Intervals & Weights

Thursday was a one hour session with Cristina of intervals and weights.  It was my first push hard workout since tweaking my back and taking two full days off.  I started with sprints of 30 seconds running, 30 seconds off of treadmill.  I did 6, 6.5, 7, 7.5, 8, 8.5 and 9mph sprints.  The goal was to push but not go all out and if back hurt at all stop.  I did fine.  Then she shifted me over to alternating assisted pull ups and lunge step ups.  From there it was on to triceps pulls and weighted leg side lifts.  I really liked alternating upper and lower body in exercise pairs.  Here's that set of exercises.

Next it was on to biceps then a few things with the ViPR.  One of those moves I felt my back so had to modify slightly the alternating swing ViPR squat to overhead press to other side.  It's a move that I've done before with a swing squat, lift, and hop but didn't do the hop because of back.  Last was stretching and I was done for the day.

It was nice to push but not over do it!   

Up To Highest Point In Red Rocks Park

Even though I was pretty tired Saturday, I got up and took to the hills.  Two of my cousins decided to do the last minute hike with me.  We planned to beat the cold, rainy and snowy weather and yes we did.  We hiked up Mount Morrison, which neither of my cousins had ever done.

Instead of just up and back down the same trail, we actually started on the backside in Idledale, which has an elevation of 6,460 feet.  We started at 8:20am and made it up to the top at 9:07am, in 47 minutes.  We were moving at a pretty good clip to reach the top at 7,881 feet, climbing about 1,400 feet.

It was beautiful at the top with views of some of Colorado's highest peaks including Longs, Evans, and Pikes Peaks.  One of my favorite views was Mount Evans surrounded by clouds.

Then at 9:20am we started the over 1,400 foot and 1.3 or 1.4 mile hike down, which was very steep and rocky.  It's considered a Class 2 hike, which means you have to climb in spots and use your hands to maneuver.  There were a few moments I regretted that I was in running shoes instead of hiking shoes.

But through some climbing through rocks and a few slides on some small scree we made it down and were walking to breakfast at 10:30am.

Definitely a thigh burner and great workout in just over two hours.  

Modified Tabata - Get It Done In Under 30

Today I booked it over to make the noon Mad Abs and 12:30pm Dirty 30 classes I usually take on Wednesdays at Pura Vida Club.  


In Mad Abs, Cyndie had us use a Bosa ball and medicine ball for today's class.  We used the Bosa for almost the entire class including doing some lower back strengthening doing Superman lifts on them.  Mountain climbers, walking planks, slide crunches on Bosa with both legs off floor were all part of the abs fun today.


For Dirty 30, Tim had us do modified Tabata, which is four minutes of intense interval or circuit training. We had three stations today.  Here's the breakdown:


Cross over lunges then extended lunge for 20 seconds - cross your right foot in front of and outside your left foot so you are in a curtsy position lunge, then push off that right foot, and taking it out to the right to land in a 90 degree lunge with right leg while left leg straightens in a side lunge position.
Repeat with left leg as lead for 20 seconds.
Rest 20 seconds.
Repeat 3 more rounds.


Handle medicine ball kettlebell swing for 20 seconds - squat then swing handle medicine ball up to shoulder and repeat  using the power of the squat and hips to help with lift of the ball.
Shoulder press for 20 seconds - elbow even with shoulder and press ball up. Free hand is down by your side, not on hip.
Rest 20 seconds.
Repeat two moves again on each arm.


Body bar row for 20 seconds - make figure 8s as you paddle with the body bar using straight arms. Hips should stay square, abs in, and be in an athletic stance with knees bent slightly.
Mountain climbers for 20 seconds - in plank position with feet on gliders bring knees forward to elbows as fast as you can.
Rest 20 seconds.
Repeat 3 more rounds.


Then do another round of all exercises. Have fun!

Blast It In 30

Yesterday I did my Wednesday regular of Mad Abs and Dirty 30 classes at Pura Vida Club.  Cyndie taught Mad Abs.  We used the body bar and did sets of exercises for 30 seconds to a minute.  For example, in plank for a minute then superman pose for a minute.

One of my favorite moves was a tricep curl to crunch or sit up.  Stay laying down on your back, knees bent with feet of floor, and hold body bar up in air even with shoulders.  Then curl bar back over head, return to start position, and rolling up into a seated position, then roll down slowly really focusing on abs as you return to start position.

