I wore my fat-girl pants this week and they were really loose so that's a good sign. I've been riding my bike to the store and around the neighborhood. I hope to ride a couple of times this weekend. Once to the farmers market and the other on a bike ride in DC -- a 20-miler around the city with the streets closed. Nice.
I think it's incredibly important for women to use weights and keep up our muscle strength. I saw something yesterday where it was recommended to a woman that she could lose that last 15 pounds by going beyond cardio routines and using weights.
I found a really nice set of barbells on craigslist a few years back -- got them for cheap from a couple moving abroad -- and have used them regularly.
I've gradually worked up to these weights -- start with 2 pounds then gradually move up.
Although I've followed routines in fitness books I think I've finally put together a killer workout, which can be amended. Here's what I do -- in any order. This takes me about 30 minutes or so, maybe less. But it's potent.
1. Jump rope -- 5 x 60 reps -- I'm finally getting better at this -- it was hard for awhile. I hope to expand on this and go for longer. It really gets your heart pumping.
2. On the stability ball -- 15# -- 3 sets of 12-15 reps -- biceps, shoulder press, chest press. This has been tough. I can add reps or weight as I go. The ball is great for so many things.
3. Squats, deadlifts, twists and/or butterflies -- 15# and 3 sets -- Squats should be the cornerstone of any workout. They help trim your entire body. They're something you can do in front of the TV or watching your husbands cook dinner ;-). Whew, you can feel it the next day. There are several exercises to alternate in here with squats and deadlifts. I try to do ones where I need to stand so there's a smoother transition.
4. Planks (30-60 secs), bike abs, skull crushers (triceps on the ball) and sit-ups on the ball. This is a tough set, too.
Keep up the great work everyone!
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