Eclectic 5-Day Mix Up Club! All Welcome!

chanstriste13

This is a posting board for anyone wanting to share their workout routines and have a group of people to hold them accountable! It doesn't matter what program you are doing, as long as you strive to work out five days a week! I hope to see people marking their progress and sharing new ideas and tips! Personally, my goal is to make working out something I *want* to do, not just something I need to do, so I hope that this will be a place for people to put all their great ideas to keep working out from being tedious and boring!

Today: Metabolic training class at the gym - our instructor did some crazy circuit training stations, and we did a lot of push-up type work! Now, I have yet to do a proper push-up...I'm stil doing modified ones, but one of the push-up variations she gave us today I thought was great! She called them 'clock push-ups'. Start doing one push-up, then move your left hand to the center of your chest, and your right hand out. Let your knees spin a bit in the direction - you will find yourself ready to do another push-up, but you are now at '1 o'clock'. Do another push-up, then repeat the arm adjustments so you are at '2 o'clock'. You are basically working your push-ups around in a circle, but your arms are holding you up the entire time. Go all the way around the clock (12 push-ups) and after a break, do the same thing, but go counter clockwise. I think it really strenghthens all those muscles, so if I keep up with these, maybe I'll eventually be able to do a proper push-up!

Looking forward to hearing from everyone! Happy workout!

epa422

I usually work out in the evening. Tonight's workout is cardio intervals from Prevention.com. It's called Chutes & Ladders. They have podcasts for 30 minutes and 40 minutes, but this is the general breakdown:

Min 0-4: Warm up; effort level 3-4
4-5: Ladder; 9
5-6: Chute; 5-6
6-8: Ladder; 9
8-10: Chute; 5-6
10-13: Ladder; 9
13-16: Chute; 5-6
16-20: Ladder; 9
20-25: Chute; 5-6
25-28: Ladder; 9
28-31: Chute; 5-6
31-33: Ladder; 9
33-35: Chute; 5-6
35-36: Ladder; 9
36-37: Chute; 5-6
37-40: Cool Down; 3-4

Plus, I'll probably warm up with 12 minutes of Tai Chi.

chanstriste13

cool! never heard of this - i'm going to check it out!

epa422

Here's a link to their podcasts:

http://www.prevention.com/health/fitness/find-a-workout/summer-challenge-podcasts/article/7f08627a395a9110VgnVCM20000012281eac____

I usually do their workouts on my Gazelle, unless the weather is perfect.

elloradannon

I'm doing Zumba tonight! LOOOVE it

abbiez

Hey guys, I'll be joining. I'm not too eclectic - mostly elliptical, c25k and recently started 30 day shred. i used to spin and i LOVED it but the class times conflict with my work and school schedules now. but im trying zumba next week and would love to be in the group for some great ideas and hopefully when my repertoire expands ill be able to share some new stuff!

chanstriste13

welcome, abbie! glad to have you! i started c25k last spring and fell off the bandwagon when i started my summer schedule (i'm a nanny and work part time during the school year and full time during the summer). i want to get started with it again, especially since we're getting some nice fall weather, so i'm open to any pointers you have about that! i got to week 4 and stayed there for five or six weeks before i gave in! but never say never, right?

happy friday to everyone and make sure to sweat some today! i'm off to step - last week i totally lost my balance, nearly caught myself, nearly fell, nearly caught myself, and finally crash landed almost directly on the woman behind me - not one of my better moments. however, it's a pretty familiar scenario in step class - it's kind of like the twilight vamp/human relationship, except mine is the aerobic step/klutz syndrome. dangerous, but fun. later!

abbiez

welcome, abbie! glad to have you! i started c25k last spring and fell off the bandwagon when i started my summer schedule (i'm a nanny and work part time during the school year and full time during the summer). i want to get started with it again, especially since we're getting some nice fall weather, so i'm open to any pointers you have about that! i got to week 4 and stayed there for five or six weeks before i gave in! but never say never, right?

happy friday to everyone and make sure to sweat some today! i'm off to step - last week i totally lost my balance, nearly caught myself, nearly fell, nearly caught myself, and finally crash landed almost directly on the woman behind me - not one of my better moments. however, it's a pretty familiar scenario in step class - it's kind of like the twilight vamp/human relationship, except mine is the aerobic step/klutz syndrome. dangerous, but fun. later!

