Sadat - Last Week and Final Thoughts

Well this was the final week of Fall Shape Up.

Monday, we had a little cardio relay action where we each did three pieces of cardio equipment for 10 minutes each, i chose the rower, bike, and elliptical. We then met up in Sparkys Yard to do some dynamic strength training. Felt good to shake off the turkey coma.

Tuesday, Warlord Michelle put us through what i thought was the hardest workout ive done. So nice of her to wait til the last week to do it. It was a tag team work out. While one of us were doing "jumps" on a stationary (LEVEL 20), the other was doing 15 reps of leg presses, extensions and curls. The person on the bike couldnt stop until they were tagged. We did this for two cycles. I was quickly out of breathe, my legs were shaking, and i was feeling my turkey day leftovers creeping back up. We then moved onto the next station, treadmills at some ridiculous speed and incline, while the other did pull ups, dips and push ups. Twice. Next, one partner stayed in a plank position while the other went up and down the back stairs 5 times. We then lunged back and forth in the loft area, wall to wall, while the other did bicycle crunches. Lastly, we did back extensions and 40 stinking jump squats. I think i pulled a muscle in my right butt cheek.

Wed, Ran 2 miles followed by a 6mile bike ride and a 250m swim. I did not do the swim since i am a terrible swimmer.

Thursday, FINAL ASSESSMENTS. We completed our last round of measurements. Crazy that only 2 of us showed up for this after we had started with 12 back in september. Let me give you a little recap. My initial Mile time in september was 9:47. In a minute, i was able to do 46 push ups and 25 situps. I weighed 220. After this whole program ended, i was able to complete a mile in 7:20. 60 push ups in a minutes and 40 situps. Tell me thats not an Improvement!


Sadat's FINAL THOUGHTS

This program did wonders for me. First and foremost i want to thank the staff that put this program together. I am very appreciative to Michelle Jung for not only offering this program to the ASU Community but for also giving me the opportunity to participate in this life changing program. She still remains my nemesis and i will plot against her at work from here on out. But thank you. I also very much appreciated the hard work that our trainers put into this program. Sarah is amazing. If any of you are looking for someone not only to be able to train you, but motivate you and will just talk to you about whatever while on a run or bike ride, this is the person you should sign up for a personal training session with. Shes gonna push you, but shes gonna do it with a smile. Blake, or as i am going to call him from now on Stiffler, was also great. He has a wide range of knowledge for both athletic lifting and nutrition. I dont know if he lies to me when he brings up random statistics and facts, but i trust him.

Listen, when i started this program back in September I was in terrible shape. I let over eating over run me. I was very inactive. I couldnt breathe after i would walk up the stairs to my office. I wasnt happy with the clothes i fit into and the way i looked in them. Anything physically challenging, i strayed away from, because "i couldnt do it". I didnt think myself as a 26 year old, could get back into the shape i was back in college. I felt old, i felt old at 26!

Now, i have a lot more confidence. I am able to take challenges head on. I never once gave up. I took breathers and breaks sure, but i didnt stop. I impressed myself. I was there every day i could be there for. I changed my diet. I changed my body. I fit into Larges (i havent been able to since 2003). I moved down two notches on my belt. I went from a tight 38 to a loose 36. I didnt lose any crazy amount of weight, i lost 20 pounds, but what a difference it makes on your body and overall daily routine to have that off. Ive been complimented everyday at work for the last 3-4 weeks about my improvements and changes, and although i sound like it doesnt effect me, its definitely great to hear. I reached so many goals i didnt even have.

Theres something special about this program. We started off with 12 people. that slimmed down to 10 after the 2nd week. But the group we had there was pretty tight for several weeks. We learned each others name, we came up with nicknames when we couldn't remember those names, we complained together, we ran together, swam together, lunged together, ran up A mountain together, completed 5 and 10ks together, we sweat together and joked together. The thing is, after a while, you get to know these people and you dont want to let them down. You want to complete everyday because theyre also doing it next to you, and their likely going to need a lifting partner. You want to show up everyday because you know their going to be there too. You want to show them what you got. And maybe if theyre slacking or about to quit, then they see you still trucking along and say, hey if he can do it, so can I. You ended up being each others support system. And thats why it was successful. You cant fail when you have 8 or 9 other people with similar goals, working with you and showing up at the same time for weeks.

Overall, this program is great. It works. It can work for you too. If you take it seriously. If you listen to what the trainers are telling you. If you do what they ask. If you understand why theyre telling you to do it. If your willing to change your diet. If you put a 100 percent of yourself into this for an hour, its just an hour, a day; You will be successful in this program. I know of a few people who showed up everyday but never lost a pound, but they enjoyed it so much and it put them back in a routine and just made them feel better. You may not lose 20lbs like i did, hey you might even lose more, but at the end of the day, you feel better. Your glad you did it. And you cant wait to get back out there tomorrow.

Ill See any of you newcomers in the spring for SPRING SHAPE UP, ill be the guy whose lost 10 more pounds since this post!

Thanks for Reading!

Sonia Hovet

Our final week of shape up - hmm sad to be done, however Michelle has extended our shape with an additional 9 sessions which is terrific as we will stay focused on exercise & nutrition over the holiday season!! I have enjoyed our group - each one has picked up a cute nickname, NO I'm got the old lady!! Happy holidays and many thanks to Michelle for the opportunity to particpate in the Fall Shape Up program. This has been a postive work out experience for me.

Sonia Hovet

Short work out week - running, Sparky's yard and a terrific workout in the pool. I have noticed changes in my body, my appetite has decreased and my motivation is increasing as well. I am really starting to enjoy and look forward to the workouts because of the changes I am noticing. Hopefully this motivation will last through the holiday seasons !

Sonia Hovet

It feels so good to be healthy once again! I definitely missed not working out last week!!!
We have been doing upper body this week - which is something I really need to work on. I will increase my 7.5 weights by the end of this week.

Great workout week!

Sonia Hovet

I was sick this week - unable to work out. I did walk on Sat. & Sun.

Sadat - Days Off Are Killing Me!

So, i have been traveling alot for work recently, and it has been getting in the way of me shaping up in the Fall. I was in Baltimore one weekend, running a Flag Football tournament in UCLA the next, and running a Soccer Championship last week in No. Pho. All of this leads to a few things, very little chances to work out, and free food, free not good for you food.

