Lurker Invitations Aug, 2009

[janiejoey]

Thank you so much for all the kinds words and support. Just what I needed. I gave both the men massages with the hot stones. They just loved it. Now all I need is a massage table.

Hello All! Thanks so much for the Happy Birthdays! Yes it was a good day... of course we went out to eat! Brazilian Steakhouse where they keep bringing skewers of meat ( all kinds, bacon wrapped chicken, steak, lamb) and a really wonderful salad bar that includes asparagus, hearts of palm and oh so much more! But, it was so wonderful!

I have been so exhausted from work but, next week is a new week and one of the ladies I work with is going to start walking with me after work a couple of nights. I really miss having someone to walk with! Will at least get some good cardio in then! ​

Ironlady, All that meat to eat! Yum! Just call that a protein diet. lol Sounds like a lovely lovely time. Good for you. Oh how lucky to have people to exercise with you. I find it very competitive sometimes, and other times, you just have to work out, cause now there are other person involved. Can't get out of it too easily.
​

I ran out of town again on Wednesday, back last night a minute after midnight. Whew! It was an intense trip; I was running a workshop with some really stellar people and it was wonderful - I am now drained. The facility was made up a conference center and individual cabins, very private. There was a gym near our facility, which I used twice (CardioCoach) and took a scheduled rest day for day three. The gym was a nice one, one of the Kari Anderson gyms - and we had free access through the workshop facility. But ... I had a slightly creepy experience. Some guy a bit older than me came in about the same time I did, and I didn't think much of it except that he was a bit closer in line than he needed to. And then he was working out/stretching out in my vicinity longer than normal. Day 2, he showed up *again*, then followed me out. I stopped under a light and called my husband and had a longish conversation where I pretended he was going to come and get me. And then I went back into my cabin and locked it up tight. Maybe my imagination, but I was getting a really weird vibe. Overall, though, a very nice meeting and a good reminder about why I'm grateful to have my own workout space! I am not used to being watched like that. Businesspeople in hotels normally have no time for watching others when it is 6am!

Deborah, Running a workshop sounds intense, but wonderful people all around you. That's got to be rewarding. I'm so glad you listened to your instincts about that weirdo. I get shivers just reading what you wrote. Your safe, that's all that matters.

I just finished 4DS Bootcamp & Biceps & Tricpes and tagged on the abs I did not do yesterday from the LIS because they were still sore! Tough workout and I don't feel like I did that well today but at least I got through it!

Laura, Great workout. I haven't workout since we had Chasie. We'll catch up. We always do.

Today was a clean the boat day. Worked on the cockpit and the swim platform. We have a beautiful teak swim platform that need a good scrub every once in a while. Still have a little fine tuning to do on that, but its looking good.

Boat names: common boating lore is that it is bad luck to change the name of a boat once it is named. Our previous boat, we changed the name. The current boat, we kept the name. I think it is really a matter of preference. Bottom line is that any boat owner is going to spend a small fortune on the boat one way or the other.

have a great evening everyone.~michelle

Michelle, You are so enjoying your boat. Love to hear those stories. My day is coming for a cleanmax day. Just around the cornor. Great job with your exercise. We have a motor boat and a houseboat, and yes they do spend our money. Oh well, you can't take it with you, and if you are having fun, then it's worth it.

Talk again later, you guys are great!

Janie

 

[MDolfiniReed]

Good morning everyone,
Contemplating a light workout today just to say that I did one. I'm still eagerly awaiting Cathe's post of the September rotation. I've also been looking at past rotations, September 2008 looks like a good one. So, if I'm not attracted to the new rotation, I may do the one that Cathe posted for September, one year ago.

Had a nice walk with Ripken this morning. Very quiet here at the marina this weekend. Kind of the calm before the last blow-out weekend (Labor Day next weekend). It will be packed--always is. Just got an email from some boating friends in Baltimore who will be here next weekend. We always have a great time with them. Have to work hard this week (exercise and work-work) so I can goof off and enjoy all next weekend, although I might be able to twist a couple of the ladies' arms to do a 10 mile bike ride. Hmmm.

Happy birthday to Shoegal's pup.
~michelle

 

[MDolfiniReed]

After talking to sister this morning on the phone, I managed to motivate to do a light workout: upper body sculpt, lower body sculpt, and the gut section from B&G. Nothing major--just enough to feel like I didn't totally sluff off the day. Ripken was my licking puppy for the upper body sculpt, he was pet-me-puppy during the floor work on lower body sculpt, and napping puppy during the gut work from B&G.

~michelle

 

[ladubose]

Happy Sunday Everyone!

