On Demand with a CATALOG of Workouts??!?

Guess what??  The next BIG thing is almost here!  Beachbody On Demand!!!  I am a coach who was selected for sneak peek access during the month of February and I have to say that this is REALLY neat!  Beachbody On Demand will be available to our Club member customers beginning on Monday, March 2nd!  Read on for all of the details.  :)

Which Programs are Included with On Demand?
You will have access to some of our longtime favorite, go-to programs:

• Insanity
• Insanity Asylum (volume 1)
• P90X, P90X2, P90X3
• Turbo Fire
• ChaLEAN Extreme (One of MY all-time favorites!  This is the program that started everything for me.  I LOVE this one so very much!)
• Brazil Butt Lift
• Ten Minute Trainer
• Hip Hop Abs

In addition, you'll be able to preview selected workouts from the NEWEST programs! Are you thinking about the original 21 Day Fix, PiYo, Insanity Max 30 or 21 Day Fix Extreme?  You can try out a workout from these newest programs before you decide to purchase the full program ! 

How do I get access to On Demand?

The On Demand feature is exclusive to Beachbody Club Members. This is an amazing membership with lots of perks and rewards.  You will be able to stream On Demand on any device.  The program guides will also be available for a well-rounded experience.  Recipes to go and nutrition guides to go!

In addition to the On Demand videos, you'll also get:

• 10% discount on products purchased (programs, apparel, Shakeology)
• access to live trainer chats
• meal planning tools
• recipes
• a network of support

How much does it cost? 

Currently the Club Membership is priced at $2.99 per week and is billed quarterly for $38.87.   This price will not be increasing during Spring 2015 but will likely increase in the future.  Current club members will then be "grandfathered" in at this rate.

Can I combine this with Shakeology?

Sure thing!  Just like any fitness program Beachbody offers, the Club Membership and On Demand will be part of a Challenge Pack.   This On Demand Challenge Pack will be available beginning on Monday, March 2nd!

So for $140 you'll get:

• 3 months of the club membership and On Demand access
• One month supply of Shakeology
• ME as your coach
• Exclusive access to my accountability group 

Will there be a challenge group to support me?

Of course!  My "Spring Challenge" will begin with our prep week on Monday, March 9th.  This group will be a great place to plug in and really make the most of your health and fitness this season.  You are invited to join me there.  

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Our FAVORITE Clean Eating Soup!!!

Good morning!  Welcome to my kitchen!  Today I am very happy to share with you our own MOST favorite clean eating soup recipe.  I have actually been making this soup for more than a year now.  I first began with the base recipe which my sister Rachel had shared on her blog.  Check that out here.  I made a few modifications to the technique to make this soup a perfect fit for our family.  More often than not, I make this soup to share with a group.  This means that like to do the prep ahead of time and then I am able to focus on other things.  Sometimes we are hosting friends here or preparing to take this soup as part of a meal being delivered to a family who has welcomed a new baby, moved into a new home, are recovering from surgery, etc.  This soup is wonderful for just about any situation.  I just decided to go ahead and blog this recipe myself, after having shared my own steps within a FB comment last night.  I make this soup all of the time and it would be easier to be able to share exactly "how" from my own blog entry here rather than searching for a long-lost FB thread.  :)  Thank you again to my sister for having gotten me started with this excellent recipe.

Chicken Spinach and Rice Soup

* Serves MANY ~ 12-14 or so.  I make this in a large crock-pot but you could cut the recipe in half for a standard crock-pot! 

8 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts

2 Bell Peppers of Any Color

1 Vidalia Onion

6 Stalks of Celery

3 Cups Cherry Tomatoes 

1 Package Frozen Chopped Spinach (10 oz.) * Begin to thaw when starting chicken

96 Ounces of Wegmans Organic Vegetable Broth (3 cartons)

2 Cups Lundberg Organic Brown Rice, Short Grain, Sprouted

Butter for Sauteeing

Salt and Pepper to Season

1 Tablespoon Oregano

2 Teaspoons Thyme

 

1) Trim up 8 chicken breasts and sprinkle with salt and pepper and bake at 375 for 35 minutes.

2) Place baked chicken in crock-pot and cover with two cartons of Wegmans Organic Vegetable Broth.

