TA Meta and everything else - Spring / Summer 2022

[Buzzer]

Hours and hours and hours working on the island project... DONE!

HA! OK, probably not that much, but I did work on it for a few hours! I started probably about 9:15am, worked until 10:15. Then I took LB to an Easter egg hunt at the karate place and to the grocery store for sushi. So by the time we got home again, I worked on the island project from about 2 until 5:30 again. Digging up rocks, wheeling them over to the island, moving them around... also we had some kinda triangle shaped flagstone for a circle that never really worked out. I dug those up, put them in the wheelbarrow, unloaded them into place and put them around the flag pole. LB helped me so much!

I had to put dirt under the triangle flagstone to level it out, so more shoveling and hauling. So now we have a lot of river rocks around the little dry creek bed we built (we still have to arrange them), landscape fabric down and a flagstone circle around the flag pole, and plans for getting lava rock to fill in near the flagpole. Lots of hauling and digging!!!

Today my forearms are so sore! My whole body is talking to me. I sat in the "napping chair" (the massage chair) for 40 minutes this morning. I woke up at 3:45am and was so uncomfortable I couldn't fall back to sleep. Kinda a bummer since today is Easter and I have some cooking to do and no downtime!

We are going to my sisters house this afternoon. I thought about calling it all off and just doing something here, since the cost of gas is so high and I am getting tired of the over an hour drive there and back (so about 2 1/2 - 3 hours in the car today) but it's nice to get together with family, so we will go. Plus LB looks forward to seeing her cousins!

I am kinda in a hurry to work on the island project since the weeds are starting to grow. I want to get a lot of it done before they grow too big and I have to add in more work to chop them down again! Perhaps I will just lay down plastic over the parts I'm not working on, so the weeds will die off. So far it's been fun, and LB has been a huge help. She's shoveling, moving rocks, and helping me figure out the vision. She also grabbed her stick horse and trotted around the flagstone to help pack it down more permanently. She is working hard too!

So no workout yesterday, and probably not one today too. I am thinking of going out and doing an abs though, since that's the only part of my body that doesn't seem to be sore right now, and they need the most help!

Eventmom: yesterday here was about 55 degrees, which was perfect for doing the work outside. I am so glad we haven't had 80's yet! I agree on the wardrobe... this time of year is so hard. It's summer one day, winter the next, then spring. it's like you have to have everything you own out and on just in case you have to layer!

Ebianco: I loved how you said you were going to dial down your workouts for a bit, then proceeded to go for a 45 minute run, do a pretty intense ab workout and stretch. That does NOT sound like dialing it down!! HA! Way to dial it down!!

I really like that all the Cathe's feel new to me too! It's nice to have what feels like good, solid new workouts to do! I had a bunch of Cathe's I never did, and now I feel like it's paying off getting them. Her workouts are really well thought out for sure! Well, except for doing more leg work after that long leg day I had. That wasn't so well thought out!

I will admit that she is making me do a lot more legs and cardio, two things I am not near as fond of. I am actually not minding it either. I look at the walking workouts I was doing, and I think "I don't want to do that. It's too easy". Who have I become!???!! My clothes still fit the same, I still have more of a belly poking at my shirts than I am comfortable with, however I am glad she is getting me to kick it up a few notches! It feels good.

I am not excited for summer since I don't have a summer body anymore, however I am not feeling near as self conscious as I have for the last few years. So either she's pulling things in and somewhere in my subconscious I am seeing it, or I am just feeling better. I think I'm just feeling better with this work! I am still surprised to look in the mirror and see an extra padding under my chin still I sometimes feel like I can live with the extra belly fat, but the extra chin is too much. People look at your face first, and I know it's not what they see first, but it's what I do and I feel like it's just this large albatross around my neck (literally!)

Oh well. Sucks getting older! I am enjoying my workouts, and considering such a small segment of the population works out on a regular basis, I am grateful to be one of them!

