Recommitting Myself to Strength Training
Around 4:00, my stomach started to seriously grumble. It wasn’t quite dinnertime yet, but I couldn’t wait another minute to eat, so I made myself a little snack: Stonyfield yogurt mixed with canned pumpkin, walnuts, and cinnamon Puffins. The walnuts were a surprisingly awesome addition to this snack– they went great (both flavor- and texture-wise) with the cinnamon Puffins and the smooth yogurt-pumpkin combo. So delish!
Here’s my snack with a touch of Spring and a mug of hot white tea (ginger peach flavor) with a squirt of agave nectar…
Recommitting to Strength Training
So, let me start off my saying that I am very comfortable with my weight and the shape of my body. However, I know that I was in better shape last summer– I was much stronger and had some serious muscles! When I had big, scary muscles, I used to say: I could knock you out with one punch! 
And now, I’m not as “impressed” with my strength. Anyway, I am recommitting myself to strength training. My goal is to increase my strength training to 3 days a week: upper body, lower body, and full body workouts.
Being under the weather today, I didn’t want to push myself with a strenuous workout. Instead, I did Real Simple’s 20-Minute Workout (below), which took me about 20-25 minutes to complete 2 sets, 15 reps of each exercise. I used 10 lb. dumbbells for the weighted exercises, but select weight based on your own fitness level. (Click on the image below to make it bigger.)
Exercises:
- Chair Dip: Works triceps. Be sure to move through a full range of motion.
- One-Leg Squat: Works glutes. As you lower your body, your weight is focused on the standing leg’s glute muscles. Be sure to squeeze your buns! Advanced option: Nix the chair and work on your balance, too.
- Concentration Curl: Works biceps. This exercise isolates the biceps muscle; squeeze muscle when you reach the top of each rep.
- Squat and Side Lift: Works legs. This exercise engages the enter lower body, including glutes, quads, hamstrings and outer thighs. Again, be sure to squeeze your buns after each rep.
- Modified Push-Up: Works chest. Targets all muscles in the chest area. Advanced option: Do the push-ups on your toes!
- Super-Crunch: Works abs. Keeping your legs in the air challenges your entire core.
Yoga Challange: Day 20
I finished today’s workout with 20 minutes of YogaDownload’s Power Yoga #2. The session had a nice mix of gentle stretching and breathing as well as more intense, physically-demanding poses. I felt more in control of the balancing poses than I have in the past. It felt great to hold a pose and not need to reposition and catch my balance. Once again, just 20 minutes left me wanting more yoga!
After finishing Power Yoga, I decided to check out Exercise TV from On-Demand. I found quite the gem of a yoga session: Yoga On Edge Sunset (28 minutes), which I enjoyed a lot. The video is shot at sunset on a long dock; a women’s dark silhouette guides the yoga practice. The postures start out slow and controlled, but eventually become a faster flow of movements, which energized me and left me feeling strong, stretched, and relaxed. This yoga video was a good one! 
Where have you seen improvements in your yoga practice?
Mal just called to tell me that he is bringing Chinese food home for dinner! I have a feeling greasy Chinese food will help me feel a lot better! Enjoy your Friday night! The weekend is finally here!
Posted by: Tina 38 comments
Posted in: Uncategorized, workouts
on Mar 20th, 2009 at 5:57 pm
I am eating cinnamon Puffins as I read this! I think I like the peanut butter flavor more.
on Mar 20th, 2009 at 5:59 pm
yogurt, pumpkin and walnuts…great idea!
on Mar 20th, 2009 at 6:02 pm
Day 20: Sadie Nardini’s 70min Yoga Cardio + meditation + Sadie Nardini’s Challenge
Exercise TV is such an awesome site! Do you recommend any other great Yoga download sites? I’m looking for something new and challenging! thanks!
on Mar 20th, 2009 at 6:02 pm
Adding pumpkin to yogurt is the best!
I hope you’re feeling better. The Chinese Food will definitely help!
I wish I had scarier muscles, especially in my arms and abs.
on Mar 20th, 2009 at 6:04 pm
@junghwa: I mentioned a bunch on Wednesday: http://carrotsncake.com/2009/03/strawberry-morning-and-cheap-yoga-classes.html
on Mar 20th, 2009 at 6:07 pm
Ooooh greasy Chinese is soo good and def makes everything better. What a good husband!
on Mar 20th, 2009 at 6:09 pm
I love strength training! It’s my favorite form of working out!
Yes, I do believe Chinese food is a good cure
on Mar 20th, 2009 at 6:17 pm
PUFFINS!!
I’ve improved my focus dramatically in yoga.
on Mar 20th, 2009 at 6:23 pm
Yes, Chinese food cures a great many ails. Thai food too, but sometimes you just need an egg roll.
I’m also trying to stay focused on my strength training…which is hard since I’m also trying to stay committed to yoga and running too! The fact that I pay for my gym membership helps motivate me…it’s a waste of $$ if I don’t go!
on Mar 20th, 2009 at 6:38 pm
Pumpkin + puffins + yogurt = so creative.
on Mar 20th, 2009 at 6:42 pm
I’m currently trying to lose about ten pounds. I’m watching what I eat and working out about 3-5 days a week doing both strength and cardio. I saw a nutritionist and she said i should be eating 1400 calories a day. I’m trying to do this but always end up going over because I’m hungry. My question is, how many calories were you eating when you were losing weight? If it helps I am 5′ and 131 pounds.
on Mar 20th, 2009 at 6:59 pm
@Heather: Currently (and while losing weight), I eat 1800-2200 calories a day. You can read more about my weight loss journey and tips under the ‘Weight Loss’ tab of my blog. Good luck!
