I'm taking a break from organizing the pantry (something I've wanted to do for a while) to jot down a few thoughts. It really has been a busy weekend. First I have to say that I survived the filthy fifty. Here's what was prescribed (you can check it out at crossfit.com if you'd like):
50 Box jump, 24 inch box
50 Jumping pull-ups
50 Kettlebell swings, 1 pood (36 pounds)
Walking lunge, 50 steps
50 Knees to elbows (hanging from pullup bar)
50 Push press, 45 pounds
50 Back extensions
50 Wall ball shots, 20 pound ball
50 Burpees
50 Double unders (jump rope)
My modifications were using a 20" box (it was all we had), 20 pounds for Kettlebell swings, 18 pounds for push press, using a 10 pound ball for wall ball, and doing 200 single jumps rather than double unders. Tim and Tucker did it too, with way fewer modifications. Tucker smoked through the workout, but admitted it was hard. Tim finished shortly after Tucker, and then played on our new fitness toy (more in a moment). And I was just happy to survive 50 Burpees.
Matt commented from my last post that Burpees and Squat Thrusts are two different things. I stand corrected. But I still call Supermans (is that right?) superGIRLS, because I can!
New Fitness Toy
We got RINGS!!! Tim put them up in the garage today, and we all played with them. Some of us pressed to handstand on the rings (gymnasts), while others came close to doing muscle-ups and did ring pushups (husband) and some just did self-spotted triceps ring dips and called it good. I don't know how much I'll use these for clients -- they're in the garage which would interrupt the flow of a workout -- but I think as a family we're gonna have some fun!
Training Room Update
This weekend Tool-time Tim put up corner shelves in the training room, so I have great places for all sorts of stuff. And I've solved the mirror dilemma with (drum roll, please) mirrored closet doors! I was asking clients this week what they thought about me having a large mirror in the room, and it seemed that the only place was right smack dab in front of the main workout area. Well, on Friday, thinking outside the box, a client asked, "Well, can't you change out the closet doors?" Bingo! Now mirrors are available, but you don't see yourself every single minute.
Time to get back to pantry organization, and then I think a hot shower is calling my name...
Sunday, January 21, 2007
Comments
Hugs to everyone who has written comments -- they're like the icing on the bloggy cake (that doesn't sound right, but you know what I mean!). Thank you for the encouragement and support. A few comments need clarification or answers, so here goes:
Shelly -- Burpees are a total body exercise that's sometimes called squat thrusts that you'll probably remember from elementary school PE. Here's how they go:
Start from standing.
Squat deeply, placing hands on ground.
Jump back to plank position.
Do a pushup.
Jump back to the squat position.
Jump up, lifting arms to the sky.
That's one rep. Tim and I are going to do today's Crossfit workout (the Filthy Fifty). It includes 50 burpees. $@!&
Pamela asked what we figured out for Jenny with her ankle issues. Nearly every squat and lunge is out, and that made it tough, since squats and lunges are the foundation of great lower body work. The one squat that didn't require too much flexion or extension of her ankle was to go from sitting on a weight bench to standing up. And even with no weight, if you do enough of these, with a really pronounced squeeze at the top, you'll feel it. The other thing she can do is very "old school" exercises with a resistance band around her legs. Does anyone remember side leg lifts or fire hydrants or any of the Jane Fonda-ish lower body work? Well, these exercises may not be as effective as squats and lunges, but if you add resistance, they'll kick your butt!
Shelly -- Burpees are a total body exercise that's sometimes called squat thrusts that you'll probably remember from elementary school PE. Here's how they go:
Start from standing.
Squat deeply, placing hands on ground.
Jump back to plank position.
Do a pushup.
Jump back to the squat position.
Jump up, lifting arms to the sky.
That's one rep. Tim and I are going to do today's Crossfit workout (the Filthy Fifty). It includes 50 burpees. $@!&
Pamela asked what we figured out for Jenny with her ankle issues. Nearly every squat and lunge is out, and that made it tough, since squats and lunges are the foundation of great lower body work. The one squat that didn't require too much flexion or extension of her ankle was to go from sitting on a weight bench to standing up. And even with no weight, if you do enough of these, with a really pronounced squeeze at the top, you'll feel it. The other thing she can do is very "old school" exercises with a resistance band around her legs. Does anyone remember side leg lifts or fire hydrants or any of the Jane Fonda-ish lower body work? Well, these exercises may not be as effective as squats and lunges, but if you add resistance, they'll kick your butt!
