ViPR in my group-ex class

I brought my lighter ViPRs to my Friday morning hi/lo aerobics class.  I'm sort of known for springing crazy exercises on them and they like the variety, so they were enthused about trying something hip and new.  In January, I'll be launching this on my Friday morning schedule as a new class (ViPR) right after my hi/lo class.

Planning / patterning / teaching information is below.



In planning the exercise that I would bring to class (their first time), I wanted to give them something that was fun, challenging, and that was totally different from what we do with traditional weights or with body-weight functional training.  I picked the lateral tilt with frontal plane shuffle, but for brevity I call it the "ViPR side shuffle" or "ViPR slide" in class because it's quicker to say and still descriptive.

Before handing out ViPRs, we pre-patterned the movements we were going to do.  I taught frontal plane shuffles, cuing posture, feet, core, and heads up.  We practiced two types of shuffles, one that was more of a "basketball" shuffle where they had to decelerate, stop, and accelerate in the other direction quickly, and one that was more of a deep lunge to the side (same arm same leg) wth slower deceleration and more of a flexibility component.

Next, we patterned the one-leg balanced lunge with several options - both legs on floor, one leg with small lunge, and progressively larger lunges with reach to floor, shoulder blades depressed and retracted, hearts up, long spine, core engaged.

Then, we got into pairs.  We did 45 seconds on, 15 seconds off, 2 sets of ViPR shuffles and 2 sets of balance lunges - one set each leg. 4 minutes total work, 2-3 minutes preparation, made for a good higher-intensity interval component in a hi/lo class.

ViPR partner exercise - plank push/roll

April and Jen show off the partner plank exercise with the ViPR from my small-group class Saturday morning.  You go, girls!  One set of partners does the plank roll exercise while another set of partners does bent-over rows using a high step, then they trade.

Circuit class with ViPR, Lebert Equalizers, step and floor

One of my favorite fitness class formats to teach is a rotational circuit.  It's a great way to introduce equipment and variety into a class without having to have enough of each item for each member.  Today's resistance training circuit was a 5-station circuit using the ViPR, Lebert Equalizers, high steps, and the floor. We did one of each type of exercise for 45 seconds on, 15 seconds rest/rotate.  Push, pull, core, legs, anaerobic interval.  3 different circuits, each one done twice, total = 30 minutes of work (plus warm-up, cooldown, stretch).



Circuit 1 (shown on video), PUSH - planks with ViPR lateral drags, PULL - Lebert Equalizer pul-ups, CORE - seated ViPR rotations, LEGS - front squats, INTERVAL - box jumps or basics with member's choice of movement and step height.

Circuit 2 (not shown), PUSH - push-ups using equalizers, PULL - bent-over ViPR rows using high step as bench (one side only), CORE - pilates roll-ups, holding ViPR optional, LEGS - forwared traveling lunges stepping to 2:00 / 10:00, INTERVAL - lateral hops over the step (2-3 risers) or lateral hops on floor.

Circuit 3 (not shown), PUSH - triceps using equalizers, PULL - bent-over ViPR rows on other side, CORE - side planks with abduction, LEGS - one-legged squats or staggered squats, INTERVAL - ViPR flip.

ViPR Dynamic Balance

We all know that balance is an important part of fitness.  It doesn't matter how much you can bench press when you're getting out of your car on an icy morning and need to balance to keep from spilling to the ground!

Dynamic balance is balancing while moving - the kind of balance we use in our daily lives.  Since we're not flamingoes that stand still with one leg in the air for long periods, I prefer to train my classes using dynamic balance movements.  But if a flamingo ever shows up in my class, all bets are off!



