Sweat

Workouts, exercise, fitness…

Things I Wish I’d Hear in the “Healthy Living” Sphere

/ foodsweatandbeers / 4 Comments

It’s essential that everyone living, healthily or otherwise, doesn’t take themselves too seriously. And this post is about just that.

This is super serial, y'all.

This is super serial, y’all.

I came to this gym to flirt with muscly dudes and drink my Jamba Juice… and I’m all outta Jamba Juice.

 

Lemme tell you a secret about this smoothie bowl… it may LOOK like a disgusting swamp monster’s damp lair…. but it also tastes terrible.

Just get pancakes.

Just get pancakes.

There is a WRONG and a RIGHT way to do Zumba. If you can’t figure out the choreography, just leave now. Don’t waste my time.

 

Here’s a fun trick with lifting weights: form doesn’t matter half as much as how well your Wunder Unders fit. Just go for quick jerky motions to get it over with, try to use as much of your back as possible. What season are those crops, seriously?

 

When do you think they’ll start doing ‘Cold Yoga’? I’m not really into sweating.

 

I can’t f*cking stand protein. Real talk: I want nothing to do with it.

 

I think I’m just going to wear sweats to Pure Barre today. Do you think anyone will notice?

Appropriate?

Appropriate?

I know that endorphins are supposed to be released when you run but I think all that comes out of my brain is acetylcholine…

 

I kinda like yoga pants that are sheer. When I’m in down dog, they are a seamless transition from the studio to the street corner.

 

I’m pretty sure that the 25 minutes you spent on the elliptical didn’t ‘earn you that froyo’, Jordan. That thing cost you $10.59. What’s that, like… 2 pounds of froyo? Jesus Christ. Is that an entire slice of cheesecake in there?

Walked up the stairs instead of taking the elevator... #earnedit

Walked up the stairs instead of taking the elevator… #earnedit

Got any good ones? (This was TOO fun to write.)

The Lithe Method: A Newbie’s Perspective

/ foodsweatandbeers / 10 Comments

Little did I know, back the long days before I officially moved to Philly, how fantastic blogging would be not only for my sanity moving to a new city, but how it could introduce me to new folks, and totally new things. The Philly Geek Awards, a mess of Philly Twitter-users, the glory of Yelp and Yelp Elite, and, most recently Lithe Method and a certain new workout Barbie friend, Julia!

There she is (sorry for the creepy photo… not really.)

Julia, having read my blog a bit when I mentioned I was heading to Philly, commented saying we should meet up sometime. Never one to blow an opportunity for a new friend, I jumped at the chance and, after a few emails and some money exchanged (between me and LivingSocial, not me and Julia), we had a friend date scheduled at none other than Philly’s own Lithe Method for my first ever Lithe 101 class.  For a little less than $40, we got 2 101 classes, 3 other classes, AND some juice!

You know I’ve never been one to turn down juice, so before I knew it, it was time to Lithe.

“What’s the Lithe Method?” you may be wondering…. Well, according to the website:

The Lithe Method® is a revolutionary, fun, multitasking and highly effective (albeit addictive) fitness regime that burns fat, sculpts muscle and puts your butt back where it used to be…in record time.

Our intense, systematic, empowering, cardiovascular workout utilizes our proprietary Cardio-Cheer-Sculpting® Technique, Lithe’s Higher Power Band System®, our signature Barre-work, and strength training with weights and other small equipment.

I’m pretty sure my butt hasn’t strayed too far from where it used to be, but the chance to Cardio-Cheer-Sculpt was intriguing, and so I donned my workout best to meet Julia.

Ok, I’m ready.

As far as what to wear, you don’t need shoes OR socks (bare feet babes!), and I’d suggest leggings or shorts (something form fitted on the bottom) with a comfortable top that allows your arms to move a lot.

The first few steps into the Lithe sanctuary, I heard pumping music, peeked a few slim ladies doing some urban rebounding on tiny trampolines, and was shocked by the amount of Lithe “stuff” they had for sale. From juices to snacks and, more prevalent, “Lithe Gear.”  Which, after a bit of checking, I realized is just dark/black tank tops and leggings with a ridiculously steep price tag.

