What is CrossFit + Intro Workout

 

Jay and I recently bought a Living Social deal to try out a local CrossFit gym. I've been wanting to try out CrossFit for a while and this was the push I needed to do it. We went to an introductory class last night and although we did 1/4 of what we normally would do when we are there, my butt was still kicked. I loved the high energy and how quick the workouts are. I left there a sweaty mess and I can't wait to go back to see what more is in store for us.

 

Not familiar with CrossFit? CrossFit is constantly varied functional movements performed at relatively high intensity. Basically, you bust your butt and work really hard in a short amount of time for an extremely effective form of exercise.

 

We practiced form for the 5 moves we would be doing later during our Workout of the Day (WOD). Our trainer had us do a 400 meter run around the building to warm up and then we got into the moves for the day. We focused on squats, push ups, sit ups, box jumps and kettle bell swings. Turns out, I was doing most of these moves incorrectly before and didn't even know it! It was nice to have someone checking on my form and letting me know what I was doing wrong so I can work to correct it. After we got our moves down it was time for our WOD. Here's what we did

 

10 minutes AMRAP (as many reps as possible)

5 Squats

5 Push ups

5 Sit ups

5 Box jumps

5 Kettle bell swings

 

 

This is a fraction of what they normally do for a workout and I was toast! It was nice to put the moves we learned into action to see how much we could push ourselves. I was able to get 8.4 reps in (almost through the squence 9 times in 10 minutes). The box jumps were killer at the end!

 

I can't wait to go back tomorrow night to learn some more moves to apply to our routine. I will keep sharing these workouts with you on the blog so you can try CrossFit out too! Just make sure to watch videos online for correct form and don't push yourself beyond what your body can handle. It takes time to work up to what the experts are doing!

 

What do you think? Have you tried CrossFit before? Would you ever give it a try?

 



Quick, Effective Tabata Workout

 

 

Ever hear of Tabata before? Want a quick, extremely effective workout? Keep reading! The basic formula for Tabata training is 20 seconds of work followed by 10 seconds of rest. The key is to get as many reps in as possible during the 20 seconds. It doesn't seem like that long but trust me, it's killer! I love that you don't have to spend hours at the gym to get an amazing workout in. Don't have that much time and zero equipment? This is your answer.

 

I put together the following workout that will take you 4 minutes to complete and can be repeated up to 3 or 4 times for maximum effect. Keep in mind that your heart is a muscle too and you need to give it rest days between doing Tabata exercises.  

 

 

So, what did you think? Do you have any Tabata moves that you love? Share them in the comments!

Fitness: Full Body 24 minute Bootcamp Workout

I've been beyond busy lately and between work and wedding planning, there hasn't been that much time left to workout. I feel so much better, awake, balanced, have reduced stress, etc. when I'm working out. I need to make it a priority, even if my time is limited. Lately I've been much more efficient with my workouts and get them in my day in 30 minutes or less.

I've done this quick and very effective workout twice now and it's left me a sweaty panting mess. It's only 24 minutes long and is a full body workout. I hope it kicks your butt as much as it does mine!

You'll do 3 sets of burpies and pushups with a minute of rest between each set. Then you'll move on to abs with plank twist and v-ups. Don't rest for more than a minute between each exercise. If you need form cues on any of these moves YouTube is an excellent resource! No matter how good in shape I am, burpies always kick my butt! 

What are your favorite full body exercises? Let us know if you try this in the comments below! 

Fitness: HIIT Treadmill Workout

I tried this high intensity interval training (HIIT) workout on the treadmill last Friday and was sweating buckets when I was finished. It was so effective and since the speed, intervals and incline kept changing it kept my body guessing the entire workout. HIIT is the best way to get a high fat burning workout in that will really challenge your body in the least amount of time. 

Make sure you properly warm up and cool down to get the best results. Listen to your body -- if it doesn't feel right don't push yourself! Scale the speed or incline down a bit if you need to and work your way up.

What did you think of this workout? Do you have any other HIIT workouts you love?