Nerd Workout! Inspired by True Blood!
Posted: October 23, 2012 Filed under: Home workout, Nerdiness | Tags: divebombers, Home workouts, mountain climbers, pushup burpees, side plank lifts, Sookie, squats, True Blood, vampires, werewolves Leave a comment »Yesterday I didn’t post a workout because I was exhausted by this weekend’s extreme fun times in New Orleans. What a great city. Also, because I was digging holes in the ground for work that day. I know, you are so jealous. No, but seriously, it’s not so bad, and it’s nice to have that added variety in to work life. Occasionally, I get to work outside in beautiful fall weather.
Being in the Louisiana area, it inspired me to have this week’s Nerd Workout be from True Blood. I’ve hesitated doing True Blood because there is not a ton of obvious working out, especially for Sookie, but they are all so buff that’s inspiration enough. All of these people have noticeable muscle tone, females included, so this workout is meant to make those abs and arms and butt.. and everything…get strong and toned. There is also the physical altercations between vampires, jumping, tackling, pushing, even if they are just naturally strong. I think these following exercises incorporate that. Your arms and side abs will feel this tomorrow.
Funny video:
And an action video:
10 pushup burpees – Cardio and strength to look hot/attack vampires, werewolves, or any other of the infinite creatures that seem to live in this part of Louisiana
30 squats and side leg lift – Tone your legs to look hot/kick off attackers
10 divebombers – A great arm exercises to look hot/push off attackers
30 side lifts (15 on each side) – Tone your side abs to look hot/have core strength
60 mountain climbers – cardio to look hot/run away
20 drop down burpees – extra boost of cardio to make sure you look really, really hot
twice through
my times: 18:44
10 pushup burpees
You know the drill. Jump your feet out into a plank. Do a pushup, on your knees if needed. Jump your feet back in towards your hands. Do a squat jump. One rep.
30 squats and side leg lift
Squat down, keeping your back straight, and knees from going over your toes. Lift up, lifting one leg straight to your side. One rep. Next rep, lift the other leg.
10 divebombers
Start on hands and feet, butt in the air, head down. With control, swoop head down and up towards the ceiling, while lowering your butt. Return to the original position. One rep.
30 side lifts (15 on each side)
Start in sitting position, with your legs out and your arm to one side. Lift up into a side plank, using your ab muscles. Do this 15 times. Then switch sides.
60 mountain climbers
Start in plank. Put one foot towards your hands. Switch feet positions. That is one rep. Each switch is a rep.
20 drop down burpees
To get extra cardio, but not kill your arms, these don’t include a pushup, but make you drop all the way down to the floor. Jump your fee out into a plank, drop down to the floor. Jump your feet back to your hands. Do a squat jump. One rep.
Do it all one more time! And try not to sweat.
Disclaimer: Be careful, ask your doctor, I am not an expert.
Nerd Workout! Inspired by Allison from Eureka
Posted: July 23, 2012 Filed under: Home workout, Nerdiness | Tags: allison, burpees, butt lifts, elevated, eureka, pushups, side planks, squats Leave a comment »Sadly, one of my favorite shows, Eureka, said goodbye last week with its last episode. I’ve already done the Jo from Eureka workout, so I wanted to do one inspired by Allison, one of the main characters on the show. She is a strong, incredibly intelligent woman, who has two kids, and who a lot of people turn to for help, other than Jack and Henry, on the show. She tends to keep a level head with all the crazy experiments gone awry.
Here is a video about Eureka – she first appears at 0:14
Her body is very obviously in great shape. Both in her tasteful but body-conscious outfits, and one or two memorable scenes, one can see it’s pretty obvious…With two kids that body doesn’t just magically happen, she works hard, doing something to get that bod. I’m thinking she does different types of workouts to get the muscle definition – some more intense workouts like the ones we do here, mixed in with some pilates and/or yoga. Also Allison has got a great butt, so we are going to do some exercises that will focus on toning that area.
So the workout combines these types:
18 rounds, 10 second rest, 50 seconds on (get the Seconds Free interval timer app!)
18 minutes total
burpees – high intensity cardio and strength exercise that would tone Allison all over. 9 / 9 / 8
side planks left- tone the abs, which Allison also has and strengthen the core. also relates to yoga positions, which it appears Allison might dabble in 14 / 13 / 15
side planks right 17 / 17 / 14
squats, with weights if necessary – tone that butt 19 / 18 / 16
pushups – elevated – get those arms toned 13 / 13 / 13
butt lifts – tone that butt again! 16 / 16 / 15
Burpees
Unless you want to, today we will do the burpees minus the pushups to let you really push in the elevated pushups part. So, jump your feet out into a blank, jump them back into a squat, and then jump up! You can also drop your body all the way to the ground instead of just plank. Not as arm challenging as pushups, but more so than just the plank outs. I’ll probably do it this way.
