This week is going to be an off week, which is a shame because I start a 4-week rotation of Cathe's 4 Day Split Series. I'll be out of town for the latter half of the week, so one of the 4 days will probably not happen. Sigh.
But. I haven't had two consecutive days of rest since May, so I'm not going to cry too much. When you train hard, your body needs breaks. And my body will get a break this week. And it will get new workouts - yay!
A word on the 4 Day Split Series... I'm moving all the core work to the weekend because I just don't have enough time on weekday mornings. That means, hopefully, I can fit the rest of the workout into a morning since I'll save the core...
Monday: Cathe's 4 Day Split: Lower Impact Step + walk + YWA
So these videos are all formatted the same way: cardio and then weights. You work a different muscle group each day. With the lower impact step, you work shoulders. So after about 20 minutes of step, it was time for weights. I liked this format, though I still don't love the complicated step routines. Hopefully, after doing these for a month, they'll become easier. At lunch, I walked at the rec center and did core work. And after work, this YWA really got me sweaty and twisted!
Tuesday: Cathe's 4 Day Split: Higher Intensity Step + walk
Another step video today! This one definitely had its confusing moments but I kept on going and got nice and sweaty. Again, I hope this is easier the next time I do it - and the next! After about 20-25 minutes of cardio, it was time for the weights - chest and back on this video. Nice! At lunch, I walked outside for 30 minutes - it was gorgeous outside!! I love fall! I had every intention of doing a YWA after work but life interfered.
Wednesday: Cathe's 4 Day Split: Kickbox
I was supposed to wake up 15 minutes early to do more of this workout.... But I was up most of the night with a sick cat. So, I got up at my normal time....but at least I still worked out! The kickboxing in this workout was fun! I had watched the video previously and did my own weights so I could fit everything into a shorter time table. Oy. So, next week I look forward to doing the entire workout! I walked outside at lunch - nothing too vigorous as to be called a workout but it was still nice to get out.
Thursday: YWA
Out of town, on the first day of a short trip with my parents. I managed this YWA at the end of our day in the hotel room. And it was only 4 days after my birthday. It was nice and slow - good considering I was stiff from a day in the car.
Friday - Sunday: REST
I meant to do more yoga on our trip, but our hotel room was not conducive to it. Oh, well. At least my body got some good R&R.
Monday, October 30, 2017
Wednesday, October 25, 2017
Sprinkle Cookies
I'm finally finding the time to do some baking! And what a great time to bake! I've already made Pumpkin Spice Bars and Skinny Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars. Yum!
For Boss' Day a few weeks ago, I wanted something delicious and festive. This recipe for Sprinkle Cookies caught my eye a long time ago.... And I decided this was the perfect opportunity to try it!
I made no substitutions in this recipe - and I used butter. The almond extract added a lovely flavor! And all those sprinkles....
All the bosses loved these cookies and as soon as they made their way to the office kitchen, they disappeared. Mr. Higgins requested these for a standard holiday cookie and I might have to oblige him.... They are quite delicious!!
I highly recommend this recipe!
For Boss' Day a few weeks ago, I wanted something delicious and festive. This recipe for Sprinkle Cookies caught my eye a long time ago.... And I decided this was the perfect opportunity to try it!
I made no substitutions in this recipe - and I used butter. The almond extract added a lovely flavor! And all those sprinkles....
All the bosses loved these cookies and as soon as they made their way to the office kitchen, they disappeared. Mr. Higgins requested these for a standard holiday cookie and I might have to oblige him.... They are quite delicious!!
I highly recommend this recipe!
Monday, October 23, 2017
Post-STS 12-Weeks: Week 6
I really liked my first week of Cathe's Low Impact Series (LIS). Only one more week of these great workouts before I have new workouts to try!
This week and next week will be especially hard on the diet. It's my birthday and because of out-of-town family, the festivities will be longer than a day. And then, a long weekend trip will throw everything out of whack. But first, a normal workout week...
Monday: Cathe's LIS Total Body Tri-Sets: Upper + walk + YWA
I couldn't remember this workout when I started it at 5:30am.... It was a bit of a rough morning due to a headache. But I quickly got into this and enjoyed it! I didn't even really mind the push-ups all that much. Amazing! At lunch, I hadn't intended on walking but I did - outside, because the weather was perfect. My heart rate went up and stayed up for 25 minutes. After work, I did this new YWA that really worked the core. Nice!
