Cathe Fans Part 3!

fitzfour

Hello Ladies!!!

Hard to believe it's 2011 already...the whole holiday weekend went really fast! We had a fun New Year's at the neighbors, a lazy New Years Day, and then my youngest sons 6th b-day party yesterday, which was fun! With all the prep/holiday/etc, I did manage to get in a short kickboxing workout on Saturday (Amy Bento Kickbox Extreme I think it was), with one oft he premixes. I think I need to do her whole DVD first before I do premixes...I was lost!! I can't wait to try the heavy bag section, especially because I purchased a heavy bag yesterday!!! Today I'm going to go pick out some fun pink boxing gloves, and hopefully my hubby will get it set up for me tonight!!!

This morning was STS #13, Chest, Shoulders and Triceps. It was a good workout, and I struggled to keep my form the last few reps, but didn't feel "worked out" when I was done. I just can't figure it out...I "feel" like it's too easy, but I'm struggling to get in the last couple reps. Maybe that's just how it's going to feel for me? I just keep thinking back to first round of STS and how completely fatigued I felt when I was done. Hmmmmm.....just a weird feeling for me!!!

Tami---Great workout, that is one I don't have! My wrists/forearms felt better by yesterday, but took some time. I think I'm going to just put on my 1lb wrist weights and stick with that. Not sure I want to risk injury by jumping up 5 pounds. We'll see though! I hope you had a fun New Years Eve!

Good morning Michelle, Laurie, Laurel and Kara!

lvnascar

Morning Ladies,

Sorry to be MIA during my vacation. :blushing: I was truly enjoying my time off with the family, so that is my only excuse. :laugh: I managed to get STS Discs 1, 17 and 5 done last week, and as for the rest of it I took the time off. Probably not the smartest thing to do, but I'm still having problems with my ankle. This morning I did KPC, and it was better, but still feeling twinges. I would like to get in another workout after work, will see how I feel if it will be cardio or stretching/yoga.

Erika, Amy Bento was hard for me to get the cueing down, hope she is better for you than she was for me. So far the STS workouts have been leaving me sore, but not fatigued. Cathe hits so many different muscles than what Tony did in the P90X, that I was surprised about that.

Tami, Totally understand you not wanting to be on the roads with all the crazy drivers. That is one reason I didn't let my oldest out of the house on NYE! We had friends over that evening, and I cooked Beef Wellington. Dang did that taste good. How is your current rotation going? I'm guessing all the circuit work is adding a fun factor? :bigsmile:

Michelle, I hope that you are feeling better today, dang on being sick during the holidays. When do you officially start your new job? Wishing you and your family all the best for this week with your FIL's operation.

Laurel, I will let you know how the Jillian workout goes, I have not tried it out yet. Since the two workouts on the DVD are around 35 min. each, I thought it would be good to combine it with the Insanity Fast n Furious. I would like to do another workout after work tonight, that might just be a great option to try out.

Happy New Year!
Laurie

StiringWendel

Happy New Year!

This weekend absolutely flew by, but it was alot of fun. I got up early on Friday to get my workouts in. I did Insanity Max Interval Plyo followed by STS Total Body. This is the second time I've done STS Total Body, and it really is a good one. I love the number of reps and how she's broken down the exercises/body parts. It is tough but flies by. My husband and I spent most of Friday down in DC seeing and doing various touristy things and having a great time. Saturday we woke up to warmer temps, so we decided to go golfing!! It is the first time we've played golf since we left Korea and while I was pathetic at it, it felt great to be back on the course with my DH. I was really struggling with what workout to do yesterday, so I opted for some oldies. I did the cardio portion of Cathe's original Body Max (with the leg drills as well) and then the lower body portion of High Step Training. I haven't done either one of those workouts in forever, and it was really fun.

Today I got up and did Kick Max. After breakfast, I did Pyramid Upper Body. Boy, that one still fries me after all these years. I upped my weights on some areas (like back) because I wasn't feeling it. But the bicep and ab work always gets to me. I also decided to do about 30 minutes of kettlebell workout after that (Bob Harper), and I feel like I'm getting the swing of it (no pun intended) now.

Laurie, glad to hear the STS workouts are going well. Take care of that ankle. I had the same experience with Amy Bento....I just could never quite get her for some reason. I don't know if it was her cuing or her choreography or a combination of both, but I just never could quite master her workouts.

Erika, I think you're doing fine with the STS workouts. I think you are just in better shape now than you were the first time you did them. I definitely don't always feel my workouts after I've done them, and I don't think it is necessary that you feel exhausted at the end of a workout as long as you are challenging your muscles IN the workout. Again, I take that as a sign of good conditioning and not a sign that you aren't challenging yourself. So don't second-guess yourself and whether you are doing the right thing or not. Those Meso 3 workouts are, by far, my heaviest workouts too. Just take it easy, move the weight slowly, and if you ever feel you are hitting failure early, just stop (especially on things like chest presses because you could really injure yourself on those exercises if you push too hard). But don't be afraid of the heavy weight. It is good! Regarding chocolate, I don't normally have much reaction to caffeine, so I don't think I'm getting an energy burst from that. But I do think my body likes the extra calories. I have a tendency to eat about 800 calories under what I burn in a day (per my GoWearFit) for some reason I can't quite figure out (habit in thinking I was burning less than I actually was for so long and fear of increasing my calories). Well, that isn't the case when I'm eating things like chocolate, and I think my body likes the extra calories. But, surely, I can come up with a better way of getting them than chocolate. :blushing: :laugh:

Michelle, I hope you are feeling better!! You've got SO much going on right now. Take care of yourself. My best wishes for your FIL. I hope all goes well with him.

