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! 

Week 4 of LIIFT 4

LIIFT4 - WEEK 4


Day One - Chest and Triceps Circuit




Welcome to week four! After a quick warmup, you start your day one with ten reps of chest press, ten reps of tricep press, ten reps of flies, and then ten reps of tricep kickbacks. You repeat each of those moves for three times total.

Your second block has you doing decline press, skill crushers, rotating chest press, and then single side crushers. You repeat all those moves ten times and it’s for a total of three times as usual.

The burnout round is a killer with 30 seconds of wide pushups, and then 30 seconds of tricep pushups. If the quad sets didn’t burn out your arms and chests, these pushups sure will!

You finish with your core component, and it’s reaching sit ups, and bicycle this. With reaching sit ups, you’re not using any momentum, so your arms aren’t going over you’re head, they’re already up. You’ve got 30 second of each for a total of three reps.


Day Two: Back and Biceps 50/50

50/50 days. Phew. lets go for it! You start your first block with ten reps of wide rows, and ten reps of wide curls. You repeat each move for a total of three times.

Your second block of reverse flys, and full curls. Ten reps of each for a total of three.

Your third block is full rows, and then hammer curls. As usual, ten reps of each and you’re doing this a total of three times.

Now…on to the HIIT. You’re using the 60, 45, 30 method. For sixty seconds you’re doing square squat jump. Rotating 90 degrees with each squat jump. Then you drop to the grown and do 45 seconds of wide mountain climbers. And then for third seconds you’re doing single leg ploy jumps. You repeat it all for a total of three times!

And onto the core component. You’re doing side reaches, and plank taps. You’re in high plank, and you touch a dumbbell in front of you. A total of three times!



Day Three - Shoulder Intervals

My favorite day! (The shoulder interval workouts go so quick.) After a quick warm up, you start your first block with 10 reps of lateral raises, 10 reps of front raises, and then 30 seconds of speed skaters. You repeat three times total.

Block two has you doing shoulder presses, and then shoulder flies. Remember those awful shoulder flies? They’re ba-aaaack! You may be able to go up on weights but be sensible about it! I’m on my third round as of this writing and I still am doing 8lbs and finding that pretty hard by the end of the 7th or 8th rep! Your cardio is 30 seconds of squat jumps.

Block three has you doing upright rows, swimmers, and your 30 seconds of cardio is soccer sprint. Soccer sprint is like soccer runs, only you’re going a lot faster. Ten reps of each for a total of three times.

Core component has you doing scissor kicks, and then reaching sit ups. 30 seconds of each move for there times. Oh, and then Joel in all evilness adds in 30 seconds of alternating leg twists. Hey, don’t kill the messenger!


Day four - Legs HIIT

Phew. So do I like Legs HIIT or do I hate it??? I like that I don’t have to pull out my weights but otherwise I don’t think I like it. Because it burns! So after a quick warmup, you’re doing four different cardio moves for 60 seconds, 45 seconds, 30 seconds, and 15 seconds. The moves get harder as the time gets shorter. So for 60 seconds, you’re doing soccer runs, with a sprint the last 10-15 seconds. Then for 45 seconds, you hop down into triple bear. For 30 seconds, you’re back up for sumo squat jumps, and then for the last 15 seconds, you’re doing plyo lunges. You repeat that for a total of three times.

Then onto the burnout. You’re doing the same cardio moves as above, but you’re doing them for 30 seconds, going straight through for two minutes of pure cardio. You repeat that twice.

Your core component is prayer crunch, and then high plank leg lifts. Still working those legs even in the core. You do both of those for 30 second, a total of three times.



And congratulations!!! You are halfway through with this program! Onto Week 5!

Week 3 of LIIFT4

LIIFT 4, WEEK 3. 

Day 1: Chest and Triceps 50/50

Oh man. Is it a good thing that the weeks starts out with a 50/50 since you've had two days off or does it just add to the Monday blahs? While we ponder this, lets get into the warm up! ;) 

Your first block is all chest. You start off with ten reps of chest presses, followed by ten reps of chest fries. You take a short break in between the two moves but you repeat each one for a total of three times. 

Block two has both a chest move and a tricep move. You're doing rotating press and then tricep kickbacks. Ten reps of each repeated for a total of three times. 

Your third block is kind of evil. You start with skull crushers, and then you roll over and do tricep pushups. As usual, ten reps of each and for a total of three times. 

Onto the HIIT portion of the workout. You're doing three moves and you're doing the 60, 45, 30 time period. You start out with 180 squat jumps for 60 seconds. This is a killer for real. You do 45 seconds of soccer runs. And then 30 seconds of plyo jumps. And your repeat that three times. Despite my legs just being burned up and served for dinner, I actually really like this combo of cardio moves.

