Push It

Natty - no problem, I know all about the soreness you speak of! LOL! Luckily, though, I changed the spinning bike seat with my regular bike's gel seat so it is MUCH more comfortable!
Also, it took me SEVERAL attempts at Spin Max before I could finally complete it, and even now I still haven't done all the standing that Cathe and her team does. Something to work for. I'm totally sucking wind and dripping sweat!
I prefer the other workouts (you know, step, circuit, etc) to spinning because there's no easy way for the mind to get bored but it's a great workout, I'm huffing and puffing and dripping sweat, it's low impact, and a change from the norm (for me).
As for the sitting long periods of time (and sitting at a desk all day - not my favorite but it's my job) I can totally relate! A Lumbar Support will help you tremendously! I had to drive 4 hours and my back killed me; that's when I found out about the lumbar support pillows. I also use one with my chair at my desk (at work).

Susan - I did B&G yesterday for the first time in months (I wasn't too exhausted after Cardio Kicks and my pushups).
I don't usually do "specific body part" workouts but every once in a while I break them out. I've done that one only a few times and it definitely gets me burning. I feel it today and I know tomorrow I will feel it even more. I've only done LBB once and I do remember thinking that I didn't think it was as hard (although it still was hard) as B&G.
I have not done Leaner Legs but I did purchase that video compilation last week - what do you think about it? It was in the early stage of the Feb rotation so I will work it in within the next week.
Hope you and your family enjoyed the bike ride!

By for now everyone:)
 
Jennifer---I have several of Cathe's circuit workouts but I don't do them as a circuit that often. I chose the premix of cardio only alot. However, I do love Drill Max. I love the 40 minute premix cardio only and I like the workout as designed as a circuit.


Today was AfterBurn-----those sliding planks with pushups and burpees with push ups and mountain climbers should count for an ab workout too. That is one tough workout---but it is definitely much easier than the first time I did it.
 
Hi everyone,

Yesterday at the doctor, the doctor said it was swollen lymph node. It was toward the back of her neck so that didn't even enter my mind. She said it was a very large area and she couldn't actually feel the lymph node. They did a blood test and her white blood cell count was up, indicating an infection (or possibly cancer based on the internet. I curse that damn internet sometimes but I just couldn't stay away). They prescribed antibiotics and she took her first dose yesterday. I of course was freaking out on and off all week. Last night she developed a fever of 100.7 and I am happy to report this morning the fever is gone, and her bump is nearly gone and doesn't hurt. Sometimes the most likely reason is it. Phew... it was a rough 24 hours. She goes back to the doctor on Friday, but I am at ease now.

Natty - thanks for the kind words. I am so sorry I didn't even mention your back yesterday. Especially with me and my back. I am glad you are feeling better and did a kick butt workout yesterday!

Jennifer - I honestly don't remember Leaner Legs. It's blending together in my mind with 4DS legs, both of which don't work you as hard as B&G and LBB. It's a good workout to combine with cardio. When I did it this month I added Step Moves. Together that was a great combo.

Today I did High Reps. I really liked it and felt both the UB and LB were worked very well. The warm up was with weights, nothing I have seen Cathe do (I am used to Jari Love's weight warmups). My favorite warrior lunges were in it, so what's not to love. I also loved the curtsy lunge with the disks. As usual, my shoulders were aching and it was hard to push through. Suprisingly my triceps were screaming too. The pushups in the routine were:
8 at tempo
12 fast
quick rest
8 at tempo
12 fast

I did everything on my toes except the last 12 fast which I had to do on my knees. Then it was chest flies followed by (I think) 4 sets of 4 pushups - 2counts down, 2 counts up. All of those were on my knees.

I liked the short ab segment. For some reason I couldn't complete the reps with one leg up and one leg straight. That's unusual for me. But by the end of this workout I was pretty wiped out. I was planning to do some more 1RM tests but was just too fatigued. Tomorrow is my off day. I am looking forward to that!

Have a great day.
 
Good morning everyone! Last night was an interesting night. There were several large fires about 30 or 40 minutes away from where I live. The smoke was so strong and everywhere. When we were walking to karate, we could see the giant smoke clouds. Even stranger was later on the moon actually looked blood red due to to fires. I think they have them under control now but a handful of people lost their homes and even one poor person died.

Last night was STS disc #31 which is Chest and Back at the 90% of my 1RM. I did not get to pushups again and also didn't do the JM Shed and Shred either. I am starting to feel a little sad that STS is ending soon. I did hit my highest weight to date with that workout -- 62.5lb deadlifts! If I ever get to 100lbs safely then I will think about taking my friend up on her suggestion to go with her to Crossfit.

