I'm so sad to be done with this rotation! I don't want it to end! I'll do three weeks of random stuff after this and then XTrain/RWH... Sigh.
This rotation may have made me a Cathe junkie. LOL! Though I was hesitant when I first met her workouts, Cathe has made me stronger and has seriously upped my game. I'm building more muscle in my legs....and I want to have Cathe's legs! Things that used to be very difficult - tuck jumps, for example - are not just not that hard. Incredible!
Now, speaking of legs....
Monday: Cathe's Legs and Glutes Live + walk + YWA
So...my legs were really hurting on Sunday after Saturday's barre torture...and they were still sore today. But I made myself do this workout and I'm so glad I did! It was so difficult! Ha! I skipped most of the cardio blasts in the workout because I wanted a day with no jumping. But even without the blasts, my heart rate was sky high throughout this one. Wow! It was definitely one of the harder live leg workouts! I walked at lunch - and stretched the legs a lot - and then did this YWA at the end of the day. It helped stretch the legs even more!
Tuesday: Cathe's Smokin' Upper Body Live + walk
I did this workout in the first part of this rotation and it seemed especially hard this morning. For some insane reason, I tried to do it all with 12 lb weights.....well, that was almost impossible. Sigh. I made a note to use 8s and 10s next time! But at least I got a good workout! At lunch, I walked at the rec again and then planked. And unfortunately, life interrupted yoga.
Wednesday: Cathe's LIS: Afterburn + YWA
Ah, low impact days are great.....but Afterburn is no cakewalk! Cathe works you hard in this workout from her Low Impact Series. What gets me - she goes to the floor so much for burpees and other torturous exercises. That's always a challenge for me - especially this morning when I had a headache. Ugh. But I got through it and it was a great workout, as usual. This YWA was really good - a nice balance of floor and standing work.
Thursday: REST
I didn't feel well so I actually took a complete rest day.
Friday: Cathe's Strong and Sweaty: Total Body Giant Sets
According to my notes, I did this workout in December....but it did not seem familiar. I liked it - no repetition! Or at least, not in the true sense of repetitions. The giant sets alternate upper and lower body so your heart rate stays up. I lifted as heavy as I could but Cathe does a lot of reps - at least 16. I'll definitely be doing this video again!
Saturday: Cathe's To the Max + YWA
This workout.... Is it metabolic or cardio? I don't know, but I like it! It's tough but not quite as bad as Crossfire or X10, which means I don't dread it like I dread the other ones. It's fun and challenging - and gives you a great workout. It contains solid step, tabata, high impact HIIT, low impact tabata, a compound leg section, and abs. I skipped the low impact tabata and still got in a solid 45 minutes of cardio. I then did the abs and the stretch. Very nice! To finish off my morning, I did this short but good YWA - it really got me moving. Again.
Sunday: Cathe's Metabolic Conditioning Live + STS Ab Circuits
I was looking forward to a metabolic workout today and this one did not disappoint. It was actually a lot of fun! Cathe kept me guessing on whether we'd do a cardio move or a weighted move, so that was fun. I added on five additional minutes to make it 45 minutes of work. Then, I did five minutes of legs with ankle weights. And finally, the torturous Ab Circuits. I only did 11 minutes of the 17 minute workout (No Equipment Abs)...because I was exhausted. And then I stretched. A good morning!
Calorie Counts:
Monday - 1210
Tuesday - 1195
Wednesday - 1384
Thursday - 1178
Friday - bad
Saturday - 1356
Sunday - bad
Even though I ate too many chips (with salsa) on Wednesday, I weighed on Friday morning....and couldn't believe it. I'm now down to my low pre-cruise weight. Again. Gone was the 0.5-1lb I had gained last week. Wow. I just can't believe it!
Monday, April 30, 2018
Thursday, April 26, 2018
Roasted Chicken and Veggies
I try to eat my vegetables every day - but I struggle sometimes. There are only so many easy options for vegetables when it comes to meals for one (Mr. Higgins is less than thrilled with daily veggies).
Though I've struggled with my daily veggie intact, I can't believe I never thought to look on Pinterest for ideas...until recently.
I found this recipe and decided to try the veggies only. If I didn't like them, I didn't want to have a meal with them and chicken. But no worries - I loved these veggies! I used red onion, red bell pepper, zucchini, and broccoli. Yum! After the fact, I learned I could decrease the olive oil to 1Tbsp.
