I got back on track today by coming home from work and immediately (ok, almost immediately) changing into my workout clothes. Today: Sculpt, which is 50 minutes of toning, particularly focused on the upper body and the abs. I've made a small bit of progress in that I was able to do "the plank" position briefly, including putting one hand behind my back and maintaining the pose. I also doubled up the weights today whenever I could--meaning that anytime we were just supposed to use one weight at a time, I used both of them. Since they're only 3 lbs each, it seemed about time to kick it up a bit. I'll take any progress I can get, no matter how small.
One of the moves in this workout is Leandro's self-proclaimed "signature" move--a bizarre form of rotating push-up he calls The Mermaid. This is NOT the Pilates exercise of the same name, which was disappointing to me because I like the Pilates version much better. Here's how Leandro's Mermaid works: Sit on the floor with your legs sticking out to one side, slightly bent at the knees. Twist your body to the other side and place both hands on the floor in push-up position. Lower your upper body down over your hands and do a push-up. As you push yourself up, swivel on your toes, keeping your knees bent, and rotate your knees to the other side, then lower yourself down over your hands again. Repeat, rotating your knees in the opposite direction. You will probably have to do this yourself to get what I mean. It's weird. Not even hard so much as just plain strange. After trying it the first couple of times I did this workout, I now simply fast-forward through it without guilt.
One odd and unexpected thing I've noticed in the last week: As a result of all the mat/floor exercises in these workouts that have me on all fours, I'm now developing some sort of callus on my elbows. Each of my elbows now sports a patch of flaky skin that doesn't go away with lots of lotion and seems to get thicker and tougher with each new layer. Definitely didn't anticipate that change to my body when I started these workouts! It's actually kind of gross to have flaky skin all the time so I hope it goes away soon.
Week 4, half way over!
RSC's Michael Boyd Visits Ohio Teachers, MFAs
Our Ohio teachers and MFA students immersed in a week-long teacher leadership program with the Royal Shakespeare Company had a real treat today -- an afternoon visit from the RSC's renowned Artistic Director Michael Boyd (above, with MFA student Alex Boyles). Boyd worked with the group, first splitting them into smaller teams and instructing them to create an imaginary "machine" based on a scene or character from King Lear (below) He then spent time directing several OSU MFA acting students in one of Lear's scenes. Boyd, known for creating an ensemble among the RSC actors, ended the day with a Q & A session. He explained, "Where the play happens is really between us -- between the actors and the audience. That's where our art form happens. That's our definition of an ensemble."
The earlier part of the day was spent building ensemble within the group with a variety of activities led by Virginia Grainger and Rachel Gartside, and exploring the magic of Shakespeare's language and the rhythm of his words.This evening, the entire Ohio group -- including Hannah Rockey, Melissa Rulong, Kelly Simmons and Faye Love (below) -- had the opportunity to go to the RSC's Courtyard Theatre for the production of King Lear, a moving performance that tells the story of the King, who, stripped of all status, heads into the wilderness with a madman and a fool for company. Directed by David Farr, Shakespeare's great tragedy peels away the trappings of society to reveal the unforgiving truth of the human condition.
Features
Throughout the week, we’ll be talking with some of the 20 teachers and 10 MFA students who are involved in the second cohort in the OSU / RSC partnership program.
"I've been impressed this week by the extreme care taken of the ensemble and the extreme care taken of the text, of Shakespeare's work. A lot of the ensemble-building exercises -- none without purpose -- lead smoothly to the next teaching moment. My ideas. . . your ideas . . . their ideas are equally valid and incorporated. Every person is equally important in this ensemble. Value is placed on other people's ideas. And, I love getting up and getting active -- it really sparks my interest.Alison Vasquez, MFA acting student at Ohio State
"I always shied away from Shakespeare because I felt he was very austere and regal. But yesterday, I played the part of the King's drunk knight asleep on his banquet table with his dogs. That's not so stuffy, is it? That 'melted the ice' for me with Shakespeare and now I can 'splash around in the water.'"Hannah Rockey, MFA acting student at Ohio State. . . and friend
Day 23
Week 4 is not off to a good start! I didn't get home until 6:45 tonight, by which time I was ravenously hungry, and I only had a little over an hour of free time before a church meeting at 8pm. Needless to say, I did not exercise. I changed my clothes, made dinner (healthy--low-fat nachos with asparagus, yellow pepper, tomato, avocado, a little taco meat, and just enough cheese to hold it all together), then ate dinner while watching part of an episode of Fringe on DVD. I had to leave before it was over to get to my meeting on-time.
*Sigh*
Thankfully, tomorrow is another day and another chance to shake my booty with Leandro.
*Sigh*
Thankfully, tomorrow is another day and another chance to shake my booty with Leandro.
Stratford-upon-Avon and King Lear
In idyllic Stratford-upon-Avon (above), the 20 school teachers and 10 MFA studen
ts involved in the current phase of the OSU/RSC partnership got down to business today, working with RSC education staff Ginny Grainger and Rachel Gartside (right) to embrace principles at the core of their Stand Up for Shakespeare, which encourages young people to:• Do it on your feet – explore plays actively and practically in the classroom, as actors do
• See it live – see live performances
• Start it earlier – introduce Shakespeare to younger age groups.
At the heart of the philosophy is the idea of creating "ensemble", whether it's in the classroom or among the actors in a play. The group of teachers and grad students is already is starting to create an ensemble among themselves, and today explored Shakespeare's play, King Lear, (below), which they will have the wonderful opportunity to see Wednesday evening when the RSC production is staged at Stratford's Courtyard Theatre.
They explored Lear through a variety of collaborative and shared activities including drama and movement, active listening and focusing on different points of view. Says Lesley Ferris, professor of theatre and co-director of the OSU/RSC program, "Ginny (below) and Rachel are so inventive and helped the group really get inside the 'skins' and heads of Lear's three daughters -- anchored with a 'set' of three costumed mannequins. Their expertise really brings out the actor in everyone, including all of the teachers."
The local BBC radio station is producing a feature spot about the OSU/RSC program and the week-long experiences shared by the Ohio teachers and MFA students. They sent a reporter to the training center Tuesday to talk to participants and leaders, including Metro High School teacher Kim Swensen (below).
Karen Bell (below) also talked with the reporter, as did RSC leader Rob Elkington and teacher Derek Hinkle.
On Monday evening the OSU group met up with a number of Royal Shakespeare Company leaders at the Dirty Duck, a Stratford landmark near the theatre. Welcoming all to the shared program was Vikki Heywood (below), executive director of the RSC.
FeaturesThroughout the week, we’ll be talking with some of the 20 teachers and 10 MFA students who are involved in the second cohort in the OSU / RSC partnership program.
"This program already has changed my outlook on teaching literature -- showing how the kids can be active players and get in tune with the characters, and how their prior experiences today can help them relate to these timeless plays. I can't believe I'm saying this in June, but I'm already looking forward to getting back to school to try these activities. It's great to have the MFAs with us, to get their professional take on the scenes. They make you think in new ways."Jean Reph, 8th grade literature and composition, Wedgewood Middle School
"I love learning through play, and I love it because it lets you explore different components of the play -- the point of view, the plot, character traits and character motives. The sessions here are so interactive, and the collaboration among participants is awesome. It feels like a really safe environment because we all trust each other. When I get back to our learners and use these activities, I can't even imagine what it will be like because it will be so powerful."Faye Love, 5th grade reading/language arts and social studies, Linden STEM Academy
Day 22: Start of Week 4
I flaked on my workout today. My right knee--which was a bit gimpy a few years ago and still acts up from time to time--has been bothering me ever since I last did Bum Bum on Day 18. I must have pulled or twisted or misaligned something during that workout. Did I not say that lunging is not a natural movement?! The knee combined with the fact that Cardio Axe was on the schedule for today were simply too much to bear and I rebelled.
