Over a year ago I switched off my video camera and for a while I didn’t think I’d “put myself out there” ever again. Then, as I was thinking about what I want to do with my life now that I am in the U.S, I realised how I gave up on my dream. My dream was to keep producing content to help people and make a living from either training people directly or over the internet. One of the things I enjoyed most about my blog was that I got to share the ins and outs, ups and downs of my life. I felt passionately about expressing these things because it just might help somebody else see that we all have insecurities, doubt, joys, and trials. I feel like I stopped believing that anyone would want to hear me.*I* didn’t want to hear me, and so I stopped… I let my own self-doubt and self-analysis stop me feeling safe to be e-vulnerable.
Since leaving Saudi just 4 weeks ago, I can already tell that something has shifted inside me and I am ready to do *something*! I am ready to get back on the horse, turn my camera back on and let “the world” see me as I am, where I am at, and invite you to walk with me once again as I try to put into words (and action) the lessons I have learned, the things I *still* struggle with, and how I decide what is worth taking with me or what I ought to leave behind.
Today, I filmed a workout in my basement with my NEW Kettlebells. It was very simply 3 rounds of 5 exercises. I started the workout thinking I’d just do it and edit it afterward, but something made me start to give training cues and I kept the video running for the entire workout so you could see and hear me struggle, succeed, chat, and laugh. Maybe it will motivate you to pick up a KB and join in ð
I am neither as fit, strong, lean as I was, but I want this to encourage you because I want you to accept and celebrate that your body is an otherwise empty vessel and it’s what’s inside you that gives you value, because that’s where you are.
It is because of who I am that I am doing these things with my body; doing this things with my body does not make me any more or less valuable. And this applies also to how I look.
So, let’s get on with it…
Complete 3 rounds of the following:
Goblet Squat: x 10 reps
Push-Ups: x 10 reps
Dynamic Squat: x 10 reps
Two-Handed KB Swing: x 10 reps
Plank Jacks: x 10 reps
Good as a short and sweet blast workout for high intensity or general fitness, or as a finisher to a longer strength workout.
So, it looks like my life is about to take me on an unexpected journey … to Saudi Arabia, where Jonathan works. Â It just blows my mind how much has happened in my life in the last year: Â Moved home (feeling i was back to square one), met Jonathan (and tried to remain positive about the long time we’d have apart), left my nursing job (hugest leap of faith i ever took!) … then things really took off when I got engaged to Jonathan (to get married on New Years Eve 2013) and… moving to the KSA early next year! Â Weeeeeeeeeeeeeee!
Talk about an adventure!
Never give up hope of your life being better than you even thought possible. Though you will have challenges, pain and hardship, you should always seek to look at the bigger picture, never feel insignificant and always feel grateful for the things you learn along the way.
And now, since you survived all the mush, here is my latest workout as your reward ð lol
The Workout
Set your Gymboss Interval Timer for 6-9 cycles of 20 seconds rest and 40 seconds effort. Complete 2-3 rounds of the following Triplets and rest as indicated:
Triplet 1
1. Goblet Squat (20kg) (18, 17)
2. Single-Leg Hip Thrust (r) (15, 13)
3. Single-Leg Hip Thrust (l) (14, 14)
(Rest for  about 2 mins)
Triplet 2
1. Renegade Row: (2x16kg) (18, 16)
2. Single-Arm Swing (r): (20kg) (23, 20)
3. Single-Arm Swing (l): (20kg) (22, 20)
(Rest about 2 mins)
Triplet 3
1. Push Press (r): (16kg) (12, 10)
2. Push Press (l): (16kg) (13, 10)
3. Two-Handed Swing: (24kg) (30, 29)
So, that’s about it for today. Â BTW – I saw a few of the ‘tests” for my new site design the other day … and it is going to be awesome ! Getting new photos taken in the next couple of weeks. I really can’t thank you all enough for allowing me to keep improving things and to continue doing what i love.
Oh what a long time it has been since I posted a workout! Â I figured there was plenty here to keep you going, which is why I was putting some other material out recently. However, today I am back with a different style of workout for fun. Â But first, a little question about what YOU would like to see from me in the future.
Well, actually, I wanted to run an idea by you and get your feedback. Â Over the years, I have been asked [a lot] about releasing a dvd or having some sort of “train with me” system. Â Last year I toyed with Live Webcam Classes and this was problematic because of time-zones and my work shifts. Â So, I was thinking about taking about 5 of my most popular workouts and/or 5 new ones and re-filming them as if I was taking a class. I would give pointers and cues and then redo my tutorial section to include all my most common exercises so that you would have guidance and instruction AND motivation throughout the workout. Â There would be a small charge per “class” (like $7), but the tutorials and ALL existing workouts would be free. Actually, I would still provide free workouts (as promised), but they would not be full versions (they would be the usual cuts), but then I would offer the full class-style as an additional service.
