21-Day Fix Extreme: Days 6 & 7

DAY 6: DIRTY 30 EXTREME

Now this is what I'm talking about!!! Compound moves, working different muscle groups at once...not that this doesn't happen every other day.  This workout is everything that I was hoping it would be and more.  Fast paced, 7 compound moves, and more lunges and squats to make sure your legs realize it's not a rest day yet!  It was nice to finally have a day that didn't involve jumping around, however it certainly doesn't give up on your butt and legs, nor should it.  You will feel every single part of your body after this workout, and if you don't, then you did something wrong.

I've used many of these compound moves in my personal training sessions, primarily because I love working with lighter weights, but total body movement.  Autumn guides you through each move at her quick pace, but the combination tightens and tones every single part of your body.  My favorite move from this workout was definitely the Half Moon Curtsy because you can feel the burn in your shoulders and all around your legs, and you're only holding a light weight.

My nutrition this day was on my Extreme Eating Plan which allowed for increased carbs and fruits, which was totally necessary given I was working the bar at night.  I ate some of my left over Oat n' Cashew Cakes, and also had some of my Egg Muffins.  I did end up having two servings of Shakeology on this day, as I'm not able to eat behind the bar.  Next time this happens though, I am going to start my morning with something other than my shake (say egg whites and oatmeal), so that I'm only drinking one shake a day.  There is always a relief on these Extreme Eating Plan days, as I'm not so focused on proteins, and I am able to have extra sugars and carbs in my diet.

At this time, my weight had decreased to 143.7 lbs, my Body Fat % had decreased to 28% and my muscle mass had increase to 31.3%.  All great numbers as far as I'm concerned, especially since I didn't feel like I had a lot of weight to lose, and I am really focused on my muscle gain.  It's very exciting to think that in 6 days, you can have these kind of results if you stay dedicated to your nutrition and exercise.

DAY 7: YOGA FIX EXTREME

I love yoga...love, love, love, love.  I feel that every workout routine, including my one-on-one's with clients should include a yoga day.  This workout moves quickly, but touches on everything from moving vinyasas, isometric holds, and balance postures.  Autumn touches on every part of yoga that you possibly could do with only thirty minutes.  I also have to say, that for once, I felt a little further along than her.  Although I couldn't do the really advanced postures, I was stronger throughout, more balanced, and felt more confident than she did.  I'm not sure if she typically teaches yoga, but it was nice to not feel like I was falling short on every aspect of my fitness routines.

I knew that I was going to be using my legs and butt, obviously, so I was prepared to feel an extreme burn again.  However, the amount of stretching and holding that she has you do, really does help the recovery of your lower body muscles.  This isn't to say that I didn't feel any burn, but it was a bearable burn that was also stretching and strengthening my muscle groups.  This workout is entirely warranted after the week of slaughter on your body, and IT IS NOT THE WORKOUT TO SKIP!!!  This seems very important to state, as this is the only day that you're really going to feel some recovery if you've been staying on schedule and attacking your workouts.

My favorite move from this workout is definitely Wheel, mostly because when I started Yoga three years ago, I never thought I'd be able to do it, especially with a leg lift.  Although Autumn doesn't do the leg lift that I show here in the video, I did add it into my workout to make the move a little more difficult.  If it's too difficult for you, then just keep both of your feet on the ground!

Nutritionally, I had to focus on what I'd be eating all day, and eat at certain times as I was working behind the bar again.  This meant stacking proteins at the beginning of my day because I wouldn't be able to eat behind the bar past 4 o'clock.  I planned accordingly, ate eggs, egg muffins, haddock, veggies, and all my fats, outside of the 1/4 avocado I put in my Shakeology for 'dinner'.  

