Cathe Fans Part 5

ThelmaSW

Hi Ladies! I had another strong day today! Wow! My workouts today were STS Meso2 Disc 14-Legs, Stretch, Barre, and Jessica Smith Power Walking.
I used heavier weights for this Disc 14 Legs workout too and I followed it with a killer Barre workout. The instructor decided to do all kinds of crazy squats. My glutes were screaming for mercy. Normally, I need a break from working out for a couple of hours but today I felt like doing my cardio early in the afternoon. I wish I could bottle this energy and strength.
My back is doing much better and I continue to stretch a lot.

Our weather has been crazy since last week when we went from temps in the mid 60's and sunny, to heavy rains, snow, a beautiful sunny day on Sunday, heavy rains from Sunday night through God knows when! Rivers are pretty full. I'm sure there must be floods around here already.

I got a haircut today. What a relief! I've been seriously considering getting a pixie haircut. I don't know if I'm brave enough to go through with it though.

On Thursday is my first day on the injectable medicine. Please wish me luck. A nurse will be here to help me with that first injection. Today I went through a dry run with the Humira nurse over the phone.

Laurie, I'm glad you had a nice weekend. People here would've loved for our snow to stick around. It's all gone now. I am used to driving in the snow but I would not do it around here. People just can't drive in the stuff. I heard there are cars in ditches still!
I'm sure drivers were crazy today because they were probably running late for work. I can't believe you guys make snowmobiles out of snow! So cool! A lot of people here have chickens but I never expected to see snowchickens! LOL

Laurel, I'm glad you had beautiful weather there but sorry you didn't get to play golf! Great job with those workouts! I am so happy to hear your arm continues to improve!

The landscape looked absolutely beautiful with the snow. I loved to see people having fun in the snow. Even some of my yoga pals who are in their 60's went sledding! LOL. It is definitely not a good idea to drive in the snow in the South! DH wanted to drive his truck in the snow. He hadn't had a chance to drive it in the snow. So glad I went with him on that ride because I kept him from going too fast. I reminded him that the roads aren't treated here. At some point in time, the truck was fishtailing! I can't remember fishtailing in the snow in MA with an all-wheel-drive vehicle. The truck handled the snow and our little hill nicely.

I would repeat this rotation many times if I could! I just can't believe how much I'm enjoying the STS workouts. I never thought I would be saying this! STS was always such a drag for me. I hope you feel better soon so you can do some Meso 2 also!

Erika, glad you had a good weekend. Good idea to do KCM workouts now that you're following The Metabolism plan.
I am not used to things shutting down because of a few inches of snow but here you just need a few snowflakes and a lot of places shut down.

I am glad to hear that your energy level is high. I just don't know if I could give up the workouts I do today though.

Goodnight ladies!
Thelma

lvnascar

Morning Ladies,

This morning was Strong Body Stacked Sets Upper and Six Pack Abs #2.

Laurel, Oh my on the first signs of spring coming to your area. Love all the workouts, and so happy to hear that your arm continues to improve. You will have a lot of time to get that golfing in this year, and you arm will appreciate you giving it the time to heal. Yes you would think that people would be used to this weather. Of course it all depends on how well your tires are on your vehicle also. People don't realize how awful their tires are until they attempt driving in this stuff. I'm just glad that I didn't see anyone wipe out in front of me.

Erika, I'm probably going into KCM after this rotation. I to enjoy working out with Kelly. I have the RAW app, and very much enjoy the ones she puts out on there also. It sounds like she is going to be filming some new DVD's this spring. She hasn't indicated what those will be yet. Yes it sure does sound like we had the same weather system. We didn't have the fog though, just some really nice sunshine and cold. I to don't enjoy the cold. So when does the hockey season end and the Lacrosse start up?

Thelma, Nice workouts, and I'm really glad to hear that you are having such a strong week! Interesting weather pattern you are experiencing right now. Glad you where able to get your haircut. Since I had my hair cut short for dd's schooling, I have very much enjoyed having short hair. I don't blame you for not wanting to deal with driving around with people who don't have experience. I only saw one person in the ditch when I was out on Sunday, and I think that he was just driving to fast for the conditions.

Have a great day!
Laurie

StiringWendel

Hi Ladies! Today’s workout was a 45 minute Tabata spin and 30 minutes of ‘reset’ yoga. I my Tuesday workouts. I never dread the combo of spin and yoga, that’s for certain.

Erika, glad to hear you continue to feel good with this plan. I am always amazed how much energy I have when I cut down on the workouts. But, the flip side of that is I also don’t sleep. So I am still working on finding a good middle ground for my body and my mind. They don’t often seem to be in sync though. I completely understand what you are saying about Cathe Live. The last few months have been very frustrating, to be honest. But they just moved their workouts to a new server, and so I am going to try to be patient and hope this improves the reliability. But if by the time my one year subscription expires (early September) there isn’t more consistency, I may give it up. I hate doing that because I truly love the variety it adds to my program but I also need it to be there when I want to use it. I hate to say this, but in all of the times I have used Peloton’s app (about 130 workouts or so), I have not had a single problem. I think Cathe Live should be the same.

Thelma, I hear you on the weather! Boy did it rain yesterday. There is so much flooding today, they delayed all the schools for two hours. But the sun is peaking through a bit now, but I think we are going to get hit again tomorrow. Honestly, this pattern was kind of like it was all of last winter but without the extreme temperature changes (and, as a result, the more violent storms we are seeing this winter). But it made for a beautiful spring last winter, so here is hoping for the same this year. Great workouts! Glad to hear you are enjoying STS so much!! As you know, it is my favorite. I will be thinking about you Thursday and hope this medicine works well for you and that the shots are tolerable.

