Tag: SHRED

Weekly Workouts: A heavy workout week

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Good morning, friends! How are you doing? Now that I have the keys to my new apartment, it’s been hard focusing on anything except for moving! My parents were planning to come down on the 16th and 17th, but I’m trying to figure out a way for them to potentially come down this Friday to at least move the big things in: my bed, dressers, couch, chair, table, etc.

Anyway! As my title suggest, this past week was a heavy week with regards to workouts. I COMPLETELY forgot that I agreed to sub Kate’s 5:30 Sports Conditioning class on Wednesday, so that was a big surprise when I finally made it back in the office after lots of travel and looked at my calendar and saw that! It all worked out, though and since it’s right before my normal class, it’s not really a big deal.

Last Week’s Workouts

  • Monday- I ran 3 miles in the morning and did some core strengthening exercises since my muscles were pretty tired from Sunday’s BodyPump class. As much as I like my workouts in the evening better than in the morning because I have more energy and more time, it feels great that I am getting back into the “swing” of morning workouts.
  • Tuesday- I got up at the hotel in Atlanta and did 30 minutes on the elliptical, followed by 4 rounds of: 10 box jumps, 10 incline push ups, 10 squat and press and 10 stability ball leg lifts. Felt great!

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  • Wednesday- Realized I had to sub Kate’s class which was kind of a bummer since I really enjoy my Wednesday runs along the Charles before teaching UXF, but I still got a great workout in between teaching the two classes!

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(I taught a fun stations circuit in both classes. Multiple people told me they were sore on Thursday. Music to my ears!)

  • Thursday- Taught SHRED and then kickboxing. I made up the routine on the plane (on a napkin, mind you), and to my happy surprise, it came out just as well in person as it did in my head! That never happens 😉

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(I wore the most obnoxiously loud colored outfit to teach on Thursday… yikes!)

  • Friday- REST. After 6 consecutive days of workouts, and two of those being doubles, my body was calling for rest. I also had the day off from work which was icing on the cake. It felt weird, but surprisingly good, to not plan my day around my workout! I did do lots of walking around the mall, though.
  • Saturday- Taught the same kickboxing class at the Oak Square YMCA as I did in Thursday’s class at the BSC. Awesome energy in the class!!
  • Sunday- Danielle and I went for a nice walk/jog around Shapleigh, covering almost 2.75 miles. I did some ab work after and also did lots of different kinds of burpees. Hint: fun post coming up on Wednesday!

This Week’s Workouts

  • Monday- Even though I don’t have anything after work (I was supposed to do something with Jess but I decided that could wait) I wanted to get my workout done in the morning so I could have the evening to grocery shop, cook and start to pack!
  • Tuesday- Likely working out in the morning again because I want to start bringing stuff to my new apartment!
  • Wednesday- Probably a run along the Charles and then teaching UXF Burn.
  • Thursday- SHRED and Kickboxing!
  • Friday- I have a 3 hour training for the latest UXF Burn release/format/abs… Last time I was trained on UXF Burn, we worked out like crazy people!! It’s so funny to workout with a group of fellow instructors because we all push ourselves way more than we would any other time 😉
  • Saturday- I am subbing a SHRED class at the Central Square BSC, so BSCers- COME GET YOUR SWEAT ON!!! 🙂 I’m thinking there will be a second workout of the day while dancing at Christy’s wedding 😉
  • Sunday- Rest!!! Maybe some moving, but mostly rest!

Questions for you: Do you look forward to dancing when you go to weddings or parties? How many weddings have you gone to this summer? Fellow instructor friends- do you work out harder when you’re in a class with all instructors?

Have a wonderful week, friends!!!

Weekly Workouts: On the road & back at the gym

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Good morning! How’s everyone doing today? Even though I was on the road for part of the week last week, I still had a really great week of workouts AND I was able to teach all my classes- win, win! I’m traveling to Atlanta today and tomorrow and am hoping that after that, my work travel will slow down a bit. Don’t worry, I won’t try to run outside like I did the last time I was in Atlanta! I will go to the gym and that’s about it!

Last Week’s Workouts

  • Monday- I ran 3.25 miles before work and travel. I was having technical difficulties which frustrates me more than it should. My watch battery light was flashing so I used that and then also used Map My Run as backup in case my watch died before my run was over. I accidentally ended my Map My Run workout .25 miles into my run and had to restart it, so that distance was always behind my watch, but then my watch died 2.75 miles into my run so that didn’t matter anyway. Clearly, these are not life altering issues, but they annoy me!
  • Tuesday- I did a 30 minute hotel room workout that I will post on Wednesday! I know I usually post my class workouts in my Wednesday Workout posts, but I feel like people might like to see more workouts that can be done anywhere, and without any equipment- am I right?
  • Wednesday- All went well with my flight and I got to the gym super early so I ran 3.5 miles through Cambridge (along the Charles- the view just doesn’t get old) and then taught a new type of format in my UXF Burn class, which I think everyone liked! My hamstrings were REALLY tight the next day!

