{Fitness Friday} July Challenge

I can't believe that July is already lurking around the corner! It's crazy how quickly the months are flying by, right?!

At this point, everyone doing the June Challenge only has two more days to go (if you haven't already completed today's workout) and I am so proud of you all! I figured since everyone is going strong and loves to hate me, I'd keep the momentum going with a July Challenge!

Oh stop groaning...you know you're excited!

This month has less moves since I know the summer can be super busy. It's very similar to the May Challenge I found on-line, but since Jac and I had such great results doing it, I thought we would revisit it, with a twist.

 

Click to View Full Size

Plank this month is for time, instead of a set time for each day. Some people will only be able to hold for about :30 seconds, others for over 3 minutes. I want you to compete against yourself this month. Write down your time for each day and try to beat it by a few seconds the next day. Push yourself to new limits here and make sure you hold the pose until you physically can't anymore! I'll be sharing some tips to holding plank pose over the Facebook Page, so make sure you "LIKE" it!

For those who are more advanced with their fitness, feel free to add weights to your squats! Remember, your lower body is very strong, but we are doing lots of reps, so don't go too heavy. I don't want anyone to hurt themselves! I will most likely being adding heavy weights and breaking the squats into sets with rest in-between, as we get further into the challenge. The most important thing is proper form! You'll get better results with proper form than you will trying to impress people by going heavy. Always listen to your body and if you can do them in front of mirror, it's best so you can check your form every rep.

As always, I'll be doing check-in's over on the Facebook page, so don't be shy and join in on the conversations!

Enjoy your Fourth of July...stay hydrated and let me know if you'll be joining the squatastic fun we'll be having this month!

{Fitness Friday} Man of Steel Edition

As I mentioned earlier this week, Mike and I went to see Man of Steel in IMAX. While watching this movie, you can't help but notice the physique of Henry Cavill  (if you can, you're blind) so of course we became curious as to what he did to prepare for this role. Mike found this video and passed it along to me, so of course, I'm passing it on you!

I love that they talk about the mental and emotional side of fitness in this clip. With quotes like "He has opened my eyes to seeing past what I thought were my limits." and "...you come to a point where your mind allows you to break through your physical boundaries, and takes you to places you never thought you could go to." this clip really hit home for me.

I am 100% in the mental part of fitness right now. I know that my body is capable of things, but my mind holds me back many times. It's funny because in the beginning, I was scared that my body couldn't handle what I mentally wanted to do...and now it's reverse. You would think by this stage of the game I would have it all figured out, but I don't. I struggle and I fail just like everyone else, but I pick myself up and I keep pushing forward.

If you are interested in seeing the workouts that trainer Mark Twight did with Henry Cavill did to prepare for his role as the Man of Steel, watch the two videos below (they teach you how to get proper form) or go to the Soldier of Steel website where you can print them out in .PDF form.

Soldier of Steel Workouts...

I hope you enjoy these videos as much as I did. While the moves in this may not be for you, I hope you at least walk away with the tips on proper form and apply them to whichever workout you decide to do!

Leaving My Comfort Zone

After I shared my #FitBlogNYC news and shear giddiness, things got more exciting!

Remember I said I hoped FITNESS magazine would give us more info about the event during this next week? Well... they did!

We all received an e-mail yesterday afternoon providing information on the workouts that would be offered during the event.  We had to choose one of the following three, cardio, yoga or a power run. All three of these are being brought to us by amazing sponsors, and they all sounded great. However, I immediately felt really stressed and out of my comfort zone. My thought process went a little like this:

• CARDIO  - I have zero rhythm and will end up stepping on someone. Save that train wreck for your own living-room.
• YOGA (?) - Possibly, however you've done yoga in a class setting before. Try something new!
• POWER RUN (!) - Initial excitement, followed by self doubt.

Those of you who know me and follow this blog, know that I don't do group fitness activities. My first ever group fitness event was when I met Tony Horton at his book signing, and I at least had my husband and good friend with me. Outside of that, I've done three Bikram Yoga classes (I hid in the back during all of them) and some 5k's, which I dont' mind at all.

I ended up reserving a spot for the Power Run and I am extremely nervous about it. I fear that I won't be able to keep up with everyone. I fear that I'll gas out halfway through the workout. I fear that my fears are going to make me fail. This is not a good mentality to have. I need to learn how to have confidence in these things. I can't compare myself to others. I need to give myself credit for trying, do my best and know that I'll get better with time and training. I need to lose the self doubt, because I have come so far in the past four years. It's time for me to quit trying to be a perfectionist and just have fun!

