No Weights No Problem!

Started BC with a 15 run/jog.
Today in BC our work out started out a little different that usual and what I least expected happened.   Usually our work out instructor (John) has us carrying anywhere from 15lbs to 45lbs dumbbells downstairs accompanied with jump ropes, resistance bands, risers, or bosu balls.  Today we simply carried our own bodies along with one simple yoga mat in tow.  I can't say that I didn't think I wouldn't work out hard without workout instruments, but I have to admit I was curious what we would be doing for an hour with nothing to implement in the routine.

Well 2 minutes into the workout that notion was broken and I could clearly see that I was in for a very difficult work out.  Anytime he puts towels on the ground I usually want to run out the door. Towels on the floor generally means he is going to have us push something(usually weights) across the gym floor and back.  Today with no weight on the towel meant I have to push myself which one would think that would be easier but I surprisingly found it harder.  I have two floor burns on my knees to prove it.  (not a very feminine look that's for sure) Pushing a towel across a gym floor I'm thinking is the least becoming position I could find myself within a day's period so as you can imagine when I am asked to do this exercise I am trying to finish as quickly as possible. Regardless of how hard I try I can't get across this amount of floor space without falling to my knees (humbling right) which explains the burns on my knees.  Wait it gets better... I only had to do this 3x.

The entire work out was set up in 2 phases.

Mountain climbers
Push Ups
Planks
Burbpee's

Sprints is the break off point and we went back into the cycle 3x

Second phase we went into

Walls sits
Sit Ups
Mountain climbers pushing a towel across the floor
Squat jumps
Lunges half court and back

Suicides broke the cycle and then we had to repeat the exercises 3x

Last section we did some paired off exercises where we help your partner do leg ups with resistance or sit ups with your partners resistance.

60 minutes and I loved every minute of it!

On your Mark, Get Set, Go!

My boot camp instructor seemed to turn things up a notch this week in class.  Monday (I didn't make it because I was running with my run club) but everyone said it was really tough.  Wednesday we started as we always do by running on the tread mill (no biggie 10 min)

I wouldn't call this routine circuit training since we only used 1 machine (for leg curls) but that is exactly the idea or concept he used. He set up stations with weights, bosu balls, and mats and then he says on your mark, get set, go!

 Just like that~ after getting our instruction we all scramble around the gym looking for our stations to lunge, plank, or jump.  There is one station with treadmills that he has us literally pushing a treadmill (yes he is insane).  To add insult to injury I haven't even had my coffee but I am mountain climbing while balancing on a bosu ball.  All in all I would say this work out was at a level 9.  Really tough with a lot of sweat to prove it.  I can only hope that my body responds in time for Dominican Republic in May!

Today's work out included:
1 min pushing the treadmill
1 min jumping jacks with weights
leg curls for 60 seconds
20 sit ups with 15lbs weight (holding it over my head the entire time)
25 lunges with 20lbs weight (holding them over my head as I walk)
mountain climbers with a bosu ball 60 seconds
Dumbbell Planks Row  (15lbs weights each)

Run Club

As my boot camp classes comes to a close I am working on new and exciting exercise projects to keep the momentum.  My new Run Club is definitely an off shoot of boot camp.  Boot camp has done more for me than shed weight off of my body, it has shifted my paradigm about exercise and fitness.  Prior to joining boot camp I did exercises on a regular basis however I clearly see it was the intensity or lack there of that was different from what I do now.

Boot camp has given me the regularity while instilling in me a desire or hunger for more activity.  I find myself looking for more ways to do something outside vs. inside.

Another part of this experience is learning more about what makes me tick. I have found that my motivation comes from people.  I want to work out with a group or with my friends.  If I know someone will meet me or be waiting on me I am less likely to cancel or change the plans.

