Brea Getting Fit » workout review

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!**

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!!

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!!

Is it possible?

breefawn — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 23:06:31 +0000

I think that I might actually be (at least) a whole inch taller! I started working on the list that I posted yesterday by doing an Essentrics workout after I got home from work. I must say that I really enjoyed it. I did work up a sweat, which surprised me, especially since all the hype around the workout is that it helps you get longer and leaner through stretching. That shouldn’t be hard, right? I did the arms, abs & waist toner (30 minutes), and WOW did I feel it. I didn’t know that I had some of the muscles that I worked, but I really enjoyed it. The actual arm work (not the stretching part) was very Tracy Anderson-esque. My shoulders were BURNING!! I could feel my muscles releasing tension, which is great. Now I just need to get to the point where my arms don’t feel like they’re going to fall out of their sockets…. I definitely think that this is going to help with my posture and get rid of that funny arm jiggle…you know what I’m talking about. I think that if I rotate between the upper and lower body series I could actually do this workout everyday after I get home. I honestly feel like a MILLION BUCKS!! I’ll be interested to see if their claims of losing inches in a short amount of time is true…of course, because I’m also running and doing barre workouts, it might be hard to tell which workout specifically is causing the changes…but I do think that I will notice significant changes…it’s just a matter of when and what. I am most excited about increasing my flexibility…any lost inches are just a bonus. Okay, back to my review…the stretching feels so good, and I don’t think there was a arm, ab or waist muscle that didn’t get stretched. Did I mention that the abs section was great? Pretty basic…and a variation on v-ups that was SUPER hard, but definitely worth it. I think that if you’re looking to increase range of motion and build long muscles, this will do it for you. But you have to be consistant, especially when you’re dealing with flexibility. Okay…enough about my AMAZING workout…I’m off to make some soba noodle stir fry! YUM!

If you want to get your own copy of the workout, you can find it here.

Thoughts on fitness: Part 2

breefawn — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 23:05:38 +0000

I think that what motivates us (me) is not so much the actual work, but the results that we see. I have to confess that I’ve been a little less than strict on my diet for the past few weeks…which has lead to my realization that fitness needs to be a mind/body/food marriage, and I seem to keep forgetting that. Most of you know that I became vegan for health reasons, and have stayed vegan not only because a whole new world of food (that I LOVE!!) has opened up AND because it’s a personal choice. I realized this morning that while I’ve been working out, I’ve been eating lots of (vegan) junk food…like Oreos and Fritos (darn only needing 1/2 the bag to make my Enchilada Bake!!)…while it’s technically vegan, that DOES NOT mean that it’s healthy for me. So…I’ve come to the conclusion that in order to be healthy, I need to focus from the inside out. I know that I keep talking about eating raw (which I am proud to report that I HAVE eaten 90% raw so far this month!! GO ME!!), but it’s really hitting me that one of the benefits of eating vegan is all the wonderful produce available. Today, I’ve enjoyed a fresh smoothie (strawberries, spinach, silken tofu & soymilk), banana, salad, nectarines, oranges, and some baby carrots. SUPER delicous!! I also had one of my cherry pie larabars, which is ALSO raw! If you can’t tell, I’m feeling pretty pumped about my renewed motivation. Having had a great run this morning (after which I felt so great that I’m GIVING AWAY an interval timer! To enter, click here!!), and doing Tracy Effinger’s Squeeze Stronger (fitness workout) lower body…which, by the way, is absolutely KILLER!! After the pretzel/clam combo I always have jell-o legs. If you haven’t tried it, you absolutely MUST!! Okay, back to my realization…I’ve KNOWN for a very, very long time that fitness is a mind-body-food connection, but it’s a totally different thing to wake up and know exactly what you MUST do to feel (and look…which definitely doesn’t hurt things) great. I’ve set a goal to try a different fruit/veggie/legume each week, and so far this week, I’ve tried white nectarines, a pluot (YUM!) and I’m going to have collard greens for the first time tomorrow!! I am SO very excited (stay tuned for the post about the collard green experiment) for the rest of the month!!