Instead of doing the prescribed BBL workout this evening, I went for a 35-minute walk around my neighborhood in the humid evening air. As much as I adore Leandro, fireflies make for an even better, more magical workout.
Instead of doing the prescribed BBL workout this evening, I went for a 35-minute walk around my neighborhood in the humid evening air. As much as I adore Leandro, fireflies make for an even better, more magical workout.
Schoolteachers & OSU MFA Students Spend Week w/ Royal Shakespeare Company
A week-long teacher education program began today in Stratford-upon-Avon, England, where the Arts Initiative at Ohio State brought a second group of 20 central Ohio schoolteachers to work with the Royal Shakespeare Company educators and actors. They are joined by 10 MFA acting students from Ohio State's Department of Theatre. This is the second year OSU has partnered with the RSC to bring teachers to Stratford to work on techniques at the core of the RSC's renowned Stand Up for Shakespeare program. (The group is shown above, in front of the RSC headquarters in Stratford.)Says Karen Bell, OSU associate vice president for arts outreach and head of the Arts Initiative, "We are so happy to be back in Stratford-upon-Avon this summer with these fine teachers and MFA students, and look forward to their work with our RSC partners. They're exploring RSC techniques that utilize active, drama-based approaches to the teaching of Shakespeare and other complex texts. We are seeing great strides from our first group of teachers -- who were here last summer with the RSC -- in their own classrooms, and look forward to seeing this second group expand the reach of this program."
Bell said this year's endeavor with teachers and MFA students will deepen the focus on the artistic and performance aspects of this educational partnership. When the group returns to Ohio, they will work this summer and throughout the coming academic year with OSU faculty, led by Brian Edmiston, director of pedagogy, to bring Shakespeare into their classrooms. Schools include Columbus City Schools, Reynoldsburg City Schools and Metro High School.
Bell (above, left) also introduced another OSU faculty member to the partnership. "I'm delighted to welcome Lesley Ferris (above, right), professor and former chair of the OSU Department of Theatre, who along with me will co-direct the programs of the OSU/RSC partnership. Lesley's visionary leadership, recognition as an accomplished director and researcher, and leader of OSU's study abroad London program make her a perfect fit for this important partnership."Prior to beginning the education program, the group of teachers and MFA students explored London. . . and found a special use for Big Ben (below).
The new group of teachers includes: Kim Swensen (Metro); Kimberley Cox and Jessica Sharp (Reynoldsburg High School); Tonya Peacock (Hannah Ashton Middle School); Derek Hinkle and Sandra Guinto (Waggoner Road Middle School); Janice Bartels, Jean Reph, Rosalind Ebai and Alicia Fair-Foust (Wedgewood Middle School); Ron Hairston, Jill Sampson and Allison Volz (Hilltonia Middle School); Kathleen Waughaman (Windsor STEM Academy); Kelly Simmons and Faye Love (Linden STEM Academy); Art Isennagle III (South Mifflin K-6 STEM Academy); Michael Aberth (Hamilton K-6 STEM Academy); and David Hall and Melissa Rulong (the Graham Family of Schools). MFA students are Alex Boyles, Ashley Kobza, Victoria Matsos, Kevin McClatchy, Moopi Mothibeli, Charlesanne Rabensburg, Hannah Rockey, Ibsen Santos, Alison Vasquez and Aaron Zook.Notable News
Speaking of the Royal Shakespeare Company, the well-known theatre troupe now has an OSU presence on their website. Click here to read about our program on their web.
Features
Throughout the week, we’ll be talking with some of the 20 teachers and 10 MFA students who are involved in the second cohort in the OSU / RSC partnership program.
"The first hour (of the training program) today was the best professional development experience I've ever had in my 7 years as a teacher. Working with the RSC, the MFA students and my fellow colleagues, I feel alive and rejuvenated, and I can't wait to get the new school year started!"Derek Hinkle, 5th grade language arts teacher, Waggoner Road Middle School, Reynoldsburg
"I absolutely love it! I come from a very academic background where you sit at the desk and read the book, so, I never felt a real attraction to Shakespeare. But getting to play with the Shakespeare text is really making it come alive! Getting up and joining in the activities leaves no room for saying 'I can't'. . . and then you realize 'you can.'"
Victoria Matsos, MFA acting student
Day 20
I was kind of apprehensive about today's workout because I thought Cardio Axe was on the schedule. I was debating whether to do another cardio workout (through Netflix, like I did a couple of days ago) or simply to skip that part altogether and just do High & Tight (which is usually paired with Cardio Axe).
Imagine my delight when I looked at the schedule and saw that today's workout was actually Sculpt--50 minutes of strength training and toning exercises, focused primarily on the upper body with some ab work thrown in there for good measure. Hooray! I've never been so happy to do tricep presses and side crunches in my life.
Everything was going along great until the last 5 or 6 minutes of the workout, when I started feeling nauseous as we went into the cool-down stretches. We'd just done an exercise where you lie on your stomach, raise your arms and legs, then pump them up and down as if you're swimming. It's always a tough one but it's never made me sick before. This time, as I got up to move to child's pose, I felt a little dizzy and light-headed and like I might throw up. Huh. So instead of stretching, I sat on the floor, leaning against the couch, and drank some water and just watched Leandro and his backup dancers stretch on the TV screen. The nausea finally passed about 30 minutes later, after some Pepto and more rest. Not sure what caused it, but I'm guessing it must have been something I ate earlier in the day, since I could surely never get sick while listening to/watching Leandro!
Here's to my weekly day of rest tomorrow!
Imagine my delight when I looked at the schedule and saw that today's workout was actually Sculpt--50 minutes of strength training and toning exercises, focused primarily on the upper body with some ab work thrown in there for good measure. Hooray! I've never been so happy to do tricep presses and side crunches in my life.
Everything was going along great until the last 5 or 6 minutes of the workout, when I started feeling nauseous as we went into the cool-down stretches. We'd just done an exercise where you lie on your stomach, raise your arms and legs, then pump them up and down as if you're swimming. It's always a tough one but it's never made me sick before. This time, as I got up to move to child's pose, I felt a little dizzy and light-headed and like I might throw up. Huh. So instead of stretching, I sat on the floor, leaning against the couch, and drank some water and just watched Leandro and his backup dancers stretch on the TV screen. The nausea finally passed about 30 minutes later, after some Pepto and more rest. Not sure what caused it, but I'm guessing it must have been something I ate earlier in the day, since I could surely never get sick while listening to/watching Leandro!
Here's to my weekly day of rest tomorrow!
Day 19
Bum Bum. 30 minutes of sweat coming from every pore. Tummy Tuck. Kicked my trash once again. I think that about covers it.
Tomorrow's the last day of Week 3. Awesome.
Tomorrow's the last day of Week 3. Awesome.
OAC Opinion Poll
We would like to express our gratitude to The Ohio Arts Council for their constant support. We encourage you all participate in the Statewide Arts, Culture, and Entertainment Opinion Poll.
As part of its strategic planning process, the Ohio Arts Council (OAC) is conducting a statewide arts, culture, and entertainment opinion poll of Ohio residents. Its purpose is to learn how the OAC can continue to best meet citizens' cultural needs in a changing environment for State government.
To learn more about OAC please visit: http://www.oac.state.oh.us/
To take the survey simply follow the link below!
http://maildogmanager.com/page.html?p=0000015Fu8vsFcMEY9L9IFh4rhKqnHyijvY2VG+mO9LwsF4A==&email=p.oloughlin@expo.state.oh.us
As part of its strategic planning process, the Ohio Arts Council (OAC) is conducting a statewide arts, culture, and entertainment opinion poll of Ohio residents. Its purpose is to learn how the OAC can continue to best meet citizens' cultural needs in a changing environment for State government.
