It was a big holiday for us in the U.S.A. Halloween is a fun holiday normally in an non covid atmosphere for us. With dressing up, parties, and festivities.
Often times I think people who are starting out or even have been on a workout journey think they have to take off for the holidays. You don’t. I have heard my friends and fellow classmates say they can’t come train cause their friends would make fun of them for training on a holiday.
Ok so here is the thing. If you want to take off for the holiday or holidays that is all you. Do it if it makes you happy. But if you are only taking a day/week/weeks off because you are visiting family and there is no gym, or they won’t understand, or your friends are causing static, I say nay do what you want or what makes you happy.
- If you are just starting out, I would say don’t take the time off. Try to stick to your schedule even if you are traveling. It takes 21 days to form a habit and if you stop before then you might derail your entire process.
- If you are traveling and don’t have access to a gym, or your equipment at home.
- Do research
- Make a plan to do calisthenics wherever you are
- Write it down, so you can access it even if you don’t have internet access
- Explore the gym facilities where you are, in your hotel, it may surprise you.
- Pack and bring your gym shoes/clothes/and portable tools like resistance bands.
- If your friends are haranguing you. Tell them that this is important to you and get them to understand that you want to do this. If they still don’t maybe reevaluate that friendship. I would want friends that are happy for me and supportive. I would want friends that are supportive and want you to be happy.
- Invite your family/friends to go with you, or workout with you.
- Wear cute/funny things for the season while you workout. It will help you still feel like you are being festive but are staying on track. What you may be asking could I wear? Santa hats, jingling bells, for us a turkey during Thanksgiving, etc. Whatever your holiday is make it fun, and stay on track.
- Make it a game: Finding ways to get a workout in is fun. Take walks/runs around the new neighborhood. Look at the scheduled activities if there are any, and swee where you can fit it in. If your family is going to the beach, plan to spend 15 minutes running through the tide. You can find some time anywhere. If you are traveling in a caravan/RV do a squat challenge during your travels.
You might be wondering why I am mentioning any of this. We trained Muay Thai on Halloween, in costume and it was great fun.
Monday 10/26/2020:1 hour, 1 mile run, glute activation, lower body, core workout
Woot done!
So this glute activation I have been doing lately is to address some tightness, sometimes soreness of my IT band and pain in the outer knee. Research says that when you stretch, activate abs develop your gluteus muscles all three. Everyone knows the Gluteus Maximus, but it’s the Gluteus Medius, and Gluteus Minimus that are typically underdeveloped or undertrained.
This can cause knee pain, IT band pain, affect your run, lower back, and your feet. On the other hand if you focus on working all of the these it will help the above problems. Also another perk is it makes your butt look pretty! Lol
It is probably to early to tell a difference, but I will say today I knocked 15 seconds off my run time. I was not pushing it. I was doing my steady state run just for cardio and warm up.
Workout after 1 mile run below:
8 min Glute activation– only do these exercises till you feel your glutes activate but not to failure. You want to make the mind body connection between the muscle groups.
1) Mini band glute bridge 25 reps
2) Mini band clam shell 25L 25R reps
3) Donkey Kick 15L 15R reps
4) Fire Hydrant 20L 20R reps
5) Reverse hyper – on the bench. (little hard on my back but will get better) 10 reps
20 minute lower body workout – Each set is 10 minutes long – x 2 sets… 45 seconds on 15 seconds
1) Jump Squats
2) Alternating Stepping Lunge
3) Single Leg Hip Thrusts Left (Note: if you don’t feel your glute activating during this exercise use 80/20 hip thrust instead. I did this to get a better activation.)
4) Single Leg Hip Thrust Right
5) Alternating Stiff/single Leg Deadlift
6) Standing Calf Raise
7) Speed Air Squats
8 )Alternating Side Lunges
9) Hamstring Heel Curl
10 ) Static Squat Hold
Burn Out Glute Activation 8 min
1) Straight Leg Fire Hydrant – 40 reps each side L and R – point toe down to activate gluteus medius
2) Bird Dog Slider 25 reps each side L and R – I used a sour cream lid because I don’t have a slider disk
3) Side Balance leg circles 30 seconds each side L and R
4) Side Balance leg curls 30 seconds each side L and R
Core workout 7 minute – 60 seconds each
1) Seated Ab Circles clockwise circles
2) Seated Ab Circles counter clockwise circles
3) Plank Mountain climbers 30 seconds rest
4) Marching Planks
5) Scissor Kicks
6) Starfish Crunches 30 seconds rest
7) Russian V tuck twist (these were hard for me)
Workout #2: 1 mile run, and coaching H in my morning workout
I can’t believe it! Normally my second run I am slower than my first one of the day. Today just this morning I took 15 seconds of my normal running time. Just a steady state run, I was not pushing at all.
This run with H I ran steady state again, took another 20 seconds off!!! 20 seconds off, I was not trying to run harder. I just ran. This was another steady state run.
Anyway we focused on time and attention to the eccentric motions. Glute activation, with the mind body connection. We will get H there. Also it’s great for me, we are working on making those muscles stronger. Woot! 
Tuesday 10/27/2020: 1 hour and 15 minutes of Muay Thai training
We worked elbows today! Yay!
