Kenpo Really Works Your Muscles

So we love Kenpo.  Hands down it is one of our favorite workouts.  From the boxing moves to the Karate/Kung Fu moves it is a lot of fun.  The workout flies by, and yet it's a killer.  It kicks your tail every single time.  So we just finished week 3.

I think both of us are somewhat impatient for more results.  And yet, we are critical of ourselves because we have a final goal in mind that we can see in our heads when we look at what we are working on.  This can be good an bad.  We plan to really push through 2 full sets of P90X.  We are considering doing the hybrid for round 2 with Insanity.  Not sure just yet will be ideal for us.  We are researching.  And word on the street is there is a new P90X coming out in 2011.  YAY!  :)

This workout regime is one that you really fall in love with.  We really like it, and it's tough, but you can feel it working.

Both of us notice weight loss in the way our clothing is fitting.  Both of us notice increased endurance, increased strength, increased muscle mass in our biceps and definitely Dan's pectorals.  My quads feel stronger, my legs firmer.  I slipped on some jeans I have not been able to wear since before my daughter was born.  They didn't zip, and they were tight, but I could put them on.  This is something I have been working towards, getting back into all of my old clothes.

Having a baby at 34 matters then if I had her at 24.  If I have another child, I will remember that my body takes longer to respond now.  But muscle memory is real.  I worked out hard core a year before the pregnancy and was in the best shape of my life with abdominal definition showing.  I plan to be there, and stronger, more defined and cut than previously.

Our big goal is going to be Christmas/New Years.  It is exciting.

I just ordered my new camera and my equipment and am working on choosing the site template and moving forward with my new career venture.  SAY NO to the corporate world...lol...if I can keep from it.  This is my prayer/goal.  To be fit, strong and well on my way to establishing myself as a knowledgeable photographer for 2011.  :)  BIG plans ahead.

Our time frame is great for this.  Year end, spectacular New Years Resolutions!

We had some kebabs for dinner this evening and stopped by 1/2 Price Books and picked up some old records and some books.

Overall good day, and ready for our CARDIO week.  Core Synergistics for the first time this week, lots of plyo and yoga.  HERE WE GO.  One more week of month one and we hit our increased weight training.

Success!

Still hitting it hard.

Yoga X Tonight. 

My arms are soooore from yesterday but I can feel how much stronger I am getting.  My core is stronger, I can see slight muscle definition in my arms even when they are not flexed. 

We have had quite a scare with our little girl in the middle of all of this so I have not blogged as much about the journey.  Hopefully good news will come soon with Maddie and I will be able to really get into putting my thoughts down here.

I do not like working out at night, but I think it's best to work out with Dan and he doesn't like mornings.  So I lose I guess.  :)  Well, I want him to try mornings.  It sets your metabolic rate for the day and doesn't cut into his time with the kids in the evenings. 

We are eating so much better.  We focus on lean meats, lots of veggies and fresh fruits.  It's so yummy and my sugar cravings have vanished.  I still have a little sugar in my coffee in the morning via creamer, but it's not too much. 

Fall is coming, we are getting fitter every day, my new camera will be in my hands as soon as the funds arrive which should be any day now.  I am prayerful all will go well with Madison and that this will be a good Fall, and a good Holiday season fast approaching with Dan and I feeling fit and strong.  :)

Legs and Back!

Today WAS AWESOME!!

I had energy, I had stamina, I pushed hard and worked hard.  I am sore, I am tired and I am glad that it's Sabbath!!

MISSED YESTERDAY, Pushed through today!

We were so incredibly tired yesterday we missed the day.  This evening we did Arms and Shoulders.

IT was EVERYTHING I could do to workout.

My daughter had a crying spell and stopped breathing today.  She passed out, I couldn't revive her, and she wasn't breathing for a bit....apparently this can be rather common in babies who get startled or fall.

I have NEVER been so scared in my life.

Pushed through the workout, thankful she is with me right now, just need to zen out now.

God willing tomorrow will be a better day, a new day.

I LOVE YOU MADISON.

....uh oh

Not really wanting to do tonight's workout.  Exhausted, dragging.  We both are.

Must hit the store right after he gets off of work, which means the workout would be really late.

hmmmm what to do...?

Exhausted but seeing results!

