Category Archives: Workouts

Sexy Back Work-Out and Handful Bra Raves

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I don’t know about you, but I’m planning on making an impressive “exit” at a couple New Year’s Eve parties. That’s because I’ve been working hard on sculpting a sexy back over the past few months and I’m ready to show it off in a cute little black (and white) dress.  So, imagine a fun little frock like the one to the left, but now pair with the new-and-improved back in the picture below!

 

I didn’t even know there were so many muscles in my back until my coach snapped this picture the other day at her CrossFit box. You’ll notice in the picture, I’m wearing an awesome bra top by Handful. I really can’t say enough great things about the bras made by this company, especially the Adjustable Handful Bra  which I’m sporting in purple in the pull-up picture above. First of all, the slogan at Handful is “Flatter Not Flatten” and what’s not to like about that? Even though I wear an XS in their product line (and less than an A-cup in a traditional bra), the removable pads slip discretely into inside pockets to create a shapely silhouette (and also to prevent embarrassing moments in a cold gym, if you catch my drift). You can even buy additional pads if you desire a more voluptuous look. Also, the stretchy fabric, made from a blend of  82% nylon and 18% spandex, is super comfortable and soft, much more so than other fitness tops I’ve worn.  Another perk, the straps are not just adjustable up-and-down, but also can be arranged criss-cross (as I’m wearing) to wear under t-back tanks — or even a formal dress!  This isn’t just a bunch of puff; I’m seriously loving this bra and am planning on replacing all my ill-fitting everyday bras with a wardrobe of Handful bras.

Anyway, back to the back! There are so many muscles in the back, all working together to support the spine and provide a wide rage of movement in perfect harmony. For example, the trapezius is a large triangle-shaped muscle that runs from the middle of the back up to the neck, also covering part of the shoulder blade.  When sculpted , the trapezius looks strong and sexy; but better yet, it also helps to prevent back fatigue and neck pain. Rhomboids, small muscles that run from the center of your back up to the lower neck, hold your shoulders back and help you keep great posture. External obliques, the lattisimus dorsi, and the scapula muscles are other back muscles that you can’t ignore.  When you think of a sexy back, it’s not just the “official” back muscles that you need to work out; the deltoids, a muscle group that that wraps around the top of the shoulders, are also a must-have for a show-off back.

Check out this 15-minute fitness routine targeted for the back that will have you looking like a softly chiseled goddess in just a few weeks. Challenge yourself by using weights that aren’t too heavy, not too light – but are a modest challenge. This set of back exercises focuses on strengthening your entire back while working out other muscles groups at the same time — functional and fun! Get after it two to three times per week!

 

How Did I Flippin’ Get Talked Into a CrossFit Gymnastics WOD!

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Yesterday I got schooled on sideshow tricks and such at a CrossFit Gymastics Seminar hosted at Fit and Fearless CrossFit in Austin.  Teaching us mere mortals these super-human skills was the intrepid and, might I add, impressively-strong-but-not-hulkishly-muscular, Matthew Willis from Texas Parkour.  Apparently he knows his stuff, even trained with the super agile Carl Paoli of Gymnastics WOD. I noticed that Matthew has this quote on his Facebook page, it’s a good one to keep in mind when you’re 45 like me and trying gymnastics again after 30 years —

“It’s not how many times you fall, but how many times you get back up that really matters.”

After warming up, our first challenge of the day was Diving Monkey Push Up (aka Parkour Pushup).  Seriously, when I heard the name, I wasn’t so sure this was for me and honestly, for my scrappy arms, it was one of the hardest moves of the day – my triceps were already killing me going into it.  The move is like a kipping push up and is supposed to be performed in a fluid manner, to the chopping start and stopping I found myself doing.  I’ll have to practice this all month until I have it down, but check out Valerie and Matthew working the progression:

Next, we took a little crash reminder course in the importance of keeping a Hollow Body position for many of the upcoming tricks. You have to master this “core” concept before you can move onto many of the more complex skills like kipping pull-ups and muscle-ups.  Watch how the demonstrator in the video below gets proper form by tucking head up slightly, rounding back so shoulder blades are off the ground, abs and glutes are engaged tightly, and legs are squeezed together all the way together down to the toes – now rock it!