The preparation nobody sees
I allow time before training for attending to the details that are only missed if they're not done. Here's what I do before each training session:
plan the new workout (the night before)
make sure upstairs and downstairs heaters are off
quick clean bathroom, in case it gets used
get water bottle in case clients forgets to bring some
make sure iPod is ready to go
review workout one more time
And I'm spending at least an hour, and sometimes more, immersed in training books, articles, and newsletters. While I can't get experience in any way other than hands-on training, I can certainly be the best educated, most up-t0-date trainer there is -- THAT is within my grasp!
plan the new workout (the night before)
make sure upstairs and downstairs heaters are off
quick clean bathroom, in case it gets used
get water bottle in case clients forgets to bring some
make sure iPod is ready to go
review workout one more time
And I'm spending at least an hour, and sometimes more, immersed in training books, articles, and newsletters. While I can't get experience in any way other than hands-on training, I can certainly be the best educated, most up-t0-date trainer there is -- THAT is within my grasp!
Saturday, January 20, 2007
Another tough workout
Last night Tim and I did another butt-kicking workout. If anyone else is interested in being sore, here's all it takes:
Warm up (super important -- NEVER skip warming up, especially if you're going to do a hard workout!)
20 minutes of this:
5 pull-ups
10 pushups
15 squats
Then run a mile and you're done.
Tim did an astonishing 65 pull-ups (and he's lookin' fine, in case you wanted to know!). I don't know how many of anything I did, but it was a hard workout. I have to modify the pull-ups and do negatives, and most of my pushup sets were from the knees. But I intensified the squats by doing thrusters (I held 2-1o pound weights at shoulder height and "popped" them up each time I came up from the squats). That modification was hard, because my triceps were fried by the end of the workout -- but then again, so was everything else!
Warm up (super important -- NEVER skip warming up, especially if you're going to do a hard workout!)
20 minutes of this:
5 pull-ups
10 pushups
15 squats
Then run a mile and you're done.
Tim did an astonishing 65 pull-ups (and he's lookin' fine, in case you wanted to know!). I don't know how many of anything I did, but it was a hard workout. I have to modify the pull-ups and do negatives, and most of my pushup sets were from the knees. But I intensified the squats by doing thrusters (I held 2-1o pound weights at shoulder height and "popped" them up each time I came up from the squats). That modification was hard, because my triceps were fried by the end of the workout -- but then again, so was everything else!
Thursday, January 18, 2007
Interval Training Works!
Don't you love when an official source confirms what you've already been doing? Well, the L.A. Times has confirmed that interval training works. Click here for a link to the article (I had to register with the website to access the text -- free, but takes a couple of minutes).
Surprisingly I'm not really sore after yesterday's workout. My muscles feel tired, esp glutes, hamstrings, and lats (that's D-Ball slams for you!), but good.
Must run -- need to plan two client workouts for tomorrow (!), prep for two intake interviews (!), and get to Bingo. Remember, whatever you are, be a good one! Ciao...
Surprisingly I'm not really sore after yesterday's workout. My muscles feel tired, esp glutes, hamstrings, and lats (that's D-Ball slams for you!), but good.
Must run -- need to plan two client workouts for tomorrow (!), prep for two intake interviews (!), and get to Bingo. Remember, whatever you are, be a good one! Ciao...
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
Crossfit at my house!
I'm cooling down right now (sitting and typing is a great way to cool down, right?) after a kick-ass workout with my husband. Here's what we did:
1/3 of a mile or so run (warmup), then
Choose 2 exercises from this list:
We laid on the garage floor at the end. Mission accomplished.
1/3 of a mile or so run (warmup), then
Choose 2 exercises from this list:
- 15 ball slams (using a 16-pound D-ball)
- 15 pushups
- 15 burpees (hate these!)
- 15 kettlebell swings (20 pound kettlebell)
We laid on the garage floor at the end. Mission accomplished.
Almost a new year!!!
I'm so excited, because February 18, 2007 is the first day in THE YEAR OF THE PIG! Here's something I found about it:
"The Year of the Pig will soon be upon us, so open your window and air out the stresses of last year. The pig is known for honesty, tolerance and reliability—so prepare for a calm, steady year ahead."
Ok, so yeah, and also pigs are cute and make me smile! Hooray!
New stuff
Look what my husband did!!! For less than $20 at Home Depot, we have adjustable cables at home -- aren't they COOL?
