Review: Amy Dixon's Breathless Body 2: The Edge

I'm not even going to verify how long it's been since my last post; let's just agree that it's been too long and move on, shall we?

Inspiration for posts has obviously been lacking, but I'm happy to say that that changed over the weekend, thanks to a new DVD workout.

This workout acts as a sequel to Breathless Body: The Ultimate Calorie Burn, which I haven't tried yet, but fully intend to (at the time I ordered The Edge, Ultimate Calorie Burn was out of stock).

What's so beautiful about The Edge? Quite a few things, my friends, quite a few things.

NO EQUIPMENT! Yep, that's right. All you need is a bit of space and a good attitude.

Dudes welcome. I'll spare my rant on the importance of gender neutrality in the fitness industry for another day and simply say this: Guys, don't let the image of a gal in pink put you off; you'll benefit from fast-paced body-weight cardio routines too! In fact, there's even a guy present in the video, performing the advanced moves, making the workout more inclusive.

Great for ALL fitness levels! Many of the DVDs I use tend to be for those who are already at an intermediate-to-advanced fitness level. But The Edge provides modifications for all three levels of fitness, so beginners can definitely join in on the fun.

The workout itself works in rounds. For each round, you perform three moves. Each move is performed for 30 seconds, followed by 15 seconds of recovery; you then repeat the sequence two more times for a total of three sets per round.

Before each round, Amy gives you a quick explanation of which moves will be performed, including the beginner, intermediate and advanced versions. There's a different exerciser performing each modification, making it easy to follow along to your preferred fitness level. What I love about multi-level modifications is that I could try the advanced moves when I wanted to push myself or mix in the beginner/intermediate moves when I needed a bit of recovery, without coming to a complete stop.

Most of the moves are plyometric in nature, but remember, if high intensity jumping isn't your thing, refer to the beginner and intermediate modifiers for safer alternatives. Think tuck jumps, squat thrusts, single-leg hops, split lunges and variations on jumping jacks. Twelve different moves may not sound like much, but the goal is to push yourself during each of those 30 second intervals; once you start repeating the sets, the recovery time seems shorter and shorter!

There are four rounds plus an extra round called "The Finisher". During the finishing round, you perform ALL of the previously completed moves, 30 seconds each, WITHOUT any breaks in between. It makes for a tough six minutes, but finishing strong is always the way to go.

Including warm-up and cool-down, the entire workout is just shy of 55 minutes, but trust me- the time flies by thanks to the interval format.

I'm always hesitant when trying a new DVD for the first time because I wonder if I'll fall behind trying to keep up with complicated choreography and poor cues. NOT the case with The Edge. Amy's instruction and cuing is some of the best I've seen so far! None of the moves are too complicated, so you can count on getting an intense, sweaty workout the first time through.

The Edge has quickly become my new favorite cardio workout; I'm looking forward to taking a break from the treadmill! It's simple to follow, provides different modifications to keep you moving (and motivated!), goes by fast, and leaves you with a rush of endorphins (and puddles of sweat) to make you feel just plain awesome when it's over. I'm officially an Amy Dixon fan now and look forward to trying her other releases.

An Experiment.

Last time we spoke, I was embarking on some changes with regards to my workout options and eating regimen, namely Les Mills Pump and the No S Diet. Just before signing off, I hinted at incorporating Insanity into the mix.

Well, I've followed through on that proposal and am still wondering what the heck I was thinking.

If you're not familiar with Insanity, I'd like to, once again, pass you on to the full review by Fit Bottomed Girls, as I still haven't tried all of the discs yet. In short: You MUST be AT LEAST an intermediate fitness level (though I'd even recommend advanced) before even considering this program. And even then, you might want to brush up on your HIIT training for a month or two beforehand.

THE PLAN:

So, moving on to this experiment of mine... I've always been intrigued by Insanity ever since I first heard about it. And after hearing my cousin rave about it and starting his second round of the program, I figured with my wedding coming up in September 2013, it wouldn't hurt to step up my training (oh, but it does hurt. A lot).

After the Insanity set arrived a few weeks ago (thanks eBay!), I was excited to start, but wasn't ready to abandon my still-new Les Mills Pump program. So, like any sane person, I decided to merge the two and do both programs at the same time.

Based on previous experience, it's not realistic for me to follow an X-day program exactly as written; I basically jumped into Les Mills Pump by skipping the first two discs and after trying Insanity alone for the first week, I decided to alternate programs each day. Knowing that Insanity doesn't use weights and is cardio-heavy, I figured (somehow) that it would be the perfect complement to all the lifting being done in the Pump workouts.

FINDINGS:

Pret-ty interesting so far. As I mentioned before, when I first tried Insanity, I followed the calendar as written for the first week, meaning I didn't do any Pump workouts during this time; just 6 days of Shaun T yelling at me through football and military drills.

Before I expand on the results, let me first say that Insanity is, HANDS DOWN, the hardest workout I've ever tried. Just making it through the Fit Test had me shakin' in my boots a bit. It's incredibly fast-paced (great for making the workout fly by, bad for not feeling like you're going to die) and forces you to work with your own body weight in ways you're probably not used to. I always know I've met my workout match when my nose starts running uncontrollably (gross) and I can't even finish saying the "f*****" in "mother-f*****."

That said, I'm enjoying the challenge. When sticking with familiar routines, it's easy for me to get complacent and not push myself out of my comfort zone. Insanity has not only pushed me out of my comfort zone, but has beaten that zone into a faded memory.

How Insanity impacted my Pump workouts:

-The first thing I noticed after zero Pump workouts for a week? Lifting was harder... At first. Although Insanity incorporates its fair share of resistance moves, I struggled more than I thought I would when I returned to Pump.

After doing both programs concurrently however, I have been able to increase my weight amounts during recent Pump workouts. I haven't even completed the first 3 weeks of Insanity workouts, so I'm not writing it off for resistance training yet; there's still some potential in there that I haven't unlocked.

-My endurance lowered slightly. Even though a lot of the Insanity discs are between 40 and 60 minutes, the time spent doing intense circuits is actually 20-30 minutes, tops. A LOT of time is spent warming up with some basic cardio moves (almost a workout on their own) and then you move on to some yoga-like stretching before actually getting "insane." This change in intensity duration made it tougher to give 100% during the 45-60 minute Pump workouts.

-My power increased like whoa. Although Insanity didn't necessarily help me lift heavier or longer, it definitely increased my speed and power during Pump moves like the Clean and Press. Prior to Insanity, I was always a little behind the Les Mills instructors during the legs & back track, where the Clean & Press and dead-rows are executed quickly. But after a few rounds of Insanity, I was able to bust those reps out like a machine.

Also, I think Insanity moves like football-runs and tuck/high jumps have strengthened my quads, giving me an extra boost during the leg and squat tracks during Pump.

How Les Mills Pump impacted my Insanity workouts:

-The lower-body training in the Pump workouts provides improved endurance during the Insanity workouts, especially during sprints, high-knees, butt-kicks, squat kicks, tuck jumps and basically every move that demands strong leg work.

-The upper-body Pump tracks are essential for helping me keep up with Insanity. In Insanity, you'll find yourself doing a lot of moves in plank/push-up position and it helps if you've got strong shoulders, chest muscles and biceps. Otherwise, you'll end up lying face-down on the floor for a good portion of the time.

CONCLUSION:

All in all, even though Insanity is really testing my limits, I think combining it with Les Mills Pump is proving to be an ideal routine, in terms of improving multiple areas of fitness (agility, power, strength, speed and endurance).

I also lost an additional 1% body fat after one week of Insanity and 1.5 weeks of training with both programs (previously lost 3% body fat training with Les Mills Pump and less-intense cardio only). My diet has been far from perfect though, so with more consistent clean eating, I'm sure I could've lost more.

I'm still forever working on improving my eating habits, so a more thorough review of No-S and my progress with that to come later, in its own post.

Hows and Whats: No S and BodyPump at home!

Well, if you've read this blog with any sort of consistency, you've probably gathered that I have a bit of diet and exercise ADD. I can't let it bother me too much though, because I'm still in the ongoing phase of figuring out what works best for me, with regards to eating, working out and managing my weight. That said, let's see what I've been up to this month, shall we?

How I'm currently eating:

The No S Diet. I know, sounds like a fad, right? Those were my thoughts initially, until I scrolled through the website and saw how unbelievably simple it was: No Snacks, No Seconds and No Sweets, except on days that start with S. Three meals a day, five days a week. You can also make exception days as needed, for holidays and special occasions, so no need to ever feel guilty. And "No Sweets" is not to be confused with "No Sugar." It's not quite that strict, it's just a way of keeping consumption of Twinkies and the like down to a minimum.

I actually tried No S a while back, sometime in February/March and initially had good results. But once the numbers on the scale stopped moving, I panicked, stopped watching my diet altogether (this was around the same time we bought our house and moved), and eventually went back to what was familiar (calorie counting).

As you'll probably remember from my last post, I jumped on the SparkPeople wagon as part of returning to calorie counting. Well, once again, the numbers started to make me anxious, I would overeat, then overexercise and/or skip meals to try and keep my calories balanced. This was not fun, at all.

