A few years ago, I made the conscious decision to make working out a priority, always. When my son came along, keeping him active and engaged became a big priority as well. But I didn't want to sacrifices workouts/use him as an excuse to work out. So I started working out at home to several different Beachbody DVD's and squeezing other workouts in whenever and wherever I could! I used to think I was super weird for working out at the playground, but thanks to several Instagram accounts like@homeworkouts_4u and @getbarefit and an awesome virtual fitness community I belong to, I actually became inspired to track and share my fitness progress this way as well! So, thanks you all! If you're reading this now, I count you as part of that community. So thanks for your time, support and encouragement. Now hopefully you take a little bit away as well!
My workout today consisted of: 3 rounds for time: 5 pull ups 20 box/bench jumps 15 push-ups 20 swing/pike ups/ab exercise (last pic in swing, name if exercise is escaping me now!). I also ran up stairs to the slide an down the slide about 200 times, but didn't think that counted!Learn more »
I am loving P90X2! I really like how much yoga Tony Horton incorporates into his routines. You'd be shocked how much harder things are when you have to factor in balance. You can literally feel all of your muscle working together as you work to complete the move. It is awesome and makes the different exercises really complex and fun. Here's a quick video of the One Legged Sphynx Walks from P90X2: Core.
It was rainy when we got back from church so we decided to do a little familycrossfit to wait it out.
I love our little guys' baby kettlebell !! It's his very own 5# kettlebell so he's workin' and getting it done... But it's just so cute at the same time.
Ok, so here's the workout: Warm up: 3xrounds: 10 burpees, 20push ups (PU), 30 flutter kicks (4 count people...) Workout: affectionately dubbed "Tens Please!" See if you can guess why. 50 front squats 40 pu 30 overhead squats 20 pu 10 back squats 40 front squats 30pu 20 overhead squats 10 pu 10 back squats ... 10 FS 10PU 10 OHS 10 PU 10 BS For time Cool Down: 50 leg raises PS, little guy did not do all of this, but he got after it!
Playgrounds: a disguised (and free) outdoor gym with limitless possibilities. I think I am going to make a tab specifically for Playground Workouts. They are quick, fun and a great way to spend time with and interact with your kid(s).
The great thing about where we live is that there are TONS of awesome parks. By awesome I mean huge, with tons of equipment. There is one gym, er I mean playground, with actual parallel bars! Talk about a great apparatus! But I digress...
My workout at the playground today consisted of 10 pull ups, 10 ankles to the bar, 20 incline pushups and 50 air squats for time. The pull ups and ankles to the bar take me quite a long time. So this may not look like much to some, but for me it is pretty difficult.
I am not to the level of fitness where I can just knock those bad boys out all at once. I need to take breaks and get right back at it. I love that about fitness! Quantifiable ways to improve. The mathy engineer in me really likes that!Learn more »
Tadasana or Mountain Pose. It is usually the beginning of sun salutations, which are the foundation for vinyasas which then progress to other sequences, i.e. Warrior sequences, lunge sequences, etc. In any case, and with any foundational exercise, it is very important to do this correctly, and too easy to overlook and get wrong.
Mountain Pose: Stand erect with your hands at heart center, chin parallel to the ground, tail bone tucked in (don't stick your butt out), core contracted, even weight distribution on the balls of your feet and heels. Focus on elongating your body from root (feet) to tip (head).
See how it is used in the beginning of this Sun Salutation? This post focuses on the Tadasana portion of this sun salutation. Stay tuned every Saturday as we will go through, in detail, what to focus on in each portion of this Sun Salutation!
The third move in this Sun Salutation is the transition from Standing Forward Fold to Plank.
For this transition, inhale from standing forward fold and slightly raise your head and chest to look forward. Exhale and step back into plank.
For plank: Place your hands on the ground (bend your knees for modification), step or hop both feet back, wrists should be directly under your shoulders, heels hips and shoulders in a straight line, engage your core and rest your gaze about a foot in front of you and prepare for up dog.
The Standing Forward Fold is the next step in this cardio yoga Sun Salutation sequence. My yoga instructor friend, Meg's tip for this position is as follows:
Keep hips, knees and ankles in a straight line perpendicular to the ground. This means your weight will be slightly forward on the balls of your feet but not so far forward that you can't lift your toes. This will stretch the entire back of your legs without straining/pulling your back.
The Standing Forwar Fold (touch your toes) is one of the most well-known stretches but very easy to conduct incorrectly. Focus on leaning your weight slightly forward while hinged at the hips. Your hips, knees and ankles should form a line perpendicular to the ground. You should feel your weight in the balls of your feet while still being able to lift your toes. It also helps if you pick a spot about six inches in front of your toes instead of bending to touch your toes.
