Tag Archives: bicep curls

All Roads Lead to TEXAS!!

June 24, 2013 Kim 38 Comments

Today’s 43 was a wide bicep curl with one of my bands (the perfect travel tool!!).

I stood with my feet fairly wide apart so that I could add tension to the band.

(never mind the bed in the background – joy of a hotel room!) By the time I finished 43 of these, my arms were shaking!!!

I’m using this week as a bit of recovery from the past few weeks of 2-3 workouts a day! Today I did one of my old favorites (a perfect workout for a hotel room!!) – Turbo Fire – Fire 45. It was nice to be reunited with Chalean!!!

Kansas to Abilene, TX – 8.5 hours in the car – GOOD TIMES!!!!

The boys took a few (like 500) pictures during our drive – don’t worry, I’m not going to include all of them!

Jordan feels the need to try and freeze me out in the car – I had my temp set at 72 (because I was in the sun and it was 95 outside) and he had his side at Low (60) – and then he uses a blanket – nice!!!

Hunter probably took 200 pictures (or more) of Jordan during the day – I guess he wanted to make sure and document any changes during the day!!Near Lawton, OK there are a few miles where it looks like there is a mountain (ok – hill) range nearby.

Hunter did take a few pictures that weren’t Jordan – not sure exactly what all he was trying to get but….After about 6 hours of driving, we made it to God’s Country!!!When the boys weren’t entertaining themselves and each other with their picture taking skills, they were pretend sleeping. I guess trips with teen-agers involve more sleeping than trips with small children. I had to find ways to keep myself busy – music and self-portraits!Finally, 8.5 hours after we left home we made it to Abilene!

The boys enjoyed a couple hours of swimming while I unloaded the car, enjoyed a nice happy hour drink and relaxed a little!!

Today will include more swimming for the boys and time with my 98 year-old Poppa!!!

Happy Monday!

Kim

Biceps, Core, Fitness

Beltin’ It Out

June 7, 2013 Kim 16 Comments

Today’s 43 was s single arm bicep curl while lifting the opposite knee.

curl - keep knee up the entire time — curl – keep knee up the entire time

After 43 reps with my right arm I had to switch and get my left arm.

Not sure why I’m looking so cranky for the pictures this morning – must have been really focused!!! I like this type of move because even though the focus was my bicep, keeping my knee up was a great balance challenge/core work!!!

I taught 2 boot camp classes this morning: 6 am (backyard) & 7 am (beach). Today’s workout was quite a bit harder on the beach – lots of lateral and forward moving and the sand really upped the challenge!!

I’m enjoying the boot camp classes both for the workouts and the great company!!! I hope that all of the people who have come this week feel the same!!! :Happy:

I also did Insanity Asylum – Back to Core. This one really forces me to push myself outside of my normal comfort zone because some of those back moves are hard – hopefully this will help my pull-ups!!!

Yesterday morning I drove to Kansas City (about an hour from here) to go to a funeral for a good friend’s Dad. I was in the car by myself and might have looked a little bit like Chris Farley and David Spade (love Tommy Boy!!!).

I can’t carry a tune to save my life but that doesn’t stop me from singing full volume when I’m driving by myself!!! Sometimes there is even some head bopping to go along with the singing – I’m sure I look like a crazy lady driving down the road!!!

I had my iPhone hooked in so that I could listen to some of my favorite songs and artists.A little Toes, Highway 20 Ride and Chicken Fried!!!
One of my all time favorite singers!!! And when he teams up with Alan Jackson, what’s not to love? It’s 5 O’Clock Somewhere

And, Shania Twain better look out cause I can belt this song out with the best of them:

[youtuber youtube=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8N2k-gv6xNE’]

There was a bit of old school music thanks to Run DMC:

[youtuber youtube=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1cYQV62WhkM’]

Plenty of country thanks to the Dixie Chicks and Gretchen Wilson (Redneck Woman)!!

Little bit of Kid Rock cause singing about summertime always makes me happy!!!

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

Music makes me happy (even with my lack of any sort of musical ability) – singing in the car by myself or in the kitchen while I fix dinner (although I don’t tend to belt it out quite as loud in the kitchen because the boys sort-of make comments if I do) who cares if I am in tune or the right key or whatever – I just sing!!! Sometimes I get carried away when I’m running and sing along – never a good thing because I’m sure it is louder than I think since I have earphones in!!! Classy!!!

Yesterday at the funeral, my friend talked a little about her dad and then she played a song which was actually a recording of her singing (hard to sing at your parent’s funeral). The song – His Eye Is on the Sparrow.

While I was listening to the song, 2 lines grabbed me:

I sing because I’m happy,

I sing because I’m free.

And that’s why I belt out songs like I’m part of the Glee cast – because I’m HAPPY!!! And even if I’m not happy when I start singing, I usually am by the time I stop!!

Anyone else get a little carried away when you start singing in the car/shower/while you run or wherever else?

Happy Fun Friday!!!

Kim

Back, Biceps, Core, Fitness

A Mom’s Reflections

May 12, 2013 Kim 18 Comments

Today I used my Turbo Fire band for my 43 –

I did a combo move consisting of a seated row, bicep curl and reverse crunch.

[youtuber youtube=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Unyz49-LDgA’]

I liked this 43 a lot!!! I leaned back enough that I was working my core the entire time. During the rows I tried to really squeeze my shoulder blades together so I could feel it deep in my upper back. The reverse crunch was just a slow move back with my upper body (without ever resting my back on the ground) and a slow trip back up. This was a great way to work a variety of different muscle groups!!!

There are so many stages to this journey of motherhood and, for me, each stage has been better than the one before it. Here are some of my thoughts/memories of motherhood:

* I spent years (junior high, high school, college, grad school, and a couple years after) saying that I was NEVER going to have kids. It wasn’t until after Chris and I were married that I decided I really did want to have children – I guess it just took being married to the perfect guy!!!

* From the minute I found out that I was pregnant with Jordan, I was in love with him! (and again a couple years later when I found out I was pregnant with Hunter!)

* The baby stage was hard for me! I hadn’t spent much time around babies and they made me a bit nervous. Thankfully, Chris was very calm and relaxed and knew exactly what to do!!

* Toddlers – what a fun stage!! I made MANY mistakes and went to bed beating myself up for my lack of patience many nights but those sweet boys just loved me anyway!!!

When Hunter was about 20 months old and Jordan was barely over 4, the boys were playing in a sandbox. Hunter had a little pocket on his shirt which he filled with sand. He wanted it out so being the “uber smart mom” that I am, I picked him up and dumped him upside down. Jordan said, “I don’t think that’s a good idea.” Hunter of course ended up screaming and with sand in his mouth, nose, eyes. Of course, the other mom’s (yep, this was in front of a group) were all appalled and thought I was a total buffoon!!!

We made it through without anyone being scarred for life on that one!!

* Preschool years were a major time of learning (on my part!!). Jordan was always pretty easy-going and we didn’t really go through the terrible 2s or 3s. On the other hand, when Hunter was 3 I wasn’t sure that we were both going to make it through whole!!! Thankfully, we did and now I can look back on those days and laugh (or at least not cry)!!!

* I was not the type of mom who cried when either of my boys started kindergarten. However, the first day I dropped Jordan off at the middle school (7th grade) I thought I was going to have to be medicated. That was a rough day for me!!! Thankfully, he loved it!! (I don’t know what I’m going to do in August when he starts HS and Hunter goes to middle school!!)

* When my boys were little, people always told me that it only gets harder to be a mom as your kids get older. For me, that hasn’t been the case!! Every stage we have come to I have enjoyed more than the previous ones and my life has gotten so much easier!!

* Today I can truly say that I wouldn’t change a thing about the past 14.5 years since I became a mom – even the millions of mistakes and rough times – because they have all led me to where I am today!!!