Working out isn't EASY for me either!

Hey guys!

I'm actually writing this Thursday night to post on Friday since I have a little extra time, and want to start regularly sharing fitness/wellness stuff again :). I'm flirting with the idea of doing short videos just to show the movements - these will not be real time workouts like on BodyRock or anything, but it'll give you a quick and dirty resource for seeing the exercises, and save me the time of having to explain everything (which, at this point I don't have time to do :/).

I may include the gratuitous post workout pain photo from time to time at the end of the videos. The reason for that would be that I hear all the time "oh, you're so little and lean, I bet working out isn't hard for you at all." Uh.

1) I wasn't always this lean. Or little. I have pictures of me at 18% bodyfat from undergrad which, for a former high level competitive gymnast is A LOT. But I won't lie to you - I've never needed pants bigger than a size 1 (in some bizarre defense I feel like I need to have for this - I'm only 5 feet 4 inches tall . . . ) - so if you're looking for some dramatic before and after of me standing in my old pants holding out the waistband, you won't find it. I did have to buy new pants and some of my 0's don't fit these days, but I didn't shrink down from a size 22, in the interest of full disclosure :).

2) I got lean by working out (and ceasing to eat bullshitty foods like grains, dairy, and preservatives). And I don't mean working out as a treadmill queen. I went that route in the past, and all it got me was skinny fat. Gross. Then I started throwing my body weight and other heavy stuff around.

3) I give 110% to every workout. All that has changed is my ability to lift heavy shit, do more reps during my tabatas or go quicker in rounds for time. My exertion hasn't changed at all. I make it my BUSINESS to feel a little bit nauseous after every workout. If I don't, I do burpees until I get there.

My point is. Working out is pain. It's a worthy cause. But it's NEVER easy. And if you saw what I look like after I've dumped out every ounce of my energy in 20-40 minutes you'd know I was telling the truth. That's why I'm contemplating the photos. It takes 20 minutes of looking like shit (and if you do it right, you absolutely will) to look and feel like the best possible you the other 23 hours and 40 minutes of the day. So take the plunge.

And I just might show you what wearing 110% effort looks like on me :)

Workout of the day:

a)
-30 seconds of high knee rope skipping
-30 seconds of jump squats
-50 table hip lifts - sit on your butt, put your hands behind you - and lift your butt off the ground a little - kind of like being on all fours, but flipped over so your back is to the ground. Squeeze your butt to raise your hips until the table top is flat - then lower your hips - then squeeze back up (make sure you are using your GLUTES and not your mid back muscles in some weird archy fashion). Looks a bit like you're humping the air. Chalk one up for working out at home. Each squeeze/hip lift is one rep. Also, this is why I need to include a goddamn video :).
-1 minute of rope skipping

b) 1 minute each of:
wide grip pull up
2 speed pushups (4 fast - 2 reps of 4 counts down 4 counts up)
3 point stand to bicep curl
warrior pose with lateral dumbbell raise
underhanded pull ups
pushup pops (where you push yourself off of the ground so hard you jump your hands a little)

c) capoeira spinning crab (watch the video to find out how - a full four step circle counts as one rep). Also, instead of alternating sides each time like Zuzana does in the video, do 10 circles one direction, and 10 circles in the other direction.

d) repeat b)

e) 10 pushups 5 shoulder presses 5 pullups

f) 8 minute abs

ROCK!