Yoga Flow

I love Yoga... I really do.  It's a great wind down from the everyday and I encourage those I know who only practice strength training to try Yoga.  So of course I'm in the process of designing my own Yoga mat (still getting the details down). I however absolutely fell in love with this

OMG LOVE IT!!!

It's the Elephant of Nimibia Yoga Mat by PomGraphicDesign1 found on Cafepress.com

Seriously threw me off of what I came to the site for.  I would totally pay the $58.00 for this mat.  Love it!

POST Post Baby Body and Workout.

Ok..last time I spoke about my post baby body it was pretty rough

I know... Well Thank You Befit in 30 Extreme!  That, a little gym time and a pretty clean diet got me here

LOVE LOVE LOVE LionsGate BeFit workouts.  When it came to building muscle and burning fat these videos did the trick.  I've been doing them for a while every now and again but just recently made them routine.  They work people.  Grant it I don't just do them alone.  I mix in two 10 min. strength training workouts after but the the fat burn really comes from Befit in 30 Extreme.  

Not all of the In 30 Extreme workouts are as hard as I'd like them to be, but that's where the other videos come in...

Now I'd just like to point out that although I think I'm pretty fit...this lower body clip from Cardio Barre

and ANYTHING by Cassey Ho from Blogilates give me a serious run for my money.

yo...this lil chick is STRONG!!  I guess because I'm used to short reps with heavy weights...These girls practice no weights and LOTS of reps.  I was not ready.

...but the results.....stunning!

All workouts found on YouTube people.  You really don't need a gym membership to get in shape.

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

...And It's Back to the Drawing Board

So I had a child about 11 weeks ago now.

...isn't she precious.

And we know that lovely baby weight that we embraced while pregnant is not looking so cute now that the egg has hatched.

I went from this..to this

(pay no attention to my boyfriends mess in the background...we'll just say it was "laundry day")

Well...at least I have boobs now.  I must say.. I kinda dig having all these hips.  To be completely honest however this isn't the worst.  I was pretty rough looking right out of the hospital.  All the drugs they gave me to have my C-Section did not do my body good..nor did the C-Section itself.  The image above is a vast improvement from the original me post op.

I went from 137 to 195 and am now at 163. I dropped the first 25 easily without any effort really (Hooray for breastfeeding!) In the past I have been this weight before but still in better shape than I am now.  So you know what that means!!!  Oh yes.  It's time to make dates with Retro Fitness, Tony Horton, Pauline Nordin and all the free workout videos I can find on Youtube!!  The physical aspect of getting in shape is never the problem for me...it's the nutrition that gets me. This girl likes to eat! But I am determined and ready to go in an all out effort to get back to this...

Feel The Pump!

Bill Dunn ---> Qiana Kelsey
lol i mentioned you in the 3rd verse ;) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dnzz463eyA8&feature=autoshare 



Shout out to Bill for including a lil piece of me in this song. Lovin it!!

My Review of Lean & Chiseled

Originally submitted at Acacia

If Pilates sculpts your body, Xtend Barre chisels it. Developed by professional dancer, choreographer, and Pilates instructor Andrea Rogers, Xtend Barre combines the grace and flexibility of dance with the strength and sculpting of Pilates to give you a long, strong, lean physique. Includes three s...

Lean & Chiseled

Harder Than I Thought

By DeathofaDame from Mount Holly, NJ on 1/7/2012

4out of 5

Pros: It's challenging, Love All The Ballet Moves, It's Cardio
Cons: Too Short

This workout had me winded and I've done some pretty serious workouts. For a Pilates/Ballet workout this is probably the best I've done. I gave it only 4 stars because I wish it was a little longer and included abs somewhere in it, but I don't doubt it will get the job done.

(legalese)

PS.. so I'm a dingbat and only did the On Demand version which is just one segment of the entire DVD.  ...well now I know. There is a core section.

He Can't Do What??

On my most recent trip to the gym Tuesday of this week...(maybe I'm slacking just a lil) with Eric we got in our usually pretty intense workout, but then got a little extra when it was all over.

You see, Eric is a brand new certified personal trainer.  I've been working out for a long time, but I enjoy going with him because despite the fact that I know many of the exercises he's showing me, he helps me stay in good form and pushes me to work harder.  Sometimes it's just better working out with guys....P.S...you guys excited about P90X2??!!

So, the workout's over and we're on our way out.  Before we make it to the door Eric stops to get all his equipment situated when out walks the owner of that local Retro Fitness.  I'm all excited because I'm thinking he's offering Eric a job.  He's good..what can I say.  WRONG!

He's telling Eric he can't train people at the gym because it takes away from the trainers they've hired!  WHAT??  I'm baffled.  First of all, anyone who was watching could see he wasn't training me being we were BOTH working out.  And yes ..he has trained his client there before, but THEY BOTH HAVE MEMBERSHIPS TO THE GYM!!!  I don't see what the problem is. If they're paying to come to the gym to workout anyway how can you tell them they can't do it there??

We were both pretty pissed off about that, and poor E (Eric) had to contact his client to cancel their contract because they had no where to train (they both offered alternatives so hopefully she's still his client).

My membership for Retro expires in about 6 months and I was up in there air about renewing it, however the owner of that facility may have done it for me.  Am I being too harsh on Retro Fitness??  How is it Eric's fault that the trainers there aren't confident enough in their training ability that they cause another who is just working out with his friend to now have to be cautious about how he works out there?  Is it because I'm a girl who's pretty fit, and perhaps their trainers clients think they can get better results with Eric??  It all comes down to one question really....                                           .                                                                              .                                                       What would Ava Cowan Do?

The Greatest!

RIP to the great Jack Lalanne.  Thank you for ever inspiring me to stay fit and healthy.  What would the world be with you and Arnold.





You will forever be missed.

Pure Insanity!

So..This week I've officially re-started (I started it 2 times before and only made it to workout 3) Shaun T's Insanity workout.





I've done P90X and I gotta say, I love Tony Horton to death, but Insanity is exactly what the name says it is. I'm wondering how long it took the people in the video to be able to do those HIIT- High Intensity Interval Training for those who don't speak "Workout"- back to back like they do. I'm dying over here, however I am SO determined to get into shape by March because if The Arnold is coming back to Ohio next year I wanna be there.. looking good!

http://www.beachbody.com/text/products/programs/insanity/popup_parsea/shaun.html

Goals

...sometimes you just gotta keep striving.

....love that pic.. real or not.