Push It

Kara, you are funny. I just want more of you to share in my favorite lower body workout: butts and guts. It is the best in my opinion and I love the 2 ab workouts.

About a month ago I dusted off Legs and Glutes too. I love all the leg presses but my favorite move is the glute sweeps. I think that's what it's called. It's part of the floor work. Owwwwww. The stretch right after puts it into perspective how much it hurts!
 
Hi to all.... again. :D I have some found time tonight, so I'm making extra special good use of it, checking in with my favorite forum gals! I hope everyone had a nice Friday! I took my two oldest to the circus tonight, of which I have mixed feelings - I like that they're so excited about it, but as an adult, I'm just bored out of my mind. The stuff you do for your kids, right?!

Dana - I'm doing the Nov LIS rotation now, too. I'm in the last half of week three. I really like all the workouts, but I'm not seeing the results I would like (if I'm honest). I have body fat to lose still and darn it, my scale is not budging which is not impressing me. On the upside, I am seeing great results in my upper body. But I'm pear-shaped and my UB always tones up first, so nothing new there. I agree - CSS is a lot easier than Afterburn. I like both, but CSS a little more. Those mountain climbers - ugh! ;) How did you like TBT?

Jennifer - Like Stacie said, I, too, only do Cathe DVDs. I've tried Jari Love and Amy Bento, not to mention old school Tae Bo .... none of them hold a candle to my Cathe. So now I just stick with Cathe. If I'm honest though, I must admit Jillian kind of intriques me, so we'll see. Maybe one day I'll give in and try one of her workouts. How are you liking the Feb '12 rotation? Can you speak about your results, if any, that you're seeing? I love that you have furry babies! My kids are always begging my husband and I for a dog (or a cat! or anything furry!), but probably won't ever happen. My husband is very allergic to cats and I don't think either one of us want to add the care of a dog onto the care of our 3 kids.

Susan - What have you liked about the Feb '12 rotation so far. Like was previously said, so many rotations, so little time! I'm doing the Nov LIS now ... and I was originally going to do Feb '12 next .... then I thought, "Oh, no, March '12 looks better" ..... and then I saw your post about Jan '11 for ultimate fat loss .... oy-oy-oy! I still need to lose some body fat and have some weight come off. I wonder which one would be better. Would you have any .02 to add?
I hadn't done L&G in sooooo long. When I did it earlier today I incorrectly judged when the floorwork would began and put my 15 pounders away ... only to have to bring them out again. Talk about a senior moment. ;) Those glute sweeps are killer! I didn't do as many as Cathe today. My favorite part about L&G is the "mania" premix. I used to do that one regularly. It's a lot of fun - have u ever tried it??

Natty - Ice Cap!! Delish!! It looks similiar to a McDonalds mocha frappe or a Starbucks frappuccino or a Caribou cooler. YUM-O! I hope you enjoyed your treat! And yes, congrats on having some nice & toned tanktop arms! I'm working on that myself. I'm pleased as a pickle about my biceps, but my tri's still need some work. I think they will always be my least favorite part to work.

Stacie - When life throws you lemons, that's when you need to keep up with the workouts (if only to help with stress). Listen to me doling out advice! There have been many times in my life - most recently after the birth of my 3rd kid - where I did very little or no workouts time. I'm so proud of you that you've been keeping up with yours - even 3 or 4 times a week is better than nothing. You've been doing awesome!!!!

I'm not going to buy STS until I reach my goal weight. That's what I tell myself anyway. :D I have so many questions, too .... so, so, so many (so don't apologize Susan - I'm in the same boat!). It's nice to see so many of those questions being answered here. Stacie & Heartymax -- you two are an awesome resource. Thanks for doing the hardwork ahead of the rest of us! ;) It's nice to have people to turn to with questions about STS.

Kara
 
Good morning :)

I have a busy day planned (going to visit my in-laws in Hamilton, a 1.5hr drive :(). It wouldn't be so bad without a restless 3yr old. Thank goodness for portable DVD players!!!! Oh and I'm doing 40/20 before I leave today; I've been avoiding it all week :eek:

Yesterday evening was Turbo Barre. No matter how many times I do that sucker, it's still so hard for me. I'm improving though, taking less breaks and finishing the reps. It's not so much the working leg that stings but the supporting leg that gives out. On the upside, I can match Cathe with the overkill of 5 lbs reps in the UB section. Push-ups were at the end, I did 20, my arms were burning. Hopefully when I do Meso 1, I'll drastically improve.

