Stair Workout

Hello everyone!
 Today is my first blog post and I am really excited about it! I love to post motivational pictures on other social media websites but I think blogging what I actually do is a great idea. Many people have told me that my single motivational post each day makes them want to go to the gym. This will be more detailed and I hope you enjoy it.
  I woke up at 6:00 am to run the Eastview Stairs at Penn State. This picture is me from last year after the workout. If you notice, the stairs go all the way up past the two trees at the top. They're my ROCKY stairs :)

  I arrived at the stairs around 6:35 a.m. and began to warm up at the bottom. The Army was actually working out at the same time and we exchanged a few words. They said to me, "Great work!" That made me feel really good. They probably don't see many other people at that time of day in fifteen degree weather. 
  Today I did various drills for 45 minutes. The drills consisted of:

• Sprinting up the stairs. At the top drop down and do 10 burpees. Jog back down all the way past the stairs. Do 10 jumping jacks and repeat. 
• Since I have not done this in a while and it was freezing, it was really hard! I didn't keep track of how many rounds I completed but the next time I will. I hope to increase my speed as time goes on.
• Second drill consisted on sprints at the bottom of the stairs followed by a 15 second plank. I would then give myself ten seconds until I repeated it. Towards the end, I needed a longer break but I did this for 15 minutes.
• The last drill consisted of doing toe taps at the bottom of the stairs. There are concrete blocks that could easily be used for box jumps but since the snow really started to pick up, I decided that toe taps would be best. I would do fifteen seconds of this followed by 5 tricep dips. I continued to do this until my arms couldn't take it anymore. 
• The last two minutes of my workout, I decided to complete a few plank variations. 

  By the end of all this, I was ready for a hot shower! It was a great work out. I love to work out really early at these stairs because it's before everyone is out and about. It also is great to get up in the morning at get moving. It is also a different type of workout. It is not just running or an elliptical at the gym. Although there seems to be a lot of cardio, there is definitely plenty of muscle work. 

  I completed this workout on my own but I hope I will get other people to join and together we can come up with new ideas. It feels so rewarding afterwards.

  I have been told by plenty of people that I am "crazy" for getting up at 6:00 am and getting started with my day. If anything, I take that as a compliment. I do this that others aren't willing to do. People ask me tips on exercising and nutrition, and I can give all the advice you need, it's just the matter of DOING it. It has to come from within. Anyone from Penn State reading this blog can always welcome to join me in my morning workouts! 

  I hope this post motivates you to finish off the week strong! Keep your goals in mind and never give up! Keep your eye on the prize.