I also took this day to prep for my travel on Monday.  I was leaving for Florida the next day, and having quite a panic attack on what I was going to eat while I was traveling, as I was also going to be dependent upon what was offered at the resort.  I'll fill you in on how I did with this on the following days blogs.  At the end of the first week (7 days), my Weight had dropped from 148.4 lbs. to 143.5, my Body Fat had dropped from 29.1% to 27.8%, and my Muscle Mass had increased from 30.8% to 31.4%.  All of these numbers are so huge to me, as they are indications of all the hard work and focus.  If they had only moved a little, I would have still been happy, but seeing this much progress w

as totally motivational.  As I was working this whole weekend, and traveled the following days, I wasn't able to do progress photos, but will provide some from week 2 for sure!

Remember, if you want to try ANY Beachbody program, including this 21-Day Fix Extreme, you can order it through me right HERE!  For ordering through me you will also receive an additional FREE DVD,  Don't miss out!

21-Day Fix Extreme: Days 4 & 5

DAY 4: LOWER FIX EXTREME

OK, so when day 4 rolled around, there's absolutely no way I could have anticipated how much my legs and butt were going to hurt.  As a trainer, I have gotten pretty used to the fact that my body is going to hurt almost all of the time, however this was a whole new type of burn.  Although you do have an upper body day, it's hardly enough to feel like you've recovered once you get though Pilates Extreme, and then you wake up to Lower Fix Extreme on Day 4.  In my head, I had convinced myself that Day 4 was going to be a combination of lower body moves, all slow and controlled, with no jumping.  If this is also your wish, throw it right out the window!

Autumn takes this opportunity to give you almost all lower body movements with weight, and each exercise is 1 full minute, 30 seconds with your feet grounded, 30 seconds with plyometric jumping.  So when you wake up on day 4 thinking, "I might be able to walk normal after this workout", please reconsider what you'll actually feel like.  Plyometric jumping, which utilizes different muscle groups and fibers than grounded leg work, is on Day 1, but you'll see it again here.  What also makes this a real leg burner, is the 1-minute exercises.  Anyone who's done jumping for 30-seconds will tell you that their butt is on fire, so add weighted stationary squats followed directly by squat jumps, and you're probably going to be reaching for the grandma bar in the ladies room every time you try to pee.

My favorite butt-burning move of the day was definitely the Lat Band Step!  With all the squats, lundges, and jumps I've done before, I'm not sure my side-butt (as my client Whitney likes to refer to it) has ever been burning more.  As this is one of the last moves in the routine, I'm not sure if it's just the combination of all the slaughtering that makes this feel fantastic, or just that it's an awesome move, but it'll definitely tighten and tone your butt and thighs!

Day 4 nutrition brought me back to Countdown to Competition Meal Plan with my proteins, veggies, healthy fats, and limited carbs .  In an effort to expand my white flaky fish intake, I attempted Tilapia...it will NEVER happen again.  Something about the taste and texture made me squirmish every single time I took a bite.  It was terrible...TERRIBLE!  Now this is obviously preference, so I'm not saying avoid this fish, but remember that when you're trying out a new nutritional plan, this may also happen to you.  You are going to come across foods that you haven't eaten before, that you hope you really like, and then find out that they make your stomach turn with one bite.  I ate it for two days, but only because I HATE to waste food.

There's also very little that's exciting and new to tell you about in regards to food and recipes, because once you really focus on this C2C Meal Plan, you're really eating the same things almost all the time.  If you're someone who needs a variety of choices, and can't eat the same thing all of the time, then I would suggest you choose the less rigid Extreme Eating Plan, as you'll have far more proteins, veggies, fruits, and carbs to choose from.  For myself, my focus is on changing my body as quickly as possible, with the best results as possible, even if that means throwing food in a blender and drinking it, (I joke, but I've also considered it throughout the week.) I'm also getting used to this whole drinking Coconut Oil thing.  Although they allow you to intake the oil through cooking, Autumn typically melts hers and drinks it.  So, as I wanted to stick as closely as possible to her nutritional plan, I have been doing the same.  It used to be tequila in a shot glass, and now I find myself in front of my microwave waiting to take Coconut Oil shooters.  Ahhh, how life changes.  The taste and texture don't bother me at all, but it's certainly something to become accustomed to!

