Starting Over

So I'm starting over again. What went wrong? I let my emotions over a situation with the kids get the best of me and chose to cope by eating everything! Guess what? Eating everything doesn't help anything. Guess I had to find that out once again, right?

The weekend was spent at the gymnastics state championship meet. Yes, both of my sons qualified, which, yes, makes me a crazy proud mom. Tucker (younger son) competed on Saturday and took 13th place overall, out of the top 28 kids in Northern California. He took 2nd in vault, 5th in pommel, and 9th in floor. The high point of the meet was seeing him NAIL his floor routine, after a warmup where he was flat on his back or on his butt after every single tumbling run.

Austin competed on Sunday. With 2 months off of gym, a wrist that still is not 100%, and an ankle-twisting tumbling pass right before the competition started, he still managed to do all six events, and on pommel, he's almost back to his old self -- an amazing mixture of power and grace. We did get video, and when we get it on the computer, I'll be sure to share it!

Fitness-wise, it's tough to workout when you're sitting on your rear for hours and hours in a gym, but last night I did Cardio Coach #3 running outside, and this morning I did Cardio Coach #5 at the gym. Why 2 within such a short period of time? Well, I'm re-reading a book I love titled "The Power of Full Engagement." The basic premise is that we all need positive rituals that provide renewal and structure to our days. And my "I just work as hard as I can for as long as I can" approach has no rhyme or reason to it. So I'm going to try doing 3 early morning days at the gym per week as a way to start the day with intention.

Well, I have 3 clients workouts to plan, and it's only 30 minutes till I get to eat lunch -- hooray!

Quivering goo

Yep, I'm sitting here, a quivering mess of goo. Why? Well SST, of course! When Tim suggested we go while the kids were at gymnastics, I reluctantly agreed. But I was scared. Why? Cuz it's always really really hard!

Tonight's workout was as follows:
50 pushups, 50 air squats, 50 situps, 100 jump rope jumps
40 pushups, 40 air squats, 40 situps, 100 jump rope jumps
30 pushups, 30 squats, 30 situps, 100 jumps
20 pushups, 20 squats, 20 situps, 100 jumps
10 pushups, 10 squats, 10 situps, 100 jumps

I should mention that the workout comes after the 30 minute warmup, which has you sweating profusely and already feeling exerted.

Tim's time was 19:30 and mine was 20:50. I did the first 40 pushups "man style" but dropped to my knees for every single pushup after that. And I'm REALLY ok with it, cuz there's no way I could have done 150 boy pushups! But maybe someday? ... hmmmmm...

Countdown to Mexico

In 33 days, Tim and I will be flying to Mexico, just the two of us! I want to feel confident in a bikini, and feel like it's ok to indulge a bit. So it's time to create an actual plan, as opposed to the "I try to workout nearly every day and do whatever crosses my mind" non-plan that I've been following. Here are the elements I've come up with so far:

1. No eating after 9:00 pm. My usual m.o. is to eat cereal with rice milk within about 30 minutes of bedtime. As per Bob Greene's new best life book, it will not kill me to go to bed a little hungry. In fact, he's a proponent of a 7:30 cutoff time, but that's just a little too drastic for me to get my mind around.
2. 5 days a week of Cardio Coach. I did CC number 5 on the ARC trainer last night (HARD!), and did number 1 just running on the street today. Both were excellent workouts. There's a part in #5 where he's talking about a lion and a gazelle, both of whom are fighting for survival, and at the end of a challenge, he inquires, "Chase or be chased?" My immediate answer was "I run my own race!" It felt empowering.
3. 3 days a week of strength training. This will include pushups, pullups, kettlebell swings, thrusters, step ups, and anything else that will help to build muscle.
4. Weekly progress checks. I will weigh myself once a week, and based on results, may adjust program as needed.
5. 5 vegetables a day. I'm getting a lot better about eating fresh stuff, but upping the non-starchy carbs has NEVER moved one in the wrong direction in terms of weight, at least not that I'm aware of.
   
6. (This is the most exciting one!) I'm getting a Bodybugg! There's a trainer at a super nice club in Roseville who is the Bodybugg guy. I've already talked to him once about using the Bodybugg for my clients so they can get an accurate picture of how many calories they're burning. So I'm calling him tomorrow, and hoping to have one by the end of the week. He claims I won't want to give mine up, and that he wears his all the time. We'll just have to see about that, but I am confident that it will help to know what I'm burning. (Stacy, you'll get your turn right after Mexico!)
   

Snowboarding support

We headed to Northstar today, along with approximately 9000 other people (that's capacity, and I heard they did close the park!). I did NOT want to go. Why?

• I didn't even bring my board, because a whole bunch of little aches and pains would only be exacerbated by snowboarding.
• My confidence on the board is shot after taking a whole season off.
• I had a million better things to do than sit in the lodge and do nothing while my family was having fun.
• I didn't want to be the support crew!!!
  

Somehow I managed to get past my ty mood and decided to make a contribution and try to make the best of the trip (a la The Secret -- what you focus on really can happen). And the day turned into an awesome day in so many ways.

• I parked the car a mile and a half from the resort and had a beautiful walk back, listening to Windham Hill music and loving the snow, the trees, and the sunshine.
• Sitting in the lodge I took the time to read two wonderful books about how to eat -- books that I've owned for quite some time, but never taken the time to really investigate.
• I got to be a part of all the fun Tim and the kids had, by hearing about their accomplishments and just by being there.
• I shared my table with a man who was interested in what I do for a living.

So, let's talk about that last one for a minute. This man -- maybe in his 60s -- was standing against the wall, reading a huge boring work-like document. I offered him a seat, and he gratefully accepted. After a few minutes, he asked me if I was studying for something, and I told him I was a newly certified personal trainer and so yeah, I guess you could say I was studying. He asked me a few questions, then we went back to our reading. Then a few minutes later, more questions -- what does it take to be certified? what kind of clients do you have? What ensued was a really nice conversation about fitness and health and kids and grandkids (he was there with his wife, daughter, and grandson), and so on.

The reason I bring this up is that when I was "just a housewife", people didn't know how to talk to me. I attended parties on more than one occasion, and felt invisible and mute. Much of this may have been my own doing -- I'm somewhat shy in groups of people I don't know. But the point is that something very cool happened today, and it would not have happened if it wasn't for my new profession. And that, friends, felt great!

My final "good thing" of the day was my slow jog (1-1/2 miles at 7000 feet altitude is HARD) back to the car, which I drove right to the snowbooted feet of my family at the bottom of Home Run. On and at In N Out for dinner, I ate exactly 1/2 of my cheeseburger, and 7 french fries -- victory!

Handstand envy

I am really happy with my handstand progress. When I first tried doing one in December, I couldn't even muster up the courage to kick up by a wall. I was not sure if my historically unstable shoulder would even support my bodyweight. So I've come a long way since then. But I've found two videos that are giving me total handstand envy. If you want to check them out, click here, then scroll down till you find the entry titled "press handstand videos." I can just TASTE how much I want that to be ME pressing up to handstand.

Comments, field trips, and websites

It is so encouraging when anyone reads what I write, but to have someone take the time to comment -- that's like the icing on the yummy cake that is Blogger! So big thank you's to everyone who took the time to write words of encouragement or advice -- it is much appreciated!

Greg directed me to a wonderful video on the Crossfit website about handstand/forward rolls. Thanks so much Greg! Over the weekend I got some one-on-one coaching from the owner of my kids' gym. As was shown in the video, he recommended doing candlesticks to train the body to go from handstand into forward roll, instead of from handstand into back splat, which is what I was doing!

Oh, one more note for Greg -- I'm planning to take some fitness field trips this spring, and BodyTribe is on my list of places to check out.

Fran stopped by which was very cool! Fran's workouts are a lot like mine, but harder -- check out her weblog here. Wish she lived closer!

Back on the subject of field trips, I also want to go to Palo Alto to visit Girya Kettlebell Training. As I mentioned a while back, I'm fascinated with kettlebells. I'm also fascinated by Tracy, who with her husband, owns Girya. Tracy has lost over 100 pounds in the last year or so and has managed to keep it off (!). The story of her weight loss is here, and her weblog is here.

Another website to check out is Simplefitness. This was created by a CrossFitter who wanted to simplify the CrossFit workouts for his friends and family. It truly is simple and he's done a great job of articulating not only what will work for fitness, but also some great (simple!) guidelines for nutrition.

Hello to Matt, Evelyne, Eileen, Katie, Erica, Jen, Laurie, Miss Petite America, Pamela, Colette, and anyone who I forgot to mention, cuz my head, although less pillow-ey today, is still not 100%. It is so fun to be a part of this virtual community of great people!

ThinkTQ.com

I found this website as I find all things interesting -- by poking around and following links on the internet. And while I'm not ready to wholeheartedly endorse the website, I thought I'd pass on something I've been reading every morning and every evening that I found through Think TQ:

Here are the 10 choices you must make each day, each hour, even each minute, to GUARANTEE that you are on the road to GREATNESS... rather than heading down the road to MEDIOCRITY:

1. Choose to be ENERGETIC—instead of permitting yourself to become run-down and burned-out.

2. Choose to be PASSIONATE—instead of permitting yourself to become aimless, apathetic and indifferent.

3. Choose to be ENTHUSIASTIC—instead of permitting yourself to become half-hearted and discouraged.

4. Choose to be SELF-DIRECTED—instead of permitting yourself to become directionless and uncertain.

5. Choose to be PREPARED—instead of permitting yourself to become shortsighted and reactive.

6. Choose to be FOCUSED—instead of permitting yourself to become scattered and impulsive.

7. Choose to be SUPPORTIVE—instead of permitting yourself to become critical and judgmental.

8. Choose to be SYSTEMATIC—instead of permitting yourself to become haphazard and disorganized.

9. Choose to be TIMELY—instead of permitting yourself to become distracted and preoccupied.

10. Choose to be PROACTIVE—instead of permitting yourself to become procrastinating and hesitant.

With the right tools, you can learn to make these clear choices consistently and automatically. No question, it comes down to identifying exactly what's holding you back from being Energetic, Passionate, Focused, etc.—and ELIMINATING the root-cause—by choosing to take smarter ACTIONS.

