Day 71: Buns & Guns

Well it IS called Buns... and Guns.  What a great demonstration of both!  :)

Happy Friday morning, at the start of a long weekend. It's Day 71. I'm coming off of a double workout yesterday, and feeling it!

Plyo was on the calendar, but I used one of my substitution cards today. Yep, I told myself I could do up to 5 substitutions in the first 90 days depending on time, mood, and soreness. No misses allowed unless the circumstances were extreme - just substitutions.

Today was substitution #4. Sorry, Plyo. I chose Buns & Guns today instead. I'm still so torched from yesterday that I couldn't even contemplate Plyo today! I may mix Plyo back in as a substitution on another day, but I won't count it as a substitution because it's so much harder than the others! That's what I'd consider a bad-trade. '-)

Buns & Guns is one of my favorite workouts. And for more than one reason. To the headlines below!

Day 70: Workout #2 - Cardio XT / Ultimate Abs

It's Day 70 and I just finished my second workout for today... which is itself, a double.

I want a rest day this weekend, so I committed to two workouts today. Pre-loading, so to speak. I did Muay Thai first thing, and now the little gem of a combo called Cardio XT and Ultimate Abs.

Holy smokes, Batman. I'm torched.

My cool down after Ultimate Abs included lying on the fitness mat exhausted. Doogie, the dog, came over to make sure I was still breathing. I'm not entirely sure I was for a few minutes there. And yet today, possibly more than any other day so far, I came and got it.  It's a nice way to turn the corner into the final 20 days of this TapouT round, yes?

To the headlines!

Day 69: Rest & Day 70: Muay Thai

It's Thursday, Day 70, and I'm fresh off a rest day.

I'll be doubling up one day soon so I can take another rest day over the holiday weekend. I'm not a big fan of doubles, but I am a big fan of holiday fun with friends. Must. Pay. The. Price.

Today I got to do my beloved Muay Thai. MAN, I love that workout.

<--- But today, I changed the game. I worked out with my new weighted gloves for the first time. Pink, of course.

Um, HELLO! The gloves are a BIG game changer. Do you think I still liked Muay Thai with the gloves on? To the headlines...

Day 68: Yoga XT

To be clear, I'm still not a fan of Yoga. But I'm getting better at it. Sorta.

It's Tuesday, Day 68, with Yoga on the calendar.

Can you hear my cheers of joy?

I didn't have nearly as much fun doing Yoga this week without my nephew Jackson along for the workout. I doubt I'll ever convince him to do Yoga again... so... I'm on my own.

Anyone who's following along knows I'm not a big Yoga fan.

<--- But I am starting to get the hang of some of it.

I'll even reluctantly admit to seeing some benefit from it. GASP.

To the headlines below.

Day 67: @#$%^&* (Plyo)

It's Monday, Day 67, and...  it's Plyo day!  @#$%^&*

I know this workout is highly effective. I don't doubt it for a minute. I should love this workout. Truth be told, there are parts of it that I really love. The description from the TapouT XT website says this:

Burn fat and improve athletic performance 

with this sweat drenching explosive plyometric lower body workout.

I sure do like the sound of that. At least in theory. The question is... why does it have to be so HARD?!?

To the headlines, below.

Day 66: SFU - Again!

It's a Sunday afternoon, on Day 66.

Today's calendar calls for Ripped Conditioning + Ultimate Abs.

I was so excited because I really like RC and it's been awhile since I've hit it. I get my workout area prepped, pop in the DVD, and immediately start griping to my husband.  I mean, immediately.  It went something like this:

"What? 55 minutes? On a Sunday? (Admittedly, that part is my fault.) @$^*#$&%. Why can't they all be 30-40 minutes? 55 minutes is TOO LONG. And what? I'm supposed to do Abs after this? %#&#)%&*!!"

Hubby remarks that to him, it seems like these workouts fly by when he's listening from upstairs... before he knows it, I'm done. I glare at him. He moves out of striking range. We laugh. And I press play.

About 30 minutes later, I stop dead in my tracks, and then start laughing. I did it again!! What is wrong with me?

What did I do?  To the headlines, below.

Day 65: Competition Core

It's Saturday, Day 65, with Competition Core on the agenda.

<--- Today was one of those days where I did NOT want to workout. I thought about stomping my princess feet and having a tantrum. "NO! I don't wanna." (If I had princess feet, I would totally own these shoes.)

Then I realized that me not working out today, just didn't make sense. I wasn't particularly sore. I wasn't overly stressed. I didn't have a ton going on. I wasn't having a fantastically magic, fun-filled day that warranted a skip for the sake of indulgence. I just didn't feel like it.

Aw, poor baby.

Yep, you guessed it. I decided to COME AND GET IT! To the headlines below.

Day 64: Cross Core Combat

It's Friday!

Day #64, and Cross Core Combat is on the books. I couldn't help but think back to Day #1, the first time I did this workout. I was excited. I was filled with nervous energy. And I was smart enough to be scared.

I remember being torched after that first day. (Check the pics on my Day 1 Post for proof!) I wondered how I would survive the intensity over 90 days. Little did I know I'd not only be surviving... I'd be thriving.

Well, sort of.  :-)  Today, I had an interesting challenge.

Let's get to the headlines.

Day 63: Legs & Back

It's Thursday, Day 63, with Legs & Back on the agenda.

It's always hard to come back from vacation and not feel like you need... well, a vacation. All that energy and enthusiasm spent playing is exhausting. I used my rest day for travel, so I had to jump right back in yesterday with Yoga. Somehow today seemed harder than yesterday, to get back in the swing of things.

I decided to think of the peaceful setting I just left to remind me how much it was worth spending my rest day to travel home.  :)  

Dolphin Bay Resort in Pismo Beach, California.

I'm thankful I had the vacation in the first place, so no bitching or whining for me.  I'm back and at it!  

Hello, Legs & Back.

To the headlines, below.

Day 62: Yoga XT

Jackson starting to worry about saying Yes to Yoga XT.

It's Day 62, my first in Phase III after a rest day yesterday... and it's Yoga XT day.

Today was the the MOST FUN yoga day ever. Ever.

<--- Here's why. My nephew Jackson moved to Boulder today to start his freshman year at CU. And because I'm such a great auntie, I roped him into doing Yoga XT with me. When I asked, I didn't expect him to say yes. Especially since I don't have too many nice things to say about Yoga.

Jackson had never done Yoga before. You can see his skepticism in this photo. So funny! I should've taken an after photo... but it would've been hard to capture his expression as he was passed out on the floor in the shadows. :-D

To the headlines, below.

Day 60: Buns N Guns

Hey there - It's Day 60 (wow) and Day 4 of vacation in beautiful California.

Today's workout is Buns N Guns.

Two stunning facts for today.

1.  It's Day 60! I'm through phase II and on to phase III. Wow.

2. It's Day 4 of vacation and I just got in my 3rd full workout. That is a 1st, for sure. Back from a rest day and hit it hard today.

I've had a great time on vacation, mixing in lots of activities in addition to TapouT. Yesterday, beach play. Today, a day at a local ranch working with horses. It's been a truly amazing trip.

Part of what's made it amazing is the fact that I've done my workouts.  :-)  TapouT makes it easy. I honestly think I'd miss it if I took a pass, like I normally do while on vacation.  I'm not sure if that's good or bad!

To the headlines, below.

Day 58: Muay Thai

Hi again from beautiful California.

It's Day 58 of TapouT and Day 2 of Vacation.

Today I had an amazing workout. I'm in this beautiful setting, right on the water. I'm well-rested and well-fed and totally relaxed. And I let myself choose my own workout... which of course is my favorite, Muay Thai.

Earned with sweat - drenched - even on vacation. This may be one of my best workouts ever.

So fun.  

To the headlines, below.

Day 57: Strength Force Upper

Have TapouT... will travel! Vaca Day 1!

Hello from beautiful California!

It's Day 57 of TapouT - and Day 1 of Vacation.

Usually when I go on vacation I focus on indulgence, 100%. Vacation is about taking a break. This vacation?  Not a chance. I'm committed to stay the course with TapouT. I don't want to lose traction at this point in my journey.

I arrived this afternoon. Within a couple of hours, I went to the store to stock up on veggies, turkey bacon, and a few not-so-bad indulgences. (The room service menu is a bit too indulgent.) And then? I came back to the hotel to get in a workout.

This is a first for me. Just goes to show how much I'm enjoying TapouT.

Day 1 in the bag with Strength Force Upper. Have TapouT... will travel!

To the headlines, below.

Day 56: Cardio XT & Ultimate Abs

It's Thursday and it's happy hour:  Tequila shots?

