TA Meta and everything else - Spring / Summer 2021

[Buzzer]

Firm Volume 3... DONE!

I love the old firms. I am actually doing OK with them, not dying like I was last time I tried to do Firms!! I think I also lowered my weight, so that might be helping too. My heavy is still 10's (except for tricep overhead presses and lat rows, which is 15's). I grabbed 5's for my light. At one point she says to grab 8-12's, and does plies with upright rows, which is fine... then she does anterior delt lifts. With 8's. That was HARD. I think that's what I am feeling in my shoulders right now! HA!

My legs were uncomfortable last night, and today my delts are very tired. I really worked to go into the moves yesterday and I think it payed off!!

I ended up yesterday working out at 5am. I was awake at 3, and I wasn't sure how hot it would be if I waited. I might do the same thing today since I woke up at 3:45 thinking LB was in the room saying "Mom. Mom. Mom." I think it was just DH snoring! I woke up with a startle so here I am. I was kinda waking up anyhow, so I would probably have only slept another 15 minutes anyhow.

I went to bed about 9:15 last night, I got LB to bed about 9! Which is really good since by the time we get ready for bed it's after 9, no matter how hard I try to get her in bed by 9.

Yesterday on the way to camp she was falling asleep in the back of the car. Her friends Mom picked her up from camp, and took them to karate. She invited us over for dinner after, but I kept thinking about LB falling asleep in the car and told her no. So we are going there today for dinner after camp.

This camp has been exhausting for her! Which is good, however next week we have to keep it lots more low key for sure!!

Today after I drop the kids off, I am coming back here and finishing the wood bench I started sanding and tung oiling. DH got the bench before we got married, it's like a heavy wooden park bench. This thing is a monster. We had it at our fire pit, but we have moved our fire pit and left it where it was. Then we kinda forgot about it. It's been kinda splintery for a few years (after 15 years of neglect, go figure) so I dug it out of the weeds, pulled it around into the shade (the thing weighs 200 pounds, seriously. It's that heavy) and started working on it. Today I will try to finish it. I also bought a refinishing paint for the fire pit, because it is rusting (it's a metal fire pit). So today that is my goals! finish the bench and fire pit.

Yesterday was 103 degrees in town! I worried about LB, but she said they do a lot more active things in the Morning, and by afternoon she is in the "Little House on the Prairie" part of her camp experience, so they hang out in the shade. She loves it! She said she was hot but not dying hot. That makes me feel better.

These kids were not cut out for public school. This waking up at 6:45/7am is killing them! She and her friends are having a really hard time this week. I am too, not seeing her, making her lunches, and only getting a few hours with her in the evening.. I miss her! I guess I am not cut out for public school either! I love seeing her more. It feels like I get her home from camp and we eat, then it's almost time for bed.

Eventmom: I was thinking about you because I think you said volume 3 was your first firm. It's a good one!
I'm sorry about your horse. Doggone it. Is she the only one you have with you on this trip? I hope she feels good walking, and only feels the "hitch in her giddy up" when she trots. Animals sure are heart breaking.

I was going to do more cleaning this week in the house, but realized that cleaning I did while LB was at full time camp is gone now. So I am going to do more fixing and maintenance things instead this week!! I was thinking of you cleaning up cob webs, and it made me realize that I haven't thought of cobwebs in years. Now I am seeing them! I need to just carry around my fuzzy duster!!

[eventmom]

Raquel Welch bikram practice

buzzer - yeah volume 3 was my first firm and I still like it so much! If they are lame in the trot they are lame - the trot makes it easy to detect, the other gaits less so. I've got my other two but the younger one has some issue I've given up on fixing. I might ride the pony LOL. who knows.

oh - I got a ttapp at the thrift store yesterday - ttapp more. I wish her website were up so I could figure what this one is about.

hi ebianco!

great on the house maintenance - we have so much to do and get little done. hopefully when dh retires he can tackle some of them. With all my cobweb duty - I missed a spot in the kitchen and didn't think about the bathroom. ah well, it's much improved despite my misses. Glad LB is not too hot - how's the air quality? We are getting some smoke from out of state here in NM.

[ebianco]

Hi all!

