New Neon Workout
Posted: May 30, 2012 Filed under: Home workout | Tags: dips, high knees, mountain climbers, pushups, reptile, star jump, superman Leave a comment »I got a new sports bra today at Target and it’s super neon. Exciting! I can tell a difference with how my body looks with the not eating so great recently… so here again we are pushing towards the last drive for summer and DragonCon 2012. My co-worker Dea and I were talking about a costume idea today, which I’m really excited about.
Unfortunately, my leg started hurting up again about halfway through this workout. Super bummer. I really hope this whole leg thing is not going to put a wrench into my getting fitter plan. I just had to stop doing the reps because even the reptile pushups were hurting. Groan.
So here is the workout. It’s 21 minutes like the last one. I, of course, did not do the full 21 minutes. Again. Bummer.
3 rounds of 7 exercises
Set your interval timer!
21 rounds, 10 seconds off, 50 seconds active. My scores are not good, even before my leg started hurting.
Star Jump 18 / 12 / 9
Superman 18 / 20 21
High Knees 120 / 124 / -
Pushup reptile 10 / 11 / 4
Mountain Climbers 65 / 85 / -
Dips 11 / 15 / -
Bicycle 60 / 34 (started doing crunches because my leg started hurting) / -
Star jumps
Start with your hands to either side of your feet, squatting down slightly, then jump up as far as you can and spread your legs and arms as you jump. One rep.
Supermans
Lay face down. Lift your arms and legs as far as you can with your abs. One rep.
High knees
Lift your knees as fast and as high as you can. Each knee up is one rep.
Pushup – reptile
Do a pushup, mod as needed, knees on the ground if necessary. After the pushup, return to plank and bring your knee into your side. One rep. Next pushup bring the other knee into your side.
Mountain Climbers
In plank, place one foot underneath you. Switch your legs. Each switch is one rep.
Dips
Hold your self off the chair with your legs at a 90 degree angle. Then lower yourself as far as you can. This is one rep.
Bicycle
Laying down, crunch and bring your elbow to your opposite knee, switching elbow to knees, keeping your legs off the ground. Each knee to elbow is one rep.
Disclaimer: I am not an expert, do at your own risk, ask your doctor.
Nerd workout! Inspired by Black Widow of the Avengers
Posted: May 28, 2012 Filed under: Home workout, Nerdiness | Tags: avengers, black, chair, clean, crunch, jump lunge, kick, leg, lifts, oblique, press, pushups, side, squat, tire run, twist, widow Leave a comment »
Happy Memorial Day everyone! As it’s Monday, I wanted to do a nerd workout. As it’s Memorial Day, this nerd workout fits the theme of fighting for America, if you’ve seen the Avengers movie, which probably most of you have. Today the home workout is inspired by Black Widow. There are two fight scenes Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow is famous for, one from the Iron Man 2 movie, and one from the beginning of the Avengers movie (so if you haven’t seen it, not too much to spoil here).
Here’s the Avengers one:
And the Iron Man 2 one:
As you can see, she uses her core to twist her body to and from people, and her legs to squat, jump, and kick, among other things. All of that, including the chair, will be used in the workout. I do use some equipment – the sandbag – in this workout, but I will provide other options for that exercise. You will also need an interval timer – get a Seconds Free app on your phone, or get an interval timer from online – they aren’t expensive and really are incredibly useful for working out. I’m hoping to ramp up the workouts here from now on. It’s officially basically summer, so let’s make a last drive to get in shape for the summer – and for any of you Dragoncon folks – if you wanna get fit for a costume, let’s start now!
21 rounds
10 second off, 50 seconds hard as you can
7 exercises – 3 times through
Squat chair kick – squat down to the chair and kick up – in case of future hostage situations 20 / 20 / 19
Side leg lifts right – with all her kicking, she needs legs to be strong from all sides 23 / 21 / 21
Side leg lifts left 20 / 21 / 24
Tire run (x 10) and pushup – run away and get up from enemies 6.5 / 6.5 / 7
Clean and press – build up your arms, legs, core, to fight and punch enemies 8 / ? / 11
Jump lung and twist – build up strength and agility for her signature twisting moves 12 / 14 / 12
Oblique crunch – again – with all her twisting, focus on strengthening areas that are important for those moves 24 / 25 / 29
Note SGU in the background of these pictures haha
Squat chair kick
Use your hands as necessary, but I tried not to once I got going. Use the chair not to actually sit on, but just a guide to where to squat down to, then powerfully, stand up and kick one leg as high and strong as you can. That is one rep. Squat down and kick with the other leg for the next rep. If you don’t want to use a chair, then just squat and kick. Make sure if you place your weight on the chair that it is stable and won’t slide.
Side leg lifts right
Kneel on your knees, placing on leg out to the right. Lift this leg up to be parallel to the floor. That’s one rep.
Side leg lifts left
Do all the things above, just on the left side, with left leg.
Tire run (x 10) and pushup
With your legs about hip width apart, act like you are running through the tire obstacle course. Lift your legs up ten times, each knee up one rep. After you do that as fast as you can, drop down to the floor and do a pushup, modifying as necessary. Jump up to do the tire run again. Each tire run and pushup is one rep.
Clean and press
This is one exercise that requires equipment for it to be effective, so if you don’t have a sandbag, then choose between jump squats or pushups. (If you are doing jump squats, squat, and jump as high as you can) Neither are exactly the same effect, but are good alternates. If you do have a sandbag or something that could be used in the same way, start with standing with your sandbag. Then squat and using your hips and your motion of your body, lift the sand bag and flip it over so that it’s resting on your arms. Then, powering up from your squat, lift the bag over your head, again using your motion to help you with this. There are different ways of gripping the sandbag I found online – overhand, underhand, and even using the handles I didn’t use. I’m not sure of the “correct” way, though the way that is more like a bar would be starting off overhand. Do what feels comfortable I guess.
Jump lunge and twist
I did this with a sandbag to add challenge, (and oh, it did), but this is just as super challenging without. Jump lunges are never not challenging. Anyway, start out in lunge. Jump and switch leg positions. Twist your body to the side that has the leg in front. Each switch and twist is one rep. Add a weight if you can and would like to.
Oblique crunch
Lift your legs up from the floor to the ceiling. Crunch up and point your arms out to one side of your legs. One rep. Next rep, crunch to the other side of your legs.
Nerd Workout! Inspired by Karou from Daughter of Smoke and Bone
Posted: May 23, 2012 Filed under: Home workout, Nerdiness | Tags: climbers, daughter of smoke and bone, high knees, jump lunges, karou, leg raises, mountain, nerd workout, pushups, reverse, side kicks, squats Leave a comment »
(Note Eureka playing in the background… my nerd cred runs true)
I have to thank my friend Dana for picking Daughter of Smoke and Bone for our book club. I gobbled that book up as fast as I could. This is my first home workout inspired solely by a character from a book (one that didn’t have a movie or show version anyway).
Karou was brought up by a father figure with a shadowy past who deals in wishes. These wishes can be language, or at a certain point, a physical benefit. I don’t want to get to spoilery! She also sells the wishes for teeth as an agent for her father. This isn’t exactly the safest position in the world, so she would need to be able to physically fit to escape danger. With this and other plot point in mind, I created the following homework. Just imagine I have bright blue hair too!
Part 1:
Twice through:
20 jump lunges – to jump up and away during fights
100 high knees – to get away from dangerous clients
20 squat side kicks – to be able to fight off others
100 mountain climbers – to build stamina for her long journeys
20 reverse pushups – strength to fight and carry weapons
20 leg raises – build up her core
Part 2:
2 sprints – to run away from danger
My time: 15:30
20 jump lunges
Lunge forward. Jump and switch your legs’ positions. This is one rep.
100 high knees
Pump up as high and fast as you can. Each knee up is one rep.
20 squat side kicks
Squat down as low as you can, as you come back up lift one leg up to the side. That is one rep. Next time lift up the other leg.
100 mountain climbers
Get in plank position with one leg beneath you. Switch leg positions. Each switch is one rep.
20 reverse pushups
I did this with a dip station. You can make your own with a sturdy broomstick and two chairs, or just do pushups if you aren’t having it. Won’t be the same thing, but still good. If you do have something, grab on with both hands and have you body straight, with your feet on the ground. Lift your self up as high as you can.
20 leg raises
Again, I did this with a dip station. You can do this on the floor with out one. Just lay down and lift your legs up to the ceiling and lower back down for each rep. On the dip station, grab hold and lift your legs with control, don’t let momentum lift them up.
Do everything once more!
Part 2:
2 sprints
I just ran down my block and back with a brief rest in between.
Disclaimer – I am not an expert, do this at your own risk, be careful, consult your doctor.
New Music Tuesday! On a Wednesday again..
Posted: May 23, 2012 Filed under: Music | Tags: metric, new music tuesday, temper trap, usher Leave a comment »This song is spooky beautiful, but a song with enough oomph for a workout playlist. I love metric… her voice and her attitude have always been pretty awesome to me.
Temper Trap
This is a fun rock song
OK. I know you’ve heard this song a lot. But it’s an addictive song and a good remix.
Kicking your own butt post! Detox Workout
Posted: May 22, 2012 Filed under: Home workout | Tags: burpees, commandos, detox, dive bombers, high knees, mountain climbers, personal best, plank jacks Leave a comment »Well, I was going to post a new home workout today, but just wanted to get something up. I promise I have a new workout for you, but this was easier to get up and done. Aaron is in town for once this week so it’s a bit hard to take hours each day after work to do this while he is here… Hope everyone understands! So, this is a workout from the archives, but a hard one. A super tough one. I think it’s a good idea to beat your old times. I know I tend to work harder than when I have nothing to push against. I also need to remind myself to work harder during the new workouts. Just good to realize/remind oneself of all these things. This home workout was also first done “after having traveled and not eaten well and just not feeling super healthy” and “I wanted this workout to be a killer. ..My time was 27:44!”
Well folks. I crushed that old time. I felt kind of ill doing it, which I don’t really advise, but well, gotta say the numbers tell me the extra hard work paid off: 23:09. Whoooo!
So here is it!
720 reps!
100 mountain climbers
50 forward lunges (alternating legs)
30 side lunges
20 burpees
100 high knees
10 dive bombers
25 plank jacks
25 commando pushups
100 mountain climbers
In plank, have one foot underneath your chest/abdomen area. Switch the legs and “climb.” Each switch is one rep!
50 lunges
Step one foot forward in a lunge, making sure to not move your knee past your toes. One rep. Alternate legs.
30 Side lunges
In a squat position, you’ll have one leg out to the side. Jump slightly to switch the legs. Each switch is one rep!
20 Burpees
Jump out into a plank, then push up. Jump or walk your feet back up to a squat position, and then jump! One rep.
100 High knees
Pump your legs up towards your chest as high as you can. Each leg moving is one rep.
10 dive bombers
On all fours, with your butt in the air and your head down, with control, move your body leading with your head towards the ground, then lifting your head up to the ceiling, without letting your legs touching the ground. Reverse the movement and that is one rep.
25 plank jacks
In the plank position, rest on your forearms with your elbows down. Jump your legs out and back in. Each time your legs go out, count one rep.
25 commando pushups
Laying on the ground, stomach down, lift up into a plank, bringing one leg up towards your chest. This picture isn’t quite right – I should be lower to the ground, the leg closer in and the back straight as possible. One leg is one rep, alternate legs.
Send me comments about what you do and don’t like!
New Music Tuesday!
Posted: May 15, 2012 Filed under: Music | Tags: alex winston, fun, janelle monae, mariah carey, remixes, theme park, workout music Leave a comment »Actually on a Tuesday this week!
Here is some fun music to work out to, yet again.
This first one is totally up my alley…reminiscent of the 80s with British accents and good pop. A good running song. A good dancing song. A good car song:
And this one is just pure dancing fun
OK OK I know we’ve all heard this song, but this is a fun remix
And a bonus one – this one is a good sexy dance song, but I could really see it pulsing you through a wall on your run.
Switchin it up workout
Posted: May 15, 2012 Filed under: Home workout | Tags: hop plank, leg switch, one arm up, plank jumps, superwomans Leave a comment »
New home workout! This one is without costume haha. I get mixed reviews on that, but I guess that’s to be expected. I guess you are at least doing something interesting if you get people reacting to it.
This workout is an interval workout – 15 minutes long. 5 exercises, 3 times through.
15 rounds – 10 seconds rest – 50 seconds push as hard as you can.
Leg switches 23 / 18 / 15
Superman (woman) 21 / 18 / 20
Hop plank 10 / 9 / 9
One arm up 8 / 8 / 7
Plank jumps 21 / 32 / 36
Breakin it down:
Leg switches
I have to do a shout out to the Ugi people here, which is how I discovered this exercise. Here is a video – with three exercises, but the one they show at the very end will show you the motion. They are using an Ugi, though, which many of you do not have. But it will give you an idea:
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10151727216580604
Bending over, put your hands on the ground in front of you. Then turn toward one side (the right), bringing the leg that would go on the inside through (your left leg) and sticking it out straight. Don’t let the straight leg touch the ground. Then back to center. That is one rep. On the next rep, as you turn to the to the left, bring your right leg out straight, rotating on your other foot. It sounds more complicated than it is! It’s a definite twisting motion.
Superman (woman)
Hitting the core, this exercise starts on just laying facedown on the ground. Then lift your arms and legs and head as high as you can. One rep.
Hop plank
Hop over the length of a yoga mat, then jump your feet out into a plank and then back in. One rep. Next rep, hop back over to the other side and plank out.
One arm up
Start out laying down. Then with one arm, lift your upper body off the floor, then lift the rest of your body off the floor so that your butt goes all the way in the air. Lower yourself down. One rep. Next time, do it with the other arm.
Plank jumps
On your elbows, get in plank. Jump from one side of a yoga mat to another. Each jump is one rep.
Disclaimer:
Do this at your own risk, be careful, ask your doctor, I am not an expert, etc etc
Starbuck cameo!:
Nerd Workout! Inspired by Pris from Blade Runner! with cosplay…
Posted: May 14, 2012 Filed under: Home workout, Nerdiness | Tags: Blade Runner, inner thigh, jumps, lunge kick, plie, Pris, pushups, Rachel, squat Leave a comment »Nerd home workout of the week! I’ve been excited about doing this one ever since Carol posted a picture of us from last year’s DragonCon recently. She was in her Rachel costume and I was in my Pris costume, both Blade Runner characters.
I decided to just really embrace to nerd and the workout and wear my costume for the pictures. Trust me, I did not work out in a wig. Shudder.
Me as Pris:
Blade Runner is a classic classic sci-fi movie. I wish I still had the paper I wrote about it in my Media Criticism class in college. I remember the word pastiche being used a lot. In this clip where you see Pris first, you can see the pastiche pretty clearly – the melding of architectural styles, retro and futuristic (particularly in the early 80s). It’s also a film noir… about the future. It’s a thought-provoking film that you can’t watch in the background. Otherwise, it will be boring. People complain that the pace is slow, but I don’t really see that.
They won’t let me embed: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27qOWx_TUq8
Anyway, Pris is a replicant. This is established immediately, so there isn’t much spoiler there. However, if you want to not have a plot point spoiled, stop watching this clip halfway through:
Again, won’t let me embed: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XmPrGNMIguw
Obviously Pris is pretty fit – and so the workout is based a lot on this scene:
2 times through 21:24 was my time. Reps for time! Set your stopwatches.
20 on each leg – lunge back kick up – stability, strength and balance for fighting gracefully and powerfully
30 jumping jacks – I wasn’t very well gonna do those flips she does was I?
15 halfpushup full pushup – strength and speed for the arms
30 squat jumps – to help in the acrobatic displays in her fighting skills
20 on each side – inner thigh chair exercise – If you’re gonna try to squeeze someone’s head to death, gotta build the muscles to do it
30 plie squats – a base exercise for dancers and gymnasts that will also give strength and posture to movements
x 2
20 on each leg – lunge back kick up
Step back into a lunge. With the leg that is lunged back, bring forward and up into a kick in a smooth motion. Do 20 on each leg – 40 total.
30 jumping jacks
Each time your legs and arms go out is one rep.
15 half pushup full pushup – the last 5 on the second round were just regular pushups for me
Mod as needed (don’t do the extra half, don’t go all the way down, put your knees down). Go down as low as you can to the ground for a pushup. Push back up into plank, then lower halfway to the ground. One rep is one full and one half pushup.
30 squat jumps
Squat down – keeping your butt back, back straight, knees don’t go out over toes. Then jump up. One rep.
20 on each side inner thigh exercises
One side plank with elbow down, put one leg up on a chair (I steady mine with a yoga mat). Bring your bottom leg up to meet the other leg underneath the chair. One rep. Do 20 on each side – switch sides after you do 20.
30 plie squats
With legs out in second position (a wide one), squat down as far as you can. Don’t let your knees go past your toes.
Do everything again!
Discliamer: am not an expert, be careful, do this at your own risk, ask your doctor, etc etc
New Music Tuesday! On a Wednesday…
Posted: May 9, 2012 Filed under: Music, Nerdiness | Tags: Beastie Boys, dance, Heavenly Beat, music, pop, Saint Etienne Leave a comment »Sorry this post is late guys! Better late than never, though, right?
Here are the new and not-so-new tracks for the evening.
Anyway. This was always my favorite video… I love the sounds when you first see the robot. Aaaand of course I just realized that this is also their nerdiest video. Ugh, so predictable of me. Robots. INTERGALACTIC. Sometimes I make my own eyes roll about my own self. It still remains an excellent song and video and a good song to work out to:
This is some pretty ethereal goodness – a good song for working out AND cooling down.
And this is pure pop dance fun
Side to Side Workout
Posted: May 9, 2012 Filed under: Home workout | Tags: burpee, dive bombers, home workout, one arm side press up, one leg v ups, side plank kicks, skaters Leave a comment »
Yesterday I promised you a longer, harder home workout today. Well, I think this one delivers. The home workout today includes some arm exercises that will hit your arms ALL over. I don’t think it misses a muscle. It will also get your abs and your hips good, too. I know because I’m feeling it all today! The workout’s “Side to Side” name comes from the end of the workout when you are on your side the whole time.
This is a 24 minute workout (you can cut out the last round if you are in a hurry, but why not challenge yourself if you can?)
It’s 8 exercises 3 times through. So, set those interval timers (Seconds Free app on your phone!) to 24 rounds. 10 seconds rest, 50 seconds hard work.
Divebomber 10 / 8 / 9
Burpee (pushup and jump) 7 / 6 / 6
One leg v ups 21 / 20 / 20
Skaters 40 / 54 / 48
One arm side press up with right arm 19 / 19 / 18
One arm side press up with left arm 18 / 20 / 19
Side plank left leg kick 25 / 26 / 26
Side plank right leg kick 17 / 24 / 25
Divebombers
Start with butt up, head down, on feet and hands. Swoop head up to the ceiling, with your body following it in a smooth and controlled motion. Then reverse to get your butt in the air again. That completes the first rep!
Burpee (pushup and jump)
Jump out into a plank and lower down in a pushup. After you come back up into plank, jump your feet back in towards your hands into squat position. From here, jump as high as you can. One rep!
One leg v ups
Just like regular v ups, but this time you touch the opposite arm to opposite leg. Each tough is one rep.
Skaters
I did these with the hands on an Ugi ball, but these can be done without as shown in the pictures. They are kind of like mountain climbers, but side to side. Start with one leg underneath you in squat position with other leg out to the side. Using your core and legs, switch the leg position. Each switch is one rep.
One arm side press up with right arm
Laying on your side, keep your bottom arm out of the way. Press up with your top arm, the right one, to lift your upper body off the ground. Each lift is one rep. See below for picture.
One arm side press up with left arm
See above, just switch sides.
Side plank left leg kick
Get in side plank on your elbow. Lift the top leg – left – parallel to the floor and fold your leg in. Then kick the leg out to straighten it. Each kick is one rep. See below for picture.
Side plank right leg kick
See above, just switch sides.
Now do everything two more times!
Disclaimer – I am not an expert, do this at your own risk, be careful, ask your doctor, listen to your body!!!
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