Getting back into Serious Strength Training!!

So, I have been a CARDIO QUEEN for quite a while now. Between running, teaching Aqua Zumba and taking Zumba classes as well as my Aqua Fitness classes, cardio has been my go-to exercise for just about the whole year. Yes, I have thrown in some strength training workouts in here and there but not like I should be doing. Well, that is changing now!!

I have signed myself up for TNT Fitness which is something that I have done many times before but for some reason or another (cost is a big one) I have dropped out. But I am back at it which is good because I desperately need it!! I am finding that cardio alone doesn't help me lose weight or tone up. I definitely need that strength training to get the tone!

My first TNT class was Thursday. Now the classes are only 45 minutes long but let me tell you, you are working your butt off during that 45 minutes non-stop!! The instructors are great an pushing you to your limits and making sure you aren't slacking!!

This week I have been throwing myself into double workouts as well. Today I ran on the treadmill (doing an interval workout where I ran hills and walked straightaways) and then taught my Aqua Zumba class. I know, I know it was all cardio, but still!! HA!! On Thursday I did the TNT class and then taught Aqua Zumba for a fellow instructor. I can tell you I was might sore the next day from that strength training!! Last Monday and Wednesday I taught Aqua Zumba and Aqua Fitness but I also did an at-home Body Weight Bootcamp workout earlier in the day!!

I do have to say it is pretty unbelievable how quickly your muscles revert to mush when you stop strength training!!

Also, the strength training will help my running as much as the cardio so it is GO-TIME!!

We are ALL Wonder Women!!

I found this picture on Facebook a while ago and added it as my cover photo for a while. But when I was looking through my pictures to change my blogger profile I found it again:

This picture is so great in so many ways. It not only shows the diversity of women but it also shows that no matter what you look like, your color or your abilities you can do anything you put your mind to which shows that you are a WONDER WOMAN!!

So, today I taught my first Aqua Zumba class after being sick for almost 2 weeks and I can tell you I felt like Wonder Woman afterward. I was so tired and not even in the mood beforehand but man, once that music starts pumping, I forget all my cares & worries and get right into teaching that class. I felt so good afterward even though my knee was hurting, but not as bad as it has been thank goodness!! I definitely need a new pair of kicks to teach in. The ones I had been using are DONE!! So they will be recycled and I will get me a nice new pair of cushy, comfy shoes to jump around in!! Whoo hooo!!

Food Should Taste Good Olive Tortilla Chips

I really love these chips. They are so good just as they are, meaning you need nothing to dip them in!! But, if you feel inclined to dip they would be great with salsa or even a little sour cream!!

The bag states: "made with Black, Green & Kalamata Olives, Garlic, Sea Salt." And made with they are!! There isn't just some olive flavored salt on these chips, you can see the little bits of olive cooked right into the chip!!

Oh, yeah, so good!! But don't just take my word for it...

Good snacks, good food!

I am a snacker, mostly a sweet snacker but I am getting those salty cravings more and more these days. So, while trying to satisfy my cravings I want it to be at least good for me!! So, I got me a bag of Food Should Taste Good Original Sweet Potato Chips and let me tell you they were good!! I love sweet potatoes and they are even better in chip form! 

One great thing about these chips is the ingredient list states: Sweet Potatoes, Sunflower Oil, Sea Salt. That is what I call the right kind of ingredient list. No extra crap to mess up your belly!!

The other reason why I enjoyed these chips is my 1 1/2 year old daughter loves them as well!

I would say that little girl ate the majority of the chips!! And she got mad when I would grab a few out of the bag! LOL!!

 

Now I know the go-to snack to keep her happy and satisfied! 

You definitely need to get a bag and try these, they are a great snack with a wonderful sweet and salty flavor. It is important to me to have a go to snack for me & my family and this is definitely one of those!!

Food Should Taste Good have many different flavors of Tortilla Chips as well!! Check out their website at www.foodshouldtastegood.com for more info!!

New kicks!!

So, I got me a new pair of running shoes and can I tell you they are great!! They are Scott eRide Support 2.

I had heard of Scott running shoes before but had never tried them. I googled them and found fantastic reviews so I thought why not give them a try! 

I took them out for a short run and can I tell you I was pretty impressed! 

I have been having issues with my plantar fasciitis and running in these shoes did not irritate it during or after the run. That made me very happy!!

To steel a quote from Brooks! Run Happy!!

 

Running the trails!

I love trail running, it is pretty, serene and keeps you on your toes or you will find yourself on your face!! Ha!! 

