Work It Out!

I said that I would let you all know what I've been up to as far as exercise...

I decided to follow Whole Family Strong's example and do a 2 days on/1 day off rotation. I've almost always done 5-6 days straight and then one day off. I've almost always gotten burnt out or really did not look forward to my workouts. I think that the new rotation, with 2 days exercise followed by 1 day of rest and repeat, is so much easier for many reasons. I no longer feel like I have to brace myself for a week's worth of workouts before I get a day off. I have more flexibility during the week to get things done and don't have to wait until the weekend for a day off. I am no longer forcing myself to do hour-long workouts each day for those 6 days. Sometimes I do an hour workout, but sometimes I do a 15 minute workout. It depends on how I'm feeling that day and what I have time for. I am working on just being active and not focusing on max calorie burn to make up for whatever I ate that day. And I can tell that I am much less stressed with this process.

So for the actual programs/workouts that I'm doing... 

I've been rotating between different things. I have got a collection of all different kinds of workouts from many different companies: Zumba, Zuzka Light, Insanity, P90x, Hip Hop Abs... and then I also do workouts online from Zuzka Light, Daily HIIT, and Fitness Blender. I do have to say that Fitness Blender is probably my favorite right now though. They've got a super easy web site where you can actually search for a workout based on what kind of exercise you want to do (cardio, strength, toning, etc.) or where you want to focus (back, legs, biceps, etc.) or how long you want to work out (15 minutes, 30 minutes, etc.) or which level of difficulty you'd prefer (1 - 5) and then finally there is the option for calorie burn where you choose a calorie burn range. So it really is perfect for people with busy lives to go in,find what they want, then do it! You can also save your favorite workouts so you can just hop back on another time and find it easily. I love it! 

The first week on the Whole30 program I did two Zuzka workouts, 2 Fitness Blender workouts, and 1 Jillian Michaels yoga workout. So far this week I've done 2 Fitness Blender workouts and 1 Zuzka workout. I really love the variety and being able to choose what I want to do each day. It makes it seem much less rigid and seems more palatable when I think about doing this as a lifestyle choice.

Eventually I'd like to try the Fitness Blender 8-Week Challenge again ... just to see what I can do with it, but right now I'm working on forming habits instead of trying to make myself do things a certain way. So, I think it's important not to push for too much all at the beginning and gradually work my way up to certain things. I can't comment much on the progress I've made so far since we're only 12 days into the program, we're not allowed to weigh ourselves, and I've been wearing yoga pants and dresses every day so far! But I feel so much better, I have more flexibility, and I know I'm doing good things for my body. And that's good enough for me for now!

Product Review: Jillian Michaels Yoga Meltdown

Today I tried a new workout: Jillian Michaels Yoga Meltdown. I got it for Christmas, but haven't been able to bust it out until now. I am definitely not an expert on Yoga, so I don't know what is the norm. The only other yoga I have done is P90x Yoga. I can say that the two styles are very different. Where P90x Yoga is very centered on power poses (holding strength poses for extended periods of time), Jillian's approach is more dynamic. She created her program to incorporate the same basic poses as the P90x Yoga, but includes reps with it before having you hold the position for 15 seconds. Let me tell you, 15 seconds may not seem like a long time, and isn't when you compare it to P90x, but after doing reps, you will feel the burn.





For example, one move is a Warrior 3 pose. In this position you are balanced on one foot while your other leg is parallel to the ground, creating a right angle. You hold this position, but only briefly, and then come down into a squat ... then back up to Warrior 3. You do the reps, then you hold for 15 seconds. Then move on to the next move.

The work is, as always, modified to be suitable for beginner, moderate, or advanced level participants. It also does not require any equipment, not even shoes, as you do this workout barefoot. The workout lasts about 35 minutes, so it easily fits into your schedule... especially when you compare it to the 1.5 hours involved in P90x Yoga. That being said, it doesn't involve as much stretching as it does strength training, but it packs a punch for a half hour workout. There are two levels too, so once you feel you've mastered the first level, you can move on to the second one for more of a challenge.

I think yoga should be included in weekly, at least, because it is that flexibility and balance that help you with all of your core and strength and even cardio workouts. They also help reduce the chance of injury when working out or just in your daily routine.

I kind of got the feeling that Jillian doesn't do yoga regularly because she admits to not being all that balanced or flexible as I believe she may be if it were a regular routine. On the one hand, it might help you feel more relaxed to know that even Jillian Michaels can't do it perfectly. But on the other hand, it came off to me that she may not really think yoga is a necessary part of her routine either. It was just my first time doing the program though, so my opinion may change. I love Jillian and her attitude throughout this workout is great. I wish there were a bit more stretching involved, but I can always look to another yoga DVD if I want to stretch throughout the workout.

Pros: 

30 minute routine that fits into your schedule
The moves are easily modified to fit your fitness level
No equipment necessary
Not a boring workout at all
$8 online is a very good price
Two different levels to master

Cons:

Not as much stretching for the yoga I am used to

P90x Review

When I first started losing weight, I focused on what I was eating first. I didn't actually start any kind of working out until after I had lost about 50 pounds. After that I started walking, then tried jogging briefly, and then I was introduced to P90x.

P90x is a 90 day fitness program sold by Beach Body, a large company that sells both nutritional products and workout programs. They've made quite a name for themselves and many, many people have lost weight using their products. I would say that P90x is not a program that I would recommend for a very beginner. I think I could have done well to start with something a bit less extreme, but I wasn't really all that aware of what was out there, so I jumped right in.

