Dip Station DIY

I'm just taking a guess at this one, but I think a metal walker would work just as good as a dip station for exercises like diagonal knee raises or 3 point abs, not sure if the bars would mess up reverse push ups? Still, this walker is less than $50, compared to the Ultimate Press which is $100. I think I'm going to check out the local thrift store to see what I can find. :) Although I do think the Equalizer things look good and versatile, so I'd consider that before the Ultimate Body Press.


You can also use two chairs, but that hurts my hands if I don't wear exercise gloves. I also sometimes use some central Vac tubes in my basement, lol

Killer 550

11 Exercises, 50 reps each - for time

• Backward Lunge Kick Up (25x each leg)
• Walk Over Push Ups (50 reps)
  
• Mountain Climber (50 reps)
  
• Sumo Squats Knee Up (50 reps alternating)
• One Leg Bridge Leg Lift (25x each leg)
• Side to Side Squat Leg Lift (50 reps alternating)
  
• One Arm Side Push Up
• Star Crunch (50 reps)
• Diagonal Touch Down (25x each side)
• Side Plank Lifts (25x each side)
• One Leg Wall Sit (25x each leg)
  

Z's score = 32:46

Video Here

Brutal 500

10 Exercises, 50 reps each - as fast as possible

• Prisoner Squats (50 reps)
  
• Sit Ups (50 reps)
  
• Pendulum Lunge (25 reps each leg, 1 time back & forward = 1 rep)
  
• Push Ups (50 reps)
• Reptile (plank knees to elbows, 50 reps switching legs)
• Turkish Get Ups (50 reps alternating)
  
• Side V-Crunch (25 each side)
  
• Split Push Ups (50 reps)
• Jump Forward & Two Jumps Back (50 reps total)
• Reverse Plank Knee Tucks (50 reps total)

Z's score - 32:46
Video here

ZWOW #11 - Mule Kicks

Do as many rounds as possible in 10 minutes - or - do 5 rounds for time

1 round =

• Mule Kick (10x)
• Sumo Push Up (10x)
• Side Jump Lunges (20x)

Z's score: 5 rounds
Video here

200 Side Plank Lift Challenge

• Side Plank Lift (left side)100 reps
• Side Plank Lift (right side)100 reps

Here's a demo on your hands from (:19 - :30) or here if you want to do it on your elbows (cause doing it on your hands is a little hard on the wrists)

Tuesday Workout

Kept trying to workout yesterday, but since I didn't get it done in the morning before the kids got up I kept getting interrupted, so I got little exercises in throughout the day, plus it was kind of an "active rest" day cause I was vacuuming up a storm (got a refurbished Kirby yesterday and it is awesome!)

But I did hold a handstand for 1 minute and a wheel for 1:15, plus did some mountain climbers, but kept getting interrupted and loosing count.

This morning I did it kid free and scored 500 mountain climbers (with tip of toe taps, not full ball of foot on the ground) in 5:28 - good score, arms were burning.

I'm feeling like I want to get a good concentrated workout for my abs, they've been burned lately, but haven't been sore for a while. I did buy these abs straps many moons ago, think I'll do a killer 300 abs exercise or something today.

Yo Te Quiero Workout

Jess from BRtv posted this and I wrote it down, can't find the original post but a quick googling just got me this link, so there ya go if you want some scores to compare to.

Do each exercise in a round for 1 minute each (or set your gymboss for 10/50). Repeat round one more time for a total 12 minute workout

1 round =

• Plank Jacks (hold a plank on your elbows or hands, jump your feet out and in like if you were doing a jumping jack)
• Rocket Launchers (1-2-3 squat jacks then jump up on count 4, repeat - for the 1-2-3 do out-in-out UP in-out-in UP repeat)
• Plank Hops (aka Ski Abs, demo at 0:00 - 0:10)
• Side Jump Lunges
• Pendulum (demo at 5:39)
• 1 Jump Forward/2 Hops Back (that's self explanatory, right?)
  

Share your scores in the comments

Killer 600

• Burpees with Calf Raises - 60 reps
  
• One Leg Push Ups – 60 reps (switching legs)
• Jump Lunges – 60 reps
• One Leg Dead Lifts – 60 reps total (30 on each leg)
• Crunches with Leg Extensions – 60 reps
• Prisoner Squat and Front Kick – 60 reps (switching legs)
• One Leg Tricep Dip – 60 reps (switching legs)
• One Leg Jump – 60 reps total (30 on each leg)
• Chest Lift _ 60 reps
• Over the Chair Kick – 60 reps total

Z's score = 33:38

Video here

Weight

Don't live by the scale. Don't weigh yourself everyday if you know it's good or bad number makes your mood swing (that's what happens to me).