A week later, I tried this entire recipe...though I tried to do the spices on my own. The veggies and rice (which I decrease) were great. But I should have followed the spice directions for the chicken. It needed more....umph. I let Mr. Higgins have a serving and he loved it! "This is a keeper!," he exclaimed. I definitely like it and plan to make it routinely for easy meals....but I need to master my spice technique. And maybe find some other marinades, etc, for the chicken!
I love finding new yummy recipes!
Though I've struggled with my daily veggie intact, I can't believe I never thought to look on Pinterest for ideas...until recently.
I found this recipe and decided to try the veggies only. If I didn't like them, I didn't want to have a meal with them and chicken. But no worries - I loved these veggies! I used red onion, red bell pepper, zucchini, and broccoli. Yum! After the fact, I learned I could decrease the olive oil to 1Tbsp.
A week later, I tried this entire recipe...though I tried to do the spices on my own. The veggies and rice (which I decrease) were great. But I should have followed the spice directions for the chicken. It needed more....umph. I let Mr. Higgins have a serving and he loved it! "This is a keeper!," he exclaimed. I definitely like it and plan to make it routinely for easy meals....but I need to master my spice technique. And maybe find some other marinades, etc, for the chicken!
I love finding new yummy recipes!
Monday, April 23, 2018
Metabolic Rotation: Week 7
Well, I'm down to the last two weeks of this rotation. Then, for the last three weeks before vacation, I'll do some Michelle Dozois along with my Cathe!
But for now, I'm really enjoying the variety these workouts are giving me!
Monday: Cathe's Legs on Fire Live + walk + YWA
I was supposed to do arms this morning but they were still aching from Saturday! So, legs it was. This was another great live workout, consisting mostly of strength with a few cardio blasts. It was tough - but I loved the burn! Unfortunately, my stomach was a bit upset so I had to cut this five minutes short. At lunch, I walked outside because it was such a gorgeous day out! And after work, this YWA was great - because I was so, so tired.
Tuesday: Cathe's Upper Body Sculpting + walk + YWA
This was a stressful morning...but I still managed to work out! And this was a great upper body workout - very well rounded, hitting every muscle group equally. It was so well done that I was aching before it ended! Ouch! And it was only exacerbated by my soreness from Saturday. At lunch, I walked at the rec center and did my ab work. After work, I continued with 30 Days of Yoga. This one was a good stress reliever!
Wednesday: Cathe's XTrain All Out Low Impact HIIT
It's been awhile since I did this XTrain workout. And it's good and super effective! Cathe does such a good job with low impact workouts! This one, especially, kept my heart rate up there. Amazing! I didn't remember all of this workout but I like that you don't repeat the HIITs - unless you do them on the other side. This is always nice and helps eliminate the dread factor. A good morning!
Thursday: Dozois' Body Fit 360 + YWA
I had another bad night due to stomach issues so I was pretty lethargic this morning. I did about 20 minutes of this workout before I fast-forwarded to the stretch. This is one of my favorite workouts but it has so much work that goes up and down from the floor.... And that was more than I could handle today. But the stretch was lovely! This YWA was really nice because I wanted something light.
Friday: Cathe's Push Pull Total Body
This workout surprised me! Because I really liked it! It flowed really well and moved quickly, which kept my heart rate up. I tried to go as heavy as I could and my arms were hurting in no time! Dang! And I loved the timing - I was able to go to the end! And even do the abs and stretch! Wow! I'll have to do this one again!
Saturday: Cathe's HIIT Fit Circuit + ICE To the Mat
Metabolic day! This was a great workout! I did it almost exactly a year ago, but, as usual, had no memory of it. This has five circuits. Each circuit contains a high impact HIIT move, a low impact HIIT move, a weighted upper body move, and then a lower body move. It was so varied and fun! After 35 minutes of those circuits, you do about 10 minutes of barre - which is torture, as usual. I then finished off with about 11-12 minutes of To the Mat - just to make my legs suffer more. Sigh. Finally, I stretched and that felt incredible!
Sunday: Cathe's Cardio Strength Blast + RWH Abs 1
Another new-to-me metabolic workout! This one alternates a high impact cardio move and a strength move. It was somewhat similar to Afterburn, except that it was high impact. The strength moves focused primarily on the legs, which was good and bad. Good because my arms still hurt, bad because my legs were really hurting. Ha! I made it through, though, and had fun for these 45 minutes. Then, RWH abs. And after that, a stretch!
