Workout for the week ... 20 minutes is all it takes!

If you are like me you are always looking for something a different workout to change things around. 

So, I thought I would share the workout I did today ... and I subjected had my circuit class do this week!  It's a quickie .. only 20 minutes!

No equipment required, except for something to mark out some points as in the pic below ... you don't need markers, use shoes, hats, anything that will stay put.

To set up, you need to place out 3 markers about 5 metres apart, the first one being 5 metres from your start point.  That's it, you are set up .. now to move!

Each round consists of the following ...

One suicide run ( my version ) ... run to the first marker and touch the ground, run back to the start, touch the ground ... run to the second marker and touch the ground, run back to the start ... run to the third marker, touch the ground and sprint back to your start point. 

Squats          20 reps
Crunches      15 reps .. choose your level from basic crunch to a more challenging crunch*
Burpees        5 - 10 ... beginners 5, intermediate 8, advanced 10

Finish with another suicide run ...

Set your timer for 20 minutes and complete as many rounds as possible (AMRAP) in the 20 minute time period.  Make sure you take a quick break to catch your breath between each round and have a sip of water. 

If you are not sweaty at the end of this one, then you need to come and train with me!  I was melting!!

Let me know how you go!

* I did a crunch with a twist to each side holding a 5kg plate to up the intensity ...

Vicki x

School Holiday workout ...

There's only so many times that you can use the excuse that you can't fit your workout in because it's school holidays ...

You just have to make the time and sometimes think outside of the box ... or maybe just outside, at the playground, or at the park.  Get the kids out of the house, into the sunshine and let them run off what seems like an endless supply of energy!

And just so that you can't use the excuse you don't know what exercises to do ... here's one I prepared earlier!  You can do this workout outside at the park with the kids, at the playground or if all else fails and the weather is yuck like it is here today ... at home!

Let's call it the School Holiday Boredom Buster ...

Warm up ... if you are outside at the park or playground go for a light jog or brisk walk around the play area where the kids are.  Do this for about 5 minutes as you want to be nice and warm, especially in this chilly weather.  If you are at home some jogging on the spot or skipping will warm you up nicely!

Each set consists of 4 exercises.  Complete each exercise for 20 reps, resting for 10 seconds between each exercise.

Set 1

Squat ... watch your alignment.
Push ups ... choose your level, knees or toes. 
Star Jumps
Plank hold ... choose your level again, knees or toes and hold for at least 30 seconds

Rest for 1 minute

Set 2

Walking lunge ... be sure that your front knee does not travel past your lead toe
Tricep Dips ... on a bench or chair if at home
Skater Jump ... just step it wide rather than jump if you need
Mountain Climbers

Rest for 1 minute

Head off around the playground again for a light 2 minute jog or brisk walk. 

Repeat Sets 1 and 2 again.  If you are feeling like a third round, go for it!

Make sure you warm down and have a stretch.

Be aware that the kids may want to join you in this workout!  What better way to tire them out keep them active!

Have a great workout!

 

Do you include your kids in your exercise routine while on the holidays?

Review | Zumba Core Fitness ... and a giveaway

Have you done Zumba? Do you include it as part of your fitness routine?

It's not something that I normally do. I prefer running, strength training and yoga .. occasionally I'll step out of the box and do something different.

I have tried Zumba before .. two classes. When I did these 2 classes I made sure to steer clear of the mirrors ( really hard in a group fitness room! ) and planted myself at the back of the room behind several other participants. I have seen myself in the mirror doing Zumba. I look like a baby elephant. I'm afraid I just can't seem to get my hips to move the same way the instructors do.

A few weeks ago I received a copy of the new Zumba Core Fitness Wii game to have a crack at and tell you about it. So, what better way to do Zumba than in the privacy of your own lounge room?!

Please note that I don't think the game
will guarantee abs like the girl above ...

For the last month here in Brisbane it has been raining on and off .. more on than off. So much so that everyone has had enough and if it is at all possible to request someone to flick the switch we would!
When you have energetic children and it's been raining so much the back yard is like a quagmire and there is only so much fighting over table tennis one can listen to, what should you do? Fire up the Zumba Core Fitness Wii game!!

The kids love it! Miss 11, who has been doing some form of dance since she was 4 years old is already at legend status. I choose not to tell her my current level .. I am still a struggling beginner. The less said here the better.
Mr 7 also loves it and he gets his Zumba on in the mornings after he is ready for school. I love seeing him try to get his hips moving!

Me, I do it when no one else is watching, it really isn't that pretty! But I will say that it is fun ( only if you can laugh at yourself! ) and it will get you moving, get your heart rate up and get you sweaty.

