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This is from PiYo? REALLY?

Time for a small confession.

As a Beachbody Coach, I DO at least TRY all of our programs when they are released, but some I don’t do the full calendar, or even every workout within the program.

In September, we are offering an amazing savings on the PiYo Challenge Pack from Chalene Johnson​. And since my Crew team leader, Coach Jimmy​ is in Drench, me and 2 of the local coaches on my team decided to give it a try in my garage gym. Well, it IS called Drench, and my garage WAS about 90 degrees last night, but we had 3 fans going and we are tough girls, so we gave it a go.

Piyo-Drench-45


That’s The Coach Jimmy on the right! 🙂

But THIS is where things get interesting!

If you know my story, you know that I have a lumbar spinal fusion from L3-S1, that was put in during my 3rd back surgery in 1999 as a result of severe instability of my spine from a 1994 work injury when I was 22 years old working as a CNA at a Veterans’ Nursing Home.  This is what my back looks like during that surgery and now in X-ray.

back fusion

lumbar fusion

Since that fusion, my balance or flexibility have never been even close to what it used to be. Atrophied hamstrings and psoas and a cut erector spinea muscle being the biggest reasons. Fear of moving and hurting myself worse and depression that resulted in a love affair with prescription drugs, booze, and my couch, all while ballooning up to nearly 300# also didn’t help.

But back to my point…

We were all SOAKED!!!  We looked like we had gone swimming in our clothes!  At one point, I changed my head position, and sweat RAN off the top of my head!

post Piyo

Conclusion of the story?  PiYo is an AMAZING all encompassing fitness workout!

Not only does it work on flexibility and stretching and core work like you expect from the name, but also cardio and strength training!  WOW!  And this girl is a bit sore this morning.  I just Thank God that I used my Beachbody Performance Recharge last night, or I may not have been able to get out of bed today!  😀

So, if you are willing to start at the beginning and work up to the more advanced workouts, I am 100% positive that you would get FABULOUS results from this program.  I did have to slow down and/or do the modifications for a few things, but maybe with a little more PiYo in my life, my balance would actually improve! 🙂  I am willing to give it a try and plan to add it to my regime more often.  Just maybe not DRENCH again too soon 😉

If you are interested in trying this amazing program for yourself, contact me at any of the places below, and we can get you started today!

MAKE today GREAT!!!

bodybybrenda@hotmail.com

www.bodybybrendat.net

Facebook Body By BrendaT

IG and Twitter @bodybybrendat

www.beachbodycoach.com/bodybybrendat

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Round 1…DONE!

I’m not going to lie, I was a bit disappointed when I found out Beachbody was coming out with a program called the 21 Day Fix!   Because starting out in September 2008, if I heard 21 Day Fix, I may have thought, “WOW!  In 21 Days, my obesity will be cured!”  I know better now, and have, as a Beachbody Coach, hopefully made sure that my customers know that it is a tool.  A VERY GOOD tool, but a new lifestyle does not just appear at the end of the 21 days.  But at the end of that 21 days, you WILL be well on your way to a permanent solution to solving all of your nutrition and exercising(or NON-exercising) bad habits.

I am writing this post to show MY results of my first round of the 21 Day Fix.  But first a bit of a back story on my last year.

In 2010, I weighed 150#.  Over the next 2 years, I worked my tail off to put on 10-12# of muscle.  In 2012, my weight fluctuated from 157-162#, and looked better than I ever had in my life.  I maintained that until January of 2013.  I had multiple dental issues and then got sick from the infection they caused.  I felt like garbage for a long time, had some personal issues going on, and started a new BAD habit of procrastination snacking!  This could have proved to have been my downfall.  Over the last year, I have fluctuated up and down from 169-180#!  I just could not seem to get my nutrition back on track.  I knew portion control was one of my biggest issues, and I really struggle with logging my food.  But 21 Day Fix offered me a new system of doing BOTH of those things that FINALLY worked for me!

I finished up Round One Yesterday, admittedly with a few slip ups that threw me off track, but here are my results.

3pic21dfresults31614with statsI may not be where I want to be yet, but I am a LONG way from where I started! 🙂  I am so happy with my results, that I am starting round 2 tomorrow.  I will finish this second round just in time to start my Les Mills Challenge Group on April 7th, and just in time to celebrate my 43rd Birthday!  WOW!  Time certainly does fly, doesn’t it?

