Supreme 90 Day Check-in and Changes.

After doing about half of the Supreme 90 Day system and trying out all 10 discs, I'm respectfully bowing out... Sort of.

While I've enjoyed the new variety of challenges, there are some specific training goals that I would like to meet which involve going outside of the pre-determined S90Day routines. Those goals include getting back into running and increasing my upper body strength.

Although I was noticing inches lost and biceps starting to bust out of my sleeves, consequently, I also noticed that my overall endurance was, well, pretty shitty. When attempting longer runs (currently 3-4 miles for me since I stopped running regularly a couple of years ago), I just couldn't hack it. I also tried an hour-long Jari Love DVD the other day and quickly noticed how much I struggled to keep up, just 20 minutes in. I still feel the S90Day discs are effective, but they are also quite short, hence not the best daily choice for my endurance training.

I definitely plan on throwing in some of the S90Day discs into my new custom routine though; as much as I hated it, the Ultimate Ball disc proved to be a great core workout and the Tabata Inferno disc is still, to this day, one of the hardest cardio workouts I've ever done.

So what is my routine these days, now that I'm no longer sticking to the S90Day calendar? I'm aiming for 3 days of cardio (primarily running, followed by short/intense intervals of incline walking, stair master-ing and elliptical-ing) mixed with 3 days of strength training. For strength, I'm rotating my Jari Love DVDs. While I liked the idea of working specific muscle groups on separate days with S90Day, I tend to get better results with total-body strength routines and it's really hard to beat Jari in that area (homegirl includes push-ups in all of her workouts, which I need more of). On days where I'm short on time, I'll opt for Jackie Warner, Jillian Michaels, the NTC app or S90Day.

Another reason for my decision to pursue other workouts outside of S90Day was the difference in calorie burn. Between my slower metabolism and my goal to lose about another 8-10 pounds, I really need a higher calorie burn throughout the week which I just wasn't getting with S90Day (exceptions being Cardio Challenge, Tabata Inferno and the longer Back/Biceps disc). After adding gym-cardio and Jari Love back into my routine, I've already broke my weight plateau in just a week.

LASTLY, my exercise A.D.D. got the better of me. I know, "how can a person get bored of 10 different discs, Tam?" It's just the way I roll, I guess. I surprised myself sticking with it for the 40+ days though; I thought I would throw in the towel after 30. So, coming from me, that's actually a good sign.

So that's where I'm at with exercise. I still give S90Day my seal of approval; the price you pay for the number of discs and variety of moves simply cannot be beat. If you're on the fence about trying the program because of the 90 day commitment, consider working the discs into your current routine without following the calendar.

Old Friends.

Earlier this month, I decided to reunite with an old friend: 24 Hour Fitness. I was just having gym withdrawals, what can I say? I was keeping up with workouts at home just fine, but getting out of the house and sweating elsewhere just keeps me a bit more sane. Plus, I missed the elliptical, stair master, row machine and spin bikes. I was still able to use my employer discount and returned to the 24.99/month rate. It's just too good to pass up!

I think the new fitness variety has helped with my weight goals too; I'm now over 10 pounds down in my 20 pound goal! Prior to returning to the gym, my loss stalled because I was basically gaining and losing the same 3 pounds for w-e-e-k-s. Said stall was primarily due to poor weekend food choices, but I think re-joining 24 boosted my overall motivation. Feeling really great this week.

My new cardio routine has been a 20 min. cross-training program on the elliptical followed by 30-40 minutes of spinning. The result? Serious muscle confusion! The elliptical routine calls for intervals of back-pedaling, which I've never really done. As for the spinning, I've been going to the cycle room when there's not a class and just do my own custom routine, mostly based on whatever songs come up on my playlist. Tough, but really fun! Lots of speed intervals and hill climbs. Spinning seems to paint a better picture of what level of shape I'm in. Let's just say I now know I've got some work to do, haha.

For strength and resistance training, I stay at home and either do a Nike Women NTC workout, some good ol' Jari Love DVDs or Jillian's new Ripped in 30. I've only done the Week 1 workout and can't really do a full review, but I will say that if you loved 30 Day Shred and classic Jillian moves, you NEED to have this in your rotation.

Additional NTC love: I unlocked all of the badges! Now I'm moving on to the Advanced workouts. Did a 30 minute Get Strong routine the other day and it was no joke. Best. Free. Fitness App. Ever!

Still plugging along in my Personal Trainer studies. Some chapters make my eyes glaze over, but others are just so damn fascinating! I'm regularly reminded that I'm definitely pursuing the right career.

