Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Kickstand lunges
I forgot there was one more exercise in my evening 20 minute circuit: kickstand lunges. Check them out here. I did them with a 20 pound kettlebell. Ouch!
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Workout in two parts
This morning I spent about 20 minutes at the gym. Here's what was on the fitness menu:
Handstand practice
Forward roll practice -- I can now kind of do a dive roll, which simulates what it will be like to go from handstand into forward roll, and I can come up on my feet every time -- progress!
Endless rope -- 6 - 1 minute "sprints" where I tried to get the rope around 7 times in under a minute (there's a black piece of tape on it so you can tell when you've pulled the whole rope through)
Box jumps -- 5 sets of 20 jumps
Negative pullups -- 7 of them REALLY slow
Tonight I worked out with Tim for 20 minutes. He did a Crossfit workout -- 5 pullups, 10 pushups, 15 squats. I did my own kind of workout with these elements:
Kettlebell swings -- 2 hands, 20 pounds
Kettlebell swings -- 1 hand, 20 pounds
Sumo deadlifts -- 20 pounds
The move which has no name -- Holding the 20 pound kettlebell, squat on a BOSU, then lean back into a situp, then come forward into a really low squat, then stand up.
Oh, and I have something new to try with my 11-year-old client tomorrow. Over the weekend I made rock bags. Each bag is a gallon Ziploc filled with pea gravel and weighs 10 pounds. After sealing them, I covered them completely with duct tape, and altogether I have 90 pounds (9 bags) of weights. I envision using them for park workouts in the future, but tomorrow they'll be used for lat rope pulls. I tried these tonight with Tucker and he loved them.
So Tucker sat on the BOSU (unstable, makes abs work harder) and held the ends of a rope that was tied to a backpack that had 2 bags (20 pounds) in it. The backpack was about 20 feet down a hallway. He pulled hand over hand, until the backpack was right by his feet. Then he got up, took the backpack to the end of the hall, and did it again. Being Mr. Intensity, Tucker also tried pulling his own body weight by putting 7 bags on an upside down step. He dragged it about halfway and decided he was done. I'll let you know how it goes over tomorrow.
Handstand practice
Forward roll practice -- I can now kind of do a dive roll, which simulates what it will be like to go from handstand into forward roll, and I can come up on my feet every time -- progress!
Endless rope -- 6 - 1 minute "sprints" where I tried to get the rope around 7 times in under a minute (there's a black piece of tape on it so you can tell when you've pulled the whole rope through)
Box jumps -- 5 sets of 20 jumps
Negative pullups -- 7 of them REALLY slow
Tonight I worked out with Tim for 20 minutes. He did a Crossfit workout -- 5 pullups, 10 pushups, 15 squats. I did my own kind of workout with these elements:
Kettlebell swings -- 2 hands, 20 pounds
Kettlebell swings -- 1 hand, 20 pounds
Sumo deadlifts -- 20 pounds
The move which has no name -- Holding the 20 pound kettlebell, squat on a BOSU, then lean back into a situp, then come forward into a really low squat, then stand up.
Oh, and I have something new to try with my 11-year-old client tomorrow. Over the weekend I made rock bags. Each bag is a gallon Ziploc filled with pea gravel and weighs 10 pounds. After sealing them, I covered them completely with duct tape, and altogether I have 90 pounds (9 bags) of weights. I envision using them for park workouts in the future, but tomorrow they'll be used for lat rope pulls. I tried these tonight with Tucker and he loved them.
So Tucker sat on the BOSU (unstable, makes abs work harder) and held the ends of a rope that was tied to a backpack that had 2 bags (20 pounds) in it. The backpack was about 20 feet down a hallway. He pulled hand over hand, until the backpack was right by his feet. Then he got up, took the backpack to the end of the hall, and did it again. Being Mr. Intensity, Tucker also tried pulling his own body weight by putting 7 bags on an upside down step. He dragged it about halfway and decided he was done. I'll let you know how it goes over tomorrow.
Monday, February 26, 2007
Appreciation
Thank you to everyone who wrote words of encouragement and understanding. What usually takes several days to dig out of feels like it's nearly gone. The writing helped because it exposed my secret. Then I practiced what I think of as extreme self care. I took all of my vitamins and ate healthy (instead of eating crap). I took a nap (!) (instead of loading up on caffeine). I listened to good music as I cooked dinner (instead of listening to my own whirling thoughts). Basically I did the opposite of everything that I would normally do. (Felt a little like George Castanza on Seinfeld when he decides his life will work better if he just does the opposite of his instincts!) Well, George may have been onto something, cuz it worked!
Again, it is with a grateful heart that I say "thank you" and "good night!"
Again, it is with a grateful heart that I say "thank you" and "good night!"
Depression
So I'm trying something new, and that new thing is writing when I feel like I'm slidin' down the toilet bowl. Doesn't matter what causes it -- too little sleep? too much sugar? -- what matters is what I do when I'm there. I notice that my thoughts are extremely negative and very victim-ey, a la "my life is so hard" "nobody listens to me" etc. And my behavior changes to reinforce those thoughts e.g. taking out garbage in the pouring rain, thinking, "there are 3 guys in this house and yet here I am with the garbage." Did I ask for help? NO! Did I get to feel that my victim thinking was right? Oh yeah!
So normally when I feel like this I tell nobody, isolate, and grit my teeth as I make it through. This time, I'm staying aware of my thoughts, writing about it, and seeing if this makes a difference. It's 8:40 now, and I'm going to do a 30 minute kettlebell workout, prepare for my 9:30 client, and keep knowing this truth: Change your thoughts, and you can change the world!
