Being Unstoppable. What’s stopping you?

I squeezed in a quick weight workout yesterday at the gym at work while waiting for the last build of the day to go through.

What an incredible week. That 20 minute weight workout was a real departure from the past for a couple reasons -

1.) I didn’t have the “right” attire. I left my sneakers at home, so I just worked out in my flip-flops. Guess what? I still got a good workout!

2.) It was completely spontaneous. The yoga instructor yesterday was a no-show. It didn’t bug me that I got up for the 7:00am class and they didn’t show up. I would be there anyway. It just threw off my workout. I had a nice breakfast date instead with my SO. By late afternoon it was nagging at me that I hadn’t worked out, and had no plans to. QA needed another build and I had to hang out to verify it, so I decided the time would be best spent at the gym.

Here’s the 20 minute workout:

Dumbbell Squats: 15 x 20lb (2 sets)
Lunges: 12 x 12lb (2 sets)

Glute Machine: 15 x 50lb
Leg Extension: 15 x 50lb

Upright Row on cable machine: 15 at setting 6
Tricep Pressdown: 15 at setting 5

I ended the night having dinner at Zorba’s with 2 dear friends, followed by a phone call catching up with my brother and his wife.

This weekend 2 members of my family are reuniting after not speaking or seeing each for 5 or 6 years. I can’t believe it! I’m so happy to be a part of it.

Tweet This Post

Week 1 Recap: The 30 day Wellness Challenge

Today is day 5 of the 30 Day Wellness Challenge. I’m at Cosi across from the gym. My plan is to hit the 10:30 yoga class at the Sporting Club. I’m pretty sore from the last couple days. I just want to take a couple minutes to document my workouts this week:

7/18 Sunday: Ran at Valley Green – 5 miles
7/20 Tuesday: Ran with eCity Run Club – 2.75 miles
7/21 Wednesday: Ran on Treadmill – 3.1 miles

7/22 Thursday:
Giant sets – each group of exercises performed without rest. 90 second rest between Giant set 1 and Giant set 2
4 sets of 8-10 reps

Giant Set 1
Squats: 30lbs x 10 reps
Lunges: 17.5lbs x 8 reps
Upright Row: 30lbs x 10 reps

Giant Set 2
Ballet Squats 16kg x 10
Deadlifts: 8kg x 10
Kettlebell Overhead Press: 8kg x 8

7/23 Friday
Giant Set 1
Wide stance squats: 25lbs x 8
Lunges: 15lbs x 8
2 arm bent over row: 25lbs x 10
Dumbbell Flys: 15lbs x 10

Giant Set 2
Bent over Lateral Raise: 12.5lb x 10
2 Leg Calf Raise: 50lbs x 13
Hammer Curl: 20lb x 10
Lying Tricep Extension: 25lbs x 20

Total Running Mileage: 10.85 miles

Total Reps: 468

Yoga: 1 hour

Miles Biked: 24

Tweet This Post

30 Day Wellness Challenge! Day #4

I’ve embarked on a 30 day wellness challenge. I’ve always thought my greatest roadblock in getting (and staying) fit is a lack of consistency. This past year has seen great improvements, but I’m still battling the same issue. 10 or 12 days go by without me partaking in any physical activity. I’ve finally identified that the issue is not consistency, but integrity. If you ask me, I would say that I’m very committed to my fitness, and it’s a top priority. But when the alarm is going off at 5:30, 9 times out of 10 I’m hitting snooze, and going back to sleep.

It’s gotten worse lately. I hit on a solution that seems to be working. I got together with a couple friends and proposed a 30 day wellness challenge. The details are personal to each of us, and my particular challenge is to go to the gym 30 consecutive days. We have a phone call each morning on a free conference line where we call in and declare what we will do that do in the world of health. So far, so good. I’ve been to the gym every day for the past 4 days. I’m really excited about it.

I think this is more than just holding each other accountable. It’s creating something from nothing, then living into that. It’s giving me a chance to be someone I’ve never been. A person that goes to the gym every day.