Well today was another cleanmax, got the whole house done, not a deep clean but managed to dust all the surfaces and do the floors. Never have time to get deeper it seems!

I also just did the last workout of the 4DS series I have been doing, this one being the HIS/Chest & Back. I am rusty on this step routine, but caught enough to get through it....

Tomorrow are my classes.....

 

[Shadowpup]

Happy Sunday Everyone!

Well today was another cleanmax, got the whole house done, not a deep clean but managed to dust all the surfaces and do the floors. Never have time to get deeper it seems!

I also just did the last workout of the 4DS series I have been doing, this one being the HIS/Chest & Back. I am rusty on this step routine, but caught enough to get through it....

Tomorrow are my classes.....

Sounds like a productive day, Laura; I don't think we manage to get the deep cleaning done very often out here either. So much else to do! But congrats on a solid CleanMax ... and sounds like a successful round of 4DS as well.

Good luck with classes today. Hope you're feeling energized?

 

[Shadowpup]

Good morning everyone,
Contemplating a light workout today just to say that I did one. I'm still eagerly awaiting Cathe's post of the September rotation. I've also been looking at past rotations, September 2008 looks like a good one. So, if I'm not attracted to the new rotation, I may do the one that Cathe posted for September, one year ago.

Had a nice walk with Ripken this morning. Very quiet here at the marina this weekend. Kind of the calm before the last blow-out weekend (Labor Day next weekend). It will be packed--always is. Just got an email from some boating friends in Baltimore who will be here next weekend. We always have a great time with them. Have to work hard this week (exercise and work-work) so I can goof off and enjoy all next weekend, although I might be able to twist a couple of the ladies' arms to do a 10 mile bike ride. Hmmm.

Happy birthday to Shoegal's pup.
~michelle

Shoegal, missed the birthday pup note! Hope you celebrated

Michelle, thanks for the insight on boat names. Horse "use names" are about the same. Some change them, some don't, and they do tend to eat up resources! Hope you enjoyed the quiet before Labor Day. We're still working out the details of my trip; all I know is, I have a ticket to fly out on Tues, Thur/Fri are set, and various people are supposedly needing time on Wed. It's Wed I'm hoping to have a chance to get together, maybe lunch or coffee or something, if that ends up still being a good day for you.

I see in your later note that Ripkin was a very active part of the workout! He is also getting his "Cathe" in

 

[MDolfiniReed]

Ripken's idea of getting his exercise is walking--which is the first major activity of every day. This morning was perfect puppy walking weather--about 65 degrees, low humidity, and a little breeze out of the north. Then Rip assumed the watching position and I broke out the high step and did High Step Advanced Training. I still think this is one of the most challenging Cathe workouts.

Since Cathe hasn't posted the September rotation yet, I'm going with the Sept 2007 rotation: Circuit City. I've been thinking that I'd like to do a circuit month, so here it is. No better way to start than with HSAT. My challenge is remembering that the circuit workouts go at a much faster pace which means lower weight amounts. Trust me, it didn't take too long for that realization to kick in and take hold this morning.

God help me, but I think I actually enjoyed all those leg presses this morning!

Hope everyone has a great week.
~michelle

 

[Shoegal]

Hi everybody -

Had poor focus doing Cleanmax - I cleaned a bit and kept getting sidetracked. I need a Cathe DVD to keep me on track. Before long I had the ironing board up, a bucket of water in the middle of the living room, a vaccum cleaner in the vestibule, a shop vac hanging out by the wood stove, a dust rag in the bedroom and Windex by the windows and nothing done. Finally I was like - geeze just FINISH one thing. I pulled myself together when I started to panic and eventually got everything done and did a bit of very low key redecorating. (moved some pictures around) I find that if makes me feel good to give something a new look - even if it is small. It momentarily satisfies this desire for bigger remodels.

If Cathe doesn't have a new September rotation I might do the old like Michelle - but I'm going to look and see what else Cathe has in the workout manager before deciding. I got a day, right? I really need to steal someone else's focus.

Pup B-Day was great. Surprisingly good weather.

Shadowpup: Your story was scary - I hate experiences like that - I'm glad you are safe. I have to admit though that I got a thrill when you said you were in one of Kari Anderson's gyms!!! I'm all star struck. She was always one of my favorite instructors - I have all her workouts.

Opps - got to run -be back in a bit to finish up.

 

[janiejoey]

"We're still working out the details of my trip; all I know is, I have a ticket to fly out on Tues, Thur/Fri are set, and various people are supposedly needing time on Wed. It's Wed I'm hoping to have a chance to get together, maybe lunch or coffee or something, if that ends up still being a good day for you."
Deborah and Michelle, That is so cool. Have a great time meeting each other.

