TA Meta and everything else - Spring / Summer 2021

[Buzzer]

Rest day... done.
Firm Upper body split.. DONE!

I really wanted to do a workout yesterday, but we were up late at the fire pit, I went to bed about 11 and still woke up at 4am, and was just tired. So I took the day off, and instead ate like crazy. Which is what I do when I am tired. I guess I didnt totally take the day off, because I cleaned up the front of the house. I swept up all the silt and dirt that washes onto our front walkway, shoveled it back onto the driveway, pulled weeds, picked up trash, moved rocks... so I was busy all day. The house looks better though.

Today I got to workout later since DH needed some help with the garage at 6:30am. So I grabbed Upper Body Split. I used 15's for rows, 12's for my heavy weight on the rest, and 5's for anterior delt raises. It was hard, but good! Short. Very short workout! All weights and was fun. I hate and love when the instructor says "I have my shins on my fanny lifter" because I don't care. Who cares? I don't. It hurts to put my shins on my fanny lifter. Besides, I will say it again, don't brag. We don't care.

The rest of the workout is good though, I just roll my eyes at that one.

I could probably go heavier on the workout though. I will do the legs split tomorrow.

I bet after all that I am very sore and take back my words on this check in though! HA! I like this workout too becuase this is the one where she has you do pushups with one hand on the purple and one hand on the blue part of the fanny lifter. Those are hard! It's a good workout.

LB had her friend over yesterday, and by night time she had a stomach ache and felt icky. I know it's from being dehydrated and doing too much, so today is a slower day for both of us.
ebianco, I hope your dog is doing better! swelling takes forever to go down. I can't imagine having my eye swollen like that. So sad!!

I liked Chalene in that weight workout she had (it was like the female version of P90X where she wore boots for one workout!) but by the end of it, my shoulders hurt and I didn't like her. I liked Turbo Jam and could do it, but now it's too spunky for me. I used to love to dance and shake my booty for turbo jam. Now I like the stepfordness of the Firm. They have the energy I like in the morning, not too peppy or cheerleader. Just "Ok, let's do this." HA!

[eventmom]

yesterday - TA year 2 level 6 + some youtube cardio. Found about 10 min of her first aerobics on youtube.
today - CS tv episode

so yesterday I rode my horse and she seems 100%. Unfortunately I ate something (probably some combination of things) and was up sick all night. no riding today. but tomorrow!

ebianco - it is very hard when you are the one treating an animal to necessarily notice those improvements. I've had that happen too.

buzzer - I think LB and I both need to spend the day drinking water and resting.

[Buzzer]

Firm lower body split.. DONE!

Holy step ups!!! Is it just me, or are there a million of them in this workout?? It's only 30 minutes, but I would say 50% of it is step ups. Some lunges and dips, and a short cardio part that seemed kinda random but maybe was supposed to be a rest? That was an insane amount of step ups. Granted it's only 30 minutes, and the step ups were only in groups of 8-12, so maybe it's just as many as in a regular firm workout. It just seemed like a lot!! I used my 12 pound weights. I don't know why, I have been using 10's but today I thought, since it's a short workout, I'll grab my 12's. I am ok/not ok with my decision!! HA!

The workout was quick, but while I was doing it, it seemed like it took forever. As soon as the stretch started, maybe 1 minutes into it, the power went out. So apparently that was a good choice of workouts for today!! I stretched on my own.

This firm was done in the era where I feel like they were still close to what Anna did. the longer it went on, the further I feel like they got from being "firm" to just being workouts. I think when they came out with the transfirmer was the turning point. The workouts with the little fanny lifter were still not like the classics, but more like them, if that makes sense.

yesterday we just slowed down. We watched some church services from the church LB went to camp at this week, hoping they'd show the slideshow of the camp. They didn't, but we did get a little bit of Jesus for the day, so that was good. We groomed Eugene. We played board games and just hung out. I grilled steaks, which turned out really tender but not very flavorful. The marinade I used wasn't very flavorful apparently. Luckily I only had one packet of it. The steaks were still tender and yummy though! I am working this summer on perfecting grilling. I learned that the perfect marinade has an oil, a fat, and an acid. So every meat I do on the grill, I marinade it with that in mind. So far it has worked out perfect every time!I am grilling about twice a week, and my family is happy. The other days I use the leftovers and make normal stuff, like beef stroganoff or stir fry.

LB woke up at 5am after a bad dream this morning. So we sat on the couch, snuggled, and told memories to each other. We both love doing that! She has always told me her first memory was of her walking past the front door with the sun streaming really bright through the window on the door, and I was in the kitchen. She was walking to the kitchen to see me. I love that memory! My first memory is me in a high chair, looking down at a waitress cleaning the floor beneath me. I had one of those big red plastic "Coke" cups they use at restaurants, and I had dumped it. I looked from the waitress to the table with my family all sitting around it, I remember being really high up, and my Dad saying "See!! I told you to use two hands!" So I'm glad her first memory is better than mine!

