Workout #18 of 2012 (Yoga with Chris Freytag)

My January workouts are done!  I planned to complete 18 this month and I did it :).  I'm right on track to easily complete 200 workouts this year!

Tonight I worked out with Chris Freytag and briefly with Kailee.  She decided it was more fun to crawl under my downward dog than to do her own so Dad had to whisk her away.  I love that she's interested though.  I want my kids growing up knowing that fitness is a part of life--in the most positive way possible :).

2 more workouts until my first milestone of the year! :)

XOXO,

Need a reason to get off the couch?

"Things do not change, we change." ~Henry David Thoreau

So get off that couch and make a change!

Workout #17 of 2012 (Cardio)

C25K on the elliptical was my workout of choice today.  It was a little bit hard seeing as how I haven't hydrated as well the last few days.  But I feel great now!  I am loving the motivation I still feel.  I want to do yoga but will make myself hold off until tomorrow.  I don't want to get burnt out!

Last year at this time I had completed 4 workouts.  I didn't reach 17 until February 27th.  If I stay on track, I will have completed 38 workouts on February 27th.  I will hit my first milestone this week: 10%.  I'm looking to complete my 20th workout on Thursday which will mean I'm 10% of the way to my goal!

XOXO,

Workout #16 of 2012 (30 Day Shred level 2)

Today I did the 30 Day Shred level 2 meaning that this week my upper body has gotten a TON of work.  Between yoga and 2 level 2 workouts with Jillian, my arms, shoulders and chest are hurting pretty badly.  I don't know if it's intentional, but it seems level 2 for Jillian means "let's focus on plank moves."  Next up will be the level 3 workouts!  In case you haven't noticed, I'm working through both Ripped in 30 and the 30 Day shred level by level leading up to doing my 50-minute workout No More Trouble Zones in a few weeks.

Feeling strong!

XOXO,

Workout #15 of 2012 (Yoga)

I did another workout tonight: Beginner Yoga (cheap on iTunes--got 5 episodes of exerciseTV yoga workouts for like $5). I did not think about the fact that Ripped in 30 Level 2 is plank-heavy but remembered real quick as I did downward dog in my yoga workout. It was HARD at first but I got used to it and pushed through. And now I can sleep easy knowing Im back on track for the week!

XOXO,

Workout #14 of 2012 (Ripped in 30 Level 2)

Tonight was a perfect workout. My blood sugar was in the 150s pre-workout, meaning I had great energy and knew I did not have to worry about going low mid-workout. Post-workout I feel energized and motivated to do some yoga in a few minutes. Last night my blood sugar would not cooperate (darn those perfect blood sugar nights below 100) so I missed my scheduled workout. Tonight has made up for it, and I still may catch up with some yoga time in a few minutes :).

XOXO,

Workout 13 of 2012 (Yoga and cardio)

I got to use my new yoga mat tonight!  It certainly helped me not fall or slide around when doing downward dog and other such moves.

After I finished, I decided to hop on the elliptical for some magazine reading time and actually stayed on for a good 15 minutes.  :)

Need some motivation?

"Discipline is doing what you know needs to be done, even though you don't want to."

XOXO,

Workout #12 of 2012 (Cardio)

I'm staying a week behind on "Once Upon a Time" just so I can watch it on Sundays when I workout on the elliptical :).  Tonight I did one of the 26-minute workouts of the couch-to-5K program on my elliptical.  I almost backed out but I knew I'd regret it.  Now I can rest easy without regret!

Great start to the week!

XOXO,

Workout #11 of 2012 (30 Day Shred Level 1)

Today I decided to return to the workout that made me realize I actually love to workout: Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred. I forgot how intense it is--it's a challenge even if you aren't a beginner. The strength portions involve one 30-second move followed by a compound movement for 60 seconds... 60 seconds is a long time to continuously do anything with weights. I'm glad Jillian has since decreased that in more recent DVDs by adding a third move.