The core component is dumbbell extensions and side reaches. 

Day 2: Back and Biceps Circuit

I keep thinking that the circuit days are easier because there is no HIIT. That is not the case. When I going to learn?

So after your warmup, you start in block one with ten reps of the following four moves: pullovers, top curls, reverse flys, and bottom curls. In top curl you start at the top and only go halfway down, and with bottom curls you start at the bottom and only go halfway up. You repeat these for a total of three times. 

In block two you're doing another quad set of wide rows, wide curls, traditional rows, and then hammer curls. I'm telling you that these blocks still burn out my biceps. You do ten reps of each a total of thre times. 

Your burnout is 30 seconds of back extensions and 30 seconds of full bicep curls. Repeated three times. After all the curls you've done, this burnout just totally burns out your biceps. My back feels it too with the back extensions. It's crazy. You're laying on the floor right, so you'd think it's be easy but noooo. Joel's back extensions are different than Jillian's back extensions (or as she calls them, "Supermans") as well. You keep your feet onto the floor and you're only lifting your upper body off the floor keeping your booty tight. I keep forgetting to mention that. 

Onto the core component, which is dumbbell crunch and bicycle twist. Each one for 30 seconds, repeated for a total of three times. Hurray, you have tomorrow off! 

Day 3: Shoulder intervals

Shoulder intervals are my favorite day! Yes! Uh, until you find that swimmers are in your future. 

After your warmup, block one takes you into ten reps of front raises and ten reps of upright rows. Your cardio is 30 seconds of one leg jumps. These kind of remind me of knee thrusts. 

Your second block is ten reps of side raises, and then ten reps overhead presses. Your 30 second cardio interval is speed skater. 

Your last block is mean. You're doing shoulder flys, which is where you're leaning slightly forward with your elbows bent (as if you're getting ready to press overhead), but instead of pressing overhead, you're bringing your elbows in close. Joel tells you to go light on this and he is not kidding. Next you're doing swimmers, which is also just super mean. It's a front raise/side raise in one, and you bring your weights forward and back. It's tough and another go light move. Your 30 seconds of cardio is squat jumps. 

Core component is weighted side crunches and windshield wipers. Wait inside crunchers are where you are up in crunch holding a dumbbell and going side to side over your knees. It's not like a russian twist, it's more like a rainbow over your knees. It's an oblique burner for real. You repeat each three times. 

Day 4: Legs 50/50

All righty. It seems fitting that leg day is Friday because this workout is so tough and you definitely deserve the two rest days that are coming up. After a quick warmup, your first block jumps right into sumo squats, and then 10 reps of bridges. You're holding onto a weight during sumo squats, and in bridges, you're laying on your back, with weights on your hips and your thrusting your hips up. What a booty burner. You're doing ten reps of each, a total of three times.

The second block is my favorite. You're doing regular weighted/front loaded squats, and then 10 reps of calf raises. You start off with regular calf raises, the second time you're doing pigeon calf raises (toes in), and then the third time you're doing duck calf raises with your toes out. You burn out a new part of your calf each time. 

The third block is mean and a lot of it is because of alternating side lunges. Going left, and then going right counts as one. Ten times. Then you're doing ten deadlifts. Repeat for a total of three times. Now on to the HIIT component. 

You're doing the 60, 45, 30 method, and you're doing soccer runs for 60 seconds, catchers for 45, and lunge jumps for 30. You repeat those moves for a total of three times. This is tough. Your legs should be completely done by the end of this. The good news is there is no triple bear. ;)

Oh, and your core component? Side plank on each side for 30 seconds. I'm telling you, this just is a total ugh. I've never been do happy to be done with a workout. ;) It's TOUGH! But it's effective. ;) 

On to week 4!!

WEEK 2 OF LIIFT4

Week 2 of LIIFT4

Day One: Chest and Triceps Circuit

Let me start out by saying that when I watched this workout before, I remember thinking, “Oh cool! No HIIT! You lay down almost the entire workout. This will be great.” Oh, how I was wrong.

So after a brief warm up Joel takes you to block one. You're doing ten different exercises and you repeating them three times, which is the LIIFT4 format. You start off with ten reps of decline press, which is where you’re in a bridge position on your back, and you’re lifting up and the weights are meeting mid chest. Right at the bra line, if you need a visual and you wear a bra ;). Next is ten reps of Skull Crushers, then ten reps of rotating chest press. You finish with ten reps of single side crushers. You have your arm up and you bring the dumbbell to your opposite shoulder and you’re burning out your tricep. Joel tells you to go lighter and he’s not playing around. By the time I was done with the third time around, I wanted to throw the dumbbells but I couldn’t easily move my arm.

