short Bob Harper workouts

Well, we were sick all through Bright Week (I know, right?), so I'm just back to working out today.

To get back into the swing of things, I did three of the short workouts that Bob Harper tends to stick on the end of his hour-long DVDs. So, I did the short workouts from his Yoga DVD, his Core DVD and his Cardio DVD.

I think it was about 40 minutes of exercise in all.

-Jess

Week 12

A whole lotta nothing!

But the weather has been beautiful, and I'm looking forward to getting outside again.

Weeks 10 & 11

My memory is a little fuzzy because I have had a lot going on lately, but Weeks 10 & 11 went something like this:

Week 10:

Plyo

Walk/jog

Arms/Shoulders

Walk/jog ???? - not sure if this happened, or if I'm imagining it.

Week 11:

Legs/back

Walk

Kenpo

Walk

And then Easter happened, and physical fitness and diet went by the wayside . . . temporarily.

went for a run

Not an official C25K workout, as our schedule's all crazy with Holy Week. But I went out and ran for 22 minutes, and mapped it afterwards. It was almost 2.3 miles, which means I'm running a little less than a ten minute mile, which: yay! That's perfectly respectable, especially considering how hilly my route was, and that it was the middle of the day, in the full sun.

I did about a five minute warm-up and five-mute cool-down too, walking.

Also, this was a similar route to one I took back in the first week or so of the program, when I was walking more of the time than I was running. Really cool to just be able to run the whole thing, without stopping, and go even further than I could be for. That was a really, really nice pay-off for the last few months' work.

-Jess

Bob Harper Ripped Core DVD

I did the longer workout on this one today.

-Jess

Kickbox FastFix

Did workout 2 (lower body) on this DVD, and threw in 40 squats at the end as a preventative measure against knee injury (squats are supposed to help).

-Jess

C25K: Week 6, Workout 2

Which, sadly, is the last workout in this program that doesn't include 20+ minutes straight of running. Le sigh.

Oh, well. I'm sure if the program thinks I'm ready for it, I must be ready for it. Right? right?


Ignoring the sound of crickets,
Jess

C25K: Week 6, Workout 1

Done.

-Jess

Maximize - Full Frontal

What a name for a DVD title, eh?

-Jess

C25K: Week 5, Workout 3

This was the 20 minutes straight of running, and . . . we did it! So, that's good.

-Jess

Week 9

2 workouts - pretty good considering family was in town for spring break.

M: P90X arms & shoulders (for some reason, it felt like I had never done this workout before!)
T: Jogging

Shape Up - Backside and Front

Did both of these DVD's today; felt good to to circuit training again.

-Jess

C25K: Week 5, Workout 2

owwwwwwwwwwwwww.

-Jess

Irish dancing!

way too much fun to count as exercise! :)

-Jess

Couch-To-5K, Week 5, Workout 1

We redid this one today, because we were sick for the past week and didn't want to just jump right back in.

-Jess

Weeks 7 & 8

Week 7:
3 total workouts - P90X Kenpo, Jogging & P90X Back & Chest - was a good week to get back on track.

Week 8:
2 total workouts - P90X plyometrics & jogging - full week led to less exercise.

I should add that my son is now taking a class at the local elementary school 2x/week, which means that I get a half a mile walk in twice a week in addition to the working out.  Every little bit helps, right?

This week, I'm on Spring Break, and we're supposed to have visitors.  It will be an extra challenge to stay on track.

C25K, Week 5, Workout 1

This one felt really good - it felt like my body had actually decided it knows how to run.

And after the first couple of laps, my knee didn't hurt! that's a first!

(I'm gonna keep ignoring the fact that the program thinks I'm gonna be running 20 minutes straight by Monday.)

-Jess

Jackie Warner's Xtreme Timesaver Training

did this today.

-Jess

C25K, Week 4, Workouts 2&3

We did workout 2 on Friday, but I forgot to post about it. Did workout 3 today.

I'm a bit nervous about starting Week 5, because by the end of it we're supposed to be running for 20 minutes straight. Eep!

-Jess

30 Day Shred, Level 3

Today, this almost felt good.

-Jess

C25K: Week 4, Workout 1

Wow! there was a huge jump in the amount of running time from last week to this week!

Here's this week's workout by time (it's the same all three days):

-5 min. walking warm-up
Jog 3 minutes
Walk 90 seconds
Jog 5 minutes
Walk  2-1/2 minutes
Jog 3 minutes
Walk  90 seconds
Jog  5 minutes
-5 min. walking cool-down

-Jess

Week 6

I improved on Week 5 by getting 2 workouts in last week.  

