If you've been keeping up with me here at Graceful Coach, you may have picked up that the last three months, I have been doing a ChaLEAN Extreme and TurboFire Hybrid Workout. Because I do get bored easily, and I can tell I am ready to hit the weights even harder, I am back to the super intensity strength training of P90x & the crazy cardio work of Insanity...with a little bit of TurboFire splashed in there for fun!
So how would you go about making an effecting hybrid of these workouts? Well, here is my tentative schedule for the next ten weeks should you want to do something similar:
Weeks 1-3: Sunday OR Monday: P90x Chest & Back
Tuesday: Insanity Max Intervals*
Wednesday: P90x Shoulders & Arms
Thursday: Insanity Max Interval Plyo*
Friday: P90x Legs & Back & Insanity Pure Cardio
*May interchange these with Insanity Max Interval Sports Training for variety.
**Will also throw in the longer TurboFire Workouts (Fire 45, Fire 55 EZ, Fire 45 EZ, & Fire 60) the days I don't do Chest & Back and/or as an evening workout and some other DVDs as needed (Jillian, Tae Bo, Pilates, etc.) Am also hoping to keep my running in at least 2x a week for all ten weeks as I get used to my VFFs.
Beginning of Week 4: Not set in stone, but will likely do about 3-4 days worth of the recovery DVDs such as P90x Core Synergistics & Insanity Core Cardio & Balance & Max Recovery.
End of Week 4 to Sunday of Week Week 7:
Wednesday: P90x Chest, Shoulders, & Triceps & TurboFire HiIT ?
Thursday: Insanity Max Cardio
Friday: P90x Back & Biceps & Insanity Plyometric Circuit
Sunday: P90x Legs & Back & TurboFire HiIT ?
Monday: Insanity Power & Resistance
Tuesday: TurboFire ?
Monday-Wednesday of Week 7: Similar to Recovery time at the beginning of Week 4. May add Tony Horton's One-on-One Plyo Legs as that is actually relatively easy with lots of breaks and no weights needed.
End of Week 7, 9
Wednesday: Insanity Max Intervals
Thursday: TurboFire ?
Friday: P90x Chest & Back & Insanity Pure Cardio
Sunday: P90x Shoulders & Arms
Monday: Insanity Max Interval Plyo
Tuesday: P90x Legs & Back
End of Week 8, 10
Wednesday: Insanity Max Intervals
Thursday: TurboFire ?
Friday: P90x Chest, Shoulders, & Triceps & Insanity Pure Cardio
Sunday: P90x Back & Biceps
Monday: Insanity Max Interval Plyo
Tuesday: P90x Legs & Back
I would have preferred to do this over thirteen weeks (the last week is actually more recovery so really twelve weeks of hard work) but since Christmas comes sooner than that, I wanted to go ahead and get done with the program so I had no breaks. It is rather intense as I shortened the recovery weeks for after the first and second phases but I think it will be okay (I've done it before with no issues, fyi.)
Although I do like a set schedule, I am pretty flexible so this might change up as I get into it to suit how I feel that day but at least I have the "bones" of the workout and have a pretty good plan in place. I would not recommend this if you have never done P90x and/or Insanity *unless* you are in terrific shape since it is rather intense. Also, make sure to eat the calories you need or you will run out of steam really quick--and make sure they are quality calories--no "nasty food" as Tony Horton says.
So wish me luck and hope I can stick as close to this schedule as possible! :)
**If you have any other questions, just find me contact me on my website, Graceful Coach @ Beachbody and click on the "Contact Me' button at the top left hand of the page. If you are interested buying any of these workouts, click on the "Shop" buttons and search for them in the store.
Friday, October 15, 2010
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Workouts while traveling...