Here, my bootcamp partner-in-crime, Kim, shows off a dynamic balance move for the hip and shoulder while holding a 6kg ViPR.  For those not ready to do moving balance while holding weights, simply omit the ViPR and do a smaller range of motion (i.e. don't lean forward).  For those who have mastered the movement with a 6kg ViPR and good range of motion - especially the semi-circle of the hip - the moving leg can be extended higher throughout the semi-circle...or close your eyes...or raise on toe at the beginning and end of the movement... or close your eyes and perform the entire movement while on-toe.  If that's still too easy, try the move in my livingroom while encouraging my eight-year-old to finish his homework and my three-year-old that she really wants to go potty; breathe slowly and keep your heart-rate and voice low.  :-)

My Tabata-inspired Interval Class with ViPR

My Tabata-inspired Interval Class with ViPR


A standard Tabata protocoal is a series alternating between 20 seconds of maximum-intensity work, and 10 seconds of rest, for 8 cycles to make one round. 4 minutes of interval torture. Usually I follow this protocol, with a minute of rest between rounds, to make up a full-length group-exercise class. Warm-up, 7-8 cycles, cooldown and stretch = 1 hour. The class I’ve just uploaded, because it uses equipment that takes a few seconds to transition to and from, I’ve set for 40 seconds work, 20 seconds rest, times four rounds to make one cycle. When we have 24 attendees or less, I break them into 3 groups of 8 or less and for the 4th interval we all do the “floor” move at the same time. When I have more than 24, I break them into 4 groups of so there’s always a group on floor; squished but we just make our movements more vertical and less lateral.



Here’s the class:



Station 1



ViPR – Side-lunges

Lebert Equalizers – Pull-ups

Step – basics or box jumps right

Floor – squat jumps



Station 2



ViPR – Side-lunges with cross-overs

Lebert Equalizers – push-ups (hold bars for easier angle on wrists)

Step – basics or box jumps left

Floor – quick feet



Station 3



ViPR – ViPR flips (horizontal travel)

Lebert Equalizers – 5 jacks, 5 triceps dips, 5 jacks, 5 dips…

Step – squat-lifts or squat lateral raises right

Floor – squat jumps with ½ turn in air



Station 4



ViPR – ViPR flips

Lebert Equalizers – pull-ups

Step – squat-lifts or squat lateral raises left

Floor - Burpees



Station 5



ViPR – 2:00/10:00 lunges with front reach (no rotation)

Lebert Equalizers – push-ups

Step – lunges off the step or jump-lunges on floor

Floor – side-lunges with shuffles



Station 6



ViPR – 2:00/10:00 lunges with front reach and spinal rotation

Lebert Equalizers – hop around them, 4 jumps around

Step – lateral hop-overs (step is optional)

Floor – kick-box front kicks right



Station 7



ViPR – rear lunge overhead reach

Lebert Equalizers hop around other direction

Step – member’s choice

Floor – kick-box front kicks left

Lebert Equalizer + TRX

Always trying to keep my TRX advanced class on their toes!  This exercise combines a pull-up using the Lebert Equalizer with one of the all-time hamstring killers, TRX hamstring curls.

Digital scrapbook page

DD and DS messing around at the kitchen table.

Gabs Art's kit, Red Me Browny

ViPRs have arrived in Oregon!

My ViPRs (fitness tools) arrived on Friday!!!
Check out my Tabata class here using ViPRs as part of the circuit. 



They were my second "ViPR Victims" but the first class I filmed.  Tabata is a high-intensity interval class composed of 20 seconds work, 10 seconds rest, times 8 sets to make 1 round.  4 minutes of hard work!  I only have 8 ViPRs so I split class into 3 groups and they rotated between ViPR drills, high-step drills, and plank / gliding drills.  8 rounds of tabata = 64 mini-intervals = high metabolic cost and post-exercise metabolic cost (calorie burn).

I have to admit some trepidation about plunking down $1200 for 8 pieces of functional training equipment. I like to have the newest, coolest, most innovative fitness tools on the market and I research the heck out of stuff before I buy it. So if fitness has a pulse, my finger is on it! But as new as it is, as cool as it looks, $1200 is a lot of money.
I'm so glad I spent the money!!!!! I've debuted them in 4 classes since Friday (and 2 more will see them this evening) and so far everyone has LOVED them!

Two of my exiting TRX classes will be changed to TRX-ViPR and I'm launching an all-ViPR class in Jaunary.  Especially for my long-term TRX members, the ViPR will be beneficial.  As much as I love my TRXs (2 years and 500+ classes with them), when we do something for a long time we get efficient at it.  The ViPR is functional.  It's great cross-training.  And it's kicking my ass, but in a very good way!

