My All Time Favorite Workouts

I've been meaning all summer to list those workouts that are on my favorite list. These are all time favorites that if I could only have a handful of workouts these would be the ones.  I especially like the Cathe workouts.  Although they are over an hour, I rarely do the workout in it's entirety.  Cathe has many premixes that actually make these into many different workouts that are under an hour.

Best Cardio with Step:  It's a tie!
Cathe Friedrich Low Max
This workout is over an hour and has some great premixes that run about 45 minutes of good music with step choreography.

Tracie Long Core Cardio
This is just about one of the best step workouts that I have ever done!  The workout is about 50 minutes.  It uses a medicine ball.  After I finish this workout I feel great!  The picture is not actually from the workout.  This workout is no longer in print and I couldn't find a picture doing several internet searches.

Best Kick Boxing Style Workout:
Turbo Jam Punch, Kick, and Jam
Great Chalene workout that runs about 50 minutes.

Best Cardio and Strength Workout:  Another Tie
Cathe Friedrich Low Impact Circuit
This is another workout that has motivating music.  It uses both a step and weights.  Again I usually stick with the lower body leg circuit premix that runs about 55 minutes.  When I finish this workout I am drenched and usually burn about 450 calories!

Cathe Friedrich Hi Step Challenge
It has awesome premixes that make for a shorter workout.  The music alone on this workout will pump you up and keep you going!  This is an advanced workout.

Great Place to find Healthy Recipes

Have you ever heard of Eat Better America?  They have a really great site with loads of healthy recipes.

Here is the link to one of our favorites:  Healthified Mexican Pasta Skillet.

Low Fat Cake

Here's a recipe for a single serving chocolate cake that I'm going to give a try.  Looks very yummy!

5 Minute Chocolate Mug Cake

Photo: Elaine Magee

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons whole-wheat flour
3 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
1/4 cup egg substitute (with yolk) or 1 egg
3 tablespoons lowfat milk or fat free half and half
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 tablespoons fat free sour cream
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons semi sweet chocolate chips (optional)
light vanilla bean ice cream (optional)
sliced strawberries or other fresh fruit (optional)

Preparation:

1. In microwave-safe coffee mug, combine whole-wheat flour, sugar, and cocoa.
2. Pour egg substitute or egg, lowfat milk, canola oil, sour cream and vanilla into the mug with dry ingredients and mix well with fork.
3. Stir chocolate chips into the cake batter in mug, if desired. Place mug in center of microwave (preferably one that has a turn table) and cook on HIGH for 3 minutes. The cake will rise about an inch or so above the top of the mug (don’t worry it won’t drip down the sides of the mug).
4. Let cake cool in mug for a few minutes then turn mug upside down over a serving bowl (the cake should slide out fairly easily).
5. Cut cake in half for a smaller sized serving and top with a small scoop of light vanilla bean ice cream and sliced strawberries (or other fresh fruit).

Serving Suggestion: Serve with a scoop of light vanilla ice cream and some fresh fruit like sliced strawberries or raspberries.
Yield: Makes 2 servings
Nutritional Information:
Per serving (if two per recipe): 240 calories, 7 g protein, 35 g carbohydrate, 8 g fat, .7 g saturated fat, 2 mg cholesterol, 3 g fiber, 115 mg sodium. Calories from fats: 30 percent.

Firm Workouts on Hulu

						Do you Hulu? Hulu.com is a free online resource for streaming video, and now you can work out with 9 bestselling FIRM videos!  Boot Camp Cardio Dance Express Calorie Explosion Hardcore Fusion HI Def Sculpt Power Yoga Power Half Hour Total Body Toner Zero in Ten

The Firm Express Get Thin in 30 Bonus Kick Start Your Metabolism Pump It Up

Here's a 10 minute workout by The Firm on You Tube.  Very challenging for only 10 minutes!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JBrV17XPIqk

Shed last 5 to 10 pounds with high-intensity training

Michelle Dozois is one of my favorite instructors, and she is coming out with a new 8 week program!

Shed last 5 to 10 pounds with high-intensity training

The FIRM on Oprah Winfrey Network (& some more too)

On the Oprah Winfrey Network, you'll be able to watch some of the FIRM's most popular workouts on TV!
Guess I'll have to set my DVR and try a few of these on OWN!  I also found Squeeze, which has gotten great reviews in addition to some pilates and yoga workouts.

Firm Schedule:

The FIRM: Power Half Hour                                 |  03/14/2011  |  4:30A  |  Mon
The FIRM: Calorie Explosion                               |  03/18/2011  |  4:00A  |  Fri
The FIRM: Hardcore Fusion                                 |  03/21/2011  |  4:00A  |  Mon
The FIRM: Bootcamp Maximum Calorie Burn   |  03/21/2011  |  4:30A  |  Mon
The FIRM: Power Yoga                                         |  03/22/2011  |  4:30A  |  Tue
The FIRM: High Def Sculpt                                   |  03/23/2011  |   4:00A  |  Wed

Workout music to download

Here is a link to download free music/podcast to run by.  I haven't tried it yet, but have heard that others really like it.

http://mechanism.podomatic.com/

Yeah! A New Firm Workout!

I was pretty excited after watching the 4 minute clip of this new workout Firm Ignite Calorie Burn! I've heard that their new workouts are HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training).  This is the first one that I have found being released separately.  It's on preorder right now to be released at the beginning of March.  

Master Instructors Emily Welsh and Rebekah Sturkie get you firmed up fast with high-energy cardio combos plus sculpting.  Ignite Calorie Burn goes beyond other workouts by featuring a revolutionary technique called "Mini Bursts" - 8 second quick blast intervals followed by a short active recovery.  Each burst gets your heart rate up and provides that extra push that's key to losing weight. 

