Push It January 2014

Oops - so yesterday was Veterans day, not Monday!

Stacie,
I know what you mean; Pyramid Down (or up) is hard enough as it is! You must be feeling great! I haven't done that one in a long time so thank you for mentioning it. I do remember that it's a workout in itself getting out and putting away all the weights - geesh!

I tell ya', if I could ever hire a maid I would. It would be nice to have someone do some deep cleaning once a month, wouldn't it?!

Nancy,
Thanks again for the compliment; seriously, it is all about the right nutrition. Over-processed food strips away the nutrients that our bodies need; the stuff they add back in just doesn't cut it. I also don't do a lot of cardio; I focus more on weights. Probably cardio 2x/week... a HiiT and something like Intensity Step portion, All Out Low Impact HiiT, or BM2 circuits (with band walks instead of lunges/squats), and then a Party Rockin Step#2. Sometimes an Afterburn or Athletic Training. Too much cardio really hinders muscle building, and using heavy weights causes hard and heavy breathing as if you are doing an actual cardio workout!

Your lunch sounds awesome! I've heard of Harris Teeter but we don't have one in our area; sounds like a great store! I'm not familiar with the Nutiva brand but I will look into it. I know when I was buying coconut oil I wasn't really sure which brand to get! I saw a Nutiva brand but don't think I got it; I just got what was on sale and it was the whole kernel unrefined and pressed (organic) oil but don't recall which brand. I have seen the Ezekiel bread and have been tempted! I should trade in my crackers for it :) I got rid of the Triscuits; they have cottonseed oil and soybean oil and I started noticing that I was getting stomachaches after eating them. Imagine my amazement when those two oils came up in the No-No category in my Digestion course. I mean, of course, sometimes it'd be okay (I'm sure) but I used to eat them every night; I switched those out for rye crackers and all has been well since... but Ezekiel bread would be even better :)

So glad you're feeling better and starting to workout again.

Have an awesome day!
 
Nancy, so glad to hear you are feeling better! Total Body Bonus....is that STS Total Body? If so, I've only done that one a couple of times. I may need to revisit it! :)

Today was a Hard Strikes premix. It's such a fun workout but I did do some modifications. Even before my break, it used to hurt the bottom of my feet. However, by substituting somehow of the jacks for jogging in place it seems much better!

Have a great day everyone!
 
This morning I did GS Ba/Sh/Bi after some Strong Curves glute work (activations, barbell thrusts, straight-leg deadlifts, hip rotations, and only 1 set of body weight back-leg-elevated lunges).

Stacie,
That's a great modification -- jogging in place instead of jacks! Good question about the Total Body Bonus -- I forgot to ask Nancy about that as well. I'm not familiar with it! I have STS Total Body so I'm glad I'm covered if it's on that one or PUB. I'll have to look into it this weekend!
 
TRSTACIE said:
Nancy, so glad to hear you are feeling better! Total Body Bonus....is that STS Total Body? If so, I've only done that one a couple of times. I may need to revisit it! :)
Click to expand...

Pyramid Bonus is on the Pyramid DVD (sort of hidden!). Here's what it includes:
Pyramid Bonus Combo (BB=barbell, DB=dumbbell)
BB Squats/Plie Squats
BB Squats/Plie Squats
BB Squats/Plie Squats
BB Leg Presses
BB Leg Presses
BB Leg Presses
DB Chest Flies
DB Bench Press
DB Chest Flies
DB Bench Press
DB Chest Flies
DB Bench Press
DB Pullovers
DB Double Arm Rows
DB Pullovers
DB Double Arm Rows
DB Pullovers
DB Double Arm Rows
BB Leg Presses
BB Leg Presses
BB Leg Presses
BB Static Lunges
BB Static Lunges
BB Static Lunges
Rear Delt Flies
Side Lat Raises
Front Raises
Rear Delt Flies
Side Lat Raises
Front Raises
Rear Delt Flies
Side Lat Raises
Front Raises
BB Deadlifts
BB Deadlifts
BB Deadlifts
Calf Raises
Double Kickbacks
DB Seated Overhead Extension
Double Kickbacks
DB Seated Overhead Extension
Double Kickbacks
DB Seated Overhead Extension
Hammer Curls
DB Curls
Hammer Curls
DB Curls
Hammer Curls
DB Curls
You are only pyramiding UP. It is such a nice compliment for total body training (but you do have to supplement core work).
 
This past week I only worked out every other day (Mon=Travel Fit, Wed=Flextrain, and Fri=Flextrain). I decided to give my body a bit of a break since I was recovering from that bad GI bug! It took a lot of convincing myself that I didn't need to work out every day! Today I am planning on doing Party Rockin' Step#2 (really wanted to do it this past week, but thought I should hold off jumping around for the week). I'm hoping to get back into my groove this week with some heavier weights and more intense cardio.

I'm gearing up for the Holly Days and just ordered a bunch of beading supplies to make bracelets for the special ladies in my life. My aunt suggested that to combat stress, I should get busy with my hands and get the creative juices flowing and recommended beading. She sent me this link:
I hope I can pull this off! I have never done beading before, and I can't wait to get going! I'm making them with silver beads and gemstone beads for the main big beads. I'll try to post a picture when I get one finished. I also want to make some beaded snowflake ornaments for my dinky little tree. My main theme here is "Cat Proof" :). I have off from work starting Wed Nov. 26 and I don't go back until Tues Dec 2!!! So, I should have a lot of time for fitness and creativity!

What are you ladies up to these days?;)
 
Nancy---someone else mentioned the Pyramid bonus combo to me a few months ago and I tried it. It is definitely a hidden secret. I think a lot of people think it is just one of those 10 minute add ons like most of the bonuses in the other workouts. I have done the bonus segment twice and it is a kick butt workout.

Jennifer---I love your new profile pic. I have not made it to the post office yet, but I promise to get there in the next few days.

Stacie---hardstrikes is one I don't do often, but pulled it out last week.

DS football team lost in the first round of the play offs by 6 points. They did not play well at all the first half so they were had a good come back, but not enough to win the game. Took my family to the Navy game on Saturday because my alum was in time to play them. We were so disappointed at the ugly loss. My college plays some of the same teams as the Navy and we beat the other teams by way more points than Navy so I was really expecting it to be a good game (whether we won or lost), but we lost badly. Our team normally plays well on road. We have played teams like Alabama and Georgia and never lost that badly. Either way, it was a great outing for the family and the boys got to see the Mid-shipmen experience on the field.

This morning was 30 minutes of elliptical cardio and core work. It has been cold the past few days and the temps are dropping more this week.
 
I may be in a rut, but I always do some form of cardio first, and then the weight workout. I alternate lower and upper body.

I am not in a position now to buy any more workouts, but I already have a ton. I alternate kickboxing, running, hi lo aerobics and step.
 
Thanks Nancy for the Pyramid tip. I'll have to try that one out.

HeartyMax, sorry about the recent football losses. Hopefully both teams will do better next year. I know it's hard to watch though when your favorite teams lose. I hope DS wasn't too disappointed.

I missed a few days of workouts due to some late nights working. Today was a Gym Style superset premix that was pretty awesome. It's another premix I had no idea was there!
 
Hi ladies,
Snow! Not much but some. And temps are 15-30. Guess I best get prepared for this! Although we're supposed to have a heat wave soon (40s). Time to break out the long johns and undershirts:rolleyes:

I couldn't resist since I'm not happy with my replacement Great Glutes and FlexTrain DVDs (they're still messed up but are the only ones that are messing up so I don't know what the deal is) -- I ordered Adrenaline Rush by Sharon Money Twombly from Total Fitness DVDs. $20 presale price, no shipping or tax; should be shipping next week and it looks like a good one to me. I have her Athletic Step Jam dvd and besides Cathe she is the only other step instructor I've tried that I liked (not complex and she's a very good instructor; excellent cuing). It's a 60-minute DVD. I guess I am also fearful that I'm going to have trouble with Cathe's new DVDs when I get them. If I have any trouble with them at all I'm returning all for a refund. I'm not dealing with that headache again. And I just can't afford to upgrade my TV or PC right now because I'm slammed with dental bills... FYI, if you have old silver fillings be prepared to need them replaced at some point! They expand and crack your teeth which leads to a crown or a root canal and a crown. Funny -- I took the Dave Ramsey Financial Peace University class and thought I was good to go. I was so not prepared for this so it's a surprise. I guess I can't complain -- it's only money and the bills will be paid. Things can always be worse. I just need to plan better.

Anyway, I'm looking forward to Pyramid Bonus this week! I need the change and it sounds like an awesome workout.

I also will be cleaning the basement this weekend. Craig installed block windows (they are beautiful) and then mudded and sanded so everything is covered in drywall/mud dust. Blech! I think he's finished sanding so it is time to clean - especially so I can breathe clean air again!

Nancy,
The bracelet is BEAUTIFUL!
Catproof - too funny :) I can relate to that having had cats before.
Glad you still are feeling well!
I just got my replacement FlexTrain DVD (and Great Glutes) and they are still messed up. They started messing up on me out of nowhere; they are the only two that do it and it is so annoying. I can't even do them. Today I did shoulders and back but before back was finished I was so frustrated I stopped and just did Glutes. I'm not sending them back again, though.
I am just going to have to go with the Pyramid Bonus :) However I'm dying to do BM2 (with band walks) minus the upper body portion. I tell ya', if this new DVD series does this to me I'm going to be a very unhappy camper. I'm not ready to switch to downloads yet; just can't upgrade my TV yet. Okay, I'm done being a sourpuss :)
Stacie,
GS superset premix -- hum... are you doing downloads or DVDs? I've not heard of that one, either. Nice job finding a goodie and thanks for sharing!
Also, missing some workouts and then getting back to it is awesome. It can be so hard to get back into a routine but you are DOING IT!:D

Heartymax,
Sorry to hear the game wasn't good - that's a disappointment! Glad you made a nice family outing out of it, though.
Thanks for the compliment on my new profile pic :) Yours is absolutely stunning!
Good to know you also like the Pyramid Bonus.
I really hope you benefitted from the extra stretching moves. I know you'll get to the post office when you can; no worries:)

Take care and have an awesome day!
 
Quick reply for Jennifer:
Jenniferlove said:
I couldn't resist since I'm not happy with my replacement Great Glutes and FlexTrain DVDs (they're still messed up but are the only ones that are messing up so I don't know what the deal is) eat Glutes) and they are still messed up. They started messing up on me out of nowhere; they are the only two that do it and it is so annoying.
Click to expand...

Please forgive me if you've already done this: I had DVDs that my DVD player wouldn't play (the player was only 2 years old!) and we ended up having to download firmware upgrades. We found the website for the player and you could download them onto a memory stick and do the upgrade or connect the player to the internet and do the upgrade. Anyway, it worked! We have to do this periodically.....might be worth a shot???

 
No forgiving necessary, Nancy! I don't recall if you've mentioned that or not either -- so thank you! I don't know if the dvd/vcr player connects to the internet but it is absolutely something I will look into.
Thank you!
 
Good morning all! Today was The Ride premix #4. Thank you all for the encouragement!!!! You guys are awesome!

Jennifer, we had a cold spell here last week. It was so cold! We went from 65 degrees down to 25 in like 6 hours....it got even colder after that! By the way, there is a way to connect your older TV to a computer. You just need a converter. I set up a system last year or the year before in order to make workouts in the workout blender since I don't have a digital TV either. Unfortunately, I find the workout blender a pain to use. I'm glad there is a new version coming out.

Nancy, I saw a drama filled thread you were part of. I'm so sorry that happened to you. I've had that happen to me in the past and it's always so surprising.

Caitlin, nice to hear from you again. Did the crazy neighbors move finally?
 
Hey everyone!!! Sorry I've been away so long. I AM working out :) My cardio capacity is pretty bad. I tried to do All Out a couple weeks ago and that was a bad idea!! I only did the standing portion and I felt like my heart was going to pound out of my chest. I've backed it off since then. I am doing more steady state cardio now just to get my cardio endurance up. I've been doing kickbox, spin, and step for cardio. I had been doing Supercuts just so I could have some weights in my hands. I've gotten to a point where I can use 5# for all the exercises. Today I kicked it up a notch and did FlexTrain. I still only used 3# and 5# weights and 10# for 1 arm rows, but I was able to keep up with everything without any rest, so my cardio is definately getting better. This week I've done MMA Kickboxing, Solid Gold Step(Christy Taylor), and today was FlexTrain. I'll do a premix of Ride on Friday and that will be it for the week. I had been just doing 3 workouts a week, but this will be my first week of 4 workouts. I am planning on doing endurance lifting starting in Dec. I'm thinking High Reps because I can keep the weight low and get the benefit still. I also want to add in HC to get my core strength back up. It's a pretty slow ramp up, but I'm finding that slower is better. A couple days I did too much and I had to take the rest of the day off work to recover. I can't keep doing that or I'll burn up all my vacation!!

The clips from the new workouts look AWESOME!! I cannot wait to do them. I'm hoping I can do that level of workout in Jan/Feb timeframe.

Jennifer - I hope you get your DVD issue workedout. That sounds really terrible. It's cold and snowy here too...BOOOOO!! How is the Dave Ramsey stuff going? I am on track to have my car paid of my next June!!! One more thing after that and I'm debt free...well except the house!!

HeartyMax - Got to love kids sports!! Sorry about the game. My daughters cheerleading team is STRUGGLING!! It's going to be a very long season.

Tracie - So glad to see you back to working out again!! Seems like your schedule has settle a bit. Glad to hear that.

Nancy - Good luck with the beading!! That braclet looks really pretty. I hope it turns out well!!
 
Good morning!
This morning was part of PiYo Sweat (just the lower body stretch/heat section - about 20 minutes; it works the legs pretty well and really stretches the hip flexors; also gets some good triceps/pushups in there) then GS Back.

Yesterday was all the step portions of BM2 doing the band walks instead of the squats lunges.

I did Intensity step portion only this past Sunday and Yoga Max on Tuesday.

I have a planned rest day this upcoming Sunday because we're going to see an 80s cover-band and it will be a late night (called Metal Studz) so I need to make the rest of this week count :) I just hope the bar is no smoking. Most of them are nowadays but some of them are not.

Saturday I'm doing Pyramid Bonus! Can hardly wait! Also a LOT of cleaning because of the work in the basement that Craig's doing.
That means I have to decide what to do Friday (tomorrow)... probably just Strong Curves glutes and STS Ab Circuits floor OR Pilates style - not sure which one yet.

As usual I'll cook a whole chicken in the crock pot and make a bunch of veggies so I can prepare my lunches for the week. The chicken just falls off the bone and I save the bones because I plan to make a bone stock. You can put the stock in ice cube trays and freeze (and also mix it into the veggies for flavor) and take out a home-made Bullion cube; so much better than the store bought stuff... and so easy to do. I'm telling you, old-school nutrition is where it's at!

Stacie,
Nice job! Ride is awesome. Thanks for the reminder! Also, thank you for the info about the converter box. I made a note to look into getting one.

Toni,
GREAT hearing from you; glad you're healthy and working out again.
Congrats with your financial planning success and will be paying off your car super soon!
I was doing really well with my planning but ended up with a bunch of dental bills that threw me WAY off... dental only covers up to $1,500 and my one root canal cost more than that, plus I've got a few more teeth to deal with. I went out of network so I have to pay 60%... I've not been happy with the last couple dentists I've had this year that were in my network and then ended up in an emergency state and went to my husband's dentist but as I mentioned, he's not in my network. However he is fantastic and was able to see me right away. But at any rate, I still know what I'm supposed to do so I'll get back on track. For the record 1 grand for an emergency fund didn't work for me this year; but I've stayed focused and that's all I can do. Things happen and it will all work out eventually.
Sorry to hear about your daughter's cheerleading team! They'll work hard. Good luck to them!

Nancy,
I saw what Stacie wrote about a drama threatd; I didn't see anything or know what's going on with that. You're an rockstar, though, so just know we think you're the best :)

I best get; have an awesome day!
 
Good morning! No workouts yesterday due to a rough night of sleeping thanks to the dog. However, today is was GS BBS premix. I have a feeling I'm going to be sore tomorrow.

Toni, nice to hear from you again! Glad to have hear you have been working out too!

Jennifer, I keep seeing you mention PiYo....is that the BB one from Chalean?

I feel like we are lucky here in Denver...all the bars are non smoking now. It's so much better than it was! I hope you enjoy the concert anyway.

Sorry to hear about the dental bills! :(

Have a great day everyone!
 
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This week I focused on total body workouts with some fun cardio thrown in:
All Out Low Impact HIIT + Core#1
Muscle Max
Party Rockin' Step #2
High Step Challenge
Today will be Rockout Knockout!
I have a little bit of DOMS since I've been eeking my way back to my normal 6 days per week rotations; and I've had to back off a bit on the weights, but that is to be expected after being sick and taking time off from exercise. I'm hoping that next week I'll be back up to speed!

I have been stunned by the intensity of the clips for RWH!!! This looks like one serious series! Everyone looks phenomenal, Al's transformation is especially motivating. My only concern is that I don't have heavy enough weights. My heaviest dumbbell is only 25#. I could probably wrap a 10# ankle weight around each wrist to get up to 35# in weight, but I think I'll have to consider getting a set of uber heavy dumbbells. I have one of those vertical weight towers that is filled up right now...I may have to relegate the 3# weights to another location to make room for new ones! I may have to splurge on some heavier plates as well. Guess I better rethink my Christmas list to Santa!!!

Jennifer, those root canals are brutally expensive! I have had several due to the expanding old fillings from my youth. When my dentist said I was going to get a crown I was really excited....unfortunately it wasn't the diamond studded version I was anticipating :) I hope that soon you are back on track with your budgeting!

Stacie, sounds like you are easing your way back into your groove nicely! Gym Styles anything is not to be taken lightly! How is that DOMS??:p

Toni, as usual you astound me with your dedication to your fitness! The strides you have made are truly impressive and you motivate to no end! I don't think anything can hold you back!:D

HeartyMax, how are your T-Day plans shaping up? Do you travel, or are you hosting this year? Have you had a chance to try the Pyramid Bonus Combo yet?;)

Caitlin, glad you checked in! Are you doing one of Cathe's rotations now? I find that I am much more dedicated to my workouts when I have a pre-planned rotation to follow. I love the results I get! I had just finished the 2013 October rotation when I was struck by a gut virus 2 weeks ago. It has taken me a little while to get back into my routine, and hopefully next week I can start a new rotation while we wait for the new DVDs to arrive!

Well, that's about it for now! My beading supplies arrived this week so I am going to get some housework done and then get started on my bracelets! WOO HOO!!!!! I hope everyone stays warm and safe today!
 
Good morning!
I skipped Friday so I could get to work super early and leave early so I could get a head start on errands. Got my Thanksgiving dinner stuff all ready to go. My dad is coming over with his dog so it will be just the 3 of us plus the 4 dogs; it will be a nice day.

I'm making bone broth from the bones of the last 3 chickens I cooked in the crock pot. I stored the bones in the freezer until I was ready to make it. It's super easy; cover the bones with water plus an extra 2 inches. Make sure to use purified water because the broth is really only as healthy as the water that's used... some city water has chlorine and other contaminants. Add some sea salt and a couple tablespoons of apple cider vinegar (i just used regular, not the raw) and let sit for a half hour; that will help pull the minerals from the bones. Then set the crock pot on low for up to 24 hours -- but for sure at least 6 hours. I added chopped onion and carrots for extra flavor but they will be hard to strain out and reserve since I didn't think ahead and put them in a nutmilk bag so I guess I ended up wasting an onion and some carrots. Lesson learned. With some of the bone broth I plan to make broccoli soup and mix in some meat. I also will freeze some of it in ice cube trays to use as bullion cubes for flavoring veggies.

This morning I planned to to do the Bonus Pyramid but quite frankly I just wasn't up for it... too many weights to deal with today. Instead I did glute activations and hip thrusts (115#, 3 sets: 17/15/15). I was going to add on some iso-holds but just didn't have the strength. Also, I hooked up a different DVD player to the TV and my FlexTrain DVD actually did work. Makes no sense at all to me that the replacement DVD didn't work but my old DVDs work fine -- and I even cleaned the DVD player... however hooking up an old DVD player that I didn't use anymore played the DVD just fine. I was SO happy and it was a very nice surprise; I just love Flextrain. I still have a converter box on my list of things to get, though.

Stacie,
How are you feeling after that doosy of a GS workout? I love Gym Styles. You picked a good one for sure!
It is very cool that all your bars are non-smoking. Boston is like that, too. I guess we'll have to see.
Yes, the PiYo is from Beach Body (Chalene) and I really, really like it. It is challenging but I don't feel so beat up like I sometimes do after Bunsets so it's a very nice addition to my weekly workouts. It really stretches out my legs/hips. I found also that when I don't really feel like taking out equipment it's been great so it helps keep me motivated to do something every day. Consistency works best for me.
I hope you are able to sleep better; dogs are awesome but man they definitely can make it hard to sleep. My brother rubber-banded their dog's tags together so they don't clink when she scratches or gets up and moves around. I didn't even think about that option but we did buy cute little tag bags for our dogs... the tags just get placed into a small bag and the bag is hooked to the collar. Either way their tags don't make any noise and that helps a lot. But when the dogs need to go outside or are afraid because of storms there is no sleeping through that!

Nancy,
You sure have bounced back for a quick recovery! Way to go!I agree -- the new series looks so intense! Your extra wrist weights sounds like a great plan. You could also possibly hold 2 dumbbells in one hand for some exercises; I'm not sure how big your hands are, though. Definitely rethink your Christmas list! I know I want an ez-curl bar because I don't want to buy heavier dumbbells; I have weight plates.
I feel your pain regarding the expanding fillings :( Too funny and darn the luck that the crowns were diamond studded! What's up with that?! I'm relieved that I can get away with waiting until next year before getting the last 3 metal fillings replaced -- my insurance benefits will reset at the first of the year, and so will my Flexible Spending Account card.
Have fun beading! What a nice project and they will make very nice presents.

Caitlin,
Keep on keepin' on :)

Gotta run - have an awesome day!
 
Jennifer, thanks for the "how-to" for bone broth! I have always wanted to make my own chicken stock and veggie stock, too....I think the bone broth is the way to go!

Too sore today in the shoulders and legs for RK (thanks to High Step Challenge yesterday ;))...taking a rest day and doing some stretching and foam rolling instead. Hopefully RK tomorrow!

Finished 2 beautiful bracelets this afternoon! Need to attach the clasps (that I forgot to order!o_O) and I'll try to post some pics! They really turned out nice!
 
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