On to Block Two! You're doing chest press, tricep press, chest flies, and then you stand up for your one standing move, and do tricep kickbacks. Each move for ten reps, and you repeat for a total of three times. I actually think I like this one the best.

Your burnout round is cruel and unusual. You do 30 seconds of wide pushups, and then 30 seconds of tricep pushups, and you repeat it for a total of three times. After all the work you’ve done on your chest and triceps, this is TOUGH.

Your core component dumbbell flutter kicks where you do your regular flutter kicks with shoulers off the ground holding your crunch and you have the dumbbell for extra resistence, and bent knee windshield wipers. Repeat each 30 second move for a total of three times.

Day Two: Back and Biceps 50/50

Warning #2: It’s my third time doing this, right? I remember specifically wanting to cry during this workout. Week two. Day two. Third time doing this program and I wanted to cry. It’s a good workout to repeat over and over again with heavier weights as you progress. The weights kill your biceps and then the cardio kills your soul. Haha. So without any further adieu…

You start your first block working your back with ten reps of rows and ten reps of reverse flies. Repeat three times.

The next block you do a back move, wide rows, and then a bicep move, hammer curls. Ten reps, repeated three times total. I remember really struggling with the hammer curls.

Your third block is all biceps, and this is where I struggled. You do full bicep curls, and then wide bicep curls. I’m not sure why I found this so difficult this time around, but man. I had to drop my weights and even with a lower weight, it still felt hard!

For HIIT, you go back to your 60, 45, 30 seconds. At sixty seconds, you’re doing single leg plyo jumps. You start with one leg for the first 30 seconds, and then finish up the other leg for 30 seconds. You hit the floor with forty-five seconds of twisted mountain climbers, and then you burn out the rest of your legs with 30 seconds of 180 squat jumps. You repeat that for a total of three times.

Your core component is 30 seconds of side reaches, and 30 seconds of plank shoulder taps, and you do it a total of three times. You get a day off tomorrow, and I’m pretty sure you deserve it.

Day Three: Shoulder Intervals

This is my favorite day. I love doing the interval workouts because you do two moves and then a 30 second hit move. I feel like you get a break from both the lifting or the total cardio. Woo!

You start block one with side raises, and then shoulder presses - ten reps of each. Your HIIT is thirty seconds of soccer runs. Repeat for a total of three times.

Second Block is front raises, side raises, and then 30 seconds of catchers, which is essentially a no jump burpee.

Third block is Y raises, upright row, and 30 seconds of squat jumps.

Your core component is 30 seconds of alternating leg twists, and 30 seconds reaching sit-ups.

The interval training days are my personal favorite because they tend to run a little shorter (Closer to 30 minutes as opposed to closer to 40) and it’s just a good break.

Day Four: Legs HIIT

WARNING #3. LIIFT4 workouts are closer to 40 minutes then 30 minutes. So when I opened this workout to fast forward, I saw that it was only 27 minutes and I got excited. That was silly of me. ;)

So for your Legs HIIT days, you don’t need your weights. You’re doing pure cardio and your legs are carrying you through, unless they break off of course. You’re doing four moves, and you’re doing 60 seconds, 45 seconds, 30 seconds, and 15 seconds. You do high knee run for 60 seconds, triple bear for 45 seconds, catchers jump for 30 seconds, and alternating lunge jumps for 15 seconds. You repeat those for a total of three times.

Next is your burnout. You do all the moves but for 30 seconds each. So 30 seconds of high knees, triple bears, catchers jump, and alternating lunge jumps with no breaks for a full two minutes. You repeat that three times. It is so tough!

Your core component is bent knee windshield wipers, and floor to ceiling leg lifts. Thirty seconds for each move for a total of three times.

Hey, the good news is that you got two days off!

See ya in week 3… :)

Week 1 of LIIFT4

 Week 1 of LIIFT4. 

DAY ONE: Chest and Triceps 50/50

On you 50/50 days, you do all your lifting for the first half of the workout, and you do HIIT for the second half. 

This workout is a burner for your chest and triceps. Your first block is 10 reps of chest press, and ten reps of tricep skull crushers. You repeat those moves for a total of three times. 

Your second block is 10 reps of chest flies and 10 reps of tricep presses. I don’t remember ever coming past a tricep press before doing LIIFT4, so if you’re unfamiliar, tricep presses are where you keep your elbows close to your body. Repeat for a total of three times. 

And your third block is mean. You’re doing rotating chest press and then tricep pushups. NOOOOOO. Oh man, I hate tricep pushups! They are so hard (even after doing this program three times!). But you do them three times total and you got this! 

