South Jersey Super Saturday!

So far, one of the most amazing things I have done with my Beachbody family was attend the first Super Saturday of the year in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.  In attendance there was the CEO Carl Deikler, 21 Day Fix/Extreme trainer Autumn Calabrese, and the 2014 Top Coach, Melanie Mitro.  It was so exciting to see everyone come together for the common goal of bettering ourselves as coaches and bettering the lives of others through our products.





Super Saturday happens four times a year and can literally happen anywhere.  All you need is to register your town with Beachbody.  They will send you a corporate video to show.  Other than that, it's up to you!  You can have one person there or thousands.  You can hold it in your garage, a local school or church, or even a hotel or NFL stadium!

Inspired by our experiences in Pittsburgh in January, my coach decided to co-host the next Super Saturday event locally, which was this past Saturday, April 24.  I have to tell you, I was excited (I'm always excited to spend time with my team), but I didn't think there would be that many people there!    And people we didn't know who weren't on our team!

It was a really awesome morning.  My coach Leigh and another local Star Diamond coach Sabrina welcomed everyone and did some recognitions.  We then heard from one of Leigh's challengers, Kelly, about her transformation:  over 40 pounds since last July doing T25 and Insanity Max: 30!

Next we watched the video from corporate.  Two new product announcements were made:  Cize!, a new dance workout by Shaun T and Beachbody Performance, a line of supplements that range from pre-workout energy to nighttime repair formulas!  I'm kind of excited about this, although I read that you can't mix any of it with Shakeology, which is what I've been doing with the Beachbody protein that was just discontinued.  Once the products come out in July, I'll give everyone a full run-down.  If you're interested in being notified when these products are available, click the products^!

The video also featured quick advice from some top coaches and some very inspirational stories from some successful challengers.  These videos are quite motivational for veteran and new coaches alike, as well as visiting friends and challengers in attendance who are not coaches.

After the video, there were some trivia and prizes and then finally, the live workout portion!  Leigh started it off with a half hour of Insanity!  The bad AND good news was that Leigh had to modify some of the moves because there wasn't enough room with all the people who showed up.  It was really awesome.

Next was PiYo live and my FIRST class!  You remember when Rachel and I got certified two months ago?  I have been practicing and preparing for this very moment!  It was a very interesting experience.  Even without a mirror in front of me or the confidence/experience to do the moves facing my "class", I still think it went really well!  Quite a few people commented to me that it was way different, and better, than the video program (I, of course, disagree) and now they want to get certified too!  Awesome!

I have to end by pointing out my sweaty band.  Why am I wearing it like that?  Do I always wear it like that?  As one of my teammates so eloquently put it:

I guess if I have to be compared to anyone, Rambo is not a bad choice.  Right?

Chocolate Shakeology Protein Bar

I'm back for Tasty Tuesday!

Nothing new on the dinner front for me and Rachel.  We've both been very busy, and on my end, I've been prepping dinners in advance and doing a lot of leftovers, without a lot of pretty pictures to show you.  Today I've got something even better for you though.

Dessert.

About 13 days ago, I made a pledge on Facebook that I would go 24 days without sweets, salty snacks, soda or more that 1-2 glasses of wine in a week.  I've been doing pretty well, and more on that when I've finally finished (11 more days to go!).  HOWEVER, two ways that I've been able to get through this time of struggle is a) my morning chocolate Shakeology and b) these Chocolate Shakeology Protein Bars.  Ermygod guys.

I'll tell you I was really skeptical at first because they had almond butter in them.  I really detest nuts and peanut butter, so I figured my feelings would be the same for almond butter.  While I can tell you I'm definitely not a fan of almond butter, you can't even taste it in these bars.  And as someone who can smell peanut butter from two rooms away, believe me when I say you really can't taste it.

As a 21 Day Fix Extreme recipe, 8 servings is 1/2 Red, 1/2 Blue and 1/2 Yellow.  However, I find that just a small sliver is satisfying enough for me, so I don't even really count it.

