Did you tackle the BEAST yet?
Try it today! Details & modifications here: http://fitvillains.tumblr.com/post/23555325544/unleash-the-beast-2-beast-unleashed-1000-reps-of
Pauline Nordin’s Butt Bible DVD is TOUGH STUFF. Wowza.
I’ve been adding the DVD’s 1-2 times a week for about a month now, and I’m already noticing greater strength and definition in my lower body. Great investment for all levels: you get 6 workouts (3 upper, 3 lower) and three levels to choose from.
It’s hard for me to find DVD’s that can challenge me and that I can grow with, but this one fits the bill! Two workouts are body weight only, and the others require a set of light-medium weights (whatever that means for you) and a chair. I’m a big fan of muting my instructors and playing my own music: watch the videos a few times then explore the mute option if it gets repetitive/annoying (even my favorite instructors annoy me sometimes).
Lunge Challenge check-in! How you doing?
I’m at 800 for the week: have 200 left to hit my 1000 lunge goal (she doesn’t know it, but I’m racing Nicole from my Facebook page- last I heard she was at 816). My quads and glutes haven’t been this sore in a loooong time, and while I typically add lunges to my workouts a few times a week, it’s never at this volume (or intensity - plyo lunge MURDER).
Even if you started late, and are FAR off the 1000 target, give yourself a mini-challenge and do 200 with me today (or tomorrow)! Break them up, fit them in, count them and pat yourself on the back. :). I’ll post my 200 lunge workout below.
FEELING ”BLAH”
Aside from a little soreness, today’s gonna be mentally TOUGH for me: I’m feeling MEGA blue & bummed. I don’t usually post admissions of feeling crap-o-la, but hey, it happens. Sometimes I’m just NOT in the mood. I woke up feeling sad, tired, cranky and anxious this morning, and despite a hearty breakfast, a walk and a piece of chocolate (a BIG piece, lol), I’m still not ”myself”. Blah, blah, blah.
BOOTY LOVE GIVEAWAY!
Lunge. Squat. Repeat. Boy Briefs.
Who wants to WIN a pair of these babies?
I’m giving away a pair of these CUTE briefs at the end of our weekly lunge challenge! It’s SUPER easy to enter: do a lunge, send me a pic, and you’re IN!
All entries must be received by April 26th, 11:59pm EST. Winner announced on April 27th, noon, EST.
How To Enter…
- Snap a pic of you doing a lunge, ANY lunge you like. Blurred faces are okay if you’re shy, but make sure it’s YOU.
- Submit it to my Ask or email it to fit.villains@gmail.com
- Don’t forget your name, email address & age so I can get in touch with you!
- Must be 18 years of age or older. Canada & USA only (sorry farther friends!)
Good luck! Get a friend to take pics as you KILL those lunges!
xo
Fresh off the heels of 1000 pushups, we’re switching things up and doing a blast of lower body work! This challenge will strengthen your glutes, hamstrings & thighs while torching a ton of calories (and giving your arms a break from last week).
1000 lunges. U game?
There’s a lot of room to play within this challenge! You can choose from a huge selection of lunge variations, mixing & matching them along the way. Advanced exercisers can choose more difficult modifications and add dumbbells. Beginners can use basic lunge modifications and should focus on form before adding weight.
Note: review proper form before beginning & listen to your body! If you have problems in the knee area, try your best, but stop if you have any pain. Reduce your range of motion & stick to body weight at any time.
Proper Lunge Form
Although there are distinct differences in the many lunge variations below, there are a few key form techniques that they share. If you’re not used to doing lunges (or doing this many), it’s important to make sure your form is on point: it’ll reduce your risk of injury & protect your knees. Since this is high volume, you can opt for body weight only OR add resistance as you see fit (ideally, you can mix it up with several variations).
Weekend Workout: Lean, Mean, Sweat Machine
This cardio workout will leave you DRIPPING with sweat & feeling the burn! Dig deep to finish all 1020 reps! (Waaaapoooosh).
How To Do It
- Warm up for 5 minutes before starting.
- Complete each exercise for the prescribed reps, and follow it up with 10 pushups.
- Take a 1 minute break between each round. 3 rounds total.
- Time yourself! Go your own pace, but set yourself a target to beat for next time.
