Push It

A very busy (and hot) w/e for us :cool:. Saturday we went to the zoo. We all had a great time. No w/o for me that day, except for the hours spent walking of course. Yesterday we went walking to the park, and then stopped off at the ice cream shoppe. I had a new flavor which featured all different types of chocolate. It was heavenly! :p

Yesterday's w/o was Bulk Legs BUT I must tell you guys a very crucial piece of info regarding my squats. It seems as though I have been overestimating my depth :eek:. I tried to gauge how low I was going using my high step and risers -- it seems as though my booty does not even touch the step...at get this...16inches :eek:. I then lowered it to 14inches and had a very difficult time touching the step with any weight at all. I am quite embarrassed TBH. In Legs and Glutes, Cathe touches her bum on the step with 5 risers (= to 14 inches). SO I have been 3/4'ing my damn squats all this time :mad:. All in all this means I need to get acclimated to the lower squat range while keeping good form, which equals to me severely lower my weight #'s :(. I want to make sure I get the full benefit of squats with a good range of depth/motion, while ensuring I don't injure my back and knee's.
How low do you guys go? Can you please give me an estimate with step heights?

BBL for personals!
 
Hi Tash,
Just saw your post and wanted to show you something from Bret. I sent it Stacie the other day since it also brings up the aching knees aspect of squats but now I think it might be beneficial to you as well (and anyone else wanting more squat info).

Let me start by explaining a little bit... Until I started Bret's program I didn't do a Full Squat. Cathe does not do full squats in her videos, and she primarily does Back squats so I didn't actually realize I should/could go lower into a Full squat position (or a Front squat position).

Cathe's squats are fine however everyone also benefits from full squats because of the nice additional muscle recruitment it forces. Especially taller people and pair shaped people, I think, need the Full squat for better results.

Simple Squat Correction | Bret Contreras

Click on the X in the top right corner to close the info/sign-up box. Then scroll down a bit to se the article on the left side of the page.

I hope this helps. I have not forgotten your question about how many inches from the bottom that I can reach my glutes; I'll get info for you as soon as I can, but do know that I can get down pretty darn low with any variation of a front squat. But not with a Back squat.

Latah, ladies :cool:
 
Hi Tash,
Just saw your post and wanted to show you something from Bret. I sent it Stacie the other day since it also brings up the aching knees aspect of squats but now I think it might be beneficial to you as well (and anyone else wanting more squat info).

Let me start by explaining a little bit... Until I started Bret's program I didn't do a Full Squat. Cathe does not do full squats in her videos, and she primarily does Back squats so I didn't actually realize I should/could go lower into a Full squat position (or a Front squat position).

Cathe's squats are fine - her workouts are awesome - however the benefits from full squats front squats should not be overlooked; they bring nice additional muscle recruitment. Especially pair-shaped and taller people, I think, need the Full squat for better results.

Simple Squat Correction | Bret Contreras

Click on the X in the top right corner to close the info/sign-up box. Then scroll down a bit to se the article on the left side of the page.

I hope this helps. I have not forgotten your question about how many inches from the bottom that I can reach my glutes; I'll get info for you as soon as I can, but do know that I can get down pretty darn low with any variation of a front squat. But not with a Back squat.

Latah, ladies :cool:
 
Good afternoon ladies! Last night was the first night of BB! Overall, I liked the workout and the partial on chest flys were absolutely killer. No really DOMS yet but there's still time for it to kick in! There were lots of positives about the workout...Sagi is great about explaining how to do each exercise. He is also very motivating. I agree with Natasha that he also gives sufficient time to change weights. A couple cons were that sometimes it seemed like he was talking a little bit too much. I think he was just stalling though to give us a 60-90 second rest between each set. I think someone new to lifting might be annoyed by that (I know my neighbor was at times). STS had that nice timer to let you know what was going on. I also found that it was very difficult to match his pace for each rep. Cathe goes much slower on her reps and I am used to matching her pace in order to make sure my form stays true. Sometimes it was a challenge to do that in BB and there was a lot of pausing to make sure that breaks between sets were sufficient. Overall, I really liked it though!

