13 Weeks Post - Weight Loss Update

Ptttttttttttttthhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

(That would be me, blowing a raspberry at my metabolism.)

So I've had a lot of inquiries regarding my post-baby weight loss journey and I have to officially say that...

...it stinks.

I suppose if I'm going to be honest, I have to give you the bad with the good and people, it's not pretty.

This is about as current a picture as it gets.  With my crew at the beach!

Let's back up for a moment so I can paint you a picture.  Three kids, in under four years.  I have stretch marks, wobbly under-arm skin, and spider veins.  My stomach, once flat and hard, continues to pooch out and resemble the home I swore my son was going to set up permanent residence in.  I realize that this is not entirely unusual and are "battle scars" many moms proudly display in the name of having children...but I'm more than a little over it and ready to get back to my pre-baby body ASAP.   

Yesterday, Scott and I had our physicals for our insurance policies...you know, the standard height, weight, blood, urine, blah blah blah.  I had fasted for the blood work so I was curious to see how my weight compared to my last doctor's visit, seven weeks ago.

And it was the same.

And I was a wreck.  

Now, I have a wonderful support system in my husband and friends, who are continuously complementary and encouraging.  Just last week, after hearing my belly aching about not losing weight fast enough, my friend Susie lovingly told me to "stay off the stinking scales for a while."  

I also realize that it took me nine months to put on this weight (close to 40 lbs) and that I should be patient in getting it off.  But that being said, I am ready for the scales to move.  Downward.  Under 150.  Puh-lease.

Therefore, it's back to the drawing board.  I began keeping a food journal again, although we don't think that my weight is a calorie issue because I'm honestly eating cleaner than I ever have.  Scott believes it's an exercise thing, so that's where we're going to focus more.  

He calculated that, within the three pregnancies and few months after delivery, I have probably had a combined 12 months of little to no physical activity within the last four years.  Prior to Elizabeth, I was very active - getting in about an hour of cardio and an hour of weights most days, plus the physical demands of coaching.  My metabolism was going full force in order to match my activity.  Today, it is far less.  While I am constantly on the go, it just isn't the same and I don't have the means to do the same amount of activity I did before kids.  Therefore, the rate that my body burns calories for fuel has gone way down.  If my metabolism was a blazing fire before, it's embers now.

So, we set a game plan.  Maybe you're in the same boat and need a jump start.  Me?  I need straight gasoline.  And that would be high-intensity exercise.  

As I've said before, I have an hour at the gym.  I've been lifting for the past couple months, but it's been mainly to get my muscles back to being acquainted with the activity.  Now, I need to pick it up a notch and keep my heart rate up as much as I can.

So this was my workout today (legs focused).

5 minutes warm-up on the rowing machine

4 x 10 Squats (bar)

4 x MAX Reverse hamstring raises (no weight)

4 x 7, 6, 5, 5 Leg press (90 lbs)

Then I performed a very poor rendition of this workout from Zuzana Light.  I did it only for 10 minutes because I thought I was going to keel over, not to mention rip every muscle of my core with the crab touches.  (If you haven't checked out her new YouTube channel out, you really should.  She does a lot of body weight exercises and updates new workouts frequently.)

Finally, I ran for as hard as I could on the treadmill for 10 minutes - getting up to 7.5 mph.

And that was an hour.  I was tired, sweaty and fatigued...which is actually encouraging because I know that those are the factors that will help my body change the way I want. 

Are you on the same journey?  How are you doing and have you found any secrets that work?  

Have a great day!

Back to our roots

We went to the gym as a family this morning, which is one of the things I love most about Saturday mornings.  Also topping the list was the fact that I was able to sleep until 7:30 a.m. - thanks to my loving husband and cooperative little children.

But really, the gym was a close second.  

I normally do a full body workout on Saturday and it hasn't worked out since Caleb was born that Scott and I were on the same schedule to do one together.  So I was thrilled when he suggested we give it a go as a duo today.

After dropping the kids off, we sat in the sauna for 5 minutes and then warmed up with a mile on the treadmill.  HGTV and I did it in 10 minutes flat... booo...

Then, we headed upstairs to the indoor track and I proceeded to do my first, full scale Crossfit workout.

Let me tell you, I never thought I could do it.

It was 4 reps of:

500 meter run

20 Kettlebell swings

15 handstand pushups (I did regular pushups, Scott did the wall)

10 situps

I think we finished in about 9:30.

Then we did 3 rounds of 100 jump rope jumps followed by 10 wall ball's (which I had never done before).   With these, you pick a spot on the wall about 3 feet over your head and squat down with the medicine ball, exploding up while throwing the ball up to hit the spot.  As the ball comes down, you time your squat to catch it as you bend your knees.

I'm sure I looked graceful as all get out. 

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I know I've said it before, but it's worth repeating that I truly advocate working out with your partner.  There is just something about putting in that physical time together that is powerful.  I've always thought it would be interesting to stage one of these dating reality shows in a gym...Biggest Loser meets The Bachelor.  For Scott and me, working out goes back to the roots of our relationship. 

He could have very easily left me in the dust during this workout, but he didn't.  During the first lap around the track, he took to my pace (which I didn't think was horrible, 9 weeks post-partum) and pushed me the whole time. 

Years ago, this was how our relationship started.  Being too poor to do much else, instead of dates, we went to the gym and enjoyed working out together, turning up the radio on the way home with the windows down and later crashing on the couch.

