Tag: fit tips

Working Out Week 52 of 2014

This was the final week of 2014.  I cannot believe another year has gone by already!  Time seems to go faster and faster the older I get.  For this last week of the year my workouts were mainly my new Cathe Ripped With Hiit workouts and then yoga at the end of the week.

  • Sunday 12-21 – off
  • Monday 12-22 – RWH Circuit Upper Body premix 4 timesaver – 34 min.
  • Tuesday 12-23 – RWH Circuit Lower Body premix 2 scrambled express – 32 min.
  • Wednesday 12-24 – RWH Low Impact Hiit One + Abs Two – 41 min.
  • Thursday 12-25 Christmas Day – off
  • Friday 12-26 – RWH Circuit Upper Body – 46 min.
  • Saturday 12-27 – Yoga – Light Up sequence from Yoga Journal magazine – 20 min.

I think I have done all nine of the workout dvd’s on the Ripped With Hiit series now.  Some of them were the shorter premixes since this was a busy time of year and I just didn’t have the time to do a full 45 or 50 minute workout every day.  I will say I truly love this new series from Cathe Friedrich.  The workouts are fun and challenging and you will sweat a lot and feel like you got a great workout in – even if you only do a 30 minute premix version.  I like how some of the dvd’s are cardio based, some are cardio with weights and then there are a few that are just weight training.  All of the dvd’s offer the two ab workouts so you can always add that at the end of your workout.

Persian cat ready for workout
My persian cat waiting to do the Ripped With Hiit Lower Body Circuit

 

RWH Circuit Lower Body

The above photos are some of the Hiit Circuit Lower Body dvd.  This one is a combination of cardio and weights and uses the step for a lot of the exercises.   The cardio exercises are done in between weight exercises and your arms also get in a workout since some of them use heavier weights.    I really like this workout.

Cathe Low Impact Hiit One

The middle of the week I did Low Impact Hiit One plus Abs two.  This workout is all pretty much body weight exercises and uses some dixie cups for some lunges.   For part of the workout you use your mat as a workout prop to jump around, over or straddle for various exercises that are fun and get your heart rate up.  There was a ton of sweat after this workout.  As you can see my faithful workout cat was present for most of these exercises – sitting on the corner of the rug.  The rest of the workout he sat under the Christmas tree after finding his present under there – he sat right on the present.

Cat ready and waiting to workout
Cat ready and waiting to workout

Cathe Hiit Circuit Upper Body

The Ripped With Hiit Circuit Upper Body dvd is another fun and challenging total body workout.  I used this dvd twice this week – the first time I did a shorter premix version but I did the entire workout on Friday.  This workout focuses on upper body strength training with the weights but there are cardio exercises in between the weights and those are total body exercises.  This is another workout I really like and will be using a lot.

I chose to end this week with yoga.  I was planning to do the Lower Body Circuit again but decided some yoga would be better for my early Saturday morning.  I love (I think I have mentioned this before) doing yoga on Saturday mornings.

Weekly Fitness Tip:  Try doing some workouts at home before joining an expensive gym

– This is the time of year when people decide they are going to get fit and join a gym – personally I have never belonged to one and probably never will.  I choose to workout at home on my own time and with my own schedule – I have been doing this for about 10+ years now.  Once you develop a schedule (meaning write down your weekly workout plans and stick to them) it becomes a habit and you will soon make it part of your day.  Also, you won’t have to worry about driving anywhere and won’t have that excuse as the reason you can’t workout -no time to drive to the gym.

– For the amount of money you are going to spend on a gym membership contract for a year you can buy some weights and bands to use at home.  You could also invest in a good workout program and still have money left to buy the weights for what you would spend on a membership.  Beachbody offers great workout programs – a few of which I own and have completed in the past couple of years.  Also, Cathe Friedrich dvd’s are awesome – a lot of her older dvd’s (which are still good and I still use) are probably on sale right now, too.  They may seem expensive at first but when you calculate the cost of the gym, gas money and your time for going there they are a bargain.  The highlighted text are links to the site – I am not affiliated with either of them just wanted to share where to get the information I mentioned.

– Look into some of the fitness websites and YouTube channels like PopSugar Fitness that offer lots of free workout videos and some are only 15 to 20 minutes for those who are short on time.