Tami, have you looked at Cathe's January rotation? There are a couple of weeks in the rotation (2 and 3 I believe) that look really challenging. I'm thinking about trying them starting next week. I definitely need to bump up the 'fat burning' part of my workouts after the holiday! I must admit, I'm beginning to miss STS quite a bit. My husband is thinking of starting on P90X, and I'm still convincing myself to wait until March to do that, but I miss the routine STS and P90X provide. Much less thinking involved than I have to do now.

Hope you all are well and enjoying your new year!

Laurel

2BLean

Good Morning Ladies ~ :bigsmile:

Happy New Year! :drinker: Got in a couple more good workouts yesterday: Plyo Legs (STS #32) and then had a little snack/water break and did Intensity Dbl HiiT/BootCamp pre-mix. Both were good workouts. This a.m. was Cathe’s Muscle Endurance – it has been a really long time since I did that one. Reminds me of when I first started working out with Cathe. Tonight will be Turbo Kick after work for some cardio.

Erika: Sounds like you have a perfect plan in place for STS. If going up in the LB’s feels like an injury waiting to happen then definitely don’t do it! I don’t want to encourage that at all. :ohwell: Like Laurel commented, you are just definitely stronger this round then you were before ~ which is excellent! So great that you got a punching bag! Love it that you are going to find some girly pink gloves. I’m sure you will have a lot of fun with that and create some great workouts.

Laurie: Welcome Back – no worries, that is a perfect reason to be MIA! Sounds like you had a great time with your family which is awesome. Good job on STS! How do you feel doing the rotation again other than your poor ankle? I hope it heals up for you soon. Ankles are tough injuries, they seem to take forever. The rotation is going pretty good for the fun factor. I definitely already miss the “routine” factor (i think just because I was so conditioned to that) of STS/Undulating provided & lifting more weights – especially upper body. But definitely providing a fun factor & I'm sure a good change for my body. I took a look at Cathe’s Dec. rotation and her new Jan. one, might do a combo of those next. I am currently on my 3rd week of the rotation I put together so having all these options is good for now. I’m thinking about incorporating some Gym Style workouts as well.

Laurel: Sounds like you had a really nice New Years – that’s excellent! Great job on the workouts as always. I don’t have the Pyramid Upper Body workout, it sounds good. Did we do the same workout again? High Step Training. I really had fun with that the other day. I printed Cathe’s January rotation out to take a look at – definitely looks like a fat burner doesn’t it?!:huh: I need to be getting more workouts scheduled out in a couple weeks so between her Dec & Jan rotation I think I can pencil in another 4 weeks of good combos. Like I mentioned to Laurie, I am thinking about getting some Gym Style workouts in there too. I need more time in the day :noway: to do all I would like to do :ohwell:

Michelle: Happy First Day at your New Job! I hope all went well and you got those first day jitters out of the way. I am sure you were fabulous. Hope all the transition with family went well too & Mr. C is doing good.

Hope you all have a great day! :flowerforyou:

Tami

bajangrl29

Nite Ladies,

First day went decent...hubby was great and had coffee and breakfast ready and then it was off to beat traffic:grumble: unfortunately my ketys were missing so 15minutes later and backed up highways and my morning was behind by 21minutes. Eventually I hit a clear patch and made it with 5 minutes to spare. Then they wanted to send me home b/c the boss is off on Mondays:noway: So with little structure and plenty of online training courses my first day in the govt is not painting a good picture:ohwell:

Tami- There were no jitters and except for the lost keys it really went smoothly. Now tomorrow hubby is out of town for his father's surgery and I'm on the 7:30-3:30 shift so it will be interesting. Both Capone and my daughter did well...she called in upon arriving and we kept him crated inside b/c of the cold weather..eventually we will release him in the mornings.

Erika- Have you tried the P57 Fullbody 57min workout yet? Need your best 30min routines that burns mega calories b/c 60mins is way too long for me in the am.:laugh: Amy's choreo is crazy..I only did her dvd once:blushing:

Laurel & Laurie- Happy New Year ladies. I'm still trying to get my schedule together and figure out how to fit exercise into this mix. While I rotate through the depts I will keep moving but now that I will have Friday & Sat..I'm thinking maybe those will be my heavy days for intervals and Bob Harper. Thanks Laurie..we will keep fingers crossed that everything works out well on Wednesday.


Ok I feel as if I have had no personal time all day and I have to get out the door by 6:30 to beat traffic so off to finish bath duty and get the school/work clothes out.