To learn more about OAC please visit: http://www.oac.state.oh.us/
To take the survey simply follow the link below!
http://maildogmanager.com/page.html?p=0000015Fu8vsFcMEY9L9IFh4rhKqnHyijvY2VG+mO9LwsF4A==&email=p.oloughlin@expo.state.oh.us
2010 Ohio State Fair Fine Arts Final Accepted List
This is the FINAL list of accepted artists. Congratulations to these artists, and thank you to all who entered.
Amateur
Anderson, Ruby
Ayotte, Melissa
Browning, Jon
Charlie, Beijing
Cooke, David F.
Cox, James
Drew, Eunsil
Edwards, Rhainy
Ferguson, Sarah
Finley, Ruth
Fisher, Helen
Fitzgerald, Barbara A.
Fohl, Mark
Giannetto, Joe
Goldie, Beverly
Griffith, Adena
Hardin, Paula
Hartford, Mark
Heyward, Bryan
Horowitz, Mark
Humes, Donny
Hurley, Chelsey
Kasson, Dylan
Kistler, Virginia
Kramer, Paul
Krol, Judy
Laxton, Misty
Leon, Monika
Libertini, Ellen
Maag, Howard
McDevitt-Stredney, James
McMullen, Frederick
Misiuna, Magdalena
Ockuly, Sarah
Petrosky, Alyssa
Pierce, Christian
Pogalies, J.
Porta, Ron
Riat, Sheila
Robinson, Michelle
Ryan, Christine Guillot
Schardt, Sydney
Serraglio, Luciano
Sharpe, Richard
Sitko, Andrew
Slowinski, Stephanie
Stentz, Debbie
Strickling, Christine
Trout, James
Tursich, Crystal
Walkowicz, Julia
Weller, Nova
Whitaker, Hailey
Whittington, Daniel
Yeager-Torre, Darlene
PROFESSIONAL
Achberger, Monica
Adams, Pam
Aizicovici, Simona
Alexander, Laura
Alexander, Lindsey
Alloway, Brian Thomas
Anderson, Amy Kollar
Bachman, Laine
Baillieul, Thomas
Baker, Lawrence
Birckhead, Leslie
Bjel, Diana
Bogle, Bridgette
Booze, Kelley
Boram-Hays, Carol
Borg, Rick
Bova, Laura
Byrne, Julie
Carmean, Matt
Colgan, Robert
Cushman, Anne
Daniel, Nora
Dunlap, Jennifer
Emory, Paul
Emslie, Sally
Fairchild, Sarah
Farris, Clair
Fochtman, Frederick
Fort, Jeremiah
Foster, Bruce
Foy, Josh
Galloway, Scott
Graham, Paul
Gray, Lea
Greene, Lloyd
Greenwalt, Tracy
Groot, Helma
Gunter-Seymour, Kari
Harris, Lionel
Hays, Michael
Hayslip, Rodney
Heberling, Rachel
Heisler, Nicole
Hoffelt, Helen
Hubbard, Tom
Jackson, Morris
Jacobs, Jonah
Jaeger, Tamara
Johnson, Dale
Joseph, Gregory
Keiser, Kevin
Knick, Jeffrey
Knowlton, Jules
Konicsak, Kitty
Leach, G. W.
Lombardo, Joseph
May, Michael
McClanahan, Lynda
McGhee, Kathy
Montague, Juliette
Morris, Kristin L.
Moses, Ennia
Mullett, Sherry
Nash, Susan
Nees, Paula
Nelson, Ardine
Oldfather, Dana
Pate, James
Payne, Brent
Peng, Naichuan
Pierce, Lexie
Pratt, Susan
Randall, Katie
Regensberger, Jeff
Rond, Stephanie
Rosen, Mark
Routson, Jason
Schanberger, Francis
Schramer, Kristine
Schreiber, Daniel
Schutte, Katie
Scranton, Jenny
Screven, Craig
Scurlock, Larry
Shaw, Gary
Shellhouse, Ashley
Shirey, James
Sipher, Barbara
Smith, Catherine
Sorenson, Alissa
Stanley, Melanie
Stern, Andrea
Swanson, Thoma
Tallan, Joan
Tavani, Bob
Taylor, Doug
Thomas, Marcus
Turner, Donald
VanDenberg, Amanda
Vogel, Barbara
Von Endt, Laurie
Walters, Ryan
Wang, Arthur Chun
Weiser, Laura
Weller, Heidi
White, Maria
Day 18
Dear Leandro,
I adore you. You're cute, funny, very fit (of course), and so encouraging. You seem to love women in a non-sleazy way and have a passion for life.
My darling, I'm sorry to tell you that I betrayed you today by doing someone else's cardio workout. The thought of stumbling through another session of Cardio Axe while you told me to "Have fun" and your beach beauties shimmied their bum bums perfectly kind of made me want to barf. All over those beach beauties. So I found a cardio workout on Netflix that wasn't too complicated and didn't involve any dance moves and did that for 20 minutes instead. Please don't be angry.
You know I can't stay away from you for very long. I did High & Tight after the other cardio and boy was I happy to see you on the screen. I tried so hard to hold in my abs like you said during all those leg lifts, but since I'm never really sure what that means, I don't know if I actually did it. Couldn't you come over now and then and give me a personal training session? Please bring another resistance band with you because the one that came with the program broke today while I was doing the clamshell leg exercises.
Leandro, I think I am simply hopelessly uncoordinated and can't remember a sequence of moves to save my life. It's tough to be faced with my own ineptitude day after day doing these workouts. I'll be going back to walking and cycling when this experiment is over, but I will continue to do the strength training and toning workouts a few times a week. For now, any time I'm tempted to skip a workout because I'm tired or fast-forward through the tricky parts, I hear your voice in my head saying, "Give it all, don't settle for less." How can I argue with that?
Yours always,
Me
I adore you. You're cute, funny, very fit (of course), and so encouraging. You seem to love women in a non-sleazy way and have a passion for life.
My darling, I'm sorry to tell you that I betrayed you today by doing someone else's cardio workout. The thought of stumbling through another session of Cardio Axe while you told me to "Have fun" and your beach beauties shimmied their bum bums perfectly kind of made me want to barf. All over those beach beauties. So I found a cardio workout on Netflix that wasn't too complicated and didn't involve any dance moves and did that for 20 minutes instead. Please don't be angry.
You know I can't stay away from you for very long. I did High & Tight after the other cardio and boy was I happy to see you on the screen. I tried so hard to hold in my abs like you said during all those leg lifts, but since I'm never really sure what that means, I don't know if I actually did it. Couldn't you come over now and then and give me a personal training session? Please bring another resistance band with you because the one that came with the program broke today while I was doing the clamshell leg exercises.
Leandro, I think I am simply hopelessly uncoordinated and can't remember a sequence of moves to save my life. It's tough to be faced with my own ineptitude day after day doing these workouts. I'll be going back to walking and cycling when this experiment is over, but I will continue to do the strength training and toning workouts a few times a week. For now, any time I'm tempted to skip a workout because I'm tired or fast-forward through the tricky parts, I hear your voice in my head saying, "Give it all, don't settle for less." How can I argue with that?
Yours always,
Me
Day 17
Life struck again today. Traffic was horrendous after work, meaning I got home late, then I had a few phone calls, and by the time I was ready to start my workout, I only had 35 minutes to do a 50-minute program so that I'd have time to shower and get ready before leaving to meet a friend for dinner. So I did 35 minutes of sculpt. Not ideal, but better than nothing.
ASAN President Ari Ne'eman Confirmed to National Council on Disability
The Autistic Self Advocacy Network would like to thank President Obama and the U.S. Senate for the nomination and confirmation of ASAN President Ari Ne'eman to serve as a member of the National Council on Disability (NCD). He will be the first Autistic person to serve as a member of NCD. An independent federal agency, NCD makes recommendations to the President and Congress on issues of importance to Americans with disabilities. To learn more about NCD, go to http://www.ncd.gov.
