Changing Course...Again!

One might say that fitness program ADHD kicked in, another might say I gave up, but I'm saying it sounded better on paper than it actually played out in real life...and it happens!

If you follow me on twitter or know me in real life, you might have seen me posting that I was doing Insanity AND Body Beast. I started Body Beast out of curiosity with Mike and I had been wanting to do another round of Insanity. In my head, doing both together seemed like a good idea and I've pulled doubles before. I wrote out a schedule, figured I'd be done with the whole Insanity program by the start of the final Body Beast phase and hopefully I'd gain back some of my cardio endurance while building some more lean muscle. Sounds great right? Yeah...well...introduce the kids being home on summer vacation and the never ending list of things I've been working on and time gets kinda slim. I was also super sore from Body Beast and found that I was dogging it in the Insanity workouts due to that. Sigh...

After a brief phone call with my coach to discuss the Body Beast program, he confirmed that I had indeed lost my mind by attempting both programs together and I decided to back off. I also decided that my days are too strained for time during the summer with the kids home so I've just been focusing on my July Challenge.

In the past I would have beat myself up over a decision like this, or kept pushing myself to prove a point. Thankfully, I have grown by leaps and bounds since I started exercising and I now just listen to my body and do what works for me.

The other day Mike and I were talking and we decided to get the new Shaun T program that just came out, called Focus T25. It's a 25 minute workout, 5 days a week with a full rest day plus a stretch day. I definitely have 25 minutes a day to workout, without having to cram it in somewhere, so we are really excited about it.

Here is a video that shows what the program is:

I'm looking forward to seeing what kind of results I can pull from this workout since it's only 25 minutes a day. I know that I have to give it my all for those 25 minutes and that there will not be any breaks, so I'm a little nervous, but excited. I also know that I need to clean up my nutrition for maximum results as well.
Do you think this is a program you would want to do? If it is, comment below or contact me on my Facebook page. A few of us are planning on starting a "Challenge Group" on August 12th for Focus T25, and I'd love to have you join us!

{Fitness Friday} July Challenge

I can't believe that July is already lurking around the corner! It's crazy how quickly the months are flying by, right?!

At this point, everyone doing the June Challenge only has two more days to go (if you haven't already completed today's workout) and I am so proud of you all! I figured since everyone is going strong and loves to hate me, I'd keep the momentum going with a July Challenge!

Oh stop groaning...you know you're excited!

This month has less moves since I know the summer can be super busy. It's very similar to the May Challenge I found on-line, but since Jac and I had such great results doing it, I thought we would revisit it, with a twist.

 

Click to View Full Size

Plank this month is for time, instead of a set time for each day. Some people will only be able to hold for about :30 seconds, others for over 3 minutes. I want you to compete against yourself this month. Write down your time for each day and try to beat it by a few seconds the next day. Push yourself to new limits here and make sure you hold the pose until you physically can't anymore! I'll be sharing some tips to holding plank pose over the Facebook Page, so make sure you "LIKE" it!

For those who are more advanced with their fitness, feel free to add weights to your squats! Remember, your lower body is very strong, but we are doing lots of reps, so don't go too heavy. I don't want anyone to hurt themselves! I will most likely being adding heavy weights and breaking the squats into sets with rest in-between, as we get further into the challenge. The most important thing is proper form! You'll get better results with proper form than you will trying to impress people by going heavy. Always listen to your body and if you can do them in front of mirror, it's best so you can check your form every rep.

As always, I'll be doing check-in's over on the Facebook page, so don't be shy and join in on the conversations!

Enjoy your Fourth of July...stay hydrated and let me know if you'll be joining the squatastic fun we'll be having this month!

{Fitness Friday} Man of Steel Edition

As I mentioned earlier this week, Mike and I went to see Man of Steel in IMAX. While watching this movie, you can't help but notice the physique of Henry Cavill  (if you can, you're blind) so of course we became curious as to what he did to prepare for this role. Mike found this video and passed it along to me, so of course, I'm passing it on you!

I love that they talk about the mental and emotional side of fitness in this clip. With quotes like "He has opened my eyes to seeing past what I thought were my limits." and "...you come to a point where your mind allows you to break through your physical boundaries, and takes you to places you never thought you could go to." this clip really hit home for me.