If you follow my blog, you may have noticed about a week and a half long silence here and at my Twitter account. Unfortunately, my wireless service was not great AT ALL and was unable to post anything--not that I had time anyway during my action-packed time away, lol! :)
But despite the rather hectic schedule, you all know that I can be a bit OCD when it comes to my workouts. Luckily, I just finished my 12 weeks Hybrid program of Chalene Johnson's TurboFire & ChaLEAN Extreme so I was actually in a recovery week where I was actually supposed to take it easy with no strenuous lifting or cardio. Sure I could have just let my workouts go since I worked super hard these last three months but exercise is my addiction so I had to do a little something everyday! So to show you that getting your workouts in while traveling is NOT impossible, here is a list of what I did:
Saturday, Oct. 2: REST
Sunday, Oct. 3: 3.5 mile jog on a gravel road & then a 3.5 mile leisurely walk on the same road later that day
Monday, Oct. 4: About an hour's worth of Supersets for Upper/Lower Body using my Pink resistance bands
Tuesday, Oct. 5: Used a Free iPod/iPhone app called THI Personal Trainer Lite and did the Bodyweight Circuit. I recommend getting this app since you don't need the wireless connection and you can even make your own Custom workouts. It also has great videos to demonstrate the exercises as well as graphics of what muscles you are workout out.
Wednesday, Oct. 6: Did a similar round of Supersets that I did on Monday.
Thursday, Oct. 7: Did a Customized Workout using the THI Personal Trainer Lite noted in Tuesday's workout
Friday, Oct. 8: Did a shorter round of Supersets with my resistance bands since we had very limited time that morning and had a later night than usual.
Saturday, Oct. 9: Easy jog of about 2.5 miles
Sunday, Oct. 10: Ran a 5K (3.25 miles) at a nearby track (Fyi, it wasn't an official race although I was going more for improved speed!)
Monday, Oct. 11: Was back home by evening and found the energy to do P90x's Chest & Back
Tuesday, Oct. 12: Still recuperating and catching up with my awG business, housework, unpacking, etc. but threw in Insanity's Max Interval Circuit, my highest calorie burning DVD workout, at some point during the day to help with some of the damage done while out of town, lol!
I admit, you do have to psyche yourself up to get up a little earlier to fit these in, but I simply had to stay determined to do at least *something,* and I can say I always felt tons better after completing a workout, even the easier ones as I knew I did something positive for my health. I did also do a lot of walking at the Conference and during our leisure time so I probably worked my legs and burned a few more calories there. The hardest part is keeping the diet in check, but we'll go there another time...
So my advice to anyone who is hoping to get a workout in while traveling but will likely be short on time and possibly no access to a DVD player or equipment, I would recommend these workouts:
*Jogging/running: Assuming you have a safe area to go to, this is pretty easy to do and it burns tons of calories and is GREAT cardio.
*Stair Climbing: If you are in a hotel with a couple flights of stairs, this makes a great workout that builds both endurance and strength. I did this during one of my trips this past summer and managed to burn as many calories as Insanity's Max Intervals.
*Bodyweight exercises: Do several sets of push-ups, crunches, squats, lunges, mountain climbers, tricep chair dips, & jumping jacks. Start out with 10 repetitions of each/1 set and add more sets as you get stronger. Work up to about 15-30 repetitions once three sets get easy.
*Resistance Band exercises: I love my resistance bands! Very light and compact, you can easily throw these in a suitcase and get a pretty good workout. I have pretty much memorized exercises for these since I do many of these with my patients as an Occupational Therapist but if you need some ideas on how to use them you are welcome to email me at adorned_with_grace@yahoo.com or click here for videos on how to use them: Resistance Band Exercises *You can buy a set from my Beachbody Website; just click on the "Shop" tab and then go to "Equipment & Gear" then the "Bands & Balls" to find them. For the average female, I would recommend the Standard Kit. For the beginner male or advanced female, I'd go with the Super Kit; however, if you are already lifting over 40 pounds, definitely go with the Extreme kit!
The key to doing this effectively is determination and then to workout hard enough that you do break into a decent sweat. I prefer a harder workout that may last only 20 minutes vs. a long, leisurely one for 60 minutes as the afterburn is much better and seems to have a better cardio training effect as well. You have to get in the mindset that exercise isn't something you do just so you can eat more (although it is one of the reasons I do) but a way of life; let it be a habit that you don't even have to think twice about doing on a daily basis--your body will thank you for it!
