REST DAY

Gosh, I was so tired & sore today, that I simply slept, treated myself to a sports massage, and put together my office furniture. I should've probably soaked in a hot tub or sat in the sauna today..my poor, achey muscles...who know that bodyweight training could produce such DOMS everywhere?!!!?? It feels great, though, and I can't wait to get back to training this upcoming week. I did cringe a bit, though, when I thought about running the stairs at Mt. Bonnell at some point this week. I'm scheduled to do it tomorrow, but we shall see what tomorrow will bring.

make it a great one, people!

TRX - All Core, All the Time

I attended the TRX Suspension Training Course today, and it was simply awesome! I am convinced that suspension training, coupled with kettlebells, sandbags, tires, etc, will vastly enhance one's overall level of functional fitness. Everyday movements will become easier; your body will work more synergistically to accomplish basic tasks.

I won't post my disseration here, or go on a long rant, but I did want to take a moment to quickly shout out the Fitness Anywhere team on a job well done. I highly encourage anyone who might even be remotely interested in suspension training and/or the TRX to give it a try. The experience is phenomenal. Do the research, buy the equipment, & get busy...you won't look back :-)

Interval Cardio

I did a quick 35-minute interval cardio session tonight...used the elliptical & recumbant bike. It felt great, and I definitely sweated (is that a word???) alot! Kept it short & simple in preparation for the TRX workshop on Saturday since it's a full 8 hours of lecture, hands-on, and working out.

Stairs & Spinning

Wow! I was so excited for this morning to get here that I actually had a hard time sleeping. I was really excited about the challenge of doing something new today, and that's exactly what I did! This morning I got up and headed to Mt. Bonnell to run the stairs. My plan was to get in 20 minutes, but I actually did 30, and made 6 laps up & down the 102-stair path (one-way). Two of the laps I ran the perimeter of the mountain (i.e. up the stairs, across the scenic path, down the trail, and back to the beginning). I was very proud of myself. I had my heart rate monitor on, because I was really curious as to how intense this would be. Turns out it was the perfect interval workout. Running up the stairs, my heart rate got into the anerobic zones; in the recovery periods of the workout, my heart rate naturally dropped. I'm looking forward to trying this out again. thank goodness for my water backpack and an overcast morning :-)

later this evening, I coached spin class, and was able to ride. We did an interval, all-terrain, loop style ride. I was holding back a little bit because I was sweating profusely and I kept losing my voice, but I think that everyone had a challening workout and a good time. I love teaching at the Riata...everyone is so friendly and they all seem to enjoy a good challenge. They bring out the best in me!

Tomorrow I'm not sure what I'm going to do. I think that I want to get on my rower & elliptical in the morning for about 30 minutes total. I have a long "to-do" list, so we'll see what happens....I did really well with my nutritional compliance today as well, so I'm pretty proud of myself. i was starving after spin class, though, so I at a bit more than I should have especially since I didn't get my pre-workout meal in. I figure that it all balances out, though.

Anyway, until then, have a lovely evening!

Tax Day...Rest Day

Well, I took the day off today from working out. I just got busy doing other things, and decided to rest my system, especially with the workshop coming up this weekend.

I'm looking forward to what tomorrow will bring. I think I'm going to try to run the stairs at Mt. Bonnell....key word being T-R-Y....but I love doing something different and new!

I'm really excited for the weekend. I think that I'm going to treat myself to a massage and a soak in the hot tub & sauna on Sunday afternoon. I love to spend Sunday afternoon relaxing after church. My muscles are feeling tight, so it's time for a good, indulging rest....I can't wait!!! :-) I'm also finishing up some projects around the house, and I am elated to get my home back into it's pristine, organized condition. We needed some more storage for all of my books (I have such a love for reading)..we're almost there :-) Maybe 1 more bookcase should do it!

Hope yall didn't stress too much about getting your taxes filed on time today.... :-)

Just Spin again...

I was feeling a little weak in the morning and early afternoon today, mostly because I wasn't eating on schedule. Anyhoo, I was feeling pretty good by the time class rolled around in the evening and had fueled myself up pretty well. I led the class through an endurance workout tonight, and boy did it feel AWESOME! Had a chance to focus on pedal stroke & mind/body connection...endurance is actually my favorite spinning energy zone, and tonight's workout was an excellent reminder of why.

I'd love to do another endurance workout this Thursday, but I have a feeling my class would yell at me :-) Endurance is an acquired taste..some love it, some hate it, and some are learning to tolerate it....i've been at all 3 points in my cycling training, and it's all a part of the process.....keep turning the pedals :-)

A Walk in the Park - Not Really...

Okay, so the weather was pretty nice today, and I wanted to soak up some of the sun. Sooo, I decided to go for a walk after my last client. I was only supposed to do 30 minutes, but wound up doing 60..not by choice..but yes, I got LOST walking in the neighborhoods surrounding mine. I usually ride my bike over these routes, so I figured it would be okay. Well, on foot, I totally lost my sense of direction. My feet were hurting after 30 minutes. I just had to stop and laugh at myself. Not only did I get lost, but by the time I got turned around in the right direction, I remembered that my phone (which I had on me) had GPS. Too funny!!! Sometimes you just have to laugh at yourself in life...at least I had a good workout and a good smile!

Happy Easter!

Given that today was Easter, I definitely took the day off from working out. The day started out soo blah...full of heavy rains..but the afternoon uncovered some gorgeous, sunny, warm, spring weather.

For those who believe, Happy Easter!

Will hit it again tomorrow..back on track, being strong...

Home Gym Items for Sale

We have a few items that are available for sale. All of these items were for personal use only and not used within the gym setting. Please let us know if you're interested. For the most part, we're looking for local sales only. The bandit loops could be shipped.
1) Art of Strength 1.5" Diameter Bandit Loops - $140.I've only used these once in a year, and I'd rather sell them now to add a few other items to my gym. I also have an extra pair of straps, which means this puppy should last you forever, even if you are a trainer using this with clients. These retail for $179.95 plus shipping at performbetter.com and $209 plus shipping at artofstrength.com. They are essentially in brand new condition. These loops are really high quality and would be a nice addition to the home gym designed for functional fitness, crossfit gyms, garage gyms, etc. Check out videos of bandit loops in action at:http://www.artofstrength.com/OnlineStore/Ropes/tabid/383/www.artofstrength.com/OnlineStore/BanditsLoop/tabid/345/Default.aspx
2) Women's Oxide Elite Size 9 Roller Blades - $25 (lightly used)
3) Saris Bones 2-Bike Trunk Rack - $100 (like new condition, only used twice)
4) Troy Mega Lightweight Strength Training System - 65 lbs of rubber enclosed weights & barbell - $65. This is the same barbell set used in many of Cathe Friedrich's DVD series. Since we've upgraded to mostly Olympic weights, we don't use this much any more. Great price, great product.

Rest Day

As much as I wanted to workout today, I was still feeling pretty beat down and tired. Soooo, today was a rest day. Five straight days of workouts, and it's definitely time for a rest day. My endurance is coming back....but I still have to listen to my system...

Just Spin....

Tonight was another strong Spin workout! We had a relatively small class, so we took advantage of the personalization and worked out hard! I rode most of the class, coaching some portions off the bike as needed to correct form, motivate, etc.

I think that my body is crying "enough", though. After class, I came home, took a shower, and crashed. I mean, fully crashed, knocked out, sleep until morning. My tummy was also a bit irritated, so I just listened and got some rest.

Late Night Workout

I was feeling pretty good on energy today. Before I knew it, the day had gotten away from me, and it was 9:15PM before I started my workout. However, I really wanted to get it in today. Not only did I get in a workout, I did a KILLER intensity session today. I did the TRX Cardio Circuit #1, which was a combination of jump rope intervals and TRX. I loved how the intensity of this workout progressively increased. It's been a LONG TIME since I've done jump rope intervals, and I was surprised that I handled them so well. I think that I'd psyched myself out of this workout, but I just jumped in and got it done (no pun intended). I can't wait to get the TRX Bootcamp: Ropes & Straps DVD. I also realize that I need a better jump rope. My $4.99 academy sports special was not working so well for me. I did okay, but I could've done better.

I'm looking forward to tackling this workout again later in the week.

Oh, I also finalized the details for the TRX continuing education workshop in Houston next Saturday. WHOOHOOOO!!!

Today I tried to get in a lunch time rowing workout, but it didn't happen. I got about 5 mins in and decided to stop. I was feeling pretty tired, and I had to conserve some energy for spin class. It's a good thing that I did because I rode the entire class tonight and burned about 500 calories in the process. I'm using my HRM alot more to track my progress and training.

All Strength

Today I did the TRX Strength workout. I learned some new exercises with this DVD. It will primarily serve as a reference in my exercise library. I doubt that I'll do this workout often, but the information was valuable, especially since I'm still improving my learning curve with this piece of equipment.

Palm Sunday & TRX

Today was a lovely (albeit windy & chilly) day. After church, I came home and did the TRX Flexibility Workout (~45 mins), followed by the TRX All Body Express Workout. I'm feeling pretty good! The stretches on the TRX were great, and I did get a good cardio workout via the express.

I'm looking forward to what tomorrow will bring. I was going to do a rowing workout tonight, but we are working on making a few modifications to our gym. We are moving the pull-up bar and replacing the lag screws with longer ones. We are also adding a set of hooks for our rings & the TRX.

Rock on, people!

TRX Flexibility & All Body Circuit

Today was a nice workout! I did about 90 minutes. The first 45 were doing the TRX Flexibility workout. I did only 1 round of some of the exercises, but I really enjoy the assisted stretching that the TRX provides. Some of them reminded me of assisted Bikram Yoga poses. With the help of the TRX, I got closer to the standing head-to-knee pose; no way I can do that unassisted! Oh, and the stretch was fantastic!

After the flexiblity workout, I did the all body circuit. I didn't do the entire thing, but I did about 15 mins to get my heart rate up a bit. I intentionally did this workout after the stretching, as I wanted to get a thorough stretch session in due to the previous workouts during the week; I was feeling a tad bit tight.

All-in-all, really fun workout!

Beautiful Saturday

Well, today started off really cold, but the afternoon is turning out to be quite gorgeous! I went to the farmer's market to pick up some beautiful, locally grown kale & swiss chard for my green smoothies. I wanted to get some organic ground bison, but they were all out....I'll have to go to Whole Foods to get some later. Downtown was just lovely. I'd wished that I had my bike in the car to do some cycling.

As for today's workout, I'm not quite sure. I know I want to do something. I might take my bike down to the Veloway and then do some TRX work...I haven't decided yet. Right now, I'm a little tired and a nap is sounding really good :-) I'll update later with what I finally decided to do.
**edited to say:** well, my nap lasted longer than I'd anticipated, and I wound up not doing a workout today. My plan will be to do some TRX & rowing after church on Sunday morning.**

Friday's workout

It was finally nice outside (but just a bit windy), so I took a short bike ride around the surrounding neighborhoods, about 20 mins in the early evening. Then, I came home and put the new console on my rower; it took me all of 5 mins to get that puppy attached securely and running. I'm glad that I purchased it, as it will make rowing more informative at least. I tested my rower out for about 5 mins, and then I tested my TRX system for about 5-10 mins. Later that night, I needed to work off some stress, so I did the TRX All Body Express workout literally around 11:45PM. I LOVED it!!! I'm looking forward to improving my overall efficiency with the system. It's pretty straight forward, and an excellent body-weight based workout. Using it, I am able to do exercises like single leg squats that I'm not able to do without the additional support. I actually have some DOMS in my core and upper back even on Sunday morning; what a great feeling! :-) I'm looking forward to more of TRX. I can already tell that it will be a valuable part of my training library, and that it will become another healthy addiction.

TRX Suspension Training

I've been doing alot of research on suspension training, and more specificially on the TRX suspension training system. TRX was voted one of the top fitness products of 2009 by Men's Health magazine, along with AoS Ropes Gone Wild. TRX was recently used on the Biggest Loser as well. I am currently trying the system out and will be taking a formal course later this month.

For more on suspension training & TRX, check out these videos:

Raw Foods Detox

So, I've been detoxing and cleansing my body for 1 week. I've been starting each day with a green smoothie or green lemonade, and I've been keeping my diet "raw til dinner". I wanted to revisit some of the techniques that I learned at OHI, while still incorporating some cooked food into my diet. I recently finished reading Natalia Rose's "The Raw Food Detox Diet," which was great, as it advocates detoxification without being a 100% raw foodist.

I totally forgot I was detoxing, and noticed myself being really tired this week, sleeping even more than usual, getting hot flashes, and feeling pretty weak during my workouts. Then it dawned on me..DUH...you are DETOXING! LOL!! Suffice it to say, my workouts this week have been pretty short (about 25-30 mins), and I've taken a few days off. My body is feeling pretty good, and (strange as it may sound) I am enjoying the detox process.

I've been working on my rowing machine this week, and I finally ordered a new console for it. When I bought it off of Craigslist last year, the original owner mentioned that the console had been destroyed by battery acid. I was able to get a refurbished console for $80 from Concept 2 (they have some of the best customer service I've ever experienced). My new console will arrive today.