There are lots of trails on the woods behind my house and the great thing is most of them are marked so hopefully you won't get lost. Being in the woods can really get confusing especially if you are not paying attention to your surroundings. 

You definitely want to pay attention to your feet so you don't fall but you also need to scan the trail ahead of you. You never know what you are going to come across.

Here are some pics from my trail runs last week:

Decided not to take this trail...

Nice view of part of Lake Fairfax.

My workout for today-5/28/13

I was channeling Jillian Michaels today! Ha! I grabbed the first workout from her book Making The Cut. 

Here is what I did:

Circuit 1:

Dumbbell press on ball-20 reps/15 lbs

Dumbbell fly on ball-15 reps/15 lbs

Squats-50 Fast/15 lbs

1 min sprint-5.0 on treadmill

Circuit 2:

Plank-hold for 10 secs

Close grip push-ups-5 reps

Side plank w/inner thigh raise-10 reps

Plank-hold 5 secs then push-ups-5 reps

Side plank w/inner thigh raise-10 reps

Plank-hold 5 secs to Burpees-10 reps

Sumo squat-50 reps/15 lbs

1 min sprint-5.0 on treadmill

Circuit 3:

Push-up-20 reps on knees

Mountain Climbers-30 secs

W Shoulder press w/leg extension-10 each leg/5 lbs

Static Squat-hold for 30 secs/5 lbs

1 min sprint-5.0 on treadmill

Circuit 4:

Bench Dips-20 reps

Rope Tricep Presses-25 lbs/25 reps

Static lunge w/lateral shoulder raise-10 reps each leg

Mountain Climbers-1 min

Boat pose-30 secs

Circuit 5:

Bicycle crunches-50 reps

Extended plank-30 secs

I changed up a few things but had a great workout. I started the workout with a 5 min warm-up on the treadmill and ended it with 3 pull-up on the kneeling assisted pull-up/dip machine. I was trying to get 10 but I was pretty tired after that workout and I usually use the standing assisted pull-up machine so I needed to adjust the weight better.

Needless to say, I worked my butt off & happy to have done it!!

Workout for today!

My plan was to participate in the Twilight Scavenger Hunt at Potomac River Running Reston. But, I ended up not going. Kyle had football practice so I had Olivia with me. I was planning on bringing her but the sky looked as if it was going to open up. It never did but better safe than sorry. I would hate to have a wet little unhappy girl!! 

So, I ended up doing some toning at home! 

Here is what I did:

Push-ups on knees - 10 reps

Crunches - 20 reps

Reverse crunches with toe touch - 20 reps

Bridge with leg raise - 3 raises per leg

Bridge-up with inner thigh ball squeeze - 10 reps

Single Straight leg raises - 10 reps each leg

Glute kicks - 10 reps each leg

Not too much but enough for a mini workout. Today is a cross-training day for my marathon training. Doing good so far!

A Little Time to Roam....

Yesterday when I got home from teaching my HardCORE class my Hubby and son Kyle had flag football practice and Kaleb was at work. Little Miss Olivia was outside driving around in her "Red Car" and was not even close to being ready to go into the house yet. So, I walked around behind her pushing her when I needed to or to get her up the hill or if she just decided she didn't want to move the car herself. She is a silly girl like that!! HA!!

After a while she decided it was time to stop "driving" and wanted to check out the different plants & flowers in the front yard. After rummaging through the yard and trying to get her to understand the different smells that plants and flowers have I thought it would be fun to go on a little hike through the woods in my back yard. The back yard butts up to Fairfax County Park Land and there are many different trails throughout the whole area back there. I also thought it would be fun to search for some Morel Mushrooms while we were out back there.

So, Olivia and I went for a little hike through the woods, I showed her where the tree house was and we walked toward the creek. I pointed out different trees and rocks and she enjoyed picking up sticks and rummaging through the leaves. She did a pretty good job walking along the trail with her short little legs (she is only 1) but once we got near the creek she decided she didn't want to walk anymore so I carried her back up to the house. It was a fun time for both of us even though I couldn't find any morels we both had a great experience that we can do many times over again!!

You never really know the possibilities for different interactions that you can have in your own back yard. Try to make a point to get out there, get down on the ground and check things out. You might be surprised by what you find!!

Tuesday April 30th workout

Today is a cross training day for my marathon training so I decided to pull out the workout DVD's...