Weighing yourself is only one way to see what is happening in your body. You can also take waist measurements or have a goal set of pants that you can work towards wearing again. But don't weigh yourself everyday. Once a week is enough. Pick a day and then every week at the same time weigh yourself and that week will give enough time for you to see some progress to where your headed.

Got A Treadmill?

This one had me laughing so hard, I honestly don't understand what some of those people were thinking! Like who would think "I bet I can ride my pogo stick on the treadmill..." Funny!

Killer Plank

Running around a little crazy today - Corey left for Chile, I'm going up to visit my brother and I'm going to try and put him through a quick 10 minute torture session (he doesn't know it yet... haha!) I did do my planks today - 12 minutes total, but for my 3 min of center planks, I switched 1:30 of the center planks for KILLER PLANKS, aka swiss ball planks, there are several names for it. Here's the how to: Get up on your hands, put your feet or shins on an exercise ball and hold it - it really increases the intensity!

Deadlifts and Dive Bomberes Make Me Sore!

So I'm posting some workouts for my friends here who are just starting to get in shape - they don't have weight to loose (from what I can tell) but are wanting to get strong. So the workouts I've been posting are made with them in mind. For myself, I sometimes do those workouts, sometimes do ones that are a little harder. I do have 20 lbs to lose, but am also feeling happy and strong, grateful to be where I'm at in my fitness right now.

That said, I wanted to really push and get a lower body workout this week that would make me sore, and got it doing Romanian Deadlifts with two 30 lbs. dumbbells. This was an exercise I was able to do when I was pregnant. I really like deadlifts. And it worked, I did these on Thursday and was sore Friday. So Friday I was thinking I wanted to even things up with my upper body, so I did .... DIVE BOMBERS. 40 of them to be exact. I started out wanting to do as many as I could in 10 minutes via Zuzana, but only made it 4 mintues in and needed to switch it up cause i was dead. Didn't take 24 hours to feel those. I did them around 7:30 a.m. and was sore at lunch. Still have a little bit of it today, love it!

Here were the workouts I did Thursday and Friday:

Deadlift Fusion
gymboss 10/50
1) flying lunge
2) deadlift for 2 min (two 30 lb dumbbells)
3) side to side with leg side lift alt
4) deadlift for 2 min again
5) wheel
6) walking push up
7) reverse pull up 2 minutes
8) 3 point abs
9) side to side w/leg side lift alt
10) superman pulse
11) jumpy frog
12) superman swimmer
13) dumbbell swings w/30 lb
14) wheel - held for 1:11!
= workout took me 20 minutes. I didn't plan it really except for the deadlifts.

Friday Mountain Climber 400 Fusion -
did 40 mountain climbers after each of the following exercises:
40 dive bombers - did first 10 on toes, rest on knees
40 plank jacks
40 shoulder press w/two 12 lb dmbls
40 laying tricep extensions
40 reverse push ups
= took me 17:58

So I did planks today to get in my 3 days of planks this week, but didn't do the ZWOW since I blasted my legs and don't think they'd handle the reptile burpees very well, but Corey's still working at his computer, it will be midnight in 10 minutes, I guess that gives me enough time... Ok, I'll do it, be right back!

ZWOW #10 - High Knees, Reptiles & Kettlebells

Complete as many rounds as possible (AMRAP) in 10 minutes

1 round =

• Jump Rope / High Knees (100x)
• Reptile Burpees (20x)
• Kettlebell Jumps (20x)

Video Here
Z's score: 2.5 rounds

Active Rest

This is self explanatory, right? Just be active today with the normal things you do - for me that includes vacuuming, probably weekend yard work, of go on a walk outside. Be active and take a break and get rest up for the Killer or Brutal workout on Monday!

300 Challenge

10 exercises, do 30 reps each as fast as you can

• Jack Squats
• Supergirl
• Back Lunge w/knee up - left
• Back Lunge w/knee up - right
• Push Up w/Cross tummy toe touch
• Burpees
• Mountain Climbers
• Jump Lunges
• Floor Jacks
  
• Jump Knee Tuck

This one was from Kristi Approved's blog, which has since gone private, so I don't have a video of these. Leave a comment or email if you don't know one how to do one of the exercises.

