Tag: exercise books

Fitness for September 2015

For the past month I took a break from my normal routine of using fitness videos and used some of my book and fitness magazine routines.  I have a collection of workout and yoga books and lots of fitness routines from magazines that I have clipped out and saved.  So, the first couple of weeks of September I used the magazine routines alternating in some yoga.  It was fun to put on some good workout music and do those sets of exercises for 20 to 30 minutes.

The second half of the month I chose to use some of my workout books and alternate those with yoga from my yoga magazine.  I also got a new Pilates book from Sams at the end of August so I mixed that in this month as well.

pilates book

I really like this Pilates book.  It is a full color book with step by step photos of the exercises.  At the end of the book there  are several different Pilates routines that you can do – like one is classic Pilates, another called spinal call and  working the leg-core connection.  There are twelve total routines at the back of the book.

cat and pilates workout

As you can see my other cat likes the Pilates book, too.  She has been out more lately since I have started this new routine.  She is usually more shy and quiet than my other cat who loves to join me for my daily workouts.  I guess she is a Pilates fan.

Some of the other books I used for my workouts this month were some that I have had for a while.  They are books that use an exercise ball and some of the exercises use weights.  So a lot of these workout are more for toning and strength training.

ways to workout on the ball book

workout books for daily exercise

As you can see I own a few fitness books that are about working out on the ball.  The exercise ball is probably one of my favorite fitness tools.  I know it is not exactly convenient for storing but there are so many things you can do on the ball and so many areas you can tone up much better than just doing traditional exercises.  I think working out with weights on the ball is a lot of fun as well as some of the abdominal work.

So, for this past month I enjoyed creating my own routines or using some from the books.  Most of them were about 20 to 30 minutes long.  On my yoga days I usually did about a 20 or 25 minute yoga sequence from my Yoga Journal magazine that I bought several months ago.  It is a great magazine and I never get tired of the routines in there.

yoga journal magazine with great yoga practices and other info
Yoga Journal Magazine with lots of great workouts

For the coming month of October I have decided to go back to using my Cathe workout dvd’s and alternating yoga or the Pilates book in between video days.  I find I do best with variety which is why I am constantly changing my workouts each month.  I also think it helps your body stay in shape to do different things.

What kinds of workouts have you done lately?  Let me know by leaving a reply.

Kimberlee

Working Out Week 33 of 2014

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The weeks are flying by lately.  I feel like this one went super fast!  It seems like the first part of our summer was kind of slow and the second half is gone in the blink of an eye!  Does anyone else feel that way?

This week I was busy with getting my kids back to school supplies together, the dreaded shopping for those – although this year it is not so bad.  The older they get the less they seem to need.

Also, band continues for my high school age son.  A pretty rigorous schedule this week with long days and some nights.  This morning we had to be up by 5:15 am as he had to be there for group photos at 6 am.  So, I was up extra early today – before it was even light out.  I did my routine a little different today.  Since I couldn’t see to go out and ride my bike that early I did my morning devotional reading first and had a cup of coffee – then by 6:45am I was out for my Saturday morning bike ride.  Not too many people out that early on a Saturday morning.  It was nice to see the sun coming up and breathe in the fresh morning air.

Workout Schedule for week 33 of 2014:

  • Monday – 101 Ways to Workout on the Ball book – 30 min.
  • Tuesday – Ride Bike + Yoga – 35 min.
  • Wednesday – 101 Ways to Workout on the Ball book + Body Bar Book – 35 min.
  • Thursday – Ride Bike + Body Bar book & foam roller stretches – 42 min.
  • Friday – 101 Ways to Workout on the Ball book + Body Bar Book + jump rope – 38 min.
  • Saturday – Ride Bike + Jump Rope + Yoga – 34 min.

Ball Workout book

The above book is the book I used several times this past week.  It is an older book published back in 2004, ten years ago, that I got on sale in 2006 or 2007.   It is still a really great book though and has lots of great ball exercises, some with weights and some without.  The book is all color photos and has step by step photos of the moves which I like.  Also, the back of the book has various routines for arms, abs, core, legs, total body, etc that you can do.

Sample of workout routine in back of Ball Workout book

The above is a sample of what the routines in the back of the book look like.  It refers you to the page number where the exercises are so you can get the full explanation on how to do them.  I like books that are set up this way.