A cool ringtone
Wouldn't it be great if you could get a cell phone ringtone that sounds like the phones at CTU in 24? Yeah, so I've decided to hang in there for the adrenaline rush that is 24 for another season. But I still like Wife Swap better!
Judgmental, Critical, and RIGHT!
Last night I took my first group exercise class (Boot Camp) since getting certified. And from the minute the class started (10 minutes late), my judgmental critical eye was out in full force. The instructor wasn't set up for the class. She was timing intervals with her cell phone and wasn't doing a good job of it (have you ever done 2 solid minutes of rear deltoid lifts? It's NOT fun!). And her selection of exercises was just boring. Oh, and she didn't correct the people who were doing the exercises wrong (unsafe and ineffective!).
Fortunately I had an awareness of the critical voice in my head, and was able to set it aside, and just get a workout in, paying attention to what I'd do differently. And I came away with two realizations:
1. Trainers who work at a gym have it SO EASY when it comes to client warmups! In this class, we rode the spin bike for 10 minutes. If I trained at my gym, I could just put a client on a machine and chat away as they got warm. But here at my house it takes more creativity and thought to put together a warmup. So I came away feeling validated in my warmup floundering, but committed to finding something that works.
2. I KNOW A LOT ABOUT EXERCISE! Honestly and with no disrespect meant to the instructor, I could have taught the class, and done a much better job of it.
Ha.
Fortunately I had an awareness of the critical voice in my head, and was able to set it aside, and just get a workout in, paying attention to what I'd do differently. And I came away with two realizations:
1. Trainers who work at a gym have it SO EASY when it comes to client warmups! In this class, we rode the spin bike for 10 minutes. If I trained at my gym, I could just put a client on a machine and chat away as they got warm. But here at my house it takes more creativity and thought to put together a warmup. So I came away feeling validated in my warmup floundering, but committed to finding something that works.
2. I KNOW A LOT ABOUT EXERCISE! Honestly and with no disrespect meant to the instructor, I could have taught the class, and done a much better job of it.
Ha.
Monday, January 15, 2007
Mom overtime, today's workout, and tofu
When your kid argues with you for 30 nonstop minutes, and you don't lose it, you should earn mom overtime or something, don't you think?
Today went NOTHING like I thought it would. Both clients unable to come (for good reasons), so in exercise clothes, no makeup, and turning on a dime, I found a place for Tucker to go so I could take Austin and his friend to the new skate park at 50 and Power Inn, which is 45 minutes or so away. Stayed for 3 hours, which sounds like a long time, but worked out well, cuz I read some training materials, Tim came and brought lunch to us all (since he works about 10 minutes away), and then I realized I could fit in a workout. (I was already dressed for the occasion.) There's a path around the whole skate park (and the dog park that's next door), and there are picnic tables. So I did running/walking/lunging laps around the parks, stopping at the picnic tables for pushups (on the bench -- about 40 or 50), step ups (maybe 50 or so each leg), dips (20??), and on the bench with no back, side bench leaps (50 or so). I was active for about 45 minutes.
Tofu
So I don't know how many hundreds of dollars I've wasted buying tofu, letting it expire, and throwing it out. But it's a lot of money. I found a recipe on Allrecipes for a tofu salad where you stir fry the tofu with garlic (lots!) and soy sauce and peanuts, then chill it and add some lime juice, sweet chili sauce, cucumber and cilantro. Well, Tucker tried it when it was just at the garlic and soy sauce stage and pronounced it marvelous. So we added a little chili sauce and some lime juice and called it good. My wonderfully adventureous family had a vegan dinner tonight, with aforementioned tofu, brown rice, and a simple green salad, and we all agreed it was wonderful!
Today went NOTHING like I thought it would. Both clients unable to come (for good reasons), so in exercise clothes, no makeup, and turning on a dime, I found a place for Tucker to go so I could take Austin and his friend to the new skate park at 50 and Power Inn, which is 45 minutes or so away. Stayed for 3 hours, which sounds like a long time, but worked out well, cuz I read some training materials, Tim came and brought lunch to us all (since he works about 10 minutes away), and then I realized I could fit in a workout. (I was already dressed for the occasion.) There's a path around the whole skate park (and the dog park that's next door), and there are picnic tables. So I did running/walking/lunging laps around the parks, stopping at the picnic tables for pushups (on the bench -- about 40 or 50), step ups (maybe 50 or so each leg), dips (20??), and on the bench with no back, side bench leaps (50 or so). I was active for about 45 minutes.
