Tag Archives: 10 minute solutions

Core, Fitness, Foam Roller, Plank, Running

Mixing It Up Again (3/22 – 3/28)

March 28, 2015 Kim 23 Comments

This week I have been mixing my workouts up again after months of heavy running. I can tell it’s been awhile because I have actually been sore several days which is rare for me!!!

Sunday 3/22 – 45 second hold in 4 different planks.

This was a recovery and driving day – 7 hours to get back from Texas.

Monday 3/23 – 45 minutes on the elliptical.

Not my favorite piece of equipment but even though I only ran 19 miles Saturday, the mud factor took a bit out of my legs so I needed to recover another day.

Tuesday 3/24 – 45 plie side bends with ankle reach (right-left=1 rep). This is a move from Josie (Yum Yucky) in her 5-minute slimming workout.

Return to the middle.

Staying in plie for all 45 reps was HARD!!! And, my obliques have been sore since Tuesday!!!

I just walked 6miles at a 10% incline so that I could watch Dancing with the Stars.

Wednesday 3/25 – 45 single leg BOSU hops. This is another move from a blog friend!! Allie (VitaTrain4Life) showed this move as part of her intense strength training the other day.

This move was hard!!! I did all 45 with my right leg before switching and doing another set of 45 with my left leg.

I did Les Mills Pump – Combat. It’s one of my favorites and I enjoyed punching and kicking!

Thursday 3/26 – 45 standing medicine ball crunches – single knee in. I got so many great moves from blog friends this week!! This move is one of Nellie’s (BrooklynActiveMama) Weekly Wednesday Workouts.

pull knee in and bring ball down - crunch — pull knee in and bring ball down – crunch

I tried to keep my balance and float my leg back each time but did have to tap my toe a few times. And, of course, I had to switch and do another set of 45 with my left leg.

lift knee and bring arms down with a crunch

This was a fun move with the balance challenge.

I finally ran again!! 6 miles in 47:51 + 2 easy miles.

Friday 3/27 – 45 plank to down dog with hands on a foam roller.

I really liked this move – great core work and stretching!!!

I did one of my 10 Minute Solution workouts – Ultimate Boot Camp. Normally I do all 5 sections but I only did 3 this time.

Saturday 3/28 – 45 standing leg circles (hands behind head).

The funny thing with this move is that I felt it as much in my standing ankle as the thigh of the leg circling. Gotta love working on balance/stability!

It was nice to add in a variety of workouts again but I still plan to keep my mileage up.

Happy Saturday!!

Kim

BOSU, Butt, Chest, Core, Fitness, Plank, Running

Still Not Running (11/2 – 11/8)

November 8, 2014 Kim 40 Comments

Sometimes as runners/athletes we make choices based on what we want to do and not what we should do – at least I know I’m like that. This week was one of those times – I just tried to do what I wanted as far as working out. It didn’t really work but…..

Sunday 11/2 – 45 machine gun kicks.

balance on right leg - left leg kicks — balance on right leg – left leg kicks

These go quickly – the challenge is supporting yourself on the standing leg and staying balanced while moving your leg back and forth!! And, both sides have to be worked equally –

This move is actually one I learned from TaeBo!!!

After a week almost completely off and a couple other minimal weeks, I decided to try and run. It wasn’t great but I pushed through and did a slow 5 miles. (sometimes I’m not very smart!!!)

Monday 11/3 – 45 star crunches – right hand to left foot, down, left hand to right foot = 1 rep.

Return to extended position then switch sides –

And, since I was already working my core I decided to do TaeBo Insane Abs. This workout always makes me sore for a few days!!!

Tuesday 11/4 – 45 standing crunches (hold each crunch about 3 seconds).

round and squeeze - blow all the air out and hold — round and squeeze – blow all the air out and hold

I really like standing crunches like this even though it looks a little odd!!!

I wanted to run again but it only took about 3 steps to realize that wasn’t going to happen. So I walked 6.35 miles at a 10% incline.

Wednesday 11/5 – 45 elbow plank with knee tap to a leg lift – alternate sides (right – left = 1 rep).

Return to plank then do left side –

This ended up being a LONG time to hold plank by the time I did all 45 reps!!!

I pulled out another older DVD – Denise Austin: Personal Training System. Many years ago this was my go-to workout when I had a stress fracture in my foot and we were traveling – 20 minutes of cardio, 10 minutes upper body, 10 minutes lower body, 10 minutes abs and 10 minutes stretching.

Thursday 11/6 – 45 fly to pull-over. (8 pounds because 45 is a lot!!)

bring arms back to certain and push weights together — bring arms back to center and push weights together

pull arms over head (don't touch the ground) — pull arms over head (don’t touch the ground)

Keeping this movement slow and controlled is the key (especially on the down part!!). My chest is still sore from this one!!!

I’ve mentioned before that I love the 10 Minute Solution DVDs. I chose Sculpt, Tone & Reshape with the Figure 8 for the workout. The figure 8 is a resistance band.

