TA Meta and everything else - Fall / Winter 2021

[Buzzer]

First half of Group Kick Let's Build Shoulders.. DONE!
First part of Bosu Pilates... DONE!

I was half heartedly doing the kickboxing, I just didn't wanna. So after about 1/2 of it (4 songs), I decided that although it was OK, I needed something that would actually do something for me besides take up time. So I switched to Bosu Pilates, which I love! I was able to give it more of an effort, and enjoyed it! I don't know why I didn't feel the love of kickboxing. I hate cardio anyhow, so maybe that had a part in it.

The Bosu Pilates is one of my favorite pilates workouts though. What a tough workout! I loved it. She goes pretty quick, however with the Bosu I feel it so much more so I am grateful she only does 5 or 6 reps of everything!

We had a birthday party yesterday which took up a good portion of the day. It was at a gymnastics place, so everything was cushioned to the max so LB bounced around and had fun! She has been working on making coasters out of popsicle sticks (tongue depressors is what we used to call them.... what happened to that?) so we went to the dollar store and got her more sticks. They also had small cups made out of peppermint candy, so I may have spent too much money on those to give as gifts. Plus a few extra so we can drink egg nog in them and try them out!

We were busy pretty much all day though. It's amazing how time flies lately.

Today we are schooling it all day, LB has violin group and karate. I am feeling a bit over done lately again, I need to figure that one out. Maybe after the holidays it will be better.

Ebianco: I remember I debated P90X3, however I didn't like P90X2 enough to keep going so I skipped 3. It seems like also that he did 30 minute workouts for X3, and I wasn't interested in short workouts. Once I put in a workout, that's my workout. No add ons. So I skipped it. He definitely peaked with P90X original! I have lost interest in BeachBody and Tony Horton now. They went streaming and I don't do that (I can't commit to one company or person enough to stream!) and Tony got kinda crazy with his workouts. I know he's trying to make a come back, but I think I will stick to old (not currently older) Tony!

I love that you are seeing results, and your husband is noticing too! That's the best! Congratulations!

Hi Eventmom!

[ebianco]

Hi everyone,

I had an unplanned rest day yesterday. I was just so physically tired/sore and unmotivated. I made up for it today by taking a 45 walk with the dogs, better than nothing!

Eventmom Waves and I hope you continue to recuperate!

Buzzer I have that Bosu Pilates workout, I really need to pull it out and try it! I used to be soooo into kickboxing maybe 10 years ago when it was really having a moment and was in all the new workouts. I still enjoy it, but not like I used to.

The party sounded like it was a blast! Haha tongue depressors vs. popsicle sticks. Along those lines, there is a joke that you can gauge someone's age if you show them a picture of "#" and they say whether it is a pound sign or a hashtag (I still see a pound sign LOL).

It's interesting with Tony Horton because his P90X product really built up Beachbody in a way they probably wouldn't have achieved without him. but then Tony got older and they cut him loose I guess? That's what I heard. Like you said I know he now has his own exercise gym or streaming that he is doing, but it seems wrong that he no longer has Beachbody as a platform.

I tried doing a P90X3 rotation (at the time, the shorter workouts appealed to me a lot) but I fizzled out. I am just not much of a Tony person. One of the interest things I learned in one of his workouts though is that it is much harder to balance (like on one foot or whatever) with your eyes closed, usually you focus on one spot to keep you balanced but keeping your eyes shut is much harder. I did get some use out of my pull up bar with band assist but it's not set up yet at the new house.

[Buzzer]

Cathe Trisets legs... DONE!

I had to do this one again! It made me so sore, and was so intense, I had to do it and analyze why it made me so sore. Know what it was? All the one legged moves, and I think the one that really got me was the one legged squats. I did the workout with some modifications, such as putting my back foot down on one legged squats instead of keeping it in the air. I still tried to put all my weight on the front leg, but I needed it to balance and to walk the next day!

