Fitness 

Jan 3: Rest Day

Jan 2: Rest Day

Jan 1: 35 min Elliptical

December 31: Yoga

December 24-30: Sick

December 23: Run 30 min

December 22: Run 30 min

Decmeber 21:
Run 30 min

December 20: Rest Day

December 19:
Rest Day

December 18: 45 minute outside run

Decmeber 17: Stair climbing 20 minutes

December 16: 45 minute outside run (AWESOME!)

December 15: No workout EEK!

December 13 &14: Rest day

December 12: 45 minutes kick boxing

December 11: Rest day

December 10: 50 minutes lower body and back work out

December 9: 50 minutes shoulders, biceps, triceps/15 min abs

December 8: 45 minutes plyometrics

December 7: 30 Minutes chest and back/15 min abs

December 5-6: rest days

December 4: 1 hour kick boxing

December 3: 1 hour shoulders and arms /15 min Abs

December 2: 45 minutes yoga

December 1: 1 hour lower body plyometrics (no abs/rest day)

November 30th: 50 min Chest, back, shoulders/ 15 min Abs

November 26-29th: Thanksgiving Break (EEEK)

November 25th: 35 min outside run/Whittle y middle (10 Minutes)

November 24th: 30 Stair Master/Whittle my middle (10 Minutes)

November 23rd: Rest Day

November 20th:35 Minute Elliptical/ 2 sets 15 triceps dips on back porch/ 2 sets 15 lunges on steps/ 2 sets inclined push upson steps/Whittle My Middle Routine (6 minutes) Total Time: 1 hour

November 19th: 35 min Elliptical. Hill Intervals/Whittle my middle exercises (10 Minutes) Total time: 45 min

November 18th: 35 min Elliptical/2 sets of 12 reps Triceps Dips with 50lb weight/Whittle My Middle Routine (10 min) Total Time: 55 Minutes

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Due to an injury with my foot, I was only able to complete 5 days of the Shred. For now, I have to put the Shred on hold.

30 Day Shred

Oct 26th, Dec 7th 09'

shred

Day 1

I was not sure what to expect but was super excited to pop it in and find out! I listened to her intro and decided I would start with level 1 and see what I thought.

Thoughts:
Level 1 was an OK workout, but not enough for me, especially since it is only 20 minutes. Jillian said…this is only 20 minutes, so if you want to be able to work out for 20 minutes and really see a difference in your body, you have to work really hard. After the workout I knew that I needed to bump it up to level 2 or 3. I went through andwatched both level 2 and 3 and decided will do level 3 today and see how it goes. Pretty sure I can handle it for 20 minutes. Plus, I like to feel like I got my butt kicked. Nothing is worse than feeling like you need more or you could have worked harder! I ended up adding on a 2.5 miles fast paced walk afterwards.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

Likes:

I love the circuit training. I like how the workout is set up. 3 minutes of strength, 2 minutes of cardio and1 minute of abs. I really enjoyed that. I like that Jillian explains how to do each move properly. I feel comfortable with most exercises but sometimes there is technique that really makes the move more effective, and if I'm going to do something, I want to be doing it right!

I like that she does not allow any breaks. I totally agree with what she says…if you want a 20 minute workout to change your body..YOU HAVE TO WORK HARD. She kept saying this does not come free. These abs do not come free…etc. I love hearing things like that. Sometimes I get caught up in looking at other people and wishing for their bodies or muscles or whatever….I have to remember that their toned bodies did not come free, and if I want it I have to work for it! I really like that!

I like that there are a lot of reps in the strength training section. Since there are so many reps, you can use lighter weight but really fatigue the muscle! I can't wait to try level 3…I think it will be perfect!

I like that this is a 30 day program.

Anyone can do it, beginner or advanced. (I'm working on getting my mom and dad to do level 1)

You don't need anything besides hand weights.

Dislikes:

I can see myself getting bored doing the same workout over and over. (I think at 30 days I'll be ready for something new) -I do however think that a repetitive program allows you to see big results in your body since you are working the areas over and over.

Jillian does not recommend using a particular weight for the workouts. I'd like to know a round about number to shoot for instead of guessing. When I am told beginner use X amount of weight, intermediate X amount, Advanced X amount…I think it helps me push harder and I end up lifting more and pushing harder. (I found this to be the case with my personal trainer).

Conclusion:

I am SUPER excited to do the 30 day shred. I am excited to try level 3 today and see how that works out. I think this program is going to give my body some great results. I am excited to track my progress on the blog and hopefully encourage you to do the same (even if its not with the shred). The holiday season is right around the corner, instead of putting on the lbs…lets get in better shape, lose some LBS (if needed) and keep our bodies moving!! How great will it feel to come away from the holiday season, leaner, meaner (fitness wise) and in better shape!?? Gobble gobble!

I bought my copy of the shred on line for $10! It is super cheap and well worth the money! If you are interested in joining in and doing the Shred with me and don't yet own the Shred, click 30 Day Shred and it will take you to several different Shred DVD'sfor sale (some as cheap as $7 with free shipping).

