Daily Workout

Well, it's been a few days... Whoops!  Don't worry, I haven't fallen off the face of the earth and miraculously I am still getting up early and still working out!  Let's see... Last week I finished up Friday with a morning workout.  I skipped Saturday due to an Iowa game, skipped Sunday due to the aftermath of the Iowa game and skipped Monday due to still being extremely tired from the Iowa game.  That brings us to Tuesday...

My friend Cassidy has been trying to talk me into doing Kettlebells with her for like 2 months.  The thing is though, she does them in the morning... At like 5:30 a.m. Yeah.  Me and 5:30 a.m. are not friends.  At all.  But I figured since I was already getting up at 6, what is a half an hour?  Turns out not much!

So, Tuesday evening our Kettlebell instructor, whose name is Sunny, held a kettlebell workshop in Coralville.  This was after work, thank god!  So I got to sleep in on Tuesday too.

I got through the workshop pretty easily and decided that I would jump right into a workout this morning. (Wednesday).  Well, my poor muscles only had about 9 hours to rest and they were pretty pissed off at me this morning.  My form was so much worse than it was the night before, but I got through it!  I definitely was not able to do as much stuff as Cass, but I will get there.  

As a side note, Cass has lost 10 inches off her waist doing Kettlebells... Not that I need to lose anything, I am doing this purely to get toned.  But I am telling you that just for the shear amazement factor.  Kettlebells is a great workout!

I plan on getting up early tomorrow to walk, I don't think my poor legs could take much more than just walking.

Until next time!  I'll try to make it a bit sooner next time. 

Workout Idea - Treadmill

Monday

• Power walk: 30 minutes 
• Strength-train: 20 minutes 

Total: 50 minutes

Tuesday

• Warm up: Walk easily, then briskly: 3 minutes
• Power walk: 2 minutes
• Run fast (but don't sprint): 2 minutes
• Repeat Steps 1 & 2: 10 times
• Cool down: Walk easily: 2 minutes
  

Total: 45 minutes
 

Wednesday

• Warm Up: Walk easily: 5 minutes 
• Do your favorite strength-training move: 12 reps
• Power walk at 4% to 6% incline: 3 minutes
• Repeat Steps 1 & 2: 6 times
• Cool down: Walk easily: 5 minutes
  

Total: 40 minutes
 

Thursday

• Warm Up: Walk easily, then briskly: 3 minutes 
• Power walk: 2 minutes
• Run fast (but don't sprint): 2 minutes
• Repeat Steps 1 & 2: 6 times
• Cool down: Walk easily: 3 minutes
  

Total: 30 minutes
 

Friday

• Repeat Monday's routine

Saturday

• Warm Up: Walk easily, then briskly: 5 minutes 
• Power walk: 2 minutes
• Run fast (but don't sprint): 4 minutes
• Repeat Steps 1 & 2: 6 times
• Cool Down: Walk easily: 4 minutes
  

Total: 45 minutes
 

Sunday

•    Rest
  

Originally published in FITNESS magazine, November/December 2008.

Daily Workout

Day two of getting up early... The good news is that I don't feel like I am about to fall asleep at my desk.  Last night right after work I had my knitting class.  I was so exhausted, all I wanted to do was go home and take a nap.  But I am actually very glad that I had that class to keep me awake because taking a nap would have meant that I wouldn't be able to get to sleep come 10:00, then getting up today would have been torture. 

Getting up this morning was not as hard as yesterday, which is more good news.  The bad news is I had no motivation at the gym this morning.  I went with the intention of doing a walking workout on the treadmill, it's a work out that was very easy for me six months ago when I went to the gym all the time.  But ten minutes into it, I decided I wasn't ready for it and I just walked for 20 more minutes.  Then I decided that I would ride the stationary bike for awhile, but couldn't figure out how to move the seat, got frustrated and decided that was enough for the morning. 

