Lurker's Invitation October Check In

[Shoegal]

Hello All -

Here we are in October.

Last night I did 4DS BC - and I was pleasantly surprised at how great it went and I really felt as if I got a good workout this time. Yep - Like 4DS a lot - I'm going to do the weight work from the KB workout this evening and I'm going to tack on some cardio - I was thinking step from another workout. I'm not sure what - and then add some core work.

BR report: painting the shelves from the closet (they were also yellow ) and the door to the bathroom and the closet door - DH and I were talking about trim for the ceiling - and he is trying his best to implement some creative ideas to try to fix what's wrong up there. He brought home some "boards" and told me this was the "trim" he was talking about. I said - I was thinking something more like crown moulding. This so called "trim" is like a board - an S4S plain old 2x2 board - who would want that nailed up on the wall? He said we couldn't have crown moulding because it isn't going up against the ceiling. I said fine - but couldn't this board have a profile? So now - he is putting a decorative profile on the board and then I think we can safely refer to it as "trim"- all this stuff is taking so long - too long. I'm saying it here - DH doesn't want to hear it.

Harold report: Last night I went upstairs and laid down and fell asleep. I didn't mean to fall asleep up there since Harold would be stuck downstairs alone and he'd be unhappy. But that is what happened - I never heard him cry but DH said he did all night long. You'd think he'd give up, lay down and fall asleep - DH said he's just spoiled rotten. He is such a sweet, sweet baby - I don't think that he's spoiled (but frankly, Kelly gives him whatever he wants - but only because he deserves it) he is out of his element and unsure of things at my house. He is a fanatic about getting a toy before he heads outside - a total one track mind about it - not just one toy though - it has to be several - as many as he can stick in his mouth. My sister has toys littering her yard all the time - he never waivers on this rule - must bring toys out but unfortunately this doesn't mean that he needs to bring them back in. I try to keep up with him and retreive the toy but when its raining I'm less enthusiastic about it.

Laura - I'm with you - I love 4DS. Nope I can't do the tricep dips on the ball either but I tried to last night. I even attempted to anchor the ball but it still got away. I just gave up and did the dips without it. One day we both will - I'm going to try everytime. I made some modifications to the workout to account for my back - I didn't want to do the squat thrusts w/ a push up in the warmup - so I just sort of got down on the floor and then did the push up and got up a little slower than everyone else.

Michelle - yes I preordered Shock cardio too - I don't think anybody could have stopped me. Actually - I have a Reebok step and it isn't worn out - I was going to buy a new step workout. No - I'm not being honest - it was actually more than one I'm rethinking it now. Maybe the feeling will wear off in a couple days. Harold was present for my workout - and he did get a lot of licks in there - and had a knack for standing in the middle of things. Gotta love him though. My girls have that same knack.

Shadowpup - I suspected Bulb Max - but what you are doing can't be described as anything but SUPER BULB MAX. No - it does sound impressive. I have to be at your house in the spring to witness the glory that will be your yard. Thousands & thousands of flowers!!!! I like to garden but you got me beat.

Hope Janie is enjoying herself.

Happy October everybody!!

 

[ladubose]

Well feeling run down again, still never getting sick!~ The flu is crazy around here, everyone I know is sick or has someone sick in the house, so I guess I should knock on wood and count my blessings!

I taught my Beginner Pilates class today and had some new students which is good! Than had coffee at a friends and down to Boulder to pick up the girls and take them to their violin lessons and rush back up the mountain and head out to teach my ski conditioning class! Really tired and very hard for me to get throught it! My resting heart rate seems higher than normal and I had to dig deep to make it through. I did 3 rounds of Plyo moves 2 x each with weigh in between, so a boot camp style workout.

Shoegal: yes remodeling is a process and full of compromises. I hope you like the way it turns out! Good job on your workouts! Is your sister coming back soon? I hope Harold is ok tonight!

 

[Shadowpup]

Hi all,

Well, today took an unexpected negative turn - needed to have the vet out for one of the horses (my big guy, Picante). There is something odd going around the community, apparently passed by biting flies. None of the vets, including the local teaching veterinary hospital, know what it is... it eventually shows up as a huge abcess. We think I caught it at an early stage, because there is only the hint of a swelling. That's good, since we can probably treat with antibiotics, but unfortunately for my poor boy he has it in an extremely sensitive place. He had to be anesthetized to be checked out. We are so far away from other homes (and other horses) that normally diseases pass us by (though I vaccinate everyone, of course). However, flies can cover miles ... hopefully no one else will get it. Picante was a very good boy, and did not kick anyone, though he'd've been justified given what we had to do with him. Antibiotics (which I mixed with a special home-made applesauce) twice a day, pain killers, and sympathy for the next several days. Thank goodness I am "on vacation" this week.

I'll admit to being a very nervous mom here. I don't like unknown communicable diseases. Just because the other horses all appear to have recovered doesn't mean that antibiotics are a cure. But we will hope for the best.

Operation bulb max - hey, I like the Super Bulb Max! - proceeds! We have hit the point where I ask myself what in the world I am doing Almost eight thousand planted. I am about halfway done. Next year I will record all the places I order from so that there will be no surprising extra thousands But actually, it is rather fun, and I am making really good progress.

