TA Meta and everything else - Fall / Winter 2021

[eventmom]

Eoin Finn and his wife did a free set of yoga practices - did the day 9 one (they lock out 2 days after posted). It was pretty good. Rode my horse, came home and did a Charlene Prickett cardio.

buzzer - I am so sorry to hear what happened to LB. I'm glad it isn't going to be anything serious. It's unlikely a horse would bite hard enough to break her arm, but scary anyway. Glad to hear kitchen duty wasn't too bad. I am with you on the modifying, I had to modify some the yoga practice. They love downdog and of course some sun salutations. I just cannot hold them very long.

hi ebianco !

[Buzzer]

rest day... DONE!
Firm Lower body (the old, long one).. DONE!

I did skip the last set of lunges and dips. I just felt like I couldn't do them effectively and would just be doing them because they were there. This workout is LONG! it's fun, but I think it's kinda overkill. You do all sorts of exercises to burnout one leg, then you move to the other. then you do lots of lunges, squats and dips to apparently burnout even more, even though there is nothing left to burnout! Just when I think the workout is done, there is another segment. I did just finally skip to the end too when that annoying lady (I can't remember her name) starting doing the abs where she lies on her side and crunches up. I can't do those, and that is my least favorite Firm abs. so I ended there.

I guess I love and hate this workout!!

So I was thinking, and although I did the Firm every other day when I was in great shape, another time I was in great shape I did splits and Full body Firm one day a week. I did like 2 muscle groups, and I hit them HARD. then the next day I would run and/or do 2 other groups. I did all the upper body muscle groups two at a time (legs I just did all groups together as a leg day), and ran every other day about 3 or 4 miles. On weekends, I'd do one full body Firm, and the other day I would rest or do a long run (8 or 9 miles). I can see the use and logic in that now, since it's taking me longer to recover from my workouts. The hamsters in my brain are starting to run.

I might, after we get back home next week, try doing some splits. I will probably start with Firm splits, and look and see what other splits I have. I love how the firm does cardio and weights, and although I loved STS, P90X and Body Beast, they separate out weights and cardio. I love that the Firm doesn't do that. So I found myself wishing yesterday that the Firm did some more split type workouts!!

I will have to think more on this one.

This is where I might start doing your rotation, Ebianco! HA! I don't have the ability to use the internet on my TV though, I would have to drag out my computer. that might stop me from doing it.

So we are at Great Wolf next week for a few days. I am planning on bringing my P90X yoga, and perhaps some Lindas. I need things I can do in the room while LB and possibly DH are asleep, and those are pretty quiet (except for my grunts!)

Eugene went back to the vet on Saturday morning (part of the reason I didn't workout.... she squeezed him in before they opened). She took out his stitches and pulled out the drains. LB watched and when she pulled out the drain, LB stepped back and her eyes were all big. She was fascinated though. Usually they do those things in the back where the owners can't see, but I was so glad she did it in the room with us! It was cool. So Eugene has two big, about 1" slits in his skin, and he is still wearing a t-shirt to protect them. The vet didn't even charge us! Little by little, he's getting better...

Eventmom: I'm glad to hear his bite wouldn't break her arm! He had a strong bite. It took both hands pulling to get her coat out of his mouth. I was worried about how he was moving her arm around, apparently trying to get it loose so he could snack on it. I was afraid he'd hit it on a bar or past an unmovable bar! She has a bruise, and I'm glad that's all it is! Definitely her come to Jesus moment about horses. She sometimes gets kinda cocky around horses, so this will hopefully take her down a few notches and make her more careful again!!

Hi Ebianco! hope you guys are doing well, and preparing for the party at Thanksgiving!

[eventmom]

yesterday - essentrics stretch
today - joyce bottoms up gold upper body

buzzer - horse bite and pull up grass, I think it would really unlikely they would bite enough to break a bone - it's not like a dog that chews on bones. But still not good! and glad she had a coat on. but yes he could have tossed her arm and had it hit a fence post. All in all not good - i don't mean to belittle what happened but I cannot imagine a horse bitting in a way that could break a bone. As your comment indicated - we do have to be careful around horses especially strange ones. Glad Eugene is healing.

hi ebianco!

[ebianco]

Hi everyone!

