Feel the Burn: The Double Kimmy Schmidt Workout

Previous installments of Feel the Burn can be found here.

I have been enjoying posting my daily workouts for you in the link roundup, but your demands for a more formal Feel the Burn have not fallen on deaf ears! There is nothing I love more than telling you about exercise.

As you probably know, I have been doing a group boot camp four mornings a week, baby in tow, in an attempt to return to my preferred physical status as a lethal movie villainess. The thirty minute format perfectly dovetails with my son’s limited willingness to sit and watch me hop around, I get my clock THOROUGHLY cleaned, and then I go home and mine the internet for links to amuse and educate you.

About halfway into the workout I am about to take you through, I faceplanted on my mat and thought “all my progressive librarians with their sexy, sexy glasses would really love this. There’s ZERO equipment, you need only enough space to lie down, it works your whole body, pushes your heart rate, has lots of modifications for physical limitations, and it goes by REALLY QUICKLY.”


“Why is this called The Double Kimmy Schmidt, Nicole?”

“Because it works on the theory that you can withstand anything for TWENTY seconds.”


Let us begin. (If you want to know about the research behind Tabatas, go for it, I’ll just take you through the mechanics.)

11151050_10206822566625942_2030117476411870457_n

Gear:

1. Ideally, you’ll want a yoga mat or a carpet to do this on, but you can mostly stay in exactly the same place for the whole time, which makes this a perfect home workout (you can also go do it at the gym, obviously.)

2. Sneakers, a good sports bra, comfortable clothes.

3. An app that can time the intervals for you! There are a bunch of them, this one is free and does 20 seconds and 10 seconds off, which is EXACTLY what you want.

4. END OF LIST.

How It Works:

This is a RAPID-FIRE Tabata workout, thirty minutes long, which is a bit different from Tabatas you might have done in the past. You’re going to do each move for twenty seconds, then rest for ten seconds, then go immediately to the next move. You’ll wind up doing each exercise six times, with one minute of straight cardio after each round of eight (jumping jacks, jump rope, jog in place, run a lap if you’re at the gym, whatever.)

IN OTHER WORDS: squats for twenty seconds rest for ten tailbone balance for twenty rest for ten straight leg raises for twenty rest for ten straight leg situps for twenty rest for ten plank for twenty rest for ten bird dogs for twenty rest for ten pushups for twenty rest for ten other plank for twenty rest for ten JUMPING JACKS FOR ONE MINUTE squats for twenty seconds rest for ten tailbone balance for twenty….until you’ve done each of the eight exercises six times and done six total minutes of cardio. Got it? You’ve got it. Let’s talk about the eight exercises.

Squats With Alt Leg Lift

Just normal squats, but as you come up, lift one knee at a time to your chest with each rise, alternating sides. Like this, but without moving the leg out to the side, just directly in front of you with a bent knee!

Tailbone Balance With Kickout

Sit on your butt, clutch your knees to your chest with your arms, rock back so you’re resting right on your tailbone, then make motions with your arms and legs as though you’re treading water (legs extend out, legs pull back in, arms out to the side, arms back in) without making contact with the ground with anything BUT your tailbone. There’s an explanation of an identical exercise here, called “the V crunch.”

Straight Leg Lifts

Oh, lovely, a little animation here! Make sure to keep your hands under your butt, it will take the pressure off your lower back, and find the correct range of motion that will work your abs like whoa BUT doesn’t strain the aforementioned lower back AT ALL. This will likely mean that you get your legs up pretty high to start, and then do not dip down too far with each movement. Keep your feet flexed (toes pointing back towards your body, not away from it) and your legs COMPLETELY straight (this will further limit your range of motion.) Go slow.

Straight Leg Situps

I love situps and I think they get a bad rap, personally. Don’t hunch on your way up, try to keep your chest fairly open. Here is an image. If you are not at the point where you can do full situps, try holding a medicine ball or other object in your outstretched hands and use its momentum to gently propell yourself (like this, but with straight legs.) If you’re not at that point, just do crunches instead!

Plank With Hip Extensions

Here’s a good image. Really tighten your glutes at the top of each movement. If you’re having a tough time holding the plank, you can do straight arms instead of elbows.

Alternating Bird Dogs

(whispers)

These are pretty easy. Observe, do this, alternate sides each time:

Pushups

For a brilliant primer on pushups, please consult my earlier opus. Tramp or Lady pushups are fine here, whatever level you’re at. Keep your body straight, your abs tight, hands wide, and don’t go so low that you tweak your back!

Plank With Alternating Arm Lifts

This is slightly different from the one we do in boot camp, but just do this. If you cannot do a full plank with arm raises, you can do knee planks with arm raises. Try to keep your back as flat as possible.


Those are all of the moves! I will be here to provide any clarity if you are confused by them.


93 Comments

    1. roisindubh211 +2

      Oh yes. I am still recovering from HALF of a kettle bells class I did yesterday. So much pain…

      1. New_Username +2

        Oh man, I have been doing kettelbell classes for about a year now and good god the first 7 week session was like torture. I have discovered that i get results that I like though, so I keep putting up with the torture. It did start to get better after that first week session though. I guess what I am saying is that I feel your pain.

    2. bookwormV +6

      Last time one of these was posted I tried to do one press-up, discovered I didn’t know how to, and collapsed on my face instantly.

  1. Nicole +60

    Oh I thought it was going to be soul cycling plus heavy crank turning. Lower body, upper body, cardio, it works!

  2. deleted182847 +19

    “all my progressive librarians with their sexy, sexy glasses would really love this. There’s ZERO equipment, you need only enough space to lie down, it works your whole body, pushes your heart rate, has lots of modifications for physical limitations, and it goes by REALLY QUICKLY.”

    I came here to have a good time and I’m honestly feeling so trapped right now?

    (Yes, I’ll try some of this. Thank you….I guess!)

    When you said you were going to post this I thought I’d ask if you had a goal since you’re clearly going HAM…or if, you know, that’s just the routine. Bit of both I guess. I admire your tenacity.

    Oh and I probably oughta watch Kimmy Schmidt already too. I turned my streaming side back on for Daredevil and I kinda can’t handle how appealing Ellie Kemper is, and it’s from Tina, my main woman so….asshole, get to it, already!

    (though I still got HD downloads of Daredevil to actually *watch* since action stuff with a lot of movement looks like crap on Netflix with Windows) (yes, I’m still paying the subscription) (But maybe Kimmy Schmidt gets into a lot of fights with lateral camera movement, I don’t know yet!)

  3. Frumiosa +102

    If I read this at my desk while eating 1,000 calories of hummus it still counts as working out right?

  4. nicoledieker +14

    Okay, I usually do 20 min yoga in the morning and a session of gorilla workouts or 7-minute workouts in the evening (the gorillas are much better for feeling the burn, the 7-min ones are really just about maintenance) and I think I could hack this.

    SHE SAYS, NAIVELY.

  5. lassotabasco +19

    Also Nicole, don’t think for a second we’ve forgotten about your promise to make an EXERCISE VIDEO for us!

    1. NicoleCliffe +42

      Men\’s Health had this GET VIN DIESEL\’S ARMS workout and I am thinking about upping my protein and going for it, which would be fun to film.

      1. sausagedog +5

        PLEASE DO THIS
        I would very much like Vin Diesel’s arms but I would not like to have to wade through Men’s Health.

  6. annacperl +51

    OK, this is still beyond me, BUT I think this is an appropriate venue to crow about doing TEN real pushups today (and 15 calf raises and 16 lunges and 5 low squats held for 10 secs). I am slowly slowly clawing my way back from being totally sedentary, and it’s pretty amazing how much it’s helped my fibromyalgia pain & fatigue, and just in general improved the EFF out of my life!!

    Nicole, you are my workout inspiration.

      1. annacperl +29

        RIGHT? It’s like everything I’ve heard for decades about exercise being good for mental health is true after all.

