Workout Archives - Just J.Faye

PCT Training Weeks 7 & 8 + 2 Workouts!

February 25, 2019 by Jenna

Below is my PCT training for weeks 7 & 8.

I finally started putting together some strength workouts for myself and shared them below. Try them out! I was sore after the full body strength workout.

PCT Training Goals

Michael and I will be starting the Pacific Crest Trail on April 18. We are just under 2 months away and I AM SO EXCITED. You can read about our PCT goals here.

I realize that it’s not quite feasible to train my body to hike 25 miles per day for 120 days. In fact, a lot of people say that your PCT training is basically the first month of the hike; however, I want to start the trail as prepared as possible in order to minimize risk of injury.

My minimum goals for each week are:

Hike x1
Run x2
Stairmill x2
Strength training workout x2
Stretch!!

Running trumps the stairmill and hiking trumps both the stairmill and running. If I get in an extra hike, but only do one session on the stairmill I’ll consider it a win.

I just deleted yoga from my weekly goals. I haven’t been doing it and I probably won’t. I am going to focus on doing a little stretching after every workout. If I do get some yoga in it’ll be bonus points for me.

PCT Training Week 7

Sun, February 10: 3-mile run + 9.3-mile bike
Mon, February 11: 30-minute stairmill + this strength conditioning kettlebell workout + abs + 9-mile bike
Tues, February 12: 30-minute stairmill + 6-mile bike
Wed, February 13: 3.5-mile run
Thurs, February 14: Green Mountain hike/run
Fri, February 15: 9-mile bike + strength & cardio superset workout (see below)
Sat, February 16: 9-mile bike

I took myself out on a little Valentine’s Day hike to Green Mountain. It was a windy, muddy day, but it was so refreshing. I hiked the uphills and ran the flat and downhill parts. I need more of this type of movement in my life!

PCT Training Week 8

Sun, February 17: 4-mile run
Mon, February 18: 30-min stairmill + this dumbbell superset HIIT workout + 6-mile bike
Tues, February 19: 30-min stairmill + 3.25-mile run
Wed, February 20: 9-mile bike + resistance band workout
Thurs, February 21: 17-mile bike + 3.25-mile run
Fri, February 22: 9-mile bike + full body strength workout (see below)
Sat, February 23: 3.5-mile run

Unfortunately, I didn’t get any hiking in this week. We’re actually having a semi-real winter here in Denver. AKA, it has snowed more than once. My normal trails are either covered in fresh snow or are super muddy. Instead I focused more on running and strength training this week. I’m starting to like running again and it’s making me really happy.

Summary

Week 7

1 hike, 2 runs, 2 stairmill, 2 strength training, 5 bike

I hit all the goals this week and even did quite a bit of stretching!

Week 8

0 hikes, 4 runs, 2 stairmill, 3 strength training, 4 bike

As I mentioned, no hikes this week, but plenty of running and biking made up for it.

Workouts

Strength & Cardio Superset Workout

This workout is comprised of 3 supersets, each with 1 lower body exercise, 1 upper body exercise, and 1 cardio exercise. Complete each strength exercise for 12 reps and each cardio exercise for 30 seconds. Do each superset 3 times. Use the appropriate dumbbells for your abilities.

Full Body Strength Workout

This is a great workout! Each superset is upper body, lower body, and core exercises. Complete 15 reps of each exercise (unless otherwise noted) and do each superset a total of 3 times. Use whatever dumbbell weight works for your body. I went heavy on the rows, light on the shoulders, and medium on everything else. If you only have access to one set up dumbbells, feel free to adjust the reps slightly.

I was sore after this one. Do it!

Let me know if you are interested in seeing more workouts and if you’d like descriptions for each exercise. I used to write out detailed instructions (examples 1, 2, and 3) and will again if there is interest! Let me know in the comments.

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PCT Training Weeks 1 & 2

January 11, 2019 by Jenna

First PCT training post! Woohooooo.

Holding true to what I said in my last post, here’s my PCT training weeks 1 & 2 summary.

PCT Training Goals

Michael and I will head out in the Pacific Crest Trail on April 18! I’m not quite sure if it’s feasible to fully train my body to hike 25 miles per day for 120 days, so I am going to focus on increasing my cardio endurance and strengthening my body to minimize the risk of injury.