Nope. Cardio XT & Ultimate Abs. Far less "happy" of an hour, for sure. You know when you're in trouble? When you have to take a break during the warm-up. Yep, I was that impressive today. On the flip side, I pushed through it - and hard - for an excellent workout. Drenched in sweat, "earning it" with every move, through both workouts.

Here's why I feel great about it:

Yesterday afternoon was rough for me. I lost someone I admired. Someone who had a profound affect on my life. He left the world suddenly and far too early. I was supposed to be at a "real" happy hour today, but passed. I almost passed on my workout too, because I was sad. It seemed like a valid excuse to indulge in a lazy day. Then it hit me:  TapouT makes me feel good. I feel strong and powerful after my workouts. I feel proud and healthy and vital. And so it was today. THAT... is what TapouT does for me and THAT... is why I feel great about working out today. Hard.

To the headlines below.

Day 55: Buns & Guns & Ultimate Abs

It's Wednesday, Day 55 with Buns & Guns & Ultimate Abs on the schedule.

I am feeling it today.

- My buns are cooked.
- My guns are smokin'.
- My abs are flat-out baked.

I'm starving after an excellent workout. Can you tell by my use of descriptions above?  :-)

To the headlines, below.

Day 54: Sprawl & Brawl

It's Tuesday, Day 54... fresh off of Sprawl & Brawl.

In case you're wondering where I've been (miss me?)... I took two rest days this week vs. one.  But have no fear - I will make up the workout one day this week with a double day. I needed the extra rest day, but I don't want to miss a workout unless I have a really good reason.

As usual, S&B kicked my behind today. I really like this workout and it goes pretty quickly. For some reason I was thinking this was the one with The Grinder, so I was also totally delighted at the end when I realized it wasn't.

I'm not sure if it's the Sprawl or the Brawl that requires all the burpees...? Must be Sprawl? Whichever part it is, that's my least favorite. :)

To the headlines, below.

Day 51: Yoga (Already? Again?)

Read more about my new Yoga-Paws below!

It's Saturday evening on Day 51- with Yoga on the calendar.

Wait. Yoga? Again? I just did Yoga!

Yes, Yoga is on the calendar twice this week... Week 8 is probably intended to be a bit of a recovery week. I would complain, except that there is no Plyo this week. This, to me, feels like a fair trade. :-) It's possibly a mistake, but I'm going with it.

As for my beloved Yoga, I do have one bit of progress to report today vs. last week. Surprised? To the headlines, below.

Day 50! Competition Core

It's Friday and believe it or not... it's Day 50!

I didn't flinch much at the prospect of 90 days when I decided to do TapouT.  My friends and family think I'm crazy. They can't understand why I'd take on something like this.

TapouT has been going quickly since Day 1. I have to say, though, this Week 7 has been a scorcher for me. Knowing I'm on Day 50 helps. It's a nice big number that I can feel good about - especially since I'm just beyond 50% of the way done. Celebrating the small victories along the way is really important to keep myself motivated. So today I celebrate 5-0 and look forward to my next milestones of 60, 75 and 90 days!

Today was Competition Core. It seems like forever since I've done this workout. When it first started, I didn't even remember it during the warm-up. I started to think maybe I put the wrong dvd in earlier when I was supposed to be do this workout. After the warm-up, though, it came back to me quickly.

You know what's weird? It's a core workout. And I like it. :)

What's even better? As I was typing this update, I got a HUGE life lesson as a result of this workout. BAM. Please, check it out below.

Day 49: Cardio XT

Take THAT, Mike!

Hey there - 

It's Thursday, Day 49, with Cardio XT on the books.

I'll just admit up front that today wasn't my best workout to-date. I wasn't particularly feeling it. I'm a little tired this week, and sore from pushing my intensity up a bit. 

But I did it. Huffing, puffing, and scowling? Perhaps. BUT I was able to capture a smile on my face while I pretend punched Mike in the face.  :-) This was, of course, near the end. The smile, I mean. Not the pretend punching.  HA!

To the headlines, below.

Day 48: Legs and Back

Hey there -

It's a Wednesday afternoon, Day 48, for Legs and Back.

I'll just say it. Last night I had cupcakes. Yep, three of them. Gluten-free, of course, and made with Earth Balance vs. Butter. But with icing galore. I've been pretty good about sugar lately, although I do love occasional indulgences. This was a delicious, indulgent treat. Did I mention I ate these in lieu of dinner? Not even one vegetable to offset the sugar. Yikes! :-) I told myself I'd hit it hard today.