The ViPRs are coming! The ViPRs are coming!

Hooray!  Yippee!  Whoop - whoop - whoop!  It's going to be the next great innovation in fitness since the TRX (and you all know how fabulous I think the TRX is!), and I'm the first one in Oregon, and one of the first people in the USA, to get a set for small-group training.  I'm so excited!

Vitality.  Performance.  Reconditioning.  That's where the ViPR name comes from.

It looks like a tube, sort of a combination between a pilates foam roller and a Body Bar.  Sometimes the simplest-looking tools are the most innovative.  They're hollow, weighted, and have handles in several places.  You can lift them, throw them, swing them, step on them, roll them, spar with them, you name it.  They range from 4kg to 20kg and 8 of them are on their way to me now.

I'll be doing some test-classes with my instructor buddies and TRX members in December, then launch formally in Beaverton and Hillsboro on January 1, 2011.  I'll put up pictures of my new "toys" as soon as they arrive.

Isn't She Lovely?! Makena showing off

She's a ham, our little one!  "Cheeeeeeese!"  Photos from September 2010.  When I saw the "So Lovely" circle in Ruby Lane's kit, I knew I had to scrapbook these breakfast-table photos.

Ruby Lane's kit, "Sunday Afternoon" available at Scrappity Doo Dah.  Also used Bekah E's graffiti grunge brushes as photomasks.

Independent! Walking! Hooray! (scrapbook page, too)

A layout about Makena's independent walking (as soon as I saw the title of the kit, "Little Miss Independent," I knew exactly what I was going to use it for) and more background information below.

Scrapbooking kit is by Crystal's Creations and Dano's Pookie, available at Scrappity Doo Dah.
http://www.scrappity-doo-dah.com/store/product.php?productid=5687&cat=0&page=1

On July 11, Makena took her first two steps, snuggling a blankie and basically diving from the footstool to the couch so she could be with me and Connor.  I saw it and cheered.  It was awesome.  We got it on film.  We got video.  We laughed, sang, cheered, emailed our friends with the youtube link.  People congratulated us and warned that we'd need to start doing more childproofing.  Yes, we agreed wryly.

And then nothing happened.

For a couple of months, she'd go days without cruising, much less take a step.  And she refused to walk holding one of my index fingers - only two, tightly held.  It was like, "Well I proved I could do it, but I'm not all that interested."

Finally, she wasn't getting attention one evening at home, so she stood up and took two steps while Clint and I were talking to Connor.  Instant attention!  And then a couple of days later at speech therapy (again while not getting attention) she stood up and took 2 1/2 steps before plopping down.  More instant attention!  And then I remembered that my friend, Kristi, had taught her daughter to walk by offering chocolate.  We tried it. I'd put her, standing, leaned up onto the sofa.  Then I'd place a chocolate chip on the footstool about 3 feet away.  If she wanted the chip, she'd have to walk. She caught on to the game and the reward really fast.  Every time we played the game, the stool would get pushed a little farther away from the sofa, until the footstool was right up against the stereo and she was doing 88 inches (10 steps) in a stretch.  Now, to earn one chip, she has to walk from the sofa, to the stereo (no footstool in the way) and back. 210 inches.

On Sunday, she signed that she was thirsty.  I told her to come into the kitchen to get her milk.  She stood up, smiled, and walked from the family room to the kitchen, to her chair, and climbed up.  WOW!  She can do about 20 steps now, maybe even more, and she's sooooo proud of herself when she does.

A few new scrapbooking pages

Makena is learning how to walk, so I've been doing lots of pages of her mid-stand, mid-walk, and mid-fall.  She walks the farthest when she's being led by a chocolate chip or a french fry.  Oh, to be 28 pounds and not worry about the consequences of an unlimited supply of french-fry bribes!  :-)

Supplies by eNKay Designs, available at Scrapbook Bytes.

Pumpkin Patch visit from 10/02/10:

Supplies by eNKay Designs, from Melody of Fall kit at SBB.

Connor has been into outdoor soccer this fall.  One more game to go this weekend and we're done for the season.  It's a good thing, too, because it's getting cold and rainy.  His attitude has gotten better and better so we'll miss it from that aspect but I'll be glad once we move indoors!

