ZWOW #48

I literally wanted to do a Zuzana workout today. Somehow I longed her routines, so I did the most recent one she put together. Here's the workout breakdown and my scores:

12 min AMRAP
1. jump squats with dumbbells - 10 reps
2. brerakdance push ups - 10 reps
3. jump squats with dumbbells - 10 reps
4. leg & butt lifts - 10 reps
I used 2 x 2 kg weights for jump squats and managed to complete 4 full rounds and 9 breakdance push ups. I decided to finish the fifth round and alltogether it took me 12:58 min.

I must admit that I didn't pay as much attention to the form (mostly with breakdance push ups) as with Tatianna's workouts, but went rather for speed - how hard I can push myself. I'm glad I did it, it was quite a long time since I tried something similar.

Yesterday I went to "my" gym (where I work) and did a classic beginner workout with some extras I wanted to do and 25 min cardio at the end. Let me say I'm not used to that kind of training and it was quite a challenge to perform some exercises - shoulder press on a machine for example. After more than an hour and a half of training I was pooped. Went home and then to work. What a day that was! :)

Mind in solitude

Toodayyyyy I decided on an upper body workout (ohh, was it HARD!), this time I managed it without modifications (due to lack of proper equipment I had to do an easier version of dips, but that's it). Here's the workout breakdown:

3 rounds 7 min/1:20 min intervals
1. Spiderman push up (2 reps per side) & back lifts (6 reps) - 8
2. Leg lifts - 14
3. Dips (3 reps) & crawl, drop down & power up - 12
4. Leg lifts - 20
5. Diagonal dive bomber (4 reps) & crab (6 reps) - 6 + 2 dive bombers
6. Leg lifts - 21

Like I said I had to do dips off of a chair (because they are not sturdy enough to perform regular dips between 2 chairs), but was surprised, how hard it was to me still. Another good one! And it looks a lot easier than it really is.

I started working at a chocolate shop! :))) It's funny to think that at the same time I successfully finished my fitness coach studies and got my license, finally! YEEEEESSSSS!!! :D I'm so happy I could fly! ;) As a result I intend to change the content of this blog, only a bit. I'm thinking of incorporating some useful information for those who train at home - about proper posture and what you should be paying attention to and why. How does that sound? I'll think about it and after the New Year I (we all somehow) start fresh.
Have a wonderful start of the week! :)

Strong confidence

Hello!

This is Tati's most recend lower body workout and it kicked my butt, even though I did a beginner's version of it. When it comes to split training, I'm still a beginner, so I'll be doing beginner modifications for a while, just for my body to adjust to this ind of training. I feel like slowly I'm getting there ... :)

Here's the workout breakdown and my scores:
# 1
1. Iso-Warrior Back Lunge & Overhead Press – 14 reps (Right Leg)
2. Split Jump Lunge – 14 reps (Right Leg)
3. Iso-Warrior Back Lunge & Overhead Press – 14 reps (Left Leg)
4. Split Jump Lunge – 14 reps (Left Leg)
5. Weighted Side Lunge Step – 30 reps
I didn't use any weight and I'm glad I didn't - I'll be able to walk normally. :) It took me 20:12 min to complete 4 rounds of it.

# 2
5 rounds 25/25 intervals
1. Iso Squat Hold
2. Weighted Squat
Again I didn't use weight for squats and I still had to take breaks during iso holds.

Alltogether it took me approximately 24:22 min (if I calculated it right). And now for some stretching and shower! :)

Perfect form perfect speed

Hi!

Well, I'm not regular with my workouts and blog posts because of my unsteady schedule right now. I'm helping with opening a new store and every day is a gamble between if, when and how to work. It's a mess right now, but hopefully soon things will work out. This is why my fitness level dropped again. Since I've started split routines I noticed that I'm much more exhausted after each routine and I have to take quite a few days off to fully recover. I might start doing shorter full body routines again, just to adjust my body to increased effort and then gradually start doing split routines.

Anyway, here's another Tati's split one - upper body torture.
1. Elevated One Leg Push-Ups – 4 reps
2. Unassisted Regular Grip Pull-Ups – 2 reps (all chair assisted)
3. Inward Palm One Leg Push-Off – 4 reps
4. Dive Bomber & Shoulder Press – 4 reps
There were 15 rounds of it, but I only managed 10 and after round 6 I had to go down on my knees. I just couldn't do it anymore. I took me an awful long time - 30:26 min. However, I'm still glad I broke out of my non-working out shell and did it. I feel good now. :)

Have a nice day!

Indigo power-tower

Hi, there!

First of all I want to let you know, why haven't I been posting for a few days. I'm currently working at a christmass stall and am freezing outside for 6 or more hours straight. It's pretty exhausting, let me tell you, but nevertheless it brings money. :) Today I have a day off and time to do Tati's lower body routine. Here it is:

# 1

1. Diagonal Squat & Knee Up – Right Leg – 15 reps
2. Double Sliding Lunges – Right Leg – 10 reps
3. Diagonal Squat & Knee Up – Left Leg – 15 reps
4. Double Sliding Lunges – Left Leg – 10 reps
Didn't use any weight for it and 5 rounds of it still took me 25:24 min.

# 2

1. Triple One Leg Jump Up & Triple Kick Back – Right Leg – 10 reps
2. Triple One Leg Jump Up & Triple Kick Back – Left Leg – 10 reps
I completed 2 rounds in 14:19 min with beginner modifications (took out jump).

# 3 1 round 1 min interval, repeat three times
Iso Squat Side Bends
After all that I was supposed to do a little "bonus", but I must tell you that I felt really destroyed after previous two parts, so I decided to pass the third part and move onto stretching.

I'm really glad I did it, although I know my form sucks at times (when I'm really tired), but practice makes perfect, right? ;)
Have a great weekend, everyone!

The strength beast

Hello there! :)

Ohh, this one gave me such shoulder pains! Though it is Sunday, I found an opportunity to work out, clean my appartment and study for my really fast approaching fitness trainer licence exam. :) I'm SO happy it's finally comming true, the first step towards my ambitions to become some sort of "lifestyle coach". Oh, well, 'till then it's still quite a long way to go in terms of gaining knowledge and personal growth. But this is another story, I'm here to "report" my scores and provide you with the link to the site and workout breakdown. Let's do it!

This is an upper body workout and as you'll see I couldn't finish it. I still did my best:

1. Inward Palm One Leg Diagonal Push-Up – 50 reps (7:35 min)
2. 8 Crab Kicks & 8 Crab Grab Combo & Walk Over – 10 reps (4:51 min)
3. Pike-Ups & Split Star – 25 reps (1:58 min)
4. Double Bear Push-Ups – 50 reps (8:52 min; I did last 20 reps off of my knees)
5. Pike-Ups & Split Star – 25 reps (1:56 min)
6. Two Way Pull-Ups – 20 reps (couldn't do them)
7. Two Way Bicycle – 50 reps (0:38 min)
8. Two Way Pull-Ups – 20 reps (didn't do them)

Well, maybe I could push myself through those 40 reps of pull ups, but my shoulders and triceps were so sore that I decided to call it a day. I've never seen my triceps standing out that much, it felt really got and firm. I thought it might be badly inflamed, so I stopped and had some stretching afterwards. It felt really good and it's OK now. For now. :)

Another thing: it started snowing here in Slovenia. I don't know about you, but I hate snow and winter. It's allways cold, wet and dark. On the brighter side, it helps normalising the amount of insects that bother me during hot days. ;) Well, I suppose we should just take it as it is and make something good out of it. For me it will be endless hours of cuddling with my boyfriend in our small warm appartment. :) Hope you start your week full of energy and creative energy! :)

ZWOW #45

Hi y'all! (hope it's spelled right ;))

Normally I'd start a post with the choice of workout for the day. Why should I change things now? I don't have much time, so I'll quickly "report" what I did today. Here's Zuzka's latest creation:

- buy in competition burpee & knee hug - 30 reps
Completed in 5:17 min. I was focusing on form rather than speed.

1. handstand & push up - 10 reps
2. weighted squat jumps - 20 reps
3. row & knee tuck - 10 reps
4. 3 jump lunges & side kick - 10 reps
There were only two rounds of the routine and I managed them in 13:26 min. For the squat jumps I did not use any weight (my knee, as usual), but for the rows I picked up my standard weight, 4,5 kg each dumbbell. I feel I could do it faster, but my free weights are round and were sliding accross the floor (including me). :)

That's it for today, because I have to run for a job interview. Cross my fingers it all works out well! :) Have a nice day, everyone!

The covet workout

Hello, there!

Again I could not resist trying one of Tatianna's full body routines, only this time I included some weight. Here's the workout breakdown:

# 1
1. Weighted jump lunge with overhead press - 20 reps
2. 6 rounds 7/38 intervals
Weighted diagonal squat lunge - 16, 15, 12, 13, 13, 14

# 2
1. Weighted jump lunge with overhead press - 20 reps
2. 6 rounds 7/38 intervals
a. jump over push up - 8, 4, 4
b. S&M push off - 4, 4, 4

# 3
1. Weighted jump lunge with overhead press - 20 reps
2. 6 rounds 7/38 intervals
Surfer burpee - 7, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4

I used 2 x 4,5 kg weight for the exercises that required extra resistence - jump lunges and diagonal squats. I know my scores are a bit dismal, but at least I gave it a go and as a result I feel a lot better. :)
Have a nice day, everyone, and don't let the eclipse have too much impact on you! ;)

Holiday burn-off

Hello there, everyone! :)

I'm not from America and did not have holidays but still decided to do Tatianna's full body Holiday burn-off. I must say it was insanely hard and I had to take longer breaks after every part of the workout. My knee obviously hasn't healed yet, because I had trouble with it after the first part - it hurt badly, but after some isometric exercises it was back to normal. After that I continued with much caution.

Workout breakdown and my scores:
6 rounds 12/40 intervals for each exercise at the time
1. Wide Squat Vertical Leap and Low Jack - 8, 6, 6, 5, 6, 5
2. Tick Tock Shoulder Press - 10, 8, 7, 8, 8, 7
3. Twist Jump and 2 Side Steps - 7, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5
4. Diagonal Leap Push Ups - 10, 7, 6, 6, 6, 6
5. Half Surfee - 6, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5
As I said I had to take long breaks to recover after every part and for the 4th exercise I had to go on my knees after 3rd round.

