Saturday, April 30, 2011

♥ SMART Quest ♥ Sat. April 30, 2011

Week 7, Day 6
My SMART Quest for today is:  Continue eating well.  I am still up a tiny bit from the last reward meal.  I think I  need to look at my sodium levels. Keep drinking my water!

SLEEP:   7 1/2  hours - I went to bed at 12:00 pm , awoke at 7:30 am. 
AWOKE: 8:00 am
WARM UP: 7:35 am - I added extra reps to my warm up!  (kept the push ups the same)
Push Ups x 12
Squats x 20
Spiderman Climbs x 20 total
Jumping Jacks x 30
Performed 2 rounds of this circuit
Today I am doing a HIIT consisting of a series of  8 exercises based on Scott Colby's Ageless Abs 2 Program!   I am doing 90 seconds on 90 seconds active recovery. 

High Intensity Interval Training

These are timed Intervals:  Set your Gymboss Timer to 2 intervals of 90 seconds each and 8 rounds.  Each round is 3 minutes.  24:00 total

Sprinting (running as fast as I can, high knees) x 90 seconds full on work
Boxing shuffles with punches  x 90 seconds active recovery to keep my heart rate at a moderate pace
Switch Kicks x 90 seconds full on work
Prisoner Squats x 90 seconds active recovery to keep my heart rate at a moderate pace
Suicide Drills x 90 seconds full on work
Boxing shuffles with punches  x 90 seconds active recovery to keep my heart rate at a moderate pace

Jumping Jacks x 90 seconds full on work.  As quickly as possible
Prisoner Squats x 90 seconds active recovery to keep my heart rate at a moderate pace

Side Jump Kicks with Side Squats (Left Leg) x 90 seconds full on work
Boxing shuffles with punches  x 90 seconds active recovery to keep my heart rate at a moderate pace

Side Jump Kicks with Side Squats (Right Leg) x 90 seconds full on work

Prisoner Squats x 90 seconds active recovery to keep my heart rate at a moderate pace
Plank Jacks (see Scott's video, ouch!) - x 90 seconds full on work
Boxing shuffles with punches  x 90 seconds active recovery to keep my heart rate at a moderate pace
Heismans (running as fast as I can, side to side motion, high knees) x 90 seconds full on work
Prisoner Squats x 90 seconds active recovery to keep my heart rate at a moderate pace


5 Minutes of cool down at a moderate pace on the scale a "3" - Doing more kick boxing moves.

Each exercise took 3 minutes for a total of 24 minutes (8 exercises), plus 5 minutes of cool down & 5 minutes of warm up. 
I was sweating like crazy by the end of this work out.  I added 2 of Scott's exercises from one of his videos, the Squat Jacks, and Plank jacks!  Those plank jacks are really tough!  Love it!

MEALS:
Meal #1:  10:00 am -  coffee & sugar free creamer, 2 slices uncured bacon (very salty tasting, bad!)
Meal #2:  12:00 pm - 1 serving of oatmeal
Meal #3:  3:00 pm - Homemade salad consisting of grilled chicken, Napa cabbage, grated carrot, raw mushrooms 7 a Light Chinese dressing.
Meal #4: 6:00 pm -   2 slices toasted Ezekiel sprouted grain bread with 1 Tbs. natural peanut butter, ! Tbs jam.
Meal #5: 0:00 pm -

WATER: 6 glasses (so far)

MINDSET: Today has been a lovely day.  Since the sun is shining, I am feeling cheerful!  No big plans for the weekend so hopefully I will behave!

Friday, April 29, 2011

♥ SMART Quest ♥ Fri. April 29, 2011

Week 7, Day 5
My SMART Quest for today is:  Get a good stretch in.  My arms are a bit sore from yesterday's workout!  I think doing the knee raises on the Ultimate Body press Dip Bar was to much.  My shoulders are tight today!
Awoke:  7:00 am
Warm Up: 7:40 am 
12 push ups
20 squats
20 spiderman climbs
30 jumping jacks
Completed 2 rounds!  I continue to add extra reps to my warm up to get my heart going!

Workout:  7:50 am

Today I am doing Scott Colby's Weight Based Interval Training#3, week 7, from Ageless Abs 2 Program!  I am adding more reps and doing more advanced moves.   


Metabolic Acceleration Phase - Week 7

Weight Based Interval Training # 3


DB Renegade Rows with Push Up and T-Stabilization  (12 lb. Dumbbells) x 16 push ups (8 rows each side) 
DB Bulgarian Split Squat with Overhead Press (15 lb Dumbbells) x 24 total (12 each side)
BOSU DB Side-Front Raise Combo (8 lb Dumbbells) x 16 (each time your arms come down equals 1 rep, will have to use fairly light weight)
DB One Legged Step Up (15 lb Dumbbells) x 24 each side
As many rounds as possible in 20 minutes.  Rest only as needed.


I was able to complete 2 1/2 rounds in exactly 21:30 minutes. It took me so long to complete each round.  The push ups were killer and so were the Bulgarian over head presses.  I was so wiped out for some reason that I decided not to finish the 3rd round after the timer went off.  I just finished the exercise i was working on when the timer buzzed.  My arms were shaking and my shoulders and triceps were sore and fatigued.

R#1 - 8:36, R# 2 - 8:26,  1/2 of R#3 - 4:28 - Total 21:30 minutes

I finished this workout with Finisher #2 consisting of30 Dips + 30 Jumping Lunges (total)
20 Dips + 20 Jumping Lunges (total)
10 Dips + 10 Jumping Lunges (total)

Wow oh wow!  This was killer on my arms.  They were already sore and rubbery!


MEALS: 
Meal #1:  9:00 am -  1 small banana & coffee & sugar free creamer
Meal #2: 12:00 pm - 2 slices uncured bacon
Meal #3: 2:30 pm -   grilled bbq chicken salad 1/2 focaccia bread
Meal #4: 6:00 pm -   2 slices toasted Ezekiel Bread with small amount of butter & jam
Meal #5: 8:30 pm -   Grilled chicken, 1 carrot with hummus

WATER: 7 glasses

MINDSET: I was having sort of a down feeling today, but I managed to push it aside, and eat well.  I am still feeling bloaty, hope that goes away, ugh!  I was glad to get my workout over with today.  For some reason it was really tough!

