Sunday, January 31, 2016

Day 16- Bob Harper Total Trainer Plus Group Class + Live Fit 1

Day 16- Bob Harper Total Trainer Group Class + Live Fit 1

The group class is 21 minutes and it's a great quick workout.  The beginning is a killer lower body workout.  For about 4 minutes, you're maintaining some sort of squat.  Ouch.  The burn.  The next bit is only 5 moves: Burpees, plank mountain climbers, plank, squat thrusts, and static shoulder press with kicks.  This can be as easy or as hard as you want.  A kettle bell or hand weight is recommended, I used 8 lb and that was just right for me.  Since this is only 20 minutes, I really tried to push it hard and that made all the difference.  I burned 150 calories, average heart rate 130, max  157. 

The Live Fit class was a learn and burn class.  Bob teaches you how to do a move, and then you do it.  It was 20 minutes and if you went through the moves taking out the instruction and talking, it would be an alright workout.  There's air squats, push ups, slow mountain climbers, and walk outs(like coming up and down from downward dog).  No weights.  108 calories, average heart rate 116, max 149.

I was planning on only doing the group class, but I was feeling good and had Kneaders French toast for breakfast.  Did you know that has 450 calories for one piece and 25 grams of fat?  WHAT?!  If you haven't had Kneaders French toast, you should.  So delicious.

Day 15- P90X YOGA

Day 15-P90X Yoga

I began practicing Yoga about 10 years ago in college, starting with a Power Yoga class.  It brought benefits to my life that I didn't predict.  Rather than focusing on exercise, you focus on yourself, the movement and strength and balance within.  It's a different type of endurance and while some people skip it, if you can find the right mindset, it's highly therapeutic both mentally and physically.  I have practiced on and off, trying to incorporate it into my workout routine, which I highly recommend.  And so does Tony Horton.

This is not a beginner's yoga class.  It's 90 minutes long, the longest of all workouts in the P90X series.  45 minutes would have been adequate.  Without a basic understanding of yoga, this could get frustrating.  Try to watch it first to familiarize yourself with the poses. The first half follows a flow through sun salutations.  The second half had some balance poses with a lot of static stretches.  I felt like it was the longest warm up ever.  I've always understood that a 60 minute yoga class or longer is ideal because the body becomes more pliable.  That's a struggle for me, but I get it.  Also, I think I should mention that I am not flexible.  Seriously.  I used a block for a few of the moves.  Remember that technique is much more important than looking flexible.  You just can't fake flexibility, so go as far as your body allows and stop. 

I burned 293, average heart rate 102, max 137. 

Tuesday, January 26, 2016

Day 14-Killer Buns and Thighs Level 2

Day 14-Killer Buns and Thighs Level 2

Similar to Level 1 of this series, I was not disappointed with Level 2.  This workout video focused on the booty, with variations of squats and lunges.  I used a 5 lb weight for just a few exercises but the majority of them just use body weight.  Jillian walks you through 4 different sets of exercises, each set having either 4 or 5 moves that are repeated twice.  You will want a mat. Killer Buns and Thighs was 42 minutes long including the warm up and cool down. I burned 285 calories with an average heart rate of 128 and max of 160.  Level 1 burned 240 so I'm glad to see the extra calorie burn with the progression of levels. 


Monday, January 25, 2016

Day 13- P90X Total Synergistics

Day 13-P90X Total Synergistics

Finally a P90X workout that I could tolerate!  Just kidding....not. As Tony Horton puts it, "This has a little bit of everything."  And that's what I like.  This workout was very doable for me and that's a big bonus because I sometimes he adds moves into his workouts that hurt my feet, or knees....or pull ups. This workout was just shy of an hour and I burned 385 calories  with an average heart rate of 127 and max of 158. 

