My sister-in-law plans a fun Friday for her kids every week. Sometimes it's going to Casper's Malt Shoppe, sometimes it's a trip to the zoo or it might just be a trip to the library and an hour of reading their favorite books.

Tomorrow I thought we should do fun Friday for fitness! Woo-hoo! Maybe you won't think it's too fun, but it'll get you moving!

Warm-up for ten minutes.

Do the following exercises with a smile on your face (just kidding)

- Squat with a frontal raise, holding a weight in each hand or stepping on a band and raising it - two minutes
- Squat down, then jump up to the ceiling - fifteen times
- Cardio - three minutes
- Walking Lunge - three minutes
- Cardio - three minutes
- Plie with bicep curl - two minutes
- Plie - sit down with feet wide, then jump and touch toes together - twenty times
- Cardio - three minutes
- Tricep Dip - two sets of fifteen
- Jumping Jacks - one minute
- Bent-over row- three sets of twelve
- Cardio - three minutes
- Calf raise- two minutes
- Lat Pulldown - three sets of twelve
Finish with another ten minutes of cardio.

Doesn't this sound like a whole lot of fun! If you're short on time, just warm up for two minutes instead of ten and then do as many of the exercises as you have time for.

I promised I'd post in the morning and I forgot. Sorry.
Tomorrow is cardio. I'm going to run at least five miles. Unfortunately, I'll probably have to run at the gym because it's raining and miserable here in Smithfield.

I wanted to encourage you to vary your exercise whenever you can. I try to change the weight lifting order, exercises and number of reps so your body won't get used to what we're doing. Your body is an amazing machine and if you continually place the same demands on it, it will get used to the stress and stop changing. It's called a plateau and is frustrating when you're trying to reshape your body/lose weight. The key is to change your routine. I'll make sure your weight training routine gets changed. You'll need to make sure you do different cardio as often as possible. Go on a long hike on a Saturday. Go to the local pool and swim laps one morning. Try a kickboxing or Pilates class at the gym or with a video. It's hard to try something different, but your body will reap the results. If you can't change what you do, you'll have to go harder and longer to keep seeing the same results.

Have a great workout tomorrow. I promise to post Friday's workout by early afternoon.

Pretty proud of myself. Did three sets of real pushups this morning, just to prove I could! Now I've got to work on pullups.

I'm going to try and post in the morning from now on. Some of you have commented that the workout for the next day isn't there before you go to bed. Let me know if this works better.

Tomorrow we'll concentrate on lower body. Before I get into the workout though I want to make sure that you're watching your form. Please use a mirror. I know some people hate them, but it will make your form a million times better. Stand up straight, tuck your pelvis, suck in your abdomen, throw your shoulder back. As you do the moves keep your back straight and abs tight. Move slow and controlled. Don't fling your arms or legs. Try to count at least two up and two down for each lift. Or you can make up a cute little saying like "I'm a tough chick."

Tomorrow we'll start with thirty minutes of cardio. Then the following exercises.
1 - Squats - 3 sets of 12
2 - Squat Jump - 20
3 - Walking Lunges - 3 sets of 10 on each leg
4 - Lunge and jump to switch sides - 20
5 - Plie - 3 set sof 12
6 - Plie and jump and touch toes together - 20
7 - Hamstring Curl - 24
8 - Dead Lift - 2 sets of 14
9 - Calf Raise - 20 on each leg

I do all my lower body without handweights, except for the dead lift. If you want to hold hand weights that's fine, just make sure you keep your form strong and don't cheat.
One other thing. The jumps are advanced moves. If you're just starting out, please don't do them. Always talk to your doctor before starting any fitness program and make sure if anything hurts to stop and if you really injure yourself talk to your physician and use R.I.C.E. - Rest, Ice Compression, Elevate
Have a great workout!

I participated in an online chat today with The Wild Rose Press and one of the authors was saying that she couldn't do one pushup (the real kind on hands and toes). We all teased her and laughed. if you're in the same boat here's my recommendation. Start on your hands and toes, bum down, abs in and try bend elbows and do one pushup. If you can't just hold the position as long as you can, then drop to your knees and do as many reps of girl puhups as you can - I hate that we call them girl pushups, but you know what I mean, don't you? If you try a few times a week to hold the position and do one pushup, eventually you'll be able to.

Tomorrow's workout is targeting upper body. I'll do twenty minutes of cardio. Then the following exercises. Unless otherwise specified make sure you use 8-15 pound hand weights and do the movements slow and controlled.

1 - Pushups - Full pushups if you can, if not do what I recommended. 20 reps.
2 - Seated row with cable or band looped around a pole - 3 sets of 12.
3 - Lat pulldown - 3 sets of 12.
4 - Pullup with assisted machine - 20 reps - If you don't have an assisted machine at your gym or you're working out at home try to do one or two real pullups.
5- Lateral Raise (straight out to the side, elbows straight) - 3 sets of 12.
6 - Outward bicep curl - 3 sets of 12.
7 - Bicep Curl - 20 reps (with as high of weight as you can)
8 -Tricep Dip - To challenge yourself put your feet on a bench the same height as your hands. Make sure you are bending your elbows and keeping your body close to the bench. 3 sets of 10.
9 - Tricep Overhead Extension - 20 reps.

If you have time do ten more minutes of cardio and make sure to stretch.
If you need exercise descriptions they are on my website: www.camichecketts.com under the links page.
Have a great workout tomorrow!

Wanted to write a quick note to tell you I'm going to change the schedule, again.
I am still going to do three days of weights and three days of cardio, but I'm switching things a bit because Monday's are hard for me.

Monday - Cardio
Tuesday - Upper Body
Wednesday - Lower Body
Thursday - Cardio
Friday - Combo Day
Saturday - Cardio
Sunday - Rest

Sorry to be lazy but with this schedule I probably won't blog on Saturday unless I get some great inspiration I have to share with you. Also, I'm going to try to post earlier so you can have the information for your next morning's workout by at least the afternoon before.

Hope you have a great weekend. My son is being baptized tomorrow and we're having a party with about seventy people coming to my house, plus it's my husband's birthday and Sunday my in-laws are having their welcome home, which means they will speak in church about their missionary experiences and then we'll have another huge party.
Wish me luck in eating good and enjoying my family instead of running around like a crazy woman!