Basically I am wanting to ask your opinion on this idea: is it something you would like? Or do you have anything you would like to see from me? Â I still need to work out the details, but I never want to just assume this is something that would be popular. Â I want to deliver something that YOU want to see. Â If you don’t feel comfortable leaving feedback or a suggestion in public, then send me a private email to myomytv@gmail.com and I will gladly listen to your opinion.
I have another idea in the pipeline, but I have already decided to do it and I really think it will be SO helpful for a lot of people and I am putting my heart and soul into it – it is a subject/area close to my heart and it will be free to a good home ð
It’s moments like these when it hits me that I am now blessed with the time and chance to really do what I love ð I am so happy to be here doing this.
Before I turn into a sentimental mess, let’s get on with the new workout …
The Workout
Simply: 5 exercises; 5 reps per exercise and complete 5 rounds…. easy, right? ð Â Oh, and followed by L-Sit Practice! Double ð
Deficit Reverse Lunge (right and left) x 5
Military Press (regressing to Push Press +/- negatives) (right and left) x 5 reps
Single-Leg RDL (Right and Left) x 5 reps
One-sided Renegade Row (one side at a time) x 5 reps
Double Swing (or single arm swing, or heavy 2H Swing) x 5 reps (for more challenging weights) –> I switched to a single KB for the final 2 rounds and did 25 reps instead.
After all the cat stuff at the start, I totally forgot to time this. I admit, it took me longer than it should have … I dilly dally a lot during workouts and need constant motivation haha!
Hope you enjoy the workout.
Oh, here’s a mini tutorial on the L-sit to help you understand what I am *trying* to achieve. It’s about combining good shoulder positioning (encouraging stability) along with core engagement. Â Often, through my training I had the bad habit of letting my core disengage (unknowingly) and over extending my lumbar during any exercises that require hip flexion. Â Training the L-Sit (along with other exercises and retraining of my awareness) is helping my core do more stabilising of my spine. Â Having good shoulder positioning will help in this too.
In the VERY near future I will have a guest blog/V-Blog interview with Dr Jonathan Fass, who is a Physical Therapist and Strength Coach (and *much* more …. including being my wonderful [LOML] boyfriend *grin* ) and he will explain all this much better than I can ð Â So stay tuned AND in the meantime, find him on Facebook HERE.
Hope you enjoy the workout and I look forward to reading your feedback on the workout classes ð
Right now I am in Paducah, Kentucky with Ms Nia Shanks and the weather is fantastic! The weather on my trip has made me so happy because the last few months back home has been freezing! ð However, looking at the forecast for Kansas City, (where we’re attending the Fitness Summit), it might get SNOW!! But I am sure it will still be an amazing trip ð
My time in Phoenix was great. Bret Contreras conducted EMG experiments on me while I did various lifts and we got to train together at his friend’s amazing home gym. I will post more about this later … and I have a training video from our last session that Bret kindly put together.
Diana (Bret’s GF), Bret and myself
Diana and I at the top of Camelback Mountain in Phoenix.
I am so excited about the next few days. I will post more about my trip next week when I get home. For now, I’ll leave you with this very simple, very quick workout.
The Workout
1) Reverse Lunges: 3×8-15 Â (I started with 40lbs and then added one 12kg KB and finished with adding 2x12kg KBs) (my reps: 15, 12, 8 )
2a) Burpees: 3×10
2b) KB Swings: 3×15 (I did double swings with 2x12kg)
The heat made this workout twice as hard! The weighted vest added a new feel to the lunges because of how the weight is distributed… It felt more challenging IMO.
Busy and distracted with a lot of changes - Good changes ð
A little laziness - just coming home from work and putting my feet up and spending time with loved ones.
Over all, a bit of a lull in motivation with regards to home workouts - once I'm finished my Personal Training sessions, I am outta there and heading home to relax!