Lithe Wear’s very own waist band… a stretchy black band for $45!

Tank tops for $105, and a pair of half-leggings, half-fishnet stockings that I’m sure will hit NYFW like a freight train in the near future.

Julia and I got to chatting, a little chit, little chat, but all the other women there were silently reading magazines and sipping on water. Not the most social bunch, but not everyone likes to make conversation pre-workout. No big.

One of the rules of Lithe is that there is no talking in class – at all. Also, no cell phones in the classroom (I like that one), no street shoes (to avoid fecal matter entering the class. Their rules actually state this.) and NO Perfume! Their 9 Rules are taken pretty seriously, it seems, so I was glad I wasn’t late!

The classroom looked like this:

At one point, my eyes were directly under that beam of sun. I felt like Simba, only blinder.

Notice those bands above the mats? Those come into play for the cheer sculpting part… We each got a mat, two 3 lb weights, and one of these great, squishy balls.

Recess? Nah, Lithe.

The first part of the class had us on our backs and, though we didn’t start right on time, we got started off hard with some ab work. Crunches, leg lifts, pilates-type stuff, occasionally utilizing the ball between our knees for bonus squeezing and work.  There was some light weight lifting (but, when you’re also working the rest of your body, those 3lbs feel real heavy, real fast).  Then, we went over to the bar.

Things at the bar definitely felt a lot like Pure Barre classes, squats, ballet-ish leg work, definitely got the heart pumping. However, it was during this portion that I realized, although there was music playing the whole time, it didn’t ever really feel like it “went” with the actions we were doing. This was a little distracting for someone who is fond of the Les Mills classes and Zumba, but I made it work.

The most unique part of Lithe 101 was the use of the resistance bands which hang from the ceiling. Holding onto these things without gloves (which they normally “require” though they seemed pretty lax with this rule for us newbies) was tough, and I felt my hands slipping a number of times as we pulled the bands down and around. This was the only part that felt like “cheer-sculpting” was going on but, as we started a little late, I think that we didn’t really get a full immersion into this portion of the class.  Oh well, maybe next time.

Throughout the class, I wore my HRM and, in the 54 minutes of the workout, burned 468 calories. A little low for this cardio queen, and I was sort of feeling a little jipped at the end.

Then, I woke up this morning and realized how wrong I was. My abs, calves, and booty are sore in the way they haven’t been in some time. I feel a general tightness that makes me wish we’d spent a little more than a few minutes at the end stretching, but that’s probably my own fault as I could’ve done it at home if I’d wanted. You’ll have to pardon me for not rushing home right away to stretch though… See, I just can’t pass up a free pristine white shower with Aveeno products….

Color me clean.

I’ll be back soon, gotta better gauge the rest of these classes. With names like “Skinny Mini”, “Barlesque”, “Waist Not”, “A-List Abs”, “Cinch”, “Arm-istice”, “Hot Legs”, “Super Fly”, and “Tight End”, there’s gotta be a lot left to learn. Maybe I’ll finally get to live out those dreams of cheering, after all.

Wait.

I never had those dreams.

Ever try Lithe?

What’s your favorite class name? I’m thinking Tight End, so far.

Sup, “SUP”? Stand Up Paddleboarding!

/ foodsweatandbeers / 6 Comments

This truly is the Summer of Joj (not to be confused with the Summer of George, which is an entirely different beast.)

I’ve traveled to Costa Rica, Florida, NYC, and (exotic) North Jersey, I’ve spent oodles of time at the shore, I’ve been hanging with my family (especially my little brother and sister!) AND I’ve had some QT with the beau. I also just signed my lease to my new apartment in Philly and will be moving this weekend!

Within this jam-packed summer, I’ve also been lucky enough to have some solid time to myself. I don’t know about y’all, but I personally need a little alone time every now and then, especially after living alone for a year, and then jumping into my family household with at least two siblings at all times, my parents, my dogs, AND a box turtle (he’s a real chatterbox).

