Q: is for Quads

I tone my abs, they get smaller and tighter.  I tone my arms, they get stronger and leaner.  I squat or run or jump or lunge, the bigger my quads get.  No matter how much fat I shed from them, I've got some big girls holding up this bod of mine.  At times, the fight between myself and my jeans straight from the dryer can take a beating on this girl's self esteem.  Heck, sometimes I think even my jeans are crying at the end of it!  It seems no matter what I do, thanks be to Mom, I'm stuck with my thunder thighs.

After my most recent bought with my Levi's, when I was debating on giving up on all that is thigh, I came across the ad below.  I'm not a huge fan of Nike (or really any big brands that do big brand-y things).  However, I admit I must give them props for one of their more recent ads targeted towards women and the assets we struggle with most.  This one is by far my favorite and I wanted to share because I doubt I'm the only owner of these huge gals.

             "I have thunder thighs. And that's a compliment because they are strong. And toned. And muscular. 

            And though they are unwelcome in the petite section, they are cheered on in marathons. 

            Fifty years from now, I'll bounce a grandchild on my thunder thighs and then I'll go out for a run."

Upon seeing this I could only think of one phrase: A-men-Sista-Friend!  And aside from that: my thighs look damn good in those Levi's!  Nothing left to do but embrace what Mama gave!

P: is for Plyometrics

't is the season to put a little spring in your step!  Plyometrics (sometimes called "jump training" or "explosive exercises") will do just that, while adding variety to your workout, helping increase bone density, prevent injury, and improve your power, strength, and agility.  Plyometric training conditions the body with dynamic resistance exercises that rapidly stretch a muscle and then rapidly shorten it (ie: squat jumps and medicine ball slams).  It is good to do a mix of both upper and lower body exercises to get an all-over workout without tiring your muscles too much too soon in one session.  These types of exercises often imitate the body's natural movement during sports (ie: hiking, volleyball, tennis, running) and thus are often used by athletes to improve overall performance.  More recently however, plyometric training has become more widely used among the general exercise population.

Shape Magazine has an excellent plyometrics workout, suitable for beginners.  You can view the workout by clicking here





As with any exercise, if done improperly, injury can result.  Make sure to use proper form, not to overextend, and if an exercise is beyond your difficulty level, work with an experienced trainer or coach to modify the move to your ability.  As well, make sure to give your body periods of rest (1 - 2 days) between plyometric exercise sessions. 

What else can I say?  Interested in plyometrics?  Hop to it!

O: is for Outdoor Dining

The boyfraaann took a mini trek to Actionville last week.  Being that I like food and he likes fire, it only made sense to kick off his visit with a romantical evening grilling out on the porch.  We both love to cook, so this was a great way for us to get creative with our meal, eat healthy, and spend quality time together on the cheap.

We decided to keep things simple with kebabs of veggies and shrimp.  I admit, we did wrap about half the shrimp in bacon as it is currently the largest part of his food pyramid.  Can you blame him?  Bacon is nature's candy...or is that fruit?  Anyway here we go:

One of the great things about this meal was being able to cook both the meat and veggies at the same time for the same amount of time over medium heat on the grill.

Veggie Kebabs
1 cup Grape Tomatoes 1 Zucchini, sliced 12 Mushrooms 1 Squash sliced ½ cup Red Bell Pepper, sliced ½ cup Orange Bell Pepper, sliced ½ cup Lawry's Herb & Garlic marinade	Marinate veggies for 30-60 minutes and skewer onto kebabs. Reserve the remaining marinade.  Place kebabs on grill for about 10 minutes, turning halfway through and occasionally brushing with remaining marinade.

Grilled (Bacon-Wrapped) Shrimp

½ tsp. cayenne pepper ½ tsp. cumin ½ tsp. onion powder ½ tsp. lemon pepper 1 tsp. granulated garlic 1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce 2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice 2 tbsp. butter, melted 1 ½ tbsp dark agave nectar 1 ½ tbsp honey bbq suace 9 slices bacon 18 jumbo shrimp, shelled and deveined

Cut the slices of bacon in half. Partially cook the bacon over moderate heat to render some of the fat without allowing the pieces to crisp. Stir all ingredients to combine and add shrimp, tossing well to coat. Marinate 30-60 minutes. Remove shrimp from the marinade, reserving the marinade. Wrap a slice of bacon around each shrimp and skewer onto kebab, securing both ends of bacon. Place shrimp on hot grill for 4 minutes.Turn and brush shrimp with reserved marinade and grill for 4 minutes longer or until shrimp are opaque throughout.

