This week's circuit

1)  Squat and Shoulder Press -
Step 1   Start in set position with feet slightly wider than hips and weights in hands resting at shoulder height.  Sit back and down into a full range squat keeping your core tight and weight in the heels of your feet.  Hold this squat stance and press the weights overhead in a shoulder press.
Step 2   With weights overhead, stand up out of the squat so the hips are back in line with the shoulders.  Return weights back to shoulder height.  Repeat exercise 15 times.

2)  Push Ups -  15 repetitions


3)  W Shoulder Press with Leg Extension -
Step 1  Stand with your feet a hip-width apart, abs tight, and glutes tucked. Raise your right leg at a 90-degree angle so your thigh is parallel to the ground and your shin is perpendicular to it. Raise the weights to ear level with your palms toward your ears. Your arms should be bent at a 90-degree angle, elbows out to the sides, forearms perpendicular to the floor, and upper arms parallel with it.
Step 2   Exhale, and extend your arms up and out as though you are trying to form the letter W with your arms. Simultaneously extend your right foot so that your entire right leg is straight and parallel to the ground. Hold for a beat. Inhale, slowly lowering the weights and retracting your leg to return to the starting position. Perform a complete set, then switch legs and repeat on the opposite side.  Focus on posture and balance!
Repeat 10 times on each leg.

4)  Pendulum Lunges -

Step 1   Start in set position with feet hip width apart, weights are optional.  Step the right foot forward lunging into a deep stride. 

Step 2   Push off forcefully the right foot swinging it back into a reverse lunge finishing the first rep.

Repeat repetitions 10 times on each leg.

5)  Butt Kicks -  Jog in place but bring your heels up higher and kick your butt!
Perform for 1 minute.

6) Plank Twists -

Step 1   Start in push up/plank position on hands and toes.  Lift up the right hand into side plank position.  Hold for 2 counts and return to start position.

Step 2   Do it on the other side for one rep

Repeat for a total of 10 reps.

7)  Bent Over Row -  You've done this before, pick up some heavier weights for this one! 

Step 1   Hinge forward from the hips keeping your back flat and weights hang down in front of you.

Step 2   Lift the elbows up and back pinching the muscles between your shoulder blades.  Hold for 2 counts and return to start.

Repeat exercise 15 times.

8)  Bicycle Crunch - Complete 40 repetitions.

Enjoy :)

New Circuit 9.21.09

New Circuit this week :)  Incorporates a few more posterior muscle groups to get that backside looking good!  You should be increase your weights in some of these exercises to increase your muscular endurance and to feel the burn a little more.  This is going to help burn the fat around your trouble areas and add cardio for the heart and lungs, ultimately burning more calories in your workout.  Post comments at the end of my blog too if you like/dislike some of the moves, suggestions and questions are always great! :)


1)  Step Ups + Overhead Press - Skip a step and increase the distance in your step!  This will target more glute muscles and get your heartrate up.  Holding the weights at the shoulders with a 90 degree angle in each elbow, press overhead as you step up and back to the 90 degree hold above the shoulders as you come down off the step.  Repeat 10 times with each leg leading.

2)  Bent Over Row - Standing tall with weights in hands, hinge forward from the hips and keep your knees softly bent.  Palms of your hands are turned in and neck in nuetral position.  Begin to lift your elbows up and back keeping them close to your body.  With elbows all the back, you should finish by pinching your shoulder blades together incorporating the mid-back area.  Hold for 2 counts and lower back to start slowly.

Repeat this 20 times.

3) One-Leg Squat (Sit/Stand) - Make sure you have a chair/bench/couch close.  With hands out in front of you stand on one leg.  Slowly sink you hips down to the chair until you are completely sitting, then pop right back up only using the one leg.  To increase intensity, stand back up immediately when your thighs/butt touches the chair, or not completely sitting.  Repeat 10 times on each leg.
Here are two versions depending on what equipment you have.

4)  Biceps Curl - Holding weights in both hands, keep your palms facing in toward the body.  Curl the weight all the way up in full range, and slowly release all the way back down toward the thigh.  Perform reps until failure.  If you can do more than 20 each time, you need to up the weight!!!  Stand on one foot to incorporate abs and balance with this simple exercise.

