Sunday Work Out

This was a super busy weekend, but ate healthy the whole time.

We went out and got some semi healthy groceries - Jewish Rye Bread, cold cut turkey, pepper jack cheese (probably not the healthiest), fruits (grapes, pomegranate, strawberries - too ripe), salmon, potatoes, onions, tomatoes, carrots, lemon and milk (rice milk and normal 2% milk). This would be our food for a few days.
We had a sandwich with the rye, meat, cheese and mustard that day, and shopped the rest of the day, walking fast through crowds since we wanted to get home soon. Although they say shopping does help burn calories but is not exercise, this was super exhausting.
We rested for a bit and then went to my dad's house for dinner. Later we played X box Kinect adventures which was super fun and a lot of exercise. I think we like the rafting thing a lot.

Sunday we went to the gym around 4 and worked out for 1 and a half hours- we walked a mile or so, and worked on our abs, legs and glutes.
Walking .5 miles first. Began slowly, then gradually picked up the pace.
We took a break and did stretches, by squatting. this stretched out the toes, feet, Achilles's tendon,Calves, and Ham. kind of like the guys below. yep they are worker guys in China taking a break. We also see this in India a lot. One wouldn't think it was an exercise, but it is great for the body. remember to keep your back straight, shoulders and neck relaxed, and use your legs.

 Then we did this stretch:

Side bends:

Hold each side for about 60 counts, then do the variation below.

Trikonasana

Side bends help stretch, but also help work out the side love handles... which all us women love so much :-/
Hold this pose for about 60 counts. So let's burn those love handles off and shape the body!

We then got down on the mat to do some abs:

Ryan stood on my feet to keep me stable, while doing the sit ups. From being on your back to sitting up positing. With a small twist to this boring old exercise, which gives amazing results. Then we got a 1 kg ball to pass back and forth while doing the sit up. This helps keep your mind off the work, the burn of the sit up and on the ball, which will otherwise smack your face. Great tactic. We did 3 sets of 10 reps (repetitions), and with the two types of sit ups working upper and lower abs. The second type of sit up was a smaller movement, just reaching directly up (instead of forward to sitting position):

This is kind of more straight up movement than forward to sitting up right. It is a small movement getting only your shoulder blades, upper back, neck and head off the ground, than a full sit up.

Then we did leg lifts. Yeah. those, however we made it interesting by changing it up. Ryan stood by my head, so I could grab his ankles to stabilize myself. Then when i would do a leg lift and my feet would be in front of him, he would firmly push it away in any direction, left, right, or forward. Keeping it random, this helps work out all the different ab muscles.


Then we set off to do legs. We went to this awful  machine, as below in the picture, and loaded it with 45 lb weights on each side (90 lbs total), but the bar itself. In the picture this guy has his neck and head raised, it should be relaxed. So this is like doing a squat, however in this position your back is straight, and gravity is pulling the ground toward you.

We 3 sets of ten reps. Ryan had to put on three 45lb weights on both sides (lifting 270 lbs total); now everyone does not have to be this macho to start off with! Remember what you do today you will feel and ache tomorrow.

Then I bench pressed a bar which was mighty heavy for me. I did 2 sets of 8.

We completed walking a little more than half a mile and called it a night. Yes we are both really sore today. All the sets I did, Ryan did with weights or some other advanced variation. When I am able to do that level again I will write about it. Till then I am taking it slow and steady.

Breathe!