The workouts i have missed during this time have taken its toll. i am not as fast or able to endure as much as i was three weeks ago when i felt like i was really getting into it. I also dont feel like the work outs that i have been able to participate in while i was here were at a 100 percent or to my full potential just because i was so stinkin tired.

Last few workouts have felt great to get back into the swing of things. We were in the pool a few days back, but that was no good for me since i am terrible swimmer. I feel like we have been doing more things with weights which is great because I need to gain my strength back.

Today we did a 10k run. If you would have asked me 10-11 weeks ago if i can do a 10k id laugh in your face and maybe punch you. If you would have asked me today the same question, you would have gotten the same exact answer, however, today was different because i was ready to give it a try. 10 weeks ago i woulda said no, then go play xbox. well, i drew up a route for all of us to take looping around tempe town lake. it was a nice day, and there were only 3 of us. we stayed in a nice little pack and ran the whole thing together at the same pace. Made it back in roughly 55mins. I was super impressed with myself and Jose for being able to get through the whole run without issue or without stoppin. Keeping myself at a steady pace has always been difficult to me, i use to always go all out and then burn out. today, thanks to Sarah, i was able to keep it calm and on a good 10 min pace. it went very well.

1 more week to go kids then this whole things done with. I wish it was going on longer but hopefully the you call its tara was talking about will hold me over until Spring Shape Up starts up.

Weight Lost: 20 POUNDS., 10 short of my goal but i feel better.

Tara: Why does running suck so much?

Seriously...why can't I be the one in the office who goes for a 11-mile run and sprints the last half mile (Julie and Laura). I know you have to work up to it, but come on, I have been in this program for almost 12 weeks now, and one thing is for sure....I still hate running. I can do cardio equipment all day, but tell me to go run a lap, and I will mumble and groan the whole time and walk some of it. The pounding on the knees and cramps in the calves, just kill me.

So, we are almost done.

As I was doing my walking lunges with weights today, I was reminiscing to myself about the first week and the magnitude of lunges we had to do. I was so out of shape, I couldn't do walking lunges, I had to do one lunge and then bring my legs together, rest, then move on to the next leg. Today, I did walking lunges for 3 minutes straight with weights! It's exciting.

Our group loves the workouts so much that we are going to do a 5-week "U Call It" group workout over the holiday break. This will keep us active until the spring semester. It's exciting to be able to continue on with this group after the Fall Shape Up Program.

Although I love this program, one thing is still for sure....I hate running.

Tara

Injury #... 5? - Amy

So a few weeks ago I hurt my ankle somehow while running with my roommate. I didn't feel it twist or anything, but felt a sharp pain that increased with the next couple of steps. Since then I've been trying to alternate between resting it and wrapping it while working out. Last week I gave it a good rest, and was able to wrap it and successfully run a 9k on Saturday. I also went rock climbing that day, and while it didn't bother me the day of, it looked swollen and felt stiff yesterday (Sunday). I'm resting it again today and will hopefully see a doctor while home for thanksgiving.

I'm disappointed that an injury has slowed down my workouts. I've never had a sports injury before, and it is frustrating that that is the reason I've had to slow down. I feel motivated to work out, and especially to start training for a relay race I want to do in March, and maybe the PF Chang's half marathon as well, but if I want to have any chance of doing either of those I've got to rest/ice it right now.

I'll update on the results of my doctor's appointment, and hopefully I'll be able to fully participate for our last week.

Even if I can't though, the weeks I did participate in this program really worked. I had to reevaluate my goals, especially the weight loss goals, but as a result of this program I am in great shape. I climbed Camelback Mountain two weeks ago, which is a pretty good workout and could tell a huge difference from how I felt climbing it last Spring. Also one specific goal I set for myself this semester was to be able to go rock climbing without feeling like someone was pulling my arms off the next day, and I'm happy to say that I've been rock climbing for the past few weeks and have felt sore but strong.

I've Been Everywhere!

For the past few weeks the fall shape up has taken on a different format for me. Because hunting season has started, I have been away from the daily workouts. This is not to say that I haven't been exercise; quite the opposite. Instead I have been climbing up and down mountains all over Arizona. Enjoying the scenery while working out was a great change for me. Also being able to see the payoff from all the lunges that I have done was pretty neat too. My ability to conquer mountains has changed drastically.
When I have been able to attend class we've been doing a pretty set workout format. A little cardio to warm up with and then some weight circuit training. I know that it is hard for the instructors to keep coming up with new things, but that is a part that I have really loved about this program.
Luckily this past Thursday Blake had us in the pool to workout. It was a nice change of pace. My shoulders were definitely sore afterwards, but I enjoy that feeling. I was surprised at how hard it was and how much of a workout I got. Water really is a great place to do resistance training. Hopefully there is more to come in the future.

Sonia Hovet

More walking, running, lifting for the week. We were in the pool twice this week, enjoyed this very much.

I enjoyed our strength workout with Blake, he kept on us to lift, faster, keep going and of course don't STOP. Great session!

I decided to face the scale and to my disappointment there was NO weight loss, however I feel good, more energy, so this class has been good for my body & mind.

Look forward to week 9!

Sonia Hovet

Week 7 was very productive for me! I accomplished the climb to the very top of A Mountain!! I didn't do this in any record breaking time - I did cut some walking time as I have been taking longer strides with my walking, thanks to you know who!!

We had a GREAT workout in the pool on Thursday, of course water aerobics is a favorite of mine.

I am going to jump on the scale next week to see if there is any weight loss for me?? Wish me a little luck.

Mid-semester, Amy

It's definitely the middle of the semester. I've been having a hard time waking up for the workouts this week. Last Thursday I arrived about a half hour late and decided to do my own workout running stairs, working my abs, and then finishing with a mile on the eliptical. I'm hoping to get my stuff in gear for next week, and finish the semester out strong.

However, I went rock climbing last Saturday afternoon and it was pretty cool to realize that I actually have some arm strength now, whereas before I had about nothing. I think one of the really valuable things this Fall Shape Up program is doing for me is giving me a jump start toward fitness and helping me get in the schedule of working out almost every morning. Then after the program is over I can keep up the schedule, but form my own workouts out of things I love to do, like running and rock climbing. I'm going to run the Ragnar Relay (Look it up! So fun!) in March so I need to start hammering out some long runs pretty soon. I ran with my roommate a couple of weeks ago and in about an hour we had covered over five miles. Pretty good stuff.

Sadat- Week 7?

