Partner Mad Abs & Weighted Dirty 30

I know when I walk into the room for Mad Abs and Dirty 30 at Pura Vida Club that I'm in for an intense workout hour.  Today's workout was a killer as usual.  For Mad Abs, it was a new instructor for me.  Cyndie had us partner up so I got to partner with my friend Amanda, who's a Pilates instructor at the club.

We started sitting next to each other in a V-sit (feet on floor or off) and taking a medicine ball to the outside, tap it on floor then toss over to your partner to do the same thing for 30 seconds.  Then you spin around on the floor and do the same thing for another 30 seconds to work the other side.  Then we sat on the floor facing each other with toes touching, one person takes ball, lays down on floor then crunches up to seated position and toss ball to partner who does the same thing.  We did this for 30 seconds.  Next is the leg push down.  You lay on the floor, legs extended straight in the air, and grabbing on to partner's ankles.  The partner standing up pushes your feet/legs toward the ground. You do that for 30 seconds.  Then you extend one leg hovering above the ground, the other leg extended and do single leg push downs for 15 seconds then switch to other leg.  Then you switch positions with your partner.  Do that series a second time....and that's just the first series we did in Mad Abs.  Other series included tossing the ball, crunching up to do punches, mountain climbers, and moving planks.

Next on to Dirty 30 with Tim.  He did Tabata style today.  We did each exercise for 20 seconds then moved on to next exercise or rested for 10 seconds.  We also did each exercise with some sort of weight.  Here's the series:

With body bar (I used 12 lbs one):
   Row Lunges - start and stay in a lunge and row body bar with straight arms alternating sides
   Squats - Wide grip on body bar and power squat
   Rest
   Repeat but lunge with other leg for 2nd round
   Repeat a 3rd and 4th time alternating lunge positions
   Rest after 4th round is active rest as you move to next exercise station

With weighted tube:
   Bazooka lunges - gripping tube, lunge forward and bring tube up to shoulder as if you were holding a bazooka. Bring tube down as you step back then lunge other side taking tube up to other shoulder. You want a quick pace on these.
   Speed skate - move side to side in a speed skate motion, extending tube out side to side and not up.  Again you want quick pace.
   Rest
   Repeat 3 more times
   Rest after 4th round is active rest as you move to next exercise station

With weighted handle ball (I used 14 lbs one)
   Kettlebell Swing - squat then swing kettlebell up to shoulder height as you stand up.  You should feel this in glutes not shoulders.
   Lean Over Row - lean over and stand on one leg with other leg extended (you look like a T), with ball or free weight in hand of side of your standing leg, row elbow up then down
   Rest
   Repeat but do lean over row on other side
   Repeat 3rd and 4th time alternating lean over row sides
   Rest after 4th round is active rest as you move to next exercise station

Repeat entire series again.
 

Tummy Troubles Tuesday

I'd planned to take a ballet body class today but my tummy didn't like something I ate.  So I missed the class.  Actually needed a computer and rest afternoon.  I'll hit it hard in Mad Abs and Dirty 30 classes tomorrow!

Running Stairs With Weights

I do not like running stairs....and I especially do not like running stairs holding weights.  But when you do it carrying an 8 pound weight in each hand, it's really good motivation to not gain any weight!

Yesterday I had my weekly Pilates and Kinesis session with Erin at Pura Vida Club.  As part of my 30 minute Kinesis session, she had me run four flights of stairs with 8 pound weight in each hand.  I didn't have to do this just once.  There were three rounds in between other exercises.

But it's not just carrying the weights while going up and down the stairs.  I had to carry the weights in a bicep curl halfway position.  Erin had me focus on elbows by side, weights in fronts, not holding them with arms down or allowing my elbows to drop behind me.

Here's correct form:

Good Form

Here's bad form:

Bad Form

Here's the run in motion:

Give it a try.  You heart is going to be pumping and you'll be out of breath.  This is an advanced move.  If you are comfortable running stairs, start with light weight and work your way up.