Back to exercise today with Cathe Crossfire a timesaver premix, just the Circuit Blast chapter with warm up and stretch which was 36 minutes. This chapter was set up with one cardio/plyo move and then a metabolic strength. Then those two exercises would be repeated (performing the other side as applicable the second time) and then move on to another grouping, for 6 total groupings. I didn't follow her exactly, because there were 6 groupings it was perfect to hit each of the major body parts (biceps, triceps, shoulders, chest, back, abs) along with the legs which were plenty worked with the cardio/plyo. She already had shoulder, chest, and core exercises so I subbed in biceps, triceps, and back moves instead of hers which were just more for the legs. It's not really a strength workout after all, it's just weights to aid in cardio. Anyway I was short on time and made the workout work for me (a total body HIIT workout), and am trying to cycle through a few Cathe's, Firms, and some others that fall into that 30-45 minute range for Wed/Thurs workouts.

Tomorrow another Cathe workout or a Firm, I have a few Firm BSS workouts and Pink Firm Get Chisel'd in my pile before I start repeating! Sometimes I wish the classic Firms (or BSS Firms) had timesaver premixes, but I don't love them any less for it

Eventmom It is a bummer that your gym instructor retired, but hopefully it was timed anyway and not accelerated due to COVID. I know a lot of gyms have taken a big beating, restaurants too. I live in a higher income suburban area and even we've been hit with lots of store closures. I feel so bad for them! Even if it's a chain, that's still folks losing their jobs.

Buzzer It's funny that we both skipped Mary's sale! Like you, if it's not something I'm really into right now (Cathe and Firm) then I'm just going to sit it aside anyway. May as well let it sit at the store and see if I'm still interested next tie around. However, I reserve the right to buy en masse if Cathe or Barlates (or whoever) goes OOP LOL!

I am always curious about KCM, she seems like an instructor I would like, although I'm not interested in complex boxing, but some of her other workouts look good! But like you I just can't seem to become super excited about trying her out. I purchased one of hers a few months ago, and notice I still haven't done it yet. It's in my current pile as a Wed or Thurs total body-is 30-45 minute workout so I'll be getting to it soon, hopefully!

I lost almost a pound this month from July 10 10-day average to July 20 10-day average (I take a 10-day average to try to capture a real trend rather than just daily fluctuations) from cleaning up my eating, but these last two days I stumbled into the junk food vortex again. It was pure stress eating yesterday. One of my dogs developed a cornea in her eye that wasn't healing. Next thing I know, she goes to the specialist ophthalmologist and is getting emergency eye surgery, that was yesterday. Also I started a new job yesterday (kind of, I am just on a detail to another office for four months) and I have those new job jitters even though I'm very excited. And my husband surprised me with Chinese food which bloats me like crazy, although it's delicious! Since I was going to be bloated anyway, I figured why not eat some sweet junk food too (VF needs to add a face palm emoji). I try to limit the Chinese food to once every 2-3 months or so, and it had been about that long so whatever. Anyway I am hoping to eat clean for the rest of the month and reclaim that really positive momentum I had going earlier this month. So far so good today! Now that the surgery is done, and I've broken the ice on my new detail, I already feel much calmer.

It's funny you mention about how waking up early is killing the kids LOL! Yesterday I had to wake up about 5:30 am because the vet specialist is about 1.25 hours away (I usually wake up around 7:30 am on weekdays) and I was in a coma the whole day. I slept a lot last night but I'm STILL tired! It is really going to be a transition when I return to the office. I a glad LB is enjoying her camp this week!

I would never be handy enough to finish the wood bench, but that sounds like a fun project! It has to feel great to be that handy!!

[Buzzer]

Walked around the lake twice, for 2.8 mile walk... DONE!

I held my "ttapp form" and today I really feel my lower abs all the way around to my back. I pulled my energy from my core to walk instead of walking using my shins and calves (which is common I remember from training people to run). I swung my hips, held in my core, and just let my legs swing rather than propel. It was fun! I could really focus since it was just me. Everyone was so friendly. Most of the people I passed said "good morning!" or "Hi!" when we passed each other. One woman said Good Morning, then I saw her about 1/2 way around and she said "you are making good time!" she had a dog, and commented about how her dog stops every 5 minutes.

Then I saw her again, she was sitting on a bench, so I stopped and we chatted. It was really fun! Everyone was really in a good mood!! Then there was one lady on a bike talking on the phone that got kinda snotty with me afterwards. I was passing a blind woman with 2 kids, she had a blind person stick, so I was giving her extra room as I passed. That put me on the other side of the path, where the people going the other direction would walk. No one was walking the other way so I felt fine with it. then this lady comes up on a bike talking on the phone behind me (not on an earbud, but the phone to her ear), so I kinda scoot onto the other side, but not so much that I crowded the blind lady. The lady on the bike had to slow down and gave me a grunting sound, and told her whoever on the phone "hold on". After she passed, she got back on the phone and said "Sorry. These people are idiots on this path. They aren't getting over so I can pass!!!" I thought of fourteen things I could yell out to her, but decided everyone else was so nice that I wasn't ruining a good morning for her. Instead I just felt sorry for the lady on the other side of the call and felt good that I didn't crowd the blind woman more for the crazy one.

