Sorry I haven't blogged in a while. It's been extremely cold and I was sick last week. Really, I haven't been doing much except trying to stay warm and exercising a ridiculous amount.
Never before have I had time to work out. And now that my metabolism is slowing (and I fattened up a little with the delicious Italian in California), I need to shape up. I have to say that what I am doing is working. I made a work out schedule, but I make sure that I am not too hard on myself and that I keep it fun. Within 3 weeks I have tripled my reps and don't have to break most of the exercises into sets anymore. I have had the most success with my legs.
I do have an "open" schedule but I still study a ridiculous amount so don't think it's impossible. Here's what I am doing if anyone is interested:
Monday- Misc. warm up for the week
1. Walking day: I take a really long walk and do all errands by foot
2. Jump rope: Invest in one because it's a great way to get your heart rate up if you hate running like I do. 20-40 min. Whatever feels right. Don't be hard on yourself.
3. Arms: 4 sets of 15 traditional/girly pushups
4 sets of 15 against the wall push ups
Tuesday- Abs (Find instructions here: http://exercise.about.com/od/abs/ss/abexercises.htm)
1. Yoga for abs (I love Rodney Yee)
2. Bicycle: start with 4 sets of 12 and increase reps with time. Right now I do 2 sets of 50.
3. Vertical Leg Crunch: 2 sets of 25
4. Long Arm Crunch: 3 sets, 12 reps
5. Reverse Crunch: 2 sets of 25
Wednesday- Butt (Find Instructions here: http://exercise.about.com/od/butthipsthighs/tp/butt.htm)
1. Squats (2 sets of 10)
2. Lunges (2 sets of 12)
3. Leg Extensions (2 sets of 12, each leg)
Thursday- Legs (Find instructions here: http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/workout/thighs/exercises/hot-legs-exercises/?page=3)
1. Diagonal Leg (2 sets of 10)
2. Side lung butt kicker (2 sets of 10)
3. Thigh Trimmer (2 sets of 10)
4. Golf swing (2 sets of 10)
Friday- Bodyrock TV (http://www.bodyrock.tv/)
I am not actually participating in the 30 day challenge because I DON"T want my body to look like hers. Try one of the challenges once a week. You don't need any of the equipment. Watch the end of the video and she'll tell you how to work the same muscles with what you have at home.
Increase reps and sets when it feels right.
On another note, I made an excellent dinner last week. Davis took the leftovers to school with him and one of the Asian girls freaked out over it. I made apple-honey drumsticks and wings with rice and julienned sauteed veggies.
Apple-Honey Drumsticks
Ingredients
- 12 skin-on chicken drumsticks
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- 2 cups apple juice
- 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons honey
- Grated zest of 1 lemon
- 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 teaspoons sesame seeds (optional)
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Directions
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Set a wire rack on a rimmed baking sheet. Put the drumsticks on the rack and season both sides generously with salt and pepper. Bake 30 minutes; flip the drumsticks and continue baking until golden and crisp, about 30 more minutes.
Meanwhile, make the sauce: Bring the apple juice, vinegar, soy sauce, honey, lemon zest, red pepper flakes and a pinch of salt to a high simmer in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook until the sauce is syrupy and coats the back of a spoon, 20 to 25 minutes. Set aside until the chicken is done.
Stir the sesame seeds into the sauce, if using, and warm over medium heat, if necessary. Transfer the chicken to a large bowl. Add the sauce and butter and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer the chicken to a platter and drizzle with any remaining sauce from the bowl.
Szechwan Mixed Veggies
Ingredients
- Cooking spray, as needed
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1/4 cup julienned carrots
- 1/4 cup julienned celery
- 1/4 cup julienned red bell pepper
- 1/4 cup julienned yellow bell pepper
- 2 tablespoons toasted peanuts
- 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh garlic
- 1 teaspoon hot pepper flakes
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Spray a large skillet with cooking spray, and add water. Add the carrots, celery, red bell peppers, yellow bell peppers, peanuts, garlic, and hot pepper flakes and saute until tender, but still crisp. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.
