September Plank Challenge!

So I mentioned a couple days ago that I have been disappointed with my planks lately. I used to be able to hold them for a  lot longer than I can nowadays. I know how important planks are to core strength, which would definitely help with my running! Not to mention planks are a great, easy, and fast exercise that can benefit the whole body. SO! I created a September plank challenge that will start on Monday, September 1 and will take you all the way to a 2:30 plank by the end of the month! If anyone wants to participate, here is the plan!

Meal Plan and Workouts: 8/26-8/31

I cannot believe this is the last week of my internship! I thought this summer would go by so slow but it was actually a whirlwind and I can't believe it's almost over. I enjoyed my internship, but I can't wait to finally be back home! Since I packed up my kitchen stuff in my apartment a couple weeks ago, cooking has not been very possible. I've had to do more "assemble and serve" type meals, so I CAN'T wait to finally be home in a nice kitchen and be able to cook! Here is my tentative workout/meal plan for this week. I will only be planning dinners since most of my other meals/snacks are provided for at the hosptal:

8/26: Ran 6 miles, chest, triceps.

Dinner: Rotisserie chicken wraps with carrots and hummus!

8/27: 6 mile run, back, biceps

Dinner: leftovers from night before

8/28: 7-8 mile run (depending on how sore I am/how much sleep I get!), push ups and plank

Dinner: tuna sandwich on fold out bread, carrots, hummus OR out with family!

8/29: 4 mile run, shoulders and legs. I would also LOVE to go to a Body Pump class at the gym this night if I feel up to it...but I'm going to give myself grace with this since I will have packing to do as well!

Dinner: tuna sandwich on fold out bread, carrots, hummus

8/30: 6 mile run, chest, triceps

Dinner: on a mini vacation with my cousin woooo! So who knows! :)

8/31: 4 mile run (the hotel has a gym!), planks, push ups

Dinner: Finally home with my family!!!!

That's the plan! Hoping I can stick to it! I will definitely have to repeat the following verse over and over all week...praise the Lord for His strength!

Philippians 4:13 "I can do ALL things through Christ who STRENGTHENS me."

(emphasis mine)

Have a great Monday everyone!

Workouts: 8/21-8/24

So I have definitely been slacking in planning out my workouts. I did well last week and actually did strength training willingly (YAY!), but this week has been pressed for time in the mornings. I have just been able to scrape by a 40ish minute cardio session before having to get ready for work! So, here I go planning again :) Hopefully I can execute this plan; but, as always, it is important to be flexible!  

Wednesday 8/21:

Just finished a 4 mile run and hoping to get to a Kickboxing class tonight if I am not too exhausted after work! The Kickboxing class at our school gym is more like a boot-camp, with 20 minute squatting sessions and a killer abdominal workout at the end! I haven't been able to go all summer so hopefully tonight will be the night!

Thursday 8/22:

4-5 mile run

Chest and Triceps: this is what I did last week...hoping to build on it this week!

I try to add a plank or push ups (or both) to most of my workouts to be able to build on these skills. I love doing arm and core exercises that depend on your own body weight. These exercises definitely work you hard and help you build up a sweat!

Friday 8/23:

6 mile run

Back and Biceps:

Saturday 8/24: 

6-7 mile run

Shoulders and Legs

This is my tentative plan for the week, and hopefully I can stick to it! I've come to learn that there are 3 basic things to always keep in mind when trying to stick to any workout regimen:

1.) Keep your eating on point. The better you fuel your body, the better your body will do what you want it to do!

2.) SLEEP SLEEP SLEEP! I cannot stress this enough. My workouts suffer BIG time if I don't get enough sleep. Make this a priority!

3.) Think about how accomplished you will feel when you carry out your plan!! I am someone who loves making lists and checking things off. Make a check list of each workout you want to complete this week, and give yourself checkmarks (or even stickers!) as you go. This will give you a sense of accomplishment and will motivate you to keep going! And who says stickers are just for kids :)

Here is my checklist for this week!

I hope you all have a wonderful, and active, day!

The Strength Training Woes of a Cardio Queen

As I have mentioned before, I really want to incorporate some strength training into my exercise routine. I am a cardio queen when it comes to exercise. I will run 8-10 miles with ease, but won’t even want to touch the weights. To me, weight lifting is boring. I’m sorry…I’ve tried many different things. Body Pump classes, Cross fit, and nothing has excited me! But, like many things in life, I’ve come to the conclusion that even though it is not my favorite thing in the world, it is necessary as part of a healthy workout routine, and will very likely make me a better and faster runner! I’ve been looking into various strength-training routines that will be attainable for me. I’ve come up with this tentative plan for my week: Tuesday July 30^th

Chest fly with 8 lb dumbbells: 3 sets of 10 reps

Bicep curls with 5 lb dumbbells: 3 sets of 15 reps

Tricep press with 8 lb dumbbell: 3 sets of 10 reps

Squats with 8 lb dumbbells: 3 sets of 15 reps

Wednesday July 31^st

Seated Lat Row with 8 lb dumbbells: 2 sets of 15 reps (on each side)

Shoulder press with 5 lb dumbbells: 3 sets of 15 reps

Lunges with 8 lb dumbbells: 2 sets of 10 reps (on each side)

Plank for 1 minute

Thursday August 1^st

Seated bicep curls with 8 lb dumbbells: 3 sets of 15 reps (on each side)

Chest press with 8 lb dumbbells: 3 sets of 15 reps

Lateral deltoid raise with 5 lb dumbbells: 3 sets of 10 reps

Squats with 8 lb dumbbells: 3 sets of 15 reps

Friday, August 2^nd

Shoulder press with 5 lb dumbbells: 3 sets of 15 reps

Bicep curls with 8 lb dumbbells: 3 sets of 15 reps

Tricep extensions with 5 lb dumbbells: 3 sets of 10 reps (on each side)

Plank for 1 minute

Saturday, August 3rd:  10K!!!!!!!!!!

Again, this is a tentative plan depending on how my week goes. I am including the option of incorporating some yoga in the evenings as well. I am also part of a community called “Tone It Up” and get a lot of workouts from their site! Here it is for reference:

http://www.toneitup.com/

They post a ton of free, printable workout routines that work wonders and make toning exercises a bit more fun for me! I will likely follow my schedule or switch out some TIU workouts for my own. I also have a Nike Training Club app, which has great 15-30 minute circuit workouts which I might use as well! This gives me a ton of options so I won't get bored!!!

Most importantly, I will make sure I am listening to MUSIC during these workouts! I can’t do anything without some music in the background…so this will definitely help my motivation as well!

I’m hoping this plan works and motivates me to try some more strength training and tone up!