Category: Burpees

Wednesday Workout: 20-10 Triple Threat Workout

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Hello! Before I get to the workout for today, I wanted to let you know that RM was able to get a discount code for the Tre Olive tree adoption!! So exciting! Use B2B15 to get 15% off your purchase 🙂

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And now for the workout! As I mentioned last week, I’ve been all about short, but effective workouts lately. While I love working out and love days when I can be there for however long I want, these days the time is just not there… and I don’t want to make the time for it to be there. It’s just not worth it! So, this is another short, but good workout that left me pretty breathless. I did it after I did Athena’s chimney workout, so I’m sure that’s part of the reason it left me breathless, but still! It’s a great workout on its own or as a finisher.

The format is straight forward, as it’s just 20 reps of one exercise then 10 of the next exercise in the super set and you do each super set 3 times through before moving on to the next.

20-10 Triple Threat Workout

I believe I used a 12 pound medicine ball and had 4 risers on the step- feel free to go heavier and higher or lighter and lower!

Questions for you: Wall balls- love ’em or hate ’em? What’s your favorite medicine ball weight?

This Week: Workouts, Countdown to Christmas & Things I’m Looking Forward To

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Good morning! Can you believe this is the last full week before Christmas!?! I literally cannot wrap my head around it. But, the good news is I’ve completed almost all of my Christmas shopping, which is half the battle, right? I plan on finishing up a few more things this week and then packing my car up so I don’t forget anything when I head to Maine.

I had some good workouts last week, however none really left me sore or “feeling it” the next day. Well, except for the workout I did in RM’s kitchen on Tuesday morning. I had to make the workout as quiet as possible and therefore eliminated most cardio, but whatever I did seemed to work!

Last Week’s Workouts

  • Monday- I got up early and went to the gym on my own- a rarity, for sure! I ran 3 miles on the treadmill, completed my 1 minute of burpees and a few other upper body and core exercises. Although it’s never fun getting up and going to the gym at the 6am hour, I ALWAYS feel amazing after!

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  • Tuesday- I got up early (again) and worked out in RM’s kitchen, as it seemed as though that would be the quietest place. I did a lot of punches, squats, lunges, core work, etc. It’s amazing how versatile workouts can be. I didn’t want to do cardio and didn’t have any weights, yet I was still able to put together a workout that left me sweaty and sore the next days. The challenge on Tuesday was a lower body workout, so I did Booty Burner #2″ workout. Never fails to leave me shaky 😉
  • Wednesday- I only had time to run 2 miles before class, but I did most of my UXF Burn class as I liked the exercises I put together! The cardio blast between sets was killer.

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  • Thursday- I went to the gym near my office and completed a 15 minute HIIT workout before going to a total body conditioning class, which ended up being the same 45 seconds on, 15 seconds rest format that I did for my HIIT workout.

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  • Friday- Rest day, besides lots of walking. I also got up for some stretching which was a nice way to start the day.

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  • Saturday- I taught my cardio kickboxing class at the Oak Square YMCA. Per usual, it was a packed class with lots of energy! Thanks for coming, Mary 🙂
  • Sunday- Another rest day… cleaning was my source of active rest.

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I got some new lulu and was excited to try it out!

This Week’s Workouts

  • Monday- I’m subbing the 6:30pm cardio kickboxing class at the Watertown BSC. Happy to get some extra subbing in as I’m losing my UXF Burn class for 2 weeks due to the holidays 😦
  • Tuesday- I want to go to the morning Box 360 class at George Foreman’s boxing studio. Any fitness friends want to come? The challenge for Tuesday is to try a new workout class, so I figured this would be great.
  • Wednesday- A little cardio before teaching my UXF Burn class at the Central Square BSC. What should I teach?! Any new moves you’re loving?
  • Thursday- I think I have to do a day trip to Rhode Island for work, so I may try to get up early to get a little something in. Maybe rest. Maybe hit up a 6:30 cardio kickboxing class. We’ll see!
  • Friday- Today’s challenge is an upper body workout, so I’ll squeeze something in- maybe this 7 Minute Body Weight Upper Body Burner. I also have to go to a UXF Burn training for a few hours in the afternoon as they’re releasing a new format- can’t wait to see what it is.
  • Saturday- Teaching my last cardio kickboxing class of the year 😦 I can’t believe it! Come sweat with me and jam out to my Christmas playlist!
  • Sunday- Rest day, besides a core workout as part of my challenge.

Things I’m Looking Forward To

Although this week is busy with lots of parties, teaching and maybe another road trip for work, I’m totally in the Christmas spirit and am just excited! I also know that I have an extended vacation coming up shortly, so that’s helping me make the last final push of the holiday season.

Questions for you: What was the best workout you had last week? Are you trying out any classes this week?

