Hello friendssss! Last night’s workout was quite sluggish if you ask me. I actually had a good amount of energy, but my body was just worn out. I think the bouldering session on Monday night did me in!
Even so I was able to eke out this workout (and selfie haha):
Chest/Legs Supersets!
Try it if you’d like! It moves pretty quickly! (Always check with a doctor before starting any new fitness routine.)
When I left the gym, I stopped at the store to try to figure out what to make for dinner. I didn’t want something that took a long time, but knew chicken needed to be involved. (I love chicken!)
After some back and forth texts with the boyfriend, we agreed on Teriyaki Chicken. It turned out SO well and was so easy to make that I just had to share!
Simple Teriyaki Chicken
Serves: 2-3 people
Ingredients:
-2 Chicken Breasts
-Veggies of your choice (I cheated and picked up an asian stop-diabetes-meds.com from the produce aisle)
-Cut up the chicken breasts into cubes and marinate in Kikkoman Teriyaki Sauce for about 15-20 minutes
-Spray a frying pan with your choice of oil and cook the chicken on low until it’s done (about 10 minutes). Add red pepper flakes!
-While the chicken is cooking, fill a pot with water and add brown rice (2:1 ratio). Cook until rice is soft and water has been absorbed (about 10 minutes)
-When the chicken is almost done, throw the veggies into a separate frying pan with a little bit of soy sauce and cook until they start to brown.
-Fill a bowl or plate and enjoy!
This recipe was so easy and it was really freakin’ delicious!!! Let me know if you try it out!
Do you have really simple chicken recipes? If so, send me the links!!! I’m always looking for new ways to make chicken. 🙂
It’s a beautiful Tuesday here in L.A. I know most people are having less-than-stellar weather this week, so I’m definitely soaking this up and feeling thankful. I’ve been feeling really productive this week and I’m hoping to carry that on through the rest of the week and even month. I’ve got a lot of things to do, so the more motivated I am, the easier it will be to get done!
Fitness
Last night, I got done working around 6:30pm and headed straight to the rock climbing gym. Even though it was later than I’d planned, I wanted to get a run in and wasn’t going to let anything stop me. Since my mud run and 5k races, I’ve basically taken a long hiatus from running. While most of my fitness activities stay pretty constant year-round, running is the exception. I’ll run several times per week for months and then one day I’ll just stop and I won’t run for just as long. I am always curious to see how my stamina stays up when I don’t run for long periods of time. The conditioning and lifting that I do should technically keep my running shape decent, but you never know.
I arrived at the gym around 7pm and decided to just run outside in the neighborhood around it. I used a new running app (RunKeeper) and have to say I like it much better than MapMyRun. I was noticing towards the end of my last running streak that the timing and distance seemed to be a bit off (i.e. I was running sluggishly and still hitting a good pace). RunTracker seems to be much more accurate, so we’ll see how it goes!
I’m happy to report that I felt REALLY good during my run. While I was just trying to take it easy since it had been so long, my body felt like it could have gone much faster and harder. I don’t feel like I’ve lost much stamina and that makes me a happy chica! Yay for running!(kinda.. ;-)) I ended up with just over 3 miles.
Last night’s run
Afterwards, I headed into the rock climbing gym for a bouldering session. So much fun and such a great overall body workout. Can’t wait to do it again Thursday!
When I got home, my boyfriend and I made our signature dinner. By signature, I mean we make it like 3-4 times per week. We are a bit obsessed. I promise I will take photos of the process sometime, but here is a recipe for you!
-Place Chicken on a Cookie Sheet and add desired spices. Then bake for about 15 minutes – 20 minutes (until it’s done of course!)
-While chicken is baking, chop up bell peppers and onion.
-When the chicken has about 10 minutes left, boil water (2:1 ratio) and add brown rice. Cook until the water has evaporated and rice is soft.