The first DVD I grabbed was The Lotte Berk Method: Muscle Eats Fat. This 30 minute workout consisted of a warm-up using knee lifts and arm swings, upper body work with light weights if you want to use them. The thing about the upper body portion is you were standing with bent knees and a pelvic tuck the whole time. After a little bit your thighs start talking to you! Next is lower body which they suggest using a piece of sturdy furniture to help with balance and the next section was the Lotte Burk signature move, Knee Dancing. I have to say that really digs into you quads. The final section was Shape by Stretch which was a great way to finish out the Program.

The second DVD I did was The Lotte Berk Method: Hip Hugger Abs. I decided since I was already warm I would jump right into the workout! If you want to really work your abs you need to do this workout!! WOW!! I am going to be feeling this tomorrow!

All in all a good cross training workout. I definitely need to work on my abs!

Today's workout-Tuesday 4/23/13

Pilates!! I love Pilates!! I definitely need to do it more!! So, my workout for today was:
Footwork
Roll Up
Stomach Massage I
Coordination
Rolling Like A Ball (great spine massage)
Rowing I (yeah, I need to work on this)
Single Leg Stretch
Double Leg Stretch
Single Straight Leg Stretch
Double Straight Leg Stretch (needs work)
Crisscross or Bicycle
Spine Stretch Forward (love it)
Open Leg Rocker (needs work)
Long Stretch
Double Leg Kick
Low Back Stretch or Child's Pose
Reformer Teaser (stance was good, no arms though, needs work)

Used the book Pilates Body Challenge by Brooke Siler for this workout.

Workout-Monday April 22nd

Today's workout was a trail familiarization run for the walking group that I am a coach of. The walking group is part of the Reston Runner's Women's Training Program.

Workout Sunday 4/21/13

I Ran for Boston at the Marathon Monday Memorial Trail Run at Burke Lake Park sponsored by Potomac River Running. I did a run/walk of 4.79 miles!!

Workout for today 4/18/13

Today's workout is called 300 Abs:

1st set:

30 crunches
20 bicycle crunches
30 toe touches
20 reverse crunches

2nd set:

15 side plank hip lifts (R)
30 crunches
15 side plank hip lifts (L)
40 Russian twists

3rd set:

30 bicycle crunches
15 oblique v-ups (R)
20 reverse crunches
15 oblique v-ups (L)
10 leg lifts

Then stretch.

Good workout!

Workout for Wednesday April 17th

Today I took a 40 minute out & back walk pushing my little Girly! She will again be my marathon training partner! My friend Jen went with me as well. We ended up walking almost 2 miles. It was more leisurely than it should have been but it is just the beginning and my foot was hurting a little more than I wanted it to. Dang plantar fasciitis!!

Workout 4/16/13

Today's workout was a Pilates base workout. I took different exercises from two different programs, Women's Health Magazine's Pound Melting Pilates and a 30-Minute core Strengthening Routine For Runners from Predawnrunner.com:

1. Hundred Pump-lay on back with legs & shoulders up take jump rope or yoga strap and hold under glutes, pump arms 10 times, bring legs in and swing strap around with arms up pump 10 times (that is 1 rep) repeat 5 times.
2. Waist Slicer-sit up with heels on floor, lean back to 45-degree angle. Hold strap behind head with elbows out & rotate your waist side to side slowly (1 rep) repeat as many times as you like for up to 1 minute.
3. Lunge Pulse-arms up holding strap, step one foot forward to lunge, slowly pulse 10 times then stand up (1 rep) repeat on other side. Continue each leg for up to one minute.
4. Lat-pull plie'-stand with wide legs and strap behind head, lift heels and squat down lifting strap up. Pause then straighten up & pull strap down (1 rep). Start with 25 then work up to 50.
5. Plank-held for 30 seconds
6. Bridge-held for 1 minute
7. Side Plank-each side held for 30 secs
8. Unilateral Bird Dog-lifting arm & leg on one side then the other. 5x both sides.
9. Windshield Wiper-on stomach bend leg at knee, move leg side to side like a wiper. 10x on each leg then repeat 3x.
10. Inner thigh ball squeeze-30 squeezes.

Workout 4/15/13

So, today I started my official marathon training for the Wineglass Marathon which runs from Bath to Corning, NY on October 6th. I am not specifying a finishing time being that this sunny first marathon. My basic goal is to cross the finish line!

I went for a 30 minute out & back walk/run on the trails around my house. It is always an nice run on those trails.

I am also a walking coach for the Women's Training Program through the Reston Runners so we had a waking clinic last night.