Also tweaking my stance just the tiniest bit changed the magnitude in power for my Teep a and kicks. I had gotten into the habit of blading my body to much. So now just working on squaring my hips toward my target.
You can see me working on my hip squaring in the video. On my instagram #sharpcupcake You can see H have to readjust the belly pad because my kicks were transferring more power through his body. That equals ouch. 
I had a great day at training and loved working the elbows. Thank you Khun Kru Krysta.
Training: Jump squats, jab cross blitz, elbow blitz, and kick ladders for active recovery between rounds.
1) Jab, Cross, Lead Elbow # 1, Jab, Cross, Rear Elbow # 1, Jab, Cross, Lead Elbow # 2, Jab, Cross, Rear Elbow # 2. continue through elbows 1 – 9
2) held pads for H
3) Jab, Cross, Lead Elbow # 1, Rear Elbow # 3, Rear Knee, Rear Kick
4) Held pads for H
5) Jab, Cross, Shovel Hook, Chain Lead Elbow # 2, Rear Elbow # 6, Rear Elbow # 7, get out of the pocket
6) Held pads for H
7) Jab, Cross, Uppercut, Lead Elbow # 4, Lead Elbow # 5, get out of the pocket
8) Held Pads for H
9) Jab, Cross, Hook, Lead Elbow # 1, Rear Elbow # 9, Lead Elbow # 9, Rear Elbow #3, Rear Knee, Rear Kick, block blows/get out of the pocket.
10 ) Held pads for H
Extra curricular: Worked on kicks and my stance. Squaring up my stance instead of blading my body so much.
Wednesday 10/28/2020: 1 hour – 1 mile run, 45 minute upper body weight lifting workout 
Whew I kicked my own butt! What a great workout.
We all have things about our bodies we don’t like. I can I can name more than I have fingers for in these pictures. Hips, thighs, arms,… etc. But I am trying to rewire the way I think, the way I see things. I can see the good in everyone else. I should be able to see the good in me.
So here is a start. I love how strong I am. I love that I can ask my body to perform and it does. I am working to be the best me I can, that means mentally as well.
I also understand I will have bad days, down days, but not every day is going to be positive and upbeat. I just have to keep picking myself back up. Then I try to keep moving forward.
Training: focus on time and attention on eccentric motion. I focused on doing compound movements then doing a focused movement.
1 mile run
Weightlifting:
1) Front Raise to Lateral Raise 5x sets of 10 to 15 reps
2) Overhead Tricep Extension 5x sets of 10 reps
3) Chest Press to Shoulder Press 5x sets of 10 reps
4) Bicep Curl 40 lb w/ resistance band 5x sets of 15 reps
5) Lat Pull Down 30 lb resistance band 50 reps
6) Elbow Plank to Pushups 5x sets 6 reps
7) Halos w/ 25lb Kettlebell 3x sets of 10L 10R reps
Core: 1 minute each exercise
1) Clockwise seated ab circles
2) Counterclockwise seated ab circles
3) Drunken Mountain Climbers
30 seconds rest
4) Marching Planks
5) Scissors
6) Starfish Crunches
30 seconds rest
7) Russian V Tucks
Workout #2: 1 mile run and coaching
H through my workout this morning. Get out there and if you can find a buddy to workout with you.
We are doing upper body today. So Bi’s, Tri’s, shoulders, lats, and chest. Focus on the eccentric motion. (The elongating of muscle in tension after contraction.) We are working our muscles to failure. Doing 5 sets of a moderate weight.
Thursday 10/29/2020: 1 hour of Muay Thai training
Today was a great day. I was working on squaring up my hips and working through the drills. I am going to have to be more conscious about it till I retrain my body. I did not realize how much I was blading my body. I am glad I am working on fixing it now.
We had a skills demo, and test today. Congratulations to Kevin, Ashley, and Guy on earning new Pra Jiad (ranking armband).
Then we worked similar drills to Tuesday’s class.
I was sore from our upper body workout, but it felt good to get warmed up and working. I find I heal faster when I do.Thank you for class Khun Kru Krysta!
Saturday 10/31/2020: Happy Halloween Muay Thai training. 2 hours and 15 mins.
I made a His and Hers costume for us. His says Fairtex the brand of thai pads, and mine says Fairer Sex! Hahah. Pic included to show actual size of pads vs gigantic ones I made.
Training was great fun. 1 hour of staff class, 1 hour of Muay Thai training 15 minutes of sparring after class.
Woot! We had so much fun, and Khun Kru Krysta got video of our ridiculous costumes when we did jumping jacks.
Yay, we worked the 17 count, and some drills. It was great. Now I am pooped.
We having been training during the holidays for years. I can tell you that as an athlete in competitive sports we trained all the time rain or shine. We only took off days like Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Thanksgiving Day, etc. Major holidays and just the day of.
If we had to travel coaches would say, “make sure to get your calisthenics in. Don’t forget to train, and if you can get some laps in.”
I find it a challenge and make it like a game to find ways to train while I travel. I have found challenges like squat challenges that I ended up doing at some famous sites, and have pictures of. Squatting in front of a national memorial might get you looks from others, but you will have amazing memories, and have gotten a workout in. Win win!
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Have a great week.
