Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Online Support Group to Help You Lose Weight and Feel Better


Meatless Monday: Summer Chowder


Each Monday I try to eat only meatless meals.  Breakfast is simple – Shakeology!  Lunch is also pretty easy since I eat salads most days.  Instead of chicken or turkey I added almonds for protein.  Dinner is sometimes harder to go entirely meatless with my family.  Taking a look in my fridge I realized I had to use up the fresh corn that we got from our CSA share (as a reminder CSA is Community Sponsored Agriculture).  I am not a big fan of corn on the cob but I do like to add corn to dishes I cook.  I looked around and saw some other perfect veggies to go into a Summer  Chowder and knew just what to make. 
 
I’m fairly certain that I never made this Summer Chowder the same two times in a row.  Sometimes I have celery so I use it and sometimes I don’t.  That is just the way I cook.  I adapt to what I have on hand.  So use what every yummy veggies you have or whatever veggies you prefer.  If you are making this chowder in August, feel free to throw in some zucchini since we know you’ll have plenty in a few weeks!
 

Summer Chowder

 
Ingredients

1 tbs olive oil
1 medium red onion
2 cloves garlic
4 cups veggie stock
2 large potatoes
1 medium green bell pepper
1 medium red bell pepper (or roasted red pepper from jar)
4 cups fresh (or frozen) corn kernels
½ Cup to ¾ Cup milk  (I use 2% but I’ve made it with skim)
1/2 Tsp salt and pepper to taste
several leaves of basil

 

In a large stock pot heat the oil and add the onions and garlic until soft and have just a touch of color but not brown.  I just love the smell of onions and garlic cooking.  It was at this point my husband came home from work and asked, "What's for dinner?"  He loves corn chowder so he was happy when I told him!  Add the peppers and potatoes and continue to cook for a few minutes longer.   I did not have a red pepper in my garden but I did have a jar of roasted red peppers.   Since I really wanted more color in the chowder I used that instead.  Use what you have! 

Stir in the veggie stock and corn kernels and salt and pepper.  Instead of salt and pepper I use a seasoning from Penzey's Spices called Ruth Ann's Muskego Ave Chicken and Fish Seasoning.  If you don't have a Penzey's near you they are also online. I love Penzeys! 

 
Simmer the soup for about 15 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Turn off the heat.   If you have an immersion blender use it to blend about half of the soup.  If not, just take about half of the soup and puree in a blender or food processor.   After you blend the chowder to what every consistency you prefer, add ½ cup of milk to the pot and stir.  You might need to add a little more if you prefer it a little lighter and creamier.  Add minced or ribbons of basil and if desired, diced tomatoes.
 

At less than 200 calories per serving, this made a great light dinner paired with a side salad and 1 Zucchini and Corn Cake.  It would make a perfect lunch and good thing I made enough to have leftovers despite my son eating a big bowlful and claiming that it was “delicious!” 
 

Sunday, July 28, 2013

Half Marathon Training with P90X!




I started my half marathon training a few weeks ago.  I'm not following a formal training plan because I am not looking to finish in a certain time and I am fairly certain I can finish.  Actually, I know I can do it, especially after finishing INSANITY.  I just want to do it!

 My training plan is to casually run with my dog 2 to 3 days a week.  I should point out I live in an area that has a lot of hills so even my easy runs are challenging.  My long runs are on Sundays and I will cross train P90X 2 to 3 days a week.  I completed my first round of P90X in April and I missed it! 

This week I ran a total of 17 miles.  I need to work on increasing that total but my long run was 7 miles so I still feel satisfied.

 Each week I will give an update on my progress.  I'd love to hear from you to get your encouragement and I'd love to hear from you if you are training for a race -- any race -- 5K, 10K, half marathon, etc.

Sunday, July 21, 2013

INSANITY - Month 2: Enough of the INSANITY Already!

Just when I said to myself, "This isn't so insane after all," I started month two.  It was definitely harder than month one!  Not just because the workouts were longer (some were about 60 minutes) but because my body was tired!  You go through the rest of the DVDs -- the MAX DVDs, which I'll list out later, and you really feel it.

