Cross-training: Leg Day

This workout took about an hour. Emphasis on the glutes! I was a little ambitious in the beginning and had to move from 4 to 3 sets on some of the exercises:

5 minute warm-up: including deep squats or #malasanapose to set your range of motion prior to working out.

Supersets: 3 or 4 sets of each.

1. Cable deadlift  / dumbell plie squat (15-20 reps of each)
2. Pre weighted barbell front squat / TRX tuck jumps (15-20 reps of each)
3. Smith machine squat / smith machine reverse lunge (15-20 reps of each)

Straight sets: 4 sets of each.

1. Leg press (15 - 20 reps)
2. Cable machine donkey kicks (kickbacks) (15-20 reps)
3. Dumbell calf raises (15-20reps) (could be supersetted with donkey kicks)

End this with a quick flow through my hip release video or these yoga poses:

• malasana
• fire log or double pigeon pose 
• take the top leg back for single leg pigeon pose
• return to fire log and switch leg positions
• take single leg pigeon on the other side
• come into staff pose and take a forward fold
• return to staff, bring the soles of your feet together for bound angle pose-fold forward
• return to staff  and take any variation of a seated spinal twist (but with a greater emphasis on stretching the outer hip rather than working too much on the twist).

Cheers and Namaste!

Lifting Heavy Things for Cheap

Hey, budget minded bad asses! Cross train on the cheap.

I belong to a "boutique" gym. It's great. The members are strong, motivated, and motivating. It's like a family. The same vibe I hear from crossfitters that love their "box". This place just happens to emphasize strength and yoga. They are very complimentary, but I'm biased.

I also happen to be a member of that infamous, yet well priced, big box gym that has a lot of purple things and plays to the insecurities of it's members. It's so convenient, I take my son there and sometimes neighbors for short workouts.

The squarefootage of this massive place is mostly taken up by cardio machines and weight machines. These things I avoid. I've done my time on those, years ago, and will never go back!

Over there, by the long wall of mirrors, is the free weight area. It's not a bad set up. There are also a ton of cable machines, Smith machines (don't say anything-lifters!) and some have this funky jungle gym complex called the PF360 (also known as the Synrgy360).

I enjoy being strong and flexible and I only get that from weights and yoga. Some think yoga is enough but it's missing an essential move - pulling! All pushing and no pulling makes some muscles strong and others weak. Granted, you're only using your bodyweight but adding weights can make moving your body much more effortless.

So I'll be posting my "cheap gym" workouts here along with some yoga "enders" that you can follow up your workout with!