Push It

[Jenniferlove]

Happy Tuesday!
I am glad to say that I kicked some butt Monday... in the morning I did my pushups (no change) and then did Lower Body Blast. After work I did Total Body's warmup and Upper body only. Ya know what I notice, though, it seems my lower body is not as sore as it is after doing Butts and Guts... it could be that I'm in better condition since the last time I did B&G, or it could be that I just respond to that w/o better. I'll have to try B&G again and see what happens.

This morning I felt like I needed a light workout so I did MMA Kickbox; it's in the rotation so I felt good about doing that one instead of Intensity (which I may or may not do tomorrow morning). I had to stop several times to review the 3rd MMA combo but I finally got it down. I was glad that at least I did something (thanks to you all motivating me!), and tomorrow I will be in the mood to kick it up.

Stacie, I totally hear you on the Low Impact Challenge (3rd?) combo - I had a hard time with that one, too. I know it's a bit annoying to have to stop. It won't be long now before you plow through it
Can you believe someone posted that they want more complex step?! I hope Cathe doesn't see that one!
Glad you got time with your sister and family (but sorry about the junk food). As for the workout shoes, that is a bummer and I can relate; I recently had to return a pair of shoes because after a couple weeks they pretty much just hurt the top of my foot. I love Asics Gel, by the way. Well, at least your pants are falling off And GREAT job on the pushups!

Natty, I agree - love your new picture! As for your back, I hope you figure it out soon. You don't think it's the deadlifts anymore? And - - sometimes I hate Cathe, too! I think (er, I mean I did) cuss a little during Total Body.
I haven't tried doing a strength and endurance workout on the same day but that is an interesting concept and sounds like a great idea; thank you!

As for the destination wedding, sorry you're not be able to go. I am with Susan, though, when it comes to going away to get married. My/husband's wedding... we went to Jamaica and didn't invite anyone but a few close friends. It worked out really well; got a lot of bang for our buck plus, I only had to buy a white sundress instead of a wedding gown, and - most of all - our wedding was all about US; we didn't have to worry about anyone else. A few months later we had a big party and invited the rest of our friends and family, and by then we were able to share our wedding pictures.
Anyway, think of all the Cathe workouts you won't miss And I bet seeing Little Bella in her flowergirl dress will make you forget all about it.

Susan, Great news about your shoulder! Also, as long as things are going well I think that 1 circuit workout plus Strength and/or Endurance 2x/week is fine as long as your body is okay with it and, of course, you're getting plenty of rest and good nutrition. In fact, I am considering throwing one in myself... just not sure where it will fit yet - maybe I need to do Circuit Blast tomorrow instead of Intensity. Also, I don't know if it would be good to that on a regular basis; I guess your body will let you know.

Heartymax, do I hear a woot! woot!?! Congratulations on your pushup count increase! I am jealous! You are inspiring.
Sounds like you deserve that cute swim suit, and you will look and feel great in it!

Toni, good job on the weights! Keep it up!

Kara and Dana, hope all is well

Take care ladies!

 

[fargomom]

Greetings!

Sorry I have been MIA. I'm getting prepped to go out of town later this week and have spent much of my free time, as of late, making a list of what to pack, packing things up and checking things off my packing list. It's been hard enough to fit in my workouts lately, let alone post on here. I'm not sure how much I will be on in the coming days, but I will try!

Workouts ....
--Today I did SJP - the premix of just the warmup, step portion and hi/lo. I'm not a huge fan of that w/o, but I wanted something I hadn't done in a while. It was fun and a good cardio workout. Just what I needed for today.
--Yesterday was Muscle Endurance (my 4th time doing it this month). I've said it before, but I'll say it again, I love this workout!!
--Sunday was a 5K run. Beautiful day & hardly no wind. My daughter rode along side me on her bike. A fun girls outing! I hope she always sees me exercising and wants to do it with me. Kids learn by example, or so they say.

Natty - I like your new pic! So cute that your daughter will be a flower girl! My daughter will be one as well, in my brother's wedding this summer.

Jennifer - Good job on your kick butt workout! Thanks for checking in with me even though I haven't been on here lately.

Stacie - Congrats on the looser fitting pants!!! Your hard work is paying off! It took me about 4 times through on LIC to finally catch on ... hang in there!

Susan - Glad to hear your shoulder is feeling better! I'm jealous you're planning to go to the Dells. It's on my bucket list - would love to take my kiddos there!

