Push It

[mini-natty]

Hi everyone

Yesterday's w/o was about 40min of the Fitness Fx vid's on you tube: Stomp (step), Fight (kickbox), Blast (floor cardio), Jump (plyo), Groove (dance). SO FUN! Groove caught me out of my comfort zone -- which is a good thing. I can't dance worth s**t, so I guess a little rhythm will do me some good . I have to see if I can purchase downloads of this series! The music is absolutely fabulous .

Heartymax
You looked awesome in that dress! You wore it damn well girl .

Stacie
I'm sorry about you boss being an A-hole . I've had my share of those sort of deadlines and meetings with manager's and Head Office executives . I think you did the absolute right thing talking to him personally.
Thank you for the blog link! BTW, I think the icing from the cupcakes will be better w/the cinnamon rolls.

Jennifer
Looks like you had a very busy w/e. TTM and a cleaning spree . You burned some major calories for sure, even if you didn't do the extreme premix .
BTW, I loved the pic of you on your profile page. Is that the same one as your Avatar? It looks a bit different for some reason.
Glad you enjoyed the day off work and was able to watch the game and commercials . I've tried to get into football, but I just can't . Too much stoppage for my liking . I'm more of a hockey and soccer chick .
I'm actually really upset that this series is from the UK . Buying DVD's will KILL ME with duty fee's .

Toni
I really like your new rotation! Workout ADD lol .
Congrats on super firm legs and your DH loving them .
Those workouts are from the UK. I find that British accent very sexy .


Have a good day everyone

 

[TRSTACIE]

Good afternoon ladies! Work is trucking along nicely for a change. I feel optimistic that I can meet this deadline which will be soooo nice.

Last night my neighbor and I did the Cardio Leg Blast from Athletic Training. We were supposed to added on core #1 but her dog was insisting on going out and I wanted to get some more work done. Unfortunately, she has tweaked her knee doing that one. It's been acting up now and then since she fell on the ice in December. She is a trooper though -- she still wanted to do weight workout tonight but I told her to rest since it's supposed to be a cardio day. By the way, she has lost 16lbs since we started working out. She is super excited about that!

This is the new rotation for February:

Week 1:
Sunday: XT Bis and Tris
Monday: Athletic Training plus core #1
Tuesday: Basic Step
Wednesday: Chest, Back, & Shoulders
Thursday: KickMax Low Impact premix, Core #2
Friday: Supercuts
Saturday: Off or HC Getting Started

Week 2:
Sunday: XT Burnset Bis and Tris
Monday: Butts & Guts premix
Tuesday: All Out HiiT double floor cardio
Wednesday: XT Chest, Shoulders, & Back Burnset
Thursday: Low Max
Friday: HardStrikes + Core #1
Saturday: Off

Repeat Week 1 and 2.

Toni
I forgot to mention that your rotation looks great! I have been trying to do at least one HiiT per week as well.

Natasha
I forgot to mention to you that Cathe's first step is available from the downloads for only a short time because it's the anniversary of it. I have been thinking of download it! =)

I really need to look at those new workouts you found. I never got around to looking at the Butt Bible ones either.

I will let you know how the cinnamon rolls turn out. I want to make them soon!

Have a great day everyone!

 

[atompki1]

Hi everyone. Today was UB premix of MM. Nice workout! Everything was burning after that. I can tell I'm getting much stronger in the upper body which I love. I briefly though about throwing in one tabata, but decided against it. Today is supposed to be a rest day for my legs and I wanted to make sure I took it.

I think tomorrow is Low Max. I was gonna do All Out, but I want something longer. This should do the trick.

I'm actually at Brandon's basketball practice and its time to go. Back tomorrow for personals.

 

[heartymax]

Toni--you ar always on the go. I love how you keep the kids involved. I haven't done muscle max in a while, but oh do I remember the burn you can get from it.

Stacie--Congrats to your neighbor on her weight loss. That is so awesome.

Tasha--Thanks for the compliment. It is funny how I would not wear a dress like that in my 20's but here I am well into my 40s and I have started wearing sleeveless and off the shoulder. I was just more conservative in my younger days

Jennifer-glad you got to check out the gross commercial. Maybe the point was to get people talking---mission accomplished.

Today's workout was Cardio Leg Blast. I added on my own version of hip thrust challenge. I put my feet on the step and positioned my butt in a little and used a 30lb barbell and did the challenge that way. Cathe uses a similar move with no weight to work the hamstings so whatever I am working will the body some good. I will wait and see if my body has any negative impact from this tomorrow to detemine if I will use this modified version again.

 

[Jenniferlove]

Good morning Cathletes!

I took a day off yesterday so I could get to work early, play catch up, and then run some errands.

Today, however, I blasted and burned with the cardio/20-min or so of Slide & Glide; then I did GS Legs... most of it, anyway. Due to time constraints I skipped just a few exercises. It was such a great workout!

I've decided to buy the GS UB series There's a discount code right now anyway

I plan to go to Ripped tonight -- that'll give me time with my gal pals and I'll get a decent upper body workout as long as I go heavy with my weights.

Heartymax,
I know exactly how you did your hip thrusts - I remember Cathe doing that move in GS (w/o the barbell) and I did think about grabbing the barbell! Yes - please do let us know how you feel tomorrow! Since you didn't mention that it felt awkward or anything I'm sure it worked out well

Toni,
Good job on your leg-rest day, and congrats on the UB strength!
I hope Brandon's basketball game went well. What position does he play? I used to be a Forward when I was in Jr. High.

Tasha,
Your workout(s) sounded like a blast! What a great way to switch up your routine, too I totally can relate to not dancing very well; it's hard. In fact, I recently bought a Club Dance instructional DVD! I've watched it once and it seems good; I'm waiting for one of my friends to come over and learn it with me... may not be until next month the way this crazy month is going!

Anyway, I am so disappointed for you regarding the duty fees I wonder if someone has it on Ebay - would that make any difference? I'm just not too familiar with duty fees. Or, maybe you can get it for your Birthday (although I don't remember when it is! sorry! I'll have to check out your profile page and see). Oh, speaking of, my profile picture is almost the same picture as my avatar; the difference is that I'm not wearing the hat

Stacie AKA super-trainer,
Congratulations to your neighbor for losing the 16 pounds! I'm so happy for you both - it's rewarding to see your help pay off in such a big way

I'm glad to hear the meeting wasn't as bad as he claimed it was going to be, and I'm glad you went to your manager. Thank the Lord it's almost over! I hope you get rewarded for all your hard work!

Your rotation looks great! I see that you are going to give Low Max another whirl I hope your neighbor nails it!

Gotta go for now - have an awesome day!

 

[atompki1]

Happy hump day Today was All Out Extreme premix + 100 RC hip thrusts 25#. That is a definite leg workout!! My legs were burning during and after!! I think tomorrow is KPC, we shall see.

I scored another barre workout for $10. I may try it this weekend instead of Turbo Barre. It's slightly shorter, so that will help.

Jennifer
Congrats on GS UB. Those are good workouts!! Honestly, I have no idea what position Brandon plays. They all just look like they are running around to me...hehe!! This is our last year for youth sports. He will move to middle school sports next year. I'm super excited about that. A bit less running back and forth to practice. Will only be pickup at the school, which is right down the street!!

HeartyMax
I have to keep these kids busy or they get bored and bored kids are no fun!! We are actually coming to the stage of the year where there is nothing to do. I need to find something for Brandon. Otherwise he will want to sit in the house and watch TV all day. I wish we had a youth track team, but no luck so far.

Stacie
Congrats on your neighbors weight loss!!

Tasha
I find that workout DVDs help with coordination. It's not quite dancing, but every little bit helps!!

 

[mini-natty]

Hi ladies

It's day 2 with a fever and cough for me . First Bella and now me . I guess it was only a matter of time . No workouts until my fever is completely gone.

My last w/o was actually on Tues TBT LB + All Out (standing only) total time 60min. My butt and thighs have serious DOMS. What is it about that w/o???

Check out this blog everyone: = PROTEIN POW(D)ER !
Her recipes are awesome! Everything is made with protein powder and various different types (not just whey).

Stacie
Congrats on your neighbor losing 16lbs! That's fantastic . You must feel proud as well .
Love your new rotation .
Cathe's first step video has been avail for a long time now. I should download it since it's only $5. Did you see what she's wearing??? Tights and a thong-like thingy over-top LOL .

Jennifer
OMG I've been wanting the GS UB series for such a long time!!! Congrats on getting it! Let me know what you think and perhaps I'll be downloading soon .
BTW, S&G cardio + GS LB standing sounds like an awesome workout . You MUST be feeling the pain today.
We'll see about the Fitness Fx workouts . Hefty duty fee's are just not worth it sometimes. Did you see what all those Cathletes in the UK are going through with XT? Yup, that's us Canadian's too .

Toni
I love how you always find stuff for the kids to do! I am the same way, I always want to get out and "do something". It's kinda hard with Bella being at such a young age, but as she get's older I would love to put her in extra-curricular activities too.
Great w/o yesterday . How did the hip thrusts go?

Heartymax
How did your version of the hip thrust go? I'm interested in doing it like that too.
I know what you mean about the clothes. There are things I wear now that I would have never worn in my 20's. I feel much more confident since finding Cathe .

Have a good day everyone

 

[TRSTACIE]

Good afternoon ladies! No workout on Tuesday and yesterday was XT CBS. I had bought my neighbor an exercise ball and she used it last night. However, she another one of those dizzy / room spinning episodes. I have no clue what is causing this. I somewhat suspect overexertion. We were moving a much faster pace than usual because we didn't have to share the ball any more plus using the ball is a little bit hard due to the stabilization issues.

On other topics, my boss has decided to give me two days of comp time which will be nice. I feel kinda bad about it though because I don't think other people are getting them. I am only getting them because I complained. Plus, it sounded like I got the other boss in a little bit of trouble too which doesn't sit well with me either. I don't know how things get so complicated so quickly.

This morning was another meeting at the school -- no new news, just complaints about him talking too much and disrupting the class. They are really pushing me hard to convince the doctor to give him the ADD diagnosis. I am talking to some other people I know who have experience with ADD and will think about things some more. They had a new lady there who was really patronizing and she really got on my nerves. I hated the way she kept saying "I see this" when the reality is that she has NEVER even interacted with him or observed him in the classroom. She was just going off of the reports from the teacher. I finally called her out on it and wasn't as nice as I usually am. I admit though to being a little grouchy from lack of sleep due to working so much.

Jennifer
Congrats on getting GS! Those are toughies...tons of pushups in them Chest one too. In fact, I think it starts out with a dropset of pushups!

HeartyMax
It's funny how we change as we get older, isn't it? Sometimes with age comes the feeling of being more comfortable with our bodies and how we look. I know that I too wear clothes that are much different than when I was younger as well.

Toni
Congrats on the new barre workout! Rushfit should be coming soon too. I think I received mine pretty quickly after ordering it.

Natasha
I'm sorry that you caught Bella's cold! I hope you both are feeling better soon!

Thanks for the new recipe link as well!

Have a great day everyone!

 

[heartymax]

Stacie---what is having the ADD diagnosis going to do for them? Are they planning to implement some changes with his new found diagnosis or are they assuming a diagnosis will mean you will medicate him. Educators are not medical professions. Only a doctor can diagnose ADD. We may recognize symptoms and doctors review reports to determine diagnosis. Will the school put in a 504 plan if he diagnosed or will they do further testing to eliminate any other concerns. Just curious as to how they plan to respond differently if you come back with a paper that says he hey--- he has ADD!!

Tasha--my hamstrings are singing today. I can't remember if I felt more flutes from the other position or not. I do know I wasn't comfortable doing it.

 

[TRSTACIE]

HeartyMax
The only thing that the ADD diagnosis would do is allow him to continue to be in special ed. The special ed tests put him at grade level for reading and over grade level in math which is why he was discharged from it at the end of last year. The teacher says that based on her tests he is behind grade level in both subjects. He has been in special ed since he was four and I really didn't see much improvement in him until I started him in Kumon last year.

