Review TA Meta Omni.....should've listened

[angie_nrs]

Thanks to all you enablers, I found TA Meta Omni at BB&B for the good sale price. Honestly, if it wasn't cheap, I wouldn't have bothered. I have looked at a few of Tracy's clips and just thought this would not click with me.

Well, I did 'day 1' yesterday and thankfully I don't hate it. I can't say I'm in love with it, but I will try again today. If I don't do the program as set up when I first get a program, I know I won't do it later. It's the newness of a program that keeps me in line the first time around, so I'm really gonna try to do it as written. It will be tough for me to do the same workout 10 days in a row.

After only a day I have some pretty significant DOMS, which I wasn't expecting. My hips and saddlebag area are really sore. Unfortunately, the dance portion was tough on my PF, so I hope it doesn't get so bad that I have to stop. I slept like a rock last night! I really didn't want to get up.....I think it's due to the DOMS. I don't typically take measurements before a program, but I'm going to make an exception here. I'm feeling it in my problem areas, so I'm thinking that will be good news in the long run.

I was expecting the lack of queing so that didn't bother me too much. I know I looked like an idiot trying to keep up.....I don't much care, but I'm glad I knew to expect that to happen. I had to take some mini breaks during the sculpting portion. Today I think I'm going to aim for 25-30 reps on each side and work up from there. I'm sure it's going to be more difficult today since I'm already sore.

A few questions for those who have done this already:
*Does it matter if you do the sculpting portion before or after the cardio. I'm thinking it probably doesn't matter much.
*Do you ever just dance your own way and not really follow Tracy's moves much or at all?
*Do you think it's the cardio or the sculpting that is affecting the hip area soreness?
*Does the cardio ever change??? I'm quite certain I won't be able to do the same cardio workout for the entire 3 months.
*I didn't count the reps on the sculpting portion. Does she do 40 on each side?

Please feel free to add any insights. It has been really inspirational to read the TA threads and the results folks have seen with her. TIA!

[LaCatrina]

I did TAM for a good while. Tracy's workouts are quite deceiving, specially in the first levels of meta. Then as you move on you will be doing more complicated plank moves and those are obviously more demanding

About your questions:

- I was a cardio hater back then, so I mostly did the MS workout and random cardio here and there. If you have weight to lose I'd say it's important to add at least 30 min of any cardio you like and that doesn't flare up any previous injury that you might have. I love rebounding. This TAMer has made tons of custom dance cardio videos https://www.youtube.com/user/MsDsVlogs And this is her OOP dance aerobics, which isn't as bad for the knees https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ArJQ8w9eki0 . In her studios they do MS and then cardio, but I think it all comes down to doing both, and which combination you like better.

- Since you plan on doing the program as prescribed, I strongly recommend you to use your own music. It really makes a world of difference. I made a long Parov Stellar playlist on YT and that's what I used most of the time.

- If you were doing some form of exercise that's completely different to TAM then that's why you're sore

- Stretch... Even though TAM doesn't think you need to stretch, I think it's important, specially at the beginning. I love Jill Miller's post-athletic stretch for cycling. It kept my hip flexors and lower back from tightening. I think that's one of the causes of the lower back pain some people experience from TAM

- I started my workout with a different leg each time. Tracy is famous for her uneven counts, so if you start each time with a different leg you'll even out things.

Hope it helps, and great to hear you're enjoying your new workout!

[Helen S]

I think it's the sculpting that makes TA effective more than the cardio. If her cardio bothers your PF, then I would cross-train with other cardio.

TA aims for 40 reps per leg in Meta but I don't think it's even. I actually do one side and then rewind to do the other side. That's so I can hear her cueing and know when she switches to the next exercise. You probably noticed that she only cues on one side.

[raeven]

I wouldn't dream of doing her wacky cardio with PF! I would definitely find something gentler on it to do cardio wise *before* it possibly makes it worse. I started doing omni last year and got to week 2 before I had to stop. But I'd never bother with her cardio regardless hehe!

