New Year’s Resolutions – 2018

Some time ago I changed my New Year’s Resolutions turned into goals I want to accomplish during the year. Last year I nailed my fitness goals and then some, but they were pretty vague. I wanted to become healthier and more fit and I did that.

I lost weight, lost inches, and got stronger. I’ve pushed through arthritis and tendinitis and come out the other side healthy and strong. I can even run again! I have to keep it “slow” and the time “short” but I can once more get lost in the running world. Not only that but I got certified in 4 more formats of group x classes, renewed my cert as a general group x instructor, and became a personal trainer!

I’d call that a successful year, wouldn’t you?

My fitness goals for 2018 are similar to 2017.

2018 Goals:

• Run longer/faster
• Increase overall strength
• Get to a green belt in tkd
• Complete 2 running races

Why not more races? Because they cost money and I don’t have an unlimited supply. I figure I’ll limit myself to 2 paid-for races this year. This won’t include events like the Couch Potato Triathlon that starts at my local YMCA Jan 8th. I’m doing the employee version so I don’t actually pay for it. Of course, this also means I don’t get the shirt that paid-for members get upon completion. But I will have the knowledge and the pride that I put in the miles and was able to do it. That’s enough for me.

Click the picture for a link to a registration form

I want to lose weight along with getting stronger but it’s not really a goal for me. I’m not going to actively attempt to “lose weight.” Losing weight happens differently with everyone and I find the best way for me to lose weight is to focus on my other fitness/health goals. When I do that, the weight drops on its own. When I focus on my weight, all I do is stress about the number on the scale. Stressing about it makes me want to eat more and my willpower with food can get pretty bad. If I focus on getting stronger etc, then I don’t worry and I don’t overeat and I lose weight. It doesn’t work for everyone but it does for me.

It’s important to find what works best for you and stick with it. There will always be people who will try to convince you another way is better or that your way is wrong. Unless your habits are unhealthy/unsafe, don’t listen to them. If you’re enjoying your method of strength gain and weight loss and it’s working for you, don’t listen to the naysayers.

ie: People telling you that running is the best way to lose weight but you hate running…DON’T DO IT. People pushing fad diets on you that you don’t like or feel hesitant about…DON’T DO IT.

As for my taekwondo belt…I’ve spent months trying to get through the orange belt stages to green belt. You’d think it’d be simple…I thought it’d be simple to get my green belt by January or February, but I’m not even halfway through. I still have 3 tests to go. An injury back in August/September prevented me from testing and then life got super busy so I wasn’t able to attend enough classes to get through more than 1 testing. So, while it theoretically should be easy to get to green belt before the summer, who knows if I actually will. In any case, I’ll be able happy if I reach it within the year.

I feel confident I can meet these goals. An ultimate goal is to be able to run a 35-min 5k again but I wouldn’t put any money on that one and I’m not aiming for that in just this year. My knees come first and I’m still working on getting under 40 minutes. I’ll be running and cycling a lot more with this Couch Potato Triathlon though so I have reasonable hopes of noticeably increasing my pace.

We’ll see!

What are your resolutions or goals for 2018?

PIIT28 Cyber Monday Sale

Good morning! I hope everyone had a great weekend and didn’t get overwhelmed by all the shopping. If you shopped, I hope you got something(s) you wanted and love. If you didn’t shop, then I hope you had a nice relaxing weekend.

I did a little bit of both. My shopping wasn’t too strenuous and it wasn’t all for Black Friday – groceries…gotta eat!

Last week I announced the beginning of Black Friday deals with a sale on POP Pilates workshops. Today I’m going to end the sale season with a PIIT28 sale! Are you ready for it because it’s crazy!

Click to buy the PIIT28 Transformation Pack. Use code CYBER50 at checkout.

The Transformation Pack includes EVERYTHING to get the best deal possible! In this pack you get both the workouts from all 3 PIIT28 programs but also the meal guide.

• 28 Day Reset
• PIIT28 1.0
• PIIT28 2.0
• PIIT28 3.0

That’s usually $99, but remember you’re getting 50% off so you get it for $49.50! Just use the code CYBER50 at checkout to get 50% off your purchase. And once you complete PIIT28 1.0 along with the included Instagram challenge, you let the people in charge know (they’ll give an e-mail to contact) along with your shirt size and you’ll get one of the free PIIT28 completion tanks! No one can buy these, you have to earn them. And, yes, IG is a requirement for the shirt.

Can you believe everything single PIIT28 program is half off??? I can’t. This is the best sale I’ve seen for PIIT28 thus far.