So normally when I feel like this I tell nobody, isolate, and grit my teeth as I make it through. This time, I'm staying aware of my thoughts, writing about it, and seeing if this makes a difference. It's 8:40 now, and I'm going to do a 30 minute kettlebell workout, prepare for my 9:30 client, and keep knowing this truth: Change your thoughts, and you can change the world!
Sunday, February 25, 2007
Another weekend on the bleachers
Weekend went by quickly.
Saturday: Up at 4:45. Drove to Oakland for gymnastics meet (Austin) from 7:30 till 1:30. Drove home. Quick workout. Work around the house. Dinner. Bed.
Sunday: Up at 4:45. Drove to Oakland for gymnastics meet (Tucker) from 7:30 till 1:00. Drove home. Must have left willpower in Oakland, as am snacking on literally anything I want to eat. (Wheat toast with butter and LOTS of honey -- YUM!) That's ok -- metabolism will know it's not being starved (not that there's ever any danger of that!).
Tired. Laundry to fold. Nothin more to say. Tomorrow is a new day, and I am NOT getting up in the 4's!
Saturday: Up at 4:45. Drove to Oakland for gymnastics meet (Austin) from 7:30 till 1:30. Drove home. Quick workout. Work around the house. Dinner. Bed.
Sunday: Up at 4:45. Drove to Oakland for gymnastics meet (Tucker) from 7:30 till 1:00. Drove home. Must have left willpower in Oakland, as am snacking on literally anything I want to eat. (Wheat toast with butter and LOTS of honey -- YUM!) That's ok -- metabolism will know it's not being starved (not that there's ever any danger of that!).
Tired. Laundry to fold. Nothin more to say. Tomorrow is a new day, and I am NOT getting up in the 4's!
Friday, February 23, 2007
Obsession
I am completely, hopelessly, and overwhelmingly obsessed with kettlebells and gymnastics (not the two together, but as two separate subjects). Let's talk kettlebells first.
Why I am obsessed with kettlebells
Now, why I am obsessed with gymnastics
Maybe this is all a sign that training is exactly what I should be doing, because even as I type this, and a part of me thinks I sound like an absolute nut job, the truth is that I really don't care. I am completely, hopelessly, absolutely fascinated with all things fitness. And that is A-ok with me!
Ha!
(If you write to tell me I'm crazy, say it nice, ok?)
(better post before I delete entire thing...)
Why I am obsessed with kettlebells
- They are cute
- They are not mainstream (I LOVE that!)
- You can do so much with them
- I know so little
Now, why I am obsessed with gymnastics
- My kids (as you well know) are gymnasts
- I believe there are ways to incorporate basic gymnastics movements into any quality training program
- But how???
Maybe this is all a sign that training is exactly what I should be doing, because even as I type this, and a part of me thinks I sound like an absolute nut job, the truth is that I really don't care. I am completely, hopelessly, absolutely fascinated with all things fitness. And that is A-ok with me!
Ha!
(If you write to tell me I'm crazy, say it nice, ok?)
(better post before I delete entire thing...)
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Another Brain Dump
Many thoughts, but not much time. Here, in no particular order, is what's going on in my world:
Somersaults with Stacy
My friend Stacy works at a gymnastics and trampoline gym, and she helped me to do a somersault last week. I was nervous and fairly certain I didn't have the spinal flexibility to do it. But with her encouragement, it happened. So now that I can do a somersault, a no-wall handstand is closer than ever!
Gymnastics, Part 2
So it was back to San Francisco on Sunday for the Gandy's. Tucker did great, taking 5th all around, and medaling in 5 of 6 events. The bigger deal is that he's IN for the state championships. And in a turn of events that has us feeling a little whiplash-ey, both kids are considering staying with gymnastics. I'm just going to pray for wisdom for my kids and know that there are benefits either way.
The Tornado that is my Brain
I spend a LOT of time learning more about my oh-so-new profession. Sitting on the bleachers in San Francisco, I was reading about combining kettlebell training, anaerobic drills, and standard lower body exercises to help women lose fat. Last night I was watching kettlebell training videos. This morning I was reading from recent CrossFit journals about techniques for teaching deadlifts and Turkish get-ups.
Part of what's hard is there's SO MUCH I need to know, and knowing what to spend time, attention, and money on is tricky. Right now I'm researching getting a BodyBugg, and how that would work for my clients. I'm also looking at Apex certification (nutrition and fitness). I'm reading a book on motivation (fantastic book, by the way -- it's called "This Year I Will..." by M.J. Ryan, and it covers the science and the psychology of how we can work to make the changes we want to make). With Tim's help, I'm setting up a system to track expenses and income (thank you, Tim -- you excel at what stresses me out, and I'm so grateful!). And over the years I've torn pages out of magazines with exercises for virtually everything, and I'm trying to get those organized in a way that allows me to use them to help keep client workouts fresh and interesting.
(Hope that didn't sound like a complaint -- it's just that seeing it on paper helps me to understand why my brain feels so full sometimes!)
Yesterday's Workout
This was from CrossFit, and I think it should be titled "Pain Storm!" So here's the workout:
20 pullups
30 pushups
40 crunches
50 squats
And you did this progression 5 times, with 3 minutes of rest between each round. Oh. My. Tim and I did this late in the day and it was amazingly hard. I still can't do full pullups, so I did negatives for most of my reps. (Tim did all 100 -- !!!) Pushups got better, though, and I did all 150 of them on the bench (until now, when I've done high numbers, I've had to do them on my knees).
