Burpee to Pull Up [Video]

One of my new, favorite moves.

Though the jump gives you some help with the pull up, this is still exhausting.

I like my burpees to be more dynamic than this & have a little more “pop” from the push up into the squat.  I also want to work on jumping from the squat into the pull up more quickly, rather than pausing to establish my footing.  Dave recorded me doing 8 of these after my workout last Sunday, so I am going to blame the lack of “oomph” on fatigue. 😉

Every day we push ourselves we get stronger, right?!

I like to do 3 sets of 10, which is fatiguing.  Even more fatiguing is doing these as intervals like below.

Tuesday Morning HIIT

• Burpee to Pull Up : 10 sec rest; 30 sec max – 6 rounds = 4 minutes
• Hamstring Curls on yoga ball: 30 sec; 10 sec “rest” SWITCH TO Ball Pikes: 30 seconds – continue alternating 6 rounds = 3 xs each = 4 minutes
• Side Lying One-Arm Tricep Press Ups: 20 sec alternating each arm, no rests – 6 rounds = 6 xs each side = 4 minutes
• Hanging Knee Raises: 20 sec then Mt Climbers: 20 sec (no rests) – 6 rounds = 6 xs each = 4 minutes.

What I Ate, Wednesday [Post]

Technically, this is “What I Ate” Tuesday.

My blogging preference is specific highlighted meals, recipes, thoughts & foods…rather than a run-down of a daily menu; a friend coaxed me into sharing a day’s worth of my eats though, so here you have it!

After an early morning HIIT workout, Dave treated me to another one of his amazing recovery drinks.

Hemp & Pumpkin Spiced Latte Smoothie

Interested in my short, intense workout?

It was a good one.

Each exercise or set equals 4 minutes before moving on to the next.

• Scorpion Flips – 50 seconds max effort; 10 seconds rest (4 rounds)

Alternate between the following two exercises for 4 minutes with no rests, (6 rounds total):

• Chatarunga plus alternate lifting each leg [20 seconds]
• (Without using arms, roll onto back)
• Alternating One-Leg Toe Touches [20 seconds]

• Skater Lunges – 50 seconds max effort; 10 seconds rest (2 rounds each side, 4 rounds total)

• One-Arm Side-Lying Tricep Press Ups [alternate doing 20 seconds each arm, no rests, 6 rounds — meaning each arm gets worked 6 times]

A couple hours later,

Kamut Berry Salad with flax seed oil, sea salt & a splash of champagne vinegar

curbed morning hunger.

I packed lime-squeezed jicama slices along with a little leftover sauteed escarole with caramelized shallots, chickpeas & currants, piled over mixed greens for a mid-day snack.

This was pretty light, so it was shortly followed by

two pieces of toasted  millet bread alongside roasted red beets from our CSA drizzled in balsamic & just a touch of honey.

I keep a water bottle with me at all times — except when I lose one, which I am infamous for doing — & try to stay hydrated; most days, all I drink is water, maybe tea.  Yesterday I only did so-so & should have refilled this guy a couple more times.  Good thing Natalie posted some tips!

To refuel after my jog to the climbing gym after work,

I enjoyed a local orange while I waited outside on the bench for Dave.

The cool, fresh air felt nice,

as did bouldering.

Post-climbing, I snacked on a lemon zest Luna bar, with chalky hands & all.

Luna bars were on a great sale & are like a treat for me sometimes, but most flavors are too sweet.  They are a better option than many bars, but I don’t like that they are processed & use evaporated cane juice.  I would like to find or make a better, whole-food alternative.  Any suggestions?  (other than Lara bars)

For dinner, we made Serrano Pepper & Shallot Fajitas on Ezekiel tortillas.

Portobellos & cashew cheese for me; steak cooked in red wine with fresh mozzarella for Dave.

Oh ~ & a small piece of homemade “raw” chocolate before bed…because I can. 😉

I told you, I like to eat often; I feel best when I eat a lot of small “meals” throughout the day.

Though my favorite blogs aren’t the “here is what I ate”-variety, sometimes it is fun to see what other active, health-minded people eat throughout the day & snag an idea or two — so let me know if you share your own “What I Ate” Wednesday  post!

We Enjoy the Silliness

Even with anticipated work stress, you know it’s going to be an ok day when by 8AM you have already cracked up – in a good way.

Dave & I played “Man vs Wild Snow & Traffic” on the bus yesterday.  Actually, Dave played, & I lost it.  I am fairly obsessed with Bear Grylls & “Man vs Wild”.  If you do not know what I am talking about, stop now & go enlighten yourself.  Bear Grills is a bad ass, intelligent – he even usually uses “literally” correctly – & he has an English accent.  😉  Enough said.

