More like vacation at Cape Cod, MA but I like "life on the Cape" more for a blog post title! Back about a month ago already I took a week off and headed up to Cape Cod with Kyle for a much needed vacation. It is gorgeous up there and the perfect balance of activities, relaxing, ocean time, and sea food. Here are my favorite things we did on vacation: kayaking through the Nauset Marsh. Beach time at the National Seashore - especially seeing all the seals! Yoga with one of my favorite teachers who used to teach at Tranquil Space. Day at Truro Vineyards and South Hollow Spirits. Pretty safe to say this was a great vacation spot and the weather was perfect, we would definitely come back and have already talked about other things we would want to check out like whale watching and walking through the dunes. Plus I just love the ocean and will never say no to a vacation that includes the beach! Some other random things from vacation that I should definitely mention: BEST. BREAKFAST. SANDWICH. EVER. from Mike and Patty's in Boston (seriously I would go back to Boston just for this sandwich). Ran the Cape Cod Canal 10k, Kyle checked Massachusetts off his list. Used AirBnB for all lodging and worked out great for us. Ate my first lobster roll, was good but not sure worth the market cost of lobsters.
a few faves: YOGA!
1. MAT: Jade Yoga Mat, this mat is simply amazing I don't slip! ever! (even in hot yoga classes) also it has the perfect balance of soft and firm, I will probably only buy Jade mats, however I anticipate it lasting quite awhile 2. CLOTHING: Lululemon Wunder Unders, especially in fun prints, these pants do not disappoint, I wish I could live in them outside of yoga and would love a pair in every color if they weren't a little pricey 3. STUDIO: Tranquil Space Arlington, I have been a member here for probably 2 years or so and I just love this studio so much, they teach mostly Vinyasa style which I really enjoy, I started going here to just get in a yoga class a few times a week but I keep coming back because of the amazing people who work there and the best teachers around! 4. POSE: Half Moon, I also love this mixed art print (pictured above) from Mary Catherine Starr who is also an amazing yoga teacher and artist, the print along with many others can be purchased from her Etsy shop 5. SAYING: Namaste, the light in me honors the light in you (this is how we translate it at Tranquil Space), such a simple and powerful word and I love ending every class with it I've seriously been missing/craving yoga recently. I completed PiYo which was a pilates & yoga fusion workout so that was good but not the same. I also had been taking advantage of LuluLemon's free yoga classes and some groupon deals but neither of those led to consistency like I used to have in doing yoga and paying for every drop in to different studios really adds up fast being anywhere from $15-$20 per class! So I'm excited to be a member at Tranquil Space again!!!! I love that studio and it's where I first became hooked on yoga and I had a membership there for over a year but then with my work schedules changing I wasn't able to be consistent and decided to change up my routine. Now that I'm seriously missing yoga and on a somewhat stable schedule I'm hoping to really dive back into yoga and go at least 3-4 times a week and I'm really excited about that. I joined back up Wednesday and it was great going back to the studio and so awesome to see all the great teachers and loving the fact that they remember me, it's such a great place! I'm going strong and have taken 11 classes in the past 2 weeks and loving it! Can't wait to see where it takes me this time mentally and physically! So I am not doing a "program" right now and I don't have a membership to any gyms or studios I'm having to improv my workouts and try to figure out what works best for me. I'm really liking this freedom of chosing my workouts each day and trying to create my own balance throughout the week. I also like trying new things so not being on a set plan is great for this. I'm having lots of fun trying new classes while not breaking the bank thanks to groupon/living social deals, free classes offered by Lululemon and Athleta, and new yoga studios during DC yoga week! So here is what my workouts looked like this past week as an idea of what I'm doing: Sunday - Gentle yoga at Mind the Mat in Clarendon, perfect way to start the week off Monday - P90X3 Accelerator CARDIO! I'm sometimes not the best at fitting in cardio so really working on that and making sure it's part of my weekly workouts Tuesday - Jillian Michael's Body Revolution (JMBR) video #11 which is a strength workout (odd numbers are half the body and even numbers are the other half so like yin and yang!) Wednesday - Hot yinyasa at Mind Your Body Oasis in Crystal City Thursday - P90X3 MMX, another cardio and then yoga at Tranquil Space Friday - JMBR #12 Saturday - Pilates at Athleta
