Burning Fat, Blasting Abs, Turbo Jam’s Ab Jam Workout
My abs were still burning from working out with Tony Horton’s a Core Ball Sandwich the other day, but I decided to put in Chalene Johnson’s 20 minute Ab Jam workout from her Turbo Jam series anyway. Half of this routine does standing ab exercises. The other half is performed on the floor.
What I really like about Beachbody workouts is each trainer has their own style for working out abs. I used to be one of those people who would go to the gym and walk by anything that looked like it might involve abs. I didn’t like working my abdominal muscles because it involved pain.
My neck and lower back always seemed to hurt when I did ab exercises. I didn’t know I needed a trainer to keep me motivated, correct my form, and give me options for getting my mid-section in shape.
The standing portion of Ab Jam feels a lot like the other Turbo Jam workouts. It’s a little bit punching and kicking combined with music and Chalene’s style of fun. It’s true that you forget you’re working out when you’ve got a Turbo Jam DVD playing.
Here’s a hint for Ab Jam…warm up with the 20 Minute Cardio session. You’ll get your cardio, have a great warm up and keep the fat burning while working your abs with Ab Jam.
I will say that when we moved to the floor session, I knew for sure we were focusing on abs! Some of the moves Chalene uses are killer on the obliques and not once did I feel pain in my neck or lower back.
She reminds you to lead with your shoulder (not your elbow) when you’re doing crunches to keep the pressure off your neck. When doing standing crunches, she’ll tell you to lift your “hip” not your knee when doing side crunches.
Form is everything folks! I can appreciate a trainer who knows the common mistakes we all make and gently educates us on how to make each move more effective while reducing the risk of injury.
I like to combine the 20 minute Turbo Jam cardio with the Ab Jam workout which is also 20 minutes in length. I think I need to give my abs some recovery time now. I feel like I just did Ab Ripper X or Yoga Belly from P90X. I think I need to go to the kitchen and refuel now. Mommy!
Fall Hike? Mix It Up for Results
My hip flexors are sore today. Yesterday, we took a five mile hike on a local trail. The trail was challenging. Not only was it five miles long, but it was rolling with hills and curves. Sometimes we were walking; sometimes we were jogging. This was an invigorating walk that challenged my aerobic, strength, and endurance capabilities.
I live in an area that has a lot of pollen, and I have allergies to pollen and to mold. That makes walking on a trail difficult for me most of the year. In the spring and summer, I have trouble breathing because of pollen. Late in the year when we’ve had a rainy season, the mold count on pine needles in wooded areas makes me wheeze and affects my endurance and intensity.
For a short period of time during the year, the trails are perfect. If I don’t get out and hike them when I can, I lose a beautiful opportunity to enjoy nature and mix up my routine. The ultimate key to keep your body burning fat and your muscles getting tighter is to mix up your workout routines. Don’t let you body get used to doing the same thing everytime you work out.
As for this morning? I think I need to do a little yoga to stretch out those hip flexors. Hmmmm. P90X Yoga X or Patience Hummingbird? What will you do today? Get out on a trail if the conditions are right for you. Keep it mixed up. Keep doing your best. Forget the rest.
Core Ball Sandwich Flatter Abs!
I finished Tony Horton’s One on One Core Ball Sandwich feeling like I’d accomplished a great challenge yet missed the mark on athletic ability. My core muscles received a muscle twitching trembling workout, but I had to practice Tony’s mantra to “do your best and forget the rest.”
I struggled primarily with the pull ups. I’ve worked my way up to one chin up, and I’m quite proud of that. I don’t plan on ever being able to keep up with Tony on the pull ups. He’s a machine when it comes to pulling himself above that bar!
Core Ball Sandwich is a series of ten exercises that are done in two rounds. In keeping with this trainer’s style, three exercises are done in super set style and then, the next set of three, followed by another set of three. Ok, so that adds up to nine…he throws in an extra ball exercise.
A set of pull ups starts each super set of three exercises. The pull ups are not standard pull ups like you’d see in a beginner’s course. Remember, One on One workouts were designed for P90X graduates who wanted to continue using extreme fitness training routines. These pull ups are for extreme workouts. If you’re like me and can’t do them, you just do what you can.
After a set of pull ups, you’ll move on to a set of balance ball exercises. These are challenging because you have to use tiny little muscle to stabilize your body. For example, one of the balance ball exercises requires you to do push ups with your hands on the ball and your feet on a bench. I modified here by placing my feet on the floor. Modifying exercises allows you to build up strength and endurance over time while preventing injuries from overexertion or improper form.
The final set of exercises is performed with a basketball. I didn’t have a basketball, so I used a four pound medicine ball. I really liked using a smaller ball in this workout. I thought the added weight worked well to intensify the V-up crunches. It was also easier for my hand to palm during the push up exercises than a basketball would have been for me.
Core Ball Sandwich is an extreme fitness workout that brings both challenge and variety to any Beachbody program. It takes advantage of interval training to get your heart rate up which means your metabolism is charged. When your metabolism is burning so is fat! This workout brought plenty of sweat and as I write this, my abs are still on fire.
Shakeology The Workouts – The 30
It’s been at least an hour since I completed my workout tonight and my abs are still burning! What did I do? Shakeology The Workouts – The 30. Quite a name isn’t it? The 30 is quite simply the thirty minute workout vice the fifty minute workout designed to compliment Beachbody’s Shakeology. My abs aren’t burning because of the workout focusing on abs. They’re burning because I was introduced to a new ab exercise. It seems like every Beachbody workout has a slight twist when it comes to working out the abdominal muscles. Each trainer seems to have their own unique signature ab moves.
The workout was only thirty minutes long but took advantage of interval training to keep the heart rate up. Keeping the heart rate up means you’ll burn fat and rev your metabolism. The workout involved three rounds of exercises that combined both cardio moves and strength training exercises. All that’s needed for the strength training is one light set of dumbbells or a resistance band.
What did I like most about it? This workout will make an excellent fitness dvd to take on vacation. It’s designed to work your whole body from head to toe, including toning and cardio. It can be done in a small area such as a hotel room. I can use a resistance band that easily packs and the packaging for the dvds will pack nicely in a suit case.
I will probably also use the workout as a fill in workout to mix in a little variety when I need it. For example, when I do round two of P90X in September or October, I may use the Shakeology workouts to substitute for a Cardio X workout. I’d rate the intensisty as medium. You can certainly modify moves (demonstrated by one of the participants) to reduce the intensity if you’re new to exercising or need to modify for health reasons.
By the way, the trainer’s name is Tania Ante. You can also find her on Beachbody’s Hip Hop Abs, Insanity and Rockin’ Body fitness workout dvds. Tania does an excellent job of demonstrating proper form before each exercise.
If you’re not familiar with Shakeology, it’s a meal replacement shake that Beachbody likes to call it “the healthiest meal of the day.” It’s not just a protein shake or a regular meal replacement shake. It contains 70 healthy ingredients and even comes with a 30 day money back guarantee. Take some time to learn about the awesome health benefits of Shakeology. It’s really impressive, and I just can’t do it justice trying to write about it here.
I was impressed enough to make this my breakfast on work days. It’s nutritious and filling. I also liked the fact that in a 90 day study where test participants replaced one shake per day with Shakeology, ate a balanced diet and moderately worked out three times per week reduced their cholesterol an average of 30% and their bad cholesterol by an average of 38%. In a day and age where doctors prescribe medication before educating individuals on nutrition and exercise, I was excited to learn that Shakeology might help in the fight to control cholesterol levels.
You can order the Shakeology workouts alone or get them free when you sign up for an automatic monthly delivery of either Greenberry or Chocolate Shakeology. When you sign up for automatic monthly delivery, you’ll also get your shipping for the Shakeology free every month. It’s kind of a nice program because you get the free workouts, free shipping, and you won’t run out of your meal replacement shake.
Oh, a few stats on the shake…everyone wants to know about calories, fat, carbs, and protein so here’s the stats on the Chocolate Shakeology. 140 Calories. Only 1 gram of fat. 17 grams of carbohydrates. 17 grams of protein. When you read more about Shakeology, you’ll be able to open up the nutrition label on both the Greenberry and Chocolate if you want to review it before adding it to your fitness plan.
If you have a Beachbody program, keep pressing play. If you’re new to Beachbody, nutrition, working out, getting in shape, improving your fitness, or losing weight we’re here to help you meet your fitness goals.
Power 90 Sculpt! Circuit 1-2
The Sculpt! Circuit 1-2 workout of Tony Horton’s Power 90 program combines ample stretching with strength training. I found this workout to be a nice introduction to Tony’s training methods and working out in general. This routine is just under 29 minutes. You’ll need a resistance band or a set of dumbbells to get the best results from these exercises; however, you can do the exercises without the additional resistance of a band or weights.
Power 90 is set up on four phases that span a 90 day period. You progress through each phase whenever your body needs additional exertion. In other words, once a workout is getting easier, you have to move on to the next phase to keep your body burning fat and building muscle. Our bodies adapt to stress by improving our capability to handle the stress (i.e. building muscle to handle increased lifting requirements).
Sculpt! Circuit 1-2 is the strength training video for phases one and two. During this workout, you learn the moves and what your body is capable of doing. It’s important to take it easy the first time you do a new workout. It helps you set a base line for future workouts, lets you challenge yourself for your next workout, and perhaps most importantly, helps you learn proper form. Proper form means two things. You’ll minimize injuries. And, you’ll work the muscle(s) the exercise is designed to work.
Like all the Beachbody workouts, even though this routine focuses on strength training, you’re going to work up a little sweat. The workout is set up in three phases which consists of a group of six exercises. Each exercise has 8-12 reps and uses interval training to boost you’re metabolism and burn fat while toning your muscles from head to toe.
Again, I think Power 90 is good for beginners or those who need a lower intensity program due to fitness level or health. It’s good as a fill in workout on days when you want a less intense workout. When I’m feeling sick or under the weather just from being a woman, Power 90 will be a good workout to keep me moving. I think it’s important to keep moving even when you don’t feel like it. A lower intensity workout on days like these will at least keep you from stagnating and maybe even stopping your fitness routines becuase you missed a few days.
taking advantage of every opportunity to reach your fitness goals.
