Category: Fitness

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Exercise TV Review: Jillian Michaels

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 is only 20 minutes, but as she says, “If you’re only working out for 20 minutes, I want you moving that entire time.” And she maximizes those 20 minutes through strength and cardio intervals which kick my butt even though they’re only a few minutes each. At the end of each workout, though, I feel energized (and sweaty) and sore (and sweaty), and I feel great about myself.

The 30-Day Shred Level 3 is not up on Comcast On Demand right now (which is fine, because I’m not ready to progress to level 3 yet anyway). On Demand is funny, because it’s almost random the things you find in there from day to day…but while I’m waiting for Level 3 to appear, I want to try Jillian Michaels’ Boost Metabolism and No More Trouble Zones that are in the category.

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Exercise TV Review: Abs

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 day…more like every four days), I don’t think I’ll be sporting a washboard stomach by the end of this, but Cindy sure gives me a workout that exercises my core as well as your glutes, arms, and thighs. The thing I like the best about this program is that she doesn’t talk down to you but also doesn’t act as if you’re a pro, either. At the end of each 45-minute workout, I feel sweaty, exhausted, and totally pumped full of endorphins.

On one of my workout days, I tried Jennifer Galardi’s AM Standing Abs, an 11-minute program which didn’t do anything for me at all. First of all, there was no warm-up to speak of, so we started in on the crunches right away, and I felt no tightness at all in my abs (a sure sign that you’re working them). She didn’t explain how they should be done, or what to avoid, and at the end of the program, I said, “That’s it?!?” I know I didn’t get a workout with that program.

Jackie Warner’s 1-on-1 Core was the exact opposite. Instead of being too easy, it was way too advanced for me. Jackie is the trainer on Bravo’s show Work Out, and I was surprised to see 4 people working out with her on the show, and the room seems kind of crowded. All of them were majorly ripped models/beefcakes, and made me feel very dumpy. She did have one person modifying all the exercises for poor schlubs like me who weren’t as fit, but she spent more time showing off the guy who could do all the moves with 10-lb weights in his hand. Even though I was sweating by the end of this show, my morale and self-esteem were in the toilet, and there is no way I would want to exercise with her again.

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Body-for-LIFE Check-In: Week 7

Well, I’ve made it past the 6-week mark in my 12-week Body-for-LIFE challenge, and I’m finally starting to see results. Although I have only broken the 180-lb. barrier for one day (and then promptly went back up to 181), I think I’ve gone down one dress size, because all my pants are too big. This, to me, is more important than the weight loss (although I still want to lose at least 5 more pounds by the time this challenge is over!), because I know I’m building muscle as I’m losing fat — and muscle weighs more than fat.

The program I’m on has me alternating strength days with cardio days, and for my cardio days, I’ve been going to Exercise TV on Comcast On Demand for some workouts that really kick my butt. Almost every TV workout I’ve tried does more than just get my heart rate up and start me sweating, because most of the workout shows build strength training in with cardio “for maximum calorie burn,” or that’s what they keep telling me as I sweat buckets onto my yoga mat.

Because I’ve been trying to mix up my workouts (so my body doesn’t get used to the same thing every other day), I’ve been looking through the various shows on On Demand, and since I have a captive audience, I thought I’d review some of them here. I’ll write each On Demand category as a separate post so you can more easily find and read them.

As for my eating habits, I still need some work. I’ve been getting better; I signed up with eDiets.com to to tailor a meal plan for me, but I haven’t actually started following the meal plan. Sigh. A huge part of this is because I’m out so much, especially around dinner time, and I just haven’t gotten in the habit of bringing dinner with me. I also had some slip-ups last week because I went to a fancy restaurant for a friend’s birthday (and drank lots of wine), and then an opening night party for Butterfly, and then went out a few times after rehearsal with some friends. It’s the going out part that really wreaks havoc on my caloric intake…but I don’t want to be antisocial, and eating is a part of my social life.

Ah well…I’m still learning, and it is a process.

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Body-for-LIFE Week 4

I haven’t been posting too much about my progress, because it’s been pretty much the same old thing every week: alternate cardio with strength training days, and trying to eat better. But here are some things I’ve been noticing over the past few weeks:

  1. As is typical in most weight-loss situations, I lost a whole bunch of weight right at the beginning, and now I have plateaued at just about 180 lbs. even. Some days I’m a little bit above, but for the most part, I have stayed at 180 for about a week now, and nothing I seem to do can make the needle on the scale move further down.
  2. I do notice that my pants are fitting a little more loosely, so I’m assuming I’m replacing my fat with muscle (which is heavier than fat). That’s what I hope is happening, anyway.
  3. I mentioned in my previous post that I was worried about eating right while I’m out of the house; well, it’s been even harder than I imagined, and I think it may be one of the reasons I haven’t lost any more weight.
  4. Once I start working out, I can finish it through to the end, but it’s gotten harder and harder to motivate myself to do it every day, especially after a free day.
  5. In that same vein, I find that it is much better for me to work out in the morning; that way I’ve gotten it out of the way and I don’t have to worry about it for the rest of the day.

To help me figure out what to eat and what not to eat, I’ve started listening to the Nutrition Diva podcast, a recommendation from my friend Adam875, who has been very supportive in my quest for a healthier lifestyle (even though he tweets about making cupcakes from time to time, which I’m convinced he does just to torture me).

And after reading about how disciplined my friend Amy is about making food ahead of time, I realize that I’m really behind the curve in the “eating right” department. There was a time when I thought just eating a vegetarian diet automatically made me healthier than most of the population, but I realize now that that is not even remotely true.

Even though I grumble and complain about getting on the Bowflex or turning on the exercise programs, I think the really tough part is taking that extra hour or so a week to figure out what the heck I’m going to eat for that week, and then sticking to it. I’ve never done it before, and frankly, I don’t know if I have an extra hour to do all that planning — especially since to set up an efficient planning system, I’d have to put in three or four hours at least.

I am currently spot-checking the calorie count on everything I’m eating. When I get around to it, I log it into my account at Daily Burn, but I haven’t done that in a week, and I’m afraid if I overwhelm myself with too many things to keep track of, that I’ll just give up the whole thing altogether. I definitely don’t want that.

In the meantime, I’m still working out, trying to keep my metabolism rate up and burn as much fat as I can. My cat, Scratchy, has gotten very curious about my visits to the Bowflex every other day, and he will sometimes try to “help” by batting at the moving parts or rubbing up against my legs while I’m working out. Ray calls him my trainer; you can see in the picture that Scratchy by my right leg, checking out my form while I do a bench press.

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Body-for-LIFE Progress Report

So I finished my second (!) week of the 12-week Body-for-LIFE Challenge, and so far I’ve lost 9 pounds. Actually, that’s a little inaccurate: I’ve lost 9 pounds since I weighed myself on August 5. That’s when I started with the Bowflex and began paying attention to what I was eating.

I actually had lost a great deal right away in August, so by the time I actually started the Challenge, I had already lost 6 pounds. Which means I’ve lost 3 pounds since the start of September, but still, I’m on my way.

The singing season is now in full swing, starting with my performance at the Philadelphia Fringe Festival last Sunday and rehearsals for Madama Butterfly having started this week. This means odd hours, late nights, and not as much time at home to eat & prepare my food. I’m a little worried, to be honest. One of the things that’s kept me on track thus far is the fact that I’ve been working from home consistently; being able to just pop down to the kitchen and pull out some carrots or do a quick exercise on the Bowflex has kept me going.

My friend Amy has been blogging about her health goals as well. She is actually quite a regular exerciser (you can see in some of her comments on my previous posts that she’s been very supportive of my goals), but now she wants to eat better during the busy rehearsal season. Since the Body-for-LIFE Challenge is more about a lifestyle change than just losing weight, part of the challenge is eating better as well, so I’m following her progress just as she’s following mine!

Anyway, I have to be out of the house from 2pm to 10pm today, which means I will need to either pack a dinner (probably not going to happen) or eat while I’m out. Luckily, there are a few places near my rehearsals where I can get a healthy bite to eat, keeping in mind that I want to balance my meal with higher protein and lower carbs (more on that issue in a later post). Wish me luck!

