workout – sassyfitnesschick

Saturday Snippets

Welcome to another edition of Saturday Snippets.

Short, sweet and easy enough to go down with your morning coffee and whatever you chase it with.

Speaking of short.. I’m gonna hit on that thought with exercise today. It seems when people think of exercise they have the idea it has to be long and drawn out.

Don’t get me wrong. I love a good solid workout sesh and feel like I’ve not done enough if I come in under an hour. I love rides that I’m gone for awhile or days I did long runs and was gone for hours.

The reality is, sometimes we’re all short on time and we wanna get as much in our valuable time as possible.

Yesterday I got up and per usual had my list for my morning before me. I had to be gone from home by a certain time and knew I didn’t have my hour( plus) to spend hefting weights.

I spotted one of my HIIT workouts I have written down and decided.. hey a fast and furious 20 minute session is where it’s at today.

This one is all about using just your body weight, although I added weights to a few things to make it harder.

I alternated rounds doing pushups then renegade rows with my 25lb weights.

I used a 25 lb weight plate to do butterfly situps.

The beauty of these workouts is you can modify up or down depending on your fitness level.

( ok and maybe I just wanted to squeeze in a little weight work too 😉 )

It’s pretty straight forward after that. I set my watch to cardio, then knocked off as many rounds as possible in that time.

Today it was “only ” 4. Then I realize that makes 120 situps Haha

I ended just planking as long as I could after everything and not just 30 seconds which is ridiculously easy for me anyway. I made it to the 2 minute mark.

I’ll tell you these workouts always leave me feeling it and I need that. It challenges me in a different way. I know my time is short and I have to work hard, and I’m horribly competitive and want to do as many rounds as I can 🤣

You can make your own HIIT workouts up by using any combination of moves. It can involve having some weights or just bodyweight work.

Remember to warm up for about 5 minutes before starting, and good form is always key so if you start to tire or hurt slow it down or modify what you’re doing.

And if you are struggling to get into an exercise routine, 20 minutes is a short sweet way to get started.

It may not be easy, and you’re gonna sweat, but it’s short and you’ll be on your way to your day.

Tell me. What’s your favorite short and sweet workout?

Obsessed Or Dedicated ?

Hey boys and girls =)

Yeah, I’m still around. A busy week juggling life and others lives, mile long to-do lists and let’s be honest, sometimes, at the end of the day, it’s hard for me to think of putting two words together ( I know, you’re shocked).

So, it’s the weekend and my morning has been productive and right now I’m taking a break from cleaning the pool.

I seriously need a pool boy. 😛

I decided I should sit down and get my blog outta my head or you might think I’d left you or something….

Alright, so as things go, this post was generated by a comment I heard this week and something hubby and I have discussed before.

When it comes to exercise, at what point does it become obsession or just plain dedication ? The picture I used for this post has been widely circulated and I’ve seen it in a variety of forms but the meaning is still there.

Those who don’t exercise can take a view point of those who do as perhaps, an obsession. Before we move on let’s just take a quick gander at the definition of obsession.

to preoccupy or fill the mind of (someone) continually, intrusively, and to a troubling extent.

Now I can tell you with confidence, although I love my workout time, it doesn’t preoccupy my mind to a troubling extent.

I’ve got wayyyyy more going on in my life to occupy my mind all day…..

And I dare say, for the majority of those committed to a disciplined exercise program, they feel the same way. Their workouts are a part of the day, and then it’s on to the next item on the agenda.

Like all things ( drugs, food, alcohol, sex) there can be a level of addiction that feeds the mind and body. If someone talks about being at the gym for hours, I’d raise an eyebrow. If it’s mentioned someone feels it necessary to have multiple workouts in a day in a frequent pattern, that would be concerning. If there are no days off or rest days within the week, that is a concern. A constant push for more without a break will only break down the body.

These behaviors could definitely signify an obsessive tendency with exercise. It can, and does happen.

Now with that addressed……

Myself and many others have made a dedicated choice to have an active lifestyle. Just like we wouldn’t consider not brushing our teeth, showering or eating a meal, we can’t imagine not moving our bodies with intentional and purposeful exercise.

Honestly ? We feel pretty crappy when we don’t do it. We’ve moved past the point of hurting from not being used to exercise to feeling worse when we don’t do it.

Not an obsession, just a dedicated commitment to our health and wellness.

My workouts usually go no more than an hour… unless I’m specifically training for a running event… then some days I know I’ll be out for a few hours.

One cannot simply knock out a 20 miler in an hour 😉 that’s what training is about. Training for a specific event is very intentional in the work involved.

I’ve also learned how to pack a lot into a 30 minute window when my morning is crunched for time. I have had days where I’ve gone running in the morning and maybe cycled in the afternoon. And why not? there are times I just want to be out… moving… being active is good for the body, mind and spirit.

Obsessed? No. Committed? Yes.

Ok I will say I don’t know if I like the terminology in this phrase “lazy”… although… in regards to exercise… that term used to fit me quite well.

I could come up with a lot of reasons not to get my butt out the door. I could decide I was to tired, it was to hot/cold, someone needed me for something, it was to late, I had to start dinner, I had an appointment, I wanted to see something on tv, I would feel it the next day blah, blah, blah.

Excuses that kept me in the lazy zone.

And I’m talking about myself here…but I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one who was or is in that club….. it’s just easy to find reasons not to….

Why? Well lets be real shall we?

Exercise is work. Hard work.

And in the beginning when you’re taking a body out and making it do things it hasn’t done in a long time or ever, it hurts and you’re out of breath and that’s when you realize…. omg… I am so out of shape…… and you need to decide who’s gonna win… you? or your body that’s squawking like a chicken at dawn…?