– There are lots of ways to get in some exercise without joining a gym – check into some of them before signing that membership contract.

I mentioned last week in the fitness tips to think about some goals for the upcoming year.  Well, for one of my goals I have decided to focus on some other topics for my blog this coming year.  I will still be working out regularly but I will probably only do a monthly update and not a weekly one.  I will be trying to focus a little more on my crochet, knitting and sewing for the year 2015 – which are things I truly love to do – there will be projects and I will also share some free patterns and tutorials.

I hope everyone has had a great year.  Mine was filled with blogging, cleaning, cooking, crocheting, exercising, knitting, sewing; also keeping our home managed and raising our kids.  I am looking forward to a great year for 2015!

Take care and Happy New Year!

– Kimberlee

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Working Out Week 51 of 2014

The closer it gets to Christmas the faster each week seems to go by for me.  I completed my first week of Ripped With Hiit this past week – my new Cathe Friedrich series that I received last week.  Hiit stand for high intensity interval training and I LOVE it!

  • Sunday – off
  • Monday – Lift It Hiit It Legs premix 1 All Strength – 29 min.
  • Tuesday – Low Impact Hiit Two + Bonus Abs Two – 40 min.
  • Wednesday – Lift It Hiit It Back, Bis and Shoulders premix 5 – 29 min.
  • Thursday – off
  • Friday – Plyo Hiit One + Bonus Abs One – 37 min.
  • Saturday – Lift It Hiit It Chest, Tris and Shoulders – 28 min.

Cathe Low Impact Ripped With Hiit

The Low Impact Hiit workout was a good one to start with at the beginning of the week.  Even though it was low impact it was still challenging and I did a lot of sweating.  My faithful workout cat was there throughout most of this one.

Cathe RWH Back, Bis and Shoulders

The Hiit weight workouts in this series are definitely a challenge and within a week of doing a couple of these and increasing my weights a little I am seeing some positive changes.  There are a lot of different weights to use as well as a barbell for this heavy training.  The workouts I did this past week that were the Lift It part were actually shorter premixes.  There were a couple of days this past week I just couldn’t get myself to commit to the entire 45 or 50 minutes of the workout – that is what I love about most all Cathe workouts – there are lots of premixes and you can always do a shorter, or even a longer, version.

Cathe RWH Plyo and Abs

 

The Plyo Hiit workout was definitely a super high intensity cardio workout that had me sweating a ton.  Above are a couple of photos – one of the one handed burpees and the other is some of the abdominal exercises that are done standing and with an 8 pound dumbbell.  Can you see my other cat peeking through the one photo? – she doesn’t usually come around too much when I am working out but this day she decided to come by and lay on the rug for a bit and watch me.

My overall view of this new workout series is that I LOVE IT!  It is just what I need this time of year to keep me motivated to workout.  A lot of the exercises are new and innovative and that is one of the things I love about Cathe’s workouts – she is always finding new moves to incorporate into her routines so you don’t get bored.

Weekly Fitness Tip:  Decide on what your goals will be for the upcoming New Year 

– think about what you want to accomplish in the upcoming year with your health and fitness and write out some of those goals – having something written down that you can refer to helps keep you accountable

– make sure your goals are realistic and not too far out of reach – start small especially if you are new to exercising regularly, but start somewhere – the first step is getting a plan and sticking to it

– realize that results take time and dedication and that there will be times when you feel like nothing is happening fast enough – remember that positive changes will happen if you follow a healthy and active lifestyle everyday, not just for a month or two  –  and don’t get discouraged if you fall off the fitness plan for a day or two – just get back on it rather than totally quitting just because you missed a few days

I hope as we approach the final weeks of 2014 you will look back and see all you have accomplished.  I know that this year for me has been a great year for working out consistently and for taking other areas of my health into a more positive direction.

Have a great weekend!

-Kimberlee

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Working Out Week 50 of 2014

This week was another hectic holiday week and it went by so fast!  I even thought that Thursday was Wednesday – my kids had to correct me.

This past week I went back to a full six day a week workout schedule.  I wasn’t liking the four day a week schedule as I mentioned last week.  I actually intended to only workout five days this past week but I got my new Cathe Friedrich Ripped With Hiit in the mail on Tuesday and had to do one of those to try out the new dvd’s so I threw an extra workout in.