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Shaking it up with Cardio

So as much as I like Jillian Michael’s 30-day Shred, I like variety in my workouts…otherwise, I get bored and stop doing them. The way the 30-day Shred is supposed to work, you’re supposed to do Level 1 for 10 days, Level 2 for 10 days, and Level 3 for 10 days. Now, I’ve only done Level 1 for two days (remember, the Body-for-LIFE Challenge asks for alternating strength & cardio days – and then I fell off the wagon for Labor Day weekend), but even after two times, I thought, “There must be other programs I can do for my cardio days.”

And so I leafed through the Exercise TV menu on Comcast On Demand and decided to try some different workouts.

On Thursday, I went holistic with a Gaiam video (they’re known mostly for their yoga and pilates DVDs) called Total Body Cardio with Tanja Djelevic. Granted, I started on Day 4 of the workout, but I wasn’t really impressed. Yes, I sweated, yes, I felt tired, but a lot of the movements didn’t feel like I was working the muscle groups I could have been working. Plus, she did the crunches pilates-style, which I simply don’t understand, so I couldn’t really get any kind of abs workout. I think I’ll be skipping that one next time.

Today, I worked out with the 6 Pack Abs in 6 Weeks package, Level 1. Boy, am I glad I started on level 1. It starts with 30 minutes of a cardio dance routine led by an INCREDIBLY upbeat guy named Kendell. Not obnoxious Richard Simmons upbeat, but in the way that makes you want to laugh and smile all the way through the workout. Which I did. Even though I was sweating buckets by the end.

After the cardio, the video switches to a 10-minute abs workout which is INTENSE, led by Cindy Whitmarsh. Finally, I think I found an abs workout that is effective. So many of the crunches people suggest I either execute poorly (i.e., I have no idea how to do them so that I feel any kind of burn) or they’re way too hard. This definitely had me yelling at the TV, “What?! You want me to do MORE?” by the 3-minute mark and panting, “Oh, God!” by the 1-minute mark, but luckily they have the countdown on the left-hand side of the screen so you know there is an end in sight.

Now I’m sweaty and totally happy. Gotta love that adrenaline. I think should probably go take a shower, for everyone’s sake.

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Body for Life update (post-Labor Day)

Well, my Labor Day weekend really got me off track, and just as I was starting to build momentum!

I spent the three-day weekend at the PA Renaissance Faire and completely fell off the wagon. My husband and I sleep on the grounds (he has a leather shop there, and we sleep in a bedroom above the shop), so my routine was broken. I had hoped to download some workouts onto my laptop, but ended up not bringing it because of practicality (there’s no room to work out in our teeny bedroom, and every space large enough to work out at Faire is outside and dirty…and there are VERY limited showers. Plus, I didn’t want to bother the other merchants camping on grounds).

I then thought, “Hey, I’ll just go out jogging in the morning,” which is what I did on Saturday morning…but by the time I went out, all the actors were gathering for fight call, and I felt super self-conscious jogging by while they were practicing their sword fights. I’m sure they didn’t care one way or another, but it totally wrecked my motivation.

As for eating, I had brought protein bars and protein shakes to keep me healthy and satisfied throughout the day, but my planning was thwarted by the daily appearance of Pretentious Cheese.

You see, every Faire day, lunch at the shop where I spend most of my time (As You Like It/Up Your Kilt) is an affair. After the Trial and Dunke show, the shop owners put out a spread of Pretentious Cheese (all sorts of varieties of gourmet cheeses) and veggies and fruits and breads. It’s delicious, but cheese is practically nothing but fat. And though I tried to curb my grazing at the cheese table, I know I ate more than I should have.

Then every evening, because everyone is exhausted and starving, everyone goes out to a VERY LATE dinner, and it’s always lots of food, and mostly greasy food. Definitely not on my list of things that I should be eating. But I ate them anyway, because I was hungry. Bad Maren.

Sunday and Monday I ditched the jogging idea. The only exercise I really got all weekend was in my ankles, because I was spinning like mad on my spinning wheel (it’s a double-treadle wheel, so my feet got a lot of exercise moving the wheel all day long). Someone remarked that it was the Medieval Treadmill, which of course it isn’t…I wasn’t exactly burning a whole lot of calories; I wasn’t even breaking a sweat! But my ankles sure felt sore every evening.