I am not even going to post what I did this morning as there was no ryhme or reason to it.  I keep telling myself, "At least you got up and went, that is half the battle."  But I would much rather have the satisfaction of knowing I burnt 400 calories before 7 a.m. Hopefully that will give me motivation tomorrow!

Daily Workout

So - I did it!  I got up EARLY (5:45 a.m.) and went to the gym for an hour this morning.  I wish I could say that I feel so full of energy and this is the best thing on earth, but honestly, I am tired.  I could lay my head down on my desk right now and take a good two hour nap.  That's definatley not going to happen though.  I am going to keep doing this, with the hope that in two weeks, it will be much easier... Maybe?  Here is what I did today:

• Elliptical - 30 min (Intervals, resistance 3)
  
• Treadmill - 10 min ( 3.5 mi/hr, 2% incline)
• Stretched - a lot!!!
  

The Journey Begins

So - in my last post you learned about what I love in life, let me tell you what I do not like.  I do not like waking up.  Ever.  Even if it's one in the afternoon, I don't like to wake up.  I hate being torn from my slumber.  I make Bryan and I late for work on a regular basis because I hate waking up and always sleep "just five more minutes".  After I get up and get going, I am fine, it's just the initial waking up that my body and mind just can not get past.

I also do not like exercise.  I would much rather sit at home on my computer looking at celebrity gossip and watching the latest reality show than get up and go to the gym.  I try to make myself be active, but it's usually short lived.  I'll get tired and then I will stop and revert back to my lazy ways.  

I have gone in spurts of being a pretty good athlete before.  There was a time in college where I was able to run nine miles without stopping and felt great.  Then when I lived in Chicago, I worked out at least four times a week.  Both of these spurts were fueled by a desire to lose weight.  But when I finally got to my weight loss goal, I would lay off the exercise and again, revert back to my lazy ways.  

I am now at a point in my life where I have maintained the same weight of 130 lbs for two years.  On my 5'9" frame, that is pretty thin.  At one point I got down to 124 lbs, and that was just too dang skinny. However, my life lacks movement and my body lacks tone.  

Most people ask why I am so adamant on starting an exercise program and improving my overall health when I have what most people would die for:  a high metabolism and no need physically to work-out.  Well, let me tell you aside from the physical benefits of looking more toned, I am extremely tired al the time.  Like I said before, I hate waking up and even though I am fine once I get going, I would give anything at any given time to lay down and take a nap.  I would love to not have the urge to nap 24/7 and am hoping that physical activity will help.  I am also at the point in my life where I am starting to think about babies one day.  (For the family members reading this, you've still got about five years to wait - sorry.)  But I want to be strong once I do finally reach the day where I want to have kids and I want the weight to come off fast once I do have the baby.  I want to be one of those really cute, skinny, fit moms that everyone envies.  

Those are my reasons this lazy night owl is starting this journey. 

About Me: The Lazy Night Owl

I am 26.5 years old and live in the same small mid-western town I grew up in.  I didn't always live here though, after college I thought I wanted to live in a big city, so I picked up and moved to Chicago.  It took me about four months to realize I absolutely hated big-city life.  So, after a year, I moved back to Iowa and settled in Cedar Rapids for two years.  After two years I decided that city was too big and moved to the town of 3000 people that I grew up in.  

I am in marketing and love my job.  I get to wear jeans every day, which is pretty awesome in my book.  I also have the huge privilege of getting to work for the same company with my awesome, funny, wonderful boyfriend Bryan.  Sometimes when we tell people that we work together they cringe and say their relationship would be toast, but he is truly my best friend and I love getting to spend so much time with him.  

In my spare time I like to play on my computer (a brand new MacPro - just in case you were wondering. :)) I like to blog, I am addicted to Facebook and I have a new found love of photoshop.  I have a cat named Wrigley with whom I have a love/hate relationship with and I love the Iowa Hawkeyes and the Cubs.  I am learning to knit and really enjoy decorating anything I am allowed to decorate (I am a firm believer that everything should be "cute".)  

As you read on, you will learn lots more about me and my journey to love exercise.