Have fun huffing and puffing up the stairs!

Belly Up To The Barre

Love getting in an early AM class at Pure Barre on Sundays.  Just a great way to kick start the day.  I headed over to the Highlands location for the 8:30am class.  Katy was the instructor.  After hitting the barre for inner and outer thigh work we did more mat work for glutes than I'd done in other classes.  I do like that the classes vary just slightly.

My favorite move we did today is basically when you belly up to the barre in a water ski position.  At the barre, heels together and high on toes. Standing close to the barre with knees slightly bent, one hand holding on to barre, lean back with other arm extended and hips lift high towards the barre.   You're in a water ski position and from here doing a series of lifts and tucks.  Tucks in that position are tough.  It's such a killer small isometric move.

Still not getting fully the abs series when you sit under the bar against the wall but that will come.  Love that the class ends with a 3 minute blast. Just when you think you're done doing lower back work and cat/cow stretch....here comes the blast!

Windy Workout At The Park

Today I headed over to my favorite park in Denver, Wash Park.  I didn't get there until mid-afternoon because I'd dived into some projects I needed to work out.

By the time I got there the winds had already started picking up so it turned into a warm, windy workout for me.  The park was absolutely packed!  I loved seeing so many walkers, runners, cyclists, and even in line skaters and tennis players.  It's just fun to people watch as you go around the park loop.  The most unusual thing I saw was a group jousting with metal helmets on but no body armor.  The cutest was a spotted puppy that was trying to figure out how to walk on leash but got completely tangled up in it's owners feet.

I ran the first lap, getting in the 2.6 mile loop.  My knees were a little achy today and my left toes were really hurting but I still made it around.  Decided to power walk a second loop so I could just enjoy the 65 degree weather, the wind, the park, and the people.

Skiing First Back Bowl In Vail

Yesterday I got to ski my first Vail back bowl.  Actually got to do two first:  ski a bowl and ski a natural half-pipe.  I went out on a shoot to show the beauty and accessibility to almost any ski level of the back bowls.  We ended up skiing for about three hours for the shoot.  We did a couple of runs then took lifts and catwalks over to China Bowl, my first bowl.  I had a blast following my guide Chris Lai down the bowl.  Love that I made it down without falling!

In China Bowl with Mount Holy Cross in background.

From there we headed over the Blue Sky Basin for more skiing and to check out the view of the bowls, including China Bowl.  In the Basin, we skied the Cloud Nine then back over to Lionshead.  Cloud Nine was fitting since it is my favorite ski day yet!

Take Off Thursday

My day was just to full with work, a lunch meeting, and a ton of writing and logging videos.  So no workout for me.

Tabata Intervals Are Tough

Today I did Mad Abs and Dirty 30 at Pura Vida Club.  Both classes have awesome instructors - Jamie teaches the Mad Abs and Tim teaches the Dirty 30.

I'm not sure how, but somehow, Jamie makes the 30 minute Mad Abs class go by fast.  I love that she does so much more than crunches.  Today we used a body bar, Bosu, and ball for the class.  I love that she gave us two challenges to end the class.  Here are the two moves used an exercise ball and Bosu.

Plank with hands on Bosu (ball side up) and legs on the exercise ball.  If you can do that then try bringing knees in keeping feet on ball.  If you can do the knee roll in, then try bringing feet in as you extend up in a pike position.

Turn Bosu ball over so the flat part is up.  Hold on to the sides and place legs on ball.  Trust me this plank is challenging enough but if you want to go one more level then alternate bringing knees to elbows.

Those were the two exercises to end Mad Abs then it was on to Dirty 30 with Tim.

Today he did 6 exercises in Tabata style which is doing exercise for 20 seconds then resting 10 seconds and going right in to next one.  Here are the exercises for 1 cycle:

Burpees - I so have a love-hate relationship with these.  I hate doing them but love the results of doing these.

Cross Over Lunges

Push Ups - yes I did all cycles on toes military style

Squat Curl Press - squat with weights in hands, as you start to come up do bicep curls, the press weights overhead.