Cathe Ripped With Hiit

  • Sunday – off
  • Monday – Shiva Rea AM Energy yoga – 25 min.
  • Tuesday – Exhale Core Fusion – Pilates Plus – 20 min.
  • Wednesday – off  Cathe Ripped With Hiit, Low Impact Hiit WO 1 – 28 min.
  • Thursday – Shiva Rea Daily Energy yoga – 20 min.
  • Friday – Exhale Core Fusion – Pilates Plus – 20 min.
  • Saturday – Shiva Rea More Daily Energy yoga – 25 min.

So, this past week was actually going to be my yoga-pilates week but I did squeeze in one cardio, low impact, workout in the middle.  I think the yoga and pilates are perfect for keeping me calm and more grounded during this busy holiday time.  Also, doing just the 20 to 25 minutes a day is very manageable for a busy schedule – as we all seem to be from Thanksgiving to New Years day.

ECF Pilates Plus

The above photos are me and my exercise cat doing the Exhale Core Fusion Pilates Plus – love these workout dvd’s.  They really tone your body and target specific areas.  The above photos are of some of the Upper Body Core segment that is 10 minutes long.  I then also added in the Flat Back-Round Back Core segment to make it 20 minutes total.

Shiva Rea Daily Energy

The yoga dvd’s I chose this week were all Shiva Rea, but different ones.  The above photos are from the Daily Energy dvd – I forgot to write down which sequence it was but it had a lot of backbends and side waist bends.  No cat around on this day – he was being lazy.

Weekly Fitness Tip:      Make a point to find at least 20 minutes a day five days a week to exercise

– doing some type of physical activity is better than none at all – even if it is only 15 to 20 minutes – (like a walk or some yoga)

– exercising will give your day a positive start if done first thing in the morning

– regular exercise helps you deal with stress better

– exercise is not a destination – it is a journey that needs to be part of a healthy lifestyle in order to see the benefits

I hope everyone is having a good month so far.  I know it is challenging to keep up with exercise as well as eat healthy but with some effort it is possible – I know if I make a plan with my eating and workouts I am more likely to stick to it.

Have a good week!

– Kimberlee

 

 

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Working Out Week 47 of 2014

This past week I decided to cut back to four workout days per week instead of five like I have been doing.  This time of year is so busy with the holidays I decided that I need try out a different schedule and see if I can accomplish some extra things on non workout days.

Also, this past week my computer died – the mother board and processor totally quit and I had to get a new laptop and I am still learning it and reloading my programs on it.  What a week it has been!   I was upset for a couple of days about my computer dying but thankfully my husband is a computer expert and helped me get a new one and get all my data off of the old one – at least it wasn’t totally lost or I would have been even more upset.

Workouts this past week:

  •  Monday- Cathe – Low Impact Circuit Total Body Sculpt premix – 47 min.
  • Tuesday – off
  • Wednesday – Cathe – To the Max – Less Impact premix – 39 min.
  • Thursday – off
  • Friday – Cathe – Cross Fire – Circuit Blast premix- 36 min.
  • Saturday – Shiva Rea Surf Yoga Soul – 25 min.

Cathe Low Impact Circuit workout

The Low Impact Circuit workout is a combination of cardio and weights but I did the premix that was just the weights and total body workout.  There are lots of great exercises to really challenge your muscles on this dvd.  As you can see the cat was around – see his ears and little head in the bottom of the one photo?

Cathe Cross Fire

The Cathe Cross Fire workout I did on Friday was a fun circuit workout that has cardio and weights.  Lots of sweat after this 36 minute session.  As you can see the cat sat in the same spot for most of the workout watching me.

The yoga workout I did today, Saturday, was the Shiva Rea Surf Yoga Soul dvd – the first dvd I ever bought of hers years ago.  I did three segments of this workout – the Mandala Namaskar, Flexibility Flow and Shavasana.  I love doing yoga on Saturday mornings- I think I have mentioned that before.  It is a great way to begin the weekend.

