Day 31

Another day of Sculpt, which is probably my favorite of all the workouts. It doesn't require much coordination or remembering fast sequences of moves, and I can feel my core getting marginally stronger in a few of the exercises.

One exercise that continues to get the best of me is The Plank (which is also included in ab workout, by the way, although I fail to see how it works the ab muscles; if anything, it works my arms). The Plank involves planting yourself stomach-down on the floor, elbows bent and directly below your shoulders, your toes supporting your legs (as if you were doing a push-up), with your back straight and flat. I don't know why, but it's a killer just to hold that position for 20 seconds. But wait--it gets better!

Just when you think your body might buckle under its own weight, Leandro says, "Bend one arm and put it on your back." Now you're holding yourself up with one arm and your toes, wishing desperately to pass out quickly so the misery will be over. After several seconds, you rotate your body to the side so you're balancing on your bent arm and the side of your foot, raising your other arm straight up to the sky. Next, place that free hand on your hips and dip your hips down to the ground, then come up again. Repeat repeatedly. Finally, muscles quivering, you turn back to face the ground and release. Now do it all again on the other side.

The day I can do The Plank without my muscles feeling like Jello-O will be the day I claim VICTORY over the Brazil Butt Lift. Ha.