3) Allow chicken to cook on low for 4-6 hours and then shred. Keep in crock-pot.

4) Chop bell peppers, Vidalia onion and celery. Sauté these veggies in a bit of butter plus the thyme and oregano. Add to crockpot.

5) Cook 2 cups of Lundberg brown rice for 20 minutes rather than the full 30. Drain. Add to crock-pot along with the remaining carton of veggie stock.

6) Add a somewhat thawed packet of chopped frozen spinach. Submerge and stir.

7) Top with halved cherry tomatoes.

8) Replace crock-pot lid and cook on high for 1 hour or low for 2+ hours.

Turkey Chili from the 21 Day Fix Extreme!

Well, anything is possible!  True confession - I have always been a little bit (or a LOT) freaked out by ground turkey and never actually purchased it before yesterday.  I have been making some of the new recipes from the 21 Day Fix Extreme guide and I decided to be brave and give the ground turkey a try.  I made chili with it tonight and it was actually good!  My husband even approved!!!  He is not at all picky and I am thankful that he is game for my kitchen experiments.  But I did take his chili stamp of approval as a very good sign as just 48 hours ago he was at a chili cook-off and sampled MANY recipes that night. This one is a keeper!

If you are doing the original 21 Day Fix OR the Fix Extreme, this recipe equals 1 red, 1/2 green and 1/2 yellow container per serving.

* We really like kidney beans so I did 1/2 kidney beans and 1/2 pinto beans.  The kids do not care for fresh cilantro.  So we added a sprinkle of dried parsley instead.  Oh!  And everyone here really likes bell peppers so I used two within the recipe instead of just one.

Turkey Chili from the 21 Day Fix Extreme

(Makes 6 servings, 1 cup each)

1 tsp. olive oil

1 1/2 lbs. ground turkey

1 medium onion

1 medium green bell pepper, chopped

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin

1 Tbsp. chili powder

1/2 tsp. sea salt

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper (to taste; optional)

2 (15 oz) cans black beans (or pinto beans) drained, rinsed

1 (15 oz) can all-natural diced tomatoes, no sugar added

12 fresh cilantro sprigs, finely chopped (for garnish; optional)

Directions

1. Heat oil in large sauce pan over medium-high heat
2. Add turkey, onion, bell pepper, and garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 8 minutes or until turkey is no longer pink
3. Add cumin, chili powder, salt, and cayenne pepper; cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute
4. Add beans and tomatoes (with liquid). Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low; gently bio, stirring occasionally, for 15 to 20 minutes, or until thickened.
5. Serve warm, sprinkle with cilantro. 
6. *** This recipe could also be assembled and placed in the crock-pot on low.  When making it here today, I put everything together and then had it simmering on low for an hour or so until it was time for dinner here.  

Week 1 Review of 21 Day Fix EXTREME!

Hello!  Here we are at the end of my first week of the 21 Day Fix Extreme!  Let me just say that I can FEEL my body changing.  This is a program where you have 7 different daily workouts that are each 30 minutes in length.  There is also a bonus 30 minute high intensity routine plus 10 minute Hardcore Abs which can be added in at any time along the way.  I completed Insanity Max 30 just two weeks ago.  I spent that week in between "trying out" a few of the Fix Extreme workouts while also adding in a couple of other things.  The original 21 Day Fix was released in Februay 2014 and certainly made a gigantic impression on the home fitness world!  I did that program personally for 4.5 months last winter/spring.  Autumn Calabrese is the trainer who created these programs.  It was pretty neat to do a live workout with her while in Pittsburgh for a January Team Beachbody event!  Autumn has said that Fix Extreme is about 3x the intensity of the original.  I can see that.  :)  Throughout each workout, you are using multiple muscle groups for pretty much every move.  You do need to have a base level of fitness before starting this program! 

This past Monday morning I was "all in" for Day 1 of the 21 Day Fix Extreme!  I am leading a challenge group via Facebook and we have had some great energy there.  :)  In this blog entry I am going to give you a review of the 7 daily workouts by pulling in the thoughts that I had shared with my group as we tackled this brand-new program together.