Now it’s onto the HIIT portion of the workout. You do three moves, and the time you do it ranges from 60 seconds, 45 seconds, and 30 second. The hardest move you do the shortest time, and the “easiest” (although NONE of these move are easy) are the longest. You start out with soccer runs. They remind me of hacky sack dances. You’re just bringing your knees up and your feet inwards as if you’re bouncing a soccer ball with your feet for 60 seconds. Then down on the ground for mountain climbers. And then you do something called catchers for 30 seconds, which is kind of like a no jump burpee, but instead of standing up after jumping into plank you stay in a squat like a baseball catcher would do. Being a huge fan of baseball (GO REDS!) I think I hated these just slightly less than burpees because I could think about baseball. You repeat three times.

Core component is also done three times, and your moves are rope climb (where you lay on your back with your legs up in the air, and you climb up as if you have a rope between your legs, and then bent knee windshield wipers, to really work your obliques. 

After that, you do you cool down with a lot of old school stretches. Day One is in the books! 

DAY TWO: Back and Biceps Circuit

This one has NO HIIT! Woo hoo. But it does have a burnout round at the end of the workout. Each block is four sets (quad sets) of for a total of three times. After a quick warmup, your first block is 10 reps of wide rows, 10 reps of wide bicep curls, 10 reps of traditional rows, and then ten reps of hammer curls repeated three times. 

Your second quad set consists of pullovers, where you’re on the floor and lowering the weight behind your head and then pulling it up over your chest, top bicep curls where you start the curl from the top and only go halfway down, reverse chest flies, and then bottom curls, where you start your bicep curl from the bottom and only go halfway up. By the time the third set comes around, my biceps are SCREAMING. The cool thing about LIIFT4 is as you progress you can lift heavier weights. I’ve never done this workout and not felt it the next day. As with every block, you do ten reps of each move a total of three times. 

The burnout round is mean too! You get on the ground for back extension for 30 seconds, and then hop up for full bicep curls. In this, you go for form rather than trying to bust out a ton. You do it three times total. 

Your core component is alternating sit ups with leg twists, and a 30 second plank a total of three times each. 

After your cool down, day two is in the books! And guess what - you get a rest day tomorrow! 

I usually do some kind of fun workout on my rest day. Lately it’s been Country Heat! 

DAY THREE: Shoulders Lift Intervals (picking up after your rest day)

I think lift intervals are my favorite day. This is where you do two moves (10 reps each) and then 30 seconds of HIIT. After your warmup, you do 10 reps of shoulder presses, and then 10 reps of upright rows. And then 30 seconds of alternating plyo lunges. You do that for a total of three times.

Your second block is front raises and side raises with a 30 second cardio interval of no jump burpees, repeated to make it three times total. 

Your third block…oh ho ho this is where things get interesting. You do 10 reps of Y Raises, raising to each corner of the room, and then you do shoulder flies. I may vaguely remember doing this in a Jillian workout? Maybe not? I can’t remember. But Joel tells you to go light, and me, well, I don’t listen well. I tried using 10lb dumbbells. Then I tried eight. I ended up going back down to five pounds and even THAT was challenging my first time. WHAT? Now that I’ve done this one a few times, I can get out a decent amount with my 8lb dumbbells, but I usually end up dropping down to five for my last ones for the third time I’m doing this one. Listen to Joel! GO LIGHT! Even the big guys in the workout are going light and you can tell the struggle is real for them! Your cardio is 30 second of squat jumps. 

Your core component is 30 seconds of both scissors and reaching sit ups, repeated three times each. Day three is checked off!

DAY FOUR: Legs 50/50

I just want you to know that you are in my prayers. :) Your first half of the workout is lifting, and the second half is HIIT. This workout is challenging!

After your warmup, you start this one with 10 reps of weighted squats, and 10 reps of deadlifts, three times total. That’s block one. 

Block two had ten reps of goblet sumo squats, and 10 reps of alternating rear lunges, and that’s ten on each leg. You’re there for a while and Joel makes sure that you know to take the appropriate weight because you’re doing so many reps. You repeat it three times. 

Block three is my favorite. You get down in the floor and do a bridge raise with the weights on your hips, and then you hop up and do calf raises. You do ten reps of each, however, each time you stand and do calf raises, you move your toes in a different position to do all sides of your calf. Toes straight for the first rep, toes in for pigeon calf raises, and toes out for duck calf raises. 

Your HIIT is 60/45/30 seconds, like on day one. You start with sixty seconds on high knee runs. Forty-five seconds of triple bear, which is super vile. You’re in bear pose, and then you hop side, center, side. It is horrible! And finally, you do thirty seconds of squat jacks. You don’t have to do it three times, but my legs are always shaking by the end! 

Core component is a prayer crunch for 30 seconds, and leg raises in plank for 30 seconds, repeated three times. 

You have earned your cool down, and your first week of LIIFT4 is done. 

