February 2015 Pregnancy/TTC Check-in

Roz,

Just starting the new thread a day early because I will not be checking-in on my rest day tomorrow and I have a feeling I will totally forget to start it on Monday. But, hip hip hooray that February is here and we're getting ever closer to Spring!

Cheers,

Lisa
 
Hi Lisa,
Good call on starting this thread -- I definitely would have spaced out on that! Unfortunately, the sleep deprivation continues... :(
Thanks so much for the virtual pick-me-up and chicken noodle soup! Brings a big smile to my face.

I am cautiously optimistic that DD is on the mend, but she's still having a rough time. Poor little thing.

That is so cute about your DD loving Cathe. Well -- there's a lot to love! Oh, and you posted elsewhere about her coming in and asking if you were working out with Elsa -- that cracked me up big time! What a cutie pie!

Great work on KCM Trim Down -- your pregnancy workouts are awesome! Now enjoy your well-deserved rest day! :D

Today was Meso 2 Week 4 Legs. I've been debating whether or not to finish Meso 2, but I looking this morning and all the week 4 workouts are shorter (43-50 mins... in earlier weeks the UB workouts are up to almost 70 mins!), so I'm planning to finish up for that satisfying feeling of completion. No plans to go to Meso 3 (right now, anyways). Plus, we've got a lot of family visiting this coming weekend and I'll be crazy busy, so I'll likely take a full 2-3 day rest (and may be MIA for a few days, too) after I finish up Meso 2. I have high hopes that DD will be fully recovered by then... fingers crossed!
Oh, and I added a 20-min hip flexor stretch segment from Udaya. Some of the poses were too active for my wobbly post-Meso 2 legs (if you want a visual of what I look like right now, this will give you a general idea), so I did my own thing half the time. It felt good, though!

Oh, and about breastfeeding frenzy... I know multiple women who have made themselves sick (mastitis, etc.) by pushing through their body's warning signs and continuing to breastfeed. You're totally right.

OK... don't know if I got to everything but must run along with my day. I plan to do STS Chest/Shoulders/Tris tomorrow if possible, but will pop by regardless.
Thanks again for your well-wishes! And joining you in a 'hooray' for spring approaching!
Roz
 
Hi Lisa!
Hope your incubation day was fabulous!
We are getting nailed with snow here... Hope you are in springier climes!

This morning I did the last week of Meso 2 CST. DD woke a third of the way through (she's getting much much better, but sleep is still off... she's asleep in my arms now though!) so after a break I brought her down to cheer me on. I did much of the remainder without the video. Maybe not the ideal training session, but who cares? Anyways it was good enough to cross that workout off the list, which was really what I wanted. ;)
I'm trying to be less OCD about working out and just roll with it whenever and however it happens, but sometimes my desire to cross things off the list gets the best of me.

Speaking of my simultaneous, if conflicting, workout OCD and rotational ADHD, I'm tempted by Cathe's Feb rotation and the 12 week 'anti-gravity' rotation another user just posted. However, when I commit to a rotation, I tend to hold myself to it. Or if I diverge from it, I get a pang of stress. So I'll look to those rotations for inspiration, but won't officially sign on to anything. I'm committed to listening to my body on a daily basis, prioritizing sleep, and doing more yoga and resting.

IIRC, you have a treadmill at home, right? Have you ever tried the spin workouts on your TM? I might try that some time. I was also wondering if that might be a fun way to get a 'walk' in for you (or me) while winter is hanging around. My understanding is that you can basically choose your own intensity in the spin workouts. I've never even peeked at them, though, so I have so idea, really.

Did you watch the Super Bowl? Not me. I might have to check out some of the commercials, though... they were always my favorite part! ;)

Happy Monday! How many weeks are you now? (I think you hit your new weeks on Wednesdays, right?)
How are you feeling these days?
Hugs (that are ever increasing in circumference),
Roz
 
Hi Roz,

So delighted to hear your sweet bambina is on the mend! No doubt those extra snuggles have been the best medicine for her. The only "good" thing about getting sick, IMO, is that it helps you to appreciate the healthy times. But, I'd still just rather not have any of us or our family members get sick at all.

