Myomy Fitness

Healthy and Strong at Home with Kettlebells

Up in the Air | Kettlebell Triplet Workout Routine

Hi everyone, Finally, a long awaited update.  

Here are my excuses:

  • Busy and distracted with a lot of changes - Good changes 🙂
  • 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 .... 😉  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 🙂

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 🙂  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 😀

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  ðŸ™‚

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

  1. Thruster (right) (16kg) (12, 10)
  2. Thruster (left) (16kg) (11, 10)
  3. Two-Handed KB Swing (20kg) (29, 29)

Triplet 2

  1. Alternating Reverse Lunge (20kg) (18, 19)
  2. Burpee (10, 10) :/
  3. Alternating Swing (20kg) --> didn't count

Triplet 3

 

  1. Alternating Bent Over Row (20kg) (12, 10)
  2. Long Lever Plank Hold
  3. Roundabout Swing (20kg) --> no point in counting

And that's a wrap for today.  Boy did I miss my workouts 😀

 

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 🙂

 

Cheers,

Marianne

 

 


Hi everyone, Finally, a long awaited update.  Here are my excuses:

  • Busy and distracted with a lot of changes – Good changes 🙂
  • 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 …. 😉  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 🙂

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 🙂  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 😀

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  🙂

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

  1. Thruster (right) (16kg) (12, 10)
  2. Thruster (left) (16kg) (11, 10)
  3. Two-Handed KB Swing (20kg) (29, 29)
Triplet 2
  1. Alternating Reverse Lunge (20kg) (18, 19)
  2. Burpee (10, 10) :/
  3. Alternating Swing (20kg) –> didn’t count
Triplet 3
  1. Alternating Bent Over Row (20kg) (12, 10)
  2. Long Lever Plank Hold
  3. Roundabout Swing (20kg) –> no point in counting
And that’s a wrap for today.  Boy did I miss my workouts 😀
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 🙂
Cheers,
Marianne


Monster Workout | Kettlebell and Body Weight Strength Routine

Hi all,

Today, I decided to do my first Kettlebell workout in over 2 weeks! There are times I like to change things up, so this last while I decided to start walking EVERYWHERE. Last week, I walked a total of about 30 miles. This week will be over 20 🙂 When the weather is clear and dry, I just love walking in the crisp air.

Over the next while, I plan to do 2-3 gym workouts, 1 KB workout and a LOT of walking.  Keep things fresh!

The workout ended up being quite a long one in comparison to the usual - however it was fun and challenging, so I hardly saw the time go in.

The Workout

 

Set your Gymboss Classic Interval Timer for 10 cycles of 20 seconds rest and 40 seconds effort.  Complete 3 rounds in total of the 10 exercises and complete one set of the "Bridging Combination" after rounds 1 and 2.

My reps per exercise and weights used are recorded in brackets below:

  1. Stand-Kneel-Stand (right) (16kg) (13, 13, 12)
  2. Stand-Kneel-Stand (left) (16kg) (13, 13, 13)
  3. Renegade Row (2x16kg) (17, 16, 16)
  4. Two-Handed KB Swing (20kg then 24kg) (30, 30, 29)
  5. Side to Side Step Ups (42, 40, 40)
  6. Push Press (right) (14kg then 16kg) (15, 10, 9) 16kg was tough!
  7. Push Press (left) (same) (15, 11, 11) - better this side
  8. Single Leg RDL (left) (20kg then 2 x 16kg) (8, 7, 7) - balance was my main issue
  9. SL RDL (right) (same) (10, 8, 7)
  10. Burpees (10, 9, 9)

Bridging Combination

  • Seated Band Abductions x 20 reps
  • Pull Ups x 6 reps (or do a row)

I just loved this workout - it was the perfect mix of exercises 🙂

Hope you enjoy it too! Please let me know about the Comment section --> vote yes or no for the new set-up!