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  • Thursday- I taught the same format in my SHRED class that I had taught in my UXF Burn class on Wednesday, just with different moves and then I taught kickboxing. It was the same routine I did last week when I nearly drowned in my own sweat, only this time I didn’t sweat so much!
  • Friday- REST DAY 🙂 Besides lifting my wine glass when I went to dinner with Athena and Ashley 😉
  • Saturday- I ran the Color Me Rad run with my friend, Lauren, and her friend, Amy. I’ll recap that race later this week!

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  • Sunday- I went to the Wellington BSC and did 30 minutes of cardio on a machine (sometimes doing mindless cardio is exactly what I need/want) and then went to BodyPump. I wish I could have that workout in my schedule once a week- such a good way for me to take time to solely focus on strength training!!

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This Week’s Workouts

  • Monday- I hope to have completed a nice 3-4 mile run by the time this post goes up! I will also do some abs to complete the workout.
  • Tuesday- I’ll be in Atlanta and will stick to just going to the gym or doing a hotel room workout this week! No running outside for me; I learned my lesson!
  • Wednesday- Probably some cardio before teaching UXF Burn. Any suggestions from anyone on what type of format you’d like to see or specific exercises/burpees??
  • Thursday- Teaching SHRED and kickboxing. I want to make a new kickboxing routine and download new music; I’m sick of all my current mixes!
  • Friday- This might be a rest day again. I have been enjoying Friday’s as rest days!
  • Saturday- Teaching kickboxing at the YMCA and then heading up to Maine for little Emma’s first birthday!!
  • Sunday- If I rest on Friday, I’ll probably do something when I’m home in Maine, but I may end up taking another rest day.

Questions for you: What type of workouts would you like to see more/less of? Ones I’ve taught? Hotel room workouts? No weights required? What’s your favorite burpee? Has anyone done the newest BodyPump release? I LOVED it.

Weekly Workouts: Totally Back At It

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Hey there! How was your weekend? I was so happy the sun came out yesterday, as it made for the perfect beach day!

This past week, I had a 5 day string of really awesome workouts. After having been sick and having been in Maine, it felt awesome to be back into the full swing of workouts! I am traveling for work this week (Stowe, VT from Tuesday- Friday) so my workouts will be TBD for most days, but it will be nice to mix it up again.

Last Week’s Workouts:

  • Monday: I went to The Studio Empower, which was a really nice change-up from my normal workouts! During my lunch break, Jess and I filed for our 2nd Mommy’s Moves video. Check it out here. Also, Jess’s newsletter is worth a glance, too!

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  • Tuesday: I ran 30 minutes (3.34 miles) before work and then did some upper body strengthening since my legs had gotten quite the workout the day before.

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  • Wednesday: A fellow instructor asked me to sub her 5:30 Sports Conditioning class, so I ended up teaching a double. 3 people, between the two classes, said they almost threw up. Loved it!

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  • Thursday: 2nd double of the week! Numbers were a little low, which was a bummer since I was sill really amped up about being back!
  • Friday: I ran for 15 minutes on the treadmill before subbing my old SHRED class at the Allston BSC! Felt really great to be back 🙂
  • Saturday : Rest, besides walking around the city.
  • Sunday: I got up and did a 5 minute warm up (jogging in place, jumping jacks, high knees, squats, etc.) and then did 25 reps of lots of different moves (squats, lunges deadlifts, biceps curls, rows, skull crushers, leg lifts, etc.). After 3 or 4 moves, I would throw in 2 minutes of cardio. I was literally shocked at how sweaty I got!

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This Week’s Workouts

  • Monday: I will likely go to the gym after work and do cardio and weight training, big focus on the abs!
  • Tuesday: Pending on how hot it is, I’ll try to run outside before work. I am driving up to VT in the afternoon, so I want to get my workout done right away!
  • Wednesday/Thursday/Friday: I will be in Stowe, VT at a conference, but will absolutely be getting in some workouts! I’m traveling with Tim, who loves to workout, too, so it will be easier to make sure workouts happen! Likely runs outside and weights in the gym.
  • Saturday: Teaching kickboxing!! 🙂
  • Sunday: Pending on how my workouts went for the week will determine my Sunday workout, if any. I am traveling Mon-Wed of the following week, so I would like to get in solid workouts before that.

Questions for you: When it gets really hot, are you more likely to skip workouts? What days do you like to rest on? Did you try any new workouts last week?

Weekly Workouts: Being Sick= Way Fewer Workouts

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Hey everyone! How was your weekend? Mine was pretty boring because I was sick, but I think it’s exactly what I needed. I did get out of the house on Friday night for a roommate dinner at The Granary Tavern in the city (LOVED it there- awesome menu, great outdoor dining and the inside was awesome as well), but besides that and a short trip to the beach, target and the grocery store on Sunday, I was pretty much stuck to the couch watching tv or sleeping; I did a LOT of sleeping this weekend.

