Hey everyone,

Today I turned a corner. Lately you see, I have been struggling with my motivation (to say the least) – and this was due to the effects of increased stress in my life (work, relationships, personal struggles). It was getting on top of me and for the last two months, the things that I have been very passionate about for the past 2 years, seemed to interest me less and less.  I knew this would pass and I am happy to say, that in the past week, I have started to see the light at the end of the tunnel! Maybe it has something to do with the brighter days, or that I have been taking everything easy for a few weeks, but either way, things are getting better. I have just been doing what I want and not putting too much thought into anything.  A couple of weeks ago, I was looking at my “to-do” list and could not focus on one item – I just had no interest and had even started to consider packing everything in (blog, Social Media, GGS … just shutting everything out). Being online so much can create a disconnect with “real” life, and I was starting to think I no longer had a “real” life.  It was during this dark period that I got the most from my posts on Motivation and Overcoming Negativity. Also, strangely, my friend Bret Contreras wrote 2 timely posts “Happiness Part 1” and “Happiness Part 2” (both excellent reads).  I was determined to overcome this hump in my road, and I think I have managed to take the first steps 🙂 I had to take responsibility for my happiness and start enjoying myself. I started spending more time out and about, meeting friends, going to the gym and classes which has helped me reconnect with my life  and passions, and I now feel I have more balance and purpose in life. Feeling lost, regardless of the reason, can cause your outlook on things to become distorted and every little stress becomes a drama. Luckily, I have managed to nip it in the bud before it took hold and dragged be down even further.

I haven’t mentioned anything on here, because I needed time to assess exactly what was happening to me. Now I know … things just got too much for me … and that’s ok! I recognised I was being weighed down and I opted to lighten the load (taking a break from some stressors) to allow me to process my feelings and shed fresh light on my life. I’m not saying I have everything figured out, but I have today figured out. Sometimes, looking too far ahead means you forget to live to the full NOW! Or it means you fail to properly deal with the challenges that you are facing today … so all the little things build up while you’re too busy focusing on the future.  Here’s to today everyone, because that’s all we really have !

Thanks for listening to my off-load there 🙂 I felt like I should explain why my updates have been less frequent.

Now on with the workout for today.

The Workout

This is an Intermediate Level workout that can easily be adapted for Beginners. Personally I found it challenging enough, so I reckon even frequent Workoutees will really enjoy the intensity.  I offer some suggestions below to help you know how to regress the exercises, but remember you can also simply adjust the interval times to suit your fitness level.

In addition, there is an optional Tabata Twist at the end for anyone looking for an extra challenge!

Set your Gymboss Interval Timer for 18 cycles of 15 seconds recovery and 45 seconds effort (you may also try 20/40, 30/30) and complete 3 rounds (either continuous or separate) of the following 6 exercises. My reps per exercise are noted below and I use a 20kg Kettlebell throughout:

1. Goblet Squat (19, 17, 16)
2. Alternating Kettlebell Swing (didn’t count)
3. Vertical Pull/Burpee (12, 11.5, 11)
4. Stand-Kneel-Stand (down using left leg, up using right) (14, 13, 13)
5. Stand-Kneel-Stand (down using right leg, up using left) (14, 14, 12)
6. Two Squat Jump Burpees (9, 9, 8 )

Tabata Twist (optional)

Reset your Gymboss Interval Timer for 8 cycles of 10 seconds rest and 20 seconds MAX effort and complete 4 rounds of the following 2 body weight exercises:

1. Mountain Climbers (44, 41, 40)
2. Side to Side Step Ups (21, 21, 18 )

The main reason for the Tabata was so I could include Mountain Climbers and make Raylene face her nemesis! haha! evil. On the Myomytv Facebook Page, I was asking the question about what we do about our nemeses … face them or run from them? You can join in regular discussions and fun polls on Facebook by “liking” my page 🙂

Now for some suggested exercise regressions for Beginners:

1. Either use a lighter Weight, sit back onto a low bench (squat to box), or do body weight Squats instead
2. Two-Handed Kettlebell Swing instead
3. You can either leave out the “Burpee” part and just do the Vertical Pull, or you can also reduce the height of the “Pull” by only raising the KB to chest level. This would be more like a High-Pull/Upright Row – The drive comes from the hips, the direction of the KB is vertical (so should stay close to the body), and you will pull using your upper back muscles near the top.
4. Stand-Kneel-Stands with Body Weight only. Focus on controlling the descent (so you don’t bang your knees off the floor) and then drive up with the opposite leg, squeezing the glutes at the top!
5. Same
6. Forget the Jumps and focus on Burpees with or without Push Ups (your call here).

You might also want to consider setting the repetitions, instead of having intervals:

1. Squat x 12 – 15 reps
2. Swing x 20 – 25 reps
3. Vertical Pull x 8 – 12 reps
4. S-K-S x 8 – 12 reps
5. Same on other side
6. Burpees x 8 – 12 reps

Recovery time: The time it takes you to catch your breath!  This will differ on each exercise, so just listen to your body and do your best 🙂

That’s it really for today everyone. I hope you enjoy this workout and will leave me some feedback so I know if it was a “yay” or “nay” !

Cheers

Marianne

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