I clearly still struggle with the mental aspect of fitness, but I suppose that makes me human.

My next bit of good news also came via e-mail!

I received an invite from Physique 57 to try a barre class after #FitBlogNYC!

Once again, group workout anxiety kicked in, but it's not everyday that these opportunities present themselves, so I responded that I'll be there.

I'm sure I won't be the only person trying this class for the first time, so there is a little comfort in that. I believe that trying new things makes you grow as a person. Plus you never know if you'll like something unless you try it, right?

So... Here's to trying new things, leaving my comfort zone and learning how to relax and just have fun! Wish me luck!

Celebrating A Milestone

Yesterday was Fitness Friday and I reached a pretty big milestone! For the first time ever I hit double digits on a run/walk! The furthest I had ever walked prior, was 8 miles back in 2010. My furthest run was 7.5 back in early March.

I started out running yesterday and for some reason, I just kept going. Hitting that double digit has been something I've wanted to do for awhile now, but I never really went for it. I started to get tired and struggled for a little while around miles 4 & 5. That little voice of negativity in my head started to beat me up, but I pushed through and decided I was going for it. I shut that little voice up by deciding that my time didn't matter today, all that mattered was hitting my mileage of choice.

Once I made up my mind, the rest was pretty easy. I slowed down and walked when I needed to and picked up the pace and ran when I felt good. I have to get my legs used to carrying me for longer runs and they're not quite ready to do that yet. Until they are, there is nothing wrong with slowing down to a light jog or fast paced walk.

I know that with determination, time and practice, I will be able to run the full 10 miles. My goal is actually 13.1 with a respectable pace, but I have to remember that it takes time to build up to that. I have to remove the self imposed pressure that I place on myself to perform at great levels. I have to learn how to celebrate my milestones, instead of getting mad that I didn't reach them at a certain level, or by glancing over them to start working towards the next goal.

Over the past four years, I have skipped many celebrations and I regret that. I regret pushing myself towards the next goal instead of taking some time to reflect on where I came from and what I just achieved.

The beauty of this journey is that I am always learning...and as a result, I will continue to grow as a person.

Yesterday I put the Further in #FurtherFasterForever. Down the road I hope to add the Faster, but I have Forever to work at it and enjoy the celebrations as I go.

{Fitness Friday} Full Body Workout

Wow, it's been awhile since I've done a Fitness Friday post.

I don't have much to report about my own workouts for the past week. I'm still feeling pretty run down and I've been having issues with my breathing since being sick. I have not gone on a run in a little over three weeks, which has left me quite cranky and feeling a little defeated.

On the bright side, I did manage to do a few mini workouts this week and it felt good to workout. I stumbled upon an oblique mini workout that I shared on my Facebook Blog Page, and it left my muscles sore which felt great!

If you have not already "LIKED" my page, please take a moment and do it. I often share workout tips, mini workouts and recipes over there. You can click on the banner to the right or just CLICK HERE to visit me on Facebook.

The week has been also been spent focusing on staying hydrated, finding and trying new recipes, getting enough sleep and eating on a schedule. Being sick really turned my routines upside down and like a toddler, I tend the thrive on routine, so I get cranky when my schedule is messed up.

Before getting sick, I also made up this workout for the days that I can't get out to run. It can be done anywhere, even outside if you'd like and it doesn't require any weights which comes in handy if you are traveling, too!

I would probably even toss a forearm plank in at the end of this for a little extra core/shoulder burn!

Hope everyone has a great weekend filled with nice weather! We are supposed to be in the 60's here on the East Coast, so I'm hoping to get out and enjoy it!

Who Wants To Kick-Ass in April?

Summer is quickly sneaking up on us, although you wouldn't know it by the weather we've been having. Your window of opportunity to tone-up and shed a few pounds is quickly closing and those damn Girl Scouts and their cookies aren't helping!

(For the record I love the Girl Scouts, I was one, my daughter was one and my nieces represent...it's the evil cookies I don't like...well...I love them...but my ass doesn't.)

Anyway... I was killing time on Pinterest while being stuck in the house with sick kids and I stumbled upon this:

 

Thanks to Lauren for noticing that the dates on here do not reflect 2013. Please make a note of that if you plan to follow along. If I have time, I'll make a new graphic and post it.

Click on the image to view the source of this workout and look up past ones.

I know the same three moves daily can become boring, but they are all very effective and I think you'll be amazed by how much improvement you'll see with each passing day. Just like with the plank challenge, you start out slow but with each passing day, you become stronger. This also doesn't take a lot of time out of your day. You can easily do this before you take your morning shower, or just slip it into your usual routine.