Susan
How is your daughter doing and what did the doctor say? I hope everything is ok. There is nothing worse for a mom than knowing one of her children is sick.

Natty & Susan
This is not the first time I have gotten a huge amount of library fees. I was being really dilligent and checking every Saturday to see what needed to be renewed and what didnt. We even went to the library the day the books were due and I guess I forgot to renew them since we were really rushing around that day.

Natty
My family is of Spanish decent and they are very old school still so it's definitely not just an Italian thing! They have even upped the level of protectiveness since they found out about a lot of things that my ex-husband was doing when we were still together. Hopefully some day they will take it back down a notch. I suppose it's nice to know that they care and worry -- I just wish they didn't do it as much as they do!

Btw, PowerMax is on Cardio Hits. If it's that cheap I would totally recommend getting it. PowerMax is my favorite one on that DVD. I put it up there with 4DS and BodyMax 2 - it was that good.

I was getting ready to make the Lara bars last night and realized I bought figs instead of dates! Hopefully, I will make it to the store today or tomorrow to get the right stuff. Now I have to figure out what the heck to do with two packages of figs!

Jennifer
You did Butts and Guts after doing Cardio Kicks???? I heard Cardio Kicks was pretty hard and I know that B&G burns some killer calories too. How did you ever find the energy to do them both? That's amazing!

I have a question for you about Cycle Max. I am thinking about getting a fluid bike trainer and I wondered if Cycle Max is designed to only be used with spin bikes or if a bike on a trainer would work just as well. I kinda think it might be ok but I wasn't really sure. What do you think?

HeartyMax
I love Drill Max too! Like you I have only done the cardio premixes but they are so much fun. It doesn't even feel like working out. I think the hardest portion of that is the running with the Stability Ball. I was sweating like mad during that section.

Have a fantastic day everyone!
 
Susan
You must have been posting while I was! I am so happy to hear your daughter is ok. Thank goodness it was just an infection. When you said lump my mind turned to Cancer to but I didn't want to say anything to freak you out even more. Anyway, I bet in a few days she will be as good as new!
 
Hello everyone :)

Today's w/o is supposed to be Intensity. After yesterday's high impact step circuit (my body is in super DOMS mode), I might sub with something lower impact. I have not done LIC (from LIS) in awhile. I might give that one a go...

Susan
I'm glad to hear it was nothing serious with your daughter. The internet drives me bonkers! I don't Google health symptoms anymore, as the answer most likely comes back Cancer or AIDS. I hope your little one recovers quick.
OMG, enabler!!! I really want Hi Reps too. I like Jari Love, I have almost all of her stuff. S&L and RTTC are my fav's for weight training. GER 1000 is super great too. The cardio section is simple yet very effective. I like her cheesy lines, I must admit. She seems very down to earth and sweet. I asked her a question on her forum once and she responded!
Stacie
Fires are so scary. We had a semi-detached by our apartment completely ruined about 2 months ago. So sad to see lives destroyed like that.
How do you like Meso 3? A lady from my other check-in said she was not feeling the love for that Meso. She did not like the very high weight with low reps and the long rest time between.
Your high weights are very impressive. I'm curious to see where I'll be during Meso 3. It's hard to believe my weights can even go that high.
LOL the figs! I almost got prunes by accident! That recipe is very versatile, so you can probably add figs as the dried fruit along with the dates and nuts. As long as you have dates (that's the binding ingredient) then you are good to put in whatever combo of fruit & nuts you like. I did cherries & apricot with assorted nuts and it was super yummy. Don't forget the cinnamon too. Next time I am going to add some dark chocolate :p
BTW, I think I'm getting PowerMax :D
Jennifer
You know what, I don't own that many circuit-type workouts of Cathe. I have Circuit Blast, which is fun, and Hardcore Extreme Circuit Intervals. The rest are from Jillian Michaels, Jari Love and Bob Harper. IMO, Bob Harper's Inside Out Method DVD's are killer circuit w/o's. Not fun, huge dread, but your body gets totally worked hard. I might have to pull it out again, it's been a long time. Cathe is just tops for me so I gravitate to her 90% of the time.
Thanks for the tip about the lumbar support! I'll look into it :)

Hope everyone is having a wonderful day :)
 
Hi ladies!

Susan - I'm so glad your daughter is feeling better! I can't imagine how scary that must be. I'm sure everything will turn out just fine.

