It's Not Always Fun and Games

I love a good workout as much as the next, but there are some moves I just can't seem to do/enjoy! What are some of your most hated workout moves? Here are my top 3:

1. Lunges. I. Hate. Lunges. I can't seem to do them! I either fall over (literally) or my legs get so jello-like that I have to stop. I still do them, but not to the extreme that most can!

2. Planks. My arms are just not strong, no matter what I try! I can do all kinds of curls and lifts, but I get the jello feeling in my arms with planks. I do the wussy ones on my knees. That's right, no shame!

3. In Jillian Michael's DVD "No More Trouble Zones" there is a move called "the surrender'. I wave my white flag to this one because my knee already hurts and I just can't do it. It involves a step back and down to kneeling position then standing up again. Sounds easy, right? I tried to find a clip to post but can't- so try the video for yourself!


Now onto the positive, what are the moves that have made a huge difference to you? My top 3:

1. Squats. I used to hate them, but my thighs are rockin' now. I found this move helps to stabilize my knees and core, and has helped my running.

2. This move: Skip to 1:43 on this video- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6OCVEga_bc
The combo of the lunge and the shoulder move has made my shoulder rock hard. This move will BURN your whole body. In a good way of course!

3. The squirm. This move killed me when I first tried it, but has since shaped my obliques nicely. I can see them now, they have SHAPE! It's a basic crunch pose, shoulders off the mat; you reach with your palms out into your inner ankle and grab. It burns. Bad. But the results are disputable!

So there you have it, I'd love to hear what your favorite's are!

She put the lime in the coconut...

Ok- maybe not. While browsing my always educating fitness boards last night, I found some people who were talking about something like it was the most fantastic thing since sliced bread. What was it? Coconut milk. Skeptical at first because of the high saturated fat content, I researched some more and found out that the jury is still out on coconut milk. The fat in the milk are more easily metabolized in the body versus regular milk fat. It is also anti-carcinogenic, anti-microbial, anti-bacterial, and anti-viral. At 80 calories a cup, it's not much different than skim milk. Cons? One serving has 25% of your daily value of saturated fat. Also, if you use it to replace milk, you are missing out on calcium. 

I found some SO coconut milk at Sunflower today and thought I would see what all the hype was about. Packaged in a paper half gallon container, it doesn't appear much different than milk. I also bought the SO coconut milk hazelnut creamer (that is ALOT of nuts) but I will edit tomorrow with my thoughts on that. 

Taste: Wierd. It was not what I was expecting. Not quite milky/creamy, but not bad either. You have to like the taste of coconut to like this. Left a strange aftertaste, for me this would be an aquired taste.

Price: $3.99. Eek! 

Overall, I would say try it if you like coconut milk and are looking for something new. It was pretty refreshing just to drink, but at that price I don't think I would buy it again. I would be open to trying their ice cream. But then again, I am always ready to try ice cream!

 

Flavors: Original, Unsweetened, Vanilla


Edited 2/6/10 to say the creamer was....not creamy. It had a strange consistency and did not add much flavor or creaminess to the coffee. I give up a lot, but I MUST have my creamy morning coffee! Would be great for people who love stronger coffee. 20 calories/0g of fat a tbsp is also an improvement to the 35-45 calories/1.5-2g of normal creamer.