Weekly Challenge #4

I hope everyone's been following the weekly challenges. I've been doing them all, of course and love the feeling of accomplishment.

This week I thought I'd do a challenge that was fitness related. Seeing as how the blog is called Amy Romero Fitness. :)

So, your challenge this week is to DO something that makes you sweat 6 days out of 7. I'll be lenient here...and saaaaay, 30 minutes each time. So, if you can only go for a walk, do it. Just take 1 minute out of every 3 minutes and power walk. Pump your arms and move it! Get a sweat going. Then those other 2 minutes, walk normally. Do these intervals for 30 minutes. If you're able, do more. Go run. Pull out an old workout DVD. Or just make an effort to do your current workout HARDER, really push yourself. And do it 6 days out of the week. If you're not sure what you can do, be honest with yourself. Have you TRIED before? How do you know what you're capable of until you try?

Got it? Good!

Now tell me, what workout will you be doing?

Musings on Running

So running is what got me started on my fitness journey. My husband, my friend Amy and her hubby Troy were all runners and they were always after me to join them. I just didn't really want to. Didn't have that urge, you know? Then a year ago I realized I wasn't happy in my own skin. I'd put on a little weight and just wasn't happy. I knew that I needed to do something instead of ignoring it. So I put a date on it and just STARTED. I went and ran 2 weeks after sinus surgery. It's just the date I picked so I stuck with it. It wasn't easy. I didn't think it would be.

But running is what got my motivation up. I saw progress. I lost some weight, I felt better. And it was mostly due to running. (better diet, too of course). 

And it went on from there. Several races. Then a half marathon last November 2011. I was actually enjoying running all throughout the last year. I mixed in some other stuff. Physique 57 & Turbo Fire. Had even better results. Then that half marathon snuck up on me. The training was tough. On my body and my mind. I felt like everything was revolving around running. So the half came and went. And I was officially burned out. Not unusual, I knew. But still, today, January 28, 2 months after the half, I still didn't feel like running. Just didn't.

But I my hubby misses me running with him. And I miss being outdoors during my runs. So I went back and looked at the pictures from the half marathon. I had fun. So I went for a run today. 2 miles only. But it was nice to be out and at it again. Some of the pictures are below...

So there. I've laid it all out there. And I'm a big proponent of laying goals out there. So here's one. My goal is to get 2 runs in per week. 3 miles each. (ish). I have a 10k I've already signed up for that's in 6 weeks. So I'll have to get in some longer runs too, but I'll be happy with the average week at 2 days, 3 miles each. I won't be changing my schedule otherwise, though. I still have Chalean Extreme 5 days a week, 3 strength training and 2 cardio + yoga. Perfection. But I need those runs back.

Who will help hold me accountable?  Have you ever gotten burned out doing a particular workout?

~To Your Health~

Amy & Me - Richmond Half Marathon 2011

See? Super happy!

My hubby, Miguel, Me, Troy and Amy. The dream team. Sorta.

Jari Love's Get Extremely Ripped 1000 Hardcore - Review and GIVEAWAY

~ Note: My blog has moved, please also visit me there for my newest tips/reviews/giveaways! www.AmyRomeroFitness.com ~

I'm honored to have been given an opportunity to review Jari Love's "Get Extremely Ripped 1000 Hardcore". Collage Video sent me this video a couple of weeks ago (along with some others, so those reviews will be coming soon, too!).

Before I even opened the package, the very first thing I noticed was that the title was extremely long. That intrigued me for some reason, so I poked around online about Jari Love a little bit and found that she has received much acclaim for her "Get RIPPED" series. The newest one, "Get Extremely Ripped 1000 Hardcore"is the latest in that same series. Hence the longer name. She bases her workouts on science, and I can appreciate that. For more information about Jari Love, visit her site.

Okay, onto what I thought....

Get Extremely Ripped 1000 Hardcore, first of all, was a little sneaky. The set is unassuming. There's a step (platform) in front of most of the cast. I see that the video is only 30 minutes long. (yay!) But, it snuck up on me. Didn't look very hard. It was.

Jari starts out with a warm up, of course. And after the first set of cardio, I think, "oh, this isn't too bad". And it wasn't. But I didn't realize there was much more to come. I'm used to cardio intervals that are very short. These intervals were more like 5 minutes. And they increased in intensity. So yes, I was dying about halfway through the video. I was relieved that it was not easy. The weight intervals were quick and to the point. Nothing too fancy, and working upper and lower body at the same time, which is a very time-efficient way of working out. I was sweating up a storm before the end of the first interval of each.

I got a little confused a few times, I think her cueing was a little short. And also the cast members were doing several different modifications. I'm used to having one person as a 'modifier' to watch in a workout video. But in this one, there were two people without steps. And those two people did things slightly differently. Then there were 3 people with steps, one being Jari. But Jari even did a modification on several moves. So you had to watch the other 2 cast members to try to follow what the moves should be if you were not modifying. I would prefer that Jari, as the instructor did the entire video as the 'goal' person to watch and then only had 1 other person in the background somewhere doing the modifications. I just found it too confusing to try to keep up with who was doing what when it was always changing.