I tried to match Cathe in all her weights, however she went to 20's on a set (I don't remember which one) and there was no way I could do that. I tried to match her, but that woman is strong!!Overall I think I did really well.... then I went in the house and took a cool shower. I kept gradually turning the water colder and colder while I iced my legs. I remember that helping stave off soreness when I ran and didn't want shin splints!! It worked. The soreness today is more like a bother than debilitating.

It was a great workout though! I loved it! Today I will probably just do a stretch or a yoga. I thought about a cardio, but I'm not sure with my semi-jelly legs I would have the energy for it. I'll see when I get out there.

Yesterday flew by! Today we need to make pumpkin pie squares for the CC party tomorrow, get some things for our crafts to sell, and get to crafting so we have crafts to sell. PLUS we have to do karate today and DH has a medical procedure I have to drive him to. I have no idea how we will get everything done today.

Ebianco: I was wondering where you got your energy, especially when you talk about how sore you are getting! I'm glad you took a rest day. I have a hard time doing much when I am too sore, and I think it's probably counterproductive.
I was really into kickboxing at one point too, even took a teacher training for kickboxing!! The class was so super intense though it kinda killed my love for it.

He made us keep going through lunch, I think he gave us like 10 minutes or something ridiculous instead of the advertised hour. A few of us had protein bars we had brought with us, and I remember the whole class with our feet on the wall laying on the floor, passing whatever bars we had around so everyone would at least get something in their stomaches! He also made us kick higher and if we couldn't (I couldn't becuase of hamstring tightness) he made us kick over and over until we did. He wanted us to be so perfect, and most of us couldn't be. At the end, when he tested all of us after kickboxing for 8 hours +, he marked us down if we didn't kick high enough or show enough energy. It was insane.

It seems like the class started early, and we got out at like 5 because I ran to Taco Bell and was late to my nephews birthday party. It was like kickboxing bootcamp, and although I cheered when I made it through and was certified, I only taught it once as a sub and then didn't want to do it again. I was kinda over kickboxing then. It was more like I made it through an initiation than through a teacher training.

I totally agree on the Tony thing! If it weren't for him, Beach Body would not have gotten traction like they did. He kinda made the company. Then they booted him! I feel bad for him, but I really didn't like X2 or X3. It felt like sequels to super popular movies, they tried but really would have been better not made. Some day I may cave and get X3 just to have shorter workouts, but right now I am content without.

I have a pull up assist too! However, I use all 3 bands on it, plus have to have a light foot on a chair. I am bad at pull ups!! Every time I do them I think "I need to work on this" but it's so hard I only do it when I have to. I have no idea how the German girl in P90X can be so over achieving at them!!

Hi Eventmom! I hope you are getting your workouts in and your toe is doing better!

[eventmom]

hi the two of you! I was attending an on line workshop dec 1- dec 5 and just couldn't keep up with our checking.

Dec 1 - essentrics full body training
Dec 2 - action jacquelyn defined booty & arms + 15 min walk
Dec 3 - AJ cardio barre butt lift + 10 min walk
Dec 4 - AJ booty & thigh + 10 min arm
Dec 5 - AJ killer booty & arms + 10 min stretch
Yesterday - chapters from yoga shakti
today - AJ ballet body sculpt + 20 min walk

my toe is nearly better but my cardio is walking (from youtube) I don't think I could handle jumping.

buzzer - that kb training sounds over the top.
ebianco - my essentrics last wed was a sort of extra rest day, just needed an easy day.

so I'm trying to get up the umph to get back to TA. it gave me the best results of my life but wow it's just so much. Maybe when the semester is over.

