Skipping a day...sort of... - Carla

I am skipping a day with respect to the sit ups/push ups/dips challenge, but I definitely didn't skip exercise today! After work I went to the gym and did Zumba (with Ellen) then I did 4.5 miles on the treadmill. I had to stop to get gas on the way home which took FOREVER because EVERYONE NEEDED GAS TONIGHT! By the time I got home and ate dinner it was after 8:00. I rested with the boys for a bit, then decided that the challenge would have to wait another day. I don't feel too bad taking a day off because I know I'll get myself back on track tomorrow - and I'll have all weekend battened down at home with the hurricane to keep myself on it! Also, with the changes to the way I'm doing things (sit ups and dips one day and push ups the next day) I think my days are going to be off anyway, so missing one day isn't that big of a deal!

Maria - Where are you??? I thought you were going to get started again this week???

Exhaustion test for Push ups - Carla

I was only able to complete 40 push ups last night and went to bed feeling pretty crappy as I thought I was going to have to do Week 4 over again. However, after looking at it this morning I see that with that number of push ups I can move on to Week 5! Yippee!!!!

Exhaustion test for Dips and Sit ups - Carla

I went to the gym this evening for a late-night run on the treadmill. Tonight I did speed intervals – 5 minute warm up, then 10 sets of 2 minutes hard running and 1 minute easy running, then 5 minute cool down. I would have liked the mileage to be more than it was but I feel like I’m running slower and slower every day!!!

Tonight was time for the exhaustion test for sit ups and dips. Here’s how it went:

Sit ups	100	Week 6, Column 2
Dips	60	Week 6, Column 1

Not really impressed, particularly with the dips. I may have to modify my overall goal for the end of this!

Tomorrow night is the exhaustion test for push ups - can't wait to see how that goes! ;P

Push ups Week 4, Day 3 - Carla

I did Day 3 of Week 4 today, but I'm too tired to write it up...I'll post the details tomorrow...

I went to BodyFlow tonight even though my back was sore all day today. I got to the room right at 6:30 and class was already started! Much later in the evening I completed my push up sets. Felt pretty good, but I wasn’t able to do the “at least” number for the max set…they wanted at least 40 and I wasn’t able to do that!

Push ups (29, 33, 29, 29, Max)

Max set: 30

Dips/Sit ups Week 5, Day 3 - Carla

Late night sets again…and no run or Zumba this morning! (But I did make it to BodyFlow.) I’m not doing very well with this running schedule which does not bode well for the two races I have coming up!

Not much to say about the sets tonight as everything felt pretty good! Here’s how it went down:

Dips (23, 23, 26, 26, 22, 22, 26, Max) and Sit ups (30, 30, 36, 36, 30, 30, 40, Max)

Max sets: Dips – 60 and Sit ups – 80.

Push ups Week 4, Day 2 - Carla

NOTE: Although this is technically being posted on Sunday morning, the set was completed on Saturday night...but just barely!

Apparently my new thing for the push up sets is doing them late at night…almost 11:30 tonight! The boys are spending the night with their cousins tonight so the hubby and I decided we were going to work on purging some toys from the collection. However, after a pleasant dinner at Chick Fil A we decided to go to Kohl’s and Walmart prior to heading home…which led to a later evening than we had planned! Oh well…the toy purge will have to wait for another day! Also, I didn't make it to the gym this morning and I didn't get a run in today. I MUST do better in the coming weeks!

Here’s what happened tonight!

Push ups (25, 29, 25, 25, Max)

Max set: 36

I felt pretty good after the first set – it seemed to be the worst one! Even the final, longer set didn’t seem as bad as the first one! Good progress, if I do say so myself! J

Dips/Sit ups Week 5, Day 2 - Carla

Good night tonight!!! I made it to Zumba (with Ellen, not Bev) then I did 30 minutes on the treadmill and came home to do my dips/sit ups challenge. The boys wanted to do them with me which was very cute, but their counting threw off my counts – I may have actually done more than I needed to do!!! But I feel great and am ready for the rest of the weekend to be as active as it started!

Here’s what happened with the sets:

Dips (23, 23, 26, 26, 18, 18, 20, Max) and Sit ups (30, 30, 36, 36, 27, 27, 33, Max)

Max sets: Dips – 78 and Sit ups – 55.

Push ups Week 4, Day 1 - Carla

I almost forgot to do my push ups tonight – it was almost 11:00 before I really thought about doing it. It was a tough set tonight...I wasn’t sure I was going to make it through each of the sets and was SUPER glad to be done with the last push up tonight! Also, I didn’t run tonight like I had planned to, but I did go for a walk around the block (about 1 mile) with my youngest tonight. Not exactly a 4.5 mile run, but at least it was something, right? Hopefully I’ll have a good, exercise-filled weekend – there are many classes for me to choose from and I need to get at least two runs in over the three days. Wish me luck!

