Saturday Sweaties

I love Saturday workouts.

Saturday I can extend my workout time, try something new, do something fun - well, the possibilities are endless!  No early morning, time stressed worries.  No time budgeting or rushing to get somewhere else. I can get sweaty and take a leisurely shower, take my time to fix my hair and get into some cute and comfy clothes feeling FIERCE!

This week was a long and busy one at work, so I came up short on logging in workout days. 

Today I was determined to get sweaty!!

For some people that would mean easing into a workout so as not to over do it. 

THAT is completely rational.

I am not always so rational.

So I pulled together a bunch of my favorite moves for a hurts-so-good session I called -

 

Give me 50!

     50 reps of each

Burpees

Box Jumps

Jumping Jacks

Squats

Pull Downs*

Curls (per arm)*

Triceps OH Extensions (per arm)*

Side Kicks (per side)

Walking Lunges

Frog Jumps

Squat Jumps

Upright Ab Twists*

Crunches

Leg Lifts

*with weights

 

This was great!  Loved it.  Body is SCREAMING!  Verdict? Hurts so good!

 

Now I'm a believer

Hello! I'm back. 

Well getting there anyway.  A drive from Wisconsin to Florida, non-stop, with three littles, takes a lot out of a girl. 

Who knew?

The big news is that while we were there and the rest of the country was sunny, and starving for some rain, we were in the midst of Tropical Storm Debby.  And we had front row seats!  Guess I can cross that of my bucket list.  Um...oh yeah, I'll add it first, then cross it off.

Source

It eventually cleared up and the vacation was great.  Unfortunately our wi-fi was out at the resort after the storm, so I was completely cut off from my fitmixer workouts!

I did workout sessions fitmixer style (and all from memory) the first few days.  Then we were go, go, go taking advantage of the clearing skies the remaining days.  We walked MILES I am sure at the parks.  From about 9a to 12p we were on our feet.  My feet were shredded at the end of each day.  I would have paid anyone ready with a bucket to soak my feet in each night.

So you would have thought I would have avoided the extra vacation lbs - nope! Not yet! Food options are not stellar, and I know that when I am busy or tired, both of which occurred on our trip, my eating morals go down the drain.  Carb disasters!  Ah well, as dear Candice said, I can sweat it off.  And with the HIGH temps here this week, that shouldn't be a problem.

Being back home and back on schedule has been so welcome!  How I missed my GREENS!  There were few places that I could find greens that weren't pre-drenched in dressing.  And veggie burgers are yummy, but who can resist that side of fries.  Smart-me would have asked that they not bring them out.  But tired me, who was not doing a good job at sticking to eating 6x a day, was not so savvy.

I started Monday with a Full House workout (working through the entire deck of cards doing 4 exercises). Tuesday was strength moves.  Wednesday was a Tabata session (my favorite!).

My brain must still be on vacation because I completely forgot to drink my fitmixer aminos during the workouts, just had plain water.

source

Silly, silly me.

Through the last 7 weeks I have taken it religiously and while I have been sore most of those days, it wasn't awful or debilitating?

On Monday after nearly 100 jack squats combined with about 100 burpees, my inner thighs were totally shredded.  Jillian has nothing on those fitmixer ladies!

As the week has gone on my soreness has gotten progressively worse! And yesterday it finally occurred to me after my workout.  I forgot to drink my aminos!!! I am desperately regretting that oversight today.  I am walking around very awkwardly and if I am still for any length of time (desk job!), it is tougher to get moving normally.

Do I start gulping it down by the bucket today?  Maybe.  Am thinking it's going to have me extremely wired (it has caffeine), but my muscles are demanding it!

Wow, I am such a believer in those aminos now.  And I just noticed they are getting low!  Time for a re-order, stat!!

The Day I Broke my Husband

This week has been full of firsts. But how is that unlike any other week lately?

First, on our way home on Memorial Day, the awesome Heather tweeted about the Runner's World Running Streak. Basically it was a challenge to run at least 1 mile each day from Memorial Day until the 4th of July.