My minimum goals for each week are:

Run x2
Stairmill x2
Strength training workout x2
Yoga x1 or at least a lot of stretching
Hike x1

Again, the goals are my minimums for each week. If I go on an extra run and bike for an hour, yippee for me!

These posts will be more of a personal training diary. I apologize in advance that they will be a little dry. You are more than welcome to tell me step it up and train harder. I’ll need it. I’m kind of lazy these days 😬

PCT Training Week 1

December 30: This 20-minute strength workout and a 3-mile run
December 31: 30-minute stairmill and 3-mile bike
January 1: rest 🙂
January 2: This strength + HIIT home workout and a 3.1-mile run
January 3: 4.5-mile hike around Mount Galbraith
January 4: 30-minute stairmill and 3-mile bike
January 5: This legs + back workout with my sister

The first thing you’ll notice is that I’m currently very into workouts from Nourish, Move, Love (thanks for the recommendation, Mom). I don’t typically follow other people’s workouts, but there is something about hers that are very appealing. Idk why. Maybe because I work from home and I have zero excuses to fit in a 30-minute workout between meetings. Eventually, I’d like to start writing my own workouts like I’ve done in the past, but for now the Nourish Move Love workouts are perfect. I highly recommend checking out her site!

PCT Training Week 2

January 6: Resistance band workout
January 7: Half of this 10-minute at-home HIIT workout
January 8: This 30-minute HIIT workout video with weight and a 2.8-mile run with Lindsey
January 9: 40-minute stairmill and 15.8-mile bike
January 10: 5.8-mile Green Mountain hike and 1-hour bike race with Michael (knocked out 15.85 mile, but he beat by .15 miles)
January 11: This upper body HIIT workout and this 10-minute barre core workout
January 12: Winter Trifecta hike with the Boulder Hiker Chicks – 11-mile hike to Green Mountain, Bear Peak, and South Boulder Peak

I was in South Dakota visiting family January 4-7. The only workouts I could fit in were some at-home workouts with my sister while my nephew was sleeping. Although it was less than I’d like to do on a normal weekend I never get to workout with my sister, so it was very fun!

On Saturday I did the 5th Annual Boulder Hiker Chicks Winter Trifecta. It was an 11-mile hike to Green Mountain, Bear Peak, and South Boulder Peak with over 4,000 feet of elevation gain and 68 total hiker chicks! There was also 4-6 inches of fresh snow from the night before, which made the experience more difficult and more beautiful. There is something about hiking through the snow that is so magical. I can’t explain it, so I’ll let the pictures do the talking.

Summary

Week 1:

2 runs, 2 stairmill, 3 strength training, 0 yoga, 1 hike, 2 bike, 1 day rest

I hit all my goals, except yoga and got additional biking and strength training.

Week 2:

1 run, 1 stairmill, 3 strength training, 0 yoga, 2 hikes, 2 bike

I was short on the running, stairmill, and yoga, but did a lot more hiking and biking.

I need to work on getting some yoga sessions in! A consistent yoga routine is always hard for me to start. It takes me a little bit to remember how much I enjoy it.

Thanks for following along! If you have any great workout ideas, feel free to pass them my way!

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30-Minute Workout With Cardio, Legs, and Core

April 6, 2016 by Jenna

You know the days when you want to get in a good workout, but at the same time you want it to be convenient and fast, yet still super effective? The days when you’re not really in the mood to run or go to the gym, but you know that working out is still a good idea?

Yeah, me too.

That’s why I put together this 30-Minute Workout with Cardio, Legs, and Core.

It’ll get your blood pumping. You’ll work your legs and core. And you won’t need any fancy equipment to do it. Hurray!

Find the full workout on Minneapolis Running.

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Upper Body, Abs, and Intervals

February 23, 2016 by Jenna

This upper body, abs, and intervals workout is a mix of strength training circuits and cardio intervals. It’s challenging, but I know you’ll love it!

There is something about combining cardio and strength training circuits into one awesome workout that I really enjoy -> Exhibits A, B, C, D, and E.