-When the chicken has about 5 minutes left, spray a frying pan with the oil of your choice and add veggies and spices to the mix. Cook until they start to slightly brown. (Note: if you cook too long they get soggy, so make sure you watch them!)
-While veggies are cooking, heat up black beans (in microwave or pan)
-Finally: ASSEMBLE. Do this however you want, but we like to do: Brown rice, Black beans, Veggies, Chicken, Cheese, and Hot Sauce!!
This picture is not exactly appetizing, but I promise the meal is delicious!!! (This is also my boyfriend’s serving. It’s enough for at least two people, but he eats it all.) 🙂
It’s Mondayyyyyyyyy! Are you excited? I am actually. I like a fresh start to the week!
This weekend was busy, but a lot of fun! Between the enlistment day for The World’s Best Bootcamp-Burbank, a girl’s night, recording session, and a fun workout, I slept like a baby last night!
(This is tentative, but I like laying it out for the week so I have some type of plan in mind.)
Monday: Bouldering (see below) & Run
Tuesday: Heavy Lift
Wednesday: Crossfit + 20 minutes of cardio
Thursday: Bouldering & Run
Friday:Heavy Lift
Saturday: Rest Day (Travelling)
Sunday: Possibly Hike
So that’s what I’m planning! This is actually a lot more cardio than I’ve done in a while, but it’s just so nice outside that I feel like I should take advantage of it and run!!!
What is Bouldering?
So I’ve gotten a few questions on bouldering. Mostly along the lines of ” What is bouldering?!”. Bouldering is similar to rock climbing, but you are not attached to a rope or harness. The walls only go about 8-10 feet high, so if you fall, it’s not a big deal usually. There is a great deal of technique involved in this sport.
Benefits of Bouldering:
-First of all, it is like doing a puzzle on a wall. There are techniques to bouldering and figuring out how you are going to take the path to the top can be tricky and take some trial and error. While many people think it is all about strength, it is all about efficiency. Technique is what makes being super-efficient on the wall possible.
-Overall body strength: You literally use your entire body. Your core, arms, back, legs, etc. are ALL working. Bouldering has increased my strength in a HUGE way. For example, when I started bouldering a few months ago, I could do 0 pull-ups. I can now do 3 in a row.
-Mental Zen: There is something about bouldering that has a yoga-like effect. I think part of it is the fact that you are working your body and mind at the same time. For me, I know it is a HUGE stress reliever.
-FUN: Because what about climbing and hanging on walls ISN’T fun?!
It may not be for everyone, but I can tell you that I absolutely love it. If there is a rock climbing gym in your area, I highly suggest trying it out! There are always veterans there that are happy to give advice and help you with your technique. The bouldering community is very friendly!
Me just “hangin’ out!”
So that’s that. I’m working my day away and then heading home for a run and bouldering session. Hope everyone is having a great start to their week!
Have you ever tried bouldering or rock climbing? Are you afraid of heights?
Hello fellow fit fam! It’s Friday!! (As if you didn’t already know….)
Today was a good day of closing out the week and preparing for the weekend. While my weekend is going to be pretty busy, there is a lot to look forward to! More on that in a minute, but first let’s talk about some workouts!!
After being in Kansas for 10 days and not having any weights to lift (save for one day that I was able to go to a gym), I’ve been LOVING being back around the iron. (Both literally and figuratively, as my home gym is Iron Gym). Here is what my week of workouts has looked like:
Monday:30 minutes of incline walking on the treadmill + bouldering at Rockreation
Tuesday:Heavy Lifting Session (Deadlifts, T-Bar Rows, Chin-Ups) + Metabolic Conditioning (Cable SLDL Row superset with medicine ball thrusters and snatches superset with push – ups)
Friday: Heavy Lift (plus some shoulder exercises I threw in for good fun)
So I mentioned a busy weekend. Part of that is the 2nd platoon of The World’s Best Bootcamp – Burbank starting their 6 weeks of camp! I’m so excited to see all of the new faces and cheer them on for their baseline workouts. I remember my Day 1 and how nervous I was! It was such a blast and I can’t wait to be on the other side of that tomorrow. Troopers, get ready to take measurements and see where your starting point is! Get ready for an amazing 6 weeks of camp!!!
