Tag: exercise

Working Out Week 22 of 2014

Another week has come and gone and today is the last day of May.  This past week I completed week 4 of the Betty Rocker Spring Challenge and I also did some Exhale Core Fusion dvd’s and a bike ride.  Below is the past weeks workout schedule:

  • Monday 5-26 – Betty Rocker Challenge Wk 4 Day 2 + Foam Roller Stretches – 40 min
  • Tuesday 5-27 – ECF dvd – Yoga Energy Flow – 3 segments – 30 min
  • Wednesday 5-28 – Betty Rocker Challenge Wk 4 Day 3 + Foam Roller Stretches – 40 min
  • Thursday 5-29 – ECF dvd Power Sculpt – 3 segments – 26 min
  • Friday 5-30 – ECF Cardio dvd Pure Intensity – 3 segments – 30 min
  • Saturday 5-31 – Bike Ride + Foam Roller Stretches- 30 min

I really enjoyed the Betty Rocker Challenge for this past month.  The exercises are all body weight exercises that she sends you each week.  There are seven exercises and you do three rounds of the seven exercises.  It takes approximately 30 to 35 minutes to complete a full three rounds for me.  I thought this final week, week 4, was the most challenging and had a lot of hard exercises compared to the other weeks.

Betty Rocker Spring Challenge Week 4  Kimberlees Korner

One of my favorite exercises from this week was called Sit Outs – seen in the lower left photo.  It was tough but a great core workout.  I would challenge myself to see how many I could complete in a minute – I think the most I got up to was 32.  Typically I could do 30 in a minute.

I decided to go back to doing some of my workout dvd’s this past week.  The previous two weeks I had been using some of my workout books instead of dvd’s.  This week I used a few of my Exhale Core Fusion dvd’s.  I love these workouts and I think I own all of the dvd’s in this series.   They are done in your bare feet and are a combination of yoga and pilates moves.  They really transform your body – especially the ab-core area – with some targeted moves that don’t look hard but when you try them you find out they are more challenging than they look.  They also have great exercises for toning the arms and legs, too.

Power Sculpt from Exhale Core Fusion  Kimberlees Korner

Another thing that I really like about the Exhale Core Fusion dvd’s, and I think I mentioned this before in a previous fitness post, is that the workouts are divided into 10 minute segments and you can choose which ones you want to do.  There are typically five or six 10 minute segments on each dvd.  I usually pick three or sometimes four so I do a 30 or 40 minute workout.

Today I did a little bike riding through the neighborhood on a route I like to take that I mapped out a couple of years ago.  It takes me about 20 to 25 minutes to complete the route and then I come home and stretch a little while waiting for my coffee to brew.  It was nice to be out early this morning and enjoy a peaceful bike ride.  I saw a half a dozen or so people walking and it was nice to say Good Morning as I rode by.  I am definitely ready to start incorporating more bike riding in my fitness routine.  I have been riding my bike to the store some but have not been doing my regular biking in the mornings like I did last summer.  It is time to start that again and enjoy being outside in the fresh morning air.

I have also been able to enjoy making salads with some fresh romaine lettuce from our garden a couple of times this past week.  I have not been too successful in the past with growing lettuce but this year it has done pretty good.  It is nice to eat something that you have been able to grow yourself.

What was your workout routine for the week?  Click on Leave A Reply to let me know about it.

I hope everyone had a great 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 20 of 2014

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Well, I usually try and get my weekly workout post done on Saturday.  I am a day late this week because of a pipe fiasco that occurred yesterday at our house.  We had a little gardening to do out front of our house and I went out there around noon to help my husband till up the front flower beds and add in some new dirt.  I figured this would take a couple of hours and then I would come in and do my blog post.  Well, I was out there for about six hours instead.  You see – right after I got out there my husband was digging and chopping through some roots from our big Magnolia tree that he thought were causing our front walkway to crack (which they are).  In the process of doing this he hit a pipe that goes to our outdoor sprinkler system and it cracked and started shooting water everywhere.  So, off goes the water for many hours and lots of digging and trips to Home Depot (like 3 or 4) to fix this problem.  Broken pipe in process of repair  Kimberlees Korner

Thankfully my husband is handy and can figure these things out and fix them himself – although I am sure that is not how he planned to spend the entire Saturday afternoon.  There was a point in time, around the third trip and at about 4pm, that he said he may have to call someone – but with some more hard work, a few prayers from me and another trip to the Home Depot he got it repaired and our water was back on.  I was able to finish the garden work while he dealt with the problem and made multiple trips to the store.  We have a rain barrel and I was able to use water from that to get my flowers planted.

