Being that it is summer, and there are vacations, kids home from school, camps, a lot of running around in circles…sometimes a workout is hard to knock out, even when intentions are high. When that happens, I have a 30-minute, total body workout that requires very little equipment, yet will leave you dripping in sweat. Wanna hear it?

Here it is…

You’ll need:  a set of 10 or 12lb wts (lighter if you like), a resistance tube

5-10 minute warm up @ 40-50% max heart rate

Set 1:

10-14 Burpees (also called pop squats)

3-way lunges w/ dumbbells: Start with weaker leg leading. Take one lunge forward, keeping core engaged, chin up, shoulders relaxed, load the front leg (i.e, quad is parallel to the ground), the push off front heal and allow glute of trailing leg to help pull you back to starting postion; then, repeat at a front diagnal, then to the side.  Repeat using same leg for 4-8 reps before switching legs.

Push-ups: As many as you can manage

Repeat circuit 3 times with 1-3 minute break before repeating. Try to complete each exercise and set with as little rest as possible, but also listen to your body!

Set 2:

Jumping jacks: 1 minute

Mountain climbers: 45 seconds

Bicycle crunch: 30 seconds

Repeat circuit 3 times.

Set 3:

Walking lunges with 12lb wts: 10-14 reps

Using resistance tube: 1 set bicep curls, 1 set overhead press, 1 set low rows (each set to fatigue)

Side plank: hold as long as you are able

Repeat circuit 3 times.

Follow up with stretching and more core work if you like.

* Note: Blue Sky Gym and the author disclaim any liability for any injury, physical or emotional, suffered during or as a result of exercise or activities recommended. As always, you should use common sense and consult your health professional before beginning any exercise routine or program.

Stumbled upon a few deals I’d like to pass along:

20% off planners!
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*P.S. I LOVE MomAgenda planners. Seriously, love them – totally created by moms, for moms. Enough said.

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Check out this video if you are unfamiliar with trigger point therapy…TPR Therapy, Ironman competitor

Have you ever wished you could afford a personal masseuse? One who could come to your home, preferably daily, to help relieve you of the knots and muscle tightness that inevitably occur from daily workouts and, well, being a mom? In search of a solution to my IT band issues, I tried a chiropractor (not money well spent), stretching, massage therapy (therapist too gentle to release deep tissue), and my O.D. The O.D. provided the most valuable information: without proper biomechanics, the body can’t move the way it should. So, we are working on improving the way I move. In the meantime, I bought the TPR kit from Trigger Point Performance Therapy. Wow! What a difference!

How it works: Each tool in the kit is designed to relief muscle tension and release trigger points (those tender knots many of us suffer from that hurt like the dickens when palpated and often cause radiating pain to muscles and joints nearby). Untreated, active trigger points can result in painful and less effective workouts, incomplete recovery from workouts, and eventually, injury. Relieving the tension that TPs place on muscles and the joints they act upon allows the joints to move through their full range of motion the way they are designed to. Basically, it is like getting a personal massage, at home, whenever you need it. I’ve used the kit for several months and love it. Regular use has improved the range of motion in my hips, relieved tension and TPs in my calves, quads, IT-band, pectorals, back, glutes…you name it. I feel fantastic!

The Ultimate 6 kit I purchased is designed to alleviate the trigger points in the calf, quads, IT-band, glute, abdomen, and shoulder that tend runners tend to acquire. I had all of them, and then some. The kit includes the TP Massage Ball, TP Footballer and TP Quadballer, an easy to follow guidebook, and DVD. Ideally, the tools should be used pre-workout, post-workout, and within 90-minutes of going to bed. While the therapy isn’t terribly time-invasive, the first few times you go through the release techniques, it does take at least 30-40 minutes (actually, I think it took me an hour because I had so many trigger points). Once you get the hang of it though, the sessions move more quickly. I have achieved a lot of relief from using these tools and highly recommend them to anyone who suffers from trigger point syndrome, athlete or not.

The cost for the Ultimate 6 is $150. Other kits are available, so check out their website: Trigger Point Performance Therapy

*I am in no way affiliated with Trigger Point Therapy and do not receive compensation for recommending TPR products.