Initial thoughts on P90X2: Continued...

As my first week of P90X2 comes to a close, I want to share my thoughts.

Specific Workouts:

- Core is weird. It's hard, and then at the end I don't feel like I did a lot. I will continue to run on the days I do this, or else I'll feel like I took it easy.

- Plyocide sounded real scary, but in reality, wasn't at all. The warm up was long, then the workout was short, then a lot of really long stretching. Now, I love stretching, but not as part of a workout whose title ends with "cide". Since I feel like I'm not getting enough leg work (and I miss the heavy leg work), I think I will sub that for this workout.

- Recovery and Mobility: I love this. I could see myself doing it all the time. I am having a love affair with my foam roller.

- Total Body. Holy moly. There were moves in this I just couldn't even do. "Crunchy lever pullup"- You do a pullup, bring your knees into your chest, and then rock back and forth. It looks really cool and fun, but I had to just work on my (assisted) pullups. Also "Mule Kick Burpee". I'm just going to leave it at that. Good lord. And a bunch of crazy things in Warrior 3. Really? Now, I'm not saying I didn't like this workout. I think it will be great

- Yoga: I love how it's NOT 90 minutes long. It's just about 66 minutes, but honestly, I have to admit: I always skip the ab section. And frog. So that cuts it down a little. I get to practice crow/crane (I learned it as crow or bakasana- he calls it crane. Whatever. That's what it is.)

- Balance and Power: OMG. This was particularly hard. I could barely do most of the stability ball moves. There is a modifier for people who don't have a ball... um, but even though I have one, I followed him most of the time anyway. Also, Tony's sister is in this workout. The banter is funny. He sings a little during the stretch and mentions that people will make fun of him on Youtube. Like here.



General

- This first phase is weird to me after the heavy lifting I was doing. I am dying to go to the gym and throw around some HEAVY weights. That almost seems easier than some of this intricate core work. But I know I need it. I *really* need it. The core is the most important, and with a strong core, I know I'll do better at everything else. So I'm going to hang in there (but I still will probably do some barbell FULL squats and things in place of Plyocide.)

- Dang there is a Warrior III in just about every workout.
Warrior III Row/Press, Warrior III Preacher Curl... let's just say if you don't like Warrior III, or are bad at it, it will be hard (at least at first). Personally I'm looking forward to getting better.

- I've seen negative and positive reviews. I understand some of the negatives- warmups are too long (too much foam rolling, some people say), not enough leg work (that was me that sad that one), but I think, at least for me, they can be worked around. (They are all well-chaptered, so you can easily skip, like I do with FROG.)

I would love to hear your thoughts as well if you've started already. I am curious how other people are doing with it.



Oh, and I'm running 3 times a week. Because I need it. It's not in the program. But I'm doing it anyway (don't tell Tony).

Insanity, The Asylum: Strength

This is becoming one of my favorite workouts.

Part of the Insanity: Asylum series, this workout is the "Strength" workout. Oh, but don't worry, you still get your heartrate up.

Equipment needed:

Dumbbells or Bands
Pull Up Bar (optional)

There are two options for this workout. You can watch the regular workout, which includes 2 people using the bands, or you can watch a special "Bands" edition which includes a split screen with Shaun T. using the bands along with the original workout.

You also have the option, during back work, to use either dumbbells or a pull up bar. Shaun T. shows both moves.

Basic Breakdown (50 minutes):

Warm Up:
- Halo Dead Lift: Using one weight, you squat down, then pass the weight over your head keeping your core tight (this is shown in the video above).
- Skull crusher press
- Knee drive curl
- Squat row
- Shoulder tap push ups (these are also in the video above).
Then do it all again.

Brief Stretch

Each section has a series of moves that are repeated 3 times, but with fun new variations added each time.

Section I: Biceps/Shoulders, etc.
- Progressive Dumbbell Rotation: Let's just say, this involves a curl, burpees, push ups, and adds more each time.
- Shoulder Press: This also is different each of the 3 times
- Rotational jumps: Holding one dumbbell, squat then jump while turning. Again- more complicated each time.

Section II: Back/Core/Etc
- Hip Flys: Leaning over with a flat back, bring the dumbbells behind you, like a fly. I find that I have to lower the weights here. (These are the same every time).
- Back/Core move (either with dumbbells or pull up bar).

Section III: Chest (and stuff)
- Variations of Chest flys with a Core move
- Something standing. The last one is particularly challenging, and is why I looked like this at the end:

Very short cool down.

Shaun T. quotes:
"You're like, 'Dang, Shaun! This is the warm up!' I'll say it again. I am *not* playing with you today!"
"In about 30 seconds you're gonna feel the burn, but that's just a touch of what's about to happen to your life..."
"I laugh at pain!"

Love this workout.

If you want to try Asylum, you can order it through my site. I would love to share the pain with you.

Insanity: The Asylum, Day 7/30: I cry a little

Ugh.

When I woke up this morning, I decided I didn't want to get out of bed and work out. So, I snoozed until it was too late. I figured I'd do it later.

I contemplated skipping it. I just didn't have any energy. But, I knew I was committed to do it. (It didn't help that today's workout was Speed and Agility. I could have jumped out of bed no problem for Turbokick or Turbofire).

