Insanity: The Asylum, Day 4/30... kind of...

So, Day 4 is supposed to be Vertical Plyo. This is supposed to be one of the most challenging workouts EVER. I've seen hard core athletes brought to their knees by this one. These same people were able to complete Speed and Agility, while I spent most of my time gazing, open-mouthed at the tv, wondering how they were doing it...

Needless to say, I was a little afraid.

Besides that, I woke up with more pain in my feet, my calves, my hips, my abs, my side.. so I made a choice. I switched Day 5's rest day and did it on Day 4.




I spent some time with my man Eoin Finn and did some yoga. Despite the fact that I look incredibly tired in the video, my body felt a ton better..

And, this way, I can do my running and Vertical Plyo on Friday, and that way my rest day can be a proper rest day.

Just makin' it work.

By the way, if you haven't yet, stop by Sarah Fitness and click "Like". We have fun over there. We motivate, encourage and inspire each other.

Insanity: The Asylum, Day 3/30.. with another special guest.

Whoa.

I woke up on Day 3 with the following:
- Sore feet.
- Less sleep than I would have liked.
- Sore lats.
- Less time to workout and get ready due to oversleeping *just a little*...
- A baby who was wide awake and wanted to play.



Isn't my daughter cute? I mean, really.

Seriously, I love having my kids see me workout. I hope it's rubbing off on them.

I liked this workout. I have to admit, I'm terribly nervous about tomorrow's workout. It's supposed to be ridiculously hard.

But so far, I'm having fun.

Insanity: The Asylum, Day 2/30.. with a special guest.

Day 2.... (insert ominous music here):

Today's workout was "Strength".

I gotta tell you.... I woke up this morning in PAIN. OUCH! My traps and shoulders were ridiculously sore. My hip flexors were sore. I didn't really feel like doing the workout...

But I did.

About 2 minutes into the warmup, the very loud thunderstorm woke up my 3 year old. It took a little negotiating to get him to watch TV in bed so I could work out some more.

Then the baby woke up.

There were a few breaks, but honestly, I was glad.

Here's the post-workout video...


Is my hair cool or what? I'm all about keepin' it real...

I'll post an indepth review of this workout later. But, here's a shot of what I looked like at the end of it during one of last week's workouts:

Insanity, The Asylum: Speed and Agility

Holy moly.

Day 1 of Insanity: The Asylum. The workout is called "Speed and Agility". It uses the Agility Ladder and the Speed Rope (both come with the program, seen here:)

You can also see the Agility ladder here:

My daughter is doing some agility drills.

So, this workout taught me that I am neither Speedy nor Agile. I mean, really.

I watched the video ahead of time, and it looked kind of fun. It looks like you're just kind of playing with the ladder. Like a kid at recess.

Actually doing the workout? A different story.

1. I needed more room around the ladder. I kept having to move it. (I placed it on my yoga mat). You basically need space all around it.

2. I felt like I was hardly doing anything compared to the folks on the video.

3. I felt incredibly uncoordinated the whole time, and kept tripping over the ladder.

So here's a general breakdown of the workout:

Total workout time: 45 minutes

Warm Up 
- Jump Rope Drills: Luckily, a couple of the cast members show it without a rope. There was no way I could do it (first sign there is colossal room for improvement). High knees, criss cross, etc.

- Agility Heisman: Using the Agility Ladder going side to side (this is hard to explain).

Repeat that, with a few variations. For 10 minutes.

Stretch (very short).

Drills that never end:
(I'm just going to list some of the big ones here. I lost track after while, and starting to forget there was life outside of this workout about 25 minutes in...)

Mountain climber progressions: You are in plank over the ladder, then you jump both feet in together to the first rung of the ladder. 20 seconds into it you can move up to doing it into the 2nd rung, then 20 more seconds, the 3rd rung. Right... (Compared to the cast I was doing this in slow motion).

Bear Crawl: All fours, crawl to the top of the ladder, then jump both feet into the square- all the way back then put the hands in the square (a variation of that move involves doing V-shoulder pushups and Tricep pushups in place of the hands in the square).(Oh my).