It's not like doing an entire class, you can choose to do just one song or customise a few that you like. Or you can choose to do varying length preset classes all with different intensity levels .. low, medium or high intensity. The first time I tried it I chose a 20 minute class and was quite happy to sit when it was over!
You can even do a learn the steps track .. but what's the fun there! Just jump in and go hard I say!

Don't think that I'm the only one who will be getting to enjoy this new game ... I've got a copy to giveaway! So you too can Zumba away and shake your booty in the privacy of your own lounge room!!

Here's what you need to do to enter ...

Leave a comment here telling me why you would like to win a copy of Zumba Core Fitness. Make sure you leave me your details too so that I can get in touch with you if you win!
Please also head over to Fit Mum on Facebook and share the giveaway with your friends.

I will be drawing a winner at random, not based on your comments, but I still want to hear from you!! 

 And the fine print ...
This competition is hosted by fitmumsblog.blogspot.com.au and the prize is one Zumba Fitness Core Wii game.  The competition opens 05/03/2013 and closes 12am 15/03/2013. The winner will be drawn 16/03/13 at random and will be notified by email as soon as possible after the draw. The prize will be posted to the winner within 21 days. The competition is open to entrants with an Australian address only. I was provided with a copy of the game for the purposes of the review. Should the winner not contact me within 48 hours the prize will be forfeited and re-drawn.

Monday Motivation ... Indoor workout today!

So last week just didn't go quite as I would have liked, but it's Monday and everything starts fresh on Monday .. doesn't it?

This morning's run got cancelled due to the wild weather we are experiencing here at the moment .. I'm ready for it to go away now, really I am! 
Instead I did a workout in the garage.  Here it is if you would like to give it a go one day ...

One circuit consists of 25 reps of each exercise

I managed this circuit 4 times round .. a total of 600 reps!  Yes, I was tired at the end.  You can time it if you like and make your goal to beat the time .. I didn't rush!  Tomorrow's schedule involves a yoga class.  I am really looking forward to this one as I haven't practised for a while and I'm in need of a good stretch!
Menu is already planned thanks to the 8 week challenge so I'm set and ready to go!  I will stick to it this week a bit closer than last week, I promise!

What has everyone got planned for the week? 

Whatever it is, go out there, get it done and feel great about it!

Stay healthy & active!

Taking the workout outside again!

This week Mr Fit Mum is away so I couldn't head out on one of my usual early morning runs.  After school drop off I was being a bit social out and about so I reverted to one of my outdoor workouts that is based on body weight exercises and some cardio thrown in for fun! Miss 11 had swimming training for an hour so that was heaps of time for me to work up a sweat!
 
My workout does not require any equipment so it is a great one to do at the park while the kids are on the play equipment. You can do it at home too if you can't get out!
 
This is my gym for the workout ...

 

Hello sprints ...



Occupies Mr 6 & I use for dips ...

Warm up .. Do whatever exercise you want to get the blood starting to circulate to your muscles .. 5 minutes of brisk walking or jogging will get you there.  I did laps of the oval beside the playground .. about 1km.

There are three sets of exercises .. Do each set, then repeat. I usually aim for 3 rounds of each set then a warm down. By the third set I am really having to push myself to keep the intensity up!

SET 1 .. 10 reps of each exercise
Push ups .. Make sure you stay within your ability level and focus on technique. Do them against a bench if you need a little support.
Lunges .. Keep the heel of your front foot planted on the ground and push off with that heel making sure your front knee doesn't track in front of your toes. If you feel it in your knees bring that knee back behind your front toe.
Sprints .. Or stairs .. Just 4 sets of sprints here. Not at your max but step it out!! Use a skipping rope at home and crank out 100 skips.

SET 2 .. 10 reps of each exercise
Tricep dips .. Against a bench, or a chair at home. Keep your butt close to the bench .. No cheating!
Spider-Man .. Into push up position on your toes keeping a nice plank with your body. Alternate knees to elbow like you are climbing like Spidey! This canes your tummy!
Sprints again ...

SET 3 .. 10 reps of each exercise
Burpees .. You know the ones!
Squats .. Squatting down like you are about to sit on the couch .. Don't fall into the couch, use your muscles!
Sprints again!

Warm down and stretch!

What do you think of this workout? Are you going to give it a go?

Would you like me to post more workouts you can do at home?

Stay healthy and active Fit People!

Do you workout on holidays?

I do. I know, most people use holidays as their time off their training program. I wouldn't say that when I'm on holidays I follow a strict training program .. well, even when I'm not on holidays I'm not following a strict training program at the moment either!

