Focus T25 Ab Intervals

Well, Here we are, the 4th workout of the series, I will be brutally honest about this workout. I HATE IT. It's hell, for me, It's a lot of plank work, floor work, that obviously work your core including the abs. I am extremely heavy and these exercises are extremely difficult for me. I know this just mean this is the area I should be paying more attention, but it is a chore for me, I am hoping that as I get lighter I will be able to do more, and more.

Obviously is a very good workout, it does as it promises, workouts out your ab muscles good! and also in intervals. You might love it, but I personally DO NOT.... YET ;)

If you have any questions, or want to contact me, you can shoot me an email, follow me on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram (@salba3716)


Thrilledmomof2

Not as Fat as I think I am

So we are plugging along in the middle of month two.  As for lbs on the scale I haven't lost much.  Inches as of last month I'd only lost 1.5.  Being the crazy hybrid that it is and knowing from my first experience w/ p90x itself, most of my results will probably come month 3 or even right after on recovery week.  So I'm not fretting over it right now.  However in general, I'm learning that I really am not as fat as I feel like I am.

One of my friends has recently started selling Avon and she's sent me some catalogs and links to her website.  So I started flipping through one, and came across this outfit that I found really cute, so on a whim I ordered it.  It arrived yesterday so of course I tried it on.  It included a brown sweater, super cute brown boots, and..denim leggings.  A popular style nowadays but one I've always avoided and never thought much about cuz I'm too fat to pull off something cute like that.  I'm more of a bootcut jeans kinda girl, those skinny jeans and leggings are for the thin girls.  I pulled them out of the box and they looked SO tiny.  Still, I put them on.  They fit! And they were super comfortable.  However still nervous about seeing them in the mirror, I put on the boots and the sweater as well, then I walked over to the mirror.  The same mirror that 99% of the time tells me how fat I am.  This time around I felt like I actually looked GOOD.  WHAT????!!!!! 

This morning as I'm preparing to do my workout (yes, I am ashamed, I get behind and end up doing workouts on Saturday), I throw on a pair of my workout pants.  When they were on, I remembered how super tight they used to be not all that long ago for this particular pair. And I realized how loose and baggy they've become. 

Yes, my weight loss may be super slow.  The number on the scale may take weeks or even months to drop a noticeable amount. But the inches and clothing are showing the real truth.  It's happening.  All those styles that I used to think were cute but I could never pull off? Maybe it's time to start checking some of them out.  I don't have to shop at the plus size stores anymore.  Yes I have a long way to go but I've also come a long way. Although I still see that same fat girl in the mirror that I always have, that's really not who I am anymore.

I can do hard crazy workouts like our hybrid. I will do Asylum, I will do p90x2.   Though it may not happen all at once, I will get skinny.  I'm doing it now. Or, I will just Die Tryin'.  Have you seen those previews for p90x2????
~shortteacher83~

We're still here!!!!!!!!

Ok I realized it has been a while since I've written anything, but I've had a rough couple of days, first the earthquake, (that I didn't feel), then Hurricane Irene ( That we weathered just fine) and then some personal stuff going on... but I didn't start this post to give you excuses of why I haven't written, NO! I've written this post to tell u that we are in our week 6, yes alredy, I have kept up with the schedule, despite all the distractions!

So For month 2, I am seeing 2 new workouts, Back and Biceps and Chest Shoulders and Triceps. Back and biceps was a good workout and I expected to be worked out  good, and also I knew I would do that one successfully, because of the muscles it's aimed at. Now lets talk about the mother of all workouts, as far as I'm concerned, Chest Shoulders and Triceps, I mean there are other workouts that make u sweat and make u short of breath and those are great, but this thing is an animal, I was worked out, in and side ways, I was beaten down the first time I did it and yesterday it kicked my buckets again and I ABSOLUTELY love it! Can't wait for it to trash me again, arms shaking and all.

In other news, going  back to month one of the Insanity workouts has showed me how far I've come and since they are shorter, they go by pretty quickly, so that's a bonus. Turbo fire keeps being the engine that moves me foward, I love fire 60 and anything Chalene, so it's a pleasure to workout to Turbo Fire.

So we still here, we still plugging along and we ain't dead yet (nor skinny in my particular case hehehehe)

Thrilledmomof2

Turbo Fire Makes Me Feel Like I'm On Fire......On Fiyah!

