TapouT XT: The 90 Day Results!

Welcome to my TapouT XT Results update.

I finished my 90 days of TapouT yesterday. It's been such an amazing and rewarding journey. I've never had more fun working out. Best. Workout. Ever.

I know you probably just want to see pics -  and I won't disappoint! They are included below. BUT... please take a few minutes to read the words here as well. TapouT is about SO MUCH MORE than just the physical transformation.

Let's start with the numbers:

Age:  48

Height:  5' 4"

Weight:  Down 6 pounds

Body Fat:  Down 3% (huge difference at my size)

BMI:   Down 1.0

Chest:  Down 1.25 in

Waist:  Down 2.5 in

Hips:   Down 0.5 in

Legs:   Down 1.5 in

Arms:  No change in inches, big change in shape

I didn't start out with the goal of losing weight with TapouT. I just wanted to firm up. I was getting "fluffy." Much to my surprise, my body went through quite the transformation, without any change to my diet. I eat pretty clean normally, but I indulge on occasion and I wasn't willing to give that up. I can only imagine the transformation had I cleaned it up a bit more.

I'm thrilled with the results. I don't have any doubt that as I continue to do TapouT, my body will be in it's best shape ever at the ripe old age of 48. What's not to love about that?  Thanks, TapouT!

What I Love About TapouT (Besides the obvious.)

1.  Well, I'll go ahead and state the obvious. This workout WORKS for me. My body loves it.

2.  TapouT makes me want to workout. It's fun, it's hard, it's empowering and it's effective.

3.  The mix of workouts keeps it fresh. I never once grew bored over 90 days of working out.

4.  Mike Karpenko is a great coach. He's the real deal. He's so supportive on the dvds and in real life.

5.  The people on the TapouT videos are amazing. MMA fighters, fitness pros and all the rest. I find them absolutely inspiring.

6.  I'm stronger, tougher, and way more resilient having done this workout. I feel victorious. Unstoppable.

7.  This is extreme fitness. It doesn't get easier over time; it forces you to elevate your game. The better you become, the better the workout.

8.  You can't help but feel really proud of yourself when you finish each workout. And that is exactly the point. 

9.  The community of people involved with TapouT is crazy supportive and encouraging. I feel so thankful to be a part of it.

10. Bottom Line:  This workout is changing lives every day. People aren't just getting stronger bodies; they're just getting stronger, period.

My Biggest Lessons 

1.  Always bring it, 100%. What in the world is the point of doing a workout like this without full energy and commitment? It may be easier in the moment, but when that moment is over, what do you have to show for it? Nothing. Cheating or holding back intensity doesn't hurt anyone but me. It's dumb. I've learned with TapouT to always bring it, mind and body. Hit it with a hammer, not a pencil.

2.  Stay outside of the comfort zone.  Mike says in Muay Thai, "I will tell you this. Results aren't made in the comfort zone. So stay uncomfortable. Stay with us."  I hate to admit that in the past I've stayed pretty close to my comfort zone. I've pushed hard and done some intense things, but I rarely really pushed myself out of the comfort zone. Until now. Being uncomfortable... is, well, uncomfortable. But the results when you overcome and crush something you didn't think you could? Unbelievable. The Grinder taught me I can do anything.

3.  Believe you can.  Even at Day 90, there are still moments in these workouts when my mind tries to tell my body it can't do something. The body starts to respond and let up before I'm even aware of the thought at times. It's easy to believe the thought that you can't. I'm too tired. My muscles are screaming. I'm worried about injury. I've done enough, whatever that is. Almost every time my mind started pulling me back, Mike would say something about believing in myself or staying with it. He would tell me "to quit does NOT exist" or "there's no QUIT in TapouT."  I learned to push beyond my mind, and let my heart take over when both mind and body wanted to quit. What a great life lesson.

The Evidence

If you've seen the transformational photos on the TapouT Facebook page, you know this workout is highly effective. My results aren't transformational in a BIG way, but they are still truly transformational for me. I wish the photos showed the magnitude of change in my body's composition. You'll just have to trust me. I'm so strong and firm. I can't wait to see where I go from here with TapouT.

Here are some photo results.

My progression over 90 days... from fluffy to fit!

From "fluffy" to fit and firm... Lots of my clothes are baggy. Down one size or more.

I love all the results I've seen with TapouT, but my shoulders make me smile (and make tough-girl faces.)  :-D

I wasn't too unfit at the start, but the difference is clear.  Very trimmed up. And TapouT gives the gift of SOLID legs!