Tofu
So I don't know how many hundreds of dollars I've wasted buying tofu, letting it expire, and throwing it out. But it's a lot of money. I found a recipe on Allrecipes for a tofu salad where you stir fry the tofu with garlic (lots!) and soy sauce and peanuts, then chill it and add some lime juice, sweet chili sauce, cucumber and cilantro. Well, Tucker tried it when it was just at the garlic and soy sauce stage and pronounced it marvelous. So we added a little chili sauce and some lime juice and called it good. My wonderfully adventureous family had a vegan dinner tonight, with aforementioned tofu, brown rice, and a simple green salad, and we all agreed it was wonderful!
List
As with most of my writing, I have many different thoughts that don't easily come together in a way that enables me to write a title for what I write. I think more in lists I guess. (Writing "list" in the title section of this Blogger post.) Today's list is here:
1. My gym has new weight machines! They're by Freemotion and they're great. The cables are independent, which means you can do single arm movements that are harder and recruit more core muscles (e.g. shoulder press, which is harder if you lift the weights one at a time, rather than at the same time).
2. Yesterday's workout was great. I probably need to get back to knowing what I'm going to do when I workout, but I tend to go with a general idea (yesterday's idea was more defined shoulders and lower body work) and then figure it out. So here's yesterday's workout:
Warm up/light stretching
Handstand practice -- 5 minutes (I accidentally took out a fake palm tree with my -- one of the fronds was no match for my kick to handstand, so I ended up upside down, and seeing a leafy palm frond falling to the ground twice!)
Cable machines -- overhead press, lat pulldowns, tricep extensions
Reverse pullups (bar is now at hip height, and the lower you go, the harder it is, which means I'm getting stronger -- hooray!)
Squat to overhead press with 24 pound body bar
Double/single leg press, 100 pounds, double leg press, 150 pounds
ARC trainer -- medium intensity, steady state, 30 minutes
Stretching
3. New training room fun -- Tim installed some eye hooks into the wall (thanks sweetie!) which, along with the new carabiners, allow me to attach tubing at various heights for all sorts of fun. I have two clients today who get to be the first to feel the joy!!
4. New season of 24 -- watched the 2-hour premiere last night. It may be too much for me and for Tucker. During the super violent parts, I sliced chicken and did lunges off a kitchen chair (NOT at the same time!). It's hard for me to sit still when we watch tv, so I'm usually stretching or doing ab exercises.
5. New season of gymnastics -- first gymnastics meet yesterday. Tucker took 2nd place in pommel horse and 3rd in parallel bars -- both were beautiful routines. But more importantly, he had fun! He competes at Stanford in two weeks, then Las Vegas two weeks after that. And I'm hoping to post a short video clip of what my kid can do, cuz it's totally amazing!
6. Austin's wrist -- Austin went back to gymnastics this week. We forced the issue and are telling him he needs to do two weeks of practice before we'll even consider where he wants to go with it. I don't know what he'll decide, because for the first time in years, he had two months of living as a normal kid without the pressure of hours and hours of gymnastics. He says he's done, and that's fine with us, as long as it's a decision made for the right reasons. And right now it's very hard for him to go to gymnastics because it hurts his wrist (his PT said it would) and because after two months, he's not nearly as strong or flexible as he was. We're just praying that he'll make the right decision for him.
7. Supersize Me -- watched this with the kids over the weekend. We'd seen it before, but it was interesting to watch again, and especially to watch it with our kids.
8. (need to wrap this up -- have 45 minutes to do a quick grocery store trip, and then my first client comes) Dodged a bullet this weekend, and that bullet was my own mind and cravings. Still doing good with clean-ish eating (which for me includes a bowl of cereal nearly every night, but that seems to be working) to keep moods in check. But when it's the weekend and I'm feeling less fluffy, it's hard to stay away from treats. My dad brought us some chocolate-covered macademia nuts, and I had 3 of them. I wanted 30, though... and it would be so easy to justify (it's the weekend, everyone deserves an indulgence, what can it hurt?), but I stopped at 3.
9. Healthy indulgence -- I made Morning Glory Muffins from my new cookbook yesterday and they are the BEST! How can you lose when something contains grated apple, grated carrot, crushed pineapple, coconut, walnuts, and raisins!!
10. (Ok, this is my last thought, cuz I'm way over my time budget for writing!) Has anyone seen Eating? Or checked out the RAVE diet? I'm intrigued...
1. My gym has new weight machines! They're by Freemotion and they're great. The cables are independent, which means you can do single arm movements that are harder and recruit more core muscles (e.g. shoulder press, which is harder if you lift the weights one at a time, rather than at the same time).