Tuesday: Cathe's LIS Total Body Tri-Sets Lower + yoga
Wow, so this lower body workout is definitely tough; last week's session was no fluke. I can't believe that I can feel so much pain after all the Cathe workouts I've done. But this one leaves me in pain. I just hope it doesn't last as long as last week's pain! Dang! And just like last week, my heart rate stayed up - in my "peak" zone - so this counted as cardio as well as weights! At the end of the day, I did a short yoga flow - my own - to stretch out those tired leg muscles!
Wednesday: Michelle's Peak 10 More Cardio Interval Burn
Cardio this morning! Michelle got me up and going super fast this morning! Ha! As is my morning norm, I didn't do the peaks. But this is still a great cardio workout! And I love Michelle; her enthusiasm is contagious. These CIBs are great to throw into Cathe-heavy weeks because the cardio is so different from Cathe's. And you need both kinds!
Thursday: Cathe's LIS Cardio Supersets + walk + YWA
My stomach was not happy this morning so this workout was a challenge. I lost about 5 minutes due to running to the bathroom. Fun. This is a good low-impact workout but it doesn't keep my heart rate as high as Afterburn. At lunch, I walked outside since it was gorgeous out, again. I wish the weather would always be this nice! After work, I did this YWA, which is really, really good. It gets you moving and has a nice rhythm.
Friday: Dozois' Peak 10 Dynamic Flexibility + Core Dynamics
Dynamic Flexibility really is the perfect recovery workout. Michelle makes you move to get nice and warm and before you know it, you're nice and stretched. All those muscles that worked hard all week get a nice recovery. After that 30 minutes, I did 10 minutes of Core Dynamics, which is never easy. I think my abs are doing better but parts of this were still challenging. Oy!
Saturday: Cathe's LIS Afterburn + Turbo Barre
I was actually looking forward to Afterburn today! And it was just as good as last week! I don't have sliding discs so those moves were high impact for me but I didn't mind. It was a great workout and mostly low impact! After that 45 minutes, I did the legwork in Turbo Barre...and it was just as agonizingly painful as last week. OMG! As much as it hurts and I hate it at the time, I know it's doing something to my body so it's okay....after the fact. Ha! That torture lasted for 35 minutes and then I did ten minutes of abs and stretching. A great morning!
Sunday: Cathe's Crossfire + Turbo Barre + YWA
So the original Crossfire is just a bit easier than the Express Crossfire Live, which I did last week. The difference was 180 jumps - blessedly absent from the original. But it's still a tough workout and my heart rate stayed sky high for a long time. That lasted 45 minutes. After that, I did the rest of Turbo Barre, except for the weighted arms exercises - but I did the push-ups, tricep dips, planks, and ab work. Whew! I stretched a bit and then did this lovely but short YWA. A good birthday workout!
Calorie Counts:
I had three really good days this week and with the birthday festivities, that was all I could manage. Sigh.
This week and next week will be especially hard on the diet. It's my birthday and because of out-of-town family, the festivities will be longer than a day. And then, a long weekend trip will throw everything out of whack. But first, a normal workout week...
Monday: Cathe's LIS Total Body Tri-Sets: Upper + walk + YWA
I couldn't remember this workout when I started it at 5:30am.... It was a bit of a rough morning due to a headache. But I quickly got into this and enjoyed it! I didn't even really mind the push-ups all that much. Amazing! At lunch, I hadn't intended on walking but I did - outside, because the weather was perfect. My heart rate went up and stayed up for 25 minutes. After work, I did this new YWA that really worked the core. Nice!
Tuesday: Cathe's LIS Total Body Tri-Sets Lower + yoga
Wow, so this lower body workout is definitely tough; last week's session was no fluke. I can't believe that I can feel so much pain after all the Cathe workouts I've done. But this one leaves me in pain. I just hope it doesn't last as long as last week's pain! Dang! And just like last week, my heart rate stayed up - in my "peak" zone - so this counted as cardio as well as weights! At the end of the day, I did a short yoga flow - my own - to stretch out those tired leg muscles!
Wednesday: Michelle's Peak 10 More Cardio Interval Burn
Cardio this morning! Michelle got me up and going super fast this morning! Ha! As is my morning norm, I didn't do the peaks. But this is still a great cardio workout! And I love Michelle; her enthusiasm is contagious. These CIBs are great to throw into Cathe-heavy weeks because the cardio is so different from Cathe's. And you need both kinds!
Thursday: Cathe's LIS Cardio Supersets + walk + YWA
My stomach was not happy this morning so this workout was a challenge. I lost about 5 minutes due to running to the bathroom. Fun. This is a good low-impact workout but it doesn't keep my heart rate as high as Afterburn. At lunch, I walked outside since it was gorgeous out, again. I wish the weather would always be this nice! After work, I did this YWA, which is really, really good. It gets you moving and has a nice rhythm.