Heartymax - You are rocking those pushups, woman! So inspiring! I'm sure you will look awesome in your bikini!

Toni - I loved hearing about your daughter's party! I don't think they have spa parties around here, not that I've heard anyway. I'd love to do something like that for my daughter one day though!

I hope I didn't forget anyone and SORRY for the short responses. I need an 8th day to my week and 3 more hours each day and then maybe I could fit everything in right now.

Tomorrow I'll be doing a circuit workout, but not sure which one. I'm deciding between Circuit Blast or High Step Circuit. The former I've never done and the latter hasn't been done by me in a l-o-n-g time. Anyone wanna make a suggestion? Or maybe I should tackle Intensity - doesn't that have some sort of circuit or bootcamp premix? I had a lot of fun with that workout last week.

KARA

 

[mini-natty]

Good morning everyone

Yesterday's w/o was LBB. My DH came home from work while I was doing it, and I hate people watching/interrupting me, so I keep the door closed always. Doesn't he slide his phone under the door while using an app to transform a pic of me as a zombie making growling noises. At first I was kinda pissed off (I HATE having to stop, especially when I'm in the groove ) but then I started to laugh. Those apps are hilarious! He also has me as an 80yr old....ewww......I think that one was worse than the zombie .

Susan
I'm so happy to hear your shoulder is feeling better . You even did 16 push-ups on your toes?! I have 2 good shoulders, so what's my excuse? You are one fierce woman.
I'm also wondering about my STS rotation and what cardio/circuit I am going to include. You seem very organized and prepared, I'll tell you that! I also want to include 1 circuit w/o so I can hit all the body parts 2X during the week. I need to work legs 2X, I know that for sure. I have a sample of my rotation. Perhaps you can do one also, we can show each other and offer feedback. I do much better w/visuals.
I think you should start on the original date you planned for 5/7. It's summer and the weeks might end up getting disrupted by summer time fun anyway (well in my case they will be ).
Stacie
Congrats on loose fitting pants!! Yay!! That must make you feel so amazing!!! Great job on the push-ups too.......at 1am even!! Holy man, I don't know how you do it, but you do.
I'm sorry to hear about the shoes. It sucks when that happens. I just recently got a pair of K Swiss (usually I'm a Nike girl) and they are working out great for high impact. My knee's don't feel as achy. JM wears K Swiss you know .
I'm happy to hear about your son also. He seems like such a sweet and smart boy.
Heartymax
Thanks for the Avatar love .
Slow & Heavy always appealed to me. Concentrating on lifting/lowering the weight looks like it would fatigue the muscles better instead of rushing through the reps. You enabler you!
Jennifer
I have MMA Kickbox this week too and I was going to bi-pass it....you've inspired me to give it a go.
Thanks for the Avatar love also .
LOL when I said strength/endurance together, I think I meant on the same rotation, during the week, not on the same day . My wording was wrong, I apologize . Mixing up STS TB w/ High Reps has made my muscles respond nicely. Perhaps that's why Cathe called it muscle confusion . I'm glad to see you've enjoyed this rotation too.
As far as my back, I'm not sure what happened with STS TB. I did MM instead and my back was fine the next day (I even went heavier). I have no idea what exercise was causing the pain.
Kara
Great job on keeping up with your workouts! I love SJP! Super fun .
I hope you have a wonderful out-of-town vacation.
You are right, children DO learn by example. You will be the most important influence in your children's lives. It's wonderful they have a mother like you who can lead by example and show them healthy lifestyle habits.


Gotta run! Have a wonderful day ladies

 

[heartymax]

Toni----Did you say that you like GS Chest and Triceps?????? I thought I needed my pulse checked for saying I liked After Burn.:eek Congrats on getting through all the push ups. I take a longer rest than Cathe, but I feel proud finishing the push ups.

Natty----Sorry for tempting you. I remember wanting S&H for a long time too. It took me a while, but I did eventually grab it on sale. It is so different from anything else she has made so I do like it. IT CAN WAIT-----just keep it on your list. I do not like being bothered when I workout either. During spring break, there were days that my mother would sit and try to talk to me during my workout. How do you make your 73 year old mother understand that you don't want to talk at that time. By the way----is your butt sore today from LBB



Kara---thanks for the quick check in. Enjoy your trip.