Kara
You are doing great on the push-ups!!! I see you've improved :). I haven't :( :)
As far as starting STS once you've reached your goal weight, I think that's a misconception. I know other STS'ers who actually LOST weight using the program. Jen (JT) lost 50 lbs! Her only cardio was walking. It's just a personal preference and what you feel comfortable with I suppose. Increasing lean muscle mass does aid in helping you lose weight, but I understand your decision to wait, trust me.
I'm sorry that LIS is not giving you the results you wanted. Everyone responds differently, but please don't get discouraged. Being pear-shaped is very challenging, it's so damn hard to make the LB smaller! (I'd swear here but, you know, gotta keep the convo PG). Come to think of it, it was very hard for me to lose the last 5-10lbs post-pregnancy; almost 2 1/2 years. Just keep picking rotations, change it up, your body will eventually break through the plateau and respond. We are all here to support you :)
Susan
You enabler you!! B&G??!! I can't even get through Turbo Barre and you want to kill me with that? Legs & Glutes looks SO good too!
As far as leg lifts, they are a different animal IMO. My lower body is stronger, I can use more weight for squats and lunges, but I have not improved during the leg conditioning drills :(.
Stacie
I have the same dumbbell set you have!!! That's so funny. You're right, for $50, I can get another set w/plates for my barbell too!
For STS squat rack, what is that exactly? Really heavy weights? Why might you need a spotter? For the barbell being safely hoisted up and off? How much weight can a vest go up to? So many questions lol.
I know what you mean about sleep schedule. I've been having major sleeping issues since my daughter turned 1 1/2. Stress along with my daughter waking up at night and the inability for me to fall back asleep, has given me insomnia. I hope things get better for you.
Jennifer
I love fur babies! I have two cats, but I've always wanted a dog. My daughter is in love with animals. When my cats "go" (sorry but they are getting old) I want to get a dog, but my husband is allergic and says NO WAY unless the dog has hair. Any suggestions?
How is the Feb rotation going for you? Do you like it?

Gotta go! have a great day ladies :)
 
Good morning everyone,

Today was CCC as planned, still a killer. WOW. But I took only 2 breaks this time instead of 3 (about 30-45 seconds each) so there is improvement. I decided to just do my best with the 5th core segment, I didn't keep the pace and excluded the pushups but did better than last time. I also repeated the 2nd and 3rd core segment just in case. I opted to spend a little time with Amy Bento's Advanced step challenge 2. Boy is that confusing.

Jennifer
I meant to say this yesterday. When I learned Advanced Step Challenge 3, I had to add on practices to my workouts for 3 weekends. When I mastered about 90% of it, I did the routine as my regular workout. By that time I was sick of it from repeating it so much :D

Natty
Way to go on mastering those 5lb dumbbells in TB Woo Hoo for you!!!!!!!!!!!! As for Butts and Guts, it's a different type of workout, more along the lines of Lower Body Blast if I had to make a comparison. B&G is tough, but will kick your butt in a different way.

Kara
I have liked the Feb rotation because it has firmed up my thighs a bit. Just to give you an idea of my physique. I am 5'7" about 140 lbs, with medium to large bones. I am not pear shaped, not really hourglass either. Maybe more of a banana as I don't have a small waist although my core is fairly lean (waist is 28-29 inches). I was not trying to lose weight on this rotation, but feel more lean. I lost about 1/2 inch off each thigh. I think Jan 2011 is the way to go to lean up quickly. Take a look at it though as there are some long workouts, so you will need the time to commit to it. That's what I am doing next, I will start it next weekend. I have only done 2 rotations so far (feb 2012 and Nov 2011.. the one you are doing), and the results have been impressive, that is why I continue to shy away from STS. I really want to do Jan 2011 and another round of Feb 2012. The best thing about both of those rotations is they are going to force me to do workouts I don't care for (ummm CCC!!!!)

Have a great day everyone!

Susan
 
Good Saturday morning to you all!
I am going to practice push ups today... Since Natty mentioned that practice makes perfect I figure I will dedicate myself to more practice. Thank you - great tip!

On the other hand, as Steven Wright says, practice makes perfect but nobody's perfect so why practice - LOL! Just kidding.

Anyway... my plan is to do as many as I can with proper form, then drop to my knees and do more. Then it's Cycle Max and then another round of push ups.

Kara,
Congrats on holding steady at 20!
~The Feb '12 rotation has been a great fantastic challenge; I feel almost like I'm in a constant state of soreness which tells me I've been challenging my muscles over an extended period of time! Mostly my legs but also my arms.
~I'm sticking with the program the best I can but I only work out 5 days a week so I have to cut one from the rotation. BTW, OMgosh, TBT is fantastic (your triceps will fry!); I subbed it for Muscle Max just for various reasons... Someone else said (can't recall who) that she always has to change *something* and I think I must be in that category!
~I have indeed noticed more firming. My legs and thighs *feel* like they should look more improved than what they actually do but some improvement is better than none and I know I will still get even better results by sticking to more rotations... or maybe even repeating this one:)
~3 kids is definitely enough to take care of; I'm sure adding a pet to the mix would be too much! It's cool that you realize that, too; it hurts me to see people not taking care of their pets who depend on them!