[source]

It all started because overnight, the snow & ice made the roads in Flagstaff quite “slippy” this morning.  [Bear always says slippy instead of slippery.]  From our seats on the bus, we watched cars slide off the road & instructed each other on “proper technique” for maintaining traction & traversing “slippy” slopes & cautioned how “a good friend, only a few years ago, had lost his footing on a slope much like this & slid all the way to the bottom.  He suffered numerous injuries & barely survived.”  Dave marveled over the “traditions of the locals” & the lengths people are willing to go to attach a pair of sticks to their feet to slide down a hill.  You have to do this all in an English accent or it’s not as funny.  😉  I know; we’re dorks.  I like it this way. I like that we can be silly.  Laughing is the only way to start your day.

Maybe you’re not as amused – though I can’t imagine why not – so here are some workout options I’ve done lately if you’d rather just sweat:

Playground Workout ~ HIIT ~ 4 minutes each exercise = 6 rounds each: 10 seconds rest; 30 seconds max effort

• Ninja Jump Tucks
• Chin Ups
• Surfers
• One-Arm Side Lying Tricep Press Ups

Balanced ~ full-bodied HIIT ~ 4 minutes each exercise = 6 rounds each: 10 seconds rest; 30 seconds max effort

• Scorpion Flips 5 – 6 – 6 – 5 – 6 – 6
• Skater Lunges (L, R) 13 – 14 – 15 – 15 – 15 – 15
• Pull Ups (rounds 1, 2, 4, 5 pull ups; rounds 3, 6  chin ups) 9 – 7 – 7 – 6 – 9 – 7
• Mountain Climbers 37 – 36 – 31 – 31 – 32 – 34

Breathing Ladders ~ Remember these?

• 12# medicine ball swings 1:10:1 = 22:30 minutes

~

I tried to ride my morning high, but so many things wore me down yesterday.  By the time I got home, I did not want to turn my computer on, leave the house or do anything but sit with Dave & talk, play with Eisley & finally relax.

Just before 6:00 this morning, we saw a huge herd of elk right outside our gym though; so I am optimistic today will be a good day.

~

How silly can you be with your spouse/partner?

Hold & Explode!

“Get lower!”

“Explode!”

“Tight core!”

“Watch your form!”

“Good throw!”

“Keep moving — faster!”

Partner moves are great because you can push each other — plus you always want your part to be over.  This move was no different.  As the sets progressed, we did not want to hold the squat any longer than necessary; as our muscles fatigued, an explosive burpee became nearly impossible.

We liked this so much, we had to share it with you!  Even if other people have done this, I am giving Dave major credit for an awesome move.

~

Ball Throw Burpees

Allie: begin in squat with legs  at 90*, holding medicine ball in front of chest.

Dave: do a burpee, jumping/returning into a squat position:

[burpee: squat & bring hands to ground – jump feet back into a plank position – do a push up, exploding as you push up, popping into the squat position.]

Allie: throw the ball to Dave as he lands in the squat.

Dave: catch the ball

& stay in squat.

Allie: burpee,

[try to keep your head in line; my form is not great here]

jump back into squat position.

Dave: throw the ball.

Allie: catch the ball.

Continue alternating moves between partners for duration of time or reps.

Your quads will hate love you.

Thursday morning we met a couple people at the gym & did a group workout:

• 4 rounds: 10 x ball throw burpees each person followed by 15 x these each side
• 4 rounds of a partner switch up:  one person did 10 x 45* lean-back medicine ball throws while the other person did weighed quick steps as quickly as possible while holding a medicine ball in front of his/her chest
• 3 rounds: triangle presses [side bend, works obliques] followed by pull ups [I did 5]
• we finished up with another set of pull ups & Dave’s crazy “windshield wipers” — which is another exercise we should just show you

~

I hope it was worth the wait, because last night I did not feel like changing  into workout clothes & sweating to burpees, just  to get dressed again.

There was pizza waiting after all!

So we got up bright & early to show you our burpees before hitting the crag in Jack’s [a.k.a. rock climbing in Jack’s Canyon].

Hope you are enjoying an active weekend as well!

Waiting on the Shore

My favorite photo from Dave’s trip.

Santa Barbara, CA ~ David Finch

Dave inspires me.  Dave motivates me.

I wanted to work out this morning…but I didn’t want to…& was running out of time anyway.  Even though he took the day off, he offered to drive me to work rather than sleep in.  This gave me a bit more time to fit in a work out — no excuses now, especially after he created this short workout to wake me up too.