Supplies by Bekah E Designs, from her Autumn Splendor kit, available at Scrappity Doo Dah.

More of Connor's soccer pix:

Supplies from LDrag Designs, "It Must be a Boy Thing" available at scrapmatters.

testing

Sugar Hill designers' Blog Train starts September 18th!

Get this adorable kit HERE beginning September 18th!

Contributors to this kit include Miss Tiina, Danielle Young, Boutique Cute Dolls, Thaty Borges, Sugary Fancy, A+ Designs, LilleyScrap, Victoria Feemster, Luiza Garay, eNKay Design, Roadside Designs, Just Jaimee, Bluebird Chic, and Wendy Page.

Blended photo layout and free template!

I've been playing with multi-photo blending recently and I really like the way this layout turned out! I used a large photo (center) and then two of Bekah E's Grafitti Grunge brushes as photomasks laid over the top of the base photo.  Then I added a fourth photo at the bottom corner.

All of the supplies on this layout are from Bekah E Designs and are available at Scrappity Doo Dah.  Here's the link to her store:  http://www.scrappity-doo-dah.com/store/manufacturers.php?manufacturerid=2&sort=&sort_direction=&page=2
The alphabet is from Rain Rain Go Away and is available alone or as part of a full kit.
The papers and ribbon are from Spring Fling
The word art is a freebie and can be found in the challenges section of the SDD forum.
The photomasks are from her new Grafitti Grunge Brushes.  Here's what they look like:

And here's the template that I made based on the layout.  Bekah's brushes are used as a part of the template with her permission, and the template is for personal use only, please.

Download the template by clicking HERE

Enjoy!

Little Green Frog

I caught a little green frog today in our back yard.  Two of them, actually.  I know, I know, girls and women are supposed to think that creepy crawly things are icky and typically I do.  Don't even try to get me within ten feet of a spider!!!  But the frog was small, harmless, and kind of cute. Most importantly, Makena was on the back lawn sitting in her water table (yes, I said "in") splashing happily and I couldn't deny her the educational opportunity of meeting a living, breathing frog.

So, I did what any mother trying to educate a young child would do - I cupped it gently in two hands and carried it over to the water table.  And... like any scrapbooker would do, I hollered plaintively for Connor to bring the camera, quick!!!  He obliged, and what ensued was a delight to watch.  Makena watched the frog hop and swim, leaning way over with her nose while I held her hands so she wouldn't hurt it.  At one point, her right hand was in the same section of the water table as the frog, and it climbed up onto her hand. She thought that was the best thing ever, squealing and smiling.  Connor, bless his seven year old heart, kept shooting and got some TREMENDOUS pictures. Nice work, Connor! I have friends who won't let their kids use even a cheap point and shoot camera but Connor wields our D300 quite well. 

All of the digital scrapbooking supplies are from Jaya Prem's Hangout at Scrappity Doo Dah.  My Lucky Star kit and Date It element pack.  Jaya's Store...


I did manage to stop Makena mere inches from putting the little guy (girl?) in her mouth since she likes to explore with all of her senses.  That photo's so priceless it'll get its own scrapbook page!  I just need to decide whether to title it  "Lunch!" or "Don't eat that!" or "Help!!!" or "And then things went terribly, terribly wrong..." or "A Prince, Perhaps?"

The frog was physically unharmed.  Emotionally, I can't say, but we only played with him for about two minutes and then I put him back in the leaves where I found him.  I even set out a large bowl of water in the shade for him/her/it since it was hot out.

Layouts, layouts and more layouts

I've been neglecting the blog lately, but I thought I'd post some layouts I've done recently, in no particular order, to show off some of the wonderful things the kids have been doing lately.

Connor is reading BIG, THICK books! Gooooo, Connor! He had his best report card ever before Spring Break.

Kits are a bunch (about 10) from After Five Designs, some freebies some paid, including but not limited to Pele Mele spring and vintage versions, Prairie Morning, Citrus, Autumn By the Bay, Time Flies, Playing Hooky, and Daydream Believer.

Makena has been enjoying SAND, much to my dismay.  For a month or so, she's foregone the slide and headed straight for the dirty, messy, sand-and-water area of the playground.

