Sunday - Tortoise - I'll be sore for the new year!

[Guest guest]

Hi Everyone,

Feel so much better b/c I finally got a workout in. I

just got tired of being tired and figured I'd be tired

no matter what I did - so I did a workout. I went

with Firm Tortoise with Tracie Long. This and Hare

were my first FIRMs, so I have a sentimental

attachment to them, they are also the workouts that

turned me into a vidiot (after doing them I found the

FIRM lists, then Videofitness, all of which lead me to

the world of exercise videos and working out at

home!). When I first tried them (I borrowed them from

the library b/c they sounded different) I could fit

the exercise videos I owned into two small boxes - now

I have a few shelves, two DVD storage binders, and

even a few in boxes.

Anyway, Tracie Long, as usual does an excellent job of

leading this workout which alternates weight training

- fairly traditional stuff - lunges, tall box work

(leg presses), bicep curls, triceps, etc. - with

" ballroom " step aerobics. The aerobics portions are

accompanied by ballroom style dance music and the

patterns mimic ballroom dances to some extent. The

workout is very well structured, some stretches are

even thrown in there at times. The step aerobics

comes right as you need a break from the weights.

makes an appearance, too, leading one of

the step aerobics combos and the stretch. I didn't

think the stretches at the end were long enough - so

I'd like to do more later.

I didn't use my barbell - mostly stuck with 10lb

weights. I went heavier for lat rows (15's), a little

lighter with triceps (5's and 8's) and I went with 8's

on the last set of leg presses (there are alot of leg

preses in this workout and in Tough Tape which is a

compilation of this and Hare). If I do TT later this

week I'll use my barbell for variety.

As an update to my continuing saga on the Body Wisdom

Yoga for Stress Relief DVD - I finally got one that

plays in my mini-player - it doesn't play in either of

my two other DVD players, though. Not sure if I

should return it, or keep it and play it in the mini

player. I may do just that as I got it at Borders

with a coupon which makes it cheaper than getting it

at either Target or Amazon. I don't mind using the

mini player - if anything it means I can do the DVD

anywhere I want. I watched the lower back and SI

joint routines - both are similar although there are

some differences. My goal is to do either the lower

back or SI practice 3X per week. I'll bet that helps!

Anyway, hope everyone has a great New Year's Eve and

Happy New Year. I have FIRM Hare on tap for tomorrow.

Take care,

Donna

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