Jennifer - I'm so excited to hear that you have former racers and an ex-hunter! Do yours snuggle together? Mine aren't greyhounds; they are boxer/pit-bull/? (insert other similar breeds) mutts adopted from a shelter. They are sweet, sweet girls and love to cuddle (as you can see)! They are nearly inseparable! So cute. ;) I hate to think about all of the irresponsible "dog owners" that are undoubtedly out there, but it's comforting to know that there are also plenty of good ones - ones who adopt and love former racers, rescues, etc! :D

Kara - How disappointing to hear that you're not seeing the results you'd like. Is losing weight your primary goal? Have you had better results with other rotations? Yesterday I started my second week of the Nov LIS rotation and am just "eyeballing" my results. My biggest goal is to get stronger and see more muscle definition. Of course, it would be a nice bonus if I lost a little fat. I have this stupid, stubborn layer of padding around my hips and lower belly that seemed to appear almost overnight a few years ago. And it hasn't budged ever since! It would be nice to lose that, but I'm not holding my breath.

Heartymax - Wow, Turks and Caicos sounds AMAZING. And I'm sure with all of the hard work you're putting in, you will look amazing too. Have you been there before? Though a Caribbean vacation has been on my to-do list for a while, I've never ever been. Maybe I will travel there vicariously through you. :) DH and I decided on South America this year. Ecuador/Galapagos Islands in May! Can't wait!

Well...I'm already wishing I had S&G and LIC. I did the step portions of Intensity and the bonus step on CSS in place of LIC last week. Intensity is not exactly low-impact, but I find it challenging and I was in the mood, so I went for it. And I did 30 mins on my elliptical in place of the cardio portion of S&G - I figured that I "glide" on my ellipitical. :)I LOVED TBTS. Time went by so quickly! I think I can even go heavier on my weights next time. I was a bit on the conservative side since it was my first time. Yesterday was Athletic Training, which I really liked, and Wednesday is Turbo Barre which I LOVE. There were lots of push-ups in AT, though. I was reminded at how far I still have to go...

Enjoy the rest of your day!
Dana
 
Natty
I actually like Meso #3 quite a bit. I don't feel like the breaks are long at all except in the squat rack ones (those are definitely long). For the Chest & Back discs the breaks are 60-90 seconds. For Shoulders and Biceps the workout out is broken into three exercise sets. So, for example there will be a shoulder exercise, 30 second rest, bicep exercise, 30 second rest, then a tricep exercise, followed by a 60 second rest before the whole set is repeated again. I know for the Chest & Back workouts I struggle to get the barbell weights changed out in time. If I remember correctly, the breaks were about the same or longer in Meso #2. I think they were 60-90 seconds long. I do remember liking that I could actually listen to the pointers Cathe was providing in Meso #2 which wasn't the case in Meso #1 and has been hit or miss for Meso #3 due to the break length.

Thanks for the compliment on the high weights! I don't feel that strong since the Cathletes are amazing on this site. There are so many that can do way higher than that...I am pretty sure our very own HeartyMax and Raciela are among them. It feels good to be making progress though!

Good suggestion about the figs...I was thinking of just eating them or maybe finding a homemade fig newton recipe. Come to think of it, I don't think I have ever eaten a fig that wasn't wrapped in a delicious cookie like layer! LOL.


Dana
Great job on getting those though workouts in! I am sure your pushup count is increasing every day.
 
I hope all is going well with everyone's pets, daughters, DOMS, backs, etc!

Heartymax, Drill Max is awesome! I never thought about only doing the cardio premixes but that's a great idea, and then I could focus completely on weight lifting with Total Body or High Reps or whatever. Thanks!

Natty, did you sub Intensity with LIC? That sounds like a good exchange. Funny about the prunes:)

Susan, so glad your daughter is doing better!

Kara, turns out our Dyson is a piece of junk! Already broke! The vacuum repair guys (several of them) say that it's the brand they most often see unless is an older model, but those are hard to fiind nowadays! So I sent it back and am getting a Riccar Brilliance; I need something to get up all the fur!
Good idea on the cardio premix with Bootcamp - I will have to start taking advantage of those premixes!

Dana, the 2 greythounds that went to the Rainbow Ridge snuggled ALL the time! These three do not snuggle each other, only me and my husband. Two of them have *issues* LOL! Yours are absolutely adorable; Pitts are the SWEETEST dogs, and it's only the people who make them mean. So sad:(

On another note, I, too, am reminded at how far I have yet to go regarding pushups. Working hard and striving for it!