If you would like to join my Challenge Group, or would like more info on the 21 Day Fix, message me either through Facebook at Body By Brenda or by email at bodybybrenda@hotmail.com

MAKE today GREAT!!!

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BAD BAD BLOGGER!

Can you say “TOO many irons in the fire!”? I have stretched myself so thin this month, that I don’t know which way is up anymore. I keep saying I am going to work on my sleep schedule. HA! That still isn’t happening! Of course, does ANYONE get enough sleep around the holidays? From Thanksgiving to New Year’s becomes a blur. And I am not even a big shopper!

new year14

Anyway…I did want to make sure that I got in here at least once before the December 21st deadline of ordering P90X3, or ANY Challenge Pack for that matter, to get it in time for a First of the year start! I am doing a Challenge Group with the P90X3. If you are interested, please e-mail me at bodybybrenda@hotmail.com , and I will help you get signed up and get your order in and we can do it together starting January 6th! I am really excited about this program. I know it is going to be tough, but there are modifiers throughout the whole program! If there is something you can’t do like Tony, then do the modifier. Modifying is not cheating, it is BUILDING!

p90x3

If you want to look at the broad collection of Fitness Programs that Beachbody has to offer, check them out at www.beachbodycoach.com/bodybybrendat

I have to get back to work now, but I will check back in with you all again before Christmas!

MAKE today GREAT!!!

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Modify?!? Does that make me a failure?

I was going to post this in Facebook, but I sometimes think that long FB posts get skimmed over, so I figured a blog would be best.

Here is the picture that prompted today’s post. 🙂

sponge bob insanity

Maybe a bit much to get the giggles, but if he kept moving, didn’t give up, and got through the workout, then he did a good job!

Here are some of my views on Modifying:

First, the word ‘modify’ is NOT a dirty word in the fitness world!  In fact, in my opinion, and in the opinions of MANY trainers and coaches way smarter and more experienced than I, modifying will help you learn better form and use the muscle you are working to its fullest potential, which in turn leads to the BEST quality workout!

Second, taking a break does NOT make you a failure!  If you are just starting your journey to a healthier and fit lifestyle, new to the workout, coming back from injury, or sometimes just having an “off” day, more breaks may be needed to make it through to the end.  Just try to keep moving if you can while you catch your breath.  Even if it is just a light march in place.

AND Third!  This one could be the MOST important!  IF you are a beginner or you are coming back from injury, or simply have one muscle group that is not as strong and needs to be slowly built up….DO THE MODIFICATION!  For Example….There is no shame in doing push ups on your knees!   This one is hard for me, because I could do perfect military style push ups before I hurt my shoulder.  But I need to build my strength back up and stop pushing it too fast.  So it is NOT just beginners, all of us need to use modifications some times.

Modifications help you perfect your form.  In fact, I believe that sometimes doing the modification of an exercise actually helps me slow down and concentrate on the muscles I am using.  Sometimes you get to the point that you start swinging weights, or just going through the motions.  And doing 50 squats in 30 seconds is NOT a good thing if you are doing them sloppy and with poor form.

Since becoming a Beachbody Coach, I hear excuses all the time like, “I can’t do that!” or “That program is too advanced for me.”  or “I couldn’t keep up with that!” or “I can’t do (fill in the blank), I am too uncoordinated!”  First of all, how do you KNOW any of that if you don’t try?  And second, there is ALWAYS a modification for EVERYTHING!  If you can’t figure it out, ASK!  There is always something different you can do if a certain move bothers you.

For instance, I since I have a lumbar fusion in my back, while doing acro yoga yesterday, one of the moves was flying whale.  I can be the base for whale, but I am not comfortable having someone’s feet in my lower back, but here are my friends Mahala and Shari doing and AWESOME job at it! 🙂

mahala and shari flying whale

 

But I will say acro yoga is REALLY helping me with my trust issues.  Several weeks ago, I let Mahala the instructor talk me into letting her fly me.  Here is the picture taken for PROOF!  LOL!

me flying

And yesterday, I let both my friends, Gloria and Mr Bentley fly me!  I am getting there! 🙂

So, get over your “I have to be PERFECT to start!” mentality!  Take that first step!  And as always…..

MAKE today GREAT!!!