- Stretch & cool down.
My time: 24:46
You’ll need…
- A Mat
- A wicked attitude
- Dumbbells optional
Pushup Modifications
Any modification you like! Advanced exercisers can switch them up each set: spiderman pushups, judo pushups, one leg pushups etc. Beginners can start against a wall, from their knees or on an incline. See variations on the pushup here: Working Your Way to Perfect Pushups…
If the pushups begin to get too challenging, switch to an easier modification. Even wall pushups count, just make sure to push yourself!
And yup, that’s 180 pushups today! Be sure you count them if you’re doing the pushup challenge this week!
My Playlist For This Workout
Weekend Workout: Lean, Mean, Sweat Machine
Instructions & Modifications
1. 100 High Knees (Cardio)
Get your knees WAY up and work on your speed! Every 2 knees (right & left) counts as ONE rep. Keep your core tight and shoulders back. Stay light on your feet.
Gwen Stefani In A Pushup Competition With A Fan
Motivation for those who are still working on their pushups! The 1000 Pushup challenge is still ON! (I’m at 650 for the week and FEELING it).
Tip: break it up throughout the day! 10 here 20 there. All levels, all modifications COUNT.
Today’s Workout: The Perfect 10!
10 moves, 10 reps, max rounds in 30 minutes. Read the instructions & modifications before starting.
PUSHUP BONUS!
Are you doing the 1000 Pushup challenge? Use the bonus instructions below to boost your numbers! You’ll get a sick workout while getting closer to your goal. (If you’re doing pushups with the burpee, count those too!)
Pushup Challenge BONUS.
- START the workout with 20 pushups.
- Do 5 pushups (ANY variation) after each and every move (even the T-Pushups).
- Finish the workout with 20 pushups.
3 rounds = 220 pushups. Not bad!
KILL IT!
I’m doing 1000 pushups this week, and I want you to do them with me!
Even if you can’t IMAGINE yourself doing this many pushups, I’m telling you it’s do-able. You have the power!
If you’re still working up to full pushups, try them against a wall, on an incline (hands on a chair, bench or couch) or from your knees! If you do 10 every hour while you’re awake, that’s 160 pushups a day. Push that to 20 reps every hour and that’s 320 in one day alone.
If you SUCK at pushups, trust me: take this challenge! Starting next week, pushups will seem easier than they ever have. And that’s a BAD ASS feeling. Chase it.
Where: Anywhere! Your living room, office, the park, the bus, outside, inside, etc.
When: 4/9/2012 - 4/15/2012
Goal: 1000 Pushups, your choice of variations.
Need help? See tips & modifications for ALL levels. Working Your Way to Perfect Pushups…
ALL pushups count. Even if you’re advanced/intermediate, you can switch to modified pushups at any time. Beginners can switch to easier modifications as well.
Advanced & Intermediate Pushup Peeps
1000 pushups is tough for most people, but if you’re a pushup QUEEN (or KING), challenge yourself with harder modifications. There are HUNDREDS of ways to do a pushup that will challenge your body from head to toe. This is a great week to try new variations, work on speed or add difficulty. Try harder modifications like decline pushups (feet elevated), one leg pushups, spiderman pushups (bring a knee to your elbow as you lower), explosive pushups (get some air!) and more. They don’t ALL have to be hard, but making some of them tougher can help you get the most out of this challenge.
Tips
- Try busting out a set first thing in the morning (roll out of bed & on to the floor). Hopefully, your brain will still be too tired to notice. :)
- Set reminders on your phone: every hour, every few hours etc.
- Break them up & have a daily target. It averages out to 143 a day, but you can opt to do more or less. 10 here, 20 there. They add up quickly.
- Bring some friends on board! Tell your co-workers, challenge others. It’s more fun in groups (a friend of mine had a pushup competition at Easter dinner with the family!)
- STRETCH. Often.
- Try to do MORE than you think you can do each set. Once you start feeling tired, see if you can do 5 more.
- Do them warm. You’ll bang out more reps with a warm body than a cold one. Runners: why not add a few sets to your runs? Start with 20, end with 20, and throw a bunch in between.
