Promote What You Love

"Promote what you love instead of bashing what you hate". 

Although this has no direct application to health and fitness, this quote stuck with me and made me realize the double edge sword which is social media.  It allows you to share great things such as this blog, inspiring journals, funny stories, etc..but it also opens the floodgates to all the negative Nancys.  After paroozing my news feed on Facebook I realized that people love bashing what other people are passionate about.  For example, some entries are as follows:  "so sick of seeing posts about peoples workouts!" and "I don't care that you went to the gym today, I go everyday".  Well thank you for that.  Last time I checked I wasn't holding a gun to your head saying "BE HEALTHY OR DIE! READ MY WORKOUTS OR ELSE!".  I am making the choice to promote something I love (health and fitness) instead of using my precious time and energy bashing.  There is your task, people.  Channel any pent up negativity towards something you love, whether it is working out-painting-writing, whatever..just be positive and positivity will find you. 

Now to the meat and potatoes.  This week's entry is a little different than most in the fact that I combined 2 weeks together and put the best of both weeks into one! Enjoy!

Workout #1:

Insanity. That about speaks for itself.  This was the first time I did it..and I was sore for 2 days.  It really works, people.  If you are looking for that challenging routine to try where you don't have to leave your house, this may be your ticket!  It is also nice because each day is already mapped for you, you literally only have to pop in the DVD and tie your shoes!

Workout #2:

Spinning. In my living room. Compliments of Traci D. Mitchell.com: "No Excuses (Spinning) Workout #13: The Ladder

10 minute warm-up (HR: around 60-65% by interval start time)
2 min seated acceleration; mod resistance
1 min rest (release resistance)
4 min seated acceleration; moderately heavy resistance
1 min rest
6 min seated acceleration; moderately heavy resistance
1 min rest
6 min seated acceleration; heavy resistance
1 min rest
4 min seated acceleration; heavy resistance
1 min rest
2 min standing/climbing acceleration; heavy resistance
1 min rest
5 min standing/climbing acceleration; heavy resistance
Cool down 
 
Holy.crap..was that intense! And to think, I did that entire workout on this dream boat..


For those of you who don't know, this is the first stationary bike ever created in the late 18th century. Be jealous.

 Hint: How to figure out target heart rate:  There are a few different formulas on how to figure out your target HR.  This one is the easiest.  Take 220- your age.  This number is your MAXIMUM heart rate. Once you have your max heart rate, then calculate whatever percent the workout says you should be at.  For example, the spinning workout above said to be around 60-65% by the start of the workout.  I take 220-24= 196 and 60%-65% of that is 118-125 beats per min.  By checking your heart rate you can see if you are actually doing some cardiovascular work.  Alot of times people just bee bop on a treadmill for a half hour and their heart rate stays at 80.  That does not count as exercise! 

Workout #3:

Frick Park trail hike. This day was a little crazier, I was late to meet mis amigas and used my tardiness as a way to work myself a little harder.  I let them have a head start on their hike and ran (more like sprinted) to catch up.  I chalked in about 2.5 miles of sprinting by the time I got to them.  We followed it up with a 5 mile hike.  The fresh air felt so great!

Workout #4:

Treadmill day.  This treadmill workout is good for a day where you don't want to kill yourself but you want to get your legs moving.  I started off at a nice jog at 6.0 mph just to warm up for 5 min. I increased the speed to 6.8 and kept it at that pace for 20 minutes then dropped the speed to 4.0 mph  and increased the incline to 4% and kept it there for the next 20 minutes.  It was a nice workout to get my blood flowing on the dreary day!

I followed this up with an ab routine. 100 yoga ball crunches, 100 side crunches (each side) and 50 push-ups (I know, I need to step up my push-up game).

Workout #5:

Race Day!  My hero squad and I participated in the Oxford Athletic Club- Freaky 5k in North Park.  It was a little chilly outside but not a bad day for a Halloween race!  My crew did GREAT! Nikki had her first race back since her foot surgery in May and she finished under 27:00!! What an amazing accomplishment and I am so proud of her! The rest of the crew did awesome as well each crossing the finish line strong! I finished 2nd in my age group with a time of 22:50, hitting my goal of sub 8 minute miles! Maybe we should run in a cape more often?