Shoulder Tap Plank Side to Side (This may not be the right name..): This is one of those moves that looks really cool and fun when you're watching the video, but in reality, it makes you kind of want to cry a little.

Squat thing: (This is terrible how I can't remember the names...): You jump with your feet outside of the ladder, then squat down and tap, then move to the next rung. I really liked this one, despite the fact that I couldn't remember the name.

I had to take a few breaks. My daughter kept throwing her bottle down, and every time I was so happy to have an excuse to stop so I could pick it up for her.

Oh, and at the end, Shaun suggests starting over and doing the whole thing again. I can't even express how hilarious and unlikely that is... if I ever *do* get to the point where I can do that, I will be a superhero and expect everyone to bow in my presence...

Shaun T.: WTF?
Shaun T. gets a little mean in this workout. I've never seen him like this.

"I don't want to see you standing around! Move!"
"Come on, you can move faster than that!"
" I bet you couldn't get away with moving that slow when you were in the army!"
"It only counts if you're tired!"

He lightens up a little later and does say you can take breaks and work at your own level... but for a while there, I was saying some nasty things back to him.

Overall, I've got TONS of room to grow with this workout, and that's a good thing, right?

This picture kind of says it all:

Insanity: The Asylum, Day 1/30

I started Asylum today.

Even the logo is intimidating.

There is a challenge included. Document each day of the 30 day challenge, send it in, along with a before and after photo, and get a free t-shirt. You guys, I'm not sure you know to what lengths I will go to get a free t-shirt...

So, I'll be posting daily. It's not just for the shirt, it's for my own record.

Starting weight: 145.8
Before (I'll add the picture once I have an after. Sorry folks. I had a baby 10 months ago and I'm not Heidi Klum, apparently).

The Day 1 workout, Speed and Agility, was ridiculously hard. I won't lie, a lot of my time was spent staring, open-mouthed at the screen, thinking, "How on earth do you do THAT?"

But, there's a more in depth review of that workout coming up, so that's all I'll say about that. Except for this:


Oh, and I haven't taken the Fit Test yet... I'll try to do that AND Strength on Day 2. I'm scared...

(P.S. I ran this afternoon for 2 miles and did it in 18:20. It's amazing how easy it is to run after doing this. I think it's really going to help.)

Motivational Monday! I can!

From here

If you're like me, you *very occasionally* have those Mondays that start with this thought: "How on earth will I be able to:
- Make it through the day?
- Wake up?
- Enjoy life today?

Well? Have you? I'm here to tell you, you CAN! Let's start the day off in a proactive way, instead of reacting.

Here's some Motivation to do just that!

"Argue for your limitations, and sure enough, they're yours."~Richard Bach

"Nothing is particularly hard if you divide it into small jobs."~Henry Ford

"Don't let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do."~John Wooden

From here

And this is one of my all time favorite pick-me-ups:

Have a great day, and remember YES YOU CAN!

High Five 5 Question Friday!

Happy Friday! Here's your High Five!

Mouth level high five face...

This was a rough week. Coming back from an exciting (but exhausting) vacation, then jumping back into the parenting and work routine... Whoa. But, Friday is here and I'm feeling energetic for the first time this week (Finally got caught up on sleep!)

Running and I had a fight, but I'm feeling a bit better about it after the comments I received yesterday. So thanks to everyone who gave me advice!

"I told you everything would be okay..."

So, let's have some questions:

1.What are your weekend plans?
I have a Beachbody Super Saturday event on Saturday, then I plan on doing housework and laundry. My house is completely chaotic, which is really rough for a control freak like me. Oh, and Cars 2 comes out. FINALLY.

2. Do you have a regular cheat meal? How often? What is your favorite?
I had my cheat meal on Tuesday night, when my husband and I (and two small children) went out for our Anniversary. The meal itself wasn't too bad- it was the dessert that got me. I looked up the calories of said dessert beforehand, because even when cheating, I like to be informed, and there were 1374 calories! So, my husband and I split it. I figured that helped.

3. What was the best part of your week?
I think when my husband surprised me with a dozen roses for our anniversary was definitely a high point.

"I may be a sexy vampire in a tux, but I've got nothing on your husband..."

