Burn Circuit Round Complete! ... well almost

Howdy fitness friends!

how have you guys been?  let me tell you I have been busy -- in a good way.  I am practically done with the 1st phase of Chalean Extreme which is Burn.  Tonight, or probably tomorrow in the AM I will tackle Burn Circuit 3, and Voila! Phase 1 complete!  Next phase is the PUSH phase, where you really up the weights, as you need to reach fatigue by the 8-to 10th rep.  Now since next week I leave for Camp Do More  (On Thursday - YAY!) I won't start the push phase, I'll just do some Les Mills Pump on Monday and Wednesday.   I'll start on the Push phase next week.  Not Monday, as I think I am going to let my body recover from workouts at Camp do More :) I'll start it on Wednesday the 18th.

Besides my beachbody workouts, for cardio is still zumba and turbo kick...I am in love with those 2! I am starting to slowly add PiYo...mind you I've only  "dabble" in it.  My zumba mentor is certified in PiYo and she teaches from time to time, but I would love to gain the strenght and flexibility - I need it especially if I want to prevent injury.  I am also seriously considering incorporating Tai-Cheng into my routine, the last thing I want is to injure myself, especially since my knees have always been weak.


My eating hasn't been spot on to be perfectly honest.  Too many camping trips, and too many date nights, but I am pleasantly surprised that I am still at 136lbs!! YAY! I think I can manage loosing 1 pound by Thursday! My goal was to reach 135 by when I traveled to Camp Do More, and I am on track!  So I am really  paying attention to what I am eating this week.






Saturday's  have been come my signature zumba days at home! tomorrow is going to be a fun filled day with zumba! I am attending a Zumba Jam, which is a 3 hours of dance, dance dance! you learne new choreographies! After that I head down to San Leandro and participate in a Zumba Fundraiser! HOW FUN IS THA?! I've never done in, so it will be fun! I am going to do 5 songs - and I am extremely excited! I am thinking nerves should kick in right before the event! :)


Hope you are having a great journey getting lean and fit! I am here to help and support, so please feel free to reach out to me!

Les Mill Pump It - Day 11, 12 & 13

Howdy fitness friends!

Here is my Les Mills update.   Saturday was day 11, and it was supposed to be "FLOW" however, I didn't do it :/ I know, I know! I am mad at myself for skipping the FLOW..my muscles needed that stretch! especially, that on Saturday at Fit Club, we did a bootcamp style work out, as we had technical difficulties.   Following that I headed over to 24hr fitness to do a live Turbo Kick class....and basically I was beat!  I took Sunday as my rest day, and this morning I did Pump and burn (which is day 12 of Les Mills) I can totally tell, that my muscles need that stretch! so tomorrow is my rest day, but I will add the FLOW workout.

Also, I need to start practicing my full TK Round 44 workout, as on Monday I start my own class! wohoo! super excited about that!  So I need to really commit at a 5am wake up call, for my practice!

After I got half a cupcake from the kitchen today, I decided to write down my meal plans for the week...I do better when I plan the full week, than going day by day, so here it is:

Monday 1/16/12
Meal 1 -   Shakeology w/ banana and PB2
Snack  -   Shakeology w/ Ice and PB2
Meal 2 -   Light sodium Progresso Soup - Chicken Gumbo, Orange, and half a chocolate cup cake
Snack  -   Light danon yogurt
Meal 3  -  Broiled cat fish, steamed brocolli and a bit of brown rice

Total Calories 1998

Tuesday 1/17/12

Meal 1 -   Shakeology w/ banana and PB2
Snack  -   Shakeology w/ Ice and PB2
Meal 2 -   Turkey Sandwich, carrots,
Snack  -   Fage Yogurt
Meal 3  -  Turkey meat balls and whole wheat spaghetti


Wednesday 1/18/12

Meal 1 -   Poached egg on a whole wheat orowheat thin and salsa verde, mixed berries
Snack  -   Shakeology w/ Ice and PB2
Meal 2 -  Egg white veggie scramble
Snack  -   Fage Yogurt
Meal 3  -  BBQ Chicken Sandwiches


Thursday 1/19/12

Meal 1 -   1 whole egg scrambled w/ veggies and steamed spinach
Snack  -   Shakeology w/ Ice and PB2

Meal 2 -  Turkey Sandwich, carrots,
Snack  -   Fage Yogurt
Meal 3  - Chicken Stir Fry


Friday 1/20/12

Meal 1 -   Oatmeal with berries
Snack  -   Shakeology w/ Ice and PB2
Meal 2 -  Turkey Veggie Wrap
Snack  -   Fage Yogurt
Meal 3  - Homemade Pizza (Veggie delight!)



Please make a plan for yourself too! :)

Les Mill Pump It - Day 5 & 6!

Howdy partners!

Well Day 5 and Day 6 were not Saturday and Sunday....I got a bit of a stomach issue this weekend.  I blame the popcorn I had on Friday night while Angel and I went out to see the movie The Devil Inside.   I won't get into the movie...all I can say it would have been better if I would have watched it with no teenagers around...they had their cell screen on, and there was lots of laughter...so I didn't get the scary thrill I was looking for, but I digress..

Monday was Day 5 which Body Pump Challenge workout.  I ended up doing in the evening - around 9pm or so.  I did add my 15lbs weights on each side of the barbell for the squats...I def felt the burn which was good.  I did all other exercises with 10lbs.

Today, is Day 6 which is Hard Core Abs, which I did this morning.  I loved that workout! its only about 15min, and the slow ab routine, is a real killer.  I felt the burn, well after I was done...in fact although I don't have any burn, I am sore!  usually it takes 24hours for my abs to get sore after an ab workout, so I am thinking this is new!