Also got in much of the garden harvest! We grew an amazing amount of tomatoes. A few gallons of tomato soup have been canned, and I'm experimenting with tomato 'leather'. A gallon of plum jam is now in pint sized containers, also canned.

Oops, dessert is served! Better run or I won't get any

 

[MDolfiniReed]

I think I forgot to post yesterday, so I have two workouts to report: yesterday, Low Max; today, timesaver 1 (step, chest and triceps). Timesaver was all I had time for today--and I was happy to get that in. Low Max was great yesterday. Sister and I were waiting for Cathe to post the October rotation before we settled on a new one for this month. Since we have not tackled STS yet, we are opting for Cathe's April 2009 rotation which is a mix of medium to heavy weights and cardio.

Shadowpup: I hope Picante gets well real soon. Is this just an issue for horses in your part of the state, a Washington State issue, or is it happening around the country? All those bulbs--good golly, miss molly! I'm not sure how a person even begins to plant that many bulbs. You must have a system.

Shoegal: No home improvement project ever takes as long as one thought it would--always takes longer--and there always seems to be some little surprise. Wait until you start doing little projects on your sailboat. And Harold is supposed to be spoiled--he's a golden. Yes, they are big babies, but I think they are just one of those breeds that really connect with their person. The toy fixation is cute. Ripken is obviously my baby and a supreme creature of habit. When we get up in the morning, he grabs his squeak ball and holds it in his mouth until I open the door to the garage. Then he drops the ball and gets his leash and runs around in circles until I hook him up to go on our walk. Ripken otherwise tends to ignore his toys in his toybin, but every once in a while, he drags every single one out and plants them all over the house. Of course, he never picks up after himself. This drives my DH nuts in an "isn't that cute but annoying" kind of way. My DH says that in our household Ripken always comes first and if he (my DH) is lucky, he is second. So true.

Laura: seems to be the season for the creepy crud to be circulating, particularly around the schools. My niece has been out all week with some kind of bug (don't know if it is flu or something else). And we've got swine flu cases popping up all over but that really isn't a huge surprise.Take care of yourself--get some rest--

Hope everyone has a great day.
~michelle

 

[Shadowpup]

I think I forgot to post yesterday, so I have two workouts to report: yesterday, Low Max; today, timesaver 1 (step, chest and triceps). Timesaver was all I had time for today--and I was happy to get that in. Low Max was great yesterday. Sister and I were waiting for Cathe to post the October rotation before we settled on a new one for this month. Since we have not tackled STS yet, we are opting for Cathe's April 2009 rotation which is a mix of medium to heavy weights and cardio.

Michelle: Both of those sound like great workouts - the timesavers are "lifesavers", sometimes, aren't they. That October workout is looking pretty interesting, but it would spoil the fun of STS to do it now. The one one you chose looks great!

Thanks for the good wishes on Picante. He acts happier today, but part of that is getting fresh apples ground up with his favorite grain, to cover up the bitter antibiotic taste ... he won't really begin to get truly better until the abcess can drain So far no one knows what's up with this particular disease. No particular cause can be isolated in any of the bloodwork or other tests that have been done. Our vet says we are the 4th case; no word as to whether other regions in this area are experiencing anything similar. The other three cases were much further along, but still doing well. Hopefully if this is something passed by flies, we will not see a huge outbreak - the nights are getting colder and this kills off the insects.

Learning how to plant this many bulbs has been an experience; it helps me with other huge tasks. Most of it is mental. Breaking it down into stages. Keeping a steady pace without overdoing it - marathon and not a sprint. Thinking of the end goal so as to stay positive (the vision of all those flowers!), choosing not to stress over how much is left to do or what might go wrong (this is hard right now but I'm reminding myself how important it is ... ), and playing little games so that every day I can celebrate some major accomplishment. Something like doing STS or our regular workouts, eh?

Well feeling run down again, still never getting sick!~ The flu is crazy around here, everyone I know is sick or has someone sick in the house, so I guess I should knock on wood and count my blessings!

I taught my Beginner Pilates class today and had some new students which is good! Than had coffee at a friends and down to Boulder to pick up the girls and take them to their violin lessons and rush back up the mountain and head out to teach my ski conditioning class! Really tired and very hard for me to get throught it! My resting heart rate seems higher than normal and I had to dig deep to make it through. I did 3 rounds of Plyo moves 2 x each with weigh in between, so a boot camp style workout.

Laura, being in such good shape is probably helping you here! This flu season is shaping up to be one of the worst. Hopefully you will never come down with a sick-in-bed case, but it still has to be very frustrating to be feeling so tired and run down, especially with all the teaching and running around you do. BTW, a higher than normal resting heart rate in myself almost always signals overtraining or illness. Don't know if it is the same for you? Your workout sounds very tough! Love that Tony Plyo X ... and with weights? Wow!

Hello All -

Here we are in October.

Last night I did 4DS BC - and I was pleasantly surprised at how great it went and I really felt as if I got a good workout this time. Yep - Like 4DS a lot - I'm going to do the weight work from the KB workout this evening and I'm going to tack on some cardio - I was thinking step from another workout. I'm not sure what - and then add some core work.