HeartyMax
Thanks for the info about the advocate. I looked into a few things a month or so ago but haven't actually contacted anyone yet.

Toni
Congrats on getting stronger!!! The bicycle move is killer the next day after any leg workout. That's fantastic that you were able to push through it!

Jennifer
Thanks for the squat information! It's always good to have a reminder on form! I'm not sure if you have the squat rack discs or not but there is a front squat sequence in them. You are right as well, that the front squats feel much different from the back squats.

Sometimes I have some knee issues have lower body workouts but to me honest, step workouts tend to cause more issues if I go higher than one riser. Now that HeartyMax has given a rave review of Cathe's step, it might be something to purchase in the future because I think the added cushioned might help my knees out.

Natasha
I will try to remember to see how far I'm going down with squats when I do Legs later on this week. I will definitely let you know if I do remember!

By the way, the day at the zoo sounds really fun! I bet Bella had a good time looking at all the animals!

Have a great day everyone!!!!
 
I guess my attempts to squat lower paid off :eek: I have severe LB DOMS to the point where it hurts to sit on the toilet! Ohhh yaaa :D

My w/o today was Bulk Arms. Stacie I know you mentioned there being 60-90sec break during some of the sets during the Build w/o's, but I can assure you that the Bulk and Tempo's are not like that. I recall hearing on several youtube vids (people doing the program) that the Build w/o's are mostly an introductory phase to lifting. Anyway, I find Sagi goes a little too fast in the Bulk phase for my liking, especially during the reps. I find that I have to count my own reps sometimes while Sagi is counting at a different speed :mad: which frustrates me. Regardless, these workouts are so damn effective that I can't really complain :eek:.

Jennifer
Thanks SO much for the info on the squats! It was very helpful :).
I'm sorry to hear about Whisper :(.

Toni
Happy to hear about the results you are getting from M1 :).

Heartymax
You give such incredibly wise advice regarding difficult school situations. Your school is lucky to have someone like you to help out the kids :).

Stacie
I'm sorry to hear you've been tired :( along with the stresses of the car and Tyler's teacher from hell. When it rains it pours :mad:. I know there is a light at the end of the tunnel soon, so hang in there :).

TMJ
How was your w/e?

Sorry guys, gotta jet! Have a good evening :)
 
Hi!
How is everyone doing regarding the weather and families in OK? We slept in the basement last night due to the possibility of tornado warnings; we only ended up with thunder storms which was a relief.

Today I took a rest day but yesterday was a Glute workout and then some pilates with the roller.

Tomorrow morning will be another Glute workout and maybe Hard Strikes with the Shoulder drills:D

Tash,
That is AWESOME about your squats! Congrats on going low! I'm glad you enjoyed the squat info.
I like the way Sagi's workout is called Bulk Arms:) It's good that you are counting your own reps sometimes and going at your own pace. Much better than rushing!

Stacie,
It's great to hear that Cathe has a front squat segment! I don't have that workout; figures, the few that I don't have and that's where they are:rolleyes:

So glad to hear you liked the BB workout; congrats on completing your first one! I'm pretty sure your DOMS has kicked in by now - how are you and your neighbor feeling?

Oh, how was your nephew's party?

I looked into Mindy's Glideing Games and Gliding Ultimate Balance Cardio Strength & Stability - they look interesting and I have them on my Wish list. I thought about ordering the Gliding Cardio Crazy but I changed my mind on that one for some reason (geesh - can't remember why now!).
I also saw that she has a few spinning DVDs and one of them I have heard of (via forum) - the Short and Sweet one.

TmJ,
Thanks for the info about the book. I think it's strange that the audio book came out before the print/e-book came out!
And - wow - thank you so much for the info about Nia Shanks's free ebook! I'm going to download it, like, now! I've really only heard her name recently so I am curious.

How are your workouts going?

Toni and Heartymax,
I hope all is well!

Have a super evening everyone!
 
I haven't felt well the last few days...TTOM...lethargic so I took a few days off. I just finished Meso 2 chest, shoulders and triceps. DS has his first band concert tonight so we are excited about that. Gotta run because I need to get his things ready for the concert and I have a hair appt. this afternoon. I should done some of this last night----but hey---you know how it is. Will catch up on personals later.
 
Hi everyone!

Yesterday was the JM concert. Meh, it was ok. There were 3 sections: diet, exercise, self. The 1st half of the show was about diet & exercise. I was not really motivated by that part because I already love to make healthy food choices and exercise hard. I get it -- you don't need to convince me Jillian. The part regarding "self" was interesting. Did I walk away motivated and inspired? No, not really. I think she focused too much on calories, "diet" rules, eat organic or else you will pump your body full of hormones and pesticides, what you absolutely should/should not eat or else YOU WILL DIE . Although I appreciate the info (I know many people will absolutely find it beneficial if they eat McDonald's super-sized meals every day), and I understand the pro's of eating grass-fed beef as opposed to beef that has been genetically modified, but OTOH I don't want that "fear" to consume my life and food choices. I will pick my battles wisely, and leave the rest behind. I find people like Amber (Go Kaleo), Nia Shanks, Cathe, to be much more inspiring at this time in my life.

Heartymax
Feel better soon :).

TMJ
Thanks for the heads-up! Another friend from my other check-in downloaded the book too. Hope you find it beneficial :).

Jennifer
Glad to hear the weather was not very severe in your area. We had a bad storm, but not as bad as some area's just east of us who got hit really hard :(.
I used to have that Stott Pilates one and Mari Windsor. I donated both to the library :D. I'm glad you are finding them to be helpful though :).
Your fund raiser even sounded so nice AND very tasty :p. I love me some Mojitos :p;).

Have a great day everyone :)
 
Tasha---So you went to a JM presentation. I think we all understand a little about healthy eating but I don't plan to go all organic or stress my self about the simple things. As long as I know I am not overloading my body with fast foods, eating junk in moderation and getting in veggies, fruits and lean protein, I think I am doing okay.

Stacie----you are doing Body Beast with Tasha? sounds cool. Chest flys just kill me. I can't manage to have good form. They just bother my shoulder so I skip or have to go light.

Jennifer---no bad weather over on my side of the coast. Glad you all are doing well. I need to go back and read the squat article when I get time.

DS concert went well last night. All the parents were beaming with pride of their beginning instrument players. I don't know anything about music but I know my son sounds better than he did in September. I am thinking I should get him some lessons during the summer to help him improve and to make sure he is ready for middle school. DS turns 11 today so we have plans to take him out for dinner with a few kids in the neighborhood and then I had one of my students who has a small cup cake business to make him some red velvet cupcakes---his favorite.

Today's workout was Hiit 30/30. The weather has been nice lately. No plans for the holiday weekend. Does anyone have any fun stuff going on?
 
Hello. Looks like I have not checked in since Sunday :confused: Sorry about that. I guess I was just busy enjoying the weather!!

Workouts for the week: STS Back/Tri, Ride, STS Chest, Shoulders, Bi, and today was KPC. I'm right on track with my workouts :D This is my last week of M1 and I am oh so glad about it!! These workouts have just about killed me. It seems like there are 1000 exercises!! I'm so looking forward to M2 with a slower pace and less exercises :cool: The good news is that I am feeling very good this week. No workout completely wiped me out this week, so I think my body has adjusted to the new challenge. Now to change all that with M2 and more intense cardio :)

Tasha
I don't like the scare tactics either. And I'm leary of all this 'science' everyone is talking about. They seem to change their minds all the time about what is in our food. And a good bit of the information conflicts. As of late I have been sticking to the advice of 'eat real food'. Veggies and protien and nothing out of a box. I'm not 100% with it, but I do the best I can. Oh that reminds me that I made baked zuchinni with mozerella cheese and tomatoes...yummy!!

HeartyMax
Happy BDay to DS. Those cupcakes sound so good!!

Jennifer
Weather is fine here(thankfully). I still have not done HardStrikes. When I get back from hiking I'm going to do that one!!
 
Hi!

I'm glad to hear you and your families are doing okay.

This weekend I may go to a winery; I also have my friend's son's high school graduation party, and I plan to read a lot. Craig has to go to Ohio to see his mom and brother so unfortunately we won't be enjoying the days with each other. With the dogs you know it's just hard for both of us to get away. We have a wonderful dog/house sitter but this popped up suddenly.

This morning I did All Out Low Impact Hitt. I needed something low impact and something that I could do after my glute workout. I'm thinking next time I want to add on a HiiT I will do a RIDE premix instead (it works me harder).

I think I'll do Afterburn this weekend - I miss it terribly - and I definitely will do an Upper Body. Gym Styles I think!

Heartymax,
Hope you're feeling better, just in time for the holiday weekend! What instrument does DS play? It's nice to hear that he's improved since last year!

Happy Bday to him! It was very *sweet* of you to get him his favorite cupcakes (ba-dum-dum-symbol crash). Happy birthing day to you:D

How are you liking your hair color - still enjoying it? I loved getting highights in my hair but it's expensive to keep for an extended period of time so now I only cover the greys with the box kit from Walgreens/CVS:rolleyes:

Tash,
I PM'd you so if you don't get it let me know. For some reason it looked like it may not have gone:confused:

Sorry to hear that the JM event was a bit of a letdown. Did your cousin think it was, too? Not everyone is as knowledgeable as us chicks;) Too funny about your description - I hear ya! Don't die!

The Skinny girl mojitos are not *as* good as the regular ones. Imagine that;) But they were still good:cool:

Toni,
Congratulations on just about completing M1! What an accomplishment:cool:

I love Hard Strikes and think it's also a great add-in for shoulder work. I've done the tabatas bag-free, just punching hard and fast with wrist weights, and that's an awesome workout. I haven't done KPC in a while but I always loved that one, too. Anyway, when you do HS be sure to let me know what you think of it!

Stacie and TmJ, hope all is well!

Talk to ya' later - gotta get!
 
Hi everyone :)

Yesterday's w/o was Bulk Back. Speaking of back, last week while at the park, I did 2 full pull-ups on the monkey bars. Unfortunately, I can't execute them as well on the TT (thanks again Jennifer for letting me know I'm not crazy and it's actually harder on the TT). I think I def need a chin-up bar.

Heartymax
Happy b-day to your boy!
Glad to hear the concert went well. I love when kids play instruments. It's too cute!

Toni
The baked zucchini sounds so yummy :p. I will have to make it :p.
As much as I LOVED M1 Legs, the UB was a bit dreadful for me. I start to get frustrated if I have to do more than 15R in a row :D. Hypertrophy and strength is more of my thang :eek:. I think you are going to enjoy M2 A LOT!

Jennifer
My cousin found it interesting enough I suppose. It takes a lot to motivate her to exercise, but she does love cooking and eating healthy, so at least there's that.
I got your PM. Thank you :).

TMJ
I couldn't download Nia's book because I don't have a Kindle or any type of apparatus that will read e-books :(. How did you like it? I have her 15 week muscle sculpting program and she elaborates a bit on nutrition.

Stacie
Did you do Build Legs?! Owie, I can feel the pain for you :eek:.


Have a great Friday!
 
Today was D12(Legs). My last M1 disk :cool: I'm feeling pretty good today after the workout. Nothing like disks 6 or 9. I'm trying to decide if I want to take a recovery week or not. If I take a recovery week, it will only be because I miss fun cardio :D I'm not really feeling tired. Actually, I think my body finally just adjusted to the M1 workouts now that they are over :confused:

Gotta run, I'll be back tomorrow for personals.
 
TGIF everyone! I have been beyond busy this week....sorry for not checking in more. Monday night I accidentally fell asleep with Tyler but it was a bad sleep because apparently a spider kept biting me. I woke up with three really ugly bites on my legs so Tuesday was a rest day too. Wednesday was BB Legs and last night was BB Back. Biceps and Shoulders will be tonight...we ran out of time for biceps last night.

TMJ
Thanks so much for
the book tip! I was able to download it to my phone.

Did you wind up trying out Hard Body?

Natasha
I didn't use the high step to check my squat depth but I did notice that my elbows skim my legs during them. I think that's a good depth.

Sorry to hear that the JM seminar wasn't that helpful or informative. It sounds like it was geared more towards people just starting down the road to better health.

Jennifer
The party for my nephew was good. Eating wasn't so great because my sister made really good Mexican food and lots of it! It was a small party so I got to talk to my nephew a lot. He was distracted by his new gf though! ;)

We were supposed to go camping this weekend but we might not because my sister canceled. One of my nephews fell off the top bunk at my dad's house and wound up breaking his arm!

How are your classes going?


HeartyMax
Happy Birthday to DS!

Are you excited for school to end? We only have three more days!

Toni
Great job finishing M1!!!!
 
Hope all of you have a terrific long w/e :cool:

Yesterday's w/o was a Jessica Smith (I love her!) 30 min power walk + Bulk Shoulder's. Today is a rest day which is good cuz' I'm so darn sore.

Stacie
Holy cow a spider was biting you? Are you ok? Apparently they say that we will eat a few spider's while sleeping in our lifetime :rolleyes:. Not sure how accurate that is :confused:.
Your squat depth is impressive :eek:. Thanks for letting me know! That's very motivating :). I can't believe I have been short changing myself like that :mad:.

Toni
I took my recovery weeks but I did all sorts of cardio during that week. Some people say don't do hiit or intervals, but I say if your body is not tired, then go ahead with it.

Have a good one guys!
 
Hi, Happy Sunday!

Friday I did GS premixes for the upperbody... so much for breaking up the upper THAT day:rolleyes: I sure felt it yesterday:cool:

This morning I walked the dogs, did a glute workout, and then did about 20 minutes of Intensity step. I had taken a couple breaks during Step because I was also doing laundry; by the time I got back to doing the workout I was just *dun.*

Saturday I weeded the flowerbed and then laid down 8 bags of mulch. I have a small car so it required 2 trips to Home Depot. That was my Rest day:D It will be a nice surprise for Craig when he comes home (today - it's just a quick trip to Ohio this time).

The graduation party Saturday was nice and afterwards I decided to go to the Saturday night service since I was already out and about; I figured the dogs wouldn't miss me for a while longer. It was nice going in the evening because it frees up the Sunday morning. Oh - I ended up skipping the winery so I could do the flowerbed.

Tash
Congrats on your 2 pullups! How exciting!
Glad you earned your rest day, too:)
Are the shoulder exercises much different than Cathe's? What about Back?


Stacie,
Your sister's food spread sounds awesome! I'm glad it was a nice, intimate party.

Spider bites are awful! Many years ago I also woke up with 3 bites on my foot and I had an allergic reaction -- they were SO freaking itchy and I couldn't stop scratching and my foot swelled up! I had to go to the doctor to get a steroid shot. I hope you don't have an allergic reaction!

Sorry about your camping trip, and even more sorry that your nephew broke his arm!

Classes are going well, thanks for asking. Last week was not packed but it was still a nice-sized class. Check this out -- I do have a a little story. What I found funny is that I have been telling the participants that they want to challenge themselves but avoid trying to conquer their bodies.

I also told them that they would probably be sore since they're using muscles they don't normally use but that they would get stronger and less sore if they stick with it; they will get used to the exercises.

I also told them that there is really no easy way to do Pilates -- however I started each exercise sequence the modified, easier way before doing them the regular way for ALL of the exercises...

Having said that a personal trainer who works there saw me in the locker room and she asked me if I could do a beginner's Pilates class. In addition to the PT, the girl I work with told me that she was kind of mad that she was sore:confused: I told both of them to keep coming so they don't get sore anymore:) Neither of them came back last week! We will be using the foam rollers this week:eek: Gotta keep it fresh and interesting!

Toni
Official Congratulations for finishing M1!

I best get; have a great rest of the weekend!
 
Hi everyone!

Yesterday w/o was Bulk Chest. This week my stamina and strength has not been very good because of TTOTM. We also spent the afternoon at the park called Fairly Lake (we frequent that one often).

Jennifer
What color mulch did you put down? I love the look of mulch in front of a house. It makes the property look so classy :).
Yes, Sagi's shoulder routine is very different from Cathe's. To be completely honest, I never really got shoulder definition from Cathe's routines. Not saying that they are not hard and effective, I just needed something *more* to whip them into shape I suppose. Regarding back, I feel Sagi and Cathe's style is very similar. The one thing Sagi incorporate tons of, is pull-ups. I feel those are probably the best exercise for the back. When Cathe does pull-ups in STS, I'm like "heck ya!!!!". When she knocks out 12 in a row, I'm just amazed :eek:.
I'm so happy the Pilates class is going well for ya :). And how exciting that the trainer asked you to teach a beginner's Pilates class! Regarding those people who don't want to get sore :rolleyes:. Enough said.

Stacie
I hope you are doing ok. How are you and your neighbor liking The Beast? All I can say is stick with it and you will start to notice some awesome changes in your body. If Sagi ever made a BB2, I would be on that s**t like white on rice, baby :eek:.

TMJ, Toni, Heartymax
Hi !!!!
 
Stacie---I love Mexican food but I don't have it very often. A great treat for you!

Jennifer--DS plays the alto sax. Glad to hear the class is going well. The participants should not be afraid of sore muscles. Catheletes know that sore muscle means new challenges.

I finally did it-----I ran 2.5 miles with DH husband this morning. I have been so afraid to try running and I did great my first time out. DH was very encouraging and told me that he was sure my stamina was good. Turned out great! Hopefully, we can make it a weekend partnership:D. Since I got finally got him to try a Cathe workout I figured I would join him for a run.
 
Happy Memorial day!
I finally got a pedicure; I went with a shimmery red and then the girl painted a pretty flower on each of the big toe nails... white and silver. Check this out, I got Craig to go with me! He skipped the polish, though, and I sure was glad! LOL!

It's storming now; the girls are a bit nervous. I hope it blows over because we were planning to grill some chicken and burgers. I still will make a new potato salad recipe - horseradish spiked red potato salad! It calls for apple cider or rice vinegar, red onions, parsley, dill, horseradish, EVOO. I think it sounds interesting!

Tash,
If you guessed the terra cotta colored mulch then you guessed right:) The brown is very nice, too, however I just really like the reddish color.

I remember you talking about that lake before but I thought you called it Fairy lake (without the l).

Bummer that your strength is taking a bit of a hit because of that annoying monthly visitor.

It's awesome that you're still enjoying and (generally) making great progress with your weights! Now that you mention pullups I really should work on mine. Bret's book has them in there but since I'm not doing his upper body they are not in my rotation. However I will look through it and see what other stuff he does, especially for shoulders. I really am happy with the way my upper body has whipped into shape but I do need more work on my shoulders.

Heartymax,
Congratulations on your 2.5-mile run! That is awesome! And I also gotta say, aw shucks, I think it's great that you left your comfort zone for your husband; not exactly FOR him but took interest in his choice of exercise since he showed interest in yours:cool:

Have a great rest of the evening!
 
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