When I got home on Monday evening, I was determined to start up again, just as intensely as before. So here is my workout for the week:

Tuesday: cardio (Jillian Michael’s 30-day Shred)

Wednesday: upper body strength #1 (Bowflex)

Thursday: cardio (this time I thought I’d go with something a little different, so I watched Tanja Djelevic’s Total Body Cardio Day 4 on Comcast On Demand)

Friday: lower body strength (Bowflex)

Saturday: cardio (probably back to Jillian Michaels; I don’t think I’m a fan of Tanja Djelevic’s style)

Sunday: upper body strength #2 (Bowflex)

Monday: REST!

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B4L Challenge: Days 1 + 2

Yesterday, I started off my Body-for-LIFE challenge with an upper body workout on the Bowflex. The folks at EAS (the company sponsoring the B4L challenge) recommend 2 strength training exercise per muscle group worked (I had been doing only one), and 5 sets of varying reps & weights for each exercise.

For example, if the exercise is Chest Fly, you would do 12 reps of at one weight; add weight, do 10 reps; add more weight, do 8 reps; add more weight, do 6 reps; then immediately do 12 reps of the starting weight.

I actually like this idea because you’re not really getting your body used to one particular kind of resistance, and you’re constantly upping the ante. However, in practice — on the Bowflex, at least — it kind of didn’t work. The way the Bowflex is designed, you add weights (a.k.a. resistance rods) to each side because each arm moves independently of the other. I don’t have a bar, which would probably fix this problem (maybe it would be worth it to get one?), so there is no way I can add just 5 lbs. without making one arm work harder than the other.

As a result, every time I notched up the weight, I was increasing by 10 lbs., not 3 or 5, which are the increments more likely suited to the design of the BFL guide. The lower resistance was way too easy, and the higher resistance was nearly impossible. I went through the entire workout this way, and I realized by the end of it that I would need to change this workout next time, otherwise there would be no way for me to get a consistent workout.

I obviously did something to my muscles, though, because my arms felt like jelly for a good hour afterward. Later that night, I really started feeling sore and tight, which I know is a good thing, but reminded me that I need to do a lot more stretching before and after my workouts.

This morning, I got up and turned on Jillian Michaels’ 30-day Shred on Comcast On Demand. I figured I’d start with Level 1, and it’s a good thing, because it kicked my butt! Things I need to have next time I work out with her video:

  • a yoga mat (she switches back and forth from on-the-floor exercises–abs & push-ups–to standing/running/jumping exercises)
  • hand weights (I used soup cans from the pantry this time, but I know I have some hand weights somewhere, and I’ll have to dig them out)

I’m still not entirely sure how I’m going to do her workout while I’m at the Renaissance Faire this weekend (we basically camp out on grounds, so it’s dirty and the floor isn’t exactly even…and then there’s the whole shower situation to contend with — don’t get me started). I might have to modify this exercises program again and turn my three days in Lancaster into jogging days or something.

I figure as long as I’m doing SOMETHING, I’m working towards my goal.

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And the winner is…

…all of the above!

I decided that I can combine the 30-day Shred with the Bowflex 6-week challenge to help me with the 12-week Body-for-LIFE Challenge. Today* was SUPPOSED to be the first day of the challenge, but already I’m off to a rocky start. I had hoped to get some cardio done in the morning, but I didn’t plan ahead very well, and by the time I was ready to get started, it was time to leave the house.

Sigh.

It’s okay, though. I filled out all the paperwork for the Body-for-LIFE challenge, and then I made Ray take “before” pictures of me tonight (I promise, there is no way I’m posting those pictures until I have something to compare it to!), so tomorrow will be the official start of the challenge for me.

The packet for the challenge comes with some questions I have to answer about my inner transformation, too (yes, I have to write an essay at the end of all this, which is why chronicling my experience on the blog will help). Here’s question #1:

What was the turning point you experienced that made you decide to compete in the Body-for-LIFE Challenge?

It’s not like I had an epiphany or hit rock bottom; as I’ve mentioned before, my husband bought a Bowflex for us to get in shape, and knowing the way I work, I realized the way for me to really achieve my fitness goal is to have structure. Hence the challenge.