Any weekend plans? Aside from cheering on the bootcampers, tomorrow the Chiefs are in the playoffs! Hoping to catch the 2nd half of the game. 🙂
Today starts the beginning of week 3 of boot camp, but I thought I’d recap the first two weeks of it.
These workouts are FUN! I’ve never worked out in a setting where partner work was such a big portion of it. Sure, I’ve worked out with other people or in groups, but you always went off and did your own thing. This is different because the work is done with a partner very often. I’m finding that this “i like to work out alone” girl is quite enjoying this change of pace!
Unfortunately, I’m battling a gnarly cough at the moment. It started with flu-like symptoms (minus the puking, thankfully) and by the 3rd day, the achiness had left and the coughing had begun. I’m on day 7 and really, cough, any day now would be a great one for you to get the hell out of here! Regardless, I’m still pushing through. Taking more rest days than I’m used to, but trucking along nonetheless.
Doing abs after the workout Saturday
This week’s workout plan:
Monday: Rest (coughing lungs up, no bueno)
Tuesday: 30 minutes of cardio; WBBC
Wednesday: Strength Train; Bouldering
Thursday: 30 minutes of cardio; WBBC
Friday: Strength Train; Bouldering
Saturday: WBBC
Sunday: Rest or Yoga?
I have a really hard time settling down for yoga. I just have never been able to get into it. Maybe it’s because I’m not good at it? Any tips to help me “find my center?” Everyone says its all about the teacher. I’ve tried several and while they’re great, it’s just not me. I like to run and jump and lift heavy things. But I do think it would be good for me. HELP!!
Wow, what a week/weekend/month this has been. Can you believe we’re in the final week of September? I can’t. I’m definitely ready for the holidays and fall weather!
Race Recap
This past Saturday, I participated in the Malibu Canyon Dirt Dash. As I was looking for races online a few months ago, this one caught my eye. The price was right, and the challenge seemed like a fun one. You had the option to run a 5k Trail Run, 10k Trail Run, or 5k Obstacle Course/Mud Run. You could also choose to run the trail run AND the mud run. I decided I was up for the challenge and signed up for the 5k Trail Run followed by the 5k Mud Run. A decision that made me question my insanity multiple times on Saturday…
5am: The alarm clock went off and it was time to get ready and head out. We hopped in the car, made a few stops for staples like gum and egg/cheese bagels (this was a gamble as to whether it would sit well in my stomach; it worked fine), and made the 30 minute drive to Malibu.
6:45am: We arrive at the destination. I got my race bib and chip and we walked around for a bit to see what the competition was like. I’m not competitive at all. 🙂 There weren’t many vendors, as it was a small race. I was nervous for this race, as I’d been training a bit but mostly on flat roads, not trails. I wasn’t sure what to expect.
7:45am: They called all of the 5k Trail Run participants to the starting line. I grabbed my headphones, got my music going, and stood near the front while my heart raced. It was serious mode time and I was ready to go. I was excited and nervous all at once. I was really hoping to break a PR, but just didn’t want to finish feeling disappointed.
8am: The gun went off and out I went. The first few hundred yards of the race was through wood chips. If you’ve never done this before, it’s a cross between running through dirt and running through loose sand. It was difficult and kind of nerve-racking since my ankles didn’t feel very stable. Soon enough, we settled into dirt trails and I was feeling pretty good. I knew I was pushing myself hard, but when my 1st mile pace was around 7 minutes, I knew I had started way too fast. I am an 8-8:15 pace runner. I was surprised with how long I was able to sustain that. I came up on mile 2 and was still feeling like I could keep it up for a bit longer (although I was definitely feeling it). I think at this point I was running at about a 7:15 pace.