Life is pretty peachy right now. No real complaints. Other than running. Buh. Yeah, definitely on a downswing with that. So much so that I'm considering bailing on the 5K I signed up for on April 16th. Obviously my attitude toward running was on an upswing when I registered for the race, but these days? Not so much. But, I still have another couple of weeks, so maybe things will change for the better by then. It just sucks because every time I do practice runs, I instantly start worrying about speed and it just makes for a grueling workout. Oh well.

I suppose that's enough of a fitness update for now. I think I'll leave you with some of the songs that came up while I was spinning today. I really should think about becoming an instructor; my music kicks so much more ass than the usual stuff they play...









Yeah, that would be the best spin class ever.

Catchin' Up.

It's been a while since my last post, so on with the catching up, eh?

I've been keeping a separate, for-my-eyes-only journal where I record my meals, activities, set goals and conduct regular reviews of my progress (Yes, all of the types of things that sound like they should be on THIS blog, but I update it multiple times a day and sometimes it's messy and rant-y. You're not missing much, trust me.) I had reached a point where I wasn't happy with how I was feeling (heavy, slow, pudgy and depressed) and the only way to get back to my ol' self was a kick in the pants and some added structure to my eating and exercise habits.

One new goal that I'm hoping will turn into a regular occurrence is planning weekly dinner menus. I guess I previously avoided it because I thought it would take too much time and cause extra grocery trips, but it's actually really friggin' easy and effective. And even if I or Doug change our minds at the last minute, it still works out ok because at the very least, we have a plan to cook at home instead of opting for pizza or trying to wing it with sandwiches (not always bad options by the way, it was just starting to occur more than usual).

Probably the best tool I found to get me started is Ready Set Eat. You pick your main ingredient (chicken, fish, meatless, etc.) and it offers up a bunch of meal suggestions, complete with recipes and nutritional information. I've tried a couple already, including their Black Bean Pasta Bowl!

The original recipe needed to be jazzed up with some flavor, so here are some changes I made to my version:

• Used 1 can black beans and 1 can kidney beans
• Added one sauteéd onion (chopped) and 2 cloves of minced garlic
• Used 2 heaping tablespoons of Famous Dave's Rich & Sassy BBQ sauce
• Added one 8 oz. can of tomato sauce
• Added about 1 tbsp dried parsley flakes
• Used much more cumin
• Garnished with diced avocado
• Added salt & black pepper

It probably doesn't look or sound like anything special, but this was hands down a delicious, FILLING meal! And full of health too; packed with protein, fiber, antioxidants, healthy fat and even some omega-3s since I used Barilla Plus Pasta.

Subtle heat and sweetness from the BBQ sauce and nice crunch from the corn. Doug was skeptical when I showed him the recipe, but after tasting the finished product, he definitely approved. Great meatless meal that takes well under 30 minutes to get on the table!

While Ready Set Eat is a great resource, I would caution that their meals tend to be on the bland side, so don't be afraid to add your own flavor enhancements.

As for fitness, I've kind of been all over the place. Still rocking the Nike Women NTC app, but have also been mixing in stuff by Jari Love, Jackie Warner, Bob Harper and good ol' Jillian Michaels. It had been ages since I last did her Banish Fat/Boost Metabolism DVD; I forgot how much of an ass-kicker it is, especially in the second half!

I'm also running a anywhere from 3-7 miles a week and throwing in some sprint intervals for "fun." My pace isn't as great as it once was, so I'm slowly trying to work my way back. In terms of overall fitness though, I'm making pretty rad progress. I'm having more of an athlete attitude and being more present during my workouts. Instead of daydreaming about looking good in a bikini, I'm focusing on the mind-muscle connection and how much stronger it's making me.

Also eating up some of my time & thoughts these past couple of weeks is deciding on what to do with my income tax return. The following ideas have come to mind:

• Save it.
• Buy an incline trainer (which technically I did, but then canceled the order minutes later).
• Get a dog.
• Buy boxing gear.
• Go to Vegas.
• Finally go for my personal trainer certification.
• Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer.

After many distracted days and a few sleepless nights, I've narrowed my choices down to saving the money, dog or personal training, the latter being the top choice. I've been talking about getting my trainer certification for a few years now and given my current job satisfaction (or lack thereof), I need a more productive outlet for my fascination with fitness and health. I'm not expecting to be the next Jillian Michaels or even train full-time, I just want to help people realize their potential, one session at a time. I also believe that studying the material will help me realize my own potential as well; I've spent several years thinking I couldn't achieve certain things and it's caused a lot of missed opportunities and regret. I'm done questioning what my body is capable of doing and ready to just do it (damn you, Nike!).

Salad and Salutations.

