New to You Cross Training Challenge - May

So - last day of the month, and what am I doing?  Scrambling to complete my New To You Cross Training challenge post of course!  And guess what else?  I am a big fat liar. For last month's submission I reviewed workouts #1 and 2 of Jillian Michaels Body Revolution workout system...

....and I said in that post that I wouldn't be using workouts 3 and 4 for my May cross training submission.  But, that's exactly what I'm going to do.  Because unless you count getting hooked on the TV show Justified as a new cross training workout, I haven't done anything else new in May.

well, hello cowboy!

  So yes, I'm a liar, but after my last post it sounded like some people were interested in hearing exactly what the workouts consist of, so hopefully this will be of interest...

Here's a breakdown of the two new workouts I did in May - workouts #3 and #4 in Phase 1 of the 90 day program (each workout is done twice a week for two weeks before moving on to the next workouts).

Workout 3 (Front of the body)
Warmup:  jumping jacks/cat and cow(?) stretch/standing high kicks/lateral leg swings each side/jumping jacks again

Circuit 1:
Push ups military style
Hold downward dog position with arm reaching through to opposite leg and holding/switch arms
Alternating back lunges (weights for added difficulty)
Raise arms/lower to ground and walk out to a plank/hold/walk back and up to standing position
Cardio interval (one minute): Jump rope
Repeat circuit (except cardio)

Circuit 2:
Sumo squats with tricep extentions (with weights)
Camel yoga pose - reach back and tap the opposite toe
Squat with overhead press (with weights)
Lunge with cable chest press
Cardio interval: Squat with punches
Repeat Circuit

Circuit 3:
Plank to Crescent pose/back to plank/switch legs/repeat
Tricep dips on floor in crab position (hold one leg out straight to add difficulty)
Side crunches each side (straight legs for added difficulty)
Cardio interval: Sumo hops
Repeat Circuit

Circuit 4:
Tree pose with lateral raises one side (with weights)
Plank-ups switching sides
Tree pose with lateral other side
Abs - inch worms
Cardio interval:  Mogul twists
Repeat Circuit

Cool down

Workout 4 - (Back of the body)
Warmup:  butt kicks/standing stretch with leg crossed over knee and sitting back/backwards arm circles/butt kicks again/stretch with opposite leg/arm circles again

Circuit 1:
Alternating forward lunges (weights for added difficulty)
Static squat with medium row (with weights)
Single leg dead lift with upright row (with weights)
Single leg dead lift with upright row opposite leg
Cardio Interval: Skaters
Repeat Circuit

Circuit 2:
Alternating side lunges with bicep curls (with weights)
Bent wide row (with weights)
Surrenders with weights
Step ups with hop (with weights)
Cardio Interval: Side to side hops
Repeat Circuit

Circuit 3:
Leg lifts (on ground) one side with weights
Plank with alternating leg lifts
Leg lifts opposite side
Hollow man
Cardio Interval:  Fast Feet
Repeat Circuit

Circuit 4:
Lat/Terry (sp?) pulls one side (with weight)
Good mornings with weights
Lat/Terry pulls opposite side
Squirms
Cardio Interval:  Jab/Cross/Hook/Uppercut combo
Repeat Circuit

What I like:

• I'm really liking that you only do each set of workouts for 2 weeks and then you switch.  As with any  DVD, after you do them for a while you start to memorize them, so it's nice to know that you have a new set to do after two weeks.
• 1/2 hour workouts - such a short amount of time it's easy to convince myself to fit it in.  Plus, if I do miss a day, I've doubled up on the workouts the next day and that lends to really great hour long workout as well.   My favorite way to fit it in is go for a short run as a warm up and then do a workout. 
• Last time I commented that workouts 1 and 2 were a bit on the easy side - but I've since changed my tune.  Not only are these workouts more challenging, but I think that they all are as hard as you make them to be.  Either by increasing the weights or by doing the modifications JM recommends - it's easy to get a really challenging workout.

What I don't like:

• The cooldown/stretching sections are pretty short.  I think I just need to stretch more, so I just ignore what she does and stretch for significantly longer than the DVD does.
• She states in workout #3 that you should have lost about 5 lbs by now - which, really? In 2 weeks - isn't that a lot?  I assume this is probably for people who are not only doing the workouts, but are also following the meal plan that comes with the DVD's as well (which I am not doing).  The workouts alone don't seem to me like they would be enough without a significant dietary change as well.  I don't know what, if any, weight I have lost because I don't own a scale - but I do know my jeans are looser - so I'll take it!
• Jillian - well she yells and acts tough and all her usual stuff.  It doesn't really bug me for the most part, but some days (depending on my mood) it grates.  This is why it's good that the DVD's switch out every two weeks!