BR report: painting the shelves from the closet (they were also yellow ) and the door to the bathroom and the closet door - DH and I were talking about trim for the ceiling - and he is trying his best to implement some creative ideas to try to fix what's wrong up there. He brought home some "boards" and told me this was the "trim" he was talking about. I said - I was thinking something more like crown moulding. This so called "trim" is like a board - an S4S plain old 2x2 board - who would want that nailed up on the wall? He said we couldn't have crown moulding because it isn't going up against the ceiling. I said fine - but couldn't this board have a profile? So now - he is putting a decorative profile on the board and then I think we can safely refer to it as "trim"- all this stuff is taking so long - too long. I'm saying it here - DH doesn't want to hear it.

Harold report: Last night I went upstairs and laid down and fell asleep. I didn't mean to fall asleep up there since Harold would be stuck downstairs alone and he'd be unhappy. But that is what happened - I never heard him cry but DH said he did all night long. You'd think he'd give up, lay down and fall asleep - DH said he's just spoiled rotten. He is such a sweet, sweet baby - I don't think that he's spoiled (but frankly, Kelly gives him whatever he wants - but only because he deserves it) he is out of his element and unsure of things at my house. He is a fanatic about getting a toy before he heads outside - a total one track mind about it - not just one toy though - it has to be several - as many as he can stick in his mouth. My sister has toys littering her yard all the time - he never waivers on this rule - must bring toys out but unfortunately this doesn't mean that he needs to bring them back in. I try to keep up with him and retreive the toy but when its raining I'm less enthusiastic about it.

Laura - I'm with you - I love 4DS. Nope I can't do the tricep dips on the ball either but I tried to last night. I even attempted to anchor the ball but it still got away. I just gave up and did the dips without it. One day we both will - I'm going to try everytime. I made some modifications to the workout to account for my back - I didn't want to do the squat thrusts w/ a push up in the warmup - so I just sort of got down on the floor and then did the push up and got up a little slower than everyone else.

Michelle - yes I preordered Shock cardio too - I don't think anybody could have stopped me. Actually - I have a Reebok step and it isn't worn out - I was going to buy a new step workout. No - I'm not being honest - it was actually more than one I'm rethinking it now. Maybe the feeling will wear off in a couple days. Harold was present for my workout - and he did get a lot of licks in there - and had a knack for standing in the middle of things. Gotta love him though. My girls have that same knack.

Shoegal, I'm sure you'll beat that tricep dip! I haven't tried those on the ball - on 4DS I tend to stick with the cardio - sounds tough. Dips are great exercise and also challenging. Your modification sounds like a good idea. My back needs to be nice and warm before it wants to flex ... which is why an extra warmup is needed before Insanity!!!

And I'm with you. I clicked on "order" for Shock Cardio right away. The travel workout alone will be worth it!

I'm very impressed that you held off on buying new step workouts. Sometimes the feeling goes away. With me, usually it doesn't - but every now and then

Harold sounds absolutely wonderful - those goldens are something else! We have a black lab, and they have some similarities. Somehow the labs know how to get exactly what they want. The toy behavior is very cute! Isn't it funny to see a big dog treasuring a tiny ball or squeaky?

As to workouts - this is still active rest week (renamed as Eclectic Fun), and if it weren't for Super Bulb Max, I'd be going crazy I've done some interesting workouts. The bosu was neat. Mindy shows a number of different styles on the bosu, so it was challenging and not in the least boring. My calves were feeling it the next day. Ilaria's Forza workout did a nice job on my shoulders - I mentioned that earlier. Yesterday was a true rest day, though honestly, all this hiking around with backpacks full of bulbs, harvesting tubs of fruit from the gardens, and now the horse care is burning more calories than a regular workout. Yesterday my burn was *700* over normal for an active at-home day, and I put it down to the constant low level of lifting, digging, carrying. It's kind of fun to see how the graph for activity shows on the GoWearFit. Instead of a low level of activity with a huge spurt, I have this stairstep of moderate activity all throughout the day.

And a big hi to IronLady and Janie!

Hope all of you are having a great week, and looking forward to the weekend -

 

[Shoegal]

Last night we decided to head out to the home improvement store to buy more stuff we need for that bathroom. Goodness - I want the door back on it in the worst way. We have been done painting - but DH says that the door will be in the way when he puts the trim up. Then he asks - what's the hurry - it doesn't need to be up right now. I'm trying desperately to move things along - but I'm afraid I'm the apprentice in this project and he is calling the shots. I asked if I could remove the tape - no - we can't do that just yet . I know things always take longer but it doesn't prevent me from hoping that things will go as planned. Of course my weekend plans include more of this bathroom stuff but DH has already announced that he will not be working on Sunday.

I was concerned that this unexpected trip to the store would interfere with my plans to work out. I'm always concerned when my normal routine is disrupted but I made certain it didn't. I got home and immediately changed my clothes and started. Last night I did the Quick NRG mix from ASC II (Amy Bento) it was 38 minutes long. I put in the lower body premix from 4DS - and then tacked on the core & stretch from KB 4DS. It was all good - I had a great workout. I'm feeling it too. Those lunges she does where she has one foot on a low step and you begin by pushing up from the floor with weights in your hands - Yowsa! That'll get you good.

