P90X - week 5, day 2

Today was Plyometrics. I'm starting to feel more comfortable with this workout all the time. I am able to keep it pretty low impact the whole time and still be out of the breathe and sweating. I found that I need a class of water and a very cool room to make me happy. I think my favorite part today was the rest breaks.

I feel good. A great start to the day.

P90X - 1/3 of the way

I can now say that I'm 1/3 of the way complete. A month grad of P90X, with two more to go. I admire those that have completed the P90X program a couple times. It really takes a lot of hard work and determination to work out for 90 days like this.

So tomorrow, on to Training Block 2, adaptive and mastery phase.

Week 4 - Recovery Phase

I've made it to P90X week 4, called the Recovery Phase. I thought this might be an easy week, but I was wrong. I thing Core Synergistics might be the hardest workout for me. Wow, I was sweating up a storm. My core isn't that strong, from having two babies by C-section. I definetely need to work and define this area.

Week 3 - Chest & Back

Aww, my 3rd time for Chest and Back. I'm feeling good today! Yesterday was an easy day, I had my shake for lunch, and went to bed early. the day started out not so good with my DVD not wanting to work. So after 9 minutes I switched my DVD into a different player. I'll have to cut my workout a bit short today. I won't be able to finish the whole thing.

I'm still doing the pushups on my knees and I think the Dive Bombers are the hardest exercise. I'm enjoying the pull downs with my bands, so that must mean it's time to invest in the P90X pull up device.

P90X - Day 14

Day 14 is Rest/Stretching. I woke up a 1/2 hour late today, because I knew I could. I had some gentle yoga poses and stretching in mind. So for about 25 minutes, I calmly stretched out my body. I feel nice and relaxed. So on to my shower, to start my busy day.

Slow Start on Sunday Morning

It's 7:45 Sunday morning. I woke up about 5 minutes ago. I was thinking that I need to get my body moving so I can exercise before the kids wake up. It's a rainy, dreary day outside this morning. A perfect day to stay in bed. The next thing I know my youngest is by my side wanting to jump in the middle.

So I say to her, "You stay here with Daddy & Mommy is going to go exercise." Nope that doesn't work. She wants to go watch her show on tv. So, I just set her up with a show on tv and started my coffee. My body and mind feel like jello today. I need a little time to warm up before I start the DVD scheduled for today, Kenpo X. So here I am at 7:57 taking a deep breathe and getting ready to exercise.

8:15 - I'm still not exercising. My youngest has been in here wanting to get dressed and eat candy. I set her up with some breakfast and I'm now trying to start again.

9:15 - I made it through with only two interuptions from the kids. I sure find exercising in the early morning more enjoyable and easier than with children underfoot. But we all survived and I have completed Kenpo X!

Saturday Workout, P90X Legs and Back

I slept in today until 7:30. It felt great. When I woke up, I whispered to my husband that I hope I can workout before the kids wake up.

Legs and Back is a 59 minute workout. I don't have enough time to complete the entire workout during the week, so I was kind of excited that it landed on Saturday. Well you can guess what happened. My little one was up before I was half done. I think I paused my workout about 6 times before I made it to the end. I finished the entire workout today, but I know I got lots of extra breaks.

In this workout, I worked both my legs and upper body. You rotate between the two so each one has time to rest. I'm still using my bands instead of pull ups, so you can say I'm taking the easy route. After the workout, I finished Ab Ripper X. Yikes. This is a 15 minute core workout itself. I think it might be getting tougher each time instead of getting easier. I could be that this is the first time I've done it right after a workout. I usually workout in the morning and then try to squeeze this in sometime in the evening (when I return home from work).

So, I got almost 75 minutes in today of exercise. I feel like that's enough. I'm good until tomorrow.

Enjoy your Saturday!

It's a big ole circle!

I was talking to my sister-in-law yesterday about exercising. She has a 10 month old now and is nursing, plus working full time. She's following exactly where I was a couple years back. I have two kids, 5 and 3-1/2. I went back to work after 12 weeks off, full time and continued to nurse both of them until almost 2. I remember how tired I was during this time.

I had been exercising for a long time prior to getting pregnant in 2004. I was so ambitious and exercised throughout my pregnancy. I did lots of walking at an indoor rink and a bit of pregnancy yoga. I was feeling great, then the baby came. It went downhill. I wasn't getting a lot of sleep especially after going back to work. I think the teething and the sickness was actually worse than when they were little & you had to feed them often during the night. I hardly had the energy to make it thru the day much less exercise in my free time. Ok, there wasn't any free time, but it sounds like a nice thing.

So this January, my daughter turned 3. I decided it's time to get myself going again. I'm not feeling very good about my shape after having two kids, plus I'm tired all the time and that isn't good. I decided I need to try again. I need to make time for myself and work out. So 5 years, after giving up exercise, I'm back at it. I'm forcing myself to wake up early and workout so that I'll be a better mom and wife. I know that I have to stay motivated. This usually means that I have to have a lot of variety in my life. I run in phases, sometimes I'm into kickboxing, sometimes weight lifting/kettlebells and sometimes outdoor activities like walking or biking. I'm currently enjoying the challenge of P90X, until I get bored again. . . I'll switch to something new.