Natty
I hope the road trip is enjoyable!
~As for pets, I love our dogs (3 greyhounds) but they shed a lot (I'm sure our cat does too just not as much). I hear that poodles don't shed but they need to be groomed. I don't know if that makes it okay for allergies. Our President Obama has a non-allergen dog; some sort of water dog. Either way, those are the only two ideas that I have.
~Congratulations on keeping up with Cathe's UB in Turbo Barre and the 20 pushups at the end! That is fantastic! I have to take a break but know that I will improve:) Also, I have the same problem - the supporting leg. I guess that will improve over time, also:)

Susan
Cool on doing the Feb rotation! You're right, rotations do have us in more of a cross-training mode; if it hadn't been for the roation I wouldn't have picked up Kick Max for the first time in a while.
~I also like KPC better for heart rate; plus after that I go to the floor work menu in L&G.
~Thank you for the tip about the phones. I think I will need to stay with Verizon for now (because my husband's company has the Verizone plan) but maybe that will change as they progress. His phone isn't even really equipped for texting!

I best get to it - thank you for being so great to chat with:D Have a super day!
 
Good morning all! Last night was the step routine for Intensity. I have to say, I think that is her hardest step workout that I have done. I didn't preview it all...just jumped right in. The last combo was so tricky that I have to confess I just jogged in place during a lot of it. Definitely one to try again!

I have serious DOMS for the squats in STS Legs. I did 50lbs squats and definitely have been feeling it!

Kara
You are so sweet! Thanks! The workouts do help alot. It decreases the stress and I basically exhaust myself so there is no other choice but to sleep. It's hard sometimes to stay motivated but I know that after I do I will feel so much better.

I love Body Max 2!!!! I haven't done the weight portions yet because of STS but I absolutely love the step routine. Natty is right about STS. I think with the whole 1RM factor the program is designed to work for anyone! I know I am not at my goal weight and I only have two more weeks before I finish it. It's a great program and I know you would be to do it! I think I am becoming a STS enabler. ;)

Congrats on holding strong on the pushups! 20 is so many!

Natty
Good luck on the road trip! Portable DVD players are the best for the little kids. It makes life in the car so much easier!

Butts and Guts is soooo different from Turbo Barre. It starts out with sets of lunges, squats, high step work, and etc before moving into some killer floorwork. The abs portion is really good too! It was second Cathe DVD that I bought and I loved it from the get go. In some of the premixes she make your abs hurt with just moving a stability ball around.

You have the same dumbbell set too??? Too funny! How do you feel about yours? My only complaint is that I wish Walmart sold CAP weight plates too instead of just the Gold's Gym ones. Did you get the case with yours? I went with the ones without just to save the ten bucks.

Now for STS! A squat rack does act like a spotter. It holds the weights up kinda like a barbell holder so that you can walk to the weights and lift them from the rack to your shoulders. It prevents the need to have to lift the weights over your head to your shoulders. Most people can squat with more weight than they can lift over their head so it allows them to squat with the highest weights possible. The weighted vest helps because it's weight you are still squatting with but didn't have to pull over your head. My vest is a 10lb one that I picked up for only $10 at Marshall's. I think Cathe has a 20lb one too but they get pretty expensive at that point.

Awww....I am sorry that you have sleeping problems too! Isn't it awful always feel a little bit in a daze? I hope it gets better for you too -- especially when you have to take of a little child. They are always in a go go go mode too!

Btw, my son has huge dog allergies yet we still have one. It's a bit of a misconception about allergies that it's the dog hair that bothers people. It's actually more the dander which are skin flakes. Despite his allergies, my son usually does fine with the dog (and he is around it ALL the time. He loves that dog!) because I bathe the dog once a week or so. I also invested in a Haan steamer which is like a godsend for his allergies. The temperature of the water gets up to 212 degrees F so it kills the dander. My routine is to vacuum at least once a week and to steam the carpets and bed at least once a month. I am a little crazy about vacuuming though because of his allergies. I actually move almost every piece of furniture too and vacuum underneath it. The steamer is also great for cleaning non-carpet floors too. I have two....one with attachments and one that just does floors. I love them both!


Susan
Great job on CCC! It is a toughie! Cathe does it also so easy too! I think if her personality wasn't so nice it would be easy to hate her for being in such amazing shape. I admire that you still do the workout even though you don't really like them. I keep throwing LIS workouts on my calendar and they keep not getting done....LOL. I need to be more like you and Natty!

Jennifer
Greyhounds are such cute dogs! Did you get them as puppies or were they ex-racers? It's so sad that so many greyhounds are just tossed away after their racing days are over.

Cya later everyone! Have a great day!
 
Jennifer
I agree, I have experienced a lot of soreness. The first week and today,my butt is very achy. Not like the usual DOMS just an overall achy feeling. Today is a bit surprising since yesterday was just Kickmax. I guess all the plyo work is getting to me.

Stacie
I totally agree about Intensity, that step routine is hard. Ya know it's hard when the Hiit that follows it doesn't seem so bad, and the Low Impact Hiit seems like a piece of cake. As for CCC, I was thinking the same thing about Cathe. That is the one workout where she and I are on complete opposite ends of the spectrum. Through all of her work outs, she always appears "together" and I am usually a sweaty mess and look very fatigued, but in CCC, I look like I ran a marathon and she looks the same as she does in something like Low Max. As for me doing workouts I don't like, it's because I am doing the rotation. If I don't do all the workouts, I will feel like I cheated. The only thing I will substitute is some other workout wherever she calls for a run, as I have never run in my life (except when I had to in high school gym class, and that was 20 years ago.) Clearly CCC is something I must keep doing since it is so hard. I wonder if anybody out there can do it and not feel like they got a good butt kickin'.