Every inch of me wants to tell you to set your own goal if this is too intimidating: 500 might seem more reasonable for some people. But I don’t want to do that because I truly believe you GOT this. Anyone can do this challenge! Don’t sell yourself short. Try your best & we’ll revisit this in a month!
Hit it HARD bad asses. :)
xo
P.S - I’m up to 250 for the day! 25% there on Day ONE. Let me know how you’re doing with the gang on Facebook & holla if you have any questions!
Visit the I See Fit People Facebook Event to log your scores & stay motivated! Hundreds of people are doing this challenge. Get IN on it!
Reverse Burpees: A BRUTAL challenge!
Give these a try! Beginners: step out & in instead of the jump. You may need to modify this if you have back/joint issues: listen to your bod!
Challenge: Try 3 rounds of 30-60 seconds in your workout today!
xo
BURPEE MADNESS & Total Body Murder
This was my workout yesterday and WOW. Wow. It was seriously tough.
Normally soreness takes 24 hours to ‘set’ in, but this little combo has me feeling the burn early. I woke up this morning feeling it EVERYWHERE.
Yes. :)
Challenge: try it! It’s tough, but do-able. You can modify any of the moves to suit your level/needs.: step back instead of jumping for the burpees, use body weight for the squats, do modified pushups, and do step-ups/squats for the box jumps.
Advanced: fewer rounds, higher reps.
Beginner: more rounds, lower reps.
*I used 15lb dumbbells for the squats. Weights are optional though.
Round Options
- 3 rounds of 50 reps each
- 5 rounds of 30 reps each
- 1 round of 50, then 5 rounds of 20
- 10 rounds of 15 reps each
- 15 rounds of 10 reps each
KILL IT. :) Let me know how it goes!
Ball Pike & Knee Tuck
Targets: Core & shoulders.
How to do it:
- Start in a push-up position with your shins resting on a stability ball.
- Brace your abs and keep your legs straight as you raise your hips toward the ceiling, drawing the ball toward your arms. Hold for 2-3 seconds and roll back to start. Keep your head in line with your spine throughout the movement (eyes between your hands).
Modifier: Do a knee tuck instead (see pic). Draw your knees into your chest and back out. Advanced peeps can try the knee tuck with a twist to hit their obliques.
Keep your core tight throughout the movement, and keeping your quads contracted will help with balance.
See full workout: Whip Your Balls Out!
Operation Beautiful For Best Friends
Body LOVE!
The book comes out July 19th. You can pre-order it now on Amazon
You can start posting your ‘guerilla love’ for FREE. Post-its are great ways to spread the love anonymously & bathroom mirrors are a good place to start. Ideas for messages can include things like ‘You’re beautiful’, ‘Change how you see, and not how you look’, ‘You’re perfect as you are’ etc. No need to sign them, but the messages are one’s we need reminding about every day.
A little goes a long way. :)
Single Leg Side Full Extention
This is a TOUGH move to master, and requires balance to maintain. You’ll work your inner/outer thighs, glutes, core and shoulders. While you’re working up to it, feel free to tap your foot down briefly & start with a lighter weight: this moves hard.
Add 3 minutes of this move into your workout today (30 seconds per side, three times). Once you master it, add more weight to make it more challenging.
Have the Nike Training App? Do Laura Enever’s Fierce Workout today (part of the bonus workouts).
Today’s Challenge: V-Hold With Kicks (via Nike Women).
This is an intense core move that will also challenge your quads, hip flexors, and strengthen your lower back. Keep your arms by your side for balance, and try to keep your back flat (straight) and still as you kick up & out.
Note: you can modify the kicks by reducing the range of motion and keeping your knees bent. You can also make the exercise more challenging by adding weights to your ankles or using both feet at the same time.
Today’s Challenge: 2 minutes per side, broken up any way you like! You can start by throwing it into today’s routine in 4 one minute intervals. (or throw it in any way you like. The longer per side, the more challenging the exercise.
Basic set: 1 minute (30 seconds per side)
If you’re planning a…
20 minute workout - Do a set every 4 minutes.
30 minute workout - Do a set every 6 minutes.
40 minute workout - Do a set every 9 minutes.
45 minute workout - Do a set every 10 minutes.
60 minute workout - Do a set every 14 minutes.
Kill it!