Yesterday, I decided to really take some “me time” and cash in a Living Social deal I’d been holding onto for a while.  I boogied from OC over to the (not-so-scenic) West Atlantic City until I found Extreme Windsurfing, home of my stand up paddle boarding adventure!

One of these bad boys was MINE! At least for the day.

Lakes Bay was pulling out all the stops for me

The day was perfect, no real wind, sunny without being blinding, and, since it was a Tuesday, the bay wasn’t crowded.  According to Jim, the master of Extreme Windsurfing, this was the perfect day to try Stand Up Paddleboarding (a.k.a. SUP)!

He was running a little late, so I had some time to explore.

I’d hate to see the lifeguard who was in charge of this shack!

My pink hair matches the pink deck!

I was given a brief introduction on how to stand up, how to balance, turn, and kneel. After my less than successful TERRIFYING rafting experience, I was worried that my lack of balance was going to doom me but, before I knew it, I was up and paddling like a champ!

I had an hour alone, and the entire Lakes Bay was my oyster, so I paddled and enjoyed the beautiful scenery. I made challenges for myself

  • “See how fast you can paddle around that buoy!”
  • “Weave between those two flags!”
  • “Scare that bird away!” -This was the easiest, by far.

And, by the time I was done, I was hungry, my arms were tired, and I was grinning from ear to ear.

Such a Champ!

If you’re even thinking of trying SUP, DO IT! It’s a blast alone, it’s a solid workout if you want, or relaxing if you’re into it. I bet it’d be a blast with a group, too, or as a perfect summer date. I hope I can try it again in the not-too-distant future.

Big thanks to Jim at Extreme Windsurfing for snagging some pretty awesome shots, and for being such a cool guy.

Victory is Mine!

With move-in this weekend, the summer of Joj continues! I can’t wait to see what the rest of the summer brings…. and I think I’ve got a little Friday Funday brewing.

How do you enjoy “me time”?

Are you happier surrounded by folks, or more of a one (wo)man wolf pack?

I like a little of both.

 

 

Six Pack Sunday: Enjoy the Ride

/ foodsweatandbeers / 13 Comments

We’re coming to the end of an era, folks.  By we, I mean the royal we, as in only I am. But you probably know what I’m saying.

I’ve got 2ish days left until my Costa Rica trip.

5 days left in the office.

12 days left until an epic Florida vacation with Ryan’s family.

And 18ish days left until I make my move (the first part, at least) to the shore for the month of July.

WHOAH JAM!

Until then, I’m going to take the advice of my friends over at New Belgium Brewery and Enjoy the Ride.  So that’s what this week’s Six Pack Sunday is all about!

(PS read through all six for a HUGE surprise at the end! Unless you follow me on Twitter, then it’s less surprising.)

1. Soaking Up the Sun (or the rain?)

So yeah, that Costa Rica trip? Here’s the forecast:

Lookin’ GOOD!

I’ll be honest, though. It could rain every second of the trip and I’m sure I’ll have a blast. I’ll be with my best friend, going on all sorts of adventures.

That being said, cross your fingers, your toes, your legs, your hair (maybe braid it?) that it clears up.  Because we ladies like to get some sunshine now and then.

Recreating our favorite 2005 photo op

2. A Fond Farewell

I had to say farewell to my favorite Zumba instructor of all time (guess what color she was!), Aaron, this Tuesday. It was her last Tuesday class, and my last week at the gym. Though there’s a slim possibility I may take one last class with her, it still felt like goodbye.

She’s also the tiniest

I enjoyed every class I’ve ever taken with her, and wherever she teaches next is getting on hell of a instructor!  Instead of dwelling on the sadness, we rocked out an excellent booty shaking class. Obviously, this sweaty picture was snapped after class.

3. New(new) Lulu

Isn’t it… beautiful?

So lululemon has a new location.  AND it’s virtually in my backyard.  The Durham lululemon just opened up on Friday.  And I may have visited two times already.  I’ve been working very hard the past few weeks on the Healthiest You Challenge, so instead of freaking about the cost, I decided to reward myself with some goodies.