 

We took this hollow body skill off the floor and practiced it on the bar in preparation for kipping pull-ups. Since I’ve already got this pull up skill down for the most part, I did appreciate the tips on releasing grip and re-catching grip on the upswing. Watch below I’m hanging on to my last few kipping pull-ups on quivering arms after a long morning of hard work. Video is sideways and I can’t figure out how to flip it, go figure.

On to handstands, my main takeaway was to remember to keep my hands pointed forward for better balance and to engage shoulders and core as much as possible.  Also, we practiced a front roll out as a graceful way to get out of the handstand pose if we kicked over too much.  Maybe not so graceful for me; I used to be able to flip around, walk on my hands, and all sorts of stuff – now I’m just freaked out about hurting my neck and back. But, I’m not saying I can’t do it; that would mean a 10 burpee punishment!

Finally, we showed off with our favorite tricks like one-armed handstands (holla), walking on hands, kipping handstand push-ups and more. The only thing we didn’t get to practice was a skill I’ve been trying to master for six months – the muscle up.

Jennifer and Linda rocking out the one-armed handstand!

Ode to my Exercise Ball and At-Home Proprioceptor Stimulating Moves

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Yes, I’m an ‘on the ball’ kind of runner!

Sitting alone in the corner
Super-sized yet oh-so taut,
Let me re-introduce myself,
Mr. Ball, show me what you’ve got.

To some, you’re just a child’s plaything,
But, oh, I know, you’re so much more.
We’ll rendezvous, just me and you,
Let’s rock and roll from quads to core.

Hello crunches, planks and deep side bends,
You’ve got magic moves, not for the weak.
For sure, I’ll be sore but craving more,
So let’s hook up “same time next week.”

I know, it’s weird, but I’m in a meaningful relationship with my exercise ball. Obviously normal people don’t feel the need to wax poetic about a giant rubber sphere. So, how much do I love my exercise ball? Let me count the ways:

  • With an exercise ball, I can perform a seemingly never-ending array of fitness moves that target every part of the body (I’ve included four great entry-level ones to start with below).
  • Many standard gym moves, like bicep curls or skull crushers, can be made more challenging by sitting, bridging or, in some other way, balancing on a ball.
  • As far as fitness equipment goes, an exercise ball fits perfectly into anyone’s budget. There are plenty of options in the $20 buck range.
  • It hardly takes up any space. When not in use, I hide my exercise ball in the bathtub and close the curtain!
  • It’s easy to take on a trip, just deflate and toss in the suitcase. Most hotels have an air pump and will send up a bell hop to inflate or deflate, as needed.
  • When each of my boys was a baby, gently bouncing on an exercise ball while holding him would help with fussiness.

Semi-Scientific Words on Proprioceptors and the Exercise Ball

The job of proprioceptors is to connect our brains with our bodies; in other words, to help us have a ‘sense of self.’ In constant communication with the brain and spinal cord, these neuromuscular receptors are linked to how the body moves through time and space. Proprioceptors run interference on everything imaginable, from the position of a joint to the tension of a muscle. Procioceptors in tip top shape are essential for good balance and, according to an interesting article in Runner’s World, we’ll lose up to 75 percent of our balancing ability between the ages of 25 to 75. You can join me in trying to fend off Father Time and challenge your proprioceptors to stay young by performing tasks on an exercise ball. The body’s increased need for stability and balance on an exercise ball stimulates the workload of proprioceptors, which in turn can make you a more agile, aware and injury-free athlete.

Try These Exercise Ball Moves at Home

Triceps Dip

 Sit on a workout bench or sturdy chair and place hands on edge with fingers forward. Rest your calves and ankles on top of exercise ball. Next, straighten arms while lifting hips upward. Bend arms to lower torso and then straighten arms to return to starting position. Three sets of 10 reps each.

 

 

Low-Ab Crunch

 Lie on your back with arms at side and calves resting on the ball. Without arching back, raise hips upward while keeping abdominal muscles engaged for support (see A). With hips still raised, bend your knees and roll the ball toward body with feet until they’re flat on top of the ball. Slowly return to the starting position. Three sets of 10 reps each.

