WooHoo on the New Year vibes!!! It's time to get serious about fitness again!
2012 was a pretty good year for me fitness wise actually. I completed my 4th half marathon and did it with DH and ds
![Big Grin :D :D](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)
. I got to go on my first road trip!
I kept off the 20 lbs I lost in 2011and lost another 5 lbs in 2012!
I'm within 10 lbs of my ideal weight and I think if I just continue on the path of clean eating and fitness that it will slowly come off.
In November 2012 I experimented with shorter more intense workouts (more HITT/tabatha styles) and also try to focus on my lower abs. I definitely started to see some improvements in my core! I was always one for long steady state cardio ( like 6 mile runs, or a 1 mile swim, MIC
![Big Grin :D :D](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)
![Confused :confused: :confused:](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)
:roll eyes
![Smile :) :)](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)
and I have to say that I am loving the new research that shows the shorter more intense workouts to be so effective!!! Although I only really experimented for a month, I noticed an improvement in lower body ab work like bicycles, hip thrusts and my lower belly slimmed down!
In December I was going to continue the experiment with still using the short intense cardio alternating with horizontal conditioning but I got side tracked with the festivities and my head cold but I was really encouraged with the changes I saw with only one month and XTrain looks like it will be a good fit to continue with these goals.
I have not received Xtrain yet, I'm guessing the end of next week at the earliest but I'm thinking of doing the 90 undulating rotation. Are you doing one of the rotations, Jo?? Keep the reviews coming Cendrine, it's so fun to read as I wait for my workouts! Every preorder I think I should really get the downloads next time!
Jo, DH and I were just talking this morning that I should head to Lululemon to look for some new workout pants. What did you order??
Sorry that you got the cold too Cendrine! I'm almost over it but still sneezing/stuffed up a bit, I think I will be really lazy today just to make sure I get over it and then work out tomorrow.
We were up late with our house guests (about 2 am), and I have a few glasses of wine. So that along with my head cold, just making me feel really lazy today! I think it might be a good day to try and get some of the Outlander book read!
Sorry, kind of long post, but Jo you made me stop and think about my fitness year and my goals for next year which was very useful. I think I'm better now at analyzing what works for me personally rather than jumping on the bandwagon and trying different programs/rotations. I'm also trying to get away from thinking so black/white, I used to have such a mentality that if I wasn't doing a 6 mile run or doing Body Max2 in it's entirety then I wasn't working out. It was hard for me to think that a 30 minute workout (like a HITT) is can actually be better for me than a 90 minute workout.
Over the years I have done P90X, CLX, Insanity, 6 month marathon training,3 month half marathon training, STS, Body for Life, tons of Cathe rotations. I have read/try to incorporate nutrition advice from Tosca Reno, BFFM, south beach, 17 day, etc. When I choose a program like Insanity, I usually follow it to a T. I tend to be a bit obsessive and after all these years I have never got the exact results I wanted. At the age of 43 I'm starting to realize that I really need to analyze what works for me and tweak my workout/diet to my personal needs. I think it's a bit of a self confidence issue as I always think the experts must know them me so I should follow their plans.
Sorry for rambling I had no intention of writing all this but Jo you got me thinking and it really helped me clarify some of my thoughts.