Weekly Fitness Tip – Use portion control when eating holiday meals

– Use a smaller plate so you are less likely to overeat

– Remember to eat more vegetables and fruits – especially green vegetables and go easy on the potatoes, stuffing and breads

– Eat foods without gravy or heavy sauces or have a very small portion of them

– If cooking the meal yourself try using lower fat options in some recipes to cut back on the fat and calories – for example use 1 or 2 percent milk instead of whole milk

– Do not go back for second helpings

– Don’t skip dessert but make sure it is only 1 piece of pie and not 2 or 3 – also, skip the whipped cream or use a small amount

I hope everyone had a great week and that you will have a wonderful Thanksgiving next week.  Also, don’t forget to get some workouts in – especially the day after Thanksgiving day – even if it is just a good long walk – keep moving and you will stay fit.

Have a great weekend!

– Kimberlee

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Working Out Week 44 of 2014

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The first day of November has arrived along with much cooler temperatures here in Texas.  I am glad though – I am ready for a seasonal change.  It seems like the weather was cooler for a few days here and there in October but for the most part it still seemed like summer.

Workouts this week were all from my Cathe Friedrich X-train dvd set.  They were as follows:

  • Monday – Cathe – Hard Strikes – 46 min.
  • Tuesday – off
  • Wednesday – Cathe Supercuts premix 10 – 39 min.
  • Thursday – Cathe – Legs – Barre, Ball and Chair and Floorwork – 48 min.
  • Friday – Cathe – Tabatacise – premix 2 – 37 min.
  • Saturday – Cathe – Bi’s and Tri’s –  premix 6 – 32 min.

I once again changed my pace of workouts from the past week.  The X-train dvd’s are all great and provide a challenging workout for your body.  I also like how these dvd’s have so many premixes on them so you can do a longer or a shorter workout.

Cathe Hard Strikes workouts

Hard Strikes is a super fun kickboxing workout that uses weighted gloves or actual boxing gloves.  I don’t have any boxing gloves so I just use the weighted gloves.  As you can see the cat likes this workout and is making sure I get it done.

Supercuts Workout

The Supercuts workout is a total body workout using weights and the slide and glide discs.  Another cat approved workout.

Cathe Legs Workout

The Cathe Legs workout was one I had not used in a while.  I chose to do the Barre (uses a chair), Chair and Ball and Floor portions of this dvd.   This was certainly an excellent workout for all parts of the legs and rear.  I was feeling it well into the next day.  The cat loves the chair and has to sit on it whenever I have it out.

Cathe Bis and Tris workout

I usually do yoga on Saturdays but decided to stick with the X-train workout dvd’s and chose a heavy weight workout called Bi’s and Tri’s.   As the name implies it is a bicep and tricep workout.  You alternate and do a bicep exercise and then a tricep.  There were a couple that used the band with the handles and also a 5 pound weight with the band – those were pretty tough.  Once again my faithful workout cat is there to cheer me on.

Fruits for Juicing

I am so glad fresh cranberries are in the stores again.  I use the above combination of apples, cranberries and a lemon to create a really tasty juice in my juicer this past week.  I juiced 2 apples, one granny and one gala, 1 lemon, and about a cup of cranberries.  I also tried this recipe heated and it was really good for a warm and healthy drink on a chilly morning.  To make it even more healthy I stirred in a teaspoon of manuka honey that I recently bought at Trader Joes.  The manuka honey has lots of health benefits and is also suppose to strengthen your immune system.

Weekly Fitness Tip:  Don’t Weigh Yourself So Frequently

– Quit obsessing over how much you weigh – everyone fluctuates a little for various reasons

– Consider getting rid of the scale  -mine broke years ago in moving and I never replaced it, one less things to have in the bathroom

– Measure your progress in how you feel, how your clothes fit and in measuring inches lost not a number on a scale

I hope everyone had a great final week of October and you were able to find some time to workout and create some healthy meals.  Remember it is important to plan meals and stay on track especially during the holiday season – which is now here since all the stores are stocked with Christmas decorations!

Take care,

– Kimberlee

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Working Out Week 40 of 2014

This week was not exactly a working out week for me.  I did manage to fit in a few workouts and a bike ride but we were in the process of redoing the floors in my dining room and living room so the whole week was spent living in a construction zone.  The below photo shows what the room looked like when we ripped out the carpet last weekend.

carpet removed from living room

You can see in the left in the background of the photo the boxes of wood floor that were waiting to be installed.  Of course that didn’t go exactly as planned since our house is over 30 years old the floors were not completely level – they had to add some more concrete day 1 of install and then let it dry.

day 2 of wood floor install

The above photo is day 2 of the install – things did not go well as the floor was not locking in place correctly – so we decide to get rid of the underlayment (that black and red stuff) and go with a glue down.  Of course this requires more time, supplies and money so it will now be a couple of more days, they say, before they can finish.

finished wood floor installed

 

cat ready to workout on new floor
Cat is ready to workout on the new floor
View of dining room into living room of new bamboo floor
View of dining room into living room of new bamboo floor

The above photos show our new, almost, finished floor.  They still need to come back tomorrow and nail in the trim – they didn’t have the right kind of nail gun with them today for that part.  I am so glad it is finally finished and in a couple more hours I can get all of this extra furniture out of my sewing-computer room.  It has been very crowded in here for most of the week!

So, in dealing with all of this the past week I was able to get in a few workouts but not the normal amount.

  • Monday – workout with exercise bands with door attachment – 25 min.
  • Tuesday – ride bike to store for groceries
  • Wednesday – off
  • Thursday – yoga in evening before bed – 15 min.
  • Friday – yoga in morning – 20 min.
  • Saturday – off

I was very stressed out this week on Thursday when things were really falling apart with the floor installation.  The yoga really helped calm me down that evening – so glad I decided to do a short routine before bed.  I think it also helped me to sleep better.

I did keep up with my juicing this past week.  I tried several new juicing recipes.   There are a couple of them below but I made so many different ones this week I can’t remember what these were called.  I know the orange one had carrots in it.  My kids are even starting to like the ones with carrots in it – especially if there is pineapple in the juice.  The pineapple makes the juices really sweet.  fresh juice made with a juicer

green juice made with juicer

One of the other juices I made was this green one above.  I have found that if you get out the juicer and make a few of the juices ahead of time and store them in 12 oz. mason jars they keep well for at least a couple of days.  I like the juice cold better, anyhow.  You just need to shake it up good in the jar before you go to drink it.  Also, it saves me from having to haul the machine out more than once a day.

I also started the 30 day green smoothie challenge this past week on Wednesday.  The challenge is through a website (click on the highlighted green text to go to site) and if you sign up they give you free recipes to try.  So far they are just okay with me.  I think I have gotten used to juicing and prefer the juice over the smoothie but I am trying to do this to increase my fruit and greens intake.  So, I am having a green smoothie a day and at least one juice, usually with breakfast or as a snack.   The one I made yesterday, on the right in the photo below – was strawberry lime and it was pretty good and refreshing – a great afternoon snack.  I am not sure if it is the type of spinach or kale I have or the fact that I am using some frozen fruits in the smoothies but mine are not turning out very “green” –  more of a brown to me.

Green Smoothie Challenge wk 1

Fitness Tip for the week:  Fit exercise in where you can

We all have days or weeks when regular scheduled workouts are not possible.  On those days or weeks try and get workouts in during your day.  Here are some ideas:

– Go for  20 or 30 minute walk after lunch or dinner

– Ride your bike to the store for a few groceries

– Walk your kids to and from school if possible – this is also a great time to talk to your kids about their day

– Do a short yoga routine or stretching before bed – you will also sleep better

– Do some ab exercises while watching TV

– Do some stretches while waiting for your morning coffee to brew

Also, if it isn’t possible to squeeze in any type of physical activity don’t stress about it – just start up again the next day or week to get back on track.

I hope everyone is having a great week!  I am so glad my floor is mostly complete.   I am also looking forward to working out in there on Monday!

– Kimberlee

 

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Working Out Week 38 of 2014

It is September 20th already.  I don’t know where the time goes but it seems to be flying by this month.  My workouts this past week were:

  • Monday – T-25 Total Body Circuit + 2 Ab Moves on Ball – 28 min.
  • Tuesday – off/ Rode bike to store for groceries
  • Wednesday – Cathe CrossFire dvd – fitness blast & firewalker premix + 2 Ab Moves – 29 min.
  • Thursday – Shiva Rea Daily Energy – Solar Meditation & Chakra Namaskar sequence + 2 Ab Moves – 27 min.
  • Friday – T-25 Ab Intervals + Yoga Breathe For Joy Sequence from Yoga Journal magazine + 2 Ab Moves – 45 min.
  • Saturday – Shiva Rea Daily Energy – Heart-Air sequence + Core + 2 Ab Moves – 28 min.

