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Category Archives: Strength Training

Upper Body (+Abs) Exercise Cheat Sheet

Posted on January 18, 2018 by Bianca @ Mitten Runner

Last week I shared my cheat sheet for lower body exercises, and this week I’m sharing the one for upper body (plus abs). I have it broken down into three sheets. The first one is for chest, shoulders, and triceps… … Continue reading →

Posted in Miscellaneous, Strength Training

Building Strength + Lower Body Exercise Cheat Sheet

Posted on January 11, 2018 by Bianca @ Mitten Runner

Since I joined a gym last fall, I’ve added back in some strength training. A few years ago I was regularly lifting weights, but for whatever reason I quit…I think it was around the time I started marathon and triathlon … Continue reading →

Posted in Goals, Injuries, Miscellaneous, Running, Strength Training

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🧘🏼‍♀️ Yoga class this AM was just what I needed today! Always a good way to start the day before all the craziness begins. That said, I’m looking forward to a weekend off-the-grid! So ✌️out 😜! Now give me all the nature 🌲🌿🍁🍂🐿🐠🦋! 😍 Have a great weekend...see y’all on Monday! 👊

Isn’t exploring during a run one of the most fun things about running?! I love my go-to routes, but sometimes taking an unexpected turn or visiting a different area can lead to newfound exciting scenery or different challenging roads or paths. That’s one thing I love most about running when I’m not training for a race. I tend to do more exploring then and it’s always a fun adventure! No run today, of course, but I just love this suspension bridge and thought I’d share. ☺️ #runforfun . . 📷: My mom 💗 (earlier this week)

I experienced a FIRST today! 🎉 Get ready for a roller coaster of emotions 😆... . We moved here almost 2 years ago, and I still hadn’t run the dreaded “5 mile hill” in town. For those not around my neck of the woods, it’s a terribly steep hill in town (not 5 miles long, although it might feel like it 🙈) and to my knowledge the saying is, “you can see five miles from the top.” . . I started out .15 miles from the base of the hill and randomly decided to do one loop on it 😬. OMG 😲 props to all you GHRC peeps who run repeats on it 😳. It was an experience to say the least, and I’d actually like to do it again and try to run repeats when my leg isn’t giving me so much grief 😆. #runnersbecrazy One time up/down at 10:40 pace was enough for me today😬. So hard, but also kind of fun! Hahaa 😂 . I got in 5 miles today total, .7 being the hill that I timed separately on my @garminfitness because I was anxious to see all the stats from it 😆 (elevation plot is the 3rd pic), and the remaining 4.3 was pretty flat. . Keeping with the excitement of trying new things, I’m trying to keep positive but being honest— today, not just because I ran the hill first, was just plain rough. I had pain for most of it and honestly probably should have stopped earlier than I did. Sometimes I’m just too stubborn.🤷‍♀️ I don’t want to take time off again, but I know I have to. It scares me that my goals are possibly going out the window because of this darn leg. I know it’ll happen when it’s supposed to, but knowing I’m already registered for a half makes me feel like it should be it and it makes me 😢 thinking about it. It’s been weird since yesterday (like the top of my right foot now also hurts??). 🤔🧐 Riding the #hotmessexpress! 🤣 Feeling lost to say the least. 🤨 — Back to running break!!

Jumping into a new week like 💃... . Started my Monday off with a 3 mile run - mostly comfortable pace with five strides thrown in there (I planned to do more but my ‘bad’ leg started cramping and aching 😬). I decided to play it safe and end this early to get home and stretch and do my lower body strength workout. Apparently I was anxious to get back and didn’t realize it though (9:24, 9:15, 9:07). I should have expected the pain to resurface as the past several days I’ve been terrible with doing my PT/calf strength work. I will work on that! . New week...let’s do this! 👊

