Workin' It Out

Been lifting much lately?

2009-09-02T16:59:00.000-07:00

Yep, that's mine. That's muh bicep.

I don't think you all understand the level of awesomeness and wonder this bicep brings to my life. I have NEVER had muscles EVER. My legs have always been ok, but mostly because I've been 130 pounds or lighter, not because of any muscular definition making me awesome.

I can't say enough good things about ChaLEAN Extreme (for those of you I haven't harassed, Chalene Johnson is the creator of Turbo Jam, another program I love dearly). This program focuses three days a week on targeted strength training, such that you only work each upper body muscle group once a week, not the usual two or three. You work your leg muscles every routine, but that's because it's awesome and she's committed to giving you a good butt. I can fit into skinny jeans now, so I'd say it works.

She also has two amazingly sweat-inducing cardio routines (one 45 minute one that combines light resistance training for endurance, and one 26 minute one that just makes you feel like your heart is going to explode), a fabulous yoga routine (for those of you, like me, who suck at yoga and like it simply for its stretchy-lean-muscle-producing effects), and two great ab workouts. I wouldn't say it has "transformed" my body, but I've never been happier with the way I look and feel. It's so GREAT! I have arm muscles, people. ARM. MUSCLES. And ab muscles I can feel when I put my hands on my waist ever so saucily.

The down side is you do have to invest in several different weights in order to make it effective, or at least resistance tubing (which I'm not a big fan of for the resistance training routines, but really like for the long cardio routine). I use a set of 9 pounders and a set of 12 pounders and those are perfect. I'm currently obsessed with the third month (the LEAN MONTH) because it works both upper and lower body at the same time so that your core is always engaged. Basically every exercise makes your whole body feel like collapsing. My masochistic side grits its teeth in grimacing glee.

Seriously, ladies, I'm totally recommending amping up the resistance training. My new strength came in super handy this summer as I helped move tons of heavy boxes for my mom and moved my furniture in my move across country. It also helps to have a workout buddy (thank goodness for Sarah Wilson, my new sister and couch provider) to mock Chalene's choice of workout clothing (boots. BOOTS. WTF) and hate on her when she tells us that we're not tired and ready to puke. It's beautiful.

So, sorry for the LONG absence, but I've been lifting heavy weights and didn't want to sweat all over my gorgeous white mac keyboard. I'd love to know what you ladies do for resistance training! Or stretching, for that matter. What's a great butt stretch?

Back in Rexburg

2009-06-01T20:55:00.000-07:00

I've been traveling for a month, leaving my running shoes in the States and taking my walking shoes abroad. Something about the schedule/food in Europe, along with the average 8-10 miles we put in each day really agreed with me. I lost nearly 8 pounds.

However, now that I'm back I've started running again. My legs hate me. But I have a 10k coming up on the 13th, so I'm committed.

I missed spring in Rexburg (which lasts only about a week), but this morning I could smell the fresh-cut grass, lilacs (my favorite flower), and the distant spring rain-shower about to hit. My legs began to remember what running feels like. Dropkick Murphys was playing on my iPod (to remind me of Ireland), and I began to think how my mum (The Beast) will leave me in the dust as we run this 10k together.

Yup. I'm back.

It might be a hint

2009-04-07T07:06:00.000-07:00

This morning the gym was a blistering 75+ degrees. I don't even keep my apartment that warm (much to Zach's chagrin).

I went for my regular workout and when I walked toward the treadmills I was hit by a wall of heat. I tried to ignore it, but twenty minutes in, I was literally dripping sweat. That rarely happens to me. And to add to that lovely image, let me remind you that BYU-Idaho's gym has standard issue clothes that include a grey t-shirt. A grey t-shirt that soaks up all of your sweat and displays it to passers by in dark grey patches (this is reminiscent of Jana's Rorschach sweat blots). I'm sure people could see exactly where by bra was since it was the only part of the shirt not soaked through. In 20 minutes! Lovely.

I decided that instead of shaking my first at the blasting heaters, or even making a comment to the gym employees, that this was a subtle hint to take my workout outside. In a few more weeks Rexburg might give up its frosty hold on the mornings and I will be brave enough to venture forth of my runs. Until then, I might have to cover my entire torso in antiperspirant before I don my standard issue t-shirt and head to the gym.

alright, i suppose it's time i put in my 89 words...

2009-03-16T20:38:00.000-07:00

so, i have gained more than 20 pounds since i got married (sick, huh?). i have to admit that ten of it was probably muscle, but the other 10... not so much. i have missed my running group (ahem) so very much, and my gym isn't located in the same city where i live, so i have justified my way out of staying in shape.

but i'm sucking it up. i have even started eating lean cuisines. so far i have lost two pounds. can i get a woot-woot?