Monday - Plyo Fix Extreme

Extreme Plyo is done!!! Relief!!! I did today's workout with 8's and 10's. It was not as dreadful as I thought it might be! Next week should be a go with 12's for the 10's. To be honest, I was intimidated at the thought of this one. Plyometrics = "explosive movement". I have to remember that I am not the same person who I used to be, back when I started this journey. Jumping is no longer an impossibility for me!  :) I do fine with it. The Single Leg Squat Jump was my most challenging move. Particularly when my left foot was on the floor, I would have to tap back with my right to keep my balance. I will be watching for improvement on that move!

Tuesday - Upper Fix Extreme:

Highlights from the morning...those tricky Tricep Dips have followed me from Max 30!?! My hardest move, no doubt. I used 12's and 8's today. This workout uses the idea of a "drop set" where you do 30 seconds of an exercise with your heavier weights than straight into 30 seconds of that same exercise with your lighter set. Tricep Kick-Backs were the one move that I stayed with the light set for the entire thing - otherwise my form would have been a mess! This Isolated Bicep Curl was just fine for my arms... my legs were another story! 60 seconds of Sumo Squat and quads were really feeling it!
Now the more challenging part of the Fix continues for Day 2... staying on track with nutrition and making ALL great choices all day long. Good thing for my Shakeology and having this group!

Wednesday - Pilates Fix Extreme
One big difference between the original 21 Day Fix Pilates and Pilates Extreme is that Extreme is built solidly on the use of resistance bands.  We had some great conversation on this in the group on Wednesday!  The resistance band does involve a learning curve!  It may feel unwieldy at first.  Some in the group discovered that the band they were using from other programs was too short or of too high of a resistance.  For this program, you want a band that is 15 lbs. resistance and about 6 feet in length.  Just like you would expect with Pilates, this one is all about your core strength but that band does a LOT to simultaneously work the other parts of your body.  And doing this one the day after "Upper" makes one very aware of one's arms!

Thursday - Lower Fix Extreme
Guess what??  I was soooooo bummed that my household was feeling under the weather mid-week this past week.  I had debated on trying my Lower Fix workout later in the day on Thursday but decided to really listen to my body and skip it.  My nutrition was really not my usual on Wednesday PM into Thursday.  No junk food, of course!  But I had plain Ezekiel toast a few times and an extra serving of raw almonds.  Proteins and fruits just did not appeal to me.  I munched 2 veggie servings rather than my usual four.  I did have my Shakeology an extra time and that helped.  I was just not up for pushing through my workout AND being on-point for a big cardio day on Friday and Dirty 30 on Saturday.  So I took a rest day, as much as my type-A overachiever personality hated to do that!  Lower Fix was one of the workouts which I had "previewed" during the week prior to officially beginning Fix Extreme.  AND let me just say this... I was SO VERY SORE for the next two days!  Like as sore as I can ever remember being.  Ever.  My family was laughing at my very affected gate.  Here is what I shared with the group during that prep week - I liked Lower!!! Certainly does require more coordination than the original Lower Fix! I used 12 lb weights throughout today and thankfully did not get myself tangled up in the resistance band when it was used for Round 4. Legs are SHAKING. I was instantly feeling this one in my hamstrings!! Max 30 did a ton for my agility and I am forever grateful to PiYo for really helping me with my lunges. Can't wait to see what a few rounds of Fix Extreme will bring!  I burned a quick 375 calories even while just finding my way through some of those intense moves.  Amazing.

Friday - Cardio Fix Extreme
That was CRAZY! My heart rate got right up to the top of my desired range and stayed there. I had to modify a few times to keep it at a decent level. Extreme Cardio Fix is ummmm, extreme!  There were a couple of times that I backtracked 10-20 seconds to catch the explanation of a few of the new moves used today. None of them were over the top complex, but I wanted to be sure that I was doing them correctly.  I LOVED Autumn's simple but key thought of the day which is on the board for today - "Replace Excuses with Effort".  She also said "If you want to see change, you can't settle for today for what you did yesterday." For some reason, that one really hit home with me. Moving forward!!  I have done "Fast Feet" before... but 1 minute of them with the "Jump!" was hard core!!!!!!!!  The Jack Press Jump was tough but neat - took me back to the days when I was first starting out 18 months ago and literally could not do 3 regular jumping jacks without getting winded. Here I am doing "fancy" jacks with 16 pounds of weights. And when there were the two sets of 30 seconds of regular jacks, I felt so light on my feet and really fluid. Pretty neat!