This morning my abs are sore (did I say that already?) and again, my delts are sore. I think the delt soreness is from sanding and oiling wood!! I did not only the bench, but also my Adirondack chairs. I have two. I asked DH for some about 12 or 13 years ago, and instead of just getting me plastic ones, he got these wood ones that were more expensive. I liked them the first year or two, then the wood gets weathered and they are rickety. I tried to tighten up the screws and bolts, but some of them won't tighten and some of them are stripped so they won't tighten. So the chairs will remain rickety. All the wood I did yesterday just looks like old, wet wood now. It's drying dark after the tung oil, so I went out and bought some stain and will try to stain them today. They are really ugly right now!

I went out to do the fire pit, but there was lightning and thunder in the distance and it was getting cloudy. So I skipped it since I didn't want to do the paint then have rain that washes it away.

LB was pooped after camp, but I got a text from one of the volunteers.. she got a bulls eye in archery! They said she is a natural. She has done good with archery in the past, her cousins even got her a bow. It needs to be strung and we need to figure out he accessories, and DH said he'd do it and hasn't had time. So I might take it to a sports store and see if they can do it and give us some training. I have to look that up.

Overall, some productive days, some not so productive days so far. Today our friends are taking her in to camp, and I am picking them up and taking them to karate. I have hand therapy at 9:45, I have no idea what I will do for almost an hour and a half between dropping her off at friends' house and therapy.

I am gong to try to workout about 5:30am so I can get it in before it gets too hot, otherwise I have to do it at probably after 11am, and I KNOW it will be too hot and I won't do it. A volume today, I don't know which one yet!

Eventmom: I don't have "more", but from what I remember it's for people who have MORE to lose, MORE birthday's behind them, and more something else. I don't think it's a MORE (HAHA!) intense workout, but I think it's a rehab workout and a little slower. I remember thinking it would be a good workout for light days if I could find it. Great score for sure! If you don't end up liking it or wanting to keep it in your workout box, you can sell it for a lot of money. With the workouts OOP, if I were you I would keep it just because you might like it in the future! I find I like a lot of workouts more as I get older. Especially if they are more low key.

Sorry about your horse.
We are getting some smoke, but mostly the kind that makes the sun orange in the morning, but not really too noticeable when we breathe. People I know who are sensitive aren't complaining, so I use that as a gauge of "it's not too bad". we can still see blue sky. Mostly just the haze in the morning. The sun is just fine during the day!

Ebianco: I always think I should buy the downloads off Linda's site when they are 99 cents, then just put them on a disc. I don't do it though. If she stopped making workouts though or decided to clearance everything and go work at Kohl's or something, I would hoard for sure!! I have some KCM's already I don't do. They look good, I like the concept of them, but I don't do them. I should pull one out some day and just try it. I still won't get rid of them though!

Great job on a pound of weight loss!! That is surprisingly hard to do!! That's awesome. Hopefully you didn't put it back on with Chinese food and junk but at least you know you can lose at least a pound! less bloating is always good too. Sorry about your dog!! Man, you and Eventmom. It's the check in curse for our animals!! Eugene had a "hot spot" on his back leg last week, and I had to take him to the vet. He's on antibiotics and is missing hair in a spot that's about 4" x 4". So this check in curse was for our animals this time I hope your dog is OK and recovers well. And can see now!!

Today is a volume, then getting LB out the door, hand therapy, and hopefully fire pit. Oh, and staining the bench and chairs. I am in charge of pickup today, so I need to plan my time well!!!

[eventmom]

TA year 2 level 6 + 20 min up to the beat for cardio

ebianco - I tend to think my gym instructor was working only when she wanted to. Not sure how old she is - I thought she was in her 40 like 25+ years ago. In all likelihood some of the local students/clients work out with her privately or in small groups. I know she had a zumba class she did from her home. In a way I'm glad I'm not going to the gym,I've ridden more than if I was taking time for the gym.

buzzer - my post was messed up I was commenting on your home maintenance at the bottom of my last post. thanks for the 'more' - I may just have to do it to know what's going on. I agree about selling if I don't like it, t-tapps are at a premium! my horse is doing better so I'll get on her Saturday and see how she goes under saddle. glad the smoke isn't too bad.