I had lifted in college and spent my fair time in the weight room, but Scott taught me so much more about technique and form and different machines and lifts.  And there was never a trace of impatience or irritation on his part in my lack of knowledge or questions.  

Looking back now, I learned a lot about the man I was choosing to spend the rest of my life with by how he interacted as a workout partner.  He was always encouraging and supportive, knowing when to say something or when to be quiet. When things got hard, he was never hateful or snapped.  And he demonstrated his trust in me by asking me to spot him or support him on heavy lifts.

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As we walked a lap after the last wall ball Saturday, my mind drifted back there - to the beginning of us.  And how fulfilling to know that almost five years of marriage and three little kids later, he's still right beside me, supporting and building me up.

We "cooled down" by sitting in the sauna for ten excruciating minutes, daydreaming about future plans and talking about swim lessons for the girls, and then picked up our three little darlings to come back home and go through the rest of the weekend.  

I would tell you that the best part was the calories I know I burned or the fact that I plowed through a hard workout that day...and don't get me wrong, that was pretty high up there.  But being able to workout with my husband again was my greatest joy.

Life gets so busy sometimes and it's easy to get caught up in the dirty diapers and tantrums and frustration over not looking like I want fast enough...but I remain so grateful that God sends me reminders at just the right time to be thankful for this partner in life He's assigned to me.

Hug your love tonight and have a great one.

Back on the Wagon Again Workout

Well, my friends, today was the day…

My in-laws are in town and volunteered to watch Caleb.  I was able to squeeze myself into one of the two non-maternity shirts and pair of pants that fit.  I dug out my ipod.  I laced up my tennis shoes.

And...

(oh, you guessed it…) 

I began my quest for my PRE-BABY BODY BACK!! 

It's a trip I've been on before and I have to tell you that this journey is entirely personal.  The one piece of universal advice I've gathered from mothers everywhere on getting back in shape is to listen to your body.  So I've listened.

And today was the day.  

Now, I won't tell you I feel 100% because my insides still feel...well, mushy.  Like I just had a baby about a month ago.  So I didn't break any records today - just a sweat, which was all I was after.  

Diet wise, Scott and I have jumped on the Paleo wagon, although I have to admit that I keep one foot dragging in the dirt while he is fully on board.  If you're not familiar with it, it's basically all meat, vegetables and fruit - no grains, dairy or legumes.  This has been a pretty easy task in the Spring, and I've lost 20 easy pounds so far.  (I gained 40 total with this pregnancy.)  My swelling is significantly better than after Rachel and I feel great - besides that normal recovering from just having a baby sort of stuff.  

So with my diet finally under control (I went just a teensy bit crazy in the third trimester), I'm ready to begin the work part of getting my body back.  Scott wrote up the following workout for me - it's been about two months since I've lifted so I wanted to start back slow and keep my intensity at a minimum.  I also don't feel quite ready to do any leg work yet, so you'll notice the only lower body work is with the calves.  It took me right about an hour to complete.

Back on the Wagon Again Workout  (for me: 1 month postpartum)

15 minute - incline treadmill walk (I stayed around a 6 incline with a 3.5 speed)

30 second plank

 

Super-set I (perform 3 times)

DB Bench press  x 10

Low Pulley row  x 10

30 second plank 

Super-set II (perform 3 times)

Bicep curls  x 10

Tricep rope pushdown  x 10

Standing calf raises  x 10

30 second plank

15 minute - incline treadmill walk (I stayed around a 6.5 incline with a 3.7 speed)

Tonight, I feel tired, but good in the sense that I was able to reconnect with a part of my pre-new mommy self.  We were kind of guessing on the planks - not being sure if it was a good idea or not.  I'll let you know!  

Scott's "I don't care how pregnant you are" 3rd Trimester Circuit Workout

Lately, I've been feeling overly...well...PREGNANT.

At 29 weeks, my belly is already huge (although it always gets huge - I'm a little person) and I have begun to get knowing looks from formerly pregnant women everywhere.

I'm met with, "How much longer?" comments almost everywhere I go and then enjoy watching their expressions change from shock to realization and finally to pity when they hear three more months.  Oh, especially if I have my two little helpers with me. 

Over the holidays, I took a week and a half off from the gym.  It wasn't voluntary, as we had days on end of sickness combined with company and topped off with days it was just plain closed.  The week before Christmas, I only did cardio, as I needed the mindless escape of the treadmill and HGTV for an hour.  So I thought today, Monday January 2, would be the perfect day to begin a new lifting routine.

I googled researched third trimester lifting ideas and, while there isn't a ton of information to find, I did come across evidence that I could still strengthen my core, in the form of planks and cable work, although most of the lifting seemed a little too elementary for what I was looking for.  

My husband to the rescue, Scott whipped up this circuit for me and, I have to tell you, I am disappointed that I didn't start something like this sooner.  My heart rate stayed elevated for the entire time and I broke a great sweat, but not in a "I think I might die or have this baby right here" sort of way.  I haven't been doing the stairmaster, as it's not the most comfortable piece of machinery for me right now, but he encouraged me that the picking up and down of my legs would help my hip flexors - and even at the lowest setting, he was right. 

Sometimes you need someone outside your self-pity bubble to put a challenge to you regardless of your situation...well, at least I do.  And I have to say that Scott  is not only my top supporter but my top challenger as well.  