 
Overall, I am glad I completed the program, even if it did take me longer than 60 days.  Starting in the end of June I began my training for the half marathon I'll run in October.  I couldn't wait any longer if I want to be ready and I decided that I would alternate between running and INSANITY.  I certainly couldn't run and do INSANITY in the same day so this was my best option.  It took me a few weeks longer to complete INSANITY this way but I'm okay with that, at least I completed it.  Also, INSANITY really helped prepare me for my training since it is such a great cardio conditioning workout!

 
I had to make many modifications during the second month.  Again, I am okay with this since I know I still got one heck of a workout.   Keep that in mind if you do INSANITY or any other workout.  Don't give up just because it is hard.  Just do the best you can.  Following this approach I could see that I made improvements over the course of the second month. Surprisingly, my arms and shoulders were what felt the most fatigued and at the end of the month my version of push up jacks still didn't look like the DVD.  I still dug deeper and did the best I could do. 

 
                         

Food
 
I wasn't trying to lose weight, I just wanted to improve my cardiovascular ability and gain more muscle.  However, if you are trying to lose weight this will help you!  A word of advice: Follow the meal plan that comes with INSANITY!  When you do INSANITY, you will burn anywhere between 200-1000 per workout depending upon gender, body size and effort.  You will want to eat more, which you will be able to do because you are burning so many calories.  However, you have to eat the right things and be careful no to eat too many calories.  Most people underestimate how much they eat so it is easiest to just follow the plan but you can also use it a guide.  But if you do the later make sure you count calories. 
I've seen it  a lot -- so many people do the Beachbody workouts and/or drink Shakeology but then they don't watch what they eat.  The workouts and the meal plan go hand in hand.  When I first tried P90X I didn't follow the meal plan and guess what?  I didn't see results.   When I did P90X in January I followed the meal plan and lost about 16 pounds!  I used the INSANITY meal plan as a guide and I also counted calories since I wanted to maintain my weight. 
 
The Workout

The DVDs in month 2 are:

 

MAX INTERVAL PLYO
MAX CARDIO CONDITIONING
MAX RECOVERY
MAX INTERVAL CIRCUIT
CORE CARDIO AND BALANCE
CARDIO ABS

 

The structure of the workouts are the same: warm up, stretching, the LONGER workout, and then a cool down stretch.  Since the workouts are longer (did I mention this before?) you will need to dig deeper, as Shaun T asks you to do.  About half way through I'd start thinking maybe I should stop.  Its mental.  I would play this game with myself.  I would say "just do 5 more minutes" and then I'd say "you've invested too much to quit now," and I'd finish the workout!
 

I don't mean to scare you but I want you to know it is not easy.  It shouldn't be easy.  If it was easy you wouldn't see results.  I said this in the last review, INSANITY is not for beginners, in my opinion.  If you are truly a beginner, you should start with something else first but INSANITY isn't something you should be afraid of (unless you have back or knee injuries). 
 
Results
I am not posting before and after pictures or including measurements because I didn't change much on the outside.  However, I know I am more fit than when I began.  I will do INSANITY again, probably in the Spring.  I am also probably going to include some of the workouts as substitutes for the cardio workouts in P90X when I do that again in the winter. 
 
So if  you are looking for a workout you can do at home without equipment and you want to get results and test yourself, this is the workout for you. 
 
You can check it out on my website www.beachbodycoach.com/katsquest

 
My fit test results

Tuesday, July 16, 2013

Farm Stand Veggie Recipes: Roasted Beet Salad and a Chinese Five Spice Zucchini Bread.



I love summer!  I love to play in my vegetable garden and get my hands dirty.  I’m no Martha Stewart when it comes to gardening.  I get my hands covered in dirt, and my legs and probably my arms and face too!  It is great exercise, I get to be outside in the sunshine and I get to harvest beautiful vegetables to make delicious and healthy meals for my family. 

