"Charlotte Today" - Back on TV I go!!

I appeared this morning on "Charlotte Today" once again as their fitness expert.  I had a goofy time chatting about how to exercise your way to better cleavage.  I'm not sure how much helpful information I really got out there...lots of silliness and joking around predominated.  Below is the online link to my clip.

http://www.wcnc.com/charlotte-today/How-to-get-a-sexy-cleavage-103292539.html

"Charlotte Today" Live Stage Show at Southern Women's Show

I spent this past Saturday morning at the Southern Women's Show, a convention full of beauty and shopping booths, freebies, auctions, beauty pageants, food, etc.  The television show that hosts me monthly for a fitness segment had me join its live stage show held on the main stage at the big event.  Colleen, the host of the show, and I (in my Britney Spears-like headset microphone) got to lead a gaggle of ladies in a series of exercises. The theme of my gig was exercises you can do at home or in a hotel room, without any real equipment or skill, in order to fry up a whopping number of calories in a matter of minutes.  It was a long day full of lots of waiting around, but I had a ball, and it was totally worth the wait.

Enjoy the below photos of the event taken by professional photographer/ videographer, Julio Barriga, of JBvideoandphotography.com.

My Latest TV Appearance...How to Get Flat Abs (post-baby, too)

http://www.wcnc.com/charlotte-today/Flatten-your-abs-99240279.html

Strength Training with Speed

AMRAP  (As Many Reps As Possible) in 20 minutes:

*10 x Squat Jump (w/ 10 lb. med ball held steady at chest level) Up to a Bench (6 risers high on ea. side) (land atop bench in squat, then step off, repeat)
*10 ea. side x Single Arm Squat Thrusters (w/ one 15 lb. dumbbell)
*10 x Tricep Dip - Swing Back - Push-Up (done between 2 benches (12 risers total for ea. bench) w/ one hand on each bench)
*10 ea. side x Lunge - Bicep Curl - Touch Floor - Switch Legs (w/ set of 15 lb. dumbbells)

Plan for Tuesday

*WARM-UP

*2 to 3 different TABATAS (8 rounds of 20 sec. ON/10 sec. OFF)

*CROSSFIT WORKOUT: "KELLY" = 5 rounds for time of: *400m Run, *30 Box Jumps, *30 Wall Balls

*ABS

*SPRINTS: 3 times through the following
-2 x (60 yd. Sprint Forward there/ 60 yd. Run Backwards back)
-200 m Sprint

*STRETCH

My Workout for Tomorrow

Here's what I have planned for myself tomorrow:

DYNAMIC WARM-UP: High Knee March, Butt Kickers, Lung to Drive-Up, X-Body Kicks, Fire Hydrants, Tap-in/Tap-out Single-Leg Hoppers

3 TABATAS: each tabata = 8 rounds of 20 sec. ON/10 sec. OFF
1) Running (treadmill at speed: 8.0; incline: 12.0)
2) Tuck Roll to Squat Jump
3) alternating rounds of Split Squat Jumps and Overhead Press (15 lb. DBs)

CONDITION: 10 rounds for time of
*100 x Jumps of Rope
*10 x Burpees
*10 x 35 lb. DB Swings
*10 x Squat to Box Jumps (squat down to a stack of 4 risers; jump up to a step built up w/ 8 risers on ea. side)

STRENGTH: "Clean Complex Plus"; 3 - 5 x through
*5 x Sumo Dead Lift High Pull (w/ 45 lb. barbell)
*5 x Clean (45 lb. barbell)
*5 x Front Squat (45 lb. barbell)
*5 x Behind-the-Neck Squat Thruster (45 lb. barbell)
*5 x Bent-Over-Row (45 lb. barbell)
*5 x Dead Hang Chin-Ups
*10 x Hanging Pike-Ups

SPRINTS:
*10 x 60 yd. Forward Sprints
*10 x 60 yd. Backwards Running Sprints

ABS:
*60 x Med Ball Russian Twists
*15 ea. x Tweaked (Side Tilt) Med Ball Leg Raises
*20 x Sit-Up to Med Ball Toss Overhead
*30 sec. ea. x Single-Arm Med Ball Plank Hold (w/ one hand on MB)
*Butterfly Series (legs in butterfly position: 20 crunches; 20 leg lifts; 20 ea. side oblique crunches)
*10 ea. x Plank-Twist-Toe Touch

STRETCH

Power Sculpt #2

I taught this one last Sunday:

DYNAMIC WARM-UP: (in place or traveling): High Knee March, Butt Kickers, Lunge to Drive-Up, X-Body Kicks, Fire Hydrants

CARDIO WARM-UP: 2 x through
*30 sec. Jumping Jacks
*30 sec. Jack-Squat Touch Floor
*30 sec. Fake Jump Rope
*30 sec. Plank Jacks

ARMS: Countdown 10 reps all the way to 5 reps of 3 kinds of Single-Arm Punches w/ a 10 lb. dumbbell
*Punch Straight Ahead
*Punch Straight Up Overhead
*Punch Down

