Hit the Big 3-0

I hit the big 3-0 about 5 months ago and have really been hitting the training hard. I finished the 90 days of Tapout XT and and moved on to something even more challenging. I started doing triathlons and the training is intense. Swim, bike, run, and do some strength training. Some days are easier than others, but everyday I train is a good day. The running is the hardest but over the past 12 weeks it has gotten easier and easier. Problem now is that it is getting hotter and hotter and more and more humid.  My advice today to anyone who is thinking of doing something they think is impossible is just go after it. I never thought I could do a triathlon and here I am getting ready to race my second one. Nothing that is worth it, is easy.  If it is worth achieving it is going to take some time. Be ready to put the hours in!

Day 65, 66, and 67 Tapout XT

Another weekend full of yard work and karate. Glad I started the Tapout XT program before I decided to re-landscape my entire back yard. All those up downs and push-ups paid off when I was hauling the lumber, dirt, and plants that made my backyard what it is now. I still can't believe how much tapout has improved my quickness in karate. It's amazing how much faster my punches have gotten in 60 some what days. Today I rounded out my yard work with a little Muay Thai. This workout is my favorite.  It's quick, too the point, and I feel it throughout my entire body. I'm not going to lie working out everyday is a challenge, but if I can just get myself to push play it's all down hill from there!

Breakfast: Cereal - day 65-67
Lunch - thai chicken wrap, sweet potato fries- day 65; Taco, beans and rice - day 66; 3 pieces of pizza day 67
Dinner: club sandwich - day 65; Sushi day 66; Beef stew with brown rice -day 67
Snack: peanuts, granola bar, and chex mix

Diets been tough the past few days. Birthday weekend and friends in town. Didn't eat as light or as healthy as I would have liked too, but still didn't do too bad. Pizza wasn't a smart choice, but the next meal was healthier. Kept up with working out, but the workouts are tough with the un-healthy food in my system. Just drives the point home that you have to put good food in your body to get the results you want!

TapouT XT Review (So Far)

So far here is the skinny on TapouT XT: I have been doing the program for 38 days now and have seen some really great results with it. I have lost 10 pounds and 2 inches off my waist, more quickly than I imagined. What people need to realize about this program is that you don’t see results like I am seeing without extreme dedication to both the diet and exercise program. Not missing a day and never cheating with your diet is how you see results. That being said I would give this program two thumbs up. The workouts are fun, diverse, challenging, and best of all usually under an hour. It is a cardio based program that uses your own body weight to tone and sculpt your body. One thing to keep in mind if you are thinking about purchasing TapouT XT is your current state of fitness. I am not a doctor, but am someone that has been working out regularly their entire life and I sometimes have a hard time keeping up with the pace of these workouts. If you have taken a significant amount of time off from working out you may want to start out with a less intense program and work your way up to this one. Every workout is full of planks, squats, lounges, kicks, punches, running, and jumping jacks. It is at least 40 minutes everyday of non-stop high impact exercise. I call it high impact because there is lots of jumping in place involved in every workout along with lots of jump push-ups. If you have bad knees or wrists I wouldn’t recommend this workout without serious modifications.  Mike Karpenko is the trainer that developed and leads the workout program. He does a good job of keeping you motivated throughout the workouts without being annoying. The meal plan  is pretty good. It contains 20 days worth of recipes and some background on why you should eat some foods as compared to other foods. The bands that come with the program are good for the first 30 days but if you really want to see results you will have to invest in heavier bands later on. I only have one complaint so far with TapouT XT and that is that there is not a store where you can order any extra equipment. I think they are missing out of profit by not offering bands, gloves, and mats for purchase after you receive your TapouT XT set.  For the price of three payments of 39.99 I think it is a good deal. Unlike other programs where you need dumbbells and pull up bars everything you need comes in the box delivered to your door. If you are in pretty good shape, looking for a challenge, and love MMA this is the workout for you!

Day 33 Tapout XT

Yoga XT- As usual I skipped this one, see previous post as to why, and did another set of workouts. I am addicted to purchasing workout DVD and recently bought Shaun T's Rockin Body. I decided yesterday to try out one of his workouts. I did the party mix, which was 25 minutes of basically jumping and running around. Not at all like a TapoutXT workout. Much lower impact and overall I found it kind of boring. It got me sweating, but I didn't really enjoy it. Although I do think this would be an excellent workout for someone just starting to get back in shape, it's not so great for someone who has been doing TapoutXT for 30 plus days. I also did the 10 minute ab workout. That was a little more challenging. Didn't sweat as much as Tapout, but at least I got a workout in.  Can't wait to get back to Tapout tomorrow!

Breakfast: 2 quaker oat cluster packs
Lunch - baked chicken and peas
Dinner: pork and corn