STS DEAL OF THE DAY!!!!!

Hi Nancy and Natasha!

Hope you ladies had a great weekend!

Saturday night was STS M2. I always find myself going back to this series. I will have to follow suit and try Body Beast soon, Natasha! :D
I have watched several of Tony Horton and Chelene Johnson's Beach Body interviews. I also find them inspirational. I have heard of Casein before but I forget how it works. I use protein powder only on my training days; right after my workout. I have the same hesitation about supplements. I thought about creatine but I don't know how my body will react to it so I never tried. I hear it will make you bloated. :(
So glad you are committed to this program. I'm sure you will get fantastic results! You must show us pictures!

Nancy,
You and your hubbie are definitely not the only ones in the south not going to church. ;) We don't go either. For me, I don't feel it's neccessary to go to church to have a connection. I can talk to God any time, anywhere. I guess people go for different reasons. It's just not something that I do. Congrats on getting your taxes done! :D I only had it done last weekend. I was stressing out because the deadline was approaching. This year I did not use Turbo Tax, I hired HR Block instead. It was way more expensive though. :( At least I know it was done by a tax professional. How's your garden doing? I have been thinking about growing veggies too. Not sure where to even start though. Having a long list of things to do these days, so gardening is being put on the back burner.


Have a great day ladies!

Justina
 
Hi Natasha & Justina!
Justina, I know what you mean about going back to STS M2...there's just something about it I really like. Last night I did STS M2 Disc 20 Legs and thought, "WOW THIS IS TOUGH!!!". It was a triset format and I was dripping with "determination" by the end! I upped the weights on everything and felt like I had been given a dose of energy somewhere along the way! It took everything in my power to start that workout! I was beat! So about 10 minutes in I was very shocked to be upping weights! I love those rare Herculean moments!
I ordered some "Grow Bags" from Gardener's Supply. I got one tomato bag with a cage and 2 smaller bags for peppers and beans. They sound pretty neat! I won't be "farming" until the end of this month but I am looking forward to it! Natasha, do you and Bella have a garden?

Tonight I'll be doing Gym Styles Chest & Tris and High Reps Bis & Shoulders...I hope my energy holds up!:p

Natasha, how's the Beast treating you? Did you start doing the casein protein for bedtime? A friend of mine used to blend cottage cheese into a shake for her nighttime protein load (it has casein protein). She recommended a book called "Nutrient Timing" to me that she swore by for bodybuilding. It laid out the best time for carb/protein recovery, etc., just like some of Cathe's recent blogs do. I found it pretty interesting, but too much food for my slower metabolism to handle! My friend is young (like you!) and said it really made a difference for her....maybe your library has a copy?

Well, I've got about 90 minutes before I grip 'em and rip 'em, so I guess I'll wind down here at work and get ready to head home!:eek:
 
Hello awesome ladies :cool:

No, The Beast has not eaten me alive :eek:;):D. Today was my rest day, and I'm so thankful cuz' I really needed it! Yesterday me, Bella, and DH went to a beautiful park called Fairy Lake (I believe I have mentioned it a few times). Once there we fed the geese, walked the trails, played at the park. It was such a nice day. My w/o was BB Build Legs. OMG killer, killer, killer! I can say with confidence that the legs w/o's rival Cathe's in intensity (and trust me, I don't say that lightly). Monday's w/o was BB Build Chest & Tri's. These w/o's are providing me with some amazing DOMS :eek:. BTW, this rotation that I'm doing is called "Lean". It is for those want to gain muscle and lose fat. There are 3 phases: Build (3 weeks), Bulk (5 weeks), Beast (4 weeks). I plan on taking an active recovery after each phase. I might also shorten the Bulk phase to 3 weeks because I can't imagine doing the same damn w/o's for 5 weeks! I'm looking forward to some hard-earned muscles! But most importantly, I love the way strength training makes me feel inside -- strong, confident, empowered. With each lift, push, pull, I bring out the total bad a** in me :eek:. It's a feeling that can't be compared :).