All in all I'm happy with this workout program so far.  As the workouts go on I'm feeling more and more challenged, so that has kept me motivated and interested.   Hopefully next month I will do a different and more interesting cross training workout and I won't be reviewing workouts 5 and 6 for my June submission.... :)

Five for Friday!

Yay!  It's Friday!

1)  I haven't posted for a while but I have some good reasons -  I've been super busy moving my office.  As I've mentioned previously, I work for my mom and we've recently decided that we no longer need to rent a space for an office - instead we're moving the office out to her property (we don't have walk in clientele, so there's really no need for an office space).  This will be great for many reasons:  1)  I get views like this instead of looking at 4 office walls...

2) There is a treadmill, so fitting in runs when it's super rainy out should be easier and this is also one of my favorite places to run outside on the pretty country roads; and 3) in the summer the kids can come here with me, play outside, ride bikes, etc.  Better than being shuttled all over or sitting in an office with me for the day.  Lots of good things will come from the move...BUT we've been in our office for almost 15 years and there's a lot of crap that has been accumulated in that time.  The move has been stressful and exhausting - and I kind of feel behind on EVERYTHING....I just have to keep in mind all the good that will come when it's done.

2)  I scored a bunch of pictures frames from the walls of our old office space, so the kids and I've been using them to frame some of their artwork.  I used some of the particularly large ones and had them paint something of their choice (I drew it in pencil and then they painted it).   So here are my budding artist's creations:

Owen's rocket ship

Reese's red tree

Didn't they turn out cute?  They look so nice in the frames.  I'm filling up the walls of their playroom, and I'll post a picture when I get it all done.  I think they are adorable.

3)  As I wrote about in my last post I have been doing the Jillian Michaels Body Revolution 90 day workout plan.  This week I'm starting workouts #3 and #4 in Phase One which I will post more about after I do them a few times.   I forgot to mention a few things when I wrote about the first workouts in my last post - first, it comes with a complete nutrition plan as well as the dvd's.  I'm not following the plan because I'm a totally bad ass rebel not really looking for a "diet" plan, but some of the recipes look good.  And second, the set came with the workout cable that is required for some of the exercises.   So far I'm liking it - I'll report on the next DVD's soon.

4)  Running - I ran EIGHT miles on Saturday!!!!  My foot is really really improving.  I'm feeling good and gaining some of my endurance back.  I've been seeing a new physical therapist, and I really feel like the work I'm doing there is helping.  Fingers crossed...

5)  Yesterday was a big milestone in our household - we celebrated this little monkey's 5th birthday!

wearing her birthday hat from school and leftover chocolate cake on her face...

Can't believe she's already five!.  We had a great night with dinner, presents and cake.

love spending time with these guys...

Happy, happy birthday to my beautiful girl.

Hope you all have fabulous weekend! Head on over to Fitness Health and Happiness for Fitness Friday!

New to U Cross Training Challenge - April

Ah once again, it's the last day of the month and I'm just getting my Cross Training Challenge post up!  Again, better late than never, right?

This month I didn't try anything knew except the new Jillian Michael's "Body Revolution" program that I wrote a little bit about last time:

oh, and it even comes with a book mark...

This is EXACTLY what has been missing from my exercise regime...a Jillian Michael's bookmark...
now I'm sure to take my fitness to a new level....

So this workout comes with 15 discs and is broken up into three "phases" (or they could say 3 months since it's a 90 day workout).  Each phase has 4 strength workouts and a cardio disk as well.  The recommended workout week looks like this:
Day 1 -Workout 1
Day 2 - Workout 2
Day 3 - Cardio
Day 4 - Workout 1
Day 5 - Workout 2
Day 6 - Cardio
Day 7 - Rest
Repeat this for the 2nd week and then move up to DVD's 3 and 4 for the next two weeks and that completes "phase 1".

So this is what I have done so far.  I started on Wednesday, the 25th:

Day 1 - Workout 1
Day 2 - Workout 2
Day 3 - run 4 miles
Day 4 - rest
Day 5 - run 7 miles
Day 6 - Workout 1

So, I've already failed to do the plan as written, but I think that's ok.  I plan to run instead of doing the cardio DVD's anyway.  My goal is to do the strength workouts 4x week as perscribed and run 3x a week for the cardio portion.  After I do my Workout #2 again tomorrow I will have completed the first week.

