CHALLENGE #12: Pull Ups and Push Ups!

I'm not sure how obvious it is that arms are my least favorite muscle group to train, but I am here to tell you... Arm workouts kill me.

Recently, my boyfriend became a live-in and one of his contributions to our home is a pull-up bar... *Life Changer*

I'm not sure if the novelty of the bar is still lingering or if I've just finally found the fun in arm day, but I love that thing. It's like I'm back in elementary school on the playground!!

Before you read the following, freak out, and close your browser window, let me explain:  This workout is to be done multiple times, expecting gradual improvement. Start by trying it out, setting a baseline for what you are capable of, then try it again a few days later, pushing for one more rep!

Secondly, feel free to take a break in the middle of a set. This workout is ONLY meant as a competition with oneself.

Warm Up:

With feet flat on the ground, and arms lifted and held out to the side-- parallel to the floor, begin doing forward arm circles. Continue for 30 seconds.

Jumping jacks- 1 min

Arm circles (backward)-  30 sec

Workout: (again, look for gradual improvement over days, weeks, or months)

5 pull ups, 15 push ups

10 pull ups, 10 push ups

15 pull ups, 5 push ups

Cool Down:

Yoga flow concentrating on asanas that promote relief of the muscles in the arms and back. See below for a flow I might use:

CHALLENGE #11: Kettlebell Krazy

This is embarrassing to admit: For the longest time I was sure the piece of equipment that looks to me like a weighted ball with a handle was called a, "kettleBALL." I unknowingly called it this for awhile before my significant other informed me otherwise. Naturally, I still called it a, "kettleball" insisting that is what it was, for quite some time... you know, to save face.

Okay, okay, Patrick. I relent... YOU WERE RIGHT!

Warm up:

Walk/Run 10-20 minutes at an easy pace (C'mon, I never make you run)

Workout:

3 Rounds: (round 1: 20 rep // round 2: 15 reps // round 3: 10 reps)

Rest: (after round 1: 60 seconds // after round 2: 45 seconds // after round 3: 30 seconds)

Kettlebell swings
Kettlebell clean and press (reps per arm)
Renegade rows with kettlebell (reps per arm)
Goblet squats

*Use any weight you are comfortable with.

Cool Down:

Repeat workout a final time, minus the kettlebell

+

Yoga flow 

ps: THERE IS STILL TIME TO SIGN UP TO RUN WITH ME OR DONATE TO THE CHILDREN'S TUMOR FOUNDATION! Please consider helping out in any way you can :)

CHALLENGE #10: Jump, Jump, Jump! (Legs)

You would be surprised at how much good you are doing for your body by doing a movement you learned before the age of 5: Jumping!

Jumping rope, box jumping, and jump squats and lunges provide you with an easy-to-do, multi-muscle group, cardio AND resistance workout. Plus, if you ask me, jumping is pretty fun. See cheesy jumping photo below:

My beauty of a friend, Kaitlin, and her bridesmaids. Myself included (right of the bride) // August 11, 2012
Photo Credit: Mark Hayes Photography

Warm Up:

You guessed, it... Jump some rope!

5:00 standard jump. Rest as needed.

Workout:

Jump Squats- 10 reps

Box Jumps- 10 reps

Jump Lunges- 10 reps (each leg)

*Repeat x3

Alternating Leg Box Jumps- 10 reps (each leg)

Jump Squat/Lunge Combo (aka "X-Hops")- 10 reps (one squat + one lunge = one rep)

*Repeat x3

Cool Down:

Yoga flow, go!

As always, see Yoga for 2015 for tips!

ps: I will update that post for 2016 soon, stay tuned.

CHALLENGE #9: Partner Workout

Patrick is here this week, and since we're in between programs, we've been improvising; finding quick workouts to do in the middle of packing, work, and spending holiday time with the fam. We came up with a method a few days ago that worked really well, and helped us encourage one another to push harder.

Basically, we choose a workout to do together... something simple, 15-30 minutes and which necessitates little or no equipment, so it's doable in our mess of an apartment. One person begins with the first exercise in the workout, and the other starts doing burpees. When all reps of the exercise are done, we switch places and the burpee-doer does the exercise and vice versa. This creates a HIIT workout for both partners! Not to mention, the burpees get really hard, so motivating your partner to work hard and fast, is in your best interest.

