Push It

[atompki1]

Hope everyone had a great weekend Yesterday was TTM. I'm so excited that I'm back to more intense cardio. My legs have adjust to the M1 workouts and I'm not wiped out the next day(or next two days ). Today was my first M2 workout. The slower pace was just a nice change I under estimated how heavy I could got for bench presses. I went with 40#, but that was too light. I should have done 45#. I'll up it next week though I'm looking forward to M2. I really like the results of M1 though. I could feel my additional muscle endurance during TTM. My cardio output was a little lacking because I haven't done much cardio during M1, but that will catch up quickly and I feel like my endurance and cardio capacity will even out nicely!!

We saw Fast and Furious 6 AND Star Trek this weekend. Both were awesome!! I had the popcorn WITH butter one day , but not the other. It was so good!! Glad I let myself have the treat.

I've been bad again. I broke down and bought some more spinning DVDs I am not supposed to be spending any more money on fitness this year *sigh* But I really want to do spin twice a week and I don't care for Cycle Max as much as Ride. I just can't get into the music. And I don't want my legs to get overly used to one thing. I don't think Cathe will be filming anytime soon, so I didn't want to wait for the new one that's coming later this summer. I got 4 from spinning.com. I found some clips on You Tube and they look like they will be something I like. I'm super excited about it. Going to do one interval spin DVD and one endurance ride per week. Add one of Cathe's higher intensity/higher impact workouts and that should burn up some nice calories for the week I am *almost* where I want to be in terms of my fat loose. I'm giving myself the next 4 weeks to finish up. The funny thing is that my pants are all looser and I haven't really lost any weight. I actually love that because it means I have increased some muscle mass

Jennifer
That potato salad does sound interesting. Let us know how it turns out!! And I totally don't get why they people in your class never want to be sore I personally don't want to live in a constant state of DOMS, but some soreness is a must to know you are progressing.

HeartyMax
Nice job on the running!!! I have always thought runners looked so healthy. 2.5 miles is a fantastic starting point

Stacie
Spider bites I hope they clear up quickly. The would creep me out!!

Tasha
How much longer do you have with BB?

For all that have done STS, how did you like M2 compared to M3?

 

[mini-natty]

Morning ladies

Yesterday's w/o was Bulk Legs. I got some of my energy back and was determined to really heavy up . I know everyone is different, my man nothing makes my legs look better than heavy weight training. I love the look of muscly quads on both men & women .

Right now I'm on W4 of the Bulk Phase, with 5 more weeks to go until I finish the program. When I'm done I will most likely take an active recovery week and then move on to another rotation. I have Nia Shank's 15 week Muscle Sculpting program waiting for me (it's a PDF file) along with Go Kaleo's Basic Lifting Routine (another PDF file). Not sure if I will do those first or STS.

Jennifer
LOL, ya it is Fairy Lake. Not sure why I put the L in there .
Love the red mulch! Nice choice .
How cute of Craig to come and do a pedicure with you. Last time I had one was for my wedding in 2004. I'm not a big mani and pedi gal, just because I don't like people touching my hands and feet .
I find that for people with very narrow shoulder's (like myself) you really need a w/o dedicated to them. Pull-ups are great for overall UB muscle definition and strength too.

Heartymax
Congrats on the fantastic run!

Toni
Congrats on your results from M1! Loose pants are a very good sign .

HAve a great day

 

[toomuchjoy]

Hi ladies!

I had to take a forced week of rest last week. The vertigo was really throwing me for a loop so wanted to give myself some time to recover. I don't want to jinx myself but I think it might be gone....shhh....

Today I did 30 min of CF (less impact premix). I love that workout - so much fun. I think I need to stay away from Supercuts for a while. I love the workout but it really knocks me on my butt.

Spent the long weekend with our families in NH. It was really nice. Got a great day in with my bff on Sat (massage-lunch-shopping). Is there a better day than that? Sun I played cards with my mother all day long....she's not super mobile so this is an activity that we can do together. It was really fun!

Natasha: Awesome job with BB. Sounds like you're getting great results! Re: Nia's ebook I think that you can download a kindle ereeader to your PC or phone for free. I haven't read it yet. I'm really trying to grasp the whole Eat the Food concept. I don't want to exclude any food but at the same time I really need to lose weight. Is there a particular walking dvd you would suggest? I'd like to try one.