Kit is "BFF" from Jaya Prem's Hangout at Scrappity Doo Dah.  Jaya's Store...

And more sand....

Kit is True Blessings from LDrag Designs.  Lina's Store...

I have been training for a half-marathon.  I used to be in cross country (four million years ago), but for almost 25 years I haven't run more than 2-3 miles because my arches have given me problems.  I'm up to 7 miles in a stretch, but now my knee and hip are hurting so I need to have my gait analyzed...

Scrapbook kit is by GET Designs, Sweeter Than...  Ginny's Store...

Connor says some of the funniest things!  I don't know if the journaling on this layout is visible so I'm going to see if I can find the original document that I typed and paste it here. 

Scrapbooking kit is by Bekah E Designs - Pallette of Sunshine.  Bekah's store...

Makena has FINALLY decided that she actually wants to learn how to walk.  We went to the tulip festival a few weeks ago and the tulips were just about nose-height.  She'd say "Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah!" and waddle over to the next tulip as Connor or I held her hands, then shove her face deeply into it and sniff.  One of the most adorable things I've seen her do this spring!

Scrapbook kit is by Club Scrap Digital, "Blossom."

And I did this layout the other day just after Makena turned on the water in the master bathtub.  Normally that wouldn't be a problem but I'd just sorted about five loads of clean laundry and tossed mine in the tub so I could sort it later.  Long story short, I got to spin, re-dry and re-sort it, and I made a layout of Moo's mischief.

Scrapbook paper kit by Lilleyscraps Design, called Primavera.  Sara Lilley's store...

And last but not least, in my quest to do a little more scrapbooking about the adults in this family, I pulled a couple of older photos that are digital but were paper-scrapbooked before I started digital scrapbooking.  the surfing layout of Clint is from 2006 in Maui, and the layout of my 40th birthday is from 2007.  The scrapbook supplies are "Let's Talk About" by Gabs Art and "Timeless Treasures" by Bekah E Designs.  Both are at Scrappity Doo Dah.

More Layouts for February

I've been doing a lot of scrapbooking this month.  Club Scrap, one of my favorite paper and digital companies, is having it's annual Pro Scrapbooker's League contest, eight weeks of scrapbooking as a team to gather points and prizes.  I'm participating in both the paper and digital categories.  And Natural Designs in Scrapbooking is having their Amazing Digital Scrapbooking Race season five, six weeks of scrapbooking 2 layouts a week.  Add several creative team requirements and that's a lotta layouts - almost 50 this month!  Here are a few of my favorites...

Once Makena figures out how to open the doorknob, we're gonna be in trouble!  Club Scrap's Birds of a Feather kit.

Makena may not speak, but she quite definitely communicates!  Guess whether she wants to leave the playground in this photo?!?  Bekah E's "Love is in the Air" kit, from Scrappity Doo Dah.

This is from LDrag Designs' new kit, Love Out Loud, from Scrappity Doo Dah.  Gorgeous, gorgeous, colors!  Makena was awake from her nap but she was still really tired and coming off of a cold, so she dragged her blankie out of her bedroom and plopped at the top of the stairs.  Too tired or two lazy to come downstairs, but too adorable to not photograph.  In fact, I lvoed the pictures so much that I scrapbooked another layout with Bekah E's Love is in the Air kit with other pix from the moment....

This one's from Lilleyscrap Designs, from her kit Always Kiss Me Goodnight.  Makena snoozing on top of Clint's chest. Soooooo very small compared to her big brother!

Slide!!!  Makena's new trick is climbing up the stairs and sliding down them all by herself.  I say, "Go slide!" and she crawls to the steps, ascends, and goes down belly first.  Club Scrap's Avant Garde kit.

And this one's from Crystal's Creations kit, Pistachio Rose, at Scrappity Doo Dah.  Connor made almost 30 valentines for his second grade class and he was very proud of them.  I especially love the photo of him peeking out from the valentine he made for his teacher.

