Workout for Thursday, October 1

Jumping sit ups

3 sets of 20, rest a couple of minutes between sets.

The video below demonstrates with a weight. This is not necessary.

Workout for Wednesday, September 30

Our version of "Fight Gone Bad"

1 minute at each exercise, rotate through all 5, rest 1 minute. Count reps, each exercise, each round. 3 rounds total.

Wall Balls (10#)
Sumo Deadlift High Pull (45# bar)
Box Jumps (14" at church, 20" would be better)
DB Push Press (20# dumbbells)
Jump Rope (Divide number of jumps by 5)

Example:

If you start at wall balls, you would do as many wall ball shots as possible in 1 minute, then move to SDHP and do as many as possible in 1 minute, then box jumps, then DB push press, then jump rope. At this point you would have 1 minute rest. Then you would repeat the sequence 2 more times. Add up the total number of reps for all rounds, all exercises and that is your score.

Scaling:

If you are new, or if the above is just too much--please scale back! You can reduce the weight on wall balls, dumbbells, and SDHP. You can do step ups instead of box jumps. You can do jumping jacks instead of jump rope. Try to make it through all 3 rounds.

Workout for Tuesday, September 29

1 mile time trial

Run or walk/run as fast as you can for a mile. Be sure to record your time.

And/Or:

20-15-10-5

Push ups
Mountain climbers (count after both legs have gone)
Good mornings

Last time we did this was on August 28th

Must.Have.Rest.

What is wrong with the following:

Sunday, 9/27--Run 4.4 miles

Saturday, 9/26--Fight Gone Bad Workout

Friday, 9/25--Cleans and Sit ups (25 total 103# cleans and 125 total sit ups

Thursday, 9/24--Tabata Mash Up (Wall Balls, Burpees, SDHP)

Wednesday, 9/23--CF Total (Back Squat--170#, Shoulder Press--83#, Deadlift--248#, Total--501 (PR)

Tuesday, 9/22--Got Grip? (45 total 155# deadlifts, 15 total rope climbs)

Monday, 9/21--Isabel (30 63# snatches for time)

Sunday, 9/20--5k (PR at 26:12)

Saturday, 9/19--Rest

Friday, 9/18--Push Press, Pull Ups, Box Jumps (25 total 93# push press, 50 total pull ups, 75 total box jumps)

Thursday, 9/17--20 min. AMRAP-8 burpees, 12 DB Swings, 16 walking lunge

Wednesday, 9/16--10x100 meter row

Tuesday, 9/15--5-4-3-2-1 Squat cleans and L-Pull ups (103# squat cleans)

Monday, 9/14--Deadlift, Push ups (100 total 95# DL, 100 total push ups)

Sunday, 9/13--5k (26:58)

Saturday, 9/12--10 minute run

Friday, 9/11--Run, Snatch, Knees to Elbows (2x400m runs, 45 total 53# snatch and K2E)

Thursday, 9/10--Rest

Basically, I took one rest day in 17 days. That is ridiculous. I'm not sure how or why I let that happen, but I paid for it yesterday and today. My legs are absolutely wiped out. I'm lucky I didn't suffer an injury. I felt great, truly. But why is rest necessary?

From About.com:

What Happens During Recovery?

Building recovery time into any training program is important because this is the time that the body adapts to the stress of exercise and the real training effect takes place. Recovery also allows the body to replenish energy stores and repair damaged tissues. Exercise or any other physical work causes changes in the body such as muscle tissue breakdown and the depletion of energy stores (muscle glycogen) as well as fluid loss.

Recovery time allows these stores to be replenished and allows tissue repair to occur. Without sufficient time to repair and replenish, the body will continue to breakdown from intensive exercise. Symptoms of overtraining often occur from a lack of recovery time. Signs of overtraining include a feeling of general malaise, staleness, depression, decreased sports performance and increased risk of injury, among others.

Short and Long-Term Recovery

Keep in mind that there are two categories of recovery. There is immediate (short-term) recovery from a particularly intense training session or event, and there is the long-term recovery that needs to be build into a year-round training schedule. Both are important for optimal sports performance.