Toni: Jealous of your new spin workouts! It's not "bad" consider it an investment into your health! I have a recumbent bike at home. I wonder if I could use a spin dvd using that. I know I can't stand but maybe the tempo work could be fun. What do you think?

Jennifer: Love that Craig went for a pedi with you. S would never do that! That potato salad sounds awesome. I usually hate it because I abhor mayo.

Heartymax: Congrats on your run! That is great. I think that will be a really fun activity for you guys to do together.

Stacie: Ouch on the spider bites! Are you throwing webs yet? Spidergirl....

Have a great day everyone!!!!

 

[Jenniferlove]

Hi all,
I decided to take today off work so I was able to get a few more things done which was nice.

This morning I practiced the roller-pilates format so the class goes smoothly tomorrow; afterwards I did HiiT 40/20, and again I modified a couple of the moves.

Tomorrow will be a glute workout and then Shoulders and Triceps. I really feel that my back, biceps, and chest get worked out more often simply because of the other things that I do.

The Horseradish-spiked red potatoes were VERY good! Instead of serving it as a cold, potato salad I left it hot and used the hand mixer to whip them. I got the recipe from WebMD in case anyone is interested... or just ask and I'll give you the measurements.

Toni,
The way I see it, as far as buying more workout DVDs, they aren't big purchases - they probably cost about the same or less as taking the family to 2 movies and popcorn And good for you for enjoying popcorn with butter!

I'm happy for you that you like your M1/HC results and that your body composition is changing!

It's funny that you just mentioned TTM because I literally just came across CF/TTM on my shelf yesterday - I was looking for some tabata. I had forgotten all about those two which is sad because I love them!

Tash,
That's cool, I think Fairy Lake is a better name than Fairly lake, anyway

I hear ya' on not wanting people touching your feet, I have another friend like that as well. Craig doesn't like massages exactly for that reason so I was completely surprised that he said yes to the pedi... but then even he admitted his feet were in bad shape so I guess he was ready to cave.

So, 5 more weeks of Sagi. I guess some good things come to an end at some point! I like how Nia is more into weights than cardio. I'm anxious to hear what that's like. I downloaded her free book onto my kindle but I haven't read it yet. I believe she gives some sample workouts in it, though.

TmJ,
So sorry to hear about the vertigo! As for Supercuts, that one is really hard on my back - all the forward flexing and twisting, that's why I never do that one. I modify the moves but I haven't found the right modifications to use that will keep the workout at an intense level. Cross Fire - nice choice! I just re-discovered that one yesterday! Must be something in the air how 3 of us went for the two that came out together out of nowhere. I did the Low Impact Tabata but I think next time I'll go with the one you did since it's a longer workout.

Glad to hear you had such a great weekend! Our friend's mother in law loves to play Dominos so we always play that. No complaints about that here

Stacie and Heartymax, I hope all is well!

Have a great evening, everyone!

 

[atompki1]

Very quick check-in before I head off to bed. Today was Ride in the morning. Feeling very strong in my spinning. My legs were not wiped out at the end I was even able to do abs afterwards, which means my endurance MUST be getting better I also pulled a double today. I just finished MMA Fusion. I did do some abs this morning, but I only had time to do half of the Stability ball abs from STS ab circuit and I was feeling a bit guilty about that. MMA Fusion was just the right amount of intensity for a second workout. And again I can feel my increased endurance. Typically moves with level changes wipe me out, but today I was fine with them and felt strong all the way through the workout!! So I guess every horrible minute of M1 has paid off I'm super excited about this. This is the first time I really feel like my muscle endurance has increased this much. Totally feeling like a rock star tonight

BB tomorrow for personals!!

 

[mini-natty]

No workout for me yesterday. I got about 4hrs sleep that night and was pretty tired all day .

TMJ
A lady from my other check-in had vertigo last year (you can PM her if you want. Her name is Jennifer and she goes by JT here). Apparently, low calories was the cause. As soon as she upped her caloric intake it went away. Not sure if this may be the case with you. Hope you continue to get better .
Your long w/e sounded lovely. Glad you got to enjoy it .
Ahhh, I love walking. I could talk all day long about how walking is truly one of the best forms of exercise. Lately I have been into Jessica Smith, and just bought this w/o: Walking for Weight Loss, Wellness & Energy - Jessica Smith. I really like her! All my other walking w/o's are by Leslie Sansone. I particularly like this one, as it has walking/jogging intervals: WALK SLIM 4 FAST MILES 2 DVD SET. At first you might feel silly just walking indoors, but trust me, IT COUNTS AS A REAL WORKOUT. Steps are incredibly important. I would be willing to bet that if you walked 3-5 miles every day, your pants would start to get loose.

Jennifer
Glad your potatoes turned out yummy. I'm not a fan of horseradish .
In Nia's program she bluntly states that you don't need to do cardio on her program because the w/o's are so intense. She encourages activities like walking, hiking, biking, stuff that we love and want to do. He program is 3-4 days/week, but she packs A LOT in those days. Big, compound movements like squats, pull-ups, push-ups, over head presses, deadlifts. And you know she encourages heavy lifting, so that sealed the deal for me .

Toni
Congrats on those strong legs girl! You should def feel like a rock star .

Stacie
How are you? You doing ok with Beast?

 

[toomuchjoy]

Morning Ladies!

Today I did High Reps - Upper Body premix. As I was working out, I decided that I wouldn't do back so as to give it a bit more rest from my evil spasms for a few weeks ago. I didn't even have to skip it - back doesn't even exist in the upper body premix. Am I crazy to think that's weird?

Trying to eat more intuitively and feel that I had a really great day with food yesterday including a fantastic steak, corn on the cob and salad dinner. Yum!

Natasha: I'm sorry you're lacking in sleep - that is so hard especially with a little one at home - no chance to nap! Thanks for the info re: walking discs and vertigo. I will have to see if my library has any of those workouts so I can try them!

Toni: Yay for feeling like a rock star. Can't believe you're done M1 already - congrats! Your rest week seems pretty active.

Jennifer: Good luck with your class today. Dumb question - are the foam rollers for stretching?

Have a great day everyone!

 

[atompki1]

Good afternoon

Today was M2 W1 Back & Bi. Loved it. I really like the amount of rest time in this phase. I don't have to stop the DVD at all to get equip set up or to take additional rest. I feel confident that I can increase weight in most areas even if it's only a little bit

TMJ
I think I remember the abscence of back work in High Reps also

Tasha
I haven't been sleeping well lately I really dislike it. I hope you get a full nights rest tonight!!

Jennifer
I need to at least try HiiT 40/20. Maybe when I'm done with STS!!

 

[heartymax]

Good Morning Ladies! My body needed a 2 day rest after that run Funny how my thighs so this as a different type of workout and say OHHHHHMMMMYYYYYY.
Anyway, I listened to my body. Yesterday was 30 minutes on the elliptical. ust finished Meso 2 Back and Biceps. I added on a variety of ab work the end. I knew had planned to do STS at my own pace but I moving slower than I had anticipated--actually not getting in all my leg workouts.


My running shoes should be here this evening and I plan to take my next run on Saturday morning. I have to work this evening so it is going to be a long day. I wish it could have been a rest day but after resting a few days this week already, I couldn't.

Tasha---A coworker told me that running is one of the best ways to lean out the thighs. Is that true? I agree with you that heavy lifting for the legs works---usually at some point my knees and shins don't like it so I am not able to continue it for a long period of time.

Toni---You deserve to feel like a rock star----you have been working really hard.

TMJ---take your needed rest week. Your body will thank you. Hope you feel better soon.

Jennifer---someone on my other forum has become a personal trainer and now has client. I feel surrounded by such wonderful cathletes. Enjoy your class. You are putting in all your planning time---just like the perfect teacher would do

Hi Stacie!

 

[mini-natty]

Hi everyone!

Yesterday morning while Bella was preoccupied I wanted to see how much of TTM Triple Tabata premix I could do without any interruptions. I did it all! That's a great little w/o when you want to be in/out quick. I also went on a nice 1 1/2hr walk yesterday. I did not anticipate to be out that long, but because of some construction on the side streets, I had to take a different route on the way to the store. Bella and I ended up in an area I was not familiar with. Funny thing was that we found a new park . Had it not been drenched with rain, I would have let Bella play.

Yesterday w/o was Bulk Arms. I did increase my weight #'s a bit, trying to go to failure on my last sets. I know that for my bi's and tri's to develop more, I need to push myself.

Heartymax
As far as the running and leaning out of the legs, I suppose everyone is different. I know that heavy weights has been the key for me. I'm starting to see my saddlebags slowly but surely disappear. I'm really doing nothing else but lifting heavy and hiit w/o's.
Glad you got some nice DOMS .