Laurie, another great workout! I am eyeing up those LITE upper body workouts to use to build my endurance back up....but they are so NOT easy! But I think if I use the right weight, they would be a good ‘test’ for my arm. And I will enjoy them. Yes, I agree that tires are a big issue in the snow. I also think attention (or the lack of it) is a problem. I am going to sound like an old, crotchety lady, but I find it kind of amazing how little attention people pay when driving anymore. How did cars become the equivalent of living rooms in the minds of some people? Like I said, I sound like an old lady.....but at least I don’t think it is just young people who have a problem with this!

Until tomorrow.

Laurel

ThelmaSW

Hi Ladies, I think I ran out of gas today. I was tired so my workout today was STS Meso2 Disc 15 Back & Biceps. I did use heavier weights in most of the exercises.
We had more rain today but it was a lot less than previous days. Some rain is expected for tomorrow and also slightly cooler temps.

Laurie. great job with that upper body workout!
Our weather pattern has been crazy. I think that I will eventually cut my hair short. Now that I've seen what happens here when it snows, I am not going to venture out.

Laurel, great workout! I am sure there are a lot of flooded areas around here but I've not heard anything today. It rained like crazy a year ago when I moved here too. In September of 2018 when we came here to look at houses I bought a pair of rain boots. Best purchase EVER! I saw the sun for about 2 minutes late this afternoon! LOL
I'm still enjoying the STS workouts. I do hate those pull-ups though. I don't enjoy them at all.
Thanks so much for keeping me in your thoughts on Thursday and for your wishes that the med works well for me. I hope the needle doesn't hurt too bad. I understand that the needle gauge is 29 which is pretty fine. This gives me hope that it won't hurt too bad.

Goodnight ladies!
Thelma

lvnascar

Morning Ladies,

This morning was LITE Strong Body Stacked Sets Lower.

Laurel, Great job on your yoga and spin. Glad that you are still enjoying that combination. I just love the strength workouts in LITE, the whole set is awesome as far as I'm concerned. Well I'm an old lady too. I look over at drivers and see them on their phones and jamming out. People have said that they pass me on the freeway and I never look over at them. I'm driving at a fairly high rate of speed, I'm not going to glance over at the car passing me. When is your current rotation finished?

Thelma, Great job on the workout despite running out of energy. Nice that you where able to up the weight also. Hope that you don't have to much rain, don't need to add flooding to the mix.

Have a great day!
Laurie

StiringWendel

Hi Ladies! Well, I decided to try some weight work with my upper body today.....but very light work. I did Cathe’s Total Body Sculpting workout from her beginner/intermediate Low Impact Step DVD. I did the Solid Sculpting premix, which is really just the workout doubled, making it 45 minutes long. This was a perfect workout to test out the arm because the reps are very slow. Cathe used 3# throughout, but I used 5# on everything but shoulders and it felt good! I will see how it feels later today, but I am hoping to be able to do something similar of Friday and then slowly ease into heavier workouts. For cardio, I did Cathe Live Hearts on Fire.

Thelma, great workout! Sorry to hear you ran out of gas, but these Meso 2 workouts can take a lot out of you. I am sure you are also pretty anxious about tomorrow, which always saps the energy. More gloom and rain here today with the possibility of some severe weather this evening as that cold front comes through. I could really use some sunshine, that’s for sure.

Laurie, another great workout! And you are NOT an old lady! I am kind of in a holding pattern on the rotation right now. We were supposed to have finished part 2 of it last Friday, this was supposed to be a break week (focusing on PHA) and then we were going to move on to the final 12 week section focusing on strength. But, since my arm injury, it is all a bit of a muddle. Thelma is repeating the last four weeks of the previous section of the rotation now, and I am continuing to do the same pattern of workouts in the rotation, just without the upper body work. So this will probably go on for another three to four weeks, and then we will move on (fingers crossed). If that all goes well, the delay will push me into the summer with this rotation...at least into early June. Anyhow, you sound like me driving! I rarely look around me. DH got so frustrated with me on our last drive up to Alaska, because he was driving ahead of me and would Walkie Talkie me all the time saying things like ‘Did you see that bear?’...and I never did! I just keep my eyes of the road when I am driving.

See you tomorrow.

Laurel

2BLean

Hi Ladies ~

I wanted to check in with you all {finally} geez, I am so sorry.

Today is day #1 of filling in full time for the Customer Service gal for the next week. She was actually sick on Monday so I had a "crash course" day of how it would be. I am also helping out the girl I trained because she seems to keep falling behind. Plus recordings and my other duties. They also hired a title officer from another office and so she of course has questions as the brand new person in our dept. She is supposedly on board so it will free up others for training me ..... we will see. Definitely learning things through the customer service role ~ so that is good.

All is well, just busy forsure. Workouts have been good.
Saturday I did LITE Pyramid Lower Body and finally wasn't sore in my calves yesterday. LOL
Sunday was Peloton ride, went out to breakfast with DH and then worked a few hours.
Monday: Peloton ride
Tuesday: No workout
Today: Ramped Up Upper Body + Peloton ride tonight.

*** Please keep me posted on the rotation ... I have been trying to make sure I am getting in strength workouts, which I will be focused on the remainder of the week, but kind of just picking some good ones as I go, PHA's are on the list too.

Just wanted to let you know I am doing well and hope to check in longer with you all tomorrow!
Tami

ThelmaSW

Hi Ladies, my workouts today were Beginner Gentle and Sculpted-Movement Fusion.
We had a very cloudy day and rain showers in the afternoon. Temps were in the 60's today! More rain tonight and tomorrow!

Laurie, awesome workout!!
I am really about having been able to increase my weights. I really hope we don't have floods around here.

Laurel, I'm so happy you were able to do a lite upper body workout and that it felt good! Yaay! I hope you didn't feel any discomfort as the day went on. Great job!

I also think anxiety had a lot to do with me running out of gas. I've been having panic attacks and feel like crying when I think about it.
We're pretty much having the same weather but I've not heard anything about severe weather. The sun came out for a couple of minutes at the end of the day today too. It will be cold on Friday.