TurboFire is my absolute FAVORITE of the Beachbody workouts.  If I was to recommend just one workout, this would be it.  What is so great and wonderful about TurboFire you ask?  Well Thrilledmomof2 was hoping I'd keep this entry short but I could go on and on about the greatness of TF.
First off, it's a Chalene Johnson program.  As I've previously mentioned, she is my favorite of the trainers.  She's so motivating throughout all of these workouts, I really seem to connect well with her. 2nd of all, another big one for me, Variety! TF is filled with so many options.  It has a 5 day inferno plan (which I believe I lost 4 lbs on or so? I just know it worked) that you can choose to do before starting the actual program. It also has a 9 week prep for those that may feel they aren't quite ready to start the actual program.  Then the basic program is 12 weeks.  However one has the option (which I STRONGLY recommend) of buying advanced turbofire workouts.  This can add 8 more weeks on, making your program 20.  Also the advanced package comes with a hybrid calendar of TurboFire and Chalean Extreme for another 20 week program.  Thrilledmomof2 and I did the inferno plan, followed by 40 weeks of TF and TF/CE.  40 weeks later we were still wanting more Fire!!!!
Music was absolutely AMAZING. Songs were catchy, always stuck in my head and I love to randomly belt them out even now :) Chalene did a wonderful job.  Moves were fun, it's basically cardio kickboxing in rhythm to the music. Workouts were different lengths ranging from 15, 20, 25, 30, 45, 55, 60 minutes, all seemed to fly by.  The program is as intense as you make it.  HIIT training is a big part of the program where you go really hard for about a minute, then a minute rest, then go again really hard, then rest.  You just keep pushing as hard as you can (which some days were easier than others).  Another awesome thing is Alee, who shows you how to modify in every workout.  If you can't jump, or whatever, follow Alee.  Just do your very best no matter what level you are. Along w/ the cardio, there are sculpting, toning, stretch, and ab workouts.  A nice 10 minute stretch program or a 40 min one.  The 40 min one is half yoga, half stretch. Her sculpting and toning workouts are no joke. Done w/ a band that looks sweet and innocent but I will promise you that is not the case.  40 weeks I lost 15 lbs (which is fantastic for me) and 31.5 inches. We were sad to finish this program, we were excited to press play every day on this one.
As I said before, I could go on and on about this program but to cut thrilledmomof2 a little slack I'll end with this.  I LOVE Turbofire!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Enoug' Said :)

Is Shakeology Worth the money?

Some of u might have heard of Shakeology, some of you may have NO idea what I'm talking about. Let's start by establishing what it is exactly. Shakeology is a "patent-pending daily nutritional shake helps your body gently eliminate toxins more efficiently while allowing for better absorption of the essential nutrients you need. A proprietary blend of digestive enzymes and prebiotics helps your body progressively eliminate the toxins that build up over time from eating today's highly processed foods.

At the same time, whole-food ingredients deliver the essential amino acids, vitamins, and minerals your body needs to curb cravings, allowing your body to shed stored fat while the more than 20 different antioxidants and phytonutrients help reduce free radical damage that can lead to heart disease, heart attacks, high blood pressure, and stroke*".

Shakeology also has over 70 ingredients gathered from all over the world.

"More than 70 different ingredients were chosen from around the world for their potency and bioavailability (the ability to deliver the nutrients your body needs). Here are the key nutrient groups that these ingredients deliver:*

• Protein and Essential Amino Acids to help build long, lean muscles and reduce food cravings
• Prebiotics and Digestive Enzymes, which aid in improving digestion, regularity, and nutrient absorption
• Antioxidants and Phytonutrients to help counteract free radical damage that can lead to degenerative diseases
• Vitamins and Minerals your body needs to function for
  optimal health*"

So what do you do with Shakeology? Well u can have it as a snack or as a meal replacement, personally I have it for dinner mostly every night, because lunch is the biggest meal of the day, so my dinner is usually ligther.

This all sounds wonderful until you get down to the cost, I'm not going to lie, it's expensive, even if you try to rationalize it by saying it's 4 dlls a meal, which for someone that has coffees from a Coffee House or eats out often, it's not a big deal, but for someone like me, that  stays home with the kids, I rarely spend 4 dlls in a meal for myself. So why do I buy Shakeology then? Well because it's awesome! I had been working out with beachbody for over a year before I decided to try it, because the cost was outrageous to me, and I get it cheaper since I'm a coach, but still my workout buddy "shortteacher" had tried it before and hated it, however she was giving it a second chance and I had come across some extra cash so I took the plunge.  Most people worry about the taste, I don't really as I'm not a picky eater and u can add whatever u want to make shakeology more pleaseant to your tastes buds if you don't like the way it tastes, takes a little getting use to, but the taste is good seems to be the general consensus.  Another thing that I was worried about was the "cleansing" aspect of it (if u know what I mean hehehehehehe) But I wasn't so dirty inside apparently, my frecuency did increased for like 4 days the first week but after that I went back to normal. After the second week was when I started seeing the Shakeology benefit that made it all worth it for me... the cravings just STOPPED! I wasn't munching all day or antsy or wating or looking at the clock to see when was it time to eat my next meal, I ate what I had to eat and that was that, not thinking about it all day no struggle... ohhhhhhhh freeeeeeeeedom!!! Another benefit, at the end of that month, when I started to do my grocery shopping list I was amazed how much stuff I still had left, just cause I didn't eat it!!!!