STRENGTH SET #1:
*20 x Push-Up to Toe-to-Shoulder Tap
*20 x (10 w/ R arm leading; 10 w/ left arm leading) Plank Walks w/ Arms Straddling Bench Lengthwise
*1/2 of an Air Squat Tabata (4 rounds of 20 sec. ON/10 sec. OFF) (butt must touch a stack of 4 risers w/ each squat down)
*20 x Push-Up to Toe-to-Shoulder Tap
*10 ea. Plank Walks
*1/2 of an Air Squat Tabata

COUNT UP/ COUNT DOWN: alternating 2 exercises; Ex. A: count down from 10 to 1 rep(s); Ex. B: count up from 1 to 10 rep(s)
*Ex. A: Single-Leg Dead Lift (w/ one 10 to 15 lb. dumbbell)
*Ex. B: Sit-Up to Overhead Press (10 lb. dumbbells)

FULL-BODY TRNG: 4 exercises 3 times through as quickly as possible; 1 min. rest b/w sets
1) 10 ea. x Lateral Step-Ups w/ one dumbbell or MB overhead (held in same side hand as foot that's atop bench)
2) 20 x Sumo Dead Lift High Pulls (15 lb. DBs)
3) 10 x Burpee Box Jumps
4) 10 (5 ea.) x Split Squat Thrusters (15 lb. DBs)

TABATA: 8 rounds of 20 sec. ON/10 sec. OFF; alternating rounds of two difft. exercises
*Ex. A: X-Body Punches (5 lb. DBs)
*Ex. B: Mountain Climbers

ABS:
*1 Min. Plank Hold w/ Feet Atop Bench or a Medicine Ball
*15 x ea. Bird Dog (on hands and knees, start w/ opp. arm and opp. leg extended; draw L elbow to R knee (keeping foot of moving leg flexed/flat throughout)
*1 Min. Lazy Bug (lay on back w/ opp. leg and opp. arm extended, switch slowly and w/ control for duration)
*15 ea. side x Opp. Hand to Opp. Toe Single-Leg Pike-Ups
*1 Min. Plank Hold w/ Arms Atop Bench

STRETCH

Power Sculpt

Goodness, I haven't posted a workout here on my blog in ages!  We've been loving the baseball life this summer as a family in Fresno, but we have been BUSY.  The blog has taken a backseat to preschool, Grizzlies games, pool time, etc.  I've been teaching Power Sculpt and Boot Camp classes at the local gym, and I thought I'd start posting the content of some of those classes, as well as some of my individual workouts.

POWER SCULPT #1:

I) DYNAMIC WARM-UP:
*High Knee March, Butt-Kickers, Fire Hydrants, X-Body Kicks, Lunge to Drive-Up

II) GENERAL WARM-UP:
*20 x Repeaters atop bench
*10 ea. x Lunges w/ front foot on bench
*10 ea. x Lunges w/ back foot on bench
*20 x Repeaters
*10 x Squat Jump up to Squat Land atop bench
*Plank Knee Dip Series (hold plank w/ elbows atop bench; dip knees to touch floor w/o any pelvic movement: 20 x feet together, 20 x feet hip-width apart, 20 x wide legs)
*10 x Squat Jump up to Squat Land atop bench

III) ARM SERIES:
*15 x Push-Up to Hop In
*30 sec. x Cross-Body Punches (w/ 5 lb. dumbbells)
*Tricep Dips (20 x regular; 10 x w/ L leg elevated; 10 x w/ R leg elevated)
*30 sec. x Cross-Body Punches
*45 sec. ea. arm of Seated Bicep Curls
*30 sec. x Cross-Body Punches

IV) Full-Body Strength + Gliders
*15 ea. x Single-Arm Snatch
*15 ea. x Single-Arm Thruster (squat to overhead press w/ one arm (10-15 lb. dumbbell)
*15 ea. x Cross-Body Leg Glide (w/ glider/paper plates under both feet, hold plank, then glide R foot up to L shoulder 15 x's, then switch legs)
*10 ea. x S-A Snatch
*10 ea. x S-A Thruster
*10 x Glider Pike-Ins
*5 ea. x S-A Snatch
*5 ea. x S-A Thruster
*5 ea. leg x 2 sec.-count Mountain Climber to Single-Leg Side Swipe

V) PLYOS and HAMSTRING RUNNERS
*40 ea. leg x Single-Leg Push-Offs on bench
*30 sec. x Glider Hamstring Runners (lay on back with one glider/paper plate under each heel; run)
*20 ea. x Single-Leg Side-to-Side Push-Overs on bench
*30 sec. x Glider Hamstring Runners
*10 x Burpee to Box Jump up to bench
*30 sec. x Glider Hamstring Runners

VI) ARM SERIES: count up - 1 rep ea. up to 10 reps ea. of:
*Upright Row to Bicep Curl to Overhead Press to Tricep Extension

VII) FULL BODY STRENGTH: 2 to 3 x's through
*10 x Split Squat Thrusters (15 lb. dumbbells in ea. hand)
*20 x Bent-Over Row
*10 ea. x Single-Arm Bent-Over Row
*20 x Plank Arch-Pikes

VIII) BACK AND ABS: 2 x through
*20 x Full Leg Lifts
*20 x Tuck-Over Pelvic Tilts
*20 x Suitcase Crunches
*20 x Back Arch-Ups
*20 x Super Mans (jumping jack movement on belly)
*20 x Back Leg and Arm Flutters

The Metabolic Run

Tested this out this morning in my driveway with my two favorite clients...making sure it's usable for my hard core 5:45 AM Athletic Conditioning crew tomorrow.

