Brea Getting Fit » Barre Workouts

Cardio Barre Beginner Workout Giveaway GIVEAWAY CLOSED

breefawn — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 06:12:54 +0000

I had some extra energy (yay for getting 5 straight hours of blissful sleep!) and was jonesing for a barre workout when I got home from work today. SO…I have been wanting to do the beginner version of Cardio Barre: Four Workouts on One DVD, and as I was dragging out my barre (if you’ve never tried to maneuver a Fluidity barre at 6 months pregnant, you should be VERY proud of me!! That thing is AWKWARD and heavy!!) thought that I might share my thoughts (and a giveaway) with you, my loyal readers (you’re still out there, right??) I know that I have been VERY baby-obsessed the last six months, but I can’t really help that. I promise that after Tater gets here, you’ll hear all about me getting back into shape. Scout’s honor. Okay, moving on. So I finally got the barre set up (YAY!) and the DVD put in (note to self: move the DVD player to a higher location!!), and the Intro workout started. I have done the third and forth workouts before, and KNEW that I could not keep up…ummmm…yeah. I did okay. The workout is 144 bpm, which definitely got my heart pumping, and the moves were clearly explained. Some of the twisting I was unable to do for obvious reasons (and nothing on the floor…that heavens for my exercise ball!!), but I thought that it was a nice, short and to-the-point workout.

Now for the giveaway….I have a BRAND-SPANKIN-NEW Cardio Barre: Four Workouts on One DVD to giveaway! How do you enter, you may ask? Well, I’ll tell you. Leave a comment here telling me WHY you want this workout. It doesn’t have to be long, just tell me why you want it. The contest will run until Midnight EST on Sunday, April 11, 2010 (contest now ended).

I haven’t done this before, but I thought that I’d give it a try: EXTRA ENTRIES!!

-Follow me on Twitter, then post here (separate post, please) to tell me you are a follower.

-Fan me on Facebook, then post here (separate post, please) to tell me that you are now a fan.

-TWEET about this contest (one tweet per person, please), and post your tweet.

Good luck all!!

**Thank you for all the entries and follows!! We (Ish and I) drew the winner tonight…and…it’s DANIELLE! Congratulations!! Please email me your mailing address and I’ll get the DVD right out to you!**

Pregnancy Update

breefawn — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 04:36:35 +0000

Hello to all of you who are still reading my blog! I am sorry that I have not been more diligent in my posts, but life has been absolutely CRAZY! To catch you up, we set up our crib, picked out paint colors, and have been stocking up on good baby deals. (I LOVE Ross and Marshalls for onesies!) I also found a great deal on nursing covers, thanks to a wonderful friend. Have you ever heard of Udder Covers? They’re pretty neat, and although Tater won’t be here until July, this is a deal that I could NOT pass up. If you go the udder covers website and enter the promo code “onefree”, you can get your udder cover for just the price of shipping! I have 2, in the Carson and Jones patterns, and they are really neat! I have to admit that I tried on the Carson, and the covers have this neat neckline that is moldable so that you look at your baby while you are covering up your nursing activities. Beyond that nifty find, I really haven’t had much time beyond trying to workout and eat healthy. I do really enjoy Suzanne Bowen’s Long and Lean Prenatal Workout, which is produced by Ruah, and will be great even after the pregnancy. The workout is very fluid, and I am really enjoying the barre quality (even though it’s probably more pilates-based to be completely fair). I will post a full review soon.

