Sunday, February 27, 2011

Anaerobic Fun and Videos.

Hi guys! Hope you're all enjoying the end of the weekend :) I'm proscrastinating like a freakin' champ over here, I have tons of homework to do, but blogging wins.

Yesterday was the day I've been waiting to come for quite some time. I woke up with a firecracker lit under my butt and said to myself, "I want to join Crossfit today. No really, I do." So, I trucked on over to Crossfit Cheshire.  I start 1 of 3 one-on-one on-ramp training sessions tomorrow afternoon and I'm unbelievably excited. Bye-bye gym, it's time to get beast on a totally different level! It ain't cheap so I'm only going to be joining for a month at a time..

I can't wait to get in on that...and the rope climbing.  I want to be able to shimmy up them ropes like a little gorilla. (I say gorilla because monkeys bug me out). 

I officially haven't lifted in a week though. After the doctor told me no lifting for a few days I decided to just turn it into a whole rest week since I haven't take one in a while.  My torn muscle is feeling better though, but the painkillers are a different story..I swear they are sleeping pills they make me so drowsy.  Oh well, I'll take drowsy over excruciating pain any day!

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On to the good stuff! VIDEOS. I wanted to share some of my favorite "plyometric-style" moves to do and to train people with.  3 min breaks of plyos in between weight training exercises are much more beneficial and less than boring than just throwing a client on the awful treadmill for 3 mins.


Plyometrics are an anaerobic activity that uses explosive movements (hopping, bounding, jumping, etc) to develop muscular power by rapidly shortening and lengthening the muscle.  Anaerobic activities are fueled by adenosine triphosphate and creatine phosphate (which are stored in your muscles) as opposed to using oxygen like aerobic activities do (ex. dreaded long, steady state cardio).  Weight lifting is also anaerobic.

It is very easy to rely on aerobic activities to lose fat/weight, but many people don't understand they are also losing muscle, strength and power.  With anaerobic exercises you are increasing muscle strength and power, decreasing body fat and improving cardiovascular function.  Anaerobics also spike your metabolism longer than aerobics and take less time to complete.
Like I've said before, in order to change your physique you need to push your body past it's limits and out of your comfort zone.  Strolling on the treadmill vs. sprints..which one do you think is going to be more beneficial?

1) These are long jumps with a backwards shuffle.  These are actually really fun to do, in my opinion anyways, haha.  Launch yourself forward over a step, swing your arms for extra momentum and land on the balls of your feet, controlling your bodyweight. Then shuffle back and repeat.  These are usually done for one minute.


2) I'm not really sure what to call these, I refer to them as Squat Hops though. Start straddling the step and then hop up onto it and back down, but as soon as your feet touch the floor again immediaely pop yourself back up again (in a style similar to box jumps).


3) Next are toe taps, better known as 'The Can-Can' by Steve.. Simply just tap your toes on the edge of the step.  These are usually done for a minute.


4) Last but not least, my new favorite, JUMP ROPE (although my skills are lacking!)  According to my bodymedia, when I jump rope I am torching 7 calories per minute. Jumping rope is brutal. In the video I was doing alternating one-legged hops, but I usually do 30 secs/one leg.


Pick up a jump rope and you'll never need another elliptical machine again.
And just for kicks one more video that Steveo, my love behind the crappy cell phone camera decided to record as I was just goofing around doing some curls...360 view! hahah..



I apologize for the low quality of the videos and for my goofy looking-ness ;).  I'll have more videos next time I post though!


Soo, can someone please teach this girl how to make Kale chips without burning the house down?! They are so simple to make, but I'm such a mess in the kitchen that they turn out tasting like an ashtray! Kale fail...Maybe I'll just stick to my boiled veggies?

In other news, my bodyfat has dropped another .7% and so far I have lost 1lb of fat and gained 1lb of muscle! I have never been so disciplined in my entire life and it is awesome (most of the time..)

Motivation for the week:



I'm off to get make another kitchen disaster aka eggplant and chicken "lasagna". Watch. Out. Later gators :)

8 comments:

  1. Girl, you are jack diesled! Look at you! I LOVED this post! The videos are fabulous!

    Not to keep gushing...but to keep gushing... I am really really interested in hearing how crossfit goes for you. It's one of those things I've wondered about from afar and like to hear different people's accounts of it

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  2. I have the SAME problem with kale chips!! I hope you get an answer .. I need it too!

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  3. Awesome videos! I hope you heal up really fast :) And yea that last picture is SICK. Dream back right there girl!!

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  4. I love kale chips! Cross fit where I live is over $100 a month, if it was free I would do it. Love all the plyometrics look fun, I wish I could do them. I can't because I get shin splints quite easily.

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  5. Monkeys bug me out too! I can't even go to a zoo. It's mortifying.

    I'm interested to hear how Crossfit goes for you! I would love to try it but I am SO uncoordinated lol...definitely sticking to lifting for now ;)

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  6. Girl congrats on the weight loss and muscle gain ; ) you are doing great!!!

    I never made kale chips! I want to! I prob would burn them too , lol!

    Crossfit sounds awesome!

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  7. I also always burn kale chips!

    Great post, have fun with crossfit! It is very pricey (or else I would have joined the local one!) Ha, I just look like an absolute crazy person at the gym... I love it!

    Awesome motivation pictures!!

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  8. Hey keep posting such good and meaningful articles.

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