[chick_in_the_hat]

I started week 7 yesterday....step plyos? I don't get it...if anyone can explain it to me - I'd appreciate it. Do I ever have both feet on the step at the same time? Or is it supposed to be more like a standing mountain climber?

Other than that I was ok - I was sick on Friday - some wierd dizziness and nausea all day...so I took it a little easier than usual at the gym. But then I ended up washing the car and walking the dog - so I think I made up for only keeping the HR around 75%....

Welcome Caroldiem - don't worry about being behind - nobody is racing here. There are chicks at pretty much every stage already in here. And like ledom says - even after week 12 we will still be working out. In fact I think it will be quite interesting to see what people come up with for a routine on their own....I'm going to try making it up as I go along....I'll see how it goes. I think I should have enough experience by then to pull it off. Let's see if I cheat by leaving out all the stuff I hate... I'm planning on adding stuff where the gym has handy machines to use - I think the main thing is changing things up every couple of weeks so that your body doesn't have a chance to get used to anything.

[angel-eyes]

hehe...step plyo's? no idea?? Could it be like the "up up down down" but really fast like in a step class??....dunno. ....I start week 5 tommorow. Great job Chick!! You could be like the 'mike-y" commercial...you try everything out and report back to us!!! yeah, I like that one!!! Today was supposed to by my rest day but I switched Sat and Sun around. Just couldn't get to the gym yesterday. I ran for 40 minutes!!! I think running is fantastic, I'm really enjoying it!!

[ledom]

Okay - I am delaying starting week 7. Today would be the first day. Instead I did a yoga tape (good one that requires a lot of strength.) Tomorrow I will be kayaking all day on a Christmas Bird watch. Friday I am hosting a party and I will be so busy getting ready there won't be a minute to spare for exercise. So on either Sat. or Sun. depending on how much fun I have Friday night, I will start week 7. I think my body is appreciating the break to tell you the truth. It felt good to stretch and breathe and think about my muscles when I did the yoga - and to notice the strength I am developing.

[SmartButt]

Hey chick,

If it's the same move that Jillian does in her workout DVD, then she does not have her feet on the step at the same time. It's very much like a standing mountain climber. One foot on the ground, the other on the step, and then you switch while jumping in the air. In the video, she keeps her arms bent at her sides as if she were running. This was one I found VERY difficult, at least at the rate she does them.

Anyway, hope that helps!

[chick_in_the_hat]

Originally Posted by SmartButt

Hey chick,

If it's the same move that Jillian does in her workout DVD, then she does not have her feet on the step at the same time. It's very much like a standing mountain climber. One foot on the ground, the other on the step, and then you switch while jumping in the air. In the video, she keeps her arms bent at her sides as if she were running. This was one I found VERY difficult, at least at the rate she does them.

Anyway, hope that helps!

HMMMMM....that's what I was afraid of...I'll try it next week. I might try practicing at home first..

I missed the gym yesterday...I had the dizziness thing again yesterday...not as bad as last Friday - but bad enough where I didn't really feel safe attempting a heavy duty workout. So, today I did Thursday of Week 7. The gym I go to is fairly disasterous at the moment - they are in the last stages (hopefully) of remodeling...I did a lot of substituting for equipment that wasn't available...it still felt good at the end, though!

[angel-eyes]

Im also substituting at my gym. They have some machines but nothing to do cable cross overs and cable flys. I think I'm still doing something similar (week 5 day 4) by wrapping a handled elastic tube around a machine and doing a similar pull motion. who knows? I also modify some of my leg movements as they don't have a hamstring one. Anywho....after that, I ran for 40 minutes. hehe...the desk clerk came over when I was done and said...."whoa...your face is all red" HAHA...no **** sherlock...." I just ran for 40 minutes!!" Felt really good. I ate 2 brownies last night (only one was planned) so I wanted that brownine OFF MY HIPS!!!

[SmartButt]

Hahaha AngelEyes - that totally reminds me of when I took an aerobic kick-boxing (fake Tae Bo) class at my gym when I lived back east.

The instructor was this big guy who looked a LOT like Billy Blanks, and he was walking around all 30 or so of us, and yelling at different people like a drill instructor to get them to work harder.