[cpcathy]

I can't do the cardio that comes with Meta. Just can't. Too boring. I do other dance workouts.

[Indy]

I did one rotation of Meta Omni and I was not a fan. I did try at least once to do her cardio and I agree that it was beyond boring - after that, I absolutely refused to do it again but I bore easily so it was bound to happen.

I really didn't feel it was big deal what order I did the cardio - before or after MS so I just did whatever I felt like doing.

After awhile I thought all the reps also were somewhat boring and I would rewind and do them in a different order if you can believe it. I would also rewind so I could listen to the cueing on the other leg.

I mixed things up and changed things up so I could get through it. I'm am just not a big rotation person and did whatever I could to finish the program but there were aspects that I did enjoy but I probably wouldn't do it again.

[Michefit]

I have been doing TA Omni for almost 6 months exclusively and sticking to her program after doing mostly Cathe workouts. I can tell you that I love the results- nothing has been as slimming for me as TA's system. BUT I would caution you about the cardio. Even after doing Hiit workouts my calves and feet were very sore. You need to go slow with it- by working up to the 30 minutes six days a week. I would alternate the cardio with other days of low impact, step or walking. It took me almost 2 months to be able to the cardio every day without calf pain.

I love the cardio now - but I play my own music (several playlists from iTunes) and I think it is really effective. I have noticed that my legs have slimmed more with this cardio than when I was doing step and Hiit workouts. I would not have believed that the type of cardio you do would really matter - until I saw my own results. I often follow most of the moves she does in the cardio to get me going - but I often end up free styling it when I good song comes on and she isn't moving fast enough for me.

10 days of the same workout can be a little dull at times - but I have found that once you get focused on the moves it is almost meditative. Once you know the exercises you can mute the music and play your own too. I will confess for some workouts I only did 8 or 9 and then switched to the next level.

Finally - TA prescribes that you do the MS workout first - then cardio. I find that this is a good approach because your muscles are already warmed up from the MS and the cardio helps to shake the tightness out.


HTH - I know not everyone is a fan of TA- but I have found her to be the magic bullet for me.

[Sophb21]

Another good alternative for the cardio would be Tracy's Dance Cardio + DVD. I think it came out earlier this year or last year. I haven't done it but have previewed it and it seems to very low impact. I know some ladies doing the pregnacy project series will do the Dance + DVD. I've been revving up to do a TAM rotation and will use that DVD and other forms of cardio in place of the included Dance Cardio because from what I've seen I won't enjoy it on a regular basis. Good luck and would love to hear your progress

[SuzieC]

Originally Posted by LaCatrina

- I was a cardio hater back then, so I mostly did the MS workout and random cardio here and there. If you have weight to lose I'd say it's important to add at least 30 min of any cardio you like and that doesn't flare up any previous injury that you might have. I love rebounding. This TAMer has made tons of custom dance cardio videos https://www.youtube.com/user/MsDsVlogs And this is her OOP dance aerobics, which isn't as bad for the knees https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ArJQ8w9eki0 . In her studios they do MS and then cardio, but I think it all comes down to doing both, and which combination you like better.

Can I just say that TAM cardio to Canon in D looks amazing (from MsDsVlogs channel)

also, I can't do 30 minutes of her cardio on most days so I do 20 minutes instead. I found the Teen meta cardio easier to start with as well as the cardio from her book. I do the Continuity cardio as well, but don't often do the full 30 minutes (20 minutes instead).
And I also agree that changing up the music really helps (though I admit I LOVE the TA Meta and Continuity soundtrack, even after 347 days of it, I still listen to it on my iPod!)

[violetblonde]

Originally Posted by SuzieC

And I also agree that changing up the music really helps (though I admit I LOVE the TA Meta and Continuity soundtrack, even after 347 days of it, I still listen to it on my iPod!)

That last bit just blew my mind

Honestly!?!?