A Fresh, New Month

Happy Monday! In case you are just catching up from the weekend, it was a busy one.

Friday we explored the Hudson River by sailboat!

Saturday I had a humbling Queens Half Marathon experience that doubled as a long training run.

Saturday night we celebrated Bo’s 27th birthday at Birreria

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Yesterday was spent relaxing! After a 45 minute yoga session yesterday morning, I spent the rest of the day enjoying How I Met Your Mother and The Sopranos while perched on the sofa between Meg and Bo.

It was 100% bliss and exactly what I wanted.

Today, however, is a fresh week and month! It’s August which means there is a lot of fun adventures!

  • Business travel will take me to San Francisco, Chicago, and Cincinnati this month!
  • My teenage dream of seeing Brittney Spears in concert is finally coming true on Friday!
  • Theodora, Cynthia, and I are speaking at Healthy Living Summit!
  • Lauren & Casey are finally tying the knot and I get to be a part of their amazing day!
  • By the end of the month my long runs will be up to the 17 mile point! This is exciting and scary!

This morning I started my 3rd week of New York City Marathon training with a 5k run on the treadmill. My training plan called for 5 miles but my legs were still a bit tight and tired after Saturday’s half marathon. Therefore, I’m going to squeeze in the last two miles by running home this evening. IMG_3539 (640x478)

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Breakfast was delicious, as usual, though I switched it up a bit by adding more cinnamon than normal and adding a cup of coffee on the side. Don’t worry, that huge cup of coffee is at least 1/3 milk, my favorite way to enjoy coffee.

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Come back this evening for my 7 Links post and a great Road ID giveaway to help you stay safe while you’re out and about!

Have a great Monday! I’ll leave you with this awesome quote I received via email from Runner’s World!

When I run, my mind and body fuse together, creating an energy source that empowers me. Gail W. Kislevitz

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Physique 57 Arm + Ab Booster DVD Review

After a wonderful weekend down in Atlanta, I am more than ready for some vegetables, water, recovery.

Luckily, the Atlanta airport aided my cause. The B terminal at Hartsfield International Airport has some wonderful and healthy food choices including Au Bon Pain and Proof of the Pudding. I chose a Greek salad which was filled to the brim with vegetables and topped with feta cheese. It even included all natural dressing on the side!

IMG_2200 (640x478) Enjoyed gate side with water, banana, and a bag of Baked Lays it was the perfect lunch!

IMG_2201 (640x478)IMG_2203 (640x478) Instead of blogging during the flight, the lack of sleep from last night caught up with me. I slept for the entire flight, only waking up when the captain announced our landing.

During our taxi cab home, I debated whether or not I was going to take today as a second rest day. After this week’s tough workouts, I needed yesterday’s rest day, even though I danced for over two hours last night. Part of me wanted to come home, lay on the couch, and be lazy. But, the other part of realized that in just 20 short days we’ll be on the beaches of Bermuda’. That, along with the warm summer temperatures inspired me to do more!

Enter, my first Physique 57 at home workout!

IMG_2204 (640x478)I chose the Arm & Ab Booster since it is only 35 minutes in the length and focuses on the two areas I’m trying to change the most. Knowing that I only had to commit 30 minutes, since 5 of the minutes are directions, background, and the credits, made it a lot easier to find the motivation to start the workout at 6pm on a Sunday.

This DVD is perfect for people like me who work their legs during the week but tend to forget their soft centers or weak arms. It challenges the arms and abs without exhausting the legs even more. I also loved that the DVD featured exercises I’ve never done during my 9 different Physique 57 classes. The DVD included adjustments for people who are stronger and weaker alike, which means that a beginner or advanced student alike could enjoy this DVD.

The DVD started with the traditional Physique 57 minute warm-up including leg and arm lifts. The arm section came next and 14 minutes of exercises which worked every section of the arms including triceps, shoulders, and biceps. In addition, by reminding the viewer to tighten their abs and use proper form, the chest and abs were also worked during this section. IMG_2205 (478x640)

The abs section was definitely harder for me, as this is my weaker body part. The playground ball was used for almost all the ab exercises but ranged from being a supportive tool to a way to engage the inner thighs during more traditional ab exercises.

My goal is to incorporate this into my routine three times per week between now and our trip to Bermuda. I’m curious to see what type of results I will see or feel after the 3 week challenge!

The Low Down

Title: Physique 57 Arm & Ab Booster

Host: Shelly Knight

Commitment: Just 30 Minutes

Am I too beginner?: Physique 57 does a great job incorporating beginner adjustments or alternatives in this DVD by having one person show the adjustments during the entire DVD. A beginner could enjoy this DVD just as much as someone who is more advanced.

What’s required? A yoga mat or soft surface, lighter and heavier weights (3lb and 5lb idea for intermediate), and a playground ball or a rolled up towel

Would I recommend it or do it again? Yes! This is a short and concise DVD that cuts right to the chase and had me sweating in 20 minutes. There is room to grow and the fit models inspire me to do more and try harder.

Question: Have you ever tried a workout DVD at home? What is your favorite?

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Personal Training Check-In: TRX

Happy Wednesday! This morning I woke up bright and early for my 11th personal training session.

During the course of these 10 personal training sessions I’ve mastered the routine. We start with five minutes of dynamic warm-up and stretching including butt kicks, lunges, deep squats, and high kicks. We complete 3 circuits, each including 3 exercises, 3 times before I get to enjoy the stretch session. Each session, there are at least 2 exercises which feel easier than the rest. Sometimes it’s a plank or a squat, but it’s never the lunges! Then, the rest of the exercises leave me sweating, shaking, or quivering depending on the day.

But, Lauren didn’t like how comfortable I had become with our sessions or the workouts. This morning, bright and early, Lauren decided it was time to switch things up.

Enter, the TRX training system. This simple yellow and black device is the devil in disguise.

It takes simple exercises and makes them so challenging that you’re quickly humbled and begging for mercy. I’ve watched people use the tool at Equinox with trainers and always thought it looked fun and not too bad. I’ve even read about Ali’s experience with the class at Crunch Fitness in NYC.

Today’s workout was more challenging than I ever imagined. In fact, after the first circuit I was sweating so much that I slid on the mat.

3x10ea 1 Leg Squat
3×10 Inverted Row
3x10ea Oblique Crunch on Hands

3x10ea Lateral Split Squat
3×10 Roll Out
3x30s ea Side Plank

3×10 Hamstring Curl
3×10 Atomic Push Up
3x45s Reverse Plank

The suspension training, or leveraged bodyweight exercise, uses your body weight to complete each exercise but changes your center of balance, therefore making the average exercise far harder. Completing 10 pushups was almost impossible with my legs elevated in the TRX straps! In addition, this lightweight tool can be carried anywhere since it’s only 2 pounds AND you can adjust the difficulty of exercises just by changing your body angle or position.

I highly recommend giving a TRX class a try or ask you gym if they have one you can use!

Question: Have you tried TRX? What is your favorite exercise to complete using it?

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