        1. deleted182847 +1

          Remind me to take my good headphones home from work, I should probably go for a walk when I get home.

          1. annacperl +13

            WALKS. I love walks and I will never turn into a runner no matter how ruthlessly runner proselytize.

          2. deleted182847 +4

            I was born without the lungs for it. Yesterday my car ran out of gas (I haven’t done that since 1997 and that was the only other time) so I got out and started pushing. One guy stopped behind me and gave me a bit of a boost and then another guy stopped ahead of me where I’d be able to turn it off the four-lane.

            He walks up and basically starts running with my car. I’m up front holding the wheel and have to start running to keep UP with him, almost wanting to tell him to stop. We’re not going downhill much at all, he’s just pushing the hell out of it. He stops and this shit is still rolling fairly fast and I’ve gotta somehow jump into the moving car without running myself over. I somehow manage that, make the turn off, see his parked SUV and stamp on the brake to not hit it…and I’m not stopping….and I yank the emergency brake….and discover I had the *clutch* floored.

            (then another guy in a van gave me a ride down the block to the gas station and I basically got more on my hands than in the tank)

            And my throat was raw for hours afterwards. ‘”WE DON’T LIKE WHEN YOU DO THAT!” said my throat and lungs “KEEP IT MODERATE!”

    1. kimskitchensink +1

      You have inspired me. Pain (I claim fibromyalgia but have no “proof”) and fatigue are my life right now, and I know that part of that is losing weight and part of that is getting stronger. Thanks, Eustacia!

      1. annacperl +4

        Ugh, it is so so hard to get started! I kept reading the recommendation to exercise and thinking HOW THE FUCK AM I SUPPOSED TO DO THAT WHEN I’M TOO TIRED TO GET OFF THE COUCH. But I saw a doc last November who basically told me “it sucks, but you gotta” and I started small. SO small, just walking a hundred yards or so until I got tired, and a little more when I got used that, and so forth. It really has helped, as much of a bummer that is to hear when all you wanna do is lie down forever.

        GOOD LUCK!

  7. Kai_Ko +5

    Oh, good. I look forward to sweating so hard I get an electrolyte imbalance!

    I’ve been working on doing burpees for tabata intervals – right now I’m at 2.5 minutes, which leaves me IN RUINS. I can’t imagine doing tabata stuff for THIRTY MINUTES because that is INSANITY (shoutout to Shaun T), but I’ll try.

    1. deleted182847 +2

      You’ve just explained a joke for me. In “Riding With Death” Tom Servo, as Dr. Hale, says “Uh, Sam, don’t come back here, I’m, uh…doing naked burpies (sic)!” and it never made sense to me and it is SO much funnier now.

      Thank you!

  8. cait0716 +22

    What if I just did 3 sets of 10 reps of each? I can do most of these, but that high intensity stuff is just not for me. It feels too much like I’m having a panic attack, which usually triggers a panic attack.

    1. msjinxie +7

      I’m sure Nicole would say that you should definitely do any modifications you need to do to make these work for you! You know yourself best, after all.

  9. projectbeks +10

    This might be exactly what I need! (I’m going to pass out, aren’t I?) I will just have to start at a slower pace or fewer rounds of 8.

    This is also where I thank all the lovely Toasties who gave me suggestions on workouts to do while still juggling a toddler/LIFE. Y’all are awesome! I have managed to convince the Mini that exercises involving hanging on for dear life to Mama’s ankles while she does leg lifts are really fun, and I have seen improvement! Woooo!

  10. sausagedog +2

    Yes thank you! This looks great, I will try it as soon as I’m not a mucusy mess.

    I have been using your “650 reps” workout as inspiration the last couple weeks, just coming up with workouts that make the reps add up. I usually do 360 or 450 (3-5 sets of 3 exercises done for 10-20 reps and repeated 3 times, for instance: 10 reverse high crunches, 10 shoulder taps in push-up plank, 10 supermans, repeat 3 times and then move on to the next triad) followed by 15-20 minutes of cardio. It makes 40 minutes fly by.

