ZWOW 5 Revisited

Just did ZWOW 5 again.  I used two 15 lb dumbbells.  But instead of doing 4 rounds of this:

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

I did 2 rounds of this (cause I didn't feel like counting rounds, I would have just gone straight through if I as able to do 40 reps of the curls/presses):

• 20 Bicep Curls with Shoulder Press
• 60 Medicine Ball Mountain Climbers
• 20 Sumo Deadlift w/upright row
• 10 Competition Burpee

My time was 10:48.  And I also did a 3 minute 6 count burpee buy in before I started, so since I did that first, the 10 burpees at the end of each round wasn't so bad. Pretty sweet.  The bicep curls/shoulder presses were brutal. 

Healthy Habits

I was busy today with life, but mostly decorating, I was spray painting lots and making fall decorations.  So, it's time to get ready for bed, so while the kids were having a snack of rolls and milk before bedtime I did a quick 10 minute workout - repeat the following circuit set 10 times:

• 50 mountain climbers
• 10 deadlifts (I held two 30 lb dumbbells)

It took me about a minute to do a set, so took me 10 minutes.  500 mountain climbers and 100 deadlifts total.  Quick workout, but I did it. 

I agree with Zuzka who said once that exercising is a hygiene like brushing your teeth, you just gotta do it and I don't feel complete if I don't do it.  It's an important habit to establish.  And speaking of habits, here's a good quote I heard at church on Sunday from the book The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg:

Habits, scientists say, emerge because the brain is constantly looking for ways to save effort. Left to its own devices, the brain will try to make almost any routine into a habit, because habits allow our minds to ramp down more often.

Habits aren’t destiny. Habits can be ignored, changed, or replaced. But the reason the discovery of the habit loop is so important is that it reveals a basic truth: When a habit emerges, the brain stops fully participating in decision making. It stops working so hard, or diverts focus to other tasks. So unless you deliberately fight a habit— unless you find new routines— the pattern will unfold automatically.

Anyone can use this basic formula to create habits of her or his own. Want to exercise more? Choose a cue, such as going to the gym as soon as you wake up, and a reward, such as a smoothie after each workout. Then think about that smoothie, or about the endorphin rush you’ll feel. Allow yourself to anticipate the reward. Eventually, that craving will make it easier to push through the gym doors every day.

So, go make a plan, establish a new habit, and you'll feel great cause you'll also be helping your brain relax.

ZWOW #35 - Sweat Everywhere

Another great workout from Zuzka ~

3 rounds for time - 1 round =

• 10 overhead squat with leg lift (with two 15 lb dumbbells)
• 10 competition burpees
• 10 pistol squats (5 each leg alternating)
• 40 chair hops
• 10 dive bombers

video here
zuzka's time - 3 rounds in 12:39
My time - 12:58

As I started my last divebombers it was 12:00, so I was just shooting to finish before 13, pushed hard and did it :) And now I definitely need to go stretch out my arms/shoulders, holy schmoly, woo.

You ready?  Steady - go!

(btw, I think putting divebombers right after the chair hops is pure cruelty for our arms!)

Pull Ups

The P90X program incorporates a lot of pullups.  When I did P90X, at my best I was able to do 3 unassisted pull ups.  Yesterday I was able to do one.  Going to see how long it takes me to work myself up to 3 and see maybe if I can do even more, like 5 maybe? 

I hadn't done them for quite a while, but then did 50 assisted pullups yesterday which was great, I can feel my back got a good workout.  The dumbbell pulls from ZWOW 34 work the same muscles in a different way, and I enjoyed those, so I think I'll incorporate those too.