Also, today I decided to order one of beachbody's newest supplement called the E&E (short for Energy and Endurance)   I can't wait to report on this, and how it can help! When I workout, I want to make sure I give it more than my 100% to really reap the benefits so I am excited!

Tomorrow is day 7 of Les Mill Pump, technically it should be a rest day for me, but since I did have 2 days rest this weekend, I am going ahead and jump to day 8 which will be Pump and Burn! I didn't do any weight lifting today, so that would be good! So stay tuned!

If you are ready to order please click Les Mill Pump or ready to give E&E a go along with me ;)

KIA KAHA - BE STRONG!

Les Mill Pump It - Day 4!

So today is Day 4 of Les Mills Pump! and it was the "FLOW" workout.   And basically it was yoga postures.  I am not a big fan of yoga or stretching workouts...I mean I do KNOW that it is an essential part of my fitness regimen, to help my muscles stretch, rebuild, oxygenate and all that, but I get frustrated because I am not a very flexible person.  I know flexibility is something I need to work on to improve.  So one of my 2012 resolutions is to put more emphasis in that area of my fitness journey.  So I must say that I really enjoyed the FLOW workout.  It was not crazy postures, it was short at only 20min, and when I was done, I felt soooo good!

I was re-reading the Fitness Guide of the program in more detail....and its a really cool culture.  Les Mills is based on the indigenous Maori culture of New Zealand and use traditional Maori markings and sayings, which I think is really cool.  One of Les Mills Bodypump symbols is the Mangopare (hammerhead sharks) is the traditional symbol for Strength and Power and let me say, that if I ever get a  tattoo this is definitely going to be one of them!

As I was reading, Les Mills philosophy is to remind us that we're all part of the same tribe - empowering ourselves and others and changing lives!   I keep seeing this quote through out the guide "We are warriors in the battle against a sedentary lifestyle"  and while it can be very comfortable sitting on the couch watching TV, or sitting on my beach towel while my kids are playing in the beach, or sitting on the bench while my  kids are playing in the playground...I know I will have more fun actually engaging and playing with them, and living life, rather than sitting and watching it go by before my eyes.  So come on! Join me --- what are you waiting for?

Les Mill Pump It! - Day 2 & Day 3

Hello, Hello!

Well yesterday, was day 2 of Les Mills Pump, and it was rest day.  However, I am used to working out 6x a week, so I decided to do some Turbo.  I did, the warm up, the punches, and then moved onto mastering the Kick section, which I did ;)   I went through it 4x (on both sides) and I learned it.  That was good, and I finally get that after a while, learning the Turbo sections becomes easier and easier.

So now, for today!  Today was the Pump Challenge workout again...which I LOVE, its short and sweet, but I do feel it!   its only 20minutes so I am really liking that!  Today I decided to use 10lbs on each side of my barbell for all workouts, it worked out good, except, that I am going to up it to 15lbs on the very 1st exercise which is the squats.  I felt it more than 1st day (which I only did 5lbs) but I know I can go to 15lbs, so thats what I will do on Saturday when I have that workout again.

For tomorrow, I have the Flow workout which I see from the description guide its basically stretch/yoga exercises, as you  know I am not a big fan...I mean, I know the benefits of stretching, but I am just not that flexible, and I know it something I need to work on so even though I complain, I will do it if it comes up in the schedule, and I WILL BECOME FLEXIBLE this 2012! I'll let you know how it goes tomorrow :)

For information on how to order your own program of Les Mills Pump you can e-mail me or if you are ready to order please visit my website store - if you do, I am automatically assigned as your coach!  then you'll have almost everything to succeed! ;)

Time to PUMP IT! - Day 1

Howdy Fitness Friends!

Well during the last 2 weeks of December I enjoyed my Holiday vacation!  I only worked out about 5x during this 2 week off period, but I am so ready to get back in the game!

This month I gave myself a couple of presents.  I bought myself P90X2!   I opened up my package!  Here is a video of me opening up my package and going through the contents , but honestly I haven't tried it out yet.

I also got my Les Mills Body Pump! this is the newest addition to the Beachbody repertoire!  I had to get that too! and I decided that for the 1st 90 days of 2012 this will be my program to start and finish!  Today was my 1st day and I did the Pump Challenge workout, which is 20 minutes of learning the proper form of using the Barbell.  We learned how to squat....and next time I am going 15lbs one each side, at 5lbs on each side it was just too light.  We also did a deadlift, bench press, clean and press (which is a great move! I did it with 5lbs, I want to see if I can handle10lbs) kickback, and bicep curls.    The music was pretty good!  its high energy which I like.   Before I started I watched Pump Basics (which is 10minutes) and basically it shows you how to assemble your barbell, adjust weights, proper grip and stance, and they also taught about the different Tempos that they use on each exercise.  

So what is different about Les Mills? (from what I can tell compared to Chalean Extreme) is that it turns the thinking of lifting heavy between 8-12 reps by doing LOTS of repition with light to moderate weights and changing the tempo/speed of the movement, muscle fatigue will still happen (I felt it!)  So I personally didn't count, but the guide books states that one will perform 70-100 repetitions per body parts, for a total of 800 repetitions in a workout.   The Les Mill trainer Susan Renata said that because of the Rep Effect I will have more meaningful fat loss AND muscle fatigue to build strength without bulding bulk, but giving your muscles that long lean athletic look (which I want ;)

What I liked about my first workout, is the barbell...I've never worked out using one before, and its pretty awesome.  It makes me feel strong and powerful when I am lifting the barbell and then rolling my shoulders back.   As most of beachbody programs, the round consist of 90 days broken down into 3 phases.  This 1st phase is called the Te Wero * The Challenge.  This first weeks is easy, it consists of 3 Pump Challenges this week and the "Flow" DVD and the Hard Core Abs DVDs, it also throws in some additional cardio, they recommend walking on Day 3 and day 6.  Tomorrow is Day 2 for me and its a Rest Day! but guess what I am doing?  You guessed it! TURBO!.  