In the video below we used the Stability Ball Challenge I posted a few weeks ago as the groundwork for the workout:

Try this...

Warm Up: 

Together--
1:00 Jumping Jacks
:30 High Knees
:30 Butt Kicks
3:00 Yoga Flow

Workout: (alternate with partner, burpees in between exercise)

Squat & Press (20 reps)
Raised Leg Sit-Ups (20 reps)
Jump Squats (12 reps)
Spiderman Push-Ups (12 reps)
Mountain Climbers (20 reps)
Triceps Dips (20 reps)
Lunges (15 reps each leg)
Straight Leg Raises (15 reps)
X Jumps (20 reps)
Commandos (10 reps each side)

Cool Down:

Yoga Flow... or better yet, partnered yoga flow.

Feel free to use this method with any workout routine your are comfortable with! Enjoy!

CHALLENGE #8: Stability Ball Workout (abs & legs)

Do you have a stability ball at home that is more like a clothes rack in the corner? I do. I go through periods where I use it every day, and then some where it is left alone to gather dust for months.

Stability balls are useful in many different ways. Using it as a mechanism for balance makes muscles work harder to do any given movement, therefore increasing the benefit of the movement.

Try this...

Warm Up: 
Something I mentioned awhile back in a post titled, "Gettin' Tricky", is using my stability ball for sit-ups with deeper extension.

For the length of one song, sit up tall on your ball with your feet flat on the ground and pressed down firmly. Bend your knees at a 90 degree angle. Place your hands behind your head lacing your fingers together, and keeping your your elbows as far away from your ears as possible.

With control, lean backward as far as you can without altering your body position, and then come forward beyond 90 degrees to your lap.

Keep this backward-forward motion going in rhythm to the song, for its entirety.

Workout:

Back extension (stomach on ball)- 15 reps
Ball wall squats (ball between back and wall)- 15 reps
Leg raises with ball pass (lie on back, pass between hands and feet)- 15 reps
Ball plank with leg raise (hands on ground, raise one leg at at time)- 30 reps (15 reps per leg)
Ball jack-knifes (use ball as foot support, hands on ground, bring knees to chest)- 15 reps
Russian squats (use ball as foot support)- 30 reps (15 reps per leg)

Repeat x3

Cool Down: Repeat warm up. Choose a different song and maintain a slower pace. As always, I recommend doing a simple yoga flow cool down as well.

CHALLENGE #7: Jump Rope

Jumping rope has been one of my go-to workouts when going outside is not an option (i.e. Saturday in Chicago was 36 degrees and snowing--uh, no thanks).

Jumping rope works your upper body, your lower body, and your core. It burns a ton of calories. Not to mention, the only equipment you need can be purchased for less than $10 at Target, Walmart, or on Amazon.

I often use jump roping as the warm up to another workout, but it can be used as a replacement for a run as mentioned above... in that case, try the routine below.

Warm Up: 
Basic yoga flow. A simple flow can be found in a post from earlier this year, Yoga for 2015.

Workout:
1:00 two foot jump, slow pace
:30 alternating double hop*
1:00 two foot jump, medium pace
:30 alternating double hop
1:00 two foot jump, fast pace

Rest; yoga flow/stretch

2:00 alternating double hop
1:00 two foot jump, fast pace
2:00 alternating double hop
1:00 two foot jump, fast pace

Rest; yoga flow/stretch

2:00 alternating, single hop
1:00 two foot jump, all out**

Cool Down:
If venturing outside is an option, go for a light walk, or try a slow paced activity to allow your heart rate to descend gradually.

To get the most of the workout, pay the muscle groups work a few more minutes of attention, at an easy pace:

1:00 plank
20 toe raises
15 tricep dips

*Begin on the right foot; while swinging the rope up and over your head, hop over it twice. Shift weight to the left foot, and hop over the rope twice. Continue at a steady pace, alternating feet.