Saturday - Dirty 30

I enjoyed this one so much that just yesterday I dedicated an entire blog entry to a very thorough description of it!  Just like in the original 21 Day Fix, it was a favorite of the week!  Check it all out here.

 Sunday - Yoga Fix Extreme

Yoga is done.  Feels soooo good!  If you are new to yoga, do not be surprised if it feels awkward! You will get to where it will be relaxing for you. In the meantime, breathe deeply and focus on doing the moves to the best of your own flexibility and balance as it is today.  Extreme Yoga? "Royal Dancer" was new to me. Balance challenge! In "Crow", I was just one to alternate raising my feet. When Mr. Blue Shorts went into that hand-stand, I was in awe!!! "Happy Cow" was new to me as well and felt amazing! I actually did a few more of that one as the routine ended.

Here is our take on a great new Fix Extreme recipe that we enjoyed here this week!
 

 

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Dirty 30 Fix Extreme - 3 Rounds, 6 Moves + Bonus

Hello!  Today is Saturday.  I am in Week 1 of the 21 Day Fix Extreme and today's scheduled workout is Dirty 30 Extreme.  Dirty 30 was my favorite in the original 21 Day Fix, so I was curious to see what today's workout would include??  Guess what?  I liked it even more than the original!  Whew!  What a great workout.  This is 30 minutes of strength training and guess what??  I still burned 374 calories!  And my WHOLE body is feeling it.  Tomorrow is my final day of Week 1 and Yoga is on the calendar.  That will be lovely!  Over the next day or two, I will blog a recap of the entire week of workouts.  Nutrition is a big part of this program and here is an idea on what to expect with a meal plan and grocery list.

Guess what?  Since Dirty 30 is my favorite and today is Saturday, I decided to do an in-depth exclusive report on this one!  My husband is home today and I didn't need to do my workout at 6 AM.  I asked him to get some photos and I also went back through and jotted down some notes on this routine.

Autumn opens with the thought, "Don't stop when you're tired - stop when you're done."  This workout involves three rounds with just two exercises each round.  Each move lasts for a minute with a 10 second rest in between.  You do each round twice, then on to the next one.  Plus there is a bonus round, of course!  Autumn seems to LOVE adding on some crazy thing right at the end.  This is a 30 minute workout.  Four of the six moves involve spending a minute on each side of your body.  You need a heavy set of weights and a lighter set of weights.  Throughout this week, I have been using 8's and 12's.

Round 1 (see photo collage at top of blog entry!)

* I used my "lighter" weights for this one and they are a set of 8's.

- Half Moon Curtsy Lunge (1 min. each side)

- Squat with Shoulder Press

Round 2 (see photo collage at top of blog entry!)

- Push-Up Renegade Row ~ I modified by dropping from toes to knees half-way into this one! * I used my "heavy" set of weights and this is a set of 12's

- Sword Pull Lunge (1 min. each side) * I used my 8's.

Round 3

* I used my "heavier"12 lb. weights for this entire round.

- Single Leg Squat Row ~ I had to tap my toe here and there for balance!  Looking forward to improving in this area!  (1 min. each side)

- Lunge Row Hammer Curl (1 min. each side)

Bonus Round

Of course!  When you have 3 minutes and 20 seconds remaining, why begin a cool down??  This bonus round is just 1 minute in length and you do not repeat it, thankfully!  I was in agony by the end as it was!  You are doing a Plank Crunch for 30 seconds on each size.  You use your lighter set of weights.

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Chicken Fajita Bowl

Hello!  Welcome to my blog.  Pull up a chair!  This evening's entry includes a delicious recipe and also a bit of a story.  I began the 21 Day Fix Extreme today and this recipe as listed below comes directly from the Fix Extreme Eating Plan guide.  :)  However, the recipe as shown above in the photo is not exactly the same as what I had planned on making for this evening.  It is close... and in fact, I think that we may actually prefer the version that accidentally came to be this evening.

