Insane!

I tried the first day of the Insanity workout today.  Day 1 is Plyometric Cardio Circuit.  Wow, it was pretty intense, but great!  I won't be able to commit to the whole Insanity program, but I will definitely be trying out all of the DVDs!  I already feel stronger and ready for more after one day!  Has anyone else tried Insanity?  How do you like it?  Other dvd workouts you like?  It's more difficult to get to the gym now that I have a little one at home, so working out in front of the tv is the way to go for now!

Barre Bliss

I tried out one of the local barre studios last night and am in love!  I visited Barre Bliss Studio in Uptown.  It's a small, intimate setting in the Uptown Wellness Center on Bryant Ave.  The class started off with a yoga warm-up, then moved on to some pilates inspired core, then to the barre for major leg work.  The class ended with a short hand weight workout for the arms and with a yoga cool down and stretch.  It was an amazing workout, and I'm feeling great today!  I recommend you try Barre Bliss.  The first class is free!  AND, for you mamas out there, they offer free childcare!  Wow!  Let me know what you think!  (I am not getting paid to advertise for them, I just really liked it!) :)

Those of you taking Calhoun Conditioning classes this summer might get a little taste of some barre as well!

Playground Fitness

I'm excited to offer some playground fitness classes this summer with Calhoun Conditioning.  What's playground fitness?  It's exactly what it sounds like- using the playground to work all body parts, especially the lower body.  The lower body contains larger muscles, and when you work your larger muscles, you burn more calories.  Using playground equipment to work all of your body parts offers a fun way to get fit!  Nothing like mixing up your work-outs!  Check the Calhoun Conditioning website soon for the playground fitness classes and other conditioning classes.

Looks like they're building a new playground by Lake Harriet:

Beard's Plaisance Playground

Raising the Barre

It seems that the ballet inspired barre workout is the new fad.  I tried a few barre classes last spring and enjoyed it, but wasn't quite convinced.  Since I'm at home on maternity leave right now I can't go try a class at a studio, but I found one on demand on Direct TV.  I tried it while baby slept yesterday, and OWIE, I'm sore today!  As a former dancer I thought that this would be a piece of cake.  While it technically wasn't difficult, it was a killer workout!  In fact, I didn't even make it through the entire 35 minute video.  (That could also have to do with the fact that I haven't done extreme exercising in a few months.)  It did wonders on my glutes and core.  I'm definitely going to be investing in some barre classes around the city and maybe even some barre exercise videos.  Has anyone else tried any barre classes? 

Week Five Weight Workout

For those of you who are trying to get your body summer ready and are slowly transitioning yourself into a fitness lifestyle, here is another workout you can try.  Here is the first part that I posted for my first 4 weeks: Week 1-4 Workout.

I use 5lb weights, but you can use lighter or slightly heavier.  I wouldn't go more than 8lbs because these exercises are meant to be used with lighter weights.  If you need more intensity then add in more reps rather than more weight.  This is how you get tone over bulk.

Week 5:
I recommend doing this exercise every other day and alternate with a 2-3 mile walk/bike/jog.  Don't forget to keep your TVAs engaged to work your abdominals at the same time.

• bicep curls (15 slow and controlled reps)
• alternating bicep curls (15 reps R and L- use full extensions)
• shoulder press (15 reps)
• alternating shoulder press (15 reps R and L)
• row (15 reps, sit in a squat position)
• 15 squats
• lateral raise, elbows bent 90 degrees or arms straight (15 reps)
• 15 squats
• tricep extension overhead (15 reps R then L)

Fiesta Quinoa Salad

I love quinoa, don't you?  It's a healthy whole grain, it's good cold or hot, and it's delicious!  And fesh cilantro?  Yum!  Here is a fun summery quinoa salad I made today.  It will be my lunch for this week and I can't wait to gobble it up!

Ingredients:

1 c. quinoa

1 can black beans

1 c. corn (frozen or canned)

1 c. chopped bell peppers (any or all colors)

2 limes

fresh cilantro

salt

1.  Cook the quinoa according to the directions on the box.  I buy the Trader Joe's Organic Quinoa.

 

2.  Drain and rinse the black beans.

 

3.  Measure out 1 cup of the corn. I use frozen corn, but you could use canned or fresh if you want.

 

4.  Chop the peppers.  I buy the Trader Joe's 3 pack and use a little of each color.  I like it colorful!

5.  Chop the cilantro.  Use as much as you want.

 

6.  I first mixed all of the ingredients together minus the quinoa and squeezed 2 limes into the mix.  Once the quinoa is done and cooled, mix it in with the rest and add salt to taste.  Viola, a nice colorful, healthy summer salad!  Enjoy!