[ebianco]

Hi everyone! Today I did Firm Volume 3 but skipped most of the cardio to shorten it down to 45 minutes, and it was great! I really got my heart rate up and love the circuit with all the squats and leg abductions especially. I am going to try to circulate in more Firm volumes/classics if I can figure out my own timesaver premixes (LOL) and get them more in the 45 minute range. I'm going to probably try Volume 1 next and see if I can get it down in the time by nixing all the cardio. I notice I'e done Volumes 4 and 6 more than the others because they fit in that shorter timeframe so hopefully I can mix in some of the others.

Eventmom and Buzzer yeah I agree with holding on to those OOP TTAP workouts!

I'm sorry to hear about your horse too, ugh pet/animal curse! My doggo still has an incredibly swollen face, they said to give it 7 days before that subsides and she has to be totally isolated from the other dogs, and with five dogs that is a headache as you can imagine. Buzzer I know hot spots can be really painful, and that's a big one! Is he wearing a cone so he doesn't pick at it?

Buzzer I like the idea of Linda's downloads then burning them to a DVD, but have long since caved to just buying the DVD if I want it. I have a couple workouts of hers burned to DVDs but I tend to think of them more when I can see them on the shelf.

Your TTapp form-walk around the lake sounded really pleasant! Except for the rude biker LOL. There's always one that has to be rude ugh! I hope your bench and chairs turn out really nice!

I'm so happy with my pound of weight loss! It's actually the best 10-day average I've had in a couple months at least. I didn't bother weighing in yesterday (I never do after Chinese food because it will just be terrible) but I weighed in today and am back down to the 1 pound loss range. Thrilled about that after overeating for two days and junk food! My goal is to eat clean for the rest of the month because the last day of the month weight is what my scale app counts as the monthly metric for the year-long trend if that makes sense. So I try to end on a really positive note. I never really thought about it until I started going up and up and up on the year trend starting in February. Then I made a conscious choice around May to force a downward slope and it's been slow going, but I'm trending down again (even though it's kind of cheating LOL but mentally it encourages me to see a downward trend, even though I still have two pounds to go before my abrupt upward slope started in February).

[Buzzer]

Firm Volume 4 (the one with Kai and Susan)... DONE!
Turbo Jam... started. just couldn't stand it today.
Jari Love some 1000 workout... even worse.

so I guess today is kinda a rest day! I did probably 20 minutes of cardio, even if it was lighter. I guess I was just wasn't into it. I went out at 5:45am, so maybe that's why. Today is my last early day so I guess it's OK to slack! I might go do the lake loop after I drop off LB. I started the turbo jam, and the moves were just too.... Chalene. I just couldn't take the speed bags and her chipper attitude. So I put in Jari, because my notes said "mostly mid level cardio. Pretty good." I did the "cardio only" premix. It started off with her doing weights to warm up. OK, that's Jari. Then she would do an L step for like 2 minutes on one side, then the other. Then a step up 2 minutes on one side, then the other. It was so boring!! I just couldn't. I made it about 15 minutes in before I just found myself not wanting to do 5 minutes of jumping jacks at different levels!!

Yesterday was another 100 degree day in town. LB got to have a water fight in camp, so that is good. I can't believe how hot it is!! I picked them up and took them to a park before karate because we had a few minutes to kill, and they were doing a race to who could get to the top of the slide first through this monstrously huge playground apparatus. LB went up a ladder, and you know how playgrounds have this random dangerous bar across the top of the ladder, just kid head height? Well LB clocked her whole face on it. Her top lip split and she was bleeding. Luckily I put a little ice block thingie into her lunch to keep it cold, so I had her put that on her lip. She said her head hurt all the way up to her forehead. I had to take them to karate, so she went and felt like crap.

I let the instructor know she whacked a metal bar with her face, and he checked in with her. He asked her how she felt, and she told me she said "my head hurts and I am sleepy." He had her do the class. When she told me that afterwards, I was surprised he didn't take her off the mat thinking she may have had a concussion!! I know she was sleepy from camp, so I am not worried, but I'm surprised he didn't think more of it.

She was still feeling the whack before bed, so I gave her some kids benedryl to help her sleep and also to help with the pain. Poor kid. Then she shows me some bug bites she got, of course right as I am ready to walk out of the room. So we had to get up, wash them off, and put calamine on them. She didn't get to bed until almost 10pm, and I have to wake her up about 7:45!! Which sounds like enough sleep, however she is exhausted and probably didn't fall asleep right away. She probably read some of a book.