Fast and Furious Bonus workout with Insanity order

Did you hear the news? Beachbody will be giving away extra workouts if you order your fitness programs through a Beachbody coach. The first one is a free bonus workout called Fast and Furious that comes with Insanity or Insanity Deluxe.

Insanity is an intense cardio program by Shaun T. You can read out more about it at my website. www.beachbodycoach.com/lilshortstuff

I'm excited to see what other workouts they will be coming out with in the next few months. I'm guessing that one of them will be from Leandro that will go along with his Brazil Butt Lift program. Sounds like they will be releasing them one at a time, so we'll just have to wait and see.

My Shake Packet is Here!

I'm excited, my first Bag of Chocolate Shakeology has arrived. I decided to go with the bag instead of the individual servings. If you know me, I'll all about stretching my dollar. I figured that the 30 serving bag was a better deal than the 24 individual serving packets. I'll get more shake for my money and it isn't too hard to put the shake mix in a re-useable container each day. I also signed up for the monthly auto-ship so I could get the two free gifts (2 FREE Workout DVDs & the Shaker Cup) plus the Free Shipping!

I mixed my shake up for my lunch today with low-fat milk. It was absolutely perfect, a real treat. My lunch hour today was full of errands. I didn't have time to make my lunch this morning (since I spent too much time on my yoga) and REALLY didn't want to pick up greasy fast food. The shake was so easy. I packed ice and milk in my little cooler this morning and mixed it up in my car before I went back into work. It's so very convenient and yummy. Perfect for a busy mom like me.

I was also excited that it really kept me satisified for a long time. I'm usually quite a big eater in the afternoon, and I wasn't sure how long the shake would keep me full. So, I took an apple and nuts for an afternoon snack, but found I didn't need them for over 3-1/2 hours. I was excited to read that the Chocolate shake has extra protein and that the shake is an excellent source of fiber. I'm excited to try to replace one meal during the work week with my shake. I'll see how that goes. Keep your fingers crossed!

See more information about Shakeology at my website: www.myshakeology.com/lilshortstuff

Friday Morning Yoga

I woke up today a tad bit sore from my arm workout yesterday. It was kind of breathe of fresh air to think about yoga today. P90X yoga isn't really a relaxing yoga, though. It's a hard core workout that you would expect in a fitness program like P90X. I don't think the P90X would be happy with an easy yoga program.

I found myself holding poses, shaking and sweating in the first 30 minutes. I stopped at that point to give myself a two minute break so I could get a drink of water. I then continued for another 30 minutes. The whole yoga workout is an hour and a half long. It's an intense workout that really works your muscles from holding the poses. I'm hoping this will come around again on the weekend so I can try the whole workout next time.

So this morning, I feel a little refreshed and energized. I really tried to focus on breathing throughout the workout today. I think it helped calm me and get me ready to start my last work day of the week.

Happy Friday everyone!

Working Out with Tubing!

I was thinking today after working out about how very pleased I am with my new BeachBody B-Line Bands. I always thought working out with tubing was a waste of time, but I've been using my new bands for P90X. They are so much thicker than the tubing I've worked with in the past. I feel like I'm often working out harder with my tubing than I often do with my traditional weights.

It's crazy that they are that effective. In some exercises you are getting resistance both up and down. I've been using my tubing to replace the pull ups. I was able to attach them so I can pull down and pretty much duplicate the exercise in my home. On other exercises, I can make it harder or easier by how I place my foot or feet in/on the band. They are a pleasant surprise and a great addition to my exercise gear. Check out the bands at my website under equipment and gear: www.beachbodycoach.com/lilshortstuff

A Surprising Discovery About P90X!

Ok, I admit it, I was a little afraid of P90X. I've been hearing about this fitness program for years. I've seen the infomercials a couple times, and I just felt that it was too advanced for me. I wouldn't be able to do it. I think all the pull-ups might have gotten to me. I know I can't do even one. But it kept popping back in my mind, should I try it?

Ok, so I ordered it and it arrived. The first day, I started with Shoulders and Arms, that's not disk one, but I know it would be a lot easier than Chest and Back. I told myself that I had 30 minutes to just give it a try. Boy was I surprised, in a good way. It was lots of fun! I like the gym atmosphere that they are in. I like Tony's silly/goofy comments. It was so strangely motivating to make me want to work out harder than I ever have. (to feel the burn)

Thus, I started my P90X journey. I working on my second week, 3rd day, so today was my 3rd time of Shoulders and Arms. I even set the alarm earlier today, so I could be sure to squeeze the entire workout in this morning. I feel pumped and ready to go this morning. I'll admit that this program is heavy on upper body. My upper body is a tiny bit sorry every day, but it makes me smile a little when I think about it. It means that I'm doing something good for me & my body. I'm pushing myself a little further than I have in the past. I have lots of enery. I'm a strong woman & I can do it. I will do it!

I'm a P90X lover!