Workout of the Week #7

Let’s be honest here: at 40 weeks and now 5 days pregnant, my workouts have mostly consisted of all exercises that help get this  labor started.  I have been walking, running, squatting, lunging and bouncing on an exercise ball.  In fact, I have been running about every other day and somehow at a sub 10-minute mile pace.  After each workout I say to myself, “If that doesn’t kickstart labor, I don’t know what will,” and then nothing happens.

Writing (and completing) this workout on Monday was a breath of fresh air and forced me to do some upper-body.  (Hello, push-ups… and yes, I can still do some on my toes!)  I am usually all-about upper body, but lower body exercises seem to be more labor-inducing lately- it was nice to take my mind off of that for a while.

Set your timer for 15- minutes and see how many rounds of this workout you can get done.  This is a good workout to come back to as well, trying to improve the number of rounds each time.

 What is your goal for this workout?  
Let us know how you did!

A Munchkin’s Birthday & A Workout

We officially have a 2- year old in our house! Happy 2nd Birthday to my sweet, independent and often times bossy, Claire!  

Being a mom to a little girl has really change me and my views.  As a female, it is extremely important for me to take care of myself, to love myself, and to respect my body so that she does the same to hers- this is what has driven my increased passion for health & fitness over the past couple of years.  For me, it is more about the muscles I gain, the weight I am able to lose, and the pants I can fit into:  it is about the confidence and emotional peace I get from a sweaty workout and fueling my body with healthy fuel.  As a teenager and into my college years, I had extremely low self confidence- I don’t want her to ever feel like this.  It is part of my job as her mother to do whatever I can to make sure my daughter feels good about herself on the inside and out– not just today as she turns 2, but forever.

In our house, I like to make birthdays extra special- so that is what we will do today!  Claire already had a “Splash Bash” at the neighborhood pool with her friends.  We did this early “just in case” her new brother or sister decided to make an early arrival. (Who was I fooling?)  So today, we will make the day “all about Claire”: pancakes, the apple orchard, the park and pizza for dinner.

My husband and I bought an old, handmade wooden play kitchen off of a virtual garage sale site for her birthday gift.  We spent a weekend refinishing it for her.  She will also get two special books.  The books come from a list of picture books that show strong, confident girls as characters and in the message.  I started this for her first birthday and is something I plan to continue each year.  We also bought her a new pair of “fast shoes” for her birthday.

Happy Birthday to my favorite little 2 year old munchkin… you know how to bring a smile to your Mommy’s face! 

It may be all about birthdays this morning, but we can’t get away without a “Workout of the Week”.  This workout I dug out of my fitness journal from right after I had Claire.  I remember struggling through this workout just 15 days after I had her.  I had written in my journal that I couldn’t do a lot of the exercises for the given amount of time.  This just shows that with persistence and hard work, you can reach your fitness goals.  No matter where you are in your fitness journey- try to do as much as you can.

 What special things do you do for your munchkins on their birthdays?
What did you think of the WOW?  How will you incorporate it into your week?

(Don’t forget: commenting on a blog post will enter you into the drawing for our very first giveaway at the end of the month!)

Workout of the Week #4

I tried a new workout format and wow, I like this!  My class members will be seeing this in some our classes soon.  Thanks to the cross fit world, I tried out an EMOM workout: Every Minute on the Minute.  You can read more information about this kind of workout here and here.

In the crossfit world, they are doing these exercises with weight and only 1-5 reps at a time and of course with heavy weight.  I can’t wait to get back to lifting more so I can do this format with some dead lifts, thrusters and pull-ups.  I think my hubby will also enjoy some EMOM workouts now that after all these years he allows me to “suggest” workouts for him.

So here is my quick at-home EMOM using body weight (and maybe a few more reps than the crossfit world).  I thought it would be tough and man I was right- give it a whirl yourself!

 We want to know: what did you think of this workout?