To learn more about Les Mills Pump contact me or  if you are ready to order you can go to my store  

Day 3 of Chalean Extreme!

Good morning!

Today is day 3 of Chalean Extreme!  I didn't want to get up this morning to tackle my workout!  it is my day off, I wanted to lounge more in bed.  But when I woke up everybody was still sleeping.  The only ones that were awake and active were my 2 cats who happened to have a bit of a disagreement, not sure over what, so I got up and scooted them outside so that they could take a chill pill.  I was up! so I said, well I might as well get my tennis shoes on (Because for my pijamas I always sleep with my workout clothes so all I have to do is put on my shoes in the morning -- yeah I've been told by my husband that I am "lazy" for doing that, I say its a way to ensure I do what I plan the night before ;)

That was around 7am, so I knew that the kids would wake up soon, and the only place I can do my turbo is in the living room, so I did that first! I did a full round of 38 -- almost got it!  I only had to refer back to the DVD for the recovery and finale just so that I can "oh yeah, thats the move"  Right at the end of the Finale, guess what all three babies where awak and wanted me to put the disney channel, it was a good thing that I only had like 1 1/2 left of the finale, I made them wait.

 After the Turbo I decided while the kids were being entertained by Disney, to go head to the  garage and tackle Burn Circuit 2!  I still can't believe I haven't lost all of my strenght!  I curled 15lbs, and for some of the row exercises I did 25!  I mean not all of the row, towards the end there I had to go down to 20lbs :)




















Here I am saying "I am done! how about you? Come on! and groove" LOL

Day 2 of Chalean Extreme

Good morning!

Well today is my rest day from Chalean Extreme!   When I woke up this morning, my chest muscles were stiff and sore!  YAY! I welcome the pain...it's been a while since I felt that kind of soreness in my upper body.  

Per the Chalean Extreme schedule, today is my rest day, but  I didn't NOT want to do anything so I  decided to do my Cardio!  What's my favorite cardio?  well if you haven't figure it out already its TURBO! Turbo Jam (which is really for beginners) Turbo Fire, and of course now Turbo Kick!  Since I am now a certified instructor, I get all the awesome music and choreography and I practice to my hearts content!  Speaking of which, this past Saturday I got to showcase the punching section of round 44, a special thanks to Anita the TK instructor that teaches TK on Saturday mornings at the San Mateo Sports 24hr fitness!  It was a great natural high for me to get front and center and showcase that punching section.  I am naturally a quite girl...not one to seek attention.  I remember when I was in 5-6th grade there used to be a talent show at school, I would happily watch my friends practice their dances, but in no way would I have volunteered to participate!  although, thinking back I did participate in the 6th grade Drill Team and we performed for the school. That was so nerve racking!   After it was done I remember thinking to myself, well that's the last time I bring attention to myself! but I must say that I must secretly enjoy being front in center, because in middle school in Mexico I was part of the "escolta" which is a Mexican tradition, kinda like saying the pledge to the flag every morning, but in Mexico its on Monday mornings, and the escolta brings out the flag and then the school sings the national anthem before starting the school week.   So I guess I am a "front and center closet girl" that hasn't come quite come out and declare that she enjoys to perform for the world to see ;)

I am Super Mom!

Hello my friends!!! LOOONNG TIME no write! I so apologize for my lack of communication via my blog.  Things have been hectic...more than hectic.  Its that time of year when my Accounting job really does pick up.  Its Year End.   Its forecasting time.  Its time to start thinking of 2012.  Its time to start thinking about corporate taxes.

Anyway, I was asked a question the other day...how do I do what I do?  In the past year, I've become a huge fan of Brian Tracy.  He has this particular book, that I want to master and its called Eat That Frog.  It is all common sense stuff that he advises, so why is it so hard to master? Eating my Frog is something that I still struggle with.  But in addition to Brian Tracy's excellent Advice, I am also following Chalene Johnson!  Not with the workouts...although I do Turbo Everyday, BUT  I have to have my priorities clear so that my goals and actions align.   But here its where it gets complicated.  I have priorities and goals for each aspect of my life.  I have 3 Carmen's.

1. Carmen #1 - The mom and wife:  Support  my family, be there emotionally and financially, build my kids confidence way up so that they don't have the same struggles as I do, and be the best supporting wife that I can be, respect my husband, but more than anything be a real partner to him.

2.  Carmen #2 - The Accountant - Provide excellent work in a timely manner.

3.  Carmen #3 - ME  - Be happy with myself, the way to do this is help and support as many people as I can without violating any moral ethics, have time for myself to de-stress and start each day as happy as I can be.

This is how I try to organize myself....each Carmen has about 2-3 Frogs  that she must eat to feel like she had a productive day.  I focus on one individual Frog and I don't look at the other until one is eaten...if I focus on too many frogs, my day is shot and I won't get anything done.

So needless to say my house is a mess, my front and backyard are not worth mentioning.  I've come to terms with the fact that I haven't seen a full season of any one show in over 2 years....I don't even watch a full episode of  any one show.  But this is worth it, because I have certain priorities, certain goals that I need to accomplish.  I don't TV to de-stress...I have my Turbo and Scrapbooking for that.

So there you have it...my life is busy, but not unmanageable and my ladder is against the right wall, so all the steps that I take as I go up, is taking me exactly where I want to go, and I wouldn't be here if it weren't for Beachbody's obsession with Personal Development ;)

What fitness program should I do?

Hi guys!
Well as you probably know I haven't been blogging for a while.  I have several excuses!