After the 30 minute Mad Abs it was time for Dirty 30.  Tim had us do the series twice.  It's tough but a routine you can easily do in the gym by yourself.  Here's the workout:

150 Jumping Jacks

25 each leg Lunges (front, back, walking, jumps - whatever you want to to)

10 Burpees (with push ups in plank position)

Run 1/4 mile

15 Plate Squats (squat with weight low then as you stand up, push weight up to chest then overhead)

6 each arm Turkish Get Ups (start laying down w/ weight in hand & arm extended to ceiling, roll up to seated position, use other hand to help you stand up, then return to starting position)

50 Frog Thrust (start in plank, jump feet to outside of hands, then return to start position

Have fun getting through two rounds in under 30 minutes!  I got through in under 25 minutes.

High Intensity Intervals

High intensity intervals....just sounds daunting, doesn't it?  But if you are like me and want to kick the workout up a notch then this is for you.  I did a 30 minute high intensity intervals session with Cristina Lubini at Pura Vida Club today.

I know, you're probably saying only 30 minutes? Well, good luck even making it through that.  It's a workout that will push you beyond what you think you can do, get your heart rate racing, and get you totally out of breath.

After a couple minutes of walking at a 4mph pace on the treadmill to warm up, it was straight in to sprints.  I did 30 second sprint, 30 second rest starting 6.5mph then 7mph, 7.5mph, all the way to 11mph.  Normally that's where Cristina stops and has client go back to 8.5mph or 8mph then 6.0mph to bring heart rate back down a little.  Well in order to get a little video I attempted 11.5mph sprint after a 30 second rest and made it to 25 seconds.  Guess who got to do it again.  Before the last sprint, I rested 1 minute then hit the sprint at 11.5mph for 30 seconds.  I brought my heart rate down with 30 seconds at 6mph, which at that point felt like just a walk.

I'll admit, I am not a treadmill fan.  But I am a fan of sprints.  So instead of a 40-45 minute even paced run on treadmill think I'm going to switch up to a 15-20 minute warm up and sprints session.  I'll save the long runs for outside.

If you are a beginner or just starting some higher intensity workouts, you can modify times.  Go for a 10, 20 or 30 second sprint then rest 30 seconds, 45 seconds or a minute if you need to.  Cristina said there are no rules.  The point is to push hard gradually going to that point of all out, or maxing your heart rate, with breaks in between sprints.  If you need a little more recovery time, take it.  You can also easily do sprints at the park or on a track.

Next up was speed skate with an 8kg (17.6 lbs) ViPR tube.  ViPR stands for vitality, performance, and re-conditioning.  The goal is high intensity doing the move as fast as you can, not lifting heavy weight.  As you speed skate the tube goes perpendicular to the floor then as you skate to other side rotate the tube so the other end is perpendicular to the floor.  Elbows need to stay close to the side as you rotate the tube.  I did 3 rounds of 30 second speed skates with 30 second rest in between.

Next, still using the ViPR, hold it in the center and do a squat.  As you jump up, turn 180 degrees. Squat, jump and turn back .  You do not need to alternation sides.  I did one round of 30 seconds.

To finish out, it was running down and up four flights of stairs, including weaving in and out of folks.

We finished out with some stretching and called it a session.  As we were stretching, I told Cristina it felt like my lungs had expanded.  It was a totally different feel from other workouts.  My lungs felt huge and I felt invigorated as far as the respiratory and cardiovascular aspect.  Legs...well they felt pretty beat.  Cristina said I'm probably going to be sore tomorrow.  Let's just say my glutes are already feeling those sprints, skates, and squats.  Can't wait to do a session with Cristina again to push it to the limit!

Here's video of the workout. Give it a shot, and let me know how you feel afterward.

  

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!

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.  

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!

Mad Abs & Dirty 30

Today was one of those days that half the battle is getting to gym.  Well I made it and pushed it hard for an hour with Mad Abs and Dirty 30 classes at Pura Vida Club.  Sarah started her 30 minute Mad Abs class with a plank series.  In the class we used the Bosu ball, body bar, and gliders for full body movements that focus on the core.

After than I went straight into Tim's Dirty 30.  It's 30 minutes of doing cycles of a exercise series.  This class is tough!  Today Tim had us do a series of five moves starting with 10 reps each then repeating the cycle with 9 reps, 8 reps all the way down to 1 rep of each move.

