2011 was quite a year of change for me, and likely for you (a lot happens in a year), and I have to say it was one of my best and hardest years yet! I'm looking forward to THIS year, and so what better way to start than with a challenge?
As you know, it's really hard to make abstract or unstructured resolutions or goals, so after being approached by several people, all with the same issue; they want to lose weight, get in shape etc. but where to begin? Many of these people are extremely successful, ambitious individuals who were simply bored with their current routine, had fallen off track or hadn't seen the results they wanted - ALL of us have room for improvement right?? Well, here is your chance, read below to find out!
Thanks to Lily Rubio, the founder of Cupcake Covertops (http://cupcakecovertops.com/), I devised a 30 day workout challenge, which she is leading by example and vlogging daily! It entails 5 video workouts per week which are all found on my youtube channel (www.youtube.com/amandarussell).
I invite YOU, yes YOU who are sitting there reading this to join. No matter who you are, your background, your goals, YOU CAN do this, I absolutely think it is the BEST way to start 2012 and the BIGGEST INCENTIVE, this first one is 100% FREE.
Every day for 30 days Lily will designate which workout video to do on her youtube channel http://www.youtube.com/user/CupcakeCovertops AND I will post which workout to do the night before on my facebook page http://www.facebook.com/arussellfit, so you can prep yourself for the next day, and rally support!
Make the COMMITMENT and join Lily and I for this 30 Day GET Lean and Toned Challenge - the time is now, if you really want it, you will work for it and commit, if you don't you'll find an excuse :)
Have a friend, get him/her to do it with you!
LEt this blog be your personal journal where you can document exactly how you feel each day, what you accomplished, what you had trouble with. LET'S DO THIS!
This comment is from Sarah, today was her first day of making the commitment, here's what she had to say:
JOURNAL:
30 DAYS TO A STRONGER AND LEANER ME
THANKS TO THE AR WORKOUT PROGRAM
1.02.2012: I am excited to start the AR Program! 30 days of a
consistent routine, plus half marathon training/running will be sure
to get results! Amanda’s program is intense, but the workouts are
do-able, short, and they give results. It is really all about my
attitude. I can do this – that is the attitude I need to have! I was
in the best shape of my life a year and a half ago, and I changed my
focus – that is okay. I will get back to the fitness and shape I had
before – perhaps I’ll be even stronger this time since I am internally
stronger. Let’s see how I feel doing Amanda’s workouts! Today is the
first day of the program. I also have a 4 mile run to do on the side.
She has me doing 5 of her workouts this week. I have a challenging
week in terms of traveling around, so I need to plan and make sure I
get the workouts in. Plus I need to eat healthy. That is a big part
of leaning out as well. ***
okay so I just did the first workout of the plan. Man was that hard!
I did the Hotel Workout. It is 5 rounds of 10 exercises, doing each
exercise 10 times. The leg exercises are very intense, but by the
middle exercises allow for a little recovery while still pushing you.
On the 2nd round, I didn’t think I would make it until the 5th round.
I started negotiating with myself. I told myself to get to the 4th
round and I’d see how I felt. I thought to myself, it’s just the
first day and I can workup to getting in the 5 rounds as I progress
with the plan. But then on the 4th round, I thought to myself, this
is day one…are you going to let yourself down? I managed to do all 5
rounds and I’m so glad I did. I also did three sets of pushups
(modified/on knees) before beginning the workout. I imagine that I
will quickly get back into shape with these workouts! It is
intense…but not too long of a workout that I can’t sustain that
intensity. And hopefully as I continue to do these workouts, I will
get stronger. How do I feel? I am beat, but yet energized at the same
time!"
I'm looking forward to doing this challenges with you! I'm recovering from an injury so I didn't do the whole 5 sets. I love the hotel workout but will be sure to switch it up! I'm excited to take this journey and am happy I'm not doing it alone :) -Traci
ReplyDeleteWelcome aboard Traci! You are definitely not alone! Did you find Lily's vlogs online? I'm actually shooting a new workout today so you will have a new one for this week's rotation :)
ReplyDeleteHappy New YEAR!