Short-term recovery, sometimes called active recovery occurs in the hours immediately after intense exercise. Active recovery refers to engaging in low-intensity exercise after workouts during both the cool-down phase immediately after a hard effort or workout as well as during the days following the workout. Both types of active recovery are linked to performance benefits.

Another major focus of recovery immediately following exercise has to do with replenishing energy stores and fluids lost during exercise and optimizing protein synthesis (the process of increasing the protein content of muscle cells, preventing muscle breakdown and increasing muscle size) by eating the right foods in the post-exercise meal.

This is also the time for soft tissue (muscles, tendons, ligaments) repair and the removal of chemicals that build up as a result of cell activity during exercise.

Long-term recovery techniques refer to those that are built in to a seasonal training program. Most well-designed training schedules will include recovery days and or weeks that are built into an annual training schedule. This is also the reason athletes and coaches change their training program throughout the year, add crosstraining, modify workouts types, and make changes in intensity, time, distance and all the other training variables.

Bottom line...Must.Have.Rest.

Workout for Monday, September 28

Perform the following series every minute on the minute for 20 minutes:

5 push ups
10 sit ups
15 squats

What's up with the Omegas?

Unless you live under a rock, you've probably heard about the health benefits of Omega-3. But what about Omega-6? From Women's Health:

The food world is always looking for a new agent of evil. Now in the cross hairs: omega-6s. These fatty acids may soon get the trans-fat treatment, with products proudly touting that they're O-6 free. Yet you need at least 12 grams a day to strengthen your immune system and keep your skin from getting as scaly as a croc clutch. So why the bad rep? Americans eat up to 20 times more omega-6s than omega-3s; the imbalance boosts the risk of cancer and heart disease. The fix: Scale back on processed foods that use omega-6 rich oils (sunflower and corn). Then jack up your omega-3 intake by eating fatty fish and EPA/DHA-fortified foods.

Personally, I take fish oil every day. And lots of it. Especially since I'm not a huge fish fan. I honestly believe that this has in large part been the reason my blood tests have come back with outstanding results. More on the miracles of fish oil to come...

Workout for Sunday, September 27

I usually don't post workouts for Thursdays and Sundays. But, I have decided to start. Thursdays I will concentrate on some sort of core exercise or strength work, Sundays I will concentrate on some kind of running or walking.

Many people don't like running. Or, they have some sort of injury that prevents them from running. In these cases, try to find a suitable substitute, such as rowing, biking, or eliptical, and then try to come up with comparable distances to running.

I generally run 5k every Sunday. I like this distance--it is challenging and the time fits my schedule nicely. But, I know it is important to run a variety of distances with a variety of intensities. I would encourage each of you to have some running/walking benchmarks. Know your time on the following distances and try to improve upon them:

400m (1/4 mile)
800m (1/2 mile)
1 mile
2 miles
5k (3.1 miles)

For our workout today:

If you have a treadmill available, do the following:

Run as far as you can, as fast as you can in 15 minutes. Record the distance you made.

If you do not have a treadmill, time yourself on one or two of the benchmark distances.

Workout for Saturday, September 26

150 burpees for time

Yes, that is a LOT of burpees. If you are new, do either 50 or 100.

My advice is to manage your time and efforts. The last time I did this, my goal was under 20 minutes. I did 8 per minute for the first 10 minutes, then 7 per minute for the next 10. This made it pretty easy for me. The time previous to this was several minutes slower and felt horrible. I had no plan--I just worked on getting through them. Managing the work was a much better solution. I think I could probably do 10 per minute now, and I would finish in under 15 minutes.

DO NOT Mess With My Food

This was pretty much my attitude when I started CrossFit a couple of years ago. I mean, really. How was I supposed to seriously take the advice of a young, athletic, male who probably never had a weight problem IN HIS LIFE. At 46, I was a VETERAN of nearly every possible diet out there. Sure, none of them worked. That is why I had decided to go the exercise route. I would do enough sit ups, etc. to get my fat middle under control.

So, that was the plan. I worked hard at working out and getting "back into shape." I did moderate my food intake. I did lose about 10 pounds. I did look better. But then I was stuck. I knew there was more. So I finally decided to trust my trainer and my world turned upside down.

