Gymless…

Posted on June 18, 2013 by Malin

No, I didn’t wake up at 2am I actually slept until 11am and for be exact 16 hours and when my sister got me out of bed I was still tired and I had no time to go for a run as we had the entire afternoon planed. So when we got home I went for a 40 minutes run, I couldn’t use my run app so I went for time. It is very hilly here compare to Illinois but that is alright as it is more of a challenge and when I googled the distant I ran it turned out to be 8k.

When I came up on the driveway I met my sister she was taking the kids down to the beach for an evening swim so I came with to do a couple of body weighted circuits. I will say this is probably the most beautiful and peaceful “gym” I ever have exercised at!

I started out doing 20 crunches, 15 leg raises, 50 bicycle crunches, 60 sec plank, 30 sec extended plank.

I didn’t have much time as my sister was going back to the house to start dinner so I finished off with 15 push ups, 15 dips, 15 pull-ups.

Knut waited for me until I was done as he wanted to jump off the pier and when we were walking up the back to house I thought I would get some sprint intervals in so I finished off 6 sprints up this steep hill before I called it a day.

My final workout!!!

Posted on June 17, 2013 by Malin

I have finally arrived at my sister’s house after a very long flight and train journey and I am jet leg as crazy. When I pulled out my workout clothes this afternoon I started feeling nauseous and my head was spinning so I decided against it as I probably would have crashed into a car or something. I do have feeling I will wake up around 2am wide awake and the sun will be shining so I might just do it then instead…lol. I am going to be away for 3 weeks with the kids to visit family and friends and I am dead nervous that I will eat like crap and don’t stay on schedule but I have promised myself that I am going to do my best to keep my routines.

Anyhow when I came in on Friday for my final workout with Jonathan my backside was still sore so I was glad that we focused on our upper body. Straight away we went outside where Jonathan had arrange a long nice circuit for us and first up was 15 “clean and jerk” I used a 45-pound barbell.

We did get in a little legs as well and I could really feel my gluts as soon as I picked up the 16kg kettlebell and started to swing it but so far so good but the intensity was picking up when we threw the medicine ball high up against the wall. I like working the medicine ball, it is almost like the ropes because it makes your shoulders and arms really tiring out and it really gets your heart rate going to.

To bring the pulse down we did biceps curls and shoulder raises to the front. When that was completed we took to the cul-de-sac and sprinted to the end of the street before we took it to the top again. I know I have mentioned this before but interval training is great both for weight loss as well as improving your VO2.

We stayed outside for the second circuit which was not so different but yet it was. We started out with 15 push ups but instead of swinging the kettlebell we did weighted squats instead.

Like I said the first and the second circuit was pretty similar so with the medicine ball we threw it hard straight into the wall and slammed it in the ground. It really works different muscles in the arms and shoulders. This was followed by kickbacks and shoulder raises to the sides. I did go up in weight but I think I should have challenged myself a bit more because I was not as sore as I wanted to be on Saturday but with this being said the workout was still hard, don’t get me wrong 😉

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Instead of sprinting we did 25 squat jumps and I don’t know no matter how many or few Jonathan tell us to do it is almost without a fail it is the last 5 that always kills you.

When we had completed the 3 round we went inside and finished the last 15 minutes completely focusing on the core and if you really emphasis on the contraction you will get a nice burn. First we did 15 leg raises, 20 double crunches, 50 bicycle crunches and 10 rotation with a dumbbell .

The last thing we did for the day was really working the oblique making our legs go side to side 20 times, 15 modified side plank and 20 spiderman climbers. And in all honesty I don’t think you can do many combinations for the core 🙂

I hate not feeling a 100%

Posted on April 29, 2013 by Malin

I didn’t realize how bad my cold was until I parked on the parking lot and Jonathan told us to do two laps around the cul-de-sac before we started lunging and sprinting for the first 10-15 minutes of the workout. When we were done it was really hard to breath and even though I’ve been looking forward to take the workout outside I was happy when we went inside to carry on.

We went to the very back of the gym to the TRX and carried on where we left off from the last time and increased the intensity of the “pike’ by balancing on a bosu ball followed by every other rep crunching the legs underneath the body of a total 20. This carried on to a double crunch to exhaust the abs before getting up to our feet doing 15 sumo squat straight into a pull and then finish the circuit with 25 kettlebell swings.

The second circuit built off on the first one but instead of piking we were biking like no tomorrow then we dropped straight into a plank still off from the bosu ball. This not only working the abs but your shoulder also really getting a good workout. This time around we did a 15 squat to press followed by the 25 kettlebell swings.

The last kettlebell circuit we did started with the medicine ball, doing 15 jackknifes and without dropping the feet, 50 russian twists and 50 bicycle crunches. You might think that the arm is getting a little rest but that was not the case because moving the 20 pound medicine ball after all the other moves is fairly challenging. The last and final movement we did we put the previous two kettlebell circuits together and did a sumo squat to a press. This entire workout was very intense and I was sweating like crazy so doing the last move the kettlebell slipped and I hit my tooth and luckily it didn’t chip!

On my way home I picked up 20 bags of mulch from Lowe’s and by the time I pulled in on my driveway the car absolutely stunk so I had to hurry up getting them out of the car. My intension was not to carry on working out but the 20 bags was not only heavy unloading but I carried them around the yard trying to make it look a little bit more summery.

The love story continues…

Posted on April 26, 2013 by Malin

I am sitting on the deck sipping my afternoon coffee in the sun trying to ignore the leg pain that is slowly creeping up on me. I’m wondering how I am going to be able to walk in any kind of heels tomorrow when we are going down town for a girls night out.