Okay, I'm way behind on my posts...I had a good first week of the AR Program. I hope for more consistency in the week to come, but flexibility is also a good thing as is just giving myself a pat on the back for what i DID do!
ReplyDelete1.04.12 and 1.05.12 - no workouts. only one of these days was supposed to be a rest day, but it didn't work out that way...I didn't let it affect the rest of my week.
1.06.12 - 10 min Little Black Dress workout in the a.m.; in the p.m., 25 mins combo workout of 15 mins workout, hotel workout, little black dress workout -- that was intense and felt great!
1.07.12 - 2 mile run; 10 mins of the 15 mins workout; an hour and 15 mins of yoga
1.08.12 - new year, new you workout!; 4 mile run
After one week on the AR Program, I am feeling a difference! I feel stronger and a little bit leaner already...amazing what these workouts are doing for me -- they are short, but intense and effective! I'm looking forward to week 2! thank you amanda!
1.09.2012: I did the AR Burpee workout today. WOW! that is one intense workout! Toward the end, I modified the burpee here and there (to stepping back and forward). I can see how this workout gives results. I have to say, I was dreading this workout before I did it (I have done burpees in workouts before and know how hard they are. I am not even close to my former fitness level right now so I anticipated that this workout would be hard)…after I finished the workout, I realized that it wasn’t nearly as bad as I had expected and I felt really good from it. Another thank you to Amanda! (as a side note, I didn’t run today -- time restraints and I was tired. I will rearrange my runs this week so that I get in the mileage I need for my half-marathon training). How am I feeling? stronger…little by little, I am rebuilding strength and endurance
ReplyDelete1.10.2012: This morning was a bit of a disappointment for me. After one week on the AR Program, I have felt better and I feel like I'm leaning out and building back my muscle tone and strength. But this a.m., I weighed myself...only to find that I had gained weight. From past training and monitoring my weight and body fat, I know that if the number on the scale goes up it is not necessarily an indicator of what is going on...but it can play a mind-trick on you! I just have to stay positive, and use this to fuel me to stick with Amanda's workouts...over time, I'll see results. I reached out to Amanda, and she gave me great positive feedback. She also mentioned that diet is 70% of the equation -- a good reminder to keep my diet clean and healthy. I also need to focus on drinking more water.
On a purely positive note, Amanda has me doing push-ups daily. I have been doing them modified (on my knees). I am noticing that the modified version is not as challenging, so I am incorporating regular push-ups. That's exciting...I did one full set of regular, and am waiting less time (practically no time) in between sets. That alone shows me that I'm getting stronger again.
Today's workouts: 3.5 mile run at lunch time - interval run: I pushed hard! I felt great after and I'm looking forward to tonight's AR Hotel workout.
**Okay…so "tonight's workout" never happened! I was exhausted after a long day, and ended up asleep by 8:30 p.m.! also, I didn't eat healthy - maybe because I was tired and perhaps discouraged from this morning...I need to refocus and not let "imperfection" to take away from all the good things I've been doing/have done! I had a great run today and will fit in the Hotel workout later this week. As long as I keep up with this, I will see results…
1.11.2012: I ran 2 miles on the treadmill and did the LBD workout. I did all of that during my lunch break at work…the AR workouts are easy to do at the gym (I usually do them at home), and short enough that you can fit one in during a lunch break (as long as you don't mind getting sweaty, which I don’t!). I am noticing that my arms are getting more defined again, which is good. Interestingly enough, my forearms are sore (maybe from the Burpee workout??? not sure). I feel like I had a great workout today. With each great workout, it helps keep me focused and on track. Again, I'm not letting a day here or there that is no so on point affect my overall perspective or undermine everything else I'm doing.
1.12.2012: My intentions were good. I was planning on working out when
ReplyDeleteI got home tonight…but with such a long commute, and waking up early
each day this week, I didn't have it in me. I decided to take a "nap"
at 8:30 p.m., and even set my alarm to wake up in a half hour…but that
"nap" turned into sleep for the night. I needed the sleep. I still
had trouble waking up the next day, so my body is talking to me. I
will get right back into the swing of things (and perhaps be more
rested in the process).
1.13.2012: I did the AR Hotel workout. This was a killer the first week...and sure enough, it was a killer the second week too! It is such an intense workout, but really left me feeling so good at the end.
