~*~We're In This Together~*~ (June-Sept)

Hello m'ladies ;)

Just came back from another looong walk to a new park. I don't know what comes over me that I feel as though I need to venture to these parks -- they're all practically the same lol :p. And then I always want to take a different route back (like I'm hoping to see something mind-blowing :rolleyes:).

My w/o yesterday was a 1hr walk outside + my program:

1) 5x6R barbell reverse lunges
*KB swings on my breaks*

2) 2x25R floor glute bridges w/50lbs bar

3) 5x6R push-ups w/12lbs vest superset w/
5x6R inverted rows w/12lbs vest

*10min finisher*
Intensity Low Impact Hiit section

Colleen
Great job on those walks after dinner! That IS exercise, so of course you should report it :). You know how I feel about those steps.
LOL about the wine and Yoga. Sounds perfect to me ;). Every week I indulge in a martini (or 2 :eek:) while preparing bbq :eek:.
Mark and I stopped watching Homeland after I started watching the new season of Mad Med :D (TV SERIES ADD lol). And then Breaking Bad came back, so I'm watching that now too. Thanks for the tip on the new show btw!
No, I still didn't get a heavier KB...yet ;).

Nancy
I think Cathe should make a full low impact Tabata w/o (keeping you in mind of course ;)). The majority of her fans are now over 40yrs old (if I'm not mistaken) and it seems that a lot of them simply cannot tolerate high impact anymore :(. Another good idea would be something like Cardio Leg Blast or Plyo Legs, but the "cardio section" is low impact instead. So you would alternate between low impact cardio drills + weighted exercises.

Justina
I'm sorry to hear about being so swamped at work :(:mad:. I hope things settle down for you soon.
I tried to watch Dowton Abbey, but I think I only got 2 episodes in and found it...kinda boring? IDK, maybe I should give it another chance.


Have a kick butt day ladies!
 
Just got back from a short camping trip with 2 of my friends and their kids. No Husbands! It was fun the kids were great and got along very well. We all are exhausted from swimming, fishing, and riding bikes.

Colleen - Good job keeping up with STS! I have been meaning to ask you your thought on the body bug thingy that you got, now that you have had it for a longer time.

Nat - I think I am going to start doing a shortie WO ala Nia as well. I really need to do something short that way I dont lose my strength gains I made with X-train and BB. So are you ready for Bella to start school? It seems like your life would change significantly because you have extra time but it really doesnt IMO. Its still not enough time ; ) Thanks for the link to that article. It was a good read. I am desparete to find my knack with a healthy way of looking at food and a size that I can mantain easily. Right now I am feeling down because most of my pants/shorts dont fit, from all the vacations and stress too. I don't want to have to buy new clothes that just too expensive but I also don't want to be regimented by what I eat.

Nancy - Glad to hear your over your UTI and the problems with the meds. You are doing awesome with your WO's thats for certain.

Marie - When I worked I loved when it was busy busy and I didnt even have time to think. I also liked the adreline rush I would get. I guess now I look to exercise for that ; )

Justina - Its good your taking it slow and started with saying yes to recruiters. It completely sucks that your having to take work home. I get it if you work partially from home but when you go to work and then still have to take work home that really puts a damper on the whole work/life balance that is suppose to be there.

Sarah
 
Last minute change of plans last night...it was so beautiful out that I opted for a walk instead of Cardio Leg Blast :eek:. I also did 3 sets of inverted rows, 3 sets of push-ups, and some ab work. Then, I lowered the bar on my TT and used it for glute presses (on my back with my legs bent at 45 degrees, put my heels on it. and pushed my tush!). Tonight will definitely be CLB! I really enjoy the "blast" sections and I can easily modify them if my foot gets crabby! I find I get a better cardio rush from CLB than I do with Plyo Legs because with PL I have to do SO MANY modifications. Tomorrow I'll be doing Xtrain Bis & Tris + Core#1, and Saturday will be Tabatacise!!!

Sarah, sounds like you had wonderful camping trip and got some great workouts in there with all that running around! "Playing" is the best kind of exercise, don't you think ;)?