Laura - Don't get sick! I forbid it. Maybe it is like the ebb & flow of life like Janie says - and we all feel a little run down at times and a little perkier than normal at other times. Well I hope things have picked up for you today. Harold's mother should be back on Saturday - but I won't bring him back until Sunday. I drive into the city from Butler every Sunday to visit my family. I know he will be delighted to get back to his normal routine and his people.

Michelle - I have been complaining to DH that Harold has been living in dog paradise but doesn't appear to be having a fabulous time. I know he is missing his mummy. Harold & Howie come first in their house too. My DH is definitely short on patience concerning Harold's quirky side. I think Golden's are so special and have a great connection with people as well - they would rather be with their people than with other dogs. Harold could take or leave my girls - and Scout - well - she doesn't play well with others so there is some tension there. Ripken sounds like my Indy - she was a sheperd/ Golden mix I had some years ago and she would run in circles like you described - she also liked to carry her own leash. Oh I just loved her so much.

Shadowpup - It sounds like Picante is one lucky horse to have you watching out for him. I also hope he heals up quickly. I'd like to know what you usually do for medical maintenance with horses - they probably have regular shots and check ups like dogs but what else do you need to do?? Does the vet always make house calls? Is it expensive? I'd also like to know if you have any help planting bulbs? Or is it just you? I'm afraid you sound like Superwoman to me - I simply don't know how you do it all - all that canning and planting and harvesting - I'm in awe.

Hope everyone has a very positive weekend - I'm thinking good thoughts and sending them out. I know Harold will be having one - I'll have no trouble at all getting him in the car.

 

[Shadowpup]

Last night we decided to head out to the home improvement store to buy more stuff we need for that bathroom. Goodness - I want the door back on it in the worst way. We have been done painting - but DH says that the door will be in the way when he puts the trim up. Then he asks - what's the hurry - it doesn't need to be up right now. I'm trying desperately to move things along - but I'm afraid I'm the apprentice in this project and he is calling the shots. I asked if I could remove the tape - no - we can't do that just yet . I know things always take longer but it doesn't prevent me from hoping that things will go as planned. Of course my weekend plans include more of this bathroom stuff but DH has already announced that he will not be working on Sunday.

Uh oh, Shoegal, I recognize that phrase ... it's why I lived without doorknobs on several doors for about two years! Hopefully the enthusiasm for the task will continue, and let you get that door back up. Is there perhaps some other fixup project that requires some neat new tool, that could be started IF (and only IF) the bathroom is done ... ? Or, perhaps some of his handy-guy friends could come over to visit in a few weeks, and you could show off the new bathroom ... ? That has sometimes worked for me. But most of the time, in our house, it only slows things down when I try to hurry them along Hopefully you'll have the bathroom back; and it sounds like it is going to look great! Loved your comment about the molding, btw, because I made almost exactly the same comment a few years back. For some reason it is wrong to put crown molding on as trim. Even if it looks the same as trim

I was concerned that this unexpected trip to the store would interfere with my plans to work out. I'm always concerned when my normal routine is disrupted but I made certain it didn't. I got home and immediately changed my clothes and started. Last night I did the Quick NRG mix from ASC II (Amy Bento) it was 38 minutes long. I put in the lower body premix from 4DS - and then tacked on the core & stretch from KB 4DS. It was all good - I had a great workout. I'm feeling it too. Those lunges she does where she has one foot on a low step and you begin by pushing up from the floor with weights in your hands - Yowsa! That'll get you good.

That sound like a great workout! You're so good at diving right in and getting these started The lunges sound amazing. Are those like the ones in Drill Max -- at least I think it is Drill Max, or perhaps I am confusing with Meso 1 --where you have lunges from the floor 'up', and then lunges from the step 'down', with weights? Those always got me right where I needed it

Indy must have been a terrific friend. And, very lucky to have had you as her person!

Shadowpup - It sounds like Picante is one lucky horse to have you watching out for him. I also hope he heals up quickly. I'd like to know what you usually do for medical maintenance with horses - they probably have regular shots and check ups like dogs but what else do you need to do?? Does the vet always make house calls? Is it expensive? I'd also like to know if you have any help planting bulbs? Or is it just you? I'm afraid you sound like Superwoman to me - I simply don't know how you do it all - all that canning and planting and harvesting - I'm in awe.

It is just a good thing that I am off this week, Shoegal! Or I don't know what would happen

My DH is of the opinion that if I insist on transforming a forest into a mini version of Holland, that's okay, but he's not going to get involved ... I see his point, and he doesn't try to make me golf, so that's okay Sometimes I'll get him to rototill an area for me, but the ground is too hard for that this year. It's all shovel work, with an army of one.

Picante is clearly feeling cranky, because the other two boys were as far away from him as they could get! But I do not blame him. He's been very accepting of all of the uncomfortable treatments, and that's all that can be asked.