METABOLIC RUN: The sprints are the length of a long driveway, one length of a block in your neighborhood, or the horizontal/sideways length of a soccer field

*Use one set of dumbbells (as heavy as you can tolerate; I used 15 lbs. this morning)

1) Sprint there and back - 15 sec REST
2) 10 total Push-up to Row (w/ dumbbells) - 15 sec REST
3) Frog Hop there, Sprint back - 15 sec REST
4) 10 Squat Jumps (w/ dumbbells held down at sides throughout) - 15 sec REST
5) 20 Overhead Press to Side Shuffle there and back - 15 sec REST
6) 15 Sumo Dead Lift High Pulls to Sprint there and back - 15 sec REST
7) Suicide Run (run fwd to half-way mark, run bkwds back, run full length, run bkwds back) - 15 sec REST
8) 10 Burpees - 15 sec REST
9) 20 Air Squats to Spring there and back - 15 sec REST
10) 15 Squat Thrusters to Karaoka there and back - 15 sec REST
11) Sprint there, 20 Squat Jumps, Spring back - 15 sec REST

Today's Workout: Count Up/Count Down

You can do this #/rep scheme with any set of two exercises you choose.  I tried to pick two exercises per set that 1) worked different muscle groups, that 2) consisted of opposing pushing and pulling movements, or that 3) forced a lot of work getting up from and down to the ground over and over again.

The Rep Scheme: Count Down/Count Up (counting down from 10 to 1 for exercise A; counting up from 1 to 10 for exercise B) (**no rest until complete count down/count up set is complete!)

Ex. A x 10
Ex. B x 1

Ex. A x 9
Ex. B x 2

Ex. A x 8
Ex. B x 3

Ex. A x 7
Ex. B x 4

Ex. A x 6
Ex. B x 5

Ex. A x 5
Ex. B x 6

Ex. A x 4
Ex. B x 7

Ex. A x 3
Ex. B x 8

Ex. A x 2
Ex. B x 9

Ex. A x 1
Ex. B x 10

I did this rep scheme 3 times through; below are my choices for Exercises A and B for each round.

ROUND #1:
Exercise A - Squat Thruster (squat to overhead press w/ a set of medium weight dumbbells)
Exercise B - Sumo Dead Lift High Pull (stiff leg dead lift to upright row w/ same set of dumbbells)

ROUND #2:
Exercise A - Straight Leg Sit-Up (keep legs straight out in front and arms pinned and crossed across chest throughout)
Exercise B - Lunge w/ One Weight Held Overhead (lunge L and lunge R counts as 1 rep)

ROUND #3:
Exercise A - Single Leg Dead Lift (balance on one leg, hold one dumbbell, squat as low as possible trying to touch dumbbell to floor, maintain flat back throughout, never put other leg down on floor, may need to hold onto something for balance)
Exercise B - Side Bend (hold one dumbbell overhead, suck belly button into spine and tilt R and L)

Second TV Appearance

I had my second appearance this past Monday as a fitness expert on "Charlotte Today," the morning news/variety show on Charlotte's NBC affiliate, WCNC.  I had a ball doing it, and I can't wait to do it again soon I hope.

Here is the link for the online clip: http://www.wcnc.com/charlotte-today/How-to-get-Michelle-Obama-arms-90638084.html

Enjoy!

Good 'Ol Supersets

I've been so focused on the CrossFit type workouts ever since I got certified that I kind of lost sight of my old tried and true superset workouts: 4 resistance exercises done in a circuit type manner 3 times through with as little rest between exercises as possible.  Here's what I did today.  Nice to switch it up and get back to the old stuff sometimes.

SUPERSET #1: 3 x through
*15 x Bosu Squat-Thrusters (turn Bosu over so that the dome in on the floor (unstable surface), jump feet out into a plank position with hands on edges of Bosu, hop feet in, stand up, and thrust Bosu in arc (straight elbows) up overhead in a quick, dynamic movement)
*10 ea. leg x Single Leg RDL at Weight Stacks
*10 x Kipping Pull-Ups; 5 x Pull-Overs
*30 sec. Single Leg Bridge Holds w/ Hell on Med Ball

SUPERSET #2: 3 x through
*10 x Donkey Kick to Overhead Press (use a step w/ 2 risers on ea. side, hands on step, feet straddling step lengthwise, kick heels to butt, land in squat, then overhead press 10 lb. dumbbells while remaining in squat position
*30 x Plank Walks on Step (2 risers ea. side) (in plank position with hands on bench and feet on floor, walk hands up and down on and off bench)
*15 x Plyo Push-Ups (hands on med ball in plank position, drop hands to side of med ball, do a push-up and hop hands back up onto balanced position on med ball...SO hard!)
*10 ea. leg x Single Leg Deadlift (12 lb. dumbbells in each hand, balance on one leg, squat down to floor so that dumbbells touch floor, then rise up using that one leg to do the work)

Monday's Athletic Conditioning Class

This is what I did with my AC Class Monday morning.  Keep in mind that I have a stress fracture in my foot (ugh, such a bummer!)...no running or jumping for me...I forced my poor class to suffer right along with me: no running or jumping for them either!  So, I had to get a bit creative.  What total body/multi-joint moves can you do that don't involve anything below the knee??  Hmmmm, LOTS of squatting and shoulder work...ouch.