Ok, me here again. I think what I like the most out of what they write is the word "choose." It truly is my choice as to how I engage life, and how we all engage our lives. And that's a very very good thing, isn't it?

Back to the land of the living

My 10 hours of sleep did me good, and I'm back to the land of the living. Hooray! It feels so great to have energy and enthusiasm again!

Over the weekend my health and my healthy eating went down the drain, though. So I headed back to the gym today feeling fluffy and self-conscious, even though I know logically that two days of indulgent eating haven't made that much of a difference. I'm staying away from the scale till next week, though!

As usual, today's workout was a mishmash of all sorts of things I think are fun.

Handstands: about 5 minutes of handstand practice, including some attempts at handstand pushups.
T-pushups: where you do a full pushup, then shift your bodyweight to one arm and rotate so you're supporting yourself on one arm and both legs, with the other arm facing the ceiling (3 sets of 10)
Endless rope: 3 - 1 minute sprints -- HARD!!!
Front squats: 3 sets of 10 with a 24 pound body bar
Overhead squats: 3 sets of 10 with a 24 pound body bar
Lunge walks: 1 song's worth by the pool
Plank play: spent about 3 minutes in plank, playing with lifting a foot, bringing a knee in, etc. At end, abs were shakey, and that's all that matters, right?
Weight swings: 25 pound weight, 100 swings

I can tell that my energy isn't at 100% but just the fact that I wanted to workout is huge progress!

My head is a big pillow...

...but otherwise everything's ok. I'm battling a nasty head cold, using the time-tested formula of lots of vitamins, lots of Diet Mountain Dew, and lots of kleenex. I'd write more, but at the moment all I can think about is going to sleep. Yeah, I know it's only 8:10. Nighty night!

And the half marathon is...

...sold out. :(

Guess I'll have to find a different challenge. :)

Rock bags and Nike Marathon

The rock bags were a big hit yesterday. I put all nine of them at the base of the stairs. Initially I thought I'd have her bring all nine to the top of the stairs, but after just one trip up the stairs, it was evident I'd have to break it into sets. So I had her bring 3 bags up, then had her pull 3 bags (one at a time, sitting on BOSU), and then had her do a set of 10 counter pushups (using the counter in my laundry room, which is right next to the training room.) We did that sequence 3 times. She enjoyed it, and we'll be doing that whole sequence again!

So the Nike Women's Marathon and Half-Marathon is accepting registrations tomorrow (March 2) starting at 10:16 am. It's in San Francisco on October 21st (October is the best time to visit SF!). The course is supposed to be great. And you get a Tiffany-designed necklace and a special Nike technical t-shirt as your swag! Does anyone want to run with me? Irene is signed up (people who have run it before can sign up today -- lucky Irene!). My neighbor is signed up (lucky Jan!). I'm signing up for the half marathon -- I just don't have the desire to train for 26.2 miles. Well that and I just got back from running 7 miles and it was HARD!!! So yeah, 13.1 sounds about right. :)

Kickstands, handstands, and the Sacramento Kings

Kickstand lunges

Because you only use your back foot for balance, they feel a lot like pistols (single-leg squats) -- at least the top part of a pistol. The next day my entire lower body felt exerted, but it's hard to say which exercise hit which part. I love variations on lunges and squats, because especially for women, they seem to work the entire lower body in perfect proportion, as opposed to doing isolation exercises. Just my opinion though, and everyone has an opinion!

Handstands

So I got brave and tried handstands out in the great wide open (translation: not against a wall). Didn't go so well. I couldn't get my body to go into a forward roll, so I landed nearly flat on my back five times in a row. Yeah, it hurt a little -- thank goodness for the spongy flooring by the rock wall at my gym! Austin gave me a tip last night -- try to look at your toes as you come out of handstand. I'll let you know how that goes.

Also, I've found a few online bloggers who are working on handstands!!! I'm NOT the only one! One of these days I'm going to post links of what I read, and you'd better believe my fellow handstand people will be listed!

Sacramento Kings

Tim and I got to go out on the town last night. We headed to Bistro Midtown (Susan, if you're reading -- you'd LOVE IT! The design concept is strong and extends to every single aspect of the restaurant!) for dinner. Tried the Kobe mini-burgers as an appetizer, had salads and then split an order of salmon for dinner. Kings were on FIRE, and we had really good seats which made the game even better. And Mike Bibby was unstoppable on his three-point shots!

Bad news -- weighed myself this morning, and I'm over my own personal threshhold weight (possibly due to last night's eats), so it's time to tighten up the diet.

Getting Intentional

I think it's actually time to get intentional about life in general. Having a plan would be a good thing, rather than "Ummmm, I want to exercise, so what do I want to do?" every single time I workout. Having a food plan would be a good thing too. That's what I'm going to be working on in the next few days, and I'll be sure to keep you posted!

Kickstand lunges

I forgot there was one more exercise in my evening 20 minute circuit: kickstand lunges. Check them out here. I did them with a 20 pound kettlebell. Ouch!

Workout in two parts

This morning I spent about 20 minutes at the gym. Here's what was on the fitness menu:

Handstand practice
Forward roll practice -- I can now kind of do a dive roll, which simulates what it will be like to go from handstand into forward roll, and I can come up on my feet every time -- progress!
Endless rope -- 6 - 1 minute "sprints" where I tried to get the rope around 7 times in under a minute (there's a black piece of tape on it so you can tell when you've pulled the whole rope through)
Box jumps -- 5 sets of 20 jumps
Negative pullups -- 7 of them REALLY slow

Tonight I worked out with Tim for 20 minutes. He did a Crossfit workout -- 5 pullups, 10 pushups, 15 squats. I did my own kind of workout with these elements:

Kettlebell swings -- 2 hands, 20 pounds
Kettlebell swings -- 1 hand, 20 pounds
Sumo deadlifts -- 20 pounds
The move which has no name -- Holding the 20 pound kettlebell, squat on a BOSU, then lean back into a situp, then come forward into a really low squat, then stand up.

Oh, and I have something new to try with my 11-year-old client tomorrow. Over the weekend I made rock bags. Each bag is a gallon Ziploc filled with pea gravel and weighs 10 pounds. After sealing them, I covered them completely with duct tape, and altogether I have 90 pounds (9 bags) of weights. I envision using them for park workouts in the future, but tomorrow they'll be used for lat rope pulls. I tried these tonight with Tucker and he loved them.

So Tucker sat on the BOSU (unstable, makes abs work harder) and held the ends of a rope that was tied to a backpack that had 2 bags (20 pounds) in it. The backpack was about 20 feet down a hallway. He pulled hand over hand, until the backpack was right by his feet. Then he got up, took the backpack to the end of the hall, and did it again. Being Mr. Intensity, Tucker also tried pulling his own body weight by putting 7 bags on an upside down step. He dragged it about halfway and decided he was done. I'll let you know how it goes over tomorrow.

Appreciation

Thank you to everyone who wrote words of encouragement and understanding. What usually takes several days to dig out of feels like it's nearly gone. The writing helped because it exposed my secret. Then I practiced what I think of as extreme self care. I took all of my vitamins and ate healthy (instead of eating crap). I took a nap (!) (instead of loading up on caffeine). I listened to good music as I cooked dinner (instead of listening to my own whirling thoughts). Basically I did the opposite of everything that I would normally do. (Felt a little like George Castanza on Seinfeld when he decides his life will work better if he just does the opposite of his instincts!) Well, George may have been onto something, cuz it worked!

Again, it is with a grateful heart that I say "thank you" and "good night!"

Depression

So I'm trying something new, and that new thing is writing when I feel like I'm slidin' down the toilet bowl. Doesn't matter what causes it -- too little sleep? too much sugar? -- what matters is what I do when I'm there. I notice that my thoughts are extremely negative and very victim-ey, a la "my life is so hard" "nobody listens to me" etc. And my behavior changes to reinforce those thoughts e.g. taking out garbage in the pouring rain, thinking, "there are 3 guys in this house and yet here I am with the garbage." Did I ask for help? NO! Did I get to feel that my victim thinking was right? Oh yeah!

So normally when I feel like this I tell nobody, isolate, and grit my teeth as I make it through. This time, I'm staying aware of my thoughts, writing about it, and seeing if this makes a difference. It's 8:40 now, and I'm going to do a 30 minute kettlebell workout, prepare for my 9:30 client, and keep knowing this truth: Change your thoughts, and you can change the world!

Another weekend on the bleachers

Weekend went by quickly.

Saturday: Up at 4:45. Drove to Oakland for gymnastics meet (Austin) from 7:30 till 1:30. Drove home. Quick workout. Work around the house. Dinner. Bed.