Flavilicious Fitness Review April 2011

Flavia Delmonte's Full-Body-Licious fitness program -

"A Female's Formula for a Flawless Figure"


Okay folks. I downloaded Flavia Delmonte's "Full-Body-Licious" fitness program. It is being offered for 50% off the retail price for a limited time.  I talked with Scott Colby before ordering the program and we decided it would be a good program for me to follow after I finish Ageless Abs 2.  It is being sold & targeted to women.

I have watched the DVDs but I haven't actually tried them yet as I am still on another program so I will try them soon.  They look good, but I want to point out a few things I have noticed that you may or may not like.

For the price you receive 5 DVDs that are downloaded to your computer.  There are also 5 videos that can be downloaded to your Ipod/Mp3 player as well. And Flavia also includes printable worksheets that you use during the workouts. 

  • Disc #1 -  "Tight & Trim Thighs"
  • Disc #2 -  "Show-off Stomach"
  • Disc #3 -  "Booty Booster" 
  • Disc #4 -   "Sleek & Shapely Shoulders" 
  • Disc #5 -  "Beautiful Backside"

Equipment used: Stability Ball, Dumbbells 3 - 15 lbs., Jump Rope & Resistance Bands (Medicine Ball & Barbells are used in some of the circuits but can be substituted)

Let me clarify that the purpose of the DVDs is to show you each of the moves.  The DVDs are not the traditional type that you can pop into your DVD player and follow along with for the entire workout.  They are just a guideline to show you how each exercise works, and how to perform each move with proper form.  If you are looking for a program that you can workout along with the instructor then this is not the program for you.

I will say that Flavia gives excellent cues on how to perform the exercises with proper form through out the DVDs

I felt that the enclosed Printable Workout sheets seem to be a bit off.  They don't give a real visual of the actual exercise you will be performing.  I am familiar with many of the exercises, but If I was a newcomer to fitness I would find this confusing.  I plan to fix my workout sheets to properly reflect each move as it really is supposed to be done.

No fancy equipment is listed as necessary but I found that in Disk #1, you have to have access to a machine of some sort or a TRX resistance system.  I am guessing that for Circuit #1, "Row with Squat" you can probably attach a resistance band to a doorknob if you don't have a Home Gym Machine. (I don't).  Also she shows a TRX System used for the "home version" of the "Wide Grip Lat Pulldown", but I don't own that either so I will have to attach some resistance bands to a "doorway pull up bar" to be able to do this exercise. 

I would also like Flavia to mention what size medicine ball she is using as well as how heavy her dumbbells and barbells are.  Everyone should work at their own level, but I always like to know what the instructor is doing to see if I can work at the same level as well.

I do feel that this will be a good program for me and I am anxious to start the program.  I was a bit nervous hearing that the workouts are each 60 minutes long but I have since found out that it will depend on your fitness level how quickly you go through each circuit.

Pros:  This is a great program for someone looking for a challenging workout.  It will be helpful to have a good knowledge of proper diet & a love for working out. It is reasonably priced and nice to have a fresh outlook on weight training exercises.

Cons: She doesn't really offer a meal plan for daily use.  She does have a plan called the "Deadline Diet" that is used to a couple of weeks so having a good plan or knowledge of healthy eating would be good.  Also you will be on your own, no support group so you will have to have the desire to workout and be successful!

Personally even with the few glitches (that can be fixed).  I would recommend ordering this program if you need something new to do in your fitness plan and you want a good challenge. 

Thursday, April 28, 2011

♥ SMART Quest ♥ Thurs. April 28, 2011

Week 7, Day 4
My SMART Quest for today is:  Keep moving forward. I am feeling a bit bloaty today after yesterday's Reward Meal!  I will try to drink plenty of water today! 

SLEEP:   7 1/2 hours - I went to bed  at 11:30 am , awoke at 7:00 am
AWOKE: 7:00 am
WARM UP: 7:55 am
Push Ups x 12
Squats x 20
Spiderman Climbs x 20 total
Jumping Jacks x 30
Performed 2 rounds of this circuit
Today I am doing a series of  6 Tabata Intervals based on Scott Colby's Ageless Abs 2 Program!  I am still adding extra time to the intervals and I continue to try and do more advanced moves.    Instead of doing 20 seconds on - 10 seconds rest, I am doing 30 seconds on 10 seconds rest.


6 Tabata Intervals
These are timed Intervals:  Set your Gymboss Timer to 2 intervals of 30 seconds & 10 seconds and 8 rounds.  Each round is 5:20 minutes/seconds. 


Side to Side Ski  Jumps - 30 seconds on, 10 seconds rest x 8 rounds - 95, 99, 100, 99, 99, 99, 98, 99 reps per round. Much better this time.  I was able to do more reps.
BOSU Mountain Jumper Push Ups -  30 seconds on, 10 seconds rest x 8 rounds - 9, 8, 8, 8, 8, 8, 8, 9 reps per round! 
Knee Raises ( Knee Pull Up on the UBP Dip Bar) This is from Zuzana's BodyRock.tv site - see photo below. -  30 seconds on, 10 seconds rest x 8 rounds - 14, 14, 13, 10, 13, 13, 12, 13 reps per round!   These were very difficult to do, ouch!  My shoulders, triceps & abs could really feel it.
Jumping Jacks -  30 seconds on, 10 seconds rest x 8 rounds - 40, 40, 41, 40, 41, 40, 42, 43 reps per round!  I was much slower on this for some reason.
Bowling Lunges  - 30 seconds on, 10 seconds rest x 8 rounds - 67, 65, 65, 65, 65, 67, 66, 67 reps per round!  I was able to add a few more reps!

Side Jump Kicks with Side Squats (with ankle weights)  - 30 seconds on, 10 seconds rest x 8 rounds - 4 rounds per leg. Left Leg: 18, 18, 19, 18 reps per round, Right Leg: 18, 17, 16, 17 reps per round!  Oh my goodness this was difficult.  Every round got harder and the weights felt heavier.