I think even if you're not 29 weeks pregnant, this might be something worth looking into, if you want a full body workout.  This took me about an hour to complete and I didn't take any breaks once I started.  Feel free to increase the intensity from my mediocre weights!

Scott's "I don't care how pregnant you are" 3rd Trimester Circuit Workout

Stairmaster - 10 minutes (Ours is the large kind that the stairs actually move and you have to pick your feet up)

Kettlebell Swing - 2 x 50 reps (I used the lightest Kettlebell I could find - close to 8 lbs.  You stand with your feet a little wider than shoulder width apart and, holding the weight in both hands, bend your knees slightly to swing it between your legs and then, keeping arms straight, straight up in front of you while straightening out your legs.)

First Round (go through 3 times)

DB Deadlift - 20 (I used 10 lbs)

Alt DB Shoulder Press - 20 (I did these standing with 5 lbs)

Bird dog Complex - 10 per limb  

Second Round (go through 3 times)   

DB Incline Bench - 20 (I used 10 lbs)

Seated Row - 20 (This machine was actually taken so I modified this to reverse pulldowns at 37.5 lbs.)

Split Squat - 20 (I did these without weight but placed my back foot on the bench.)
Plank - 30 seconds (First round to the front, second to the side and third to the other side)


Stairmaster - 10 minutes

Towards the end of my second round of kettlebell swings, a woman walked past me with a medicine ball and asked if I was using the reverse incline bench (since I was standing near it).  I told her no and continued to the end of my 50, as she set up to do some sit-ups with the weighted ball.  When I got done, I turned to her and said, "It was very sweet of you to ask if I was going to do crunches," pointing to my belly.  She took one look at me and busted out laughing.  She said, "I was in such a zone and you were working so hard that I didn't even notice!  I guess you won't be using this for a while, huh?"

For a second there, it was same joy as being carded at the grocery store after the age of 30...or am I the only one that considers that a complement??

Enjoy the workout!! 

I'm not going to be able to walk tomorrow

This is what I get for trying a new workout 18 weeks pregnant...SORE LEGS!  

I found Peanut Butter Fingers through a search for cooking spaghetti squash in the Crockpot, of all things, and really fell in love with the creator and her ideas and workouts.  Sometimes it's nice to wander out of the mommy zone and remember what it was like to be 26...with a waist-line... *sigh*

Anyway, today, I tried her Sure to Make you Sore Leg Workout and it did not disappoint.  I liked the idea of starting with 100 squats to burn the legs out, although I am all-out impressed that she was able to do them with 80 lbs.  Me?  I did them with a 9 lb Body Bar...woo-to-the-hoo...

Workout from Peanut Butter Fingers - these were Julie's stats when she recorded the workout.

I warmed up running for 15 minutes on the treadmill, and let me tell you, this baby is not crazy about running.  I'm not sure how much longer I'm going to be able to go, but today I was able to at least run straight without stopping, even if it was at a 4.8 pace. (And I didn't have to stop to run to the bathroom...yay bladder!)

Like I said, I did all 100 squats, breaking them into groups of 25 with the 9 lb Body Bar.  I wasn't sure about being able to manage the leg press with my belly, so I opted to do step-ups on the bench instead.  My first set of deadlifts, I tried with the bar, which was awkward, so I switched to 15 lb dumbbells for the final two sets and that worked out better and gave me a better range of motion.

Now, I was tempted to use the excuse that I had to get my little children from the nursery so I didn't have TIME to do the exercise ball squats or curls, but truth is people, I couldn't move anymore.  Doing those 100 squats at the beginning really maxed me out. 

I used very little weight (I just did body weight lunges) and felt an immediate reaction - something I haven't had in a while since I've really simpled down my lifts due to the pregnancy - so this workout could easily be something that you could try at home, even if you don't have equipment. 

Good luck!  And check out Peanut Butter Fingers and show her some love!

Alternating Limb Exercises Worth the Time - Who Knew??

You're going to have to forgive me for my lack of technical terminology on this one...I'm not sure what it's TECHNICALLY called when you do an exercise that involves one limb and then the other except that when they're listed on a workout sheet, they're called one-arm...or one-legged...so wouldn't alternating limbed make sense?

It did in my head, but then again, I am pregnant so I swear that my brain is getting sucked out a little bit more every week.

Normally when I write anything regarding a workout, I call my husband in and go through the motion of the exercise saying, "What is this called again, honey?"

To which I receive an eye roll and a correct, technical answer.

But alas, he's at work and you are stuck with me and my own terminology...which you're probably just fine with since you've stuck with me this long and you know I'm not one of those trainer-people...I'm just a mama who likes to workout.

So anyway, back to my point...I have an hour in the gym and normally try to squeeze some form of cardio and weights into that time period.  Now, I have used this excuse of crunched time to avoid any exercise that calls for one-limb to be used at a time because I know you then have to workout the other limb next and it takes DOUBLE the time than if you would have just done both things together.  At the same time, I have mumbled and grumbled about my biceps, quads and calves especially, criticizing them for their lack of focus and definition.  Well, because it couldn't be my fault.  ha!

I started following a couple programs that called for lunges - really the single exercise I had been avoiding like the plague because they really "take a long time" - and I began to notice an immediate difference in not only my quads but also my rear-end jiggle.  Thinking that perhaps there was a trend to the idea, I began adding in one-armed bicep curls, single-leg calf raises, one-armed rows  and single-leg extensions on the machine.  Eureka!  Progress, finally!

Now, the key also was within the fact that I was using a weight that challenged me - meaning that I really couldn't get more than 10-12 reps if I wanted to - and that I kept moving onto a different exercise immediately afterwards.  Because I like to super-set my workouts, I began mixing up my single-limbed exercises with regular lifts.  So Biceps and Triceps would look something like this:

1-arm DB bicep curls alternated with

Tricep rope push down

Barbell curls alternated with

One-arm tricep extensions

Alternating DB hammer curls alternated with

Tricep bench dips

Mixing the exercises up like this eliminates much need to take a break and also gives the other body part an active rest - which also burns more calories in my short time span.  Oh, and speaking of time span, my workouts now take me no more time than the old ones...I was just being a Negative Nelly and avoiding harder movements, which also provided more results (go figure).

This would be so easy to apply at home - as you can do lunges anywhere or single-legged calf raises off the floor or front stoop, or (if you're up for the physcial challenge) even one-arm push ups (yikes!).  When I was younger, my mom and I would walk on the track at the high school and would finish doing walking lunges from one end of the track to the other.  We were very anti-rear-end jiggle back then.

Good luck!

Working out for two

But of course we're still going to the gym.  

Just the other day, I wasn't really feeling it but Elizabeth had been singing non-stop for three straight hours and I was seriously looking forward to an hour of peace and quiet.  I mean, if I could have downloaded the ocean onto my ipod and just had it running in a loop, I would have done it.  Anything than Wheels on the Bus or The ABC's or *shudder* Juno...

And while I readily admit that I am unable to perform at the same intensity as my before-pregnant self, I'm still able to go pretty strong in most areas...although I don't really have much of a belly yet, so I'm not that impeded.

At 13 weeks, I've already had to lower my running intensity - my max is now around a 7.0 and I can tell I'm going to need to lower that soon.  To make up for this, Scott's turned me onto the preset workouts in the treadmill that vary the incline and that really gives me a workout, although I can't run very fast.

With Elizabeth, I stopped running way too soon...close to 20 weeks almost and walked the rest.  Of course, I picked it back up around 38 weeks to try to get her to make an appearance...I'm sure my neighbor's enjoyed seeing the huge, pregnant woman sprinting (fast walking?) up and down the road in front of her house...

With Rachel, I ran to about 34 weeks at a steady, slow jog and then she wasn't having any more of it.  Walking was pretty painful with her at the end, although I made myself do it...  She, too, was a full-term baby.

Of course, my time is also thrown off from having to run to the bathroom at least twice during each cardio session!

The other big change for right now (of course) is abs.  While I don't feel comfortable anymore doing crunches or leg raises (actually, they make me want to puke), I can still do planks, which are also helping my lower back.  But I also know there will be an endpoint to these as well, as I tend to get huge in the belly area.  Although wouldn't that be a funny picture...

Lifting wise, I don't have any limitations, except to not exceed 40 lbs - which isn't really a problem for me anyway.  I can still press on a flat bench - I don't think I have to stop that until 20 weeks - so really I haven't had to alter much at all here.

It's just sometimes difficult to know your limitations, which happened to me the hard way a couple Saturdays ago with Scott.  We went through a pretty intensive workout, warming up on the Versa Climber and jumping rope and then doing the 300 Kettle bell workout, complete with mountain climbers and pushups.  

I walked in the door of the house and thought I was going to die.  I was down for the count for a good three hours, trying to recover.  So sometimes you figure things out the hard way...we'll save that one for the post-baby game plan.  :)

My husband's thoughts: Crossfit, Journaling and the Week

By Scott
 

I was pressed for time on Wednesday morning because of an early breakfast meeting (I AM in sales,  you know) so I decided to hit a short Crossfit workout that was mentioned as a challenge in last month's  Muscle and Fitness Magazine.  If you have never tried a Crossfit style workout or program, please do some homework on the net and give it a chance.  I have utilized non-traditional workouts my whole life and attempt to train 1-2 times per week with these types of routines.

Wed morning looked like this:

4:30 am – alarm

4:40 – 1 cup of coffee, 1 scoop of pre-workout supplement

5:00 – in sauna for a 5 min “cheat” warm up

5:10 – BW Circuit warm up 5 rounds (10 squats x 10 push ups x 10 pull ups) no break between rounds

5:15 – Crossfit challenge begins:

     1-      800 meter run (on indoor track)

     2-      Back squat x 315 lbs x 10 reps

     3-      800 meter run (indoor track)

     4-      Front squat x 225 x 10

     5-      800 meter run (indoor track)

     6-      Overhead squat x 135 x 10

5:39 am – finish.

I had to complete the Overhead squats in 3 sets and they were ugly.  I grabbed my bag, was home by 5:50 and off to my breakfast by 6:30.  My legs were pretty sore, but a light run/stretch/sauna on Thursday got me ready to go for my kettlebell / pull-up / jump rope / versa climber circuit this morning.  I felt pretty good for my 50 min go and will plan on a grappling workout at lunch today.

For those of you wondering, I feel better now at 36 then I did in my “prime” (if I ever had one).  My current stats:

Height – 5’10’’

Weight – 203

Resting heart rate – 59 BPM

%BF – unknown but my guesstimate is 13-15% (I can still see my abs, but no oblique’s…)

Squat – 420 (strict and low)  Those of you who know me know that I am not lying about my squat technique!

