I’ve challenged myself to write one positive thing about myself everyday for one year.
Self Esteem #47: A while ago, I was struggling to do more than 2 or 3 legit push ups where I keep my body straight and lower myself so that I almost brush my nose against the ground and raise myself back up WITHOUT BENDING MY BACK. I thought it would take forever to be able to do it better. But I can see progress! Now I can do about 6 or 7 while keeping good form and it makes me feel strong :-D
Also, squats are my new best friends
18th April 2013
I’ve challenged myself to write one positive thing about myself everyday for one year.
Self Esteem #38: Well, after a weekend (or maybe a week…or two) of junk food, I realized I’ve been slacking in my healthier habits. Been eating too much junk food and not really exercising, so today I started exercising again. I did an intense 20 mins of the first day of Tumblr Gym’s Bikini Burn Workout and it felt good :-D (note to self, document it on fitocracy) My goal isn’t to look good like the workout’s name may imply, but rather, I want to feel good, fit, and healthy :-D
When I first started the workout, I was like, this is too easy, but then I did the burpees and I was like UGGGHHH! I’m really glad I did it and I aim to do all thirty days :-D Now I need to limit my sugar again! Wheeeooo!
Notes: 2
Apparently there’s a difference between reverse and forward lunges.
(Source: fathungrypicky)
Reblogged From just-keep-gymming
I’ve challenged myself to write one positive thing about myself everyday for at least a year.
Yesterday, for volunteer training, I hiked 2.75 miles at the C&O Canal National Park for three hours in 37 degree weather (felt like 29 degrees with wind chill) and immensely enjoyed it. I can do anything.
My favorite part was climbing this traverse:
I’ve challenged myself to write one positive thing about myself everyday for at least a year.
Self-Esteem #7: About a year ago, I made a conscious effort to eat better and exercise more than I have in my life. I’ve hit a lot rough patches, didn’t exercise as much as I should have, made unhealthy eating decisions, etc.
But, yesterday I weighed myself and at first, I couldn’t believe that I was at least 10 lbs lighter than I was a year ago. I was worried because I thought it was mostly a loss of muscle, rather than fat, since I couldn’t see an improvement in fitness or endurance.
Later, I told my mom about it and she had taken my measurements a year ago so we compared; I had lost two inches from my waistline and two inches from my thigh circumference. Then I compared photos of me from a year ago and from now, and they proved that I have significantly reduced my body fat since last year.
I’m glad I’ve made progress and here’s to an even leaner and stronger body in 2013.
MAXED OUT CIRCUIT: 500 REPS OF BODYWEIGHT BRUTALITY
This was my workout today! It’s a simple, 4 move, circuit that will get your heart rate up and challenge your entire body. No equipment required, but you need to dig deep to finish all 5 rounds. I was DRIPPING with sweat and was dying by round 3!
If you’re doing this with me today, here’s a tip: Slow down and make each rep count. It’s easy to rush through workouts, trying to get the fastest time possible, but I want you to focus more on form than speed. It’s great to whip through a tough section quickly, but you’ll get more bang for your buck by using a full range of motion (getting low, going deep, extending your arms) than from blasting through. With each rep, try to make it as ‘perfect’ as you can: if you need a mini-break halfway through, take one! Keep going when you’ve caught your breath and don’t stop until you’re done.
Maxed Out Circuit: 5 Rounds of…
- 40 Sprinter Lunge Hop Ups
- 30 Side Plank Oblique Rotations
- 20 Drop Squat & Tuck
- 10 Single Leg Pushups
Novice/Beginner (low impact, no jumping)
- 20 Step Back Lunges
- 20 Modified Side Plank Rotations (keep bottom leg bent and on the floor as you rotate OR come on all fours as you alternate arms. You can also try this with a straight body, but elevated: your hand rests on a couch or chair instead of the floor).
- 20 Squat & Kick (sink down into a squat, and kick forward as you stand. Repeat switching sides).
- 10 Pushups (any modification: from the knees, against a wall, etc).
Advanced
- 40 Weighted Lunge Hop Ups (keep dumbbells by your sides as you perform the lunge and hop up).