I was actually NOT going to photograph or blog this one tonight, as things did not go as planned with the prep on this one.  I had brought our meal to the table.  We prayed and the kids began (or continued!) to munch on their dinner.  My husband asked me, "Aren't you going to take a picture of this??  You really should."  Okay, sounds corny, but I was touched!  My family sometimes chuckles at the way I am photographing dinner and snacks on a regular basis as I use them as examples and ideas within my role as a coach!  So I went ahead and took our two bowls over to the kitchen counter where the lighting is better than the dining room - my husband had sincerely suggested I take that step as usual with tonight's food photos.  Seriously, it kind of made my day after yet another long day of sub-zero temps here in Erie.  Now, had I been planning on a photo of this, I would have plated the meal a bit more artfully.  It is rather just thrown together.  Oh well!  And once we did sit down to eat --- WOW!  This one is DELICIOUS and I am more than happy to share it with you.

I went to the grocery store yesterday.  With a list.  So how is it that I wound up with NO lettuce for this evening?  That was kind of a key element of the presentation on this recipe!  Looooonnnnngggg story on how our day unraveled yesterday.  Basically, we were put into an unexpected time crunch when the practice that I thought was still scheduled for my daughter was actually cancelled.  And we had left her there, after checking that her coach was present.  Then my son and I went on to the grocery store.  I had been planning to shop alone, but he asked to tenderly if he could come with me and "spend time together".  How could I resist?  And we went to the Wegmans that was a bit more out of the way with yesterday's plans - "because we might see a train or a plane if we go to Wegmans West?"  We had not been there for long when I received word that I needed to get back to get my daughter!  Her coach was graciously waiting with her, but she was the only one!  We parked our cart with a store employee who kindly took it to the big cooler room.  And we set off on the -5 degree afternoon to make our way as quickly and carefully as possible back across town.  THEN we returned to the grocery store - me with both kids.  Except that we were now seriously on the clock, as my daughter and I had a funeral to attend 30 minutes past the time that we ended up walking out of the store.  So, I forgot the lettuce in the midst of all of that.

Rather than being in a bowl, the ingredients for tonight's meal should have been served in a lettuce "wrap".  That would have been part of the "green" veggie serving on this one!  And the recipe calls for fresh salsa.  I did not bring any home from the store yesterday afternoon... nor did I make any today!  So what did I use instead? (simple grape tomatoes cut in half).  And I am feeding my husband.  He is not a little guy.  This recipe is going to need some sort of carb in order to serve as a "real meal" for him (light red kidney beans at the bottom of each bowl).  And, after cooking what chicken I had ready to go here, I realized that if I were to stretch things just a bit, I would have enough to incorporate into both of our lunches for tomorrow!  But I also didn't want to short anyone on tonight's protein serving (Greek yogurt as a topping - once again this handy item comes to the rescue!).  Finally, we really love avocado.  Was I going to use just 1/8th of an avocado, thus totaling 1/2 of a "blue" serving?  Why not go for a 1/4 of the thing and use the whole blue?  

Using these modifications, our dinner here ended up counting as  1 Blue, 1 Green, 1 Red and 1 Yellow on the 21 Day Fix or 21 Day Fix Extreme color category breakdown.

Chicken Fajitas directly from the 21 Day Fix Extreme

Makes 4 servings, 2 fajitas each. 
 

Ingredients:
* 1 tsp. chili powder
* 1/2 tsp. sea salt
* 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
* 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
* 2 tsp. olive oil, divided use
* 4 (6oz) raw, skinless, boneless chicken breasts cut in to 1/2 inch strips
* 1 medium red or green bell  pepper, cut in to strips (I used a mix of green, red, and yellow)
* 1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
* 8 large romaine (or butter) lettuce leaves
* 1/2 medium avocado, thinly sliced
* 1 cup fresh salsa
Lime wedges if desired as a garnish
 
Directions:
1. Combine chili powder, salt, cumin, garlic powder, and 1 tsp. of olive oil in a large Zip-lock bag.
2. Add chicken, bell pepper, and onion to the bag.  Mix gently to coat.
3. Refrigerate for about 15 minutes.
4. Heat the remaining 1 tsp. olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
5. Empty contents of bag into skillet and cook, stirring frequently.  Cook for about 5-6 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.
6. Remove from heat and add lime juice.
7. Evenly top lettuce leaves with chicken mixture, avocado, and salsa.
8. Garnish with lime wedges if desired. 