What I Want to Master
I'm really fascinated with kettlebells right now. I want to get to where I can do 10 continuous minutes of kettlebell swings. And I'm bothered by burpees, cuz I feel like they own me. I can do 10 with ok form, and probably 15 if I have to. But I want to be able to do 25 burpees with no rest. Hmmmm -- I may have just come up with a personal challenge. :)
Somersaults with Stacy
My friend Stacy works at a gymnastics and trampoline gym, and she helped me to do a somersault last week. I was nervous and fairly certain I didn't have the spinal flexibility to do it. But with her encouragement, it happened. So now that I can do a somersault, a no-wall handstand is closer than ever!
Gymnastics, Part 2
So it was back to San Francisco on Sunday for the Gandy's. Tucker did great, taking 5th all around, and medaling in 5 of 6 events. The bigger deal is that he's IN for the state championships. And in a turn of events that has us feeling a little whiplash-ey, both kids are considering staying with gymnastics. I'm just going to pray for wisdom for my kids and know that there are benefits either way.
The Tornado that is my Brain
I spend a LOT of time learning more about my oh-so-new profession. Sitting on the bleachers in San Francisco, I was reading about combining kettlebell training, anaerobic drills, and standard lower body exercises to help women lose fat. Last night I was watching kettlebell training videos. This morning I was reading from recent CrossFit journals about techniques for teaching deadlifts and Turkish get-ups.
Part of what's hard is there's SO MUCH I need to know, and knowing what to spend time, attention, and money on is tricky. Right now I'm researching getting a BodyBugg, and how that would work for my clients. I'm also looking at Apex certification (nutrition and fitness). I'm reading a book on motivation (fantastic book, by the way -- it's called "This Year I Will..." by M.J. Ryan, and it covers the science and the psychology of how we can work to make the changes we want to make). With Tim's help, I'm setting up a system to track expenses and income (thank you, Tim -- you excel at what stresses me out, and I'm so grateful!). And over the years I've torn pages out of magazines with exercises for virtually everything, and I'm trying to get those organized in a way that allows me to use them to help keep client workouts fresh and interesting.
(Hope that didn't sound like a complaint -- it's just that seeing it on paper helps me to understand why my brain feels so full sometimes!)
Yesterday's Workout
This was from CrossFit, and I think it should be titled "Pain Storm!" So here's the workout:
20 pullups
30 pushups
40 crunches
50 squats
And you did this progression 5 times, with 3 minutes of rest between each round. Oh. My. Tim and I did this late in the day and it was amazingly hard. I still can't do full pullups, so I did negatives for most of my reps. (Tim did all 100 -- !!!) Pushups got better, though, and I did all 150 of them on the bench (until now, when I've done high numbers, I've had to do them on my knees).
What I Want to Master
I'm really fascinated with kettlebells right now. I want to get to where I can do 10 continuous minutes of kettlebell swings. And I'm bothered by burpees, cuz I feel like they own me. I can do 10 with ok form, and probably 15 if I have to. But I want to be able to do 25 burpees with no rest. Hmmmm -- I may have just come up with a personal challenge. :)
Saturday, February 17, 2007
Tucker's Turbulent Workout
So we did Tucker's workout today, rather than yesterday. And it got modified a little. Here's what we ended up with:
15 burpees
15 box jumps
15 kip/jump pull-ups
5 ring dips
10 supermans
15 ball slams
60 jump rope
15 burpees
15 box jumps
15 kip/jump pull-ups
5 ring dips
10 supermans
15 ball slams
60 jump rope
This workout about killed me! On the 3rd round I did 20 burpees, 20 box jumps, and 20 ball slams, rest as rXd. Didn’t track time, but it felt like 2 hours! Afterwards I played around with a 15 pound kettlebell. I'm working on hand-to-hand transfer swings and just plain stamina. Naively I thought I could do 5 minutes of basic swings. Doesn't sound like much, right? Well, after 2 minutes of continuous swinging, I was done, done, done! Maybe next time I'll find a 3 minute song and go to the end no matter what.
Gymnastics, Part 1
Last night we traveled to San Francisco for Austin's gymnastics meet today. It was his first time competing since his injury in November. He did GREAT! He completed all events, took 6th all around, and was smiling when he came off the floor. We came home this afternoon, and will go back to SF in the morning for Tucker's meet. (Big family bday party tonight, or else we would have stayed for sure!)
I had an interesting conversation with a coach from another gym. He said that when you reach level 6 or 7 in gymnastics (Tucker's level 6, Austin's level 7), it goes from being an activity to being a lifestyle. That's so true! And if my kids don't have the enthusiasm and passion for the sport, they're not going to want to continue the lifestyle and all it entails (lots of stress, very little free time, no family dinners, not enough sleep, etc. etc. etc.). There are a million positive things about gymnastics too, but the point is (and maybe it's just that I need to hear this, after 6 years of one or both kids competing) that there is a BIG upside to leaving a sport that changes your life in so many ways.
The S Factor
Remember my husband's Valentine's present? Well, I had help learning how to dance, and it was from The S Factor. Whether you get the book or the DVDs, or are lucky enough to attend a class, what comes across more than anything is that it's not only good, it's GREAT to be a woman. Curves? Marvelous! Soft spots? Oh yeah! So while us girls can be focusing on our flaws, in our quest for the perfection that does not exist, but that we see in every airbrushed magazine cover, Shelia Kelley of The S Factor is spreading the message that we need to celebrate every curve!