Tami, so glad to hear that you're doing well. Great job getting your workouts in spite of being so busy with work.

Goodnight ladies!
Thelma

lvnascar

Morning Ladies,

This morning was 30MTF TLC workout 1 and abs from her Kickboxing workout. The rotation had Cardio Party on tap, but I wanted to do something different. Had a little slip and fall this morning while walking the dog. We had snow overnight, and there was ice underneath. Well I'm okay, but I did fall on my bad knee. We will see how it feels tomorrow. Right now it is sore.

Laurel, I have done that workout before, and you are right it is a solid one. Glad that it went well for you. I sure hope that your arm issue goes away quickly so that you can progress onto your strength portion of the rotation. Looks like you will have some interesting workouts to try for testing. I'm sure that Jessica has a few workouts that would work for you too. LOL about the driving, that really does sound like me. The one thing I do look for is deer when I'm driving up north. Those things seem to pop up out of nowhere.

Tami, Glad to hear from you. Sounds like you are really busy at work right now. I'm sure that it feels like you are being pulled in all kinds of directions. Great job on your workouts!

Thelma, LOL with your meme, that gives me an idea that you are having a lot of rain. Nice workout! I always love the sound of a fusion workout.

Have a great day!
Laurie

StiringWendel

Hi Ladies! Today’s workout started with Cathe’s Lower Body Blast workout, and I did the premix that included the barre section. So since I had my Fit Tower out, I followed it with the Bonus Abs from Cathe’s Fit Tower program. And then I did Shock Cardio Double Wave Load Pyramid HiiT for cardio, which was perfect today. I am happy to report my arm seems to have handled yesterday’s workout with no problem, so tomorrow, if all goes well, I think I will try the ICE Chiseled Upper Body workout.

Tami, thank you for checking in! Sounds absolutely crazy at work right now. Great job getting your workouts in despite all the madness at work. I will definitely keep you posted in the rotation. Like I said to Laurie yesterday, Thelma is doing that STS Meso 2 part of the rotation again. Right now, I am kind of targeting the week of March 22 for getting back into it with the third section of the rotation. I could probably start a week earlier if all goes well with my arm, but DH and I are (hopefully) going to be in Florida March 11-15, and I am thinking it would be best not to come back from even a short break and then push really heavy weight right now since I will still be working my way back up. So I want to take that week with something a little less intense. But I am happy to post what I have planned if you want to start earlier than that. Just let me know!

Thelma, nice workout! And I love the graphic you posted. Finally, tomorrow we are supposed to have sunshine. We got hit with some pretty heavy rain last night, but the wind wasn’t as severe as they predicted, thankfully. I am thinking about you today and hope all goes well so you feel comfortable with the new medication moving forward.

Laurie, I hope your knee is okay! Hopefully a little rest and maybe some ice will make it feel better. I definitely have been considering some of Jessica’s workouts for my recovery. I am going to see how tomorrow goes, and then try to come up with a plan for how I want to move forward. It is finding that line between babying it and pushing it too hard but, thankfully (or not!) I did this just a year ago with my calf and found the right balance so I haven’t had an issue with it since. But tendonitis is different from a muscle tear so.....we’ll see. Thankful for all recommendations!

See you tomorrow.

Laurel

ThelmaSW

Hi Ladies! I survived the injection! It didn't hurt at all! I can't even say that I felt a prick. The nurse was really nice, kind and supportive. I just wanted to get it over with and she made me watch a 'how-to' video first. The video scared me more but I was able to ask her to show me how much pressure I had to apply which was good. My hand was shaking but I did it.

My workouts today were Yin, Barre Level 1&2 and Cathe's Body Blast Series Legs & Glutes.
The Legs & Glutes workout is a killer. I really struggled with it. I think I was mentally and emotionally drained after the injection stress but I am glad I did it.

It rained like crazy last night. It started with a strong wind, then the rain followed. It was a heavy and steady rain. It rained the entire night and it stopped at about 8 this morning.

The temps dropped this afternoon and it got really windy. The kind of wind that goes right through your clothes!

Laurie, great workout! I'm sorry you fell and landed on your bad knee. I hope it is OK!

That meme is really funny but I think is how people feel around here these days. The fusion workout yesterday was all abs! It was good.

Laurel, what a killer combo you did today! Good job! I'm so happy to hear your arm handled the workout without any problem! Good luck tomorrow with the ICE Chiseled Upper Body workout!

I think we had sunshine for about an hour today. Thank you so much for keeping me in your thoughts. I really think the needle must be hair-thin. I didn't see it but I swear, I didn't even feel a prick. I pray now that it works.

Goodnight ladies have a great weekend and Happy Valentine's Day!
Thelma

lvnascar

Happy Valentines Day Ladies!

I didn't workout this morning, just wanted to take it easy on the knee. It is still a little sore. We had double digits below zero this morning, so Rocket didn't even want to go outside. I had to put his rubber booties on his feet before he would venture out. DH and I are going to the home improvement show tonight. He is so romantic.

Laurel, Got to love that Lower Body Blast workout. I'm impressed with the workouts that you did yesterday. Hope all goes well with the upper body work today. Very glad to hear that all went well with the previous workout. Well you know I really love the upper body work of Jessica's from her Walk Strong 3 series. That really does have some appeal right now for myself. I have been thinking of my next rotation for March. I'm thinking that it will be one week higher intensity instructors, and then a week of lower impact instructors. I have been so enjoying these LITE/ICE.

Thelma, I'm so glad to hear that your injection went so well. It will become second nature for you to do that in the future I'm sure. It probably helps that the needle isn't huge also. Great job on the workouts, and can understand that you didn't perform the L&G workout with gusto. Your body was going through a lot of emotions yesterday. Wow on the amount of rain you are getting. We had that this past summer.