Here are the moves in a cycle:
Bent Over Plate Row - bend over at waist with 25 or 45 weight plate (or use two), arms extended, then pull elbows back in a row movement.

Push Ups - on toes, military style.

Forward Lunges each leg - Tim gave me a great tip.  If you do these in place then lean forward slightly.  You'll feel it in your abs more and save your back.

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

Turkish Get Ups (TGUs) - I did these with 3 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.

You can do the moves in any order but do them in same order for each cycle.  If you are short on time and need to blast it out this will do it!

Glutes Day

Today was glutes day in Kinesis and Pilates at Pura Vida Club.  Erin had me do several exercises (in addition to squats and lunges) that focused on the glutes....otherwise known as the booty muscles.  We did several moves on the Bosu ball.

The first was the bridge with a glute lift.

The second was frog lifts.  It looks funny but it works!

Here's Erin showing the moves.

I got really excited in Pilates when I was doing a roll up to a stretch and realized I could get my head to my knees.  One of my workout warrior year is to get my head to my knees while sitting with straight legs on the ground.  Now to get my head to my knees with a flat back.  Upping the goal!

The Ropes

Just go ahead and say ouch, ugh, *@&!, or whatever word you choose.  The ropes are just the warm up to a Muay Thai Kickboxing one-on-one session with Sean at Pura Vida Club.  I did a session with him Friday so I knew the ropes were coming.

Here's the warm up:  four rounds of 20 seconds.  First 10 seconds is alternating your arms up and down to move the ropes as fast as you can while also constantly moving your legs in lunges or squats.  After 10 seconds, it's 10 seconds of lifting both arms over your head and slamming them down as hard as you can.  But here's the kicker....you do four rounds.  Your heart rate soars and you gasp for air and it's only the beginning of the session.  You may think it's only 20 seconds. Try it and you'll see that 20 seconds can seem like an eternity.  I asked Sean if they get easier and was told honestly no.  He said the better you get at it the faster you get.  They're not meant to be easy.  I'm kind of thinking that exercise was designed to separate the men from the boys or the no guts, no glory mentality.  For when I finish those four rounds I'm simply thinking "I am woman, here me roar!"

I asked Sean to video tape me doing the warm.  Here's how it's done.

After that it's kicks, knee ups, punches and today adding elbows.  It's 30 minutes of push as hard as you can. Repeatedly Sean said to me, "You got this."  It helps push through, especially since I did a 3pm workout after getting up at 2:45am, did the morning newscast, and didn't finish up with a shoot until almost 1pm.

Part of that shoot was at Cry Baby Ranch.  The owner, Roxanne Thurman, told me about a t-shirt they are getting in within the next few days.  It says "Strong is the new skinny."  I've already put in my order for one!

The Dirty 30

I had two classes I wanted to try at Pura Vida Club today:  Mad Abs and Dirty 30.  We'll I got to the noon Mad Abs class about 5 minutes late and it was packed.  So off I went to do my own abs workout of crunches, planks, roll ups, and other ab exercises including the elevated side plank.  

So after abs it was in to Tim's Dirty 30 class.  It's 30 minutes of give it all you got.  


It's a boot camp style  class that's designed to kick your booty!

Here's the series:

Burpes 15 (Push up, jump feet to hands, then jump up reaching hands to ceiling, and back to push up position.)

Lunges 25 each leg (These are three-quarters of the way down with goal of quick, not deep full lunge.)

Weighted squat lift 12 (Using weight plate or weighted ball, squat then bring weight forward to shoulder level.)

Run .25 mile (I used this to push my run at a faster pace but not all out sprint.)

Turkish Get Up 7 each arm (I'd never heard of these before but you start laying down on your back with a 3-10 pound weight, straight arms and weight in line with shoulder. You use other hand to help you sit up, then stand up, all while maintaining the weight high reaching up to ceiling then go back to starting position in the reverse fashion of how you got up.)

Mountain Climbers 50 each leg (Start with straight arm plank position and alternation bringing knees to elbows.  Feet on gliders.)

I got through two rounds. Some of the guys got through three. That's my goal to get to in the Dirty 30.

I have a good feeling I'm going to feel this workout tomorrow.  