Good morning everyone,
Contemplating a light workout today just to say that I did one. I'm still eagerly awaiting Cathe's post of the September rotation. I've also been looking at past rotations, September 2008 looks like a good one. So, if I'm not attracted to the new rotation, I may do the one that Cathe posted for September, one year ago.

Had a nice walk with Ripken this morning. Very quiet here at the marina this weekend. Kind of the calm before the last blow-out weekend (Labor Day next weekend). It will be packed--always is. Just got an email from some boating friends in Baltimore who will be here next weekend. We always have a great time with them. Have to work hard this week (exercise and work-work) so I can goof off and enjoy all next weekend, although I might be able to twist a couple of the ladies' arms to do a 10 mile bike ride. Hmmm.~michelle

After talking to sister this morning on the phone, I managed to motivate to do a light workout: upper body sculpt, lower body sculpt, and the gut section from B&G. Nothing major--just enough to feel like I didn't totally sluff off the day. Ripken was my licking puppy for the upper body sculpt, he was pet-me-puppy during the floor work on lower body sculpt, and napping puppy during the gut work from B&G. ~michelle[/quote]
Michelle, Cathe usually posts a rotation later in the day. Of course, any that you choose from will be excellent. Do enjoy the calm before the storm. I bet there are interesting people around at that time. Have fun with your friends from Baltimore. If I was there, I'd do a 10 mile bike ride with ya. Sounds like a great workout and a lot of fun. During Sep. when the kids are in school, we will go to the ocean and bike ride. That's not to long in the future. I love those Sculpting DVD's for just that purpose.

Well today was another cleanmax, got the whole house done, not a deep clean but managed to dust all the surfaces and do the floors. Never have time to get deeper it seems!

I also just did the last workout of the 4DS series I have been doing, this one being the HIS/Chest & Back. I am rusty on this step routine, but caught enough to get through it....

Tomorrow are my classes.....

Laura, You make me want to cleanmax my home too. Oh, it needs it so much, I bring my eyes down at a level where I can't see all that needs to be cleaned. Yuck! I should be able to start on it after Sid leaves today. Three times a year I usually do deep cleaning, get the old toobrush out and do corners and things like that there. The rest of the time, surface cleaning. Great job on HIS. Not easy.

Ripken's idea of getting his exercise is walking--which is the first major activity of every day. This morning was perfect puppy walking weather--about 65 degrees, low humidity, and a little breeze out of the north. Then Rip assumed the watching position and I broke out the high step and did High Step Advanced Training. I still think this is one of the most challenging Cathe workouts.

Since Cathe hasn't posted the September rotation yet, I'm going with the Sept 2007 rotation: Circuit City. I've been thinking that I'd like to do a circuit month, so here it is. No better way to start than with HSAT. My challenge is remembering that the circuit workouts go at a much faster pace which means lower weight amounts. Trust me, it didn't take too long for that realization to kick in and take hold this morning.

God help me, but I think I actually enjoyed all those leg presses this morning!

Hope everyone has a great week.~michelle

Michelle, O my gosh! HSAT, what a great workout! That's a tough one, proud of you getting through it. Let us know how your Sept 2007 rotation of Circuit City goes. Would love to hear about it. Sounds like a good one to lose weight. (I'm thinking maybe?)

Today will be a cardio while Joey takes Sid home. Then I need to seriously cleanmax the house.

We need to start on our exercises again. I'm contemplating on what to do since we finished the STS series. Wondering if we should tackle it again or do something different. Have to think about it for awhile.

Hope everyone had a great weekend,

Janie

 

[janiejoey]

Hi everybody -

Had poor focus doing Cleanmax - I cleaned a bit and kept getting sidetracked. I need a Cathe DVD to keep me on track. Before long I had the ironing board up, a bucket of water in the middle of the living room, a vaccum cleaner in the vestibule, a shop vac hanging out by the wood stove, a dust rag in the bedroom and Windex by the windows and nothing done. Finally I was like - geeze just FINISH one thing. I pulled myself together when I started to panic and eventually got everything done and did a bit of very low key redecorating. (moved some pictures around) I find that if makes me feel good to give something a new look - even if it is small. It momentarily satisfies this desire for bigger remodels.

If Cathe doesn't have a new September rotation I might do the old like Michelle - but I'm going to look and see what else Cathe has in the workout manager before deciding. I got a day, right? I really need to steal someone else's focus.