Here's tonight's breakdown:

Push ups (21, 25, 21, 21, Max)

Max set: 32

Dips/Sit ups Week 5, Day 1 - Carla

I didn’t want to do my challenge tonight. After work I went to the gym and did 30 minutes on the treadmill – 30 VERY HOT AND SWEATY MINUTES…I was red and pretty drenched by the end of it! And yet I persevered and stayed for BodyFlow as I am such a glutton for punishment. It was completely worth it though – by the end of class I was feeling great! Once I got home (after picking up Salsarita’s for dinner) I snuggled on the couch with both boys and all three of us promptly fell asleep! I woke up just before 10:00 and contemplated skipping today and starting the circuits tomorrow, but since I told Maria today that I was going to do it tonight I decided to get off my tushy! Everything felt pretty good especially considering the length of time I took off! I’m back and ready to keep going but I may need some prompting/reminders/nagging to help me along! J

Here's how it went down tonight:

Sets - Dips (36, 45, 32, 28, Max) and Sit ups (54, 60, 45, 36, Max)

Max sets: Dips – 48 and Sit ups – 65.

Not too bad, if I do say so myself! :)

I'm back!!!! Exhaustion Test and Restart of Challenge - Carla

I don’t even want to talk about what has happened over the past three weeks. I have been a VERY BAD GIRL!!!! I don’t have much excuse for the 27^th of July…I should have done Day 2 of Week 5 that day but I didn’t. My family left for a 17-day trip to Canada on the 29^th of July which threw all my workouts out the window! I had good intentions of continuing with my circuits, but I had several great “excuses” for not doing them…I had gotten behind by not doing it on the 27^th, I was travelling all day on the 29^th, I didn’t want to miss out on any fun activities…GREAT excuses, eh??? Anyway, over the 17 days I was away I managed to squeeze in 5 measly little workout sessions. On the other hand, I spent a LOT of time walking up and down the hills at camp and walking around at the different tourist venues we attended while away. And even with eating everything under the sun (and not the healthy stuff, either!) I managed to only gain 5 pounds while away. That’s with several McFlurry’s (with Smarties!!!) and LOTS of desserts and no measured food. Not bad, if I do say so myself! J

All that being said, my plan is to get back on track now. I have 5 weeks and 5 days until my next half marathon, which means not only am I going to get the circuits going again but that I need to kick it back up with the running as well. We got home Sunday evening and I went to BodyFlow last night which was a good start. I saw Maria at work yesterday and we talked about how long the circuits are getting to be with 8 sets of 3 different activities. I think instead of doing all three exercises on one day I am going to stagger them – maybe do dips and crunches Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday and push ups Thursday, Saturday, and Monday. I did an exhaustion test at lunch to determine where I need to pick back up again with the following results:

Push ups	23	Week 4, Column 3
Sit ups	70	Week 5, Column 3
Dips	50	Week 5, Column 2

With these results, I will be starting on Week 4 column 3 for push ups, Week 5 column 3 for sit ups, and Week 5 column 2 for dips. I will be starting tomorrow with dips and sit ups.

I had a great time up in Canada - it was a WONDERFUL vacation - but I am glad to be home so I can get back into a normal schedule with respect to workouts, food, sleep, and everything else.

Week 5, Day 3--Maria

Last Day of Week 5!

Push Ups: 18, 18, 20, 20, 17, 17, 20, max
Sit Ups: 30, 30, 36, 36, 30, 30, 40 max
Dips: 23, 23, 26, 26, 22, 22, 26, max

Max Push Ups: 47
Max Sit Ups: 88
Max Dips: 60

Carla--Where have you been?!?!

Week 5, Day 2--Maria

Wow.  I missed a day.  I was at J's parent's house in York, PA.  It's really hard to do this while you are traveling.  Which is a little scary, because next week (Week 6!) I will be in the Outer Banks with J's family in a beach house all week with about 12 other people.  Yikes.  We will see how that goes.

As for today, I drove about 4 hours and did this as soon as I got home.  It was not fun but I feel like I have to keep going because I am getting so close!  Holy crap there are 8 sets for each now!!!!

Push Ups: 18, 18, 20, 20, 14, 14, 16, max
Sit Ups: 30, 30, 36, 36, 27, 27, 33, max
Dips: 23, 23, 26, 26, 18, 18, 20, max

Max Push Ups: 42
Max Sit Ups: 78
Max Dips: 53

Week 5, Day 1--Maria

I can't wait until this is over!  Two more weeks to go!  I have a lot less motivation lately.  ugh.

Week 5, Day 1 Sets:

Push Ups: 28, 35, 25, 22, max
Sit Ups: 54, 60, 45, 36, max
Dips: 36, 45, 32, 28, max

Max Push Ups: 40
Max Sit Ups: 68
Max Dips: 45

Going to BodyStep tonight! woo-hoo!

Exhaustion Test #2--Maria

I meant to do this yesterday and forgot.  Whoops.  I just got back from Zumba with Angie and it was sooo much fun!  This is my end-of-week-4-exhaustion-test.