I did it yesterday and luckily I don't feel much pain today. However, they say that the worst comes on the second day after working out, so I may wait untill tomorrow, before I get satisfied too quickly. :)

Have a great start of the week and I'll probably be back tomorrow with another workout and scores (unless it turns out that yesterday's effort will indeed creep after me). :)

Bodyweight madness

And madness it is! This is second longest workout I ever did and it really kicked my ass! Even though Tatianna prefers split routines - upper and lower body separated - I pretty much fell in love with this brutality put together. :) Here's the workout breakdown:

1. Surfee & 2 Kick Backs – 30 reps
2. One Leg Squat & Back Lunge Kick Up – 50 Reps
3. One Leg Shoulder Press & Bomber Combo – 20 reps
4. Side Lunge Kick Up – 25 reps per side
5. Dynamic Twisting Push Ups – 30 reps
6. Low Side Step & Twist – 60 reps
7. Double Bridge – 60 reps
8. Toe Lift & Sun Combo – 50 reps
I dropped on my mat at 44:56 min, glad that it's OVER! :) I had to do some modifications due to my injury and muscle tiredness. For one leg squats I had to put xtended leg on the floor for support and only did them half way down. I didn't want to overdo it and my knee needs to get used to extra pressure gradually. After the 14th rep of the 3dr exercise I had to do bombers off of my knees - my deltoideus was too tired to allow me perform bombers, but still srtong enough to manage pike press.

The hardest for me was the first exercise with never ending surfees. I really struggled with it, but I managed all 30 of them with my body aching and motivation dropping. Still, I pushed through, it was really hard, but I'm proud of myself for not giving up and surrendering. :)

Now for something off topic. I have been slacking with my blog posts, fitness and food regimen, because I have troubles getting my life in order. It's about my life costs and being broke. I have trouble finding work and I already had some arrangements made, the introduction to what my future work will look like done, and one day before starting my new job they told me they won't be employing anyone, so I was left with nothing. From there on it went down. I'm currently working on that and will be posting workouts I do here, but I can't guarantee you longer posts, only workout breakdowns and my scores. Hope you understand that.

Anyway, have a great day everyone and happy Thanksgiving to all American followers! :)

ZWOW #41

After a long time I decided to do one of Zuzana's ZWOWs. :) I knew my fitness level dropped and that I'd have a tough time doing it, but I'm glad I did it. My goal is to gain my fitness level back to what it was in spring this year (I had a crazy workout schedule before I hurt my knee and I was destroying workouts one after another). I really want that back. :)

Anyway, here's the workout breakdown:

1. burpee step up - 10 reps
2. row & twist - 10 reps each arm
3. prisoner jump squat - 10 reps
4. doggie leg swing push up - 10 reps each leg

I managed 3 rounds in 21:13 min using 7 kg for rows. Afterwards I decided to do Tatianna's Simply cut abs workout, but it was too much for me and I finished only one round.

Gosh, I can't believe I'm going to say this, but I'll have to switch from regular exercise form to beginner's variations from time to time, especially with Tatianna's workouts. However, I don't want to risk an injury, so I have to be careful.
I read a fitness motivation quote that had me thinking what changes I can make in my life. "You have 9 months untill summer 2013. A new person is born in 9 months." There LITERALLY is no excuses to slack and put off things I know I can change. Not only regarding physical and fitness level changes, but also in terms of personal growth. This one matters to me the most.

Tailfeather posse

Oh, Tati, you're so cruel,
oh, Tati, you're so cool,
oh, Tati, you're no fool,
oh, Tati, after this one I need some FUEL! :))

Regardless of my poetic outburst, here's my first Tati's lower body workout routine:

1. 2 Back Lunges & Jump Squat Combo – 12 reps
2. Toe Lifts – 30 reps
3. Dumbbell Swing – 30 reps
4. Isometric Squat Side Bends – 20 reps
Completed 5 rounds in 31:49 min using 7 kg in every exercise that required weight.

Iam able to walk now, but wait 'till tomorrow - my only friend would surely turn out to be my bed. And my boyfriend as my personal butler. ;)
Have a great day, everyone!

Fitness allies

After a longer pause - my knee, again - I smashed this routine (or should I say it smashed me?) and it feels good to be back! :)
Here's the workout breakdown:

# 1
1. Pull Ups – 6 reps (all chair assisted)
2. Kick Back Jump Push Ups – 10 reps
Completed 5 rounds of this brutality in 9:04 min.

# 2
1. Staggered Double Bear Push Ups (R) – 12 reps
2. Crab Kicks (or kick ups) – 30 reps
3. Staggered Double Bear Push Ups (L) – 12 reps
4. Crab Kicks - 30 reps
There were 2 rounds of these exercises and I managed them in 10:02 min. And I have to say I literally felt as though I'd fight a bear, Jesus! :O

# 3 - 16 rounds 10/10 intervals
Four Cycle Dive Bomber
And if I thought the first two rounds were hard, this one was like hell! I only managed 2 regular dive bombers, for the rest of the time I had to go on my knees, my shoulders just wouldn't bear it.

Well, Tati, once again you showed me, how much room for improvement I have, so thank you for that. I'm back on my fitness journey and am starting to take it more serious - just because I know what it brings me and I consider it as a part of my life. :)
Have a great day, everyone! :)

Fitness freak

This was SO HARD! I don't understand it, but when I do it Tatianna's way, I always want to cry. I guess that I have a very stubborn fat and wants to stay on me really badly. ;)
Here's the workout breakdown:

Part 1
Sliding Press & Push-up Combo – 30 reps
It took me 6:48 min.
Part 2
15 rounds 5/35 interval
1. Outward Palm Diagonal Push-up - 10, 6, 6, 6, 6
2. Diamond Power Bomber - 3, 3, 3, 3, 3
3. The Sun Exercise - 12, 12, 11, 11, 12

After the workout I literally fell on the floor and was just grateful that it's over. I thought it should be called "Arms of steel". And it made me think that this could open a new dimention to my training - these split routines. I'm curious of how I'll be able to cope with them. I'm guessing that I'll have to go to beginner variations for some of the exercises for a while. I just don't feel as energised after the routine as when I jump around Zuzana style (gangnam style ;)). But I have to say that focusing on proper form and staying focused through the whole routine is making me stay with Tatianna and see, if we're a "marriage made in heaven". ;)

Fifth element abs

Hellooo after a longer break! I had to take it due to my knee injury starting to bother me again. Swollen knee and occasional pain were a good enough reason for me to take the break my body needed.

Now, onto the workout. I decidd to try one of Tatianna's Loving fit workouts. I chose an ab routine, because I thought it won't be as hard as some of the others. And oh, was I wrong! It was my debut one and I must say - I've never EVER felt the need to cry after or during a workout, however this one pushed me to the edge during the first four minutes! :O I did not actually cry, but I was begging for the timer to beep. ;)
Anyway, here's the workout breakdown:

 Part1 (4 rounds 30/30 intervals)
1. Reptile Plank Right Leg
2. Mini Leg Lifts
3. Reptile Plank Left Leg
4. Mini Leg Lifts

Part 2
1. Weightless Crunch – 30 reps
2. Flexed Feet count 2 Scissors – 30 reps
3. Pointed Toes Reversed Scissors – 30 reps
4. Weighted Hard Rock Hard Core Exercise – 30 reps
5. Double Side Crunch – 20 reps per side
6. Weighted Bicycle – 50 reps
For the second part I used 4,5 kg weight and completed it in 22:11 min! Insane! I never thought my time would be that long, but in my defence I was watching my form and concentrating on proper execution.

Would I recomend Tatianna's routines? Definately! Most of her workout regimen is based on split training - upper body, lower body and ab routines. She also does some full body workouts, but most of the time she decides to torture one body segment at the time. ;) I find her approach to fitness really inspiring and down to earth. This is what makes me want to follow her and learn more. Lovingfit is the site definately worth visiting.

ZWOW #40

Oooohhh ... this - was - BRUTAL! Zuzana, you're insane! In a good way, though. The way her mind is able to brutalize everything to the extreme that our muscle scream for mercy and rest is just ... marvellous! ;) This is what she came up with this week:

1. 1-2-3 burpee - 10 reps
2. strict mountain climbers - 20 reps
3. clapping push up - 10 reps
4. air squat - 40 reps
I completed 3 rounds in 14:27 min and I wasn't using any weight! :P It really hurt and I absolutely HATE strict mountain climbers! Gggrrrrrr!!! ;)

Oh, today I'm meeting with my colleague to go through my diet plan and spend some quality time together. Can't wait! And on Monday I'm going to a job interview, so I have my fingers crossed it works! It's one of the last options left to earn some money or to make sure I'll be eaning it from the next month on - otherwise I'm doomed and have no money to live. It sucks, really, but at the same time I'm looking forward to what is about to come.

Another thing - I got blocked from commenting on BR site. It was that butt implant comment that got me kicked out. I'm glad that it happened. If I'm to lead a healthy, satisfied and balanced life, I'm to surround myself with people and circumstances that provide those things. To me, Bodyrock does not represent anything of the above, that is why it's out of my life for good. I'll definately be going back to Zuzana's Bodyrock times, but this is where it all ends. I supported and loved everything BR was, but now times have changed and it's time for me to move on. I'm super glad I did it. This is why I have some new sites and blogs listed on my blog list. Feel free to visit them! :)

My WO#5

Hello! ;)

Today I decided to put together another workout. I didn't feel like doing any other's exercise, so I chose exercises that suited my current mood. This is what I came up with:

1. mountain climbers - 50 reps
2. 3 pulse squat jump - 10 reps (do three pulses in a half squat position and jump up = 1 rep)
3. pull ups - 5 reps (assisted)
4. mountain climbers - 50 reps
5. James Bond lunges - 10 reps
6. leg lift, star crunch, butt lift - 5 reps
7. mountain climers - 50 reps
8. dive bombers - 10 reps
9. side lunge jump up - 5 reps each leg (from a side lunge position drive your knee on extended leg up in front of you and jump up, then return back to side lunge = 1 rep)

Complete 3 rounds (if you feel like it wasn't enough, smash a couple more ;)). I did it in 19:24 min. As I mentioned in one of my previous posts, I'm currently focusing on keeping proper form and not rushing through workouts. That's why my times are not SO great, but ti doesn't matter to me at all. I am trying to avoid any kind of injury and am willing to "sacrifice" beating my time or completing as fast as possible. This is why I'm choosing time challenges a lot - I can focus on completing certain amount of reps with the best form possible. And because of that I'm willing to make my workouts longer - let's say that I'll more likely complete a workout that a lot of you manage in 20 min, in more than 25 min. If I'm to becaome a personal trainer, I'll have to improve my performance and avoid injuries and apply all that to my work. ;)

Have an injury-free day! ;)

Full body assault

Hi, guys!

