It's all about scheduling...

Tonight I'm not thinking about form or technique. I'm thinking about scheduling, specifically how to get through a fitness program without falling off track.

I'm proud to say that I survived two rounds of Insanity, and hardly ever missed a workout. I worked out on holiday, in the morning, late at night, in the smallest hotel fitness room that exists anywhere on the planet - whatever it took. That said, I did not always follow the schedule to the letter. For me, I need some flexibility in order to successfully incorporate fitness into my life. Where do I draw the line? I make sure that I complete all of the workouts for a specific week during that week. If I had six workouts and one rest day scheduled Monday-Sunday, each of those workouts needed to be finished by Sunday, rest day included, with a double if absolutely necessary.

There are some people who would strongly disagree with me. They hold the view that the trainers design the program as it is to be done, and any deviation from the schedule disrupts the program. I respect this view, but I don't accept it. In my view, if I complete the scheduled workouts within the week, then I'm going to achieve gains in fitness and keep moving forward with my plan. If I refuse to deviate from the schedule, my motivation may start to waver when "life happens" and I may fall off track.

For example, I'm currently doing T25. I have a double workout scheduled for Friday. However, I know that we're going to have a house guest staying in my preferred workout space on Thursday night, so I may not be able to find a peaceful corner of the house for a 50+ minute workout session. So, I've decided to swap Thursday's and Friday's workouts, so I'll have a shorter session to fit in on Friday.

Every week, I think about the week ahead and plan accordingly. Even if the week ahead looks packed, don't plan to skip your workout sessions - instead, look at what's possible, schedule accordingly, even miss a couple of hours' sleep - and make your fitness and health a top priority.

Pushing through soreness (not pain)

As promised, I did a double workout this morning to catch up with my T25 schedule - Cardio followed by Total Body Circuit. After two rounds of Insanity, I'm no stranger to doing longer workouts. But Total Body Circuit is tough for me, so doing it back to back with cardio was tough. My shoulders and arms are the weakest part of my body, so all the planks, plank walks and push ups are a real challenge. Plus, when I woke up this morning I was sore - my shoulders, my hips and my knees all chimed in to remind me that I'm not used to hauling around furniture and boxes. I really would have liked to stay in bed, I know how important it is to push through soreness, to ignore discomfort (not pain!) and get the next day's workout in. This really helps with the recovery process and gets the muscles used to doing hard work. So I pushed through and finished the workout. But, when it comes to pushing through the soreness, today I realized that I have to be extra careful with form. For example, forward lunges - it's a very basic move - step forward, sink into a lunge, then return to standing position. But today, if I let my hips get out of line and didn't keep my body balanced in the center, my hips started feeling strained. Once I focused on keeping my center of gravity correctly balanced during the lunge, the discomfort in my hips went away. After that, I kept my focus on form and everything went fine. So tomorrow morning is a new day. We continued moving stuff around and unpacking today, so I'm sure I'll be good and stiff in the morning for Lower Body Focus. But I'll get it done, and stay focused on proper form to avoid injury... Laura Twitter: @laurat

So what happens when you miss a scheduled workout? I missed mine today, for the first time in quite a while. I'm usually a stickler for planning my workout schedule for the week ahead. Even when we go on holiday, i schedule them in. I will switch the workout schedule around if necessary to make sure I finish the week (planning rest days accordingly). But today, the workout just didn't happen. I was supposed to do T25 Alpha Cardio, I didn't get it done, and it was entirely my fault. First, my excuses: we were moving a ton of furniture and boxes from one house to another, hauling beds and dressers upstairs and down - the works. I was tired after the end of year pool party for the swim team (and yes, I enjoyed a but of wine with my friends. That extra 1/2 hour of sleep sounded awfully nice when I went to bed, so I pushed back my alarm. I knew full well that if I didn't get my butt out of bed on time in the morning, the workout wouldn't get done. I didn't, and it didn't. So what now? Lets be honest - missing a workout isn't the end of the world. But, when you miss one, its absolutely essential to make it up and get back on track straight away. It's way too easy to fall into a habit of skipping days, with the idea that just one day doesn't matter. But days off accumulate and will eventually take a toll on your overall fitness. Even though I was lifting furniture today, I was due for a cardio session and I didn't get it. So tomorrow, I will get up early and do a double, and get my schedule back in track. I will recommit to my chosen workout schedule, and make it an absolute priority - good health is worth it! Laura

Yoga 1.0

I don't have much experience with yoga. Even though I've often been involved in sports, in the past I've typically avoided stretching as much as possible. I'd stretch when my coaches told me to, or for a couple of minutes before a run, but that was it.