4.  Do you write a daily to-do list?
I let mine go for a couple of days and felt completely lost and unfocused. It's amazing the difference it makes. At night, I write down *EVERYTHING* I will be doing the next day (I have a list for both work and home) and make sure I follow it. Every time I cross something off the list, I get all happy. (I include things like "Shower", "Workout", "Play with kids", "Empty dishwasher"... sometimes I even put "nap", just so I can cross it off...)

5. What are some other blogs you like? 
I am always looking for inspiring and entertaining blogs to read, so if you have a favorite, please share with me!

That's it, folks. I hope you have a great weekend!

"Don't forget about me..."

Dear Running: Why do you suck so much?

Dude.

Seriously. Running. What is your problem?

"I'm even upset about this. Running. You suck. That's coming from a vampire."

I mean really. I train, and I train, and I train. I have wonderful runs that make me love it. I try to get other people to try it. So, why for the last several times I've attempted to run, has this been me?

"Why is running getting harder?"

The past few times I've run, it seems to be getting harder and harder. I find myself having to take walk breaks, even in a 2 mile run.

Technically, according to the "Intermediate" Half Marathon training plan I have for the Half in September, I was supposed to start training this week. It was supposed to look something like this:
Monday: Run 45 minutes, easy.
Wednesday: Run 45 minutes, moderate
Friday: 45 minutes something something
Saturday: Run 6 miles.

Here's what it looked like:
Monday: Turbofire 30, Eoin Finn Yoga
Tuesday: Run 25 minutes. Barely make it.
Wednesday: Insanity Asylum, Strength.
Thursday: Run 15 minutes and cry.

Yep, we're starting this training schedule off with a bang, aren't we.

Here are my theories:

Diet:
I've been eating about 90% Paleo off and on for a while. At Summit I broke from it a little, but that's my basic plan (no I'm not counting the Red Velvet Cake. I have such magical memories of that cake).
Maybe I'm not getting what I need to perform right. I'm still drinking my Shakeology daily, but other than that, I'm really eating a lot less.

Overtraining:
I can't imagine running 25 minutes can lead to overtraining, when I read people's blogs who say, "I was tired, so I only ran 10 miles today". Really? But, it could be.

General Funkiness (and not in a good way)
I am tired. I had a crazy wild time at Summit, but I went into it sleep deprived, and I finished it REALLY sleep deprived. And I'm still sleep deprived. Maybe things are just harder because I'm so dang tired all the time.

So, what's the plan, Stan?

Here are a few things I'm considering:

Postponing Insanity: The Asylum 30 Day Challenge from June 27 to July 4.

- Rather than trying to do them both, just do yoga, running and the Strength workout (because I love it). Also, running no more than 2 miles at a time.

Taking a week off of running completely

- Start Asylum, and don't do any running the first week. Then when I start back, don't run any more than 2 miles at a time.

Adding some things like oatmeal back into my diet.  

- Maybe that will make a difference..

So, I guess I have until Monday to decide. I won't be running anymore this week. It's just not fun for me right now.

Now, just to make me feel better, here's this:

"Why, yes, Sarah, you *are* awesome. It's Running that sucks..."

Summit 2011: Yeah, I was there. And it was awesome.

Weight Loss Wednesday: Enter the "Asylum"..

Remember how Shaun T. is my new BFF? Well, just in case you forgot:

I was so inspired by my meeting with Shaun T., that I decided to do the 30 day Insanity: Asylum plan (in addition to running). If this doesn't get me in shape, I'm going to seek medical attention.

So, technically, I'm starting the program June 27. I'm going to do all 30 days (I may need to rearrange a few workouts because of the running schedule, and of course things like LIFE), and I'm going to document EVERY DAY. Yes, with the workout program, there is a challenge: Take before pictures and measurements, document EVERY DAY, and send it in when finished, and you get a FREE T-Shirt. I'm all about a free t-shirt.


I'm really excited. Just watching this again makes me want to start right now.

Come on, Shaun, I'm ready!

P90X2: Coming this fall

I'm just so darn excited...

Workout at Home: What do I need to start a home workout program?

Hey everyone-

This is a special edition of "Workout at Home" Tuesday. No review of any specific program, but I just wanted to give you an idea of what you will need if you want to commit to working out at home.