Chocolate Shakeology Protein Bars

Prep time:  10 minutes

Refrigerate time:  2 hours
Total time:  2 hours 10 minutes
Yield: 8 1x1 inch pieces

Ingredients:
2 cups Old Fashioned Rolled Oats
4 scoops of Chocolate Shakeology (or Vanilla or Strawberry!)
1/2 cup of all-natural smooth almond butter
3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk


Instructions:
Place the oats and Shakeology in a food processor, cover, and blend for 1 minute.  Add almond butter and almond milk, cover, and blend for 1 minute.  Next, place wet, sticky "dough" into an 8x8 inch baking sheet and press evenly to distribute.  Refrigerate for 2 hours until firm

I wish I could've taken a picture of how messy this stuff is on your fingers.  Seriously.  Of course, I was flying solo for these so I had no one to take pictures of said fingers.  Such is life.

You will not be disappointed with these bad boys.  They hit the spot when you need an extra sweet hit or a little snack to hold you over until your next meal!

P90X3 Review

Review time!  I am just finishing up 90 days of P90X3, and I have a lot to say!  Mostly because there are A LOT of different workouts in this program, especially if you take advantage of Beachbody On Demand, which allows you to access the Deluxe workouts, a HUGE bonus, as the Complex Lower Body workout is probably my favorite in the whole program.  I chose P90X3 because I loved the original P90X and I loved the idea that these workouts were only 30 minutes.  With my added coaching responsibilities and the intense meal prep I do in the morning, I don't have the time that I used to.  But let me slow down and start from the beginning!

What is P90X3?

P90X3 is truly a total body workout, dare I say even more so than the original P90X (I haven't done P90X2, so I can't comment on that).  While the original P90X spent a long period of time (usual an hour per workout) on weight-lifting for very specific parts of the body (back, shoulders, biceps and legs), most of P90X3's workouts focus more equally on the "four powerpoints of muscle gain and results":  Resistance, Power, Cardio, and Core/Flexibility/Balance.  There are quite a few moves that are cross-over moves, considered appropriate for some or all of the four areas.  The easiest example I can give is the pushup:  it is used in almost every single workout, including X3 Yoga.

Research shows that the most dramatic body transformations happen in the first 30 minutes of a workout, and a lot of Beachboy's newest programs are taking advantage of that.  P90X3 is not different.  There are very few water breaks, the cool down is NOT part of the 30 minutes, and if Tony finishes the program before the 30 minutes are up, he makes you do a bonus round!

How does P90X3 work?

Like most of the Beachbody workouts, P90X3 relies on muscle confusion.  The program comes with 16 (!) different workouts used over the course of a 90 day schedule.  Just when your body becomes used to the workouts, they change and your body is required to do something different and even more challenging.  The schedule has you completing the same weekly schedule for 3 weeks in a row, with a  4th "recovery" week.  For example, here is what the "Classic" schedule looks like:

There are also options for a "Lean" workout schedule, a "Mass" workout schedule, and a "Doubles" workout schedule.

Who is P90X3 for?

Pretty much anyone who is a fan of Tony Horton.  Personally, there's nothing I'd rather hear more at 4:30 in the morning than Tony's cheeseball commentary.  ALSO P90X3 is for people who want an extreme workout, but don't have a lot of time.  You are going to need weights.  For a beginner or someone who has never lifted weights before, 5-15 lbs is probably good.  However, if you want to go hard, especially if you're a man, you are going to need upwards of 30-50 lb weights, especially for the lower body workouts.  You'd be surprised how much your legs can handle.  You'll also need a pull-up bar or a place up high to attach a resistance band.  I did the entire P90X with no pull-up bar and no resistance band and while I still got a good workout, I had to skip A LOT of moves.  One of the videos is only pushups and pull-ups.