Calorie Counts:
Monday -1219
Tuesday - 1222
Wednesday - BAD
Thursday - 1178
Friday - 1687
Saturday - 1320
Sunday - bad
I weighed on Tuesday morning and was the same as the last time. Yes! Despite bad eating, I'm maintaining. Which makes me wonder - what if I was eating better? Ha! I will - soon enough.
But for now, I'm really enjoying the variety these workouts are giving me!
Monday: Cathe's Legs on Fire Live + walk + YWA
I was supposed to do arms this morning but they were still aching from Saturday! So, legs it was. This was another great live workout, consisting mostly of strength with a few cardio blasts. It was tough - but I loved the burn! Unfortunately, my stomach was a bit upset so I had to cut this five minutes short. At lunch, I walked outside because it was such a gorgeous day out! And after work, this YWA was great - because I was so, so tired.
Tuesday: Cathe's Upper Body Sculpting + walk + YWA
This was a stressful morning...but I still managed to work out! And this was a great upper body workout - very well rounded, hitting every muscle group equally. It was so well done that I was aching before it ended! Ouch! And it was only exacerbated by my soreness from Saturday. At lunch, I walked at the rec center and did my ab work. After work, I continued with 30 Days of Yoga. This one was a good stress reliever!
Wednesday: Cathe's XTrain All Out Low Impact HIIT
It's been awhile since I did this XTrain workout. And it's good and super effective! Cathe does such a good job with low impact workouts! This one, especially, kept my heart rate up there. Amazing! I didn't remember all of this workout but I like that you don't repeat the HIITs - unless you do them on the other side. This is always nice and helps eliminate the dread factor. A good morning!
Thursday: Dozois' Body Fit 360 + YWA
I had another bad night due to stomach issues so I was pretty lethargic this morning. I did about 20 minutes of this workout before I fast-forwarded to the stretch. This is one of my favorite workouts but it has so much work that goes up and down from the floor.... And that was more than I could handle today. But the stretch was lovely! This YWA was really nice because I wanted something light.
Friday: Cathe's Push Pull Total Body
This workout surprised me! Because I really liked it! It flowed really well and moved quickly, which kept my heart rate up. I tried to go as heavy as I could and my arms were hurting in no time! Dang! And I loved the timing - I was able to go to the end! And even do the abs and stretch! Wow! I'll have to do this one again!
Saturday: Cathe's HIIT Fit Circuit + ICE To the Mat
Metabolic day! This was a great workout! I did it almost exactly a year ago, but, as usual, had no memory of it. This has five circuits. Each circuit contains a high impact HIIT move, a low impact HIIT move, a weighted upper body move, and then a lower body move. It was so varied and fun! After 35 minutes of those circuits, you do about 10 minutes of barre - which is torture, as usual. I then finished off with about 11-12 minutes of To the Mat - just to make my legs suffer more. Sigh. Finally, I stretched and that felt incredible!
Sunday: Cathe's Cardio Strength Blast + RWH Abs 1
Another new-to-me metabolic workout! This one alternates a high impact cardio move and a strength move. It was somewhat similar to Afterburn, except that it was high impact. The strength moves focused primarily on the legs, which was good and bad. Good because my arms still hurt, bad because my legs were really hurting. Ha! I made it through, though, and had fun for these 45 minutes. Then, RWH abs. And after that, a stretch!
Calorie Counts:
Monday -1219
Tuesday - 1222
Wednesday - BAD
Thursday - 1178
Friday - 1687
Saturday - 1320
Sunday - bad
I weighed on Tuesday morning and was the same as the last time. Yes! Despite bad eating, I'm maintaining. Which makes me wonder - what if I was eating better? Ha! I will - soon enough.
Thursday, April 19, 2018
DFW Fiber Fest 2018
DFW Fiber Fest was a few weeks ago and it was a blast, as always! And I bought too much yarn, as usual!
My knitting friend and I went to the festival on the last day - Sunday. I was a bit worried that the vendors would run out of stock, but this was not the case! In fact, it was almost more pleasant to go on Sunday afternoon - the crowds thinned the longer we were there and, by 2:30, we felt like we were the only ones shopping!
I found some new yarns to love - Magpie, Long Dog, and Amanda Hope. I bought some yarn from one of my favorite Etsy sellers, Suburban Stitcher. And my absolute favorite, Must Stash, was there! I had to get two skeins from her!
My only disappoint was the lack of bulky yarn. I wanted some for a project but fingering weight yarn dominated the selection. Don't get me wrong, I love sock yarn....but you can't only make socks. Also, a local yarn vendor, Madelinetosh, was not there - for the first time ever. I was really sad to not see them.