Belly Flab Anyone?

The after pregnancy belly is less than desirable.  Especially this close to swimsuit season.  So how do I even begin to get those summer abs?  Start from the inside and work out!  If you're struggling to get your abs in shape, you have to start with your Transverse Abdominus muscles.  These are the muscles that act as a girdle.  They wrap around your sides to the back and they work to "suck" everything in.  If these muscles are not in shape, then your Rectus Abdominus muscles will not give you that "six-pack."  The TVAs also support your back and help prevent injury.

So how can you strengthen your TVAs?
The TVAs are the muscles that you tighten when you "hold your core."  The easiest way to start strengthening your TVAs is to do exactly that- hold your core.  You can do this all day long.  You should especially hold your core when doing more physical activities such as walking, running, yard work, etc.

How do you hold your core?
Try this:  Lie on the floor on your back.  Bend your knees so that your feet are flat on the floor.  Slightly tilt your hips down and feel your lower back press into the floor.  Imagine that your belly button is pushing into the floor.  Put your fingers on your abs and feel for your TVAs (they'll be underneath the top layers).  You should be able to feel them contract (they should feel hard).

You can also do this standing up by tilting/tucking your hips under and pulling your belly button into your spine.

No matter what abdominal exercises you do (plank, crunches, etc), make sure to pull your belly button into your spine to engage your TVAs. 

Summer tease

Are you ready for summer?  I sure am!  Calhoun Conditioning classes will be starting the week of June 11th.  What times/days would you take an outdoor class this summer?  Give me some feedback so I can find something that works for everyone!  In the meantime, here are some pictures to get you excited to exercise outdoors again!

Post Pregnancy Workout

Now that my pregnancy is over, I'm anxiously awaiting the go-ahead from my doctor to get back to my regular exercise.  I am a fitness instructor so fitness is a huge part of my life.  It's killing me that I can't work out to my fullest potential right now!  I'm sure many of you are in the same boat, where you are anxious to get your body back into shape and get back to your rigorous fitness routine.  This is also a good plan for anyone who is new to working out and wants to ease into fitness.  Here is what I've been doing so far to get this body kick-started back into shape.

Week 1 post-delivery: I didn't do much at all. It was even difficult to walk much.  I didn't feel guilty, though because I knew my body needed the rest in order to heal.
Week 2 post-delivery: I was able to start some short walks with the stroller.  The maximum my body could take was a 1.5 mile stroll about 2-3 times during the week.  I wouldn't recommend much more than that.  I also started to lift my 5lb weights- but I didn't over-do it.  Here is my typical "lite" weight lifting routine:

• bicep curls (slow and controlled 12 reps)
• shoulder press (12 reps)
• lateral raise (90 degree bend in elbows, or arms straight 12 reps)
• tricep extension, weight overhead (one arm at a time 12 reps each)
• REPEAT all one more time

Week 3 post-delivery: I still stuck with the 1.5 mile walk, but was able to pick up the pace a little more.  I was able to walk 3-4 times during the week.  I also continued my "lite" weight lifting routine.
Week 4 post-delivery:  My body felt ready to walk a longer distance, so I walked around Lake Calhoun a few times throughout the week (3 miles).  It was a little tough the first time because it was a longer distance than I was used to, but it felt GREAT!  I would recommend a 3 mile walk 2 times during the week, then a shorter walk (1.5-2 miles) 3 other days.

I'm going to continue with my walks and pick up the pace a little on my weight lifting.  I'll post my new weight lifting routine once I figure out what works well.

Why Blog?

I started blogging when I first became pregnant last June.  I wanted to write and reflect on my pregnancy and continue to post about my growing family.  I started off slow, but then became more and more obsessed with creating posts.  I found myself thinking about what to title my posts and how to include photos with each post. 

After reading some fitness and health blogs, I thought, "Hey, I can do this!  How fun!"  I started an outdoor fitness business last summer and I thought this would be a fun expansion of my business.  This is a place that I can post about new, fun fitness findings and advice to hopefully help motivate and encourage a healthy lifestyle.  So take what you can from this blog whether it be fitness advice, healthy eating ideas, or a good healthy chuckle!  Enjoy!
Sara