Going in a new direction

 Hi everyone. There's been a lot on my mind the last few weeks. I was going to write in here but I hadn't updated my ChaLEAN Extreme posts, and I didn't want to post in here until I did that. But this week things jumped even more, and I just need a place to really get this out.

A few weeks ago, I realized just how burned out I was. My family has planned to go to the beach this coming week since early April. (We thought COVID would be definitely a thing of the past...) But knowing this beach trip has been coming up, I've put so, so much stress on myself. Eat healthy. Exercise. Don't skip a workout at all. I've been sore, I had a couple weeks there where I wasn't feeling well (not coronavirus, I think just allergies or a summer cold), and definitely had the 'I don't wannas!' when it came to working out, but I've continued to push through. A few months ago, I freaked out because we decided to go Bass Pro Shops as a family and we didn't get home until almost 7pm. I was doing my second workout SOOO late. I freaked out. A couple weeks ago I ran to the grocery store to pick up stuff for dinner, and traffic was awful. I sat through a red light for almost 15 minutes. I could just feel my nerves tightening like guitar strings as time ticked on. All I wanted to do was get home! I had a workout to do! Last week I also had a meltdown because someone in the house ate my whole wheat crackers. They're ten calories a serving less than what we had in the house. Those ten calories matter so freaking much to me that at 9:30pm I was going to the store to buy whole wheat crackers! 

Exercising when you're sick or sore or totally burned out is not good. Flipping out over ten freaking calories is not good. When did it get like this? I can't use the beach as an excuse every time, because sometimes I have moments like this when nothing is going on. It's awful for me. It's awful for my family who gets my angry and irrational rants when something doesn't go right.

The scale is going upwards despite the exercise. My diet hasn't been overly stellar, but it's not completely awful. I notice changes (particularly in my upper body) but I'm not sure I'm happy it. This is both upsetting and frustrating, which gets me down, which leads to sad and angry outbursts towards my family. Ugh. 

I need to go in a new direction with this. I realized this a few days ago. First, I decided I'm taking no workout stuff with me to the beach. This will be a complete week of rest. And secondly, when I come back home, as much as I love LIIFT4, maybe I should switch back to Jillian. I saw the results I liked with Jillian. But most of all, maybe I need to toss away the running. I need to switch it up and find my love again. That's when I started thinking, "Maybe I'll start playing DDR again..." 

That's where I was on Tuesday morning. Thinking I was going to give myself a much needed break while at the beach, come back and start over again with my first ever love (Dance Dance Revolution) and go back to Jillian, the queen who created programs that made me feel confident with my body. 

And then I learned that my mom will be having testing to check into some things. Everything stopped. It's Thursday late night/Friday early morning, and let me tell you. I've not been okay. My mom is so important to me. I love her so very much. I've been a nervous wreck. We don't know what is going to happen. I am admittedly a pessimist, but I am also really nervous about this. The doctors have been keeping an eye on her since May and she didn't want to worry us until the doctors decided that they need to look more into it. The idea that something very seriously wrong with my mom is scaring me to death. She's 68 years old and she smokes. She has a very difficult time getting around and breathing now. I dread winters and cold weather because it makes her breathing issues flare up, as well as the hot and humid weather. I know she's slowing down. And it also has me realizing that if, God forbid, our time is growing shorter, I don't want to be in this awful headspace. I want to be able to focus on her and spend time with her and my family. I want to make wonderful memories and now worry about the scale. Or calories. Or workouts. Or meltdown because I didn't get a workout or I've gained weight or stupid calories. 

I've been overweight for so much of my life. When I began losing weight, I started gaining confidence and feeling comfortable with myself. I began doing things I never thought that I would ever do. I went to my class reunion. I started paddle boarding. I went on vacation and strutted around the city of Washington DC feeling amazing. I really did feel amazing. I didn't feel like there were people looking at me or laughing at me for being overweight or feeling those crazy feeling (whether they are in your head or not). I worked out in the gym in the hotel, which took a LOT of courage for me. So I've had moments where I've been confident, and happy, but it all became on obsession, a desire for more and more. And somewhere my mind was like, "keep losing more. Keep eating less. Ride this wave and do more!" Losing weight did not instantly cure all my problems (it wasn't that I was under the assumption that it would be a cure all) but I loved the compliments. When I started gaining weight back when the fire happened, I was so worried that friends and family would be disappointed in me. That people who had looked to me for support or people I've rekindled friendships with would suddenly disown me. I put even more pressure on myself. You bad girl, you've gained! But...it's not really like that at all. So why do I still put so much pressure on myself? Regardless if I'm a size 8 or 18 people care about me. I just have to really start believing that and realizing that. I've got to get healthy. 