Do the following set twice:

• 2 x Pull Up
• 2 x Chin Up
• 2 x Pull Up
• 2 x Chin Up
• 10 x Mt. Climbers
• 10 x Chaturanga Run
• 10 x Mt. Climbers
• 10 x Chaturanga Run
• 25 x Hamstring Curl on yoga ball
• 10 x Burpees [first set only]
• 30 X Ball Swings* with 12# medicine ball [second set only]

*like kettlebell swings but with a medicine ball
I completed this in 9:20.  Short & intense.

Cool down consisted of a variation of Sun Salutations through Warrior II, with added tricep push ups before transitioning to downdog; included pigeon pose & ended in Child’s pose.

~

Dave’s photos make me excited for summer traveling.  Do you have any plans for upcoming trips?

Love ~ Sweat & Waffles

A Valentine’s Day post could go a couple different routes.  Should I talk about love, candy. all the fluff? [Which are all fun of course.]  Let’s start with my heart —

not the froo-froo stuff though — sorry.

Instead, here’s how it got pumping yesterday.

HIIT

6 rounds = 4 minutes each exercise: 10 seconds rest; 30 second maximum effort intervals

• Bench Dips

• Low Lateral Skaters *see below

• Hanging Knee Raises

• Alternating Fly Push Ups

I forgot my list with my reps, so I will add these later today.

*Stand with your feet wide apart – toes & knees pointing slightly outward — & squat down pushing your hips back. Try to get your thighs parallel to the ground.  Shift your weight to one leg & lift the other leg out to the side & extend it so it is horizontal to the ground.  With control, lower your leg & shift your weight to this side & repeat, lifting the other other leg, keeping your feet wide.  Remember to keep your chest up, back straight & core tight.

• I finished with a mile run, increasing my speed every quarter mile for the first half then for the second half about every 0.1 mile…or sooner because I just wanted to be done & knew the sooner I reached 1 mile, the sooner I could have breakfast — oh you’ll see — & the sooner I would be bouldering with Dave.  [speed range 7 – 10.5]

Dave followed his weight session with a little, ole 5K…just because.

Today’s morning workout was more about maintenance & loving on two small muscle groups I use a lot but often neglect:

Rotator Cuff Muscles [namely infraspinatus & supraspinatus] & Forearms

For specific strength training I stick to a muscle injury/prevention exercise protocol, which includes 3 set of 10 reps, reaching fatigue by the end of set 3.

~

On to said breakfast my tummy [& heart] completely fell for.

Most of you seem to have pancake days; me, I am more of a waffle gal.  I think we should just go ahead & put waffles in my favorite foods list.

Crisp on the outside, soft in the middle & full of blueberry & banana, these turned out so perfectly Saturday I was glad I had extra for a Sunday batch.

Even more delicious because they were enjoyed on the picnic tables just outside our front door.  Weirdos that we are, Dave & I infuse each bite of breakfast with fresh air.  Mmm.  You should try it.

You should also try kamut flour if you have not yet.  I have never been able to get my hand on it until now.  If this recipe is an accurate indication of what I can expect when cooking with kamut, add it to my list of preferred flours.  Delicate & light, this filled me up without leaving me heavy — crucial for a climbing day — which a lot of other wheats have a tendency to do.

I topped my waffle triangles with maple-tahini, which is just what it sounds like: maple syrup stirred into tahini.  Sesame seeds are a great source of calcium, so I try to incorporate sesame into my diet often.

Banana-Blueberry Waffles with Hemp Seeds

[vegan] ~ makes 4 medium waffles

• 1 C kamut flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 2 T hemp seeds

• 1 banana, mashed fairly smooth
• 1 C fresh almond milk
• 3 T coconut oil, melted

• ~1/4 C blueberries

Combine dry ingredients.  Combine wet ingredients.  Stir wet ingredients into dry ingredients until just combined.  Stir in blueberries.  Spoon [~1/4 C ??] into a preheated waffle iron & cook to perfection, or until the light switches, ~3 minutes.

Disclaimer: I did not need to oil my waffle iron, which I never need to do; I am not sure if my iron just rocks or if the oil in the batter deserves credit.  I cannot be held responsible for any sticking/mess that occurs by following my non-greasing instructions. 😉

I wanted a really lovely photo showcasing the b.e.a.u.t.i.f.u.l. weather while bouldering this weekend both in Sedona & at the Draw, but I let myself get caught up in simply enjoying myself.

I hope you got caught up in your own weekend!

Happy Valentine’s Day! — especially you Dave…see you at home. 😉

~

Were you blessed with the same 50*/60* weather?

Have you ever cooked with kamut flour?

Do you have Vday plans?  Even if you are flying solo, make today special & do something loving for yourself or a close friend!