I am 100% in the mental part of fitness right now. I know that my body is capable of things, but my mind holds me back many times. It's funny because in the beginning, I was scared that my body couldn't handle what I mentally wanted to do...and now it's reverse. You would think by this stage of the game I would have it all figured out, but I don't. I struggle and I fail just like everyone else, but I pick myself up and I keep pushing forward.

If you are interested in seeing the workouts that trainer Mark Twight did with Henry Cavill did to prepare for his role as the Man of Steel, watch the two videos below (they teach you how to get proper form) or go to the Soldier of Steel website where you can print them out in .PDF form.

Soldier of Steel Workouts...

I hope you enjoy these videos as much as I did. While the moves in this may not be for you, I hope you at least walk away with the tips on proper form and apply them to whichever workout you decide to do!

FitBump Almost Makes Me Wish I Was Pregnant

No, no, no...there is no baby on the way here, or in the future. This mama is done with that road in life, but let me tell you... If you are expecting and are into fitness, you have to check out FitBump!

I had the pleasure of meeting the founder of FitBump, Kira Kohrherr, as well as her PR rep Liz Graham a week ago, while attending The Brooklyn Baby Expo. At the time, I didn't realize that Kira also designed a full line of maternity fitness apparel, but as soon as I saw it, I was in love!

This line, which is due out in July 2013, is full of fun colors and cute prints, plus it sports flattering silhouettes that celebrates the bump, while the active-chic styles easily transition from the gym to everyday wear!

One of the things I hated most while pregnant, was constantly having to buy new clothes to fit my ever growing belly. With FitBump's revolutionary design you don't have to, because it expands over nine months and then retracts as your post-baby body gets back into shape. How awesome is that?!

Seeing this line almost made me wish I was pregnant, but then reality hit me, I heard a room full of fussy infants and I remembered how much I love to sleep.

FitBump just launched their new website about two weeks ago, and it was created as a one-stop-shop to help wellness-focused women make mindful, educated decisions throughout their pregnancy and beyond.
Their site offers a community with advice from wellness experts and real moms. There are also categories you can browse including Fitness, Nutrition & Recipes, Mommy & Baby Care, Style, Holistic Health, and Green Living.

FitBump doesn't stop there! They also offer products to make living a healthy life easy and fun. One of the services they offer is called Thrive Foods, which is a specialty meal delivery service. It provides nutrient-dense dishes for moms-to-be and new moms. This farm-to-table option is delivered in 5 or 7 day meal plans. The plant-based, gluten-free meals are prepared in Oxnard, CA and shipped overnight in sustainable, recyclable packing. Nothing is frozen and an air-lock system keeps food fresh and healthy. Click here for more information on this service.

As you can see, FitBump has a lot offer to mom-to-be, so make sure you visit their site, check out the amazing fitness apparel and maybe even give this Total Body Workout a shot!

If you order something from their maternity fitness line, I would love to hear what you think about it, so be sure to stop back and give me a full report!

Also, a big thank you to Kim and Nicole from A Child Grows and Melissa Chapman for allowing me to be a part of the #BklynBabyExpo!

Who's Ready For A June Challenge?

I can't believe that May is almost over! I swear my birthday was just the other day but that was in the beginning of the month. Wow! 2013 needs to slow down just a little.

With the closing of May, comes the end of the May Challenge that I was doing with Jac from Nora & Jac. The challenge was all about squats and planks and we really held each other accountable all month. Of course as the end of the challenge approached, we began to wonder what we should do for June, so I came up with a challenge that will work our arms as well as our core strength. I've really become a fan of the these monthly progressive challenges and I think that doing another one will be perfect during June, which tends to be a crazy and hectic month for me. I like that they are quick yet effective workouts and that I can see results without devoting a ton of time.

 

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I tried to change things up a bit each day, so we wouldn't get bored. Here are some tips if you are worried about the moves listed above.

• Push-ups can of course be done from your knees if you can't do a full push-up yet, but really push yourself to reach the goal of doing full push-ups. Even if you can only do one or two before switching to your knees, it'll help you improve and slowly work your way to doing more full reps.


