Working Out With Travis!! :D

I didn't get a picture or make a log today, but
this is Travis's card. :D 

I had an amazingly awesome workout with Travis this morning. I sent him a lengthy email talking about what I've been doing and what I want to learn and he really took that ball and ran with it. 

The things I said I wanted to learn were:

1. More combination exercises that use multiple parts of my body and/or move my whole body around (including exercises that work on explosive power like Jump Squats) 
2. A new structure for workouts that would use those combination exercises OR a way to work those into the structure I've been using without feeling like I'm doubling up on any one body part too much in any one workout (for example, Step Up and Press as a whole body exercise with a shoulder press for my shoulders is a bit too much for any one workout)
3. More things to do for the Intervals of Insanity that will add variety -- I'd love to get some cardio moves to do on the BOSU or with sliders (which I have a pair of) because anything that improves my stability is a Good Thing.
4. It would be nice to be able to shave my routine down from 7 exercises (three sets of each) down to 6. Then I'd come closer to finishing about the same time Patrick does. 
5. Maybe my takeaway could be a structure (and some exercises) for workouts with All Combination Exercises and Lots of Movement. I could then alternate a month of that with a month of the structure I've been following. 

I don't have the full list of things we did (though Travis said he can get me one) but I know we did:

• Jumping Jacks with the Battle Ropes - 3 x 30 seconds with 30 second breaks -- Damn, those are intense! That is something like hard work! 
• Reverse lunges doing small sine waves with the battle ropes - 2 x 30 seconds with 30 second breaks - Those were a lot easier than the Jumping Jacks. But still really good stuff and a good combination exercise when I can play with the ropes. 
• Inchworms - 2 or 3 x 5 - Stand tall, bend over and put hands on ground, walk hands forward into push-up position, walk hands back to v-position, repeat until trainer says stop. Travis wanted me to do a push-up when I was in push-up position, but I can't do those off the ground (I tried and wound out flat on my face), so he made the sets longer. 



This is a BOSU -- you can use it flat side
or flat side down. Not my picture.

• BOSU Burpees - 3 x 10 (if I remember right) - I kind of love these. I have to admit that they're modified burpees. Instead of jumping up and then dropping down and doing a push up (see above about landing on my nose), I raised the BOSU over my head, then bent down, jumped my feet back (with my hands on the flat side of the BOSU), then jumped my feet forward again, and stood up, raising the BOSU over my head. 
• BOSU Squats - 3 x 5 (I think) - I stood on the flat side of the BOSU and did regular old bodyweight squats. Another super-intense exercise but kind of awesome!! I'll *definitely* be doing those again. I think intensifying those will be flipping the BOSU over and doing them on the round side. 
• Plank-Jacks (I think I've seen them called this) using Sliders - I went until Travis said stop and they were really hard, I have no idea how many I did - Basically these start in push-up position with the toes on the sliders then you move your legs out to the sides and back in. I actually didn't quite go until Travis said stop because the last set I started doing Mountain Climbers because I was dying doing the Plank-Jacks.
• Slider Reverse Inchworms (that's not what Travis called them but it is a description) - I don't know how many I did of these either - Like the inchworms above, but with feet on sliders -- so bend down with hands on floor and toes on sliders then slide the feet back and forward again. I think these and the plank-jacks were the ones that had me completely winded.
• Russian Twists (two sets with an additional thing) - 3 x 10 (I think) - I was using a light kettlebell and twisting so that it tapped on the ground on each side. One of the sets I raised it up in the air (skytouches, Travis called that) after touching one side then the other. 
• Kettlebell swings - 2 or 3 x 20 seconds with a 10 second break between sets - Very light weight but still lots of fun. :D 
• Windshield Wipers (that's what Travis called them) - I have no idea, so hard and I stopped when Travis said stop - Lean back and extend legs into the air (v-shape), then move the legs from one side to the other. 
• Jackknifes -- Lean back and have the legs up a bit, then bring the knees to the chest and extend the legs out again, tapping the heels on the ground. So hard. 
• Plank with a weight on my back - 2 x 10 seconds - I'm pretty sure the weight he put on me was a 5lb kettlebell because it wasn't brutal but it did intensify the plank! 
• Deadlift Snatches and Squat Snatches - 1 set of 10 (I think) of each - We went into the weight room and I used an empty Olympic weight bar (so 44 lbs). Those were fun and a great combination exercise. I'll definitely be doing those again as well. 

I don't actually think that's everything we did and we did all of that in 45 minutes or so -- so the breaks between sets were short and the work was intense. 

I loved it!! 

I loved working with a trainer in general because I didn't really have to think about anything or plan anything. All I had to do was go until Travis said stop (or until I just couldn't go any more, which did happen with the Plank-Jacks and he said I could do mountain climbers instead) and then do the next exercise he had lined up for me. It let me just focus on what I was doing and get into a really nice zone with it. 

We hadn't really planned on keeping on with Travis on a monthly plan, but I'm really tempted to see if we can do one session a week with Travis and maybe trade off who's going to be working with him because that was So Much Fun!!