I'm on w3d1 today for c25k, although i should be a few weeks further - i totally fell off the wagon :-( Hoping to get back on as my 5k is october 9th!

happy friday to you also, im off to shred!

epa422

I did my workout last night (though only 30 minutes instead of 40). I doubt I'll do anything today as I stayed home sick from work. Stupid allergies are leading to a sinus infection. But keep up the great work everyone!

chanstriste13

step class today was good...and i even managed not to fall down! we did a lot of ab work at the end with the big resistance balls...i had no idea you could do so much. my favorite ab move is as follows: lie on your back with your knees up and hold ball between your feet. extend completely out, still holding the ball with your feet. when you come back in, switch ball to your hands. extend completely out again (legs out, arms out). when you come back in, switch ball to feet. feel free to continue until you drop! i couldn't do too many of them, but i think i'll try to work up my number. have a great weekend everyone!

Happyoceangirl

Hi - I'd like to join Seems I've got a pretty eclectic mix these days.... Wednesday was Yoga Booty ballet, Thursday was off, today (Friday) I went for a jog. (5.6 miles jogging, 6.1 total with warm up and cool down walk.)

Will be nice to be on a fitness thread again, without being held to just one program. Wooo-hoooo!

Happyoceangirl

Snorkeling, anyone? I love love love that this is a thread where all activity is welcome. It was a gorgeous day at the beach. I tried out my new fins and spent about 45 mins snorkeling and swimming.

Tonight, I'm doing a training course for work where we practice non-violent restraints. Putting people in restraint surely counts for activity, right?

epa422

I wish I could go snorkeling for an activity! Or walking on a beach. But alas, I live in Kansas. lol

I totally fell off the wagon this weekend since I wasn't feeling well. I'm hoping to get back on track this week. I hope everyone is doing well!

chanstriste13

happy monday! i would *love* to go snorkeling sometime - i have never been, and fall is on the way here, so beach time is about over! where do you live, you lucky duck?! today i went to my turbo kick class. it rocks, and i am getting a lot better at hanging on through the whole hour, even though our instructor is a crazy lady! turbo kick is the gym version of 'turbo jam', which is through beach body products, i believe. if you dig jabs, punches, kicks, and cardio that knocks your socks off, you might want to check it out. i love it!

also went walking tonight - about a mile and a half in 23 minutes - pretty slow, but i'm definitely not pusing things on that front with the class today and the one tomorrow morning, but i do want to try and get to where i can do my classes and start back on c25k. i'm not sure if this will happen or not...i'm so tired! but not like i was two weeks ago by a long shot, so there has been progress, for sure! have a good one everyone and make sure you sweat a bit tomorrow!

Happyoceangirl

I wish I could go snorkeling for an activity! Or walking on a beach. But alas, I live in Kansas. lol

I totally fell off the wagon this weekend since I wasn't feeling well. I'm hoping to get back on track this week. I hope everyone is doing well!

Where in Kansas do you live? I'm originally from there...

Hope you're feeling better soon!

Happyoceangirl

happy monday! i would *love* to go snorkeling sometime - i have never been, and fall is on the way here, so beach time is about over! where do you live, you lucky duck?! today i went to my turbo kick class. it rocks, and i am getting a lot better at hanging on through the whole hour, even though our instructor is a crazy lady! turbo kick is the gym version of 'turbo jam', which is through beach body products, i believe. if you dig jabs, punches, kicks, and cardio that knocks your socks off, you might want to check it out. i love it!

also went walking tonight - about a mile and a half in 23 minutes - pretty slow, but i'm definitely not pusing things on that front with the class today and the one tomorrow morning, but i do want to try and get to where i can do my classes and start back on c25k. i'm not sure if this will happen or not...i'm so tired! but not like i was two weeks ago by a long shot, so there has been progress, for sure! have a good one everyone and make sure you sweat a bit tomorrow!

Snorkeling ROCKS! I hope you go someday. Where are you at? I'm in Hawaii.... so luckily, beach walks are realistic year round. We get some heavy rains during winter, but it's STILL a great place to be.

