A bad weather forecast

Lots of hail and rain and wind with intermittent sunshine.  Don't let the weather get in the way of your training goals - one excuse to quit can soon snowball into quitting altogether.

Use the weather to your advantage, embrace it, feel refreshed in it.  If you are running then cut your distance and go for some sprint or hill training using the wind as added resistance.  This way you can increase your workload but cut the time outside down dramatically.

Before you head out into the cold rain though - get your body nice and warm first, layer up and do some bodyweight exercises (squats, lunges, press-ups etc.) so that getting outside is refreshing rather than horrible!

A kettlebell workout in the rain and wind feels great!

When you've finished, relish in a nice hot shower and share your experience with everyone else on this group - we'll all be keen to hear how you conquered the elements!

RODs WOD 24/1/12

"The world breaks everyone, and afterward, some are strong at the broken places." -Ernest Hemingway



I've noticed just lately that it only seems to be the girls that are out jogging in the wind, the rain and the dark!  It's windy, it's rainy and it's not dark yet...but it will be, you just see!


Get out there and get a 45 minute jog in.  If you're a beginner then break it up into 5 minute brisk walk, 5 minute jog, 5 minute brisk walk, 5 minute jog and so on.  If your advanced then make sure that you are running and not just jogging - no shufflin' allowed here!


'But it's raining Rod' 


- good, it will keep you cool and when you get home to that lovely hot bath that the other half has run for you, you can lie back and say - yay, I did it in the rain and loved it!!!!!

RODs WOD

I will be posting a daily workout aimed at beginner/intermediates that want to try and get into shape in 2012. Try and keep up with the workouts that I set and post your timed results back here.

 Good luck and here's Day 1 

Success is sweet: the sweeter if long delayed and attained through manifold struggles and defeats. -A. Branson Alcott 

Here's RODs first WOD as promised

Do the following and register your time:

10 lunges
10-20 push ups
run/brisk walk 1-2 miles
20 body weight squats
10-20 push ups
run/brisk walk
1-2 miles
2 sets 20 crunches

 If you don't have time for the run/walk then try and get the body weight stuff in and a walk when home from work.

 Good luck and and don't forget to  post your results

Rod

Actress Jessica Biel's fitness routine

Jessica Biel’s circuits look like this:

Stretch: She starts with walking lunges these are great for butt and legs, and they warm you up. Warm ups and cool downs are really important as not to injure your unprepared body parts.
Cardio: Jogging (half a mile), sprints (200 meters, 150 and 100).
Core: Hanging leg raises help you flatten your abdomen.
Stair-jumping: Painful but improves nervous system and great for legs.
Weight Training: Nothing is going to improve your body as weight training, so pick up lighter weights and go.
Waist sculpting moves: Seated Russian twists with a five-pound medicine ball. 3 sets of 15 times.
Shoulders and biceps: Knees slightly bent 10-pound dumbbells for each hand. Bicep curl, then rotation to get your palms outward and twisting dumbbell press. Reverse to get into the initial position and repeat for 10 or 12 times for 3 sets.

High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)

I have been looking at various types of HIIT sessions designed to be great fat strippers, perfect for building stamina and blending these with good quality, muscle building resistance work.

Today we worked on beach work - well why not, it's down the road and was a beautiful day.  You see I believe that it is important to find a balance - HIIT work can be painful but balance this with doing it on the beach it becomes something to look forward to.

The good thing about beach training is the sand is soft, therefore working us harder.  The shoreline is also angled or sloping so that we can intensify the workout either one side at a time or an 'uphill/downhill' routine.  We also have a great big puddle of water to jump in at the end to cool off!!

This is the HIIT set that we did, give it a try and let me know how you did:

20 minute warm up jog keeping heart rate at a constant 80% MHR

10 second sprint
10 second jog
10 second sprint
20 second jog
10 second sprint
30 second jog
10 second sprint
20 second jog
10 second sprint
10 second jog

Repeat this section 3 times

10 minute jog as above

Sounds easy eh!  Actually its a fairly quick routine that can easily be varied with the inclines mentioned earlier.  The addition of soft sand or shingle really sap the legs quickly so dont be fooled!  Hear rate up to 95-110% MHR  total calories burnt on this session 768 in just under 40 minutes ;@)