So far, No-S has made the most sense and has required the least amount of work and stress. I don't do well with Intuitive Eating; it sounds great on paper, but once I put it into practice, I find myself snacking more, thinking about food constantly and justifying not-so-healthy foods more often than I normally would. With No S, I have just the right amount of discipline and don't have to stress as much about indulging on the weekends, which is when I tend to crave treats anyway. It allows me to work with my desire to indulge, instead of constantly working against it.

I re-started No S at the beginning of this month, and so far, I'm doing well. And to prevent a relapse like last time, I'm reminding myself to have much more patience. The weight will come off slower than it would otherwise with excessive precise restriction, but I'll be more likely to keep the loss off.

It's been quite a relief; this is the closest I've felt to being a "normal" eater. I'm still eating healthy, balanced meals during the week and with each "free" weekend, I'm enjoying treats, but noticing I can be satisfied with less and less, as each weekend goes by. Some things just aren't as appealing as they once were, which leaves more room for better quality meals and desserts. But if I happen to cave into a slice of grocery-store birthday cake, it's still no big whoop.

I know it probably just sounds like another one of my phases, but I'm continuing to give it a genuine effort, as I'd like to finally settle into a way of eating that helps me achieve weight-loss (without hating myself) and can be maintained for the rest of my life.

I'm still using SparkPeople for support and to track my days of sticking with No-S. There's even a No-S Spark Team for additional discussion and encouragement.

If it's something you think you might be interested in, just reading the information on the website should be enough. I borrowed the book from the library and while it was a good read, it just went into more detail about the developing history of the snack industry (how we got fatter as they got richer), the effects of excessive sugar on the body (which, we can agree isn't good for anyone), and how seconds jack up our portion control and mess with our hunger/fullness cues. There's also a discussion board on the website, should you have any additional questions.

SO. That's where I'm at with eating. And it feels pretty damn good. But what makes me feel even better?

What I'm Currently Loving:

Les Mills Pump at-home workout system. Oh. My. God. In a word, obsessed. I tried a BodyPump class in-person ages ago and loved it, but the class schedule never worked for me, so it remained unrequited love... Until now!

When I heard there would be a BodyPump at-home system, I was skeptical. Will it be as challenging as the class? How broke will it make me? Will I get sick of it?

So far, YES, it is as challenging as the class! And as with any weight-training workout, you just need to continue to add weight to your bar to increase your fitness level. Great instructors with near-perfect cueing and the beat-driven music makes it easier to keep your reps consistent. Most challenging tracks for me so far? During the Pump & Shred disc, the lunges are pretty rough, as is the chest track. After doing what feels like a million chest presses, Joel makes you jump to the floor and bust out push-ups; ultimate muscle burnout!

Next, the cost. Always an area of concern, especially when considering big packaged deals from Beachbody. Luckily, you can try it for a trial period at a discounted price. Since I already own the smaller type of barbell that's used in the workouts, I just needed the DVDs, so off to eBay I went. I would definitely look into eBay as an option first and do some comparison shopping for the barbell; you might be able to save quite a bit of cash. It ended up being more than I usually spend on workout DVDs (I think my eBay deal came out to about $20/disc), but I was in a fitness rut and desperate to try something new that I could actually grow to love. And I definitely love it something fierce!

I've been doing 3-4 of the DVDs for about 3 weeks now and haven't gotten sick of it at all. I just love the pace and the challenge so much that I have to force myself to take rest or cross-training days! So far, my favorite disc is Pump & Shred. It's 45 minutes and leaves my muscles shaking and dripping with sweat every time. Pump & Burn is my next favorite, as it's about 30 minutes long and perfect for mornings where I'm short on time, but still want a challenge.

Results so far? I'm down almost 3% body fat! And I was able to increase my weight load this morning, so I know I'm getting stronger, which is awesome. My upper body is finally making progress! I can't say enough about how great I think this system is; to find something that gives awesome results AND is actually kinda fun is, well, pretty damn rare for me.

I'd like to do more of a detailed review, but a) I haven't tried all of the discs yet and b) Fit Bottomed Girls already did a pretty good job of hashing out the details.

All in all, I can say that July is shaping up to be one of the better months I've experienced in a while, in terms of eating habits and exercise. I'm much more at ease with food, thanks to No S and my body is loving the Pump workouts. Feeling both lean and strong at the same time is the ultimate confidence boost.

I plan to check in again within the next few weeks to follow up on my progress, both with No S and Pump. I also have the Insanity Workout System on order (thanks again, eBay!), so I'm looking forward to sharing that experience as well.

Hope everyone's summer is going well!

Hows and Whats.

Haven't done one of these posts in a while, so here it goes!

How I'm Currently Sweating:

I checked this DVD out from the library over the weekend, and I must say, bravo Jillian! Although I'm quite the JM devotee, I haven't necessarily been buying her recent DVDs right away because some of them just haven't been a good fit for me. Luckily, the library has been pretty awesome about keeping their selection up-to-date, so I've been able to preview releases and save some money.

But this disc? Yeah, definitely buying it. There are three 20-minute workouts, each with its own focus (upper-body, lower-body, and abs). Each one gets my heart-rate up pretty fast, so I'm able to break a good sweat in a short amount of time. And since each workout is shorter, I've been doing two of them back-to-back because I friggin' love kickboxing and can say it's one of the few workouts I genuinely enjoy. On a day that I have more time, I'll try to do all three workouts at once.

The DVD is best suited for intermediate-to-advanced fitness levels. There is a separate tutorial though, so beginners looking for a challenge may find this useful. I say "may" because while it's helpful to learn some of the basic moves, the workouts are still pretty high-impact with very few modifications.

All three workouts include a fast-paced mix of punches and kicks. The upper-body segment uses dumbbells to perform moves like rows and shoulder presses. In the lower-body workout, lunges and squats are added. For abs, Jillian mixes in sit-ups, bicycle crunches and cardio moves like burpees and mountain climbers, which also work the stomach.

Even with the tutorial, the choreography is still tricky and fast-paced, with Jillian providing little-to-no time for you to learn each circuit, some of them more complicated than others. I think in general, kickboxing workouts are always a bit frustrating the first time through, for these reasons. But I know the more I do the DVD, the easier the choreography will become. It wasn't so bad that I couldn't keep moving, so that encouraged me to give it more than one try.

What I'm Currently Loving:

Oh, SparkPeople. Before I blab on and on about why I'm loving this site, I should probably provide some background info...

First of all, yes, I'm back to calorie-counting. Despite my best (and let's be frank, shitty) efforts to lose some regained weight, tracking the details of my intake is really the only tried-and-true method I've found to be successful.

That said, I wasn't always on the SparkPeople bandwagon. When I first started Weight Watchers all those years ago, I was simultaneously tracking calories as well on The Daily Plate (now known as Livestrong's MyPlate). I always preferred the Daily Plate because their tracker was just so much more simple to use and I always found myself feeling overwhelmed with the features on SparkPeople.

Well, now that I'm re-committing to weight-loss and because the popularity of SP has since grown, I decided it was time to give it another shot and fully embrace all of the site's features, beyond simply calorie-counting.

You see, when I lost those 90 pounds originally, I was a lot more engaged in a few online communities for extra support. I don't think it's a coincidence that when I chose to stop participating in those supportive communities, the weight started to come back on and I struggled to take it off again. So, off to SP I went. Right away, I started browsing the message boards, member blogs and available SparkTeams. Within my first week, I was contributing to discussions, signing up for team challenges and even added a few friends to help encourage each other and offer support during tough times.

I get it now. I get why this site is so successful and why so many people have joined. Yes, I have great friends, family, Doug and my dog Randal, but not everyone I know is willing to hear me blab about weight and food and exercise for 1-2 hours every day (ok, well maybe the dog will listen, but you know what I mean). That's just the truth. And it's not a bad thing, it just needs to be pointed out that being successful in weight-loss sometimes requires a special kind of support that only those trying to achieve the same goals can relate to. I'm sure this is "duh" information for some of you, but it's an aspect of progress I've been ignoring for far too long.

Anywho, the outcome from all of this? I'm down 5 pounds so far, I've reduced my weekend overeating significantly, I've participated in some good discussions and most of all, I haven't felt like I'm struggling because I'm reminded every time I log in to SP, I'm not alone. It's okay to admit you need cheerleaders along the way and it's equally gratifying to cheer on others as well. I was feeling like an absolute failure for gaining back some of the weight (a hard pill to swallow, lemme tell you), but instead of wallowing in my own despair and losing/gaining the same 10 pounds over and over again, I've found it much more productive to, as Bob Harper says, "trust the process," and open myself up to connect with others with similar goals and backgrounds.

And that, dear readers, is all I have to say about that. Here's to hoping my renewed commitment will translate into more blog updates! Hope everyone is having a great week.

Bob Harper: Ultimate Cardio Body

Time for another DVD review! Although it was released earlier this year, I just now got around to snagging a copy of this ass-kicker:

I find it kind of twisted that I did this DVD twice in the first week I got it and am looking forward to doing it again this weekend. Yes, it's tough. However, Bob pushes you *just* enough to where you're burning and droppin' f-bombs, but still able to finish the interval (barely, in my case).