AMRAP (As Many Reps As Possible) in 4 Minutes of:
*10 Wall Balls (10 lb. Med Ball)
*10 ea. leg of Split Squat Wall Balls (do not switch legs b/w reps, all 10 on one side then switch, throw ball horizontally directly at wall (not overhead))
*10 total Push-Up to Row (10 to 15 lb. dumbbells)
*Single Arm Snatch (using one 15 lb. dumbbell)

-perform 2 rounds of this 4 min. AMRAP workout with one minute of rest in between sets, then do rounds 3 and 4 with same AMRAP/time scheme, just alter the exercises to:
*10 Double-Dip Wall Balls (2 squats for every overhead throw of the med ball)
*10 ea. leg of Split Squat Wall Balls
*Rolling Med Ball Push-Ups
*Sumo Deadlift High Pulls (two 15 lb. dumbbells)

-this ends up being 4 x 4 min of work, with 1 minute of rest between sets...for a total of 20 minutes

Quick and Effective

4 Min. of Work; 1 Min. of Rest; 4 times through...

(all done with 45 lb. barbell)

*Sumo Dead Lift High Pull (= Dead Lift + Upright Row) x 5
*Hang Clean x 5
*Front Squat x 5 (bar racked on front of shoulders)
*Squat Thruster (bar racked behind head on top of shoulders) (press bar overhead as coming up out of squat) x 5
*Bent Over Row x 5
*40 (80 total) Cross-Body Punches (5 lb. dumbbells)

Try This One Today

Try this workout today (a CrossFit-type format: quick, high intensity, high power output).  It was a toughie for me this morning...my first bit of activity in four days...returned home yesterday afternoon from a FABULOUS weekend trip to NYC with my best girlfriend from home, Natalie.

CONDITIONING:
AMRAP (As Many Reps as Possible) in 4 minutes; 1 minute rest b/w sets; 4 total sets (20 min. of work):
*3 Power Cleans (45 lb. barbell)
*2 Push Presses (45 lb. barbell)
*5 Burpees

ABS/ARMS: 3 times through
*10 Pull-ups (kipping)
*Ab Set on Stability Ball:
   *10 ea. Tuck-ins and Pike-ups (alternating tuck and pike) (in a plank position w/ feet on ball, rolling ball in toward hands using a tuck-in method and a pike-up method)
   *15 ea. side of Side-ups (feet pressed vs. a wall, on side, hands behind head, lift torso up using obliques)
   *10 Roll-outs (in plank position w/ elbows on ball, butt up in a slightly piked position w/ a slight arch in lower back, roll elbows out to nearly straight arms and back in)

STRETCH

My Monday Evening Group Workout

This is what we did in my driveway and garage yesterday evening...four out of four clients survived it!

DYNAMIC WARM-UP: down length of driveway
*High Knee March, *Walking Butt Kickers, *High Knee Run, *Running Butt Kickers, *Backwards Running Butt Kickers, *Opposite Hand to Opposite Toe Leg Kicks, *Side Squat (down and back facing same direction), *Lunge to Knee-Ups, *Jog back

CONDITIONING:

1) Sprint + Plyos + Strength Set: 3 times through; 30 sec. rest b/w sets

*Sprint Fwd. down driveway; Run Backwards back
*10 Tuck Jumps
*20 Air Squats

2) Metabolic Run (this one's a toughie!)

*Sprint 1/2 way down driveway; sprint back - 15 sec. rest
*Sprint full length and back - 15 sec. rest
*Karaoka full length and back - 15 sec. rest
*Power Skip (exaggerated, high hop skipping) full length and back - 15 sec. rest
*Sprint 1/2 way and back - 15 sec. rest
*Frog Hop 1/2 way; sprint back - 15 sec. rest
*5 Burpees to Power Skip full length and back - 15 sec. rest
*Sprint full length and back - 15 sec. rest
*Sprint full length, run backwards back - 15 sec. rest
*10 Plank Jacks to Duck Walk 1/2 way; jog back

STRENGTH: 2-3 x through

*Wall Squats (facing a wall with body/toes as close to wall as possible, arms overhead, squat as low as possible...very tough on the erector muscles along both sides of your spine) x 15

*Med Ball Squat-Shrugs (squat down, touch M.B. to floor, explosively rise up and shrug shoulders to ears w/ straight arms holding ball at arms' length) x 20

*30 sec. ea. side Single-Leg Bridge Holds

*Rolling Med Ball Push-ups (place one hand on med ball, push-up, roll ball to other hand, push-up, repeat) x 7 ea. arm

ABS:

*20 Butterfly Leg Lifts
*20 Butterfly Shoulder Lifts
*20 Butterfly Leg Lifts
*20 Butterfly Shoulder Lifts
*20 Pelvic Curl-ups
*20 Pelvic Curl-ups + Elbows to Knees
*20 Pelvic Curl-ups
*20 Pelvic Curl-ups + Elbows to Knees
*10 Full Leg Lifts

CrossFit Weekend

It's official...I am now a CrossFit Level 1 Certified Trainer.  I spent this entire past weekend holed up in our local CrossFit gym, which they refer to as a "box."  I am not kidding you, it was truly a box...no heat...brrr.  I heard lecture upon lecture, learned progression after progression for each exercise and lift, and was forced to try my hand at some insanely difficult uber-high intensity workouts.  I left feeling inspired...and actually a bit under-qualified to help anybody do CrossFit!=)  I still have a lot of "learning by doing" left to do, I think.

I trained my Monday evening crew at my home gym last night, and I applied all sorts of new techniques and exercises into our workout that I'd learned from the CrossFit trainers over the weekend.  Looks like it's already paying off.  Example: When performing a squat, turn your toes just slightly out (somewhat duck-footed), so as to ensure that your knees naturally track right over your toes (it also allows you to get deeper into your squat).

Below is the CrossFit workout, called "Fran," that they had us do at the very end of day of our training.  Yikes!

FRAN: Done for time (no rest)

*21 Thrusters (65 lb. barbell racked under chin; full squat to an immediate overhead press)
*21 Pull-ups (yes, 21 full chin-ups!!)

*15 Thrusters
*15 Pull-ups

*9 Thrusters
*9 Pull-ups

I was a nervous wreck before trying this, as I've NEVER before thrown such high weight overhead.  They'd prepared me all day long, so I knew how to do it safely, but still I was a wreck.  I chose a lighter bar (55 lb., instead of 56 lb.), and I ended up completing Fran in 5 min. and 27 sec. (or something close to that in that 5 min. range).  I'm not really looking forward to ever having to do this one again=)...it's a BEAST!

Like Mother, Like Kiddos

I promise I've never shown my kids, Ellie and Charlie, how to work a cardio machine, lift a weight, or do a push-up...and yet, I fear the exercise bug might just be in their blood=).  This is how I found them entertaining themselves while I cleaned up after bath time the other night.

Wednesday Workout...Plyos Plus Strength

I am a huge believer in plyometric training...the ultimate way to maintain a high heart rate while strength training.  Here's the workout I did early this morning at home in my garage and upstairs gym; it involves a short plyo circuit, followed by two strength supersets. It took me about an hour and ten minutes to complete...leaving me enough time to shower and dress before the kids woke up.

WARM-UP: 3 x through
*300 Jump Rope
*15 Burpees
*10 ea. side of Med Ball Wood Choppers

PLYOS: 3 x through
     NOTE: (reqs. 2 boxes to jump up to - 1) Low Box (~12 " high); 2) Medium Box (~24 " high)
*Squat to Box Jump (up to Med. Box, holding 10 lb. Med Ball at chest)
*Side-to-Side Push-Offs (over Low Box)
*30 ea. leg of Med Ball Repeaters (quick step-ups on one leg up to Low Box, holding 10 lb. Med Ball at chest)

STRENGTH:

SUPERSET #1: 3 x through
*20 Med Ball Cleans (see crossfit.com for video demonstration of this exercise)
*20 Squat Thrusters (squat to overhead press) (w/ 15 lb. dumbbells)
*10 ea. leg of Pillar Lunges (lunge forward and backward on one leg w/o touching foot down in middle)
*20 Sumo Dead Lift High Pulls (15 lb. dumbbells) (see crossfit.com for video demonstration)

SUPERSET #2: 3 x through
*10 ea. side of Single Arm Snatch (20 lb. dumbbell) (crossfit.com)
*20 Side Shuffle-Shuffle Touch (10 lb. Med Ball) (shuffle twice to one side, then squat down and touch med ball to floor, then same thing the other way) (20 total touches; 10 to ea. side)
*10 Pull-Ups

ABS:
*Plank Hops up to Low Step/Box (hop w/ hands up to and down from a low step w/o losing plank position)
*Elbow Plank Leg Lifts (20 ea. side)
*Elbow Plank Knee Touches (20 w/ narrow feet; 20 hip width feet; 20 wide legs)
*Plank-Twist-Toe Touch (10 ea. side)
*Plank Hop-in; Hop-out to Leg-Jack (20)

Today's Workout: The "Nose Smasher"

Dumb, dumb, dumb.

I appeared on live television at 11 AM this morning.  I, for some reason, thought it would be a really good idea (relaxing, maybe?) to workout very early before my kids woke up, so that I'd have it all done for the day before I even had to head to the station.  Apparently, a 4:45 AM wake-up call makes for a REALLY dumb blond.

The "Abs" portion of my morning workout, which is listed below, was cut just a bit short when I smashed a 10 pound weight plate into the tip of my already-twice-broken nose...instant bloody nose and all! When I say I smashed it, I really mean that I SMASHED it.  Luckily, I hit the flexible cartilage portion of it, instead of the bony part, but still, I was looking for black eyes all morning long.  Just what I needed before appearing on TV!!