#strengthsunday ✅ Back, biceps and abs — making up my missed #flexfriday workout! 😁💪 . I’m having so much fun in the weight room! Really loving what it does for my overall confidence and strength! Ps, my headband has dumbbells on it and I’m kind of in love with it 😍. . Here’s the workout 👇: . Back, Biceps 1. 4x11 Upright DB row 2. 3x15 Reverse DB curl 3. 3x15 Standing DB curl (each side) 4. 4x12 Incline Bench Back fly 5. 3x15 Seated low pulley cable row w/V-bar 6. 4x10 Low pulley mid-row v-bar 7. 4x12 Seated straight bar underhand cable row 8. 4x12 High pulley cable row ——— Abs: 3x40 heel touches 3x10 Swiss ball plank crunch 3x40 Med ball twists 3x30 crunches 3x10 leg lift with hip raise

How’s this for casual? 😆🤷‍♀️ Someone pulled into the parking lot when I snapped this 🤣😂. . So this was an adventurous run exploring some new subdivisions...with a port-a-potty stop involved! 😆Show of hands...who has stopped to use a port-a-john during a run? 🙋‍♀️ . It was only my 2nd time ever, but it was like a sign that I happened to run into a subdivision that had construction 🚧 happening when nature called haha! 😂 . Stoked for 5.26 miles this morning!! Because I peeled off the main road I got a little side tracked and ended up running a little farther than planned. But that’s 👌! Kept it fairly consistently easy with first mile extra easy which was my goal today 🙌 (10:32, 9:43, 9:42, 9:49, 9:41). #progress . #happySATURDAY

Nothing monumental...just taking an unplanned rest day because my body said YES, PLEASE! 🙋‍♀️ . I’m switching some days around because it’s been a rough week of sleep. My dog was boarded last weekend and I think they gave her the wrong food because we got sent home with what looked like a full bag and a dog with stomach problems 😩. I feel like I did when I had a newborn and I was pumping around the clock, except now it’s constant potty breaks for my dog🙈. Anyway, when I was literally in tears about being so exhausted at 5am I knew I needed to shift my schedule around and take a rest/mental health day 😆. So I’ll say yes to tea time, stretching, fixing up those chipped fingernails, and some rest because sometimes #restisbest 👍! . . It’s going to be a beautiful weekend! Looking forward to some time on the boat tomorrow for the last time this year (after a nice ‘long’ slow run, of course!). Cheers to #theweekend 🎉! —————— Top: @reebok Bottoms: @handfulbra (12.5% off with code BIANCA)

It’s coming back to me! But it sure isn’t easy. 😅This one felt Hard AF to be honest 😝. As hard as these 4 miles were, I really didn’t know if I’d ever see a sub-9 pace again for any distance. The first several runs back I had burning lungs right from the start. People said, “It’ll come back!” and I was actually scared it wouldn’t. So, I was grinning ear to ear (after I could breathe again 😆) when I looked at my watch and saw this. . . I have a LONG way to go (over 3x this distance if you want to be specific 😜). I’m going to have to make this 4 mile run feel like a warm-up again, and continue building my endurance back up. That being said, I’m really looking forward to my mileage increase Saturday and going much slower! 😊 #findjoyinthejourney (8:58, 8:46, 8:57, 8:39) ✅ #riseandrun

Evening weight session 🏋🏼‍♀️ to clear my head! I rarely ever workout at night. But tonight’s circumstances had me heading down to the home gym to take out my stress on the weights! . I was about ready to lose my marbles tonight 🙈. Rough day on the parental front! Lifting heavy stuff makes me feel a bit more in control of life 😆. Tomorrow is a new day! . . Chest, shoulders, and triceps: 1. 3x12 Lateral raises 2. 3x10 Arnold press 3. 3x12 Seated DB press 4. 3x12 Seated tricep press 5. 3x15 Tricep rope pull downs 6. 3x12 Flat bench DB fly 7. 3x15 Flat bench DB press 8. 3x10 Smith Machine Incline Bench press —— Abs: 9. 3x40 Med ball twists 10. 3x30 Med ball windshield wipers 11. 3x10 Leg lift with hip raise 12. 3x25 Bicycle crunches —— Top with built in bra is @handfulbra - Use code BIANCA for 12.5% off 💗

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I am not a doctor, nutritionist, or personal trainer. I am simply here to share my fitness journey. Please consult a professional before beginning a new exercise or training program, diet, treating an injury, etc. I am not to be held liable for anything you do based on my blog and other social media outlets.

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