**All out = As fast as you possibly can; give it your all!

CHALLENGE #6: Summer Squats

Happy Fourth of July!! Here is a squat workout to make your booty look awesome in a swimsuit. Hope everyone spends the entire day outside. God Bless America! 🇺🇸

Warm Up:

Yoga flow

Workout:

30 squats

30 lunges alt legs

30 wide leg squats

15 right leg curtsy lunges

15 left leg curtsy lunges

30 heels together squats

15 Bulgarian split squats right leg

15 Bulgarian split squats left leg

30 squats + 30 pulses + 30 sec hold

15 right leg lunges + 15 pulses + 15 sec hold

15 left leg lunges + 15 pulses + 15 sec hold

Cool Down:

Walk it out!!

CHALLENGE #5: Abs 2.0

Hello All!

I have been meaning to post this workout for awhile now, I did something similar a few weeks ago and my abs were super sore and awesome feeling two days later. Abs are my favorite muscle group to work out and I have a hard time finding workouts that create soreness because of how often I focus on them, so I decided to combine a few I enjoy doing the most. Let me know what you think!

Warm Up:

You can do whatever you like to do to warm up, but as mentioned in the past I always like to start with a simple yoga flow. This helps me warm up my muscles and tendons by giving them a nice stretch and if done with a fast-pace gets my blood flowing as well.

Also, if you'd like, 1-3 rounds of:

10 jump lunges
10 burpees
10 jump squats
20 sit ups
20 mountain climbers
20 toe raises
30 russian twists
30 jumping jacks
30 high knees

Workout:

5 minute plank*
- :30 elbow plank
- :30 high plank
- 1:00 left side plank
- :30 high plank
- 1:00 right side plank
- :30 high plank
- 1:00 elbow plank

Drink water and rest for a minute or two, if needed

Plank walk ups (repeat x3)
- 10 walk ups (begin with left arm)
- Left knee to chest x5 (hold for 10 seconds each)
- 10 walk ups (begin with right arm)
- Right knee to chest x5 (hold for 10 seconds each)

Full sit ups (1 song or 4 minutes)
- Use a yoga ball if available, and vary direction if you'd like

1:00 Pilates hundreds
30 Bicycle crunches
15 Star crunches
- Repeat x3

Cool Down:

Mountain pose > Forward fold > Half-way lift > Forward fold > Mountain pose > Stretch up, tip toes > Back bend > Mountain pose > Downward facing dog > High plank > High to low push up > Upward facing dog > Down dog > Raise left leg > Warrior II > Extended side angle > Reverse warrior > Repeat through second down dog, then do right side.

*Another version of the 5 minute plank was included in the previous ab challenge I posted. Feel free to use either version, or your own variation!

CHALLENGE #4: SQUATS!

Warm up: 
10 minute run
OR
25 Jumping Jacks
25 High Knees (each knee)
25 Butt Kicks
25 Jumping Jacks (plank position)

Workout:
25 Squats
25 Plie Squats (wide stance)
25 Plie Squats (heels together)

10 Jump Squats

15 Squats
15 Plie Squats (wide stance)
15 Plie Squats (heels together)

10 Jump Squats

5 Squats + 15 Pulses + Hold squat position for 10 seconds
5 Plie Squats (wide stance) + 15 Pulses + Hold squat position for 10 seconds
5 Plie Squats (heels together) + 15 Pulses + Hold squat position for 10 seconds

*Repeat if desired

Cool Down: 
Yoga flow

CHALLENGE #3: ABS For Days

WARNING: This is a challenge to be done when you have more time than usual, as well as A LOT of energy. 

Warm Up: 

Jump Rope

1:00 Alternating Feet, mild-medium pace
1:00 Two Footed Basic Jump
1:00 Alternating Feet
:30 Side-to-Side
:30 Front-to-Back
1:00 Alternating Feet, fast pace
1: Alternating Feet, slow pace

Workout:

5 Minute Plank Challenge

1:00 Elbow Plank
:30 High Plank
:30 Left Side Plank
:30 Left Leg Raised
:30 Right Side Plank
:30 Right Leg Raised
:30 High Plank
1:00 Elbow Plank

*If you need to rest at all, just pause the timer, rest, start it again and resume where you left off.

