Push It

Jennifer---glad the appointment went well. Funny about the tip.

School was closed yesterday----good thing because I was in bed sick all day. Sore throat and chills. Crawled out of bed to go to work today but I still don't feel well. Hope this passes soon.

GET WELL SOON HEARTYMAX!!!!:(
There is a nasty bug going around work...I hope my recent virus event keeps me immune to this one...it looks nasty!
 
Just a quick check-in to let you ladies know that I'm still here!
I'm in the middle of week 7 of Bret's SC BB workout and I've been increasing weights and reps and feeling it! I am ready for the challenge!:p;)

Tasha, I use 5 risers for my hip thrusts but I am going to video my form to see if I need to go higher. I know I have tweaked my form a bit on squats and deadlifts and I need to see if it is for the better :p, so the video will help me determine that!

Jennifer, the cupping sounds so interesting! Kind of like hugging an octopus ;)! I agree about incorporating neck strengthening into general fitness routines. I love the illustrations in Bret's Body Weight book o the neck exercises (I have to admit that I haven't tried them yet :eek:)

Toni, hope you're not overwhelmed with Holly Daze stuff!

HeartyMax, Feel Better NOW!!!!!

That's al I have time for now...tonight is X10 Low Impact!
 
Update on cupping -
The last couple days I still noticed decreased tension; in addition, I feel sort of a cooling sensation in my upper back. What I think is really going on is that having felt such tension and inflammation/warmth the reverse is happening. Also, after I left work on Wednesday the neck area felt better. I still have some marks on the one side of my back. I wouldn't say they are bruises because they don't hurt at all.

My next 2 sessions are this evening and then again Tuesday evening. I am beginning to increase - just a little bit - upper body work.

This morning (Friday) was Flex Train; yesterday was glutes.
Tomorrow will be cardio - 40/20!

Tomorrow I have to take a recertification class for First Aid/CPR/AED, then later we're going to my dad's to give him back Kitty. I will miss her but I know she will be so happy to see her dad and her friendly dog - and get away from our dogs:rolleyes:

Sunday I'm gift wrapping for greyhound donations, and I have GOT to get started Christmas shopping:eek: At least Craig's presents are done:cool:

Heartymax,
I hope you are feeling better! I know you're too busy to be sick!

Nancy,
Glad you're still enjoying Bret's program and increasing your strength and endurance!

Toni,
Hope all is well with you and the family.

Stacie,
Hope all is well with you!

Gotta run - have an awesome day!
 
Good morning ladies! I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving (yes I know this is waaaayyyy late for that but I really did think of you all that day). Work is still super crazy and we have a hard deadline for 12/31. I think we are going to make it though. Hopefully, the hours will get back to something more manageable after that. We also had something terrible happen that everyone is trying to cope with. One of our coworkers underwent a heart transplant and passed away a few days later from complications. A bunch of us went to his funeral last week. Most people (men and women) were crying in the office and at the funeral. It's been very sad.

Last week there were no workouts to report :(. The week before I squeezed in a couple. I can't remember the other one but one was Pedal Power. I really really really liked that one! It's definitely one that I'll be doing frequently.

So, on another forum, a personal trainer suggested a workout plan for me. It's 30 minutes and 3x a week. I'm trying it out with some subs. Yesterday, this is what I did:
5 minute warm up on the bike
Three rounds of 60 seconds of squats, 60 seconds of rest, 60 seconds of pushups, 60 seconds of rest
Three rounds of 60 seconds of 8-10 barbell rows followed by burpees, 60 seconds of rest
One round of 60 seconds of mountain climbers on the gliding discs, 60 seconds of rest, 60 seconds of Sagi special lateral raises (Natasha will know what I'm talking about!)
One round of 60 seconds of mountain climbers on the gliding discs, 60 seconds of rest, 60 seconds of rear delt flys (or flies?)
One round of 60 seconds of mountain climbers on the gliding discs, 60 seconds of rest, 60 seconds of bicep curls including a set of crazy 8's
Three rounds of various core work for 60 seconds followed by 60 seconds of rest

HeartyMax
I hope you are feeling better!

Jennifer
I was very sad to hear that your back is still giving you trouble. I hope that the cupping helps.

