HIIT Workout

“At-Home Workout!”

150 Cardio Cals (run/bike/swim outside)

30 second rest interval (in-between each):

 

1 min Burpees

30 Bench Tricep Dips

35 Double Arm Tricep Kick Backs

1 min Mountain Climbers

50 Seated Russian Twists

30 (each leg) Laying Leg Lifts (on your side)

1 min Dumbbell Lunges

50 Goblet Squats

1 min Plank

25 Pushups

35 Standing Bicep Curls

1 min Jumping Lunges

30 Dumbbell Standing Shoulder Press

20 Side Lateral Raises

1 min Burpees

 

Repeat Circuit 3x

150 Cardio Cals (run/bike/swim outside)

 

 

HIIT Workout at Home!

“Conditioning Workout”
125 Cardio Cals (run/bike/swim outside)

10 second rest interval (in-between each):

30 Mountain Climbers 

30 Dumbbell Step ups (15 each leg) 

 30 Standing Dumbbell Shoulder Press

10 Tricep Push-ups  

30 Dumbbell Deadlifts 

10 Burpees 

30 Standing Hammer Curls 

10 Jump Squats 

10 Laying Leg Lifts 

10 Burpees 

30  Standing Bicep Curls

30 Dumbbell Squats 

30 Side Lateral Raises 
Repeat 3x

125 Cardio Cals (run/bike/swim outside)

 
 

Mental Toughness Exercise for Life & Fitness : Get Uncomfortable!!

“Get Comfortable with the Uncomfortable”

     Why should we focus on our “Mental Toughness”? Our mental toughness is what is going to carry us through the ups, downs, the wins, the losses, the obstacles, and the victories throughout our fitness journey. Without mental toughness we wouldn’t make fitness an intricated part of our life, a never ending journey. We would quit and give up quickly. Mental toughness also is what will push you through those early morning workouts, those late night workouts, and is what will allow you to never hit the snooze button on your alarm!

     If you read my last blog post (  Beginning Mental Toughness Training  ) and implemented it this past week then you are ready to start practicing and training on your mental toughness!

     This week’s exercise is going to be about getting comfortable with the uncomfortable. Always wanted to try the Squat Rack? Too nervous to try it out for the first time? First say to yourself: time to become comfortable being uncomfortable! Walk confidently over and act like you know what your doing.  Act like the regular gym-goer who acts like they have grown up in a gym. Same thing applies if you want to be more outgoing or positive, just act like someone you know or aspire to be like that is personable or positive. Like the saying goes, “Fake it till you make it!”.

     Do you hate doing Bicep curls because they are too uncomfortable? Complete 6 sets to failure with 15 seconds rest in-between. Stay in the moment and focus on each rep. Give yourself praise and positivity! The next time you will feel more comfortable with being uncomfortable.

     Everyday this week, July 18-24th 2016, I will be implementing this Mental Toughness exercise of becoming comfortable with the uncomfortable in the gym:

Day 1:

 I HATE barbell squats 🙅🏼 and I usually stick to 30-35 pounds (on each side of the barbell) because that is where I am “comfortable”.
Today at 5am I walked into the gym and went straight to the squat rack ✔️
I looked at it and said I’m ready to get uncomfortable!!
My Personal Record is 45 pounds for 4 reps. Today I went 55 pounds for 3 reps!!!!

Day 2: 

Today I was completing a descending rep set (12-15 reps, 8-10 reps, 6-8 reps, 4-6 reps) and I was at the 8-10 reps portion of the set completing Barbell Deadlifts.
I was at rep 6 and starting to feel uncomfortable and this is where I would usually stop and wait to complete the next set.
BUT
I said to myself “Get Comfortable BEING Uncomfortable” and I pushed myself to complete the next two reps!!!
SO
I stressed and challenged both my BODY and MIND this morning (all before leaving at 9am for my flight!

Day 3:

I wanted to finish out my arm workout with 3 sets of 30 seconds on those big braided ropes.
BUT
I am at a gym where I know NO ONE, in another state, and the ropes are in the middle of the gym.
I felt insecure and self conscious but I said to myself, let’s get “Comfortable Being Uncomfortable!”.
AND
I completed all 3 sets surrounded by a sea of people

Day 4:

It stays light here in Ohio until past 9:30pm so I have been going to bed way later than normal. I woke up at 5am to get my workout in and it was a rough awakening….
BUT
I said “Get Comfortable With Being Comfortable” !
It took me awhile to get out the door but I made it!!!

Day 5:

Day 1 I focused on Barbell Squats and reached my PR of 55 pounds (on each side)! Today, I walked over to the squat rack and immediately placed 55 pounds on each side of the barbell and completed 6-8 reps for 5 sets!

Day 6:

Rest Day! 

We all know how hard it is to make our bodies and minds relax for an ENTIRE day.

Day 7:

Conditioning Workout! 

I only complete my HIIT workout if I go to my boot camp class but since I am away this weekend I told myself to get comfortable with being comfortable and I completed my own HIIT workout
     I have been holding myself back from various things in the gym and that is partly due to being in offseason and no longer working hard towards the goal of competing in a show. I do not have to follow any rules or coaching and this has allowed me to slack off from challenging myself these past few weeks. Having this small goal of completing the Mental Toughness exercise everyday gave me drive, determination, and motivation to challenge my mind and body for these past 7 days. 

