Core Values: Lows, lessons and loves

It's been five days since the end of my personal (and our) Core Values challenge, and it has been four days since I've done a single ab move.

It's not quite the outcome I was hoping for but a combination of burn out, stomach bug and extreme fatigue made the end of January a welcome one as I no longer felt compelled to guilt myself into 5 minutes of planks just before bed.

The passing days have given me time to reflect on the good, bad and ugly. Here are my 10 takeaways:

1. Five minutes isn't that much of a commitment. Kristen commented that she would often do more than 5 minutes once she got started, and I feel the same. It's easy for 10 minutes to pass, especially as you segue between moves, rest between planks and try to hit all four sides (central abs, right oblique, left oblique, low back).

2. Training the abs without the low back is like training biceps and not triceps - dumb. By training the low back, I noticed two things: there aren't a ton of moves for the low back and mobility in the thoracic spine is essential. I found myself foam rolling my back and stretching to improve my range and ease tension.

3. My overall strength and endurance did improve even though I'm not doing 5-minute hovers. I did an older ab track in Bodypump that has always been a killer for me, with its twisting mountain climbers, but I had not issues with it this time around.

4. Also on the upswing is my confidence. Though I consider myself a fit person, I would see ab exercises in a magazine or online and assume that they were too difficult. Sticking with the challenge, trying new moves and seeing gains helped me feel more sure of myself when doing CXWORX at the Les Mills launch.

5. Doing crazy moves is fantastic but the most basic exercises are the standard because they work. The most recent Bodypump ab track is crunches, crunch pulses and leg extensions. Easy, right? WRONG! My abs burn by the time the second set hits. It's easy to shoot for the Jillian Michaels spider abs but master the basics, let them burn and then try the spider.

6. More often than not, we're training abs without external resistance, making it OK to do them every day - especially in an effort to make it a habit. I think that it's more reasonable and beneficial, though, to aim for five days a week.

7. Some people take smoke breaks; I take ab breaks. I had some down time at work last week, and I hid in the conference room to do planks. I don't think anyone noticed - not that I would have cared. My only concern was making sure I didn't pay attention to the carpet. You never know about industrial flooring.

8. I like big, long-term challenges rather than smaller goals. While this seems to go against conventional healthy living wisdom about setting short-term, time bound goals, I much prefer having a 12-week training plan for a race than a 30-day goal of 5-minute abs.

9. Dogs are hazardous to such challenges. Plank + lick in the face = NO GOOD.

10. Plyometric workouts ... not as often as I liked. If I want this to be a goal, I need to find a group fitness class to work into my schedule. Burpees in the basement are just not fun. Or comfortable.

Core Values participants: How did you do? This post will be the last chance to comment for a prize entry. On Monday, Feb. 10, I will take comments from all Core Values posts and enter them into a random drawing for the prize. Among the goodies: NAAWK skin and lip care, no-slip head bands, a variety of bars such as Clif, strawberry lemonade Nuun, a pair of awesome running socks, some snacks and a Starbucks gift card.

Core Values, Week 3 + Training Update

I used to think it was a matter of preference but the truth is there is a difference in the training dynamic when it comes to doing a plank.

The straight arm is the classic. Hands are underneath shoulders and hips are lifted without being hiked. Not only does the exercise engage the abdominal muscles but it integrates the shoulder girdle, triceps and the fronts of the legs, otherwise known as the quads. I like to make sure I'm engaging those muscles by trying to push my heels to the back as I get long through the top of my head.

This variation also has a longer "lever" with the straight arms, which could make it it a bit more challenging than other variations. Keep in mind that if you have shoulder instability or wrist problems, this exercise could compromise those conditions and the effectiveness of the exercise.

The forearm plank, with palms planted on the floor and elbows under shoulders, is less full body and a more targeted core exercise. Why? The center of gravity shifts and forces more of the trunk muscles to be recruited to keep the body stable.

Something to think about: A lot of photos show people performing this plank with clasped hands. However, my physical therapist told me that doing that was "cheating." ACE, the group through which I'm certified, also instructs palms down on the floor. Other trainers say clasp the hands.

So how did I do this week? Well, there were a few nights of rolling my ass off the couch to get in but I did much better than last week.

How did you do? Be sure to comment for an entry into the giveaway.

