3/1/14 even more confusion

Talk about confusion! Today also had a couple confusing exercises, but I did some of them correctly.

The exercise today involves the use of dumbbells, smaller are usually better for the magazine exercises because it makes sure that you can execute it correctly.

The first one I did correctly was the rotating sculptor. To do this one, you squat while raising one weight in the air and letting the other one hang down. Make sure you twist and look up at the one in the air. It kind of makes one resemble a windmill.

The second one I did correctly is the step off. This one was pretty fun to do. So in the rotating sculptor your arms created a vertical line. In this one, it will create a horizontal one. Basically you curtsy as you spread out your arms to the sides, still holding the weight.

The last correct one I did was the biceps balancer. It's a lunge where you bring the weights up to your chest. 

I also did The Basics, minus the curl ups. My sister is home so I couldn't exercise in the room because it squeaks too much so I went out into the living room and I don't like the floor there so I didn't do any lay or sit down style exercises.

I can't wait until the spring time when I get to exercise outside in the grass!

-Alexandria

2/28/14 Confusion

(Just so you all know, I did do a little bit of exercise in the two previous days, but I didn't have the time to blog about it.)

So, today the magazine exercise I chose really confused me. I'll give a super mega basic run down, but yeah. Eventually I'm going to get myself a personal trainer (so I can see what it's like to be on the client side of things) and ask them how these are done.

The first thing was for "show off shoulders" and was called "Wax on, Wax off."
The second thing was for a "butt dimple" and was called "Knee side plank."
The third thing was for "wowza arms" and was called "Rainbow raise"
The fourth thing was for "A perky butt" and was called "Plow"
The fifth thing was for "amazing abs" and was called "Floor Press"
And the sixth and final thing was for "gorgeous legs" and was called "reverse toe tap"

I have no idea how to do them. I made really pitiful attempts and then just went to The Basics.
I did get a workout though, and I did sweat, so I feel I did something.

Have a great exercise today!
-Alexandria
Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/AlexandriaMazareth
Twitter: http://twitter.com/AlexandriaMWolf
Personal Blog: http://ajourneyforalexandria.blogspot.com/
Professional Blog: http://alexandriamazareth.wordpress.com/

2-25-14 Core Challenge

Gotta love lemon water :) It helps so much in keeping you hydrated but still getting a good amount of flavour.

Well, today I used what the magazine called the core challenge which I am not going to give a different name because wow it's a great description! There weren't any curlups on this list but boy did my core get a workout!

Of course, I did a little bit of jogging first, to the tune of Danza Kuduro!

Afterwards I started the "core" part of my exercise. So this is how the core challenge works:
They want you to do every exercise in order for a minute and repeat twice.

1. This first step is called the jackknife, which I think I may have done wrong. Helps to have a picture in front of you. Although according to bodybuilding.com I did it correctly.
I'll start creating pictures of the exercises when I start my Ace Fitness Training
Anyways, the jackknife is where you lie down face-up, your arms should lay above your head and your legs are extended flat in front of you (This method of laying down is also in number 3)
Then you crunch upwards. If you've ever done a v-sit, it's like that, except you lift your arms to intersect with your legs. (Your arms should be almost horizontal while your legs should be vertical.) And then lower.

2. This second step is called scissors, but it's not like the scissors I did in elementary school. For this one you lay face-up on your back with your hands under your butt, but your arms at your sides. Then you raise your legs 6-12 inches into the air, with your feet as wide apart as your shoulders. Here's the part that's different for me, but makes sense. You cross your right foot over your left. Then you open up your legs again. Then you cross left over right and continue alternating your legs like that. See? Makes sense.

3. Alright, so now we're on to the third step - the sit-up. The one in the magazine works like this: Repeat how you were laying down in step one. Then keep your feet down on the floor and raise your core and arms up to a sitting position, so you make a right angle. Then lower back down.

4. Lastly, they want you to do what's known as a superwoman.The superwoman is pretty much the locust pose in yoga, except your arms are in front of you rather than along your back.

So the picture to the left is the superwoman. Basically you lay facedown, with arms in front of you, and lift your legs, arms, and part of your chest up off the ground. It's more of a workout than you'd think.

Again, each exercise is a minute long, and you want to repeat the entire thing twice.

I will most likely add the rest of the music I used for this exercise laters.