We eat a lot of vegetables.  So to supplement my own garden, I get a Community Sponsored Agriculture (CSA) Share. If you are not familiar with a CSA, it is a community supported farm where members pay the farm at the beginning of the growing season for a share of the anticipated harvest.  Members then received weekly shares of vegetables, fruits and sometimes even meat.  I actually split a share with another family since I have my own garden and at this point, it is just the right amount of produce. 

I always look forward to Tuesdays since this is my share day (every other Tuesday actually).  Since I love to cook, it is always fun for me to come up with different meals each week featuring the vegetables from my garden and in my share. 

This week I made a Roasted Beet Salad and a Chinese Five Spice Zucchini Bread.  Both sound a little simple and they are simple to prepare but they are both delicious and are perfect for a brunch with friends.  The zucchini bread is kid friendly too!

For the Roasted Beet Salad you will need:

4 medium beets
Field greens
4 oz Goat cheese (or your favorite soft cheese)
¼ C Balsamic vinegar
¼ C Olive Oil, plus about 1 Tbs for beets
1 tsp Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper


I love roasting beets.  It is the best way to eat them and it is simple to do.  Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.  Wash the beets and cut off the greens.  Save the beet greens to sauté or you can even add them to the salad.  If you haven’t had sautéed beet greens you must try them.  I believe they are one of the best things to eat, EVER! Mmm, mmm…  Do not peel the beets.  You’ll peel them after they cook.

Take a large sheet of aluminum foil and place the beets in the center.  Drizzle 1 Tbs of olive oil over the beets and wrap in the foil, making a little packet.  Roast for 50 minutes to 1 hour.  You’ll want to be able to stick a knife easily into the beet.
(I only used 3 beets since I wasn't making salad for 6 people)


Prepare the balsamic vinaigrette.  You can use store bought, but really, this is so simple and so tasty there isn’t a good reason to use store bought.  All you have to do is pour the olive oil in a mixing bowl and whisk the balsamic vinegar, mustard and salt and pepper together.  Once you start making your own dressing you’ll realize you don’t need to buy bottles of dressing anymore. 

Once the beets are cooked let cool just enough to handle.  I peel beets by running them under cold water while rubbing the skin.  They come off easily.  Sometimes there are a few spots that are tougher and I use a paring knife to get the rest off.

I like to prepare the salads on individual plates but you could make it in one large serving dish.  Place your field greens on the bottom and add wedges of the beets to the salad.  I think four medium sized beets are good for up to six people. 

Now for the cheese.  I love goat cheese but you could also use blue, gorgonzola or any soft cheese that you like.  My son, who is almost eight years old, picked out a black pepper crusted goat cheese at the farmers’ market.  My son is my little foodie.  We love going to the farmers’ market together to sample the different foods and bring home new finds.  The black pepper Chevron was perfect for the beet salad.  Simply crumble the cheese over the salad and then drizzle the balsamic vinaigrette over everything.  Simple, but delicious!  We enjoyed it with a glass of Italian Pinot Grigio!

 

The Chinese Five Spice Zucchini Bread

This recipe is based on the recipe from At the Farmers’ Market with Kids by Leslie Jonath and Ethel Brennan.  I made a few changes to make it healthier such as less sugar and half whole wheat flour as well as to use the spices and items that I have in my pantry.
 

Ingredients

3 small zucchini
¾ cups all purpose flour
¾ cups whole wheat flour
¼ cup ground flax seed
¾ cup sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 tsp Chinese Five Spice
1/3 cup olive oil (yes, olive oil in a baked good)
2 eggs, beaten
1/3 cup water
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla extract
¾ cup chopped nuts of your choice. 

 

Preheat over to 350 degrees and oil a 9x5 loaf pan (or you can make muffins or mini loafs).  Grate the zucchini and place in cheese cloth and squeeze out all water.  You shouldn’t skip this step otherwise the bread will be too moist.  Over the years I tried to skip this step and always regretted it!