My iPod has a new addiction

breefawn — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 01:40:28 +0000

Have you ever heard of iTRAIN? It’s a training program for your iPod. NO, not for the iPod to get in shape…for YOU to get in shape. The workouts are based in anything from cycling to weights…to running…and…(drumroll, please!) BARRE WORKOUTS! You cannot BELIEVE how excited I was to find these! I can take my barre workouts ANYWHERE!! AND the workouts are innovative, well executed and…dare I say this: fun?! Yup. FUN. I like that the workouts vary in length from 20 to 60 minutes, and are rated by difficulty. While most of the iBallet workouts are rated “beginner”, don’t let that fool you. I was BURNING. I know that I’m doing my P57/The Tracy Anderson Method Presents Mat Workout DVD rotation this month, accented by Essentrics (LOVING IT!), but I like to plan ahead. Interestingly, I’m thinking that iBallet will be good on my off days. I currently have the Barre None (no barre), Nip Tuck (accessory muscles), and Workout 1. They’re each broken down into 15-20 minute sections (except for the warm-up and cool-down, which are approximately 3-5 minutes each), which makes it easy to work toward the results that I want. Even better? iTRAIN has different purchase options for their workouts: ala carte, monthy motivator (my personal choice!) and yearly. So you can try a workout, and if you like it, then you can get more! With my plan, I get to download 3 workouts a month (about $10.00/month), and I can choose from any of their programs. Download, workout at iTRAIN.com! Save 10% off select workout packages! Use code TRAIN10. I am thinking about trying ARTM DVD next, which is a fusion of yoga/pilates and dance…but we’ll see. I’m so excited about iBallet that I think I may spend my next 20 downloads getting the complete collection! AND I’m thinking of making these workouts and Cardio Barre my October rotation…loooong ways off, I know…but it’s almost the middle of September! Time to start thinking ahead.

Get that lean dancer’s body! Save 10% on All The Right Moves workout videos from iTRAIN.com! Use code TRAIN10.

Essentrics Legs

breefawn — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 23:37:10 +0000

When I got home last night, I couldn’t wait to pop in (one of) my new favorite workouts, Essentrics Workout: Arms, Abs&Waist Toner / Legs, Butt&Thigh Thinner intermidiate-advanced level. I’ve been alternating between the upper and lower body workouts (each is 30 minutes long), and yesterday was a lower body day. First, let me say that I am absolutely in love with Sahra’s workouts! That being said…I should probably explain why I love them. The upper body stretch makes me feel SO much taller, and I look forward to the relaxed feeling that comes over me while I’m doing the sequences. Sahra’s cuing is good for both workouts, but I was slightly disappointed to discover that the leg work is not balanced. This is easy to compensate for, just by alternating which leg I start with for the sequences. The lower body workout allowed me to stretch further into my hamstrings and glutes than I’ve been able to do in a LONG time (pun intended). Even with the off-sequencing, I really look forward to the stretches after work. I think that if I had all the time in the world, I would probably do this video (both workouts) every day, just because I feel so great afterwards. I really hope that Essentrics comes out with some additional workouts soon!!

Day 2: Mat Workout

breefawn — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 15:30:29 +0000

I was lucky enough to get the late shift at work, which means that I have plenty of time to workout this morning. Translation: NO EXCUSES. As I mentioned in my last post, this month is a rotation of Physique 57 and The Tracy Anderson Method Presents Mat Workout DVD. Since I did P57 yesterday, Tracy was on deck this morning. I must say that this workout always kicks my booty. It is a little bit intimidating, especially since the moves don’t seem like they would make you curse the day you bought the workout. I’ll admit that there is a definite lack of direction, and Tracy looks bored half the time…unless it’s during the ribcage isolations…then she just looks like she’s having a good old time in the club. Okay, back to my aching shoulders. The unweighted arm work in the Mat workout is FABULOUS, as long as you can get past the feeling that your shoulders are going to fall out of their sockets. I also noticed that my pinky fingers were going numb…. Not sure how to feel about that. I’m also rather impressed with the amount of burning that my hips and thighs experienced. The moves aren’t rocket science…and I wouldn’t necessarily call her workout low-impact, but it’s effective. You feel the burn in all the right places for those changes that you’re looking for. Unfortunately, this workout could have REALLY used better instruction and some indication of the transitions. I do like that Tracy explains WHY you’re killing yourself. I think I’ve said all of this before, but this is the first time that I’ve done her workout in quite awhile. I will be doing it 3 times per week, along with P57…and I’m hoping that I get some AWESOME results!! Now I just need to build up the courage to do ANOTHER arm workout…Essentrics, here I come!! I’m off to do the arms segment! (from Essentrics Workout: Arms, Abs&Waist Toner / Legs, Butt&Thigh Thinner intermidiate-advanced level)