When I woke up on Day 4, my then current weight was 145.7 lbs. compared to my starting weight of 148.4 lbs. The previous 2 days, however, I had weighed myself in the afternoon after drinking and eating, which really isn't a good idea when you want to trend something with numbers.  For that reason I started making sure I always weigh myself first thing in the morning with no clothes on.  I want to see the numbers based on weighing myself at the same time every day.  Even still, this is the lightest weight I have been since I was probably 12 or 13 years old.  I felt accomplished and happy, and it was a great motivator to stay focused on my nutrition, even if I could barely walk up and down the stairs!

It's also important to mention, as I am someone who truly believes that weight alone is not enough to track our successes in our fitness journey, that my Body Fat % had decreased from 29.1% to 28.5% and my Muscle Mass had increase from 30.8% to 31.1%!  These are the number that matter most to me.  I could care less if I ever get into the 130's, but I would love to be 18% Body Fat.  Weight is a number, Body Fat and Muscle Mass determine how your body looks.  Always remember that when you're tracking your weight loss journey!

DAY 5: CARDIO FIX EXTREME

Oh Autumn...up until now I really liked this lady.  She reminds me a lot of one of my best girlfriends Tanya, so every time I workout I smirk at some of her mannerisms and facial expressions because it makes me think of one of my besties.  Today, however, I swore at my TV around a dozen times, and had some seriously negative thoughts about the reality of this whole thing.  I'm not sure if it was the carb depletion, or that my legs just haven't had a day to recover, but this woman is just NON-STOP jumping!!!  I'm all about lower-body work, and cardiovascular work, but why-oh-why am I always f**king jumping around???  This day was the day that made me realize that this workout routine, if you're someone who pushes until you feel like you're going to collapse, is absolutely no joke, and not for the feint of heart.  Mentally, you must be fully prepared to break through that voice that says I can't, and learn to modify when your body won't let you.  I push, and I push REALLY hard...and this day was a real mental challenge.  That being said, I did it, I finished it, and I also have been walking funny since.   I'm not trying to discourage anyone, but I want to be a realist.  If you saw the infomercial for this product, and you've never worked out before, the chances that you will succeed are slim. This takes some real mental and physical toughness.  If you've never completed a program before, this absolutely is not where you want to start!

All that hate talk aside, that's not to say that I didn't find the workout rewarding, and didn't have a favorite move.  I love Weighted Skaters, as they work every muscle group, force rotation in the abdominals, and also work your butt.

As I was still on the Countdown to Competition Meal Plan, my food varied very little. Protein and green veggies, coconut oil, and one carb. I don't think it's necessary to tell you what I ate every day, but just to address that being this tight on my diet has certainly effected my energy levels on days that I train, or work behind the bar because I just don't have the energy sources that my body is used to. However, it is almost like I can feel my body burning fat, so I suppose it's working regardless. That being said, I will touch upon trying to eat 8 times a day. For the first few C2C days I was trying to eat a protein at every “meal”, quickly finding that it was near impossible to fit all the proteins into one day. Don't ask me why I didn't double up on my lunches or dinners, but for whatever reason it didn't occur to me until around this day. If you find yourself attacking the C2C Meal Plan while doing 21-Day Fix Extreme, take this into consideration. Eat two red containers for lunch and/or for dinner, depending on what your caloric intake is supposed to be, and what time you finish your last meal.

This morning I also saw a weight loss going from my previous 145.7 lbs. to 145.3 lbs., which is certainly something.  To have continued weight loss over every day is amazing.  Some days the loss is bigger than others, but even if I lost .4 lbs. every day, I'd have lost almost 10 lbs. overall with the program in 21-days.  That's just awesome weight math! I also saw a decrease in Body Fat % from 28.5% to 28.3%, and an increased Muscle Mass from 31.1% to 31.2%.  Although these seem like very small changes, you have to realize that they are HUGE in terms of one-day losses and gains!