BB tomorrow morning for personals! Have a great evening :)
 
I'm back :p

Justina
Of course I will post pics ;). I would be lying if I said that I could care less about the esthetics results from exercise. Who doesn't want a tighter butt right? But I'm really trying to focus on my internal/mental well being as well. I also want to pick activities that I actually love and enjoy, so I continue with them forever! Nia Shank's blog has really motivated me -- more so than any other blog I have read. She has really made me stop, think, evaluate my goals.
STS M2 just rocks! Body Beast resembles STS in many ways. Sagi is no Cathe, obviously :rolleyes: but sometimes change is a good thing :).

Nancy
Congrats on upping your weights! STS M2 legs is KILLER :eek:.
No we don't have a garden :(. We live in an apartment. I guess I could still plant some herbs on the balcony. I think Bella would really enjoy getting her hands dirty :D.
BTW, we don't go to church either. I was raised Catholic, and also Baptized my daughter in the Catholic faith, but I'm with Justina on this one. I don't feel I need to go to church to have faith or to be a better human being.
Thanks for the tip about the Casein and the book! Yes, I guess I am still fairly young, but I never take my age for granted. I know what I do NOW will set the foundation for me later in life.
How is your foot BTW?
 
Hi fit ladies,

Reading your posts really inspire me in reaching my goals. Natasha, love that total bada$$ comment!! :D It made me laugh and I'm in total agreement. I want to get to that point too. I can't wait to reach that fitness goal where my mental state is at the highest possible; confident and powerful. We can all be beautiful bada$$es!

Nancy, I will be doing STS M2 Legs tonight. :D Looking forward to it. I always feel good when I lift heavy; like I have accomplished something great. For body building I have upped my protein shake intake to every morning when I get of bed (within one hour), even on those days I do not train. I understand I have to eat enough protein for muscle growth. In the past, I don't believe I did this properly. I will look into that book you mentioned too. I want to understand how I can eat better for muscle growth. Thanks for the recommendation! :)

And Natasha, I think you will be happy to know, I'm saving money to buy BB!
It has been on my mind to try for my next series. I love Cathe but I want a change. If BB is like STS then I know I won't be disappointed. I also love old school lifting.

ok, gotta get back to work. Talk to you ladies later. Have a good day!

Justina
 
Hi Natasha & Justina!
Sounds like everyone is right on track with their workouts! Last night was Tabata/HIIT night for me: I started out with Crossfire Low Impact Tabata; followed by Intensity Low Impact HIIT; followed by To The Max Low Impact Tabata; followed by ab work and a nice stretch! Short and sweet!!!! I iced my foot afterward and limped around a little bit, but this morning it is okay. That seems to be how it goes now. BTW, I still haven't gotten that massage! I have many ideas, but am slow to act on them....like the spin bike! Taxes REALLY hurt this year, so it might be a while for that purchase! I really like the Schwinn AC Sport and AC Performance bikes that Jeff Wimmer sells through Studio Cycles. They look like they'll stand up over time (no pun intended). I know they're pricey, but I don't want to get something that will be breaking down in a few years. My DH seems on board with this, so maybe after we save up some $$$ we'll take the plunge. It's a huge part of our lives (staying fit) and I'd rather spend the money in that arena than at the doctor's office :p!

Tonight I'll be doing Butts & Guts. BRING IT ON!!!!:eek:
 
Hello Nancy & Justina :)

Yesterday was an unscheduled rest day. We spent a good portion of the afternoon shopping at Costco (signed up for a membership again). We are going through so much meat & eggs, so we decided buying it in bulk would save us some $$ in the long run. After dinner, we went on a lovely walk to our new 7-11. So get this, I was waiting in line to pay for our Popsicles, when I get taunted by butter tarts, sitting amongst a midst of other delicious baked goods :eek:. I have not had a butter tart in a looonnnggg time! I decided it was time to treat myself :p. Oh heck ya! It was SO worth it ;).

My w/o today was BB Cardio + Abs (40min). I have to mention to you guys that I was able to do a few plyo push-ups on my toes! It's like a push-up, but you have to jump off the ground with your hands :eek:. Super tough! I hate to love BB cardio because 1) it is super intense 2) lots of plank exercises 3) no repetition though, which scores mega points with me ;). I have never been a fan of ab work (I often skip Cathe's ab sections). BB Abs however, is very doable and short, coming in at 10min. I also forgot to mention that on every workout disc, there is a few minutes of ab work at the end of the routine. Very smart idea! I guess Sagi knows that people like me :)o) will often skip ab work and call it a day.