Cheers,

Marianne

2020 Update:

I now have a follow-along version of this workout

(with a few changes)

Lucky Dip Kettlebell Circuit Routine | HIIT Training Workout

Hi everyone,

Today I have a real treat of a variety workout for you.  It’s a Lucky Dip Kettlebell (and body weight) Circuit Routine! It may only be 18 minutes of HIIT Training, but there are also 18 or so different exercises to keep the fun times flowing 😀

Before I get on to explaining the workout, I just wanted to touch very briefly on what I was talking about the other day … “Amend Your Mind, Not Your Body“.   Since I realised the error of my thinking, I have felt so much better about things! I have been enjoying going into the gym and refocusing on my performance goals, rather than my fat loss goal.  It has caused a great sense of calm about things again and I feel relieved that I am not putting that pressure on  myself to be any happier than I am today 😀 I thought for a while there I was stuck again in that obsessive thinking and constant tracking – I’m freeeeeeeeeee !

Now for something else that ties in with what I have just re-realised 😉  My good friend Nia Shanks (from Beautiful Badass) has just released an awesome product – actually, I’d call it a comprehensive Training Resource.

The “Lift Like a Girl Guide” is:

the Ultimate Resource to Lift Like a Girl & Look Absolutely Awesome with Simple, No Nonsense Strength Training and Nutrition information. The Guide gives YOU the power and control to create workout programs and eating patterns that work for YOU. You’ll get all the tools you need to design customized training programs based on your training experience level, personal goals, equipment, and preferences.”

Now, I am not one for just selling you stuff willy nilly; I will only recommend the highest quality products and I am so proud of Nia because I personally know (from several rescheduled Skype chats), that she worked her southern butt off on this.  The cool thing about it is that it’s a VIDEO product and you get to learn by visual slides and have Nia explaining it all too.  Anyway, I recommend following the link above or by clicking on the photo below to take you straight to the Introduction page, which explains it more. Plus there’s 40% off until this Sunday (30th Sept 2012).

Last night I sat and listened to a portion of this jam-packed series and I can’t wait to listen to the rest and check out all the additional PDFs that come with it.  You actually won’t need to ask me any training or diet questions ever again LOL, because Nia has provided so much information for trainees at all levels (including programs).

Definitely worth checking out.

The Workout

I wrote out a bunch of exercises onto cut-outs of paper, rolled them up and then picked 6 exercises at random.  I then had to perform the exercises IN THE ORDER they were picked :/ eek!  I repeated this process until there were no rolled up bits of paper left.

Basically, I set my Gymboss Interval Timer for 6 cycles of 15 seconds rest and 45 effort. I performed the first 6 exercises, then stopped to chose the next 6 etc. My workout looked like this:

Round 1

  1. Renegade Row (2x16kg) x 19 reps
  2. Vertical Pull Burpee (20kg) x 9.5 reps
  3. Thruster (Right) (14kg) x 15 reps
  4. Thruster (Left) (14kg) x 14 reps
  5. Two-Jump Burpees x 8 reps
  6. Tactical Reverse Lunges (16kg) x 18 reps

Round 2

  1. Side to Side Step Over x 44 reps
  2. Staggered Push Ups x 16 reps
  3. Roundabout Swing (20kg) x about 29 reps??
  4. Push Press (right) (14kg) x 15 reps
  5. Push Press (left) (14kg) x 17 reps
  6. Divebombers (eeek) x 8 reps 🙁

Round 3

  1. Side Lunge (right) (12kg) x 14 reps
  2. Side Lunge (left) (12kg) x 12 reps
  3. Jungle Gym Inverted Row x 13 reps
  4. Goblet Squat (20kg) x 17 reps
  5. Alternating KB Swing (20kg) x 29 reps
  6. Skater Jumps (or my version LOL) x 16 reps – I have the WORST balance haha!

There you have it! I LOVED this workout 😀 And I can’t wait to do something like this again – maybe using dice, or a pack of cards – I have a few cool ideas already.

I am NOT going to slog my way through workouts for the sole purpose of burning fat – I want to improve my performance and have more fun workouts like this!

Who’s with me?  Could this be an idea for an October 31 Day Pledge? Maybe we could end the month with a Halloween fancy dress workout LOL!  AND Rog Lawson will be over visiting me that week, so I am sure he will know exactly how to make the workout more fun!

Have a great day!

Cheers,

Marianne.

