My last few posts have been family/lifestyle/travel. So what’s going on around here in terms of health and fitness? I used to share some weekly workouts and would highlight a workout to try for the week. I haven’t done that forever and was asked about it (Hi, Mom!) so I thought I’d do a quick check-in.

Early in May I started running with a new running buddy. Wow! Finding a compatible running partner was a long process. I have been in West Lafayette for 3 years and hadn’t been running consistently. I miss my Kansas City runner girls, and I don’t love running by myself super early in the morning. But since running with a  friend, we have consistently been getting three runs in a week and have been slowly (& safely) building our mileage base from 3 miles to our current long run of 7 miles. (Sigh!) It feels SO good. We missed an early morning run this week because of lightening so I talked my little family into a quick and humid 3 miles at the end of the day. Despite her bored face, Audrey seemed to have a blast. Jack, however, has been spoiled by the bike and was insistent that we were not running fast enough. 😉

So a typical week over the last few months has been:

Mon: BodyPump
Tues: am Run, pm Teach Cycle
Wed: BodyPump
Thurs: Run
Fri: am Teach cycle, BodyPump (~50% of Fridays)
Sat: Long run
Sun: rest

2-3 days/week of strength training, 3 runs, and 2 cycle classes have been pretty consistent but nothing creative to blog about. I still teach TRX once a week and the occasional Saturday, but the classes are pretty full so I just coach and rarely get to train with them. Any interest in seeing TRX and HIIT workouts in the future? Here’s a teaser:

As many rounds as possible (AMRAP) in 20 minutes:

20 TRX squats
20 TRX chest presses
20 TRX mid-rows
20 TRX step-back lunges (10 each leg)
20 TRX knee tuck crunches

This is a great workout for use with or without a TRX. If you’re traveling, you could always do this with body weight subbing pushups for the chest presses and resistance band rows.

Question of the day: Do you want me to share any particular kind of workout?

Sunday my gym, Parkwest Fitness, hosted a POUND fitness demo.  I was really looking forward to going so I ran out of the house as soon as one of the two kiddos was down for a nap.  The class was packed!

I’d never taken a POUND class although a friend brought it to Kansas City right around the time we moved.  It seems to be VERY popular there (probably because Jodie is so much fun!).  This 45 minute workout used slightly weighted, slightly longer drumsticks.  You are constantly drumming throughout the workout and I loved that the drumming to the floor during squats made me think about staying low for each one.  I have no idea how many squats we did, but it seemed to go super fast.  The ab tracks were really fun too, and forced me to work a little harder than I would have on my own.  And as expected the music was great – and really varied.  

I don’t see this taking the place of my beloved cycle or TRX but it would be really fun to add to the weekly rotation.  Thinking about the class made me recall a conversation I had with a friend from my grad program about Zumba.  She was asking if I thought it was a good workout.  I told her I don’t really go to any Zumba classes but if she got her heart rate up and ENJOYED it then it was worth it.  You are much more likely to stick to fitness activities you enjoy.  If you’re in the Lafayette area, POUND is going to offered every Saturday morning at my gym.

The rest of the week was a little more of my usual workouts.

Monday:  rest day

Tuesday:  morning –  2 mile run followed by “Jeremy” – 3 rounds (21, 15, 9) of overhead squats and burpees.  Rx for the overhead squats was 65 pounds but I had to drop it down pretty early in the workout.  evening – Taught cycle to a wild group of 11.  🙂

Wednesday:  (unintentional) rest day

Thursday:  Row 2000 m and taught TRX.  We had a great class, in my humble opinion.  Here was the 45 minute lineup:

TRX double hop running start
TRX 3 way row (palms up, down and together)
TRX chest press with tricep press
TRX Squat and V Fly
7 minutes of partner work.  Partner 1 row 250 m while the other partner does TRX spidermans and switch
TRXTRX Curtsey Lunge, and Curtsey to Lateral Lunge
TRX aligator flys
TRX step back lunges
TRX Reverse Mountain Climbers
TRX glut bridges with single leg extension
TRX crunch and bicep curl
TRX Plank series

Friday:  Taught cycle to a different group of 11 people

Saturday:  Corecamp with Donnie

TRX-ers – what are your favorite exercises on the bands?  Have a great week

Good evening!  Are you in the middle of watching the Superbowl?  We paused it to put the kids together so Matt and I still are in the first half of the game.  We can’t fast-forward (don’t want to miss the commercials!) so it might be a late night.

Before I get into last week’s workouts I wanted to share something from my friend, Lindsay’s blog:

She posted this last week, and I shared it with my classes and asked her for permission to share it with all of you.  I have found it so motivating.  I am very grateful that I am able to move my body and am able to eat wonderful foods.  And I think we could all learn to cultivate our inner language to be more loving to ourselves.  Beautiful, right?

In continuing to move like I love myself, here were the weeks workouts.

Sunday:  Yoga at M Power Yoga.  Wonderful, slightly heated practice on a snowy afternoon.  It felt SO good.

Monday:  Crossfit “Jack.”  I flipped open my book of workouts to this one randomly.  And my shoulders were sore for 2 days.  Jack – as many rounds as possible in 20 minutes of:  10 push presses, 10 kettlebell swings, 10 box jumps.

