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!

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