Poor Kitty! You never know how dogs will act around cats -- even if they have been around cats before. Tyler wants to get a cat (his allergist would be angry if we did) but I always hold off because I don't know how the dog would be.

Thank you for always thinking of me even when I disappear! I really appreciate that!

Nancy
It sounds like you are getting some great results with Bret's program!

Natasha & Toni
Hi there!

Have a great weekend everyone and an even better week!
 
Hi and happy monday. I'm waiting for my car - oil change, tire rotation, and fuel injectors cleaned.

Didn't get 40/20 in this weekend; saturday ended up being a rest day. Sunday I did AOLIH double step. This morning was glutes. Single leg back extensions are incredibly hard! I definitely have room for improvement.

STACIE, I am so sorry to hear about your coworker and friend. I'm sure that makes the office a sad place right now. I hope you can continue to stay positive and on track with your deadline.

Glad to hear that you like pedal power! I especially like premix #3, I love that it's just over a half hour and has the tabatas; plus that Prince song is a killer!

Nice job getting in a few workouts :) Your new plan sounds great!

What is Tyler getting for Christmas? I bet he is so excited!

EVERYONE, have an awesome day!
 
Hey all!! Only 2 workouts to report last week. But this week has been better. Already 2 and it's only Monday :D Yesterday was Intensity(Lower intensity step + high impact HiiT). Today was PUB. I really like doing all of my UB on one day. I wish we had more options for that.

Have to run and get some work done :eek: We are hosting Christmas dinner this year and need to do some extra work around the house. Happy Holidays everyone!! :D

BB tomorrow for personals.
 
Toni---you are quite the entertainer. Hosting Christmas dinner after the large Thanksgiving party.

Stacie--Sorry to hear about your colleague. It is hard dealing with such sadness, especially this time of the year.

My nasty cold is almost gone. Still a running nose but that's it. I managed to get in 30 minutes on elliptical. We have a two week winter break starting on Friday. DH wants to travel to see family and I want to stay home.
 
Hi!
Good Morning!
This morning I did Circuit Blast and then Stretch Max with the band.

Last night I made a batch of dried fruit and nut bars; that's my Christmas present to the Pilates people. Tomorrow is the last class and then we get a 2 week break... no group exercise classes on Wednesday, 1/1, and of course the gym is closed on Christmas. I am looking forward to the break but obviously I will miss the money.

I ordered a 50-foot roll of Medium resistance flat bands; I'll cut them into 6-foot-long strips. The class will have some new exercises when they come back to class:D

Tonight is my 3rd cupping/acupuncture appointment. I am disappointed with the 2nd visit; it didn't loosen the tension much at all. The first visit seemed to last longer than the 2nd visit. I wll be sure to tell her that when I see her tonight.

Toni,
Good workouts! I like working my UB at once, also; it just helps to compartmentalize the rest of the workouts for the week.

Your family knows how to entertain, that's for sure; have fun gearing up for the event:D

Heartymax,
Glad you are on the mend! I bet the elliptical helped your sinuses; cardio always helps mine.

Nice break you have coming up! Hopefully you will get to rest.

Tash and Nancy,
I hope all is well!
 
Hello Fit Ladies!!!!
I just realized it has been a week since I last posted! BUSY BUSY BUSY!!!! Trying to get all my work done so that I can go on a long Holly Day break :D!
I was lucky the way my rotation worked out: this is week 8 of Bret's SC BB rotation and next week is supposed to be a "de-load" week and I'll be hoteling it with just bands and sliders, so it worked out great :eek:!
I've been doing fairly well with my workouts; I'd like to do 4 days of Bret's program and 2 of Cathe, but this month I've only been able to do 3 days of Bret and 1 or 2 of Cathe :( . I'm hoping to do better for the next cycle. It has been tough with my work schedule and just the sheer exhaustion I get with grieving for my brother. I am having a VERY hard time with that :( (sorry, I don't mean to bring anyone down :eek:). My motivation level is pretty low...I still haven't even put up my little Dicken's Village :rolleyes: !
My eating has been a little off with the Holly Day Nibblies and alcohol!!! I plan on phasing back into my normal routine starting today! Notice I said "phasing" :p!!! I'm not crazy you know! I do plan on a few more cookies and chocolate truffles before the year is out!
I'm really looking forward to New Year's Eve: my DH and I stay home and have a beautiful multi course candlelight dinner with our china and crystal and Moet champagne. Haven't decided on the menu yet, I'm just looking forward to the glam of it all :D! We usually go for a hike or a long walk on New Year's Day, just to get the year off to a good start...
What is everyone else doing for New Year's?
 