So who wants to join me for a month of booty toning goodness?

{Fitness Friday} Let's Talk Apps

This week I have been focused on getting back into my fitness routines. Hurricane/Superstorm Sandy brought the hubs and I to a halt last week, when she slammed into the East Coast leaving us without power or heat for almost a week.

Monday I restarted the third week of Phase 3 for P90X. I use the official P90X app to track my progress (I forgot to take a screen capture of it and to be honest, I'm being lazy and don't feel like doing it now to insert in this blog. Yeah, I know, I'm a slacker...get over it!)

I also decided that I wanted to give running a shot again, so I downloaded a Couch to 5K type of app, laced up my running shoes and hit the pavement. I have always struggled with pacing myself and endurance, so following an app seemed like the most logical step for me, and I really like it.

 

5K Runner: 0 to 5K run training. I love that I can use it with RunKeeper and it prompts you over whatever music you're listening to as to when to run/walk. Well worth the $2.99[/caption]I addition to the this app, I use RunKeeper which I LOVE. I enjoy being able to set goals (which I honestly end up forgetting about and not hitting, but I'm work on that, ok people! Don't judge me.) I like that I can post my runs to social media, look back at all of the ones I've completed and link up with people I know on my "street team".

RunKeeper - If you walk/run/bike, etc, I highly recommend this app! It also has a coaching feature which I haven't tried.[/caption]Another app I started using this week is Daily Yoga. I heard about it yesterday from the lovely Jac. She started using it and just happened to tweet about how much she liked it, just as I was logging on to ask for yoga DVD recommendations. Talk about timing, right?!

 

Daily Yoga - I have to be honest, the accent of the person instructing you makes me giggle. I have only done one routine so far, but I like this app. There also seems to be a routine difference between the iPhone and Android platforms. Droid users seem to have more FREE routines. Sigh.[/caption]Last but not least comes MyFitnessPal. I have blogged about my using this app before, but consistent, I am not. (Human I am, which is why I am not consistent.) I started using this again today, because of the success I have had in the past. Also, thanks to Hurricane/Superstorm Sandy and the lack of power, eating healthy became a slight issue and I am trying to correct the small cravings I have since developed thanks to Pop-Tarts entering my house again. (Hey, there are just so many non-perishable food items to choose from, especially when people are attacking the shelves like the world is going to end. Which it clearly wasn't, the Mayan's said we until late December for that...duh!)

MyFitnessPal: Because if you dont track what you eat, your ass will![/caption]So there you have it. A glimpse into the apps I use, to try and keep my fitness-ADD-having-self on track and motivated! I'd love to hear of any apps you use to stay on track and record your progress. Be sure to let me know if I'm missing out on something by commenting!

{Fitness Friday}

It's Fitness Friday again! I know I missed last week and kinda dropped off the grid for awhile (I do that...I know. I try not to but life just kinda happens..sorry) but I'm still doing P90X and as a matter of fact, just completed the 3rd week of Phase 2, which means next week is my rest week!

The hubs and my schedule got a little wonky this week, so we ended up doing Back and Biceps last night instead of Wednesday. As a result, I can't do Legs and Back tonight because my back needs the day of rest. The hubs birthday is tomorrow so pushing Legs and Back back a day won't work either. To remedy this, I decided to do a lower body workout I found on the web to see how I liked it.

Here is the workout I followed:

Move 1:  Squats (15 - 25 reps depending on fitness level. Add weights if you would like for extra resistance)

Stand with feet hip-width apart, feet facing forward, arms by your sides. Sit back and lower down slowly, as if you were sitting into a chair. Keep your back straight and lower yourself as far as you can. Keep your eyes looking ahead. Immediately rise out of the squat and return to standing.

Move 2:  Forward Lunges (10 - 20 reps on each side, depending on fitness level. Add weights if you would like for extra resistance)

Stand with feet hip-width apart. Step a wide step forward with your right foot, and bend both knees as far as you can without losing your balance until your right thigh is parallel to the floor and your left thigh is straight up and down. Your back foot will be flexed. Press off your front foot and step back into starting position. If you can’t go all the way to parallel, start by going partway down. If you need to, stabilize yourself with your hands on your hips, or a stable object.

Move 3:  Plie Jumps (15 - 25 reps, depending on fitness level)

Stand with feet wide apart, with your feet turned out, and hands on hips. Stand tall with abs in. As you squat, press knees wide over your feet. You should feel a stretch along your inner thighs. In one explosive movement, push from your feet to straighten your legs and hop into the jump off the floor. As your feet come back to the floor, try to land softly, absorbing the landing from toes through heels.