Friday: Dozois' Peak 10 Dynamic Flexibility + Core Dynamics
Dynamic Flexibility really is the perfect recovery workout. Michelle makes you move to get nice and warm and before you know it, you're nice and stretched. All those muscles that worked hard all week get a nice recovery. After that 30 minutes, I did 10 minutes of Core Dynamics, which is never easy. I think my abs are doing better but parts of this were still challenging. Oy!
Saturday: Cathe's LIS Afterburn + Turbo Barre
I was actually looking forward to Afterburn today! And it was just as good as last week! I don't have sliding discs so those moves were high impact for me but I didn't mind. It was a great workout and mostly low impact! After that 45 minutes, I did the legwork in Turbo Barre...and it was just as agonizingly painful as last week. OMG! As much as it hurts and I hate it at the time, I know it's doing something to my body so it's okay....after the fact. Ha! That torture lasted for 35 minutes and then I did ten minutes of abs and stretching. A great morning!
Sunday: Cathe's Crossfire + Turbo Barre + YWA
So the original Crossfire is just a bit easier than the Express Crossfire Live, which I did last week. The difference was 180 jumps - blessedly absent from the original. But it's still a tough workout and my heart rate stayed sky high for a long time. That lasted 45 minutes. After that, I did the rest of Turbo Barre, except for the weighted arms exercises - but I did the push-ups, tricep dips, planks, and ab work. Whew! I stretched a bit and then did this lovely but short YWA. A good birthday workout!
Calorie Counts:
I had three really good days this week and with the birthday festivities, that was all I could manage. Sigh.
Thursday, October 19, 2017
Cathe Friedrich: Gym Style Chest and Triceps (Review)
Now that I've done a month of Gym Style workouts, I can share with you my opinions of these workouts - such great additions to your workout library!
Coming off of Cathe's STS program, the style of these Gym Style videos was a shock to my body. There's very little rest between exercises and you work on one group of muscles until complete and utter (shaking!) exhaustion.
Chest and Triceps was the hardest of the Gym Style DVDs. Why? Because you start with drop sets of push-ups. You do a total of 72 push-ups. I was so proud of myself for getting through all of them.... Only, you have to use those same muscles for the rest of the workout and you just exhausted them. Seriously. I could barely lift anything after those push-ups and I had to turn around and do chest presses.
So do not expect to lift as heavy as in STS. Your muscles are just too worn out. By the time I got to triceps, my chest muscles were shaking so much that my triceps could barely work. Ouch!
This workout is 48 minutes long and contains a warm-up and stretch. You need dumbbells, a step (not really required), a barbell (I used only dumbbells), and a resistance band. Every single chest and tricep muscle will be worked to the point of exhaustion. This is a very difficult workout. But. It's one of the best I've ever encountered.
Bottom Line: If you are serious about gaining muscle, this is one of the most effective workouts on the market today.
Coming off of Cathe's STS program, the style of these Gym Style videos was a shock to my body. There's very little rest between exercises and you work on one group of muscles until complete and utter (shaking!) exhaustion.
Chest and Triceps was the hardest of the Gym Style DVDs. Why? Because you start with drop sets of push-ups. You do a total of 72 push-ups. I was so proud of myself for getting through all of them.... Only, you have to use those same muscles for the rest of the workout and you just exhausted them. Seriously. I could barely lift anything after those push-ups and I had to turn around and do chest presses.
So do not expect to lift as heavy as in STS. Your muscles are just too worn out. By the time I got to triceps, my chest muscles were shaking so much that my triceps could barely work. Ouch!
This workout is 48 minutes long and contains a warm-up and stretch. You need dumbbells, a step (not really required), a barbell (I used only dumbbells), and a resistance band. Every single chest and tricep muscle will be worked to the point of exhaustion. This is a very difficult workout. But. It's one of the best I've ever encountered.
Bottom Line: If you are serious about gaining muscle, this is one of the most effective workouts on the market today.
Monday, October 16, 2017
Post-STS 12-Weeks: Week 5
Okay, moving on from Gym Style workouts, it's time for a change: two weeks of Cathe's Low Impact Series. I'm excited to try something new!
Cathe designed this 12-week rotation to keep your muscles healthy and happy after STS. It makes sense, after 4 weeks of hard work, to take it down a notch with some low-impact work. I'm going to add in a high impact workout or two, juts to keep things interesting!