Workout 1: jogging outside thanks to the arrival of a wheel that turns my bike trailer into a jogging stroller!  While it's not the easiest thing to maneuver, it does amp up the jobg (added weight while going uphill along with an arm workout when trying to make turns).

According to Google Maps, the jog was about 0.8 mi, and it took about 20 mins, which was just enough time to try out my jogging legs and lungs.

Workout 2 (the next day): P90X legs & back

I spent the next three days or so hobbling around the house as my legs recovered.  Ouch.

C25K, Week 3, Workout 3

Did this today, and added 3 extra minutes running at the end.

-Jess

Personal Training with Jackie DVD

Did the 40 minute version of the workout.

-Jess

C25K: Week 3, Workout 2

Did this today. I added 3 minutes of running to the end tonight, and I forgot to say that I added three minutes to the end of Wednesday's workout, too.

-Jess

Week 5, otherwise known as one step forward, two steps back

Last week, I ate Valentine's chocolates and exercised very little.  Only 1 P90X workout - arms & shoulders.

Oh well.  If at first you don't succeed, try, try again.

Extreme Shed and Shred, Level 2

Ow.

-Jess

C25K: Week 3, Day 1

Did this, added three minutes of running to the end.

Didn't die! Hurrah!

-Jess  :D

C25K - week 2, workout 3

Finished week 2!

-Jess

Bob Harper Pure Burn Super Strength DVD

I did both the 60 min. section and the 20 min. section, though it was really more like 72 min. all put together (there's stretching on either end).

And, may I say: Ow.

-Jess

C25K, week 2, workout 2

done! (yesterday.)

-Jess

Extremem Shed and Shred, Level 1

Or is it Shred and Shed? I can never remember. Anyway, I really like this one. Lots of kickboxing and capoeira.

-Jess

Week 4 - Getting Better

M: Kenpo
T: Chest & Back (my least favorite P90X workout)
W: Plyometrics
Th: Nothing
F: Most of the arms & shoulders workout.

Also, we just received the wheel that will convert our bike trailer into a jogging stroller, which means that we can now take advantage of the spring weather we've been having and move our cardio training OUTDOORS.  Can't wait!

C25K: week 2, workout 1

WEEK 2, FINALLY!

:D

-Jess

C25K, week 1, workout 3 (again)

Yesterday. Starting the week 2 workouts this week, I hope!

-Jess

Banish Fat, Boost Metabolism

I did this DVD today, and I did indeed complete the C25K, week 1, workout 2 yesterday.

-Jess

30 Day Shred, Level 2

and C25K later today, if things go well.

-Jess

Week 3

Last week was a bust for me.  I had a change to my schedule and only worked out twice - P90X legs & back & P90X Kenpo.  I felt pretty blah by the weekend and blame the lack of exercise.  This week is going much better; I'll post my update soon.

30 Day Shred, Level 1

After yesterday's workout-pa-looza, I just wanted something quick and basic. Hence: 30 Day Shred, Level 1.

-Jess

C25K, week 1, workout 1 (again)

Did the first workout of the first week of Couch-to-5K again, this time with Adam. Wasn't expecting to get to work out twice in one day, but it was fun!

-Jess

stationary bike

No exercise last week because I came down with the flu (fever and chills and everything!). But today I did 40 minutes on the stationary bike.

-Jess

Body Rev Cardio

Today I did the 60 min. section of Bob Harper's Body Rev Cardio Conditioning.  Yaaaaay . . . I want a smoothie.

-Jess

Week 2

Tuesday: P90X Plyometrics
Wednesday: 10 minute slow jog on the treadmill (for once, I don't feel like I'm dragging my body along.  It's great!)
Thursday: P90X shoulders & arms (must get heavier weights to get more out of this workout)

I hope to get some more working out in before week's end, but I often fizzle out after Thursday.

Also, here's a link to the video of my son doing a P90X workout.  Unfortunately, I had the mic turned off, so the video loses some of its comic effect:

http://tygonzablog.blogspot.com/2013/01/you-know-its-bad-sign-when.html

C25K, Week 1, Day 3

Same workout as before, only this time, in the rain!

-Jess

No More Trouble Zones

Did this DVD today - a bit of strength training to go along with all this running!

-Jessica

C25K, workout 2

Pretty much the same as Monday's workout. Still feeling pretty good about this whole running thing!

-Jess

Couch to 5K, Day One

Today I did Day One of the Couch to 5K running plan. Although I did 25 minutes, not 20, just because of the route I chose. And I did a 5 minute walking warm-up and 7 minute walking cool-down. (The whole thing was 2.7 miles. Yay, GMap pedometer!)