Of course, the wall facing us was a giant mirror, and I was up toward the front, so I could clearly see myself. My face was sooooo red, people probably thought I was going to drop dead any minute. In fact, when mister Billy Blanks wannabe walked by me, he took one look at me and walked the other way - didn't yell at me at all! Hahahaha. He probably figured he'd be responsible for my death if he pushed me any harder.

It was embarassing though!

[chick_in_the_hat]

Week 7 Day 5 in the hopper...cross over lunges are interesting....to say the least...

Pretty dang cool when a red face is a good thing, huh? Jillian's girls badge of honor!

[angel-eyes]

Hi Chick. It seems to be alot of you and me lately on this thread. Oh where oh where is everyone? lol....

Just got back from the gym and finished week 5 day 5. Today I was supposed to do those 'cross over lunges' but my knee gave a funny twitch when I did about 5 of them so I changed to walking lunges while holding weights. LOVE THOSE!! AGain I was substituting for the cable cross overs, I wish my gym would get some serious machines!!! The ones they have are white and a pretty purple!!!...totally girly!!! As usual, I did my treadmill for a run of 30 minutes. School is out today for ds, so hopefully I can convince him to go to the daycare room come Monday. hmmm I'll probably have to resort to bribery!!!

[ledom]

Hey Guys - I have lurked a couple of times you girls are keeping me on my toes. I'll be back to being a Jillian's girl tomorrow. I had an extreme endurance sport event on my kayking trip. Paddlied 14 miles in about 8 hours which included portaging and being out a lot later than we anticipated. I know my conditioning was top notch because of my workouts and it really got me through. I felt a lot of strength in my core and in my triceps that wasn't there before.

Anyway, great job and thanks for being an inspiration to get back to it.

[chick_in_the_hat]

Welcome back, ledom!
Step plyos weren't as bad as I thought....not that I can do them for a whole minute...but hey...I've decided that it's pretty dang cool that I've only missed one day (unplanned rest day - I was sick) even though I'm in week 8 now. I'm gonna just keep plugging away and build stamina as I go along. I've already noticed that it's a lot easier than it used to be to keep my heart rate up. I don't feel like I'm killing myself to ge tthere any more. I can't stay at 80% for the whole hour yet - but that gives me a good challenge. I remember I was in the gym the day an airplane was forced to land even though the wheels were facing the wrong way...I was on the ellyptical watching tv. I was surprised to look down at the HRM on the machine - I was at 144. (For me that is about 80%) That was the highest I had ever gone. Now 144 is normal.

So I guess what I'm trying to say is even if you feel like a dork trying to follow the exercises in the book, or if you feel like you aren't doing it right or intensely enough....just keep going! It doesn't get easier - Thanks to Jillian and her workout plans from **** - but at least I'm getting closer to what she says I should be doing. And I'm learning all kinds of moves I might never have tried....

[ledom]

Thanks Gina and you should be proud, it is a huge accomplishment to have worked so consistently and I KNOW you can feel the difference.

I had planned on this being recovery day from a very busy week and for the most part it was, but tonight I just couldn't stand it. I walked a mile and then I did my 1 hr. yoga tape. I feel so much better and ready to explore the tortures of day 1 week 7 in the a.m.

[jules1216]

I loved Biggest Loser and after reading these threads, thought that I might get this DVD--two questions...
1- Do you need to join the gym to do the exercises if you have no equipment at home
2- How much twisting and lunging is involved--I have a bad right knee--the kneecap actually sits a little high due to a motorcycle accident...
Another ?
What kind of results are you seeing...

[Looking4TheWayOut]

Hi, everyone! I am just popping in to say I haven't died. I read over your exercise. Great job, ladies! Happy holidays as well.

[KristenElizabeth]

Hey all!
This is my first message on this board!

Week 1: workout 1 (felt sooo good from doing this workout!)
Circuit Training-kept me moving becasue the excersise varied.
I danced to my favorite upbeaat songs for 15 min. Went about 6 mph on the stationary bike for 20 min and did 85 crunches and 2 sets of 15 timed abs! Also, I lifted weights - 10 lbs on each arm doing bicep and tricep curls. I think I did about 25 on each arm of each type of curl.
I was so tired but it paid off because I have lost another 3 lbs from doing this
YEAY!
Kristen ♥