Tag Archives: the Firm

Butt, Fitness

A Positive and a Negative

14 Comments

For today’s 43 I got my inspiration from a post I read yesterday over at Cranky Fitness.  The post was all about glute activation.  A couple different trainers weighed in with video or pictures and I realized that I had never done the move the exact way they were showing – until today!!!

The move is a hip lift, or bridge (which I have done before) but instead of leaving your feet flat on the floor, you raise your toes.

start
start

(Also, your feet are supposed to be as close to your butt as possible – putting them out further allows the hamstrings to do the work and it is supposed to be a butt move!!!)

From the starting position, you lift your hips and try to form a straight line from your knees to your head (I always squeeze my butt as I lift and hold for a little extra bonus):

Lift
Lift

I held this for a 3-count. Then lowered just enough for my butt to barely touch the ground.

barely touch
barely touch

After I finished all 43 I tried a couple of bridges with my feet flat on the ground to see if I could tell a difference –  umm, NO because my butt my hips/butt already hurt from the 43!!  One thing I did notice by doing this move with my toes up – my shins hurt while I was holding the position.  (Maybe I put to much weight in my heels??!!)

Yesterday was an unplanned day off so today I decided to push through.  (whine – I still have a residual headache but “suck it up, buttercup!!”)

I did an oldie from The Firm – Aerobic Body Shaping (part of the TransFirmer series) which means I used my cool step.

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

The double step is used for a lot of the leg/butt work.  The angled version (below) is used for a couple of the aerobic sections and a lunge series plus some of the upper body work.

TransFirmerThis is a pretty good whole body workout – it includes toning and aerobics in just under an hour.  I also did the bonus 10 minute glute work.

Screen shot 2013-03-28 at 10.28.55 AM

 

First the negative:  Tuesday night someone hacked my email account!!  Why??   I just don’t understand people.  They  set it up to send all of my email to a new account and they got into my eBay account (probably from an old email) – 36 people now think I’m going to shell out a total of $25,000 for crap I don’t want!  Fortunately after 45 minutes on the phone last night with someone who spoke minimal English, the eBay situation is being investigated. (Plus I spent almost an hour, most of it on hold, on the phone with PayPal to make sure all was good there.)  Chris spent about and hour and a half on the phone fixing my email account.  Lots of new passwords and all is well!

Now for the Positive!!!  Screen shot 2013-03-28 at 10.27.32 AMI just started using Bloglovin (sorry I can’t get a link on here cause I’m stupid technologically challenged,  but I have the button at the top of my page that links) and I love it!!!  Because I’m really behind the times (and slow!), I never used Google Reader.  I wasted so much time clicking around to blogs only to find that I had already read the most current post.  No more!!!  (I know, this is old hat to most of y’all but exciting for me!!!)

Here’s to a positive day for all – plus the NCAA basketball tournament is going on again this weekend (starting today!) – WooHoo!!

Happy Thursday!!

Kim

Butt, Cardio, Fitness, Running, Treadmill

It’s a Blizzard!!

DSCN2728
7:30 am (snow started around 6:30 or 6:45 I think)

Snow day here is Kansas!!  (Actually, the city basically cancelled everything last night before the snow even started just based on the forecast – surprisingly the weather predictions were all true.)  Boys are out of school and the base even shut down so Chris is home!!!

For my 43 I went old school!!  I used my transfirmer step and did a “tall-box climb”

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

while holding 12 pound dumbbells.  (This is a move that I got from the Firm DVDs – it is one of their signature moves.)  Standing behind the step, you step up with your right foot then your left foot and then step down with you right foot then left = 1 rep.

[youtuber youtube=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RrfAA0wYeeM’]

I did 43 with my right leg leading and 43 with my left leg leading.  Great quad/butt work and my heart rate went up quit a bit (the weights really add to the move).

Then, while my legs were already a bit fatigued (21 x 1 minute wall-sits today + the tall-box climb!!!) I decided to start experimenting with a run-walk (more like jog-walk) pattern for my 50 mile race (in October).

For those who know me at all, walking is usually not part of my training.  Actually, I don’t like to jog that much either – I just want to run!!  However, I know that if I don’t train correctly and just go into the race like an idiot it won’t be pretty.  I know that running and walking use the leg muscles differently and I want to have lots of experience going back and forth between the 2 before October.

Today I started with a 10 minute jog followed by a 5 minute walk.  After 2 sets of that I decided that I don’t want to walk half the time.  I switched to a 7.5 minute jog with a 2.5 minute walk for the next half hour.  I think I might like that pattern.  Over the next few months I will start training for several hours at a time like that and see.

I also need to play around with my hydration and eating.  I’m pretty much a water only drinker (except my evening happy hour!) so I need to try some of the electrolyte drinks.  Screen shot 2013-02-21 at 10.49.28 AM Screen shot 2013-02-21 at 10.49.48 AM

So many choices!!!  And I have never really been one to fuel while running – I know it’s not good to go hours without anything but I do!  I’m going to have to play around with all the options for snacks, too!

Screen shot 2013-02-21 at 10.50.02 AM

 

My preference would beScreen shot 2013-02-21 at 10.51.14 AMHigh school track meets I lived on Hershey bars and oranges!!  It was great!! (or maybe not that great but…)

Anyway, I figure I better get some of this figured out between now and mid-October!

Here is a fun little snow video if you like snow (me – not so much!!).

[youtuber youtube=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IR41H4pFxLE’]

(That would be Jordan and I talking during it!)

DSCN2733
same shot as the 7:30 at about 10:30
snow is slowing down!!

I know y’all are jealous if you don’t have snow like this!  I’m in hibernation mode till it stops and the roads are clear!!

DSCN2734
back deck

The back deck shows how much it has drifted in some places!  Good thing we don’t need to get out there for any reason.

Happy Thursday!!  Happy snow day!

Kim

Fitness, Shoulders

Friday, Friday, Friday – 3 Favorites

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!!!

Chris  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!!

Boots

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

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

Kim

Core, Fitness

Time to Buckle Down

Today, I needed a partner for my 43. Thanks, Jordan.  (Except, he only did the easy part.  When I offered to switch with him he said – no, that’s OK.  Weak!!!)

The 43 was a partner leg lift.  I laid on the ground in front of Jordan and held onto his ankles.  I raised my legs to 90 degrees and he pushed them down.  I had to hold my abs (very) tight to control my legs on the way down and then bring them up for another rep.

[youtuber youtube=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fo3vFjI–y4′]

Sorry for cutting your head off, Jordan.  (Hunter was still sleeping and apparently, the timer function on my camera doesn’t work for video.)  Oh, well – you get the point!

The last 8 or so were HARD!!!!

Yesterday, the Fitnessista, started a 12 Days of Fitness Challenge.  I think it will be a fun addition to my daily work-outs.  If you are interested, the challenge is here.  I like that each day  ends with a 1 minute plank hold – hopefully this will help me be able to reach my goal of holding an extended plank (on hands with arms fully extended) for 5+ minutes!

I feel like I have lost a lot of my cardio in the last 3.5 weeks and that is going to change!!!  I still can’t run but I’m going to increase my work-outs again!

Screen shot 2012-12-27 at 10.02.01 AM

Today I did one of The Firm DVDs – Dangerous Curves Ahead.  The thing I like about most of the Firm work-outs is the combination of cardio and toning.  This one is almost an hour and I did keep the entire thing low impact (even though I hate doing that!!) so that my hip will hopefully heal!

Chris went back to work and the boys and I have a couple of projects to get done around the house today.  Good news – tonight is Thirsty Thursday!!!  Looking forward to hooking up with some friends for!!

Happy Thursday!

Kim