High Five Friday: Conquering Box Jumps

 

Happy Friday! We're already halfway through the month - fall goes by so much faster than spring.

I had great reason to get up this morning. Besides it being Friday, I tried my first pumpkin spice English muffin!  

Dear pumpkin spice English muffin, I wanted to make an egg white sandwich, but there was no point. You need to be eaten on your own for all the flavors to come out.

Dear steamy pumpkin coffee, I don't even like coffee.

Dear Katie, I baked your Healthy Diva Eat's fig cranberry and vanilla cinnamon protein cookie balls while I had breakfast. They look nothing like yours but still good.

I headed to power yoga at 9 A.M. The one hour class gave me enough time to drive to work and change. I dried off in the car and dealt with being sweaty.  

Dear those who work out on their lunch hour, how do you do it?


After work, I hit the gym for a "weekend metabolic conditioning workout." See how sweaty I get? And red in the face? And how my hair looks poofy and sticks up? I don't know anyone looks attractive working out...

The workout was a good one.

Weekend Metabolic Conditioning Workout

Warm-up: 10 min cardio followed by dynamic warm-up (walking lunges, skips, push-ups, high knees, etc.)

Round 1:
24 (12 each side) single clean and presses
24 (12 each side) single leg deadlifts
25 box jumps
Repeat
5 min run @ 7.0-8.0 mph

Round 2:
24 (12 each leg) walking lunges with med ball twist
25 assisted pull-ups
25 lying leg lift with chest press
Repeat
5 min run @ 7.0-8.0 mph

Round 3:
24 (12 each) kettle bell or dumbbell swings
25 push-ups
25 switch jumps
5 min of randomized intervals (ex: 30 sec on/30 off, 60 on/45 off etc) with varying inclines and speeds.

Cool-down

Notes:

• My warm-up was 10 minutes on the stair climber at level 11. 
• I did not run because I tried for 2.5 minutes and hated it. 
• I took breaks with the push-ups. 
• And my cool-down included foam rolling.

Not only did I go to yoga in the morning and then worked out right after work (without going home first), I conquered a fear!

Here's my High Five Friday story:

Awhile back, I was terrible at jump squats, jump lunges, and air jumping jacks. In that order did I practice and get better at them. Now they're no big deal.

We have these at the gym. I planned on using the smallest one for box jumps.

 

(source)

I was trucking along with way easy box jumps.

(source)

Then decided to just do it. So what if I scraped my knees or fell down? I had pants on, and I'm kind of agile.

And you know what? I did box jumps like this lady instead.

(source)

I went with the above picture because that's more realistic for me than this one*:

 

*Perfect post to stumble upon: How to Improve Box Jumps

Dear box jumps, I conquered you!

Dear readers, it's your turn:

• How often do you do box jumps (if at all)?
• What's the last fitness fear you've conquered? 
• I wore an undershirt and my sweat still soaked through this much. Though sweat makes me proud, I'm fully aware it doesn't mean much. Lots of people don't sweat. Are you a sweater or do you stay dry?
  
•  How is everyone fairing on their fall bucket lists? I made apple crisp on Monday!