Ideal Form

Sprints & Moves

I just had to share this workout.  Even though it was super short, it took me a good 10 minutes to get my breathing & heart rate completely under control afterward.

I'm climbing in a comp later today; so I didn't want to fatigue my shoulders, but I needed to do something short & sweet this morning.  Generally, I don't like running indoors; but the university's gym has a little indoor track, & I've been wanting to try something.  I felt pretty hungry & drained, so I had a handful of almonds & dates before leaving the house.  I was still "starving" at the gym, so I decided to eat my orange about 15 minutes before working out.  Maybe not the best thing to do, but I needed something.

You can do more than two rounds if you want; it took me about 12 - 13 minutes & this was rough.  I don't know if I was having an off morning with the hunger & everything, or if this really is brutal; so I need you guys to try it out.

The indoor track is 0.1 mile.  I sprinted the track between each exercise -- I mean sprint -- at at least 90% with some 95 - 100% bursts in there.  I thought the exercises would be little "breaks".  Nope.  I was wiped out.

• Mountain Climbers x 50 (both legs forward = 1)
• Sprint Track
• Push Ups x 25
• Sprint Track
• Elbow/Forearm Plank - hold for 1 minute
• Sprint Track
• Elevated Dips (feet on a bench - same level as my hands) x 25
• Sprint Track

Do this twice through.

I think it's the sprinting that does me in.

Medicine Ball Interval Training Workout

I usually don't post my workouts but thought I would share today's interval training.

20 rounds:  10 seconds rest; 50 seconds maximum effort.  Repeat the following sequence 4 times.  I used a 12# medicine ball.

• Wood choppers with ball, left side
• Wood choppers with ball, right side
• Chin ups
• Cross-leg burpee [do push up with one leg on top of the other, alternate legs each burpee]
• Ball catch & throw with ball [sitting in boat pose with feet hovering off ground]

My reps are in the comments.  Let me know if you try it!

My Lats Say Hello

(originally posted at wordpress.com on 12 July 2010)

9 a.m., I’m moving through sun salutations in one of my yoga classes.  I’m focusing my breath, my mind…I lengthen my arms to the sky & suddenly glance in the mirror as I begin to fold forward.

“Hey!” my latissimus dorsi shouts back.  For those of you wondering, this is the muscle that wings out on each side just under the arm.  It is usually prominent on body builders, not women in yoga class.  This is confirmed as I quickly scan the room using the mirror.  No other lats to be seen—only beautiful curves of the female form (no men today).  As we raise our arms, I check mine again.  Yep, the outline of my curve = lats, not breasts.

I gently nudged the thought from my mind & returned focus to my breath.  Obviously, the thought never completely left.  It has been lingering in my subconscious (& not-so-subconscious), toying with my self worth.

My body is strong.  It is becoming stronger every day, which in turn, has made me start to truly love my body for the first time.  So what happened in yoga the other day?

My Ego.

It emerges by first planting seeds of doubt & insecurity; then, it judges others to build itself back up.  “Yeah, but I bet they can’t do a pull up.”  Whether this is the case or not, it has no relevance to me & my body.

When self worth is pursued by the ego, it breaks only to be pieced together again through comparison to others.  Seemingly whole, but ultimately fragile with cracks of external, superficial assurances.

How do we overcome the ego?

Let go.

Let go of comparisons & judgments.  Let go of personalizing.  Let go of external identifications.  Let go of reactions.  Let go of attachments.  Let go of excuses.

Don’t complicate things; stick with the facts.

My name is Allie.  I can do a pull up.  My "curves" are my lats.

~

What insecurities have you learned to love about yourself? -- are learning to love or are going to start loving?