XOXO,

Workout #10 of 2012 (Yoga)

A few weeks ago, I downloaded a free yoga workout on iTunes entitled Anytime Yoga: PM Yoga.  Tonight I finally decided to try it even though it's short - 10 minutes.  It promises to to prepare you for sleep--which I am feeling ready to pass out from sleepiness--so we'll see if it helps improve my sleep tonight.

All in all I enjoyed it and could see myself doing it as a cool down of sorts after a more intense workout in the future.  I am very sore from my workout yesterday and the stretches of this workout felt amazing in all the places I'm sore.

Now off to bed...  I'll report back if the workout helps sleep!  I know the one I did for digestive problems definitely cured my week long bout of night time heartburn so I have high expectations for this one as well.

XOXO,

Workout #9 of 2012 (Ripped in 30 Level 1)

Today, I was not as diligent with my water; hence, the workout was a little trying.  I was worried I would back out (as I often want to after a workday) but I reminded myself that I "can feel sore tomorrow or sorry tomorrow," and I chose to be sore :).

I noticed something kind of awesome throughout the workout tonight... I am getting more flexible!  I could get my legs higher during the military march in the warmup and could reach further over with my deadlifts in circuit 2.  Sooooo exciting!  I hope by the end of the year I can tell a MAJOR difference!  I'm looking forward to working on it tomorrow night with yoga!

XOXO,

Workout Plan for the Week

Monday: yoga

Tuesday: off

Wednesday: circuit training with weights

Thursday: yoga

Friday: off

Saturday: circuit training with weights

Sunday: cardio

XOXO,

Workout #8 of 2012 (yoga)

I bought a season of Everyday Yoga and Pilates on iTunes sbout a week ago; however, being the creature of habit and loyal/devoted fan of Chris Freytag's yoga workout, I hadn't gotten around to trying them. So tonight I finally tried Beginner Yoga with Meaghan Townsend (another ExerciseTV trainer). I enjoyed it more than I anticipated and will definitely appreciate having options now that ExerciseTV is no longer on demand :(. Whoever decided to remove it made a bad call. Hopefully it will return but I digress... Anyways, this workout was challenging for a true beginner like me, and I see how it has potential to help me improve my flexibility over time.

XOXO,

Motivation to get off the couch

From Pinterest:

"You can feel sore tomorrow or you can feel sorry tomorrow. It's YOUR choice."

Make the right choice!

XOXO,

Workout Tip ~ Make a Plan / Victory Wall!

Make a plan and post it where you can see it! I have a plan / victory wall in our game room. I also made a spot to document milestones as I travel on my workout journey this year. The best part is that it's always staring at me as I sit on the couch watching TV, beckoning to me to workout, and it faces me on the elliptical, motivating me to push on.

Here's mine:




XOXO,

Workout #7 of 2012 (cardio)

Today I worked out on the elliptical while watching an episode of Sex and the City season 3 courtesy of Netflix. Yea for my first truly dedicated week of working out this year. I did 5 workouts and I feel great!

Now I'm off to watch Live from the Red Carpet for the Golden Globes!

XOXO,

Workout #6 of 2012 (10 Pound Slimdown: Total Body)

Today I worked out with Chris Freytag and she kind of kicked my butt.  My muscles are screaming and I was out of breath most of the workout.  Kailee decided to workout with me and she especially liked the 30 second power drills.  She imitated my every move (sans weights) and giggled the whole time.  It hit me what a great thing it will be for my children to grow up watching my dedication and joy in fitness.  I want them to grow up enjoying it as well and not see it as a way to lose weight but as a way to take care of their bodies.

Well, off to the shower.  I was in my PJs all day enjoying a lazy Saturday.  Only a workout could inspire me to get dressed :).

XOXO,

Workout #5 of 2012 (Yoga)

Tonight was another yoga night with Chris Freytag and it flew by as usual. I am so sore from my workout yesterday that I needed all the stretching that goes into yoga.

I don't know if it's yoga or just the fact that I often did yoga as a 2nd workout in a day, but I feel really motivated to workout again right now. I'm not going to though... I wouldn't want to get burned out like most people do early in the year!

