So I’m finally on my last week!! I shouldn’t say finally, I guess…because after taking a week break next week, I’m going back through and adding weights. I should probably get to the point, though. This morning, I did a 30 minute warm up on the treadmill (I never stretch before warming up…at least not deep stretches), since my muscles were complaining after my 6 mile run yesterday. After my warm up, I got good and stretched out, which turned out to be a REALLY good thing. This workout is done in Debbie’s personal gym, which rocks. She has 2 back-ups, neither had ever done this workout before. Today we started learning the snatch. I must say that the entire workout was done in a snatch grip, which has your hands all the way out on the bar. We did lower back stretches, shrugs, overhead squats, and the beginning of the snatch. This was a great workout. I would have liked to have at least one backup who knew the moves, since Debbie is walking around and talking about form…she does stop to demonstrate from the side, however. I suppose that I may be a little put off by the fact that both back ups had terrible form. Their shoulders weren’t always pulled back, and their squats were awful. I wanted to tell them to turn their toes out a little and lead with their butts! I did enjoy this workout. There was no jumping this time, although this could be hard on the knees with all the deep squats and even some moves that push you up on your toes. I cannot wait to say I can do the Snatch!! Two more workouts!

Workout #9: DONE! And I feel great! I actually did 30 Clean & Jerks! I seriously think that this is the most fun I’ve had doing a P.I.N.K. Workout! I will warn you that there are LOTS of deep squats, small jumps and other movements (bending at the waist) that are part of the Clean & Jerk…so if you’re worried about doing any of these, this workout is definitely not for you. If you aren’t bothered, then GO FOR IT!! I honestly feel on top of the world. I was drenched in sweat and exhausted after the workout. Now, Debbie promises that all her workouts are 20 minutes. I’ll give her that the actual WORKING part is probably only 20 minutes…but Debbie gets a  little wordy in this workout, so the total video is more like 25-30 minutes. Which is fine, unless (like me) you’re in a time crunch and going to be late to work. Admittedly, I should have planned better. Another word of caution: STRETCH!! If you don’t you’ll be SUPER SORE!! I would actually go so far as to recommend that you do some light cardio for about 5-10 minutes and then do some really good, deep stretching BEFORE you start this workout. You WILL feel your muscles after this one. I can’t believe that I only have 3 workouts left!! I am SO excited!! AND I know how to do the CLEAN AND JERK!! WOOHOO! It’s SUCH a great feeling!

Admit it. There’s something in your life that you would be better without. I KNOW that there are LOTS of things in my life that I could do away with. I have come to the conclusion (strictly personal opinion, here) that our vices keep us from realizing our full potential. They weigh us down, and stress us out (whether we realize it or not). So why don’t we DO something about it? I think that the first step to treating, and gradually solving a problem, is to admit that it’s a problem in the first place. So, here I go: I have a shopping addiction. I like to shop. It makes me feel better…for a minute. Then I get the bills and the guilt and I wonder if it’s really worth it. IT’S NOT. So how do we remove these vices from our lives? I think that admission is the first step toward healing. I think the next step is to figure out why. I’ve been listening to Dave Ramsey’s audio book, Total Money Makeover. I was happy to find that he recognizes that we all have vices, and you have to DEAL with those vices to change. So that’s what I’m doing. I honestly feel like a gigantic weight has been lifted off me since I realized that I was in control of the situation. The realization that my spending (and credit card balances) had taken control of me was a little hard to swallow, but now that I’ve recognized the problem, I can FIX it. Not just treat it through minimum payments. That got me thinking (which can be very dangerous sometimes!)…if I can make a major change in my spending habits, and live like no one else, then why can’t I do the same thing to other areas of my life? THAT really got me thinking. If you’ve been following my blog (first of all, BLESS YOU!), you know that I am a recently converted vegetarian. Although my reasons morph daily, and I continue to quest for more knowlege on the subject, I am sticking to my guns. I am also trying to eat as close to vegan/natural/organic as I can. It’s hard. I LOVE Peeps, Zingers, Ding Dongs and Ben & Jerry. But they’re bad for me, bad for my future children (when we get to that point). So I’m giving them up. This is good. But hard. Yup. It’s painful, and so is the money thing. But I’m strong…and I KNOW that I can do it. This applies to other areas, too….like sleep…yup, sleep! I could sleep for 12-14 hours if I let myself. BUT I need to exercise to become skinny. I’ve been doing really good with that one. I have actually reached the point where I ENJOY exercise. You heard me right. I ENJOY EXERCISE. Weird. I think that the key to this for me was finding exercise that I look forward to…like my barre workouts (Squeeze, Tracy Anderson Method, Exhale, Bar Method, Fluidity, etc.), my Kettlenetics set and P.I.N.K. Fitness. But these all cost MONEY. OOPS. So I looked through my GIGANTIC collection last night and figured out something interesting: I can do a different workout every day for 60 days and NEVER repeat one. That’s a little scary. So I’m done spending money on workouts for a bit. I’m determined to get ALL of my vices under control…except my penchant for old movies. That one can stay where it is. I just LOVE Cary Grant!

