Um. This was hard. I am still a little shaky. I went out last night and drank some wine and I was DRAGGING as a result. I was thinking, maybe I shouldn't drink wine if it's going to make these workouts so much harder. Then I thought maybe I shouldn't work out if I am going to drink wine, which is just the way that I think, ha!
I liked the trainer, I don't know who she was but she was from "Crunch! In San Fransisco! And she loved to workout! And you should love it too!" You get the picture. She had some fine looking people behind her working out, the same ones from the last crunch video that I did.
This was like the 30 Day Shred, or the Cardio Sculpt workout that Chris Freytag does but a little more intense. I used two pounds of weights and sometimes three, which was fine by me. I could get to a point where five would be fine, I'm sure, but it wasn't today. It's a bunch of SHORT circuits, cardio and strength. She talks about form a lot and she is perky but not annoyingly so. Not annoying to me, anyway.
I like these Crunch workouts and it's a good thing, because it looks like there are several more to come! I hope nothing changes after the new year, but we'll see.
Friday, December 31, 2010
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Action Sports Chisel - Arms and Shoulders
We've started the Crunch workouts, which is exciting because I've heard good things about them and also because it means the Biggest Loser workouts are over. I might check again later to see if there is a 30 Day Shred, or maybe there is a Jillian Michaels channel, but my guess is that we haven't seen the last of Jillian (insert evil laugh, talk about jeans and tank tops and how she wants you to feel like you're going to DIE!).
I think this is what it's called, above. I guess there is an Action Sports category, so this is chisel, and this is the arms and shoulders part but of course you work legs and butt, too. I wonder sometimes what it would be like if some dumb trainer did an arms workout with just arms, like if you just stood there and worked on your arms. Ha, she'd be LAUGHED off the CHANNEL!
I can't find my damned five pound weights and my two pound weights were downstairs when I could fit this workout in upstairs, so I did it without weights but I'm glad I did. It was a pretty challenging workout and I found that without holding weights, I was really thinking about my form, especially on working triceps. So I might use like three pounds of weight next time, especially on triceps, I seem to lose my form easily with heavier weights.
The trainer was fine, she is VERY concerned with FUN and FUNKINESS (not the smelly kind, the dancing kind) and that's always nice. She did talk a LOT about tank tops but whatever, what can you do? I guess if you are working specifically on your arms and shoulders, maybe you automatically care about what they look like in a tank top. And I like my arms to look good, I just - that Jillian has turned me off on threats about clothes forever.
So it's like 25 minutes long, you do circuits and build on them, the music is good, and you end with pushups and planks which I am proud to say I did on my toes. I am looking forward to the rest of the workouts, it looks like there are several.
I think this is what it's called, above. I guess there is an Action Sports category, so this is chisel, and this is the arms and shoulders part but of course you work legs and butt, too. I wonder sometimes what it would be like if some dumb trainer did an arms workout with just arms, like if you just stood there and worked on your arms. Ha, she'd be LAUGHED off the CHANNEL!
I can't find my damned five pound weights and my two pound weights were downstairs when I could fit this workout in upstairs, so I did it without weights but I'm glad I did. It was a pretty challenging workout and I found that without holding weights, I was really thinking about my form, especially on working triceps. So I might use like three pounds of weight next time, especially on triceps, I seem to lose my form easily with heavier weights.
The trainer was fine, she is VERY concerned with FUN and FUNKINESS (not the smelly kind, the dancing kind) and that's always nice. She did talk a LOT about tank tops but whatever, what can you do? I guess if you are working specifically on your arms and shoulders, maybe you automatically care about what they look like in a tank top. And I like my arms to look good, I just - that Jillian has turned me off on threats about clothes forever.
So it's like 25 minutes long, you do circuits and build on them, the music is good, and you end with pushups and planks which I am proud to say I did on my toes. I am looking forward to the rest of the workouts, it looks like there are several.
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Last Chance Workout
Ugh. Rotten old Jillian Michaels and her Last Chance Workout. It's 29 minutes long and there are many 'stars' from the TV show working out, too. That Tara, who did the last workout I did, is there and some other people - some are obviously in the middle of the show and they do modified moves.
There are SIX (!) circuits, but they are short. It's similar to the 30 Day Shred in that you do cardio and strength, but no abs. For cardio, you do jumping jacks, with variations, like scissor kicks, jumping rope, with variations, and jogging in place, also with variations. For strength, it's pretty straightforward. I still haven't found my five pound weights, so I did this with two pounds and it was easy. You work the regulars - legs, back, chest, arms, shoulders. Also for the HARD cardio, you do those damned mountain climbers and prone jacks and then a move that does both of them. Before the last circuit, Lovely Jillian tells you, "this is going to SUCK!". I think of some of the other trainers I've seen, like Chris Freytag, who says "YES you can!" and Jillian just compares so badly. She's always talking about getting good shoulders, so you can look good in a TANK TOP. Aim high, Jillian.
BUT all that aside, she does talk about form a lot and she talks about doing the most with the moves, both of which I appreciate. I enjoyed the workout and I would do it again.
There are SIX (!) circuits, but they are short. It's similar to the 30 Day Shred in that you do cardio and strength, but no abs. For cardio, you do jumping jacks, with variations, like scissor kicks, jumping rope, with variations, and jogging in place, also with variations. For strength, it's pretty straightforward. I still haven't found my five pound weights, so I did this with two pounds and it was easy. You work the regulars - legs, back, chest, arms, shoulders. Also for the HARD cardio, you do those damned mountain climbers and prone jacks and then a move that does both of them. Before the last circuit, Lovely Jillian tells you, "this is going to SUCK!". I think of some of the other trainers I've seen, like Chris Freytag, who says "YES you can!" and Jillian just compares so badly. She's always talking about getting good shoulders, so you can look good in a TANK TOP. Aim high, Jillian.
BUT all that aside, she does talk about form a lot and she talks about doing the most with the moves, both of which I appreciate. I enjoyed the workout and I would do it again.
Friday, December 24, 2010
Core Circuit Workout
Paul Vincent is the trainer on this 10 minute workout. You do 3 sets that are exactly the same, so while it's kind of monotonous, it's effective. It's hard to make an ab workout anything but an ab workout.
All the exercises are done by a girl (a very shiny girl, Mike said, is she slathered in baby oil?, ha) on a large exercise ball, which I don't have anymore, so I modified it. The second set I had Anthony on me and the third set I had Veronica on me, so there was actually a lot of modification going on. When I couldn't do the modified plank because I had a baby on me, I just did crunches.
I would do this again. Wouldn't it be smart if I did it like every other day or something? My core is a MESS, it is practically non existent! I am trying to do a short abs workout every time I do any on demand workout and so far, so good. I will let you know if I ever see a change!
All the exercises are done by a girl (a very shiny girl, Mike said, is she slathered in baby oil?, ha) on a large exercise ball, which I don't have anymore, so I modified it. The second set I had Anthony on me and the third set I had Veronica on me, so there was actually a lot of modification going on. When I couldn't do the modified plank because I had a baby on me, I just did crunches.
I would do this again. Wouldn't it be smart if I did it like every other day or something? My core is a MESS, it is practically non existent! I am trying to do a short abs workout every time I do any on demand workout and so far, so good. I will let you know if I ever see a change!
30 Day Jump Start - Cardio
I have started the DREADED Biggest Loser workouts. I have a well documented hatred of Jillian Michaels, but today was my lucky day because it wasn't her doing the workout, but a contestant named. ... Tara? A pretty blonde. Anyways, it was just a 10 minute cardio but it was pretty intense.
My problem with the Biggest Loser/Jillian Michaels workouts is that they are pretty artless. I mean, you do jumping jacks and cross country skiing moves and mountain climbers and jumprope, which I know are good cardio moves, but they are so boring. Plus the girl was not much of a trainer, necessarily, nor a caller, and she'd say "let's jump rope" and "let's do some jumping jacks". BORING. She was very encouraging, which was a plus and she didn't talk about BATHING SUITS like a certain Shmilian Shmichaels and that was also good.
Obviously, it was short and ... I always wonder, does it really count? But I suppose it's better than nothing and I combined it with an ab workout so it was a little bit more. I'm sure it would be good in combination with a 30 or 40 minute workout but I am just doing these one at a time. Plus it's Christmas Eve and I have to get to the grocery store while the girls nap!