I found that this particular DVD is like a hybrid of his Pure Burn Super Strength and Body Rev Cardio Conditioning workouts. I personally liked this, because while I love (and hate) both of those DVDs, I find it hard to motivate myself to take them on separately since they're both a little over an hour.

With Ultimate Cardio Body, Bob does get you sweating with standard cardio moves (jumping jacks, high-knees, skaters, mountain climbers and the like), but what really pushes you closer to OMG-I'm-Gonna-Die territory is his use of weighted strength moves performed at a moderate-to-fast pace with basically no breaks in between. I'm noticing that more "cardio" workouts are doing this these days and I absolutely love it. I think using light/medium weights in circuit-style workouts is a fantastic alternative to separate cardio and lifting workouts. Burning fat and building muscle in the same session? Oh, hell yes.

Some examples of those moves: Squat jumps and split lunges (a.k.a. jumping lunges) WITH dumbbells in each hand. I've probably done thousands of squat jumps in my life, but adding extra weight makes that move incredibly challenging. And it doesn't end there; with both of these plyometric moves, Bob makes you do isometric holds in between (don't ever let his smile and good looks fool you- the man is clearly a sadist).

While the workout is heavy on lower-body training, Bob also incorporates some basic upper-body work as well with push-ups, planks, shoulder presses, bicep curls and lateral raises. While standard moves, Bob increases the intensity and makes you perform more isometric holds to push your muscles almost to the point of failure. Going from push-ups to plank to mountain climbers (all back-to-back with no break, mind you) made my arms and shoulders weep.

Toward the end of the session, Bob pushes you to finish strong by performing more agility-type moves like single-leg hops, jumps (as if you were shooting a basketball) and sprint-runs in place.

U.C.B. also includes a separate Glutes workout, but honestly, I haven't bothered trying it because there seems to be a lot of glute work in the main workout alone. If anyone's tried that, please share your thoughts in the comments!

Overall, this is a top-choice workout for me. Bob really does challenge all of your major muscle groups and the pace of the workout makes that hour fly by. And during the cool down stretch, when you're thinking about how beaten down you are, Bob makes some funny comments about his knee-high black socks. I must say, I appreciated a good chuckle at the end of a workout like that.

Definitely for intermediate/advanced levels only. There are a few modifications here and there, but not to the point where I would advise a beginner to give it a try. Another plus is that the only equipment you need is a couple sets of dumbbells. I used 5's and 8's on my first try.

Bottom line: This is one of the best total-body workouts I've ever done. Bob mastered the balance between cardio and strength training with this routine, so whether you're looking for a new cross-training option or something to break your plateau, U.C.B. has got you covered!

Supreme 90 Day: Week One

Well, I survived week one of the Supreme 90 Day workout system. And really, it was much less "trying to survive" and more "kicking ass and feeling strong." If you scroll through my DVDs posts, you'll quickly learn that I'm no stranger to working up a sweat at home and rely on DVDs to give me a good challenge.

Supreme 90 Day has quickly moved up my list of favorites, easily being somewhere in the top 10. Why so much praise, so soon? It meets my criteria for a good (and in this case, great) workout DVD:

• Affordable price.
• Reasonable completion time (33-47 minutes each, *including* warm-up and cool-down).
• Lots of variety to prevent boredom (10 discs, different disc each day).
• Strong base of exercises that can be adapted to increase or decrease intensity, therefore acceptable for various fitness levels.
• Challenges all major muscle groups.
• Well-balanced mix of cardio, strength and core training.
• Requires little space and few pieces of equipment.

I talked a little bit about the Chest and Back workout last week, but since then, I've tried a few others:

Ultimate Ball: Using a stability ball, this workout (about 40 minutes total) focuses on core muscles (think abs and back). I wasn't sure what to expect with this one, but I certainly wasn't expecting to sweat and curse as much as I did! Working with a stability ball quickly showed me how weak my core is, and consequently, how I have shit for balance. Lots of moves requiring you to roll the ball around with your legs or arms, but recruiting abdominal and back muscles to properly execute the move. I know my description is probably a little simplified, but believe me when I say that this disc is no joke. And of course, it hurt to laugh, cough or sneeze for a few days afterward; my abs were en fuego! There aren't a ton of alternatives for a stability ball in this workout; you might be able to get by with a chair or making up your own modifications, but my advice? Either buy a stability ball if you don't already have one OR skip this disc and opt for a moderate-to-high intensity Pilates workout.

Tabata Inferno: If memory serves, I think this is the longest workout in the whole set, BUT, thanks to tabata intervals, those 47 minutes flew by! In this workout, you do 20 seconds of a move at high intensity, usually one that's plyometric in nature (jump squats, burpees, high knees, etc.), recover for 10 seconds, then repeat. You repeat the cycle until you've completed about 4 minutes of work, then you get a full one-minute rest and move on to the next set of exercises. LOTS of different moves in this set, including a few with dumbbells to boost your afterburn even more! This workout may come across as intimidating to new exercisers, but go at your own pace and don't get discouraged; you have 90 days (or more) to improve your force and speed.

Shoulders and Arms: Pretty standard mix of moves to work the specified areas: clean & press, shoulder press, bicep curls, tricep extensions, triecp kickbacks, lateral raises, skull crushers and bent-over reverse flies. As with the other discs, the exercises are performed at a pretty quick 'n' steady speed with very little rest in between sets, so your heart rate stays elevated, thus more sweat and more calories burned. I'm loving this disc in particular because my arms have never been as defined or strong as I would like; after I did this workout, my arms were nice and warm for days, haha.

Cardio Challenge: This workout is similar to the Tabata Inferno, but *slightly* less intense and shorter in duration (about 40 minutes total). Instead of 20 seconds of work followed by 20 seconds of rest, you work for 30 seconds and rest for 30. This disc also incorporates more weights for compound moves like squats with an upright row, dumbbell swings with squats (could also use a kettle bell), wood chops, alternating forward lunges with a shoulder press, etc. Non-weighted moves include high knees, pop-squats (could also be defined as a "squat-jack"; kind of a hybrid between a jumping jack and a squat), jumping lunges, straight leg kicks, plank-walks, plank jacks, bear crawls and much, much more!

Legs: This is another shorter workout (about 32 minutes total) and it uses several variations on two key leg exercises, squats and lunges. This disc uses a stability ball as well, for floor moves like hip/pelvic raises and ball roll-outs. There are modifications provided if you don't have a ball and want to use a chair or weight bench. Since this workout was shorter, I got cocky and did a 2 mile run later that same day... Kinda regretting that now as my glutes are pretty damn sore! All in all though, another thorough workout in a reasonable amount of time.

One thing to be aware of is that quite a few of the workouts start out with an ab routine after the warm-up... Tom explains that this helps warm up your core for the exercises that follow and the more I think about it, the more it makes sense. Your abs and back muscles do a lot of work in helping you balance and stabilize in a multitude of moves for other muscle groups, so it's good to ensure that those muscles are warmed up as well. I guess my only criticism is that those types of moves should've just been added to the standard warm-up that's performed on every disc. Oh well.

Overall, I'm really pleased with this system so far. Since I'll be rotating the same discs mentioned in this post for the remainder of month 1, I don't know that I'll post too many more updates. Once I move into month 2, some of the other discs will be incorporated.

Have a great weekend!

Can I have a Taco Supreme 90 Day instead?

Why hello there, dear readers! It's finally Friday and the week has slowed down enough for a nice lil' blog update. I have another food post coming up soon, but before I work on that, I wanted to throw some fitness schtuff in between.

Today, I started Day 1 of the Supreme 90 Day Workout System:

(got a better price on Amazon, of course).

I've been hearing about this program for a while, but didn't jump on the bandwagon right away since I'm a bit wary of "As Seen On TV!" labels. I didn't let it fall completely off my radar though, since it's basically a MUCH more affordable option to P90X.

I kept reading good reviews though and for the price, I decided the risk was pretty low; surely out of 10 different discs, there would be something I would enjoy...

Now, before I go into the basics of Supreme 90, I felt I should share my experience with P90X...

First of all, I love Tony Horton. I really do. He's motivational, funny and uh, let's just say that even though he's old enough to be my father, I wouldn't kick the man out of bed for eating crackers. I actually still have, in a box somewhere, his original Power 90 workout system on VHS. So I respect the man and his work. But...

I just wasn't feelin' P90X. Definitely a great variety of workouts that will no doubt deliver results when done consistently, but all in all, I just felt each workout was too long. Sixty minutes or more, nearly everyday, wasn't doing it for me. I have no qualms (most of the time) about getting in a good workout most days of the week, but I also get bored easily and do best with faster-paced workouts in the 30-45 minute range.

Enter Supreme 90.

It could be (and probably has been) labeled as the "poor man's P90X," but I am indeed a semi-poor [wo]man who is still intrigued by the idea of muscle confusion and seeing improvement in all major muscle groups in just a few months. Sign me up!

The program is hosted by Tom Holland (who doesn't sound or look unlike Tony). There's also a 28-Day meal plan included, which was put together by Tosca Reno (author of the Eat Clean Diet books and regular contributor to my favorite, Oxygen Magazine). So all in all, it seems pretty legit.