Workout Videos or Audio

I talked a bit a while back about starting a home workout program. You can read about it here, but just in case you need more information, here it is:

You need to choose something that you know you will like. If you don't like it, you won't do it. If you won't do it, it doesn't work. Now, that doesn't mean you can only do workouts that make you weep with happiness each time. But, if you can't stand the instructor (sometimes personalities clash) or the set drives you crazy, you may find yourself avoiding that workout.

It's good to get a chance to preview workouts before you buy them. Check Netflix for workout videos that you can *literally* try before you buy (for more of a selection of fitness videos, trying Kineticflix.com). Also, Collage has video previews you can watch.

If you want honest reviews written by consumers, there's an entire site for that: Videofitness. There is a review index by instructor or workout, but a lot of the best info can be found in the Reader Forum, so be sure to check that out as well.

If you've seen the infomercials for Insanity, P90X, Hip Hop Abs or Turbofire, you can find out more about these workouts on my site.

Equipment

There are a lot of workouts out there that don't use any equipment, so you can start with those, but if you want variety, there are a few pieces you may want to get:

The "Bouncy- Bounce"

A "BOSU", which stands for "Both Sides Up". If you belong to the gym, you've probably seen one. I have one at home which my 3 year old calls his "Bouncy-Bounce". It can be used in a variety of ways:

Stability push ups

Super duper amazing core and leg strength

Like a step that's easy to fall off of..

Or, if you're my son, you can jump up and down on it and draw on it with crayon.

A Step:

The Original Health Club Step

Even if you don't do any step aerobics, the step is useful. It can be used as a weight bench as well. But step is so fun. I love it. To find some fun step workouts, check out Cathe Friedrich's site. She has some of my favorites.

Dumbbells:

I am not this girl, and my weights are not this organized. In fact, they look like this:

Not only is it crowded, it's badly lit.

I'm a big believer in strength training, and although there are some things you can do with body weight (Ahem, pull-ups), you really should invest in some weights for a strength training program.

In the old Firm videos, they used to suggest "a set of 3,5 and 8 pound weights" to start out. I've since expanded, and my highest set of weights are 25 pounds.

Pull Up Bar:

Or, as mine usually looks:

The band is how I do assisted pull ups.

The Pull Up Bar is totally optional (although really helpful if you're doing P90X), but it's just so convenient. Mine (the Beachbody one) can be moved from place to place. It's actually easier for me to do pull-ups at home using my band and a chair than it is to do them at the gym- I can just never get high enough, and the assisted pull-up machine is perpetually broken.

A Space:
Many workouts don't require much space. I've seen workouts spaces no bigger than a yoga mat, and I've also seen workout spaces that take up entire rooms. One of my favorite things is when I see Youtube videos, such as this one, where a busy mom is fitting in her workout in the midst of a bunch of kids' toys and paraphernalia. You can pretty much do it anywhere.

I hope this gives you some valuable tips on establishing an effective home workout program. We've come a long way in home exercise, and you can get truly fit at home.

Let me know if you have questions!

Now, go workout!

Motivational Monday

Happy Monday, Folks!

I'm back from a transformational weekend, with a new focus and energy, so this is a particularly exciting Monday for me!

For those of you that aren't, however, I have some motivation for you:

"There is a difference between interest and commitment. When you're interested in doing something, you do it only when it's convenient. When you're committed to something, you accept no excuses, only results." ~Ken Blanchard

"Good is the enemy of great." ~Jim Collins

"Things may come to those who wait, but only the things left by those who hustle." ~Abraham Lincoln

"The indispensable first step to getting the things you want out of life is this: decide what you want." ~Ben Stein

"If your ship doesn't come in, swim out to meet it." ~Jonathan Winters

"It's time to start living the life you've imagined." ~Henry James

And, finally, one last bit of motivation:

You're welcome.

Have a great week!

Beachbody Saturday: My Summit Experience So far

So, remember how last time I posted my picture with Tony Horton. Yes, it's getting ridiculous.

Tony Horton: My New BFF

Wait, Tony found out about the cake I had last night. He's not happy.

But it was a glorious cake.

