Push It

[Jenniferlove]

This morning I did STS Triceps and Shoulders.
I also followed it with a new glute exercise I just read about... a completely different type of hamstring/glute exercise.
Picture this: Standing tall, bend the right leg behind you and place a stability ball on the heel of your foot; using the heel squeeze the ball to the butt. Keep squeezing the heel into the ball and the ball into the butt. Then lower slightly and lift the leg, making sure to keep the leg bent and squeezed so the ball stays in place during the movement. Do 15 reps or so before switching sides, and repeat for 3-4 sets total. This hamstring curl really works!

Happy Birthday, Heartymax! I hope it is the best year ever!
Sounds like you are starting out with an awesome weekend!

I'm glad the first day of school went well, and I agree - I think DH15 realizes that grades have to come before sports. It's great that he's been strength training all year. Has he done any of Cathe's workouts?

SleepMax! LOL! Nice job getting Bis/Tris and Tabatacise done

Tash,
The virtual scenery walk sounds wonderful! I looked at some of the pictures and it is beautiful! I have seen some of these DVDs offered for Spinning and have always thought they were a great concept. You sure do keep a fast pace, that's the way to move it!

This morning I ended up using a tennis ball on my right pecs, traps, and right lats; it helped my shoulder a lot already! It is still popping here and there but not nearly as much as it was, and a lot of the tension that was in my neck has released. My problem is tight pecs pulling my shoulder forward, which it already does from sitting at a desk all day.

I am going to hold off on the myfascial massage ($120) and a new roller ($65+tax). However I did buy a foam roller stretch/workout DVD from Collage ($19.99); not sure how great it will be but it will help motivate me to dedicate an hour a week of using the roller on my whole body; it will be a great weekend recovery thing, probably after a HiiT routine

Here is the link in case you are interested.

Total Conditioning on the Foam Roller

I'm glad you're loving your roller


Have an awesome day, everyone1

 

[TRSTACIE]

Good morning ladies! Sorry to be MIA...I still haven't been working out but yesterday I was sorta cleared by my doctor to do so. Overall, I am mostly healed. I still have some pain in my lower right ab. According to my doctor, I have deep muscle bruising which is causing the pain. While physically I can exercise, it might increase the pain in that area so I am still in a holding pattern. I can't wait to start working out again. A couple of weeks ago, I actually had a dream that I was working my shoulders.

HeartyMax
Happy Belated Birthday! I hope it was awesome! I'm sorry to hear about your son's brace. I hope that he feels properly and will back to his normal self soon.

By the way, Tyler is in 3rd grade now and is doing awesome with his new teacher. She keeps emailing me about how much she loves having him in her class. I haven't had any complaints and they both seem really happy together.

Toni
I know what you mean about August being so busy....it's been crazy on this end as well! Between school starting and a new project at work, it's hard to keep up with everything. Kumon for some reason doubled Tyler's homework last weekend and we are still playing catch up from that. My family keeps coming up for visits on the weekend or insists that I go see them. It's hard to tell them no because then they get upset about it but it would really be nice to have several weekends at home alone so we can get caught up with everything. Oh, and cub scout popcorn selling started last week!

Sorry to hear about your basement as well.

Jennifer
Your class sounds super hard but very interesting. I hope that they all like it. I will send you a private message later.

Tasha
YES! Exercise is very empowering. The Saturday before my surgery I was at birthday party at my cousin's house. My male cousin who is a year or two younger than me was showing me around and he had a weight set in his room. He was shocked to find out that I can bench press as much as he can!!!

Gotta run! See ya later!

 

[heartymax]

Stacie--im so glad Tyler is having a great year. He deserves a fresh start. Kids know when someone cares and sounds like he has made s positive connection with the new teacher.

This morning was Muscle Endurance.

 

[Jenniferlove]

Good morning, happy Friday - and happy holiday weekend.

Yesterday I pulled a Heartymax and did Sleep Max

This morning I did Imax2; I needed the endorphins and the interval cardio. I haven't done that one in a long time and it was awesome! I replenished myself with Gatorade in my breakfast smoothie. It was delishious - lime gatorade with frozen cherries and frozen mixed berries along with some plain, low-fat yogurt and vanilla whey isolate protein powder. YUM!