Monday: Cathe's Low Impact Series (LIS): Cardio Supersets + YWA
Yay, new workouts! This morning, I tuned into Cardio Supersets for the very first time. It was good - but a change, for sure. Some of the moves required hand weights to increase the intensity. There was also a lot of floor work, which is always a challenge. I jumped on some of the moves where Cathe uses sliding disks. But otherwise, this was a great low-impact workout. After a very long day of work, I managed to squeeze in this short YWA. It wasn't much but I'll always take whatever YWA I can get!
Tuesday: Cathe's LIS: Total Body Tri-Sets - Upper + walk + YWA
Upper body today, though I was still sore from the weekend's chest and tricep work. Ouch! This LIS workout was different, in a good way. I love new weighted exercises - the same ones get boring. So this was a good morning, though I would have preferred fewer push-ups. Ha! At lunch, I walked at the rec center and did some ab work. Finally, after an especially tiring day at work, I did this YWA. It was good and really stretched out my legs!
Wednesday: Cathe's LIS: Total Body Tri-Sets - Lower + walk + YWA
Yay, lower body work! This was a good leg workout and definitely different than the others I've done from Cathe. And I always like new moves! One, in particular, I couldn't master. You stand on one foot, squat, put a weight down, put the other weight down, and then pick them up, all while doing squats on one leg. I just did single leg squats while holding weights. At lunch, I walked at the rec again, and did ab work, again. Fun. This YWA was the perfect length once I got home from work. A good way to end the day!
Thursday: Dozois' Peak 10 Cardio Interval Burn
I can't adequately say how tired I was this morning. Working out did not sound doable but Michelle got me going.... Slowly. I soon learned just how much my bum was worked yesterday because it was screaming! At least I know it got a good workout! Ha! Since the temps are slowly dropping here in Texas, the house is cooler in the mornings. That really helps me get through this type of challenging cardio!
Friday: YWA + abs
Ah, a rest day. I love it when I can do yoga on a rest day. It's the perfect amount of work! This YWA is from Adriene's Yoga Revolution, which I did in January. It was perfect for a morning workout because Adriene really eases you into the whole moving thing. Ha! After that 30 minutes, I did 10 minutes of abs. At lunch, I walked outside for 20 minutes - but nothing taxing.
Saturday: Cathe's Cross Fire Express Live + LIS Turbo Barre (arms + planks)
Wow. So, this Cross Fire workout was hard. My legs were still aching from Wednesday so all the jumps were torture. I made it through, though I modified one or two moves....but my heart was pounding like crazy. After this 35 minutes, I did the weighted arm work in Turbo Barre along with the push-ups, tricep dips, and planks. Whew! Upon watching a preview for Turbo Barre, I thought the arms would be easy. But, no! I used 8 lb weights and had to take a few breaks, this hurt so much!
Sunday: Cathe's LIS Afterburn + Turbo Barre
Yay, low impact! I was worried about my heart rate staying elevated but I'm learning something.... These workouts, like Afterburn, that alternate a cardio move and a weighted move really keep my heart pounding. And it was so this morning - even with the low impact moves. After that 45 minutes of cardio, I did 40 of Turbo Barre - the leg and ab portion. OMG. This leg work is crazy intense. I was in so much pain. Anyone who thinks barre is easy has obviously never done it - or done it correctly. Because, ouch!
Calorie Counts:
I ate really well Monday through Thursday. Then I blew it on the weekend for football. Oh, well.
Cathe designed this 12-week rotation to keep your muscles healthy and happy after STS. It makes sense, after 4 weeks of hard work, to take it down a notch with some low-impact work. I'm going to add in a high impact workout or two, juts to keep things interesting!
Monday: Cathe's Low Impact Series (LIS): Cardio Supersets + YWA
Yay, new workouts! This morning, I tuned into Cardio Supersets for the very first time. It was good - but a change, for sure. Some of the moves required hand weights to increase the intensity. There was also a lot of floor work, which is always a challenge. I jumped on some of the moves where Cathe uses sliding disks. But otherwise, this was a great low-impact workout. After a very long day of work, I managed to squeeze in this short YWA. It wasn't much but I'll always take whatever YWA I can get!
Tuesday: Cathe's LIS: Total Body Tri-Sets - Upper + walk + YWA
Upper body today, though I was still sore from the weekend's chest and tricep work. Ouch! This LIS workout was different, in a good way. I love new weighted exercises - the same ones get boring. So this was a good morning, though I would have preferred fewer push-ups. Ha! At lunch, I walked at the rec center and did some ab work. Finally, after an especially tiring day at work, I did this YWA. It was good and really stretched out my legs!