Either way, I'm calling this year's festival a success! Fabulous yarn was found!
Monday, April 16, 2018
Metabolic Rotation: Week 6
Only three more weeks of this rotation! Wow!
I'm still really liking the different workouts. Cathe is an amazing fitness instructor!
Monday: Cathe's RWH: Upper Body Circuit + walk + YWA
So whatever Kelly Coffey Meyer did to me yesterday really hurt my legs. My hamstrings and glutes were screaming this morning. Yay. This upper body workout is so much fun, you forget you're working hard. I love alternating between weights and cardio! At lunch, I walked at the rec center and then did my sit-ups. And after work I got around to day 1 of Adriene's 30 Days of Yoga. It was a lovely stretch!....plus some work.
Tuesday: Cathe's Legs with Weights and Stability Ball + walk + YWA
Despite my legs really hurting from Sunday, I did this workout with only one slight variation: I didn't do quite as many leg presses on the higher step. But, I did everything else and actually really enjoyed this workout, which is structured in trisets. It kept it interesting and manageable! At lunch, I walked again....and stretched really well again. Then, I planked. Ha! After work, this YWA got me nice and warm!
Wednesday: Cathe's ICE: Low Impact Sweat
My leg was still hurting and I was tired today - not from sleep deprivation but just overall tired. And so I switched up my workouts to make today low impact. And I'm glad I did! This workout is good and was just the right intensity. My heart rate was up but I wasn't pushing too hard. My legs still hurt (really, Cathe, is there any workout in which you don't push the legs to their breaking point?) but it wasn't too painful.
Thursday: Crunch Super Slim Down: Pilates Yoga Blend + YWA
Rest day! And I love this old but good workout! Ellen Barrett is so calming and fun. I'd forgotten just how much I like this workout so this morning, it was a nice surprise. And my muscles needed some down time! After work, I tuned into 30 Days of Yoga, day 18, which really stretched out my legs. Very nice!
Friday: Cathe's Metabolic Circuit Blast + walk
According to my notes, I did this workout last year. I have no memory of it and it sure didn't seem familiar...as it kicked my butt. I've never seen my heart rate (according to my FitBit) get as high as it did in the first half of this workout. Wow! It was definitely a difficult workout but dang! I huffed and puffed my way through almost the entire thing, stopping only a few minutes early. At lunch, I walked outside because it was warm - and muggy and windy. Yay, Texas.
Saturday: Cathe's STS Total Body
I usually do my total body weight workout on Fridays but this one is 65 minutes long and I wanted to do it all - which meant moving it to the weekend. I'd never done the lower body portion of this workout, only the upper body. It's all set up in trisets, which you repeat twice: once with 16 reps, then with 12 reps. You're supposed to lift as heavy as you can. And wow! My weights went down in the upper body sets just a bit.....probably because I'm doing fewer strength workouts. But I got a great strength workout today! It hurt...in a good way. I also added on five minutes of low-impact cardio to cool down and then did the abs and stretch. Nice!
Sunday: Cathe's Drill Max Live
My arms/shoulders/triceps were super sore from the day before so the idea of more weights did not sound appealing. But I did it anyway. This workout alternates cardio, using the step, and weights. The cardio was a nice change - no HIIT - with combinations using the step. The weights taxed my arms but I made it through. This was 60 minutes of cardio/strength. Then, abs, after which I added on some of my own to get 5 minutes of work. Then, a stretch.
Calorie Counts:
Monday - 1208
Tuesday - 1172
Wednesday - BAD
Thursday - 1165
Friday - 1635
Saturday - 1280
Sunday - 1577
I was afraid to weigh because my eating hasn't been great. But I did my measurements and those made me happy!
I'm still really liking the different workouts. Cathe is an amazing fitness instructor!
Monday: Cathe's RWH: Upper Body Circuit + walk + YWA
So whatever Kelly Coffey Meyer did to me yesterday really hurt my legs. My hamstrings and glutes were screaming this morning. Yay. This upper body workout is so much fun, you forget you're working hard. I love alternating between weights and cardio! At lunch, I walked at the rec center and then did my sit-ups. And after work I got around to day 1 of Adriene's 30 Days of Yoga. It was a lovely stretch!....plus some work.
Tuesday: Cathe's Legs with Weights and Stability Ball + walk + YWA
Despite my legs really hurting from Sunday, I did this workout with only one slight variation: I didn't do quite as many leg presses on the higher step. But, I did everything else and actually really enjoyed this workout, which is structured in trisets. It kept it interesting and manageable! At lunch, I walked again....and stretched really well again. Then, I planked. Ha! After work, this YWA got me nice and warm!