Here's Ryan performing the exercise......;)

5)  Dead Lift - USE YOUR BUTT, NOT YOUR LOWER BACK!  Standing with weights in hands, keep your back flat and your knees soft.  Hinge foward from your hips reaching the weights down the legs as far as you can feel a good stretch of the hamstrings and keeping your shoulders back and back flat.  Slowly being to come back up SQEEZING YOUR BUTT CHEAKS together and finishing with hips under the shoulders.  Repeat 10-12 times.  (Add a bent over row for an extra bonus move if you want...JUST DO IT)

6)  Reverse Crunch - Start by lying on your back and hands at your sides.  Begin to curl your knees into your chest engaging the abdominals.  Now lift your hips up off the floor and SLOWLY set them back down.  The eccentric (release) phase of this exercise is important in strengthening the abdominals so be in control of your hips.  Repeat 10-15 times. 

7) Jump Rope -  If you don't have a jump rope, pretend that you do and go through the motions.  Jump Rope fast for 1 full minute.

Beware, next week we are adding more exercises to this circuit.  Three times through and challenge yourself!

Kernels Game and More FOOTBALL

Thursday night I decided we needed to go to the Cedar Rapids Kernels baseball game since I hadn't seen any baseball all year. I've been so lucky to visit many different MLB stadiums through the years including many TWINs games at the Metro Dome, CUBS, White SOX, Anehiem Angels, YANKEES at the old stadium, and the ROCKIES last summer in Denver. I love baseball games but Ryan gets pretty bored with them. The Kernels are in Division AA for baseball and are affiliated with the Angels. This was the first playoff game for the Kernels and they had fireworks after the game! It was a beautiful night and it was something Ryan and I could do for his birthday since I worked late Wednesday night. It was a really exciting game as the Kernels won it in the bottom of the 9th inning. Peoria replaced their pitcher who really blew it! LOL He walked the first two batters throwing 8 straight balls, the third batter got a hit to load the bases, the fourth batter was walked putting a run in, and the final batter was hit by pitch to end the game! It was pretty funny. Here are some fun pictures from the game.

This guy was running around the stands screaming and dancing, kind of like a seconds mascot.

This is the Kernels actual mascot.  I was kind of wondering why he doesn't have more corn kernels showing?

Ryan LOVES baseball!!!!

Saturday's Iowa/ISU game was also an exciting game.  Ryan and I went up to a local sports bar called Bushwoods and watched the game with Rachel, another trainer I work with.  GO IOWA!!  We were the first people at the bar around 10 am and were worried it was kind of going to be lame.  Surely enough more people crowded in for the game and the Black and Gold dominated the bar.  It was exciting to sit and cheer on the Hawks with a bar full of other fans who love to watch them play. 

Around 6:00 that night we were still debating whether or not to go up to Waverly for the Wartburg game.... we made it there shortly after kickoff :)  It was a fun time and we are both glad we went!  Wartburg also won and it was another exciting game to watch.  Ryan doesn't have any fingernails left after both football games yesterday! LOL 

Each weekend is going to be another football game and I will try to get some more pictures of each place we go.  Wartburg, Iowa, Nebraska, and mabye some local high school games.  It is going to be a long fall.......

New Circuit 9.9.09

This Week’s Circuit

1) Burpees! - Start in standing position and squat down placing hands on the floor/bench/chair/couch/etc. Kick feet back so that you are in push up/plank position. Jump the feet back in toward the hands contracting from your abdominals andstand all the way back up. This is a full body movement and it will work cardio. Repeat this 15 times!



2) Chest Press with Feet Elevated - This will help incorporate the abdominal muscles as you start in the chest press position, weights above the chest and feet straight up in the air. You can choose to keep your feet directly 90 degrees or for more intensity, lower down to 45 degrees. Perform the chest press exercise 15 times.







3) Sumo Squat w/ Triceps Extension - Start with feet in a wide stance and toes turned out (do you look like a Sumo Wrestler?) Now take one weight above your head with both hands. As you sink down into a squat, the weight should follow behind the head for a triceps extension. As you stand back up to starting position, your weight should come back up directly overhead. Remember to stay tall in the upper body and try not to lean forward, ABS ARE BRACED! Perform this exercise 15 times.




4) Pull Over – This exercise works both the chest and the lats if done correctly. Start by lying down (floor/bench/chair/stability ball) with one weight straight above the chest. Keeping the arms slightly bent, slowly lower the weight over head going no lower than the top of your head. As you start to pull that weight back up, contract your abdominals, chest, and lat muscles to pull the weight back over your head to starting position. Perform this exercise 15 times.










