I am so excited about the release of our newest program- 10 Rounds! Boxing gyms are all the rage- boxing is one of the best TOTAL-body workouts you can do. But for some, stepping into a boxing gym can be pretty intimidating. But now you can have a boxing gym  in your house!

 

What is 10 Rounds?

Basics:

6 weeks

5 workouts a week

3 boxing workouts and 2 lifting workouts a week

-Boxing workouts are broken up into 10 rounds- 3 minutes each, focusing on punching combinations and footwork that progresses throughout the 6 weeks

Joel will teach you how every move actually begins at your feet, moves up through your hips, uses your core, and explodes all the way through your fists. With every punch you use your entire body- scorching calories and toning. This program is built around the simple and precise movements of boxing- without the impact! You won’t be using a sparring partner or hitting a heavy bag- instead you will train the way real boxers do- with shadowboxing! 

The 3 boxing days are combined with conditioning drills that help build:
-Power
–Speed/agility
–Endurance

The two days of weightlifting workouts include
–Upper Body to build strength and power

–Lower Body/Legs- since every punch starts at your feet

And of course, there is amazing music in every workout to help keep you moving and give you the energy to keep going!

Continue reading “New Program Alert: 10 Rounds!” →

I believe that it is easy to forget about the small steps.  The last couple months has been very busy for me and unfortunately, I fell back in to some bad habits.  I did not realize that I was falling back into bad habits because they happened in small steps.  I was busy, stress, and tired so I picked up fast food for lunch or dinner. I started staying up later at night to get stuff done so I am getting less sleep so I am even  more tired and started making poor decisions.  I was eating poorly and not feeling well so I was skipping workouts which was making me feel even worst.

It was not one poor decision that made me feel like crap but many small decisions.  So it is time to re-evaluate and refocus on my goals.  I would love to take a magic pill to take me back to feeling great.  It takes many small steps and good decisions everyday to get back to feeling the way I want to feel.  Getting back to daily workout,stop picking up drive thru, and get back to eating proper portions.

Do not discount your small steps.  The small steps add up to a wonderful journey.  Do not be scared to trip or miss a step.  It does not matter how fast you go as long as you don’t quit!

Another Monday.  Another New Start to a week.

Do you get tired of “today is a new day” or “new start”?   I do.  I get tired and starting over & over & over.  My biggest struggle with my healthy and fitness is myself!

First I would tell myself that I needed to support, fitness program, or meal plan because I knew what I needed to do to lost weight.  So I never started or I would watch what I eat for a while.  Exercise some and loss some weight then I would slack off.  I would end up gain all and more of what I lost.

Second, I would tell myself it was only a little weight.  Everyone has a little weight to loss, right?  Wrong.  I would struggle to tie my shoes.  I would huff and puff walking upstairs.  That was not a little bit of weight to lose.  I was not healthy.

Third, I had it in my head that I needed to get in shape to do a fitness program.  I told myself that when I lost some weight I would start a fitness program.

It took me awhile to commit to a program.  It sucked.  I modified the modifications to the workout.  I was sore and cranky but after 21 days, I lost some weight.  The most surprising was the inches I lost around my middle and how my clothes felt better.  How much more energy I had.  It was also one of the first time in a lot time that I put myself first (other post for other day). 

Check out this video of a recent aha moment I had.  I think it is easy to see the good and the bad in others then it is to see in ourselves.  I critic myself often especially about how i look, how physically fit I am, how I eat, if I am lazy but in the video I talk about a characteristic that I did not think I had and blind to it for awhile.

 

Have you been bombarded with pictures and quotes “New Year New You” ? Have you made a New Year Resolution or carried forward your resolution from 2016?

I believe that setting, writing, and telling someone your goals is very important.  However, after you have done that what pushes you to take the steps to progress everyday toward you goal?

One of the tips that I received is to connect your goal with an emotion.  Visualize what it will feel like to reach your goal?  After you have those emotion, remember that feeling when you need a little extra push and/or motivation.