My impressions of the first two DVD's is that they are pretty easy, but I think that's ok - these are intro DVD's to build the basics for the harder stuff down the road.  She gives great modifications for most of the moves, and you definitely can make things harder by adding jumps and/or heavier weights to the exercises.  Unlike her other DVD's she has a whole classroom full of people working out with her.  They are all very pretty and have great bodies which means, as she says, they are "inspirational" for us to see. 

The workout format is also a little different than her "30 Day Shred" or the "Ripped in 30" series in that she does 4 circuits in each which are repeated twice, but there is only one minute of cardio in the middle of each circuit - so it really is mostly strength based instead of concentrating much on cardio and abs as well.

Here is the breakdown of Workout 1 - which targets "front of body" muscles - chest, shoulders, arms, quads and core - just to give you an idea...

Quick warmup with marching/arm circles/hip and knee swivels

First Circuit (repeated 2x):
Squats
Push Ups (on knees, but can be made harder by going military style)
Plank Hold (leg raises to make more difficult)
Chest Fly on ground
1 minute cardio - this wierd running thing she calls towel runs where you pretend to run around an object in the middle of the floor?
2nd Circuit (repeated 2x)
Sumo Squats (add jump or weights for difficulty)
Triceps Kickbacks with weights
Standing Abduction Right & Left Side (keep leg out to make more difficult)
Cardio - Speed bag. This one is dumb.
3rd Circuit (repeat 2x)
Chair Squats with arm raises with weights
Overhead tricep raises with weights
Warrior Pose on right & left side (can add weights to increase difficulty)
Cardio - marching in place
4th Circuit (repeated 2x)
Balanced leg extension right side
Bicycle crunches
Balanced leg extension - left side
Lateral Shoulder raises with weights
Cardio – step out squats both sides.
Short stretching section

Workout 2 DVD - targets "back of the body" - back, biceps, glutes, hamstrings, and core.

Quick warmup with skaters/body hugs and toe taps (cross over)

First Circuit (repeated 2x):
Arm/leg extensions
Pelvic Thrusts right side (harder with leg straight up)
Supermans
Pelvic Thrusts left side
1 minute cardio - side to side knee thrusts 
2nd Circuit (repeated 2x)
Lunge with torso rotations - right (weights for difficulty)
Rows with weights
Lunge with torso rotations - left Side (weights for difficulty)
Biceps - dragging weights up the sides of the body
Cardio - kickbacks each side
3rd Circuit (repeat 2x)
Dead lift with bicep curl with weights
Donkey kicks right side
Crunches
Donkey kicks left
Cardio - knee hikes each side
4th Circuit (repeated 2x)
Rows with cable around feet
"Good Mornings" with weights
Hammer curls with weights
Step ups (weights to add difficulty)
Cardio – Squat with upper cuts

Short stretching section

That's it!  So far what I like:

• The workouts are 30 minutes long - love being able to fit it in so easily.
• Minimal equipment necessary - free weights and an exercise cable band are the only required equipment
• So far her banter hasn't annoyed me
• Good modifiers to make things harder - and Jillian repeatedly gives these tips
• No real odd exercises - squats, weights, etc - pretty basic but effective
• I like switching off the workouts thru the week and knowing I only have to repeat these for two weeks before getting new workouts.  Good variety = less boredom
• Who doesn't like a bookmark...am I right?

What I don't like:

• Not as challenging as I was hoping so far - but I expect that will change as I prgress through the program
• Stretching section is pretty minimal.
• Some of the cardio just seems silly - the punching bag move seemed like kind of a filler.

So those are my thoughts so far.  I'm sure as this program progresses I will have a lot more to say.  And I promise that I won't use the remaining 13 disks to complete my "new to me" cross training posts for the next two months!

Updates from a blogger slacker...

Wow - apparently when I fall off the blogging track I fall WAY off! I haven't posted anything since April 2nd...and I honestly don't really know why.  I have been sporadically reading blogs, and commenting even more sporadically - but I miss everything about this awesome community, so I promise to be better! 

Anyway - I have a problem.  I am seriously addicted to workout DVD's (Hi my name is Kathy...).   Recently I've been on a Bob Harper kick, but today in the mail I got this from my favorite lady:

This is a 90 day workout program - 15 DVD's broken out into three phases.  You do one phase each month, and walla you will have a body like Jillian.  haha.  I'm excited to try this.  I've thought about doing P90X in the past, and while I think it is a fabulous workout system, the workouts are very long and I can't see where I could fit in that demanding of a program along with running.  But these Jillian workouts are only a half hour long, so I think it will be more do-able.