I like the combination of moves in the workout using the band!!

Friday 11/7 – 45 side plank dips on the BOSU. This move is a move I got from Nellie (Brooklyn Active Mama) and her weekly Wednesday Workouts.

Holding plank while lifting and lowering your hips is a challenge – holding the plank on the BOSU makes it an even better challenge!!!

And, I tried and failed at running again!! So I just walked 4.25 miles at a 10% incline.

Saturday 11/8 – 45 standing pilates leg circles.

to back – squeeze your butt at this point to help with balance!!

If you look closely you can see that my foot is barely off the ground. Even to close the circle (half circle actually) you keep it just above the ground.

I did all 45 on one leg before switching sides.

I like this move even though it is small – after several reps you will start to feel it in your thighs, core and butt!!

I’m not thrilled that I can’t run still but I guess I will just keep doing things that don’t make my leg hurt worse until I get some answers from the DR(s)!!!

Happy Saturday!

Kim

Biceps, Core, Fitness, Running, Shoulders, Treadmill, Triceps

It’s All About the Weights, Running, Moving

April 5, 2014 Kim 55 Comments

So the title is my poor attempt at a catchy song – but I think I’ve always said it wrong!! I thought it was supposed to be, “It’s all about the money, money, money.” Ummm….maybe it’s supposed to be “It’s NOT about the money, money, money.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JlKA3a11CRw

Oh, well – this week has been all about weights and running!!!

Sunday 3/30 – 44 stacked leg oblique crunches with dumbbell (15 pound)

start - right leg on top — start – right leg on top

After doing 44 to the left, I switched my top leg and crunched the other direction.

Reaching with the dumbbell made this move a challenge!!!

I ran 9 miles (72:51) + 1 easy mile. Trying to continue to increase my miles for about another month (big race coming up!!).

Monday 3/31 – 44 alternating shoulder press while standing on wobble balls. I used 10 pound dumbbells and that was hard by the end!

I love using the wobble balls for moves like this because you have to keep a slight bend in your knew to hold the balance and that helps take pressure off of your low back!!!

This was also a running day!!! 8 miles (59:57) plus 2 nice and easy miles.

Tuesday 4/1 – 44 combo shoulder/arm move (5 pound dumbbells – this was hard plenty!) Start with palms facing body –

ready (don't forget to look bored!) — ready (don’t forget to look bored!)

Raise arms straight up in front –

Rotate weights so that your palms are facing down –

Pull arms back (squeeze your shoulder blades together) –

Lower arms down to side –

Curl arms down so that you are back to the start position.

I liked this move – it was a great way to work my entire upper body!!!

I needed a little break from running so I did a 10 Minute Solution DVD – Sculpt, Tone and Reshape with the Figure 8.

There are so many fun moves with this band – I love what a great workout you can get with it. This DVD was just over 50 minutes and I worked my entire body!!!

Wednesday 4/2 – 44 triceps kickbacks (10 pound dumbbells)

This was a challenge with the amount of weight I used but I don’t want to have saggy arms!!!

I did Shelly McDonald (a Caribbean workout) Core Pilates. I had a horrible headache (woke up around 1:00 am with it and it never went away) so I thought some pilates would be a good choice. I made it through almost the whole hour before I quit!

Thursday 4/3 – 44 side bend with shoulder press (8 pound dumbbells).

down with right hand, really reach up with left hand

After doing 44 to one side, I had to switch and do another set!

By the time I finished, I had worked not only my core but also my shoulders – just holding an 8 pound weight up for the entire time was a workout!!!

I did a double run on Thursday to break in my new shoes!!! Well, really just to get used to running on tired legs but….

new shoes - Mizuno Wave Prophecy 3 — new shoes – Mizuno Wave Prophecy 3

First run – 10 miles (79:24) plus 1.15 easy.
Second run about an hour and a half later – 5 miles (36:53) plus 2.35 miles at a nice pace.
Total – 15 miles of hard running and 3.5 easier miles!

Friday 4/4 – 44 bicep curls in Warrior I (5 pound dumbbells).

I had to do another set after I finished 44 that way!!

5 pounds doesn’t seem like much until you do a total of 88 bicep curls and keep your arms extended out the entire time – then it feels like at least 20 pounds!!!

The workout was a fun one – Turbo Jam – Cardio Party 3. 50 minutes of pure fun with Chalean and her crew!!!

Saturday 4/5 – 44 lateral raise on wobble balls (first 22 with 8 pounds, second 22 with 5 pounds).

This move is always hard for me!!! After the first 22 I knew that I couldn’t continue to use good form unless I dropped down in weight!!!

And, today was another day of running!! 9 miles – 63:17 plus 1.1 to cool down.

Overall, this was a great week of strength work and running!!!!

41 miles of hard running plus 7.6 easier miles for a total of 48.6 miles!!!

Did you move this week?

Happy Saturday!!