Well a week off didnt help me any. Last week, i went to a conference in Baltimore, and so i was unable to participate in Fall Shape up Tues through Thurs. This sucked. Instead of sticking to my diet and working out vigorously for an hour like i normally would, i snacked and ate on whatever Baltimore had to give me. i did however use the University of Maryland, Baltimore's new rec center to get two cardio workouts in. Its just not the same intensity when you dont have the group around you.

Oh well.

This week has been going well, given last weeks setback. Monday, we did 1.5 mile run followed by some lifting and dynamic strength circuits on the field. I felt fine and used heavier weights.

Tuesdays instructor, Blake, finally killed me. we had to do 20 different lifts in 40 minutes, twice. Do the math and that means no rest time. We did legs, abs, chest, tris, bis, and a little shoulder. I was huffin by the end of it. It was a great lift. Havent done something like this the entire time and i think i desperately needed it to gain back a little strength.

Today i was dreading. We had to do a 5k followed by a 500m swim. I dont know if you know this, but i am not a swimmer. I am a great lounger in the pool, i like sitting on the stairs, i like an occasional game of marco polo or chicken. Laps, on the other hand, i dont do. I did great on the run and improved my time by 4 minutes, i got back in 24 minutes. I hopped in the pool and things got slow. I have zero form when it comes to swimming, i just go. i look like how Phoebe from Friends runs, but in the water. This included several gulps of chlorine water, goggle fogging and gasps of breathe where i blurted out "some one just kill me" I tried making eye contact with the lifeguard as much as possible so they knew i was there and could save me at a moments notice. Well, i didnt get my 500m in, i only got 250m. But i am happy with that.

Well see how tomorrow in the pool goes.

Sonia Hovet

Hmm! Finished week 6, decided that I need to increase the size of weights I use for a better work out. I'm certain that I want to have SORE muscles at the end of my work-out. Gosh I can't believe I made a comment like that. I also plan to increase my walking with longer strides and of course speed so Michelle will not have to say "pick up the pace Sonia". This week I did 4 miles on the bike and 1/2 mile of the elliptical I felt good with this achievement.

Looking forward to week 7 - we will work-out in the pool and climb "A" mountain, hope to gain time on my walk/climb and reach the very tip of the "A". Wish me luck..

Sadat - Cardio Relays - I Smell a Cheater

Last couple of days have left me sore and tired.

Monday, i did not participate for the entire class as i had to leave early for a meeting. But i did get a 2 mile run in where i miraculously came back first. We then did some lunges and kettle bell lifts before i had to leave. Not too strenuous, but at least i got the run in.

Tuesday, we split between Blake and Dictator Michelle. Started off with Michelle this time, and we did the same exercises we did in week two with running up and down the back stairs with weights, lunges, indian run, squat presses, and repeat. I am happy to say i did not have to walk back up the steps this time. I still am not doing it easily, but at least i didnt stop my jog. We went back to lift with Blake. He had us do bench, back rows, chest flys, and back flys all for a minute each. I didnt think lifting 25lb dumbells would hurt as much as they did, but, they did. I was exhausted after each lift and we only had a 10 sec break in between. Once we finished one rotation we had to get in 50 jumping jacks and 5 berpies in 10 secs. Second time around hurt more, and we had to get in 10 berpies in 20 secs. finished right on the dot.

Wednesday, I am completely sore in my chesticle area after yesterdays lifts. I was happy that we were only doing cardio. But man, did we do some cardio. We split into teams of 3 and had to each finish 4 cardio stations. A 1 mile treadmill run at incline 6.5. That was no joke. Never run on an incline, its just not smart. and it hurts, and i dont like hills. finished just over 10 mins while sprinting at the end. Elliptical: 1 mile at resistance 11 and incline 11. This was also hard, it didnt feel like the numbers were going fast enough, but i finished just under 10 minutes. Row 1600 Meters. Not as bad as i thought, this was probably the easiest of the three. Finished in about 8 mins. Last was the bike for 2.5 miles. I went all out as fast as i could the entire time. I finished in 8.25. When i finished i started running down the stairs, but was blocked by Caitlin the soon to be winner of the relay. i feel jipped. But she has it coming the next time we do this.

Tara- Boot Camps and Relays

I always wait until I have this epiphany before I blog. And this one is a review of where I was 6 weeks ago to where I am now. Result: I am a new person...well almost...I still have a ways to go.

We had our mid-way assessments last week and I knocked 2 minutes off my mile run, added 10-15 sit-ups and 10-15 push-ups to my totals. That was great to measure the numbers compared to the first day, but I think what gave me even more encouragement was this past Tuesday when drill sergeant Michelle did a work-out with us that she did the 2nd week of training. It is called the boot camp class. We run stairs on the east side of the SRC carrying weights, then some lunges, then some squats with weights, then this crazy run thing with a 10lb weight and you run in a line and pass the weight back (thanks Wes for the extra lap...apparently Michelle thought we cheated so she added another lap) and then we run some more stairs and more lunges and squats. The first time was soooo hard. And this time, it was a great work-out but I didn't think I was going to barf afterwards. Last time, I couldn't complete the work-out because we had to go lift weights with Blake afterwards. This time, I started with Blake and ended with Michelle. I completed the whole work-out. I think that is a great accomplishment. I look back on the last 6 weeks, and the things we were doing those first couple of weeks, I looked at the trainers like "you're crazy!", but now, I say "bring it on"!!! Don't get me wrong, I still struggle everyday, but I am getting the work-out done a little quicker. Running is my weakness (and hate every minute of it), but it is getting a little easier. I reviewed my short term/long term goals and one was to run a mile. I am doing this plus a little more.

Today we did a cardio relay (1 mile on 6.5 incline on treadmill, 2.5 miles on bike at level 6, 1600m of rowing, and 1 mile on 11 incline and 11 intensity on elliptical). We were paired into 3 groups and I was with two other girls. I apologized to them that they got me, the slower one on cardio, in their group. I was out to prove everyone wrong, and I was going to bust my butt for our group so we would not be last (especially me). Well, we did it and with some blocking by one of my teammates on the stairs, we came in first!!!! Yep, it was a fight to the end! If anyone is keeping tabs....YES! That means we beat Sadat's team!!!! That was a great accomplishment!!

Let me end with this. I love this program and am getting really bummed that it will be over soon. Maybe our group can continue through the holiday break until school starts...I don't know. But, I love this!