My diet has gone down the crapper.  My motivation to diet while breastfeeding is not going too well.  Granted, I haven't eaten a tub of ice cream or a box of pizza.  It's just the dang little stuff.  But my last post was a good motivator to just keep trying.  If I don't give up then I don't have to start over.  I am not fat, I just have fat (left over baby fat).  I just want my pants to fit a little looser, ya know?  Nothing drastic, just a little looser.  I am 3 weeks in to this workout challenge and I can decide to quit any time or I can decide to do better at any time.  So, I'll do better. 



Day 12-JILLIAN MICHAELS KILLLER BUNS AND THIGHS LEVEL 1

Day 12-Killer Buns and Thighs Level 1

I really enjoyed this workout.  It was 40 minutes long and gave the glutes a good burn.  Jillian did 4 sets of exercises, including a little bit of everything.  I burned 240 calories, with an average heart rate of 120 and max of 157.  Level 1 was not a killer workout, but I definitely thought it would be one that I would do again.  It had variety, made me sweat, and lasted a good amount of time. 

Working out isn't about being perfect.  It's about being persistent. I have to modify moves sometimes, but I keep going.  Maybe you can't do it long enough or the weight you're using is too heavy, but you keep going.  Real life for most of us isn't synchronized or uninterrupted.  It's messy.  Being persistent about your health makes a big difference.


Wednesday, January 20, 2016

Day 11-P90X Chest, Shoulders, Triceps

Day 11- P90X Chest Shoulders, Triceps

Push ups, push ups, and more push ups.  There are other exercises incorporated into this workout, but there are  A LOT of pushups.  I used 5-10 lb weights for the other exercises.  This was another workout just short of an hour, and I actually skipped about 5 min of the warm up stretches because I was feeling like I had gotten all the stretching in that I needed already.  I burned 187 calories in 52 minutes, my average heart rate was 104, max 140.

 I'm getting really tired of P90X.  I tend to enjoy high intensity short workouts and this is just not it.  This brings me back to weight lifting in high school where you take breaks in between nearly every move.  I don't have time for that people!  Or maybe I do, but I would rather spend my time doing other things. Exhaust the muscle and get on with it! 

Tuesday, January 19, 2016

Day 10-Turbo Jam 20 min workout + Turbo Sculpt

Day 10-Turbo Jam 20 min workout + Turbo Sculpt


After completing the 20 min workout, I checked to see how many calories I had burned and it was only 97!  Eeek!  So then I decided I had better do something else so I did Turbo Sculpt which was another 156 calories for 40 minutes worth of exercise.  Combine the two and that is a grand total of roughly 250 calories for 1 hour worth of exercise.


I have always loved the 20 min workout. I have returned to it time and time again when I can't muster the motivation to exercise and I always feel better when I'm done.  It's my go to exercise when I'm short on time, energy, pregnant, whatever.  I'm so sad that I only burn 100 calories but it doesn't change the fact that no matter what's going on, this one little 20 minute workout gets you moving and makes you feel better.  Seriously.  Max heart rate 147, average 117.


The Turbo Sculpt video is a little slow, and fairly easy.  It sure isn't a P90X strength workout, but I suppose it is better than nothing.  It's definitely a girl workout, lots of reps with light weight.  Chalene suggests 3-5 lbs, I used 5's and besides the shoulder exercises, I should have used more.  Max heart rate 134, average 108.


If you're getting back into exercise, want a recovery day, or want to exercise without killing yourself, this is a great combo. 


P. S. My butt is sore from P90X Legs and Back.  So sore. I love it.

Monday, January 18, 2016

DAY 9- P90X Legs and Back

Day 9-P90X Legs and Back

These one hour workouts are killing me.  After 28 minutes, I still have 30 minutes left, which seems like forever.  With only 14 minutes left I was seriously considering stopping the video and feeling pretty good about myself.  BUT, my husband came to my rescue, reminding me I never had to do this workout again if I didn't want to and that it was really only 4 more moves before the cool down.  I made it.  Barely.  I was doing the last set of pull ups, with a chair, and was asking the husband "Pleeease....help me."  So he decided to push on my butt, which didn't get me anywhere, except laughing at how pitiful I must look. 