Although this isn't advertised, P90X3 (and all the P90Xs) are fantastic for cross training.  The weightlifting builds strength and muscle endurance while the power and cardio workouts build power (shocker!), stability and agility.  Any workout that includes a jump squat IMMEDIATELY improves my hip strength which allows me to run long distances pain-free.  I love it.

What comes with P90X3?

I'm glad you asked.  My favorite thing that comes with P90X3 (other than all the workouts) is the Fitness Guide.  This guide tells you exacts what moves are in every workout and how to do them.  If for some reason you don't have Beachbody On Demand (which has the entire P90X3 program including the Deluxe workouts and is stupid cheap), you can bring the guide with you while you are traveling and workout that way.

Let's talk about the workouts:

Resistance Workouts

Total Synergistics:  A full-body resistance workout featuring compound movements, which utilize multiple muscle groups in every exercise.  With compound movements, the increased force to the body stimulates the body's natural ability to produce performance-enhancing hormones, such as testosterone.  This triggers powerful metabolic changes and is one of the fastest ways to change your body composition.
The Challenge:  You'll be stacking push-ups and pull-ups, two of the most effective upper body exercises.  The result is not only increased muscle size and strength, but stabilization and functionality.
Incinerator:  This workout is designed for muscle fatigue.  If you don't burn out, you won't get the best results.  It is another push-pull routine, but this time, the push-pull moves that follow each other work the exact same muscle group.  So you'll work one muscle group doing either a push or a pull move, and then you'll work the exact same muscle group again doing the opposite exersize.
The Warrior:  This is a total-body workout, free of equipment.  You'll circuit upper- and lower-body resistance with core and cardio work, essentially touching on every area of fitness in one workout.
Eccentric Upper and Lower:  These are classic weightlifting workouts focused on the theory that "time under tension" is the key to inducing muscle growth.  In these workouts, you'll slow down the eccentric (or negative, lengthening) half of each movement.  The eccentric part of a move recruits more muscle cell motor units than the concentric (or positive, shortening) half, resulting in the biggest band for your buck.  These workouts will really pump up your muscles.
*Deluxe* Complex Upper and Lower:  These "complex" workouts focus on efficiency in all areas:  musculoskeletal strength, muscle elasticity, dynamic movement patterns, core functionality, and mobility.  Each workout is comprised of five rounds of four exercises that require a weighted resistance exercise followed by an explosive movement.

Power Workouts:

Agility X:  This is a full-body workout that requires floor targets to dictate movements to focus on precision, power, flexibility, balance, and strength.  As opposed to traditional cardio workouts, these targeted movements force explosion, deceleration, and proprioceptive adaptations, the sum result being an increased ability to move effortlessly for extended periods of time.
Triometrics:  My favorite!  Why?  It is the perfect cross-training exercise for running.  It's plyometrics, or "jump training", which are explosive moves that are highly effective at training muscular efficiency or power.  However, with Triometics, each move has three levels, and they are not all focused on jumping.  Some moves focus on stability, some focus on the landing.  Each of the three levels of every moves increase your range of motion, your stability, and your strength and power.
Decelerator:  Decelerator focuses on the landing, not the jumping, because studies have shown that most athletic injuries occur on landing, not takeoff.  You'll use strategic angles to force loads on different parts of you body, which allows you to increase your ability to stabilize and protect muscles, connective tissues, and joints.

Cardio Workouts:

CVX:  This is an interval cardio workout done entirely with a weight.  Each group of three moves is done twice, and the second time is always focused on speed.  Combining both resistance with intervals increases the impact across every energy system.
MMX:  My other favorite!  This is a Mixed Martial Arts routine that combines karate, keno, jiu-jitsu, judo, and tae kwon do.  The moves will not only give you a cardiovascular workout, but you'll be taxing your upper-body strength, core power, leg endurance and flexibility.
Accelerator:  This cardio workout has you exercising at two different speeds, which allows you to increase your cardiovascular and muscular efficiency.  It also eliminates downtime associated with power-based workouts, while maximizing the consistency of traditional aerobic workouts.