2. Yesterday's workout was great. I probably need to get back to knowing what I'm going to do when I workout, but I tend to go with a general idea (yesterday's idea was more defined shoulders and lower body work) and then figure it out. So here's yesterday's workout:
Warm up/light stretching
Handstand practice -- 5 minutes (I accidentally took out a fake palm tree with my -- one of the fronds was no match for my kick to handstand, so I ended up upside down, and seeing a leafy palm frond falling to the ground twice!)
Cable machines -- overhead press, lat pulldowns, tricep extensions
Reverse pullups (bar is now at hip height, and the lower you go, the harder it is, which means I'm getting stronger -- hooray!)
Squat to overhead press with 24 pound body bar
Double/single leg press, 100 pounds, double leg press, 150 pounds
ARC trainer -- medium intensity, steady state, 30 minutes
Stretching
3. New training room fun -- Tim installed some eye hooks into the wall (thanks sweetie!) which, along with the new carabiners, allow me to attach tubing at various heights for all sorts of fun. I have two clients today who get to be the first to feel the joy!!
4. New season of 24 -- watched the 2-hour premiere last night. It may be too much for me and for Tucker. During the super violent parts, I sliced chicken and did lunges off a kitchen chair (NOT at the same time!). It's hard for me to sit still when we watch tv, so I'm usually stretching or doing ab exercises.
5. New season of gymnastics -- first gymnastics meet yesterday. Tucker took 2nd place in pommel horse and 3rd in parallel bars -- both were beautiful routines. But more importantly, he had fun! He competes at Stanford in two weeks, then Las Vegas two weeks after that. And I'm hoping to post a short video clip of what my kid can do, cuz it's totally amazing!
6. Austin's wrist -- Austin went back to gymnastics this week. We forced the issue and are telling him he needs to do two weeks of practice before we'll even consider where he wants to go with it. I don't know what he'll decide, because for the first time in years, he had two months of living as a normal kid without the pressure of hours and hours of gymnastics. He says he's done, and that's fine with us, as long as it's a decision made for the right reasons. And right now it's very hard for him to go to gymnastics because it hurts his wrist (his PT said it would) and because after two months, he's not nearly as strong or flexible as he was. We're just praying that he'll make the right decision for him.
7. Supersize Me -- watched this with the kids over the weekend. We'd seen it before, but it was interesting to watch again, and especially to watch it with our kids.
8. (need to wrap this up -- have 45 minutes to do a quick grocery store trip, and then my first client comes) Dodged a bullet this weekend, and that bullet was my own mind and cravings. Still doing good with clean-ish eating (which for me includes a bowl of cereal nearly every night, but that seems to be working) to keep moods in check. But when it's the weekend and I'm feeling less fluffy, it's hard to stay away from treats. My dad brought us some chocolate-covered macademia nuts, and I had 3 of them. I wanted 30, though... and it would be so easy to justify (it's the weekend, everyone deserves an indulgence, what can it hurt?), but I stopped at 3.
9. Healthy indulgence -- I made Morning Glory Muffins from my new cookbook yesterday and they are the BEST! How can you lose when something contains grated apple, grated carrot, crushed pineapple, coconut, walnuts, and raisins!!
10. (Ok, this is my last thought, cuz I'm way over my time budget for writing!) Has anyone seen Eating? Or checked out the RAVE diet? I'm intrigued...
Saturday, January 13, 2007
Training
In years past this time of year has been hard for me. Tim goes back to work, after taking some time off after Christmas, and the kids go back to school, and that leaves me feeling lost and uncertain as to what to do with myself. Well that's not happening this year, cuz I am consumed by my new career. I spend a lot of time reading, studying, thinking, and planning what to do with my clients.
Today I worked with Jenny, my real marathon running friend, who gave me permission to write this -- thanks Jenny! Sadly, she has an ankle strain that is seriously limiting her activities. But she wanted some ideas of things she can do, both at the gym and at home. So for the last two days I've been turning her situation around in my mind, like a Rubik's Cube, to figure out what to give her that will a) not hurt her ankle, and b) challenge my athletic, driven friend. I think we found some options for her that will work, and now I have a little bit of experience I can draw upon regarding ankle limitations.
You know what's hard and great about what I'm doing? It's that it's ALL new! And I wouldn't have it any other way.