1.  I am still on Day 18 of Asylum - which is Game Day with Overtime
2.  I've been out! camping and I actually went to Beachbody Coach Summit

Now, I need to get my momentum going again! So I posted on facebook as to what workout program I should do next! I want to do all and that is just not possible! I  can't seem to sit down an commit to just one thing ...well I shouldn't say that,  I did commit to Asylum, so I will be finishing that round. I Just have 13 more days!  As  soon as I am done...what next? that was my dilemma! I got some wonderful ildeas on Facebook.  I do want to do Insanity, but at the same time I am thinking You need to do another round of P90X so that you are ready for P90X2! That is one program that I must do!  So guess what? I need to build strenght, but at the same time I want to keep up with my cardio! plus I still have my 10k training....see my dilemma?  I am like AAAHH! so with the help of my friends I am going to stick with P90X, and on cardio days I am going to incorporate my 10k training runs and stick in some Insanity a couple days a week.   I think I am actually comfortable with that plan!

So now that the crisis is averted and I know what my workout schedule will be, lets talk about the Beachbody Coach Summit.  Let me tell you it was phenomenal! The energy of all the coaches is just undescribable, it was just 2,500 of positive people, it was amazing.  I won't even mention the live workouts....it was just incredible, and as you can tell by my "phenomenals" "amazings" and "incredibles" I am not very articulate in expressing the feelings I got from attending :) I just know that it was a blast and I learned so much and it was just fun all around.  So I do have some announcements!

1.  Beachbody is changing how they do WOWY - so stay tuned! the final prize is 100,000 - how cool is that!

2.  Military Families - beachbody is honoring our military by providing them with a free sign up coach fee and waived monthly fees - NOW THATS COOL! That totally makes me feel proud of the company I am associated with.  Seriously, this is an amazing opportunity for families who are serving our country earn an extra income.  Contact me for more info!

3.  The new Shakeology flavor is here! its TROPICAL - and guess what? its Pink! Taste great.  No official release date, as its currently under the final stages of stability testing (shelf life - its all about quality control)

4.  P90X2! Tony's talk about the process of creating this program is just great...its about performance, and its based on APA method of training....they really did their homework, and its all based on the latest research, this isn't about weightloss, its about performance and really taking your body composition to the next leve. 

I threw lots of info at you, right? sorry...but I am bursting over here with all this info..I need an outlet!

Asylum Day 5 - Rest!

So today Shaun T has given me a break from his grueling Asylum program! however, because I do sit down all day, I still want to get in some physical activity, so in a little bit I will be getting on my treadmill! Tomorrow Shaun T has Speed and Agility waiting for me, so today I make sure I ate right, and hydrated! I want to be able to totally bring it tomorrow morning!

Here are the 10 tips that Shaun T recommends while doing an demanding workout program like Asylum!

1. Eat Frequently - the eating plan is to eat 5 meals a day. And the recipes are awesome!

2. Go light at night - To have a competitive advantage Shaun recommends that you start your largest meal in the morning, after that you get progressively smaller portion. The last meal should be the lightest and smallest ;)

3. Limit your portions - Shaun T doesn't believe in limiting calories, but he does recommend you watch your portion. Eating small frequent small meals revs your metabolism, but when you do eat that often its important to keep track of the portion size.

4. Eat Lean - Eat Clean to get lean! Lean protein, fruits, veggies, and healthy fats.

5. Carbs are cool - Because of the nature of Asylum you do need carbs! without them you won't be able to get through this program. The only suggestion Shaun does is to get your carbs and starches earlier in the day rather than in the last 2 meals, and of course choose whole grains ;)

6. Avoid Dairy - Shaun think that you should try to eliminate dairy for 14 days, just give it a whirl! (Hard for me to do! I love my yogurt :)

7. Hydrate - Shoot for drinking 64oz of water per day - no juices or sodas are allowed on the Asylum plan! (Coffee and tea are okay)

8. Limit Alcohol - enjoy a red wine of glass, but during Asylum try to avoid it :)

9. Don't Fear Fat! - There are lots of foods that are rick in fat that are good for you such as avocados, and nuts! And in case you didn't know avocados are tasty, satisfying and tummy flattening :)

10. Supplements - Recovery Formula is a must (which reminds me I need to order, I am not going to go through this without feeding my body properly! :) Be sure to drink immediately after your workout. You can never forget Shakeology! Awesome supplement, couldn't do what I do without it!

You can order both the Asylum program and the supplements from me!  I am here to help

Day 2 Asylum - Strength

Okay, so today I really really wanted to skip this one, however, I had already skipped yesterday, so I couldn't baby myself again :) So after spending the day with the kids with our local easter egg hunt in Kennedy park, parade and bonnet contest, then driving to UC Berkeley to spend the day at the Eggster learning Festival, I really didn't feel like coming home and working out.

However, while in Berkeley one of Angel's favorite thing to do is stop at the Pasta Shop and buy some cheese.  He bought 4 types of cheese, a french baguette and some wine.  Then we stopped at Costco to get the kids some rotisserie chicken, while we were there there was some sampling of some chocolate cake, it had some chocolate mousse in it...so I caved in and bought a cake. So I WAY over indulged.  I had cheese, I had french bread, I had wine, I had chicken w/ spring mix salad and balsamic vinaigrette and to top it off I had a slice of cake.  I wasn't thinking, we were just around the table, having a good time, sampling the cheeses.  William was giving me his opinion, Omar was saying that the only type of cheese he will eat is the Gouda (which we did have) and even Ximena was digging in, surprisingly she was totally into the goat cheese and blue cheese.   So by the time we finished, I was like "Darn!" I didn't feel like moving and I was seriously reprimanding myself, especially if I knew I had a tough workout coming up.