Deadlift – 400

Bench – 320

I am journaling this because of my belief in tracking and metrics.  If you do not know where you are at, it is impossible to figure out a path to where you want to be.  I keep a similar list on my work stats and this trending information always gives me a good indicator of where I will be in a couple of months.

It was a great work week for me and I am continually impressed with the work ethic, follow-through, and professionalism of my new company.  As always, it was a whirlwind of activity at home and my beautiful wife has managed to keep us all functional, fed, safe, and out of the hospital for another week.  Annie and I discuss nightly our life situation and how blessed we really are.  I am looking forward to finishing the work week strong and spending some time with the girls and my best friend who is in Nashville for the weekend.

As always, comments are appreciated.

My husband is trying to kill me - the Thursday workout

My husband's a morning person.  At least, he plays the part well.

He tip-toes out of bed at 4:30 a.m., goes downstairs, drinks coffee and watches Sportscenter, then heads to the gym.  He gets back around 6:30 a.m., just in time to great his girls bouncing their way down the stairs and kiss his lovely wife (and by lovely, I mean hair everywhere, one eye still closed, groping for the coffee pot, with one baby wrapped around her leg wanting a sippy and the other asking what's for breakfast...LOVELY.)

I think I used to be a morning person...and then I had kids and I lost it somewhere along the way.  

But anyway, this morning, Scott was able to stay and have breakfast with us - which is one of our favorite things about living this close to work.  Plus, we get to have actual adult conversation while the girls are engrossed in Mickey Mouse and eggs and toast.

This morning, he told me about how he did the 300 workout this morning and about his plans for the day.  And then came the moment of truth...

"What are you going to do for your workout today?"

Now, I just wrote my plan out yesterday, which I knew he had read but at that particular time in the morning, I had a touch of soreness from lifting legs yesterday and the new Martha Stewart magazine came in the mail and I was honestly thinking about just doing the elliptical for an hour while I flipped pages and watched the morning talk shows.

"Mmmm...hadn't really thought about it,"  I answered, wiping my crazy hair out of my face and starting on my second cup of coffee.

"Well your blog said that you were going to do cardio and abs today..."  My loving husband with the stupidly good memory mentioned.

I cringed.  I hate abs and I did them Monday and was really thinking that that might be enough for the week...but then my thoughts were interrupted with,

"You know what you could do..."

And so this was my husband's "off the top of his head" cardio and abs workout for me today.  Perhaps you are in the mood for punishment as well...although it ended up being better than my bad morning attitude had expected and I was done in 45 minutes and got to spend an hour in the pool with the girls afterwards.

http://www.versaclimber.com

 
Here is a picture of the VersaClimber, just so you can get the full picture here.

Perform the following circuit 5 times with no rest in between exercises.

2 minutes VersaClimber followed by an immediate
1 minute plank (the third and fourth time around, I did side planks here and died just a little bit)
2 minutes jump rope
1 minute Kettlebell swing with sumo squats
1 minute rest / get a drink / swear someone keeps messing with the wall clock to make my work minutes go slower and my rest minutes go faster

You.are.welcome.

Have you jumped lately?

Speaking of cheesy 80's music...

When was the last time you jumped?  And I'm talking about two feet together...with an arm swing...JUMP!  

Elizabeth is in a jumping stage and Rachel is in a wanna-be jumping stage.  She bounces her butt and swings her arm, but the feet never leave the ground.  Elizabeth is gaining some real distance and cleared a man hole (covered of course...ha!) the other day on our walk.  Of course, then she had to jump over them every time we saw one.

When Mom was visiting last time, we were lifting together and she wanted to do some exercises in between lifts to keep her heart rate up.  We were close to a step (used for aerobics) so I suggested that she jump up with both feet and land on the step.

She just looked at me.  "Really?"  she said, doubting her oldest daughter.

But up she jumped and landed on the step.  "Now step back down," I said.  She did.  

"Now do it again...10 times."

By number 10, she was out of breath and said, "I can't believe how hard it is to just jump with two feet!"  

But unfortunately, we aren't called to jump that often...unless we're athletes...or run across a man hole on the street.  Therefore we can use it as a tool to get our heart rate up quick...and burn calories even quicker.

It's no wonder that it works...think about it.  Your body has to go into action to leave the ground, all pistons firing to take off and then appropriately land and balance yourself, sending a surge in your heart rate. If you have very little time to devote to your workout, then my friend, this is your ticket.

For instance, today, I was racing the clock.  I told the girls that we'd go swimming, but they were moving like pokey little puppies to get out of the house and we had to be back on the road by a certain time to make lunch and get down for naps.  So...after a 20 minute interval run on the treadmill, I had 20 minutes to lift.  Here was my workout:

3 x 10 box jumps alternated with 3 x 12 Dumbbell bicep curls (15 lbs)

3 x 10 jump lunges alternated with 3 x 12 cable hammer curls with the rope (45 lbs)

3 x max reps hanging leg raises (jump up and hold onto a bar with your hands and hold) - 10, 8, 5

Because I was short on time, to do something while standing still during my break from jumping helped me recover but still work a body part - in this instance, biceps.  Those hanging leg raises were so hard for me because I had to hold onto the bar and maintain my grip and control my body while lifting my legs straight out in front...making it a lot harder than if you did the same exercise on a Roman chair or supporting your arms in straps.  You could do this workout at home, jumping up on a front stoop or step and doing the leg raises off a monkey bar on a playground.

Although you don't have to limit it with this...we do bunny hops on our walks to try to suffice my child's obsession.  Or bunny butt bounces, as Rachel prefers.  I like it because it can give me a little extra workout during my children's treks through the neighborhood...which normally run at a snail's pace. 

Of course, anytime you jump, you want to always make sure that your knees stay soft (not locked out) and that you jump off the balls of your feet, landing with your entire foot on the surface.  I prefer to always step back down instead of jumping down because it lands better on my knees...although Scott always jumps down.  

And for goodness sakes, pay attention.  It just takes your mind a second to shift focus to, say, a little blog post on jumping to make your left foot go lazy and miss the box all together so that you trip and fall on your face in the gym, banging your shin in the process...  I mean, not that I would know...  ha!

Enjoy!!

Independence Day Kettlebell Workout

As I said before, I've been strictly running in survival mode when it comes to my workouts.  Lifting here and there...running a little...reading my magazines...cruising, if you will.

So today was as good a day as ever to jump back into things with a partner workout with my husband.  Although, I have to admit, I regretted it a little bit in the beginning, since he has not taken any sort of break and is stronger than ever.  He had the day off for the 4th and we decided to run to the Y for workout and then take a quick dip in the pool with the girls.  

The workout was one Scott found on You Tube and it's with kettlebells.  I had never used them before and my jury is still out.  It was tough for me to find a good weight and I didn't like them banging against my wrist.  Scott is trying to sell me on the advantages it would be for a pitcher...and I'm with him a little...but still deciding. 

We warmed up on the big Stair masters...have you seen them?  You literally climb revolving stairs.  We hit them for 5 minutes and then went into the workout.

Here it is...the 300 Kettlebell Meltdown Workout.  We didn't do it for time - which is a good thing since I almost died on the burpies.  

We finished by alternating 3 minute go's with one person on the Versa Climber and the other jumping rope for 2 minutes and holding a plank for the final minute.  We did this three times. 

Then we grabbed our babies and held their hands as they jumped off the side of the pool for an entire 45 minutes. 

Thank you, Lord for this life, country and the wonderful men and women who have (and are currently) fighting to keep us free.  Happy 4th of July!

Speaking of Pushups...

Were we?

Ha!  We are now, I guess.

I was in a random mood at the gym today and did one of my "stream of consciousness" workouts...you know, doing whatever exercise pops into your head next.  I've been in this little in-between workouts period for a couple of weeks, since we've been traveling and a little off our schedule.  

So anyway, one of my decided exercises today was push-ups - but instead of doing them on the floor, I put the bar across the bottom bar of the squat rack and gripped it while doing my push-ups. 

Woah.

The action of gripping with your hands while doing the push-up totally engages that little flabby spot under your armpit.  No, I'm not kidding and yes, I bet you know the one.  The little flabs of skin that fold over the arm hole of your tank top?  I hate those.

And that's where I felt the action here.

You could also hold onto a pair of dumbbells or those little push-up things they sell on infomercials (although I never understood why you needed them before!).  If you use the bar, just make sure you rest it on the rack so you don't smash your fingers.

Bye-bye fat flabbies!!

In fact, you could do a whole little circuit right there at the squat rack, using just the bar...

10 push-ups holding the bar  

8-10 bicep curls

15 squats

10 bent rows

15 jump lunges

Repeat 3 times.

Then do abs...  :)  Oww...hurts to laugh! 

My husband's thoughts: Excuse 16

Our actual excuse today:  We went to Cracker Barrel for breakfast and the NFL Playoffs are on...

We decided this morning to use a gift certificate for CB that my mom gave to Annie for her birthday this past week.  We rarely eat out as a family and Annie thought it would be a nice (ha) adventure. We made it to the restaurant by 8:30 and here is a quick ranking of our breakfast choices by Shipman family member (listed best to worst).

1- Annie - She won her internal fight against the Apple Struessal French Toast and went with the very sensible egg sandwich (with tomoto), baked apples, water and coffee.  She has been working very hard at regaining her pre-baby body and she showed great dedication this morning.

2- Rachel - A close second to Annie with 1 scrambled egg and a sampling of a biscuit.  She did receive the Messiest Diner in the Place Award though, and we apologized to the wait staff on the way out.

3- Elizabeth - 2 eggs and a biscuit (initially) -which would have gained her second place until she stuffed entire second biscuit in her mouth while we were attempting to get Rachel's jacket on before leaving.

4 (Dead Last)- Me - I went with the Old Timers Breakfast, and for those of you who do not eat at CB, here is a summary:  3 eggs (over easy), fried sirloin steak (I usually go with pork chops here, but today, I felt like beef), potato casserole, 3 biscuits and gravy, baked apples, and because I needed to a vegetable - a large tomato juice. Conservatively, a 1200 calorie breakfast for me (who is also trying to drop a few pounds).

We then took our traveling circus to Publix, through the car wash, and finally returned home around 11:45. Annie got the girls down for naps and I made two trips to the dump before returning home to get a little work done on the computer.  Once the games started - my workout motivation was gone until our afternoon coffee.  I made the decision to hit the garage for this at-home, fast paced, leg workout.  I was able to get back in before the end of the first quarter of the Pats and Jets.

Warm up - Jump rope - 5 x 1 min go's with 30 sec break between sets.
Chair Lunge (back leg balanced on chair or stool) - 3 x 15 each leg with 30 sec break between sets.
One Leg RDL - 3 x 12 each leg with 30sec break between sets.
DB Front squat (lt db on shoulders) -3 x 15 with a 30sec break between sets.
Split squat leap - 3 x 8 each leg with 30 sec break.  For beginners substitute squat jumps here (3 x 5)
Cool down - Jump rope 5 x 1 min go's with 30 sec break.

All you'll need is some light dumbbells, jump rope, and about 30 minutes.  Substitute calisthenics for jump roping if you want.  Thanks to this workout I was probably able to work off 30% of the calories I ate at breakfast!

My husband's thoughts: Get the most out of your Gym time!

Admittedly, I was a little surprised to receive the invitation to write an occasional post on Annie's new site.  I have enjoyed reading her family blog and have supplied some back office support for her newest writing endeavor, but never anticipated putting my occasional life and training rants out onto the blogosphere.  

I'm interested in the chance to occasionally jump in some areas where Annie gets questions.  She seems to think that some people may enjoy reading my "off the cuff" training theories.  

I have a slightly different, maybe more scientific background than Annie's, but we both are very passionate and sold on the value of physical fitness and the lifestyle that accompanies it.  I've enjoyed the chance that we've had to be a part of each other's physical fitness lives since we met in graduate school.  We always have enjoyed training together, planning meals and trying to demonstrate good habits for our girls. 

That being said, Annie and I were talking on Saturday about the amount of people at the gym - as we were looking at more than double the crowd for a typical Saturday morning at the Y.  A lot of gym-goers hate the first three months of the new year because the resolution crowd is at the local training center.  I went through that phase at one point in my life, but I'm now on the other side of the coin.

I enjoy seeing and meeting some new people and maybe thriving a little bit on the new energy of the people who have all decided to make a change in their life for the new year.  The gym's going to be crowded.  Treadmills are going to be used.  All the cool gadgets are going to be taken.  It's a great time of year to do something different.  If you're a treadmill runner, this is the perfect time to introduce yourself to the squat rack.  If you always are a "Monday bench presser", maybe this is the time to switch your workout to doing pushing movements on Wednesday instead of Monday (like everyone else).  

Over the course of my traning life, whether it be at my current local family YMCA, a college strength and conditioning center, a trendy suburban gym or the most hard-core basement training dungeon, usually the most effective equipment for true body modification are never being used.  The advanced, trendy "butt-blasters," NASA inspired elliptical machines, or some $28,000 piece of Nautillus equipment will all have 30-minute wait times for use right now.  It's now a great time to learn to create your own workouts with dumbbells, barbells or body weight.  You can get the most efficient strength training and cardiovascular training done with a few simple tools.  

As we move through this writing process, we'll start to throw out some specific circuits and workouts that may get you out of the local gym rat-race January through March.  This week, do yourself a favor and instead of being a little mad because you can't get on the treadmill one morning, try to see how long it takes you to do the following simple circuit:

4 exercises, 4 sets of 20 each with a 30 second break after the end of the set

Body weight squats

Bent row (with barbells or dumbells)

Push-ups

Back step lunges

This circuit will work all major muscle groups, should get your heart rate up into the correct interval, fat-burning range, and you should sweat.  These are all key factors in any good workout.  

I once heard Dan Gable say that we as humans waste a tremendous amount of time and energy trying to figure out the easier way to do something.  This happens all the time when we're at the gym.  I challenge you this week to try to fight that urge instead of obliging it.  Find those unused tools in the gym.  Don't over-think and go to work!

Got questions for Scott?  Email us at mamawantsherprebabybodyback@gmail.com.

Workout with my Mama

My mom has been visiting for the past week and I had the wonderful blessing of getting to workout with her everyday!!  Talk about an example in commitment!  She jumped right into our  routine and went to the Y with us (someone else to help me haul in my circus = AWESOME!).  Mom's usual week consists of walking the hills of WV for cardio every day and then doing two days of weights in her living room.  So it was nice to push her outside of her box for a little bit. 

My mom...in the process of making bread for our New Year's dinner!

Let me take just a moment to brag on my mom.  She is 60 years old and you'd never guess it to look at her.  She has made a life commitment to be in shape and eat right - currently, she is on a mission to build her bone density without the use of prescription drugs.  She only drinks water and tea and rarely eats fast food or drinks soda.  Her one vice is chocolate (I get it naturally!) but she curbs that craving with dark chocolate covered raisins.  She is constantly learning and got into weights at the same time that I was learning (after I graduated high school).

People always complement her on her energy and I take a lot of pride in the fact that we are alike in that area.  Thank you, mom, for your constant example and I am so proud to be your daughter.

I am going to include our workouts in case you are looking for ideas for your week - I would label this as intermediate.  Good luck!

Mother/Daughter Workout of the half-week  (she didn't get into town until Tuesday evening, so this begins on Wednesday.)  When you workout with a partner, it's nice to alternate your lifts because no one gets stuck standing around.  Unless you are lifting heavy - then you might need the rest time.  But we were after burning calories, so we kept moving at a pretty fast pace.

Wednesday - biceps 

Warm-up walk for 15 minutes on track

Super-women (challenge of the week!) - 10 each side

3 x 10 Cable bicep curls with bar (alternated with)

3 x 20 Crunches on the ball

3 x 12 Single arm bicep cable curl (alternated with)

3 x 12 Tricep rope pushdowns

3 x 15 DB hammer curls (alternated with)

3 x 15 DB single arm tricep overhead press

15 minute walk-to-jog treadmill intervals

Thursday- legs and abs

Warm-up walk for 15 minutes on track

Super-women (challenge of the week!) - 10 on each side (less grumbling today by my mother!)

