After spending a week in my perfectly air conditioned studio I really crave being out in the sun. It is common to walk into Infinity Fitness on a sunny 100 degree day and find me dressed as if it is the dead of winter. “Hillary are you seriously wearing a fleece!” is a popular summertime greeting.
Don’t get me wrong, I love that I can keep my studio at a nice 68 degrees all day long. Sometimes even cooler if a client has to return to work.Truth be told I hate air conditioning, it feels unnatural. So, after 5 days of cold air and fleece I am ready to be in the sun. This summer so far has consisted of many weekend hikes and bike rides.
This weekend I felt the need for a good weight workout. So, I grabbed a couple of our kettlebells and my Swiss ball and headed for my backyard. I was accompanied by my 7 year old, Jack, who added another level of intensity with constant questioning or the need to show me something really cool! “Mom! Oh man, look spider eggs are under this rock. So cool!”
As usual, I started with my corrective stretches. My right hip has given me some fits lately with what I think is a strained hip flexor muscle. So, warmed it up and stretched. Much better! On to the workout. I did 3 mini circuits of 8-12 reps of each. With a minute rest before going to the next circuit. I’ve listed them below but you could make your own. Go ahead, get outside and lift some heavy weights! (Not all exercises are pictured. Sorry!)
Circuit 1:
- Kettlebell Goblet Squat
- Kettlebell Overhead Press
- Swiss ball Jackknife
Circuit 2:
- Walking Lunges (Wow, my backyard is really long! Never realized it until I lunged it:)
- Kettlebell Single Arm Bent Over Row
- Swiss ball Back Extension with Arms Extended Overhead
Circuit 3:
- Lateral Lunges Hold a Kettlebell at the Chest
- Swiss ball Side Flexion (Use the side of the garage for support)
- Kettlebell Double Arm Overhead Triceps Extension
I did feel I need a something a little extra so I think this week I am going to invest in a jump rope for home. Adding a minute of jump rope between the circuits would have taken this workout to the next level. However, I did get some lateral shuffles and sprints at the end with Jack. He had negotiated some frisbee playing after my workout and his aim is not that great.
Extras…….
My post-recovery snack…. Green smoothie. (Video blog post coming soon!)
Workout music: Pandora Radio Alternative Endurance.
Frogger (cat) was also on hand for the workout. He didn’t add much to the workout beside taunt me from the patio couch. He was my inspiration for the cool down activity.