 

 

Plank

Keeping toes on the ground, lean on the top of ball with forearms while keeping remainder of body in a tight plane. Engage abs and align neck with spine for proper form. Three sets of 30 – 90 second position holds.

 

 

Crunch

Rest middle back on top of ball while keeping arms straight and palms placed on upper thighs (see A). Next, slowly curl upper body forward, one vertebra at a time, while keeping hands on top of thighs. After each crunch, lower back slowly to the starting position. Three sets of 10 reps each.

Will Yasso’s 800s Help Lasso Goal Marathon Time?

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Valerie Hunt, Bart Yasso and Jennifer Fisher (me)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have a marathon coming up at the beginning of December, the Dallas Marathon.  I’ve run plenty of these races and trained using a variety of different plans. From high mileage to low mileage, heavy cross-training to just winging it, it seems that each philosophy has its own merits and misgivings. Plus, when you look at all the other things that go into marathon training, it can easily make your head spin. VO2 max, lactate threshold, nutrition issues and more, I need a nap just thinking about it.

However you plan to train, there’s a simple way to gauge your improvements and see if you’re on target to nail that special goal time. The method is called “Yasso’s 800s,” a workout popularized by Bart Yasso, aka the ‘Mayor of Running” or ‘Chief Running Officer’ of Runner’s World.  The idea is to run a progression of ½ mile intervals once a week, tacking on an extra interval each and every week until a total of ten 800s in one workout session is reached. Of course, you’ll still need to put in all the other hard work required for a marathon, including that beloved weekly long run. I’m going to give the Yasso 800s a try and see how close they predict my actual time, you should try it too!  Here’s the rundown on how to get it done;

  • About two months away from the marathon, head out to the track and run four 800s with a rest in between each that is equal to the last 800 run. Work as hard as you can, but remember that the goal is to keep each interval at an even pace. Don’t blast through the first and slow down in the last.
  •  Assuming the intervals were run evenly (within a few seconds at most), the average 800 meter time will convert into your predicted marathon time. For example, if you run 3:05 minutes for an 800, then your predicted time will be 3:05 hours for the marathon.
  •   Each week, add one additional repetition to the workout until you reach a total of ten 800s.  The first few repeats will feel relatively easy; the later ones will get harder and harder to complete.  If you can finish them all at the same pace, the theory is that you’ll be strong enough to rock the marathon at the converted time.  As the marathon approaches, give yourself a 10 day to 2 week break from this workout to rest and recover.

If you’ve tried this before, drop me a note in the comments and let me know how it worked for you. What was your 800 meter time and what was your marathon time?

Will Exercise for Smoothies, Jamba Juice Inspired Workout

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All these smoothies are for me, mwha-ha-ha!

You all know how I love my Jamba Juice and today I really earned one of their delicious, nutritious smoothies. So in hopes of inspiring others to work out hard and ‘live fruitfully,’ I want to share an exercise routine I put together, inspired by my favorite smoothie shop, Jamba Juice. Modeled after CrossFit-style workouts, this series of five functional exercises provides a full-body blast, engaging arms, legs, core and the cardiovascular system all at once.  So, let’s get started . . . . give me a “J” . . . .give me an “A.”

 

 

JENNIFER’S JAMBA WOD (Work Out of the Day)

Jump onto 20” to 24” box x 20

Air squats x 20

Mile run (at 80% effort or better)

Burpees with full push-up x 20

Alternating arm kettle bell swing x 20 (10 each side)

And, now for the fun part – repeat three times and then rehydrate with a smoothie! Feel free to post your final time to the notes; I’ll give you a virtual high five . . . and a Jamba Juice smoothie recommendation!  You know they have a dizzying array of flavors; sometimes it takes me 10 minutes just to make up my mind!  Right now I in love with the Fruit Refreshers, a slushy-like drink made with yummy fruits and coconut water which so tastefully replaces electrolytes lost out sweating in the sun. Try the Tropical Mango, Watermelon Splash or Strawberry Lemonade.

Oh, and hello! I’m a featured ambassador for Jamba Juice, check me out!

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