But, oh-my-goodness! It didn't kill my knees! I've tried on and off in my adult life to use running as a regular part of my exercise routine and my knees always complain.

But this time, they didn't.

It makes me hope I might get to be a runner after all.

I really hope I can. It's such an efficient exercise, and you can do it outside. I love being outside. Sun and sky and trees = happy Jess.

I think every time I've tried before I've pushed too hard. This time, I'm following expert instruction and trying to do it right. And maybe it won't work, but I've a better shot at it, I think, if I rely on a proven method like this.

Oh! and also! every time I was running I was actually running not just jogging. The 90 seconds walking in between every 60 seconds running was just enough recovery to let me actually run when I was running. And going . . . well, not fast, but at a decent speed is definitely more fun that slowly plodding along. Which is what's happened to me before when I've tried to run the whole time.

I might not be able to really do this plan whole hog till it gets a bit lighter, just because of child care issues. But maybe I can modify it for weekend use, or do some of it with Adam when he's home. (He's interested, and we figure we can go to a park and run around the kids while they play on the grass.)

Anyway. Yay! running! <-- and="and" for="for" me="me" new.="new." p="p" s="s" something="something" that="that">
-Jess

Week 1

So this week was basically a bust for me.  I attempted to do the first P90X workout (chest and back - my least favorite of the set) with my hubby on Monday.  Unfortunately, I just couldn't get my head into it, so I did 10 minutes on the treadmill instead.  I ran a little and walked a little and was basically all over the place.

Tuesday was a bit better, but not much.  I was on the treadmill for 15 minutes walking uphill.

And that was it for the week.

My three year old, on the other hand, is very enthusiastic about P90X and started a workout all by himself yesterday.  I have some video of him interacting with Tony Horton and will have it posted on my blog soon.

Goals for Week 2:
P90X on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday
Treadmill on one of the off days.

Pure Burn Super Strength

Today I did the 60 min. section of Bob Harper's "Pure Burn Super Strength." Ow, again. As usual. (But, yay, endorphins!)

-Jess

Extreme Shed and Shred

Or is it Shred and Shed? I dunno. I did Level II though!

-Jess

Yoga for the Warrior

Today I did the 60 min. section of Bob Harper's "Yoga for the Warrior" - though it's really more like 56 min., and the first two and last ten are just stretching.

Still! Challenging and relaxing at the same time. There's a lot to be said for power yoga.

-Jess

p.s. We're still dealing with the cold-that-never-ends at our house. Ugh. It's throwing off our schedules, hence the couple of days without a workout.

Zumba!

One of my Christmas presents this year was the Zumba 2 game for Wii. Way too much fun.

Today I did 24 minutes of Zumba, about 6 songs, and I think all but one was medium intensity.

Not a lot of muscle-building, but great cardio! (It's less painful when you're having fun!)

-Jess

1/12/13

I managed to squeeze a workout in this week.  Actually, it was more of a "fun" activity than a workout - my hubby and I towed our son to the neighborhood park in our new bike trailer.  Or rather, my husband towed, and I followed.  Not surprisingly, he got the more intense workout, but there are plenty of inclines in our neighborhood, so I did get some good leg work in.  And my lungs were tested, too - going to have to work on both my endurance and my leg strength.

1/11/13 workout for Jess

Today I did the long (about 45 minutes) workout on Bob Harper's Totally Ripped Core.

Gosh, Harper just makes it very clear that the common conception of abdominal crunches being ineffective only exists because every other instructor out there is a wuss. He has you do them fast, without rest, and at a variety of angles and oh my gosh does it hurt.

Also? His plank circuits are vicious enough that you're relieved when you finally get to do stand up and do insane-jumping-around cardio stuff. Only not for long, because the insane-jumping-around cardio stuff is vicious, too.

But it's so well-designed. None of the pain is injury-inducing pain, just muscles-being-pushed-to-get-stronger pain. Love this workout.

-Jess

(I might double-post this to my other blog, as a review. I'll have to check and see if I've reviewed this DVD there already.)

ETA: I did review it already! Here's a link, if you're interested: http://churchyear.blogspot.com/2012/08/exercise-dvd-review-bob-harpers-totally.html

Jess 1/9/13

Did the 30 Day Shred today, Level 3.

-Jess

Shed and Shred

So, encouraged by Yolanda, I'm going to start posting my workouts here again.

Today I did Level 2 of Jillian Michaels' "Shed and Shred". Ouch, ouch, ouch.