Guess who's about to get EXTREME?!

2009-03-13T07:28:00.000-07:00

That's right -- ME! I found an affordable ChaLEAN Extreme on ebay, cashed out some of my blue chip stock, and ordered it up right nice. I'm so ridiculously excited, you have no idea! I'm about to get ripped, people. Just in time for summer, when I can strut my stuff... through the cornfields of Indiana. Sigh. It's almost as cool as strutting the beaches of Rio de Janeiro, like Gisele Bundchen, right?

WOO HOO!

Is there a doctor (Who) in the house? (that's for you, Zan)

2009-02-20T10:42:00.001-08:00

For the last year or so my right calf muscle has had a dull, consistent ache. It's not a cramp, and it doesn't go away with increased stretching. It only really starts to hurt when I sit down, so I'm wondering if it has to do with my circulation. But I've done a billion web searches and nothing helpful has turned up. I've massaged it, stretched it, punched it (only twice, though) and it still aches like a mofo. Any suggestions? I really want to get this figured out before the running season in Lafayette officially commences!

Rorschach sweatblot test

2009-02-09T15:55:00.000-08:00

I've been doing the poor woman's version of Chalean Extreme by trying to do the Turbo Sculpt workout three or four times a week, but I haven't wanted to do it at the expense of my cardio, so basically I've been doing Turbo Sculpt in addition to my daily "Punch, Kick, and Jam" or "Cardio Party." That doubles my daily workout time, and since starting my new routine I have noticed something weird.

I now sweat. A lot. Before Turbo Jam, the only kind of workout that made me sweaty was running, and that was usually somewhat dried because of the wind. Turbo Jam came along, and I started sweating profusely. Like, sweat drips onto my carpet from my forehead. It's gross. And awesome. But the part that makes me happy is that I now get those sweat blots on my upper sternum/under-chest. Finally! My Boise friend Annie is a powerhouse of workout awesomeness, and when we used to go running she'd always get those sweat spots on the front of her tank top, and I was always so jealous. Now that I'm working out double, I get them, too! And I noticed that they look like Rorschach inkblot tests. So I'm going to start conducting my own Rorschach sweatblot tests, in order to "examine [my] personality characteristics and emotional functioning" (thanks, wikipedia).

Today's Rorschach looks like a butterfly. According to google search, this is a sign of stability and heterosexuality.

Well, at least it's 50% accurate.

Drop and Give Me 20!

2009-02-04T14:52:00.000-08:00

After several days and some fateful events, I am now a part-time PE teacher.

So awesome.

On a Wednesday, I learned from my former partner teacher that an aide, who was teaching ballroom dance for their PE class, had quit. I told her that maybe I could help and would look into it. The next afternoon, I learned from my main job that they needed to cut my hours due to lack of revenue. I mentioned that there was an opportunity at my school and asked if I could take it. They gave me the okay.

On Friday I had the job.

I'm teaching 5 PE classes over two days, and, so far, I really enjoy it. It's less stressful than regular classroom teaching, the students get to be active, I'm doing fitness activities, and it's only a half-day so I'm not exhausted from giving all my students all my energy all day long.

One catch is that two of my classes, until it's warm enough to go outside, are stuck in a classroom. My plan is to do yoga, pilates, some aerobics, and I'm thinking I might even throw some Turbo Jam in there (yay Jana!). Any other ideas?

If anything, I can make them do push-ups for 45 minutes. Oh, the joys of teaching of middle school!

Since I'm not bald...

2009-01-25T17:33:00.001-08:00

I've found a solution to the whole I-want-to-work-out-but-I-don't-want-to-have-to-wash-my-hair-every-single-day problem. If you don't have this problem, don't judge. I have naturally curly hair, which means naturally dry hair so washing it everyday is not really an option. It may sound silly, but I frequently schedule workouts around my hair washing schedule.

The solution? Dry shampoo.

After a workout, I take a quick shower without getting my hair wet. Then I blow-dry the roots of my hair. But this still can leave you with the yucky, greasy hair feel. That's where the dry shampoo comes in. Just spray it on your scalp and it feels fresh and light. It's a beautiful thing. The stuff I am using right now is called Ojon Rub-Out Dry Cleanser. I love it!

Jana's (dirty) little secrets

2009-01-21T16:50:00.000-08:00

I realized today that I have a couple things that I eat on a daily basis that keep my ghetto bootie from expanding out of my stretchy jeans, and that I also have a rather odd inspiration method to get me moving and eating right. So I thought I'd over-share.