So, I got up, did the dishes, did a quick sweep under our table, then I locked myself in the garage and got on the treadmill to 1st walk off the extra sluggishness that I was feeling.  I took my laptop, placed on the little dashboard, and just watched a lot of training montages on youtube :)  I started off with Rocky's, then Karate Kids, and then Dirty Dancing...I know dirty dancing isn't really a "tough" training thing, but I love to see Baby trying to master the lifts and then watching the final dance scene when she finally does it! The next thing I  knew I was on the treadmill for an hour and I had walked 3.2 miles, and I wasn't feeling all that sluggish anymore.  After that I went for Asylum!

So now we get to the heart of the matter..I put on the DVD and I see that Shaun T already has dumbbells and is working out, and I was like...whoa where is the warm up?  after several minutes, Shaun T says, this is the warm up, I am not going to baby you, and I just started laughing because I was really working in this so called warm up.   So I think there was like 3- 4 circuits, and you repeat each one 3 times, and as you go each time he makes it progressively harder.   What I like about it, is that you weren't just focusing in one area.  One of the moves was curl, squat, up, curl down, go down, jump back, push up, jump back up, curl, squat....you get the gist :) I was more focus on my form than the number of reps so I wasn't keeping up with the number of reps.  I did the whole workout (including the warm up) with 12lbs weights.  Tomorrow is day 3, and according to the calendar I have Back to Core.  My goal is to get up early tomorrow and get it out of the way.  Good Night!

Day 1 - Asylum Speed and Agility

Yesterday morning, was my very first Asylum workout called Speed and Agility.  It was about 45min long.  I will try to remember exactly what we did, but let me tell you that I was more focus on pushing myself and keeping my core tight than remembering the name of the moves. I couldn't seem to concentrate on many things other than just getting through the workout.

The warm up is jumping rope, first just regular jumping rope.  Easy.  But then I got tired and we were still jumping LOL, then you had squat while still jumping rope, and criss crossing the legs.  I did step on my rope several time, but I just kept going.   After this so called warm up we started stretching before diving into the workout.

Like I said, it was tough so all the moves are kinda jumbled up in my head.   We did ab progressions which  you start in plank position at the end of the ladder, and then you jump your feet into the 1st square.  That was relatively easy for me, as I've become good with burpees.  However, I could not jump my feet into the 2nd square, so I had to just tap (my own modification, nobody was doing that on the DVD) unto the 2nd square...and I just couldn't do it when it came to jumping into the 3rd square.  

Another move, was progression pushups which required to do a pushup (hands are on two squares) then jump into those 2 squares your hand was just in, then jump back out, then move to the next squares and repeat.  I was only able to do 2 full rotations.

There were also bear crawls, which became kinda icky because my hands were all sweaty and I had to crawl up and down...icky but actually fun.  It was a tough workout, it was a super challenge, something that I felt like I needed (cardiovascular wise) a challenge.  

The next time I do Speed and Agility I will try my best to remember exactly what we did so I can do a proper review, all I can say is I survived!

Time to Change

Today I decided to buy a new vanity url!  I am tossing the "shy_girl" that has been me for so long.  I've had my lashy_girl e-mail address since my Senior year in high school, right when the Internet was just starting! man thats a few years ago ;) I've been known as "lashy_girl" but its not really me.  I am a quite person, but not necessarily shy.  I've come to realize that.  I am willing to share about myself and whats going on in my life, I am willing to share whats working with me, I am willing to share the most awesome supplement, shakeolgy, that I have every tried!  I am sharing about the fitness programs that I do...and I realized I am not shy, so I am putting lashy_girl to rest...have to change many login information, but thats no big deal.  I am ready to start this new facet about myself! my vanity url is carmenfitness.net seems fitting!

Sometimes one evolves without even realizing it :)

Insanity: The Asylum

Many of you have dug deep with Insanity! and I admit this is one program that I really want to do, but seriously it scares me! LOL BUT I am committed that this will be my next program after P90X! so I am really excited about it.  For those of you who have already earned your Insanity t-shirt and are looking for the next challenge, let me tell you that Shaun T is back with even more craziness! His next program is Insanity: The Asylum Volume 1.


What Is Insanity: The Ayslum? Its the first in-home sports training system which focuses on building strength, balance agility, power and coordination.  Do you want to run faster? gain speed?  you need the coordination and you need to focus to accomplish these, and the Asylum does just that. Its more skill oriented.  It shows people how to jump higher, it has foot performance action...in essence its made to really bring your inner athlete and shine!


How does it differ from Insanity? With Insanity you really dugg deep, put maybe you weren't coming  as low in your squats, not jumping as high, maybe your form wasn't as good.  The Asylum will help you with this. 


The Asylum is a 30 day program of progressing sports drills that will improve your skills, power, focus on form and help you to mentally and phsyically focus.  It will help you transform  into an elite athlete and it is a natural progression from Insanity.




The Science Behind It 
*Cross training with speed, agility, plyometrics, core, strenght and balance exercises
*Series of progressions that take your results to the next level
*Max Interval Training in a sports-specific application


Whos ready for these program?  It is a natural progression from Insanity, but anybody that has done an extreme workout like P90X or Turbo Fire, or has a level of fitness beyond just regular cardio based is ready for this program.  If you know how to do a very good squat or power jump, you are ready for Asylum, but if you are asking for modifications, this is not for you.




What will it include?
~7 DVD's 
~Hybrid Calendars: Aysulm/insanity/ P90x
~ Nutrion Guide – Get Shredded 14 day meal plan
~ Training Guide
~Speed Rope
~Agility Ladder


DVD Details: 30 day program consisting of seven intense workouts under 60 min each:


1. Speed & Agility – Utilizes the ladder, you have to watch where you going, progression. (One of Shaun T's Favorite)


2. Vertical Plyo – Max plyo with cinder blocks on your shoulder. Resistance around your ankles, wrists, and power jumps and land in the ladder.


3. Relief – it really is Relief!


4. Strenght – Hardest strenght training program that Shaun T has developed. You will need dumb bells, and pull up bars, cater to everyone (Also Shaun T's Favorite)


5. Game Day – actually 60min of just about every sport drill that you can think of


6. Overtime – craziest 12 minutes you will encounter within an exercise program


7. Back to Core – Its innovated and fun


Extra Info

• The speed rope, and agility ladder tools are used to master moves and improve athleticism. Is also includes cross training with weights and resistance . 
• Don’t be afraid if you can’t do the jump rope and you can practice on your own time. However,once your master it, its an incredible feeling
• The agility ladder is one foot in between each section and 4 small boxes.  Its small enough to fit in your workout area. And it will become your new best friend. 

What will it cost?

• Retail Price: $89.85
• Club Price: $80.87

Shaun T's Tip for Asylum: Form over speed and you will see results

Why Beachbody?

16 Points of Network Marketing

1. Networking Marketing creates a level plane field - Everybody who starts this business starts at the same place.  The powerful part of this, is that you don’t need a degree to start this business.  It doesn't matter your background.  Anybody can blow this business away.  It doesn’t matter if you are a truck driver or a doctor.   You get into this business with no past experience and you start at ground zero like everyboody else.  For most business that’s not true about them.  You have to have the experience,  you have to have the right contacts, find the right location…so many factors come into play.  
2. Low Start Up Costs - How much money does it cost to start a conventional business? The investment is huge.  Most people do want to own their own business, but they get discourage because they don't have the money or the assets to start it.  To become a Beachbody coach all you need to start is $39.95.  Well let me retract, you really need about  $170 since I am going to tell you to really rock this business you need Shakeology, so you need to sign up with the shakeology starter pack.   $170 to start your own business is  HUGE! Becoming a Beachbody is not a huge investment of your money but an its an investment of you time.  Your dreams is what’s going to drive your business.  If you tell me that you don't have the money to start this business, I am going to tell you that if you can't come up with $170 to start this business, then that is the perfect reason to come up with the money and start it.  You need financial freedom.  
3. It depends only on you! - You have to have to ask yourself, What do you want? Where do you want to go? And when do you want it?  When you get into this business You decide who you are going to talk to, are you going to share?  This business starts with you, you have to own it.  You are not working for Beachbody.  This is going to be your own company, you are going to be the CEO.  You are going to make the decision.   At your job, you don’t make those decisions, your boss tells you how much your are going to earn, how much vacation you can have…all these things are decided for you.  Not in Network Marketing.  This depends on you and how fast you want to grow.   This is your business, but you won't be floundering on your own.  When you sign up, you immediately have a mentorship program.  You have your Sponsor, your upline, other team members.  There is no competition.  Your Sponsor and upline want you to succeed just as much as you do.    You can trust your upline to know that their recommendations, suggestions, ideas, training will work.  Why?  because your success is their success.   The question is, can you bet on yourself? 
4. Seniority means nothing -You can outgrow your sponsor!  I just saw this happen this week.  My awesome sponsor Coni Constantine just became a 5 star diamond coach, outgrowing her sponsor! Isn't that inspiring? You don’t have to wait your turn to succeed.   Again it goes back to you.   How much success do you want? Are you willing to implement the game plan? Are you willing to treat it as business and work on the action plans everyday.  Seniority exists in corporations, in pyramid structures, where you are at the bottom and you wait your turn to get to the top if you ever get there.  There might be people, with more education, a bit more talented, better looking, have better rapport with supervisors, in this business all that is meaningless – what do you want? When do you want it?
5. You choose the level of success and income you want. - Nobody determines that for you. This isn’t a job.  This is your business, you work for yourself.  You don’t have a boss that will tell you how much your salary will be and maybe in a year you’ll have an increase….not here you choose! You want a raise? Go get it! Coaches are doubling their income in 90 days....that doesn’t happen in the "job world." We have absolute control…for some of us that might be scary, but its better than finding excuses like “well if that person just liked me more”….no! own your life, own your business.
6. Part time, less risk - This is huge, nobody is telling you to quit your job to build this business. Again: You don’t have to give up your job to build your coaching business!  You don’t need to put 100% of your time, just 100% of your effort.  If you only have 2 hours a day for your business, your upline will show how to build your business if you are committed to those 2 hours a day.  Remember, its not how much time you put in, it’s the quality of time you put in.  Most people are afraid to start up their own business because of the risk…with Beachbody you are betting on yourself, are you worth the risk? I can't guarantee you will reach 15 star diamond status, but I can promise you the opportunity to do it, I can promise you the game plan, I can promise you great products and supplements, I can promise you the greatest mission in the world (defeating obesity)  Your small investment? A little bit of time. You don’t have to sign off your home/assets to start up this business.
7. Residual Income - This is powerful.  Here is the difference between Regular income and Residual Income: Regular income you trade time for money.  Residual income you invest your time.  There is only some much hours a person can work. Residual income makes you money while your sleeping.  As people team up together you create residual income, you create volume,       your hours multiply.  You grow because you help people in your downline grow their business.
8. Exponential Growth - Your hours are multiplied.  Put 10 hours in, you have 10 people on your team putting in 10 hours, that’s 100 hours.  That’s the power.  You are going to work for that. You are going to build relationships with other people in order to earn this exponential to grow. This is what it takes to take your business from 500 people to 5,000 in 2 years.  Why? because your hours get multiplied.  In a normal job, or normal business you are limited by hours because you have to sleep sometime.  You want to put in more hours in your coaching business? Bring more people with a dream and teach them how to drive their own business.
9. You get to pick your team - Who do you want in your team? How many people you want in your team.  Can you turn anybody down?  Yes, if you see people who you feel you can’t work with for whatever reason, they don’t have to be on your team.
10. Your Building a Team for the Next Generation - You can leave this business to your children.  All your life you work at a job so that you can live your life, and hope that there is a little bit left at the end, in this business every time you build you are investing for the future.  After you are long gone your business will continue to grow.  If something happened to you tomorrow, in this business your checks will not stop coming.  This is what did it for me.  Seriously, I hope you are looking at the big picture...this is better than life insurance. 
11. Your business is based on your own effort - You work and you are rewarded. Nothing political about reaching 15 star diamond. Your work, you build, you grow, end of story. Remember struggle is less painful than regret.  Do you believe in yourself?
12. The larger your business get, the less effort you have to put in - You are literally building something that you can walk away from if you choose to. Most don’t, they like to share this information with others.  But in this business, in the beginning you do a lot for a little, and then later you do a little for  a lot.  The bigger your business the more freedom you are achieving.
13. An economic proof business - How is your business doing in this economy?  Why is Beachbody exploding right now?  Besides having products that are changing lives, and a group of coaches dedicated to helping others, it is important to point out that with the economy being as it is right now people are open minded to new opportunities.   Utilize that, talk to the people, be with the people, share. 
14. Create success and significance simultaneously - In a normal job/normal business we don’t have time to impact other people, to help out and reach out.  We are just working to pay the bills, send the kids to college, take some family trips...basically just to live our lives.  With Beachbody while you are creating your own success you are also being significant to the people around.  You are reaching out, helping them get either physically or financially (or both) fit.  
15. We can’t Fail.  We can never fail in this business. -  Why? Because our business is based on a 2000 year old truth.  You give and you will receive.  There is no doubt about it. You sow seed and you reap a harvest.  That is a natural law.  If you understand our business, then you know that everyday in our business we give, we give, and we give some more.  We go out and get involved in peoples lives, we lift them up and encourage them.  You just keep giving, sharing beachbody, sharing the business.  Some people will not be right for this business, it doesn't matter, you just keep on giving and sharing this information to anybody who will listen and will understand the power of this business.  People helping People.