An article about the confirmation can be found on Disability Scoop:
http://www.disabilityscoop.com/2010/06/22/neeman-confirmation/9133/
An article about the confirmation can be found on Disability Scoop:
http://www.disabilityscoop.com/2010/06/22/neeman-confirmation/9133/
Day 16
Just when you're feeling pretty good about fitness, Leandro, your progress, etc., you have a day like today, when you feel sluggish and completely uncoordinated. (Since I feel uncoordinated every day, this is really extreme uncoordination.)
This evening, I stumbled through Cardio Axe, cursing under my breath every time Leandro asserted that we were having fun. I just don't get how people can multi-task their bodies in order to move the way Leandro and his back-up dancers move. If I'm moving my legs, that's all I can think about, is moving my legs. Try to "add in the arms" and now I have to choose where to focus b/c neither movement ever becomes automatic enough to be able to turn my attention to another one simultaneously. Throw in the hips and I'm a tangled, spasmodic mess. And how do those women make their hips move independently of their upper body? I really, really don't get it.
The second work-out was High & Tight, which was fine except that my resistance band is nearly torn in half from being worn around my feet/shoes during the first segment of the workout, so I wonder how much resistance I'm actually getting from it. Better than nothing, I suppose. I think this workout is the reason I apparently lost an inch off my thighs. It works the inner thigh muscles more than they've ever been worked before.
Today was one of those days where I probably wouldn't have worked out had it not been for this blog. (Duh. That's why I started it.) This blog and Leandro's voice ringing in my ears, "Don't settle for less!" I hate it when he's right!
This evening, I stumbled through Cardio Axe, cursing under my breath every time Leandro asserted that we were having fun. I just don't get how people can multi-task their bodies in order to move the way Leandro and his back-up dancers move. If I'm moving my legs, that's all I can think about, is moving my legs. Try to "add in the arms" and now I have to choose where to focus b/c neither movement ever becomes automatic enough to be able to turn my attention to another one simultaneously. Throw in the hips and I'm a tangled, spasmodic mess. And how do those women make their hips move independently of their upper body? I really, really don't get it.
The second work-out was High & Tight, which was fine except that my resistance band is nearly torn in half from being worn around my feet/shoes during the first segment of the workout, so I wonder how much resistance I'm actually getting from it. Better than nothing, I suppose. I think this workout is the reason I apparently lost an inch off my thighs. It works the inner thigh muscles more than they've ever been worked before.
Today was one of those days where I probably wouldn't have worked out had it not been for this blog. (Duh. That's why I started it.) This blog and Leandro's voice ringing in my ears, "Don't settle for less!" I hate it when he's right!
Day 15 (Start of Week 3)
I had a long day today involving driving 3 hours one-way for a work-related meeting (and of course 3 hours back). By the time I got home, it was a little after 8pm and, I'm not going to lie, the last thing I wanted to do was work out. If Cardio Axe had been on the schedule for today, I might have skipped it altogether. Luckily, today's schedule called for Bum Bum and Tummy Tuck, which I hadn't ever done before. So I (somewhat reluctantly) changed into my workout clothes and put in the first DVD.
Bum Bum continues to be challenging but I think I'm getting a little better at it. I really dislike lunges--the movement just feels unnatural--and I don't know that my balance will ever improve, but that didn't prevent me from having a good cardio workout and squeezing my tush over and over. I did skip the stretching/cool-down at the end so I could move right on to Tummy Tuck. It was past 9pm after all and I didn't want to be up later than necessary.
Tummy Tuck, well, it kicked my trash. Kicked it down to the corner and back again in one swift movement. OY! It's only 20 minutes long, so the agony is over quickly, but oh how unfit I felt for that 20 minutes! I look forward to the day when I can do that entire routine without stopping.
The great news from today is that I took my Week 3 measurements and, if I'm measuring correctly, I appear to have lost an inch off my waist and about an inch off of each of my thighs. Wow. I'll have to see if I notice a difference this week when wearing certain skirts and pants that are always my informal weight monitors. With the thighs, it's tricky b/c I don't remember exactly which part of my thigh I measured originally, but I like losing inches so I'm going to go with the new measurement today and pronounce it accurate. Yay for Brazil Butt Lift!
Bum Bum continues to be challenging but I think I'm getting a little better at it. I really dislike lunges--the movement just feels unnatural--and I don't know that my balance will ever improve, but that didn't prevent me from having a good cardio workout and squeezing my tush over and over. I did skip the stretching/cool-down at the end so I could move right on to Tummy Tuck. It was past 9pm after all and I didn't want to be up later than necessary.
Tummy Tuck, well, it kicked my trash. Kicked it down to the corner and back again in one swift movement. OY! It's only 20 minutes long, so the agony is over quickly, but oh how unfit I felt for that 20 minutes! I look forward to the day when I can do that entire routine without stopping.
The great news from today is that I took my Week 3 measurements and, if I'm measuring correctly, I appear to have lost an inch off my waist and about an inch off of each of my thighs. Wow. I'll have to see if I notice a difference this week when wearing certain skirts and pants that are always my informal weight monitors. With the thighs, it's tricky b/c I don't remember exactly which part of my thigh I measured originally, but I like losing inches so I'm going to go with the new measurement today and pronounce it accurate. Yay for Brazil Butt Lift!
Days 12 & 13: Don't Settle for Less!
I totally ROCK!! I woke up insanely early this morning--earlier even than I get up to go to work--and was so wide-awake, I didn't try to go back to sleep. Instead, I made and ate one slice of French toast (with real maple syrup from Vermont--yum!), then put on my workout clothes. To make up for missing my workout yesterday, I decided to do yesterday's workout AND today's workout. I know, it's difficult to comprehend the radical thought process behind that, but it was a brilliant decision. Here's how my morning went:
7am: Suit up, put in Day 12's workout, Sculpt; do 50 minutes of toning and shaping exercises with Leandro and his backup dancers.
8am: Workout finished, I wash my face and put on something more suitable for public appearance, then head to the grocery store, where I buy copious quantities of fresh fruit.
9am: Put away groceries, vacuum (working out on the floor every day really motivates you to vacuum), switch back into my previous workout clothes.
9:30ish am: Day 13's first workout, my favorite: Cardio Axe. Bring it on! (I still stumble through half the moves in this one, esp when he puts all the little dance routines together at the end.) I claim victory over Cardio Axe just for completing it w/o fast-forwarding through even one of the iterations of the dance routines at the end.
10:10ish am: I rehydrate, then launch into MY THIRD WORKOUT for the day: High & Tight, aka, leg-lift insanity.
10:45ish am: It's not even 11am yet and I've worked out for nearly two hours, plus been to the grocery store and vacuumed my house. I am on fire!!! I make a fantastic berry smoothie using all the fresh fruit I just got (blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries) and a cup of vanilla yogurt. Heaven!
Leandro is always admonishing his followers not to settle for less, as in "Give it all you got! Don't settle for less!" (His Brazilian Portuguese accent makes it sound especially cute and motivational when he says it.) This gal is definitely not settling for less. But I am looking forward to the day of rest tomorrow. And another smoothie....
7am: Suit up, put in Day 12's workout, Sculpt; do 50 minutes of toning and shaping exercises with Leandro and his backup dancers.
8am: Workout finished, I wash my face and put on something more suitable for public appearance, then head to the grocery store, where I buy copious quantities of fresh fruit.
9am: Put away groceries, vacuum (working out on the floor every day really motivates you to vacuum), switch back into my previous workout clothes.
9:30ish am: Day 13's first workout, my favorite: Cardio Axe. Bring it on! (I still stumble through half the moves in this one, esp when he puts all the little dance routines together at the end.) I claim victory over Cardio Axe just for completing it w/o fast-forwarding through even one of the iterations of the dance routines at the end.
10:10ish am: I rehydrate, then launch into MY THIRD WORKOUT for the day: High & Tight, aka, leg-lift insanity.
10:45ish am: It's not even 11am yet and I've worked out for nearly two hours, plus been to the grocery store and vacuumed my house. I am on fire!!! I make a fantastic berry smoothie using all the fresh fruit I just got (blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries) and a cup of vanilla yogurt. Heaven!
Leandro is always admonishing his followers not to settle for less, as in "Give it all you got! Don't settle for less!" (His Brazilian Portuguese accent makes it sound especially cute and motivational when he says it.) This gal is definitely not settling for less. But I am looking forward to the day of rest tomorrow. And another smoothie....
Week 2 Measurements
I took my Week 2 measurements before my workout today and was frankly rather perplexed. I measured my waist 4 or 5 times to make sure I was doing it correctly and not misreading the measuring tape. I'm still not quite certain, but I finally concluded that I might have lost a tiny bit off my waist--like a quarter to half an inch--but not enough to record new measurements in the side bar.
I got all excited when measuring my thighs because the first measurement was a full inch smaller than last week's, however when I measured the other thigh and then measured the first one again, I decided I must have been looking at another, thinner part of the thigh when I got that original smaller number. I think that, as with the waist, I might have lost a little bit, but not enough to record a change.
So I'll stick with the Week 1 measurements for now and hope to see some improvement by the next time I measure myself, in Week 3. WEEK 3!!
I'm telling ya'll right now that I probably won't be exercising tomorrow. I have a date, with a guy whose name isn't Leandro. This doesn't happen very often so I have absolutely no qualms about sacrificing my Brazil Butt workout for one evening.
I got all excited when measuring my thighs because the first measurement was a full inch smaller than last week's, however when I measured the other thigh and then measured the first one again, I decided I must have been looking at another, thinner part of the thigh when I got that original smaller number. I think that, as with the waist, I might have lost a little bit, but not enough to record a change.
So I'll stick with the Week 1 measurements for now and hope to see some improvement by the next time I measure myself, in Week 3. WEEK 3!!
I'm telling ya'll right now that I probably won't be exercising tomorrow. I have a date, with a guy whose name isn't Leandro. This doesn't happen very often so I have absolutely no qualms about sacrificing my Brazil Butt workout for one evening.
Days 10 & 11: "Keep my eyes on your eyes"
Yesterday (Day 10), I had the pleasure of doing Sculpt again. As much as the thought of doing more tricep exercises made me whimper, my sore muscles actually felt much better after being worked again. Go figure.
There are some seriously tough exercises in this workout and I am determined to be able to do the whole thing, every rep of every exercise, without having to stop to catch my breath or collapse on the floor before the set is over because my muscles are just too tired. Do you hear me? Determined!
In many ways, Sculpt is a lot easier than some of the other workouts due to the lack of dance moves. My lack of coordination isn't an issue and even my poor balance doesn't necessarily inhibit my ability to follow along.
My favorite Leandro quote from Sculpt (thank goodness he doesn't constantly tell us we should be having fun) is something he says when he's trying to teach the correct form for a particular movement that requires you to squat or bend down some, but still keep your head and chest up, with the hips square. He says, "Keep my eyes on your eyes." Then he seems to realize that that might not make much sense so he says, "Make sure you keep your eyes on my eyes." Hee hee.
Today (Day 11) I did Cardio Axe and Bum Bum. As much as I was dreading Cardio Axe, I decide that I can't say the program isn't working if I don't follow the program completely. So I did it and it was a little better, though I still get annoyed when he works in those Shakira turns and tells us to shimmy and "just do what comes naturally." What comes naturally is walking with perhaps a slight swing of the arm, NOT moving multiple body parts in different directions at once. OY.
There are some seriously tough exercises in this workout and I am determined to be able to do the whole thing, every rep of every exercise, without having to stop to catch my breath or collapse on the floor before the set is over because my muscles are just too tired. Do you hear me? Determined!
In many ways, Sculpt is a lot easier than some of the other workouts due to the lack of dance moves. My lack of coordination isn't an issue and even my poor balance doesn't necessarily inhibit my ability to follow along.
My favorite Leandro quote from Sculpt (thank goodness he doesn't constantly tell us we should be having fun) is something he says when he's trying to teach the correct form for a particular movement that requires you to squat or bend down some, but still keep your head and chest up, with the hips square. He says, "Keep my eyes on your eyes." Then he seems to realize that that might not make much sense so he says, "Make sure you keep your eyes on my eyes." Hee hee.
Today (Day 11) I did Cardio Axe and Bum Bum. As much as I was dreading Cardio Axe, I decide that I can't say the program isn't working if I don't follow the program completely. So I did it and it was a little better, though I still get annoyed when he works in those Shakira turns and tells us to shimmy and "just do what comes naturally." What comes naturally is walking with perhaps a slight swing of the arm, NOT moving multiple body parts in different directions at once. OY.
Day 9
Did I say that my muscle soreness had gone away a couple of days ago? Oh boy, did I speak too soon! The muscle-screaming has returned with a vengeance this week, namely in my arms (esp the triceps, thanks to Sculpt) and my inner thighs. Always a problem area, those inner thighs, so I'm going to embrace the pain with the idea that it indicates improvement is in process.
Today I was supposed to do Cardio Axe and High & Tight. The thought of doing Cardio Axe, however, made me want to throw the TV out the window, it was so frustrating last time. In order to prevent bodily injury to anyone who happened to be walking their dog in front of my building at the moment the TV plummeted toward the ground, I substituted Bum Bum Live for Cardio Axe. Bum Bum Live is not quite 30 minutes long and features Leandro and one other chick in a studio, filmed by one cameraman who often focuses more on Leandro's face as he's talking than the chick doing the moves, which is kind of annoying. The workout itself incorporates most of the same moves as the regular Bum Bum workout but in a different order. Although it didn't seem quite as fast-paced as the regular Bum Bum, I was still sweating and panting like crazy throughout.
High & Tight is full of all manner of leg lifts as well as some combo exercises that also work the abs. This time I did it with the 3-lb ankle weights and definitely felt a difference. As in, my muscles felt like they were going to collapse if I had to do another leg lift. OY! I am determined to be able to do that entire workout--with the weights--without having to stop before all the reps are done due to my muscles turning to jelly. I think it's on the schedule for tomorrow or Friday so I'll have another chance to prove myself soon.
Today I was supposed to do Cardio Axe and High & Tight. The thought of doing Cardio Axe, however, made me want to throw the TV out the window, it was so frustrating last time. In order to prevent bodily injury to anyone who happened to be walking their dog in front of my building at the moment the TV plummeted toward the ground, I substituted Bum Bum Live for Cardio Axe. Bum Bum Live is not quite 30 minutes long and features Leandro and one other chick in a studio, filmed by one cameraman who often focuses more on Leandro's face as he's talking than the chick doing the moves, which is kind of annoying. The workout itself incorporates most of the same moves as the regular Bum Bum workout but in a different order. Although it didn't seem quite as fast-paced as the regular Bum Bum, I was still sweating and panting like crazy throughout.
High & Tight is full of all manner of leg lifts as well as some combo exercises that also work the abs. This time I did it with the 3-lb ankle weights and definitely felt a difference. As in, my muscles felt like they were going to collapse if I had to do another leg lift. OY! I am determined to be able to do that entire workout--with the weights--without having to stop before all the reps are done due to my muscles turning to jelly. I think it's on the schedule for tomorrow or Friday so I'll have another chance to prove myself soon.
Day 8 (beginning of Week 2)
After my relaxing, workout-free weekend, I was excited to get back on schedule today. Which isn't to say that I didn't have to employ some serious will power after work to get myself to exercise. The crazy thing is, I know I will feel better after I've exercised. So why is it hard to motivate myself to do it? I don't have any trouble motivating myself to eat cookies, even though I know I'll feel gross afterward (depending on how many I eat). Clearly there's some sort of bizarre disconnect inside my brain that's causing this.
