To Gym or Not to Gym

I think I'm going to join the gym.  Winter is killing me, so it's either get a treadmill or join the gym, since the jumping workouts are not an option for me right now, and the gym looks a little more enticing since a little monthly membership is more doable for the budget than me forking over more money or saving for a few months.  Gotta do something now. 

I haven't been going outside cause it's still freaking cold and I'm sick of winter.  So, since I haven't been getting any cardio these past few weeks and since my brain telling my body "You're anemic, you don't have energy" ~ my response is a daily afternoon nap.  I'm packing on the pounds too fast, which kills my motivation even more and I just say "forget it, I'll start over after the baby comes" but that's not till July and I really don't want to gain 10 pounds again this month (2 months in a row!).  Yup, just not feeling the get go to get going.  I'm not getting endorphins and I'm not feeling like exercise, and I know I should just "do it" but I'm not. 

So, got a 7 day free pass to a new gym near by, going to give it a try tonight and take Joseph with me, cause he's a little energizer bunny.  He got a 7 day pass to go with Joe but then only went once and he was a little bumbed.  That one day they did go, though, my little track star Joe ran a mile at a 9.5 pace the whole time!!!  I've done 9.5 pace for 1 minute intervals, but thassit.  And that killed me.  I was so impressed, which made Joe even more excited to tell me that after that mile he took a breather for a few minutes then did it again at a 10mph pace.  (Corey joked that the gym security came to escort Joseph out cause he was making everyone else look bad.)  So I'll let you know how the gym goes tonight. 

20 Weeks - Stretching

20 weeks today, I'm half way there. Parents.com says:
Baby's Length: 6-6.5 in.
Baby's Weight: 9-10 oz.
Baby's Size: Coconut

So yea, half way.  It feels like it's been a loooong winter... My sister Trice, is almost at just 100 days left, that's pretty cool.  Last week I just took it easy, kinda like a recovery week.  I did planks one day and 60 deadlifts on another day but that was it.

Today I did 12 minutes of planks and lots of stretching as I sat on the floor and read a book.  I'm feeling pretty tight so I'm having Melodie start coaching me, she's my uber-flexible ballerina daughter.  She's been able to do the splits since she was a baby, so jealous.

(But also happy that I can live out my childhood dreams through her!)  :)  She can do the forward stretch splits complete rotation thing that the yoga lady does at the beginning of this video here.



I really want to get flexible and open my hips! I don't feel like I'm stressed much these days, but like the little saying she uses "your issues are in your tissues" - and my hips and shoulders got some issues that need to be dealt with.

Anyway, pretty amazing.  So that's my ultimate goal for someday.  For now my goal is to just be able to put my chest to the floor.  Even with a tummy growing, I think I can progress over the next 20 weeks and then once the baby is born maybe we'll see if I can reach that first step, a year from now we'll see how close I am to splits. 

19 Weeks & Anemia

19 weeks today.

And last week I got the official word from the nurse that I'm anemic.  I have been the past 3 pregnancies.  I just learned via google that it's pretty common, about 80% of pregnant women are anemic.  Any iron storage I may have once had is pretty much depleted in this 9th baby round.  I got back my lab results last week and even though I was already taking my prenatal vitamin and an additional iron supplement, they were still a little low.  Doh.  My doctor gave me a different brand of iron to use for a few weeks, so we'll see if that helps my energy at all.  What to do.  I did good working out the first part of the week last week but then my energy was gone on Thursday and Friday, didn't workout Saturday either.  Friday I did faint though.  I had eaten breakfast and taken my supplements then went to the temple and fainted during initiatories.  Luckily I was sitting down when my dizzy spell came on, which I thought was weird to have it happen while I was sitting, but I was glad I didn't hit the floor and no one had to catch me.  When I came to the nice temple lady was there just holding my hand letting me know I had just passed out and a medical guy was coming to help me.  My color had returned but they were nice and gave me some OJ and I was able to finish the work. 

So, my new focus this week is diet - (should be doable now that all the Valentine chocolates are gone, haha.)  I've been doing lousy at diet up til now and just eating whatever junk I crave, but I'm going to force myself to eat salads and protein and healthy food.  Some foods it recommends online: Eat foods rich in iron, such as liver, beef, whole-grain breads and cereals, eggs and dried fruit. Eat foods high in folic acid, such as wheat germ, beans, peanut butter, oatmeal, mushrooms, collards, broccoli, beef liver and asparagus. Eat foods high in vitamin C, such as citrus fruits and fresh, raw vegetables. Vitamin C makes iron absorption more efficient. Take prenatal vitamin and mineral supplements, especially folic acid.

That's a lot of food to eat.  Hope I don't gain another 10 pounds this next month...  My 4th to 5th month is when I usually pack most of my weight on.  I say it's cause my babies are believers in food storage so they like to get that taken care of first thing, making sure their milk supply is ready for them.  Also going to google around some more a little each day and see what else I can learn about helping myself with this anemia (any advice from Dr. Read?) and I'm taking naps. 