Deck Squat - with step long ways start laying down with arms extended beyond head.  Sit up then stand up, then squat back down and go back to starting position.  I actually had problems with this one. Tim noticed and said it's because I'm short-waisted.  So he suggested holding one of my 5 pound weights in my hands while doing the move.  That worked!

Mountain Climbers - like burpees I have a love-hate relationship with these.

Now do that cycle 8 times doing each exercise for 20 seconds then rest 10 seconds and right into the next one.  There is no extra rest in between cycles!

Took A Computer Day

Tuesday was an all afternoon at the computer kind of day for me.  Just had some stuff to get done so no workout for me.

Burpees With A Bosu

Today I got in my weekly hour and half session with Erin at Pura Vida Club.  She made a deal with me today - give it all I have in 30 minute Kinesis session and then I'll get to do some amazing new stretches and moves in Pilates.  I made that deal without knowing my Kinesis session would include heavier weights, countless lunges, and running up and down four flights of stairs.

One of the moves she had me do was burpees with a bosu.  Traditional burpee is starting crouched down, jump feet out into a plank position, push up, jump back to crouch position, then jump up with arms extended up to ceiling.  With the bosu ball you take that overhead and in the jump back to plank, try to kick up and back.  Here's the move with Erin cueing me through move.

She did hold up her end of the bargain and give me a series of new stretches and moves in Pilates then ended session with hanging upside down, one of my favorite moves.  

Purely Sunday

Yesterday I took my third Pure Barre class.  I woke up early (of course) and decided to take the first class of the day at 8:30am at the Highlands location.  So glad I did!  The instructor, Nicci, was great.  She gave me a couple of pointers and was really good about walking around and adjusting alignment of participants.  Getting that extra tuck in the moves makes the difference!  She really help with the ab series near the end where you are against the wall with one or both arms pressing up against bar and one leg extended up.  She gave the tip of really be conscious of pressing through the heel with the foot planted on the ground.  That made a big difference in the move for me!

I'm thinking Pure Barre Sunday morning class is definitely my new thing when I'm in town.  After three classes, I'm really feeling like I'm getting the flow of the class and moves.  Yes my legs still shake on some of the leg and glutes series and I love it!

Snowshoe Saturday

Saturday I did a first - snowshoe in Rocky Mountain National Park.  I went with some friends and did a shoot.  It was an absolute blast.  Mileage-wise we didn't go that far - about a mile and quarter to mile and a half.  But racing with kids across the frozen Bear Lake I got in a little extra.  We also did do a little running through the powder and snowshoeing uphill to get to Nymph Lake.  Snowshoeing burns 350-550 calories per hour.  I love the workout!

Too Busy Day

Friday was a crazy day.  I'd plan to take a noon class at Pure Barre but with an Explore Colorado special airing that night I didn't get out of the station until almost 1pm then it was time for me to drive up to Estes Park.  So it was a no workout day for me.

Walk In The Park

Thursday was an easy walk in the park day.  First day in awhile I was able to take my dog out for a nice long walk just wandering through the park in the sunshine.

Squat, Press, & Triceps

In my Kinesis and Pilates session with Erin at Pura Vida Club today, one of the moves she had me do is a squat, overhead press, then triceps with a medicine ball.  I know I'm one of those in the gym that wonders what are some great full body exercises to do with a medicine ball and this is a great trifecta exercise.  She had me do 20 reps.  If you don't have a medicine ball at home you can do this with hand weights.

I used a 5 kilograms medicine ball (just slightly over 11 pounds).  I started with it close to chest, did a squat, then pushed ball straight up for the overhead press, then did a triceps bend taking the ball behind my head.

Here's Erin explaining the triple threat move.  Have fun!

Just Exhausted

Tuesday I had plans to take a ballet body class but I was just exhausted.  After leaving work late, I headed  home and actually fell asleep!  I don't normally take naps so I knew I was wiped out.

