MHB- Week Eleven- Bipolar

 Another week! I called this week Bipolar because I was up, then I was down. I felt really down and grumpy at some points in the week and then others I felt fantastic. So I'm just going to keep riding the Happy Wave and know that it will encourage me to keep it up and push through those gloomy moods!

MONDAY-

 Day 1- Strength and Endurance Workout.  I am showing three exercises from this workout. The top photo is a tough one to hold for the full minute. The second is an ISO squat. You literally just stay in that position for a minute and boy does it burn! The last photo is part of this workout and every warm up routine that I do every day. It's probably how I have real muscle in my arms now.
Goals: FOCUS! I need to maintain focus while I'm doing these workouts. This was truly a Monday because the first three rounds I wasn't totally into what I was doing. Next week must be better!
Improvements: I improved in the last round. I went into the closed guard position and did something called the twisting press. My form was great and my tummy felt the burn afterwards.

TUESDAY-

A sad picture of me 'running' because that's usually the only picture I can take on my own of myself in the gym. My calories burned and then a picture of the sun coming up!

 Day 2- Cardio. Usually Tuesday's I go to my Happy Fit Stroller Class out of town. But, Lisa is in Hawaii for the month. Us ladies agreed to get together anyways and do our exercises in the trail like we did last week. Unfortunately one of the moms was out for her own reasons and I had to cancel late Monday evening because Rob saw how badly it snowed in the city where he goes to school during the week. So, he took our Jeep to school and I was left with our truck. (Alina technically can ride in the front seat with the air bags off in her little rear facing car seat but it's an awful lot of work to put it in there.) SO! I went to the gym instead.

1. Sprint for 30 seconds at a speed of 6 and an incline of 7. Walk 30 seconds. Repeat for a total of 3 rounds.
 2. Do 10 push-ups.
3. Do a wall handstand for about 30 seconds.

 I had to hurry through this workout again because Rob was pressed for time. During the second round I increased my speed to 6.5 and my incline to 7.5. I did wall push-ups and in the third round I did girl push-ups. It was magical and fast and I am looking forward to doing my trail workout next week.

WEDNESDAY-

 Day 3- Fight Conditioning Workout. Yes, the hard one. The picture on the left is just an example of a 'jab' one of the many punching techniques in this workout. The top picture is part of my warm up that I do everyday. The bottom shot is the ground work in round four that I always had a hard time doing. This is actually really hard to do for a solid minute. You go back and fourth from right to left foot and you have to keep your shoulders off of the ground. It totally burns those abs!
Goals: Make those punches REAL.. like I'm punching an opponent. I didn't do this the whole time through and I noticed that George St. Pierre- the man behind RushFit always punches like he means it. My goal; to punch like GSP!
Improvements: I have improved on the 'Standing Guard Pass with Two Punches' in the last round. It's explained that going from vertical to horizontal is what really tuckers out most fighters because it's not something you always practice when you exercise.

THURSDAY-

 Day 4- Abdominal and Core Conditioning. This turned out to be my best workout. I was really into every exercise that I did. I was taking it all seriously and feeling very determined to complete all of the routines properly. Top photo I'm doing a Mountain Climber- which is really tough and the very last exercise I do in this workout. The left shot is of me completing a V-Up. I can't remember what the last exercise I'm doing is called but it is incredibly challenging to hold that pose for more than five seconds before switching to the opposite side. (Don't believe me- give it a try!)
Goals: Increase my speed in which I complete each exercise. I increase how many repetitions I do, the better the outcome!
Improvements: I completed round five with excellence. The best I've ever done it, in fact. I used to transition into each position the 'easy' way and now I'm doing it the way it is done on the video. It's a much more fluid way to complete it.

FRIDAY-

 Day 5- Cardio.  I even feel a bit douche baggy for posting a picture of me flexing, but I took it early in the week and didn't want to waste a perfectly flexed bicep. Besides, I'm proud of the muscles I recently discovered in my arms! I had Rob snap a couple of shots of me doing the wall handstands before he left for school. I wanted to see what my form was like. I think my arms could be under my body a bit more...

 At the gym-
 1. Sprint for 30 seconds at a speed of 6 and an incline of 7. Speed walk for 30 seconds.
2. Do 10 push-ups.
3. Do a wall handstand for 10 seconds. Push off with one foot on both sides for each 10 seconds. Total of 30 seconds.
-Repeat this twice for a total of 3 rounds.
 Only in the second round I increase my incline to 7.5 and my speed to 6.5. (It certainly helps me in that third round. Everything is a bit slower!)
(This Cardio Machine Workout was created by - Lisa at HappyFit Group Fitness.)

 Goals: To improve my wall handstand form. Get those arms under and create that L shape a bit better.
Improvements: My push-up quality has definitely improved. Rob gave me a helpful tip the other day and it has really improved my push-up!

 My baby is crying, so I have to rush off but I wanted to say Happy Friday to all and I'm leaving you with a classic song that Rob reminded me of the other day! He has a great ear for a fantastic tune! We watch American Idol and he always gets inspired to play something and this something he was fiddling with while we watched...Better Than Ezra "King of New Orleans".. Such a classic!!