 

In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt and spices.  Add the Flax seed.  In a separate bowl, whisk the oil, eggs, water, lemon juice and vanilla.  You might be thinking that I am crazy for using olive oil.  I know olive oil has a strong taste but you really can’t taste it in this bread.  I don’t buy a lot of canola oil and I save that for when I really don’t want the oil to change the taste of the recipe.  You can use whatever oil you like best. Mix the flour mixture and the wet ingredients.  Fold in the zucchini and nuts.  Normally I would add walnuts or pecans.  But I didn’t have either of those.  What I did have in my pantry were almonds and pistachios so I used a mixture of both.  They worked perfectly.  Don’t be afraid to make substitutions!!

 

Pour the batter into your loaf pan and back for about 50 minutes to 1 hour for a loaf or about 25 minutes for muffins.  You’ll want a toothpick to come out cleanly when inserted into the center of the loaf. 

 

This bread is so good.  The Chinese Five Spice adds a different and welcomed flavor compared to regular zucchini bread. I use Chinese Five Spice from Penzeys Spices but you can get it just about anywhere. You many never want to make plain zucchini bread again after tasting this!  The bread was a big hit when I brought it camping and it is absolutely kid friendly.  Just ask my son!

 

Monday, July 15, 2013

Summer Veggies with a Creamy Pesto Sauce over Pasta


Here is a quick summer recipe for meatless Monday!  Summer is such a great time of year for cooking!  So many different veggies are coming into season.   This week I had eggplant, summer squash and some tomatoes (I bought these from an Amish farm stand).  Ratatouille immediately came to mind but I didn’t have bell peppers so this is very similar.

 


Ingredients

1 medium eggplant, peeled and diced

1 medium onion

1 medium summer squash (or zucchini), sliced into half moons or diced

2 medium tomatoes, cored and diced

2 cloves garlic

Basil

Pesto (homemade or store bought)

4 TBS cream cheese

1 TBS Olive oil

Salt and pepper

Pasta of your choice, cooked according to package.

 

This is meant to be a quick and easy meal.  Nothing fancy.  Just yummy and healthy. 

 
First, peel and dice the eggplant.  Put in a colander and generously salt and leave over plate or in the sink.  This is important, especially if you have a big eggplant since it will draw the bitter liquid out.  Let this sit while you get the pasta water ready.

Cut up all the other vegetables.  Heat a large sauce pan and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil.  Add the onions and cook until they get just a little brown.  Add the garlic and squash and cook a few minutes.  By this time you should be adding your pasta to the water.  Rinse the eggplant to get the salt off and then add it to the pan with the squash and onions.  Keep stirring since I find eggplant has a tendency to stick. 

 
After about 5 minutes add the diced tomatoes and let simmer.  When the pasta is done, drain and add it back to the pot and add 2 tablespoons of pesto.  I used some of my homemade Kale pesto.  I made a big batch a few weeks ago and froze some! 

 
I also threw in 2 tablespoons of pesto in the vegetables.  You could add the basil and call it a day but I wanted something a little more special.  I wanted something a little creamy.  I decided to add 4 tablespoons of cream cheese.  You could do a little more or a little less, depending upon how creamy you want it.  4 tablespoons thickened the sauce up nicely, I thought!
 

Mix everything well and let the cream cheese melt.  Serve over pasta.  I chose Campenelle.  I love this shape since it is perfect for chunky sauces.    Both boys enjoyed it, or parts of it.  My oldest son didn’t care for the eggplant this way (he prefers eggplant parmigiana) and ate 2 servings of pasta and my youngest son ate mostly eggplant.  Go figure.
 

We had some left overs since this makes about 6 servings. This will make a nice lunch tomorrow.  It is reasonable for any diet since there are less than 300 calories according to the recipe I built in myfitnesspal and it is full of veggies.  You could even get a way with serving half of the pasta and adding more of the veggies and you wouldn’t miss a thing! 

 
Meatless Mondays are always fun.  What do you make on Meatless Mondays?

Friday, July 5, 2013

Easy Ways to Eat 100 less Calories a Day


I’ve seen a lot of different ways to cut 100 calories from your day.  Many focus on using artificial sweeteners, diet versions and other “unhealthy” substitutions.  I cannot recommend those so mine will focus on sticking with the “real” stuff.