Friday, February 16, 2007
The Cosgroves
I think Alwyn Cosgrove is one of the most interesting trainers in the industry today. I have learned so much from his books and articles.
Well, his wife Rachel is a trainer too, and as well as training others, she's getting ready for a triathlon. Click here to read about how many calories she burns in training (I wanna burn that much, but I don't think I want to work that hard!), how she knows what she burns (I wanna Body Bugg!), and what she eats (ok, ok, enough whining, but I really do want to be able to eat that much!). Oh, and she's right -- John Berardi's information is very very good.
Just got back from a hard 4 mile run with my sweetie, and Tucker, great son that he is, put together a workout just for me! That son of mine has paid attention. Here's what he's come up with:
50 burpees
50 box jumps
50 kipping/jumping pull-ups
15 ring dips
25 supermans
25 ball slams
I honestly don't know if I have the energy to do this, but I think I'm going to have to try...wish me luck!
Well, his wife Rachel is a trainer too, and as well as training others, she's getting ready for a triathlon. Click here to read about how many calories she burns in training (I wanna burn that much, but I don't think I want to work that hard!), how she knows what she burns (I wanna Body Bugg!), and what she eats (ok, ok, enough whining, but I really do want to be able to eat that much!). Oh, and she's right -- John Berardi's information is very very good.
Just got back from a hard 4 mile run with my sweetie, and Tucker, great son that he is, put together a workout just for me! That son of mine has paid attention. Here's what he's come up with:
50 burpees
50 box jumps
50 kipping/jumping pull-ups
15 ring dips
25 supermans
25 ball slams
I honestly don't know if I have the energy to do this, but I think I'm going to have to try...wish me luck!
The Secret and Breakthrough
I'm almost finished watching the Oprah show about The Secret, and I just had an "a-ha" moment. Years ago I did the Breakthrough Training (www.accd.org for more information) and it literally changed my life. My kids were 2 and 4 at the time, and I was desperately unhappy. To make this short and sweet, Breakthrough was just about the hardest and best thing I've ever done, and it changed my life. It healed my marriage. It enabled me to continue to stay home with my children. And it helped me to see who God created me to be. What just occurred to me is that much of what Breakthrough teaches is what The Secret is about. Living with intention. Being grateful and seeing what you have. Knowing what's important. Understanding what you're sowing in your relationships and what that will reap.
I'm not saying that Breakthrough fixed everything (darn it!). But it opened my eyes to how I contribute to my own difficulties, and gave me new ways to live. If you ever want more info, just let me know.
Ok, still in PJs (they're pink giraffe print ones, and I love them!), drinking Diet Mountain Dew (yum!), gotta finish watching Oprah...
I'm not saying that Breakthrough fixed everything (darn it!). But it opened my eyes to how I contribute to my own difficulties, and gave me new ways to live. If you ever want more info, just let me know.
Ok, still in PJs (they're pink giraffe print ones, and I love them!), drinking Diet Mountain Dew (yum!), gotta finish watching Oprah...
Brain Dump
In no particular order, here's what's on my mind today:
1. I found a website that makes me laugh every time I go there. It's called House Gymnastics, and it's a bunch of pseudo-gymnastics moves you can do in your house. I can't let me kids see it, unless I want them to start doing dangerous stuff and leaves footprints on the wall throughout the entire house. If you decide to check it out, click on the menu on the left that shows basic moves, or click on the You Tube HG link to watch some of what they do. I could not stop laughing when I watched the video of a twenty-something guy who goes from the first floor entrance of his house to his upstairs bedroom, never touching the floor. Highly ridiculous, and so much fun!
2. Eileen alerted me that Oprah is doing another show on The Secret today! I'm just now watching the first one, and it makes so much sense to me. I've got Tivo set to tape later today!
3. Austin is competing in San Francisco this weekend! He's 99% sure he's not going to continue with gymnastics, so this is one of my last opportunities to cheer my boy on. I'm praying that he'll come away feeling great about what he's accomplished.
4. I tell Tim that I am spoiled, but not rotten. He is so amazingly good to me, and I NEVER want to take that for granted or expect it. And by now I hope that anyone reading what I'm writing knows that I am exceedingly grateful for my life and all that it holds. And again, I am not rotten.
So let me tell you what I got to do yesterday. Tim got me a fabulous birthday present, way back in January. It was a session with an image consultant! I read about her in Sacramento Magazine, and kept thinking, "this would be the coolest thing ever!" Well, Tim arranged for me to work with her. And it WAS the coolest thing ever! We spent 4 hours in my closet. (Think Clinton and Stacey from What Not To Wear.) I tried on everything I own and she helped me to see and understand the WHYs of what works and what doesn't. We're meeting again in two weeks to cover accessories, putting outfits together, and to shop for a few things that would make my wardrobe work even better.
Stephanie is wonderful! She's a former model, and former personal shopper, she's encouraging as all get-out, and she knows her stuff. (I just re-read what I wrote, and it's like I don't have the right words to fully express how great the experience was.) You know what it really felt like? I felt like I got GIRL LESSONS, which is something I've always wanted!