[ebianco]

Hi everyone,

I started my workout week today (lower leg heavy this week) with a warm up and one cardio step tune from Firm Volume 5 then Heather's Bench leg workout (this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pSjT...JFgH7W&index=9) then a Ballet Body download for table work, then stretch for an overall 56 minute workout. I added this Heather in for some variety from Caroline, but also because the variety of exercises - Caroline does not do any leg presses (so far that I have come across). I liked the music in this one better too and the structure which was 40 seconds on/20 second rest with trisets-one exercise working both legs, then one exercise working just one leg, then switch sides, then repeat all three of these before starting the next grouping. The Ballet Body table work after was great too, I added 1.5# ankle weights. Definitely a glute-focused workout! Definitely the best workout I've had with Heather so far, and one I would do again for sure. I still feel like her workouts aren't quite as challenging as Carolines, but that also depends on how heavy you go with weights.

Tomorrow will be my first workout with "growingannanas" an upper body and core. I'll let you know how I like her!

Eventmom welcome back! I am so glad your toe is feeling better!

Buzzer Even though I am nearing halfway through my rotation, I still feel totally dragging on my odd week (upper body focus) weeks. But then I feel totally rejuvenated during my even (lower body) weeks! At least I am feeling great so far this week The rest day probably helped. I felt really fresh going into my workout today.

That sounds like a totally grueling kickboxing bootcamp training course! That would have singlehandedly burned me out from kickboxing for sure I had one live class once with Billy Blanks where I was pretty high energy but really started to wane during the standing section, but then we went to floor (for table work and stuff) and I was one of the only people in the whole class of about 75 people that could easily keep up with the leg work! At the time I thanked my Firm floor work. This was also when I found out it's not always great to meet your celebrities because he wasn't that friendly in person. He wasn't rude but he seemed like he really wasn't into it that day and didn't want to interact with anyone.

Yeah Beachbody really didn't treat Tony right! I think X2 just looked to 'functional fitness' to me, there is no way I would want to try to balance on the balls in plank and stuff like he did. My DH did X2 before I met him and he liked it...but has never worked out to videos again since we've been together LOL. And X3 was okay but nothing overly special about them that I remember, but I should still give them another try. I'm glad you get so much use out of X(1)!!

[eventmom]

yesterday - AJ total body barre + 30 min gina b latin dance
today - AJ dancer pilates sculpt + 20 reps to the rhythm

I forgot to say my daughter got covid. She lost her taste and smell but no fever and doing okay overall. She can't work and as she's only parttime she's got no sick leave.

ebianco - that leg workout looks crazy hard! wow! I'm actually trying to be careful with my glute workout - too much hurts my low back. So I need it but need to be moderate.

hi buzzer!

[Buzzer]

Turbo Jam Cardio Party... DONE!
Margaret Richards Triple Threat upper body... DONE!

I was feeling kinda blah, but wanted cardio. So I did Turbo Jam. It ended up being fun! I HATED the "You've been Jammed!" afterwards. It was really stupid. It was basically them doing a stupid prank and then jumping in like rappers with their hands and yelling "You've been Jammed!!" I was embarrassed for them. Chalene with her hat on all trendy and crooked with a "doo rag" under it was annoying too. She is just generally annoying to me I think.

Anyhow, Turbo Jam was fun! I didn't jump around and get into it as much as they do, but I got the workout done and enjoyed it.

I thought about Firm and Cathe for upper body.... even thought about KCM since I was starting late. However, I saw Triple Threat, thought about how hard it was and decided to go for it. I had like, 4 different "reviews" tucked into it... one where I was 4 months pregnant and used 3's and 5's, and three more ranging from "use 3-20 pounds, it's good" to "this was easy "

Kinda cracked me up! I guess it all depends on the day. Anyhow, I tried to go with Margaret's weights. A few things I went heavier, such as chest flies (she grabbed 8's, I grabbed 15's). I did all the pushups on my fanny lifter. It was a great workout! I feel it today in my biceps! I'm surprised I don't in my chest. Maybe that is later! It was a death by repetition, but it was good. She looks like she is struggling in a few places, but not too bad. Mostly she's lifting her chin to the breeze and just moving those weights like she doesn't have a sore muscle in the world. I, on the other hand, was struggling and making noises and trying my hardest to stay in form while moving the weights as "effortlessly" as she was.