Wes- Sad Day

Well I haven't been able to work out for the whole previous week. I was doing a warm-up run last Sunday and all of a sudden I had a terrible pain run down my leg. It felt just like my orginal injury in my back. When I went to the doctor he told me to take a week off from doing any physical activity. This put a temporary stop to my fall shape up. I only wish this had put a stop to my eating. It is amazing how fast weight can come back on when I'm not working out on a daily basis.

I returned to the fall shape up yesterday with speed walking instead of running. In all the other activities I was able to keep pace and do all the exercises in full motion. Hopefully today I will be able to continue in my recovery. I'll keep you posted.

Discouraging

Today was a little deflating, because by the end of the work out I was completely exhausted to the point I was not giving the last exercises my best effort.

We started out warming up on the stairs at the back of the SRC, really no problem, got the heart rate up quite a bit.

From there we headed to Sparky's Yard and stretched out and then got into some partner lifting. While one partner either did squats or bench press the other partner did burpies. Honestly I do not think the lifting would have been half as difficult without the burpies in between. I don't know if I do those right, but my shoulders are so tired from the constancy of activity. The lifting was sets of nine, but we had to take four seconds to go down on each rep. The end was difficult, but again I am a firm believer that it is the lack of a break.

By this point I was drained, but we never stopped doing things, the constant activity is a real challenge. I have been more the type lets get three sets of eight with more weight in five minutes give or take. Then take a minute or two and move to the next lift. This is totally different and I am drained at the end of each day.

This could be helping, but I can't help but feel weaker when I am struggling on my third set of benching 85 pounds, when previously I could double that for the same number of sets and reps.

Daryl

Mid Point Fitness Testing

Here are my stats:

Initial Test: 9:48 for 1.32 mile run
Mid Point Test: 8:52 for 1.32 mile run

Initial Test: 40 push ups
Mid Point Test: 45 push ups

Initials Test: 50 sit ups
Mid Point Test: 60 sit ups

The run, I was feeling good about going in, I hadn't done much running the last few years, so I thought I could improve there.

Push ups especially surprised me as I have definitely felt like I have been getting weaker and losing mass in my upper body, mostly due to having to sit out everything for two weeks with the thumb injury.

I also did more sit ups than I thought I would be able to do, so I guess even with a lot of missed classes the shape up is helping.

I only have two more classes I will miss the rest of the way so hopefully we will see marked improvement on the final fitness test. I have also begun a new diet this week, so I am hoping the combination will start to lead to some visible results.

Daryl

Sadat - Kenobi and Me

Well finally, I did some exercisin on the weekend. Both nights i went for a 1.5 mile run with my dog, Kenobi. Normally, Kenobi is a jerk. He likes to pull hard and run after the neighborhood cats, birds and rabbits. He also lunges at other calmer dogs on the walk. Like i said, hes a jerk. But i think alot of this has to do with the fact that hes cooped up in the house all day, and with the heat the way it is, we dont get to play with him much until the evening. Plus, hes an Alaskan dog, he hates the sun. Well, he did absolutely great on the run. He didnt care about a single animal (except one female black lab that he has a thing for, he blushes, its silly really), he was full steam ahead for the beginning of the run. it was great trying to keep up with him. But after about 2 minutes into the run, we finally got on the same pace and he took things easier. By the end of the run, i was the one dragging him and he had to keep up. I think he really enjoyed the fast paced walk he was doing and it definitely let out some extra energy that i hate dealing with when i try to watch my HBO shows on Sunday nights. I cannot wait to run with him tonight again. It felt great.

This brings me to my next point. When i first filled out my application to win this program, i stated that one of my many goals was to be able to run with my dog. Well, i just did that 5 weeks in. I definitely thought it would take longer than that because of the shape i was in, but this program is incredible. Running (i hate running, have i said this before?) has become easier for me, i dont breathe like a walrus anymore, i can find a good pace quicker and i pay less attention to what hurts and more attention to where the finish line is. i may actually like running now. Stay tuned to see how long that lasts..

Sonia - Week 5

Well I have completed wk 5 and looking to wk 6??#@#$ - So far I have been able to ALMOST keep up with the team. The assessement we took did not show any lbs. lost - imagine that?, however I do feel more robust. I dislike being sweaty - I'm sure everyone will say "THAT'S GOOD" - not!

Well here goes another week - pump those irons!!!!!!

Mid-point assessments - Amy

This is the intensity of Fall Shape Up: I have mud all over my legs, sweat on my pink sweatband, and blood on my thigh from running through a brick wall.

Okay, I accidentally ran too close to the brick wall while avoiding a mud puddle this morning during our mid-point assessments. But still. I FEEL strong enough to break through walls.

We weighed ourselves before running, just like we did one month ago. I have gained four pounds. However, I know that it's all muscle. My clothes are fitting differently, I feel great, and I can tell a difference in how I look as well. I'll be honest, it was a little discouraging to look at the numbers on the scale. But, especially this past week, I have done very well feeding my body good nutrition, I worked out six out of seven days this week, and when my health and muscle tone are so obviously improving, the numbers on the scale matter much less.

And I've improved quite a bit in our assessment exercises! In our 3-lap jog not only did I finish with a wound of champions on my leg, I finished in almost one minute less time (11:48 --> 10:53). I doubled the amount of push-ups I can do before exhaustion (16 --> 32), and also increased the amount of crunches I can completed in one minute (52 --> 65).

Look out, brick wall.

Sadat - Mid Way Assessments

This week was another week that i got to see myself improve and do better. I am finding it easier to do some of the endurance activities that i otherwise would have struggled with before. The past few work outs have been a butt kicker for sure.

Monday - We did our HEAT exercises in the HEAT. Running around the track doing doing berpies, push ups, lunges, jump squats, tricep dips, mountain climbers, and back rows, you know, normal Monday stuff. We got through this about 3 times each. I was exhausted, but not exhausted enough to not do some sprints. They felt terribly great. I havent done sprints in forever, but it was a nice experience to feel my legs using all their strength to push me as fast as i could. Good work out Sara.

Tuesday- We had fun with Commander Michelle and Blake. This one definitely left me wanting a long nap afterwards. We were back on the field. We started off with a warm up lap around the track. As soon as we got back, it went to lunges and jumping jacks. Alot of them. Then we did a buddy exercise where we had to hold the ends of two barbells over our shoulders while our buddy held the back end. We would then jog or walk and do as many military presses together for half a lap. The second half was much of the same except we shrugged. When we got back, we did suicide sprints up and down the sides of the sand volleyball courts, mind you the farthest distance we had to sprint was about 90 yards. After that we did berpies, push ups, step ups and did the circuit again except with out the buddy lifts. I felt terribly great again. Thanks for that work out.