Hugs,
Michelle

P.S. After Theraflu and Cold med capsules I'm definitely at 90 percent again....did attempt to workout on Saturday but I was huffing and puffing while clinging to the island:blushing: , hubby said it is so not worth it so please go and rest:laugh:

lvnascar

Morning Ladies,

Last night I managed to get in a workout and did Insanity Fast n Furious along with Jillian's 6 Week 6-Pack workout #1. Really enjoyed the Jillian workout, it really is tough. She starts off slow with the first round of exercises, and then you do the exact same exercises but going a little faster. Got the hr going during the workout, and was sweating at the end. This morning was STS Disc 30 Shoulders, Biceps and Triceps. So from the waist up I'm sore right now. :laugh:

Laurel, Another great workout combination! Have to say I'm really surprised at how sore I have been with these workouts. I looked at this morning sheet and it said that I should lift 49 lbs (barbell) for the biceps. I was at first saying :noway: , but then of course looked at the number of reps! Of course I can lift that much weight, but truly was a stuggle at the end. I would be sore after the P90X workouts, and I'm still sore now. Hoping to see some great results from this one too!

Tami, So far the STS rotation is giving me REALLY sore muscles! :laugh: But of course in a good way. I think one thing I will enjoy is not having to do so many push-ups and pull-ups. I had them in the Disc 1 workout, but not like in the P90X workouts. Of course Cathe does the push-ups at a slower pace, which makes you go deaper into the push-up. Makes me feel like I didn't even do all those endless reps before this. :laugh:

Michelle, Glad you are feeling in the 90% range. Hope you have a good day at work today, and you are able to get more solid info on the job. I had traffic on my way into work this morning, guess people don't know how to drive in the snow! :noway: Or they where just not used to going to work after having time off! :grumble: You will get into a routine and figure out what you schedule will end up being. That is really an early call for your morning commute.

Have a great day!
Laurie

StiringWendel

Good Afternoon Ladies!

I was tired this morning, but nevertheless got up and did CCC. By about 10 minutes into the workout, I was feeling much better and was able to give it my all. I really do love that workout. After a break for breakfast, I then did Butts and Guts. I really had to talk myself out of doing Lower Body Blast for the third week in a row because that's what I really wanted to do. But I love B&G as well, and figure my body could use a change. It felt great. It's a real toss-up on which workout I like better right now....B&G or LBB. They are definitely my favorite lower body workouts.

Michelle, I'm sorry your first day didn't go smoother. What a pain that they told you to go back home after getting in. Unfortunately, that's typical government. I have so many bad stories from working with the government it scares me to even think about. I've even had that when volunteering. Right now, I'm going through a bizarre situation trying to work a volunteer program at the Pentagon. The right hand and left hand have definitely never met each other, and I'm not sure either one is aware the other exists to be honest. Just not good. I hope things get better, though I'm sure this is going to be one crazy transition week with your husband being gone. My best wishes for your FIL. Don't worry about the workouts right now. Just get your family/work schedule in place, which may take a couple/few weeks, and then work them in. It WILL happen, but it is going to take time. Don't beat yourself up because of that. Glad to hear you are feeling better. :flowerforyou:

Tami, glad I'm not alone in missing the structure of STS right now. I have a couple more weeks left in my current rotation as well, and then I'm going to move on to gym styles/pure strength for a few weeks. I'm looking forward to that. I think my body is liking the break from the heavier weights right now, but my mind keeps thinking I'm not working hard enough on my strength training. I don't know what's up with that. So is your Intensity DVD all right? I hope so!

Laurie, thanks for the feedback on the Jillian workout. I might have to look into that one because it really does look good. I like the Insanity abs workouts that combine some cardio moves with some core moves. Is it anything like that? I definitely have a love/hate relationship with that Chest/Back P90X workout that has all of the pushups and pullups. I actually think it is one of the best strength training DVDs on the market because it really hits all upper body muscle groups hard! But, boy, it is NO fun to do whatsoever. Sorry to hear you are so sore with this STS rotation. I think Erika has taught us that the best way to prepare for STS is to do crazy endurance workouts leading up to it!

Erika, I hope you're having a good day!

See you all tomorrow!

Laurel

2BLean

Hi Ladies ~

This a.m. was BH Cardio Cond. Really a great workout and again, love him! He’s tough and funny too. Tonight will be Spinning.

Michelle: I hope today was much smoother for you. Very nice that your DH had coffee & breakfast going for you, I’m sure that helped tremendously. Glad to hear you are at 90% in the health dept. Hoping you hit 100% very soon! You mentioned needing a shorter workout for the a.m. Bob’s Cardio Cond. has a 30-min version you might try.

Laurie: You gotta love JM! I saw they have that DVD on Amazon for around $9. Glad to hear it is a “good” sore instead of painful, can’t move. I always feel like things are working when I can feel it a little bit. That’s great the rotation is going well for you.

Laurel: Yowsa on the workouts today! :noway: I would definitely feel worked over after that. I am with you on the LBB and BB&G workouts being my two favorites as well for lower body; Leaner Legs Extreme mix is in there too. Exactly on my mindset - I am getting in some good workouts, good cardio, variety, etc. but my mind is saying “what about the weights”! :huh: You took the words right out of my mouth/mind. I think it’s just because that is what I have been used to for so many months. Thanks for asking about my DVD. It worked the whole way through on that pre-mix! :drinker: I was very surprised and happy. Will try the original “error” pre-mix one more time and see what happens. I’m thinking it must be my player but just want to make sure before I replace either.

