Tag Archives: single leg squats

Are Kids Smarter (and Stronger) Now than 25 Years Ago?

November 24, 2013 Kim 52 Comments

Today I did a quick 44 but it was a challenge!!! I did single leg squats with a hop. I started on my right leg and did 44 squats with a hop – they went OK and I only had to tap my left foot 2x to keep from falling.

My left leg squats and hops didn’t go as well – I had to tap my right foot down a lot.

I like moves like this that make me have to work to not fall over!!!

Last night Hunter and I were talking about college and scholarships. I told him that I went to college with a full scholarship – both academic and athletic.

Hunter’s response – I guess academic scholarships are a lot harder to get now.

What?! I think I just got slammed.

He said well kids are smarter now and there is more competition for athletic scholarships than when you went to school.

What?! Maybe you should stop talking, Hunter.

Then he started in on way back then.

What?! I’m not that old (well maybe I am but still!).

He wanted to know my SAT and ACT scores – I can’t remember my SAT but my ACT was 31.

Hunter also said – well you got an athletic scholarship but were there any really good runners at your school?

One of the people on our track team was late coming back to school in the fall of 1988 because he was running in the 1988 Olympics in Seoul. He ran for Jamaica and won a silver medal in the 4 x 400m relay (the US won gold). Plus, a couple of the years that I ran we were the NAIA National Champions!!!

At the end of all of this, Hunter still tried to tell me that it is harder to get scholarships now than (way back) when I went to college!!! Silly Boy!!!

Happy Sunday!!! I’m off to take my non-scholarship deserving self to tackle my to-do list.

Kim

Butt, Fitness, Quad, Squats

Real Life vs Vacation Life

August 2, 2013 Kim

I’m being featured over at Jennifer’s blog Wine to Weightlifting today!!! She has a really great blog and does Friday spotlights – check it out if you get a chance!!

Today for my 43 I did squats with my barbell (20 pounds). Instead of just doing a standard squat, I stayed in the squat position the entire time –

From the squat position, I alternated lifting my right leg and holding it up –

I put my right leg down (staying in a squat position still) and lifted my left leg and held it:

I counted a right leg up and left leg up as one rep – my quads were burning (and I was breathing HARD) by the time I finished all 43.

And, today I did something I rarely do – I repeated yesterday’s workout. I’m trying to get in all 3 rounds of Taylor’s weekly challenge after a late start this week. It was HARD today because I’m so sore from yesterday. Pretty sure the combat push-ups are what did it, or maybe the million burpees, or……

Anyway, even being sore, I was able to get more reps in all 3 circuits today. I hope I can increase again when I do the 3rd round tomorrow!

Yesterday was our first day home in almost 2 weeks and it was non-stop!!! Chris had to work – big drill weekend to get ready for.

I got both boys enrolled for the new school year. It is funny here – we have to enroll on-line and then you go up to the school and go through lines to take care of the rest of it. I now officially have a 7th grader and a freshman!!!

Jordan started band camp yesterday and will have that every day from now until school starts (August 13).

We went shopping for Hunter’s school supplies – thankfully we only had to go to Target for everything!!

New shoes for both boys (and I might have gotten another pair of tennis shoes, too!!!).

Orthodontist appointment for Hunter.

Pretty sure that I could do with another vacation!!!

I miss my "office" view!! — I miss my “office” view!!

I guess there is nothing like a day of reality to make you appreciate the peace of vacation even more!!!

Happy Fun Friday!!!

Kim

Butt, Fitness, Quad

March Madness

March 18, 2013 Kim 14 Comments

The 43 today worked my quads, butt and balance!!! I did a single leg squat with the opposite leg crossed over.

I held the squat for a 2-count then stood and repeated x 43. Of course, I had to get both legs.

wow - looks painful — wow – looks painful

Between the balance and the hold – this was a challenging 43!!

Since I’m not in the middle of any long-term programs right now (although Jordan told me this morning that I should do Insanity again – maybe in April) I have been trying to really mix it up with my workouts. Today I decided to go with a Jari Love DVD. I have quite a few of her workouts and I think they are all good! I especially love the ones that combine strength training with cardio intervals. Her weight training ones are good because they focus on really high reps (like 75-100 of some moves).

Today I did Jari Love Get Extremely Ripped 1000 Hardcore. (I think this was my first time doing this workout.) Talk about madness!!! You can break the program into 2 different 30-minute workouts, or do just the cardio or just the strength segments. I went with the whole thing – 75 minutes. Yikes!!! The strength training sections are all combo moves so my heart rate stayed up even during that part. (and lots of reps!) The cardio was definitely HIIT!! In all of her programs (the ones I’ve done anyway), Jari keeps the moves simple so you don’t have to worry about any fancy choreography – you can use a step or not. I used my 8″ one (the bottom part). Lots of jumping up and down from step to floor!!!

14" double step (the Transfirmer) — 14″ double step (the Transfirmer)

At one point, Hunter walked through the room and I could barely say – Good morning – sign of a great workout!!!!

Since yesterday was St. Patrick’s day (not that we are Irish), I thought it would be fun to do a themed meal. We had Irish Soda Bread (not my favorite at all!), green mac & cheese (thanks to a spinach sauce), cabbage and sausage (I loved the cabbage!!) and some really special green cookies!!

The boys made the cookies (food coloring & all)!

Sort-of fun to do meals with a theme! Hopefully these are good memories that my boys will keep forever!!!

College basketball is one of my favorite sports to watch!!! And, I love March Madness!!! Tonight, we will all 4 fill out our brackets so we are ready to go.This has been a fun family tradition since Jordan was in kindergarten (I think this is our 9th year!). We keep track of who wins the most in each round, the most overall and of course the Championship game!