Today I worked with Jenny, my real marathon running friend, who gave me permission to write this -- thanks Jenny! Sadly, she has an ankle strain that is seriously limiting her activities. But she wanted some ideas of things she can do, both at the gym and at home. So for the last two days I've been turning her situation around in my mind, like a Rubik's Cube, to figure out what to give her that will a) not hurt her ankle, and b) challenge my athletic, driven friend. I think we found some options for her that will work, and now I have a little bit of experience I can draw upon regarding ankle limitations.
You know what's hard and great about what I'm doing? It's that it's ALL new! And I wouldn't have it any other way.
Friday, January 12, 2007
Betty-ing out!
I'm trying some new things in the homemaking department that seem to be working, so of course I needed to share...
First of all, I've followed my friend Jenny's suggestion and have been asking the kids to pick something for dinner each week. Well, ok so I've done it for one week now, but still. Tucker's first pick was escargot (he tried them on the cruise and thought they were fabulous), and Austin, of course, picked sushi. Then I told them they had to pick something I've actually made before. Austin picked mini-meatball soup (a Rachael Ray recipe) and Tucker picked a Frito Taco Salad. It felt good to be cooking something that I knew at least one person would be enthusiastic about!
Also I found these labels that I just love. They stick virtually permanently to any container you want to use (dishwasher safe, of course, or I wouldn't use them!) and you can erase and relabel as many times as you want. Note the Sharper Image yellow containers (note to self -- get more of these!).
Finally, I have a new cookbook that looks just great. It's called Food to Live By, by Myra Goodman, one of the founders of Earthbound Farm, and organic farming company. The recipes look fresh and yummy and I can't wait to try them.
First of all, I've followed my friend Jenny's suggestion and have been asking the kids to pick something for dinner each week. Well, ok so I've done it for one week now, but still. Tucker's first pick was escargot (he tried them on the cruise and thought they were fabulous), and Austin, of course, picked sushi. Then I told them they had to pick something I've actually made before. Austin picked mini-meatball soup (a Rachael Ray recipe) and Tucker picked a Frito Taco Salad. It felt good to be cooking something that I knew at least one person would be enthusiastic about!
Also I found these labels that I just love. They stick virtually permanently to any container you want to use (dishwasher safe, of course, or I wouldn't use them!) and you can erase and relabel as many times as you want. Note the Sharper Image yellow containers (note to self -- get more of these!).
Finally, I have a new cookbook that looks just great. It's called Food to Live By, by Myra Goodman, one of the founders of Earthbound Farm, and organic farming company. The recipes look fresh and yummy and I can't wait to try them.
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
Food for thought
A while back, Stacey posted a blog quiz where you answer questions about your diet and exercise habits, and they tell you what they think you weigh. Her answer was right on. Mine? Not so much! My weight seems to hover in the high 130s most of the time, but my quiz result was 120. And that's been weighing on me (ha!) ever since. I really do want to weigh less. I don't like my number is what it is. I've written about it before, and it's still true. I can recite the "weight is just a number" pledge backwards and forwards, and I really do believe it. Except when I take a test and it feels like I fail cuz I weigh almost 20 pounds more than it thinks I should.
Don't worry -- I'm not gonna lose any sleep over this. Just needed to get it off my chest...
Don't worry -- I'm not gonna lose any sleep over this. Just needed to get it off my chest...
Upside down
Handstands are getting easier every day and they are FUN! For my birthday workout, we went to the gym, and I spent a lot of time in handstands (probably close to 5 minute altogether, which doesn't sound like a lot, but trust me, it is!), did single-leg presses (the only exercise that's really not possible to duplicate at home), and spent some yummy time stretching.
Today's workout included handstands too. I can tell I'm getting stronger, because I'm no longer afraid to kick up to handstand, and I'm starting to work on balance by taking my feet away from the wall and trying to stay up. The most I can go like this so far is about 5 seconds -- then my feet touch, or I just come down -- but it's progress.
Comments on comments
Eileen and Katie asked about the training clock. I'm so glad you like it! It's from the Museum of Modern Art, and I got it online at Flax.
Matt says he would use the sticks (aka Body Bars) in light saberish sorts of ways. I am sure you are very strong, Matt, but with the sticks weigh 12 pounds, 18 pounds, and 24 pounds, I'll bet it would be a challenging workout! I also liked when you said I'm the oldest person you communicate with on Blogger, but that you think of me as "a wise head on young shoulders." Very cool and very appreciated!
2007 progress
Defluffing is going well. I'm still convinced that sugar is bad for my mental health, so even my birthday eating was clean clean clean. Now it's just a matter of retraining my brain so I think of eating clean as not just a good idea, but a quality of life one, because for me it really and truly is.