Hi Erika ~ Hope you are having a great day! :bigsmile:

Talk to you all tomorrow ~

Tami

fitzfour

Good Morning Ladies--I missed you yesterday! :flowerforyou: I was up at 4:30am and out the door by 5:30am for work, and didn't get back until after dinner time. It was a long day, but a very rewarding day of employee meetings, as I got a standing ovation out of one group, and learned all about Zumba from another. Thiis employer pays to bring in a Zumba instructor to their staff one night a week, and these ladies were raving about Zumba (99% of them were probably in their 40's or 50's), which made me decide I'm for sure taking Zumba classes with my 2 neighbors now. Starts next Wednesday!!! :happy:

Due to all the early/late working/traveling, my body was shot when I got home, so I took a rest day yesterday. I wanted so badly to sleep longer this morning, but my body wasn't having it, and thus I did STS Disk #14--Legs. I enjoy the leg workouts in STS, as I like the cardio factor to them, but my forearms were killing me this morning! :grumble: I had a couple points where I almost dropped the weights, so I might need to use my weighted vest instead for next time. I'm trying to keep from going up in weights due to my forearms, and I build muscle really fast in my legs, and want to keep that to a minimum this time around. I have a post STS picture from last time, and although my legs looked nice and muscular, they were very bodybuilder like. I had very well defined inner thigh muscles (looked like I had a spaghetti squash attached to my inner thigh) and the same for my quads. I think if my legs weren't bigger to begin with (most of my 5'2" height is in the upper half of my body, definitely not in my legs), it would look good, but I did have my hubby and a close friend tell me they thought it looked bulky on me, which I needed to hear! Anyway, I'm measuring throughout STS to see how my legs are doing, and so far, just a little growth, not too bad.

Tami--Nice work on BH, Plyo Legs, Intensity, ME and Spinning! I feel like I missed out on several days with that line up of workouts! :laugh: I'm so anxious to get my heavy bag hung up...maybe tomorrow night, as hubby is gone tonight. I went out looking for gloves yesterday, and the most comfortable ones were just basically like gel inserted weighted gloves. Nothing pink, but at least they are comfy! I've heard lots of stories about how much damage you can do to your shoulders by using the heavy bag too much or too intensely, so I plan to only do it once every couple of weeks, and take it easy. Of course, if I am having a bad day and need to take out some frustration on something, the bag is where I'll be doing that! :laugh:

Laurel--Awesome job on all the workouts!! Between you and Tami, I think my head is spinning from reading all the different ones you did over the weekend/last couple days! Fun to try all those workouts out again, that you haven't gotten to in awhile! I can't believe it was warm enough to golf there this weekend! :noway: We've had frigid cold here, but dustings of snow almost every day, which I'm thrilled about! To honor one of my favorite seasons, I even went out and bought a snowflake pendant for my necklace...of course my hubby thinks I'm crazy! :laugh: I'm glad you hear you didn't always feel exhausted after STS either. I was starting to wonder...but, I did notice that I often felt fatigued after my KCM workouts, Squeeze or P57, so I'm wondering if those just work my body better?!? I'll see how my results are after this round of STS to determine what to do next. So far though, no DOMS except the first STS workout of the rotation, Disk 1, from the pushups. Otherwise, absolutely no DOMS...very weird! Regarding the extra calories, I'm sure your body is taking those and giving you some extra energy in return. I try to stay around 2000 calories per day (I burn about 2000-2300 per day on average), otherwise I'm dragging and the cravings kick in if I go much lower. :grumble:

Michelle--Sorry to hear your first day started off difficult, and they weren't really prepared for what to do with you once you got to work. Sounds EXACTLY like my place of employment. I think I was just given some odd jobs the first two weeks, as it took them that long to get my computer set up with all the programs I'd need, my phone working, cases assigned, etc. I couldn't believe that a company of 10.000 employees was that disorganized, and still are to this day when it comes to training the sales staff!! :grumble: But, I bet that just makes for an easier next few days, as it's only got to get better! :flowerforyou: I have done the full body P57 workout from the first set, and really like it. Haven't done the one from the 2nd set yet. As far as 30 minute workouts, I would say that Kelly Coffey Meyer's 30 minutes to fitness DVD's would be my favorites. For cardio, I'd recommend Cardio Blast or her Kickboxing DVD's, for weights, I really like all of them, but 30 Minutes to Fitness Weights or Muscle Endurance are my favorites. For circuit work, her Circuit Burn is aweesome! I have her whole set, and really enjoy them!

Laurie--I hope that ankle is continuing to get better! Sounds like you really caught up on STS during your vacation time, and thoroughly enjoyed some family time too! Thanks for the feedback on Jillian's ab workout, sounds like a good one! I'm still not experiencing any soreness (with exception of all the pushups on Disc 1) with this round of STS, so I hope I'm doing everything right. I am rounding up on my weights (last time I'd just add a weighted glove, wrist weight, ankle weight, etc to get to the exact number on my sheet), so I'm actually going up each time. I wonder if the way the Undulating is set up is not as challenging for me as the straight through STS rotation? My body seems to be challenged more from endurance based workouts. I"m excited to see what results I get this time though! I actually like Amy Bento's workout, I will just have something to work towards. I like having that option!

