30 Day Challenge #3 and an Update

Yesterday was my final day on my 30 day Challenge #2.  It actually took me 2 months to finish and I ended up really doing it 1 1/2 times because of sickness and an injury, but I am finally done!  Wohoo!!!  These really are incredible.  I am so pleased with how far I have come in the last 3 months.  So, I finished doing the Push-ups and Buttock challenge.  I was also doing squats and sit-ups every day so I didn't lose what I gained with the last challenge.  It still only took me about 30 minutes or less each day to complete it.  After the 1st challenge, I had lost 8 1/2 inches collectively between my each of my legs and arms, my waist and hips.  I did not measure my butt of my neck with that challenge, but I did with this one because I could see and feel the difference.  I am once again happy to say, I lost another 5 inches bringing me to a total of 13 1/2 in 60 days of exercise!!!!  I still have only lost 1 more pound, but my sister Melanie keeps telling me, "it's not the number that counts, it's how you feel.  If you are seeing a difference, it IS making a difference!".  I will keep this in mind as I continue with my challenges.

This month I have chosen to do a Lunge Challenge and a different AB Challenge.  The Lunge Challenge is also through the 30 Day Fitness Challenges site.  It does not say specifically if you are to do each number it says per leg or total, so I am assuming it means per leg.  For instance, day 1 says 20 lunges.  I will do 20 on each leg.  Honestly, I will probably to 10 forward, per leg, and then the other 10 as side lunges, per leg.  That way it will strengthen each muscle and work on the inner thighs too!  Fun times.

ABS

For the abs, I am choosing to do the P90X ab workout each day for the next 30 day, plus 2 others.  I will list the order of the sit-ups for the P90X, just in case you do not have access to the DVD.  It should only take 14 minutes to complete this part.  You should be able to have the whole workout done in 30 minutes each day. You wll do each of these for 1 minute each.  Some you will do for 2, if it says  

 to switch sides.  Here is a site you can see Tony Horton (the maker of the P90X videos) doing all of the sit-up poses.  Down below is a description of them.

After doing this for a couple of days and not being able to complete any of these exercises for the full 1 minute yet, I have an easier option if you'd like to try it.  The first day, I did 15 of each of the exercises.  The second day I did 20.  From then on, I am just adding 1 more per exercise, per day until I can do the full minute.

If this is too easy after a few days, start adding an extra 5 seconds per exercise, per day and by day 30, you should be getting quite a good challenge!  

1.  In and Outs

  You will sit on your bottom, leaning back on your hands.  Your body will shape a V.  You will move your legs out straight (in the air, not touching the ground) then bring them back up towards your chin.

2.  Seated Bicycle

Stay in the same position you were just in for "in and outs".  Again, lean back on your hands.  The first round you will bicycle your feet forward, like you are peddling a bike.  The next round you will go backwards.  

3.  Seated Crunchy Frog

For this one, you will again stay in the same position as the first 3.  This will be like the "in and outs" with your legs moving straight out, the crunching back to your body.  Your arms, however, will wrap around your legs when they are in, and go out straight out to your sides when your legs go out.  It is really hard, but by day 30, you will be a master!

4.  Wide Leg Sit-ups

For this one, you will lay on your back with your legs spread out wide and straight.  Put one hand behind your head, the other one straight out.  Lift your body up and with your straight hand, reach across your body and touch the toe of the opposite foot.  Lay back down and switch arms.  Continue alternating until the time is up.  

5.  Fifer scissor

You will continue lying on your back for this one.  Both legs will be off of the ground; one just 2-3 inches off the ground, the other straight up in the air at 90 degrees.  You will alternate each leg while maintaining your lower leg off the floor.  

I will admit, the first few days of this, my lower foot will probably touch the ground off and on.  By the end, I know they will both be able to maintain their distance from the floor.

6.  Hips Rock and Raise

You start on the floor again for this one.  Your legs and knees will be "rocking" from just off the floor to 90 degrees in the air.  Both legs together, keeping your heels together.  When your legs go up, your bottom comes off the floor a little as well.

7.  Pulse Up

 Stay on your back again for this one, feet straight up in the air at 90 degrees and together.  You will raise your feet as high up in towards the ceiling as you can.  Your bottom will again come off the floor.

8.  Roll-up/V-up Combo

You will start out on your back, everything touching the floor.  You will sit up, arm straight out in front of you, touch your toes.  As you are lying back down, your feet will follow you up into the air.  You will raise your arms back up in the air to touch your feet again.  

I hope that makes sense.  You will basically be doing a full, straight leg sit-up, and then a half one following that when your feet are in the air.  

9.  Oblique V-up

For this one, you will be lying on your side.  Put the arm of the side facing up, behind your head.  Both legs will be together and off the floor.  You will do side crunches in this position with both legs and head off of the ground.

