Fitbit

I finally did it. After nearly a year of hemming and hawing, I actually bought myself a FitBit Charge 2! I had two reasons to hesitate. The first one is that it is really just a toy. An expensive toy. But there was a Black Friday deal at Sportchek, plus I used all the my remaining Scene points, plus I got a 10% coupon for signing up to their email list! Regular $200, I got it for $50! I spent all yesterday afternoon getting it set up and playing with it. Yes, it is a toy, but it's a fun toy!

My second concern was that I have tiny wrists. I was worried that a the Charge 2 would look ridiculous on me. I considered getting the Alta instead but I really wanted all the features that the Charge 2 has. Like the heart rate tracker, the multi-sports tracker, the nice clock face etc. But once I got it on, it doesn't look weird at all. I'm glad I waited for the sale and I'm glad I got the once I really wanted. They only had it in black or plum. My first inclination is to buy the black. Boring. So I went with plum. I like it. Enough colour to not be boring but not so flashy too!

So of course I had to try it out today. And luckily enough, Core de Force MMA Speed was the Challenge du Jour!! Whooo! It worked great! I burned 208 calories. My peak BPM was 178 and I averaged 148 BPM.

One thing is... the battery on my phone is pretty crappy so I don't leave my bluetooth on. I'll turn it on periodically throughout the day just so it will sync but I won't have it continually connected. Oh well, no biggie. I'm eager to check my progress throughout the week and see how I'm doing. Wish me luck!!

Insanity Max: 30 - Tabata Power

Tabata Power:
This is late - apologies.
On Thursday I did Insanity Max: 30 - Tabata Power. It's basically 20 seconds on, 10 seconds off. it got pretty intense. It was a good workout, not my favourite but a good workout. I felt pretty strong afterwards. I also had a workout buddy with me to keep me motivated! She is doing jumping jacks. It's nice to work out with a friend. I find that it keeps me going and keeps me encaged with the workout. It's hard to quit when your 4 years old is still going!

I don't know if I'll continue with this program or not. I really like the Core de Force or TurboFire. Maybe I'll stick to those.

Sore Sorry

Yesterday was supposed to be Insanity max:30 Tabata Power. But I woke up so sore that I knew there was no way I'd be able to work out. I kinda figured that I should move my workouts to every other day instead of every day. That was I don't get so sore and discouraged, take a day off and then never get back on. So today I tried Tabata Power. I am still pretty sore, but I tried it anyway. Then my video stopped working. I got kicked off the Beachboy on Demand app. So instead of working out, I will be baking Christmas cookies. Hopefully I'll have to roll out the cookie dough so at least I will get some upper body exercise! Oh well, my muscles could use a rest today anyway. I'll try again tomorrow. I won't be working out of Friday since there is no school. Wish me luck!!

Insanity Max: 30

I did it. It was hard. I mean, so hard! I nearly quit halfway into the first warm-up!! I completed Insanity Max: 30 Cardio Challenge!! And holy cow!! I hit a new stage of exertion! Once I decided I wasn't going to quit, I dug deeper and pushed harder! I got to a place where I wasn't in charge of what my body was doing. I was just listening to the video and moving. My brain kept screaming at me, "You are too tired, just stop!" But my body kept going and going until the video was over. What a feeling, what a rush!! I am so proud of myself for sticking to it! Tomorrow is Tabata Power. I have no idea what that means but I'm excited to find out!!

Post workout hydration: One glass of water + one lemon + one lime = delicious!! My youngest said that it looked too sour, but I love sour!! It was a great drink! 

Kick Some Butt!

Getting Ready

Just a quick Core de Force workout today. I was all ready for a great program but I couldn't find Core de Force on Beachbody on Demand. It's off my list for Challenge du Jour. I might just have to break down and end up paying for it. I managed to film myself doing a few of the combinations. So look out for that. I always think I look so awkward punching and jabbing but it turns out I'm not as gangly as I thought! So go me!!

Rules are For Breaking

Today was Core de Force Power. And it meant breaking one of my rules. I used to say that I only work out for 20-35 minutes. Anything less than 20 minutes and it doesn't seem worth it. Anything more is just too long and intimidating. But I really wanted to keep doing the Core de Force program so today I challenged myself and tried Power. And it rocked. Yes, it's long - 12 rounds. But because of format of the exercises, it never drags and I never get bored. I just needed to ensure that I had enough time to complete the workout. However, I was interrupted a few times, once by my daughter, and a couple times from texts. Now usually this throws me off my workouts and I just quit, but I am really getting better at sticking to them and finishing strong. This is a huge deal for me.

Another thing I've noticed is I finally get that "runner's high" or burst of endorphins at the end of a workout. I never used to get that. All I ever got was tired. And for the rest of the day! I used to not work out in the morning because for the rest of the day, I was wasted - lay on the floor, needing to nap wasted! But now I can do a fairly intense workout like Core de Force and still function for the remainder of the day. And function pretty well.

So now I'm not so intimidated but the long workouts. I still very much like this program and I'm going to see what other things they offer.

Here are my (very) sweaty selfies....

Follow me on Instagram (@emilykroekerfitness)

Crazy Eyes

This week I have been feeling sorry for myself. My job search is going nowhere. The two leads I did have have all but vanished. And my plan to become a realtor has been put on hold - not that that's a bad thing necessarily just another set back. My Beachbody account expired and I wondered if it was even worth renewing. So I wallowed. And ate Halloween candy. And sat in my comfy chair and continually refreshed twitter. Not very productive. And it only fed into my pity party. Last night I checked the Beachbody on Demand app to see if there was something even remotely interesting. I saw that Core de Force was offered as a Challenge du jour - that means free. So that got me interested. This morning, I found my shoes and did an amazing Muay-Thai inspired workout that helped me punch and kick and elbows all those negative thoughts away. So now I am feeling much better, much more positive and ready to tackle the rest of this week and weekend.

It's amazing how much better I feel after getting some exercise and yet when I'm in one of those moods, exercise is that absolute last thing I want to do. I have to realize that motivation is not something you have but something you give yourself. So much easier said than done. Especially when curling up with a Kit Kat under a blanket is a lot easier than moving and doing well, anything.

So here's my sweaty crazy eyed pic of the day. Work out complete. Good mood returning. Let's do this!!

Have a good and safe Remembrance Day tomorrow. I will be travelling so no updates from me. Remember all those who went before you to ensure your safety and security. Spare a thought for them and their loved ones. 

Routine

I have a strong relationship with routine. Every morning I send my oldest to school then I press play and start my workout.

But Monday I baked buns. It a workout in itself. Great for upper body and core when you are kneading the dough! On Tuesday, I was all excited to start the Core de Force program. Then I realized it was only available on the Premium Beachboy on Demand. To unlock it, it would be $56 US which turns into around $75 CND. And that's just a little too rich for me right now. Especially since there are some really good programs for free. So I did turbo fire HIIT 20 instead. Yesterday, I woke up with a pounding headache so I took it easy. Today I chose Focus T 25 for my workout. I still had a small headache but I pushed through and felt 100 x better afterwards.

Not having a job right now is a double edged sword. It allows me the time and flexibility to exercise but not the money to pay for the exercises. my biggest concern right now is that once I start working again, my work outs will stop. I know myself well enough to know that I will not wake up early to exercise. I sleep in until the last moment before I will be late. Maybe if I convince myself that exercise isn't a choice but a mandatory part of my morning I will be able to haul my lazy butt up and get some work in! Until then, I'll keep up this routine. 

Sweat drops brought to you by Focus T 25: Cardio