Well ladies, off to get ready for work (in the office this time!). Talk to you all tomorrow!

lvnascar

Morning Ladies,

Today was Disc 35 Plyo Legs, what a fun time! :drinker: Thinking of getting in a cardio workout after work, so the plan so far is Jillian's Banish Fat, Boost Metabolism. That is the plan so far. :bigsmile:

Laurel, WTG getting through CCC even though you started out tired. I was wondering if LBB could be subbed for one of my Plyo Leg workouts, is it similar? I would really love to try that one out. Some of the moves in Jillian's 6W6P are moves that Shaun does in his ab workouts and the Insanity workouts also. All the cardio moves that she does involve the abs, like plank jacks, burpees, mountain climbers. She even does some lower back work, like supermans and butt/leg lifts. I would put it on a little lower level than Cardio Abs from Shaun, but different in that the cardio exercises are not all at the beginning. Hope I explained that ok.

Tami, I received that BH DVD for Christmas. Another thing to look forward to in the future. Jillian is coming out with a new Shred 2 workout in March. It says that it will be tougher than her Shred workout. May have to create a Jillian rotation for after this STS Undulating is finished. :laugh: I didn't buy her kettlebell workout, because I had heard to many bad things about it. Abs are still sore this morning, so it really was a good workout.

Erika, You will have to let us know how you enjoy the Zumba classes. Don't know that it will motivate me to try it, but will still like to hear about it. I sometimes wonder if our bodies go through different stages, because I had great results from doing endurance based workouts and then they seemed to stop working for me. So far doing STS / P90X / STS Undulating has been working, and maybe my body will need those endurance workouts after this rotation. Jillian might just fit the bill when that time comes around. :laugh: The ankle did really well this morning for my plyo work, so hopefully the pain was short lived.

Michelle, Hope all is well with you, let us know how your FIL does with his operation.

Have a great day!
Laurie

StiringWendel

Hi ladies!

I wasn't tired at all this morning and had lots of time, so I did some silly workouts! I started my day with my favorite Turbo Fire workout....45EZ. I just love starting my day with that one. I'm probably doing it too often (about once a week right now), but I figure I'll get tired of it eventually. Then after a break for breakfast, I did Drill Max. Boy, I LOVE that workout. It just flies by. But, as I was saying yesterday, I just don't feel like I've lifted weights when I've done those circuit workouts, and today....I felt like lifting weights. So with 30 minutes left to workout, I decided to do the upper body portion of Muscle Endurance. Yikes. I never could really enjoy that workout because of Cathe's rep patterns and speed, but it sure does work those endurance fibers. It did this morning as well. Don't know that I'll do that combination again because it felt a little like overkill, but I enjoyed it while I was doing it. AND I feel like I got a better upper body workout.

Tami, glad to hear you are feeling the exact same way as me. I keep trying to convince myself to stick with this rotation for two more weeks before going into Gym Styles/Pure Strength, but I'm struggling with that decision. I guess I'll know when I start in on Monday next week what I've decided because I really do miss the heavier weights. But I also think I need to stick with this rotation because I really short-changed my endurance workouts over the past two years of doing P90X and STS. Ack! As you can see, I'm in a constant argument with myself over this. I still can't find that Bob Harper workout anywhere. I looked all over this past weekend. I guess it's time to put in a mail order!

Erika, wow, your day yesterday sounds long but good!! I bet that standing ovation made you feel proud. It should! I have trouble with my forearms in STS as well. The funny thing is I didn't the first time I did the program and couldn't figure out why so many people were complaining about their forearms. Then I got stronger.....and.....yikes. They really can get to me, especially in the Squat Rack Legs workouts and such. Sometimes I will opt to put my weights on my shoulders (I use dumbellls) to take the stress off my forearms. I don't like doing that too often, but it does work when I really need a break. Because you indicate your legs bulk, chances are you have more fast twitch fibers than slow twitch. That probably means you are better able to do heavy llfting for short periods of time than endurance based workouts. This could be one of the reasons you aren't feeling STS as much this time.....because you really worked those slow twitch fibers with your KCM (and others) rotation. If I recall, you were really sore during STS Mesos 1 and 2 last time, but not as bad during Meso 3. It could be that you aren't feeling the same soreness because your fast twitch fiber muscles are just more conditioned to this, especially since neither Meso 1 or Meso 2 are outrageous endurance workouts (unlike something like Muscle Endurance). Just a thought. Good luck on the Zumba. Let us know what you think!

Laurie, I think you can definitely substitute LBB for one of the STS Plyo workouts if you want. It is very different, but with the cardio blasts she puts in there, it does feel more like a plyo workout than some of her other lower body workouts. I don't think it would do you any harm whatsoever to substitute it in one week and see how it feels. I definitely think our bodies go through stages. A few years ago, I was getting my best results from lifting heavy (Slow and Heavy was my go-to set of workouts for almost a year about six years ago). Then a couple of years ago, I got better results from endurance (Cathe's 2006 series with Drill Max and Body Max 2 and B&G did wonders). Now, I seem to respond best to variety. That's one of the reasons I'm trying to really stick with endurance for a little while because I AM getting good results. Despite my pathetic diet, I can actually see some ab muscles, which is very rare for me (and, to be honest, I credit Turbo Fire for much of that). I just wish my mind loved endurance and circuit workouts as much as my body. Thanks for the breakdown of Jillians abs workouts. It sounds perfect for me, and I definitely think that will go on my order with Bob Harper's workout. This will be my first Jillian workout!

Michelle, I really hope things are going well. My thoughts are with your husband and FIL today.

See you tomorrow!!

Laurel

bajangrl29

Well the entire household is down and out and the dreaded callf rom daycare to pickup was today. FIL surgery time was off but he just went into the operating room 35mins ago so we will keep everything crossed. I had to leave work early and daycare does not allow children to return until 24hrs so my neighbor will watch Pheeny for me tomorrow. Last night I did 30min P57 Thigh and seat:noway: that is all I can say for now:laugh:

Laurel- You are always a bucket full of energy

Erika- Yes today I actually worked with my dept that I'm assigned to for 8 weeks but HR paperwork is still not done, attempting to get a locker is a process and my 4 year old is saying she would prefer to be at home than at daycare I truly hope that things improve in the coming weeks

Laurie- I'm glad that Jillian's Ab dvd was enjoyable..still need to try it on exercisetV Shred 2 would be great..thanks for that heads up.

Tami- Great info for Bob's Cardio..still need to pick up that one as it was out of stock at my local stores during the holidays. Now I need to compile a list of 30min or less weights, cardio or interval dvds.

Off to take care of the little one.

Michelle

2BLean

Hello Ladies ~ :bigsmile:

This a.m. was one of those the alarm goes off, I am laying there thinking about my workout ahead (which was Legs) and then I look and it was 6 a.m. WHAT happened?!?!? :grumble: :noway: :grumble: So I have that internal voice going on in my head ALL day until I can get my workout in tonight. These darn jobs/life just get in the way sometimes don’t they?!

Erika: Congrats on the standing O! :bigsmile: That’s amazing and I am sure made your whole day. Zumba is a class I have yet to attempt but a friend of mine LOVES it. Let us know how you like it, I bet it will be right up your alley, you have mentioned you love to dance & move. I’m with Laurie on love to hear about it but not sure that I will ever try it. As mentioned, I’m not real good with choreography at times. :blushing: Glad you found some comfy gloves even if they aren’t pink. Is your hubby going to share the bag with you as well? That’s interesting about your calories and fantastic that you know that. I bet your GoWearFit helped in discovering exactly what you burn in a day. This is still a constant battle for me to figure out. :huh: I wear my HR monitor when I work out to gauge my calories burned there but other than that I just sort of go by what MFP says and try to eat as clean as possible. I always battle with increasing my calories or decreasing.

Laurie: Great job on your Plyo workout. :drinker: Your ankle must have felt much better today? I think LBB would be a good substitute on Plyo days as well due to the cardio bursts that she has inserted. On days that you just don’t feel like doing one of the STS workouts. That JM DVD does sound like it is excellent …. I like more “active” styles of working abs like mountain climbers, burpees, etc. vs. just floor work. I have a tendency to let my mind wander when I just get on the floor and do abwork.

Laurel: I think you will like Jillian. Fabulous workouts today, that’s fun that you are enjoying that Turbo Fire EZ so much; again too bad they don’t sell those as singles for everyone to try. DrillMax is on my schedule for next week ~ always look forward to that one. It’s really great that you know which style of workouts your body responds too best. I am still wondering which works best for me. Giving these endurance/circuit style workouts a good “go” for me during this new rotation is part of why I want to stick with them at least a couple more weeks so that I can see if I notice results. I think variety is good because your body is constantly guessing vs. getting into a routine. The journey is fun in figuring it out & at times frustrating too.

Hi Michelle – Hope you are doing great and the week is progressing nicely for you! :flowerforyou:

Talk to you all tomorrow ……

Tami

fitzfour

I just had to pop in to say that KCM has 2 new DVD's available for pre-order...I'm stoked!!! Here's a description from Kelly:

Split has evolved VERY nicely to be standard, yet unique enough to inspire people to keep coming back to it. Workout #1 (Upper) is a non stop flow of working through sets of opposing muscle groups. I use 15's, 12's and 10lb dbs. Be ready, don't put those weights down.....
Workout #2(Lower) is upbeat, tough and DOM provoking! So NOT boring!
I use a band(optional, but awesome if you have one) and 15 lb dbs.

Also, I am hoping to included a 15-20 minute bonus: Lower Body Target Toning on the floor with a band(again, optional, but awesome if you have one) and a 10-15 minute Flip Up/Push Up bonus as well.



The other workout I will most likely call; 30 Minutes to Fitness "Train like a Contender" (TLC).

Workout #1 is conditioning. No equipment needed(advanced can use 1lb weighted gloves). It is tough, rewarding and time flies by! The moves are basic, in-your-face and upbeat. Repetition and speed-maintencance are the name of the game. This is a great 30-minute conditioning workout that you can do anywhere or anytime and feel like a million bucks when you are done!!!!!!!

Workouit #2 is my Boxing workout. I teach each combo in an upbeat fashion, so the teaching is part of the workout, and once its been presented we work it hard! Love, love,love this. If you like the boxing in Circuit Burn, then you will like this. It is a little more intricate in the punching aspect, but not like in my Kickboxing DVD. Just enough punching so you don't get bored out of your mind in 10 minutes! Great workout...If you do the Conditioning before it...you might not want to wear gloves at all.
Let me just add that this workout will do great things for your body without lifting any weights or pounding your body in the ground...you'll feel strong and truely invigorated when you are done! I'm saddened to hear of so many people getting injured due to working out...STOP and re-evaluate...it shouldn't hurt you...it should energize you!

2BLean

These sound fantastic Erika! :bigsmile: :drinker:
Hope you are having a great day! Tami

fitzfour

Good Morning Ladies!! :bigsmile: I can't believe it's Thursday already!!?? I'm on the road today and tomorrow, which means the weekend wlll be here before I know it! :drinker:

This morning was KCM Kickboxing. So much fun!!! Love her!!! :happy: I actually emailed Kelly yesterday asking her what I should do about my dilemma with my leg muscles bulking up, and she said for someone like me, the best thing to do is a variety of workouts (for the legs) for 2 weeks, and then repeat. So, incorporate weights only (not too heavy), circuit work and body weight training into each week, and add in running, walking or kickboxing for cardio. She said if I put together a schedule and repeat it every 2 weeks, it should do the trick. She also said, if you're looking for noticeable change, you must continue that workout for around 4 months. I think that will be my next rotation after STS!

Tami--Those mornings are not fun! :grumble: I run into those sometimes, and can't figure out where the morning went, and then i'm grumpy all day! I hope you got your workout in last night! My hubby is going to share the bag with me, so he's got gloves too. I'm really excited, as I think it will be really fun! I'm pumped about Zumba...I can't do complex choreography, but I am pretty good at adding my own moves if I can't figure it out, and I've heard a lot of people say that you can get away with that at Zumba. I'll make sure to let you all know what I think after class next week! The calories are so difficult to figure out without something to measure them! I know before the GoWearFit, I was eating around 1500 calories a day, and lost a bunch of weight, but based on how much I burn, I don't think that was safe for my body. The weight I'm at now, is what I've been at all of my adult life, and I believe is the weight my body likes. I have no trouble maintaining it, so I just work on toning it! :happy:

Michelle--I'm sorry that the first week on the new job isn't going as smoothly as planned! It seems things always come up in that first few days, that make you question if you're doing the right thing. Hang in there and wait it out a few weeks, and then see how it's going! I know my boys complained about daycare (round 2, going back) for several weeks, and I almost quit my job over it, but then we sat down and had a talk. I explained what it means if Mommy gets to work (sanity, extra spending money, "playing" with friends like they get to, etc) and after that, they were fine. Just yesterday, they were asking if I can send them to daycare full time (right now they go after school 5 days per week and before school 2 days per week), and begging me. Of course I wouldn't mind, but that school aged care is expensive!!! I knew you'd like the Thigh and Seat workout! :bigsmile:

Laurel--Great lineup of workouts yesterday! They all sound really fun together! Man, my forearms are really sore today. I was trying to pick something up this morning, and I couldn't quite do it. So weird, as I don't remember having this problem last time (maybe a bit with Squat Rack, but that's it!). I like your discussion about slow and fast twitch fibers...makes sense to me, for sure! I wish there was a device like GoWearFit that could measure your body while you workout, and tell you what workouts are best for your body. Wouldn't that be nice!?! I'll work on inventing that one! :laugh:

Laurie--Great job on Plyo. That one just kicks my butt! :laugh: No stopping gets me every time! I'm sure our bodies do go through changes, as they get used to a certain type of workout, and then it's not as effective anymore. The key, is just to keep switching it up every few months. I think I can handle that!!!

Well, off to get ready for work!! Have a good one!

lvnascar

Morning Ladies,

Well my morning didn't start off all that great. :grumble: I had my mind ready to do Cardio Kicks, and my VHS player decided to jam the tape and not give it back. :noway: This of course is my only copy, so I guess I need to bite the bullet and invest in the DVD version. :laugh: I then had to stand in front of my collection and try to decided what I wanted to do. I opted for Janis Saffell's Kick It, and must say it wasn't as fun. :frown: I then came back upstairs to find that no one was getting ready for school, DH didn't wake up. So 30 min. later my youngest is out the door and on the bus. :laugh: I was also late for work, because people don't know how to drive when we have less than an inch of snow come down overnight! Ok enough complaining from me.

Laurel, I to think that you will like Jillian, she is very good about getting at the core area in all her workouts. One of the things that has helped me improve has been sticking to a rotation. Sometimes you don't think that it is working for you, but then after the rotation you start seening things like thigh muscles when you do a kick. Something that you have not seen before. :laugh: That was an unknow bonus from the P90X rotation. I'm thinking the yoga and Insanity workouts helped with that. BB realeased a youtube on Asylum, and I will try to find the link. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9TXBQjAAt0

Michelle, Yes the dreaded pick up call! I know what you are talking about, it seems they keep that thermometer at the ready. :laugh: Include those Exercise TV workouts in your list of 30 min. or less workouts. They have a lot of them on there. Hope your house get better quick! Are you suppose to get a really bad cold snap this weekend? I think I had heard something about temps in the teens! :huh:

Tami, I'm guessing that you probably needed the extra rest, but I know what you mean about thinking about the workout for the rest of the day. That new Jillian workout is called Ripped in 30 and it has 4 workouts on it. It is like the Shed in that it incorporates her 3-2-1 method. I'm very excited about that one, I still like the first one alot.

Erika, Thanks for the information on KCM's new workouts. They both sound like something that I would like. Also thanks for the information from Kelley, that is really great that she took the time to help you. That is what I love about these fitness professionals like Kelley, Cindy Whitmarsh, Jessica Smith and Cathe. If you have a question they will help you. I should have opted for the 30MTF Kickboxing from KCM, I know I would have had fun with that one.

Have a wonderful day!
Laurie

StiringWendel

Hello Ladies!