Sunday: Up at 4:45. Drove to Oakland for gymnastics meet (Tucker) from 7:30 till 1:00. Drove home. Must have left willpower in Oakland, as am snacking on literally anything I want to eat. (Wheat toast with butter and LOTS of honey -- YUM!) That's ok -- metabolism will know it's not being starved (not that there's ever any danger of that!).

Tired. Laundry to fold. Nothin more to say. Tomorrow is a new day, and I am NOT getting up in the 4's!

Obsession

I am completely, hopelessly, and overwhelmingly obsessed with kettlebells and gymnastics (not the two together, but as two separate subjects). Let's talk kettlebells first.

Why I am obsessed with kettlebells

• They are cute
• They are not mainstream (I LOVE that!)
• You can do so much with them
• I know so little

So these days I spend lots of time on sites like artofstrength.com (EXCELLENT video newsletters), certain-kettlebell-fitness.com, and tacticalathlete.com. I read articles, watch video exercise demos, and take notes, all in the hopes of incorporating some of these great movements into client workouts.

Now, why I am obsessed with gymnastics

• My kids (as you well know) are gymnasts
• I believe there are ways to incorporate basic gymnastics movements into any quality training program
• But how???

That "but how?" is the kind of thing that will keep me up in the middle of the night.

Maybe this is all a sign that training is exactly what I should be doing, because even as I type this, and a part of me thinks I sound like an absolute nut job, the truth is that I really don't care. I am completely, hopelessly, absolutely fascinated with all things fitness. And that is A-ok with me!

Ha!

(If you write to tell me I'm crazy, say it nice, ok?)

(better post before I delete entire thing...)

Another Brain Dump

Many thoughts, but not much time. Here, in no particular order, is what's going on in my world:

Somersaults with Stacy

My friend Stacy works at a gymnastics and trampoline gym, and she helped me to do a somersault last week. I was nervous and fairly certain I didn't have the spinal flexibility to do it. But with her encouragement, it happened. So now that I can do a somersault, a no-wall handstand is closer than ever!

Gymnastics, Part 2

So it was back to San Francisco on Sunday for the Gandy's. Tucker did great, taking 5th all around, and medaling in 5 of 6 events. The bigger deal is that he's IN for the state championships. And in a turn of events that has us feeling a little whiplash-ey, both kids are considering staying with gymnastics. I'm just going to pray for wisdom for my kids and know that there are benefits either way.

The Tornado that is my Brain

I spend a LOT of time learning more about my oh-so-new profession. Sitting on the bleachers in San Francisco, I was reading about combining kettlebell training, anaerobic drills, and standard lower body exercises to help women lose fat. Last night I was watching kettlebell training videos. This morning I was reading from recent CrossFit journals about techniques for teaching deadlifts and Turkish get-ups.

Part of what's hard is there's SO MUCH I need to know, and knowing what to spend time, attention, and money on is tricky. Right now I'm researching getting a BodyBugg, and how that would work for my clients. I'm also looking at Apex certification (nutrition and fitness). I'm reading a book on motivation (fantastic book, by the way -- it's called "This Year I Will..." by M.J. Ryan, and it covers the science and the psychology of how we can work to make the changes we want to make). With Tim's help, I'm setting up a system to track expenses and income (thank you, Tim -- you excel at what stresses me out, and I'm so grateful!). And over the years I've torn pages out of magazines with exercises for virtually everything, and I'm trying to get those organized in a way that allows me to use them to help keep client workouts fresh and interesting.

(Hope that didn't sound like a complaint -- it's just that seeing it on paper helps me to understand why my brain feels so full sometimes!)

Yesterday's Workout

This was from CrossFit, and I think it should be titled "Pain Storm!" So here's the workout:

20 pullups
30 pushups
40 crunches
50 squats

And you did this progression 5 times, with 3 minutes of rest between each round. Oh. My. Tim and I did this late in the day and it was amazingly hard. I still can't do full pullups, so I did negatives for most of my reps. (Tim did all 100 -- !!!) Pushups got better, though, and I did all 150 of them on the bench (until now, when I've done high numbers, I've had to do them on my knees).

What I Want to Master

I'm really fascinated with kettlebells right now. I want to get to where I can do 10 continuous minutes of kettlebell swings. And I'm bothered by burpees, cuz I feel like they own me. I can do 10 with ok form, and probably 15 if I have to. But I want to be able to do 25 burpees with no rest. Hmmmm -- I may have just come up with a personal challenge. :)

Tucker's Turbulent Workout

So we did Tucker's workout today, rather than yesterday. And it got modified a little. Here's what we ended up with:

3 rounds for time
15 burpees
15 box jumps
15 kip/jump pull-ups
5 ring dips
10 supermans
15 ball slams
60 jump rope

This workout about killed me! On the 3^rd round I did 20 burpees, 20 box jumps, and 20 ball slams, rest as rXd. Didn’t track time, but it felt like 2 hours! Afterwards I played around with a 15 pound kettlebell. I'm working on hand-to-hand transfer swings and just plain stamina. Naively I thought I could do 5 minutes of basic swings. Doesn't sound like much, right? Well, after 2 minutes of continuous swinging, I was done, done, done! Maybe next time I'll find a 3 minute song and go to the end no matter what.

Gymnastics, Part 1

Last night we traveled to San Francisco for Austin's gymnastics meet today. It was his first time competing since his injury in November. He did GREAT! He completed all events, took 6th all around, and was smiling when he came off the floor. We came home this afternoon, and will go back to SF in the morning for Tucker's meet. (Big family bday party tonight, or else we would have stayed for sure!)

I had an interesting conversation with a coach from another gym. He said that when you reach level 6 or 7 in gymnastics (Tucker's level 6, Austin's level 7), it goes from being an activity to being a lifestyle. That's so true! And if my kids don't have the enthusiasm and passion for the sport, they're not going to want to continue the lifestyle and all it entails (lots of stress, very little free time, no family dinners, not enough sleep, etc. etc. etc.). There are a million positive things about gymnastics too, but the point is (and maybe it's just that I need to hear this, after 6 years of one or both kids competing) that there is a BIG upside to leaving a sport that changes your life in so many ways.

The S Factor

Remember my husband's Valentine's present? Well, I had help learning how to dance, and it was from The S Factor. Whether you get the book or the DVDs, or are lucky enough to attend a class, what comes across more than anything is that it's not only good, it's GREAT to be a woman. Curves? Marvelous! Soft spots? Oh yeah! So while us girls can be focusing on our flaws, in our quest for the perfection that does not exist, but that we see in every airbrushed magazine cover, Shelia Kelley of The S Factor is spreading the message that we need to celebrate every curve!

The Cosgroves

I think Alwyn Cosgrove is one of the most interesting trainers in the industry today. I have learned so much from his books and articles.

Well, his wife Rachel is a trainer too, and as well as training others, she's getting ready for a triathlon. Click here to read about how many calories she burns in training (I wanna burn that much, but I don't think I want to work that hard!), how she knows what she burns (I wanna Body Bugg!), and what she eats (ok, ok, enough whining, but I really do want to be able to eat that much!). Oh, and she's right -- John Berardi's information is very very good.

Just got back from a hard 4 mile run with my sweetie, and Tucker, great son that he is, put together a workout just for me! That son of mine has paid attention. Here's what he's come up with:

50 burpees
50 box jumps
50 kipping/jumping pull-ups
15 ring dips
25 supermans
25 ball slams

I honestly don't know if I have the energy to do this, but I think I'm going to have to try...wish me luck!

The Secret and Breakthrough

I'm almost finished watching the Oprah show about The Secret, and I just had an "a-ha" moment. Years ago I did the Breakthrough Training (www.accd.org for more information) and it literally changed my life. My kids were 2 and 4 at the time, and I was desperately unhappy. To make this short and sweet, Breakthrough was just about the hardest and best thing I've ever done, and it changed my life. It healed my marriage. It enabled me to continue to stay home with my children. And it helped me to see who God created me to be. What just occurred to me is that much of what Breakthrough teaches is what The Secret is about. Living with intention. Being grateful and seeing what you have. Knowing what's important. Understanding what you're sowing in your relationships and what that will reap.

I'm not saying that Breakthrough fixed everything (darn it!). But it opened my eyes to how I contribute to my own difficulties, and gave me new ways to live. If you ever want more info, just let me know.

Ok, still in PJs (they're pink giraffe print ones, and I love them!), drinking Diet Mountain Dew (yum!), gotta finish watching Oprah...

Brain Dump

In no particular order, here's what's on my mind today:

1. I found a website that makes me laugh every time I go there. It's called House Gymnastics, and it's a bunch of pseudo-gymnastics moves you can do in your house. I can't let me kids see it, unless I want them to start doing dangerous stuff and leaves footprints on the wall throughout the entire house. If you decide to check it out, click on the menu on the left that shows basic moves, or click on the You Tube HG link to watch some of what they do. I could not stop laughing when I watched the video of a twenty-something guy who goes from the first floor entrance of his house to his upstairs bedroom, never touching the floor. Highly ridiculous, and so much fun!

2. Eileen alerted me that Oprah is doing another show on The Secret today! I'm just now watching the first one, and it makes so much sense to me. I've got Tivo set to tape later today!

3. Austin is competing in San Francisco this weekend! He's 99% sure he's not going to continue with gymnastics, so this is one of my last opportunities to cheer my boy on. I'm praying that he'll come away feeling great about what he's accomplished.

4. I tell Tim that I am spoiled, but not rotten. He is so amazingly good to me, and I NEVER want to take that for granted or expect it. And by now I hope that anyone reading what I'm writing knows that I am exceedingly grateful for my life and all that it holds. And again, I am not rotten.