For the next twelve weeks I will be taking Tuesday’s off or just doing a bike ride or light yoga in the evening that day.  The reason being is that I am doing a group Bible Study at our church and it meets on Tuesday mornings – I don’t think I want to show up at that all sweaty and in workout clothes.  I also don’t want to get up any earlier than I already do, 6:00 am, so I have decided that I am okay with taking that day off and just working out 5 days a week for the next few months.

T 25 Total Body Circuit

Monday I did T-25 Total Body Circuit.  I remember this one as being a tough workout and it still is for me.  Lots of cardio and lots of planks and push ups in this workout.  Tons of sweat at the end.

Workout Cat

Look who was waiting to workout among the workout bands on Wednesday – my faithful workout friend.  He sat there on and off during the workout.

Cathe CrossFire workout

The above photos are part of the Cathe CrossFire workout.  I was able to catch some of the jump turn squat sequence in my photos.  This is where you start out facing forward and then have to jump and turn 180 degrees to face the back into a squat and then repeat – many times.  I really like the CrossFire workout.  It is a total body workout.  On this particular day I got up about 10 minutes later than normal so I only did one of the premixes that is about 27 minutes long instead of the whole entire workout that I think is over 50 minutes long.  That is one thing I love about her dvd’s – lots of premixes so you don’t feel like you have to do a whole hour long if you don’t have the time.

Shiva Rea Daily Energy yoga dvd

The yoga dvd I used this week on Thursday and Saturday was the same one – Daily Energy from Shiva Rea.  This dvd is set up with many different 20 minute yoga sequences that you can pick to do and also some core work, forward bend and some meditation segments to add on to one of the 20 minute ones.  I really like this dvd and I love yoga days!

Weekly Ab Moves

I am trying to continue with my weekly two ab moves after each of my daily workouts.  This week I decided to use my exercise ball and do the two exercises with that – the cat approved.

documentary dvd from library

I also watched this documentary dvd that I checked out from the library.  I had seen the guy, Joe Cross, who made the movie on Dr. Oz a while back and I also had heard of the dvd.  It was a really good and interesting documentary on his journey with following a strict juice cleanse to help himself lose weight and to get his health back as he had a debilitating condition that was causing him to have to be on quite a few medications.  After watching this dvd I learned the following day that a sequel to this one was just released this week so there is now a Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead part 2.

The documentary really impressed me as to how juicing can really help you become and be a lot healthier.  I had been thinking of getting a juicer a while back but decided not to since I had my Ninja blender.  Well, after learning more about the benefits of juicing I decided to buy a juicer.   I got a Breville one like the one in the dvd, I think.  I had a 20% off coupon from Bed, Bath and Beyond so I used it to buy one.  I am impressed with how well it juices fruits and vegetables and how easy it is to clean.  There are kind of a lot of pieces but they clean up pretty fast.

So far I have made three different kinds of juices since Friday evening.  I am amazed already at how I am feeling and how the juices seem to really fill you up, give you energy and make you less hungry.  I was not having any hunger or snack attacks at the normal times I usually do – like around 4 pm.  I am not sure I will do a full Juice only cleanse like many people do for a certain amount of time but I am considering doing a partial diet of juices for a few days – like for breakfast, snacks and lunch and then eat a sensible dinner with my family.

Be Not Afraid

 Weekly Fitness Tip:  Don’t compare yourself to others

– Focus on your goals and realistic exercise programs and time frames not on what others are doing

– Fitness is a journey, not a race.  It is okay to start out or go slowly, just do something and don’t give up

I hope everyone had a great week and you are getting a chance to workout and cook some healthy meals.

-Kimberlee

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Working Out Week 35 of 2014

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I am not sure if it is because it is the end of summer approaching or what but the last couple of weeks have gone by so FAST!  I feel like I was just posting about week 34 and now it is week 35.