I find that when I'm on holidays I usually revert back to running. I love it as a way to check out where everything is and do a bit of exploring. Our holidays at this time of year are usually at the beach and I think that this has got to be one of the most relaxing and enjoyable running environments.


Yesterday there was no formal training, however we did take a couple of long family walks to explore. We found some great walking tracks / running tracks that I tested out today.

This morning my run got rained out .. I will mention here I was happy and it would be MUCH more enjoyable than the 37 degree day that was forecast! So much more enjoyable that I was actually able to run this afternoon about 4pm! I know this doesn't sound very ground breaking but where I come from running at 4pm on a normal day in summer is just craziness because it is still so hot.

Miss "11 in 5 days" came with me this afternoon, which can be a mistake sometimes as she will outrun me.


We ran along the coast near where we are staying. It included a little beach run also. Did I mention the stairs that we needed to run to get down to the beach and back up to the track? Yep I did a few laps of those stairs just to change it up a bit. I'm still unsure about how my legs and calves will pull up tomorrow ...


Not sure what I will do tomorrow yet but another short run is on the cards and I think I will add one of those nasty little body weight cardio type workouts so that I can burn through a few of the calories I consumed this evening when I nibbled on some of the cheese platter before dinner! Really, I didn't have more than one or two .. or four mouthfuls .. Really ...

What is your exercise routine like when you are on holidays? Do you stick rigidly to your program or do you wing it like me and do whatever takes your fancy as long as you are moving?








- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Today's training ...

With spring now here ( yay!!! ) and summer only a few months away, it's time to get out in the fresh air and start working on your summer body. 

As you may know from reading my blog I love training outside, and with my strappy new piece of equipment I hook it up on the deck and get to work!

Today I did a quick workout with a focus on my legs and posterior!  I'll put my hand up and admit I want a nice booty!  And I'm going to hear everyone moan and groan about this one ... but one of the the quickest ways to a perfect posterior is to squat and lunge!  I know, I know .. you don't like them!  I'll let you in on my little secret for getting through legs and glutes ... repeat after me ... Nice arse, nice arse, nice arse!  Say this as many times as it takes to remind you that it's just gotta be done!  Did I mention they are great exercises for runners too!

Suspended lunge .. great for the core too!

I'm still trying to perfect this one leg squat ..

Phew!  My legs are still feeling a bit shaky after today's "quick" workout!

I hope everyone is having a great day!  Come on over and say hello on FitMum's facebook page too! 

Stay strong, stay focused!

Friday Fitness .. You can still be a Sweaty Mess Workout at Home

You know you should be adding exercise to your daily routine but you don't have access to a gym, nor do you want to go to a gym.  Maybe you don't have time to go to the gym. 
OR .. You are happy to exercise at home but don't really know where to start.


Check out this post on fitting some exercise into your day.  These are the things I do to fit in my training ...

• I get up earlier in the morning to go for a run .. and yes, it is freezing and dark and I don't enjoy hate with a passion getting up in the dark!  I know this one is not always possible ie single mums, shift workers, partner leaves really early or is away.
• I have a yoga DVD that I use and it is a decent workout!  Besides, I love the stretch and relaxation part of it too!
• I use the hour or so when the kids are at soccer training or dance practice to go for a run .. around the block or laps of the field.  I have also set up my son on the oval with a football and done laps around him while he kicks conversions!  Possibly more his favourite than mine, especially as it was my interval training days ...

You would still prefer to workout at home but think you can't because you don't have any equipment.  You don't need any equipment!   But if you wanted to get something I would recommend ... a mat, yoga / pilates DVD and a skipping rope.

You can do this workout in less than 15 minutes, so you can squeeze it anywhere in your day.  And if you do it twice it's almost your 30 minutes a day!  It doesn't even have to be back to back ... one session in the morning, one in the evening and you're done!

Warm Up    
Walk / Jog around the block or the back yard for 10 minutes.  OR

March / Jog in place         30 seconds
Skip ( or pretend to! )       30 seconds
Repeat this 3 times ...

OK, here's the good bit.  Do each exercise for 30 seconds .. set a timer, or a watch.  I have one with an interval timer on my phone and it blasts a siren at me every 30 seconds.
** A note before you start, please work at YOUR fitness and ability level, not what someone else tells you you should be working at.  It's all about you, not them!