I was really tired last night after my workouts yesterday but woke up feeling surprisingly well. I did Intensity this morning (the Maximum Intensity premix) and then did Yoga X. Both workouts were alot of fun today, and the yoga was a much needed break from all of the other impact/weight bearing workouts I've been doing.

Michelle, I'm so sorry things aren't getting off to a smooth start. Hopefully your supervisor is understanding of your situation right now (husband away/FIL surgery/sick child). It sounds like you've got a good support system around you with your neighbor. Great job on getting back to the workouts! You amaze me with all that you've got going on.

Erika, thank you so much for the info on the new KCM workouts. I also found her recommendations to you fascinating, especially the part that you need to stick with something for four months. I'm going to have to keep that in mind when developing future rotations. And get working on that device that will measure how effective a workout is for your body!! I want one!

Tami, sorry to hear about the workout yesterday morning. That always makes me cranky for the day. Based on what both Erika wrote above from KCM and Laurie's impressions of sticking with a program, I'm toying with carrying this endurance rotation out at least another month. While I'm itching to do my Gym Style and Pure Strength workouts because I haven't done them in forever, since I'm planning on doing P90X again, I think that staying away from splits for awhile may be the best thing right now. I'm going to sit down this weekend and see if I can't come up with a good rotation that doesn't have me dreading workouts for the next 4-6 weeks and if I can, I think I'm going to do that.

Laurie, thank you for the link to Asylum. I think it looks really good. Shaun T. sure looks to be in great shape!!! And he's always been in great shape so that's saying something. Sorry to hear about your workout this morning. How frustrating! Yes, it's time to get Cardio Kicks on DVD. Definitely one of my favorites. Thanks for more info on Jilllian. I'm going to order her abs workout, Bob's cardio workout and probably the Rapid Fire workout that Erika recommended way back later today. I look at this library of workouts I've got and think 'Do I really need more?', but it appears the answer is 'yes'.

Enjoy the rest of your day!

Laurel

2BLean

Hi Ladies ~

Happy to report I got my Leg workout in last night after work!! Body Blast Series: Legs/Glutes Extreme; really like this one as well for a leg workout (this is the one I was mentioning the other day that I like). This a.m. was Circuit Blast which also felt good.

Erika: Fun workout this a.m. ~ I love it when the workout feels fun because it just flies by. Where does KCM post her rotations? I agree w/ Laurie about how great it is that Kelley responded to your e-mail and gave some really helpful advice. :happy: Maybe I will write to her as well. I am still intrigued by the GoWearFit . . . I am pretty sure I “under-eat” a lot but at the same time I don’t lose LB’s – inches but not LB’s. :huh:

Laurie: I feel your frustration. :grumble: I think the DVD version of Cardio Kicks should be on “your list”. I purchased mine as a USED item and it is great. Just like new and it was less $$. Glad you got your workout in regardless even if it wasn’t as fun. I will definitely want to preview that new workout of Jillian’s. It sounds good just by the title! Hopefully your day is going better than you’re a.m. today.

Laurel: I’m laughing to myself on the DVD library :laugh: and do I really need more. :blushing: Feeling the same way lately as I keep adding to the collection. I have the Rapid Fire one in my wish list, already have BH Cardio and tempted now with JM and the new KCM. Yikes! They never stop. PLUS I still want to try out my eBay Insanity workouts I got during Undulating. But truly my answer is “yes” as well. As I have said before, if this is my “vice” there could be much worse things. :ohwell: That sounds like a great plan for figuring out the next 4 weeks. Thanks for sharing about that. I know, after reading KCM response to Erika as well I thought to myself, stick to this “new” set of workouts for a while. I won’t truly know how it is working unless I give it some time. Change is a good thing, especially in workouts.

Michelle: I must have posted nearly at the same time as you yesterday. Clearly my msg to you wasn’t in line with how things are going. :ohwell: I’m sorry it’s been a challenging week for you . . . You are a wonder woman for all that you do and keep up with your workouts. Great job! :flowerforyou:

Hope you all have a great day ~ keep up the great workouts!

Tami

bajangrl29

Evening Ladies,

This week has been crazy to say the least. FIL's surgery went well, Pheeny is feeling better, the neighbor charged 45 dollars and hubby is upset as she wants us to watch her 5 pets while she is in Thailand for 30 days..arghhhhhhh This morning my commute was 3omins and a smooth ride so that was great plus leaving at 3pm FIL surgery went well and he was discharged today.

As far as exercise I have been working on the floor and logging at least 7700 steps so hopefully that will help these legs as my eating is in the garbage with skipped breakfasts, sandwiches from the deli and a haphazard dinner.

Erika & Laurie- Ideas for lunch and snacks at work please. Erika I went to Kelly's sight and her new dvds sounds great...exactly what I need because I totally feel lost right now with this new life of mine:blushing:

Laurel- I wish I had your energy:bigsmile: Yes i will be rotating through several sections but my current section is great and the lead co-worker has a 4 year old which always helps:laugh: My supervisor is the asst. director until a new director is hired so I'm truly flexible as long as I make my 40hrs per week.

Tami- Hopefully things will improve especially when hubby returns this weekend. I just truly feel loss and out of sync with cooking, workouts, scheduling, etc...hope to get things in order this weekend.

Tonique has a new release CardioMat set in a field where birds can be heard and any minute I expect to see a deer run out...:laugh:

Michelle