I have realised that I need to re-organise everything and try to limit my time in the studio, spend more time online again and work towards a big move .... ð Yep, the plan is finally in motion and I am working towards relocating to the USA (hopefully by the end of this year). However, I have decided to begin the long process of registering as a nurse over there to help with both income and securing a more long-term visa. Being a trainer is still as important to me, but I am not sure I will have the immediate job security (and healthcare) that I would get as a nurse... considering my medical condition etc. If I take steps to securing my nursing registration, then I will have more freedom to continue with my blog, online training and the occasional stint of travel. Which is worth it to me ð
The last few weeks have really drilled home just how much I value everything that I have achieved and all the amazing opportunities that have come my way because of my blog. And, if anyone knows of somewhere willing to take on an intern for a few months to learn new Training Skills, then I am open to any opportunities for that ð The more training I get as a trainer, the better I will be. After all, we never stop being students.
In a couple of days I will be jetting off to the USA for 2 weeks. Phoenix, Kentucky and Kansas City are my destinations. Hopefully I will be able to share a few travel workouts and some fun stuff along the way. I'll be hanging out with Bret Contreras (Phoenix), Nia Shanks (Kentucky) and many more friends in Kansas (at the Fitness Summit), so there should be a lot to tell you. I am super excited!
Next, the other day, I mentioned on Facebook I was writing a post on Supersets ... this is one yet to be completed, but in the meantime I bring you this brand new conditioning workout from home ð
Before I show you the workout, there was something else I wanted to talk about. From time to time, I get messages from people thanking me for being such an inspiration to them. They often refer to their fitness/weight/body image struggles and they will often thank me from helping them through it, or making them see there is hope. When I get these messages, my immediate response is to feel like a complete fraud. WHY? Because I am still struggling with many of the same issues as them and I want to be free of these things as much as the person messaging me and then ACTUALLY be able to help them with a sure-fire way of winning the war they are fighting. I feel that I should have it sussed and I should be without these issues. The truth is, I am not! I am exactly the same as many of you: fighting my own war, battle to battle and struggling with demons that seem to pop up right when I think I have things under control. Feeling like a fraud is an extension of my negative self-talk, because when I think about it rationally, I realise that actually no one *really* expects me to be perfect - I just think they do. All this does is knock my confidence more and increases my self-condemnation for failing in some way. This is so crazy! Lately, I have picked up on a few triggers for this stuff. It might be helpful for you to think for a minute about what sets these thoughts and feelings off. Here are some of mine:
Stress!
I have a looming holiday where I will be in my bikini (and we all know the demons that come out with that one!)
I have gained weight and some clothes are tighter :-/ This is one of the toughest ones to feel better about, because you either start doing something about it or, like me, you sabotage yourself even more under the stress/panic response.
I am meeting a lot of new people soon. People who have read my blog and watched my workouts for a long time. Being a shy(ish) person, I stress about living up to people's expectations of me and this manifests in worrying about how I look even more!
What I do know is that I am not the only one who experiences these things. The only thing I want to convey here is that there is no magic answer that will cure you of every negative thought about yourself. They have a habit of coming back time and time again. But knowing that, in itself, is a power over it by remembering that each phase passes and you do get through that period of particular difficulty. Just like I said in my "Beyond the Crest of a Wave" article, you must keep your eyes on the forest rather than focus on the tree that appears to be blocking the path. And, FYI, just because I am writing this, does not mean I am successful at this all of the time. In fact, I am writing this for myself equally as much as I am writing it for you. Hopefully we can help each other through the periods when things become less clear by talking about it.
Just know that I understand and I am on your side to beating this stuff ð
The Workout
Set your Gymboss Classic Interval Timer for 6 cycles of 20 seconds rest and 40 seconds effort. Complete 2 rounds of the following 3 Triplets.
Triplet 1
Thruster (right) (16kg) (12, 10)
Thruster (left) (16kg) (11, 10)
Two-Handed KB Swing (20kg) (29, 29)
Triplet 2
Alternating Reverse Lunge (20kg) (18, 19)
Burpee (10, 10) :/
Alternating Swing (20kg) --> didn't count
Triplet 3
Alternating Bent Over Row (20kg) (12, 10)
Long Lever Plank Hold
Roundabout Swing (20kg) --> no point in counting
And that's a wrap for today. Boy did I miss my workouts ð
Hope you enjoy the workout and I hope you will comment on the other stuff. Even if you never struggle with these things, it's good to hear from you ð
Cheers,
Marianne
Hi everyone, Finally, a long awaited update. Â Here are my excuses:
Busy and distracted with a lot of changes – Good changes ð
A little laziness – just coming home from work and putting my feet up and spending time with loved ones.
Over all, a bit of a lull in motivation with regards to home workouts – once I’m finished my Personal Training sessions, I am outta there and heading home to relax!