Your Turbo Kick class sounds awesome. I TOTALLY am in need of a cathartic experience right now. I don't go to a gym though - all of my activity is outdoors or in front of my dvd player. Good luck with the C to 5k project too. Keep us posted here - we'll cheer you on!

I went for a jog today - 4.5 miles jogging, and then walked another 1.1 miles. 6.6 total. Felt good. Not quite as good as kicking, jabbing or punching, but better than scarfing down a pizza. :bigsmile:

Happyoceangirl

happy monday! i would *love* to go snorkeling sometime - i have never been, and fall is on the way here, so beach time is about over! where do you live, you lucky duck?! today i went to my turbo kick class. it rocks, and i am getting a lot better at hanging on through the whole hour, even though our instructor is a crazy lady! turbo kick is the gym version of 'turbo jam', which is through beach body products, i believe. if you dig jabs, punches, kicks, and cardio that knocks your socks off, you might want to check it out. i love it!

also went walking tonight - about a mile and a half in 23 minutes - pretty slow, but i'm definitely not pusing things on that front with the class today and the one tomorrow morning, but i do want to try and get to where i can do my classes and start back on c25k. i'm not sure if this will happen or not...i'm so tired! but not like i was two weeks ago by a long shot, so there has been progress, for sure! have a good one everyone and make sure you sweat a bit tomorrow!

Snorkeling ROCKS! I hope you go someday. Where are you at? I'm in Hawaii.... so luckily, beach walks are realistic year round. We get some heavy rains during winter, but it's STILL a great place to be.

Your Turbo Kick class sounds awesome. I TOTALLY am in need of a cathartic experience right now. I don't go to a gym though - all of my activity is outdoors or in front of my dvd player. Good luck with the C to 5k project too. Keep us posted here - we'll cheer you on!

I went for a jog today - 4.5 miles jogging, and then walked another 1.1 miles. 6.6 total. Felt good. Not quite as good as kicking, jabbing or punching, but better than scarfing down a pizza. :bigsmile:

chanstriste13

hawaii! oh, you lucky dog! my husband and i have free airfare right now to either mexico, costa rica, puerto rico or hawaii. we're trying to decide which one to go to. hawaii is the one that pulls us the most, but everywhere seems pretty expensive so we couldn't stay as long as some of the other places. any local tips? we're in north carolina, which i dig because we're about an hour and a half from the mountains and about three from the beach, but i have feeling our beaches don't have a thing on hawaii! if you work it to your dvd, here's a turbo jam link:

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias=aps&field-keywords=turbo+jam

and kicka$$ on all that jogging/walking! i'll be happy to learn how to jog 1 mile! have you always been a runner or did you start at nothing? my friend is trying to convince me to sign up for a half marathon. right. maybe a couple years from now! i'll settle for a 5k for now...

epa422

I barely got myself to work out last night, but I managed to do my Buns & Thighs and Standing Pilates from a DVD. Nothing too strenuous, though. I've discovered that my attention span for workouts is about three weeks and then I get bored and stop working out. Hmm... so I guess I need to switch it up. I'm really interested in 30 Day Shred, but it just sounds too difficult... and I'm trying to keep to things that I'd be able to continue once I get pregnant. Has anyone tried her yoga DVD?

chanstriste13

erica, i haven't tried the yoga cd, but i would recommend the 30 day shred. it can be as intense as you want it to be, but you can modify it so it's less. i like it because it is effective, but it's only 20 minutes long...a definite plus if you have a short workout attention span! good job for working out when you didn't feel like it! anything is better than nothing! when i feel like slacking, i make my 10 minute deal with myself: i *must* exercise for 10 minutes...if i am still hating it or not into it after that 10 minutes is up, i can quit, guilt free. typically, once i invest 10 minutes, i'm good to go, but if i still want to quit, i don't give myself a hard time about it. sometimes it just ain't happening, you know?

of course, all this is when i'm in my 'mode', not when i'm at the point that i haven't twitched a muscle in 4 or 5 months....sigh....that happens sometimes, too....

but for today, i had a kickin' workout. step-jump-pump, which is a combination class of basic step (not too choreographed), plyometrics (jumping) and weight-lifting. *love* our psychotic instructor. held out really good for the most part - biggest challenge today was when she had us holding squats for*ever* and standing on our tiptoes throughout. i had to cheat on those some, but everything else seems to be getting easier and easier.

what i learned today: when you are doing chest presses and chest flies on a mat, instead of keeping your feet on the floor with your knees bent, lift your legs (knees still bent) so you engage your abs at the same time. your legs should make a 90 degree angle. if you do single arm chest flies in this position, you will *really* feel your abs working to keep from rolling!

happy tuesday, everyone!