Wednesday: Cathe's LIS: Total Body Tri-Sets - Lower + walk + YWA
Yay, lower body work! This was a good leg workout and definitely different than the others I've done from Cathe. And I always like new moves! One, in particular, I couldn't master. You stand on one foot, squat, put a weight down, put the other weight down, and then pick them up, all while doing squats on one leg. I just did single leg squats while holding weights. At lunch, I walked at the rec again, and did ab work, again. Fun. This YWA was the perfect length once I got home from work. A good way to end the day!
Thursday: Dozois' Peak 10 Cardio Interval Burn
I can't adequately say how tired I was this morning. Working out did not sound doable but Michelle got me going.... Slowly. I soon learned just how much my bum was worked yesterday because it was screaming! At least I know it got a good workout! Ha! Since the temps are slowly dropping here in Texas, the house is cooler in the mornings. That really helps me get through this type of challenging cardio!
Friday: YWA + abs
Ah, a rest day. I love it when I can do yoga on a rest day. It's the perfect amount of work! This YWA is from Adriene's Yoga Revolution, which I did in January. It was perfect for a morning workout because Adriene really eases you into the whole moving thing. Ha! After that 30 minutes, I did 10 minutes of abs. At lunch, I walked outside for 20 minutes - but nothing taxing.
Saturday: Cathe's Cross Fire Express Live + LIS Turbo Barre (arms + planks)
Wow. So, this Cross Fire workout was hard. My legs were still aching from Wednesday so all the jumps were torture. I made it through, though I modified one or two moves....but my heart was pounding like crazy. After this 35 minutes, I did the weighted arm work in Turbo Barre along with the push-ups, tricep dips, and planks. Whew! Upon watching a preview for Turbo Barre, I thought the arms would be easy. But, no! I used 8 lb weights and had to take a few breaks, this hurt so much!
Sunday: Cathe's LIS Afterburn + Turbo Barre
Yay, low impact! I was worried about my heart rate staying elevated but I'm learning something.... These workouts, like Afterburn, that alternate a cardio move and a weighted move really keep my heart pounding. And it was so this morning - even with the low impact moves. After that 45 minutes of cardio, I did 40 of Turbo Barre - the leg and ab portion. OMG. This leg work is crazy intense. I was in so much pain. Anyone who thinks barre is easy has obviously never done it - or done it correctly. Because, ouch!
Calorie Counts:
I ate really well Monday through Thursday. Then I blew it on the weekend for football. Oh, well.
Thursday, October 12, 2017
Cathe Friedrich: Gym Style Back, Shoulders, and Biceps (Review)
I have more Cathe to share with you! I just finished a month of her Gym Style videos and let me tell you - these are effective!
Coming off of Cathe's STS program, the style of these Gym Style videos was a shock to my body. There's very little rest between exercises and you work on one group of muscles until complete and utter (shaking!) exhaustion.
Back, Shoulders, and Biceps is 50 minutes long and includes a warm-up and stretch. You start with back - rows, one-arm rows, supermans, and pullovers. I was so happy to do supermans on the floor after all the rows! You then move to shoulders: overhead presses, lateral raises, front raises, rear flies, reverse flies.... After some of these weighted exercises, you switch to the band for a "finisher." That means, "ouch." And finally, you move to biceps - endless curls, hammer curls, concentrations curls, and finally, wrist curls. Those were new to me and just a bit painful!
Because you do so many exercise with one muscle group in fast repetition, I learned very quickly that I couldn't lift as heavy as with the STS program. This isn't bad, overall - I was greatly challenged by all three Gym Style workouts. But I think STS helps you gain more muscle overall.
Equipment needed: a band, dumbbells, barbell (I used dumbbells), a mat, and a step/stool.
Clips are available here.
Bottom Line: This is an advanced, challenging weightlifting workout.
Coming off of Cathe's STS program, the style of these Gym Style videos was a shock to my body. There's very little rest between exercises and you work on one group of muscles until complete and utter (shaking!) exhaustion.
Back, Shoulders, and Biceps is 50 minutes long and includes a warm-up and stretch. You start with back - rows, one-arm rows, supermans, and pullovers. I was so happy to do supermans on the floor after all the rows! You then move to shoulders: overhead presses, lateral raises, front raises, rear flies, reverse flies.... After some of these weighted exercises, you switch to the band for a "finisher." That means, "ouch." And finally, you move to biceps - endless curls, hammer curls, concentrations curls, and finally, wrist curls. Those were new to me and just a bit painful!
Because you do so many exercise with one muscle group in fast repetition, I learned very quickly that I couldn't lift as heavy as with the STS program. This isn't bad, overall - I was greatly challenged by all three Gym Style workouts. But I think STS helps you gain more muscle overall.
Equipment needed: a band, dumbbells, barbell (I used dumbbells), a mat, and a step/stool.