1. Every morning I drink 8 ounces of low-sodium V8. I drink it before I consume anything else (yummy tea and eggs) so that I can make sure I don't have icky V8 aftertaste in my mouth. It's the equivalent of having two servings of veggies, chock full of awesome vitamins, and it makes me happy and alert to start my day with awesome nutrients. Also I like not having to drink it later in the day (or feeling guilty about not drinking it later in the day) when I just want my skinny hazelnut latte to get me through Kant.

2. Protein shakes! I've started to swear by these. I blend a cup of skim or soy milk, 1 scoop of vanilla whey protein powder, and 1/4 cup of various fruits and take it to school for a mid-morning snack. It gives me something to "eat" between meals and gives my muscles an extra boost of protein since I'm such a Turbo Jam powerhouse and need tons o' protein.

3. I always have baby carrots in single serving packages, cherry tomatoes, and sugar snap peas on hand. I throw a bunch in a baggy in the morning and take them to school for later in the afternoon. They're all relatively sweet veggies, quick to grab when I'm trying to get out the door at 6:30 AM, and are so much better to eat than chips or some other type of portable food. String cheese rocks for the same reasons.

And now here's the weird little inspiration trick I use. It's rather two-fold. First off, I buy sexy lingerie. Yes, that's right. In wildly (and perhaps misguidedly) optimistic moods, I buy a new set of sexy lingerie, assuming (hoping?) that eventually I'll be married and have a chance to strut my hot stuff in various states of scandalous undress. Anyway, there's nothing like trying on lingerie and knowing that you'll eventually be wearing it for someone to inspire you to stay fit. For some reason I feel more comfortable naked than in lingerie. Not sure why... maybe because I spend more time naked? What with showers and changing clothes? Next I work out in my underwear (but not in the lingerie -- that's just stupid). With a full-length mirror in front of me. The mirror is great for keeping my form solid, as is necessary with kickboxing- and weight-lifting- type workouts, but also helps me to see what I'd like to work on and the ways in which I'm toning up. So that's my two-fold secret: buying sexy lingerie and working out in my underwear. Now you know. And probably wish you could go back to a simpler time when you didn't.

*And, to fully over-share, this weekend I bought some totally awesome lingerie, and have been an enthusiastic and cheery workout fiend ever since*

Detrimental to your health

2009-01-13T09:00:00.000-08:00

The Body Worlds exhibit just left Salt Lake and we went to see it last weekend. It was pretty amazing. If you haven't been, I highly recommend it if it comes your way. The best part was that they incorporated the emotional and mental aspects of the body through art and literature. Our exhibit was focused on the heart (though we got to see everything else as well), and throughout they had quotes, music, and descriptions about the emotional side of the body and how it is just important as the physical. They even had a display about how and why people actually die of a broken heart. We really enjoyed it.

At the end, you could sign up for a free health assessment. I signed up and went through the process a few days later.

My result: My health is suffering because of stress.

Everything else is great.

Being a naturally anxious person, hearing that stress is essentially ruining my health only served to increase my stress levels. But I am thankful for the information. I have always known that I am easily overwhelmed, even in basic situations, and I guess I simply accepted that. People who are optimistic and happy have better health and live longer than those who don't. The emotional and mental is just important as the physical.

So I am making a commitment to lower my stress levels. I started going to yoga more often and reading at night instead of watching tv.

Do you have any suggestions for lowering stress during the day? Sometimes, the moment I walk out of the yoga studio, I can feel it rise again. How do I keep it low and steady even when I'm harried and frustrated? Thanks, hotties!

abs, abs abs!

2009-01-10T07:32:00.001-08:00

There is something a little strange about the way we tend to leave ab work to isolated exercises and core-specific workout routines. I think that is misguided. In reality we should be focusing on our abs in every workout or daily activity. Our abs should continually be engaged and thus should get a workout even if we don't do Chalene's rocktastic Ab Jam every day.

Engaging your abs when you run helps you maintain good form, protects your spine and back, keeps your center of gravity, which in turn helps protect your knees by keeping you from "clunking" your feet down. There are a couple theories on the best way to engage your core; this is an interesting one from Esther Gokhale. When lifting weights, keeping the abs engaged also helps you maintain proper form, protects the back, and keeps you balanced so that your muscles on both sides of your body are getting equal treatment.

Of course, it's important to keep the abs engaged even when doing daily activities, since most movement originates from or interacts with your core. Walking, cleaning, grocery shopping, sitting at a computer or microscope (Hi, Felice!), etc. Tightening your abs gives you better posture (which makes you look skinnier!) and keeps pressure off the back, neck, and shoulders, the areas we tend to hold our stress and tension.