Today we have nothing planned but Karate this afternoon. Probably another slow day. We need it!

Eventmom: I'm glad your horse seems fine now!! Maybe we are all feeling some random aches and pains and that was her day!! LB felt better yesterday. I still made her drink a lot. She discovered calamine lotion and is seriously rubbing it all over her legs and arms. Every little dot. I know it's a phase, but it's so funny!! She loves that stuff! I used to love how it smelled. I used to get a lot of mosquito bites, and used it on those when I was a kid. so it's a smell I love.

Hopefully you got your rest and drinking too. I hope you aren't sick from anything worse than just over doing it!!

Ebianco: I Have been thinking of your little doggo. I hope she's feeling better and looking better

[eventmom]

jacquelyn umpff cardio barre 30 minutes.

feeling better than yesterday but not up to TA. Was able to eat a bit more than dry toast at dinner.

buzzer - glad lb is doing better. we didn't do much yesterday but did go hang out with some friends. very low key - but fun to hang out. I can picture LB covered in calamine polka dots.

[ebianco]

Hi all!

I finished up yesterday with a run/walk on the treadmill for 20 minutes then Barlates Traditional Barre the "Standing Abs and Lower" and "Pretzel" chapters, than Callanetics stretch for an 80 minute workout. My goal was to mostly work out my glutes and abs because my upper body and quads were completely spent from the Cathe Fit Split Push Pull workout. In fact I still have crazy DOMS in my quads and arms today I have to say these Barlates workouts were just okay. I get what she was going for with Standing Abs and Lower, standing abs "not a crunch in sight" so lots of knee ins and leg lifts to work the abs and legs ut it was 100% oblique focused. Yes I have oblique DOMS today but I ended up dong my own floor pilates to get my lower abs. The pretzel workout seemed like a great idea too and the standing pretzel killed me but then the mat pretzel was kind of a letdown. I felt my outer thigh but not so much my entire seat. I don't know, maybe I was just being picky LOL.

Today and tomorrow are planned rest days whew!

Eventmom and Buzzer Lucy is looking a little better but she has discoloration on her eyelids now, but I researched and that is normal, and it should be temporary. It does seem like the swelling has gone down noticeably now. Like I mentioned, her eyelids are shaved so she still looks pretty strange LOL. And she still has her corneal ulcer which was the original problem ugh...she's being seen again in two weeks so hopefully it will clear by then or else hopefully I'll get more answers at least.

Buzzer When you mentioned Firm Upper and Lower body split workouts, I was thinking the original Anna Benson compilations, but are you talking about the BSS versions? Because the Lower Body Split is like 60+ minutes (and yes it is also full of leg press LOL). I don't remember the BSS versions except I used to do the Upper one every once in a while. I remember that one being pink-themed but not too much else about it except I enjoyed it LOL!

You are talking about Chalene Extreme or CLX. I used to have that one! I followed the program but it made me very puffy and I was spooked and traded it away. But I remember her little boots and everything she wore was all metallic/shiny looking LOL.

Great job on your grilling! This new house we are in has a very fancy grill built into the deck but it hasn't worked since we moved in. DH hasn't been able to find someone to figure out the problem, something to do with the gas not connecting. So it's fancy but unusable for now! Otherwise I love to grill too.

That is a lovely tradition you have with LB sharing memories of each other. How wonderfully sweet!!

[eventmom]

jacquelyn umoff barre + 20 min kathy smith timesaver cardio + stretch

ebianco - glad your pup is looking better - sometimes it seems like they heal inside out and it takes awhile to see progress.

We're driving back to OK tomorrow - have a great day!

[Buzzer]

Ballroom Aerobics... DONE!

This was so much fun. I am having trouble this week getting motivated, I don't know why... so I picked this to have a fun workout. It was! I did add runs up and down the step more than they did, added some extra pizzazz... I don't know why I am more energetic now. I am sleeping a bit better, so maybe that's it. Workouts for a while were so draining, I remember doing this one and on the last cardio tune I was just pooped so I turned it off. I remember thinking that I don't remember ballroom aerobics being a tough workout. Now I am back to enjoying the workouts and no getting totally gassed by them. I am glad to have the energy though!

Today is a classic, I just don't know which one yet. Our days have been HOOOOOTTTT lately, this weekend is supposed to be cooler and rainy. I am looking forward to that! In the meantime, warmer mornings and very warm days. I don't want snow... far from it... but cooler days are always welcome!