Have a wonderful weekend,
Laurie

StiringWendel

Hi Ladies! Happy Valentine’s Day! Today’s workout was a super fun 45 minute 80’s spin ride from Peloton followed by ICE Chiseled Upper Body. My arm seemed to handle it pretty well, though I went lighter than Cathe on some moves. It amazes me how quickly I lose strength sometimes! I think next week I will try to keep things light with some Jessica Smith and maybe another Cathe beginner strength workout. And, then, if all goes well, I might try to do the ICE Muscle Meltdown routines the week after to add some weight and reps....and then, hopefully, move on to the LITE workouts. I am very encouraged right now, though.

Thelma, I am SO happy the shot went well!! That has to ease your mind quite a bit. Now here is hoping you don’t notice a change in how you feel with the medication. Great job with that super tough Legs and Glutes workout! We have sunshine today, and I feel like a completely new human being. It is pretty chilly (I think we got down to 20 this morning), but having some sunshine more than makes up for that.

Laurie, I am glad you took the morning off if your knee is still sore. Hopefully it will improve over the weekend. Love the sound of your plan for March. Those are some cold temperatures! I shouldn’t complain about 20 degrees. I don’t blame Rocket for not wanting to go out. Hope you have fun tonight at your Home Improvement Show. DH and I have dinner reservations at a little Italian restaurant near our house but since DH hasn’t made it home before 8:00pm all week, I think our odds of making that reservation are about 50%. But at least we tried!

Enjoy the weekend!

Laurel

fitzfour

Hi Ladies! Happy day after Valentines!

It's been one heck of a week! My manager and co-worker were in town from Boston and we had a full couple days of meetings and training. Thus, my inbox and voicemail went unattended for those 2 days. I get around 200 emails and a handful of voicemails on any given day, and it will typically take me a 10-12 hour day to get through those. So, not checking for 2 days and then trying to catch up yesterday was a little challenging on my stress level! But, I got through it! My youngest got his permit yesterday and we also managed to make it to my older son's hockey tourney and out to dinner with some friends. I'd say a good way to end a stressful week!

Workouts went on the back burner this week...I just didn't even have much time to get myself showered and dressed in the morning and then with dinners out, I got home just in time for bed. But, I'm going to start back up today and get back on track.

Not sure what to think of how my body is responding to this Metabolism Plan. I am in my best spot thyroid function/metabolism/weight when I don't workout, but mentally isn't not doing me any favors. However, on days I workout, I end up with a lot of inflamation in my body...no matter what I really do. I'm talking about 2-3 pounds of inflamation (which I know is not possible to gain in 24 hours normally). I think I'm going to stick with 30 minute less intense workouts for a bit to see if my body regulates out.

Thelma, I'm so happy to hear that your injection went well, I knew it would! Hopefully the medicine kicks in and you are feeling good again. It sounds like you were on a roll with the energy and then with the anticipation of the injection it fizzled...I am the exact same way. Any type of stress just deflates me. But, now that you've got the injection out of the way, the best is to come! Stay safe with all that rain and potential flooding! Are you near any rivers there?

Laurel, I'm glad to hear about the shoulder/arm feeling good after some light upper body work! That's so relieving to know you can start to ramp up the upper body weights and get your strength back. Good job on keeping the workouts going despite having to let the upper body rest! That can't be easy! I hope the new Cathe server is better so you can get back to your live workouts!

Laurie, we're in the deep freeze here too...it's crazy! -30 windchills the last 2 days and bitter cold. I'm glad to hear we're going to warm up now as there is a lot of ice that needs to melt. Sorry to hear about the fall on your knee...I hope some rest heals it back up. I'm going to take a look into the KCM Raw soon...I think that might be good for me!

Tami, I'm hoping the busy work environment is something you are enjoying...it sounds like a lot to handle! But, I've got no doubt you are rocking it! Good job getting workouts in with what I'm sure are long days for you!


Enjoy your weekend! I'm back to Somerset WI today and tomorrow for my oldest son's hockey tourney and then took Monday off to relax and enjoy the day with the boys!

Erika

ThelmaSW

Hi Ladies! I hope you had a great Valentine's weekend. We had a nice and rain-free weekend!
The Humira seems to be working ladies! I am so relieved! I am feeling good and don't have any pain. I still feel strong which is huge for my workouts.

My workouts on Friday were Restorative Healing yoga and S&S Ramped Up Upper Body. Sunday: STS Meso 2, Disc 16 Chest, Shoulders & Triceps, Stretch. I was able to push myself hard on this disc 16.

Laurie, I hope your knee is feeling better. I don't blame Rocket for not wanting to go out in those cold temps! Funny about your husband being so romantic! LOL

I hope injecting myself becomes second nature too. What helps is definitely the fact that the needle is so fine. Last week was really a very emotionally draining week. I am glad to report that I'm feeling much better.

Laurel, great workouts! I am so happy your arm handled the ICE Chiseled Upper Body workout so well! Good idea to take it easier next week. I am so glad you're feeling very encouraged.

The painless injection did a lot to ease my mind. Thank you so much for sending good wishes my way. So far so good. I am very relieved about not having felt anything symptoms during this transition period. It's been 4 days on the new med and I feel fine.
We had a very cold Friday. It was sunny here too. The weekend was warm which was great.

Erika, sorry you had such a busy work week but I'm glad your week finished so well. Congrats to your youngest for getting his permit! Yaay!

Very strange that you're ending up with 2-3 lbs of inflammation when you workout! I think I would have a hard time not working out too. I hope your plan to do 30-minute lite workouts works for you.

I totally drove myself nuts thinking of the injection last week. Any type of stress definitely deflates me. I am my worst enemy sometimes. Thanks so much for sending those great wishes my way.
Our house is not near rivers thankfully but there are a lot of rivers and creeks around here.

