Bootcamp!

Have you ever tried a bootcamp class? If not, then you are really missing out on a fun, difficult, exercise experience that will leave you dripping with sweat and feeling super accomplished. If you have, then you know how difficult and just how fun it is. My school offers free fitness classes for students and community members to attend during the week. Among those classes are yoga, Pilates and bootcamp! Bootcamp is a super duper amazing class!! This week, we did really challenging circuit that we repeated three times and did with a partner. My friend, Selena, and I were partners and by the end of class, we were dying. It was awesome. If you've never tried a bootcamp before, I'd recommend looking into it and going to at least one local class. You won't regret it!

So far my May term workout schedule has been pretty consistent and pretty darn successful. I may not be losing weight right now, but I can definitely feel a difference in my fitness level. I run every morning and always do at least fifteen minutes of strength training after my run. I also took a belay class at a local climbing gym, which landed me a free two week membership so I've also been climbing everyday  with my friend Meaghan. Rock climbing is another thing that I would recommend giving a try. It is so fun and rewarding. The more you go, the faster you improve. I started climbing being super out of shape two weeks ago, shaking and struggling my way up a 5.6 (the easiest level wall to climb) and now I'm climbing 5.8s and they don't feel super difficult! It's amazing how much your body can do and how quickly it can adapt. I already feel my arms becoming more toned (again! yay!).

I also laced up a new pair of running shoes and said good-bye to my old sneakers. :( They served me well and I got about 200 miles out of them (so many miles!). But on the bright side, no more shin splints for Kelsey! Yay!

Well, time to go grab my laundry from the wash machines!!

I'm Back!

Hello again! I sincerely apologize for the long silence. As I'm sure you can imagine, trying to keep up with a blog and study for finals is a tad bit difficult. I hate to admit it, but during my hiatus, I skipped a total of seven days of exercise. I'm not proud of it. But, alas, I am back and ready to be committed to my health (and this blog) just in time for summer!!

With finals done and May term (three weeks focusing on one, daily, three-hour class of your choice) just beginning, my stress has diminished and my fitness is slowly increasing. For May term this year, I am taking a portrait photography class and a jogging class (to get a P.E. credit out of the way). It is really great because my exercise time is already built into my day, I have to do it, it's fun and is very independent. After my run on Friday morning, I stayed in the athletic center after class to do this killer workout. My legs are still sore from it!!! Give it a try!


Set your timer for fifteen minutes and see how many times you can through the circuit in that time.

1. Bosu Ball Squats: Stand on a Bosu ball so that your feet are on the flat part and the ball part is on the floor. Find your balance and go into a deep squat, making sure the flat part of the ball does not tilt to the floor. Return to start. Do twenty reps. To make it harder, do one-legged squats on the Bosu ball. Do ten on each leg. To make it easier just balance on the ball for thirty seconds.

2. Mountain Climbers: Get in push up position, making sure that your back is flat and your body is in a straight line. Push your right knee up to meet your right elbow. Quickly push your right knee back and bring your left knee to meet your left elbow. That's one rep. Repeat thirty times. To make it easier hold a plank for thirty seconds to a minute. To make it harder cross opposite knee to opposite elbow.

3. Hexagon Lunges: Stand with feet hip width apart. Lunge forward with your left leg until your knee is at 90 degrees and your right knee is an inch from the ground. Return to start. Lunge to the left, bending your left knee to 90 degrees and pushing your hips back to keep your knee from going over your toes. Return to start. Lunge backwards with your left leg until your knee is an inch from the floor. Return to start. Repeat each lunge with the right leg and do the entire set five times. To make this set easier just do ten regular lunges on each leg and repeat five times. To make it harder add a jump after each lunge.

4. Moving Burpees: Stand on a line, with feet hip width apart. Go into a deep squat, making sure your hips are back, your legs are at 90 and your knees don't go over your toes. Jump forward and quickly push your feet back and place your hands on the ground, under your shoulders so that you are in push up position. Do a push up. Jump your knees in between your arms and jump back to start. Repeat ten times. To make it harder, jump vertically immediately after the push up, before jumping backwards to start. To make it easier take out the push up or do it on your knees.

5. Plié Squat Jumps: Stand with feet wider than hip width apart, toes pointing out. Squat down so that your knees are at 90. Squeeze your butt and jump straight up, pointing your toes down towards the ground. Return to start. Repeat twenty times. If these squats are too hard just do regular squats. If these are too easy try doing them with dumbbells.


In other news, my portrait photography class is really interesting. I'm learning so much from it. We're not using the greatest of cameras but I learned how to develop film and make prints in a dark room. It was such a cool experience. I plan on spending many hours in the dark room and making tons of interesting prints. Maybe I'll have a nice portfolio put together by the end of the class. We shall see.

Happy swimming!!

Kelsey