Natty, ITA with your idea for a low impact CLB!!! I don't mind most of CLB as it is right now, but I can't do the box jumps (I REALLY miss them too :() and my tuck jumps are more tuck hops :D! What is the difference between a floor glute bridge and hip thrusts? Do they hit different area of the glutes? I guess what I did last night on my TT would be elevated glute bridge? I am so impressed with Nia's body weight stuff! (I want to try to do those pistol squats but I have a long way to go to get there :p!) I just like the fact that you can get a great workout anywhere you go and don't have to turn into a squishy slug just because you're away from your weights!

Colleen, thanks for the tip on the sandals, I'll have to check those out! I have a funny clip for you and Justina. It's a scene from Breaking Bad as performed by the men from Downton Abbey. Justina, I know you'll love this!
Uncensored - Breaking Abbey - The Colbert Report - 2012-13-12 - Video Clip | Comedy Central
(Sorry if it's been posted before!)
 
Quickie check in!

Friday I did a double header workout. First I did Horizontal Conditioning June Year 2 Hardcore (50 min) and then I did 30 minutes of Crossfire (skipping w/u I did Fitness Blast, firewalker tabata and 4 rounds of Circuit Blast before I ran out of time). Yesterday I didn't get a workout in. I used to be so good about getting up early on the Saturdays I worked to get a 30-40 min workout in (usually I would pick a kettlebell workout since it was easy to just grab a bell and work out in the living room while Mark slept in my usual workout room...our bedroom ;)). I've been bad about that the last few months. I realized this morning the past 3 weeks have been 4 days of working out instead of my usual 5 days. Whoops! :eek:

Today is my brother's 30th birthday so we'll be going to the farm and having a family dinner and maybe take him bowling. He's a pretty low key guy and doesn't usually like a lot of attention on himself. :)

Nancy- loved the Downton Abby/Breaking Bad mash up! lol :eek: ITA about a low impact version of CLB, too! That would be freaking awesome! :D

Sarah- I got the Fitbit one and I really like having it. It has made a big difference in getting me to walk around more. I don't go to the website anymore to track my stats like when I first got it, and I don't do all the extra things with it that I know you can do (like wear it to bed to track sleep efficiency). Despite that, it really has me moving more with daily activity. I park farther away at work (which Mark likes because there are no cars around me where I park now...so less chance of door dings!). I also find myself more willing to run little errands around the house, for example instead of sending the kids to go do something downstairs, I go. Silly stuff like that adds up! Plus, whereas I used to beg off a lot when Mark would try to get me to take walks, now I go...all excited about the couple thousand steps I'll get credited with on my little gadget! LOL :eek:

Waving HI to Natty, Jen and Marie! Have a great Sunday girls!
 
Heya ladies :)

Busy weekend for us! On Sat we attended our town's yearly festival called the Carrot Fest. Apparently our little city is the carrot capital of North America/Canada, or something along those lines lol. Afterwards we went to visit the in-laws in Hamilton (near Niagara Falls). That turned out to be a very looonnngg day. On Sunday we spent the afternoon at the beach. The temps have been very balmy lately. How is the weather for you guys?

I still got my scheduled w/o's in, surprisingly. On Friday I did my Nia Shank's program:
1) 5x6R squats
2) 5x6R parallel dips superset w/
5x6R barbell rows
*10min beach work*
2x10R bicep curls
2x10R kickbacks
2x10R rear delt fly's

Yesterday I did 30min of Tabatacise + 30min of Plyo Legs. OMG my butt is DOMS'ing hard today!

Colleen
I'm really adapting well to exercising 4x/week! My body is getting stronger and I feel less aches/pains. Weight training + walking is truly magical for my body :).
Happy b-day to your brother!

Nancy
I would have opted for the walk too :). Don't ever underestimate those steps!
Great job on the push-ups and inverted rows!
The difference between the glute bridge and the hip thrust is that the glute bridge is done on the floor whereas the hip thrust is done on a step/bench.
OMG pistol squats! I have a LONG, long, long, long way to get there :eek:.

Sarah
Glad you had a nice camping trip :). No hubbies? Sounds good to me ;).
Don't get discouraged! You WILL find a healthy lifestyle that is suitable for YOU. Everyone is different, and what works for them might not necessarily work for you. Just don't ever give up...ok? :);)

Have a kick butt day ladies!
 
Natty, I am so jealous that you've got that tower and can pull off dips :p!!! It must be easier to workout with a carrot dangling in front of you (carrot capital!!!)! Our weather here has been unseasonably cool, which is a welcome relief; but, gives cause for suspicion that somehow we will pay dearly for it with a brutal hot fall or freezing cold winter ;) Glad to see that you're keeping on track with your program! I think you found something that really appeals to you!