Remember, if you want to try ANY Beachbody program, including this 21-Day Fix Extreme, you can order it through me right HERE!  For ordering through me you will also receive an additional FREE DVD,  Don't miss out!

21-Day Fix Extreme: Days 2 and 3

DAY 2

I can honestly say that day two of 21-Day Fix Extreme was extremely hard on me nutritionally.  I'm here to be honest, and that is what I'm going to be.  Although I am a relatively clean eater, the elimination of fruit, dairy, and most carbohydrates on the Countdown to Competition Meal Plan, sent me into a bit of sugar withdrawal.  Fruit is one of my main substitutes for processed sugars, obviously, so having none at all was a bit of a shock to the system by day 2.  Also, getting only one serving of carbs on those days creates a complete depletion of insulin spikes, so my body was burning red hot from the workouts, and really just burning off of the fats on my body.  This is the idea, clearly, but when you're going through it, it just doesn't feel so pleasant. Protein and veggies, protein and veggies...that's about it.

OK, now that I'm done whining, the things that I have learned thus far.  Planning, planning, planning.  When my body was burning like a furnace, I really only had about a two hour window before I was starving again.  So, if I didn't have food prepped already, it was an additional 15-20 minutes that I had to wait to eat, and that just made me hangry.  Fish, eggs whites, turkey, and lean red meat.  Buy it, prep it, and cook a ton of it.  Have it sitting in the fridge for when your stomach starts to speak.  Otherwise, you'll find yourself standing with your refrigerator doors open, hating that you ever made the decision to start down this path.  Same thing for veggies; broccoli, asparagus, peppers, cucumbers, green beans. Buy them, clean them, steam them, portion them.  It's survival in order to make it through the C2C Meal Plan days.  I also tend bar on Tuesday nights, and hadn't accounted for the extra calories that I would burn from running around the bar area, so I learned my lesson there.  Bring more food, eat more often.  Overall though, I loved the Upper Fix Extreme workout, as I LOVE to push weight, and the 10 min. Hardcore video that you can add on is quickly becoming one of my favorite add-ons to the program.

DAY 3

Ahhh, 2 extra carbs, and 3 servings of fruit?!?  I didn't know I could be so excited about this, but it was seriously like a mini celebration when I woke up.  My favorite Chocolate Shakeology recipe has Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk, banana, and peanut butter, and I can't have that on my C2C meal plan days, so when I woke up at 5:30 am (yeah, I couldn't freaking sleep, and my stomach was GROWLING), and knew I could have my favorite breakfast. there was a sigh of relief.  It's the small things people...otherwise, you'll end up shoving a donut in your face.  This was a bit of a relief in my day, knowing that I wouldn't be feeling like I was having a totally restrictive food day.  

Poached eggs over steamed asparagus, Cashew n' Oats Pancakes, Turkey Meatloaf with sweet potato and steamed broccoli; all this made my day a little bit better.  Even my boyfriend was surprised by how good the meatloaf was, and it will most certainly make it only my food blog.  

When it came to approaching Pilates Fix Extreme, I went at that workout with the wrong mindset.  I have done Pilates in workout programs before, and thought, "I totally have this, NBD!"  Yeah, add a resistance band to anything, and it'll make you realize you were barely doing any work before.  Autumn Calabrese brings Pilates to a whole different level, so if you think your arms and legs are safe, they are not!  I don't think I've ever been so exhausted from floor work in my entire fitness career.  My favorite move of the day, had to be the Circle Teaser.  The abdominal work, and the leg work are insane, and the burn is AWESOME!

It never ceases to amaze me how a new move in your routine can change how you look at the previous work that you have done.  I've done this move plenty of times before without resistance bands, but add that little bit of resistance, and you entirely change what muscle groups that you engage.  Give it a try, and you'll see exactly what I'm talking about.  