Today's workout included handstands too. I can tell I'm getting stronger, because I'm no longer afraid to kick up to handstand, and I'm starting to work on balance by taking my feet away from the wall and trying to stay up. The most I can go like this so far is about 5 seconds -- then my feet touch, or I just come down -- but it's progress.
Comments on comments
Eileen and Katie asked about the training clock. I'm so glad you like it! It's from the Museum of Modern Art, and I got it online at Flax.
Matt says he would use the sticks (aka Body Bars) in light saberish sorts of ways. I am sure you are very strong, Matt, but with the sticks weigh 12 pounds, 18 pounds, and 24 pounds, I'll bet it would be a challenging workout! I also liked when you said I'm the oldest person you communicate with on Blogger, but that you think of me as "a wise head on young shoulders." Very cool and very appreciated!
2007 progress
Defluffing is going well. I'm still convinced that sugar is bad for my mental health, so even my birthday eating was clean clean clean. Now it's just a matter of retraining my brain so I think of eating clean as not just a good idea, but a quality of life one, because for me it really and truly is.
Oh how I love my training room!
This is the view from the door. What you can't see, cuz it's right over your head, is the Door Gym pull-up bar. One other thing you can't know about, cuz a picture can't convey it, is how GREAT the rubber flooring (that Tim installed!!!) feels on your feet. Oh, and the bench adjusts from flat to incline and decline and also feels great.
These are the Hampton weights that look like jewelry. They are shiny chrome and have a rubberized grip that feels smooth and good in your hands.
Lots of fun can be had with a core board and a stability ball!
LOVE my squishy med balls. These are 4 lb, 6 lb, 8 lb, and 10 lb and they feel great in your hands and let you do lots of playful effective exercises.
Even the sticks (ok, they're really Body Bars) are squishy. How stuff feels is VERY important to me!
So the Kettlebells aren't squishy, but they are grippey and the colors are pretty!
Speaking of colors, I LOVE my clock. The colors change constantly.
This picture is titled "The Woman who Wanted it All!" Everything about it, from the title to the image to the abstract yet recognizable quality of the art to the colors, is perfect. And true!
Ok, so that's the training room. What's missing is a mirror (to open the room and check form), attachments for tubing (which I have, but didn't show), and of course, words! I'm getting quotes from Wallwords. The quote about the closet door will be "Hard work pays off!" The others (of course there will be others) will come in time...
Disclaimer
I am about to post pictures of my training room and I'm nervous. I LOVE my room and I want you to love it too, but I'm not sure if the pictures will convey how great it feels to workout there.
Ok, just had to get that out in the open. Time to work on the pictures...
Ok, just had to get that out in the open. Time to work on the pictures...
Monday, January 08, 2007
???
Why is it that when I'm working out, I can think of millions of things to write about, but when I actually sit down, nothing comes to mind?
Ok, here's one thing -- I'm seriously trying to de-fluff. To that end, I've been cutting way back on my eating (easy to cut back when on vacation I was eating, like, 10 times a day!), eating more raw foods and juices, and relying heavily on Diet Mountain Dew. I know, I know, the contradiction of "raw foods and Diet Mountain Dew" is not lost on me, ok? But it's working! And I'm watching Kana's cleansing program with interest. I've read several times about Isagenix and must admit that I'm intrigued.
Today I did two workouts. Hill repeats (run and walk) for 30 minutes before getting Tucker from school. Then went to the gym and did the Crossfit workout where you row 1000 meters, then do dead squat/presses. I used a 15 pound Body Bar cuz it's all I could find, and did a total of 100 squat/presses. Only took 25 minutes to do the workout, but it was TOUGH!
Here's one thing I was thinking about during the hill repeats. Tomorrow (January 9th) is my birthday. I'm turning 46, which sounds VERY VERY OLD. In fact, when I went to type "46" my fingers moved one key to the left and hit "35" which looked way more right to me. But, in fact, I'm 46 now. And looking back on my life, I see themed decades. For example:
Ages 15 to 25: Trying to find my way.
Ages 25 - 35: Got my job, got my man!
Ages 35 - 45: Mommy's my name.
Ages 45 - ??: Life is for the taking!
Ok, so maybe "life is for the taking" isn't exactly what I should put there, but I can't think of anything else. The point is that as I turn 46, there is excitement and anticipation of what's on the horizon, and that feels great!