5) Side Lunges - Works glutes, inner thighs, hamstrings, and quads and can be done w/ or w/out weight. Start in standing upright position, step you right leg out to the side bending your knee and keeping your left leg straight. Biggest thing to think about here is to keep your hips back, chest up, and toes facing forward on both feet. Push forcefully off your right foot back to starting position. Start with a short range of motion and work your way deeper into this lunge as your flexibility increases. Repeat 10 times on each side.





6) Straight Leg Oblique V-Ups – Your gonna love this one! There are two ways to complete this exercise and you better try both  Start by lying down on one side, bottom are directly out front of you and top arm above your head. Lift top leg up straight and crunch from your obliques reaching your hand up toward the toes. Hold for a count and return to start. Repeat 10 times on each leg. ROUND 2 – This time you are going to lift both legs in the air, reaching your top hand up to touch the toes. It helps to shift your weight back on the hip so you can get a full flexion of the obliques. See picture below, Repeat 10 times. (Start with the single leg first)




Be sure to get a proper cool down and stretch in after EVERY workout!

What A WEEKEND! :)

What an exciting weekend! This is going to be a long post.....
Thursday morning of last week, we got the call that baby Rouse was on the way! After scurrying around all morning to find subs for my classes and reschedule sessions with clients, the soon-to-be grandparents came through CR and we headed out to Naperville, IL. We got news that Jamie's labor was going slow and it would probably be the middle of the night when the baby finally arrived. We decided to get a hotel and sleep in on Friday morning so that the new parents, especially Jamie could rest before we barged in with excitement.
Lauren Paige was born on Friday September 4th, 2009 at 3:42am, 6lbs. 15oz and 20.5 inches long. She is SOOOO beautiful :) She's our new little angel. This is a special baby because she was born on my Grandma Jo's birthday and she is named after the friend that introduced Kyle and Jamie for the first time. How neat!



Saturday morning was a long drive back to Iowa City for the IOWA vs UNI game. Quite a few of Ryan and I's friends were going to be back in IC for the game so I drove back early to meet everyone for tailgating before. It was Gold-Out for the first game of the season, so all IOWA fans were wearing gold shirts, very cool to see in a packed stadium! Jenni and I headed off to the game while Ryan and three of his friends headed off to their seats. Ours were actually a lot better ;) As you all know, it was an exciting game and nonetheless, Ryan lost his voice from screaming so much and actually left the game after the first blocked FG because he couldn't stay to see IOWA get beat by UNI. He should have stayed though since they actually pulled it off.

Sunday was golfing with some other friends from Wartburg. It was the most fun 9 holes I've ever golfed! We were all terrible and it was just funny to see Dan H. struggling to hit the ball several times :) That's alright, can't be awesome at everything! I ended up getting third out of five people, so that's not bad! Ryan did very well; we need to get him a new driver for his b-day, that seemed to help his game!

Monday, Labor Day, was a lazy day. Ryan and I got laundry done early, grocery shopping and walked to Dairy Queen for a late night snack! It was nice to have that third day in the weekend, can't we have one of those every week!?

It's back to work today and I wanted to leave you with an interesting article from TIMES Magazine. This is totally against what I do as my profession and I just think it is saddening that a world-renown magazine would publish this! It is an article stating that Exercise is actually making this nation fatter!? WHAT!???? What about the gigantic portions that every restaurant is serving, fast food, sedentary lifestyles, technology, I could go on and on and on!! YOU HAVE TO READ THIS ARTICLE. Follow the link and see for yourself.

http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0%2C8599%2C1914857%2C00.html
(you might have to copy paste)

As an ACSM-CPT (American College of Sports Medicine - Certified Personal Trainer), and with a BA in Fitness Management, I know what exercise does for us and that these benefits far outweigh anything this guy is trying to tell us. Yes, it takes a combination of diet AND exercise to reach our weight-loss goals, but how are you going to burn calories w/out exercising more? I could go on and on. Here are the highlights from an ACSM email I got.

While an ACSM member and expert was consulted for the story, he agrees that his research and opinions were selectively reported. Among its numerous claims, the story would have us believe that:

-Losing weight matters more than being aerobically fit in preventing heart disease
-One can’t lose weight from exercise because exercise makes you hungrier – and willpower can’t conquer the hunger enough to make good food choices
-Exercising 60 to 90 minutes most days of the week in order to lose weight (a recommendation from an ACSM Position Stand) is unrealistic
-Leisure-time physical activity – just moving around more during the day – is more effective for weight loss than dedicated exercise
-Vigorous exercise depletes energy resources so much that it leads to overeating – i.e., weight gain

Think about it! Food for thought....
Enjoy the rest of your day :)