Side Planks Left
Sitting in position to get ready for side plank, lift your body up and into side plank, using your core and abs to do so. Each up is one rep. Side plank right is pictured.
Side Planks Right
Repeat above!
Start:
End:
Squats
I will do these with some weight, but no worries if you don’t. Squat, keeping your back straight and your knees from going over your toes. Stand up straight. One rep.
Elevated pushups
On a couch or chair or something similar, put your feet. Do a pushup from this elevated position. If you can’t do a regular pushup, or find those challenging, just keep them on the ground and modify with knees down as necessary.
(starbuck wanted to join)
Butt lifts
With your elbows down in plank position, lift one leg at a 90 degree angle, with the thigh parallel to the ground. Lift this leg up, using your butt muscles. Drop the leg. One rep. Now repeat on other side.
Start:
End:
Disclaimer:
I am not an expert, do this at your own risk, ask your doctor, be careful
Mashup Workout
Posted: June 20, 2012 Filed under: Home workout, Yoga | Tags: clean and press, jumping jacks, kicks, leg lowers, pushups, sandbag, squats, sun salutation, triangle, warrior, yoga Leave a comment »Today’s (fun I might add) home workout is a two-parter and a mashup of workout styles. I’ve been feeling kind of bored and unexcited recently with doing the workouts sometimes, or found it harder to make a workout I could really excited about. Well, this one was definitely fun and not the same ole same ole. So below you’ll find some lengthy explanations for the workouts, but never fear, these really are less complicated than you think. And, if you need extra help and aren’t a yoga expert, there are plenty of things online to help with poses if I wasn’t clear enough. Just be sure to do only what you can do. I’m going to show some different options that you shouldn’t do if you don’t feel comfortable with the base level pose.
So here we go. The first part is an un-timed, yoga part. Timing yourself here isn’t really the point. I love how the warrior poses and the triangle pose really open up your hips. You can feel the stretch and it’s great.
Part I:
You will do six sun salutations, at the end of each of these you will do a warrior pose or a variation, should you feel comfortable. So it will be
Sun salutation – warrior pose right foot front for ten breaths
Sun salutation – warrior pose left foot front for ten breaths
Sun salutation – warrior pose or variation right foot front for ten breaths
Sun salutation – warrior pose or variation left foot front for ten breaths
Sun salutation – warrior pose or variation right foot front for ten breaths
Sun salutation – warrior pose or variation left foot front for ten breaths
To do a sun salutation, begin standing with legs hip width apart. Lift your arms over your head, then swoop them down to the floor and bend over. Jump or walk your legs out into a plank. Lower your self down and move into upward dog, put your feet upside down on the mat. Then from here, move your feet back onto the floor and lift your butt into the air, and lower you head, keeping your back straight. You can settle into this pose as long as you like. Next, put your right front in between your hands, pointed straight to the front, turning your back left foot perpendicular. Lean into a lunge on your front right foot as deep as you can for ten breaths – in an out. This is warrior pose. Move your feet back to your hands and stand up straight again. This starts the next sun salutation, the second one, which will have the left foot forward. The next two poses could be the triangle pose shown below. The last could be the warrior pose with prayer hands, also shown below. My body should be turned more towards the camera probably. This isn’t super easy to do, so don’t do it if the warrior pose is challenging, or the triangle pose. Listen to your body.
downward and upward dog:
Warrior:
Triangle:
Warrior with prayer hands:
Once you have down the six sun salutation plus warrior poses, the first part is done.
The second part is a 12-minute workout.
4 exercises, 3 times through.
Set your interval timers to 12 rounds, 10 seconds off, 50 seconds on
Squat kick up 18 / 15 / 15
Pushup with sandbag, clean and press 6 / 5 / 5
Jumping Jacks 45 / 49 / 50
Side leg lowers 8 / ? / 13 – I ended up doing just regular leg raises, down an up, because these were too hard and I couldn’t really do them, haha
Squat kick up
Go into a squat, keeping your back straight and your knees from going over your toes. As you stand, kick up as high as you can on one leg. That is one rep. After the next squat, kick with your other leg.
Pushup with sandbag, clean and press
If you have a sandbag or equivalent, do a pushup with your hands on it, then pick it up and lift it and flip it, using your power from your legs. Then straighten up and stand with the weight. If you don’t have a weight or something that could sub out, then simply do a pushup, then a squat. Each combo would be a rep.
Jumping Jacks
You know what these are. Each time your legs and arms go out, one rep.