So I'm going to do my best. I'm not sure what's going to happen in the future. I don't want to completely give up my workouts, but I want to give up the stress, the excessiveness. I will never, ever forgive myself if I let calories and exercise and poor body image ruin the most important years of my life. 

I'm going to try to blog more and go back to what I originally planned this blog to be. Overall health. Not just reviewing my workouts, but just trying to be overall balanced.

Please say a prayer for my mom, and for our family. 

Lets get healthy. 

ChaLEAN Extreme Lean Phase

 This is the future home of Chalene Johnson's at home workout program called ChaLEAN Extreme. This post will cover month three, or the Lean Phase. 

I'll edit this post soon! This post will be edited. 

ChaLEAN Extreme - Push Phase.

 This is the future home of Chalene Johnson's at home workout program called ChaLEAN Extreme. This post will cover month two, or the Push Phase. 

I'll edit this post soon! This post will be edited. 

Future home of ChaLEAN Extreme Month 1/Burn Circuit

This is the future home of Chalene Johnson's at home workout program called ChaLEAN Extreme. This post will cover month one, or the burn phase. 

I'll edit this post soon! This post will be edited. 

Week 8 of LIIFT4!

LIIFT4 - WEEK 8

You're on your last week of LIIFT4! Congratulations! You can crush this week and finish this workout program! This week is another shred week, so it's similar to week 7. Let's get going! 

Week 8, Day 1 - Shoulder and Back Circuit 

After your warmup, you start the block on the floor with rotating chest press, decline press, dumbbell pullover, and then you hop up for wide rows. You do each move for ten reps, and of course, you do each move three times. 

Block two has you on the floor again starting with 10 reps of chest press. You're back up for flies, dumbbell rows, and then reverse flies. Ten reps of all moves, for a total of three times. 

Your burnout round has you doing 30 seconds of each regular pushups, back extensions, and wide pushups and you do this three times. This is the same as last week. 

Your core component has you doing dumbbell prayer crunch and floor to ceiling leg lifts. Enjoy your cooldown!

Week 8, Day 3 - Legs 50/50

Happy leg day! After a brief warmup, you jump right into block one with alternating side lunges, pulsing squats, and then hip thrusts in bridge pose. You do ten reps of each a total of three times. 

On block two, you start with front loaded squats, deadlifts, and then calf raises. Remember to switch your calf raises each time, starting with regular calf raises with your toe forward, then bringing toes in for pigeon calf raises, then duck calf raises. 

On block three you're doing ten reps of goblet sumo squats, and 10 reps of single leg reverse lunges for a total of three times.

The HIIT portion is just like last week. Instead of 60/45/30, you're doing 30 seconds of each HIIT move, which is sumo jumps, triple bear, and full catchers jump for a total of three times.

The core component consists of flutter kicks and alternative leg lifts in plank for 30 seconds. You repeat each of them three times total. Enjoy your cooldown and rejoice that this is the last leg day in the LIIFT4 program!!

Week 8, Day 3 - Shoulders and Arms Circuit

After a warmup, you start your quad set with 10 reps of shoulder presses, hammer curls, upright rows, and skull crushers. You repeat each one for a total of three times. 

In block two, you're doing front raise, wide curls, lateral raise, and tricep kickbacks. Ten reps of each for a total of three times. 

Your burnout round has swimmers for 30 seconds, so you may be able to go a little heavier than you did in weeks 1-6 since you're only going at it for 30 seconds rather than 10 reps, full bicep curls, and then you're on the floor to kill your arms completely with tricep pushups. You repeat that three times in total. 

Your core component consists of side reaches and dumbbells extensions. You do each of them for 30 seconds and then you get to enjoy your cooldown. Tomorrow is your last day!

Week 8, Day 4 - Full Body HIIT

Congratulations! You're on your final workout. The whole team is here and even Joel is gonna work out too, so the room is filled with cheerleaders to get you through this final workout int his program. After your workout you start with 60 seconds of soccer run, and then 45 seconds of pushup mountain climbers. That's a new move, but it's just like it sounds. You do a pushup, and then four mountain climbers. You repeat each one three time total. 