My daughter was taking a nap, but my son was awake. He was watching TV, but as soon as he saw the Agility Ladder, he couldn't stay away..

I explain it all here...



So, we'll see what happens with the 5K/10K. Basically, the 10K is just the 5K twice. So I may just decide to run it once and be a little more successful.

This is a hard program. I knew it was a hard program. I do my best to be super positive most of the time. I mean, I have a lot of awesome things going on. I'm healthy, I have healthy, wonderful kids, a full time job and a successful, rewarding business, and my husband is great. But I have a hard time taking "downtime" (because there's ALWAYS something that needs to be done when you're that busy), so when I crash, I crash BIG.

Anyway, have a great holiday. Sarah Fitness hit 351 followers this weekend, which was great, but then it went down to 349... I hope you'll stop by and click "like" to make up for those 2 people who "unliked" :-)

Remember, we're in this together.

Insanity: The Asylum, Day 6/30..

Well, I did it again. I switched workouts. Because I switched the rest day with Vertical Plyo, that would have put Vertical Plyo and Speed and Agility back to back. That's just too much for me. So, today I did Strength. Much more doable (but not easy by any means..)

(Also, I've decided to start using Italics..)






As I mentioned in the video, I'm doing a race on Monday. I signed up for the 10K, in hilly downtown Nashville. I probably won't be up to an Asylum workout along with the 6 miles, so I will just skip to the next day.

So, the 30 days of Asylum may be more like 35. I am training for a half marathon, after all..

Will you try Asylum? Don't make me go through this alone...

You can get it here.

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.)

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!

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!

Starting a Workout Program Part III: Working Out at Home

Part III of a series...

When I first started working out, I tried a gym. It didn't work for me at the time. So, I tried working out at home. I loved how convenient it was- I could do it when I wanted, I didn't have to drive anywhere, I didn't even have to brush my teeth.

One of the great things about working out at home is doing it 37 weeks pregnant..(in a very messy living room, apparently).

I've moved on to take (and teach) group fitness classes, running outside or with a group, but I still will always have a special place in my heart for my videos.

If you decide that working out at home is for you, here are some tips:

1. Find a support group

One of the first pieces of advice I hear when it comes to working out is to get support. You tend to be more successful if someone else is involved. Even if you're working out alone, there are ways to find support. You can join an online support group, such as Team Beachbody or a Facebook group. I like to participate in Facebook challenges, where we check in everyday and talk about what our activity was that day. However, you decide to do it, just involve someone else, and you can support each other.

2. Schedule a time

Before I had kids, I would start a Saturday thinking, "I'm going to work out sometime today". I might piddle around, and then eventually decide to start the workout. Even on weekdays, I would try to do my workout in the morning, and if I missed it, I could pick it up after work (even if I was tired). But, with 2 kids and a full time job, there is often only one choice for a time. I schedule my workouts on Google calender as if they were a meeting. I also put them on my daily to-do list, and love the feeling of crossing them off when I'm finished.


3. Find something you like

I mentioned that I used to go to the gym and do the stairclimber for hours. I was bored to tears. I thought exercise had to be boring. This applies to home workouts as well. No, every single workout you ever do is not going to be the best thing ever, but if you like something, you're going to want to do it more often. You may not like every second of it, but chances are, you'll find workouts that click with you.

I hardly ever buy a workout without checking the reviews on Videofitness. These are honest reviews by consumers and they really tell you *everything*. This is a great resource, and a great place to check out to get ideas, or to follow up on any of those infomercials you saw at 4:00 am...

4. Keep it varied

I love Turbofire. I bet if I did the same Turbofire workout every day for a few weeks, I would see great results. But, there are two problems with that. First, my results would slow because my body got used to the workout. This is often called The Plateau Effect. Second, I risk a repetitive use injury from using the same muscles every day. So, it's good to vary things. You can do different types of cardio (Hiit, Kickboxing, Step, Dance), strength (circuit, heavy, functional), yoga, core, pilates... there are a ton of different activities to choose from.

5. Keep it simple

I'm going to contradict myself here just a little. I just listed a bunch of options for your workouts, but I want to encourage you to keep it simple. You can get overwhelmed by choices.

Rather than doing the same video every day (which could get old fast), at least alternate between two. Many fitness programs (yes, including those from Beachbody) offer entire programs with a schedule to tell you when to do each workout. I love this because it takes the guesswork out. You just do it when you're supposed to.

If you're not up to a full program, like I said, just alternate a few. Many DVDs out there come in sets. Just look for variety.

I'll repost the links from the last post just to remind you what resources there are.

Please feel free to post questions or comments. I love talking about this, and would love to help you get started!

Be well!

Sarah

Sites to check out:
My Beachbody Store - Beachbody is the company that creates workouts like P90X, Chalean Extreme, TurboFire, Hip Hop Abs, Slim in 6, Body Gospel... There's also online support and a community to help you stay accountable.

Collage video - Collage sells ONLY exercise videos. They also provide a short clip of every workout, so you can see what you're getting.

Videofitness - The video review site. You can search for reviews by instructor or workout type. Also, the forum is a great place to get information.