STATS

So on day three, what had changed?  Well, I had gone from 148.4 lbs. on Day 1 to 146.6 lbs. on Day 3.  That's almost 2 lbs. in three days.  This is a huge loss, as most people would find difficulty in losing a pound a day, and it certainly can't be maintained for a lengthy period of time.  But, this is the point of 21-Day Fix Extreme and the Countdown to Competition Meal Plan.  Extreme results in less than 30 days, as long as you stay committed to your nutrition and exercise; it's not impossible, it's just hard.  As they say, it's supposed to be hard, if it wasn't everyone one would do it.  My Day 3 photos:

I am excited to see this change over 21 days.  This is the first time that I have taken photos this often, as most programs have you do it once a month, as you progress through different stages of the program. If you folks have any questions or comments, throw them my way.  I would love to hear suggestions and concerns that other people have also faced.  So far, I FREAKING LOVE THIS PROGRAM!!! 

Remember, if you want to try ANY Beachbody program, including this 21-Day Fix Extreme, you can order it through me right HERE!  For ordering through me you will also receive an additional FREE DVD,  Don't miss out!

DECIDE. COMMIT. SUCCEED.

Maria

21-Day Fix Extreme: Prep Day for Success

Starting a new program or nutrition plan can be very overwhelming, especially when you're starting from scratch.  The last nutritional plan that I followed to a "T" was when I did P90X, 3 years ago.  After that, I had cleaned up my diet enough that when I was working out regularly, I didn't really need to be particular about my food, as long as I didn't eat a ton of garbage.  Overall, I am a very clean eater, so it's rare that I track my food religiously, or weigh myself daily.

The problem was, of course, that I was never getting the results that I could have gotten if I had stayed really focused on what I was putting in my mouth.  For that reason, I decided to try Beachbody's newest program, 21-Day Fix Extreme.  I have had several customers who had great results with the first program 21-Day Fix, and I was especially interested in the Extreme program because it offered a 'Countdown to Competition' Meal Plan.  I had often researched what body builders ate to prep for competition, but there is so much information on the web, and I wasn't quite sure where to start.  This program offered me the opportunity to start fresh, focus on my macro nutrients, and launch me into new workouts.  As I am religiously a P90X, X2, and X3 program participant, it was nice to think about trying a new program, and trainer, all the way through.  AND, it's only 21 days...how hard could it be???

Well, preparation for any life change is where you need to start.  I tell every client and customer that they need to first go through all the information that is provided.  Read the 'Start Here' Guide that explains the workouts, and what you need to execute them.  Then there's learning how to correctly utilize the portion control containers that come with the program.

STEP 1:

The first step I needed to take was figuring out how many calories I was going to need to consume to fuel my body for my daily activities, including my workouts, but also make sure there was a caloric deficit that would allow me to lose weight and tone my body.  Luckily, they provide this formula for you in the 'Eating Plan' so it was easy for me to see that I fell between the 1,500-1,799 calories per day.  This directly led me to how many of each containers (proteins, veggies, fruits, healthy fats, seeds and dressings, and oil and nut butters) that I would need to eat each day. 

STEP 2:

Knowing that I wanted to try the Countdown to Competition Meal Plan, I then referenced the packet for that to see how my nutrition was going to change.  For two days I would be on a "carb depletion" or Countdown to Competition Meal Plan, and the following day would be a regular Extreme Eating Plan.  In order to track the difference in my foods those days, I printed out the Team Beachbody provided 21-Day Fix Extreme Countdown to Competition Tally Sheet.  

As you can see, on my Countdown to Competition (C2C) Meal Plan, I have the same amount of veggies as my Extreme days, but I have 0 fruits, 3 more proteins, only 1 carb, no healthy fats, no seeds or dressings, and 3 tsp. of oil and nut butters (or a substitution of avocado for one of my tsp. of coconut oil).  Because I wanted to follow Autum's C2C plan to a "T" this drastically decreased the choices I had for these categories, (as she only eats certain things on her plan, and eliminates dairy all together), so my third step was to make a concise list of everything that I could eat, which would help me build my meal plan.  

