FitFeat

Posts Tagged leg workout

Hello Hamstrings – Make that Project Work in Your Favor

Jun 24

Posted by Shari B. in Keeping Fit | 3 Comments

Happy Friday FitFeat friends!

My sincere apologies if you’ve had any trouble accessing the blog over the last few days.  The hosting service I’m on is usually fine, but over the last 36 hours the server has been acting up!  Yesterday’s madness at least prompted me to upgrade to the newer version of the theme (style) for the blog, so it’s got a bit of a new look to it after hours on end of trying to somewhat match what it looked like earlier in the week.  I am enjoying the new color theme – it feels “happy” to me!

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While our driveway was getting replaced, the contractor pulled out a dead aspen for us as well as two really insane bushes that we’ll never plant again (one was a juniper, the kind that stays low as a ground cover and likes to creep its way into other peoples’ yards!) so the west side of our driveway was in dire need of a little beautification.

We had to keep this on a tiny budget so we chose plants that we could get for around $6 each AND ones that were also tolerant of the intense sun and drought that side of the house would bring.  We went with one euonymous, some day lilies and Japanese silver grass (I LOVE landscape grasses!  I would use them everywhere if it wouldn’t get boring to just see tall grasses all over the yard!)

After mixing some clay buster in with the soil, laying down new felt weed cover, and digging 14 holes to plant the greenery into…

Oh and hammering the pins for this awesome “no-dig” edging we found…

Then laying out the wood chips and making a number of trips from our backyard (where the large rocks used to be located)…

… we said hello to our hamstrings!  (And quads, low back, etc!)

Holy moly can I just tell you that I forgot how intense landscaping can be as a workout??  I was good and sore the next morning (and after not getting to work out much lately, it felt GREAT!!).  I did a squat for every couple of those big rocks that I placed into the wheelbarrow so that I could get some leg work and save my low back.  Legs were DEFINITELY worked.

And now we have a prettier welcome to see when we pull up to our house!

Do you have any upcoming landscape or yard work that you turn into a workout? Longtime readers of FitFeat know that I like to turn “chores” in to exercises, such as my yardwork cardio (YARDIO) – somehow it just makes it seem more fun.  I like to workout, but I don’t like chores.  So I just change my ‘perspective’ a little.  I even do it when I’m scrubbing the tub – if you have to move anyway, may as well really focus on the muscles and make it count!

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When I was grabbing the link for yardio, I found the one that goes to the old wordpress.com site from before I went self-hosted.  Wow, FitFeat sure looked a lot different back when I started it in 2009!

 

I love going back and reading old posts from when I first started – what a fantastic journey it’s been!  So many friends made because of this little blog!  I love it!

Speaking of friends I’ve made through the blog, today is Cindy‘s birthday so swing on over to her blog, A Sparkle a Day and say hello! Click on the pic below to read about our blogger meet up in California last year.  Good times!

Hope you are having a FABULOUS Friday!

– Shari B. =)

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Shari Becht is a Certified Natural Chef and an ACE Certified Personal Trainer, living out her passion for healthy eating and fun exercise by making it her job!  She offers online/phone coaching for fit living and weight loss.  Visit the “What Your Last Diet Was Missing Page” for more info and read what others have to say about her service!

 

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9 Tips to Ease the Pain of a Killer Workout

May 24

Posted by Shari B. in FitFeature, Keeping Fit | 12 Comments

Hi friends!

Oh boy am I sore today from Saturday’s leg workout.  After having been sporadically following the Insanity program over the last month, I have used my legs more for sports drill workouts and apparently they forgot what it was like to do a solid strength session!

THE WORKOUT:

Tabata Sets:

  • Smith Machine Squats (8 sets, 4 minutes)
  • Leg Extensions  (8 sets, 4 minutes)
  • Leg Curls (8 sets, 4 minutes)
  • Plyo Lunges (6 sets, 4 minutes)

Followed by:

  • High Step Ups (2 sets per leg)
  • Front Curtsy Squats (2 sets per leg)
  • 11 minutes of ‘dance cardio‘

And all I’ve been saying for the last 36 hours is “oh my legs, my legs!!!”  My hamstrings are so sore, that it is almost painful to stand up completely straight!  Yes, I like to be sore after a good workout.  But I’ll admit this is a step beyond that.  So I figured this would be a great time to share with you the tips I employ when DOMS sets in (DOMS: delayed onset muscle soreness).

1. Move the sore muscles:  blood flow to the muscles will help to speed the repair and move the toxins out faster.  By “move” the muscles, I don’t mean you should strength train those muscles again while they are sore but getting in some light to moderate aerobic activity will do the trick.

2. Light massage of the sore muscles: keyword here is light.  This is not the time to get a deep tissue massage – my massage therapist says at least 24 hours before a deep massage after a tough workout or you risk releasing toxins too quickly.  So I will lightly rub sore muscles by hand, or else I’ll do some easy foam rolling.

3. Light stretching of the sore muscles: again the keyword here is light. You don’t want to cause additional microtears to muscles that are already in the process of repairing.  The idea here is to just get some blood flow in there and keep them from stiffening up.

4. Ice up: I like to use frozen peas wrapped in a thin towel applied to the sore muscles for 10 to 20 minutes every few hours.  This also expedites blood flow to the area.

5. Soak: After (or between) ice applications, take this opportunity to pamper yourself with a hot bath with Epsom salts.  (I usually toss in 1/2 cup.)

6. Ginger root capsules: I got this great tip from Joan, who knows I won’t take ibuprofen.  She introduced me to ginger root capsules to fight inflammation when I had a stiff back and the stuff works!  It doesn’t have the ‘immediate’ relief you get from OTC drugs, but you don’t get the toxic liver either!  And I have noticed a difference when I take two in the morning and two in the evening.

7.  BioFreeze: I’ll use this as a last resort (because I aim to minimize products that contain paraben) but this stuff works wonders when I do choose to use it.  It’s like an extra strength IcyHot.  A chiropractor recommended this to me years ago and I’ve kept a bottle around ever since.  I’ve used it on sore joints, aching muscles, and it also clears the sinuses right out for you!

8. Water: the lactic acid and toxins need to go somewhere and if you aren’t hydrating they won’t move anywhere very quickly.  Be sure to increase your water intake (especially when muscles are sore) and minimize dehydrating beverages like coffee and soda.

9. REST: when you work out hard, rest is extremely important in order to allow the body to repair, adapt and grow stronger so that the next time you do that same workout, it won’t seem as hard and you can do a little more.

What favorite tips do you utilize? Drop a comment!

– Shari B. =)

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