I think it’s because these types of workouts are intense, but they fly by. You are continuously moving from one exercise to the next and from one mode to the next (treadmill to machine to cable to free weights, etc), so you never have time to get bored. It is also such a good way to keep your heart rate up, build strength, increase speed, and boost metabolism.

This upper body, abs, and intervals workout has three strength training circuits that are mixed in with three sets of treadmill sprints. Each circuit is made up of two upper body exercises (10 reps each) and one core exercise (15 reps each) that will be completed back-to-back.

You’ll notice that the upper body exercises in each circuit focus on agonist/antagonist muscle pairings: circuit 1 = chest & back, circuit 2 = lats & shoulders, circuit 3 = biceps & triceps. The agonist muscle is the one that performs the action while the antagonist muscle opposes that action. For example in a bicep curl, the bicep is the agonist, while the triceps are the antagonist. In a tricep push down the bicep is now the antagonist muscle that is opposing the action that the tricep is performing. Biceps & triceps = opposites. Since these are opposing muscle groups we can easily superset the exercises without worrying about muscle fatigue.

So this is what we’re specifically going to do:

And here are the exercise cues:

Seated Chest Press: On a chest press machine (like this) sit with the handles at about chest/shoulder height. Place arms on the handles (starting position) and push forward, squeezing your chest muscles. Slowly return back to starting position.
Standing Cable Row: Place the arms of a dual cable machine (like this) slightly below shoulder height. Grasp the cable handles with your back straight, knees slightly bent, and arms out straight. This is starting position. Pull the cables in towards your torso, squeezing your shoulder blades together until your hands reach your ribs. Return to starting position.
Cable Ab Rotation: Using the same cable machine, grab one cable handle with both hands and take a few steps back from the machine. Turn so that the machine is at your side and the cable is straight in front of you. Put your arms straight out in front of you slightly below shoulder height. Using your core, rotate your torso away from the machine, trying not to move your arms or lower body at all. Rotate your torso back towards the machine. This is one rep. Complete all reps on one side, then turn the opposite direction and complete all the reps on that side.
Lat Pull Down: On a lat pull down machine (like this) grab the bar with a wide grip and sit down on the bench. Pull down the cable bar until it reaches your upper chest. Raise back up until your arms are fully extended.
Lateral Shoulder Raise: Stand holding dumbbells in each hand with palms facing the sides of thighs. Raise both arms up and out to the side until hands reach approximately shoulder level. Lower arms back to starting position.
Standing Side Bends: Hold a dumbbell in one hand with your arm straight at your side. Bend at your waist so the dumbbell slides down along your outer thigh, keeping your hips stable. Raise back up to starting position. Complete all reps on one side, then switch to the other.
Cable Triceps Push Downs: On a cable machine with the rope attachment (like this), grab the rope with each hand so that your hands are slightly higher than your elbows. Push down until your arms are straight. Raise back up to starting position.
Standing Dumbbell Biceps Curls: Hold dumbbells shoulder width apart with arms at sides, palms facing forward. Raise dumbbells, keeping upper arms stationary, until they reach shoulder level. Lower back to starting position.
Lying Leg Lifts: Lie on your back on top of a mat with your arms resting at your sides. Raise your legs straight up in the air. This is starting position. Slowly lower your legs back down until your heels are 1-inch away from the ground, then slowly raise them back up to starting position. This is one rep. Make sure to keep you arms, shoulder blades, and lower back flat on the mat.

This upper body, abs, and intervals workout uses more gym equipment compared to my other workout routines. Most of the machines will have instruction labels, so you can set them up to your body correctly. However, if you’re unfamiliar with anything, feel free to ask questions in the comments because it’s important to use them properly.

Also, you can do the interval sprints on a bike, elliptical, or rower for the same effect, but less pounding impact on the knees.

Hope you enjoy the workout!

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An Easy Core Strengthening Workout

February 1, 2016 by Jenna

A strong core is super important. Your core is in the middle of your body and is essentially the origin of all movement. Strengthening your core can help improve both balance and posture and can also help prevent injuries.

Because I want you to stand up straight and not fall down, I put together an easy core strengthening workout for you. By easy, I mean logistically easy. It is made up of 10 bodyweight exercises: 5 dynamic exercises + 5 isometric holds. The only equipment you need is a mat and a timer and the whole thing should only take 5-7 minutes to complete. This means you really have no excuse to not do it.