New week, new challenges, an old workout. ;) I find it very enjoyable to visit Zuzana's earlier work and try her brutal ideas. ;) Here's another one of hers:

6 rounds 10/30 intervals 5 times through
1. burpees - 8, 7, 7, 7, 7
2. side lunge jump - 27, 29, 29, 29, 30
3. jumping jacks (no rope for me) - 31, 32, 32, 32, 33
4. pull up (military grip, assisted) - 3, 4, 4, 4, 4
5. hanging knee raises - 10, 10, 10, 10, 10
6. ninja jump tucks - 6, 6, 6, 6, 7

Afterwards I had a sort of cool down - 8 min 10/30 jogging.

Today I'm also sending my food journal to my colleague and she will set some recommendations regarding my fat loss and fitness goals. I'm really looking forward to hearing from her. I think it'll help me finally find balance in terms of diet and thus regulate my body fat percentage. I can't tell enough, how excited I am! :)

Bodyrock - bloody mock!

I decided to write this post just because I want to spread the word about BR being a complete farse and exploiting hosts. I found Lish's new FB website and decided to follow her. She put some interesting stories about her not getting paid, treating hosts and more on her FB wall.

Reading that stuff I was horrified, angry and at the same time glad Lish had the guts to come forward and slap that BR threesome into the face.

There was something interesting I found out - all that "hard work" and "late night posts" etc. is just a sharade and a consequence of their partying, late night drinking and immature behaviour. You can see what happens if too much money goes to people who don't deserve it - by "deserve" I mean working hard to earn it and take corresponding amount of responsibility that comes with it. If anything, they act very irresponsible despite being in a position of "role models" and "changing people's lives".

The latest messages they managed to portray through their posts, films and behaviour is: "you are only as good as the amount of money you spend on correcting your "imperfections" through medical procedures, chronic undereating and moving your ass". You simply cannot get as skinny as Lisa unless you are thrown under constant undereating or either some serious eating disorder. She shows obvious signs of an eating disordered mindset through ways she treats her body, message she spreads amongst people who follow her and being on the verge of tears when she's not as fit as she thinks she should be. She even has "fat days" as she calls them! You'd have to be seriously deluded to claim you're fat having her body. She CANNOT be a role model unless she makes up her mind and embrace herself the way she is, full stop!

On the other hand, the "spoiled brat duo" dictate payments, aesthetic ideals and sexual content, which is undeniable a part of BR. Some people mind it, some don't, in the end it all comes down to what BR trully is - a money making machine that doesn't care about people.

It's an angry post, some of you might not agree with me, but at least check Lish's story before you judge and make up your mind. Here's the link: http://www.facebook.com/FreeFitWithLish. Have a great weekend!

ZWOW #39

Here's Zuzana's newest ZWOW:

1. side hops - 50 reps
2. spider - 20 reps
3. lunge hops - 10 reps per leg
4. lunge press - 10 reps per side
Completed 3 rounds in 11:54 min using 7 kg weight. Awsome!

At the end I decided on a very masochistic move - 2 min elbow plank. It. Hurt. Badly. :O OUCH !!!!!!!!!!

Sucker for sweat

In terms of timeline, this is one of Zuzana's "paleo" workouts. ;) She did this one back in 2010, nearly three years ago (2,5 years to be more accurate). This is the first time I did it and it was quite a challenge, because I haven't worked out two days in a row for a while now. It's intense, but I like it. :)

Here's the workout breakdown:
36 rounds 10/20 intervals, complete one exercise 6x in a row, then move forward
1. snowboarder - 16, 16, 12, 12, 12, 11
2. hanging knee raises - 4, 5, 6, 5, 5, 6
3. one leg elevated lunges - 8, 8, 8, 8, 8, 8
4. high knees (no jump rope) - 42, 49, 45, 46, 42, 46
5. elevadte push up - 7, 6, 5, 4, 5, 5
6. side plank lift - 4, 4, 5, 5, 5, 5

I think it's fun to visit exercises in the BR archive (i.e. ones before Z left). This makes me wanna get up and move more. They have the right spirit to motivate me to push harder and to never give up. That's the spirit I'm after. :)

Diet decisions ...

As promised, here's the diet post.

I got The paleo solution by Robb Wolf as a birthday gift from my boyfriend and it was literally THE BEST birthday present EVER! My heart was beating with excitement and I wass hugging and kissing him like crazy. It took only once to mention I wanted the book and that they have it in one of the bookstores and it was enough for him to remember and get me one copy. He's so sweet and caring I can't tell you enough. I consider myself a lucky bastard. :) This means I'll be reading this book for a while now and put my Whole30 aside. Let me explain this decision.

I'm not sure, if I mentioned that I'm currently going through an education process to get a personal trainer licence. I decided on taking part on this course, because I am cooperating with a training studio that literally adopted me and wants to continue working with me in the future. SO lucky to be in this position nowadays! People are extremely nice and willing to help where they can so that we could fully start our business partnership. So the owner of this studio offered me help with my diet. She knows about my paleo oriented ways of eating and I even lended her my copy of Mark Sisson's The primal bluepint. I'm now on a day one of writing down my diet schedule (it will take me a week before I can send her my notes) and when I'm done, she will analyze it and present me with some guidelines on how to achieve my fitness and health goals inside primal guidelines. All this free of charge! Yay! :)))) This is why I'm ditching my intentions to start this Whole30 programme - I want a proffessional oppinion and support to sort things out once and for all. I had a bit of a roller coaster with food in the past and since then haven't found the middle ground and struggled with it for several years. Since I'm starting a career as a personal trainer (and therefore a role model for all my future clents), I feel it's the right time to put things into perspective and prosper from the steps I'm taking. If anything, I want to set myself for a fruitful future. :)

I'll leave it here. There's a lot of things going on in my life right now and I haven't managed to reduce stress levels yet. Though I can't tell how I'll manage all the changes that are occuring, I'm optimistic about my nearing fitness journey.

Vivace #52

After a week end of celebrating my boyfriend's and my birthdays it felt so good to make a cut with Chelsea's latest Vivace workout. :) It was an intense one and had to take a few short breaks doing it just to catch my breath and concentrate on my form again and again. Here's the workout breakdown:

1. sandbag swing - 20 reps
2. elevated push up & diagonal knee tuck - 10 reps
3. high knees - 100 reps
4. woodchops - 20 reps
5. elbow plank reptile - 20 reps
6. high knees - 100 reps
7. pike press - 10 reps
8. pike foot cross over - 20 reps
9. high knees - 100 reps
10. side plank oblique turn (R) - 10 reps
11. squat jumps - 20 reps
12. side plank oblique turn (L) - 10 reps

There are two rounds in the workout and I did them in 18:28 min using 7 kg weight for every "weighted" exercise. I'm pleased with my result and am off to stretch myself and have a warm shower. :)

I'll make another post about my weekend and diet later today, but for now that's all, folks! :)

ZWOW #38

I'm so glad this moment, because I managed to beat Z's time for this workout! :))) All I can say is I used approx. the same weight as her and concentrated on proper form and at the same time pushed myself as hard as I could. Here's the workout breakdown and my scores:

1. 5 jump lunges & burpee - 8 sets
2. dumbbell swings - 20 reps each arm
3. side crunch - 20 reps each side
Managed 3 rounds in 14:48 min using 7 kg weight (a bit more than 15 pounds). I'm sooo happy, yeah! ;)

Now I have one more thing to "confess". Yesterday I tried a bit of buckwheat bread and had some sweet stuff (cake). Today I don't feel so good and my digestion is messed up. What is more, I had quite s lot of dairy product in my diet this week and a few bars of dark chocolate (my period is comming, sigh). I found out that dairy really isn't that good for me and grains are a big no no. A month or more ago I'd be sooooo angry with myself for eating something sweet and "forbidden", but this time I can easily say no to the stuff I tried yesterday and move on with my plans and with doing what I know is right for me. I consider it as a small victory and am quite proud of myself. :)

So, that's it, I hope I'll be back with another routine again soon, but it depends on my period (how nasty it will be). ;) Have a great weekend!

Body on fire

Today I did one of Bodyrock's older workouts ptu together by Zuzana. I've never done it before and I must say it was great fun doing it! :) I liked it so much I added an extra round at the end just to do six exercises six time through. Here's the workout breakdown:

3 rounds 40/40 intervals
1. over and under (left to right)
2. over and under (right to left)
3. happy dancing crab
4. tripple knee tucks
5. pistol & Kozaček
6. swimming push up
Repeat 5 times for a 20 min workout. Wit an extra round I completed 24 min routine and had fun with it. :)

One other thing - I'm thinking of doing Whole30 chalenge. I'll probably give this to myself as a birthday gift (it's on Saturday). ;) I find Mondays as great opportunities to start something new and this will most likely be it. I just have to gather as many info as I can before I start doing it. If anyone has any experience with it, please be welcome to write it in the comment section below any post.

