Tag Archives: Turbo Fire

Fun Friday – Give Away!!!

April 5, 2013 Kim 29 Comments

Today I decided to do some cardio for my 43. This one was quick, easy and fun!!! I used one of my favorite pieces of equipment:

The move: single leg stick (jump up and land on one foot) while lifting opposite knee then lunge back and touch BOSU.

[youtuber youtube=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LcV-hs9UlW4′]

I’m breathing hard in the demo because those were actually my last ones!! And, of course, both sides have to be even so it was a double 43!!!

The rest of my workout today was one of my favorites – Turbo Fire!! I did Fire 60 which is 60 minutes of fun-filled cardio with 4 HIIT drills thrown in! I’ve said it before – any workout with Chalean (Johnson) is both fun and a great workout at the same time!

OK – the big surprise. I have a giveaway for y’all!! A friend of mine recently started selling Origami Owl Jewelry. I went to her first home party and ended up buying a necklace that I thought would be perfect as a giveaway.

Can you read it? It says – I AM FEARLESS

How perfect!! I read about people pushing themselves in so many ways to do things they never dreamed they could. Even if you don’t blog about it – I know all of you are amazing and fearless!!!

To enter just follow the steps below – hopefully it works!!! Apparently, if you use Google Reader, the links to my site don’t always work. I did go to my site (on a computer I never use so I wasn’t logged in as admin) and check all the links and they are fine that way. Sorry – if you have a problem with the links – you can just leave a comment below to enter to win!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

If you want to check out the other jewelry and charms available from Origami Owl here is a link. They have some really cool stuff at pretty reasonable prices!

Good Luck!!

Happy Fun Friday (PE subbing for me – yippee!)!

Kim

Fitness, Lunges, Quad, Shoulders

Is a Dehydrator a Good Investment?

March 21, 2013 Kim 11 Comments

Check out the sunrise this morning:

OK – onto the 43 – This was one of those that ended up being more challenging than I had thought it would be! I did a lunge with a twist while holding a medicine ball.

Start standing with ball at chest.

Step into lunge with right leg and push ball straight in front of you.

right lunge - ball extended — right lunge – ball extended

Twist to right while staying in lunge.

Return to front lunge, stand and bring ball back to chest for 1 rep. After doing 43 with my right leg, I still had another set of 43 with the left!!!

I think that the hardest part of this was keeping my arms up. I used an 8 pound medicine ball and it was hard to keep pushing my arms out and twisting!!

I decided to do a Les Mills Combat workout today – Combat 60 Ultimate Cardio Fighter! Always a good workout and a quick 60 minutes!!! I also did Turbo Fire – Abs 10 to get a little core work.

So, I’ve been doing some research into dehydrators. I’m trying to decide if it is something that I would use. I know that the boys would like things like dried mangos and other fruits. What I’m really wondering is if I could use dehydrated food to get rid of my chip addiction!!!

I love potato chips but I don’t love having a jiggle around my middle when I run!! Therefore, potato chips have to go!!! I need other (healthier) snack options! Any thoughts on dehydrators? Do you have one? (and do you use it if you do??)

Happy Thursday!!! (Yikes – spring break is flying by!!)

Kim

Calves, Fitness, Squats

Exercise – Do it for Yourself!!!

March 11, 2013 Kim 8 Comments

For my 43 today, I pulled out this little ball:

Instead of using it for an ab move, I amped up a squat by placing the ball between my knees while doing squats. I also stayed on my toes throughout all of the reps so that the squat targeted my both my quads and calves. To add a tiny bit of shoulder burn – I kept my arms extended straight in front of me (at shoulder level) the entire time I was performing this move.

[youtuber youtube=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z0JuvJDAjTQ’]

Here is a fairly decent demo by Hunter (just overlook the sword slinging through the air!). I did hold the squat for 2-3 seconds at the bottom each time but otherwise, Hunter did a nice showing the move!

Jordan also did a little demo..

[youtuber youtube=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQ72cUDbnDc’]

He didn’t get on his toes and the boys were in rare form while we recorded this!!!

Try this move next time you want to add some punch to a standard squat – you don’t have to do 43 (or your age) – just try 5, 10, 15, whatever you can do!!!

As you know if you’ve been reading for awhile, I’ve been doing Les Mills Combat for a couple of months now. I really enjoyed this program but I’m done with it (there are supposed to be 4 days this week but…). There are so many things I want to do – I jsut can’t fit it all in!!!

Today I did one of my old favorites – Turbo Fire – Fire 55EZ. (Don’t let the EZ fool you – this is a fast-paced, high intensity cardio workout!!!). There really isn’t anything about Turbo Fire that I don’t love!!! On a day where I’m not super motivated, this is always the perfect choice for me!

Is accountability an important part of exercise? I think it is!! But I think, unlike many other areas of our lives, it is an accountability to ourselves!! Of all the people I know, I’m probably the only one who truly cares if I get up every day this year and do 43 of a particular exercise because I’m the only one who will benefit (or lose out) from completing that goal.

As much as I love fitness and working out, every once in awhile I have a day (or days) where I’m just not feeling it. On those days I have to decide – Do I need a break or am I just being lazy? I don’t think it’s possible (or even a good idea) to good hard-core all the time (at least for me!!) but I do think it’s OK to do something everyday!!!