LOVED the idea. So as I determined to do it and mentioned it to my hubby. Much to my surprise he said he would do it with me?! Yay!! I have been trying to get him to run with me for a while.

Now lest you start to think that I'm some uber-awesome runner (like Heather), let's make it clear that I am NOT. Last year I started the couch-to-5k and it was brutal. I completed it, and then knee, hip and shin pain made me shy away from running.

This spring I decided I wanted to run a 5k. But Mrs. "Set's the Bar" too high started a training plan for a 10k and it was aggressive. I was at the 5.0 mi mark, struggling, but determined to keep pushing through, when I twisted my ankle on the stairs one day, 2 weeks out from the race I was planning to run, and I was completely discouraged and bowed out.

So sad.

But, I was actually relieved! Goals and charts and 1 mile increases each week were too much for this novice. And while I wish I had run the 5k, I was glad to be off that training schedule.

I have to admit these 1 mile runs have re-fueled this new love of running I had established, before I got ambitious.

Second, the lovely Robin at fitmixer challenged me to do a Wall Stand Letter L in this week's bootcamp. When I watched the video, I literally laughed out loud. Are you kidding me??! And she made it look so effortless! But I wasn't fooled. I knew that was no small feat.

But it was a challenge. IT WAS ON! It wasn't the prettiest thing, but I did it. That is all. I did it.

She also wanted us to do Wall Kick Ups, but all I got done were some donkey kicks. Sorry Robin. Baby steps here, baby steps.

Little man decided to join in on the fun too:

Yeah, he did it like 15 times. Show off.

Hubby joined in too. He was determined to do a handstand. He did really great too.

So now you're wondering. How did the hubby get broken?

Wednesday's bootcamp was the Ancient Pyramid (don't you love these names?). It looked like this:

 Star push ups - 10 reps

Knee slappers – 20 reps

Snowboarder jumps – 30 reps

Calf raises – 40 reps

Everest climbers – 50 reps

Calf raises – 40 reps

Snowboarder jumps – 30 reps

Knee slappers – 20 reps

Star push-ups – 10 reps

After our run, I told him I was going to go do the bootcamp workout. He said he would do it too. Wow!

So we are doing well. Working out side by side. A COMPLETE first. It was great. Yes, he was sweating buckets. I was at a distinct glow. No shocker there. And we got to the top of Everest. Sweet! I tell him, now we work back down.

Except when I looked over at him, he had this strange look on his face. He was breathing hard. And he looked kind of......GREEN.

UH-OH.

Keep going, he said, as he walked away.

I kept going, and going, and going. And then I finished.

............................................

It finally occurred to me that MAYBE I should check on him.

I found him in the bathroom, sitting on the floor.

Yes.

Hubby lost his cookies trying to do the Bootcamp!

Sympathy from the boy.  I think he's praying for him here?...

As much as I sympathized with him, 'cause it is NOT easy, despite how easy Robin makes it look....I think we've established that...I was feeling FIERCE!

I could physically do something that HE couldn't! WHAT?!!!

You have to know, that up until a few years ago, with work, kiddies etc, he has been THE athlete in this pair. Basketball, Baseball, Football - you name it, he rocked it.

So this was a huge moment for ME! Yeah, not a highlight for my man. But HUGE for ME!

Robin has also encouraged us to speak positively to ourselves. And I have to admit I have had LOTS of negative mind speak throughout my weight struggles.

But my a-ha moment in this story was this: I am a STRONG, FIT, WOMAN! I can't compare myself to other great fit athletic types. In that regard, I am no where close. But compared to where I started :

I am GREATLY improved.

Oh yeah. I am going to marinate on that one a while. And try not to gloat about out doing the hubby.

I said try....

Sweat or Glow?

Someone once told me that women don't sweat. 
Horses sweat.
Men perspire.
Women glow.

Hmm...

For most of my life that has been true in my case.

One hour zumba class?  Glow. 
3 mile run? Glow
Piloxing? Glow.
But you know what? 

I did notice that other women were sweating.
Like shirt drenched sweating.
Know what else? 

Some of them weren't even working as hard as I was.