Best/worst/most creative bit of torture? Push-up-jacks: Start in plank, lower down to push-up position while shooting your legs out in a plank jack at the same time. Push up, bringing legs back together at the center. Ow, ow, ow.

-Jess

anyone out there?

Hey ladies -

I stopped posting on here because there wasn't a lot of company anymore. :)  But is anyone interested in starting up the blog again in the new year? If not, I'll probably just keep track elsewhere, but I thought I'd check here first. Hope you're all well!

-Jess

Babies, indeed!

Well this has created a whole new impetus for exercising: I'm pregnant again.  And the reality of starting a pregnancy a good 15 lbs heavier than I wish I were has made me realize I want to be serious about exercising WHILE pregnant, so it isn't quite so impossible afterwards.  Besides, I'm the queen of telling myself that I will get to it later, and it will be easier later, and really?  Who am I kidding?  Of COURSE it won't be easier to exercise when I have an infant to care for!

So.  On the advice of my chiropractor (a specialist in pregnancy, not to mention me, since she's cared for me through two pregnancies already!) here is what I'm doing:

1) Yoga twice a week.  GENTLY.  (That last bit is partly due to the car accident I was in a few weeks ago, which my body hasn't quite recovered from.)

2) Walking daily.  Right now I'm doing 30 minutes after breakfast and 30 minutes after dinner.  My goal is to work up to a mile in the morning and a mile at night, hopefully getting much faster so I'm not tied to the 30 minute mark.  I'd much rather run for 10 minutes than walk for 30, but I'll have to work up to that. :)

Back at it . . .

. . . posting, that is.

I have been working out fairly consistent in the interim and am pretty much back at my pre-baby weight (only took about 4 years).

Did water aerobics over the summer, and am now currently doing an aerobics class and P90X with the hubby.  Have been able to be consistent enough that I miss working out on the off days.  My goal is to add jogging on the treadmill or walking to step things up a bit.  Weight loss has stalled, and I still have about 20 lbs to lose to get to my healthy weight.

Yolanda

Question

So, yes, I am no longer posting here, but I am exercising very regularly again!  However, with that exercise, I am beginning to have frequent pelvic/groin pain and sometimes other issues...

Anyhow, I am waiting for a referral from my doc to see and specialist, but I was wondering if any of you ladies have had pelvic prolapse issues after having babies.  My doctor wouldn't officially diagnose me because she isn't a specialist, but indicated that might be my problem.

Week 12-14 for Jess

Week 12-13, nothing? I think? I dunno. I might have done something the first week. Anyway, onward!

Sun: nothing
Mon: teaching the kids to ride bikes (i.e., lots of running)
Tues: Biggest Winner, Maximize, Full Frontal
Wed: Biggest Winner, Maximize, Back in Action
Thurs: Biggest Winner, Shape Up, Front
Fri: Biggest Winner, Shape Up, Backside
Sat: nothing

-Jess

Week 11 for Jess

Sunday: nothing
Monday: 30 Day Shred, Level 1
Tuesday: Kickbox FastFix, Level 1
Wednesday: nothing
Thursday: nothing
Friday: 30 Day Shred, Level 2
Saturday: almond harvesting

-Jess

Emily's week 47

Nothing. Went to the doctor and was told that my wrist will heal, but I have to stop using it in order for that to happen. (Yes, the doctor was smiling a bit when she told me that.) She has me wearing a splint 24/7 for two weeks, and expects that it will be ok for gentle use after that.

Week 10 for Jessica

Sunday: nothing
Monday: nothing
Tuesday: Killer Buns and Thighs, Level 1
Wednesday: 15 min. alternating jump rope and jumping jacks. Then 3 rounds each of: bicep curls, tricep kickbacks, renegade rows, chest presses, back extensions, chest flies, overhead presses, and overhead tri's.
Thursday: nothing
Friday: nothing
Saturday: Pure Burn Super Strength, 60 min. workout

-Jess

Emily's week 46

Nothing at all! Wrist is acting up badly and I'm going to the doctor to see if it is strained/sprained.

Weeks 8 & 9 for Jess

Sunday: nothing
Monday: Killer Buns and Thighs, Level 3
Tuesday-Saturday: nothing

Sunday: trampoline jumping + track drills/calisthenics + walk
Monday: 30 min. Crossfit:
          -warm-up/dynamic stretches
          -12 times(5 squats + 5 burpies + 6 pike push-ups)
Tuesday: 2 mile hike/walk
Wednesday: about 30 min. Crossfit:
          -10 times (15 push-ups + 20 sit-ups + 60 yard dash)  (I did 100 of the 200 sit-ups, then replaced the rest with bicycle crunches and scissor leg crunches)

Thursday: 2 mile hike
Friday: nothing
Saturday: more Crossfit: 100 burpies. (I did the first 10 and the last 10 with regular push-ups, and the rest were mostly knee pus-ups)

The Crossfit was because we were camping, and Adam's been regularly doing Crossfit, so he got the workouts ahead of time, and we did them together this week.