Max Push Ups: 36
Max Sit Ups: 67
Max Dips: 47

Two more weeks to go!

Week 5, Day 1 - Carla

I actually did the circuit last night but snuggling with the boys beat out posting it when we got home from VBS so I'm posting it today instead!

Okay, so I am a little bit behind again as I forgot to do my circuit the other day. But I’m back to it and ready to go! I went to the gym tonight to do BodyFlow, however classes were cancelled due to the weather. After doing 10 illegal flip-flop minutes of walking on the treadmill with one of my classmates I headed back over to church where the boys were doing VBS and did my circuit with my brother in the hallway. My brother hung in there and was able to complete most of the sets (minus one) even though this is the first time he’s done my circuit – nice job, bro!

My sets were as follows: Push ups (17, 19, 15, 15, Max), Sit ups (54, 60, 35, 36, Max), Dips (36, 45, 32, 28, Max). My max sets were as follows: Push ups – 21, Sit ups – 90 (because I had to keep up with my brother!), and Dips – 50. The circuit went well (it was nice having someone else work with me) and I felt great at the end of it!

Week 4, Day 3--Maria

My workout week went pretty well.  The only thing I missed was BodyPump on Thursday due to scheduling issues.  BUT I did use hand weights at home and did some arm and shoulder workouts instead!  Everything else went according to plan!  I am at the end of Week 4!  I am feeling pretty good about what I actually can do compared to 4 weeks ago, but 100 push ups still seems like a stretch!  We will see :-)

Push Ups: 23, 28, 23, 23, max
Sit Ups: 45, 50, 45, 45, max
Dips: 30, 36, 30, 30, max

Max Push Ups: 35
Sit Ups Max: 68
Dips Max: 43

Exhaustion Test, Week 4 - Carla

It's time for another exhaustion test! I am a little bit off with my days as I missed a day in there, but I'm keeping on track as best I can! I did my exhaustion test tonight. I actually did the push ups twice because I thought I could do more than I did the first time. Here is how I did:

Push ups - 24 then 30

Sit ups - 90

Dips - 50

I feel pretty good about how far I've progressed. I know I still have some work to go to meet the full goal, but I'm on my way there! :)

Week 4, Day 2--Maria

I have continued to eat fruits and veggies with every meal!  Yesterday I went to Zumba TWICE(!) and did the adductor and abductor machines.  So, overall, I have been sticking to my goal for this week.  And, actually, I have increased my workout past the initial goal so far!  Go me :-)  Tonight I am going to BodyStep!

Week 4, Day 2:

Push Ups: 20, 25, 20, 20, max
Sit Ups: 38, 45, 38, 38, max
Dips: 26, 32, 26, 26, max

Push Ups Max: 30
Sit Ups Max: 59
Dips Max: 40

Week 4, Day 3 - Carla

I went to BodyFlow last night and planned on doing my circuit after I got home from the church softball game, however I didn’t realize that I wouldn’t be getting home until well after 11:30 pm. Given the late time I got home, I decided to modify my week to do my circuit on Tuesday instead of Monday which is going to make it so I have to modify my days from here on out. Not a problem…I can be flexible!

Today is my oldest son’s 8^th birthday so we are on for some yummy yet not quite nutritious food today (and Saturday, too, as that is when his birthday party is). He is currently doing a four day soccer program being held at a local church, so off we went this morning. Instead of holding off on my circuit, I decided to do it while I was sitting with my youngest at the playground equipment. I’m sure some of the other people around were wondering what I was doing, but I didn’t care – the circuit must be done!!!!

My sets for today were as follows: Push ups (16, 18, 13, 13, Max), Sit ups (45, 50, 45, 45, Max), Dips (30, 36, 30, 30, Max). My max sets were as follows: Push ups – 21, Sit ups – 65, and Dips – 45. The circuit felt good today even though it was warm and humid out. I had a decent sweat going on, which was made worse by a 5-year-old hugging on me! (I wouldn’t trade that for the world, though!)

Week 4, Day 1--Maria

UPDATE!  I went to BodyStep AND BodyPump today.  I officially thought I would die, but I made it through.  And now is push up time!

I had my spinach and fruit shake for breakfast and vegetables in all other meals :-)

Push Ups: 18, 22, 16, 16, max
Sit Ups: 32, 38, 32, 32, max
Dips: 23, 28, 20, 20, max

Push Ups Max: 25
Sit Ups Max: 51
Dips Max: 33

My Weekly Goal

I am feeling guilty and very lethargic lately.  It's crazy what happens to your body if you treat it like crap for 3 days.  So I decided to make an exercise/diet goal for this week.  This is probably the best place to write it down.  Plus, Carla can yell at me if I don't live up to it.