Don’t want all of those programs for whatever reason? You can get them individually. Or if you only want the workout programs without the meal plan, you can do that too with the Power Pack. Here are some links to make it easier:

PIIT28 1.0

28 Day Reset

Power Pack (PIIT28 1.0, 2.0, 3.0)

VEGAN 28 Day Reset

VEGAN Transformation Pack (Vegan version of 28 Day Reset, PIIT28 1.0, 2.0, 3.0)

Transformation Pack (28 Day Reset, PIIT28 1.0, 2.0, 3.0)

I didn’t list the individual links to PIIT28 2.0 or 3.0 because you need to finish 1.0 first. After you finish it, there’ll be a link at the bottom of your page giving you access to the other 2 programs. If you don’t have any of the workout programs but know you want them all, I recommend using the Power Pack link. If you’re not sure, try the PIIT28 1.0 link to get just the first program.

I have it all and I use it all both at home and in my classes. I may not use the program on a daily basis anymore, but I find it to be a great help when it comes to making my HIIT classes. My students all get an awesome workout. All levels too because there are modifications for everything. PSST! If you find you can’t make it through a workout without modifying, don’t feel bad. We all use or have used modifications. It’s all good. Just push yourself and you’ll see and feel the results.

Don’t forget to use the code CYBER50 at checkout!

Anyway, happy shopping!!

POP Pilates Black Friday Sale

This Black Friday deal is for POP Pilates certification workshops, both in person and online.

POP Pilates

POP Pilates is a mix of Pilates, dance, and cardio moves. There are 3 formats a class can take – 30 minutes, 45 minutes, and 60 minutes. Though each format is a total body workout, even 30 minutes will put those core muscles to the torch. With modifications available for every move, it doesn’t matter if you’re young, old, male, female, a fitness beginner, a pro…this class is good for you. For more information on what POP Pilates is, go to my POP Pilates page.

If you’re a guy and you don’t feel comfortable with the feminine touch in the format, change it to suit your personality and your style. I tried to add the sassy edge to my classes twice and it did not go over well at all. My students were all women but they were not comfortable with that so I dropped it. I changed the feel to match me and match my students and everything went smoothly. No class is going to be exactly the same because no instructor is the same. Just remember that a “Ballerina Bend” can easily be called a “Side Bend” and “Butterfly Wings” is just a “Seated Breast Stroke” under a different name.

If you’re thinking, “I’m not fit enough. I don’t look like a fitness instructor.” Pfft. What does a fitness instructor look like anyway? 6 pack? Bulging muscles and minuscule waist line? I’ve seen some who look like that. And I’ve seen some who were fat, probably close to 250 lbs, and rocked every class. I’ve got plenty of fat on me, but I’ve found it doesn’t matter what I look like. What matters is what I can do and my personality. If your students like you and find your class interesting/stimulating/enjoyable/etc, then they’ll come back…unless outside factors prevent them.

I was unsure when I signed up and I spent months telling myself I was crazy and wondering what I had been thinking. I stuck with it though because I had spent all that money and I really did want to be a group fitness instructor. I knew I wouldn’t get another opportunity like that so I went to the training, had fun, learned a lot, and then practiced my butt off with verbal cueing and choreography for the next month or two. I passed my evaluation class and received my POP Pilates certification. POP Pilates allowed me to get my foot in the door at a gym so that I was able to gain valuable experience leading actual classes. From there I was able to further my knowledge and get more certifications so I could teach a wider variety of classes. Currently I’m going for a personal training cert and it was all because I closed my eyes and took that leap of faith with POP Pilates.

If you’ve been wanting to get certified in POP Pilates, but you’re still unsure for whatever reason, I highly suggest you do what I did and go for it. You’re never going to have better prices than right now because of Black Friday. This sale lasts till November 27th.

Use the Black Friday code POPARMY100 at checkout to get $100 off the price of your workshop. If you don’t see a workshop near you, don’t fret. There are more places listed on the POP Pilates website (that aren’t on the list above) and there will also be more dates added later. You won’t be able to use the Black Friday code for the later dates, of course, but there’s still the EARLYBIRD code for 15% off if you sign up more than 2 weeks in advance.

Don’t live in the USA? No worries, there are also International Online Workshops. You’ll get your books, bling, etc in the mail after you register.

POP Pilates is such a fun class to take and to teach. It builds confidence, strength, balance, coordination, self esteem, and so much more. I am blown over by this price! Seriously! $100 off??? Very sweet deal.

 

ZR5K

To start with, I should probably explain a bit about what I’m doing exercise-wise these days. My leg muscles are much stronger now than they were before and the arthritic knee pain has mellowed so that I can push harder. Knee braces are a thing of the past. Ice packs are used sparingly (when there’s a hint of pain but there isn’t usually). Life is good physically…for the most part. I won’t go into the details.

Point is, I’ve started running again. After a bit of slow training on my own (and a week or so with the ZR5K app), I signed up for a Total Solar Eclipse Virtual Race to see where I stood with my abilities.