Stacie----Kudos on the loose pants! Awesome feeling. Glad to hear that the teachers took the time to send home a nice note with your son. Kids respond very well to praise. There is a kid at my school that was having a difficult time and I started him on a behavior chart and he earns so many points a day. He checks out with me at the end of the day and takes a copy of his chart home and the parents has a reward system set up for him. Amazingly, he has turned around and has had great days since we started the chart. I do a chart for some kids and it never works but I am so happy that he likes it and he is so happy to get the cool comments from his teachers and the hugs and Kudso from his parents each day.

Jennifer----Butts and Gutts leaves me with DOMS all the time. Your lower body is shaping up nicely girl.


Today was After Burn! Sliding Push ups are still a killer. This workout has some fun factor to it. Did I say that????

 

[TRSTACIE]

Good morning everyone! Last night was a bust -- I fell asleep super early by accident. I think the dog was punishing me for giving him a bath so he didn't wake me up like usual. I wish I could say it was a restful sleep but I woke up a lot. This morning I partially made up for it by doing a premix of Afterburn this morning. I have to say...I actually kinda liked it today! (I am just as surprised as HeartyMax...LOL). My son was making all sorts of "motivating" comments which had me both amused and annoyed. Some of the more memorables ones were: "Why are you doing those so slow? Cathe is doing them fast." This was in reference to mountain climbers. "When you stand up you need to lift your arms up in the air like Cathe does." This was in reference to the sliding pushups. My response to him was that I was lucky to even be able to stand up! At one point, I did tell him he was welcome to join me! Next time I will threaten him with firewalkers.

Susan
I have never worn a two piece bathing suit either! I even used to wear a t-shirt all the time over my swimsuit until my ex talked me out it. My parents are super conservative and a bikini would have never flown. My mom still makes comments about my attire now and then. She says I wear short shirts and every single one of them goes to at least my hips. My sister and I were actually talking about that last weekend.

Toni
Awesome job on the pushups in GS! I have heard it starts with a crazy pushup sequence. It's on my rotation for next week and I am excited to try it out! I am totally with you on CCC. There were a ton of workouts I didn't get because of the jumping and my knees before the wonderful braces. CCC is hard but it has some fun factor to it.

Jennifer
I tried on the ASICS gel shoes and they felt kinda tight on the toes for me. There are reasons for when I used to shoe shop with my mom that she would tell me maybe I should just wear the shoeboxes! I have big feet (think Hobbit style ). I was reading about the Rykas and they said they were wider on the toes. Very very tempting.

BTW, I am jealous that you and Natty have the MMA boxing DVD!

Kara
It's always great to hear from you! I am glad that you keeping up with the workouts even though life is getting crazy. SJP is a crazy workout. I remember the first time I did the hi/lo one I actually checked the remote to make sure I hadn't accidentally pushed the fast forward button. Nope -- they actually were moving that fast! Fantastic job on getting it done! Have a fun and safe trip!

Natty
Funny comment about JM and K-Swiss since she spends more time in her DVDs walking around talking! Glad to hear your shoes are working out! I did think about your shoes the other day but I wanted to maybe see how much the shoes will be at the Nike outlet first. My other workout shoes were Nike Pegasus and they were awesome even though they were a running shoe.

My son is a sweet little boy...well...most of the time. I am jealous though that you have a little girl. Last weekend I spent some time with my 2 year old niece and I had fun putting little pigtails in her hair. My son would never go for that!

HeartyMax
I think I actually respond better to positive feedback about my son as well. I know that after a time I start to get really negative about things when all I hear are bad things. One thing that is still going on that I am not fond of is that his teacher isolated him on an "island". He sits somewhere in the classroom all by himself away from all the kids. I hate to see him ostracized like that. He said it makes him feel sad and lonely. I realize the teacher needs to have a nice quiet classroom and I know he was talking a lot when she rearranged the classroom but it still kinda bothers me. I am going to try to talk to her to see what needs to take place to get him back with the other kids.

Happy Hump Day everyone! Two more days until the weekend...woot!

 

[atompki1]

Afternoon!

Today was GS Back Shoulders and Biceps. I was a bit intimidated when I previewed the workout. There's a lot going on in there!! I survived, but it was tough! I need to make some weight changes on some of the exercises. I think I can go a touch up on back and I need to go a touch lighter on shoulder. Shoulders was by far the hardest. That band is just pure evil!! I'm going to lighten the shoulder presses from 12 to 10 pounds. I could barely do the band shoulder work after those chest presses, so I want to back off a bit so I can get some good band work going. Biceps weren't too bad. Made it through with a 25lb barbell, which was just enough to allow me to continue without stopping for more rest. I went very light on the split bicep curls(5lbs). I'm going to up that next week and see how it feels.

I was supposed to do CoreMax 2. I wasn't even gonna attempt it after the GS, my upper body was fried. I tried it in the afternoon, but when I attempted that very first rollout it became quite clear to me that CoreMax was NOT gonna happen today...LOL! I'll make it up tomorrow.

Oh, I've also been doing 30 min of elliptical before the GS workouts. Forgot to mention that. I need the extra calorie burn for a few weeks.

Fargomom
Good to see you back! May I ask what type of trip you are planning?
When the time comes for your daughters party, check out the local spas in your area. Some of them have youth birthday packages. We did that one year also.

Natty
DH is a brave soul for messing with you during a workout...LOL! I like to workout when no one is around also.

HeartyMax
I like what the GS workouts will do for me, not nessecarily the workout itself . I'm 5'8' at 135lbs. My frame is small/medium and I'm not very curvy. So when I thin out I lose quite a bit of booty and chest. I can deal with the small butt, but I need more upper body presence to help build myself just a slight bit of a curve. My husband is finally starting to understand my body style. He kept showing me pictures of women that were a bit heavier and saying that they look nice. And they absolutely did, but everyone of those women had a flat belly. My body does not operate that way(much to my dismay). Either my entire body is thin with a flat belly, or I have a bigger butt and chest with a muffin top. He's just gonna have to deal with my smaller behind...LOL!!

 

[atompki1]

I had to run and take my daughter to cheerleading practice and forgot to ask tow questions of everyone.

Is anyone using the workout manager and if so how do you like it?

What is everyone doing for meal plans, if you do any type of meal planning. I hate calling it a diet. I'm trying to find something that I can just do as a lifestyle.

 

[mini-natty]

I had to run and take my daughter to cheerleading practice and forgot to ask tow questions of everyone.

Is anyone using the workout manager and if so how do you like it?

What is everyone doing for meal plans, if you do any type of meal planning. I hate calling it a diet. I'm trying to find something that I can just do as a lifestyle.

Hi Toni,

I'm not a pro with the w/o manager. I'm being forced to familiarize myself with it for STS in May, but either than that, I've rarely touched the program. I'll leave that up to Stacie & Heartymax, and I think Susan. I believe they use it the most.

As far as dieting and meal plans, I'm like you, I won't call it a diet. For me, it's a lifestyle. I've never adhered to any specific meal plans and I've never done Atkins, WW, Southbeach, Paleo, ect. I'm a healthy eating-portion control-everything in moderation type of chick. I will not deprive myself of foods I enjoy/love and eliminating food groups from my diet does not work. I eat whole grains, lots of veggies, beans, tofu, soy, almond and coconut milk, fruits, nuts, nut butters, canola and olive oil, lean (and sometimes not so lean ) protein. I enjoy worldly cuisine; Thai, Japanese, Jamaican and Indian being my fav (although my heritage is Italian, I've eaten way too much pasta in my lifetime). To some it up, if I need to lose a few lbs, I reduce my portions, count some calories and exercise/walk more. Nothing fancy. I was able to lose 50lbs post-pregnancy that way, it suits my life and it works for me.

What do you do Toni? I couldn't help but read about your body description to Heartymax. I'm pear-shape with lots and lots of booty, hips and thighs I can spare. If you're willing to do a transplant, I can let go of a few inches . By your Avatar pic, I think you look great.

Have a good night

 

[heartymax]

Wow Toni---I was thinking about posting my frustration with the same thing. You could have written that for me. I am 5ft 7 and my weight range is normally 142 lbs. and i wear a size 6 I am currently at 140 as I want a flatter stomach. As I focus on cleaning up my diet more , I lose my booty. I don't want to loose my curve but I know that is what happens every time. I also don't want to be a size 4. Anytime I drop below 140 I will look skinny "for my preference " . I wanted to drop a few temporary pounds for my all inclusive vacation but this creates frustration for me.

 

[heartymax]

I don't use the workout manager. I never did 1 rep max. I just estimated and keep track in the STS book.

 

[atompki1]

Natty
Thanks for the compliment! I love that dress! I was so happy when I felt like I could wear it

Right now I'm calorie counting, which isn't my favorite. To keep myself on track I do plan my meals. But its a real simple plan. I make one crock pot or oven meal and have that for lunch every day. I do the same thing for dinner. I also plan one mid morning and mid afternoon snack. Honestly, I plan the meals because if I don't I either won't eat or I will eat crap. Just spending two hours on the weekend makes things much less stressful for me the rest of the week.

And yes, please pass the booty this way..LOL!!


HeartyMax
I think I've decided that the summers I will thin out a bit, but the winter go closer to 140. The amount of belly I have at 140 is easy to hide with winter clothes...LOL! And I can have chips

 

[dmauden]

Hi everyone!

Today marks Day 3 of the Feb 2012 LB rotation for me. Monday was BodyMax2 - my first time! - & yesterday I subbed LowMax for Cycle or Step Max. I LOVE BM2!!! So glad that several of you on here influenced me to get that one. Tonight is HiiT 40/20, which I haven't done in a LONG time, so I hope my legs (& joints) are up to it.

Natty - too funny about your zombie & old lady pictures. I hadn't heard of an app like that. Ha! At least it gave you a good laugh. Lately, my husband has decided to drop in during the hardest part of whichever w/o I'm doing & begin talking about some issue with his business or discussing the fate of the free world (ok, maybe not that intense, but that's what it feels like!). I can barely breathe - I certainly can't think or talk! Gees.

Susan - Glad to hear your shoulder is better & that you are back in working order!

Kara - Enjoy your trip this week! And um, I agree that the UB portion of BM2 is magical. If by magical you mean seeing stars & crescent moons & maybe some semblance of fireworks. Because that's what happened to me! WOW. By the end of triceps, I had dropped to NO weight, after first dropping from 5 lbs to 3. Ouchie!

Stacie - Congrats on the positive feedback your son received. Good news for both of you, I'm sure!

Jennifer -white sundress for a small wedding in Jamaica sounds wonderful! I bet it was beautiful. I wanted something similar but ended up going the more traditional route after all. DH promises me a "vow renewal" sometime down the road which will involve just the 2 of us, a beach, & a white sundress.

Hearty max - thanks for the encouragement!

Hearty max & Toni - good work on the bikinis. Well-deserved!

Gotta go. Keep up the good work & have a great week everyone!
Dana

 

[susanzabo]

Hi everyone,
Not much to report in the way of push up performance. Yesterday was my off day and today I did Bootcamp. I haven’t done that one in about 1.5 years and it was fun. I went very easy on the pushups. I think she did 4 regular, and then 2 with 2 count down 2 count up. She cycled through it multiple times (4 or 5 cycles maybe), I did one cycle on my toes, the rest on my knees. I know I have lost all progress in the way of pushups, and now I am gun shy… afraid to push myself as I am sure that was the cause of my shoulder issue.

Toni – glad your knee brace is working out for you. Doesn’t it feel good when you don’t have the physical limitations?

Jennifer - I am hoping to tackle MMA kickbox on my lunch hour today. I am still in this crazy rotation where some days there are 2 workouts. I am kind of winging it now with my shoulder, but by the time I start STS I want to have done all of the workouts (despite the fact the 4 week rotation is turning into 6!) I find LBB to be much easier than B&G, but it is more fun… there is no dread factor for me. I am thinking of doing B&G on the weekend, it’s been a while and I am hoping for some DOMS… is that odd? Probably!

Natty – I too love your new picture. Such a pretty mommy! I like that you call me organized and prepared. Better than what I call myself: crazy and anal! I need a plan for everything. I am one of those people that prep food days in advance (slice apples, portion out yogurt, etc) so that I am ready to go with snacks when needed. I have meals planned for the week, workouts planned, oh the list goes on and on. I haven’t actually sat down and figured out a rotation for STS, but I really should do that. As soon as I do, I will send it to you. I know for sure I won’t do hers with Shock Cardio, as I don’t love that series and although I will try to do them all throughout the 3.5 months, I need some more intense stuff in there. Great idea about doing LB twice per week. Since I only work out 5 days per week, that will be tough, but I may add an extra LB once in a while and skip a cardio.

Kara – I totally understand finding it hard to find the time to post. I even have a hard time keeping up with the reading. The group may kick me out soon. As for SJP, I have only done the step portion, and I love it. I have been anxious to do the whole thing, but now maybe not so much. I will move that down my list of workouts to do.

Heartymax and Toni – I am like you guys, 5’7” and weigh around 140. I fluctuate up to 145 and down to 138. I am pretty large boned though, and also find it hard to get a booty. I have to work so hard at it, that’s why I do so many LB workouts.

Dana- So glad you love BM2. I find the music great, and the workout covers so much ground and is so versatile. The UB portion is an easy add on to a circuit workout if you want more focus on that area. The step is pretty challenging but short enough to add on after weights. LOVE IT! I can’t wait to hear how you like the rotation as you move forward. It’s taking all the will power I have to not do that rotation one more time before I start STS.

 

[mini-natty]

Hello everyone

Rough night, Bella developed a pretty high fever . I think it might be the same stupid respiratory infection she gets repeatedly. I can hear the wheezing in her chest and she was snoring on/off all night. Break out those inhalers . I'm starting to think the first year of her life was pure bliss for the both of us. She never got sick and slept amazingly. I should have count my blessings, that was pure luck. Damn it, I should have went to Vegas (that's on my bucket list BTW).
Yesterday was my rest day. Today, out of sleep deprivation exhaustion hallucination (a real condition I assure you), I downloaded Body Max 2 . It was only $13 w/the discount, and with all you bad, bad enablers here, I just could not help myself. My DH is coming home early today, and so I plan on doing the full 90min since I will be making this week a 5-day workout week. I need to add cardio + strength together so what better way to do it . Wish me luck! Did I mention you guys are naughty enablers?

Heartymax
I had no idea you never used the workout manager. I thought all STS veterans loved it . You never did the 1RM either? Did you just increase your weights accordingly? Please tell...
Dana
Funny about your DH talking about stuff while you are huffing and puffing away.
I hope you enjoy the Feb great booty rotation. 40/20 is pure evil. I swear lots during it. I even laugh, and as Cathe says, "when you laugh, you know you're tired". So true. Please come back and tell us how your first time was.
Susan
Thanks for the Avatar love, you made me blush . I love how organized you are. I'm more of a fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants kinda person. Except when it came to my full-time job. I had to be super anal and organized there. After a lot of consideration, I have decided to do the STS/Shock Cardio rotation, but I will not hesitate to substitute with other cardio if the mood strikes me.
The ladies at my other check-in (STS veterans now) have advised me not to add any more UB/LB to the rotation until I get familiar with workouts. They say I will probably be very sore and need enough active recovery.
Do you think your shoulder injury was caused by the push-ups?
Stacie
I wonder if that's how my daughter will act (like your son) watching me do my exercises when she gets older. I'm thinking yes. She is super opinionated . He sounds super cute though .
I notice in STS, Cathe and crew are wearing Nike. BTW, holy moly Robert really is super hot. I have been previewing my discs and me likey .
The Walking Dead season 2, LOVED IT! I'm glad Shayne croaked. Now I'm waiting for, oh no what's her name, Rick's wife? To get eaten by a zombie. HATE HER.


Have a great night everyone

 

[heartymax]

My son has pneumonia so I have been home a few days. He also has asthma so he has to have multiple daily nebulizer treatments. Yesterday was a long day and the doctors and I was just exhausted this morning and I have slept along with DS today.

Natty- I just guessed my weight for Meso 1 and adjusted as needed. For example, I could bicep 15 pounds dumbells for one set and would drop to 12 for other two sets when doing Cathe workouts. When I started STS my goal was to immediately push myself and make 15lbs my light weight so I considered that my week one and increased from there each week. I ended up at 25 lbs db at end of Meso 3 my first time through and a little heavier when i recently did it I just calculated it in my head each week. Others on the forum didn't do 1rm either. I saw good results my first time around. Got compliment on looking leaner.

I love STS and can see myself doing it twice a year.

 

[TRSTACIE]

Good afternoon everyone! It has been a crazy day with Bring You Child to Work Day. It's so nice to have my little boy here though. All the kids are having a lot of fun so I think it's been a big success!

Last night I did Lower Body Blast....good workout. It wasn't too hard which was nice. I think next time I will definitely up the weights when I do it.

Toni
I use the workout manager quite a bit. I really like it. There have been some comments that the Met values maybe a bit off but without my own heart rate monitor I can't really say for sure. I would guess it's close though -- maybe on workout will be too high and another too low so it all balances itself out. It's not perfect but I like it!

Dana
Body Max 2 is soooo much fun! I am glad you are enjoying it. It was nice to hear from you as well.

Susan
No harm in taking it easy on the shoulder and slowly working your way back. I am sorry to hear that the push ups may have caused it too.

Natty
I have noticed Cathe does have a lot of Nike gear -- I would guess Nike pays her for product placement. I think I saw a couple of posts from her that she actually uses Rykas.

I was kinda sad to see Shane go in the Walking Dead...even though he was very dramatic there were times I thought he might be the only one grounded in reality. I thought a good plot twist would have been to kill off Lori (Rick's wife) then maybe Shane and Rick could have been able to work together for the sake of the group. Oh well...he's gone now! Maybe there will be some new eye candy for Season 3.

I am sorry to hear that you are having sleep problems. I know how the exhaustion can affect everything! At least you were able to turn it into a positive and get BM2!!!!

I hope Bella feels better soon -- nothing is worse for a parent than when their child is sick.

HeartyMax
I am sorry your son is so sick too. I hope he feels better soon.


TTYL everyone!

 

[susanzabo]

Natty So sorry to hear about Bella, I hope she feels better soon and that her mommy doesn't get it. You were just sick and have STS to do Congrats on BM2! I am so excited for you, I can't wait to hear your opinion. BTW, I think it's over 90 minutes, closer to 100, hope you are ready. Good news on the STS front and extra LB work, I was kind of stressed when you said you would do 2 LB workouts a week, wasn't sure how I would make that happen, but I knew if you needed to do it, so did I as we both tend to focus on LB alot. I will follow the concept of STS/Shock Cardio, but will sub out some of the cardio as I see fit. My plan is the 3 STS workout sper week, and 3 cardios, so one day I will need to double up. I will probably do one of the shorter ones when I double up, like an Hiit... I might try to do 1 Hiit every week...we'll see. And yes, I do think the pushups are definitely part of the problem. I don't know if it's the only cause though.

Heartymax Sorry to hear about your son, pneumonia is rough. You stay well too. And holy cow on those biceps!!! You seriously amaze me with your strength. WOW!

Stacie How nice that you get to bring your son to work. My company stopped doing that a while ago... once my kids were old enough to participate. I like LBB too, not too tough and a huge fun factor. I find it hard to go heavy enough though just because the moves are pretty fast. I tend to repeat some of the tougher moves, along with the ones I love. I usually add on the one legged lunge (foot elevated behind you on the step and grimace in pain, that one kills me in LBB and B&G), squats, deadlifts and because I love them, I add on the warrior lunges. I think that might be my favorite move, it's so fun!

Jennifer I did MMA Kickbox today. It was one of the few I bought recently despite bad reviews and feedback from the forum. I actually liked it. It was easy cardiovascularly but I thought it was fun, and it was perfect for a lunch hour workout. Made me get up and move but not get sweaty. I am with you though, that 3rd combo was hard. When she ran through it the first few times, I literally stopped and stood there just staring. I wonder why people don't like it? Maybe because it doesn't get the heart rate up enough. I think it might be a good add on after a Hiit workout.

That's all for now. Good night everyone.

 

[heartymax]

Susan Remember at the end of Meso 3 you are not lifting that many reps so that is why one can go so heavy. I could never bicep that amount weight otherwise.

Natty-- Actually, I used to use the workout manager to keep track of my weight. I have just never used it to download a rotation and print out workout cards which is what many people do who are using STS. I have been an avid exerciser for many years but in 2009-2010 school year I was not consistent with my workouts and rarely didn't strength training and found myself gaining a little weight and my upper body not looking as defined. During summer vacation, I did not look cute in my tank tops and the pics showed that to ME regardless of what others may have though. I got refocused and made sure that I didn't go a period of time doing what I love. Everyone knows that i love to exercise and that it keeps my stress leve down. I remember recording my weight in the work out manager. I went back and looked Natty and I weighed 151 pounds in July 2010 when we returned from vacation. I knew I had gained 3 of those on vacation but it didn't matter------A new tens unit sent me in a crisis and I had to respond before it was too late. People say muscle has memory---well I can testify to that. About a month later I returned to school for work and a colleague gave me a compliment. I know that strength training makes a difference in how my body looks. I am comfortable at 140-142 pounds which is where I like to maintain my weight. I told my husband that I weighed 139 pounds before I had my first child 14 years ago and wore a size 8. Now I wear a size 6 and weigh 140-142----STRENGTH TRAINING!!!!! Sorry---I know you didn't ask me all that but I figured I would share.