Chocolate Spinach Protein Shake

I have one of these shakes almost every day - takes care of any chocolate cravings with the added bonus that it's got a major servings of greens. If you want to try it yourself, then simply

Blend:

1 cup of water
1 handful of spinach
1 heaping Tablespoon of Cocoa Powder
1 scoop of protein powder
5-8 drops of vanilla Stevia
1/2 frozen banana
1 tray of ice cubes (half filled)

Then sprinkle with 1/2 c. cereal

Step One:
Get your blender - add 1 cup of water and a handful of spinach - start easy on the spinach if this is your first time, I've warped my tastebuds so much that I can add a ton and not notice it. By myself I usually go through the big Costco spinach bag in 10 days


Step Two:
Add Stevia, cocoa powder, and Protein Powder


Making sure there's enough cocoa powder will over power the spinach taste


Step Three:
Add frozen bananas and ice
I slice my bananas length wise and put them in sandwich bags to freeze, then break them in pieces when I put it in the blender



You'll want to put them in the pitcher in this order - start with the water and spinach to get the blender blades at the bottom of the pitcher going nicely, powders next so they are locked in the middle, topped with ice and bananas to keep the powders in.

Blend into a nice and yummy brown and green goop!


Great thing about it, most of my kids don't pester me asking if they can have some. My toddler loves it though, I usually share a cup with her

Sprinkle with 1/2 cup of cereal - I think Honey Sunshine is the best for chocolate protein shakes - seriously makes it taste like an ice cream cone!



Total Calories = about 310
1 handful of spinach - 20?
1 heaping Tablespoon of Cocoa Powder - 24
1 scoop of protein powder - 140 (Cytosport Whey)
1/2 frozen banana - 60
1/2 cup Kashi Honey Sunshine - 66

Melissa Power Workout

This one is 21 minutes =

500 + Calorie Burn Body Weight Only Workout~

7 exercises, do each exercise for 1 minute or 50 seconds with a 10 second rest), complete 3 rounds

1 round =

• Squat w/ Oblique Twist, alternating
• Curtsy back lunge w/straight leg kick, alternating
• Side lunges touching the floor
• Modified Pike Press/ Tricep combo alternating legs
• Jack planks 4, hold advanced bird dog for 2 seconds combo
• Scorpion Toe Touch
• Plank Walk Side to Side
  

This workout video is done by Melissa Power
Watch the video on her blog here or on youtube here

And here's a website that has a timer

Insanity For Beginners

Today's workout is from Insantity - here's the plan:

Do the Insanity Warm up just one time (in the video link below he does the warm up three times, we're just going to do it once)

video here (0:00 - 3:15) that shows the warm up
30 seconds each of:
1) jog in place
2) jumping jacks
3) Heisman
4) 1-2-3- Heisman
5) butt kicks
6) high knees
7) mummy

Then stretch for a few minutes, then on to the Plyometric Cardio Circuit Part 1 (we'll just do part 1, which will be about 9 minutes, giving us a good 12+ minutes of killing ourselves for the day in typical Zuzka fashion)

30 seconds each with no rest in between - push yourself!! (a demo of this guys first round starts at :40-2:40)
1) Suicide drills
2) power squats
3) Standing Mountain Climbers
4) Ski Downs
5) 30 second break
repeat that 3 times but...

...on the 3rd round, skip the last break and add the 1:30 minute bonus 30 sec each 7:40 - 9:10)
1) switch feet
2) wide football sprint & set
3) sprint in place

and remember to do planks sometime during the day too - while you're watching tv or something :)

HAVE FUN!!! (evil laugh...hahaha!)

Tuesday - 10 minutes of Torture

Here's Tuesday's Workout:, but do not be deceived by the name:

4 minute workout

Good news - This workout would only be 4 minutes if you have a gymboss timer!

Bad news - We're not going to use our gymboss timers! But that's okay, this will still be short and sweet. (I'll do it this harder way too - but it's going to made it longer than 4 minutes...) so get a clock or watch (with a second hand if you can) and start your engines!

one round =

• Blaster Push Up 5x
  
• Jumper 5x

SO, let's do 10 rounds as fast as you can
mark, set, GO!

Ok, I'm done - and ok, that was killer, but good - I did the first round in 50 seconds, so I tried to keep up with that, got a little behind on some rounds, but really pushed and caught up with the clock during the last 3 rounds and I barely made my goal - I did 10 rounds in 9:59!

Let me know how ya do!

(and later in the day do the Tuesday Bonus: do a handstand again for as long as you can. - I'm going to do it during the commercials when we're watching biggest loser tonight. For some reason my kids are more loyal to that show as I am)

And another side note, I broke through a wall this morning - my weight was 139.4!! I broke through the 140 wall that I've been at for two months, I'm very pleased. :)

A Delicious and Healthy Salad

Here's a delicioso salad that I got from a dear neighbor Sue many moons ago

(I stole this picture from The Fresh Plate blog cause I didn't have a picture of mine and this one is about the same.)