Clips are available here.
Bottom Line: This is an advanced, challenging weightlifting workout.
Monday, October 9, 2017
Post-STS 12-Weeks: Week 4
Yay! This is the last week of Cathe's weighted Gym Style workouts. They are super effective but tough, so I don't mind shelving them for a while. I hope to get them reviewed and post those reviews soon.
Though this has been a tough four weeks, I've really enjoyed the new and different workouts. Cathe has put together some incredible workouts throughout her long career!
Monday: REST
A stomach bug or something kept me from working out today. Boo!
Tuesday: Cathe's Gym Style: Back, Shoulders, and Biceps + walk + YWA
I was feeling better today so I tackled this Gym Styles workout at 5:30am. I was dreading it but I got through it and am happy to not see it for a while! The bicep work seems endless! At lunch, I walked at the rec center since I got so few steps in my morning workout. It was nice to get away from the office for a bit! This YWA is a great one to come back to - all about flow and breathing. Lovely!
Wednesday: Cathe's Rock'm Sock'm
This was just what I needed - kickboxing! It's been a while since I had a morning of kickboxing so it was a nice change today. Rock'm Sock'm is part of Cathe ICE - intermediate - series but it really packs a punch with some serious cardio drills throughout the workout. The punch combinations were fun.... I really like this one! Obligations after work meant no YWA - which really saddened me.
Thursday: Cathe's Rock Body Boot Camp Live + walk
Time for another metabolic workout (weights + cardio). I'm loving these! This one was a doozy. While the cardio wasn't crazy intense, it raised my heart rate and the weights kept it up. Wow! I was almost struggling to keep up with Cathe's pace with some of the weighted work. But it was fun and I'll definitely have to do this one again! At lunch, I walked at the rec center, working up a nice sweat! I even added on some core work.
Friday: Dozois Peak 10 More Cardio Interval Burn
Since I had an unexpected rest day on Monday, I had to do this CIB on Friday. Oy. These CIBs are not easy in the morning. I got through this one but, like last week, I kept the peaks "low" instead of going all out. This is one of my favorite cardio workouts - it really makes you work! This was definitely a productive morning!
Saturday: Cathe's Quick Fix Cardio Live + Gym Style: Legs + YWA
Time for some serious work today! I needed some cardio and this short, 30-minute Quick Fix was perfect! You go straight into snowboarders after a 5-minute warm-up and you don't stop for the next 25 minutes. Whew! I then did my last Gym Style: Legs workout. Yay! This one is tough and it kept the sweat pouring off of me. And finally, after some sit-ups, I tuned into a nice, relaxing YWA to stretch out my legs. A good morning!
Sunday: Cathe's Cardio Core Circuit Live + Gym Style: Chest and Triceps + Lean Legs and Abs (leg + ab tracks)
I was not looking forward to all this today! I started with cardio - and this live workout really gets my heart rate up there! I like it so much more than the DVD, though. Ha! After that, I did my 72 push-ups and all the rest of this Gym Style workout. What got me through was knowing this was the last time or a long time. I then tuned into Lean Legs and Abs to do the 10-minute toning leg portion followed by the ab track, which I did last week. After all that - almost two hours, I stretched.
Calorie Counts:
I had four really good days and then another bad weekend. And I don't regret the bad weekend - much. Sigh.
Though this has been a tough four weeks, I've really enjoyed the new and different workouts. Cathe has put together some incredible workouts throughout her long career!
Monday: REST
A stomach bug or something kept me from working out today. Boo!
Tuesday: Cathe's Gym Style: Back, Shoulders, and Biceps + walk + YWA
I was feeling better today so I tackled this Gym Styles workout at 5:30am. I was dreading it but I got through it and am happy to not see it for a while! The bicep work seems endless! At lunch, I walked at the rec center since I got so few steps in my morning workout. It was nice to get away from the office for a bit! This YWA is a great one to come back to - all about flow and breathing. Lovely!
Wednesday: Cathe's Rock'm Sock'm
This was just what I needed - kickboxing! It's been a while since I had a morning of kickboxing so it was a nice change today. Rock'm Sock'm is part of Cathe ICE - intermediate - series but it really packs a punch with some serious cardio drills throughout the workout. The punch combinations were fun.... I really like this one! Obligations after work meant no YWA - which really saddened me.
Thursday: Cathe's Rock Body Boot Camp Live + walk
Time for another metabolic workout (weights + cardio). I'm loving these! This one was a doozy. While the cardio wasn't crazy intense, it raised my heart rate and the weights kept it up. Wow! I was almost struggling to keep up with Cathe's pace with some of the weighted work. But it was fun and I'll definitely have to do this one again! At lunch, I walked at the rec center, working up a nice sweat! I even added on some core work.