So when I’m laying in bed awake at trying to decide if I really want to get up at 5:00 and workout, I have to listen to my inner self and know that either way the only person who it will really make a difference for is ME!!!

Do you keep yourself accountable when it comes to working out/taking care of yourself?

[youtuber youtube=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eL9qaCrOUx8′]

Here is how the boys get some of their daily activity!!!

Happy Monday!

Kim

Butt, Fitness, Quad, Thighs

Steppin’ Out

February 17, 2013 Kim 6 Comments

I try to change up my daily 43s and use different equipment (or maybe no equipment) and work different muscles in a variety of ways. Sometimes, when I pick the move of the day I think it may or may not really be a good one. Today was one of those days that I thought – “This will just be a wimpy little thing and might not really count as a 43.”

Well, I was wrong!!! It turned out to be a great 43. I used my Turbo Fire band:

This time I stepped on it with both feet and then crossed it in front of my legs before holding the handles at my waist. Then, I did step-outs. On my right side, I did 43 to the side, then 43 on a diagonal to the front and another 43 on a diagonal to the back. (129 on each side!)

[youtuber youtube=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3hWsg9b4A0′]

Of course, I had to repeat the whole series on the left side! All I can say is – OUCH!!! This was a great way to really burn out my hips and outer thighs!! Plus, I kept my stationary leg slightly bent so I really loaded my quads!! Overall, a great 43!!!

Today is my rest day – some weeks I hate taking any rest days but this week I’m ready for one! I know it will make my work-outs next week that much better (and more enjoyable!).

I think that working out is definitely a habit for me and I’m afraid that if I let myself get too comfortable taking days off, then the days off will increase and will turn into a habit!!! Maybe a bizarre way of thinking but…..a lot of my rationale for things is a little wonky!!

Menu planning – do you do it??? I love looking at recipes, online and in cookbooks, but sometimes I feel like this:I try to come up with a semi-plan for the week (actually a couple of weeks at a time since I usually only do a huge grocery run every 2-3 weeks). I usually pick out 1 or 2 cookbooks and go through and make a list of the things I want to make during the next couple of weeks. I make my grocery list as I go. Then each morning I decide what to make for dinner knowing that we already have all of the necessary ingredients. This method works for me and because of it I always try new recipes.

Which is good since I have a few cookbooks!!! (I might have an addiction!!!)

I have a few stand-by recipes but for the most part I make new stuff all the time. The only downside is when Chris asks me to make something that I made months ago – I usually have no idea where I found the recipe or what dish he is even talking about!!

So, what is your menu planning/cooking like?? Do you have a rotation of dishes you rely on or do you like to experiment with new recipes?

Happy Sunday!!!

Kim

Core, Fitness

What Makes you Happy?

February 13, 2013 Kim 23 Comments

Today for the 43 I pulled out my Turbo Fire band and used it for a great oblique move (also from Turbo Fire!).

I started by standing on the band with my right foot and holding both handles in my right hand.

Then, I did a slow, 3-count side-bend to the left. (The slight forward bend helps to really target your obliques!)

On the 3rd count, reach down as far as you can.

Return to start and repeat 43 (or whatever # of reps you choose) times. Then, of course, you have to switch sides with the band.

umm....start but you don't have to look so mad about it! — umm….start but you don’t have to look so mad about it!

wow!! gotta work on the facial expressions!

I know you didn’t really need all of those pictures but Hunter took them so I figured I might as well use them!! I really need to quit looking so mad during these pictures – maybe we can just call it my focused look!!

You can see from the pictures that I busted out (not completely literally) my compression shorts again. I figured that they would help the residual stiffness in my hips from yesterday’s long run! I know that I’m way behind the gravy train on the compression stuff but after this morning I know I need more!! Compression everything!!! I really NEED to get some socks – I know it would help my Achilles!

I switched up my Les Mills Combat a little today. It was supposed to be HIIT Power but I decided to save that for tomorrow and do the Combat 45 today. Even though the 45 work-out still has some plyo, it is not as much. It was a great cardio work-out but I still feel like it was good for a recovery day!

I think this is a question that we all occasionally think about. At least, I hope I’m not the only one who sometimes struggles with this!! I think that January and February are sometimes the hardest months of the year. Still a lot of winter left but no major holidays to look forward to or plan for. When I was working, these 2 months weren’t as hard for me but now I’m back to not working and have more time for reflection (or something!).

The past few weeks I have really been thinking a lot about happiness and what really makes me happy.

1. Family

2. Friends

3. Running (usually on my treadmill)

4. Wine!!

5. The beach

I know I could go on and maybe even put some really profound things on here but even with the list – sometimes I feel like I have to work hard to be happy!

I think that somedays I feel like I need to be doing more with my life. I know that I’m a Mom to 2 great boys, a wife to the greatest person I know and I love being both of those thing. But…….

Overall, I’m a pretty happy person. But occasionally I have times that I need to remind myself that it is OK to just be me and do the things I do (or maybe don’t do) – being a surgeon, or chef, or world-class athlete or whatever doesn’t automatically make you happy.

So, what makes you happy? Do you feel happy all the time or do you occasionally have to step back and remind yourself of all the reasons you have to be happy?

Hopefully, we will all have a Happy Wednesday!!!

Kim

Day With KT