I have realised that I need to re-organise everything and try to limit my time in the studio, spend more time online again and work towards a big move …. ð Â Yep, the plan is finally in motion and I am working towards relocating to the USA (hopefully by the end of this year). Â However, I have decided to begin the long process of registering as a nurse over there to help with both income and securing a more long-term visa. Being a trainer is still as important to me, but I am not sure I will have the immediate job security (and healthcare) that I would get as a nurse… considering my medical condition etc. Â If I take steps to securing my nursing registration, then I will have more freedom to continue with my blog, online training and the occasional stint of travel. Â Which is worth it to me ð
The last few weeks have really drilled home just how much I value everything that I have achieved and all the amazing opportunities that have come my way because of my blog. Â And, if anyone knows of somewhere willing to take on an intern for a few months to learn new Training Skills, then I am open to any opportunities for that ð Â The more training I get as a trainer, the better I will be. After all, we never stop being students.
In a couple of days I will be jetting off to the USA for 2 weeks. Phoenix, Kentucky and Kansas City are my destinations. Â Hopefully I will be able to share a few travel workouts and some fun stuff along the way. I’ll be hanging out with Bret Contreras (Phoenix), Nia Shanks (Kentucky) and many more friends in Kansas (at the Fitness Summit), so there should be a lot to tell you. I am super excited!
Next, the other day, I mentioned on Facebook I was writing a post on Supersets … this is one yet to be completed, but in the meantime I bring you this brand new conditioning workout from home ð
Before I show you the workout, there was something else I wanted to talk about. Â From time to time, I get messages from people thanking me for being such an inspiration to them. They often refer to their fitness/weight/body image struggles and they will often thank me from helping them through it, or making them see there is hope. Â When I get these messages, my immediate response is to feel like a complete fraud. Â WHY? Because I am still struggling with many of the same issues as them and I want to be free of these things as much as the person messaging me and then ACTUALLY be able to help them with a sure-fire way of winning the war they are fighting. Â I feel that I should have it sussed and I should be without these issues. The truth is, I am not! I am exactly the same as many of you: fighting my own war, battle to battle and struggling with demons that seem to pop up right when I think I have things under control. Feeling like a fraud is an extension of my negative self-talk, because when I think about it rationally, I realise that actually no one *really* expects me to be perfect – I just think they do. All this does is knock my confidence more and increases my self-condemnation for failing in some way. Â This is so crazy! Â Lately, I have picked up on a few triggers for this stuff. Â It might be helpful for you to think for a minute about what sets these thoughts and feelings off. Here are some of mine:
Stress!
I have a looming holiday where I will be in my bikini (and we all know the demons that come out with that one!)
I have gained weight and some clothes are tighter :-/ This is one of the toughest ones to feel better about, because you either start doing something about it or, like me, you sabotage yourself even more under the stress/panic response.
I am meeting a lot of new people soon. People who have read my blog and watched my workouts for a long time. Being a shy(ish) person, I stress about living up to people’s expectations of me and this manifests in worrying about how I look even more!
What I do know is that I am not the only one who experiences these things. The only thing I want to convey here is that there is no magic answer that will cure you of every negative thought about yourself. They have a habit of coming back time and time again. But knowing that, in itself, is a power over it by remembering that each phase passes and you do get through that period of particular difficulty. Â Just like I said in my “Beyond the Crest of a Wave” article, you must keep your eyes on the forest rather than focus on the tree that appears to be blocking the path. And, FYI, just because I am writing this, does not mean I am successful at this all of the time. In fact, I am writing this for myself equally as much as I am writing it for you. Hopefully we can help each other through the periods when things become less clear by talking about it.
Just know that I understand and I am on your side to beating this stuff  ð
The Workout
Set your Gymboss Classic Interval Timer for 6 cycles of 20 seconds rest and 40 seconds effort. Complete 2 rounds of the following 3 Triplets.
Triplet 1
Thruster (right) (16kg) (12, 10)
Thruster (left) (16kg) (11, 10)
Two-Handed KB Swing (20kg) (29, 29)
Triplet 2
Alternating Reverse Lunge (20kg) (18, 19)
Burpee (10, 10) :/
Alternating Swing (20kg) –> didn’t count
Triplet 3
Alternating Bent Over Row (20kg) (12, 10)
Long Lever Plank Hold
Roundabout Swing (20kg) –> no point in counting
And that’s a wrap for today. Â Boy did I miss my workouts ð
Hope you enjoy the workout and I hope you will comment on the other stuff. Even if you never struggle with these things, it’s good to hear from you ð
