Category: Exercise

P90x Review – Week 1, Day 2, Plyometrics

Morning!

Well, at 4am, I got up to try the second day of P90x, Plyometrics. For me, was that ever an eyeopener!

Couple of things you should know about. One, I’ve never done any physical activity that requires an intense amount of jumping. And two, there are some things my legs simply aren’t yet strong enough to do (what with surgery recovery etc.), such as the one-legged hop in the shape of a cross.

But barring that, wow, what a super workout!! During the exercises I couldn’t do, I simply substituted front karate kicks (which I need to practice anywhos). And during the exercises that were too difficult, I just backed off on the intensity and kept on going.

Quite frankly, I was astounded at how one’s body can move. True, true, I know, newsflash Barbara! But seriously, I never realized that I could rotate my body 180 degrees while in the air…I never figured I could leap from side to side, etc. What an eyeopener that was!

My favorite part of Plyo was the kick-over-the-chair exercise. I need to improve my crescent kicks anywhos in karate….and these were perfect! First one leg, then the other, over the back of a chair…and I was even able to maintain a good chamber during it. Wheeee! I think I’m really looking forward to the Karate Kempo part of P90x later on in the week.

And thus closes Day 2. I think I’m going to take a nice hot bath now – see ‘ya!

Barbara

ps – Why not try P90x yourself?

P90x – Week 1, Day 1, Chest, Back, Ab Ripper X

Morning!

Well, today is the day I started P90x…and let me tell you, ‘awesome’ doesn’t begin to describe it. Why, I hear you ask? Because like other super workout DVDs, there’s lots of encouragement, lots of laughs, and lots of excellent exercises to music that, in this case, really work your muscles to failure.

The first day is Chest/Back and Ab Ripper X. Chest and back includes a lot of pushups and pullups but the good news for me and my family – we absolutely adore these kinds of exercises! ‘matter of fact, whenever we’re at karate and the senseis call ‘pushup time!’, other kids/families might groan, but me and my kids always cheer, yay!

But I digress. :-)

The thing I liked about Back and Chest is that you’re encouraged to use a chair to help support your weight during the pullups. Given the fact that by the middle, I couldn’t achieve a single pullup anymore, this was really a boon – I was able to offset my weight juuuuuust enough to inch my way towards the bar, thus ensuring I was continuing to the best of my abilities.

Chest/Back has a series of 12 exercises that are repeated in two sessions, and the second session has you perform them in different orders. Very energizing! The time really flew by. I also greatly enjoyed Tony’s commentary; he’s very motivating. One difficulty I did encounter was my weights were ‘way too light – I had brought up the 10 pound jobbers from my basement and they were woefully ineffective. I’ll bring up my 20 pounders the next time (and after I was finished, I did top off my workout by doing 3 sets of 8 biceps curls with my 35 pound dumbbells downstairs. Oooooo, a very nice burn indeed).

Ab Ripper X is a nice little 15 minute workout that includes over 336 ab movements. Each set had 25 reps – I was able to get to between 15 and 25 for each one. While I’m obviously not in top shape, I’m certainly in much better form that I would have thought, having just had surgery last month!

I completed the workout about 20 minutes ago….and my arms/shoulders/back are starting to feel the results. It’s really quite the sensation! I’m looking forward to seeing what P90x has in store for me tomorrow.

Today I also need to take my Before pictures as well. Wheeee!

Enjoy,

Barbara

ps – more P90X goodies!

P90x and P90x+ Forums For All Types of People

Morning,

Well! In 4 days, I will be starting P90x…and let me tell you, it will be a challenge! One I shall meet, mind you, but wow, a challenge, none-the less.

It appears I’m not the only person to start P90x on 12/31/07. For example, there’s the Bringing In The New Year Right! crowd; I’ll probably join that group. And since I’m over 40, I could also consider Over 40 and Starting P90x as well.

Here are other groups you might enjoy!

As you can see, there’s tons of support you can find for your P90x and P90x Plus adventures – why not join the forums and enjoy? I know I sure will!

Enjoy,

Barbara

ps – more p90X goodies!

Want to do Pilates? Check out these reviews and resources!