Oops I got behind:

Saturday: I was so fatigued so I did an easier Cathe, the Superset workout from the Superset/Push Pull DVD. I went lighter on weights (maybe even lighter than I should have LOL) and it was an overall 53 minute workout. I like that there are some, if not very many, easier/shorter Cathe total body workouts.

Sunday: HIIT day! I did a warm up with Simone rebound workout again for 15 minutes, then this HIIT Caroline workout (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cL05...X0vOQm&index=3) then an extended stretch for a total 55 minute workout. Maybe from going easier on Saturday, but I had a lot of energy to give this workout! I don't know if that was by happenstance or because I have increased stamina, but I was able to push through all the burpee-style moves on this one and still felt energetic at the end of the workout. There was some no impact easier stuff mixed in though.

Mon-Tues: Planned rest days

Today: Started my workout week with lower body-seat focus (it's a lower/upper/lower week) with warm up from Firm Volume 3 then this Caroline glute workout (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QMNy...JFgH7W&index=5) where I stopped at the 31 minute mark when she started core, then this Barlates pretzel workout (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rTeY...JFgH7W&index=6) then a lower body stretch for a 55 minute workout. I liked seeing another complex (3 minute on/30 seconds off) workout structure today, but all the deadlift type style ended up fatiguing my lower back, so I was glad to move on to pretzel. I definitely don't think I pulled anything, but it still feels tired now. Hopefully I will feel fine tomorrow.

Tomorrow is an upper body Caroline workout plus abs, then Thanksgiving!

Eventmom and Buzzer I hope you are both ready for Thanksgiving and have a wonderful time!

That is a crazy thing that happened with the big horse and LB. I'm glad that our resident horse expert (Eventmom) confirmed it likely didn't have the capacity to chomp down too hard, but that must have been stressful all the same!

Buzzer I am glad Eugene got the drains out and is hopefully starting to recover!

Well I actually do the youtube workouts on my laptop, but I can amplify the sound by hooking my laptop up to a speaker I got a long tie ago to use with my iPod. It isn't as good as it being projected large on the TV but it's still better than just the laptop itself. let me know if you end up trying any of them out!

I have that Firm 12 Minute basics cardio DVD too, but not sure why I got something that looks so easy and would have to modify up. I think it was just that overwhelming feeling of "NEW content?!" and having to have it. And now that they are OOP (I think) I'm still glad I got them! I still need to try it out plus the strength workout which sounds from what you said like it might be a little better.

[eventmom]

joyce bug+ lower body and back

ebianco - so I looked at that lower body workout - you must be super strong! I could not do that lb workout, my back wouldn't be able to take it. She's amazing! Have a great thanksgiving!

buzzer - have a great thanksgiving!

[Buzzer]

kinda rest day, but lots of walking around and hills... DONE!
Body Beast chest and triceps... DONE!

So Wednesday we went to Santa's Workshop in Colorado Springs with some friends. They came to pick us up at 8am, so I skipped my workout and instead got us ready to go! Warm clothes, food, and drinks.

Yesterday (Thursday) I decided to follow up on my splits. I have 4 days left until we leave, so just burn it all out before! I grabbed Body Beast after looking through some other workouts and only finding upper and lower body. With 4 days I could do chest and tris, then shoulders (today), legs (tomorrow, Saturday), and Sunday morning, the morning we leave, I could do back and biceps. Then have 4 days of "recovery" with Lindas or Yoga. So I went for it. I picked weights I thought would be good, and ended up only regretting maybe one choice (too light). However, this morning my chest is sore so I think I did ok! I did the decline pushups, but for all the other pushups I did some chest presses on the bench.

One set of triceps I grabbed 8's instead of 10's, and that was a bummer. I wondered why it was so easy! I also grabbed 8's to do the final set of tricep pushups, instead I did the same movement but on the bench. The 8's were way too light. I had no idea though, since he does the pushups for like a minute straight

One thing I don't like about Body Beast that I forgot about, is that Sagi does the lifts slower and more controlled, but then every time he stops lifting and goes to check out the other guys, it's like a brake has been lifted and they go super fast. Not even close to what Sagi was doing. I guess if the cadence stayed that slow, the workout would be 90 minutes instead of 45, but I liked his pace!

So today is shoulders, I debated putting legs in now so they are more recovered by Sunday to go up the 72 stairs to the slides a million times, however I'm not sure I can do shoulders and biceps and back on consecutive days. However, I just had a thought... maybe I can do legs today, bis and back tomorrow, and end with shoulders. hmmmm... maybe I'll do that.

