This video is a hilarious depiction of workout motivation....only in France.
Sacre bleu.
What would you have the lights form as workout motivation?
Showing posts with label workout motivation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label workout motivation. Show all posts
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Monday, September 26, 2011
Welcome to my pretend studio!
Yesterday I completed my first confirmed double digit run since my spontaneous Summer Streets 13 miler with Luna Chix Sara and Jacqui. The weather was perfect, the time constraints non-existent, and I enjoyed every moment of it in spite of my ravenous hunger (hey, it happens).
So today when my alarm went off I thought, time to run! Oh wait. You probably shouldn't go for another substantial run the day following a 2.5 hour run. See, I'm trying to be a wee bit friendlier to my poor, long suffering bank account after my stint in Manhattan and am holding off on joining a gym. Therefore, I run. I run a lot. I run all the time. These joints need a break.
In order to continue saving my precious pennies and not completely abuse my body, I've been incorporating simple yoga and pilates moves into my routine, which is conducted in my bedroom. Hey, my closet doors are mirrors so it's similar to being in a studio....?
I get inspiration from my favorite Steve Carrell look-a-like, from Cassey and from the Fitnessista. All of these provide great ideas for working out sans equipment. Full disclosure: I don't even have a yoga mat anymore. I practice on carpet. I hope we're in the trust tree right now.
Some moves that are currently saving my bank account and joints right now:
Chaturanga - I have learned to appreciate this pose on its own, and not just as a transitional pose to move from high plank to upward facing dog.
Urdhva Dhanurasana - or for you plebeians, "wheel pose." Do you ever look around the room when your instructor calls out poses by their sanskrit name to see what everyone else is doing before transitioning into the pose? Even if you regularly attend that class and the instructor introduces that pose by its sanskrit name every time? Oh, yea, no, me neither.
The Hundred - so easy, and so hard.
Burpees - ew. Now riddle me this, how does she talk like a normal person while doing this move?
Squats and lunges and pretend-push-ups. All sorts. Jumping, pulsing, on my knees, not on my knees (why is this starting to sound wildly inappropriate...)
At any rate. I bought a Groupon for a 3-month gym membership in midtown St. Louis for $59, which I'm pretty psyched out of my mind about, but until then (and possibly after that time period elapses) I'm fairly confident that I have enough body resistance moves to preserve my knee ligaments through long runs.
So today when my alarm went off I thought, time to run! Oh wait. You probably shouldn't go for another substantial run the day following a 2.5 hour run. See, I'm trying to be a wee bit friendlier to my poor, long suffering bank account after my stint in Manhattan and am holding off on joining a gym. Therefore, I run. I run a lot. I run all the time. These joints need a break.
 |
| yes even that one...I have a very tense upper body. |
In order to continue saving my precious pennies and not completely abuse my body, I've been incorporating simple yoga and pilates moves into my routine, which is conducted in my bedroom. Hey, my closet doors are mirrors so it's similar to being in a studio....?
 |
| not a picture of my room - a picture of my room through the MIRROR |
I get inspiration from my favorite Steve Carrell look-a-like, from Cassey and from the Fitnessista. All of these provide great ideas for working out sans equipment. Full disclosure: I don't even have a yoga mat anymore. I practice on carpet. I hope we're in the trust tree right now.
Some moves that are currently saving my bank account and joints right now:
Chaturanga - I have learned to appreciate this pose on its own, and not just as a transitional pose to move from high plank to upward facing dog.
Urdhva Dhanurasana - or for you plebeians, "wheel pose." Do you ever look around the room when your instructor calls out poses by their sanskrit name to see what everyone else is doing before transitioning into the pose? Even if you regularly attend that class and the instructor introduces that pose by its sanskrit name every time? Oh, yea, no, me neither.
The Hundred - so easy, and so hard.
Burpees - ew. Now riddle me this, how does she talk like a normal person while doing this move?
Squats and lunges and pretend-push-ups. All sorts. Jumping, pulsing, on my knees, not on my knees (why is this starting to sound wildly inappropriate...)
At any rate. I bought a Groupon for a 3-month gym membership in midtown St. Louis for $59, which I'm pretty psyched out of my mind about, but until then (and possibly after that time period elapses) I'm fairly confident that I have enough body resistance moves to preserve my knee ligaments through long runs.
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Seeing the single digits
In college, it was a well known fact among my friends that I did not see "the single digits." Meaning - my pupils did not show themselves to the world prior to 10 am, so help me.
I was recently reminiscing about a college class that was, ahem, not my favorite (it was math...okay, fine, it was a liberal arts logic class that fulfilled my math requirement) and how difficult it was to wake up for class, particularly on Fridays after senior bar nights on Thursdays. I remember it being nearly impossible to feel alive in a class that began at 10 am...in the middle of stating this, my friend reminded me that the class actually started at 11. Oh my.
Oddly enough in the spring semester of my senior year, I began waking up in time for breakfast. Even more impressive was that I did so although I only had class on Tuesdays and Thursdays (yes, my schedule was that good). Call it growing up, call it a love of eating as much "free" food as possible, call it what you will, I began my journey towards morning-person-dom.
