✨✨ January 2021 ✨✨
Focus: Caroline Girvan/Yoga/KBs
1 - Caroline Girvan's EPIC Series
Day 10 Burpee HIIT, Udaya
Slow Stretch for the Super Stiff. Wow. I can't believe that I look at a 30 minute HIIT workout that is entirely different varieties of burpees, and my thought is, "What a great way to kick off the new year!" Who even am I? What's even more amazing, I made it through, only hitting pause twice, for just another 10 seconds to breathe. Ok, afterwards I needed a nap. But I'm doing this.
2 - Dasha’s KBKB Body Series
Cardio Lean, Vytas’s
Find Your Practice Stretch 1. As much as I love Caroline, it's kind of nice to go back to an instructor who talks. I chose my little 6kg KB because I just wanted to warm up the muscles before stretching. The more I use FYP, the happier I am that I bought this set. Just can't imagine why it's taken me so long to use it.
3 - Caroline Girvan's EPIC Series
Day 11 Quads & Abs, Sydney Cummings'
12 Minute Deep Stretch. I loved Caroline's leg day. Must be all the bike rides, this one had me sweating but still smiling.
4 -
Bike Ride (1 hour total). Finally had a day that wasn't too cold and also wasn't too polluted, so I could bike to work. Otherwise, felt like I was coming down with a slight cold so went to bed early.
5 -
Bike Ride (45 mins total), Caroline Girvan's EPIC Series
Day 12 Shoulders, Cathe's
ICE Chiseled Upper Body w/u and stretch. I was glad that I'd previewed today's EPIC, because knowing it was going to be slow & heavy rather than a sweat-fest got me off the sofa and into my exercise space. Caroline worked the delts from every angle, and afterwards I felt nicely pumped rather than wiped.
6 -
Bike Ride (1 hour total). Met friends for dinner & had a cocktail, which was fun, but by the time we got home I was too emotionally tired to do anything else.
7 - Caroline Girvan's EPIC Series
Day 13 Hamstrings & Glutes, Udaya
It’s All About the Hips. Ok, hams and glutes are definitely my jam. I’m starting to eye my dumbbells and think about getting some heavier ones. The Udaya practice was more about mobility than stretching. I’m still looking for post heavy workout stretches.
8 -
Rest. Got home in the evening and the house was *cold*, so I got into bed to warm up, and.... well, that was predictable.
9 - Bike ride (30 mins total), Caroline Girvan's EPIC Series
Day 14 Total Body,
Yoga 30for30 Yin. Oh, that was fun! The superset format made the time fly by. And aaaaah for the yin practice. That’s what I’m talking about!
10 - Caroline Girvan's EPIC Series
Day 15 Tabata HIIT Total Body,
Yoga 30for30 Twists. When I previewed the workout, I wondered, how's that going to work? But I actually managed most of them with only minor modifications. This rotation is taking me in directions I never expected. After that, the Twists practice had a few too many vinyasas, but I skipped a few of them to take care of my shoulder. Need to watch out for over-use, given how I'm pushing myself to work up to big-girl pushups.
11 -
Rest. Tired and just don't wanna.
12 - Caroline Girvan's EPIC Series
Day 16 Back & Biceps, Mr & Mrs Muscle
Day 2 Abs & Core Workout. Still feeling low emotionally, but luckily this was another heavy lift session. Somehow that feels 'easier' than a high energy HIIT. Of course I felt better afterwards. Especially from pounding out renegade rows like a Boss. I've started dipping into Mr & Mrs Muscle on YT - their workouts feel easier than Caroline's, but still get it done.
13 -
Ultimate Yogi Cross Train. I realized it's been a while since I did a full hour yoga practice. Much as I love the short or 30 minute formats, it's a totally different experience. Must remember to do this at least once a week! Pluses - my first time ever doing Bound Warrior! Minuses - my balance is still terrible.
