My Nephew's Plank



This was the original pic posted on facebook.

 Well, the planking craze is still going strong apparently (Did you watch the video yet?  Pretty funny).  My nephew, Asa, got on the bandwagon by doing one while waiting in line at a theme park.  Very impressive, I must say!  He's got abs (and a core) of steel!

Here it is a little larger but blurrier.  You can still tell he has perfect form!
He's a fun/funny kid!

June Mid-month Challenge

I know you've all been waiting with bated breath and just been chomping at the bit to get at this month's challenge.  In anticipation for this month's challenge, my niece, Ashlee shared this great clip on the planking craze that's been taking the world by storm.  Uhhh... actually this is the first I heard about it.  But it's funny stuff!

 

By the way, some of that planking is just laying face down and is not benefitting the core muscles at all!  But this month's challenge is designed to do just that:  work those "core" muscles!  Planking is an excellent activity to enhance any abdominal exercises you probably are already doing in your fitness routine. 

The core muscles basically include everything on your torso between your shoulders and hips including the front and back of your body.  By strengthening this area, you keep yourself well-balanced and better prepared to tackle the challenges of exercising as well as your routine daily movements.  Not to mention planking will work on toning and tightening your middle.

The main thing to remember with planking is, keep your tummy pulled-in and tight!  See - now the importance of last month's challenge comes to light!  And you want your body to make a straight line from your shoulders to your feet (or knees, depending on which version of the plank you're doing) just like a plank of wood.

So here's the challenge:
Point Value:  1

Do 2 sets of 10 repetitions (if movement is involved) or 2 sets of at least a 20-second hold of your plank exercise(s) of your choice... 3 x/week until the end of this month.

This challenge must be completed as stated above to earn the point!

A few notes about the demo video:  If it doesn't work for you, tell me and I'll email you written instructions and pictures.  Also, our microphone broke, so I couldn't talk you through any of the exercises.  However, I think just by watching it, you'll catch on just fine.

Report From The Next "Extreme Couponer"

Well, I did accomplish both challenges this month.  I did plenty of gut-sucking.  Easy challenge, huh?  If you didn't do it... well, then, you're just plain lazy, aren't you?!  Yeah, I said it!  Did anyone besides me do it???  You have to report in or you don't get the point!

I also organized my couponing system and that has helped a lot with my weekly shopping.  I'm not saving 98.3% on my grocery bill like those extreme couponing freaks just yet, but I feel that I'm saving the most I possibly can by having my coupons at the ready to pair them up with the stores' sales.  Some weeks are better than others and this one was a good one because I saved about 45% on my groceries.  Score!

I found a website couponing101.com that I like and followed her method of setting up a couponing system (I commandeered Keith's unused Franklin Planner binder so now I'm one of those zealots who roams the grocery aisles with her big black notebook stuffed with the weekly ads and dozens of coupons).  I do have to dedicate some time each week to clipping and filing coupons and printing off the printable coupons.  And making my shopping lists is a bit more strategic so it takes more thought than it used to, but, for us, it's been worth it so far.  Sorry to blab, but just wanted to pass that along.
 
And I know I've made empty promises before, but I'm hoping to be sincere when I say this month's challenge will be coming this week... with a video!  (That's always the hold-up).

So in the meantime, keep doing your ab bracing and be ready for.... some planking!

Deets to come soon.

I'm getting organized... very slowly.

Well, I finally got around to one of my organization projects to accomplish this month's challenge.  First I had a hard time choosing which one to start with because I have so many!  I chose to get my coupons organized because I figured the sooner I got this done the more it would help me save money.  I feel great about that but I sure still have a lot of clutter around the house.  So it's on to the next project, I guess!

By the way, as I am typing this post, I am suckin' it in!  Oh, and Kegel-ing too!  (Don't worry, that's not part of the challenge). Oooo, try doing it simultaneously.  Whoa!

There's still a few days left to get organized if you haven't yet!

Abs-solutely Fantabulous

Okay, so I fibbed a little about having a video for this month's abdominal strength challenge.  We shot some video  but when we finally sat down to edit it, it just looked awful because my form was terrible.  Some of you may have heard my neck has been hurting lately (Okay, I know ALL of you have been subjected to my whining).  Unfortunately, that hindered my ability to properly demonstrate the challenge I had in mind, so I had to think of something else I could properly demonstrate.  The great, fantastic, wonderful news is that my neck is doing mucho, mucho, mas mejor! (translation:  much, much, more better... grammer is my strong point in any language).  I've been to a few physical therapy sessions and I've really turned a corner on this whole ailment and now it's just a matter of time till the rest of the symptoms go away.  YAY! 

Anyhoo, sorry this has taken so long to get out, but there's still plenty of time to work on this challenge for the rest of the month.  Consider this the pre-curser to the original abdominal challenge I had planned.  This is a great exercise that ALL of us can and should be doing on a regular basis.  Don't pooh-pooh this as unimportant and not worth your time.  DO THIS!  It will prepare you nicely for next month's challenge which I will re-shoot with proper form.

May's Abdominal Strength Challenge:

Suck in your gut 10 x/day every other day.

Point Value: 1

How to perform:  Stand (or sit) up straight and pull your belly button in toward your spine.  Hold this for 5 seconds, relax and repeat.  The best cue I've heard for this is to pretend you are trying to zip up a pair of pants so tight that you have to suck in your gut in order to do it.  Or another cue that might work is tighten and brace your abs as though you are preparing for someone to punch you in the gut.

My true desire is that we'll all do this every day but you will get the point if you remember to do it at least 5 of the next 10 days.

This can easily be accomplished while you are doing some of your routine daily activities.  At the computer? Watching TV?  Sit up straight and suck in!  At the stove cooking ground beef?  Suck in!  Put on hold while on the phone?  Suck in!  Brushing your teeth?  Suck in!  (Before or after the other tooth-brushing activity, of course.  Heehee.  Click here if you want in on the joke).

Here are some pics to help:

Bad posture: poochy gut, rounded shoulders, head forward.



Zipping up the tight pants, belly button pulled in, shoulders back but not shrugged, chin tucked in.  Much more better.

May Challenge Part I

Yep, it's another 2-parter.  This first challenge, I suppose, falls under Emotional Strength.  For me it does, anyway.  It's a de-cluttering/organizational challenge!  I, personally, have several projects that are unifinished and/or unorganized... and it's driving me nutty.  These projects are things that I've been wanting to do for quite a while now and I know they will make me feel better and help daily life run more smoothly.  So I want to just tackle them and free my mind of the weight of at least one of unfinished projects. 

So here's the challenge:

Point Value:  1

Choose a cleaning/tidying/organizing project to accomplish and maintain  until the end of the month (and hopefully beyond).



These are some examples of my particular current state of chaos:





Just one of the many unorganized areas of my home. Ugh.
I'm clean; I'm just not tidy.


• De-clutter desk and DO NOT let unfiled papers build up... ever!
• Organize recipes. 
• Organize coupon system.
• Purge and organize clothes/shoes in my closet.

I think this will help us all gain a sense of accomplishment and empowerment and lift a little of  life's daily burdens off our shoulders.  Let's get rid of at least one of the many things that are dragging us down!

Part II of May's challenge will be posted within days.  It's another physical strength challenge that is ABS-olutely fabulous!  (Hint, hint!) and it involves another video that I hope works for everyone.

Well, I dropped the ball

Here I issued the stinkin' challenge and I didn't even do it!  Well I did some of it but not enough for any of the points.  My workouts this month have been pretty scatty-wompus due to my neck woes.  This past week, though, has brought a big change for the better.  My head is still off-center and my arm is still tingling a lot but the pain has reduced significantly.  I'm ecstatic and feel so much more hopeful.  I'll still probably go to my physical therapy evaluation to see how I can get it to keep improving and hopefully never have to deal with it on this level ever again. 

I, personally, am going to do the Physical Strength Challenge this month just for my own benefit since I couldn't this last month.  That's the thing with all these challenges, is that they can certainly be repeated or continued.  Don't stop just because you accomplished them once! 

I will also definitely continue the Spiritual Strength Challenge.  Mine was to say nighttime prayers every day this month and this one I accomplished!  I just needed to get back into that groove and this challenge was just what I needed to get me back on track and stop being lazy in that regard.

So, watch for the new challenge(s???) this month and keep working hard.  And don't forget to report in for your points!