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 68 and 69 Tapout XT

Buns and Guns always a fun one with a little karate class thrown in there for good measure today. Still feeling good. The changes in my body have slowed down, but I think that is partially due to the fact that my diet was not the greatest. My karate is better and in the end to me that is all that matters. Well and the fact that my clothes fit better too, oh and that I feel 10 times better than I did before I started the program. Ok there are a few things that matter to me. Still plugging along on the Tapout train heading towards that 90 day goal!

Breakfast: Cereal day 68 and 69
Lunch: Cabo stew day 68;  glutton free pasta with meat, spinach and marinara day 69
Dinner: glutton free pasta with meat, spinach and marinara sauce day 68; grilled chicken caesar salad day 69
Snack: oranges, frozen yogurt, peanuts

image courtesy of http://www.squidoo.com/fitness-motivational-quotes

Day 61, 62, 63, and 64

Weigh in time! I am down to 143 which is really good for me. I feel better, look better, and am stronger and faster than I have ever been. I have been out of karate for about 8 weeks with an injury and went back for the first time on October 1st.  My sensei was impressed by how good of shape I was in after being away from the dojo for 8 wks. I kept up with everyone in class and I actually think I am better now than I was 8 wks ago. I have been using the weighted gloves during Cardio, Muay Thai, and Sprawl and Brawl and I am with Mike on this one, you should totally try them. It brings a different intensity to the workout. I wouldn't suggest them for your first month, but try them out in month two after you have been doing the workouts for awhile and I think they will really help you see results.

Now it's time to talk about my diet. I still have not had any alcohol or fast food in 64 days , but I am not going to lie I have fallen off the wagon here and there this week eating non-whole wheat tortillas, non brown rice, and a serving of breaded chicken. I have been very strict with my diet and the better I eat the better I feel and the better results I see. Eating this type of food again made me sluggish and not prepared for my workouts.  If you only take away one thing from this blog I hope it is that eating healthy is just as important as working out. The two go hand in hand.  To quit does not exist! Stick with it and see those results you want to see!

Day 57, 58,59, & 60 TapouT XT

Still on the Tapout XT but with the 2 days of week of yoga I have had to modify the workouts some incorporating some martial arts classes and outside work. May not be Tapout but it is still moving and with fitness keeping moving is 90% of the battle! Tomorrow is weigh- in. Cant's wait to see what I am down.

Day 56 TapouT XT

Muay Thai -  Love this one and looked forward to working out with it all day. It's great for taking out that aggression that builds up at the office, in morning traffic, and on the long commute home. Kick and punch your way to lower blood pressure! 4 days till weigh in and I have to say I am excited. I think I might have dropped a pound!

Breakfast: honey bunches of oats
Snack: yogurt clusters
Lunch: beef, brown rice, and beans
Dinner: clear soup and sushi

Day 50 TapouT XT

Rest Day -  I worked outside on the yard. Lost of lifting. Feel the burn! Ready for tomorrow's workout!

Breakfast: honey bunches of oats
Snack: oat clusters
Lunch: chicken caesar salad
Dinner: beef and veggies

Day 49 TapouT XT

Cardio XT + Ultimate Abs - Today was the first time I used the weighted gloves for the cardio workout and boy did it make a difference. I felt the difference everywhere. Mike's right you need to get the weighted gloves. The punches are harder, the running takes more concentration, and the jumping jacks are killer. Today was a long workout with 48 mins of cardio and then another 15 of ab work, but it didn't feel as long as it sometimes does since I was concentrating on just keeping up. Those gloves really pushed me today. Rest day tomorrow and I need it!

Breakfast: honey bunches of oats
Snack: oat and yogurt clusters
Lunch: salmon and asparagus
Dinner: chicken and brown rice

Day 48 TapouT XT

Legs and Back - First day back after 3 days of digging more holes and pulling up sod and I have to say Tapout XT was a welcome vacation from gardening. After three days of bending over, legs and back was rough. Felt it everywhere I was suppose to and some places I don't think I was suppose to feel it. Still on the Tapout XT band wagon and still loving it! Just keep it up and you will see results!

Breakfast: honey bunches of oats
Snack: 90 cal pack of oat clusters
Lunch: beef soup and an orange
Dinner: grilled salmon, carrots and broccoli
Snack: vanilla wafers

Day 45, 46, & 47 TapouT XT

I'm not going to lie instead of doing Tapout these past few days I ripped up my yard. I missed the last two workouts and replaced them with ripping up sod, moving wood, digging holes, and working in the sun. I didn't think I was going to replace them, but I wasn't physically capable of working out and doing the manual labor that the back yard entailed. Tomorrow is legs and back and I am ready! 

Breakfast: honey bunches of oat (all 3 days)
Lunch: soup(day 45), club sandwich on wheat(day 46), pizza (day 47)
Dinner: Sushi (day 45), chicken and brown rice (day 46), pizza (day 47)

Day 42 TapouT XT

Sprawl and Brawl - I like this one more and more every time I get to workout with it. I can really see my progress with this DVD. I can actually keep up with it now which feels pretty good. Just proof that if you stick with it you will see results.