 

Workout #6:

Nike Training Club.  I chose to do Get Lean-Advanced-Transformer.  Once again, I do not understand how these thing kick my butt every time! I'm not mad about it! Just a reminder, this is a FREE app..who doesn't love free?! So there is no excuse not to get it and workout when you don't want to leave the house!

Workout #7:

What a beautiful day to ride a bike! Mama Bear and I took the bikes out for a nice long spin on the bike trail and what a great ride it was.  We chalked in 15.68 miles in 1:15.33.  Not bad for a days work!

 

Week Summary:

Surround yourself with positivity.  Surround yourself with people who support you.  Surround yourself with the people who want you to be the best YOU that you can be.  (That was a ton of 'yous').  These people are going to be the ones to go on a bike ride with you, run a race with you, challenge you to new adventures.  They will give you positive energy to feed from and you will provide the same for them.  Be positive- you will feel better mentally and physically.  And remember, every move counts.



Yours in Health,

Nikki


Upcoming Races:
For those of you who want to challenge yourself and try a race or are just looking for people to run with, here are some races we have on tap for the next month. Feel free to join!
11/3: Mud on the Mountain-7 mile obstacle race 7 Springs FYI..there is 20+ inches of snow..should be interesting!
End of November: Turkey Trot TBD



For information about my nutrition program or any suggestions on what you want to see here, contact me at :
gmail: ncmckeone@gmail.com
twitter: @Nik_Lovin

Spice of Life

"Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results."  -Albert Einstein

So wise, Al. So wise.

Come on people, variety is the spice of life! You do not need to do the same mundane thing everyday.  Do your workouts consist of dragging your butt onto the treadmill and being miserable the entire time? If so, switch it up!! It will be good for your mind AND body.  And maybe you won't feel "insane", bored, unmotivated, etc.  Remember, your body is a well oiled, efficiency machine.  If you continue to do the same workouts at the same intensity, you WILL plateau and see the same results.  Take a walk on the wild side and try something (gasp) NEW!
 

Monday:

Rest. People barely want to go to work on Monday's let alone be physical and move their bodies.  Take your least favorite day of the week and count it as your day off.  Everyone needs 'em, no shame in taking 'em.

Tuesday:

6- minute abs.  No time? No problem. Bang this out in 6 minutes and it will count towards the six-pack jacked bank! You will be out of breath and you will be tired. I promise.
30 sec lemon squeezes (balance on your butt, extend your legs, pull them back in)
30 sec forward plank
30 sec R side plank
30 sec L side plank
30 sec bicycle
30 sec toe touch
30 sec leg lifts
30 sec R side crunch
30 sec L side crunch
30 sec forward plank
30 sec scissor kicks
30 sec lemon squeezes

Good luck! This one is tough! Feel free to make this workout your own and substitute in your favorite ab exercises.

Wednesday:

Nike Training Club: Fast and Fierce at advanced difficulty for 45 minutes.  This gets me every time and somehow I still get sore the next day.

Hint: When doing these routines where you are jumping sideways, up, down, twisting, etc make sure you do not sacrifice your form to complete the exercises.  This is how you get injured.  If you are feeling tired and your form is getting sloppy, TAKE A BREAK! Nobody is judging, in fact, it is the smart thing to do.  Take care of your body and it will take care of you.

Thursday:

Treadmill day.  This specific workout was suggested by a good friend of mine Dan S. Thanks Dan!! I love/hate you for giving me this workout!

5 minute-warm up
30 minutes speed walking at 4.5 mph and 4% incline
5 minute-cool down
Totaling: 318 calories, 40:01 minutes, 2.73 miles

Now you may be thinking, "Bah, walking...easy peasy". WRONG.  This nice little fat burner was challenging and 100% worth it.  Don't believe me? Try it, I dare you.

Hint: DO NOT hold on to the rails of the treadmill while walking on an incline.  It is just a bad idea for your shoulders and wrists and by not holding on you will get a better workout.  If you have to hang on for dear life then maybe you should tone it down a notch or two so you don't get injured.  Also, by using your arms when you walk on the treadmill, you are walking like a normal human being and not Frankenstein.  Your arms will give you power and aide you in marching up the hill and your legs will be getting the workout that they signed up for. 

Keep up the great work, Rhino.  You're looking sexy!