Morning,

Ever have an insane urge to do Pilates? Ever wonder what the heck Pilates is?

I’ve tried it myself and let me tell you, it translates into a killer of a workout! From Wiki, it’s described like so:

Pilates was formed by Joseph Pilates during the First World War with the proposal to improve the rehabilitation program for the many returning veterans. Joseph Pilates believed mental and physical health are essential to one another. He recommended a few, precise movements emphasizing control and form to aid injured soldiers in regaining their health by strengthening, stretching,and stabilizing key muscles. Pilates created “The Pilates Principles” to condition the entire body: proper alignment, centering, concentration, control, precision, breathing, and flowing movement … more …

It’s a LOT more difficult than one might think, and yes indeed, it does help you condition the body. Here are some more resources you can use to learn about it:

By poring over the above, you should be able to get a good idea if it’s for you.

Enjoy!

Barbara

ps – more Pilates goodies include:

I can do habanero pushups! Wheeeeeee!

Morning,

Life is joyous.

Back in the summer, one of our karate senseis showed up a rather killer pushup that my kids named ‘habanero pushups’ (mainly because your muscles burn when you’ve completed them).

Actually, they’re simply pushups with your hands close by your sides so it works your triceps. Thing is, though, back then….I couldn’t do one. Even when I worked up to 50 normal pushups in a session, my ability to do a close-handed pushup simply wasn’t there.

Well! Today I had an insane urge to try them again, and was able to bash out 10! Rather slowly, mind you, and somewhat agonizingly….but all in all, it was ‘way easier than my earlier attempts all this summer.

Hopefully this means I’m getting in better physical shape! It was quite a nice thing to realize.

Enjoy,

Barbara

ps – Here are some other fun triceps thingees!

P90x+ What’s different from P90x…Is the Plus for You?

Morning!

I’ve received several questions asking what’s the difference of P90x Plus compared to P90x.

Well, here’s what I’ve found out. We’re talking 5 different upgrades:

Interval X P90x Plus
‘Way more killer and effective than typical cardio, Interval X Plus blasts your heart rate up and down with 3 speeds: recovery, medium, and full-out, creating more dramatic change within the briefest period of time. (40 minutes)

Kenpo Cardio P90x Plus
Featuring new dynamic fat-burning moves, this advanced-level Kenpo will shred the most resistant layer of fat with the all-out self-defense workout that builds agility, stamina and balance. (40 minutes)

Upper Body P90x Plus
This King Kong upper body workout will challenge the plateau phenomenon by blasting every muscle from the hips on up: chest, back, biceps, triceps, and shoulders. Talk about a complete meshed P90X way! After this one, you won’t be able to pick up a coffee cup for at least a couple hours. (45 minutes)

Total Body P90x Plus
New synergistic moves pump your muscles, and then allow you to recuperate in stages until you’ve got nothing left but a state of total exhaustion. An unprecedented total body phenomenon. (45 minutes)

Abs/Core P90x Plus
This detailed new ab/core workout adds 4 challenging positions (hanging, sitting, standing, and plank positions) to blast your ab work and rip your midsection even faster. Is a ten-pack even possible? Wait and find out!
(20 minutes)

It sure looks pretty enticing to me! I’m still waiting for my leg recovery to complete, of course…and hopefully in 2008 will begin my own personal p90x+ journey. I’ll keep y’all posted!

Enjoy,

Barbara

ps – P90x makes a great holiday gift!

Perfect Pushup Review – Excellent buy

Morning,

Well! My local Sports Authority had a 25% discount off of any single item in the store…and I was lucky enough to visit there when they unloaded 15 instances of the Perfect Pushup. At only $32 (including tax!), how could I resist?

After I got this beastie home, I opened up the box. The pushup thingees have extremely smooth motion and they’re extremely easy to rotate…and let me tell you, wow, do you really feel it in your muscles! Back, shoulders, triceps, biceps – each position you use activates different muscles.

One thing I really like is because the handles are about 3 inches off the ground, you can get virtually parallel with the floor while doing your pushups. Wow! Is that a challenge! Additionally, because your wrists can rotate to different directions, no longer will you feel any typical wrist pain from indulging in pushups.