Wednesday - Duathlon Day. We had an option of running either 2, 3 or 4 miles followed by a 20 min bike ride on the stationary bikes at the SRC. I chose the 4 mile option. I felt great in the beginning, i had a sizable lead on everyone and thought, hey, i might actually come back first on this one. Too bad i am not Magellan and i took two wrong turns. This cost me a lot of time and CrossCountryGuy and Sara smoked me after that. I think i hit my wall at mile three and really had to slow things down. It also did not help that i wore black on black on black in 100 degree weather. But, i finished in 44 minutes, not bad for my first 4 mile run ever. Biking only lasted 8 minutes because i got back so late.

Thursday - MID WAY ASSESSMENTS. If you look back at one of my first posts, i noted the assessment numbers from day one. A 9:47 mile on the treadmill. 25 sit ups and 46 push ups in a minute. I was out to beat that today. And i am happy to say i did. My mile time outside (which is apparently slower than doing it on the treadmill) was 8:07. Thats a huge improvement. almost a full 2 minutes. I felt great about that. Sit ups, i didnt think i would improve on at all, but this time i got 47 in. Wow right? Push ups, i thought no way is there a chance i can get more than 46. So i started off fast and got 38 done in the first 30 secs, in the last 30 i added another 11 and finished with 49. I like this class.

Thanks to all the trainers and people in the groups for keeping us all going. I look forward to this everyday and were half way there people.

Week 5 over - Amy

I can't believe that it has been a whole 5 weeks already.

Like most people, I want changes in my health and appearance to be fast and dramatic, so it has been easy to get discouraged when I compare my progress to where I want it to be. I have to be real with myself, though, and admit that I feel great, and that is the most important thing. Especially on the days when I eat well, I can feel my body using the food as fuel to to function and help me not just get through the day, but to really thrive. This may seem like a given, that food helps you function. But I feel like most of the time I look at food just as something to taste good and take away hunger. Food is what my body needs, though. It needs the carbs, fat, protein, vitamins, all of it, in the right form and the right amounts. So when I look at food as something to feed my body with AS WELL as enjoy, versus the other way around, my whole approach changes. In general, I like eating healthy. It makes me feel great. I've kept a food diary the last three days, and except for a couple items was really proud of it. And I don't feel deprived at all.

Today we ran stairs as our warm-up. Yep, the warm-up. Zack pushed us hard today and it was fantastic, there were several reps in some of the exercises that I couldn't finish, and it feels good to know that I have goals to work toward in those areas. In a few weeks hopefully I'll be able to feel the burn but finish those reps.

I know that I'm working muscles that have never been worked before, especially in my back and arms. I've always been afraid that if I work those areas too hard I'll end up more beefy than lean. But I'm realizing that more reps with do-able weights plus a nutritious, moderate diet will mean an overall lean body, and that building muscle burns fat.

We have our assessments on Monday, and I'm hoping for a smaller number on the scale, but I'm prepared to be content with more muscle and less inches. I know I've made progress and that I'll keep pushing hard for the rest of the program. My goals are worth it!

Food

Just wanted to drop a quick note and say that the trainers Fall Shape Up employs are amazing. In my case Zack has been great in adding additional information that it seems like he wouldn't have to do. He sent us all an email giving us great nutrition tips and has been very open to follow up questions.

Now it is up to me to take the nutrition to heed. Zack gave me a little greater push to this today when he said that no matter how much working out you do results will be very limited without a balanced diet.

I have always heard a lot about the importance of eating right, but no one really gives much direction in how to do it. So the email he sent was vastly helpful, to the point I might even be able to do it.

Daryl

Another week in the books

Monday's workout was tough. I've been on many, many runs before being previously a cross country runner, but this one was different than anything I had been on.

It was such a great morning that we got out of the stuffy SRC and ran around campus. But we would run for two or three minute stretches and then we would sprint for fifteen or twenty seconds. Zack explained that the sprinting built up strength in the legs and the jogging is more for cardio needs.

If the running, sprinting interchanges were not enough for twenty minutes, every time we came across a set of stairs (which there are plenty on campus) we would sprint up them and back down. Constant motion.

We got to the opposite end of campus and found a parking lot for a break that consisted of lunges and more sprinting. The break part was that at least we had a partner for this and we got to rest as the other person ran or lunged to the other side of the lot. After we completed a couple of sets it was back to the jogging, sprinting, stair combos.

It was such a crazy random workout that I think it helped me significantly. I might do it in the future on my own just because it seemed random and it made it more fun, kind of like how Phoebe motivated herself to run on the show Friends. Though a partner is definitely better for this type of work out to make sure you push yourself on the sprinting portions.

Thursday's workout never seemed particularly difficult, but I was exhausted at its conclusion. I was sweating bullets after our warm up of sets of stairs with a break of wall sits. By the way, the wall site is a much more daunting proposition after running sets of stairs.

I have also been a consistent enemy of stretching but we did some lower back stretches today that I actually found to be helpful.

Then it was back to Sparky's yard where, of course, we got some more sets of lunges in. Zack then asked what we would like work for the rest of the day. The two people who spoke up said abs and inner thighs. I never knew there were so many different work outs for each of these. By the end of session my ears were popping. Whenever my ears pop that means I am dead tired. Writing this three hours later is still feel the blood is pumping through my legs a little faster.

At the mid point of the semester I have missed half the sessions, so it is not fair to judge results. That being said I have lost seven pounds since September, so I must be getting a little bit more compact, which is good. Although I am not really intending to lose weight.

On a side note Zack has been awesome and very available for follow ups. Even offering to put together work outs for the weekend to keep us active.

Daryl

Amy - Week #5

I noticed today that I have calluses on my elbows from doing planks all the time in Sparky's Yard. I love that. I feel hard core, like "one of those people" who work out all the time. I definitely feel more in shape these days. I can feel muscle development where I didn't have any before, and I think I look a bit more toned, although I can't tell a huge visible difference yet. I'm hoping that will come as I continue to push myself.

I've done pretty well this week with eating healthy. Part of that is due to our trainer making us keep another food diary, for three days this time. On our last food diary he gave us feedback by putting a star next to all the things we should change to more healthy alternatives. So now I know what to target to avoid those stars.