Plyometrics last night was really tough to get through at about the 1/2 way point.  I'm afraid that I am not getting adequate rest.

Evening workouts were worrying me, but then I remembered that when I was working out with Micah, I worked out from 6-7, so this is just an hour later.  And I eventually adjusted to it just fine.  So that's a relief.

It was my 3rd time doing plyo, since I tried it the week before our official start day.  Exhausting, but exciting to see some of our results.

I noticed that my quads tightened immediately, and I could feel my strength improved during lunges and some of the jumping.  The jumping really exhausts your muscles, and I was drained yesterday.  I am looking forward to doing weights again tonight.

It is difficult to describe how I can feel an overall body change already.  I did not get on a scale, primarily because I am anti scale.  I was ruled in my life once by portions, anorexia, even fought off being bulimic.  I do not ever want my quest for strength, muscle tone and a beautiful strong body to become about a pound or two.

It does not mean I will never get on a scale, it just means for now I choose not too.  Instead, I took photos, and know the current size I fit into after the baby.  I will measure results by my muscle definition and how baggy my clothing becomes. For now at least....

I woke up a few times in the middle of the night sore and my mind was actively alert.

The only supplements that we are doing is Vitamineral Green in the morning, we may look into other options going forward.

:)

Week 2! This is getting GOOD!

So Saturday evening we did Kenpo for the very first time.  FUN!  At first, I had a hard time finding the rhythm.  Once I did...fun!  I was very surprised at the burn the next day.  My entire arm was sore.  Raising my arms to put on deodorant, I could feel muscles I haven't worked in years.  My forearm ached...what a workout.  And without weights.  Kenpo is definitely one of my favorites.

Sunday we choose not to do X stretch.  Since you have the option of doing X stretch or resting, we just took it easy all day.

Monday it was back to Chest and Back.  But I made a mistake.  When we popped in the DVD, I selected the wrong one and we did over 30 minutes of next month's Back and Biceps.  I was LOVING the workout, I love working my biceps anyway, and this was hard.  But Dan suddenly realized that he hadn't seen any of this before....OPPS!

So, we cut that workout short, and jumped into Chest & Back which is where we were supposed to be.  We only did the latter half of that workout, there was no way we could have done the full thing after completing half the other.  Ab Ripper went a little better this time.  I can feel that my muscles are getting stronger.

I upped my weights, I am now working with 12's, I started with 5's.  I even did a little lifting with the 22's.  I want to do that more often.  We really need to be able to alternate with heavier weights, so we are going to have to buy a few things.

It's great to see our progress so far.  This is what we are noticing:

Dana:


1. Increased strength in my core.
2. Bicep definition when flexed
3. More energy


Dan:


1. Pec definition
2. Increased Strength


We keep each other motivated by discussing our goal for Christmas of this year.  After this Challenge we plan to do P90X Extreme and a few other things.  We also hope to do some training with Micah to cap some of this off.

It's a lifestyle change for the both of us, it's a lifetime thing.  How far we go, the sky is the limit.  I plan on not stopping.

Who knows where it will take us.  What a fun goal to have together and great for two people that really enjoy eating healthy, being fit and working out!

Tonight.....Plyo again!  YAY!

Legs & Back

Well.

I had no energy this evening. None. Not only did I not really want to do Legs and Back, I struggled through it. It is not that the workout is harder than the others, or that I felt I couldn't do it, I just had a hard time pulling up the reserves I needed to get it done.

At least we got it in earlier this evening than normal. I am trying to work around doing these workouts in the evening though I prefer morning workouts. It seems to work best for Dan, so there we are.

I am sore, but nothing abnormal, just sore. I like that I can feel my calves and glutes after this workout, and am frustrated that my neck and upper back are so tight.

Tomorrow is Kenpo. I have heard a lot of people say that this is one of their favorites as it is a lot of fun....we will see.

And Sunday, simply stretching. YAY.

We are discussing flipping it around and resting, doing stretching on Saturday and Kenpo on Sunday. We will see.

Off to bed very soon, tomorrow (Sabbath) is a busy day and my favorite pastor's last day at church. :(

THOUGHT:

Beauty is NOT about the size of your body, the angles, the curves of the muscles. We are all beautiful, in various shapes and sizes. Ones goal should be to be healthy, strong, a well running machine and a temple to God.