My 5k finishing time was 40:12. Considering I hadn’t dealt with hills or headwinds on my treadmill workouts and I hadn’t managed a full 5k distance before then, I was quite proud of myself. It also gave me a solid time to beat in October when I do the Halloween Virtual Run from the Zombies, Run app.

Because I don’t put the best thought into safely running on my own, I’m using the ZR5K app (Zombies, Run! 5k Training). It’s an 8-week running program. The first 3 weeks are free but you have to pay $4 for the rest. I was worried I wouldn’t like it but I knew it would help get me in running shape so I kept an open mind and loosely did the first 2 weeks when I had time. Yeah, those 2 weeks actually took me about 3-4 weeks. I’ve buckled down though and have a set running schedule that works pretty well. Today I bought the rest of the app (because I LOVE it!) and started Week 4.

Each week they give you a running routine that you have to do 3x (on 3 different days of course).

Week 3:

• 5 min Walking
• 5 min Free Form Run
• 1 min Run, 1 min Walk, 10r Knee Lifts – REPEAT 5x
• 8 min Free Form Run
• 2 min Stretching
• 8 min Free Form Run

I don’t stop to stretch during that 2 minutes. I slow to a walk to rest and give myself a break. I hit the full 5k each run for Week 3. By Week 2 I was able to run the full 10-min free form run at the end. Week 3’s 8-min free form runs were harder but I still managed to run both of them with the help of that 2-min bout of walking in the middle.

Week 4:

• 5 min Walking
• 5 min Free Form Run
• 10r Knee Lifts, 1 min Slow Walk, 1 min Fast Walk – REPEAT 5x
• 1 min Walking, 30s Running – REPEAT 5x
• 15 min Free Form Run

When I saw the routine for today, I thought it would be easy and it was…until the end. I knew that 15-min run at the end would be difficult but I thought I could push through at least most of it because of how well I had been doing in the previous weeks.

My speeds had increased the last couple weeks. My walking was 4.0mph and my free form running ranged from 4.5-5.5mph. Today my Slow Walk was 4.0mph while my Fast Walk was 4.5mph. I had tried to walk at this speed before, yes, but can only keep it up for a short period of time. My shins get super tired and it’s easier to use that speed as a jog. But for 1-min intervals it was doable. And the walk/run intervals were almost too easy.

However, when I got to the 15-min run at the end, I felt at once that I couldn’t keep up my normal 5.5mph. Not even a minute had gone by before I started drooping so I switched to 5.0mph for awhile. 3 minutes later and I switched to 4.5mph which is normal for me but I was struggling more than I should have been. I try to scale through those speeds in an effort to keep going. If I’m running at 5.5mph for 2 minutes, 5.0mph feels easier so I can then keep that up for another 2 minutes. Then moving to 4.5mph is almost easy so that, by the time I’m done with those 2 minutes, I have the energy to shoot back up to 5.5mph and do the whole thing again. Obviously I couldn’t manage that plan this time.

By 5 minutes my energy was shot and I still had 10 minutes to go. I slowed to a 4.0mph walk. I started up again at 5.0mph but could only last about a minute before I had to slow again to 4.5mph. I spent the rest of the run at a 4.0mph walk and a 4.5mph run. Around 10 minutes my head felt detached and my body felt strange. Probably the first time I’ve ever noticed this precursor to being lightheaded. I tried to walk more but I still pushed myself to run when I felt I could.

I hit 5k before the end of the routine. It was my slowest 5k (in this training) at 43:12. My run by the end was 3.55 miles at 49:54.

Yes, the routine was long. But why I would feel so tired/weak and have such trouble with the final run when I hadn’t been working very hard beforehand, I don’t know. I had an Isagenix shake for breakfast and it powered me through Week 3 Run 3 last week beautifully. Was I expending more energy than I thought with those initial walking intervals? Because my initial 5-min free form run in the beginning was at my normal speed and almost at my normal energy level.

Maybe my body was overheated? I try to turn the treadmill fan on when I run but the treadmill today didn’t have a fan and the extra big fan wasn’t on. I should’ve paused my run when I first felt overly sweaty and turned it on, but I thought I was being silly and that I should tough it out. I wonder now if that wasn’t the case and I should’ve turned the fan on.

If anyone has any other ideas as to why I was so much weaker toward the end than I usually am, please feel free to comment. I’m learning as I go and I want to train smart so I can stay healthy and injury-free and eventually help others do the same.

30% Off All PIIT28 Programs + 28 Day Reset

Use code “THANKYOU30” at checkout for 30% off all programs

The time has arrived for another PIIT28 sale!!! This sale includes the 28-Day Reset and will last until Sept 5th so get it now while the price is still low! Use code “THANKYOU30” at checkout to get 30% off!!