I am overcoming my un-comfortability with heavy Barbell Squats! Try to do something each day this week that is uncomfortable for you! What will you become comfortable doing this week? 

Workout at HOME!

“Conditioning Workout”

150 Cardio Cals (run/bike/swim outside)

30 second rest interval (in-between each):

 

1 min Burpees

1 min Dumbbell Squats

1 min Mountain Climbers

30 Side Lateral Raises

1 min Jumping Squats

1 min Lunges

1 min Plank

30 Seated Bicep Curls

1 min Barbell or Dumbbell Deadlifts

1 min Goblet Squats

1 min Burpees

30 Tricep Kickbacks

1 min Seated Russian Twists

1 min Pushups

1 min Plank
Repeat 3x

150 Cardio Cals (run/bike/swim outside)

 

 

Beginning Mental Toughness Training for Fitness & Life

“How to Begin Mental Toughness Training”

What allows me to balance fitness into my busy family and work schedule comes mainly from my “Mental Toughness” rather than motivation. Sure my Eat Me Guilt Free brownie somewhat gets me out of bed every morning at 5am but it is my mental toughness that makes me shoot right out of bed and into the bathroom without even thinking first. Every morning I wake up exhausted but I have never snoozed the alarm before!! I am not bragging but merely stating that I have practiced and worked hard on my mental toughness and thus one of the side effects is having a certain drive and determination to put in 100% and get up day in and day out. Putting energy into building my mental toughness has brought me confidence, motivation, strength, and the energy to keep pursuing my fitness journey. 

To be able to begin training on your “Mental Toughness” or to be mentally tough you have to first clear your mind of excess thoughts that are draining your mental resources. One exercise you can implement today is write down the top 5 things you spend the most energy on, the things you think about the most. Some of those items might be laundry, grocery shopping, working out, budgeting, paying bills, or wanting to start a new nutrition plan or wanting to begin to workout. Go down each item and ask yourself, “Is this something I can control?”. Most often than not we spend too much precious mental energy on the things we cannot control. Think of these items you wrote down in terms of problem solving or small goals, what small a steps can you do TODAY to help you accomplish your top 5 list. 

Let’s take the “I want to workout” item. Things you can’t change about that item: your work hours, if you have a child, your husbands work schedule, and/or your limited money resources. Stop trying to change those listed above and solve your problem today of beginning a workout program. Some solutions may be early morning or late night workouts, YouTube videos, at home DVDs, or scheduling in 30 mins of exercise everyday into your phone or calendar. 

What is your top 5 and how will you solve them TODAY?

Workout at Home!

“Conditioning Workout”

100  Cardio Cals (run/bike/swim outside)

10 second rest interval (in-between each):
1 min Dumbbell Step-ups

30 Dumbbell Squats

1 min Burpees

30 Standing Overhead Press

1 min Dumbbell Lunges

30 Dumbbell Bicep Curls

1 min Seated Russian Twists

30 Hammer Curls

1 min Front Plate Twists

30 Push-ups

1 min Dumbbell Deadlifts

1 min Mountain Climbers
Repeat 3x

100 Cardio Cals (run/bike/swim outside)

Motivational Journey Part 2

“After The Crowd Leaves ….”

My last blog post was about my motivational journey from competing in one bodybuilding competition and trying to find my instrinic motivation to compete in a second show 3 weeks later. I never have backed down from a goal I set for myself whether it be a personal best time in swimming or completing a half marathon. It took a lot of self pride and reflection to say no to the second show. At first I felt guilty and disappointed in myself because I couldn’t find the intrinsic motivation to continue to the second show but sometimes saying no is just as a true test of strength as saying yes. The other areas in my life have become neglected, like an overgrown lawn, and I couldn’t be my best self with a manicured front lawn but an overgrown backyard 😉

Now I have an entire year stretching out in front of me and your probably thinking how will you stay focused?! Having a coach keeps me accountable, if I miss a workout I have to email my coach to change my entire chart. My charts to me feel like they are written in stone!  I never miss a workout or fall off my macro chart when I am working with my coach but my mental state needs a little break & relaxtion before I have to go back under a guided fitness and nutrition plan. Without someone keeping me accountable sometimes it does get easy to miss a workout especially when I am near the beach everyday.

Being in atheltics by the time I could walk instilled a deeply ingrained intrinsic motivation into the make-up of who I am, It has become a part of me, like my toes or hair. Even without a small goal insight or coach its hard to keep myself from not being active! But one of the other ways I help myself head to the gym easier is by keeping it interesting and fun. Every week is a different workout plan, change of reps or exercise, I complete a long run outside on the beach, and I see all my teammate’s at our coach’s boot camp class. Being in charge of my own fitness and nutrition plan will also help me be able to be independent and do it on my own. It also uncovers unhealthy habits that peak back up, over exercising, which allows me to really work on those habits and kick them back to the curb!

 

I look forward to part 3 coming this fall 🙂