On a final (for now) note, I feel like a REAL PERSONAL TRAINER because I was accepted by the Adidas 3-Stripes program, where trainers get discounts on workout gear -- COOL, huh? One thing I notice is that if you train a client, you wear fitness clothes, and although you're not doing the actual workout, you do enough of it that it requires changing afterwards, unless all you've got planned is your own workout. So I'm going through fitness clothes like crazy. I still like my "uniform": track pants and a short-sleeve UA top (soon to be Adidas, though!).
Ok, here's one thing -- I'm seriously trying to de-fluff. To that end, I've been cutting way back on my eating (easy to cut back when on vacation I was eating, like, 10 times a day!), eating more raw foods and juices, and relying heavily on Diet Mountain Dew. I know, I know, the contradiction of "raw foods and Diet Mountain Dew" is not lost on me, ok? But it's working! And I'm watching Kana's cleansing program with interest. I've read several times about Isagenix and must admit that I'm intrigued.
Today I did two workouts. Hill repeats (run and walk) for 30 minutes before getting Tucker from school. Then went to the gym and did the Crossfit workout where you row 1000 meters, then do dead squat/presses. I used a 15 pound Body Bar cuz it's all I could find, and did a total of 100 squat/presses. Only took 25 minutes to do the workout, but it was TOUGH!
Here's one thing I was thinking about during the hill repeats. Tomorrow (January 9th) is my birthday. I'm turning 46, which sounds VERY VERY OLD. In fact, when I went to type "46" my fingers moved one key to the left and hit "35" which looked way more right to me. But, in fact, I'm 46 now. And looking back on my life, I see themed decades. For example:
Ages 15 to 25: Trying to find my way.
Ages 25 - 35: Got my job, got my man!
Ages 35 - 45: Mommy's my name.
Ages 45 - ??: Life is for the taking!
Ok, so maybe "life is for the taking" isn't exactly what I should put there, but I can't think of anything else. The point is that as I turn 46, there is excitement and anticipation of what's on the horizon, and that feels great!
On a final (for now) note, I feel like a REAL PERSONAL TRAINER because I was accepted by the Adidas 3-Stripes program, where trainers get discounts on workout gear -- COOL, huh? One thing I notice is that if you train a client, you wear fitness clothes, and although you're not doing the actual workout, you do enough of it that it requires changing afterwards, unless all you've got planned is your own workout. So I'm going through fitness clothes like crazy. I still like my "uniform": track pants and a short-sleeve UA top (soon to be Adidas, though!).
Saturday, January 06, 2007
Fluffy is back!
Yes, we're back from the cruise. Had a GREAT time -- Catalina is always wonderful, and Ensenada was so much better than the last time we visited. The last night there was a westerly (that's what they called it) storm, and the not-so-tiny ship was tossed. Condiments were sliding around on tables, and it was impossible to walk in a straight line. Tim and I went up to the top deck (before they told everyone to stay inside) and the feeling of being in my husband's arms along with the intensity of the wind and waves -- that's a memory I'll hold onto tightly!
I tried to hold firm to healthy eating, but the constant feedings (and I do mean constant, literally) took their toll. Everything is tight today, and I feel like I should be moo-ing my way through the laundry mountain. So I'm not waiting till Monday to fix it -- healthy eating starts today, baby!
On the fitness front, a present (ok, so it was from me, but it FEELS like a present) arrived from Amazon -- Chris Carmichael's new book "5 Essentials for a Winning Life." I've only had time to skim it a bit, but I'm SO encouraged by what he writes about fitness because it is exactly what I'm already doing with my clients -- multi-joint exercises, interval bursts, and agility training for everyone. So me and Chris -- we're like the same person, except he's known worldwide and has been training for decades, and I'm ... well, I'm new at this!!! :)
I tried to hold firm to healthy eating, but the constant feedings (and I do mean constant, literally) took their toll. Everything is tight today, and I feel like I should be moo-ing my way through the laundry mountain. So I'm not waiting till Monday to fix it -- healthy eating starts today, baby!
On the fitness front, a present (ok, so it was from me, but it FEELS like a present) arrived from Amazon -- Chris Carmichael's new book "5 Essentials for a Winning Life." I've only had time to skim it a bit, but I'm SO encouraged by what he writes about fitness because it is exactly what I'm already doing with my clients -- multi-joint exercises, interval bursts, and agility training for everyone. So me and Chris -- we're like the same person, except he's known worldwide and has been training for decades, and I'm ... well, I'm new at this!!! :)
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