30 seconds of Push Ups ( on your knees is fine )
30 seconds of Squats  ( feet just outside hip width, like you're going to sit on the loo )
30 seconds of Tricep Dips
30 seconds of Mountain Climbers

1 minute of shadow boxing .. 30 seconds straight jab / cross, 30 seconds uppercuts
1 minute of stair runs ( if you have stairs, or jog / skip on the spot )

30 seconds of Push Ups ( sorry, they are GREAT for arms and shoulders )
30 seconds of Squats ( again, sorry, but they GREAT for your arse backside )
30 seconds of Burpees ( modify if you need, and if you have BP issues continue squats )
30 seconds of Ski Jumps or wide low side steps ( get your bottom down low! )

1 minute shadow boxing .. as above
1 minute of stair runs .. as above

30 seconds of Crunches ( just little ones and squeeze your abs! )
30 second Plank hold
Repeat these ones twice...

Phew!! If you are not a sweaty mess at the end of this then you certainly haven't worked to your best intensity level!

It might seem a little much at first but write down what you need to do and keep it handy to refer to it as you need. 

Let me know how you go with this one!  Any questions please add to comments or email me directly.


** Please ensure that you consult with a medical professional before commencing any diet and exercise program! If you need any further instruction on exercises either contact me or your exercise specialist.

Weekly workout update ...

I've been a bit slack with my updates of late .. busy, not enough sleep ... no excuses really ...

This week's training really was my usual.  I'm certainly no athlete training for an hour or more each day.  I'm just an everyday person who manages a workout between running after the kids, working .. and the cold dark mornings!  Good thing I don't train mornings much or it would never get done!

Monday is my day to run with my friend.  This is my cold, dark morning.  We head out at 5.45am so that we get back in time to beg the children to get ready for school in time, all while getting ready for work.  My fingers were frozen this morning, even after the run I could barely move them!

Tuesday I teach boxing class in the evening so I use this as my workout.  I get out there with the class and do the cardio and strength intervals during the class.  Between that and instructing it's not too bad!  I've been a bit slack lately and haven't been doing yoga in the mornings .. could be something to do with the warm bed ...

Wednesday mornings Mr FitMum and Miss 10 head out for their morning run so I force myself onto a treadmill after work.  This is tough somedays so I try to do something that's fun and I'll get a bit of a bang for my buck so to speak.  Intervals.  Run / walk intervals.  I do end up with a few 200m sprints at the end but by that stage I'm into it so it's all good!

Thursday is PT day.  I haven't trained for 2 weeks so this one was a bit ugly .. and tough.  Let me say that I'm still feeling it 2 days later ..

Friday .. Rest day!

Saturday morning I get out for a run with my friend again.  This morning we managed a 6.5km run through the bush.  We haven't done this one for a while and it was a great feeling!  The feeling in my fingers is gradually returning and my typing is getting a little better!

There you have it, my exercise week.  I'm now heading off to the usual Saturday sport with the kids!

How did your workouts for the week go?  Or have you still got your weekend workouts to fit in?

Have a great weekend whatever you are doing! 

Vicki x

Training update .. Recovery week

This week has been marginally better than last week.  I am not curled up in a ball, so that's a start!
After last week's exhaustion, stress, muscle soreness, I've decided that this week should be a recovery week.  I've taken it a bit easy this week .. hence, my weekly challenge ... flexibility and relaxing!

This week's training looked like this

Monday          PT Session .. 30 minutes
                        Usual PT strength session .. I'm not giving this one up because it's so important
                        to keep building.  To fit in with my recovery weeks we are going to vary the intensity
                        of my training ... keeping to some garden variety stuff

Tuesday         Walk .. hills .. 45 minutes
                        Instead of our usual run .. recovery dictates that I do something a little less strenuous
                        than running .. we walked .. hills .. so I felt like I actually did some work!

Wednesday   First day of my weekly challenge to incorporate more flexibility, relaxing
                        Yoga .. 15 minutes .. not much I know but this is just the start

Thursday        To be honest I'm not feeling super motivated today .. a bit, well, blah ...

Friday             Yoga .. 20 minutes
                        Again, not feeling super motivated but I promised myself I would do something
                        and you know what, I felt pretty good after I finished!  Blood pumping and all! 

Saturday /       Busy weekend is on the cards in my house .. I think the pace that I'm going to
Sunday            have to do the housework is going to give me a decent workout anyway!
                         Heading down the coast on Sunday, so we might even get a run around on the beach
                         with the kids .. maybe a bit of beach soccer!!

I think this recovery week is just what was needed to keep me going and keep me strong.  I'm going to get into next week with a new training routine knowing that my body is rested and ready to go!

Do you factor in a recovery week on a regular basis?  Sometimes it's hard to practice what you preach but it really is something that we all should do so that we can be the best we can be .. a chance to catch up with ourselves and re-evaluate what's happening.