STEP 3:

This meal plan has me eating 7-8 times a day, which is a challenge, and eating a lot of protein on my carb depletion days, which can be difficult when you're limited in your protein choices, and eliminate dairy all together.  However, I am a creature of habit, so as long as I know what I was eating when, I can eat the same thing almost all of the time.  

STEP 4:

With that in mind I set up my own meal plan.  As helpful as the Tally Sheet is, it doesn't allow for room to write out your meals for the day, so I created my own meal plan sheet. 

For me, once I have a basic meal plan like this, it's easier for me to visually substitute my proteins and veggies by just looking at the previous list.  If on my next two C2C days I don't want fish, I just reference my allowed foods and substitute a different protein.  Likewise for every other food group.  Then, when setting up my 'Extreme' eating days, where I am allowed more fruits, fats and seeds, I can still stay within the same guidelines, but add in my extra carbs and sugars with the foods that I want.  If you're not setting up your meal plans some way, you're going to have a harder time staying on track with what you're eating when.  Being prepared keeps you focused and on track, so just do the work up front, so you don't find yourself standing in front of your fridge in full rage not knowing what you're going to eat.  

STEP 5:

I cannot express the importance of taking your 'Before' pictures, and tracking your weight and measurements.  With this program, I wanted to track day-to-day for 21-days exactly how my body changes.  I want to show people just the results you can get when you're focused for only 3 weeks.  I am going to track my weight and pictures daily, do my beginning measurements, and then again once a week to track my progress.  If you think you need more than 3 weeks to have extreme results, I am going to prove you wrong.  If you are on track with your nutrition and exercise, you'll be shocked at the results you can have in such a short period of time.  

My Measurements:

Chest - 36.5"

Arms - 11.5"

Waist - 32"

Hips - 39"

Thighs - 22.75"

Weigh-In:

Weight - 148.4 lbs.

Body Fat % - 29.1%

Muscle Mass - 30.8%

Water - 50.5%

*I use a Weight Guru Scale that calculates everything.  You can find apps and equations online to do the same.  Although it's not always 100% accurate, if you use the same equation over time, it will track your gains and losses just the same.

Day 1:

*Outside of cropping my pictures, I did not use any filters or alter the pictures at all.  I want to stay true to how much body looks, as is, not as I want it to be.  That's the whole reason I'm starting this process to begin with.

So, these are my starting points.  I'm actually surprised that my Body Fat is so high, but I'm excited to see the change over time, and I take into consideration that my scales calculations are based on an electrical pulse that goes up and through my body, and often times where you hold your fat will have an influence on this.

No matter where we start, we must remember that starting is the most important part.  It's not to be discouraged by what we see, but rather to be excited about where we will be at the end.  21 days of laser-focused nutrition, and 21 days of solid workouts.  We will see just how far I can go, and what results I can get in 21 days.  

Remember, if you want to try ANY Beachbody program, including this 21-Day Fix Extreme, you can order it through me right HERE!  For ordering through me you will also receive an additional FREE DVD,  Don't miss out!

Work Hard.  Eat Right.  Stay Focused.

Maria

STRETCHING IS BORING...

Whenever I discuss flexibility with clients who have a limited range of motion in any muscle or muscle group, my first suggestion is always to increase the amount of time they spend stretching.  As a trainer, I'm always going to include a warm-up and cool-down period before and after a session, but that does very little to increase a client's overall flexibility long-term, especially if they are not taking time on their own to focus on problem areas.

That being said, I couldn't agree more with the response I often receive from clients when I suggest more stretching: "It's boring, and I don't feel like it's 'working out.'" Well, it is boring, and it's not working out.  However, your body will never reach it's full potential if you're not properly stretching, and not actively working on increasing your flexibility.  There are probably thousands of sites, listing thousands of stretches that you should do every day.  The list goes on and on, and as you sit in front of your computer for 30 minutes deciding what you should be doing, you'll become overwhelmed, and probably never even attempt a single stretch.  Here, I'm going to give the simplest ways to include extra stretching in your workout routine, that won't bore you to death.

1. IF YOU DON'T DO YOGA, YOU SHOULD! AND IF YOU THINK YOGA IS STUPID, YOU'RE STUPID!

The practice of yoga is thousands of centuries old.  Thousands!  Yoga is different in that it requires the body to work in synergy, while stretching and strengthening several different muscle groups at one time.  As my best friend Jackie would state during our yoga sessions, "You're vinyasa is nothing more than a push-up in disguise!" This is true, but it's also so much more.  I'm not going to go into a diatribe of all the benefits of the practice (muscle recovery, mind-body connection, decrease of injury, increased endurance, blah, blah, blah), but if you're interested in a quick read, you can find it here. The point is, if you work out regularly, if you strength train, if you run marathons, than you should also be doing yoga.  If you're not, your workout routine is incomplete, and you are selling yourself short of ever achieving the results you are hoping for from your routines. More than anything else, this will increase your flexibility and strength all at the same time. And as anyone who has ever gone to a slamming yoga class will tell you, whether Bikram, Baptiste, Hatha, or other, when done right, it's anything but boring.

2. FOAM ROLL UNTIL TEARS COME ROLLING DOWN YOUR FACE.

What is a foam roller? If I'm to answer honestly, I'm convinced it is a tool designed by Satan, and handed over to Physical Therapists and Personal Trainers alike as a reminder that even the most flexible people can use some more stretching.  This is a foam roller:

I know, it looks so innocent.  They come in all shapes and sizes, some with bumps, and some without (insert dirty joke here).  A foam roller essentially does what an $80 an hour masseuse does, but better and more painful.  The basics you need to know is that you have tiny little muscle fibers that connect your ligaments to your muscles, and muscles to your bones. This object puts intense pressure on those tiny muscle fibers and ligaments, and releases tensions and stress; this is known as myofascial release.  I am not going to go into intense depth and technical verbiage here, but if you want to read a nice succinct article about how it works, and the overall benefits, you can find that here. When you have particularly tight muscle groups, you will find that foam rolling can be painful...like, tears rolling down your face painful.  However, the benefits are insanely high, and done regularly, you'll notice a substantial increase in your overall flexibility and strength.  The foam roller may not entirely replace the message therapist, but I can tell you as someone who has had multiple messages, that no masseuse has ever achieved the muscle release that I experience with foam rolling except one, and she was a sports athletic message therapist who used to work with the Red Sox.   You can find foam rollers relatively cheap on Amazon, so don't let price be the thing that stops you from adding this to your warm-ups and cool-downs.  

3. STOP PRETENDING LIKE YOU'RE GOING TO STRETCH ON YOUR OWN.

The reality is, even if you find that perfect website, with every stretch, and how it's beneficial, you still have to execute the stretches to gain the benefits.  If you know you are someone who won't do the stretches on your own, then enlist professionals.  Every Beachbody program includes either a stretching DVD or a Pilates/Yoga DVD.  Why?  Because fitness professionals know that in order to have a complete fitness program, you have to stretch.  So, whether you purchase a program, pick up a DVD at Walmart, or use ON DEMAND from your cable, there are so many options now to help you stay focused and engaged with your stretching.  Just like any other workout, if you are not actively involved in the 'work' than you are not receiving the full benefits.  Sometimes, just doing the movement at the same speed as a video, and with other people, will help you really focus in on the work that you need to be doing, as well as decrease the likelihood that you'll get bored and quit half way through.  

So the question becomes, are you going to feel as accomplished after a stretching session as you do after a hardcore strength or cardio session?  Most of the time, the answer is no.  It's still going to feel tedious and slow, but the increases you will see not only in your flexibility, but also in your speed, power, and strength by simply investing one day to the practice, should  be what motivates you through those tough stretching days.  Start adding one of these approaches once a week, and within one month you'll see results you didn't know you could achieve.  Stretching is boring, yes, but so isn't the plateau that you will reach if you decide not to regularly incorporate it in your fitness routine.

BE STRONG. WORK HARD. EAT CLEAN. 

Maria