Exercises to try this week: Plank with hip dips, Quadraped Bent-Knee Hip Extensions, Dirty Dog, V-Ups, bicycle crunches and butterfly crunch

The week, in training:

Monday: Rest
Tuesday: 4 miles, tempo
Wednesday: 3 miles + Bodypump
Thursday: 38 minutes on indoor trainer + Ripped
Friday: 5 miles, intervals
Saturday: Bodypump + 30 minutes on trainer
Sunday: Almost 6-mile snowy run with the group

Feeding the frenzy: Core Values, Week 3

If what they say is true, that abs are made in the kitchen, than I can tell you this: my abs are made of pumpkin pie ice cream and emotional baggage.

Things here have been stressful and frustrating. I've been melancholy and almost lethargic. It's partly the weather - a seeming endless barrage of snow and frigid cold - which canceled a trip to visit my beloved grandma, and it's partly other things that don't belong here on the blog.

Regardless, it's led me to find comfort in food and my focus to shift away from things, like my Core Values challenge, into a hazy fog. I'm not overly anxious about it - things are/will improve, and I'm not lost. Just temporarily misplaced.

I'd be lying, though, if I didn't feel a bit of guilt that I was slumped on the couch on Friday night and couldn't will myself off for even one round of crunches much less 5 minutes. I had promised myself to make my core a priority - and I had promised you. The dynamic workout that I was hoping to incorporate didn't happen as my schedule has been thrown off by Miles.

Excuses or reasons - you decide.

Check in: But, I did get in six out of seven days and I'm seeing some improvement. I am able to do single leg planks and straight-leg bird dog exercises. I am much more stable in single-leg bridges and zippers. Again, I've found that my core is less sore than the previous week.

Of interest: The January edition of ACE's Pro Source showed up in my email today, and one of the articles was about core work. Imagine that! In "Reality Check: Are Planks Really the Best Core Exercise," the author explores the popularity of the exercise and whether trainers should continue to include it in programming. I found it really interesting as I really like planks but I find the epic plank holds to be rather single-minded and unnecessary. The experts interviewed came in on both sides but Dr. Wayne Westcott, instructor of exercise science at Quincy College and co-author of ACE’s Guide to Youth Strength Training, made a great point:

"To build muscle strength, you need to activate the muscle to near fatigue, within the anaerobic energy system, which typically takes 60 to 90 seconds. Any exercise that takes longer (including planks held beyond that range) doesn’t address muscle strength or size.”

The article suggest adding plank variations and alternatives to core programming for more well-rounded training.

Exercises to try this week: Plank on a stability ball, knee tuck on stability ball, side plank with lower leg lift, Russian twist, Pilates swimming exercise and weighted glute bridge

How are you doing? What do you think of planks? Be sure to comment to be entered in the challenge giveaway, which includes products from NAAWK, SmartWool, Nuun and Clif Bar.

Back it up: Core Values, Week 2

"Elegance in explanation."

I was interviewing someone today for a project I'm working on, and he was describing how a switch can turn on when a person shares something so "known" in a precise, simple way that it can click. In that conversation, he pinpointed something that I had been trying to since Saturday.

During our launch this weekend, the CXWORX instructor and lead group fit trainer was talking about the program and the goal in the design:

You can't be strong here ...

If you aren't strong here.

As a trainer - even as a Bodypump instructor - I know that it all comes down to balance in exercise and program design. You can do preacher curls, bicep curls, hammer curls, barbell curls until the cows come home but you are going to do some damage if you don't train your triceps. Runners, me included, struggle with dominant quads and hips, which tend to overcompensate for a weaker posterior chain (hamstrings, glutes). Weaknesses can lead to injury.

So, when we train our abdominals as we have been with the Core Values challenge, it's equally important to do exercises for the low back. I like to include back extensions and supermans into my routine. The bird dog, which we've seen in the previous two weeks, is also a great exercise for the area. 

Core Values Check In

Two weeks in, and I'm feeling good. I am definitely getting in the habit of doing 5 minutes of core work, with the challenge becoming less of a, well, challenge. It did help that my marathon of classes this weekend included core, and I didn't need to find time beyond that to get my plank on. I'm also finding that my abs are not as consistently sore as they had been in the first week.

Exercises to try this week

Birddog with a 45 degree angle (see 0:27 in this video)
Back extension
Walking plank (alternate between forearm and straight arm, keeping hips stable)
Fire Hydrant In-Out
Oblique V-Up

How are you doing with the challenge? Be sure to comment for this week's entry into the prize.

Three Things Thursday: Fitness musts + wants

Something unexpected came when I passed my ACE certification.

Magazines and catalogs for the fitness professional!

While I think I knew, on some level, that I was now a member of the community, I didn't expect to be marketed to in that way. But I am. And it is really eye opening, educational and fun.

