Tag Archives: exercise

A Full Body Pumpkin Workout for the Family

10/31/2015 R.C. Liley 2 Comments

Happy Halloween! If you partake, that is, otherwise, happy weekend! I’m just dropping in to share a fun and quick full body workout the whole family can do. Just choose the pumpkin appropriate for your level and get to it!

With the fall and winter season among us, we all have pumpkin on the mind. Carving for Halloween, eating for Thanksgiving and Christmas, and every day in between (at least for me). The odds are you have one of these globular gourds in your home.

Why not put it to use before carving/eating for a full body workout you can do anywhere there’s a pumpkin laying around? Whether you do one round or ten, it’s sure to get your blood flowing!

Perform each of the following:

10 x Bent Pumpkin Row
10 x Front to Back Lunge on Right Leg Holding Pumpkin to Chest
10 x Front to Back Lunge on Left Leg Holding Pumpkin to Chest
10 x Squat to Overhead Pumpkin Press

That’s one round. Rest 30 – 60 seconds and show that pumpkin no mercy! Here’s the video in case a visual reference is helpful, or if you just want to laugh at me exercising with a pumpkin.

The pumpkin you saw in the video will be gutted today and will be Avery’s first time getting her hands dirty with guts as we perform our first family carving. I’m keeping it tradition with triangle eyes and a jagged tooth this year, but I promised something better next year.

Hope you and your family all give this full body pumpkin workout a try. If you do, please let me know how you liked (or didn’t like) it. Of course, if you don’t have a good squash laying around weights, a medicine ball, or body weight will work too.

Have a great weekend!

Going Strong, Life, Parenting

Weekend Camping Trip Part 2: Not Quite Kid Free

10/23/2015 R.C. Liley 2 Comments

Part 2 of our weekend camping trip brings us to our only full day of “roughing it” in the ~~wilderness~~ park with full facilities. This was our time for freedom from all parental responsibilities, time to spend time talking to each other without interruption and just enjoy one another’s company.

There was only one caveat; the campground was full of families with kids running around. Yep, the site next to us had a brother and sister close to Avery’s age, we could tell from the loud crying around nighttime (and we actually talked to the parents who are both really nice) but they were cute and had us missing our little girl back home.

Other, older kids around the site were not so cute and spent wayyyy too much time fishing right in front of our waterfront tent site as they screamed at anything and everything. It was okay during the day, but when it’s 9 at night and we were trying to get some rest, our patience dwindled. But we didn’t let that ruin our time together, especially not with a site like this.

Our day started by venturing out to the urban jungle nearby in search of black gold (aka coffee). After trudging through a few rough areas (construction) and dodging wild animals (people), we found our prey at a Starbucks. Yeah, so the coffee scene is lacking around this area, but we wanted caffeine dammit!

We made it back to camp and vowed to not drive again until we left the following day. With that, we took off to explore the area around Lake Lavon on foot while talking about how we missed our little girl and what we need to bring for our next trip that we forgot this time around. I was also searching for a large rock or other heavy object to get my squatting out of the way. Yes, I’m still squatting every day, but think I’m close to the end.

Finally, I found my rock of choice. It wasn’t the best, but it’s as if they don’t leave rocks laying around just for visitors to pick up and squat with. Ludicrous!

My squat variation of choice was front squats holding the rock up to my chest and did 5 rounds of 20 front squats.

I finished with a little conditioning by doing 4 rounds of 50 seconds on, 10 seconds off of split squats with foot elevated on the rock, push-ups on the rock, running in place, and bent rows using the rock. I felt like that was good enough, but geez, there were some sharp edges on that thing!

Meanwhile, my lovely wife (who actually knows how to relax) cheered me on and kept me motivated with beer and an empty chair waiting beside her.

I was ready to join her, but had to get something out of the way first. A cold jump in the lake.

Apparently, lakes in October are not very warm. Brrrr! I was pretty muddy after slogging out of the lake, so I made use of the shower on site before claiming that empty chair. Oh, and when they say warm showers in campsite amenities, that really means cold. Here I am afterward, obviously tense and covered in goosebumps.

I quickly changed into dry clothes and made use of our car as a clothesline. Note to self: bring clothesline for our next camping trip.

By this time, I was ready to settle down and just enjoy our surroundings. I grabbed a chilled can of Zevia Tonic Water to mix with vodka to enjoy in that empty chair Kelley had waiting for me.

Good thing my bride of 8 years has such a warm heart, she definitely helped to defrost my still shivering body from the cold lake and shower. Just seeing her smile can warm me inside and out on the coldest days! Yeah, I sound all gushy, but I tell no lies!

We made it a point to sit together to watch the sun set on the lake that evening. Our view was magnificent with the silhouette of this tree beside us.

But, as beautiful as it was, it seemed as if something was missing. Maybe just a little of….

….and a touch of…

…and topped off with…

Yeah, that’s more like it. Fun and romance captured on our camping trip. Oh hey, you can see that rock that cut my hands down there too.

We finished watching the sun on its descent with more drinks in hand as we listened to kids run around and scream all around us. Even with the screams, I wouldn’t trade that semi-peaceful moment with my wife for anything, it’s something we don’t get to enjoy enough. Not to mention actually being able to hold a conversation without the common toddler interruption.

Once it turned completely dark, we spent the remainder of the night in our tent doing what any couple would do with no kids around; watch more How I Met Your Mother. Thank you, Verizon mobile hot spot!

Our data is almost out for the month and we just started a new cycle, but it was soooo worth it. We both had trouble sleeping that night. Mainly from the screaming kids and parents fishing right next to our tent, but the sloped ground didn’t help matters. But, alas, we made it through the night and didn’t spend much time before heading home to G-Ma and Avery.

The drive back took only half as long as it did there, and we were glad to get back home to our little girl. Only problem was, something just happened that had her in a very bad mood for almost the rest of the day.

I’ll fill you in next time, but for now, be sure to check out the sponsored giveaways I posted for Purina Beneful and family games from Spin Master.

Ever plan a getaway with your significant other and no kids only to have kids all around anyway?

Going Reviews, Promo

Fasted Training with Legion Forge + Squatting Update

10/09/2015 R.C. Liley Leave a comment

Disclosure: I was provided a bottle of their pre-workout Legion Athletics Forge supplement at no charge. I was not compensated in any other way and all opinions are my own.

Remember how I committed to following Cory Gregory’s Squat Every Day Program? I’m still going strong and squatting daily, but had to improvise while out of town at the At-Home Dad Convention. All it took was a little creativity and motivation to use the dumbbells in the hotel gym. Sumo squats, goblet squats, and, my favorite leg killer, rear foot elevated split squats.

Once I returned, I got back on track and am currently nearing completion of the program. Once finished, I’ll have gone for more than the 30 consistent squatting days in the program and will be sure to update you then. I’ve already increased my max on front and back squat by 10 pounds, which is great for me!

Since starting the program, I was fortunate enough to have the awesome folks at Legion Athletics agree to send me a bottle of their pre-work supplement, Forge, to use and review.

Legion Athletics, fat burner, pre-workout, fasted training, supplement — It’s here!!

I’m not a fan of using most supplements since they tend to have a lot of non-functional fillers and most are made from the same place in China then shipped overseas to have a brand label slapped on. But not Legion, they make their high quality supps right here in the U.S.A. with the following standards:

– All ingredients backed by published scientific literature
– All dosages at clinically effective levels
– No artificial sweeteners, dyes, or unnecessary fillers
– No banned substances or analogs of potentially harmful drugs
– Good taste
– Good value per serving

If you have any supplements in your home, go check the bottle and see if you can check off all of these. Don’t feel bad if not, I did the same thing and failed miserably.

Forge is Legion’s pre-workout supplement made specifically for those who train in a fasted state. It has 3 quality ingredients clinically dosed to work together with 3 goals:

To maximize the amount of fat you lose while training on an empty stomach
To minimize the amount of muscle you lose while training in this state
To help you maintain intensity and focus in your workouts, which can wane when “training on empty”

The 3 ingredients are:

Calcium Beta-hydroxy-beta-Methylbutyrate (HMB) – a metabolite of Leucine which prevents muscle-breakdown and is thought to be roughly 20 times more potent than Leucine in this regard
Citicoline (CDP Choline) – Highly bioavailable source of Choline which provides cognitive benefits.
Yohimbine HCL – A potent fat-burning compound which can significantly increase the amount of fat burned during a workout.

What?! A pre-workout fat-burner without caffeine?! Yep, and that means jitter-free workouts that just make it hard for me to hold heavy weights without, well, jittering. Plus, now I can enjoy a cup or five of coffee without worrying about overdosing on the stimulant.

I could geek out on you and dive into the scientific side of Forge even further, but they have all you need to know on their site, so I highly suggest clicking over there (once you’re done here of course) to learn about how and why they created this wonderful supplement.

What I will do is tell you how much I appreciate having Forge as part of my daily regimen. Squatting every day is not easy, mentally or physically, but Forge helps me clear my mind of negative thoughts and just get to work with whatever squat variation I have for the day. Not to mention how well it enables me to regain focus after having to take an unplanned diaper changing break. At least most of the time…

While I don’t have a need to lose fat, I have noticed my stomach getting a little more definition as well as my skin feeling tighter all over. I have been taking 4 capsules a day which is right between the “First Use” and “Full Dosage” recommendations with my 160 lb frame.

Again, no jitters or any crazy pump, just better mental clarity and feeling recharged and ready to go the next day. I’ve had plenty of days where I was running severely low and not motivated in the slightest sense, but after a couple weeks of taking Forge, that has not been the case.

Click here to order Forge.

My workouts last anywhere from 45 minutes to a little over an hour (depending a lot on Avery’s mood and need for diaper changing) and I have yet to feel beat up by the end. In fact, once finished, Avery and I go for a 2+ mile walk and/or run most days.

I still have a bit more to go until the bottle is finished, but I’m sure I’ll be ordering more once it’s out. Actually, Legion has a whole line of supplements I’d love to order. It’s hard to find a company that’s passionate about their products, especially supplements, and I simply love that they don’t go overseas to make their supps.

If you’re just getting into training or have been in the game for a while, consider adding a quality supplement from Legion. They have done their homework on what’s actually effective and put it all together at the right dosage to take the guess work out for us. From pre to post workout and everything in between, you’re sure to find something to give your training a big boost.

Thank you, Legion Team, for allowing me the opportunity to review your Forge supplement! If you ever need another active dad’s review for another product, you know where to find me! 🙂

Do you currently use any supplements in your training routine?

Interested in trying if not?