My Come-Back Workout! Home Kettlebell Workouts

Hi everyone,

It pleases me to no end to say “I’M BACK!”.  Thank you all so much for all your kind words of support and endless patience over the past few weeks.  It really does mean a lot to me 🙂

In the lead up to this new workout I was limited to doing a few basic lower body exercises and mobility work to really “free up” my ankles, hips and lower back that had become tight from years of paying them little attention outside of loading them up and jumping a lot! Out of everything I have done over the last few months, three recent additions have made the biggest difference:

  1. Hip Mobility
  2. Introducing spinal mobility work (moving the spine in all its intended directions)
  3. Foam Rolling: calves, quads, IT Band, hips, glutes, and my whole back.

I have been so focused on “protecting” my lower back by keeping it rigidly neutral ALL THE TIME, in the same plane of movement, that there is no give in it when I have to move suddenly and/or awkwardly (which I often do in work).  By back extends, but poorly flexes (both anterior and lateral flexion).  Perhaps my SI Joint has had to pick up the slack?? Who knows, but I think that most of us could do with remembering that, while spinal STABILITY is very important during many activities, the design of the spine suggests it was meant to move, and move in more than 2 directions.  Like everything, you must not load these movements until you have achieved good range of movement.  Otherwise you will risk injury.  You will notice that I perform 2 new exercises in today’s workout.  I caution you to take the advice I offer at the end of the video, and use body weight first.

Another small thing I want to talk about now is something else that caused more stress while I was “off training” than I am happy to admit …. I worried about getting fat more than I have for a long time 🙁  I can tell by how I look on camera and how my clothes fit now that I have gained a little weight.  I struggle with adjusting my calories to suit my activity levels, and I tend to be an emotional eater – not a good combo when you’re less active and depressed about it LOL! Anyway, I have spent quite a long time “preaching” that by focusing on performance goals, aesthetic goals become less important … hmm, until you are out of action with an injury! Yes, I worried about losing strength, but if I’m honest, I worried more about my body fat and my cellulite than how many pull ups I could still do.  Luckily, I resisted the temptation to weigh myself, or that could have made things even uglier, as I dove further into self-pity!

That being said, now that I am back in full swing, I am not going on some fat loss journey (this breeds the fat loss mentality quicker than rabbits on caffine). I worried that my obsession to be lean had come back, and that I would go to extremes with my training and eating to undo the PERCEIVED fat gain. Thankfully, my rational mind has returned and I am simply doing what I was doing (training to reach strength and performance goals) with the PEACE OF MIND that fat loss will be a SIDE EFFECT.  What I did learn from the past is that having fat loss as your only goal/main (for me) makes it encompass your thoughts, and your actions become irrational: Like you start doing loads of cardio again, start depriving yourself of the foods you love, cutting carbs (things that you haven’t done in years) … all because you panic that what you did before might not work.

Now I know (in my 30 years wise 😉 ) that I had found what works for me. Strength Training + Intermittent Fasting + relaxed attitude = Best body for Marianne 🙂  This combo worked for me before, so why not again. I now know how important the training is and how, if I am inactive again, I MUST adjust my eating temporarily if I want to look the same.

Fellow Girls Gone Strong Co-Found Jen Comas Keck wrote a great article last week on a similar topic. I highly recommend you read it if you have a tendency to panic at the slight hint that things aren’t working. I found myself nodding in agreement throughout.

ANYWAY – with all of that off my chest, let’s get back to business!

The Workout

There are 4 Triplets in today’s workout.  I set the reps and used my Gymboss Interval Timer for some exercises that I set for 40 seconds. I performed 2 rounds of each Triplet before moving on. Of course feel free to adjust the reps, times and rounds to suit yourselves, but this was enough for me today!

Triplet 1

  1. 1.5 Rep Double KB Front Squats x 5 – 7 reps (I used 2x14kg)
  2. Burpees x 40 seconds
  3. Side Bends x 12 – 15 reps each side (I used 6kg, but started a few weeks back with body weight only)

Triplet 2

  1. 1.5 Rep Single Arm Row (Right and Left) x 5-7 reps (I used 16kg)
  2. Dynamic Squats x 40 seconds
  3. RKC Plank x 40 seconds (legs together method)

Triplet 3

  1. *Russian Hockey Deadlift (aka Rotational Deadlift) x 20 total reps (I used 16kg)
  2. Double KB Military Press x 5 – 7 reps (I used 2x14kg)
  3. Hanging Knee Raises x 12 – 15 reps (purpose to work on unloaded lumbar flexion)

*David Dellanave wrote this very interesting article on different lifts such as the Rotational Deadlift and I will be writing more about my experiences in relation to the improvement in my SI Joint issues.