Kim

Butt, Fitness, Hamstrings

You Take the Good, You Take the Bad

March 6, 2014 Kim 1 Comment

Today’s 44 was inspired by the daily challenge for HappyFitMarch – set a new bridge PR.

Well, I don’t think I had a previous PR for bridge (not sure I’ve ever timed it) but I decided to do do alternating leg lifts for the 44 while I was holding bridge.

I counted a right & left as 1 rep – fun way to hold bridge for awhile!!!

I pulled out another DVD that I haven’t done in awhile – part of the 10 Minute Solution series – Tone Trouble Zones. This DVD came with a band –

I like to use the band/tubing for extra resistance and this workout was a good one especially for my upper back! I did all 5 of the 10 minute sections including the 10 minute stretch. I’ve mentioned a few times that I don’t always take the time to stretch but 10 minutes isn’t too bad and this was actually a nice treat today.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EkFIPev-pz8

The summer that my parents were divorced, I lived with my grandparents. Every morning I watched The Facts of Life and wished that I could live with the girls at a boarding school!!!

I like the theme song – “You take the good, you take the bad…..” Such a very true thing in life every day.

Tuesday, I had to take some bad –

I went to our venue to clean and set up for an event and walked in to see the river floating through our place. After I figured out the problem and took care of it, I mopped up the water then went down to check out the creepy basement. Also flooded – water was still dripping down from the ceiling. Not my favorite way to start a day but thankfully it has been taken care of and last night I was over there and the floors don’t seem to be damaged from all the water.

Yesterday morning I had another appointment with the DR who did my vein surgery last April. I have 2 places (my left ankle and my right inner thigh) that have hurt pretty much every single day since last April when I had the initial procedure done.

This DR said it shouldn’t be hurting anymore but that she thinks it is all fine (I have lumps in both of those places that I can feel and they are STILL bruised). She said if it still hurts in about 6 months she will do some checking because it could have gotten into my muscles.

I’m not sure how I feel about waiting 6 more months since it has been 11 months already for something that was supposed to be “no big deal” and healed quickly. I think that I will give it about 2 months and then look into getting a 2nd opinion if it isn’t better!!!

Some weeks, the bad seems to outweigh the good but I know that every week is different and even the bad isn’t that bad in the big picture!!!

And, to end on a happier note, check out our weather forecast –

Minus the snowflake on Saturday, it looks awesome!! Look at Sunday and Monday – happiness!!!!

Happy Thursday!!

Kim

Cardio, Fitness, Plyo, Push-Ups

Racing – Then and Now

February 17, 2014 Kim 1 Comment

I decided to do another burpee for my 44 today. I tried a new one – a burpee jack. Jump back to plank but jack your feet out as you do your push-up. Jump in and do a standing jack. Repeat x 44.

This was a great move for really getting my heart rate going!!!

I followed the burpees up with 100 jumping lunges for the February challenge with Taylor.

Then I did a 10-minute Solution DVD – Kickbox Bootcamp. I know that I haven’t been doing Michelle Bridges every day – it just works better for me to do it a few times a week!

I don’t race much anymore for a couple of reasons.

I have trained for a few marathons and every single time I ended up with a DNS because of a stress fracture.

The 2nd reason I don’t race much anymore is more because of the changes that have taken place in the past 20+ years since the time when I did race a lot.

During grad school and for a couple of years after, I raced all the time – mostly 10Ks but I did other distances, too. The longest was a half marathon.

I used to pick a race almost every week and just go run on the weekend. There was no true training, no taper, no fuel plan – just me and my running shoes!!

If you won (sometimes just 1st place, sometimes top 3) overall male or female you got a medal –

The top finishers in age groups usually got a ribbon –

I have a box of medals and ribbons from those days but that was never why I raced. I just did it because I loved competing and pushing myself to go faster each race.

I think we usually got a T-shirt as part of our entry fee – just a basic T (usually they were men’s – ugh).

The good news – I think that $20 was the most I ever paid for a race. Most of them were only $10-$15!!!

Now, I don’t think any race is under $30 and most are MUCH more!!

Truthfully, I enjoyed the act of racing and didn’t need any swag or even a medal at the end.

It has been interesting to watch the evolution of racing from what it was 20ish years ago to what it has become. Racing is very expensive and all finishers get an award.

I would still prefer to have races be relatively inexpensive and not receive a bunch of stuff just for signing up. And, I don’t need a medal just for running. (Don’t hate me – it’s just my personal thoughts!!)

I think I mentioned that Hunter wants to run a half marathon this spring since he is turning 13 in April. I’m all for him running (of course) but I asked him if he wants to just train and run the distance or run a race.

He wants to run a race so he gets a medal –

We are going to do a race because this is his thing but I don’t totally get the idea of running for a medal as opposed to just running to run. (BTW – I know that I’m in the minority and I’m not trying to stir anything up because this is just my personal running opinion and I’m not trying to judge anyone – just sharing my thoughts on racing.)

Why do you run?
Would your run a race if you knew that only the top finishers would get an award?

Happy Monday!!

Kim

Day With KT