Sundays tend to be a bit lazy around our household. Yesterday was no exception. Aside from some laundry, I found myself on the couch most of the day, bouncing back and forth between Food Network and Cooking Channel. By some miracle, I managed to slowly change into workout clothes around 5:30 pm and did a quick workout. I told Doug we could just do whatever for dinner (sandwiches, soup, cereal, etc.), but while I was sweatin' it out, he came through with a delightful salad:



On a bed of green leaf lettuce, he poured over a white bean & bacon bit salad (included diced tomatoes, red onion and an orange vinaigrette dressing made with orange zest, orange juice, some of the bacon fat, some oil, salt, pepper, cayenne aaand garlic?). So good! But then it got a little better:



Grilled diced chicken breast on top. He added sage, salt and pepper before grilling.

It was light, refreshing and had a great mix of textures. Perfect recovery meal after my workout!

Aside from great Sunday salads, I'm looking forward to starting the 21 Day Challange from Yoga Journal Magazine.



Join me, if you'd like!

While I've always been able to do various workouts on my own without following a specific plan, yoga has always been one of those areas that I just can't seem to stick with on a regular basis, despite how great I feel afterward. I recently subscribed to Yoga Journal and when they revealed this challenge, I knew I needed to give it a try. Today is Day 1, so I plan on doing the first workout when I get home from work.

I read on Lifehacker recently that it takes 21 days to help build a good habit, so it was hard to turn down a 21 day yoga challenge! Plus, I was looking ahead at the lengths of the daily workouts and most of them are short enough to be combined with my regular exercise schedule (which has still been a mix of Nike Training Club workouts and running).

Anyone else trying new workouts or challenges this year?

Hope everyone's easing back into the work week!

iPadding my way to a better body.

I must've been a good girl in 2010 because Santa (a.k.a, Mom), got me a friggin' iPad for Christmas. I won't go into details about how great I think it is and how much [more] of an Apple geek I've become in the last week, but I do have to point out pretty much the best [FREE] app of all time: Nike Women's Nike Training Club (NTC).

I came across the app in a Lifehacker post and downloaded it for kicks because it was free. Then, I actually started using it. So. Damn. Awesome.

(NOTE: If you don't use mobile apps, you can still view some of the exercise video clips on Nike Women's YouTube Channel. You could just as easily create your own custom routine, using those videos as a guide. Each move lasts 1 or 2 minutes and there are a few recovery breaks mixed in.)

It's basically loaded with dozens of total body workouts, with different options for beginner, intermediate and advanced users. There are photos & video demos to show you how to perform the moves, but you essentially do the workout on your own; you don't follow along to an instructor the whole time, like you would with a standard workout DVD. There is a woman's voice to give you a few verbal cues and advice, but it's all you, baby. Oh, there's a timer on the screen too so you can decide whether or not you can bust out 10 more seconds of squat jumps.

And the best part? The workouts are effective! I actually started with some of the intermediate routines before jumping into advanced and I'm glad I did- the intermediate routines are pretty damn tough! The moves presented in each workout depend on which "goal" you choose:



Get Lean is mostly cardio (lots of plyometrics), but also includes some resistance and ab training. Get Toned still includes some cardio, but focuses more on resistance with weights, abs and balance. I've yet to actually try Get Strong, but I know that it focuses primarily on weight lifting. Get Focused just allows you to focus on certain areas with shorter workouts.

I wasn't sure how challenging the workouts would be, but it wasn't long before I found out. I was huffing, puffing, dripping and of course, keeping my heart rate steady. I wore my heart rate monitor because I was curious how hard I was working. I must've been keeping up pretty well; my first 45 minute Get Lean workout burned almost 500 calories. The 45 minute Get Toned workout burned 400. Good to know!

As I browsed the different types of workouts, I noticed that a medicine ball makes a regular appearance. I've thought about buying one before, but usually managed to find substitutions. This time around though, I thought it would be good to have one. I browsed Wal-Mart and wasn't impressed with the selection or the prices. Doug recommended just making my own with a cheap basketball, as per the Internet.



Done! It was pretty easy. I cut a hole in the ball, big enough for a funnel to fit and funneled in some kitty litter. We don't have a cat, but the people who lived in our house before us did and left a huge bag of litter in the garage, making the process even more cost effective! Filled it up until I made it to 10 lbs. and then stuffed in a bunch of plastic grocery bags to make it a bit more full without adding more kitty litter. Taped with duct tape and I was good to go! I tried it this morning and it worked pretty well. Cost of the basketball was only $5, which beats a $20-$30 medicine ball any day.

So those have been my recent adventures in fitness. Technology-aided workouts and homemade equipment. Fun stuff! I hope to have some new DVD reviews in the near future, but there may be a delay on those since I'm currently obsessed with NTC. Hope everyone enjoyed the holidays and have a great week!