Workout of the Week #3

At 36 weeks and 4 days pregnant, and an avid runner, I can’t explain to you how excited I was to lace up my running shoes and pound the pavement for this week’s WOW.   Of course I put my little munchkin in the BOB jogging stroller and she tagged along with me.

At about 32 weeks I cut back on my running and have slowed it down to man walk/ run interval sessions.  Tonight was not the “go out and run 3 miles”, but I definitely picked up the running sessions in the WOW and it felt great.  I started my workout with a 1o minute fast-paced walk and then went right into the WOW.

I completed all 5 rounds and man was I sweaty when I was finished.  It felt great!  I finished up the workout with a 15 minute run/ walk back to my house.  The WOW itself took me a little over 16 minutes.  I had to incorporate small walk sessions after each exercise.  For those of you that are looking for a more intense workout, completing this ten times would be a great workout as well.

Do not be turned off by the “sprinting” in this workout.  If you are new to exercise, do what you can and JUST MOVE.  Walking or jogging works too… just increase that heart rate.

How will you fit this WOW into your fitness schedule?
Post your results below.

 

First WOW: Workout of the Week

As parents and people, we are all busy.  We try our hardest to make our health and fitness a top priority, but let’s face it together: although we all have good intentions our workout sometimes gets moved down the priority list and sometimes taken off in general.  Don’t feel guilty, it has happened to us all.

When I became a mom for the first time, I was trying so hard to get in shape after having Claire.  Each week, I would write out my fitness plans and they would never go as planned.  Claire’s nursing time would change, she’d sleep longer than expected, she would cluster feed, etc.  There always seemed to be something that would throw a wrench in my best laid workout plans.

Finally, I decided that in order to reach my fitness goals, I needed to have a backup plan.  No matter what they day held, I needed to sweat- for my physical and mental health.  Some days getting to my local YMCA or going for a run was not in the cards, but sweating HAD to be.  I began to write at-home circuit workouts that could be done while  Claire napped, was in her swing or in that short 20 minutes of time where she was content playing on her blanket.

I would like to encourage you each week and each day to MOVE, SWEAT, and INCREASE YOUR HEART RATE.  Often times we think that if we can’t get in a full hour long workout session at the gym than why waste the time…. something is better than nothing, fit friends!

On Wednesdays, we will post a “WOW” (Workout Of the WEEK).  This workout can be used in many different ways; for all fitness levels and most importantly, can be done ANYWHERE.  Now you have NO EXCUSES!

Here are some ways to use the WOWs:
1. On those busy, hectic, “I can’t get in a full hour” days, get up 20-30 minutes early and knock this out.
2. Before you tackle your “to-do list” during nap time, take this time to focus on yourself and complete the WOW.
3. If you are new to fitness, and the number of rounds stated is too much, try one round or split the rounds up at different times of the day.  Or even lessen the number of reps… JUST MOVE!
4. Throw on some gym shoes and do it at your lunch break.  No one really cares if you go to your post-lunch meeting with a little sweat.
5. Complete this more than once in a week and try to improve your time, number or reps or increase your intensity.

Inchworm Combo #1: walk out plank, two push-ups, walk plank in, 4 squats at top
Inchworm Combo #2: walk out plank, two plank jacks, walk in plank, 4 power lunges on top.
Cross-Jack Punches: Legs scissor alternating which foot is in front, instead of hands going up like a jack, punch with the same arm as the foot on top.

Still need clarification?  Check out the youtube video here.

 

Tonight, I completed three rounds of the WOW in 23:11.  It is surely tough doing those inchworm combos at 35 weeks & 4 days pregnant, but I got it done.  I had a little helper as well.  As soon as she saw that I was working out in the living room she wanted her “fast” shoes on to do the workout with me.  Following the WOW, I went for a 40 minute walk/ run.  There is more walking than running.

What do you do you do when  you know you aren’t going to get your planned workout in for the day?
Will you complete the WOW with us at some point this week?  Post your results below.