Here are some mental ways to keep the abs engaged:

1. Try to draw your belly button to your spine

2. Pretend as though you are zipping up a pair of tight jeans

3. Pretend as though you are doing a sit-up even while standing (like you're pulling together and strengthening the connection between your upper and lower body)

4. Keep your tailbone tucked under (when appropriate)

5. Suck it in! But not so much that you can't breathe

6. Make an ab-centered workout a consistent part of your workout routine so that you are consciously strengthening your core and getting used to how engaging your abs "feels." That will make it easier to keep them engaged in activities not specifically designed to target your core. It's easy to forget to keep the abs engaged when running or lifting weights and such.

And of course we all know that the only way to achieve better abs is by getting rid of abdominal fat so that you can see the tightened ab muscles. Huzzah for fat-blasting cardio!

I'm a huge fan of Chalene's Ab Jam and of pilates. What do you all do to strengthen your core?

resting up right nice

2009-01-08T19:28:00.001-08:00

This may be a bit early in our workout blog to post about this, but since I've been doing so much "resting" lately (ah, the joys of a Christmas-break-no-responsibility schedule), I thought I'd pass along the joys of purging the muscles of their normal intensity/breaking down. I think all of us tend to overwork rather than underwork our muscles, so here is a post about the value of a day (or at least a night) of deep rest.

Muscle growth occurs during rest; not during the workout itself. Therefore, sleeping eight hours a night is crucial. If you can't get the ideal eight, taking an afternoon nap is not a bad idea (though it could throw off your normal sleep schedule; good for the muscles, not good for the sleep cycle). Oh, and naps also help rejuvenate--better than coffee--the little grey cells, for you intellectuals among us. Oh, wait, that's all of us. It's so joyous to be blogging with people who are enthusiastic about both working out and being intellectual! It makes my heart sing.

Here are some ways I chill before bed, when I'm a good girl. These are activities that usually follow my 11 PM Turbo Jam session and precede my 5:30 AM wake-up alarm:

1. Do yoga. Stretching (especially with your legs above your head) helps circulation, calms your nerves, and supports the back. Basically, it's the bomb diggity. Try the happy baby, sleeping swan, and the bridge.

2. Take a hot bath. The heat relaxes your muscles, and if you combine the bath with relaxing music or literature you can calm your mind, too. For me, at night it's hardest to turn off my mind. My body is more than ready to turn off.

3. Spray your pillow with a lavender/chamomile mist. Seriously. I started doing this, and it has helped slip me into peaceful dreamland for the last three nights (I didn't say I had been doing it a *long* time). Make sure you let it dry before putting head to pillow, though. New zits in the morning from lavender/chamomile spray are no es bueno. They just piss you off. I think that negates any restfulness from the night before.

4. Meditate or pray. I really enjoy falling asleep mid-prayer. It's a God-thing for me, but it's also a way to sort of get things off your mind; to get "rid" of those things that tend to keep you up all night worrying. Worrying and reaching for the peanut butter and chocolate chips. I know you do that. Don't pretend I don't.

5. Avoid alcoholic drinks and indulge in warm milky drinks. Alcohol may relax you in the short term, but in the night-term increases the levels of REM, or the period of high brain activity, which is not the optimum for "rest" time. Alcohol actually promotes lighter sleep, not deep, rejuvenating sleep. Warm milky things, however, contain lots of yummy calcium and tryptophan (which the body converts to serotonin) that promote the deeper sleep our mind and muscles need for restoration and the general "building up" of hotness. Yes, brains can be hot. Don't tell me you've never been attracted to some literary/philosophical intellectual just because he said something that changed the way you perceive and approach literature/philosophy. Don't even try. I've googled multiple literary critics to see if they're married and in my geographical reach. And I'm not ashamed!

So here's to deep sleep, eight hours of rest, and incredible muscle building! I lift my glass of warm, vanilla milk in celebration.

Shame on You, Dr. Phil

2009-01-08T14:37:00.000-08:00

Maybe I'm feeling particularly sensitive today, but I'm pissed at Dr. Phil. I rarely watch the show but was intrigued by today's topic of "Body-Obsessed Boys." I've decided that Dr. Phil sucks.

His guest was a young man named Eric, who, at 15, has anorexia and is a compulsive exerciser. Dr. Phil started talking about how these behaviors are indicative of an underlying problem. Some people have rituals, some people have eating disorders, he said. And I thought, Good. Keep going with that since this kid is dealing with something else and something more emotional. Instead, Not-So-Fabulous Phil leaves the topic and asks Eric if he ever wakes up famished. Eric says yes but that he tells himself he's not.