Good morning and Happy Friday!
After today I only have to work the next 2 Mondays (until 1/2/2014). It will be SO great to have so much time away from work and be able to celebrate the season with friends and my dad and not have work hanging over my head.

We're having a heat wave - 60s:eek: Loving it. The rain we're getting is fine with me; I sure am enjoying the break from 20-degree weather with sleet and snow.

Wednesday morning I did Intensity (step portion only) and various glute exercises; later that night we did traditional Mat Pilates, no rollers or bands. It was nice getting back to the basics:cool: And it was VERY nice not having to lug all the equipment.

Thursday was a rest day but this Friday moring I sort of did Total Body Trisets UB split. It's always been one of my faves. I was able to make it a decent worout for me although I am still modifying or replacing some exercises here and there, and I still have to go extremely light compared to what I'm used to - I've made peace with that. Anyway, I also did my PT-assigned exercises: External shoulder rotations for rotator cuff. When Cathe had us doing the external shoulder rotations into a lateral raise (during Trisets) I laughed because it was the most perfect exercise for me:D

After that I did a LOT of stretches and paid special attention to my psoas/neck and scalenes/shoulders. Those muscles have become my problem areas according to my PT and Chiro.

Tomorrow will be cardio but I don't know what. I may end up doing Ride or Pedal Power premix #3.

Between the 3rd acupuncture and cupping appointment (which was wonderful), getting adjusted at the chiropractor's office last night, and doing all the stretching this morning I feel SO good which is SO nice:D

Nancy,
Glad you are working through this difficult time and enjoying the Holly days. I will pray for peace for you and your family. This is an especially hard time of year to miss loved ones. You're doing a great job continuing to work out :)

Your NYE sounds very nice; I love how you and your hubby go hiking on NYD. Craig and I are going to a friend's house NYE; nothing big. I'm not even sure if we're going to have dinner over there or what, but there's still time to figure all that out.

Tash, Heartymax, Toni, Stacie, (Caitlin if you're still keep up with us)
I'm thinking about you all and wishing you well.
 
Happy Friday everyone!!! Today was the last day of work before vacation :cool:

I've changed my workout schedule to 5 days a week and I think my body likes it!! This week I did:

Intensity(High Impact HiiT + lower intensity step)
PUB
Power Pedal
Rest
RF Abdominal strength and core training
LBB

I'll do a similar format next week.

We went today and got both the older girls new phones for Christmas. Because we were doing a bit of musical phones we just gave them to them early. They are extremely pleased :D I like when the kids are happy, so I'm extremely pleased too!!

Jennifer
I'm glad you are feeling good today!! We are having a bit of a heat wave also. I'm so happy about it!!

Nancy
Your New Year's Eve plans sound awesome!! We are hosting a small NYE gathering at our house. We don't go out on NYE. Too expensive and too many crazy folks. Better to just stay home :)

HeartyMax
My husband actually does most of the work for the holiday dinners :) And it's pot luck, which also helps. And our family is very laid back and completely informal, which also makes it a no stress event :D

Happy Holidays everyone!!
 
Hi!
I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend!

Saturday was Party Rockin' Step #2; what a blast. I surprised myself because I really thought I'd end up doing spinning. Anyway, I used 2 risers and I was dripping sweat! I think the next step for me is to give PRS #1 a go:eek: I'll make sure to only use 1 or no risers during that one, and it will be on an active recovery day so I don't get frustrated when I have to keep stopping to rewind. I'm not assuming the worst; I'm just being realistic.

Sunday was Flex Train. I just love that one!

Today was Slide 'n Glide after some Strong Curves glues. I made sure to stretch. BTW, tight psoas can really throw balance way off track and twist the pelvis. It won't feel tight until stretched; that's why it's so hard to diagnose that issue.