I just remind myself that it’s taking it one day at a time, one decision at a time. If I can remember that, I will be in control and moving in the right direction. Most importantly, I’ve been honest with myself (and the world of people who read my blog), which is a HUGE step. The next step is taking all of this realization and putting it to good use: eat better, save more and EXERCISE my brain AND my body. I’ll get there. It just takes time. And admission is the FIRST step to recovery.

Okay, so I’m still waiting for Weider to ship my my 4 free weight plates…but I’m not going to complain about that right now…(can you tell I’m a little irritated?! It’s been over a month!!) Alright, down to business. I did the 8th P.I.N.K. Workout today…It was AWESOME!! Debbie filmed this workout (for the first time ever) in her PERSONAL GYM…Okay, so I realize that I shouldn’t get all excited about that…but it was a COOL gym! LOL The walls a painted bright red (power) and she has a gazillion different sets of weights and bars. I was SUPER jealous. I think that when I get my own house, I’m going to have to have a kick-butt gym like Debbies! LOL

Okay, so the nitty-gritty of the workout: she only has 2 backup exercisers this time, NO beginners. This is the first workout where she hasn’t included beginners. Honestly, that scared me a little bit…I’m still a beginner, right?! My head was screaming: where’s my beginning model?! I quickly understood WHY Debbie didn’t include beginners…you almost do a clean and jerk during this workout. The workout (again) includes 3 rotations. The first exercise was Lower Back Stretch. Then you moved on to Shrug Jumps…then onto a Clean…from the SHINS. OUCH. Then a jerk. NOW combine the two. YIKE! She cools you down with Olympic Bar Squats, which was a nice break from all the jumping, racking and pressing. Then you do it all over again. 3 times. She also let me know that NEXT WORKOUT, I will be doing FULL Clean and Jerks…UM, WHAT?! Okay, so I freaked out a little. Partially due to my excitement–this is WHY I bought the set in the first place, but partially due to panic–is my form alright? Should I repeat the 8th workout?!

Panic aside, this workout was by FAR the most difficult workout yet. Workout 7 was tiring with all the squats, lower back stretches and jumps. But this workout TRULY tapped into more muscles than I knew I had. And I will admit that it was difficult to keep my form. I was concentrating on not shaving off my kneecaps with the bar! I cannot wait to put everything that I learned into the Clean and Jerk…I just hope that I get it right!!

When it comes to getting in shape, it’s important to find a groove that works for you. I say this because I spent years (quite literally) trying every workout, diet and combination thereof. Here’s what I’ve found: you have to do some sort of  cardio…but if you don’t enjoy what you’re doing, you won’t stick with it. I’ve tried just about everything from kickboxing to step aerobics, and the only cardio that I seem to be able to stick to is running. Now, I’ve only been running since last December, but I’m completely addicted to it. I love the runner’s high that you always hear about! Some days are harder than others, but I keep going back. I started running by following the Couch to 5K running program at www.coolrunning.com. I absolutely loved the fact that every week is mapped out for you. There’s no guessing involved! I actually have been running 5K races since finishing the program, and am currently working on One Hour Runner, which you can find at http://www.runnergirlsindia.com/ohr.php. I also signed myself up for a 10K in June…we’ll see how that goes! LOL Okay, now to the point: if you enjoy what you’re doing, you are FAR more likely to stick with it! I have been running for over 6 months, and I still look forward to my running days…that alone makes me want to keep it up!!