I can do almost anything for 57 minutes

breefawn — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 23:49:30 +0000

One of my friends has been absolutely RAVING about the BRAND NEW workout from Physique 57…so when I (finally) got my copy of the full body workout, I could not wait to try it…of course, it sat next to the DVD player and taunted me…until this morning. I finally got up the guts to try this workout, and I must say that I’m officially addicted. I’ve come to the conclusion that I need to stick with a rotation for the month…and next month I can change it up. This month’s morning rotation is P57 and The Tracy Anderson Method Presents Mat Workout DVD. After work, I’ll be doing Essentrics Workout: Arms, Abs&Waist Toner / Legs, Butt&Thigh Thinner intermidiate-advanced level, alternating between the two workouts. I am SO excited! I posted a list of things that I wanted to accomplish this year, and I’m already well on my way! Okay…back to my fantastic workout this morning. I have done just about every barre workout there is, and I have to say that I really love the style of P57. Tanya Becker, the creator of P57, was a Lotte Berk instructor for 10 years, and it SHOWS. The “warm up” includes a full sequence of upper-body strength sequence, which targets your biceps, shoulders and back with weights, and then moves to push-ups and tricep dips. I really appreciated that even during the warm up, there was an “advanced” example, as well as a modifyer. After you warm up, and stretch your upper body, it’s on to thighs. One word: OUCH. Tanya has you doing pulses, squeezes and elevators (you actually drop your rear down to your heels and get back up…sounds easy enough, but try doing this when your thighs won’t stop shaking) that make you want to throw the playground ball that the workout uses at the screen. I had to remind myself that I would have to replace the TV…not something i want to do right this moment. The thigh work is broken into two segments, which allows you a short break and then you get right back to that burn. And believe me, this workout will make your muscles SCREAM. But that’s a good thing…it’s what causes those changes that we’re all looking for. I will admit that I had to take a quick break during the second thigh sequence…but I did 99% of it! After thighs, you get to put your rear in gear. This workout has a great standing seat sequence, followed by (my favorite!) pretzel. I like Tanya’s take on pretzel, and my glutes were on FIRE when I was done. The abs segment in the full body workout actually made my abs…SORE. Yup. You read that right. I was SORE. BUT, I think that it was worth it! Most of the abs work is nothing new, but she did utlize a cusion for a large majority of it, which was rather innovative, and definitely takes any pressure off the lower back. After abs, there is a lower back sequence, which is often ignored in other barre workouts. Did I mention the thigh and back dancing? Talk about TOTAL BODY BURN!! The workout does need equipment: you need 2 sets of weights (light and medium), a playground ball (not really optional, but you can find them pretty cheap), a mat (unless you have carpet) and a cushion or thick towel…OH! AND you’ll need a barre or high-backed chair. I know that it sounds like alot, but it is SO very worth it. Currently, you can only purchase the workout directly from the Physique 57 webpage. It’s definitely worth it. I haven’t had this much fun being in pain in awhile!

Want a preview?

In Tanya’s words: “Physique 57 isthe ultimate transformative physical fitness experience. It’s the only exercise program I’ve seen that changes bodies so efficiently. It targets all the major muscle groups so clients see rapid, obvious results. Plus it’s fun, invigorating, and incredibly intense. It makes people feel good.” I defintely agree.

One more thing…over the weekend I posted a contest for the Pershing Square 2 DVD…and had some wonderful entries. I decided to let an outside party pick the winner (Ish), and he picked Patty, who gave a great explaination as to why she wants the workout. See her winning entry here.

PS2 GIVEAWAY!

breefawn — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 19:50:12 +0000

It’s finally here!! I wanted to be sure that I could give an honest review of Pershing Square 2, so here it is. I like this workout, but I don’t love it. Here’s the breakdown: the warm up is okay…it’s tough: full-out push-ups, planks and abs. Then it’s on to thigh work: my honest opinion…if you want to really feel the burn, do the thigh work from 1 & 2, or do this sequence twice. I’m normally shaking from Carrie’s workouts, but this time…not so much. Okay…on to the important part: TOOSH. The glutes sequence is AMAZING. You start with standing pretzel, and move on to some floor work. There’s also a decent abs section and good stretches after each body part. Now, the negatives…I would have liked to see more focus on upper body, in addition to a more developed thigh stretching after the workouts. I will admit that I enjoy this workout…it’s one of those that never seems to get old. For the parts that are “easy” there is enough challenge to be interested. I’d actually like for y’all to make your own decision, so I’m (thanks to Carrie) giving away a copy of Pershing Square 2 this weekend. To enter, just tell me why you want to try it by midnight on Sunday (Aug. 30th). One entry per person, please! Here’s a little preview:

Getting my cardio

breefawn — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 00:36:13 +0000

I try to run at least 3 times a week…but I still need to make sure that I get my cardio in on my “off” days. This morning, I pulled out a workout that I haven’t done in quite awhile: Cardio Barre. I remembered the workout being rather odd…and I remembered correctly. I will say that it got my heart pumping, and I enjoyed (most of) the workout. You start off with a variation of flat back exercises, and then move on to leg work. I like that in this workout you work the larger muscle groups first (legs, back) and follow up with arms and abs. Most of the barre workouts spend very little time on arms, and Cardio Barre does a good job of working the triceps, which is great since the triceps are what give the appearance of lean, toned arms. I like that all of the exercises are done on 8-counts. So there’s no “20″ more…just “2 more 8s”. I don’t know why I find this encouraging, but it makes the workout go by faster. I also enjoyed the stretch sequence at the end of the workout…but I am not anywhere NEAR as flexible as anyone on the DVD. Okay, down to the nitty gritty. PROS: good cuing, upbeat music, positive vibes from the instructor, multiple workouts on 1 DVD (GREAT value), good stretch, great arms segment. CONS: no modifyer, the workout moves at a fast pace, workouts MUST be done in order, since the build on themselves. Overall, this is a good value for the $25.00 they’re asking. Each workout gets progressively harder (there’s Intro, Beginner, Intermediate & Advanced) and longer. The moves in one workout are carried over to the next, and then the instructor adds more variety. I think that if I can get past the standing crunches segment (the “cardio” part of the workout), I’ll definitely be doing these workouts again.

Oh, and stay tuned for a giveaway TOMORROW!!

Conquering your fear

breefawn — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 02:16:27 +0000

I haven’t blogged much since I fell last week…probably because it hurt to workout…my palms literally throbbed anytime my heart rate got elevated. Interestingly, I did do some modified workouts during the week, but I was terrified to run again. Well…this morning I conquered my fear! I ran our 3-mile run (the same route that I fell down running) with Ish this morning and am VERY proud to say that I stayed totally vertical for the entire 30 minutes. I honestly felt like doing the Rocky dance at the end of the run. Tomorrow is a rest day, at least running wise. I am going to take advantage of my awesome gym and hop on the strider for 30 or 45 minutes. Cardio is SO very important, especially if I want to speed up the results of my barre workouts. I have honestly been on cloud 9 all day today! I even wore high heels to work!! I figure that since I’m on a roll…I need to finally get down and dirty and try Pure Barre: Pershing Square 2. I have been avoiding it because the workout involves quite a bit of floor work, and I wasn’t sure that my poor torn up hands could handle the abuse. Thankfully, my palms are healing well, and I think that I am going to go ahead and move past Pure Barre: Pershing Square 1, which is a great workout in and of itself. I honestly don’t think that my thighs have EVER worked that hard!! I was lucky enough to be given a copy of Pure Barre: Pershing Square 2 to give away by Carrie, and will be doing that giveaway in the next two weeks…. Watch for my workout review and the giveaway!! If you just can’t wait…or didn’t win the copy of PS1 that I gave away earlier this month, they workouts are now available at amazon.com! Buy your copy here! You won’t be sorry!! Carrie’s workouts are butt-changing! I can’t wait for my workout tomorrow! (can you tell?)

Thoughts on fitness: Part 3

breefawn — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 23:08:35 +0000

I woke up this morning, and realized that my entire body ached. I guess that between my barre workout last night and my fall, my poor body just wanted some rest…so I listened. I had planned to do Pershing Square 2 (for the last 3 days!!) but something always seems to happen before this type of workout. Interestingly, I have previewed the workout and it looks hard, but fun. I really like Pershing Square 1, and can’t wait for my hands to heal so that I can actually try Pershing Square 2. I am proud to say that I haven’t let my injuries get the best of my workout routine, though! Last night, I managed to do some of the weightless arm exercises from The Tracy Anderson Method Presents Mat Workout DVD, as well as the pretzel/clam combo from Tracy Effinger’s Squeeze Stronger (fitness workout). Umm….OUCH. I think that my legs hurt worse than my hands for a brief moment. I love that I can pick and choose parts of my barre workouts and make some use of my time…and it felt SO good to workout. I can’t wait to do that again tonight. I think it is goingto be awhile before I’ll be able to do anything where I put my weight on my hands, but that doesn’t give me an excuse to stop running or doing my other workouts…it just means I need to get creative and modify my routine.