Have a great day, everyone! :)

ZWOW #37

This was quite lovely today. ZWOW #37 followed by 12 min 30/30 skipping and jogging. Such a nice way to start a day and a new week. :) Here's the workout breakdown:

12 rounds 30/30 intervals
1. Santana push ups (managed approx. 8-4 per interval)
2. side hops (managed approx. 24-15 per interval)
3. Santana push ups
4. squat jumps (managed approx. 15-10 per interval)

Really nice burn and relaxing 12 min cardio afterwards. Aaaaahh, ready to kick-start my day! :)

Vivace #50

Ooooh, another 32 min one! Chelsea, you're nuts! :) I had a great workout, great cardio & strength routine that'll left you feeling like jello. Even though there were two exercises "missing", I was trully grateful for that. However I did consider doing two extra intervals of high knees, but I REALLY had enough. :) Anyway, here's the workout breakdown:

48 rounds 10/30 intervals
1. Ninja Tuck Jump - 8, 5
2. One Arm Pike Press - 7, 5
3. Bicycle Crunches - 12, 10
4. High Knees . 82, 71
5. 2 Forward/2 Back Squat Jumps with Ugi - 5, 4
6. Dive Bombers - 7, 6
7. Sde Plank Lifts (R) - 19, 15
8. Flying Jacks - 18, 16
9. Jump Lunge Kick Up - 8, 8
10. Elevated Push Up - 10, 9
11. Side Plank Lifts (L) - 16, 15
12. Jumping Jacks - 32, 28
13. Dynamic Jump Squats - 20, 15
14. Diamond Push Ups - 7, 6
15. Accordion Abs (substituted for knee hugs) - 14, 12
16. Wacky Jumping Jacks - 64, 57
17. Side Jump Lunges - 29, 28
18. Push Ups - 9, 10
19. Sliding Pikes - 8, 8
20. Pendulum - 37, 44
21. Crab Toe Touch - 20, 18
22. Dynamic Push Ups - 6, 7
23. Leg Lift Toe Touch with Ugi - 7, 8
24. Chair Hops - 30, 32
I used 4,5 kg weight for this workout and a cloth for sliding pikes. For elevated push ups I put my legs onto a chair. Again, great routine! Keep 'em comming! :)

ZWOW #36 & Re ZWOW #26

First let me appologise for not posting since friday. I was sick and had to lay down a bit to cure my sore throat and overall being. I'm OK now and decided to combine two recent ZWOWs. Here are their breakdowns:

ZWOW #36
1. 4-point hops - 10 reps
2. 4-point punches - 10 reps
3. supergirl plank - 10 reps
4. thrusters - 10 reps
Completed 3 rounds in 10:57 min using 2 x 4,5 kg weights for punches and thrusters. 5 min later followed, ZWOW #26 which I did once before and you can find its breakdown here. Although this time I did not do any skipping. :)

I also finished my first Primal Blueprint 21 day challenge. It was a pleasant experience, though I did not stick to it 100%. I did not eat any primal non-approved types of food, but on days I ate more fruit than recommended and this meant higher carbohydrate intake than desired. I also had two picnics during this time and I did not fall off the wagon once, I just had more wine than I should, especially since I was getting used to this kind of eating and living, actually. As the end result - did I become fat adapted? I couldn't say that, but to me I made an impressive start to someting ew and exciting in my life. I still have a long way to go - maybe the next 21 days will be the ones that I'll finally grasp and make the best out of them.
Most desired side effect was weight loss. It didn't happen and that made me angry and wanting to quit it alltogether. But my boyfriend said that he can see changes in my body composition, my skin got better and apparently this poses something I'm not used to - working to achieve my goals, be patient and believe in the process and myself to be able to achieve what I want. Wanting something RIGHT NOW is so modern-like attitude, but the truth is - I like my personal growth alongside physical changes and adaptations. Now I consider it as a journey, a marathon (yes, I still have some goals) and am looking forward to discovering what I'm capable of and what kind of person I can be.
So, thanks, Mark Sisson, for your primal advice and enthusiasm!

It's good to "be back", to harness yourself, take controll and go where you want to. And at the same time learn the art of patience and determination. It really feels good. :)

600 rep sexier body

Wiped out!!! Zuzana was insane! Putting together this never ending exhausting workout was purely mean! And on top of it all I did not come close to her old or new time for this routine. Well, in my difence I've been feeling a bit sick for the past three days (sore throat, low energy etc.), but I pushed myself today and completed this sweat endless session. :)

Here's the workout breakdown:
1. half burpee with calve raise - 60 reps
2. one leg push up - 60 reps
3. jump lunges - 60 reps
4. one leg dead lift - 30 reps each leg
5. crunches with leg extentions - 60 reps
6. prisoner squat & front kick - 60 reps
7. one leg tricep dip - 60 reps
8. one leg jump knee up - 30 reps each leg
9. chest lift - 60 reps
10. over the chair kick - 30 reps each leg
My time was 38:07 min. I managed all push ups in proper form, so that gives me extra points comparing to Zuzana. ;) I'm quite pleased with the result, though I have approx. 10 min in reserve (I know I could finish it inside 30 min). Have a great week-end everyone, I'll probably do the new ZWOW tomorrow morning, but I'm not sure how I'll feel. I certainly won't do a workout on sunday, because I'm going to a friend's picnic and staying there). If not earlier, I'll see you again on monday. Bye! :)

Rock it

My leg and knees felt good today, so I decided on completing one of Bodyrock's earliest workouts. This one was posted back in 2009 and was perfect to do it slowly, concentrating on my form. Here's the workou breakdown:

1. one leg jump touch down - 10 reps on each leg
2. one arm push up - 10 reps alternating arms
3. mountain climber kick up - 20 reps
4. maltese sit up - 20 reps

Completed 4 rounds in 21:47 min.

For a while I'll be doing longer workouts, mostly time challenges, I'll slow the pace down a bit and start concentrating on my form. By doing this I intend to improve my posture during the workouts and prevent injuries. This is why I'll be going back to Bodyrock "old school" workouts from 2009 and 2010. And of course I won't let any new ZWOW out. ;)

On a side note I demolished my old PB (30:39 min), on the other hand this was one of my first ever workouts I did when I started working out with Zuzana. That was approx. 2 years ago. :)

ZWOWs #35 & #32

Monday is always a good day to start something new. I took it as a two workouts day. :) After a leisure week end I needed something to break this sleepy & moody weather mood and kick start a new week.
The routines I picked today tested my injured leg and it held the pressure quite well. I feel just a slight pain every now and then, but I guess it'll be OK, I just have to give it a rest. I might not be able to do a workout tomorrow, but I'll try my best. I'd finally like to challenge myself again with 5 workouts in a week. We'll see how it goes.

Anyway, here's ZWOW #35 breakdown:

1. overhead squat leg lift - 10 reps
2. competition burpees - 10 reps
3. pistol squat - 10 reps
4. chair hops - 40 reps
5. dive bombers - 10 reps

Completed 3 rounds in 14:04 min. I used 2 x 7 kg dumbbells (man, it was HAAAARRD!!!). For the first exercise I could not hold them above my head for more than 8 reps and after that I put them on my shoulders (even then was extremely hard on my shoulders!). For pistol squats I did not use any weight and I did them leg assisted (put the extended leg on the floor and helped myself on the way up), because I haven't been practising them for a long time.

ZWOW #32 breakdown:

1. side hops - 60 reps
2. chair dips - 10 reps
3. broad jumps - 10 reps
4. thrusters - 5 reps
5. russian twist - 10 reps

Completed 3 rounds in 8:54 min. I used the same weight as before and for the russian twist only one dumbbell. I did not run at the end, because I felt my foot had enough for one day.

That's all, folks, I'm saying good-bye for today. Hope you'll start another week full of energy despite moody and grey weather (at least that's the way my city's atmosphere feels and looks like today). ;)

The trainer who loved me

I'm done. I've nothing more to say. WO breakdown:

1. jump up & star lift - 60 reps
2. James Bond lunges - 60 reps
3. monkey business exercise - 60 reps
4. side crunch - 30 reps each side
5. breakdance push up & knee tuck - 60 reps

My time: 31:10 min. Had to modify last exercise after 20 reps - both feet on the ground. Time wise I beat my old PB, but I did not modify the last exercise back then, so ... I did and did not beat my PB at the same time. But I will, though, when I loose some excess fat. :P Sigh ...

ZWOW #8

Today I revisited a workout I did in may. I picked this one because my shoulders hurt a bit from Chelsea's Vivace #44 workout and I wanted to target my legs. This one was perfect and it gave me the chance to beat my personal best for it.

The workout breakdown and my previous scores are here.
I'm proud to say that I managed to beat my personal best for this workout by mor than one minute, adding an extra 4 kg to my bag. I completed the routine in 16:29 min using 9 kg for dragon lunges!!! :))) Yayyy!!

It feels so great to achieve something you wish for. Even though I couldn't say the same for my weight (it still hasn't dropped one bit), I am quite happy with the way my Primal Blueprint challenge is going. I know I eat too much nuts and somedays fruit and probably more than I need. It's a bit of a challenge for me to stick to this kind of eating habits, but I'm still proud of myself to not giving up right at the beginning of it all. I will regulate my portion sizes and food choices even more, so I'll see what I'll manage to achieve by the end of the three weeks challenge.

