Home Workout enthusiasts - week of July 28

[engineer]

Well the start of new week and I’m feeling positive – not sure why but I’ll take it. :D Friday since I could barely walk I spent an hour in the sauna. Saturday I did Cathe’s GS Back, Shoulders and Biceps (How do you abbreviate that?). Sunday I went gonzo and did Cathe’s GS Chest and Triceps, followed that with the treadmill workout same one as last time and then did Firm More 5-day abs Day 1 and Cathe’s Total Body Stretching, Ball stretch one. I felt good but I certainly should have used heavier weights on the GS workouts but I figured first time I’d go easy and see how things progressed.:rolleyes: I iced my knees last night and that seems to have helped as I was almost going down stairs like a normal person.

Tonight I was thinking of GS legs and see what happens – got to push that envelope to see progress.

Anyway I hope everyone has a good week ahead.

[Valerie226]

Michelle.. staying on the light side with weights is best until you know the workout. doing all those pushups I can't go as heavy as I would if I wasn't already :rolleyes:tired.
cathe focuses on a limited area with lots of different moves, I go lighter. Not light, but lighter. I try to work it so I can just get thru all the reps. I grab two sets of weights like an 8 and a 10 and do a quick swap up or down as needed. not as easy with a barbell but that's one thing I like about these two workouts, it's more dumbbells and the band. switching the weight on my barbell is a process.

[srahndennis]

Let's see...Saturday I did the double cardio premix from 4DS HIS/LIS. Sunday was the KPC high step circuit. About killed my legs. She does pieces of KPC mixed with wieghted leg presses on the high step. Each group of leg presses is two sets of 16. When she went into the third group, I said forget it! I took Monday off and today was CTX Upper Body Split.

Michelle, you are on a roll!! Good luck with GS Legs -- push it, just don't push too hard! You asked about the pyramid workouts -- I like them. Typically, you do five sets of one exercise starting with low weight/high rep and working up to high weight/low rep then back down again. They move fast and it seems the workout just flies by. I feel the results, too.

Valerie, you are so right about all those pushups! My workouts lately haven't included pushups but they did this morning. I'd been working on doing full push ups, kind of half & half, but not today. Just knees, please!

[Valerie226]

I neglected to describe my weekend "workouts".... we're doing a home drainage improvment project. it made for quite the upper body workout.
DH smashed up a large concrete step and the concrete had to get up into the truck bed , chunk by chunk. there must have been at least 1500 lbs cause even with special suspension, it was groaning! the truck, not me... and then we got to the dump site and had to move it all again, this time out. then we got a truckload of pea gravel. they load it for you but we had to unload it into a bucket or wheelbarrow by shovel & place it around the drain lines we were installing. even half a 5 gallon bucket of gravel is a load! and then to add insult to the process, it started raining, raining quite a bit so we had to keep a 5 gal bucket under the downspout we were working near to keep the area reasonably dry, and it was filling up every 5 minutes. a 5 gallon bucket of water weighs around 60 lbs, and it had to be carried up out of the ditch to a non work area..... this was even worse than anything cathe ever put on disk! I was sore monday morning, no upper body workout needed for a couple days. just treadmill for 35 and core. and yoga this morning. haven't been in a while and it was a good session. I'll follow up with some treadmill and elliptical this afternoon. we're hoping to hike tomorrow but the weather is iffy so we'll see. if no hike, we will work on the drainage thing some more:eek:, but the worst parts are done. .

[engineer]

GS Legs went good last night. For regular squats I did ball-wall squats and for most of the lunges I used the bowflex and alternated hamstring curls and quads and leg presses for the high step work all in an effort to build up the strength of the muscles around my knees. I didn’t use the band for any of the floor work again to work on developing those support muscles without injuring anything. So I did a very wimpy version of the workout but the legs were sore last night and I iced my knees and things are pretty good today. Next time I’ll up things and push a bit harder to see if I can’t improve on my whimpiness.

Tonight I have no idea what to do – should I do GS B, S and Bi or treadmill or Fitness Fix? Ugh – what does Cathe suggest for a rotation with the GS series.

Did I mention that my weight keeps creeping upward – got to be the medications I’m on, very frustrating but at least when I workout I feel like I’m doing something worthwhile for myself.

Wishing you the best for the day.

Valerie - Ouch, and to think that DH wants to put in a french drain from the barn to the ditch, I see something very similar in my future (minus the concrete destruction). Bet you were glad you had done those Cathe's otherwise I bet you wouldn't have been near as much help:D Good job on the cardio work

Sarah - Oh pyramids sounds good, wonder how I can work those in, too many choices:o. Anyways thanks for the info. And your workouts are super and give me inspiration.

[Valerie226]

yes, very similar to a french drain. we need to redirect downspout water. the builder (20 years ago) must not have been watching closely since the drainpipes were all put in place and then some brain dead fool must have driven over every one of them with a backhoe crushing and disconnecting every single one. we have repaired and replaced as needed and this is the last one although it took years before we realized there were "issues" buried deep under the soil and landscaping. it's right next to the foundation so requires hand digging, a great pleasure and joy....:( oh well, off to the treadmill...