Breakfast: harvest nut cookie
Lunch: beef and green beans
Snack: harvest nut cookie
Dinner: turkey burger no bun, corn, and green beans

Day 41 TapouT XT

Buns and Guns + Ultimate Abs - Love this workout. It's short and straight to the point. 30 minutes of buns and guns and then another 14 minutes of abs.  I really like the variations of moves with the bands. I just feel like I got a good strength training workout in and really got my sweat on. Trying to inch my way closer to that 142 pound mark. With 39 days left I am pretty confident that I will get there.  I changed my diet up and have made it less strict. Beefed up my grain and fiber intake in hopes that it will jolt my system. I wouldn't say I am on a diet, cause you should never go on a diet cause they almost never workout, but instead I would say I am on a lifestyle change. Staying away from the fatty foods and sodas.

Breakfast - harvest grain cookie
Lunch: meat loaf and wheat mac and cheese
Dinner: beef and string beans
Snack: peanuts

Day 40 TapouT XT

Yoga XT - Today was sand the chair and weigh-in day. Maybe one day I actually be able to do this DVD, but until then I will have to make up my own routines. I did weigh in though and after 20 days I lost 1 pound. I thought for sure I would have lost more since I stuck to the diet and exercised everyday, but I already have lost the 10 pounds I wanted to loose so I am grateful that I lost that. You can see some change in my picture from day 20 to day 40 but not a whole lot. A good amount of change from day 1 to day 40 so that is good.

Weight: 146.1
BMI : 23

Breakfast: granola bar
Lunch: beef, brown rice, and green beans
Dinner: meat loaf, wheat mac and cheese, corn
Snack: yogurt

Day 39 TapouT XT

Cross Core Combat - I really use to dislike this one, but as I get stronger I like it more and more. It still isn't one of my favorites but at least I can make it through the workout now without feeling like I am going to die.

Breakfast: granola bar
Lunch: steak, spinach, and red potatoes
Dinner: 3 chicken legs and corn
Snack: yogurt

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 37 TapouT XT

Plyo XT - To sum it up in one word, KILLER! That's what this workout was. Coming off a rest day I was ready to hit the workout hard, but I always forget how intense this one is. I start out super strong and slowly digress to barely moving as the sweat begins to puddle at my feet. Even after 37 days of working out and eating right I still find this one challenging. I often find myself muttering obscenities at the t.v. towards the end of this one. I finished strong, but this one always reminds I have a lot of improvement that can be made.

Breakfast: granola bar and 1 hard boiled egg
Lunch: turkey burger no bun, peas and carrots
Snack: peanuts
Dinner: baked bbq chicken, corn, snap peas

Day 36 TapouT XT

Rest Day: Just as the calendar said I rested on the 7th day. My mission for the day was to find some weighted gloves. Mission failed. I found some on amazon that I think I will order, but the ones they had at the store all were wrist weight which won't work with all the punching that comes along with the Tapout workouts. I do wish that there was a tapout store that you could order extra bands and weighted gloves from but I haven't seen any of that type of equipment on the website.

Breakfast: Cheerios and 1 hard boiled egg
Lunch: vegetable soup, grapes, orange
Dinner: turkey burger, peas and carrots
Snack: yogurt

Day 35 TapouT XT

Cardio XT + Ultimate Abs - Another late start to my workout today. Didn't  get to it today till 9:30pm and today was at least a full hour on the mat. I put the time in though and pushed through. I figured it was better to do the workout late than to not do it at all. I was dripping by the end of it and was totally ready to crash. It had been a long day. I am really starting to see my abs. I am starting to think that by day 90 I just might have a six pack like TapouT XT promised! Here is something that I have learned in the past 35 day: if you can just get yourself to push play you will do the workout. Even if you don't finish all of it, it's still better than not doing any of it at all.


Breakfast: cheerios and a hard boiled egg
Snack: grapes
Lunch: baked pork, corn, and an orange
Dinner: pulled pork, corn, and coleslaw

Day 34 TapouTXT

Legs and Back - Didn't get to my workout till 9pm last night, but I got it in. Legs and back is a short one, it is just over 42 minutes,  so doing the workout at 9pm wasn't a huge deal.  I gave  only about 80% last night. I was drained from hurricane clean-up, but I didn't want to miss a workout so I grabbed both my bands and off to TapouT I went. When I was finished I was glad I had done it. Actually you never hear anyone say that they aren't glad that they have done a workout . You always feel more accomplished afterwards. One thing I have learned over these past 30 some what days is that if you stick with this program you will see results, but you only see what you put in.  You have to give 100% and eat right to get the results that you want.  Stick with it and don't give up. Getting in shape isn't an easy journey, but it is one with great rewards.

Side Note: My TapouT XT leg band is starting to look a bit worn, I.E. it is ripping. The arm bands are still hanging in there though. I think that after day 40 it will be time for a higher resistance leg and arm band.

Breakfast: granola bar
Lunch: Hamburger no bun and a chicken breast
Snack: Yogurt
Dinner: Beef stew
Snack: Peanuts

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

Day 32 Tapout XT

Muay Thai - Getting back into my regular workout schedule after the storm. Glad that this one was today. It is one of my favorites. No bands just straight up martial arts. 48 minutes of fist pounding and kicking. Doesn't get better than this one.  I still am seeing results and on day 40 I will post a pick since day 30 came and went and well I was without power. Still loving the workouts and am not bored yet! To quit does not exist!

Breakfast: granola bar
Lunch: Chicken caesar salad
Snack: peanuts
Dinner: pork, potatoes, and peas
Snack: granola bar