So, now on to the workouts I did the past week.  I am still doing the Betty Rocker Challenge and it was week 2 and the beginning of week 3 workouts.  In addition to those I decided to do a dvd free week and use one of my workout books instead.  On the days I was not doing the Betty Rocker exercises I did my Flat Belly Yoga book routine.  Below is my schedule for the week:

  • Monday 5-12 – Betty Rocker challenge wk 2 exercises + foam roller stretches – 40 min
  • Tuesday 5-13 – Flat Belly Yoga book – 20 min
  • Wednesday 5-14 – Betty Rocker challenge wk 2 exercises + foam roller stretches – 40 min
  • Thursday 5-15 – Flat Belly Yoga book – 20 min
  • Friday 5-16 – Betty Rocker challenge wk 3 exercises + foam roller stretches – 40 min
  • Saturday 5-17 – Flat Belly Yoga book – 15 min

Flat Belly Yoga workout  Kimberlees Korner

I really like the Flat Belly Yoga book by Kimberly Fowler.  So does my cat as you can see.  He is all dressed up in a scarf my sons have decided he needs to wear – I don’t think he really likes it that well but puts up with it.  This book is an excellent book, in my opinion.  I got it back in the fall of 2013 and used it for a while then.  I decided this week to get it out again.  All of the routines concentrate on the core and most of the exercises use light hand weights of 2 or 3 pounds.  The exercises are great for strengthening your stomach and back and really lengthen your whole body.  All the exercises are explained well and it is an all color photo book with multiple photos of how to do one particular move.  I like books like that.

Betty Rocker Challenge wk 2 exercises  Kimberlees Korner

Betty Rocker week 2 and the beginning of week 3 challenge was a “challenge” for sure!  There is this skinny sumo move in week 2 that I could hardly get through all of those for one minute.  One minute of doing one particular move does not sound hard until you actually try it.  I really like how this challenge is all body weight exercises and requires no equipment.  I like using my weights, step and other things but sometimes it is a nice change of pace to not have a lot of things to lug out and put away.

I also tried a new healthy muffin recipe this week from Pink Recipe Box.  The recipe is for Healthy Double Chocolate Oat Bran Muffins.  They were really good – made with oat bran and some whole wheat flour so they have lots of fiber.  My oldest son liked them, too.  I also took my friend Karen one when we met on Friday at Starbucks to knit and have coffee and she liked them as well.  I will probably make them again this week.  You can click on the highlighted link and it will take you to the recipe for them.

I hope everyone had a great week and you are able to get in some fitness time for yourself.  I would love to hear about your workouts – you can click on Leave a Reply and tell me about them.

Have a great day!

Kimberlee

Working Out Week 17 of 2014

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This week was a really busy week for me – I can not believe it is almost May…  The workout schedule this week was still the Cathe Friedrich April rotation – week 4 of the rotation.  The schedule I completed was as follows:

  • Monday – Athletic Training Leg Cardio Mix -35 min. + Ab Circuits Weights & Plates 19 min
  • Tuesday – All Out Low Impact Hiit (Xtrain series) – 39 min.
  • Wednesday – Legs and Glutes – Great Glutes timesaver 4 – 46 min.
  • Thursday – Cardio Kicks – Cardio Supersets (LIS series) – 41 min.
  • Friday – Power Hour – Circuit Blast – 44 min.
  • Saturday – Yoga Max – premix 1 – 32 min.

The ones listed above that have a strike through are ones I do not have so I subbed in another one that I figured would be similar.  Below are photos from this past weeks schedule:Athletic Training workout  Kimberlees Korner

Ab Circuits & Cat photo  Kimberlees Korner

Monday was the longest session of workouts this past week since there were two on that day.  My cat was once again supervising my efforts.  I guess watching me working out tired him out because after taking my three sons to school I came back home and couldn’t find him – he usually comes out to greet me when I get home from somewhere.  I had not yet put away my fitness gear and went in the living room to do that and here he was sleeping among the weights, discs, weighted gloves and mat.  He just loves those slide and glide discs – every time I have them out he sits near them.