See ya! :)

Vivace #44

After a picnic weekend a 32 min workout torture!!! :P Exhausted!!! Chelsea, you are insane!!! Dear me, this was purely brutal and I'm pooped right now! Man, but it certainly feels great! :) Here's the workout breakdown:

48 rounds 10/30 intervals
1. jump lunge & twist - 14, 10
2. push up - 14, 10
3. Ugi V-ups - 9, 7
4. high knees - 80, 68
5. accordion abs - 16, 12 (did knee hugs instead)
6. dive bomber - 7, 6
7. sliding pike - 8, 9
8. high knees - 83, 65
9. bicycle crunches - 10, 10
10. tricep dips - 30, 27
11. side plank lifts (R) - 16, 13
12. high knees - 87, 76
13. side plank lifts (L) - 16, 13
14. squat - 15, 15
15. mountain climbers - 63, 52
16. jumping jacks - 28, 28
17. crab toe touch - 20, 18
18. side lunges - 11, 12
19. leg elevated ab burn - 30, 28
20. jumping jacks - 29, 33
21. roll up toe touch - 6, 6
22. Ugi run - 70, 66
23. leg lift & butt lift - 10, 10
24. jumping jacks - 30, 33

I used 4,5 kg (10lb) weight instead of ugi, I did sliding pike with towel on elevated surface and used the same surface or "step" for Ugi run. Thanks, Chelsea, for helping me kick my butt today! :)

ZWOW #34

O M G. This workout really kicked my ass. I feel it could even more, but I should use heavier weights. I picked every single weight in my apartment and piled together 2 x 4,5 kg dumbbells and 14 kg ricebag that kept falling appart throughout the routine and pouring rice all over the floor (I have quite a mess to clean up now). ;) Even though I was waaay behind Zuzana's time, I have L-shaped hallway through which I had to drag my sandbag and falling appart ricebag as an excuse for the dismal result. ;) That said, I still got a good burn. Next time I do it, I'll chrash both mine and Zuzana's time. :)

Workout breakdown:
1. squat hops - 20 reps
2. bent over rows - 20 reps
3. walking lunges - 20 reps
4. plank pulls - 20 reps
I completed 3 rounds in 17:33 min. :P

As far as my diet challenge goes, I feel GREAT, I did not overeat nor had cravings. On occasion I eat a bit more fruit as allowed (or desired), but I still feel like I can do this forever! :)))

Vivace #42

It's been a long time since I did one of Chelsea's Vivace workouts. This one seemed quite fun, so I gave it a go. It really was a good burn (though my scores aren't as good as Chelsea's). Here's the workout breakdown:

21 rounds 10/30 intervals
1. sandbag swing - 17, 16, 17
2. side lunge jumps - 32, 30, 28
3. burpee jump tuck - 7, 5, 5
4. side crunch (R) - 21, 16, 17
5. side crunch (L) - 21, 17, 18
6. mountain climbers - 76, 66, 66
7. reptile push up - 8, 6, 6
Used 7 kg bag for swings.

I'm not sure, if I metioned yet, but I joined 21 day Primal Blueprint challenge. Now I have the inner strength and community support to realise my intentions and desires. I'm really happy to feel I have myself in nearly every aspect under control. It feels great to be the creator of your own life, not just let it by and let everything come to you. Turning from playing passive to active role in your own life is always SO relieving and it fills you with strength and optimism. It really does.

T-Workout #11

First, I'd like to thank tee-w for posting this workout in one of her comments. And second, another thank you to her for commenting at all. :)
I wasn't planning on doing any workouts today (my period started), but then I just put my workout clothes on, warmed up and killed myself with this routine. I had to modify some of the workouts, since I don't have a dip station and Ugi ball, but still managed to incorporate all the muscle groups I should be working in those exercises. Anyway, here's the workout breakdown:

1. plank toe touch & jump squat - 50 reps
2. leg swing/back lunge/knee raise - 50 reps
3. squat on ugi - 50 reps
4. supergirl plank - 50 reps
5. plank 3 way jumps - in/out and forward - 50 reps
6. squat on ugi - 50 reps
7. leg lift & butt lift - 50 reps
8. plank side to side foot touch - 50 reps
9. squat on ugi - 50 reps

My time for this one was 28:45 min. I modified the second exercises for back lunge & knee raise on my pull up bar - let leg swing out, because I don't have enough space to do it. :) And I did regular squats instead of touching Ugi with my butt. Surprisingly I felt it incredibly in my legs and in my shoulders, towards the end in my abs as well. All I can say is, it's a good full body burn. Thanks, tee-w, for putting it together!
Love, M

Caught stripping fat

Today I revisited an older Zuzana workout. Here's its breakdown and my scores for it:

Part 1
6 minute countdown - complete as many sets as possible of the following routine:
2 commando push ups - roll over - power up - jump forward - mount sandbag onto your upper back - 10 squats - put down sandbag - drop down - roll over = 1 set
I completed 8 full rounds using 7 kg in my bag.

Part 2
6 rounds 10/50 intervals
1. sandbag swing - 29, 27, 26
2. sandbag sit up - 15, 14, 15
Using the same amount of weight as in part 1.

I did not think I would be sweatting as much, but I am! And I managed to complete one more set in the first part than before, in the second part I did not beat my PB, but I was using 3 kg more, so I consider it as an improvement. :) Great one!

ZWOW #33

Aaaaand I'm back on track with ZWOWs! :) This James Bond spy one was a total killer! XP Here's the workout breakdown:

15 min AMRAP
1. side lunge burpee - 10 reps
2. pulse squat jump - 10 reps
3. James Bond lunges - 10 reps
4. side plank leg lift - 15 reps on each side
I managed to complete 2 full rounds and 12 leg lifts on one side. After the timer went off I completed the last 3 reps on one side and 15 on the other to finish the 3rd round. I must say that I was a bit angry to not being able to finish the third round in time. I was like nooooo, f*ck! and I could see disappointment written all over my face. ;) The hardest for me were those leg lifts - my butt and legs hurt like crazy! I'm not sure, how my legs will be grateful for this tomorrow. I just hope it was not too much for my hurt foot.

And what food and eating well is concerned I'm back in the game! :) As I said before, I'm sick of starting over again. And I'm starting to embrace paleo food choices as a part of my life. :)

ZWOW #18 revisit

Sometimes it's good to revisit some of the workouts, simply to remember, how hard they are. I will never EVER underastimate this one, because it prooved me that I was neglecting my fitness and health. Sedentary lifestyle (especially for the last few months), whirlwind of beneficial and detrimental eating habits (frequent exchanges of ups and downs) and emotions. I'm going through some profound life changes right now and I'm really excited about my new beginning (starting a career as a fitness trainer! yay! :)), but with it comes forming new habits and I'm facing letting go of my current unprofitable habits and embracing quite a few new ones. Especially concerning being fully adult person. No more excuses, leaning on someone else, counting on people to back me up and do things instead of me ... - these kind of questions. I guess it will take some time to adjust to my new role in (my own) life. Working out is amongst things that lift my mood up and give me that extra boost of confidence, hope and positive attitude towards future.

Anyway, the workout breakdown is here, on this link, as well as my old scores. I did not manage to beat my personal best for this one, my current result is 29:04 min. I had to take a looong break between rounds 3 and 4 (about 5 min), and I stopped my timer during that time. I actually intended to quit after the 3rd round, but I'm proud of myself to have pushed through and completed the whole routine.

As I mentioned before, my eating habits went down a bit - 3 days of non-paleo choices. :P It has a bit to do with my PMS (it happens every month), but the excuse still isn't good enough to let go of everything I worked for the past week. I'm really getting sick of starting over and over again. It doesn't get me anywhere and it just shows, how hesitant and indecisive I act at the moment. And lazy. What's my blog's name again? FOCUS and feel free to fly ... I REALLY need to focus ...

MyWO #4

Moody weather, weekend, injured foot and plenty of time to spare ... why not put together another routine that will lift my mood up? :) Yes, I mentioned my foot again and it got a bit worse in the last two days. So I have to be careful and take it down a bit. This is the reason why I did not work out yesterday. Because putting extra pressure on my leg worsens the pain, I focused on abs and shoulders. Here's the workout breakdown:

27 rounds 10/30 intervals
1. crab toe touch - 23, 19, 21
2. chin up - 3, 3, 3
3. in and out butt squeeze - 19, 19, 21 (bridge is your starting position, bring your knees apart and squeeze your butt, bring knees together and squeeze your butt = 1 rep)
4. pike slide - 11, 9, 8 (put a piece of paper or a cloth below your feet, start in a plank position, slide feet forward into pike position, slide back = 1 rep)
5. breakdance pike press - 7, 7, 7 (do a turn - like with breakdance push up - into pike position, do pike press, return to the starting position = 1 rep, alt. sides)
6. bicycle - 38, 35, 37
7. one leg bridge (L) - 17, 16, 18
8. one leg bridge (R) - 16, 17, 18
9. sliding push up - 7, 6, 6 (put a cloth below your feet, start in a plank, walk forward with your arms, dragging your feet behind you, do a push up = 1 rep, than walk backwards and do a push up and so on)
I did all chin ups assisted as always. Even though there wasn't any cardio exercises, I got a really good burn and poured some sweat. If you miss cardio, I suggest you switch crab toe touch for kick ups (do kick ups in crab position) and butt squeezes for sumo pulse jump tuck (start in sumo half squat position, do 3 pulses and one jump tuck = 1 rep).

If anyone gives this one a go, please, tell me, how it went. :)

Burpee burnout

Today I revisited the first ever workout I did when I started doing Zuzana's bodyrock workouts. :) It was approx. a year and a half ago and I remember working out in my room mate's room, because mine was too small. I chose this one as my first, because I thought that it doesn't look as demanding and long as others and it really was a great start to working out regularly. Ahhh, memories ...

Breakdown:
10 minure countdown of the following exercise:
Plank - 2 reptile knee tucks - dynamic push up - jump up = 1 rep
Completed 55 reps in 10 minutes. I am not entirely sure about my previous scores, but it was somewhere near 40 reps. At the time I did not own Gymboss interval timer, so I had to set my mobile phone as a stop atch and check the tome every now and then. That is why I'm not sure how I did - it may have been less than 40 reps, maybe more, the important thing is I got hooked and have been working out since. :)

Now, my own diet challenge is going well, I'm focusing on making good food choices. I will stick to it 'till the end of the week and in the next I will focus on portion controll. I think for me it will be the hardest challenge of all. I know I tend to eat too much at once and then nothing for 4, sometimes 6 or more hours. But for now I'll stick to choosing foods that complement my health and fitness. I must say I really, really like it. :)

P.S.: this picture was taken on this year's holiday in Dalmatia - we had a lovely time! :)

Bootylicious workout

Leg torture session, murder and cruel workout! My legs haven't been this targeted for a long time, so this was pure brutality. I can see myself being unable to get out of bed tomorrow morning, but I hope that won't be the case. I did this one for the first time and sometimes Zuzana still doesn't cease to amaze me. To put together a workout based on such basic movements and produce this intense and effective routine ... hands down. Anyway, enough of my babbling, here's Bootylicious workout breakdown:

1. dive bomber - 5 reps
2. pull up - 5 reps (close grip)
3. 6 rounds 20/20 intervals
   a. squats
   b. air chair (mini squats)
There are 3 rounds to this workout and it takes approx. 15-17 min, depending on how fast you manage dive bombers and pull ups. I used 4,5 kg weight for the third part and did all pull ups chair assisted. Unfortunately I don't have scores to share and my mind was just blank after the third interval in the first round. I didn't imagine it would be THAT hard!