You have two days off in a row. LIIFT4 comes with two recovery workouts (stretching, and one is foam rolling I believe). I’ve never actually done them, but I recommend that you do not be like me. (I have gotten very into doing Yoga with Adriene on youtube, and I truly enjoy yoga a lot more than I thought I would! I do try to implement stretching a few times a week.) 

Congrats on completing your first week!! 

LIIFT 4 for the third time!

 Hi everyone! Today I started LIIFT4 for the third time, and I feel like I've done this program enough to go in depth and talk about it! Yesss!

LIIFT4 is a bit different from any kind of workout program I've done before. You can find it on Beachbody On Demand and it's created by Joel Freeman. (I also want to say that I am NOT a Beachbody coach. I just did the workout and enjoyed it and never used a coach myself.) It's eight weeks total, and it starts out with six build weeks and the last two weeks are shred weeks. You work out for four days a week, hence LIIFT4. You have three rest days a week. I love that you never, ever do the same workout twice throughout the program. There is no way you're going to get bored with it. I also love that it focuses on lifting heavy! Jillian workouts are great, but there is only one program that I know of where lifting is the focus, and that's Lift and Shred. I also love, love, love that this workout ends with a core workout. That's something I really missed in Lift and Shred. It also has focused/targeted workouts, like shoulder days, chest and triceps, legs, and back and biceps rather than a full body or front of the body one day, back of the body another day. I also love that there are stretching workouts included that go beyond the normal cooldown. I'm telling you, throughout this workout I was always sore, which is something that didn't happen with other workouts. I felt like my body got sooo used to doing the same things all the time. I feel like LIIFT4 is built to be able to do again and again and just add heavier weights. 

In LIIFT4, there are three blocks. And in each block, you do three sets. After you do your three sets, you write down the weight you're using and do the next one three times. Write down your weights and repeat. Depending on what type of workout is up for that day, you either go right to the core component to finish for the day, or you do a burnout round. 

On the subject of types, there are four different types of workouts. 

LIIFT 50/50 - You do all your lifting for the first half of the workout, and then the second half you do a HIIT style workout with lots of cardio. 

LIIFT Circuit - This reminds me a lot of Jillian where each set finishes with a quick cardio interval. So you do two lifting moves (say shoulder presses and lateral raises, and then you do a cardio interval). You do that three times, and then your next block is two moves and a cardio interval. 

Straight Lift - No HIIT! Yessss! It's all lifting and I'm telling you right now that you may think that no cardio means an easy workout but oh my goodness, it's not!

Straight HIIT - just what it sounds like. All cardio. No need to drag out your weights because you don't need them. I thought that I'd love this since I'm definitely more of a cardio girl but it's HARD. 

Your straight cardio is always on leg days, except for the shred weeks where it is a full body HIIT. But we'll talk about that more when we get there. 

And so that's LIIFT4 on paper. Are you ready? My plan is at the end of every week to give a rundown of the four workouts you do that week. I hope that helps me get back in the swing of blogging more often! 

I completed LIIFT4!

 Hi everyone! I completed LIIFT4 a week and a half ago and immediately started a new round. Starting L4 was so intimidating, but I'm so glad I gave it a chance. I'm on Week 2 since restarting and feeling super strong. 

If you're looking for a strength based workout but don't know where to start, I highly recommend LIIFT4! 

Soon I will talk about each workout one by one. Keep an eye out! For now, stay safe out there! <3 

Two weeks into LIIFT4!

Two weeks down, six more to go! 

I'm really enjoying LIIFT4 so far. I love the change from Jillian to Joel. LIIFT4 is challenging, too, and when I finish a workout, I am SPENT. I'm working muscles that I didn't know existed, which blows me away, to be honest. I've been doing these types of workouts for several years and I thought I was hitting everything. Nope!

One thing that I really like about LIIFT4 is that you never do the same workout twice. At first, when I was reading through and looking at the calendar, I saw the same title a few times and figured that you got about 5-6 workouts, and you repeated them once a week. Nope. You never do the same workout twice. Cool! So that gives me a wide variety to go back to and play around with in the future. That's cool, and I REALLY like that. So that gives me, what, around 30+ different workouts? Four different workouts for eight weeks? I'm pleased with that!

I also really like the schedule. You're working out four days a week with LIIFT4 - workout 1, workout 2, rest day, W03, WO4, and two rest days. So for me it's Monday and Tuesday. On Wednesday I do Country Heat (or have been) and then Thursday and Friday. Saturday is my scheduled rest day, and on Sunday I ride my spin bike. Lately I've also been spending Sunday mornings at the lake on my paddle board. 