5. Something else wonderful -- I gave my notice at Bingo last night. I've worked Bingo for more than a year, and the experience has been eye-opening and a great lesson for my kids about support and hard work. But now that I'm training, and with my kids pretty sure they're not continuing in gymnastics, it doesn't make sense to keep working. So I'll work through the end of March and then I'm done. So no more second-hand smoke every Thursday night, so more cruising in at 11:00, no more walking around for hours trying to get people to buy stuff. I WILL miss some of the people -- actually a lot of the people, but overall I'm just really happy to be FREE!
That's it from me. Kids are out of school today. I'm still in my PJs. And life is good.
1. I found a website that makes me laugh every time I go there. It's called House Gymnastics, and it's a bunch of pseudo-gymnastics moves you can do in your house. I can't let me kids see it, unless I want them to start doing dangerous stuff and leaves footprints on the wall throughout the entire house. If you decide to check it out, click on the menu on the left that shows basic moves, or click on the You Tube HG link to watch some of what they do. I could not stop laughing when I watched the video of a twenty-something guy who goes from the first floor entrance of his house to his upstairs bedroom, never touching the floor. Highly ridiculous, and so much fun!
2. Eileen alerted me that Oprah is doing another show on The Secret today! I'm just now watching the first one, and it makes so much sense to me. I've got Tivo set to tape later today!
3. Austin is competing in San Francisco this weekend! He's 99% sure he's not going to continue with gymnastics, so this is one of my last opportunities to cheer my boy on. I'm praying that he'll come away feeling great about what he's accomplished.
4. I tell Tim that I am spoiled, but not rotten. He is so amazingly good to me, and I NEVER want to take that for granted or expect it. And by now I hope that anyone reading what I'm writing knows that I am exceedingly grateful for my life and all that it holds. And again, I am not rotten.
So let me tell you what I got to do yesterday. Tim got me a fabulous birthday present, way back in January. It was a session with an image consultant! I read about her in Sacramento Magazine, and kept thinking, "this would be the coolest thing ever!" Well, Tim arranged for me to work with her. And it WAS the coolest thing ever! We spent 4 hours in my closet. (Think Clinton and Stacey from What Not To Wear.) I tried on everything I own and she helped me to see and understand the WHYs of what works and what doesn't. We're meeting again in two weeks to cover accessories, putting outfits together, and to shop for a few things that would make my wardrobe work even better.
Stephanie is wonderful! She's a former model, and former personal shopper, she's encouraging as all get-out, and she knows her stuff. (I just re-read what I wrote, and it's like I don't have the right words to fully express how great the experience was.) You know what it really felt like? I felt like I got GIRL LESSONS, which is something I've always wanted!
5. Something else wonderful -- I gave my notice at Bingo last night. I've worked Bingo for more than a year, and the experience has been eye-opening and a great lesson for my kids about support and hard work. But now that I'm training, and with my kids pretty sure they're not continuing in gymnastics, it doesn't make sense to keep working. So I'll work through the end of March and then I'm done. So no more second-hand smoke every Thursday night, so more cruising in at 11:00, no more walking around for hours trying to get people to buy stuff. I WILL miss some of the people -- actually a lot of the people, but overall I'm just really happy to be FREE!
That's it from me. Kids are out of school today. I'm still in my PJs. And life is good.
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
The Best Valentine's Gift
In my humble opinion, and after nearly 20 years of marriage, the very best gift a woman can give her man for Valentine's Day is some enthusiastic, passionate loving that lets him know beyond a shadow of a doubt that she is thrilled to be his valentine.
Tonight my husband's gift (which cannot be named, but rhymes with "tap pants") will be accompanied by the wonderful song "Strength of a Woman" by Shaggy. You should check the song out to just feel good about being alive!
Happy V-Day everyone!
Tonight my husband's gift (which cannot be named, but rhymes with "tap pants") will be accompanied by the wonderful song "Strength of a Woman" by Shaggy. You should check the song out to just feel good about being alive!
Happy V-Day everyone!
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Short and sweet
Today I only had 30 minutes to get a workout in. After yesterday's run I wasn't feeling like I needed cardio work, so it was lower body time, with a little upper body thrown in. Here's what I did:
20 box jumps (14" box)
20 dumbbell swings (using a 20 pound dumbbell)
20 squats (using same dumbbell)
15 box jumps
15 dumbbell swings
15 squats
10 box jumps
10 dumbbell swings
10 squats
5 box jumps
5 dumbbell swings
5 squats
So it wasn't cardio, but it felt like cardio when I was done!
Then 5 minutes handstand practice.
Then 100 pound leg press, single leg, several sets.
Then reverse pushups on Smith machine, with bar at hip level.
Then done! Came home and showered, ate lunch, and worked with a client at 12:30. Note to self: allow more than 1 hour to pass after personal workout before training, or else you'll feel drenched by the end of the warmup!
20 box jumps (14" box)
20 dumbbell swings (using a 20 pound dumbbell)
20 squats (using same dumbbell)
15 box jumps
15 dumbbell swings
15 squats
10 box jumps
10 dumbbell swings
10 squats
5 box jumps
5 dumbbell swings
5 squats
So it wasn't cardio, but it felt like cardio when I was done!
Then 5 minutes handstand practice.
Then 100 pound leg press, single leg, several sets.
Then reverse pushups on Smith machine, with bar at hip level.
Then done! Came home and showered, ate lunch, and worked with a client at 12:30. Note to self: allow more than 1 hour to pass after personal workout before training, or else you'll feel drenched by the end of the warmup!