But despite the rather hectic schedule, you all know that I can be a bit OCD when it comes to my workouts. Luckily, I just finished my 12 weeks Hybrid program of Chalene Johnson's TurboFire & ChaLEAN Extreme so I was actually in a recovery week where I was actually supposed to take it easy with no strenuous lifting or cardio. Sure I could have just let my workouts go since I worked super hard these last three months but exercise is my addiction so I had to do a little something everyday! So to show you that getting your workouts in while traveling is NOT impossible, here is a list of what I did:
Saturday, Oct. 2: REST
Sunday, Oct. 3: 3.5 mile jog on a gravel road & then a 3.5 mile leisurely walk on the same road later that day
Monday, Oct. 4: About an hour's worth of Supersets for Upper/Lower Body using my Pink resistance bands
Tuesday, Oct. 5: Used a Free iPod/iPhone app called THI Personal Trainer Lite and did the Bodyweight Circuit. I recommend getting this app since you don't need the wireless connection and you can even make your own Custom workouts. It also has great videos to demonstrate the exercises as well as graphics of what muscles you are workout out.
Wednesday, Oct. 6: Did a similar round of Supersets that I did on Monday.
Thursday, Oct. 7: Did a Customized Workout using the THI Personal Trainer Lite noted in Tuesday's workout
Friday, Oct. 8: Did a shorter round of Supersets with my resistance bands since we had very limited time that morning and had a later night than usual.
Saturday, Oct. 9: Easy jog of about 2.5 miles
Sunday, Oct. 10: Ran a 5K (3.25 miles) at a nearby track (Fyi, it wasn't an official race although I was going more for improved speed!)
Monday, Oct. 11: Was back home by evening and found the energy to do P90x's Chest & Back
Tuesday, Oct. 12: Still recuperating and catching up with my awG business, housework, unpacking, etc. but threw in Insanity's Max Interval Circuit, my highest calorie burning DVD workout, at some point during the day to help with some of the damage done while out of town, lol!
I admit, you do have to psyche yourself up to get up a little earlier to fit these in, but I simply had to stay determined to do at least *something,* and I can say I always felt tons better after completing a workout, even the easier ones as I knew I did something positive for my health. I did also do a lot of walking at the Conference and during our leisure time so I probably worked my legs and burned a few more calories there. The hardest part is keeping the diet in check, but we'll go there another time...
So my advice to anyone who is hoping to get a workout in while traveling but will likely be short on time and possibly no access to a DVD player or equipment, I would recommend these workouts:
*Jogging/running: Assuming you have a safe area to go to, this is pretty easy to do and it burns tons of calories and is GREAT cardio.
*Stair Climbing: If you are in a hotel with a couple flights of stairs, this makes a great workout that builds both endurance and strength. I did this during one of my trips this past summer and managed to burn as many calories as Insanity's Max Intervals.
*Bodyweight exercises: Do several sets of push-ups, crunches, squats, lunges, mountain climbers, tricep chair dips, & jumping jacks. Start out with 10 repetitions of each/1 set and add more sets as you get stronger. Work up to about 15-30 repetitions once three sets get easy.
*Resistance Band exercises: I love my resistance bands! Very light and compact, you can easily throw these in a suitcase and get a pretty good workout. I have pretty much memorized exercises for these since I do many of these with my patients as an Occupational Therapist but if you need some ideas on how to use them you are welcome to email me at adorned_with_grace@yahoo.com or click here for videos on how to use them: Resistance Band Exercises *You can buy a set from my Beachbody Website; just click on the "Shop" tab and then go to "Equipment & Gear" then the "Bands & Balls" to find them. For the average female, I would recommend the Standard Kit. For the beginner male or advanced female, I'd go with the Super Kit; however, if you are already lifting over 40 pounds, definitely go with the Extreme kit!
The key to doing this effectively is determination and then to workout hard enough that you do break into a decent sweat. I prefer a harder workout that may last only 20 minutes vs. a long, leisurely one for 60 minutes as the afterburn is much better and seems to have a better cardio training effect as well. You have to get in the mindset that exercise isn't something you do just so you can eat more (although it is one of the reasons I do) but a way of life; let it be a habit that you don't even have to think twice about doing on a daily basis--your body will thank you for it!
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