Core/Flexibility/Balance Workouts:

X3 Yoga:  X3 Yoga improves your musculoskeletal flexibility, balance, stamina, body awareness, and core strength.  Improving in these areas allow you to recover faster, get less injuries and even build stronger muscles.
Pilates X:  Pilates focuses on controlling the body through its core while centering on breathing and balance.  Pilates X takes this philosophy to build core strength and muscle elasticity, stabilize the joints, and create a solid human platform to perform any activity in life.
Isometrix:  Isometrix means every "move" is actually a position that you hold for 45 seconds (isometric contraction).  Adding instability to the mix requires your body to fire its stabilization muscles.  When training these two simultaneously, you create an unshakable platform to work off, heightening the affects of movement training that you'll target in other workouts.
Dynamix:  Dynamix is stretching with constant movement. The moves allow you to actively increase range of motion, flexibility and stabilization.  These systems are your keys to free and easy moment with daily activity and other exercise.
*Deluxe* Ab Ribber X3:  This 15-minute workout focuses on all areas of your abdominals:  your rectus abdominus, transverse abdominus and internal and external obliques.


Lucky for you, the P90X3 Challenge Pack is on sale this month.  As with all Challenge Packs, you receive a month of Shakeology (worth $130) and the entire P90X3 program (worth $120) for a total of $180 (originally $205).  Now is the perfect time to talk to me about ordering, because my next Challenge Group starts on Monday, May 4 (May the Fourth Be With You, har har).  I feel very comfortable talking about P90X3 and supporting you through the program.

You have two great options.  If you are 100% sure P90X3 is right for you, you can order here.  However, if you'd like to talk to me about your options or even getting a FREE ONE MONTH TRIAL of P90X3 (or a variety of other workouts) fill out my Challenge Group Application below and I will contact you!

And if you REALLY want to get pumped up, check out the infomercial!

Wine Wednesday: An Introduction of Me as a Wine Lover

I love wine.  Like, love it.  It started my senior year of college when someone didn't want their giant bottle of Sutter Home Moscato.  I thought, Sure, free booze, I'll take that.  It was delicious, especially with the buttered noodles I ate every night for dinner (LOL).  Since then, my love has grown AND my palate refined.  For our one year date-iversary, my boyfriend (now husband) took me to my first winery.  It was a dreary day and we were the only ones there, so we had a very intimate wine tasting where we learn all about how wine was made, how to drink it, and how to pair it.  Visiting wineries became something that my husband and I love to do together.

I have held back on mentioning it on this blog because I wanted to get a good base with health and fitness posts first.  However, wine is one of my passions, as is figuring out how to incorporate it into my healthy lifestyle.  Here is just a little video about my interest in wine.  I hope you like the video format and I hope to provide a little bit about wine here and there for you!

T25 Review

This is not an April Fools joke:  I am forever grateful to my very best friend, Rachel, for writing this review of T25 for me.  I have tried all of the workouts, but Rachel just completed the entire program.  Don't let her downplay her results... they are awesome!

When it comes to making a commitment to a fitness lifestyle, there are many excuses and complaints. Probably the most common one I hear is that people can’t find the time to fit exercise into their busy schedules. I’m not going to get into how your health should be a non-negotiable; I’ll leave that for Michelle to tackle. But I AM going to get into how T25 is the workout for your busy lifestyle.

Ok, fine, I know. My life isn’t that busy. Even though I work full time at a job an hour away that often requires more than the 40 hours I get paid for, the fact is that once I get home, I have no one else to worry about but myself. Being single and childless, I don’t have much else to do except workout and eat some semblance of dinner. But, I have a very short attention span when it comes to exercise. If the workout is more than 30 minutes, I lose interest quickly, get a mental block, and start slacking on the moves (don’t even get me started on PiYo Drench…). One day, over a bottle of wine (duh), I complained about this to Michelle, and being my wonderful coach, she recommended I give Focus T25 a try. Since I’ll basically do (almost) anything Michelle tells me to do, I clicked on over to www.TeamBeachbody.com and ordered myself a brand new workout.