If you’ve been wanting an exercise program that gives results but isn’t so pricey that you have to sell your kidney to be able to afford it, then I highly suggest you try PIIT28. It’s a combination of cardio and Pilates strengthening moves done in quick 45-second intervals. I bought the first program – PIIT28 1.0 – when it was originally released back in 2015 and I LOVED it! At the end of that first month, when I looked in the mirror, I didn’t see much change because my diet was still so poor. HOWEVER, I felt different. I felt stronger and my self-esteem was higher because of all that I had accomplished. Physically, I was stronger and my endurance was much higher than at the beginning of the month.

By the end of 28 days of doing PIIT28 1.0, I had changed and improved in so many ways. I just couldn’t see the physical changes because my daily eating habits consisted of junk, junk, and more junk. If your motivation to continue exercising relies on seeing a physical change in your body and your eating habits need some fine tuning or correction like mine did, then you’ll also want to invest in the 28 Day Reset along with a PIIT28 exercise program. The meals are simple and yummy and there’s also a Vegan version for those who choose that type of eating lifestyle.

If you find your grocery bill increasing with all the different weekly meals (as mine did), I would suggest you stick with a few recipes and use them again and again all week. You end up spending less and don’t need to stock up on a whole bunch of different things that perhaps you’re not used to. Stocking up on all the different types of spices and misc cooking supplies can get a bit daunting and can wear a serious hole in your wallet. I recommend starting small and working into it.

You’ll of course want more information on these programs. After all, I haven’t really said much about them. Here’s where I start recycling posts to make the most of my time. Listed below are links to a more detailed description of PIIT28 as well as my own personal reviews of the first program.

• PIIT28 – What Is It?
• Review: PIIT28 – 1st Week of March
• Review: Birthday + Continued PIIT28
• Review: March PIIT28 Continued (2nd Half of 2nd Week)
• Review: PIIT28 Halfway
• Review: PIIT28 Week 3-4
• Review: When Life Interrupts (scroll toward bottom of post)
• Review: Different Kinds of Progress (what I gained from program)
• Review: PIIT28 Finale. I survived!

Use code is “THANKYOU30” for 30% off

That’s a lot of links, I know, but it’s an in-depth as you’re going to get without actually buying anything. One month, Cassey Ho tried out a PIIT calendar in place of her POP Pilates calendar. I’d liked to say that everyone loved it, but they didn’t. People seemed to be split down the middle – either they loved it or they hated it. Really, it all depends on what style of exercise you’re into.

If, after all you’ve read here, you’re still not sure, you can always do the freebie PIIT versions on the Blogilates channel (6 Week Body Toning Bootcamp or the PIIT Pilates Intense Interval Training) and you can use that calendar I mentioned (with the 6-week bootcamp anyway) and see how you feel by the end of the month. True, the sale won’t be going on anymore, but you’ll know for later. Cassey doesn’t do sales all that often but she does do them for holidays and such so if you can wait till Thanksgiving or New Years, there will probably be more sales during those times. That’s not a guarantee, that’s a guess based off of past sales.

Transformation Pack includes 28-Day Reset, PIIT28 1.0, 2.0, and 3.0

My First HIIT Class!

I taught my first HIIT class! Every Saturday there’s an hour-long HIIT class from 9-10am. We have a rotating instructor schedule so the class format is always changing based on who’s teaching it. For those who don’t know…

• H – High
• I – Intensity
• I – Interval
• T – Training

Now, an hour is QUITE a long time for a HIIT class. A good HIIT workout can you leave you exhausted after just 30 minutes. I thought I had seen another instructor shorten their cycling class (another rotating instructor schedule) to 45 minutes so I thought I’d do the same. Now, it’s been almost a year since I went to that class so I’m probably not remembering that correctly. Anyway, I pushed and wiggled my way into the HIIT rotation schedule and my director finally agreed!

And then she told me I had to keep it to the full hour.

This was pretty much my reaction:

Yep. In instances like this, when I’m in doubt, I smile and fake it. I was freaking out a bit on the inside, but the more I thought about it, the more I liked the idea. Let’s face it, the longer the class, the more the money. And then being able to do that intense of a class for a whole hour?? Yeah, I was happy and super nervous.

Well Saturday came around and BAM! I nailed it! I was really wanting to do a PIIT class but, as you know, that’s a paid-for program so that would be a big no-no. Stealing is a bad thing. But they gave me permission to make it my own. PIIT wouldn’t have worked for an entire hour anyway.

I kept with the intervals of cardio and strength training moves but obviously did more with it. I can’t work the lower body for an hour at that intensity. What about the rest of the body? Nope. Not happening.

My HIIT plan:

8 moves in a round alternating cardio and strengthening. 6 rounds total: 2 rounds for legs // arms // core. 45s for each move with a break between each move and each round. Warm-up in the beginning and Stretching at the end. In an added attempt to change it from PIIT, I made sure the moves I used were moves you’d find in other classes/workouts.