Bring on the burn…Bar Method style

breefawn — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 22:06:24 +0000

I was so excited to wake up and feel great this morning! I was a little worried that whatever has been bothering my tummy would continue, but thankfully that bug seems to have passed. Ish and I had an amazing interval run, and then I was excited to get back to Bar Method. I absolutely LOVE those workouts. I chose to do one of Burr’s older videos, The Bar Method Body – Designer Sculpting, because it incorporates many of my favorite moves, including the pretzel and back dancing. I also like the ab work, which somewhat surprises me, since I don’t generally like barre abs. I realize that I’ve only been on hiatus for a few days (thanks to the tummy bug!), but GOODNESS, did it BURN!! I think that’s what’s kept me hooked on Bar Method…it’s that every single time I do the workouts, my legs shake, my muscles scream, and I know that I’m making positive changes. Yeah, it’s painful, and sometimes I just want to quit, but I keep seeing my seat lift higher and my thighs get slimmer…so I just keep going. I’ve been totally amazed at how dramatic the changes in my body are…I actually bought a pair of size 6 pants the other day…and THEY FIT! (and yes, I did my happy dance…I think it was WELL deserved) I think that perhaps the most motivating aspect of the Bar Method workouts is seeing Burr and hoping that I can be that blessed after years and years of torturing myself. And yeah, it’s kind of fun. It feels SO GREAT to get back into my routine!! I cannot begin to tell you how amazingly energized I feel today, and tomorrow is going to be even better!!

Pershing Square 1 workout giveaway

breefawn — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 15:28:38 +0000

In honor of my KILLER workout this morning, I am giving away a FREE copy of Pure Barre’s BRAND NEW workout: Pershing Square 1!! A little bit about this workout: According to the packaging, this workout requires NO EQUIPMENT (if you happen to have a small 5-6″ diameter playground ball, it would be helpful but not necessary). Okay…that’s kind of true. You do need to have a support to hold onto…the back of a couch, a chair…the wall? I am lucky enough to have a barre that I use for this type of workout, but a high-backed chair is a good substitute. If you have hard floors, you will want to be sure to have a pilates/yoga mat for some of the exercises (push ups, seat and abs) so that your back and knees don’t get hurt. Also, the playground ball is a great addition, but you can do the exercises without it. I was very excited to have a new piece of equipment to play with…maybe that’s just me, though. Alright, so set-up out of the way, the workout is fantastic. I’ve been doing this workout for about 3 weeks now, and my legs are starting to get some awesome definition. I do this workout 2-3 times a week, and it does a great job of exhausting the muscles. There is an amazing thigh sequence, that always makes my legs shake, and a great hamstring/seat section as well. The abs section is good, just not my thing…I prefer your traditional sit ups and reverse cruches with a weighted medicine ball. But if you’re looking for no-impact abs, this workout will do that for you. The stretch sequences after each segment are just long enough to help your muscles release (and to stop the shaking!). I honestly LOVE this workout. If you give me a choice between this workout and others that I have, I tend to reach for Pershing Square 1. I love that it’s only 45 minutes, and that the DVD has a section all about proper form, so that you can get through the workout quickly. There is not as much set-up time for each exercise, but I think that it’s because there is so much time spent on form in the form section…honestly, it’s a wonderful idea. You can also choose to do each section (warm-up, arms, legs, seat, abs) separately, although the workout goes by so quickly that I really don’t see a need for it. Can you tell that I’m completely IN L-O-V-E with Pure Barre??

Okay, down to what you want to know: How do I win a FREE copy of this amazing workout? The rules are simple. Just leave a comment after this blog entry. Only one entry per person, please. I will be drawing the winner of the contest FRIDAY JULY 24th, which means that you have 2 days to enter. I will contact the winner by email.

Good luck to everyone!!