Followed by an ab workout found on good ol' Pinterest:
Waist Trimmer (backonpointe.tumblr.com)
     30 jumping jacks
     4 burpees
     2 star jumps
     40 Russian twists
     20 oblique crunches (each side)
     30 sec side plank (each side)
     40 sec plank (each side)
     20 bicycles
     30 jumping jacks
     2 burppees
     20 mountain climbers
     10 side leg lifts (each leg)
     20 Russian twists
     30 sec side plank (each side)

Friday:

Not an actual cardiovascular workout, but I count working from 1:30 pm to 3:50 am standing, bartending and cleaning as a workout.  In fact, according to dietandfitnesstoday.com, the average woman who weighs around 163 lbs burns roughly 4 calories a minute standing and roughly 216 calories per hour.  The average male weighing in at 190 lbs burns roughly 4 calories per minute standing and roughly 252 calories a hour.  SO that means since I worked roughly 14 hours, majority standing, that I burned 3,024 calories. Sayyy whattt?! Now, I am taking this with a humongous grain of salt, but having an active job or a job where you stand DOES count for something!

Saturday:

Rest. Do you want to workout after working until 4 am the night before? I. think. not.

Sunday:

Dancing.  This dancing consisted of doing the "Wobble" and a few other wedding favorites which actually caused me to get a side stitch.  On a side note, if running and biking isn't your cup of workout tea, take it to the dance floor.  Look up local classes for Zumba or Hip Hop.  You will sweat and trim your waist like nobody's business.  Plus, you will probably get some sweet moves out of it !

Week Summary:

Looking back on this week, I probably did 3 days of actual serious "workouts" but I had 5 days of consciously moving my body off of the couch.  Take a glance at your daily activities and think of how you can get the most out of them.  If you are able to stand up at work at times, do it, if you can take the stairs, do it.  You do not have to be a gym psycho and spend 3 hours each day in the gym to achieve great results because honestly, who has time for that?  The more you move throughout the day is more than nothing.  Challenge your body and be kind to it and it will return the favor.  As always, every move counts. 


Yours in Health,

Nikki


Upcoming Races:
For those of you who want to challenge yourself and try a race or are just looking for people to run with, here are some races we have on tap for the next month. Feel free to join!
10/27: Freaky 5k-North Park
11/3: Mud on the Mountain-7 mile obstacle race 7 Springs
End of November: Turkey Trot TBD

 

ATTENTION:

If you have any great workouts that kick your butt and would like to share, I would love to hear them! Send me a comment/message/email/tweet and I will try to your workout and write about it!  Looking forward to hearing some great routines!

 

For information about my nutrition program or any suggestions on what you want to see here, contact me at :

gmail: ncmckeone@gmail.com

twitter: @Nik_Lovin

Make the Most of You-All of You

"Make the most of yourself, for that is all there is of you.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Couldn't agree more, Ralph.  Read those words and soak them up, each one of them.  Think about how that applies to all aspects of your life, including your health.  Are you making the most of it? Because really, in the end, isn't that what is going to keep you here? Your health. Take care of it, make the most of it..like it's all you've got.

Monday:

Day of rest.  Needless to say, I was a bit sore after the race.  The cold, rain, no cool down or stretching (I know, I know not a smart move) did not do me any favors and I was feeling the wrath of my body the next day.  So I did what every sore person does, thinks about moving but acutally can't.

Tuesday:

Nike Training Club.  I chose to do the Get Lean at Intermediate difficulty for 45 minutes.  It was challenging but I realized I think it is time to step up to advanced difficulty.  I like the Nike Training Club workouts because they give you exercises to do for 30 sec-2 minutes and then you switch.  It really helps those who have workout A.D.D. and get bored verrryyy easily (like me).  Also, you can do them in your living room so you are in a judgement free zone.  Sometimes jumping around doesn't fare well at the gym so the living room gives you a nice little safe zone.

Wednesday:

You should know the routine by now-- Frick Park it is!  We checked in 7.23 miles up and around the hills of Frick and I will be the first one to tell you that I felt like crap-o-la.  My legs just were rebelling against me and moving as slow as they could and feeling like a ton of bricks.  Thankfully, the lovely ladies that I hike with were able to push my tush up the final hills.  Big thanks, dolls.  We will be meeting at Frick-Biddle Street parking lot by the tennis courts this Wednesday 10/10 at 4:00 for anyone who wants to join!

Alas, the journey begins.