Wednesday: Cathe's ICE: Low Impact Sweat
My leg was still hurting and I was tired today - not from sleep deprivation but just overall tired. And so I switched up my workouts to make today low impact. And I'm glad I did! This workout is good and was just the right intensity. My heart rate was up but I wasn't pushing too hard. My legs still hurt (really, Cathe, is there any workout in which you don't push the legs to their breaking point?) but it wasn't too painful.
Thursday: Crunch Super Slim Down: Pilates Yoga Blend + YWA
Rest day! And I love this old but good workout! Ellen Barrett is so calming and fun. I'd forgotten just how much I like this workout so this morning, it was a nice surprise. And my muscles needed some down time! After work, I tuned into 30 Days of Yoga, day 18, which really stretched out my legs. Very nice!
Friday: Cathe's Metabolic Circuit Blast + walk
According to my notes, I did this workout last year. I have no memory of it and it sure didn't seem familiar...as it kicked my butt. I've never seen my heart rate (according to my FitBit) get as high as it did in the first half of this workout. Wow! It was definitely a difficult workout but dang! I huffed and puffed my way through almost the entire thing, stopping only a few minutes early. At lunch, I walked outside because it was warm - and muggy and windy. Yay, Texas.
Saturday: Cathe's STS Total Body
I usually do my total body weight workout on Fridays but this one is 65 minutes long and I wanted to do it all - which meant moving it to the weekend. I'd never done the lower body portion of this workout, only the upper body. It's all set up in trisets, which you repeat twice: once with 16 reps, then with 12 reps. You're supposed to lift as heavy as you can. And wow! My weights went down in the upper body sets just a bit.....probably because I'm doing fewer strength workouts. But I got a great strength workout today! It hurt...in a good way. I also added on five minutes of low-impact cardio to cool down and then did the abs and stretch. Nice!
Sunday: Cathe's Drill Max Live
My arms/shoulders/triceps were super sore from the day before so the idea of more weights did not sound appealing. But I did it anyway. This workout alternates cardio, using the step, and weights. The cardio was a nice change - no HIIT - with combinations using the step. The weights taxed my arms but I made it through. This was 60 minutes of cardio/strength. Then, abs, after which I added on some of my own to get 5 minutes of work. Then, a stretch.
Calorie Counts:
Monday - 1208
Tuesday - 1172
Wednesday - BAD
Thursday - 1165
Friday - 1635
Saturday - 1280
Sunday - 1577
I was afraid to weigh because my eating hasn't been great. But I did my measurements and those made me happy!
Thursday, April 12, 2018
Submarine Socks
I fell instantly in love with this yarn when it was posted online. And I knew who would love some socks made out of it, too! So the purchase was totally justifiable, right?!
Pattern: Twin Rib by Charlene Schurch (Sensational Knitted Socks)
Yarn: Must Stash Yarn & Fiber Perfect Self Striping Sock (Yellow Submarines colorway)
Needles: US 1 (2.25mm)
Made for: a secret
Time to completion: 7 weeks
I love, love, love this yarn. I just bought more at the Fiber Fest! But I hate, hate, hate knit 1 purl 1 patterns. I don't know why I chose it this time but NEVER again. I've never dropped stitches so many times in my knitting career than with these socks. Arg! But at least I've gotten really good at picking up those stitches!
For these socks, I tried something new - a different color for the cuff, heel, but not the toe. I didn't think I'd have enough yarn for the toes. Plus, though I love Schurch's patterns, she never said when to change colors in the pattern. And because I was uncertain of that and the amount of yarn, I skipped the yellow toes. Maybe next time!
Monday, April 9, 2018
Metabolic Rotation: Week 5
This rotation is flying by and I'm not happy about it! I'm really enjoying all the new workouts. I don't want to go back to only doing one of Cathe's series..... Oh, well.
It's a good thing to enjoy working out!
Monday: Cathe's Warrior Kickboxing + YWA
I love Monday kickboxing mornings! I'd done this workout before but I didn't remember it. It has some really fun combinations! Cathe does kickboxing really well so I'm usually happy but this one was extra good! After work, I did this YWA, mainly to help stretch out my shoulders which were tight and sore. It's really good!