Here is my exercise plan for Week 1:

DAY 1 (Wed., Sep. 2)

Upper Body Weight Training

  • Warm Up – 10-min (Exercise TV On Demand)
  • Upper Body Weight Training
    • Chest Fly
    • Bench Press
    • Pulldown – seated
    • Row – seated
    • Front Deltoid Raise – seated
    • Rear Deltoid Row – seated
    • Biceps curl – standing
    • Biceps curl – lying
    • Triceps extension – seated
    • Triceps Kickback
  • Cool Down: stretches

DAY 2 (Thurs., Sep. 3)

  • Jillian Michael’s 30-day Shred (Exercise TV On Demand)

DAY 3 (Fri., Sep. 4)

  • Warm Up – 10-min (Exercise TV On Demand)
  • Lower Body Weight Training
    • Hip Abduction – seated
    • Hip Adduction – seated
    • Leg Extension – seated
    • Calf Raise – seated
    • Reverse Crunch
    • Crunch – resisted
  • Cool Down: stretches

DAY 4 (Sat., Sep. 5)

Isn’t it just like me to pick a holiday weekend when I’ll be out of town to try to get into the swing of things?

  • 30-Day Shred Day 2 (downloaded onto laptop)

DAY 5 (Sun., Sep. 6)

  • 30-Day Shred Day 3 (downloaded onto laptop)

DAY 6 (Mon., Sep. 7)

  • 30-Day Shred Day 4 (downloaded onto laptop)

DAY 7: Free Day

So that’s the plan. Let’s hope it works!

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*I meant for this post to go out earlier in the day on Sep. 1, but it looks like the time of posting will be almost midnight. So much for doing ANY of this today.

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The Contenders

As promised, I have narrowed my fitness regimen choices down from the thousands out in cyberspace to just a few. Let me know which one you think I should take!

#1: 30-day Shred

The Jillian Michaels 30-day Shred exercise regimen first got on my radar through one of my college roommates, Christine, who lives and blogs in Boston. Her “after” pictures in a bikini radiate so much confidence that I couldn’t help but check out the program she used. Turns out she followed along with the Shredheads as they worked out with Jillian for 30 days back in March.

Imagine my surprise when my friend Amy recommended the same program in her comments to my last post!

PRICE: free but limited (on Comcast On Demand) to about $8 for the DVD on Amazon.

PROS: recommended by friends

CONS: This DVD boasts that you can lose 20 pounds in 30 days. Is that healthy? Or is that just hyperbole?

#2: Bowflex 6-week Challenge

I’m kind of already doing this challenge, except for the cardio part. I mean, heck, we’ve got a Bowflex, so there’s no doubt I’ll be using it. The question is, will I be able to figure out how to do all these exercises correctly? As I mentioned in my last post, the pictures and explanations in the little booklet Bowflex provided has been little to no help, and I feel like I’m flying blind.

There are some solutions to my information problems, but those solutions cost money. FitnessBliss has a fitness software solution to track and suggest different routines specific to the Bowflex ($15). There is also a “must have” book about the Bowflex called The Bowflex Body Plan by Dr. Ellington Darden ($13 used on Amazon).

PROS: I don’t have to change much of what I’m already doing, except add cardio.

CONS: It’s still a pretty DIY solution, and I’m a busy person. I’d prefer to have someone tell me exactly what to do and when.

COST: $15 FitnessBliss software + $13 book = $28.

#3: 12-week Body-for-LIFE Challenge

The Body-for-LIFE Challenge runs on the principles of eating right & exercising properly, and if you join the challenge (which starts Sep. 1 — the same time I was thinking of starting!), they provide you with exercises to do and meal planning suggestions.

PROS: Cash prizes! $25,000 for Grand Master Champion & $10,000 for Category Champions.

CONS: Still a little DIY, but not as much as the Bowflex Plan. And, let’s face it, anything I do will have to be customized to my own personal workout style.

COST: Free (unless I want to purchase any of the numerous EAS products they have on their website — for which I would be reimbursed, naturally, if I win. Hey, they’ve gotta make money somehow).

I’ve got a pretty good idea what I’m going to do now, but I’d love to hear what you think, either in the poll below or in the comments section.

Let me know what you think!