Before I get in to the diet specifics, let me tell you that I am NOT a cook. The only kind of cooking I like to do is baking, which is problematic considering the following paragraphs. I go for convenience with my meals, and I eat out. A lot. Yes, it would be cheaper if I prepared every meal from scratch. Yes, I would have much more variety. The fact is, that is not me. I've been successful anyway. There are no excuses.

I began following the Zone Diet. 40% carbs, 30% protein, 30% fat. That's it. I learned to think of meals in terms of "blocks". No longer would I get a plain salad for lunch. I began to make sure I had about 3 oz. of protein to go along with that salad. My previous dieting life had generally consisted of a bowl of cereal for breakfast, a salad (no meat) for lunch, and if I ate dinner, it would be a chicken breast with another salad. I was so deficient in protein that it is no wonder I couldn't stick with this plan for very long. I always slid back to my Number 2 meal (with Diet Coke of course!) at McDonad's, and dinner that always included bread AND pasta.

To be most successful, you really need to write down your food and weigh and measure everything. I admit that I only do this sometimes. In general, I eyeball everything, and that seems to work just fine. If I find myself gaining weight, I'll go back to writing down and weighing my food. I think you will find the following chart very useful: Zone Block Chart.

Boiled down to the very simplest terms, here's what you need to know:

• Avoid grains of any kind; bread, cereal, pasta, rice, etc. Hard to do? YES. But this is the biggest thing you can do to ensure success. You DO NOT need grains, even whole grains. Get over it.
• Avoid sugar.
• Eat your full amount of protein--if you are a "11 block female", you need about 11 oz. of meat in a day. I have found that if I eat enough protein in a day, I am not hungry for sugar and bread.
• Get enough fat. Yes. I said it. Fat is NOT the enemy. I usually get my fat from nuts, but I also get it in salad dressing and butter. Don't sweat it. You need it.
• Get your carbohydrates from lots of vegetables and some fruit.
• Allow yourself a cheat meal every week.

Honestly, this has been the easiest diet I have EVER followed. It is just life. Sure, I cheat. I sneak in some chips and salsa or a dinner roll every now and then. When I do cheat, I make sure it is WELL WORTH IT. I try to never have the taboo things unless they are out of this world delicious. If a place I go to eat is known for their dessert--of course I have one. Certain places have outstanding bread--I cover it in butter and scarf it down. But these are rare times. For every day--I stick close to the favorable foods list.

Why does this diet of 40-30-30 work? From the CrossFit Journal, written by Greg Amundson:

The first great effect is that this ratio of nutrients causes
the release of moderate amounts of the hormones insulin
and glycagon, which together trigger the release of a
flood of feel-good chemicals called eicosanoids, which
do a bunch of good things: protect your heart, open the
bronchi of the lungs, and the biggie, reduce inflammation.
The release of eicosanoids is literally ”the Zone”
that Sears talks about.
But as good as eicosanoids are for your long-term
health, CrossFitters may notice a secondary effect of
the 40-30-30 ratio even faster: fat loss. That’s because
moderating carb intake will moderate the levels of insulin,
whose job it is to store fat. On top of that, Sears found
that a body in caloric balance is more efficient at burning
fat. That’s why CrossFitters lean out fast on this diet.

Still saying "Don't mess with my food?" I hope not. Give it a try for a couple of weeks. I have not known a single person who has given this diet an honest try who has been unsuccessful. NOT A SINGLE PERSON!!!! This is THE healthy way to eat and live.

Workout for Friday, September 25

Perfect Park workout:

Walk or run for 2 minutes
Do 20 push ups
Walk or run for 2 minutes
Do 30 lunges
Walk or run for 2 minutes
Do 40 squats
Walk or run for 2 minutes
Do 50 jumping jacks

Record total time

Last time we did this was on August 25

I have posted videos for all of these exercises in the past few days if you need some instruction.

Workout For Thursday, September 24

I usually don't post workouts for Thursdays and Sundays. I have decided to start. On Thursdays, I will concentrate on some kind of core or strength workout. On Sundays, I will concentrate on some kind of running or walking workout.

