Brent is shooting some children’s music videos today and tomorrow.  Like last year, I’ve been hired to do “crafts service”.  Like most normal people, I brought my kettlebells along and slipped away for a workout.

While Brent was doing this…

…I was  doing this.

(Don’t tell him.)

The Gym
12 kg Kettlebell
16 kg Kettlebell
Workout Journal and Pen
iPhone Gymboss App
Bodybugg (Gowear Fit) Display  (more on that later)
(the cigarettes were not part of the arsenal)

The Workout
Clean and Press Ladder – 4 rungs x 4
100 Kettlebell Highpulls
1 Round of Tabata Squats
4 Hill Sprints

I sprinted (jogged) up the trail to those two poles that are close together.  It may not look very far but trust me the lactic acid buildup was BURNING when I got to the top.

On the way up I passed these.

When Brent was done I thought is would be good for him to walk up with me once before going home.  You know so, I could burn a few more calories,…err…he could decompress.

Hugs and High Fives,
Jenn

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If the Bodybugg taught me anything, it taught me I have NO patience need to move more.  After wearing it for a few days, it was evident that I’m part sloth.

Truth be told, I’m sort of sedentary by nature.  Many of my favorite things in life, such as reading, cuddling, writing, thinking, internet surfing require about the same amount of energy as sleeping.  I’m not a busybody.  I’m not a gardener.  My house is a mess. I don’t have toddlers anymore.  I don’t have a job that requires lots of physical activity.

Once I saw, in black and white, that I needed to increase my activity level, I decided to walk more because I didn’t want to clean my house over exercise.  I’ve discovered something I LOVE walking.  Here are a few reason why.

-Feeling my body move without any impact.  Feels like my body is doing exactly what is was designed to do.

-Seeing things I normally miss.

-Hearing birds chip and leaves rustle.

-Strangers who let me pet their dogs.

-Saving on gas.

-Conversations with Brent or my kids.

-Conversations with myself.

-Time to pray.

-Humming to myself.  Zippidy doo da….

-Burning extra calories.

-Requires no equipment.

Walking is now near the the top of my list for exercise right under weights.  I’ve been walking any chance I have, to the store, around the neighborhood, while my kids are at taekwondo…

Thing 2 and I on our way to vote.

People who live in big walking cities are lucky.  A few years ago we visited some friends in NYC and I don’t think I had ever walked so much in my life.

While there I saw the coolest thing ever.  A guy walking his cat on a leash!

I know Meow Cow wouldn’t go for that but I thought he may enjoy taking a walk with me.

I think he enjoyed the ride.

All this walking is helping me get closer to my goal of being able to test with the lighter kettlebell at the RKC.  Working out yesterday I noticed that my delts are finally starting to develop.  I love feeling stronger but I’d be lying if I didn’t admit I love looking stronger too.  ;-)

What about you?
What do you like about walking?
Does anyone else feel ridiculous self-conscious taking pictures of themselves in the mirror?

Hugs and High Fives,
Jenn

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Time for another treadmill workout.  I really like this but it’s really hard to emulate on the ground.  If you don’t have a treadmill try this in a park or this sprint workout instead.

20 Minute Interval Treadmill Workout

Warm Up
2 Minute 30 Second – Walk at 15% incline.

Workout
1 Minute: Jog – 15% incline
30 Seconds: Sprint or Run – 15% incline (By sprinting I mean faster than your jog but it will certainly be slower than if you weren’t on an incline.  Be careful don’t fall!)
1 Minute: Walk – 15% incline
1 Minute: Jog – 10% incline
30 seconds: Sprint – 10% incline
1 Minute: Walk – 10% incline
1 Minute: Jog – 5% incline
30 Seconds: Sprint – 5% incline
1 Minute: Walk – 5% incline
1 Minute: Jog – No incline
30 Seconds: Sprint – No incline
1 Minute: Walk – No incline
1 Minute: Jog – 5% incline
30 Seconds: Sprint – 5% incline
1 Minute: Walk – 5% incline
1 Minute: Jog – 10% incline
30 Seconds: Sprint – 10% incline
1 Minute: Walk – 10% incline
1 Minute: Jog – 15% incline
30 Seconds: Sprint – 15% incline
1 Minute: Walk – 15% incline

All done!!!!