One big change in my eating habits is eating more often. I always thought that sounded counter-productive. I mean, if I want to lose weight I have to eat less, right? But according to our trainer we should be eating small meals/snacks every 2-3 hours, with a combination of protein, carbs, and healthy fats each time. For example, I could have a mid-morning snack of skim milk with whey powder (protein), almonds (fat), and raisins (carbs). It's fun getting creative with healthy foods, and exploring different flavors as opposed to focusing on what I need to cut out of my diet. This morning, for example, I had some scrambled eggs with fresh tomato slices, and a waffle with honey, almond slices, and raisins. As I consistently eat small, healthy meals, I'm finding that naturally I am hungry every 2-3 hours, and I feel better than when I eat heavy meals 2-3 times a day.

On the working out side of things, we ran today. A lot. My shin started hurting at one point, but our trainer corrected my stride so that I was using more bounce and less length, and the pain went away. I love Wednesdays. Long cardio and I are better friends than me and berpies.

Tara-What used to hurt doesnt hurt anymore

Finally! What used to hurt doesn't hurt anymore. This is a two-fold accomplishment.

Because I was so overweight and out-of-shape, I used to have a lot of back problems and couldn't walk long distances. I am happy to report, I don't have that problem anymore! (CLAP-CLAP-CLAP...Fist pump in the Air!). With this new found freedom, I enjoy activity a lot more. I get so antsy now on the weekends, that my husband and little daughter and I all have to go out and do something. This past weekend, we all went to the Zoo on Saturday and then on Sunday we walked around IKEA. What a great feeling!!! I owe it all to this program!

I am also not as sore anymore after work-outs and during the week. This is great and all, but I feel like I might have hit a plateau. I get worried now when I am not sore after a work-out. I think starting today, I am going to push myself a little harder on the running, pump more weight in Sparky's Yard and start doing man push-ups.

Have I told you I love this program and think EVERYONE should do it? If you are thinking about it, I would reccomend this. It is hard the first two weeks, but after that, you start craving it. I love how it makes me feel afterwards.

Toodles.

Sadat - Ran a Stinkin 5K

Whose got two thumbs and ran a 5k? Thats right, this guy.

I can honestly think back to my previous years of playing sports and working out, and i dont think ive ever run more than a mile at any given time. Needless to say, running a 5k kicked butt. I am not a runner, i may have said that before, so running the 5k through the mean streets of tempe last Wednesday seemed like a daunting task. I had negative thoughts going into it. i was wondering where the nearest stores were to the run so that if i collapsed, maybe i could crawl to that store and call 911 or maybe get a gatorade. Have i written my will yet? Do i even have anything good enough to give away in my will? What will happen in the Series Finale of 'Entourage' next year? Is E gonna get married for real? However, it wasnt that bad at all. I started off fast as normally do, then, i slowed into about the 5th postion. After a while, probably after the 1st mile, i was able to pass the 4th runner. The two runners in front were too fast for me, but my goal was to not stop once to walk. Wes was within distance for me to beat him, however, everytime he slowed down and i picked it up, it didnt seem like i was going anywhere. So i kept on truckin along. Finally, he started to walk around the back of the SRC, a mere 100 feet from the finish. Thats when i kicked it into high gear and beat him to the end. Thats right Wes, that cloud of dust you saw in front of you was me.

All in all it went very well, finished between 25-30 minutes. I didnt expect to do that. Id like to do it again and see how much better i can do next time.

So far, im 10 lbs down since the begining, and ive had to put belts on pants and shorts that normally just held on by themselves. Feel good about that.

Mid way assessments on Thursday, well see how much better i really am doing.

Amy - Week #4

The weather has been excellent lately! I was super excited to do the 5k campus run this morning out in the half-rainy, half-cloudy goodness. Therefore, I was super disappointed to learn that the plans had changed and we were going to do cardio indoors on 3 different sets of cardio machines.

I decided it was simply impossible to stay indoors with the weather like it is, so the trainer mapped out a run over campus and three of us decided to do that instead of an apparatus workout.

It was exciting for a couple reasons... One, as I've already talked about, the weather was brilliant! Like those Guinness commercials with the cartoon guys: "Brilliant!" That kind of weather. Another was that, even without a trainer looking over our shoulders we were able to really push ourselves this morning. We jogged a little farther than he told us to around campus, and sprinted a few times during the jog. As we approached the SRC on the return, my legs were about dead, and I figure that's a good sign. We also did the unthinkable... ran stairs without being told to. I know. Fall Shape Up builds muscle and kills brain cells.

I felt great today though and am looking forward to tomorrow. Also my back pretty much healed over the weekend and I've been able to fully participate this week.

Brilliant!

Wes - Gettin' Down To Shape Up

Well there are a few different things that I have learned about the Fall Shape Up. Adding to the list of hating squats are now squat jumps and burpies. Burpies combine jumping straight up, falling to the ground, doing a push up and then flying up to jump in the air all over again. Sometimes it is served with a side of "hold this big round exercise ball while you are jumping too".

Some of the things that I have started to notice is that I have lost weight and the muscle definition is returning to my legs. Unfortunately, the definition is not symetrical with my right leg much larger and more defined than my left. My stamina when playing hockey has also greatly improved. No longer do I come to the bench gasping for air and feeling really worn out after games.

I contribute my new found muscles, weight lost, and stamina to both Sara and Michelle. Sara has us doing a good deal of cardio, capped off this past week by running from the SRC up "A" mountain and then back to the SRC. Tomorrow we get to run a 5K. That should be interesting, I'm guessing they find me passed out 2 miles in since I am going to try and do it in less than 25 minutes. No real reason for this besides the fact that I hate running, so the faster I can get it done the better it seems to me.

Michelle has been kicking our butts in other ways. Last Thursday we did the "Pumping Iron" class. Which is weight lifting constantly for almost an hour straight. My legs were burning for days after that one. Today we did some circut training, which was more than just circut training. It involved weight lifting, boxing, and running. I hope that one day Michelle puts gloves on and we can really box. I have some anger that needs expressing.

This program has been really productive and enjoyable. It has provided me with a way to get to know new people and other ones better. It has also provided me with the rigidity of meeting every day. Last week I missed a day due to a doctor appointment and have been mocked ever since. The only thing that I think I should be doing differently is eating better and more healthy food. I plan on talking with the trainers and organizers about this. Because if I can incorporate that into this program too, I might just get down enough weight to actually see some six pack shape!!!!

Sadat - On to Week 4

I again did nothing very active over the weekend, and thought I would definitely pay for it today. I actually had one of my best days yet of the program. We started off with a 15 minute run on the track. The few times we have run, i usually end up being between 4th and 6th back. Today, was much the same in the beginning. I was around 4th place, and the more in shape people were ahead of me, like Cross Country Guy. But today, after lap one, i pushed ahead as much as i could, went as fast as i could, took longer strides then i normally do, and ended up around 2nd for almost the entire run. Right behind Cross Country Guy, and by right behind, i mean he lapped me. Hes fast! I felt good about that run, but then a good ole rib cramp made me walk for most of the 4th lap.

We then did some circuit lifting. I really dont understand the meaning of "choose a light weight" no matter what ive picked everytime the trainers said that, it stinkin hurts.

Looking forward to some more boxing tomorrow. Not looking forward to a 5K on Wednesday.... is anyone actually ready for that?

Sonia - Week 3

Completed week 3 which included the "A" mountain climb. So I walked to "A", the rest of our group ran, walked and finally arrived to begin the climb! Well I managed to meet our group running down the mountain as I was climbing and climbing and some more climbing! I finally arrived at the base of the "A", and looked up and realized I still had to reach the point - NOT going to happend on this day!! I sat down, looked around, drank water and the proceed the descend. Pretty easy to begin with until there was no more railing to hang on to - so I decided if I slipped I would roll all the way to Tucson??? Completed the descend, walked back to the SRC! Thus my blog for week 3!

Amy - Week #3 Done

I had to take a few things easy today because I hurt my lower back on Tuesday during our workout. I know... first a pulled groin and now a hurt back, but I swear I'm not trying to get out of literally working my a** off. Speaking of which, our trainer said that our commitment in this program is going to start making visible results soon, probably around 4-6 weeks. It'll be interesting to see how all these workouts start making a difference, and what those differences are. I haven't lost any weight, but I'm pretty sure I've lost inches in various places.

Our trainer today handed back our food diaries from the first week with notes and suggestions for our specific diets. It was really helpful having such personalized outside perspective. For me he suggested to focus on eating all my carbohydrate-rich foods (whole and multi-grain) early on in the day so that I don't crave cookies/cake in the later afternoon and evening. He also wrote out some healthier substitutions for when I do crave those snacks, such as extra-dark chocolate, low-fat string cheese, nuts, cottage cheese and fruit, etc. Those snacks actually sound pretty good. So I may "reward" myself this weekend by stocking up on those healthy treats, versus food rewards that totally throw everything out the window for which I've worked during the week.

I've found that often when my diet is filled with trash it is because I haven't planned ahead, or really thought about what I would most enjoy. In those moments I'll grab the closest thing to kill a craving, instead of thinking first about what is tasty and satisfying as well as a food that my body can USE to help me function. I like how it feels to take ownership for what I put into my body. Sometimes when I talk to my friends it's as if we view food as something that controls us, instead of our bodys' fuel source that we need to take charge of. It's difficult... but very possible, and enjoyable when done the right way. And I'm slowly learning more about doing it the right way.

I have a back massage scheduled for tomorrow morning at the SRC so hopefully I'll be at the top of my A-game on Monday. The run on A Mountain didn't hurt my back much at all and the natural motion of running/walking helped to align it a little bit. Erego, If I work out this weekend I'm focusing on cardio, not heavy lifting :) Maybe I'll even check out that A Mountaintop view again...

Sadat - Week 3 Wrap Up

I felt like we started slow this week but damn did it pick up at the end. I didnt feel like i was sweating enough in the beginning of the week but the end of the week i was soaking wet.

The A Mountain run was great. I have not gone up A Mountain yet in the 2 years I have been here so i was excited to get up there. I was actually pretty nervous about being able to actually make it to the mountain let alone go up it. But the run went pretty quick to get there. I tried running up as many stairs as i could going up the hill but, that did not last long. There was also a very steep black top area that killed my already lunge beaten hamstrings. And then there were the 3-4 foot stairs that were interesting to scale. The view from the top was pretty sweet and was worth the burning feeling in my lower body. The run back took a little longer but i pushed the run as hard as i could. Overall, it only took about 25-30 mins.

Today was killer. Michelle, my nemesis, had us participate in her Pumping Iron class. At first I thought, its just an aerobics class, how bad can it be? But, she prefaced it this morning with an encouraging email of "Prepare to Die". Sweet. Found out the class is no joke. Basically, you lift every major muscle group to complete exhaustion with sets of 1 sec down 1 sec up, to 3 sec down 1 sec up, and reps between 2-8 and sometimes 15. Box Lunges, squats, dead lifts, back rows, bicep curls, bench press, close grip bench, skull crushers, cleans, military presses and abs. Wow. Felt ever muscle shake at the end of each set. I had to stop a few times, but then id look behind me and a 40 - 50 yr old lady behind me is just truckin along without a problem, and i was like what the Heck is going on here. So i had to keep going.

Cant wait to find out what today feels like tomorrow.....

Tara-Where I am slacking in blogging, I am making up for in my workouts

I apologize for not writing in a while. I sat down last Friday and blogged, but time got away from me. Now it is Thursday.

I am finally over the 2 week hump (and almost done with the 3rd). Our trainer said that if you can make it through the first two weeks, then you usually stay with the program. This is definitely true. I have loved every minute of it (the pain only last for a little while)!

Here are a couple of things I have definitely realized since this journey started.
1. I HATE RUNNING!
Put me on a piece of cardio equipment for an hour, make me do lunges until I bleed, make me lift weights until I cry out in pain....but please, dont make me run. I really do desire to become a runner, but it is just hard. We ran to A-Mountain yesterday and I ran about 3/4 of the way there, but my legs just ache when I run. I dont mind the hard breathing but the pounding on the knees and the weakness in my legs just breaks me down. Our trainer says it is just in our minds... my mind is willing, my legs are not.

2. I didnt realize how in-shape I was 10 years ago and how out-of-shape I am now.
I was a college athlete and worked out everyday of my college career (sometimes two). A lot of these things that we are doing, I did all the time and they were easy. Not the case anymore, now stretching is even hard for me. I get so angry at myself that I have gotten this way. I am not expecting to be in college shape, but at least be able to run a mile, 20 push-ups the man-way with no problem, and think "this is easy" when they say to do 10 burpies. We hiked A-Mountain yesterday and I was dying the whole way up. I have climbed a fourteener in Colorado, I can't even make it up A-mountain. I can't wait for the end of the 12 weeks, it is going to be so rewarding to see what I have accomplished. I think I want to stay in this program forever.