Supermans:

3 sets of 15, hold each for 2 counts


V-Ups:

3 sets of 15

Workout for Wednesday, September 23

For time:

10 Push ups
20 Medicine ball cleans
30 DB walking lunge
40 Wall ball shots
50 Box jumps
60 Dumbbell swings
70 Sit ups
80 Squats
90 Jumping jacks
100 yard dash

Last time we did this was on August 19.

If you do not have a medicine ball for the Medicine Ball Cleans and the Wall Ball Shots--Sub dumbbell thrusters for the cleans, and dumbbell push presses for the wall ball shots.

I have recently posted videos for Push Ups, Walking Lunge, Dumbbell Swings, Sit ups, and squats. I will post videos for the rest now:

Workout for Tuesday, September 22

4 rounds for time:

25 push ups
25 sit ups
25 squats
25 walking lunges
25 good mornings

Do the hardest level of push ups that you can for as long as you can before switching (from toes, knees, countertop or wall.) Last time we did this was on July 3.


Below is a video on AbMat sit ups. I love my Abmat--basically makes doing full sit ups possible for me without hurting my back and neck. They cost about $30 each. Well worth it, in my opinion!



And now, the videos demonstrating the rest of the exercises for today:

Workout For Monday, September 21

3 rounds for time:

Run or walk 400m (1/4 mile)
30 dumbbell thrusters (5-10 lbs each hand)
20 push ups

If for some reason you can't do the run, jump rope or do jumping jacks for about 2 1/2 minutes. Distance for the run/walk can be approximate. If you can't do strict push ups from your toes, do them from your knees, countertop or wall. Reduce number of rounds if you are new.

Last time we did this was August 11.

Workout for Saturday, Sept. 19

Planks!

Try to hold each of the following planks for 2 minutes:

Front plank
Right plank
Left plank

Rest a few minutes, then:

Tabata Squats (Remember--a Tabata is 20 seconds of work, 10 seconds of rest for 8 intervals. Do as many squats as possible during the 20 seconds, counting them. Your score is the LOWEST number of squats you were able to perform during any one of the 8 intervals.)

New Name and Look

Yes!!! You are still on the Get Lean With Laura blog!

I've been looking for a new template for my blog for some time now...and I really liked this one. It seems cleaner and easier to read. Hope you like it too!

I started this blog mainly for the purpose of communicating homework with the group of ladies in my exercise group at church. Now there are quite a few others who use this blog for ideas for quick workouts. So, I decided to change the name to fit the purpose a bit better.

My fitness journey began in June of 2007. I had not done any meaningful exercise in more than a decade. I was tired, out of shape, and pretty defeated. I knew that my friend Kim's husband was a personal trainer. Reluctantly, I started personal training with Kim's husband, Jason Boag, who owns CrossFit OKC. For about 3 months, I did personal training about twice a week. I was afraid to join the regular classes because I felt so far behind. I asked Jason to give me "homework" for the days I was not at the gym. I dutifully did my homework. In fact, I craved it. Because of this homework, I could really see fast improvements in my squats, push ups, sit ups--all the basics. And, I learned that even a few minutes every day could make a huge difference. It can make a huge difference for you, too. That is the inspiration for this blog.

Workout for Friday, Sept. 18

As many rounds as possible in 20 minutes:

8 burpees
12 dumbbell swings (10#, 15# or 20#)
16 walking lunges (8 each leg)

Count number of rounds and partial rounds completed.

Workout courtesy of CrossFit OKC

Workout for Wednesday, Sept. 16

DB swings--3x10 (we did between 15# and 30#)
DB Windmills--3x5 each arm (we did between 10# and 25#)

10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1

Wall Ball Shots
Box Jumps
Push Ups

Workout for Tuesday, Sept. 15

20 sit ups each minute for 5 minutes

Immediately after:

Tuck jump ladder (do one tuck jump the first minute, 2 the second, and so on until you cannot complete all the tuck jumps required for that minute. Your score is the highest minute completed.)

Workout for Monday, Sept. 14

For Time:

100 sit ups
100 push ups
100 squats

Break these up however you want. Just get them all done!

Workout for Saturday, Sept. 12

5 rounds for time:

5 burpees
15 broomstick thrusters
25 good mornings

Man. Life is Short.

Eight years ago nearly 3000 lives were cut short. The rest of us watched in horror.

Life expectancy in the U.S. for men is about 75 years, women about 80. We are, however, given no guarantees. I bring this up not to depress, but to try to make sense of our lives. What is the point? I believe the point of it all is to make a point. To have a reason for being. To make a difference.

The purpose of life is to live a life of purpose.

You don’t know your purpose? Look outward. Whatever your purpose is, I can tell you it will not be selfish. Find the joy in helping and doing for others. Make the decision to move your life in a positive direction so that you are better able to help others. Tragedies, pitfalls, and setbacks will abound along our road. Learn from mistakes, overcome setbacks, mourn tragedies…continue. Make your point. It probably won’t be a huge, well known, or glamorous point. Make it anyway. You never know who you will touch. The lyrics of this song always are a great reminder to me that even acts that we consider small and insignificant can have a great impact on the lives of others.

Thank You for Giving to the Lord
Music and Lyrics by Ray Boltz

I dreamed I went to Heaven, you were there with me.
We walked upon the streets of gold beside the Crystal Sea.
We heard the angels singing, then someone called your name.
You turned and saw this young man, and he was smiling as he came.
He said, "Friend you may not know me now," and then he said,
"But wait -You used to teach my Sunday School, when I was only eight.
And every week you would say a prayer before the class would start.
And one day when you said that prayer,I asked Jesus in my heart."

Chorus
Thank you for giving to the Lord,
I am a life that was changed.
Thank you for giving to the Lord,
I am so glad you gave.

Then another man stood before you, he said "Remember the time,
A missionary came to your church, His pictures made you cry.
You didn't have much money but you gave it anyway.
Jesus took that gift you gave
And that's why I'm in Heaven today"

Chorus

One by one they came, far as your eyes could see.
Each life somehow touched by your generosity.
Little things that you had done, sacrifices that you made,
They were unnoticed on this earth
In Heaven now proclaimed.

Chorus

And I know up in Heaven you're not supposed to cry
But I am almost sure there were tears in your eyes
As Jesus took your hand and you stood before the Lord
He said "My child look around you,Great is your reward."

Chorus

Life is short. We have been given the gift of TODAY. Use this gift wisely. Find some time today to do something for someone else. No matter how small. You'll feel good, they'll feel good--everyone wins.

Workout for Friday, Sept. 11

Favorite/Least Favorite Tabata Mash up

Pick your least favorite and favorite of the following exercises:

Sit Ups
Push Ups
Burpees
Squats
Lunges
Box Jumps
Mountain Climbers
Tuck Jumps
Double Unders
Jumping Jacks
Good Mornings

The normal Tabata is 20 seconds work, 10 seconds rest for 8 intervals. The Mash Up is to alternate favorite and least favorite exercises for a total of 16 intervals (8 minutes total). If you choose Burpees and Sit Ups--you would do burpees for 20 seconds, rest for 10 seconds, sit ups for 20 seconds, rest for 10 seconds, burpees for 20 seconds, and so on. Your "score" is the lowest number you do in any 20 second period of each exercise (you will have two scores.) We did this last on August 7.

Workout for Wednesday, Sept. 9

Welcome Heather--great to have you with us!

100 ft dumbbell walking lunge
400m walk/run
50 squats

For time.

Workout for Tuesday, Sept. 8

50-40-30-20-10

Dumbbell push press
Squats

50 DB Push presses, 50 squats, 40 DB push presses, 40 squats, and so on. Try to make this really fast--so just use 5 or 10 lb. dumbbells and blow through it! We did this last on July 31.

It is a truth universally acknowledged...

One of my favorite Jane Austen phrases. Finding universally acknowledged truths to be false is delicious to me. I have found so many of these in the nutrition/fitness world. I grew up with the food pyramid etched in my brain as the recipe for perfect health. Even now, I would say that most Americans are fixed upon the idea that grains are the base of every healthy diet, and that whole grains are the ultimate in good health. I went for years filling myself with a diet comprised mainly of carbohydrates in the form of grains. The idea was that these were “low fat” and therefore “good” for me. I was literally starving myself. Yes, these are delicious. But I was never very satisfied or full, and I certainly had a weight problem.

Before the low fat diet era of the late 80s, early 90s, there was the low calorie diet. This is the diet my thin mother used to maintain her weight, and how I did as a young woman. My poor mother would literally eat NOTHING in an entire day, saving her daily calorie intake for a giant piece of chocolate cake. Where was the protein? Yes, calories do play a role in maintaining weight loss. Even if you eat only the appropriate foods, eating too many calories will still cause weight gain. But, don't get too hung up on calories. It is vital to get a balance of proteins, fats, and carbs in your diet. In the last decade or so, carbohydrates have been the enemy of many dieters. While I believe this is closer to the truth than the food pyramid, carbohydrates are necessary—just get them from fruits and vegetables!

I can tell you that for many years a truth I universally acknowledged was that very few women could actually attain “good” figures. And I’m not talking about the extremes of waifish models and body builders. I’m talking about what I think most women want—lean and trim with slight definition of muscles. I just thought those who did have this were blessed by nature. While that may be somewhat true, what I have found is that attaining this is possible for anyone…but it takes hard work and discipline. This is not saying that I personally have a great figure. I can just tell by my experience that it is possible for those who work hard. Yes, I have stocky, muscular legs that would require calorie deficit and some serious distance running to reduce. You may have larger hips, or a larger bustline. Embrace these differences. Healthy diet and exercise will improve these areas to their finest and most efficient…it is not easy, but it certainly can be done.

I have spoken many times in this blog about women lifting heavy weights. The universal truth is that lifting heavy weights will create large, bulky muscles. But, the delicious fact is that this is completely untrue. We were made to carry babies (who can get VERY heavy) and how many times have you carried a crying baby while vacuuming or picking up the house? Don’t tell me I’m the only one. Women are efficient multi-taskers who can naturally lift heavy things at the same time they run around doing other strenuous things.

Will there come a day when the things I now consider truths will become obsolete? Maybe. But science and history are with me this time. Plus, I have the evidence from my own “laboratory” experience to back the theory up. Living this way is not hard, expensive, or time consuming. It CAN be all of those things, but it need not be. A few minutes of strenuous, weight bearing exercise a day along with a diet of sensible, REAL, and unprocessed foods will get you where you want to be. It just takes discipline and the realization that it will not happen overnight.

“Success is dependent upon the glands—sweat glands.”
Zig Ziglar

Workout for Monday, Sept. 7

Complete as much as you can IN ORDER in 10 minutes:

50 squats
50 sit ups
50 walking lunges
50 push ups
50 tuck jumps
50 burpees
50 goodmornings (addition from previous time)

If you get this far--I guess just quit! Record how far you get in the list. We did this last on August 4. If you are new, cut reps in half.

Workout for Saturday, Sept. 5

Run or walk 5k (3.1 miles) for time

Or...

Push up ladder

Remember ladders? With a continuously running clock, do 1 push up the first minute, 2 push ups the 2nd minute, and so on until you cannot complete the number of push ups required for that minute. Your score is the minute on which you COMPLETED all the push ups required.

Workout for Friday, Sept. 4

For Time:

50 jumping jacks
50 walking lunges
50 good mornings
50 box jumps (or step ups--record height)
50 dumbbell push presses (5-10 lbs each hand)
50 squats
50 tuck jumps
50 sit ups
50 burpees
50 mountain climbers

If you are new, cut the reps to 20 of each. If you are unsure of an exercise, either watch the videos posted to the right or skip that exercise. Or do this alternative workout:

As many rounds as possible in 10 minutes:

5 push ups
10 sit ups
15 squats

Post the number of rounds completed.

Workout for Wednesday, Sept. 2

Welcome to Amanda, Amy and Deia--and welcome back Kayla!

Today for our church workout, we did the following:

3x400m run

Julie Bowers and Molly--you both have had SIGNIFICANT increases in speed since the first time we did this in February.

Team workout--combine to complete the following as a 2-person team:

50 sit ups
50 push ups
50 squats