Pup B-Day was great. Surprisingly good weather.

Opps - got to run -be back in a bit to finish up.

Shoegal, You are making me want to clean my house too. It needs it so badly. Windex, dust rags, vacuum cleaners, here we come! Enjoy whatever you choose from Cathe DVD's/rotations, they are all great.

Janie

 

[Shoegal]

Ok I'm back -

Ironlady - My DH loved that restaurant - he went to Las Vegas on a business trip and went there with some clients. He said he can't enough meat now.

Laura - we were probably cleaning at the same time. I don't know if I do deep cleaning very often either - but I do manage to find dirt everywhere. The ceilings at my home are too high - can't get the dust way up there. I don't even try.

Michelle - I think doing a little workout helps to keep the momentum going - I did abs on Saturday just for that reason and I thought - hey it is something that I'm doing - just for me.

Janie - well, - how was your visit with Sid? The stone massage sounds great - I think I would like that myself.

Ok - have to go again. I will be doing drill Max this evening. I'll let you all know how it goes.

 

[Shadowpup]

Hi everybody -

Had poor focus doing Cleanmax - I cleaned a bit and kept getting sidetracked. I need a Cathe DVD to keep me on track.

Shoegal, that's an idea! I wonder if it would be possible to make a mishmash of Cathe quotes suitable for cleaning??? I already use a few of hers for snow shovelling - "What you do to one side, you have to do to the other!". It's interesting to think about whether Pyramid up would help in stacking dishes, or GymStyle Legs for taking out the trash. Might make those chores fun ...

Pup B-Day was great. Surprisingly good weather.

Shadowpup: Your story was scary - I hate experiences like that - I'm glad you are safe. I have to admit though that I got a thrill when you said you were in one of Kari Anderson's gyms!!! I'm all star struck. She was always one of my favorite instructors - I have all her workouts.

I like Kari Anderson, too, and it was a comfortable gym (except for that one problem ...) It just happened to be the one near the conference facility. All kinds of cardio equipment in one room, free weights in another, and machines in another. They had classes, too, and a big poster of Kari Anderson on one wall. I absolutely love Reach.


BTW, I want to thank everyone for taking that creepy feeling seriously. It really had me shaky for awhile, and that's the first time I've felt that way, despite all the odd places I go by myself at all hours. My poor DH ... when I called him "for real", I gave him a description of the guy just in case. Not really what you want to hear from your wife in a different state! First time I've felt compelled to do that. Nice to be home ... though I'm off again for two or three days in the morning, not very far this time.

 

[Shadowpup]

Today will be a cardio while Joey takes Sid home. Then I need to seriously cleanmax the house.

We need to start on our exercises again. I'm contemplating on what to do since we finished the STS series. Wondering if we should tackle it again or do something different. Have to think about it for awhile.

Janie, I suspect you were due for an Active Rest week, so I'd count this visit as exactly that! You were active, and you rested from strength training

Do any of you look at Fitness Freak's rotations, in addition to that long list that Cathe has of her own rotations? They all look really good. Am giving some thought myself to what to do once STS Meso 3 is up. I'd kind of like to work with the heavy weights for an extra week or two, so perhaps Slow and Heavy? But after that, my plan is to detune, as an athlete does after the hard competition season, and let my body relax and repair awhile. A trainer I know suggested two-three weeks of that, and then to focus on a new goal for the fall. After having done BarnMax all weekend (and having a sore back from that!), I think that the fall rotation had better have plenty of Power Yoga. Am also feeling chided by my kettlebell, which is sitting in a corner looking reproachfully at me because I have not done much with it since starting STS. Perhaps a combination of Insanity, Kettlebell, TRX/suspension training, and some form of Cathe as well. Probably lower body: Meaner Legs, DrillMax, Butts and Guts. Add some Bosu, and maybe a combination of Reach, Power&Grace, and PowerYoga for flexibility. Hey! That almost sounds like a rotation!

Maybe we need a Lurker Rotation???