MEALS: 
Meal #1:  9:00 am -  1 small banana & coffee & sugar free creamer
Meal #2: 12:00 pm -  egg white omelet,
Meal #3: 3:00 pm -   grilled tilapia fillet, steamed broccoli, 3 dried plums, 6 raw almonds.
Meal #4: 5:30 pm -   2 slices toasted Ezekiel sprouted grain bread with 1 Tbs. natural peanut butter
Meal #5: 8:00 pm - 5 ozs, grilled chicken

WATER: 8 glasses

 MINDSET: Well, I wasn't happy about feeling bloaty all day from last night's reward meal, but I know I need to cycle my calories, etc.  I have been good with eating and workouts.  I haven't been good about taking photos.  I will definitely take them on Monday!  It has been hard having my daughter home for spring break.  I think I can see a difference in my muscle tone.  I am hoping my things will look smaller!

♥ SMART Quest ♥ Wed. April 27, 2011

Week 7, Day 3
My SMART Quest for today is:  Today is supposed to be a reward meal day. I don't want to have one, but we are supposed to meet friends later, so I will see what happens. I plan to be good during the day just in case.

Awoke:  6:30 am
Warm Up: 7:20 am 
12 push ups
20 squats
20 spiderman climbs
30 jumping jacks
Completed 2 rounds!  I continue to add extra reps to my warm up to get my heart going!

Workout:  7:25 am

Today I am doing Scott Colby's Weight Based Interval Training 21, week 7, from Ageless Abs 2 Program!  I am adding more reps and doing more advanced moves.   


Metabolic Acceleration Phase - Week 7

Weight Based Interval Training # 2

BOSU Spiderman Climbs with Push Ups x 20 total push ups     
DB Squat With Rotational Overhead Press (17.5 lb Dumbbells) x 16 reps total (8 each side)Bodyweight Rows Feet on Stability Ball (Bosu Ball) x 20 reps (10 reps on Bosu, 10 reps feet on floor)
DB Reverse Lunge to Side Raise (15 lb & 12 lb Dumbbells)x 16 reps  total (8 each leg)

As many rounds as possible in 20 minutes.  Rest only as needed.

I got a good amount of sleep. I used 17.5 lb Dumbbells for the Rotational Overhead Press. It was a good weight with the added reps.  For the DB Rev. Lunge to Side Raise, I started with 12 lb dumbbells for round #1, but bumped up to 15 lb dumbbells for rounds 2 & 3.  For round #4 I had to go back down to 12 lbs, as I was too tired to keep good form with the added reps.

I was able to complete 3 rounds in exactly 18:00 minutes.  I decided to finish a 4th round.  It took about 23:00 minutes to finish.
R#1 - 5:51, R# 2 - 6:03,  R#3 - 6:05 R#4 - 5:17


MEALS: 
Meal #1:  9:00 am -  1 small banana & coffee & sugar free creamer
Meal #2: 12:45 pm -  egg white omelet, 2 slices uncured bacon
Meal #3: 4:30 pm -   grilled chicken & grilled lean beef with brown rice & mixed steamed veggies.
Meal #4: 7:30 pm -    Reward Meal - Ceviche, spinach salad, small serving chips & salsa, chocolate & red wine (ugh, I feel bloaty)

WATER: 9 glasses

MINDSET: Felt pretty good today.  Hope things continue in a good path.  Wish I hadn't had a reward meal, but I did, so we will see what happens.

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

♥ SMART Quest ♥ Tues. April 26, 2011

Week 7, Day 2
My SMART Quest for today is:  Try and eat all of my meals.  It has been hard to eat every 3 hours and I tend to miss a couple of my meals. I am not binging, but I certainly don't want to starve myself either as i know that is not good for my metabolism.


SLEEP:   7 1/2  hours - I went to bed at 11:00 pm , awoke at 6:30 am. 
AWOKE: 6:30 am
WARM UP: 7:35 am - I added extra reps to my warm up!  (kept the push ups the same)
Push Ups x 12
Squats x 20
Spiderman Climbs x 20 total
Jumping Jacks x 30
Performed 2 rounds of this circuit
Today I am doing a HIIT consisting of a series of  8 exercises based on Scott Colby's Ageless Abs 2 Program!   I am doing 90 seconds on 90 seconds active recovery. 

High Intensity Interval Training

These are timed Intervals:  Set your Gymboss Timer to 2 intervals of 90 seconds each and 8 rounds.  Each round is 3 minutes.  24:00 total

Sprinting (running as fast as I can, high knees) x 90 seconds full on work
Boxing shuffles with punches  x 90 seconds active recovery to keep my heart rate at a moderate pace
Switch Kicks x 90 seconds full on work
Prisoner Squats x 90 seconds active recovery to keep my heart rate at a moderate pace
Squat Thrust Mountain Climbers with Push Ups x 90 seconds full on work
Boxing shuffles with punches  x 90 seconds active recovery to keep my heart rate at a moderate pace

Squat Jacks x 90 seconds full on work.  As quickly as possible
Prisoner Squats x 90 seconds active recovery to keep my heart rate at a moderate pace

Side Jump Kicks with Side Squats (Left Leg) x 90 seconds full on work
Boxing shuffles with punches  x 90 seconds active recovery to keep my heart rate at a moderate pace

Side Jump Kicks with Side Squats (Right Leg) x 90 seconds full on work

Prisoner Squats x 90 seconds active recovery to keep my heart rate at a moderate pace
Plank Jacks (see Scott's video, ouch!) - x 90 seconds full on work
Boxing shuffles with punches  x 90 seconds active recovery to keep my heart rate at a moderate pace
Heismans (running as fast as I can, side to side motion, high knees) x 90 seconds full on work
Prisoner Squats x 90 seconds active recovery to keep my heart rate at a moderate pace


Dear thighs.
As I write this I hope you are feeling the burn and are starting to melt!  It is time for you to go.  I won't miss you! (giggle).


5 Minutes of cool down at a moderate pace on the scale a "3" - Doing more kick boxing moves.
Each exercise took 3 minutes for a total of 24 minutes (8 exercises), plus 5 minutes of cool down & 5 minutes of warm up. 
I was sweating like crazy by the end of this work out.  I added 3 of Scott's workouts from one of his videos.  The Squat Thrust Mountain Climbers with push ups, Squat Jacks, and Plank jacks!  My oh my were my legs on fire as well as my heart racing!  With all of the other "kick" moves I did, my legs were really feeling it. 