Anywho, the next biggest selling point to me, after the number of workouts and the price, was the duration of the workouts. Turns out, instead of one grueling hour after another, the Supreme 90 routines fall between 30 and 47 minutes, including the warm-up and cool down stretch.

Next pro that caught my attention? A short list of equipment: Dumbbells and a stability ball. That's it. No extra pull-up bar or anything like that. Simple, simple, simple.

Now, that said, a good variety of dumbbells is what I would recommend. After doing the Chest & Back DVD this morning (which I really dug, by the way), a good mix to have would be light (3-5 lbs) medium (8-10 lbs) and heavy (15-25 lbs). The disc I did this morning included a few moves using a stability ball, but Tom provided alternatives to complete the routine without it. I won't say (yet) that you can do the whole program without a stability ball (there's one disc called "Ultimate Ball," for example), but so far it seems like modifications will be prominent throughout.

SO, how was the Chest & Back workout? Pretty darn good. And fast, too (finished in about 32 minutes, including warm up and cool down). It was a basic circuit routine where you would perform 2-3 different exercises, 8-12 reps each, repeat the set 1-2 times and then move on to the next round. Tom has 3 different people working with him (two guys, one girl) and they all go at different paces so you're encouraged to go at your own pace as well. This was an adjustment for me because I'm used to being in sync with everyone in the video, but it is nice not to feel rushed. Tom encourages you to avoid rushing through the moves because it affects your form.

Today, I did lots of push-ups, deadlifts, chest presses, supermans, bent-over rows, push-ups to plank rows (kill me) and a few other moves that were completely new to me. Definitely felt like my chest and back got a thorough workout in a short amount of time. The pace was steady enough to work up a nice sweat, but there was also just enough time in between sets for Tom to explain each of the moves and show how to perform them.

It's a bit early for me to judge, but I'd say this would probably be better suited for intermediate to advanced fitness levels. Although, with the people in the videos going at their own paces and with the modifications, a beginner looking for a challenge might benefit from this system too. Either way, I'll follow up on that after trying the majority of the discs.

I'm really excited to keep going with this plan. I can't guarantee that I will stick to it 100% for the full 90 days, but I'm sure gonna try. I probably won't do daily blog updates either, but I'll definitely check in every week or so to recap which workouts I tried and how I felt afterward.

Have you tried P90X or Supreme 90 Day? What are your thoughts?

Enjoy the weekend!

Boot camp, baby!

It's been a while since I've blabbed about a fitness DVD, but I couldn't seem to go another day without praising my new favorite: Jeanette Jenkins' Bikini Boot Camp!



I first learned about Jeanette through the Nike Training Club App after unlocking her bonus ab workout. After that, I got curious and started to browse her DVD releases. After reading some reviews, I decided to give Bikini Boot Camp a try.

First, I'll cut to the chase and say: This workout is NOT for beginners! In fact, I think even intermediate and advanced exercisers will find this one tough to keep up with.

The basic format of the workout is a warm-up, a cardio camp (about 27 minutes), a strength/toning camp (about 25 minutes), an ab camp (about 10 minutes) and finally, stretching & cool down. You can do each camp individually or all together.

Don't let the girlishness of the word "bikini" fool you- the cardio camp is no joke! It's very athlete-driven, starting with some basic moves (jumping jacks, high knees, etc.), but then quickly transitions ("quickly" being a key word here) to kick boxing, plyometrics and sport drills one might do in volleyball, basketball and football (shuffling, overhead spikes, mixed jump rope routines, etc.)

While the cardio camp is under 30 minutes, Jeanette does not let up for a single second; there are 5 circuits, all of them repeated about 2-3 times with no breaks. While her cuing and pace are both steady, she doesn't really pause to show you how to perform the move, so it's up to the viewer to really pay attention and keep up. None of the moves are terribly complicated, but if you're expecting a lot of explanation beforehand, it simply isn't there.

The strength/toning camp moves at a slightly slower pace with a couple of breaks, but because most of the moves are compound exercises (working more than one muscle group at the same time), your heart rate will stay up and you'll definitely start to feel the burn all over.

This routine starts off with push-ups and plank exercises and then moves on to using dumbbells with lots of variations on lunges, squats, arm curls and extensions. One move that was new to me was plie squats performed while standing on the tips of the toes- hello calf muscles! Many of the moves also involve balancing on one leg, which I found really challenged my core muscles.

Finally, there's the ab camp. Nothing particularly spectacular here; just a lot of crunches (with the added weight from a dumbbell), bicyles and leg raises that will set your stomach on fire for almost 10 minutes. Y'know, the usual.

I've done this DVD twice now and I think I may be addicted, despite how incredibly tough it is. The first time, I did the entire DVD, all of the camps in order. This morning, I skipped the ab camp and changed up the order, doing the strength camp first, then the cardio camp. I'm sure it depends on the person, but I found doing the strength camp first was a little bit easier to get through. The cardio is just so tough that trying to get through resistance training immediately afterward was a little too much of an ass-kicker for me. Plus, I think my form was better in the strength camp since my muscles were still fresh and not completely spent from all of the plyometric work in cardio camp.

This DVD was a little pricier than what I usually spend on fitness DVDs (Collage Video actually has the cheaper price; Amazon wants almost $40- yeah right!), but so far, it's proven to be worth every penny. It's provided the type of muscle confusion I've needed lately and goes by pretty fast. Plus, the only equipment you need is some dumbbells (I used a set of 5's and a set of 8's). If you're looking for a great total body workout, Bikini Boot Camp delivers a solid challenge that will leave you soaked and sore (in a good way, of course). You've got a new fan, Jeanette!

Hows and Whats.

Hello, dear readers! Time for another rendition of my current Hows and Whats.

How I'm Sweating:

I canceled my gym membership last month to save some money. I thought I might regret the decision, but it's actually been a blessing in disguise because it's forced me to change up my routines week-to-week. I've been reconnecting with my old Tae-Bo roots by busting out some of the advanced VHS tapes. I don't care much for most of the recent Tae-Bo DVDs because the routines are too complicated with inconsistent levels of intensity. The old tapes (the first Advanced tape in the series and the advanced 'Get Ripped' tapes) are loaded with the basic kicks and punches I first fell in love with all of those years ago. Great cardio option, obviously.

But I haven't been stuck in the 90s this whole time; I've also fallen in love with this little gem:

Cathe Friedrich's STS Shock Cardio: HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training)
My feedback on this DVD is a little premature because it has 3 different workouts (30/30, 40/20 and Double Wave Pyramid) and so far I've only tried one (the 30/30 routine; 30 seconds on, 30 seconds rest). But oh my goodness, tough, touGH, TOUGH!. Definitely for intermediate/advanced users. There really isn't anything 'beginner' about this DVD. Each routine is around 30 minutes, including the warm-up and cool down.

From what I've gathered on the Amazon reviews, two of the workouts use The Step and The High Step. Only one of the routines is equipment-free. I own both of these types of steps, but if you don't, this is obviously a big downfall. For the moves that do use a step, Cathe doesn't provide any non-step modifications. That's not to suggest that you couldn't try making up your own, but I would imagine it would be a bit tricky and might not be as intense.

LOTS of plyometrics involved. Plyo-jacks, squat thrust jumps (think burpees) and high-knees. There are also some kicking/punching moves and 180 squat jumps using the step. There is little-to-no instruction on the moves, so having prior knowledge of them (by way of Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred and Banish Fat/Boost Metabolism DVDs, for example) and being a quick learner is a great help.

My only prior experience with HIIT routines was primarily at the gym, doing sprint intervals on the treadmill, elliptical or stair master. Relying on your own body (and occasionally, The Step) is a different beast entirely. I start sweating instantly, my heart rate is super high (but not omg-I'm-having-a-heart-attack-and-might-die high), I'm out of breath and my nose even starts running. Kinda lame that I have to have some tissues nearby when I do this workout, but that's just the way it is, haha. Although this DVD is ridiculously challenging to get through, I feel incredible afterward. Probably one of the best endorphin rushes I've experienced in my history of exercising!

This is my first Cathe Friedrich video, but it certainly won't be the last. She's motivating, straightforward and experienced, all of which make for a great instructor. Plus, she has a wide selection of DVDs that use The Step, so her workouts will be a nice change from my Jari Love routines (which I still love, by the way).

What I'm Currently Listening To:

I don't always have my finger on the pulse of who's "the next big thing" in music, be it Top 40 or indie, but in any case, Cloud Nothings is one of a few bands rocking my world this month.



How I'm Shopping for Fitness DVDs:

I may be behind the times on this one, but one of my new favorite sites is Collage Video. This is pretty much the best site ever when looking for new fitness DVDs. You can filter results by trainer, level (beginner, intermediate, advanced), and even type of equipment used. It's so, so beautiful, especially now that I'm gym-free and will be working out at home more.

The big selling point for me was being able to search by level of intensity. I was able to see how some of the DVDs I already own are rated, in terms of being beginner, advanced, etc., so picking new challenging DVDs is much easier than just winging it on Amazon. The prices on Collage on higher though, so I simply use their site to search and then buy new choices for much less on Amazon. I love the Internet.