Monday, February 12, 2007
Vegas/Running
Spent the better part of the weekend in Las Vegas for, what else, gymnastics? We did get to see Ka (it was good, but we liked Mystere a LOT better), had buffet at the Wynn (what does a REAL PERSONAL TRAINER eat at a great buffet? Anything she wants to!), went to the wax museum, and of course (because I have sons) the Underground Arcade. Gym meet didn't go so great for Tucker. I think of it like working out -- some days it goes really well and you're just on top of your game. Other days -- not so much!
One thing we learned from Vegas is that Leslie should not make the travel arrangements. We got to the airport on Saturday night at 6:45, in plenty of time for our 8:10 flight. But -- surprise! -- it turns out our flight was scheduled for THE NEXT DAY! Oops. If anyone was in the Vegas airport and saw a family of crazed people running to catch a plane -- yep, that was us. To their credit, the fam was way nice about it, and we've agreed that Dad will make travel arrangements from now on!
Today we had a break from the rain, and I had the time to go running. You know, the Crossfit/mixed training stuff works, cuz I was able to do 5-1/2 or 6 miles (I didn't check exact distance) with ease. Well, I guess tomorrow will be the true test of how it went. But honestly, it was hard but do-able. The halfway point was a very cool park where I played on the swings. I'm thinking of putting together an outdoor group workout, and I wanted to find out what muscles you use to swing. Answer, in case you want to know, is mostly back and abs if you take the legs out of the equation. I tried to start from a dead hang with no legs, and couldn't do it. But with just the littlest of leg assistance, I got swinging as high as I wanted to go. And it was fun! Finished park time with pushups (2 sets of 10) and dips (2 sets of 10), then ran home.
One thing we learned from Vegas is that Leslie should not make the travel arrangements. We got to the airport on Saturday night at 6:45, in plenty of time for our 8:10 flight. But -- surprise! -- it turns out our flight was scheduled for THE NEXT DAY! Oops. If anyone was in the Vegas airport and saw a family of crazed people running to catch a plane -- yep, that was us. To their credit, the fam was way nice about it, and we've agreed that Dad will make travel arrangements from now on!
Today we had a break from the rain, and I had the time to go running. You know, the Crossfit/mixed training stuff works, cuz I was able to do 5-1/2 or 6 miles (I didn't check exact distance) with ease. Well, I guess tomorrow will be the true test of how it went. But honestly, it was hard but do-able. The halfway point was a very cool park where I played on the swings. I'm thinking of putting together an outdoor group workout, and I wanted to find out what muscles you use to swing. Answer, in case you want to know, is mostly back and abs if you take the legs out of the equation. I tried to start from a dead hang with no legs, and couldn't do it. But with just the littlest of leg assistance, I got swinging as high as I wanted to go. And it was fun! Finished park time with pushups (2 sets of 10) and dips (2 sets of 10), then ran home.
Thursday, February 08, 2007
Wednesday, February 07, 2007
P.S.
The reason for more upper body definition is three-fold, I think. And the reasons are:
1. Daily handstands, with attempts at handstand pushups.
2. Daily ring work (did I tell you we got rings???). They're in the garage right next to my car, and I either swing on them (hard, but fun) or do "skin the cats" (remember those?) or do reverse pushups, or (drum roll, please) just jump to support and hold there. The first time I did it, my body shook like I was having a seizure. Now I can stay there for a good, oh say 5 or 6 seconds before I have to jump down. I already respected my gymnast sons, but when you actually try something they do -- oh boy!
3. Cardio Coach -- Sean O'Malley rocks!
1. Daily handstands, with attempts at handstand pushups.
2. Daily ring work (did I tell you we got rings???). They're in the garage right next to my car, and I either swing on them (hard, but fun) or do "skin the cats" (remember those?) or do reverse pushups, or (drum roll, please) just jump to support and hold there. The first time I did it, my body shook like I was having a seizure. Now I can stay there for a good, oh say 5 or 6 seconds before I have to jump down. I already respected my gymnast sons, but when you actually try something they do -- oh boy!
3. Cardio Coach -- Sean O'Malley rocks!
Crazy Busy and Loving It!
I'm still here. Really I am! But in the last six months I've gone from too much time on my hands to not enough hours in the day. Believe me when I say that not enough hours is WAY BETTER (especially for those who deal with depression) than too much time!
Gymnastics and how we got here
Ok, so Tucker was THRILLED with your comments about his video. Actually he was mad that I posted the video because it included his floor routine at the end, and he usually does so much better at floor. But he was completely blessed by what you had to say -- THANK YOU! Oh, Greg asked how my kids got into gymnastics. It was really by accident. When the kids were small, we purposely kept their activities minimal, figuring that playing in the backyard is just as important as developmental classes. We didn't even really have the kids in preschool, which in our area is a mighty risky choice. Anyway, we did put them in a little preschool gymnastics class when each of them turned 3 and they both really liked it. Both tried soccer and baseball, but neither sport really thrilled them. When he was 7, Austin was invited to be on the competitive team, which really took us by surprise. And Tucker started competing a little before he turned 7. And it's kind of evolved from there, to now Tucker practicing 15 hours a week, and Austin at 19 hours. I really do think both will stop at the end of this season, and while it makes me sad because they're both so good (I'll post video of Austin in a few weeks -- he's recovered enough to compete in San Francisco and Oakland), I really do look forward to the ease -- emotional, physical (no driving every night!), and financial -- that will come along with their decisions.