Workout Schedule for this Week:
Monday: 9:15 BodyStep AND 10:15 BodyPump AND circuit
Tuesday: 10:30am Zumba, Adductor and Abductor machines
Wednesday: 5:30 BodyStep and possibly 6:30 BodyFlow AND circuit
Thursday: Run on treadmill and 6:30 BodyPump
Friday: 9:15 BodyStep and circuit and depending on how the day goes, 6:00 Zumba

Eating plans for the week:
-Eat at least one serving of fruit or vegetable with every meal
-Eat only my fruit/spinach shakes for breakfast
-Do not drink any alcohol whatsoever

Let's see if I can actually do it.  I don't know, but I have a feeling that if I put my mind to it, I can do it.  Also, Carla, you should try BodyStep with me this week.  It's the best cardio workout I have found other than KickBoxing and Zumba!

Week 4, Day 2 - Carla

Okay, so I forgot to do my circuit yesterday. (Thank you, Maria, for not bugging me about that!) Rob and I went to see the last Harry Potter movie at midnight on Thursday night/Friday morning which made for a tired day yesterday. Then after work (and my youngest son’s last day at daycare) we attended the School Readiness Fair to get my youngest ready for the thought of school. We got home late and started watching the first Harry Potter movie as that was what my oldest wanted to watch. Long story short, I ended up falling asleep while watching the movie and completely forgot about doing my circuit. So I did it today instead.

My oldest son and I went for a short walk this afternoon before church. When we got home from church we ordered pizza from Papa John's which was going to arrive in 45 minutes. It was perfect weather for a run, so I laced up and went out for a 35-minute run! Felt pretty good, even if I was a little slow! :)

My sets for today were as follows: Push ups (14, 16, 12, 12, Max), Sit ups (38, 45, 38, 38, Max), Dips (26, 32, 26, 26, Max). My max sets were as follows: Push ups – 20, Sit ups – 58, and Dips – 40.

Week 3, Day 3--Maria

I feel much better today.  Thank you, God!

Last day of week three and I have got a lot of push ups ahead of me.  Wish me luck!

Push ups: 16, 21, 15, 15, max
Sit ups: 33, 42, 30, 30, max
Dips: 21, 27, 19, 19, max

Push Ups Max: 21
Sit Ups Max: 58
Dips Max: 29

I did it!

We have had company the past few days and I haven't been exercising a healthy lifestyle (pizza, tacos, margaritas, doughnuts, etc).  I need to get back on the wagon.

Have You Ever...

...woken up and felt so much like crap that your joints ache?  That day is today for me.  Not exactly sure why... maybe it was the margaritas last night?  Maybe not.

I tried to do the push ups and I am not joking when I say that I couldn't even do one.  I am that weak.  I will try again tomorrow!

Week 4, Day 1 - Carla

I split my circuit up today. I headed over to the gym around 5:30 with the boys so I could get a run in on the treadmill before I did my circuit and went to BodyFlow. By the time we got out of the house and I got the boys settled into the Kid Zone at the gym I knew I wasn’t going to have time to do everything I wanted. I knew I NEEDED to run on the treadmill as I have been VERY bad about getting my runs in so that was my first stop. I barely made it through my half hour…I need to get working if I’m going to keep up with my friend at camp in a few weeks! I had time to do my push ups and sit ups before BodyFlow, so I went ahead and did them. After BodyFlow I went home for dinner and some snuggles with the boys before finishing up with my dips. Long story short, it all got done eventually!

Here are my sets for Week 4, Day 1: Push ups (12, 14, 11, 10, Max), Sit ups (32, 38, 32, 32, Max), Dips (23, 28, 20, 20, Max). My max sets were as follows: Push ups – 17, Sit ups – 50, and Dips – 34.

Week 3, Day 2--Maria

Yesterday I went to the beach.  Bad choice.  The heat index was about 110.  Seriously.  I had little energy, though I had plans to go on a run later that day.  Well, it was too hot so I went to the gym and hit the treadmill.  I did 3.1 miles, but form mile 2.5 to 3.1 I decided to power walk on an incline increasing from 5 to 10.  This isn't something I typically do, but I really enjoyed it, so I will probably try it again!  Then I did the crotch-master (aka abductor and adductor) machines.  Today is my circuit and I plan to try BodyStep again tonight!

Push Ups: 14, 19, 14, 14, max
Sit Ups: 30, 38, 23, 23, max
Dips: 18, 24, 18, 18, max

Push Ups Max: 21
Sit Ups Max: 43
Dips Max: 24

I feel GREAT about the push ups.  I never thought I would be able to do that many, but I am going to keep working hard.  The dips are where I seem to have the most trouble.  My poor arms are so weak, no matter what I do!!!

Week 3, Day 3 - Carla

Although I’m not posting my results until late today, I actually did complete my circuit last night before bed. My son, B, decided he wanted to do it with me…although he was distracted during Sets 1 and 2 and only completed Set 3 with me before giving up! Do they have a challenge like this designed for kids who can’t stay focused long enough and get tired quickly???

I am enjoying this process, but I’m not sure I’ll be able to get to the goal number of each activity by the end of six weeks. We’ll just have to follow this through to see, won’t we? J

Week 3, Day 3 sets: Push ups (11, 13, 9, 9, Max), Sit ups – 33, 42, 30, 30, Max), Dips (21, 27, 19, 19, Max).

My circuit took 21 minutes to complete. My max sets were as follows: Push ups – 14, Sit ups – 50, and Dips – 28.

By the way...the end of Fitness Weekend was a bust! I didn't make it to the gym on Sunday morning then spent the day at my parents sitting around the pool drinking wine and floating around - not active at all! Oh well - the rest of the weekend went well, at least! :)

Week 3, Day 1--Maria

I know it's not my day to do my circuit, but I am feeling a little behind because I missed last Friday and figured why not?!  I went to BodyStep for the first time today!  It was with Angie and I think I burned off about 25 lbs or more.  But seriously, it was a workout!  The choreography was tricky, though! I felt like an uncoordinated nerd the majority of the time, but I think I will get better if I continue to go :-)  Then I went to BodyPump afterward.  I went to the bathroom during the chest track so as not to mess up with my push ups and I went light on the tricep track as well.  Here goes Week 3!

Push Ups: 12, 17, 13, 13, max
Sit Ups: 21, 27, 21, 21, max
Dips: 15, 22, 17, 17, max

Max Push Ups: 18
Max Sit Ups: 36
Max Dips: 24

I am hoping to make it to Zumba tomorrow morning!

Exhaustion Test--Maria

Here are the results of my End-of-Week-Two-Exhaustion-Test.  AND I am impressed and really proud myself!!!  I never thought I could do it, but I can actually do a lot of push ups now!

Push Ups: 22!!!
Sit Ups: 46
Dips: 27

I am really excited to get on with Week 3, even though I see a scary number of push ups ahead!

Then tonight I went to the gym with Josh.  I did 20 minutes on the elliptical and speed walked on incline 10 on the treadmill for one mile.  Then I did the adductor and abductor machines for the first time!  You know, the ones that work the inner and outer thighs.  It was kind of fun!  I think I am going to make a habit of it :-)

Week 2, Day 3-Maria

Yesterday I completely forgot about my circuit until I got to Zumba (which was so much fun!).  But I had a problem.  I invited K over for dinner right afterward.  K teaches P.E. at my school.  And then A, another teacher, invited K and I over to play cards and hang out.  I thought, "Well, I will do my circuit when I get home tonight".  Yeah, well... K drove me and apparently, when you don't drive, you don't get a say in when you leave.  So I didn't get home until after 2am(!) and I am doing my circuit now.  And since I didn't go to sleep til' super late, I wasn't ready for kickboxing by 10:30.

Good story, huh?

Here goes my last day of Week 2!

Push Ups: 12, 13, 10, 10, max

Sit Ups: 24, 25, 21, 21, max

Dips: 20, 21, 16, 16, max

Max Push ups: 15 (barely!)

Max Sit ups: 43

Max Dips: 26

Week 3, Day 2 - Carla and Fitness Weekend, Part Two

I didn’t make it out for a run this morning, but I did go to Kickboxing at the gym. Great workout this morning – I was DRENCHED by the time I left! I thought about doing my circuit right after while at the gym, but I wasn’t really feeling it because we always do some core work at the end of the Kickboxing class. Instead of doing my circuits I drove home and had a small slice of the zucchini spice bread we made last night to get me going again!

Week 3, Day 2 sets: Push ups (10, 12, 8, 8, Max), Sit ups (30, 38, 23, 23, Max), Dips (18, 24, 18, 18, Max).

My max sets were as follows: Push ups – 13, Sit ups – 42, and Dips – 26.

I feel like I’m making some good progress in all three areas! I know my arms are feeling it!

Fitness Weekend, Part One

Keeping fit over the weekend is the best thing you can do, right??? So today/tonight started the weekend of fitness for me. At lunch I went for a 30 minute "run" (which was about 2/3 running and 1/3 walking as I haven't been doing much running lately) then tonight I went to Zumba where I saw Maria! Great class with an awesome teacher...my body wasn't able to move the way it was supposed to, but I had a good time anyway! Hopefully I'll be able to get another run in tomorrow morning before Kickboxing class and my circuit! We'll see how it goes!

Week 3, Day 1 - Carla

Okay, so I fell asleep with B in his bed last night and didn’t get a chance to do my first day of Week 3 yesterday. Guess this week is off a little bit already, eh??? (Thank you, Maria, for not yelling at me yet!)

Here are my sets for Week 3, Day 1: Push ups (10, 12, 7, 7, Max), Sit ups (21, 27, 21, 21, Max), Dips (15, 22, 17, 17, Max).

I felt strong as I started, which is always a good sign. Tonight’s circuit was hard work but it felt great. My max sets were as follows: Push ups – 12, Sit ups – 35, and Dips – 25.

I did BodyFlow last night (the new release) and my legs are feeling it today! Hopefully I’ll have a workout-filled weekend (Zumba, Kickboxing, BodyFlow, running, circuits) to keep me on track! Also, I signed up for a 10K in Ontario for when I am up there later this summer – can’t wait for that!

Week 2, Day 2--Maria

It's my birthday!  I woke up, went on a run with my best friend from college who is visiting, had bacon and eggs for breakfast from J, had grilled chicken salads for lunch that J also made, key lime pie for dessert (a birthday tradition), and watched some TV and lounged.  I am planning on going out for sushi and then drinking wine and hanging out with my hubby.  YAY!

Here was my circuit today:

Push ups: 10, 12, 9, 9, max
Sit ups: 21, 24, 18, 18, max
Dips: 16, 20, 15, 15, max

Max push ups: 14
Max sit ups:  53 (WHOA!)
Max dips: 24

The plan is to hit bodypump tomorrow and go on a run in the morning!

Exhaustion Test, Week 2 - Carla

Tonight it was time to do my second exhaustion test to determine what my circuits are going to look like for the next two weeks. I was a little nervous about doing this, so I put it off until just a few minutes ago. Here are my test results:

Push ups - 20!!!!!

Sit ups - 50

Dips - 30

Squats - too many to count (I think I was bored [and distracted by children] when I did my first test for the squats. I can basically do 200, so I'm dropping this from my circuit.)

I've worked out my circuits for the next two weeks and I'm a little scared...there are A LOT of push ups in there! But I know I'll do my best with it and try to keep up with the program! Two weeks down, hopefully only four more weeks to go! :)

Independence Day Bike Trail

Remember how I was sad for not working out the past few days while traveling?  Well, my uncle called today and asked if I wanted to go on a bike ride.  We rode the Allegheny Highlands Trail alongside the railroad tracks from Frostburg, MD to Cumberland, MD.  A whopping 18 miles!!!  Ouch.  I am in pain.

Week 2, Day 3 - Carla

Week 2, Day 3 Sets: Push ups (12, 13, 10, 10, Max), Sit ups (24, 25, 21, 21, Max), Dips (20, 21, 16, 16, Max), Squats (22, 22, 19, 19, Max)

Today was the end of week 2!!!!! I went to the gym this morning for Zumba and BodyFlow then I did my circuit after that. By the end I was HURTING, but I managed to get through it! Ready for some pool action and a ball game later tonight! I need to get a good, long run in today but it is VERY HUMID out so I don't think it's going to happen...maybe tomorrow in the early morning??? (Ha - NOT LIKELY!!!)

My circuit took 21 minutes to complete. My max sets were as follows: Push ups – 15 (but it was painful!), Sit ups – 35, Dips – 26, and Squats – 30.

Week 2, Day 1--Maria

Whoops.  Guess what I did?  I forgot to wake up early.  Then I thought, "It's ok.  I will do them tomorrow and just catch back up in my circuit".  Whoops.  Then I had a few too many cookies and cranberry and vodkas at the wedding, stayed up practically all night dancing, woke up early and drove for 4 hours to visit my mom.  Needless to say, I crashed when I got here.

But I am back!  I am in my mom's computer room and I am jumping back on my push up challenge! 

Week 2, Day 1

Push ups: 9, 11, 8, 8, max
Sit ups: 21, 21, 15, 15, max
Dips: 18, 18, 13, 13, max

Max push ups: 11
Max sit ups: 31
Max dips: 22

Since I have been out of town, I haven't been exercising at all!  Maybe I will go on a run tomorrow?  Maybe not.

Week 2, Day 2 - Carla

Week 2, Day 2 Sets: Push ups (10, 12, 9, 9, Max), Sit ups (21, 24, 18, 18, Max), Dips (16, 20, 15, 15, Max), Squats (19, 22, 16, 16, Max)

Day 2 of Week 2…the thought of doing ANY push-ups was a bit overwhelming for me! But I managed to eke out my sets. I had some difficulty with the max set – I had to push it to get to 13! My circuit was about 21 minutes today.

My max sets were as follows: Push ups – 13, Sit ups – 30, Dips – 22, and Squats – 30.

I stayed at the gym for Zumba after my circuit – I really like that class! What a way to get a Friday night going! Movie night tonight at home with my boys…let’s hear it for “Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel.”

Week 2, Day 1 - Carla

Week 2, Day 1 Sets: Push ups (9, 11, 8, 8, Max), Sit ups (21, 21, 15, 15, Max), Dips (18, 18, 13, 13, Max), Squats (19, 19, 13, 13, Max)

Week 2 begins! I did not get up in the morning to do my circuit as I was being a little bit lazy! I even went to bed early last night with the little one hoping to be able to get up, but it did not work out! However, I went home at lunch to do my circuit so I could be done with it for the day. When I was looking at the sets before starting I noticed that one of the push-up sets was 11 and the max set was no less than 11…I was not excited about that! But as I went through the circuit I felt stronger and stronger…I was even able to eke out an extra push-up on my max set – yippee…12!!!!! The sit-ups, dips, and squats are going well – nothing to complain about there! I do find the squats to be somewhat boring which may explain why I don’t feel like I can do as many of them (at least, that’s my story and I’m sticking to it!) My total circuit took 20 minutes to complete today.

My max sets were as follows: Push ups – 12, Sit ups – 25, Dips – 20, and Squats – 25.

This evening I also went to the gym to do BodyFlow, which felt great! I have not been doing much running as my right calf has been hurting a bit lately and I wanted to give it a bit of a break. It is starting to feel better, so I guess it's back to running for me!

Week 1, Day 3

So, I am in an airport hotel in Pittsburgh for my best friend's wedding this weekend.  I left this morning around 7am, just got here about 20 minutes ago, and I have to get ready for the bachelorette party in about 20 minutes so I have to book it!

Push up sets: 8, 10, 7, 7, max
Sit ups: 17, 22, 14, 14, max  (My abs still hurt sooo much from the last time! OUCH.)
Dips: 14, 19, 12, 12, max

Max Push ups: 12
Max Sit ups: 40
Max Dips: 25

The ceremony is on Friday and as a bridesmaid, I am super busy.  Will I have to wake up in the wee hours of the morning to do my circuit?  If I don't, Carla will definitely hold me accountable!

Week 1, Day 2

I accomplished my workout weekend!  Friday night I ended up going to Zumba after my circuit.  Saturday morning I went to Bodypump and Kickboxing... yeah, that kind of kicked my butt.  And this morning I went to Zumba and Bodyflow... and did my circuit.  But in between, J and I went to Ocean City for a late lunch to celebrate our one-year anniversary.  It's the best restaurant EVER!  The Shark on the Harbor is a great place to go in West Ocean City.  They serve lots of organic foods at great prices and the chef is amazing!  In addition to that, J bought me new sunglasses (so I don't have to wear the boy ones anymore!) and did the dishes and the laundry!

Here is what I did in my circuit this afternoon:

Push ups: 6, 8, 6, 6, max
Sit ups: 15, 18, 15, 15, max
Dips: 13, 15, 10, 10, max

Max push ups: 8
Max sit ups: 24
Max dips: 19

woo-hoo!!!

Week 1, Day 3 - Carla

Week 1, Day 3 Sets: Push ups (8, 10, 7, 7, Max), Sit ups (17, 22, 14, 14, Max), Dips (14, 19, 12, 12, Max), Squats (15, 20, 13, 13, Max)

I thought I might be in trouble today as I was still feeling pretty sore from two days ago, but I managed to complete my circuit today! I had a limited amount of time to finish up today because I was doing the circuit before Zumba and BodyFlow at the gym this morning. It took me 17 minutes to complete my circuit and then I was ready to do the classes!

My max sets were as follows: Push ups – 10, Sit ups – 25, Dips – 20, and Squats – 25.

Also, Happy Anniversary to Maria and her husband! Have a great day today! :)

Kickboxing!

I was finally able to get back to the gym on a Saturday morning for Kickboxing!!! I had forgotten how much I enjoy that class! (I love my boys and the fact that they enjoyed Little League this year, but I'm glad to have my Saturday mornings back!) Maria was there as well after having already done BodyPump - busy morning for her! Hoping to keep up the exercise-filled weekend with Zumba and BodyFlow tomorrow morning...and my circuit, of course! :)

Week 1, Day 2 - Carla

Week 1, Day 2 Sets: Push ups (6, 8, 6, 6, Max), Sit ups (15, 18, 15, 15, Max), Dips (13, 15 10, 10, Max), Squats (13, 16, 13, 13, Max)

I decided to do my circuits on my lunch break at work today. I have an old yoga mat that I keep under my desk in case I need it for anything…it was put to good use today! When I got down to do my first set of push ups I thought I was going to die!!! I barely got myself into proper push up position and I seriously thought I wasn’t going to be able to do one push up let alone 5 sets of push ups. However I thought about the fact that I was going to have to do a blog post later on documenting my progress, so I persevered. It certainly hurt, but I was able to make it all the way through. My circuit took 17.5 minutes today. Hurting and sort of sweaty at the end, but day 2 is complete! I even completed one more max push up than listed as the minimum! :)

My max sets were as follows: Push ups – 8, Sit ups – 25, Dips – 20, and Squats – 30.

Like Maria, I was hoping to get a run in today but that backfired on me. I am not able to go to Zumba tonight as I have a retirement dinner to go to - yummy food (and possibly a margarita or two). Not necessarily a good night, but a yummy night indeed! Hopefully I'll make up for it by getting to the gym tomorrow and/or Sunday!

Week 1, Day 1!