Cool Down (but really just an extension of the workout):

Crunches (or sit-ups) for the length of one song.
20 Bicycle Crunches
15 Russian Twists
10 Starfish Crunches
5 V-ups

5:00 Yoga Flow

CHALLENGE #2: Walking 21s... But Not Really

Okay, so my lovely, active and fit friend Ashley has requested another challenge. So here we go...

A few years back I was working at The Addiction Recovery Center (ARC), a part of Boulder County Public Health, and someone brought up "Walking 21s". Pretty simple actually, it's just one squat, one push-up. Two squats, two push-ups. Three squats, three push-ups, and so on up to 21. So as a staff we started competing with one another to see who could get closest to 21. Don't get me wrong, the concept is simple but completing the task is hard. Really hard. Especially the push-up part. If you complete the whole thing you'll have done 231 push-ups and squats, total. 

I did a quick google search for the term "Walking 21s" and didn't find anything that was on par with what was originally described to me, so I'm not real sure of where it came from or anything like that. I do like the idea though, and sometimes incorporate it into my workout just to see how many I can do. The most I have ever completed is 15 rounds, and even then I rested in between each of the last few rounds. At some point you might want to try to test it out and see how far you get, but in terms of a complete workout, try this:

Warm Up:

Start with a simple yoga flow (if you use yoga as part of your workout regimen): downward facing dog, through high to low plank, upward facing dog and so forth (whatever works for you). If yoga is not something you're familiar with, do simple stretches of your hamstrings, glutes, and calves. Also stretch out your arms, neck and back.

To get your blood pumping a bit:
1:00  Jumping Jacks
:30    High Knees
Repeat x3

Workout:

Walking 11s (if you will)

1 - squat, push-up
2 - squats, push-ups
3 - squats, push-ups
4- squats, push-ups
5- squats, push-ups
6 - squats, push-ups
7 - squats, push-ups
8 - squats, push-ups
9 - squats, push-ups
10 - squats, push-ups
11 - squats, push-ups

*If you're a beast, keep going!

Complete all 11 rounds without resting in between. Definitely have water handy, but try to get a gulp in while you squat. If you notice yourself struggling (if you're like me, you'll have more trouble with the push-ups than the squats), the take your time on the easier move (i.e. move slowly from standing to squatting).

Cool Down:

I also like to utilize basic yoga poses to initiate the cool down phase of my workouts. It gives your body and heart an easy transition from working hard to bringing it back down, while still keeping your muscles working and engaged. Stretch the hamstrings, glutes, and calves in whatever manner you'd like but make sure you don't go from 100 to 0 without some sort of gradual decline.

Finish with this:

1:00 Alternating (or walking) lunges
1:00 Arm circles (:30 forward circles, :30 backward circles)
Repeat x3; decrease by :15 each round if you're just donezo at this point ;)

Let me know how it goes!

CHALLENGE: Stair Workout by Shay

Start doing a weekly "challenge" with your friends. Send out an email/text to your closest buddies or family members and challenge them to complete the following workout at least once before the end of the week. Make it a weekly thing, have a different person choose the challenge each week... Take selfies if you must.

You will need to find a set of stairs with 5 flights or more, I used the stairwell in my apartment building. If this is not possible, just alter the workout so it works with whatever staircase you do have access to.

Warm up:

For roughly the length of one song (or 3-4 minutes) run up and down all five (or more) flights. Average pace, do not sprint and do not walk. AMRAP for one entire song.

Workout:

(1) Sprint (run as fast as you can) up all five flights and then run/walk down.

(2) Sprint all five flights again, this time skipping every other step, then walk/run back down.

(3) HIIT: Utilizing only one flight of stairs, sprint up and down for one full minute without stopping (high intensity). At low intensity walk/jog up and down one flight for one minute. Repeat x3.

Cool down:

Run up all five flights of stairs at a medium pace, and back down. Then, run up four flights, then three flights, and so on.

I did this on Friday as a warmup for an ab workout. My calves were super sore both yesterday and today, and I was a sweaty mess by the end of it! I just had to share, so I emailed it to my girls and gave them one week to complete it. I am hoping we can make it a weekly thing and keep the challenge going to motivate each other. Try doing the same with your friends, I hope you enjoy it and let me know what you think!!


READY... GO!