Circuit Blast Workout  Kimberlees Korner

Circuit Blast workout Box Jumps

Circuit Blast is a challenging workout using the long step 4 risers high and doing various cardio, weight and push up circuits for 44 minutes.  I can tell that doing P90X3 and T25 have given me a lot more stamina and strength.  I was able to complete all the box jumps – there are like 12 or 16 in a row – and all the various push up circuits without having to go to the knees like I used to for some of them.  I got a few cool photos of the box jumps too and was able to make the above collage – I thought that was neat.

I had my root canal (first one of those) on Wednesday and that went fine.  I think the anticipation and anxiety over having it done was worse than the actual procedure which took about an hour.  At least my tooth is feeling better now and I can eat on that side of my mouth without it hurting anymore.

I read something I thought was a good quote – motivation from a facebook friends post the other day.  It said:  FIT MOMS:  WE DON’T HAVE TIME, WE MAKE TIME.  Lisa Olson posted this and she has a great facebook page called Live Life Be Active, that I follow.

I feel like the above statement is true for anyone who is committed to working out and making sure they get it done 5 to 7 days a week.  I don’t have an extra hour every day to workout I just choose to get up earlier than the rest of my family and get it done.  I think that everyone nowadays is busy and if you are serious about getting fit and being healthy then you have to make the time to Get IT Done!  Once you make fitness a habit and stick with it that just becomes part of who you are and what you do.  There are a lot of workouts out there that only take about 30 minutes of your time or you can even just start walking for 25 to 30 minutes a day.  My husband has started doing this 10,000 steps a day commitment with a program through his work and I can tell he has lost some weight and he seems to be sleeping better and feel better.  Exercise has so many great benefits.

Well, I hope everyone has had a good week and got in some type of exercise.  I would love to hear about your current workout program – click on Leave a Reply and tell me about it.

Kimberlee

 

Working Out Week 15 of 2014

This week my workouts were all Cathe Friedrich workouts using her various dvd’s that I own.  I have decide to follow her April rotation of workouts for the rest of this month since I am all done with P90X3.  I really enjoyed and toned up so much using P90X3 but I have missed my Cathe workouts.

I began this week with the second week in the April rotation since I missed the first week.  I did have to substitute a workout or two for the month with a different one since I didn’t have a few of them.  I did end up ordering a couple more of her dvd’s at the beginning of the week and got them by Thursday so I was able to use one of those for Friday – Cross Fire.  Below was my schedule this past week:

  • Monday – Flex Train – 57 minutes
  • Tuesday – Hard Strikes (Xtrain series) – 47 minutes
  • Wednesday – Party Rockin Step – 46 min premix
  • Thursday – Afterburn (Low Impact Series) – 54 minutes
  • Friday – Cross Fire – 55 minutes
  • Saturday – Yoga & Foam Roller stretching – 15 minutes

I did not do the workout on the schedule for Saturday which was Supercuts.  I decided after this hard schedule this past week I needed a little break and my oldest son had to be at a band tryout for school at 7 am.

My goal for this week was to try and do all of the workouts in their entirety which is something I don’t always do with the Cathe workouts since there are so many premixes that offer shorter versions of the workouts.  The premixes are still tough but just shorter – like 25 to 40 minutes versus 45 to 60 minutes.  I am so pleased that I was able to do all of the workouts in their entirety except for the Party Rockin Step – I did  a version that was 10 minutes shorter that day.

Party Rockin Step Workout  Kimberlees Korner

Cross Fire was a new workout for me that I had not done yet.  It was HARD!  Lots of cardio circuits and tabatas with and without weights.  You even had to do speed skaters with 3 pound dumbbells – that was a lot hard than doing them without the weights.  I enjoyed this workout a lot and look forward to doing it again – maybe not the entire 55 minutes, though.

cathe cross fire workout  Kimberlees Korner

 

My cat loves Cathe workouts, too.  He especially loves those slide and glide discs – whenever I have them out he sits by them.

Below is a photo of the front and back of my shirt after the Cross Fire workout.  I have not sweat that much in a while – maybe since T-25 or a Cathe workout I did back in the fall.

cathe cross fire  Kimberlees Korner

 

I also decided to get a foam roller this week.  A few people in my facebook fitness group have them and really like them.   I came across a workout in an older Shape magazine I had and that reminded me that I still hadn’t gotten one yet.   I was recycling some magazines and before I get rid of them I like to go through and rip out the articles, or workouts, I want to save and then I store them in 3 ring binder.

Foam Roller   Kimberlees Korner

I used the foam roller and the workout a couple of evenings this past week and on Saturday morning.  I have been walking in the evenings a few times a week with my husband in our neighborhood and this foam roller routine is great after walking.  It really stretches your muscles.