Block two has you doing sumo jumps for 45 seconds and then plyo pushups for 30 seconds. You repeat them all three times. 

For your third block you're doing single leg plyo lunge jumps for 30 seconds, and then you're doing pushup knee tucks for 15 seconds. As usual, you repeat these for a total of three times. 

Your burnout is a killer! You're doing all those moves you just did for 30 second each, so you're doing three full minutes of intense cardio with no breaks. Soccer run, pushup mountain climbers, sumo jumps, double plyo pushups, single leg plyo lunge jumps, and pushup knee tucks right. You get to do the burnout twice! You can do it! 

Your core component consists of prayer crunches, straight leg windshield wipers, and rocking planks. You do each for 30 seconds three times total. 

You are finished! Yes! You did it. You're awesome. Congratulations on completely this program!! Personally, I loved LIIFT 4. I noticed major changes in my body, especially in my legs. They feel muscular and feel a lot less flabby. I'm proud of them, even if stronger looking legs weren't something that I was necessarily expecting! I definitely feel stronger. I was able to go up from 15lbs being my heaviest weight to 20s. I wish that I could have found heavier weights easier (the pandemic made it really hard to find weights!) to see just how heavy I could go because on some moves I really feel like I could have gone heavier. 

Week 7 of LIIFT 4

LIIFT 4 - WEEK 7

Welcome to Week 7, which is your first shred week. We're changing things up this week. These next two weeks are to really meant to give you that final push and sculpt what you've been building the last six weeks! 

Day 1 - Chest and Back circuit

Block one is a quad set. You start with ten reps of chest presses. You stand up for 10 reps of flies. Then you're dong ten reps of dumbbell rows. And then you do ten reps of reverse flys. You repeat those four moves for a total of three times. 

Block two you start on the floor with rotating chest press, decline press, and then dumbbell pullover. You finish your last move standing with wide row. You do ten reps of each of those four moves, and you repeat it for a total of three times. 

Block three is your burnout, and you're adding an extra move in there, so instead of two burnout moves there are three. That's shred week for you! You're doing regular pushups for 30 seconds, back extensions for 30 seconds, and then wide pushups for 30 seconds, repeating all for a total of three times. 

Your core component is dumbbell toe teachers, and then straight leg windshield wipers. Each 30 seconds, three times total. 

Don't be confused by Legs 50/50 coming up tomorrow for day 2! :) 

Week 7, Day 2 - Legs 50/50

What?! This seems like a bad joke. My legs are still sore from my last leg day, which was super close!!! Get your warmup going and jump right into 10 reps of front loaded squats, into 10 reps of deadlifts, into 10 reps of calf raises. Repeat each of these moves for three times total. On the calf raises, the first go around do regular, the second time do duck calf raises, and the third time do pigeon (wide) calf raises, that way you hit all parts of your calves!

Block two has you doing alternating side lunges, pulsing squats, and then bridge raises. Each move you do a total of ten reps and you do each one three times total. 

Block three has you doing goblet sumo squats, and then single leg reverse lunges; ten on each leg. You repeat all those for a total of three times. (Each leg you're doing three times total, too). 

Onto the HIIT portion! This has changed up a bit, too. Instead of 60/45/30, you do each move for 30 seconds, and you repeat three times total. Your cardio moves are twisted mountain climbers, soccer sprint, and squat jumps. 

Your core component consists of prayer crunches, and bicycle twists. Each one three times total! 

Week 7, Day 3 - Shoulder/Arms circuit

Goodbye to my favorite day, shoulder intervals, and hello to shoulder and arms circuit. After a brief warmup, you start a quad set consisting of front raises, wide curls, later raise, and tricep kickbacks. You do each move for a total of ten reps, three times in total.

Block two has you doing ten reps of shoulder presses, ten reps of hammer curls, ten reps of upright rows, and then on the floor for 10 reps of skull crushers. You do ten reps of each each for a total of three times. 

Your burnout once again consists of three moves instead of two, and you do them for 30 seconds. You start with swimmers for 30 seconds, so you may be able to go a little heavier than you would other times where you were doing ten reps, into 30 seconds of full bicep curls, and then 30 seconds of tricep pushups. You do each for three times total. 

Your core component consists of dumbbell drivers for 30 seconds, and dumbbell flutter kicks for 30 seconds. You do each one three times. You earned your cooldown, enjoy it! 