2/3 or 1/3 cup canola oil (pending how healthy you're trying to be, I usually go 1/3)
1/4 c. balsamic vinegar
1/4 c. cilantro
1/8 c. lime juice
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp. salt

That was the recipe Sue passed on to me after a lunch where I was in awe at how good this was. I do the salad different everytime, but here's a list of the things I add:

black beans
kidney beans
pinto beans
tomatoes
sweet corn (frozen kind from Costco tastes best I think)
hominy
red or yellow peppers
green peppers
yellow onions
red onion
green onion
avocado
etc... just experiment, it always turns out delicious!

Beginner Plank Exercises

If you're just beginning to exercise, start with this essential plank exercises on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays for 4 weeks.

1) center plank 3 times in a row for 45 - 60 seconds each, 15 second rest in between

2) right side plank (demonstration video here starting at :42) - hold a side plank and lower your hip to the ground and then raise it up high,
3 sets of 10 reps, 15 second rest inbetween.

3) left side plank - repeat for the left side

Do those three exercises in a row during the week. Next week if you want some variety, you can do the planks in a round 3x - center plank once, right side plank, left side plank, then repeat the round 2 more times

P90X and Insanity

Just a few of my thoughts on P90X and Insanity.

I did P90X after pregancies 6 and 7 and Insanity after pregnancy 8.

(I always feel like I'm starting from square one after each baby... it stinks, those darn pregnancy hormones turn me into a different person that loves sweets, is tired, and unmotivated to exercise. Not a good combination.)

P90X is mostly an exercise program, although they did send me a recipe booklet with the package. I didn't focus on diet much when I did it, I just focused at staying with the workout schedule and I got down to 135 after pregnancy 6. I was happy to be there again but still not totally content, wishing I could loose the last 10-15 lbs somehow (I'm 5'2" and the lowest I've been was 120 after pregnancy 4. I don't know what my waist or hip measurements were at that time)

I knew I wasn't focusing on my diet like I should, but I felt that was too hard cause I was really hungry all the time - all that hungry muscle wanting to be fed so it could be ready for the next workout. So I never got down to my goal weight of 120-125. Plus I also knew when I started P90X that it wasn't something I could do forever - too boring to always do workouts via dvd and also too much time each day. Atleast too much time for a busy mom.

Then pregnancy #7 and it's accompanying blessing of little Lily arrived in summer '09. Starting from scratch again, at 3 weeks post baby I was 175-180 lbs and I started P90X for exercising again, but no real diet plan. Slowly but surely I got to 145-150 by February 2010 but was kinda stuck there and just didn't have the motivation to keep putting in an hour and a half of exercising a day.

Insanity is shorter in it's time duration than P90X. The first month is pretty do-able, with a warm up, workout, and cool down in about a half hour. The second month they double the intensity/insanity I hear. I didn't make it that far. Here I am after pregnancy 8 ended in June and trying to kick it in gear. I didn't buy Insanity but I did it for one week with my sister in law in November by watching online recordings of the videos. Looks good, but again, especially with how intense those second 30 days are, I'd say it's not something you can adapt as a new lifestyle.

If you're looking to lose weight and train for some event or reach a goal, go for it, but my goal is to be thin, strong, and flexible. I'm not going for bodybuilder strong, just strong enough for my needs as a mom. I'm not training for an iron man or marathon at this point in my life, so as I've tried to find a program that meets my needs, I realized it's not Insanity or P90X - for me they aren't realistic time wise or necessary goal wise.


Workouts that are compatible for a busy mom lifestyle are short workouts (short as 10 - 15 minutes a day or as long as 30-40 minutes, no more) that don't leave me so famished and hungry that I blow my diet. Zuska's ZWOW workouts and Bodyrock are two examples of workout styles that are realistic and work for busy mom's trying to stay healthy and fit, with the added bonus that they can be done at home, so no $ from the family budget has to go to a gym membership and no time is wasted with that extra 20-30 minutes driving to the gym.

I did bodyrock for about a year when we lived abroad in Costa Rica and Chile from Sep 2010 to May 2011. Now I'm home and continue to do those kinds of workouts and add any new things I find online. I plan on putting up a basic weekly workout which will be the basic schedule I plan on following throughout this year.

So there are some of my thoughts on what's worked and not worked for me. I hope you find a program that works for you!