I finished out the day with a great 45 minute dog walk.  With temperatures around 60 in Denver in January, I couldn't pass up a nice long walk with my dog.  He was certainly happy too.

Reverse Lunge With A Reach & Pyramid Push Ups

In my Monday Pilates and Kinesis workout at Pura Vida Club, Erin had me do two moves that are great to help get in shape or stay in shape for skiing, boarding, and winter sports.  The first one is a reverse lunge with a reach.  The key to this one is staying up on your toes the entire time.  It's a great leg and balance workout.

The second is pyramid push ups that are a great variation from regular one.  The closer in the hands the harder it is so start with your arms out wide.

Have fun with these two new exercises!

The Power of Four 10s

Friday I got to get in a workout with my long time trainer, Gregg Bell, while I was visiting San Antonio.  He introduced me to a workout inspired by TRX.  Gregg knows I'm always short on time but maximum results.  Think I'm ordering the TRX straps after this workout of 10-10-10-10.  It's four moves and you do each 10 times.  You go from one straight into the next with no rest.

The moves are:  Superman, Push ups with feet suspended, Running Man, and Jackknife.  These are going to get your heart rate pumping.  After one workout, I couldn't believe how sore I was.

Click on link if you want to order the straps:  TRX

They're offering free shipping and 20% off! Guess that's going to be a Christmas present to myself.

Check out Gregg's 10-10-10-10 workout.  It's one that works!

Mountain Climbers With Split Rotation

Today was Kinesis and Pilates with Erin at Pura Vida.  In my hour and a half killer workout today we focused on legs in Kinesis with a lot of squats and lunges and then more upper body in Pilates.

Erin has had me do this move before and it's a tough one.  Mountain climbers are hard enough but add in this rotation she has me do and it's extreme!  Biggest time is make sure to keep your abs tight and keep the flat back, no arch.

This is one of those moves you do as many as you can....which won't be many!

Butt By Bell!

While in San Antonio I got a chance to workout with my long time trainer Gregg Bell.  I knew I was in for a hard workout when it began with a warm up run then immediately into assisted pull ups (stepping up on a bench, doing pull up with a leg kick back and then down).  From there it was mega arm and back work then abs and glutes.

In my session we did several great moves including the kettle ball squat and what's called the butt blaster.  The key to the kettle ball squat is to keep a flat back (don't arch) and don't swing the ball, use your abs.  The butt blaster is just a plain ole killer for your booty!

Push Those Push Ups

Friday I got to workout with my longtime trainer in San Antonio, Gregg Bell.  It was a jam packed session of strength moves focusing especially on abs and chest.  That means push ups at some point in one of those sessions!  Instead of just doing military style push ups, Gregg through in some new variations.  When you hit the floor tighten your abs to help you back up.  These are tough.

Hoping I can make it back to San Antonio for his obstacle challenge on November 12th that will include plyometrics, running, spinning, and an obstacle course.   Looking forward to my workout with Gregg Friday when I'm back in SA to emcee another gala!

Power Pilates & Work Those Hammies

Thursday was power pilates for me in my session with Erin at Pura Vida Club.  We did jump board series, which is a series of pushing off a board on reformer with different feet positioning and leg movements.  It really gets your heart rate up quickly.  We also did some new moves for me like one called the snake - guess that means I'm getting stronger!  Since I hike, walk, and run a lot we also did some moves for hamstrings.  I call this move the hammies killer!  It's a good one.  As Erin says, if you don't have gliders you can easily use hand towels on a hard wood floor to do move.  Do the move to fatigue....it won't take long!

Full Pike - Awesome Ab Move

Today was one of those days that I left my workout with workout euphoria.  Felt strong during an awesome Pilates and Kinesis session with Erin at Pura Vida Club.  During the hour and half workout she really pushed me today with upper body and abs as focus of workout.

One of the moves we did today was Full Pike on the Wonder Chair.  In the video Erin demonstrates how to do the move then I try.  Trust me it's tough!

I do have to laugh that you can see the road rash on my knee from my mountain bike crash on Saturday!

Stretching For A Long Spine

Well after my insane workout weekend and being sore and bruised from my mountain biking crash, I did just Pilates (normally do Kinesis and Pilates on Mondays) with Erin at Pura Vida.  Today she really focused on stretching, working out the kinks, and alignment.  One of the exercises we did on the reformer is called the Long Spine.  It feels so good stretch and elongate the spine!