So I've (almost) made it through the second block and am looking at buying a new pair of fun tights since I have decided that's my reward for finishing the program! I am actually in the transition week but thought I would share my views on the new videos I did this month. Overall still loving them and definitely feeling stronger overall. I need to find a pull up bar soon so I can gauge how close I am to being able to do one. I'm looking forward to finishing strong and maybe accomplishing that goal! Weeks 5-7 1) Eccentric Upper - Completely upper body and that's all that's focused on in this video. It starts with very similar moves from the Challenge but everything is done with a slow 3 count eccentric move then explode to start for example slooooow lower pushup and then quick back to starting, repeat, repeat, repeat. Did I mention it's only upper body? So lots of push ups, pulls ups (modified with bands for me), and presses curls with free weights. Definitely good muscle burn with this video! 2) Triometrics - Each move has three levels that you do for 20 seconds each for a total of a minute and it burns burns burns. It's pretty much all legs, lots of squats, lunges, etc. Ever tried doing squats while in Warrior 3....it's fun haha. There's some plyo elements too and it's a good paced workout definitely feeling it in the legs after. 3) X3 Yoga - repeat 4) Eccentric Lower - Same as the eccentric upper but focuses on the lower body (who would've guessed that?) Another awesome leg burning workout, not sure which leg day I like more. 5) Incinerator - Back to arms, back, and just upper body focus. Similar moves from the other arm workouts but less focus on pull ups. Arms definitely like jello at the end of this one, I think it might be the toughest arm one so far. 6) MMX - So so so good, loved this mixed martial arts workout! I already knew I loved workouts with punching and kicking so I was really excited for this one and it didn't disappoint. It goes through a lot of variations and never repeats the same combo and by the burnout at the end I was BEAT! Can't wait to do this one again! 7) Dynamix - repeat (stretch stretch stretch) Week 8 // Transition The transition is the same video line up from the first transition week, prepping the body for the final block I can't wait to finish super strong!!! Image credit: Athleta I finished the first "block" of P90X3 last week and have loved it so far! Haven't seen many body changes yet but that is due to my eating habits the past two weeks....but I'm getting that back on track so hopefully the next two blocks I will see some changes and have good results. This first block is 3 weeks of seven workouts and then the 4th week is a transition week. I really liked not repeating the same workout for 7 days straight, I never got bored and by the time I did repeat a video in the 2nd and 3rd week I had forgotten all the details so it was almost like a "new" workout again. I also loved the mix of videos with weights, body resistance, some cardio mixed in, and yoga! (Besides the yoga video there are yoga moves mixed into the other videos) So here are the breakdown of the videos used in this block: Sorry it's a super long posting below but lots to report from the workouts! Weeks 1-3 1) Total Synergistics - Complete full body workout from pushups, side planks, squats, yoga poses, ab work, etc it had it all and was great start to the program! 2) Agility X - The name says it, this is definitely AGILITY and is fun. Basically a lot of jumping around hitting tape marks on the floor incorporating speed and balance. A good change of pace for a workout, different than most I've done. 3) X3 Yoga - LOVED it, no secret I miss miss miss going to my yoga studio 3-5 times a week so I was really happy to have a yoga video and this doesn't dissapoint, except I would love it if it was longer than 30 minutes, that's how much I miss yoga. It does go through a ton of poses though in the time and there is room for more advanced practicing and progress, but some parts are a little rushed. 4) The Challenge - Only pushups and pullups the WHOLE 30 minutes....so I can't do a pullup (but would love to by the end of this progam) instead I've been using a band with a door attachment and trying to mimic the motions, there is also one person on the videos using the bands too so I follow them. The first week I didn't pick a tough enough # to do so it wasn't crazy hard but the next two times I upped my #s so it was tougher and burned the arms. 5) CVX - This one is a cardio interval workout that incorporates weights so it definitely worked the whole body and helped me build endurance. 6) The Warrior - I think this may be my favorite besides the yoga from this block. It doesn't use any equipment and can be done anywhere anytime as they state it on the description. It includes super burpees so it has to be awesome! 7) Dynamix (or rest) - Really good stretching video and still broke a sweat, I did this one 2/3 days and rested the last one because I just felt like I needed a day off. Week 4 // Transition
There were a few new workouts this week and lots of stretching/less muscle videos this week. 1) Isometrix - Loved this one but so so so tough in a physical and mental way. As Tony says in the video it's all the hard moves from yoga and you hold them for 45 seconds each. 2) Dynamix - repeat (stretch stretch stretch) 3) Accelerator - This was another cario-esque workout but way more. Would go from cardio moves like jumping jacks to lots of plank variations and then back to mountain climbers and on and on....definitely a good workout, but have only done once so far. 4) Pilates X - First time seeing pilates and I don't have much experience with it so this one was tough for me and not my favorite yet, I will have to work on it and hopefully become a fan soon. 5) CVX - repeat 6) X3 Yoga - repeat 7) Dynamix (or rest) - more stretching, prepping for the next block! Now on to "block" 2 which I'm already through one week and loving the change up, I will let you all know about the new workouts soon! I vacated the DC NOVA area for the 4th of July since I've already done the whole "tourist" national mall fireworks thing before. I was also in need of the beach so Kyle and I hit the road to Cape May, NJ (got to check a new state of my list). It was nice to get away and very low key we checked out some local sites, went to some wineries and a brewery, an enjoyed the sun and sand (maybe a little too much sun since we did get a little burnt one day). |
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