“Happy Halloween Workout” Day 7

Hey Everybody!

I just finished the Day 7 workout and it’s one of those that is tough to finish quickly.  Don’t get me wrong, it’s still a quick workout, but I couldn’t beat Zuzana’s time for this one like I am able to with others.  I felt like each movement required me to take my time and take extra care to ensure that I had my form right.  At first it was frustrating, but then I remembered that it is more important to keep control in my movements and maintain proper form than to power through it at lightening speed.  You will hear me say that over and over 🙂  The next time you do this workout, you probably will be faster, and increased speed is a good thing–a sign of improvement in your fitness, but don’t beat yourself up just because you don’t finish as quickly as you thought you would.  Keep an open mind.  Be a student in your fitness journey.

Day: 7

Mood: Procrastinating (it took me forever to get off my butt)

Energy: Moderate

Workout: Killer Body Workout <—–Workout Link

Equipment: Timer

The Workout:

Rolling Jump Tuck (12)

Oblique V-ups (25 on each side)

Jump Lunges (20)

One Leg Bridge to Crunch (20 on each leg)

This is one circuit.  Complete a total of 3 to complete the workout!

My Time: 27 min and 47 sec

Modification Tips:

• Rolling Jump Tuck: You may have to rely on your arms a bit to bring yourself back up into the squat position after the roll, but be sure to engage your core muscles to get the momentum you need to come back up.  If the tuck jump is too intense, substitute it with a regular jump up–however high your fitness level will allow.
• Oblique V-ups: This one slowed me down a bit because as I started to fatigue, my oblique muscles began to cramp up a bit.  My modification advice on this one is to take your time if you need to.  If the exercise is too intense, keep your legs on the floor, lay on your side, and do side crunches rather than V-ups (with both your upper body AND legs).
• Jump Lunges: These can be daunting  because of the possible injury risk associated with them.  If you keep your form, stay balanced, and move as slowly as you need to, there should be no cause for concern.  These are great for shaping your legs and butt, not to mention they are a great cardio burn, however they are not recommended for people with knee issues 🙂  The best way to modify these is to take the jump out of it and instead do backward lunges (stepping your foot back into the lunge rather than forward).  Sink down as far as you can into the lunge (all the while keeping your front leg at a 90 degree angle or greater; knee behind your toes), and squeeze your glutes on the way up.
• One Leg Bridge to Crunch: These were the most challenging exercise for me, and I felt the strain more in my legs than in my abs.  If you cannot keep your leg up and pointed forward throughout the entire exercise, that’s ok: just keep it off of the ground.  Engage your glutes and quads (thigh) muscles to bring your hips as high up as you can during the bridge portion, and be sure to use your abs (contract) to bring your upper body up towards that raised leg rather than using momentum to force your body up <—-You risk straining your neck that way 😦

This was a great workout and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!  Tomorrow will be a hard-earned active day of rest, which will be vital considering Wednesday’s workout is going to be a tough one!  Today is the first official day of our first diet challenge and I am sipping my water as I am typing this!  For everyone who missed yesterday’s post: We are starting a series of diet challenges (like Zuzana did) to improve our eating habits and support our training.  The first one is to drink more water, preferably 64 oz a day (half a gallon).  Drink your water and enjoy your training!  I will be back with a new post on Wednesday!

Thank you for the workout Zuzana!

AND

Thank you to my readers for the feedback and time scores!  I’m ecstatic every time I hear from one of you!

-Lauren ❤