The second time, I walked out with a brand new pair of reversible groove shorts and scoop neck tank (in a pattern not shown on the website. It’s rather adorable, so I’m sure I’ll show it off soon.)

4. Spades Spaz

I played Spades for the first time last night. And my first hand may have been the worst hand known to mankind.

Spells trouble

Luckily, the my partner and I rallied and this newb totally WON her first game ever! It got a little intense, but I managed to let the competitive monster that lives inside of me take the night off in favor of just having fun.  And it paid off.  I liked it. More mellow (but I still won.)

5. Frat So Hard

What happens when a bunch of St. Anthony Hall members live in the Triangle?

We inevitably find the frattiest place in Chapel Hill and invade it en masse.

I literally almost bumped into some of my brothers at the Carolina Inn’s Fridays on the Front Porch, and even though they all hail from Ole Miss, they found their way to our little Southern Part of Heaven.  I love Chapel Hill.

6. I won a bike.

Wait. Let me fix that.

I won THIS BIKE:

Oh yes, you will be mine.

New Belgium’s Enjoy the Ride campaign encouraged their followers to tweet a story that embodied the “Enjoy the Ride” slogan.  And so I did just that.

foodsweatnbeers: It was the end of the boardwalk, but the beginning of ride. Sisters, sweat, sand, and sun. #EnjoyTheRide @newbelgiumhttp://pic.twitter.com/vMo81Nvx

Guess who won the first bike of the campaign?!?!?!?!

THIS GIRL!!

That’s a shot from me at last year’s Tour de Fat in Durham. And as a lover of New Belgium AND bikes, I couldn’t be more excited!! Stay tuned for tales of me cruising the shore on the flyest bike in the world.

What’s the coolest thing you’ve ever won?

Because this bike definitely takes the cake for me.

Do you like card games? Board games? Mind games?

Two-a-Days and the Results

/ foodsweatandbeers / 4 Comments

The past two days, I’ve doubled up on my workouts.

Zumba + yoga on Tuesday had me feeling like this:

So Zen, so happy.

Zumba + Pilates yesterday had me feeling the burn in my thighs. But, at the time of the class, I was feeling long and lean and lovely. Like this:

Am I the only one that thinks all this equipment looks like some sort of crazy Fifty Shades kinda sex room?

However, this morning, I’m pretty sure my legs feel like this:

So heavy. Not Zen.

In case you’re not as interested in piping as I am, those are lead pipes.

Oh walking, you’re gonna be tough today.

Do you ever double up on workouts? 

I was feeling like a champ…. until I got outta bed this morning. Oy VAY!

The Doughman Race 2012: We Ran, We Ate, We Conquered

/ foodsweatandbeers / 8 Comments

I never thought I’d say this, but I ran one hell of a race (dressed like a bloodthirsty honey badger after eating a vegan tako).

Yeah, I think the whole sentence is what I never thought I’d say. MAYBE I thought I might have run a race (or swam, or biked, or crawled one)…. but NOT dressed like a honey badger, and NOT with a tummy full of treats.

Saturday morning, I met at my teammate’s house bright and early to put the final touches on our costumes (ok, let’s be honest, mostly my costume… I’ve got a flair for the flamboyant) before carpooling in the direction of downtown Durham.  Our goal? The Doughman, an event that may have been the first thing I put on my Triangle Bucket List.

Note the honey…. gotta stay true to form.

We registered our team bike (a road bike… remember that, as it comes into play later) and checked out the scene.

The closest I came to the trophy, don’t worry

The sweet slap bracelet that served as our “baton” to pass from person to person

There were amazing costumes by some of the other teams. It was clear that folks had gone all out and, despite the fact that I probably looked like a road-killed skunk, I was channeling my inner bloodthirsty honey badger. And I was feeling great.

Team BHB aka Team 38! Jordan, Katie, Ben, and Paul

The organizers of the race called the teams together for a few announcements. First things first, they covered the rules. I can get behind that, everyone needs to know the rules.  Then they covered some other stuff.