Move 4: Fire Hydrants (10 - 20 reps on each side, depending on fitness level)

Start on all fours, knees directly under your hips, and hands directly below your shoulders. Keep your back and neck straight and look forward. Keeping your knee bent, raise your right leg out to the side, until your thigh is parallel to the floor. Keep your pelvis stable. Slowly lower your leg back to starting position. (You'll feel this in your shoulders and core, too.)

Move 5: Quadruped (10 - 20 reps on each side, depending on fitness level)

Start on all fours, knees directly under your hips, and hands directly below your shoulders. Keeping your right knee bent to 90 degrees, lift right leg until thigh is parallel to floor. Your foot should be flexed. Pump the sole of your foot toward ceiling in a small movement. (You'll feel this in your shoulders and core, too.)

Move 6: Bridge Lift (10 - 20 reps, depending on fitness level)

Lie on your back on a mat, knees bent, feet flat on the floor near your buttocks. Place your arms along your sides with palms flat on floor. Contract your abdominal muscles and slowly lift your hips off floor so that your body forms a straight line from knees to shoulders. Squeeze your glutes tight, as you press your hips toward the ceiling. Hold for a second, then lower slowly back down to the floor.

Move 7: Clams(10 -20 reps on each side, depending on fitness level)

Lie on your side on mat with your hips and shoulders in a straight line, head lying on your outstretched arm. Bend your knees so that your thighs are at a 90-degree angle to your body. Stack your hips, shoulders, and knees directly on top of each other. Use your core muscles to hold this alignment as you do the exercise.

Keeping your big toes touching, open your top leg up like a clam shell opening. Press your knee open only as far as it can go without disturbing the alignment of your hips. Slowly return your knee back down. Repeat. You should begin to feel a burn in your upper hip muscle

I repeated the circuit 3 times and was very happy with the muscle burn I felt. I achieved a nice jello feeling in my legs from this and I will definitely keep this in the rotation. As many of you know, I become bored quickly with workouts and often look for the quickest, yet effective ones to do.

Nutrition has been going pretty well for me too. I had a few slip ups here and there but that's life and I no longer beat myself up over stuff like that the way I used to. I have a few recipes that I tried and plan on sharing soon!

What have you been doing to get fit and healthy? Do you have any workouts or recipes to share? I'd love to hear about them if you do.

{Fitness Friday}

Hello everyone! I decided to try and start a little something new with a weekly, Fitness Friday check-in. I'll tell you what I've done to make myself healthier during the week, and you can tell me what you have done either in the comments, or if you blog, do your own Fitness Friday post and leave me a link below. (I'm not sure how these link-up things work so please feel free to school me if you have experience with them.)

Let's see....

I'm just finishing up week 3 of P90X, which means that next week is my rest week. Phase 1 seems to have flown by and I'm looking forward to the change in workouts that Phase 2 brings.

In addition to P90X, I've also been doing the Plank Challenge. If you don't know what that is, CLICK HERE. I've been doing the challenge for almost 2 weeks now, and I've added 1:38 to my time! I can feel the strength in my shoulders and core improving each day!

 

This was today's plank time. I found that if I do it as soon as I wake up, my mind doesn't realize what I'm asking of my body to do. Also, coffee is a great reward![/caption]Tomorrow, the hubs and I will doing the Walk With Joe, which is another 5k. This one is in memory of those who lost their lives on September 11, 2001 on Flight 93, including Joe Driscoll who the walk in named after. I've done this walk almost every year and while it is quite somber in the beginning, the views in the park where it is held are gorgeous and we end up having a good time as we walk and run through the hills and woods there.

As for nutrition, I am proud to say that I have been REALLY good here. I've been testing new recipes and trying to utilize my slow cooker more. The more organized I am, the lower the chance of me being tired and just saying "fuck it" and ordering a pizza. (Oh, how I love my pizza! Nom Nom Nom!) I normally cheat here and there at work with all of the chocolate temptation that is everywhere I turn, but I have not since starting this round of P90X. Don't get me wrong, I've had a few tastes of the yogurt flavors we carry, but nothing crazy...I promise!

Now it's YOUR turn! I want to know what you've been doing to improve your health and get into shape! Leave me a comment below, write a Fitness Blog and link back here or leave me a link in the comments, tweet at me....whatever! Speak up...enjoy a little time in the spot light and let's cheer each other on!