This past week I chose to vary my workout schedule with some Exhale Core Fusion workouts, Cathe workouts and riding my bike.  The change in the schedule was just what I needed.

  • Monday – ECF (Exhale Core Fusion) Power Sculpt dvd – 40 min
  • Tuesday – Cathe X-10 dvd – 42 min
  • Wednesday – Ride Bike + Exercise Ball book – 36 min
  • Thursday – ECF Lean and Toned dvd – 40 min
  • Friday – Cathe X-10 dvd – 38 min
  • Saturday – Ride Bike + Jump Rope + yoga – 35 min

Power Sculpt Workout from Exhale Core Fusion

I went back to using some of my Exhale Core Fusion dvd’s this week.  I haven’t used them in a couple of months.    I have mentioned before how I love the set up of these dvd’s.  Each one contains five 10 minutes segments that work a different part of your body.  Monday I did the Power Sculpt dvd and did four of the five 10 minutes segments.  All of their workouts are done in bare feet and give you excellent toning over your whole body.  They are a nice change from the high rep weights I have been doing the past couple of weeks.

Cathe X10 Workout

So then on the days after doing the ECF workouts I did a tough cardio plus weights workout from Cathe Friedrich called X10.  This workout is also kind of set up in segments where you can pick and choose what one or how many you want to do.  Usually I do the premix ones that are two workouts combined to make a longer workout.  You can do them single if you are short on time and need a 27 minute or less workout.  On Tuesday I did the X42 premix which is Hi-Lo plus Fat Burning Circuit.  On Friday I did the X38 premix which was Low Impact plus Step.  Both of these workouts also have a nice warm up and cool down that is the same.  I was very sore on Friday after the step session.  I woke up kind of sore in my legs and hips from the ECF workout from Thursday and this workout added to that soreness.  It is a good sore though – means I know it is transforming my body.

It is a little harder for me to ride my bike in the mornings with having to make sure the kids get up and off to school.  I managed to do one day during the week and then another on Saturday.  It wouldn’t be quite so bad if it was light out a little earlier.  I can’t really go until 6:45am because it is dark before that.  So, for now I am just going to be riding one or two days per week.

I did my jump rope workout once this week.  I am getting more stamina with the jumping rope.  I found a good workout video on YouTube that is from popsugar for a 10 minute jump rope workout.  I also found some other really good workouts on their YouTube channel. 

Food Prep Friday - Chicken

I also did some food prep on Friday (yesterday).  I like to buy really large packages of chicken breasts and divide them up and freeze already cut up or marinated so that part of the prep work is done.  It is a good way to save some time – that way when you thaw the chicken out it is already marinated and ready to be cooked in the oven, grilled or stir fried.   I have been doing this for several years.  I also have begun using this meal prep book again for some recipes.  The book is above in the photo and is called Once A Month Cooking by Mimi Wilson and Mary Beth Lagerborg.  I bought this book several years ago from Sams.  There are one month meal plans in the book with shopping lists and the directions for all of the recipes.   Some of the recipes are pre-cooked and then frozen and others are just marinated or seasoned and then frozen to cook on the day of, as the ones in my photos.   The book also offers tips on making menu plans and shopping lists.

Weekly Fitness Tip:  Eat Healthy   – one of the best things you can do for yourself, in addition to regular workouts, is eat healthy.

– try eliminating all or most processed foods or pre-packaged foods and replace them with fresh fruits, vegetables, and nuts and seeds.  A friend of mine once told me if you stick to shopping the store on the outer parts where the produce, dairy and meats are you are less likely to buy the processed, boxed items.  Of course we all need a box of cereal, some olive oil or flour so that method doesn’t always work for everything.  One thing I try to do though is not go down the chips and soda aisle at Walmart.

– learn to prep some foods and meals so you will have healthy choices available and be less tempted to go through a “drive thru” for a quick meal.  Remember “failure to plan is planning to fail”    I know that if I take an hour or two each week to get some meals prepped and in the freezer or just prepare some healthy snack options I am more liking to stick with healthy eating.

I hope you had a great week and have a wonderful Labor Day weekend!

-Kimberlee

Categories: Exercise Food Health

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