Tonight it set in. Fall has arrived! It’s getting darker earlier and it’s time to trade the tank tops for comfy sweaters. Well, not so much here in San Francisco. The coat’s are in the front of the closet year round and there are never shorts, but I do love the layering trends that come with fall. However, the holiday’s are quickly approaching. Can you believe it? It came so quick. When I think of fall, I think of comfort food and warm, cozy fires. But that does not mean it’s time to binge and opt for unhealthy food! It will be tough, but it will be essential especially during this time to keep eating clean and continue on your exercise regime. With that in mind, here are some of the few things I am determined to do this coming season.

1.  Completely stop drinking diet coke. It is time to cut out this horrible sugar addiction.
2. Host a pumpkin carving and decorating party.
3. Have an early Thanksgiving potluck with friends, with food prepared as clean as possible of course.
4. Go to a professional football game. Can you believe that I have never been?
5. Come up with a creative Halloween costume. Time for a little DIY!
6. Find at least one 5k to run a month.
7. Start a healthy recipe book or binder. Time to get organized.
8. Use my bikram yoga Bloomspot that has been posted on the fridge forever.
9. Cut out as much alcohol as possible. One month no alcohol? Can I do it?
10. Take a photography or art class to unleash my inner artist. 🙂

What are some of the things you are most looking forward to this fall?

Did everyone have a nice, active weekend? We had a gorgeous, sunny weekend here in San Francisco, and much of it was spent outdoors which was fantastic! Well, here I am again on this Sunday night thinking about my workouts for the week and how to incorporate them into other activities that I have planned. I am going to stress the importance of planning ahead. Set a schedule for yourself and go into the week knowing when you will be working out. This is so important and will force you hit the gym, get outside for a run or walk, or plan for a class at your local gym, fitness center or yoga studio. No excuses!

Below is the schedule that I aim for each week. Sometimes it is adjusted as things come up of course, but as long as you set a goal, you are more likely to fit it into your daily routine.

Below you will find a more detailed version of what each day may look like.

Legs:

-4×20 Leg extensions

-4×20 Barbell Squats

-4×12 Leg Press

-3×20 Lunges (rotate legs, I also like to add a bicep curl to these)

-3×12 Deadlifts

-4×30 Calf Raises with dumbbells

-4×12 Hamstring Curls

Shoulders:

-4×12 Shoulder Press

-3×12 Front Raise with Dumbbells

-3×12 Bent Over Lateral Raise

-4×12 Upright Barbell Row

Back:

-3×12 Wide Grip Lateral Pull-down

-3×12 Narrow Grip Pull-down

-3×12 One Arm Dumbbell Row (switch arms and bend over on bench)

-3×12 Seated Cable Row

Arms:

-3×12 Standing Bicep Curl (use dumbbell or cable)

-3×12 Rope Tricep Push Down

-4×12 Skull Crushers

-4×12: Tricep Push-down (using sit machine, not sure of the name)

-3×12 Hammer Curls

Chest:

-4×12 Dumbbell bench press

-3×10 Pec Flies (is this the correct name?)

-3×15 Cable Cross Overs

-Push ups, push ups, push ups!

For a more detailed description and photo of what each exercise is, visit Bodybuilding.com. I also try to incorporate some sort of ab exercise each day. Abs are the only muscle that do not need a day of rest. Just be sure to hit a different exercise rather than doing your average sit-ups each time. Your body will become used to the movement and you will not see any change. If you don’t think you will remember these exercises I have listed above, write them down and take them with you to the gym with you. One thing that I plan to do is to make a journal to take with me. Next to each exercise, I will document what I have accomplished as I go. I know, I am such a nerd, but this seems to be helpful to me. 🙂 I hope this helps, as you embark on your own fitness journey.
<3 Jenna

 

Hope you all are having a great week! I wanted to share a little bit about my new fav thing…The Fitness Court. The new court is located on the Marina Green in San Francisco, but hopefully other cities will hop on board with this idea. This weekend we participated in the First Annual Fitness Court Invitational. It was so much fun, and now I am making a point to head out there at least once a week.