I'm skipping the "What I'm Currently Eating" section today because there's not anything terribly exciting I'm eating everyday. But, I have some pretty cool food-related experiments coming up in the next couple of weeks, so stay tuned for some new recipes! Hope everyone's week is going well!

Hows and Whats.

I have a lot of stuff I want to talk about today and thought it would be fun to combine the topics into one post, my current Hows and Whats.


HOW I'm currently sweating:



Personal Training With Jackie: Xtreme Timesaver Training
It's been far too long since Ms. Warner has put out a new DVD and her Power Circuit Training DVD left me anxiously waiting for more. Yes, I'm a glutton for punishment.

I must admit- I had this DVD sitting in my living room for about 5 days before I actually tried it. Jackie Warner + "Xtreme" = apprehension. But this morning, I put on my big girl pants and finally gave it a try. The verdict? Love it.

Back-to-back circuits of compound exercises quickly raise your heart rate and constantly challenge your muscles. (Check out this great Amazon review for a detailed list of all the moves!)

Since the pace of the Power Circuit DVD was so fast, I was worried that that was going to be the case with Xtreme. Not so much. While there is a general steady pace to the workout, Jackie seems to be more focused performing the moves properly and with full range of motion. This causes you to work harder because you're recruiting more muscles not only for strength, but for balance as well. The pacing of the reps and the compound moves create a unique cardio effect, without having to do typical cardio moves like jumping jacks or running in place. And of course, you get a good strength training workout as well; some of the moves were so new and challenging for me that I had to brush the dust off of my 3 lb. set!

In short, love this workout (you can't beat 30 minutes), love Jackie and loved how I felt afterward!



WHAT I'm currently reading:



LL Cool J's Platinum 360 Diet and Lifestyle: A Full-Circle Guide to Developing Your Mind, Body, and Soul.

I checked this book out at the library mostly for kicks, but also just out of plain curiosity. LL obviously knows a thing or two about maintaining a great physique, so I wanted to learn a bit more about his approach.

The first part of the book is really just about taking some time to clear your mind and learn to love yourself before picking up a dumbbell or chopping a tomato. LL wants you to cultivate the mental strength necessary for building a better body. He explains why you're worth the effort and how to create more positive vibes within yourself and the people around you. I was caught off guard by how honest and solid his advice was. Some of what he had to say may have been a bit simplified or maybe even a bit preachy, but overall, it made sense and I appreciated what he had to say.

The second part of the book is all about working out. I have to say, I really didn't pay much attention to this part of the book because the majority of the exercises are restricted to machines at the gym. Not a bad thing if you have a gym membership of course, but I was hoping there would have been more at-home routines and there simply weren't any. For what it's worth, this section did emphasize the importance of weight training and proper form. The workout plan also includes cardio, both high-intensity and lower-intensity. For cardio, LL suggests using the treadmill, bike or elliptical. Pretty standard advice, but effective nonetheless.

The final section is about nutrition. LL's diet plan is essentially a carb-cycling plan, something I'm familiar with and have tried in the past. If your ultimate goal is to lose weight within a specific time frame (in the case of the book, 8 weeks), this may be a plan to consider. After looking through his sample meals and recipes, there's nothing dangerous or strange about what he advises you to eat... Lots of lean protein, healthy fat (from nuts, avocado and olive oil), unlimited vegetables, fruits, low-fat dairy, beans and whole grains. He also wants you to stick with 3 meals and 3 snacks (mid morning, afternoon and a pre-bedtime protein snack so you don't go to bed hungry), each day.

The idea behind LL's carb-cycling plan is that you gradually reduce the amount of carbs you eat throughout the week and then replenish with a "cheat" meal (yeah, I kinda hate using that word) Saturday night and have a carb "refuel" day on Sunday. One aspect of his plan that I respected is that even on "low carb" days, you still can eat carbs like oatmeal or brown rice. The main goal, as with most successful nutrition plans, is to eliminate processed foods and refined sugars. I can dig it.

Personally, I haven't followed his plan as it's written because I simply have no interest. However, the recipes and sample meal/snack ideas are right up my alley and that brings me to...


WHAT I'm currently eating:
Protein Pancakes. I can't get enough of them. Perfect breakfast. I got the idea from LL's breakfast recipes. This is the version I've been using:

• 3 egg whites (or 1/2 cup of liquid egg whites)
• 1 scoop Designer Whey French Vanilla protein powder
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• dash of salt
• Splenda to taste (or sweetener of choice)
• cinnamon

That's the basic mix. Whisk together a cook in a pan as you would a pancake. (I like to pour all the mix into the pan at once so I end up with a giant plate-sized pancake.) I've added different mix-ins like blueberries, pumpkin and bananas & walnuts. I think the banana-walnut combo is my favorite so far. Serve with syrup and enjoy! Definitely packed with protein and relatively low in calories, depending on your choice of protein powder and mix-ins.

That's all for today- hope you enjoyed this edition of Hows and Whats!

Bob Harper- Pure Burn, Super Strength.

Alright folks, time for another DVD review from Bob Harper's Inside Out Method. After taking a stab at his intense Cardio Conditioning workout, I must admit, I was a little hesitant to try the full-hour strength workout.

My verdict? Another intense, muscle-challenging session! Because this is a weight and resistance-based workout, it seems to move at a somewhat more manageable pace than the cardio conditioning DVD, but that's not to suggest that it won't get your heart rate up, burn out your muscles and leave you panting. Below are some of the moves ("some" is the keyword here, people):

• weighted squats
• wide rows
• deadlifts
• push-ups
• bicep curls/shoulder press
• shoulder combo (front raise, lateral raise, "pinky-up" raise)
• down and outs w/ weights (squat thrusts performed with dumbbells in hands, some with push-ups in between, then an added jump at the top)
• plank rows
• single arm flies in a squat position
• lunges (single side, alternating sides w/ dumbbell in both hands, jumping alternating sides w/ dumbbell)
• matrix lunges
• tricep work (extensions and skull crushers)
• ab work (crunches)
• T-stance (in plank with dumbbells, alternate raising each arm while working into a "T" position)
• T-stance with push-up in between arm raises
• plank with knees to elbows, alternating sides (bring knee up toward elbow of same side, then return to plank, repeating move on other side. eventually increase speed.)

For a more complete list, I'd highly recommend checking out this Amazon review; she does a better job than me of listing all of the moves in order, both for the full hour workout and the shorter beginner's workout.

Probably the two most memorable moves for me were the down & outs and the T-stances, particularly when Bob instructs you to add push-ups in between. Definitely dropped some F-bombs during those intervals. He's also a fan of making you do isometric holds of different moves, usually while in squat position or holding up your dumbbells. Sadist.

Another tricky move that I had never tried before was going into a lunge and passing my dumbbell back and forth between both hands, reaching underneath my front leg. Bob said the point of this move was to ensure proper form and he's right. You pretty much have to perfect your lunge, otherwise the passing of the dumbbell will get messy.

It seemed like Bob provided better instruction throughout this video, compared to the cardio one. Probably because using weights demands proper form. He has different assistants this time, but still has two girls and one guy. Helen, who does not have the typical body of someone who has had four kids, performs all of the advanced moves. The woman is a machine. And my new hero. As with the last DVD, everyone is sweating, panting, groaning and not always smiling. Even the other girl who performs the easier/modified moves looks like she wants to cry or scream from time to time. I must be just as much of a sadist as Bob, because I kind of found joy in seeing that, haha.

Deciding how much weight to use was a little tricky for me... I've gotten spoiled with my Jari Love workouts, where each person's weight amount is usually displayed during each interval. Bob mentions using up to 12 lb. dumbbells, but kind of leaves it at that. It's also assumed that Bob and his assistants use the same weight amount during the whole workout, but that wasn't going to fly for me. I found myself bouncing back and forth between 5 lb. weights and my slightly-more-than-8 lb. metal dumbbells. During the shoulder raise combo, I stuck to my 5 lbs. because the isometric holds were murder. I think even 3 lb. weights would be challenging during that segment.

So, overall, another good DVD. I think I'll always prefer Jari Love for my strength training, but I appreciated the variety of moves Bob offered in this workout. It got my heart rate up a lot higher than I expected, made me sweat tons and provided a lot of moves that challenged my upper body, a current area of weakness for me.

After trying 2 of the 4 DVDs so far, I can say that if you're looking for a "fun" workout, this set probably isn't for you. I've found myself having to get motivated to do these workouts because there's nothing happy and cheerful about them. These workouts are strictly about building and maintaining a high level of fitness. If you're looking for a no-nonsense, let's-get-down-to-business kind of workout, you can't go wrong with Bob and this series. Out of all the fitness DVDs I own (and there are quite a few, trust me), this set has felt most like what I'd imagine a workout with a personal trainer would be like, simply because of the function and variety of moves presented.

And because Bob has both males and females working alongside him, it becomes clear that his workouts aren't about "getting that bikini bod" or "bulking up;" they're simply about getting a fit, healthy, strong body. He recognizes that you have to work hard to get in good shape; no gimmicks, no short cuts and no "10 minute workouts." (He even says at some point that a 10 minute work out is a warm-up, which made me laugh because he's pretty much right.)