With two relays on the horizon (Ragnar NW Passage in July and Hood to Coast in August), I want to make sure I am as strong as possible.  This program gets progressively harder as you move along, so it will be good to start slowly and build as I move through the system.  Day 1 is tomorrow, so I will keep you all posted.

And I have some promising running news!  I ran my longest miles to date on Saturday- 7 miles!

SEVEN! 
(think I was a little excited?  I look like I'm shouting!)

I ran with these lovely ladies, Michelle and Robin...

Michelle ran 16 and Robin ran her first 20 miler ever!

 ...and my foot held up quite well.  I'm only running 3 times a week right now - and I'm still icing/stretching/rolling my foot on a golf ball/sleeping with the sock to stretch my foot (whew!)...but this seems to be letting me run and recover well from it.  I'm also going to a new physical therapist, who has me doing some new exercises that I think will be beneficial as well.   So we'll see how it goes but I'm optimisic!

So that's my update - hope to catch up with everyone soon - I have a lot of reading to do!

Recharged

Ah - Spring Break is over!  We had such a wonderful time - we went up to Mt. Hood and had so much fun playing in the snow, playing endless games of hide and seek, Uno and go-fish, going for mini-hikes.  It was the perfect family weekend and a great way to recharge.





 

Oh, and I did also get a little running time in this week.  On Tuesday I ran my farthest distance in months - a little over 5 miles.  My foot held up well, so I was really happy about that.   Before we left for the mountain, I went for a 4 mile run with one of my friends in the neighborhood.  When I walked out the door the rain was POURING and the wind was blowing sideways.  Seriously torrential downpour - but we got out there and got the run in.  Can't get wetter than wet, right? 


My coat was so soaked afterwards a puddle of water formed
underneath where it was hanging!

I also got a run in up by the cabin we stayed in.  I went just as it got light out, and it was so beautiful...

These pictures don't do it justice, but it was so pretty.  It was so still and quiet, with only the sound of the creek to be heard - such a peaceful run.

Now it's back to the routine - school, work, etc.  I'm so thankful for the last week to refresh and recharge!

Happy April!

New To You Cross Training Challenge - March

Once again, I'm getting my entry for Kim's New (To me) Cross Training challenge posted just in the nick of time.  I actually did 2 new workouts this month - one was Bodypump at my gym, and I also did a Bob Harper workout DVD which completely kicked my boot-ay...

intense Bob

So, I think I'll talk about the workout DVD for two reasons:  1)  I like the DVD and I've already done it more than I've done Bodypump (which isn't really that impressive since I've only done it twice) and 2) I did Bodypump way at the beginning of March and my 42 year old brain can't remember many details (can you still claim you have "baby brain" when your youngest is 5?  Or do I just need to admit I'm getting old?)

OK so Bob Harper Body Rev Cardio Conditioning.

This is a 60 minute workout from warmup to cool down.  The warmup is pretty generic - nothing too strenuous.  Bob walks around talking about how important the heart is and how important cardio is...you know usual stuff.  Then he begins with squats with weights.  He has you use the weights kind of like you would a kettlebell both with raises and swinging them, but seriously,  it just.does.not.end.  Then when my legs are shaking and I'm about to die you get a break - yeah, with weighted jumping jacks, squat jumps, fast feet and more.   This is an extremely fast paced and strenuous workout.  If you are like me you will be sore for days afterwards. 

What I like about the workout:

• It's hard - in a good way - you definitely feel like you're working out
• It doesn't require much equipment - two sets of weights (he just says heavy and light - I used 8lb for heavy and 5lb for light.  I could have probably used 10lbs on the heavy, but I definitely felt it with 8).
• Good instruction from Bob.
• The people he has working out with him are normal looking and the banter isn't too annoying.
• There is a timer counting down the workout (like on P90x for those familiar) so you know where you are at in the workout.
• Good overall body workout with incorporating the weights into a cardio workout. 

What I didn't like about the workout:

• The squats seemed to go on for a really long time - I can see where this might get boring if you do the workout often and/or if your knees can't take the squats.

This is a really good workout DVD that I would highly recommend.  It comes in a trio with Warrior Yoga and also a strength training workout that are also challenging.

Whew - there's my March entry...just in the nick of time.  I think next month I might try to do this a little earlier!

Spring break!

The kids are off school and that makes life way too BIZZZAYYY.  Instead of stressing about fitting in blogging, I've decided to give myself a break...

Will be back with randomly written posts of unimportance next week!