I didn’t bother timing the breaks. Just long enough for me to show the next move and then enough time to get some water between rounds. My students came in a bit late so I had to cut up the 2 rounds of core to stay in our 1-hr time frame. Stretching still knocked us over but there was no class after ours so it was okay.

After class I was all…

I definitely want to do that again! Turns out my hubby was really anxious too. I had told him it would be a difficult class (I was right, it was) so he was worried for me. Now we’re both proud I can kick people’s butts without killing myself in the process.

Next time I’ll do 30s each move to accommodate for any longer breaks that might accidentally happen (or students arriving late) so I don’t have to cut into the rounds of core. I’ll also do harder core moves (cardio moves that incorporate the core more) because my core wasn’t sore or tired at all. My arms were pretty darn pooped though. I may incorporate weights sometime in the future too. I like body weight moves but we’ll see.

Warrior Dash Training Plan

New fitness training plan! Because in my heart of hearts I want to be a ninja like Jessie Graff. I mean, how can you beat a real-life superhero? You can’t. End of story. My son and I both love her and think she’s beyond everything. My husband thinks her physical prowess is amazing. Every time we see her doing something (it’s always a physical thing like scaling a wall or leaping around like gravity is meaningless), we’re motivated to do an impromptu workout right then and there. Why fight it? So we do some pull-ups (or assisted in my case) and push-ups. Not much. Just enough to get our arms warm and a sense of productivity to make us feel good.

With my bad joints, there’s no way I can throw myself into ninja training though. I’ll most likely never be able to do that. And that’s okay. That doesn’t mean I can’t aspire to be stronger though.

“Be Your Own Superhero”

I read that on signs and shirts people had at American Ninja Warrior lately. Jessie Graff fans. I love that idea. It makes me want to work harder at my goals.

So! I may not be ninja quality, but I’m currently satisfied with becoming a Warrior. I saw there was a Warrior Dash race here in Nebraska just outside of Omaha. July 15th. HA! That is NOT happening! However, I can start training now for 2018. With that in mind, I took a look at their training plan and am trying to incorporate it into my weekly plan.

I have to modify nearly everything but you have to start somewhere and this gives me something to work toward while I wait. My goal is to not modify anything by the time the Nebraska Warrior Dash race comes around in 2018. And, yes, it’ll take me that long to safely train because my shoulders, having been injured in the past, are my weakest point.

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Here’s what I did today:

Cardio & Strength Circuit 1

Warm-Up: 30s each, 1-2x (I did 1x)

• Squat
• Jumping Jacks
• Squat to Reach
• High Knees (walked for low impact)
• Reverse Lunge Rotation (realize now I did wrong – only a reverse lunge with a twist)
• Butt Kickers (walked for low impact)

Obstacle 1 – Crawling 10r each, 90s

• Army Crawl (on my knees)
• Frog Squat Thrust (walked through instead of jumping)

Rest 30s // RUN! 90s

Obstacle 2 – Pushing 10r each, 90s

• Tricep Dips
• Med Ball Slam (no med balls available and I didn’t want to slam anything down, switched to Kettlebell Swing…which I realized afterwards was not a good substitute because it worked my legs rather than my arms. I’ll find a new substitute later.)

REST 30s // RUN! 90s

Obstacle 3 – Jumping 10r each, 90s

• Bench Lunge Step Ups
• Tuck Jumps (modified to squat with calf raise)

Rest 30s // RUN! 90s

Obstacle 4 – Pulling 10r each, 90s

• Pull-Ups (equipment not available, substituted with shoulder presses…a pull-down machine would’ve been better but I was in the wrong room and didn’t feel like running all over the building trying to find it again)
• Squat Thrust to High Pull

Rest 30s /// RUN! 90s

Obstacle 5 – Agility 10r each, 90s

• Jump Rope (did without a jump rope)
• Over the Bench

Rest 30s // RUN! 90s

Obstacle 6 – Balance 10r each, 90s

• Squat on Toes (used a bar for balance)
• Plank with Ankle Touch

Rest 30s // RUN! 90s

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I desperately needed some stretching after this so I added in the Core & Flexibility Workout as well.

Core & Flexibility Workout

45s each, Rest 15s between each

• Squat Chop (I messed up and did a squat with a twist)
• One Leg Front Bridge (alternated between on my toes in plank and on my knees in modified plank)
• Twist (no tubing available, used a 10lb BodyPUMP weight)
• Dead Bug
• Glutes Stretch
• Side Bridge Crunch (on one knee)
• Alternating Superman
• Scorpion Stretch
• Lower Back Stretch
• Hamstrings Stretch
• Hip Flexors Stretch
• Quadriceps Stretch
• IT Band Stretch

Felt good up till the end with the IT Band Stretch. I remember that move from physical therapy. OUCH!! My legs desperately needed it though. I haven’t used the foam roller in forever! It made me feel professional. Feel free to laugh at me, I am.

That core workout wasn’t really big for core moves but wow! That stretching felt good. I’m definitely going to be incorporating that a lot more from now on.

If you’re interested in this training plan, click on the picture below:

Instructor Change

Scenario:

You have a class you regularly go to. You love the class, you love the instructor. One day there’s a sub. That’s okay, you still go, but it’s not the same. The sub is just as good a teacher, probably even better qualified for all you know, but she’s not YOUR instructor. Personalities are different. The feel of the class is different. Even the music is at a different volume. Boredom creeps up on you. Motivation is seriously lacking but you push yourself for as long as possible during the class until you can’t take it anymore. 30 minutes out of an hour is still a respectable workout. You’ve worked enough to be plenty sore the next day.

The original teacher has to leave for awhile and there’s no sub available so the class is temporarily cancelled. NOOOO!!!!

Months later you see there’s a new sub so you check it out again. SURPRISE!!! They’re funny and motivational and the room’s energy is beyond awesome. You start coming again…only to arrive one day and find yet another sub who’ll be taking over. Your energy plummets. Everything is dull again. 30 minutes later you’re out the door just as before. This new awesome sub will not be coming back not because of any issues but because that was the time agreed upon behind scenes.

You’re left in the same situation as before except with tons more muscle and a much deeper feeling of disappointment because you don’t want to lose that hard-won strength but neither do you want to struggle through an hour of boredom 2x/wk.

What do you do??

This is the dilemma I’m currently facing with BodyPUMP. Let me be clear that it is NOT the instructor’s fault. I’ve experienced 6 different BodyPUMP instructors and they ALL rocked. They knew their stuff, their form was on target, they were all nice and friendly and energetic. I don’t know what it is about an instructor that makes me want to take their class. I can go to a boring class but if I click with the instructor, I’ll keep going. Likewise, I can go to an awesome class but if I don’t click with that instructor, I won’t keep going.

I considered getting certified in it and teaching the darn thing myself cuz I always have awesome fun teaching fitness classes. It’s like a win/win – I get moving (sometimes I get worked seriously hard too), I motivate others to exercise and be healthy, and I get paid for it! Learning the choreo etc wouldn’t be all that difficult. I mean, it would take a lot of time, but it’s totally doable. It’s the training itself that’s not doable. A couple days of intense training and it’s not guaranteed that people pass that workshop to even get to their eval videos.

Unfortunately, I’m not physically strong enough to do that. I’m tons stronger than I used to be, but I’m not yet strong enough to tackle that monster. But it is a certification I’d like to get at some point because the class can be super fun and it works soooo well.

I’m not the type of person to push myself through an hour of fitness boredom (part of the reason I stop my workout plans so often) so I won’t be going to BodyPUMP class anymore. However, that doesn’t mean I’m s.o.l. Here’s my tentative schedule to make up for this loss:

• M – Walk/Jog Intervals // Tone It Up
• Tu – SilverSneakers Cardio Circuit // POP Pilates
• W – HIIT or PIIT
• Th – SilverSneakers Cardio Circuit // POP Pilates
• F – Walk/Jog Intervals // BodyPUMP??
• Sa – HIIT or PIIT
• Su – Rest

That schedule is subject to change on any given day but it’s the basic idea of what I’m currently planning on. My doctor said I shouldn’t be running at all because I have mild arthritis in my knees. However, I’ve been reading articles about it. They all differ of course but most seem to concur that osteoarthritis isn’t a 100% game breaker for running. If I was an athlete whose job was running etc then, yes, I’d be done. But there’s a possibility that cross-training and keeping it mild etc along with RICE blah blah blah…Maybe I could start running again. Nothing big, but maybe I’d be able to do 5k races again with the proper precautions?

I’m probably grasping at straws here, but I miss it so much. My legs are much stronger than they were too…I’ll have to talk to the doctor about it. He might relent and point me to a physical therapist or personal trainer who could help.

Anyway, so in lieu of BodyPUMP classes, I’ve made a new schedule. That’s what I do when I lose classes or instructors I really enjoy. I’m excited about starting this new schedule too. I love changing up my workouts! Except now my son’s school is out for the summer so I’ll have a mini-me in tow wherever I go. Oh joy. Oh rapture. At least he’s being a good sport about going to all of my classes etc and so well-behaved when we’re there! I’m lucky I’m in a gym where I can legally do that for the most part.

