WEEK 4. Little Black Dress Challenge.

WEEK 4

Hi Guys!

Well we are just about half way through the 8 week, which will now run into 9 weeks, Little Black Dress Challenge. The reasons for this is because bank holidays and public holidays have fallen onto the same days as the classes so we're going over time slightly. Its time to knuckle down! As you seen in last weeks post I missed a class due to a hand injury which is 100 times better now. After our warm up jog, we where down to business. So lets see what Sean had in store for us this week...

The stations where as follows:

BATTLE ROPES

SQUATS USING A...... 10KG BALL

UPRIGHT ROWS

WALKING LUNGES

JOGGING

T PUSH UPS

KETTLE BELL SWING

BACK KICKS

TRICEPS DIPS

KETTLE BELL FIGURE 8

Here's how I get on with each station...
  
Battle Ropes

I have been using battle ropes for sometime now. Sean (our class instructor) is also my personal trainer and he has been incorporating battle ropes into training sessions since we began working together, (more or less). I might do a post on a 6 week cycle of personal training too ;). I find these incredibly tough, especially at the beginning but once I found my form I became stronger. Now having said that I still STRUGGLED with the 1.5 minutes I was on the station! For this you create waves with the VERY HEAVY ropes while in a semi squat position. This is the ultimate arm work-out, well it is for me in anyways!!! 

Squats with a 10kg ball

Oh my goodness! Have you ever lifted a 10 kg medicine ball?  This takes so much strength to complete without dropping the ball within the minute and half Sean had set out for us. Bearing in mind my hand is still quite weak and healing but nonetheless I gave it a lash. I think posture comes into play big time in this exercise. Resistance training at its finest.

Up Right Rows

When I first started training I had VERY little upper body strength. But little by little its been getting stronger (still a LONG way to go) but what I have learned in this exercise besides how important correct posture is, is that its one thing to lift the bar bell up and down like its a piece of string and get nothing from it, than putting effort into each lift.  This is resistance training and once I have my correct form or Sean has reminded of so, I put all I have into getting a proper arm work out with this bad boy. I feel it all in my biceps and triceps and I also be feeling it for days after! (GOOD PAIN) I never want to be without this good pain. And I sweat bullets on this station!  Effective or what!!!

Walking Lunges

Ah lunges! It helps with good balance and also serves as a reminder of how strong my right side is in comparison to my left side! So while on this station I am so aware of my left side and focus in on pushing it that much harder and it's working! I still can't get my left leg quite as low as my right one but I'm working on it. 

Jogging

This time 2 years ago a mere 100 yard walk had me in so much pain with shin splints! To the point of tears some days so the fact that I can even run solid for more than a minute is probably my biggest achievement to date. I love jogging especially if there is a good beat on in the hall. Its liberating.

T Push Ups

OK!!! So I cheat a little bit here and I come down on all 4's into a box push up but I'm sure in time to come I'll be well able for a regular push up but until then, the box push up with a T does me just fine! Now Truth- I find this very difficult on the arms. Its probably the most challenging exercise in that area for me but again its effective and what ever it is about working out my upper body I sweat like a mofo. And that's fine!

Kettle Bell Swing

Kettle bell swings would be fairly straight forward for me. Its all about the hips in this one. Snapping them back and swinging the bell to face level.

Back Kicks

Another cardio station that gets the pulse going. Basically my aim is to give myself a kick in the  a** LOL getting the arms invloved. What better way eh?....

Triceps Dips
 Triceps Dips have always been one of the hardest stations for me. It feels like you're putting all your body weight on your triceps (which we are) and moving up and down. This on top of battle ropes and push ups, my arms do be burning for days!

Kettle Bell Figure 8
I find this 'okayish'. Staying in the semi squat position while moving the kettle bells in a figure 8 can be brutal!

We stayed on each station for a minute and half and we did a 5 minute jog in the interval (no one said this was going to be easy ;)) and we did the circuit again. And we finished off the class with an abs workout consisting off bicycles, situps and plank. I feel the need to work on my core a lot. While I feel my leg muscles have gotten much stronger along with my arms, I feel the need to focus on my core muscles at the moment. I feel I am lacking there. I always get some sort of training in on my own time so my core will be actioned next :).

As the weeks are going on the classes are getting more and more intense and still as enjoyable! I love it!! Yes its hard but getting the endorphins racing puts you into such a good form like nothing else.

Back to normal this week with our 2 classes and my regular Sunday time post. 

Thanks so much for reading this guys! 

Much Love,

Amy xo