a mood because he slept through his alarm!!

For some reason this always starts his day off on a bad note! (He only got up 5 minutes later than normal because when I came in from boot camp I woke him up so it’s not like he had to scramble to get ready!!)

I always tell him it’s no big deal and that he still has plenty of time to get ready – not the point!!! OY!!!!!

Hopefully he won’t let this ruin his day – kind of early in the day to decide it’s not going to be a good one!!!

Not sure that I’m prepared for the moodiness of the next few years – hopefully it is just occasional and not the new norm!!!

Anyone else have moody teenagers or other family members?

Happy Tuesday!!!

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

Fitness, Triceps

Happy Fall Back Day!

November 3, 2013 Kim 31 Comments

Today for my 44, I used my step in it’s normal home against the wall (usually I move it to another room).

I did triceps dips with my toes stacked like this –

I don’t have full pictures because I live with 2 teen-age boys who like to sleep in (and it’s drill weekend so Chris is at work!). I did 11 reps, then switched my feet –

I switched the feet every 11 reps so I did 22 with each foot on top. Having my toes stacked made the normal triceps dip a little more challenging!!!

The boys and I did a different kind of 44 yesterday!! We spent 2.5 hours raking and bagging leaves. This is actually a little over 44 bags –

And, the sad thing – we still have a pile that I’m fixing to bag as soon as I run to the store for more bags –

last pile (not sure why the side is blurry!)

Talk about a work-out!!! My back is feeling it today. Jordan just got up and said his back hurts, too!!! (Kind-of makes me feel better to know that I’m not the only one who is sore!)

Growing up I always hated the fall time change because it meant I had to be inside earlier. As I’ve gotten older, I look forward to this time change – an extra hour of sleep!!! (not that I usually sleep but at least we aren’t losing an hour!)

And – I’m happy that, at least for a few weeks, it won’t be dark when I take the boys to school!!!

Happy Sunday!

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