Shoegal, yes, normally I have the vet come out when the horses are sick. We have a trailor, but normally they will do better without the stress of having to stand up in it while being transported. It does get expensive. To keep costs down, I do all of the 'easier' veterinary work - all shots, all of the worming (twice a year). Most wounds I can handle myself. Once a year I have the vets out to do dentistry on whoever needs it; usually two of them will. We will be doing that later this month. Remind me to take pictures of that for you And, we have the farrier (horse shoer) come out about every two-three months. Because they are barefoot, it's a trim and not a shoe. Shots - a 6-way, rabies (every 2-3 years), west nile. Used to give an extra flu booster another two times a year, but that was when we were in a stable with other horses all around. There is far less exposure to disease out here, so I go with once a year now. My mare, I'd do twice even out here, because of her age.

Usually there is one or two big things that happens with the horses over the course of the year that requires the vet to come out, so I budget for that. And, I save something small for him/her to do with the other animals. For instance, I can legally give a rabies vaccine, but I can't get a certificate that shows everyone is officially covered. So, if the vets are coming out about the time that the cats or dogs need their rabies, I have the vets give the shot instead of doing it myself. Or, if one of the kids has been so healthy that they haven't needed the vet in two years, I'll have them do a once-over. That happens pretty often, actually. With eight animals (used to be ten), we see quite a bit of our vets! And they know I worked in a veterinary clinic long ago, so usually I get to help with the procedures, which is interesting, easier on the animals, and a cost savings. The vet will bring one assistant, rather than two, when he (or she) comes.

And, let's see - there are all kinds of other little things. Keeping up with the latest in quine health - I take a couple of magazines that help me with that, and there are now podcasts, too. Clipping, trimming, keeping feet in good shape - all manner of grooming tasks; blankets of various weights as the weather gets bad; fences usually need repair; and then there is the training. Not exactly obedience training for dogs - similar - good manners under saddle and on the ground, different kinds of jumping, working on different kinds of 'all terrain' riding, making sure that they are 'desensitized' to scary things of all kinds; all the physical conditioning that the horses need - they work out, too, and that's how I think about it Used to take lessons, which I really enjoyed; but honestly, something had to give in my schedule and I decided I'd let that go for awhile.

This is probably TMI, sorry about that I get enthusiastic when I'm talking about the kids!

 

[MDolfiniReed]

Today, I decided to take a break. I'll do something light tomorrow before sister and I undertake Cathe's April 09 rotation on Monday. Beautiful day here today in the mid-Atlantic, plus my Hokies won today. Joe's leg appears to very slowly getting better. He is done with his cypro prescription. The blood work showed no bacteria in his blood, so he didn't need a renewal. Yeah!

Shadowpup: Your horses sound wonderful, but I know that they are also alot of work. I still think you have found a way to get 36 hours in one day and I want to know the secret. You must sleep very soundly every night.

Shoegal: your DH is going to miss Harold, just wait and see. And I know what you mean when you say that you can't rush your DH on a project. I think it's a guy thing.

Laura: hope you are feeling better.

Hope everyone is enjoying their weekend.
~michelle

 

[ladubose]

Well let's see....when did I last post? Thursday night? Well Friday was an active rest day with a very easy walk with a friend around Wonderland lake in Boulder, which is flat easy terrain, and we strolled more than walked. It was a pretty fall day. The girls had their first sleep over Birthday party so Bo and I had a romantic dinner in Boulder at a very nice new restaurant called The Salt. We had a very nice time together.

I haven't worked out today either, still feeling a little run down, with mild sore throat and just tired! But I am about to motivate to do the Kenpo P90X! So STS arrived! Wow that is a lot of DVD's so excited to do it!

Shoegal: well good job on fitting in your workouts and hanging in there with the remodel!

Shadowpup: I agree with Shoegal you are superwoman! Please could you share some energy with me? I hope Picante is getting better with the antibiotics. It is a lot to have horses, but worth it!

Michelle: have you done your 1RM's yet? Enjoy your day off it is always good to take a break!

 

[Shadowpup]

Good morning, all!

Michelle, I'm glad that Joe is getting better! It has to be hard for both of you to have him slowed down like this ... and I'd guess that there are boat winterizing tasks coming up, as well. BTW, speaking of tasks, did you enjoy taking on the cooking - or does this mean he will be taking that back? Sounds like a gorgeous weekend is continuing for your part of the nation.

Laura, congratulations on getting STS in hand! Isn't it fun to see all those packets of dvds? They did a nice job on the packaging. It makes it very easy to find each individual one. On the 1RMs, will you do them all? I found that I really needed to do all the highest starred ones (fives and fours, if memory serves), and then on some of the ones and twos I just estimated the weight based on similar exercises. Might not be this way for you, but for me, my strength improved so rapidly during the first few weeks that I was always tinkering with my weights. The new workout manager makes it relatively easy. I printed out the original weights, too, which has been fun as I go back to see how much STS helped me improve!

Well, superwoman may not be true, but my DH has been calling me SpiderWoman since yesterday! He has been very curious about my workout for the TRX, that suspension training system I bought. Yesterday he walking in on me working out - just *had* to watch me do a few exercises.