My problem with the Biggest Loser/Jillian Michaels workouts is that they are pretty artless. I mean, you do jumping jacks and cross country skiing moves and mountain climbers and jumprope, which I know are good cardio moves, but they are so boring. Plus the girl was not much of a trainer, necessarily, nor a caller, and she'd say "let's jump rope" and "let's do some jumping jacks". BORING. She was very encouraging, which was a plus and she didn't talk about BATHING SUITS like a certain Shmilian Shmichaels and that was also good.
Obviously, it was short and ... I always wonder, does it really count? But I suppose it's better than nothing and I combined it with an ab workout so it was a little bit more. I'm sure it would be good in combination with a 30 or 40 minute workout but I am just doing these one at a time. Plus it's Christmas Eve and I have to get to the grocery store while the girls nap!
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Straight to the Core
Elise Gulan is the trainer for this short ab workout, and I guess if you live near Santa Monica, you could maybe go to one of her classes, according to her website. I do not live near Santa Monica, which makes me very happy at this point, because I couldn't do this whole workout.
It's a Pilates-based ab workout, and it's excellent, it's just - I guess I am such a wreck, abs-wise, that I just can't maintain even the beginning posture for it. So I did all of it, just sort of modified, with (gasp!) part of my shoulder blades on the ground. I am hopeful that if I keep doing these workouts, I will get strong enough and not have these terrible cramps in my muscles that I get now. Or, it could just be that I have had too many c-sections in too short a time and I will never recover. I don't care - I'm going to keep at it, and see what happens. I'm just at home, so if I'm writhing around in pain on the floor, I don't care so much as when it happens at the damned Y. :)
It's a Pilates-based ab workout, and it's excellent, it's just - I guess I am such a wreck, abs-wise, that I just can't maintain even the beginning posture for it. So I did all of it, just sort of modified, with (gasp!) part of my shoulder blades on the ground. I am hopeful that if I keep doing these workouts, I will get strong enough and not have these terrible cramps in my muscles that I get now. Or, it could just be that I have had too many c-sections in too short a time and I will never recover. I don't care - I'm going to keep at it, and see what happens. I'm just at home, so if I'm writhing around in pain on the floor, I don't care so much as when it happens at the damned Y. :)
21 Day Makeover - Sculpting
That damned Brooklyn Decker is in this one, too! Sara Haley is the trainer and she's very good, and I have to say, Brooklyn Decker is pretty quiet, so she didn't bug me too much.
This is part of a workout, which is annoying. I wonder why they don't just show the whole thing, but I guess it's to get you to buy the DVD's, which ... I'm just never buying another DVD, people. It's 2011, practically. It's only 20 minutes long but of course it's hard. It's all hard, I suppose that's why it's called WORKING out.
Sara does two long sets, involving working one side with lunges, squats, lifts, etc. You hold dumbbells, I only had two one-pound weights but I bet it's better and more challenging with five. After you do one set, you do a cardio portion, which involves fast v-steps and lunges, so you're kind of whipping the weights around, I don't know that I'd keep good form with more than five pound weights.
So you work one side, then you do a fast version on the same side, then do it all on the other side. I actually did right-left, right-left, because I thought that was what we were supposed to do, and then after I found out I was wrong, I kept doing it that way because it was easier on my legs. Wouldn't Brooklyn be disappointed if she knew!
That's it for the 21 Day Makeover, we'll start something else tomorrow. I am afraid it's the Biggest Loser workouts, which can only mean ONE thing. Jillian. Ahhh!
This is part of a workout, which is annoying. I wonder why they don't just show the whole thing, but I guess it's to get you to buy the DVD's, which ... I'm just never buying another DVD, people. It's 2011, practically. It's only 20 minutes long but of course it's hard. It's all hard, I suppose that's why it's called WORKING out.
Sara does two long sets, involving working one side with lunges, squats, lifts, etc. You hold dumbbells, I only had two one-pound weights but I bet it's better and more challenging with five. After you do one set, you do a cardio portion, which involves fast v-steps and lunges, so you're kind of whipping the weights around, I don't know that I'd keep good form with more than five pound weights.
So you work one side, then you do a fast version on the same side, then do it all on the other side. I actually did right-left, right-left, because I thought that was what we were supposed to do, and then after I found out I was wrong, I kept doing it that way because it was easier on my legs. Wouldn't Brooklyn be disappointed if she knew!
That's it for the 21 Day Makeover, we'll start something else tomorrow. I am afraid it's the Biggest Loser workouts, which can only mean ONE thing. Jillian. Ahhh!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)