Fun, Fun, Fun
Ok, so Katie came and worked out last night. I was worried about it all day, which was why I couldn't write. Thoughts like, "What if I'm just a complete load of crap, and now I'm about to be found out?!" and "Why oh why don't they make "Younger/Thinner" spray or cream or something?" consumed me for much of the day. Turns out, though, that Katie's just as delightful in person as you'd expect from reading her weblog. Very down to earth. Very articulate. And so easy to spend time with. We talked and laughed and sweated and really had a great time. Then after she left, I had a million questions I wanted to ask, but never got around to asking, darn it! Maybe next time...
Busiest day yet
So yesterday I had clients at 8:30, 12:30, 5:15, and 7:15!!! All different. All fun! But where to fit workout in? I know the morning break would have worked well, but house needed straightening and laundry needed doing. So at 6:30, Tim and I did a Crossfit-ish workout from the Pentranek Fitness website. Here it is:
400 m run (about 1/4 mile)
50 box jumps
400 m run
50 burpees
400 m run
50 jumping pullups
I did it but it was NOT pretty! But I can tell I'm getting stronger, cuz the burpees, while still really really hard, don't wipe me out like they used to. Progress is what we're after, right?
Measuring progress
There has been lots of talk about measuring progress on the weblogs I read (which, someday, I'll post a list of -- if it weren't for Bloglines, I would never leave the computer!). And there are so many ways to use -- scale weight, measurements, body fat - caliper, body fat - Omoron, and the list goes on. Here's how I measure progress:
weight -- occasionally, although if it's down, I want to celebrate with treats, and if it's up, I want to eat cuz I'm bummed. So maybe not the best choice for me.
clothes -- how do they fit? This is a really good one for me. Although now I'm wearing fitness clothes most of the time, and elasticized clothing doesn't give a true picture of girth, you know? Note to self -- put on some real clothes every once in a while!
measurements -- about once a month or so I check waist and hips, and sometimes thighs, although I don't know if you're supposed to measure biggest part or somewhere else. (Anyone?) I have my own idea of what my waist and hips should not go over, so this is a good occasional reality check.
how I look -- if I can see a leg dent, and some definition in my upper body, and if there's a bit of a waist present, it's probably ok.
Actually these days I've been more active than ever before, what with training clients, doing my own workouts, and Cardio Coach. And I'm noticing more definition in my upper body -- somewhat like when I did Women's Tri-Fitness. So I guess I'm moving in the right direction, even though (true confession here -- don't read if you don't want to know...) last night's dinner was as follows:
2 slices of Alvarado Street bread with sunflower seed butter and honey
1 perfect Hostess cupcake
fresh mango slices and blackberries
Ok, anything else inside my brain? Ummmm, nope!
Leslie out.
Gymnastics and how we got here
Ok, so Tucker was THRILLED with your comments about his video. Actually he was mad that I posted the video because it included his floor routine at the end, and he usually does so much better at floor. But he was completely blessed by what you had to say -- THANK YOU! Oh, Greg asked how my kids got into gymnastics. It was really by accident. When the kids were small, we purposely kept their activities minimal, figuring that playing in the backyard is just as important as developmental classes. We didn't even really have the kids in preschool, which in our area is a mighty risky choice. Anyway, we did put them in a little preschool gymnastics class when each of them turned 3 and they both really liked it. Both tried soccer and baseball, but neither sport really thrilled them. When he was 7, Austin was invited to be on the competitive team, which really took us by surprise. And Tucker started competing a little before he turned 7. And it's kind of evolved from there, to now Tucker practicing 15 hours a week, and Austin at 19 hours. I really do think both will stop at the end of this season, and while it makes me sad because they're both so good (I'll post video of Austin in a few weeks -- he's recovered enough to compete in San Francisco and Oakland), I really do look forward to the ease -- emotional, physical (no driving every night!), and financial -- that will come along with their decisions.
Fun, Fun, Fun
Ok, so Katie came and worked out last night. I was worried about it all day, which was why I couldn't write. Thoughts like, "What if I'm just a complete load of crap, and now I'm about to be found out?!" and "Why oh why don't they make "Younger/Thinner" spray or cream or something?" consumed me for much of the day. Turns out, though, that Katie's just as delightful in person as you'd expect from reading her weblog. Very down to earth. Very articulate. And so easy to spend time with. We talked and laughed and sweated and really had a great time. Then after she left, I had a million questions I wanted to ask, but never got around to asking, darn it! Maybe next time...
Busiest day yet
So yesterday I had clients at 8:30, 12:30, 5:15, and 7:15!!! All different. All fun! But where to fit workout in? I know the morning break would have worked well, but house needed straightening and laundry needed doing. So at 6:30, Tim and I did a Crossfit-ish workout from the Pentranek Fitness website. Here it is:
400 m run (about 1/4 mile)
50 box jumps
400 m run
50 burpees
400 m run
50 jumping pullups
I did it but it was NOT pretty! But I can tell I'm getting stronger, cuz the burpees, while still really really hard, don't wipe me out like they used to. Progress is what we're after, right?
Measuring progress
There has been lots of talk about measuring progress on the weblogs I read (which, someday, I'll post a list of -- if it weren't for Bloglines, I would never leave the computer!). And there are so many ways to use -- scale weight, measurements, body fat - caliper, body fat - Omoron, and the list goes on. Here's how I measure progress:
weight -- occasionally, although if it's down, I want to celebrate with treats, and if it's up, I want to eat cuz I'm bummed. So maybe not the best choice for me.
clothes -- how do they fit? This is a really good one for me. Although now I'm wearing fitness clothes most of the time, and elasticized clothing doesn't give a true picture of girth, you know? Note to self -- put on some real clothes every once in a while!
measurements -- about once a month or so I check waist and hips, and sometimes thighs, although I don't know if you're supposed to measure biggest part or somewhere else. (Anyone?) I have my own idea of what my waist and hips should not go over, so this is a good occasional reality check.
how I look -- if I can see a leg dent, and some definition in my upper body, and if there's a bit of a waist present, it's probably ok.