I am loving sitting outside in the mornings!

LB caught a head cold, luckily it only lasted two days (so far). It seems to be getting better already. I'm sure a lot of it is from just too busy. Yesterday we went to Karate because she felt a bit better, and she made it through without having to blow her nose. Progress! I think the worst of it was Monday night, when she felt achey and stuffy. 48 hour cold... I wish they all were like that!

I am glad she has a cold though. We have gone too long without being sick and it's not healthy. HA!

LB woke up early so my workout will be a little late today.

Eventmom: have a safe trip home! That was a quick visit. I know school starts soon though. I'm sad how early they start anymore! We never started until the Thursday before Labor Day when I was in school. Then we'd have 2 days of settling in, then after Labor Day the real work started. Makes me sad that kids don't get to have August off anymore.

Ebianco: I am glad your dog is doing better. Poor thing! Otis and Eugene's legs still haven't recovered all their original fuzz, so I can relate to the dog looking weird. I hope she recovers her fuzz faster than our doggos have! I agree with Eventmom though, since you are the caretaker for them and see it all the time (and micro analyze it), it's harder to see the changes. It's like watching kids grow... you don't see it happening then one day you realize, oh! They grew!

That workout was CLX!! I loved it at first, then my shoulders ached and felt overworked. I felt like I was going to injure myself. I was burning out right about when she wore boots for the workout, and it was so annoying. I remember thinking that was just kinda the last straw. I like workouts, not fashion showcases. The boots just stuck with me. I ended up giving the workouts away. I bought them off eBay and didn't know if they were bootlegs, and at the time there was a huge stink on VF about bootleg workouts and the sins of selling them, so I decided to just give them away. I probably should have just sold it on eBay or something.

All the workouts I have given to VF'ers (outside of the check in) the VF'er never thanks me, or even lets me know they got it. I used to try to search the threads for someone I thought would appreciate the workout I was trying to get rid of, and offer it to them. They would be grateful, then once it was out of my possession and into theirs I never heard boo. I would even have to ask them if it got to them. I gave away about 10 pink Firms to someone who was saying they couldn't afford the Pink Firms (at the time), and I never even heard they received them. So I now will donate to goodwill rather than find someone who I think will appreciate them on VF. That's my rant. Anyhow, CLX was one I gave away, and I will not regret that one. I swear it was a recipe for injury.

[Buzzer]

Firm Volume 1... DONE!

I tried to use my 12's as my heavy weights, and had to stop and catch my breath more than usual. It was good, the weight was challenging, but it challenged my cardio respiratory system more! I don't feel unusually sore or didn't feel too tired through the day, so I think that is good. I also took off my shoes at the leg work and just wore the pink 3 pound ankle weights to hopefully get through the whole leg part without pausing. I did pause, but I think I realized that the ankle weights make the sides of my lower legs tired and my knees ache instead of the big muscles in my hips and upper thighs!! So I stopped when she bent the legs to go into bent leg lifts, and I took off the ankle weights. I used a 5 pound dumbbell, but it was kinda light. I did get tired going through, especially the leg shoots! Those things are tough. So my new tip for myself if use dumbbells instead of ankle weights. At least I am feeling the work where it's supposed to be that way.

I even got the runs so I am doing them more like Susan instead of cheating runs, and didn't feel like I modified anything in the workout! It was a great workout. I don't know if it's the fact that I'm adding in my protein powder every morning to my coffee, so I am balancing my blood sugar early, or if I'm getting in better shape, or what is going on, however I am happy to have some energy in my workouts again!!

Today DH said he wants to dedicate 2 hours to getting my greenhouse together. I got to a point where I need his help, and he hasn't had time for it in weeks. I just feel like it's never getting together. I'm kinda tired of it. I tried. I am not built for construction. Even on a greenhouse. So he wants to do 2 hours in the morning, so I don't think I will get to workout today. It's luckily cardio day, so maybe LB and I can go do a walk or something later, although it's going to be high 80's here and about 100 degrees again in town. I'll see what happens, but probably not gonna workout.

Yesterday ended up being really busy! We met the CC group we are joining this fall at a park, and LB rode her scooter around in 100 degree heat. Then we ate lunch and met another friend at Urban Air for about 2 hours. It was fun, but LB was really irritated at her friend at UA. I admit he is a little difficult to get along with, not because he's mean, but because he's a little wild and loves to run. he kept wanting to "play keep away" from her, and hide and seek. She didn't want to do that at UA, and isn't a real fan of those games anyhow. He doesn't ask her if she wants to play, he just starts playing them. So she was annoyed. I asked her if she wants to stop seeing him, she said no, she likes playing with him, he just got annoying today. So we will see. She said he's fun when they go swimming so we might just meet him for that.