Side leg lowers/leg raises
So this little experiment didn’t work out so well, haha. Maybe you will be able to do it. I lifted my leg up to the ceiling, laying down. I tried to lower both legs to the side, using only my ab muscles, keeping them off the floor and straight. I couldn’t do all these things. I could do it if they were bent. Anyway, I just got irritated and started lifting them up and down normally.
Disclaimer: I am not an expert, ask your doctor, do these exercises at your own risk!
San Diego Workout
Posted: June 5, 2012 Filed under: Home workout | Tags: butt lifts, jump twist, out, pike jumps, pike pushup, plank, squats Leave a comment »So secret for you – the workout I posted yesterday was actually posted from San Diego. And today’s will be too. Even though all the pictures were taken at home. Tricky!
So here is where I worked out this morning:
Sadly, it got much prettier about two hours later, when all of sudden not a cloud was in the sky. Can’t complain though. Still a beautiful place to do this workout.
I’ll get right to it the home – or outside your hotel – workout. This workout was a lot of fun! Lots of legs and cardio, but always focused on that core.
16 minutes
4 rounds or 4 exercises
Get your Seconds Free app!
16 rounds
10 seconds rest, 50 active
Butt lifts 20 / 16 / 16 / 17
Squats 23 / 21 / 18 / 18
Jump twist plank out 10 / 10 / 10 / 10
3 jump over pikes and 2 pike pushups 5 / 5/ 5/ 5
Butt lifts
Get in elbow plank. Lift one leg with leg at 90 degree angle, foot to the ceiling. Lift your leg up towards the ceiling. One rep. Then change legs.
Starting position:
Ending position:
Squats
Try to keep your back straight, don’t go over the knees.
Jump twist plank out
Jump up and as you do, change which direction you are facing. Then jump your feet out into a plank and then back in. One rep.
3 jump over pikes and 2 pike pushups
With your legs to one side (say of a yoga mat) and your butt in the air, jump both legs, keeping them together to the other side. Then the other side again and then the other. Then open your legs and bend your elbows to get your head close to the ground two times. These sound more complicated than they are!
Legs to one side:
Motion of jump (look how fun this looks!). Keep legs together and really lift them up:
End of first jump over (do two more times, quickly!):
Pike pushup (two times):
Disclaimer: ask your doctor, I am not an expert, do this at your own risk, be careful!
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.
Workout – quick and easy
Posted: May 8, 2012 Filed under: Home workout | Tags: ab ball, mountain climbers, pushups, sandbag, squats Leave a comment »Well easy in that isn’t complicated. This home workout just has four exercises, done three times through. Just a 12 minute one!
Don’t worry – I did the one I’ll post tomorrow today, and it’s twice as long and whoa whoa whoa. This is just a breather. But, this home workout will target the whole body, and you’ll probably especially feel it in the inner thighs if you do the ab exercise with a ball.
Here goes!
12 rounds – 10 seconds res, 50 seconds on
4 exercises, 3 times through
Mountain climbers 88/ 86 / 90
Pushups 18 / 20 / 15
Squats 20 / 20 / 20 (I did mine with a sandbag)
Ab ball exercise 11 / 9 / 11
Mountain climbers
In plank, put one leg toward your chest. Switch leg positions. Each switch is one rep. Get your heart rate up!
Pushups
Mod as needed, knees down, or not as low to the ground
Squats
I did mine with a sandbag, you can do your with our without a weight, no worries. Just squat down like you are going to sit on a chair, keeping your knees from going over your toes!
Ab ball exercise
With a weighted ball or stability ball, grab it between your legs (this is where you’ll feel it the next day) and meet with your hands, bringing the ball back over your head. Each time the ball strikes the ground is one rep. If you don’t have a ball, just do v-ups – Lifting your legs and upper body up towards each other.
Disclaimer – be careful, do at your own risk, am not an expert, ask your doctor. Have fun!
Lunge-in around
Posted: May 3, 2012 Filed under: Home workout, Nerdiness | Tags: burpees, doctor who, flutter, legs, lunges, press ups, pushups, sandbag, squats Leave a comment »
Ha ha ha… Sorry it gets difficult coming up with titles for the home workouts. This one – obviously – has got some lunges, squats, burpees, abs… a lil bit of everything!
lunge back press with sandbag 12 / 11 / 12
pushup 16 / 18 / 15
squat and side leg 20 / 18 / 20
pushup and jump burpee 7 / 7 / 7
leg flutter 52 / 63 / 55
x 3
Lunge back press up
So I did this with a press up. If you don’t have a sandbag or a substitute, just do alternating lunges back.If you have something like a sandbag, have it at chest, stomach level, then after you lunge back press it up. One rep. And yes. Doctor Who on the TV in the background… What? There’s nothing new on Netflix that interests me right now.