For instance, if you’d raised $250 or more as a team, you got a “time bonus” of a 2 minute head start. If you raised $1,000 or more, your head start was 5 minutes. We’d raised $160 as a team and, in my opinion, that’s awesome. I’m so thankful for my loved ones who donated, and I LOVE that we raised money for SEEDS. But the entire time the organizers were talking about the time bonus, I felt a big whopping pile of guilt being ladled onto those of us who didn’t raise enough for a time bonus.

Look at all those teams hopping up to the start early, all of you other teams… Maybe next year, you’ll think of that when you’re raising money.

Whoah. Wait a minute. Is my money not also doing great things?  That wasn’t all that was said to us, and I feel like we were basically made to feel like second-class citizens for not meeting THE QUOTA. If there’s money you NEED us to raise, make it a requirement. Otherwise, don’t give us hell for not doing it.

ANYWAY, Team 38’s lead leg, Paul, faced a daunting meal before his 8.5 mile bike ride.  From Dain’s Place: Peanut Butter & Banana Sandwich with Homemade Marshmallow Fluff on Fresh Bread (contains nuts)

A worthy foe

He chomped it down, hopped on his bike and got to getting. And then, the unthinkable happened.

EEK!

The chain on Paul’s bike fell off the moment he started riding it. LUCKILY this happened inches away from the starting line, so Ben QUICKLY jumped into action and fixed it. But it didn’t bode well for the bike ride.

See, the thing is, according to Ben we “broke the first rule of races”. Don’t change something on Race Day. Paul had never used a road bike before, just mountain bikes. Uh oh.

I waited. I was the second leg and, after 27 minutes, the first speedy racers came in from Leg 1. I was getting fired up. I stretched. I jumped around. I ran through the course in my brain. And I waited.

And waited.

And waited.

According to Paul, since he wasn’t accustomed to gear changing, every time he had to go up a hill, he had to walk the bike. And then re-mount it.  Translation? Slow and (semi-)steady.

Result?

Mercy rule, they let me go at 1 hour in….  And THEN I was off!  Ahead of me? 1.8 mile run followed by a “water activity” (paddling across a pool in an inner tube!) after eating a treat from Kokyu.  Ahead of me was their V-Tako: Soy Nuts, Sprouts, Vinaigrette, Cilantro, Kokyu Chili, Sesame Kimchi’d Radish.

Hello, nemesis.

I ran the short distance from the corral to the table and had at it. My first instinct? TAKE A HUGE BITE!

The many faces of eating Jordan

WOW! That was a spicy tako! The initial HUGE bite was the hardest to chomp on, knowing that every time I bit down, a burst of spicy Kimchi was coming at me. I wised up after the first half of the taco, ripping it into small pieces and chasing each bite with water. FINALLY, I got it down. Well, mostly down.  I had to take a last few swallows when the judge asked me to show him my mouth.  Oops…

The run BEGAN!

I jumped out of the gate FAST, much faster than I’m accustomed to running.  I knew the course, I was ready for this.  What I was NOT ready for was how very lonely it is out there when there aren’t any other runners.  Since that whole “mercy rule” was instituted, it was just me and one other runner, one who was faster than I was. He sped by me (though, I WILL say I ate my tako before him, HA!) and, since I didn’t bring my iPod, I was alone with my thoughts.  I know it was only 1.8 miles but, for me, that’s more than I’d ever run before practicing the route earlier in the week.  After speeding the initial uphill + downhill portion, I looked at my HRM. Where I was at 10 minutes in my practice round, I was at 7:45 during the actual race. So when it came to the uphill portion, the quiet, the loneliness, and the TAKO got to me.  There were a few portions that I had to walk (namely uphill, right across from the Durham Bulls stadium).  I couldn’t help myself, I was sucking wind and thinking to myself “Whoah, there’s phlegm and cilantro in my throat.” I know that is gross, and probably TMI.  Sorry.  But the moment I saw the YMCA in the distance, I knew I’d made it. So I hauled ass to the Y, yanked all my clothing off (don’t worry, I had a bathing suit on!), tossed my HRM to the side, and hopped in the pool.

I HATE that I don’t have pictures of this, because I imagine it was hilarious.  But I placed my butt in the inner tube and paddled my honey badger heart out.  And I ran the last 50-70 yards barefoot, clutching my shoes and clothes.

CHAMP!

My final leg time was 20:05. For eating, running, and paddling, that sounds GREAT to me.  To give you a range, the fastest time I saw was 12:41 (Damn Bull City track team speed demons) and the slowest I saw for my leg was 30:40, so I feel comfortable in the middle of the pack. I really think I could’ve gone faster if I’d run the whole thing, but morale wasn’t as high without any volunteers out to cheer me on, or fellow runners to feed off of their energy.

Katie’s leg started off with a doozy.

From Nosh,  Fried Green Tomato Sandwich with Roasted Red Pepper Spread (contains nuts).

Yummy!

It was delicious. Not that I ate many bites of it….

MOVING ON!

Alas, I didn’t get any pictures of the only meat-item of the race, but Ben had the pleasure of eating Old Havana’s Cuban Sliders on Gugelhupf Brioche with Maduros. 

Jealous.

He ran like the wind (the fast wind) and actually had like, the 4th fastest time for his leg of all the teams. If we were ALL Bens, we would’ve won that trophy, I’m sure.  We’re not, but I love him for keeping us in a position of honor for the last leg.  They saved the best, of course, for last.

The DESSERT LEG!

On the menu?


Leg 5, team sprint: The Parlour, Mad Hatters, LocoPops & Daisy CakesMeal: Salted Butter Caramel Ice Cream with Strawberry Swirl; Chocolate Walnut Whopper Cookie; Water-based Raspberry Coconut Popsicle (vegan); Strawberry Cupcake with Almond Buttercream Icing

I decided to take control of the strawberry cupcake with almond buttercream icing.  I knew, if I could dominate anything, it was a cupcake especially with almond flavored ANYTHING.

The two “cold” items not pictured to avoid melting.

I dove right in.

The frosting was FLYING!

I’m pretty amazing at eating cupcakes fast, I learned and, after the rest of the teammies wolfed down their dishes, we sprinted to the finish line.

Team 38/81 came in 58th place…. But I know we’re #1 in your hearts.

WAHOO!!

It was brutally hot, it was tough to down food then go running, and bike issues got us down initially. But, on the other side, it was exhilarating, it was hilarious, it was delicious, and it was a blast! I would TOTALLY do it again. In a heartbeat.

I feel so lucky to have amazing buddies to make up a dream team, and I LOVED the chance to Doughman-ate the Doughman!

I think I wanted to pretend it was a cape?

I am the Dough(WO)MAN!!

Craziest competition you’ve ever been a part of?

Eating, running, racing, swimming, I’d love to hear about it!

Would you ever do something like the Doughman?

Dough-minated

/ foodsweatandbeers / 2 Comments

A spicy vegan tako, 1.8 BRUTAL miles in the NC sunshine, a quick paddle in the pool, lotsa bites of the teammate’s fried green tomato sammy, cheering my face off, a MONSTER vanilla + almond buttercream cupcake, 1/2 a chocolate chunk cookie, and a final run push. Now I relax. Thanks to everyone who made my dreams of The DOUGHMAN a reality!

Pardon the stains on my mirror, I’m a gross creature.

Full recap in the future. Time to relax, Memorial Day Weekend style.

You can find me at the pool.

The Hazards of Being Fabulous

/ foodsweatandbeers / 15 Comments

I know, I know, it seems like all I talk about these days is Zumba. How I dress for it, how much I love it, how great it is. Whatever, old news, right?

Well, did you ever know how dangerous Zumba can be?

It’s risky to shake it as hard as I do, sometimes.

Let me explain.

Certain instructors like to split the room in half and work the room in a dance-off. A battle of epic, Step Up proportions. And these are excellent times. On Monday, I visited Women’s Only Workout in Chapel Hill for the first time (membership is a perk from the Healthiest You Challenge). I figured I’d tour it and try a Zumba class.  Only my fellow participants weren’t exactly as hyped up as I’m used to. While I was hooting and hollering, they were sort of silent coyotes, dancing without words.  So, when the room was split up, the instructor called me out.

