Juneathon Day 24 – Sumo Squat Jabs

Ok ok I’m still in one piece.

I may not be able to breathe all that well but the rest of me seems to be sort of back to normal. I am picking up where I left off on my NTC program. Juneathon day 24 activities include 30 minute Body Flexor workout. I succeeded in completing it although I did lose count of how many coughing attacks I had during the exercises. It was depressing. Each fit hit me near the end of a rep. The worst were push ups – for the one minute reps, I spent the last 10 coughing on the floor. A few other exercises were tough on me as well but hey, I’m still alive so kiss my butt sickness and say goodbye. I say these things as I sit here blogging and coughing my brains out… Sometimes I just want to cry. Actually, sometimes I’ve been coughing so hard my eyes do water…I really hope this ends soon. Being sick in the summer just doesn’t work!

Now that I’m back, I should feature a workout of some sort. I haven’t really looked into all the benefits of this but it definitely seems to work out almost all of your body: legs, core, and arms. I’m rushing through this blog so I can go make a tea and call it a night… Without further delay, I present you, Sumo Squat Jabs.

Here’s how to Sumo Squat Jab:

1. Stand straight with your legs apart and toes pointing slight outwards (feet turned outwards in opposite directions). Face right and jab your right arm forwards.
2. Bend your knees into a sumo squat and jab forward again with the same hand. Move quickly between 1 and 2 for 30 seconds – up jab, down jab, repeat.
3. Keeping your feel in the same position, turn your hips to the left and repeat with your left arm jabbing outwards while standing straight.
4. Jab outwards to the left while in sumo squat position. Repeat up jab, down jab, and continue for 30 seconds.

Alternatively, you can repeat doing four jabs on one side, rotate hips, four jabs on the other side, rotate hips, repeat for a minute.

And there you have it. A very potentially awkward but rewarding and fun new exercise. I’m a little uncoordinated, the clumsy one…sometimes I have to take a minute to realign myself and do this but it all works out in the end. You should give it a shot!

Here’s to hoping a good sweat will put me back to normal when I wake up tomorrow.

Happy Jabbing!

rundmach

Juneathon Day 6 – Dumbbell Row

Hiiiiiiiii,

Today is workout #3 of week 4 of my NTC Program. The workout is called Dream Team and lasts 45 minutes. It’s new in the program. I haven’t done this workout yet. It kind of sucked, I’m not going to lie. This was the first one that didn’t have a 30 second recovery, anywhere! I think the first 5 minutes went straight through each exercise and then I had a 10 second transition between each 1 minute exercise. Whoooweeeee was it ever tough. There was also one exercise that required balancing your back on a foam roller, lifting both legs up, and doing an opposite arm/leg crunch, I failed miserably at this the first time around. My foam roller is definitely not long enough to support my entire back so I can hold up my legs. I improvised the next two times this came around and did bicycle crunches as fast as I could for the minute. Following this 45 minute workout, I did some dumbbell weights again – rows, bench press, and curls. After a whole lot of sweat and struggles, I completed my workout. So, that concludes my Juneathon Day 6 activities.

One of my favourite dumbbell exercises is the one arm dumbbell row (bent over). This exercise focuses on the upper back and the trap muscle, and I’m sure some other benefits come with this as well. I’m currently doing these with 10 pound weights and will eventually move up a little bit more.

Here’s how to Dumbbell Row (One Arm Bent-Over Dumbbell Row):

1. Using a bench (or chair or even your couch if you have to), bend and rest one knee and hand down
2. Keep your back straight and parallel to the ground
3. Begin with your opposite hand holding a weight of your choice extended and foot flat on the floor
4. Lift the weight towards your hip until your elbow pasts 90° (a little above your back and you feel your shoulder blade press inwards)
5. Lower and repeat – reps of 10 on both side

Tomorrow is a rest day on the NTC program so I will have to improvise and plug in a run or a workout of some sort. For now, I’m off to bed.

Happy Rowing!

rundmach

 

Juneathon Day 5 – Russian Twist

Hi,

Well here we are, Day 5 of Juneathon. A little more than 8 km done (5 mile) run as per my NTC program requests. Overall, my pace was average but really, it could have been much better. Honestly, I have to vent about today’s run; the first 5 km were the hardest 5k I have ever had to run in my life! Or so that’s how it felt the entire time. Those first 5 kms felt like I was in an airplane! The wind was  so fierce, my music was getting muffled!! It came at me in every direction and no matter which direction I ran, it was against me. This was NOT fun. Each little hill and bump felt 10 times harder than it should have been. Not to mention, I slept about 4-5 hours last night. The entire run was completely MENTAL. The moment I got home my body said no, my legs said no, but really, I’m stubborn and there was no way I was going to miss this run. I’m on my last week of my first NTC Program (it’s only 4 weeks). At least the wind decided to calm itself down after 5 kms and I had a fast & flat last 3 kms. Oh and at least it wasn’t scorching hot. So, I ended today’s Juneathon activities with some Russian Twists with a 6lb medicine ball, side planks, sit ups, weights (bench press, rows, & curls) and a lot of nice stretching.

Since I’d like to feature exercises I enjoy and am doing the same day, let’s talk about Russian Twists. These things are amazing for your core and abs. You spend the entire time focusing on keeping your abs tight and holding your posture up with your core. Hopefully I do enough of these to get rid of my belly.  Also, I feel adding a weighted medicine ball or a weight plate, I’m strengthening my arms too!

Here’s how to Russian Twist with Medicine Ball (or without):

1. Sit on the ground with your knees bent
2. Cross one foot over the other
3. Lift your legs off the ground putting your body at a 45 degree angle
4.1. With your arms slightly bent holding onto a medicine ball (mine is 6lbs), twist from left to right
4.2. If you don’t have a medicine ball and don’t want to hold a weight plate, you can clasp your hands together (interlace fingers) and twist left to right
5. Aim to tap the ball on the ground – this isn’t common but this is what I like to do to add that extra little umph
6. Complete in reps of 20 (10 total for each side) or as many as you can for 30 second intervals (or 1 minute)

Happy Running & Twisting!

rundmach