[eventmom]

TA level 2.10 day 3 - didn't do the hang off the chair with my hands on the floor, I just did them standing. I'm sure it's not the same but this is my third day waking up with a bad headache and no way was I going to try to do that move.

after I rode I did an essentrics - not loving this season. The 'stretches' are stretching enough. Some of the early CS really did stretch but now everything seems not stretching enough to be a stretch and not physical enough to be muscle work. Maybe that's just me.

buzzer - hope you had a nice time visiting your family even if the drive is sucky. I would love to see some pictures when you get this island project done!

hi ebianco!

[ebianco]

Hi everyone,

Checking in for yesterday, I did not feel like doing Dream Body. I did Pure Barre Results Focus - Abs (warm up through the final ab burst right before the regular abs so about 47 minutes) and then I did Classical Stretch season 14-13 "Glute Toning" which was just as much stretchy back standing work and while Miranda did some barre toning I did hip/thigh stretches. It was great! For about a 70 minute workout total. Per my notes it's been a few months since I have done Pure Barre (at least this specific workout was in late October, so nearly 6 months!) and I have to say it is definitely easier now. I could do the plank/pushup work much easier, which I thank Caroline for, and the other work was easier too significantly. I don't know if I have Caroline or Dream Body to thank for that but it's great! Combined with the Classical Stretch I felt worked out but rejuvenated more than just worked out.

Eventmom You're right about CS, I end up infusing more freestyle stretching to make it more stretchy, and I totally agree it isn't physical enough to feel like muscle work. I really just want more STRETCH in the classical stretch, like dynamic stretching infused with static stretching would be perfect for me. Were the earlier seasons more stretchy? I would love to know that! I really only have season 10 for reference (the only season I own) and I did like the one episode I tried in season 14 yesterday. I'm thinking of signing up just for a month or two (it appears to be $15/mo) to sample a few earlier seasons to see if maybe I want to invest in one. Like I said I freestyle some of the CS I did, but it does really make me feel much better. In general I liked the music in my season (10) more than I did with season 14 but still appreciate the variety. You can't beat the scenery wherever they are. Someone on GD mentioned about Miranda staying on topic and actually cuing in season 14 and i found that to be the case with the episode I did, and it did help me to get more out of it.

Buzzer LOL well the funny thing is that running is less intense/less dread inducing than Dream Body for me. Although, I was pretty drained after! I felt some back of neck soreness yesterday and realized I was pulling on my neck during the ab work, which was all old school crunch style. I haven't done that in years (pulled my neck during ab work) so I was pretty surprised. Maybe I was more tired after running even than I realized!

I'm glad you're enjoying more intense workouts! It's wonderful when you feel like you've grown in your fitness. I was surprised to find Pure Barre was that much easier when I revisited it yesterday. I mean it was still hard, my legs were still shaking during the leg and thigh sections.

I don't feel like I have a summer body either I was starting to do better with my inches a few weeks ago, then got slammed with more stress and I swear I feel tired ALL THE TIME this last couple of weeks. And my eating seems to keep sliding. I boohooed to myself even a few months ago about gaining so much weight, and now I've gained more weight. It's been slow going over the past two years where I gained about 2-3 pounds then it turned into 4-5 pounds and now it's turned into 6-7 pounds (total). It's not much, and I can still fit into my clothes, but the creep has been persistent and it really drags me down. This weekend I pulled out some summer shorts and was relieved they still fit me, but I can see the difference in my face in a way I don't like lately. I'm hoping the return to work will at least put a huge dent in my anxiety. I can let go of all the unknowns over the pat two years (about what return to office will look like), get used to my new regular schedule which shouldn't change again...and in turn hopefully my weight will go down a little bit because I'll be moving around a lot more and be busier. It does suck getting older. But I agree with you, I pride myself on being part of the very small percentage of people that works out regularly!!

