Crazy fitness thread

[cattygurl]

This is my ultimate goal, this is NOT how I'm going to start out.

Cardio
Basic: 20-40 minute walks with the dogs, lots of hills daily
Interval: 20-40 minutes of interval / HIIT 3x/week
Elliptical/Treadmill/Stepmill (the step machine from hell)
Swimming: 30-1 hour 1x/week
Hiking: Low intensity, 1-2 hours 1x/ week to build endurance (it's really an excuse to go out and hike, which I love to do)

My goal is to increase overall cardio capacity with walking hills and doing intervals, and also build endurance with the low intensity hiking.

I've found that doing cardio twice a day helps keep my energy level in high gear *once I'm in shape*.

Strength/Muscle Conditioning
Kettle Bells (whole body): 1-2x/week
Weight Lifting: 1x each/week for upper body, lower body
Core: 2-3x/week

Stretch:
10-20 min post all workouts

Extra:
Yoga/pilates: 1-2x/ week

I used to be in great shape and had tons more energy back when I was doing this. this ends up being about 2 hours a day or workouts including the cardio- but my main reason for the long workout is to build endurance and stamina, not just strength/look good.

My goal is to go back to working out constantly, all the time. I tend to be really tired all the time and when I'm consisitently working out daily, I just have more energy.

When I met bunch of 44 founders at Comic-con last year, I was so damn tired all the time. I actually got sick one night and then on the last day, I was taking weird naps throughout the conenvtion floorm and even crashed out in D/Rich/ZG's hotel room on the last day because I was so toast.

[ellencho]

Since the gym is free here at work I try to do ~30 minutes of cardio, whether it be elliptical or rowing or both as well as a bit of weight training for my flabby arms with a universal machine. I use the triceps rope and since July I've gone from only being able to do 30 lbs to 60 lbs now, which is a miracle considering what a weakling I still am. And since September I've been doing bicep curls on the same machine and I've worked up from 25 to 55 lbs now.

[blockthebox]

Cardio three times a week.
Weight lifting three times a week.

NO GYMS or machines (just studios/outside/home gym w/free weights). The cardio has to be very high intensity (like kickboxing) 'cause I don't have the time or patience to dick around for longer than 45 minutes.

[blockthebox]

Catty, have you tried dance classes? They tend to be sort of long (long for me, anyway!) and seem like a good way to add variety and endurance/stamina. I am not a fitness person (which is why I keep it very regimented), but I used to be a dancer when I was younger, so I'm a fan of dance class.

[Pat the Great]

it's funny catty's come back posting on fitness and nutrition because i've been spending most of my days lately pondering those too.

morning workouts:

monday - strength training day
Weighted Pull-up + Pushup (done as a complex)
Wall-squat / Squat jump complex
Assisted one-arm chin-up ("assisted" meaning the other hand is doing a towel-pull-up and contributing less pull.)
finisher - sprints (tabata interval - 20sec on, 10sec rest x8)

tuesday - grip + core day
(core workout i won't explain here) + towel pullups
finisher - burpees (tabata)

wednesday - cardio conditioning
burpee conditioning (30 seconds burpees, 30 seconds shadowboxing x3/round, 4 rounds)
finisher - sprints (tabata)

thursday - strength training

Plyometric Pushup
Handstand pushup
Side-to-side Pull-up
Plyometric knee-tuck
one-leg squat

finisher - dumbbell swings 2min, except instead of a dumbbell i use 2L water bottles in a duffel bag

friday - grip + core training (same as tuesday)
finisher - burpees (tabata)

saturday - cardio conditioning (workout similar to wednesday)
finisher - sprints (tabata)

all that plus 1.5-3hrs fight practice in the evenings, ~5days/week or so.

gotta love it.

[cattygurl]

BTB:

I LOOOOOOOOOOVE dance classes. In fact, I'm going to join the local GLBT Square Dancing Group. They accept anyone that's GLBT friendly, but I'm going through them because the guy that leads the class is really kind and it's more affordable than most dance classes (which can be expensive).

I would love to learn flamenco/ salsa/ tango / tap. Unfortunately, they're out of my price range at the moment. I would love to get back into ballet minus the pointe work. I quit ballet because I just didn't believe in pain, pain and more pain- and pointe is all about dancing through the pain until you get used to it (not for me- hence I have infinite respect for classical ballerinas). I danced ballet/tap as a kid. I know a couple that dances/teaches tango, and I would kill to be able to move like them. Watching them is pure magic. Sigh.

I spend a lot of money going to watch various dance productions. I love watching dance, and there's something special about dancing, esp as part of a group. I never cared to do solo work when I was doing ballet- I was warm and fuzzy as part of the corp de ballet. In fact, some of my favorite ballet scenes are of the corp de ballet, like the Bayadere's Kingdom of the Shades and Swan Lake's Four Swans.

[cattygurl]

Pat,

I'll be replacing some of the cardio for the muay thai/BJJ class once I'm in a bit better shape not to hold the class back with my lack of strength or endurance. Can't wait to learn to fight!!!!

Great training schedule you have there Pat- I never got into plyometrics, etc much, but a trainer I know loved it. He was also one of those dudes that loved to run with the 'chutes. I hate running, and just the idea of running with vests and 'chutes used to give me nightmares. He sure was in great shape, though.

[blockthebox]

Yeah, dance classes are expensive, so I don't go very often. I'm partial to jazz and hip hop. I don't know if I could go back to ballet though ... painful memories. Belly dancing is fun too!

[cattygurl]

Thanks for the reminder re: belly dancing! I know a gal that has classes, I should drop by to see if they're affordable.