Here's my rotation for this week:
Mon: Tabatacise
Tue: STS Total Body + inverted rows
Wed: All Out HiiT
Thu: STS Total Body + inverted rows
Fri: Cardio Supersets
Sat: Supercuts + Core #1

I actually had 2 rest days in a row (Sat & Sun were walking days!) and feel eager to get going again! Last night's Tabatacise was a good challenge and my foot is not as bad today as I would have expected :D! I really got a burst of "go-get-'em" from Cathe's newsletter yesterday and gave it my all! I am really getting excited to add those new workouts to the mix!!!!
 
Hi everyone!

My w/o yesterday was:

1) 5x6R deadlifts 80lbs!!!!
I've decided to do sumo deads reason being they are a bit easier for someone who has practically 0 experience with pulling a bar off the floor. If anyone is interested, this vid explains it all: 4 Types of Deadlifts You Should Do - YouTube. I have seriously learned SO MUCH weight training advice from this dude! Because of him, my weight training form is getting better, my posture has improved, I'm noticing what my weaknesses are and what I need to work on. He goes into great depth on how certain exercises (mainly deadlifts, front squats, dips) can "expose" weaknesses in your body. Here is another great vid: The ONLY 4 Exercises You Need to Grow Stronger - YouTube. He is absolutely 100% on the money! Those 4 exercises DO help you get stronger. I subscribed to his youtube channel and "liked" him on FB. LOVE HIM DEARLY :eek:;):p.

2) 5x6R chin-ups superset w/
5x6R barbell overhead press

3) 3x planks

*10min beach work*
3x10R db hammer curls
3x10R db tricep kicks
3x10R db upright rows

Nancy
I can only do assisted dips with the band :eek:. That is one "weakness" I have been trying to work on. A very humbling exercise that pretty much kicks me off my high horse :eek:. Were you ever able to do them?
I'm SO happy to hear your foot was ok after the walks!
I love how you added inverted rows to STS TB :eek:. Another interesting note about the inverted rows that I learned, they act to balance out the back of the body w/the front. Most people have imbalances with either the front or back (not enough pushing/pulling ratios equally). The inverted rows helps with that :).

Have a good one ladies!
 
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Quick reply to Natty,
Yes, I used to do dips! I did chin-ups and pull-ups too! It was a LONG time ago when Nautilus equipment first came around (think 1979 when the movie "10" came out). I weighed about 85 to 90 pounds (at almost 5'6" it was way too thin, but that was the look back then and I had the genetics for the lean look :eek:!!!!) and worked out with a few of the male trainers at this uber posh health club (I worked on the ladies side of the club showing women how to use the pink equipment :rolleyes:). Once I got up to 15 dips/pull-ups, they strapped a belt around my waist that pulled up plates and had me add 10# to what I was doing! I think it was easier for me because I was so light and there wasn't much to pull up :p! I was not very muscular...I didn't use heavy weights and was not what you'd call athletic or fit. I just had a freaky ability at the time to do them! Things got much tougher as I got heavier! Then I just didn't do them for about 20 years and now it's SUPER TOUGH!!!! I think the rust from my rest set in :eek:!
 
Hi ladies,
Hope all is well!
I'm hangin in there. More work to be done on the project at work. This weekend we'll have to work from home.
When I have free time to work out I've been doing Burn Set and GS. On most nights I go to bed early so I can catch up on sleep. :(

Hi Nancy,
OMG, that clip is so funny!!! :D thanks for sharing. I love Downton Abbey and cannot wait until it comes back on air.

Hi Sarah,
I know. This work & life balance is tricky. Part of me feel like I need to be a team player and give 110% at work. Another part of me realizes that I'm making a sacrifice (I cannot spend the time I want with the kids). I think this is a bad time at work because we're going through a system implementation. We are a small team of 5 people. There is a lot of work to be done and not many heads to do it. While I'm working my tail off, I'm also open to new opportunities. There is a job at Coke that I want to apply for. I hope it works out. :) The camping trip sounds like a lot of fun! Glad your kids are making friends and enjoying themselves. The last camping trip I took was with friends from colleges; ages ago. :D

Hi Nat,
Looks like you are rocking the workouts as always. Are you a body builder now or have the body of one? :D You must look and feel fantastic! I hope to get back to the groove soon. Right now I'm focusing on maintaining what I worked for. It's getting harder and harder as each day goes by.