MEALS:
Meal #1:  9:00 am -  coffee & sugar free creamer, 1 small banana
Meal #2:  12:00 pm -Scrambled egg whites
Meal #3:  3:00 pm - Light Chinese chicken salad wrap with small side of fresh fruit
Meal #4: 4:00 pm -
Meal #5: 7:30 pm - grilled chicken , snap peas dipped in hummus
WATER: 8 glasses

MINDSET: While I continue to struggle with personal issues, I won't let them tear me down.  I am better than that.  I will keep looking to my "Why" and pray for success!

Monday, April 25, 2011

♥ SMART Quest ♥ Mon. April 25, 2011

Week 7, Day 1
My SMART Quest for today is:  I feel like I did really well with my Reward meal for Easter!  So my goal for today is to stay energized and stay on track!
Awoke:  7:00 am
Warm Up: 7:45 am 
12 push ups
16 squats
16 spiderman climbs
20 jumping jacks
Completed 2 rounds!  I have added a few extra reps to my warm up to get my heart going!

Workout:  7:50 am

Today I am doing Scott Colby's Weight Based Interval Training #1, week 7, from Ageless Abs 2 Program!  I will continue to add more reps and do more advanced moves.   


Metabolic Acceleration Phase - Week 7

Weight Based Interval Training # 1 


BOSU DB Squat with Front Raise (15 lb. dumbbells) x 16 reps 
DB Reverse Lunge with Overhead Press (15 lb. dumbbells) x 16 reps (8 reps each leg)
BOSU DB Bent Over Row and Raise  (15 lb dumbbells) x 16 reps 
DB Renegade Row - T Stabilization (15 lb. dumbbells) x 20 reps (10 reps each side)

As many rounds as possible in 20 minutes.  Rest only as needed.

I was feeling like I was dragging a bit.  I think Mondays are always a bit tough!  It was hard to get through each round.  I was counting the rounds down, lol.
I tried to use 17.5 lb dumbbells for the DB Reverse Lunge with Overhead Press, but with the added rep and me feeling tired, I stuck with the 15 lb dumbbells.  All of the weights felt super heavy today.  I almost felt nauseous while working out, but just kept giving myself a "pep talk" to keep going!
I was able to complete 3 rounds in exactly 20:00 minutes.  It was wonderful to hear the Gymboss beeping right when I finished that 3rd round!
R#1 - 6:43, R# 2 - 6:39,  R#3 - 6:38  (my times were about the same as last week even though I added extra weight)

I finished this workout with a 5 minute Couplet Finisher #1
Finish this workout with Finisher #1 consisting of

30 Push Ups + 30 Squat Jumps
20 Push Ups + 20 Squat Jumps
10 Push Ups + 10 Squat Jumps
It took me 4:22 seconds to complete the Finisher! 
I was sure Scott could hear me cussing him out this morning.  I sure do love push ups, but geez!  My arms were rubber and I was exhausted!

I am down to my lowest weight since both programs!  I lost another couple of pounds!  Excellent!  I didn't take photos again as my daughter is home for the week, and I won't do this in front of anyone, lol.  next week for sure or maybe tomorrow while she is asleep!

MONDAY STATS:
Neck - 12 1/2" (same)
Bust - 34 1/2" (same)
Under Bust - 29 3/4" (- 1/4")
Waist - 28" (same)
Navel - 31 1/2" (- same)
Hips - 35 1/2" (same)
Thighs - 23" (- .25")
Mid Thigh - 20 1/2" (same)
Knee - 17" (same)
Calves - 14 3/8" (- 1/8")
Ankles - 9 5/8" (same)
Bicep Left - 11 1/2" (same)
Bicep Right - 11" (same)

MEALS: 
Meal #1:  9:00 am -  1 small banana & coffee & sugar free creamer
Meal #2: 12:45 pm -  tilapia fish fillet, steamed broccoli
Meal #3: 4:30 pm -  
Meal #4: 7:30 pm -    Grilled chicken, 2 Persian cucumbers & hummus,  5 dried plums
WATER: 8 glasses

 MINDSET:  I really should have eaten more today.  I had to go grocery shopping to get good food in the house.  I had a great Reward Meal yesterday.  We went to see my son at UC Irvine, picked him up and went to lunch at "Il Fornaio" Italian Restaurant in Irvine.  It was delicious.  I started with bread (yes!!!!) and then a healthy salad of arugula & roasted beets with a lemon vinaigrette.  My main course was home made butternut squash ravioli with crispy sage (oh my gosh, this was awesome).  It is one of my favorite things to eat at this restaurant.  I followed this up with a few bites of Tiramisu that my kids devoured!  When I got home I was so tired I took a nap.  I awoke and had some Easter chocolate.  After that I mostly drank water for the rest of the night and ate a small serving of light microwave popcorn while watching Disney's WALL-E, what a cute movie!  Loved it!  I had only gained 1 lb from yesterday and I know it will go away this week.

♥ SMART Quest ♥ Sat. April 23, 2011

Week 6, Day 6
My SMART Quest for today is:  Be good today for tomorrow is Easter 7 my reward meal day!  I am looking forward to it as I have been so good with my eating.  actually I have not eaten as much as I should, so I plan to have a good meal but not over do it!


SLEEP:   7  hours - I went to bed  at 12:30 am , awoke at 7:30 am
AWOKE: 7:30 am
WARM UP: 8:00 am
Push Ups x 12
Squats x 12
Spiderman Climbs x 12 total
Jumping Jacks x 20
Performed 2 rounds of this circuit
Today I am doing a series of  5 Tabata Intervals based on Scott Colby's Ageless Abs 2 Program!  I am still adding extra time to the intervals and I continue to try and do more advanced moves.    Instead of doing 20 seconds on - 10 seconds rest, I am doing 30 seconds on 10 seconds rest.


