Shape Your Weigh

Phase 1 - Day 4 - Cardio and Legs/Calves

I woke up early this morning so I could get the 45 minute cardio workout done early and leave the weight training session for after work. I knew if I left it all for the end of the day I wouldn't be able to finish.  I’m SO glad I did because there’s no way I could have done nearly an hour of cardio after an hour of training legs!

 

I have a love hate relationship with cardio. I dread doing it indoors. I didn’t want to stare at the wall for 45 minutes just putting in time so I did a 45 minute spin bike session through Apple Fitness. It was exactly what I needed to get the long cardio session done and resulted in a great burn. Goal achieved!

 

The leg session after work was tough but nothing like the ab session yesterday. Give me leg training any day over abs!

 

Anyhow that’s the update for today. Going to take it easy with the family for the rest of the night. :)

 

 

 

Phase 1 - Day 1

The Summer Shred program workout schedule is Monday-Friday with the weekend off but I love getting my workouts done on the weekend so I did Phase 1 - Week 1 - Workout 1 on Sunday, May 23rd.  As the summer progresses I'll probably stick more to the Monday to Friday so I can enjoy my time at the campground.  Having said that, the schedule is totally flexible to make it work for you so I'm going with that!  

I went into this workout knowing what to expect from the last challenge.  It was tougher than it looks on paper though.  I did the Gym version of the workout because I have a great setup at home but had to sub a couple of things.  I didn't have the upper body strength to perform the assisted pullups and the weighted band I have wasn't enough to counter my own weight to help.  I subbed that out for wide grip lat pulldowns for my back.  The band assisted pull ups were supposed to be 3 sets of 10-15 so I did the pulldowns 3 sets of 15 instead.  The next set of exercises involved a SuperSet of more wide grip lat pulldowns and hanging twisting knee raises so my arms were jelly after this lol.  I can't give away the entire workout but it involved some back rows, planks, crunches, cable pulldowns and the finisher was a GIANT set.  Now I know why Nicole has such amazing arms.  For those that don't know what a Giant set is, it involves taking a group of exercises and going through them 1 after the other without any rest.  So perform 1 set of 15 reps, immediately move on to the next exercise and do another set of 15, then another exercise with a set of 15, etc.  I keep a record of my weights, reps and notes in a scribbler and actually wrote down "F*^K" for this one then immediately scribbled it out LOL.  It was definitely effective though!

Kimmy

 

Nicole Wilkins - Summer Shred 2021

It's been a very long time since I've done a blog post but I'm looking to get back at it!

Working from home the past year and a half has had some ups and downs.  I developed some bad habits of eating at my desk, snacking, watching WAY too much tv and not exercising  at all.  Working from home it's easy to walk to the fridge whenever the urge hits.  Before at work if I didn't pack it I didn't have it to eat LOL.  Anyhow, back in March  I signed up for my first Nicole Wilkins - Buns and Guns Challenge to help get back on track.  I saw the transformation pictures from her "60 Day Commit to Fit" which started in January and kicked myself for not signing up for that challenge.  The Buns and Guns challenge was a huge wake up call for how little I've been doing the past year.  The first workout was hard.  My legs hurt for 3 days LOL.  Some of the exercises I just couldn't do to the full reps and sets so I just did the best I could.  Week by Week I got stronger and what was hard became easier.  I went from bodyweight squats to adding the barbell with weights.   I didn't win the prize money but I can honestly say it helped get me back into a routine of clean eating and exercising.  I'm hooked now and signed up for the Summer Shred!

Tomorrow (May 24th) is the last day to sign up for the challenge.  The program runs for 40 days and provides workouts, nutrition, some recipes and mobility exercises.  You can do the program without submitting pictures but if you want a chance at winning a prize ($3k for first place!) you need to submit before photos (front, side and back pose).  They will give you a hashtag that you have to write down on a piece of paper with your Before "front" photo.  The side and back photos can be taken without the hashtag.  

The supplements aren't required to do the program.  They aren't available in Canada anyhow so I just signed up for the bronze package and continue to use my own favorite protein powder. 

The workouts take time.  The weight training is anywhere from 40-60 minutes (a bit over the hour getting started when figuring out some of the exercises).  Cardio is 4 days a week and varies from 30-45 minutes.  I know that's a lot but honestly I just do what I can to make it work.  For the last challenge I would do cardio first thing in the morning or during my lunch break.  I missed a solid week and a half of the last challenge due to a bad chest cold and had to take it very slow when I got back at it.  At the end of the day I don't care about the prize money, I'm just competing against myself to feel better and stronger.

The program is $99 for bronze (American funds).  There are 3 options for workouts - 1) You have full access to a gym.  2) You have a home gym with a pretty good setup (barbells, dumbbells, bench, etc.) or 3) You have a few dumbbells or bands at home.  The program gives you all 3 options when you buy it.  I legit saw some amazing transformations in the group from people who only had a couple of pairs of dumbbells and worked out in their garage or spare bedroom!  The program comes in ebook PDF format which you get to keep for life.  If there's something on the meal plan you don't like there's an exchange list to swap it for something else.  

I'm going to be blogging about my experience this time around.  I just did the odd Facebook last time and regret that I didn't write about it more.  This time around I'll make an effort. :)  If anyone else decides to sign up let me know!

Day 30 of 99 - Workout Accountability and Athabasca Update

First let me get some whining quickly out of the way.  My left arm hurts like hell from the flu shot yesterday.  I
a side sleeper so my sleep last night sucked.  </endwhine>

Now for the happy news!  I got my second assignment marks back from Athabasca and achieved another 100%.  I guess I really do know how to support end user computing. ;)  Just joking around.  I have officially passed the course but still have another assignment to submit.  It shouldn't be too hard though and I plan to work on it over the next couple of weeks. :)  It'll be nice to have another completed course under my belt and I'll look towards taking another one in the new year.

I debated skipping my workout when I got home because my arm was sore but then I realized I was being a wimp so I went downstairs and got it done.  I did some superset training where I worked a muscle group then proceeded to run on the treadmill for 1 minute, brief rest, then back to the weights and cardio.  I repeated this for 40 minutes and felt really good.  I got a slightly longer rest time when Sweetpea decided she wanted to get on the treadmill too.  Silly cat. :)

 I hope everyone had a great day.  Here's to kicking butt the remainder of the week!

Venus Transformation Contest Winner

I've been blogging so much about our journey with Menieres that it's time to talk about something different - fitness and weight loss! Back in May I decided to join the Venus Index Transformation Contest - VT17. I bought the Venus system years ago when I worked at the Service Center. My good friend Michelle bought the program and placed in the 3rd contest. The principles of the program resonate with me and follows how I lost over 125lbs to begin with. Focus on calories and hitting your deficit, get 3 solid workouts or more in a week and you'll get results. With everything that's been going on I felt I needed something to help keep me motivated and focused...plus the prize money was a nice incentive!  If I was successful I'd achieve a healthier me so it was an easy decision to make.  The program doesn't require any fancy equipment and can be done at home with some dumbbells or resistance bands. 

I submitted my before pictures back in May and did my final photos the end of July. I was shocked and happy to place 3rd! :) The money I won will go towards Allison's dance tuition for the 2016-2017 year! 

I will be doing a telephone interview with Roberta Saum from the Venus Factor to discuss the contest, diet and training. I'll post a link to that when it's done and published online.

In the meantime, Venus is holding their 18th contest now. If anyone is interested in the program I would appreciate it if you used my link as I make a few dollars on the referral. If you join the challenge through me I'll also gladly help with any coaching questions you may have! I still hold a valid Personal Trainer certificate through CanFitPro so I'm qualified to help! 1st place is $500 and my 3rd place won me $250 American!

Ab Routine - Ouch I feel that!

Sunday morning was the first time I dedicated an entire workout to just abs in a LONG time and all I can say is OWW! It didn't hurt during the workout but my stomach muscles are crying out mercy today. I let go a sneeze at work this morning and actually let out a yelp. Yup that's a sign of some serious training there folks!

I love feeling my workouts when I push really hard. I'm not in agony. It's not pain related injury. If you do a workout and feel serious pain then you should always check with your doctor. The pain I'm referring to is the burn. You work your body hard and you can feel it the next day. I'm proud of this and it’s what I aim for every time.  When I hit the gym it’s ME time.  I’m the girl with the headphones on, tuning everyone else out.  I’m not trying to be rude.  I will say hi and quickly chat if you stop me on the way in or out but besides that, forget it.  I’m there to workout and when the headphones go on it’s all about ME.

Tomorrow is my functional training day so there will be some squats, push ups, lunges and other goodies ahead of me. I can't wait!  Wait a second...did I just say I can't wait to do push ups and lunges?  What is the world coming to! ;)

What are some of your favorite exercises? How can you tell when you've had a good workout and that you challenged yourself enough?  Would love to hear from you!

Suspension Training with the TRX

I decided it was time to pick up a new piece of gym equipment.  I have been itching to try the TRX for quite some time now.  Ian had one on sale at Spartan Fitness so I finally got my chance!  I am now the proud owner of a TRX Pro!  I did my first workout with it and it kicked my butt and I can’t wait to do it again.  It’s so much fun to use.  I wish I bought one of these long ago.  I love, love, LOVE it!

The door anchor allows you to perform a workout anywhere in the house provided you have a solid door.  I can take the TRX to the playground or whenever I go traveling!  It comes with a convenient carry bag which will pack easily into a suitecase.  The kit came with a great introductory dvd that shows how to properly setup the TRX along with a beginner workout.  I will say this.  Planks on the TRX are _A LOT_ harder than doing them on the floor.  My poor abs.  I love it. :)

I will post more pictures and workout reviews later. :)

BodyRock.tv Workout Review

My friend Michelle convinced me I should give this workout a try from BodyRock.tv.  It completely kicked my butt and I LOVED it!  I can’t wait to try more workouts by Zuzana.  This woman is hard core!

 

How Much Do You Burn?

A big THANK YOU to Lindsey for posting this question on the Shape Your Weigh 2011 Facebook group.  Her question was:

Kimmy, I was wondering how much of a discrepancy there is between the calories burned on your treadmill versus on the Bodybugg? I heard that gym machines can be off by as much as 20% or so. Or can you tell how many on the Bodybugg for just 1 activity?

I couldn’t let this question sit for more than a day – I was extremely anxious to tackle it.  I have to say, I’m surprised by the results.  It brings forth a few questions.  “Which monitor is better?  Can you really afford those extra calories?  Are these high end gadgets worth their expensive price tag?”

Activity Selected

• Walk/Run combo on the treadmill

Length of Activity

• 30 minutes

Calorie Monitors Used

• Standard calorie monitor on treadmill
• Polar F6 Heart Rate Watch Monitor
• BodyBugg

Observations During Warm-up

I started my run like I do every other with a 1-2 minute walk.  I noticed the calorie burn being reported between the watch and the treadmill were pretty close.  Maybe off by 10-15 calories.

Observations During the Run

This is where all hell started to break loose.  I kept a close eye on my Polar F6 heart rate monitored while watching the treadmill monitor.  In a matter of minutes the two were completely out of synch and off by as much as 50-75 calories.

Comparing the Data

The proof is in the pictures.  These are pictures taken of my treadmill and my Polar F6 watch at the end of the run.

As you can see there is a BIG difference between the Polar F6 Heart Rate monitor (289 calories in 30 minutes) and the treadmill (155 calories in 30 minutes).

What the BodyBugg Reported

The BodyBugg reported my 30 minute run burned 320 calories. 

Table of Results

Treadmill	155 calories
Polar F6 Watch	289 calories
BodyBugg	320 calories

 

Conclusion and Opinion

I have to admit, I’m not really surprised that the treadmill was so far off from the other two monitors when it came to my calorie expenditure.  The treadmill wasn’t programmed for my weight, and it wasn’t doing a heart rate reading. 

I’m a little surprised to see a 31 calorie difference between the BodyBugg and the Polar F6 heart rate monitor.  31 calories doesn’t seem like a lot but in the course of a year 31 calories a day = 11,315 total calories. 

1 pound of fat = roughly 3500 calories

11,315 total calories divided by 3500 calories = 3.2 lbs per year

My opinion is to continue monitoring with my BodyBugg and Polar F6 but I will keep in mind that even these two high end, expensive devices are not without fault and that there is margin for error.  At the end of the day, whether or not you choose to buy them or use them is up to you.

Let me know what you think!