When you buy P90x, you pay $140 and you get 12 DVDs, a nutritional guide, a workout calendar, and access to an online community for support and guidance. The  DVDs include:

*Chest & Back                                          * X Stretch
* Plyometrics                                              * Core Synergistics
* Shoulders & Arms                                   * Chest, Shoulders, and Triceps
* Yoga X                                                   * Back & Biceps
* Legs & Back                                           * Cardio X
* Kenpo X                                                 * Ab Ripper X

You can CLICK HERE for a sample view of each of the discs.

The program follows a concept of muscle confusion, meaning you won't be working the same muscle areas two days in a row. You work one area enough and then let it rest and move on to another area. In this theory, the body never gets accustomed to what is thrown at it, and therefore you won't plateau. It also gives your sore muscles a chance to recover before hitting them hard again. The program lasts a total of 13 weeks. I can definitely guarantee that you will get results if you follow this program. Of course, you need to follow the nutritional side of things too, but the workouts are enough to get major results.

With the discs, you have to watch to make sure that you perform the moves with good form though, or you may end up hurting yourself. The Plyometric DVD can also be hard on your knees if you have bad knees, as it involves jump training. I've never typically had bad knees, but did notice a bit of tenderness when doing the jumping and twisting motions, so you will want to watch that. I think that if I were to try it now, I would have better success though, since I'm at a lighter weight than when I first tried P90x. The jump training does not require any equipment, but many of the DVDs do. In most cases you can get away with most of them with a good set of workout bands. However, if you don't want to do the band version, the program calls for free weights and a pull-up bar.

A great thing about the program is that there is a lot of variety. You will be doing 12 discs over the course of 13 weeks, so it's much favorable to doing the same workout every day, back to back. I can also say that it is fun. I know you don't typically think of working out as fun, and it may not be quite the same as a dance workout or sports, but Tony Horton, the instructor in the DVDs keeps things lively and if you're not grunting from the workout, you'll be giggling. He's a hoot! He can get a bit chatty though, which leads me to another negative for the program. The workouts are typically an hour long, which can be a bit more than most people can fit into their daily schedules. I have found though, that once you get a handle on the workouts, you can fast forward a bit through the instructional part of the DVDs and chop off quite a bit of time. You should never rush a workout, and always should strive for good form, but there's nothing wrong with skipping the "how-to" part of a DVD when you've done it five times.

To sum it up:

Postives

• Full of variety
• Guaranteed to get you results
• You get a lot in the package
• The online community is a great resource
• Tony is an entertaining instructor
• Comes with a 90 Day - Money Back Guarantee

 Negatives

•  A bit expensive
• Workouts run a little long (one hour)
• You will need equipment (free weights or bands, pull up bar or bands)
• Tony can get a bit chatty
• It will make you hurt (but that's a good thing, so should probably be in my positives list!)

Beach Body offers a wide variety of workout programs for people of all fitness levels. In addition to P90x, there is also  P90X2 (more difficult), P90X Plus (more difficult), Power 90 (less difficult). If you're looking for something with dance, they've got Hip Hop Abs. If you want High Intensity Interval Training, they've got Insanity. If you want something to boost your booty, they've got Brazil Butt Lift. I can almost guarantee they have a product for you if you look. I think the programs are a bit expensive, but I've seen the results. They are going to get you where you want to go, if you follow the program. So I give them, and specifically P90x, a thumbs up!

I hope you enjoyed my first product review. I hope to share more as I get into writing more in the blog. Have a great week!

Variety

I talked about variety in my last post as a means to keep from getting bored. Variety is important for a few other reasons though too.

Flexibility:

Doing a variety of workouts is great for keeping your body limber and in the best shape that it can be. If you are constantly doing the same type of workout, you are limiting yourself. You'll still be more flexible and stronger than people not doing anything, but I really feel to get the maximum benefits, you need to incorporate different types of workouts.

Strength:

When you think strength, you might think of weight training, but variety comes in handy here too. Sure, you will get strong pumping iron, but you also gain strength overall including running, swimming, and even yoga into your fitness schedule. If you think yoga is just for girls or isn't a "real" workout, then you have been misinformed. Check out this video: In The Yoga Studio and tell me that you yoga is to be overlooked.

Shaping Your Body:

One of the best ways to get the body that you have always dreamed of is to include variety in your workouts. In this way, you build strength, flexibility, endurance, burn more fat, and really get the tone look that you are looking for. You cannot spot train and melt fat or tone just one area of your body at a time, so by adding variety to your workout routines, you can achieve the thinner tummy or toned arms, while also strengthening your heart, increasing your stamina, and toning your booty at the same time.

So what kind of workouts can you do to get the maximum benefits?

 

Ideally you would like to have a good blend of these types of exercises: 

 

Strength training: lifting weights, weight machines, pilates, body weight exercises (pushups, squats, etc.)

Stretching: Yoga (there are several different kinds) and stretching

Cardio: running, biking, interval training

HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training): Intervals of strength and cardio moves with very short rests between.

I can't say that one is more important than the other. They all work together to give you the overall effect that you're hoping to achieve. Plus, it's just more fun to have variety and something new to do each day. And always, always remember to warm up, stretch, and cool down before and after your workouts and always drink plenty of water too.