Friday Funny!!

Workout 135 - Jeans Still On!

Ok, you are supposed to be doing the Jeans On workout 3 times per week so here it is.  We've also added an upper body component at the end to add in for today!!


Warm-up:
1 min march/jog
1 min drop step squats
1 min butt kicker run (knees should brush the butt-hence butt kicker ;)
1 min cross punches
1 min side shuffle

Jeans On Workout:
1 min diagonal lunges (alternating sides)
1 min side step ups (instead of stepping up forward, step up sideways and step back down)  (30sec each side)
1 min backward lunge with jump (30 sec each side)
1 min wall sit (sit against wall with knees at 90 degrees, weight in the heels, no hands resting on legs--that's cheating!)

rest 1 min

Core
30 sec superman planks
30 sec reclined knee ins
30 sec plank
30 sec side plank dips (do both sides)

rest 1 min

30 sec plank to pushup
30 sec single arm row in plank right side
30 sec single arm row in plank left side

rest 1 min and repeat (total of 3 - 5 sets)

Wednesday Wisdom - How Often Should I Train My Abdominals?

It's Wednesday and it's time for us to share some wisdom!

We are often asked how often should the abdominals be trained.  While you'll find a plethora of opinions from fitness professionals around the world, there is hard evidence supporting the principle of rest and recovery for the abdominals.  Just like all other muscle groups, you should have at least one day of rest between training sessions of that given muscle group.  The abs are not excluded from this and while we are on the subject, 1000 of crunches won't give you the results you desire either.    

Train your abdominals 2-3 times/week and monitor your diet and you'll have that 6-pack before you know it :).

Mr. Motivation!

If this isn't motivation, we don't know what is!  This video interviews a 93 year old British body builder who recently did 57 dips, 61-chin-ups and even pulled off 48 abdominal crunches in 45 seconds during a competition!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=23NO6GRGqnw

Workout 142 - Jeans On!

Everyone has a pair of jeans that they feel great in!  Maybe you could use a little workout to help look better in them?  Maybe they are a pair that you wore last fall and they just don't look the same way that they used to???  This workout will help you to trim and tone your legs and sleek the look of your mid section (no muffin top for you!).

Well...this one is all about putting your blue jeans on....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iKeIgA0yfjA&feature=player_embedded

Warm-up:
1 min march/jog
1 min drop step squats
1 min butt kicker run (knees should brush the butt-hence butt kicker ;)
1 min cross punches
1 min side shuffle


Jeans On Workout:
1 min diagonal lunges (alternating sides)
1 min side step ups (instead of stepping up forward, step up sideways and step back down)  (30sec each side)
1 min backward lunge with jump (30 sec each side)
1 min wall sit (sit against wall with knees at 90 degrees, weight in the heels, no hands resting on legs--that's cheating!)

rest 1 min

Core
30 sec superman planks
30 sec reclined knee ins
30 sec plank
30 sec side plank dips (do both sides)

rest 1 min and repeat (total of 3 - 5 sets)

Perform this workout 3 times a week (non-consecutive days)

Saturday Workout - Interval Training

Today is interval training day!!  This is one of our favorite ways to train the cardiovascular system as it really pushes you into working hard, but it seems easier because you get breaks!

Interval training involves high bursts of intensity followed by slower, recovery periods.  You can walk with bursts of jogging, jog with bursts of sprinting, bicycle with sprint bursts, walking with bursts of incline...you get the drift.  

Kick the intensity up for 30 secs - 1 min (whatever you can handle!) and follow with at least an equal if not longer recovery time.  A good rule of thumb is if you are still breathing rapidly, rest a little more and then resume high intensity.  This is a great way to get increase your cardiovascular shape, burn a ton of calories, and keep you out of a boredom rut! 

Make sure you start with a 5 minute warm up before starting!  Check out one of our many workouts for a warm up.

Here are some more examples (you can sub any activity for the activities below):
- walk 1 minute, sprint 1 minute (repeat for 20 minutes)
- walk for 30 secs, jog for 30 secs, sprint for 30 secs (repeat for 20 minutes)
- pyramid the intervals and do 30 secs intense, 30 secs easy, 45 sec intense, 45 sec easy, 60 secs intense, 60 sec easy, then work your way back down to 30 and keep going up and down for 20 minutes

Make sure you bring your heart rate back down to near resting with a cool down walk or some other kind of light activity.  It is important to always bring the heart rate down so we safely return blood flow back to normal (prevents pooling of blood in extremities).

Friday Funny!

Workout 141 - Halloween Detox

Still on that Halloween sugar high?  This workout is designed to help you sweat it out!!!  Nothing feels better after a "splurge" day then a little sweat on the brow.

Equipment Needed:  Dumbbell

Warm Up
1 min of the following:
jog/march
side shuffle
lateral plank walk
kick butt lunges
standing oblique twists

The Detox Workout
30 sec  Squat Jumps
45 sec  Pushups
1 min   Cross Punches
rest 30 sec - 1 min


30 sec  Backward Lunges
45 sec  Speed Skaters
1 min   Dumbbell Swings
rest 30 sec - 1 min


30 sec  Plank Hip Dips
45 sec  High Knee Run
1 min   X-men jumping jacks


rest 30 sec - 1 min

Repeat for a total of 3-5 rounds!!