To cut calories and fat, omit the bacon...if you want to be crazy like that.  The marinade is enough to keep the shrimp tasting delicious without it.  Aside from bacon, it was not too bad of a meal, health-wise.  I admit when it comes to the shrimp dish, it may not be the cleanest I've ever posted here.  The veggies were easily a winner on both taste and trim calories while the shrimp definitely offered the perfect combo of sweet and spicy (much like our evening).  So even if you adapt this meal or cook something else entirely, I hope you get out and enjoy the spring evenings.  Grill with friends or loved ones and embrace the night air...before we all get attacked by heat, humidity, and mosquitos in the very near future.  :)

N: is for Never Quit

This morning, I succumbed to weakness and hit up the Chick-Fil-A drive-through for breakfast.  It didn't seem so terrible until this evening when I discovered a new roll during boot camp.  No, we're not talking carby side-dish; we're talking fat, people!  As usual, the thought in my head was "time to start over back on track".  Except I am really sick of starting over!  But this time it also occurred to me that if I am sick of starting over, then I also need to be sick of quitting.  Never quit, never start over, get fit! 

I realize that one fast food meal does not a fat roll make.  But trashy food is too regular of an occurrence for me.  I can't seem to deny myself the sodium or the "easy way out" in exchange for being lazy.  But are sodium and laziness worth the price of my once-owned six-pack?  There are also the logical reasons this is terrible (heart disease, cancer, blah blah blah) but there's no way that I can wrap my head around those serious problems in my mid-twenties.  So we'll go with something immediate, like six-pack.  Ok, and being tired in the gym. Being tired in general.  Having to start over every time I realize how much I've set myself back.

Resetting the motivation and the goals: peace out fast food, welcome back six-pack!  If I stay on track, I'll be there in no time and be able to do laundry off my very own washboard.  If I quit, I'll find myself writing this same pissed off blog in the very near future...Time to break the cycle!

M: is for Muddy

Want an easy way to take a Plain Jane 5k to the next level?  One word: Mud.  Ok, and obstacles.

Last year my sister and I both mucked it up in our first mud run, Rugged Maniac.  Since then, we've both been hooked on getting grubby.  Over the past year, we have gotten down and dirty in four of these 5ks, scaling cargo nets, forging rivers, crawling through mud under barbed wire, and leaping over fire. We typically finish with enough mud in our shorts and shoes to bury the competition...of course I run pretty slow, so my competition is pretty minimal by the end of it.  Really, I'm just there for the food (in the case of last race with the giant turkey leg).

But more than the food, it's a great way to add a bit of spice and excitement to any 5k, burn more calories, and feel like one strong BAMF by the end of it!  Wanna get dirty?  Be sure to check out a mud run near you!

L: is for Lazy Days

I love the spectacular weather we've been having.  I also love relaxing in my living room on my chaise lounge.  To get the best of both worlds, I moved brought the living room (or at lease my chaise) outdoors and I am not ashamed of the tackiness!  Mainly, because the neighbors couldn't see over my porch ledge to be any the wiser.  Secondly, because it makes a damn fine afternoon nap space...until approximately 4:30pm when the sun just brutally beats down on my porch at just the wrong angle.  But before 4:30 it's AMAZING!




One day, I will be a thousandaire who can afford legit classy furniture on my porch.  Until then, I shall merely compensate with this.  Don't hate.

K: is for Kickball

Keeping with the theme of getting exercise and playing like a kid, K: is for Kickball!  According to the World Adult Kickball Association (WAKA), Kickball is America's New Favorite Pastime. Over the past decade, these adult coed leagues have been popping up all over the United States, and more recently in Europe.  It is a great way to try something new, make new friends, and get active!

For those who may have lived a sheltered childhood, kickball follows rules very similar to baseball, with one team fielding nine positions on a diamond, and the other team coming up to kick (rather than bat).  There are three strikes and four balls, home runes, pop flies, the occasional pickle or stolen base, and five innings of suspenseful fun!  Such a blasty-blast, you don't even realize you're getting a workout in!  What's not to love about that? 






Want to get outside and have a kickin' good time?  Click Here to find a league near you!

J: is for Jump Rope

Want to torch stubborn fat, sculpt your bod all over and feel like a kid again?  Then my friends, I suggest you pick up a jump rope!  And then, I suggest you jump over it repeatedly!