New May Challenge

Happy May Day! First day of a new month and the month is spring! In my part of the world, April ended in a blast of cold, wind, rain, and snow. Ick. Good riddance to April. It was such a nice month until the end. Winter gave one last swing to knock us flat. But it’s May now and that won’t happen anymore! Right? Right?? Fingers crossed.

New Month = New Blogilates Calendar

Normally I don’t announce this because Cassey Ho always comes out with a new calendar for each month, but this one is different.

Usually Cassey has us doing about 5 videos 6 days a week (not counting the Beginner’s 2.0 Calendar). You might balk at that number of videos but they’re pretty short – she aims for around 60 minutes total for the day. This month, however, she’s getting us prepped for PIIT28 and the workouts have been zapped down to 30 minutes (not including warm-up and cooldown).

Now, if you have no desire to do PIIT28, that’s not a problem. This is free, PIIT28 is not – totally understandable if you’d rather steer clear of it. You can stick with these videos or use the free PIIT videos that are on her Youtube channel – Blogilates.

If you’ve tried PIIT28 or the PIIT videos on Cassey’s Youtube channel, you already know how difficult those workouts are. For a lot of people, they’re not really doable because the cardio is filled with high impact moves that can seriously jar the joints. While I was able to complete PIIT28 1.0 when it first came out in March 2016, my knees have prevented me from doing so a second time without serious modifications. I was just doing the program in April as a matter of fact. No, I didn’t finish it because I got bored and it became a chore. When a workout becomes a chore for me and I no longer feel accomplished or productive doing it (when it’s accompanied by boredom or dread in fact), I don’t see any point in doing it any longer.

I finished the first half which was going through all 11 workouts. Already with just that and eating cleaner than I had been, I lost a few pounds (which I gained back, of course, when Easter hit and there was my favorite candy right at my fingertips), lost about 1/2″ off my waist and saw an increase of muscle in my arms and legs. Add to this the increases I felt rather than saw – butt strength, happiness, self-confidence, energy…I was perfectly content to stop at the halfway mark.

Every BodyPUMP class I marvel at how deep my squats are now. Changing PIIT’s high impact cardio to low impact gave me lots of squats and my butt has become so strong. The muscles around my knees must be getting stronger too because my lunges are so much better (usually with less pain too but that depends on the day really).

It was good that I ditched the last half of the program though. My butt had gotten used to everything and had ceased to be sore so gradually that I didn’t even realize it. I had also really wanted to start Cassey’s new 6-Week Bootcamp. The first video she released was a booty workout so I did that last Monday…and was SO SORE for the rest of the week!!! That’s when I realized my butt had stopped being sore from PIIT28 1.0. And this new video just KILLED my poor tush.

Cassey listened to everyone’s pleas (and complaints) and made the cardio for this new program low impact. Even if you live in a 2nd+ floor apartment, you can still do these moves without annoying your downstairs neighbors. Unless you have your music, you know, turned up really loud in which case that’s on you.

This low impact bootcamp is designed for everyone. It continues in the PIIT style with 45 seconds for a move followed by 15 seconds of rest on and on for 7 moves. That’s Round 1. You get an extra 10 seconds of rest between rounds and repeat for a total of 4 rounds. Her videos only show 1 round so if you want to follow along with her, you’ll have to start the video over each time. If you do the moves during Round 1 and you’d prefer not to listen to her anymore, you can continue on your own.

The bootcamp itself calls for 1 video done at least 1x the first week, 2 videos done at least 1x the 2nd week, 3 the 3rd week, etc for 6 weeks. By the end of 6 weeks, you should feel a lot stronger (unless you’re sitting on your butt watching the videos, anyone should feel stronger after doing any kind of exercise for 6 weeks) and maybe you’ll be ready for PIIT28 1.0 (unless you have injuries or medical difficulties in which case you can still modify the high impact moves in PIIT28).

The calendar is a bit different. Not all of the bootcamp videos are out so Cassey has filled in the extra days with similar workouts. So we’ve got the Fat Burning and the Booty videos from the bootcamp this week while the rest of the week has some of the free PIIT videos as well as the Snowbunny Blast and some stretching for the rest day. Next week will have 4 of the bootcamp videos along with 2 PIIT videos and some stretching. Etc for the rest of the month.

Despite the fact that I’ll be unable to really complete the last week of the calendar due to personal stuff, I’m still super psyched about doing this. This is probably the first Blogilates calendar in a long time that has piqued my interest enough to work it into my schedule.

One last thing! As you see on the calendar, there is a $15 off coupon code for the PIIT28 Transformation Pack. Here’s what’s included in that pack:

• PIIT28 1.0, 2.0, 3.0
• 28 Day Reset (meal plan – reg or vegan)

If you got each of those individually, it would cost $186. Yikes! If you get all of it in the Transformation Pack, you pay $99. This coupon code takes off $15 so you’d get it for $84. Best. Deal. EVER! True, it’s a lot of money but not nearly as much as $186. You’re saving $102! And the program works so well if you put in the work and effort.

