Good morning. I am deliciously hung over right now, but still managed to get up and take the dog for a walk. The weather was beautiful so we did a leisurely 3 miles. Here was the veiw from the half way mark:
It looks far away but downtown is only about 10 minute drive.
I know I won’t get to the gym today, I have tons to do, so I will do a quick workout at home before I make myself presentable to the world. I usually do a lot of stability ball work, and a lot of core and static holds because I don’t have much equipment at home, but honestly, a workout just using your body weight can be just as intense, if not more so, than one with machines and dumbells.
Last night was wonderful, thanks for your well wishes. We caught a cab downtown, ate way too much food, then caught a cab to the U-District (The University of Washington town) hit some bars, and met up with some friends. The boy was feeling impulsive, so we went to get his snake bites re-done (little piercings on each side of the lower lips, like where if a snake bit itself thats where he would puncture…i guess) but his friend that could get him a discount was on break so we decided against waiting. We then went to another bar, met up with some friends, and then caught a cab home. It was a good night.
My bf is in a band, which I will now shamelessly promote. TRIP LIKE ANIMALS. Hes the one with ridiculously long hair and, yes, he smokes. If you want a CD. $5. I will mail it to you. There I did my networking for the week.
Timeofbutterflies- I couldn’t find the exact pedometer I have on the website, but it looks a lot like this. Just don’t pay more than $10 bucks for one, and make sure it has a cover because theres nothing worse than looking at your pedometer at the end of the day and seeing its at 10 steps because you accidentally hit reset. that’s pretty much my only advice.
And I will leave you know with the BEST butt, thigh, and calf exercise around:
Hamstring Curl – Supine w/ SB
Pre-Requisites :
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Preparation :
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Movement :
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And here it is on video. Ideally, your hips should be up higher than his throughout. I’m thinking since he is musclebound, he doesn’t have much flexibility. I just find these on youtube.com, I don’t know the people in them or anything.
Every Gym's Nightmare 
Thanks for that move–I’ll try it next time I’m at the gym. The video was helpful, too.
I’m motivated to get a pedometer since it seems like a great way to get moving even without a “formal” workout. Just out of curiosity, do you have a ballpark number of how many of your steps equals a mile? (I’m only 5’1”, so I would assume I need a few more steps than the average person). I like thinking in terms of miles–makes me feel more accomplished 🙂
Most pedometers have a mode button that you can hit that will switch from steps to miles. I think for me, when I get 12,000 steps it usually works out to about 5 miles, so maybe 2500ish steps. For you maybe about 2700 for you? I would just use the distance setting, though.
Hi Kelly T! I just arrived via Kath’s blog and I already love your site. Here’s a question for you: I’ve been doing a lot of squats and lunges for about 6 months now. I can see some change in my legs…not a ton. I’ve noticed though, that even though they sometimes get hard (especially the lunges), I’m never sore anymore the next day. Should I change something? I’m not using a lot of weight because I already have um, not small legs, and when I was using more weight, I felt like I was bulking up more than I wanted to. I also have kind of bad knees, so I try not to put too much extra weight because of that. Anyway, any ideas for how to add a little more challenge? Thanks!
TOTALLY digging this blog Kelly T. =) AND your layout!
NCCarter- being sore the next day isnt neessarily an indication that the exercise isnt working. But since you have been doing the same things a lot, i would recommend switching it up. Because of your bad knee, i wouldnt do high impact moves. If you send me your email I will definately send over a bunch of exercises.
Hi! I am trying to lose about 10 lbs and my gym time is limited to about an hour 3-5x a week. I have been doing HIIT cardio for about 30 minutes and weights. I know losing weight is a combo of eating habits, cardio, and strength training- but I guess I prefer to do more cardio and less strength.
What type of program would you recommend for weight loss, and what type of strength exercises?
THANKS! 🙂
Thanks!! My email is cgrimes@fmrealty.com.
Hi ! Cant wait to read more of the blog. I have a question for you. I used to workout with a personal trainer and he developped some personalized programs for me that we switched up every 1-2 months. The moves were really challenging and i got amazing results. Now that I am more confident weight training and that I am on a tighter budget, I get new ideas from mags such as womens health, shape, self, etc… The thing is, i get bored easily and can never stick to 1 workout for long. ( for example, do the moves 2-3 times a week for a month) Is it bad to always switch up the moves to get some variety or do you have to have a certain consistency when you workout. Like at least do the same moves 2 time a week for a month and then switch it up? For example, this week, i did one workout from self, one workout from womens health and one workout that i improvised, along with some cardio. Will i still get results?? Sorry about the long post !