-Jess

Emily's week 45

Saturday - hatha yoga (60 minutes)
Sunday - nothing
Monday - nothing
Tuesday - nothing
Wednesday - nothing
Thursday - hatha yoga (60 minutes)
Friday - nothing

I'm working with my teacher to figure out some ways to be more gentle on my wrist. It can be hard to find the line between being gentle and careful with my body, and being lazy.

Emily's week 44

Saturday - nothing
Sunday - nothing
Monday - nothing
Tuesday - nothing
Wednesday - nothing
Thursday - nothing
Friday - nothing

A combination of a camping trip and an ongoing wrist/shoulder injury flare-up kept me away from my practice this week. The wrist is feeling better now though, so I think that I'll be able to start again soon.

Week 7 for Jess

Sunday: nothing
Monday: nothing
Tuesday: Extreme Shed and Shred, Level 1
Wednesday: Extreme Shed and Shred, Level 2
Thursday: Bob Harper Totally Ripped Core, 50 min. section
Friday: Killer Buns and Thighs, Level 2
Saturday: nothing

-Jess

Weeks 5 & 6 for Jess

Sunday-Thursday: nothing, as I was sick
Friday: 4/7 circuits of No More Trouble Zones
Saturday: nothing

Sunday: nothing
Monday: Ripped in 30, Level 3
Tuesday: Kickbox Fast Fix, Level 3
Wednesday: nothing
Thursday: Ripped in 30, Level 4
Friday: nothing
Saturday: nothing

-Jess

Emily's week 43

Saturday - vinyasa/hatha yoga (60 minutes)
Sunday - nothing
Monday - nothing
Tuesday - vinyasa/hatha yoga (60 minutes)
Wednesday - nothing
Thursday - nothing
Friday - nothing

I'm injured. My right wrist which had been sore for awhile, has become a wrist that will not take pressure of ANY SORT. Even shifting a manual transmission, or stirring a pot, or running a vacuum cleaner. So I'm backing off for a few days, icing it multiple times a day, and trying to think of ways to lower my stress level, since the weak points in my body tend to do this to me when I've been overstressed for too long. Prayers would be appreciated!

Emily's week 42

Saturday - vinyasa/hatha yoga (60 minutes)
Sunday - nothing
Monday - nothing
Tuesday - vinyasa/hatha yoga (60 minutes)
Wednesday - nothing
Thursday - hatha yoga dvd (75 minutes)
Friday - No OM Zone yoga dvd (30 minutes)

I enjoyed some extended time with Thursday's dvd when my friend Pamela had my kids for a few hours. It requires focus and encourages relaxation between (and even during) poses. I didn't notice how hard it was until afterward when I wondered why I was so hungry and my muscles felt so wrung out. :)

Friday's dvd is pretty basic - fitness focused "yoga". I like it because the segments are 15 minutes (really!) and so it is much easier to convince myself to do one or two.

The past month or so has been pretty awful on a personal level, and I've fallen pretty far back into depression and eating for comfort. This week's workouts were an effort to start pulling myself out of that morass. I'm reminding myself that yoga is something I do for myself, and spending the boys' quiet time with a yoga dvd is a better use of my time than moping on the couch.

Week 4 for Jess

Sunday: nothing
Monday: nothing
Tuesday: nothing
Wednesday: Jillian Michaels Kickbox FastFix, Levels 1, 2, and 3 YES I DID!!!! :D
Thursday: about 1 1/2 hours swimming in the ocean, and some walking
Friday: about 40 minutes swimming in the ocean
Saturday: nothing

-Jess

Emily's week 41

Saturday - hatha yoga (15 minutes)
Sunday - nothing
Monday - nothing
Tuesday - vinyasa/hatha yoga (60 minutes)
Wednesday - nothing
Thursday - nothing
Friday - nothing

Weeks 2 & 3 for Jess

Sunday: walked around downtown Chicago for a few hours
Monday: walked through some woods for about an hour and a half, and then did 10 min. of yoga
Tuesday - Saturday: nothing