My total mileage yesterday was about 5 miles between walking & running!

Workout - 3/14/13

Today was my HardCORE class. We used the BOSU for all exercises:

Warm-up: marching on the BOSU-10 marches both feet 3x.

Class:
1. Squats with dome down 10 squats, 3x.
2. Plank with dome down holding for 10 secs, 3x.
3. Bridge with dome up, lay on back with heels on dome, lift hind end & hold for 10 secs, 3x.
4. Superman with dome up, lay over dome in a balanced position then lift both arms & legs or one arm/one leg 10x.
5. Crunch with dome up, balance on dome do 15 crunches, 2x.
6. Lunge with Bicep curl dome up, foot in middle of BOSU, lunge down with Bicep curl, 15 lunges, 2x.
7. Push-up with dome down, thumbs in slots, straight legs or knees bent, 15 push-ups, 2x.
8. Hip extensions with dome up, knees on dome, lift one leg to tabletop 15 lifts, switch to other leg, repeat on both.
9. Chest Fly/Press with dome up, heels on dome, lift hind end, 15 chest fly's then lower to floor and do 15 chest press. Repeat both.
10. One arm row with dome up, on hands & knees, one hand on dome, 15 rows, repeat on other side then repeat both sides.

Then cool-down & stretch.

It was a great class!!

Workout for Wednesday 3/13/13

The workout I did was Crunch Fitness: Belly, Butt & Thigh Boot Camp. It was a great workout for the time I needed. The DVD says the running time is 41 minutes so I would say the actual workout time was 30-35 minutes which was perfect!!
The workout was split between aerobic intervals and toning intervals. During the aerobics portion it progressively got harder which was perfect and the toning sessions were exactly what were needed to tone your belly, butt & thighs. I really liked the core work and the stretch at the end.
I recommend this workout for beginners and intermediate. It definitely gets your heart rate up and tones & shapes where needed. I think it would be too easy for advanced though.
Perfect for a when you are in a time crunch and want to get in a quick workout.

Lacking!!!

Wow! I didn't think I was so behind in my blog posts. I need to get my butt in gear and post more.

So....I have been working my butt off for the past few days getting my HardCORE class together. This week we are going to be working on the BOSU ball. The BOSU is basically an exercise ball cut in half and put on a flat base.

You can workout using the BOSU in so many ways and do many of the same exercises that you would normally do on the floor such as lunges, squats, push-ups, planks, etc....but using the BOSU helps to challenge your core and helps to improve your balance.

So, next time you are at the gym working out grab the BOSU and try a few lunges, squats, push-ups and sit-ups and see the difference. Also, make sure you ask a trainer if you aren't sure how to do those on the BOSU, you definitely want to do it correctly because you can hurt yourself if you fall!!

Have fun and I can't wait to hear what you think of working out on the BOSU!!

Today's workout-Yoga Booty Ballet

Today's workout consists of Yoga Booty Ballet Total Toning Basics and Advanced Fat Burning.

I love this workout program from Beach Body. It's been a while since I did it though...

So, I finished the Basics and let me tell you, for not doing this workout in a while I definitely can feel it. I love how it goes through yoga moves, ballet moves and then combines them together for a great sculpting workout. It started out with a dynamic warm-up then moved on to a ballet section that really works your arms & booty. It then went to a yoga section which works your whole body. No sun salutations thank goodness! After that was a sculpting section that works arms, legs, shoulders & booty!! Even though I was only using a 3 lb weight I could really feel it. After that we did abs using a small rubber ball to really dig into the inner thighs and lower abs. I could really feel that!! After all that was a dynamic cool down & stretch and closed with affirmations similar to the beginning. I will have to do that practice a few more times before I move on to the advanced section.
All in all it is a great workout!! I love it!!

Sunday's workout

Today was the course familiarization run for the Reston 1/2 Marathon. I ended up running around 11 miles due to my foot starting to really hurt again due to my plantar fasciitis. Needless to say I was quite happy with my time to distance. I did a run/walk doing 2 mins running/1 min walking. I did throw a bit more walking in at the end due to the pain but I am still happy with my progress today!

Saturday's workout

I teach Aqua Zumba on Saturdays from 3-4 at a local gym. I really enjoy it. The difference between Zumba & Aqua Zumba is that you do Aqua Zumba in the water. It is a fantastic way to exercise. It is great for people who feel self-conscious about doing the normal Zumba class or who have injuries and aren't able to participate in a floor Zumba class.
Working out in the water is great! It adds buoyancy and resistance to your workout.
When I am teaching the class I am out of the water on the deck doing all the moves that the participants are doing. It is a great workout for everyone!
If you get a chance you should try an Aqua Zumba workout sometime!

