This week will be tough. Like everyone else, I have so much to do before Christmas!
The goal is to get all my workouts done Monday through Friday. After that, I'll miss some days to holiday prep and the actual holiday.
Monday: Cathe's Total Body Giant Sets 2 + walk
An upper body workout just wasn't going to happen this week. So I chose to do this workout, working a bit of everything. I did some lower body but did ALL the upper body circuits. And ouch! They were definitely effective. I even added on some push-ups because I felt Cathe neglected - slightly - the chest. At lunch, I walked at the rec in order to get enough steps. But then I was walking all around campus and ended up with over 16,000 steps at the end of the day. Whew!
Tuesday: Cathe's Cardio Boxing
This workout has two names - the one above and Cardio Boxing and Metabolic Conditioning. It took me a while to find it on the Cathe Live site. But it was a great workout. About 30 minutes are filled with boxing and cardio blasts (influenced by boxing/kickboxing) and then there's a bit of metabolic at the end. I didn't get too much of that done, but I liked this workout. You jumped just enough to get your heart rate up! And even that made my feet hurt. Ugh!
Wednesday: Cathe's Lower Body Boot Camp + walk
Wow. This workout caught me off guard because it was tough. I started with heavy weights but quickly went down in weight because my legs were hurting and my heart rate was super, super high. And, it never went down! I burned more calories in this workout than in any other workout this week. Dang! At lunch, I walked at the rec and stretched my poor, tired legs.
Thursday: Cathe's Total Body Blast with Step
I liked the concept of this workout but, in person, it wasn't my favorite. You do one or two cardio exercises and then 2-3 weighted moves. Nothing got my heart rate super high - but I was actually okay with that. I should have gone heavier in my weights so I must remember that next time. As it was, my legs and bum were super sore from yesterday's workout.
Friday: Dozois' Peak 10 More Cardio Strength
Ugh. I love Michelle but I hate this workout. So why I chose to do it at 5:30 is beyond me. But I did it - all but one circuit. I modified a few of the moves on the floor - because I was super tired. But I did most of everything else and got a great workout. I thought it would be my last workout before the holiday so I wanted to go out with a bang. And I did - albeit a tired bang!
Saturday: Cathe's Smokin' Upper Body
After a morning of grocery shopping and house cleaning, I managed to get this workout done, miraculously, around 2pm. I was pretty tired and my back was aching from mopping....but I took some joy - amazingly - in working hard with Cathe today. I know I won't work out for the next three days, so I tried to enjoy it...and ignore how much my belly was jiggling. Ha! Oy. So, 45 minutes of the workout and then a stretch.
Sunday: REST
Calorie Counts:
Calories don't count at Christmas, right?
Monday, December 24, 2018
Monday, December 17, 2018
Cathe Live Rotation: Week 7
I started this week off in a different state. And then I got sick on the way home. Sigh.
Despite all that and the upcoming holidays, I'm going to try to keep up with my workouts - to the best of my ability.
Monday: Cathe's Crush It Low Impact
I did this workout in the hotel room, desperate to fight off some of the calories I was consuming like crazy. I'd done this video before, in 2017, but had no memory of it. It lasted about 35 minutes and was surprisingly effective for a low impact routine. I really like it and need to remember it when I'm short on time. The moves are just so dynamic - your heart rate stays up!
Tuesday: REST DAY
Yay, stupid stomach that hates to travel. Ugh.
Wednesday: Cathe's Pumped Up Upper Body + walk
Back to the routine today and feeling blessedly better. Yes! This workout was perfect for 5:30am - no jumping and minimal sweat... Perfect for easing back into the real world. I lifted as heavy as I could and then had to go down on the 2nd and 3rd reps. Ouch! I had to shorten this one a bit to fit in all the muscle groups. At lunch, I walked at the rec center and did some ab work. My abs were so sore yesterday but, thankfully, felt better today.
Thursday: Cathe's Smokin' Lower Body + walk
So this leg workout really got me! Why? Because I used a step for the first time in ages. Readers, I don't have a step - I have a step-stool. So, there's a low step and a high one - no in between. Leg presses are tough and spike my heart rate like nothing else. This workout had a good variety of exercises - unweighted, dumbells, barbell, step. Ouch. I walked at lunch in order to get steps and do some ab work, because my evenings are too busy this week for anything other than necessary holiday prep.