So to summarize,  Shakeology is not cheap, I am a coach, I'm aware of this, it's not a necessity, u can lose weight without it, but it's sure nice to have and fills in whatever holes u may have nutritionally. Another  thing is that only comes in 2 flavors, this fall they are releasing a 3rd one, I've only tried Chocolate buy I've heard "mixed" reviews on the Greenberry flavor, so I don't think I will try that one any time soon. For me it's worth it just because it cuts cravings, making it a lot easier for me to manage my calorie intake.

Shakeology has been featured in a 8 page article on O Magazine, as a "super food", and just today I came across a CNN video featuring one of the ingredients in Shakeology as a libido booster ( I can tell you from personal experience... it works lol)

If you would like to try it and are not sure, keep in mind that there is a 30 day bottom of the bag guarantee, and if your choose HD (home delivery) you get free shipping and the workout DVD's at no extra cost. The HD can be cancelled with a quick phone call or email with no hassle.

(*Taken from http://myshakeology.com/esuite/home/thrilledmomof2  )

Thrilledmomof2

Insanity: Get Fit or Get Out!

So Before I started working out consistently, I had seen the Insanity's Infomercials, and I thought that looked crazy and that I don't think I'd ever attempt something like that. Well a year and change later as Turbo Fire was nearing the and my buddy Shortteacher and I were contemplating what to do next, I came up with the idea to do Insanity, since she had done it before and absolutley LOVED it. SO I took the plunge and decided to go for Insanity, we created a Facebook group, since a few of us in the Beachbody comunnity were starting the program right around the same time. 8 of us signed in to do the program only 3 finished.

The program is structured in 2 phases and it totals 63 days. Phase one's workouts are about 40 minutes long and lasts 4 weeks after that there is a recovery week which is the same workout the 6 days of that week, next your have phase 2, that's 4 more weeks and the workouts are about 1 hr long. Personally I thought phase one was boring, don't get me wrong the workouts are amazing, and it's not like I could keep up or anything, but my problem came when it was the same 3 workouts over and over for 4 weeks. Month 2 was a little bit better for me, since I enjoyed the Max routines more and there was a 4th workout with the bonus Dvd's. This programs was very tough for me, more than physically, mentally, I had just came out of Turbo Fire and while Turbo is Intense is also FUN, The music was a huge motivation factor for me during turbo and sadly in Insanity the music was more of a background noise. Also the point of Insanity it's not to keep up with the video, but to give it your max, this was somewhat of a struggle at first since I felt like a failure for having to take breaks so often. Thru all the messages in the screen, saying that if u need so, take a break and Shaun T reminding you of the same, I understood that I didn't need to keep up with the video to get Results.

I lost around 15 lbs with the program, which was awesome. Bottom line, is Insanity crazy? Yes definitely!, Is it for everyone? In theory, yes, anyone should be able to do it at his or her own pace, but in reality, there is no one there showing u how to modify the moves that might make u uncomfortable and I really think that someone with a better fitness level will be able to  get more out or the program. Insanity it's a great workout, but I don't think I will ever repeat it as a whole, I'm still incorporating it to our schedule as I see the benefits of Max Interval training, but while I was doing the program I really struggled with pushing play everyday, and the fun factor is very important to me, if I want to stick to a routine.

Thrilledmomof2

P90x Reflection

I was really excited to try p90x out last summer, it being the beachbody program that 'everybody owns but nobody finishes' according to my sister.  Her husband, in the airforce, tried it and stopped saying it was 'too hard.'  So I wanted to do the program and show everyone that I could finish it.  At this pont, I'd already done SI6, Chalean Extreme, and Insanity, so I really wasn't worried about sticking to the program.  I chose to do the doubles version, which adds a cardio workout along w/ the regular classic schedule.

Some thoughts on the program in general:  Variety!  This program though it doesn't have as much variety in workouts as some of the others I've done, it has way more variety then say SI6 or Insanity. I have a hard time doing the same workouts over and over, so the variety of workouts was a plus for me.  True to what I'd heard, this workout was tough.  I can't do pull ups so I use the bands for those.  Push-ups are also a huge struggle for me.  But I loved the legs, shoulders, and arm workouts, along w/ the kenpo.  I enjoyed plyo as well, except compared to anything in Insanity it was soooooooo slow.  However for most ppl, this is probably a better starting point w/ plyo  than rushing right into insanity :)  I did have good results w/ the program.  I gained a couple lbs the first month which I'm thinking was due to muscle and water.  The last month I lost 10 lbs the last 2 weeks of the program, and a total of 10 inches.