Jumping rope is often touted as the cardio exercise that will get you the most bang for your buck, burning 250 calories in just a 20 minute workout!**  Don't even get me started on the toned legs, sculpted arms, and whittled middle that comes along with it!

As with any exercise, it is important to keep proper form to protect your spine, knees, ankles, and to prevent attacking yourself with swinging ropes (hitting yourself is the worst).  #1: Make sure your rope is the right length: When standing with both feet on the center of the rope, the handles should reach just at your armpits.  Any shorter, get a new rope!  Any longer, tie knots in the ends.  Keep your knees soft.  Jump on the balls of your feet, only about an inch or so off the ground and refrain from the "double-bounce".  Keep your head up, gaze forward and engage your core to ensure proper spinal alignment.  When turning the rope, it's all in the wrists!  Keep your elbows bent at a 90 degree angle at your sides, moving your hands in small circles to turn the rope.

Once you get the hang of jumping rope, you can add variety to your workout by busting some super-smooth moves.  Practice doing scissor jumps, jumping side to side or back and forth in a bell motion, criss-cross leg jumps, jump-kicks (can-can, anyone?), or double-unders (jumping once but twirling the rope under you twice)--you know, for the over-achievers.  Click here for a 20 minute jump rope workout from SELF Magazine.

I feel this is also when I should admit this is my secret talent.  It's the only exercise I'm better at than my trainer (and I remind him every chance I get).  In the second grade, I wound up on our school's jump rope team and like riding a bike, the skill has stuck with me since.  I conclude with a picture of me showcasing my mad skill (because it makes me laugh). 




On that note, feel free to take some advice some House of Pain and "Jump Around"!

**calories based on 145lb woman

I: is for Intervals

Sorry to be tardy, my A-Z friends.  This whole "back to reality" thing after vacation is a butt kicker (much like today's topic)!





Who doesn't want to add more variety to their workout, build endurance, and burn more calories?  Ladies and gents, the secret is interval training!  Interval training breaks a workout up into periods of high intensity work and periods of rest (my favorite part).  Aside from all of the awesome advantages listed above, interval training can also be used for any style of workout!  Whether your lifting weights, running, doing cardio or body weight exercises, you can get more from the workout by adjusting the speed and intensity at which you work.

Work vs Rest periods can be defined in two different ways: measured intervals and fartleks (haha funny word).  A measured interval is based on time: one minute of high intensity work, ie: burpees, followed by 30 seconds of rest.  Fartleks (it says FART!) are based more on how the body feels.  Using this method, you would do burpees until you could burpee no more and then you would rest until your body felt recovered to begin again.   This method is fairly common with cardio sports such as running or swimming. 

As with any exercise, during interval training it is very important to maintain proper form through your movements to prevent injury.  No one burned any calories by being laid up nursing wounds!  If you cannot safely execute a movement at a certain intensity, slow down a bit.  It it much better to be safe than sorry! 

I close today with some examples of Interval Workouts.  Happy Training!



 

H: is for Hiking

Yesterday, the boyfraaann and I decided to celebrate Easter outdoors with a 6.5 mile hike through the Smoky Mountains.  The weather was absolutely perfect and spring was in full bloom with beautiful flowers adding pops of color to the newly green trees and fields.  We caught amazing sights of hawks, rabbits, and even elk!  Living in Florida, I never realized how out of tune I was with seasons.  I've always only ever had two: Summer and February.  During our last mountain trek together, everything was brown and dead and I was a bit scared to come back.  Seeing everything so full of life this time around was simply amazing.

From a fitness front, hiking is apparently the way to a rock hard ass (judging by today's sore glutes). Between the buns of steel workout and the higher elevation, I definitely had trouble at times during the trek up.  Of course, I'm now considering race training in the mountains before coming back home to smoke the competition (I'm talking about you, big sister)!  The hard work definitely paid off when we reached the peak of our hike at the Jump Off and relaxed, our feet dangling over the edge into the abyss as we gazed out into mountains and valleys that seemed to go on forever.  For the journey, I am thankful for the hard work I've done to give my body the strength and ability to complete it.  For the view, I'm thankful for the one who made it and makes all things possible. 

A few Cliff bars and apples later, we decided to head back down the mountain and split the trip in half between walking and running.  I felt like a BAMF while running until I had to move over to make room for a guy actually running up the mountain.  BAMF title revoked and passed onto him immediately.  One day, I will be that awesome.  There we go!  Back to goals--I said it, I set it, you read it, therefore I must stick to it!

Ok, and I'm late for work (and late for posting H)! whoops!