Knowing who you are and what you like is a key element in creating a fit lifestyle. Prior to boot camp if anyone ever asked me if I was a runner I would have surely said no.  I say that primarily because of the lack of stamina I had which derailed any efforts of running short distances much less long.  After practicing and growing my stamina I realized I am a runner and I do enjoy it. Clearly running has become a new part of my work out routine and to ensure I stick with it after boot camp I started a run club.  Having that accountability is something I don't want to loose out on.

 Blogging was another way of holding myself accountable.  Many times in the beginning I would not want to go to meet with my group but I would reason with myself that if I don't go I won't have anything to write about. 

All in all the results of the work outs  were extremely favorable and over all I am seeing success in my health and fitness goals.  I see no need to reinvent the wheel but instead copy it. Feel free to take anything I have mentioned and let it move or inspire you to make the changes you need to make today!

Couch to 5K

I wanted to broad caste a new link I found for runners. Now, for the first time, this popular program is available in an online format through Active Trainer. Enjoy!

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Too many people have been turned off of running simply by trying to start off too fast. Their bodies rebel, and they wind up miserable, wondering why anyone would possibly want to do this to themselves.

I am finding it is better to ease into your running program gradually. In fact, the beginners' program outlined here is less of a running regimen than a walking and jogging program. The idea is to transform you from couch potato to runner, getting you running three miles (or 5K) on a regular basis in just two months.

By taking a look at the link on active trainer you will find the tools/schedule to help you build up your running stamina. Don't try to do more, even if you feel you can. If, on the other hand, you find the program too strenuous, just stretch it out. Don't feel pressured to continue faster than you're able. Repeat weeks if needed and move ahead only when you feel you're ready.

A few minutes each week

Each session should take about 20 or 30 minutes, three times a week. That just happens to be the same amount of moderate exercise recommended by numerous studies for optimum fitness. This program will get you fit. (Runners who do more than this amount are doing it for more than fitness, and before long you might find yourself doing the same as well).

The workouts in this program are scheduled Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. However, feel free to adjust to give yourself a chance to rest and recover between efforts. And don't worry about how fast you're going. Running faster can wait until your bones are stronger and your body is fitter. For now focus on gradually increasing the time or distance you run.

Getting Ready!

Before setting out, make sure to precede each session with a five-minute warmup walk or jog. Be sure to stretch both before and after.

Information Taken From Active.com

Run Club

I am finding that the best way to create an optimal healthy lifestyle is simply to create one.  In Phoenix around summer time it becomes impossible to do any sort of exercise outdoors which leaves 5am or inside a building (gym) the only possible options.  One of my biggest goals besides getting fit myself is to motivate those around me to likewise take part in getting fit. Besides who you affiliate yourself with is commonly who influence you most anyway.  Why not create an environment of health and fitness as a foundation of being healthy.

My goal for Run Club is simply to get some ladies together in the morning to run! Simply put.  In the midst  of running~ other things naturally happen (like what happened today) plans and goals are established and next thing you know you are signed up to be in the next marathon! All of it feels fun and right.  I hope to find many more ladies to motivate while they motivate me to stay on target!

RUN* RUN*RUN*

The Four D's to Success.

Training at the track was an an extremely enjoyable experience today.  Today (by accident) this was my fifth time working out this week vs. the 4x I normally work out.  Generally speaking BC is an sufficient amount of work out to drive the changes I want to make, however I signed up for a personal trainer 1x per week to get specific instruction for my individual needs since BC is more of a general type of work out.  It just so happens that I lost track of the days this week and thought Wednesday was Thursday and ended up working out an extra day.  Once I got to the gym and realized my BC group wasn't there (and why would they be? Its not Thursday) I just spent the hour doing cardio (tread mill, stair climber and elliptical).


In my personal sessions I generally spend some time running, stretching (at least one hour) and lastly I focus on my core.  Well today as I was going through my stretching my trainer mentions to me that his 50 years of experience has lead him to believe success has 4 components to it.  He labeled success as having 4 D's and besides paying attention to them closely I thought I would tell you about them too.