Celebrate your beauty.

Tight Muscles Today

All in all I think I'm handling the 2 workouts yesterday pretty well. I pushed hard with Back and Shoulders, I really enjoyed that workout. My neck is a little sore, my shoulders a little tight. A 90 minute massage sounds absolutely wonderful.

Tonight is Yoga. Yoga last week made me feel great. In fact, after the workout I felt calm, relaxed and centered. A good friend of mine has been an instructor for several years now. I used to do yoga a good 8 years ago, last week reminded me why. The workout is long, it's 90 minutes, the moves are tough. Ashtanga used to be the one form of yoga I did not like. It was too tough. But I am sure I must be having some muscle memory from my heavy workouts before the baby because I am so far responding pretty well to this hard core schedule and keeping up with the pace for the most part.

Back to Yoga. I always liked Bikram. Hatha yoga was NOT for me. Working out in a room that felt like 150 degrees was not enjoyable. If I want to feel that sort of heat and sweat, I would prefer sitting in a sauna. P90X mentions Ashtanga as a big part of their style and so I felt some dread going into the workout last week. I was rather surprised.

The workout provided the deep stretching I needed to loosen up the muscles that are so tired after 3 days of heavy workouts. Most of all, I enjoyed the purged, empty, relaxed feeling it brought afterwards and the slow movement.

There is some turmoil going on in my life right now...and I hope that this series of P90X also aids in the healing. Healing of body...taking it to a new place, healing of soul along with a deeper walk with God and cleansing of mind. Sweating every day, releasing endorphins every day, pushing yourself to the limits every day has to be good therapy as well.

Micah Lacerte, someone who I have loads of respect for, has said that his dedication to clean living and a strong body did wonders for his mind/outlook on life and belief system.

I look forward to every day of this.

And let me say again, working out with a partner really helps. I have done the workout alone a couple times this week, and each time I workout with Dan I work harder. I think the help in motivating one another, the energy that is shared trying to improve your health/body together makes this a easier and more poignant journey.

More to come....

Two Workouts Today

Trying to catch up, I did Plyometrics in the morning and Back and Shoulders and Ab Ripper X this evening.

I think Back and Shoulders is my favorite so far. I love lifting weights so this is a fun one for me. I worked it extra hard. It felt good and I am sore but have energy, that's the thing about working out late at night I think. It keeps me up pretty late.

I can't wait to have my camera equipment so I can take some night shots.

Tired.

Bed.

ROCKED A GOOD WORKOUT DAY!!!

Chest & Back....First Full Week

Well...a day late, a dollar short...but at least I got to it. I don't know if it's wise to do Plyometrics this evening since I missed yesterday. I'm really hurting. I upped my weights today and lowered my reps. Not sure that I will always do it that way, but I chose to start off the week like that. I think I am going to get in some type of seperate cardio burst in this afternoon since I won't be trying to do plyometrics this evening.

I didn't get to Ab Ripper because of the baby, so I will do Ab Ripper this afternoon when she goes down for her second nap. This is all much easier to do in the evening when she is in bed I must admit. Yet it is odd working out late at night, I would prefer getting up to do it before she wakes in the morning.

I'm feeling tired right now, so today wasn't a fun/aka motivational workout. Lots on my mind interfering with my mojo and motivation. Internal skirmmish and doubt, the kind that's fed to you externally.


The workout today at least took away the chest anxiety. That will return later.

Well, P90X is a great way to focus on the positives in life. The changing your endurance, strength, outlook, physique. No matter what I need to push on, no matter how tough some days may seem.

Overall I could have pushed it harder, but I still did it, I brought it, and I did my best for August 10th, 2010. Maybe August 11th will be even better.

Unfortunate Delay

There was an unfortunate delay in getting back on track with P90X today for me. Thankfully here soon I won't have any other delays to worry about and can work on this every single day.

Looking to the future, it will be important to stay focused and know that I can achieve what I put my mind to.

Yoga X

Ahhhhhhh.....

What a good, lengthening, deep stretch workout. All of my sore muscles from the past 2 days were stretched and it felt so good. I thought the 90 minutes would pass so slowly, but even though at times I felt the burn and exhaustion, it was really a great workout.

So far, my favorite for repairing, renewing and calming.