Predictably, in recent years I noticed that my muscles were becoming less flexible. For a while I managed to ignore this unfortunate fact, but recently I acknowledged that this is an issue to be dealt with sooner rather than later. As we age, flexibility decreases, which has a negative impact on mobility in the later years. If I intend to be active in my 80s and beyond, I'd better start doing something about my flexibility now, before its too late.

My current workout program is Focus T25, which includes a full 25 minute stretching sequence that should be done at least once a week. It incorporates active stretching as well as yoga positions. I've been enjoying the yoga aspects of the workout, especially a section that incorporates the "pigeon" pose. The stretch through the hip is fantastic, but I feel like I haven't quite gotten it right. I'm now hoping to take a yoga class at least once a week in the fall, but in the meantime I found a website which offers some good tips on correct position. Please check it out - the link below is about the "pigeon", but once you're in the website there's a lot of good information for beginning yoga practitioners. Enjoy!

http://www.yogajournal.com/basics/1808

Another year, another summer swim season...

Every summer, my kids look forward to swimming with our neighborhood swim team, which is affiliated with the Northern Virginia Swimming League. The NVSL is one of the largest summer swim leagues in the country, with more than 100 teams divided into 17 six-team divisions. Literally thousands of kids from across Northern Virginia get up early every morning to practice with their teams, improve their strokes and compete in meets throughout the summer. Regardless of ability, the NVSL offers something for everyone.

This morning's competition was the annual Divisional meet, an individual championship for each team's top two swimmers in every stroke. The races were exciting, and energy was high. But when I looked around the meet, I realized that, no matter the outcome of the races, every kid at the meet was a winner. Every single child, from age 7 on up, were already excellent swimmers, able to swim lap after lap without a second thought. Each of them had already developed the skills they'll need to enjoy the sport of swimming for life. Without exception, they were strong, fit and healthy.

Without a doubt, America is facing an obesity epidemic, and kids haven't been left unscathed. According to the CDC, approximately 17% of children ages 2-19 in are obese. Nearly 1/3 of children in the USA are overweight to some degree. These numbers are scary, because they foretell an increase in heart disease, obesity and other diseases which affect quality of life. Children today eat more processed foods and high fructose corn syrup than ever before. My own children are not immune to these temptations, and I fight every day to teach them to make healthy choices.

Daily exercise is a critical part of staying healthy. Opportunities like the NVSL give kids the chance to exercise, learn a potentially life-saving skill, and most importantly, make it fun to stay fit. The kids on our swim team don't go to practice every morning because they want to "get the workout in". They go to practice be with their friends and have a great time. For kids, "fitness" means fun, whether that means being part of a team, or simply running around the neighborhood with their friends. It's up to each of us to make sure that fun opportunities like NVSL swimming are available to every child, to make fitness an integral part of their lives, rather than a chore or a burden.

Engage the Core!!

FINDING YOUR CORE

The most important change I've seen in my body so far is an improvement  in core strength.  I've always known that the core is crucial to health and well-being, but I never really bothered to build up my own. Big mistake - it makes a real difference in how I feel, and  now for me, it's reason enough to keep working out every day..

For example, I used to run all the time. I was in good shape, but running was the only thing I did to stay fit. In 2005-2006 I finished two marathons and was running 25-40 miles a week, depending on my training plan. Then life happened, and over the next few years, I slowly lost interest in running on a regular basis. Then a few years ago, I started having pain in my lower back that flared up every time a ran.  It wasn't severe or debilitating, but after every run I'd wind up with cramped muscles over the right side of my lower back. It never occurred to me that the problem was my core (or lack thereof).

Then back in February I looked in the mirror and realized that I'd let things go too far. I was barely working out and it showed.  On a whim I ordered Insanity, doubting I would even be able to handle it since a three mile run was still putting knots in my back.

