Category Archives: Videos

30 Day Cardio Commitment Day 22

We are back on the stairs and doing tons of planking for our 22nd day of our 30 day cardio commitment. This one might be my favourite of the entire 30! 60s seconds of stair running…and by running I mean up at whatever speed you can handle, and safely walking down without tripping…if you don’t have stairs you can switch it to a step run. Then 30s each of 3 planking variations. Surprise mental and physical challenge at the end (yeah burpees at the end suck…YOU CAN DO IT!).

  1. 60s Stairs
    • 30s Plank
    • 30s Hip drop (L)
    • 30s Hip drop (R)
  2. 60s Stairs
    • 30s Tabletop or supermans
    • 30s Hip bridge
    • 30s Tabletop or supermans
  3. 60s Stairs
    • 30s Reverse crunch
    • 30s Slide to side
    • 30s Crunch
  4. 60s Stairs
  5. 60s Stairs
    • 30s Burpees
    • 30s Squat Jack
    • 30s Mountain Climbers

30 day cardio commitment day 22
30 day cardio commitment day 22

Now before we get started, keep these things in mind:

  • Any uninjured/reasonably healthy person should be able to do this. Remember to listen to your body. If it feels like you can work harder, you probably can. If it feels like it’s too hard or something is causing pain, you probably should not be doing it. Be aware of your fitness level when starting this program (not where you once were 10 yrs ago or where you think you should be). Work hard enough to challenge yourself, but not so hard you injure yourself.
  • If you don’t like, or can’t do, a specific movement, try to think of an alternative before you get started. For instance, I have an injury to my left arm. I can not bend my wrist or put pressure on it. That means all movements like pushups, planks, burpees, mountain climbers, etc need modifications because I can’t put my hands flat on the ground. Holding onto a set of dumbbells or holding onto the side of a step or table allows me to do the exercise without furthering my injury.
  • Burpees and mountain climbers become easier when you place your hands onto a step or sturdy chair instead of all the way down on the the ground, or if you simply slow down the movement. Plank variations can be done on elbows and/or knees until you build up the strength to do them from hands and feet. I will post more modifications alongside each exercise.
  • To make an exercise harder you can hold onto a medicine ball or any kind of weight you have around the house (water jug works well). Hold it at chest level or overhead. You can also increase the speed with which you move to increase the difficulty. To ensure you are not slacking in your 15 min session, count your reps for each exercise and match or exceed them on subsequent sets.
  • To make an exercise easier, slow it down. We use timed intervals to avoid having to do a certain number of reps. Beginners will get 5 reps out in 40s while advanced will be able to bang out 15 but everyone is working hard for their own level…right?! So slow the movement down, step or shuffle instead of jump or hop, walk instead of jog, jog instead of run, remain stationary instead of travelling or jumping.
  • If you are doing your session first thing in the morning, like straight outta bed, do yourself a favour and add an extra 5 minutes at the start to do some leg and arm swings and some light dynamic stretching before you get started. This is a good idea regardless of the time of day…so you prevent injury and can actually train hard during the 15 minute session…but it’s super important if it’s the first thing you do in the day.
  • Lunges are a great exercise but many people do them wrong and hurt their knees. If you are a beginner, if you have a weak core, if you have bad knees…step BACK into a reverse lunge. And if even that is too hard, keep it stationary, both feet planted, and move yourself up and down. If you are more advanced, and have a good strong core, you can do forward alternating lunges if you have a small space. Walking lunges if you have a hallway or the space to move forward. Make sure the heel of the front foot is planted with each rep…if it doesn’t touch you need to take a longer stride.
  • If you can not keep up to the timed interval and need extra rest, that’s ok, take it. Just keep at it, keep challenging yourself and working at it and little by little you will improve. By the end of the 30 days, if you repeat work out #1, I’d bet money you’ll be able to keep up and not need the extra rest.
  • If you are going to share this to a friends wall, or pin it, please link back to the page and not just the image so that they have the benefit of these modification tips just like you do.

Home conditioning workout, by request

I’ll be honest…this one is a bit rough…I haven’t been doing as much conditioning lately but sucking in a video is great because it shows you what you have to do….it’s like taking progress pictures. Pictures and videos don’t lie lol….if you suck, you’ll see it. Also, this was all filmed in the same workout, I had to change my top because slide-y on slide-y is annoying.

Also again, please excuse in the indoor setting…the patio is covered with men on scaffolding grrr.



Home Bootcamp Workout
Home Bootcamp Workout

First Home Conditioning Workout in Los Angeles

Well…I filmed my first conditioning workout since being in L.A. It looks a little rough because I did rack pulls 2 days prior and my back was absolutely destroyed. I did 2 sets of each circuit, which took about 15 minutes. I would add another set of each circuit for a full session. Don’t forget to warm up on your own. And you can finish the session with your own abs/core/stretching exercises.

Here’s what I did:

Goblet Squat – if you don’t have a dumbbell you can use a kettlebell, plate, or even a medicine ball
Kettlebell Deadlift Burpee – You can use a set of dumbbells if you don’t have 2 KB’s. Or if you have just one KB you can set it in the centre, do your burpee, placing your hands on the ground instead of holding on the KB, and pick the KB up with 2 hands in the centre.
BW Slider Lunge – You can add weight if you want to, just remember those sliders are very slippery so you have to have the strength to pull yoursel back up, don’t go too low too fast
Hop in Squat out – Touched the palms of my hands to the ground on each rep
 
Step Behind Lunge with Overhead Press
Pushup with Plank Rotation – Use just bodyweight if you can’t control that weight as you rotate. Little baby weights fully approved on this one.
Platechoppers – I used a DB end to end, but you can use a kettlebell, plate or even a medicine ball for this. Make sure heels stay on the ground and you’re pushing those hips back
Slider Jackknife – Keep your shoulder girdle tight and steady with minimal movement.

 

Youtube/Facebook Contest

Strength Powered Fitness Contest Give-Away T-shirts

This past weekend I ran a youtube contest on the facebook page. First 10 people to complete all the tasks won free classes, first 3 won a free tank. Congrats to the winners:

  1. Y. Abouseif – Free tank + 6 bootcamp classes
  2. E. Walpole – Free tank + 6 bootcamp classes
  3. C. Shadwell – Free tank + 6 bootcamp classes
  4. T. Ritchie – 6 bootcamp classes
  5. M. Brown – 6 bootcamp classes
  6. B. Bowman – 6 bootcamp classes
  7. G. Song – 6 bootcamp classes
  8. B. Jordan – 6 bootcamp classes
  9. br3annab – 6 bootcamp classes — need a real name here!
  10. V.Thompson – 6 bootcamp classes

Congrats to everyone and thanks for participating!!!