Browsing the archives for the fitness category
If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, you know that I’m not much of an athlete. I am pretty proud of my progress with the Body-for-LIFE program (it’s way past the 12 weeks now, but I’m 20 lbs. lighter, so yay), but I’ve been exercising just at home using videos and our Bowflex. [...]
So I started the Push-ups/Squats/Situps Challenge today with an exhaustion test, to try to see what level I belong to. Turns out Cindy Whitmarsh’s abs workouts on Exercise TV have done me a whole bunch of good, because I managed to do 100 situps in one set (N.B. – the “situps” recommended by the 200 [...]
So I finished the 12-week Body-for-LIFE Challenge (or my version of it, at least), and I managed to lose 15 pounds! This is just about exactly what my doctor told me I should aim for, so obviously my hard work paid off. HOWEVER, we are now in the midst of the heavy eating and drinking [...]
One of the hardest exercises I find about many of the workout programs I’ve been sampling on Exercise TV is plank position. Designed to strengthen your core (abs, back, legs — as well as shoulders and arms), the plank position is essentially the position you put your body into before starting a pushup, only you [...]
This will just be a quickie as I wait for some files to download onto my computer. I noticed this morning that I was very easily accomplishing the Cindy Whitmarsh Exercise TV workouts that a few weeks ago made me feel like I was going to die. I guess that means I’m getting stronger! And [...]
My friend Amy suggested that I write a post about my experience trying to keep up with the Body-for-LIFE Challenge while also rehearsing and performing at the Opera Company of Philadelphia’s production of Madama Butterfly, so here goes. This year, I have had the great good fortune to be able to make my money singing [...]
When I saw the “Abs of Steel” workout listing on Comcast On Demand, I couldn’t resist. I remember growing up with commercials for Abs of Steel and Buns of Steel on the television, and I always wondered what they did to make their abs so rock-hard. Since I’ve been concentrating a lot on abs during [...]
I’m not sure how or why I got to this category, but I think I was trying to find something completely different. And I did. I have only tried one workout in the “Slim & Sexy” category and I was not impressed. The programs in this category (as of today) are: Booty Beat (12 mins.) [...]
Yes, Jillian Michaels has her own category on Exercise TV. And well she should; she is a good motivator and an excellent teacher. In her 30-Day Shred videos, she’s got the same two women working out behind her: one does the modified moves, and the other one does each move to the max. The workout [...]
Cindy Whitmarsh has a really excellent program called 6 Packs in 6 Weeks, and, just like Jillian Michaels’ program, it goes through three levels — ostensibly, you do each level for two weeks, and by the end of it, you’ll have 6-pack abs. Since I’m not doing this workout every day (or even every other [...]