"Row Row" and other little miracles

Yesterday, Moo went to toddler group at early intervention.  They have a little rowboat there for the kids to sit in, and she loved it.  She and another child sat in the boat and we'd sing the song, "Row row row your boat...." and clap when it was over.  In order to get more rowing, they had to sign or say "more."  Makena upped the ante by saying her version of "Row row!" for the first time.  We'd clap and woo hoo and she'd sing, "Row row!" with a big grin.  I got a short video on my phone and she enjoyed re-watching it as I showed the video to her daddy.

This morning, we were upstairs working on laundry since Friday's house-cleaner day and Thursday's run-around-the-house-and-put-everything-away day.  I found a bouncy chair that she'd used as a baby and got it out for her.  It's rated 25 pounds and she's 22 so I figured she may as well get more use out of it since she loves things that vibrate (yet another thing explained by her speech therapist - the vibration helps her sense her limbs and muscles, part of the whole low-tone thing that often goes with Down syndrome).

She lay back in the chair, body straight, and bounced it a little.  Then she held on tighter with both hands and rammed her back against it harder so it would rock more.  And she said, "Row row!" just like she'd said yesterday while rocking.  Spontaneous, relevant, clear, speech!  I clapped and repeated the words, and took turns singing, "Row row!" 

This is big news.  Good news.  Make-mommy-tear-up good news.

Our little Moo shares these little miracles and her unbounded joy with us every day.  We're so lucky to have her and Con.

Layouts for the first week of February

Lots of layouts done this week!  For my CT assignments with Scrappity Doo Dah, I get to guest design for two wonderful designers this month, Crystal's Creations and Bekah E Designs.  I've loved working with their kits so far, and I'll definitely be showing off more of their stuff later this month.  Here's the first of what I've done for them:

New kit from Crystal's Creations, Love and XOs, and here are the layouts I did with them...

Chocolate Lover's Delight, By Bekah E, and the layouts I've made with the kit so far:

Pistachio Rose from Crystal's Creations, and the first layout I've done with it:

February layouts for Club Scrap, from their Castaway kit.

And last but not least, I have a layout in this month's issue of scrapooking.com magazine. They have an article about sports layouts, and I have a cute layout of Connor and his first (and last) time playing goalie at his soccer class at Indoor Goals.  This one is from Club Scrap's Common Threads kit and tattoos from Scrapgirls tattoo paper templates.

Digital goodness from Lilleyscrap and LDrag Designs

Lots of new layouts and kits!!!

First off is Lilleyscrap's newest kit, I {Heart} You.  Sarah's of Lilleyscrap is the newest designer who has allowed me to work for her CT and I adore her bright, fresh color in this kit!  For the next few days if you purchase the kit, you get a set of quickpages free!  Here are some layouts I made with I {Heart} You.

And now some things from LDrag Designs.  Two kits released in the last two days!  Yesterday, she released a collab kit with Project B Designs called Lovin' You.

And today she released Sweetheart of Mine, which has some of my favorite colors in it!

And here are some layouts I made with it.  The second layout is a Jessica Sprague template modified to double the photos.

Boxer's new paper/product releases and CT layouts

Today's post features tangible, papery, roll-around-in-it-and-fondlable stuff since my last post was all digital.  Fear not, digi-fans, Lilleyscraps had a new release today and LDRag has one coming out tomorrow, so there's some digital fabulousness coming up.

Boxer Scrapbooks has just done its January release with over 150 (that's right, 150!!!) new products!  New papers, new chipboard, glorious new stamps, tags in shapes and sizes, all in colors that perfectly complement their existing lines.  That's one of the things that I love with Boxer.  Since their new releases coordinate with their existing product, you can mix and match both.

Here are a few of the layouts and cards that I did for their January release.  As they pop up on Boxer's CT blog I'll add more here.  In most of the samples, I mixed new and old product to show how well they mix.  The older products are the green houndstooth, the light green plaid, grosgrain ribbon, circle clips and buttons.  The New Products are the black and white cogs paper (recolored), the circuits paper, the pink argyle, pink paisley, pink and green stripe, pink dot and pink crowns papers, the floral cut-outs, the stamped images, and the Disney-esque transparency.

I've worked as a layout designer with Boxer off and on for several years and this is one of the most exciting and comprehensive releases they've had  yet.  WTG Boxer!