Stacie, How terrible about the fires. I will keep them in my prayers!
Congratulations to you on 90% of your 1RM! You are doing great!

I didn't think Cardio Kicks is as hard as Kick Max, and I think the first part of KPC gets my heart rate going fast, too; it was a solid workout and I liked it but I didn't feel like I usually feel after a typical Cathe. Plus I really wanted to work my glutes, and I had an OFF day the day before:)

The spreadsheet idea is fantastic! (sorry if that wasn't you, I'm getting lost in the thread!)

As for Cycle Max, the first time I did that workout I had my bike on an indoor trainer and I thought it'd be fine; it was my first time *ever* doing a Spinning workout so when I really didn't feel like I got a great workout I thought it was me doing something wrong - and maybe it still was - but then I realized that the gears on my bike just don't work like the fly-wheel-type spin bikes so I wasn't able to work the tension and the positions and the speed it the way I wanted too without feeling it in my knees...
So I just thought that I should go with a spin bike. After some research my husband and I decided on the Stamina CPS 9300. It's about $550 and not absolutely perfect (had to make minor adjustments to make the handle bars a bit tighter) but it really works well and is good quality. I've since gone to a gym and took a spin class and the professional bike definitley does not feel much different from the Stamina.
I definitely think you should try your indoor trainer - it might work for you! But if not just know that someone else had the same experience:) If it does work for you don't tell me. Just kidding!

Well, Everybody,
I only got 4 hours of sleep last night (just one of the sleepless nights!) so I'm going to have some dinner (haven't figured that out yet), read a book, and hopefully fall asleep fast so I can wake up refreshed and ready for my pushups and workout, whichever is on Cathe's list for tomorrow.

Have a good night!
 
mini-natty said:
Happy Monday ladies :)

Lower back pain kept me from successfully completing Afterburn yesterday. I stopped 20min in for fear of injury. My knee's were also bothering me with the disc burpee's :confused:. I then attempted MIC, and right away I got side cramps (which never happens). My final attempt at doing something (ANYTHING) was 4DS Hi Step. I got frustrated with the turn back straddle into a fast foot shuffle. Clearly I was just mad by the fact that I could not finish AB (I'm like that). 45min later, I just called it a day...

Today is Body Max (original. I'm antsy to get 2). My back is feeling better and I'll probably tackle the 90min.

Stacie
You're right though, most people don't understand my situation. I am probably the only one out of my family/friends who lives an active lifestyle. People make rude comments about my DVD's and fitness equipment. I got laughed at when I bought a barbell. It's very frustrating at times.
Which Jillian did you get? I'm curious to hear your thoughts.
Heartymax
Where in the Caribbean are you going? I've been to Cuba 7 times and the DR 3 times. I was supposed to go to Jamaica, but I missed out on the last minute deal :(. I also want to go to Disney World...not cuz' it's been a childhood dream of mine (not at all) but because my daughter loves Mickey :D.

Have a great day everyone!
Click to expand...

How did you do today with Body Max? Is your back still doing better? Ice and heat, you know the drill! I was sorry to hear about not finishing AB - but that is a super-tough workout - and the cramps... I guess a rest day was calling your name:)

I admit that I don't really have an active lifestyle; I just really like my workouts! And I understand, there don't seem to be people who live in my area who like the workouts that I like; When I told someone an hour of B&G she looked at me like I had 2 or 3 heads! But hey, to each her own:)


How COOL that you've been to the DR (and Cuba!) - I would love to go there! I've only been to Mexico (Rivera Mya) and Jamaica (Runaway Bay). My husband is talking about wanting to go to St. Thomas Island - that'd be cool with me! I'm sure it will be quite a while before we get to go but anything woth anything is worth the wait, right?!
 
Good evening everyone! BRRR! It's freezing in my neck of the woods. Only about 45 during the day and in the 30's at night - so-called "normal" temps for late March. I guess we really were spoiled with the nice weather we had earlier this month. On Friday it should be 70 again though ... fingers crossed!

Susan -- I'm so glad it was something minor with your daughter and not something scarier. I hear you on the internet and googling symptoms. It's nice to get a heads up, but sometimes it does more harm than good. I really like High Reps as well, especially those curtsy lunges like you mentioned. I believe Cathe says they're one of her (and the crew's) favorite as well. You're so dedicated with your pushups and improving. I always love your play-by-plays with exactly how many pushups you did, rest counts, etc. Very motivating! PS - Thanks for the more in-depth review of Intensity. I'm going to do that one "soon" as it really has me curious (curious to kill myself, it sounds like). Ha!