So let me tell you what I got to do yesterday. Tim got me a fabulous birthday present, way back in January. It was a session with an image consultant! I read about her in Sacramento Magazine, and kept thinking, "this would be the coolest thing ever!" Well, Tim arranged for me to work with her. And it WAS the coolest thing ever! We spent 4 hours in my closet. (Think Clinton and Stacey from What Not To Wear.) I tried on everything I own and she helped me to see and understand the WHYs of what works and what doesn't. We're meeting again in two weeks to cover accessories, putting outfits together, and to shop for a few things that would make my wardrobe work even better.

Stephanie is wonderful! She's a former model, and former personal shopper, she's encouraging as all get-out, and she knows her stuff. (I just re-read what I wrote, and it's like I don't have the right words to fully express how great the experience was.) You know what it really felt like? I felt like I got GIRL LESSONS, which is something I've always wanted!

5. Something else wonderful -- I gave my notice at Bingo last night. I've worked Bingo for more than a year, and the experience has been eye-opening and a great lesson for my kids about support and hard work. But now that I'm training, and with my kids pretty sure they're not continuing in gymnastics, it doesn't make sense to keep working. So I'll work through the end of March and then I'm done. So no more second-hand smoke every Thursday night, so more cruising in at 11:00, no more walking around for hours trying to get people to buy stuff. I WILL miss some of the people -- actually a lot of the people, but overall I'm just really happy to be FREE!

That's it from me. Kids are out of school today. I'm still in my PJs. And life is good.

The Best Valentine's Gift

In my humble opinion, and after nearly 20 years of marriage, the very best gift a woman can give her man for Valentine's Day is some enthusiastic, passionate loving that lets him know beyond a shadow of a doubt that she is thrilled to be his valentine.

Tonight my husband's gift (which cannot be named, but rhymes with "tap pants") will be accompanied by the wonderful song "Strength of a Woman" by Shaggy. You should check the song out to just feel good about being alive!

Happy V-Day everyone!

6 Essential Keys to Fat Loss Success

I loved this article! Hope you like it too!

Short and sweet

Today I only had 30 minutes to get a workout in. After yesterday's run I wasn't feeling like I needed cardio work, so it was lower body time, with a little upper body thrown in. Here's what I did:

20 box jumps (14" box)
20 dumbbell swings (using a 20 pound dumbbell)
20 squats (using same dumbbell)
15 box jumps
15 dumbbell swings
15 squats
10 box jumps
10 dumbbell swings
10 squats
5 box jumps
5 dumbbell swings
5 squats

So it wasn't cardio, but it felt like cardio when I was done!

Then 5 minutes handstand practice.
Then 100 pound leg press, single leg, several sets.
Then reverse pushups on Smith machine, with bar at hip level.

Then done! Came home and showered, ate lunch, and worked with a client at 12:30. Note to self: allow more than 1 hour to pass after personal workout before training, or else you'll feel drenched by the end of the warmup!

Vegas/Running

Spent the better part of the weekend in Las Vegas for, what else, gymnastics? We did get to see Ka (it was good, but we liked Mystere a LOT better), had buffet at the Wynn (what does a REAL PERSONAL TRAINER eat at a great buffet? Anything she wants to!), went to the wax museum, and of course (because I have sons) the Underground Arcade. Gym meet didn't go so great for Tucker. I think of it like working out -- some days it goes really well and you're just on top of your game. Other days -- not so much!

One thing we learned from Vegas is that Leslie should not make the travel arrangements. We got to the airport on Saturday night at 6:45, in plenty of time for our 8:10 flight. But -- surprise! -- it turns out our flight was scheduled for THE NEXT DAY! Oops. If anyone was in the Vegas airport and saw a family of crazed people running to catch a plane -- yep, that was us. To their credit, the fam was way nice about it, and we've agreed that Dad will make travel arrangements from now on!

Today we had a break from the rain, and I had the time to go running. You know, the Crossfit/mixed training stuff works, cuz I was able to do 5-1/2 or 6 miles (I didn't check exact distance) with ease. Well, I guess tomorrow will be the true test of how it went. But honestly, it was hard but do-able. The halfway point was a very cool park where I played on the swings. I'm thinking of putting together an outdoor group workout, and I wanted to find out what muscles you use to swing. Answer, in case you want to know, is mostly back and abs if you take the legs out of the equation. I tried to start from a dead hang with no legs, and couldn't do it. But with just the littlest of leg assistance, I got swinging as high as I wanted to go. And it was fun! Finished park time with pushups (2 sets of 10) and dips (2 sets of 10), then ran home.

Wheelchair Skating

I watched this first thing this morning and it moved me in ways I can't put into words. Watch the whole thing -- you'll be blessed by what you see.

P.S.

The reason for more upper body definition is three-fold, I think. And the reasons are:

1. Daily handstands, with attempts at handstand pushups.
2. Daily ring work (did I tell you we got rings???). They're in the garage right next to my car, and I either swing on them (hard, but fun) or do "skin the cats" (remember those?) or do reverse pushups, or (drum roll, please) just jump to support and hold there. The first time I did it, my body shook like I was having a seizure. Now I can stay there for a good, oh say 5 or 6 seconds before I have to jump down. I already respected my gymnast sons, but when you actually try something they do -- oh boy!
3. Cardio Coach -- Sean O'Malley rocks!

Crazy Busy and Loving It!

I'm still here. Really I am! But in the last six months I've gone from too much time on my hands to not enough hours in the day. Believe me when I say that not enough hours is WAY BETTER (especially for those who deal with depression) than too much time!

Gymnastics and how we got here
Ok, so Tucker was THRILLED with your comments about his video. Actually he was mad that I posted the video because it included his floor routine at the end, and he usually does so much better at floor. But he was completely blessed by what you had to say -- THANK YOU! Oh, Greg asked how my kids got into gymnastics. It was really by accident. When the kids were small, we purposely kept their activities minimal, figuring that playing in the backyard is just as important as developmental classes. We didn't even really have the kids in preschool, which in our area is a mighty risky choice. Anyway, we did put them in a little preschool gymnastics class when each of them turned 3 and they both really liked it. Both tried soccer and baseball, but neither sport really thrilled them. When he was 7, Austin was invited to be on the competitive team, which really took us by surprise. And Tucker started competing a little before he turned 7. And it's kind of evolved from there, to now Tucker practicing 15 hours a week, and Austin at 19 hours. I really do think both will stop at the end of this season, and while it makes me sad because they're both so good (I'll post video of Austin in a few weeks -- he's recovered enough to compete in San Francisco and Oakland), I really do look forward to the ease -- emotional, physical (no driving every night!), and financial -- that will come along with their decisions.

Fun, Fun, Fun
Ok, so Katie came and worked out last night. I was worried about it all day, which was why I couldn't write. Thoughts like, "What if I'm just a complete load of crap, and now I'm about to be found out?!" and "Why oh why don't they make "Younger/Thinner" spray or cream or something?" consumed me for much of the day. Turns out, though, that Katie's just as delightful in person as you'd expect from reading her weblog. Very down to earth. Very articulate. And so easy to spend time with. We talked and laughed and sweated and really had a great time. Then after she left, I had a million questions I wanted to ask, but never got around to asking, darn it! Maybe next time...

Busiest day yet
So yesterday I had clients at 8:30, 12:30, 5:15, and 7:15!!! All different. All fun! But where to fit workout in? I know the morning break would have worked well, but house needed straightening and laundry needed doing. So at 6:30, Tim and I did a Crossfit-ish workout from the Pentranek Fitness website. Here it is:

400 m run (about 1/4 mile)
50 box jumps
400 m run
50 burpees
400 m run
50 jumping pullups

I did it but it was NOT pretty! But I can tell I'm getting stronger, cuz the burpees, while still really really hard, don't wipe me out like they used to. Progress is what we're after, right?

Measuring progress
There has been lots of talk about measuring progress on the weblogs I read (which, someday, I'll post a list of -- if it weren't for Bloglines, I would never leave the computer!). And there are so many ways to use -- scale weight, measurements, body fat - caliper, body fat - Omoron, and the list goes on. Here's how I measure progress:

weight -- occasionally, although if it's down, I want to celebrate with treats, and if it's up, I want to eat cuz I'm bummed. So maybe not the best choice for me.

clothes -- how do they fit? This is a really good one for me. Although now I'm wearing fitness clothes most of the time, and elasticized clothing doesn't give a true picture of girth, you know? Note to self -- put on some real clothes every once in a while!

measurements -- about once a month or so I check waist and hips, and sometimes thighs, although I don't know if you're supposed to measure biggest part or somewhere else. (Anyone?) I have my own idea of what my waist and hips should not go over, so this is a good occasional reality check.

how I look -- if I can see a leg dent, and some definition in my upper body, and if there's a bit of a waist present, it's probably ok.

Actually these days I've been more active than ever before, what with training clients, doing my own workouts, and Cardio Coach. And I'm noticing more definition in my upper body -- somewhat like when I did Women's Tri-Fitness. So I guess I'm moving in the right direction, even though (true confession here -- don't read if you don't want to know...) last night's dinner was as follows:

2 slices of Alvarado Street bread with sunflower seed butter and honey
1 perfect Hostess cupcake
fresh mango slices and blackberries

Ok, anything else inside my brain? Ummmm, nope!
Leslie out.

Tucker at Stanford Open

I am crazy proud of my boy, and now you can see just one of the reasons why!

Comment-worthy!