BTW, speaking of the weekend, before doing BarnMax I did another Insanity rotation, the one called Pure Cardio. It was tough! SeanT did another ten minute heart-rate-spiking intro, which I still refuse to call a warmup, stretched us out, and then commenced to having us do all kinds of bizarre and aerobic combinations of motions for half an hour. Heisman jumps, burpee variations, suicides, mummy movements, the list just went on and on. But, it's not a bit boring, possibly because the periodic oxygen deprivation in anaerobic mode keeps you from remembering much about what you've been doing or how long you've been doing it. At some point he called a halt, which was a little shocking itself. My HRM tells me I exceeded my previous max HR. I am not sure I believe it. Still, the workout really doesn't seem to have bad effects afterwards. I think that is an odd side effect of the intensity: I can't seem to jump long enough when I'm working at anaerobic levels to hurt my knees or any other body part, because the motions are so intense when you're going from ground level to the ceiling that it's sort of naturally limiting Also, we don't do any one thing for very long before switching. I actually felt good enough later to do a little LowMax with Cathe, just interval 1, because I am determined to someday learn how to do that whole thing even if it is one interval at a time. My Sunday BarnMax rotation, helping collect up manure for our neighbors' gardens, was actually worse than Insanity on Saturday. I tweaked a muscle in my back from doing a little too much twisting with a full shovel and so I am resting up today. Fortunately I had done my STS workout before that happened, and there is a natural gap between now and thurs night/Friday, when I will be back home again.

 

[Shadowpup]

Ripken's idea of getting his exercise is walking--which is the first major activity of every day. This morning was perfect puppy walking weather--about 65 degrees, low humidity, and a little breeze out of the north. Then Rip assumed the watching position and I broke out the high step and did High Step Advanced Training. I still think this is one of the most challenging Cathe workouts.

Since Cathe hasn't posted the September rotation yet, I'm going with the Sept 2007 rotation: Circuit City. I've been thinking that I'd like to do a circuit month, so here it is. No better way to start than with HSAT. My challenge is remembering that the circuit workouts go at a much faster pace which means lower weight amounts. Trust me, it didn't take too long for that realization to kick in and take hold this morning.

God help me, but I think I actually enjoyed all those leg presses this morning!

Hope everyone has a great week.
~michelle

My goodness! Leg presses on the lower step are enough for me - Cathe nearly kills me with that on-and-one premix in drill max, and that's on a low step. The mind boggles, thinking of all of that on a high step. Way to go, Michelle! Circuit City sounds like fun.

Speaking of circuites, does anyone know know what percent of your 1RM to use for those? I saw someone post 60%, but that seems high - that's Meso 1, and Meso 1 is fast but not circuit-fast. I was wondering if 50% was more like a Cathe circuit.

 

[ladubose]

Good Evening, just caught up on the posts. I taught my Pilates class and my fitness class, where I did the concept of Push/pull working opposing muscle groups. My husband and I belonged to a gym in Prescott Az, during our college days, where the owner/operator was a body building competitor and he was really into that concept of push/pull. So I got a decent overall body workout, not to stressful or strenuous for my body.

Shadowpup: well it is a good thing yesterday was productive, because today certainly wasn't!! I guess all things ebb and flow...

Michelle: I had a circuit rotation planned for this month too! But I am switching to P90X instead, in some ways I am so excited for this but there is part of me that really wanted to do the circuits I had planned out! However, if I do the 90 days of P90X starting this month that should take me till around Thanksgiving, and hopefully Santa will be dropping off STS....HSAT sounds great...I confess that I was actually browsing the DVD's today and was thinking that was one that I really NEED>>>

Shoegal: sounds like you managed to break out of the lack of focus and get down and dirty! I couldn't motivate today at all, & wasted loads of time on the web and talking on the phone....I tried to see pictures of the boat but didn't see any on your home page, are they somewhere else? How was Drill Max? I did actually purchase that one with that big purchase I did at the beginning of the summer, but I haven't actually tried it yet. Let me know what you think? I love the 4DS bootcamp.

Janey: Gosh, toothbrushes? I need to do that! Just washing the baseboards, the light switch covers, the windows would be good enough for me!! It is amazing the amount of dirt living in the country produces, plus 3 cats, one BIG hairy dog, two kids and a hardworking man makes it near impossible. I vacuum and you can hardly tell in 24 hrs! Are you still on your dancing kick? Do let us know how you decide to follow up on STS.

Shadowpup: love the idea of Catheisms for cleaning! Might help with the motivation factor! Who is Kari Anderson? Does she do the reach? Well guess I will be googling her as soon as I finish here! LOL! And what is TRX/suspension training? Dare I ask? Dare I google? How enabling you are with all your gadgets! I think I might need to look into a more full time job to see if I can buy some new toys for myself! Or maybe I will just live vicariously through you!


How fun if you and Michelle get to meet in person, take some pics if you do...

 

[MDolfiniReed]

Shadowpup: want to be sure I have the right dates for when you will be in DC--Sept 8 through 11? That week is filling up fast for me. I'll try to block Wednesday--that sounded like the day you were going to be open---yes?