Susan
 
Susan----I started my round of STS in Feb. 2011 with the 3.5 rotation. I saw good results which became more significant in Meso 2. Meso 1 definitely improved my endurance with all the reps required. Like I said earlier, it helped me to increase my strength and do push ups on my toes for the first time ever. There are many people on the forum who have never done the 1RM so I just jumped right in with an estimate of my weight. I just made sure that I lifted heavier than I normally do even for Meso 1. Basically, I used to considered 12lbs.dumbells to be my heavy set for bicep curls. So, when I started STS, my goal was to make the 15 lbs dumbells my lightest set to make sure I was challenging myself so that is what I started with in week 1 of Meso 1. At the end of Meso 3, I could bicep the required reps at 25lb dumbells. Of course, the reps are lower in Meso 3. I just made sure that I always choose a heavier weight for any exercise than I normally would when I began the program. I adjusted as I needed but didn't have to very much. The program made me so much stronger. My goal was not weight loss but to improve my strength gains and tone. I think I lost about 3 lbs the first round but keep in mind that I didn't necessarily change my diet at all. My thighs became leaner but my knees also bothered me after my first round so I had to let up on the leg workouts. I did the 3.5 rotation, took a month off and then did Meso 1 and 2 again. I did other workouts during the summer and fall and started the 3.5 rotation again earlier this year. I will tell you that I enjoyed wearing tank tops and sleeveless shirts last summer. I know when I limit my intake of junk food that I see significant results regardless of what workouts I do. However, my body responded to STS like it has to no other. Like I said, I only lost a few pounds because I don't clean up the diet that much---but got many compliments from people saying I look like I have lost weight---well when your shoulders get more defined---it creates a slimmer look. I read that somewhere and I truly know it does after doing STS. I am 5ft. 7 and my weight range is 142-144 and I wear a size 6. I don't want to lose a size, so I struggle with how to lean the thighs and stomach without dropping a size.

I decided to do another consecutive push up test this morning and made it to 30 which was the same as last week. I asked myself---why I couldn't do just one more as I collapsed to the floor:eek:. I also did 30 minutes on the ellipitcal today.
 
Last edited:
Circut Blast and Afterburn come to mind as I think about my favorite circut workouts, I love High Step Challenge and Bootcamp, too.

I practiced my pushups today and did Cycle Max... Tomorrow is another day and I will practice again.

STACIE, 2 of our greythounds are ex-racers but one was an ex-hunter. I agree, it is sad how these sweet loving dogs are discarded :( All over-populated animals need good homes and luckily some get one:)

I didn't realize that the skin flaking is the allergens (good to know); good job on vacuuming and steam cleaning! We just got a Dyson Animal and absolutely love it! I'm glad your son's allergies at bay:)

heartymax, good job on the pushups!

Ciao for now!
 
Good morning ladies :)

Very long day yesterday :(. My butt and lower back were killing me in the car! My DH (Mark) turns to me and says "see? You're too active. Gotta start sitting more". Funny guy.

Yesterday was 40/20. I hated it. Seriously, no fun. I love that it's only 30min and I got worked hard, but man those butt kicks off the step just make me want to collapse. My fav hiit by far, is the Intensity hi/lo. No dread factor there. Today is Afterburn, which I have not done in a long time. I hope I do well with all those plank exercises.

Lots to respond to today :)

Susan
It's great you did CCC again instead of bypassing it. It does get a bit easier, but never easy. You're right, Cathe looks so composed and unfazed by, what I consider to be her toughest cardio yet. But what I love about it, is that there is no equipment involved and the moves are very straightforward (except for some of the ab moves).
Amy Bento looks out of my league. I like complex step, but I think I may have to practice more with Cathe before I attempt her.
You've made me want to get B&G. It's sounds very tough. I just have so many LB workouts and don't see a reason to add that one to my collection for fear it's similar to what I already have. I have Gym Style Legs and that one has a killer section with standing leg work and floor work (which just destroys me). Are you excited for the RT? I would be over the moon right about now!
Jennifer
Your doggies sound so cute. My daughter loves to "harass" the dogs at the park. She has no fear, she loves them all! I do however have to tell her that some dogs do not want to be pet, and we have to ask their owner first. I love animals and I'm glad she does too.
Cycle Max looks like so much fun! I really want a spin bike one day! I used to go mountain biking, so I know all about the, ummmm, sore crotch thing (sorry if that was too vulgar). Going uphill, your quads just scream and burn. Your legs must be in super good shape to handle spinning!
Stacie
Intensity is probably my #1 fav step workout (I de-virginized my first cardio club step with it :eek:). The last combo is the trickiest, but you'll get it.
Holy squats!!! 50lbs is amazing!!! Did you use a squat rack?
Heartymax
30 push-ups!!!! :eek: Wow!!! Just wow!!! Congrats on all your STS accomplishments too. You should be very proud :). I can't wait to start!! I'm very excited!!

Hope everyone has a wonderful Sunday :)
 
Last edited:
Good Morning! Happy Sunday. Next week is spring break for my kids and my husband and I took it off. Going to try to enjoy Chicagoland instead of traveling. It's better than working!

Today I did Lower Body Blast. I skipped the leg conditioning drills and went back and repeated some of the cardio blasts and leg work (warrior lunges - I love those, side lunges, deadlifts, elevated lunges - I hate those but I push myself to do them as I think they work great. These are the ones where your rear leg is on the high step behind you OUCH.) I ended up working out for about 1.5 hours. Then spent 15 more minutes doing some 1RM tests. I am almost done with disk 1. I don't think I will do them all, but this will give me a feel of how heavy I can go.

Heartymax- Thanks for the information. It sounds like we are about the same size, but I wear a size 8 :( I actually may be close to a 6 now as a lot of my stuff is big. I don't think I need to lose any weight, and I am not about to try to gain any, but the big clothes is bittersweet. I am happy I leaned up, but not liking the idea of refurnishing my wardrobe as my wardrobe is rather extensive. Today I have capris on and have decided to safety pin them What a sight, but I always wear long tops, so it's not too bad.

Natty - No pressure on B&G, especially if you think your collection is extensive enough. On top of that, you are going to be set for the next 3+ months with STS. But if you ever get bored, you should check it out. Based on what you say, you have nothing to fear. If you can do LBB, you can do B&G. In my opinion, LBB is more fun but a bit easier, hence the reason I repeated some stuff. As for step, you are not giving yourself enough credit. You seemed to have picked up all of Cathe's complex moves very quickly. But if you don't like a rather long learning curve, I would stay away from Amy Bento. What's nice is she has a tutorial that previews the tough moves. The problem is that I find so many other moves complicated, not just the ones she deems complicated. I would like a tutorial for all the moves!!!!

Jennifer - I haven't done Circuit Blast yet, but I love High Step Challenge. I always go back to it. Those T back moves with the band kill me every time. I also have her other High Step workout (High Step Training) but I haven't done that one in ages.

Today I am hoping to go for a bike ride with my daughters. Maybe hubby will come too. I bought a bike last year, but never got around to using it. I haven't been bike riding for years and am looking forward to it.

Have a great day.
 
Good morning everyone! I was super bad and stayed up way too late last night. Luckily the little guy let me sleep in a bit. Well...sorta. He was asking me questions earlier in the morning and I mumbled some answers and went back to sleep. Last night was STS Disc #30. I can't believe how quickly the program went! Only 6 more discs to go. No pushups to report...I need to start working out earlier. These post midnight workouts really kinda fry me. At least I am still doing them I suppose!

HeartyMax
30 pushups is amazing! I know how you feel about why I can't I just do one more? I have been feeling that way for weeks! I am also like you that I have not been really watching my diet either and I still got good definition in my arms, back, shoulders and legs from STS.

Natty
The comment your husband made was funny. I hope he was being sarcastic! I don't know if he works out a lot or not but if he doesn't sometimes people don't understand why we do it. Anyway, I am glad to hear you made it back safe and sound!

I don't have a squat rack. I used the weighted vest instead. 10lbs of the weight was on the vest and 40lbs on the barbell. I actually really liked the squat rack workout even though it is very slow and has really long breaks.

BTW, the library has the Jillian Michaels workout I put on hold ready for pickup! I will hopefully pick it up today and try it out tonite!

Susan
Right now Low Impact Circuit is my favorite circuit workout. The circuit premix in Step Jump Pump is pretty good as well. I will confess though that I have only done the cardio portions of many of my DVDs due to STS.

I actually bought a lot of my DVDs in last November and December because I had extra money due to my brother-in-law fixing my car rather than a shop. I also kept finding good prices on them on eBay because people were trying to get extra money for Christmas and some people were reselling some of their DVDs due to Cathe's sales. For instance, I picked up the Gym Style set from our very own FaithNVeggies after she had duplicates after buying the Hardcore Series that Cathe offered for only $80 around that time. We actually sent several message back and forth talking about Cathe workouts. Nice lady! I purchased a few of them from Cathe herself when she had a really good price on something (like Muscle Max :eek:). I actually have a spreadsheet with all of the DVDs I have listed and I track the date in that I did them last. My goal is to do every workout I have at least once so having the spreadsheet helps me build my rotations.

A bike ride sounds wonderful! I am still trying to teach my son how to ride. Do you have a trainer for your bike? I have been thinking about splurging on one for a long time now.

I hear you about the wardrobe thing. I just had to recently buy new clothes too and it does all add up! I still want to get more new shoes and a new purse but I haven't done my taxes yet and I am trying to save money in case I owe money. Plus the way the gas prices are increasing has me a little nervous since I had planned on doing a lot of camping this summer at different places throughout the state.

Have a great day everyone!
 