If you cut 100 calories a day for one month you will lose about one pound.  That might seem really slow but it is easy to do.  What faster weightloss?  Double or triple up on these suggestions.  Not looking to lose weight but want to make smarter choices?  These are for you too.


So here are some healthy and realistic swaps:

·         Low fat milk instead of cream in your coffee or tea (this is closer to a 60 calorie savings but using fat free milk will save you about 100)

·         Make veggies the star of the dinner plates.  Veggies should take up about half of your plate.

·          Use a measuring cup to measure out your starch.  I serve myself ½ Cup of a whole grain rather than just scooping it out. 

·         Don’t go back for seconds or even just “a little more” at dinner.

·         Drink water instead of soda.  This saves you about 150 calories.  And NEVER drink diet soda.

·         Use mustard instead of mayonnaise.

·         Use one piece of bread for a sandwich or skip the bread entirely and use lettuce of a salad as a base for your “sandwich” filling. 

·         Skip the cheese on your burger or sandwich most of the time.  Save the cheese for a special treat.  You can’t deny yourself everything!

·         Drink Shakeology for breakfast or lunch!  Not only will you cut calories but you will feel fuller and have fewer cravings helping you to cut calories elsewhere.

·         Don’t add sugar to tea or coffee.

·         Go for a healthier dessert of yogurt or fresh fruit.

·         Skip the bread when you eat out.  Sometimes it is not very good anyway….at least tell yourself that!!

·         Have a whole grain English muffin with 1 TBS of peanut butter instead of a bagel with cream cheese or butter.  This saves way more than 100 calories!

·         Don’t drink alcohol daily.  Limit it to a few times per week.  If I can limit my wine intake, you can do it too!

·         Go to Starbucks every day?  Just order coffee or if you must, a fat free latte without syrup or limit it to one pump.

·         OK, if you are going to indulge, get your frozen yogurt or ice cream in a cup not a cone.

 

These are some simple ways to save 100 calories a day.  You won’t even miss them!

Wednesday, July 3, 2013

7 Day Healthy Eating Challenge- Are You In?

Join me and a small group for a 7 day healthy eating day challenge starting July 7th.   It is just 7 days.  You'll eat clean, healthy food -- perhaps some things that you have never eaten before or thought you never liked. 


Roasted Corn and Edamame


This group is Free!  You will get the support from other members and me, as you coach! 

A meal plan will be provided and will include breakfast options, snack, lunch, and dinner meal recipes.  You will have the option to drink Shakeology for breakfast. This is just an option.  If you want to buy a bag you can purchase it from me www.beachbodycoach.com/katsquest or if you would rather not buy a whole bag, I have 7 day trial packs for $35.

 

 

 
 
 
Enjoy meals like: quinoa salad, Greek salad, quinoa-lentil pilaf, zucchini-cashew soup, veggie stir fry with a whole grain and black beans and brown rice and more.  Shakeology is an option for breakfast but there will be other breakfast options.
 
 
 
 
If you are interested let me know in the comments or through my FB page www.facebook.com/katsfitnessquest
 
 

 

Tuesday, July 2, 2013

Meatless Monday a Day Late! Garlicky Broccoli Rabe with Whole Wheat Pasta


Yesterday was a little hectic and I needed to make “mustgo,” did you ever have that?  That is all the leftovers that you have in your fridge that must go!  So really, Meatless Monday was not an option and hubby and I had leftover grilled shrimp on a salad and the kids had some other takeovers that were meat based.

Today was just as hectic but I didn’t have any leftovers.  When I got home from work, Hubby was  enjoying his vacation day by brewing beer and was planning on heading to a brew club meeting later in the evening.  My oldest son was by a friend's house and my youngest son was watching dad brew.  Ah, the kitchen to myself!  What a luxury.
 