Take It From The Ten

I went for an intense one hour workout today and took the Mad Abs and Dirty 30 classes at Pure Vida Club.  In Mad Abs, the instructor Jamie used a step, mat, and gliders for the 30 minute class.  After a quick warm up we hit it hard working abs.  My favorite move started in the plank position with hands on the step.  From there we went down on our right forearm and then left and back up to regular plank position.  Then in plank position picked up right leg, took it out to the side four times and then did the same on the left.  Then combined the moves going down on forearms, then up, the legs one at a time out to side.

Next was Dirty 30 with Tim.  He had us do a tough sequence today.  We had a step, mat, weight, and rubber band.  We started the sequence doing 10 reps and worked down to doing 1 rep.  So you do each exercise 10 times, then 9 times, then 8, on down to one rep of each.  Here's the sequence:

Push ups - military style preferred form.

Cross Over Lunges - step one foot in front of the other but at an angle as if you are in a curtsy position, lunge then stand with feet parallel.  Do number of reps on each side.

Burpees - Plank, jump feet to hands, then jump up reaching hands to ceiling, returning back to plank


TGU (Turkish Get Ups) - I did these with 5 pound weights.  Start on your back with one arm up to ceiling with weight in hand.  Use the other hand to help you sit up, then stand up, all while keeping the weight high reaching up to the ceiling, then go back to start position in the reverse of how you got up.  Split the number of reps between both arms.

Band Row - stand on band, lean forward, the push arms back.

Inch Worm - start in a plank position and walk feet up to hands then back out. This was the hardest one for me.

Jumps on and off step

Slow Mo Sunday

After a wonderful night of fun and dancing during Keith Urban's performance at the San Antonio Rodeo, waking up to a cold, windy, and a little drizzly Sunday morning gave me the perfect excuse to take a slow mo day.  Plus I had to travel back to Denver.  Guess I get to blame the weather for no workout!

A Funny Walk

Saturday was a gorgeous day in San Antonio so I headed out with a couple of friends to walk on the Salado Creek Greenway, the portion of it from Huebner to Blanco Road.  Normally when I'm in San Antonio, I workout on this greenway with my friend Christy.  We almost always get in at least one walk, run or walk/run combo while I'm there.  On Saturday we were joined about another friend Kris and Christy's daughter Courtnie.

The 4.5 miles that we did turned in not just a power walk session but an absolute laugh session.  I got an abs workout just from laughing so hard at reminiscing about the night before and telling stories.  It also helped that Courtnie was pure entertainment doing some of her old cheerleading moves.

This was truly a fun workout and funny walk!

Travel Day & A Little Dancing

Friday was a travel day as I flew to San Antonio.  I'm a huge fan of San Antonio Rodeo and at least one weekend of it.  So I didn't get a workout in, but I did get in some dancing during Luke Bryan's performance after the rodeo.

Purely What I Needed

Pure Barre was purely what I needed Thursday.  I've just had a really busy and at times stressful week with my to do list seeming to grow longer each day.  While I was trying to finish up a couple of things and pack for my weekend San Antonio trip I almost bailed on workout.  I don't normally workout after 4pm.  That's late when you have to get up at 2:45am.  But I put on my workout clothes, jumped in the car, and headed off to Pure Barre for the 4:15pm class at their Cherry Creek location.

I'm so glad I went!  I knew in the warm up and weights portion of class that I didn't just want to be there but needed to be there.  Being able to shut the rest of the world out and focus on the workout did wonders for clearing my head and my stress level.  Guess that's the beauty of a class that based in doing small isometric moves.  The instructor Ashley was great.  I like that the class was a little different from my first one Sunday at the Highlands location, but that many of the moves and format was the same.

Push Up The Weight

Yesterday was Pilates and kinesis with Erin at Pura Vida Club.  I arrived a little frazzled because I was late from finishing up a last minute project at work.  Guess it was good fuel to get me warmed up and working hard in kinesis.  Erin had me down a reverse workout in Kinesis, using the cable machines in a reverse order from what I normally do.