DH is home today with son so I get to go and catch up on things at work.

This morning was S&H chest and back. Those planks at the end are very hard. I work my abs a few times a week but haven' t been doing the long abs lately so it was difficult getting through them without taking a break. I just focused on lifting the same weight as Cathe. The first exercise was chest press with 25 db. After the second set I felt that I needed to drop to 20 so I grabbed them. Right after I grabbed mine----Cathe said that she was feeling a little shacky at the end of that one so she was going to drop to 20----I just laughed. I guess I didn't have to feel to bad after all.

 

[mini-natty]

Hello ladies

Ok, so I got to experience the phenomena that is Body Max 2 . Of course, LOVED IT! My legs were still sore from LBB and so I bi-passed the LB weight work, but I did everything else. The step combo's were not as hard (choreo-wise) as I had expected. I guess I am getting significantly better...1 year later. I did the whole w/o on an 8inch, and was proud to have been able to keep up well. The one thing that did surprise me, was my cardio endurance. Even during the blasts, I never gasped for air, no breaks, no burning in my legs. I finished the cardio routine and was very proud. I know that's not an easy workout.
Heartymax
I appreciate you sharing your weight loss/strength training journey. What a wonderful accomplishment. I can also testify to the benefits of weight training. My lowest weight in my early 20's was 105 lbs, but I rarely picked up a weight. I was flabby and in no way better shape than I am now, 10 years later with one child and 10lbs heavier. You, Stacie and the other ladies from my check-in who have done STS, have really psyched me up for it. I really want to tone up more and see a little more muscle definition. It's very hard for me, as I don't gain muscle easily. My body, being very curvy, is reluctant to let go of some fat cells......except for the chest area .
I'm sorry to hear about your son. It's so hard when your children are sick. I hope he gets better soon.
Susan
I'm going to try and do 3 cardio sessions w/STS, but it will probably be more like 2. Summer time is very busy with fun outings on the weekends and plus I do lots of walking. I doubt I'll be rushing home to do CCC .
Nope, I won't do 2 LB workouts, so rest assured. Apparently major DOMS will strike .
Doubling up sounds like a good idea, especially w/one of the hiit's. Are you going to do 30min hiit + 30-45min steady state? I did that last week, Imax3 (step only, no blasts) + 30/30 and felt ok afterwards.
I hope your shoulder is recovering nicely.
Stacie
Your day yesterday sounded lovely. Take The Kids To Work Day is a great idea. I think they still do that here in Canada too.
I think I'm the only one that finds LBB hard for weight work. Those elevated lunges just burn the heck out of me. I have to stop.....and stop......and stop again just to make it through. You have some strong legs there mrs . Did you find Squat Rack helped you with strength and definition?


Have a great day ladies

 

[TRSTACIE]

Good afternoon! I started a reply this morning but work has been busy (which is awesome since it has been way too slow the past 6 weeks). Anyway, last night I did JM's Banish Fat Boot Metabolism. It was a good workout -- I liked it! I was also shocked to see that she did a lot of it with us (me and the crew that is!). I also noticed she did pull up her pants a few times...LOL. I liked that it didn't use any weights either. It's hard to find workouts that don't use some sort of weights. I was thinking about getting the Weider X-Factor ST discs simply because all the discs only use body weight. Something like that would be a good addition to my collection -- especially while doing STS.

HeartyMax
Way to go on the presses with the DBs! Very impressive -- even more so that you were tired and stressed. How is your son doing? Any improvement?

Natty & Susan
It was nice having all the kids here. It feels so quiet and kinda lonely in the office today. Great job on tackling those tough workouts -- especially Body Max on an 8 in step! Wow!

Btw, I did feel I got more definition with the squat racks discs. I really liked them. Squats are good for the entire body which is a little known fact that I read about online. I do notice having firmer obliques after STS. Like most women, I feel my tummy is my trouble area.


Gotta head to another meeting. Have a great day everyone!