So the gift wrapping for Greyhound donations is over; it was fun. This was the first year we weren't able to have any dogs with us, though, and donations really took a hit. It was nice to see so much generosity, though; some people only had one gift wrapped and they put in several dollars. Some people had several gifts wrapped and only put in a buck. It all balanced out:)

Toni,
Great rotation! Sounds perfect, actually:cool:
Glad the kids are happy and I definitely can see how happy kids make happy parents:D
Enjoy all the entertaining you have coming up; you must have *the* place to party;)

Best wishes to you all!
 
Hey all!! Yesterday was UB Premix from 4DS and today was my interval spin DVD from spinning.com. I love love love that spin routine. The DVDs are much different than Cathe's. They are much more about the 'philosophy' of spinning...if there is such a thing. However one would describe it...I love them!! Very motivational.

I need to get to bed so that I can get up and clean in the morning :) Merry Christmas all!!
 
HAVE A WONDERFUL CHRISTMAS EVERYONE! I wish you all joy, prosperity, health, happiness :)

Sorry I have not reported my w/o's -- I have been super busy this past week. Hope to post more regularly after Christmas when all this stuff is said and done.
 
Merry Christmas! I hope you all have a wonderful day filled with peace, joy, love, and fun:D

The dogs let us sleep until almost 7 this morning! That was very nice.
I've had my coffee and am about to hit the workout room for some Afterburn, hip thrusts, and stretching. Craig went back to bed.

Yesterday my rest day was major grocery shopping at a couple different stores. For Christmas I bought Craig the electric grill he wanted so I stocked up on steaks and chicken;)

My dad's coming over this afternoon. I'm making a roast with potatoes, carrots, and onions. I'm also making a sweet and spicy sweet potato soup; I've never made it before but it looks super easy and I'm looking forward to trying it.

Nancy, sending special prayers for you and your family.

Tash, I can imagine how busy you have been!

Toni, thanks for the tip about Spinning.com Intervals dvd; I'm going to make a note to check it out. Nice work on 4DS upper body premix! I remember how long and challenging that one is. Whew!

Heartymax, I hope you're well over your cold by now and enjoying yourself and your family.

Stacie, looking forward to hearing how all is going.

Merry Christmas, everyone!
 
I hope everyone had a nice Christmas. DH wanted to travel to GA to see our family. I was dreading the long 13 hour ride and didn't really want to come. Of course, I'm always happy to see family so I'm glad I did. DH are from same area so both families are here.

Toni---my family does the potluck also when holiday dinners are at my mom's house. This year mom planned it well so there were not tons of leftovers. Glad your kids like their new phoned. There is nothing like seeing a smile on your kids face. I remember when I got my oldest son his first cell phone. It was Christmas of 8th grade. I usually let them open one gift on Christmas Eve. Of course he opened the biggest box. He had no idea he was getting a phone that year so I knew it was going to be a big surprise. Then I called the cell phone and the box started ringing. I will never forget the look on his face. Just say he got to open two gifts on Christmas Eve that year.

Tasha---what was Bella's favorite gift?

Jennifer---nice gift for Craig.

No workouts this week. I will try not to eat too much desserts but I can't make any promises.
 
HAPPY HOLLY DAZE!!!
When we left NC on Sunday it was 71 degrees out; up here in MI it has been below 15 most of the time :eek:! We dodged the real bad ice storm and power is back on in most places we've been, but it has been snowing a lot and the roads are kind of scary.
We've had a wonderful visit with our families and are enjoying a bit of down time this morning, just watching the snow and drinking our coffee...
I've managed a few workouts this week at the hotel and was shocked by how hard Cathe's stuff has become for me :confused:! I did Travel Fit on Monday and Slide 'n Glide yesterday and actually had to pause it a few times. I've decided to go back to mainly Cathe because her programs are so complete with stretching/cool down and I respond well to her style and structure. I will continue to do hip thrusts and Bret's activation work, but I need to get back to Cathe. My DH says that I really can't judge this new rotation by just 2 months, especially considering how stressed they've been; but I just felt more fit overall with Cathe. I think I needed the break to re-set myself and get motivated to take things to another level....I'll have to mull this over a bit and come up with a happy compromise ;)!