To all of you who have been "in it" with me for the past 90 days - thank you! My husband Pat has been amazingly supportive and encouraging. My "Team Scorpion" TapouT partners have inspired me to bring my very best, every single day. What a special group of people you are. I'm so blessed to have had you by my side every day. And to the greater TapouT community that provides undying support to complete strangers, day and night... I'm forever grateful. Taking on this workout was a big deal for me. Thank you for your encouragement! 

Come and get it?  DONE.  

Best. Workout. Ever. 

Thanks, Tapout XT!

My best to you,

 Lisa

"Bandit"

*** 

My "real" life beyond TapouT XT:

    Executive Consultant: www.laiventures.com

    Author and Coach: www.soulforbreakfast.com

Day... 90! Muay Thai

"We don't give away a TapouT body.
You have to come and get it!"

It's a beautiful day today.

It's Day 90.  My final workout in my 90 day push to better fitness with TapouT XT.

I woke up this morning filled with such excitement to reach this milestone.

I chose my favorite workout, of course:  Muay Thai. I grabbed my favorite workout gear. I got my towel and my water. And then I pressed play, like I've done so many times in the last 90 days.

Most days I feel totally victorious after I finish TapouT.

Today? I was victorious before I even started.

Imagine how I felt when I was done!

To the headlines, below.

Day 89: Buns & Guns & Ultimate Abs

It's Day 89 - hello, hello, hello.

Wow!  So close to Day 90.  :-D

Today I chose Buns & Guns & Ultimate Abs for my workout.

How can I possibly not give Jupinko a shout-out for her role in this workout? I mentioned her on Day 1 (although I didn't know her name) and a few times since then, but today I give her a formal SHOUT OUT for her amazingly fit physique.

<--- The cameraman shares my admiration for her *star* assets, as captured in this still from the video. This is what hard work looks like. Talk about results. Go, Jupinko! (For more on Jupinko, click here.)

To the headlines, below.

Day 88: Legs & Back

It's Monday on Day 88.  Yep, Day 88!

My choice of workouts today was Legs & Back.

You would think that after all these days I'd have each workout memorized. What I love is that they all still feel fresh to me. I know the moves and I remember some of the sequencing, but the workouts continue to surprise me.

I'm challenged, with great intensity, even now on every single workout. I used to take breaks and now I don't. I used to have to skip or severely modify some moves and now I don't. Maybe as I've gotten stronger I just push myself harder?

I find myself a little overwhelmed these final days of my TapouT 90 day adventure. I know I'll miss the push of the commitment; I have made TapouT 100% non-negotiable for 88 days now. I'm totally excited to hit the 90 day milestone, but I'd be lying if I didn't admit to being a little sad... to see the daily commitment to the workout, and to this blog, come to an end.

But then I remember that I can still do TapouT any time I want. SWEET. What could be better than that?  :-D  To the headlines, below.

Day 87: Cross Core Combat

Well, maybe just a tiny bit when I realized Cross Core Combat
is the one that ends with The Grinder.  :-o

It's Sunday evening with "Lisa's Choice" on the calendar today.

Being able to pick my own workouts as I finish up the full 90 days is pretty fun. I have all my favorites lined up and ready to go. Getting to choose for myself every day is awesome.

Why, then, did I not choose one of my favorite workouts today?!?

First, I ate BBQ ribs last night. In volume. "Hard" felt better than "Favorite" for my choice today. At least before I started the workout.

Second, I also forgot just how hard Cross Core Combat is. Seriously. How could I forget? The Grinder is just... wow. Or maybe WOW.

To the headlines, below.

Day 86: Ripped Conditioning

Happy Saturday afternoon. I hope your weekend is off to a great start.

It's Day 86... and the first of five days where I'm choosing my own workouts, having completed the TapouT calendar yesterday. I chose Ripped Conditioning as my first pick. I love this workout.

<--- "Your body's like a piece of dynamite. You can tap it with a pencil all day, but you'll never make it explode. You hit is once with a hammer, bang! Get serious, do 40 hard minutes, not an hour and a half of nonsense. It's so much more rewarding." Jason Statham

One of my favorite things about TapouT is that you work HARD from the moment you press play. Every single minute counts and you're pushed to your limits, sometimes even in the warm-up. I love the intensity - and my body loves it too. As for Jason Statham, well, mad respect and all kinds of crushing.

To the headlines below.

Day 85: Cardio XT & Ultimate Abs

It's Day 85 and I knocked out Cardio XT & Ultimate Abs today.

And I'm almost speechless. Not because Cardio XT takes the very last breath from my lungs by the end of the workout. Not because Ultimate Abs at the end of Cardio XT is like pain on a silver platter.

<--- I'm almost speechless today because I just finished the TapouT calendar. If I was smart, I'd be calling my TapouT series DONE today. I'd claim victory in every sense of the word and I'd feel it body, mind, and soul.

However... I signed up for 90 days of TapouT from the beginning. The infomercial sold me on 90 days. The workouts talk to me about 90 days. The fact that the calendar is only 84 days... well... it doesn't give me a pass on crushing the full 90.

So for the next five days, I'll be choosing my own TapouT routine. I'll do all my favorites and enjoy every minute of my final lap, and my virtual trip to the podium to celebrate completion of the full 90. I can already feel the pride that will come with receipt of my "Earned With Sweat" t-shirt.

In the meantime, though?  BOOM. I crushed the calendar. I'm doing the "happy dance" as suggested by my TapouT buddy Shannon. A very happy "happy dance." I feel a tremendous sense of accomplishment. So... to the headlines, below.

Day 83: Rest & Day 84: Sprawl & Brawl

It's Thursday morning, on Day 84, with Sprawl & Brawl on the calendar.

I'm fresh back from a rest day, but I didn't fully take advantage of the break. It felt like a wasted rest day, and believe me... I hate wasting a rest day.

So I woke up a little grumpy. I didn't feel like working out. I had to do it first thing, before coffee or eats. I had a fleeting thought that maybe I'd pass and double up later. (Maybe it was more of a lingering thought.) At this point my friends are so tired of seeing my posts about TapouT, they'd probably cheer if I skipped.

<--- And then, I remembered this quote. In my world, fitness has to be fun. But it sure doesn't have to be easy. And I don't always have to be feeling it at the start. I just have to start and usually I end up crushing a great workout. So I remembered why I started this TapouT 90 day program in the first place: to challenge my mind, to push my body to new limits, to commit to something bigger than myself, and to have a ton of fun in the process. Then I pressed play. This day is SO much better already.

To the headlines, below.

Day 82: Competition Core

Mike's Instagram photo of his abs. His advice:
"Train hard. Eat right. Be rewarded."

It's Day 82 with Competition Core on the calendar.

<--- This instagram pic Mike Karpenko posted a few weeks ago is a great reminder as to why this workout is in the mix. He works every part of his core, without a doubt. The description for Competition Core on the TapouT website says this:

Want TapouT Abs? Do this work out! 

Carve your upper, middle, lower abs, and love handles at the same.

Mike is proof. It works!

Funny sidebar:  I googled "Mike Karpenko Abs"... and a copy of MY 45 day results photo, flashing my abs, shows up. And not that far down the page. Wha...? Guess anything I put on this blog is fair game. Yikes!

Note to self: Must be mindful of what I post for my final 90 day results!  :-D  

To the headlines, below.

Day 81: *&^%$#@ Plyo!

It's Monday night and Day 81.

 I just completed my final Plyo workout, aka *&^%$#@.

<--- If I had taken a photo after I finished tonight... this is what I would've looked like. It's like the skies opened up, the birds were chirping, and all was well with the world.  :-D

When I marked it off the calendar, for the very last time, I had to add an exclamation point. I'm kind of beyond thrilled with this milestone.

Tonight I celebrate surviving Plyo. I celebrate pressing play, hitting it hard, and sweating like crazy. I celebrate swearing at Mike, squatting until my legs want to explode, and going through 32 ounces of water in 50 minutes. Mostly? I celebrate being done with Plyo. I'm smiling ear-to-ear.

To the headlines, below.

Day 80: Buns & Guns / Ultimate Abs

It's a beautiful Sunday evening, and the sun has set on another weekend. It's Day 80 - wow - and today's workout was Buns & Guns, plus Ultimate Abs.

Is it bad that after I finished these workouts today I laid on the floor for a few minutes without moving? I think I was breathing, but it was like a deep Savasana pose (Yoga corpse pose).

I had brunch with a friend today and we talked about how challenging it can be for people to settle into Savasana. I realized this evening that complete exhaustion is quite helpful in assuming corpse position. I was so tired that I literally finished Ultimate Abs and just stayed on the floor mat.

Maybe I really am too old to do TapouT XT. Wait, what? Shut the front door! No way. I'm not too old. I'm just on Day 80. 8-0. I'm just a little, mmm, fitfully exhausted. :) To the headlines, below.

Day 78: Rest & Day 79: Muay Thai

Leonard "Bad Boy" Garcia - showing his knee strike power in the ring. WOW!

Happy Saturday morning.

It's Day 79.  I'm fresh off of a rest day, and I'm so happy to be kicking this week off with Muay Thai.

It is my absolute favorite of the workouts.

I love all the MMA fighters Mike included in these dvds. It's so fun to have them do TapouT XT with me in my living room. I watch their form and learn how to be more intentional with my moves as a result. More fight, less fitness.

<<---- Leonard "Bad Boy" Garcia is the bomb with his knee drives and kicks. I love watching him. His intensity pushes me to really get after it. Check out this photo I found of his knee drive action in the ring. I'm guessing he's about to take this guy out or do some serious damage at a minimum. He goes ALL IN in TapouT XT, just as if he's in the ring. I love it and use it to fuel my workout ALL IN too.

I.  Love.  Muay Thai. <3

To the headlines, below.

Day 77: Sprawl & Brawl

It's Day 77, Thursday, with Sprawl & Brawl.

HOLY GUACAMOLE, with a side of chips.

This &%^$ is HARD!

<<<---  Mike posted this on Facebook a few days ago. So funny. Today's workout reminded me of exactly this. When I first started TapouT I could barely do Sprawl & Brawl. Mike said Keep With It and DO NOT QUIT. So, here I am 70+ days later. I didn't quit. And just like Mike said, I'm stronger, I'm more flexible, and I have better endurance.

Of course, Sprawl & Brawl still torches me totally. But isn't that the point?

To the headlines, below.

Day 76: Legs & Back

It's Wednesday and Day 76, with Legs and Back on the agenda.

You know, I try not to whine too much in my daily updates.

Today?  I'd like some snacks with my whine.

I cheer when I see only 41 minutes on the workout dvd. Some of the longer workouts make me whimper. But today I realized that with Legs and Back... it's really a 55 minute workout done really, really fast!!

The transitions with the leg band make me laugh out loud. I am so uncoordinated and tired after some moves that I can't even get the band off of my leg before Mike is ready to move on.

Was that whine-y enough? I'm sure I could come up with more. But I'm smiling as I type this. I like this workout, fast pace-of-play and all.  :-D

To the headlines, below.

Day 75! Yoga XT

Day 75 - The Final Stretch! S's = substitution days.
Zero misses. The J is when my nephew worked out with me. :) 

It's Tuesday evening and I'm so happy to report that it's... Day 75!

I am now absolutely in the final stretch. How appropriate that today I had stretching with Yoga XT! According to the TapouT calendar, I'd be done in about a week, but to hit the full 90 days I have to power through two weeks.

I hit a wall yesterday after my second workout. Physically exhausted, a little sore from over-training, and in need of some better nutrition than I had this weekend. Hydration too. It was hard to get up and going today.

This workout probably couldn't have come at a better time. I decided to do Yoga on my own terms today. And it may have been one of my best experiences with it to-date.

During a program like this, the mind commands accountability, discipline, and intensity. The body doesn't always have a loud enough voice until it's pushed too far and starts to break down. Sometimes we just have to listen to our bodies. Today was one of those days for me. I'm so glad I was able to quiet my mind and let my body take the lead.

To the headlines, below.

Day 74: Cross Core Combat

It's Day 74, Monday night, and I just hit Cross Core Combat.

I'm typing this from the ground, where I lie heaped in a mangled pile of tiredness.

This is my second workout of the day because I wanted to play yesterday. I resolved to pay the price, but it was so much easier to have that resolve when I chose to pass vs. now when it's time to pay up.

Cross Core Combat is rough. It's a super fun workout, but all the plank work, and the up and downs are killer. Add The Grinder to the end of the workout - my second workout today - and I am toast!

I'm recovering with sushi - as my treat for all my hard work. :-)

To the headlines.

Day 73: Ripped Conditioning

Miesha Tate: MMA Fighter

It's Day 74... and I'm doing Day 73's workout this morning, a little late.  :-)

Today:  Ripped Conditioning.

I took Saturday off for a day in the mountains with friends, so I did a double on Thursday. I decided to take Sunday as well. So I'm back to a double today. Double TapouTs are tough for me, especially so close together. However...

I visited a long-time friend I haven't seen in awhile this weekend. I spent much of the weekend in jeans and layers, including a hoodie. As we were leaving, I was in shorts and a T-shirt. My friend hugged me goodbye and suddenly said, "Oh, WOW." Then did a full-on assessment of my ab, arm and leg muscles. 

She was impressed. She's known me for years, and has seen me in varying degrees of fitness and shape. But she was blown away by my muscle strength. Somehow the doubles seemed totally worth it in that moment. 

<<-- Speaking of "Oh, Wow"... Miesha Tate, MMA fighter. 

See Mike's very funny quote about Miesha below.  

To the headlines!