Anyway, here's the workout: (advice - don't swing a weight plate around while doing the tuck-ups)

WARM-UP:
1) Stair Climber Tabata: 20 sec. ON/ 10 sec. OFF x 8
2) Elliptical Tabata: 20 sec. ON/ 10 sec. OFF x 8
3) Air Squat Tabata: 20 sec. ON/ 10 sec. OFF x 8

STRENGTH/CONDITION:
1) 3 x through:
*40 Overhead Press (15 lb. dumbbells) to 5 Pull-Ups (aka Chin-Ups)
*15 Burpees to 5 Pull-Ups
*Single Leg RDL at weight stack to 5 Pull-Ups
*40 Plank Jacks (leg jumping jacks in plan position) to 5 Pull-Ups

2) 5 x through:
*10 x 30 lb. Dumbbell Squat Swing
*10 Box Jumps
*10 Bent Over Row w/ barbell

ABS: (oops!...smash!...never made it through these, myself)
*25 Pike-Ups w/ 10 lb. weight plate (initiate at chest, move to touch toes)
*20 Tuck-Ups (optional: w/ 10 lb. weight plate at chest)
*Side Bridge Leg-Ups (15 ea. side)
*Floor Runs (15 ea. leg) (begin sitting w/ both legs straight out in front of you; move one leg from straight out front to straight back w/ running stride arms...back and forth with the leg, remain seated)
*20 Mid-Straddle V-Ups, 20 V-ups to R, 20 V-ups to L

As Seen on WCNC's "Charlotte Today" This Morning...

http://www.wcnc.com/charlotte-today/Ditch-the-cardio-machine-85829947.html

Oh, my!...was I ever nervous?!

Sunday Workout Group at my Home

Here's what we're up to tomorrow afternoon: (Level - Beginner/Intermediate)

Dynamic Warm-Up (using the length of my driveway)
*Walking Hamstring Stretch
*Walking Ankle Cross-Over I.T. Band Stretch
*Walking Lunge (opp. elbow touches opp. ankle)
*Duck Walk
*2 x: High-Knee March/Run there and Butt Kickers back

Conditioning (length of driveway)
*1 Minute of Mountain Climbers
*partner switch: 1 x Side Shuffle there-back

*45 Sec. Mtn. Climbers
*partner switch: 2 x Side Shuffle there-back

*30 Sec. Mtn. Climbers
*partner switch: 3 x Side Shuffle there-back

Tabata: Squat-Thrust-Jump (20 sec. ON/10 sec. OFF x 8 (total 4 min.))

In the Gym:

Superset #1: 2-3 x through
*Push-up + Hop-in/Hop-out (remain in plank) x 10
*Bird Dog x 10 ea. side
*Side-to-Side Band Walk x 15 ea. side
*Squat Jumps (bum touches low box) x 10

Superset #2: 2-3 x through
*Sumo Deadlift High Pulls w/ dumbbells x 1 Min.
*Overhead Press x 1 Min.
*Cross Body Punches x 1 Min.
*Bridge Hold w/ Heels on Low Step x 1 Min. (alternate 10 sec. hold w/ 10 pulses)

Abs:
*Lazy Bug x 20 ea. side
*V-Sit Tuck-ins x 20
*Single Leg V-Sit Tuck-ins x 10 ea. side
*Plank Arch-to-Pike x 15
*Plank Leg Jacks x 10

A Few Diet Tips

#1: Eat fewer calories than you burn...obviously!...but be conscious of this.
        ~Note: You can estimate your resting metabolic rate by multiplying your body weight by ten; i.e. 135 lb. woman's estimated RMR = 135 x 10 = 1350 kcal
        ~Total calories burned for the day can be estimated by adding your exercise/activity calorie burn total to your estimated RMR; ex: My est. RMR = 1350 kcal; I did an Athletic Conditioning class yesterday morning that probably burned about 500 kcal; other activity throughout the day: maybe 200 kcal??; so, a conservative estimate of my total daily calories burned = 1350 + 500 + 200 = 2050 kcal for the day (if I'm trying to lose weight, I should have eaten fewer than 2050 kcal yesterday)
#2: Eat a great breakfast...include carbs, protein, and healthy fat
(vegetable, nut, fish fats)
#3: Eat a significant snack mid-morning (instead of grabbing little
snacks here and there throughout the morning; plan your snack in
advance, and stick to only that), ex: half of a turkey sandwich, a
small peanut butter sandwich, a banana and a chocolate milk, an apple
and a handful of almonds, half of a bagel (or a bagel thin) with cream
cheese, etc.
#4: Eat a healthy lunch of moderate portion
#5: Eat a second snack in the late afternoon (just like in the
morning...plan it ahead of time and stick to it; same food options as
with the morning snack)
#6: Keep that dinner smaller...and make sure you're eating lean
protein, along with some whole grain carbohydrate (lots of varied
colored veggies, too)
#7: Whole grains!
#8: Occupy your mouth by chewing gum to avoid a craving (plus, some foods taste terrible post-minty freshness)
#9: Fill your tummy up with water...or better yet, my fave: Crystal Lite (mmmmm)