Pushup
Mod as needed – on knees or not as far down
Squat and side leg up
Squat down and as you come up out of your squat, lift one leg out to the side. One rep. Next time, do it one the other side. Be careful to not let your knees go past your toes as you squat. Keep your back straight.
Squat:
Side leg up:
Pushup and jump burpee
Jump out into a plank and go into a pushup. Jump your feet back in near your hands and jump up. One rep.
Flutter legs
Lay on your back and keep your legs off the floor, alternating between one hovering near the floor, and the other at a 45 degree angle off the floor. Each switch is one rep.
Disclaimer – please be careful, ask your doctor, use caution, do this at your own risk, etc etc etc
Nerd Workout! Princess Mononoke Inspired Workout
Posted: April 24, 2012 Filed under: Home workout, Nerdiness | Tags: anime, flying pushups, home workout, leg raises, Miyizaki, nerdiness, nerdom, Princess Mononoke, running, squats Leave a comment »
Princess Mononoke is one of my top movies, though somewhere beneath Howl’s Moving Castle, another awesome anime movie. I remember seeing on IO9.com this week, in honor of Earth Day, that this is a great environmental movie. It’s absolutely true. The movie’s beauty and rich story makes it worth watching for any reason, moral or not. One of the main character’s (as are most, if not all, of Hayao Miyazaki‘s characters), is a strong (female) person who is on the forest’s side in the conflict and lives with wolves, San, or Princess Mononoke. She carries a spear and is a feisty, independent and yet, sympathetic character. My home workout today is inspired by her.
Here is a trailer- she’s the girl featured in the video.
I have said I wanted to incorporate more short bursts of running, well here we go.
I started out kind of sluggish through this, so you might very well beat my time. I felt like I was moving through molasses. By the end, I felt like I was doing my pushups and squats much faster. Oh well.
Here’s the home workout:
4 times through!
Running – no pic – ran about 150 meters or so? Down the block and back
10 Flying pushups
Do a regular pushup, but then after your down, lift one arm and the opposite leg up. After you do that, that’s one rep. Alternate legs and arms.
Pushup:
Fly:
20 Leg raises
Lift your legs from the laying down position and then lower them back down with control, letting them almost touch the floor. Each time it almost comes back down to the floor is one rep.
30 Squat and Knee Ins
Squat down and as you come up, lift your leg and knee into your side. That’s one rep. Then squat down and do it with the other leg.
Now do it three more times!
Disclaimer: not an expert, do at your own risk, ask your doctor.
Limber Legs Workout
Posted: April 10, 2012 Filed under: Home workout | Tags: half burpees, high knees, home workout, mountain climbers, no equipment, pushups, squats Leave a comment »So, this workout after the one I posted yesterday is a pretty tough challenge. If you are super sore (first off, remember to stretch a lot) you can swap out the squats in the workout for 50 jumping jacks instead. But if you can make it with the squats, your legs will definitely feel stronger!
30 Squats (I am pictured with a sandbag – don’t feel like you have to use it or anything else!)
10 High Knees and 10 mountain climbers – 10 times
25 Pushups
Half Burpees Off center – 30
Then do ALL of it two more times, making it a total of three times through.
My time was 18:56
30 Squats
Squat down, remembering to keep your back straight and don’t let your knees go past your toes. Again, no equipment is necessary for this exercise!
10 High Knees and 10 Mountain climbers – 10 times
Pump your legs as high as you can – a total of ten times, then go down to the floor and switch your legs from out to underneath your chest ten times. Do this 9 more times, for 10 times total.
25 Pushups
Pretty straightforward. Mod as needed. Knees down, etc.
30 Half Burpees Off center
Start out in plank position, then jump your legs in towards one side of your body – off center. Then jump your legs back out into a plank. You’ll jump your legs in to the other side next time. Each time your legs go in towards your body is one rep. So you’ll go to each side 15 times.
Now do everything two more times (three times total)!
Disclaimer: do these exercises at your own risk, be careful, ask your doctor.
Nerd Workout! Hunger Games Tribute Inspired Workout!
Posted: March 23, 2012 Filed under: Home workout, Nerdiness | Tags: capitol, effie, hunger games, inner thighs, katniss, pushups, side burpees, sprints, squats, team gale, team peeta, wall sits 1 Comment »So, should we find ourselves in the horrible position of being a Hunger Games tribute (or awesome if you are a career), then here’s a training workout for you!
Part 1: Just once through
Part 1
5 sprints
with 5 pushups after each
Part 2: Twice through
Capitol Inspired Costume:
Katniss Inspired Costume:
I know it’s silly, but I had a ton of fun with those. Many many many thanks to Alicia for the use of her backyard and taking the outdoor pictures of me. And letting me workout in her backyard…You made the workout!
Oh and close up of the shoes, because you might recognize them, they are totally knockoff of Effie’s shoes in the movie.
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