Workout Wednesday: Circuits make a comeback

Vegan Goodness:

Today we ate the following.

  • Breakfast: Smoothies for Dad and LP, a quick bowl of rice crispies with strawberries for Mom
  • Lunch: LP and dad had leftover chili and leftover potato, cabbage and tempeh skillet.  Mom (and IP) had a great time at a “mom and baby” brunch where our fantastic friends made vegan quiche, vegan banana chocolate chip muffins and an amazing fruit plate!  I contributed Puttanesca Tofu Scramble – it was absolutely fantastic food and company, and some much needed “fellow mom” time!!
  • Dinner: We had Noodle and Bok Choy stir fry, followed by some chocolate covered almonds for mom!

Money Matters:
Today we spent the following:

  • $30.00 for our CSA box.
  • $3.00 for a thai iced tea for Mom while she and IP caught up with a friend in Davis Square
  • $2.00 for asian eggplants at the Davis Square Farmer’s Market

Workout Wednesday

Circuits are a workout my dad introduced me to when I needed quick strength-building exercises that I could adapt to my physical needs through pregnancy.  Basically, you pick a few exercises that work out different areas of your body (upper body, lower body, core/abs) and cycle through them quickly, resting only between circuits.  Up until month 7 of my pregnancy I was doing five circuits similar to the one I describe below.  This week I finally started up with my new circuits, this time adapted to work with a baby as my weight!  Or maybe I should say “circuit” since I have only gotten through one a day during the last three days.  My goal is to be up to three circuits at a time by the end of the month.

Here is my workout, with both the “I need to hold the baby while I do this” version and the “oh good, the baby is sleeping” options.  To complete one circuit, do the following exercises one after the other, without taking a break.  Then, between circuits take a 1-2 minute break (depending on your condition):

Mom’s Post-baby Circuits:

  • 5 push-ups (baby awake?  Put her/him down on his/her back, and give her/him kisses with each push-up!)
  • 20 walking lunges with weights in each hand (I’m using 10 lb weights right now) or holding a baby to your chest
  • 10-20 bicep curls (10 with weights, 20 if you are “curling” the baby)
  • 20 stair steps or 3 30-second calf-holds (both can be done with either weights or holding a baby.  IP calms down a lot when I do stair steps with her, where I just step and and down the first step of our stairs.  When she is asleep I can do calf-holds instead, where I just stand up on my toes holding her for 30 seconds at at time)
  • 10-20 bench presses (10 with weights, 20 if you are “pressing” a baby.  I have been just doing this on a yoga mat since our weight bench is in the basement.  Not sure if that is problem, but I figure since I’m only getting through one circuit it shouldn’t be a big deal)
  • 5 pelvic tilts (when the baby is awake I just sit her up on my chest, or lie her down, swaddled, on my chest with her feet towards my head)

 


9 thoughts on “Workout Wednesday: Circuits make a comeback

  1. A lot of fitness professionals think its better to do dumbell presses lying on the floor. The theory is that the floor prevents you from dropping your elbow below your body, which has the potential for causing shoulder problems. If you are using a bar, the bar will prevent you from dropping to low when it hits your chest.

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