Anyway, today's workout was Sculpt, which I hadn't done before. It was nearly 50 minutes of weights, resistance training, and Pilates-inspired moves that isolated specific muscle groups in the arms, butt, and thighs, and worked the core (though not nearly to the extent that Pilates works your core). I started out using my 8-lb weights and quickly realized I couldn't keep that up very long, at least not without throwing out my back. So I switched to the little 3-lb wrist/ankle weights I got over the weekend, either wearing one on each wrist or both on one wrist, depending on what the exercise was. Several of the chicks on the DVD were using tiny weights that couldn't have been more than 3 lbs so I didn't feel too wimpy for not using the 8-pounders.
That said, this workout really kicked my trash in a few parts. It definitely got my heart rate up and my inner thighs are already feeling the effects of some of those exercises. Thankfully, there were no dance moves in this one so I was able to keep up for the most part--or at least do a few reps of everything before collapsing on the floor to regain my strength for the next set. Victory will be mine the day I can do every rep in every exercise without feeling my muscles quiver. I'll let you know as soon as that happens.
Anyway, today's workout was Sculpt, which I hadn't done before. It was nearly 50 minutes of weights, resistance training, and Pilates-inspired moves that isolated specific muscle groups in the arms, butt, and thighs, and worked the core (though not nearly to the extent that Pilates works your core). I started out using my 8-lb weights and quickly realized I couldn't keep that up very long, at least not without throwing out my back. So I switched to the little 3-lb wrist/ankle weights I got over the weekend, either wearing one on each wrist or both on one wrist, depending on what the exercise was. Several of the chicks on the DVD were using tiny weights that couldn't have been more than 3 lbs so I didn't feel too wimpy for not using the 8-pounders.
That said, this workout really kicked my trash in a few parts. It definitely got my heart rate up and my inner thighs are already feeling the effects of some of those exercises. Thankfully, there were no dance moves in this one so I was able to keep up for the most part--or at least do a few reps of everything before collapsing on the floor to regain my strength for the next set. Victory will be mine the day I can do every rep in every exercise without feeling my muscles quiver. I'll let you know as soon as that happens.
Day 7: The Day of Rest
Today I rested. I relaxed. I rejoiced that my muscle soreness has passed. Ahhhhhh....
Day 6: Life Happens
On Day 6 I was supposed to do Bum Bum and Tummy Tuck. Instead, I did laundry, swept the floors, made the carpets sparkle with my new vacuum, and finally cleared all those piles off my dining room table. Then I went to a movie with Rachel.
Yes friends, life happens, which means that sometimes workouts don't. Since I exercised on Day 4 instead of taking the rest day on the schedule, I don't feel too bad about skipping my workout today. In fact, I feel much better now that my house is clean and organized again.
Yes friends, life happens, which means that sometimes workouts don't. Since I exercised on Day 4 instead of taking the rest day on the schedule, I don't feel too bad about skipping my workout today. In fact, I feel much better now that my house is clean and organized again.
Day 5
Today's workouts: Cardio Axe and High & Tight. I wanted to reach through the screen and cause injury to Leandro during Cardio Axe. Why does he seem to think we have the skill and coordination of Janet Jackson's dancers? If I wanted a samba class to lose weight, I'd take a samba class. Instead of getting better at the moves, I think I'm actually getting less coordinated and keeping up gets harder, which makes for a very frustrating workout! About the 12th time he said, "This is fun! Are you having fun? Have fun with it!" I yelled at the screen, "This is NOT fun!" Blech.
High & Tight entailed a series of leg lifts and other controlled movements, many done while on all fours on an exercise mat on the floor, to isolate butt and thigh muscles. Some of the movements were done with a resistance band, which was frustrating because it kept slipping off my feet. I was already in ill humor from Cardio Axe. The workout did improve after we ditched the band, and I definitely felt the burn.
Leandro promises that my body's "gonna change" and he'd better be right!
High & Tight entailed a series of leg lifts and other controlled movements, many done while on all fours on an exercise mat on the floor, to isolate butt and thigh muscles. Some of the movements were done with a resistance band, which was frustrating because it kept slipping off my feet. I was already in ill humor from Cardio Axe. The workout did improve after we ditched the band, and I definitely felt the burn.
Leandro promises that my body's "gonna change" and he'd better be right!
ASAN-Central Ohio at Multiple Perspectives on Access, Inclusion, and Disability
On Wednesday, April 28, several members of ASAN-Central Ohio presented at the Multiple Perspectives on Access, Inclusion and Disability conference at Ohio State. Presenters included Melanie Yergeau, Noranne Cochran, and Whitney Brooks (on behalf of Justin Rooney). Forty-two people were in attendance, and attendees included people with and without disabilities, educators, students, parents, friends, and professionals.
The panelists explored the various employment and education issues that autistic individuals face and approached these issues from a variety of perspectives: historical, social, cultural, and personal. ASAN-Central Ohio emphasized some practical ways in which employers and educators can create accessible environments for autistic people, as well as ways in which autistic individuals can effectively self-advocate for accommodations.
Melanie, president of ASAN-Central Ohio/OSU and PhD candidate, introduced the goals and work of ASAN and addressed the institutional barriers that autistic individuals routinely face in higher education (e.g., needing "non-traditional" accommodations and having difficulty getting needs met, participating in class and extracurricular/professionalization activities). She also shared some of her experiences as an autistic student, teacher, and researcher, and discussed best practices for creating more inclusive professional enviroments (e.g., respecting individual difference, encouraging alternate forms of participation, providing text transcripts/outlines of discussion points or conference papers, etc.).
Whitney, a PhD student at Ohio State, spoke on behalf of Justin Rooney (OSU staff) and provided a run-down of the many activities that ASAN-Central Ohio has engaged in over the past year. She also emphasized the necessity of connecting autistic individuals with others across disability communities and building larger communities of support.
Noranne, blogger and employee at a school for autistic children, shared some of her personal experiences as a student and employee. She also discussed the pros and cons associated with disclosing one’s disability to employers and colleagues, how “coming out autistic” has the potential to provide understanding or cause alienation, depending on the situation. Moreover, she stressed the need for educators and employers to regard autistic people first and foremost as individuals, and not as embodied stereotypes.
The panelists explored the various employment and education issues that autistic individuals face and approached these issues from a variety of perspectives: historical, social, cultural, and personal. ASAN-Central Ohio emphasized some practical ways in which employers and educators can create accessible environments for autistic people, as well as ways in which autistic individuals can effectively self-advocate for accommodations.
Melanie, president of ASAN-Central Ohio/OSU and PhD candidate, introduced the goals and work of ASAN and addressed the institutional barriers that autistic individuals routinely face in higher education (e.g., needing "non-traditional" accommodations and having difficulty getting needs met, participating in class and extracurricular/professionalization activities). She also shared some of her experiences as an autistic student, teacher, and researcher, and discussed best practices for creating more inclusive professional enviroments (e.g., respecting individual difference, encouraging alternate forms of participation, providing text transcripts/outlines of discussion points or conference papers, etc.).
Whitney, a PhD student at Ohio State, spoke on behalf of Justin Rooney (OSU staff) and provided a run-down of the many activities that ASAN-Central Ohio has engaged in over the past year. She also emphasized the necessity of connecting autistic individuals with others across disability communities and building larger communities of support.
Noranne, blogger and employee at a school for autistic children, shared some of her personal experiences as a student and employee. She also discussed the pros and cons associated with disclosing one’s disability to employers and colleagues, how “coming out autistic” has the potential to provide understanding or cause alienation, depending on the situation. Moreover, she stressed the need for educators and employers to regard autistic people first and foremost as individuals, and not as embodied stereotypes.
From left to right: Daisha, Melanie, Noranne, and Zachary sit at a lunch table
Noranne and Melanie in front of the Buckeye Brilliance wall
Day 4
Today was marked as a rest day on the schedule but since I like to flaunt authority, I went to the pool and tread water for 30 minutes. Then I came home and had my trademark salad for dinner. Awesome.
By some miracle, my leg and butt muscles didn't spend all day screaming at me today! In fact, by the end of the day, the muscle pain is nearly gone. Go figure. Perhaps this is my body's way of lulling me into a false sense of confidence in my own fitness level.
I took my starting measurements today (with the measuring tape that came with the DVDs). I have just one word to describe them: YIKES!!! In the interest of full accountability, I'll post them on the side bar for all to see and add new ones each week--however, I urge you to just squint at them with one eye partially open while focusing on some distant object with the other eye. To look at them head on could cause serious injury or brain aneurysm.
Since I don't believe in weighing myself, I don't have a starting weight to accompany the measurements. Besides, this is a quest for greater fitness, not necessarily weight loss. Why torture and embarrass myself unnecessarily?
By some miracle, my leg and butt muscles didn't spend all day screaming at me today! In fact, by the end of the day, the muscle pain is nearly gone. Go figure. Perhaps this is my body's way of lulling me into a false sense of confidence in my own fitness level.
I took my starting measurements today (with the measuring tape that came with the DVDs). I have just one word to describe them: YIKES!!! In the interest of full accountability, I'll post them on the side bar for all to see and add new ones each week--however, I urge you to just squint at them with one eye partially open while focusing on some distant object with the other eye. To look at them head on could cause serious injury or brain aneurysm.
Since I don't believe in weighing myself, I don't have a starting weight to accompany the measurements. Besides, this is a quest for greater fitness, not necessarily weight loss. Why torture and embarrass myself unnecessarily?
Day 3
BBL must be working because I could barely walk today, and trying to walk after sitting for any length of time, even the 30 minutes it took me to drive to work, was even more ridiculous. I suddenly feel like I have the body of an old lady.
Tonight after work I hurried home and changed immediately into my workout clothes for my date with Leandro. First I did "Cardio Axe" again, followed by "Bum Bum." I was pleased to see that I did a little better keeping up with some of the complicated, coordination-required dance moves in CA this time than last night, although that ending sequence with all the combos together was still a joke and I still fast-fowarded through the last set. Still, it gives me hope that I might be able to sort of do all the moves at some point.
BB was just as intense as on Day 1, and I still got snagged on the moves that required much balance or coordination, but I think I did slightly better at focusing on the glutes and getting the most out of each individual exercise. In both videos, Leandro switches things up a lot and keeps it moving so the workout goes by quickly and I'm definitely not bored. It helps that he's cute and seems a little bit goofy (hence, not intimidating), and that he does just about every move throughout the whole workout, instead of constantly walking around to inspect his back-up dancers so he can take a break. (By the way, they never break a sweat or even seem to be breathing hard at all, which leads me to wonder if they are actual people or just computer-generated images.)
Tomorrow is marked as a rest day on the schedule, which I think I'll use as an excuse to go for a long walk. I might even pick up a smoothie in the middle, as it's $1 smoothie day at Roebeck's tomorrow. Brazil booty, here I come!
Tonight after work I hurried home and changed immediately into my workout clothes for my date with Leandro. First I did "Cardio Axe" again, followed by "Bum Bum." I was pleased to see that I did a little better keeping up with some of the complicated, coordination-required dance moves in CA this time than last night, although that ending sequence with all the combos together was still a joke and I still fast-fowarded through the last set. Still, it gives me hope that I might be able to sort of do all the moves at some point.
BB was just as intense as on Day 1, and I still got snagged on the moves that required much balance or coordination, but I think I did slightly better at focusing on the glutes and getting the most out of each individual exercise. In both videos, Leandro switches things up a lot and keeps it moving so the workout goes by quickly and I'm definitely not bored. It helps that he's cute and seems a little bit goofy (hence, not intimidating), and that he does just about every move throughout the whole workout, instead of constantly walking around to inspect his back-up dancers so he can take a break. (By the way, they never break a sweat or even seem to be breathing hard at all, which leads me to wonder if they are actual people or just computer-generated images.)
Tomorrow is marked as a rest day on the schedule, which I think I'll use as an excuse to go for a long walk. I might even pick up a smoothie in the middle, as it's $1 smoothie day at Roebeck's tomorrow. Brazil booty, here I come!
Day 2
I got home from work today eager to do the Day 2 workout. On the schedule, "Cardio Axe" (pronounced "ashay"--it's Portuguese for "good luck" or "positive energy," according to Leandro) followed by "High and Tight." I made it through the first one but then my friend Jen came over to go to the pool just as I put in the second one, so I turned it off. I did go to the pool and tread water for about 40 minutes though so I still burned lots of calories.
"Cardio Axe" focused more on getting the heart rate up than on working those bum-bum muscles. The moves seemed simple enough to follow in the beginning, but each combination built on itself, getting more complicated as he added in some arm movements, then a turn here or a jump there, until I seriously could not keep up and just marched in place. At the end, he ran through all four combos in order three times, which was pretty impossible for me to keep up with. I confess, I fast-forwarded through the last set to skip to the cool-down. There's a reason I'm not a dancer.
In spite of that, it had some fun, creative moves, and definitely got my heart rate up. Go BBL!
"Cardio Axe" focused more on getting the heart rate up than on working those bum-bum muscles. The moves seemed simple enough to follow in the beginning, but each combination built on itself, getting more complicated as he added in some arm movements, then a turn here or a jump there, until I seriously could not keep up and just marched in place. At the end, he ran through all four combos in order three times, which was pretty impossible for me to keep up with. I confess, I fast-forwarded through the last set to skip to the cool-down. There's a reason I'm not a dancer.
In spite of that, it had some fun, creative moves, and definitely got my heart rate up. Go BBL!
Day 1
Today I watched the "Basics" video, which goes over all the moves, and then the "Bum Bum" workout, which had me seriously sweating. It's basically 30 minutes of squats and lunges done in creative ways to peppy music. Leandro is pretty cute as the instructor and kept saying things like "You're doing great!" and "Great job!" There were several times when my lack of coordination and/or my lower level of fitness prevented me from copying all their moves or keeping up, but it was still a great workout. I definitely felt it the next day in my thighs and butt.
Some things I really liked about this video:
-- Leandro always gave plenty of notice when he was going to switch to another move or combination so I knew exactly what to expect at every stage. He even demo'd some of the trickier steps before having everyone do them. I found this to be particularly helpful as I'm so uncoordinated and have a very hard time switching quickly among different types of moves, especially when there's no or little warning. A+ for Leandro there!
-- There were two different timers continually present on the bottom of the screen. One counted down the overall remaining workout time and the other counted down the remaining time for each segment. The latter timer moved across the screen with a little "progress bar" so it was always easy to see where we were in the workout.
-- The names of upcoming moves and combos were also displayed at the bottom of the screen several seconds before we transitioned, which reinforced what Leandro was saying so I always knew what was coming up.
Note to self: Keep a bottle of very cold water handy during the next workout because you're going to get hot!
Some things I really liked about this video:
-- Leandro always gave plenty of notice when he was going to switch to another move or combination so I knew exactly what to expect at every stage. He even demo'd some of the trickier steps before having everyone do them. I found this to be particularly helpful as I'm so uncoordinated and have a very hard time switching quickly among different types of moves, especially when there's no or little warning. A+ for Leandro there!
-- There were two different timers continually present on the bottom of the screen. One counted down the overall remaining workout time and the other counted down the remaining time for each segment. The latter timer moved across the screen with a little "progress bar" so it was always easy to see where we were in the workout.
-- The names of upcoming moves and combos were also displayed at the bottom of the screen several seconds before we transitioned, which reinforced what Leandro was saying so I always knew what was coming up.
Note to self: Keep a bottle of very cold water handy during the next workout because you're going to get hot!