Sunday: Killer Buns and Thighs, Level 1
Monday: Personal Training with Jackie, minus leg sections ('cause of yesterday's workout)
Tuesday: Dance with Julianne, Cardio Ballroom: cha-cha and jive sections
Wednesday: Personal Training with Jackie: Xtreme Timesaver Training
Thursday: Dance Off the Inches: Fat-Burning Belly Dance
Friday: nothing
Saturday: Bob Harper Totally Ripped Core, 50 min. section

Okay, so last week sucked, but this week ROCKED. Fitness-wise, anyway. :)

-Jess

Emily's week 40

Saturday - vinyasa/hatha yoga (60 minutes)
Sunday - nothing
Monday - nothing
Tuesday - vinyasa/hatha yoga (60 minutes)
Wednesday - nothing
Thursday - nothing
Friday - nothing

Allison has me working HARD in yoga, and I'm loving it. I'm sore after every class (the good kind of sore) and I'm definitely getting stronger. Now if only the fat on top of the muscle would go away. ;)

Emily's week 39

Saturday - hatha yoga (60 minutes) - with Jonathan!
Sunday - nothing
Monday - nothing
Tuesday - vinyasa/hatha yoga (60 minutes)
Wednesday - nothing
Thursday - nothing
Friday - nothing

Getting Ready

Well, Nathan was absolutely swamped with work this week (sorta happens when you have a regular job and a contract job), so we didn't get started yet. Also, I looked over the eating plan and excercise plan more. I see more flexibility in the eating plan and also realized that I will not be able to do all the P90X workouts. My hips will not allow for plyometric training, so I'll just have to modify.

My week went like this:

R- Bob's Pure Strength Beginner Workout, gardening
F- Nothing
S- 2 mile walk
S- 2 mile walk
M- 2 mile walk, short walk with kids
T- Bob's Pure Strength 1st half, gardening
W- Bob's Pure Strength 2nd half
R- Bob's Pure Strength Beginner Workout

So, it has been walking and Bob's workout. Walking has been so lovely- I go after the kids go to bed since it is light until about 9pm here.

Weeks 52 & 1 (again) for Jess

Week 52: nothing

Week 1:

Sunday: nothing
Monday: 30 Day Shred, Level 2
Tuesday: nothing
Wednesday: nothing
Thursday: Bob Harper's Yoga for the Warrior, 60 min. section
Friday: 30 Day Shred, Level 3
Saturday: nothing

-Jess

Emily's week 38

Saturday - hatha yoga (60 minutes)
Sunday - nothing
Monday - nothing
Tuesday - vinyasa/hatha yoga (60 minutes)
Wednesday - evening walk with the family (45 minutes)
Thursday - nothing
Friday - nothing

Jonathan has been asking to come to yoga with me for quite some time now. Last Saturday I brought him to class with me...and he LOVED it. I was expecting him to get bored and we had brought a book for him to read in the lobby area if he got tired of the class. But he was completely engaged (and silent!) for the whole hour. When we were finished, he leaned over and whispered "Mommy, I really want to come back here again." Later he said that he liked working his muscles and then resting them at the end. Allison (my teacher) was incredibly impressed with Jonathan - she said she's never had a young child participate so well in an adult class. She invited him to come back anytime. :) So we'll see how long Jonathan enjoys it, but as long as he wants to, Saturday morning yoga will be a joint venture!

Oh, and I almost forgot! I can now do full yoga headstands without falling over. :) I've been working on this for some months now and am very pleased. Boy does it take a lot of core strength!

hiatus

I'm exercising fine (though I did take a week off due to shin splint issues last month).  But I'm not really keeping track right now because things are a bit crazy.  I found out my mom has breast cancer and Edmund came down with a really bad case of mono in the same week.  Edmund is all better and we are now down here helping out while she recovers from surgery and then will be traveling down a lot in the next several months while she undergoes chemo.  So, I'm just not bothering with keeping track about exercising.  But, suffice it to say, I have been managing to get 30-40 minutes in about 5 days a week.

Postpartum Recovery and P90X

So, I have been absent awhile, but I have still checked in occasionally to see what everyone is up to. Thanks Jessica and Emily for keeping the blog going. :)

For more than a month, I was feeling very weak because I was stopping the anxiety meds that I took when Rebekah was born. It took longer than I thought to come out of it, but now I am back. I don't regret the meds- I think they really helped to balance me out and be a better mother. I have a great psychiatrist who specializes in post-partum disorders. She is incredible and tried to help me while being sensitive to the fact that I really didn't want to be on any medication if it was possible.

Anyways, I kept walking almost every day through the process and occasionally did Bob's Pure Strength beginner workout and Jillian's Shred levels 1 & 2.