5 Tabata Intervals
These are timed Intervals:  Set your Gymboss Timer to 2 intervals of 30 seconds & 10 seconds and 8 rounds.  Each round is 5:20 minutes/seconds. 


Side to Side Ski  Jumps - 30 seconds on, 10 seconds rest x 8 rounds - 95, 98, 97, 98, 98, 97, 97, 96 reps per round.  I felt like I was dragging a bit, but went as fast as I could.  Really got my heart rate up and running!
8 Count BOSU Body Builders - - 30 seconds on, 10 seconds rest x 8 rounds - 5, 5.5, 5.5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5  reps per round! .  Still felt like I was a bit slower than last time! 
Jumping Jacks -
 30 seconds on, 10 seconds rest x 8 rounds - 44, 44, 46, 45, 45, 46, 45, 45 reps per round!  

Side Jump Kicks with Side Squats (with ankle weights)  - 30 seconds on, 10 seconds rest x 8 rounds - 4 rounds per leg. Left Leg: 19, 20, 20, 19 reps per round, Right Leg: 19, 17, 17, 17 reps per round!  Oh my goodness this was difficult.  Every round got harder and the weights felt heavier.

Knee Hugs (from Zuzana's BodyRock.tv, see photo below) - 30 seconds on, 10 seconds rest x 8 rounds - 14, 11, 10, 9, 10, 8, 9, 9 reps per round! I must like the punishment of doing these as a Tabata!  It was hard last 2 times and this time was still very difficult! Ouch!

 Knee Hugs (From Zuzana's Bodyrock.tv)
They look so Innocent!


I ate well this day.  I did not over do it and ate healthy!  Looking forward to tomorrow!  Happy Easter!

Friday, April 22, 2011

♥ SMART Quest ♥ Fri. April 22, 2011

Week 6, Day 5
My SMART Quest for today is: I just can't believe how well this is going!  I am going to keep moving onward! Whooya! I am a bit afraid of Easter...eating, etc.  It is supposed to be a reward meal day, but I am opting to save it for Sunday like a few other people from our Ageless Abs List.
 I am now down below my lowest weight/inches during this program as well as the lowest I had gotten in Ageless Abs 1.  It feels amazing, and is definitely keeping me on track.  I know how hard it is to break below this plateau I have been on for such a long time.  I am a few lbs away from the lowest I was 3 years ago.  I still have a long way to go before I get back to where I used to be in the good old days, but I am on my way!

Sleep:  7 1/2 hours!

Awoke:  7:00 am
Warm Up: 7:25 am 
12 push ups
16 squats
16 spiderman climbs
20 jumping jacks
Completed 2 rounds! 

Workout:  7:30 am

Today I am doing Scott Colby's Weight Based Interval Training #3, week 6, from Ageless Abs 2 Program!  I will continue to add more reps and do more advanced moves.   


Metabolic Acceleration Phase - Week 6

Weight Based Interval Training #3 

DB Renegade Rows with Push Ups (17.5 lb. Dumbbells) x 16 push ups (8 rows each side)
BOSU DB Pull to Overhead Press (15 lb. Dumbbells) x 16 reps
DB T-Stabilization  (12 lb. Dumbbells) x 16 reps total  (8 each side)
BOSU DB Bent Over Row to Tricep Extension  (12 lb Dumbbells) x 16 reps  

As many rounds as possible in 20 minutes.  Rest only as needed
As many rounds as you can in 5 minutes -
DB Renegade Rows with Push Ups -  I decided to stay with the 16 reps and increase the weights.  I was groaning through the push ups, lol!
BOSU DB Pull to Overhead Press  -   I did 16 reps and I tried to bump it up to 17.5 lb dumbbells, no way!  I was struggling with this exercise this time! By the 3rd round I had to go down to 12 lb. dumbbells to get through the rest of the round.
DB T- Stabilization   - Again, stayed at 16 reps.  I really can't go higher than 12 lbs with this with out changing the T Stabilization into a Row to a T stabilization so 12 lbs. it is!
BOSU DB Bent Over Row to Tricep Extension - This is another exercise where in order to have good form and really extend the tricep with out swinging the weights I needed to stay at 12 lbs. with 16 reps.  I was exhausted by the end of this workout!  I felt like I was dragging a tiny bit!
I was able to do 3 rounds in 19:50, I shaved off a whopping 4 seconds from last weeks time of 19:54 lol.
R#1 - 6:59, R# 2 - 6:45,  R#3 - 6:06

I finished this workout with a 5 minute Couplet Finisher #3 ( it took me 5:13)

DB Squat Press until you can't do any more R#1 - 22, R#2 - 18, R#3 - 16 (I forced myself to do a couple of extra reps from last time.)
DB Bent Over Row until you can't do any more R#1 - 20, R#2 - 18, R#3 - 14
 (same thing, made myself do more reps)

MEALS:
Meal #1:  9:30 am -  coffee & sugar free creamer, 1 small banana
Meal #2:  11:30 am - Scrambled egg whites with a bit of cheddar
Meal #3: 4:30 pm - Grilled Tilapia Fillet & Steamed Broccoli
Meal #4: 7:30 pm -

WATER: 9 glasses

MINDSET: Today is Good Friday!  A "No Meat" "Don't eat a lot" sorta day!  No problem, I will eat better tomorrow!  I hope this good feeling lasts and lasts!

♥ SMART Quest ♥ Thurs. April 21,2011

Week 6, Day 4
My SMART Quest for today is:  I am really feeling great about this program.  I can see my body changing, the tape measure is going down.  I want to hold onto this energy and channel it into my program!
For more about my Mindset & Meal Plan please scroll to the bottom of this entry. 

SLEEP:   5 1/2  hours - I went to bed at 11:30 pm , awoke at 5:00 am.  Bad Idea!
AWOKE: 5:00 am
WARM UP: 5:25 am - Still adding extra reps to my warm up!  Feels good
Push Ups x 12
Squats x 16
Spiderman Climbs x 16 total
Jumping Jacks x 20
Performed 2 rounds of this circuit
Today I am doing a HIIT consisting of a series of  8 exercises based on Scott Colby's Ageless Abs 2 Program!   I am doing 90 seconds on 90 seconds active recovery. 

High Intensity Interval Training

These are timed Intervals:  Set your Gymboss Timer to 2 intervals of 90 seconds each and 8 rounds.  Each round is 3 minutes.  24:00 total
Heismans (running as fast as I can, side to side motion, high knees) x 90 seconds full on work
Boxing shuffles with punches  x 90 seconds active recovery to keep my heart rate at a moderate pace
BOSU 8 Count Body Builders x 90 seconds full on work
Prisoner Squats x 90 seconds

active recovery to keep my heart rate at a moderate pace
Bowling Lunges  x 90 seconds full on work
Boxing shuffles with punches  x 90 seconds active recovery to keep my heart rate at a moderate pace

Switch Kicks x 90 seconds full on work
Prisoner Squats x 90 seconds active recovery to keep my heart rate at a moderate pace
Jumping Jacks x 
90 seconds full on work.  As quickly as possible

Boxing shuffles with punches  x 90 seconds active recovery to keep my heart rate at a moderate pace.Side Jump Kicks with Squats (Left Leg) x 90 seconds full on work
Prisoner Squats x 90 seconds active recovery to keep my heart rate at a moderate pace
Side Jump Kicks with Squats (Right Leg) x 90 seconds full on work
Boxing shuffles with punches  x 90 seconds active recovery to keep my heart rate at a moderate pace
1 Arm Press Ups - See Photos below (from Zuzana's BodyRock.tv site) - x 90 seconds full on work
Prisoner Squats x 90 seconds active recovery to keep my heart rate at a moderate pace

5 Minutes of cool down at a moderate pace on the scale a "3" - Doing more lick boxing moves.


Each exercise took 3 minutes for a total of 24 minutes (8 exercises), plus 5 minutes of cool down & 5 minutes of warm up. 

MEALS:
Meal #1:  7:15 am -  coffee & sugar free creamer
Meal #2:  9:30 am - 1 small banana
Meal #3: 11:45 pm - Scrambled egg whites
Meal #4: 4:00 pm - Hummus & Jicama, dried apricots & raw almonds
Meal #5: 7:30 pm - grilled chicken & broccoli

WATER: 9 glasses

MINDSET:  I am still feeling very good despite personal issues.  I won't let anything get me down!  My new computer came so I spent more time than I should have getting it together and figuring my new "friend" out, lol.  I think I love my new Sony! My weight is still going down. It has been great to out on those old clothes and feel "thinner". 

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

♥ SMART Quest ♥ Wed. April 20, 2011

Week 6, Day 3
My SMART Quest for today is: Try and get more sleep!  With that said, I had planned on going to sleep earlier like the night before, but no luck!  My dogs kept barking last night too, so I felt tired this morning.

I feel like I am repeating myself but I am back to my lowest weight during this program as well as the lowest I had gotten in Ageless Abs 1.  I had gained a tiny bit over this last reward meal since I was in Las Vegas and it was so close to measurement day. It feels great to be seeing the results and my clothes are getting looser! I love being able to fit into my older clothes and even they are starting to get loose as well! 

Awoke:  5:00 am
Warm Up: 5:25 am 
12 push ups
16 squats
16 spiderman climbs
20 jumping jacks
Completed 2 rounds! 

Workout:  5:30 am

Today I am doing Scott Colby's Weight Based Interval Training #2, week 6, from Ageless Abs 2 Program!  I will continue to add more reps and do more advanced moves.   


Metabolic Acceleration Phase - Week 6

Weight Based Interval Training #2 

BOSU Grasshoppers with Push Ups x 20 total push ups 
BOSU DB Squat to Y Press  ( 15 lb dumbbells) x 16 reps
DB One Legged Step Up with Bicep Curl (15 lb dumbbells) x 20 total (10 each leg)
BOSU DB Squat with Bent Over Rear Raise (15 lb dumbbells)  x 16 reps
As many rounds as possible in 20 minutes.  Rest only as needed
BOSU Grasshoppers with Push Ups -  I decided to stay with the 20 reps as I love push ups.  I could really feel this in my obliques. I thought about going to 25 reps, but this was challenging enough!
BOSU DB Squat to Y Press  -   I added extra reps and I tried to bump it up to 17.5 lb dumbbells, but I would not have been able to do all the reps on the BOSU.  It was hard to balance and have good form. I went back to 15 lb dumbbells and my balance was much better
DB One Legged Step Up with Bicep Curl   -   I stuck with the 20 reps.  This week I did bump up to 15 lbs, it was really challenging.  I sort of dreaded this exercise, but pushed through it for all of the rounds.
BOSU DB Squat with Bent Over Rear Raise - This was good.  I could have maybe gone up to 17.5 lb dumbbells, but then I wouldn't have been able to do 16 reps.
I was exhausted by this workout!  I felt really tired but I was glad I got through it!
I was able to do 3 rounds in 21:32, I shaved off 2 minutes from last weeks time of 23:31 minutes.
I completed exactly 2 3/4 rounds in 20:00.
R#1 - 7:08, R# 2 - 7:04,  R#3 - 7:20
I finished this workout with a 5 minute Couplet Finisher #2 ( it took me 5:40)

Bodyweight Rows  until you can't do any more - R1 24, R2 18, R3 13 (I forced myself to do 1 rep more per round than last time, lol)
(I used the Ultimate Body Press Dip Bar - much more difficult to do the BW Rows on)
Jumping Lunges until you can't do any more - R1 38, R2 32, R3 29 (same thing, made myself do more reps)
MEALS:
Meal #1:  7:30 am -  coffee & sugar free creamer, 1 small banana
Meal #2:  9:30 am - Scrambled egg whites
Meal #3: 2:00 pm - Grilled Tilapia Fillet & Steamed Broccoli
Meal #4: 4:30 pm -2 slices toasted Ezekiel sprouted grain bread with 1 Tbs natural peanut butter, 5 dried apricots, a few raw almonds.
Meal #5: 7:30 pm - sliced Jicama & hummus

WATER: 9 glasses

MINDSET:  Another good day!  I hope I continue to feel motivated and positive.  I am usually on an emotional roller coaster, but I have been keeping myself busy with my miniature doll business orders.  I also had some baby parrotlets hatch in one of the nests.  I am so happy about this!  I love those little parrots!

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

♥ SMART Quest ♥ Tues. April 19, 2011

Week 6, Day 2
My SMART Quest for today is:  Try an continue to go to bed earlier.  I went to sleep at 10:00 pm last night and it felt good.  I was still tired when I woke up, but I felt fairly good all day and had good focus throughout the day!
For more about my Mindset & Meal Plan please scroll to the bottom of this entry. 

SLEEP:   7  hours - I went to bed at 10:00 pm , awoke at 5:00 am
AWOKE: 5:00 am
WARM UP: 5:25 am - Still adding extra reps to my warm up!  Feels good
Push Ups x 12
Squats x 16
Spiderman Climbs x 16 total
Jumping Jacks x 20
Performed 2 rounds of this circuit
Today I am doing a HIIT consisting of a series of  8 exercises based on Scott Colby's Ageless Abs 2 Program!   I am doing 90 seconds on 90 seconds active recovery. 

High Intensity Interval Training

These are timed Intervals:  Set your Gymboss Timer to 2 intervals of 90 seconds each and 8 rounds.  Each round is 3 minutes.  24:00 total

Jumping Jacks x 90 seconds full on work.  As quickly as possible
Boxing shuffles with punches  x 90 seconds active recovery to keep my heart rate at a moderate pace
Suicide Drills x 90 seconds full on work
Prisoner Squats x 90 seconds active recovery to keep my heart rate at a moderate pace

BOSU Mountain Jumpers with Push Ups  x 90 seconds full on work
Boxing shuffles with punches  x 90 seconds active recovery to keep my heart rate at a moderate pace
Sprinting (running as fast as I can, high knees) x 90 seconds full on work
Prisoner Squats x 90 seconds active recovery to keep my heart rate at a moderate pace
Side Jump Kicks with Squats (Left Leg) x 90 seconds full on work
Boxing shuffles with punches  x 90 seconds active recovery to keep my heart rate at a moderate pace.
Side Jump Kicks with Squats (Right Leg) x 90 seconds full on work
Prisoner Squats x 90 seconds active recovery to keep my heart rate at a moderate pace
Side to Side Ski Jump Ropes x 90 seconds full on work
Boxing shuffles with punches  x 90 seconds active recovery to keep my heart rate at a moderate pace
1 Arm Push Ups - Alternating Sides (from Zuzana's BodyRock.tv site) - x 90 seconds full on work
Prisoner Squats x 90 seconds active recovery to keep my heart rate at a moderate pace

5 Minutes of cool down at a moderate pace on the scale a "3"

Each exercise took 3 minutes for a total of 24 minutes (8 exercises), plus 5 minutes of cool down & 5 minutes of warm up.  I did this workout last week and really loved it so I did it again!
I added a finisher of:
Knee Raises - (Knee Pull Up on UBP Dip Bar) x 30 reps  increased from last week.


MEALS:
Meal #1:  7:15 am -  coffee & sugar free creamer
Meal #2:  9:30 am - 1 small banana
Meal #3: 11:45 pm - Scrambled egg whites
Meal #4: 2:00 pm - roasted beets salad, Vietnamese shrimp spring roll (shrimp, avocado, lemongrass in a rice paper wrapper), seafood salad (green beans, tomatoes, squid & shrimp with vinegar & olive oil), small portion of Thai beef with noodles
Meal #5: 7:30 pm - Extra lean ground sirloin patty with 1/2 avocado
WATER: 8 glasses

MINDSET:  Today was a good day again.  I realy feel back on track.  My weight was down (still up a tiny bit from the weekend), and some of my measurements were down which was nice.  I am finally seeing my thunder thighs go down a bit!  This is rewarding and makes me want to keep on track and stay with it!

Monday, April 18, 2011

♥ SMART Quest ♥ Mon. April 18, 2011

Week 6, Day 1
My SMART Quest for today is:  Get back on track.  I was in Las Vegas for my daughter's Cheer competition.  I actually did a fairly good job of eating decently, but no matter what you order, unless you cook  it yourself, it seems to be loaded with salt, ugh!  I had a reward meal day on Saturday and ate out, but I still didn't go all out crazy!  Everything seemed fine until Sunday morning, when I felt like I was retaining water, oh well!  Back home and back on track!
Awoke:  5:00 am
Warm Up: 5:30 am 
12 push ups
16 squats
16 spiderman climbs
20 jumping jacks
Completed 2 rounds!  I have added a few extra reps to my warm up to get my heart going!

Workout:  5:35 am

Today I am doing Scott Colby's Weight Based Interval Training #1, week 6, from Ageless Abs 2 Program!  I will continue to add more reps and do more advanced moves.   


Metabolic Acceleration Phase - Week 6
Weight Based Interval Training # 1 

BOSU DB Squat Press  - 15 lb DB's x 16 reps (went up from 12 lbs last week!)
DB Reverse Lunge with Bicep Curl  - 15 lb DB's (back leg on BOSU) x 20 reps (10 reps each leg).  I also went up in weight with the DB's from 12 lbs and did 2 less reps on each side.
BOSU DB Squat with Bent Over Row - 17.5 lb DB's x 16 reps (went up from 15 lbs last week)
DB Renegade Row x  17.5 lb DB's x 30 reps (15 reps each side)  Once again, went up on the weight of the DB's did 1 rep less on each side.

As many rounds as possible in 20 minutes.  Rest only as needed.

I was nervous again since I hadn't done weights since Friday!  I was also very tired from the weekend of running all around Las Vegas!  It was a rough start but I managed to push through it and get it done! Whooya!

It has been hot in my town so I had the ceiling fan on.  I was sweating quite a lot and my heart rate was up! I was able to complete 3 rounds in 19:47 minutes.
I started another round but since I only had about 13 seconds the timer went off before I got my first rep in, lol.
R#1 - 6:43, R# 2 - 6:36,  R#3 - 6:28  (my times were about the same as last week even though I added extra weight)

I finished this workout with a 5 minute Couplet Finisher #1

Push Ups until you can't do any more - R1 28, R2 18, R3 43, R4 12
Squat Jumps until you can't do any more R1 37, R2 30, R3 28, R4 25
As many rounds as you can in 5 minutes ( It took me 5: 48 to complete . I was able to add a few more reps here and there per round!)

I did not take my photos today or measurements as I was feeling (and looking really bloaty).  My system was out of whack (which is normal when I go away) so I will either take pictures & measurements tomorrow if time allows!  I did see a tiny gain of 1 1/2 lbs, but that is not bad considering the salty food and not being able to eat what and when I wanted!

LAST MONDAY STATS: (still need to post this weeks)
Neck - 12 1/2" (same)
Bust - 34 7/8" (- 1/8")
Under Bust - 30" (same)
Waist - 28" (same)
Navel - 31 1/2" (- .75")
Hips - 35 5/8" (- .15")
Thighs - 23 1/4" (- .25")
Mid Thigh - 20 1/2" (- .50")
Knee - 17" (- .20")
Calves - 14 1/2" (- .10")
Ankles - 9 5/8" (- .20")
Bicep Left - 11 5/8" (- .10")
Bicep Right - 11" (- .25")

MEALS: 
Meal #1:  9:30 am -  1 small banana & coffee & sugar free creamer
Meal #2: 12:45 pm -  tilapia fish fillet, steamed broccoli
Meal #3: 4:30 pm -   2 slices Ezekiel sprouted grain bread, 1 Tbs natural peanut butter, 5 dried apricot halves, small handful of raw walnuts & almonds
Meal #4: 7:30 pm -    9 Grilled shrimp, steamed asparagus

WATER: 8 glasses

 MINDSET:  I have been very tired lately.  I went back to take a nap after my daughter went to school.  I slept (not soundly) for almost 2 hours.  I felt pretty groggy for awhile after, but then I had more energy for the rest of the day!  I am hoping to see some good results this week.  I have had a great day of clean eating an a very good workout so I plan to keep this up and hopefully be rewarded with results! I had a very productive day of working on my doll business.

Thursday, April 14, 2011

♥ SMART Quest ♥ Thurs. April 14, 2011

Week 5, Day 4
My SMART Quest for today is:  Continue on as I am feeling better, and more positive!  I am concerned about this weekend as I leave tomorrow for Las Vegas to my daughter's National Cheer Competition.  I hope I will be able to stay on track.  I plan to workout tomorrow before we leave, but I don't know if I will be able to workout on Saturday.  I know I will be doing a lot of walking so hopefully that will help.  I just gotta stay away from the bad food!
For more about my Mindset & Meal Plan please scroll to the bottom of this entry. 

I went to bed earlier lat night!  I really needed this!

SLEEP:   6 1/2 hours - I went to bed at 10:30 pm , I needed to try and catch up on lost sleep!
AWOKE: 5:00 am
WARM UP: 5:25 am - since I am doing the HIIT workout I needed to do 5 minutes of warming up so I increased my reps in my normal workout and added an extra round.
Squats x 16
Spiderman Climbs x 16 total
Jumping Jacks x 20
Performed 3 rounds of this circuit to make it a 5 minute warm up!  My arms were already feeling it!
Today I am doing the High Intensity Interval Training Workout, week 4  from Scott Colby's Ageless Abs 2 Program.

I am not a huge fan of this type workout and prefer the Tabatas as I don't tend to like   I am doing 90 seconds (1 1/2 minutes ) work & 90 seconds (1 1/2 minutes) active recovery instead of 1:00 minute work 2:00 active recovery.  This works better for me as It gets my heart rate up more.

Metabolic Ignition Phase - Week
WORKOUT: 5:30 am - High Intensity Interval Training Workout


Sprinting (running in place as fast as I can) x 90 seconds full on work
Boxing shuffles with punches  x 90 seconds active recovery to keep my heart rate at a moderate pace
Burpee Knee Raises ( Squat Thrust Push Ups with a Knee Pull Up on the UBP Dip Bar) This is from Zuzana's BodyRock.tv site - see photo below, x 90 seconds full on work
Side Kicks alternating legs after about 15 reps each side as many as I can do x 90 seconds active recovery to keep my heart rate at a moderate pace.
Jumping Jacks x 90 seconds full on work.  As quickly as possible
Boxing shuffles with punches  x 90 seconds active recovery to keep my heart rate at a moderate pace
BOSU Squat Thrusts with Push Ups (Burpees) x 90 seconds full on work
Side Kicks alternating legs after about 15 reps each side as many as I can do  x 90 seconds active recovery to keep my heart rate at a moderate pace.
Switch Kicks x 90 seconds full on work
Boxing shuffles with punches  x 90 seconds active recovery to keep my heart rate at a moderate pace.
Backward Lunge with Kick Up Toe Touches - Left Leg x 90 seconds full on work
Side Kicks alternating legs after about 15 reps each side as many as I can do  x 90 seconds active recovery to keep my heart rate at a moderate pace
Backward Lunge with Kick Up Toe Touches - Right  Leg x 90 seconds full on work
Boxing shuffles with punches  x 90 seconds active recovery to keep my heart rate at a moderate pace
Star Crunch (from Zuzana's BodyRock.tv site) - x 90 seconds full on work
Side Kicks alternating legs after about 15 reps each side as many as I can do  x 90 seconds active recovery to keep my heart rate at a moderate pace.

5 Minutes of cool down at a moderate pace on the scale a "3"

Burpee Knee Raise (From Zuzana's Bodyrock.tv)
Jump Down and do a squat thrust with push up

 Jump up and pull your knees up on the UBP Dip Bar!

Switch Kicks from Insanity Program




Star Crunch


Each exercise took 3 minutes for a total of 24 minutes (8 exercises), plus 5 minutes of cool down & 5 minutes of warm up.  I did this workout last week and really loved it so I did it again!
I added a finisher of:
Knee Raises - (Knee Pull Up on UBP Dip Bar) x 25 reps 

MEALS:
Meal #1:  8:00 am -  coffee & sugar free creamer, 1 small banana
Meal #2:  10:30 am - 1 egg white omlette with 2 slices of uncured bacon
Meal #3: 0:00 pm
Meal #4: 0:00 pm -
Meal #5: 0:00 pm -
WATER: 3 glasses

MINDSET: