Workout Interrupted

Why didn't I post a workout the last couple of days?

Well, first, I went to a workout (already blogged that!)

On Tuesday, I woke up after not feeling well all night so I didn't do RIPPED with friends.  However, by the evening, I felt well, so I played volleyball.  Whoohoo!  Our team won, but what's better is that I played pretty well, which was a HUGE turnaround from the last game I played in when I embarrassed myself.  Ah, nice check on the ego, I suppose.

Wednesday, I taught step for the first time since the beginning of August.  I was a little rusty, but overall, I had a great time & got a great workout.

I was looking forward to Thursday's RIPPED class at the Eugene YMCA, but . . .

Wednesday night, my sweet daughter got sick.  Not just a little sniffle.  I'm totally barf-o-phobic.  Thankfully, the Lord has given me grace to love and take care of my own kids.  No RIPPED for me.  Instead, I've spent the day doing laundry and mopping the floor (twice today, after cleaning it last night too.  Is a 3rd mopping excessive?)

So, what?!  Leave everyone hanging?  No, here's a great workout I found on Pinterest.  Click here for the link.  Maybe you can fit this into your weekend!

Workout Today

So guess what?

I went to the Y this morning to take Boot Camp.  Oh yeah, 3 kids in tow to the Play Care and they were awesome!  Kari, the instructor, taught a great class AND used workout #3 as inspiration.  Woot!  Woot!  So I got to experience my own workout TWICE in her class, plus a bunch of other weights and boot campy things.

What I learned:  I think the 10 minute work outs are DO-ABLE; however, I think from here on out I will make them less time for each "station."  Doing some of the exercises for a whole minute is a LONG TIME!  I definitely had to rest during the minute on a few exercises, so maybe less time will allow us to each exercise more efficiently and completely.

Tomorrow I'm doing a RIPPED video with my friends.  But if you can't go back to Workout #3 and cut the time down to 30 seconds for each exercise and do the whole thing at least 2x's.

Happy working out!

Workout #3

Confession:  I have been pounding cookies.

Fact #1:  We had friends over last night and I felt dessert was necessary.

Fact #2:  I made cookies.  Wyoming Cowboy Cookies, filled with oatmeal, peanut butter, and M&Ms.

Fact #3:  They are addictive.  Really.  Sugar is so addictive.

Fact #4:  I need to work some cookies off.

Workout #3:

Minute 1:  March/jog warm-up
Minute 2:  Squats, toes forward, knees over ankles, hips back
Minute 3:  Burpees
Minute 4:  Dips (use a chair)
Minute 5:  Wall Sit (take breaks if necessary)
Minute 6:   Mountain Climbers
Minute 7:  Bicycle crunches
Minute 8:  Push-ups (take breaks if necessary--modify with knees on floor if necessary)
Minute 9:  Back Extensions
Minute 10:  March/jog
*Cool down/Stretch

(REPEAT 2-3x's if desired)

I will be posting explanations in the "Daily Workouts" page that you can access from the navigation bar above.  However, here are some for today's workout. 

Explanations:
Burpees:  Starting from standing position, put hands to floor, push back both feet into  plank, jump both feet back between hands, come back to standing or jump with hand in the air.  Modification:  From standing, put hands to the floor, extend one leg back into modified plank (knee down), extend other leg back into modified plank.  Reverse motion, walking feet back between hands, stand up.

Dips:  Sit on the edge of a chair, piano bench, window seal, whatever.  Put hand on the seat on both sides of your hips.  Bring hips in front of chair, arms extended, walk feet out from chair so that feet are well in front of knees.  Bend elbows, lowering your hips toward the floor.  Extend the arms again to bring the hips back up.  Repeat motion.

Mountain Climbers:  From plank or modified plank, bring one knee toward chest at a time.

Push-ups:  You know how to do these.  However, if you are unable to do them on the floor, you may do push ups against a wall.

Back Extensions:  Nice to do these on a ball, but if you are on the floor, lie on your stomach.  Extend your arms in front of you or bring your hands behind your head.  Lift chest off the ground,  working the lower back.  Bring chin back toward floor and repeat.

Work Out #2

Okay.  So much for posting a workout everyday!  It's 10pm and I didn't post a workout yesterday.  I'm posting one today, but honestly, it's really for tomorrow since it's not going to happen today.  Here are our options:

1/2 hr. cardio: walk, jog, group class, whatever . . .  +

Full-Body Strength Quick Workout

Plank -- 1 minute

Bridge --hold 20 seconds, pulse 10 & repeat

Crunches -- 1 minute 

Hover Plank -- 1 minute

Hip-ups, right side -- 1 minute

Bicycle abs -- 1 minute

Side Plank, right side --1 minute

Hip-ups, left side -- 1 minute

Lower back extensions -- 1 minute

(nice to do on a ball) 

Side Plank, left side -- 1 minute

(The above work-out is also in a jpeg on the bottom of the post so you can pin it if you want.  I like having these on my health & wellness board so they're all in 1 place!)

A few tips:

*Think QUALITY over quantity when it comes to crunches.  If you crunch or bicycle slowly and can concentrate on using your abdominal muscles to do the work, it will be much more effective than doing the exercises quickly but inefficiently.

*Modify if necessary.  Planks should be in a push-up position.  If you cannot hold plank without sinking your back down or pushing your behind up in the air, modify by bending your knees so they rest on the floor, just behind your hips.  You will get the work you need.
Have fun!  :)

Working Out Throughout the Year

I'm definitely ready to start anew with eating well and getting workouts in after having baby #3.  The downside:  3 kids makes it harder to get to the gym and I don't have a triple stroller (nor do I want one!), so I've decided I have to take some initiative and start using the helpful home workouts I've been pinning for the last year.  :) 

I will try to post 1 work out a day.  Today I did Pilates (yes!  I did get to the gym) so I'm posting a shorter--10 minute--workout.  If you need longer, repeat the workout 2-3 times.  I recommend a little marching out & stretch at the end to prevent blood pooling and lactic acid build-up.  Let me know if you did it so I can have some accountability too! 

Also, I'm doing some meal-planning for a healthy diet.  I'll post that later.  

The first workout I'm posting came from TheUltimateFemale.com

Update on "The Kitten"

Bee & Bug went to my in-laws for the night.  When I picked them up this morning, Bee said she missed me. 

I had to ask.

"Would you trade me for a kitten?"

"NO!" she replied.

Phew.  I'm good for the moment. 

Trading for a Kitten

Bee and I play a game of sorts.  She asks me what I would trade her for. 

"A house?" She asks. 

"No.  Not a million houses.  I wouldn't trade you for anything," I reply.

"Would you trade me for a new car?" she wonders.

"No, I wouldn't trade you for a car.  Not a million cars.  I wouldn't trade you for anything." I go on, "I wouldn't trade you for anything or anyone--not a million little girls or boys.  I wouldn't trade you for ANYTHING." 

She laughs with delight.

Yesterday she said, "Mom, there is one thing I would trade you for."  (Yes, improper English with a preposition on the end of the sentence, but it's what she said.)

"Really?" I question, "What?"

"A kitten," she says.

"Really?  A kitten?"  I am in disbelief.  Surely not.

"Yep," she answers.

"So you would really rather have a kitten than me?"

"Yes."

My feelers are hurt.  She would trade me for a kitten.  She's serious.  She doesn't really knows what she's saying does she?

"So if I died and you had a kitten that would be okay?"

"Well, yeah."

Seriously?  She has no idea.  I know she has no idea what that would mean.  She says she wouldn't miss me.  She's not saying it like a rebellious teenager, but like a little kid who wants a kitten.  I try to reason with her.

"Okay, so who would kiss your ouchies and take you to dance class?  Who would feed you food, cook with you and give you snacks?"  (I think I threw in a few more things, but I don't remember them now.)

"Daddy," she replies quickly.  Too quickly.

I tell her how it makes me feel that she would want to trade me for kitten.  Bailey comes to the rescue, thinking I'm going to cry, she exclaims, "Mommy!  I'll take you!  Don't cry, Mama!" 

After thanking Bailey, I return to Brooklyn, "Don't you know how that makes me feel, Brooklyn?  That you would be okay with letting me go for a kitten?"

"I think I'm beginning to see what you mean," she says, but it's obvious she hasn't really changed her mind.  She comes to give me hug.  It doesn't make me feel better.

As a mother, I would do anything for my kids.  So how could she say that? 

And it came to me.  I've said it.  Over and over to the One who loves me more than I love my kids.I have said a kitten is more desirable than God. I have wanted a kitten. A kitten is cute, cuddly and never asks me to do anything. I can control a kitten.  Like a 5 year old who thinks a kitten would be more desirable than a mom, I have believed a possession, a position or a relationship is more desirable than God.  How must God feel?  (Yes, I believe God is emotive.)

The whole idea is ludicrous when I think about it.

What a ridiculous thought!  Trading God for a kitten.

While I hope Brooklyn changes her mind, I realize that the more crucial issue is that I change my perspective.  Because why?  He wouldn't trade me for anything.