Having completed PiYo as my first Beachbody workout, I wasn’t accustomed to high-cardio/impact exercises. It was difficult at first, but now having completed T25, I feel very strongly that PiYo and T25 complement each other very well. Both are high-intensity workouts and increase strength but T25 aids in building your cardiac endurance while PiYo really improves your flexibility. Strength, endurance, and flexibility - three things that everyone needs!

What is Focus T25?

Focus T25 is a high-intensity, 25-minute, full-body workout created by Shaun T, the same guy who created Insanity. It is considered Focus Interval Training, where every muscle group gets worked, and then worked again. With this plan, you get the benefits of an hour long workout packed into a short 25 minutes, and there are NO water breaks. It’s no joke… it’s hard work and there’s lots of sweat, but after 25 minutes, you’re done. That’s ONLY 1.7% of your day! You still have 98.3% of the day to do whatever else it is you need to do.

How does it work?

T25 is broken down into two blocks, Alpha and Beta. There is also a Gamma cycle that can be purchased separately (I did not do the Gamma cycle, so no review of it here). Each block is 5 weeks long and has a different focus. For every week, you do one workout Monday through Thursday, a double on Friday, rest on Saturday, and stretch on Sunday. Shaun T recommends doing the double on Friday for maximum results, but if "T50" (as I like to call it) does not fit into your schedule, that’s ok. You can do the second workout over the weekend. I don’t have the patience for Friday doubles so I always spread it into the weekend. For every workout, there is a modifier who shows you how to do low-impact versions of the exercises. Don’t be fooled though. Even though the modifier is low-impact, you’re doing just as much work as everyone else (sometimes even more because you don’t have the momentum from the jumps!). After every 25-minute workout, there is a 3 minute stretch/cooldown to help your muscles recover.

What do I get?

You mean, other than a hot, fit, bod? So much! You get 10 different high intensity workouts, a Stretch workout, a Quick Start guide, a 5-Day Fast Track guide, the Get It Done Nutrition guide, an Alpha-Beta wall calendar that shows you which workouts to do on which day, and a pro-grade resistance band. If you order through Michelle, you will also get a bonus Core Speed workout.

What else do I need?

The right shoes! Do not wear running sneakers to do T25. Your feet will cry. You might cry too. T25 has a lot of quick, lateral movements for which running shoes will not give you the proper support. I learned this the hard way when my wide, flat feet started cramping and burning within the first 10 minutes of every workout. Don’t make my mistake. In the end, I found that doing the workouts barefoot was actually the most pain-free option for me. This won’t be the case for everyone, but it's definitely something to consider if you're having some foot pain.  I also purchased some interlocking foam exercise mats (http://tinyurl.com/p4wfj7g) to cushion my landing and the world was right again. For the rare instances that I do decide to put shoes on, I found a pair of low profile New Balance cross-trainers (http://tinyurl.com/ougb9bh) that give me good lateral support with minimal cramping. Look for a crosstrainer that gives you support for side-to-side movements and is also flexible, allowing your feet to move naturally.

Some other optional equipment you might want are a soft workout mat and a set of dumbbells. The workout mat comes in handy for some of the exercises on the floor to cushion your back and knees. Dumbbells can be used in the Beta cycle in place of the resistance band that comes with the program. Choose a dumbbell weight that is doable but also challenging.

You should also know that for the entirety of T25, you should be focused on form over speed. Sometimes, those people on the screen with the perfect six pack abs and ripped arms will be going so fast, and you are doing your darndest to keep pace with them. But, it does you no good to keep pace with bad form. You end up cheating yourself of the proper focus and could also cause injury (to yourself and/or your pet/person/tiny person/tv). Stay with Tania the modifier when you have to and go at your own pace. With practice, you will work your way up to speed.