I do remember I HATED the leg workout in Body Beast. So I might pull out a Cathe or KCM... or the dreaded Killer Legs from the Firm.

I slept so crappy last night. I'm sure it's the wine (which I was moderate on!) and big meal yesterday. Today we were invited to another friends house for a Mexican themed Friendsgiving, and I am debating going.

Tomorrow we have a friend we used to hang out with a lot coming into town. She surprised us and texted asking if we could meet Saturday morning. We had no idea she was in town! We haven't seen them for two years! So we are meeting her tomorrow, then we have to pack and leave on Sunday. So I may need today just to have a day off!!

Wednesday we went to Santa's Workshop. I didn't realize how amazing it is! It's the monstrously huge kids amusement park. it started to snow, and we could still ride rides! I have never ridden rides in the snow. Usually all the parks are in the summer so everything is blazing hot. We got there at 9:30am, and didn't leave until 4, and we still didn't ride all the rides! There weren't even any lines. I think the longest the kids had to wait was one ride to complete, but they were always on the next. It was a huge park! They had fire pits to get warm, a magic show that was about 15 minutes we went to see (also to get warm), this zip line that was scary! They put this super deluxe seatbelt on you, but that's it. You are in Santa's sleigh, and you are pulled back and slingshotted forward. I put my hand across LB to hold her in... I just didn't like it was only a seatbelt! I felt like it should also have a bar. We lived though, as did the hundreds of other people who did it that day, but I didn't like that one as much as the other rides!!

It started to snow about 2:30pm, and since it was Santa's Workshop, it made it so festive. They play Christmas carols and the snow, plus all the statues of snowmen, Santa, plus they have this giant rotating tree... it was just fun and put us in the Christmas mood!!!

The ride home was crappy though. The roads were icy and kinda scary. We took backroads home though and met our husbands at a restaurant for dinner. So that ended good!

I hope you guys had a good Thanksgiving!

Eventmom: LB's bruise from the horse is finally arrived. I don't know why it took 5 days! But she has a nice bruise. I'm glad it wasn't worse! I didn't think you were minimizing the bite at all. It was scary, and I'm glad to know that even a giant draft horse doesn't have a bite that could do THAT much damage!!!!

Ebianco: I get the "new" content on Firms though. I have to have all the old style Firms, and if they ever find a "new" workout, even if it's a basic, I would have to have it!! I downloaded that Pilates workout she has on her site, I have never done it. However I have it in case I ever want to. It's a "new" old Firm!!

I didn't know Cathe had any easier workouts. I think all Cathe's are HARD! Maybe I will do push/pull legs today!

So Eugene is doing well. We still have a t-shirt on him because we love the t-shirt. His abscess is healing though, and I feel more comfortable letting him outside with Otis to wrestle. They will be at the doggie hotel for 5 days this week, so I'm glad he is healed enough! They need to get out some energy!

[ebianco]

Hi everyone,

I hope you had a great Thanksgiving!! Mine was very nice. The whole family behaved nicely and it was a really great visit. I indulged LIKE CRAZY but am going to try to eat clean between now and Christmas, when I'm okay with eating like crazy again

Yesterday's workout: Total upper body day, I started with a warm up and brief cardio from Janette Jenkins Bikini Body (10 minutes) then this Caroline upper body workout (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VMRp...aCqjdn&index=6) then the core workout I missed from Caroline's leg workout the day before, then stretch for a total 60 minute workout. This was complexes again and that works well for me. My only complaint with this workout is that there was too much shoulders (well especially for someone who really is trying to minimize shoulder work). So there were two complexes that I just did my own thing - chest for one and back for the other. otherwise it was a great workout!

Today's workout: Back to legs with warm up from Firm Volume 4 and I did one brief step aerobics set, then this Caroline leg workout (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hGaY...JFgH7W&index=7) then Ballet Body download Sitbacks and Tucks 2 which was 13 minutes then Callanetics stretching for approximately a 68 minute workout. I think something I am discovering about the Caroline EPIC 3 workouts that I think they are progressive. Something I have started noticing as I work through my rotation (that jumps all over the place in EPIC sequencing) is that the earlier workouts are definitely easier than the later workouts. Like that first leg workout I did in the entire rotation was a killer, and that was day 21, where today's workout was easier and it was day 1. I noticed that with some of the arm workouts too. It's not a bad thing at all! Just knowing for next time that I should keep that in mind with intensity. So the workout wasn't TOO hard although I was definitely fatigued by the end, and the Ballet Body add on was definitely tough after, my legs were shaking.

I am hoping I'll feel energetic enough to do Cathe Muscle Endurance workout tomorrow, but we'll see. With so many days off in a row, I am feeling more relaxed and well rested.

Eventmom Thankfully my back felt totally fine after I kind of fatigued it with that leg workout the day before!

Buzzer Well we certainly agree about the "new" content on old Firms! i mean they were just must have LOL. I'm sure I'll get around to them and hopefully love them eventually. What is the pilates workout you're talking about? Something from the Firm? I know the Pink Firm came out with one with Allie I think.

I'm glad Eugene is doing better! Hopefully he will improve even more while boarding. I hope you enjoy the Great Wolf Lodge trip!

Haha the Cathe Push/Pull and Supersets DVD workouts are easier, but not "easy" for sure LOL. Her LITE series is a little easier but again on the regular scale they are more intermediate than beginner for sure.

[eventmom]

yesterday - hillary burnett intermediate pilates
today - joyce bug upper body

So I got up in the middle of the night wed night and slammed my toe into a piece of wooden furniture. It hurt but I just went back to bed. got up in the am - it's definitely broken. So no cardio right away. It looks pretty bad but I can walk around, take care of horses etc. but it does hurt.

My SIL, her daughter and daughter's dh all came to visit. They showed up Wed. night but are staying in a hotel. So thanksgiving was the three of them, DD and her BF, and one of my colleagues - he moved here in August but was a Ph.D. student here 15 years ago and he and worked together quite a bit at that time. His family is not here with him (long story). So he joined us (and I'm glad I actually thought to do it, I'm sort of a dunce about stuff like that). He's a nice guy and it seemed like everyone had a good time.

Today DH, SIL, niece & husband and DD all went to the First Americas Museum (https://famok.org/) and new must do if you ever visit OKC. It was really well done. We had the TG buffet for lunch bc any buffet with prime rib is fine by me - OMG we just keep eating!

ebianco - glad your family all managed to get along! We were lucky this group of family is all compatible. Glad your back is okay, I have to admit that 10 years ago it would have been fine. LOL.

buzzer - that santa's workshop sounds amazing! sorry about the bruise that is weird it is just showing up now.

[Buzzer]

Cathe tri-sets legs... DONE!

I used the weights Cathe did (as my little piece of paper in the DVD case I wrote out who knows how long ago, told me to do) and it was TOUGH. I was good the first set, but by the last set, I was feeling it! I paused a lot between sets to catch my breath. Maybe I am that out of shape, but it really got my heart rate and breathing up!! I loved it! I got some stuff done around my workout room too. I have some homeschool books I went through, and also some of LB's old clothes end up in there and I was able to sort them out between sets.

The hamstring roll ins with the ball I ended up doing with one foot on the ground and the other on the ball, and just pushed into the ball as much as I could. I loved it, but man, it was tough!!

I sat down for a bit, relaxing watching a movie with LB, then DH asked me to come outside to help him. I ended up cleaning up around the yard a bunch. DH likes to store things in front of the old garage, and it drives me nuts. I hate having stuff just sitting there in plain view of everyone, I feel like Sanford and Son. So I cleaned it up, moved stuff, and got rid of stuff. you can now see the entire front of the garage, but man, I was starting to think there is something wrong with me!

I was dragging, so tired and it was like my body didn't want to move. I was going over the fact that when I was younger I was told I had a heart murmer, but not to worry about it... then when I went to the natropath she told me I had a minor heart issue and to eat celery.. and I thought, maybe I really need to get this checked!! I was so thirsty. Today, I am not as worried... the soreness in my legs is telling me I was probably just overtrained. I will see how today goes! I will probably go get my heart checked anyhow, since the overtraining reminded me that it's been brought up a few times. Both said it wasn't a big deal, just something odd and not anything anyone could do anything about, but maybe now that I'm getting older I should get a more definite answer.