• Chair Dips can be done in different ways too. Beginners can start with their knees bent to give added support. As your tricep strength increases, try putting your legs out straight in front of you so can get more resistance from your body weight. If that becomes easy, lift one leg or put your legs up on a chair too!


• Military Push-ups are done with your hands lined up directly under your shoulders. As you lower down into the push-up, your elbows stay back and tight to your body. These are still difficult for me, so don't worry if you can't go down very far. It'll come with time!


• Wide Fly Push-ups are exactly what they sound like. You place your arms out in front of you in a wide push-up pose. These tend to be easier, at least for me.


• Mountain Climbers begin in the top of a push-up or full plank. You'll then alternate pulling in your left and right foot...kinda like running in place. They are fabulous for building core and shoulder strength.

If you are unsure of the other moves listed her, please let me know and I'll be happy to explain them or provide links to "how-to" videos.

I'm really looking forward to another month of teaming up with Jac and keeping each other accountable. I also just started DDP Yoga (I'll talk about that soon in a separate post) and I hope to get back into running this month using the technique I posted about on my Facebook page last week.

So who else would like to join us for this challenge? We'd love to have you!

Stars & Stripes Workout

{Fitness Friday} Full Body Workout

Wow, it's been awhile since I've done a Fitness Friday post.

I don't have much to report about my own workouts for the past week. I'm still feeling pretty run down and I've been having issues with my breathing since being sick. I have not gone on a run in a little over three weeks, which has left me quite cranky and feeling a little defeated.

On the bright side, I did manage to do a few mini workouts this week and it felt good to workout. I stumbled upon an oblique mini workout that I shared on my Facebook Blog Page, and it left my muscles sore which felt great!

If you have not already "LIKED" my page, please take a moment and do it. I often share workout tips, mini workouts and recipes over there. You can click on the banner to the right or just CLICK HERE to visit me on Facebook.

The week has been also been spent focusing on staying hydrated, finding and trying new recipes, getting enough sleep and eating on a schedule. Being sick really turned my routines upside down and like a toddler, I tend the thrive on routine, so I get cranky when my schedule is messed up.

Before getting sick, I also made up this workout for the days that I can't get out to run. It can be done anywhere, even outside if you'd like and it doesn't require any weights which comes in handy if you are traveling, too!

I would probably even toss a forearm plank in at the end of this for a little extra core/shoulder burn!

Hope everyone has a great weekend filled with nice weather! We are supposed to be in the 60's here on the East Coast, so I'm hoping to get out and enjoy it!

Who Wants To Kick-Ass in April?

Summer is quickly sneaking up on us, although you wouldn't know it by the weather we've been having. Your window of opportunity to tone-up and shed a few pounds is quickly closing and those damn Girl Scouts and their cookies aren't helping!

(For the record I love the Girl Scouts, I was one, my daughter was one and my nieces represent...it's the evil cookies I don't like...well...I love them...but my ass doesn't.)

Anyway... I was killing time on Pinterest while being stuck in the house with sick kids and I stumbled upon this:

 

Thanks to Lauren for noticing that the dates on here do not reflect 2013. Please make a note of that if you plan to follow along. If I have time, I'll make a new graphic and post it.

Click on the image to view the source of this workout and look up past ones.

I know the same three moves daily can become boring, but they are all very effective and I think you'll be amazed by how much improvement you'll see with each passing day. Just like with the plank challenge, you start out slow but with each passing day, you become stronger. This also doesn't take a lot of time out of your day. You can easily do this before you take your morning shower, or just slip it into your usual routine.

So who wants to join me for a month of booty toning goodness?

500 Miles or Bust!

That's the goal for 2013!

I have until December 31, 2013, to complete my goal of logging 500 miles of running. I'm both excited and nervous about this new chapter in my fitness journey.

Setting a running goal is something I decided I wanted to do before the holidays, but I never thought about setting a mileage goal until I read this blog post. I had just downloaded the Run to 5k app and set a goal of being able to run a full 5k by the spring and once I could, I'd start working on my time. After reading that blog, I realized that setting a mileage goal was a fabulous idea and would help to keep me motivated.

It breaks down to roughly 10 miles a week, which isn't too crazy. Granted, there will be weeks when I may not be able to hit the 10 miles. I'm sure there will be weather, soreness and other outside influences and set backs, but I'm pretty confident that I can make it up when the weather warms up or by adding an extra shorter run to the plan.