Alright then, the workout.  58 minutes of a mixture of pull ups and squats/lunges.  That pretty much sums it up.  I burned 375 calories with an average heart rate of 137.  That's so weird to me because those stats match the same as plyometrics, a completely different cardio workout.  I think it's because there's only one one minute break in this workout and you're using some pretty big muscle groups.  I had much less recovery time in this one than in other videos. 


Guys, I'm not doing so good with the junk food.  Whenever company comes over I like to make a treat and it's getting me in trouble.  Work always gets me off track, too.  I mean, it could definitely be worse. I'm having a cup of soda at work, a couple homemade cookies there, a handful of MandM's there.  But those calories add up quick, so I've got to keep it under control. 

Wednesday, January 13, 2016

Day 8-Jillian Michaels Burn Fat Boost Metabolism

Day 8- Burn Fat Boost Metabolism

This is a 52 minute workout with 7 circuits each lasting 6 minutes.  Uh...I hate it when I think a workout is going to be 45 minutes and then there's another 7 minutes added on there.  Yes, it's only 7 minutes, but it's 7 whole minutes!  On the positive non complaining side, this is a good one. The pro's:
1-Jillian doesn't bug me at all :)
2-Tons of variety
3-You stay moving the whole time
4-I don't feel dumb doing any of the moves
5-A good sweat

So I burned 339 calories with my average heart rate at 127 and max at 157.  It's interesting to see the stats because I'm learning that I stay around 130 beats per minute on average, which is right in the fat burning zone.  My toddler decided to jump on my back during the plank exercises and that made it a little rough, but that's motherhood.  My 6 mo old also woke up in the middle so I just  put the video on pause, grabbed him out of the crib and put him in the bouncer, and voila. Happy baby. He doesn't seem to mind breastfeeding after I exercise and I don't seem to notice a difference in his temperament.

I've started tracking calories to see how much I'm eating but I wait until the end of the day to record so that I'm not stressing out about staying under my calorie goal.  Turns out I'm doing fine, actually eating under my calorie allowance.  I refuse to even try to eat less than 1800 calories a day while breastfeeding.  While I still have my trouble spots, eating well is important for my health and baby's.

An update from P90X Shoulder and Arms-My triceps are a bit sore, my biceps and shoulders just barely. 

Tuesday, January 12, 2016

Day 7-P90X Shoulders and Arms

Day 7- P90X Shoulders and Arms

This lengthy 1 hour workout was...well...long.  I found myself wanted to speed things up.  I tend to lean towards cardio workouts or body weight workouts that get my heart rate up as well as work the muscles so this workout was a struggle for me. But, I did it.  I sure hope I'm sore tomorrow. If I'm going to put the time in, hopefully I chose the right weights to appropriately work my muscles.  I used 5-12 lb. Usually 10's, I was on the cautious side  because I haven't done these exercises in ages.  I burned 194 calories during the workout, but because it is a strength workout, I'll be burning calories for several more hours. That's a plus. 

No junk food today.  I even went to Costco today and managed to get out of there under 100 bucks.  Why does that massive store have everything you want and think you need?  Talk about some self control.


Monday, January 11, 2016

Day 6-30 Day Shred Level 3

Day 6- 30 Day Shred Level 3

This completes the 30 Day Shred DVD.  It was noticeably harder than Level 1 and 2, and I burned 194 calories in 28 minutes, about 70 more calories than Level 1.  Average heart rate was 130 with a max of 160. 

I fudged a little last week with my diet, but I had junk food day yesterday and now I'm ready to get back on track.  Nothing like freshly cooked cinnamon rolls to make you happy and satisfied.  I've never quite figured out how to maintain a strict diet.  Clean diets are advertised everywhere so I think lots of people do them, but I just want to eat whole food.  Are they the same thing? In my religion we are taught to eat whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and meat.  It's not rocket science, but somehow our society has taken good whole nutritious food and modified it to empty calories. So weird.

