TA Meta and everything else - Spring / Summer 2021

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Ladybug... DONE!

Wow. The more I do this workout, the harder it is! I think I am now contracting muscles in my ribcage during the rollup that I didn't know I could contract. The rollup was literally leaving me out of breath yesterday. My heart was pounding, I was sweating.. I don't feel like I am trying harder or doing anything different, it just feels like my body is! So weird. I am realizing how bad my posture was and is still. I definitely have a low back sway, which could be making my stomach appear bigger than it is. OK, it is making it appear.

My left shoulder hurt last night when I put it above my head and under my pillow, which stinks because that's how I sleep. However, I hurt it many years ago and I think Ttapp is either aggravating it, or perhaps breaking up the scar tissue and hopefully it'll feel better. It isn't like I feel it all the time, which would make me back off, but only when I put it under my pillow. I was still able to sleep, just not in my preferred position. I'll see how it goes, if it gets worse or better, and change what I need to change from there.

I totally can see how ttappers see changes! I didn't take measurements, because honestly I was afraid I would feel better and think I was looking better, then redo them and find I was larger or there was no change. So I skipped that. I am going to go by how I look and how my clothes fit. So far, my clothes don't fit differently, however I am feeling like I am standing up taller. I forgot how strong my abs used to be, and how they felt tucked in right under my ribcage long, long ago. I am starting to remember and feel some of that come back.

I remember forever ago I was in a CPR class and we were doing the "Heimlich maneuver" practice. The girl practicing on me was very surprised at how my upper abs felt, and was just preening about how strong they are and what do I do? I remember being kinda uncomfortable with it because I was unaware of it. It was just my abs. I think I told her something like "I don't know. I lift?" or something to that effect just to get away from the conversation because it was something I wasn't aware of and didn't know how I did it. Now I think it was because I was using ttapp principles while I taught and lifted and didn't realize I was.

I remember also making sure my core was tight and pulling my ribcage in when I did anything laying down on the bench. Then when I was lifting for the last few years, I couldn't even put my feet on the floor when I lifted because my back would go up and I couldn't pull in my stomach. I tried pulling in my ribcage and couldn't, but just reasoned with myself that it must be because my bench is higher than the ones at the gyms, that is why I can't do it.

Now I think it's because my core wasn't as strong as it was! I am now remembering how it felt like a board under my skin, and now I feel it and it's like a soft squishy ball with nothing in there. So I have new goals!!! To get that tight feeling muscle in the upper abs under my ribcage again. To get my posture back in line. To see if this makes my left shoulder less restrictive. To stretch out my chest/open my shoulders, and to walk light on my feet again. All good goals, I think! I am excited that I not only figured this out, but also that I have new goals that aren't always "lose weight, gain muscle."

Yesterday I found a website with endless math games on it. You race horses, and your horse moves forward by answering math questions. You are in a tractor pull, you win by answering math questions. There's logic puzzles. A typing game to learn typing. It was a plethora or learning games! It is an amazing site. Seriously, LB LOVED the game where she could do division and move her horse forward. She would answer questions, then the next time they came up, she knew the answers. It was the best math drills I could have imagined! A lot of them are timed, so she has to get the answers quick. It really was amazing and I think will help us as we get over this math anger.

As a matter of fact, when I went to bed she stayed up with DH for a bit and she was on the website doing "games". She did the typing one so much that she was getting first place (they rank you at the end, either against other people or against the computer generated players) on that game!

So that problem for now is solved. I love it!

Things in our school and my fitness life are looking better now. I have good, attainable goals, I have the math thing solved... all brings me some peace I didn't fully know I needed.

Ebianco: There are some Cathe's I really like and would NEVER get rid of. Mostly the lifting ones! STS I will never get rid of. That workout is a gold mine of weight training. However, the step ones I could never get, I always ended up almost tripping myself and falling down. Always with the "whoa. that coulda been bad" thought. So I stopped those. I used to have the goal of mastering those... nope. Never again. Her cardio also is way too high impact for me. I don't think I ever did her consistent enough to get "results", however I remember some of her stuff being the hardest I have ever had to do. One in particular was a workout where she was doing hip raises with feet on the ball. I seriously have no idea how they did that! One leg, then the other, then both. It was completely insane and painful! That woman is in SHAPE.

I hear you on not wanting to kill yourself with a workout anymore. I used to think harder was better, but now I dread that. I just don't want to be out of breath and feeling completely wasted at the end of a workout like I used to. I tell myself I am keeping my workouts so LB can have them when she is older, however I also am not ready to part with some of them, even though I am not sure I will ever do them again! Never say never I suppose. I may want to do one and pull it out for old times sake.

Eventmom: I have heard with the shots that you either feel great with no side effects, or you have covid symptoms. For some reason, apparently if you have had covid before you will have more of the symptoms. So I wonder if when your DH had it, you may have had it just a mild case? I hope you feel better soon.

I think it's great you both are going to try some ttapp this weekend! I think I am becoming a groupie for now. I think everyone needs it, just to get the good base of posture and core, then add in other workouts. I think I am going to do the "2 weeks of straight ttapp" bootcamp, then every other day, probably alternating with my beloved body beast. I am missing weight lifting. Apparently from what I'm reading Teresa recommended a "boot camp" of every day of ttapp for a set period of time, depending on how much you want to lose. Then every other day for about the same amount of time. I'll see how it goes! I am already feeling my upper abs pulling in, which is a huge thing for me!!!