I asked Tony if he would please tell me to stop eating crap. He yelled: "Sarah! Stop eating crap!" So, now if I am tempted to eat crap, I will remember Tony yelling at me.

Seriously.

I'm having a blast, and my time doesn't just consist of stalking Tony Horton, waiting for another photo op.

I'm meeting some pretty amazing people. I met one coach at dinner last night whose "WHY" (or the reason he is a coach) is to help veterans become healthier. He himself is a disabled veteran with a compressed vertebrae, and P90X has allowed him to function better than he was before. I was inspired by this guy.

I also am learning a lot. I attended a session this afternoon that I think has changed my life. It was about time management. You're probably saying "Yawn. What's spiritual about time management?" But it was so much more. When you realize how limited time is, you feel the need to prioritize your time a little better. The question was asked: Does your activity reflect your priorities?


That is a good question. Does it? I mean, honestly, think about your priorities. What are they?

Mine:

My family.
My health/fitness.
My church/community.

So, what are you spending most of your time doing? Is that benefiting one of these priorities?

As I continue to learn and have those "aha" moments, I can honestly say this is the experience of a lifetime. But, lucky me- I am already registered for next year's SUMMIT!

Stay tuned for more, including an awesome picture of me and Shaun T('s abs).

High Five 5 Question Friday

We made it, folks! Here's a special high five:

That my awesome coach, Coni, on the left.

And a bonus...

 

I didn't tell him how much I love coffee...

Recognize that guy?

Well, just in case you don't know who that is, that is Tony Horton. This Tony Horton:



I'm at Beachbody Summit in L.A. right now and having a ball. More on that on Beachbody Saturday...

Let's have some questions:
1.What is your favorite thing about summer?

I'm not a fan of the super hot weather, but I love the longer days.

2. Do you have any vacation plans this summer?

Well, this is my vacation. I'm having a pretty good time :-)

3. What's your favorite *healthy* food?

Right now, I kind of have a ridiculous obsession with sweet potatoes. I'm in search of new ways to eat them constantly.

4. What's your favorite *not-so-healthy* food?

Hmmm- I'm going to go with chocolate moose tracks ice cream. This also happens to be another answer to question number 1.

5. What was your last workout?

Mine was Turbofire yesterday, if you don't count the power walk I took from Terminal A to Terminal D to catch a connecting flight...

Have an amazing Friday! High Five!

Weight Loss Wednesday: How many calories?

I love broccoli so much, I'm going to post this picture twice.

I had another great week of weight loss. I lost another 2 pounds (woohoo), so it seems I'm finally making progress. I love looking at my weight chart on Livestrong.com:

Well, now you know I'm listening to Itunes while I look at my weight history.

After I gave birth I weighed in at 160. Then I was stuck at 152 FOREVER. But now, you can see it steadily going down, which I love.

So this week went pretty well:

Wednesday: P90X Back and Biceps, 2.5 mile run.
Thursday: Turbofire Fire 55EZ
Friday: P90X Legs and Back, ran 25 minutes.
Saturday: Ab Ripper X, then took my son to his first race. So cute!

My little champion :-)

Sunday: Turbo Jam, Cardio Party 3.
Monday: Run 3 miles on the treadmill, 30 minutes. Hills and sprints. About half of Ab Ripper X.
Tuesday: Baron Baptiste Unlocking Athletic Power Yoga. Yum.

Someone asked me recently, "How many calories should I consume if I'm trying to lose weight?"

Well, it's both complicated and really easy.

The simple answer: Consume less calories than you expend.

The complicated answer: How do you know all that?

Here we go:

Step 1: Determine how daily calorie expenditure

Basically, you need to know your Basal Metabolic Rate, or BMR. Click here for a BMR Calculator.

The BMR calculator takes into account your height, weight, age and sex to determine how many calories you burn just staying alive. Like, if you did nothing but lay in a coma all day, it's the calories that give your body energy for your heart to pump, nails and hair to grow, just the basic life functions.

According to the calculator, my BMR is 1430.

Now, most of us probably do more than lay around all day, so we'll probably need to adjust our calories.

Use this (after you've found your BMR) to see what the calorie requirement would be for you to stay at your current weight.