14 - Caroline Girvan's EPIC Series
Day 17 Lunges, Mr & Mrs Muscle
Abs & Core Workout 78. I was psyching myself up because I'd heard Day 17 lunges were super tough, but I found it just 'ordinary hard' (by the standards of Caroline's workouts). Clearly, that just means I need to up the weight! Mr & Mrs Muscle ab circuits are good for me to tack on, because I can trick myself into doing 'just the first circuit', which is only 2.5 mins. Then I've done one and it wasn't so bad, so I do another one. Then I might as well do the rest, and somehow I've done a 10 min abs add-on.
15 -
Rest. Got home late after a work dinner, and I thought about doing something light just so I'd have something in the calendar today. But I'm trying to listen to my body, which needed sleep more than movement. So I went to bed.
16 - Caroline Girvan's EPIC Series
Day 18 Chest & Triceps,
Cardio Coach 2R on elliptical (first 2 challenges). This EPIC workout was tougher for me than yesterday's lunge-a-palooza. Caroline's supersets hit the chest muscles from every angle, and I was completely *done* by the time she went for a burnout set of pushup variations as a finisher. I did one diamond pushup (from my knees), went for a second, and couldn't get up again. There was no way I was going to risk doing a face plant during vinyasa's, so yoga afterwards was definitely not going to happen. I still had energy, and some lower-body focused sprints seemed like a good way to work through yesterday's lingering stiffness. But then I needed a nap in the afternoon.
17 - Yoga 30for30 Flow and Stretch. I could only squeeze in a short practice, but just as I was getting into it, it was over. I'm glad I got something in but wish I'd chosen a slightly longer one.
18 - Rest. Feeling like I'm' coming down with a cold, decided to sit it out today and see how I feel tomorrow.
19 - Rest. Yup, definitely have a cold. Need to let it pass.
20 -
- Bike ride (2 hours total). Finally had a warmer day with decent air quality. I think the low intensity bursts through the day were the right level for my cold.
21 -
- Bike ride (1 hour total). My cold got worse, so I came home early and went to bed. At least I got some bike rides in.
22 - Rest. Stlll suffering from my cold.
23 -
Ultimate Yogi Cardio. Absolutely the perfect way to sweat out the cold. And so gratifying to see how much stronger I am and how it opens up more of my practice.
24 - Rest. And still more cold.
25 -
Bike Ride (30 mins total), Caroline Girvan's EPIC Series
Day 19 Total Body (Dumbbell Complex). Wowza, that was one way to wring the cold out of my muscles. By 40% I was literally dripping sweat on my mat. More metabolic than I was expecting after the previous heavier splits. And the hour seemed *long* - at one point I thought I was trapped in a purgatory of endless dumbbell complexes. But as always, felt elated when I finished. And very glad that I jumped back in where I'd left off in the series.
26 -
Ultimate Yogi Strength. Caroline has given me the confidence to take on my UY set. I even managed most of the 'yogi-style' pushups (ie tricep pushups) from my toes! I thought I was doing really well until the final set of side plank to plank-chaturanga-plank to other side plank. But now I know that sitting that one out in child's pose doesn't mean I've failed at the practice. Growth!
27 - Rest. Couldn't decide whether to do an after-dinner workout or not, and then got involved in some work stuff, and poof, there's the day gone.
28 Rest.
29 Rest.
30 Rest. I've been powering through my cold, but finally had to just stop and rest. Had an entire day in my pj's and lots of sleep. Clearly, I needed it.
31 - Heather Robertson's 7 Day Challenge
Day 1 Total Body HIIT , Travis Elliot's
Yin Yoga Foundations. I'm still struggling with this cold, and I didn't feel ready to jump back into EPIC. I figured if I started with another series, I'd feel less pressure to 'keep up'. I can't tell if HR is slightly slower, or just because it was Day 1, but it was perfect for me today. I was able to match her cadence and ROM and it definitely pushed my HR, but I made it all the way through. The Yin practice was more of a challenge - I have such a twitchy mind! Practice.....