101 Ways to Workout on Ball Book

The above photos are from my Monday session using the ball book which were the 15 minute Morning Wake Up and the 15 minute Arm Toner routines.

Ball and Bar Workout on Wednesday

On Tuesday I went to the library – a place I visit often and always find new books to read or listen to on audio.  I have an ereader, a nook, but haven’t used it in over six months.  I am a “book” person and I enjoy going to the library.  I was checking out the fitness books and found an interesting Body Bar workout book.  The book again is an older book, published in 2006, but it has some good workouts in it.

I have this body bar from some Firm workouts I used to own many years ago.  I do not have the dvd’s anymore but kept the bar.  I think it is an 8 or 10 pound bar, I can’t remember.  Anyhow – I used the Bar book along with the Ball book on Wednesday.  The above bar move is called the kayak and you can feel it in your core for sure.

Body Bar Workout book from library

Ball and Bar Workout

On Friday I used the Ball and Bar books again and I also decided to combine some of the moves using both together – having some creative fun with my workout this day.

New 6 pound dumbbells and jump rope

The above is a photo of my new 6 pound dumbbells that I found at Academy the other day when shopping for new backpacks and lunch boxes for the kids.  They had some odd increments of dumbbells in this brand that you don’t normally see – like 4, 6 and 7 pounds.  I thought the 6 would be nice for when 5 is too easy and my 8 is too hard.  I used them some for the tricep work in my workout on Friday.

Also, in the above photo is my new jump rope.  I had one but had not used it in a while and when I went to go look for it I couldn’t find it.  I think the kids used it for something and forgot to hang it back up in the garage, but no one admits to that.  I read this article in our newspaper about a month ago about this guy in Dallas who jumps rope about five times a week as his form of staying in shape – I think he is like in his 50’s (I don’t remember his exact age).  I decided I am going to try and jump rope for a few minutes when I get home from my biking.  Let me tell you I thought I could do 10 minutes but I am lucky to get in 5 minutes.  Jumping rope is a real intense workout!  You will sweat and get your heart rate up in a very short amount of time.

Shoes laced differently

I discovered this new way to lace my shoes last Sunday on pinterest.  The info said it was from a podiatrist.  This is the way to lace your shoes if the ball of your foot is wider than your heel – as mine is.  It really helps give your toes room to spread.  I have now re-laced all of my fitness shoes this way.

Weekly Fitness Tip:  Be Patient – Change Takes Time

-Working out for just a week or two is not going to get you dramatic results – as the saying goes “Slow and Steady Wins the Race”

Stick with a schedule – realize that doing even just 15 minutes a day of exercise 5 days per week is better than none at all.  Not everyone is able to workout for 30 to 60 minutes per day.  Do what works for your schedule and don’t compare it to others.

Fitness is about a way of life, a lifestyle change, not a quick fix so you can reach a goal and go back to old habits that are not healthy.

-Not everyone is ready for extreme hard core workouts at the beginning.  Start off with something simple like walking or running or jumping rope (which is an excellent workout I am finding, in a short amount of time).  You can then alternate that with lifting light weights or some yoga or stretching.  If you start something that is too hard it will just frustrate you and you are more likely to give up.

-Make sure you schedule in “rest” days each week so you don’t burn out.  I usually only schedule a rest day for Sunday but I like to workout 6 days per week.  Maybe you only want to do a 4 or 5 day a week workout routine to begin and then add more days later on.

I hope everyone had a great week.  See you next week!

Kimberlee

 

 

 

 

Working Out Week 21 of 2014

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Another week has come and gone.  The past two weeks have gone by really fast for me for some reason.  Maybe it is all the end of the year activities with my kids and their schools or something.  This week was week 3 and the beginning of week 4 of the Betty Rocker Spring Challenge and I also decided to use another one of my exercise books on the days I was not doing the Betty Rocker workouts.