Cardio Power Burst with Emily Welsh:  This low impact cardio and sculpting workout with dumbbells is a fast and fun way to shet pounds.  It combines high intensity bursts of cardio and toning to rev up your metabolism for faster calorie burn, even long after the workout is done.

Interval Blast with Rebekah Sturkie:  Give yourself an even bigger challenge when you combine faster cardio combos with increased resistance and body-shaping Mini Bursts.  It pays off huge in body-changing results.  You'll hit every muscle, including abs for a fit, trim and well-defined physique.

Bonus: 10 Minute Abs Downloadable Workout available on the Firms website

Supreme 90

Here's a new workout workout program that caught my eye!  It's supposedly been seen for $9.99 at Walgreens & is also available at Bed Bath & Beyond for $19.99 (cheaper if you get one of their coupons).  Supreme 90 is a 10 disk set along the lines of a shorter (30 min, give and take) P90X style (muscle confusion) workout that's taught by Tom Holland.  They only use dumbbells & and stability ball.

Nutrition info coming to fronts of food packages

Perhaps this will help with impulse buys at the grocery store!

Benefits of a Heart Rate Monitor

I always exercise using a Heart Rate Monitor.  They are really beneficial and can give you an approximate idea of how many calories you burn.  They also come in really handy so that you are aware of your target zones. Taken from this website here's more information on your heart rate training zones:

Low Intensity: 60% to 70%
This zone keeps you at a comfortably low intensity and is a good choice as a warm up or for beginners because it helps you develop aerobic fitness for more intense exercise.

Moderate Intensity: 70% to 80%
This zone kicks up the intensity, improving your body's ability to transport oxygen throughout the body and conditioning your heart. You'll burn more calories in this zone, as well. Experts often recommend working at a moderate intensity to build fitness and lose weight.

High Intensity: 80% to 90%
Working in this zone takes you out of your comfort zone and allows you to burn more calories while improving your VO2 Max and raise your anaerobic threshold.

Maximum Effort: 90% to 100%
Working at this level means you're working as hard as you can, as in all-out springs or very high intensity interval training. Most of us can only sustain this level of effort for a short period of time, making this the toughest zone and more appropriate for advanced exercisers.

There are many varieties of Heart Rate Monitors.  I recommend one with a chest strap, as they are more accurate.  I personally like the Sigma Sport PC15.  You can get it on Amazon here.  It's currently $55.34.  I also know of many who love Polar Heart Rate Monitors.  These are also excellent, but I have been told that you have to send it off to the company to when the battery needs to be replaced.

Our Home Gym

Shortly after our daughter was born, my husband decided it was time for an addition on our home.  We contacted the contractor who built our home, and three months later we were happy to have our official exercise room.

Collage Swim Suit Edition

Collage Video is one of the most recognized companies for purchasing DVD's.  They offer their customers a chance to submit before and after pictures and share their story of how exercising at home has made a difference in their lives.  If you are chosen, you get to be in their catalog and also receive a $100 credit to purchase your own DVD's.  So during the summer of 2006 I decided to get hubby to take some pictures and send them off.  In January of 2007, I was notified by the company that they wanted to use my pictures in their upcoming "PreSwimsuit" edition.  They asked me to take some more pictures in a swim suit. Since it was January, I went and got a spray on tan.  Then my gracious husband took some more pictures of me in a swimsuit.  We sent them off to Collage and waited.  Soon their new catalog arrived!  Sure enough, there I was in a bikini on the back cover of their catalog.  I was also featured inside.

Why I gave up going to the gym!

I really don't know why I didn't start this blog sooner.  I guess it never occurred to me being a busy mom, wife, and teacher.  Anyhow, I have always loved exercise!  From the time I was a little girl, I remember signing up for Kids Jazzercise at the Public Library during their summer programs.  Then in college I took a step class.  After that, I worked the front desk at my local Jazzercise Studio to get free classes.  I was always encouraged to become an Instructor, although due to my busy life, I never did.  I went on  going to different aerobic workouts until I just started to get bored with it .  One day I was looking at Ross and came across a Tracie Long workout.  I purchased it and went home eager to try it out.  I was having fun with the idea of working out at home and eventually bought a few more workouts.  Then one weekend, my husband was watching tv when an infomercial came on.  He mentioned The Firm.  I ordered The Firm Body Sculpting System.  The rest is history.  From there I began a new lifestyle.  

I used the internet to research as much as I could about health and nutrition.  My DVD collection has grown to over a 100 workouts currently after about 8 years.  Exercise and nutrition is a way of life for me.  So your answer to my question... I gave up going to the gym because I became my own personal trainer.  I now exercise at home under my own schedule.  I don't have to worry about getting to the gym because it's right at home.

My take on exercise is that it is just like scheduling a doctor's appointment.  You have to be there!  Although I exercise at home, I make it a point to exercise 5 days a week (6 if I am not working).  With just as much as I am committed to exercising, I also have researched the importance of rest days.  You must give your body time to recuperate.  In the end you will have better results.  

Along with exercise, I am a firm believer that diet goes hand in hand with exercise.  I gave away my Fry Daddy a long time ago (I think I actually tossed it in the trash).  I really think twice about the kind of food that I purchase.  Although we have the occasional food at our favorite Mexican Restaurants, I rarely make anything that is fried.  

I have decided to start this blog primarily as a way to keep myself organized with all of my workouts, recipes, and health tips.  I hope that one day others may also find it useful as a resource for their own health, exercise, and nutrition.  It is my goal to add new information that I find, as well as my own journey down the road of fitness.