*FIRST: A friend is selling #Boston t-shirts to raise money for the Red Cross. You can buy one by clicking here:
New workout clothes are always a great motivation to get your sweat on, aren’t they? I think so.
Especially when they are pants that I’ve been eyeing for months! These new Reebok printed pants are awesome — something about all the strong words printed all over them makes you feel stronger.
So…I took them — and my new Reebok top, both from the Reebok ONE Apparel Collection — to my work gym for a simple mid-day sweat session. (Thanks to Jackie for being my photographer!)
It’s pretty rad having a fairly nice gym right in the building. It has all kinds of props, treadmills, bikes, ellipticals, a full weight room and even a place you can pop in a Taebo/P90X/Insanity/whatever video if you want. Occasionally, they even host yoga classes!
I started off with a quick cardio set — always good to get the blood flowing before weightier movements. Five minutes on the bike, five minutes on the elliptical and I was good to go.
Here’s the quick, sweaty lunch workout that kept me feeling great throughout the rest of the afternoon:
I really like the back of this top — the wide straps and the ventilated triangle on mid-back — it’s always nice to have some breathing room.
Plus, I find the top slimming and flattering while the pants — aside from just being plain old cool — give the illusion of a butt that ain’t so bad 🙂
If you have a weighted medicine ball, I prefer to do slamballs over weighed lunges. They are more forceful and purposeful and you can really get into a rhythm.
For slamballs, you take the ball (10-20lbs) high above your head, then bring it down. Once you are about at your waist, start to bend down squat style, keep your back straight and eyes forward. Hold on to the ball as long as you can, then below your waist, slam it into the ground as hard as you can. Full s squat down to pick it up and stand back up. Repeat. It’s fun at first — then it gets to be brutal!
I do sit-ups on the big ball because it’s better for your back than plain old floor sit ups. At crossfit, we have little ab mats, that support our backs but they don’t have those at the work gym so I went with the ball. You really need to focus on keeping your abs tight and not letting the ball do the work for you.
While, it’s not my favorite thing to sweat mid-day at work, I know a lot of people don’t have any other option. With kids, life and busyness taking priority — any little bit helps!
My workout up top says repeat 2-3x but even if you only do it once, you are still doing more than most. The endorphins alone can power you through a rough afternoon.
A co-worker recently told me he can’t work out anymore because he’s working on a book and it takes too much time! I told him he should get in a few minutes because his brain will work better — and then he will write better! Not sure I convinced him but I do believe it’s true!
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| My favorite thing to do with the ball — the stretch feels so great! |