Week 7, Day 4 - Full Body HIIT 

After a quick warmup, you start your full body HIIT. This is a bit different. Each block has two cardio moves that you repeat three time each, but with each new block, the cardio intervals are shorter. Block one has you doing 60 seconds of single leg plyo jumps, and 45 seconds of pushup knee tucks. You do each of those for a total of three times.

Block two has you doing 45 seconds of squat jacks, and then 30 second of triple bear. You repeat those for a total of three times. 

Block three has you doing double plyo pushups for 30 seconds and then squared squat jump for 15 seconds, repeated for a total of three times. 

Your burnout has you doing all six cardio moves you've done in the three blocks, but you do each one for 30 seconds without breaks, for a total of three full minutes of cardio with no breaks. So you're doing 30 seconds of single leg plyo jumps, pushup knee tucks, squat jacks, triple bear, double plyo pushups, and square squats. You get to do it one more time. Believe me, this was a killer! 

Your core component consists of an extra surprise too: three core moves! You get to do 30 seconds of scissor kicks, 30 seconds of reaching sit ups, and 30 seconds of straight leg bicycle twists, and you do each one three times total. Enjoy your cool down - you totally deserved it.

Next week is week eight and your final week of LIIFT4! 

Week 6 of LIIFT4

LIIFT 4, WEEK 6 

We're onto week six. This is your last week of normalcy - in weeks 7 and 8, the schedule changes up a but as you get into shred weeks for that final push. Lets get into it!

Day 1 - Chest and Triceps Circuit

After a brief warmup, block one has you get right down on the floor with rotating chest press, skull crushers, and then single side crushers. Those single side crushers kill my triceps. It's the only time Joel lets you use your other hand to help keep your working arm right. You repeat all of these three times.

Block two keeps you mostly on the floor with chest press, tricep press, decline press (utilizing bridge pose), and then you're finally off the floor for tricep kickback. You repeat all those for a total of three times. 

Block three is your burnout, and you're doing wide pushups into tricep pushups. Holy crap. Triceps on fire! Arms on fire! You get to do each three times total for 30 seconds.

The core component is reaching sit ups and flutter kicks. Each one for 30 seconds, three times total. You've earned your cooldown!

Day 2 - Back and bicep 50/50

After a quick warmup, you're jumping right into block one with full rows, and then hammer curls three times total for ten reps.

Block two has you doing reverse flies, and then full bicep curls. Ten reps each for a total of three times.

Block three you start on the floor doing dumbbell pullovers, and then you jump up and you do wide curls. Ten reps, three times total!

Your HIIT component is 60 seconds of catchers jumps, 45 seconds of wide mountain climbers, and 30 seconds of 180 jumps. You do the 60/45/30 three times total! 

The core component consists of dumbbell toe reaches and straight leg bicycle twists. You've earned your cooldown!

Day 3 - Shoulder Intervals

Wooo hoo, my favorite day! After a brief warmup, you start with 10 reps of shoulder press, ten reps of upright rows, and then 30 seconds of high knees. You repeat all that for three times total for block one.

Block two has you doing 10 reps of front raises, 10 reps of lateral raises, and then 30 seconds of speed skaters. As usual, you do it three times.

Block three is horrible with Y Raises, which are tolerable, but then you have 10 reps of swimmers and they are not tolerable, but you can do it! And you cardio interval is 180 squat jumps. You repeat it three times total. 

Your core component dumbbells extension for 30 seconds, and scissor kicks for 30 seconds, three times total. Make sure to cool down. 

Day 4 - Legs HIIT

After a brief warmup, you jump right into 60 seconds of single leg plyo jumps (switching to the other leg after 30 seconds), 45 seconds of triple bear, 30 seconds of soccer sprints, and then 15 seconds of squat jumps. You repeat all these 60/45/30/15 intervals for a total of three times. 

Your burnout is the exact same cardio moves - single leg plyo lunges, triple bear, soccer sprint, and squat jumps - but there are no breaks and you do each move for 30 seconds straight through, so you're burning your legs you for a full two minutes. You get to do that one moretime. Have fun! ;)

Your core component is also awful. You do side plank with a leg left on each side. Right side for 30 seconds, left side for 30 seconds. Repeat each side three times total. Enjoy your cooldown, and get ready for week 7! Don't forget that the schedule changes so don't be surprised like I was and think something I going on with the app or BBOD! (Or there is something wrong with your schedule!)