In Pursuit of a Superior Posterior
Back in March I was in New York City for the weekend. Flipping through the channels in my hotel room before bed, I stumbled on an infomercial for an exercise program called "Brazil Butt Lift" (or BBL for short). For some reason, I stopped hitting the channel-up button and paused to watch it. Like most exercise-related infomercials, it was pretty convincing. Toned, fit, smiling women in tiny shorts and sports bras did squats and leg lifts, shook their booties like Shakira and talked about how BBL had helped them get the perfect "bum-bum" (pronounced "boom boom") they'd always wanted. Man, did I want to lift my butt after watching that!
I mentioned it to my friend the next day and we had a good laugh about infomercials and their corny marketing ploys. Yet I found myself thinking about BBL, and when I got home I found the infomercial on-line and sent the link to my friend, who agreed that it was pretty darn convincing. (I tried to find it in a format that could embed here with no luck. Check out the website to watch it for yourself.)
Fast forward to last week. I came home late after being out with a friend to celebrate my birthday. There was a package waiting outside my door marked "beachbody.com" and in my mailbox was a birthday card from my friend in New York that said, in part, "I hope you get a good laugh from your birthday gift and don't hate me." Completely puzzled, I opened the box and saw with delight that it contained my very own BBL! I laughed out loud there in my kitchen for several minutes.
BBL comes with three DVDs and six different workouts, plus a "basics" segment that describes and shows most of the moves--at least, the more technical ones. It also includes four different month-long workout plans to choose from, depending on your individual "butt type" (flat, pear shaped, too big, or combination). There's a healthy eating guide (12 low-calorie recipes each for breakfast, lunch, and dinner), cards with moves to do when you're on-the-go, a six-day supermodel slimdown guide, and of course, a measuring tape and a pencil so you can do the trademark BBL pencil test. YES, it comes with the pencil! (A major selling point to be sure.)
So now I've committed to doing the BBL workout plan for the next four weeks, starting this past Monday (June 7th), and I'm going to use this blog to chart my progress and hold myself accountable. I took some "before" photos yesterday which I'm not going to post until I have some infomercial-worthy "after" photos to post next to them. I haven't taken my starting measurements yet, but I'll do that this weekend. I've been shaking my booty all week and have the muscles soreness to prove it. Awesome.
Here's to getting my own Brazilian bum-bum!
I mentioned it to my friend the next day and we had a good laugh about infomercials and their corny marketing ploys. Yet I found myself thinking about BBL, and when I got home I found the infomercial on-line and sent the link to my friend, who agreed that it was pretty darn convincing. (I tried to find it in a format that could embed here with no luck. Check out the website to watch it for yourself.)
Fast forward to last week. I came home late after being out with a friend to celebrate my birthday. There was a package waiting outside my door marked "beachbody.com" and in my mailbox was a birthday card from my friend in New York that said, in part, "I hope you get a good laugh from your birthday gift and don't hate me." Completely puzzled, I opened the box and saw with delight that it contained my very own BBL! I laughed out loud there in my kitchen for several minutes.
BBL comes with three DVDs and six different workouts, plus a "basics" segment that describes and shows most of the moves--at least, the more technical ones. It also includes four different month-long workout plans to choose from, depending on your individual "butt type" (flat, pear shaped, too big, or combination). There's a healthy eating guide (12 low-calorie recipes each for breakfast, lunch, and dinner), cards with moves to do when you're on-the-go, a six-day supermodel slimdown guide, and of course, a measuring tape and a pencil so you can do the trademark BBL pencil test. YES, it comes with the pencil! (A major selling point to be sure.)
So now I've committed to doing the BBL workout plan for the next four weeks, starting this past Monday (June 7th), and I'm going to use this blog to chart my progress and hold myself accountable. I took some "before" photos yesterday which I'm not going to post until I have some infomercial-worthy "after" photos to post next to them. I haven't taken my starting measurements yet, but I'll do that this weekend. I've been shaking my booty all week and have the muscles soreness to prove it. Awesome.
Here's to getting my own Brazilian bum-bum!
2010 Ohio State Fair Fine Arts Accepted List
(*Please note this is not the complete list. A few artist’s have issues with their entry that need to be resolved before they are added to this list.)
Ayotte, Melissa
Browning, Jon
Cooke, David F.
Cox, James
Drew, Eunsil
Edwards, Rhainy
Ferguson, Sarah
Finley, Ruth
Fisher, Helen
Fitzgerald, Barbara A.
Fohl, Mark
Giannetto, Joe
Beverly, Goldie
Griffith, Adena
Hardin, Paula
Hartford, Mark
Heyward, Bryan
Horowitz, Mark
Humes, Donny
Kasson, Dylan
Kistler, Virginia
Kramer, Paul
Krol, Judy
Laxton, Misty
Libertini, Ellen
Maag, Howard
McDevitt-Stredney, James
McMullen, Frederick
Misiuna, Magdalena
Ockuly, Sarah
Petrosky, Alyssa
Pierce, Christian
Pogalies, J.
Porta, Ron
Riat, Sheila
Robinson, Michelle
Ryan, Christine Guillot
Schardt, Sydney
Serraglio, Luciano
Sharpe, Richard
Sitko, Andrew
Slowinski, Stephanie
Strickling, Christine
Trout, James
Tursich, Crystal
Walkowicz, Julia
Weller, Nova
Whitaker, Hailey
Whittington, Daniel
Yeager-Torre, Darlene
PROFESSIONAL
Achberger, Monica
Adams, Pam
Aizicovici, Simona
Alexander, Laura
Alexander, Lindsey
Alloway, Brian Thomas
Anderson, Amy Kollar
Bachman, Laine
Baillieul, Thomas
Baker, Lawrence
Birckhead, Leslie
Bjel, Diana
Bogle, Bridgette
Booze, Kelly
Boram-Hays, Carol
Borg, Rick
Bova, Laura
Byrne, Julie
Carmean, Matt
Colgan, Robert
Cushman, Anne
Daniel, Nora
Dunlap, Jennifer
Emory, Paul
Emslie, Sally
Fairchild, Sarah
Farris, Clair
Fochtman, Frederick
Fort, Jeremiah
Foster, Bruce
Foy, Josh
Galloway, Scott
Graham, Paul
Gray, Lea
Greene, Lloyd
Greenwalt, Tracy
Groot, Helma
Gunter-Seymour, Kari
Harris, Lionel
Hays, Michael
Hayslip, Rodney
Heberling, Rachel
Heisler, Nicole
Hoffelt, Helen
Hubbard, Tom
Jackson, Morris
Jacobs, Jonah
Jaeger, Tamara
Johnson, Dale
Joseph, Gregory
Keiser, Kevin
Knick, Jeffrey
Knowlton, Jules
Konicsak, Kitty
Leach, G. W.
Lombardo, Joseph
May, Michael
McClanahan, Lynda
McGhee, Kathy
Montague, Juliette
Morris, Kristin L.
Moses, Ennia
Mullett, Sherry
Nash, Susan
Nees, Pamela
Nelson, Ardine
Oldfather, Dana
Pate, James
Payne, Brent
Peng, Naichuan
Pierce, Lexie
Pratt, Susan
Randall, Katie
Rosenberger, Jeff
Rond, Stephanie
Rosen, Mark
Routson, Jason
Schanberger, Francis
Schramer, Kristine
Schreiber, Daniel
Schutte, Katie
Scranton, Jenny
Screven, Craig
Scurlock, Larry
Shaw, Gary
Shellhouse, Ashley
Shirey, James
Sipher, Barbara
Smith, Catherine
Sorenson, Alissa
Stanley, Melanie
Stern, Andrea
Swanson, Thoma
Tallan, Joan
Tavani, Bob
Taylor, Doug
Thomas, Marcus
Turner, Donald
VanDenberg, Amanda
Vogel, Barbara
Von Endt, Laurie
Walters, Ryan
Wang, Arthur Chun
Weiser, Laura
Weller, Heidi
White, Maria
Wilbur, Paul
Wood, Richard
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