Today was crazy busy and it's late and so I'm just going to do 40 divebombers as quickly as possible and planks while the kids floss and brush.  Doing a 400 lunge workout tomorrow.  :)

Dr. Oz's Green Drink

We had a great lesson at church this past Sunday about the Word of Wisdom which basically is the Lord's law of heath - simple rules to the wise for a longer life.  There are several things we are taught NOT to do, but doesn't stop there, there are things you SHOULD DO too!  So that was what the lesson focused on - DO eat herbs, fruit, meat sparingly and with thanksgiving, and grains.  She printed up Dr. Oz's green drink recipe for us, so I added it to my grocery list and I always run errands on Monday so yesterday I got all the goods and am going to made this drink everyday.  Yesterday I got Joe to try it, but that was it for the older kids.  Younger kids - Lily wasn't around, she would have tried it.  But Sophia -

She gives it two enthusiastic chubby cheeks up.

She was lappin' it up!

I did add a few drops of stevia, and I didn't just do the lime and lemon juice, I peeled it and threw the whole thing in, seeds and all.  Mmm!  Glad I have a power blender (my kids love the Will it Blend? videos)

Here is the recipe for it that he has on his website:

Make the breakfast drink that Dr. Oz swears by! This "green drink" is high in fiber, low-calorie and rich in vitamins:
Dr. Oz's Green Drink
2 cups spinach
2 cups cucumber
1 head of celery
1/2 inch or teaspoon ginger root
1 bunch parsley
2 apples
Juice of 1 lime
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Combine all ingredients in a blender. This makes approximately 28-30 ounces, or 3-4 servings.

but - the "head" of celery confused me - he didn't say a stalk of celery, but that would be just way to much to put the whole head in, right?  This was a helpful facebook comment by Maureen Burns, she said this was the recipe that Dr. Oz originally gave to Oprah:

Dr. Oz Green Drink Recipe.
2 apples, cored.
2 big handfuls of spinach.
1/2 cup of chopped parsley.
1 celery stick, chopped.
1 thumbnail length of ginger root, peeled.
1 lemon - juice only (use peel slice for zest).
1 medium cucumber.
Place ingredients in a blender, add 4 oz. spring water or a handful of ice cubes, then puree quickly for one minute. Makes two glasses of Dr. Oz’s green drink.

The green drink has a strong taste and if you are used to drinking soda or sweet tea, the taste will take some getting used to. Dr. Oz suggests adding other items at first to sweeten the green drink to your taste.

Green drink – Optional ingredients:

2nd cucumber
raw carrot
unsweetened fruit juice.
banana

I'm going to try to keep her eating healthy her whole life, we'll just avoid that whole fruit-loops route that throws off all their good baby habits.  Go Sophi!

MWO & Vivace

So, for My Work Out for today (MWO) I did

50 dumbell swings (with one 25 lb dumbell)
50 push ups on my toes (went slow, but I did it!)
50 hanging knee raises with a twist (I've got these "perfect pull up" hanging thingys below)
50 assisted pull ups (forearms were burning)

Then, as I blog-surfed over to Fitness in Reverse, where I linked to Vivace fitness, so I just did one round of Vivace #26

Good stuff!  And I'm done for today!

ZWOW #34 - Beg For It To End

This workout is a shoulder burner for sure!!

3 rounds for time, 1 round =

• 20 Squat Hops (two 15 lb dumbells)
• 20 Bent Over Rows (two 15 lb dumbells)
• 20 Walking Lunges (two 15 lb dumbells)
• 20 Plank Pulls (one 40 lb dumbell) 

Video here
Zuzka's time 14:02
My time: 14:03  :)
I did 40 lbs for all 3 rounds of the plank pulls, but I think mine slid a lot easier on the carpet than Zuzka's did on that rubber floor she was working on. 

Staying Young

One of the reasons exercise is important to me is so that I can stay trim and strong enough to keep up with my kids.  That's for right now - the bonus will be that hopefully I'll still be able to still keep up with them and their kids too in another 40 years.  40 years from now will put me at 76 years old.  A friend from high school who I played soccer with posted these pictures of her parent's, 73 and 75, hiking Rattlesnake Gulch with her through Ashdown Gorge - that's a 10 mile hike!  

That's gonna be me, baby!  Staying young to me means being able to move your body in the ways your brain tells it to, so keep those muscles strong and stretched and your joints moving, don't get stiff, stay young and limber.  

I'm going to go do some yoga now ~ :)

ZWOW #33

15 Minute AMRAP

10 Side Lunge Burpees (alternate side lunges, so 5 each side)
10 Pulse Squat Jumps (10 pulses + 1 jump = 1 rep)
10 James Bond Lunges
15 Side Plank Leg Lift - plank up on your hand, not elbow - (move your lifted foot to back then front again = 1 rep, do 15 each side)

video here
Z got 3 rounds + 1 side lunge burpee

I didn't do it along with her, I'm going to do it tonight and I'm gonna beat her score!!!  (fingers crossed)

~~ Later ~~

Ok, those pulse jumps were brutal.  I think my form wasn't perfect with the james bond lunges, and re-watching her video I also probably should have kept my legs straighter during the leg lifts, but still, I did pretty good!  In the 15 minutes I finished 3 rounds, 10 burpees, and 6 pulse jumps.  I finished up that round and so did 4 rounds in 17:09.  Great workout!

Killer 600

Today's workout: do this 150 rep circuit 4 times

• 50 walking lunges with bicep curls (two 12 lb dumbells)
• 30 Supergirl planks
• 50 deadlifts (w/two 30 lbs dumbells)
• 20 Spider Woman Push ups

Here's the Spider Woman Push Ups

and the Supergirl Plank & Reach

Good luck!

--- Later after the torture---

Ugh, sometimes I wish I do it before I post it, cause after 2 rounds I was ready to bailout. I was thinking "2 rounds, 14 minutes, that's good enough" but then I said "no, keep going" then I almost died during the 3rd round and kept getting interrupted by kids (was kinda grateful for the interruptions though so I could catch my breath and ease my muscles), so 3 rounds I was at 24 minutes.  The Push ups were the hardest for me, good thing there was only 20 of them.  Come on, that's really good enough right, but my conscience wouldn't let me quit then cause I titled this Killer 600, not killer 450. (stupid title), so I finished it up at 34 minutes.  And I was shaky and so glad it was over!!!  Wasn't quite feeling like a soldier this time, felt wasted. I was frowning and I meant it, hence today's workout song.

12 Minutes of Planks

Been a little off the wagon with my planks lately, but I did them last night as I waited for the kids to brush teeth and get in pjs before scripture reading.  I did 3 min center plank on carpet, not the yoga mat, which is harder cause my toes want to slide, so I think it works a few extra muscles.  Then 1 minute side planks alternating 3 times, so 6 minutes there, then a 3 minute reverse plank,

...which I sometimes switch to table top and table with leg lift to help the time pass, it's a burner for sure.  I also usually let my head hang back/relax when I do it.

I found those images on Sensational Yoga Poses - looks like a good site!

100 Burpees Like A Soldier!

My workout for the day, doing burpees to the Killers and feeling like a soldier!


Do 10 rounds
1 round =

• 10 burpees
• 10 high knees 
• 10 jump lunges
• 10 jumping jacks

I had several interruptions from the kids as I did this, so I didn't time myself, and overall it took me 45 minutes to finish all 100.  I'm going to work on making sure I do the recovery squat properly when I do burpees - Here is a video showing proper form for a 6 count burpee, which is what I'm referring to if I say "burpee"

ZWOW #32 - Show Me Your Strength

Equipment: Two 25 lb. dumbbells, chair, exercise mat

Do 3 rounds
1 round =

• 60 Side Hops (over your dumbbells)
• 10 Chair Dips
• 10 Broad Jumps
• 5 Thrusters w/weights (10 mini pulse with 1 Thrust = 1 rep)
• 10 Russian Twists (heels on ground holding 1 weight)

* Bonus *  1 mile or 8 minute run

Zuzka's time 9:55 for workout, then add the 8 min run
Video Here