Hi Colleen, Marie. Hope all is well with you!


Have a good day!

Justina
 
Justina, I'm so glad you haven't fallen off the face of the earth ;)! ITA, Natty must be a total bruiser now :p!!!

Tonight I have STS TB for the 2nd time this week. So far I've been stickin' to the plan. I feel a Gym Styles or Burn Sets week callin' me...:D! I have had some really good rotations for a while, but I still haven't found my "magic bullet"! I read on another thread about starting out a heavy weight session with a short HIIT or tabata segment for the warm up (it's supposed to boast your free testosterone levels). I may give this a try next week...the wheels are always turnin' here :eek:!

Our check in seems to be in a lull :confused:! I hope everyone is okay!
A big hi to Colleen, Sarah, and Marie!
 
Hi everyone!

I have not been checking-in daily because I don't want to be a one-man-show :eek:. I know everyone is busy and such, even myself with some back to school prep. Hope all you guys are doing ok :).

My w/o yesterday was a 4 mile Leslie indoor walk (it was unbearably hot outside!) + my Nia w/o:

1) 5x6R reverse barbell lunges

2) 2x30R barbell glute raises

3) 5x6R push-ups w/12lbs vest superset w/
5x6R inverted rows w/12lbs vest

*10 min finisher*
Cardio Core Circuit (2 rounds minus core work)

Today is my rest day. Another day stuck indoors cuz' of rain :(. I did a 30min Jessica Smith walk/jog intervals.

Justina
LOL you are one funny chick! NO I don't have the body of a bodybuilder :);). But I am determined to get stronger, so if that means more muscle mass then YES I will take it :eek:. I actually do feel pretty great scaling back my w/o's to only 4X/week. I've learned that quality definitely rules over quantity! I think with your busy schedule with work and the kids, you would greatly benefit from doing total body w/o's like I'm doing. You get the most bang for your buck in the least amount of time!
I hope things settle down for you at work :(. And yes get as much sleep as you can!

Nancy
Regarding the hiit/tabata before weight training...I just can't do it :(. I can do it after my weight training session, I've come to discover. Not sure if it will provide the same benefits, but I don't really give a hoot TBH. We all have to do what works for us at the end of the day :).
How is your garden btw?
 
Hey :)

I can't believe we are coming to the end of August! I do love fall though!

I had the day off today so B and I our regular walk to the park thing :) My boy just loves the sand and swings! My workout was my ever favorite Rhythmic Step.

I've been busy planning B's first birthday party.i can't believe it's that time already. Unreal!

Tomorrow is my last day of training for float pool. Thanks goodness! I'm so ready to be in my own.

Great job with the workouts everyone :)

Chat soon.
 
Let's hear it for FRIDAY!!! :eek:​
I had an unscheduled rest night last night; got home way too late fora workout :(. But tonight I will do STS TB + inverted rows. I think I'll just do the compound only premix so I can fit a little tabata action in there somewhere!

Natty, I find it hard to do the cardio before OR after weight training! Something always seems to suffer from the expended effort of whatever came first. But, I really love Cardio Leg Blast with the cardio in between (I used to love Plyo Legs, too). Go figure :confused:? Is it easier for you to do the cardio between weight bearing exercises? Another interesting observation; I think I need to move my inverted rows to the beginning of my workout too, because I just feel too exhausted to give them the attention they deserve :p! Way to go with using your vest on them and the push-ups! I think I'll give that a try with the push-ups since the reps are low...there's NO WAY I'm ready to try that with the rows! I used to wear the vest for modified push-ups to build up to the toe style and it worked great. I don't know why I stray from stuff that works :rolleyes:???
Now, about my little garden: it seems to be getting a second wind! I have started using Epsom salts in the water and everything looks so much healthier! I have some nice tomatoes and peppers coming along. Before that I was battling something called "blossom end rot" which is just heartbreaking because things seem to going so well and then you get a yucky rotted vegetable :(! I'm fortunate to have a long growing season...I may get a bountiful harvest yet!

Well, I hope everyone gets a good workout in today and has an active weekend! Maybe things will dry up around here and I can go hiking!!!
 
Hello ladies!

My workouts...well I'm still working my way through STS Meso 2. I was inspired by Cathe's idea (which I read in OD) about doing 3 weeks of lighter lifting workouts, 1 random week, 3 weeks of heavier, 1 week random and so on. I think once I'm done with STS, I'm going to take on that concept for the rest of the year. :D So here's my thoughts on that:

~3 weeks of body weight/endurance/lighter lifting
For me that will be 2 days of HoCo, 1-2 days of Kettlebell Kickboxing (maybe stacked with Zuzana and/or Cathe's new X10) and Paul K's KB workouts, 1-2 days of Cathe's lighter lower body dvds and Born to Move.

~1 week of my circuit dvds

~3 weeks of heavier splits
I think I'm going to do one week of Cathe Gym Style, one week of Meso 2 and one week of XTrain lifting. So, 3 days lifting and 2 days of Hiit cardio.

~1 week of circuits...and then so on and so forth until the end of the year. Well, that's my thought process anyway. We'll see if I follow through! LOL :eek:

Nancy and Natty- I LOVE doing a short Hiit or tabata before lower body weights! :eek: As you guys know, I'll often do one of the Crossfire premixes including the firewalker tabata before lower body and it's phenomenal! I don't ever feel like it affects my lower body lifting. However, the opposite is true when I lift for upper body. I can't manage cardio before OR after upper body without suffering on either form or having to go lighter. I think it's because my lower body is naturally stronger than my upper...I'm like 2 different people on the top and bottom! LOL

Now, with that said, I've come to realize the Hiit must be NO MORE than 20 minutes, including the warm up (so actually no more than 15 minutes). The other day I went overboard and did the whole To the Max premix with no compound legs before attempting to do Meso 2 legs. Uh, yeah...I had to go lighter that time! :eek: :eek:

Natty- What did you think of Marie slapping Skyler? :p lol I was so shocked and yet giddy at the same time! :eek: Can't wait for Sunday!

Marie- I can't believe it's been a year already since you had B! That's so crazy...I remember when you found out you were pregnant when we were both still posting on the STS check in! :eek: Pretty soon he'll be starting kindergarten! ;)

Justina- Yep the work/life balance is tricky. Plus the "me" time/family time is tricky, too! I always tell Mark "happy mama, happy family". In other words, let me workout, get massages once in awhile and don't hassle me and things will go much more smoothly around here, mister! lol ;)

Gotta run! Waving HI to Jen and Sarah!
 
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cokonkel said:
Hello ladies!
Nancy and Natty- I LOVE doing a short Hiit or tabata before lower body weights! :eek: As you guys know, I'll often do one of the Crossfire premixes including the firewalker tabata before lower body and it's phenomenal! I don't ever feel like it affects my lower body lifting. However, the opposite is true when I lift for upper body. I can't manage cardio before OR after upper body without suffering on either form or having to go lighter. I think it's because my lower body is naturally stronger than my upper...I'm like 2 different people on the top and bottom! LOL

Now, with that said, I've come to realize the Hiit must be NO MORE than 20 minutes, including the warm up (so actually no more than 15 minutes). The other day I went overboard and did the whole To the Max premix with no compound legs before attempting to do Meso 2 legs. Uh, yeah...I had to go lighter that time! :eek: :eek:
cokonkel said:
That's exactly how it is for me :eek:! It seems that cardio preps me for the lower body but saps my energy for upper! And you're right, it can't be a long session! That might be why I can handle Cardio Leg Blast: it's lower body and the cardio is in "blast" form!
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
Hi lovely ladies :)

Super busy w/e for us. On Friday we went to watch Despicable Me 2, which was a really cute movie. It was Bella's first movie theater experience :eek:. She was such a good girl too -- sat well the entire time :). On Sat we attended my uncle's bbq. Lot's of kids, lot's of food, lot's of chaos LOL ;).

Fri was my final workout of Nia's phase 1 Beginner Program. This week is my "de-load" week, which consists of only 2 total body strength w/o's (lighter #'s). I was thinking of adding some Yoga, light cardio, walking.

Sat was supposed to be my rest day, but I had a craving to do some step so I broke out Step Moves. I was a bit rusty, but all in all it was a fun n' sweaty time :). Yesterday I decided to finish off my week with Athletic Training. I felt strong and energized last week, so I figured why not go out with a bang? :D;).

Have you guys seen these w/o's by Fitness Blender? Sarah, I think you might have done these, right? FitnessBlender.com - YouTube. There are some jump rope w/o's that I'm gonna give a try once my "de-load" week is up :eek:.

Nancy
Sometimes during my breaks in between weight bearing exercises, I will add jump rope (with an actual rope) or speed walking. I'm trying to perfect my squat form, so I've been doing a TON of squats with just body weight during my breaks too.
I'm so glad to hear about your garden! Fresh fruits and veggies are amazing! When I was little we had an apple tree in our backyard, and I remember the McIntosh apples tasting super delish :p.
Yes, Inverted Rows DO take a lot out of you! I'm amazed at how truly effective they can be.

Colleen
LOL about Marie slapping Skylar :D. I'm really enjoying Breaking Bad, but I'm kinda sad to see it coming to an end :(. I wonder what Aaron Paul and Bryan Cranston will do after this. I heard that there *might* be a spin-off with Saul Goodman :eek:. He is such a great character! I hope they DO IT :eek:. Do you watch Mad Men btw?

MArie
Wow, I can't believe B is turning 1 soon! He is the cutest of cute that little man of yours :). When you post pics of him, my heart melts. It also takes me back to my own memories when Bella was that little.

Have a great day everyone :cool:
 
Hi fit ladies!

I must admit I was not motiviated in working out this past weekend! :eek:
I started watching Game of Thrones on Friday night. I stayed up until 4 am both Friday and Saturday watching this darn show! I am absolutely hooked.
It is a terrific series. Anyway, I have to stop now because I don't have the rest of season 2.

Hi Nancy, have you watched the show? I know you are reading the book. :) I started to read the book on Sunday but I could not get into it since I already watched the first season.

Hi Natty,
Yes, I definitely agree with doing total body. Any suggestions on the DVD selection? :) Also, I haven't done Hiit in a long time. Have to start this week. I usually go to Turbo Fire for that. What would be a total body lifting program?

Hi Colleen,
I know what you mean. The reality at my house is; if I'm not happy, nobody is. HA! I have to say my girls stress me out the most because they are teenagers. I'm new to this territory. :D

Hi Marie,
B is almost 1? First year is such a milstone. I hope you enjoy planning for the birthday party!


Have a wonderful day everyone!

Justina
 
Last night was GS Chest & Triceps + Burn Sets Rear Delts. I dropped my weight down by 1 pound for the chest presses & flys because I forgot to put my 1# wrist weights on :eek:! It wasn't really any easier :p! Tonight I'll be doing All Out HIIT + Burn Sets Biceps + Core #1. I am revisiting a previous rotation from a few weeks back (The Gym Styles/Xtrain Module):
Gym Styles Chest & Triceps + XTRAIN Rear Delts
XTRAIN All Out Low Impact HiiT + XTRAIN Burn Sets Biceps + Core 1
XTRAIN Cardio Leg Blast + XTRAIN Burn Sets Shoulders
XTRAIN Tabatacise + XTRAIN Burn Sets Triceps + Core 2
Gym Styles Back, Biceps, & Shoulders
Gym Styles Legs
Rest

I really want to try to design something based on a 20/20/20 principle: 20 minutes each of cardio, weight, and stretch. I'm just curious to see what would happen. It would have to be one body part per day for the weight work. And I think I'd want to do the cardio first on a leg day, and then second after an upper body day. Of course the stretch would come at the end. The times are not carved in stone. Cathe has SO many premixes that I'm sure I can put something like this together. I get the feeling that that is what X10 is supposed to be like? I can't wait for those to arrive!!!

I'm planning on an extended Labor Day weekend this weekend, taking Friday and Tuesday off in addition to the normal 3-day holiday. I want to get some good workouts in. I think DH and I may take a short hiking vacation in September on part of the Appalachian Trail up in Shenandoah National Park. We'd just do day hikes and hotel it (I love a hot-tub after hiking!:D)Hope my foot wants to do it too :rolleyes:!

Justina, I watched the first 2 seasons of Game of Thrones, but only after I'd read the first 3 books. I just finished the 5th book on Sunday! I'm going to start them over again! I think the series starts to deviate from the books a lot during season 3. I don't want to ruin it for you so that's all I'm going to say ;)!

Natty, how do you feel on your de-load week? I like the concept of throwing those in and will even do a few workouts where I drop the weight down a little and really focus on depth of movement and form. It just helps keep me in check. I also think that for a while I was trying to progress to heavier weights too fast. I'd be moving up each workout. Then, I'd feel like I had lost my strength because I couldn't lift the weight I had the last time :(. I know that leads to bad form when your brain fights the body and insists "you did it last time...come on! Stop whining!" This happened just a few weeks ago and I had to give myself a pep talk and a reality check. There's really no hurry on this path is there? Sometimes I have to remind myself to progress at a moderate pace. It's okay to be at the same weight for 4 or 5 workouts before moving up ever so slightly...at least that's what I'm trying to convince myself :).

Colleen, I like your rotation concept! I think it will give you variety and yet still challenge you. I can't wait to see the plan! Do you include Afterburn and Supercuts as circuit workouts?

Well, I think that about wraps it up! I hope my energy holds out through my workout this evening! And I hope you all have a great Tuesday!
 
Hope everyone is doing well :)

I'm on my de-load week this week (yay!). On Monday I did an indoor 4mile walk and then Bella and I took a short 40min walk outside when it stopped raining. I just feel as though something is "missing" if I don't get out, you know? With regards to my walks, I found this really cool website that sells virtual treadmill/walking workouts:
ISLE OF CAPRI ITALY TREADMILL VIRTUAL WALK DVD FROM ANACAPRI ON THE AMALFI COAST.
I downloaded this w/o which is a 50min walk on the Isle Of Capri (Italy). Breathtaking views! I really enjoy walking with "scenery" because, along with keeping a brisk pace and getting in my miles, I can learn about the destination.

My w/o yesterday was a 3mile walk + my de-load w/o:
4x10R RDL
4x10R 1 arm shoulder press
4x10R reverse lunges
4x10R assisted chin-ups
20sec side planks

(working at approx. 65% 1RM)

Justina
Now that I've done a Nia Shanks weight training program, I can truly appreciate the benefits of 3x total body w/o's. Because they consist of mainly compound movements (squats, deadlifts, push-ups, chin-ups, ect) you really DO get the most bang for your buck in the least amount of time. The only DVD that I can think of that come close to this concept, is Cathe's STS Total Body.
LOVED S1 of Game Of Thrones!

Nancy
I really love de-load (aka-recovery) weeks.
As for trying to up your weight each week, I don't think there is anything wrong with that. Nia recommends going up in #'s, even if only by a few lbs. Here are a few "tips" in the BBA manual (I copied/paste) that might be helpful when trying to increase your #'s:
-Do not train to failure! Always leave at least 1 perfect rep (or 2) “in the tank” on all of your work sets. By doing so you will be able to keep making progress in the gym, remain injury free, and prevent CNS burnout. You should always finish your set knowing you could perform at least one more perfect rep (or even 2).
-Stay further away from failure with high volume work! For example, in some of the Beautiful Badass programs you will perform 5x10 (5 sets, 10 reps each) for your accessory exercises. In this case, leaving just 1-2 reps “in the tank” wouldn’t be enough – you would be burned out by the second set. In these situations you are better off leaving about 3 reps in the tanks.

BTW, these rules apply to getting stronger, and not necessarily for Hypertrophy. HTH :)
 
I had a great workout yesterday! I was dead tired but managed to pull off all of All Out HIIT, Core#1, and BS Bis! The bis were very tough and I found myself wishing it would end! I had to take a deep breath and really focus so I didn't rush through it. I did go to failure (it was before I read your post Natty :eek:!) on the last set and felt exhausted afterward). Tonight is CLB and BS shoulders. I will be mindful of Nia's recommendation to keep one in the tank :p(love that!).

There sure has been a lot of talk on the forum about foam rollers! I love mine!!! Can't imagine life without them! Jenniferlove posted a link to a star shaped foam roller that I am now thinking I must have :rolleyes:! I also use a tennis ball and a lacrosse ball a lot to roll out pecs, feet, tris, bis, neck, back, and gluts. For those of you that roll, do you stretch before or after? Natty posted a link where the guy talks about rolling prior to stretching. I've always done it after, but I'm going to switch it up tonight and roll before the stretch. It makes sense :eek:!

Well, that's it for now...Natty, looks like a good day yesterday (I bet 65% was welcome!!!)...
 
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