Wake-up Workout: Skogg Ladders L1 + Turbo Fire

This morning I decided to do a Skogg Ladders workout.  This was my first time doing the Ladders workout, and I loved it!  Whenever I do a Skogg workout for the first time, I always try each workout first with a 12kg bell and at Level 1.  Next time, I'll try using my 16kg and move up to Level 2.  The workout is designed with the following maximum ladder rungs per level:
Beginner Level 1: 3 Max Rungs
Intermediate Level 2: 4 Max Rungs
Advanced Level 3: 5 Max Rungs
Warrior Level 4: 6 Max Rungs 

I used my 12kg bell. It felt heavy today, probably because I worked out first thing in the morning.  I worked up the ladder and took short breaks in between each rung. When I worked down the ladder, I worked straight through, with no breaks in between the rungs. It was great!

Warmup - 3:00

Ladder Circuit @ 12kg
Performed Reps Left then Right
Max Rungs: 3
Rep Order:
   1, 2, 3 (I took short breaks in between each rung)
   3, 2, 1  (I didn't take any breaks in between rungs, and moved smoothly through top to bottom)
Exercises: Skogg 6 (foundation moves)

Took a 10minute break then moved to Turbo Fire. I was needing some Chalene today! :-) I did the first 15 minutes of Fire 45 EZ. I wanted to finish the workout, but my stomach was screaming for breakfast!
"I'm a bad girl..break me like the law.."

Here are the 2 video previews for both workouts today:
SKOGG SYSTEM


Chalene Johnson's Turbo Fire
Need I remind you how beautiful all of the women in this cast are?!?! They are simply breathtaking. I especially love the way they did the trailer. The woman in the first reel of the promo is simply amazing, and Chalene is of course one of the best! Go Ladies! I remember thinking that this series was going to be cheesy, but it isn't. It's hard work and ALOT of fun - great music, great instructor, great energy! I highly recommend it if you like intense cardio and kickboxing.

Turbo Fire: HIIT + Kickboxing

Today I did a Turbo Fire HIIT workout (HIIT 20). Took a short break and then did the Fire 30 class. I enjoyed these workouts very much! They are high intensity, fun, yet safe. I was going to do a P90X workout, but simply ran out of time. I got busy doing other things and didn't get around to it. I have a feeling much of the week will be this way. I'm starting to get bored with the length of the P90X workouts. I'm also hitting a plateau, which is not motivating me very much either. So, I have to make it through the rest of this week and then decide what to do next. I want to continue with the program, but I don't want to dread each workout either. Also, I know that when I hit a plateau, it's a sign that something needs to change. I don't want to quit, but I don't want to keep going without getting the results that I want. I'll think on it and we shall see....

Week #6: Adding Turbo Fire

I've decided to start adding Turbo Fire workouts to my P90X rotation. I did my first one tonight - Fire 45 EZ, and I loved it!  It was SO MUCH FUN!!! My heart rate was high the entire time. I was so tired, but I didn't want to stop. I was a bit hesitant about the set at first because I thought it was going to be dancey.  I was pleasantly surprised! Yeah, it was a little dancey, but the fun factor more than made up for it :-). The workout was high energy, and I was so pumped when I was finished.  OH - and the music was GREAT!!!  It reminds me of an updated version of the original tae bo workouts.  This is alot of fun! I actually plan to do an Insanity rotation in May or June. Based upon my experience with the first TF workout, I feel like doing the turbo fire workouts consistently will really improve my conditioning and get me ready for Insanity.

The instructor, Chalene Johnson, has so much energy. She is a well seasoned, motivating instructor. Her form is outstanding.  She is so motivating and inspiring - both as an instructor and with her killer physique. The rest of the cast is also in AMAZING shape I might add. I got a little lost on some of the moves, but I'm sure they will come with time. I didn't try that 'new to class' option. I just wanted to see how much of it I could get as-is. I was amazed that I burned over 500 calories in 40 minutes (I started my HRM 5 minutes into the workout). The workout moved fast and time just flew by. 

After Turbo Fire, I grabbed a quick snack and finished my workout with 50 minutes of incline treadmill walking. I've been really trying to focus on finding the right speed that keeps my heart rate out of the anaerobic zone.  I am a high intensity junkie, but I've been trying to keep my cardio workouts balanced (i.e. some high intensity, some steady state).

Anyway, Week 6 is starting off great! Tomorrow, I'll do a TF HIIT workout and P90X: Chest & Back for strength.

Turbo Fire Infomercial
Here is the TurboFire infomercial for those unaware.
BTW - I have no affiliation with Beach Body, nor am I a Beach Body Coach. I simply own and like several of their home fitness programs, including P90X, P90X+, Insanity, and Turbo Fire. I plan to add Asylum (the follow-on to Insansity) and P90X: MC2 (the follow-on to P90X) when they are released later this year.