  11. blushingflower +9

    “a good sports bra, comfortable clothes.”

    These two things are mutually exclusive. Sports bras are uncomfortable by their very nature.

    Having said that, thank you for this! I love body-weight workouts and this one seems to not have a lot of jumping, which means I can do it in my office (I am fine closing the door and doing a bunch of push-ups, but burpees are a whole different story).

    1. deleted182847 +5

      “Sports bras are uncomfortable”

      Damn, you ladies can’t catch a break.

      (I kind of always wondered too)

      1. SunriseScholar +13

        All bras suck to some degree or another. There’s a reason that the best part of the day is when you can remove your bra.

        1. deleted182847 +11

          That I can understand.

          Or as a friend said “my bra’s off, my pants are off, I ain’t going anywhere”

      2. blushingflower +3

        I mean, there are women who love sports bras, but part of how they work is that they compress your breasts, basically hugging them tight to your chest. As you can imagine, with larger breasts this involves a lot of squeezing, and it doesn’t feel all that great.
        Plus, a lot of them don’t have any clasps, which makes them very difficult to get in/out of.

        1. deleted182847 +5

          I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again, and it’s never to pander nor brag: It is so easy to be a man.

          Jeepers.

        2. lemonadefish +1

          There are (very expensive, giant) sports bras with clasps. They are much less comfortable than the regular pull-on kind. But they do hold up a giant rack, if that’s what you’re working with…

          1. blushingflower +2

            I don’t think I’ve worn the pull on kind in over 10 years.
            I’m a 38 C, so I’m not giant, but it’s more than a handful. I also have a touchy shoulder, so I can get literally trapped in the ones without clasps (though this was true even when I was younger and didn’t have a bum shoulder).
            My most common workouts are yoga, biking, swimming and walking (with some bodyweight work thrown in here and there), so don’t actually NEED a sports bra, fortunately.

    2. kimskitchensink +4

      I am obsessed with this Panache sports bra right now because it comes in larger sizes and is actually comfortable enough that I can wear it all day (which I sometimes have to do when I go straight from work) – and also, no uniboob!

        1. kimskitchensink +2

          I’ll do you one better – here’s the link to a discussion I started because I was so excited about it (there are other solid suggestions in the comments section, which is why I’m not just linking to Amazon) – https://disqus.com/home/discussion/channel-talksh…

          Seriously, when I found this sports bra I think I told every single person I knew. And I still do. IT’S SO MAGICAL.

      1. blushingflower +3

        It looks like it has hooks, which is a point in its favor (I cannot with the ones that have no fasteners) but it also mentions wires in the description.
        I am glad it works for you, but the shape of my breasts and rib change are incompatible with underwires.

      2. SunriseScholar +2

        You are my hero right now. It comes in low band-high cup sizes. Sweet baby james, I may be getting a new bra.

  12. vmartinipie +7

    Thank you thank you thank you. I’ve been having a hard time squeezing in my usual cardio yoga classes (more because of the transit to and from the class, not the class time itself) now that I am dating someone–nobody tells you being bonkers about someone new is gonna suck all your free time right out!–and this is perfect for my tiny room. THANK YOU, WISE NICOLE.

  13. deleted182847 +5

    It helps that this is finally my last of seven days working and I feel VIGOROUS. (I may workout with my dumbbells too)

  14. khaleesibrarian +29

    Every time there is a reference to the Librarian readership a tiny coal in my MLIS heart glows furiously.

    1. deleted182847 +4

      Yes.

      Like when the Doctor blows on the last little bit of the heart of the TARDIS and
      “

  15. thesarahgirl +2

    I’m not even sure I could do this workout just once, much less multiple times, but – if we wanted to make a routine of this workout, how many times per week would you recommend?

    1. NicoleCliffe +7

      Anything you do is good. I would say that 4x a week is ideal, but 3x is great too, and you’ll see strength and conditioning gains either way.