on Mar 20th, 2009 at 7:01 pm
Hey Heather- I’m not Tina, but I would never recommend going below 1500 calories a day. If you’re exercising you should be able to eat 1600 calories a day, (from whole foods such as lean proteins, whole grans, low fat dairy), and lose weight without getting too hungry.
on Mar 20th, 2009 at 7:04 pm
i am with you on the weight training. i just started back up with a trainer and i can tell i let my weight training go a bit. now that we can run outside again, it might be easier to keep on task of getting the weight training in.
on Mar 20th, 2009 at 7:04 pm
I need to start strength training more too, I love running and could run for hours but you have to drag me over to the weights. I have no excuse too, studying for my personal trainer certification, I know how important both are. I do think you can count yoga as strength training too, have you noticed improvement in your strength after all the yoga you’ve been doing? I know I feel it in my arms and abs after a good long session!
on Mar 20th, 2009 at 7:15 pm
I love strength training! Brad Schoenfeld has 2 great books on strength training for women.
on Mar 20th, 2009 at 7:19 pm
@RunningWithin: Yes, I think I’ve gotten a little bit stronger. The poses that used to be hard for me are getting much easier.
on Mar 20th, 2009 at 7:30 pm
what a creative yogurt snack!
YUM!
on Mar 20th, 2009 at 7:42 pm
Great snack Tina – i always forget about pumpkin! I hope you are feeling better.
zesty
on Mar 20th, 2009 at 8:21 pm
Enjoy the Chinese! I’m much more flexible, and I’ve started enjoying the faster pace flows as well.
on Mar 20th, 2009 at 8:35 pm
I’ve learned to appreciate many different forms of yoga, instead of the power yoga that I started with
on Mar 20th, 2009 at 8:52 pm
Awesome snack! I would never think to add pumpkin to yogurt. I have definitely seen my strength improve since I started practicing yoga. I have always had balance and flexibility but I have never been strong. Now, I just need to work on my breathing and focus. Hope you have a fabulous Friday and enjoy the Chinese food
on Mar 20th, 2009 at 8:53 pm
I go through phases of strength training but lately I’ve been really into it. You forget just how strong it makes you feel! Sometimes I flex in front of the bathroom mirror:-)
on Mar 20th, 2009 at 9:06 pm
Yeah for Chinese food! Good luck with the strength training!
on Mar 20th, 2009 at 9:09 pm
Yum! The snack looks amazing. I, too, am going to work on strength more! I rarely do it!
on Mar 20th, 2009 at 9:56 pm
I have noticed a significant improvement in my overall flexibility, but particularly in my legs, which have been notoriously inflexible for as long as I can remember! (Remember that awful “presidential fitness test” from middle school?? The “sit-and-reach” was the bane of my existence!) I’ve also noticed I have better focus and breath while doing yoga, and my confidence is improving! I did yoga for ten minutes with the preschoolers I teach today — they were totally into it!
on Mar 20th, 2009 at 10:31 pm
i hope you get better soon!
that sunset yoga class looks really neat.
My husband and I have been doing BodyPump classes the past couple of months and I love feeling so much stronger.
on Mar 20th, 2009 at 10:49 pm
Feel better soon!
on Mar 20th, 2009 at 10:49 pm
I finally brought my first pack of Puffins on Wednesday and it is already almost done…it is soooooooo delish! I am so glad that I picked the pb box…maybe next time I will get cinnamon or BOTH lol
Tina, I did that workout the other night and also really enjoyed it…
Today I did 25 minutes which included sun salutations, back bends and some warrior poses.
have a great night everyone…
on Mar 20th, 2009 at 11:12 pm
That snack is incredibly pretty! Greasy chinese cures many things!
Please share more on strength training, i need to work on that!
on Mar 20th, 2009 at 11:23 pm
I have gained arm strength from my yoga practice which has made all of the downward dogs and chatarungas a lot easier!
Today I went to my first yoga class! It was different than what I expected, and I didn’t work as hard as I do on my yoga DVDs. However, the instruction was useful, and it was nice to have an instructor critique and adjust my asanas. I bought a 2 week pass, so maybe I’ll find a different class that I like better.
on Mar 21st, 2009 at 12:03 am
Day 20: Just a short 20 minute Morning Flow. While I’m not at school it’s so much harder to stay in a routine
on Mar 21st, 2009 at 3:36 am
you say you’re going to strength train 3 times a week- what length of session do you think is advisable? I’m also happy with my weight but would like to feel a bit stronger/more toned!
on Mar 21st, 2009 at 4:47 am
my biggest improvement has been in the downward dog pose. i can actually do it now and don’t hate it like i did the first week or two of my practice. it’s become one of my favorite poses.
on Mar 21st, 2009 at 7:56 am
I love mixing pumpkin puree into yogurt – I had a similar concoction for breakfast a few days ago, including toasted walnuts. They are my favorite nuts, and I actually just made some walnut-almond butter, which turned out pretty well!
on Mar 21st, 2009 at 8:51 am
I kinda slacked off on working my muscle out too. Cardio is good but I need to do some strength training. Good luck at getting those muscles back!!
on Mar 22nd, 2009 at 1:35 pm
I like how you mixed the pumpkin with yogurt! I’m going to have to try that!
on Mar 23rd, 2009 at 2:38 pm
I am trying to recommit myself to strength training as well. I feel the same way as you do right now about how I felt last summer vs. now. I wonder if it ties into the seasonal differences too?
Anyway, good luck with recommitting! I appreciate you sharing this with us.