So, according to my activity level, I would need 2216 calories a day to maintain my weight.

Step 2: Determine your daily calorie deficit.

It takes a deficit of 3500 calories to lose 1 pound (like *really* lose it, not just water fluctuation). Most experts recommend a weekly loss of 2 pounds. So, if you want to lose 2 pounds a week, you need a weekly calorie deficit of 7000.

That means each day you need to burn an average of 1000 more calories than you consume.

Going back to my example, if I am steady at 2216, then to lose weight at a rate of about 2 pounds a week, I need to net 1216 calories a day. Now, I can get there by reducing my caloric intake, or by working out, but preferably by both.

So I could consume 1500 calories, and run 3 miles, and reach my daily goal.

Does this all make sense?

Calorie quality:

It's important to consider the quality of your calories. Have you heard of the Twinkie study?

Basically, 150 calories of broccoli is a lot more food than 150 calories of potato chips....

Yum. Doesn't it just look yummier than yucky old potato chips?

So, I'll get into the quality of your food on another day (because I do believe it makes a difference). This is jus a starting point.

Questions? Comments? Disagree? Let me hear it....

Have a great Wednesday!

Post Goal Depression

Have you ever worked towards something big? You waited on a certain date, or certain accomplishment. You just had to make it to that big event. It could be a goal you were striving to reach, a big race, graduation, maybe the birth of a baby... something big. You counted down the days.

Finally the big day was here. How exciting! You ran your race, got your degree, gave birth... and afterwards felt elated to have completed the big goal!

My daughter and I, moments after she was born

And then what?

Source

You reach your goal, the excitement has worn off, and you feel a little letdown. I know every time I graduate I have kind of the same experience.

Some people deal with it by setting a new goal. If you finish the big race, quickly go put another one on the calendar! However, if you just had a baby, planning the next baby is probably not the best idea...

Have you ever dealt with this? What helped?

I recently reached a big goal, and I'm amazingly proud, and very glad I did it... but I'm going through the "Now what?" stage. My life hasn't really changed a lot yet. My house didn't clean itself. The clouds didn't part with a ray of sunshine shining down on me, making me tan, my goal weight, and doing my roots. My kids continued to challenge me.

So, life goes on. I have a new goal already.

Have you ever experience "post goal depression"? How did you deal with it? I would love to hear your thoughts...

Workout at Home: Jari Love Get Ripped: Slim and Lean

This is one of my favorite total body workouts. I just love it. It's a completely different kind of training than P90X, or traditional heavy lifting. The focus here is on lighter weights and more reps. Rather than building strength, you're building muscular endurance. I love to put this video in my rotation when I'm doing a lot of running.

Equipment needed:

Weights or Barbell: I usually just use weights. My weights range from 5 - 15 pounds for this workout.

It's also helpful to have a step or bench for chest press and tricep dips.

Warm Up:
Jari leads you through a warm up using light weights, where you do some of the movements you'll be doing later. Squats, upper body movements, static lunges. The lunges are a little bit uneven, so make sure you count and do the same on each leg.

Squats:
76 plus pulsing. Jari uses 20 pounds total.

This is rough. It seems to go on forever!

Lunges:
94 plus pulsing. Jari uses 16 pounds total

94 is the total for the entire section, so don't panic. You do some pretty quick movements: Lunging forward then back with the same leg, at different rhythms. Sometimes it's harder to go deep into the lunge, especially on the single counts. She finishes off with alternating back lunges (or dips).

Chest Press:
64 plus pulsing. Jari uses 20 pounds total.

Varied rhythms of the chest press, laying on a step. This is pretty hard, so I suggest using a slightly lighter than usual weight.

Bent Leg Deadlift and Dead Row:

Deadlift: 30 no pulsing
Dead Row: 54 plus pulsing

Jari uses a total of 24 pounds

In this section, you alternate between the Dead Lifts and Rows.

Pushups and Rotator Cuff:

So many pushups! 3 sets of: 4 slow and 8 fast. (I never can quite do all of them on my toes).
Rotator cuff: 16 reps each side. Jari uses 5 pounds.

Tricep Dips and Overhead Extensions (French press).
Dips: 24, no pulsing (3 sets of 8)
Overhead Extensions: 56, no pulsing

Jari uses a 5 pound weight for the extensions

Holy moly! I am always really surprised how tired my triceps get doing the overhead extensions. I have to use a very light weight.

Bicep and Hammer Curls:

Hammer Curls: 36 no pulsing
Bicep Curl: 48 no pulsing

Jari uses 16 pounds total.

Single Leg and Wide Squats
Single Leg: 44 plus pulsing
Wide (or Plié squats): 38 plus pulsing. Jari uses 20 pounds total.

During the single leg squats, you have the option to use something for balance, or just try without.

Overhead Press and Lateral Raise
Overheads: 34 no pulsing
Lateral Raise: 28 no pulsing

Jari uses a total of 16 pounds
I often find I need to use a lighter weight about halfway through, because of the lateral raises.

Abs:
I have to admit, these abs don't do much for me. It's not my favorite ab workout ever. I usually either skip them, or put in another ab workout.

Here are the moves, though:
Dead bug.
Reach ups (legs extended)
Reach throughs (legs in Butterfly position)
Woodchopper
Butterfly crunch

All this ends with a nice relaxing stretch.

Good:
- I love that they tell you what weight everyone is using at the beginning of each section.
- I love the form pointers at the beginning of each section.
- Jari adds little motivational sayings throughout, and it really does help.

Not so Good:
- They do tell you the weights and reps for each activity. However, sometimes, it's not at the very beginning... sometimes you have to wait until the middle of the section. This is why it's good to view it once before trying it.

I think it's really important to train in different ways. Periodization is an effective way to vary training, keep from getting stuck on a plateau, or just shake things up and prevent boredom. So, after a 3 month round of P90X, doing something like this for a few weeks or months might be really beneficial.

To find out more about Jari Love, visit her site. I'll be reviewing more of her workouts. I do really like them!

Motivational Monday! Dealing with disappointments...

From here. 

Have you ever been disappointed? Surely you have... we all have.

It could be something in your weight loss program, your career or business, your personal life... we have all been disappointed.

However, I truly believe each disappointment gives us the opportunity to grow.

And the most important thing is that you keep going.

So, here are some quotes to motivate you past any disappointments, setbacks, or challenges you may be facing!

"Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no help at all."~ Dale Carnegie

"If at first you don't succeed, you're running about average."~M.H. Alderson

"Sure I am of this, that you have only to endure to conquer. You have only to persevere to save yourselves." ~Winston Churchill

"Defeat is simply a signal to press onward."~Helen Keller

"Would you like me to give you a formula for success? It's quite simple, really. Double your rate of failure. You are thinking of failure as the enemy of success. But it isn't at all. You can be discouraged by failure or you can learn from it. So go ahead and make mistakes. Make all you can. Because remember that's where you will find success." ~Thomas L. Watson

Have a great Monday, and a great week!

How to Have a Successful Lunchtime Run (without alienating co-workers or losing job)

Sarah Fitness is hosting a Couch to 5K program starting Monday. Since that is the case, I thought I would share some things I've learned for those participants who may have no other time to run than "lunchtime".

Lunchtime runs put me in a better mood. You're welcome, co-workers.

I love my lunchtime run. It's the only time I can do it during the week. However, many days I have to get right back to work, and as a librarian, people might notice my sweaty stinkiness.

So, I've created this handy guide to a successful lunchtime run:

1. Put it on the schedule.
Everyone in my office knows when my lunchtime run is. I'm lucky enough to have a flexible schedule, so unless I have a specific meeting in the afternoon, I don't always have to go right at noon. But, when I write out the to-do list for the day, I put the lunchtime run.

2. What to bring:
Washrag, makeup, change of underwear, hairbrush (optional), deodorant. Also optional: Baby wipes.

3. The Spit Bath.
After my run, when I'm in my running clothes and sweaty/gross as heck, I bring my work clothes, *change of underwear*, makeup and a washrag into the bathroom. When I was a kid and I didn't want to take a bath (or, now that I'm a parent I'm starting to suspect my parents didn't feel like doing the whole bath thing), we did what my parents called a "spit" bath. It sounds gross. But it just means scrubbing yourself off with a wet washrag. So, that's what I do.

