100-Day Exercise Challenge Day 12: Billy Blanks Boot-Camp

I actually did 2 boot camps!  I did Denise Austin's 3-Week Boot Camp workout again and then I did Billy's Boot Camp Elite Mission Spot Training Lower Body.

I had not done this one in awhile.  In fact, I don't remember ever doing it (I'm sure I did) because it was so tough.  Lower body was WORKED OUT!  He really worked the butt muscle and I was like, "Dude, really?"  This workout is not anything like his Tae Bo workouts.  Well, he had a few moves like kicks and just a hand full of punches, but mostly it was all strength training.

And no weights! 

Body weight is enough, trust.  That's why I paired this one with the Denise Austin Boot-Camp, just continuing my ST but not having to lift heavy weights again.  I liked these two together.  In fact, on Friday I may pair it with Billy's Upper Body workout, although I believe he uses weight and/or resistance tubing.

Denise Austin's workout was 20 minutes and Billy's was 30 minutes for a total workout time of 50 minutes!!  And I am just getting it started.  I will be kicking it up a notch after this week.

JUST DO IT MAN! Nike had it right.

100-Day Exercise Challenge Day 11: Wii Fit is fun!

And a great workout!

Don't believe me?  Just ask my arms, my legs, my core...all of that!  If you are not putting up a sweat, you're not working it right!  Running in place for 10 minutes, Kung Fu, boxing, hula hoop for 10 minutes (now that's a beast!) and various other games.  Yes, games, but this is a workout for real.

And it can be real easy for the beginner or make it advanced for the die-hard fitness gurus.  I was one of those when I first got the Wii Fit that felt it did not give me a great workout.  Weeeellllll....fast forward nearly two years later and I think I was smokin sumthin sumthin.  WiiFit is totally a workout!  aybeM I had not unlocked all the goodies.  Maybe I was looking at it as a game, not as a workout.  Maybe it was me.

Okay, it was.

I workout like a beast, hardcore, P90X, Insanity, Turbo Jam, Hip Hop Abs, Tae Bo, The Firm, WATP, you name it I have done it.  And I am always willing to try something new.  I think Wii Fit is the perfect way to workout when you REALLY want to have fun with exercise.

AND, if you are competitive like me (yeah, just a little) then you want to keep trying to beat your best record, well, that's how I keep going.  I racked in 65 minutes and burned 258 calories (well, according to Wii, I don't trust their numbers).  And I kept going because I wanted to hit my target calories for the day, and I did!  I also wanted to beat my Kung Fu score (didn't) the obstacle course score (I did) and try a few new games.  I wanted to unlock some stuff and didn't.  Well, i;ll go at it again soon.

If you have been stalling about getting Wii Fit, STOP!  WiiFit and WiiFit Plus are great additions to your workout.

100-Day Exercise Challenge Day 10: 3-Week Boot Camp

I know I missed my blog on Day 9, but I did get in a "light" workout.  So today I did one of my new workouts, Denise Austin's 3-Week Boot Camp.  It's a cardio and strength training program and I like that.  I will be doing this for 3 weeks so that I can reap the results the workout claims "Trim inches and lose up to 2 dress sizes."

Now I hardly believe that, but I do believe that it is an effective full body workouts.  It's broke down into 2 workouts, and I was all ready to do them both, but it is recommended that you start with the Cardio and Strength Interval (20 min) for the first week, the second week do Athletic Training (20 min) and the third week do both.  So, I decided, to heck, do 20 minutes and then do another workout for the rest of my time.

Not to compare, but this is an easy version of 30-Day Shred.  The cardio is easier and the ST is easier.  So I recommend this for the newbie of someone who wants to work their way up to Jillian's workout.  But there are lots of push-ups, and jumping jacks, squats and moves where a beginner may need to take it down a notch.  Denise did not have a person doing any of the modified moves, and I think EVERY workout DVD should do that.

There is also a bonus 6 min Ab Fat-Blaster.  Lots of the moves worked the core and I like that. There were punches and squats with oblique twists and i like working my core like crazy.  I gotta say, not a fan of Denise Austin. n After two years of Beachbody trainers Shaunt T, Chalene and Tony with their high energy, and Jillian Michaels with her take-no-nonsense demeanor, Denise sounds like a little elf telling me what to do.  Her voice is so soft and does not carry much and she doesn't motivate you to keep at it.  That aside, the workout is still a good one.

So after 20 minutes I popped in the Wii determined to put some high score on the bored.  Still trying to perfect my Kung Fu and did not get any better.  I like the adding game and did unlock the Expert portion.  The obstacle course, that my kids like to cal the Wipe-Out game, I actually made it to the third course, but man, they cheat!  Kept saying I was jumping on the board and would start me over at the very beginning.  I got tired of that,

I also did the cycling game which I didn't much like the first time, but it was cool and definitely a workout.  I did about 28 minutes, and now I am pooped.  That's a total of 48 minutes, but I want to try and do 60 every day, so I need to get better.

100-Day Exercise Challenge Day 8: It's like riding a bike

I don't know, I don't know how to ride a bike.  But I can ride the heck out of a stationary bike!

Saturdays are typically my rest day, and so during the challenge I will do a low-key workout.  Well, I had that yesterday.  Riding the stationary bike for 30 minutes is no joke. 