[eventmom]

TA level 2.10 day 4 - modified to all standing. Tried some cardio - so not feeling cardio right now. I'm just too cranky for happy upbeat instructors. I think I should start a youtube channel for cranky cardio - sort of Hi Ya'll! Not feeling it but need to get in some steps? Cheerful upbeat people make you want to break your laptop/tv etc? Join me in walking workout where I won't talk and I'll pick songs that are good to walk to but not about how happy someone is, or will be! No crap about how this workout will lift your spirits, screw that we just want to get in some steps.

ebianco - I have season 10 & 6 - both have some episodes that are really just stretches. They do film in beautiful settings. I hear you on the weight stuff. I'm up 10 pounds from what I was for quite sometime. It's so frustrating - like you and buzzer I'm part of the 'but I really do workout' crowd so I guess that counts for something.

hi buzzer!

[Buzzer]

Chest, Back and Deltoids, plus core... DONE!
Xtrain Cardio legs... DONE!

So the rotation for Xtrain says to put core at the end of cardio legs. That's ridiculous. HA! I am so tired after that workout, there's no WAY I can do abs after it. I am putting abs after the easier workouts on the other days!

C,B and Delts was a fun workout. I wasn't especially spunky that day, so it was much easier to motivate myself for that workout than it would have been on. a cardio legs day! I grabbed Cathe's weight or higher (since I am on a bench and she is on the ball, so I could lift more) and focused as I lifted! There were a few times I was behind her on reps since I was focusing, so I paused more than I probably should have. However I do have trouble lifting with a video so overall I did pretty good!

The core work is a lot of full situps (from laying down to touching your toes), that I thought wasn't good for you. I like them, I try to hold in my tummy because I seem to remember the reason they are bad is that people let their tummy pooch out on them. The last 16 reps of full situps at the end she goes so stinking fast, so I pause and do them slower with focus. Overall I like the core workout too!

Yesterday was cardio legs, and I went 100% on it. I grabbed heavy weights, I went low, I pushed... I even contracted the muscles when she didn't say to through the whole exercises. I was worn out, and several times came close to hitting my "max heart rate"! It was really good. I wasn't wasted the rest of the day either. Which was good, because we had a busy day again!

Today we don't have anything planned except school. It is supposed to be a nice day, so if LB's friends can come over we will have them over this afternoon. Yesterday we visited a friends house after homeschool playground, and they had new bunnies. So we checked out the bunnies, and their new chickens, then she was showing me all she is doing around the yard. I noticed she had lava rock and asked her if she is getting rid of it (she was telling me all the plans for her yard, and I got the impression she was) she said yes, so I told her I'd take it! So instead of buying lava rock for around the flag pole (and perhaps other places around the island) I am getting it for free from her! I love that.

I might work on my island project today if LB has friends over.

I am feeling kinda exhausted again, just so much going on. LB has a recital for the next two weekends, and it's time consuming practicing. Plus we are still in school, and all the projects (garage, island, house, vacation planning, summer schedule organizing, planning for next school year). I am just feel worn down. I guess it's normal at the end of the school year, but man, I am tired!

Eventmom and Ebianco: I think that is my biggest issue with CS. I feel like it's too much muscle work to be stretch and not enough stretch. The muscle work is different than what I do so it wears out the muscle just enough that it's tired, but not enough that it is truly a muscle workout. The stretch isn't long enough or even feels like a stretch. I feel like it's purely a movement workout, and I would get more out of walking around my yard or stretching on my own. I don't know what to call CS. I think that's why I don't reach for it much. I don't understand it apparently!

Ebianco: I feel ya! Every time I feel like I'm making progress on losing weight or getting more toned up, something whacks me and I lose the progress. Whether it's a trip out of town, or some bad meals in a row, poor sleep, some seemingly unproductive workouts... I just can't get ahead. Some of my summer stuff doesn't fit, but I keep it anyhow hoping it will!! I might this year finally get rid of it. Bums me out!