TMJ
Your dinner sounded delish . Nothing quite like a good steak on the bbq . Did you happen to read any of Nia's ebook? Her website articles are fantastic! Whenever I need a daily dose of inspiration, I read her stuff.

Toni
Sorry to hear about your lack of sleep also .
M2 is awesome! Watch all those muscles start to grow and define .

Jennifer
Are you still doing hip thrusts? I see that move everywhere now, including on Body Building.com.

Have a good one ladies

 

[toomuchjoy]

Good morning!

It was hard to get up today! I think I need to set my alarm a little earlier because it takes me awhile to get up and going before I work out in the AM which means I'm only able to get in about 30 min or so. Today I had planned to do CLB but I just wasn't feeling it. I ended up doing 25 min of MMA Boxing. I love that one - I really sweat without killing myself!

I was thinking of doing the Gym Styles series next week and I previewed GS Back/Shoulders/Bi last night. Holy moly is Cathe & everyone ripped in that series! I think the series might be a little intense for me right now. I have to step lightly where I'm lifting but not overdoing it and hurting myself. Does that make sense? I love High Reps and Burn Sets. Is Muscle Max similar? Last night I also reviewed Afterburn (which was the first Cathe I attempted...stress the attempt!) and I think I will try it again this weekend. Very Crossfire like which I very much enjoy!

Natasha: What a great walk! Does Bella walk along with you or are you pushing her in a stroller? I haven't read the Nia Shanks book...thanks for the reminder! Have you decided what you're going to do after BB? I put the Jessica Smith DVD on hold at the library. Honestly I would never do a walking video but you're so hardcore I know it can't be horrible.

Heartymax: Great workout yesterday! Sorry today is a long day. Thursday is long for me too as it is hockey night and I won't even get home until 8:30.

Toni: Are you liking M2 better than M1? Is M1 bulking? I have STS but I haven't done them yet...I'm afraid to gain weight. I know that's crazy and there's reason not to worry about that but I need to drop weight before super heavy lifting.

Have a great day!

 

[TRSTACIE]

Good morning ladies! I'm alive!!! Well sorta...

Last weekend we went down to help my mom get some wood and while I kicked some serious hiney at it (my sister and I even cut down a decent sized tree with a handsaw which was pretty crazy), the two days left me extremely sore, blisters on my hands, and lots of scraps and cuts on my arms. I also had some sort of allergic reaction to either something in the wood or the first aid spray. Either way, I'm hoping that everything heals up soon because the itchiness is driving me crazy and looks pretty awful. We did start week 2 of Body Beast. Due to the hectic schedule for the past few weeks (and for most of June), we are changing the first part of the program to be 5 days a week -- four days of weights and one day of cardio. It will extended the Build phase but I think it will still be fine since we will still be hitting each muscle group once a week.

TMJ
It sounds like the vertigo is getting better? Have you tried drinking a glass of OJ before working out? I was having some issues with queasiness when doing heavy weights and asked Cathe about it. She recommended that and it really helped. It it hadn't, the alternative was to decrease my weights (also her recommendation).

No spiderwebs yet! I look like quite the freak though with messed up arms and bites still on my legs. At least the two of the three spider bites have mostly healed up. The exterminator came yesterday and was searching for any sign that it was bed bugs that caused the bites . Luckily, he finally agreed it was a spider. I was stressing out for a bit there!!!

Jennifer
That's really odd about the class. I can't believe that they stopped coming. I think people sometimes think that exercise should be super easy or something? Lots of people just don't like DOMS. You know, my neighbor doesn't like sweat! It really bothers her...I told her that was silly and that it was a good sign. What finally got her was that phrase "Sweat is fat crying." She hasn't mentioned it since!

Natasha
BB is going ok...thanks for asking! I am enjoying the workouts. We kinda laugh at some of the comments the Beast makes but he is good looking enough that he can get away with it. Have you tried any of the recipes in the Book of Beast? I thought a lot of them looked pretty tasty especially the breakfast quinoa. I was also going to ask you if you double the weights like he does for some of the exercises. For instance, there is one group where he uses 20s for the 15 reps and then by the 8 rep set he is up to 40s. I have been increasing by 5-10 pounds but never hitting the double mark.

I think it's great that you are doing the walking DVDs. I have never really invested in them because I usually walk the dog alot. It's been so busy though that I have been slacking on even that. My poor dog hurt his paw somehow at the dog park. I don't know if he just ran too hard or if he ran into some stickers. Anyway, he wound up getting some tear off some of the skin on one of his front paws and was limping for a couple days. I think he is finally better today. He must be...damn dog got my whole grain bread from the counter and ate it all yesterday! I'm taking that as a sign he feels better!

Heartymax
Is your family done with the school year? Our last day was yesterday and it was nice that it was over!!!! I wish it had been at better year but there's no denying that it wasn't. I hope that you will be done soon if you aren't already.

Great job on the 2.5 mile run!!! Did you get the runners high? I love it...if feels like you're floating. And yes, running will slim the legs...especially if you run hills.

Toni
I'm totally jealous of the new spinning dvds!!!! Definitely let us know what you think of them!

M2 was nice. M1 was like a tornado hit and it was a little stressful running around trying to get all the weights set up. I felt that M2 was nice for increase knowledge. During M1, I couldn't really focus on all the good tips from Cathe because I was too buy running around getting the weights.

Have a nice day everyone! Btw, I was thinking of you all and took some pictures of the area where we got wood on Monday. It's so quiet and peaceful there. What a change it was to go back to work on Tuesday with deadlines and people every where!

 

[Jenniferlove]

Good Thursday evening! It's been a few days so I may write a short book (sorry).

Just some glute and upper body work the last couple days. Didn't make it to Ripped on Wednesday but I may try to go Friday after work.

Wednesday in Pilates I actually started to get very discouraged... no one looked happy and they were really having a hard time doing the exercises (we used the rollers this week). I figured they were HATING it. Obviously I decreased the amount of reps (and we moved the roller to a couple different positions). Then I told them that we didn't have to use them again, that I just wanted to expose them to something new and keep things fresh. Secretly I was thinking that it was too soon for them, after all it had only been 3 weeks (3 classes). But to my amazement just about everyone spoke up and told me that they liked it! Plus, no one left early -- and there were more people in class this week than last, which is always encouraging. We did some massaging techniques after the exercises and that went over especially well SO they convinced me to keep using the rollers; the ones who keep coming back really are enjoying the challenge. They are my kind of women!

Toni,
You were ready already to move right on into M2; so glad you are liking it already Increasing your weight is such a nice reward

Tash,
Geesh! Another park! So darn the luck, you were forced into a new route and a longer walk

Sorry to hear about your 4 hours of sleep; that's not much at all. Just one of those nights? Bella wasn't sick, was she?

Nia's program does sound good, and absolutely perfect for you! In her free book she mentions similar things... walks and hikes and general fun activity. I love how she talks about focusing on increasing the number on the barbell instead of what the number on the scale is - SO TRUE!

Congrats on increasing your weight My biceps seem to develop pretty easily but the rest of me doesn't keep up

Oh, Yes, I still am doing hip thrusts; I'm thrusting 65#s on the barbell and this week I was able to do 3x25 (instead of 3x20). I'm guessing it's time to increase the load again! Gotta tell ya', I am still doing the Cable Rotations and am totally loving those as well. And the super-low front/goblet squats. I really am noticing the change in my glutes and legs... in fact, I noticed a side view of myself when I was wearing my compression pants and did a double take. Seriously! Now I can actually see my hamstrings and where my glutes meet the back of the leg. Not only that, though, the muscle definition from holding and hoisting these heavy weights have really helped my upper body as well! Sorry to spill and gush and go on It's just very nice to be able to talk to people who are interested in fitness and body composition!

TmJ,
It does sound like you had a very nutritious, well-balanced meal!
There's no back in the upper body premix of High Reps? That is strange. Something else, in the Upper body premix of Trisets there are a few muscles that are skipped. I've tried to do that premix a couple times thinking I pressed the wrong button but no, it just misses stuff. So - fyi - sometimes what I will do is just press the Next/FF button to skip the other body parts; then I know I'm going to get all the muscle groups I want to hit in that particular DVD.

MMA Boxing is my favorite of the 3 so I'm especially glad to hear that you love it I think that if you can do Burn Sets you can do anything! I haven't done Muscle Max in a long time so I can't really comment on it, but the GS series is awesome. Just remember to listen to your body when it's yelling at you.

I haven't done much of Crossfire - only a little segment - in quite a while so I can't comment on the comparison of that to Afterburn... I just know that I LOVE Afterburn! I meant to do it last week because I was almost having withdrawals but I still just couldn't get to it. This weekend for sure!

Not a dumb question at all about the foam rollers! In fact, no one in class had ever used one; one lady got one for Christmas but she never used it and didn't know what to do with it. At the end of class I showed them some nice rolling massage techniques and they were very excited about it! That made me happy

As for using them with Pilates we actually lie on them while we do the exercises; the roller is vertical with the spine so it gives the body/brain some nice sensory feedback as to how each half of the body is balancing and teaches the brain/body to create symmetry between the two sides. It definitely adds a new challenge!

The other way to use the roller for the exercises is to place it behind the lower back, horizontally but still keeping the shoulder blades on the mat; the legs will be extended and off the floor. That way also challenges the body but in a different way; it also is more of a beginners level - but it's still not easy, it really challenges the abs (as does the vertical way)!


Heartymax,
Wow, that run sure did work you out! It would have me, too, no doubt! I'm glad you enjoyed some rest days. So now you and DH have a weekly date This time you'll have your new shoes! Which kind did you get? And don't tell me *running shoes*

Thank you; I do want to be a great instructor

Stacie,
Wow - you've got girl power! Determination and strength! So sorry about the blisters and allergic reaction, though. Are you sure it's not poison ivy?! Either way don't allow yourself to suffer through -seriously! Also - a hot hair dryer... blow the heat on the itches instead of scratching... that really helps (but only temporary of course).

It's funny, I also know of a few people who don't like to sweat - they think it's gross! If I run across them again (not literally) I will have to tell them the Sweat is Fat Crying phrase! I think that was Tasha's tagline for a while?! I'm glad that did the trick with your neighbor

What does Tyler plan to do with his summer?

Have a nice evening, everyone; it's almost Friday!

 

[mini-natty]

G'morning

My w/o yesterday was BB Cardio + Abs. Because of the lack of sleep these past few days, my stamina really sucked . I got a better night sleep last night, so hopefully I kick some butt with Bulk Back today. Speaking of back, I'm on a standstill with my pull-ups. The TT is making it really hard for me to advance -- the position is just awkward for unassisted ones. I need a pull-up bar for sure because my goal is to get to 5 within the year.

TMJ
Muscle Max is a great med-heavy total body weight w/o. The leg work is not Cathe's toughest, so I'm sure you'll like that . I find it to be more well rounded than STS Total Body, which I felt was lacking in tricep work and over-doing dead-lifts.
Hopefully you get to try out those walking vids! Honestly, you might feel a bit silly initially, but your top speed will average a brisk 4-5 MPH pace (with Leslie). To me, nothing will ever beat walking for general health and well-being. Weight training comes a close 2nd of course .

Stacie
Girl, you are a champ! Chopping wood is some serious exercise . Sorry to hear about the allergic reaction . Could it possibly have been poison ivy?
Glad you are liking the Beast . I agree, Sagi makes these comments sometimes, but they always make me laugh. He IS super hot . However this one guy, Nick, he is constantly saying "bro" in BB Cardio, and it drives me CRAZY! He is my least fav dude.
As far as increasing weight #'s drastically, I can only really do that during legs, back, sometimes chest (with my barbell).
Sorry to hear about your poor doggie . Is he feeling better?
Breathtaking pics btw!

Jennifer
I'm so happy to hear everyone is liking the class! How could they not? Look who their trainer is .
No, Bella is not sick. Sometimes she will wake up in the middle of the night and call for me or Mark. I think she is getting scared to be alone .
on the 65lbs hip thrusts! I'm amazed. Enough said.
Congrats on your results! I'm sure you look smokin' . I know exactly what you are talking about, where the booty hits the back of the thigh. All heavy variations of squats are THE BOMB for people who really want to re-define the legs IMO. It's such a big, strong muscle, so it only makes sense to train it with intensity, you know?


Hope you guys have an awesome day!

 

[toomuchjoy]

Good morning!

Today I did Chalean Extreme Burn Disc 1. I just wanted to do something different. I had never done it (given by a friend) or even previewed it. It was a weight workout (chest, legs and rear delts) that was heavy on the compound moves. This was much easier than P90X and honestly I didn't hate it. I was going to do Tabata 1 after the disc (only 35 min) but did the warm up and was beat. Maybe I'll do a Chalene Extreme rotation? Hmmm....

Feeling really ick and bloated. Not sure what's going on but this is definitely a new feeling to me. Hopefully it goes away - today is day 2 feeling swollen. It went from 50s to 90s in a day so maybe that is a cause? Ugh.