Wednesday Workout: 20 Minute Count Down Body Weight Workout

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Since I know December is a busy month for most people, I’ve decided to keep my Wednesday workouts for you on the shorter side. But, don’t be fooled- just because they’re short doesn’t mean they are not effective and it certainly doesn’t mean they won’t be challenging 😉

I did this one last week as part of my Happy, Healthy, Fit Challenge, since the challenge required a body weight workout. I love body weight workouts for many reasons:

  • they can be done anywhere
  • you don’t need equipment
  • they’re effective
  • you can make standard moves more difficult by changing things up
  • you can choose the format you want to use

…the list goes on and on.

For this particular workout, I changed it up and did a format that I don’t generally do: count down. I often get bored with workouts that repeat the same handful of moves throughout, but lately I’ve actually been enjoying those, so that’s where the idea for this one came. I picked some good moves that worked all the key areas: upper body, lower body, cardio and core. You’ll start with 10 reps of each exercise, then do 9, then 8 and so on. When you get down to 1 rep, do 10 instead of 1… that was the killer round!

20 minute count down workout

A member was early for my class so I asked if he wanted to join… we were both dripping by the end of it! And the best part was that the whole thing took less than 20 minutes. Have fun!

Questions for you: Do you like count down workouts? Do you like body weight workouts?

Wednesday Workout: 15 Minute Step 360 HIIT Workout

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Hi there! I know you’re probably sick of me talking about the Step 360, but I’m kind of obsessed with it and not ready to stop talking about it 🙂 As I’ve mentioned, I was lucky enough to win it at MANIA this year and I couldn’t be more thankful. I’ve always wanted to add a BOSU ball to my workout equipment collection, but I have to say that I think adding the Step 360 was a better piece to add.

What I love is that you are still working and challenging your balance, but your form doesn’t get compromised as a result since there is a flat surface to stand on (versus the non-flat surface of a BOSU). I find that I’m able to work my balance, yet still work on range of motion and strength training with much better and stronger form because of the flat surface. When I’m on a BOSU, I’m typically wobbling all over the place! I also learned in one of my sessions that you should never stand/squat/lunge/etc. on a BOSU because it causes poor alignment due to the fact your feet cannot support you in the way they should (like they do on the ground or a flat surface). I pretended like I had never done that, but inside I was cringing as I thought back to all the times I’ve stood on the BOSU for squats and lunges and just to add an extra balance challenge during bicep curls and things like that. Needless to say, I won’t be doing that anymore 😉

I also like that with the Step 360 you can inflate one or both chambers, depending on your fitness level. Only inflating one makes it a little easier since there’s less instability and since you’re closer to the ground. I’ve been working out with it having both inflated and I’m continuously surprised by how much added intensity and difficulty the Step 360 gives me!

I have a workout for you today that I did on the Step 360 last week, but you can totally use a step if you don’t have a Step 360- I took this workout and amended it to teach in my UXF Burn class.

15 minute Step 360 HIIT workout

I had some fun taking videos and pictures for some of the moves to give you a better idea of what it looks like to be active on the Step.

Goblet Squat:

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Squat Hold w/Leg Touch Downs

http://vimeo.com/112118977

Burpee/Push-Up Step Jump

http://vimeo.com/112110765

I’ve already used the step for 3 workouts, so don’t be surprised if you see more workouts on here that use it!

Questions for you: What’s your favorite piece of at-home workout equipment? If you could have anything to add to your at-home workout collection, what would it be?

Wednesday Workout: Run the Bases

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If you’ve been reading my blog for a while, you know that I taught my own outdoor bootcamp in Wakefield for a few months over the summer/early fall. What I loved about the bootcamp was it gave me the ability to a. workout outside and b. get creative with the workouts and formats since I didn’t have any weights or traditional gym equipment to use. Before my first class, I asked you guys on Facebook for outdoor bootcamp suggestions. Athena and Cara had some great suggestions and this workout was inspired by Athena’s Baseball Diamond Bootcamp Workout that she posted a while ago. The funniest thing is that I didn’t look at the workout before I made mine, yet I somehow picked the 1st 2 traveling exercises that are identical to hers… oops! We are apparently more similar than we thought!

The idea behind my workout, which is a different from the format Athena uses, is you do the designated exercises at each base before moving on to the next base. We all started at different bases (2 to a base- could be more if you have more people doing this) and went around until we all completed the exercises at each base. Before we repeated the workout, I had them do 25 burpees 😉

run the bases

I tried to incorporate strength, cardio and core at each base, with the easier exercises at 25 reps and the harder ones at 10. For every exercises where you do things on the right and left (lunges, skaters, dead lifts, etc.), perform the number of designated reps on each leg. Also, for the second round we did 12 reps of each exercise rather than 10 and 25- so yes, this made the 25 reps seem much easier but the 10 rep exercises much harder!

Although we all got super dirty, we agreed that this workout was really fun! I hope you try it…and Athena- thank you for the inspiration!

Questions for you: What’s your favorite way to workout outside? Have you ever done a baseball diamond workout?