Friday: Cathe's HIIT It, Strike It, Crunch It
I wanted pure cardio this morning so I found this newer Cathe Live workout - and it was great! The HIIT, right off the bat, was a bit traumatic, but definitely effective. The kickboxing portion was a lot of fun. I'm going to try to come back to the abs this weekend so I did my own cardio to fill up my 40 minutes of time this morning. This video is one that I will have to come back to.
Saturday: Dozois' Peak 10 More Cardio Interval Burn
This morning, I did 45 minutes of this workout before leaving town for the day. I was glad to get it done and glad I could skip at least one circuit. Ha! This one is tough but I did pretty well. My feet started hurting pretty quickly, probably because I did cardio on Friday. But this CIB is super effective and left me huffing and puffing.
Sunday: Cathe's Super Cuts with Cardio Blasts + abs
This workout was crammed into the day, which meant I could only go for about 30 minutes. I wish there were more cardio blasts in this one, to keep the heart rate up, but, otherwise, I like it. Cathe certainly knows how to work all your muscles, non-stop. After 30 minutes, I did 4-5 minutes of abs and then stretched. My hamstrings were a bit sore so I tried to stretch them well.
Calorie Counts:
Newp.
Despite all that and the upcoming holidays, I'm going to try to keep up with my workouts - to the best of my ability.
Monday: Cathe's Crush It Low Impact
I did this workout in the hotel room, desperate to fight off some of the calories I was consuming like crazy. I'd done this video before, in 2017, but had no memory of it. It lasted about 35 minutes and was surprisingly effective for a low impact routine. I really like it and need to remember it when I'm short on time. The moves are just so dynamic - your heart rate stays up!
Tuesday: REST DAY
Yay, stupid stomach that hates to travel. Ugh.
Wednesday: Cathe's Pumped Up Upper Body + walk
Back to the routine today and feeling blessedly better. Yes! This workout was perfect for 5:30am - no jumping and minimal sweat... Perfect for easing back into the real world. I lifted as heavy as I could and then had to go down on the 2nd and 3rd reps. Ouch! I had to shorten this one a bit to fit in all the muscle groups. At lunch, I walked at the rec center and did some ab work. My abs were so sore yesterday but, thankfully, felt better today.
Thursday: Cathe's Smokin' Lower Body + walk
So this leg workout really got me! Why? Because I used a step for the first time in ages. Readers, I don't have a step - I have a step-stool. So, there's a low step and a high one - no in between. Leg presses are tough and spike my heart rate like nothing else. This workout had a good variety of exercises - unweighted, dumbells, barbell, step. Ouch. I walked at lunch in order to get steps and do some ab work, because my evenings are too busy this week for anything other than necessary holiday prep.
Friday: Cathe's HIIT It, Strike It, Crunch It
I wanted pure cardio this morning so I found this newer Cathe Live workout - and it was great! The HIIT, right off the bat, was a bit traumatic, but definitely effective. The kickboxing portion was a lot of fun. I'm going to try to come back to the abs this weekend so I did my own cardio to fill up my 40 minutes of time this morning. This video is one that I will have to come back to.
Saturday: Dozois' Peak 10 More Cardio Interval Burn
This morning, I did 45 minutes of this workout before leaving town for the day. I was glad to get it done and glad I could skip at least one circuit. Ha! This one is tough but I did pretty well. My feet started hurting pretty quickly, probably because I did cardio on Friday. But this CIB is super effective and left me huffing and puffing.
Sunday: Cathe's Super Cuts with Cardio Blasts + abs
This workout was crammed into the day, which meant I could only go for about 30 minutes. I wish there were more cardio blasts in this one, to keep the heart rate up, but, otherwise, I like it. Cathe certainly knows how to work all your muscles, non-stop. After 30 minutes, I did 4-5 minutes of abs and then stretched. My hamstrings were a bit sore so I tried to stretch them well.
Calorie Counts:
Newp.
