Freestyling UB bodyweight only sweat-inducing classics!
Today was the last day of freestyling old classic workouts before starting the 2 weeks Abs Challenge and it was UB day plus the usual walking.
Due to the high heat and humidity, bodyweight only workouts was the plan du jour, despite preferring traditional and functional UB strength training workouts with weights.
As it turned out, these "easy" bodyweight-only workouts were challenging enough to invoke an unexpected sweat-storm and turn the arms into jelly, lol! ;)
Today's workout:
1) Kelli's newest UB warm-up (8 min) -- finally got to try it - it's a good one (a new fav), and how about those arm circles (but wait, there's more to come!)
2) Incredibly fun, challenging UB bodyweight strength workout with Kelli done on the floor instead of a rock (9 min) -- love how those 14 reps turn into 28 when doing so many bi-lateral exercises, haha! ;) This was the "goldilocks workout" of the 3 done today - just right re: challenge and interest levels and no repeated intervals (yay!), and for how well-rounded it is despite the short length. It's a new one for the favorites list.
**Favorite exercise - "Reverse Leg Lift Push Ups" (done on the floor as full push-ups), which for some reason made 28 push-ups in a row feel easy (maybe too distracted by balancing and figuring out which leg to lift?)
**Most unusual exercise - "Traveling Plank + Rows" (done on the floor as full planks) where the balance challenge was incredibly tough - lifting the leg and arm on the same side!!
** Most challenging exercise - "Roundabout Push Ups" bad shoulders makes this one too risky to do as full push ups, even as knee push ups it's not so good to do, so limited ROM to make it work
3) "Papa bear" mostly bodyweight UB workout with Daniel (20 min) -- a little too challenging after the other workout and not quite as fun due to repeated 3 rounds of exercises, some of which required extra equipment not on hand (used a door for the pull-ups, but not very good) - only did the 1st round before moving on to the next workout.
4) "Mama bear" UB bodyweight workout with Kelli (12 min) -- a little too easy on its own, but a well-rounded burnout round to add to other UB workouts - by the time those usually-not-so-dreaded arm circles came around again, the arms were feeling very heavy and burning like they were on fire, haha! ;)
**Most challenging exercise - "Upward Facing Plank + Lifts + Dip" due to limited shoulder ROM and weak abs, hard to get a good enough ROM to feel the tricep dips in this position
**Most deceptive exercise - "Arm Circles" - who knew? Usually not a problem, but after all those other arm exercises, these were a challenge near the end of today's workout list. ;)
5) UB stretching routine with Daniel (11 min) -- a good one which starts with much-appreciated neck stretches - added hip flexor stretches to the triceps stretches, standing glutes stretches to the forearm stretches, inner thigh stretches to the rhomboids stretches, calf stretches to the wall chest stretch, and IT band stretches to the side torso stretches to help stretch the legs after walking today.
Overall, different, unusual push ups variations along with less common exercises made today's bodyweight-only UB strength workout more interesting than expected, and the higher than anticipated challenge coupled with heat and humidity produced an unexpected sweatfest. The arms are going to be sore tomorrow for sure! :)
Hope your weekend is going well, and a happy Independence Day to Canada (a few days belated, sorry!) and the USA. Happy Blending everyone! :)
Freestyling UB bodyweight only sweat-inducing classics!
Today was the last day of freestyling old classic workouts before starting the 2 weeks Abs Challenge and it was UB day plus the usual walking.
Due to the high heat and humidity, bodyweight only workouts was the plan du jour, despite preferring traditional and functional UB strength training workouts with weights.
As it turned out, these "easy" bodyweight-only workouts were challenging enough to invoke an unexpected sweat-storm and turn the arms into jelly, lol! ;)
Today's workout:
1) Kelli's newest UB warm-up (8 min) -- finally got to try it - it's a good one (a new fav), and how about those arm circles (but wait, there's more to come!)
https://www.fitnessblender.com/videos/upper-body-warm-up-warm-up-exercises-for-upper-body-workouts
2) Incredibly fun, challenging UB bodyweight strength workout with Kelli done on the floor instead of a rock (9 min) -- love how those 14 reps turn into 28 when doing so many bi-lateral exercises, haha! ;) This was the "goldilocks workout" of the 3 done today - just right re: challenge and interest levels and no repeated intervals (yay!), and for how well-rounded it is despite the short length. It's a new one for the favorites list.
**Favorite exercise - "Reverse Leg Lift Push Ups" (done on the floor as full push-ups), which for some reason made 28 push-ups in a row feel easy (maybe too distracted by balancing and figuring out which leg to lift?)
**Most unusual exercise - "Traveling Plank + Rows" (done on the floor as full planks) where the balance challenge was incredibly tough - lifting the leg and arm on the same side!!
** Most challenging exercise - "Roundabout Push Ups" bad shoulders makes this one too risky to do as full push ups, even as knee push ups it's not so good to do, so limited ROM to make it work
https://www.fitnessblender.com/videos/bodyweight-upper-body-workout-at-home-upper-body-workout-for-lean-muscles
3) "Papa bear" mostly bodyweight UB workout with Daniel (20 min) -- a little too challenging after the other workout and not quite as fun due to repeated 3 rounds of exercises, some of which required extra equipment not on hand (used a door for the pull-ups, but not very good) - only did the 1st round before moving on to the next workout.
**Most fun exercise - "Single Leg Push Ups"
**Most unusual exercise - "Supine Push Ups"
https://www.fitnessblender.com/videos/upper-body-mass-workout-killer-bodyweight-workout-for-strength
(A preferred substitute workout is this one with Kelli, but since this week has been about unearthing old FB classics, it wasn't on the list today ;) - https://www.fitnessblender.com/videos/10-minute-no-equipment-upper-body-workout-complete-upper-body-workout-without-weights)
4) "Mama bear" UB bodyweight workout with Kelli (12 min) -- a little too easy on its own, but a well-rounded burnout round to add to other UB workouts - by the time those usually-not-so-dreaded arm circles came around again, the arms were feeling very heavy and burning like they were on fire, haha! ;)
**Most challenging exercise - "Upward Facing Plank + Lifts + Dip" due to limited shoulder ROM and weak abs, hard to get a good enough ROM to feel the tricep dips in this position
**Most deceptive exercise - "Arm Circles" - who knew? Usually not a problem, but after all those other arm exercises, these were a challenge near the end of today's workout list. ;)
https://www.fitnessblender.com/videos/no-equipment-upper-body-workout-for-great-arms-shoulders-and-upper-back
5) UB stretching routine with Daniel (11 min) -- a good one which starts with much-appreciated neck stretches - added hip flexor stretches to the triceps stretches, standing glutes stretches to the forearm stretches, inner thigh stretches to the rhomboids stretches, calf stretches to the wall chest stretch, and IT band stretches to the side torso stretches to help stretch the legs after walking today.
https://www.fitnessblender.com/videos/upper-body-stretching-routine
Overall, different, unusual push ups variations along with less common exercises made today's bodyweight-only UB strength workout more interesting than expected, and the higher than anticipated challenge coupled with heat and humidity produced an unexpected sweatfest. The arms are going to be sore tomorrow for sure! :)
Hope your weekend is going well, and a happy Independence Day to Canada (a few days belated, sorry!) and the USA. Happy Blending everyone! :)