I found this picture on a google search and it pretty much sums up my week.  I started getting what I thought was a cold – a very severe sore throat.  However after a visit to my local med express I learned that I had strep throat and need a dose of antibiotics.  I felt like a was trying to swallow razor blades 😦 and no, I have not actually tried to swallow razor blades.  Due to my strep throat, I had to miss the EQT 10 Miler, a race I was looking forward too.  I was not healthy enough to run it.  I made a good decision to not run it but I was still a little disappointed.

I started Wednesday evening with the sore throat and  officially got a diagnosis on Friday.  Today is Monday and I am starting to feel better 🙂  However my recovery is taking longer than I expected.  I still have a sore throat and sound funny.  I have missed my workouts for about 5 day now 😦  I know I need to trust the process and allow my body to heal.  But it is hard not to want to push yourself.  I have no wonderful words of wisdom this week just a little bit of my story over the past week.  🙂

Have a great week as I continue to recover!

I am currently reading Failing Forward by John C. Maxwell.  He talks about an email he received from a friend with the story “City of Regret”.  I really liked the story and below is the YouTube video of me reading the passage. It reminded me that I have to be the one to make the changes and put in the hard work.  I can have a support group and cheerleaders but they can’t do the hard work for me.  Only I can stop giving my self guilt trips and throwing pity parties. A short blog today but a very important one and somethings that I have to continue to remind myself of.

It has been a busy weekend.  It was a busy weekend because of my activities not the kids.  My stepson was actually out of town with his mom and family this weekend.  Several years ago, I would not have stuff to do.  My life was focus on either work or family.  I did not have stuff that was just my stuff.  Can you relate?  Is your life focus on everyone else that you forgot about you?  Have you forgotten about your health and your hobbies?

I got caught in the web of life.  When you get busy with kids activities, husband stuff, pet stuff, and running the house stuff and I realized that I did not have anything the I did for me.  So as my step kids turned into teenagers and did not need me around as much, I started to more and more things. I have joined a awesome running, volunteer to do free tax returns for low income individuals and families for the past three years, and joined the board for Hampton Alliance for Educational Excellence.

Where my weekend was pact full, it was a fun weekend.  Friday night, I got together with some fellow Beachbody coaches and got to list Carl Daikeler, Beachbody CEO give a awesome speech.  Saturday morning started before sunrise,setting up for the HAEE 5k, fundraiser for Hampton Alliance for Educational Excellence and Sunday morning, I ran the Pittsburgh Penguins 6.6K.  I do not recommend packing you weekend that full at the beginning but do something for you.  Do not get so focus on running your house or business instead of living life.  I challenge you to join a book club, fitness class, running group, take a class at your local community college, volunteer or whatever you are interested.

A year of small changes can make a huge difference. Some of the biggest difference between these two races, you can’t see in these pictures.

*My finish times 2015 1hr 23 min 42 sec 2016 1hr 17 min 55sec

In 2015, I was struggling with heel pain and I was not trained for this race. Actually I had not ran since July and The Great Race took place in October. I was really struggling to finish this race. I walked a lot more of the race that I would have like. I was proud that I finished but I was not happy with the race. I ended the race in pain and just glad to be done. I was very undecided if I was going to run this race again.

In 2016, I am no longer having heel pain. I was not actively training for this race however I was running a 5k close to every weekend. I believe that my daily workouts and healthier diet set me up to have a great race :-). At the end of the race in 2016, I was smiling and I felt good. I was very proud of my performance, very happy with the race, and The Great Race 10K will be on the list to do again in 2017.

I was also 15 pounds lighter and I felt stronger in the 2016 race compared to the 2015 race. I believe that much of my success in the 2016 race compared to the 2015 race was that I started November 2015 with daily 30 minutes workouts, started making sure that I was getting good nutrition daily, and that I got help for my heel pain. Sometimes asking for help is the hardest thing however I got help along with exercises and stretch to keep the pain away. Next big race for me is the EQT 10 Miler in November.