I can see throwing this workout in occasionally, but not regularly. I would be bored with all the reps!!

We went to a rather huge hotel yesterday for their Christmas event. They had outdoor tubing, and LB and I must have hauled those tubes up and slid down at least 20-30 times! It was a blast! You had to carry your tube up this incline to get to the top of the hill, and it was 37 walking steps to get to the top of the first incline, then a short platform then 4 more steps to get to the top. I ended my day with 15,207 steps overall. Plus walking through the hotel to see all the lights and do the activities... it was a BLAST. The tubing hill turned to ice at the end, and became super fast. By the end of the evening (it closed at 9pm) we were all completely exhausted, thirsty, and all of us had aching feet and legs. The drive home was endless because we were so tired (and it was about an hour!), and when I got out of the car, my feet wouldn't move and they felt like cement.

It was so much fun though! The hotel was enormous! There were lights outside, an ice skating rink, a place to have a snowball fight (LB did that for a bit), mini golf (you had to pay for everything though). There was also some lights to walk through, the tubing (which is what we paid for!), and all sorts of indoor things like a cirque de soliel (I don't know exactly how to spell that one) show, an escape room... we did this Elf experience, which turned out to be from the Elf movie and you walk through different scenes in the movie and do activities. My favorite room was the department store where he decorated! I have been trying not to take too many pictures, but I took pictures of that room!

Overall, it was so worth it. However, I am counting that as a second workout for the day for sure! That incline to the top of the hill with a heavy tube really got my heart rate up. We were putting the tube on our heads to carry it, which actually made it easier. I think we wouldn't have gone near enough if DH hadn't discovered that trick.

Anyhow, I should be more worn out, but I'm not. My muscles are sore, but I'm much better this morning than I think I should be. I am attributing that to working out! I know my strength and stamina is much better. I still thought I looked like I weighed 200 pounds in all the pictures, but I am getting better at accepting the fact that the camera adds 75 pounds.

Eventmom; I'm glad your toe is getting better! I'm sorry your daughter got covid. I'm glad it's a mild case though. Hopefully she has a little set aside to make it through not getting paid. After the shutdowns of before, I know a lot of people started adding to their savings to make sure they will make it through better if there's a next time. Young people are supposed to have an easier time with covid too, so she has that on her side! Glad your semester is almost over. It's been a better year than last year though!

Ebianco: I have actually heard Billy Blanks is a jerk in person! I always thought he seemed like he would be so nice and enthusiastic. I guess it's a TV performance to him. I met Shawn T once in a teacher training for some dance workout and he was really, really nice! He walked around the room and met everyone beforehand, and was so personable. I liked him before, but ended up really liking him even more at the end! The only problem I had was I never got my certificate or the DVDs they said they would send to help us remember the dance moves he taught. I let it go, but sometimes I wish I would have followed up more and made sure I got both. I called once and they said I would get them... I waited, nothing. I decided I wasn't going to teach the class anyhow so it was no big deal. It sure would have been nice to have the DVDs though! Oh well.

I seem to remember with P90X2 that I felt like I had to modify too much since he did all that balancing on 4 balls stuff and I didn't! I think I made it through part, then decided I just didn't want to modify that much, and it wasn't as good of a workout with all the modifying. Beach Body wasn't good to Tony who helped launch them into something big, and also wasn't good to the coaches! The coaches were like their back bone, their money makers, and when they went to streaming all the coaches were left high and dry. I was Facebook friends with a few coaches, and they were really confused and upset about how BB treated them. They just took away their incomes and were like "well, sell our supplements then". That kinda soured me on BB also.

I have no idea what I am going to do today. Probably a stretch! The house is a mess too, with crafts and stuff that didn't sell, more crafts, laundry, the kitchen is a mess becuase LB and I made some healthy desserts yesterday then realized we had to be at violin in 15 minutes so we didn't clean up after ourselves (and after violin, we ate then I had to get us ready for the hotel Christmas event so I never got back to it)... all this stuff we set down and ran out for the last few days is all piled up and I have to deal with it today! It is snowing though! So pretty. I put the dogs on the deck, and only like 1/2 hour later they were knocking to come in. I opened the door and they are both coated in snow. YAY!! Finally. winter may finally be here!

