Pose of the Week – – Legs up the Wall

Legs up the Wall pose is a restorative pose.  You can relax and enjoy this pose.

Alignment Tips:

Lay on your mat, lift both legs up to the sky.  Just like there was an imaginary wall.  Relax your shoulders and keep your gaze upward.  To increase the relaxation of this pose, find a wall and place your bottom close to the wall with your knees bent into your chest.  Lift your legs, resting on the wall and flex your toes toward you.  Adding a towel under your bottom will further increase the enjoyment of the pose.  In fact, I like to do a simple version of this pose on the sofa when I am watching TV.

Pose Benefits:

Calming

Relieves swollen or cramped legs

Gentle stretch

Sequence Suggestions:

This pose can be done right before final relaxation.

Legs up the wall as ab work

Alignment Tips:

Lay your back on your mat and lift your legs up pointing your toes.  You can choose to lift your arms straight up as in the picture, or you can place your hand behind your head to support your neck.  Lift your head and chest off the mat.  Crunching upward toward the ceiling.

Benefits:

You may feel the burn in your abs withing 10-20 crunches.

Sequence Suggestions:

This is used in our ab work section of yoga.  In yoga it is very important to have a strong core.  That is why each 60 minute class I teach we focus on your core.

You can do  legs up the wall crunch 10 – 20 times, repeating 3 times.

Variations of the pose would include:

1.  lowering the legs down about 45 degrees and crunching

2.  lowering the legs to hover over the mat and then bring them up the wall again.

3. scissoring your legs to each side (Right/Left)

4. while your legs are up the wall, spreading your legs slightly apart and circling your legs.

Take note to listen to your lower back.  It is always better to do less than more and if this pose, when used as ab work, does not feel good to your back-STOP.

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HIIT Eliptical & Back Low Intensity/High Rep Workout (with a little Abs)

I did a Hiit on the Elliptical for my Cardio.  I burned 514 calories in 40 minutes and went over 5000 strides.

Elliptical HIIT Cardio Workout

I am using a Predcor machine.  Not new, but not ancient either.  Hopefully, the numbers will be able to work for your machine too.

40 minute HIIT Training on the Elliptical

 

Time                            Stride Direction     Resistance        Incline   Strides per Minute

3 minute warm-up         Forward                      7                      10                   

2 minute                       Forward                      9                      5                      165

2 minute                       Forward                      12                    5                      135

2 minute                       Forward                      14                    5                      120

2 minute                       Backward                    9                      5                      165     

2 minute                       Backward                    12                    5                      130

2 minute                       Backward                    14                    5                      100

2 minute                       Forward                      9                      7                      160

2 minute                       Forward                      12                    7                      135

2 minute                       Forward                      14                    7                      120

2 minute                       Backward                    9                      7                      155

2 minute                       Backward                    12                    7                      125

2 minute                       Backward                    14                    7                      100

1 minute                       Forward                      9                      9                      160

1 minute                       Forward                      12                    9                      135

1 minute                       Forward                      14                    9                      120

1 minute                       Backward                    9                      9                      155

1 minute                       Backward                    12                    9                      125

1 minute                       Backward                    14                    9                      100

2 min 30 sec Cool Down Forward                    10                    5                      140

2 min 30 sec Cool Down Backward                 10                    5                      140

 

Burns over 500 calories, with over 5,000 strides

 

The basic premise for this is:

 

3 minute warm-up

Increase resistance by 2, decrease the incline by,

Do this for 2 minutes

Increase resistance 2 more times

Do it again Backward

Increase incline by 2 and do the same resistance cycle as before

Last cycle do for only 1 minute each

Cool down for 5 minutes

Back Low Intensity/High Rep Workout

Front Lateral Pulldown 3 sets of 25 using 40 lbs

Cable Standing Reverse Low Row  3sets of 25 reps using 60 lbs

Towel Crunch 3 sets of 25 reps.  (I felt the burn from these while I was doing the 2nd set.  From the top of my abs to the lower abs.)

v bar Lat Pulldown  3 sets of 25 using 40 lbs (I found that this exercise was more effective if I sat up higher doing this than when I leaned back doing the Front Lat Pulldown.)