Shred Day 2

level-3-night-club

Success! I jumped right into level three and loved it! It was GREAT! I was grunting and squeeling and sweating just the way I like! My arms were on fire, and my legs were burning! It gave me just what I was looking for and in 25 short minutes!

The plyometic lunges were so hard. I've never done them like that before and my legs were burning. Dave got home 10 minutes into the workout and sat and watched me the entire time. ( He goes through spurts where he is super motivated to exercise and then not intersted at all) this week, he's not intersted! Lucky for him his muscles are huge and he is in great shape all the time!

I liked the floor work in level three with the plank exercises and the leg lifts. I also enjoyed the abs in level 3. They were much more challenging.

All in all the workout was great! Today (if I can fit it in) I am going to try level 2, as i've heard it is just as hard as level 3. Jillian is not bugging me yet, but after another 27 times, she might start to get on my nerves. Oh well I can handle it, a toned body does not come for free right!!???

If you are contemplating joining in and doing the Shred with me….don't think about it anymore, jump on bored and get started. I plan on doing the shred 5x a week for 6 weeks, which will equal 30 days. I will take 1-2 rest days each week. Sunday is always my guaranteed rest day, and then I'll vary the other day throughout the week if I choose to take it. You can take rest days whenever works best for you! I think there are a total of 6 people who have started doing the shred this week….join us!! I plan on taking my measurements this week too..but I keep forgetting. I am going to make an effort to do it tonight. I am also going to take some before pics. You don't have to do this if you don't want….I just like to do it for fun!! Here is to SHREDDING.

ALSO…..like I mentioned yesterday. If you are not interested in doing the shred, I challenge you to commit to some sort of fitness goal for the next 30 days whatever it may be. The Holiday's are right around the corner and i'mlooking forward to getting in better shape instead of the other way around! Let me know what your plan is and we can help hold each other accountable!! If you just say a goal in your head no one is there to hold you accountable and it is much easier to slip up or give up…use me and your other bloggie friends to help push you a little harder over the next few months we will be your sounding bored!! I'm always here for support and encouragement!!

Do you have a plan to help keep your fitness and nutrion in check this holiday season?
Do you find yourself slackign off and doing things differently?
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

Shred Day 3

2

You were right!! Level #2 is just as intense as level #3. My arms (mostly shoulders) are still fatigued and sore. I could barley hold my arm up to put on my mascara this morning. I seriously had to take tiny breaks to give my shoulder a rest…I can't believe that just 20 minutes can fatigue your muscles so much…love it! Stephanie warned me about the squats and army raises (chest flys)….I didn't know what I was in for…all I can say is OUCH. They hurt so freaking bad. I have been using 5lb weights throughout each workout, but after the first set of those baby's combined with the shoulder press, leg extension immediately afterwards, I dropped the 5lbs and went down to 3lbs. Even the 3lbs were killing me…killing me! I opened the basement window in hopes that the FREEZING cold weather would make the room seem cooler, didn't happen. I was hot as ever and sweating like crazy! The workout was awesome!

I loved the Cardiotoo! I really like doing the double jump rope. It's fun to pretend like I'm on a trampoline and see how high I can get. When I visualize this my calf's work so much harder andget so fatigued…that move works so many body parts I love it! I also loved the plank jumps. If you focus on holding your tummy in tight and keeping your body squared over our shoulders you are working your shoulders, triceps, biceps, chest, stomach and inner and outer thighs! THAT IS WHAT I LIKE! An all in one move!!

The situps were great too! Does anyone else like that burning feeling in their stomach while doing sittups? Am I sick to acutally like that pain?

Now that I know that level 2 and 3 are equally intense, I am going to rotate back and forth between the two. This way I will work out different areas of my body every other day and I won't get bored doing the same thing. Since I have now done levels 1-3 I don't plan on doing a full report of each workout everyday….I think it would get boring since the workouts are the same over and over.

I am SUPER excited that YOU (for those of you that have) have joined in and are doing it with me (us)! There are now 9 people doing the Shred! I love you for joining in and making it more fun! I feel motivated and excited that we are doing it together! Those of you who aren't doing the Shred, don't feel left out or get bored with all the Shred talk going on here….I want to hear about what you are doing and what you like/dislike about your workouts…I can't tell you how much I love all of your feed back and suggestions and ideas and everything. It is SO much fun to hear from you guys and learn what makes you tick and how you live your life! I seriously love you!

I am taking today as an rest day from the Shred because GUESS WHAT? My sister COURTNEY and her sweet little family came into town last night! I am so excited they are here! I came into work at 5am so I could get off early and spendthe day with them! I am only going to work until 12:00pm (yay!). My parents always fly my sister and her family to Utah for our annual Halloween party. They usually come in on Wednesday andstay through the weekend! The festivities go on the entire weekend….its a blast! Needless to say, I will not be doing the Shred today after work and was not willing to get up at 4:00am this morning to make it happen either! Tomorrow, Courtney and I are going to go to a Yoga class in the morning. I set this as my weekly goal for "Baby Steps to Body Love" I intend on completing it! I've only been to 3-4 yoga classes ever and my sister has never been…I'm super excited!

