Bringing up the Rear Check-In

Julie -
Whoa - Your numbers amazing ! Thats so inspiring - it must be a real confidence booster . I hate to be the bearer of bad news - Iv'e had insomnia my whole life and the menopause made it horrible . I've tried the ZzzQuil and others like it - I know it's bad but you know how desperate the lack of sleep makes you . As soon as I set up the rack , I'll get the bench - I'm becoming such a gearhead !

Have a great day !
 
Carolyn ,
I really loved Rockout ! I didn't do the bonus but the main workout including the warm up is almost 50 min. It flew by but I was also drenched , so it was perfect . The music is great and everything has a nice driving beat - but I have to say , when the sound alike version of , " Walk this Way " gets going I always crack up - the singer goes so fast it makes me think of an auction ! I didn't find it hard on the knees , but there is a lot more kicking than Hardstrikes and I always go really easy on those . The combos are a little more involved than HS and all in all I think I like it even better ! I love that you got on the kitchen counter - what dedication ! I've been doing these pull ups from underneath my desk - if someone walked in they'd probably think I died under there ....

Have a great night - I hope we all manage to sleep ....
 
Still no DVDs yet. Should be here tonight. This morning I did Lean Legs & Abs on my computer using the download. It was a nice little workout. Definitely not a GSL or B&G but a good one nonetheless. This one had more new moves in so it felt new not just remixed. I did make the mistake of using the green firewalker band for the lying outer thigh lifts and about cried when Cathe tacked on a final set. I also did my hip thrust challenge which was 3 sets of hip thrust marches.

Kate Oh boy GSL is a goodie but that last set of slow, low lunges is killer. I can’t even hold weights with it like Cathe and crew. Love you calling yourself a gear head. Thanks for the encouragement on my numbers. I think the 30 day hip thrust challenge really pushed me to go heavier. Bret actually had you increasing your weights by 20 pounds each week but I stuck with 10 a week. 20 seems way too much.

Carolyn Well I am younger but I wouldn’t say young. I’m 33 but consider young to be 20s. I am not a fan of walking lunges. Not because of my knees but because of space. I can take 3-4 steps before I have to turn around and walk back. That would be a site to see you doing those reverse hypers on your kitchen counter.

Have a great day!
 
Got my DVDs last night so everything went smooth this morning when I did parts of X10. I first did my hip thrust challenge: 10 @ 205 lbs., 6 @ 225, 4 @ 245, and 20 @ 125. I was really feeling my glutes with the heavy set of 4. After that I did X10 Hi/Lo, Cardio Blast, and Fat Burning Circuits. Those X10 segments are no joke. They are non-stop, high energy, and keep the heart rate up, up, up.

Carolyn Yea for sore glutes and hammies! I love working my legs 3 times a week but you do have to be selective in picking out what other workouts you do in between. Needs to be something that doesn’t work them too hard that they just get more sore but helps get those DOMS out.

Have a great day ladies!
 
So today was my last day of the hip thrust challenge. Technically I have 2 days left but I am quitting early so I can start the Get Glutes month 1 tomorrow. After that it was cleaning and running a few errands.

Carolyn OMG! I would love to have glutes like the ladies in Bret’s blog. I am nowhere near there. Too much padding to even tell how close I am. I have always found walks are a great way to help with the DOMS. I am a little disappointed in the last couple Cathe leg workouts because they seem to be more endurance and lighter. I guess they would be good add ons or for active recovery weeks but I just love the heavier stuff. I love the cable rotation. I think of it like I am swinging a baseball bat. You should be feeling it in the leg closer to the band so you were doing it right.

Have a great weekend!
 
Hi everyone!
Yesterday I did Lean Legs and Abs; it was good I don't know that I would reach for it all the time but I liked it. I'm missing the heavier leg workouts too; I hope when Cathe does another series she does a heavy weight one.

Today I did Pure Strength Chest, Shoulders and Triceps; I'm glad I got this one it's old but I like it.

Julie 245, that's awesome!!!!

Have a great day!
 
Sunday I did my first Get Glutes workout. I actually started with workout 2 because I thought it might take longer than the others. I also added on extra back work because I am really trying to strengthen my back. I also subbed in hip thrusts for the glute bridges because I do not like glute bridges and read that Bret said that it was ok to sub that way. The rest of Sunday was spent being lazy. This morning I did Flextrain. It was a decent workout. The triceps section is killer.

Amanda I really like the PS series even though it is older. Cathe looks so different with the short hair too.

Carolyn Oh you have me excited about Pedal Power. That is on tap for Wednesday and I can’t wait. I was reading on the Get Glutes forum that someone couldn’t do walking lunges and asked for a sub. Bret said to do reverse lunges. Not sure if you can do reverse lunges but I know you said you couldn’t do the walking lunges.

Have a great day!
 
Hi everyone !
Sorry I haven't checked in for a bit - I got behind in my GG w/o's and did one yesterday to try and catch up - even so , I think I'll start the new month of GG this week ...
Sunday I did X10 Cardio blast [ I really think I'm going to love the X10's ] and GG strength #2: Reverse Lunges 1x8 , 2x5 , 1x12 each leg 70Lbs. Barbell Gb's 2x20 ,2x20 75 Lbs. American Deadlift 1x12 ,3x8 55Lbs . I only did the glutes in GG because my muscles are pretty fried from this new rotation - GS plus Muscle Max each week . I really noticed that I hit a wall towards the end of Xtrain - I just stopped progressing strength wise , so the change of program is really exciting because my muscles have been shocked into responding again !
Amanda -
I'm going to preview the month #2 w/o's later today - can't wait to compare notes on it and get your thoughts about it !
Julie -
Glad you started GG - I look forward to hear how you like the w/o's , and hear how heavy you lift !
Carolyn - When you do reverse lunges do you use a barbell ? I need advice on doing certain moves that require balance while using the BB - I did them with a weighted vest and db's because I got intimidated at the thought of 70 lbs. on my back and dipping backwards ...
Have a great day all !
 
Carolyn -
Glad to hear you say that ! I knew better than to try - at least at this point . Our workouts are the same , it just depends when you start them . Amanda started a week before me so she got her 2nd month before I did . Now when I checked today the new w/o's were waiting for me - they look really great too !
Talk soon !
 
I have some DOMS for LL and Abs yesterday :D

I haven't started month 2 of GG; I'm going to this week. I have to figure out how to do that band pull through- I don't have a band like that and I don't know where I would attach one. I'll have to watch the other video and see if they give any alternatives.

Julie what did you think of your first GG w/o?
 
This morning I did my second Get Glutes workout with additional back work. I started using a 45 lb. barbell for the 1 leg hip thrusts but had to go down to 35 on the second and third sets; box squats @ 85 lbs. and good mornings @ 45 lbs. I used a dumbbell for the half kneeling shoulder press. I used 25 lbs. the first set but had to go down for the second 2 sets to 22 ½ lbs.

Kate I did the reverse lunges using a barbell but I held the barbell front loaded like in a front squat. I was a little worried about my balance so I went lighter at 55 lbs. but I think I will up it next time because I surprisingly didn’t have any issues with keeping my balance. Do you keep the same weight throughout all the sets even when the rep ranges vary? I was using 55 lbs. for the 5 rep sets but went to 45 for the 12 rep set. Maybe I should try to stick with the heavier weight for the 12 rep set next time.

Carolyn Yea on feeling your glutes during the whole B&G! That is so exciting when you really feel it during and even after your workout. With my Sunday workout, my glutes were on fire the whole day. Every time I stood up, I made a little owie noise but it made me smile too.

Amanda I was previewing the 2nd month of workouts and saw the pull through. What kind of band do you have? I was going to use the tubing with the handles and stick a towel through the handles to hold on to. I was going to anchor it to my spin bike. If I had a door close to my workout area, I would use the door attachment to anchor it. I loved the first workout with the reverse lunges and American deadlifts. Didn’t care for the hanging knee raise for abs. My abs are so weak. This morning’s workout was ok. I didn’t really like the box squats. I would rather do a regular squat.


Have a great day!
 
Julie -
I haven't varied my weight with my reps , I just stick with the same . I did the reverse lunges with my vest and db's . If I'm being honest , 70 lbs . was really heavy for those and I had some balance issues as it was . All I could think of was tipping backwards with the barbell . I have no problem using that weight on my back with the barbell but I'm not sure I could hold it in front . How did you get so strong ??? I think it's so great - I hope I get there someday ! I never liked the box squats either but did them because I know I need that low end of the move .
Amanda -
A good friend of mine is letting me borrow his EZ curl bar - I love it ! It's 15 lbs. and so great to use with the upper body stuff in GS . Also , it's Oly size so my plates fit . I did try doing squats with it and almost knocked out a vertebra , but will use my pad next time . Do you have any problems with balance when you use a lot of weight ? Not with squats but reverse lunges and stuff . I remember watching Cathe doing leg presses in Pyramid with a tone of weight on her back and thinking um , no . She's such a powerhouse though . I'm going to start the new GG on Thurs . I think . I did GS legs today and tacked on 3x10 squats w/ 75 lbs. - it feels like I may need to stay at that weight for a little while ...

I haven't done much of the new Cathe's yet but see a tone of use for x10 . I've been taking Bret's advice from SC and doing a lot less cardio so I like those short intense w/o's . I've only done 2 so far but they were great . I'm curious about GG but have been so focused on getting stronger . How was Flextrain ? I thought Julie tried that one ...

Have a great night !
 
Today I did GG month 2 w/o 1. I forgot I have a band for Michelle Dozois' Peak Fit so I used that for the band pull through and put it around the leg of my couch. My other bands are like Cathe uses and the firewalkers. The Sumo Deadlift is harder for me so I did the first two sets and then subbed the American Deadlift for the last two sets.

I use the same weight throughout all the sets.

I like my EZ Curl bar; I found a 6ft on Amazon I think I may get so I can have a straight bar too.

I love the American Deadlift, the American Hip Thrust and the Landmine Press those were my favorites from month 1. I was okay with the box squat after I raised my step some :) but they are tough-they really get in there. I did not like the Good Morning; I feel like I could really hurt my back doing that so I'm not going to do that anymore I'll just sub a deadlift.

Julie I bend my legs up for the hanging leg raise I don't do the straight leg.

Kate I don't do more then 50 for squats, lunges etc. because I don't have a rack and anything over that is too hard for me to lift up over my head that's why I was thinking I may need to splurge for a vest!

Have a good night!
 
Last night, DH and I took the dogs for a walk around the block. Then DH took our older dog inside since she can’t go far and I took our younger dog, Ozzie, around the block again but this time we ran some of the way. I am not a runner by any means so this was a big deal for me to run about 50 feet! This morning I did Pedal Power.

Carolyn I really enjoyed Pedal Power. I am one who doesn’t pay much attention to the music. If it is good, great; if not, oh well. But the music in this one really had me going during some of the songs. A box squat is kind of like a sit n stand but without the freeze and hold right above the step. So you sit for a count of 1, then stand up completely. Was the field trip at least some where exciting?

Kate Thank you for thinking I am strong. I don’t always feel strong especially when I watch the videos on Get Glutes with Kellie and Marianne. They are doing some heavy lifting. I think Kellie was using over 100 pounds on the good mornings. Um no thanks, I’ll stick to 45 for now. You are quite strong yourself. Even if you have to go down 10-15 pounds for reverse lunges until you get comfortable with your balance, that is still a heavy load. And 75 pounds for 10 squats is nothing to be ashamed of either. I did do FlexTrain. It is good but I would say it almost classify it as an upper body endurance weight workout with added light leg conditioning. So my doing it on the Monday after doing GG with added upper body on Sunday, probably wasn’t the best idea. My upper body was sore from Sunday and then I just added fuel to the DOMS fire on Monday.

Amanda Ok, you and Kate have challenged me to start using the same weight for the entire sets instead of going down when the reps go up. I loved the American deadlift too because I really felt my glutes fire up with them. I am really only feeling the box squats in my quads and only on the last rep or two. Maybe I need to lower my step height. I can barely get my knees up to parallel to the floor in the hanging leg raise. All those times of skipping core work has caught up to me.

Have a great day!
 
Hi Carolyn ,
I'm glad to hear you liked FT - I haven't tried it yet , but did preview it . I think Julie said it really got her triceps . I wonder why Cathe focused so much on light weights / high reps ? I will say that doing all those reps at a higher speed really burns , but it seems like the goal of that type of w/o is calorie burn more than strength training . I did X10 Low Impact + Step after I finished GS Chest and Tri's . HA ! My arms totally failed trying to do the staggered push ups after all that chest work ! I really like X10 though - there are so many ways to use it . Back up on the counter ! That's so great - which section of the book are you doing ? When I was really little we went to Plymouth Rock and me and my cousins wore little Pilgrim costumes - don't know why I just thought of that , but I'm glad you had a nice time . Did you say you were a chaperone ?
Time to eat my way through the kitchen ...
Have a great night !
 
This morning I did Rockout Knockout. It was fun. I am not sure whether I can say I am crazy about it. I was a little tired this morning and not really feeling like working out but I did it. It is definitely one I will do again. I was just having trouble with motivation today.

Have a great day!
 
Carolyn ,
I know what you mean - between the Cathe strength w/o's and the GG w/o's and the new Cathe's that have weights for the cardio it's hard to really rest what you need to sometimes . That's why I had to laugh when I crashed into the floor on those push ups because my arms/chest gave out . Needless to say , I wanted DOMS and I got them ! That's great about Pedal Power - I've never done one of her p w/o's because I don't have the bike . People really seem to love them .
Julie -
I really liked Rockout but I have to do all of those punching w/o's with 1lb. wrist weights or I don't get too much of a workout . I think I liked it even more because I did Hardstrikes every week for 3 months and don't know if I can face it again for a long time . I know when I try to push the motivation even w/o's I love are a total drag . Nothing feels that great when you're tired - hope you get some good rest !
Finally did GG w/o #2 tonight - Bulgarian Split Squat 40 lbs. 2x8 , 2x5 each leg , Sumo Deadlift 45 lbs. 2x12 , 2x8 , Single leg ball curls 3x12 each leg , Side bends 3x12 each side , Band Pull through 3x20 w/ red tubing . Then I tacked on 3x30 HT w/ 75 Lbs. I liked the new w/o - will try to go heavier next time .

Have a great night !
 
This morning I did Get Glutes workout 3 and added on Hiit 30/30. For weight work I did: 3x10 American HT @ 185, 3x5 Front Squats @ 75, 3x8 Incline DB Press @ 30. I was breathing fire towards the end I was so hot. Had to take mini breaks and pause the DVD to rest longer than the 30 seconds.

Kate I did use 1 lb gloves for the entire thing but I agree I need to do it again when I am not so tired. I really like HS but I can see that doing it every week for 3 months would make it hard to look at again for a while. Awesome job on those weights! That is crazy amount for the side bends. I was thinking I would use like 8-10 pounds. Wow!!

Carolyn I really like Hardstrikes but I don’t know what kinds of things are not good for your knee. It is kind of high impact with lots of jumping jacks so if that bothers your knee, it would be a no no. Enjoy burning your bum and legs tomorrow!

Have a great day!
 
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