Stacie -- I love your spreadsheet idea! I just recently typed up a list of all the Cathe dvds that I own. I printed it off and put it in this binder I use as a workout log. I log my workouts in there with pen and paper and I also do the workout manager. I've been logging my workouts since 2005 and it's been a great tool to motivate me. I love how you track the last time you did each workout via a spreadsheet - that would be a lot faster to look at than going back month by month to see when I last did a workout. I might have to incorporate your idea, or a version of your idea, into my w/o log. Thanks for the inspiration!! :D My daughter is 7 and still doesn't know how to ride a bike either. So I'm in the same boat as you. I think you said your son was about 6 or 7, if I'm remembering correctly. I'm trying to tell myself, "Make it her accomplishment, not yours" but it's still frustrating when I see 5-year olds who can ride their bike and she can't. That's partly my fault and my husbands though .... probably didn't practice w/ her as much as we should have.

Susan -- Have fun on your week off! I've been to Chicago only once, about 13 years ago, and I loved it. What types of activites do you have up your sleeve? I'm sure you will have fun whatever you have planned! I'm so jealous you are road tripping it this year! PS - I laughed at your safety-pinning ingenuity! ;)

My favorite circuit workout is Low Impact Circuit. I like HSC, too, but it's been a long time since I've pulled it off the shelf. I've never done Intensity or Circuit Blast or Cardio Core Circuit ... even though I own them all. :eek: I have some catching up to do, that's for sure.

Today (Sunday) was my rest day. Yesterday on Saturday I needed to fit in a quick workout, so I deviated from the rotation and did 4DS kickbox only for 30 mins. I also did 13 pushups. I know, I know - not quite 20 like last time. I have no excuse either. (please don't boot me from the group!) .... hahahaha.

Jennifer -- When I do bootcamp I usually do just the cardio part and repeat it 3 times so it ends up being a quick (and tough) cardio workout. I think I've only done the actual circuit workout once or twice. So many workouts, so little time. Glad you like your Dyson! We have an inexpensive vacuum which I lovingly clean regularly so it keeps working. So far, so good. I'd love to own a more high end vacuum some day though. Maybe it'll make the chore of vacuuming more fun!

Heartymax -- Awesome job on 30!! I tried to get one more past 20 each time I reached that number and .... nope ... no going there. So I get what you're saying. I think your body knows how much it can take and it'll talk to you if you try too much, too soon. I know that's how it is for me.

Natty -- Your husband is a funny guy! ;) Sounds like something my DH would have said. I don't do well sitting in the car either. Our trips back home to see my parents and inlaws are 4.5 hours each way. I don't mind it so much now if only because we have to stop a lot (because of the kids), but I remember in my younger days (haha) of driving the whole thing in one shot. Kind of nuts, but I did it. The older I get, though, the more I notice I need to get some stretching in or at least change position on those long car trips. I don't think I will ever be able to sleep in the car. My DH can sleep any place and I envy that. I wear my sleep mask over my eyes to block the light, prop my huge bedroom pillow against the window and pull a blanket over me. All I need is a snuggie and I think I would be set! :p

Have a great Monday! --Kara--
 
Stacie----we are taking a Caribbean family vacation this summer so I definitely plan to try to clean up the diet a little after Easter. I don't like weighing under 140 because I feel that I loose my "butt" when I do that. However, I feel that I may want to try to get to 138 -140 for vacation so I won't have to worry much about a weight gain during that time. I plan to eat whatever I want regardless if I loose before going---but it would be good if I can lose a few pounds before then. My weight currently ranges betwen 142-144 so I know that doesn't sound like much to loose but it is a struggle to just keep it where it is . I don't have a totally clean diet now but it is clean enough to keep me within this range.

Susan--I think you should go to the store and try on a size 6 just to see how they fit. I remember the day I was shopping with a friend and she told me that I looked smaller so I should try a 6. I told her there was no way that I wore a 6----and I was surprised to see that I did and they fit nicely and that was about 8 years ago. By the way, I love Lower Body Blast! Cathe definitely knows how to make some good lower body workouts. I love what STS does for my body but I do miss my other workouts.

Natty---I actually like 40/20 better than 30/30. Even though when I do 40/20 it is more like 40/30 LOL!

I am in the last week of Meso 3. Today was Chest and Back. I decided to stay at the 90% weight for the 8 reps instead of dropping down to the 85%. I figured I would see if I could push out those last two reps. I know that my weights are only estimates since I didn't do the 1RM so I was able to keep the weight from last week and get in another 2 reps. I also did two sets of push ups before doing into the Chest exercises. I did 21 and then 25 push ups. I was going to do additional sets but remembered that I had a hard time getting through my chest exercises last week after all those push ups. I opted to do 3 alternating sets instead of 4 and added on the standing leg portion of Butts and Gutts.
 