Okay--this morning was Kick, punch, and crunch. The sweat was flying everywhere. I really like that workout but I feel a little rushed through the ab section. I see that Cathe has posted a rotation for September but I'm going to stay with the Circuit City rotation. I think I may have talked sister into doing it as well.

back later for more personals
~michelle

 

[Shadowpup]

Hi Michelle, yes, those are the dates - I am hoping that Wednesday will be a flexible day, and it is at least the day I'm near the metro Hopefully something will work out

Take care, all, I'm headed off again in half an hour ...

 

[janiejoey]

Did Total Body Sculpting today. Joey and I thought it to be so easy, but we did do something. Tomorrow and the next day we have ocean time. Yep, it's time to visit it.

Ok I'm back -

Janie - well, - how was your visit with Sid? The stone massage sounds great - I think I would like that myself.

Ok - have to go again. I will be doing drill Max this evening. I'll let you all know how it goes.

Shoegal, It was great with Sid. We also went to the West Port and had a wonderful time, just wanted to stay longer, but Sid wanted to come back home so we did. It was only about an hour and half away, so no big deal. Joey and I are planning another trip to the ocean, but will be going to Kalayloc (mispelled) instead. Will take about 2.5 hrs. to get there or so, and will spend two nights. We are taking our bikes and Molly our little dog. Have fun with Drill Max. That is a challenging DVD.

Janie, I suspect you were due for an Active Rest week, so I'd count this visit as exactly that! You were active, and you rested from strength training

Do any of you look at Fitness Freak's rotations, in addition to that long list that Cathe has of her own rotations? They all look really good. Am giving some thought myself to what to do once STS Meso 3 is up. I'd kind of like to work with the heavy weights for an extra week or two, so perhaps Slow and Heavy? But after that, my plan is to detune, as an athlete does after the hard competition season, and let my body relax and repair awhile. A trainer I know suggested two-three weeks of that, and then to focus on a new goal for the fall. After having done BarnMax all weekend (and having a sore back from that!), I think that the fall rotation had better have plenty of Power Yoga. Am also feeling chided by my kettlebell, which is sitting in a corner looking reproachfully at me because I have not done much with it since starting STS. Perhaps a combination of Insanity, Kettlebell, TRX/suspension training, and some form of Cathe as well. Probably lower body: Meaner Legs, DrillMax, Butts and Guts. Add some Bosu, and maybe a combination of Reach, Power&Grace, and PowerYoga for flexibility. Hey! That almost sounds like a rotation!

Maybe we need a Lurker Rotation???

BTW, speaking of the weekend, before doing BarnMax I did another Insanity rotation, the one called Pure Cardio. It was tough! SeanT did another ten minute heart-rate-spiking intro, which I still refuse to call a warmup, stretched us out, and then commenced to having us do all kinds of bizarre and aerobic combinations of motions for half an hour. Heisman jumps, burpee variations, suicides, mummy movements, the list just went on and on. But, it's not a bit boring, possibly because the periodic oxygen deprivation in anaerobic mode keeps you from remembering much about what you've been doing or how long you've been doing it. At some point he called a halt, which was a little shocking itself. My HRM tells me I exceeded my previous max HR. I am not sure I believe it. Still, the workout really doesn't seem to have bad effects afterwards. I think that is an odd side effect of the intensity: I can't seem to jump long enough when I'm working at anaerobic levels to hurt my knees or any other body part, because the motions are so intense when you're going from ground level to the ceiling that it's sort of naturally limiting Also, we don't do any one thing for very long before switching. I actually felt good enough later to do a little LowMax with Cathe, just interval 1, because I am determined to someday learn how to do that whole thing even if it is one interval at a time. My Sunday BarnMax rotation, helping collect up manure for our neighbors' gardens, was actually worse than Insanity on Saturday. I tweaked a muscle in my back from doing a little too much twisting with a full shovel and so I am resting up today. Fortunately I had done my STS workout before that happened, and there is a natural gap between now and thurs night/Friday, when I will be back home again.

Deborah, Wanted a better active rest week, but sometimes you get was is handed out to you. Meaning just didn't have enough time to do the things I wanted. The ocean will help out with that during the next two days.

Fitness Freak and I know each other quite well, and I have to say, her rotations are wonderful. She made one up just for me once and I saw results. If you get a chance to do one, I think you will like it.

OMG, S&H is one great workout for using heavier weight. Just know, that since the reps are slow, you might consider less poundage. There is no momentom in these workouts. They are great to gain muscle.

I agree with the trainer, two or three weeks is not at all bad to lay off a little from heavy weight training. It's a very good idea to do that.

The Fall rotation sounds good. I just may do that as well. Need lots of stretches and weight lifting with cardio. Will think about what I want my body to gro through while visiting the ocean. Also have a lot of traveling to do during the Fall. May be going to Florida with my daughter and Chasie for Disney (if Sid can't join them), then to Vegas to visit my son (Dan the doctor). Then after the holidays, will go South where all the other old farts go for the Winter, but maybe just a month or two.

I love the stories about Insanity. WoW! Please keep telling us about each and every DVD you have on it. Hope your back muscles from the barnmax improves for you. Put heat and cold on it. Should be better in time for your next exercise sessions.

Good Evening, just caught up on the posts. I taught my Pilates class and my fitness class, where I did the concept of Push/pull working opposing muscle groups. My husband and I belonged to a gym in Prescott Az, during our college days, where the owner/operator was a body building competitor and he was really into that concept of push/pull. So I got a decent overall body workout, not to stressful or strenuous for my body.

Janey: Gosh, toothbrushes? I need to do that! Just washing the baseboards, the light switch covers, the windows would be good enough for me!! It is amazing the amount of dirt living in the country produces, plus 3 cats, one BIG hairy dog, two kids and a hardworking man makes it near impossible. I vacuum and you can hardly tell in 24 hrs! Are you still on your dancing kick? Do let us know how you decide to follow up on STS.

How fun if you and Michelle get to meet in person, take some pics if you do...

Laura, Also, using the toothbrush in corners, where nothing else seems to get at the dirt. I live in the country too, and you are so right about the amount of dirt collects just in a day after I've dusted. Shoot! Will leave the dancing for just a bit, and do Cathe Cardios for awhile or a month. I miss it. Will be doing all kinds of traveling this Fall and Winter, most likely will do a six month STS series starting in May sometime. My family (the Cooper side) is having a family get to gether/reunion and decided that perhaps a cruse will be in the plans next year. Planning on going to Panama cruse starting Apr. 19-May 5, 2010. Joey dosen't want to go, so I'm looking for another person to share an inside sleep quarters with me. If I don't, then it will cost me triple the amount. If that happens then, I just can't go. So, I've called my daughter Monique first, to see if she'd like to go first, since she has Cooper in her. If not, then I'll hunt down one of my sisters... I'll find someone.

Okay--this morning was Kick, punch, and crunch. The sweat was flying everywhere. I really like that workout but I feel a little rushed through the ab section. I see that Cathe has posted a rotation for September but I'm going to stay with the Circuit City rotation. I think I may have talked sister into doing it as well.

back later for more personals
~michelle

Michelle, Don't you just love it when the sweat does that? Then you know you did a fine workout! YES! Joey and I just may do the Sept rotation from Cathe after we get back from the ocean. At least as much of it as possible.

Hi to everyone who follows, will check back later I think,

Janie

 

[Shadowpup]

Did Total Body Sculpting today. Joey and I thought it to be so easy, but we did do something. Tomorrow and the next day we have ocean time. Yep, it's time to visit it.

Joey and I are planning another trip to the ocean, but will be going to Kalayloc (mispelled) instead. Will take about 2.5 hrs. to get there or so, and will spend two nights. We are taking our bikes and Molly our little dog. Have fun with Drill Max. That is a challenging DVD.



Fitness Freak and I know each other quite well, and I have to say, her rotations are wonderful. She made one up just for me once and I saw results. If you get a chance to do one, I think you will like it.

OMG, S&H is one great workout for using heavier weight. Just know, that since the reps are slow, you might consider less poundage. There is no momentom in these workouts. They are great to gain muscle.

I agree with the trainer, two or three weeks is not at all bad to lay off a little from heavy weight training. It's a very good idea to do that.

The Fall rotation sounds good. I just may do that as well. Need lots of stretches and weight lifting with cardio. Will think about what I want my body to gro through while visiting the ocean. Also have a lot of traveling to do during the Fall. May be going to Florida with my daughter and Chasie for Disney (if Sid can't join them), then to Vegas to visit my son (Dan the doctor). Then after the holidays, will go South where all the other old farts go for the Winter, but maybe just a month or two.

I love the stories about Insanity. WoW! Please keep telling us about each and every DVD you have on it. Hope your back muscles from the barnmax improves for you. Put heat and cold on it. Should be better in time for your next exercise sessions.

Janie

Hi all,

I think I had a bit of a bug after my last trip - just felt all tired and achy for a few days, but today was very good. I had a LauraMax day! To give my back max time to heal up, I swapped disk 2 for disk 3 - and did shoulders/biceps/triceps. And followed that up with a 15 mile bike ride, just for completeness. Insanity tomorrow ... Legs Monday ... then travel, with TRX and Cardio Coach. It's both sad and exciting, knowing that STS is nearly done. Only four more disks! Janie, did you have post STS blues?