The IDEA Fitness Journal, by far, is the most important - sharing articles about the latest in research, trends and ways to improve your career. There are also opportunities for earning the continuing education credits I need to keep my certification.

The catalogs, though, are just plain fun. There are a gazillion and one products for gym owners and private trainers to buy - from the basic dumbbells and exercise mats to equipment used in functional training classes, such as big ropes and sandbags. It's really easy to get overwhelmed paging through them ... or max out your credit card, thinking you need all the things.

As winter settles in and our treadmill grows louder, I'm doing a lot more circuit-type workouts in the early morning and I've discovered something. You don't need a bunch of fancy equipment to get in a good workout. Here are my three must-haves for a home "gym."

Jump rope. There are lots of ways to get your heart rate up when working out at home - high knees, butt kicks, plyometrics, doing the basement stairs. A jump rope is nice to have, though, as it can add variety and is easy to incorporate into circuit routines. It's also a challenging workout as 5 minutes of skipping rope can seem like a 5-mile run. Bonus: Use it as a make-shift yoga strap when stretching.

Set of weights. Nearly any workout video on the market or on YouTube will require a set of weights, as the benefits of resistance training are numerous. Lighter weights can be fairly inexpensive and will serve one well to build some muscular endurance and "tone up" as so many people desire. Unless you are not conditioned - at all - though I wouldn't buy anything less than 5 pounds. As a person begins an exercise program, she is likely to see fast gains as the body makes neuromuscular connections and she can quickly "outgrow" the selection. To minimize the financial investment, I would select a set of weights that you can lift in a bicep curl for 10 or so reps. A lot of programs suggest 12 to 15 for basic fitness but the goal is to get stronger, and the 10 reps in the store will quickly become 15 with a bit of work.

Stability ball. Not only is a stability ball great for ab exercises, it's a great tool for working the chest and back at home. Many of those exercises utilize a bench or fixed equipment that isn't always affordable. The ball does bonus work by giving you a base while challenging your core.

I'm lucky that I have had these things for sometime and, as I expand my equipment, I can look at some of the more "fun" things. My list includes gliding discs, to further challenge my core; a BOSU trainer, for balance exercises; and a medicine ball, for ab work and functional training.

Do you have those three must-haves? Here's the Core Values expanded workout for the week, which incorporates those items.

Plank Jacks
Standing Oblique Crunch
Stability Ball Pass
Flutter Kicks
Spread Eagle Jackknife

Would You Rather ... + Weekly training

I had one of the best running weeks this past week than I've had since the marathon. Probably even before the marathon, to be honest, but since I wrote about a lot of it ... I thought I'd do it again.

Oh, I kid. I kid. I am feeling far too good to do that to you. (Read: It took less than an hour to put Miles to bed last night and I already got in my workout for the day.)

Rather, I thought I'd have some fun and link up with Cori from Olive to Run and complete her "Would You Rather Running Style" survey.

>>Would you rather run in a thunderstorm or a snowstorm? 

I might have been inclined to say thunderstorm ... before this weekend but I totally ran in a snowstorm on Sunday, and it was fun. I really think it was. I can do the rain in the summer, when it's hot, but otherwise I find it to be rather miserable.

>>Would you rather breathe through your nose or breathe through your mouth? 

I know I do both but I am going to go with nose. When I read Scott Jurek's book, "Eat and Run," he wrote about the importance of breathing through your nose and I tried some of the techniques. It's supposed to be ... umm ... better but I read it a while ago and don't remember.

>>Would you rather do 100 squats or 100 crunches? 

I probably do 100 (or more) squats in a Bodypump class, and I do like them. In the spirit of the #corevalues challenge, though, I am going with crunches. I hope, when given the opportunity, I always pick the harder road.

>>Would you rather have a baked good for dessert or an extra serving of your favorite entree? 

Do I even need to answer this? It's dessert. Always dessert.

>>Would you rather run on a treadmill for an hour or run around the same street block for an hour? 

I'm voting the same street block. If you think about it, it's probably close to a half mile if you can run all four sides, and it would make for a fun speed workout. It's also a great way to make your neighbors think you are nuts.

>>Would you rather have a headache during a run or a side stitch? 

Headache. Side stitches are the devil.

>>Would you rather have a rest day on a work day or a day off? 

My rest days are usually work days but I like it when I can take it on the weekends. It's lovely to get up late on a Sunday, read the paper, drink coffee and maybe go to breakfast.

>>Would you rather be a race director or a race volunteer? 