I opened the fridge and realized I had some beautiful broccoli rabe from my Community Sponsored Agriculture (CSA) share.  Immediately I thought – Meatless Tuesday!  I made Garlicky Broccoli Rabe with Whole Wheat Spaghetti and Cannellini Beans.  This is soooo good and the aroma of garlic lured everyone in for dinner easily.

Although my oldest son made a face when he saw it, he immediately ate every last morsel in his bowl.

I always loved getting broccoli rabe with penne from Italian restaurants but I never was able to cook it right.  I always tried to sauté the broccoli rabe with garlic but that just doesn’t work.  I finally got a little lazy one day and decided to throw the broccoli rabe into the pasta water to blanch and it finally dawned on me this is the way to do it!!  Now this is one of my go to dishes in the summer because it is so easy and only requires 2 pots!

 Ingredients

Whole Wheat Spaghetti (about ½ box for 4 people)
1 bunch broccoli rabe, washed, stems discarded (or composted) and leaves cut into thin strips
4 cloves of garlic, minced
¼ Cup olive oil
1 can cannellini beans (white kidney beans)
Salt
Red pepper flakes optional
Parmesan cheese optional

Put a big pot of water on high heat and bring to a boil and cook pasta according to the package.  In the mean time, wash your broccoli rabe, and cut off the stems.  I like to cut the leaves into strips but you could cut them into smaller pieces.  Set the greens aside.  In a small saucepan heat the oil and garlic.  Be careful not to burn the garlic.  I like a little color but burnt garlic just isn’t good.  Turn off the heat as soon as the garlic is a little golden and smells divine!

When you have about 4 minutes cooking time left for the pasta, throw the broccoli rabe into the water.  If you don’t salt your pasta water, I highly recommend doing it in this recipe.  I normally don’t salt pasta water because I usually make very flavorful sauces.  However, the greens really could use some salt to bring out the vibrant flavor. 

I like to empty the can of beans into my colander (rinse them when they are in there) so that when I drain the pasta it heats the beans a little.   Add the pasta back to your pot and pour the garlic oil into the pasta and toss to fully coat.  There you have it!  I had a little parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes on mine as did Hubby and my older son.  My youngest ate it sans pepper flakes!
It might seem a little high in calories because of the olive oil but remember,  this serves about 4 people.  And olive oil is heart healthy!  This dish is about 450 calories per serving.  Depending upon your caloric budget for dinner you could have a small side salad or a glass of wine! 

 

 

Monday, July 1, 2013

Am I INSANE?


INSANITY Review
Month 1

Am I INSANE?


Hey everyone, I am a little behind on my blog.  Life has been full of everyday adventures lately so I’ve been really busy.  Not too busy for fitness though.  I’ve finished the first month of INSANITY.  The INSANITY workout is just that – INSANITY.  No, not really but I did say “this is insane” repeatedly the first time I did the workout.  It is seriously intense but not impossible.  It is one of the most difficult cardio-based home workout programs around.   The basic concept is “Max Interval Training”, which requires you to work at a really fast pace for short periods of time with little breaks in between.  It is a 60-day program that requires you to work out six days a week.  The first month the workouts range from 30-45 minutes and the second month they are closer to 45-60 minutes. 

Shaun T is the instructor and he asks that you push yourself and reminds you to “dig deeper.”  He really is motivating and he is not annoying like Tony Horton in P90X (sorry Tony).  Shaun T is motivating and I find myself trying to dig deeper every time he reminds me.

So month 1 was great.  I knew it was going to be intense but I never really understood just how intense.  Wow!!  However, throughout the workout Shaun T says not to compromise form.  I’m not willing to risk injuring myself so I sometimes took it slow, especially in the beginning when I was learning the workouts.  The workouts also require strength, not just cardio and in just a month I see improvements in both areas!

Pros

·         It is an intense workout so you can really see results fast.  I’ll talk more about my improvements later but in just two weeks I could tell that my cardiovascular ability and strength both improved.
 

·         Although intense, there is room for modification.  You can work at your own level.  On days that I just wasn’t feeling the INSANITY love, I still pushed play and did what I could.  And you know what?  I still got in one heck of a workout!
 