- 30 Side Plank Flys (see description & pic here)
- 20 Drop Squat & Tuck
- 10 Elevated Single Leg Pushups (elevate feet on a chair, bench, medicine ball or stability ball to make it harder)
Give it a try and let me know how you did! xo
I tried the beginner/novice version, but I was a bit intimidated by the slide plank rotations, so instead I did bicycle crunches and I only did 3 and a half rounds. I enjoyed it and I felt like my legs were really going to benefit from this workout! Next time I’ll do all 5 rounds, do the side plank rotations, and really focus on the form of my pushups. Thanks for posting this workout!
I can already hear the groans, but I’m telling you once and for all: the best exercise for anyone to learn & do is the push-up.
Regularly adding pushups to your workout won’t just strengthen your chest. It’s a total body exercise that will also shape your shoulders, triceps, legs, glutes…
I’m really eager to improve my upper body strength and I think this will really help!
Well I finally went to the track today! There’s really no excuse since I live so close to it :-P But yay! I started with one mile. Maybe I should’ve eaten something and drank more water because when I stopped after one mile I was very light headed and felt like I might throw up. Then I did 30 pushups; first 20, then 10.
I want to get into the habit of running in the mornings, so here’s the first day of a life long habit. However, for this first week I’ll go every other day. So:
6/10 Sunday: 1 mile
6/12 Tuesday: 1 mile, 1 lap sprinting straights and jogging curves
6/14 Thursday: 1 mile, 1 lap sprinting straights and jogging curves
6/16 Saturday: 1 mile, 2 laps sprinting straights and jogging curves
Now to clean up my diet, i’ve been eating very badly. starting the day with oatmeal :-D And figure out how to put in strength training.
I rediscovered something awesome! there’s a website called fitocracy.com where you can post your workouts and see your progress as well as those of other people. I logged all my workouts (in the past week, it won’t let me fill in past this week) in with time approximations and it feels good to see my progress.
unfortunately, you have to be invited, so if you type in this code: H7AJF, you’re in! they have a little feature depicted by a fist bump called “give props” which is similar to the “like” button on facebook and it feels much better get “props” on here than it does to get a “like” on facebook. I’d love to give you “props” too :-D
FTFO
So I’ve decided to record my quest for fitness!
I started last week, but here’s what I remember/recorded:
Today Jan 4 Thursday:
- one mile warm up (10:18)
- two laps jogging curves/sprinting straights aka jc/ss (5:12)
- two laps jc/ss (4:55)
- one mile cool down (11:21)
I’ve always been scared of sprinting my hardest, but on the last straight 100 meters I went faster than I have in a long time. I think my calves felt it because then my cool down mile took forever. The temperature was about 40 degrees in Potomac, so running should be easier once I get to LA and weather conditions are on my side.
Yesterday Jan 3 Wednesday
- one mile (10:25)
- one mile (9:55)
I was really proud that I got under ten minutes, I’m not sure if I’ve ever done it before. I really want to improve my time to 8 minutes this year, so I have to train! Also, I’m super proud that I was able to do this in THIRTY DEGREE WEATHER, Maryland was below freezing for a couple days. The first cold day, I was like, it’s below freezing, I can’t go running, but then I googled running clothes for cold weather, and it mentioned clothes for 10 degree weather, so I reasoned, I should be ok in 30 degrees. My resolution was established further with this picture:
So I thought, there’s no excuse not to go exercise in this weather. So I went to my old high school track to run, but then I left earlier than I liked because the track team was going to practice soon, so I went to another school’s track and it was AWESOME! IT WAS EMPTY! My graduation year was painted in the stands, but alas it’s in blue and yellow:
The temperature and the wind was uncomfortable and made me cough a bit when I got home, but ended soon after.
Then a few days ago, I jogged two miles straight (11:27 and 11:47) which made me glad. In high school I couldn’t run two miles straight without stopping, so I was proud that I did it and felt kinda easy, which means next time I have to go faster. But I’ve made progress, so I’m glad.
Tomorrow I’m going to wake up early to go running because we’re going to run around and get ready to leave for school.