To develop a dedicated and committed exercise regime requires a healthy level of discipline, structure and hard work to set it into a permanent place in our lives.

A willingness to be uncomfortable. A mind that can envision the future of success and achievement. A visionary that can set realistic goals. A desire to be strong and healthy for living life. A commitment to eating nutritious foods for health and wellness.

Staying my course over the past few years and building a disciplined exercise plan into my life has taken work and commitment to not give up, give in, or sell myself out. I’ve stomped down excuses more time than I can count. Each time I’ve done that it’s built my confidence that I really could do it, and be successful at it.

And then along the way, my commitment to myself, and sharing what I was doing actually has encouraged others to get out and get moving and change their lives.

What an awesome thing to be born out of my own personal struggles… empowering others… is there a better reward ?

What is your perspective? Have you ever struggled in either direction ? To much or not enough? How do you view your exercise regime?

Cordskinz Product Review

So I’m super excited to do my first product review. I’m more excited that it’s a product I definitely can use and will actually put to use.

When I was introduced to Cordskinz, a simple device to keep your ear bud wires from tangling, I was all over the idea….

Like… Yes, let me try it!

‘Cause here’s how it goes down with my Ipod…. I take it off, carefully wrap ear bud wires together, place in running bag. The next day, remove Ipod from bag and it looks like the wires have had a wild mating dance during the night ha… frustrating!

20150416_165146 — Typical ear bud mess…. leaving you to untangle before you hit your workout.

Anyone else have that problem ?? Of course you do.

First of all the product is crazy easy to use and it comes in a variety of colors so if you’re like me and want to add some matching color to your workout gear they’ve got you covered.

I chose hot pink (of course) and lime green…. how fun 🙂

You can see in the picture you get a handy little “skinner” tool. Basically, you feed your wire through tool and it slips the skin over your wires. I took me maybe 5 minutes to get it all set up.

20150416_165347 — What you get in package.

20150417_074732 — Top….”skin” feeds through… ear bud side shows Cordskinz in place. Super simple.

I will say in the beginning, working out with it, that it felt heavier than just the thin wires, so there was a little adjustment time figuring out the best way to get it set up on me to keep everything in place…. once I did it was good to go…..

Now the most important thing… did the product do what it was supposed to do ?

I tossed it into my bag… didn’t even think about how I put it in… the next day… yay… no tangled wires…seriously….

When I’m ready to get running or to my workout, messing with tangled cords is the last thing I’m really wanting to do….so can I say… I’m loving this easy to use product ?

Don’t take my word for it…find them on Facebook under “Cordskinz”, cordskinz.com or better yet, go get your own and stop messing with those crazy tangled wires.

No Excuses

If you’ve spent any time on the internet, or follow any fitness pages, you most likely saw a post with a young woman in extremely good shape, with her kids, and the title “No excuses” posted over it. Besides her age, it’s also evident she took care of herself before, during, and after pregnancy. And let’s not forget this too…. she’s also blessed with some really good genetics.

It got a lot of attention in good and bad ways. I’m not naming names here ’cause I think there’s been enough advertisement on that particular person. It made some people mad. It “inspired” others. There was LOTS of conversation in both directions.

Don’t get me wrong. I really understood what she meant. I did. It was simply meant to say (now this is my opinion here) I have a life, family, work, and stuff going on but I make time for my workouts as well.

See, I get it, ’cause several years ago when I started my own health and fitness journey, I had to remind myself…. “No Excuses”. As you can see in my pic, I made a simple Post-It note that was in my bathroom staring me down. .. reminding me… every morning…..to do it. As my journey progressed and I lost weight, I added my labels from my diminishing pant sizes to remind me why I wasn’t making excuses to not put my workout into my day. Those were victory moments for me at that time. I cheered myself every time I finished… sometimes… I still do.

You see, in the beginning, it wasn’t easy. Some mornings when it was cold and grey it was tempting to say…. “not today, but tomorrow”…. and I realized if I succumbed to that thought…. day after day…… could potentially go by with me finding an excuse to not make time to take care of my body.

You know what’s way cool ? You do something long enough it turns into a habit.

Something you can’t imagine NOT doing. Like the “OMG I forgot to brush my teeth!” kinda feeling.

And as time went on, it got easier. I got up in the morning and landed in my running gear prepared and ready to do it as soon as everyone was launched for the day. I got over the “it’s cold, grey, wet” whatever feelings and just did it.

Now days the only thing I won’t run in is 1) lightening 2) icy conditions… both are obvious safety issues. On those days, the plan I developed years back, was to start strength training or boxing when I absolutely couldn’t run. I’m glad I did because the strength training has also made me a stronger, more fit, and healthier runner.

That Post- It is still in my bathroom.

I really don’t need that reminder anymore. I’ve landed in a comfortable, slim size pant so those numbers really don’t drive me so much either. I moved to a point of viewing exercise as a gift to my body and to my mind as well. Now I schedule appointments around my training!

Maybe, you’re somewhere in that zone. Perhaps you need “no excuses” to be a challenge to you…. that you are worth that small investment of time in your day to be a better person, parent, spouse, worker. I realized after my workouts even being tired, I felt better prepared to deal with the rest of life… and I don’t know about yours…. but mine can get crazy at times! It might be cliché but running really is good therapy for me, on a lot of levels 😉

Don’t let the words “no excuses” be a form of condemnation, but rather, allow it to challenge you, to move you onward to your goals and overall health and wellness =)