Natasha: Sorry you're having issues sleeping. I will occasionally take a OTC sleep aid (think Tylenol PM without the Tylenol) to get me into a deep sleep sometimes. My doc felt occasional use was ok. It's amazing how much sleep really affects your life. Thanks for the info on Muscle Max - I should really preview it.

Jennifer: Glad to hear that your classes are going well. Thanks for the info on the foam rollers.

Stacie: Nice work being a lumberjack! Yes, I think my vertigo is truly gone. I bet S is going to want to go to the amusement park this week but I might wait a bit before rollercoastering....

Have a great weekend everyone!!

 

[TRSTACIE]

Good morning ladies! Last night was BB Legs. Great leg workout...so great I have to make sure I have juice beforehand because it fries me. I went a bit high on the first sequence -- I nearly matched Sagi in weights for the first two sets. He does this high step into a back lunge that I find super challenging. I definitely expect some DOMS later on today.

My rash is finally getting better! I do think it was the first aid spray. I had a couple of scratches on my legs and stomach and no hives there -- only where I sprayed first aid spray. I get the same reaction with some prescribed antibiotics.

Jennifer
That's terrific about the class!!! It's great to have that positive feedback that you are doing a great job!

You are right -- Nat had the Sweat is Fat Crying as her phrase for quite a while. It's a good one!

Thanks for the tip about the blow dryer. Next time I'll have to try it out!

Natasha
I'm sorry about the lack of sleep. It does affect everything!!! I hate how it takes a couple days to catch back up again. I hope you're able to get some extra zzz's soon.

I haven't noticed the "Bro" comments on BB yet. I don't know why but it always cracks me up when he goes by one of the exercisers and tells them "Close your mouth. The Beast is talking." So mean! I still wish the reps were done a little slower. Sometimes it's really a struggle to do them that fast and keep good form.

Thanks for the pic comments. I really do like that area a lot...no one for miles. The area where the snow is on the mountain was has a trail that goes up to a glacier lake. I would like to try that trail out again this summer. If I do I will definitely take some pics. It's like something out of movie up there -- absolutely stunning. I nearly made it to the top a couple of years ago (~12000 feet!!!! ) before I got altitude sickness . That was shortly after I had moved back and before I was working out regularly so I think this next time will be much better!!! I'll attach a pic of that trail in my next post.

TMJ
I'm sorry about the swollen feeling. Maybe you are dehydrated? I know it sounds weird but when you don't have enough fluid you actually retain more.

Ooohh....Chalean Extreme! I was looking at that program a while back. Some people said they found her annoying though. We had a lady in our check a long time ago that was doing a Chalean Extreme rotation. She said she really liked it. She disappeared because she feel off the workout bandwagon. I talked her like 6 months later and she was trying to get back on it. I don't think it took though since I haven't seen her on since.

Going to an amusement park sounds like fun! You know, I used to love the roller coasters and spinning rides but now they make me queasy for some reason. I think I am going to have to suck it up soon though and take my son anyway. We have two parks here: a newer one and an older one. I actually find the rides in the older one scarier because it feels so dangerous like they are going to break. Ironically, only the newer one has ever had a problem with rides.

Have a great day everyone!!!

 

[heartymax]

I feel like I am so far behind with what is going on with everyone. I broke in my new running shoes with a 3 mile run with DH this morning. The weather has been in the 90s so we got out around 6:45. We should have left at 6 as it was already warm.


Jennifer--My new shoes came yesterday. They are Asics Noosa Tri 8. They have all the funky colors so they are pretty cool looking. Sounds like pilates class is going well. Compliments to the instructor

TMJ--This weather being all over the place is definitely enough to make you feel sick.

Tasha--standstill or not---girl the fact that you can do a couple of pulls is amazing to me. Tasha, you are right--the heavy weights is what does it for me. My thighs are not as lean as they were last summer so I need to work on that. Since I will likely only be running once a week, I am not sure how much leaning out it will do and I am definitely not running any hills so I may not see the benefits of others.

Stacie--My boys still have 2 weeks of school left. The last 3 days are always early dismissal days.. I have 4 more weeks left. We are getting a new superintendent so everyone is anxious about the new changes and I am worried that my principal may be moved or getting a higher position. He is so awesome and I love working for him. The new sup is coming from within the county so she is a very impressive lady and I am excited about her taking over but I'm nervous at the same time for my own selfish reasons.

 

[atompki1]

Just typed a long post and lost it Trying again....