As I rummaged through my photo archive on my computer, I came across this somewhat representative photo that was taken less than a year ago. My boyfriend took it, even though I was against him taking pictures of me (I don't like to be in pictures). What's behind these hazel eyes ...? ;)

ZWOW #31

Can I just say OMG! This one made me a bit nauseous at the end. Zuzana, you rock! To make something so challenging and physically demanding out of five elementary exercises ... ouch! And to think I was sure it won't be hard as much as some of her prevoius ones ... wrong! Even though I said I won't be jumping for a while due to my injured ankle, I felt good enough to give it a go. And I am not sorry one bit. :)

Here's the workout breakdown:

1. push ups - 10 reps
2. competition burpees - 20 reps
3. squat jumps - 30 reps
4. mountain climbers - 40 reps
5. sit ups - 50 reps
Completed 3 rounds in 20:35 min. Burpees after push ups were lethal combination for my shoulders as they still felt weak after MyWO #3.

As far as the diet challenge is concerned ... well, yesterday was OK, but day nr. 2 ... I think I need a weekly goal. So this week I am focusing on making sane, sensible and healthy food choices. And cutting down on nuts, cranberries and raisins mix (which I can gulp down tons!).

I'd also like to upload some pics, but I don't own a camera and can't load pictures from my phone on my computer. There IS a live person behind this blog, I just have to find something from my current picture archive and present it here. ;) That's how blogs work, right?

MyWO #3 and 30 day diet challenge

Today's routine was a mind game. Exhausting, I haven't been sweatting like this probably in my entire life and feeling this good for some time. :) Even though it was not as physically demanding, it was more of a psychological testing and endurance routine. Here's its breakdown:

Complete 5 rounds of the following exercises:
1. prisoner get ups - 10 reps
2. diamond push up - 5 reps
3. prisoner get ups - 10 reps
4. pull ups - 5 reps
5. prisoner get ups - 10 reps
6. one arm push ups - 3 reps on each arm
7. prisoner get ups - 10 reps
8. leg lift toe touch - 10 reps
I managed to complete all 5 rounds (though I wanted to quit after the 4th round - I paused my timer for approx. one minute and then pushed through the final round) in 28:58 min. I included exercises I haven't been doing for a long time now and I have to say that it was a huge challenge for me, especially pull ups, snice this is my FIRST EVER workout which includes them. :) I did them all chair-assisted, because I can't do a single pull up yet. :/ One arm push ups were really demanding and I did them off my knees. At first I planned on doing handstand push ups instead of diamond push ups, but when I tried them, I realised I will get more out of diamond push ups, since I couldn't go very far down in handstand. I might include them some other time.

Yesterday me and my boyfriend went to have a piece of cake each. I was SOOOO delicious and I realized that it's a pity to put anything other than REALLY good sweet stuff in your mouth and body. Chocolate, ice cream, cookies and salted crap ... these are all a waste of money, because they are not REALLY good. I suddenly understood what treating myself means and so decided that I will gladly stick to Primal Blueprint and all I believe in (but haven't been sticking to yet) for a month and by the end of it we (my partner and I) will treat ourselves with something REALLY good. :) I'll see, maybe I won't even feel like eating that piece of cake. The point here is allowing myself to aspire for something I konw and experience as GOOD. :) I consider it as a lesson and not a project. And I think I'll report every day to remind myself of my goal and if I made it official, it's more serious and at the reach of ma hand. :)

Oh, and if you decide to try the workout, let me know, how it went. :)

MyWO #2 - putting my own routines together

Hello, healthy and injury-free people out there! You're probably wondering, what the hell means "MyWO". It means My workout and it labels the workout I put together. The reason behind me putting a workout together (and the #2 mark indicaties the second one) is my injured foot. Fortunately I did not break anything (as I assumed a couple days ago), but I hurt my tendon that connects foot muscles and lower leg. The first day it hurt like crazy, tears were pouring down my face from pain and I had to jump around on one foot for several hours. Now the pain is nearly gone and I can walk normally, only not far and for longer periods of time.

I don't want to sit on my butt and wait for approx. 6 weeks (!) for my tendon to heal (yes, it normally takes that long), so I decided that I'm going to put my own routines together that don't involve skipping, jumping or extra pressure on injured leg. This means I'm going to get less cardio, but health is more important to me than acchieving certain numbers and goals in certain period of time. I hope some of you who have similar problems can help yourself maintaining your fitness level with these workouts, if not, well, I'll post them anyway. ;)

Here's the workout breakdown:
Do 4 rounds of the following exercises:
1. sumo mini squats (or sumo pulses) - 50 reps
2. side crunch - 20 reps each side
3. swimmer - 30 reps (lay on your belly, legs and arms fully extended, lift chest off the ground, bringing your elbows towards the sides of your body, squezing shoulder blades together - as if you were breaststroke swimming - kind of) :)
4. tricep dips - 20 reps (choose your own style, I did them off a chair with legs extended)
5. 1-2 reptile push up - 10 reps (do 2 side knee tucks - each side one - and a regular push up = 1 rep)
I completed the workout in 22:50 min.

Though there weren't cardio exercises inolved, I got really good burn and was sweatting like crazy. I felt it the most in my shoulders and arms, but also in my ab section. I was kind of surprised that it took me that long, but I did not want to push too much, I was concentrating on my form. And this is the way I'll be doing my exercises from now one. To avoid further injuries.

Have a great week and injury-free workots! :)

ZWOW #7 revisit

Today I revisited one of Zuzana's ZWOWs. I already posted the workout breakdown and my scores here. This is why I won't be posting workout breakdown in this post, only my new scores. Here they are:

I managed three rounds in 14:33 min using the same amount of weight as before. This means that I beat my personal best and am satisfied with it. :)

There is only ine thing I'm not satisfied with at all. I think I somehow broke one of the bones in my feet while jump rope jumping. Maybe not broke, but cracked it a bit. I thought something was not allright since the Ab-tastic challenge I did approximately 3 weeks ago. It hurts a lot, but I can still move my fingers. I'll see what the future brings, hopefully it will mend by itself ... :/

ZWOW #29

This ZWOW was quite fun to do, I tried hard, but am not satisfied with my result - when compared to others' results. First to the workout breakdown and then to other stuff:

10 min AMRAP
1. pistol squats - 5 reps on each leg
2. side hops - 50 reps
3. plank row knee tucks - 10 reps
4. 180 burpee - 10 reps
I completed 3 full rounds an 3 burpees, finished 4th round in 10:42 min. I supported myself with the other leg when doing pistol squats.

I feel like I'm falling behind even though I try my best. I don't know ... will see what the future brings ... hmmmm

ZWOW #30 = ZWOD #1

This revisit was quite something! I totally forgot how hard and brutal this one is! Zuzana kicked her own butt for this one (she worked out like a machine!) and I kicked mine as well.

Here's the workout breakdown:

1. dive bombers - 10 reps
2. burpees - 5 reps
3. squat leg lift - 40 reps alt. sides
4. burpees - 5 reps
5. side plank lift - 10 reps each side
6. burpees - 5 reps
7. pistol squat - 10 reps each leg
8. burpees - 5 reps

I completed 3 rounds in 22:36 min, using chair for support at pistol squats. Compared to my old personal best, which was 28:30 min, 15 dive bombers modified and chair for pistol squats (5 at a time), this was quite impressive, though fellow warriorZ posted some great under 20 min times. This is my goal for next time - bring my PB for this one under 20 min mark without supporting myself at pistols.

Anyway, great burn and great fitness personality to push and guide us to achieve goals and improve constantly. :)

I want your sweat

Call me ostalgic, but old Zuzana's workouts still kik butt! :) As a proof, today's workout left me lying on the floor, feeling like a jelly ran over by a truck. Wobbly and destroyed, but now feeling good. I'm still sweating after an hour - got my machine working, eh? ;)

Here's the workout breakdown:
1. sandbag clean & side to side half squat - 20 reps
2. breakdance push up - 20 reps
3. diagonal knee raises - 20 reps
4. twist jump squat - 20 reps

Completed 3 rounds in 25:06 min using 7 kg in my bag. Instead of dip station I used my pull up bar for knee raises. I also felt slight pain in my back while doing sandbag clean and side squats. I still feel it. Maybe there was too much weight in my bag. Will consider decreasing it.
Anyway, I have a great workout behind me and am ready to kick start my day, yippeeee! ;)

Hot attack

Today's 12 minute torture was Zuzana's first L.A. workout. In the video she said she almost puked at the end and it really is as hard as that. It didn't make me puke, however, it was quite a burnout. Here's the workout breakdown:

#1 - 4 rounds 10/50 intervals
1. crab toe touch - 39, 37
2. dive bomber - 12, 10

#2 and #4 - 6 rounds 10/10 intervals
jump lunges / mountain climbers back to back

#3 - 4 rounds 10/50 intervals
1. one leg hot attack - 6, 6
2. thigh shrinker - 10, 9

It was one of the workouts I already did in the past and I beat almost all my scores, but most important, I did one leg squats unassisted!!!! :)))))) As a bonus I left a pond of sweat on the floor. ;)

Amazing abs

Zuzana's new website, me doing her older workouts. :) I find them very appealing and feel good after the last beep. Exhausted and at the same time energised. Here's the workout breakdown (luckily, you can still see the video, it's one of the very few that show Zuzana's workouts left, since they started removing them from Youtube! Lame! Pisses me off!!!!):

#1 - 9 rounds 10/10 intervals
kick ups / mountain climber peaks back to back (no break in between exercises)

#2 - 9 rounds 10/30 intervals
1. side plank knee tuck (L) - 11, 10, 10 (left side plank, right knee tuck)
2. side plank knee tuck (R) - 11, 10, 10 (right side plank, left knee tuck)
3. prisoner get up - 8, 8, 8

#3 - 9 rounds 10/10 intervals
plank jump / knee hug back to back

I managed to beat my previous scores by a lot! :) Oh, happy day ...