Reverse Grip Row on Machine 3 sets of 25 using 45 lbs

Crunch with Lateral Flexion 3 sets of 25 on each side

Jesus Cable 3 sets of 25 using 40 lbs

Dumbbell Deadlift 3 sets of 25 using 25 lb dumbbells (This took me a while, because I wanted to make sure my back was in the right position every time.  If you curve your back you are not doing this exercise right.)

Knee – In  3 sets of 25 reps (I wonder if I shouldn’t have done these.  My back has been sore today ever since I did them. )

Total calories burned 971 in 1 hr 45 minutes.

I have to say that today I am still thinking that doing Low Intensity/High Reps is a harder workout than the Power Workouts.  I am finding that I have to push myself at about the count of 21 and then I have to do 4 more counts.  Where as, in the Power workouts you lift heavy weights and you fatigue faster, but you are not pushing yourself to do one or two more reps when you think you can’t.  Why not push yourself——because I am scare I will drop the weight and hurt myself. 

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Chest Power Workout (With a Little Butt)

What I did yesterday is sticking with me today.  I can feel my butt.  And it is a gooooood feeling.  I always think if I feel it it must be working.  Plus, it makes me feel skinner 🙂  My abs were feeling it too.  I think that is what time away from the gym does to your body too.  And to think I was only gone for less than a week.  Today, I still don’t feel 100% so went with short cardio warm-up on the treadmill and moved right into my Power Chest Workout.

Power Workout Chest

Decline push ups 3 sets of 10 reps

Chest Press Machine 3 sets of 15 reps using 50 lbs.  I tried 60 lbs and I could hardly move it.

Sumo Squat w/dumbbell 3 sets of 15 using 50lb bumbbell.

Incline Press Machine  2 sets of 10 reps using 60 lbs.  I think that might be too easy for be so my last set I upper to 70 lbs and was still able to get 10 reps out.  I tried 80 lbs but could not more it.

Dumbbell pullover on Swiss ball 2 sets of 8 reps with 30 lb dumbbell and last set used 35 lbs

Single Leg Romain Deadlift 3 sets of 8 reps using 15lb dumbbells.  This really started to burn my buns.

Flat Bench Dumbbell Press 3 sets of 10 reps using 20lb dumbbells

Incline Dumbbell Fly 3 sets of 10 reps using 15 lb dumbbells

Reverse Lunge 3 sets of 15 reps.  This felt good.  Almost like a stretch.

I cooled down on the treadmill.  Burned 530 calories in 1 hr 15 min.

Tomorrow is Power Workout Back (with a little abs)

 

 

 

 

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HIIT, High Intensity Interval Training Day 1

I tried HIIT today as a cardio workout.  It was interesting.  Here are the rules of HIIT training. 

HIIT RULES

Warm up for 5 minutes

Do 1 minutes as hard as you can. (On a scale of 1-10 . . shoot for a 9 or 10)

Recover for 2 minutes at a moderate pace(level 6-7 on scale)

That is called a Hiit.  It last 3 minutes long.  Now do it again for a total of 6 times and you have a 30 minute Hiit workout completed.

I did Hiit on the bike at the gym and here is what I did.  I had read somewhere that when you are at the high intensity you want your rmp to be over 100.  Mine were between 107-123 and I was at resistance of 6 when I was at the 2 minute moderate I was at resistance of 8 and my rmp’s were 50.  I burned 402 calories according to my heart rate monitor.

I moved to the elliptical and did a 15 minute Hiit on it.  I was able to do 4 hiit cycles.  At High Intensity I was at incline of 8 and resistance of 8.  With my feet moving forward I could go 240-50 slides per minute and when my feet were backward by HI was at 180-200 strides per minute.  I burned 240 calories in 15 minutes.

I completed my ad workout that was started days earlier. 

Ad Workout:

Cable low to High Woodchop 3 sets of 12 reps with 35 lb

Slant Board Revers Crunch 3 sets, or 6 reps that last one I did 8 reps

Vacuum—this is a weird breathing thing I did it 3 times for around a minute each

Butt Exercises:

Single Legged Squat 2 sets of 10 on each side, 2 sets of 12 reps on each side

Treadmill shuffle set treadmill to incline of 2 and speed of 2 (I should have increased this it was too easy for me) went for 6 minutes switching sides from left to right every 30 seconds.

Burned 310 calories during resistance training.