Day 5-P90X Plyometrics

Day 5-P90X Plyometrics

I really was not looking forward to this workout.  The last time I did it was several years ago and I remember it having some dumb moves, which it still does.  Ya know, pretending you're jumping over a river, and playing a guitar, and literally running in a circle.  Bah.  But I did it.  Grudgingly.  I only had to do it once.  The 58 minute workout yielded a 375 calorie burn.  I completed it with moderate intensity.  You have to remember that I usually workout while both my kids are awake, and my toddler often jumps on my back while I'm doing pushups or wants me to hold him while I'm jumping.  I used to get frustrated with this, but now I just try to have a few moments of fun with him while I'm exercising and then he gives me back my space. 

If you have bad feet, like I do, all of the jumping is going to make them sore. 


Friday, January 8, 2016

Day 4-30 Day Shred Level 2

Day 4-30 Day Shred Level 2

Jillian Michaels has figured out what people want from a workout, but I don't think that she'll give you the results she promises. I mean, maybe if you ate 1200 calories a day, but I'm pretty sure I'm not going to look like I have 12% body fat after completing 30 Day Shred.  I really do like getting a complete body workout in 30 minutes though.  For some reason my heart rate monitor wasn't picking up so I don't know how many calories I burned for this workout.  I can say it was harder than Level 1, which it should have been, and it wasn't a waste of a workout. She does her signature 3 min strength, 2 min cardio, 1 min abs routine which is repeated 3 times. 

So I mentioned that I am a nurse on a cardiac unit, and my shift last night was horrific.  I have been a nurse for over 5 years and last night was rough.  That's all I can say.  I didn't eat dinner before I went in and had a cheese quesadilla for lunch and wasn't able to eat until 2 am.  It's hard to convey what you give to others as a nurse.  I wish I could say that I enjoy sacrificing my personal needs for others, but its hard.  I do it because I know that people are depending on me.  Not just any people, but sick people, who are stuck in a hospital, waiting on their nurse to make sure their needs are met, that they can get better.  I just do my best, keep moving, hoping that my patients know they are important to me, that they can trust me.  But it's hard when I can't be everywhere at once.Pumping at work can be difficult as well.  I can't call pause whenever I feel like it and it definitely takes some dedication to make that a priority, but it is a priority, so I make it work. 

Anyway, I had some butter toffee and Dr. Pepper last night.  And lots of water. It was out and I was hungry.

Wednesday, January 6, 2016

Day 3-P90X Chest and Back

Day 3-P90X Chest and Back

I hurt.  My arms and chest were sore before I finished working out today.  This workout is a salute to push ups and pull ups, and I kept reminding myself that I was only doing this once.  That is definitely my mantra for this 70 workout challenge.  You only have to do this once.  Because I'm not super woman, or a super fit woman in that case, I did about half my push ups on my knees and used a chair for pull ups, and used 12 lb weights for the other exercises.  The 52 minute workout yielded about 204 calories with my average heart rate 108.  This is to be expected because it's anaerobic exercise.

I haven't talked much about breastfeeding so I wanted to address that.  This is my second child that I have breastfed.  I believe that God created us perfectly and that  I have the perfect nutrients for my kids.  With my first, he was pretty unhappy, had a hard time putting on weight, and was difficult to soothe and I stopped eating all forms of dairy to improve his GI symptoms.  My current 6 mo old seems to be happy no matter what I'm doing, and it has been a really enjoyable experience.  My milk is well established and I have been exercising regularly since about 8 weeks postpartum, so I am not overly concerned about drying up. I do pay attention to how much I've eaten throughout the day, and make sure that I stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water.  I do not drink alcohol, and have an occasional Dr Pepper during work.  I have done research on exercising and breastfeeding and it appears that there is no direct link between the two as long as you are consuming enough calories and staying hydrated.  I will let you know if I have any noticeable changes in milk supply. 