Friday: Dozois Peak 10 More Cardio Interval Burn
Since I had an unexpected rest day on Monday, I had to do this CIB on Friday. Oy. These CIBs are not easy in the morning. I got through this one but, like last week, I kept the peaks "low" instead of going all out. This is one of my favorite cardio workouts - it really makes you work! This was definitely a productive morning!
Saturday: Cathe's Quick Fix Cardio Live + Gym Style: Legs + YWA
Time for some serious work today! I needed some cardio and this short, 30-minute Quick Fix was perfect! You go straight into snowboarders after a 5-minute warm-up and you don't stop for the next 25 minutes. Whew! I then did my last Gym Style: Legs workout. Yay! This one is tough and it kept the sweat pouring off of me. And finally, after some sit-ups, I tuned into a nice, relaxing YWA to stretch out my legs. A good morning!
Sunday: Cathe's Cardio Core Circuit Live + Gym Style: Chest and Triceps + Lean Legs and Abs (leg + ab tracks)
I was not looking forward to all this today! I started with cardio - and this live workout really gets my heart rate up there! I like it so much more than the DVD, though. Ha! After that, I did my 72 push-ups and all the rest of this Gym Style workout. What got me through was knowing this was the last time or a long time. I then tuned into Lean Legs and Abs to do the 10-minute toning leg portion followed by the ab track, which I did last week. After all that - almost two hours, I stretched.
Calorie Counts:
I had four really good days and then another bad weekend. And I don't regret the bad weekend - much. Sigh.
Friday, October 6, 2017
Second Pair of Socks!
I knitted my first pair of socks in 2009 - and I wasn't 100% happy with the results. This time, I had a new ally: Charlene Schurch's Sensational Knitted Socks. Prior to starting my second pair of socks, I read all of her instructions, which include fabulous tips you won't find anywhere else. And having knitted several pair of baby socks definitely helped, as well.
Pattern: Four-Stitch Ribbing Patterns by Charlene Schurch
Yarn: Must Stash Yarn & Fiber - Perfect Self Striping Sock
Needles: US 1 (2.25mm)
Made for: me - I think
Time to completion: 4 months
I loved knitting these socks with this yarn. It is amazing. I've already bought more for more socks! The pattern was great - super easy to follow. Schurch lays out exactly how many stitches you need for every size of foot you will encounter. My only little gripe about her pattern is the heel flap.... It has some garter stitches that I don't love.
But, yay! Socks! Adult socks! Lovely adult socks!
Monday, October 2, 2017
Post-STS 12-Weeks: Week 3
Last week ended with a cold so hopefully this week will have me feeling better. And new thyroid meds.... I'm ready to feel normal, sooner rather than later.
Monday: Cathe's Gym Style: Back, Shoulders, & Biceps + walk + YWA
I was tired this morning - but this is quickly becoming the norm. When did I last wake up feeling refreshed?! This Gym Style workout is tough. I went up, just a bit, on some of the weights, which felt like a huge accomplishment given the number of reps involved. At lunch, I walked at the rec center to get steps and activity points on my FitBit. At the end of the day, I decided upon this YWA - for dancers. It was different and provided a lovely stretch.
Tuesday: Cathe's Gym Style: Legs
This morning, I was so tired - and so dreaded this workout. I took it one exercise at a time and made it through. But this one is tough. The slow pulsing static lunges....OMG. I can barely get through those, they're so painful. And I still can't do all 32 reps of the leg presses.... I use a step-stool and stepping up on to the highest step is not easy, 32 times over. I didn't feel like walking at lunch today and then I had to work late, which meant no yoga. Bummer!
Wednesday: Dozois' PeakFit Anytime Anywhere No Excuse Workout + YWA
When I was putting together this 12 week rotation, for some reason, I decided to do a few AAs in there. I have no idea why. I hate this stupidly effective workout. Even Michelle can't make me like it. At least her hubby designed it so I can't blame her. Ha! I got through it a lot better than the last time I attempted it but it was not at all easy. After a very stressful day (and week) of work, I tuned into this relaxing YWA. It helped....until I remembered it was only Wednesday.
Thursday: Cathe's Blast, Barre, and Bands Live + walk
Another cardio + weights metabolic workout! This was a fun one. It alternated a cardio blast, a barre - "recovery" - move, and weights. Cathe says to keep the weights lighter and I did, using 8s. I loved the barre work in this and would have been happy with more of it! But I had fun! At lunch, I walked at the rec center. I just didn't want to do more weights after everything this week. Oy. I'm tired.