I've volunteered a few times, and it's such a rewarding experience. It's a good way to give back to the running community and "earn" your next race. However, I would love to organize a Mother's Day race with a stroller division.

>>Would you rather spend your money on running gadgets [HRM, GPS watch, Headphones] or running shoes?

Tough. So tough. I love gadgets - especially my new Garmin Forerunner 220 - but it's not something you need to replace often. Shoes, though, they do and there's always fun colors. I like colors.

>>Would you rather run in a relay or do the run portion of a distance triathlon? 

I want to run all the things! As I look back on Hood to Coast, though, I feel like my appreciation for the experience grows. I didn't think it was "ohmygod so amazing" at the time but I get there as the days pass. I would love to do a long relay with some of my best running friends.

The week, in training:

Monday: 45 minutes on trainer + 20 minutes Bodypump practice
Tuesday: 4 miles
Wednesday: 6.14 miles + 30 minutes Bodypump practice
Thursday: 30 minutes on trainer + Bodypump practice
Friday: Rest
Saturday: Bodypump + 3.23-mile run
Sunday: 12 miles

Mirror, Mirror: #corevalues, Week 1

Thursday, as predicted, the aerobics room was quiet at 7:15. The falling snow and cold had kept gym-goers from my Ripped class.

And, as I had a plan, I took the time to rehearse Bodypump 88 choreography and get in my #corevalues for the day. I did planks, crunches and knee tucks on the Swiss ball and the ab track from 88. My core, already sore from the three days prior of ab training, was burning. It was a good feeling, even if I had an empty class.

I slowly got up and caught a reflection in the mirror. Just me and the racks of fitness equipment. In that moment, I briefly considered pulling up my shirt and taking a picture of my torso. I know that I'll never have great abs, extra skin and all, but maybe I'll make some improvements, get some lines.

Lines, though, is not what I'm after, I told myself. I'm in it for balance, strength and stability. So the shirt stayed down, the photo untaken. My progress will be measured in commitment and an end of the month plank hold.

Week 1 #corevalues check in

Accountability: There were a couple late-night "oh shit" sessions after putting Miles down to sleep but I got in at least 5 minutes a day - sometimes 10. I still need to do my circuit session but I am hoping to squeeze that in tonight.

Observations: My abs have been in a constant state of soreness - not so much during daily activities but when I go to do the exercises. I think I would have paid someone for a rest day yesterday but feel good that I've followed through on my commitment.

Exercises to try this week: If you followed the plan from last week, the goal was to activate the deep muscles of the core and work on stability. The more that strength develops, the more dynamic you can get with the moves.

Bird dog ---> Zippers
Bicycle crunch ---> Try it on a Swiss ball or grab a weight/medicine ball and do Russian twists
Forearm plank ---> Walking plank (hip stability key on this one; if your hips are dipping too much, try straight arm plank)
Glute bridge ---> Single leg glute bridge (I did these in PT and they are just mean!)
Pelvic tilts ---> Reverse crunch with leg lifts (I've been doing leg lifts and they are so great for low abs. Love to hate them.)

How are you doing? Comment on this post for an additional entry for the prize, which now includes products from NAAWK! I was first introduced to these products when I was in the PNW for Hood to Coast. They are amazing.

Core Values: 30-minute challenge

Currently: Wishing that my Thursday night class will be canceled.

The weather outside is more than frightful today - it's plain stupid. I got stuck in the snow three times this morning, twice requiring help to get out, and the evening commute wasn't much better. I'm definitely not looking forward to going out again when I anticipate class attendance will be low.

But a job is a job is a job. I will work every last person in class to sweat. And, if no one shows up, I might do this tabata workout.

As part of my personal #corevalues challenge, I want to become a more well-rounded athlete by incorporating plyometrics, improving balance and strengthening my core. This workout is designed to do just that.

A couple notes:

• This workout is challenging, even for an advanced exerciser. If you are new to fitness or recovering from an injury, modify as necessary. Examples: March or jog in place instead of high knees; side lunges instead of lateral hops; instead of "jumping" with mountain climber, tap it in.
• I have five tabata sets but feel free to pick and choose from the circuit to create your own workout. I like sets 1, 3 and 5 for a quick 15-minute workout.
• This workout is not total body - I wanted a cardio exercise paired with a more traditional ab exercise.
• Feel free to skip this and just do 5 minutes of abs.
• HAVE FUN!

If you do this workout, let me know what you think in a comment below.

Links to exercises:
Frog jumps
Plank T
Windmill
Lunge with knee lift
Inchworm