Beating The Sun Down Workout

Yesterday was an unseasonably warm January day! I couldn't pass up the chance to work out in the upper 60* weather! Unfortunately, by the time I got home and got changed, I had about 30 minutes until the sun would go down. The race was on!!

So with nothing more than a quarter mile loop, two 10lb weights, and a really old (highly unstable) bench, I and two friends completed the following workout.

We decided to do AMRAP (as many rounds as possible) in 30 minutes (before the sun went down!). We made it through 4X before the timer brought attention to the increasing darkness. So we headed to the gym for a quick round of 9 Minute Arm Meltdown. 

Let me tell ya, after all of that, we deserved to kick back with our feet up and watch other people sweat on the Biggest Loser for two hours!! Which is exactly what we did! (Didn't Lisa look GREAT!?!?)

Workout Mantras

I like to chat during workouts. It takes my mind off of things and makes it go by faster. Last night we started talking about workout mantras. You may have already heard me talk about mine;

• Because I can. 
• Relentless.
• No excuses.
• You don't quit when you are tired, you quit when you are done.

I use these all the time to help motivate myself! Sometimes just to get off the couch and do something! Anything! Other times to help me make it through to the end, or to up my intensity.

They had some great ones too! Hannah is studying to be a marriage and family therapist, so she cornered the market on the psychological side of working out.

No should's.

Can I say how much I love that?!? My first though was hearing people (and myself) say things like, "I know I should go workout but....." or "I know I shouldn't be eating this but......"  

But then she took it to another level. When you tell other people what they 'should' do, how often are you being critical, manipulative, judgmental, or just plain hurtful? These things don't build people up and I know for me personally, it usually just ticks me off......

Obviously there is a difference in offering solicited advice or stepping in with a 'you need to.....' when the situation calls for it. But more often than not, when the words 'you should...' are about to come flying out of our mouths, maybe we should stop and consider if what we are about to say is encouraging and uplifting. If not, don't say it.

Chelsea's mantra was super fun! Her family has made a goal to be healthy and fit in 2013! (Yay for family fitness!!) So for Christmas, all the gifts were health related, including some great lotions and washes!! So they all started claiming that this year would be....

 Soft and Skinny 2013!

Love it! And I yelled it at her a couple times during the tough parts of the workout. It was a very fun thing to yell!!

What is your favorite workout mantra?

Has it been warm enough for you to workout outside yet this year?