05/06/2022 - the_mud_room - ¡Feliz Cinco de Mayo! ¡Olé!

BackBlast:

This morning (the day after the holiday) I reminded the PAX that Cinco De Mayo is not Mexican Independence day (that’s Sept 16th). It’s the celebration of the Mexican beating the French when outnumbered possibly up to 3 to 1 in the Battle of Puebla in 1862. Thus this day is celebrated mainly in the city of Puebla in Mexico but somehow widely in the United States😉. So it’s just a fun holiday, really more about celebrating the Mexican culture and way of life than about remembering a battle which happened over 150 years ago. It is sometimes referred to as a “Mexican St. Patrick’s Day.”

With that said…..this morning we celebrated the Mexican culture with a Latin pop music playlist and a few salsa-type and circle dance exercises to warm up, then a tough beatdown, just like Mexico had to be tough in the battle of Puebla!!

After stretching, did the themed Warm-ups:

Counting in Spanish! [diez (10) each]

• Running in place, stepping/hopping left to right with a clap and count
• Curtsy lunges w. “skirt whip” on count
• Salsa step right forward/center/center/center, left back/center/center/center, count on each first step (10 on one side, then switch)
• Grapevine side to side ending with Salsa hip-throws (L/R)

Group circle “dances”

• Arms up (hands up), side-step on in one direction facing into the circle
• Switch direction, Arms half-up (hands down), facing out of the circle
• Grapevine into center, then grapevine out

That Thang:

Weight training, 30sec each, 10sec rest in between:

• Bicep curls
• Overhead tricep curls
• Overhead press
• Side bends
• Reverse chest press
• Deadlifts

Partner relay race w. Llama:

One partner ran across the green and back while other did jumping jacks, passed the llama and switched, then calf raises, then hillbillies, then side reaches

Dora:

One partner bear crawled around the inside of the mats-circle while other partner did Peter Parkers on her mat, then they switched, accumulating 50 PP together (single count).

Dan Taylors around the green with partner:

• 1 squat, 4 walking lunges. Reps to 10 squats

Ab work:

• 15 Fold the tacos! (L/R)
• Captain Thor. 1 Sit-up, 4 Russian Twists. Reps to 10 sit-ups
• Cut it out. 20 flutter kicks, 20 scissor kicks, 20 dollies, 20 leg raises

Arm-ageddon (Arm series), 30sec each, 10sec rest in between:

• Fast small Arm circles forward
• Fast small Arm circles backward
• Touchdown (Arms straight up and then down to chest level)
• Arms straight back
• Arms press together (and around back)

Spanish Song routine – livin the vida loca – hi-knees on verses, star jumps on chorus

Did Cooldown and stretched it out individually as I shared (below)….

COT:

The Mexican forces defeated the French in the battle of Puebla, when they were outnumbered. This reminds me of the many instances in the history of Israel where they defeated their enemies when outnumbered as well. Though the Mexicans, and the Israelites, no doubt had to be tough to fight against such powerful forces, their ultimate victory was only by the hand of God! In Luke 18:27 Jesus says, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.” HE makes impossible things possible, so when we’re faced with a situation that appears to be impossible, let’s look to, and put our trust in, the One who is far greater than us and able to do far more than we can!