Still no sweets.  My go to snack is a graham cracker with peanut butter and chocolate chips and I have had to tell myself I don't need it at least 6 times a day.  My husband today said he wanted to go pick up some cookies from a bakery and I told him "NO!"  I'm doing my best to have some backbone in keeping this goal.  I just look down at my sad stomach and think how I'd like for my belly not to hang over my pants when I sit down.  It's good motivation when all you have to do is look down.  6 months after birth seems about the time I should have a flat belly, right?  Ya, maybe, but not me.

Tuesday, January 5, 2016

Day 2-Jillian 30 Day Shred

Day 2- Jillian 30 Day Shred

Yay for staying on track!  It was a busy day today and I changed into my workout clothes at noon but didn't get around to exercising until 8 pm.  Putting away Christmas decorations and rearranging my house along with taking care of the kids took over my afternoon.  It feels good to get things done, to switch up the house, and to still exercise at the end of it all.  Balance in all things. 

So today was Level 1 of Jillian's 30 day Shred.  It's a pretty easy and basic workout, nice at the end of a long day. Most of Jillian's workouts are about 30 minutes which I can always fit in my day. I forgot to put my heart rate monitor on until after the warmup and burned a whopping 121 calories in approx. 25 minutes.  For those of you out there like me looking for  a good calorie burn in a short amount of time this is not it. However, I worked out today, I got moving, and I haven't let myself down.  I also have not had any sweets today.  Little victories make the big goal possible, right?

Monday, January 4, 2016

Day 1-Insantiy Fit Test

Day 1-Insanity Fit Test

It is after all the first day, so why not complete a fit test?  I'll tell you why not-it reminds you that you're not in as good of shape as you hoped you were in.
I used my heart rate monitor that came with my fitness band and my app said after completing the 25 minute workout, I burned 209 calories.  I really wanted to burn at least 250 since it was a 25 minute workout, but really you're testing your fitness on 8 different exercises, doing each for one minute with breaks in between so I guess that's fair. I feel like I got a good workout in, pushing yourself to the max does that, even if it's a shorter workout.  In summary this is how I did:
Switch kicks-90
Power Jacks-45
Power Knees-84
Power Jumps-34
Suicide Jumps-16Push Up Jacks-21
Plank Oblique-61


Still no sweets today, but I am going grocery shopping so wish me strength to resist the congratulatory candy bar at the end. 

What this is all about

Alrighty people.  I counted up and wrote out all my workout videos today and there are 70 workouts to be done.  All different.  36 of them are either p90x, p90x3, or Insanity.  The other half are Jillian Michaels, Bob Harper, Turbo Jam, and The Biggest Loser workouts.  So....I've got some variety.  As the new year has begun, I thought I'd spice up by workout life and try to get through each workout without repeating any of them at least once. I have done all of these workouts and  have been exercising my whole life, so I do have a smudge of credibility.
I currently have a 2 1/2 year old and a 6 month old.  The infant is breastfeeding, the toddler is definitely NOT.  haha.  I've got a husband that is incredibly busy this semester, finishing up school, doing student teaching, and working.  I work two nights a week as a nurse on a cardiac unit, working between 12-13 hrs a shift.  A busy life gives purpose, right?
As for my current health, it's somewhere in the middle.  I'm about 5'5 and medium slim build.  I'm in moderate shape and have pretty common eating habits.  Ya know, trying to eat out less, cutting out sugar, blah blah blah.  In reality I make a batch of chocolate chip cookies every week and try to blame it on my pregnant neighbor who likes them. I get a candy bar as a treat when I go to the grocery store because I deserve it after lugging around two shopping carts and 3 boys (husband included).  But, I recently started cutting all that out and only eating junk food once a week.  I'm doing great so far because today is my first day.  I do exercise about 4 days a week doing a variety of things, usually I try to get in as much sweat as I can in half an hour.
So I have a Garmin Vivosmart that I use on and off as well as a heart rate monitor. I'm going to try to figure out the calories that I burn for each of these workouts as I've found that it's been difficult to track that down  when you're counting calories.  I will not be counting calories, that's not my aim since I'm breastfeeding. 
I promise, I do know what I'm doing.