I had no idea the intervention specialist was going to be at this meeting and received no clue as to what she might do since nearly the entire meeting was spent trying to convince me to put pressure on the doctor to give him an ADD diagnosis. Other than having him leave the classroom for periods of time to get help with reading and math, there wouldn't be any other changes as far as I know. His teacher did say that he has to be removed from groups often due to excessive talking and that he gets distracted when doing his class work if a lot of children are around. The teacher said that she has been keeping him inside for recess in order to finish his work. When she does that, he is able to complete all his work in minutes because he wants to go play with his friends.

I had no knowledge that any of this was going on because they only time I can get her to communicate with me is when these meetings are set up by the special ed head. I asked if we could have another conference with Tyler around so he could hear her thoughts and the teacher said that she didn't know because she was really busy.

There was no mention of a 504 plan or any further testing.

 

[heartymax]

Stacie---I totally forgot that he was previously dismissed from the IEP. So it sounds like they are looking for a way to re-qualify him. I guess they think he would benefit from small group pull out instruction but from what you say it didn't help. If he has an IEP, he wouldn't have a 504. I hope things work out for him.

 

[heartymax]

This morning was AFTERBURN. It's been a long time so need I say more. Those darn sliding plank push ups and burpees with straddle pushups are insane.

I'm so glad it's Friday!!

 

[Jenniferlove]

Happy Friday!

Yesterday I skipped but worked super hard this morning with Hard Strikes.
I added on the Heavy Bag which (sorry if you already know this) actually is the same thing as the Heavy Bag Tabata, and it is not 5 minutes - it is closer to 13 like the program indicates... the first time I did the heavy bag tabatas I really thought the time was about 5 minutes -- I guess time sure did fly! That's another reason why I wasn't sure that the HB tabatas and the HB w/o was the same thing.
Anyway, I used 3#s for the cardio and 1# for the heavy bag tabata. And again I hit my hip with the stupid dumbbell; luckily they're fairly soft.

Yesterday I was feeling my legs and calves; today it's mostly the calves.

Toni,
Nice job increasing your hip thrust weights! Let us know how the new Barre workout is; congrats on the bargain!

Tash,
So sorry to hear you're sick I really hope you're feeling better soon. It'll probably take until you're better for your DOMS to go away from those workouts, anyway It's great how they work so well with each other!

I didn't hear what the UK is going through but I'll have to do some looking on-line especially now that the forum has listed a bunch of ones I've not heard of! BTW, thanks for the new blog site - I'll have to check that out!

Stacie,
Congrats on your time off - you DO deserve it; I know you feel everyone else worked hard too, and they did. Maybe they'll get compensation down the road. It doesn't sound like you actually complained, more like expressed concern as to what has been happening. And obviously the guy's boss thought he was out of line; employees really should be treated with respect and not like children. In fact, I think HE should have spoke up that he needed extra help so he could help you all.

Good luck with Tyler. I wish I knew what to say that could help I don't like the "I don't have time" statement with the teacher. Children need wise decisions made for them and that's only possible when all the facts are known.

I did see in the GS description that there are a TON of pushups Thanks for warning me, though

Heartymax,
I don't know if you want to try this or not but I find the stability ball a comfortable way to do the hip thrusts. I would say that if your hams are burning more than your glutes then squeeze the cheeks at the top of the contraction... or maybe the position you were in sort of blocked your form. You'll figure it out

Ah... Afterburn... It's one of my all-time favorites, actually, even though sometimes I love to hate it!

I agree-TGIF!

Gotta split - enjoy your day -- and Tasha -- feel better soon!

 

[mini-natty]

UGH what a night . Bella started coughing at around 12am and threw up all over the bed. And then she started to pee. I grabbed her mid-stream and put her on the floor because I did not want the entire bed to be soaked. I got 0 sleep last night. Today I washed/changed all of the bedding while I still have a fever. When it rains it pours . Oh ya, get some rest eh? This mom get's NO REST.

Stacie
I'm sorry about all the stuff going on with Tyler. I really wish I could give you some advice . Just know that I really sympathize with you and I hope you get all this straightened out asap. I can't imagine what you and your little guy are going through. Hang tight!
Take the comp time and don't look back! I know you feel bad, but hey who cares? You deserve it!

Heartymax
I will try your position and see how that goes for me as well.
I have no idea how you do Afterburn at 5am , but I bow to you!

Jennifer
OMG you held #3's while doing the boxing cardio!!! That is amazing . Sorry about banging your hip with the dumbbell . Even if they are soft, that must of hurt .
Are you going to do a GS rotation?

Have a good one ladies! And if you are getting hit hard with snow, be safe!

 

[Jenniferlove]

Athletic Training for me this morning - it's been a while since I've done that one but today I was realizing that it completely exhausts every muscle in the body. There are sets of shoulders, bi's, tri's, chest, back, glutes, legs, and even hams. With cardio to boot!

My shoulders were a bit weak today because of Hard Strikes yesterday, but I certainly didn't get any where near the DOMS I had the last time I did the Heavy Bag tabatas!

Today was the Mardi Gras parade downtown, and it was also a friend's birthday so we went to one of the party tents and watched the parade, drank, ate, and danced. The weather wasn't too bad - it was a bit windy but it was in the mid 40s.

Oh no, Tash! So sorry to hear about Bella! Just when it seemed she was getting better
And sorry for you - having to set yourself aside from yourself to tend to her... that's a double whammy. Surely tonight has to be better! Hopefully Mark can take over some of the challenges so you can get some rest and get better yourself!

My mom's in Boston so she's getting dumped on as far as snow goes but she's safe and doing well. The last I heard her area didn't get a foot but there are plenty of others getting at least that.

Take care everyone!

 

[atompki1]

Hello...sorry I've been MIA for a couple days. Thursday was KPC, Friday was Low Impact Circuit and Saturday is my usual rest day. I received my RushFit yesterday. I've previewed some of the videos and I'm super excited about them. They are very controlled in terms of the movements, but it looks like the movements involve almost every muscle in the body. I really like compound exercises so this will be really nice. I'm not sure I will follow a RF 8 week rotation, but I'm def going to incorporate two of them in next week I knew I would HAVE to do them if once I received them I'm really not good at following a rotation. I've just come to terms with the fact that I'm not good at it!! As long as I'm working out and doing a balanced workout for the week that's good. I don't really have any specific goals right now, so winging it is nice also.

I found a photography class that Brandon and I can take together. He has been editing photos on his iPad Mini lately, so I thought maybe we would try it. I tried to get him in the pottery class, but the semester started in January and we've already missed 3 classes. Plus that was an 18 week session and I'm not sure Brandon will like it that much. The photography is only 6 weeks or so(if that), so I'm sure he can decide from there if he wants to move forward with it.
We also bought all the supplies today to build a cornhole set. It's a really easy construction and I think he will really like it. I've also found several small projects he can build with smaller pieces of wood(ie a gumball machine). We don't need to get really expensive with tools or materials if the projects are small. And the only rule I have is that he has to completely finish one project before he starts another. So we will see how this goes. Hopefully these hobbies will take off. I never had any hobbies as a kid and I always thought I was weird for that, so I'll support my kids in anything they are interested in. Some stuff sticks some doesn't, but I figure it's all worth a try as long at it isn't costly.

Jennifer
Sounds like you are having an excellent weekend!!

Tasha
So sorry to hear about Bella. Middle of the night illness is the worst!!

Stacie
Sorry to hear about the situation at the school. Sound extremely frustrating. I hope next year brings a new teacher that actually has some interesting educating your son. It sounds like they are just trying to get done with him. That really irritates me.

HeartyMax
AB is tough when you haven't done it in a while. I always feel like I'm starting over a bit when I do that.

 

[Jenniferlove]

Welp, turns out my mom did get over 2' of snow. Clearly it wasn't finished snowing when we emailed on Friday!
She didn't lose her electricity and the roof of the building didn't cave or anything like that - gotta pray for everyone else, though. How sad about some of the problems and deaths that were related to the storm

I did RIDE this morning; I suck air and get drenched with sweat! If it weren't for the FFW outfit that absorbs the sweat I would be a dripping blob!

Toni,
I'm excited for you and Brandon - doing these crafty things TOGETHER is so cool. I honestly think that parents doing hobbies with their kids and having family dinners makes all the difference in the world especially later on down the road when it comes to the kids making right or wrong decisions for themselves. Good for you!

Hope all is well with everybody

 

[mini-natty]

Thanks for the get well wishes ladies

Thank goodness no fever for me today! DH has been working crazy O/T hours at the airport cuz' of the snow storm (he clears the snow off the runway). Toronto's airport is one of the only airports in the world that never closes. Because of the storm, a lot of flights are getting re-directed to Toronto, which makes for an extremely busy portal. I begged him last night to get up with Bella in the middle of the night and give her medicine. I just could not take one more sleepless night. I've been averaging 2-3hrs for the past week or so and I feel like a wreck. I'm thinking tomorrow I can start back up with Cathe, but do something light -- I was thinking Basic Step. And for some reason, I have decided to change my rotation for the next month. So when I'm better, here is what I want to do:

D1-PLB
D2-PUB + 100RC's
D3-cardio
D4-cardio
D5-XT Super Cuts
D6- Yoga
D7- TB weight work (High Reps, STS TB, Turbo Barre, ect) + 100RC's

Jennifer
As you can see, Mark has not been home to help me with Bella . I knew that would happen cuz' that's just my luck . Thanks for being so sympathetic .
I can't wait to try the heavy bag tabata (when I get my gloves ). I hope I get some nice DOMS like you .
I agree about AT working every single muscle group in the body. That really is a wonderful w/o.
How is Whisper's foot doing btw? One of my guppies died . I really liked him too, he was so sweet .
Glad your mom is doing well out there in Boston. Mark was telling me that they got hit bad with snow. I think their airport might have closed down, and so that's how he found out about it.

Toni
I guess workout ADD has struck for me as well . I have not been able to stick to my own rotations since Xmas.
So cool about the photography class! I hope you and Brandon have fun together. I love arts & crafts stuff too. I always try to get Bella to do "crafty" things with me, but you know, she has a short attention span with that kind of stuff .
Yay on getting Rush Fit too .


Hope everyone had a good weekend

 

[atompki1]

Well the weekend is over Today was RF Abdominal Strength and Conditioning. It's just 30 short minutes of work that absolutely flew by. I was proud of myself for everything I could do without modification, which was almost all of it But I tell ya what, after that workout I was TIRED! RF used so many muscles at once it's amazing! My back and shoulders were really tired after this. I also did the bonus barre section of XT Legs. I didn't want to totally abandon my barre work, so this was a good add on.

Tasha
I see you decided to go with the 3x a week TB weight work. I'm finding that I don't like spilt UB days in a week. It just doesn't allow my workout ADD enough variety in a week plus I'm big on core and I just don't feel like I get enough core work when I have to tack it on at the end of another workout. I do love cardio workouts where I feel like my core is worked as part know the routine. Just seems to save time.

I just wanted to say that Brandon is almost 13 and he still has a short attention span He's a special case, but it still totally understand what your saying.


Jennifer
I totally agree with you about parents being involved and generally 'around' in the kids lives. Huge difference.

Here's to a good week for us all!

 

[Jenniferlove]

Good morning!
This morning I did XT Legs including the Barre and 100RC Hip Thrusts. Wow was I making some faces! I took 3 breaks during the HTs... @ #25, #50, and after #75. After 50 and 75 I took 1 minute breaks.

I hope to have my GS really soon but if I don't receive it by after work today then I will go ahead with Burn Sets upper body tomorrow. I'm not planning to do a GS rotation, actually, since I'm not really good at following a strict rotation -- sounds like we ALL have that in common

Toni,
Sounds like Rush Fit was just perfect! Glad you enjoyed it, and congrats on not having to modify!

Tash,
You're right/Mark's right... Boston's Logan airport did close! But they are open now. I never really thought about the over-kill of other airports because of it; I just thought they got backed up. Now I can see how busy Mark's been... guess I can't call him lazy for not helping you more

I'm glad your fever is gone; I hope everyone continues to feel better. Definitely take it easy so you can be ready for your workouts again. By the way, your w/o plan sounds great!

Hi Heartymax and Stacie! I hope you and yours are doing well

Have a fantastic day, everyone!