  • Monday 5-19 – Betty Rocker week 3 workout + foam roller stretches – 40 minutes
  • Tuesday 5-20 – CORE book – Global Workout – 30 minutes
  • Wednesday 5-21 – Betty Rocker week 3 workout + foam roller stretches – 40 minutes
  • Thursday 5-22 – CORE book – Warrior Workout – 30 minutes
  • Friday 5-23 – Betty Rocker week 4 workout + foam roller stretches – 40 minutes
  • Saturday 5-24 – CORE book – Lower Ab workout – 20 minutes

Betty Rocker Spring Challenge  Wk 3  Kimberlees Korner

The Betty Rocker workouts were tough body weight workouts this past week.  I actually thought week 3 was a little easier than week 2 – but not much.  I really liked the Hindu Push Ups – (top left photo) and the Grasshoppers (lower right photo).  As you can see I had my personal trainer monitoring my moves once again.  He has a new scarf on for the Memorial Day holiday – it is red with baseballs on the fabric.  My kids thought he needed a new scarf.  He has now learned how to remove it so he is constantly taking it off and we find it various places around the house.

Core Workout book  Kimberlees Korner

Core Book Warrior Workout  Kimberlees Korner

This past week I choose once again to use one of my workout books that I own instead of my dvd’s.  The one I used this time was CORE by Hollis Lance Liebman.  I got this book last summer from Half Price Books.  I used it quite a bit last summer and really like the routines in the book.  The photos in the book are all color and each exercise is explained in detail along with photos.  The back of the book contains various routines that are anywhere from 8 to 20 exercises per routine.  You can see the book and one of the routines in the above photos.  All of the exercises concentrate on the core and use either no equipment, an exercise ball, medicine ball and some dumbbells for a few exercises.   I also really like how each of the exercises lists the areas of your body it benefits and what areas it is working and it gives you a skill level like beginner, intermediate or advanced.  Once again my cat is present to make sure I am doing everything correctly.

I also decided to start drinking my green drinks and smoothies again.  The one I made this week and drank a few times for lunch was a recipe I found in my Ninja blender book.  I actually changed a few things in the recipe like the ginger and the amount of agave or honey.  They said to use fresh ginger and I only had some crystallized and I added less agave than what it called for.  I think their recipe said 1 to 2 tablespoons of agave or honey and I only use 1 or 2 teaspoons to cut back on the sugar as the crystallized ginger also has sugar in it.

Green Juice   Kimberlees Korner

I did a green smoothie challenge back in January of 2014 where I drank one per day for the whole month.  I think I have only made a few since then.  I think one of the reasons is it was cold out (winter time) and I don’t care for really cold drinks in the winter.   I forgot how great drinking these juices or smoothies can make you feel and look.  I will say they are kind of an acquired taste but once you get past the look of it and realize the health benefits it is worth the effort to make it and drink it regularly.  I plan to make it a goal to have at least three per week.

Next week I will be finishing up the Betty Rocker Challenge with week 4.  I have not decide yet if I will be using another workout book or go back to some yoga dvd’s in between the BR workouts.  What workouts are you currently doing?  I would love to hear about them – click on Leave a Reply to let me know.

Have a great Memorial Day weekend!

Kimberlee

Working Out Week 13 of 2014

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This week I finished week 12 of P90X3.  I can not believe there is only one week left to go in the program.  The variety this exercise program has makes it go really fast and with the workouts only taking 30 minutes a day, six days a week, it is easy to fit into a busy schedule.

This week the schedule was the same as week 10.  You can look at my post on that to see the exact schedule.  Some photos are below of the workouts.

Week 12 P90X3 Pilates  Kimberlees Korner

I really love the Pilates program.  It is fun and challenging and I always look forward to doing this workout when it is on the schedule.  The pretzel exercise at the end (lower right photo) is one of my favorites in this routine.

Decelerator wk 12 P90X3  Kimberlees Korner

The Decelerator workout was on the schedule twice this week.  I like this workout but twice in one week I do not like so much.  There are some really great exercises in this routine though – like the starfish push ups (lower left photo) and the superman-bow (lower right photo).  There are also some that are super hard and I can not do completely like the crane cracker push ups (upper left photo) – I am doing the modified ones there with just the knee on the elbow.  The full move is to go forward and raise your leg that is behind you up, extend your leg on the elbow out straight and do a push up.  I think if I tried that I would land on my face for sure.  My cat seemed to like doing this workout twice in one week.