Tuesday: Cathe's Barbell Upper Body Live + walk + YWA
This workout, obviously, uses a barbell, which I don't have. I used dumbbells and almost died. So many reps! I did the best I could but usually had to lower my weight after a while. At lunch, I walked and then did a good stretch and added in some planks. After work, this YWA was good, though I only got through about 20 minutes of it. My arms were getting sore so I made sure to stretch them really well.
Wednesday: Cathe's Lower Body Burn Live + walk
Legs today. And considering how sore my arms/shoulders were, it was a good thing. This workout started with about 5 minutes of cardio. Then, you move on to weights, the firewalker band, and sliding discs. And I used the band for everything - jacks etc. Whew! At work, I walked at the rec center and did my sit-ups. I was tired after all that. A bad commute meant I had no energy for a YWA.
Thursday: YWA + YWA
So I've decided to go through and do Adriene's first 30 day yoga practice, 30 Days of Yoga. I'll do these out of order (as shown above) and when I have time - but I won't do any other of her practices until I finish it. I'm finding that her earlier yoga is a bit more challenging - at least, less thoughtful - so I hope it'll help me up my yoga game. I started with day 2 because it looked more challenging than day 1 and then, at the end of the day, went on to day 14 to get some good stretching in. Very nice!
Friday: Cathe's PHAT 2
I'm really liking these PHA/PHAT workouts. They're strength but with a cardio component, which makes them metabolic. And it's great to burn calories and build muscle without jumping around. But. This worked me hard. All the crazy hard leg work was in the first rotation - step ups, elevated lunges, squats off the riser. Ouch! Thankfully, that meant the second rotation seemed a lot easier. I liked this workout but it wore me out. And that's saying something.
Saturday: Cathe's Athletic Training Live + Rock'm Sock'm Blizzard Blast + RWH Abs 2
This workout was different, and thankfully low-impact. Athletic Training started with cardio and them moved into weighted cardio and compound exercises. My heart rate was sky high and I was having fun. Then, Cathe went into arms, which was not really what I wanted. So, after those, I did the Blizzard Blast to keep my heart rate up for longer. So, 50 minutes of cardio/strength. I then did abs - ouch - and stretched. It was a good morning!
Sunday: Kelly Coffey Meyer's Plateau Buster
When I went to do my Cathe workout for the day, the video kept messing up. Whether it was Cathe's site or our internet, it just wasn't happening. So, in desperation, I got a DVD - and a new one! I got Kelly's workout for Christmas and still hadn't tried it. This morning, I tried it. I did parts of the first and second difficult rotation - meaning she puts in bonus moves that are more advanced. It was a good workout and I'm glad I have it. I did 45 minutes and worked hard. Then, a stretch.
Calorie Counts:
Monday - 1206
Tuesday - 1210
Wednesday - 1197
Thursday - 1180
Friday - BAD
Saturday - 1630
Sunday - 1558
I weighed on Thursday and I was up a pound. That's not too bad, considering how bad we ate last weekend, on the holiday weekend (for four day - ugh). I'm trying not to freak out because we're going to be a bit more lax in our diets for a while.
It's a good thing to enjoy working out!
Monday: Cathe's Warrior Kickboxing + YWA
I love Monday kickboxing mornings! I'd done this workout before but I didn't remember it. It has some really fun combinations! Cathe does kickboxing really well so I'm usually happy but this one was extra good! After work, I did this YWA, mainly to help stretch out my shoulders which were tight and sore. It's really good!
Tuesday: Cathe's Barbell Upper Body Live + walk + YWA
This workout, obviously, uses a barbell, which I don't have. I used dumbbells and almost died. So many reps! I did the best I could but usually had to lower my weight after a while. At lunch, I walked and then did a good stretch and added in some planks. After work, this YWA was good, though I only got through about 20 minutes of it. My arms were getting sore so I made sure to stretch them really well.
Wednesday: Cathe's Lower Body Burn Live + walk
Legs today. And considering how sore my arms/shoulders were, it was a good thing. This workout started with about 5 minutes of cardio. Then, you move on to weights, the firewalker band, and sliding discs. And I used the band for everything - jacks etc. Whew! At work, I walked at the rec center and did my sit-ups. I was tired after all that. A bad commute meant I had no energy for a YWA.
Thursday: YWA + YWA
So I've decided to go through and do Adriene's first 30 day yoga practice, 30 Days of Yoga. I'll do these out of order (as shown above) and when I have time - but I won't do any other of her practices until I finish it. I'm finding that her earlier yoga is a bit more challenging - at least, less thoughtful - so I hope it'll help me up my yoga game. I started with day 2 because it looked more challenging than day 1 and then, at the end of the day, went on to day 14 to get some good stretching in. Very nice!
Friday: Cathe's PHAT 2
I'm really liking these PHA/PHAT workouts. They're strength but with a cardio component, which makes them metabolic. And it's great to burn calories and build muscle without jumping around. But. This worked me hard. All the crazy hard leg work was in the first rotation - step ups, elevated lunges, squats off the riser. Ouch! Thankfully, that meant the second rotation seemed a lot easier. I liked this workout but it wore me out. And that's saying something.
Saturday: Cathe's Athletic Training Live + Rock'm Sock'm Blizzard Blast + RWH Abs 2
This workout was different, and thankfully low-impact. Athletic Training started with cardio and them moved into weighted cardio and compound exercises. My heart rate was sky high and I was having fun. Then, Cathe went into arms, which was not really what I wanted. So, after those, I did the Blizzard Blast to keep my heart rate up for longer. So, 50 minutes of cardio/strength. I then did abs - ouch - and stretched. It was a good morning!
Sunday: Kelly Coffey Meyer's Plateau Buster
When I went to do my Cathe workout for the day, the video kept messing up. Whether it was Cathe's site or our internet, it just wasn't happening. So, in desperation, I got a DVD - and a new one! I got Kelly's workout for Christmas and still hadn't tried it. This morning, I tried it. I did parts of the first and second difficult rotation - meaning she puts in bonus moves that are more advanced. It was a good workout and I'm glad I have it. I did 45 minutes and worked hard. Then, a stretch.
Calorie Counts:
Monday - 1206
Tuesday - 1210
Wednesday - 1197
Thursday - 1180
Friday - BAD
Saturday - 1630
Sunday - 1558
I weighed on Thursday and I was up a pound. That's not too bad, considering how bad we ate last weekend, on the holiday weekend (for four day - ugh). I'm trying not to freak out because we're going to be a bit more lax in our diets for a while.
Thursday, April 5, 2018
Origins
I recently finished Dan Brown's newest novel, Origins.
My Goodreads review:
I've enjoyed Dan Brown's novels about the adventures of Robert Langdon, mainly because they revolve around different, controversial themes of religious history. That ended with Origin. As did a lot of the action that kept me furiously flipping pages.
In Origins, Brown confronts Darwinism and artificial intelligence. He throws in a smattering of religion and a bit of history but most of this novel is about the future, not the past.
This is my least favorite of the Langdon books. It wasn't a bad story but I want more action, more history, more controversy in my Dan Brown books.
My Goodreads review:
I've enjoyed Dan Brown's novels about the adventures of Robert Langdon, mainly because they revolve around different, controversial themes of religious history. That ended with Origin. As did a lot of the action that kept me furiously flipping pages.
In Origins, Brown confronts Darwinism and artificial intelligence. He throws in a smattering of religion and a bit of history but most of this novel is about the future, not the past.
This is my least favorite of the Langdon books. It wasn't a bad story but I want more action, more history, more controversy in my Dan Brown books.
Monday, April 2, 2018
Metabolic Rotation: Week 4
Holy cow! It's almost a month now! Time flies when you're having fun!
I'm loving this rotation and the results it's giving me. Having so many Cathe live workouts to choose from is so nice!
Monday: Cathe's Step HIIT (upper body) + walk + YWA
This live workout was originally entitled Step HIIT + Upper Body Weights - which is an accurate description. I only did about 15 minutes of the step before I fast-forwarded to weights. And this ended up being a great upper body sequence. It was tough but the moves were different enough that it kept me energized. At lunch, I walked at the rec center and did some planks. And this YWA was really good - it made me sweat just a bit.
Tuesday: Cathe's Lean and Mean Legs Live + walk
I felt a bit better this morning after some good sleep. And it's a good thing because this leg workout contains more cardio - high impact - than the others I've done. You do some in the beginning and then you do a lot of jacks and plie jacks with the fire walker loop. Ouch! I think that's the first time I used the loop for cardio and it was intense! You do some work with weights - squats and lunges, as well. I had to cut this morning short by about 4 minutes due to bad weather. At lunch, I walked again and did my sit-ups.
Wednesday: Cathe's Kickbox and Barre + YWA
This morning, I woke up with a pounding headache. Oy. I got through this workout but I had to modify some of the endless jacks - making them low impact. My head just couldn't handle it. I like this workout but I wish there were more combinations. I didn't do the barre, continuing with my own cardio/boxing instead. After work, this YWA was great to help me calm down after yet another horrible commute.
Thursday: Cathe's Strong & Sweaty: PHA Training + YWA
Weights this morning - and an elevated heart rate, thanks to PHA. This was a fun workout - 12 reps of everything. You repeat one set of exercises 3 times before you start a new set (there are only two sets). It moves fasts and alternates upper and lower body parts to make sure your heart rate stays up. I'll just say - I hate step ups onto a step ladder. UGH! This YWA was nice but not my favorite. At least I stretched a bit.
Friday: Cathe's Fitness Fusion
I did this workout last year but had no memory of it this morning. With the holiday, I was actually able to do the entire workout, though I skipped the abs. This was a fun and varied workout. You start with kickboxing and then move into a HIIT segment. Last but not least is a short weighted leg section. My heart rate stayed up throughout this fun workout. After that 45 minutes, I did a good stretch since I was still sore from Thursday's weights.
Saturday: REST
We were out of town for the holiday.
Sunday: Cathe's Cardio HIIT Metabolic Live + YWA
A new workout! This one was really great. You did a HIIT move, a compound exercise, and then a weighted move (working one muscle group). My heart rate stayed up and I got a great workout! I like these that are varied - I never get bored and I love compound exercises! After the standing work finished, I did some additional cardio to get in 40 minutes. I then finished the video - chest work on the mat and then abs. I stretched and then did this YWA, which helped me stretch some more. Fun!
Calorie Counts:
I ate well Monday through Wednesday, staying at or under 1200 calories. And then the holiday hit. I didn't fall off the wagon completely, but I ate more than I should have. I didn't dare weight.
I'm loving this rotation and the results it's giving me. Having so many Cathe live workouts to choose from is so nice!
Monday: Cathe's Step HIIT (upper body) + walk + YWA
This live workout was originally entitled Step HIIT + Upper Body Weights - which is an accurate description. I only did about 15 minutes of the step before I fast-forwarded to weights. And this ended up being a great upper body sequence. It was tough but the moves were different enough that it kept me energized. At lunch, I walked at the rec center and did some planks. And this YWA was really good - it made me sweat just a bit.
Tuesday: Cathe's Lean and Mean Legs Live + walk
I felt a bit better this morning after some good sleep. And it's a good thing because this leg workout contains more cardio - high impact - than the others I've done. You do some in the beginning and then you do a lot of jacks and plie jacks with the fire walker loop. Ouch! I think that's the first time I used the loop for cardio and it was intense! You do some work with weights - squats and lunges, as well. I had to cut this morning short by about 4 minutes due to bad weather. At lunch, I walked again and did my sit-ups.
Wednesday: Cathe's Kickbox and Barre + YWA
This morning, I woke up with a pounding headache. Oy. I got through this workout but I had to modify some of the endless jacks - making them low impact. My head just couldn't handle it. I like this workout but I wish there were more combinations. I didn't do the barre, continuing with my own cardio/boxing instead. After work, this YWA was great to help me calm down after yet another horrible commute.
Thursday: Cathe's Strong & Sweaty: PHA Training + YWA
Weights this morning - and an elevated heart rate, thanks to PHA. This was a fun workout - 12 reps of everything. You repeat one set of exercises 3 times before you start a new set (there are only two sets). It moves fasts and alternates upper and lower body parts to make sure your heart rate stays up. I'll just say - I hate step ups onto a step ladder. UGH! This YWA was nice but not my favorite. At least I stretched a bit.
Friday: Cathe's Fitness Fusion
I did this workout last year but had no memory of it this morning. With the holiday, I was actually able to do the entire workout, though I skipped the abs. This was a fun and varied workout. You start with kickboxing and then move into a HIIT segment. Last but not least is a short weighted leg section. My heart rate stayed up throughout this fun workout. After that 45 minutes, I did a good stretch since I was still sore from Thursday's weights.
Saturday: REST
We were out of town for the holiday.
Sunday: Cathe's Cardio HIIT Metabolic Live + YWA
A new workout! This one was really great. You did a HIIT move, a compound exercise, and then a weighted move (working one muscle group). My heart rate stayed up and I got a great workout! I like these that are varied - I never get bored and I love compound exercises! After the standing work finished, I did some additional cardio to get in 40 minutes. I then finished the video - chest work on the mat and then abs. I stretched and then did this YWA, which helped me stretch some more. Fun!
Calorie Counts:
I ate well Monday through Wednesday, staying at or under 1200 calories. And then the holiday hit. I didn't fall off the wagon completely, but I ate more than I should have. I didn't dare weight.
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