ABsolutely!

Hey Bloggettes. Thanks for a your sweet comments about the Heffer in the Caymans. Ha!

I am in such a *funk* lately with nothing...and I mean NOTHING...to blog about.

My workouts are boring, my life outside my workouts are boring. Nothing to blog about.

I mentioned a couple of weeks ago that I was really freakin' frustrated about my weight loss/workouts/Weight Watchers/myself in general. But I am feeling better...I guess.

I have been having a bad mental tug-of-war: To train for something or not to train for something. I have decided to definitely do the St. Jude Half Marathon but that's not until December so I don't have to really train hard core until like September.

Pros to Training for Something:

• A training plan will force me to come up with a schedule.
• I love schedules and plans
• By having a schedule I might be more likely to eat better and drink less beer. Summa time and the partyin's easy! ha....
• With said schedule and better eating the weight loss will come.
• I will feel super-d-duper accomplished if I do another big awesome race.

Cons to Training for Something:

• Running alone is not doin' it for me anymore. I would need to train for another tri.
• If I do another tri this includes swimming.
• I DRED swimming. I feel like it stifles my SOUL to swim because I hate it so much.

So obviously the 'pro' list is longer than the 'con.' So I guess there's my answer.

Like Bex always says, I know I won't regret it, so what do I have to lose?

In other news....

I have done a couple day's worth of the Fitnessista Summer Shape Up. Her workouts are awesome! They are quick and you sweat alot. And yall know I love a good sweat.

With her program, there are no long distance runs (she hates running) or bikes or anything like that. Mostly weight training and yoga and interval training. So I have been sort of taking her workouts and working them into my own running schedule.

This week I'll do:

• Sunday: Spent the day on the lake doing 12-oz bicep curls....lol.
• Monday: Cleaned up around the house after work...that's gotta count for something, right?
• Tuesday: Week one, day two of Fitnessista Summer Shape Up 2010 then Laura's Ab Routine (see below)
• Wednesday: Jillian 30 Day Shred Level 1, and a medium run
• Thursday: Week one, day four of Fitnessista Summer Shape Up 2010
• Friday: Laura's Ab Routine, long run
• Saturday: not sure yet....possible Jillian and a bike ride OR a sprint workout?

Maybe if I start posting a weekly plan I'll do better at following through.

Okay so I have hodge-podged together a bunch of my favorite ab exercises and have been doing them durning workouts. Try some of the below exercises and see how they work for you!

Obligatory Disclaimer: I'm not a doctor or a physical therapist or a personal trainer or a super model so I *technically* don't really know what I'm talking about. This is what works for me, and it might not work for you. I'm not responsible for ya if you hurt yosef. :)

Okay so the Name of the Ab Game is FORM. FORM AND CONTROL. If you are doing these in bad form and rushing through your ab workout, you might as well just get back on the couch with a bag of potato chips. I have put a few 'form tips' on here, but do your research and make sure you're doing them right.

1.) Ball Crunch: 1 set of 25 I do this while holding a 12-pound weight in front of my chest. Simply lean back in a regular crunch and come up again. Keep your back flush against the ball. The difference between this exercise and regular crunch is that it takes you past the 90 degree position, thus giving you a wider range of motion.

2.) Reverse Crunch 1 set of 25 I do this one with a small medicine ball in between my knees. Pull your hips up slightly, bringing your knees towards your chest. Keep core engaged and your back against the mat.

3.) Bicycle Crunch: 1 set of 25 Most of us are familiar with this one. Stay controlled and slow, focusing on form. Bring your right elbow to your left knee, then switch to your left elbow and right knee.

4.) Medicine Ball Twist: 1 set of 25 Start in an inclined sitting position with the medicine ball in front of you. Twist your upper body to the right, touching the ball to the floor beside you. Repeat on your left side. Be sure to keep your legs out in front of you, and your upper body controlled and steady.

See how much Pink Tank Top Girl loves her Medicine Ball Twist? They're fun for everyone!

Play around and see how many reps are good for you. Since I do this in combination with other workouts (running in itself is a good core workout) the 1 set of 25 per exercise is good for me. You might want to increase your reps, or do 1 set of 25 each, then do the circuit again for a hard-core ab workout!

Happy Tuesday Everyone!