Abs day

Abs day was yesterday and it is just so much fun. It just takes so long to do. That's why it's I start my week with it. I'm afraid I would be unmotivated to do something that took so long if I did it at the end of the week. Just like I do legs last because I know it won't take very long and I get to rest over the weekend. It's good to know yourself and what drives you. That way you can trick yourself and overcome your obstacles.

I realized today that I don't have a scale. I really don't have room for one either. I know that I was at 160 lbs on March 19th. We had my son's birthday party at his grandparents and I weigh myself when I'm there. So I have no idea what I weigh right now. Which I'm kind of ok with. I kind of have a goal weight. I have a weight that I want to be near. I was at 125 when I got pregnant. My lowest weight was 115. I'm aiming for 120, but anywhere in that area is fine with me. I'm not going to get frustrated if I can't lose a couple pounds. I've had a baby so my body is a little different now and I'm cool with that.

So abs. Abs are a lot of women's target area. Especially during bikini season. They are also one of the most difficult areas to lose weight. Which is why instead of doing one workout 3 times, I do 3 workouts 1 time. I figure it helps to cover all of your bases. Plus it ke9eps it fun.

I'm going to yell you a secret. I don't actually do all the moves for each workout. I can't do them properly. I figure it is better to skip them than trying and hurting myself. It's ok to do less than what it says if you find it too difficult. The first time I started working out I tried something that was too difficult and almost passed out. Some things can be beyond our abilities, but we can go back and try again. I did that workout again a month later and since I was in better shape it was a lot easier. You need to change up your workouts about every month or so. You're body gets used to what you're doing and it will stop working. It can be as simple as adding extra reps or a new move. So I can add them in later when I'm ready.

OK rule number one: Always stretch before and after your workout. It helps prevent injuries. Since I already have a strained tendon in my knee, I'm all for that. It's unrelated to working out. It's actually been injured for over a year. It just won't fully heal. I've seen doctors. It's been feeling better since I started working out. I wear a brace and just keep going.

 I'm probably a little lazy since I do the same stretches before and after, but it works for me. You should stretch for about 5-10 mins. I wasn't sure what kind of stretches I should be doing so I looked it up. I'm all for google. This is pretty much what we did in elementary school gym class. I also add a few others I remember doing, but you'll be fine with this.
http://darebee.com/workouts/warm-up.html

I think the reason I love my abs workout is because it's the one where I have to listen to music. Well I don't have to, but it makes it more fun. Since I did have a baby and I have that yummy mommy. I wanted something where I knew I was specifically targeting that area.
On this one I skip the walking v ups. My upper body strength is just not good enough for this.
http://bikinibodymommy.com/2012/11/14/top-5-favorite-ab-moves-nutrition-tips/

This is my all abs workout, but I think it's pretty boring. It is fantastic for your abs. Planks are one of the best abs moves thete is.Don't feel bad if some of the moves are difficult to achieve and feel awkward to do. That's why even tho some moves repeat between the three sets I still do them. They get easier to do the more you do them. I had so much trouble doing side plank lifts at first and now they're easy. I skip the superman planks at the end here. They scare the crap out of me. I also take breaks doing the 90 second plank. It's ok to break it up.
http://kamafitness.ca/2014/09/02/sexy-summer-abs/

This is my favorite set. It is so much fun and it's the reason I need music. I don't time my moves like it says I just go for the length of a song. I find a song that works for the rhythm I need and just go. If I need a drink in the middle I stop and get a drink. Plus it's easy for even a beginner, but it's still a good workout. I always feel amazing at the end of this.
http://www.sparkpeople.com/blog/blog.asp?post=the_lose_your_love_handles_workout

So there it is. You now have the abs secret. I may not have a scale, but I can see the difference in my abs. I want to finish the 30 day before I show you any kind of results. This workout plus the 30 days usually takes about an hour and a half. So you really need to make the time to do this one. Unlike what  I'm getting ready to do. Butt day is so easy you might cry. I'm still not sure if my butt looks different, but the muscles feel different, but that's for next week. If you're brand new to working out I'd start with the last workout and then add the second and then the first. I found them in that order and it worked well. The most important thing is that you make it feel less like a chore. It needs to become something you want to do because it feels good. I've spent time building my workouts to find what I liked. Now I love my workouts as much as I love my knitting.