Friday: Peak 10 Cardio Interval Burn
My Sunday workout got moved to Friday since I'll be out of town for part of the weekend. My body was super tired today so I didn't do the peaks in this workout. Instead, I kept up steady cardio to keep my heart rate up. It was still a great workout. I'm enjoying these original CIBs....they're so much fun! At lunch, I walked outside for a bit - not enough to be a workout but it was definitely good to move around.
Saturday: Cathe's HIIT Pyramid + ICE Blizzard Cardio Blast + Gym Style: Chest and Triceps + 100 walking lunges and hip thrusts
I did a lot this morning! First up: HIIT. Whew! That lasted a painful 25 minutes. I followed that up with the non-stop cardio of the Blizzard Blast - so much fun! I added on my own cardio to get another full 25 minutes in (for 50 total minutes). Then, 100 walking lunges....and then 100 hip thrusts with a 12-pound weight. It was then time for what I dreaded most: Gym Style. I did my 72 push-ups - not quite getting easier - and pushed myself through the rest of this workout. It was difficult. Once that ended, I did a 10-minute ab routine off of Cathe's Lean Legs and Abs - very hard. And then I stretched. Finally.
Sunday: REST
Calorie Counts:
I was great and super health Monday - Thursday! I wasn't horrible on Friday but I ate a bit more. The weekend was killer, though, when we went to my parents' for a birthday celebration.
Monday: Cathe's Gym Style: Back, Shoulders, & Biceps + walk + YWA
I was tired this morning - but this is quickly becoming the norm. When did I last wake up feeling refreshed?! This Gym Style workout is tough. I went up, just a bit, on some of the weights, which felt like a huge accomplishment given the number of reps involved. At lunch, I walked at the rec center to get steps and activity points on my FitBit. At the end of the day, I decided upon this YWA - for dancers. It was different and provided a lovely stretch.
Tuesday: Cathe's Gym Style: Legs
This morning, I was so tired - and so dreaded this workout. I took it one exercise at a time and made it through. But this one is tough. The slow pulsing static lunges....OMG. I can barely get through those, they're so painful. And I still can't do all 32 reps of the leg presses.... I use a step-stool and stepping up on to the highest step is not easy, 32 times over. I didn't feel like walking at lunch today and then I had to work late, which meant no yoga. Bummer!
Wednesday: Dozois' PeakFit Anytime Anywhere No Excuse Workout + YWA
When I was putting together this 12 week rotation, for some reason, I decided to do a few AAs in there. I have no idea why. I hate this stupidly effective workout. Even Michelle can't make me like it. At least her hubby designed it so I can't blame her. Ha! I got through it a lot better than the last time I attempted it but it was not at all easy. After a very stressful day (and week) of work, I tuned into this relaxing YWA. It helped....until I remembered it was only Wednesday.
Thursday: Cathe's Blast, Barre, and Bands Live + walk
Another cardio + weights metabolic workout! This was a fun one. It alternated a cardio blast, a barre - "recovery" - move, and weights. Cathe says to keep the weights lighter and I did, using 8s. I loved the barre work in this and would have been happy with more of it! But I had fun! At lunch, I walked at the rec center. I just didn't want to do more weights after everything this week. Oy. I'm tired.
Friday: Peak 10 Cardio Interval Burn
My Sunday workout got moved to Friday since I'll be out of town for part of the weekend. My body was super tired today so I didn't do the peaks in this workout. Instead, I kept up steady cardio to keep my heart rate up. It was still a great workout. I'm enjoying these original CIBs....they're so much fun! At lunch, I walked outside for a bit - not enough to be a workout but it was definitely good to move around.
Saturday: Cathe's HIIT Pyramid + ICE Blizzard Cardio Blast + Gym Style: Chest and Triceps + 100 walking lunges and hip thrusts
I did a lot this morning! First up: HIIT. Whew! That lasted a painful 25 minutes. I followed that up with the non-stop cardio of the Blizzard Blast - so much fun! I added on my own cardio to get another full 25 minutes in (for 50 total minutes). Then, 100 walking lunges....and then 100 hip thrusts with a 12-pound weight. It was then time for what I dreaded most: Gym Style. I did my 72 push-ups - not quite getting easier - and pushed myself through the rest of this workout. It was difficult. Once that ended, I did a 10-minute ab routine off of Cathe's Lean Legs and Abs - very hard. And then I stretched. Finally.
Sunday: REST
Calorie Counts:
I was great and super health Monday - Thursday! I wasn't horrible on Friday but I ate a bit more. The weekend was killer, though, when we went to my parents' for a birthday celebration.
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