[ebianco]

Hi everyone,

Happy Friday! Catching up from yesterday, it was an upper body day and I had my first "growingannanas" channel workout, this one (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0Qb...aCqjdn&index=9) which was pretty good. Much like Caroline and Heather, Anna doesn't speak during the workout but there's a timer and preview to let you know what's coming. This one was 50 seconds on/10 off throughout. This one was different than Caroline or Heather in that the upper body was scattered, in that you didn't burn out one muscle group, but it started with a lot of back, then some biceps, chest, shoulder, then back to back, biceps, shoulder, then a lot of ab work, then back again, lots of plank work where I just decided to do chest flies, and more plank work and some burpee type moves as a finisher. I liked it, but it was not as laser focused on muscle building as Caroline is, or even Heather. The music was good though and I still look forward to trying more of hers. With warm up and brief cardio, and my own extended stretch it was an overall 55 minute workout.

Today was back to lower body and back to Caroline! It was another Tempo series workout (this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7VeZ...FgH7W&index=10) which hit the whole lower body but a lot of quad work especially which was what I was looking for today, then I added Barlates download Interval Barre Fusion Lower which was standing barre work, to really burn out those quads and inner thighs, then stretch for an overall 65 minute workout. I was NOT planning to go for a walk with the dogs after but the weather is milder (high 40s) and they seemed to really expect it so I ended up doing a 40 minute walk too.

Eventmom I really hope your daughter recovers from COVID soon!!!

I have to be careful about my lower back too when doing glute work, but especially deadlifts. Still, I definitely feel like my stamina/strength in my lower back has improved significantly with this rotation.

Buzzer Turbo Jam is super fun but that's part of the problem for me too (Chalene being generally annoying). I used to ADORE her energy! Now when I do them, I think it is just over the top and annoying. Am I getting cranky as I get older?! The workouts themselves are solid and fun and I really like Cardio Party in particular!

That is funny about Billy Blanks. He wasn't super rude, you could just tell he REALLY wasn't into teaching a class at that moment. I guess it's good that he didn't cancel last minute, but then it's also like try to pretend to be energetic and upbeat? I don't know. I am not surprised Shawn T was super nice!

I have heard that Beachbody was unkind to Chalene too. She really kept Beachbody going too (maybe not as huge as P90X but with her Turbo Jam/Fire series, Piyo, and Chalene Extreme). I didn't hear about all the other coaches, I just assumed the new ones are treated well, that's so sad to hear! I agree with you about P90X2, having to modify so much to make it safe for me doesn't leave too much of the actual workout part!

Wow snow!!

[eventmom]

30 min essentrics sculpting

so I woke up EARLY like 3-3:30 headache, eventually took medicine but not up for a real workout.

buzzer - I used to own triple threat but gave it up, you can go heavier than most of her workouts on that one. my daughter definitely has savings but it's not sustainable to work parttime and not have enough to cover basic expenses if you get sick. Businesses complain about finding workers but it's either temp gigs or part time right now. She is feeling better and hopefully will go back to work on Wednesday.

ebianco - my daughter is getting better. that's great that your low back is feeling stronger. I know I have stenousis (sp?) so I'm finding I need to be extra careful.

[ebianco]

Happy Saturday!

Today I did Cathe High Reps. Much like last weekend, I went a little lighter on the weights so it wasn't AS hard but I still got in a really good workout. Of all the muscle groups, the triceps REALLY burned for me today. That was a real struggle. I did good through the rest of the work and especially enjoyed the unweighted slider work for the lower body today.

Eventmom I am glad your daughter is feeling better! The workforce is really tough right now. Employers complain about the great resignation but they don't seem to be doing much if anything to improve their standards.

Buzzer waves!