At mile 3, I realized we were about to run UP THE MOUNTAIN. I didn’t look at the course map too well beforehand and failed to realize that the final part of the race was almost completely uphill. My pace slowed a ton and I even had to walk for a few seconds at the top of one of the hills. I tried not to, but I couldn’t breathe at one point. I think I was at around a 9-9:15 pace through this.
After my short walk break, I started running again and decided that even if I felt like I was going to puke, I was going to run my heart out. The course actually ended up being longer than 3.1 miles (3.31) so I knew my time wouldn’t be the 25:30ish I’d hoped for.
I crossed the finish line feeling like I was going to die, but feeling that I had given it everything I had. I knew that I couldn’t have given it any more. That’s a good feeling. My final time was around 27:22. I was good with that considering the uphill and the extra .2 miles.
Since my genius brain had signed me up for the first wave of the mud run (I picked the 9am start time, so I basically got a 30 minute break before my next 5k on the SAME TRAIL, but not with obstacles too!), I didn’t have much time to chill. At this point, I was quite sure that I was crazy for signing up for both races. I didn’t have a ton left in me and made the executive decision that I didn’t have any time goals for this and it was going to purely be fun. If I needed to walk, I would walk (although I didn’t end up having to). I ate a few Sharkies and headed to the start once again.
9am: Once again, the gun went off and I set out on the same trail. My legs literally felt like led stumps. They were HEAVY. The first 1.5 miles was just running. I fell into a comfortable pace and just waited until I came up to some obstacles. I was probably running around 8:45-9 min. miles. At around 1.75 miles, the obstacles started. This was all new to me, but I knew I’d love it. There were piles of tires to climb over, walls to climb over, slippery hills, mud crawls, tunnels, rope climbs etc. I was tired and pushing everything I had, but it was SO much fun.
I crossed the finish line in about 38 minutes. I was done and felt completely exhausted. In an amazing way.
As I was showering off and trying to decide if I should just throw away all of my clothes and shoes (and maybe myself?), I heard my name over the loud speaker. It took me a second to realize what was going on, but my boyfriend and I looked at each other and realized what the announcer had said. “1st Place, Lizzy Ostro!!!!” My eyes got wide and I ran to the stage to collect my medal. It was SO unexpected and it solidified all the hard training I had put in and the hard work that I had mustered out throughout the race.
This race was SMALL, so it wasn’t like winning the Rock n’ Roll Marathon, but I was still happy with how I did. I got 1st place out of 10 in my age group, 4th female overall, and 10th runner overall out of 66 participants.
I would highly recommend running this race if you are local in LA. It was a small but well put together race. Everyone was extremely nice, the course was mapped out pretty well, and the price of the entry for both races was very reasonable. I think I paid around $65 total for both races.
It’s been a whirlwind of a week over here. I definitely wore myself out both physically, and mentally. Work has been pretty crazy and all over the place, and I’ve been kicking butt in the fitness department. Between running, rock climbing, hiking, plyometrics, HIIT, and heavy lifting, I’ve literally been doing it all. Next week I am even planning on taking an adult gymnastics class, so stay tuned for a recap of that! For now, I’m battling a little cold, but hoping I will heal myself by creating cocktails like this:
and drinking lots of fluids.
The Core 5 Exercises
With all of the different types of exercises out there, things can get pretty confusing. There are so many different movements and ways to perform those movements, that sometimes it can make your head spin. Of course, you can target your muscles in many different ways, but there are some basics that I believe are what build your foundation. Not only are they functional exercises, but they are strength building and work your entire body simultaneously. If you master these, consider yourself a master of strength. 😀
1. Push Ups
We all know what a push up is, but are you doing them properly? When done correctly, the pushup will work your pecs (chest), deltoids (shoulders), abs, and triceps, but even your legs, glutes, and lats must work as stabilizers in order to do a push up correctly.