Overall, I'd recommend this video for people who are looking to lose fat quickly and effectively. If you're new to exercise, definitely follow the folks in the video with no step, and there's also different 'levels' Jari points out during the cardio portions. You can always stick to level 1 and work your way up! The science is here, definitely, and you will get results if you stick with it. If you're used to a little more excitement, you may want to turn on a radio before you start the DVD. Jari is definitely 'to the point' and you won't see any cutting up. The length of the video was perfect, and my muscles were completely spent afterwards. Always a good sign of a great workout!  I will be doing it again.

Okay, so I know you're chomping at the bit....

Here's the GIVEAWAY details!! -- The giveaway is now CLOSED. Thanks to everyone who entered!




Rules:

• You must complete at least the mandatory entry, listed below. Additional entires are available as outlined below. The more entries you complete, the better your chances of winning!
• You must reside in the U.S. to win
• You must comment ON this blog post for EACH entry you qualify for. Your comments ARE your entries and that's what is used to draw the winner!
• I will use a random number chooser to choose the winner from the entries (random.org)
• The winner we be contacted via the email address they provided. Failure to respond will result in a new winner being drawn.
• Enter by FEBRUARY 3. No more entries after 11:59 pm on 2/3/12 will be counted.
• Winner will be drawn and notified on FEBRUARY 4.

To Enter:

Mandatory Entry:

Visit to www.collagevideo.com and COMMENT below, telling me a DVD you find interesting

EXTRA entires: (comment below for EACH entry you qualify for!)

• TWO extra entries: SUBSCRIBE to my blog (click the "Join this Site" button in the box to the right where it shows my subscribers. (Leave 2 comments for this so that you get both entries!)

• ONE extra entry: "Like" Collage video on Facebook www.facebook.com/collagevideo

• ONE extra entry: Follow me on Twitter

• FIVE extra entries: Blog about this giveaway

• ONE extra entry for EACH day you tweet the following: 

#enter to #win Jari Love's Get Extremely Ripped Hardcore DVD www.turboromero.blogspot.com 

Good luck everyone! Now, ready, set, GO! :)

Disclaimer: I was provided with a copy of this video to review. I received no other compensation and I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose. Nor was I under obligation to provide a positive review in return for the free workout. Giveaway retail value is $14.99.

Weekly Challenge #3

Do you have goals?

Well how do you keep them in mind? Do you plan tasks that will help you accomplish those goals or are they sort of just arbitrarily hanging out there?

Your challenge this week is to really LIST and organize your goals.

So take 10 minutes. Really sit and think about, say your top 10 goals. Make them wild and crazy. You don't have to show them to anyone...just really be creative and think "What would be the most AMAZING things I'd like to achieve?"

Write them all down, and then on a separate sheet of paper, start brainstorming how they are connected. So maybe one of your goals was to quit work. And another goal was to start your own business. And another was to take more vacations. Take those and order them in the way in which they would need to occur. So if one would lead to another, for instance. So maybe you have to start your own business before you could quit work. Then your business would have to succeed for you to take more vacations, right?

Now decide which one is the one that LEADS to all the rest. Chalene Johnson calls this your "Push" goal. In the example above, the push goal would probably be to start your own business. Because it makes the rest happen. Highlight that one. Put stars around it. Circle it. That's the one that is the KEY for the rest to happen. Now write that one everyone. Save it in your phone. Make it your screensaver.

And start ACTING toward it TODAY. Tiny, baby steps each day. Do something every day that will help you reach that goal eventually. Even if it's just that you'll research one element of something that you'll need to know. Or perhaps it's one little phone call that you'll need to get the ball rolling. Just do something to move you toward your goal.

I'd definitely recommend you pick up Chalene Johnson's book, "Push: 30 Days to Turbocharged Habits, a Bangin' Body, and the Life you Deserve!" She has a very specific, fabulous system to really dive into this and get your life organized and working toward your goals. Why wait, right? 

Now, you don't HAVE to share your push goal with anyone. But I think you SHOULD. People can help you. And when you say it out loud, you are much more willing to work toward it. Sooooo, don't be shy, tell us what your BIG GOAL is, below!!

Rodney Yee Yoga Burn DVD Giveaway WINNER!

Thank you SO much to everyone who entered the Rodney Yee Yoga Burn giveaway! I have several more videos to review and giveaway, and the next one will begin THIS weekend, so stay tuned!

I drew the winner through www.random.org. The winner has been contacted. Congratulations, Andrea, you should get your package from Collage Video soon!

Thanks again for everyone's participation!

Next up, Jari Love's "Get Extremely Ripped 1000 Hardcore" (sneak peek to my review: "oh lawwwwd I'm sore!)

Have a good weekend everyone!