Instructor: “Who do you Zumba with? Like, who taught you?”

Me: “Oh, goodness, like… any and every instructor, really.”

Instructor: “Well, class, you gotta Zumba like THIS GIRL! Get into it, let’s hear some noise!”

Me – “Challenge ACCEPTED.”

That was a challenge, right? So I decided to REALLY bring it.

The side vs. side dance-off began simply enough, lots of shaking and shimmying.

Then, we took it to the next level. We’re talking booty-popping, locking, and dropping.  So I decided to top it off with a grand finale, guaranteed to garner cheers and joy from my fellow Zumb-ers.

After shaking my way to the center, I thrust my hand in the air (like so):

You know what’s coming

Then, in an epic gesture, I dropped it low and SMACKED the floor. Like this:

MAKE THAT FLOOR WISH IT WAS NEVER LAID!

And, the moment I spanked the living daylights out of that floor, I felt it.  Right in my hand, a searing pain that one might expect to get had they slapped a brick wall for sassing them, or had their hands rapped with rulers for being snarky in school.  So, I continued to dance as the crowd roared with laughter and cheering and claps.  But what I WANTED to do was this:

MOTHER OF ALL THINGS HOLY THAT HURT!

The result?

Hand bruises are no jokes, y’all.

What did we learn from today’s lesson, friends?

Winning a Zumba dance off is worth any and all pain.

I don’t regret a thing.

Healthiest You Challenge: Progress!

/ foodsweatandbeers / 16 Comments

Oh.

My.

Goodness.

HELLO, new friend!

THAT is a number I haven’t seen in quite some time.  And even that one time I saw it, it was only once. And only for a brief second.  And there was a .5 added to it.

What I’m trying to say is WHOAH I got some progress going on!

When I started this Healthiest You Challenge, I weighed in at 178.  Which is actually 37 lbs lighter than when I started.  But still 13 lbs above my ultimate goal. And I know that weight isn’t the only measure of progress, so I wanted to share some other progress made.

I’m doing 50 pushups a day.  Not in a row, mind you. But over the course of the day, in sets of 10, I’m doing them. And I’m feeling stronger.

I’m mixing up my workouts.

Feeling that burn!

That is a combination of a Muscle Conditioning Class and the Core class right after. I’ve definitely been neglecting strength training lately, being all cardio and Zumba obsessed.  But this glass challenged ALL of my muscles, and I was sore in places I haven’t even thought about in years.  The use of weights, resistance bands, steps, and sliding disks made for a variety of exciting new exercises that kept me challenged.

Holy 191 HR!

The High Intensity Training (don’t mind that extra I in the text on the image) class is described like this:

H.I.T. only lasts 45 minutes as opposed to 60 minutes, but it is done at near maximal intensity the entire time. Cardio circuit after cardio circuit, muscular circuit after muscular circuit, the class will keep your heart pounding from start to finish, with minimal rest and maximum effort. As with any class particpants can make it as hard as they wish, with safety always coming first in the form of various options and modifications, but as a general rule of thumb, this class is not for the faint of heart.

I’ll be honest, NOTHING about that sounds fun. And, compared to choreographed workout classes, it wasn’t “fun”, per se. But it WAS hard, and exciting, and I felt like I was shocking my muscles with moves like Burpees with the Bosu ball and standing-on-one-leg bicep curls and EXPLOSIVE jumps from a standing position.  I think I rocked it.

I’m also tracking all my food intake on My Fitness Pal and have gotten a lot better about not overdoing it over the weekend.  That doesn’t mean it’s been smooth sailing.

There have been bumps (sometimes, in the shape of a family sized box of Wheat Thins split between two ladies on a Sunday evening…)

Family of two, anyone? (And yes, that’s the infamous Brian Krakow a la My So-Called Life on the screen behind the box.)

But it’s working. I’m getting over my plateau with hard work, and dedication.  And knowing I have a team behind me, cheering me on as they work for the same goal as me, that’s another welcome addition to the party.