I can't believe its 5:30am and I am so awake, alert and HAPPY! I am super excited about the weekend and super pumped about life. So many fun things going on right now!! What fun things you say?……..I'll fill you in shortly!!

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Crossfit

 

Sept 22nd – Oct 21st 09'

 

 

 

Dave and I made it 16 days into our 30 day Crossfit challenge. ALthough we only did 17 actual crossfit workouts, we worked out for 5 weeks (over 30 days) doing Crossfit workouts. After 5 weeks we decided we needed a break from Crossfit. We loved the results of Crossfit! We both feel stronger andare both in much better shape. We are ready to take on a new challenge and push ourself and our fitness level. If you want to learn more about Crossfit visit www.crossfithardcore.com. You can create your own workout routine, follow the current schedule, learn about the exercises and become a crossfit pro. All of the workouts listed below were taken from the Crossfit Hard Core site. If yuo have any questions or concerns please feel free to contact me at nono2yoyo@gmail.com .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Workouts 17-1 Listed Below

Day 16 Crossfit

Yikes! This workout was not for the faint of heart. My arms, butt, stomach, legs, shoulders, calfs…and everything else is SO SORE! It was kick butt!!

Here's what we did:

3 Rounds

200M (.13 miles) run holding medicine ball

Nat: 10lbs Dave: 20lbs

50 Air Squats

50 Push Ups

50 Sit-ups

Holy mother of America. My arms were burning so bad! The first set I did all 50 full push ups. The next set I did all 40 with 10 knee push ups and the last set I did 30 full and 20 knee push ups. I could barley walk because swinging my arms took too much effort! WOOW EE!! The workout took about 30 minutes. We spent about 5 or 10 minutes after wards working on my running form. Dave gave me some pointers and watched me run for a bit. I think I'm getting it. Funny thing is I never knew I was running funny, I never remember learning how to run I just did it and thought I was doing it right. There is SO much about form that I never even thought about! I'm excited to continue to get better and see how and if it helps my back pain! This week I'm going to run again and try it out!

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Day 15 Crossfit We have officially made it half way through our Crossfit challenge. Although its been almost 30 days since we started, today was only the 15 Crossfit workout. The workout called for a 5K run. 5k= 3.1 miles. I was super excited to do this! I hadn't run a 5k since mothers day and today felt like a perfect time. I didn't have to work and I could plan out my route ahead of time. I jumped in the car and reset the trip anddrove around the neighborhood mapping out my route. When I pulled into the drive way the trip read 3.1 miles. WOO hoo! It was perfect! I hadn't had time to eat breakfast and was worried an entire meal might make me feel sick, so I opted for 1/2 of a banana. It was just right. I made sure to get a puff of my inhaler before I left and tookit with me just incase. The weather was perfect. It was about 63F outside. The shade was cool, and the sun was warm! It felt so great running outside and breathing the fresh air. The streets had no traffic so I used the road as my personal path. The wind blew most of the time making my eyes water like crazy. If you didn't know better you would have thought I was crying my eyes out. I contemplated wearing a jacket before I left but I'm so glad I didn't because I heated up right away!!       

The scenery was amazing!

I finished the 3 miles in 35 minutes, which means I ran about 5.7mph the entire time. I was pleased with that time because I haven't ran this long in months! I didn't focus on speed but instead I focused on form. Dave watched me run the other day at the gym and I guess I have horrible form! Who knew!! I think my form is what is causing my back pain, so it's essential that I fix it. I used my shadow to check myself and I think I did well. My back isn't bothering me so that's a good sign!

When I got home I immediately checked my time and went out back to stretch. I felt so awesome and was so glad to have ran without any breathing, back or knee problems!! Next week i'd like to try 4 or 5 miles! :)

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Day 14 Crossfit
 Yesterdays workout was not an easy one. I"m not sure if it was because I'm still not feeling 100% of just because it was super hard. Either way it kicked my bum! I didn't work out Tuesday or Wednesday because I've been sick, and yesterday was probably the worst day I've ever had at work! I was covering for 2 other people and my own work load (which isn't usually bad, but yesterday it was crazy). I was CRAZY busy all day long. People were driving me crazy. There is this guy at work that drives me crazy and always bosses me around and just bugs the crap out of me..well at one point in the day I was on the phone, talking to someone in person and holding with someone on my cell phone, he walked up to my desk and actually went to ask me a question, I nicely looked at him and said "GO AWAY"…he scurried off like a little girl. :) It made me feel better and me and the lady at my desk got a good laugh at it! ANYHOW……my point to all of this was I was more than excited to get to the gym and shake my day off!Here is what we did:

3 Rounds

 

 