[cniles]

Hey guys!

Our computers have been disconnected for the past two days due to my painting project in the computer room. I am so sore. I definately got my upper body workout in. I love the color - it's called mushroom saute:p We need new computer desks and another bookshelf -

So today I need to do some cardio - and then clean up the downstairs. Everything is pulled out into the hallway and diningroom...

Michelle - you've really gotten back into it. Be gentle with those knees!!

Valerie - ugh. That sounded miserable!!!

Stacy - How long is a double cardio premix???

Sorry guys - gotta run. Much to do. Will be back later!:)

[srahndennis]

Valerie, your drainage project sounds challenging, to say the least. No other upper body workouts needed!

Michelle, keep it up! You're doing great - making progress with every workout. Everyone here keeps me inspired! I'm not always so "regular" but I'm on a roll. No excuses. I can empathize with the weight creep. I want to lost 15 pounds and am very frustrated right now. The scale just won't budge in the direction I want it to! I'm not the best at journaling what I eat (need to focus more) but I really do eat quite healthy. It's hard for me to believe/accept that I can workout this hard six days/week and watch my diet most of the time and not lost any weight. :mad: I keep thinking that I'll see something next week but it's been three weeks with a net gain of .5 lbs.

Charisse, congrats on your paint job! It's always nice to have a fresh coat of paint, especially if it's a new color. And mushroom saute just sounds delicious! The 4DS HIS/LIS double cardio premix is 57 minutes. That was okay....until I realized that it didn't include a warmup or a stretch.

Today I did Step Blast. I always have trouble with the coreography on this one! Today was better than the last time so I guess I've improved but there were a couple of times where I was just doing a basic step 'cause I couldn't follow.

[cniles]

I like Step Blast - :) I haven't done it for awhile - maybe I'll dust it off tomorrow!! I did Cardio Overdrive this am and sweated my bootie off! Took the kids to the movies - we saw Journey to the Center of the Earth - cute.

Time to think about dinner - just burgers and corn on the cob tonight... Have a great eve everyone!

[cniles]

Slugged my way through Fat Blasting Cardio with Lisa Kay... it's not especially tough but I was dragging big time!!

Don't have a plan for the day other than to take Jack to his physical... he gets his 6th grade shots:( anywhere from 2-4 poor thing. I may take him out afterwards - he'll definately deserve it after that.

Saturday we're headed to my mom's - my sister will be in town and then Sunday DH and I leave the boys there for the week! They'll go to Williamsport LL Hall of Fame and then down to Baltimore for a couple of days. Last year they went to Pittsburgh. They always have a good time with the grandparents!!

And we always enjoy our couple time as well.;) So next week is sans children - hmmm what projects can I do without them in the house?!!!

Stay cool today - it's HHH with a high of 90 here!:o

[engineer]

Hey all, it’s almost Friday. I took Tuesday as a rest day and did my nails in a shade of blue only it’s more of a clear turquoise when I got it applied. Oh well, I just like to try different things (when it’s correctable, hair and nails…tattoos are too permanent for me). Last night I did GS B, S and Tri’s. I upped the weights on this one since it’s the second time I’ve done it. I don’t have major DOMS but slight twinges so I guess I need to up it a little more. Proud of my self for doing it though and with the increase in weights, maybe I’m not as weak as I thought I was.

Tonight I’m not sure what I’m going to do. We are taking Friday off to go to the fair even though we don’t have the horses back from Idaho. We can help our friends who are at the fair with grooming and braiding and keeping the stalls clean as well as cheer them on. We’ll stay in Bemidji overnight so we can see both Friday and Saturday events. I’m thinking I should do both of the other Cathe Gym Styles (one tonight and one Friday morning) and just expect to walk a lot on Friday and Saturday.

Well all that’s my plan, what’s yours?

Charisse - Good job on that workout -even if you thing you were slugging through, you did it and you finished it that's a huge accomplishment. Yes I think Jack deserves a special meal after getting those shots. And enjoy that couples time if you don't stop in

Sarah - Even if the weight isn't going down are the inches? Perhaps you are at that rearranging phase and you don't see the scale more but things are changing. WooHoo on the improvement on the choreography.

Valerie - how did the treadmill go? DH is still working on his bridge project so the french drain will occur later (good thing). Any fun hikes?

[Valerie226]

Our drainage project is pretty much done. we need to make some forms, and get concrete poured to make a new front step now that the drainage is 100% A-OK. that's a pain but not too much work on our part. We did rent a trench digger and it went very quickly, the last 75 feet. but the part right next to the house was best done by hand so it worked out for the best.

Did treadmill and Elliptical today and hopefully will hike one day this weekend and bike the other. It's about 60 degrees and raining , not exactly summer weather. we pretty much have not had a summer this year, or else it's really LATE arriving.

Stacy, can you explain what that is? "I did the double cardio premix from 4DS HIS/LIS." It sounds deadly!
charisse, have a fun week sans kiddos. Got to be fun for everyone, they probably enjoy a week being spoiled by grandparents.

Michelle...no tatoos here either, sometimes I think there are only a couple of us left in the US! keep up the good work.