Showing posts with label planks. Show all posts
Showing posts with label planks. Show all posts

Wednesday, November 30, 2016

Bodypump, Active Recovery, and Planking

On Tuesday I joined some of my new friends and went to my first Les Mills Bodypump class at The HIT Room. Bodypump is an interval barbell workout and it is definitely high intensity! I think Wesley (the instructor) said we did 800+ reps of squats, lunges, rows, and lifts. CrA-ZY!

After class I was given a try-to-forget-we-tortured-you welcome gift which I thought was a nice touch.


From class I stopped into IMI, Integrated Medicine Institute, to see an Osteopath. Osteopathy can "correct a wide variety of muscular and skeletal complaints and offer excellent nerve-balancing support" and I am hoping it can cure my heel stinger. My first visit was pretty standard with lots of questions and a thorough body assessment followed by my first treatment. Diagnosis: a pinched nerve. The nerve could be pinched in my ankle, behind my knee, under my gluteus or in my sciatica. My first treatment was a combination of adjustments, stretching, and trigger point release. 

After yesterday's strength session, my osteopath treatment plus a big hike I have coming up tomorrow, I decided to take it easy today with some active recovery. It was a perfect day for LISS, so I laced up my walking shoes and set out to explore the marina side of DB. Some residents live on the boats (the big ones).




It was a beautiful walk and fun to see a different view from the island. 3.5 miles later I was at the beach enjoying a little break and soaking up the beautiful day.

My favorite Athleta pants

When I got back to the apartment, I did my plank workout. I am still loving the intervals app that I found. 1) It is so easy to personalize my workouts and 2) I can use my phone or my watch to start a workout.



It was good to get my legs moving on the walk, but I started feeling some DOMS sneaking up on me from Bodypump. My stretch session was a little bit relief and a little bit painful. (side note - my goal is to get my bum down on the floor)


Just for fun I thought I'd share my new blogging spot ---> the view, the natural light, a smoothie, Netflix...I don't know how I'm able to finish this post! 



Have you tried Les Mills classes? 
Ever been to an Osteopath?
If you blog, what does your work space look like?





Monday, July 18, 2016

Carb Cycling Update

It's been awhile since I checked in on my carb cycling program this round. I had big plans to do weekly updates, but then I was distracted by Australia. If you check out my posts (here, here, here, here, here, and here), you'll understand why.

I'm going home tomorrow to spend the rest of the summer in the US. Since I'll be traveling all day (literally), I started week five on US time, which means I skipped a regular calorie day, but gained a low carb day.

Low carb days are my favorite because it means I'm sprinting.  Since this is my second time through the sprint workouts, I've been upping my game by increasing to level 2 on the elliptical and trying to sprint without holding on. I can REALLY feel a difference during the sprints, but I was also sore after my last workout.


I used to dread the cool down. Walking for 30 minutes on the treadmill is boring after years of running. I can distract myself with the view of the bay or watch tv or listen to music, but it still challenges my patience. I decided last time to increase the incline to make my legs work a little more.  My brain can handle that motivation.


Post workout planks. I'm still trying to make these a habit after sprints. So far it's working. Today I was really feeling my obliques from a yoga session I did yesterday.


It was such a nice day, if you ignore the heat index, that I suggested we take the long way back to the apartment. We rode down to the waterfront and along the bikeway. It's not really that much longer, but it was definitely more scenic than just heading back along the rode. 


I spent the rest of the day packing and preparing the apartment for our departure in the morning. And washing sportswear, like the tank I'm wearing above. Super comfy and goes from sweat to street easily. 

We will be traveling a lot while we are home between vacation plans and mrC's work, but as always I will find a way to fit my fitness in!

Do you go hands on or off on the elliptical?
Plank before or after your workout?






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