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Tricep/Bicep plus some ab workout

I made it to the gym!  YEAH!!!!  I researched shin splint stretches and did some of them before I rode the stationary bike.  Some of the stretches included leaning against a wall and flexing my feet up and down with heels remaining on the ground, sitting or laying down and circling my feet at the ankles—that really felt good and walking on my heels.  I felt a little silly doing that.  I tried to fit these stretches in throughout my workout.

Cardio

45 minutes on bike with resistance ranging from 6-20 on the cross training feature.  I talked with people in the gym for most of the workout.  My goal was to burn 450 calories and I did a little more than that.

Strength Training

Abs

High/Low Cable woodchops 4 sets 2 sets with 20 reps each side , 50 lb and 2 sets with 20 reps each side 60 lb

Crunch with Lateral Flexion 3 sets 20 reps each side—I would feel the burn after about 15 reps.

Tri/Biceps

Tricep Pushdown on cable 4 sets, 3 sets of 21 reps with 50 lb and 1 set of 21 reps with 60 lb

Revers Curl with EZ bar3 sets of 10 reps with 5 lb weights on each side.  Last time I did this I could do more weight, 7 1/2 lb on each side, but only 8 reps each.  My tri and biceps are so unpredictable.

Incline Dumbbell Curl 2 sets , the 1st was 10 reps with 15lb the last was 7 reps at 15lbs.  I was at complete failure at 7 reps.  It was my last thing to do and my arms were shot.

Total calories burned 772, time spent 1 hr 20 minutes.  Stretching doesn’t burn many calories.

I do not plan to eat ice cream or nachos today.  I have a tuna steak set out for lunch and tonight I will have a spring mix salad with strips of chicken and turkey on it.

 

 

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Swiss Ball Lateral Crunch

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Russian Twist on Swiss Ball with Weighted Medicine ball

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April 8th Workout

Today, as I stated below, I am unmotivated.  I need to go for a run, but had no desire to do so, so this is what I did:

Elliptical for 45 minutes, did the interval cyle which switched me from an incline of 6 to incline of 18 every 3 minutes.  I also went back and forth with my strides every 1000 strides.  Burned 550 calories according to my Polar Heart Rate monitor.

Tricep and Bicep workout

Lying Dumbbell Extentions 3 sets, I did 2 using 12lb weights and 1 using 10 lbs weights.  All a count of 12

Hang Cleans with Dumbbells 2 sets with 15 lb, 12 reps each arm

I should have done 2 more tri and bi excercises but I found some new ab workouts I wanted to try. 

Russian Twist using a ball and a weighted medicine ball.  2 sets, with 6 lb ball 12 reps.

Ball crunch I did 3 sets of 10 each side and one set on the bosu ball.  I think the bosu ball is a better workout.  I will try and put a link in with an example of all of these exercises.

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Saxon Side Bends

I did these, but instead of a dumbbell I held both hands on a 3 pound weighted ball.

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I did it!

Yeah!  I did it and I feel great!  There is nothing better than the feeling of a good workout.  I burned 1040 calories in 1 hour 22 minutes.  Whooo Hooooo!  Here is what I did:

With my new running shoes on I ran 4.5 miles in 45 minutes at a 2 incline.  My heart rate ranged between 148-165.

Ab Workout

Incline Bench Crunches 3 sets of 30 reps

V-up crunches on the mini tramp 3 sets of 12 each.  These were hard—my tummy was burning after 9.

Windshield wipers on mini tramp 3 sets of 10 with a 5 weight held between my feet.  I love doing these.  I feel like a gym rat when I do them because I have never seen anyone else do them in the gym before.  I like being the trend setter 🙂

Saxon Side Bends 2 sets of 15 with a weighted 3 pound ball.  I am not sure I did these right.  I didn’t like seeing myself in the mirror, the couple of pounds I have gained were all in my sides and this exercises really showed the roll.

I did remember to work on Inverted rows on the smith machince, these are the ones I had such a hard time doing on Sunday.  I was able to increase my count to 6 and I did 3 sets.  I think it helped that, that was the only arm/back workout that I did.  My arms were fresh and could handle  lifting my body weight.  I will keep working on these.

I stretched and then walked backwards on the treadmill for 8 minutes at a speed of 3.4 incline of 3.0.

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