ALPHA - Focus: The Foundation

In the Alpha round, your main focus is building a strong foundation using just your body weight. The workouts are Cardio, Speed 1.0, Total Body Circuit, Ab Intervals, Lower Focus, and Stretch.

Cardio - A full 25 minutes of non-stop cardio. Get ready for heavy breathing!

Speed 1.0 - This is the only workout in Alpha that does not give you the option of turning off the music.  This is because it’s a workout focused on improving your speed and agility with interspersed stretching intervals. Speed 1.0 is one of my favorites from the Alpha cycle because it feels like a dance routine as opposed to a workout.

Total Body Circuit - TBC is, I think, the hardest workout of the entire program. It makes me want to lay down on the couch and start thinking to myself that maybe having some extra fat padding and a subpar cardiovascular system really isn’t that bad. You certainly work your entire body and there are, what feels like, endless planks and pushups. I had to follow the modifier the most for this workout and take breaks as needed, but by the end of the Alpha cycle, I was able to take less or no breaks and only follow the modifier for a few moves or when I got really tired.

Ab Intervals - Shaun takes you through a slew of ab work with cardio recovery in between. You will V-sit like a pro after this video.

Lower Focus - Leg day is here. You will definitely feel the burn with Lower Focus as you work the largest muscle groups in your legs and glutes.

Stretch - Confession… I have never actually done the Stretch video. But The Google tells me that it helps you lengthen, stretch, and recover the body. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Sure, ok.  That's what PiYo is for.

BETA - Focus: The Core

After you’ve built up a good foundation in Alpha, you move on to the Beta round where your main focus is your core. You will notice that for every video, Shaun puts an emphasis on keeping your core engaged even if it is not an ab-based exercise. The workouts are Core Cardio, Speed 2.0, Rip’T Circuit, Dynamic Core, and Upper Focus.

Core Cardio - Another non-stop cardio workout. I personally think this is the hardest Beta workout just because it’s so cardio heavy and your heart rate never really goes down.

Speed 2.0 - My (and Michelle's) favorite of all the T25 workouts! Just like Speed 1.0, this video focuses on your speed and agility with repeating sequences that build and are done in shorter and shorter intervals as you progress through the video. Also just like Speed 1.0, it feels like a dance routine, and I can bring out my inner hip hop dancer.

Rip’T Circuit - When I first saw the name of this video, I groaned because I thought it was going to be TBC x1000. I was pleasantly surprised that I did not want to kill myself the first time I did Rip’T. In this video, Shaun takes you through intervals of CULA - Cardio, Upper, Lower, Abs. It is the first instance where you will use your resistance band/dumbbells. It’s not as tear-inducing as TBC, but you still work hard using a lot of muscular and cardio endurance.

Dynamic Core - A great core workout using seven standing exercises and seven floor exercises. You also get to witness Shaun T punch a girl in the stomach. That’s my favorite line from T25 - “Now watch, as Jen goes by, I’m gonna punch her in the stomach.”

Upper Focus - The most difficult part of Upper Focus is trying to figure out why Shaun T is wearing a polo shirt. Who works out in a polo shirt? Anyway. If you’re a lifting junkie, this video will probably be your favorite. The resistance band/dumbbells are heavily featured in this workout to build your upper body strength.

Results

In doing Focus T25, I lost 2.6 lbs and 4 inches overall. I know it’s not a super impressive drop in weight, but let me tell you… I fit into so many clothes that I didn’t fit into a year ago. Talk about reclaiming my closet! I also saw improvement in strength and endurance as I progressed through each week. Things that were hard to do in Week 1 were not nearly as hard in Week 5. In reminding you, dear readers, I am also reminding myself that the numbers don’t tell the whole story. Stick to it. Show perseverance and persistence. It’s only 25 minutes a day. Do the work and then you can enjoy your results for the remaining 23 hours and 35 minutes of your day.