Triplet 4

  1. Pull Ups x 5 – 7 reps (only managing 5 of these)
  2. Two-Handed KB Swing x 40 seconds (I used 20kg)
  3. Side to Side Bench Jump Overs x 40 Seconds (trying to avoid single leg exercises, plus this is a great core workout!)

Well folks, that is it for today. I felt great after this workout, and I was so happy to have the lovely weather with it.  Hope you all enjoy it too!

See you soon!

Marianne

A Laugh a Day! Kettlebell and Body Weight Couplet Home Workout

Hi everyone,

As many of you will know, about a month ago I came to a decision about my career as a nurse … as in, I decided I was going to apply for a career break to allow me more time to properly explore my Fitness projects.  After the initial excitement from all the amazing responses to my post “My Big Decision”, I realised that this transition won’t be immediate and I must have patience.  To act rashly, with emotional frustration, would likely see me in a worse position… so I must continue my nursing for a few more months to allow me to save money like a crazy person in order support myself once I leave.  I have had a few comments about why I am still talking about my work “if” I have left!  When the time is right, it will be right.  For now, I am learning how to delay my gratification (so to speak), and put up with a less desirable situation with the knowledge that it will allow me to be better prepared for when I do leave and can focus on more of what I love…  Now that I am 30, I must start showing some wisdom 😉

That being said, I will have an announcement in the next few days about a VERY exciting NEW project (yes another project), that I think you will LOVE!! 😀  In fact, quite a few exciting things will be coming to a head very soon … *mysterious music plays*

After nearly a whole week of rest from training (I did promise myself last week I would rest more) I was excited to have very little pain and nice enough weather to train outside on Friday.  This is what I did:

The Workout

I took my time through the following 3 couplets.  It was great actually …  just to enjoy focusing on the movements and my breathing (a little more than usual), and as I mentioned in the video … I foam rolled before the workout, which also helped a lot.

Foam rolling is something I see a lot of other trainers teach to their clients, and many of the GGS co-founders use this as part of their warm up and recovery … perhaps it was ignorance, a little “what do I need with that?” attitude; maybe even a little laziness on my part that caused me to resist implementing it sooner, but I am hearing more and more about the benefits of soft tissue therapy, trigger points, and self myofacial release … so I thought it was about time I quit being judgmental about it and JUST TRY IT.   So try it I have – and it does help!

Oh boy, do I have a lot to learn!

I was so glad to train again: Lately my diet has gone off the rails a little and I was feeling rather “squishy” that particular day, though I think it was more hormone-related … ah, the joys of estrogen :/

A.N.Y.W.A.Y.

I was talking about the 3 couplets before I went off on a tangent about foam rolling and estrogen … basically, I set the reps lowish for most of the exercises (couplets 1 and 2) and did 3 rounds of each couplet. The intensity changes throughout the workout, ending on a high heart rate (couplet 3 has set times).  However, that doesn’t mean that each couplet doesn’t comes with its own challenge.  As you will see in the first couplet, the main challenge for me was keeping a hold on the Kettlebell LOL! 😉

Please feel free to increase or decrease the reps or time depending on your own ability. Even change the exercise, if you feel the one listed is too advanced.

Couplet 1

  1. Goblet Squat x 10 reps (20kg)
  2. Snatch (left then right) x 5 reps (started with 20kg and down-graded to 16kg after the mishap)

Couplet 2

  1. Pull Up x max reps (for me, on that day, this was 5 reps)
  2. Burpees x 10 reps

Couplet 3 – rest enough after the first exercise to allow a good fall in heart rate.

  1. Two-Handed KB Swing (20kg) (more relaxed swing) x 1 min
  2. RKC Plank x max time (for me I managed 56 secs, 58 secs, 1min 9 secs) – this should be very challenging

For those who want to see my Kettlebell Snatch Mishap again … here is a video I posted on Facebook the other day! Can’t believe 2 people disliked this on YouTube!! Clearly they need to grow a sense of humour … someone even told me to start wearing straps LOL – silliness! Just laugh and like it 😛

Have a great day everyone! SEE YOU ALL soooon 😉 *this is a hint*

~ Marianne

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