Rec

As it states in my 'About Me' Page, I am a current senior at Illinois State University. I am a active individual, who likes to stay fit by spending my time at the University Recreation Center ('Rec' for short). I generally like to lift weights there daily, following a simply routine I have customized for myself. I randomly will switch this routine up if my workout partner requests something different than I originally had planned but I mostly stick to a schedule. Each week consists of trying to hit each major muscle group, while trying to keep the workouts are efficient as possible. I generally finish working out within an hour to an hour and a half. Long days can be 2 hours, however, are more not common.

Now that you understand my general schedule, I need to vent about something that bothered me the other day while I was at the Rec. First off, I need to comment that I was tired and not feeling prime to be working out and it was LEG DAY. Nevertheless, I was there and ready to give it my best. My workout partner decided to start with leg press. For those of you who are new to working out, leg press is generally one of the more dreaded lifts because the amount of weight that can be done is usually significantly higher than most all other lifts. It can be scary at times. We painstakingly finished the 5 sets of leg press we set out to do with minor complaining because the Rec was experiencing a power-outage and the water fountains weren't working. Doing any form of exercise without water is difficult for me because I tend to sweat more than twice as much as the Average Joe. Eventually I stooped to getting my bottle filled from the bathroom sink, while the bathroom currently had no lights. No biggie, as long as I had some water I was happy. After leg press can squats. I jumped on to do my first set and decided after doing it that I wasn't going to do another because my back had been bothering me from the day before because some friends and I were playing basketball the day before. My workout partner proceeded to do his first set, and after decided that he wasn't going to wuss out like me and continued to do squats. As soon as he finished his 2nd set, a worker of the Rec approached us and explained that because the power was out, and not coming back on for an extended period of time, the Rec was closing for the day.

The Rec closing? How unfair! Despite my unwillingness to do squats and my lack of drive to push myself, I had made it to the gym and wanted to get something out of it. What a waste of time. I wish I would had just gone 40 minutes earlier and gotten my workout in before they decided to close.

However, I am not mad at the employee of the Rec who told us we had to leave. You can shoot the messenger because of the message. It was a good call they made to make everyone leave in the end because  of the issue with the water fountains. People working out and pushing themselves without a supply of water can be very dangerous. I'm glad they kicked everyone out in the end it was just hard to accept at first.

Quote of the day: 'I don't suffer from laziness, I enjoy every minute of it!'

Endurance and Cardio

Endurance and cardio

These past several weeks I have been giving my body a rest by not lifting heavy. Instead I have been doing Endurance workouts, such as circuits, super-sets and cardio. My favorite endurance workout I give credit to my Brother, Joe, for teaching me. It is a timed workout with one minute intervals. Normally I do 4-6 intervals a round and each interval is a different exercise, super-setted. For example the last 'Power Hour' (which doesn't actually last an hour) I did; weighted air squats, curls, set of various ab exercises, box jumps and air punches with 8 lbs weights. By doing five different exercises I hit more than 5 different muscle groups. Squats - butt/legs, Curls - biceps, air punches - shoulders/arms, ab workout - obviously abs, box jumps - more legs. One round consists of doing each workout for one minute, back to back. Therefore each round lasts 5 minutes (5 exercises x 1 minute = 5 minutes). In-between rounds I like to grab a drink of water and catch my breath for roughly 2 minutes. I normally do however many rounds as different workouts that are incorporated, while starting each round with a different exercise then the last round.

WorkoutIdea Products

WorkoutIdea Products

In collaboration with my blog and website I have a Product shop located HERE! 

Click the link to be taken to the shop and browse the great select of items with various graphics!

One of my favorite products is the "Curling Trucks!" shirt:

This is a great T-shirt to show of your 'guns' in!

Another one of my favorites is the "No Excuses", WorkoutIdea Logo-ed Products!

The Colors come in Black and White both with eye-popping Red Font:

 

Example on a Men's Sleeveless Tee (white):

My last product I would like to promote is the "I Heart Muscles" Logo.

This also comes in a variety of products but the one that I chose to display is the Women's white tank top:

All the products on my shop website are great! If you liked these and would like to check out more, go to http://www.cafepress.com/workoutideas or just click any of the pictures of the products! Enjoy!

Injured and Working Out

Injured?

     Working out my not be in your best interest. Even though it may set you back a week or two, injuries are very serious. This past week I have been recovering from a major back/shoulder/neck pain. The pain actually started around the beginning of March and I continued to push myself through workouts. The pain wasn't getting better but is wasn't getting worse either. I didn't know what was going on? I was naive and just thought I was getting sore from my workouts like I normally did but for some reason this time I was a little more sore. As the pain persisted I kept working out through it. Finally, one Tuesday, in the middle of March I was working out chest which stretches a lot of the area that was 'sore'. Throughout the workout the pain was getting worse and worse. By the end of the workout my injury hurt so bad that I couldn't turn my neck to the right or look up and left. After trying to stretch everything out and crack my back to align it, I knew something was up and that I had really hurt myself. Since that day I haven't done any lifting and have just been resting and waiting to heal. 

     Moral of the story is, if you are injured or hurt, it is better to wait and rest up before you jump back into things because it may set you back further if you don't. Learn from my experience and don't hurt yourself even more than you already are!

Be safe and lift with a spotter!

