Workout, July 29, 2012 (Treadmill and weights)

Workout: 3 miles (and change) on the Treadmill and a Kettlebell set

This was a fun Sunday morning workout, chosen specifically because I needed to watch the Olympics on tv!  My workout partially coincided with the U.S. v. France men's basketball game, and I also caught portions of the the women's biking race as well.

(photo credit)

I first embarked on a brisk 3 mile walk (actually slightly over 3 miles if you want to get picky), indoors on the treadmill (due to the aforementioned Olympics).  If you don't own a treadmill, because after all, if you are saving money buying a treadmill is sort of contradictory, then by all means head outside!  If you don't know how to measure a mile from your house, then you have a few options:  (A) Drive your car from your house and clock certain distances, such as 1 mile roundtrip, so you know what route to take and how long it actually is, (B) ignore the actual mileage and just focus on your time, by walking the same route but keeping track of how long it takes you to complete it, or (C) buy/find a tracking device, which I believe now you can just download on your phone.  If this is also not a feasible option (for example, you live in a bad neighborhood, the weather is very cold/very hot/pouring rain/etc., home responsibilities demand that you stay indoors), then substitute a brisk walk for something else cardio, like a HIIT routine or even dancing.

I followed my walk up with a set of the following kettlebell-oriented exercises (see this post for descriptions on these exercises):

• Bicep curls (10 on each arm, using a 10 pound kettlebell);
• Dead lifts (10, using a 15 pound kettlebell); and
• Bent Rows (10, using a 10 pound kettlebell).

I repeated the above circuit three times.  I also used a move from the Zuzana Light video in this post, the squat overhead press, using an exercise band held tight for resistance.  I did 3 sets of 10 as well.  I like taking moves from videos and incorporating them into my own workouts!

Workout, July 19th, 2012

Workout: Bodyrock.tv video and 45 minutes on treadmill (3 incline, 3.2 mph)


Bodyrock posted a new workout today, so of course I tested it out right after dinner (a delicious and healthy Whole Foods dinner of cranberry and quinoa cakes, steamed broccoli and a cranberry, walnut and goat cheese salad).  The "Take Me For a Little Ride" workout, 12 minutes in length, incorporates some great basic moves -- lots of high knees, squats, push-ups, and plank moves.  When the instructors held sandbags or other items to add weight, I just used a 10-lb kettlebell (you can also use nothing at all and get a great workout too).


I then hopped on my treadmill, in order to catch up on some Real Housewives of Orange County, and set it to 3.2 mph.  Because of illness, I had to knock it back down to 3 mph a few days ago, so each time I am using the treadmill I add a .1 to the speed.


I should add here that I never really run, whether on a treadmill or outdoors.  As athletic as I am and strive to be, I have never been a runner.  If you also hate running, remember there are plenty of other things you can do.  Walking is great exercise too, especially if you are just starting out or the mere thought of running makes you want to die.  Look at me -- I was a recruited college athlete, a swimmer, and I literally could not break an 8-minute mile no matter how hard I tried, even at the peak of my athleticism.  I used to joke that I could probably speed-walk faster than I could run!

Workout, July 18th, 2012

The Workout:  Bodyrock.tv video and 60 minutes on treadmill (3 incline, 3.1 mph)

I completed the first part of my workout, a Bodyrock free online video (the "I Can Only Imagine Workout") as I watched the rain pour down in sheets.  Had I been dependent on going to the gym, I clearly never would have gone!

This Bodyrock video is only about 12 minutes long (as are most Bodyrock videos) but packs a nice little punch.  I really enjoyed this one move called the toe touch, where, from a flat position on the floor, I lifted my right leg, while meeting it in the air with my hands and doing a crunch, and then switched to the left (and repeat...).  The side to side burpees were challenging but I didn't give up.

I wasn't in the mood for much of anything else, although I tried to find some sort of free ballet-esque workout on line but didn't find anything I liked.  So my default was walking on the treadmill (while watching Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune!).  It reached 100 degrees here today, and despite running my AC at full blast, it was still deathly hot all throughout my workout.  The heat tends to zap my energy so taking a long walk on a treadmill is a good compromise.  I had initially intended to walk outside, but thought better of it due to the heat.  It was a wise move, because the skies opened up today and my walk outside would have been swiftly ruined!

Workout, Sunday July 15th, 2012

The Workout: MMA video and 45 minutes on the treadmill (0 incline, 3 mph)

Today's workout was uninspiring.  I was ill all day yesterday (the type of ill where I essentially woke up, puttered around the apartment, went back to sleep, woke up again to eat, watched tv, and went to sleep for the final time that night).  So I decided that today's goal was to stay upright and move in some capacity.

I started off by playing this old-school free kickboxing video and made it about 5 minutes in before I decided it was a bad idea.  I then switched to this much easier MMA video (essentially, more kickboxing), clocking in at about 10 minutes, and was able to complete it.

The thought of lifting, or dancing, or doing just about anything else still lacked appeal, so I plugged in my trusty treadmill and set the incline to "0", set the speed for a manageable 3 miles/hour, and walked (or rather, strolled) for 45 minutes.  I didn't break a sweat, I admit, but I also didn't fall over into a puddle of near-death.