Have a wonderful week ladies!
Thelma

lvnascar

Morning Ladies,

My knee is feeling fine, and I'm super happy that nothing serious came from the fall. So on Saturday I made up for my missed workout and did ICE Boot Camp Circuit + Icy Core #2, Sunday I did Metabolic Total Body and this morning was LITE Body Weight & Bands. I was able to do some sorting in the basement, and finished up some work on a couple of banners. Very productive weekend overall.

Laurel, Awesome news on the second shot at an upper body workout. You have a really solid plan for moving forward with the workout selections. Great job with your Peloton ride also, love the 80's. It warmed up yesterday, and it really did feel good to not have to deal with that cold wind. The Home Improvement Show was pretty good, and DH will have to handle all the calls that will be coming in this week. We have to get a new roof put on our house, so I think that he talked to at least 8 roofers. I hope that you where able to make your reservations.

Erika, Dang on the amount of e-mails you receive. I get a lot of them, but never that many during the day. Great job on tackling that. Congrats to your youngest on his learners permit. It sure does make it a lot easier when they get to be independent, but then the worry starts. I swear teenagers have a portion of their brain missing when it comes to making sure you know where they are. Interesting about the weight gain on days you workout. I'm sure that doing 30 min. will be fine. I actually enjoy the shorter workouts. I love the fact that Kelly's app is only $6.99/mo. That isn't to bad, and the content is well worth it. I use that app on vacation, it works well in hotel gyms.

Thelma, So glad to hear that your new meds are working for you. Great job on your workouts also. I to am very thankful that the knee is okay. I guess it would almost have to be, since I tested it out on my step. Granted I only used a 6 inch step. I'm hoping those cold temps are behind us. We have had a fairly good winter for temps this year, but we still could have some below zero's.

Have a great day!
Laurie

StiringWendel

Hi Ladies! We had a nice, sunny weekend here which would have been better had my DH not had to work both days. But it gave me energy to tackle some long-neglected projects around the house as well as finish a book I was reading. And at least we made it to our dinner out on Friday which was very nice. Hopefully things will calm down for him after this week for at least a little while.

For workouts, on Saturday I did a walk with Jessica Smith and 30 minutes of yoga with Kristin McGee. Yesterday was Cathe Live Breathless Lower Body which was the workout I was lined up to do live week before last when their entire site crashed. It was a really good, tough lower body workout. I followed it with a 30 minute spin class from Peloton. And today, thanks to Laurie’s recommendation, I did Jessica’s Upper Body routine from Walk Strong 3. I took the weights up quite a bit today on some of the moves (and even did a few push ups on my toes), and, so far, so good. Such a wonderful routine! When I ended it, I wanted to do it again. Anyhow, I followed it with Step Boss Step Sync into the Calorie Crush from LITE Cardio Party (just for a little intensity).

Erika, sounds like a crazy, busy week. Congrats on your DS getting his permit. As Laurie said, when he gets his license that will free you up a bit but then you will always be wondering where they are! That is interesting about the inflammation from your workouts. But, like you, not working out does not work for me mentally at all. So I think your idea of 30 minutes is good. Hopefully that will provide a nice balance between your body and mind.

Thelma, great workouts! I am so happy that the new medication seems to be working and, so far, has been a seamless transition! That is such good news!

Laurie, glad to hear your knee is fine. And you did a tough one on Saturday to test it out. But what fun workouts you are doing right now. Thank you for the Jessica Walk Strong 3 Upper Body recommendation. It was absolutely perfect today. I am going to find it difficult not to be doing it again on Wednesday. Glad you enjoyed the Home Improvement show (as much as you can when looking for a roofer ). The great thing is that you were able to get names/cards in one place and, hopefully, can get a reasonable quote and good work from that. With projects like that, I never quite know where to start when it comes to finding the right people to do the work.

See you tomorrow.

Laurel

ThelmaSW

Hi Ladies! My workouts today were STS Disc #17 Legs and Barre. I pulled something on my lower back this morning when I was getting out of bed so it's been a rough day. I have been stretching and even took an Aleve but it's not getting better. I hope it's better tomorrow morning.
We had a really beautiful and sunny day. Temps were in the 50's but it felt warmer due to the sun.

Laurie, I'm so glad your knee is fine! Great job making up your missed workouts! You know your knee is OK if it handled well the step. I hope your cold temps are behind you too!

Laurel, I'm glad you had a nice weekend and that you were able to go out to dinner on Friday! Sorry your DH had to work both days though. Good job taking advantage of the 'me' time to tackle projects around the house and to read a book.

Awesome workouts Laurel! I'm glad you were able to do another upper body workout!
I can't even begin to tell you how happy and relieved I am about the med working and for the seamless transition!

Goodnight ladies!
Thelma

lvnascar

Morning Ladies,

This morning was PHA 2. Such a good workout, and I tacked on Abs #1. I finally have a vision for my next rotation. After this one ends next week, I'm pulling out some oldies from Jessica, Kathy Smith and Cindy Whitmarsh. So I'm going to do a week of these three instructors, a week of Kelly's Build & Burn, and then a week of Michelle Dozois. So an easy week, then an intermediate week followed by higher intensity with Michelle. I will probably do this rotation for 12 weeks.

Laurel, Glad to hear that you where able to go out on Friday, and got some projects finished this weekend. Nice mix of workouts, and I'm glad to hear that the Jessica workout was a good one to work into your rotation for upper body work. Yes that boot camp workout is a good one to test, and I did keep it low impact and of course my step wasn't high at all. I like that I was still able to get in a good workout. Have to say that I'm really going to enjoy a stretch on Thursday. At least that is when I have one scheduled. DH has already received calls from the roofers, so we should be getting some quotes soon. I hope the two that I know are good, will come in with a reasonable quote.

Thelma, Great job with the workouts! Sorry to hear that you have the lower back problem, I'm sure you will take good care of it. I probably shouldn't have tested my knee out on a step workout, but I so want to complete this rotation. We are headed back into the cold temps again tonight, but not into the below zero. Just wind chill that will hit below zero.

Tami, Hope all is going well with you.

Have a great day!
Laurie

StiringWendel

Hi Ladies! Today’s workout started with a 45 minute spin class from Peloton focused on climbs. Then I did Bob Harper’s 15 minute Yoga Abs from Yoga for the Warrior followed by a fantastic 30 minute yoga class with Kristin McGee/Peloton focused on the hips. Boy did that feel fantastic.

Thelma, great workouts despite a sore back. Hopefully a little more rest will take care of that. We are back to rain, rain and rain today. I shouldn’t complain since we did at least have a few days of sunshine.

Laurie, great workout! I love that one. Love the sound of your next rotation! Sounds like you’ll get quite a bit of variety in it. Those 12 weeks will probably fly by. Sorry to hear you are being hit with another wave of cold. It is hard to believe that spring officially starts in just over a month. Of course, that doesn’t mean it will be any warmer but.... .

See you tomorrow.

Laurel

ThelmaSW

Hi Ladies! My workout today's workout was STS Disc #18 Back and Biceps. My back is slightly better so I have to keep babying it. I've been using lighter weights this week because of my back. I'm not happy about the lighter weights, but better safe than sorry!

Today was yet another rainy day. More of the same tomorrow, plus lower temps.

Laurie, great workout. I'm glad you came up with a vision for your next rotation. It sounds really good too!

I'm sorry you're heading back into cold temps again! Yikes! Those are cold temps!

Laurel, wonderful workout!

My back seems better when I'm exercising. Standing for too long is not good right now. I was cleaning the kitchen today and making dinner and I ended up with a tight back.
OMG, tell me about the rain! It's been pouring since the afternoon non-stop!
How is the construction situation in your neighborhood going? What about your floors?

Good night ladies!
Thelma

lvnascar

Morning Ladies,

This morning was Rev'd Up Rumble. So love that workout.

Laurel, Great job on your workouts. Love that BH abs workout, will have to remember that one to add to my rotation for abs. I hope that the 12 weeks will be interesting. It will give such great variety, and I hope it helps me from getting bored with a rotation. I find that is what happens to me with some rotations. I'm going to try to keep all the workouts to 30-40 mins. also. I could probably do a year of workouts just doing some of the premixes. I can't believe that we may have spring soon. Winters are getting tougher and tougher to deal with.

Thelma, Great job with your workout, and taking the weight down to help your back. It is hard to deal with, but in the end your body will be happier. Hope it didn't rain to much. Thanks for the kudos on my rotation, I'm getting excited to try it out. I have all the DVD's that I will be using stacked up and ready to go. This is my attempt to weed out some of my workouts also. I'm pulling out a couple of Kathy Smith workouts that I have not done since the girls where little. Now that I know more about exercise, they will probably be some good workouts if I use heavier weights.

Have a great day!
Laurie

StiringWendel

Hi Ladies! Today’s workout was Cathe Live Strong Upper Body and Core Express followed by Cathe Live Kick, Box and Bags. My whole workout gets three hearts for three reasons. First, Cathe Live seems to be working again, and maybe a little better than ever. Yay! It was getting frustrating over the last few months, but I think them switching to a new server has fixed the issue. Second, the upper body workout was great! I used one weight increment below Cathe throughout just to keep it safe but, honestly, I could have gone as heavy as Cathe in many areas. Granted, this is not her toughest upper body workout by a mile, but it isn’t easy either. So I am very encouraged by this and how my arm is feeling. And, finally, this was my first full kickboxing workout in over a month. Here’s hoping my arm still feels good in a few hours, but, so far, so good.

Thelma, great workout! I am sorry your back is still sore and think it wise to keep the weights down because of it. I am with you on the frustration of keeping the weights lighter. Like you, it was non-stop rain yesterday. Today is cloudy and cool with more rain and colder temperatures tomorrow. They are even tossing around the snow word. About our floor....it is fixed! The guys who came in to do the work were absolutely fantastic. It was a surprisingly simple process to insert glue under the hardwood to get it to stick to the subfloor. It is so nice not to be tripping over bubbles anymore. About the construction, they are laying the cinder block foundation of the house to our south as I type. This lot/house has not been bought yet, but they are pushing forward with it much quicker than our lot to the north....which has been bought. But it looks like they might start on that one soon. But, thankfully, no more heavy machinery in our back yard! It will be noisy and dirty for awhile....and then it will be done. I am still happy they will be doing the construction on both sides of us nearly simultaneously.

Laurie, great workout! The kickboxing workout I did today was Cathe’s live version on Rev’d Up Rumble. It includes a little more impact (not much, though) and a heavy bag section. So much fun! I will be curious how you feel doing Kathy Smith again. I only ever had one workout of hers, but I remember enjoying it. I got my start with Jazzercise videos and Jane Fonda.....and I won’t ever revisit any of those. Thankfully The Firm came along when I was only a few years in to my home workout habit. I hear you about winter.....and I live in a place without ice, snow or extreme cold!

See you tomorrow.

Laurel

fitzfour

Happy Wednesday!

Work is finally calming down slightly, which is helping with my stress level and allowing me to sleep at night! Busy few weeks ahead as we wrap up hockey for my oldest and then all focus is on lacrosse for him. My youngest has hockey until mid March and then he's done until next hockey season (no other sports for him). I'm hoping this warmer weather headed here for the weekend stays!

Workouts have been every other day right now, 30 minutes, and primarily KCM. I would like to make it every day, but I'm trying to allow myself some time to just sit and do nothing with how busy work and sports has been. I don't do enough of that and I think it's helping me overall to just relax.

Thelma, I'm so happy to hear the humira is helping with the pain! The lower back strain is something I am all too familiar with! I have an extra vertebrae at the end of my spine, which causes me to strain my lower back more than most. I am like you...I still keep pushing on, but just lighten the weights and do lots of stretching. Sometimes ice/heat helps...sometimes. I hope that rain stops soon, I've been hearing of a lot of flooding down south right now!

Laurie, I love the new rotation...sounds wonderful! I'm really enjoying KCM and for whatever reason, they are really challenging me well. Normally, I feel like KCM workouts are too "easy" for me compared to Cathe, but I think scaling back my intensity and workout duration has caused the shorter workouts to be more of a challenge for me. I looked at some of the RAW videos the other day. I'll have to look again to see if I want to start including those. Still have to figure out a set up as I don't have a smart TV in my workout room or always have access to a laptop, so I'd have to stream it on my phone...not ideal.

Laurel, I'm happy to hear the LIVE site is working well! I almost started my membership up again, but thought I'd wait to hear your thoughts...plus I need to find an option other than streaming on my phone. Works ok for some workouts, but others it's a little tough to follow on a phone! Great job being productive this weekend but also getting out for dinner with DH!

Tami, Hi--hope your week is going well!

Erika

ThelmaSW

Hi Ladies! My workouts today were Beginner Gentle and Sculpted-Movement Fusion.

I am having a rheumatoid arthritis flareup. It's my left-hand middle finger. The middle knuckle hurts and it's a little swollen. I had some steroids from before and I took one and it's helping already. I will call my doctor tomorrow.

My back is much better today. I could feel it release it during my gentle yoga class when the instructor read my mind and did hip openers. I was house cleaning this afternoon so it got a little tight again. I'll keep stretching.

It didn't rain today but it was cloudy and cold. Tomorrow will bring more rain and possibly freezing rain. Temps will be in the low to mid 30's.

Laurie, great job with Rev'd Up Rumble. I love that one too.
Sounds like you're ready to go with that rotation. I can't wait to hear how it goes. OMG, you still have Kathy Smith DVDs! I got rid of those and also The Firm DVDs.

Laurel, awesome workout! I'm so happy your arm is handling the workouts so well! What a relief that Cathe Live is working again and better than ever!

It is frustrating to not be able to use heavier weights, but safety first! We are definitely having the same weather! Snow or freezing rain! Yikes!
I'm so glad your floor is fixed and that you had great service! It is a good thing that both houses are being built at the same time so you only go through that torture once. How long does it take to build a house?

Erika, I'm so glad things at work are calming down so you can relax a little and get some sleep. I hope the warm weather sticks around for you!

Good job with those workouts! I'm glad the workout frequency is allowing you to relax.
I do keep pushing on when I'm injured because workouts keep me from getting stiff and relax me. Wow, I can't believe you have an extra vertebra. Stretching is really good. There is a lot of flooding in the south but I don't think anywhere close to us.

Goodnight ladies!
Thelma

lvnascar

Morning Ladies,

This morning was a nice relaxing workout. I did Cathe's Stretch Max Segment #1. Felt great, and I have not done that one in a while.

Laurel, I'm really glad to hear that Cathe has gotten the issue fixed with the server. I had heard quite a few people complain about that. Nice job on all the workouts, and being able to finally do a kickboxing workout. Very encouraging that you arm is still cooperating with the recovery. Love the sound of the live workout, since it is so much like RUR, which is my favorite kickboxing workout. I'm sure that the Kathy S workouts will be way less intense. I know that the lower body workout in Lift Weight to Lose Weight had some really good butt work in it. I just have to work with the amount of weight I will need. I have her Kickboxing and Peak Fat Burning workout also. I never had any Firm, Jane or Jazzercise. My first instructors where Kathy and Billy.

Erika, Great job with the workouts! Even with every other day, you are still getting in what you need right now with your busy schedule. Glad to hear that your schedule will even out when the spring time rolls around. I'm with you on the weather. We are scheduled to have rain on Sunday. I think that Kelly's workouts can be tough it you pick the right weight, and really focus on the move when they are lower impact. I have had more of a calorie burn on some of her 30 min. workouts than I have had with a longer Cathe workout. I always found that interesting. Kelly has all her RAW workouts in sections, so if you want to do a circuit workout they are all in one section. It is handy having a smart tv or a tv that has an HDMI access.

Thelma, Love the sound of your workout, got to love those hip openers. Sorry to hear about the flare up, but it sounds like you are able to get some relief with the steroid. Our temperature this morning was 1 degree. I'm surprised that I still have those Kathy DVD's. I have a hard time getting rid of these workouts, probably because she was my first workout instructor. I always figured that if I ever needed an easier workout, then I would have it available. We will see if I keep it after I try it out in a few weeks.

Have a great day!
Laurie

StiringWendel

Hi Ladies! Today’s workout was tough but fun. I did Cathe Live Legs for Days followed by Cathe Live Cardio HiiT Plus Core. Still so happy to have access to the Live workouts again.

Erika, glad to hear things are calming down for you. I am glad you are making time for ‘down time’ because that is so important. Sounds like KCM is working for you as well. Cathe’s Live is working really well for me right now. One thing I will say is with some exceptions, her Live workouts are getting.....I don’t want to say ‘easier’ but, if you did her early ones, she definitely has slowed many of her workouts down a bit. Honestly, I like that. She is also better at showing modifications and encouraging them. What kind of phone do you have? I stream from my iPhone through a HDMI adapter on to my TV for all of my streaming workouts and it works great. So depending on your phone, you might have that option as well.

Thelma, sorry to hear about the flare up. Hopefully it is just temporary. Sounds like your workout was perfect for your back. Hopefully the cleaning wasn’t too much for it. We are getting some giant snowflakes right now as I type this, but it is waivering between rain and snow right now. I like the big snowflakes. These houses take upwards of a year to build. That is one of the reasons I am so happy they are doing them together. If it was three to four months, like our house in Florida, it wouldn’t matter. But these houses are not quite the cookie cutter one we had there.....which is nice except for the building process. Huntsville has a severe housing shortage right now combined with a labor shortage so that is part of the problem as well. It can take weeks to get the right workers lined up, so the houses sit for long periods of time with nothing being done.

Laurie, great workout. That is my favorite of her Stretch Max workouts. I was pretty concerned my arm was going to not like me last night after all that work, but it feels good. I am still doing lots of stretching, which seems to help quite a bit. I think one of the reasons I started out with Jane Fonda is because wayyyyyyy back, she put out a workout on an album. I remember doing that with my oldest sister on our living room floor and finding it brutal. So that was my intro to at home workouts and so a few years later when I wanted to workout, that is what I gravitated to. I just checked....that album is from 1981. Suddenly I feel old.

See you tomorrow.

Laurel

ThelmaSW

Hi Ladies! My yoga classes got canceled because of the potential of freezing rain. The now didn't happen until the afternoon! I just read on FB that schools will have a 2-hour delay tomorrow. I'm not getting up early to go to my yoga class tomorrow. It will probably be icy because temps are going to drop into the low to high 20's overnight.

I didn't workout today. I was going to go to my yoga classes but the cancellation at the last minute threw me off. In the afternoon though I was in pain. The house felt cold and the cold was going through my bones. I had an "I feel sorry for myself" day. I hope I can do better mentally tomorrow. My back is much better. Almost back to normal.

It's a good thing I started today's dinner yesterday because I didn't feel like cooking.

I don't know if you eat pork but I found this Slow Cooker Beer Pulled Pork recipe and it was delicious!

https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/235950/slow-cooker-beer-pulled-pork/

I had a small roast. It was less than 2 lbs and I only found Miller Lite in our bar refrigerator. We don't drink beer so clearly, it was there since our party last summer! LOL
I only needed 1/2 a beer so I decided to taste it and I actually liked the beer.

I made a nice salad for dinner and we ate an open-faced BBQ sandwich. I bought Ciabatta bread and it was amazing!

Laurie, sounds like a very relaxing workout!

I love those stretching, yoga classes. They are so good for our bodies. Somehow the instructors know what I need on a given day.
Wow! Seriously cold temps! I used to love Kathe Smith but I needed to make space for the new DVDs.

Laurel, great workout combo. I'm glad you're having a good experience with the Live workouts again!

I hope the flareup is temporary. I wonder if I was still under the effects of the previous med and that is why I thought the new one was working. My knuckles are definitely angry. I'm starting to feel the symptoms in my right hand too. We had big snowflakes and eventually it stuck to the ground and trees.
I hope it doesn't take more than 6 months to build those houses! Here it takes at least 9 months to build one of these log cabins.
There is one cabin being built up the road and it's been under construction for over a year!
Coordinating the workers at the time they're needed is really a problem. At least the shortage of housing should make a builder want to finish a house ASAP.

Goodnight ladies and have a great weekend!
Thelma

lvnascar

Morning Ladies,

This morning was Cardio Party!

Laurel, Awesome job on all the workouts! I hope that your arm continues to feel okay, I'm sure it will still take a little time for it to rebuild strength and of course you not wanting to push it to much. Stretch Max was one of those workouts that I feel I neglect because it is an older workout, but you are right, that first one is my favorite also. I like the band one, but the ball... I don't feel like I really get a good stretch with that one. Oh my on the record. I have never tried a workout that was on that type of media. 1981 was the year I graduated from high school, and I never was into working out. Guess it was because I was into sports. That really does make me feel old too.

Thelma, Dang on the weather interfering with your yoga class. So glad to hear that your back feels like it is back to normal. I think that everyone can relate to the feeling sorry for oneself. I'm sure once you get a workout in again, the mood will improve. I will have to try that recipe, it really does sound delish. My hubby loves pulled pork. I probably have to much space for workout DVD's. That is probably why I have kept them so long.

Have a great weekend,
Laurie

StiringWendel

Hi Ladies! Despite a restless night (seems to be becoming a habit at that moment) I ended up with a decent workout today. I did Cathe Live Awesome Upper Body followed by a 45 minute spin ride. My arm isn’t doing quite as good today, but after a few weeks of ‘cleaning’ the house pretty lightly trying to protect the arm, I attacked the cleaning yesterday and, for whatever reason, that is really hard on my overused tendon. But the upper body workout still felt pretty good. I am hoping since I know what the issue is and some stretches that really help it that it continues to improve despite being a little more sore today.

Thelma, I so understand the ‘feel sorry for myself’ day! Don’t beat yourself up over it. You have been through so much in the past year that you have earned the right for a day to just sit and be upset. You are so strong because you always get right back up again! I hope some of your soreness was caused by the weather. But you may be right about the medicine transition as well. We have sunshine today and I hope you are enjoying the same. It is cold but the brightness does wonders for my mood. Thanks for sharing that recipe. Both DH and I are big fans of pulled pork!

Laurie, great, fun workout! Yes, that Jane Fonda album workout was weird. If I recall, there was a booklet to show you the exercises and then, of course, the album was her voice calling out the moves and reps. What I remember is the side leg lifts (lying on your side and lifting your leg) for seemingly interminable reps. I was never into fitness or working out until I was in college when I asked for a set of dumbbells for my birthday (19 or 20, I don’t remember). Then, when I was 23, I got diagnosed with an ulcer and back then (1988), they still thought those were stress related. So the doctor recommended exercise videos, and I bought two the next day on my lunch break (jazzercise and one by Raquel Welch ) and the rest, as they say, is history! Kind of hard to think I have been at this for 32 years.

Enjoy the weekend!

Laurel