The Workouts

Day 1: Ran 2.75 miles with the eCity Interactive Running Club. Went to the gym, sat in the steam room, and showered

Day 2: Ran 3.1 miles on the treadmill

Day 3: Lifted weights (see the Body Sculpting Bible for Women)

Day 4: Lifted weights

Tweet This Post

Body Sculpting Workout #1

Reps: 12 – 15
Sets: 2

Day One
Back: One-Arm Rows
15lbs x 12 reps
15lbs x 12 reps

Chest:Machine Press
30lbs x 15 reps
30lbs x 15 reps

Shoulders: Dumbell Shoulder Press
15lbs x 15reps
20lbs x 12 reps

Calves: Machine calf raise
110lbs x 15reps
110lbs x 15 reps

Biceps: Seated Bicep Curls
10lbs x 12reps
10lbs x 12 reps

Triceps: OH Tri Ext
15lbs x 12 reps
15lbs x 12 reps

Thighs: DB Squats
20lbs x 12 reps
20lbs x 12 reps

Hamstrings: Deadlifts
20lbs x 12 reps
20lbs x 12 reps

Tweet This Post

Weight Workout Tuesday 2/2/2010

2 sets each, 90 second rest between each exercise

One arm rows: 16 x 20lbs, 15 x 20lbs
Pushups: 12, 10

dumbbell shoulder press: 15 x 12.5lbs (felt light), 12 x 15lbs (felt a little heavy but manageable)
one leg db calf raise: 15 x 20lbs, 15 x 20lbs

dumbbell curls:14 x 15lbs, 15 x 15lbs
overhead tricep extension: 15 x 15lbs, 10 x 15lbs

Tweet This Post

Weight Workout – Weds. 1/27

Week 1 Day 1:
5 mile trail run / walk (Indian course)

Week 1 Day 2:
Pilates: 30 minutes

Week 1 Day 3:
rest

Week 1 Day 4:

Workout time: 6:35am
Length of Work out: 20 minutes

(From Body Scuplting Bible for Women)

Each group is a set with a 90 sec. rest between each exercise

Squats: 2 sets / 12 reps x 15 lbs
Lunges: 2 sets / 12 reps x 10 lbs

Ballet Squats: 2 sets / 12 reps x 15 lbs
Stiff-legged deadlifts: 2sets / 12 reps x 15 lbs

Upright Rows: 2 sets / 12 reps x 15 lbs
Tricep Kickback: 2 sets / 12 reps x 12.5 lbs

Nothing quite matches the feeling of accomplishment I get from waking up early and exercising before I start my day.
I need to remember that next time I don’t feel like getting out of bed.

Tweet This Post

Raw for 30 days

As a way to kick start my health and fitness in the New Year, I’ve chosen to go 100% raw for the next 30 days. Over the past 2 years I’ve gone on and off a strictly raw food diet. I notice increased energy, better sleep, clearer skin and weight loss while on raw foods. I’ve never gone adhered to a 100% raw foods diet for any length of time.

The first 2 days were relatively easy, since it was the weekend and I was home. I expect today to be a little more challenging since I’m at work.

Yesterday’s Food

Large Fruit Salad for Two: 2 grapefruits, 1 banana, 1 orange, 1 cup pineapple, 1 cup cantaloupe, 1 tbsp agave necter, 2 tsp lecithin granules

Cabbage & Spinach salad with thai dressing

Raw Treats

Strawberry Sorbet

Tweet This Post

Living an Inspired Life

What inspires me? What can I do today that will leave me touched, moved, or inspired?

These are questions I’ve asked myself everyday this week. Am I living a life that I find inspiring? To answer honestly – no. I’m not. And that’s ridiculous. There’s no reason why I shouldn’t be. BEING a person that exercises inspires me, and seeing other people do it is inspiring to me. NOT doing those things does more to me than just not take me closer to fitness – it creates a mindset that I CAN’T do those things. And then it stops feeling like a choice.

So what did I do this week? I ran on Sunday. A nice long run too. And Wednesday I walked on the treadmill and weight lifted. And tonight I will run and lift. And tomorrow I will run and lift. So at least I can create a strong finish for the week. A strong finish that leaves me feeling inspired, and one step closer to my fitness goals.

Tweet This Post

Week 1 Day 1: Strengthen & Stretch

Today is the official start of my training for the Lehigh Valley Half Marathon. Currently I can run about 3 miles, at about a 12 minute pace. Really my only goal for the half marathon is to finish somewhere in the middle of my age group, which would mean about a 11 minute mile pace.

Training Week: 1
Weeks to Go: 21

Stretching Workout:

The Exercise.tv Morning yoga workout

Strengthen:

Week 1 / Day 1 of Workout #1 – Body Sculpting Bible for Women

Reps: 12-15
Rest: 90 seconds between each exercise

Back:
One-Arm Rows: 15 reps / 20 lbs

Chest:
Push-ups: 10 full

Shoulders:
Dumbell Shoulder Press: 12 reps / 15lbs; 15 reps / 12.5 lbs

Calves:
1 Leg DB Calf Raises: 15 reps / 20 lbs

Biceps:
Bicep Curls: 15 reps / 15 lbs

Triceps:
OH Tri Ext: 12 reps / 15 lbs

Tweet This Post