As for right now, I've been running at least 3.1 miles (a 5k) three times a week. It's a walk/run combo that is moving more towards a full run. That distance includes a 5 min walking warm-up and cool-down, which I hope to tack on in the beginning and end of the full 5k (to increase my distance) as I become more confident in my running. Today my legs are really not happy with my running three consecutive days, so I plan on doing some lifting, a nice yoga session and then seeing how I feel as the day progresses.

(It's going to be almost 55 degrees in January! I don't know if I can resist going out for one today.) I am however, smart enough to listen to my body. If my legs protest, I'll do an easy run with lots of walking. (Mileage is mileage and an injury will just be a major set back that I do NOT want!)

Part of my goal is to also get used to running on different terrains, since I do an annual 5k that is mainly on a wooded trail. For the most part I have been training on pavement, but last week I added my local fitness trail back into the mix. I am much slower on the rocky terrain and my legs fatigue much faster, but that's okay! I feel a much different burn when I'm doing it and I go into it knowing that it's going to take time to adjust.

Sooooo...wish me luck as I run towards my new goal! I haven't felt this inspired since I did P90X for the very first time 3years ago!

Want to join me in a 2013 goal? If so, let's hear it and cheer each other on!

{Workout} Shapely Squats

Once again, I've been trolling around on Pinterest and I stumbled upon this workout that I thought you guys might like.

I love doing lower body workouts when I'm short on time. They work so many major muscles, that you really feel your heart-rate increase and know that you are working hard, even if you are short on time.

{Fitness Friday} Let's Talk Apps

This week I have been focused on getting back into my fitness routines. Hurricane/Superstorm Sandy brought the hubs and I to a halt last week, when she slammed into the East Coast leaving us without power or heat for almost a week.

Monday I restarted the third week of Phase 3 for P90X. I use the official P90X app to track my progress (I forgot to take a screen capture of it and to be honest, I'm being lazy and don't feel like doing it now to insert in this blog. Yeah, I know, I'm a slacker...get over it!)

I also decided that I wanted to give running a shot again, so I downloaded a Couch to 5K type of app, laced up my running shoes and hit the pavement. I have always struggled with pacing myself and endurance, so following an app seemed like the most logical step for me, and I really like it.

 

5K Runner: 0 to 5K run training. I love that I can use it with RunKeeper and it prompts you over whatever music you're listening to as to when to run/walk. Well worth the $2.99[/caption]I addition to the this app, I use RunKeeper which I LOVE. I enjoy being able to set goals (which I honestly end up forgetting about and not hitting, but I'm work on that, ok people! Don't judge me.) I like that I can post my runs to social media, look back at all of the ones I've completed and link up with people I know on my "street team".

RunKeeper - If you walk/run/bike, etc, I highly recommend this app! It also has a coaching feature which I haven't tried.[/caption]Another app I started using this week is Daily Yoga. I heard about it yesterday from the lovely Jac. She started using it and just happened to tweet about how much she liked it, just as I was logging on to ask for yoga DVD recommendations. Talk about timing, right?!

 

Daily Yoga - I have to be honest, the accent of the person instructing you makes me giggle. I have only done one routine so far, but I like this app. There also seems to be a routine difference between the iPhone and Android platforms. Droid users seem to have more FREE routines. Sigh.[/caption]Last but not least comes MyFitnessPal. I have blogged about my using this app before, but consistent, I am not. (Human I am, which is why I am not consistent.) I started using this again today, because of the success I have had in the past. Also, thanks to Hurricane/Superstorm Sandy and the lack of power, eating healthy became a slight issue and I am trying to correct the small cravings I have since developed thanks to Pop-Tarts entering my house again. (Hey, there are just so many non-perishable food items to choose from, especially when people are attacking the shelves like the world is going to end. Which it clearly wasn't, the Mayan's said we until late December for that...duh!)

MyFitnessPal: Because if you dont track what you eat, your ass will![/caption]So there you have it. A glimpse into the apps I use, to try and keep my fitness-ADD-having-self on track and motivated! I'd love to hear of any apps you use to stay on track and record your progress. Be sure to let me know if I'm missing out on something by commenting!