Surprisingly, I could do the Insanity workouts without winding up in traction. Maybe its because the moves are constantly changing, as opposed to the repetitive motion of running. But there was a problem - when Shaun T said to "engage the core", I had no idea what he was talking about. My abs were so out of shape I could barely feel them. Through squats, planks, push-ups, floor sprints and all the rest, I tried to engage the core, but all I managed to do was suck in my stomach (which ain't it).

Then, one day, about three weeks in, I felt it. First in my obliques (the muscles that run up the sides of the abdomen), then gradually across my upper and lower abs. I had finally figured out what to do, and it made a real difference in my workouts.

HOW TO ENGAGE THE CORE

Contrary to what a lot of people think, engaging the core doesn't involve sucking in your stomach at all. When I engage my core during a workout, I first check my posture and make sure my hips are properly aligned. Then I gently contract the muscles across my lower abdomen, then focus on adding a gentle contraction of my oblique muscles. When I do this, I also feel my back muscles engage. At this point I feel like I have a solid "core" of support surrounding my abdomen and spine, which feels great.

It takes practice and hard work, but building core muscle should be a key part of any fitness regimen!

Focus on Fat Burning

I came across a short article today at http://www.womensfitness.co.uk/fitness/835/how-lose-fat, which got me thinking about my personal experience since I first started Insanity in March. This is not a groundbreaking article by any stretch, but I think it gets a lot of things right, and focuses attention on what you need to do to burn off fat. I wanted to comment on a few points

First point: refueling the body is not a license to pig out after a workout. Yes, when doing high-intensity exercise, you need to increase your caloric intake proportionally. But food choice and portion control are critical issues. If you don't maintain a reasonable calorie deficit, the weight will not go away. This is where my earlier attempts to drop weight went off track.

Second: High intensity interval training scorches fat. It continues to do so even after the workout s over. I had tremendous success with Insanity, which emphasizes HIIT, and I doubt I would have had equal success with another workout program. There are a lot of other quality programs out there, but I needed the intensity that this one offered (but note - if you've never really done this type of workout before, I would recommend starting with a lower intensity HIIT program).

Third - muscle-building promotes fat loss. As a woman, I don't want to look like Schwarzenegger in his heyday. But most women won't bulk up like that, even when lifting heavy. I love the look of a strong physique, plus it helps maintain achieved weight loss. My next program will combine cardio with weights (Chalean Extreme), in preparation for the dreaded P90X during the winter.

The last point from the article I want to emphasize is pylometrics (jumping). There's a lot of Plyo in Insanity, and I think it's one of the reason the program can be so effective. But it's essential to concentrate on form and control when you start incorporating Plyo into your workouts (especially for us in the over-40 crowd).

Workout report

This morning I finished FocusT25 Alpha Cardio. I pushed through and felt pretty good when I finished. Tomorrow I'll be up early for a double. (I have mentioned that I'm not a morning person?)

Lower Body Focus - Lunge Technique!

LOWER BODY FOCUS

This morning I woke up at 6:30 for the T25 lower body focus workout. This whole business of working out first thing in the morning is something I generally like to avoid. When school’s in session, I prefer to get the kids out the door, and then get my workout in. But with our crazy summer schedule, I know that if I don’t get it done before the kids are up, it’s not going to happen.

Now, I have to admit that it’s nice to have my workout session out of the way before anyone else is awake. That said, my legs feel like lead weights first thing in the morning. I also enjoy my sleep, so there’s no chance I’m going to get out of bed even earlier for a pre-workout warm-up.  So instead, I just get on with it.

Now, the Lower Body Focus workout in T25 is especially rough when you’ve just rolled out of bed.  Everything’s about the legs  – squats, jumps, lunges, more squats, more lunges – you get the picture. It definitely gets your quads and glutes burning.  I haven’t had a lot of muscle soreness in recent months, but I’ll definitely feel this one tomorrow morning.

FITNESS FOCUS: LUNGE TECHNIQUE

T25 forces me pay attention to lunge technique. For example, the lunge-squat progressions in this morning’s workout involve a lunge while facing left (leading with the left leg), a jump to center into a squat position, then a jump into a front lunge while facing right (leading with the right leg). Things to remember when doing lunges:

1) Never, ever let your knee pass beyond your big toe. Ever. This is a recipe for injury. When you lunge, keep your shin perpendicular to the floor. Sink as low as you comfortably can, but don’t let your weight shift forward (which will force that knee out in front of the toe).

2) Keep your weight centered between your feet.  As you sink into the lunge, your body should be in an upright position, with your weight balanced between your feet.

3) When jumping into a lunge position, stay in control. Keep your knees soft when you land, then lower into the lunge in a controlled manner. When jumping or doing any plyometric type moves, your knees need to absorb the impact – don’t land hard, and don’t stiffen the joint. If you are new to these kinds of exercises, start with a low-or no-impact modification until you get used to controlling the movements. Your knees will get stronger over time and be able to handle more work – be patient with your body and avoid injury.

I seriously injured my knee in an accident over 20 years ago. The doctor who put it back together was brilliant, but I wondered how it would hold up when I started Insanity back in February. At first I had some knee pain and swelling, but I decided to invest in a good knee brace. This made all the difference. The added support allowed me to handle the plyometrics, so I was able to do the exercises – and my knee gradually got stronger. Halfway through month two,  I realized I could exercise without the knee brace, and I haven’t needed it since.

So, be patient, protect your knees while exercising, and have confidence that your joints will get stronger with time!

Focus T25 - Speed 1.0

Like I mentioned yesterday, I really need to improve my agility. I used to fence for the University of Michigan, so once upon a time I could handle the quick footwork. More than 20 years later, I'm not quite where I need to be.

I'm in week 3 of T25, so I've completed this workout several times before. It addresses one of the issues I mentioned yesterday, by mixing active and static stretches with speed/agility cardio moves throughout the video.

I do understand why T25 can't include stretching segments in every video. The program is designed to be completed by people with limited time, so if you spend too much time on the stretch you can't do the hard work needed to improve cardio fitness and strengthen the core. That said, I'm still concerned about the possibility of injuries, particularly with people who are new to exercise. Think about adding some extra stretching at the end of the workout (in addition to the cool down section) if you want to improve flexibility and reduce the chance of injury.

Today's work-out: T25 - Total Body Circuit

I hate oblique push-ups. Honestly, I hate push-ups of all kinds, even though I know they're good for me. Trying to lift my knee to my elbow while (attempting) to push my chest to the floor is not something my body does without a fight.

The Total Body Circuit is a solid workout, and it really does work you from top to bottom. It's packed with lunges and squats, frog jumps, push-ups - all kinds of things that create a good burn. Like all T25 Alpha workouts, Tanya Baron, who is head of operations for Shaun T Fitness, demonstrates modifiers for most of the moves. Even if you're a fitness novice, T25 can work for you.

SUMMARY

Total Body Circuit starts like most of the Alpha workouts do, with a run progression (standing  knee lifts, then knee lifts on your toes, progressing to a slow high knee jog, then a high knee sprint.

Shaun T then moves to hop squats with hooks, followed by shoulder taps in plank position combined with push ups. During the next cycle, front lunges progress to a lunge squat progression (lunge left, center squat, lunge right). At this point in the video, my quads are were on fire.

Next come a series of jab moves, culminating in moving jabs. I'm definitely not a boxer, so at times I felt like I had two left feet.

After the jabs, Shaun T turns back to plank work. Starting with a plank hold, you incorporate plank walks that combine in-out abs.

Plank work is followed by a series of power squat moves. Because you're using the large muscles in the lower body, you build up a great sweat throughout this section.

Towards the end of the workout, Shaun T incorporates spider lunges, which are combined with push-ups. The end of this section includes the dreaded oblique push-ups, at which point I question whether I'll ever be able to do them like the people in the video.

Most of the last five minutes are known as the "Burnout", which goes back through the most challenging sections of each progression. At this point Shaun T is pushing everyone to give it their all, since there's less than 5 minutes left in the video.

GENERAL THOUGHTS

I like the progressions in this video. That said, I'm having a hard time maintaining the same pace as the people the video, and sometimes my coordination is not what it could be. I'm surprised, because through two rounds of Insanity, as tough as it was, I never had any real problems with the footwork. I appreciate the fact that T25 has revealed a real weakness (agility) and will hopefully help me improve.

I'd like to see more stretching incorporated into the workout. After the 25 minutes are done, there's a 3 minute stretch section built in. While this works for me as a cool-down, it seems a little thin (though you can only accomplish so much in 25 minutes). I think the answer could involve incorporating the Stretch video or a couple of yoga class into the week. Particularly for people who are new to working out, its important not to shortchange yourself on stretching. This can lead to injury, which will knock you right out of your workout program.

Tomorrow morning's workout is Speed 1.0, which I love...

Focus T25 Stretch!

I admit, I had a great time on Saturday night. A good friend in the neighborhood had a party, and I didn't head home until late (putting it mildly). So the T25 Stretch workout was a great way to shake off any fatigue and make it through the way.

The workout is exactly what it says - long, slow stretching and yoga movements to improve flexibility and balance. Shaun T walks the group through a series of exercises and active stretches that include:

Knee holds (to stretch the glutes)
Squats and hip flexor stretches
Lunges (groin stretches)
Downward dog series
Pigeon yoga poses

...among other exercises.  All in all, its a nice, no-impact video that gets your body ready for the next week of T25.

Tomorrow I start week 3 of the Alpha round of T25, which means another go at the Total Body Circuit. Even after two rounds of Insanity, this video is tough.

Day 12 - Focus T25 Friday double - Lower focus and Ab Intervals

So, when I ordered T25 I thought it would be 25 minutes a day, 5 days a week. After two full rounds of Insanity, I thought it would be the perfect solution for a packed summer schedule. And it is, really - except for Fridays. The weekly double workout.

Not that I'm complaining, mind you. Sometimes I miss the intensity of the long workouts during Insanity Month 2. But if you plan to do T25, be aware there's just a little more to it.

Now, I'm not a big fan of lower body workouts. I can handle cardio all day, but squats and lunges drive me nuts. I do them, I know how important they are, I sit as low as I can, but they are not fun. The lower focus workout is packed with them.

Ab intervals, on the other hand, I love. Maybe at the end of T25 I'll be able to hold a strong V-sit with my arms reaching toward the air. Right now, I'm just struggling to survive. But I really like this ab workout, more than Cardio Abs from Insanity. With that workout, I found it easy by then end of my first round. I think the ab intervals will keep me challenged all the way through - and this is just the Alpha round, the first five weeks of the program. I expect it will step up a notch during the Beta round (weeks 6-10).

Tomorrow is a rest day, we're supposed to take measurements and weight. I don't have a scale this summer, but I'll check my measurements in the morning out of curiosity. I don't expect to lose many inches doing this program, for now its all about maintenance.

Welcome to Fitness Focus

My new blog is all about getting in shape. I know something about this - I've been out of shape more than once in my life.

My name is Laura. I'm 42 years old, and a mother of 3. I'm a former discus thrower and was a member of the University of Michigan Fencing Team. During my 20s I fell completely off the fitness wagon, but had a bit of an epiphany at age 29. I started running, and eventually completed two marathons, including the New York City Marathon in 2005. But life happens and once again I slowly lost my drive to stay fit and strong. Pounds crept on, and healthy eating took a back seat. In February 2013 I took a good hard look in the mirror, and I didn't like what I saw. About the same time, I saw an infomercial for Insanity.

Before Insanity, I had never purchased anything from an infomercial. But something about Shaun T's approach hit home - the idea that if you work hard and focus on nutrition, you can reach your fitness goals, and even exceed them. I ordered the program, and put in the hard work every day over two rounds. I focused on my eating, with an emphasis on portion control (my nemesis). And I was rewarded by the changes I saw both inside and outside.

Thanks to Shaun T and Insanity, I'm back in top form, and all my expectations have been exceeded. I've dropped nearly 20 pounds since March 1, 2013, and I'm not afraid to wear a bikini to the beach. I recommit to my fitness on a daily basis, and am now tackling Shaun T's new Focus T25 program. Chalean Extreme will be my fall program, probably followed by P90X over the winter.

So why am I writing this blog? I generally like my workouts, and I want to give my honest two cents about them. I'm also opinionated, so from time to time I'll comment about news articles (mainly health and fitness-related). Mainly it's for fun. So I hope you enjoy the read!