Feelin the Burn

Tried out this little circuit from a blog I enjoy. It accomplished it's purpose....worked the muscles and got the heart pumping. Since today was a glutes day, I threw in 100 extra squats as well. I highly recommend trying it out. http://www.pbfingers.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/circuit-workout1.png

Rammin' and Jammin'

I set out for my run this morning with every intention of coming right home and cranking out a chest and back workout while I was still sweaty but returning home post-run absolutely sweaty, a shower seemed like just the ticket, especially since I knew I had some free time this afternoon to squeeze in my muscle session.  I should have known how that would go, as it always seems to turn out the same when  I do that to myself...I kept on doing "just one more thing" before my workout and before I knew it, it was 5:00 and time to feed the kiddos.  I got them in their high chairs, with their dinner on their trays and decided to seize the moment.  I knew I had a maximum of 15 minutes before they were squirming to get down so an intense workout was just what I needed.  I decided to do the following exercises in a pseudo-pyramid fashion:

• Bent over wide rows
• Bent over narrow rows
• Push-ups
• Bench press on stability ball
• Chest flyes on stability ball

The pyramid involved 10 sets of each exercise using the following number or reps, resting for 10 seconds between each set, except for between sets 9 and 10 when I rested for 30ish seconds:

• set 1: 10 reps
• set 2: 8 reps
• set 3: 6 reps
• set 4: 4 reps
• set 5: 2 reps
• set 6: 4 reps
• set 7: 6 reps
• set 8: 8 reps
• set 9: 10 reps
• set 10: as many as possible (usually ended up being about 12-15 for me)

I used 20 pound dumbbells (except for the push-ups) and felt like I had gotten a great workout by the time I was done.  Mission accomplished...just in time to clean the boys' mac n cheese remains from their fingers, faces, and of course, the floor.  Talk about a nice cool down :-) Life is good!

2000 Reps...Phew!

If you're a frequenter of fitness blogs, you've probably noticed a new trend, at least I have...its the 1000 rep workout.  Different versions seems to be popping up here and there.  You know me; I had to take it up a notch and challenge myself by doubling the number of reps.  Most of the routines I checked out used the entire body and my plan for today was to target my legs, specifically my quadriceps and hamstrings, so I created my own version, inspired by theirs.   My goal was to work my legs, get my heart pumping, and keep it simple enough to do right at home.  My legs were definitely feeling it, so I'd say it was a mission accomplished.  Its hard not to get a little butt burning in there too when you use those leg muscles so the booty burning I felt in addition to my shaking legs was just an added bonus.  You can thank me later if you decide to give this a try... 

Here's what today's workout looked like:

1. 100 jump ropes 
2. 100 squats 
3. 100 jumping jacks 
4. 100 split squats (50 each leg) 
5. 100 high knees 
6. 100 plié pulses 
7. 100 butt kicks 
8. 100 reverse plank pulses 
9. 100 heismans 
10. 100 calf raises on step 
11. 100 cross jacks 
12. 100 bridge lifts 
13. 100 vertical jumps 
14. 100 squat pulses 
15. 100 mummy kicks 
16. 100 sissy squats 
17. 100 mountain climbers 
18. 100 step ups 
19. 100 ski jumps 
20. 100 jump ropes

All in all I felt like it was a great workout.   I'd love to know what you think if you decide to give it a try.  If it seems overwhelming, you can always try cutting the number of reps in half.  You can always repeat it if you have extra energy.  If you're not sure how to do a move, let me know or just google it. 

Vegan Italian Tempeh Nuggets

Here's the recipe for the Italian tempeh nuggets I made last night. It was my first experiment with a vegan recipe other than desserts. I'm sure I've unintentionally made vegan dishes in the past but this one was intended to be a part of a completely vegan meal. It did not disappoint. I got my vegan inspiration form blogilates.com where she has a two week Vegan challenge. I'm loosely following it... Here's my version of her recipe.... Marinade one packet of tempeh, diced, in the following for at least 3 hours: 1 tablespoon olive oil 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce 2 minced garlic cloves 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes 2 teaspoons fresh thyme 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning After its done soaking up all that delicious marinade, pour everything into a skillet and sauté until liquid has been absorbed. Enjoy! Thanks blogilates.com for your inspiration. I was one happy girl enjoying this along with my vegan "cream" of broccoli soup. (i just substituted almond milk for the milk and skipped the cheese. It was surprisingly yummy.) Can't wait to eat the rest for lunch today. Yum!

Shaking Things Up A Bit

I decided to shake things up this week in regards to my weight training routine.  Instead of following a upper/lower body split to organize my workouts, I'm going to break things up a little differently.  The plan for the week looks like this:

Sunday: Biceps, Triceps, Shoulders and Abs
Monday: Hamstrings and Quadriceps
Tuesday:  Chest and Back
Wednesday:  Long Cardio
Thursday:  Butt and Abs
Friday: Plyometrics
Saturday: REST DAY

I got off to a good start with some nice giant sets this afternoon.  I completed each circuit 3 times, doing 15 reps of each exercise, resting only in between each giant set.

GIANT SET #1:

• Rotating biceps curls
• Triceps kickbacks
• Overhead presses
• Stability ball plank roll-ups

GIANT SET #2:

• Hammer curls
• Straight arm triceps pressbacks
• Lateral raises
• Stability ball roll-outs

GIANT SET #3:

• Wide biceps curls
• Overhead triceps extensions
• Arnold presses
• Plank circles on stability ball

GIANT SET #4:

• Biceps 21s
• Triceps dips
• Front dumbbell raises
• Plank with alternating knee drives

It was a great workout!!  I'm already looking forward to tomorrow's circuits.

I also decided to shake things up with my diet as a kind of "experiment."  I have decided to try being a vegan for a week.  I keep reading about all these people who feel immediately healthier when eliminating animal products and I want to see what all the hype is about.  So far, the only thing I've missed is the milk in my coffee.  Soy milk just doesn't seem to cut it...  If you've found a vegan solution for "cream" in your coffee, I'd love to hear it.  I have tried almond milk in my coffee in the past and it was absolutely repulsive so I'm not about to try that again.  Yuck!

The food I've had today has been yummy.  My morning oatmeal is already vegan but I did add a scoop of brown rice protein to it.  I found the rice protein to be a bit chalkier than whey protein but I think I may be able to tweak it to my liking.  I'm thinking almond milk might up the creaminess factor.  I've also had a TON of veggies, some homemade hummus, and am marinating some tempeh for dinner.  I can't wait to try it.  If it turns out to be as yummy as I hope it will be, I'll be sure to share the recipe.  I haven't felt deprived so far and had plenty of energy to power through my workout.  So far, things are looking good.  I'll keep you posted...