I had a busy day today, and my guests are still here, but it is so easy to hop on the bike while watching TV and getting a calorie burn in.  If not that, I like playing some music and dancing a couple of songs as a workout.  In the summer, I take all the kids outside and we do some bootcamp-style workouts.  Make it fun!

Tomorrow I go back to my normal workouts.

No excuses!  Get your workout in!

100-Day Exercise Challenge Day 7: Wii Fit Plus AGAIN!!

Have overnight guests tonight and so to not bore them with my workout I put in Wii Fit Plus to get in my quick 30 minutes so the streak would continue.  Even though it is games, it is a workout, trust and believe!  I did the Kung Fu a couple times, and just about every other game game at least once because I was showing my sister and nieces and nephews.  I even did a few of the strength training too.  I like it but it would be a better challenge with small hand weights.

So no  matter what, my goal is to get at least 30 minutes in and that was accomplished today.  That is all!

100-Day Exercise Challenge Day 6: Hip Hop Hustle 1

What can I say!  Chalene Johnson knows how to make a workout hard, challenging, and fun!  That girl can dance!

I received my Hustle Fan workouts in the mail today and I was like a little kid on Christmas day! I had to wait to 12:01 to order these for the new year due to my last year's resolution, and I thought they would take forever to show up by regular mail.  But today is the 6th and that was good timing!  Some of you may know that I plan on taking the class to become a certified Hip Hop Hustle and Turbo Kick Instructor.  My classes are in March.  I have taken Turbo Kick classes before and feel pretty comfortable with that format.

But I must say, I NEVER even saw a Hustle class.  Good thing for Youtube!  And then I became OBSESSED with it!  I am a total Hip Hop Abs junkie, love it to pieces, BUT there is something special about Hip Hop Hustle.  The routines are crazy hype.  Chalene's energy makes you want to DO MORE!  And the music...well, she totally has an ear for picking the right music to go with all her moves.

Okay, so I did Hustle 1 today.  And it's mainly a disc for the instructors to learn new routines to teach to classes and I thought,okay, this will be low-key. OH MY GOSH!  WHAAAAT!!  This is a full on workout, don't let it fool you. 

From the super cute warm-up to breaking down each move in the Hustle, I was on it!  SWEATY!  I like that Chalene is all like, "Dress the part, where funky clothes," while I am in my normal workout wear.  And the hats!  Ya gotta wear a hat.  Chalene even stops while one is passed to her so she can have it the rest of the routine.  So what did I do?  Pause, run up and find me a cute hat so I could be all hip (I later took it off because I was so sweaty).

She breaks down the moves so even a beginner can get it.  I'm no beginner, BUT I am no dancer so I worried about this.  No worries.  I would say I have it at about 80% right now, but this was just my first run through.  There are maybe 2 really tricky moves (or as Chalene calls it "twerky") but with practice, I can pick it up.

First there is a warm-up, then there are two "hustles" were it's like a line-dance routine.  The hustles are the first half of the class, about 30 minutes.  The second half, another 30 minutes, is "the show" were you perform a full-on routine as if you are auditioning for So You Think You Can Dance.  The first several moves will be repeated oodles of times because you keep taking it from the top, so I can do that like crazy good.  the later part, with the "twerky" moves, I better work on before I show off my moves. 

All in all, I definitely recommend this to anyone who likes to dance and wants a good workout.  Hey, even if you have two left feet, give this a try!

Get your hustle on!

100-Day Exercise Challenge Day 5: Mel B's Murdering Arms

Another go at Mel B's Totally Fit last night.  She was brutal or in her words "bloody murder!"  Along with some of her other favorite words...

"This kills!"

"I'm sweaty!"

"Halfway here."

"This burns."

"Oh wow!"

And my fave, "Wow, wow, willy wonkers!"

I wanted to do the complete workout, but realized that is one lo-oong workout, so I settled for the same workout as Monday but added arms.  I wanted to stress the importance of weight lifting to your workout.  It is a must!  No if, ands or buts about it!  Strength train or weight lift at least 3 days a week!  Why?  Because muscles burn more than fat!  And isn't that a nice bonus.

Typically, you want to work the complete body in a session, but for some, breaking it down by muscle groups works for a more concentrated strength training workout.  Like arms one day, legs another, chest and back on another.  Abs can be worked with either group you like, but it is a muscle group like the others, so don't neglect nor over work it.

Now for arms, make sure you work biceps as well as triceps AND shoulders (deltoids).  Most don't think to work something like shoulders, but nice sculpted shoulders look awesome in a tank top!  Mel B's workout hit all those 3 and she doesn't even use heavy weights.  She uses 2-pound water bottles.  I had my smallest hand weights, 1-pounders.  Trust me, you FEEL it, no need to get macho with it.  I have used 5-pounds, but I need to work my way up with that.

You're not doing the typical 12-14 rep set.  You are basically fatiguing that muscle by going for a minute with each exercise.  I did not count the reps, but say for like bicep curls, you do at least 30 of them in a minute, and likely up to 45.  I have to go at my one speed because it really burns!

With just adding the arms and doing the warm up, cardio, advanced cardio and cool down, that was a 55 minute workout!  Friday I will attempt to do legs, bums and tums!

I'll do whatever I can to get a body like Mel B!