Although Bob makes me cuss in frustration and sweat to the point where my sweat band can't absorb another drop, I feel like a bit of a warrior when that cool down rolls around. I'm definitely feeling stronger and more capable of physical challenges. Any serious fitness DVD collection isn't complete without the Inside Out Method.

Balls out with Bob.

Probably not the best title for this post, but that's really the only thing coming to mind right now. I finally ordered the complete collection of Bob Harper's Inside Out Method. I had been eying this set for a long time and decided I couldn't wait any longer to try it.

First, let me say, even if you're NOT a fan of "The Biggest Loser," please still consider trying these workouts. The level of intensity blew me away this morning. Literally.

The first DVD I wanted to try was:



Body Rev Cardio Conditioning

This disc has two options: The full, one-hour workout or a condensed 25 minute workout, which is recommended for beginners. I put on my big-girl pants and decided to go for the full hour. I must admit, after watching some of the trailers, I was a little nervous. And looking back, I had every right to be, because this. Was. HARD.

It started out innocently enough, with some dynamic stretching and some basic punching moves. Then, you're instructed to pick up a dumbbell (I grabbed one that's slightly more than 8 lbs) and start moving into deadlifts with rows. Wait, time out! Strength training? I thought this was a cardio workout? Well, be patient. The deadlift rows transition into squats with arm swings, which I later learned is a common move that you come back to as an active recovery between the crazier moves. So what are some of those crazy moves, exactly?

• Squat Jumps (still holding the dumbbell, plus some isometric holds)
• Walk-outs (walking down into a push-up and back)
• Mountain Climbers (instead of taking a break in between sets, he makes you do push-ups AND hold in plank position!)
• Jumping Jacks (both with and without dumbbells)
• Jump Rope (with dumbbells)
• More squats (both at regular and pulsing paces)
• Fast Feet (these eventually lead into jump twists a.k.a. 180-jumps)
• More Walk-outs with an added jump
• Scorpion Push-Ups (this was definitely a "WTF?" moment for me... From a push-up position, you lift one leg up high, shift it toward the opposite side and then do a push-up. Um. Yeah.)
• Squats with Knee Raises
• Speed Skaters
• Tuck Jumps
• Various standing ab moves

That's not even a complete list, people. You just keep going. And going. And going some more. As I mentioned before, you regularly come back to the strength moves introduced in the beginning and those are pretty much the closest things you'll get to a break. Technically, there is a "water break," but it doesn't come until the last third of the workout and lasts for only a few seconds. Then, you're back to the grind. You get to see a sadistic side of Bob in this workout, clearly.

As far as the instruction goes, I think Bob could've done a slightly better job in describing form. Although, this workout pretty much dives in at an intermediate-to-advanced level, so if you're still learning proper form on things like squats, deadlifts and push-ups, you may want to train in those areas a little bit more beforehand. Also, it would've been nice to see Bob doing more of the workout himself, instead of just instructing/watching his 3 assistants (two girls, one guy).

I also found myself kind of irritated with how the assistants were regularly out of sync, even with Bob's cues, but then Bob straight up tells you not to focus on their pace and to just pay attention to your own performance. I agree, but it would still be nice to look up and see some consistency.

One thing I loved was seeing the assistants drip with sweat, run out of breath and sometimes, flat out stop because they're just plain tired. It was refereshing to see the people on the screen struggling to get through an interval just as much as me! I get discouraged sometimes when I'm doing a DVD, sweating my ass off and trying to catch my breath, only to see some chick smiling back at me with her make-up still in place. The people in this DVD are definitely working hard and not always smiling and I personally appreciated that.

Overall, I was seriously impressed by this workout. It definitely lived up to my expectations, as far as delivering a high-intensity challenge. In all honesty, I could not keep up for all 60 minutes and really struggled to put forth 100% effort. But I view that as a positive because now I know I not only got my money's worth, but I also have a new level of fitness to work toward. Not that it needs to be said, but I was absolutely drenched after it was over, as if I had just ran 5 or 6 miles. Ridiculous (in a good way).

And that was just one DVD. I still have 3 others to try, haha. Bob hasn't scared me off quite yet, but he has made me a bit anxious. I read some of the reviews on Amazon for this workout and couldn't believe some people had the nerve to say this DVD was "long and boring." Um, seriously? First of all, it says right on the DVD that the first workout is an hour, so there shouldn't be any surprises there. Secondly, I don't know what workout they were doing, but I didn't have time to get bored! Bob keeps you going non-stop, so my heart rate stayed elevated. I dunno about you, but I don't sweat buckets and drop the F-bomb multiple times when I'm bored.

As you can tell, I'm officially a fan and have no qualms telling you to go out and buy this already! The individual DVDs are trickling into Amazon for pre-order, but the best value (if you want all 4 DVDs like I did) is to order the full package available from Bob's store. Plus, you won't have to wait until October!

+/-

Quick recap of some pluses and minuses:

Plus: I made my first batch of almond butter this weekend! Vanilla-Honey flavored. I must say, I'm hooked. The process was so simple. Just roasted the almonds in the oven for about 10 minutes and threw them in the food processor for about another 10-12 minutes, adding a little bit of oil, vanilla extract and honey. Now I'm excited to mix up different flavors of peanut, pecan and walnut butters. After trying some of the almond butter, our housemate said he wanted his own jar for Christmas, so now I have a great gift idea!

Minus: I really, really don't like running right now. I know I bitched about it in my last post, but this morning's run didn't change my attitude. It just sucks because if I stop and take a break for a while, my performance won't improve, so when I am in the mood to run in the future, it'll just feel like a struggle all over again. Buh. I'm torn. I miss hitting the Runner's High every week, but I can't seem don't want to focus and push myself to get there. I dunno. Maybe I just need to get the bitching out of my system and move on. Two miles on Wednesday, four-miler on Saturday. It always sounds good in my head, but then I actually do it and everything (my attitude, mostly) goes to crap. Maybe I just need to start watching "the wall" scene from Run Fat Boy, Run every night before a morning run, for motivation.

Plus: BodyPump is being offered on the weekends now! Wheeeee! Saturdays at 8 am and Sundays at 9 am. Perfect. I'm so excited. I haven't been since that first preview class back in June because the schedule sucked. But now, I can get back in the game!

Plus: My new Jari Love Ripped to the Core DVD is a-m-a-z-i-n-g! Seriously, this woman can do no wrong in my eyes. I was worried this workout would be similar to some of the other ones I've done, but I was wrong. The theme of this DVD is compound exercises, so you're working multiple muscle groups simultaneously (i.e., side squats with lateral raises, wide squats with upright rows, bent-leg deadlifts with bicep curls, etc.). Each interval is about 5 minutes and the entire workout is just over an hour, so I got worked over pretty damn hard. New move that killed me? Superman Planks. This was during the ab section toward the end. I've done plank and I've done supermans on my stomach, but combining the two? Tough stuff. You get into plank and lift opposing legs and arms at the same time. Maybe I'm a wuss, but I found it to be a challenge. And as a "hardcore" option, the dude in the back was doing the move while elevating his feet on the aerobic step, so he was at an angle, challenging his upper body strength even more. Crazy.

I may be in a running funk, but I'm definitely not in a strength training funk, thanks to Jari. Between my collection of Jari DVDs (I'm up to 6 now!) and the upcoming BodyPump classes, I just can't seem to stop being stoked about lifting. It's hands-down the hardest training I've ever done, but I love it and look forward to it just about every day. Coming from the same gal who used to avoid strength training like the plague, I think that's quite an accomplishment, heh.

Luckily, I can't think of any more minuses, so I suppose that's all for today. Later, kids!

Return of the Mack.

It's been several days since my last post, but I've returned. And since I was singing this song the other night and Doug had no idea what/who I was talking about, here ya go:



Still a pretty smooth jam after all these years, no? Anywho. I'll start with some quick food re-caps:

This morning's breakfast:



Breakfast Banana Split, adapted from the Biggest Loser Family Cookbook. I didn't actually "split" the banana, I just diced it up. Added diced strawberries, Oikos plain yogurt (sweetened with just a tad of Splenda), about 1/3 cup Grape Nuts cereal, drizzle of light Hershey's chocolate syrup and a dab of almond butter.



This was ridiculously good. It really was like having a banana split for breakfast (der!). And of course, filling. The original recipe didn't call for Greek yogurt or almond butter, but they're obviously better sources of protein and healthy fat, both of which I needed after my workout this morning. Picking up more strawberries from the store soon so I can repeat this again later in the week.

Another great breakfast discovery (not pictured): Lemon Oatmeal! Also an idea I picked up from the BL Family Cookbook. It's pretty simple, really... Just add lemon juice and/or lemon zest to taste. I sweetened mine a bit and also added some egg whites and a scoop of vanilla protein powder for extra bulk. The lemon flavor makes the oats taste so clean and light- I love it!