  16. elsajeni +18

    On the plank with arm raises, are you just straightening your arm straight out forward? Or something else? (I am skeptical that I actually can raise one arm from a plank and not fall over immediately, but I’m willing to give it a try.)

    Update: closed my office door and tried it, managed 2 on each side, then fell over.

      1. brassarcher +1

        Seconded — I am just not sure what I’m doing with that exercise. Is it an arm-raise and hold for twenty seconds, or alternating arms over twenty seconds? I can do either, but not sure which is right.

  17. mabissam +14

    I started doing an HIIT routine at home, which is a lot like Tabata but not as fun to say. I love this stuff!

    I’d like to put together a very silly workout where all the moves are basically ridiculous but are also effective. Like robot-walks with a resista-band, and crab-walks for thigh and knee strengthening. Bird-flapping arm movements for your deltoids. Yay!

  18. Passing_Strange +6

    Does it ruin it if I don’t do the cardio? I live in an apartment and my downstairs neighbours would not be happy if I were to do a bunch of jumping jacks or running in place or whatever, but having to get dressed properly and leave my apartment makes it 1000 times less likely that I’ll do it.

    1. mabissam +6

      I was thinking about this, what about if you just did air punches for the minute? That’s hard work, one solid minute of jabs. But it’s quiet. You could even incorporate a modified squat with that move, where you squat down while you punch down, and go up to punch up. Kind of like this at the 1 minute mark. Or this, with or without weights.

    2. Absotively +2

      Maybe a low-impact cardio YouTube video would work? The low-impact ones are pretty quiet, because all the things that make noise are high-impact. Or a dance cardio video, they tend to have lots of stepping quickly and not much jumping, though I’m not coordinated enough for them.

      Actually, even straight-up aerobics videos often don’t have much jumping, so far as I can remember.

    3. gentlehangovers +1

      Low-impact jumping jacks are also good for maintaining neighbor relations! (I’m horribly late to this thread, I know)

  19. houblonchouffe +11

    This looks a lot like parts of the class I’ve been doing, or at least kind of feels like it in spirit. It’s literally astonishing how difficult isometric motion can be when you’re working the exact same muscle for a sold three or four minutes. You start and it’s like, this is fine, okay, I can do this no problem, oh that’s a little uncomfortable, or actually that’s really a LOT uncomfortable what is she talking about thirty more seconds you have got to be KIDDING me MY GOD I AM ACTUALLY ON FIRE IN MY MUSCLES. And then you stretch and do a cardio and all is right with the world.

  20. meaganadr +14

    I just did the workout and am dripping with sweat right now! And I’m proud of myself because I didn’t think I could do it. I’m trying to get back into shape but I get so easily despondent, even just looking at some workouts,I psych myself out. Breaking it up into 20 second increments is a lifesaver for me and the Kimmi Schmidt reference, yes I can do push-ups for 20 seconds! Thank you so much for this. Finding a healthy balance is tough for me and can get lonely but having this up here makes me feel less so 🙂

  21. Absotively +3

    Do I have to do a warmup? Or can I just not push too hard for the first round and call that the warmup?

  22. belleofthecurve +15

    It delights my science-based heart that you’re sharing the techniques of high-intensity interval training (HIIT)! I’ve used this approach to incredible success in my own life because it is (1) short, but intense, (2) doesn’t require fancy equipment, and (3) helps raise my resting metabolic rate enough to somewhat offset my copious red wine consumption.

    As someone who hates the atmosphere of most gyms in my area (which in turn makes it easy to lose motivation to work out there), I can do this stuff at home in the time it takes to cook a meal in the oven. Also, I’ve found it really rewarding to keep a workout log and watch your progress from 10 (OH GOD I AM GOING TO DIE) squats over three circuits to 30 squats PER CIRCUIT after just a few weeks. After which, I now laugh heartily and contemplate the ease with which I could snap a man’s neck in half with my powerful and potent thighs.