Natty - My knees talk to me every once in a while as well. Oh, the joys of getting older! I hope they're doing better now. If you take it easy, does that help? You did awesome with your Monday workout! I'm the same way as you - it really bugs me when I can't completely finish a workout. It really goes against my OCD personality of finishing something or crossing something off my list. Perhaps just another reason why I have such a hard time with new workouts. I want to give a workout my "all" and when I'm just learning it, I feel like it's a waste of time. *sigh* .... I do like all the new workouts I've "mastered" recently though, like Afterburn, LIC, Cardio Supersets, etc. You're right. I do need to get going on the other newish ones I have like CCC, Intensity, Ab Circuits, Circuit Blast, etc. Someday, someday!

Jennifer - Thanks for the heads up on the Dyson! Guess I'll stick with my cheap-o vacuum for now. I hope you can get back to a normal sleep schedule and/or get caught up. Nothing worse than insomnia or not being able to sleep or having a sleep schedule messed up. You mentioned reading a book ... what are you reading now? I'm always looking for new authors or books to try, within reason. (haha) There are some books I just won't bother with, if I know I won't like it. I refuse to waste 3 days of my life reading a stupid book (stupid IMO).

Dana - My primary motivation right now is to lose weight and body fat. I'm heavier than what is normal for me or my so-called happy weight. What's really frustrating is that last summer I was 10 pounds lighter and only 10 pounds shy of my goal, but then this past fall I had a rough time with postpartum depression and the weight shot back up. My avatar picture is from last summer, so I'm heavier than that right now and using that pic as motivation ... apparently it's not working, as the weight is not budging, despite regular workouts and eating pretty clean. :eek: I've noticed my muscle tone improving, especially in my upper body (I'm pear-shaped), but that's about it. I know the scale doesn't tell the whole story and no, I haven't been measuring... I guess I'm just frustrated with it. Anyway, I'm either going to do the January '11 rotation next OR my own rotation of 3 days a week of cardio, one leg day, one full body weight workout, one circuit workout and a rest day (maybe more cardio will help burn the body fat better/faster). The latter rotation is what I did the last time I wanted to lose weight and it worked well. So, we'll see.

Heartymax AND Dana - Awesome trips you both have planned! I'm sure you'll have a blast! The DH and I don't travel much, so I'm going to also live my life vicariously through each of you!

Heartymax - I plan to do Drill Max tomorrow!! I also love that workout. I did just the cardio portion a couple months ago, but I haven't done the regular circuit workout in a long, long time. I'm so excited to do it tomorrow. I remember it being a toughie ... I better have a couple towels there beside me to wipe all my sweat away.

I totally dig our public library. I think I've mentioned this before, but I'm totally lazy about it, too :eek::p .... I go on the website and request a book I want and even if the book is in-stock (i.e. on the shelf) the librarians will pull it for me and set it on my "hold" shelf, right by the door. So I can run in and grab my books. Then, after I get my books off my hold shelf, I use the self-checkout computer. So not only do the librarians do the heavy lifting for me, but I also have no contact with a human being the entire time I'm there. HA! Like I said, I love the library! There are certain authors/books I will re-read, but for the rest, I'll read them once and be done. For this reason, it's very rare that I will actually buy a book. My favorite author is probably Vince Flynn - LOVE novels about the CIA. I also enjoy Nicholas Sparks, David Baldacci, Tom Clancy's newer ones (that he co-wrote, but that still follow the Jack Ryan character), etc.

I better get off of here and head to bed .... I hope I responded to everyone. If I forgot anyone I'll get to you next time. Happy workouts everyone!

KARA
 
Cardio Core Circuit for me this morning - after my set of pushups.

I sort of feel silly since this book is not a book I would have ever read in the past because I like murder mysteries. Patricia Cornwell is one of my favorites! I also read Nancy Clark's Sports Nutrition Guidelines (very good information BTW). So usually I read murder-related or fitness/nutrition.
However, my coworker turned me on to a plain 'ol simple, fun-to-read prequel to Peter Pan... Peter and the Starcatchers. It really is a relaxing book that just takes me away to a new, fun place. I never have even SEEN Peter Pan the Disney movie!
 