(Don’t forget to stretch.)

xoxo
j

What is Tabata training?

For years, I’ve read references to the “Tabata protocol” but it sounded more like a code of conduct for elite special forces than a way to tighten my butt.  People would rave about how great Tabata was and the skeptic in me would think, “4 minutes…yeah right.”  Finally, I decided I had to see for myself.

Enlist me.  I’ll follow the protocol.

I was sore for days.  The best part was that it was only 4 minutes and those 4 minutes went by really fast because I was focused on the short time segments (and it is just 4 minutes).

Tabata what????  Time segments??? A Tabata workout consists of high-intensity 20 second work intervals  followed by 10 seconds of rest.  You repeat this pattern 8 times for a total of 4 minutes.  I’ll use sprinting as an example.  Sprint 20 seconds.  Rest 10 seconds.  Repeat 7 more times (8 total) for a total of 240 seconds or 4 minutes.  You can Tabata almost anything squats, burpees, pull-ups (yeah right), sit ups, push ups, lunges, probably even cartwheels although I’d suspect I’d get dizzy and  break my neck.  I’m going to try Tabata side kicks for extra taekwondo practice.

In an attempt, to find a good way to “score” or track my Tabata work I came across this post. Love it!  So I  now “score” my Tabata workouts by adding the highest and lowest reps out of the 8 intervals.  For example, in one 4 minute session, I may get 18 reps as my highest number during one 20 second segment and 12 reps as my lowest in another 20 second segment.  If I add them together my total “score” would be 30.  The next time I do the same workout, I can try for a higher “score”.

Tabata Training was developed by  Dr. Izumi Tabata while doing research at the Japan’s National Institute of Fitness and Sports.  Dr. Tabata and his team were studying the effects of aerobic (with oxygen, i.e., slower steady state cardio) and anaerobic (without oxygen, i.e. HIIT cardio) conditioning.  Those doing in the  high intesity anaerobic test group (Tabata group) saw a 14%  improvement in their aerobic capacity and 28% in their anaerobic capacities.  Those in the 60 minute moderate intensity cardio group showed an aerobic capacity improvement of 9.5% and no anaerobic capacity improvement. Here is an nerdy excerpt from the article published in the Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise journal. (You are probably smarter than me…it took me 15 minutes to understand it.)

What does this mean??  It means less time on the cardio machines with better results….YAY!!!!!!!  I came across this article Can You Get Fit in Six Minutes a Week? last week that supports the effects of Tabata training.  I don’t think I’ll be switching to 6 minute a week workouts but it always makes me feel good to read research that supports what I’ve been doing.

Wanna try  a workout with Tabata?  Here’s one or here’s another.

xoxo
j

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I have two treadmills.  One I bought and one that was given to me for free.   The one I bought broke.  Go figure.

It’s been a while since I’ve posted a treadmill workout so here ya go.  I like intervals, they make the time go by faster.

20 Minute Interval Treadmill Workout

Warm up
4 Minutes and 30 Seconds : Walk at highest incline.  Don’t hang on to the rails. Use your arms.

Workout
1 minute:  Get off treadmill and jump squat or squat depending on your level of fitness.  (Yes.  The entire minute.)
1 Minute: Walk  or jog –  no incline
30 Seconds: Sprint – YOUR fastest speed.
1 Minute: Walk  or jog – no incline
1 Minute : Get off treadmill and do jump lunges or lunges.
1 Minute: Walk or jog – no incline

Repeat the above sequence (squats – walking) 3 times.  You’re done!!!

If you don’t have a treadmill you can do this at a track or large park.  You can even run around in circles in your backyard.