Desire
Determination
Discipline 
Diet


I also want to spend a quick second recapping for myself how I have used the 4D's in my life.

Desire- This is obviously the foundation of it all right.  To want to do something is half the battle. I desire to be a healthier person who has conquered this yo-yo diet lifestyle.  I wanted to be in control of my life, weight, and dress size.  Anyone who knows me right now knows how bad I wanted to loose weight/get in shape and knows what I was willing to do to achieve this goal.  I signed up for BC... need I say more.

Determination-Once I made my mind up that I wanted to do something about my fitness situation or lack there of, I was very focused or determined to achieving my goals.  I knew that this process would take time and a lot of energy and thought either way I have to do it.  Giving up was not an option for me (this time) because I wanted this change so bad.  For some reason feeling unhealthy took me away from who I saw myself as.  Being unhealthy affected all areas of my life both professional and personal in a negative way and thus I was unhappy.  This feeling of wanting to focus on this aspect of my life overtook me and has carried me to where I am.  Half way through.  I continue to revisit the idea of staying determined to stay focused.

Discipline-One of the greatest traits that I have had to learn over time is discipline.  I use many external and internal factors to help me accomplish my goals, such as will power, motivation, and self control which go hand and hand with discipline. You might hear me even rationalize through this processes as I blog sometime in the morning when I am deciding to go or not to go to the gym.  It takes discipline to wake up at 4am, it takes motivation to get up and put my clothes on, further more to even walk outside in the cold and drive 15 min away to a gym when I so much would rather stay in bed.  It takes self control to change my eating to mainly fish/chicken and veggies when I really want  1 cheese enchilada with a shredded beef taco (with sour cream) Thank You!  Really what I have come to understand is that discipline is freedom.  Freedom from the excuses not to live your best life everyday! 

Diet- I have come to understand we are what we eat period.  Taking time to understand foods and how eating less of the bad foods and more of the good foods has simply allowed me to change my body size.  I guess this wasn't the hardest part of this process since eating healthy for the most part has been a part of my life since I got married to a fitness guru, however eating too much or eating fast food when time got away from me became easier as I got busy.  It became evident as time went on that if I want to be healthy and look the part, something was gonna have to change.  I can only work out so much, so changing my eating habits had to be the component that I change if I want to see further results.  This is and will always be a work in progress since I love good food. Learning how to prepare foods in a healthy way and eat less of the bad foods have been key for me.  Once I learned about eating fiber foods, overeating became less of a threat as well as taking time to prepare and pack lunches.  The extra time is worth the results I am seeing.

Cadence- Get It Up!

Spinning Thursday's evolves right before our eyes.  It starts in a cycling room where we get on our bikes (after sizing it for our height and preference). how-to-set-up-a-spinning-bike. Our bikes don't have gears like a normal outdoor bike might have, but simply a resistance knob that turns to the left or right to set resistance.  The normal starting speed of cycling for me is usually moderate.  At the starting point there is a need to get your legs warm and ready for the class which is where we all begin.  As we sit through this process (John our instructor) starts setting up an obstacle course right in front of us.  This process can take 5-10 minutes. 

Today he set 2 dumb bells at the base of our bikes and then set mats randomly next to one another, then he set up step raises far enough from each other so we have room to jump, run, or zig zag our way through them.  At the other end we did (with weights in hand) sit ups, mountain climbers, and planks.  On the back end of the exercises we held our weights up over our heads while on our backs and while our legs were lifted over our head moved our legs from side to side. We also did a few sets of lunges with our weights in our hands back and forth a few times.

All exercises are done in between spurts on the bike. John emphasised the need to ensure our cadence was at a strong enough speed that we were burning enough.  Even though the cadence that I prefer is at a moderate speed, being that this is boot camp was pushed to Get It Up to a speed that brings discomfort.  I'm sure the outcome means more calories burned, increased endurance, and strength~ but it's still hard.