back and biceps

i'll get straight to the workout.

warmup with 5 minutes on an elliptical or rowing machine, or a tabata of jumping jacks.  if you need a refresher on tabatas, see here.

for the back part of our workout, we are doing pull-ups. 

ugh, pull-ups. 

one of the most unfair exercises.  boys make them look so easy.  even scrawny boys can do pull-ups!  but for us girls (or at least me)... they are the devil.

that's why i use the pull up machine or a resistance band.  they make me feel better about myself.

for biceps we are doing curls.  boys do "curls for the girls", but us girls can do "curls because we are awesome".

here's the workout.

1st set
wide grip pull-ups: 12 reps 
{place your hands as far apart as you can.  if you need more help from the machine on this set, go for it.  wide grip is for sure the hardest for me.}

dumbbell bicep curls with external rotation: 15 reps
{i like to do these on the incline bench.  it helps to go through your whole range of motion.  i use 12 lb weights, go however light or heavy you want.  if you want detailed instructions on how to do these, click here.  these are also the hardest for me - i always get the hardest stuff overwith first.}


2nd set
regular grip pull ups: 12 reps
{just like it sounds.  place your hands just slightly further than shoulder width apart and go for it}

 regular bicep curls: 15 reps
{start with your hands down to your sides.  as you lift the dumbbell, rotate outward.  more detailed instructions here.  oh and don't get intimidated that the instructions show a boy doing this.  girls can lift too!!}

3rd set
narrow grip pull-ups:  12 reps
{place your hands close, like directly above your shoulders.  in my experience, most pull up bars aren't connected in the middle and so you can place your hands right up against the bar.}

hammer curls: 15 reps
{start with your dumbbells down at your sides like before.  however this time, bring them straight up to your shoulders without rotating.  detailed instructions here.}


if that's all the time you have or you feel like you are dying, then stop here.  but actually, even if you feel like you are dying probably don't stop.  just kidding... kind of.  you know your body better than anyone else, and you decide if you are pushing yourself too hard or not hard enough.  but i say take a 3 minute rest and get a drink.  then go for round 2.

for round 2, do ALL the same sets as above, but decrease your reps and/or lighten your weights if you need to.

pull-ups:  10 reps/set
curls: 12 reps/set. 

same goes for round 3.  take a 3 minute break, get a drink and  lighten your weights if you need to.

pull-ups:  8 reps/set
curls:  10 reps/set

so to clarify, there are 3 rounds that each have 3 sets of both pull-ups and curls.

and then you're done!  if you need to do less reps (example: 8/5/3 for pull-ups) then go for it.  push yourself, but don't kill yourself.  and hopefully you are happily sore tomorrow!

tabatas

i lied before when i said i don't do cardio.  i do... for 4 minutes.

it's called a tabata.  if you want to read details about it, you can here.  basically it is just a 4 minute interval:

20 seconds of activity, 10 seconds of rest, 8 times each.

most people do tabatas with sprints.  you can do this really easy on a treadmill, sprinting for 20 seconds and then jumping to the sides for 10 seconds.  i like to do a few of these at around 10mph, depending on how i'm feeling, at either the beginning or end of a work out.  i swear it sounds easier then it is.

what i REALLY love to do with tabatas is to either add a tabata (of jumping jacks, burpees, etc) in between lifts to get my heartrate up.  i never thought that i could be sore from jumping jacks, but if you do them as fast as you can with good form it's definitely possible.

i also love to do 4 or 5 different tabatas for a quick, at home workout for those days that i am in a hurry or just don't want to go to the gym.  here is a basic tabata workout that can be done anywhere.  it focuses on the lower body and trust me, it will get your heart rate going.


tabata 1:  high knees  {make sure you are using your abs to lift your legs to a horizontal level.  the higher you get them the better the workout. }

tabata 2:  frog jumps  {if you feel like you can't finish all the rounds of frog jumps, change to squats - no resting unless it is during a 10 second rest period!}

tabata 3:  butt kickers  {this is probably the easiest one, but no cheating.  heel to your butt every time and hopefully you feel it in your hamstrings. }

tabata 4:  leg lift/toe touches  {while standing, lift your left leg in front of you, keeping your leg straight.  touch your right hand to your left toe, then lower.  repeat on the other side.  again, no cheating.  keep your leg as straight as possible and try to make it to a horizontal level.}

tabata 5:  squats  {my number one rule of squats and lunges - don't let your knees go over your toes unless you want to ruin your knees!  i usually do these squats with a kettle bell or dumbell because i always try to lift heavy for my lower body since i have such a flat booty, but feel free to do them weight free. }

and there you go, a 20 minute workout (and a really awesome picture of me doing high knees!).  well, 24 minutes actually, because i recommend a 1 minute rest in between each tabata. 

if it's too easy - you are a rockstar and should add on 200 walking lunges with weights and some tabata sprints.  if it's too hard - cut out one of the tabatas (probably the frog jumps, those are the hardest). 

everyone has a different fitness level and that is perfectly fine.  if you are putting in the effort to workout, then you get an A+ in my book.

p.s. i recommend getting a tabata app on your iphone!  there are a bunch of different ones and most are free.

workin' on my fitness

i feel incredibly dorky doing this,. but since it is is one of my favorite things in life, i have decided to do some fitness or health related posts every once in awhile.

i will be the first to admit that i am by no means an expert and have no actual training or formal education on the subject.  i just love everything related to the body and being healthy.

if you read this and think i'm an idiot, i do not take offense.  if you read it and find something you like, then even better.  and if you read this and are embarrassed for me, then please tell me and i'll stop doing posts like this and we'll pretend it never happened.  deal?

i'm just gonna start off with my own fitness commandments, and the plan is to just post my own workouts or health tips every so often.  i'm not going to become a "fitness blogger".  i'm not going to post any radical ideas that no one has ever heard of.  and i don't think that my advice is better than anyone else's.

the main idea of my "commandments" is that it makes it my lifestyle.  it isn't a diet or fad or something extreme that i am going to only follow for a month.  it is my life, day in and day out, and has been for 5+ years now.  i'm not burning myself out or killing myself, so it makes being healthy and working out easier to do, and even enjoyable.  that's how i feel at least.


ok i think that's enough warnings.  now here goes nothing.


