I will never understand how some of my best workouts occur when I wake up feeling like absolute garbage. I don’t get it, but I’ll take it!
I didn’t get home from work until close to 9 p.m. yesterday and it took me a while to unwind and get to sleep. I tossed and turned throughout the night and woke up at 5 a.m. feeling like Oscar the Grouch.
I’m pretty sure I found a way to answer Ryan’s open ended questions on the way to the gym with one word answers. I am such a joy sometimes.
Once we got to the gym and the endorphins kicked in, my mood changed and I started to feel much more like myself. I know I’ve said it before, but exercise really does do magical things for my mind. Elle Woods was onto something.
Cardio Killer Workout
Today’s workout began with a 10 minute elliptical warm up after which I completed the hardest Nike Training Club workout I’ve done to date. And it was only a 15-minute workout!
It’s called the “Cardio Killer” workout for a reason! Holy cow!
Here are links to video demos of some of the exercises:
Once I had a chance to catch my breath, I did another 15-minute NTC workout (the “Shoulder Ripper”) and called it a day.
Breakfast
Breakfast this morning was… ugly. I almost made the below picture black and white to spare you from looking at the horrific color of my smoothie!
In my smoothie:
- 1 scoop chocolate protein powder
- 1 tbsp. dark chocolate cocoa powder
- Lots of fresh spinach
- 1 frozen banana
- 1/2 cup frozen strawberries
- 1 tablespoon almond butter
- Enough almond milk to get everything moving
As unattractive as this smoothie looks, it tasted great after my challenging workout this morning.
Off to blow dry my hair and head off to work!
Question of the Morning
- What workout have you completed recently that totally kicked your butt?
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That’s how the entire AM crew at crossfit was this morning, we just sat there slowly getting our shoes on and out of our winter coats with glazed over eyes. Once we got moving though everyone was in a much better {& more talkative!} mood.
Sometimes the most gross looking smoothies are the best. I had a similar one this morning–site for sore eyes but delicious!
Sounds like a very tough workout! I last tried the Nike app a few years ago but haven’t tried it recently. Lately my hardest workouts have been my runs. I can’t believe I did a half marathon in October and now am struggling with 5k runs but I took some time off running.
I was definitely feeling so BLAH this morning, too! I don’t know WHAT it was. I was a total Oscar the Grouch and actually crawled back into my trash can (bed) for another hour of sleep, and for some reason I felt super refreshed. I then got out the foam roller and rolled around the living room while the dogs attacked me (always a treat). Next stop was shower and coffee and voila! Instantly better 🙂 I have plans for an afternoon pick-me-up workout…if I can only stand to get out of my comfy sweater and into workout clothes (I have been freezing all day)! Hope your day perks up! XO
Maybe you get a better workout in because you want to prove to your bad mood that you’re a badass? 😉 Either way, you rock and motivate me. I haven’t done any crazy workouts lately. Might be time to switch it up!
I just pinned this workout. It looks like a nice and sweaty killer. Perfect for when I’m short on time. Thanks.
Sometimes the best tasting things look the worse. Whenever my smoothies look like mud but taste amazing, I put them in a cup that I can’t see the color and just enjoy the flavor.
I am almost 38 weeks pregnant right now so my version of a tough workout is probably pretty easy for most people haha. Right now running is definitely a challenge, but I love how exercising makes me feel!
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Ohhh those Nike training routines are crazy effective! I haven’t done one in at least a year, but I used to follow them when I played around with my sister’s iPhone. 😀
And the craziest workout I’ve done lately is some form of jump roping and the armpit target workout I posted last week! Instead of counting reps though, yesterday I performed the moves by timing them in 1 or 2 minute segments and it killed me. 0_0 But it was the good kind, haha. Have a beautiful day Julie~
Now Nike Training Club has programs where you can follow for 4 weeks, right now I programmed mine for Get Lean advanced version, I am on day 3 and feel really good, I modified it a bit to add some spin classes in but its nice to have to planed workout in the morning.
Just yesterday! Focused on lower body and shoulders. The first time post-injury in MoNTHs that I could do push presses and inchworm pushups! Felt so good.
My smoothies also tend to look as one coworker hesitantly put it, “…healthy…” Or as my fellas boss said, “disgusting.” Ah well, they taste great!
Fly Wheel Cycle!
It looks like a kick your butt, but I’m ready to try workout! When I look online for kicking workouts I search for blogilates, tone it up and fitness blender! Variety is the key to keep working out!
Ha, your talk of your morning mood and your one word answers to Ryan cracked me up. My hardest workout lately was Gina’s newest winter shape up workout. That girl knows how to put a challenging, fun and sweaty workout together! I did it this morning in the comfort of our garage with a yoga mat, dumbbells and my laptop.
I felt like crud this morning at my work out and unfortunately didn’t end up feeling much better by the end either. Of course I am always glad I go but I just felt off. I work nights and then go to bed for about an hour before getting up and going to my work out boot camp class. Then I go back to bed for the rest of the day until work. Usually I can handle it but some mornings I ride the struggle bus out of bed. 🙂 We repeated a work out we did a few months ago and my reps were all lower this time which depressed me. Just gotta keep truckin’ tho!
You’d be so proud of me! 😉 I did a body pump class last week and it took me AT LEAST 3 days to feel like I was walking normal! The squat and lunge portions killed me!
Yayyy! Bodypump is the best!
Love this workout! I already pinned it!
Getting out of bed 😉
Julie — I just did this workout (so intense! reminded me of Insanity!) and then made the smoothie, which I agree is 100% delicious! Thanks for making it a no-fuss workout and meal for me!!
So happy you liked both!
I love gross-looking smoothies because it usually means that spinach and chocolate were involved 🙂
Ok, Julie, I honestly CANNOT believe that you woke up like Oscar. I see you as always so happy! You are always such a bright light on my blog feed. 🙂
Your functional workout with the 10 reps/10 rounds always kicks my butt! I leave the gym as a hot sweaty mess. The “OMG This Hurts” circuit always leaves me beat too. Below you’ll find a link to that workout 🙂
http://www.pinterest.com/pin/228065168603738333/