Happy Monday ladies :)

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

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

Stacie
Yup the comment was funny...I guess. Mark used to go to the gym every day back before I had Izabella. He was in very good shape. Last year he cancelled his gym membership, claiming he had no time. He is thinking of re-joining since an inactive job is making him pack on the pounds. You're right though, most people don't understand my situation. I am probably the only one out of my family/friends who lives an active lifestyle. People make rude comments about my DVD's and fitness equipment. I got laughed at when I bought a barbell. It's very frustrating at times.
Which Jillian did you get? I'm curious to hear your thoughts.
You love camping? My whole family (except for me) is into camping. I do however love hiking. They are already calling to reserve a spot for this summer.
Kara
I love 4DS kickbox! So much fun! That whole series is awesome IMO. You have so many great workouts like Intensity and Circuit Blast! You should give them a try. Intensity is probably my fav step when I want a good booty whipping. The hiit hi/lo is so much fun too. The bootcamp at the end just pushes you over, but man you feel totally worked in under 1hr. That workout is genius.
Funny you mentioned the push-up count being lower. Mine has also decreased for some reason. Not quite the 23 I pulled out the first time :eek:. Hope you have a good week :)
Susan
Bike riding was a big thing for me before I had Izabella. We would go bike riding for hours down by the lake. I plan on resuming again. I hope you had a great time w/the family. Your girls look extra cute. How old are they again?
I love LBB! I love the little blasts w/the weight work; so cool.
I do plan on getting B&G on day. I want the WHOLE Cathe collection!!!!
As far as complex step, for some reason Cathe's newer stuff like Step Moves and LIC (from LIS) has been easy for me. It's her older stuff that's giving me a problem. Not sure why :confused:
Heartymax
Where in the Caribbean are you going? I've been to Cuba 7 times and the DR 3 times. I was supposed to go to Jamaica, but I missed out on the last minute deal :(. I also want to go to Disney World...not cuz' it's been a childhood dream of mine (not at all) but because my daughter loves Mickey :D.

Have a great day everyone!
 
Good morning everyone! Did you have a good weekend? Saturday we did some errands and visited family. Sunday we walked ot the library to pick the JM workout and then played in the park. I was really mad at the library -- I forgot to renew a bunch of books last week and wound up with over $20 in fines! To make it worse, my son started laughing and being obnoxious about it. Grrr..at least the money goes to the library which is a good cause.

Last night I tried to do the JM DVD Extreme Shed and Shred. I got about 5 minutes into it and wasn't feeling it. Plus, it looked like there was weight work in it which I couldn't do due to the STS schedule. Instead I did PowerMax from Cardio Hits. Holy cow was that one fun!!!! The moves were great and not too hard to catch on. The music was 80's R&B...way cool. Push It was in there (which reminded me of you guys!), Whoop There It Is, and even Wild Thing from Tone Loc. Cathe cracked me up because right in the middle of a combo she yells "Wild Thing". Too funny!

Tonight is STS Chest and Back and I will throw the JM DVD into the mix as well.


Kara
The spreadsheet does help! I even classified the workouts too since I don't want to do step workouts in a row and etc. I had an idea of writing a tool that will build rotations for people based on the workouts they have. Right now it's just an idea....I don't think it would be too hard if I actually took the time to do it!

I am glad I am not the only one whose child can't ride a bike either. My son is going to be 7 in June and he can barely ride with training wheels on. It is frustrating when much younger kids can ride just fine. Sometimes it feels like he is behind in sooo many things. The school says he is behind in math and reading which is why I started him in Kumon. He just started swimming lessons as well since he is starting to be too big to be the kid swimming with the safety vest on especially with the cub scouts camping trip coming up. There is always so much to do and so little time!

HeartyMax
Ohh....that sounds like a great family vacation! Are you taking a cruise ship there or flying straight in? I am jealous. I love to travel and the Caribbean is supposed to be really nice! Are you taking Travel Fit with you? ;)

Natty
What a bummer that no one else around you is into fitness either! Most of my family is the same way. When I bought the new plate weight sets, my dad was with me and he actually asked "What are you going to use those for?". I gave him a look and the conversation ended there thankfully. My mom is always lecturing me about overdoing it on the weights yet wants me to help her get wood and move Grandma around. How the heck does she expect me to do all that if I am not in decent shape? I am sorry that you have to go through the same thing at home. At least I live with just my son now and he is actually one of the most supportive people in my family in regards to fitness. I can't believe that someone actually laughed at you for getting a barbell...not cool at all. It can pretty hurtful when someone close to you makes fun of something that you are really passionate about. Based on this, your husband's comment probably wasn't funny at all.

I do love to go camping but I have certain rules about it. A big one is that I insist on always keeping the tent shut at all times so that bugs (not fond of them) and other small furry animals don't make their way inside. To be honest, I prefer campgrounds with showers...lol. I love a morning shower! Some day when my son is older I would like to go on a little back country trip with him (of course there will be no showers there...=( ). I actually have been making reservations too. The camp grounds fill up very quickly here. I am going to defy my family's wishes and go camping with just the two of us. I plan on telling them after the fact. They are sooo overprotective and a bit controlling.

Hiking is awesome isn't it? I love trails that end up at hidden waterfalls or lakes that you can only get to on foot. Unfortunately, the trails get super busy here too. You have to go really early or else there are a million people everywhere which sometimes makes it more annoying than fun.

Good to hear your back is feeling better! Back pain is not fun at all...you don't realize how much you use your back until you hurt it.

Have a fantastic day everyone!
 
Hi all!