Dan had to sit this one out for the most part, he really pushed a little too hard the last few days. Since our first full week does not begin until Monday, I think it's a good think that he will use the next two days to do stretches and maybe even try the yoga before Monday. I on the other hand think I may do legs tomorrow night. If not legs, maybe Kenpo. (sp?)

Having Dan go through this with me is a huge motivator, because we can help each other, pace one another and encourage. For anyone that may read this, or consider doing any hard core working out, my best advice is a partner. And then again, even if you aren't doing 6 days a week like we are, having a partner to workout with is a good idea all around. I think for most of us it's a more enjoyable process.

Well off to bed now. Church tomorrow and I get to hobble my tired muscles up front to lead a song service with a good friend of mine. I hope that it goes well, and God is glorified by our music.

Quiet, calm heart tonight. Ahhhhhh

;)

The 'Sore' Sets In

So here we are Day 3. This is what I can report so far.

I feel:

1. Sore. Very very sore.
2. Clear Headed. I feel less groggy, less muddled.
3. Excited. It feels great to have something to look forward to.
4. SORE. VERY VERY SORE

The plan was to do Legs this evening, but I think we are pretty sore. Our official first full start week is next Monday. We didn't want to hold off and delay starting so we decided to do the ones we wanted to this week, and then start their suggestion for daily workouts Monday morning. Tonight is Yoga X. I have read this is an extreme version of Yoga. I think the stretching will do us good. Tomorrow evening, I think we will do legs and back, and then stretch on Sunday.

I have found a good online community on Facebook that has several people just starting the P90X program. That's exciting. I hope to pick up some online friends along the way here that can help in keeping our motivation up.

This blog is titled 90 Days to Victory...but that's just a first step. The "Victory" as I see it is the re introduction to fitness, lifestyle change and body change. But to get where we want to be physically and in life, we have a ways to go and then it's forever.

I think this is such a motivational time for me since I anticipate having my brand new camera equipment here in a few weeks and a class I am taking online as well for photography. I think I will also blog about my journey into the world of photography and cross reference a bit.

Renewal feels good.

Last night I had a mini meltdown. I wonder if part of it is releasing stress that you hold in your body and just getting it all out. I hope so.

I believe humanity, and especially Americans tend to bottle things inside and/or hold on to things. This no doubt effects our minds, but what else? Energy courses throughout our bodies and when there is pain and blockage, it can cause disease and stress. I hope that the purging of toxins physically and the releasing of stress mentally will help both Dan and I to come to a better place as people.

So much to ponder.

Yoga X will come a little late this evening, schedules getting in the way again. I could use the stretch for sure!

Day 2 Workout Done

OH MY GOODNESS

Well that's quite an intro. Plyometrics, or what they affectionately call "The Beast" is 1 full hour of non stop hard work. It was hard on both of us, we had to break a few times when it wasn't called for, but we were able to keep up at a fairly decent pace for our second day in. It was brutal, for sure. Getting the workout in earlier in the day is easier I think. I hope after the weekend we can bump our routine to mornings.

I'm having a hard time cleaning up the kitchen after making a crock pot full of chicken cabbage vegetable soup. I'm having a hard time typing this email. :)

We keep discussing what our end result will be, and how we want to do P90X Extreme for another 90 days if all goes well with this. These are pretty lofty goals. That means that we have some non stop pretty heavy duty workouts for the next 6 months.

I like to think about the other changes that will come with these workouts. The mental change, the attitude change and endorphine release. The feeling of working hard and meeting your goals. The focus on healthy foods. We are vegetarians normally, that was a lifestyle change after our daughter was born. I think we tend to focus on healthful eating most of the time. But things like bad carbs, sweets, caloric drinks and so on seem to creep in to our weekly routine. It's time to make a hard move away from that direction.

I think doing this 6 days non stop is going to be the biggest challenge. As hard as I worked out before Madison was born, I did it every other day, two days in a row at the most. I think that this time our commitment is such that we won't suffer burn out. But we'll see.

This is an interesting journey.

I should sleep gooooood tonight.

Day 1 RESULTS

Whew...

Oh my goodness. Well, that was pretty awesome. We didn't end up getting to the workout until pretty late in the evening last night. Hopefully that will be the exception to the rule since I need to workout depending on Dan's schedule so we can do this together.