Happyoceangirl

I barely got myself to work out last night, but I managed to do my Buns & Thighs and Standing Pilates from a DVD. Nothing too strenuous, though. I've discovered that my attention span for workouts is about three weeks and then I get bored and stop working out. Hmm... so I guess I need to switch it up. I'm really interested in 30 Day Shred, but it just sounds too difficult... and I'm trying to keep to things that I'd be able to continue once I get pregnant. Has anyone tried her yoga DVD?

I think you may be in good company if you get easily bored .... I'm a bit that way too. Which is why I'm stoked to find a thread for accountability but open to all different workouts. Everything we do counts, even the non-strenuous ones. And it's good to mix it up to keep it fresh, (and keep our muscles guessing).

About the shred - I've done it before - it is challenging, in a good way. I feel fairly accomplished after doing it. When I started it, my main exercise was jogging / walking. So if I can do it, I bet you can do! That said, I'm not really in the mood to have my tail kicked right now, so I'm avoiding it. But she's right, it DOES work.

I just got the Yoga Meltdown but am a little scared to try it. Maybe that will be my adventure for the day? It's raining, so it's either Yoga Meltdown, a Pilates / belly buster DVD, a zumba DVD or a jog on the treadmill. What to choose, what to choose?

Happyoceangirl

hawaii! oh, you lucky dog! my husband and i have free airfare right now to either mexico, costa rica, puerto rico or hawaii. we're trying to decide which one to go to. hawaii is the one that pulls us the most, but everywhere seems pretty expensive so we couldn't stay as long as some of the other places. any local tips? we're in north carolina, which i dig because we're about an hour and a half from the mountains and about three from the beach, but i have feeling our beaches don't have a thing on hawaii! if you work it to your dvd, here's a turbo jam link:

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias=aps&field-keywords=turbo+jam

and kicka$$ on all that jogging/walking! i'll be happy to learn how to jog 1 mile! have you always been a runner or did you start at nothing? my friend is trying to convince me to sign up for a half marathon. right. maybe a couple years from now! i'll settle for a 5k for now...

Wow - you and your husband are blessed! How neat to be able to choose a free trip! I'll send you a PM... As for your location - it sounds great too. Having access to mountains AND the beach is awesome.....

Your question about the jogging - I seriously started at the couch potato end of the spectrum, and did the Cto5k program as well - with a support thread on MFP. I started in July of 2009 - and here I am, a little over a year later, still going and feeling good about it. Mind you, I'm not fast, but as a runner friend of mine says, "I"m built for luxury, not speed". It's become a great stress reliever and I'm so glad i did it. So... I got your back all the way! (ARe you familiar with the ipod apps for the Cto5K? I think that was one of the major factors that helped me get through it).

abbiez

I tried Zumba today and I liked it alot. I felt highly uncoordinated even though im not. i shake it at home all the time, i just cant do it in public

epa422

Here you go, for everyone who is easily bored by routines: www.exercisetv.tv. They have a bunch of free videos to stream and several that are low price ($2.99) or you can buy a pass for everything for $9.99.

chanstriste13

oooohh...zumba! i'm the same way - put my in front of my bedroom mirror with a brush for a microphone and i morph into j-lo! stick me in a room with people that know what's what, and i'm a total spaz! glad you liked it, though!

and thanks for the exercise tv link, erica. the prices look good, too!

today i had bosu (those weird half resistance ball things) and pilates. bosu is still weird - it's basically step class, but you are standing on the round part of the bosu - so every time you step on it, it feels like it is actively trying to push you off. but, weird as it is, i would highly recommend it - especially if you have weak ankles that have a tendency to collapse or twist - like mine! the bosu workout has *really* strengthened all those little ankle muscles and tendons, so i'm digging it.

we did pilates today with the big resistance balls, and i liked it a lot better than usual - the balls added resistance (duh) and they helped to keep your form good - no cheating allowed! i feel like i'm finally getting somewhere with the pilates class - i was just going through the movements, but today i really got into it and benefited from it! i hope that is here to stay! well, i'm off to make spaghetti - happy hump day everyone!