You will do this on both sides.  

10.  Leg Climb

You will lie on your back again with one knee propped up and the other leg straight in the air.  You will climb up your leg until you reach your straight up foot.  Grab the inside of your knee with one hand, the outside of your calf with the other hand, finally your foot with the opposite hand again. 

Repeat on the other side.

11.  Mason Twist

This one stinks, no way around it!  It would even stink at the very beginning!  

You will sit upright, knees bend, and legs off the ground.  With your arms, you will twist from side to side, touching your hands to the ground before switching to the other side.  Your feet will be off the ground for all of this!  OUCH.  

For the first few days, you may need to touch your feet to the ground for a period of time but at least try to keep them off.  

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My 2 that I also want to add are these.  This may be too much.  As I have never done this particular challenge all together, I do not know but I am going to try all of this together!

1.  Lower Ab Crunch

For this one, you will lie back onto your back again.  Bring your legs together until your feet touch (forming a diamond with your legs).  You will just do regular crunches from here with your hands behind your head.  Day 1, start with 20.  Add 5 more crunches everyday.  The final day you will be doing 150 of these.  You can take the same days off as the lunge challenge.  

2. Standing Side Crunch with a Weight

Stand you with your legs spread apart, at least as far as your shoulders.  Put one hand behind your head and the other down by your side.  I use a 10 lb weight, held in the one by your side.  You will stretch that arm down your side, until you hit your knee or a little lower.  The arm behind your head will then go the opposite way and crunch down the other side, almost touching your elbow to your side.  The farther down you go either direction, the more you will get out of it.

Day 1 you will do 30 on either side.  (Make sure to switch the weight to the opposite arm).  Each day increase by 1.  

Happy Challenge!!!  I'll share again after I finish this challenge.

~Stacy~

30 Day Fitness Challenges

  I am so excited to share this fitness challenge with anyone willing to try read it and possibly try it too.  Michelle introduced me to this 32 days ago and I am really thrilled with the results from the first challenge.  Out of all of the sisters, I feel like (and look like) I have had the hardest time losing baby weight after each of my 3 children.  I am usually able to lose about 1/2 of what I gained in the pregnancy and then it just stops and piles on again after the next child.  I just experienced this AGAIN with my 3rd child and FINALLY after 8 long months, I am starting to see a change again.  I know I am not the only one who has this difficulty even though it feels like it sometimes, so I hope this will give someone else out there hope and support as I have needed it!

So, 32 days ago, I started the 30 day ab and 30 day squat challenge found at the 30 Day Fitness Challenge site.  They have 18 different challenges to choose from, basically for any part of the body that might be a problem.  They start out small and by day 30, you are doing crazy amounts of things.  When I first looked at it and saw the day 30 challenge, I thought, good luck.  It actually was quite manageable and I was able to finish it no problem!  A piece of advice is to measure yourself on day 1, day 15, and again on the final day so you really can see where you are.  I tell you, my day 15 measurement got me very motivated as I had already lost 2 inches at my waist, and another 2 inches between my legs!  My final measurements were 3 inches off my waist, 1 inch off my hips, and 3 3/4 inches off my legs.  Grand total 7 3/4 inches!!!  I only lost 3 pounds, but I am not letting that defeat me.  Muscle burns fat, right, so it should show in the pounds shortly.  I will be happy to report when that happens too!  I also have gotten comments (really good ones) about 4 times in the last 2 weeks about my legs and how I am looking so YAY!!!

So here is the chart, directly from the 30 Day Fitness website for the ab/squat challenge:

   If you have an android or iphone, you can also download their apps for each challenge.  I also added 2 things to my routine.  First, when I did my squats, I would also do 30-60 calf raises.  I have 3 positions for it.  1.  First is just with toes pointing forward.  2.  Next, toes pointing in toward each other.  3.  Finally, heels touching and toes pointing out.  I would do either 10, 15, or 20 in each position.  If the squat day was light, I would do 10, after 2-3 days, I would do 15, and the last 2-3 days I would do 20.  You can either do these all in a row, or space them out in between squats.  For instance, on day 12, it calls for 60 squats.  I would do 20 squats, then 15 calf raises, 20 more squats, 15 more calf raises, etc.  It worked awesome!  

   The next thing I added was leg lift ab crunches.  I would just do as many as it said to do with the sit-ups.  This is the one where you lie on your back with legs out straight.  Lift your toes straight up toward the sky so your body makes an L. 

   This month, I am definitely continuing to do a 30 day challenge.  I am using their push up challenge, found below.  

  I am also going to continue doing 20-40 squats everyday with 10-15 calf raises in-between each group of squats.  I am also going to continue doing about 20 sit-ups and 30-40 crunches every day.  I am also adding a butt and hamstrings challenge and it is one I have created on my own.  I will explain the exercises and then give the plan at the end.  

  Hamstrings:  If you have an 8-12 pound hand weight you will hold it horizontal with each hand holding one end.  You simply bend over until your hands touch the ground, and then stand back up, squeezing your buttock.  If you want to make it more challenging, stand on the edge of a stair or chair or bench and allow your hands to go BELOW your feet.  It will add more resistance and you will feel it more the next day!

Buttock:  This one I am using from an old tae bo workout I used to do.  There are 4 steps, each one building on the last and getting a little harder.  You will do a set on each leg, so alternate from one leg to the next so your bottom has time to relax a minute in between!  You will be down on hands and knees for all of these.  

1.  Lift your leg (bent knee) straight up in the air, and heading to your head, then back down to the ground.

2.  Lift your bent leg up to the side like a male dog would to a tree.  Your leg should be straight with your back at it's highest.

3.  Lift your leg like in step 2 and hold this position while you stretch and straighten your leg back and then pull back to the bent position.

4.  Lift you leg (like in step 1) up in the air, curve your leg into the bent knee position as in step 2, and continue rotating down until your knee is on the ground again.  You will be making a circle with your leg.  

I really don't like pictures of myself right now, but I will post video clips to help explain these steps a little better as soon as I can see Michelle to tape them!  I just wanted to post this now because I am so excited about it. 

Here is my flow chart for this month incorporating the push-ups, hamstrings, and buttock.

Day 1:  Push ups- 15 / Hamstrings- 25 / Butt-10 Each Leg/ X 4 positions (see above)

Day 2:  Push ups- 16 / Hamstrings- 30 / Butt- 11 Each Leg/ X 4 positions

Day 3:  Push ups- 17 / Hamstrings- 35 / Butt- 12 Each Leg/ X 4 positions

Day 4:   Push ups- 18 / Hamstrings- 40 / Butt- 13 Each Leg/ X 4 positions

Day 5:   Push ups-  19 / Hamstrings- 45 / Butt- 14 Each Leg/ X 4 positions

Day 6:   Push ups- 20 / Hamstrings- 50 / Butt- 15 Each Leg/ X 4 positions

Day 7:   Push ups- 21 / Hamstrings- 55/ Butt- 16 Each Leg/ X 4 positions

Day 8:  Rest

Day 9:   Push ups- 22 / Hamstrings- 20 / Butt-  17 Each Leg/ X 4 positions

Day 10:   Push ups- 23 / Hamstrings- 30 / Butt- 18 Each Leg/ X 4 positions

Day 11:   Push ups- 23 / Hamstrings- 40 / Butt- 19 Each Leg/ X 4 positions

Day 12:   Push ups- 24 / Hamstrings- 50 / Butt- 20 Each Leg/ X 4 positions

Day 13:   Push ups- 25 / Hamstrings- 55 / Butt- 21 Each Leg/ X 4 positions

Day 14:   Push ups- 26 / Hamstrings- 60 / Butt- 22  Each Leg/ X 4 positions

Day 15:  Rest

Day 16:   Push ups- 27 / Hamstrings- 25 / Butt- 23 Each Leg/ X 4 positions

Day 17:   Push ups-  28 / Hamstrings- 35 / Butt- 24 Each Leg/ X 4 positions

Day 18:   Push ups- 29 / Hamstrings- 45 / Butt- 25 Each Leg/ X 4 positions

Day 19:   Push ups- 30 / Hamstrings- 55 / Butt- 26  Each Leg/ X 4 positions

Day 20:   Push ups- 31 / Hamstrings- 60 / Butt- 27 Each Leg/ X 4 positions

Day 21:   Push ups- 32 / Hamstrings- 65 / Butt- 28 Each Leg/ X 4 positions

Day 22:  Rest

Day 23:   Push ups- 33 / Hamstrings- 25 / Butt- 29 Each Leg/ X 4 positions

Day 24:   Push ups- 34 / Hamstrings- 35 / Butt- 30 Each Leg/ X 4 positions

Day 25:   Push ups- 35 / Hamstrings- 45 / Butt- 31 Each Leg/ X 4 positions

Day 26:   Push ups- 36 / Hamstrings- 55 / Butt- 32 Each Leg/ X 4 positions

Day 27:   Push ups- 37 / Hamstrings- 60 / Butt- 33 Each Leg/ X 4 positions

Day 28:   Push ups- 38 / Hamstrings- 65 / Butt- 34 Each Leg/ X 4 positions

Day 29:   Push ups- 39 / Hamstrings- 70 / Butt- 35 Each Leg/ X 4 positions

Day 30:   Push ups- 40 / Hamstrings- 75 / Butt- 36 Each Leg/ X 4 positions

Good luck and please send a comment back if you do this.  I'd like to hear how others do!  Thanks for reading.

~Stacy~