21 Day Fix or 21 Day Fix Extreme color breakdown = 1/2 Purple, 1/2 Blue, 2 Green, 1 Red

21 Day Fix Extreme Meal Plan, Grocery List and Schedule!!

Good Morning!  Today is Thursday, February 12th.  I am preparing to begin DAY ONE of the 21 Day Fix Extreme on Monday the 16th!  This week I have been working on meal planning, putting together a grocery list and planning for my workout schedule.  The BIGGEST thing is really getting my head in the game for nutrition!  I just completed 60 days of Insanity Max 30 and those workout were intense.  I followed the Max 30 eating plan 80-85% of the time.  Overall, I was quite pleased with my results and entire experience.  As I prepare to begin the Fix Extreme, I am repeating several things to myself...

Food as Fuel

Nutrition is 70-80% of My Results

I can celebrate without cake!

No cheats, no treats!

You can do ANYTHING for 21 Days!!!

So, I am really going to be ALL in and go for it from a meal planning perspective!  I already eat clean the vast majority of the time.  Perhaps 95% of the time, even.  BUT, I tend to be one who grabs extra handfuls of things here and there.  So my focus for the next 3 weeks is going to be "NO EXTRA HANDFULS".  I have come so far and now I really want to see what I am capable of doing these next 21 Days!

I will be incorporating 7 workouts which will be brand-new to me!  The Fix Extreme was released just 10 days ago, so this program is NEW to everyone and I am excited to be leading a test group who will be going through several rounds together!  You are invited to join me for that.  :)  We will be holding each other accountable while also sharing lots of great tips and strategy.  Plus it will be FUN.  And effective.  Why not you, right??  If the Fix Extreme is not quite your place to begin, no worries!  We also have the original 21 Day Fix which is a fantastic starting point for just about anyone.  I did that program myself for 4.5 months last year.  Anyways, here is the schedule for the Fix Extreme.  

Last night I was working on getting a grocery list together for this new program.  I was smiling as I thought of a conversation that I had with a friend yesterday.  She was asking about the original Fix and asked if we eat foods from the grocery store?  Yes!  We sure do!  I enjoy my Shakeology for my breakfast each morning.  Other than that, everything else comes from the grocery store.  Here is an idea of everything on my list that would fulfill the meal plan posted at the top of this blog entry.

The foods are listed within the area of the store in which they are found at our local Wegmans.  The colors represent the various categories of food.  The 21 Day Fix Original and Extreme are all about eating the proper serving sizes of the best ratio of foods that will make the most of our metabolism and energy.  The Fix Extreme has a slightly less "roomy" list of foods but it is still a very "normal" eating program.  The Fix Extreme guide includes many new recipe ideas and I am looking forward to trying out six of them next week!  Nothing too tricky here!  Many of these pantry items are already in stock here at my place but I went ahead and listed them in order to give you a complete picture of the kinds of foods that you eat with this sort of program.  Feel free to ask any questions!

Produce

Bananas

Apples

Tomatoes

Cucumber

Celery

Green Beans

Asst. Peppers

Onions

Carrots

Baby Spinach

Romaine Lettuce

Butternut Squash

Avocado

Sweet Potatoes

Limes

Garlic

Cilantro

Parsley

Deli

Nitrate Free Turkey

Fresh Salsa

Cooler

Chicken Breast Club Pack

93& Lean Ground Turkey

Lean Beef Stew Meat

Beef Tenderloin Steaks

Plain Greek Yogurt

Eggs

Almond Milk

Grocery Shelves:

Old Fashioned Oats

Raw Cashews

Balsamic Vinegar

EVOO

Frozen:

Berries

Nature’s Marketplace

                (at Wegmans)

Shelves:

Kidney Beans

Black Beans

Brown Rice

Diced Tomatoes

Almond Butter

Chili Powder

Garlic Powder

Ground Cumin

Himalayan Sea Salt

Cinnamon

Beef Broth

Coconut Oil

Freezer:

Ezekiel Bread

Bulk:

Sprouted Almonds

Pumpkin Seeds

 

 

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My Insanity Max 30 Results!!!