4. Try to have low maintenance hair.
I would love to always have a cute hairdo. But, that's one of the things I give up with my love of lunchtime running. I usually start the day with my hair fixed and looking fabulous. Then I put it up during my run. I usually leave it up for the rest of the day. On some rare days, if I want to look especially good and I have a few extra minutes, I'll get out the straightening iron and work on it on my desk so I can put it down again. But, that doesn't always work...

My hair looked so good before this run, I had to document it before messing it up.

5. Take a shower when you get home.
Even with my brilliant "spit bath" technique, I still don't quite feel clean until I've had a proper shower. However, since you've had your "spit bath", you don't need to go too crazy. 5 minutes should be enough. (or 3, if you have kids like mine).

Do any of you run at lunchtime? What are some of your tips?

Happy Running!

I just ran. Where's my washrag?

High 5- TGIF- 5 Question Friday!

Happy Friday! Here's your high five!

I'm in mid-5, so my hand is blurry!

It seems like last Friday was just here. I guess that's a good thing, right?

Here are the questions. I will answer them because I love to talk about myself. I want you to answer them too because you're awesome.

1. What are your plans for the weekend?
We have a big Saturday coming up. There's a local race for kids: "Small Fry Tri". Since my son has watched me do races, I wanted him to have a chance. So, he and I will do it together. Swim (actually, "run through sprinklers), Bike (on his Lightning McQueen bicycle) and Run (with Mommy). After that, the baby has a playdate. Mommy will probably pass out sometime around 5 PM... Sunday after church will be spent doing all the things I need to do but didn't do Saturday... or taking a nap (if I'm honest).

2. Do you have an "evening" routine?
My evening routine includes cleaning the kitchen (I can't stand to wake up to a dirty kitchen), laying out my clothes and the kids' clothes (hubby's on his own), and getting my items ready for work the next day. I get really stressed out and grumpy if something interrupts this. Do you have a routine that you're a little OCD about?

3. What was the last movie you saw in a Theater? 
The last movie we saw was Tron in 3D Imax. It was over the holiday break, and we had relatives to watch the kids. Yes, that would be last year. December. We're considering trying to go see Harry Potter in July. We like that "twice a year" thing...

4. What should I have for dinner tonight?
I'm lazy and have no idea. What would you do?

5. Do you plan on taking a vacation this summer?
I'm taking a "working" vacation next week- heading to L.A. for Beachbody Summit. This is a huge deal, and while I'm excited (oh man, am I excited!), I know I will miss my kids. Well, 3 nights is just enough time to have a break and miss them just a little... (I should start packing)

Oh, and if you haven't yet: Go on over to Sarah Fitness. For every new "liker" I have, I will do a pushup. So far we only have 2, and I want to do more pushups, so go "like" me. (Not "lick", Tony Van Helsing :-))

I've extended the deadline: You have until 5:00 PM CDT.

I need to be liked!

Well, kind of...



I'm having a little contest/challenge for myself over at Sarah Fitness. Here's the deal:

For every new "Like" the page receives between 11:00 AM CDT on Thursday and 11:00 AM CDT on Friday, I will do a pushup.

Here's the kicker- you get to decide what kind of pushup I will do. So, lay them on me.

Sometime Friday night or Saturday, I'll make a video of myself doing my pushups.

Come on, y'all! Make me work for it!

(And tell your friends!)

Thankful Thursday: Health and Strength

I am thankful for my health.

I am thankful to be strong.

The gun show :-)

I am thankful that I can still pick up and carry my growing 3.5 year old when he needs Mommy to hold him.

I am thankful that when I need to do any kind of manual labor at work (shifting, shelving projects, etc.) I am in such good shape that it doesn't bother me.

I am thankful to be able to run.

I am thankful for the friends I've made because of my love of fitness.

I am thankful for my heroes.

I am thankful that this body was able to grow two healthy children.

I am thankful for days when there is so much activity, when you get in bed, you know you couldn't have squeezed in one more thing.

I am thankful every time someone tells me *I* inspire *them* (it goes both ways!)

I am thankful that fitness accomplishments have taught me I am capable of so much more than I used to believe.

How about you?