Nancy
I totally agree that fitness equipment is a good investment (if you use it, of course :rolleyes:). People see my collection o' stuff, and just laugh. YES, it is very extensive BUT I actually use all this stuff! It's not a dust collector :mad:.
Sorry to hear about the taxes :(.
I meant to tell you that I'm sorry to hear about the tree's being chopped down. That would really break my heart too :(.

Justina
I truly think Body Beast is a great program to have in your collection. The one thing that *might* irritate you, is Sagi. He refers to himself as a third party often :rolleyes:. If you can get past that then you will enjoy the program. I have no clue as to what makes these w/o's so effective! I've never has such incredible DOMS. Two weeks in and I'm already starting to notice results. BTW, BB is similar to STS M2 (Hypertrophy).

I think I'm going to do some Yoga Relax tonight! I really need the stretch :). And I miss Cathe too :(.
 
Good morning ladies!
I turned 40 today. I can't believe how fast time is flying by. :D
Every year I get older and I hope I get wiser.

I didn't work out this weekend because we had spring cleaning. I also went to get a hair cut. :) I love, love short hair on me, so I just keep chopping it off.

I'm very excited about BB. Natasha, what kind of results are you seeing? Looks like you are having a lot of fun with it too! :D I can't wait to get started. I think I'll like Sagi fine. That kind of stuff doesn't bother me. :D

Nancy,
I'm sorry about your foot and I hope you get that much deserved massage soon. :D I have a trademill that is collecting dust in the garage right now. Sometimes Jade (my dog) will run on it. :D I found the treadmil boring 3 months after I got it. I started using it less and less.

Tonight is definitey back to STS M2. I haven't been doing XTrain much these days. Guess I just don't enjoy them as much as STS.

Have a good day ladies!
 
Happy 40th Justina!!!​

It starts to get REALLY good from this point on! I hope you have a great "ME" day! Work that sassy short hair, girl, work it!!!!!;)
 
XTRAIN Burn Set Module starts today with Chest, Back, & Shoulders! Hope to up the weights today....

I've been mixing unsulphered black strap molasses in my plain Greek yogurt...OUTSTANDING!!!!:eek: I used to take a tablespoon of the molasses all on its own, but putting it in the yogurt was sheer genius! YUM factor of 10!!!

Natasha, you really are turning into a BAD@SS, aren't you ;)! Plyo push ups off your toes???? CRIKEY!!!! Glad you're getting so much out of The Beast! Just imagine where you'll be a month from now :eek:!

Justina, glad you'll be ushering in your 40s with a kick butt workout like STS!!! What a great birthday gift to yourself! ENJOY!!!
 
Hi ladies!

Thanks for the birthday wish!! That card is so cute Natasha! :D

Natasha, you are turning into a bada**!:D Doing plyo pushups on your toes??That's awesome! There's my motivation; right there. We can accomplish great things if we make the commitment.

Nancy, my hair is not a new cut, but something about cutting off my hair. It's liberating. My hair is shorter than the picture you see on my avatar. My hair dresser told me to work it too; I look like I just got out of a French prison where they chopped off my hair! :D

Guess what? Remember I've been saying I want the option to stand at work? Well, I finally asked the company to provide a platform for me. They asked me for a doctor's note and I got one! So, they ordered a platform yesterday and hopefully by the end of the week, I can stand most of the day at work! :D No more "sitting" disease.

I also ordered BB last night. I can't wait to start this thing. :D


Have a great day ladies!

Justina
 
WOW JUSTINA!!!!
Way to get everything going your way!!!!! I bet you are super stoked to join Natasha with The Beast!!! High Five comin' at ya!:eek:
 
Justina
I bet you look like a little hottie w/the new cut ;). I think the short cut suits you very well in your avatar :).
CONGRATS ON GETTING BODY BEAST :eek:. That's 2 check-in buddies I have enabled so far :D. Now we can "Beast-Up" together :eek:.
Also, WTG on getting the standing desk for work! Of course the doctor is going to give you note :rolleyes:. I can't believe they even asked you for a note to begin with :confused:.
Oh as far as results, I noticed my core is tighter, my muscles are a little more defined, I feel a bit stronger. I don't weight myself anymore, but I can just tell that I might have lost some weight (not trying to, btw). These w/o's are super intense and get your HR up!

