Busy Body

Alright folks- It's been another crazy busy week. And this time, I'm not saying that as a "This is why I wasn't working out/blogging/etc."

I don't know if I ever posted my fitness goal on here, but shortly after Christmas my sister, Mary, and I talked about it and I stated "I'd just like to get at least 2 workouts a week in before summer. 24 weeks until summer- that's less than 50 workouts. I can do that."

If I had only worked out yesterday- I would have had my two workouts in. But let's go beyond that even...

Earlier this week, my mom asked if I'd like to start designing workouts for her morning routine, and possibly for other staff members, and coming to lead those workouts in the mornings before work. 

This Friday, I gave it a try with just my mom. We did the medicine ball workout, with a few small changes in reps to get her started. For example, rather than 20 lunges per leg, we did 20 total. We did the same with the hip to hip hits and the weighted boat rocks. Mom also started out with a 2 lb. ball rather than the 10 lb. (We've since decided to buy a ball somewhere in between.) And Whew, boy, mom is feeling the burn!

Saturday, I went into Crossfit to try my hand once again. I've decided that I want to do another competition this summer, so what better time to start training than 6 months in advance? Since I'm just starting again, I did the first day of on ramp, which looks a little something like this:

Look familiar? I've done it twice before. However, I think this was my best time. I did this workout in 6:29, two minutes ahead of one of the other guys working out yesterday. 

That's right. I'm a beast.

After listening to this man come up with reasons as to why a little 130 lb girl beat him by 2 whole minutes, I then went on to do the actual workout of the day... 

I didn't actually use 75 lbs- more like 55. And I really only got through 3 1/2 rounds within the 15 minute time cap. (Part of me wishes I had stayed and just finished out the 5 rounds.)

Today? I'm bruised like a peach. I feel like I have softballs in my shoulders, my inner thighs feel like I've just jockeyed a horse in the Kentucky Derby, my buns feel like I'm 10 again and in some major trouble, and my abs.. well actually my abs don't hurt that badly. There's a bonus!!

I once heard someone say it takes 2 weeks of repetition for something to become a habit- which is what I'm hoping will happen with all of my ridiculous workouts. 

Watch for starting "before" pictures this week- because way sooner than anyone thinks, we will be at the "after".... (I'm so excited!!!!!)

This week, try doing the 40 squats, 30 sit-ups, and 20 push ups. (I won't ask for the pull ups and rowing for obvious reasons... unless you have access to a rower and a pull up bar with bands..)

Or at the very least, do each in sets of 10- or even 5. You'll get it done eventually and you'll feel better for doing it!

Don't give up on me just yet- we have got an exciting road ahead of us!!

Until we sweat again!

Snow Day Sweat

Happy Snow Day, Iowa folks!

If you're currently in Iowa, like myself, then you are probably noticing the subzero temperatures we've been enjoying as of late. If not, let me just give you the short version- the HIGH today is -2. That is 2 degrees below zero... for the HIGH.  Due to the ungodly cold, the schools have been closed for the day.

I'm choosing to see this as a positive, because, thanks to these freezing temps, I now have all day to sweat!!

Today, I decided to put my 10 lb. medicine ball to some use. I generally only use it to do some of those "on your butt, knees at 90 degrees, hit the ball on either side of your hips" deal... Clearly I need to learn the name for those...

However, I looked up "10 lb. Medicine Ball Workouts" this morning. (No lie, those were the exact words I typed into Google.)

Here is what Google came up with for me:

15 reps Cross Chop

15 reps Figure 8

15 reps Split Pushup Knee Tuck

15 reps Balancing Burpee

20 reps Front Lunge Pass Under

15 reps Tricep Matrix

20 reps Extension Pass

20 reps Hip to Hip Boom

20 reps Weighted Boat Rock

I suck at giving explanations for all of these, so if you'd like detailed accounts of what to do, click on the link for this Awesome Medicine Ball Workout!!!

To give you some context of my transformation from, "oh hey, you don't look too terrible in the morning" to "Damn. You did a workout, huh?" I took a before and after picture.

Before this hellish ordeal

 And, drumroll please......

After.

Okay, admittedly not a HUGE difference, but that's only because I kept wiping the sweat off my forehead using my t-shirt. Don't let my smile fool you- I was in pain.

Had we not had a snow day today, I was planning on waking up 30 minutes before I had to be at work, and working out with my cheerleaders after school at practice- and let's be honest, I was probably going to be in a crummy mood so I would've bucked working out at that point. Don't follow my lead on that one. Bad lead.

You, however, can do something positive for your body at any point during the day. Take 5 minutes of your 15 minute break and do calf raises by your desk, or try to keep your knees up and feet off the floor for as long as you can while you work. Do squats during commercials while you watch television. Heck- do just 25 lunges across your classroom while the kids are at specials or recess. This whole workout took me less than 15 minutes, and that was with me whining and stopping to catch my breath after every 5 reps. You have the time to get a workout in- you just need to find your motivation!! And to be honest, all of you reading this are my motivation. I know we can do this and I can't wait to see all of the results- not only mine, but yours as well!!

Until we sweat again!

P.S. You also need a rocking playlist. Check out the playlist entitled "100 Top Workout Songs in the World" on Spotify. (It's free- don't worry.) The songs are upbeat, and fun, and are sure to help you get your butt in gear! Now get up and do something!!

Fastest Post EVER

So apparently waking up to workout is not my thing.

5 a.m. rolled around and I hit the snooze button 4 times.... It would have been more but my phone eventually went to "Either get up now or be late to work later, slacker." So then I rolled around in my bed not wanting to get up and, get this- my brain actually spoke to me and said "Get up and work out or you're going to regret it later."

My brain is a genius......

So what did I do? I got up and did the damn thing!

This was my workout today:

Admittedly kind of difficult to read

I like this workout because it's QUIET. I live with my family, on the top floor above someone else's room, and even if I went downstairs and did a workout in the living room, any bouncing or jumping would wake other people up.

So- Have kids? A hubby? A roommate or two? Or even neighbors?

No more excuses! I was a sweaty mess after this, AND it was SILENT.

See? All sweaty.

I warned you- this is the shortest post ever, but I didn't really plan a time to post to the blog today... so I'm just going to leave you with this....

Get up, get moving, and get healthy. You've got this, I know you do!!

Until we sweat again!!

If you look pretty, you're doing it WRONG

This was me right after my workout today....

This was the next picture I took, so everyone would think I look fantastic after my workout...

And this was the picture I took to show I was reppin' some XFit-712 today...

This was the workout out I did that made me look so sweaty- and that pumped me up enough that I thought the first picture was even necessary....

It was NOT fun.

I will not even lie- this workout kicked my butt. I HATE burpees with a fiery passion, the uppercuts just made me feel silly, and the last two minutes of jogging in place felt a little redundant after the high intensity of the rest of the workout.

However, even after the 2 minutes of jogging, my heart was pounding out of my chest- and I swear I could feel my blood being force fed clean oxygen. In a word, I felt Alive.

I was in a super crummy mood when I put on my workout gear, and I was about to be all "Screw this, I'm mope-y" and just bail on the whole thing, but then I thought, "I'll feel better if I just get a good workout in. I'm just going to do it."

And I did.

And now I feel INCREDIBLE.

Granted, I could look a little better. But isn't that what they tell you? If you look pretty after working out, you're doing it wrong. My hair started off in this cute french braid that wrapped around the back of my head, but then it started to get frizzy... and then the pony tail wouldn't stay up... and then the bun fell out about 4 times... so then I looked like a crazy woman, with crimped hair flying all over the place and in my face while I was on the ground doing my burpees, and swinging into my mouth while I jogged in place.

Could you imagine what my workout would have been like if I was worried about how good I looked by the end?

I can- and it goes like this:

45 Jumping Jacks? Nope. I'll just do really slow high knees.

Side to Side Jumps? Ha! I'll just step side to side.

BURPEES? How about slow squats.

High knees kicks? ....yeah okay.

Butt Kicks? Too bouncy. More slow high knees.

No. More. Jumping jacks. HIGH KNEES!

I can march in place.

....I can march in place some more.

Burpees again? You mean MORE squats?

Jumping Ja- HIGH KNEES IT IS!

Mountain Climbers? I could just reach up and turn the light on and off over & over instead, right?

Aaaaand more squats.

2 minutes of marching and done!

I wouldn't have been very sweaty, if at all, my hair would be perfectly in place, and I would have wasted my time completely.

Don't waste your workout worrying what someone else is going to think of you- you shouldn't get pretty to workout, you should be working out to get pretty. (That and I can't think of a single guy that would rather talk to the girl that's lifting 2 lb. weights and giggling the whole time she works out over the girl that's sweating like a pig and is actually putting forth an effort. Let's be real.)

Am I rambling again? I am!

Kick it into high gear, ladies and gentlemen! The New Year is approaching and I know you can all get fit with me!

Until we sweat again!

Get Excited

And one month later....

Hey, readers!! It's been a month since I made the announcement of the non-pregnancy, and I'm sure you're all wondering what's happened since then!

I have been running like a crazy person chasing 5 year olds.

Literally.

Do you have any idea how difficult it is to get a good, solid workout in when you work 3 jobs? Because it really takes a huge chunk out of your day.

My main job, as a paraeducator, is where I get my workout in. *Insert "whaaaaaa??" here* Turns out 5 year olds have CRAZY amounts of energy, and they get 3 recesses a day- recesses I have to be outside with them for. I used to just walk around making sure no one killed anyone else, but then it hit me- I want time outside? Done. I want a personal motivator? I've got 150.

So we took to the field.

Every recess, I have at least 30 of the kindergarteners following me across the field as we run, lunge, goose step (complete with honking), crab walk, bunny hop, skip, gallop, and high knee (robot as they say) our way from one end of the field to the other. We sprint to see who can get there before me. They come up with the craziest ideas to get me as worn out as they can.

And I love it.

However, what else can I do? It's winter break. I have 2 weeks of nothing- no field, no kids to push me and to make it a game. That's where my wonderful sister comes in.

My sister has forced me to participate in Insanity with her workout group this past week. (oh yeah- welcome back, Shaun T.)

I hurt- but then I also realized the more I workout, the less it hurts.

Which then led me to get excited about it- and buy some super cute workout clothes. (Okay yoga leggings.. but who cares. I love them.)

Srsly. Adorable.

And this morning, I even woke up at 6:30 to get on the elliptical!!

It's been a snowball effect! All it took was one spark of inspiration for a workout, and with the help of 150 five year olds, one older sister, and some super cute clothes- I finally feel like I'm back in the groove!

What's my point? My point is to get excited about it! If you wake up dreading the workout, you'll eventually stop wanting to do it at all. If you constantly think "Ugh- I hate my workout clothes. They're so ugly."... get some cute workout gear! Download some fun music JUST FOR YOUR WORKOUT so you can look forward to hearing those songs just at those times. GET EXCITED!!! This is an incredible thing you're doing for your body, so stop looking at it like a chore and start looking it at like something you are looking forward to treating yourself to!

Until we sweat again!!

10 Weeks Pregnant

Before you all get crazy excited, no, I am not with child. I'm so far from it, it's ridiculous.

Recently, I have been asked if I was pregnant on 3 separate occasions, and even had someone say "You look like you're about 10 weeks pregnant."

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Seriously?

Can I first just say- how exactly does someone look 10 weeks pregnant? Isn't that a little on the physically impossible side? Because I feel like it is. Clearly, I am no pregnancy expert- but seriously.

Second, who the hell says that to someone?? I realize that I am not as thin as I was when the school year began, but thank you, kind soul, for pointing out to me what I am CLEARLY in the dark about... I'm noticeably gaining weight.

For those of you that have tracked my weight loss ups and downs, you'll understand how much this bothers me, but without having time to go to a structured class, keeping the weight off is a little bit of a challenge. (Not an excuse, however.)

I need to find a way to make this work on my own.

I need to refocus on my inspiration for losing weight.

I currently live with my family, and for awhile was the person that was constantly pushing everyone else to eat healthier; Join the gym; Just go for a walk. Now, I'm the person that has a noticeably chubbier face, flabby arms, and a bit of the ol' tummy pudge back.

I miss being the inspiration to get fit.

Today, I did my first kind of workout in a few weeks. It consisted of a lot of medicine ball work, and a ton of stretching, just getting my body warmed up again.

Apart from that, I've only done yoga (which isn't me knocking it AT ALL. Holy cow, my muscles get so sore from it!)

Now a sneak peek at my current BEFORE pics!!

Let's get this chick back in gear. I would love to be able to look rockin' this New Year's.

Until we (I) sweat again!!

Also-

*Just a friendly reminder to never, ever, ever, ever, EVER, EVER, EVER ask a woman if she is pregnant. Like, ever. It's rude and trust me- if she's pregnant, she'll tell you. :)

"We Are Here, We Are Here, We Are Here!!!"

Hey readers!!

(If you still exist)

I've gotten myself into an AWFUL workout slump- so much so that I have the dreaded.....

Return of the Pouch. 

*Collective gasp*

I have this tiny little pouch of pure fat that has settled in on my had-been-completely-flat midsection. This is rather irksome as I had worked that off with all of my blood, sweat, and tears. (Literally all three. It was gross and depressing- and then the payoff rocked.)

But NOW- the payoff has ceased to exist.

Here's the low down....

I NEED YOU, readers!!!

I need to know that my blog can still help someone else; that my workouts and all my meal prep for my healthy eats are helping someone other than myself.

If you know me IRL at all, then you know that I like to help other people. Just ask my coworkers!!

(Some people call it being a Suck Up. I call it job security.)

I just have a hard time doing something if I'm the only one benefitting from it, and since Winter is Coming, I won't have the motivation of showing off my hot bod at the pool to give everyone else the inspiration they need to be amazing!!!

(I'm kidding..... kind of.)

So, my dear readership- if you are still out there, make some noise and let the whole Jungle of Nool know that you exist!!!!

Also- the first reader that responds (either on Facebook or through BlogSpot) with the titles of the 2 nerdy movie/TV show references made in this post will get to choose my first grueling workout back, which I will have to provide a small video excerpt of as proof!

(Don't get too uber excited- You'll be picking from a pre-approved list. No climbing Mt. Everest or running 6 miles just yet.)

Bonus points if you get 3 references out of this mess. :)

Until we sweat again!