Modification: Start from your knees until you build up strength to do a proper push-up. The same flat-back form and movement should be kept.
2. Pull Ups
I have a love/hate relationship with pull ups. They are such a GREAT exercise, but take a lot of work to become good at. There is really only one way to get better (and do more) pull ups, and that is to…wait for it…DO PULL UPS. But you may ask, how do I work on pull ups if I can’t do a single one?! Well, there are several modifications that help you practice the movement until your strength is built up enough to do pull ups on your own. Here are a few options:
Options #1: Band Pull Ups – both legs
Option #2: Band Pull Ups – one knee in (same as above, but using only 1 knee in the band)
Option #3: Band Pull Ups – one foot in, straight leg (instead of your knee on the band, you put your foot on it. Both legs stay straight)
3. Back Squats
The back squat is definitely an important exercise for everyone to learn and practice. I always tell people the best ab exercises I know of are squats and deadlifts. Like the push up, this is a full body exercise. Your glutes, hamstrings, quads, and abs are all working very hard during this exercise. Your back is used as a stabilizer as well. The proper back squat involves a nice athletic stance, with your chest out, shoulders back, flat back, and abs pulled in through your belly button. Here is a video by my good friend (and my first trainer! He taught me all of these moves back in 2007) Bret Contreras. The video talks about proper form, problems, and corrections. It is well worth watching!
4. Deadlifts
Probably my favorite exercise of all time. There are several different types of deadlifts, but for our purposes, I am speaking of the Conventional Deadlift. Unlike the squat, the deadlift is a hinge at the hips. This exercise works your glutes, hamstrings, lower back, upper back, and abs. It is another exercise that requires a lot of attention to form, as not to injure yourself. Learning your form on this exercise is the first priority before adding weight. Once again, I’ll let Bret take this one:
5. The Hip Thrust
Back in 2007, I learned about the hip thrust first hand from, of course, Bret Contreras. In his small Scottsdale gym that I trained with him at, I was introduced to this move and forever fell in love. With the exercise, not Bret. The hip thrust is absolutely the best glute exercise out there. It is a power movement that uses SO many muscles and truly targets the glutes in a way that squats and deadlifts just don’t do (not to take away from them, just a different reaction from the muscles). I am posting another one of Bret’s videos, as he is one of the first people to spread the word and research this amazing exercise in depth.
Side note: Bret is now selling the Hip Thruster machine! (you better believe I’m talking my gym into getting one.)
So there you have it folks. I can guarantee that if you master and practice these 5 moves, you truly need nothing else. Of course, you can always supplement with other exercises and focus on speed, power, or strength (which will all give you a different way to use these moves), but these are staples. Learn them, practice them, and watch your fitness level take strides.
– What is your favorite exercise?
– Do you practice any of these exercises regularly? If so, which is your favorite/least favorite?
Just popping in on this lovely Sunday evening with a fun little post for you guys.
I did a tough track/sprint workout today plus some spring cleaning/furniture moving (yes, I realize it isn’t spring. whatever.), so this evening has been very low key. I watched an episode of Drop Dead Diva (don’t hate) and browsed some of my favorite websites.
In college, one of my classes was a creative innovation class. It was actually pretty cool and focused a lot on start-ups, innovation (hence the name), and finding your creative passions. One of the websites that we were introduced to was Springwise.com
This website has tons of up and coming start-ups and inventions from around the world. Some are REALLY cool. Some are REALLY…umm…not thought out (in my humble opinion.) I decided it would be fun to showcase some of the articles I came across and give my thumbs up or thumbs down.
My thoughts:This seems pretty cool to me. I live in Los Angeles, where parking is a NIGHT.MARE. How nice would it be to be alerted about a space opening up? Or better yet, not have to fun up in the middle of a meal to go fill your meter!! It seems like there could be some issues with this though. Paying for the space you take up? Does this mean I have to pay more because I drive a truck? I’m not sure how I feel about that……
My thoughts: The possibilities of video are pretty endless as far as technology goes, but for regular, every day consumers that aren’t as tech savvy, this seems like a great idea! It would be great to be able to add in maps, photos, graphs, etc. to your videos in a clean, professional way that adds some creativity to it as well. I think this is something I would try.
My thoughts:Let me just start off by saying….I think this is an AWFUL idea. So what happens if you have a repair man at the house and they take a picture of your house key and use this service? I understand they are trying to be safe with only allowing credit cards, but if someone is going to try to break into someone’s house, there’s a good chance they are capable of having a stolen credit card as well. I don’t like the idea of this service being around. Of course, someone could always steal a key and do the same thing, but you are more likely to notice a key missing. On a second note, I think the margin for error would be high on something like this.
My thoughts:This made me laugh out loud. I actually do think it’s kind of a good idea, but it’s totally an ongoing joke with dieters all over the world!! My old roommate used to say she needed tupperware with locks on it. Welp, there ya go girl!! In all honesty, I think while this could be helpful to some, if someone wants to snack, they’ll find a way!! I could see this to be used as more of a reminder/accountability tool. Nonetheless, I want to hear the break-room conversations this will cause.
My thoughts:This one just made me sit there and wonder…….WHY. Why is this a thing? I mean, if this is going to be a thing, then I’m going to invent a cookbook that let’s you braid it’s fake hair too. Maybe it will have a nano-pet attached to it so the life of the recipe book can be monitored. I just wonder what happens if you cut it wrong. Maybe you get half of one recipe and half of the other. And invent some crazy delicious new food that people go crazy for. And become instantly famous!!! I just…I don’t get it.
My thoughts:As someone in the music business myself, this one makes me REALLY angry. DropBox is a very common file-sharing system with musicians/engineers/producers alike. Sometimes partial tracks are shared through Dropbox and finished copies as well. This would be great if it were done by all honest people, but the reality is that some punk-nose kid is going to start putting shit in his Dropbox and trying to sell it. Stuff that he doesn’t own and had no part of making. Music or media that may not even be released to the public yet. That kid is making money off of something he doesn’t own! I really hope this does NOT happen.
My opinion:LOSE IT LOSE IT LOSE IT!
I’d love to hear your thoughts as well in the comments!!!
There are PURPLE BELL PEPPERS?!?!?! I had no idea. I stopped by the local Co-Op after my run today and happened to see this little guy. There was no way I could walk out of the store without it, even though they were $4.99/lb. When in Rome. Or Santa Monica. Is this something the rest of the world knew about?!
Speaking of my run……today I hit a BIG P.R. for myself. Ever since I started working out/running back in 2006, (I’ve never been just a runner and it comes in waves) I’ve always wanted to hit a sub 24 minute 5k. The goal is finally in sight and I’ve been training hard for it. (Oddly enough, most of my training comes in the form of plyometrics and weight training, but another topic for another day. I still run once or twice a week.)
I have a 5k trail run/5k mud run (they’re back to back and I’m completely stoked about it) coming up next month, so I’ve been really pushing myself.
Since I was out of town the last few days (I’ll get to that in a minute), I’m trying to play catch up on my training. I was planning on doing a long-ish run today, but once I started going, I realized how good/fast I felt. I changed my training plan on the spot.
My first mile was 7:48. I’m an 8:15-8:30 runner normally, so this was my first sign that good things were coming. Keeping this up for two miles isn’t too hard for me, but I typically hit a wall at around mile 2 when I’m running this pace. As I hit my 2nd mile and realized I still felt decent and was coming in under 16 minutes, my competitive face went on and I decided I was going to hit 3 miles in under 24 minutes no matter what.
That 3rd mile was tough. The first half of it was hard, but manageable. The second half is where it got rough for me. I started getting feelings of “oh shit I’m gonna puke” mixed with “holy shit i can’t breathe” mixed with “ouch, my lower back hurts”. But I honestly didn’t care. If my hip went out and I puked all over the place while losing all oxygen to my brain, I was just not going to stop. I can be dangerously competitive at times and this was one of them. Had someone walked into my path, I would have absolutely shoved them down and felt no remorse. I promise i’m not normally that evil. 🙂
As I hit mile 3, I heard the little lady on my Map My Run app tell me that I had run 3 miles in 23:47. I immediately went into party dance mode in my brain (still trying not to puke at this point) as I pushed for the last tenth of a mile. I hit 3.15 miles in 24:10. Ma-jor-vic-tor-y!!!!!!
While I didn’t hit the PR I’m hoping I get on race day, this was the first time I’d ever run 3 miles in under 24 minutes. And for that ladies and gentlement, I’M STOKED!!! The second accomplishment in this run was that I didn’t actually puke. High fives are welcome.
As I posted on Facebook, if I accomplish nothing else this week, I’m totally fine with that. But as we all know, this confidence boost is going to push me to conquer the world this week. Majorly awesome day. 🙂
So back to that vacation. A few months back, I purchased a smokin’ deal for a hotel in Vegas. I love little getaways, and when I can do them cheap, it’s even sweeter!! My man and I hit the road Wednesday and spent a few days laying by the pool, playing Blackjack, eating ice cream, and walking the strip in search of….nothing. All in all, Vegas is pretty boring when you’re not a partier and don’t want to spend a gazillion dollars on shows. I do like playing Blackjack, but I tend to lose money, which I don’t like. Either way, a few days off with my man is always a good time!
Our room at the Aliante Casino & Resort (not bad for $40/night)
On our way back to LA, we stopped in Calico. I have a weird obsession with ghost towns (and really anything abandoned or ghostly. actually anything weird for that matter), so we made a last minute decision to check out the town. If you’re ever in that area, it’s a fun little stop. It’s a bit commercialized for my taste (lots of gift shops/food stores), but the history there is pretty cool and you can pay $2 to walk through an actual mine. Freaking awesome. The views aren’t too bad either!
And just for some cuteness overload….my awesome nephew. He can already tell at almost 9 months old…his aunt Lizzy is crazy. 🙂
1. What’s a fitness accomplishment you’ve had lately?
2. What are some of your favorite weekend getaways?
Ah, it’s finally more than halfway through the week. This means the weekend is in sight, which means….well I’m probably working. But that’s besides the point.
I thought I’d bring you guys a workout today that is sure to work your lower body until it begs for mercy. It hurts so good, doesn’t it?
I’m a big fan of pairing heavy-ish lifts with plyometrics. My theory is that you have given all you’ve got during the heavy lift…and just when you think you’re spent, you take that weight away and explode through the movement to total exhaustion. It’s effective, brings on the sweat, and makes you a more functional athlete (or mathlete…you have to keep track of your own reps.)
In blue, I denote what weight I used. Obviously, everyone is unique to their own strength. Know your body and your strength. I am not a doctor and you should always check with one before starting a new fitness program.
Burn It Out
Superset #1 – 4 sets:
Barbell Squats (8-10 reps) 75-85lbs
Squat Jumps (12-15 reps) *Advanced: use a 10 lb medicine ball
Superset #2 – 4 sets:
Barbell Walking Lunges (10-12 reps per leg) 30-40 lbs
Jumping Lunges (8-10 reps per leg)
Superset #2 – 3 sets:
Dumbbell Bulgarian Squats or Split Squats (10-12 reps per leg) 15 lb DB’s
Heavy Decline Leg Press (15 explosive reps) 90 lbs
Finish this workout with a 1 mile run as fast as you can or a few sled pushes if you have access.
Oh, and I almost forgot the most important part of this post. God happened to be at my gym today for a photo shoot. Yes, today was a good day…..
(Although it looks like I have a double chin in this photo, I don’t ACTUALLY have a double chin. I think. 😉