I also did my Exhale Core Fusion a few times this week.  I did the Abs & Arms dvd this week. The segments I did were Upper Body with Band, Abdominal’s  with band, Abs with Leg Curl Variations and Band.  The segments are 10 minutes that I did after P90X3 a few of the days this past week.  A couple of days I was too busy with having to get my kids to school early to be able to do an extra 10 minutes.

ECF abs &arms upper with band  Kimberlees Korner

ECF Abs & Arms-Abdominals  Kimberlees Korner

The Pilates book I checked out from the library a couple of weeks ago was also used a couple of times this week.  I am trying to do between 6 and 10 of the different exercises in there at least three times a week.  The pilates is so good for strengthening your core and leaning out your body.  The book is called Pilates Practice Companion by Alycea Ungaro.  A great book with color photos of each exercise.

Also, on the subject of books I finished reading the Tony Horton book The Big Picture.

 This book was an excellent read full of positive and motivating advice and information.  One of the main things that sticks with me and one of his 11 laws is to “Do your best and forget the rest.”  I am trying to remember this when I get stressed out about everything I have to or want to do or accomplish.  I need to remember that doing my best is the main focus – not doing more just to say I did more.  I am not talking just about fitness here – about things in everyday life as well.  Another great chapter in the book is Law 4 “Variety is the Spice of…Everything”  I totally agree with that.  I am a person who is creative and I get bored easily doing the same thing (especially when exercising) over and over.  Take the Decelerator workout for example.  I have done that one 6 times in the last 4 weeks and to be honest with you I am tired of it.  I like it okay but I have done it so much lately it is starting to annoy me.  Tony mentions in his book that you should not do something just because everyone else is doing it – I tell my kids this all the time.  He also talks about how adding variety to everything in your life, not just with exercise but in all areas, makes things more fun and interesting – another thing I totally agree with.  You can click on the book link to read more information about the book if you are interested in learning more.

This week I also became an affiliate of Beachbody programs.  The icon is in the sidebar for P90X3 if you are interested in learning more about the workout or in ordering it.  I have really enjoyed doing this program and all my previous posts about it can give you more information.  I do not endorse things I do not like or believe in.

Well, I hope everyone is having a nice weekend.  It is finally getting warmer here in Texas.  I am ready for spring and was actually able to wear sandals a couple of times this week.

Have a great day!

Kimberlee

Workout Wednesday

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This week I have been using two of my exercise books to workout with instead of my usual dvd’s.  Sometimes I get tired of doing the dvd’s and need a change.  I think that is one thing that helps to keep me motivated to exercise every day is to have variety.  I think if I had to do the same thing all the time I would get very bored and decide to quit.  So far I have kept a regular workout schedule for the last 5 or more years and I think alternating my workouts and change is the key to keeping me interested and seeing results.

 Exercise Ball books I use from Kimberlees Korner

Both of these books use an exercise ball and they also use some dumbbells with some of the exercises, a medicine ball or a handled exercise band.  I bought the one book on the left recently this past summer at Half Price Books and the one on the right I have had for several years – I got it from Barnes and Noble on sale.  A lot of the time you can find some decent fitness books in the sale section at Barnes and Noble.

Both of these books have color photos and detailed descriptions of the exercises.  I also like the fact that at the end of both of the books there are workout routines.  For example on Monday I did the Sports routine from the CORE book.  It was compiled group of 16 different exercises from the book.  On Tuesday I did the 101 Ways to Burn Fat on the Ball book – the Five Minute Arms and Five Minute Shoulders routine – 2 rounds of each of these so it was about 20 minutes long with a few minutes of stretching at the end.  On Wednesday, today, I did the 101 Ways book again using the Five Minute Butt, Five Minute Legs and the Pilates routines.  I did 2 rounds of each of these as well so it took about 30 minutes.  The photos below are from the routine today.

Exercise ball workout from Kimberlees Korner

Tomorrow I plan to do the CORE book again – using the Warrior routine which is compiled of 19 different exercises.  Friday I will do the CORE Power workout that is 18 different exercises.  Saturday I will use the 101 Ways to Burn Fat on the Ball and do the stretching routine.

I really like using the exercise ball, especially with weights.  It is a great way to tone your whole body and really work your core.

I hope everyone is having a great week so far.  I can’t believe tomorrow will be Thursday already and next week Thanksgiving!

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