[ebianco]

Hi everyone,

I started my workout week today with Caroline upper body (this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OCh-...4uVpN&index=14). It is a repeat from last rotation and it just goes by so fast, 45 seconds on 15 off with opposing muscle groups, with a little bit of abs in the end. I was able to do warm up, light cardio, the arms, and stretch in 54 minutes. I know I've said it before but I really like the EPIC Heat workouts. They are fast moving and more metabolic and just a little shorter, but I also love the EPIC 3. I found the EPIC Endgame workouts to be slightly too grueling, and the new IRON series looks good whenever I get up to it!

I wanted to spend this last weekend setting up a new 12 week exercise rotation but I was too busy and kind of feeling mopey and tired, and so I'm just winging it for now. I'm just choosing the workout for the next day, with a general idea of what I want to do for the week, like I used to do. I figure the next three weeks I'll just keep doing what I've been doing, then that fourth week I'll be returning to work so really need to put more thought into how I want to get in my morning workouts (really just for Wednesdays, the only day i'll both be in the office and be exercising, I'll be in Tuesdays too but that's a rest day for exercise). But for now I'm okay winging it.

Eventmom and Buzzer I also don't totally "get" CS and probably would have given up on it except it makes me feel notably looser afterwards, so there is something special about it. But like I said I feel like I have to freestyle it in every workout I do by adding in my own stretches whenever Miranda gets too strength-y (with those rare exceptions that are totally stretch workouts like Eventmom said) so I'm not really doing it as prescribed. It does seem like more of a "movement" workout like you said buzzer.

The last couple of weeks it seems like I kept getting on the scale, thinking I would maintain or lose weight based on my food/rest/etc and then keep gaining. Yesterday was an upward movement again and I was beginning to feel really frustrated, like really?! And then I had a regular day yesterday, maybe a little light with eating but not overly so, and lost 3# overnight which never happens, so maybe I just had eaten a lot of foods that were bloating me? Or tomorrow will just be back to a higher weight? I don't know. I think I'm just so stressed out at the return to office that I just feel constantly frazzled. Hopefully after I return and get used the new schedule, I'll be feeling much better. It's stressing me out though!

[eventmom]

yesterday - warm ups from ravi & ana beginners and beyond then karen voight yoga stretch
today - TA 2.10 day 5 no cardio because we had people come to talk about doing the outdoor work I need.

buzzer & ebianco - I've really appreciated CS when I was recovering from medical stuff. then it really fits a necessary workout need. When I had intestinal surgery and things like that. The older seasons do have some pure stretches that are pretty nice IMO. Here you both on the weight thing! I finally got rid of 7 pairs of pants as I gave up on them ever fitting. It's so frustrating.

[Buzzer]

Xtrain Burn Sets Bis and Tris... DONE!

This workout was tough lifting wise, however a break compared to everything else! I love to lift and look forward to those days of pure lifting for sure. I went with 20's for my biceps to start every set, even though I seldom finished at 20's. I would drop to 15's, but I am proud of myself for even starting (and usually getting at least 1 or 2 sets!) with the 20's!

The triceps I matched Cathe's weight. I didn't think I'd be able to do 12's on kickbacks (one arm at a time) but I did it! It wasn't even that hard! Today I am pleasantly sore. It's another 80 minutes of legs today, which I am strangely OK with since it isn't impossible. By the time you are getting tired of one type of leg work, she is moving onto another. So it isn't as daunting as cardio legs, even though it's longer!!

Yesterday LB and I were happily going along, doing school, when I got a text from the violin teacher... I was thinking it was Tuesday for some reason but no, it was Wednesday and we were late for our violin lesson!! So we quick got ready and got down there. I have no idea where time went this week! What happened to Tuesday??? We got a lot done yesterday though. After school I worked on my island project, bringing dirt over to level out some of the surfaces. Or, at least make the slopes more gentle and less like mini cliffs all over the place so when I put down stones or ground cover, it's more even. It was hot though! Only about 70 degrees, but working it seems hotter!

Ebianco: I ended up not getting fit split. I just am not too excited about it yet, and I know if I buy it, it will just sit in my workout room until I start doing the rotations with it in it. So I skipped it. There are a ton of Cathe's I don't have, and honestly I'd rather have the Lite series first. Even that I am OK without having. However, if that one comes up on deals of the day, I probably won't hesitate!!

I think every day I wake up and am surprised all my extra padding is still there. I eat carefully, I try not to snack, I make healthy foods... plus I added in some good workouts and lots of cardio! Shouldn't it be melting off? I'm sorry you are going through the same thing! It's hard when you don't know why it's coming on. plus, once it's there it doesn't come off. I have no idea why you'd lose 3 pounds over night... my guess is the bloating too, but it still never makes sense to me. Where does 3 pounds go when you sleep??? I mean, at least it wasn't a gain, but still. I have studied all sorts of angles of the body since my 20's, mostly exercise but also nutrition, and I still don't understand the body!

Eventmom: I used CS once for a stretch when I just felt overworked and tired all the time, and it was really useful then. I felt like I was getting in some strength, but getting the stretch and gentleness I needed. I also used it during my barre kick, and would use the barre techniques during it to stretch longer, contract while I was stretching, brace my core, reach extra long... I think that's why I got some back pain from CS. It felt good though!

So the man across the street, who was 89, passed away on Easter. It's good, he's with his wife now who passed in 2020, but of course gets me thinking. We are all headed that way, and I don't want to leave LB to go through all my crap. So it's reigniting a fire under me to start to go through things. We always think we have time to go through, but we never know. I don't want to leave someone else to go through things that I couldn't when I was here. Sad though. They've been in the area their whole lives, and their kids live just up the street. I guess even though they were old, you just don't expect them to die. HA! Isn't that weird?

So I need to put all that on my list again. Not good motivation, but it is a kick in the pants!

[ebianco]

Hi everyone,

I did lower body with Caroline EPIC 3 today (this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BfIv...i4uVpN&index=2) which is a repeat from my last rotation, pyramids with 20/40/60/40/20 seconds of work with 20 second break between sets. This workout featured a lot of Bulgarian lunges and I was really feeling it today. With warm up and stretch it was a 53 minute workout. I'm basically just repeating my last rotation's playlist on youtube which is easy enough to follow even if it's not "planned" (where I write it all down carefully on a wall calendar).

I'm not really sure what I want to do for exercise tomorrow or this weekend. I'm thinking a Pure Barre or Barlates for Sunday. My knees have been slightly stiff this week probably because I ran last week, so I may rethink that for this weekend. I'd like to get in a Fitprime or even a Firm if I feel up to it, we'll see haha. I have a feeling my legs will be tired.

Eventmom and Buzzer Yes, CS is definitely good for recovery. I commiserate with both of you about the weight gain and how it seems like nothing helps. My weight stayed low from yesterday so maybe it just was bloating. But I don't even know what I would have eaten Not something obvious like Chinese food that definitely bloats me up LOL. Which makes me think I'll just bloat back up tomorrow or whenever. Ugh and like you both said the weight doesn't really go away once it creeps on!

Buzzer I read somewhere that you lose 80% of your body weight through your breath. Actually, I found an article about it! (here: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/art...ess,-move-more). It doesn't say about the 80% but it does explain about the loss through breath.

Probably a good call to wait on Fit Split if you don't think you'll be wanting to use it right away. I really like the workouts I have from the LITE series, which are Cardio Party, PHA 2, Pyramid Pump, Metabolic Blast, and Bodyweight and Bands...so I guess over half of them!

[eventmom]

TA 2.11 day 1 + 25 minutes meta dc

so I usually make Thursday an easy day because I teach a night class but totally forgot. So I moved onto a new level of TA after doing the last level only 5 times. But this level is all standing! yeah!

buzzer- I'm also feeling the urge to get rid of stuff. I told my boss I'm retiring in December so I feel like I can really purge work related stuff - whenever I have time!

ebianco - glad the weight stayed off! well if we need to breathe to lose weight that fact that cardio doesn't get me out of breathe explains A LOT. LOL