XOXO,

Upping the ante!

Call me crazy but I'm adjusting my workout goal for this year. I would like to do yoga twice a week, circuit training with weights twice a week and cardio once a week. If I do that, I can easily complete 200 workouts. I went on ahead and changed my ticker but rather than officially saying I'm going for 200, I'll say I want to reach 150-200. I have confidence that it can be done and am going after it!

XOXO,

Workout #4 (Killer Buns & Thighs Level 1)

I LOVED this new DVD my dog gave me for Christmas! As per usual with Jillian, this workout would be very hard for a beginner and Jillian even admits this isn't really a level 1 workout. Unlike The Shred (probably her most famous DVD) this program has 4 circuits with each exercise focusing on the buns and thighs while keeping the heart rate up and working other muscle groups as well. Only one move required weights though Jillian encourages the participants to add weights to make moves more advanced. Thanks to my joint issues I did have to substitute/modify some cardio moves, but not as many as I've had to in some of her other DVDs. All in all, I really liked the workout and recommend it to Jillian fans. You get a good workout in just over 30 minutes.

XOXO,

Need some motivation?... 23 and 1/2 Hours

Need some motivation to get fit or stay fit?  Watch this short video for a good reason to get off the couch just 1/2 hour each day:

XOXO,

Workout 3 of 2012 (Yoga and some cardio)

Tonight I did my favorite Yoga workout with Chris Freytag.  It felt soooooo good!  I know I sound like a broken record, but it amazes me how great I feel every time I do it.  I always finish feeling inspired to do more so today I decided to do more.  After finishing, I did 10 minutes on my elliptical while reading a magazine on my iPad.  The time FLEW by.  I forgot how much fun it is to read Shape while working out.  LOVE!

XOXO,

Workout Plan for the Week

I'm a planner and I do best when I have a plan. Here's my plan for this week:

Monday: yoga

Tuesday: circuit training with weights

Wednesday: off

Thursday: yoga

Friday: off

Saturday: circuit training with weights

Sunday: cardio

XOXO,

Workout 2 of 2012 (C25K)

Tonight I decided to do some cardio while watching the latest episode of Once Upon a Time. It was a great workout, one of those that make you look forward to the next. I needed that after not working out this week. The first week back after vacation is always tough because I'm tired at the end of the day. Here's to a better week this week! :)

XOXO,

Chris Freytag - ExerciseTV trainer

I recently tweeted at Chris Freytag about one of her workouts that I love. She followed the link to my blog and was impressed with my 100 workouts in 2011 goal. Today I am one of her success stories on her blog. Check it out HERE. :)

XOXO,

Be proud but NEVER satisfied!

"Be proud but NEVER satisfied!"

I am proud I reached my goal of 100 workouts in 2011 but I'm not satisfied.  I'm going after 150 this year.  What are you going after?

XOXO,

Workout 1 of 2012 (Extreme Shed & Shred level 1)

It's time to begin another journey.  This time to workout #150!

For the first workout of 2012, I decided to try one of my new Jillian Michaels' DVDs that the dogs gave me for Christmas, Extreme Shed and Shred.  It totally kicked my butt.  It was a lot of cardio--thankfully most of which I could kinda do or only had to slightly modify--and very different from her other DVDs.  She did not explicitly separate the parts into circuits though there were 4.  In each there are a series of exercises that are repeated before moving on to the next set.  She incorporated some kickboxing moves, martial arts as well as yoga.  I was excited when she incorporated part of the flow in my favorite yoga workout :).

Will I do it again?  Yes, but probably not for awhile.  I feel I am not in shape enough for this workout.  Taking a week off fulfilled a much needed break but it made me feel a little out of shape for such a hardcore workout.

This workout is not for beginners and in fact would have likely scared me off from trying any other Jillian workouts had it been my first.  The good thing is that she is providing more advanced options for people who have grown and improved from her other workouts.  I'm just not in as great of shape as I was summer 2010.  Maybe that should be another goal for this year :).

XOXO,