1.14.2012: I ran 3.5 miles today and did a modified version of the AR Thanksgiving workout right after the run. My legs were killing me from the Hotel workout yesterday, so doing the no-hands get ups were very difficult!
1.15.2012: I only had time to run 2 miles on the treadmill today. My intention was to run again at night and do the LBD workout. Who knows...there is still some time left in the night/before I go to bed since I'm off tomorrow, so perhaps I'll motivate!!!!! Also, I've realized that I need to add in more cardio than I am doing (and a variety), and i need to focus more on my diet...I am getting stronger and can feel that, but I'm not getting leaner. I think with a slight adjustment to my diet, I will see the results I want.
1.16.2012: I did the LBD workout and then ran 4.5 miles on the treadmill. I felt great after the LBD workout -- that remains my favorite workout on the AR program. And, I can tell that I'm getting stronger. I can do a real pushup again and try to do as many as I can instead of on my knees. I can feel myself getting stronger and even
ReplyDeletesee muscle tone coming back. I just have to clean up my diet more. I eat a pretty clean diet as it is, but I think I'm eating too much for my body. So for me, I just need to eat less calories to see some results…this is going to be a huge focus of mine in week 3. Amanda
has consistently reminded me of how important diet is to the equation. She gave me a dose of some tough love this weekend, but it may be just what I needed to get me focused. She wants me to see results and can only do so much to help me. Also, I didn't do the entire workout
plan we had set out for me to do…SO, week 3 is going to be a repeat of week 2, but this time I'm going to hit it straight on! Amanda asked me if I'm all in…and yes, I am ALL IN! *I was motivated to do the 15 mins workout at night. I had the time and motivation, so I put it all to good use and felt great for it.
1.17.2012: I am back at work after a long weekend and ready to take on this week. I brought healthy food with me to work for meals and snacks. I have a 3.5 mile run today and the burpee workout. If I cant make it to the gym at lunch time, I will have a lot to do after
work tonight. Hopefully I'll be able to make it to do one of the workouts! ***I was unable to leave work during lunchtime so I wrote myself a note, committing to doing my run and the AR Burpee workout when I got home. No excuses. When I got home, I immediately got into my workout clothes and hit the treadmill for the 3.5 miles. I was pretty hungry after so I ate a healthy, light dinner (veggie soup with tofu, and a no-sugar added apple/cranberry cobbler I made over the weekend for dessert). Then…after a little relaxing, I did the AR Burpee workout. That is one intense 15 minutes. It requires endurance mentally and physically. I did it and was literally pouring sweat after. . .but I was SO glad I did it! I told Amanda, I'm "ALL IN" this week!
1.18.2012: Today I have a business meeting for several hours so I will likely not be able to hit the gym during the day, and afterwork I have a meeting and won't get back until very late. I scheduled today as my day off, but if by chance I can fit in the LBD workout, I will do it!
ReplyDelete***I didn't get a chance since I finished my day VERY late! I got in my pushups though! :)
1.19.2012: today I have to get in a run or cross-train workout and the AR New Year, New You workout. Ideally, I will be able to do one workout at lunch and the other at home tonight. Since I am apartment hunting after work, I am going to plan for the AR workout at home since it is only 15 to 20 minutes, and the cardio will longer -- plus
at home, I only have the treadmill for cardio options. I'm looking forward to today's workouts -- I feel I need them! ** got to run out to the gym during lunch but didn’t have much time at all. Got in 20 or so minutes of cardio on the elliptical. ** at night, I got home around 9pm and hadn’t even eaten dinner yet. Needless to say, I did not get in my scheduled workout before I went to bed. I will need to make this up within the next few days. I am
pretty bummed out since this is my week of "all in"...so i'll be making this up! Just goes to show that even with the best planning, sometimes you can't fit it all in. But every little bit counts. Was as least glad for the mini cardio workout this afternoon.
1.20.2012: today I did the AR Hotel workout. I may have only done 4 rounds of it - funny enough, it
was so intense that i may have gotten lost in the workout!! right after, i also did 2 rounds of
the LBD workout and then a set of leg lifts to further strengthen my hips for running. It was a super intense workout, but felt great! I am wondering when the Hotel workout won't seem as challenging???