Even my doing a low impact version of PIIT28 gave me results. OMG! And pair it with BodyPUMP and the muscle gains are AMAZING! Remember I stopped after only 2 weeks and was impressed with my muscle gain. I watch my arms in the mirror and marvel at how much better they look. My back as well. Yeah, I ogle myself and I admit it to people. I actually invited my friends in class one day to look at my butt.

Aaaaanyyyyywaaaaaaay!

If you’re interested in getting the PIIT28 Transformation Pack, click on the below picture. Don’t forget to use your coupon code at checkout to get $15 off!

$15 OFF CODE: “sweaty15”

PIIT28 Transformation Pack – $15 off code: “sweaty15” – expires May 31, 2017

April – 3rd Week of PIIT28 1.0

Sooooo…this week sucked with PIIT28. I took the weekend off as usual but by Monday I was feeling super unmotivated. My son was out of school for a late Spring Break so he was out of school on Monday. All I wanted to do was stay at home and relax with him.

So I did.

Tuesday rolled around and everything was back to normal. It was easier to get my butt in gear because I had to teach fitness classes and it was going to be a super busy day so I was in GO mode the whole day. Luckily, my POP class was canceled (no students) so I was able to get PIIT28 in early and have extra time to recuperate at home.

PIIT28 1.10 Fat Burn Fest

Round 1:  Round 2:  Round 3:  Round 4:   

My POP Pilates class was canceled so PIIT28 was easier this time around. Nobody POPed so I PIIT…ed…hmm…Anyway, the title would suggest that it’s a cardio workout but, in actuality, it’s the 2nd total body workout in the program.

As you know (or now know after you read this), there are 11 workouts in PIIT28 1.0. Here’s how they’re broken up:

• 1 Cardio day
• 2 Core days
• 2 Upper Body days
• 4 Lower Body days
• 2 Total Body days

I know it seems like the lower body has more work than the rest of your body but…Yeah, it’s true. Your legs work more than 4x as much as the rest of your body will, but that’s because your thighs have the biggest muscles. The more you work the big muscles, the bigger the calorie burn.

The moves are different every day so you’re not working them the exact same way 2 days in a row. However, because you are working them so strenuously 6 days a week, if they start feeling not so good, LISTEN TO THEM and take appropriate measures to prevent injury. Our bodies feel pain for a reason. Pay attention to it. Don’t ignore it.

PIIT28 1.11 Bubble Butt

Round 1:  Round 2:  Round 3:  Round 4: 

During the 1st round I was super bored. I didn’t want to exercise, I just wanted to take a shower and relax. I was at home, my bicep hurt from taekwondo the night before, and I had already done 20 minutes of hula. I pushed myself to get that 2nd round done and sometime during that round I was cool with doing the whole thing. But man! My butt hurt by the end!!

Afterwards I went on IG and did some temporary videos saying Bubble Butt. Try it. It’s super fun overemphasizing the B sound. Bubble Butt.

And that’s all of the workouts in PIIT28 1.0! From here on out is the struggle to do it all again in order to complete the 2nd half of the program. I know the moves and the modifications. Now I just have to power through it all again to finish. Am I going to finish is the real question.

Only halfway through and my strength and endurance are way up while my measurements are already down. My mental stamina though…Fighting against that mental weakness can be harder than fighting through physical weakness.

PIIT28 Flat Abs 1.0

 

Yeah, I was supposed to do 1.1 Abdomination but I was feeling super blah. There are 2 bonus workouts you have the option of including if you’re in your Round 2 (or above) of PIIT28 1.0 – Flat Abs 1.0 and Stronger 1.0.

Round 2 = You’ve already completed the entire 28 days of PIIT28 1.0 and now you’re doing the whole thing again.

It’s optional and there in case anyone finds they’ve gained so much strength that they want/need more.

I thought perhaps if I did Flat Abs 1.0 first then it would help motivate me to get my PIIT workout done as well. It kind of did but didn’t at the same time because I was feeling super blah. But I did get up to start 1.1 Abdomination so I was going to do it. Fortunately (or unfortunately depending on how you see it), some POP students walked in at that moment.

 

Teaching POP Pilates put me in a better mood but then I was tired because that class is all about core work and the last thing I wanted to do was another bout of core work so I packed it up and rested. And also went back into blah mode until after dinner.

I wonder if it’s the sugar from all that rotten Easter candy. I’m feeling pretty blah again today but I’m more determined to do 1.1 Abdomination. I hate getting halfway through the month and then quitting because I don’t want to do the same thing for the next 2 weeks.

I need to get off my butt and just do it.

If you want to try the Power Pack and get all programs (1.0-3.0), click the above pic!