Just in time for the long weekend. Welcome to the gun show, which way to the beach?!!!
:: Real time Abs and Arms Workout! ::
Brittany and I actually filmed this video four times, we had camera and location difficulties. At the end of this video our arms and abs were BURNING!! This workout is a great one to tack on to your workout or to do on the deck this weekend!
Have a great one guys!!
:: Playing around on jump reformers, I LOVE these machines, Pilates and plyometrics all in one place! ::
Spring has officially sprung, we are all coming out of a long hibernation!
Yesterday I somehow convinced Matt it would be a good idea to do some hill sprints with me. When he agreed I couldn't believe it! Matt is very fit and plays rugby and hockey but the only time I've seen him run is when he's running for a ball!
Last summer I did hill repeats up "Woodchip", the big hill leading into the Rosedale ravine at South Drive. I haven't done a hill workout there since last August so I was predicting I'd be a little slower. Much to my delight we spanked that hill!! My times were in the low to mid 1:20s, a good 10 seconds faster than last year! Running with Matt really helped, yes I did let him win one …! It's good to revisit your workouts and check-in with your fitness. I'm not crazy about recording every single workout but it's good to know roughly where you stand and every now and then challenge yourself to be better! Yesterday was a hugely motivating workout for the Sporting Life 10k coming up this Sunday! Sub-40 here I come!!
Last week I received an e-mail last week from an old friend asking me how I track and test my fitness.
Great question! And I hope to have a great answer here!
In my personal workouts I treat every single day like a fitness test. I'm always pushing my own boundaries to see what's possible in my workouts. It's so important to constantly push it! I do like to keep an eye to see where I'm going but I mix these workout tests in with my regular schedule all the time.
There are a few key workout indicators I look for when I'm really feeling like I'm at my peak.
Core Fitness:
Forearm plank for time.
BUT do not look at the time. Start your watch, turn it away from you and just stop when you can't plank anymore. I once held a plank for 7 minutes and 14 seconds, it felt like 7 hours! When you look at the time you give up faster. It also teaches you to really listen to your body! Hang in there!
Then try side plank and see how different both sides are – my left can hold for 3:19 and my right I was up there for 5:37 and it felt like the exact same amount of work! Crazy and insightful for my training.
Lower Body Fitness:
"Legs for Days" is my ultimate know where I stand workout. I developed this routine in England and it's been a mainstay in my program for the last three years. I'll do this every other month to see how I'm doing. I record my reps and so far I've always been a bit stronger but my legs always BURN for days after!
The workout is 50 seconds on, 10 seconds rest with three rounds of each exercise.
My best reps:
1. Jump Lunges – 51
2. Dynamic Jump Squats – 37
3. Side Leg Lift Squats – 24
4. Tricep Dips – 42
5. Jump Squats – 62
6. Toe Tap Back – 80 on right and 80 on left
Upper Body Fitness:
As many push-ups as possible in one minute.
Chest to the floor on feet!
My best is 42.
Cardio Fitness:
One of my favourite runs to do is a monthly tempo run.
I start the treadmill at my typical jog pace (7.0 mph) and then I increase the treadmill speed by 0.5 mph every 5 minutes until I can't run anymore. My record on that run is 35 minutes, finishing at a 11.0 mph. That was intense!
There is also one of my favourite hills – Woodchip Hill in the ravine in Toronto. I like to to this hill 5-8x for a workout. I know I'm really fast when I can run it in under 90 seconds. It's a good idea to pick a hill and keep track of your times for motivation. Hills are an area that you can really see huge improvement on and it's exciting to watch you smash your times.
What a pleasure it is to train Tanner Kidd at Bod Squad.
Tanner is in my 6:15 AM class and is ALWAYS the first person there with a wide smile on her face ready to WORK. And work she does! Tanner has made huge progress so far in her time with us. Her bod looks amazing because Tanner is always willing to push her limits and she's got a hugely positive attitude. Seriously there isn't one thing Tanner won't do!
I'm proud to count Tanner as a client and a friend. She's been a huge inspiration to me. Tanner has shown me what's possible when you really put the "work" into our workouts! Thanks for being such a dedicated participant Tanner!!
Brittany from Fine Tune Pilates and I are becoming fast fitness friends! We workout together at least once a week and we have decided to try to film some of our sessions together so you can follow along with us. It's great to have friends in the fitness world!
This week's focus is on legs and bum and boy did my bum BURN after this workout! Let us know what you think!!
