Day 33: Legs and Back

"Bandit" hitting some Plank Jacks with new leg bands!

Happy Tuesday - Day 33!

Today was Legs and Back and it was a BIG break-thru day for me. I won't say EPIC, but BIG, BIG, BIG.

Why, you ask?

Your first clue... the photo to the left.  More photos and the scoop below.

Click "Read more" below the photo.






"Bandit"

Most of you know by now that my TapouT fight name is "Bandit."  I plan to steal some amazing abs from this program. :-) But the name originated from my struggle with the leg band. It rolls, it moves, it gets stuck, it comes off. I'm terribly uncoordinated... and for me, the leg band magnifies that weakness big-time. Mike told me to "love the band and it will love you back."  That definitely made it better these last couple of workouts. But today?  VICTORY... with a new band. 

Headlines

1. I really love the 'Legs and Back' workout. It kills me, to be clear, but I love it.
2. The leg band has challenged me from the start.
3. Today I tried two new brands of leg band. See my assessments below.
4. I think Bandit found her new band.  Think I'm happy about it?  Ab.So.Lutely.
5. I still have some work to do on the transitions (band on / band off) but I'm stoked.

The Scoop

Here are the brands I tried today and my assessment.

"Perform Better" Band

This band is thicker than the band that comes with TapouT and I thought that would prevent rolling. And it did for the most part. But the band has a bit of an odd texture - more slippery - and would not stay around my feet. It slipped off mid-move on almost every sequence. My shoes don't have much of an indentation under the arch, which might explain all of my band challenges to-date.

I had high hopes for this band. Maybe with more practice I could crack the code. But once I moved on to the other band... I knew this one probably wouldn't get much play.





Stone Fitness "Ripcords"

"Oh, sweet mystery of life, at last I have found you!" These bands rock. There are two velcro cuffs attached to the band that you can wrap around your feet, ankles, hands, wrists and under the knee. I even used the band without attaching the cuffs, around my thighs for one move. I bought them in three resistance levels: light, medium and heavy resistance.

I can't say I've fully mastered quickly transitioning from band on, to band off, but I got better as I went along. I mean, they're velcro so it isn't too challenging. And I think it's well worth the effort. No slipping, no rolling, no awkward pulling.

I honestly didn't think these would work. They do. The photo up-top is me doing Plank Jacks. SO much better. Marching, photo left, same thing. My form improved hugely on every move I tried with Ripcords and I could feel how much more targeted each move was... as intended.

I can't say these bands are for everyone, but wanted to share them with you. I think they're going to work well for me. I'll update you again next time I use them, to either confirm or revisit my early assessment. Both brands of cords are available on Amazon.com if you're interested.

Favorite Mike Quote Of The Day

What, you thought I'd let my excitement over Ripcords keep me from sharing my favorite Mike quote? No way. Mike says at the start of a water break: "Can we get some water? And can we MOP some water?" in response to how much the team is sweating in the workout. Yep, this one is a cooker for sure. I had to mop up my own sweat today. But I did it with a smile on my face, because baby's got NEW BANDS!!

More tomorrow,

Lisa

"Bandit"

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My "real" life beyond TapouT XT:

    Executive Consultant: www.laiventures.com

    Author and Coach: www.soulforbreakfast.com