I gained around 5lbs at the beach, and I've been working on taking that off. I feel like I have, but the scale fluctuates and I've never been good about using the measuring tape. Ha. But clothes are starting to fit me better and I feel good. I feel like I'm getting myself back to where I was before the fire and that makes me happy. Last year, I really wasn't feeling my new paddleboard, but this year, I've made sure to work on core strength and I've dropped 20lbs from last summer, and I really like the new paddleboard. That is awesome, too! Crazy what dropping even 20lbs and working your core and adding in yoga can do for you. :) 

LIIFT4 by Beach Body

I did workout one today! I definitely wasn't sure what to do. I figured that I would do Jillian Michaels' Body Shred, but I had a weird feeling about it. I didn't see fantastic results from Body Shred. Granted, the first time I did it was in the hotel, but when I did it when I got home, I wasn't pleased. I loved doing Lift & Shred though, and I wanted to continue the lifting.

So I took the plunge and started LIIFT4 today! I've give a more detailed post about it down the road, but here is my initial reactions.

1. I LOVE IT. It's a little longer than the Jillian workouts I've been doing. Some of this is because Joel Freeman (the LIIFT4 creator) implements 30 second breaks, and 60 second breaks here and there. To be honest, that's one thing I don't like about Beach Body (that, and the trainers can seem really chatty) but I really liked the little breaks.
2. I love the preview of the moves. I don't have to watch this workout before doing it. If there is a move and I'm not sure what it is, I can demonstate it rather than stare at my TV screen for a few seconds and then jump in.
3. Wow, these 35 minutes WENT SO FAST.
4. I stink at tricep pushups.
5. I love the core implement. That's one thing I really felt like I was missing in Lift and Shred, and that's why I implemented the 10 Minute Meltdown workouts.

I'm glad I took the plunge so far!

An update on Operation: Floral

So in my last general blog post, I talked about being back on the fitness bandwagon and how I was so excited about upcoming events that were keeping me motivated. Such as my trip to the beach, the Alanis Morissette concert, my uncle and his long time girlfriend getting married. That was at the end of February and at that time, I had no idea that the coronavirus, or COVID19, was going to derail almost ALL OF THAT.

Noooo! The first corona casualty was my aunt and uncle postponing their wedding. I was so bummed. By mid-April, I was really starting to get concerned about my trip to Virginia Beach and thinking it wasn't going to happen. In Mid-May I learned that the Alanis concert was postponed. Oh man. What a crappy Spring and Summer this was turning out to be!

Despite all that, I'm proud to say that I managed to say motivated enough to continue with my workouts. That was a great feeling, honestly. I wasn't sure what was going to happen, but I continued to work out and eat healthily, just like I did before the fire. It was like I found a bit of myself that I had lost along the way. And not only that, but I was noticing positive changed both with the scale AND in my body. Finally! So even if I wasn't going to the beach, or wearing one of my favorite dresses, or attending a bucket list concert, I still had a reason for doing it. It wasn't for nothing and it added to the motivation.

Luckily, we did manage to go to the beach. I've been back home for a couple days now and I though I'd give a visual update not only on Operation: Floral, but on whether or not I wore a two piece swim suit on the beach.

I'm not at my lowest weight, and I still would like to lose around 25-30lbs to lose before I feel like I can be "done" or maintaining, but I'm happy with what I've managed so far.

Not sure what my workouts will be. I'm totally sick of Lift and Shred and the 10 Minute Meltdown Pilates, Hard Core and kickboxing workouts. I'm tossing up LIIFT4, Body Shred, or Body Revolution in my mind. We'll see where we go. Hopefully the results continue to happen. While on my trip to the beach, I ate like crap (manicotti, a cheese burger, a TON of fries, lots of ice cream, haha) and I put on about 5lbs. I thought that I'd get a ton of steps in, but honestly, I found myself marching in place most of the time to get to 10k steps. But we're starting anew, and this time I know I can do it. I had a great week of rest and fun. I'm ready to kill this, bring it back to life, and kill it again. :D

How's everyone faring during the pandemic?

Lift and Shred: Level 2

Lift and Shred: Level 2

It's time for a review of Level 2! It's definitely more advanced than Level 1, but not toooo much of a stretch. I do it on Wednesdays only one day a week and I do Level 1 on Monday and Friday. I've contemplated switching Level 2 to Monday and Friday, and Level 1 to Wednesday's, but we'll see. Anyway, it's time to break it out!

This workout has two people - Kenta and Maddie. (Kenta and Rocky were in Level 1) I think I forgot to mention that in Level 1, Kenta didn't get the right amount of weights, and that becomes a running joke throughout the two levels, which I love. You get a few laughs during the workout which is great to try and distract you from the fact that you're dying! haha. 