I also don't like that he always wants to wrestle her, because he of course always wins. He likes games he can win at. In my opinion it shouldn't be encouraged to wrestle girls and show his superiority over them. Anymore, now that I've seen that, I try to avoid places with just him where he can try to wrestle with her. It's all innocent, he is too young to be doing it with any intention, however I want to make sure she isn't put into a position where she has to be wrestled to the ground constantly. Plus when they get older, I don't want him to turn it into an intention and have her in a position she can't get out of. I think I'm just getting a little weary of the kid. He's nice, he has a good heart, but he is a boy and his mom doesn't really control him well or teach him about boundaries.

I suppose with the school year starting, we will see less of him anyhow and when we do, it'll be in a bigger homeschool group. For now, I think I need to start putting my foot down and creating boundaries for her that I didn't realize he was breaching. Being a parent is hard! You see things in hindsight you think "oh! I should not have let that happen like that!"

So we went and got some mint and stevia plants yesterday, today we will plant them and hopefully put things in the greenhouse!!

It's supposed to be rainy and chilly this weekend... down to mid 60's!!! so I would love to get the plants in the greenhouse instead of in MY house!!

Hope both of you are doing well... Eventmom having a safe trip, and Ebianco healing that puppy!!

[Buzzer]

Rest Day.. .DONE!
Firm Upper body split.. DONE!

This time really was the old one! the last one I did, was called something else. I get confused on the names. This really was the parts one. I found that the back rows were tough! I thought I had my 15's. Then, after the second round of back rows, and after struggling through the chest flies, thinking to myself "must be tough becuase I did all those push ups" I looked... they were 20's! So I just finished out with 20's becuase... why not? So 20's on the one set of chest flies I did, and 20's on back rows. Otherwise I grabbed my 5's for light weights, and 12's for heavy. I could have done 15's on some of the bicep work though.

The cardio I did not use a ball, and didn't do all the bouncing. Just lots of bouncing. So I did marches or triple steps. On the runs and knees up, I really tried to kick myself in the glutes and lift my knees up, which was tiring! However I also took out the arms and just did arms like I was jogging, so it was tiring but doable.

I worked hard! I did it at 6am since DH said he wanted to go out to breakfast at 7. Then, when I told him I was done and we could get ready to go, he said "Oh, I looked it up they don't open until 8." it's now 8:40 and he is at Home Depot. I guess at least my workout is done!

He announced that he is taking yesterday, today and Monday off to work on the garage so we can do the final concrete pour and get ready for the trusses. I am not sure of my level of responsibility in this, so my days are kinda.... waiting. And trying to work around in case he wants me to do something. Kinda annoying, but it is what it is.

I put together a fountain outside the front door with a solar fountain pump I found on amazon for $25. it is amazing! I put it in a plastic plant pot that was sealed on the bottom (no holes for drainage) and it is working perfect. I need to figure out how to keep the plastic netting I put over it so the dog doesn't eat the fountain. I don't mind him drinking from it, I just dont want him chewing on it!

Yesterday I rested becuase DH said we were going to work on my green house in the morning, so I waited for him. He never did it, and by the time I knew that, it was too late to workout (too hot!!!) so I had to skip it. I felt kinda "over" everything yesterday. Over having to entertain LB. Over the garage. Over the house. Over cleaning. Over just everything. There was nothing I could think of to do I wasn't just over. Even looking at social media thinking it would be a comedy break. Everyones issues. I'm over it.

Plus I'm over the heat. Luckily this weekend is going to be nicer!

So we did karate and played a bit at a friends house. I went to bed early so I could workout early.

We planted some stevia, mint, and parsley yesterday. So that was productive.

I have no idea what today holds, but at least I have my workout in!

Waves to both of you! Ihope you are having safe trips and weekends and enjoying yourselves!

[eventmom]

hi everyone!

wed - cs episode
yesterday - nothing but a horrible migraine that lasted all day
today - Jacquelyn Umoff ballet barre + 15 min cardio

it was around 12 hours of driving and we left around 10 NM time (because we have so much to do to close down the house, wrap horses legs, etc.). Fortunately DD and her BF met us at the house and helped us get horses unloaded, etc.

buzzer - the heat here in OK is so bad - my poor horses I'm running the fans even at night in their stalls. I'm glad it will cool off for you. we were supposed to hold a riding learning activity for a riding club this weekend and we had to cancel. I question why we even came home (well jobs, dah). But the smoke was terrible in eastern NM and all of the way home. At least Taos was getting some rain to clear it out. The fountain sounds cute!

hi ebianco!