Now I'm renowned for not seeing the double digits - as in, my roommates can confirm that I prefer to go to bed at 9:30. I'm 24. I'm cool, I promise.
For some reason, sleeping from 9:30 to 5 is so much more restful than sleeping from midnight to 7:30 am. I get my workouts in before work leaving me plenty of time for playtime in the evenings and an overall feeling of productivity at the end of the day.
I am now in the last week of my membership at my beloved Equinox (another thing those close to me can attest to is my abnormal appreciation for my gym - a friend called me and before even asking how I was, asked how Equinox was, as though we were in a relationship...which we might be) and am soaking up every precious second of the amazing yoga and pilates classes they offer.
One of my favorite classes is Tuesday morning pilates with the cutest, chirpiest Bonnie. Awesome because of her 90s playlists, her sweetness in spite of the fact she is lighting our abs on fire, and the fact that she shares the name of my precious childhood pup....you guessed it, Bonnie.
I have already been picking the brain of this savvy St. Louisan for gyms back home, but I have my serious concerns that anywhere will have the mescla of challenging classes, Kiehl's shower products (how else can I justify the exorbitant price of membership) and the amazing, spa-like smell? Yes, the smell. Sometimes I can smell Equinox on me...and it's intoxicating.
What do you love about your gym?
Have you ever had to break up with a gym?
Are you an early bird or night owl?
I was recently reminiscing about a college class that was, ahem, not my favorite (it was math...okay, fine, it was a liberal arts logic class that fulfilled my math requirement) and how difficult it was to wake up for class, particularly on Fridays after senior bar nights on Thursdays. I remember it being nearly impossible to feel alive in a class that began at 10 am...in the middle of stating this, my friend reminded me that the class actually started at 11. Oh my.
Oddly enough in the spring semester of my senior year, I began waking up in time for breakfast. Even more impressive was that I did so although I only had class on Tuesdays and Thursdays (yes, my schedule was that good). Call it growing up, call it a love of eating as much "free" food as possible, call it what you will, I began my journey towards morning-person-dom.
Now I'm renowned for not seeing the double digits - as in, my roommates can confirm that I prefer to go to bed at 9:30. I'm 24. I'm cool, I promise.
For some reason, sleeping from 9:30 to 5 is so much more restful than sleeping from midnight to 7:30 am. I get my workouts in before work leaving me plenty of time for playtime in the evenings and an overall feeling of productivity at the end of the day.
I am now in the last week of my membership at my beloved Equinox (another thing those close to me can attest to is my abnormal appreciation for my gym - a friend called me and before even asking how I was, asked how Equinox was, as though we were in a relationship...which we might be) and am soaking up every precious second of the amazing yoga and pilates classes they offer.
One of my favorite classes is Tuesday morning pilates with the cutest, chirpiest Bonnie. Awesome because of her 90s playlists, her sweetness in spite of the fact she is lighting our abs on fire, and the fact that she shares the name of my precious childhood pup....you guessed it, Bonnie.
 |
| BONNIE!!!! circa 2000. |
What do you love about your gym?
Have you ever had to break up with a gym?
Are you an early bird or night owl?
Friday, August 19, 2011
Treadmills are boring
That is the actual name of a playlist I created to encourage me to complete speed workouts - or any workouts, for that matter - on the treadmill, because guess what, it's true. Treadmills are boring.
Even armed with my mighty, up-beat playlist, my best laid plans to last more than five minutes on the t-mill often fall quickly asunder and I putter over to a pilates class, or the elliptical, or, you know...home...
My motivation has skyrocketed, however, since my discovery of interval training - you can get an even better workout than the slow steady run, get it done quickly and maintain level of interest? Where do I sign up?
The best part is, you don't actually have to sign up, you just have to climb on your treadmill. Or your gym's treadmill - so I guess you do have to sign up for that one. I digress. Some of my favorites have included this one (note: hard) this 'family of ones', if you will, and the most recent one I've conquered: this one from the cutest Gina which I love because it mixes hill intervals, sprint intervals, and gets me sweaty and off the treadmill in 30 minutes flat so I can do more important things, like enjoy tapas and happy hour margs with these loca chicas:
Any fave interval workouts out there, for either on or off the tread?
Any new, distracting workout songs I should download?
Help a sista out!
Even armed with my mighty, up-beat playlist, my best laid plans to last more than five minutes on the t-mill often fall quickly asunder and I putter over to a pilates class, or the elliptical, or, you know...home...
My motivation has skyrocketed, however, since my discovery of interval training - you can get an even better workout than the slow steady run, get it done quickly and maintain level of interest? Where do I sign up?
The best part is, you don't actually have to sign up, you just have to climb on your treadmill. Or your gym's treadmill - so I guess you do have to sign up for that one. I digress. Some of my favorites have included this one (note: hard) this 'family of ones', if you will, and the most recent one I've conquered: this one from the cutest Gina which I love because it mixes hill intervals, sprint intervals, and gets me sweaty and off the treadmill in 30 minutes flat so I can do more important things, like enjoy tapas and happy hour margs with these loca chicas:
 |
| more fun than a barrel of treadmills! |
Any fave interval workouts out there, for either on or off the tread?
Any new, distracting workout songs I should download?
Help a sista out!
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