Week 5 of LIIFT 4

 Welcome to Week Five. Sorry about the delay. In the three month hiatus, I finished LIIFT4, and did another round, so I've done it four times in total.  I think I am going to start ChaLEAN Extreme tomorrow. I will write about it eventually. :P Without further adieu:

WEEK FIVE OF LIIFT4

Week 5, Day 1 - Chest and Triceps 50/50

You jump right to the floor and start with chest flies. Your next move is tricep presses, where you're keeping your elbows super close to your body and pressing up. Kind of like a chest press, only your elbows are in so your triceps get that burn. You repeat for a total of three times. 

For your second block, you're still on the floor and you're doing rotating chest press and skull crushers. You repeat for a total of three times. 

Third block is a good ol' fashioned chest press, and then you're finally up and doing tricep kickbacks. As usual, you do this three times in total. 

Now, on to HIIT! It's still 60, 45, and 30 seconds for each move. As the move gets harder, the time you're doing gets shorter. You do 60 seconds of one leg plyo jumps. 30 seconds in, you switch to the other leg. Then 45 seconds is 2x2 mountain climbers. Two regular mountain climbers, two twisting mountain climbers. And then you finish off with 30 seconds of high knees. You do this for a total of three time.

You core component is dumbbell toe reaches, and windshield wiper legs. Each move for 30 seconds, a total of three times. 

Week 5, Day 2 - Back and biceps circuit. 

These days are allllllways tricky! You think that because there is no HIIT/cardio intervals that this is gonna be easy. Mwahahaha... 

After a quick warmup, you start right away with doing dumbbell rows, bottom bicep curls, reverse flies, and top bicep curl. On bottom curl, you only bring your dumbbells halfway up from the bottom, and on top curl, you only bring your arms halfway down from the top, hence bottom and top curls. You repeat these four moves three times total. 

Block two has you starting out on the floor with a dumbbells pullover, and then back up for hammer curls, wide rows, and wide curls. Repeat for a total of three times. 

You move on to the burnout where you do 30 seconds of back extensions into 30 seconds of full bicep curls. This time you're not counting, you're just busting out as many of these you can do in 30 seconds with proper form. As Joel says, "it's called burnout for a reason!" I hope no one needs to use their arms for the rest of the day... 

Onto core component where you're doing straight legged bicycle twists, and rolling over into low plank rocks. Thirty seconds each, three times total. You've earned your rest day for tomorrow!

Week 5, Day 3: Shoulder Intervals

Shoulder days, my favorite! After a brief warmup, you jump right in with upright rows, follow up with shoulder press. Ten reps each. your 30 second cardio interval for this block is 30 seconds of single leg plyo jumps. You switch to your other leg 15 seconds in. You repeat this for a total of three times.

Block 2 has you doing 10 reps of both front raises and lateral raises. Your cardio interval is 20 seconds of 180 squat jumps. 

And your third block is a bit evil with shoulder flies (go light!) and then Y Raises. Your cardio interval is twisted mountain climbers. I swear, I hate those! 

Onto the core component, where you're doing dumbbell driver. It's where you crunch up and take a dumbbell and hold the dumbbell over your knees as you go side to side, driving it over your knees. Then you do prayer crunch, where you may want to thank the good Lord that this workout is almost over. You repeat those for a total of three times, 30 seconds each. 

Week 5, Day 4: Legs 50/50

Leg days are always super tough! And after your warmup, you just right in with front loaded squats, and then go into calf raises. You do this for a total of three times, although the calf raise position changes each time. First you start off with regular calf raises (feet forward). Then you do pigeon calf raises with your toes in, heels out, and then you do duck calf raises with your heels in and toes out to get all areas of your calf. 

Block two has you doing goblet squats and reverse alternating lunge. On the lunges, each leg counts as one rep, so you're there for a while.

Block three has you doing deadlifts, and then alternate side lunges. Each leg counts as half, so both sides equals one full lunge. 

Onto the cardio, which is my least favorite of any Legs 50/50. You're doing 60 seconds of fast feet burpees, which are about as pleasant as they sound. You're doing fast feet until Joel tells you to drop (and he still expects you to get up...) then 45 seconds of sumo jumps, and then you finish off with triple bear for 30 seconds. It's truly awful and you have my sympathies. And you have to do it a total of three times. 

If you're not dead, your core component is 30 seconds of dumbbell extensions, and 30 seconds of floor to ceiling leg lifts for 30 seconds. Repeat both for a total of three times. 

And week five is done!