Picture this - DH walks into the library that I've turned into a workout room. I have my TRX dvd up on a big screen tv. The background music is helicopers and gunfire, with rock music. I'm attached to a suspension system, upside down. The suspension system is in camoflage green. It has an attachment rather like those rubber tubes that let you attach it to a door, except it's a heavy-duty adjustable cloth cable rather than rubber. There are handles/stirrups at the end - like a gymnast's ring bars - so you can put a hand or a foot into each. I've got this anchored at the end of our library, and am attempting to do what they call a 'chest press' in between the floor to ceiling stacks of books. The chest press involves positioning yourself upside down, one foot in the handle/stirrup, and the other just up, which works your core. My feet are about level with the top of the door, and my arms are out in a pushup position, with a supposedly neat 60-ish degree angle from head to toe. (BTW, this exercise is *hard*. The task is to do pushups with your full body weight up in the air over you, at an angle. You vary the angle to increase/decrease difficulty. I can barely go up and down three inches, let alone do the full twenty pushup/presses that the Navy Seal doing the demonstrations does!). I'm in the middle of this, arms shaking, lowering my head somewhat closer to the floor and then pushing back up, slowly.

DH just shook his head, left, and has been calling me SpiderWoman ever since.

 

[MDolfiniReed]

Today was a light workout in anticipation of this month's rotation--which will not be so light. I just did upper and lower body sculpt plus stability ball abs from the Basic Step/Body Fusion dvd. A couple of dog walks this morning and tidied up the boat. Ripken has assumed the snoozing position and DH and I currently are watching the Redskins tank again.

Shadowpup: spiderwoman or wonder woman? I'm not sure which is more appropriate. Joe realizes that I am seriously challenged in the kitchen so he has scaled back on our meals to things I can handle: making salad and helping to get stuff ready to grill. Nothing fancy or too involved.

Laura: I started doing 1RMs and then decided to wait until December when it is closer to when I actually start STS. Sister and I have decided that we will concentrate on doing our 1RMs over the Christmas break when I go to my parents to visit (she lives about 2 miles from my parents). It will give us something constructive to do rather than be tempted by holiday treats.

Shoegal must be taking Harold home today. I bet he will be so happy to see his mommy.

~michelle

 

[ladubose]

Happy Sunday to everyone! So I didn't ever get to P90X Kenpo yesterday, ended up having another rest day. I was just so tired and decided to take it easy. It was a busy day none-the-less. So I did do it today and it felt good. It is a fun workout, but not to hard. I have a lot of things to do around the house, but if I get everything done I might try to do P90X Legs & Back.

Spiderwoman! I did check out the TRX suspensions on line awhile ago when you were describing them, that does appeal to the old gymnasts in me!Sounds like fun! Not really tempted right now though with STS calling my name!

Michelle: that is a good idea to do the 1RM in December! I think I will do that as well, and only do the 5 and 4 stars to start and see how far I get. I am going to stick with P90X until December. Than I think a 6 month STS and shock cardio rotation...and then a month of Pilates, Yoga, Dance and cardio to change things up.....well anyway that is a long way off so I have time to plan.

Hi Janey and Shoegal!

 

[Shoegal]

Saturday I was itching to clean the house if you can believe it. On Saturday morning I told DH that I had to clean and put my fall things out. I had taken all of the stuff I had out of the boxes and laid them out in the office area - and they have sat there for a week. So all I did was clean, clean, clean and then I'd run back there - pick up some sort of decor item and stick it out - mess with it so it looked just right and then cleaned some more. It became apparant that I was not going to be able to do it all that Saturday - I was actually sort of bummed out. DH continued to work on the bathroom - this time he put in the new light fixture. This turned out to be a two day thing -because he needed to fill in the holes the old light fixture had left behind and he painted around there. It looks great. I actually pulled off the tape I had used to masked everything and surprisingly this didn't go very easily - it was hard getting it off and most of the time it wanted to pull the paint off too. I anticipated that it was going to look so great - no more yellow - nice and clean and put together. Turns out that was wishful thinking. There were lots of places where I need to touch up. I can't wait until I can see absolutely no MORE YELLOW!!!!!

Michelle - Harold did indeed go home and I think he wanted to go too. He was thrilled to see his parents again and I think they were quite happy to get their boys back. DH didn't seem too unhappy to let Harold go but I'll let you know what he says later on - it has only been a day since he left. The people at the marina were all talking about getting their boats out for the season. When do you do that - and where do you store the Silver Lining? Kind of sad isn't it? I'm glad Joe is improving - that is certainly good news.

Shadowpup - I love that you refer to your pets as your kids - that is how I feel. Thanks for all of the information on the horses - it wasn't too much info -I really enjoyed reading about all the work that goes into having them. As Larua said - it really is worth all the trouble. How is Picante getting along? I hope he makes a full recovery and the process goes smoothly - poor guy. I was intrigued with your TRX description and as soon as I get off here I'm going to look it up. It sounded like fun!! Who wouldn't want to be spiderwoman? So is Super Bulb Max over or is their more coming - or just the rest still needs planted? I'm amazed you do that all yourself - and it sounds like you really enjoy it - so that's a good thing - I wouldn't want to play golf either!!!