Fast forwarding to today- Nathan was on a work trip and watched an infomercial for P90X. He bought the whole package. I was a little surprised, but glad that he found some sort of workout plan that he wasnted to get started on. We are planning to do the program together, though it will be more modified for me bacuase of nursing. I look forward to the challenge. My sister did the program about a year ago with her husband and she dropped 30lbs while he drooped enough to qualify for the National Guard. It was the only program that actually motivated them to get into shape (so it comes highly recommended).

I am a little skeptical on the nutrition side of the program, but we will continue (as we have been) to try and eat more healthfully and naturally. Also, my goal is to gain strength and endurance rather than to lose weight on the program. I'll keep you all updated on our porgress- it should be exciting :)

Emily's week 37

Saturday - horseback riding! (60 minutes)
Sunday - nothing
Monday - nothing
Tuesday - vinyasa/hatha yoga (60 minutes)
Wednesday - nothing
Thursday - nothing (sick)
Friday - nothing

Week 51 for Jess

Sunday: nothing
Monday: Bob Harper's "Total Body Transformation", 60 min. section
Tuesday: nothing
Wednesday: nothing
Thursday: Jillian Michaels' "Shred-It with Weights", Level 1
Friday: nothing
Saturday: Bob Harper's "Cardio Conditioning", 60 min. section

Hey, it's just me and Em around here lately. How's everyone else doing? I hope well!

-Jess

Emily's week 36

Saturday - nothing (Gabe on ACR board retreat)
Sunday - nothing
Monday - nothing
Tuesday - vinyasa/hatha yoga (60 minutes)
Wednesday - nothing
Thursday - nothing (Gabe at ACR board meeting)
Friday - 4 hour rock climbing trip!

Week 50 for Jess

Sunday: nothing
Monday: nothing
Tuesday: Ripped in 30, Level 3
Wednesday: Bob Harper Beginner's Weight Loss Transformation, plus bonus 10 min. ab. workout
Thursday: Step and Core Pilates
Friday: nothing
Saturday: nothing

Emily's week 35

Saturday - nothing (client appointment)
Sunday - nothing
Monday - nothing
Tuesday - nothing (Gabe out with friends from work)
Wednesday - nothing
Thursday - AWESOME vinyasa/hatha yoga class!
Friday - nothing

I'm SO glad that I made it to yoga on Thursday, because it was amazing! There were only two of us there, and we're the ones who really like being challenged. So Allison created a totally different class than planned, on the fly, and it was incredible! We did a series of real (i.e. hard!) sun salutations, working on details like how to roll over our toes through the movement. We practiced crow, and dancer, and plow and shoulder stands and finished up with a full wheel pose. It was super hard and so much fun and I absolutely loved it. And the best part is that Allison told us afterward that she's been thinking about changing her Tuesday class to be more like what we had just done, because it is really what she prefers to be teaching and she wants to keep the younger crowd that has started to check out the studio. Yay!

Week 49 for Jess

Sunday: nothing
Monday: nothing
Tuesday: did the 45 min. step workout again
Wednesday: Bob Harper Totally Ripped Core (about 45 min.)
Thursday: Kathy Smith Great Buns and Thighs Step Workout*
Friday: Banish Fat, Boost Metabolism (my ankle was okay through this - yay!)
Saturday: spent about 45 minutes digging giant holes in the sand at the beach

-Jess

*okay, this was from the library, because I'm continuing to check things out that look low-impact (on account of my twisted ankle) and it turns out this is a video re-recorded onto DVD, and the leotards in it are AWESOME. :D

Emily's week 34

Saturday - nothing
Sunday - nothing
Monday - nothing
Tuesday - nothing
Wednesday - nothing
Thursday - nothing
Friday - nothing

That went well.

Week 48 for Jess

Sunday: nothing
Monday: nothing
Tuesday: Personal Training with Jackie (40 min. circuit)
Wednesday: 30 Day Shred, Level 1
Thursday: nothing (my ankle was a bit sore from the jumping yesterday, and I didn't want to push it and risk re-injuring it.)
Friday: Xtreme Timesaver Training
Saturday: I did this step routine. Actually, I did the first 11 minutes, then went back to the beginning and did the whole thing. Great option for a good cardio routine without high impact moves.

-Jess

Emily's week 33

Saturday - hatha yoga (60 minutes)
Sunday - nothing
Monday - nothing
Tuesday - nothing
Wednesday - nothing
Thursday - nothing
Friday - nothing

I'm giving up some of my class time in the next few weeks so that Gabe can go out on Tuesday evenings. Next Tuesday is a dinner with some of his previous co-workers, and the following week is an Angels game with his new co-workers. And the Saturday after that he'll be on a church retreat, so no class then either.