You start with a warmup, that consists of butt kicks, lunges with a psoas stretch, arm circles, wrist circles, and twisting side to side jumps. Circuit one starts on the floor with one hand on a dumbbells, rolling it in and rolling it out to do a pushup, and then a tricep pushup. Then you lay on your back and do a closed grip chest press. Next is side plank rows, and the finally a Turkish sit up, holding one dumbbell. You repeat on the other side, and then it's on to Circuit 2. Beware - I think it's my least fav!

In circuit two, you do Russian twists, burpee rows, a sumo squat and a high and wide pull, and then a deadlift into a lunge. You repeat on the other side. Yep - pretty sure this is my least favorite. 

In Circuit 3, you do bent leg deadlift jumps. Next she has you do good mornings. She tells you to cross the dumbbells over your chest, but I put them over my shoulders like I'm used to doing. Rear delt flys come next, and finally, my favorite move is lateral skater with a dumbbell pass. And then repeat on the other side! 

Finally, we're at Circuit 4! It starts with a side lungs into an overhead press, which I like. And then you're doing snatches. It's like a bent knee deadlift where you snatch the weights over your head. Then you do a split jerk, where you jump into a lunge position while sending the dumbbells over your head. Then finally is a goblet duck walk, which you're holding the dumbbell in goblet position, and you squat walk/duck walk for four steps. You walk back holding the dumbbell in one hand. You repeat on the other side and you're done! 

You've earned your cool down! 

Lift and Shred: Level 1

Lift and Shred: Level 1

I’ve been doing Lift and Shred since the beginning of the year, and it’s about time that I let everyone know how I feel about it! Here is a rundown of Level 1. 

First of all, this is Jillian’s ONLY DVD or workout program (that I know of, unless there is one on her app) that is purely strength training and no cardio. I love that, because I run five days a week. I don’t mind the cardio intervals that are in a lot of Jillian DVDs, but only when there is a few minutes total. I love Jillian’s longer programs like Body Rev or Body Shred, but don’t like a dedicated cardio day. Then it is a double cardio day and gah - just doesn’t seem to always work for me. 

You start with a warmup that includes jump rope, knee thrusts into crescent kicks, plank into downward dog, and behind the back jumping jacks. Then you jump right into lifting heavy for Circuit 1. I started L&S using 10, 12, and 15lb dumbbells, but now I’ve migrated to using only the 12s and the 15s. The first move you do is a basic squat, followed by alternating reverse lunges, high and wide rows, and then finishing out with a shoulder press. You do it again to finish out that circuit. 

Circuit 2 has you doing alternating side lunges, stiff leg deadlifts, bicep curls, and goblet squats, which you repeat for a second time. Out of all of them, this is probably my favorite circuit. I use 15lb dumbbells the whole time. 

Circuit 3 has you doing a kettlebell swing with a dumbbells, low rows, a hammer curl with a bent arm fly, and then tricep extensions. So on the hammer curl, Jillian tells you to go heavier with your weights, but since your shoulders are a smaller muscle group, do you fly with a bent arm instead of your arms fully extended. For me, the bent arm felt funky. I always felt like I was going to pull something or do it incorrectly. So I just did hammer curls and then flies like normal. I’ve bumped up to 12lbs for this. I’m finding the flies really challenging with the heavier weight, but it just felt much more natural to me.

Okay, I may be wrong about Circuit 2. Circuit 4 may be my favorite. That’s because you finish out on the floor. Phew. Jilllian has you get into bridge and do a lat pull in bridge pose. With your back down on the mat, you’re doing chest press into chest flies. Then you’re doing a weighted crunch. And finally, there is a pure evil move called around the world. You get back into bridge, and raise the dumbbells over your head, and you circle your arms down to your hips, almost as if you’re making a snow angel. Holding onto heavy weights, of course. But best of all with circuit four, you repeat it once and you’re ready for your cooldown! Yes!

There is a running joke in this DVD that Kenta didn’t get the right weights which is amusing. And Jillian’s ribbing of him grabbing the wrong weights gives you a much needed break on occasion! Haha. 

All in all, L&S Level 1 is probably up in my top favorite workouts! I love it! 

We're back on the bandwagon!

We're back on the bandwagon!