If you understand relational/network marketing and its power you will know that its not about you, its about others.  All you have to do is care enough to share. How high do you want to climb? What are your dreams?  Are you excited about where your going?  I  believe that everybody should be in this business, but smart enough to know that not everybody will get it.  I am not afraid of showing   this business to everybody because I know its power and truly believe everybody should be doing it.

Is there anything out there that will allow me to change my family and my life?  Beachbody baby! There is  no sales quota, it gives you customers, gives you leads when you reach easy qualifiers.  It sets you up with a website, no inventory!  Our products are know by tons of people.  P90X is the number 1 infomercial and Insanity #2. 

We all have dreams

Hello Friends!
I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving Holiday! I spent my long weekend with my kids and despite all the whining about who of my 5 kids would get the 2 turkey legs, it was fun!  Yesterday (Sunday) we all went to see Disney's newest movie Tangle which is the retelling of the Classic Rapunzel.  We all went, even my oldest (17 year old boy) and none of them came out complaining about the movie, so I will assume that they concur with me in that it is a fun movie! As always there are several good messages in the Disney movies.   I won't get into all of the messages in Tangle, but the one that applies to everybody, is that we all have dreams.   I have several dreams, but to stay true to the theme of my blog I will only share a couple :)

My First and foremost dream is to show my kids how to live healthy.  I really don't want them to get heart disease, diabetes, etc.  They must learn how live a  healthy lifestyle, my ultimate goal is to have them automatically choose the healthy alternative without any prompting or nudging from my part! I can dream can't I? lol

My second dream, is to become healthy myself, I can't achieve dream number 1 without accomplishing this dream, so maybe this dream should be first?  Anyway I want to be in a healthy weight range, and I want to look fit.  This dream goes hand and in hand with being a beachbody coach.  Most coaches will tell you that they are coaches because they want to help other people...which is true I do want to help other people, but what drives me is that 1st dream...teaching my kids to be  healthy.  I don't want them to go through open heart surgery like my grandma.  I don't want them to feel limited  because they feel weighted down by how they feel and how they look. 

We all have dreams, being a beachbody coach is an action that I do everyday to achieve my other dream.  What are you dreams?  can Teambeachbody help you achieve those dreams?   Do you want to get fit and healthy?  Do you want to help others achieve their goals?  Do you want to get Financially fit?  Teambeachbody can help you get closer to your dreams.  Now, I am not saying it isn't hard work....well it really isn't if you really think about it.  Most of you already are doing workouts, trying to eat healthy.  Being a coach will help you stay accountable.  Your own journey will be an inspiration to others.  They may embark on the same journey you are traveling.  You will get to know fun and caring people.  Is it scary?  my biggest "scary" thing to overcome was time.  Did I really have the time to be a beachbody coach?  the answer was (and still is)  yes.  I don't spend a lot of time really.  I workout for an hour a day.  I do another 1 or so on social media making friends and talking to others of what is working for me.  Truth be told, to be successful, all you have to do is be consistent.  If you only have an hour to devote to being a coach, that's all it takes, just make sure you devote that hour everyday!  Its the power of the slight edge! 

We all have dreams, I hope you go and live them because they really shouldn't be just fantasies :)  I know I want you in my team I know we can be successful together. 

I am not Terrified :)

Hi Friends!