Push Ups: Sets of 6, 6, 4, 4, and max with about 60 seconds in between each set.  I even had J (hubby) watch my form to make sure I was doing it correctly :-)  He was very critical!

Dips:  Sets of 13, 15, 9, 9, and max with about 60 seconds in between each set. 

Sit Ups:  Sets of 15, 18, 10, 10, and max with around 60 seconds between each set.

Max Push up: 4 (OUCH!)
Max Dip: 19
Max Sit up: 22

I am really proud of my max dips and sit ups.  But the push ups, that's pretty suck-y.  Nowhere to go but up, right?

I am also going to Zumba tonight at the gym.  I really wanted to go out on a run today, but my in-laws were in town and we had a nice breakfast together.  And if you don't go early in the summer, you're asking for a heat stroke.  So I skipped it :-)

The plan is to have a super-workout-weekend.  I went to Fratelli's last night and enjoyed a massive plate of linguine with clam sauce.  I also made these cake balls:

...and had a few too many for dessert.  AND I had a few margaritas on the deck last night... whoops.

Since we bought our new house and summer started, I have had a lot of time to cook and eat.  And I have been taking advantage of it!  Tonight (after Zumba) is steaks on the grill and corn on the cob :-)

I am proud of my first day of this program!  I just have to keep reminding myself to keep it up!

Ouch!

So, I'm a little sore tonight. I'm definitely feeling my shoulder and chest muscles - I can feel the lack of BodyPump classes in my recent past. I could feel every little move of D's head on my chest while snuggling on the couch. We'll have to see if I'm able to do ANYTHING tomorrow, let alone 5 sets of each activity! Wish me luck!

Week 1, Day 1 - Carla

Sets: Push ups (6, 6, 4, 4, Max), Sit ups (15, 18, 10, 10, Max), Dips (13, 15, 9, 9, Max), Squats (13, 16, 9, 9, Max)

Okay, so today was my first day! I did circuits of the four activities in the order listed above basically moving from one set to the next with little to no break in between. Today it took me 15 minutes to complete. By the end of it all I was hurting a bit! This is going to be an interesting six weeks!

My max sets were as follows: Push ups – 5, Sit ups – 20, Dips – 15, and Squats – 25.

Also, headed to the gym and did 40 minutes easy on the treadmill and went to BodyFlow. Felt great!!!

My Push Up (and dip and sit up and not-squat) Challenge!

The official results of my initial test:

Push-ups: 7!
Sit ups: 31
Dips: 26 (I did the dips after upping my weight on triceps in bodypump two days ago and I am hurting!)
Squats: I think I am going to eliminate the squat challenge from my program.  First of all, I am doing squats a lot in bodypump and my quads are getting to look like a softball player's.  Second of all, I tried the initial test and stopped at 140 squats.  Third of all, I am still running pretty regularly, so my legs are being worked out enough :-)

I think that Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays are best for my training as well.  However, I will not be starting until Friday, as I just took the initial test today.

On another note, I am 100% positive that I cannot do even one pull up, but I would like to try that program once it is launched on the site as well :-)  It's called "Twenty-five Pull ups".  In my case, it should be called "Five Pull Ups".  It might take me six weeks to eek out just five!

Carla's job is to hold me accountable.  If a Friday, Sunday, or Wednesday goes by without you reading what I did that day, you need to call me and scold me for being lazy!

Also, can we "label" the topics in each of our posts to archive the info, so if we are looking for something we can find it easily. When you write a post, at the bottom, there is a box for the "labels".  For instance, my labels from this post will be "Maria, initial test, sit ups, push ups, dips,", etc.

My Push up (and sit up and squat and dip) challenge - Carla

So, Maria said we should blog our attempt at the 100 push up program to hold us accountable for completing it. Even if no one reads this, I feel like it will make me more accountable for my actions as I know it will be out there on the net forever and ever and ever....

Here is the beginning of my journey...


Okay, so in one of my searches of fitness related things I found a website for the "200 Sit Up Challenge" which is supposed to get you to be able to do 200 consecutive sit ups after 6 weeks of training. In addition to the sit up challenge there are several other challenges - push ups (100), dips (150), and squats (200). I furiously cut and pasted from the website so I could have easy access to the programs wherever I had my computer and my thumb drive. Then I completely forgot about them...until now! I have decided today that I am going to start the programs this week. The programs call for doing the workouts three times a week - since I did the initial test today I am going to use Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday as my days to complete my circuits.

Here are the (embarrassing) results of my initial tests on 06/21/11:
Push ups - 7
Sit ups - 35
Dips - 19
Squats - 30

I have a lot of work to do!!! I probably could have done a few more of each, but I didn't want to push it too hard considering my recent lack of workouts. In addition to starting this program I am also planning on getting into a more regular running schedule and a more regular gym schedule.


UPDATE: Went to the gym to do the treadmill tonight for 30 minutes (5 min warm up, 5 intervals of 3 min hard/1 min easy, 6 min cool down). Baby steps after a break, right?