I will be continuing on with my Cathe workouts using week 3 of the April rotation next week.   If you are not familiar with her workouts they are lots of fun and always very challenging.  I also really like that you can see 5 to 10 minute clips of the dvd on her website so you know what you are getting.  I have been using her workouts since 2006 after my sister-in-law told me about them.

I hope everyone had a great week.

Kimberlee

Working Out Week 14 of 2014

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Week 14 of 2014 – and the final week, week 13, of P90X3 is complete for me!  I am so pleased with myself for accomplishing this 90 day program that I began in January of 2014.

The workouts for this past week were only for 5 days and not 6 as in the past.  The final weeks workouts were:

  • Monday – Isometrix
  • Tuesday – Accelerator
  • Wednesday – Pilates X
  • Thursday – X3 Yoga
  • Friday – Dynamix

Below are my final photos from the program:

P90X3 Week13 Isometrix  Kimberlees Korner

I really love the Isometrix workout and I was so glad we got to do that one in the final week.

Accelerator wk13 P90X3  Kimberlees Korner

Accelerator was the final cardio workout for the week.  I have missed doing this one as it had not been in the rotation for the past 4 weeks.

P90X3 Last day photos Dynamix  Kimberlees Korner

Dynamix was the final workout on Friday.  A great total body workout to end the P90X3 program in my opinion.

My overall assessment of this workout program is that it is an excellent program that gives you a wide variety of workouts and you will see results if you stick with it.  I committed and stayed with the program for the full 13 weeks – even taking it with me on my spring break trip – and can tell you I have achieved positive results.  My body is much more toned than it was before.

I have been working out regularly for the past 10 years so I was not going for a total body makeover and weight loss.  My reason for doing this program was because it looked interesting, fun and challenging and it was all of those and more for me.  The program really increased my fitness level and I lost a total overall of 4 1/4 inches.  I don’t own a scale so I don’t know about the amount of weight I lost.  I do know my clothes fit a little loose and I even have a couple of pairs of shorts that were snug around the waist and aren’t anymore.  I have also noticed that my core and back are so much stronger and toned than before and my arms and shoulders are much more defined, too.  My hips have had the greatest weight loss of 1 inch as well as my thighs that have gone down 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch.

This program works – so if you are interested in learning more you can click on the link in the sidebar.  Also, my tips for success in staying with it are:

  • Write down or post the calendar they give you and commit to doing it every day 6 days a week
  • Do your workout out in the morning before the rest of your family gets up – its only 30 minutes so you just set your alarm for 30 minutes earlier and DO IT!  Sleep in your workout clothes if you have to…
  • Get a friend or family member to do it with you and hold each other accountable
  • Join a facebook fitness group and participate in posting your fitness journey – this is a great motivator, in my opinion
  • Make sure you include a healthy eating plan when doing the program for increased success and results

As far as dieting goes I DO NOT diet.  I just choose to workout and eat healthy.  While doing this program I did increase my intake of protein by including protein shakes and foods that are higher in protein.  I also tried to eat a high fiber diet – which is something I try and do anyhow.  I do enjoy eating dessert a few times a week – in small portions.  There are some great websites and recipes you can get from pinterest for healthy foods and meal planning.  If you are going to make the commitment to workout you also need to make the commitment to eat a healthy diet and you will see amazing things happen to your body in 13 weeks.

I read this book recently called “7 Days to a Positive Attitude.”  I got it on sale at Barnes and Noble, it is a Blue Mountain Arts book.  Anyhow – there is a great paragraph in there about half way through the book about measuring your progress:

“It’s easy to get discouraged when you compare yourself to those who seem to have gone so much farther down the road you’re traveling.  Remember that we’re each on our own individual journey to a unique destiny – not competing in a race to see who arrives first.  So measure progress by your own milestones.  Keep your spirits upbeat and your heart full of hope – because you’re on your way to a beautiful destination.”

I really like this quote and I think it just reminds us that each of us is different and that life has its ups and downs.  You need to measure your own progress and results and not compare yourself to others and you will be much more successful in all you do.

Well now that I am done with P90X3 I plan to go back to using my Cathe Friedrich dvd’s and Exhale Core Fusion dvd’s.  I have created a schedule for myself alternating the weeks with them.  I will plan to do P90X3 again in the future but I will probably just make up my own routine using the dvd’s I enjoy the most.  I also realized that in the Lean schedule that I chose to do that two of the dvd’s were not used so I need to go back and try those out sometime in the near future.

