Thursday & Friday

[Guest guest]

Great workouts Tonya! Nice to hear from you as well :)Darcy

Well, even though I didn't feel too great when I got up on Thursday, I got to feeling a little better later in the day and did a workout. I did the Body & Soul Fitness Total Body. This was a 45 minute kickboxing workout that really sucked. Literally, there were times when she would have a left lead for the feet but a right lead for the arms. I don't think there was ever a sequence that had a left lead for the arms. I can say with this one, though that at least they got rid of the cheesy 80's clothes and the stripes on the floor. I don't think I will be doing this one ever again, so I'm really glad it was only $1.

After that I did Body & Soul Fitness Power Walking. It was 29 minutes of actual exercise, but there was a lot of talking by exercise physiologists, etc. about proper walking technique, warm-up, stretch, etc. We're back to the cheesy 80's, but overall it was a decent workout. Very retro aerobics.

I ended the day with Exercise TV's Incredible Abs. This was 20 minutes of ab work. Lots of plank variations. Overall a decent workout, so a good deal for free on Exercise TV.

Friday I was feeling much better, so I went with my more intense Shoulders & Arms with weights from Training with Tonya. 30 minutes of heavy weight work. I maxed out with 10's, though because I taught it with individual sets of 20-25 reps, so I couldn't go too heavy.

After that I went to do the last of my Body & Soul dvd's, Ultimate Dance Aerobics. I got all of 5 minutes into it and the dvd kept skipping so bad that I couldn't do the workout. I tried cleaning it. I tried cleaning the dvd player. Nothing worked. I tried another dvd in the player and it worked fine so I decided that it was the dvd. So I just threw it away. Thankfully, it was only $1. What I did of it was a good funk workout ala the early 90's, though, so if I see it at the Dollar Tree again, I may get another copy to see if I can get a better dvd.

Since my cardio was a bust, I grabbed one I needed to make up anyway, Aerobic Dance with Suzanne . This is an okay 50 minute workout. Basic aerobics with half the room dressed in blue doing the high impact and the other half of the room dressed in orange doing the low impact version. I got a good sweat, but I wouldn't say it is a have to have dvd. It was a good deal from the dollar rack at Wal-Mart though.

To finish things off I grabbed season one from Training With Tonya again and did the Pilatesculpt Lower Body, Upper Body, and Core workouts. 30 minutes each of my take on Pilates mixed with higher reps and some sculpting type moves. Basically, I needed a stretch. LOL

Today so far, I've already walked on the treadmill and done a Gilad workout. I'm almost ready for another Training With Tonya Pilatesculpt Total Body and then Kest. Can you tell I'm trying to work my way up to being prepared for all that has to offer? LOL Actually, the hard part of that workout will be to force myself to actually do it instead of just sitting on my yoga mat drooling over .

Have a great day!

Tonya

[Guest guest]

Hi!

I never did post my Thursday workout - which ended up being Ana Caban's Intermediate Pilates Mat Work tape (I have it on VHS, not DVD - so yes, it really is a tape! ) I didn't get to this one untl 8:45 p.m. A positive about doing Pilates is I don't mind doing it in the evening and it does help to unkink my spine from the day's activities! This one is more advanced than her Beginner Mat Work which I did earlier this week. I like Ana's instruction - I seem to "get it" with her. I also like her bright personality. Overall this one is classical Pilates sequencing - so nothing unusual to it just a good mat work session. It is around 30 minutes, maybe a tad longer.

Today I did the bike for 40 minutes (I read a magazine for a lot of it! I also made it interval-ish by lowering and reducing the tension on the bike). Then, I walked on the TM for 15 minutes and did a little over a mile there. My pace was around 4.5 - 4.7 mph. I may try jogging at some point, I think it would actually be easier. Question for TM users - do you wear walking shoes or cross trainers? Thinking I might actually get some walking shoes and do some outdoor walking as well from time to time. While reading on the bike I paid attention to al the TM workouts that magazines such as Shape, Fitness, Self, etc. put out so I think I may try them to spice up the TM as well. I prefer to walk outside, but my workout time is early morning when it is still dark!

Oh, I forgot for today's workout, I warmed up doing the "waking energy" (standing) portion of Kries' Hot Body Cool Mind Level 1 DVD (btw, I heard from 's studio that Levels 2 and 3 are coming out in December). Anyway, the waking energy segment was t-ai chi-ish. I liked it even though I often have trouble "getting" T'ai Chi.

I stretched out after the bike and TM with 10 Min Solution Pilates (the one w/ the band) stretching segment. Felt good!

Tomorrow is likely my rest day - (sleep in day) - although I'm finding that w/ doing mostly PIlates workouts I don't dread getting up early to get them done. But sleep is good, too.

I did treat myself to two new workouts that I should be able to do - both from Wal Mart - 's 4 Big Miles and the new Amy Bento Figure "8" band workout (10 Min. Solution). The Amy Bento one came in a kit w/ the figure 8 band - it was around $15 - so not bad. I figure I can do some of the stuff on that one. I also saw another new 10 Min Solution Kit - Yoga for Beginners. But, I passed on it b/c it came in a kit w/ a yoga strap and I figured that I already had a strap and if I wanted the DVD at some point I could find it alone for a better price. My Wal Mart also had some other s - 3 mile walk and Element Yoga as well as the 10 Min Solution Kit for dance w/ Jen Gilardi (comes w/ a band, I don't recall the name of it).

I would like to get my hands on the new 10 Min Solutions for Pilates - the one w/ the ball and the new one. w/ Suzanne Bowen. I hope Deep Discount carries them, I may pick htem up when they have their 20% off sale later this year. Also, eyeing Amy Bento's 10 Min Solution workout, although I probably can't do it right now.

My back is still doing pretty well - it is definately looser and I have more ROM. I actually felt that I had more of a natural arch in my back when doing Pilates last night - previously my back was flat to the floor (without my pressing it there) - now I swear I can feel a tiny little natural arch - maybe it is getting back to normal???

Take care!Donna

[Guest guest]

Donna M-P wrote:

> My back is still doing pretty well - it is definately looser and I have

> more ROM.

this is fabulous news donna... especially when i think of how

long you suffered with this!

im very excited and happy for you

also im happy to hear that you have been finally using your

treadmill !! yay!!!

:*carolyn.