This Healthiest You Challenge is actually making me feel like the healthiest Jordan I’ve been in a long time.  But don’t worry, I haven’t changed all that much….

Still taking life as seriously as ever.

Thanks to everyone for their support so far, June 8th is approaching quickly and I really hope I can reach my goal (or at least get a little closer!!)

Healthiest You Challenge: Week 3 with Jazzercise!

/ foodsweatandbeers / 12 Comments

Jazzercise.

Yup.

That is the first image that pops up when I google image search the term. Jazzercise, according to a pal on MyFitnessPal, evokes this response:

OMG, I haven’t even heard that term in like 20 years! Makes me think back to my old Jane Fonda videos!!

Well… Turns out that’s not really what Jazzercise is all about.  According to the internet, “Jazzercise is a fusion of jazz dance, resistance training, Pilates, yoga, and kickboxing.” When I visited the Chapel Hill Jazzercise location (located dangerously close to a bagel shop and a barbecue joint, eep), I didn’t know what to expect. While I didn’t imagine unitards and shiny leggings, I sort of wish I’d brought a pair of leg warmers, if only to get the full experience.

The full experience, however, was pretty fantastic.

For the Healthiest You Challenge, we are required to try a few community health options out over the 8 weeks. 6 complimentary Jazzercise classes were on that list. While I’m accustomed to a gym full of hyperactive “yo pros” (Young professionals) with the occasional student mixed in at O2 Fitness, Jazzercise was definitely an older crowd.  That being said, it definitely wasn’t “OLD” old, and there was a range from about mid- to late-20s all the way up to (I assume) 60s.  A great mix, and everyone seemed very excited.

Getting JAZZY!

As far as the outfits, folks weren’t rocking my dream of Glitter Body Suits, but all looked pretty fashionable in bright colors and comfortable workout gear.  Nothing out of the standard fitness gear.

There were only females in my class, though I know that Jazzercise welcomes males and females.

(Sorry for the lousy picture)

The perceived exertion chart sort of set up the class as far as how we’d be working out.  There’s a buildup with a warmup, a sustained peak for four songs (in this particular class, I’ve heard it can vary), and then a period of slowing/cooling down, which included some strength training.

My thoughts?

I’ll admit, I was wary initially. The warmup was REALLY slow, and my heart rate stayed a lot lower than I’m used to in my standard dance fitness classes (like Zumba or Bodyjam).  However, after a little while, I could see why folks were so dedicated to this class. Though it moves at a slower pace, you definitely are getting a solid workout in. Most of the songs I’d never heard before (with about 3 exceptions during the whole hour class), and I always kind of prefer being able to sing along, but (at points) I was working so hard that singing would’ve been a challenge.

Jazzercise is less about sexily shaking what your mama gave you, and more about a fun dance workout to music.  I get the feeling it sort of set the groundwork or foundation for lots of more modern classes, and it’s always good to know where your roots are.  The participants were all in good spirits, which was contagious enough to have me whooping with the rest of the class about halfway in.  My favorite part of the class, though, was definitely the strength portion.

The gear!

There was a section for arms, for lower body (booty, thighs), and an ab section, covering all most of the bases.  This was a nice change of pace from my usual cardio-only classes, and I liked jumping off that cardio high to focus on small, controlled weight lifting and inner/outer thigh work.

As far as Jazzercise goes, while I can’t say that I’m a convert, I will happily say that I’m a believer that it can be a great fitness workout for some people. It’s affordable, it’s a great feeling of community, and, I imagine, with enough practice, the steps feel like second nature.

Without any practice, you may end up bumbling around like a fool for few parts.

I know I did.

According to my HRM, I burned 692 calories during the hour (with a few questionable peaks that make me wonder if, at the end, I may have bumped it or made it go funny).  But hey, I broke a serious sweat, and had fun doing it.

I haven’t had a chance to get my weigh-in for the week (blessing in disguise after a bit of overeating on the weekend), but I’ll let you know when I check in on that, too.

Have you ever tried Jazzercise? What’d you think?

or, if you haven’t, What’s one exercise class you’ve always wanted to try but haven’t had a chance?