  23. sophie +5

    I watched Edge of Tomorrow on HBO Go last weekend and now I am obsessed with the idea of being able to do Emily Blunt’s crazy floating yoga position. Can you teach me how to do that?!!

    1. leahrobinn +1

      In the book he calls them ‘iso-pushups’ which is now what I think of whenever I drop from plank to Chaturanga Dandasana (four-limbed staff pose). I don’t know if the name’s made up or not, though.

      I can’t teach you, really, but maybe google that one and see how you go?

  24. carolinecrale +7

    i was only able to do three sets instead of six which i’m choosing to see as an OPPORTUNITY FOR PROGRESS because endorphins are making me feel great right now thanks Nicole!!!

  25. logicbutton +35

    Okay, I tried this, and it turns out that you actually need to set aside sixty minutes: thirty minutes to do the workout, and thirty minutes to lie on the floor tweeting about your regrets.

  26. Absotively +13

    I made a thirty-minute mp3 of myself saying exciting things like “go” and “rest” and “next: plank with alternating leg lifts.” Maybe people who aren’t me will also find it useful?

    I only got through three rounds, and that with lots of modifications and also not many reps of most things. I did like it, and I think I will adopt it as my current exercise plan, but I got annoyed with having to look at my phone all the time to see what exercise was next. Hence the mp3.

    1. summerestherson +2

      That’s a great idea! And that’s also exactly why I usually do workout DVDs. I hate looking at my computer or a piece of paper to figure out what comes next. I just need my girl Jillian Michaels to tell me when to go and when to stop and what to do next. (I seriously love her DVDs, she’s not anywhere near as mean or yelly as she comes off on Biggest Loser, she’s just like ‘KEEP GOING YOU CAN DO IT! IF YOU NEED TO MODIFY THAT’S FINE JUST KEEP MOVING BUT PUSH YOURSELF TO TRY ONE OF THE HARDER MOVES THEN GO BACK TO MODIFYING!”) Anyway, I’d like to try Nicole’s workout so I may very well use your mp3! Thanks!

    2. brassarcher +3

      I used your mp3 and it was perfect! I started responding to you in rounds 5 and 6. “Rest”, “Yes ma’am!” “Go” “But, but I wasn’t done resting…”
      I also suspect you’re a little too peppy about those push-ups…
      Thanks so much!

      1. Absotively +2

        I’m glad it worked well! I didn’t listen to the whole thing straight through when I was done, because thirty minutes, so I was a teensy bit worried some error might have slipped in. So thank you for letting me know it worked!

        I thought that I might have been too peppy about the sit-ups, but I didn’t realize about the push-ups.

        1. summerestherson +3

          Oooh, I just used your mp3 and it was great! Thank you so much for doing this. It made it SO much easier!

    3. ofTrebond +3

      This recording was so helpful! Thanks!

      I got through all of it, though I kept thinking I wasn’t going to make it, because I didn’t have time to decide when to stop. I definitely didn’t do very many reps for some of them though, and a lot of the planks and push-ups were on my knees. And the tailbone balance became just trying to stay up, without much in the way of movement. Still a great workout, and now I can work toward doing more.

      Now I am eating a baked potato and it is wonderful.

  27. lemonadefish +4

    Ok. I hereby pledge to do this during my upcoming week of vacation. It may only be one rep per 20 seconds. But here I go! Thanks Nicole.

    1. lemonadefish +4

      Day one down! My sisters and mom and I all did it. I was working at what I estimate to be 3% of Nicole’s intensity

  28. robotneedslove +6

    I did this this morning! The whole thing! It was great! My knees are all bunged up because I can’t do full pushups or arm extensions in full plank!

    I listened to Taylor Swift while I did it.

    I love the Toast.

  29. summerestherson +6

    Nicole! I just did this and it was super great (and by great, I mean it had me huffing and puffing and sweating up a storm.) I think you should know that I did it in my “Run like Benedict Cumberbatch is waiting at the finish line” tank top.

