Cyndi: The Road to Body-in-the-Works

Week 9

One of my favorite fall comfort foods is mashed potatoes. I could do red potatoes on my cheat day, but I figured it would be a good time to try mashed cauliflower. It takes less time than potatoes and requires no peeling. The recipe I wanted to try called for almond milk and mozzarella. I was out of almond milk so I used a suggestion from another recipe, which called for Greek yogurt. Not a great idea. The flavor of the Greek yogurt was not what I expected. Now that I think about it I am not sure I like the idea of the almond milk either. It’s a work in progress I guess….

I am still struggling with cardio, but am keeping up with the weights. Some workouts last longer than others. My back work outs seem to be over faster while arms, chest, and biceps take the longest. The introduction of negatives has also had some effects. My abs hurt for days after the pull ups with negatives. No joke – I sneezed and cringed. Guess that’s why they say, “No Pain No Gain”.

Week 10

This past week and a half has been extremely stressful. I was the maid of honor for my friend’s wedding, which has left no time for work outs. On top of that, I am also in the final stretch of a class for my masters and then there’s still chores so my house doesn’t fall apart. 

The wedding came first this week and even though I didn’t make it to the gym, I got a little lifting in with the 30 pumpkins we hauled, moving stuff from car to car, decorating, and general running around. I danced at the wedding and kept my diet up for the most part. I probably could have paid more attention to my macros, but I feel like I did a fairly decent job. My only regret is not making it to the gym, but I had a blast and looked pretty good too. ;-)

I will say, when I finally returned to the gym I felt behind. It’s like my muscles had lost some of their memory. It definitely took a few days to get back on track. 

Sandy: Lunchtime Fitness

Hi all, it's been a while, and I’ve missed you!  

I have had some incredible opportunities to meet some of you in person, slipping into classes here and there, and all I can say is that you are ALL crushing it! 

After speaking with many people, I would have to say that the general consensus is that there just isn’t enough time in the day to squeeze a workout in, then day after day goes by of having no time, then before you know it’s been weeks since you’ve seen the gym.

Well, did you know that you could get a very effective workout during your lunch break!  It’s true!  Even if you can squeeze in 15 minutes of time, it will help keep you on track.

If you only have time to stop in at the Works for a quick workout, check out the Expresso Bikes located in the "Keiser" room at the top of the stairs from the main entrance.  They have some short, yet challenging programs you can choose from that will really get your heart pumping as you climb hills and race the other riders on the screen. 

Are you more familiar with the treadmill or the elliptical?  Do some interval training.  Warm up at a moderate pace for 5 minutes, then do 5 – 8 minutes of intervals, increasing your speed or workload for 15-20 second intervals, and for those 15-20 seconds you give it your all, then rest for the remainder of the minute before you bring it up again, at the end be sure to cool down for 2 to 5 minutes.  All in all you are just doing 5 to 8 challenging, calorie burning intervals that will keep your body burning fuel long after you are done.

Want a full body challenge?  Try rowing on the Concept Ergometer, doing the same interval load I mentioned above.  Rowing utilizes all of the muscles in your body if you pay attention to form.

Time is no excuse for falling off the exercise wagon.  You don’t need hours to get the job done!   Give yourself 15 minutes  if you’re in a crunch for time. 

Rock on my friends!