What is the Fitness Court? It is a 7 minute circuit with 7 different movements, all using bodyweight training. Basically you do each circuit for 45 seconds, rest for 15 seconds, then move to the next. Sound simple? Not exactly once you get out there! Bodyweight training is tough, but is the “most functional and holistic method of training as it is efficient, produces measurable results and burns more calories per minute performed than most common forms of exercise.”
Below you will find pictures and descriptions of each circuit. These were all taken during the challenge as we tried doing as many reps as possible. {I thought I was going to die!}

1. CORE: plank, iron cross, side v-ups, plank twist, raised leg crunch

2. SQUAT: squat, one legged squat, side box jump, one legged step, side jumps

3. PUSH: standing push up, military press, seated dip, pike press, ring push up, ring dip {I need to work on these!!}

 

4.LUNGE: forward lunge, side lunge, step lunge, jumping lunge {my fav!}

5. PULL: standing row, body lift, assisted pull up, destabilized body lift, destabalized row

6.AGILITY: dot jumps, high knees, hop scotch, square runs

7.BEND: back extension, Bam bam, hamstring curl, back bend

We ended up both getting in the top ten, which is good enough for us! It is such a tough course but practice makes perfect. I also hear they are working on an iphone app which will tell you what to do and when to move with music. Super excited!

Thank you to the National Fitness Campaign  for making this happen! I think is so important to get our community involved in fitness and a court out in the open for everyone to use is just it! Hopefully more cities will have these in the future, but if not I guess you will have to make a trip out to San Francisco! 😉 See you out there!

-Jenna

I have been so busy lately that I have had zero time to post! I hope you all had a great weekend, as I was busy doing all sorts of runs and competitions. And now into a crazy week at work! However, I did want to share some pictures with you from The Giant Race I ran on Sunday!

This was probably the most fun I’ve had at a race! Having the finish line inside AT&T park was such a treat. 🙂 I ran the 10k, while my mom ran the 5k and I am so proud of her! There is nothing like a mother/daughter run, especially when we are supporting our team and a good cause such as Project Open Hand. I was actually shocked to feel as if I came prepared, so I guess all of my running lately has paid off! (I came in at 55 minutes, at 6.3 miles which is not speed lightning but my best personal time!!) Now only 4 more weeks until my Nike Women’s Half! The countdown begins…

+On another note, I put together a few running tips that I have felt to be very helpful!

1. Accept the challenge!
2. Don’t think in mile increments, think in minutes.
3. Invest in good running shoes. Spend at least $60, this is crucial to your health!
4. Your shoes should be slightly longer and wider than your feet.
5. Stay relaxed. Let your hands loose, and shoulders low.
6. Make time for a quickie, 10 minutes of running is better than none!
7. Always run against traffic.
8. Warm up by walking and stretch only after a run.
9. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate! (With water that is. ;))
10. Look for fast, low-fat fuel, such as bars containing 4 grams/230 calories or less.
11. Always listen to your body. Stop when it is telling you to do so.
12. Don’t overly aggressively stretch, as this can cause injury.
13. Gradual training will make you gradually stronger!
14. Take regular rest days and back off with injury. Allow it time to heal.
15. Resistance train with hills, and always switch up your course.
16. Compete with yourself. Pass others to give your adrenaline a boost.
17. Don’t forget to pamper your muscles once in a while. Sit in a hot tub or bath, or get a massage.
18. Save your energy for the last few miles, don’t take off at your fastest pace.
19. Wear sunglasses if its sunny, as squinting takes energy.
20. Run with a partner to motivate you to keep going.
21. But run with yourself once in a while to be aware of your own pace.
22. Set realistic short and long-term goals for yourself.
23. Remember to take deep breaths to ease side cramps. They will eventually go away.
24. Find a reason why. Dig inside yourself. What inspires you?
25. And always remember, it gets easier!

+Can anyone add any more tips to my list??

Thanks for reading! Have a fit and fab week everyone! {And Go Giants!}

xo, Jenna