Music

Here are some fun songs that help me get moving in the mornings all by The Killers on their Day and Age album, the kids and I like to dance to these ones the most-

Spaceman - That video is so random and weird and silly, I think it's funny :)

I Can't Stay

Joyride (that one is like disco music funky)

This Is Your Life

ZWOW #9 - Warehouse Santanas

Complete as many rounds as possible (AMRAP) in 10 minutes or do 4 rounds for time

1 round =

• Santana Push Up with 180 Jump turn (10x)
• 3 mini squats with a jump tuck = 1 rep (10x)
• Crab Toe Touches (30x)
• Low Jacks (20x)

Video Here
Z's score: 3.5 rounds in 10 min

ZWOW #8 - Asphalt Dragon Lunges

Complete 6 rounds for time:

1 round =

• Forward/backward jump squats (10x)
• Dragon Lunge Back w/weight (10x)
• Toe Touch Jump Up (10x)
• Side Plank Leg Lift (10x each side)

Video Here
Zuzka's time was 15:21
You can post your time in the comments

ZWOW #7 - Warehouse Lovebends

Complete 3 rounds for time:

1 round =

• Jump lunge side kick (10x)
• Supergirl Push Ups (10x)
• Jump rope (2 min)
• Love Bends w/KB (10x each side)

Video Here
Zuzka's time was 16:08
You can post your time in the comments

ZWOW #6 - 6 a.m. AMRAP

Complete as many rounds as possible (AMRAP) in 10 minutes
(...or you can do 5 rounds for time)

1 round =

• Pulse Plyo Jumps (10x)
• Side Burpees (8x)
• Jump lunge kick up (6x)

Video Here
Zuzka did 5 1/2 rounds in 10 minutes

ZWOW #5 - Beautiful Day AMRAP

Complete as many rounds as possible (AMRAP) in 10 minutes
(or you can do 4 rounds for time)

1 round =

• Bicep Curls with Shoulder Press (10x)
• Medicine Ball Mountain Climbers (30x)
• Sumo Deadlift w/upright row (10x)
• Competition Burpees (5x)

Video Here
Zuzka's score: one burpee shy of 4 rounds

ZWOW #4 - Black & White

Complete 3 rounds for time

1 round =

• Pendulums (50x)
• Burpees (20x)
• Kettlebell Swings (20x)
• Push ups/leg twist (10x)
• Squats (5x)
• Jump rope (2 min)

Video here
Zuzka's time 27:55

ZWOW #3 - Pyramid Reps

ZWOD is now ZWOW

Complete the following round of exercises following a pyramid of reps:
1st round = each exercise 5x
2nd round = each exercise 10x
3rd round = each exercise 15x
4th round = each exercise 10x
5th round = each exercise 5x

watch the video for a demonstration

the exercises are:

• Split Squat Jump
• One Leg Lunge
• Push up with Superman Pulse
• Skater jumps

Zuzka's time: 18:18

ZWOW #2 - Manmakers

Complete 3 rounds for time

1 round =

• Manmakers (5x)
• Low Burpee Hops (20x)
• Twisted Push Ups (10x)
• Competition Sit Ups (25x)

Videos here:
Part 1 and Part 2

Zuzka's time = 14:43

ZWOW #1 - She's Back

She's back!!

Complete as 3 rounds for time

1 round =

• Dive bombers (10x)
• 5 Burpees
• Squat with Side Leg Lift (20/20)
• 5 Burpees
• Side Plank Lift (10/10)
• 5 Burpees
• Pistol Squat (10x)
• 5 Burpees

Part 1 and Part 2
Zuzka's time = 24:03
"I'm not giving up, you'd have to kill me!"

400 Walking Lunges

I had a scare with my last pregnancy when I did some jump lunges, thought I was miscarrying again, and I felt a little defeated at first, like there wasn't a way I could get an intense workout in while I was pregnant. And it's true if you want intense and short. When you're pregnant, I think you have to just be patient and allow yourself more time for longer workouts to get the intensity you want - more reps instead of faster movements.

So instead of doing jump lunges, with my last pregnancy I did walking lunges. Lots of them. I'd go on a walk and do several sets of 50 lunges during the time. I started off doing 200 lunges, and I added another 50 every couple of weeks until I was doing 400 lunges. I did 400 lunges the day before my baby was born, and then I did 400 lunges again the week after she was born. Walking lunges is a measuring stick I use for myself. I've been doing Zwow lately and haven't measured my fitness via walking lunges for over 2 months...

until last night. I did them around 10:30 pm (daylight saving time has cursed my get to bed early habit) and I timed myself, I did 4 sets of 100 and my record was 100 walking lunges in 2:50. I did them late enough that I don't think my body had a chance to get sore yet, but I'm sure I'll be feeling it a lot tonight and tomorrow.

I'm going to keep up with this 400 walking lunges challenge and plan to go it once a month. I'll keep track of my scores in the comments.