Last night's dinner:



I threw together a chicken-veggie stir fry with peanut butter sauce and served it over spaghetti. In a pan, I cooked up:

• diced chicken
• onions
• minced ginger
• minced garlic
• broccoli
• carrots
• salt
• pepper

For the sauce:

• 2 TB creamy peanut butter (you could use crunchy instead)
• 2 TB Hoisin sauce
• about 2 or 3 TB of fresh lime juice
• Sriracha to taste (I probably used almost a tablespoon)
• about 2 TB fresh chopped cilantro

Whisk ingredients together in a separate bowl. Whisk in water until desired consistency is reached. Once the sauce thinned out, I added it to the stir fry after the meat and veggies were all cooked through.

I was really pleased with this dish! I really am becoming more and more confident in the kitchen with each meal I make. It's a good feeling. I have a much stronger sense of which spices and herbs to use and find myself experimenting more and more, instead of relying on recipes all of the time. I still have a lot to learn, but I've noticed these past few months that something has clicked and I'm a much better cook than I was several years ago.

Last pic I want to share is actually from a while ago (last week? the week before?):



This was an alfredo dish that Doug made. Chicken, broccoli and mushrooms over penne. For the sauce, he used a can of fat-free cream condensed soup; can't remember if it was cream of chicken or cream of mushroom, but either way, it turned out really nice. I can't remember what else he added to the sauce, but if he recalls, perhaps he'll be nice and share in the comments. *Wuh-ink*

Aside from lots of great food, I also finished reading a great book, The Amazing Adventures of Dietgirl. Seriously, read this book now if you haven't already. I've read my share of autobiographies of women who have struggled being overweight and either lost the weight or didn't, but this book far surpasses all of them. I saw so much of myself in Shauna, it was almost hard to read at times. But she's incredibly funny, witty and driven. Whether or not you're trying to lose weight, this will still prove to be an excellent read.

And lastly, I've re-kindled my affair with Jari Love, specifically her first Get Ripped 1000 DVD. I hadn't used it since I first tried it back in March (!!!), but I've been addicted to it for the past 2 weeks, up through this morning. Crazy good workout. The cardio bursts jack my heart rate up and the strength moves make my muscles work hard. I always feel like crapping out at about 40 minutes in, but I keep pushing and finish out the last 20 minutes anyway. When I remind myself how I'm knocking out both high-intensity cardio and high-rep resistance training in one workout, I manage to push through, even though I just want to lay on the floor and die. I think deep down, it's the hot guy in the back row that keeps me going. Man. Super hot.

Seriously though, Jari Love has become my favorite trainer (sorry, Jillian!). Anyone who can get me to actually like strength training is nothing short of a miracle worker. Her workouts always leave me feeling strong and capable. (The physical results aren't too shabby either!) She has a great teaching style and she just seems so darn nice! I know I've talked about her on here before, but I just had to gush once more because I'm really happy I gave her DVDs a try. Totally changed my attitude about fitness.

I suppose that's all for today. Hope everyone has been doing well! Have a great week.

Toned for Tuesday.

This week, I've finally had a chance to try out a new DVD:




Exhale: Core Fusion Lean & Toned.

I had this on my Amazon Wish List for a while after hearing some buzz about it through the blog world, but thanks to Missy at Missy Maintains, I had the luck of winning a copy through her contest. (Thanks again!)

The workout itself is based on a series of Core Fusion classes offered at Exhale spas. The DVD has 5 workouts (all under 10 minutes) and closes with a cool down stretch (about 7 minutes). I must admit, I kinda groaned at the thought of doing all 5 segments, but to my surprise, the entire thing went be really fast! To me, it felt more like 30 minutes. You'll need some hand weights, a mat, a chair and a nearby wall for support.

The warm-up is included with the arms segment and is mostly a mix of knee-ups that incorporate your arms. Then, you quickly move into various types of push-ups and arm exercises using hand weights (tricep kickbacks, shoulder presses, bicep curls, etc.)

There's also segments that focus the lower body as well, including thighs and glutes. Lots of squats and leg lifts (included some pulsing lifts that are killer!).

Right now, my least favorite segment is the Flat/Round Back Tone & Stretch. You're basically leaning up against a wall and doing all sorts of movements with your legs. It's hard to describe, so my apologies, but it's just a difficult circuit to follow (for me, anyway). That said, the moves really require a lot back and ab strength, so I can tell I'll reap the benefits if I just keep trying.

I also enjoyed the Pretzel Core Toner segment, where the focus is on abs. Here, you rely on your abs (both front and obliques) to hold certain positions in place, followed by some pulsing movements. Definitely a good challenge, but it didn't necessarily burn my abs out completely, which I appreciated.

My biggest complaint overall with this DVD (and really, it's not even that big) is how many of the moves require you to rely on a wall for support. Sorry, but I don't like rubbin' my [somewhat sweaty] body all over my white walls. And I don't have a big stand-alone wall in the middle of my living room, so it can be kind of a hassle to follow along visually while simultaneously getting your form in place. I don't know. It just seemed awkward at times. During the gluteal segment, I did try using the floor as an alternative during some of the moves, but couldn't make it work for all of them. Oh well.

This workout definitely seems to combine yoga and pilates moves with lots of stretching. In fact, I think the stretching is probably the most appealing part of this workout. Because you move through the segments so quickly, it's not nearly as intense as other strength/yoga workouts, but the extra stretching in between helped me feel a bit more flexible and stronger.

The instructors do a fantastic job of explaining the moves, which I found impressive since each segment goes by so fast. In fact, that was probably one of the (if not THE) first workout DVDs I've tried where I wasn't lost on how to perform any of the moves on the first try.

All in all, I'm quite happy to have this unique workout in my collection. While I don't think I'll rely on it for my usual strength training (it's simply not intense enough), I'll definitely work it into my weekly routine to improve my core strength and flexibility. I'll also rely on it as a great total body stretch routine, especially in between more intense workouts. I always tend to rush over my cool down stretches (something I'm always working on), so the segments in this DVD will ensure that my muscles and joints get the special treatment they deserve.

Last Chance Workout.

Fuh-Fuh-Fuh-Friday!

This week flew by for me. And for that, I am grateful. Before I get into my DVD review, let me quickly express how F-ING STOKED I am that my gym is offering BodyPump classes next week! I've been reading about these classes on other blogs for a while now and may/may not have squealed when I saw the BP logo on the 24 Hour Fitness class schedule. Looks like it's replacing 24 S.E.T. and is gonna be offered Sat./Sun, mornings. So, so perfect. I've heard that you're completely sore and busted after the first class, but being the sadist that I am, I still can not wait!

Alright, alright. On to review schtuff. I know it's been out for a while, but this week, I finally got around to trying out:




The Biggest Loser: Last Chance Workout.

I'll cut to the chase... Keeper? Yes! Time for the breakdown:

Warm-up:
Starts with a general warm-up, complete with Jillian's mix of dynamic stretching and light cardio. The case says 5 minutes, but it's actually closer to 8.

Last Chance Workout:
This is a 25-minute session that acts as the bulk of the DVD. Basically, you alternate between high-intensity cardio moves and strength training moves, each move lasting around 30 seconds.

Some of the moves I recognized from various other DVDs I've done in the past (including Jillian's), but there was still some new stuff like Scissor Jumping Jacks and Staggering Push-ups. Buh. Regular jumping jacks are not my favorite, so having to cross my legs in the middle just about killed me. The Staggering Push-ups involved constantly alternating the position of each hand. Again, buh. I'm a push-up wuss though, so these were tough for me.

Also in the mix were some mountain climbers, in-and-outs (a.k.a. plank or squat thrusts), plank jacks, dumbbell rows, flys, tricep kickbacks and extensions, lunges with weights, side and front kicks, hooks/jabs/uppercuts, side squats with weights, deadlifts, bicep curls, jump rope (including one-legged jump rope, which of course killed me) and lateral raises. Those certainly weren't listed in order and I'm sure I left out a handful of others, but those are the majority of the moves.

I did ok my first time through. Definitely broke out a sweat and had some lingering soreness over the following couple of days. Since it is a shorter workout and because each move is performed for around 30 seconds, increase your weight during the strength moves and go for full-intensity during the cardio sets. I did a pretty good job of changing out my weights, but I probably could've pushed a bit harder during cardio.

I gotta say, Jillian flat out annoyed me during this workout. Too much yelling, talking down to/making fun of the contestants and not enough instruction. There were a lot of moves where she would just say "Ok, time for X," and wouldn't describe the move or what kind of form to have until the interval was nearly over, if she described it all, so I really had to stop and look at what people were doing and follow along the best I could. Following along is tricky too, because most of the contestants aren't in sync at all. I tried to follow along with Tara or Sione, but even with them, my timing got off. Not a huge deal, but pretty annoying during the first try.

Upper Body Sculpt:

This is a 10 minute workout. Pretty standard; rows, shoulder presses, push-ups, etc. Again, keep the weight up and you'll feel a damn good burn. New-ish move that killed me? Plank Renegades/Rows. Now, if you've done level 3 of 30 Day Shred or one of Jackie Warner's workouts, you'll recognize this move. But the twist? No alternating arms; you stay on the same side for each rep. Maybe it was just me, but not being able to alternate sides destroyed me. I actually got kind of upset with myself because I couldn't stay off of my knees the whole time. Tough stuff!