Do It Daily Workout

This morning I decided to take my own advice from yesterdays post "Progress and Change". I haven't had to leave for work as early the past few shifts and I was either reading in the morning or wasting time on Pinterest. (Neither is an awful thing, but I have recently set some fitness goals for myself and neither was really helping me reach that goal, know what I mean?).

While on Pinterest, I tend to look for healthy recipes and new workouts to try, so it's not a total waste of time, but I could be doing the workouts I already pinned and haven't tried before looking for new ones, right?

This morning I tried this one:

It's a perfect before-you-take-your-morning-shower-workout. I felt a great burn in my core from it, and since I had extra time, I held the plank till I couldn't anymore, which resulted in 5 minutes 10 seconds of plank. (Not too shabby)

I'm in my rest week for P90X right now, so I'll be doing Core Synergystics later tonight. Phase 3 starts on Monday....I can't believe how fast this round is going by!

{Fitness Friday}

It's Fitness Friday again! I know I missed last week and kinda dropped off the grid for awhile (I do that...I know. I try not to but life just kinda happens..sorry) but I'm still doing P90X and as a matter of fact, just completed the 3rd week of Phase 2, which means next week is my rest week!

The hubs and my schedule got a little wonky this week, so we ended up doing Back and Biceps last night instead of Wednesday. As a result, I can't do Legs and Back tonight because my back needs the day of rest. The hubs birthday is tomorrow so pushing Legs and Back back a day won't work either. To remedy this, I decided to do a lower body workout I found on the web to see how I liked it.

Here is the workout I followed:

Move 1:  Squats (15 - 25 reps depending on fitness level. Add weights if you would like for extra resistance)

Stand with feet hip-width apart, feet facing forward, arms by your sides. Sit back and lower down slowly, as if you were sitting into a chair. Keep your back straight and lower yourself as far as you can. Keep your eyes looking ahead. Immediately rise out of the squat and return to standing.

Move 2:  Forward Lunges (10 - 20 reps on each side, depending on fitness level. Add weights if you would like for extra resistance)

Stand with feet hip-width apart. Step a wide step forward with your right foot, and bend both knees as far as you can without losing your balance until your right thigh is parallel to the floor and your left thigh is straight up and down. Your back foot will be flexed. Press off your front foot and step back into starting position. If you can’t go all the way to parallel, start by going partway down. If you need to, stabilize yourself with your hands on your hips, or a stable object.

Move 3:  Plie Jumps (15 - 25 reps, depending on fitness level)

Stand with feet wide apart, with your feet turned out, and hands on hips. Stand tall with abs in. As you squat, press knees wide over your feet. You should feel a stretch along your inner thighs. In one explosive movement, push from your feet to straighten your legs and hop into the jump off the floor. As your feet come back to the floor, try to land softly, absorbing the landing from toes through heels.

Move 4: Fire Hydrants (10 - 20 reps on each side, depending on fitness level)

Start on all fours, knees directly under your hips, and hands directly below your shoulders. Keep your back and neck straight and look forward. Keeping your knee bent, raise your right leg out to the side, until your thigh is parallel to the floor. Keep your pelvis stable. Slowly lower your leg back to starting position. (You'll feel this in your shoulders and core, too.)

Move 5: Quadruped (10 - 20 reps on each side, depending on fitness level)

Start on all fours, knees directly under your hips, and hands directly below your shoulders. Keeping your right knee bent to 90 degrees, lift right leg until thigh is parallel to floor. Your foot should be flexed. Pump the sole of your foot toward ceiling in a small movement. (You'll feel this in your shoulders and core, too.)

Move 6: Bridge Lift (10 - 20 reps, depending on fitness level)

Lie on your back on a mat, knees bent, feet flat on the floor near your buttocks. Place your arms along your sides with palms flat on floor. Contract your abdominal muscles and slowly lift your hips off floor so that your body forms a straight line from knees to shoulders. Squeeze your glutes tight, as you press your hips toward the ceiling. Hold for a second, then lower slowly back down to the floor.

Move 7: Clams(10 -20 reps on each side, depending on fitness level)

Lie on your side on mat with your hips and shoulders in a straight line, head lying on your outstretched arm. Bend your knees so that your thighs are at a 90-degree angle to your body. Stack your hips, shoulders, and knees directly on top of each other. Use your core muscles to hold this alignment as you do the exercise.

Keeping your big toes touching, open your top leg up like a clam shell opening. Press your knee open only as far as it can go without disturbing the alignment of your hips. Slowly return your knee back down. Repeat. You should begin to feel a burn in your upper hip muscle

I repeated the circuit 3 times and was very happy with the muscle burn I felt. I achieved a nice jello feeling in my legs from this and I will definitely keep this in the rotation. As many of you know, I become bored quickly with workouts and often look for the quickest, yet effective ones to do.

Nutrition has been going pretty well for me too. I had a few slip ups here and there but that's life and I no longer beat myself up over stuff like that the way I used to. I have a few recipes that I tried and plan on sharing soon!

What have you been doing to get fit and healthy? Do you have any workouts or recipes to share? I'd love to hear about them if you do.

{ Fitness Friday }

Yeah, yeah, yeah....I know. It's Saturday. This week has been a hectic one for me so this post is a day late. Sue me.

This week I conquered the new Phase 2 workouts, CST (Chest, Shoulders & Triceps) as well as, Back & Biceps. My arms have felt sore as hell all week from them, especially my triceps since Tony neglects to stretch the triceps BEFORE you begin the workout! I forgot all about that since it's been a while since I've done P90X, but a mental note has been made and I'll be sure to stretch them before I start the workout on Monday. Back & Biceps had me feeling a little weak. I don't know if it is because my arms were already fatigued from work on Wednesday, if my biceps really are not as strong as I thought they were or a combination of both, but I felt defeated at the end when I couldn't finish the last move, which I believe were called Strip-Set Curls.

Overall, this week felt pretty good and I know I have to really "bring it" this month so I can see more results. This week was just kinda shaky as I started it off not feeling well due to a slight cold and I was mentally not stoked to workout each night. Thankfully I have been doing this round with the hubs so we keep each other going.

Those of you who follow me on Twitter & Instagram might have noticed I haven't been doing my plank challenge, and I didn't reach my goal. Well, I started to feel like I tweaked my left shoulder and the scar from my surgery (which is still healing) started turning a very angry purple color, so I decided to back off and give my body a break. The P90X workouts I'm doing are hard enough on my still healing body, especially since my rest week workouts focused on my core. I've been doing shorter planks in the workouts, just not pushing to the point of injury!

As for nutrition, I messed up yesterday and forgot to eat lunch because I was busy trying to finish things at work. I should know better than to do this, but it happens. I ended up with an awful headache (which sucked) but I managed to live and get my workout done with it. The rest of the week was pretty good and I did have a "cheat day" last weekend. We went out for dinner and drinks with some friends. I had a burger, fries and a few beers and I enjoyed every bite of it! NomNomNom!

This weeks goals are to plan our dinners and prep them all in advanced to make my life easier. I planned everything out two weeks ago and had all of the ingredients on hand and it really helped. I want to take it a step further and have everything prepped and in bags, already measured out and labeled. I always do better when I'm organized and I'm at the point where nutrition trumps workouts, so this could really benefit me and help me reach my goals quicker.

I'd also like to find the time to run. I haven't ran since the Walk With Joe 5K, two weeks ago. The weather has been perfect for running, but between me not being a morning workout person, work and it getting darker earlier, I've failed to do it. I know, that is a lot of excuses, but it's all true.

As always, I welcome those of you who take the time to read my posts to share your week in fitness and your upcoming goals with me. I'd really love to hear what you have going on too!

{Fitness Friday}

Hello everyone! I decided to try and start a little something new with a weekly, Fitness Friday check-in. I'll tell you what I've done to make myself healthier during the week, and you can tell me what you have done either in the comments, or if you blog, do your own Fitness Friday post and leave me a link below. (I'm not sure how these link-up things work so please feel free to school me if you have experience with them.)

Let's see....

I'm just finishing up week 3 of P90X, which means that next week is my rest week. Phase 1 seems to have flown by and I'm looking forward to the change in workouts that Phase 2 brings.

In addition to P90X, I've also been doing the Plank Challenge. If you don't know what that is, CLICK HERE. I've been doing the challenge for almost 2 weeks now, and I've added 1:38 to my time! I can feel the strength in my shoulders and core improving each day!

 

This was today's plank time. I found that if I do it as soon as I wake up, my mind doesn't realize what I'm asking of my body to do. Also, coffee is a great reward![/caption]Tomorrow, the hubs and I will doing the Walk With Joe, which is another 5k. This one is in memory of those who lost their lives on September 11, 2001 on Flight 93, including Joe Driscoll who the walk in named after. I've done this walk almost every year and while it is quite somber in the beginning, the views in the park where it is held are gorgeous and we end up having a good time as we walk and run through the hills and woods there.

As for nutrition, I am proud to say that I have been REALLY good here. I've been testing new recipes and trying to utilize my slow cooker more. The more organized I am, the lower the chance of me being tired and just saying "fuck it" and ordering a pizza. (Oh, how I love my pizza! Nom Nom Nom!) I normally cheat here and there at work with all of the chocolate temptation that is everywhere I turn, but I have not since starting this round of P90X. Don't get me wrong, I've had a few tastes of the yogurt flavors we carry, but nothing crazy...I promise!

Now it's YOUR turn! I want to know what you've been doing to improve your health and get into shape! Leave me a comment below, write a Fitness Blog and link back here or leave me a link in the comments, tweet at me....whatever! Speak up...enjoy a little time in the spot light and let's cheer each other on!

Plank Challenge

I recently saw my friend and inspiration, @MariaPaulercio, doing a Plank Challenge on Instagram and I decided I had to join in.

What's the Plank Challenge, you ask?

Well, everyday you push yourself to hold a proper plank form (see image at the end of this blog for proper form) for as long as you can. By as long as you can, I mean until your core muscles can no longer hold you up. Not, "my mind says I can't do this". Your mind is a liar most times. You are capable of doing some pretty epic stuff if you push yourself to your absolute max, which is way past when your mind says "I'm done".

*Please don't confuse using common sense with pushing past your mental max. There is a difference here and I'm not telling you to push till you hurt yourself. I'm trying to get you to leave your comfort zone, cause THAT'S when the magic happens.*

Each day I do my challenge, I set my iPhone stopwatch to zero, select music that is going to get me pumped up and in the zone, get into my plank pose, press start and then I zone the hell out. You will shake while doing this. You might not last all that long, either. The important thing is proper form and a positive attitude. Each day you'll see an improvement and you'll begin to feel your core strengthen.

Here is what plank should and should NOT look like. I recommend using a mirror or have someone check your form, if you are new to it, until you know what correct form feels like.

I have chosen to post my daily results on Instagram with the hashtag #PlankChallenge. I use a photo collage app to show my time, song I listened usually a pic of myself. There is no need to do all of that, but if you are on IG, you know how fun it can be and I think it's a great way to stay accountable with friends. If you don't follow me on Instagram but are curious of my progress with this so far, feel free to look me up. My username is Bronc787 or you should be able to Click Here to view my photo stream via Statigram.

If you decide to join the plank challenge, please let me know! I'd love to keep each other motivated, challenged and to push each other to the next level of fitness!

P90X: Day 7 Round 3.5

A little out of order to finish up the week, but it was truly worth it. Normally I'm not a fan of switching up the routine, but last night, Mike and I had a wonderful date night that I wouldn't trade for the world. I usually enjoy Xstretch to start my Sunday morning off but our dinner at a Hawaiian burrito joint followed by a walk on the beach, fireworks and some delicious frozen yogurt at Red Mango was well worth the change up.

Jab, Cross, Hook, Uppercut!

That was the theme to today's workout!  There is something about kicking and punching for an hour that helps your stress levels to go down. (Not that I was stressed at all today but in the past it has really helped.)

To be honest, I was tired during this routine. My booty and hip flexors are still really sore from Friday nights Legs & Back and my balance wasn't as good as it normally is. I was also in bum mode since I had just spent 4 hours on the couch watching my Broncos lose a preseason game to the 49'ers. Sigh. Needless to say, I got up, we pushed play and 58 minutes later, we were done, I felt accomplished and I could officially close the book on week 1! I was also done just in time to plop myself back down and watch the season finale of True Blood.