I ended up going on a foam-roller spending spree. I ordered both kinds of the Grid rollers; full size (2.0) and the half-size (the original). I should receive both today, as well as the Stretch/Roller DVD.

In addition I ordered both kinds of the Star roller (hard and soft, full size). The soft one is on backorder but I'll have the firm one next week.

The tennis ball worked well but it wasn't as comfortable or easy to use as a foam roller will be (hence the short size of the grid).

I really want to avoid the $120/month myofascial massage so I need to get serious and use the tools to do it myself. There are various foam rollers for various reasons. There are also different densities for different reasons. I imagine that some days I'll want one kind of foam roller and another kind on a different day; it just makes sense to me -- just like we don't do the same workout every day. I imagine the Soft Start will be perfect for relaxation and the others will be good for the days I need intense myo-release.

I mentioned the Foam Roller Stretch DVD that I got from Collage, but I also ordered Mike Boyle's Foam Roller Techniques (Amazon or Power-Systems) which seems like it will be good; it has a 25-minute routine (I like the short time requirement here) and he also talks about various body parts and various issues. I think I will learn a lot from both of these DVDs.

Stacie,
I am so happy to hear about Tyler and his new teacher That is great news!

I am not happy to hear that you are still having pains; I'm glad the doctor has a better idea of what's going on. I sure hope you feel better soon!

Dosen't sound at all like it got in your way of bustin' out the chest presses! LOL! Way to GO! That's a Cathlete for ya'

Heartymax,
Nice job on Muscle Endurance; that was one of my favorites. Seems like I say that a lot

Hello Tash and Toni; hope you're both still kickin' butt with your workouts!

Have an awesome day!

 

[mini-natty]

Hi everyone

This week was my de-load (aka-recovery) week. My w/o today was as follows:

4x10R goblet squats (love those!)
4x10R push-ups
15-20R KB swings
4x10R inverted rows
20-30 sec plank

working at about 65% 1RM -- takin' it easy

Stacie
Glad to hear you are recovering well. Is the deep muscle bruising better?
Happy to hear about Tyler and the new teacher! Hopefully both of you have a great school year .
YAY on the bench presses! You are one strong chica . Can you believe I recently found out that I was flaring my elbows too much, putting strain on my shoulder . Now I gotta start from scratch, training myself to do it properly.

Jennifer
Trying that Gatorade smoothie! Thank you .
LOL on the foam rolling spree . Good for you! A very wise investment, actually. Let me know how you like the star roller and the DVD's. I think I might just have to place an order myself .
That hamstring/glute exercise MUST BE AMAZING . Is it in Brett's program?
Since discovering Elliott Hulse's youtube channel, I have learned SO MUCH about posture, thoracic extension, shoulder imbalances, ect. It's amazing how they are all tied together. If you search through his channel, he gives amazing advice on how to repair shoulder/posture imbalances. Here is a link where he features a homemade Bioenergentic stool (I believe the star foam roller is on it): 3 Important Exercises For Your "Off Days" - YouTube

Heartymax
Did you do anything to celebrate your b-day?
I guess Bella is excited for school. She is "prepared" and know's that she is going. I'm really not sure how she'll react on the first day . I'm hoping she adjusts very easily. When I leave her for the day at my aunts house, she takes it very well -- no crying or asking for me. Hopefully she acts the same way at school.
How was YOUR first week at school, btw?

 

[Jenniferlove]

Hi!
It is unbearably hot today. We took the dogs for a walk around 8 this morning and it's a good thing we did not procrastinate!

Yesterday I received both the Grid rollers and one of the Foam Rolling DVDs (the one from Collage). The Star rollers and the other DVD should be here Tuesday.

This morning I started my workout with the Foam Roller DVD (from Collage) and used the Grid roller (2.0, it's a longer version of the original one). Sorry I wasted my money but had I not tried it I would have never known. He doesn't even roll out the pecs. He does regular, basic things that anyone can find on utube. After about 10 minutes or so he goes into a Core workout using the roller; I watched a little bit of it while I rolled out my pecs I wasn't too interested in it.

Anyway, after that I did various things:
3x20-30 banded hip rotations
Front/Back band walks to failure
3x20 single leg ball-hamstring curls

Circuit set -- 1 set each and then repeating 2 more times:
Hip Thrusts
Pushups
Inverted rows

Regular sets with rest between:
3x10 bench presses
3x10 anterior shoulder raises
3x10 rear delts
3x10 dips
3x10 triceps presses

BTW, I thought about the vest but didn't want to mess with it. Craig has it loaded up with 60-pounds so I'll have to take out a bunch of weight before I can use it. That has proven to be a pattern with me so I'm going to have to start getting it ready BEFORE I start my workout.

Tomorrow I will do more back/rear delts and leg/glutes.

Hi Tash,
Enjoyed seeing your workout, I also love goblet squats I think they work the biceps as much as the legs and glutes!

Interesting video, of course, again. I am lovin' this Elliot guy! He is right, it is important to release the fascia and toxins by rolling out the tissue. He is using the Grid roller! Awesome! The Grid roller really feels a whole lot different than the regular foam roller; I like it a lot and probably won't use the foam roller again except for use during the Pilates exercises. I bought both sizes but only ended up using the long one (2.0) when I was on the floor.

The ball-hamstring exercises is not one of Bret's; it is the most unique, interesting, and a different kind of hamstring exercise that I have ever seen and felt. It is 1 of 5 exercises that I saw online at fitnessRxWomen.com - it was a Summer special, Nathalia Melo's Butt Shaping Workout.

I bet Bella will have a great time at school! So many new kids to play with I know you're going to miss her, though.

Have a wonderful weekend

 

[mini-natty]

Hi everyone

Yesterday I went to see the new 1D movie This Is Us. I felt like such a fangirl . Not sure if it's very appropriate for someone my age to feel the way I feel about 5 young guys...all under the age of 23yrs . Anyway, it was a really good movie! They have def taken over the world lol .

My w/o was D1 of Phase 2. The exercises are the same but the sets/reps have changed.

1) 6x4R sumo deads

2) 6x4R chin-ups superset w/
6x4R barbell overhead press

3) planks 3X

*beachwork* (which focused on legs/glues)

-3x25R barbell floor hip thrusts
-3x15R sliding back lunges w/disc
-body-weight walking lunges

Jennifer
Really loved your w/o the other day . I was thinking of adding the front/back band walks. Do they target different muscle groups than reg fire-walker's? Do they feel different?
Sorry to hear that foam roller was a dud . At least you gave it a go.
LOL did you see the "letter" Bret made to Miley about wanting to work with her? OMG I was dying of laughter!
Elliott is a remarkable individual IMO. If you peruse through his youtube vids, you will find SO many helpful vids. I'm really trying to work on my posture because I know bad posture = a lot of muscle imbalances. The one thing I'm doing to help correct my squats, is using a simple broom stick, and holding overhead while I'm squatting. #1 it's hard has hell! #2 you can def see how bad/good your posture by gauging how far the stick tips forward on the descend.

Have a great day!

 

[atompki1]

Hello everyone. Well I only managed one workout last week, but I seem to be back on track this week. So far this week I've gotten in SuperCuts, MMA Kickbox, and BurnSets Bi/Tri. I just seem to be out of my workout funk of not wanting to work out, which is good because my weight is slightly up.

The new basement floor is being installed this week. Hoping that will be done by the weekend so I can get all the basement crap out of my exercise room. We've also had the gas line re-routed so we can move forward with the fireplace. I think we may have to hire a mason to fix the firebox. The brick work that was behind the bricks is very 'rough' to say the least and tile cannot be attached to it the way it is. My husband is driving me crazy thinking he can do all this work. He can't travel and do all house projects I'm not even gonna argue about it. We are hiring almost everything out. I'm hoping it will be done by the end of Sept. The electrician can't come until next week, which is holding things up a bit.

Tasha, HeartyMax & Jennifer
You guys are kicking butt with these workouts!!! I'm just trying to get myself back on track before I do an 8 week rotation of STS again. And also waiting for the new works to see how they fit in my rotations.

Got to run...have a great day!!

 

[Jenniferlove]

Hi there!
The weekend was nice; we went to a friend's house Sunday and had some BBQ. Apparently he grilled the squash and zucchini without wrapping it in foil (like we do). They tasted like bbq grill mush soaked in vinegar but I ate them anyway; I was just glad I didn't take a large portion! It was nice to see our friends, though, especially we don't get to see them much anymore.

I used the 2.0 Grid roller and it really feels good. It was more comfortable than I expected it to be. I even took off my shoes and rocked my feet on it, then switched to all weight on one foot and then the other.

The Star Roller arrived today (the firm one); it also feels nice. It is not as hard as I expected it to be which really is a relief. I may even cancel my Soft Star Roller order (it's on backorder) but I haven't decided yet.

I am not sure which one I like better (Grid/Star) since the other DVD, Foam Roller Techniques, still hasn't arrived so I haven't really tried rolling myself out on it yet, only a few rolls up/down.

Yesterday was the step portion of Intensity in addition to a series of glute exercises.

Today I did Xtrain's Glutes; I like how the standing/weight section workout focuses on single leg exercises because I find it difficult to do those kinds on my own. I used 15#s and used both dumbbells for some of the exercises. I did not do the Barre bonus but I did Front/Back band walks until I couldn't go anymore

I'm not really sure what I will do tomorrow; probably Athletic Training however I may just do heavy upper body.

Tash,
Wow, woman! You must have really increased your weight to get your reps to 4! I see you're doing 6 sets so you may not be going to failure each set but still, I would imagine that 4 reps have to tire you out - sounds great!

The Front/Back band workouts are awesome. I have found that I do need to press my legs a little wide against the band to keep it from walking up my legs but the band is tight enough that I'm still walking in proper alignment. You could walk with the band under the feet, as Bret has shown in his video, but I prefer to do them the way I've been doing them What I have noticed about this exercise is that I feel it all over my thighs, and have to do lots of reps since the muscles used are stronger and bigger. I do love to hate the lateral firewalkers as well

I haven't been living under a rock - for the most part, I swear - but I'm not familiar with This Is Us. But hey, 23 year old movie stars usually are nice to look at

Toni,
Definitely sounds like you did a few great workouts this week so that's awesome, much nicer than last week. It probably is just what you needed!

I'm glad things with the house are still making progress but I am feeling the stress for you! It's cute how your husband wants to do everything but it's smart that you realize his limitations... and wise not to argue about it Sorry to hear that the electrician can't make it for another week; ugh.

Gotta go - have a super awesome evening!

 

[heartymax]

I had an awesome weekend!! It was so nice to get away and spend time with old college friends. My college chapter sorority reunion was great. I ate a lot, had some wine and really enjoyed myself.

Today was Tabatacise. I have to eat extra clean this week. Need to catch up on personals later.

 

[heartymax]

Toni---funny about your DH thinking he can do all the projects.....if he's like my DH...he can do a few projects but never gets around to them. I have learned not to argue about somethings.

Jennifer--ROTFL about the grilled squash. Glad you only got a little too. I can recall those moments when something looks great and I pile it on only trying to figure out how to get rid of it without others seeing me.

Tasha---How was Bella's first day of school. No tears I hope. My first week of school went well. It was the week of preparing for opening that was the most stressful.

Today's workout was To the Max with the Fitness Tabata instead of the compound legs and I also skipped the core work. I ate so much over the weekend I definitely need to get in some good calorie burners.

 

[Jenniferlove]

Oh my aching rear! The last two days apparently I have done more glutes and legs than I realized Of course, I did add an extra 10# to the barbell but did glute bridges instead of hip thrusts. Anyway, I have the workouts logged on my calender so I will have to repeat it The good thing about doing it again is that I won't be as sore as I am today. I like feeling the work but after sitting all day I am really stiff. Good thing I have Pilates tonight, that will loosen me up and I will take it as easy as possible.

I did not do a workout this morning; I didn't sleep too well last night. Turns out it probably is a good thing that I didn't work out based on how I feel now! It was going to be Upper Body or Athletic training; I think tomorrow will surely have to be Burnsets Chest/Shoulders/Triceps. I really like STS but want to hit those three muscle groups and STS will take too long.

Tash,
I thought Bella starts school towards the end of September. If I missed it I'm sorry; how did both of you do?!

I forgot to comment about Bret's letter to Miley. I wonder if she will take him up on it! Who knows if this is true or not but I think his biggest challenge will be to get her to eat properly (based on her eating issues that I heard about a couple years ago).

Heartymax,
I also have been in situations where I thought something looked good and piled a lot on then ended up regretting it so I feel your pain I was lucky that I saw him put on the vinegar so I was a bit weary of it

Toni,
Hope you're still on track regarding your workouts this week.

Stacie,
It was good hearing from you, I'll write back soon!

Have an awesome evening - gotta run!

 

[heartymax]

Jennifer---WTG on the aching rear........ You know you love it. Michele (from RT) is finishing up the Rock Bottoms rotation and has encouraged me to try it. I have looked it at it before and it looks intimidating but I think I am going to go for it. I told her that I would take another look at it this weekend so I can figure out how to still get in upper body and enough cardio.

This morning I was choosing a workout that I rarely ever do or maybe have only done once or twice so Circuit Blast it was today. That workout was so much fun until I was trying to figure out why I don't do it. I know why I don't reach for Cardio Core Circuit but there is no dread factor with CB. Looks like I have a new fun workout.

Tasha--I just noticed that I can pre-order the Party Rockin step DVD. I know I would want one of those so I have to remember to do it when I have time which I don't this morning.

 

[mini-natty]

Hi everyone

Just a head-up, Nancy (Nanbo) from my other check-in will be joining us here. It seems as though my other check-in is fizzling away . You guys are gonna love her! She is one motivating woman .

Yesterday Bella had her meet & greet w/the teacher! It went sooo well . Her "official" day of school is not until tomorrow (sans mommy and daddy ). She is really looking forward to going back .

My w/o was a 40min walk (to/from the school - No driving!) + my Nia w/o:

1) 6x4R barbell reverse lunges

2) a. 6x4R push-ups (w/15lbs vest)
b. 6x4R inverted rows (w/15lbs vest)

3) 6x4R front squats (they are not in the program but I really want to nail them, so I'm adding them in!)

*10min beachwork*
1) 8-10R hammer curls (drop set)
2) 8-10R tricep kickbacks (drop set)
3) 8-10R lateral raises (drop set)

Hearty
I'm not sure if I will pre-order that DVD. I have my eye's set on yet another piece of equipment, so I want my money to go towards that lol .
You are killing it with your w/o's these days . Circuit Blast is such a fun w/o! I'm assuming 40/20 is on the agenda for the week

Jennifer
Don't lie, you know you love that aching rear!
LOL about the squash and zucchini . Smart of you to take a small portion .
I have been instructed by Nia not to go to failure. I'm supposed to pick a weight that I can do for 8-10R in P2, and increase weekly. The goal is to get stronger, so hypertrophy and endurance rules need not apply .
BTW, 1D is One Direction, the boy band. They have a movie out, and that's the one I went to see.
I have been doing glute bridges instead of hip thrusts. I like my back and neck to lie flat on the floor. It just feels more comfortable as well.

Have a good day everyone!

 

[Nanbo]

WAHOOOOO!!!!!!
Hello Push-It Ladies!!!
I am so happy to be part of your check-in! I have followed some of your posts and feel like this group is a good fit for me...I thank you for letting Tasha bring me in!

Last night was supposed to be a rest night, so of course I went against the grain and did 3X10 push-ups and 3x10 inverted rows. Also got a 30 minute walk in after dinner! I've decided to do a modified 100 Push-Up Challenge (I did that about a year ago and crashed and burned at 40 in a row! ; just couldn't do all that work AND STS without hurting my shoulders ). Anyway, I'm going to try to do push-ups along with inverted rows 3x per week and just do a progressive approach of adding on weights with my vest (a la Tasha)as my form becomes impeccable. It will be a while before that happens (especially with those rows!!!).