So yesterday I got a bunch done, and was dragging the whole time. The mind was willing but the body was overtrained! I think if I was going for beating myself up before we leave and I don't get to workout for 5 days (except for yoga or whatever else I bring, plus all those stairs to go down a slide) then I did a good job of beating myself up. Today I will try to get in the biceps and back. I say try, because I am still feeling my chest and triceps!!! No wonder my body is rebelling!

It's good though. I feel really good about the workouts and the soreness.

We really didn't do much beyond just hanging out in the yard, working. LB wasn't terribly happy about it, but she has some crafts she worked on, and she helped me clean stuff up.

Today is workout, see our friends we haven't seen in two years, and then either go to another get together at a friends house or stay at home and pack. I might get a lot of the packing done this afternoon. We don't need a lot of stuff on the trip, mostly swim suits and comfy clothes!

Eventmom: I feel your pain on the toe!! I'm so sorry. My latest broken toe is still a little tender, but luckily I was sick most of the time it was hurting the most so I didn't have to shove it into shoes. You will have to! Ugh. I'm sorry that happened to you, and it's always a stupid way to do it too. Never a dramatic story. Just "slammed it into furniture". It's amazing how much a broken toe can affect so many things. I'm sorry that happened!

Sounds like a great Thanksgiving! I'm so glad the compatible part of the family showed up. That is more of a blessing than just having people that are related to you but sandpaper. Plus you get to see your DD! Any day that happens is a good day.

Ebianco: For some reason, I thought you said the LITE legs was an intermediate workout. I was thinking the whole time "Ebianco said this is intermediate! I'm dying!" I guess if I didn't use weights, it would be though. I looked back, and you did not say this one is. I was thinking "man, that girl is a machine if this is intermediate!" I'm not sure my glutes will function all day today. They ache!! I need to add in more Cathe to my rotation. Not a lot, because I don't like her (although I like her weights workouts), but enough so that these workouts don't kill me! HA! man, my glutes hurt.

The pilates workout is on the fitness favorites website. https://www.fitnessfavorites.com/Pro...ductCode=YPLRW

the second video when you scroll down is the complete video. I have never done it, however it's old firm!!! There are three free videos at this link https://www.fitnessfavorites.com/category-s/111.htm
two are Anna workouts, and I don't find her as charismatic as other instructors. Let me know if you do any of them what you think!!

I did not sleep well last night, or the night before. I don't know why. I am so tired when I go to bed, but then I only sleep 4 - 5 hours again. I was really getting into sleeping 6 or more lately! I don't know what changed. Hopefully I can sleep more coming up so I am not so tired at 7pm!

[ebianco]

Hi everyone,

I had some DOMS in my lower body from the Epic workout yesterday (so much for that last Caroline workout seeming a little easier, I really feel it in my glutes especially!) but I still toughed out Cathe Muscle Endurance today. Actually I followed her on the weights for the most part (used more than her for back and chest but less than her for squats and lunges) and it really wasn't that bad. I didn't know how I would eek out all those leg press (there are six sets of 12 on each leg through the workout, but she only uses one 10#) but it wasn't that bad! With the lighter weights, the high reps weren't bad at all. I have definitely gotten stronger from all these Caroline Epic workouts.

Tomorrow a HIIT workout and hopefully a walk outside if weather allows.

Eventmom I have that Hillary Burnett DVD! I haven't done it in a long time but should pull it out.

I'm sorry to hear about your toe - OUCH! I'm glad you can still walk around...I hope it heals quickly!

I'm glad that you had a good family get together for Thanksgiving!

I am relieved my back feels fine. I think over time my endurance will improve as I seem to be doing a lot of deadlifts. I'm sure you're right about age! In that as I get older I should be more careful.

Buzzer Haha I don't have the Cathe workout you did, it sounds like a toughie!! In fact I don't think I have any of her splits workouts, I just have her total body workouts. I suppose there is a lower body LITE workout (this one: https://www.totalfitnessdvds.com/Cat...ng-E-p/727.htm) which probably is easier than her others, but I don't have it to confirm! Cathe definitely goes much heavier on the legs than I usually do, although Caroline is helping me feel more bold with heavier weights for my legs. I used to use heavier weights years ago, then got really into barre, which really leaned them out like crazy, and since then I have been very leery about using heavy weights and 'bulking' again. But I seem to be okay now, I just make sure to add barre work and a lot of stretching, I think that helps with any 'bulking' aspect I am trying to avoid.

I never even knew that Firm pilates workout existed!!! I will have to try it out!