Neat that you know Fitness Freak so well I really like reading her posts - so sensible, and the rotations look really good. Good head's up on Slow and Heavy. It is on my shelves, one I bought right before STS came, so I'm not at all sure of my weights. Do you think it is more of a 50 or 60 percent 1RM?

Also, sounds like you have a wonderful fall planned! Fall is a slightly lighter travel time for me, at least it appears so - only two trips a month through November. Good thing, too, because my bulbs are going to start showing up soon!!! Have I admitted that I am even more addicted to planting large quantities of spring bulbs than I am to dvds and fitness gadgets???? I saw that my first shipment of the fall is on the way, probably arriving next week while I'm in DC. Gulp. I think I ordered 4 or 5 thousand this year. Double Gulp. But it is beautiful in the spring.

Michelle, I saw you sent contact information - thanks! We're connected! Hopefully I'll have confirmation of my hotel before I go. We had a snafu and I was in the wrong one. The new one is right near the downtown metro, and it will be easy for me to get to your stop. How is CircuitCity working out?

Shoegal, DrillMax is a great one for intensely working legs. More of a cardio fix than what I get from Meaner Legs, my other favorite! DrillMax has some of the hardest premixes, have to say.

 

[Shadowpup]

Insanity update

If any of you decide to do Insanity Cardio Power and Resistance after STS shoulders/biceps/triceps, as I did this morning, don’t say I didn’t warn you … Maybe after doing a long bike ride, STS, and horseback riding it was a bad idea to do Insanity this morning ... but I wanted to check out another dvd, and need a break before the next STS.

Cardio Power and Resistance is the third dvd in the series. Being up on Sean T’s tricks now, I started out this time with the necessary preparation: hydrate well, set aside TWO big glasses of water in a handy location, get a medium (not small) washcloth, and begin with a REAL WARMUP outside. Hah!

That was the last smirk I had. Sean T got right to business, with a NotWarmup that burned a hundred calories in ten minutes and gave my washcloth a nice workout too. Then … a few minutes of stretch, and the real fun began again. We learned many new moves. One is a log jump, where you jog in place at a frantic pace, then leap as high as you possibly can to the side, and go back to jogging. You do this until you are grateful for the next exercise. We did a version of something I’m calling a frog jump – it has a name, I was not in any condition to listen well, but this might be the suicide jump … For this one, you crouch down with hands parallel to the ground, then leap high into the air and throw your arms up too; but before gravity kicks in, you tap your knees (upper thigh horizontal), bring arms back to skii position, then do it again. And again. And again. And …

For some reason Sean T saw fit to give us several 30 second breaks in the last ten minutes. This was puzzling – might be because we did a number of bodyweight resistance exercises about then, and he wanted the muscles to recuperate, so as to be able to torture them more effectively. We did unusual toe pushup variations: one was called a V, where you do a sort of downward dog position combined with tricep pushups that one plus the dips nearly killed me, because Cathe did such an excellent job exhausting my tris and shoulders yesterday – they haven’t recovered yet! Our final exercise was a set of eight squat jumps (squat and jump) followed by eight military style toe pushups. And repeat. And repeat. And repeat.

So far this was the shortest of the workouts. I looked at my GoWearFit indicator, and it tells me I spiked up to 9 mets during much of the workout, and 17 minutes of it was over 6 mets. Considering that we had a ten minute NotWarmup, a five minute stretch, and a cooldown – that’s a pretty intense 40 minutes! Another thing I noticed is that my afterburn continued for at least another ten minutes – my HR had recovered to normal, but my body was still burning more calories than usual. Total calorie burn for me on each Insanity workout has been around 300-350 calories (this was 318 plus afterburn). To put in context, my entire fifteen mile bike ride yesterday, with rolling hills, took two hours including a break in the middle and loading/unloading the bike, burned about 500 calories. I don't usually go above 300 calories for Imax 2. Perhaps when my body gets used to all that jumping it will get easier, but I'm guessing not by much - I'm not keeping up the pace with the fastest exercises, not jumping as high, or as quickly - meaning there is a lot of room for improvement. This dvd was all about explosive power, using core and glutes especially. I'm very grateful for having done all those toe pushups with Cathe in Meso 1, and the Jillian Michaels dvd Burn Fat Boost Metabolism was a good intro as well. Jillian now strikes me as a leisurely, kind version of Sean T