I hope everyone has had a great week training!

Stay focused, stay strong

Fit Mum x

 

Last week's workout wrap up ...

OK .. I'm a few days late .. again time seems to have buzzed by on the weekend and I'm sure I missed some of it ...

Last week was a bit hit and miss with training, which I am a bit disappointed about, but as I mentioned in my last post, I listen to my body a lot more these days and this last week it was telling me to STOP!!

I still managed a few training sessions, however they may not have all been quality, which is what disappoints me the most.

Monday          PT Session .. these just don't get any easier, that's all I can say except that
                        I felt this session for the next 3 days ...
                        30 mins
                        Again, I'm out there losing my voice in the cold night training the girls at Netball
                        only 2 more games until the end of the season .. and just when they are starting
                        to pull it all together!

Tuesday         I'm in a world of hurt ... and I'm exhausted ... like I can't keep my eyes open
                        Thank goodness there was time for a half hour nanna nap today
                        Still, sense evades me and I join the girls for a 5km run while Miss 9 is at physie
                        I know .. I felt every step of this run don't worry!  Now what time is bed time?

Wednesday   Supposed to run at lunch time, however my partners had to pull the pin for one
                        reason or another ... I'm still that completely exhausted that I'm taking this as a
                        sign and I'm resting my poor battered mind and body

Thursday        Usually a rest day ... I did plan on running with Baxter, however after a minor
                       concerning "emergency" in our street I decided against it ...
                       Did I mention I wasn't entirely devastated about this occurrence .. still haven't
                       caught up with myself ... 

Friday            One of my running partners came over and we ran the bush trail at lunch time.
                       Apart from the fact that my hamstrings and calves seized at every step and I 
                       am still exhausted, it was great to run the track with someone and our time was
                       around the same as my usual time.

Saturday /     The usual run around with the kids and housecleaning ... I spent heaps of time in
Sunday          the kitchen, which I love!  


It's not quite the training routine that I had in mind for the week but I guess my body had different ideas and I just had to listen.  The coming week is going to be different.  I'm not going to change my training too much and hope that last week was just a catch up week.

Just a quick mention about my challenge to myself last week .. writing everything in my food diary ... I've had mixed success ... I have a notebook ... and I did think about writing in it ...
Besides, after the things I cooked over the weekend for dinner and dessert, my notebook would have run away and hidden ... it's Monday tomorrow and there's still a few days left for me to actually succeed and get into a routine with recording my food. 

I hope that everyone else has had a great week and weekend! See you all next week!

Stay focused,  Stay strong

Fit Mum x

Weekly workout 25 July - 31 July ...

And so I have made it to the end of another week!  I followed pretty much the same training routine that I have followed for the last 2 weeks.  I increased the intensity just a little bit in two of the workouts.  I'm really taking it easy and not increasing the intensity or changing the workouts drastically as I am completely focussed on staying healthy and not running myself down too much.  It seems to be working!

Monday             Regular PT strength session

                        Nothing spectacular to report other than I’m loving it! Strength

                        training is so empowering!

                        30 minutes

                        Trained the girls at netball again tonight so I don’t stiffen up in

                        the cold night air …

Tuesday           Instead of my usual walk with Baxter, I changed this to a run and

                       Clocked 5.5km on the hill trail near our house

                       Unreal run .. absolutely loved this one .. I had to write it down here ...  

                       40 minutes .. hilly trail

Wednesday      Our usual mid week run / walk intervals

                       The weather was beautiful and the company again was great!

                       6km .. 46 minutes

Thursday         Rest day

Friday             Weight training circuit .. love this one!

                       I increased the intensity of a few of the exercises which certainly

                       had my heart rate up there

                       35 minutes ( includes warm up and warm down )

Saturday /      I’m going to have the weekend off again, which really seems to be

Sunday            working for me at the moment with things so busy with kids

                       sport. 

                       It’s also my mum’s birthday this weekend, so we are heading up the

                       coast for a visit!  Pretty excited about this one!

I think I’m going to keep at this routine for the next few weeks and then I’m going

to revisit my training and change it up.  Constantly challenging the body is the way

to get stronger and make changes and improvements.  I'm still thinking about whether

or not I am going to set some goals with my training .. here's some goal setting info ...

I am proud to say that I have had much more success on the diet front this week.

I have been more focused and have got myself organised and in routine which is

making it much easier for me to keep my diet clean and full of nutritious,

healthy meals .. well except for the white Tim Tam that I’m going to have for

dessert tonight!

Until next week’s update …

Stay focused,  Stay strong

Fit Mum x