1.21.2012: I ran 5 miles on the treadmill for half marathon training and did about 8 minutes of the
AR Thanksgiving workout. My legs were SHOT from running so I couldn't do much more. This was the second time
I tried an AR workout right after a run. I imagine I have to build up to doing them after a run since my legs were beat.
1.22.2012: I ran 3.5 miles on the treadmill today. I have an AR workout to do too. I was excited to try the
new AR workout -- the hips, bums and thighs! -- so I did that at night. That was SERIOUSLY intense! it is the kind of workout you can do anywhere and you don't need a lot of space for it at all. This is the end of week 3...technically week 2 though since my second week
on the AR Program was not entirely consistent and week 3 was a re-do of week 2 but "all in". Overall, I think this week was much more consistent. I am starting to notice results -- my arms are more toned, I lost weight in my middle (but not as much as I would like to), my legs are more toned again and I'm stronger all over. I have still more to go, and need to shed body fat. The scale hasn't budged (it went up a few pounds after the first week and then dropped back down to where I started)...but I'm losing inches. I am looking forward to week #4 (technically week #3?) of continued consistent workouts and healthy eating...and continued results. Losing inches is just as good as "losing weight" on the scale. At some point it will all equalize.
1.23.2012: today I went to the gym during lunch and tried to get in as much as possible since I don’t know if I'll be able to workout tonight. I have an appointment after work and a long commute home after that -- I'll prob get back around 9:30 and I wont have eaten dinner. SO I did 22 mins of elliptical and the LBD workout. I don't have so much time at lunch so a workout that is effective is super important to me. I find that the AR workouts are just that…they are quick, but targeted and effective. They always leave me dripping with sweat. After the squats and kicks in today's workout, my legs started to really feel the workout from last night!!!!!! maybe this means I'm building more muscle and leaning out -- which means more results…looking forward to that!
ReplyDelete1.24.2012: I am pretty sore today, but feeling great. I think the results are finally starting to kick in -- my clothing feels even looser than last week, and more importantly, I am feeling more comfortable in my own skin again. That doesn’t mean I can slack off now -- in fact, it is just the opposite…I need to keep up this intensity so that I continue to see results. I am spending this week at a friend's house, so I just have to be sure to fit in my workouts. **today I did 20 mins on the elliptical at lunch time and 12 mins of the Thanksgiving workout. I was rushed to get back to the office, but got in something. At night I did one set of additional leg lifts to strengthen my hips for running…and fell asleep by 8:45 p.m. I was VERY tired!
1.25.2012: I think my body needed the rest I took…from running and in getting more sleep. I feel much more ready to have a good workout today than I did yesterday. I also feel like I am leaning out more with each day…and that at some point soon it will become very noticeable that these workouts were the key to getting me back in shape and looking in shape! Today at lunch time I wasn’t feeling well, but I went to the gym for some light cardio - I thought maybe sweating out whatever I have could be a good thing. I did 25 mins of light cardio on the elliptical. At night, I went for a 3.6 mile run outside (need to do more outside running), and then the AR 15 mins workout. It was late at night when I got back from the run - 9:30 p.m. - but I still motivated to get in the 15 minutes. I didn't let myself think about it to rationalize not doing it…I just got right to it. No excuses! What is 15 mins of my time? what else did I REALLY have to do right then and there?
1.26.2012: I can't believe it is almost nearing the end of another week. The weeks are going by fast in some ways. Just goes to show that every day counts, and that whatever you can do on one day will make a difference - even just 15 minutes. And that with each day, the time you put in or the various little efforts here and there, they add up to bigger results. I have been focusing on consistently working out -- getting in the AR workouts 4 to 5 days a week, drinking more water, and eating a balanced diet that is right for me. I'm making my way on all fronts…today's workout: the hip, bum and thigh workout -- a killer! I wasn’t able to go at lunch time to the gym and got home late to eat dinner…but I forced myself to do the workout. I knew once I got started, I would be glad I did. I only did 13 minutes of the 15, but it was an intense 13 minutes of lunges, squats and back extensions.