While doing my workout, I received a text from a friend who asked if I would be interested in doing a Color Run 5k next weekend. After checking out the website and exchanging a few texts, team "Color Us Awesome" was born! I'm excited to do this colorful 5k on September 1st. It looks like a lot of fun and it's an excuse to be healthy and have fun with some friends.

I'm not sure if I will keep up the daily P90X blog entries or do a weekly recap...I guess my schedule and mood will dictate that. I will at the very least have some fit-spiration posts and a recap of my Color Run!

P90X: Day 6 Round 3.5

I had to switch things up a little here today. The scheduled workout for today is KenpoX but since Mike and I are spending an evening out together, I decided to do Xstretch today (he's not a fan of it and prefers a full rest day) and move KenpoX to tomorrow so we can remain workout buddies.

I love Xstretch. To me, it's a relaxing hour that rewards my body for all of the hard work it's done during the prior 6 days (5 days in this case). The stretching helps to ease all of the soreness of the week and it's something that helps me to clear my head.

The only move I didn't feel comfortable doing was Shoulder Stand to Plough. It's a move I've always been leery of and I certainly am not taking any chances since I am still recovering.

Overall it was a wonderful hour of stretching. My booty, hip-flexors and especially my hamstrings are all very happy that I opted to do this today and not just make it a rest day.

Tomorrow will now be KenpoX which means I'll finally be jab, cross, hook, upper-cutting my way to happiness and hopefully the ab definition I've always dreamed of.

P90X: Day 5 Round 3.5

Wall squats, sneaky lunges and skaters....oh my!

Three reasons why I curse on Fridays and walk funny while going up and down the stairs on Saturday.

Tonight was a tough one. I don't know if I didn't give myself enough time after eating one of the Gluten-free Brownies I blogged about earlier, if I was just tired or if I was just pushing my body to it's max, but I was exhausted and wanted to puke when this routine was done.

Now that I'm showered and in bed, I feel great and I'm happy I pushed myself to do the workout. It's so easy to get tired, feel unmotivated and not want to push yourself to press play. Chalene Johnson had some great advice in ChaLEAN Extreme. She said even on the days you don't feel like working out, just press play and give it five minutes. If you still don't feel into it, stop, but she guarantees you'll end up feeling better about yourself and you'll complete your workout for the day. So far, she's been spot on. There have been many days that I haven't felt like doing my workout, but I get up, get into my gym clothes and press play. An hour later, I'm done, sweaty and feel like a million bucks and that is something to be proud of.

Anyway, Legs and Back is a lower body killer. I bitch about wall squats often, but as a female, the one legged ones have come in handy many times while using public restrooms. You ladies know what I'm talking about. We hover to pee as it is when using these restrooms and there is nothing worse than ending up in a stall with a broken lock... enter the one legged wall squat and give a huge thank you to Tony Horton for being the prick of all pricks by making you do them every week for 90 Days, cause now you can squat to pee AND hold that door shut with one leg!

Tomorrow is my FAVORITE workout in the P90X program, KenpoX! There is something about jab, cross, hook, uppercutting, that makes me very happy!

P90X: Day 4 Round 3.5

Well, as I said in yesterdays post, there was no way I would be doing YogaX today. To be quite honest, I think YogaX gives yoga a bad name and I'd rather spend my time stretching, breathing and centering myself with a DVD from GAIAM.

I chose one of my favorites, AM/PM Yoga with Rodney Yee. The AM portion of the DVD is hands down my favorite and yes, I have done it at night many times. There is something about the sound of the ocean, Rodney Yee's calm voice and the relaxation techniques that he uses, that makes my entire day just melt into the ground along with all of my stress.

Another plus is that it is about 15-20 mins long so I can squeeze it in no matter how hectic my day gets.

Tonight, I was feeling very relaxed after Mike and I finished AM yoga (see...told you I do it at night too) so I decided to do PM yoga as well. It felt good to get some additional stretching in since I am very sore from the first 3 days of P90X. I am still partial to the AM segment and felt much more relaxed after it, but that could also be because I know the routine by heart and don't have to open my eyes to see what he is doing at all during it.

I am currently feeling very relaxed and centered and that is a feeling I don't mind in the least.

Tomorrow is Legs and Back, which means there will be cursing as I am forced to do wall squats! Fun times I tell you, fun times.

Until then, Namaste.