Today was Intensity, Maximum Intensity premix which included the bootcamp and was about 75 minutes. This is the second time I have done this routine, the first time being last week. I didn't take any extra breaks today (versus 2 last time) but I had to pull in all the stored energy I had to do it. AND I DID ALL THE PLIE JACKS in the last blast segment. Last time I skipped the entire last set. I did however have to skip 2 of the squat thrusts/stand up and punch though to catch my breath. All in all I felt rather victorious. I added on Ab Circuits with the ball. I didn't like that one. I though the pike moves and all the moves with your legs/knees on the ball twisting all over was too much and too hard. I didn't feel it in my core, just couldn't get my body to move like that. Maybe my core is not as strong as I thought. Anyone else have an opinion?

In bootcamp there are 2 sets of pushups. I did 26 (vs. Cathe's 24), it was quick rest then I did 4 on my toes and 8 on my knees to match Cathe's 12. Since I didn't do the 2nd set all on my toes, I added on some more pushups: 6+6+7+7 with 30 second rests. I am just glad I got some pushups in.

Kara
Intensity and CCC are the hardest cardio workouts Cathe has in my opinion. Intensity's step is super tough, but in my opinion it lacks the fun factor of her other step routines. After step, it moves onto High Impact and Low Impact Hiit. After the step, the high impact Hiit is a welcome relief (if Hiit seems easy you can get the picture of how hard the step is) and the low impact Hiit is ... dare I say it... easy. Bootcamp is less than 15 minutes and is super fun!

For spring break, most of our plans are just hanging out with friends. Today friends were supposed to come over, but my younger daughter (Madison, age 7) has a lump on her neck, so we are going to the doctor in 30 minutes. I have moved past hysterics. I had to step away so the poor kiddo didn't see me cry. I am scared to death. Hope it's something simple like a pulled muscle.

Natty
My daughters are 7 and 9, 1st and 4th grade. Thanks for the compliment. We managed to go on a bike ride without DH because he had to cut the grass. It was near 70 yesterday and today it's in the 30s. He had to get that grass cut when the weather was nice. It was a leisurely bike ride for about 40 minutes. Very fun, not intense, and no crotch soreness :)

Stacie
I had the same library experience 2 weeks ago. I swear I didn't get the reminder 2 days in advance that the books were going to be due. The next email reminder doesn't come until after they are past due NINE days. At $0.10 per day, and about 30 books, my fines were close to $30. You can bet that won't happen again.

Tomorrow is High Reps. Haven't done that one yet, Looking forward to it.
 
Natty----we are going to Turks and Caicos. It's all inclusive so I need to get the body in shape to be able to eat and have fun doing it. I have occassional wine but since I am on vacation, I hope to have a daily umbrella creation also. We considered Jamaica and Dominican Republic but then settled on T&C.

Stacie---We are flying there. My kids are so excited about the trip.

Most of my family is not into exercise either, but they always comment on how I keep my weight down. I visit my hometown about 2 to 3 times a year. I truly enjoy exercise. My youngest son just completing an interview of me for a homework assignment. He asked me what was my favorite hobby----My answer is strength training. I don't do alot of things---but this is something that I enjoy. It is so nice having a few friends who are into exercise and fitness. I love the forum because it allows me to stay connected to someone who values what I do.
 
Hi everyone :)

I was able to workout during my "energetic time" between 9am-11am today (rare I know), so I usually like to put on something that will really work me hard (after yesterday's failure, I needed it). Hardcore Extreme Circuit Intervals :eek:. 70min of brutality. I got in cardio, UB & LB weight training with heavy weights & plyo. My body felt like jello afterwards. Good stuff :D

Heartymax
Ohhh T&C!!! A few years back I was really eying that destination. I did tons of research on it and looked obsessively everyday for last minute deals. Unfortunately, I could never get a decent all-inclusive price. Please let me know where you are staying and how you liked it. I think there are some Riu's there correct?
Stacie
Oh, library fee's are crazy. Last year when I moved, I forgot a few of them in storage. Ha, ha $50.00 later...Fortunately the library said we could bring $25.00 worth of canned goods for charity (it was around Christmas) and they would forget the fee.
Power Max looks awesome! I want that one!! Is it on Cardio Hits? The download is only $6.97...;)
For Jillian's S&S, level 2 is harder. It's not her best (or hardest) DVD IMO, but I still like it. The weight work is more like light toning and it gets the HR up. I've done both levels and worked up a nice sweat. The next day I was really sore.
My family is the same way....very overprotective and controlling. I thought it was just an Italian thing...
BTW, I made another batch of the Lara Bars. A different recipe this time with the cherries. I added some unsweetened coconut and mixed nuts: cashews, almonds & hazelnuts. Oh dear my, yummy!!
Susan
How is your daughter??? I was thinking a pulled muscle too when you mentioned it, but I can see why you got scared. Please let us know; I'm sure it's nothing serious.
BTW, amazing job on the push-ups!!! Wow you are gonna rock that RT!!!!! Those plie jacks are killer! You should feel very proud of yourself! I'm saying congrats cuz' I know how difficult Intensity is. So congrats!

Have a good night everyone :)
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.

Our Newsletter

Get awesome content delivered straight to your inbox.

Top