Good morning everyone :)

Today's workout is supposed to be Muscle Max. Instead I'm doing TBT Total Body premix+Intensity 15min bootcamp. Lots of push-ups in both :eek:

If anyone would like to join me, I am doing this rotation in April to get me prepared for May STS/Shock Cardio rotation:

http://cathe.com/forum/f100/dec-10-rotation-279800/

I've been eying it for a long time, and I even think I suggested a few times. I received some Visa Gift Cards for my b-day last week, and so I'm going to see if I can use them here to purchase Hi-Reps & STS TB so I can do the rotation to a T.

Kara
I used to be huge reader before I had Izabella. I would read everyday on the bus & train to/from work. Now I spend all my "alone time" working out, so there goes the reading. I just recently bought a new Dean Koontz (I love his stuff) called The Darkest Evening Of The Year. I also want to read the Hunger Games Trilogy. I've read the entire Harry Potter series and all of Dan Brown's books too. Angels & Demons is my all-time favorite book. There nothing like immersing yourself in a good read while sipping a warm cup of tea.
You should be proud that you master your workouts. At least you can do them w/proper form and get the most out of your w/o's without wasting time. CCC really has no learning curve, like step. The moves are very straightforward. My only gripe is that's it's so physically demanding, cardio-wise, that I really have to psych myself up to do it. The fun factor is also lacking. Hope you have a great week :)
Jennifer
I hope you got a better sleep last night. I suffer from insomnia quite a bit. There is nothing worse than losing sleep consecutively.
As far as you saying you don't live an active lifestyle, I would say otherwise. You workout to Cathe, that's being very active IMO!! Most people I know don't do any form of cardio (not even walking) and they don't lift weights EVER. I'm telling my aunt, who recently lost a lot of weight through dieting only, that she should try walking on her treadmill or outside. She complains about being flabby and I told her to try some light toning. She just laughs.
Have fun w/CCC today. Is this your first time with it?
Dana
It's so great you are sticking to your rotation. Can I be honest with you? Don't worry about not owning S&G and LIC. They are great w/o's, but you don't really need them IMO. What you are doing to substitute is more than enough. You have the best workouts from that series IMHO.
South America sounds amazing!!! I have friends from Equador, very friendly and hospitable. My sister-in-laws went to Argentina 2 years ago for 1 month! I have been dying to visit Central America, mainly Costa Rica. The black sand looks so awesome. Ahhhh I love to travel :)

Have a great day ladies :)
 
Good afternoon everyone! Last night was supposed to Hardcore Extreme but I watched an episode of Spartacus instead and by the time I actually started the workout I was too tired and just went to bed after about 5 minutes. I tried to do a few pushups but I am super sore from STS on Monday. Tonight is STS legs...I think I will go with the squat rack routines again. I bought a barbell pad from Sports Authority on Monday for a decent price so I am ready to try it out!

I love to read as well and go in these massive spurts. Sometimes I will go months without reading and then suddenly starting reading like crazy. Last night's laziness was partially attributed to reading more of Rhino Ranch than I had intended. I will read just about anything except romance novels. If you guys have any recommendations, I would love to hear them!

Jennifer
Thanks for the info about the Dyson vacuums! I had been looking at the Dysons for a long time but never made the leap because they are so expensive. I have a Eureka Boss which my ex-husband insisted we get since that was Consumer Reports best pick. It has done pretty well and does seem to have really good suction. I have a large Aussie mix that sheds a lot and most of the time my son can play on the floor without getting any hair on him at all!

Also, thanks for the good info on Cycle Max with the trainer. I have been thinking about getting one for along time but I never made the jump yet. There is a gym at work with a couple of spin bikes and a DVD player. Maybe I will get Cycle Max and try to do it at work first before leaping into the trainer. Performance Bikes has their TravelTrac fluid trainer with a block and sweat net for only $180 right now which seems like a great deal. Of course the weather is warming up so it will be easier to ride outside. Decisions, decisions, decisions!

Like Natty, I hope you are able to get some sleep soon. It's no fun at all to feel exhausted and tired.

I feel bad about the fires too. It turns out that at least two people died after all. It was an elderly couple that I guess didn't make it out in time. So sad...a lot of areas in the state are really dry right now. It might be a bad year for fires.