In the meantime... After I did the core challenge I incorporated The Basics, plus I did some jumping jacks. I'll link the song party rock by lmfao here laters, but that song is SUPER good for jumping jacks and jogging!

Have a great exercise today!
-Alexandria
Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/AlexandriaMazareth
Twitter: http://twitter.com/AlexandriaMWolf
Personal Blog: http://ajourneyforalexandria.blogspot.com/
Professional Blog: http://alexandriamazareth.wordpress.com/

2-24-14 Never Skip Leg Day

Don't skip leg day is a meme around the net where people who "skip leg day" have disproportionately smaller leg muscles to, well, the rest of their body and it looks pretty silly. Give it a google.

I named my post that because the exercise I did today, entitled "Leighton's Cardio Workout" is focused on cardio for toning your legs. I have self-named it "Gym Class Leg Exercises" because it reminds me of the exercises we did in gym. Let me break it down for you.

1. First you do butt kickers. Don't know what those are? They're where you jog hard and kick your feet up to your behind every step. Gym class. Anyways, it has you do it for 30 seconds, rest for ten, and repeat for a total of three times.

2. Next is the high knees. Unaware of this one? It's similar to the butt kickers except instead of kicking your legs behind you, you kick them in front, raising your knees as close to your chest as you can every step. Again, this one has it for 30 seconds and then stopping for ten, for a total of three times repetition.

3. Now this one is a little bit different, but still something I did in gym class. Skyscraping Skips. You start with one foot behind, one in front and literally skip, except you make the foot coming forward into a high knee, but you also raise your arm (same one as the knee in the air) above your head. It's a little odd but it works. It wants you to do this for thirty seconds.

Then, it wants you to start the whole exercise over.

4. After going through steps 1-3 again, now you do fancy feet. Which I've seen people do in tennis. Create a thin line, either with rope or tape or chalk, doesn't matter. Then you want to take quick steps, or as the directions say "start by stepping your left foot a little over the line, bring the right foot to meet the left, step left foot back, then right foot." Aka, take little steps over the line very fast. It wants you to do this one for a minute, then rest for ten. Afterwards it wants you to switch which foot steps over the line first and do it one more time.

So after I did this exercise, I did The Basics.

It was a pretty cool workout and I did have a playlist which I may add a little later, but right now I'm tired and need to shower.

Have a great workout today!!
-Alexandria
Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/AlexandriaMazareth
Twitter: http://twitter.com/AlexandriaMWolf
Personal Blog: http://ajourneyforalexandria.blogspot.com/
Professional Blog: http://alexandriamazareth.wordpress.com/

The Basics

That's now what I'm calling my set of curlups, pushups, and jogging. I do them most often, so for me, I did two sets of the basics today. They lasted longer than you'd think.

Tomorrow I won't just be doing the basics, no, I have a TON of exercises from magazines that I just can't wait to try and use. I've tried a couple of them before but then I kind of forgot about my stash of fitness variety.

Tomorrow, you will get to hear about really cool exercises. Same with basically hopefully from now on.

I mean, I'm still going to do The Basics, but I'm going to involve other stuff as well.

Ciao!
-Alexandria
Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/AlexandriaMazareth
Twitter: http://twitter.com/AlexandriaMWolf
Personal Blog: http://ajourneyforalexandria.blogspot.com/
Professional Blog: http://alexandriamazareth.wordpress.com/

2-22 Taking it Easy

Just so you all know, on the 19th I was not a lazy buns. I went mall walking with my mother, which is actually exercise. Constant movement for hours? Oi!

But for the next couple days I fell into a pit and did not do much of anything. (Like, on the 20th, I literally spent most of the day in bed. Yikes!)

But today I did about 20 minutes of exercise. Mostly light jogging, but also some jumping around and going up and down the stairs quickly.

I really need a gym membership once this snow stops chilling around. XD

Love you all!
-Alexandria
Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/AlexandriaMazareth
Twitter: http://twitter.com/AlexandriaMWolf
Personal Blog: http://ajourneyforalexandria.blogspot.com/
Professional Blog: http://alexandriamazareth.wordpress.com/

Nothing like a good walk!

It's so beautiful outside! At least for a winter day, that is. The sun is shining, the snow is melting, and the roads are almost clear of snow.

What does that mean for me and this blog?

It means it's nice enough out to go for an honest to goodness walk outside. I went with my younger sister, who was home for a little bit.