It has been a little bit of time since I have posted. I have been really working hard to get my eating right over the last several months. I am Vegan now with an occasional fish dish here and there. Eating this way has definitely allowed me to maintain my weight easily whether I was counting calories or not, exercising or not and has made it much easier when I eat out to make healthier choices. Although I will say eating out definitely has new challenges for me as most restaurants do not have a vegan friendly menu, I have gotten really good at making a dish vegan and when its impossible – I go to the fish.
As for my workouts lately I have been doing Les Mills Combat. I find it to be fun and – I always feel like I could possibly kick some serious ass after finishing one of their workouts. lol Now that I have moved through several Beachbody programs I feel like I have come full circle back to P90X. When I was doing P90X I feel like I was pushing myself harder and in new ways throughout the program. Since my start I have graduated from P90X, TurboFire, made it through most of the Les Mills Pump and Combat workouts and dabbled in Insanity and Tai Chang. I found each of them to be instructive and fun in different ways. Here is my take:
TurboFire – FUN! High props to Chalene for building my confidence, self-image and making me believe I can do anything. I definitely recommend Chalene if you are down about your body image and LOVE funky fun cardio. She gets it done and really pumps you up. I looked forward to my workouts with Chalene every day. I did miss the weights though – but she did kick my butt with the bands. Also easy to travel with if you have to travel for your work.
Les Mills Pump – I had never done a lot of bar bell work. I loved the bar – it was easier for me to control and I definitely noticed I was getting stronger. Some of the instructors are a bit cheesy and need to get a little more natural in their delivery but the workouts were challenging and I learned a lot about form. I also like the fact that their schedule wasn’t as intense as P90X. Weights 3 days a week plus some cardio, yoga and stretching mixed in. It was manageable with a busy schedule.
Les Mills Combat – Cardio with Combat. I love my strapping on my gloves – getting into some boxing, Tae Kwon Do, Thai fighting – so many styles. I learned a lot and loved the Kata’s. Again – a little cheesy here and there but a mix of weights and cardio (a bit heavier on the cardio side) but challenging. But its all combat all the time.
Insanity – I love Shaun T. I do – but there is no modified example for Insanity and my joints can’t take his high impact lashing he gives you in each Insanity workout. I would get through a workout and then feel like I was disabled for like 2 days. Its tough. Now remember I have Lupus. My friend Val who is a little older than me totally rocked Insanity not missing 1 day. She is a rock star if you ask me but doesn’t have the joint issues I do. If you want an insane push yourself beyond your limits every workout intense cardio experience that will definitely lean you out and you are up for that kind of challenge – go for it! In 60 days you will have great results. If you are like me and need to modify occasionally – pick another program.
Now back to the program that started it all for me – P90X for me was very well-rounded. It had cardio, it had weights, it pushed you. I personally find Tony Horton to be funny (not everyone would agree with me here) but he motivates me. I wasn’t bored and noticed results. I also was able to build up to the routines and because you track what you do for each workout I could see I was improving in weights and reps. The toughest thing about P90X is the time – if you are a busy working professional with a family finding an hour a day, 6 days a week can be challenging. Oh did I mention Yoga X is 90 min – so one day its an hour and a half. Is it worth it? Yes – but you have to find the time.
What’s next for me? – I am going to finish out Les Mills Combat and move on to P90X2. I will be starting a challenge group for those who want to join in – have an amazing summer getting fit and athletic and need support along the way. If that’s you – post a message and connect with me on Facebook www.facebook.com/anastasiarjahadi
What is your favorite Beachbody program and why? I’d love to hear from you!