Thursday:

Treadmill day. 
5 min warm-up
3.1 in 24:19.  I set the speed at my goal pace (less than 8:00 min/mile) and gradually increased the pace the last mile and half mile to finish strong. 
For a grand total of 3.82 miles in 35:21 min
5 min cool down
389 calories (according to the treadmil)

Hint:  If you are trying to step it up at the end of a workout, it's not the best idea to go from running at 7.0 mph straight to 8.5 for the last mile or half mile.  That is a great way to set yourself up for a nice injury.  This can be applied to all workouts, not just treadmill workouts.  When you run at a steady pace for 20+ minutes, your legs are in that pace mode and possibly fatigued.  Cranking it into overdrive and trying to be Sonya Richards-Ross at the end of the workout is no bueno and asking for a pulled hammy.  If you want to step it up at the end of the workout, do it graduallyyyy.  Ex. if you are running at 7.5, turn it up to 7.7 and get comfortable there, then increase to 7.9 and get comfortable.  Another way to step it up at the end of a run are by doing striders for 40 yards or so.

Friday:

Time crunch! But as I have said before, it is not about having time, it is about making time.  So I could only make time for 2.31 miles in 20:41 min.  Better than nothing and it was prettyyy hilly.  Put it in the bank.

Saturday:

Rest

Motivate Yourself

"Your fitness is a personal journey, you may workout with others but others will never workout for you." Remember that.  Just as others will never workout for you, they also will not give you a reason each day to work out.  People around you can be motivational but true motivation and drive comes from within, something you've got to dig deep for.  So what's your motivation?

Monday:

:::Insert big fat excuse here:: Monday was rough. I could lay down every excuse as to why I did not work out-studying for boards, too tired, cramps, headache, blah blah blah.  All of them are the same..total CRAP. Am I mad about it? Eh, kind of. Is there anything I can do about it now? Nope. We all have days like these and I fell victim to "the case of the Monday's".  Only thing to do is move on, work harder the next day.

Tuesday:

I had to step my game up from "Mope around Monday" since my attitude and motivation was less than positive.  Luckily, I have a friend who isn't afraid to shove a few compliments my way, pick me off my feet and kick my butt out the door.  So I ran 6.14 miles, mainly an uphill course around my house with my body kicking and screaming the entire time.  My calves were burning, my butt was aching and my hip flexors were shot, but I clocked in at 59:25. I will take it! Here is some proof for your pudding.





Wednesday:

Never underestimate the power of a spinning class.  I don't know about you, but no matter how good of "shape" I think I am in, spinning gives me a big serving of humble pie.  It was hard and my legs were burning but I survived.  Add 60 minutes of cardio to the workout bank. Cha-ching.

On a side note, anyone who is interested, we will be meeting at Frick Park at 3:30 on Wednesday October 3, 2012 at the Biddle Street tennis courts for anyone who would like to join our hikes!

Thursday:

It is coming down to crunch time before the Great Race! I wanted to do something to get my legs moving at a quicker pace but nothing that would kill them.  Intervals it is.  Similar to last weeks workout, I did 6; half mile repeats. 
     Warm-up: 5 minutes light jog
     Intervals: 0.5 miles at 8.0 mph (based off of my goal time pace), rest for a minute, another 0.5 miles, rest for a minute x6. Rinse and repeat. 
     Cool-down: 5 minutes walk

Hint: Intervals are a great way to add spice to your weekly routine.  It may sound hard and I would be lying if I said it was easy, but it is one of the most beneficial workouts you can do.  For example, if you are realizing that those long runs have made you plateau with your weight loss goals, it is because your body got efficient at working for long periods of time.  Thow it a curve ball! Make it use different muscles and different energy stores.  You will see some kickass results.  Plus, it's a great workout to do if you have time restrictions.  That workout took a total of 39 minutes, 4.36 miles, and according the the treadmill 444 calories (take it with a grain of salt, not always 100% accurate) .  Not bad for a days work!

Friday:

Nothing too crazy, just some abs to keep moving.  T-minus 2 days until race day. 

Hint: If you're in need of quick workouts that you can do in your living room; download the Nike Training Club app.  It gives you 15, 30 and 45 minute workouts for whatever you want to target.  They have " Get Strong, Lean, Focused and Toned".  You pick which one you want and go to town.  Be warned, they WILL kick your butt.

Saturday:

Pre-race day!! Now, I should have done something-a shake out, a nice easy jog, anything really BUT that didn't happen due to life happening.  I just mentally prepared and rested the night so I would be ready to race in the AM.