Dr. Phil turns to the audience, smiles, and says, "There are a lot of women who wish they could do that, huh?"

The canned audience, the bunch of idiots, laughs.

Thanks, Dr. Phil, for enforcing the very ideas that cause these problems in the first place. You make us proud.

The Frozen Tundra

2009-01-05T20:56:00.000-08:00

My friend Nick tells me that I live in a frozen tundra. Sometimes I believe him. Rexburg has turned into a rather large glacier. Lately I've been waking up to below-zero temperatures and roads covered completely in ice and packed snow.

I don't begrudge old "Iceburg" its wintery ways, but it does tend create a rather intense feeling of cabin fever after a while. I recently complained to my mum (who will now be referred to as "The Beast") about wanting to run outside, but being afraid to run in weather that freezes my bogeys in a single inhale and roads that are the equivalent of a large, intricate ice-skating rink.

The Beast can do nothing about my bogeys, but she did provide me with a solution for the roads. For Christmas my mum bought me YakTrax. That's what the Beast uses on her daily runs in the winter, so I will dutifully emulate her (I will take this moment to brag that the Beast has just signed up to run a marathon in Africa...on a wildlife preserve...with the gazelles and cheetahs...brilliant).

This morning I bailed on an outdoor run (-11 degrees? I don't think so!), left my Trax at home, and hopped in my car to head to the gym. As I got out of my car I slipped on some ice and biffed it hard. As I lay on the ice, debating whether to laugh hysterically at the situation or to hop up and pretend the graceful moment never happened, I took a moment to appreciate the irony.

So tomorrow I will use the Trax. Even if that means only putting them on to walk across the parking lot to get to the gym.

mmm...Snacky Snack

2009-01-05T16:42:00.000-08:00

I compiled an awesomely delicious snack. If you think you're not going to make it through the day without pizza and chocolate in mass quantities, try this:

1 wholegrain waffle (I like Kashi)
1/2 tbsp peanut butter
1/2 banana
1/2 tbsp maple syrup

Yum!

The Reunion is A-Comin'

2009-01-02T08:13:00.000-08:00

So...my 10-year reunion is in February. The date itself is somewhat typical of my class - a group of smart, spunky individuals who were chronic procrastinators. But, somehow, we always managed to get it done and rock it out.

It has become my goal to be in the best shape of my life by February 5th.

I'm in pretty good shape now, but I'd like to be at my graduating-high-school weight when I reunite with all my classmates. I think most people want to look good at these events, so I won't get into the ruffling feathers aspect of seeing people you haven't seen and some you haven't thought about in 10 years. But my goal has three purposes:

1. I gained a lot of weight in college. I won't get into the reasons for that either, but it was kind of a bummer. Most of the people I'm going to see have no idea what I looked like at the end of my junior year, and I don't want them to. I was tiny in high school, and I don't expect to be that size again because I'm a woman now and not a teenager, but I've put my college weight behind me and am ready to be my best adult self.

2. I'm close enough to my goal weight that it's within reach. Referring to #1 above, I've made a lot of progress and am in that "kicking the last few pounds" stage. It's time.

3. I have a skin condition, which I also won't detail, but the foods I eat can make it worse or more tolerable. It's also time to cure this thing once and for all.

I'll post my plan in another entry. It starts today :) Cheers to a new year!

Let's get pumped!

2009-01-01T14:04:00.001-08:00

Hey girls! I'm so excited for this blog. I have a bunch of new workout DVDs (of the Turbo Jam and Crunch varieties) and a new motivation to become an even more serious runner, thanks to my new Nike+ system. And I'm fairly certain that I'll give in and buy ChaLEAN Extreme at some point, so that will provide at least three months of excessive Jana Exercise Blogging. The JEB, if you will.

So to start us off, here is what I've been doing in the times that I've decided to peel myself off the couch and engage in activities more productive than watching "Keeping up with the Kardashians," Pride and Prejudice, and "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia."

Resistance Band Exercises

I really like the above website because there's a little cartoon guy that acts out the moves. Sweeeeeeet. This is also a good one, although there's a hairy guy that creeps me out. I've been really into resistance training lately, and was a bit dismayed when I realized that I would be without my 9 pounders for three weeks. So I bought resistance bands. They fit perfectly in my suitcase and have been an easy way to keep up my muscular progression while on vacation. My mental progression? Quite another story. I've achieved mental regression, and am loving it.

How do you keep fit on vacation?