·         After I finish the INSANITY workout I get that “runner’s high” and that is kind of addicting so I keep pressing play.  It creates a cycle since the more you workout, the better your results.

 
Cons

·         Although it was a nice change of pace from P90X, I will say there is a little too much repetition.  The warms ups all seem the same and some of the workouts do the same exercises over and over through the whole workout.  While this makes it easy to learn the moves, I get a little bored.

 

·        The recovery week is a little boring because it is the same workout every day.  I think Shaun T could have mixed it up.

 

·         If you are not careful you can hurt your knees.  Invest in a good pair of cross trainers (not running shoes) so you have the right support and use a foam mat (sold through beachbody or a sporting goods store.  I use my son’s old alphabet mat, lol!).  Also, be gentle when you jump.  If you are in control and land softly you will protect your knees.

 
 
Here is some information about each of the DVDs in Month 1

 

Cardio Recovery

This is the least intense but it is still a good workout.  There are a lot of yoga type stretches to warm up, leading into plank work, lunges, balancing and more stretching.  It’s a good workout to recover from the intense workouts in weeks prior.   I just wish there were maybe two versions of the cardio recovery.

 

Core Cardio and Balance

This DVD is a little less than 40 minutes.  There is a short warm up and then 10 exercises, 1 minute a piece.  The moves include ski hops, hit the floor (I always pay attention to form and protect my back on this one by holding my knee when I bend down), level 1 drills (four pushups and then while in push up position run in place with your feet – kinda crazy but effective), switch kicks/squat jumps, plank walk, jabs, etc.  I did not list them all but you get the flavor. 

 

Cardio Power

This has a similar warm up to the other DVDs.  This is interval based and includes power jumps (vertical jumps with knees brought up to waist – but my knees never get that high!), belt kicks (these feel like a nice break after some of the intense jumps), suicide drills, v-pushups (ugh!), globe jumps (fun!), etc.  It is about 40 minutes and is a good balance of cardio and strength.

 

Pure Cardio

There aren’t many breaks in this 40 minute DVD.  Again, the moves are similar to the other workouts but a few different one and the order is mixed up compared to some of the other workouts.  It includes a warm up and then suicide drills, switch kicks, football sprints, pedal lunges, hooks & jump rope, power jacks, frog jumps, mountain climber (talk about a move to get your heart rate up) and then a cool down.

 

Cardio Abs

There are no situps or crunches.  It is a 20 minute workout with a warm up and moves such as a “C-sit” – basically leaning back, knees bent and plank work.  It is challenging but not as tough as Ab Ripper-X in P90X. 

 

Plyometric Cardio Circuit

Let me just say when I did the warm up I asked myself, “Is this really the warm up?”  It feels like a workout.  It is three rounds and you push yourself harder each round, increasing speed and intensity.   The moves in the warm up include jogging in place, jumping jacks, Heismans (jumping side to side), etc.  The workout includes suicide drills (did I mention I hate these), football sprints, basketball jump shots, jumping drills, burpees, mountain climbers, etc.  This DVD is divided into three sets and it has water breaks in between.  The 40 minutes go by quickly but I don’t like the repetition, by the third time I am looking for it to be done.

 

Final thoughts 

Is this workout for everyone?  No, but I think many can do it with modifications.

 So here is my overall assessment:

o   One heck of a workout!

o   Not for beginners. 

o   Make modifications as needed, never sacrifice form.

o   Let your goals and progress be known publicly.  You are less likely to give up.

o   Get a virtual workout buddy – I’m here for you!!

o   Better yet, join a challenge group.  I usually have one running so let me know if you are interested. 

 

I’ll almost be done with month two and I’ll post my review in about 2 weeks. 

 

Focus T25

 
Shaun T has a new workout available – Focus T25.  Work out for 25 minutes for 5 days a week for 50 days!  The workout is similar to INSANITY but includes more resistance.   July 15th is the first day of my Focus T25 Challenge Group.  There is still room.  Let me know if you are interested!