Jennifer, thanks for that tip about the psoas...I made sure that area was good and stretched after doing the warmup for S&G...I still felt a bit wobbly, but I think it would have been much worse :p!

Hearymax, I'm glad your visit with your family went well (you traveled in the right direction ;))...I go through the "I don't want to drive that long to the frozen tundra" every year!

Toni, reading your posts makes me miss Cathe's stuff so much! I love how each series gets better and better. I don't have a spin bike, but I bet her spin routines are great too!

Stacie, I hope your Holly Daze are going well...are you still doing STS???

Tasha, DID YOU GET YOUR SQUAT RACK????????

Well, gotta get movin' here...today I'm supposed to do AOLIH without the step...and I'm really looking forward to it! Have a great active day today!!!:D
 
Good morning!
This morning was Great Glutes extreme after foam rolling, glute activations, hip thrusts and external rotations into lateral raises.

Yesterday was X77; that is a tough premix!

Man, it has been SO nice being off work since Tuesday. I go back on Monday but then am off again Tuesday/Wednesday.

We've had some really warm weather lately; the 60s. I'll gladly take the break from the freezing weather and enjoy it while I can -- it's supposed to dip back into freezing on Monday.

Nancy,
I really know what you mean about Cathe's workouts. In fact I was surprised that I couldn't keep up during Great Glutes; the calf work was really hard and the hamstring ball roll-ins were extremely hard especially after the band kickbacks... I used to be able to do those easily. I will still do some of Bret's exercises (activations before anything, hip thrusts and the cable work like hip rotations and leg abductions) but I also will make sure to do Cathe's leg/glute workouts at couple times a week. In addition I think cardio more than 2x week really is better for my energy level; I noticed that when I picked up extra cardio I had more energy.

On the other hand, in my opinion I think your DH has a good point; you've had a lot going on and haven't been working out as much as you were used to; maybe your stamina has taken a bit of a hit.

Glad you had such a nice trip and warm weather while visiting families. Stay safe and warm:)

Heartymax,
13 hours is an extremely long drive but I'm glad it was worth it.
That's a funny story about calling your son's cell phone while it was wrapped:D

Tash,
I forgot until Nancy mentioned it - did you get your squat rack?!

Toni,
I looked up Spinning.Com and saw the intervals DVD; it looks motivating! I wrote it down so I don't forget to buy it later. I need to return a shower curtain before I make any more purchases:eek:

Stacie,
Good to see you on here; thanks for thinking about us:cool:

Have a super-awesome day!
 
Hope everyone is enjoying their holiday week :)

I haven't worked out since Monday :eek: I needed to get the house ready and then we had unexpected overnight house guests, so I just waited until today. I did Cardio Leg Blast to make up for some of my missed cardio. Besides that I also feel like plyo moves work my core and back. CLB just seems like some of everything for me :cool: I will rest again tomorrow or maybe stretch and then go back to a regular schedule on Sunday.

I think I'm going to pick up P90X3 with the money my mother gave me for Christmas :D I don't think I'll do an entire rotation of it, but it has some components that really speak to me and I think I can incorporate them nicely with my other workouts. I'm not really sure what I'm going to do next year in terms of fitness. I was going to start STS in January, but now I'm not certain I will do that. I will certainly do Meso 1 once this year. For some odd reason that was my favorite even though I found it the most grueling :confused: I think I'm and endurance junkie...ha!!

Jennifer
The Interval DVD is my favorite of the 4 spinning.com DVDs. The others are also good, but that one is my fav. I totally understand about needing to wait for purchases. I always spend too much on Christmas. I'm paying all those bills next week....ugh!!

Nancy
YES!! Cathe has awesome spin DVDs. I don't like Cycle Max as much simply because of the music. I didn't like much of the music from LIS though. Ride and Pedal Power are AWESOME!! To me each one of her spin DVDs are awesome and they have much more of the fun factor than my spinning.com workouts. I find that I bounce back and forth between them depending on my mood.

HeartyMax
You are correct...smiling kids are awesome!! However, sometimes I struggle and think maybe I'm spoiling them too much :confused: Parenting is a daunting task in terms of balance. But I'm up for the challenge :) I'm glad your trip went well!!

Stacie
So good to hear from you :)

Tasha
Merry Christmas to you as well!! Look forward to your return.
 

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