Actually these days I've been more active than ever before, what with training clients, doing my own workouts, and Cardio Coach. And I'm noticing more definition in my upper body -- somewhat like when I did Women's Tri-Fitness. So I guess I'm moving in the right direction, even though (true confession here -- don't read if you don't want to know...) last night's dinner was as follows:
2 slices of Alvarado Street bread with sunflower seed butter and honey
1 perfect Hostess cupcake
fresh mango slices and blackberries
Ok, anything else inside my brain? Ummmm, nope!
Leslie out.
Saturday, February 03, 2007
Friday, February 02, 2007
Comment-worthy!
Comments, suggestions, and general atta-girls are so appreciated!
Tanya (who sent me an email): I already told you, but must say again, your thoughts from a therapist's point of view about how to help move clients towards what they want -- worth more than you can possibly know.
Matt: Feels like I have a cheering section with a charming British (English?) accent -- thank you!
Shelly: Excellent ideas! I'll be using much of what you came up with.
Katie: Cardio Coach is at www.cardiocoach.com. I'm still loving it!
Laurie: Good thoughts -- input appreciated.
Colette: Good thoughts -- input appreciated, and I always love seeing you. Hope Ashley's completely well!
Greg: I go to California Family Fitness in Rocklin. They do a great job there, but they prohibit camera phones. But here's a link, so check it out!
Tanya (who sent me an email): I already told you, but must say again, your thoughts from a therapist's point of view about how to help move clients towards what they want -- worth more than you can possibly know.
Matt: Feels like I have a cheering section with a charming British (English?) accent -- thank you!
Shelly: Excellent ideas! I'll be using much of what you came up with.
Katie: Cardio Coach is at www.cardiocoach.com. I'm still loving it!
Laurie: Good thoughts -- input appreciated.
Colette: Good thoughts -- input appreciated, and I always love seeing you. Hope Ashley's completely well!
Greg: I go to California Family Fitness in Rocklin. They do a great job there, but they prohibit camera phones. But here's a link, so check it out!
Back to SST
Tonight while the kids were at gymnastics, Tim and I hit SST for the 5:00 workout. I haven't been there since November when I couldn't get my bicep tendon issue (I HATE having issues!) to calm down. On our way, I told Tim I was scared, cuz I didn't want to do badly. He said, and I quote, "You are tenacious like an eff-ing pit bull. You'll be fine!" Those are words to melt a girl's heart, and they really helped to calm my nerves.
The workout was tough. We did Tabata squats. Tabata is an exercise protocol where you work for 20 seconds, then rest for 10 seconds. So for 4 minutes (8 rounds) we did bodyweight squats -- low ones -- for 20 seconds, rested for 10 seconds, and so on. Tim challenged me to a race to see who could do the most. I told him it was a bad idea, because I would smoke him. But he insisted. Well my friends, consistent lower body work seems to pay off, because I won the challenge.
It was a different story when we did 100 D-ball slams. Tim used a 20 pound ball and finished in 3:18. I used a 12 pound ball and came in at 3:41 -- still respectable, but not even close to Rambo's (aka Tim's) time!
The workout was tough. We did Tabata squats. Tabata is an exercise protocol where you work for 20 seconds, then rest for 10 seconds. So for 4 minutes (8 rounds) we did bodyweight squats -- low ones -- for 20 seconds, rested for 10 seconds, and so on. Tim challenged me to a race to see who could do the most. I told him it was a bad idea, because I would smoke him. But he insisted. Well my friends, consistent lower body work seems to pay off, because I won the challenge.
It was a different story when we did 100 D-ball slams. Tim used a 20 pound ball and finished in 3:18. I used a 12 pound ball and came in at 3:41 -- still respectable, but not even close to Rambo's (aka Tim's) time!
Thursday, February 01, 2007
Quick random thoughts
- Cirque du Soleil is performing at the Super Bowl! They're in the pregame show. Here's a link so you can read about what they're doing. We LOVE LOVE LOVE Cirque, and will be seeing Ka in Las Vegas next weekend, when we're there for a gymnastics competition.
- Note to self: when you do Cardio Coach, bring a towel! I promise I'm not selling Cardio Coach or getting kickbacks or anything, but I seriously dig the workouts. Today I did volume 1 and there's no way I would have pushed that hard on my own.
- My 10-year-old client did great. I'll see her grandmother tonight at Bingo and then I'll get the real scoop, but she seemed to really like what we did.
- My gym has a new machine -- an endless rope. It's very very cool. You "climb" it hand over hand and it's great for your back and biceps. (If you picture one of those endless loops of towels at a gas station bathroom, then substitute rope for towels, you'll know what it is.)
- I got my "Hard work pays off!" quote from Wall Words, and put it up in the training room last night.
- I made one of my clients crack the wall in the training room. Oops. Tim says if I pick up the plywood, he'll install it so I can safely have people hurl medicine balls at the wall.
- Feeling like an official business woman now -- I got a business license and a bank account! Well, my wonderful husband got the bank account -- thanks Tim! -- and I'm a real small business owner. Isn't that cool???
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