Clarissa- if weightloss is your goal then the fact you prefer cardio to strength training is great. Do as much cardio as you can, minimum of 30 minutes per session, and get strength training is atleast twice a week, preferrably 3 times. i dont know your histroy if injuries or anything, but basic strength training is recommended to be atleast 10 exercises working your major muscle groups: calves, quads, hamstrings, glutes, abs, lower back, shoulders, biceps, triceps and shoulders. Good thing is a lot of exercises work those muscles at the same time (lunges, squats, etc) and you can even combine upper and lower body to cut the workout even shorter (walking lunges with dumbells curls, etc)
Whats HIIT?
Miss514- It is perfectly ok to switch up your routine. thats how I workout because I lose interest pretty fast. Not in working out, but in what i am doing. The only time you need to stick with a routine is if you have injuries you are trying to heal from and need to build strength back up in that area, or if you are low-functioning and trying to improve that, which is mainly elderly people. You have to work in really specialized ways to build each muscle in a certain way and order so that the progress is linear. But if you are in good health and good shape, there is no problem doing different moves all the time because you are still working the same muscles. Its also a great tool to use to prevent plateaus.
I love your blog! I’ll be checking in everyday! I have a question…. There’s different size stability balls on the market. I’m 5’4″….How can I tell which size would be best for my height?
Thanks! Im glad you like it!
for the right size, you should be able to sit on it and still be able to have your legs form a 90 degree angle with your knees above your ankles. Good question!
thanks kelly!
HIIT = High Intensity Interval Training
Google it for some awesome info! I use it and love it, and it kicks my butt. I do it with running, but it can be done with any type of cardio. A lot of people actually do regular interval training and call it HIIT–true HIIT will be 20 seconds of flat-out intensity. Longer than that, and you’re not doing “flat-out.”
It’s recommended for cardio, three sessions a week: one HIIT, one steady state, one “tempo” state (increased speed than steady, but not as intense as HIIT).
if the ball is still in the box not pumped up, how can I tell if when I sit on the ball if my legs will form a 90 degree angle? (Sorry to still be on the stability ball question) 🙂 Thanks!
Thanks for the answer ! I am happy to know I could definitely switch things up all time and keep seeing results. By the way everybody should get a trainer once if they could afford it. Its crazy how fit i became and how much that changed my life and made me love exercise and love challenging myself !
awww you are making me miss seattle ! : (
my homeeeee…it’s a jem
T.O.B.-that sounds awesome. interval and circuit training are great ways to see amazing results in not only your body but in your cardiovascular endurance and really help to keep plateaus at bay. Everyone should try and find something they love to do but wipes them out afterwards.
Beth- I guess youve got me there. If they dont have display ones, just guess and take it home and try it out. renturning it shouldnt be a problem if it doesnt work out, but honestly, a few inches here or there isnt going to make to big of a difference. as long as you feet and touch the ground and keep you stable, you should be ok.
Miss514- I agree. They can be expensive and I warn to be very careful of the trainers at “box” gyms. (24 hour fitness, gold’s gym, etc) You do not need to have any kind of degree or certification to say you are a trainer, so ask. If they are not certified through the ACE, ACSM, ISSA or ather group, they know how to lift weights and that is it. Real certification takes knowledge of anatomy, asessment skills (blood pressure, maximum oxygen uptake, etc.) muscle funtions and progressions, first aid, kinesiology, program design, principles of adherance and motivation, and special population design (high blood pressure, injuries, pregnancy, etc) You might be ok for a while, but most (not all) are not trained in how to spot weak muscles that can result in imbalances, and injuries. Also, they are not trained in how to take your goals and design safe effective programs that will help you reach those in the fastest time possible. someone who wants to lose weight cannot do the same exercises as someone who is a competitive runner that wants shave time and build their upper body for balance and expect the same results. so ask for the certification!
Emma- where did you live? i love Seattle, I live right near admiral junction/alki.
Hi Kelly, I’m also here via Kath’s blog! After years of not sticking to regular fitness (and tons of money lost on gym memberships), I’ve found that fitness DVD’s I can do at home are keeping me on track with regular exercise. Is there anything I should be careful about when using home DVD’s (I’m careful with knees and rotator cuffs! ) and are there any DVD’s you would recommend?
I currently do a little TaeBo, power walking, and weight lifting. Thanks!
Laura- wlecome! Good for you for finding something you can stick with instead of giving up. i, too, am partial to working out at home. im really busy so when i get to cut out travel time to and from the gym, it really helps.
The only thing i would recommend is get a great variety. Make sure you have a good mix of cardio, strength training and flexibiliy. I prefer straight weightlifting, no dancing or anything like that, but whatever keeps it fun for you is perfect. They are designed to be safe for healthy adults, but if you have any special injuries or anything let me know and I can tell you have to modify it and what to watch out for, but other than that, you are good to go!
YAY! What an awesome and amazing blog!! Way to go! 🙂
How many days a week do you work out???
Hi Kelly, what do you mean by flexibility? What exercises improve flexibility?
Thanks!