Workout of the Day

Below is the workout I put my 5:45 AM Athletic Conditioning class through this morning at the Morrison YMCA here in Charlotte:

1) Conditioning with a Partner - each person at opposite ends of the long length of basketball court

*Partner 1: Bosu Burpees for 1 minute

*Partner 2: Wall Balls for 1 minute

-partner switch (1 minute)

-then partners alternate:

*Side Shuffle there-back x 1

*Side Shuffle there-back x 2

*Side Shuffle there-back x 3

~quick rest

*Partner 1: Bosu Burpees (w/ 2 push-ups) for 1 minute

*Partner 2: Wall Balls (w/ 2 full squats) for 1 minute

-partner switch (1 minute)

-then partners alternate:

*Side Shuffle there-back x 1

*Side Shuffle there-back x 2

*Side Shuffle there-back x 3

2) Tabata with Cross-Body Punches (ladies: 3-8 lb. dumbbells; guys: 10-12 lb. dumbbells)

       -8 x 20 sec. ON/10 sec. OFF for total of 4 minutes

3) Strength/Conditioning in Aerobics Room or over Short Length of Basketball Court: (gliders and heavy dumbbells; ladies: 12-15 lbs., guys: 20-25 lbs.)

*20 Overhead Press to Glide Forward there/Glide Backward back

*15 Squat Jumps to Suicide Run

*10 ea. Single Arm Snatch to Glide Fwd there/Glide Bkwd back

*5 ea. Push-Up to Row to Suicide Run

*15 Squat Thrusters to Glide Fwd there/Glide Bkwd back

*40 total Mountain Climbers with Gliders to Suicide Run

*20 Sumo Deadlift High Pulls to Glide Fwd there/Glide Bkwd back

*15 Dumbbell Squat Swings to Suicide Run

*15 ea. Single Arm Squat Thrusters to Glide Fwd there/Glide Bkwd back

4) Abs: (mat)

*40 Hollow Body Rockers

*40 ea. Side-Laying Side-Ups

*20 Full Tuck-Ups

*20 ea. Side-Lean Tuck-Ups

*20 ea. Single-Leg Tuck-Ups

*5 ea. Plank-Twist-Toe Touches

Starting a Saturday AM Group at AIM - I think!

I am planning on starting a Saturday morning small group workout at AIM Fitness.  Beginning March 6th, from 9 AM - 10 AM every Saturday, I will be hosting a boot camp for $20.  I have only 2 people signed up so far...any other takers?

SIDE NOTE: Unfortunately, I will be unavailable 2 of the 4 Saturdays in March.  If you are interested, however, we can come up with a plan for makeup sessions.  Looks like we're on for all Saturdays through both April and May, though.

SIDE NOTE #2: By paying for 4 sessions up front (i.e. one month), you get a $10 discount...$70 for 4 sessions.  If you sign up for weekly planning of the rest of your week's workouts, it's only $10 extra per month.

Morrison Family YMCA Boot Camp: 3/8 - 3/12

I will be joining three of the most popular YMCA group exercise instructors in the South Charlotte area (Leonard Wheeler (former NFL player), Michelle Crawford (former member of the US National Field Hockey Team), and Kelly Schwartz (another incredible trainer at AIM Fitness)) in hosting a week-long boot camp at the Morrison Family YMCA.  It will be a week of super high-intensity cardiovascular and strength training in a fun, competitive, and encouraging environment.  You will not find a better jump start to bathing suit season.  Registration is open now at the Morrison Y; $50 for the entire week - March 8 through March 12 from 9:30 - 10:45 AM.  You will be pushed to your limits, and I guarantee you will be beyond proud of yourself once you've finished with it (you WILL see results).

Saturday Boot Camp at AIM Fitness (2/20/2010)

Below is the workout I have planned for my boot campers tomorrow morning.  Only three ladies signed up so far...anybody else care to join??

WARM-UP:
*Jog track lanes there-back x 4
*Fire Hydrants (both fwd and bckwd) there
*Butt Kickers back
*Lunges there
*Broad Jumps back

CONDITIONING: 3 times through of -
*30 sec. Box Step-Ups for speed
*30 sec. Single-Leg Push-Offs (R leg)
*30 sec. Single-Leg Push-Offs (L leg)
*30 sec. Squat Jump Thrust

STRENGTH: 3 times through of - (w/ med balls)
*10 Fwd. Squat Wall Balls
*20 Med Ball Tricep Dips
*10 Med Ball Push-Ups
*Hold R Lunge: 10 Fwd. Wall Balls
*Hold L Lunge: 10 Fwd. Wall Balls

*1 to 10 Count-Up Series of Upright Row to Bicep Curl to Overhead Press

TABATA: 8 rounds of 20 sec. ON/ 10 sec. OFF of Air Squats

ABS:
-2 times through of:
*20 Scissor Kicks
*20 Leg Lift Pulses
*10 Full Leg Lifts
-2 times through of:
*Crossed Leg Oblique Crunches (15 R; 15 L)
*Crossed Leg Suitcase Crunches (10 R; 10 L)

Fantastic CrossFit-y Workout for my Super Fit Followers

As suggested by my friend/super fit quasi-athlete, Liz Naum, try this CrossFit-type workout.  It sounds SO much easier than it actually is!  For demonstrations of each exercise, go to www.crossfit.com, and look under "Exercise and Demos."