We did Chest & Back and Ab Ripper X. Tonight is Plyometrics.

I am sore today, which feels great. It motivates me that this is working. Power90X is not for someone who is looking to add a little exercise to their lives. It's a serious workout for people who want to be seriously fit.

Even after one session I am so looking forward to the next workout simply because I can feel it working on my body. Those workouts that you partake in or go to where you only feel winded after, or tired because you got your cardio on, those are so unsatisfying. Well, let me take that back. I do like yoga, and do want those days where I am easier on my body. But as a rule, I need to feel like I am accomplishing something to really dig it, and this P90X is absolutely the trick.

Today we should be able to get our workout done mid afternoon. My arms are killing me. This will make me a better person. Why? Because it's more than getting fit and losing weight. It's committing to something and following through. It's accomplishing something difficult and knowing that you had the strength of mind to make it happen. It is shaking of the sedintary mentality and becoming an active part of the world again.

Loved being able to workout with Dan. Words of encouragement when we started to get tired, or stopped, or needing someone to complain too. It was great. I'm so glad that he's rearing to go to do this with me. I think it spells great things for us.

AWESOME for Day 1 !!!!

Day 1 P90X Begins!

So here we go.

I am so excited about doing this.

A little history about me. I have a 15 month old daughter. Ever since getting pregnant and having a baby I am not happy with what I see in the mirror. Before I got pregnant I had worked out a with an amazing but pricey personal trainer, Micah Lacerte of Hitchfit.com. The success that I had working out with him was so exciting. I cannot recommend him highly enough. But here's the thing...my entire life has changed since having my daughter.

The very day I returned from maternity leave I was laid off. That morning, walked in the door, into my office (Project Operations Manager) and was immediately called in and let go. "Not my fault. You're an excellent asset. We hate to see you go. You will be such a great addition to any company" Blah blah blah....I was the last Ops Mngr in the company and they didn't like that I had taken an extra month of maternity leave due to my c section. I was scared, a new mom, living in a very pricey loft in the city...it crushed me.

Long story short, I ended up moving in with my daugther's Father, a wonderful man...but we had to put everything on fast forward to make the right choices. I definitely began feeling depressed, unmotivated, sad....FAT. Instead of working to lose the weight, I just ate. I didn't gain any weight, but I was up late at night, getting hardly any sleep, didn't have any energy and worrying constantly about my life, our lives, and the future. I am not eating a lot, or constant junk...my metabolism is so slow...sigh. It is so frustrating the changes my body has gone through physically.

Sure, I want to be a certain size, or within that range, but most importantly I want to be STRONG.

We discussed me going back to work or staying home with our daughter. In the long run the choice was made this spring for me to move into his home and raise our daughter and his son. Money is tight for the first time, and I have found myself struggling with one worry after the next.

For me, a type A personality, I can tell I'm headed in the wrong direction fast. So here we are, and I still can't fit into my clothes I wore before the baby was born.

My biggest struggles:

1. Lack of Energy
2. Lack of Motivation/Depression
3. Boredom
4. Stress

It is hard to get moving even when you really really want to if you feel like you've lost your sense of self.

So recently, because going back to Micah is not a financial option for me right now (wanting to launch a photography business, planning for the future) I talked with Dan, my daughter's Father and we have decided....P90X!!!

This seems VERY similar to what I did with Micah. Constantly changing it up, muscle confusion and so on. I think having a partner to motivate each other since we are doing this at home will really help.

I have decided to blog to help with the accountability factor and the fun of writing about the experience.

We plan on going on vacation in late October, roughly 2 weeks from our 90 day goal and I'm so excited to see where we will be physically.

This is exciting, scary, and oh so exciting. I don't want to fail. I do not want to start this and somehow along the way lose my motivation. I do not want to feel like a failure any longer, because it seems like I am being too hard on myself in all areas of my life. For me, I need to be healthy physically, active and strong. This sedentary life of the last year is NOT working for me.

For me to be the best mother, best partner, and best version of me, I need to incorporate fitness and a healthy lifestyle. Before it gets to the point where I just implode, and become a version of myself that causes misery because of the suffering I feel on the outside.

SOO, tonight, we start our first session. And I will blog about each session as it happens and our progress.

HERE WE GO.....3 hours until the workout and counting....!