NewYearathon - getting fitter in 2017.

Starting from really rubbish I like 30 day abs challenge. Has 6 levels with rest days and there is more variety in the later levels I think - plodding through beginner L1. DH likes 8 minute abs. No idea for more advanced stuff - 50 sit ups is my absolute limit!

What's the best routine for an at home ab workout? Something I can do (with necessary variations) every morning? My core is weak, 2017 is definitely the year to address this.
Well done everyone, can't believe we are nearly half way through January already!

I'm feeling slightly more human this morning so definitely going to metafit tonight. It might just shake the rest of this out. That's a full week I've been ill - people at work yesterday were saying they're in week 3 so I'm nlt expecting it to clear fully any time soon.

No wonder the queen took weeks off!

I had the rotton cough cold thing before Christmas and it took a bit of cardio (indoors) to shift it once I was over the worst. First run couple of days after that was quite coughy too.

Did a hill repeats session running yesterday, plus Befit lower body blast then finally managed the 30 day abs work out. Can't do sit ups. 40 with my feet tucked under something pretty well kills me and then the exercise video has people doing them without feet restraint, doing a punch at the top and weights!! Was never good at the things and I don't think having a baby helps the lower abs much. Crunches are fine.

I seem to have some very specific weak points: lower abs and shoulders. Biceps are pretty strong, triceps not bad but lifting my arms out in front of me (last compound move from 30ds l1) is so pathetic!

I'm torn on the snow front - want to do park run so don't want snow but also want DD to have a chance to play in it. Hopefully it will fall only on our local hills and stay off the roads!

I felt ill on Thursday last week, but really under the weather from Saturday lunchtime. No voice since then. Hacking cough started yesterday so spent day in bed. Much better today but very tired. If I do run it'll only be a 25-30 min plod round the block.
I've heard numerous people say the hacking cough lasts for weeks though. I hope I'm not imagining my apparent recovery!
Sorry to hear you're ill too. It always gets you just when you're trying to work on fitness/health so you feel knocked back. Don't rush into outdoor cardio in this weather- maybe do some indoor fannying about to YouTube video? That's what I'm essentially doing.

Well really windy here but my stubbornness won through when I got home from work & did a quick 3K-feel well & truly battered by the wind though.

How long has it taken you snorfig? I haven't trained since my hill walk on Saturday and I still feel slightly guilty about including that 😕 Been ill since last Thursday now

I think I've shaken off the worst of the cough. Back at work today. Really productive busy day and I squeezed a 30DS workout in this evening too! Haven't run since this bug started it hoping to manage one tomorrow evening. Well done everyone, winter is hard and you all rock.

Really really thought I'd be back at it today after work but I'm home on the couch with a blanket and a banging head ache for all the coughing. Gah.

I had an unscheduled rest day yesterday (apart from yoga, which I did manage to do in the evening): I'd had a really bad night and DD woke with nightmares, so I couldn't drag myself out of bed to do my Jillian in the morning.

Body Rev workout 4 done this morning, and I'm planning to bike to work. I originally planned to move on to workouts 5 and 6 this week, but I'm a bit achy from the yoga so may stick with 3 and 4 and move to 5 and 6 at the beginning of next week.

TooStressy, I find Shred L2 hard with 2 kg weights: the squats with V-raises towards the end are a killer. If I'm feeling feeble I go down to 1kg for those!

Well you've all been busier than me this week. Nothing the past two days. Need to get back to early mornings and hiit workouts until it's lighter. Have done two days of 30 day squat challenge and push up challenge though!

Weights only 2 kg and still found it quite hard at times .

Hi everyone,

RJ, glad you feel a bit better. Kettlebell pentathlon sounds ace! Exciting to hear you got a new exercise top Oubliette .

Did 30DS level 2 today. Thought I'd better go back a level as actually using proper weights now. Am in the position now though of finding the strength much harder and am wondering if I need to stick at level 2 for a bit or at least alternate 2 and 3 while I get stronger.

Bit of a breakthrough too as I did it with DD2 (DD1 at school) . I normally put her in front of a DVD while I get on with it but she wanted to join in and although I got interrupted a few times it was no more than she usually interrupts and was nice to do it together. Might just be the novelty though. We shall see if it lasts!

Rest day for me. Rest scheduled on 30 day fat burn and planning hill sprints tomorrow as well as riding lesson so need to be less sore!

Still off training today 😕 Although I do actually feel a good but better and the cough is not so bad so back tomorrow.

Kettlebell pentathlon is a set of five lifts - clean, clean and press, jerk, snatch and push press. You do six minutes of each lift with five minute breaks between each one. You can swap sides as you want but not put the bell down and you score points for the number of each lift you complete in the time x a point system for the weight of kettlebell.

It's done under quite strict conditions with an electronic device to ensure complete fixation.

I do a lot of my training with kettlebells they are very versatile but I've really got into the sport/girevoy side the last eighteen months. I'll look for some good online vids for you Kanye.

Hope everyone's on the mend.

RJ, what's a kettle bell pentathlon? And since you seem to know your way around them, can you suggest any YouTube kettle bell vids? I was using kettle bells in the boot camp I used to go to I'm OK on technique but I've no ideas!

I did sprints, 100m uphill, this evening. Good chance I'll expire before morning...

Total: 35.8km

Just signed up for the pentathlon stuff it.

Did 3 of JM's 10-minute Transformations - Booty, Cardio and Pilates

Rain stopped play and I didn't run after bedtime. I did, however, avoid snacking today so giving myself a high five for that.
Absolutely full of cold, no voice, so this may be a week of indoor training (exercise bike, 30DS) and battling on with bike commute in the cold and wet. This always happens when I go on a health kick!

Light day for me as a little stiff after weekend runs. I walked into town and back (down to river and up the other side) carrying toddler plus change bag and 10 minute Cardio Burn. Shred is definitely my "extra" for when I'm feeling good. Abs before bed - am still shocking at sit ups!!

Coughing is a good reason not to work out!

Thread is great for me to keep me going when I just want to sit on the sofa eating chocolate!

for all of you who are cold or full of cold!

, RJ. Hope you feel better soon. Coronation Street sounds the better plan if you're coughing.

Snorfig, hope your cold gets better soon too.

I didn't drown on the bike, but I did nearly freeze - miscalculated the time I left and got caught in a sudden downpour five minutes after leaving work, and my feet got wet and didn't dry out. They were completely numb when I got home. About to do some yoga now that I've thawed out!