Another killer? Plank Flys Yep, get into plank on your weights and raise one arm out to the side. And as with the plank rows, you had to stay on the same side; no alternating arms. Owie. There were also some bicep curls and tricep dips thrown into the mix, so I was pleased with the variety of moves, given the amount of time.

Lower Body Tone:

This workout is also 10 minutes and quite effective. Though it's a standard mix of lunges and squats, the use of added weights and steady pace kept me sweatin' & burnin'.

Move that made me whimper? Jump squats WITH overhead presses! This is a balls-out move that Jillian closes with. Jump squats are one thing, but when you have to push weight up over your head while you're in the air? Well, hot damn.

Jillian's instruction during the upper and lower body segments is MUCH better, as is the pace of the contestants. Everything seemed much more focused and Jillian's teaching style seemed to mirror that of her own non-BL workout DVDs.

Cool Down:

Nice 5 minute cool down. I liked that the format of the BL workouts kinda "forced" Jillian into taking more time with cooling down and stretching; the cool down segments in her own DVDs always seems too short and a bit rushed to me.


I did the 25 minute workout only on the first day. On the second day, I ran a warm-up mile and did the two 10-minute workouts. Honestly, I don't think I could hang if I did all three workouts back-to-back... Since the 25 minute session has a lot of strength moves built in, my muscles would fatigue and burn out pretty quick into the upper/lower body segments. I might give it a shot some day, but for now, I'm digging the idea of breaking them up into quick, effective workouts for when I'm short on time, but still want to feel like a tough bad-ass.

That's all for today. Have a great weekend, everyone!

Part of this complete breakfast.

I've been trying to mix up my breakfasts this week and am also on an egg kick again. That said, this was today's morning fuel:



Diced up half of a leftover baked sweet potato, threw in the pan with some fresh salsa, sprinkled with a bit of shredded cheddar and topped with a fried egg.



One of the best breakfasts I've had in a while! It was hard to eat this one slowly. The textures. The spice. The subtle sweetness from the potato... Mmm! Need to pick up a few more taters so I can repeat this. I wanted to serve some grilled corn tortillas on the side, but totally spaced it, hence needing to make it again.

Even though this was a great meal, I was still a little hungry afterward, so I finished up the last of some honeydew and topped it with some thawed strawberries:



Crisp, cool and sweet. Love.

In fitness news, I did some strength training this morning, á la Jari Love. Despite my disappointment with her Body Rock DVD, I still had yet to try the weight & abs portion of the workout, so I decided to give it a shot. This portion really is the better half of the DVD. It's only about 30 minutes too, which I appreciated.

This certainly isn't the best of Jari's strength/resistance workouts, but I still felt like my muscles got worked over pretty good. I liked how she reverted back to some isometric moves, typical of some of her older DVDs, but also included some new [killer] shoulder exercises that I had never done before.

She also had a great deadlift circuit, so I quickly swapped out my weights for heavier ones so I could get more of a challenge. If I had to make a list of my favorite exercises, deadlifts would be pretty high up. It's the perfect move for working your arms, back, abs and hamstrings, all at once.

There were also plenty of weighted squats, bicep curls and chest presses. The abs portion was basically a mix of different crunches, including the bicycle variety. It was pretty much all upper-ab work though; not too much focus on lower abs. Fine with me though; my upper abs need all the help they can get these days.

Glad I gave the rest of this DVD another shot! Gotta love variety. I felt like my overall calorie burn was still lacking though, so I did a one mile run before hitting the shower.

I think tomorrow will be another gym day with a new treadmill program. I also have a workout from Fitness magazine that I saved a month or so ago and still haven't tried yet. Looks like a good strength routine. Might save that for Saturday.

Three-day weekend is almost here! No travel plans, so I'm looking forward to lounging like nobody's business. This week's been tough at times.

Gone official, gone foodin'.

Trying to fit multiple things into the blog today, so hang in there kids. My feedback on French Women Don't Get Fat is indeed around the corner (as in, hoping to post it in before the end of the day because I finished the book yesterday and cannot wait to blab!), but since I had some other bits to share, I thought breaking everything into two posts would be a better fit. This week is going by a little too fast for me, which has been good in some ways (see: typical work week), but a bit unforgiving in others (see: blogging stuffs).

First: I haz a new domain name!

http://stretchjeanincident.com

I suppose it wasn't a necessity, but the original URL (http://thestretchjeanincident.blogspot.com) was hideously long and buying a shorter version was cheap, even by my standards, so there ya go. Update your feeds and bookmarks if you'd like, but if you don't want to bother, the old URL will still remain active.

I don't foresee any major changes resulting from the new URL, but it has motivated me to plan a possible blog face lift and more pages, particularly some dedicated to recipes, DVDs and maybe fitness. Yes, I realize all of those topics are incredibly unorganized currently and yes, I promise to fix it. Slowly, but surely.

Second: New Favorite Food Links.

I'm a bit reluctant to label myself a "foodie," because I don't feel I meet the requirements (or can even define them) and the idea of such a label is relative, arbitrary and at times, a bit silly. However, I'm finally moving closer to a place where I just love and appreciate good food (rather than fear or struggle with it) and I love that there are some decent blogs running wild with that same appreciation. That said, there are a bajillion food blogs these days, but I've found a few that I just really dig and wanted to shamelessly promote:

Serious Eats. They publish regular restaurant/product reviews, recipes and special food features (tips on preparing testicles, anyone?). I've found it to be a great resource, not just for my palate, but for my brain as well. It's a site that not only makes me want to continue trying new things (without necessarily making me a crazy hungry maniac every time I read it), but also fascinates me, from a general education standpoint. I'm a nerd for new knowledge these days and what better subject to hold my attention than food? Eeeeexcellent.

The Kitchn. This site features a mix of kitchen designs (geared toward small apartments primarily, but the ideas could easily be adapted on larger scales), recipes and general food Q & A. It's a great resource for some cooking/meal planning basics and of course, great kitchen design ideas, should you be in the market.

Doug is all about design (he friggin' BUILT our platform bed and made his own desk with floating shelves, for example), so his ability to recognize the importance of stylish, yet incredibly functional design within all aspects of the home has indeed rubbed off on me. We don't own a home yet, but when we do, we intend to customize the shit out of it. That said, I plan on using The Kitchn as a resource, as they have some great ideas for storage, appliances, colors, textures, etc.

Food Network Humor. Just for fun, obviously. If you watch Food Network regularly and find yourself mocking the hosts, this is a good site to vent your frustrations and/or encourage your mocking. I personally love the Food Network Drinking Game. One of these weekends when I'm feeling bold (and not planning on leaving the house), I might just open a bottle and play along.

Third: Fitness Notes.

Still rocking the strength training and noticing MORE bitchin' results. I know it'll make me sound like a narcissistic bee-yotch, but I totally spent approx. 10 extra minutes (not all at once) looking at my body in the mirror, lovingly, this morning. Seeing some definition come back in certain areas and enjoying the disappearing of flab in others. But the best part? I haven't been beating myself up at the gym and I've been enjoying wine & chocolate. I know, punch me in the gut for sounding like a total douche-y informercial. But it's true. And I'll expand on that when I write about the French Women... book later.

Monday, I did Jari Loves's Slim & Lean DVD. Tuesday was 24Cycle class at the gym. Yesterday, nothing. Today, I busted out an oldie that I haven't touched in mooooonths (possibly a year? I dunno):



Jillian Michaels' No More Trouble Zones. I must admit, even though I hadn't done this DVD in forever, I was still feeling a bit cocky and thought, "Yeah, I'll just bust through this and will probably use heavier weight the whole time." Psh. I suppose I did bust through it, but not without struggle. And I used heavier weight for maybe like, 2 moves. The rest of the time, I was rockin' the 5 lbs. weights.

Best move that I totally forgot about that made me say "Oh, Jillian, you dirty bitch!" out loud? Plank rows. Granted, they're easier for me now than before, but they still snuck up me. Hell, I can say that for any move performed in plank position. Buh.

Last time I did this DVD, I still felt like giving strength training the middle finger. But now that I don't totally hate it, it was a great workout to re-visit. I still prefer Jari Love and Jackie Warner for strength workouts, but it felt good to throw in Jillian's routine, for old time's (and variety's) sake.

My cramps aren't totally kicking my ass today (well not now anyway), so I think I might make it to Zumba tonight, after a 2 week absence. But if not, I'm not going to beat myself up. I totally go through phases with my workouts and easily become obsessed with certain trends, eventually burning myself out (including, but not limited to: Zumba, 24 S.E.T., incline training, sprints and running). That's not to say that I no longer think Zumba is totally awesome, I'm just trying not to be so strict in my workout schedule these days and settling into the same routines. Going on a different night is always an option, as is just listening to my body and doing what feels the most welcoming at that particular moment. The only exception to this new philosophy is 24Cycle, because I have to reserve a spot and I expect to be tortured a bit. I'm starting to build a somewhat sick relationship with that class; I signed up for the Saturday class this week as well.

Fourth (and last):Hall & Oates Week.

Between gals on Twitter, Doug, our housemate James and I, Hall & Oates seem to be on regular rotation this week, so I decided to officially declare this week Hall & Oates Week, or "H.O.W.", if you will.



You have between now and Saturday to rock this shit out. Enjoy!