Kara
I love the library too! I am like you as well in that I rarely re-read book so it makes more sense to get them from the library. They have a huge selection of Easy Reader books to at this one library branch. We like to go there every so often and stock up to help my son with his reading. The fact that the branch isn't too close to us is how we get in trouble with the fines. We check out alot of books and then if I forget to renew them it's very easy for the fines to add up quickly. Our library offers a lot of DVD rentals too so we rarely pay to rent movies. It's a nice system! I think you are smart for placing a hold and then just running in and picking them up. A good use of your time if you ask me! :D

BTW, I was looking at some of the rotation because I am waffling (again!) on what I want to do after STS. Luckily Natty posted a thread awhile back that did a breakdown of them. There were some good fat burning ones. I may do the January '09 Rotation which is a fat burning one or join Natty with her rotation instead of doing P90X. I don't think I am ready to switch from Cathe yet and I can always borrow my friend's DVDs another time. If you are interested in maybe doing the fat loss on with me, just let me know!

Natty
I was able to make it to the store last night and get the dates for the LaraBars. The store actually had their own date creation which was mashed dates rolled in coconut with a sliced almond on top! Very tasty! I am with you on the chocolate front. I have the stuff to make dark chocolate and coconut LaraBars. I was thinking about your prune comment at the store and it made me smile. A ton of mashed up prunes would probably not be a good thing! LOL

Have a good day everyone!
 
After a good night's rest (thank you, friends) I was able to do Cardio Core Circuit and practice additional pushups. I'm already feeling my shoulders and biceps. The overload principle might help or not; keep going through the burn for a week or so or should I take a rest? any thoughts?

Natty, I'm in on the Dec rotation for muscle confusion! Also, the reason I don't consider myself "active" is because other than working out I don't do a lot of activity. How is your back feeling?
BTW, I've done CCC tons of times; I love it; my problem is that I can't do everything in the routine because of back issues but I still work hard and do exercises with similar burn/sucking wind fashion. I LOVE mountain climbers with the disks


Stacie, price does not mean quality that's for sure! Consumer Reports has great information! I wonder if Dyson was rated or how long ago it was. Humm... maybe I should look at the Eureka Boss!
Let me know how it goes with Cycle Max - a gym with a DVD player sounds cool!

TTYlater!
 
I took a rest day yesterday because I was just tired! I made up Plyo Legs this morning. I will finish STS 3.5 rotation tommorrow. I skipped the rest week between Meso 2 and 3 so I would finish just in time for Spring Break which will be a total rest week for me. I hope to get in some pushups and abs though.

This morning I did 3 sets of push ups-----20---15---16.

Natty---I have never done that rotation but you will have fun with High Reps and STS total body. I thought I loved Muscle Max until I got High Reps. One thing I don't like about High Reps is she using the weights for warm up instead of the traditional low impact cardio to get warmed up. I don't like using the weights as I warm up so I just move around like I normally would. I am thinking about pyramid down or undulating rotation when I get back from spring break. Oh yeah----I forgot to tell you that we are staying at Beaches family resort which is very expensive. It's our first big vacation so I hope it is worth every penny. My family is not extremely picky and I don't go on vacation looking for what can go wrong, so we expect to have a blast!

Jennifer---Wow---interesting about the Dyson. I never owned one but thought about getting one a few years ago but couldn't bring myself to spend that much money on a vacuum cleaner.

Fargomom---we don't travel much either. It was years before we started taking a regular summer vacation. It was easier to budget for a vacation after we no longer had any day care expenses.

Oh well---gotta run. I have to take my son to school early to finish a project.
 
Good morning ladies :)

Yesterday's w/o was TBT Total Body premix (50min)+ MMA boxing later on in the evening (I had a little extra energy :cool:). It was my first time doing MMA Boxing, and I LOVED it!! My fav of the 3 MMA's that for sure.

During TBT, I was able to complete all of the first set of soldier plank push-ups (with 1 arm and leg extended. I think that's what they're called). I was also able to do half of the foot cross-over push-ups (those have always been very difficult for me). I upped my weight for the plank triceps kickbacks to 8lbs from 5lbs. I can see my UB strength improving, which I'm proud of.

I have come to the realization that I certainly need more weights. I have an adjustable dumbbell weight set but the weight increases are "off" to me because the bars weigh 3lbs. So for heavy weights, I can go from 13 lbs (that's 2 x 5lbs + bar weight), and then 18 lbs (add 2 x 2.5lbs). No in between :confused:. Plates that are 1.5 lbs are very rare to find. Choosing weight selection is such an art. I envy Cathe (or anyone else) who has every single weight at their finger tips.