9 Things I've learn in ACC 255

In ACC 255 I have learned a lot of different things and here I am going to list a few;

1. how to make a blogger account
2. how to make a webs, website
3. how to write a mission statement
4. how to write a purpose page
5. how to write a privacy page
6. what a "sneeze page" is
7. how to set-up a contact form
8. how keywords/tags are important in a website
9. how to set-up a CafePress store 

Workout, Exercise, Diet and Research

Recognition:

In the Blog Post I would like to give credit to some sources I use while trying to find new and interesting workouts or motivation to get me pumped-up and get a good workout in.

I would like to start with a facebook page I liked. It gives me updates in my news feed with motivational pictures and videos. It's called "Addicted to the Gym". They are an active page that constantly is posting pictures of fit people. They also have great motivational pictures with quotes written on them. I highly recommend liking them on facebook.

Secondly I would like to give recognition to the Website BodyBuilder.com. They have almost every example of and exercise, and the proper way to do it. I have used that website to create a lot of different workout's for myself. It is a great site to stumble upon a new lift or exercise that you have never seen before that you might want to try out and see how it works for you. They also have go videos of professional lifters/bodybuilders showing you great workouts. Highly recommend giving this website a look!

Next I would like to recognize another blog; QBlog by Equinox. Equinox has top-notch when it comes to anything/everything fitness related. This Blog maintains the status-quo of Equinox by introducing everything that is cutting edge, from workouts to scientific studies to equipment, it has it all.

There are a lot of good sources of information out there on the internet, you just need to try and find them! Do your homework and research to optimize your workouts.

Abdominal Exercises Cont'd

Abdominal Exercises Cont'd

6.) Goalies

(Just remember to do both sides)

7.) Reverse Crunch

8.) V-up

9.) Leg Lift

10.) Corkscrew

11.)Body Crunch

12.) Butterfly

13.)Double Crunch

14.)Oblique V-up

(Just remember to do both sides)

15.) Plank

16.) Pulse up

17.) Push Through

18.) Rollback

19.) Side Bend

20.) Side Lift

(Just remember to do both sides)

21.) Side Plank

(Just remember to do both sides)

22.) Twist

(Just remember to do both sides)

For all of the exercises that involve going to each side, I suggest alternating sides while doing them. This will help stretch the opposite side each time you switch and will help prevent cramps and aches. 

(Above images taken from Bodybuilder.com)

Ab Exercises!

Ab Exercises!

1.) Pendulum

2.) Bicycle

3.) Russian Twist

4.) Elevated Crunch

5.) Side Jackknife

(Above images taken from Bodybuilder.com)

P90x Ab Ripper Workout

1.) In and Out (25)
You are basically using your butt as a pivot point while you kick your legs out, and lower your upper body slightly towards the floor.
2.) Seated Bicycle (26- 13 Normal / 13 Reverse)
Starting from roughly the same position as the In & Outs, you just simulate the movement of peddling a bicycle, and then you reverse direction.
3.) Seated Crunchy Frog (25)

It is just like an In & Out, only your have to momentarily wrap your arms around your knees, which means that you can no longer have your hands on the floor for support.

4.) Wide Leg Sit-ups (25)

Advanced- Sit Indian style and alternate hands above your head as you do the sit up and then cross your arm, that is up, to the opposite side of your body.

5.) Fifer Scissors (25)

You do start in the lying down position, but rather than just kicking your legs back and forth in a spastic manner, you only do one leg at a time while the other leg is held 6" off of the floor. (Advanced- Simply hold the count longer)

6.) Hip Rock 'n Raise (25)

Again starting in the lying down position, this time with your knees out, and the heels of your feet touching. You contract your ab muscles to bring your lower body off the floor, then push your hips up towards the ceiling.

7.) Pulse Up (25)

This is more of a standard hip raise type of movement where you basically have both feet facing the ceiling, and you do your best to push your heels as high towards the ceiling as possible. (No Rocking)

8.) Roll Up/ V-Up Combo (26- 13 Roll Up/ 13 V-Up)

Do a Sit up with your legs straight out and together, then once up, roll back with your legs (still straight). While legs are in leg raised position, try to touch your feet (V-Up).

9.) Oblique V-Up (25- Left/ 25- Right)

Basically this is a side bend while lying on the opposite side of your body.

Advanced- have to lift your legs up at the same time.

10.) Leg Climb (26- 13 Left/ 13 Right)

This exercise is not just difficult because you are so incredibly exhausted by this point, but also because you are all sweaty. Basically what you do is lift one leg about 45-degrees off of the ground, then reach up with both hands trying to "climb" your upper body up your leg until you can touch your toes.

11.) Mason Twist (40- Anything after 40 = Bonus)

Basically the same as the Russian Twist (As soon on page 1 #3 Russian Twist).

(P90x Ab Ripper Workout was taken from the P90x Workout Series)

Women Leg Workout

Women Leg Workout

I am no expert when it comes to women's workouts, however I do know that women want to look toned and fit. I have found the perfect workout for women to do, to tone their legs, glutes and core. This workout is also perfect if one doesn't have a lot of time to spend at the gym and is in a rush. If done without too many breaks in-between it can be done in under 15 minutes. This workout is designed for endurance to give the women that nice toned look they are looking for. I haven't don't the workout myself but I would imagine that the order of the exercises helps hit different areas of the body in just the right order. This order will help you get through the workout without failing due to fatigue.

Women I hope you enjoy!

(This Image was taken from health-heaven.tumblr.com)