Running Errands, Literally

After I wrote this workout down on my "Errands" notepad I thought it was kind of funny that I had picked that paper for it. These were actually the things I had to "run" around and do! Gosh, I do love a good pun. 

First of all, I wanted this to be a workout that I could do with my husband. Gotta keep up that "fitness couple" image, ya know? So that's why I threw the body builders in there. Sounds so manly. (But really it's just kind of a variation of a burpee.)

1. The warm-up.
I ran a 0.9-mile loop around my neighborhood because, well that's just how my neighborhood is. If you're using a track just go ahead and run a full mile, please. 

2. Getting crazy with some circuits!
Body builders. If you've never done a body builder, sometimes called an 8-count body builder, there's a great little photo sequence of a man doing one over at military.com. For all of you people too lazy to click your viewing convenience, here is that exact picture:

So very manly, huh?
Basically you crouch down and hop your feet back like you're about to do a burpee. But then, all the sudden, you do a push up instead. Then, hop your feet out to the sides like you're doing a jumping jack on the ground, hop them back in, and then come back up to standing. I did 10 reps per set, but my super jacked and manly husband did 15. 

Switch jumps. They're kind of like lunge jumps, but you go faster and and only bend your knees a slight bit on the landing to absorb the impact - don't drop your back knee down as far as you would for a true lunge. I'd never advise to do real lunge jumps for a full minute. Switch jumps are a little bit easier (but still challenging enough for me to consider for one of my workouts), and you'll definitely be feeling the burn before the minute is up.

V-crunches. I demonstrated those in this former post. The embarrassing picture that accompanied it is this one:

15 reps - very do-able. I used a 5-pound weight plate held against my chest for all reps in all sets. Go me. 

The running! Oh boy this part got me today. And that's because I was trying to keep up with my super speedy spouse for the whole distance (just under 3/4 of a mile, 0.7 to be exact). I'll give him all the credit for that...he is one fast runner. 

3. Round 2 of the circuit craze.
Body builders...deep burn. Got 'em done though.

Back extensions. Laying on the ground/mat/floor of the garage face down with hands gently behind your ears and elbows out to the sides, lift your upper body (chest) and lower body (feet, knees, and thighs if you can) off the ground. Hold for a "one-one thousand" (or "one hippopotamus" in my case) count, slowly lower. 15 may be too many reps for beginners. If that's your case, reduce to 8 or 10 reps. 

Oblique v-crunches. Same as the post from above, I did those before because they are so darn hard!

16 reps, so that's going to be 8 per side, rotating between each. 

Run, run, run, again. Yes, my second run was slower than my first. 

4. Repeat all of part 2 again. Just to finish all this madness we started (Body builders, switch jumps, and v-crunches.)

Then do a regular plank. Note on your plank that your body is as flat and straight as possible (like a plank! Crazy they named it that.) Now I know that some people have more of an arch in their back than others and that's okay. Just focus on holding your core in, staying stable, and focusing all of your thought and energy into your core. Common places where that energy is mis-directed: your face (don't clench your teeth or hold your breath), and your hands (don't clench your hands into fists - try to keep them open and relaxed). 

Then do your final 5-minute fast-paced run. Any and all energy left should go into that run. It's okay if the speed doesn't match or beat previous times, just think about lengthening your stride, keeping your head up, and pumping your arms to help propel your legs forward. That sounds kind of odd I know, but the faster your arms are moving, the faster your legs will go too. If you need an example of that (and want to see something hilarious) just look at a power-waker. I'm lol-ing already. 

5. Cool-down.
You are D-O-N-E. Yay. Jog slow until you catch your breath, then walk to loosen up. You don't necessarily have to do the same distance as you did for your warm-up, but the longer you go the more of a chance you give your body to really loosen up and help reduce the chance of too much soreness.

Oh, and that's what the stretching and water are there for too! 

You will hate me for this workout, but you will love me in the end. Happy muscles!