Tuesday:  I was traveling so I didn’t get to teach my normal class (boo!) but got in a quick 30 minute P90X yoga-like video.

Wednesday:  RPM (cycle class) taught by my friend, Melissa.  I love her energy and rarely get to take her classes.  It was a treat!

Thursday:  2000m row and TRX

Friday:  Taught cycle

Saturday:  rest day

Another week has come and gone, and it was a good one on the fitness front.

Monday:  P90X “Eccentric Upper.”  Time under tension strength training for upper body.

Tuesday:  Taught Tuesday night spinning.

Wednesday:  P90X “Eccentric Lower.” Time under tension strength training for upper body.

Thursday:  What a treat!  Audrey slept great so I was up at 4:30 to feed and hit the gym for a quick mile on the treadmill and then went to Booty Barre.  The instructor is so energetic and it started my day off great.  Later in the day I taught TRX and got to jump in for most of the workout.

Friday:  Taught Friday 6am spinning.

Saturday:  Saturdays seem to be a good day for me to get a super efficient and tough workout.  But I try to get these workouts in while the kiddos are napping so I have to be quick to decide what to do.  I made this little index workout notebook while I was traveling for work and wanted to have some of my favorites at my fingertips.  I flipped to the Crossfit workout, Helen, and knew it would be a good one (3 rounds for time:  run 400 m, 21 Kettlebell swings, 12 assisted pull-ups) followed by tabata kettlebell swings and tabata v-ups/bicycle crunches.  

What tips tools do you have to keep your favorite workouts accessible?

I mentioned last week that I have a goal of getting at least 5 workouts in a week.  It takes a bit more planning now with two little ones but knowing what my goals are for the week has been really helpful and very invigorating.  I’m very happy that this was a 6 workout week, and today’s workout was especially good.

This week’s workouts:

Monday:  P90X “Eccentric Upper.”  Time under tension strength training for upper body.

Tuesday:  Taught Tuesday night spinning.  Love!

Wednesday:  P90X “Eccentric Lower.” Time under tension strength training for upper body.

Thursday:  Taught TRX and got to jump in for most of the workout.  2000m row after class.

Friday:  Taught my usual Friday 6am spinning

Saturday:  This was easily one of my favorite workouts of the week.  If you give it a try, let me know if you like it.

AND….If I can work it into the family schedule tomorrow I would love to get in a yoga class.  I hope you were able to get out there and get as much movement as you could this week!

Hi!  Hope your 2015 is off to a great start and that if health is a priority to you in the new year you are making strides every day to your goal.  I love the fresh beginning of a new year and enjoy the time to set new goals.  As we adjust to being a family of four I’m recommitting getting balance back in my life by getting at least 5 workouts a week.  It makes me feel good to get plenty of movement in a week, and I am much more patient mommy when I take time to do that.  I wanted to share a couple of these workouts in particular because they are great to do from home or could be fun to mix in to your week.

This week’s workouts:

Monday:  Mustered up the motivation after getting everyone in bed for as many rounds as possible (AMRAP) in 30 minutes of:
10 squats
10 TRX rows (sub band or dumbells if you don’t have a TRX)
10 push-ups
10 sit-ups

This is a great one to do at home if you weather keeps you from getting out.  Go at a fast pace to keep your heart rate up.

Tuesday:  Taught spinning to a crowd of awesome students.  Always a great workout with them!

Wednesday:  Tabata sets. (Get the app for your phone – So worth it!)
#1 Mountain climbers & push-ups
#2 Air squats & jumping lunges
#3 tricep dips & pulsing plie squats
#4 burpess & jumping jacks
#5 V-up sit-ups & Bicycles

Thursday:  P90X “Isometrix” – combination of balance, coordination & flexibility from “tough” yoga poses.  Taught TRX (but it was much more coaching than my own workout) + 1 mile run

Friday:  Taught spinning – my crazy 6am crowd. Love them!

Saturday:  1 mile run warm-up then this rowing workout from Peanut Butter Runner

Here’s to a great start in 2015!  What was your favorite workout this week?

Today started too nice not to share.  With the impending move and life being busy in general, workouts have still been a regular part of my day but have been efficient and ordinary.

Last night, my favorite workout buddy, texted to say she had the perfect workout for us after I requested something “strengthy.”  (Doesn’t strengthy sound serious?)

2000m row

2 rounds of:
20 thrusters
20 sumo deadlift high pull
20 push jerks
20 overhead squats
20 front squats

Followed by tabata abs

Emily muscled up the 45 lb bar for the exercises and I happily grabbed the 40 lb bar.  Rowing is such a great exercise because it warms up your whole body and, if you’re lucky enough to have a friend next to you, can chat a bit.

The second round was tough, but Coach Em said, “Try doing 10 of each the second round.  And if 10 is hard…just do more.”  How great is it to have people who know you’re capable and who push you to be better?

Plus coffee at one of my favorite Kansas City shops was waiting for us after we finished.

Clearly this smiling face will not be at my next gym but I hope a rowing machine will be there.  What is your favorite 10 minute cardio option?