All that to say that my class time is going to be seriously sparse for the rest of the month. Perhaps I'll get motivated to pull out some workout dvds? I got Bob Harper's Yoga for the Warrior from the library but the cover is so hardcore I'm pretty sure I won't like it! ;)

Week 47 for Jess

Sunday: nothing
Monday: nothing
Tuesday: 30 Day Shred, Level 2
Wednesday: Mari Windsor Shape Pilates Core Challenge for Pink*
Thursday: Rodney Yee Yoga Conditioning for Athletes
Friday: nothing
Saturday: No More Trouble Zones

I'm skipping out on plyometric workouts till my ankle heals, I think. So, it's going to be weights and yoga for me, for awhile.

-Jess

*or something like that - this DVD has the longest title ever. Did this one as I sprained my ankle yesterday and thought I shouldn't be jumping with Jillian the day afterwards. Sadly, except for about five minutes of truly painful core work, this one was fairly lame. Bicep curls sans weights do NOT impress me.

Emily's week 32

Saturday - nothing
Sunday - nothing
Monday - nothing
Tuesday - hatha yoga (60 minutes)
Wednesday - nothing
Thursday - hatha yoga (60 minutes)
Friday - nothing

Twice this week, yay! And tomorrow I get to go again. :)

Week 46 for Jess

Sunday: nothing
Monday: 30 Day Shred, Level 3
Tuesday: 30 Day Shred, Level 1
Wednesday: nothing
Thursday: 30 Day Shred, Level 2
Friday: 30 Day Shred, Level 1
Saturday: 30 Day Shred, Level 3

This is the first time in a long time that I've exercised five times in one week.

And I feel so good. Funny thing is, the work-outs have NOT been fun. I've really been pushing myself - going at a faster pace, using heavier weights, doing  harder versions of the movies, etc. (except push-ups - I'm still doing real ones only about half the time!) - but pushing hard has meant the work-outs have hurt a lot while I'm doing them.

But afterwards? Seriously, I feel so good. I feel like I've got my body back - I feel connected to it again, and like it's on my side and not working against me. I've been eating well too . . . I just need to do this all the time. It feels so good, and I'm so much happier. I swear doing this changes my brain chemistry. It makes it so much easier to be happy, and that's such a grace and gift in ordinary life.

ETA: going back to the Shred, and just doing that over and over, through all the levels, is part of what feels so right. I like having variety sometimes, but right now I just want my very familiar work-out. I know this work-out so well that I feel very comfortable pushing myself during it, I know what's coming, I know I can get through the whole thing, so it's easy to tell myself, "It's not that long, just do it. You'll feel better at the end. It's not fun, but there aren't going to be any surprises. Just do it." And I'm always glad that I do.

Not being long is another thing. It really is under half an hour. That makes such a difference.

-Jess

Emily's week 31

Saturday - nothing
Sunday - nothing
Monday - nothing
Tuesday - hatha yoga (60 minutes)
Wednesday - nothing
Thursday - nothing
Friday - nothing

I'm finding myself a bit frustrated with the last two weeks...it seems like getting to the studio is at the very, very bottom of the family priority list, and thus it is easy for it to get pre-empted for something else. And working out at home has been such an abysmal failure that I've simply given up...there are too many other things calling my name. I'm not sure yet what I'm going to do about this, or even if there is anything to be done about it.

Weeks 44 & 45 for Jess

Sunday: run/walk of 5.9 miles
Monday: 20 min. of calisthenics (jumping jacks, etc.)
Tuesday-Sat: nothing

Sun: nothing
Mon: jumping rope (1000 circuits)
Tues: Personal Training with Jackie DVD (40 min.)
Wed: nothing
Thurs: nothing
Friday: 30 Day Shred, Level 3
Sat: nothing

Emily's week 30

Saturday - nothing
Sunday - nothing
Monday - nothing
Tuesday - hatha yoga (60 minutes)
Wednesday - nothing
Thursday - nothing (sick kids had to stay home from Awana with me)
Friday - nothing

recap

notta.  sick all week.

Emily's week 29

Saturday - nothing
Sunday - nothing
Monday - nothing
Tuesday - hatha yoga (60 minutes)
Wednesday - nothing
Thursday - hatha yoga (60 minutes)
Friday - nothing

Week 43 for Jess

Sunday: nothing
Monday: nothing
Tuesday: 30 Day Shred, Level 1
Wednesday: Ripped in 30, Level 1
Thursday: Ripped in 30, Level 2
Friday: nothing
Saturday: nothing