Pull Ups
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(assisted)
Dips
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(assisted)
Sit Ups
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(decline bench)
Jump Rope (100)
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Burpees
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(15 every round)
1st round- 10
2nd round- 20
3rd round- 30
On the last round of burbpees it was like I was in another dimension. I was so out of it andso tired but I pushed through with no stopping. When I finished I collapsed on the floor (by choice) and could not move. YIKES! It was hard core. I think having a two day leave and being a little sick made it 100 times harder…BUT once I came back to earth andcaught my breath I felt great! We stretched and headed home!
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Day 13 Crossfit

It felt so great to exercise yesterday! I was able to work from home yesterday so before Dave got home I headed out for a little run. The run turned into a walk after the first five minutes of my lungs burning and me gasping for air. When will I learn people? I needed my inhaler! GEEZE! I ended up speed walking for about 25 minutes. If you would have driven by me on the road, I think you might have laughed. I was trying to go as fast as I could while trying to suck in as much air as possible at the same time….I'm sure it looked pretty funny! As soon as I got home I grabbed my inhaler took a couple puffs…and ta du…I feel great. I know you must think that I'm crazy for forgetting my inhaler all the time, but my asthma is so sparatic that sometimes I'm just fine and other times I can't get any air in. Anyhow….after my run walk, Dave came home and we headed to the gym.

Poor Dave, his back is still hurting him. :( It usually goes away in 2-3 days but he is still not all the way back to normal. He did his own thing so he could be careful with his back and I did Crossfit!

Here's what I did:

4 Rounds

21 Pushups

15Sumo Dead Lift High Pulls

Nat: 35lbs

9 Pistols (1 legged squats)
20lbs
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

I finished pretty quickly. It only took about 20 minutes. I used resistance and did 3 sets of 30 ab exercises to finish my wokrout. Have you ever tried pistols? Geeze Louise they are hard. I could barley do them! I had to go ask a trainer if I was doing them right because it felt so akward and way too hard. Turns out they are super hard andeven my trainer used a bench to complete them. (even with the bench they were killer).

I felt so great after our workout. After not doing Crossfit for three days, I was more than ready to get a hard core workout in. While I was on my walk I thought about how good it feels to exercise. Whether I am taking a walk, running, or about to throw up doing Crossfit…It just feels so good! I remember a time when it was pure torture. Every second seemed unbearable and I only did it for one reason and one reason only..(weight loss). What a lovely thing exercise is when it's done for the right reasons. Love it, love it, love it!!

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Day 12 Crossfit

tired at the gym

This picture explains how I felt after I left the gym yesterday. I was POOPED! Holy moly, the workout kicked my butt….(not hard enough to take away my stupid butt muscle twitch though). I had my inhaler so things were good in that department, but my muscles were shot by the end. My legs were shaking so bad on the last two reps I couldn't believe it!

Here's what we did:

As Many Reps Possible in 20 min

5 Burpees

10 Knees Touch Elbows (KTE)

15 Box Jumps

That was it. I ended up doing 9 reps andDave ended with 10. That means I did 45 burpees, 90 KTE's, and135 box jumpsin 20 minutes. That is a lot of stuff. I think it was harder for me to do the box jumps because I am much shorter than Dave, and his legs are much bouncier! It looked like he was jumping on a trampoline when he did his….it was kinda funny!

We did a 5 minute warm up running at 5.0, so with the warm up the workout was 25 minutes. We stretched for another 10 minutes and then went home. We opted out on ABS since we had each done almost 100 KTE"s. I'm just waiting for my stomach to start hurting today…it is usually a delayed reaction with my stomach muscles.

Yay for day 12!

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Day 11 Crossfi

OK peeps…on to Crossfit!! We tooka rest day yesterday, which was much needed physically as well as mentally. I was slammed yesterday with Project Feed Me stuff so it was great to be able to take the day off. Plus, my body was tired. I feel much better today….HOWEVER I have a butt twitch. Ha! Seriously though. There is a muscle in my butt that won't stop twitching. It is driving me crazy. It twitches every 30 seconds or so andmakes me want to scream!! It has been doing it for almost 4 days now! I feel like I have a case of the never ending hiccups…except the hiccups are in my butt! Does anyone have ANY suggestions on how to make this stop? I've had twitches before on my arm and on my eye lid, but never for this long, and never so annoying!! PLEASE HELP!!

Dave helped me remember my inhaler for Tuesdays workout and it did me good! I was really able to push it and work hard. I could breath too, which is always a bonus!! Since my workout on Monday was a bit disappointing I wanted to make sure this workout was kick butt….and it was!!

Here's what we did

200M Run (.13 miles)

Nat: 8.5 Dave: 11.5

10 Thrusters

Nat: 35lbs Dave: 90lbs

10 Kettle Bell Swings

Nat: 35 Dave: 55lbs

400M Run

Nat: 7.0 Dave: 9.0

15 Thrusters

Nat: 35lbs Dave: 90lbs

15 Kettle Bell Swings

Nat: 35lbs DaveL 55lbs

800M Run (.50 miles)

Nat: 6.5 Dave: 8.5

20 Thrusters

Nat: 20lbs Dave:

20 Kettle Bell Swings

Nat: 25lbs Dave: 35lbs

200M Run (.13 miles)

Nat: 8.5 Dave: 11.5

10 Thrusters

Nat: 35lbs Dave: 90lbs

10 Kettle Bell Swings

Nat: 35 Dave: 55lbs

400M Run

Nat: 7.0 Dave: 9.0

15 Thrusters

Nat: 35lbs Dave: 90lbs

15 Kettle Bell Swings

Nat: 35lbs DaveL 55lbs

800M Run (.50 miles)

Nat: 6.5 Dave: 8.5

20 Thrusters

Nat: 20lbs Dave:

20 Kettle Bell Swings

Nat: 25lbs Dave: 35lbs

200M Run (.13 miles)

Nat: 8.5 Dave: 11.5

We finished our last run at a sprint. I was ran at 9.5 and Dave at 12. WEWWW EEEY!! It was tough work. But awesome! I pushed myself so hard. Lifted heavy weights, I didn't back down, I ran hard and fast (for me) and after the workout I felt great! We ended with the following abs:

1 Minute front plank

1 Minute Right and Left Plank

30 Pulses up with medicine ball (6lbs)

30 leg lifts

30 random sit ups

Our stomachs were burning!! We took some serious time to stretch and cool down and then headed home. The entire workout abs and stretching included was about an hour. The lifting and running portion was only about 35 minutes believe it or not!! IT WAS A GREAT WORKOUT! I felt awesome!

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Day 10 Crossfit 
10 days! Woo hoo!! 20 to go. Yesterday's workout sucked. It really did. I had the worst asthma and I didn't bring my inhaler! I felt like I was being choked the entire time. I wanted to push really hard and do all I could to kick my butt, but the asthma was doing it for me without me even trying. I wanted to work harder and go faster, but I just couldn't do it. Dave however had a kick butt workout. He was feeling great and really pushed himself! Good job him! I was a bit bugged at the endof the workout, but I couldn't do much about it so I got over it pretty quick. Although I couldn't breath well and I couldn't go as fast or push as hard as normal, I still got a pretty good workout in. The entire workout took about 30 minutes.

Here's what we did:

400M Run (.25 miles)
nat: 6.0 all four rounds/ Dave: 7.0, 8.5, 8.5, 9.5

Box jumps/Burpees

 

Squats
Nat: 65lbs Dave: 95lbs-140lbs

Pullups

Nat: Assisted 14lbs/12lbs/11lbs Dave: ???

The original workout called for Thrusters, but when I tried doing a few my left shoulder did not like it. Instead we did normal squats without the shoulder press. I think my shoulders are still tired form doing so many push-ups on Friday. I think it's so important to listen to your body when you work out. If something is not feeling right, don't do it! It's not worth it. Instead I just pick a new exercise and work it! :)

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Day 9 Crossfit

When I woke up this morning my entire upper lower body was in pain!! Once I got up and moved around a bit I felt much better. I could not believe how sore I was, (and still am). That goes to show that you can get just as good of a workout at home as you can at the gym. (I already knew this) but my soreness was another confirmation! The workout for Day 9 was another hard one!! My arms were shot from doing over 90 push ups yesterday and my bum felt like someone kicked it as hard as they could. When you add that on top of an already hard workout it ='s not fun!!

Here's what we did:

21-15-12-9 (reps)

Over Head Squat

Nat: 35 and 45lbs/ Dave: 95lbs

Burpees

KTE's (Knee's Touch Elbows)

Dips

We started out doing 21 of everything, then 15 of everything, then 12 and 9. Ouch. It was killer. I ended by running five minutes on the treadmill. I was so tired but I was able to keep a steady pace at 5.o. Not much faster than speed walking, but it was better than nothing. Dave was done when we finished our last rep, so he walked on the treadmill next to me while I ran. We made sure to stretch real well afterwards and then we headed home. The workout took about 45 minutes all together.

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Day 8 Crossfit

Dave called me from work and told me he was going to do his workout on his lunch break so when we got home we could head straight to the movie. Since he didn't give me much notice I didn't have time to go to the gym. Instead I did my work out at home in the back yard. The weather was PERFECT! Not to hot, not to cold. I was able to find different ways to tweak the exercises so that I could still get a good work out without going to the gym. Here's what I did:

30 Push-ups

30 Box Jumps

30 Wall Balls
30yrds of Lunges
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

(3 sets of each)

I couldn't find my yoga mat so I used a door mat to cushion my hands a bit while doing push ups

pushupss

I used the diving board for box jumps and it worked great!

box jumsp

I don't own a medicine ball so I made do with what I had. I did the wall balls using an exercise ball.

wall ball

The walk way next to the pool was perfect for lunges….15 down, and 15 back.

squats

It only took me 23 minutes to finish all three sets. I decided I wanted a bit more, so I went for a 13 minute run around the neighborhood. It was so lovely. The trees are starting to change color and this week the mountains got a bit of snow on the tops. It felt like I could have ran forever. One thing that contributed a TON to me feeling like I could run forever is my inhaler. I have been looking for that thing for two months and finally found it yesterday. About a year ago I developed asthma and sometimes when I work out I have a really hard time breathing, making it that much harder to catch my breath. I used two puffs of the inhaler at the first of my workout and I was set for the entire workout.

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Day 7 Crossfit

We took Wednesday as a rest day and started Crossfit day 7 yesterday. The workout went great and we ended up finishing it in about 30 minutes. It was tough, but not as tough as Days 1-5. We made sure to stretch real good afterwards because my back and Dave's hamstrings have been a little tight lately. We got to talking and decided that we need to incorporate a warm up into our workouts. Maybe the reason his hamstrings are tight is because we aren't getting our muscles good and warm before we do start. Instead we have been jumping right in. We plan on making time from now on for a short warm up before we go to town on the workouts, I really think it will help! :)

Workout #7

10 Squats

Nat: 85lbs/Dave: 135lbs

20 Pullups
30 Sit ups

40yrds farmers crawl

Nat: 35lbs/ Dave: 120lbs

(4 sets of each)

I had to ask someone at the gym what a Farmers Walk was because i'd never heard of one and neither had Dave. Some of these Crossfit workouts have you do some interesting things!!

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Day 6 Crossfit

FINALLY a day that was not as hard as all the rest. Don't get me wrong, I was gasping for air the entire time, but it was a lot easier and shorter. We ended up doing the planned sets and then added on 15 minutes of running at the end. I suck at running! :) It's true! I want to get better! My back did hurt afterwards, but I made sure to stretch real well and it didn't give me too many problems for the rest of the night!

Here's what we did:

12 Dead Lifts
Nat: 55lbs/ Dave:135
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

As many reps as we could do in 10 minutes

10 Squat Jumps

10 V-ups

10 Ball Slams

10 Mule Kicks

(I couldn't find a very good picture of these. The exercise has you lay on your stomach on a long bench with the lower half of your body hanging off at the end. You then take both legs and extend them all the way back (like a donkey kicking its legs) and then back in.)

(we did 4 reps of each)

Ran 15 minutes

Nat: 5.5 Dave: 6.5

Ourgoal with the running was to run 15 straight minutes without taking any walking breaks in between. After our Crossfit workout, it wasn't easy. I Started out running at 6.0 but I couldn't keep up the pace for 15 minutes so I dropped down to 5.5 and was able to maintain that for 10 minutes. At minute ten, I had to take a 1 minute walk break and then I finished out the remaining 4 minutes at 5.5. I honestly didn't think it would be that hard to do 15 straight minutes, but it was! :)

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Day 5 Crossfit

EEEKKKKK!!!! CrossFit day 5. Yesterdays work out was brutal! It was harder than any of the days by far! I know I keep saying this but its true, we were dying.

When we got home we both felt like we could curl up in bed and go to sleep forever. We were so tired! I felt like i'd worked out for hours on end. I made us a protein packed dinner (Spaghetti with grillers meat and garlic toast over 40 grams protein) we ate it faster than you can imagine. It was like my body was a vacuum, I inhaled that pasta. My body must have really needed some nourishment! We crashed and watched some TV and I fell asleep on the couch. Ok, so here's what we cranked out:

Does that sound hard? I didn't sound like it was going to be too tough, but it surprised really me! Guess what? I know its only been six days since we started this Crossfit challenge, but I am already noticing a difference in my body. Seriously!? Its only been 6 days!

PS: I still have not gotten any good advice on how to strengthen my core for running. Can't anyone help?? PRETTY PLEASE!!

QA:Are you hungry after a hard workout?

What is your go to fuel food?

 
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Day 4 Crossfit

Saturdays workout was the hardest by far. I felt like I was going to faint and throw up a couple times. After finishing each set, I almost had to hold on to something just to catch my breath…it was hard core. (for me!) The workout took Dave 45 minutes and me 50 minutes. Dave started out on the same pace as me but then he picked up his running speed and passed me by an entire set! :) Here's what we did:

Reps: 21-18-15-12-9-6-3

Those numbers are for the reps, the sets went as followed:

On the odd rep numbers you run .25 mile, and on the even rep numbers you do 45 lunges.

So you start out doing 21 of everything, then go to 18, then 15…and so on until you reach 3. THIS IS KILLER!!!

I tried doing a pull up on my own after the workout was over and I didn't even pull up an inch…stupid idea to try after the workout and not before. On Monday I'll give it a try when I'm fresh. I might not be as close as I thought I was, but we'll see. It has now been only 2 hours since we finished working out and I can already feel the workout creeping up on my body. I am going to be one sore girly tomorrow.

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 Day 3 Crossfit

dumbbell snatch

Bring it on. Even though Fridays planned workout was super short, I had to work incredibly hard to even lift the weights over my head and do the exercise. We were finished with the workout in a little over 10 minutes. We ran for a mile afterwards and then added on some sit-ups at the end. We were there for about 35 minutes total. The workout went as follows:

20 Dumbbell Snatches

Nat: 17.5lbs Dave: 35lbs

20 Push Ups

15 Dumbbell Snatches

Nat: 17.5lbs Dave: 30lbs

15 Push Ups

10 Dumbbell Snatches

Nat: 17.5lbs Dave: 35lbs

10 Push Ups

5 Dumbbell Snatches

Nat: 25lbs Dave: 40lbs

5 Push Ups

1 mile run @ 6.0-6.5 (10 minutes)

I love sweating. For some reason the more sweaty I am the better I feel. (only in regards to working out). I hate sweating any other time.

As we were streching I told Dave i'd really like to start running. I told him that i'd love doing some races to help us get stronger, faster, and in better overall shape. He has never been interested in doing any races, but this time he didn't object, so I continued. I asked him if he'd want to train to run a 1/2 marathon or something close to it…without hesitating he said yes. YAY!! This makes me really happy. If my back can handle it, I would love to do this.

Good news, my back hasn't hurt that past two days we've ran. We have only ran a few miles though, but usually even a mile or two will cause it to act up. I'm not really sure why my lower back hurts when I run but it does. Someone recommended that I strengthen my core so I am going to really work on that and see if I see any improvements. I know a lot of you are runners, can you offer any advice? I'd love to start training but I think I need to prepare my body to do this and figuring out how to make my lower back not hurt is KEY! Please please please….any suggestions??

QA:-What are some good core exercises for strengthening your core for running?

-Did you or do you have lower back pain from running, and how did/do you solve it?

-Any other suggestions? ANY AT ALL?

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Day 2 Crossfit
crossfit workout 2
 
 
WEEEEEEEEW eee! Even more sore today than I was yesterday. I kinda like it though is that wierd? Yesterdays workout was harder than the day before. I'm feeling sore all over today, not sure why because we didn't do a full body workout.
 
 
 

 

I was kinda having a blah day yesterday. I was SUPER tired, and had a head ache for most of the day. When I got home I was not in the mood to go work out but I knew i'd feel better after. Sure enough after the workout I felt awesome. Sure I was sopping wet and my muscles began to tighten, but I felt awesome! Here is what we did…

800M run (.50 miles)

Nat: Avrg speed 6.2 Dave Avg Speed: 6.9

25 KTE (Knees touch elbows)

15 Box jumps

Repeat 4 times!

Wow. This was not easy. The runs weren't too bad the first time through but after the second and third we were both fighting for air. The KTE's were killer. It takes every muscle in your body to pull your knees up to touch your elbows, and when your done doing that, jumping up and down onto the box tops it all off!

We were sweating like crazy. We didn't finish with abs because the KTE's were enough for us. We stretched and talked about the workout and let our heart rates recover a bit before heading home.

When we got in the car these were dave exact words.."I really like these workouts, they aren't too long and are super intense. I want to die while i'm doing it but I feel awesome after."

I'm so glad he likes it…because I love it. AndI love doing it together. When I was with my trainer I wasn't able to slack or take too much time to rest, andit feels the same withDave. I want to keep up with him and finish in good time so I know i'm pushing myself harder than I would if I was on my own and I really like that!

Day 2 was great. We are taking a rest day today and again on Sunday. When we start back up on Monday I think we will take rest days on Fridays and Sundays. Dave's muscles are really sore and since he is usually in such great shape working out every day he isnt used to feeling sore. Me on the other hand, it seems like every time I met withmy trainer I was in for some pain the next day. I have so many muscles that aren't developed that its easier for me to get sore than him, but since he hadn't worked out in over a month, he is feeling it big time! I'm feeling it too, but I'm kinda used to it. :)

We took our measurements yesterday. After we were finished dave looked at the numbers and said…"hey our measurements are about the same"…..some of yours are bigger. I immediately looked at him andsaid…"uh why would you want to point that out……" he looked at me with a worried look on his face and said…"i dont know". ha ha ha it was funny. I laughed and told him I was kidding! I didn't care. Hello I am 5'5 and he is 6'4. Yes some of our measurements were similar, but i'm not going to even entertain the thought of letting that bother me. It doesn't make sense. (plus he is lean and has long lean legs so it's not like it's a bad thing).

The truth is though, in the past that might have made me feel bad and feel self concise or insecure. I might have gotten a little bugged at him for pointing that out. I used to be so touchy and worried about anything he or anyone else would say about me and my body. I would ask him a question andif i didn't get what I thought was the right response I automatically made myself feel bad. I constantly thought he thought things about me that I now know are not true. The truth is….. He thinks I'm beautiful.He thinks I skinny He loves me the way I am. And he's thought it all along. I just never believed it until now. Want to know why? Because I didn't think it about myself. Until I started to focus on positive good uplifting thoughts andwork on giving myself complements, I couldn't believe that he or anyone else may actually be telling the truth.

Unfortunately as women I think we all do this to a certain extent! We are WAY to critical of ourself. Our poor husbands or BF's endup having to walk around on egg shells because they are worried that they might not say the right thing. Can they read our minds…NO! So why should we expect them to? Next time your husband boyfriend or whoever gives you a compliment or tells you something positive about yourself, instead or asking them if they mean it or analyzing how they said it to try and figure out what they really meant….just BELIEVE it. You are beautiful, and you deserve to believe it!

QA:
Do you have a hard time believing compliments about yourself?
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

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Crossfit Day 1
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

My muscles are sore! Yesterdays work out was awesome! It was surprisingly short, but KICKED OUR BUTTS. Dave has not worked out for over a month and the workout nearly killed him, poor guy. His lungs were burning! Mine were too, but since I have been working out consistently it wasn't as brutal for me. He did finish a lot quicker than me and was lifting a lot more weights, but I think his gap in exercise contributed to his lungs being on fire.

Here's what we did: I listed the weight we used for each exercise to the side. Mine is the first dave'sis the second.

15 Dead Lifts (45lbs/115lbs)

15 Wall balls (14lbs/20lbs)

15 Burpees (body weight)

15 Dips (I used the assited pull up dip machine and added 12lbs on for support)

Repeated 3 times. The goal is to rest as little as possible between sets.

Sounds like it would be a piece of cake right? Wrong. Alone any of these exercises would be pretty easy, but when you put them all together with little to no rest after each set, it is REDICULOUSLY hard. It took a good 5-10 minutes to bring my heart rate down enough to add on some sit ups at the end, andby the time we walked out to the car, both of our thighs were already sore! Ha….too funny! The workout only latest about 20 minutes so it was really short but super intense. Todays workout will last a bit longer and looks really hard..i'm excited!

It doesn't look like anyone is interested in joining us on our 30 day Crossfitchallenge, but thats ok…if you don't want to do it, you can still read about what we are doing here.

I don't know what it is about a butt kicking workout but it makes me feel like a million dollars. I feel so strong and proud. I feel like I can accomplish anything. I love how working out gives me a positive attitute and the confidence to achive big things.

Before I started my change to a "healthy lifestyle" I truly thought exercise was just a stepping stone that helped me lose weight, period dot. I never thought it was more than that. I never imagined i'd be someone who worked out on a daily basis and NEVER though i'd ever love it. Now I can't imagine not doing it. Happy day. :)

We came home after the work out andhad a yummy dinner. Whole wheat angel hair pasta with Morning Star Grillers Crumbels and yummy spaghetti sauce. After dinner I had a sweet tooth like normal and I wasn't sure what to eat. I usually go for some peanut butter or rice pudding, but since were not eating sugar I opted for some fresh peaches. Even though I love fruit, it was not what I was craving. But what do you know….they were delish. I was just as satisfied witha bowl of peaches as I would have been with something full of sugar.

Fancy that. :)

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 3016 Days of Crossfit

crossfit

Dave and I have challenged each other to 3o days of Crossfit. We are also eliminating sugar from ourdiet. Not all sugar but anything withhigh sugar. No deserts, candy, treats…or all of the stuff we eat WAY too much of. We are both lacking excitement in our workouts and are looking forward to getting stronger andleaner. Since my last day with my trainer I haven't done Crossfit so I'm super excited to get started again this afternoon. Dave was the one who suggested doing it together andI was thrilled with the idea. Usually he likes to do his own thing, so when he suggested we do Crossfit together I was SO excited! We are going to (well me at least,i'll see if i can talk dave into it) take our measurements tonight and see what sort of progress we make after 30 days. I was only doing Crossfit2x a week with my trainer so everyday is going to be a challenge, but I am up for it! I am excited to build up more endurance and get stronger. Heck…I might be able to throw that pull up party by then! There are a few rest days in-between so it's not 7x a week, more like 5 or 6. I bought the 30 day shred andplan on doing it with my sister-in law and dave if he's up for it after we do our 30 days of Crossfit. I love taking on new challenges and setting goals. Tonight Dave and I are going to set a few goals for the next 30 days to keep us motivated and going strong!

I thought it might be fun to challenge husbands and wifes, bf and gf to do this as well. I will post our workouts each day and talk about them a little bit, we can discuss what we did each day and help each other stay motivated and strong. You can follow our workouts, or you can go to www.crossfithardcore.comand pick and choose yourown workouts. I don't want my posts to be all about cross fit, but while we're doing it I thought it would be fun to talk about it. So if you are interested in doing it with us, ask ur hubby, ur boyfriend, or challenge yourself…

Oh ps…I have a post almost ready to publish about our weekend in Illinois, but I have to wait until I get home to upload some more pictures!

Question:
Do you work out with your husband, boyfriend, friends?
If so does it help you stay more motivated than when you're on your own?
 
 
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