Comments, suggestions, and general atta-girls are so appreciated!

Tanya (who sent me an email): I already told you, but must say again, your thoughts from a therapist's point of view about how to help move clients towards what they want -- worth more than you can possibly know.

Matt: Feels like I have a cheering section with a charming British (English?) accent -- thank you!

Shelly: Excellent ideas! I'll be using much of what you came up with.

Katie: Cardio Coach is at www.cardiocoach.com. I'm still loving it!

Laurie: Good thoughts -- input appreciated.

Colette: Good thoughts -- input appreciated, and I always love seeing you. Hope Ashley's completely well!

Greg: I go to California Family Fitness in Rocklin. They do a great job there, but they prohibit camera phones. But here's a link, so check it out!

Back to SST

Tonight while the kids were at gymnastics, Tim and I hit SST for the 5:00 workout. I haven't been there since November when I couldn't get my bicep tendon issue (I HATE having issues!) to calm down. On our way, I told Tim I was scared, cuz I didn't want to do badly. He said, and I quote, "You are tenacious like an eff-ing pit bull. You'll be fine!" Those are words to melt a girl's heart, and they really helped to calm my nerves.

The workout was tough. We did Tabata squats. Tabata is an exercise protocol where you work for 20 seconds, then rest for 10 seconds. So for 4 minutes (8 rounds) we did bodyweight squats -- low ones -- for 20 seconds, rested for 10 seconds, and so on. Tim challenged me to a race to see who could do the most. I told him it was a bad idea, because I would smoke him. But he insisted. Well my friends, consistent lower body work seems to pay off, because I won the challenge.

It was a different story when we did 100 D-ball slams. Tim used a 20 pound ball and finished in 3:18. I used a 12 pound ball and came in at 3:41 -- still respectable, but not even close to Rambo's (aka Tim's) time!

Quick random thoughts

• Cirque du Soleil is performing at the Super Bowl! They're in the pregame show. Here's a link so you can read about what they're doing. We LOVE LOVE LOVE Cirque, and will be seeing Ka in Las Vegas next weekend, when we're there for a gymnastics competition.
• Note to self: when you do Cardio Coach, bring a towel! I promise I'm not selling Cardio Coach or getting kickbacks or anything, but I seriously dig the workouts. Today I did volume 1 and there's no way I would have pushed that hard on my own.
• My 10-year-old client did great. I'll see her grandmother tonight at Bingo and then I'll get the real scoop, but she seemed to really like what we did.
  
• My gym has a new machine -- an endless rope. It's very very cool. You "climb" it hand over hand and it's great for your back and biceps. (If you picture one of those endless loops of towels at a gas station bathroom, then substitute rope for towels, you'll know what it is.)
• I got my "Hard work pays off!" quote from Wall Words, and put it up in the training room last night.
• I made one of my clients crack the wall in the training room. Oops. Tim says if I pick up the plywood, he'll install it so I can safely have people hurl medicine balls at the wall.
• Feeling like an official business woman now -- I got a business license and a bank account! Well, my wonderful husband got the bank account -- thanks Tim! -- and I'm a real small business owner. Isn't that cool???
  

Helping them to want it!

Just got back from doing Cardio Coach #1 at the gym. It was hard, especially since I'm not 100% yet, but I'm definitely on the road to recovery. (Incidentally, I still love Cardio Coach!) I'm listening to "Sunsets" by Rachel Portman (from The Lake House soundtrack -- really beautiful), eating a South Beach Diet lunch (I know you're supposed to be mindful when you eat, but it's just not happening today), and knowing that I start picking up kids in about 30 minutes.

What's on my mind is motivating clients to get what they want. I take this training business VERY seriously and want my clients to win in what they're working towards so badly I can taste it. So how do I help to translate that desire on their behalf into action on their part? I mean, at BEST I'm with them 3 hours a week. To get all mathematical about it, that means I'm with them 1.78% of their week. So with that small amount of time (even less if it's someone who comes once a week), how I can best spend that time in a way that gives them more than a workout, but helps to create positive change in those "other" 165 or so hours they're not with me? Therein lies the challenge!

I'm reading a book titled "It's More Than Just Making Them Sweat" by Ed Thornton. One of the points he makes has to do with making the experience of working out pleasurable, not because it's easy, but because of what is accomplished. He quotes a writer who states, "The way to happiness lies not in mindless hedonism, but in mindful challenge." And maybe that's part of the answer. Helping people find their inner athlete, so they can feel the happiness that comes from accomplishment of any kind, and in this case, physical accomplishment. The "look what I just did!" excitement that kids have when they master a skill or beat their own record.

Speaking of kids, I'm taking on a new client next week. And I so badly want this girl to experience success and health and energy and all that can come with having your body work for you. That's probably why I'm so focused on this today. In fact, I was up in the middle of the night thinking about her -- what I can do to make exercise fun and challenging and encourage her to find her inner athlete.

Speaking of the inner athlete, that's part of what I want every single one of my clients to find. As last picked for everything as a child, I know what it's like to avoid activity. That's probably why it's so delightful to feel strong and athletic as a grown up. Today I was doing handstands at the gym, and I was thinking, "You know, I think these probably reduce your age by 50%, but I'm probably about 23 years old when I do these!" Nothing like some positive thoughts to reinforce behavior, right?

But honestly, although most women who seek a trainer are looking for outward changes -- less fluff, more muscle, looser clothes -- and all of those things are fantastic, I really believe that through exercise you are just getting the tip of the iceberg if that's all you want. How about the confidence that goes with feeling strong? How about the loveliness of a body that moves as you want it to? How about the feminine power of enjoying your sexuality with the man you love? Now THAT'S something to get excited about! (But I may have to tone it down for my brochure!)

Yesterday's Workout

I was in the training room trying out some exercises I was going to do with a client today. Tim heard me slamming a ball against the wall, came up and accused me of yelling at him that he's a lazy man and needed to workout. He's perceptive, that husband of mine! :) So together we did the Crossfit workout of the day, which was 100 pullups, 100 pushups, 100 squats, and 100 situps. Tim did every single thing as prescribed, and I'm crazy proud of him! I made the squats more intense by squatting to an 8" box. Did the situps as rx'd. Pushups were from knees, cuz of bicep tendon still getting better. And did 50 jumping pullups, then did 50 ball slams with a 16 pound ball. Hard, but fun workout!

Starting my day over at 3:30 pm!

I've been fighting a nasty cold for the past few days. My eating stayed clean until yesterday at Stanford. We arrived for a gymnastics meet that was delayed by more than two hours. Now keep in mind that what I wanted was to spend the day in bed, and NOT sitting on bleachers in a gymnasium. So we sat on those bleachers from 3:30 till after 10:00 last night, arriving home at 1:15 or so this morning. And that bleacher time was filled with whatever-the-heck-makes-me-feel-better food. Veggies do not make me feel better. M&M's, however, seem to help. And today has been filled with diet sodas and Doritos, in a flashback to my comfort foods of a long time ago.

So I've decided as of NOW to start my day over. I have a giant jug of water in front of me, and once I'm done writing I'll be getting some yummy vegetables to munch on (if this sounds sarcastic, GOOD! It's meant that way!).

Comments on comments

In an abrupt change of subject, and with no reference to the people who asked (because my head feels like a pillow right now, and that makes even typing an effort!), here are some answers to some questions:

I've finally looked over the RAVE diet, and have a few thoughts. It's pretty militant (nothing processed, nothing animal, etc.), but certainly makes some sense. Anything that moves anyone towards eating more fresh stuff and less processed stuff is good, in my opinion. I haven't watched the CD, because I read some reviews, and it sounds kind of graphic in its attempts to convert people to being vegetarian. But I agree that eating less meat and more veggies is a great way to go.

(new paragraph to make this more readable) A book that has some of the same ideas, but seems more gentle is Mariel Hemingway's Healthy Living from the Inside Out. In it she talks about foods that are noisy and foods that are quiet. For example, I'm pretty sure that Diet Mountain Dew and Doritos are noisy foods, because they disrupt the body's natural balance. And I also really liked this post by Shelly, as well as the article it references.

I think it was Meghan who asked if I do the Crossfit workouts. I sure try to, but I usually have to modify the weights they post. My left shoulder has dislocated several times, and keeping it in the socket is quite important to me. So any kind of overhead lift has to be way lighter for me. But I like the intensity of the workouts, and tend to pattern my own workouts in a similar way. For example, on Friday night I did a workout where I alternated 20 wall ball shots with squats (using a 10 pound medicine ball) with 20 jumping pullups. I did 5 rounds of each and it was HARD! But I liked the balance in the workout, with the squats hitting the entire lower body (especially because I was squatting to an 8" step, which meant the squats were quite low), the wall ball shots using chest, shoulders, and triceps, and the jumping pullups hitting the back and biceps.

On a final note, Tucker did GREAT at Stanford and it looks like he's going to qualify for the state championships. He needs two all around scores of 50.0 or higher, and he got a 51.05 this meet. In two weeks, he's competing in Las Vegas, then San Francisco, then Oakland, and so it goes.

And if you read about Austin's injury back in November, well, he's now back to gymnastics practice, but he's pretty convinced he'll quit at the end of this season. His heart just isn't in it now that he knows what life can be like without 20 hours of gymnastics a week. While there's a big part of me that wants him to find that fire inside again, because he has worked SO hard and loved it for SO LONG, if it's not for him, then it's not for him. I'd sure love to see him compete one last time, though.

And with Tucker saying this is his last season, who knows? We might be able to have dinners on a regular basis as a family again! THAT would be lovely indeed!

Time for veggies...

HANGOVER!

As a recovering alcoholic, I don't drink. I haven't in more than 20 years. But I remember what hangovers feel like, and I have one today FROM SUGAR!

Dinner at The Kitchen was great. They really stress that you can have the food any way you want (and at $125 per person, not including beverages or tip, it should be exactly as you want it!), and I knew two people in our party were having vegetarian options. So as they were describing the dinner which included lobster bisque (I don't eat lobster because lobsters don't poop and I don't like lobster), something in a veal stock (I don't eat veal because I can't support the industry), a fois gras (I don't eat liver -- boy, I'm sounding like a special case, aren't I???) -- well, I kept thinking about asking for vegetarian options. I did, and what they made was fabulous! I couldn't even tell you what it all was, but it was light and fresh and clean tasting and I loved it! Tim tried my food and said it was even better than what he was served on the normal menu.

Then we got to dessert which was something chocolate and bittersweet and warm and gooey, served with vanilla bean sorbet and some other fabulous stuff. I LOVED mine! Then I looked at Tim's plate, and it was practically intact. He was full because he'd had seconds of nearly every course. So I swooped in and appropriated his plate and polished it off. About 5 minutes later I started feeling unwell. Not anything that became symptomatic -- I just felt icky inside. And it lasted all night. And I still feel it today. Any doubts I had about how food affects me are completely gone.

So today I'm back to the eating the seems to work for me -- mostly vegetarian, mostly organic, lots of water, and lots of Diet Mountain Dew. (I know it makes no sense, but hey -- it's working!)

Today's workout

Today is a really busy fun day, so workout had to be quick. Just got back from the gym where I did:

light stretch, then 5 sets of
handstand practice, about 3 minutes
10 overhead squats w/18 pound Body Bar

Finished up with some single leg presses at 100 pounds, then some yummy stretching. Took about 25 minutes, and seemed to hit just about everything.

The overhead squats were inspired by this video. I LOVE LOVE LOVE Nicole's physique -- lean, athletic, feminine. And just using an 18 pound bar, when you're holding it with your traps and rhomboids activated -- well, by the 5th set, I was plenty tired. So it's hard to even get my mind around NINETY FIVE POUNDS!

So here's the rest of my day:

Head downtown to meet a girlfriend for lunch (and I get to dress up like a real working person!)
Back to pick up kids and supervise homework
Kids leave for gymnastics at 4:10
I head out to The Kitchen for dinner with my husband and his team from work. Click here if you want to see what we're having for dinner. As you can tell, today is SO my free day!

Why Some People Quit and Some People Never Give Up!

That's the title of a fantastic article by Tom Venuto of "Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle." Renee posted it on her website here, and anyone who is trying to make changes needs to read it. Here's why: as much as we can try to change our thinking, our beliefs, and our actions, because we are human (darn it!) there will be times when old thinking, beliefs, and behaviors will come back. And how we respond when that happens, well, that's the difference between those who succeed and those who fail, in my opinion.

And if you need another thought on the subject, here's what Calvin Coolidge had to say about it:

Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan “press on” has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.

Cardio Coach

I was chatting with a girlfriend yesterday about fitness (surprise!) and we were talking about cardio and intervals and how hard it is to push yourself. Later on I was looking at some fitness websites (yet another surprise!) and I found a link to Cardio Coach. I played around on the website for about 20 minutes listening to samples of the workouts, and decided to take the plunge and buy a workout.

Did the workout this morning and I LOVE IT!!! I did 40 minutes on the ARC trainer, and I got a better workout than I ever do on my own. The music works with the intervals, Coach Sean's voice is nice and he doesn't talk too much (can't stand fitness programs where the instructor never shuts up!), and I just overall can't say enough good stuff about it. I got Volume 3, in case anyone wants to know.

One of the nicest things about the workout was the Coach's Notes track. Here's a part of what he had to say:

"On my way to the recording studio this morning, I found myself behind one of those new "adventure" SUVs. It was electric blue, and had bulky, oversized tires. Two bright red kayaks were strapped to the top, two bikes were mounted on the back, on on the bumper read a sticker, "Ain't no mountain high enough!" It was a sight!

As I passed the truck I looked over and noticed a couple who appeared to be in their late 60s, wearing stylish sunglasses. They were dancing in their seats to whatever was playing on the stereo. I couldn't help but smile.

Fitness has a strange surface appearance. It seems like all we see these days are before and after pictures of people that made a miraculous transformation. These transformations are great, and making that type of change is not something to take lightly. But I'm here to tell you that doesn't have to be your end goal. You don't have to look like a cover model to feel great.

The fitness that is presented to us in advertisements doesn't even come close to what it's really all about. The truth is, fitness is about that older couple. The ones dancing in their seats, not afraid to take a journey, and living their lives with the energy of their full potential."

Amen.

If you decide to check out the website, they have a special workout called Press Play that's taking place this Saturday, January 27th, where all the proceeds go to the Jim MacClaren Choose Living foundation. I bought the workout, and I'll be doing it at my gym this Saturday.

Workout Music

I LOVE finding the right music to workout to. This weekend I put together my first Lift playlist. It runs a little over an hour, cuz I'd rather have too much music than not enough. The last two songs for stretching. Hope you like it...

Every Breath You Take/Theme from Peter Gunn
The Police & Henry Mancini
Sail on, Sailor (Backing Track)
The Beach Boys
You Haven't Done Nothin'
Stevie Wonder
Everybody Got Their Something
Nikka Costa
Joy
Staxx of Joy
Brick House
Commodores
Gold Lion
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Leave Home
The Chemical Brothers
Give Up The Funk (Tear The Roof Off)
Parliament
Strict Machine
Black Cherry
Rubberneckin' (Paul Oakenfold Remix)
Oakenfold
Fire
Ohio Players
Love Addict
Family Force 5
I Fell In Love (House Mix)
Rockell
Shoop
Salt-N-Pepa
Don't Call Me Baby
Madison Avenue
Intro: Loving
India.Arie
Angela Smiled
W.G. "Snuffy" Walden

A New Way To Eat

So it's been two weeks of my new cleanish eating, and I'm liking the results. I've only dropped a couple of pounds, but my clothes are fitting with ease in the waist, hips, and thighs, and I'm feeling leaner and stronger. I've been eating primarily vegetarian, with some occasional grilled chicken (and tonight, a few bites of tri tip at dinner), and have been more concerned with putting healthy stuff into my body than I have been with calories. I'm eating way more fruits and vegetables than ever. And my nightly bowl of cereal is shrinking (slightly) and is always something organic and low fat, and topped with Rice Dream rather than milk.

Remember the book I asked about a while back -- the RAVE diet? Well I got the book and the DVD, but haven't taken the time to read or watch yet. Evelyne bought it, read it, it's made a huge impact. Hooray for you, Evelyne! Let's compare notes once I stop reading training materials and dig into RAVE.

Busy weekend

I'm taking a break from organizing the pantry (something I've wanted to do for a while) to jot down a few thoughts. It really has been a busy weekend. First I have to say that I survived the filthy fifty. Here's what was prescribed (you can check it out at crossfit.com if you'd like):

50 Box jump, 24 inch box
50 Jumping pull-ups
50 Kettlebell swings, 1 pood (36 pounds)
Walking lunge, 50 steps
50 Knees to elbows (hanging from pullup bar)
50 Push press, 45 pounds
50 Back extensions
50 Wall ball shots, 20 pound ball
50 Burpees
50 Double unders (jump rope)

My modifications were using a 20" box (it was all we had), 20 pounds for Kettlebell swings, 18 pounds for push press, using a 10 pound ball for wall ball, and doing 200 single jumps rather than double unders. Tim and Tucker did it too, with way fewer modifications. Tucker smoked through the workout, but admitted it was hard. Tim finished shortly after Tucker, and then played on our new fitness toy (more in a moment). And I was just happy to survive 50 Burpees.

Matt commented from my last post that Burpees and Squat Thrusts are two different things. I stand corrected. But I still call Supermans (is that right?) superGIRLS, because I can!

New Fitness Toy

We got RINGS!!! Tim put them up in the garage today, and we all played with them. Some of us pressed to handstand on the rings (gymnasts), while others came close to doing muscle-ups and did ring pushups (husband) and some just did self-spotted triceps ring dips and called it good. I don't know how much I'll use these for clients -- they're in the garage which would interrupt the flow of a workout -- but I think as a family we're gonna have some fun!

Training Room Update

This weekend Tool-time Tim put up corner shelves in the training room, so I have great places for all sorts of stuff. And I've solved the mirror dilemma with (drum roll, please) mirrored closet doors! I was asking clients this week what they thought about me having a large mirror in the room, and it seemed that the only place was right smack dab in front of the main workout area. Well, on Friday, thinking outside the box, a client asked, "Well, can't you change out the closet doors?" Bingo! Now mirrors are available, but you don't see yourself every single minute.

Time to get back to pantry organization, and then I think a hot shower is calling my name...

Comments

Hugs to everyone who has written comments -- they're like the icing on the bloggy cake (that doesn't sound right, but you know what I mean!). Thank you for the encouragement and support. A few comments need clarification or answers, so here goes:

Shelly -- Burpees are a total body exercise that's sometimes called squat thrusts that you'll probably remember from elementary school PE. Here's how they go:

Start from standing.
Squat deeply, placing hands on ground.
Jump back to plank position.
Do a pushup.
Jump back to the squat position.
Jump up, lifting arms to the sky.

That's one rep. Tim and I are going to do today's Crossfit workout (the Filthy Fifty). It includes 50 burpees. $@!&

Pamela asked what we figured out for Jenny with her ankle issues. Nearly every squat and lunge is out, and that made it tough, since squats and lunges are the foundation of great lower body work. The one squat that didn't require too much flexion or extension of her ankle was to go from sitting on a weight bench to standing up. And even with no weight, if you do enough of these, with a really pronounced squeeze at the top, you'll feel it. The other thing she can do is very "old school" exercises with a resistance band around her legs. Does anyone remember side leg lifts or fire hydrants or any of the Jane Fonda-ish lower body work? Well, these exercises may not be as effective as squats and lunges, but if you add resistance, they'll kick your butt!

The preparation nobody sees

I allow time before training for attending to the details that are only missed if they're not done. Here's what I do before each training session:

plan the new workout (the night before)
make sure upstairs and downstairs heaters are off
quick clean bathroom, in case it gets used
get water bottle in case clients forgets to bring some
make sure iPod is ready to go
review workout one more time

And I'm spending at least an hour, and sometimes more, immersed in training books, articles, and newsletters. While I can't get experience in any way other than hands-on training, I can certainly be the best educated, most up-t0-date trainer there is -- THAT is within my grasp!

Another tough workout

Last night Tim and I did another butt-kicking workout. If anyone else is interested in being sore, here's all it takes:

Warm up (super important -- NEVER skip warming up, especially if you're going to do a hard workout!)
20 minutes of this:

5 pull-ups
10 pushups
15 squats

Then run a mile and you're done.

Tim did an astonishing 65 pull-ups (and he's lookin' fine, in case you wanted to know!). I don't know how many of anything I did, but it was a hard workout. I have to modify the pull-ups and do negatives, and most of my pushup sets were from the knees. But I intensified the squats by doing thrusters (I held 2-1o pound weights at shoulder height and "popped" them up each time I came up from the squats). That modification was hard, because my triceps were fried by the end of the workout -- but then again, so was everything else!

Interval Training Works!

Don't you love when an official source confirms what you've already been doing? Well, the L.A. Times has confirmed that interval training works. Click here for a link to the article (I had to register with the website to access the text -- free, but takes a couple of minutes).

Surprisingly I'm not really sore after yesterday's workout. My muscles feel tired, esp glutes, hamstrings, and lats (that's D-Ball slams for you!), but good.

Must run -- need to plan two client workouts for tomorrow (!), prep for two intake interviews (!), and get to Bingo. Remember, whatever you are, be a good one! Ciao...

Crossfit at my house!

I'm cooling down right now (sitting and typing is a great way to cool down, right?) after a kick-ass workout with my husband. Here's what we did:

1/3 of a mile or so run (warmup), then

Choose 2 exercises from this list:

• 15 ball slams (using a 16-pound D-ball)
• 15 pushups
• 15 burpees (hate these!)
• 15 kettlebell swings (20 pound kettlebell)

1/4 mile run, then choose 2 again. Repeat for 20 minutes.

We laid on the garage floor at the end. Mission accomplished.

Almost a new year!!!

I'm so excited, because February 18, 2007 is the first day in THE YEAR OF THE PIG! Here's something I found about it:

"The Year of the Pig will soon be upon us, so open your window and air out the stresses of last year. The pig is known for honesty, tolerance and reliability—so prepare for a calm, steady year ahead."

Ok, so yeah, and also pigs are cute and make me smile! Hooray!

New stuff

Look what my husband did!!! For less than $20 at Home Depot, we have adjustable cables at home -- aren't they COOL?

A cool ringtone

Wouldn't it be great if you could get a cell phone ringtone that sounds like the phones at CTU in 24? Yeah, so I've decided to hang in there for the adrenaline rush that is 24 for another season. But I still like Wife Swap better!

Judgmental, Critical, and RIGHT!

Last night I took my first group exercise class (Boot Camp) since getting certified. And from the minute the class started (10 minutes late), my judgmental critical eye was out in full force. The instructor wasn't set up for the class. She was timing intervals with her cell phone and wasn't doing a good job of it (have you ever done 2 solid minutes of rear deltoid lifts? It's NOT fun!). And her selection of exercises was just boring. Oh, and she didn't correct the people who were doing the exercises wrong (unsafe and ineffective!).

Fortunately I had an awareness of the critical voice in my head, and was able to set it aside, and just get a workout in, paying attention to what I'd do differently. And I came away with two realizations:

1. Trainers who work at a gym have it SO EASY when it comes to client warmups! In this class, we rode the spin bike for 10 minutes. If I trained at my gym, I could just put a client on a machine and chat away as they got warm. But here at my house it takes more creativity and thought to put together a warmup. So I came away feeling validated in my warmup floundering, but committed to finding something that works.

2. I KNOW A LOT ABOUT EXERCISE! Honestly and with no disrespect meant to the instructor, I could have taught the class, and done a much better job of it.

Ha.

Mom overtime, today's workout, and tofu

When your kid argues with you for 30 nonstop minutes, and you don't lose it, you should earn mom overtime or something, don't you think?

Today went NOTHING like I thought it would. Both clients unable to come (for good reasons), so in exercise clothes, no makeup, and turning on a dime, I found a place for Tucker to go so I could take Austin and his friend to the new skate park at 50 and Power Inn, which is 45 minutes or so away. Stayed for 3 hours, which sounds like a long time, but worked out well, cuz I read some training materials, Tim came and brought lunch to us all (since he works about 10 minutes away), and then I realized I could fit in a workout. (I was already dressed for the occasion.) There's a path around the whole skate park (and the dog park that's next door), and there are picnic tables. So I did running/walking/lunging laps around the parks, stopping at the picnic tables for pushups (on the bench -- about 40 or 50), step ups (maybe 50 or so each leg), dips (20??), and on the bench with no back, side bench leaps (50 or so). I was active for about 45 minutes.

Tofu

So I don't know how many hundreds of dollars I've wasted buying tofu, letting it expire, and throwing it out. But it's a lot of money. I found a recipe on Allrecipes for a tofu salad where you stir fry the tofu with garlic (lots!) and soy sauce and peanuts, then chill it and add some lime juice, sweet chili sauce, cucumber and cilantro. Well, Tucker tried it when it was just at the garlic and soy sauce stage and pronounced it marvelous. So we added a little chili sauce and some lime juice and called it good. My wonderfully adventureous family had a vegan dinner tonight, with aforementioned tofu, brown rice, and a simple green salad, and we all agreed it was wonderful!

List

As with most of my writing, I have many different thoughts that don't easily come together in a way that enables me to write a title for what I write. I think more in lists I guess. (Writing "list" in the title section of this Blogger post.) Today's list is here:

1. My gym has new weight machines! They're by Freemotion and they're great. The cables are independent, which means you can do single arm movements that are harder and recruit more core muscles (e.g. shoulder press, which is harder if you lift the weights one at a time, rather than at the same time).

2. Yesterday's workout was great. I probably need to get back to knowing what I'm going to do when I workout, but I tend to go with a general idea (yesterday's idea was more defined shoulders and lower body work) and then figure it out. So here's yesterday's workout:

Warm up/light stretching
Handstand practice -- 5 minutes (I accidentally took out a fake palm tree with my -- one of the fronds was no match for my kick to handstand, so I ended up upside down, and seeing a leafy palm frond falling to the ground twice!)
Cable machines -- overhead press, lat pulldowns, tricep extensions
Reverse pullups (bar is now at hip height, and the lower you go, the harder it is, which means I'm getting stronger -- hooray!)
Squat to overhead press with 24 pound body bar
Double/single leg press, 100 pounds, double leg press, 150 pounds
ARC trainer -- medium intensity, steady state, 30 minutes
Stretching

3. New training room fun -- Tim installed some eye hooks into the wall (thanks sweetie!) which, along with the new carabiners, allow me to attach tubing at various heights for all sorts of fun. I have two clients today who get to be the first to feel the joy!!

4. New season of 24 -- watched the 2-hour premiere last night. It may be too much for me and for Tucker. During the super violent parts, I sliced chicken and did lunges off a kitchen chair (NOT at the same time!). It's hard for me to sit still when we watch tv, so I'm usually stretching or doing ab exercises.

5. New season of gymnastics -- first gymnastics meet yesterday. Tucker took 2nd place in pommel horse and 3rd in parallel bars -- both were beautiful routines. But more importantly, he had fun! He competes at Stanford in two weeks, then Las Vegas two weeks after that. And I'm hoping to post a short video clip of what my kid can do, cuz it's totally amazing!

6. Austin's wrist -- Austin went back to gymnastics this week. We forced the issue and are telling him he needs to do two weeks of practice before we'll even consider where he wants to go with it. I don't know what he'll decide, because for the first time in years, he had two months of living as a normal kid without the pressure of hours and hours of gymnastics. He says he's done, and that's fine with us, as long as it's a decision made for the right reasons. And right now it's very hard for him to go to gymnastics because it hurts his wrist (his PT said it would) and because after two months, he's not nearly as strong or flexible as he was. We're just praying that he'll make the right decision for him.

7. Supersize Me -- watched this with the kids over the weekend. We'd seen it before, but it was interesting to watch again, and especially to watch it with our kids.