Zuzana is BACK!!!! :)

ZUZKA HAS NEW WEB SITE!!!! FINALLY!!! :)))) Oh, gosh, I am so happy! There are her ZWOWs, pep talks and random life videos and shop with a T-shirt and few tank tops with ZWOW logo on them. It's easy to understand it since it's very basic and that's what I love about it. Soon, there will be some before and after photos and success stories of her WarriorZ. :)

This was probably the most expected event for the past few months for a lot of people that follow Zuzana. It's great to see her progress and this is what we all can look forward to - more progress and development. Her workouts are getting harder every week, she's being creative with putting together ZWOWs and her body is changing beautifully.

As she wrote below the following picture: "It's a new day and a new start for me ..." Yes, I hope so, too ... :)

ZWOW #28

I had a lot of fun doing this one. Even though it was only 10 min long routine, I got a lot out of it.

Breakdown:
10 min AMRAP
1. dragon kicks - 10 reps each leg
2. jump lunges - 20 reps
3. pike jumps (mule kicks) - 15 reps
4. 1-2 reptile push ups - 10 reps
Completed 2 full rounds and 15 mule kicks, finished 3rd round in 10:39 min. I had trouble balancing with dragon kicks and I feel I could push a bit more, but that's the best I could do for now.

On a side note, I am getting really unimpressed with Zuzana's push ups and plank positions. In my opinion she sticks her butt up too much. Then again, there could be a reason for it, so we'll see what the future brings. :)

Bikini beach

Today's was another one from Bodyrock archives. This is the one that Zuzana put together while on vacation on Seychelles with Frederick. Here's its breakdown:

#1, #5 - 6 rounds 10/30 intervals
1. backward lunge knee up (L) - 18, 16; 18, 12
2. backward lunge knee up (R) - 18, 15; 18, 14
3. plak jumps - 5, 6; 5, 5

#2, #4, #6 - 2 min countdown
2 wakling push ups + 4 low step touches
10; 10; 10

#3, #7 - 6 rounds 10/30 intervals
1. jump forward/backward & jump tuck - 7, 5; 7, 5
2. side plank jump & push up (L) - 6, 6; 6, 6
3. side plank jump & push up (R) - 6, 6; 6, 6

This was actually revisit to this routine for me and managed to beat all my previous scores. SO glad! :)

Ab-tastic exercise challenge

For the past few days (and workouts :)) I've been revisiting some of Bodyrock's older workout routines - the ones that Zuzana put together. The reason I haven't been posting about those is, that I was guessing no one is interested in them anymore. But now I changed my mind. There's nothing wrong with creating a bit of nostalgic environment and promoting Zuzana's excellent work. So, here it goes.

I chose this one due to my shoulder and leg soreness from an hour of functional training two days before (sweet burn!) and I did not want to put extra pressure on those areas. So I worked on my abdominal muscles and cardio. :)

Workout breakdown:
1. knee raises - 20 reps
2. high knees - 8 runds 10/20 intervals
Repeat 5 times.
Originally I was supposed to do knee raises on a dip station, but since I don't own one and don't have appropriate chairs to hang off them (;)), I used my pull up bar, which I am FINALLY able to place above door. :) It took me altogether approximately 25 min.

I can tell you that I was dripping all over the floor and now I feel great!

Vivace workouts nr. 19, 21 and 22

I didn't post anything for a few days now, but that does not mean I didn't workout during this time. In fact, I was thrying out Chelsea's Vivace workouts and did 3 of them since my last ZWOW post. And I must say - man, these are HARD! It's official, the addition to my regular workout "gurus" is Chelsea. ;) I love her dedication to working out and most of all, answering and commenting to our questions, comments and thank-yous. She comes across as warm, welcoming and pasionate about fitness. She also gives an impression of being fond of people and of genuinly liking them. I want to thank her for all she does and do her a favour by writing this post. ;)

I'll post my scores for the 3 Vivace workouts in the exact same order I accomplished them.

Vivace #19

#1 - 8 rounds 10/20 intervals
1. squat leg lift - 15, 14, 11, 11; 15, 12, 11, 10
2. burpee star jump - 5, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4

#2 - 4 rounds of the following routine:
5 reptile push ups - roll over - 5 V-ups - roll over - 5 jump tucks
3,13 min; 3,17 min

#3 - 8 rounds 10/20 intervals
1. side plank oblique lifts (R) - 14, 12; 14, 13
2. bicycle crunches - 10, 9; 10, 10
3. side plank oblique lifts (L) - 13, 13; 15, 12
4. reverse crunches - 6, 8; 9, 8

It took me altogether (2 rounds) 22:30 min. Great burn, my abs were screaming after this one!

Vivace #21

1. side lunge jump - 20 reps
2. dive bomber - 6 reps
3. frog squat jump - 20 reps
4. kick ups - 20 reps
5. side reptile burpee - 6 reps
Completed 5 rounds in 14:46 min, folowed by 10 min of jump rope skipping, 10/20 intervlas.

Vivace #22

I'm actually writing this post after completing this one and I can tell you, I'm nearly dead. Even though I have a lot of space for improvement, I can feel the burn in my legs and shoulders. Great routine!

33 rounds 10/30 intervals (advanced version)
1. high knees - 74, 44, 48
2. 2 push ups & 2 jump tucks - 5, 4, 4
3. side mountain climbers - 39, 35, 30
4. surfer burpee - 8, 8, 8
5. high knees - 52, 52, 54
6. jump lunges - 18, 16, 13
7. kick ups - 42, 34, 32
8. weighted single leg toe touch - 10, 12, 12
9. high knes - 55, 48, 41
10. pendulum - 45, 43, 40
11. roll up & toe touch - 6, 6, 7
I was using 4,5 kg (10 pounds) free weight for single leg toe touches and jump rope for high knees.

Thank you again, Chelsea, from now on I'm incorporating your workouts to my workout regimen on regular basis. Lots of love! :)

ZWOW #26

Doing this one was so much fun! But SOOO hard on my abs! I stopped a few times just to sympathize with my tortured abs and continued to work out 'till the beeper went off. What a sound of relief! :)

I couldn't write down my scores for this one, so I'm bringing workout breakdown only:

10 rounds 30/30 intervals
1. side plank with leg lift & jump up (R)
2. side crunch (R)
3. side plank leg lift & jump up (L)
4. side crunch (L)
5. side to side squat
6. side to side push ups
7. knee hugs
8. elbow plank
9. pike press
10. plank jumps

Ater finishing the workout, I set my Gymboss interval timer for 15 rounds 10/30 intervals and did an extra 10 min od jump rope skipping. Drenched in sweat! :)

Vivace #14

Today I decided to try one of Chelsea's Vivace workouts. This one I found quite interesting, so I decided to give it a go. And I can tell you - it kicket my butt for sure! Here's its breakdown:

1. high knees - 80, 65, 60
2. squat jumps - 21, 10, 14
3. jumping jacks - 33, 31, 33
4. jump lunges - 14, 13, 12
5. bunny hop - 32, 24, 23
6. mountain climbers - 53, 40, 41
7. push ups - 12, 11, 10
8. high knees - 63, 47, 58
9. bicycle crunches - 12, 11, 10
I used my jump rope for high knees. Other than that, I was still sore from previous two workouts (Zuzana's ZWOWs), so my scores are not so good. I know I can do more. Next time definately! :)

If you're interested in Chelsea's Vivace workouts, visit her website Vivace fitness. You can also find the link to her site in my blog list. Have a great day! :)

ZWOWs #24 and 25

As promised, here are my scores and workout breakdowns for the two ZWOWs I did while on holiday.

ZWOW #24

10 min AMRAP
1. dynamic squat - 15 reps
2. kick ups - 15 reps
3. dive bomber - 10 reps (hate these)
4. prisoner get ups - 10 reps
Managed 3 whole rounds and 10 dynamic squats in 10 min, then finished fourth round in 13:04 min. I struggled with this one after a day of travelling and two days of moving and did it outside, when it was devilishly hot, way more than 30 degrees of Celsium. Hhhhhooottttt!! :)

ZWOW #25

Oooh, I loved this one! It was fun and dynamic, went really fast! And now I remembered that I did it in my new apartment already! :)

- burpee buy in - 30 reps (did Zuzana's competition burpees)
1. plyo fly - 20 reps
2. squat overhead press - 15 reps
3. lateral jump touch - 10 reps
4. ab splitters - 5 reps (love these!)
Completed 3 rounds in 12:13 min.

That's about it, I'll be posting scores on a regular basis in the future. Till then, au revoir!

ZWOW #4 revisit and some updates

This is my first post after a long break from posting on my blog. I was on holiday for two weeks (god, I love the sea!) and moved to another apartment. Now I'm facing some financial difficulties and am in search for my first job. For me this is probably one of the most stressful life situations. Unsure of whether I'll be able to pay my rent and expences, whether I'll get a job quick enough to be able to afford this kind of life and where to go, if I won't make it. But I'm not here to moan about my messed up situation, I am here to share my scores of the workout I did today.

It was a revisit to one of Zuzana's earlier ZWOWs, ZWOW #4. Since I did it already, I'll only post my scores, for the workout breakdown visit my older post.
This time I managed to beat my old PB by exactly 2 min, completing it in 23:14 min. I used the same amount of weight as I did before and am pleased with results, even though I know I still have some room for improvement, maybe to finish it under 20 min? We'll see ... :)

During my vacation I did some exercising as well (did not fall off the wagon) and surprisingly stuck to Primal Blueprint principles effortlessly! Well, at least I did not consume any carbs, whatsoever, sugars, I even reduced fruit to a few apricots, apples, peaches and a banana. The only exception was alcochol and dairy products (which I don't intend to ditch right now) - I know, I know - but that was it! And I feel GREAT! :) As for the exercises, mostly I did older ones that required no equipment and I won't post them. I can tell you that I managed to beat all my personal bests for those. :) The ones I will post are recent ZWOWs (I believe 24 and 25).