I am the same way with lists and checking things off. I love a sense of order. That's the OCD in me. So I totally understand that. Besides, now you're nearly done with Week 4 of Meso 2! Just one workout to go! I do love STS, but more accurately I love Mesos 1 and 2, and Meso 3 legs (squat rack and plyo). Meso 3 UB workouts have the dread factor, especially when your doing 6 reps with 2 mins (or is it 2.5mins?) rest in between. I just get antsy. I will have to go check out Cathe's Feb rotation, not that I'm following rotations either. I must confess that a huge help that keeps me on track with my fly-by-the-seat-of-my-maternity-pants rotation is the Workout Manager. I can enter in a workout and mark it as completed and then look back and see all that I've accomplished. I know it's wonky and weird, but you knew that about me right? ;)

Anyhow, high fives for slamming your legs on Monday and banging out CST today! If you were walking like an employee from the Ministry of Silly Walks, I'd say you were in pretty good shape. Seems to me like he was prancing around with a spring in his step, not wobbling around with crazy jello DOMS legs. :)

Something is up with me and Mondays. I wanted to do a Cathe Live but, like last Monday, woke up in zombie mode so I had to do an easy, no-brainer workout. I chose KCM's 30 Mins to Fitness: Weights. I added on Lindsay Brin's 2nd trimester core, which I guess I'm only allowed to do for one more week since next Wednesday (2/11) I will hit 27 weeks! :eek:

Yes, we do have a treadmill at home and it has been a lifesaver for me. We have it placed right next to a window for the sole purpose of treating my winter SAD. I open the window and pretend I am walking outside (or if it's too cold I just open the blinds so I can LOOK out the window). May sound weird but it really helps me imagine I am in the fresh air during those times when it is too cold to go outside. I've never tried a spinning workout. Guess I forgot to tell you that DH and I just bought a spinning bike. I haven't used it yet due to some set-up issues but I'm pretty stoked to try out Cathe Live spinning on it, as well as other Cathe spinning videos.

Didn't watch the Super Bowl, but my DH tells me that there was a really bad coaching call at the end that cost the Seahawks the game. I'm lukewarm on the commercials but based on reviews I've heard, I'd really like to see the Katy Perry halftime show! I'm torn over Katy Perry because I think some of her songs are just fun (especially for workout purposes) but I'm not the biggest fan of her persona/image.

Touch base with you tomorrow! Good luck getting ready for your house guests! Check-in when or if you can! No pressure! Hugs to you and your little sick yet simultaneously adorable medical patient!

Lisa
 
Hi Lisa,
Yes, I sensed that you were my buddy in OCD. ;) I know few people other than myself who would throw out a failed baking experiment in exasperation. If it's not good enough, get it out of my sight!

Great job on your KCM Weights workout! Yes, I agree that the Workout Manager is a great tool to track my workouts when I'm not following a set rotation.

This morning was Low Impact HiiT 1 and RWH Bonus Abs 2, then ~12 minutes of a 'cool down flow' from Udaya. (OK, it was 20 mins long but I got antsy. So much to do!) I skipped Cathe's stretch in favor of the yoga.
I must be brief but, in short, I really enjoyed the LI HiiT workout -- hadn't done it in a while. It's not crazy intense, but it was a nice ~25 min cario pump. Perfect for my purposes today.

Congrats on your spin bike! I've toyed with the idea of getting one. Let me know how you like it!

Re: Katie Perry, et al., I'm woefully disconnected from pop music. In fact, sometimes I'll be in a store and I'll hear a pop tune from which Cathe's made a sound-alike, and I think, oh, they're playing Cathe's song! :oops:

Oh, I love your description of your treadmill setup. That sounds ideal.

OK, that's all I've got time for today. Time for Clean Max!
Hugs,
Roz
 
Roz,

Glad to hear you're still enjoying utilizing RWH. Seems like it's a series with staying power. Nice workout and LOL on reducing the 20 min yoga to 12 mins! All of that plus Clean Max = a two-a-day for you today! :)

I couldn't help myself and had to revisit Lean Lower Body Live (1/8/15). I just adore that workout. We had a power blitz (lights flashed a couple times) due to a rainstorm so I lost my WiFi. Fortunately that happened right at the power yoga section which is at the end, so I just subbed in the floorwork from LBB to finish things off, then did the LBB stretch. Good workout! I normally don't do a leg workout the day after a total body, but KCM is typically lighter on the legs than Cathe so I felt fresh enough to tackle it.

Before I sign off I must tell you about my most recent food find. I've been downing nut butters like it's my job (healthy fats for the incubating babe) and yesterday at the store I discovered MaraNatha's No Stir Coconut + Almond Butter (creamy). Oh yum. I've died and gone to heaven. This jar will not last long (sadly, I go through around 2 jars of nut butter/week on my own). Give it a try if you can find it at your local store.

No, we are not getting slammed by snow. Just rain. Are you guys doing OK? You said you got hit the other day. Is there more coming your way?

Take care, stay safe, and have a wonderful day!

Lisa
 
Hi Lisa,
Great job on your workout yesterday! I love your coherent-yet-patchworky workouts! Yeah, Lean Lower Body is a winner -- I'll have to return to that one again.

