Pyramid training

Pyramid style training overloads the muscle and is a very effective way of working out! The idea is that you start of easy and continue to add exercises until you reach your peak (or your legs start to shake uncontrollably like mine did).

Check out the Bodyrock challenge I completed this week. It was a brutal session but the different style of training motivated me to do the best I could! I only reached the half way point the first time I tried it, so I am determined to complete the whole set on my next attempt!

Workout Breakdown

Time: +/-30min.Workout Type: Time Challenge Exercises: 5

• Round 1 = 10 Get Ups
• Round 2 =Round 1 + 20x Backward Lunge & Sandbag Press
• Round 3 =Round 2 + 20x Sandbag Squat
• Round 4 = Round 3 + 10x Burpees
• Round 5 =Round 4 + 40x One Leg Toe Touch

Instructions:

This workout is like a game. You start with just one exercise and each round you are adding a new one so that in the 5th round you end up doing 5 exercises. Then you reverse the order and start with 5 exercises and work your way down to the first one.

Check out Bodyrock.tv for a full explanation of all the exercises.

Good Luck!

Sandbag training!

For my birthday this year, hubby bought me a fantastic new fitness tool.
THE SANDBAG! One could expect that most girls would turn their noses up at such a  gift and the reaction of my friends was commonly " but what else did he get you... you know, that sparkles?".

Shall I remind you that my favourite pass time is keeping fit! What more could one want, than new equipment, which once filled with chosen weight, can assist you in working all those muscles we thought " un workable".

The sandbag is increasingly used in workouts to challenge the body in agility, strength and stability.  It appears to be the only fitness tool that actually has the weight shift and move,which means your body must work much harder to perform the exercises. Because sandbag training emphasises the whole body, you will find that each one of your workouts burns more calories than your typical workout with weights or cardio machines.

The bag is sold empty, which allows you to fill it with your preferred weights, sand or in my case '1.5L of water, a bike lock, 2 sweet potatoes and a 1kg bag of rice'. It is important to start off with a relativly light bag, to get your body used to working with such an awkward, unstable object. As you become more comfortable with the equipment, you can add more weight.

I had a few great suggestions of sandbag exercises such as shoulder/overhead press, squats and chest press. These were great to start with!

I want to share with you the 'Bodyrock' workout I completed which incorporated my new sandbag! I had such fun using it and am looking forward to my next session.

Check it out
http://www.bodyrock.tv/2011/03/10/only-girl-in-the-world-workout/

Triathlon Training...update

27:48  
Time recorded for my Second Biathlon attempt 



Well I didn't quite make my goal time of 27:00 but I did beat my previous score by 1min and 3 seconds.

Training logs

I have been thinking recently about what motivates me to keep fit and continue training...
I have mentioned before that I love trying a variety of workouts and fitness challenges but without a platform to record my achievements, I am effectively going no-where. I have used training and nutrition logs in the past and found it very helpful to put my progress on paper. Not only can you monitor your increase in strength/cardio/(insert your own goal) but you are held accountable for the results or lack of results that occur.


There are a number of online training logs out there and which one you use will depend on both how you train and what your goals are. For beginners, or those who do 'general training' and are not working on a particular aspect of fitness, I find a simple daily calendar log to be effective. It allows you to quickly document your workout for each day to ensure you are sticking to your fitness goal.
Sharing these logs with others is also a great way to keep up your motivation levels. Not only can you learn about what others are doing to keep fit but you can add a little bit of friendly competition. Those of you who are training for a specific event or are serious about improving, it might be more useful to try something like this printable workout log where you can pre-plan your workouts, print them off and fill them in as you go. There is nothing better than flicking through your log each month and noticing with delight that you have made improvements along the way without even realising.


I am also a great fan of the 'Food and Mood' diary. It can be used as a tool when trying to lose/gain weight or to pinpoint how food is influencing your mood. What you eat affects your mood, and this, in turn, affects your next choice of food. They are connected in a continuous cycle. By documenting a daily log of food and liquid intake for 1-2 weeks, you may begin to notice interesting eating habits and begin to take measures to address them.

I am keeping a record of my workouts for this month.... why don't you give it a go!