Now, I’m used to doing between 30 to 50 pushups at a clip, but with these babies, I was able to do only 13 until exhaustion. Wow! Does my form and style need work. But still, even though it’s a weeeee bit pricey, I find it definitely an excellent value indeed.

Enjoy,

Barbara

ps – Wanna see ’em in action?

25% off Sports Authority This Weekend – Can you say discount?

Morning,

Just found out that Sports Authority is offering a 25% off coupon on any single item (either bought online or thru the store!). Click below!

25 percent off

Nice!! Last time this ad appeared, I treated myself to two karate foam blockers. This time, I might get a set of adjustable dumbbells….

Enjoy,

Barbara

ps – And don’t forget about!

Calories burned by shoveling snow, and creative exercise tips

Morning,

So! It’s the wintertime…and if you live where bunches of white fluffy stuff falls, you’ll probably have to haul your cheerful self outside every now and then to shovel off your driveway.

First off, did you know that you burn around 408 calories every hour you shovel snow (assuming you weigh 150 pounds and that Calories Burned for Activity: Shoveling Snow is accurate)? And that that is equal to eating:

Quantity – Description – Calories

1.6 Grande Starbucks Caffe Latte – Made with whole milk 260

But I digress. :-)

Shoveling snow, while being a great exercise for some, can cause overexertion in others. So, here are some useful tips you can follow to make sure you get the best out of your exercise.

From the National Safety Council:

  • Individuals over the age of 40, or those who are relatively inactive, should be especially careful.
  • If you have a history of heart trouble, do not shovel without a doctor’s permission.
  • Do not shovel after eating or while smoking.
  • Take it slow! Shoveling (like lifting weights) can raise your heart rate and blood pressure dramatically; so pace yourself. Be sure to stretch out and warm up before taking on the task….MORE….

Snow Shoveling Techniques from the Toronto EMS:

  • Always try to push snow rather than lifting it.
  • Protect your back by lifting properly and safely
  • stand with feet at hip width for balance
  • hold the shovel close to your body
  • space hands apart to increase leverage
  • bend from your knees not your back
  • tighten your stomach muscles while lifting
  • avoid twisting while lifting
  • walk to dump snow rather than throwing it.
  • When snow is deep, shovel small amounts (1-2 inches at a time) at a time….MORE…

Me, I love shoveling snow – I figure it’s a wonderful workout that really gets my muscles moving. My favorite part of snow shoveling is when I have to chop away the ice/packed snow in front of my driveway (you know, the 32 foot tall pile always left there by snowplows), because I’ll pretend to be Gandalf and declare to the world, You! Shall! Not! Pass! HERE! and then cut down smoothly on the snowy mass. My kids adore watching me act it out. :-)

So….if you can move the snow, become one with it! Your weight loss will thank you for it.

Enjoy,

Barbara

ps – need a snow shovel?

Oscillating massagers, aching thighs and acupressure, oh my!

Morning,

Well, it’s almost 1am and I cannot sleep. There is a slight (oh so slight!) possibility that I might have overdone my physical therapy a weeeeee bit (about as “weeeee” as a redwood tree) early today.

Today, all I did (really!) was unassisted chinups thru the day (I can do 3 at a shot, wheeee!), walked a mile very slowly, and did some slow glute stretches for my right leg. That’s it! But let me tell you now, all sides of my right thigh feel like they’re made of concrete with perhaps a bit of fossilized sand thrown in for good measure. I even took 2 hot baths (generally the ultimate of curealls!) to no avail.

So…I figured it was time to be gentle to myself. Back about a decade or so, my husband and I bought this rather nifty oscillating acupressure massager called a Tamiko – it features an acupressure point that you can use to really dig into your muscles. I just spent 10 minutes loosening up my legs and slathering on the tiger balm…finally the aches are starting to dissipate.

This massager is a godsend for anyone who needs to direct pressure to specific muscular areas! Alas, the company went out of business, and I haven’t been able to find one again. Wah. But wow, acupressure can really be a benefit when your exercising gets you down.

Time to build websites,

Barbara

ps – want some massagers? Consider: