I finally feel like life is settling back into a somewhat normal routine. (Ha!) Yesterday (Monday), Terry and I both finished work early and knocked out a killer leg workout (see below) before cooking up minestrone soup (SO good!) and continuing to decorate the apartment. We have a ways to go, and we still need to get our tree, but at least it's starting to feel Christmassy.
Today (Tuesday), however, I'm suuuuper sore. Mostly my tush and quads, but the ol' hamstrings could use some foam rolling, too. Hopefully I'll be able to squeeze in some quality time with that cylinder o' pain before bed tonight.
(Continued Thursday...)
Well, we ended up taking a rest day Tuesday because we were both so sore and because I subbed a full day in addition to working at the store for five hours. Getting home at 9 pm makes me a bit sleepy. Yesterday I didn't get a call to sub, so we took a little walk in the morning and then I spent the day cleaning house, decorating, packing and putting away boxes that held all the Christmas stuff, and running errands before working at the store again.
And that brings us to today. We're finally a little less sore and ready for some cardio later today! I'm thinking some jogging/walking intervals, maybe 40 minutes of two minutes running alternated with one minute walking.
Alright, so here's that crazy workout that made us SO sore:
The version that Terry tackled (recommended for most):
And the toned-down (but still plenty difficult) "pregnancy-friendly" version:
Some notes on the workout:
Complete each superset (plyometric exercise + strength exercise) 2-3 times, then move on to the next exercise. To lighten up the workout, complete a "sandwich": strength + plyometric + strength (so, for the first superset, do the pendulum lunges, then the lunge jumps, then pendulum lunges again, then move on). You could also reduce the time for each plyometric exercise to 30 seconds or 45 seconds. To increase difficulty, add dumbbells to your strength exercises or complete more rounds of each superset.
Jumping Lunges: Try to aim to get both legs off the ground at the same time, and land both feet at the same time, too. It's far more challenging to your core and balance (as opposed to picking up and putting down one foot at a time).
Pendulum Lunges: Go slow and don't put your foot down in the middle. Use your core to keep your balance.
Speed Skaters: Aim to get both feet off the ground between sides (so jump, don't step). Keep your back flat. (For me, this exercise was fine to complete at this point in my pregnancy; to modify, try hip abductors on a stability ball for 30 seconds on each side.)
Stepping Side Squat: Keep your ankle and knee in line (don't lead with your foot for each step). Complete all steps on one side before moving to the other side. Hold a dumbbell at your chest to increase difficulty.
180 Squat Jumps: Use that core!
Wall Sit: One minute, holding dumbbells if you're brave.
Tuck Jumps: Touch your heels to your butt on each jump. Use your arms to help you propel off the ground.
Step Ups: 30 seconds on one leg, then 30 seconds on the other.
One-Leg Deadlifts: Keep your back flat and your hips aligned.
It looks like a short workout, and I suppose it is, but it's a doozy. Get ready for TIGHT muscles if you try this one!
What's your favorite leg exercise? I love lunges of any sort. They feel pretty natural to me (much more comfortable than squats), and I can do them anywhere. I love tacking on 50 lunges at the end of a long walk to make my legs a little shaky!
I think my legs got sore just reading it.
ReplyDelete