Sunday's Long Run

Yesterday I ran a little over 8 miles for my 1/2 Marathon training. My foot started to really hurt around mile 6 so I decided it was time to head back to the start location instead of trying to get a full 11 miles in. I did a run/walk of 2 minutes running and 1 minute walking from start to finish. I think if I would have pushed myself harder I would not have finished as strong as I did. Plus I was very happy with my overall time for the distance!

Today's workout: Weekly Track work

Today's workout consisted of:

1 mile warm up-only did a half mile

1 mile at half marathon pace

walk/jog a lap for recovery

1 mile at 10K pace

walk/jog a lap for recovery

1 mile at 5K pace

1 mile cool down-didn't do the full mile

Total of 4.63 miles

**The highlight of this run is that I was able to run a full mile without stopping to walk and did that twice! I haven't been able to do that in a long time due to different injuries.

Today's workout: speed work at the track

We ran 120 secs at 10k pace 6 times with a 40 sec recovery jog/walk. Yes, I walked!
Then took a 3 min break with recovery walk.
The second set was the same except the last round was at 5k pace.

I ran when I was supposed to run and walked the recovery. My foot hurt but not bad enough to stop me.

The funny thing is right when we were almost finished with the 1 mile cool down it started pouring! Now I am a wet rat! Ha!!!

Today's workout: Run/Walk

This morning is did a 6.30 mile run/walk with the Reston Runners.

We started out at the US Geological Society and ran along the Reston Paths. It was a good run/walk. I started out doing a 1 minute walk/2 minute run but my foot started hurting yet again and it was more walking than running.

I really wish this Plantar Fasciitis would go away!!

Thinking maybe some Pilates or yoga later to loosen up!

Today's Workout

My workout today consisted if practicing my Aqua Zumba routine for my new class starting February 9th! I am pretty excited!!

I think I will finish the night out with a little Pilates before bed.

Today's workout: P90X Yoga X

Warm up 5 breaths
Wide Leg Forward Bend 5 breaths
Split Leg Hamstring stretch R/L 5 breaths
Standing Side Stretch R/L 5 breaths
3 Rounds Sun Salutations
Runners Pose R/L
Crescent Pose R/L
Warrior I R/L
Warrior II R/L
Reverse Warrior R/L
Triangle Pose R/L
Chair Pose 5 breaths
Twisting Chair Pose R/L 5 breaths
*Plank, Chatauranga, Upward Dog, Downward Dog between each exercise & leg change.

- Only did 30 minutes of this workout. I am not a big fan of Sun Salutations or Hatha Yoga. I prefer either Kundalini or Bikram Yoga.

Today's workout

I started with a new app called ObstacleXRT. A good 20 mins of cardio. Now for P90X Arms & Shoulders:
Set 1:
Alternating Shoulder Press 8lbs-15 reps
In/Out Bicep Curls 10lbs-16 reps
Two Arm Tricep Kickback 8lbs-15 reps
Set 2:
Alternating Shoulder Press 8lbs-15 reps
In/Out Bicep Curls 10lbs-16 reps
Two Arm Tricep Kickback 8lbs-15 reps
Set 3:
Deep Swimmers Press 8lbs-15 reps
Full Supination Concentration Curls 10lbs-12 reps
Chair Dips Bent Knees-20 Reps
Set 4:
Deep Swimmers Press 8lbs-15 reps
Full Supination Concentration Curls 10lbs-12 reps
Chair Dips Bent Knees-20 Reps
Set 5:
Upright Rows 10lbs-15 reps
Static Arm Curls 8lbs-16 reps
Flip Grip Twist Kickbacks 8lbs-10 reps
Set 6:
Upright Rows 10lbs-15 reps
Static Arm Curls 10lbs-16 reps
Flip Grip Twist Kickbacks 8lbs-10 reps
Set 7:
Seated 2 Angle Shoulder Flys 8lbs-16 reps
Crouching Cohen Curls 10lbs-15 reps
Lying Down Tricep Extensions 8lbs-15 reps
Set 8:
Seated 2 Angle Shoulder Flys 8lbs-16 reps
Crouching Cohen Curls 10lbs-15 reps
Lying Down Tricep Extensions 8lbs-15 reps
No bonus round today. I am going to hurt tomorrow! Ha!!