I hope everyone is having a great 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

Working Out Week 12 of 2014

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I am back into the workout routine at home once again.  This is end of the 11th week of P90X3.  I can not believe there are only 2 weeks left in the program.  It seems like it has gone by pretty fast, in my opinion.  I guess having the variety in the workouts has kept it interesting and makes you want to keep up with the schedule.

This week the schedule was the same as week number 9.  To see that schedule you can look at my previous post on that week.  Below are a few photos from a couple of the workouts this week.

P90X3 Eccentric Lower Wk 11  Kimberlees Korner

P90X3 Wk 11 Triometrics  Kimberlees Korner

Do you see my black cat in some of the photos?  He worked out with me almost every day this past week.  I think he really missed our morning workout sessions when I was gone last week.  He seemed pretty happy to be hanging out with me again every morning.  It is interesting how our pets get into a routine.  My other cat was pretty close by too for most of the workouts but she is camera shy and tends to stay toward the side of the room by the wall – or maybe she is smart and just doesn’t want to get stepped on.

I also incorporated some of my Exhale Core Fusion workouts a few of the days this week using the Body Sculpt dvd.  I did the Upper Sculpt, Stretch Sculpt and Ab Sculpt this week.  I really like how these dvd’s are divided into those short 10 minute segments and it is easy to fit one in after I finish my 30 minutes of P90X3.

ECF Upper Sculpt  Kimberlees Korner

ECF Body Sculpt Ab Sculpt  Kimberlees Korner

The black cat is once again working out with me – right next to my side in the above photo.  He is kind of hard to see as he blends in with my navy shirt.

I also went to the library the beginning of this week and found a new PIlates book that I had not seen before.  It is called Pilates Practice Companion by Alycea Ungaro.  I really like the book and how it is formatted into beginner, intermediate and advanced workouts.  I used the book a few times this week and plan to use it more in the next couple of weeks.  I really like how the Pilates lengthens and strengthens my core, waist, hips and legs.

I have also gotten back into eating better this week since we are at home and I am still trying to incorporate lots of protein and fiber into my diet.  I found a really good oat bran muffin recipe from another blog and have made it twice this week.  It is from the Pink Recipe Box and the recipe is for Healthy Chocolate Chip Oat Bran Muffins.  I did not have the exact ingredients so in place of the applesauce I used a 1/2 cup of almond milk and the first time I made them I added a little extra brown sugar as I didn’t think 1/4 cup was going to be enough since I didn’t use the applesauce.  The second time I made them I did reduce the brown sugar to 1/4 cup and I thought they were just as good.  I really like how this recipe is low sugar and high in fiber.  The oat bran I used was NOW brand the first time and Bob’s Red Mill the second time.

Choc Chip Oat Bran Muffins made by Kimberlee from Kimberlees Korner

My family also liked the muffins and so did my friend Karen.  I met her yesterday at Starbucks for our coffee and knitting get together that we have been trying to do a couple of times a month and she really liked the muffin and wanted the recipe.

I hope everyone had a great week and got in some workouts.  Have a great weekend!

Kimberlee

Working Out Week 11 of 2014

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The past week I was on vacation for Spring break with my family and we traveled to Destin, FL to see my parents and then traveled to Ashburn, GA to see my husband’s family.  I took the P90X3 workout dvd’s, my exercise mat and my exercise bands with me so I could stay on track with my workout schedule and not get behind.  I am proud to say I worked out every morning of our vacation with the exception of Saturday, since we had a 15 hour car trip back to Texas.  I am going to try and fit that workout in today, Sunday, to make up for not doing it on Saturday.

This past week the schedule was as follows:

  • Monday – MMX
  • Tuesday – Decelerator
  • Wednesday – Triometrics
  • Thursday – Pilates X
  • Friday – Decelerator
  • Saturday – CVX

Since we were out of town I was not able to take any photos the past week of the workouts.  I did take photos of our trip though.  Me&MomDestin,FL 2014  Kimberlees KornerThe weather was nice enough in Destin the first couple of days that we were able to enjoy a little time on the beach.  The above photo was taken by one of my twin sons of me and my mom sitting in a gazebo by the ocean.