Today is a rest day. Yesterday was M2 W1 of Legs. I liked the supersets. But I don't feel any latic acid buildup during the workouts I'm tired at the end of the 10 reps and I'm glad they are over. And I have some booty DOMS, so something is definately working. I'm upping my weights next week, so we will see how that goes. Thursday was AB.

I've done three doubles this week I've actually enjoyed them. My eating hasn't been as spot on as I'd like it to be, so I've added a couple lower intensity workouts(MMA ones) just for a bit more calorie burn. Plus I haven't felt like doing my core work in the morning so I've added it at night. It has actually been working out well and I will probably keep doing it for a couple more weeks to see what happens.

Tasha
Do I remember you saying you didn't care for M3 of STS? I'm contemplating not doing it. I may need a mental break from the structure of it. I'll have to see how I feel after my hiking trip. That may be enough of a break for me to finish it up.

HeartyMax
A three mile run Nice job!!!

Stacie
Glad your rash is better!! Besides the pace, how are you liking BB?

TMJ
Glad you like the Chalene workout. She seems a bit corny to me. I don't think I could do you workouts. But I say whatever keeps you moving is a winner!!

I changed my avatar. That's my latest hairstyle. It's very girly. I'm totally not girly...LOL!! But I do like the look.

 

[heartymax]

Toni---I have done Meso 3 completely once and I think half way once but I have done Meso 1 and 2 a few times. The first time that I did Meso 3 I was just so thrilled with the amount of weight that I could lift. Even though its only 8 reps, I never would have imagined lifting that amount of weight. Following STS forces you to challenge yourself. Since this is your first time doing it, I think you should do Meso 3 to determine your likes for it and you will know in the future how you want to use the program. Plyo Legs in Meso is definitely one that I underestimated. After using the heavy weights in meso 2, my legs needed a break. Double workouts in something that I should consider for the summer. DH plans to run at twice during the week, but I just can't managed enough energy to run in the evenings so I think my runs will be just on Saturdays for a while.

 

[Jenniferlove]

Hi there!

We slept in the basement last night because of the tornado warnings; luckily we didn't get hit. Some damage was done to the outter areas, though.

I took a rest day yesterday and didn't even try to go to Ripped. This morning I did Afterburn and then I did some cable hip rotations.
Tomorrow is definitely going to be Burnsets and roller-Pilates.
Monday it's back to the Glutes and Abs.

Oh, and I do thank you all for encouraging me about my class

Tash,
Sorry to hear about the standstill with the pullups. I think one that offers the different hand positions is the best, hand being faced together or front/back.

What is BB cardio like? I suppose I could look it up on U-Tube but how long is the cardio? Has Mark still been going to the gym or has he tried BB?

I hope you are still getting caught up on your sleep! Oh, I saw your thread about PB2; I have a jar of it. I used some of it a few times - once in a smoothie with milk and vanilla protein powder; a couple times I put it in my coffee (it actually was very good). I just don't use it very often; I wish they didn't add sugar to it. If they ever made a sugar-free PB2 I would probably use it a lot more.

Heartymax,
Your shoes sound awesome! And plus I love the Asics running shoes - any of them. Their cross-trainers? Not so much. At all. But their running shoes - absolutely, and yours sound beautiful. Congrats on your 3-mile run! Isn't it amazing how warm it can be so early in the morning?!

TmJ,
I'm glad you enjoyed Chalene's workout; it sounds like a really good one. I hope you feel better soon.
I'm tempted to download Night Circus but I'm afraid I'll read it before my trip at the end of the month. I suppose this is a good time for me to work on my Positive Psychology CECs.

Stacie,
I don't even know what Sagi lifted but I'm still impressed as I can only imagine how heavy that must have been! Congrats! I'm glad you enjoyed it

I'm glad your rash is going away; I wonder what is in the spray that you are allergic to?!

Toni,
Glad the workouts are going so well!

So, the Vitamix, is it loud or fairly quiet?
Craig and I were watching Hell's Kitchen and the team that won a challenge were all given their own Vitamixers. Got me thinking about you and yours. My Oster is extremely loud! It works great for my smoothies, and I have an awesome food processor (9-cup) so I hate to even think about another appliance purchase and it certainly won't be any time soon... however... maybe eventually.

Bummer about losing a post. Speaking of, I still have posting issues so before I can see your new avatar I'll have to go about it the round-about way. I'm excited to see it!

Have a super awesome Saturday!