3 x 15 leg extension machine (alternated with)

3 x 15 straight leg (or bent knee) raises on Roman Chair

3 x 15 leg curl machine (alternated with)

3 x 20 incline sit-ups

3 x 15 leg press followed by 3 x 15 calf presses (alternated with)

3 x 25 Russian twists on floor with 5 lb weight

Friday - chest, back and shoulders (we didn't alternate these)

Warm-up walk for 15 minutes on track

Super-women (challenge of the week!) - 10 on each side

3 x 10 bench press (a first for my mom!!)

3 x 10 hammer-strength incline press machine

3 x 10 lat pull-downs

3 x 10 machine rows

3 x 10 lat raises followed by 3 x 10 front raises

Saturday- full body and abs

Warm-up walk for 15 minutes on track

Super-women (challenge of the week!) - 10 on each side

10 box (or low step) jumps

20 flat-back toe touches with a medicine ball

10 straight-leg feet lowers

10 bench step-ups holding a weight over-head

3 x 10 butt blasters

15 minute walk-to-jog treadmill intervals

Working out the post-Christmas sludge

Does anyone else feel like their blood is running just a little bit heavy?  We have done nothing but eat and stay in the house (we've had some sick little elves here) and eat and watch TV and eat...  I got to have my favorite leftover sandwich today (turkey, cheese, Stovetop stuffing and cranberry relish...yum) and we've had dessert after every meal. 

So today, we jumped at the chance to go to the Y and get everyone moving just a little bit.  

My father-in-law came to share the holiday with us and joined Scott and me in our workout today.  We worked hard for a good hour and shared sweaty hugs and pats on the back when it was done.  There is something about performing a great workout with another person that bonds you - I'm not sure if it's the common thread or the commitment of health for yourself and the other person.  You can pray together and talk together but it's that final element of being active together just completes such a powerful triangle. 

Scott and his dad

Our workout went something like this...

10 supermen (or superwomen!) - each part
10 pushups
10 body-weight squats
10 pushups
10 military sit-ups
10 pushups
10 bird-dogs (tutorial to come)

Rotate through 3 times:
10 snatches into 5 shoulder presses
8 reverse pull-ups on bar
8 jump switch lunges

Rotate through 3 times:
10 each shoulder plate circuit (tutorial to come)
10 incline DB press
10 lat pull-downs

Rotate through 3 times:
10 cable bar curl
10 ab wheels
10 tricep rope pushdown

Then I had to race to get the girls before the nursery closed!

Love you, Barry!

Weekend workout!

I love Saturday workouts because I get to go to the gym with my husband.  There is something very powerful about working out with your spouse - I think it helps all aspects of your marriage.  Plus, Scott and I count it as a date, since we get to drop off the girls at the nursery!  

He put together a great workout for us on Saturday and I just wanted to share it with you.  Of course, you could do it with any partner or even by yourself.  Enjoy!

5 minutes - sit in sauna (we were both a little sinusy)

5 minutes - run on treadmill (I ran at 5.5)

Rotate through 4 times:

     10 - Dumbell 1-arm snatches (after last one, keep your arm up and do...)

     10 - 1-arm military presses

     10 - Large box jumps
     10 - Jump lunges

     Rest one minute in between sets
     3 x 10 Standing calf press

Superset 3 times:

     12 - Incline DB press

     12 - DB RDL's

Rotate 3 times:

     Kimora crunches (keep feet on the floor) - 10, 8, 6

     Scissor legs - 10, 8, 6

     Second plank - 1 min, 45 sec, 30 sec

Shew!  Please let me know if you have questions!

 

21's!

Patience is not my strongest gift...especially when I lift biceps.  I have to admit that time-and-time-again, my arms have suffered simply because I "don't have time" to alternate curls...I would rush through three sets of quick curls and move on.  

And I would have flubby arms.  (The same holds true for lunges and my wobbly "tookus".)

So, I figured it was as good a time as any to refocus my workouts - especially on my dreaded biceps and triceps day.  My tool?  21's! (Which my husband informs me have been around forever, but they were new and exciting for me.  ha!)

You can really do 21's with most lifts.  Choose the exercise and take it through the full, first half of the concentric movement.  Then, bring it half-way back.  Then, back down.  Repeat this lifting of the lower part of the movement seven times.  Then take it back to the half-way point and go to your beginning point.  Back to half-way and back to beginning (seven times).  Then, do seven of the full lift...equaling 21 movements total.

I like to do these with single-arm cable bicep curls.  So I curl the weight and then bring my arm down half-way and then back up for seven.  Then all the way down and to the center for seven.  Then full curls for seven = dead in the water.  

If I do these on my first lift, then I know I've given it my full effort and all other bicep efforts afterward will be gravy.  I am trying to work up the guts to try these with squats...but I would just hate to fall-out at the Y!  For the record, I've been doing these for biceps for the past three weeks and can really feel a difference!  

Here was my bi's and tri's workout today  (all done in super-sets)

Warm-up 5 x 10 pushups alt. with 5 x 12 ab wheel (WEEKLY CHALLENGE!)

3 x "21's" single-arm bicep curl

3 x 15 over-head tricep press

3 x 12 cable bicep curl - with long bar

3 x 12 tricep press with rope

3 x 15 bicep cable curls with rope

3 x 12 single arm tricep pushdown on cable handle