Tonight will be the standing portion of Gym Styles Legs, Burn Sets Shoulders, and Xtrain Core#2. I'd like to fit in Tabatacise and Pyramid Upper Body for Friday and Saturday, and then Sunday will be another 3-4 hour hike. I'm getting really excited about hiking in Shenandoah National Park in 2 weeks ! My PF seems to be manageable: I've been massaging and foam rolling the bejeebers out of my soleus and using 2 layers of orthotics (!) in my shoes! I'm also looking into that star roller that Jennifer bought and a portable stick type roller for my trip! And there's always vodka! Lots and lots of vodka!!!

Tasha, those front squats are hard to master! I always wince when I'm doing them (I think that was in STS???)! I just feel like I can't support the weight (wimpy arms!). Do you have to back off on the weight you'd use with a "regular" squat? I guess I should go to "your guy" on You Tube and check out his tips??? ....on a side note, hope Bella loved her first day of school! I bet she'll have a lot of things to tell you .

Jennifer, do you work out 2x per day? Sounds like you're doing mostly Cathe? I got rid of all my Firm and Tracie Long VHS (!) and DVDs and am sticking with just Cathe. I adore the Burn Sets for add-ons and quickie sessions! I also have developed a real love/hate of Tabatacise...I'm able to do most of it without modifying for my PF. Same thing with Cardio Leg Blast. I used to really love Plyo Legs but have to modify too much now...it almost isn't the same workout for me. My PF came on last year when I was insane and thought I could do the Extreme premixes of Cross Fire and To The Max every other day along with STS. To much jumping with too much "air" on not so good shoes = OWIE!!!!

Well, for now I'll give a shout out to Heartymax, Toni, and Stacie...hope everyone has an empowering workout today!!!

 

[Jenniferlove]

Howdy!
Craig and I went out for dinner tonight; steak salad, my favorite

My rear is mostly better now, just feeling it a little bit

This morning's workout was Burn Sets, all but Biceps. Before I started the workout I used the Star Roller with the new Myofascial Release Techniques DVD (Mike Boyle). I think it would have been more comfortable using the Grid Roller but I'm glad I have both. Also, I am going to keep my order in for the back-ordered Soft Star Roller.

The DVD was expensive for what it is but it is pretty good, it is informative and has a fairly quick foam-roll session. He says to foam roll and then stretch before the warmup. He explains why and it made sense the way he said it but I can't put it into his exact words. Anyway, it worked really well for me and he says foam rolling every day is good... I know it will be good for me, that is for sure! OH - he didn't roll the pecs; what is it with these DVD people that don't roll the pecs?!

Not sure what tomorrow will be - glutes and some sort of high intensity cardio.

Nanbo! Good to see you here! I always enjoy your posts as you know

So sorry to hear about your PF but glad you are taking care of it. I ended up buying both the Star Roller (firm) and the Grid Roller -- so the other day I rolled the bottom of my feet on the fingers of the Grid roller and it felt wonderful! Not sure it would have felt as good on the Star; each has its purpose, really - depends on the day.

Wow, 40 pushups - that's amazing! I increased my count - I think 18 was my highest - but I also feel it in my shoulders if I over-do it.

Your rest day sounds nice, actually; a bit of upper body work and walk. Good for you

I mostly do Cathe however I do free-style pieces from Bret Contreras and Nia Shanks (yep, Tasha turned me on to her). I do a lot of glute work as you will notice. Apparently they can be trained 6-7 days a week because of how strong they are and because of all the different exercises that are needed to work them effectively (not just squats).

And speaking of Vodka, I recently finished a bottle of Sky; I mixed it with Red Bull, but not in one sitting! I like it with lemonade as well. Do you have a favorite brand?

Tash,
What piece of equipment do you want?

Oh - okay, I've heard of One Direction

Bella's picture at the Meet and Greet is adorable! Was she winking at you? I'm so glad she's looking forward to going back

Either way, your workout sounded great! Congrats on upping your vest weight!

True, I remember Nia saying not to go to failure, but I thought you still want to be feeling it after 4 reps so that would have to be a fairly heavy weight. As for the glute bridge/hip thrust -- I thought the glute bridge is when you don't go down all the way and just stay mostly at the top in a bridge position, but the hip thrust is when you go down all the way and then push it up -- so you still could have your head/back on the floor (which is what I do) and still call it a hip thrust... unless I am completely confused which is possible

Heartymax,
Way to go with Circuit Blast! Isn't it a blast of fun?! It was my favorite for SO long until I started getting a back issue and had a lot of trouble with that one; too much modifying. I wonder if I should give it another go since my glutes and back have gotten so much stronger. Humm...

Okay, time to go sit on the couch with Craig while he watches football and I fall asleep. Anyone football fans? Have an awesome evening and workout tomorrow!

 

[mini-natty]

Hello everyone

Yesterday was Bella's 1st day of school. She left us without a problem and had a "great day" according to her teacher's . I was very emotional upon seeing her enter the class, but I didn't cry. It was weird to not have her at home, and I missed her . Mark and I headed out for brunch afterwards, which we rarely/if ever, do. I had 3 eggs, sausage, french toast, potatoes . Enjoyed every.single.bite.

On the day's I take Bella to school, the walk there/back is roughly 40min. Since I will be doing it 2X/day, that will equal to a 1hr and 20min walk! That really excites me cause as you all know, I LOVE MY STEPS! I have to make sure to up my calorie intake though, because with that walk in addition to my weight training, I will probably end up losing weight very fast, which I DON'T WANT.

Jennifer
Elliott came out with a new foam rolling vid! The Correct Way to Foam Roll - YouTube
BTW, Elliott rolls the pecs . If you see how big his chest is though, there is not doubt that those babies need rolling .
Regarding the hip thrust vs glute bridge, I think I may have confused them . I thought the hip thrust was done on a step/bench, and the glute bridge was done on the floor .
I had no idea glutes could be done 7X/week . I'm doing them 3x/week and I've noticed a difference.

Nancy
Loved your 3x10 push-ups and inverted row w/o . It's true about the shoulder's . It's very easy to have muscle imbalances there and screw them up. My guy Elliott on youtube, I swear he makes a topic for everything! He has really helped me. Here are a few vids that you might find helpful: Workouts that Fu*k Up your Shoulders - YouTube (this was on the money for me. Too much volume with isolation exercises) & Best Exercise for Strong Shoulders - YouTube.
Regarding front squat, yes I have had to back-off my weight, but I find my form with them is a A LOT better than with back squats. You are pretty much forced to keep good posture and alignment or else the bar slips off .

 

[Nanbo]

T.G.I. Saturday!!!!!
I actually slept in until 7am today! I'm usually awake by 6:30am so my body must have needed the rest! Last night's Tabatacise really brought out the DOMS in my calves from Thursday's GS Legs (my calves ALWAYS get it with that one!). I foam rolled the heck out of them and even used my thumbs for a deeper massage. BTW, Tasha, I loved Elliot's foam roll advice! It really does make a difference when you relax your mind and let the roller squish the "poison" out of the muscle . I ordered a travel stick roller to use on the trail. I hope it gets here in time for my trip! Rolling my IT band makes descents much more bearable! Also, thank you for the links on the shoulder info! They were VERY helpful! I'm going to try out that crazy move he does with the dowel rod today when I do PUB. Since I've been doing Cathe's rear delt add on I've noticed that I am much stronger with shoulder moves. It just makes sense to balance the areas of your body, right?

Jennifer, I didn't realize that you could work out glutes that much either! I used to do 3X per week as part of total body work, but I don't hit them with as much frequency as I should since I went to a more split type routine. I always forget to add on the glute bridge/hip thrust move . If it's not part of the official Cathe workout that I'm doing, I tend to forget! I am SO LOOKING FORWARD to her new glute DVD!!!! Maybe that will solve it all for me! Now, about that vodka , lately we've been into Blue Ice which is a potato vodka from Idaho. The clerk at the liquor store also turned us on to Tito's vodka which is a corn vodka out of Texas (distilled 6 times and truly AMAZING!!! It has won numerous awards.). I always thought Absolute and Grey Goose were the bomb, but these two are even better (and CHEAPER too ).

Tasha, I know that watching Bella go off into a new world on her own must have been tough for you. I'm glad that you have some nice long walks with the new routine to help clear your thoughts and get your endorphins up to a happy level! Will you be filling your spare time with more fitness, or do you have a hobby that you'll be getting back into? You are such an energetic lady that I know you'll use your time productively!

Well, I'm going to give up the computer now to my DH who is putting the finishing touches on his master's thesis so he can finally graduate this semester! HAVE AN @SS-KICKING DAY!!!!!

 

[Jenniferlove]

Happy Saturday!

This morning I started my workout with a brief foam roll session using the Grid; 10 rolls up and down each muscle group, front and back. I haven't watched Elliot's video *yet* but definitely will

After rolling I did Elliott's Best Exercise for Strong Shoulders (thanks, Tash! It caught my eye in your post to Nancy) -- 3 sets of 10, and I felt the stretch in my chest and my neck. I used a yoga strap since I didn't have a broomstick or PVC pipe laying around It's been only hours since I did that exercise and already I can feel the muscles between my shoulder blades when I am using perfect posture (chest out, shoulders back).

After that I did all of Xtrain Legs except for the Rear Delt challenge. I also was surprised to learn that the glutes can be worked every day! The thing is that the exercises have to be varied; the glutes forget to engage unless we engage them on a daily basis, and I believe they are the strongest muscles in our body! There are so many angles to the glutes and each angle gets targeted in a different way with different exercises. Hip Thrusts and glute bridges, squats and lunges, deadlifts, back extensions, abductions, hamstring curls - and of course variations of those exercises.

Nancy,
Did you do the Shoulder exercise with PUB? I'm looking forward to hearing if your shoulder stabilizers feel the way mine do.

Nice job doing Tabatacise after a GS leg day

Thanks so much for the info on Vodka I never thought about how Sky is made or how many times it's been distilled - just that it is smooth and tastes clean. Now I'm anxious to learn more about it and try Blue Ice and Tito's. Tito's (I think) makes drink mixers as well

Tash,[/B
I am so glad to hear that all went so well on Bella's first day Having brunch with Mark was a nice treat indeed, and probably took some of the sting away from missing Bella To and from school 2x/day is definitely a lot of walking! At least you won't be sitting around gaining weight Anyhoo, I'm guessing that will replace your Leslie walks most of the time I bet your appetite will increase so you will end up eating more which will be a good thing

I'll have look it up and see for sure because I'm curious but I think the difference between the hip thrust and the glute bridge is the movement... hip thrust is a large movement (all the way down and then thrusting up) whereas the glute bridge is a small movement (constant). The main thing is that we are doing the work, right?!

Heartymax, Toni, and Stacie - thinking about you!

Have an awesome evening!

 

[Nanbo]

I tried Elliot's Shoulder Move (with a heavy resistance band) and felt this HUGE SIGH OF RELIEF throughout my shoulders, upper chest, and upper back!!! At first I thought there was no way my body could move like that, but I was very surprised! I only did about 10 reps after PUB but it was SO EFFECTIVE! Like you Jennifer, I became hyper aware of my posture for the rest of the day! A move like this will be sheer heaven after hiking with a pack for hours! I have a dowel that I cut off of a broom to use as a balance aid that I'm going to dig out of my junk room. It will be perfect for this! I plan on doing it after all upper body work. Thanks Tasha!!!

PUB was challenging as usual...I managed to add some poundage to the pullovers since the last session but seemed stuck at every other point. i think I may be able to increase the weights by about a pound for chest next time. (thank God for those Pace weights ) I find it super tough to do the ab section afterward because my arms are too fried to hold the stability ball ! I usually have to bail before the plank work . Next time, I may do the abs first (I always say that, and forget it when next time comes. I think I need to start putting sticky notes in the DVD cases! ).

I'm heading out for some hiking in a few minutes...it's supposed to get up to around 88 today and be sunny! We're doing more incline work so I know I'll be breathing hard! Hope everyone has a great Sunday!!!
(I also hope I haven't scared off Heartymax, Toni, and Stacey!!!)