This easy core strengthening workout can be as difficult as you want to make it. You can go through it 2-3 times total and/or hold the isometric exercises for longer than 30 seconds. There are also ways to regress some of the exercises if you need it as well.

Find the workout and the exercises cues over on Minneapolis Running!

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10-10-10 Upper Body Workout

January 12, 2016 by Jenna

Upper body workout time!

This workout features 10 upper body exercises, 2 for each muscle group: chest, back, shoulders, biceps, and triceps. Each exercise will be done back-to-back for 10 reps and the whole thing will be repeated 10 times.

It’s a woozy.

But really it’s not that bad. Since it is only 10 reps of each exercise it moves fast and shouldn’t wear out your muscles too quickly. Until, you know, you are 5 rounds in and everything is burning, but that’s why we do this – burning muscles to build them.

Here’s what we’ll do:

The only equipment you need is a set of dumbbells, so you can easily do this workout at home or at the gym. Understand that you can probably lift heavier weight with your chest and biceps than you can with your shoulders. If you only have access to one set of dumbbells some of these exercises will be harder than others. If you do this at the gym, you may want to grab a couple of different sets in varying weights.

This workout was actually modeled after the 10-10-10 Lower Body Workout that I posted last April. I pulled it out of the archives last week and did it after a 4 mile run. I only went through it 5 times and MAN I was beat. My legs were more sore after that workout than it typically is after a heavy leg day in the gym. I was surprised, pleasantly surprised. Needless to say, I’m definitely doing it again… maybe even later today.

And just in case you need them, the exercise cues:

Push Ups: Begin in push-up (plank) position. Keeping your body in a straight line with your core engaged, slowly lower your body while bending your elbows to 90 degrees. Push your body back up to starting position.
Dumbbell Rows: Standing with a dumbbell in each hand, bend over slightly, making sure you have proper posture, and place your hands directly below your shoulders. Raise the dumbbells up to your sides until they reach your ribs. Lower back down until arm is fully extended.
Shoulder Press: Hold dumbbells at shoulder level with palms facing forward. Press dumbbells overhead until arms are fully extended. Lower arms back to starting position. This can be done sitting or standing.
Bicep Curls: Hold dumbbells shoulder width apart with arms at sides, palms facing forward. Raise dumbbells, keeping upper arms stationary, until they reach shoulder level. Lower back to starting position.
Triceps Bench Dips: Sit on a bench with your legs straight out in front of you, your heels on the ground, and your hands gripping the edge of the bench on each side of your body. Straighten your arms and lift your body off the bench (starting position). Lower yourself in front of the bench until your elbows reach a 90-degree angle. Raise yourself back up to starting position.
Chest Press: Lie on the floor (or a bench) with a dumbbell in each hand, elbows directly out to the side in line with your shoulders, and hands in the air above your elbows (starting position). While contracting your chest, press the dumbbells up until they are fully extended. Lower back to starting position.
Reverse Flies: Standing with a dumbbell in each hand, bend over so that your back is parallel to the floor, hands directly below your shoulders. Raise dumbbells up and out to your sides until the dumbbells are in line with your shoulders. Lower back down.
Front Shoulder Raises: Hold dumbbells in front with palms facing front of thigh. Raise both arms forward until hands reach approximately eye level. Lower arms back to starting position.
Hammer Curls: Hold dumbbells with arms at your sides, palms facing in. Raise dumbbells, while keeping upper arms stationary and palms facing each other, until they are at shoulder level. Lower dumbbells to starting position.
Triceps Extensions: Stand holding a dumbbell with both hands. Raise dumbbell to be directly above your head (starting position). Keeping your elbows still and either side of your temples, slowly lower your forearms and flex your elbows until the dumbbell is at the back of your head. Raise dumbbell back to starting position.

I hope you try out this workout and enjoy it! Let me know if you have any questions or feedback.

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PCT Training Goals

PCT Training Week 7

PCT Training Week 8

Summary

Week 7

Week 8

Workouts

Strength & Cardio Superset Workout

Full Body Strength Workout

PCT Training Goals

PCT Training Week 1

PCT Training Week 2

Summary

Week 1:

Week 2:

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