After living by the fact that as I woman I should only glow during physical exertion, I found that I was really annoyed that I couldn't sweat!  I mean, I AM trying to lose weight.  Sweat is a welcome indicator that you're burning FAT! So I WANT to sweat. Right?

So I decided to look into it.

Why am I NOT sweating?

1.  Lack of hydration. Oh THAT. It's true.  Up until the bootcamp, and its suggested.. or is it required(?)... 96 oz of water daily.  I am definitely GUILTY of not even having a ONE glass of water in a day. I know, its AWFUL.  I'm living life extremely dehydrated.  I know, I know, it is not good.  But thankfully a little lesson from Candice, our RD from fitmixer, really hit home.  She gave us this bit of knowledge:

• Another important aspect of water is the effect on our kidneys. When we are dehydrated, our kidneys have to work twice as hard to clear toxins from our bodies, when this happens, our liver pitches in to help out our kidneys. When this happens, the liver is unable to do one of it’s primary jobs which is to burn stored fat for energy – YIKES! When we are working so hard to lower our body fat, it is really necessary to utilize every avenue we can, this includes staying hydrated so that our liver can do it’s job.

I also learned that when you're dehydrated your heart rate can increase to dangerous levels, and you can get dizzy, weak and confused because your brain and organs are receiving less oxygen. 

Okay, I'm convinced.  It is NOT cute to be a rebel in this area.  We are talking about MAJOR ORGANS here. No one messes with my organs! Not even me.  After my not so distant loss of core iron and minerals stores and all its complications, I don't take this lightly.

2.   Women have evolved sweat glands.  Ok, this sounds like the whole "glow" theory, but its actually true!  Did you know we actually have more sweat glands than men?  And though men sweat buckets (true in my husbands 'cause!), its not because they have MORE sweat glands, it's because their bodies don't regulate H2O loss as well as a woman.  So as soon as their bodies start to heat up, they sweat.  It's also why women bloat.  We get all the luck don't we?

3.  Sweating is not the only way that the body cools itself.  There is also:

1. Radiation - this is when heat radiates from your skin.  You've seen it.  A runner on a cold morning, steam cloud surrounding him or her.
2. Conduction - which is the transfer of heat.  Last Sunday's marathoners were encouraged to get in an ice water bath so that the water could absorb the heat from their overheated bodies.
3. Convection - or where moving air cools you down.  Remember standing in front of grandma's window fan and going "aaaaahhhhh" on a hot summer day?  ........ugh, am I dating myself again?
4. Evaporation - this is SWEATING people.  The water in your blood rises to the skins surface, absorbing heat along the way. Once at the surface via your sweat glands, it can evaporate and cool you down.

The last two fitmixer workouts involved some serious TABATA and something they called the FULL HOUSE.  Let me tell you now, they sound like fun and they even make them LOOK like fun.  And then when you actually DO them, you realize what masterminds these ladies are at getting you to WORK and/or suffer. 

You decide. 

Here are the parameters: Each card number determines the number of reps and the suit determines the exercise (see below). Face cards equal 10 reps, aces equal 11. Shuffle the full deck, then pick the top card and complete the corresponding exercise. Continue until you've completed the whole deck of cards. No rest in between.

• Hearts: Burpees
• Diamonds: Jack-Squats
• Spades: Jack Push-ups
• Clubs: Reverse Crunches

Seems fun right?  It is, until your body is screaming after your 56th burpee and it occurs to you in this madness that you are going to have to do 96 EACH of these.  

Now, it could be the recent and HUGE increase in water intake, or the fact that it was 91 degrees out the day I decided to do these, OR that I've NEVER tried anything like this in my LIFE, but guess what?

I did not glow.
I did not perspire.
For the first time ever, I not only felt the heat radiating from my skin,
I. did. sweat. 
Perspiration running off my head.
WHAT?!!!!

Remember Amanda's response when she cries for the first time in the movie "The Holiday"? No? Then watch the first minute here (watch the whole thing if you're a sap like me :)





Yeah, it went something like that. Except no tears, just sweat.  Oh, and no English chauffeur and.....oh, well - you get it.

So how about you?

Do you glow or do you sweat?