That's about it, I intend to post workout breakdowns and my scores sometime soon. Untill then, bon chance! :)

ZWOW #16 revisit and BR surprises

Today's revisit was quite a killer, but I managed it waaay better than I did before - heavier weights and more rounds completed. Here's the ZWOW breakdown:

15 min AMRAP
1. renegade rows - 10 reps
2. overhead lunges - 10 reps
3. squat jump burpee - 10 reps
4. crab touches - 10 reps each side
5. sumo deadlift high pull - 10 reps
Using 2 x 4,5 kg weights (= 2 x 10 lbs, I think) I completed 3 full rounds and 9 renegade rows. And since I consider myself a Z warrior ;) I finished 4th round in 18:06 min. Man, this was something! :)

Now for some words about recent Bodyrock "moves". Sean came back and I must say that this was by far the best move they could make. He really does explain exercises and what you should be concentrating on while doing them, his tutorials are great and he does not force himself forward. I like him being a bit reserved and professional at the same time. It's a welcome refreshment, because Lisa's pushing and constant "over the topness" got a bit tiring and boring. What is more, a new mom bodyrocker came to workout with Sean, well done, but I hope she'll watch her form in following filmings. Other than that, she came across as cool, calm and very OK person. We'll see how it goes from here.

Well, that's about it, that's pretty much what I wanted to say today. Have a great day! :)

ZWOW #15 revisit

Revisiting exercises is good, especialy when you realise that you beat your scores. By - a - lot. :) This was the case for me today when I decided on Zuzana's ZWOW #15 revisit. Here's the workout breakdown:

1. ground to overhead - 10 reps
2. single leg weighted squat - 10 reps on each leg
3. skull crushers - 10 reps
4. V-up - 10 reps
5. 180 lat jump burpee - 10 reps
Completed 5 rounds in 21:19 min using 2 x 4,5 kg free weights. I beat my old score by nearly 6 min!!!!! :))))))) SOOOOO pleased with my results! And now for well deserved shower, mmmmm! :)

Wow booty

Today's workout was another revisit to Zuzana's bodyrock put togethers - Wow booty. It made me sweat like crazy! Here's it's breakdown:

#1 16 rounds 5/10 intervals
10s high knees, 5s drop down on your belly
On average did approx. 26 reps in 10s.

#2 ricebag full body exerise - 30 reps
Used 5 kg in my bag and finished in 5:13 min. Managed to beat my old scores by more than 3 min with one extra kilo in my bag.

#3 = #1
On average approx. 27 reps in 10s.

So happy with today's result! :)

Cut the cheese

Today I revisited one of older Zuzana's bodyrock workouts. It was short, but right now I can feel my back continually producing drops of sweat. :) Great one!

Workout breakdown:
6 rounds 10/30 intervals for exercises 1, 3 and 5, 5 reps for nr. 2 and 4.
1. plank jump & reptile - 16, 15, 14, 12, 12, 12
2. diamond push up
3. leg lift & toe touch - 13, 12, 10, 11, 9, 9
4. reverse push up
5. ricebag sumo squat & leg lift - 19, 18, 14, 13, 13, 14

Used 6 kg in my bag, 2 kg more than the last time I did this workout, and I managed to beat my old score by a lot. :) Happy with that!

I noticed that this workout's video was removed from youtube. I'm sorry, but WTF?!?!?!?! How can I check, if I'm doing the exercise properly, if there's no video that shows the flow of exercises. There are pictures, yes, but I'd still like to see Zuzana do it. This way I get full picture of how I should do things. Alas, I guess I'll just have to adapt to new weird stuff BR's been doing lately. Hmmm .... :/

ZWOW #23

Burpee torture? Definately! I was dying throughout this one. I may contribute a part of my struggles to eating sweets and other unwanted stuff yesterday. Despite that I still had a great sweat session. ;)
Workout breakdown:

1. yoga burpees - 5 reps
2. ab splitters - 5 reps
3. burpees - 50 reps
4. air squats - 100 reps
I completed 2 rounds in 21:39 min. I thought I could do it faster and I know I could, but this was the best I could pull out of the routine today. My thighs were really burning, even during burpees. I'm definately revisiting this one sometime soon ... :)

FU fat ass workout and BR downfall

First, I'd like to say that I've never seen Bodyrock go this low - "FU fat ass"?!?! Blocking any kind of crititcism, even if it's just questioning about the way BR's going. More and more aggression appearing in posts on the site (get off your ass etc.), and today I saw "%$cking KILLER" written in one of Lisa-Marie's FB posts. Besides that, she started shouting and roaring during her workouts. On top of it all, posts on the site are so sloppy, they don't even bother changing the workout time - it's always 12 minutes long - timer settings are often wrong and sometimes exercises are missing from workout breakdowns. In spite of all that they promise a "better site" and "supporting community". Am I missing something?
I stopped feeling as part of BR community a long time ago. People that are OK with "effing attitude", shutting different minded down and aggressively forcing their brand no matter what, are not good enough for me. I like to share my opinion and listen to others', suppressing it is, in my opinion, very stupid thing to do. You can't learn a thing and you can loose people's affection. BR certainly lost mine.
However, I still do some of the workouts, especially Zuzana's old ones, and ones I find challenging. This one I found very challenging. Here's its breakdown:


48 rounds 10/30 intervals
1. elevated cross ankle push ups - 15, 7, 10
2. knee hugs - 19, 13, 15
3. squat & press - 12, 9, 11
4. clean & press - 9, 7, 9
5. bicycle - 16, 11, 14
6. jump lunges - 27, 17, 23
7. bicep curls - 14, 10, 12
8. side crunches (L) - 22, 17, 20
9. side crunches (R) - 18, 17, 20
10. tricep dips - 22, 15, 19
11. mountain climbers - 72, 70, 58
12. burpees - 6, 6, 4
13. squat & press - 9, 8, 8
14. ricebag sit ups - 6, 7, 7
15. jump lunges - 22, 16, 16
16. forward/backward squat jump - 12, 14, 14
I used 5 kg in my ricebag and had to take a short break after two rounds. That definately improved my performance in third round (for a while at least ;))It was not easy doing this one with 30 degrees Celsius outside and no air conditioning. Phew!

Hot right now

Today I revisited one of Bodyrock older workouts, I believe it was posted in january. It was beasty, considering that it was 30 degrees outside and that I haven't been using jump rope regularly for the past few months. However I did manage to beat my old personal bests, but I definately have room for improvement in jump rope jumping and push ups (going deeper). Here's the workout breakdown:

24 rounds 10/30 intervals. I started with jump rope and finished with push ups - switched exercises.
1. high knees with jump rope - 80, 68, 60, 62, 60, 50, 63, 65, 54, 43, 52, 47 (in between exercises)
2. burpee jump tuck - 8
3. jump lunge - 18
4. reptile push up - 11
5. 10 high knees & 10 mountain climbers - 3
6. side burpee knee to elbow jump tuck - 5
7. push up side plank lift - 7
8. side crunch (R) - 17
9. side crunch (L) - 13
10. star jump - 16
11. single toe touch - 18
12. squat jump - 16
13. half burpee with push up - 10
Even though my jump rope high knees scores aren't very good, I still maanged to beat my old personal best by 6 jumps. :)

550 rep fat massacre

Today I decided on doing Zuzana's bodyrock classics - 550 rep fat massacre. I have to tell you that I was melting at the end of it. My goal was to beat my old personal best but before I trust you with my results, here's the workout breakdown:

1. backward lunge kick up - 25 reps on each leg
2. walk over push up - 50 reps
3. mountain climbers - 50 reps (each switch counts as one)
4. sumo squat knee up - 50 reps
5. one leg bridge leg lift - 25 reps on each leg
6. side to side squat & leg lift - 50 reps
7. one arm tricep push up - 25 reps on each arm
8. star crunch - 50 reps
9. diagonal touch down - 25 reps on each side
10. side plank lift - 25 reps on each side
11. one leg wall sit - 25 reps on each leg
Finished in ..... drums .... 25:22 min, approx. 6 min better than my personal record! Yaaaaaayyy!! :) SO happy with my achievement today!

In the evening I am going to a ceremony to get my degree and then I can FINALLY say bye bye to the Faculty of Arts! This deserves another yaaaaayy! :))

ZWOW #22

In the video Zuzana said that this workout was evil. She was right! OMG, my shoulders are DEAD! ;)

Workout breakdown:
- on the minute burpees - 4 reps (do 4 burpees every minute of the workout)
1. chair jumps - 30 reps each side
2. chair push ups - 30 reps (these were total killers)
3. tricep dips - 30 reps
4. sumo squat jumps - 30 reps
5. RDL squat twist - 30 reps
I managed it in 16:49 min. Afterwards I did 10 min of interval skipping (10/20).

There was quite a lot of people asking, how to know, when to start doing burpees - watching time, working out along with Zuzana etc. Well, I solved the problem by setting my Gymboss for 25 rounds one 1 minute interval (it beeped at exactly one minute everytime one round was over) and just stopped it, when I finished. That said, there was some calculation required at the end, but it was easy. I stopped mine and it showed 8 rounds remaining and 11 seconds 'till the end of the round. Every round was one minute long, so I just deducted 8 rounds from 24 (because when you start your timer, it immediately shows one round less, but counts round "0" at the end) and got 16 min. 11 seconds of the current round remained, so I deducted them from 60 seconds (= 1 min) and got 49 seconds I spent doing the last few moves. It might sound complicated, but it's logical and easy. ;)
You are more than welcome to tell me, how you solved the problem with tracking time.

ZWOW #19

After a two day break and picnic-based nutrition ;) this, my dears, was the way to start a new week! Ooooh, my butt! NOW I understand Zuzana, when she says that by doing one leg squats you can feel your butt getting tighter. I did not believe it, but I don't have any reason not to believe it anymore. It's definately true. ;) Although I did almost all pistols chair assisted, I got some serious sweatting and butt-firming treatment, undoubtedly. ;)

On to the workout breakdown:
There are 5 rounds of the following exercises:
1. water bottle clean - 10 reps
2. pistol squats - 10 reps each leg
3. water bottle push ups - 10 reps
4. Russian twist - 10 reps per side
5. hip twist - 10 reps per side
6. hollow rock - 10 reps
I did it in 25:20 min. As I said, I had to modify pistols, helping myself on the way up with a chair. I also split them to 5 reps on each leg twice.

In a sense I am proud of myself, because every workout that includes pistols intimidates me. They seem very demanding to me and I know I am going to struggle with them. But I can feel my legs getting stronger and I may even enjoy them someday. This, of course, is currently a part of a distant future.
However, the greatest part of finishing this one, is feeling of victory. Now I can continue my day with one small victory behind me. :)