Thursday, December 13, 2018
Ten Years
Ten years ago, my family had the most magical Christmas ever. We met in Lake Tahoe - twelve of us - and camped out in a big cabin for the holiday.
We hoped for snow. We did not anticipate getting two feet of snow dumped on us in about 24 hours.
Even after living through two Michigan winters, this snow caught me off guard. It was amazing. With my niece, nephew, and a family friend, we made the biggest snowman imaginable. And then it snowed again, obscuring the face. Ha!
When it finally cleared off, we took the Heavenly gondola up to enjoy the magnificent view.
Christmases at home are so very relaxing. But it's the ones that are unique - that are memorable - that always stand out. And this one will never be forgotten.
Monday, December 10, 2018
Cathe Live Rotation: Week 6
This week is going to be disrupted by our annual December trip to a wintry (usually Colorado) place (not Colorado this year). It'll be our first trip together, just the two of us, in quite some time. I'm excited!
But first I have to get through the majority of the week - and try to be healthy. YWA probably won't happen much this week due to having way too much to accomplish in my few evening hours.
Monday: Cathe's Buff Upper Body + walk
This was my second time through this workout and I really do enjoy it. Cathe hits two muscle groups at a time, usually, in a set, which you then repeat a few times. It really burns out your muscles - but in a good way! I lifted as heavy as I could! At lunch, I walked at the rec center and planked. Thankfully, the students are beginning to abandon their workout schedules and the building wasn't nearly as busy. It's the little things.
Tuesday: Cathe's Athletic Conditioning
A new Cathe workout today! In this video, Cathe starts with the step - for about 15 minutes of cardio. You then move into strength work, alternating upper and lower body. My heart rate definitely went up in the step work and in some of the compound exercises later on. While I liked parts of this workout, it wasn't my favorite. Perhaps it was because my arms were sore from yesterday!
Wednesday: Cathe's Rock Bottoms and Core + walk
Leg day! This was my second time doing this workout and I can honestly say that I love it! Cathe targets your bum quite effectively without a step, which is great! I went up in weights this time - to 12s - and really felt it at times. But, Cathe doesn't go crazy heavy on weights anyway. You do a lot with discs and even do some floorwork. At lunch, I walked in order to get steps - and did my sit-ups.
Thursday: Cathe's Fit Body Boot Camp
This week, I've awoken with a headache every morning. It's exhausting. And very, very frustrating. This makes any workout that involves jumping very painful. This morning, I gritted my teeth and got through the jumping, knowing that those moves were in the minority. And I got a good workout! This is a good boot camp - cardio, lower, upper, compound.... The format shifts around some but the idea stays the same. I sweated and had fun, when I could forget about my head.
Friday - Sunday: REST
Vacation to the mountains.
Calorie Counts:
I ate healthily this week, up until we left, because I knew the diet would be put on hold while were gone.
But first I have to get through the majority of the week - and try to be healthy. YWA probably won't happen much this week due to having way too much to accomplish in my few evening hours.
Monday: Cathe's Buff Upper Body + walk
This was my second time through this workout and I really do enjoy it. Cathe hits two muscle groups at a time, usually, in a set, which you then repeat a few times. It really burns out your muscles - but in a good way! I lifted as heavy as I could! At lunch, I walked at the rec center and planked. Thankfully, the students are beginning to abandon their workout schedules and the building wasn't nearly as busy. It's the little things.
Tuesday: Cathe's Athletic Conditioning
A new Cathe workout today! In this video, Cathe starts with the step - for about 15 minutes of cardio. You then move into strength work, alternating upper and lower body. My heart rate definitely went up in the step work and in some of the compound exercises later on. While I liked parts of this workout, it wasn't my favorite. Perhaps it was because my arms were sore from yesterday!
Wednesday: Cathe's Rock Bottoms and Core + walk
Leg day! This was my second time doing this workout and I can honestly say that I love it! Cathe targets your bum quite effectively without a step, which is great! I went up in weights this time - to 12s - and really felt it at times. But, Cathe doesn't go crazy heavy on weights anyway. You do a lot with discs and even do some floorwork. At lunch, I walked in order to get steps - and did my sit-ups.
Thursday: Cathe's Fit Body Boot Camp
This week, I've awoken with a headache every morning. It's exhausting. And very, very frustrating. This makes any workout that involves jumping very painful. This morning, I gritted my teeth and got through the jumping, knowing that those moves were in the minority. And I got a good workout! This is a good boot camp - cardio, lower, upper, compound.... The format shifts around some but the idea stays the same. I sweated and had fun, when I could forget about my head.
Friday - Sunday: REST
Vacation to the mountains.
Calorie Counts:
I ate healthily this week, up until we left, because I knew the diet would be put on hold while were gone.
Thursday, December 6, 2018
An Echo in the Bone
I finally finished the seventh Outlander installment, An Echo in the Bone! It is unbelievable to me that I have read seven of Diana Gabaldon's novels. Seven!?! And there are still more in the series, and more to come! Craziness!
This book took me five months to read. That is partly because my knitting has taken over my free time and partly because this book didn't grab as some of the others have.
My Goodreads review:
This seventh installment was not my favorite. The entire book exuded a feeling of unsettledness. While that may have been the author's intent, it didn't sit well with me. The trip back to Scotland seemed a little far-fetched, as did Jamie's fate on the way back to America. Sure, that could have happened but, really, how much can happen to one man?
I still love these characters and find it reassuring to see how they continue to grow together. The presence of John Grey is always welcome but I find it harder to care about some of the newly introduced side characters.
I still can't wait to read the next installment!
This book took me five months to read. That is partly because my knitting has taken over my free time and partly because this book didn't grab as some of the others have.
My Goodreads review:
This seventh installment was not my favorite. The entire book exuded a feeling of unsettledness. While that may have been the author's intent, it didn't sit well with me. The trip back to Scotland seemed a little far-fetched, as did Jamie's fate on the way back to America. Sure, that could have happened but, really, how much can happen to one man?
I still love these characters and find it reassuring to see how they continue to grow together. The presence of John Grey is always welcome but I find it harder to care about some of the newly introduced side characters.
I still can't wait to read the next installment!
Monday, December 3, 2018
Cathe Live Rotation: Week 5
The week after Thanksgiving - heck, the weeks after - and before Christmas are just awful. There are treats and cookies everywhere.... The diet will suffer - there is no doubt.
All I can do is work out and make smart eating decisions when there are smart ones to be had.
Monday: Cathe's Upper Body with Core Express + walk + YWA
Since my sore, sore legs kept me up half the night, I was so thankful that today was an upper body day. And this was a great workout - fast, efficient, and a bit painful. Ha! I went as heavy as I could and often had to go a bit lighter on the subsequent reps. I stopped before the ab work and did some upper body band work instead. At lunch, I walked and stretched out my legs. And after work, this YWA was a great way to stretch and get the blood pumping in my legs once more.
Tuesday: Cathe's Boot Camp with Step + YWA
This morning, my legs were still killing me, but I powered through this workout. Sure, my squats and lunges weren't very deep but I did the best I could. And I worked hard. I'd done this boot camp a few months ago and it's pretty good, but not great. My heart rate doesn't get very high, but stays in a mediocre range. At lunch, I took a bit of a walk to meet a friend. And at the end of the day, after a horrid drive home, this YWA helped to calm me.
Wednesday: Cathe's Muscle Max Live + walk
I don't think I ever did Cathe's DVD version of Muscle Max... But I really enjoyed the live version! Cathe took you through a triset for legs and then you moved on to upper body - and then back to lower and then upper again. I had to skip a bit of the leg portions to fit in all the upper body muscle groups. But this one was fun! At lunch, I walked at the rec and did my sit-ups. Fun.
Thursday: YWA
Thursday rest days are the best. Truly. I'm usually worn down by then and these get me through the pesky day that is not-quite-Friday. In the last few months, I haven't kept up with Adriene's new YWA releases so it was fun to do a new one today! These practices are always such a great way to start the day and this one was no different.
Friday: Cathe's Cross Train Lower Body Live
I had really been looking forward to trying this workout, which contains both cardio and strength - and a bit of barre - for the lower body. Unfortunately, Dooku started throwing up in the middle of it so I didn't even get to the barre section. Ugh! I'll have to try to get to it this weekend. But the rest was great - and I went light on the few weighted sections because my legs are still sore. Still! So this was a good choice as it wasn't 100% strength. I'll have to come back to it sometime!
Saturday: Dozois' Peak 10 Cardio Interval Burn + abs
Knowing I was going to blow my diet later in the day really helped fuel this workout. I did it all! This is the first time I've gotten through an entire CIB in a very long time. It felt great! This isn't the toughest CIB because Michelle never takes you to the ground - but the peaks are definitely tough and I felt them. After that 55 minutes, I did 5 minutes of abs (Cathe) and then stretched. A great day!
Sunday: Cathe's Body Works + barre + abs
I was looking forward to this workout that I last did in September. Cathe leads you through two cardio moves and then 2-3 strength moves. Repeat for about 5 circuits, I think. The cardio is tough. The strength uses weights and the band, which I love. After that 45 minutes, I finished out Friday's workout, doing the full barre segment. That was great - and painful. Then, five minutes of abs and a stretch. Loving this weekend of workouts!
Calorie Counts:
Newp.
All I can do is work out and make smart eating decisions when there are smart ones to be had.
Monday: Cathe's Upper Body with Core Express + walk + YWA
Since my sore, sore legs kept me up half the night, I was so thankful that today was an upper body day. And this was a great workout - fast, efficient, and a bit painful. Ha! I went as heavy as I could and often had to go a bit lighter on the subsequent reps. I stopped before the ab work and did some upper body band work instead. At lunch, I walked and stretched out my legs. And after work, this YWA was a great way to stretch and get the blood pumping in my legs once more.
Tuesday: Cathe's Boot Camp with Step + YWA
This morning, my legs were still killing me, but I powered through this workout. Sure, my squats and lunges weren't very deep but I did the best I could. And I worked hard. I'd done this boot camp a few months ago and it's pretty good, but not great. My heart rate doesn't get very high, but stays in a mediocre range. At lunch, I took a bit of a walk to meet a friend. And at the end of the day, after a horrid drive home, this YWA helped to calm me.
Wednesday: Cathe's Muscle Max Live + walk
I don't think I ever did Cathe's DVD version of Muscle Max... But I really enjoyed the live version! Cathe took you through a triset for legs and then you moved on to upper body - and then back to lower and then upper again. I had to skip a bit of the leg portions to fit in all the upper body muscle groups. But this one was fun! At lunch, I walked at the rec and did my sit-ups. Fun.
Thursday: YWA
Thursday rest days are the best. Truly. I'm usually worn down by then and these get me through the pesky day that is not-quite-Friday. In the last few months, I haven't kept up with Adriene's new YWA releases so it was fun to do a new one today! These practices are always such a great way to start the day and this one was no different.
Friday: Cathe's Cross Train Lower Body Live
I had really been looking forward to trying this workout, which contains both cardio and strength - and a bit of barre - for the lower body. Unfortunately, Dooku started throwing up in the middle of it so I didn't even get to the barre section. Ugh! I'll have to try to get to it this weekend. But the rest was great - and I went light on the few weighted sections because my legs are still sore. Still! So this was a good choice as it wasn't 100% strength. I'll have to come back to it sometime!
Saturday: Dozois' Peak 10 Cardio Interval Burn + abs
Knowing I was going to blow my diet later in the day really helped fuel this workout. I did it all! This is the first time I've gotten through an entire CIB in a very long time. It felt great! This isn't the toughest CIB because Michelle never takes you to the ground - but the peaks are definitely tough and I felt them. After that 55 minutes, I did 5 minutes of abs (Cathe) and then stretched. A great day!
Sunday: Cathe's Body Works + barre + abs
I was looking forward to this workout that I last did in September. Cathe leads you through two cardio moves and then 2-3 strength moves. Repeat for about 5 circuits, I think. The cardio is tough. The strength uses weights and the band, which I love. After that 45 minutes, I finished out Friday's workout, doing the full barre segment. That was great - and painful. Then, five minutes of abs and a stretch. Loving this weekend of workouts!
Calorie Counts:
Newp.
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