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Last Week’s Workouts

  • Monday- I wasn’t feeling up to a workout, but I ended up pushing myself to go and was so happy I did! The only cardio I did was 10 minutes of rowing throughout my strength sets, yet I still left sweaty and tired! I used the TRX band, kettlebells, Dynamax Balls, dumbells… all sorts of stuff! I picked leg workouts to do first (2 sets of 15) then worked through lots of upper body stuff. It was great!
  • Tuesday- I finally made it to the “two-a-day Tuesday” that Athena always mentions on her blog. When I lived in Oak Square, I was a regular in Liz’s kickboxing class (I think even before Athena started going to it?), so it was fun to be back at it! I was surprised that I remembered as much as I did 🙂 After taking Liz’s class, I taught Athena’s class… Wasn’t my best performance, but I was feeling pretty icky (shouldn’t have done Liz’s class first since I wasn’t feeling well). Whomp, whomp.
  • Wednesday- I knew I needed rest on Wednesday since I woke up feeling more sick than I had on Tuesday, so I merely instructed my UXF Burn class… well, mostly instructed.

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  • Thursday- I worked from home to try to rest a little more since I knew I had to teach 2 classes that night. I know, I know, you’re probably wondering why I didn’t get subs. Well, I have to get a lot of subs this summer for work trips and it’s hard to find subs for kickboxing, so I just loaded up on meds and did what I had to do to get through it. I did stations in SHRED and didn’t do the workout and taught the modified version of kickboxing… wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be!
  • Friday- Nothing. I felt awful all day so I decided to nap instead of workout. The nap did help!
  • Saturday- Nothing. I woke up feeling better and decided I would go to BodyPump, but as soon as I got up, I got really light-headed/faint, started sweating profusely, face went white and my hands got all tingly/numb. It was easily the scariest feeling I have ever experienced! My sister thought it might be a panic attack, but it lasted WAY longer than the 7-10 minutes panic attacks last, so I don’t think it was that. I think it had something to do with the very strong cough syrup I took during the night. Needless to say, I rested all of Saturday and slept more than I can ever remember sleeping in a day. I literally could not keep my eyes open! I started feeling better around 7 and was able to eat, so that was a good thing.
  • Sunday- Nothing, again. I woke up feeling a little better, but I was still so stuffed up and coughing a lot so I decided to rest, even though I wanted to go for a walk or something! I did clean up the apartment and do laundry which required walking up and down a lot of stairs, but other than that, it was a rest day.

This Week’s Workouts

  • Monday- I was invited to take a class at The Studio Empower”, which I am really excited about!! My friend Athena went recently and has raved about it ever since!
  • Tuesday- I feel like I’ll be in the mood for cardio and weights/core, so it could be a long workout day!
  • Wednesday- My class was cancelled for the holiday, so I will have to do my own workout. A lot will depend on whether I head up to Maine on Tuesday or Wednesday. If I go up on Tuesday, I’ll go to my mom’s YMCA on Wednesday, but if I wait until Wednesday, I’ll go to my gym after work to lift and do cardio and head up after that to wait out the traffic!
  • Thursday- Does collecting candy at the parade count as exercise? 😉 Jk… kind of! Since I know I’ll be eating and drinking by the pool in the afternoon, I’ll probably try to do something quick in the morning at my parents!
  • Friday- Not sure- may head to the gym with mom, may rest… I’m going to see how I feel!
  • Saturday- I have to head back to MA to teach my 10AM kickboxing class.
  • Sunday- Will depend on how my workouts for the week went… if they were good, I’ll rest. If they were light, and I have time to do something, I will!

So, there you have it! As you can see, my workouts this week are mostly TBD since I am not sure when I’ll head to Maine, how I’ll feel and how much time I will have. That’s ok, though. As frustrating as it is to “get off track” with workouts, my body was definitely telling me I needed to slow down and rest last week so I am trying to listen to that and not overdo it this week.

Questions for you: Holidays and working out- do you take them as rest days or are they motivation to workout since you know you’ll be eating more indulgently? Do you go to any parades on the 4th of July? When’s the last time you had to rest for more than a couple of days because of sickness?

Wednesday Workout: Compound Exercise Supersets, Core, Tabata Cardio

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Hey everyone! I was totally sore after the workout that I taught in SHRED last Thursday, so I figured it would be a good one to share with you this week! What I liked about this workout was the fact that we did more than 10-12 or 15 reps per exercise, AND the fact that they WERE reps and not 60 second intervals. I think people tend to keep better form when we do reps together vs. timed intervals where people go at their own pace (people either rush through the exercises to get a high number of reps OR they don’t push themselves and take breaks).

Compound exercises supersets, core, tabata cardio

In class, we lifted to the 32-count beat and I played around with the speed, but for the purposes of making this easier for you guys to take to the gym with you, I have you doing 20 reps.

Most of these compound moves are ones you have seen on here many times, but if you have questions, please let me know! This workout took about 35-40 minutes to complete, so it was perfect for class once I added my warm up and cool down. If you’re running short on time, you can always choose just a couple of sets to do instead of doing all four. Or, you could pick one set and repeat it two or three times- lots of ways to play around with this workout, so give it a shot!