1.  weights are your best friend, and cardio is overrated.  
ok, maybe not ALL cardio is overrated.  i just hate it with a passion.  i haven't done more than 20 minutes on a treadmill/elliptical/bike in years.  girls are so afraid of lifting because they think they will be big and manly, but i can assure you that's false.  i used to be THAT girl on the elliptical... you know the one.  the girl who spends hours on the elliptical watching tv or reading at the same time, but never gets any skinnier.  i hated going to the gym.  then i started lifting and everything changed!!!  i lost weight and inches, and i loved working out.  it's simple people.  lifting gives you more muscle.  muscle takes up less space than fat, so if you have more muscle you are smaller.  the more muscle you have, the more calories your body burns - even when you're NOT working out.  therefore, lifting = muscle = everything you want.

2.  aim to work out about 4 days a week, no longer than an hour each time.  
maybe you don't agree with this.  maybe you need to work out more often or for longer periods to feel like you are getting a good workout.  but for me, this is plenty.  i never work out on sundays, and then i have one or two free days a week.  this way i never feel guilty or bad for days that i don't have time or simply don't feel like working out.  i also never stay more than an hour, and usually it's more like half an hour.  that way i never feel like i can't fit it in or get bored at the gym, because that makes working out seem too stressful and hard to commit to.  but i also never rest when i work out.  it's 30 minutes non-stop (that way you get your heartrate up and boom - there's your cardiovascular workout!).  oh and i should also mention i don't ALWAYS go to the gym.  i have plenty of workouts that i can do without ever leaving my house (i also have days where i consider a long walk with my dog my workout). 

3.  when it comes to eating, follow the 80/20 rule.
once i went off sugar for a week.  only a week.  then i couldn't take it anymore, and i binged on anything and everything sugary and chocolatey.  it's obvious that i can't handle cutting the sweet stuff out completely (or dairy.  i can't leave out my cheese).  so now i just aim for eating healthy 80% of the time.  i don't cut out things because as soon as i do, it's all i can think about.  i eat cheese, ranch dressing, carbs, chocolate, etc.  it makes me happy.  however i eat it in moderation, because i don't want clogged arteries at the age of 25.  moderation doesn't work for some people.  but it works for me and i recommend it.  you will feel good because you are eating healthy the majority of the time, but you will be happy because when it's your friends birthday you can eat cake without feeling bad about it. (and P.S.  yes there are certain times in life where i don't follow 80/20 completely.  mainly when sugar and hormones combine.  being better about this is my new years resolutions)

4.  workout and eat clean to be healthy and live longer - NOT to be a fitness model.  
not dissing on fitness models.  you people rock and are more mentally tough then i ever could be.  but i'm not on a quest for a perfect, rock hard body (although i am envious of any girl with a 6-pack).  if i was, i wouldn't live by my above mentioned mottos.  i realize that i don't care enough to be that dedicated.  my main concern is my own health.  i want to avoid any illnesses or injuries that i possible can.  i want my body to be healthy and strong, and to be one of those old ladies that can still do cartwheels with my grandchildren.  i figure i'm only given one body, so i might as well make it the best body that i can (but still enjoy food, because i sure love food).


well i think that's a long enough post for one day, yeah?  in the future, these posts will be much less wordy and hopefully less boring.  or maybe i will feel too dumb and future posts will never happen.  i'm feeling a little embarrassed right now actually so i'm just going to stop here.

thanks for not judging me.

yogi's

we've decided it's time to work on that extra layer of flubber we acquired over the winter.
we have 2 months til summer to go from flab to fit!!
our goal is to eat healthier, not go to nielsens as often (cut back to 3 times a month),
and start workin on our fitness by hitting the track, the gym, the trails, etc.

because of this i managed to convince dawson to do a 10 day yoga pass with me.
not just any yoga.

bikram yoga.
aka HOT yoga.
aka hotter than laying in a tanning bed inside a volcano yoga.

i had a yoga pass last summer and knew what was in store.
i was fully expecting dawson to walk out cursing halfway through the first class.
or to pass out from sweating so much.
or break a bone from falling out of one of those body bending poses.
or throw up from the wonderful stenches that come from that humid room.
or at the VERY least laugh at all the yogi men in their short shorts
and not take the class seriously at all.

but he thoroughly surprised me.
he was born to do yoga!
he didn't take any breaks in the first class, or in any classes for that matter.
he was actually better than me in a lot of the poses!
(very humbling to me and my yoga pride)
and once he even chatted up the teacher after class and made a new friend.

he claims that he won't go back now that the pass is over,
but we'll see what happens....
i don't think i'll be able to keep this new yogi away from that 110 degree yoga room!

p.s. if you want a glimpse into hot yoga here is a very accurate decription: yoga mat for sale