Kathy Smith Project: YOU
 

Has anyone here tried this? It's a new, 9 video series - 12 week program.

Kathy Smith's Project: YOU

Looks interesting!

Edited for explanation:

Project: YOU is a 9 video series to give you a total body workout during a 12 week program. This includes 3 levels of cardio, an upper body workout, a lower body workout, and a more advanced total body workout. Also included is a yoga workout and Pilates workout.

A 12 week calendar is given to you so you will always know what exercises to do on which days. You pick the day you want to start, and the calendar does the rest. This program will build you up from any fitness level that you may be at. Kathy Smith is great for giving you a challenge, but allowing you to back off where you need to in order to keep up with the program.

The program also inludes a balanced eating plan (optional). It is basically a reduced calorie plan that does not radically restrict any type of food. You can read more about the program at 3FC , or you can read my journal, linked below.

I belong to Kathy's bulletin board on iVillage, get her email newsletter, etc. I haven't purchased Project:YOU but I know she's been working on it quite a while and she is VERY excited about it. I even had a chance to talk to her about it back this summer and she really has the right idea about what it takes to have a well-rounded, reasonable, no-hype program. I know that some of the other board members have it already -- you might pop on there and see what they're saying. The URL is http://messageboards.ivillage.com/iv-fbkathysmith.

Thanks! I read the forums at the beachbody site, but it didn't really tell me a lot. This one helped a bit more. I'm wondering if this is any different from taking the Cardio Fat Burn videos and alternating with Lift Weights To Lose Weight. It's fresher material, of course! She's also got Yoga and Pilates in there, so maybe it is more varied through the week. Do you know if on PY, do you alternate videos every day, or do you do multiples some days? (I think I'll just buy it and satisfy my curiosity)

Ok here is what I found, clipped from posts :

For the first 5 weeks:

Mon: Cardio 30 min., lower body weights 30 min.

Tues: Cardio 30 min., upper body weights 30 min.

Wed: Pilates 20 min, Yoga 20 min.

Thurs: Cardio 30 min., lower body weights 30 min.

Fri: Cardio 30 min., upper body weights 30 min.

Sat: Choice day

The 6th week is a recovery week. During that week you are doing Core Flex 3 times and 3 "choice" cardio workouts.

After week 7 the strength training gets bumped up:

Weeks 7- 12 we do Full Body Circuit 3 times a week (Days 1, 3 & 5), 2 other pure cardios during the week (one is a choice workout- Days 2 & 6), and 1 Core Flex (on Day 4).

For the specific videos, it works like this:

Week 1 workouts are Foundation Upper Body/Abs, Lower Body/Abs, Pilates Core /Yoga Flex and 'choice'
Week 2-5 as above but Foundation is replaced with Power Push (30 min w/intervals)
Week six is 'recovery' week & includes Pilates/Yoga, Long Lean, and Steady Strides [choice]
Week 7-12 workouts are Full Body circuit (60 min), Long Lean (40 mins) Pilates/Yoga and Steady Strides [choice]

Jennifer I'm glad you found the info you wanted! I'd be interested to hear what you think if you buy it and try it out.

I'm buying it, so I'll let you know!

Please do! I like Kathy Smith's videos a lot.

After a very impatient 10 days, it came! I've been reading it for a couple of days, and tonight I will practice on the first workout. Looks really nice so far. It has the complete exercise DVD schedule for the next 12 weeks, and so far it leaves little room for questions! It all makes sense. I'm looking forward to this, and very curious to see what kind of results I get!

Cool, can't wait to get an update when you've had a chance to try it all out.

Hi Jennifer -
I also have ordered Project You, and I'm anxiously awaiting it - is there special equipment? I do have hand weights, but have seen that a fitness ball is also used?

Thanks for any help!

Julie

Hi Julie, you don't need the stability ball, but it is helpful for a few moves. I use it for pushups because my knees are bad. I also put it between my legs for inner thigh work while doing crunches. (You can use a pillow for that) All you need is a mat (if you have hard floors) and a kitchen style chair. I'm really loving the program. Read the guidebook straight away, it will make so much sense of the plan. I have a day by day account going on my journal, also. (which I need to update right now!)

Thanks, Jennifer!

I don't have a stability ball (yet) - so I think I'll just wait and see how I do without it for my first round through.

I like the fact that it's varied and structured. I've been doing a lot of reading about it on the boards at ivillage and beachbody. It's been a week since I ordered and No Word Yet :?: I'm hoping that it gets here by next week because that would put me in a great place in 12 weeks - beginning of June.

I enjoy reading your journal too - thanks for doing it!

It took a little over 2 weeks for mine to arrive, so hopefully yours will be there soon. You can write Beachbody to ask about it. If you do, let me know what kind of answers you get. I asked multiple questions in some mails, but they would only answer the first question in my mail. I wrote back and complained about canned messages, and it was the same guy that got the mail. :faint: Actually, I think they must have only one guy doing email customer service. His name is Kenneth!

Thanks, Jennifer - I finally got an email from BB saying that it had shipped (only one email), but I had sent them one earlier yesterday asking where it was.

Do you check out the BB forum at all?

Julie

Just FYI, Kathy's forum on iVillage is much more active than the forum on BeachBody, although she visits both. The iVillage forum is much older. If you want to check it out, it's at http://messageboards.ivillage.com/iv-fbkathysmith

If you want a quick answer at Beachbody, use their live chat option. I did that when I bought the Yoga Booty Ballet set. The rep was very helpful.

Sherry

Woohoo! Got my project:you today - will start on MONDAY! (Going away for the weekend) Looking forward to seeing some results as I kick up the exercise. . .

Julie

Something really scary happened tonight in lower body workout. The DVD started to stall. I don't know the technical term, but it freeze frames, and squares pop up all over the place. It did it 3 different times, and then the sound and picture weren't totally lined up after that. This is a new DVD player. It started with Project: You. What will I do if the DVD putters out? I don't have a DVD burner to make an emergency back up. I'll try and make a backup video tonight, and hope that it works.

Julie, have fun! I don't know what kind of shape you are in, but if the first cardio exercise is too hard or too easy, you can adjust it by watching the modifiers and following them. It was a little easy for me. I did it most of the week, but I moved to the next level a couple of days early. The middle one is just right for me - well it was, but it seems to be getting harder with time!

Jen, bring it to my house and we'll see if it does the same thing with my dvd player. If so, you should contact them asap for a replacement - within 30 days of receipt.

Jennifer - thanks for your encouragement - I am not exercising now AT ALL - or not very often, so I think I'll start off on the easy side - I'm really thinking that a structured total body plan will help ME stay structured, and I'm hoping for some results pretty fast. . .

About the DVD - did you try another DVD to see if it was the machine? Or do you have a DVD player in your PC to see if the same thing happens?

Julie

is the project you cardio more on the dancey side?

Like real dancing? No, not that I've seen. They did an easy Mambo move (oh boy, I think they said Mambo) for a couple of minutes in the first cardio workout, but that was all. There isn't any dancing in the second one, and I haven't watched the third one.

She introduced one of her back ups as being a former dancer for MC Hammer, and said she loves to dance 'and you'll get to see some of that later' - or something to that effect, but I haven't seen it yet.

The choreography isn't hard, either. I'm not coordinated at all, and I do ok with it. :)

Oh - I tried the dvd on the player we have downstairs, and it didn't happen. It happened today on the upper body workout, and only at the end. I think it might be too much excitement for the DVD player.

ok, I think you ladies have convinced me to give this program a try. I started out with Kathy though I have not done her in a while.

I think you'll be happy with it. There's enough variety in the workouts that the time flies by pretty quickly, and you will get a good workout. I'm sweating more now than I was when I started two weeks ago. I assume it is because I've got better form, and am burning more calories. Today I was sweatier than I've ever been while on the treadmill for an hour.

Jennifer, also wanted to thank you for your journal - it makes the program seem much more real and doable - I did watch the first weeks tapes last Friday, so I'm ready (I think) to do it this week. Blew the dust off my 3 and 5 pound weights. . .

Did you take your measurements when you started?

Julie

Yes, I took my measurements and put them in the book along with my weight. I am going to measure again in 6 weeks and see what happened in the first half. That is the plan, anyway. I might go all the way to the end to see. I wish I had taken pictures.
How about you?

I am not following her food plan, but I am trying to hit the same number of calories. For the most part, I eat in somewhat the same proportions as her plan so I'm probably not too far off. I've made the mistake of eyeballing my food for the last 2 weeks. When I entered food into Fitday yesterday, I realized I have probably been eating more than I thought. My number one diet goof is not counting what I eat. It sure looks like less food on my plate when I'm hungry.

About the food plan, did you read about the misprints? Here they are, for you or anybody else that might be reading:

Page 31 should say "TWO PRODUCE' instead of 'ONE FRUIT AND ONE VEGETABLE'. Also, in the nutrition guide it says 2 1/2 cups of low-fat cheese are allowed. It should be 2 1/2 ounces of low-fat cheese. I found this on the beachbody.com website. As far as I know, these are the only corrections. I read that before I ordered the dvd's. I thought maybe beachbody would have included the correction sheet with new orders, but it did not.

Jennifer -
I reaquainted myself with my sweat glands yesterday and several muscles that I forgot that I had. I had to march in place a few times in the second half of the cardio, and couldn't do all the reps in the lower body - but I at least did 1 or 2 of each. I think I may do the foundation tape for over a week until I learn the moves - since it seems that the power push is based on it.

I didn't take my measurements yesterday - I'm going to try to remember today. I'm following the LAWL diet which is also a portion control varied diet and since I've paid for it, I think I'll continue to follow it.

I did see the guide correction in the beachbody site.

Julie

Power Push isn't much harder, but there is a difference. The end of PP has a lot of intensity, and I have to walk in place for some of it. I'm glad though, because that means I'm getting a challenge. I'd rather have something to work towards than hold me back.

Have you done strength training yet? I am the worlds worst at push ups. I am using a stability ball for them and it is a lot easier.

Jennifer - I feel like I must look like I'm just moving my arms and shaking my legs toward the end of Foundation - so for the next two times this week I'm going to try to get the legs right - if I have to do week one a second week - I think that's okay. And it is definately still a challenge to me.

I have done both the upper and lower tapes - the tricep dips on the end of the chair are KILLER - (I can't modify it by dipping lower weight since the weight is ME). And today my abs are a little painful, but not unbearable.

Today I get to try the yoga/pilates - and we'll see how that goes. I have never done either!

Beverly, I did want to comment - if you have other Kathy Smith tapes, there is a post on her boards at beachbody about how to mix up other cardio and strength to get a similar workout. It's by someone named Kit'ara.

Julie

This is the bb thread about mixing up the workouts -

http://forums.beachbody.com/eve/ubb....71/m/875101214

Ah yeah I read that thread. I think one of the tapes she is talking about is really old? Or maybe I just never happened to come across it.

I figured if something happened to one of my dvd's (it's working fine now, I think it was the cold temp in the attic) I'd try something like what she posted, but instead with Kathy's kickboxing and/or fat burning workout for the cardio, and Lift Weights To Lose Weight for the strength training.

Julie, I can't finish rapid fire triceps, either. I was disappointed in myself, but then I realized I weigh more than anybody on that video, and they probably couldn't rapid fire by butt either. :D I'm trying to just improve on the hard parts by one at a time.

Jennifer

Did the Pilates and Yoga yesterday - I really like that it's a break from the cardio/strength - I'm looking foward to those today.

I've never done Pilates or Yoga, and am dismayed at how inflexible I am. Guess it's good to know that! And since my abs are so out of shape (and they've gotten some work on the upper and lower tapes) I could only do one or two of some of the pilates moves last night. Another way I can track my progress by the end of the 12 weeks - I'll be able to do the tricep dips AND some of those pilates moves!

I realized that one of the things I'm stumbling over in the cardio is the kick-boxing, since I've never done that before, so the combination of the foot work and the punching is confusing.

What are you doing for your choice day?
Julie

Oh Julie, I'm awful at Pilates and Yoga. Worse at Pilates. I would like to buy a sticky mat before my next session. I think it might help because sometimes I'm sliding around all over the carpet.

I'm doing Power Push for choice day. I think I may get on the treadmill for the next one, though. I guess I'll just move around to various things each week.

You'll get used to the kickboxing. I did her kickboxing DVD in the past, so I was used to the moves. All of the kickboxing moves in this were in her past one. They do it again in the Power Push workout. I think it is for 7 minutes. Maybe it will help you to rewind that section and practice it on choice day. I've found the more coordinated I get, the higher my heart rate goes and the more I get from the workout. The kickboxing is easy once you get the rhythm down. After you do it a few times it will suddenly kick in, and you'll be doing it blindfolded!

I have skipped my last 2 days of exercise. I have really bad allergies right now. I've been sore, dizzy, achy, cold, tired and wimpy. My doctor changed me to a different allergy medicine, so we'll see. I'm feeling almost normal tonight, so I should be able to get back to it tomorrow without passing out. ;)

Oh, Jennifer, I feel for you - this is the time when everything starts blooming. . .I really hope the new medication works.

I didn't have time for the upper body yesterday so I'm going to add it to 1/2 hour of cardio today - I think I'll try the steady strides, too.

It is so true that the better I get at the moves the more I sweat! Less fumbling I think. Also, my feet did slide in the yoga! Also, thanks for the idea of replaying the kickboxing segment to practice. I do remember some of the other sequences - like the lunge sequence from one of her earlier videos, so they are a little easier for me to get the hang of.

I think I'll review the power push tomorrow - if I still need a couple of days of Foundation - if I'm still sweating (and fumbling), it's still okay.

Julie

I haven't done P:U yet, but I wanted to interject that I've been doing yoga for about a year now. I marched into that first class and told the instructor I was the most inflexible person on earth, had bad knees, and of course it was obvious that I was still about 60 pounds overweight. I sort of dared her to make it doable for me. And guess what? IT WAS, and I haven't looked back. I've reaped so many benefits from that class, not only physically but mentally. DO stick with it and learn from it. It has informed my post-weights and post-cardio stretching, it has helped with the way I carry myself during the day, and my seated forward reach has increased THREE INCHES. I'm still more hamstrung than other people in class, there are still things my knees won't let me do, etc. But, it's amazing how much I enjoy class and how much I've gotten out of it.

And yes, you DEFINITELY need a sticky mat! A great source is Gaiam -- http://www.gaiam.com/retail/category...gaTools&Page=1. In addition to the mat, you might look at getting this video: http://www.gaiam.com/retail/product....91%2D0167+MSTR. You might find your practice more rewarding by using props, and this video can explain how to use them in various poses.

Funniegirl - thanks for the encouragement on the yoga and pilates - I had just about decided on the sticky mat as my feet were sliding backwards during one of the poses. I can already feel some improvement after just one week on PY - my breathing seems to be deeper (if that makes any sense), I'm sitting up straighter, and my balance is better. Maybe all this just means I'm more aware of my physical self???

Are you considering Project:You?
Julie

Hi,

For all of you who start yoga OR pilates - make sure you have sticky mat. It is not so much a convenience, but it is a safety issue. Also, make sure that if you have problems sitting cross legged - blanket under your sitting bones (elevating your hips) will help reduce tension. I do yoga for about 6 years now, and I am teaching classes for about 2 years and I've seen so many improvements in overweight people. One of my students is (i guess) in her 350-ties and she still can modify some postures accordingly.

Yoga clears your mind and soul - I always end my class with words - "close your eyes, imagine your favourite picture in front of you, look into details of this picture. Now ask yourself how you feel - if you feel good - take this feeling with you and leave all stress and tension in this room" - talk to yourself when you finish your practise - you will find such a mood improvemnts!

I recently discovered Pilates - Windsor pilates tapes - even though the workout is way to short, it is a good exercise!

Good luck,
Sandy.

Sandy - that was one question I had - I can use the same mat for both yoga and pilates, right? (I'm a little embarrassed for having to ask ...)

Julie

Julie, one of the biggest benefits of yoga is that it DOES improve your mind/body connection. That's true for anyone, but overweight or otherwise out-of-shape people need to reconnect the MOST. It's made a huge difference in how I think about my body, and in the way I approach all types of movement, fitness, etc.

I am considering P:U because I love Kathy so much and I have such confidence in her routines. However, I belong to a fitness center and have been on a kick of going consistently, so I don't feel a need to change anything right now. But, I'm thinkin' about it.