Laura - getting any better? It sounded as if you needed the rest days. When you aren't yourself it is good to take a break from exercise. It feels like a treat to get back to it. I'm not sure what I'll do now as far as a rotation goes - I'm lost. All I know is that tonight I am planning on B&G. I'm also getting my hair cut and colored. DH and I will be going over my sister's for dinner this evening so as usual I'm a little afraid this will interfere with my normal routine - but I'm constantly worrying about that!!

Ok going to go - hi to everyone!!!

 

[MDolfiniReed]

So, I think I slept funny on my left hip because I was gimpy on that side this morning. I was thinking, uh-oh, am I going to make it through GS Legs? Turned out a good lower body workout helped to ease my gimpiness. I think I actually prefer the standing leg work in this workout--the floor leg work is tough--especially all the exercises using the stability ball. Tough stuff.

Shoegal: did you use the 3M blue masking tape? I find the blue tape usually comes off real easy. It will be a while before we winterize the boat--usually we keep going to the boat every weekend until Thanksgiving. Just depends on the weather. I think the plan is to have some cosmetic work done on the boat this winter so it will get winterized and hauled out of the water some time in Dec. right at our marina. Again, alot of this depends on the weather and when it starts to get below freezing. Different folks have different schedules and preferences, but old man winter is usually in the mix somewhere.

Shadowpup: okay, I'm going to have to take a look at your suspension training apparatus (TRX?).

Laura: rest is the best. Hope you are feeling better.

Welcome home Janie. Hi to Ironlady.
~michelle

 

[MDolfiniReed]

Uh-oh, must be a busy week already, I'm doing a back-to-back post here. That's good though, everyone is busy.

This morning the rotation called for a 45 minute run/walk outside and choice of ab circuits. As we all know, I don't run and my 30-45 minute walk with Ripken each morning is standard. So, I substituted Low Impact Step (40 minutes) for my cardio and did the stability ball ab workout from Ab Circuits. Great fun on that ab workout, but one-legged pikes on the ball--YIKES! I stuck to the two-legged pikes and will definitely have to work up to the one-legged pikes.

Fortunately, my life is boring right now. I'm getting an itch to clean out the house. So, I'm thinking, okay start with my designated spaces: my office, the spare bedroom, my clothes, the bathrooms, and go from there. I'd love to give my DH's office a clean sweep (in my dreams), but I think if I can hit a few of the designated "safe rooms," I'll be happy. One room at a time, right? This obviously will not happen overnight, more of an extended plan for the next month or so.

Hope everyone is having a good week.
~michelle

 

[Shadowpup]

Michelle, Shoegal, you both are such a good influence! All that talk about cleaning and decorating and painting ... makes me realize that indoors, our house is a mess. Time to put a little energy into correcting that!

I'm sneaking over on a work break, since my accountability post is overdue. Personals later. The SpiderWoman workout really appears to have done a great job in new areas in my core, since I have DOMS in unusual places. Core DOMS??? Not usual for me, and this wasn't primarily an ab either workout. I guess the description is true, and the core is used throughout ... Anyway, time for SpiderWoman 2 today, which is lower body plus bi/triceps. SpiderWoman 1 emphasized Chest, Back, Shoulders. My back is feeling it a little, as are my shoulders - my chest didn't get enough of a workout. That's probably because the upside-down chest press was taxing my smaller muscles so greatly that the chest muscles didn't get pushed anywhere near their limits. It's a good thing that we did that one first! I'm thinking that in the future I should pre-exhaust the chest with a traditional flat bench press (that does not involve the shoulders the way an incline does), and this would provide a better overall workout until my shoulders catch up.

The day after SpiderWoman 1, I did CardioBarre. That was a disappointment. I was thinking it would be like Lotte Berke, but with more energy. However, the moves were so fast and the positions were not held very long that my muscles didn't get a workout. That's the worst kind of compromise: not enough reps to be endurance, not enough power or "hold" to be strength. I can't even tell I did glutes, and it was a 40 minute workout. The calorie burn averaged 4 mets, a bit more than a hike over hills but still only low to moderate intensity. This may be one I send back. Still, it was only the intermediate workout I did, so perhaps if I do Advanced? Or perhaps my technique is just not good enough to work intensely at speed? A puzzlement.

Yesterday was an active rest day. Hiking, one horse - in the DARK, and a few hundred bulbs. But it was Monday.

Hi to all -

 

[Shoegal]

Last night, my sister colored my hair - my DH and I had dinner there as well. She was out of power - something about a squirrel and a transformer?? So we came home - and it was a little after 9 - but after I messed around doing some things - it was 10pm. So I stuck in B&G - geeze - I don't remember this being so hard. The standing work was not so bad - but when I dragged my butt to the floor I didn't want to do the floorwork. I was really battleing. I was so glad when that was over but I was rather pleased that I managed to get that in - I really didn't want to miss.

Tonight - despite a clear plan - I decided I would do a premix from Cardio Fusion, no equipment ab circuits and a premix from C&Ws. Let's see if that happens???!! I'm designing my own 4DS.

MIchelle - sometimes the best time in life is when life is boring - well, you know what I mean. This gives you the time you need to do the little things that need done. I need time to get my house pulled together - it still needs more cleaning - all the cleaning I didn't get done on Saturday.

Shadowpup - I looked up TRX aka Spiderwoman workouts - and they look like they are great - fun too. I have never done Cardio Barre - but I hear so much about it. I know now not to bother if you didn't like it - but like you said - maybe give it another shot. Sometimes something doesn't click right away.

Must go - lunch is here.

 

[Shadowpup]

Last night, my sister colored my hair - my DH and I had dinner there as well. She was out of power - something about a squirrel and a transformer?? So we came home - and it was a little after 9 - but after I messed around doing some things - it was 10pm. So I stuck in B&G - geeze - I don't remember this being so hard. The standing work was not so bad - but when I dragged my butt to the floor I didn't want to do the floorwork. I was really battleing. I was so glad when that was over but I was rather pleased that I managed to get that in - I really didn't want to miss.

Tonight - despite a clear plan - I decided I would do a premix from Cardio Fusion, no equipment ab circuits and a premix from C&Ws. Let's see if that happens???!! I'm designing my own 4DS.

MIchelle - sometimes the best time in life is when life is boring - well, you know what I mean. This gives you the time you need to do the little things that need done. I need time to get my house pulled together - it still needs more cleaning - all the cleaning I didn't get done on Saturday.

Shadowpup - I looked up TRX aka Spiderwoman workouts - and they look like they are great - fun too. I have never done Cardio Barre - but I hear so much about it. I know now not to bother if you didn't like it - but like you said - maybe give it another shot. Sometimes something doesn't click right away.

Neat, Shoegal, your own 4DS? That's a nice way to get a 'brand new' dvd, without having to wait. And I entirely know what you mean about appreciating the 'boring' times.... I'll let you know if the Barre seems better next time ... I enjoy that style workout, and possibly one of the other workouts on the dvd will be a better fit. I envy you, having a sister so close by she can just drop in.

Michelle, I missed your workout earlier. One legged pikes, my goodness! That's a toughie. Does Ripken get excited when you're partly upside-down? Our critters think it means playtime!

BTW, I thought it was a funny coincidence when my inbox this morning had a promo email from the TRX site. They were advertising a new "SuperHero workout"! No kidding. There's a video of it on youtube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cdWRY1mCMHk

 

[MDolfiniReed]

Good morning,
Worked out to GS Back, Shoulders, and Biceps. Trying to push up my weight amounts on shoulders a little--seems like shoulders and biceps are my real challenge areas for that. DH wanted to know what to get me for my birthday next week; I'm thinking plate mates to help push my weight amounts up little by little.

Shadowpup: the barre workout sounds interesting. I've got to check some of these other dvds. Is this a workout that uses a ballet barre or a body bar? With no knowledge whatsoever, I'm inclined to think that if you are feeling rushed through the workout, then you are not getting the optimal effect. Fortunately, Ripken left the room and decided to take a snooze on the cool tile in the bathroom when I was working with the stability ball yesterday. Otherwise, he would have been right in my face the whole time and that would have made things a bit more challenging. We're walking in the dark here morning and night so I know what you mean about that. The nice part is that we usually have the neighborhood to ourselves because no one else is out. I like my neighbors but after I get home from work, I like some quiet time with my pup on our walks--helps me to unwind.

Shoegal: boy, you and I are on the opposite ends of the day with our workouts. I can't imagine working out at 10 pm or later. I'm much more of a 7am in the morning workout person. When you get your 4DS rotation perfected, pass it along.

~michelle

 

[Shadowpup]

Hi all,

Yesterday I did TRX "Spiderwoman" lower body, biceps, triceps. My goodness, that combination of constant core with the other exercises is really something! Once again, there were a few exercises I could not entirely complete. One was a form of pushup where your feet are suspended in the hangers about a foot off the floor, and the 'up' part involves a kind of jacknife into a pike position. In other words, there's a regular pushup part to get the triceps, and then the legs push your glutes high into the air as your arms straighten. I can do a few inches of pushup and get a little height, but not all the way. Yet

This is the end of the Eclectic Fun Week, and I'd say it has been a success! I've done - Jump Rope, Barre, Bosu, Spiderman/TRX suspension, Forza/sword, BulbMax, horseback riding, and started it all with a little Insanity. My core feels tighter, my legs are losing the wobbly feeling they had after the last STS Legs, and I am definitely not bored.

For the next rotation, I'm still torn. A nine day trip starts Friday, so it will be mostly CardioCoach and some TRX for awhile. Probably should do Muscle Max 2 or some other full body workout before I go, since it is hard to get intense strength training done on the road... After that, I'm mulling over the October undulating routine, P90X, CLX, and that April challenge. Or CircuitCity. I'll start one of these combined with Insanity a week from Saturday. Probably a month rather than a ninety day rotation.

Michelle, I agree - there are certainly real dancers who can quickly engage core and do isometric squeezes, but I need a little time to settle into the barre before my body begins to work in each pose.... Ripken just sounds so much like our bordercollie! I kind of miss the longer days, but then, I'm not working outside as late and that's a bit of a benefit : )

Hi to Janie, Shoegal, IronLady, Laura - hope you're having a good time.