Good afternoon!  Guess what!?!?!  TODAY is the day that I COMPLETED Insanity Max 30!!!  Hurray!!  Time to celebrate!!  This was an intense 60 days.  And I would do it all over again.  In fact, I am planning to do just that in June and July!  Tomorrow I begin with exploring the 21 Day Fix Extreme.  April and May will be a return to PiYo.  Then back to Max 30 for another 60 days.  I do my best when I am following a plan.  

I have blogged a few times about my Insanity Max 30 experience and I will link all of that in below.  This morning I actually made a video just moments after completing the final "Cardio Challenge" workout.  Check out Max 30 reflections for the scoop on my biggest concerns going into this program, the strategy that made it possible and how it felt to finish.  Of great significance are the life lessons that I learned about myself these past 8 weeks!  WARNING: This video contains images of me just barely post-workout!  I am wearing my Insanity Max 30 sweatband over which my husband has joked about disowning me!  But the sweat band is too functional for me to skip it!  I have never before sweat like I do in this program and with being down and back up so much, the sweat was going into my eyes and it really stung!  Oh, and I am chewing gum in this video.  Yikes!  I realized that part way after the fact.  One of my tips for getting through a workout is that I grab a fresh piece of gum just as I begin.  It keeps my throat from getting so dry and also serves as a distraction when the workout gets tough!  So, there is my disclaimer on this video - but it does capture the essence of this fantastic program and my own experience with it.

The areas that saw the most change with Max 30 are my back and my arms.  Ummmm.... looking at my "before" photos above, I had NO IDEA what my back was looking like until we took those photos.  Yikes.  It has been a while since we took a photo like that and seeing this image was painful.  I was CELEBRATING this morning as soon as I caught a glimpse of the back photo that my husband took today.  Phew!  I am on the right track!!!  And as for my upper arms, they have LONG been my own least favorite part of my body.  They have always felt doughy and are just not an area that I care to spotlight!  Well, my upper arms are finally making some progress.  Max 30 is all about sooooo many types of burpees, push-ups, plank jacks, and many other things that I could tell were really improving my back and arms!  In fact, I went out on a limb and had my husband take a FIRST-EVER "flex" photo of me!  This was my brave moment.  :)  Now I will have a point of reference for the future!  

This collage contains my completed Max 30 calendar!  I did ALL of the workouts scheduled during each of the 8 weeks of the program.  Something that I really enjoyed with this program was having a Polar device that kept track of my heart rate and calories burned.  I have never been a big cardio fan and it really showed when I was first starting this program.  I would have to modify heavily early on in order to keep my heart rate in a decent range... well, that really changed during these 8 weeks and I couldn't be more pleased with knowing that I have become much more heart healthy!  Max 30 is all about "maxing out" and I really explain that in depth in this morning's video which is linked in above.  On the chart pictured here, I would record my "max out" time each workout and would work to push myself beyond it the following week. That concept alone has been REVOLUTIONARY for my approach to my workouts and my life.  If you want to explore what you are really capable of, give Insanity Max 30 a try!  You will not regret it.  There is a modifier option where you can elect right on the menu to always have the modifier in view on the right hand side of the screen.  I selected that option each day of my Max 30 schedule.  Starting out, I would modify 60-70% of the time.  By the end of the program, I was modifying 20-30% of the time.  What a nifty measure of progress in regards to strength, agility, cardio capacity and presence of mind.  Pretty mind-blowing to experience, really.  You just have to try it!  

Here are other Insanity Max 30 blog entries of mine: 

Introduction to Insanity Max 30

Why I Am Excited for Max 30

Meal Planning for Week 1 of Max 30

Calories Burned During Max 30

Week 1 Results and Review

Weeks 2 and 3 - Workouts and Meal Plans  

Day 30 Results!

Month 2 - Week 1: Liking Cardio MORE than Strength?? 

Week 6 Max 30 Meal Plan and Recipes

I put this collage together 10 days or so ago.  This shows the difference from where I began nearly 18 months ago.  I am still going strong!  If you would like to make changes to your own fitness and nutrition, I am here to help!  I have been a Team Beachbody Coach for nearly 1 year and I so enjoy helping others with clean eating and home fitness options!  I lead secret FB groups where I offer tools and support and we all encourage each other on this great adventure.  It has been amazing for me as an individual and also as a coach!  I can't wait to see what the next year brings! 

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