Todays workout was all about the legs and we started off with 120 step up with a high knee to get the blood flowing before we brought out the weights. We were working with the TRX as well as we were using the machine and free weights and the first circuits we hit the backside really hard.

I hate doing weighted squats because my technique is far from good. I think it has to do with my calves because every time I’m practicing and doing it perfect I tilt backwards and I almost end up on my behind. I will say that mrsT is a great motivation to work legs with because even if she is very petit she is strong as an ox and the only thing I can do is try to keep up. She constantly raising the bar and I tell, you she squats heavy! So at the end of the second circuit after finishing the leg press, squat, walking lunges, kettlebell swing and leg extensions my legs wobbled when I once again walked over to the TRX for our last and final circuit.

And who would have thought that TRX would surprise once again and s**t it was hard but so much fun. We started with putting one foot through the loop and then we did “mountain climbers” sort of but the free leg is going up high while the restrained leg is going underneath you. Everything hurts… legs, abs, arms you name it… this most be my absolutely favorite TRX exercise ever!

After 15 reps we went into hip raises and squat jumps that completed this kick ass workout.

Now I am waiting for Freddie to come back from San Diego so we can celebrate our green card…Happy friday to your all!

The day after a great party

Posted on April 15, 2013 by Malin

Getting in to bed fairly late last night after eating fantastic food and drinking great wines one would think I should be a little sluggish but instead I woke up bright and early and actually made it into the warehouse almost 40 minutes before our session begun. So you can say I was thoroughly warmed up when we finally stated our total body. We kept a high intensity through the entire workout and after we completed the official warmup consisting of walking lunges, sprints, step up, bikes and skipping ropes we brought out the kettlebells to play with.

I don’t know what it was but I was sweating beyond this world both L and Jonathan said it was all the toxin that was coming out but I don’t know…

As soon the playdate was over we focused the last 20 minutes working the abs, starting chopping using the cables.

This was followed by hip raises that went straight into spiderman climbers and these are awesome if you want to get the obliques working.

The last and final official circuit we started with an excise I only done a few times before and I know I mention it all the time but I love mixing up my workouts. Anyhow you put your feet through the handles of the TRX and swing your legs to the sides. It may look easy but not only do you have to swing but you also have to stabilize with your entire upper body. This was combined with russian twists and weighted jackknife.

I’m still a bit pissed that I am unable to do pull ups so I did three sets of jumping up and holding to a slow relies for five times complied by 10 fast pull up with a jump. I have promised myself that before I leave for Sweden this summer I will be able to do 5 of the “real” ones.

A new week with new challenges!

Posted on April 8, 2013 by Malin

I will admit, today I have been a bit off. I don’t know if it is because I am tired or if I’m just getting old but I have to say, although my performance was not the greatest I did work hard today. First circuit out we focused on the core doing leg raises, toe touches, plank with lifting the leg, slow climbers and pushup. This was just the warm up so it was not so bad compare to what was coming our way…

As soon we completed our three sets we picked up our kettle bell 25 pounds and that is not to heavy considering what we were doing. I was really contemplating to go and pick up the 16 kg but like I mentioned I am a bit off so I thought I would give it one more round before I went heavier and I think that was a very wise decision!

The next three movements we started with shoulder press without using the legs. For me 25 pounds is very heavy and I did try to get at least 5-6 reps without using the legs but boy it was crazy hard!

We kept the kettlebell up on the arm while we were doing a reverse lunge with a high knee followed by squat jumps…putting the kettlebell down and jumping was such a relief for the shoulders that I think I could almost kept on doing it for the rest of the workout…lol.

With 15-20 minutes left we took it all from the top but this time we picked up a medicine ball. We did weighted V-crunches and with a “fast” crunch, holding for a second at the top with a slow release for 15 reps, straight into 50 russian twist to finish off with 50 bicycle-crunches. From there we did a lunge to the side extending the medicine ball in front of the body and wood chops.

This was far from a shabby workout and I can really feel my shoulders both aching and being very tried this evening.

Tomorrow I am going to Lifetime Fitness for interval training. Then I am going to try something I never tried before and I am really looking forward to it, I just hope my shoulders won’t be too sore!

I died the burpee death today!

Posted on February 25, 2013 by Malin

It may just be me but no matter how psyched I am, it is not flying on Mondays! You now when the alarm is going off in the morning and your bed is nice and warm maybe the kids are cuddling up to you and the smell of them are just yummy and the last thing you want to do is to get up, that is how every Mondays feels like. The thing is though; Jonathan doesn’t give a flying shit. His expectations are always that you should perform like you are going to compete in the Olympics the following week and today was no different.

So we went out working the core hard and when we were done we brought out 25 lbs. kettlebell and moved on to the shoulders and legs. The sweat was dripping and the heart rate was beating for sure because touching the kettlebell to the floor and then pull it up under you chin together with the rest of the exercises in the circuit you might as well be running sprints.

As the hour moved on nothing got easier and we kept on working the shoulders with the kettlebell and pre exhausting the legs with squats before Jonathan sent us to our graves doing burpees and mountain climbers in a 4 circuit exercise. I finished my last set and not only did it hurt but I felt lightheaded and it felt like I was going to pass out.

Somehow I managed to crawl out of the “burpee grave” and we finished off the hour with weighted split-stand-squats with high knee, shoulder press with the kettlebell, jumping spilt-stand-squat with dumbbells and lateral shoulder raises. It was an awesome workout yet I am glad that this Monday is almost over and hopefully Tuesday will feel more like when you have just finished your morning coffee and you are ready to take on the challenges that stand in front of you.