I am a bit concerned about her head ringing, so I will see how she does this morning.

I went in and looked at her earlier and she stretched her arms, probably expecting me to wake her up! HA! She can sleep more.But at least I know she's Ok.

I got the fire pit painted yesterday, the chair stained, and sat and drank a beer. I don't like beer, but DH found a sour lemon blackberry beer that doesn't taste like beer, so that went down the hatch!!

Today I am probably just going to hang out. Last day of camp so last day for me too.

Eventmom: Let me know how you like the ttapp more! I have a million ttapps right now, and I do have to say they are good workouts, just not for an exclusive rotation. The ab work is really good! Let me know how that one compares to the other ttapps you have!

Ebianco: your poor dog. That's crazy! Swelling for a week. Poor thing! Eugene has been working on a spot on his leg now, which I am starting to get concerned about. I may try to take him to get a bath today. DH has said since the beginning of summer he would take him, and he hasn't so maybe I just need to do it and see if I can get the rest of his winter coat off him without yanking on it grooming it. That might help. He isn't wearing a cone, he seems to be doing a good job of leaving the area on his leg alone. I think with a cone he and Otis would still wrestle, and I'd rather not have him with the cone on when they do, so I am glad he's leaving it alone!

These poor doggos!!

Hope you guys have a great day, and stay cool. it's crazy hot!!

[ebianco]

Happy Friday!

I had in mind to do a tougher cardio today, another Turbo Fire, or Tonique, or something. Then I woke up and had surprising (or not surprising LOL) DOMS in my glutes and abs so decided Tonique was out! And realized I didn't have the stamina for a Turbo Fire. So I went with Cathe LITE Cardio Party, and even that was pretty tough for today, I should have gone with something lighter. I did the first 25 minutes then the extended stretch for a 35 minute workout.

Eventmom waves!

Buzzer I totally know what you mean about Chalene. She is a very acquired taste much like Jillian Michaels. I used to be way in to both of them, but cooled off over the years. They're great when you're really into them/their workouts, but once you cool off, you can't see past their personalities to appreciate the actual workout it seems.

I have also had days where I started one workout, then another DVD, and then a third and just accept you showed up and call it quits!

Lucy is still swelled up poor baby! They DID say seven days (it's only been three) but I was thinking I'd start to see an improvement by now. But if by one week (next Tuesday) she's still all swollen I'll call them. Her eyes would look strange though even if she wasn't swollen, because all of the fur on her eyelids and all of her normal eyelashes were shaved off. So she probably won't look "normal" for some time LOL. I am glad Eugene isn't picking at his hot spot, and isn't developing a new one on his leg. Do you shave off their hair at all for summer, or is just better to thin it out it sounds?

I hope LB's head is doing better, and it isn't something serious!!

The weather has actually been a little mild (for this time of year) the last couple days, only into the 80s. But we hit the high 90s all week next week! Stay cool!

[eventmom]

TA level year 2 level 6 - no cardio ran out of time

ebianco - poor puppy and having to isolate! I think it can take 3-5 days for the effect of steroids to be noticeable. I think I'm not a chalene person, I picked up the turbofires at goodwill. maybe I would have liked her 15 years ago!

buzzer - poor lb! that sounds like it hurt.

ebianco and buzzer - yes to reselling any ttapps I don't like! I've got 2 basic + now.

[ebianco]

Hi all! Today I did Cathe Fit Split the Push + Pull workouts back to back in a premix that is 64 minutes. The last time I did this one in February my note was that it was just okay. Today I loved it! The music wasn't the best but it was still pretty good, and I lift heavier than I did back in February so the workout was really hard for me. It is a slow and heavy type workout, with three sets of 10, 8, and 8 reps (or variations on that). Two exercises in a superset in that format then move on to two more exercises, for about four exercises per body part. It hit the chest and back really well. Definitely more of an upper body focus than lower, but for what she did on the lower it felt really tough. Tomorrow I'll hit my lower body hard with barre. There were no abs so I'll be sure to hit those tomorrow too. My arms feel like they want to fall off now!

Eventmom My DH said that Lucy's eye swelling looks better than it did so I took that to heart, maybe I don't notice as much since I'm constantly cleaning and medicating them. It is starting to look better at least since surgery day. She can definitely squint more which is inconvenient for giving her eye ointment, haha.

I definitely related to Chalene more when I was younger, I notice. Now I like the calmer personality of Cathe that I think may have bored me in my 20s.

Buzzer waves!