Nancy
As far as those plyo-push-ups, I only did a few. Initially, I was scared, thinking I would not have the strength for them. While I was modifying the move on my knee's, I thought that I would just *try* and do a few on my toes -- and then it happened :eek:. I was just as surprised as you were...trust me.
I'm going to have to try the molasses in the yogurt. That sounds super :p. I have greek yogurt almost every day. I love to add a little bit of protein powder in it and make sort of like a little spread to put over my Nature's Path waffle in the morning :p.
How has your foot been these days? How has the weather been?

BBT to report my w/o's! Have a good night ladies :cool:
 
I'm back...;)

I have to tell you guys about Mon w/o, which was BB Tempo Chest & Tri's (50min). This w/o is similar to Cathe's S&H series. One word: FIRE :eek:. So here is the low down: you start off with 15R with a 6 count up/6 count down, then 12R with a 3 count up/6 count down, 8R with a 3 count up/3 count down. I could literally see my chest and tri muscles quivering! Best feeling! Once you are done each group of exercises, you proceed to AB WORK :eek:. For example, once you have finished all your chest presses (as if your arms and chest are not burning enough), you have to finish off with spider mountain climber's! Most of the ab exercise are plank related, which is really hard after your chest & tri's are so fatigued. While finishing the last group, during the oblique plank twists, I literally dropped to the ground in sheer exhaustion. One of THE BEST w/o's I have ever done.

Yesterday took a rest day today. I am just too darn sore! I did however spend about 1 1/2hrs outside walking, and at the park :).

You wonderful ladies have a rockin' day :cool:
 
Lovin' this Xtrain Burn Set Module!
This has been a fun 2 days so far! Tonight I do Xtrain Legs & Rear Delts and I can't wait! I hope I get home with enough time to do the long 80 minute workout! Last night I REALLY enjoyed All Out Hiit with a Core 1 and Burn Set Triceps add on! I felt so energetic! I even added a riser for the step portion! I'd been using just the topper so I wouldn't aggravate my foot, but last night I went ahead and added a riser and it was fine. I notice that walking is the real enemy for me right now :(, but I just keep plugging along. Last night I had very mild discomfort even though I forgot to ice. The low impact workouts seem to be okay for now!

Natasha, your descriptions of your workouts always make me giggle ;)! It is so motivating to hear of your success! I've decided to break out the workout mat here at work and do push-ups every day before lunch. I did the 100 Push-Up Challenge a while back but had to stop because of the DOMS I had from STS interfering! I did get up to 45 toe push-ups in a row, though! Now I think I can only do about 15 :rolleyes: So I'll start out with a few sets of 8 everyday and work my way up again. Like you, I really want to be able to do pull ups and am thinking about working on those to!

Justina, how did that birthday treat you???;) Are you getting pumped and ready for The Beast????
 
Nancy
Hip hip hooray for being able to add an extra riser without it aggravating your foot! That's great :). I'm sorry to hear that walking is the enemy though :(:mad:. I'm optimistic that your foot will definitely be back to norm soon. Thank goodness Cathe made the LIS -- I think it was a savior for so many people.
HOLy strong woman with the 45 push-ups :eek:. That's amazing!!!! The most I was ever able to do in a row was 25 :eek:.

Justina
You mentioned having Hip Hop Abs. How do you like it? That one and Rockin' body is only 19.95 on Beach Body for a limited time :eek:. I'm thinking that after BB, I want to try some fun, different types of cardio. I want to broaden my exercise horizon and do things that I wouldn't normally do. Exercise should be fun too!


I actually came here to tell you guys that I tried this recipe:
The World's Healthiest Cheesecake - Foodie Fiasco

It was SO good except for the chickpea flour crust :(...not a fan of the flavor. Next time I will modify the recipe by using a different type of flour (spelt, oat, coconut). Anyhoo, the filling was tasty too, but I prefer a little berries in my cheesecake, so next time I will add that too :p.

Enjoy!
 
DOH!!!! I exited out before hitting submit!!!!!:confused: It was an awesome post, too ;)!

