Push It January 2014

Jennifer, I had to chuckle when I read your post about "a different style of script writing for doctors"...my old family physician used to write things down like "eat more fruit" or "eat more veggies" or "run around outside everyday" on his script pad and give it to my Mom. He was a great diagnostician who really knew us personally. His training was as a D.O. as opposed to an M.D. and he was very holistic in his approach. I don't have a primary care physician because I use my old doctor as a meter stick when I interview the potential candidates (MDs really hate that I interview them!). So far I haven't found one who is on the same page as I am about my health and fitness. Nowadays, it seems that most doctors use flip chart/flow charts in diagnosing and they don't seem to visualize you as a whole being (holistic!), they just look at your symptoms and connect the dots to whatever drug they are told to push at the time. My mother and siblings/in-laws are all on cholesterol drugs and gastric reflux drugs, several are being told they are borderline diabetic so they take those drugs, and the list goes on and on....almost all of these conditions are diet related!!! They judge me harshly, although I have never criticized their lifestyles. I only offer up info if they ask and even at that I am guarded and ready for the attack. I hope that more physicians get on board with tried and true applications of eating well, sleeping well, and getting exercise as a prevention for disease. The drug companies are going to hate it!
 
Stacie,
So glad you're feeling better! Such a bummer to catch a bug; I hope it was at least nice to be able to celebrate a birthday and Easter with your family :) I don't know if that's a blessing or a curse... frankly Craig and I see the pros and cons of living close to family -- and family is family although that doesn't always make it an enjoyable experience!

I hope you are able to go visit your Aunt soon. Every day is a gift!

I briefly saw a commercial for Body Beast on TV -- at the buffet restaurant of all places! It caught my attention but I didn't get to see enough of it to really see what it's about, although it looked interesting. I know I could check it out online but the last thing I need or want right now is another workout program. I hope you're enjoying it!

Nancy,
I recently got a dehydrator as well! How cool! I also want to make jerky (grass fed chicken and steak) and SCOBY snacks with my extra kombucha scobys. So far all I've made is a MESS! I made banana chips and got the *bright* idea of adding a dallop of honey to the top of the banana slices... DON'T DO THAT. The honey doesn't absorb into the banana and it doesn't dehydrate, or dry out even in the slightest way at all (what?!). The banana chips were supposed to be a portable snack for my husband and his mom. However now he will end up eating them in his cereal because they are not portable at all; incredibly sticky and messy. Not to mention the honey dripped all the way down to the bottom of the dehydrator. Cleaning it wasn't too bad so at least there was that. I don't like bananas anyway so I didn't try them but my husband assures me they were delicious. Anyway, I'm glad your apple chips turned out so well; I'll have to add that to my list of things to make :)

You would really appreciate the documentary I mentioned in my above post (the PBS one); it's a team of different doctors (including holistic) that pull together to look into the issues of the patient -- mental barriers as well as the physical issues. It was interesting. I actually am going to look into holistic doctors because you are absolutely right about the current approach to *health CARE* which is actually more of a *pharmacy-disease-management* approach. It's great that you interview doctors :) One day I hope everyone will see the importance of compliance with the doctor that you and your mom have... I love that they actually write greens and exercise as a prescription! I'm pretty much done with my doctor. It's not her fault; the medical schools just don't teach the old fashioned tried and true methods that worked for our ancestors. In fact I recently found out that even DENTISTS are not treating patients properly as well -- the book titled "Cure Tooth Decay" by Ramiel Nagel was very enlightening.

Congrats on your pull up bar! I've heard that hanging is also a great way to increase pull-up strength. Half holds and such. Good for you for having an awesome goal :)

HeartyMax,
Are your legs talking to you today?! Sounds like you're really diving back into your workouts -- good for you!

I best get; have an awesome day everyone!
 
Happy Friday everyone. Today was a short premix from Cross Fire and 20 minutes of elliptical cardio followed by a variety of planks. Great workout.

Running late so gotta run.
 
I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend!
I actually decided to plan out a routine for the week which I don't usually do; Friday to Friday looks like this:

Friday (4/10) was Burnsets.
Saturday was BodyMax2 step and power segments with band walks instead of squats.
Sunday was Great Glutes -- stability ball and floor sections after activations, hip thrusts, and hip rotations. I tell ya', I am almost in tears after all those pizza presses!
Today (Monday, 4/13) was RWH Back/Sh/Biceps.
Tomorow I'm shooting for PiYo Sweat or Drench; It depends on how much time I have or what I'm in the mood to do. There's about a 15-minute time difference (Drench is longer) because it has a lower body strength/stretch flow segment.
Wednesday... probably HiiT 40/20 or possibly Intensity step segment after some targeted Glute work.
Thursday RWH Ch/Sh/Tri
Friday Yoga Max

Heartymax, I forgot to mention how nice it must feel to be an inspiration to others :)
What a good combo -- CF/Elliptical/planks!
BTW, as the Glassboro RT approaches I feel like I'm totally missing out by not getting in and planning to go. If something changes and I happen to get it I don't know I'll be able to pass it up. I guess I'll just have to wait and see what happens altogether!

Hope everyone is doing well! Have a great day!
 
Jennifer - I would love to see you at the RT.

Today was disc 4 of Meso 1. I did pushups from my knees because I know i am not strong enough since it's been a while since I did pushups consistently.
 
This morning was Plyo Hiit One. Well, I guess it was more like an attempt of Plyo Hiit One. I finished 16 minutes and then jumped on the elliptical for 20 minutes of cardio. Those Plyo Hiit workouts are so tough. I don't know if I will ever be able to do them. I took breaks even in the 16 minutes. I just figured I would do as much as I could and then finish on the elliptical which is what I did.
 
HI All!
I've been plugging away at the RWH/STS rotation (in the 2nd week right now) and tackling my pull-up challenge...it is getting tough!!! I'm using 2 assist bands on the pull-ups to get started and it's been working out really well. I 'm on a Mon, Wed, Fri schedule with 3 sets (trying to max out my reps the first set). So far I have been improving with each session so I am very motivated! I've also started doing push-ups on my toes at work on Tues & Thurs: just 3 sets of 10 with perfect form. I don't want to hurt myself by combing body weight stuff with Cathe stuff so at the first sign of over-use I will back off.
I've been having great success making water kefir and am ready to move up to milk kefir. I want to strain it so that I can use it like greek yogurt and stop buying my yogurt from the grocery store. Jennifer, do you make milk kefir? How has the dehydrator been working out for you? I've been making sweet potato chips for DH and he loves them! I want to expand into different fruits and am really interested in jerky made without nitrates. I have a lot of research ahead of me!
Heartymax, I can totally relate to how tough those new Plyo Hiit workouts are! For me, Plyo HiiT 2 is tougher, mainly due to the side jumps up and over the box. I am very intimidated by that :eek:.
Toni, how is blog life? Are you getting a following? Will there be a book soon ;)?
Stacie, are you still tackling Body Beast :D?
Caitlin, I can tell by your status updates that you're kicking butt! Way to go!

Well, I'm going to get busy here at work and earn my keep! Hope you all have a great day!
 
Hi Ladies,

Well -- my rotation for the week is out the window! I didn't get very far with it but at least I still worked out :)

Monday's RWH Ba/Sh/Bi worked out well. TOO WELL! I was sore from that one for a couple days!
Tuesday I was super short on time (and ate a little to much the night before) so instead of PiYo Sweat/Drench I did HiiT 40/20 and didn't have time for glutes.
Wednesday I did PiYo Sweat but didn't have time for glutes.
Thursday (this morning) I did glute work ASAP :) and RWH Lower Body Circuit.
Friday (tomorrow) I decided to go with FlexTrain (instead of Yoga Max -- I'm saving that for Sunday).

You may have noticed that I've skipped the Ch/Tr/Sh RWH workout this week... My chest and triceps are always being challenged from Pilates on Wednesdays as well as PiYo so those muscle groups are strong. Sure I can improve my strength but this week I'm not going to specifically target them. As for shoulders I subbed some anterior delt work during the Rear Delt segment of RWH on Monday, plus I'll get plenty of shoulder work in FlexTrain.

Saturday I'm walking a 5K; if you've heard of The Color Run I'm doing that with a friend if she doesn't bail. She's been iffy about the whole thing -- which was her idea to begin with -- for the last couple months. She has good reasons and I understand so I'm not upset or anything like that. I just am not sure she will follow through. We've already paid the registration fee and The Color Run raises Autism Awareness so I hope it works out but if it doesn't I'm really not going to be too upset. Crowded events aren't my favorite thing to do -- unless it's a Cathe Road Trip :)

Heartymax,
Nice job on Plyo HiiT and the pushups! I don't care for the plyo hiits, they bother my back... too much forward bending -- so as far as I'm concerned you're a rockstar for getting as far as you did in the first place! Pushups on your knees are still really good -- they work the chest and triceps like nothing else! Well, throw some chest flys into the mix and those chest muscles are toast :)

Have a wonderful day!
 
Nancy,
We must have been posting at the same time!
Good for you for adding pushups to your workday -- that's a great idea! Way to go with those pullups, too -- you really are working hard!
Yes, I make milk Kefir... grass fed/pastured full-fat milk. I bought the grains from Black Sheep Cottage on Etsy. They started out very small -- couldn't see or feel them -- but they grew and multiplied over time. It's been about a year now and they're still going strong. When I need to get rid of some (because they start making too much and I have to buy too much milk) I feed some to the dogs. I've also made cheese with the extra milk (super easy to do) but unless it's flavored or sweetened it's not my favorite kind of cheese... it's too sour. But the whey that drains from it is definitely useful!
I also want to make jerky from organic pastured chickens but haven't done it yet. No, I haven't made anything else with the dehydrator. I will be making plenty of things for the trip we're taking in September and sweet potatoes are on my list!
BTW, I used green (non-ripe) bananas when I made the banana chips; they are easier to cut -- not as mushy when handling them.

Enjoy your day!
 
Good morning! I'm still working with Body Beast. Last week I was only able to get two workouts in. We had an unexpected trip to New Mexico to visit my uncle who is ill. They had thought he was at the final stages of life but he was peppy and moving around when we got there which was nice. Anyway, I'm still in the bulk phase and Body Beast.

HeartyMax, great job of the pushups. I've been doing them on my knees as well. I haven't even tried to go to toes yet. It's great you are even doing them.

Nancy, great work on the pullups. I may have missed this but are you using a bar that goes over the door or a pull up tower? I've wanted one of those dang towers for awhile now but there is no where to put it!

Sorry I didn't get to everyone but I gotta run!
 
Hi Everyone,
All's well here.
Friday was FlexTrain and Saturday I ended up jogging the 5K! My friend bailed out as I figured she would but Craig stepped up -- and he challenged me to jog it. Say what?! Neither of us are runners/joggers. But we did it and I enjoyed it. He admitted that he wanted to get it over with quickly -- now THAT'S the spirit! LOL!
Sunday I slept late and enjoyed a rest day.
Today (Monday) I did PiYo Drench -- that was good enough of a stretch for me so I'll just check Yoga off the list for now :)
Seems after a rest day I can't just jump into a hard workout; I need to sort of ease into the routine again. Drench isn't easy but it's stretching and calming. Oh yeah -- I warmed up with glute activations, 3 sets circuit style of hip thrusts and American deadlifts.
Tuesday -- not sure what I'll do. Afterburn really sounds good... a nice combo of cardio and upper body strength.

Stacie,
I'm sorry to hear your Uncle is ill! I hope he is healing well. Glad you were able to get to NM to see him; I'm sure it made his day! So I'm guessing you are enjoying Body Beast?

Have a great day, everyone!
 
Jennifer- High Five for jogging the 5K. Cool of Craig to join you. I hate when people come up with ideas and don't follow through. I know you said she had a reason but still irks me.

Nancy-3 sets of pushups is great. You have an impressive routine going on now.

Stacie-it has been a long time since I did pushups consistently so i need to do the STS on my knees because there are so many.

My counselor colleague had her baby premature so she is suddenly out of work for remainder of the year. I have been picking up alot lately and it has been tiring. Skipped a few workouts last week. A retired counselor will fill in for her starting soon. I am just glad I was able to convince her to come out of retirement:).

Just finished chest, shoulders and biceps. Dang all those pushups.
 
Happy Saturday everyone!
Afterburn Wednesday felt great (and hard);
Intensity step portion w/2 risers each side Thursday (sucking wind!).
REST day Friday -- also a total pig-out day. I guess everyone needs one of those now and again :)

I'm having a hard time deciding what to do today == this is where a plan or a rotation would really help! Sigh. The problem is that I'm not sure what to focus on. This means I'll probably do Burnsets.

Yesterday I bought an awesome patio chair (Zero Gravity) from Kmart; it is so comfy! I brought it downstairs ready to sit in it. Then Craig told me for the same price I could have gotten a 2-pack of them from Costco! Really?! He called to confirm it and was told they had about 79 of them on the floor. So I loaded the chair back into my car, went back to Kmart to return it, and then went to Costco to get a 2-pack. When I got to Costco they were no where to be found. I asked an associate where they were and it turns out they pulled them from the floor (what?! would have been nice to have been told that on the phone -- lack of communication is annoying). Apparently there was a safety issue with them. They are going to sort through item numbers and restock the floor today with what's left. I guess it all worked out but it seemed like a lot of running around for nothing. Obviously at least now I'll get 2 safe chairs for the price of one. I figure I'll call before going there and confirm they are ready; I should have them hold a set for me so I don't drive there again and have them be sold out or find out all the item numbers were bad so they can't sell any of them. It's just a chair so I don't see what kind of safety issue there could be, especially since it holds 250#s of weight and thankfully we're not even close to that weight.

Heartymax,
Too funny (Dang all those pushups). You're going for it and working hard. You're inspiring and I should follow your lead. I never did buy Meso1; I have M2 and M3. I have yet to break into M3. I know the program is designed to be done in sequence, not supposed to be just a hit-or-miss set. It's just such a commitment and really fun. Workouts are supposed to be work but not enjoying them makes it hard. I guess this is where goal-oriented and staying focused comes into play.

It's great that the retired counselor stepped up; you obviously have the right communicating tools! Congrats to your other colleague regarding her baby. I hope she and the baby are doing well.

Enjoy your weekend, everyone!
 
Jennifer - STS is a huge commitment. I don't stress but go at my own pace. Just so you know--I would have loaded that chair back up too. It was worth it. Hopefully you get both chairs this week. Intensity with 2 risers--I am gasping for air just reading it. I remember you saying you needed 2 risers at the RT. Impressive.

Today was Insanity Pure Cardio for a change of pace.
 
Hello Cathletes,
I took a rest day today (Thursday) as well as one on Monday; I just needed some extra sleep!
Saturday's workout was great -- I love Burnsets UB premix and followed that with a U-Tube Ballet workout (Bridge series) -- that is tough! It's nice having access to U-Tube on my TV; I bought the Roku Stick and it plugs right into the HDMI port of my TV. Some point I'll get Cathe's On Demand private channel. It should work with the stick. If not there is a way to stream from my phone using the Stick. I just have to set the Mirror option (and obviously read a little more about it!). There is a Daily Burn app that I have on my phone - it's free. Roku has the Daily Burn as a channel but it's not free; I'm pretty sure there's a big difference between the workouts on The Daily Burn channel versus the little video clips of workouts that are on the App.

Sunday was PRS#2 (8 combo premix) plus another U-Tube Ballet workout (Butt workout). It was hard; it might tie Cathe's Pizza press/floor work section of Great Glutes. However Great Glutes is better because of all the other exercises in it and Cathe is more fun :) The Ballet stuff is boring. However I do plan to frequent the Bridge series and I want to try the Thigh series.

Tuesday and Wednesday were FlexTrain and then Athletic Training (2 different days, not 2 workouts in a row :) ).

Friday I'll kill it with RWH Ba/Sh/Bi and of course some glute work. Saturday and Sunday will be PiYo and Cardio.

Heartymax,
Thanks! I'm an intensity junkie!

Still no new chair(s). Apparently the entire batch Costco received needed to be sent back. They should get more in a couple weeks. They will be worth the wait!

I've heard a lot of people have a love/hate relationship with Insanity :) I bet that was harder than Intensity Step with 2 risers!

Have a great day everyone!
 
Good evening. I'm finding it hard to keep up with posting due to everything going on right now. It's been a pretty stressful time. I have been keeping up with Body Beast the best I can.. I'm usually hitting at least 4 workouts a week. Work has been getting stressful again. I was super excited on Tuesday because I put money down on a new house. Unfortunately that happiness is completely gone due to today's tragic events. My poor neighbor found her oldest son dead today. It was such a shock when she told me. I feel so awful for her....for him....for everything.
 
Oh dear God Stacie,
I am so sorry to hear this! I can't imagine how shocking and tragic this is to you and your neighbor!
I will send peaceful thoughts and vibes your way and keep you in my prayers... and that your job chills out!
4 workouts a week is great; I hope it helps you feel a sense of accomplishment, calmness, and relief that you are still taking care of yourself.
I am excited to hear about the house and knowing that Tyler will be going to a better school.
Much love and hugs!!
 
Stacie---Sorry to hear about the tragic events in your neighborhood. Congrats on your new home. You and Tyler have some excitement coming your way. I hope Tyler likes packing boxes. Getting in 4 workouts a week is great.

STS isn't going the way I wanted it but I am just trying to get in the number of workouts that I can. DS12 pulled a muscle a few weeks ago and it is keeping him off the baseball field for a little while longer. Hopefully he will be able to run again soon. We took DS17 on a college tour to West Virginia University over the weekend. I knew to expect that town to be different from what I am used to, but wow---was it worst than I imagined. No offense to any WVU grads on the forum, but I so glad my son didn't like it because I couldn't imagine sending him there. The campus is split on two different sides of town. The tour guide kept saying the campus was beautiful---it was okay but the town was far from beautiful. Some people just love WVU and some people do not. We wanted to form our own opinion so we scheduled a visit.

I hope all the mom's enjoyed Mother's Day. I don't like going to do dinner on Mother's Day due to the crowds. DH cooked dinner after church and he and the boys got me a cute blue and white dress.

This morning was the step only premix of Cardio Fusion. My back started hurting at around 30 minutes so I jumped on the elliptical to finish out the 48 minutes of the workout. I added on some planks and 3 sets of 10 pushups.

Enjoy the sunny weather!
 
All is well here; nothing new to report -- back is still doing well, still enjoying Cathe's workouts, and still close to getting On Demand but haven't tested it yet.

Absolutely loving RWH Ba/Bi/Sh and RWH Upper Body Circuit. One time (hehe, ONE time) I subbed 100-rep max over-head presses for the concentration curls in Ba/Bi/Sh. Wow, did I feel that for a few days!

I need to get serious about my baby-belly bump; true -- I've never had a baby but it sure looks like I have! I've heard great things about the Ballet Body Core workout by Leah Sarago so I'm deciding whether or not to get that DVD. It's 45 minutes and it looks like it's an incredible workout (glutes, balance, belly -- entire core). 45 minutes is a long time to work the abs but again, it's not just working the abs and I'm sure it would be good for one of those days when I can't figure out what I want to do -- something is better than nothing however I just plain 'ol skipped today and decided to go to work early instead. I'm pretty sure that I'd have done it this morning if I had it, and I'm sure I'll pick up some moves I can use in my Pilates calss. Anyway, I'll get out of work early and take the dogs for a walk. Maybe - just maybe - I'll enjoy a long walk and enjoy the nice weather we're having today.

Heartymax,
Sounds like you had a wonderful Mother's day. Maybe you can post a picture wearing that new dress and flexing those muscles!

Stacie,
I hope you also had a lovely Mother's day and all is going well for you and Ty.

Nancy,
No news from you -- hope no news is good news and you're enjoying some hikes.

Take care everyone!
 
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