Two days in a row of TNT has been a challenge.  My arms feel limp and made it a challenge to brush my hair this morning.  My legs feel like jello and made it a challenge to walk today.  But I think of all these challenges as successes.  I have successfully worked my body to “the point of failure“- a term our instructor uses to push us to our breaking point.

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Over the past few weeks I learned to love this phrase… Everyone’s “point if failure” is different.  A different amount of time, a different level of intensity, a different level of weight.  It doesn’t make sense for me to compare myself to a 30 year-old-man who could lift me over his head while simultaneously doing jump squats, nor does it make much sense for me to compare myself to a 50+ year-old-lady who is trying to reacquaint herself with the gym after a few years break.  We’re all at different levels yet we’re all there for the same reason… To challenge ourselves.  To find our points of failure.  To strive for success.

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In addition to attending classes twice a week [Saturday's are optional], we receive weekly challenges.  Past challenges have includes ab circuits, to cardio routines, and some light stretching.

Week 3:  Tabata Intervals

*A Tabata workout is an interval training cycle of 20 seconds of maximum intensity exercise, followed by 10 seconds of rest, and repeated without pause.*

Mountain Climbers or Jumping Jacks

Push-ups

Bicycles

Squats

Week 4:  Pyramid Workouts

*Pyramid interval training starts with a 5-minute warm-up, followed by high intensity intervals that first become longer with each repetition till the maximum length is reached [after which the intervals become shorter again until the length of the first interval is reached].*

5 minute warm-up

1 min high – 1 min low

2 min high – 1 min low

3 min high – 1 min low

4 min high – 1 min low

5 min high – 1 min low

4 min high – 1 min low

3 min high – 1 min low

2 min high – 1 min low

1 min high – 1 min low

2 minute cool down

Week 5:  Playing Cards Circuits

*Make-up four different exercises, one for every suit.  For example: hearts are push-ups, diamonds are bicycles, clubs are sit-ups, and spades are squats.  Shuffle the cards face down and turn over one at a time, whatever the card shows is what you have to do.  Example: 10 of hearts = 10 push-ups.*

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Not only am I successfully “turning my mush into muscle” [Kindergarten Cop, anyone?!] I feel like my runs will be more successful.  I went for my first run in weeks on Sunday and was pleasantly surprised to keep my pace under 9 minutes per mile!

Challenge yourself. Push yourself to the point of failure.

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Today…  #elf4Health 12/4 Day 9:  Have a salad today and make your own dressing.  I’m not a big dressing gal [I don't like oily things including foods or lip gloss #strangebuttrue] but I did eat lots of veggies at lunch and a big salad for dinner [pics tomorrow for WIAW].

Tomorrow…  #elf4Health 12/5 Day 10:  Pack a healthy snack & pack extra for a friend!  I wonder, does the hubby count?

Question:  How did you challenge yourself today?

Question:  What’s your favorite way to exercise?  Run?  Walk?  Weights?  Yoga?

— Allison