In Pilates, we worked a lot on core and legs.  She had me try a couple of more advanced moves on the reformer, including on that you with one foot on the foot bar and standing with the other against the shoulder/foot rest on the carriage.  Mentally it was a challenge for me to get into the position from standing on the carriage.  So I went to knees, put foot on bar, and then put other foot against shoulder/foot rest on carriage.  Getting into position that way worked for me!  I love that there's always something challenging and new for me in my Pilates sessions.

One of the exercises Erin had me do is a variation on a military style push up.  I did it with an 8-pound weight.  The push up with a rotation using weights is an advanced more.  Try it first with no or light weights.  Enjoy this great move!

 

Muy Thai Tuesday

Tuesday I got in another Muy Thai Kickboxing session with Sean at Pura Vida Club.  It's the workout that starts with the ropes.  If you haven't read that blog, check out The Ropes.

After ropes, Sean immediately put me through a series of punches, elbows, knees, and kicks.  We worked on my roundhouse kick, elbow, and punch form.  We did a lot of combinations.  It's an intense workout.  At once point I looked at Sean and said it felt like my heart was going to come out of my mouth!  That 30 minute session makes my heart rate soar and I love it!

Cold Cardio

Woke up today super sore from my first Pure Barre class - sore in a good way as I'm already hoping to get in another class this week.  With my abs and quads really sore I decided to just do an hour of easy cardio with a jog/walk along the Cherry Creek Bike Path.  It was definitely cold and there were only a few other hardy souls out there with me.  I really want to try to work out some of the lactic acid buildup that leads to sore muscles.  Plus it was just nice to be outside on the move braving the cold.

Raising The Barre To Lift & Tone

I've had a few friends tell me they are huge Pure Barre fans.  Well, when Pure Barre offered three classes in a Groupon recently I decided I would give it a try.  I took my first class today....and loved it, shaky legs and all!

The technique uses small isometric moves to lift and tone with moves based in the principles of ballet, Pilates, and dance.  Each strength series is followed by a stretch series in the class.  That process creates long, lean muscles without the bulk.  Think of a ballerina's body - long, lean, and toned.  That's the goal!

As a newbie I didn't feel out of place at all, except that I didn't have on the cool sticky socks that everyone else in the class had on.  It doesn't matter your flexibility.  You're too focused on the small intense movements to even notice what others in the class are doing!  I couldn't believe the class flew by so quickly.

There was one series where we were at the barre, standing on one leg, doing a series of movements leaning on barre and other leg extended out and lifting, squeezing, lifting, and squeezing.  Once we went up on our toes on the standing leg, my leg starting shaking so badly I actually thought I was going to collapse.  That's actually a good thing.  Pure Barre targets the tough areas for women - abs, butt, and thighs.  Don't you want a toned tummy, lifted tush, and no cellulite tight thighs?  I do and adding Pure Barre into my workout regiment.

Here's the great thing.  There are locations across the country and you can do a single class.  Give it a try....bet you'll feel the sweat, shake, and some soreness from the first class like me.  I'm hooked and can't wait to take my next class!

Strolling Through The Park

Saturday was a nice stroll through the snow park for me.  I've had a few whirlwind weeks ending with the late night shoot Wednesday through marathon snow coverage Friday.  I enjoyed the sun coming out on snow covered Denver with a nice stroll to get some errands done.   My stroll included this snow packed bench!

Snow Day!

I did nothing but work Friday with all the snow.  I was on air 4am-noon then again 4-6pm.  Needless to say there was no workout except for work!

Tired Thursday

With a late night because of shoot then having to get up at 2:45am for newscast, I headed home to try to sleep.  A huge snow storm was on the way so I took a tired Thursday and tried to go to bed early since we were going on air extra early Friday.  Workout was a no go.

Walking Wednesday

Just got a walk in Wednesday.  Long work day then had a night shoot so was lucky to squeeze in a quick walk.