Heartymax
Congrats for almost completing STS!!! The STS undulation rotation looks amazing. I was eying that one too :D
Beaches has an excellent reputation. Do you ever go on Trip Advisor? I just went to look at your resort and it got a 2012 award!! (sorry, I just can't help myself :eek:).The reviews are phenomenal too. The beach is pristine white and gorgeous, reminds me of Cayo Largo in Cuba. If I can suggest you go snorkeling, if you have never been. Probably one of the greatest experiences of my life (besides having a child of course). My last vacation, we went on a catamaran tour, and pretty much jumped off into the middle of the ocean. The Cuban guy didn't even offer life jackets :confused:. All-you-can-drink booze on the boat and a lobster feast :eek:. Good times ;).
Jennifer
I'm glad you can join me on the rotation! My back is better, thank you for asking :)
Stacie
The Jan '09 rotation looks CRRAAZZY! If that does not get you in tip top shape fast, I don't know what will.
For reading, I recommend Bentley Little, Dean Koontz, John Sandford, Dan Brown, Steven King (lol I like horror as you can see), all the Harry Potter books (which are surprisingly not very kiddish). If you like fantasy, Lord of The Rings and The Hobbit are wonderful reads too. I heard the Hunger Games trilogy is amazing.
LOL too many prunes probably would not be good. You'd need to have a washroom handy at all times :D

Have a great day everyone!
 
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fargomom said:
3 days a week of cardio, one leg day, one full body weight workout, one circuit workout and a rest day (maybe more cardio will help burn the body fat better/faster). The latter rotation is what I did the last time I wanted to lose weight and it worked well. So, we'll see.
KARA
Click to expand...

I found a rotation similar to the one you described. It includes running and I know you like that :D

http://cathe.com/forum/f100/march-09-rotation-259725/

It has 1 UB, 1 LB, 1 Circuit and cardio + core if you want to give it extra attention.

Check it out!
 
Hi everyone,

I feel like I have missed a lot on the forum. Tuesday night my husband and I had a date night, spent the night in the city and ate at Rick Bayless' Mexican Restaurant Frontera Grill. It was fantastic and the Margaritas are superb. Yesterday was a rest day. I know you need a rest day, but yesterday my mood was very melancholy. I really need those workouts to enhance my mood.

My daughter's bump doesn't hurt any more and the inflammation is down. We go back to the doc to get it checked out but my nerves have subsided. Now the focus shifts to my puppy (she'll be a year in June). She has been having issues with her neck and was on Rimadyl and it was really helping. After picking her up from the boarding place, she was screaming in pain a lot (I know it sounds funny that I say she is screaming, but seriously that's what it sounds like). So we dropped her off at the vet this morning for x-rays. YIKES, it's one thing after another. So glad I am off of work this week, otherwise I don't know how I'd squeeze it all in.

Today's workout was Cardio Kicks. I started with 2lb weight gloves and that was a mistake. Had to drop down to my 1 lb ones halfway through the 1st segment. I found the first segment to be harder than the combos in either KPC or KM, but the drills were easier. Overall I liked it a lot. I added on Jillian Michael's 6 week 6 pack, level 1. That was bit too much. I think you can get great results from that workout but she doesn't have smooth transitions and the fast shifting from one move to another really bugs my back. Probably would have been fine if it wasn't an add-on to a pretty tough workout.

Jennifer
I have no idea how you could add on B&G to Cardio Kicks. That is another 1+ hour workout WOW! That is awesome.

Natty
I like Jari Love too, but it does get to be too repetive when you are doing squats for 4-5 minutes, even with varying the count. I like RTTC and S&L a lot as well. Get Ripped 1000 is fun too, as I like the cardio bursts (I haven't done Get Extremely Ripped 1000 yet). I also like Ripped and Chiseled. That is a phenomenal upper body workout! One of the hardest I have done.

Tomorrow marks the end of the Feb 2012 rotation, and I am sad to see it end. I have been undecided on what to do next, because I really would like to focus on the lower body, so I was torn between another LB focused workout and the January 2011 rotation. Then Stacie posted the Jan 2009 rotation and I was ready to do that one. That has 4DS in it and I miss it :) But after thinking it over (for probably 20 minutes), the Jan 2009 rotation has a lot more weight focus so I think I will revert to my initial choice and do the fat blasting January 2011 before getting into STS in May. The Jan 2011 is tough, and I don't think I will we able to do it all. I only workout 5 days a week, and those workouts are long making it very hard/impossible to double up on a weekend. I am contemplating getting up at 4am one day a week to squeeze in a workout before I go into the office, but not sure if I can/want to do that.

One final note on the library topic. I like to place holds on books too, even if they are on the shelf. My library has a drive up window, and I can just pick up my books that way. How's that for lazy.... see... not very active outside my workouts :D

Have a great day
 
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