  30. eleventysix +3

    thank you! for the post, and doubly so for making it equipment light/apartment friendly. this was the best 😀

  31. hannr0 +5

    I think you just subtly but importantly Changed My Life, Nicole – or I did, but thanks to you! You had me at “progressive librarians in sexy glasses” and I have never done an internet exercise thing before thatv actually worked and didn’t leave me fearing for my lower back which has a discy problem but which my doctor’s advice for is “stay active” (hmm :/), even though as a 20-y/o I feel like I should be able to do ALL the internet exercisey things, y’know? But this was actually the first that I read and thought “this person sounds like she has common sense and understands me, i.e. someone who would struggle to define “plank” or “squat” outside of lumber and housing contexts. So THANK YOU! I sweated in places I didn’t think it was possible to sweat from. And I did it in my sexy cat-eye glasses! <3

  32. Hannah

    I think you just subtly but importantly Changed My Life, Nicole – or I did, but thanks to you! You had me at "progressive librarians in sexy glasses" and I have never done an internet exercise thing before thatv actually worked and didn't leave me fearing for my lower back which has a discy problem but which my doctor's advice for is "stay active" (hmm :/), even though as a 20-y/o I feel like I should be able to do ALL the internet exercisey things, y'know? But this was actually the first that I read and thought "this person sounds like she has common sense and understands me, i.e. someone who would struggle to define "plank" or "squat" outside of lumber and housing contexts. So THANK YOU! I sweated in places I didn't think it was possible to sweat from. And I did it in my sexy cat-eye glasses! <3

  33. somesolanaceae +2

    Thank you! This was excellent! By the end of round five I had to stop because I felt like I was going to die, but will give it another go in a few days, once my arms stop screaming.

  34. alchemiholic +2

    I did one round of these this morning, the only one I had serious trouble with was the plank with alternating arm lifts because I am weeeeeaaaaak. I’m going to try to add a round every second or third day until I’m doing the full set. It’s really fun-hard instead of boring-hard which makes a huge difference to me, I’m actually excited to move forward, so thanks for talking about exercising to us!

    On off days, I’m doing a simple set of body bar and balance board exercises (my bbbb workout), and making sad attempts at assisted pullups.

  35. alchemiholic +2

    I wanted to update! I dropped this for a while, then picked it back up again two weeks ago, this time looping in my husband.

    1. Just as before, I could barely survive two rounds at first. However, I’m now reliably able to finish all six rounds with modifications (see below).

    2. This is GREAT to do with someone else. My gentleman caller has significantly more upper arm strength and wind than I do, but we still do the same workout – he just does like ten billion more reps than I do. (And my form is ten billion times better than his, so I still feel accomplished next to him.)

    3. Here are the modifications I made so that I could survive long enough to keep doing this: First, I only do cardio in the breaks when I feel like I can survive it. (That amounted to zero cardio in the first sessions. Now up to 4 minutes of cardio.) Second, I’ve just been holding the planks instead of doing the extensions. I still feel completely miserable afterwards, so I feel like it’s a good plan. I’ve started incorporating the hip extensions for some of the roudns, but haven’t worked my way up to the arm extensions yet.

    4. It’s already getting easier! Especially with the planks, I can feel muscles lock into position like good fairies who appear your time of utmost need. Pushups, too – I can now reliably do ten pushups in the first four rounds with reasonable certainty that my form is OK – at the beginning I could do like… five micro pushups that were more like tiny crunches for my arms than actual pushups.

  36. Henrietta Clevenger +1

    Thank you for this info, this is something I’ve been seeking for quite a bit. It contains very useful data which i need and i want to see more quality posts in this blog so please update your blog. Thanks for sharing.Gym mats

  37. Fiforlif surabaya

    Does it ruin it if I don’t do the cardio? I live in an apartment and my downstairs neighbours would not be happy if I were to do a bunch of jumping jacks or running in place or whatever, but having to get dressed properly and leave my apartment makes it 1000 times less likely that I’ll do it.