Small Shark at Gulfarium   Kimberlees Korner

Hammerhead at Gulfarium  Kimberlees Korner

We also went to the Gulfarium and saw a dolphin show and some of the other features in the various tanks around the place.  They had a shark moat but it was kind of dark in there so I was not able to get any good photos of the larger sharks.  I was able to get a couple in the other tanks of a smaller shark and a hammerhead as seen in the above photos.

I am really pleased that I was able to maintain the workout schedule even though we were out of town.  I brought the dvd’s and my laptop so I was able to workout where I could find room and thankfully at the condo in Destin there was a nice TV with a blueray player and enough floor space to workout.  The workouts only take 30 minutes of your time so it was easy to just get up and get it done – just like I do when I am at home.  I will say I did not get up quite as early since I had to consider the other people around me in the small place we stayed in.  At my in-laws in Georgia I was able to get up at pretty much my regular time since they operate a farm and are early risers.  I would take my laptop into their spare living room and use the dvd’s on there to workout.  My oldest son was sleeping in there on the pull out couch so I did kind of wake him up but he is a teenager and just put a pillow over his head and went back to sleep.  He wasn’t too interested in getting up and working out with me.

Eating a healthy diet while traveling is always a challenge.  I tried to plan ahead on the drive over there and had healthy snacks and even packed our lunch so we didn’t have to stop for fast food for lunch and dinner, only dinner.   When we did stop for a meal during the whole trip I tried to make healthy choices and get a grilled sandwich, no fries and a water to drink.  It is possible to eat fast food and not overeat if you are careful about your choices.  I am looking forward to getting back on track this week though with cooking healthy meals at home and will be planning my menu today and probably shopping today or tomorrow since we don’t have much food in the house.

Well, I hope everyone is having a nice month of March so far.  I will update again at the end of the week on week 11 of P90X3 – only a few weeks left in the program.

Kimberlee

Working Out Week 10 of 2014

The first week of March went by quickly.  This marks the 10th week of the year and week 9 of P90X3 for me.  This week the workouts changed again – some new ones were added that I had not done yet.  The new workouts really brought out the intensity in my opinion.  Below is the schedule for the past week:

  • Monday – Decelerator
  • Tuesday – MMX
  • Wednesday – Eccentric Lower
  • Thursday – X3 Yoga
  • Friday – Triometrics
  • Saturday – Eccentric Upper

Decelerator was one of the new workouts and it is quite a challenge.  It is a really good total body workout.  I really like a lot of the moves we did in this one, especially the superman-bow move (lower right photo).  My cat seemed to like this workout, too.

Decelerator wk9 P90X3  Kimberlees Korner

Another new workout in this weeks rotation was called Eccentric Lower.  This was mainly a lower body workout as it says in the name.  This workout uses dumbbells for a lot of the exercises.  I used 12 and 10 pounds and a 15 for one or two moves.   As I was doing this workout I didn’t really feel much – you only do 10 reps of a lot of the moves.  But, let me tell you that later that day and the next morning my whole upper thigh, glute and hip area told me that workout was changing my lower body for the better.

Eccentric Lower wk 9  Kimberlees Korner

I also did some of my Exhale Core Fusion workouts after the P90X3, just like last week.  This week I used a different dvd – the Pilates Plus.  The workouts I used were just 10 minutes sessions again:  Pure Core, Upper Body, Thighs & Glutes, Flat-Round Back-Core.  The Thigh & Glutes is one of my favorites on this dvd as it incorporates a lot of ab-core work and you can really feel it tone your waistline.  As seen in a couple of the photos below you kneel and lean back as far as you can then twist to the left and right – it sounds easier than it is, believe me.  The other move you continue to lean back and then tap your fist together about 8 or 10 times per side – thighs are burning the whole time and the waist is really getting a great workout.

 ECF Pilates Plus thighs&glutes  Kimberlees Korner

I have also been breaking in some new training shoes this past week:

Sketchers Training Shoes   Kimberlees Korner

The shoes are Sketchers Go Fit Cross Training shoes.  They recommend training shoes for workouts like P90X3.  I have been wearing Nike training shoes that I really love but they seem to be wearing down on the inside which seems to happen to me since I workout a lot.  I couldn’t find any Nike ones in my size the other day that I liked so I decided to try these.  So far I really like them and they are super light – great for plyo moves and a lot of jumping.  They are also comfortable to walk in.

I hope everyone has had a good first week of March.  I am hoping it will start to warm up soon – I am really tired of winter this year and ready for warmer temperatures.

Have a great week!

Kimberlee