So I'm pretty proud of myself! I ended 2019 and began the new year running running five days a week! This is something that I struggled with doing since leaving the hotel and coming back home. I think the next week (can’t remember for sure - I may have started the same week with JM but for some reason I don’t think so), I started doing Jillian’s Lift and Shred. I did Level 1 and Level 2 twice a week, taking the weekends and Wednesday off. I noticed that I really didn’t feel like I had a lot of core strength, so I switched it up again, and my current schedule is 5 days running, and five days Jillian. On Monday and Friday, I do Lift and Shred Level 1. On Wednesdays, I do Level 2 of L&S. And on Tuesday and Thursday, I do two different Jillian DVDs but make it one workout that’s about 35 minutes long. Jillian has two 10 Minute Workout DVD’s, a first and second edition. In the 10-minute workout DVDs, there are five 10 minute workouts, plus  a warm up and cool down. There's a wide variety of workouts on each of these DVDs, but plenty for a quick and effective workout. On the first edition, if I’m remembering correctly, there is a Pilates inspired workout, a kickboxing workout, a bodyweight/animal style, calisthenics, and booty workout, each around 10 minutes long. The DVD also includes a warm up and cool down. In the second edition, there is a super intense cardio session, a lifting workout, yoga, hard core, and another one that I'm completely forgetting, with warm up and cool down. So at the bare minumum, you’re working out for ten minutes, or you could do every workout on the DVD and get a good all around workout just under an hour of time. For me, I like to do each of the core inspired workouts. So if I start off with the first edition, I do Pilates, and then one round of the kickboxing in (for 5 minutes) to get my heart rate back up, and then I switch the DVD and finish up with the second edition’s Hard Core workout. Cool down, and it’s a nice little burner for my core. If I put the second edition in, I’m doing the super intense cardio workout that’s on that one. It’s random which one I put in the DVD player and start out with.
I feel like I’ve finally gotten a part of me back. I’m noticing positive changes in my body and that makes it really easy to get back on track. Operation Floral is still a thing and I’ve noticed that my shorts are starting to fit me better now! Still a little too tight, but it’s a work in progress.
I’ve got a lot to look forward to in 2020. In April my uncle is marrying his longtime girlfriend which I'm very excited about. It’s made me feel motivated to get healthy so I can maybe wear one of my favorite dresses (rainbow dress!) that lately I’ve NOT been confident enough to wear. And with the weight I gained, it just doesn’t look good. So that’s my goal to wear my rainbow dress (or my red polkadot dress!) to my aunt and uncle’s wedding. I’m not quite sure what to expect, but I can imagine that this wedding will be like a big, fun, family event! I feel a little strange that I feel this way for someone else’s wedding but hey. It’s motivating me!
Another big motivator is that we’ve made reservations for a beach vacation! Woo hoo! It’s been 13 years since I’ve been to the beach and it’ll only be my third time seeing the ocean as it is, so I’m I am really excited! And the big kicker: last summer I bought a bikini in May. It was before I completely fell off the bandwagon, and by the time warm weather came about and it was time to wear it, I just couldn’t put it on. I was totally not confident. This bathing suit top still has the tags on it!! But my goal is to make that change this year. The tags are coming off and that swim suit is going to be on my body while my body is at the beach this year. It’s my hope that I won’t have to buy new clothes and that I’ll be able to fit back in all my old ones.

And another big motivator: I’m going to the Alanis Morissette concert! But instead of buying two tickets - one for me and one for a family member who most likely won’t enjoy it like I do, I just bought ONE ticket. I’m going by myself (I have asked if any friends would want to meet up, but so far I haven’t had too much luck) so unless something changes, I’ll go by myself. I’m actually okay with this for the most part. I want to venture out and start doing things myself - but I want to feel confident. And that’s another big motivator.

I made a fun calendar and I truly enjoy ticking off all my workouts. I’ll share a pic soon! :) I bought dry erase board. I cut out a calendar template with my Cricut Cutter, added a cork board to hang pictures, and another empty spot where add in notes and quotes. It is really big and it will hang on my wall as soon as I get hangers. I'm going to have pictures of myself paddle boarding, encouraging notes, reminders of what I'm looking forward to, and so on. Basically it's going to have my “why” - why I'm working out and trying to stay healthy - and I'm going to see it everyday.

It's so wonderful to have this confidence again and to feel motivated again. I feel like I've found a part of me that I lost in the fire. But I feel like I'm getting a better part of me back. My first time losing this weight I never got below 162 pounds. I had my “realistic” goal weight at 150, and my “unrealistic” goal weight at 150. I never actually accepted that I never did hit my goal weight (either one). It’s like my body said, “Okay, this is it. This is the farthest I can go.” and I was sooo unhappy with that. I wanted to get to my goal so bad that I developed exercise habits, eating habits, and general self-hate habits that were definitely unhealthy and maybe verging on disordered. This time around I'm trying to be more accepting of myself and my body. I’m going to try my best and push it to the limits but not push it to the point of breaking down.

Upcoming blogs I hope to go in depth with both levels of Lift and Shred, and the two 10-minute workout DVDs. I have been doing Lift and Shred for almost two months now and I'm beginning to wonder where to go from there because I want to build on it. I am still quite intrigued by LIIFT4 from Beachbody… maybe it’s time for me to try jumping ship for a while? :)