Happyoceangirl

Bosu balls and pilates sound fun - and zumba too!

What did you all do today?

I was generic - took one of the dogs for a walk. He's quite large and still "in training" - we were gone for an hour and a half. Was a good way to drain excess energy from the work day. I WAS gonna do yoga meltdown afterward but the pup tired me out!

chanstriste13

maybe it's just my imagination running wild, but taking a dog for a walk in hawaii seems like it could never be generic! i wish we had a dog, but we have no fenced in yard, and i think our 3 indoor cats would be highly resentful if we got an indoor doggie...

metabolic training today with the psycho woman. basically just a very high-energy cardio workout, intermixed today with an insane amount of push-ups! today the instructor, jessica, told me all about the cds she gets for class. she has some great music, and she gave me a catalog and everything. the sites are 'power music' and 'dynamix'. i'm going to check it out when i have some spare cash for cd shopping!

hope everyone has a great thursday! ready for the weekend, myself...

epa422

maybe it's just my imagination running wild, but taking a dog for a walk in hawaii seems like it could never be generic! i wish we had a dog, but we have no fenced in yard, and i think our 3 indoor cats would be highly resentful if we got an indoor doggie...

Take it from someone with 3 indoor cats and a LARGE indoor dog, yes they would resent you very much. LOL

I should take our dog for walks, but she'd just end up dragging me. I'm sure it would be a good full-body workout though. I tried a cardio program from excercisetv.tv last night. Not the one I wanted, but they won't accept my credit card so I can get the programs I want. :grumble: It kicked my booty right up until my doorbell rang and I got totally derailed by a door-to-door salesperson. I still burned quite a few calories though all the hopping around was not working well with my sports bra. Apparently need to invest in a new one of those.

Tonight... um... I just don't know. Hopefully I can find something good that's free on the website.

epa422

Yay! I figured out my problem with the website, so I can start the 10 Pound Slimdown workout. Day 1 is arms. So I'll be doing arms tonight. Each workout is only 20 minutes (and probably way way easier than the 30 Day Shred for which I am grateful).

Happyoceangirl

Erica - keep us posted on what you think about the 10 day slimdown.... How effective it seems to be, etc.

You asked earlier about Jillian's Yoga Meltdown - um, 2 days later I'm REALLY feeling the burn - primarily in my triceps and the area around my ribcage (that area NEVER feels worked out no matter what I do). I suspect I could get some mean arms if I keep doing it.

Maybe we should rename this thread - "3 Indoor Cats" (we've got 3 too... and YEAH, they would HATE having the dogs indoors. It's bad enough they have to live with each other and *gasp* share the house with the human. :laugh:

Will report in later with whatever form of exercise I've done. Have a great day all!

Happyoceangirl

maybe it's just my imagination running wild, but taking a dog for a walk in hawaii seems like it could never be generic! i wish we had a dog, but we have no fenced in yard, and i think our 3 indoor cats would be highly resentful if we got an indoor doggie...

metabolic training today with the psycho woman. basically just a very high-energy cardio workout, intermixed today with an insane amount of push-ups! today the instructor, jessica, told me all about the cds she gets for class. she has some great music, and she gave me a catalog and everything. the sites are 'power music' and 'dynamix'. i'm going to check it out when i have some spare cash for cd shopping!

hope everyone has a great thursday! ready for the weekend, myself...

Well, compared to bosu balls and the psycho lady, it seems a little, "meh". But - in it's own right - was really enjoyable. He's such an oddball dog - every outing we have results in me laughing, so that's good.

Great job with your class and surviving the psycho. I might google the sites and see if I can find the music you're talking about.