I think that the same principle applies to strength training…I’ve run the gammut here, too. Spending hours in the gym, both on the machines and with free weights. I’ve found that I prefer to have variety here, too. Some days I want a gym-style workout. On those days, I reach for Jari Love. She gives great instruction and you really feel the workout the next day. Other days, I prefer to do some serious lower body toning…those days I usually pull out my step and FIRM workouts. Lately, I’ve been more intrigued with isometrics, O-lifts and kettlebells. I’m absolutely addicted to Kettlenetics, and cannot believe the changes that I’m seeing in my body from the kettlebell workouts. I have the Kettlenetics set, and then I supplement those workouts with some more traditional kettlebell videos (Gin Miller and Kettlebell Bootcamp). I really enjoy the fluid motion, I think. AND the kettlebells are a totally different type of strength training from gym-style weights. Now, I’ve also been doing P.I.N.K. Fitness, which incorporates Olympic-style lifting to help sculpt your body. And you’re only using a 5 pound bar! In addition to doing kettlebells and P.I.N.K., I’ve also been doing barre workouts at least 3 nights a week. I love the stretching aspect that comes with these workouts. AND I think that it’s helping get rid of my saddlebags!! YAY! As you can probably tell, I have a little bit of Attention Deficit Disorder when it comes to workouts. I think that it’s good to have choices, and have choices that you enjoy. There will be mornings that you wake up and don’t feel like swinging around a 10 pound kettlebell, and mornings when you just feel like having a good stretch.

If you can’t already tell, I workout at home. I have found that I am more motivated if my exercise equipment is sitting in my front room. I feel guilty just sitting on the couch, so I workout instead. I’ve had gym memberships, and they just don’t seem to be enough motivation. Inevitably, I think that it’s the drive to and from the gym that gets me. I feel like it’s a waste of time. So I have alot of home-based workout programs that keep it interesting.

The last thing that I wanted to touch on is diet. You have to find something that will work for you LONG TERM. Health is not about dieting. Diet’s DON’T work! They always fail. So, make a concious lifestyle change that you can live with. I’ve tried every fad diet out there, from Medifast to Nutrisystem to Weigh Watchers. The one thing that I keep coming back to is www.sparkpeople.com. It’s a great resource for nutrition and exercise information as well as support. It has a great nutrition tracker, and you are working on counting calories, rather than Points.

Your diet needs to be something that you can stick with through the long haul…and it needs to nourish your body. I’ve chosen to take the vegetarian route, but you must find something that you enjoy, because if you don’t love what you eat, you’ll end up unhappy with your diet, and that will lead to an unhealthy lifestyle all around.

I just finished the 7th P.I.N.K. workout, and the more I do these, the more addicted I am becoming! This workout starts the Body Shaping Phase of the P.I.N.K. program. I can definitely understand why. Debbie does her introductions of the girls she’s working out with. There is another powerlifter that she asked to participate. I was watching her for form most of the time. Now down to the nitty gritty of this workout: lots of lower back stretches, to the thighs, below the knees and to the ankles. That’s 90 progressively lower squats!! I can definitely feel it in my toosh right now. The next thing she works on is shrug jumps. This is the same thing: from the thighs, knees and ankles. ANOTHER 90 squats! YIKE! Then you do clean presses, and jerk shrugs (more squats). I was actually sweating bullets and having alot of fun doing this workout. I will warn you: there is ALOT of jumping in this routine. You’re basically jumping for 4 of the 6 moves, all 3 rotations. I really enjoyed myself all the plyometric work will help my short muscle fibers, which should be a good balance with the isometric work I’m doing as well. I cannot wait to do workout #8! And I cannot believe that after only 2 weeks of work I’ll be doing the clean & jerk!! That is SUCH an awesome feeling!

Okay, so the more I do these workouts, the more I LOVE THEM!! I just finished my second week with P.I.N.K., and workout 6 was SO MUCH FUN!! She taught a new move, which will be used when we do the Clean and Press next week. I am even more excited to keep moving through the workouts now!! It seems that as the workouts progress, Debbie spends less time introducing everyone, and gets straight into the workout. She discusses form alot in the 6th workout, probably because she also hinted that we will be doing a full Clean and Press next week. I also liked that each workout this week mixed up the moves that we’ve been learning. Today we did bar squats, Clean presses, lower back stretch, shrug jumps, lower back stretch to clean (I cannot for the life of me remember what it’s actually called-SORRY!), Clean presses, Clean Squats and good mornings. I got a good workout from this one, and will definitely be feeling it in my forearms tomorrow! I cannot believe that I am already halfway through the program! It’s unreal that it keeps me entertained and moves SO FAST! I love that I’m always learning something new, too!!

Having graduated from weeks 1-3 last week, I embarked on the next set of workouts: 4-6. I just finished up workout 5 today, and I must say that I am enjoying this system more and more. Workouts 4 and 5 introduce shrug jumps, which was completely new for me, as well as bar squats and clean presses. I must say that my forearms were sore after workout number 4. I think it was from *trying* to hold the bar up and keep my elbows out at a 90 degree angle. It’s MUCH harder than it looks!! I will admit that I am fast-forwarding through the introductions because I just don’t have the time to listen to everyone’s personal history and weight loss success. Sad, but true. I want to get my workout done so that I can get on with my day, or evening as the case may be. During workout 5 (today), Debbie mentioned that we will be doing the Clean and Press next week. WOOHOO!! I am SO very excited!! THIS is the reason I started these workouts. All my hard work is going to pay off!! YAY! Only one more workout for the week, and then I get to DO THE CLEAN AND PRESS!!

I’ve mentioned P.I.N.K. Fitness before, but I think it’s important to understand the components of the workout before you get into it. So here’s my take on the Muscle Foundation Phase, or workouts 1-3. It is VERY important to note that these workouts were designed to be completed in the course of a month, or 3 workouts per week for 4 weeks. There are some people who are taking longer to finish the series, doing one workout per week for 12 weeks. I am not one of them. Perhaps I just lack patience. I think it’s because I want to load more weight on my bar.In the Foundation Phase, you are taught the basics of an O-squat, which is VERY different from the squats you see most people doing. I was taught to squat with my toes pointing forward, knees over toes…not here. You’re taught to stand pigeon-toed, and keep your toes over your knees. You are also taught to lead with your butt, which protects your knees. I really liked this aspect of the training. Normally squats start to bother my knees a little, but with O-squats, my knees feel great! On to the actual workouts: each workout starts with an introduction by Debbie. She greets the three girls that will be working out with you, and tells you a little about them. I do like the fact that she always has one person who has never done the workouts before. It’s refreshing to watch her correct their form. These first three workouts were a little bit slow for me, but since they’re only 10 minutes of actual workout time each, that was okay. By the third workout I was addicted. I like that she teaches you the correct way to position your body and gradually adds new moves.

A note: Debbie says that these workouts should be the only thing you do for exercise. I disagree. I cannot live without cardio, and have not found that adding other types of workouts negatively effected my P.I.N.K. training. I think that if you’ve never worked out before you may be sore, but I personally did not experience the “second day soreness” that everyone gripes about…. And I was squeezing and tightening the entire time.

So maybe you’ve heard of P.I.N.K. Fitness…it’s a workout that is based on “O Lifts”, or Olympic-style weight lifting. This is stuff you see those HUGE guys doing with bars loaded upwards of 500 pounds. They grunt and sweat and put the bar over their head…they’re supermen. And women. P.I.N.K. Fitness is based on the two O Lifts: the Clean and Jerk and the Snatch. The system is meant to teach you both lifts over a 12-lesson period. You can either choose to complete the program in 1 month (3 workouts/week for 4 weeks), or you can stretch the system out over 12 weeks, doing the same workout 3 times/week. I am choosing to do this system over a month. I have currently finished workouts 1-4, and am very excited to do workout number 5 tomorrow, providing my knee feels better. So…down to business.

I really like the workouts so far, but I generally gravitate toward anything that involves lifting weights…I was skeptical at first, since the bar only weighs 5 pounds…but after the 4th workout I could definitely feel some soreness-which is good. Okay, so good points: the workouts are about 10-15 minutes in length, and you repeat the same circuit 3 times in a workout. If there are new moves (which seems to be the trend), then Debbie (the creator-check her out at www.pinkfitness.com) teaches that move first and then goes into the rotations. Another bonus is that these workouts focus on different muscles and a different type of lifting than I am used to, which means that I will see results: YAY! Now the negatives: the program is only supposed to be used with it’s nutrition plan (which is good common sense, but excludes fruit, which I don’t like), and there’s NO CARDIO allowed. I have a hard time with this, especially since there is no other exercise allowed. I’m going to be honest: I do P.I.N.K. and combine it with Kettlenetics, FIRM, isometrics and running. I just like to workout! So I guess I’m not following P.I.N.K. to the letter, but I am enjoying it!