Anyway, I was all excited because last night I did Burn Sets Bis&Tris + Core 1 and I increased my weight by 1 pound on all exercises except the Crazy 8s!!!!!:eek: A whole pound!!!! WAHOO!!!! AND....I was able to do all 10 reps on the failure set (and for 2 exercises I even hit 12!) except for one where I only got to 8 reps!!!! I am SO STOKED!!!!! I don't know how it happened, but it did! I am very happy about this and hope it wasn't a fluke! I was worried I had hit a plateau or, even worse, was going backward!
Tonight I'll be doing SuperCuts and tomorrow will be Cardio Leg Blast/Burn Set Bis/Core 2. After that I get a rest day!
I only have 2 more weeks of my Spring Ahead Rotation...time to get ready for The Summer Heat Rotation (better get working on that!).

Tomorrow I'm going to transplant a tomato plant and a pepper plant into my grow bags and plant my bean seeds. I'll pick up the dirt and fertilizers tonight along with some supports for my beans and pepper plant (the tomato grow bag came with a cage). I just hope my landlord doesn't get upset! In case you're interested, here's what the bags look like:
Grow Bags | Shop Gardener's Supply

Justina, where are you????
Natasha, I have this image in my mind of you doing a one armed pull up while taking a bite out of your cheesecake!!! That looks so good! I tried the recipe that was floating around the forum for the black bean brownies and have a deep appreciation for cooking with beans! I'm weaning myself off the sweet stuff though, so no goodies for me :p!

Hope you both have a great weekend planned! Rain in my forecast, but I don't care! I'm a farmer now!!!!:D
 
Hello ladies :)

It looks like spring has FINALLY arrived :cool:. I have been spending a lot of time outside lately -- walking, at the park, enjoying the day. I'm still plugging away at my rotation of course! Yesterday's w/o was Build Shoulder's. I'm finally starting to notice more shoulder definition (YAY!). I was also able to up my #'s, so I'm pretty stoked about that :p. Another thing I am noticing with this rotation, is that I am losing weight :( (that was not my intention btw). I have not weighed myself (I ditched my scale a long time ago) but I can just tell by how my chest is getting smaller, my ribs are more noticeable, my pants looser, that I AM losing lbs. I'm just hoping to gain muscle mass too! And plus, I can't afford to lose any more breasts :mad:. Do they sell bra's smaller than an A? ;):p.

Nancy
Congrats on the increase in weight #! That's awesome!
You know what, I really miss Super Cuts :(. I think for my 1X cardio w/o, I will start adding Cathe back in. The BB Cardio is hiit, but it uses weights to elevate the HR during certain exercises (kinda like AB :eek:).
So what is your loose plan for the Summer Heat Rotation? I'm always excited to see what you have up your sleeve :eek::cool:.
Love those grow bags! I wonder if I can pick them up at a retailer over here? You've inspired my to possibly start a little herb garden on my balcony. I think Bella would really love to do that :).
BTW, that cheesecake is not sweetened and contains very healthy ingredients. I think of it more as a protein snack because of the greek yogurt :p. I actually made them in little muffin cups, and they were super cute :D. Only 64cal for 1/8th of the recipe too!

WAVES TO JUSTINA!!!!! DID YOU GET BODY BEAST????
 
Hi fit ladies!!

Sorry I've been MIA. As I writing this post, I'm using my standing platform at work!!! :D When I came in today the IT folks and office manager were setting it up for me. I'm so excited that I do not have to sit all day anymore!

Looks like you ladies are rocking the work outs as always! :D Nancy, congrats on doing push ups at work. :D I've thought about it too; bringing a mate to work, do some stretching and maybe push ups. How is that working for you so far? How many push ups are you pumping a day? Do you have an office at work where you have privacy?

Natasha, your results are fantastic. Congrats! I started Beast last night! Sargi is funny to me. Everytime he says his shirt is getting tigher, it makes me laugh. I love the workouts so far! The only thing is that I lack preparation. I don't know how much weight to use because the workout is fast. So now I have to think ahead what weight I need and when he'll do the drop sets. Last night was Chest and Tri. I'm doing the Lean version too because I do want some cardio mix in there. I know I have to up my calorie intake. Are you making any changes to your diet?

Nancy, I have to check out the tomato plant you got. I'm also interested in gardening. Few weeks ago I got some house plants to start with. I also got a counter herb set. Baby steps. :D

I'm enjoying standing so far. It's an adjustment for sure.

Have a good day ladies!

Justina
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Our Newsletter

Get awesome content delivered straight to your inbox.

Top