Well, I did my last Meso 2 workout today! I actually had an outstanding workout. I felt really strong and enjoyed the work. Honestly, in terms of over-taxing my body, the workouts this week haven't felt excessive. However, this week's Meso 2 UB workouts are both ~40 mins, so it could just be that they were ~30 mins shorter than some earlier Meso 2 UB w/os! :eek:
Just based on that feeling, I feel fine (for now) keeping some heavy lifting and adding some lighter/endurance lifting as I try to be kind to my body.
Oh yeah! I wanted to added a little something to round it out, so I did the ~12 min compound weight segment from Kickboxing + Compound Weights Live. I LOVE this segment. Definitely one to save for postpartum (all your pregnancy faves -- squat presses, pushup variations, and ankle grabber sit ups!), but so so so fun. I hope she does a whole Live workout like that some time. (I need to revisit Supercuts...)
Then I just did my own stretching.

Ooh, that nut butter sounds so good! IMO, MaraNatha can do no wrong. Actually, when I make my own nut butters at home, I sometimes add a little oil to help it all smooth out. Sometimes I choose a neutral oil, and sometimes I go for coconut. I love how it goes it almond and/or walnut -- so yummy! I was at WF this morning and was perusing the nut butter selections and didn't see it, but maybe I'll have to whip up a batch soon, because it sounds so good right now.

What else? I think my weekend is about to get the best of me. I *hope* to get a workout in tomorrow morning, but not sure if that will happen. So yeah -- if I can, I'll work out and pop in to report tomorrow, but I'll be MIA due to visiting guests Fri-Sun. And I think I'm due a few days off, anyways! ;)

Hugs to you and your big girl DD! I can't even imagine what three is like...
Roz
 
High fives to you, Roz, for your Meso 2 graduation. ;) Yay! I'm glad it ended on a high note for you. Seems like you are really in a groove right now with your workouts. And, yeah, the Live KB+ Compound Weights workout sounds like one I will love when I'm able to do it in about 4 months or so! I really do enjoy Flex Train and Supercuts in my non-pregnant state, so if it's like those I will be a happy camper.

I know, MaraNatha makes some great nut butters! I found the coconut + almond butter in the organic section at my regular grocery store, Fred Meyer (same company as Ralph's and Kroger's). I admire you for making your own nut butters. I have both a VitaMix and a BlendTec so I really have no excuse for not making my own except the cleaning hassle. I don't mind cleaning up after a green smoothie, a soup, or any of the other millions of things I do with my blenders. But nut butters? Forget about it!

Do what you can over the next few days. Most importantly enjoy your weekend with your guests and your little family! I hope you have a wonderful, non-stressful time.

By the way, not to scare you about three, but it is worse than two. More assertion of independence, and we're having major sleep issues with the big girl bed ("oh, I can get up and play any time I want!"). Sigh. Have I told you my little 3-year-old teenager has taken to calling me by my first name? Oh yeah, she calls me Lisa and she calls my DH by his first name as well. :eek: It's not that she's being sassy. She's just (smartly) noticed that I respond when other people call me Lisa so she figures she should do the same. I keep trying to reinforce "I'm your mommy." Good times in parenthood!

Take care. I think I'm going to spend some extra time on the couch this afternoon sitting on my egg. Definitely feeling tired. Check-in when you can, but take off as much time as you need!

Lisa (and you can call me that because I'm not your mommy! ha!)

ETA: Duh. I didn't even report my workout. Today was cardio. I did the 30 min step segment from KCM's Cardio Blast, then I did the cardio only premix from LIS High Intensity Step with major modifications--although I figure that if I can modify that one successfully, I should be able to modify some of the Cathe Live step workouts. What say you?
 
Hi Lisa/Mommy,
Yikes, sounds like 3 is a handful! Though I must say, I'm so excited to see DD continue to come into herself as a person. Her personality is already SO fun, and she's only 15 mos! I know I have frustrations and trials ahead, though. :rolleyes:

Oh, I totally DO NOT make my nut butters in the Vita. No way am I spending 30 mins scraping out the bottom of the blender cup. I use my food processor (just a run o' the mill Cuisinart FP). If you just let it run long enough (and occasionally scrape down the sides), it will eventually get smooth. But it helps to add a dash of oil just to get things moving (add cautiously, as I've definitely been too heavy-handed with the oil). Especially with less oily nuts (e.g., almonds). Hence the occasional coconut oil (I melt first unless it's summertime and the oil is already melted) or a neutral oil (organic canola, grapeseed, etc.) if I'm being a purist. But you can also be sassy and add a dash of good quality olive oil and a pinch of coarse salt for a unique, savory treat! (Like macadamia butter with a dash of fruity olive oil -- I could totally do that right now on a piece of toasted brioche and a sprinkle of fleur de sel -- OK now I'm just making myself hungry!)