Well this week is Thanksgiving week.  For many of us, this means a Happy Week looking forward to spending time with family and friends with good food!  however behind all the warm feelings, there might be some underlying fear of what all this might mean to our waist line.  I say don't fear.  Most of us do not eat like this all year round.  Definetly strategize, but hey!  like Chalene says, "who likes the Food Police?" I know I don't! and hopefully I won't become one.  My only strategy for this Thursday is: eat and taste everything! I will not feel deprived and  it will also help me be mindful of portion control.  If I am going to taste everything I can't over indulge in any one dish ;) 

With that said, this year I am going to strive to making a healthy dish and I really doubt the kids will even notice it! This year I've choosen to add Quinoa Pilaf with Cranberries and Pecans as a new  side dish to our feast:

Quinoa Pilaf Ingredients:

2 cups dry whole-grain quinoa

4 cups water

2/3 cup dried cranberries

4 to 6 tablespoons finely chopped red onion

1 cup finely chopped celery

2/3 cup toasted pecan pieces

Citrus Vinaigrette Ingredients:

4 tablespoons lemon juice

6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

3 teaspoons finely chopped fresh rosemary

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

 

Directions:

Add quinoa and water to rice cooker and cook until quinoa is soft and water has been absorbed. Add quinoa to large serving bowl and let cool about 15 minutes. If you don’t have a rice cooker, bring 4 cups of water to a boil in 4-quart saucepan. Add quinoa and bring back to boil. Cover saucepan and cook over medium heat for 12 minutes or until quinoa has absorbed all the water.

Stir dried cranberries, red onion, celery, and pecans into quinoa.

In a small bowl, combine citrus vinaigrette ingredients with a whisk. Drizzle over quinoa mixture and toss to blend ingredients. Cover and refrigerate pilaf until ready to serve.

Yield: Makes about 12 side servings

Per serving: 227 calories, 5 grams protein, 27 grams carbohydrate, 11 grams fat, 1.1 grams saturated fat, 7 grams monounsaturated fat, 2.9 grams polyunsaturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 3.3 grams fiber, 58 mg sodium. Calories from fat: 43%. Omega-3 fatty acids = 0.2 grams, Omega-6 fatty acids = 2.7 grams.

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

At what stage of your weightloss are you?

Hi Friends,
I came across this informative article about the stages of weight loss, however what I was really searching was an article or a blog about what to do when you are still in the middle of your weight loss, but the people around you now tell you that you look good and that you should stop.  Granted these are friends or family members that are patting your back for loosing weight and with good intentions are letting you know that you look good, and without any bad intention in their part are kinda sabotaging your journey.  You still haven't reached your goals yet, but when they say "You look fantastic! you shouldn't loose any more" I always get a panic feeling.  There are different emotions/questions that I go through.   Am I getting too skinny?....the answer so far is no.  I still have plenty of fat to burn, however because of the compliments it feels like I fall into a false sense of security...I start skipping workouts, or indulge a bit  more.  That's a big No No on my books.  Just because I am 3/4 of the way from my goals, it doesn't mean I can slack off.  So for the 1st time in my eternal weight management battle I am able to catch myself from getting too comfortable....I've re-committed to my goals.    Its almost feels like I am renewing my vows LOL, but I truly think its something that we must do to stick with our goals..be that weight loss or whatever, after awhile of doing the same things over and over again we sometimes forget our original whys (see the Weight watchers article linked above) and our motivation gets lost, and before you know it our focus gets shifted.  So, right now, I am recommitting myself to my weight loss.  I only have 20lbs more pounds to go...I've done the hardest part! Now its time to really go for the extra mile!

Do you have the Eye of The Tiger?

Do you have the Eye of Tiger? Lol...My obsession with Rocky Balboa is not a recent development because of my new path of conquering my yo-yo/weightloss issues.  I've always been drawn to these type of movies.  The 1st Rocky movie I ever saw was Rocky III...I was pretty young...about 5 or 6 years old.  I was too young to understand why I loved it, I just did.  I am not sure which movie I saw first, but I was also obssessed with the TV movie on Nadia Comaneci  but I just couldn't get enough of these two.  Everytime Nadia came on TV on channel 44 I would suspend my play time just to go watch it, and I would jump on the sofa and try to do floor gymnastics in my living room floor while watching the movie.  My love for these type of movies has just been a part of me for a very long time.  I couldn't get enough of the Karate Kid when I was growing up.  I have a lot of movies that have a similar message that I just love, like Lean on Me, Stand and Delivery...even the 90's movies like Dangerous Mind and the Last Dance.  And yes even 8 mile, although I am not an Eminen Fan! but everytime I hear the opening lyrics of the song Loose Yourself  it gives me the shivers and it just  pumps me up!  The theme of going the distance and ever giving up...well all I can say is that I just love that message!  As I read my current personal development book (Awaken the Giant) I finally understand why I am drawn to these type of movies and music.   Its about Self Mastery.  Something I've always strived to achieve even when I didn't realize it! As a young latina mom, I was one of the statistics that wouldn't graduate high school, and guess what I not only graduated but heck I even went to college.  Now I am following a new path that I've never walked before.  All of a sudden I am doing things out of my comfort zone.  Its definetly scary! I am just soaking up all these movies and yes the cheesy songs that make believe that I can do more, that I can achieve more.  As parents we tell our kids that they can dream big, that they can do anything they set their minds too...no matter how much I might tell my kids this, if I am not following my own advice it just doesn't carry the same weight.  So...are you ready to take your steps towards what you want, whatever that might be?  You might be focus on something, but if you your steps are going in another direction while your wishfully thinking on something else you won't truly feel satified.  So go for it! Don't over think and take that 1st step that might just change your quality of life. 

"Look, if you had one shot, or one opportunity
To seize everything you ever wanted-One moment

Would you capture it or just let it slip?" Eminem