I woke up this morning with a slight food coma... and as my friend Jason says, I was feeling like someone "beat me with a bag of hammers" in the night. My body has been sore this week. I think it's probably common at the mid-way mark to be feelin' it. I intended to eat a 4th cupcake for breakfast with my morning coffee, but decided to pass. So far I haven't caved.

Needless to say I didn't feel like hitting it hard today, cupcakes or no. So...

To the headlines, below.

Day 47: Yoga XT

Mike's love of yoga, as he finally reaches his toes.

It's a sunny and beautiful Tuesday - on Day 47.  I was totally enjoying the day, until I remembered that Yoga was on the calendar.

If you've been following along, you know I'm not a big Yoga fan. I've admitted that TapouT Yoga is better than other Yoga workouts I've tried. But still, I'm not a fan. Unlike Mike, who loves Yoga as evidenced by the photo left.

Until today, I've been pushing myself to like Yoga. I've been hoping that one day I might even love it. And then it hit me... to stop.

Stop trying to love it. Just accept Yoga as something that's good for me - and do it anyway. I have to say I feel a great deal of relief in "accepting" Yoga as a necessary evil vs. struggling to like it. It's my cough medicine of workouts. It may be good for me. It just tastes horrible. :-)

To the rest of the headlines, below.

Day 46: Muay Thai

It's Monday... and Day 46, with Muay Thai on the docket. 

Yesterday I celebrated my half-way mark at 45 days with an early rest day. Today, I'm back at it. You can see from the calendar that I'm making progress. It helps me stay motivated, to see it visually. The first thing I do after every workout is come check it off: DONE!

You can probably detect an * on one of the days in Week 6. That was the day I did The Grinder all the way through for the first time.  :-) Amazing day.

The calendar shows 12 weeks vs. 90 days, so I'll have a week remaining when I finish up this calendar. Can hardly wait to get to Phase III in another ten days or so. 

One more highlight?  A BIG one? No Plyo on the calendar for the next 13 days. That's right. 13 days. I'm so happy I could burst! Such good news.

On to the headlines for Muay Thai today. <3

Day 45: Half-Way Results

Happy Sunday afternoon. Today's a big day!

It's Day 45 - the half-way mark for my 90 day TapouT XT adventure.

I can honestly say that the first 45 days doing TapouT has flown by. Sometimes it doesn't feel like it in the moment, say during Plyo... but overall, time has flown. I've hit every single workout, and tried to hit them hard. And early results are starting to show, for sure. 

Do I have a hard-core TapouT body? Maybe not quite yet. Do I see significant changes in my body after only 45 days? Absolutely YES.

As part of my accountability, I'm sharing my results broadly. Check out the numbers (and photos) below.

Day 44: Strength Force Upper & Ultimate Abs

LIVE from Boulder... it's SATURDAY NIGHT.  :-)

Today is Day 44, with Strength Force Upper and Ultimate Abs on the agenda.

I.  Can.  Barely.  Lift.  My.  Arms.  To.  The.  Keyboard.

I love both of these workouts. SFU torches my upper body and UA crushes my core as a wrap up. Without a doubt, I love these workouts more when I do them before nighttime arrives.  Busy day today and didn't get to the workout until after dinner time. And in the category of being dumb, I didn't eat prior (dumb) and I'm too tired to eat after (also dumb). I know, it's impressive.

Let's get to the headlines, below.

Day 42: Rest and Day 43: @#$%^&* (Plyo)

"TGIF" to you... which today not only means Thank Goodness It's Friday.

For me, it also means Thank Goodness I Finished... @#$%^&*, also known as Plyo.

Today I had a really important realization about this workout and why it is such a push for me and others. All the workouts are challenging, but Plyo is something a bit more than just challenging.

Let's jump straight to the headlines, below.

Day 41: Sprawl... and Brawl

Hey, hey... Day 41 for Sprawl <pause>... and Brawl.

Hit a late one today, starting the workout around 7:45pm. As much as I complain about early morning workouts, you'd think I'd love an evening workout. Nope. With TapouT, I seem to be a mid-afternoon or early evening fly girl. 

My hubby came through the door half-way thru S&B tonight. He stopped, watched for a second, said "Good girl" and went upstairs before I could catch my breathe and invite him to join me. Smart man. When he came back down awhile later, I was hitting the "killer move."  He encouraged me with "Okay, now. Hit it. It's the killer move!"  

All I could muster in reply was "This sh*t is hard."  :-D

To the headlines, below.