8. (need to wrap this up -- have 45 minutes to do a quick grocery store trip, and then my first client comes) Dodged a bullet this weekend, and that bullet was my own mind and cravings. Still doing good with clean-ish eating (which for me includes a bowl of cereal nearly every night, but that seems to be working) to keep moods in check. But when it's the weekend and I'm feeling less fluffy, it's hard to stay away from treats. My dad brought us some chocolate-covered macademia nuts, and I had 3 of them. I wanted 30, though... and it would be so easy to justify (it's the weekend, everyone deserves an indulgence, what can it hurt?), but I stopped at 3.

9. Healthy indulgence -- I made Morning Glory Muffins from my new cookbook yesterday and they are the BEST! How can you lose when something contains grated apple, grated carrot, crushed pineapple, coconut, walnuts, and raisins!!

10. (Ok, this is my last thought, cuz I'm way over my time budget for writing!) Has anyone seen Eating? Or checked out the RAVE diet? I'm intrigued...

Training

In years past this time of year has been hard for me. Tim goes back to work, after taking some time off after Christmas, and the kids go back to school, and that leaves me feeling lost and uncertain as to what to do with myself. Well that's not happening this year, cuz I am consumed by my new career. I spend a lot of time reading, studying, thinking, and planning what to do with my clients.

Today I worked with Jenny, my real marathon running friend, who gave me permission to write this -- thanks Jenny! Sadly, she has an ankle strain that is seriously limiting her activities. But she wanted some ideas of things she can do, both at the gym and at home. So for the last two days I've been turning her situation around in my mind, like a Rubik's Cube, to figure out what to give her that will a) not hurt her ankle, and b) challenge my athletic, driven friend. I think we found some options for her that will work, and now I have a little bit of experience I can draw upon regarding ankle limitations.

You know what's hard and great about what I'm doing? It's that it's ALL new! And I wouldn't have it any other way.

Betty-ing out!

I'm trying some new things in the homemaking department that seem to be working, so of course I needed to share...

First of all, I've followed my friend Jenny's suggestion and have been asking the kids to pick something for dinner each week. Well, ok so I've done it for one week now, but still. Tucker's first pick was escargot (he tried them on the cruise and thought they were fabulous), and Austin, of course, picked sushi. Then I told them they had to pick something I've actually made before. Austin picked mini-meatball soup (a Rachael Ray recipe) and Tucker picked a Frito Taco Salad. It felt good to be cooking something that I knew at least one person would be enthusiastic about!



Also I found these labels that I just love. They stick virtually permanently to any container you want to use (dishwasher safe, of course, or I wouldn't use them!) and you can erase and relabel as many times as you want. Note the Sharper Image yellow containers (note to self -- get more of these!).

Finally, I have a new cookbook that looks just great. It's called Food to Live By, by Myra Goodman, one of the founders of Earthbound Farm, and organic farming company. The recipes look fresh and yummy and I can't wait to try them.

Food for thought

A while back, Stacey posted a blog quiz where you answer questions about your diet and exercise habits, and they tell you what they think you weigh. Her answer was right on. Mine? Not so much! My weight seems to hover in the high 130s most of the time, but my quiz result was 120. And that's been weighing on me (ha!) ever since. I really do want to weigh less. I don't like my number is what it is. I've written about it before, and it's still true. I can recite the "weight is just a number" pledge backwards and forwards, and I really do believe it. Except when I take a test and it feels like I fail cuz I weigh almost 20 pounds more than it thinks I should.

Don't worry -- I'm not gonna lose any sleep over this. Just needed to get it off my chest...

Upside down

Handstands are getting easier every day and they are FUN! For my birthday workout, we went to the gym, and I spent a lot of time in handstands (probably close to 5 minute altogether, which doesn't sound like a lot, but trust me, it is!), did single-leg presses (the only exercise that's really not possible to duplicate at home), and spent some yummy time stretching.

Today's workout included handstands too. I can tell I'm getting stronger, because I'm no longer afraid to kick up to handstand, and I'm starting to work on balance by taking my feet away from the wall and trying to stay up. The most I can go like this so far is about 5 seconds -- then my feet touch, or I just come down -- but it's progress.

Comments on comments

Eileen and Katie asked about the training clock. I'm so glad you like it! It's from the Museum of Modern Art, and I got it online at Flax.

Matt says he would use the sticks (aka Body Bars) in light saberish sorts of ways. I am sure you are very strong, Matt, but with the sticks weigh 12 pounds, 18 pounds, and 24 pounds, I'll bet it would be a challenging workout! I also liked when you said I'm the oldest person you communicate with on Blogger, but that you think of me as "a wise head on young shoulders." Very cool and very appreciated!

2007 progress

Defluffing is going well. I'm still convinced that sugar is bad for my mental health, so even my birthday eating was clean clean clean. Now it's just a matter of retraining my brain so I think of eating clean as not just a good idea, but a quality of life one, because for me it really and truly is.

Oh how I love my training room!

This is the view from the door. What you can't see, cuz it's right over your head, is the Door Gym pull-up bar. One other thing you can't know about, cuz a picture can't convey it, is how GREAT the rubber flooring (that Tim installed!!!) feels on your feet. Oh, and the bench adjusts from flat to incline and decline and also feels great.

These are the Hampton weights that look like jewelry. They are shiny chrome and have a rubberized grip that feels smooth and good in your hands.

Lots of fun can be had with a core board and a stability ball!

LOVE my squishy med balls. These are 4 lb, 6 lb, 8 lb, and 10 lb and they feel great in your hands and let you do lots of playful effective exercises.

Even the sticks (ok, they're really Body Bars) are squishy. How stuff feels is VERY important to me!

So the Kettlebells aren't squishy, but they are grippey and the colors are pretty!

Speaking of colors, I LOVE my clock. The colors change constantly.

This picture is titled "The Woman who Wanted it All!" Everything about it, from the title to the image to the abstract yet recognizable quality of the art to the colors, is perfect. And true!

Ok, so that's the training room. What's missing is a mirror (to open the room and check form), attachments for tubing (which I have, but didn't show), and of course, words! I'm getting quotes from Wallwords. The quote about the closet door will be "Hard work pays off!" The others (of course there will be others) will come in time...

Disclaimer

I am about to post pictures of my training room and I'm nervous. I LOVE my room and I want you to love it too, but I'm not sure if the pictures will convey how great it feels to workout there.

Ok, just had to get that out in the open. Time to work on the pictures...

???

Why is it that when I'm working out, I can think of millions of things to write about, but when I actually sit down, nothing comes to mind?

Ok, here's one thing -- I'm seriously trying to de-fluff. To that end, I've been cutting way back on my eating (easy to cut back when on vacation I was eating, like, 10 times a day!), eating more raw foods and juices, and relying heavily on Diet Mountain Dew. I know, I know, the contradiction of "raw foods and Diet Mountain Dew" is not lost on me, ok? But it's working! And I'm watching Kana's cleansing program with interest. I've read several times about Isagenix and must admit that I'm intrigued.

Today I did two workouts. Hill repeats (run and walk) for 30 minutes before getting Tucker from school. Then went to the gym and did the Crossfit workout where you row 1000 meters, then do dead squat/presses. I used a 15 pound Body Bar cuz it's all I could find, and did a total of 100 squat/presses. Only took 25 minutes to do the workout, but it was TOUGH!

Here's one thing I was thinking about during the hill repeats. Tomorrow (January 9th) is my birthday. I'm turning 46, which sounds VERY VERY OLD. In fact, when I went to type "46" my fingers moved one key to the left and hit "35" which looked way more right to me. But, in fact, I'm 46 now. And looking back on my life, I see themed decades. For example:

Ages 15 to 25: Trying to find my way.
Ages 25 - 35: Got my job, got my man!
Ages 35 - 45: Mommy's my name.
Ages 45 - ??: Life is for the taking!

Ok, so maybe "life is for the taking" isn't exactly what I should put there, but I can't think of anything else. The point is that as I turn 46, there is excitement and anticipation of what's on the horizon, and that feels great!

On a final (for now) note, I feel like a REAL PERSONAL TRAINER because I was accepted by the Adidas 3-Stripes program, where trainers get discounts on workout gear -- COOL, huh? One thing I notice is that if you train a client, you wear fitness clothes, and although you're not doing the actual workout, you do enough of it that it requires changing afterwards, unless all you've got planned is your own workout. So I'm going through fitness clothes like crazy. I still like my "uniform": track pants and a short-sleeve UA top (soon to be Adidas, though!).

Fluffy is back!

Yes, we're back from the cruise. Had a GREAT time -- Catalina is always wonderful, and Ensenada was so much better than the last time we visited. The last night there was a westerly (that's what they called it) storm, and the not-so-tiny ship was tossed. Condiments were sliding around on tables, and it was impossible to walk in a straight line. Tim and I went up to the top deck (before they told everyone to stay inside) and the feeling of being in my husband's arms along with the intensity of the wind and waves -- that's a memory I'll hold onto tightly!

I tried to hold firm to healthy eating, but the constant feedings (and I do mean constant, literally) took their toll. Everything is tight today, and I feel like I should be moo-ing my way through the laundry mountain. So I'm not waiting till Monday to fix it -- healthy eating starts today, baby!

On the fitness front, a present (ok, so it was from me, but it FEELS like a present) arrived from Amazon -- Chris Carmichael's new book "5 Essentials for a Winning Life." I've only had time to skim it a bit, but I'm SO encouraged by what he writes about fitness because it is exactly what I'm already doing with my clients -- multi-joint exercises, interval bursts, and agility training for everyone. So me and Chris -- we're like the same person, except he's known worldwide and has been training for decades, and I'm ... well, I'm new at this!!! :)