Almost every workout can be customized to your fitness level.  Can’t sprint?? Then jog.  After a while you WILL be able to sprint.  Can’t do a minute of squats?  Then squat for 10 seconds, rest 20, and repeat.  Work your way up.  You CAN do it.  It’s only 20 minutes and you are worth it.

xoxo
j

Sprinting is good for you.  Or so I’ve read…

This weekend I decided to go to the local highschool track to get in a sprint workout in hopes of carving my log-like thighs into something more shapely like tubas.  I was disappointed to find the local track surrounded my 8 foot fences and locked.  So I drove to the local city college and found the same thing.  Luckily, I ran into one of the faculty and I asked what’s the deal with all the locks and fences.  She explained “vandals”.  Grrrrrrrrr.  I will refrain from ranting.  Anyway, more determined than ever to do my sprint workout I drove back to the highschool and drove along like MacGyver in my mini-van.  I came across a gate that I thought I could squeeze myself through.  I was right.  ”Ha ha!”, I grunted victoriously.  So I did my workout (see below), stretched, and exhausted I got up to leave.  I walked back to the gate where I had easily slipped through and look at the opening in the gate.  Hmmm…it looked smaller. I had fit through that?  I kneeled down and tried to squeeze through.  No luck.  Great.  I starting getting mad thinking someone tightened the chain while I was working out. Because it’s couldn’t have been my fault.  I quickly became sure someone was thinking “I’ll teach that lady a lesson not to use the track when it’s locked.”  Humph.  I think not.  I held my breath and got one leg, my hips, and chest through but my head started to get stuck.  My defiance quickly turned to “oh crap”.  I backed out again.  This was harder than pushing out a baby.  I thought about climbing the fence but my legs were so exhausted I didn’t think I’d make it.  So I decided one last time to try and squeeze myself through the gate.  I got down really low (near the ground) and tested squeezing my head through, praying to God it wouldn’t get stuck.  Sure enough if my head was two inches from the ground I could shimmy it through.  So I backed out and prepared for my escape.  Slowly, I squeezed one thigh through and then inhaled and shimmied my hips through.  My shoulders and other thigh followed.  Kneeling with my face practically scraping the ground I got my head through.  Then I looked back and  saw my cell phone was just out of arms reach on the other side of the fence.  Not really.  Ha!  But, lemme tell ya, that would have just been simply hysterical.  I stood up and looked around for someone hidden in the bushes laughing their fool head off at me.   For a moment, I even thought about twirling around with my middle fingers up in the air giving a general you-know just in case someone really did tighten the chain and was watching.  But then I decided that’s not the kind of person I want to be so I let my Houdini move speak for itself.  

Anyway here is the workout I did and it was awesome.  (Yes I still say “awesome”.)  My hamstrings are still sore.

Sprint Workout

1 lap (400 m) slow jog
4 laps sprinting the straight ways and walking the curves.  (In other words 100 m  sprint alternating with 100 m walks or thereabouts for a mile.)
1 lap (400 m) slow jog 

For fun I threw in 10 sets of bleachers.  

Stretch

If you don’t have access to a track just go to a park and estimate.  I think this is what I’ll do next time.

xoxo
j

Craigslist has been very good to me the past few months.  One of the things I’ve picked up for cheap is a kickboxing bag.  This weekend I put together an high intensity interval workout using the treadmill and the bag.  It was awesome and fun!  For sure, this workout is going to be a regular part of my cardio routine.  

20 Minute Faux Fighter Treadmill Workout

Minutes

1+2 Walk
3+4 Jog
5     Walk
6     Sprint 
7     Walk
8+9 Faux Fight or Shadowbox
10   Walk
11  Sprint
12   Walk
13+14 Faux Fight or Shadowbox
15   Walk
16   Sprint
17   Walk
18+19 Faux Fight or Shadowbox 
20+ Walk until your heart rate recovers.

I was having so much fun that I went 30 minutes.  I was spent but energized afterwards.  Who besides people who love Rocky have punching bags? Don’t worry, you can still do it without a bag, just pretend you are Bruce Lee and shadowbox.  It’s sort of like pretending like you’re on Amercan Idol in the shower but you’ll burn more calories.  Forget for a few minutes how you really look and just go for it.  It’s fun! If you are pushing yourself I promise you will get a great workout. Of course, if you workout in a gym this workout may be a little conspicuous. 

xoxo
j 

My gym membership is officially cancelled.  I was sick my last week so I I didn’t even get to use it. Oh well. We scored a fantastic deal on a weight bench, squat rack, and set of olympic weights off of Craigslist.  I’m sooo excited. Ridiculously excited!  Forget about jewelry or shoes…I’m a beast! A scrawny beasty.

I’m also excited about spring. The time change reminds me it’s just around the corner. I know I live in Southern California so it’s mostly nice most the time.  But still.  I try to find simple things to stay get excited about and spring is one of them. The hills will be green for about 15 minutes before the summer dries them out and they turn a lovely golden.

Anyhoo in anticipation of warmer weather here’s a backyard or park sprint workout.

Scrawny Beasty Sprint Workout

Set up two markers, i.e., cones, dumbells, frisbees, ect. about 75-100 feet apart.

Starting at one marker sprint to the other marker and back.  
Do 10 pushups.
Sprint to the marker and back TWICE.
Do 9 pushups.
Sprint to the marker and back 3 TIMES.
Do 8 pushups.
Sprint to the marker and back 4 TIMES.
Do 7 pushups.
Sprint to the marker and back 5 TIMES.
Do 6 pushups.
Sprint to the marker and back 6 TIMES.
Do 5 pushups.
Sprint to the marker and back 7 TIMES.
Do 4 pushups.
Sprint to the marker and back 8 TIMES.
Do 3 pushups.
Sprint to the marker and back 9 TIMES.
Do 2 pushups.
Sprint to the marker and back 10 TIMES.
Do 1 push up. 

Rest as needed. “Girl” pushups are fine.  If you can do “boy” pushups.  Do what you can. If this is too easy repeat.  Just do something today!!!

xoxo
j

Generally I work hard at being a positive person.  Until I get sick.  Last week I got the flu and rather than write whiney posts about how bad I felt I decided to lock myself up in a dark room and feel sorry for myself.  Good times.  

I’ve been posting a lot of strength training workouts so I thought it was time for a cardio workout. 

20 Minute Treadmill Workout

Minutes 1-5 walk 15% incline
Minute 6 slow down treadmill and jump off for one minute of squats
Minutes 7-8 – 5% incline, walk one minute, sprint one minute, walk one minute
Minute 9 – slow down treadmill and jump off for one minute of lunges 
Minutes 10-12 – 5% incline, walk one minute, sprint one minute, walk one minute 
Minute 13 – slow down treadmill and jump off for one minute of squats
Minutes 14-16 – 5% incline walk one minute, sprint one minute, walk one minute 
Minutes 17-20 – walk at 15% incline

I hope all of you are staying healthy and working towards your goals!

xoxo
j

I like simplicity.  Maybe it’s because I’m such a nut and I need simplicity to balance out all the craziness in my head.  One of the simplest forms of exercises that you probably learned on the playground in elementary happens to be a fantastic workout: jumping rope. It’s another one of my backyard backup exercises.  Perfect when you just don’t have time or feel like going to the gym. And if you are a workout at home person it’s a must-have.  Depending on how hard you push yourself you can burn 10-20 calories a minute all while improving coordination and agility. And it’s cheap.  You can get a decent jumprope for less than $5.  The only problem is that it can a little frustrating. Despite learning how to do it over 20  years ago it’s still a challenge and I miss jumps. I think it’s fun to count my jumps until I miss then start over and try to get more jumps than the previous count. It’s also helpful to switch up jumps, i.e., do regular jumping, then skips, then if I’m feeling really brave and adventurous try rotating the rope backwards or do double jumps (which I’m really bad at).  Here is simple jumprope routine to do on cardio days.  

Jump Rope Workout

1 minute of basic traditional jumping
1 minute of punches (Don’t worry no one’s watching)  Here is the best video I could find online. 
30 seconds of high knees while jump-roping
30 seconds of butt kicks while jump-roping 
1 minute of controlled side kicks (like last week) 
1 minute of  backward jumping

Rest 30 seconds and repeat 2-3 more times. If you are able jump at high intensity and slow down for your punches and kicks so you heart rate can recover from the jumping.  Now go find some stairs so you can run to the top and hold your hands up above your head.

If you’re new to my blog I do my best to limit to restrain myself from Rocky references although every now and then I just can’t resist.

xoxo
j