Wait, I'm supposed to talk about workouts here, right? ;)
So I was inspired by my short compound weights add-on yesterday, and had to do Super Cuts this morning. Love love love this workout! It kinda feels like a less killer Afterburn with lots of surprise twists. I liked that I really felt the work, but I didn't feel obliterated afterwards.
Then I skipped the stretch and added a 20-minute yoga segment. I didn't feel like fussing around finding the 'right' segment, so the first one on the list of 20-min segments was Hanumanasana (full splits) into Vasisthasana II (side plank where you're extending your top foot to the sky and holding those toes with your fingers. I figured, hey, my hamstrings are warm and I can do splits (though I do them very very rarely, somehow I retain the ability to do them), so I clicked on that video. Ha! I can do those two poses, but the transition was this: you're in a split with your right leg forward, you grab your right toes with your right fingers, then rotate into side plank and straighten that arm/leg up to the sky. Let's say, my transitions were very clumsy -- but I did it! So fun. Also, great hip/quad/hamstring opening.

Awesome work on your KCM workout. I really need to check out some of her stuff... Hmm...
My fingers are itching to type a...m...a...z...o...
Bad impulse control, Roz! ;)

OK, I've got to keep prepping for company. I'll try to work out tomorrow. There's actually going to be fewer visitors than I'd anticipated, so that relieves a bit of stress. We still have some snow, but not a lot. If there's a ton of snow, we might have no visitors... In any case, I'll pop in when I can!

Hugs to and your growing brood,
Roz
 
Hiya Roz!

Yep, as sassy as my little cutie can be (and I actually don't consider it sassy--I really think it's just a sign of her intelligence that she recognizes that I am "Lisa" to the rest of the world), it is truly a wonder to see her little personality come out. It's amazing how we are all unique and how we all come into this world with a special personality...at least that's how I see it!

Okay, my lazy-fest confessions continue. I keep both my blenders on the counter but my Kitchen Aid FP is in a higher-up cupboard, so that "work" to get it down plus the messyness of the nut butters means I'm spending all my money on TJ's brand, MaraNatha, Whole 365, etc nut butters. I am willing to do hard things in the kitchen I promise! Just not that for some reason. But can I come over and have some macadamia nut butter + olive oil on toast? I would probably add some sea salt and some honey. I'll bring the tea! :) (As an aside, have you ever tried Tupelo honey? My friend swears by it.)

Is there an event going on in your house that has inspired your potential visitors to stop by? Or is it just "we miss you, can we come over?" I guess more snow could be good or bad, depending on how much you want to see these people! :p

Yep, feel the same way about Super Cuts. It's a great, friendly burn but not as intimidating as AB. You know what IS intimidating? You and your mad yoga skillz. I know I say this all the time, but I just truly cannot imagine being that skilled and flexible with yoga. You are rocking it, and I'm so happy to hear you're still on a roll where all of your workouts are making you feel just plain good and refreshed. Love that!

Yes, buy some KCM workouts. Buy some KCM workouts! Did I mention buy some KCM workouts?! (Not-so-subliminal advertising, ha!)

Today I was going to do last week's Live (Barbell UB), but after previewing it I saw that a good portion of the beginning of the workout involved bent over rows, clean and presses, and just lots of bending over in general. I think this one is going to have to wait until post-baby because that much bending just gets painful at this point. So, instead, I opted for Strong UB + Core. This is my second time doing that Live workout and I think it is going to give PUB a run for its money. I am so pathetically hooked on these Cathe Live workouts. ;)

Hugs, baby dust, and wishes for a maid to come help you clean your house (not that it's dirty--just so that you can rest!).

Lisa
 
Hi Lisa,
I need to try to be brief here... busy day ahead!
Hehe, yes, we have extended family who still haven't met the bambina. So that's the planned visit. Looks like the weather will hold up, which is good.

Nice work on Strong UB + Core. Love that one! I'm just itching to try the barbell workout from last week. I think that and Steptastic are on the menu for the coming week. I'm also hoping to try High Reps Live. Have you tried the total body with stability ball one yet? IIRC, I felt like that one could work for pregnancy with a few moves needing modification/replacement/skipping.

I was due a rest day, I focused on Clean Max this morning, then slipped in my own 40 minute yoga practice. Just enough to stretch and get me in a good place for the busy day to come.

OK, nut butter fest at my house! I'll make the butters, you bring the tea! Sea salt is one of my favorite things, pretty much. Fleur de sel is a top favorite baking ingredient. Dorie Greenspan has chocolate fleur de sel cookies that are to die for! Oh yes, and I have tried and loved Tupelo honey!

That's it for me today -- hope you're well and kicking off the weekend with joy! Give your sassy 3-year-old a big hug! (Oh, and ITA -- they come into the world with a fully baked personality. I love it so much!! :D)
Roz

P.S. You got me youtubing clips of KCM workouts before bed last night, you enabler you! ;) I think TLC might be my first move. It looks so fun! And she's such a smiley firecracker. Her weight workouts look cool, but I just have SO MUCH to play with on Cathe On Demand. (Feel free to make an counter-argument that I do, indeed, need KCM weight workouts.)
 
TGIF, Roz!

Best wishes for a wonderful weekend with your family members. So exciting that they will get to meet your sweetie pie DD for the first time! Yay! I'm sure she will woo them in an instant. And I hope they appreciate all of your efforts with your recent Clean Max rotation. :) Glad the yoga helped you mentally and physically prepare for the hustle and bustle of your upcoming weekend!

So many Cathe Live workouts, so little time! Yes, Steptastic and High Reps look awesome. I haven't checked out the total body stability ball workout, but I was wondering if it was like her Push Pull workout, which I did at the end of my last pregnancy and is totally doable. Thanks for the reminder!

Today I did a Firm workout. It is a compilation cardio workout called Super Trainers Cardio. Basically hi/lo. Easy to modify, not much to think about (except "hmmm, is this a good place to pause for my potty break?"). :rolleyes: I enjoy this DVD and am glad I purchased several Firms for pregnancy. They have worked out well.

Sorry, but not really sorry (ha!), for pushing you to make KCM DVD purchases. :) I think her workouts are such a nice compliment to Cathe's, but by all means start slowly if you want. TLC is terrific and will give you a taste of Kelly's style. I really like her weight workouts too because they just feel so different from Cathe's--lots of compound moves, much more room for making them super advanced or totally doable (IMO, at least). I hear you that there is so much out there to experiment with. I've been working out with Cathe for years so there's nothing "new" in her collection to me (besides RWH, obviously) but now that I have Cathe Live I feel like I have so so so many more options, so I think I'm going to be much more selective in my DVD purchasing going forward. At least for now. And I reserve the right to change my mind and make impulse buys. :p

Best to you and yours! Hugs!

Lisa
 
Hi Lisa,
Nice job on your Firm workout. Sounds like those workouts are at a good pregnancy pace!

Couldn't sleep well last night -- this always seems to happen with house guests! :confused: So here I am, checking in early while all the house is asleep, and half-asleep myself...

First let me rescind my statement from yesterday. I looked at some clips of KCM weight workouts and they look super intriguing in just the ways you mentioned -- lots of compound moves and funky/functional UB (toning?) moves. And of course you can go as heavy as you want. But I still have so many Cathe workouts that I want to try but never have so... sigh. Just so I have the info for when I get incurable Amazon trigger finger... which are your fave KCM weight/circuit workouts? Circuit Burn and NYC look intriguing, to name a couple. I'd prefer the ones that are least similar to Cathe's -- i.e., with the most funky KCM moves.
Thanks for all your input! ;)

Oh that note, I did Low Impact Circuit this morning. Loved it! This was a new one for me.
I skipped the core (my tailbone hurt just looking as I clicked over to peek at the moves) and Cathe's stretch, and instead added on a 20-min Udaya segment called Core & Restore. It was great! Lots of intense, long core holds (on back and in plank) alternating with gentle backbends and twists. Then a little extra leg stretching of my own and that was a wrap!

Not that you're wanting for more pregnancy workouts, but LIC might be a goodie! Plus, there are two built-in potty breaks (i.e., pushup segments). Extra bonus: the low impact step segments work the core nicely, and in an indirect (dare I say 'obliquely'? ;) ), pregnancy-friendly way. At least, that was my thought.

OK, doubles is Clean Max, so off I go!!
Do you and your family get to spend weekend days together (i.e., does your DH have weekends off)?
You're right on the cusp of your 3rd trimester now, right? Hooray! :D
Hugs to you and your gals,
Roz
 
Good Saturday evening to you, Roz!

Yes, my DH has the weekends off and so we spend as much time together as a family as possible...hence the late check-in today! We've been out and about whilst the sun was shining. Thankfully he is a regular, salaried Mon-Fri employee and rarely has to do things on the weekend--which is not to say that he doesn't have some long weekday workdays, however. He earns his weekends off (and so do I, LOL)! ;) What about your DH?

I remember doing LIC last pregnancy and yes, it's terrific. Built-in potty breaks are always a plus! :cool: Keep recommending pregnancy exercises to me. In all seriousness, I want as much variety as possible. Last go 'round I got into a real Jari Love rut during the last few weeks (not that I didn't enjoy doing JL during pregnancy...just too much of a good thing, ya know?). Anyhow, nice job getting 'er done today! The past few days I've been thinking I would just pop in to keep myself accountable, but have been pleasantly surprised to see you've already visited for the day! :) I hope your yoga sufficiently "unwound" your body/mind/spirit before your Clean Max and hostessing duties.

We share a love of good food/TJ's/WF and also a love of Amazon. The worst/best thing I ever did was get an Amazon Visa! :D I really think you'd love KCM. So, just to give you the info you asked for but in a no pressure kind of way, my fave KCM weight workouts (in no particular order) are: 30 MTF Weights; Lift2BFit; Split Sessions; and Body Shop (Clare on the forums swears by 30MTF Muscle Definition, but that's not amongst my favorites). Out of KCM's circuit workouts, some of which I guess could be called weight workouts but I feel there's more of a cardio factor, I would say: Circuit Burn; Plateau Buster; and NYC. A caveat when it comes to NYC: I've read many who feel this is an entirely intermediate training session, and I have certainly loved it for pregnancy because it can be "easier" than some of Kelly's others. It's got much more of a metabolic/toning feel than a weight feel, IMO. So if you're looking for heavy weights or an opportunity to use heavy weights, this particular workout doesn't give you as much room to groove as the others do. Can you tell I love Kelly? I'm not help in narrowing things down! Sorry!

Again, I understand if you choose to wait (almost typed "weight" because my brain is on dumbbells and barbells!). I feel the same way with Cathe Live that you do about On Demand and also Udaya. Soooo many new things to play with. As a result, I opted for Cathe Live Total Body Sculpt (9/4/14). I've been fairly hard on my pregnant legs this week so I chose this one because--when I previewed it--I swore that it only had about 20 mins of legs which were knocked out in the beginning. Ummm, what the what? I apparently can't read a timer because it was about 30-35 mins of legs at the beginning, and the rest being UB. :eek: I can't complain, though. At the end during the stretch Cathe asks if we all feel accomplished for having completed the workout and I screamed "YES!" I'll definitely do this one again. I think it has a high rep flair that you'd enjoy on a day when you are looking for that kinda thing.

Must dash off for the remainder of the day's/evening's activities! MIA tomorrow due to my rest day but I'll be back on Monday. Enjoy what's left of your weekend family fun time! Hugs!

Lisa
 
Hi Lisa,
Well our house has returned to its normal weekend state (which, like yours, includes DH home from work -- yay! He's doing Shovel Max as we speak! And DD is on her first round of Nap Max for the day -- not sure if she's planning doubles... ;) ). No one wanted to drive this afternoon in the snow, and I can't blame them!

I also thought I'd be largely absent from here over the weekend. I always forget that there's nothing like house guests to get me up and about way too early... :rolleyes:

Oh, thank you for your thoughts on KCM! When the time comes, I might start with one of your fave weight workouts. I will probably try to wait a little bit and catch up on some Cathe Live, etc., but will eventually get trigger finger and spring for one. (Feel free to laugh at me when I return tomorrow to let you know I already got one...). I like to imagine that I'll need to buy some pregnancy-friendly KCM workouts in the next year or so... :confused:
Amazon Visa? Sounds dangerous. Maybe I just shouldn't ask or look into it... ;)

Great work on Total Body Sculpt! I also read your review in another thread. Great -- can't wait to try this one! Good to know it's heavy on the legs...

I also had a super fun workout this morning. I did KPC with 1-lb hand weights. First time I'd used weight in this workout, and let me tell you, I was seriously huffing and puffing by the end! I played the abs segment but did my own thing half the time (including a few TGUs -- my new fave!). Then I added a 20-min Udaya segment (I am just LOVING these 20-min add-ons). Another pose-specific practice. I love these: they basically warm you up using other poses that get your ready for the final post, then ultimately you get you into (or, in today's case, messily into) a moderately to very challenging pose. It's ideal after cardio because my muscles are already warm so I can get deep into the stretches. This practice culminated in Vishvamitrasana (image here, but seriously, I promise you that mine didn't look a quarter as good). Actually, it culminated in me thumping onto the floor out of Vishvamitrasana. But I did it! ;) Mostly.

Glad you don't mind my musings on what would/wouldn't be a good pregnancy workout. I was thinking during my KPC workout today... I wonder if, when you get to that haven't-seen-my-feet-in-weeks-but-I'm-pretty-sure-they're-both-left-feet phase (if you get there -- I sure did!), you could always mega-simplify cardio (step on a low platform, or no platform, kickbox, etc.) and just use weighted gloves or super-light hand weights to add a bit of intensity. Just a thought.
Also, you asked a while ago and I don't think I ever replied... yes, I think the Live step workouts are highly modifiable. They tend to be lighter on choreography/twirling (makes sense, as there's a class full of folks who can't preview the w/o) but, IMO, generally less intense than the Cathe step DVDs that are lighter on choreography but make up for it with impact/intensity. (I'm not talking about the step HiiT Live w/os, obviously.) JMO.

I think Shovel Max is over, so off I go. Enjoy your rest day and hope you get to do some quality incubating on your couch!
Oh, and if this doesn't get you to take down your food processor, I don't know what will! :D
Hugs, Roz
 
Hi Lisa,
I hope you had a great rest day!
We are getting nailed with snow here once again. I think most of the Northeast is getting dumped on. When will it end?! We're having twice-weekly storms, and serious ones at that!

I'll try to be briefish here...
This morning I tried Upper Body Barbell Live (here's a link to a review I posted). Holy moly. Awesome! But you're so right... NOT a pregnancy workout! Not one bit. Definitely one to look forward to, though, for sure! :D
I was feeling pumped and wanted to keep the endorphins flowing a little longer, so I added the Low Impact Challenge bonus. Uh... what? I was thinking it would be a moderate 20-min step workout a la PRS bonuses. I was not prepared for an intense, if short, circuit. My brain had its own short circuit when I realized we were doing lunge presses, burpees, compound lateral raises, etc... But I did it! This is a fabulous add-on that I'll use again in the future -- IIRC, you've used this often in the past, but it's a new discovery for me!

DD woke right after the LIC bonus, so I did my favorite set of stretches that I do while nursing -- DD finds these hilarious! ;)

Yesterday and today's workouts have been so fun, but I need to be mindful and not go crazy every day (though honestly I'd love to...), so tomorrow will likely be a quick yoga practice or a total rest day. But watch me come back and tell you I've just done double plyo HiiT. Sounds fun, actually... ;)

Hugs to you and your girl(s). Hope your week's off to a great start!
Roz
 
Ugh, Roz! Sorry about that snow! Sounds like it interfered with your guests after all? Plus your poor DH and his Shovel Max duties! I love so many things about the Northeast but the snow kills it for me. I don't think I could ever live there, so hats off to you. Did you grow up in a snowy area? I grew up in the Southwest so, yeah, I'm a cold weather wimp. Now that we're in the Pacific Northwest we're just getting lots and lots of rain these days. We do get snow sometimes but nothing like what you get. Hope you and your DD can snuggle together by a warm cozy fire today with hot (but not too hot for DD, LOL) chocolate. ;)

Awesome job on KPC + the 1lb weighted gloves! I've done that one with gloves before and, yeah, it really amps it up. I feel like the blasts in KPC are much less intense than in KM but the general kick/punch combos are much more difficult than in KM. I love that you're still incorporating TGUs into your core routines and that we're both doing our own thing when it comes to ab work these days!

Many thanks for your review on Upper Body Barbell Live. So thorough, and I've gotta say: WOMAN you are STRONG! It is a rare day indeed when I surpass Cathe's weight loads (and I'm certainly not doing that these days). :D High fives--that is, if you can even raise your arms right now! Love that you rounded it out with LIC bonus which, as you stated, is indeed one of my all-time-top-used add-ons. It's 20 mins of work work! Yes, I will be curious to see if you can "contain" yourself tomorrow and do yoga, ha!

My rest day was awesome. Very busy, as always. I must have been particularly well-rested because I woke up ready to challenge myself with LL&A (with the "A" being my own pregnancy abs). I added on the Bonus Barre section as well. I've been having a hard time with squat presses these days but I actually felt really good and really strong today. I loved it! I guess Mother Nature has decided to give me one day of bliss in my second trimester. Ironic that it's my LAST day in the second trimester since tomorrow starts week 27 and my voyage into the third and final trimester. :rolleyes:

Have a good one and talk tomorrow! Stay warm and dry!

Lisa

ETA: That was just *mean* of you to post that recipe link for homemade cookie butter. Talk about opening the door to trouble. :eek: That stuff is just so divine. Honestly, though, I don't know if those homemade speculoos/biscoff cookies would even make it to the butter stage. I would probably gobble them up before my FP leaves the pantry. :)
 
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Hi Lisa,
Happy third trimester! Woohoo, you made it! Hope you enjoyed your single day of bliss yesterday! ;)
Sounds like you made the most of it with LLA + bonus -- nice work!

I've been debating whether my next LB w/o should be LLA or Long and Strong Legs Live (or whatever it's called -- the one where it's just Cathe) -- they actually seem kinda similar... maybe?
We'll see. I'm feeling a lower body day coming on, in any case. I also want to try PLB, but my barbell's a hassle when changing weight loads, so I feel like I might get annoyed with pausing and trying to change weights quickly, etc.

Oh man, Lisa, I had at AMAZING Sleep Max morning! So great. I did start a little gentle yoga but then DD woke up 8 minutes in so... I guess it was just meant to be a rest day. OK, I'll take it!

Yup, born and bred in the Northeast, so I'm used to the snow. But this is a lot, even for me! :eek:

That was just *mean* of you to post that recipe link for homemade cookie butter. Talk about opening the door to trouble.
That was my revenge on your for tempting me with those KCM workouts! ;) (Totally kidding.)

Have a great day and a great 3rd tri!
Hugs,
Roz
 
Hey Roz,

Well, I totally jinxed myself. I shouldn't have bragged about how strong I was feeling yesterday because I was slammed last night with a horrible sleep. Just could not get comfortable and, alas, seem to also have ventured into the laying down = heartburn world. Yep, it's that time of the pregnancy. At least so it seems. The plus side is that while I was tossing and turning I had time to plan out my hospital bag packing list so I'm going to get started on that this evening. Interesting how very very different my hospital bag is going to be this time. Last time I packed all of the "recommended" items and didn't end up using half of them. This time it's just going to be the basics: shampoo/conditioner, comb, lotion, soap, toothbrush/paste, clothing basics for me and baby, a few other items for baby, and SNACKS! I'm talking Gatorade and Larabars and all the things I wished I'd had last time but didn't. Honestly I'm more concerned about my snack supply for labor than I am about anything else because all those items can be retrieved afterwards by DH. How's that for priorities? :) How was your hospital bag experience the first go-round?

Given my night last night, your Sleep Max sounds luxurious! You deserved it after all your Clean Max routines and the stress of all that snow!

Long and Strong Legs Live is similar to LL&A, but IIRC there are more squats and no abs, and for sure the weights Cathe uses are heavier. Even though I can't remember the specifics, I do remember feeling equal amounts of love and affection for both workouts. You can't go wrong either way. PLB is also a winner but ITA on the hassle of changing the barbell weights, and I always have to pause between sets on PLB because Cathe and crew seem to change their plates at unusually lightening fast speeds on that workout.

Today I did another KCM: Step-boxing (the original). This is a steady state workout that finishes off with a fun cardio weights section and abs (which I didn't do). It was energizing and do-able on a sluggish day like today.

Take care and big hugs to you and your sweetie DD!

Lisa
 
Hi Lisa,
Ugh, so sorry to hear you're in heartburn land. I was definitely there in my 3rd tri, too. Are there some foods that aggravate it that you can avoid? For me, it was anything acidic (citrus, tomatoes, etc.).

I wish I lived close enough that I could make you up an L&D snack stash to stick in your freezer until the time came! :( Um, I always think snacks are a top priority. When I was exclusively breastfeeding and constantly famished, I just lived in fear or being away from snacks for an hour and always had a serious snack stash on my person. Still do, basically. ;)
Like you, my first round hospital bag was basically whatever BabyCenter or whatever website tells you to pack. Didn't use a ton of the stuff. Everyone says to bring your own nightie so you can feel like a human during labor... um yeah right. Like I gave a hoot about what I was wearing (or, for that matter, like I felt like a human)! I definitely didn't call out to DH and request he dig out the nightie I'd brought so I could do a between-contraction wardrobe change.

Oh, I totally jinxed myself, too, bragging about my amazing Sleep Max. Sleep was awful last night.

Nice job on your stepboxing w/o! I've definitely eyed those w/os in the course of my important KCM research. ;)

Disclaimer: I realize I'll sound like a nut when I tell you about my workout today. But... so I was thinking of doing HiiT LB Circuit -- love it. But then I thought, hey, I haven't don't CLB in forever so I'll do that and see how it compares. I went heavier than Cathe on all the exercises (same increases as I use for LB Circuit) and honestly? It didn't feel that hard. I found the first half of the cardio blasts to be quite challenging (the ones without the step) and the ones with step to be moderately challenging. The weighted moves, in their own right, are challenging, but the rep counts are rather low and frankly I found many of the rests longer than I needed. Maybe I just need to go even heavier? I think next time I'll just grab LB Circuit, though. Or LBB. Or LIHI Legs. I do love the CLB music, though.
So, OK, here's where I go crazy. I'm planning on tomorrow being another yoga or rest day and after CLB, I felt like I needed something more. So I added on Long and Strong Legs (starting around 5 mins in, so skipped most of the w/u, then ended just before the barre segment began). I stuck with Cathe's weight the whole time, and LOVED this workout. I can't wait to do it again in its entirety.
Needless to say, that did the trick, and my lower body feels sufficiently worked now. ;)
But, um, I can't believe you did Long and Strong Legs Live at ~27 weeks, woman! Go you! I'm pretty sure there's 30 minutes of nonstop squats. You're a supermom! :D
Just curious, do you find barre work comfortable or cumbersome with your belly? I mean, I realize everything is more cumbersome with the belly, but...

I spoke to a woman who trains pregnant, TTC, and PP women about my situation. She suggested keep 3 heavy training sessions and one HiiT per week, but no other intense exercise. So I'm thinking, maybe I'll try 3 heavy, one cardio, and maybe one LB toning workout a week, a la Turbo Barre? Something that's a challenge but not a major calorie expenditure. Or maybe I'll just do more yoga -- we'll see if I stick to any schedule. I need to be flexible, schedule-wise, so maybe I'm better off flying by the seat of my pants and seeing how I feel... meh. :rolleyes: Working out keeps me sane, so ultimately, I hate anything that feels like an enforced (by me, of course) limitation of it.

So that's that!
What are you planning to bring in your hospital bag that you didn't bring last time? And more importantly, which snacks are you packing? ;)
Hugs to you-and-baby-to-be, and Little Miss 3!
Roz
 

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