10 TIMES THROUGH OF:
*10 Med Ball Cleans
*10 Box Jumps (18-20 in. high box)
*10 Sumo Deadlift High Pulls

Twitter

At the behest of several super-tech-savvy friends, I have also set up a Twitter account (user name: eborchard).  Feel free to follow me there, where I'll alert you to new blog postings with "teasers" and all (re: workout plans, diet tips, training updates/ events, etc.).  That way, you'll know when it's actually worth your while to check my blog. HAPPY TWEETING!

Tonight's Workout w/ Clients (2/18)

*Difficulty Level: Beginner - Intermediate (depending upon weight used)
-Beginner: 5 lb. dumbbells
-Intermediate: 8-10 lb. dumbbells

WARM-UP: (3 times through without rest)
-20 HIGH KNEE MARCH (40 total)
-8 REGULAR AIR SQUATS (legs shoulder width apart, toes pointed forward)
-8 PLIE AIR SQUATS (wide leg stance, toes pointed out)
-8 each ALTERNATING REG. AIR SQUATS AND PLIE AIR SQUATS

QUICK CARDIO: (any cardio machine, i.e. tread mill, step mill, stationary bike or elliptical)
-"TABATA": 8 rounds of 20 seconds ON (as hard as you can go)/ 10 seconds OFF (active rest; go easy) - 4 min. total
-NOTE: set resistance/incline/speed high and hard!!; for your 20 seconds ON, you should push yourself to your max, where 20 seconds is the max amount of time you can last

STRENGTH: 10 to 1 Countdown; 2 or 3 times through (no rest between exercises; rest 1 min. between full sets)
-10 JUMPING JACKS W/ OVERHEAD PRESS (use light dumbbells)
-9 ea. arm of SIDE-TO-SIDE PUNCHES (use light dumbbells)
-8 SQUAT THRUSTERS (full squat to overhead press) (use heavy dumbbells)
-7 FULL SIT-UPS (w/ weights in hands crossed across chest; keep elbows pinned to rib cage throughout)
-6 PLANK KNEE TOUCHES (hold plank on hands or elbows; bend knees to barely touch floor while keeping good plank form)
-5 SQUAT JUMPS (no weights) (full squat, lightly touch fingers to floor, keep back flat, reach up and jump as high as you can)
-4 ea. side of SINGLE ARM SNATCH (use 1 medium-heavy dumbbell)
-3 ea. side of PILLAR LUNGES (medium/heavy weights down at sides OR light weights touching overhead - elbows straight)
-2 BURPEES or 2 SQUAT THRUST JUMPS
-1 MINUTE BRIDGE HOLD (1 min. with both legs on floor OR 30 sec. each leg with single leg on floor)

CONDITIONING: (length of driveway or full length of basketball court); no resting
-RUN/SPEED WALK there-back
-ACTIVE RECOVERY: 5 DUMBBELL SQUAT SWINGS
-RUN/SPEED WALK there-back x 2
-ACTIVE RECOVERY: 10 DUMBBELL SQUAT SWINGS
-RUN/SPEED WALK there-back x 3
-ACTIVE RECOVERY: 15 DUMBBELL SQUAT SWINGS
-RUN/SPEED WALK: there-back x 4
-ACTIVE RECOVERY: 20 DUMBBELL SQUAT SWINGS

ABS: (equipment: Bosu and floor mat)
-PLANK W/ ELBOWS ON BOSU:
-30 SEC. PLANK HOLD
-10 PLANK KNEE TOUCHES
-10 PLANK PIKE BUTT-UPS
-30 SEC. PLANK HOLD
-LAYING W/ LOWER BACK ON BOSU:
-10 ea. side of SINGLE-LEG TUCK-INS
-10 ea. side of SINGLE-LEG PIKE-INS
-30 sec. ea. side of SIDE BRIDGE HOLD (one elbow on Bosu)

STRETCH

Set Your TiVos!!

I will be appearing on WCNC-Charlotte's (NBC) newest daytime news show, "Charlotte Today," at 11 AM on March 1st! My friend and host of the show, Colleen Odegaard, recently asked me to appear on her morning lifestyle show to discuss a fitness topic of my choice. I'll be chatting about and demonstrating ideas about how to workout effectively without relying on cardio machines in order to maintain cardiac fitness and build strength - "Ditching the Cardio Machines." Please watch!...more importantly, though, just wish me luck! I'm a NERVOUS WRECK over it.

BOOT CAMP - Last Chance!

In an effort to get my new business up and running, I am currently running a boot camp of several small group training sessions at AIM Fitness. The deal on this boot camp remains that your first session is absolutely free of charge, with no further commitment required, either! Please join us in one or both of my remaining trial boot camp sessions: Thursday, 2/18 (tomorrow!) from 6:30 - 7:30 PM and Saturday, 2/20 from 10 - 11AM.