My complaints of the program would have to be the length.  I did it in the summer just because I knew I'd have more time.  But each workout was about an hour long with Yoga being an hour and a half.  Speaking of Yoga, I honestly HATED that workout and only got through the disc probably 2 times.  I was very new to yoga and for some reason dont have the patience for it.  So 93 minutes was excruciating for me.  I did enjoy the last half if I could ever get through the first. Yes I do realize the importance of yoga and I make sure I get in at least some, but I'd prefer Chalene's stretch 40 any day.  I'm glad I was already committed to working out when I started p90x. The videos being so long, time consuming, and it really gets you sore, I could see why a lot of ppl start but never finish.  As for Tony Horton himself, he's definitely in good shape and he's put together a great workout.  His weight lifting technique is different from Chalene's which really aggravated me especially at first, but I'm always resistant to change :)  He's very corny and just talks and talks and talks and jokes throughout the entire videos. Some people love his jokes, to me I'm reminded of 11 yr old boys.  I'm a Chalene girl all the way though, I love the way she motivates throughout her workouts so anyone has a hard time competing against her.
Bottom line, is p90x a great program? Yes definitely!  Does it work? If you put the time (definitely a big commitment here) and effort you will for sure get results.  For a beginner? It's possible but I'd recommend something a little less time consuming to start out w/.  Am I glad I did it? for sure, and I'm enjoying it more this time around in the hybrid w/ TurboFire and Insanity.  Weird how for me, I'm liking Insanity less than the first time and p90x more.

~ShortTeacher83~

My Review of Chalean Extreme

As shortteacher said, this week we decided to share out thoughts on some of the beachbody programs we have done already, It's now turn for  Chalean Extreme. This was my first program and I decided to do that one because it was mainly strength training and not too much cardio. The program is 90 days and it's structured in 3 phases, Burn, Push and Lean.

The First 4 weeks you start with Burn, this is 3 circuits, and you do each one of them once a week, the other 2 days of the schedule is completed with 2 cardio routines, and ab workout and a stretch/yoga class. The burn circuits are about 35 minutes long and you do upper an lower body work at the same time. The second month is the Push phase, also 4 weeks, in this phase Chalene switches gears and makes you lift VERY HEAVY, also you don't work upper and lower body at the same time, it's rather a body part at a time, the cardio, and yoga it's the same through out the whole program, however on week 6, Chalene introduces a more advance ab routine about 5 mins longer than the previous one and trust me those 5 more minutes feel like 5 minutes.... under water!!!!!!!
 The final 4 weeks it's the  LEAN circuit, here your go back to the combination workouts ( upper and lower body) and relatively ligther weights, but the workouts are longer and all of them will require core use, this month also you will see the most results. The last month workouts are brutal! But so much fun.

I lost around 9 inches off my waist,  5 inches off each thigh, it was wonderful. It's a very good program and it''s good for every fitness level, the workouts are not too long and your are only required to workout 5 days a week, I loved it so much that I hybrid it with Turbo fire!
Chalene Johnson is a VERY good instructor, explains the set up, the exercise and also educates you on what part of the body is going to work, what is supposed to feel like, all of that while motivating your without sounding corny or fake.
This workout got me hooked on working out, not only did I lose lbs and inches but I created the habit of working out and that was worth all the money, all the sweat and all my time. I only have positive things to say about Chalean Extreme, if you are looking to start a workout program, to get in shape, to tone your body, and your are a busy person, maybe have little kids (like I do) Chalean Exteme is the PERFECT option!

Thrilledmomof2

Reflection on Slim In 6

Thrilledmomof2 thought it would be a nice idea for us to go back and reflect over previous workouts we've done.  Slim in 6 by Debbie Siebers was my first introduction to Beachbody.  I started this in June of '09 and I really loved the program.  In looking back at an old blog from when I was doing the program I noticed changes pretty quickly.  My flexibility increased within just 2-3 workouts.  I also noticed inches lost rather quickly as well. SI6 was an amazing workout both for my legs and my arms.  It worked the triceps pretty well. I remember a friend leaning over at me at church and saying "wow Sara your arms are getting toned!" I also was getting back into shirts that had gotten too tight for me.  I LOVE the Slim and Limber and still like to use that when I need a good quick stretch video.

Some other thoughts on SI6, it's a great beginner workout.  It's also a great 'between programs' kinda workout.  It's nowhere near as intense as the workouts I do now, but it also works well if i'm trying to give my body a bit of a rest and just get some overall toning in.  It is challenging to do for a full 6 weeks, as there's only a few workouts so it does get pretty repetitive.  Some people do well w/ that, I don't.  I did it again about a year later and enjoyed the workout, just didnt do the full 6 weeks, I probably did about 3-4.  It is however a great program, and I'd love to eventually get slim series and add those dvds in.  It is a program I'd recommend, especially for anyone that has to watch their intensity or anyone just getting into working out consistently.
~ShortTeacher83~