As for workouts, I did some lat pulls today Body for Life style and got a great burn for my arms with my last 24 reps at 85lbs.  Also did 12 minutes of planks.  Going to try to just eat well, keep my core strong (I think my doing planks totally helped me during my quick delivery and fast recovery last pregancy) and do yoga and stretching.  :)

18.2 - Modified ZWOW #26

18 weeks and 2 days today.  I have my ultrasound on Valentine's Day and we'll see if it's a boy or girl!  We are not planning on telling the kids though.  :)  Gonna make them wait till the big day, we'll see if I can resist 20 weeks of their nagging to know!

Yesterday I did 12 minutes of planks in the morning and 400 lunges at night.  Trying to catch up from missing workouts on Friday and Saturday (kids throwing up everynight here since last Wednesday, laundry laundry, la la la.)

This morning I modified ZWOW #26 - video here.  My modified version is below - (or see the original write up of her workout here or just watch the video)

Do two 5 minute rounds for a 10 minute workout, each exercise is 30 seconds. 
1 round = 

1. Left plank with leg lift, with 4 mountain climbers in between each one
2. Right plank with leg lift, with 4 mountain climbers in between each one
3. Left side elbow plank hip raises
4. Right side elbow plank with hip raises
5. Side to Side Squat
6. Side to side push ups
7. Knee hugs (did this holding my legs up behind my knees)
8. Elbow center plank
9. Pike Press
10. Plank with alternating toe taps out to side with straight leg

17.5 - Modified ZWOW #32

I modified this quite a bit to make it very low impact.  

Do 3 rounds - 1 round =

• 100 mountain climbers
• 10 Chair Dips
• 1 minute left side plank hold
• 1 minute right side plank hold
• 5 Thrusters w/weights (10 mini pulse with 1 Thrust = 1 rep, I used two 15 lb dumbbells)
  
• 20 pushups on toes

Then for a bonus, she goes for a run.  I did another 500 mountain climbers.
Video Here

My first round time: 6:21
2nd round (got interrupted before the push ups at 5:10, and with that break, I was barely able to do all 20 in a row for time of 5:50
3rd round - 6:29, push ups killed me, but this workout was an arm burner for sure, woo!

Then I took a breather and did 500 mountain climbers in 6:50 - pushing hard to finish before 7 minutes, just did quick toe taps, not full footed climbs.  My shoulders are toasted.

Modified ZWOW #6

Today I did a modified version of ZWOW 6 - Video Here

I'm probably crazy, but I'm going to go for 10 rounds for time.

1 round =

• 10x  Pulse Plyo Jump (1-2-3 Jump)
• 8x  Side Burpees (I'm going to step out instead of jump out)
• 6x  Jump Lunge Kick Ups (I'm going to do 3 walking lunges with a kick for 1 rep, then repeat 6x)

In that video she does as many rounds as she can in 10 minutes, but I'm planning on doing 10 rounds for time.

- PLAN ABOVE, ACTUAL WORKOUT BELOW - 

1 round =

• 10x  Pulse Plyo Jump (CHECK)
• 8x  Side Burpees (A FEW TIMES I DID PUSH UPS OR PLANKS TO GIVE MY LEGS A REST)
• 6x  Jump Lunge Kick Ups (CHECK, except the final round I did deadlifts)

1st Round -1:54 with side burpees
2nd Round - 4:13 with 20 push ups on toes
3rd - 6:23 with 20 push ups on toes
4th - 8:44 with a 1 min center plank
5th - 11:19 with a 1 minute center plank
6th - 13:56 with walkout side burpees
7th - 16:06 with 20 push ups without taking a break! Yeah!
8th - 19:03 w/20 push ups - took breaks on those ones
9th &10th - 20 pulse jumps, 2 minute center plank hold, and 40 deadlifts w/two 30lb dumbbells

Final Time: 25:41
GOOD WORKOUT.  Stretch it out

17.2 - Killer 500

17 weeks yesterday.  Yesterday I did a 3 minute center plank and 3 minute yoga table, then I got interrupted and never made it back.  Make it up today with a good Killer workout.

10 Exercises, 50 reps each - for time - video here (11 exercises in the video, but I skipped #8 the Star Crunches)

1. Backward Lunge Kick Up (25x each leg)
2. Walk Over Push Ups (50 reps)
3. Mountain Climber (50 reps)
4. Sumo Squats Knee Up (50 reps alternating)
5. One Leg Bridge Leg Lift (25x each leg)
6. Side to Side Squat Leg Lift (50 reps alternating)
7. One Arm Side Push Up (25 each side)
8. Diagonal Touch Down (25x each side)
9. Side Plank Lifts (25x each side)
10. One Leg Wall Sit (25x each leg)

My time was 22:02.  I did 20 push ups on my toes, the other 30 on my knees.  Push ups are killing my arms right now, I should do them more to get stronger at them.  Maybe I could have a goal to do 100 push ups on my toes by July when I deliver?  :) Side Plank lifts were pretty brutal too. Gotta work on my arms and wrists.