3. No weight loss, but definitely losing some inches (the belly is not so round anymore)
I weighed myself last week and had not lost any weight. But, I think if I took my measurements, you will definitely see some changes. I now have a mini-tire around my waste :). My legs are a little more defined as well. I need to change my eating habits and think I am going to start the online Nutrition plan they gave me at the start of this thing. I will let you know how it goes.

One last thing... if anyone out there is wondering if I worked out last Friday or not, I am happy to report that I DID!!!! It was a mini accomplishment. I felt good, and will do it tomorrow as well.

Signing off!
Tara

Amy - We ran A Mountain!

Yesterday as I walked to work I glanced to my right over the SRC fields and saw that big yellow A on the mountain staring back at me in defiance... and today that defiant mountain has been conquered.

I actually really love walking/running A Mountain. I like to go up there during stressful periods of the semester because the view just can't be matched. In Phoenix, that is :) It had been a while since I'd been up there watching the clouds stretch over this city. So it was amazing knowing that I was standing on the top after some physically challenging weeks in Fall Shape Up.

Even through the sweat, the dirty knees and elbows (from planks and berpies in Sparky's Yard), and tight, sore muscles, I am loving this whole experience. I even love the early mornings. We're out there with the ROTC kids most days. They tend to give us strange looks. I tried to invite some of the ROTC officers to run with us today as we passed them on Palm Walk, but they declined. Okay... they laughed, but I think they were just jealous of our trainer, Zack, and his red sweatband.

Sadat- Day: 10

Last couple of days have not been too crazy. We have been doing some things we've already done and a few things I am used too. Biggest update so far, it does not hurt to do lunges anymore. I think after last week my body gave up on trying to keep me sore, so my hamstrings dont kill every day now. But this past weekend left me completely exhausted. I help set up triathlons on the side and after working 7a-6p on Saturday and 330a-3p on Sunday in the heat, you dont feel all that great on Monday, so this week i have been slacking a little bit on the workouts. Hopefully i pick it up tomorrow, but we got the "A" Mountain run. Did i mention i do not like running before? Ya, i think i did.

Total Weight loss to date: 7lbs.

Sadat - Week 2 Recap

I realized that Fall Shape Up reminds me of something. I remember when I played football in High School in California. We used to have practices in the burning (not as hot as AZ) heat. Full pads, 4-5 hrs each. Middle of the day. I remember waking up every morning with a nervous feeling in my stomach. I didn't know what we were getting into that day during practices, I just knew it was going to hurt. I knew I loved playing it, but the anticipation of not knowing whats going to happen next left me with a nervous twitch until I got onto the field. After practice was over, I felt great, and was ready for the next day, until I woke up again.

Fall Shape Up feels like the exact same thing. I am completely excited about doing it each day, its just that I dont know what my physical limits are yet for the shape I am in, and get nervous if the next workout is going to push me past it or if I cant do it. Even though we have a schedule of what we will be doing, you really dont know what it means til you get started. So far, its pushed me farther than I have pushed my self the last few years. I know its only been 2 weeks, but I think back to my post about running a mile the first day and how difficult that was the first day. Well, everything else since then makes it look like a stroll in the park.

This week was great, there was a lot of agility and athletic lifts, alot of endurance exercises, and alot of sweat. I enjoyed the boxing day we had on Wednesday the most so far. I hope we get to do more of it. I also suggested we do yoga (which is something I am interested in learning) but I think maybe the entire group shot it down. Well see, maybe it can be integrated some how.

Hopefully my hamstrings get a little rest over the weekend, so I can get through another hard week next week.

Sonia week 2

Week 2 found more sore body parts - and I found out that I DON"T like boxing!! Don't like any part of it!! Rest of the class is great! - so Michelle oops did I say her name - what's the next game plan for BOXING NOT!!

Sonia week 1

Whewwww! I completed week 1 - some sore body parts - however it is a good sore body parts! On to week 2.

Amy - Loooooong Cardio Days...

We finished our workout about an hour ago... I'm feeling good, especially now that it is over and I know I worked hard! To clarify, feeling good does involve some soreness for me :)

We started with jogging 3/4 of the way around the volleyball courts in the middle of the SRC fields, and then sprinting that extra 1/4. We did this for 5 minutes, and we did it as a warm-up! After stretching, Zack gave us 1 minute for water and then we jogged over to the stairs at the business school. I probably should have jogged home at that point... because we ran stairs for the rest of the workout, from the base to the 1st floor, then down, then to the 2nd, then down, and so on.

There are a lot of different ability levels in this class. In these first two weeks I think our trainer has been figuring out what those are, because he's now starting to push those who can handle it harder. For example, after reaching the 4th floor on the stairs, three of us jogged to the ground floor and he grabbed us and took us for a run around the whole west business building. And then we went right back into the stairs.

As hard as it was, I loved our workout today. I love the feeling that the morning is barely begun and I've already finished probably the hardest thing that I will do for the day. Now it's time to focus on nutrition until 7am tomorrow!

Wesley-Can I Get Some Relief

Well the Fall Shape Up is into week 2. I guess that I needed this class more than I thought. I haven't been this sore for at least 3 years. Everyday I wake up with tight, tight, muscles. People are saying that I'm walking like a penguin. The cause of all this soreness is the amount of lunges that we do everyday. Now I am a sucker for pain and like to be pushed, but man oh man are these lunges killing me. Guess that's what happens when you take a couple of years off from exercising. Besides the lunges I am really liking the program. It's very active and it combines strength training and weights which is something I really like. All the instructors are full of encouragement and truly helpful. Hopefully after this week my legs will return to normal feeling and I can have some new ache to tell everyone about next week. Halfway done with this week. Been loving every minute so far, well except for some of those lunges.

Amy - Week 2

I was excited to jump back into workouts on Monday after a relaxing weekend in Flagstaff. I may have pushed myself a little too hard, however, because I ended up with a pulled muscle during our last sprint. I tried to rest it as much as possible while going to classes all day on Monday, and was a little apprehensive to work out this morning, but it didn't bother me much at all. We'll see how it does tomorrow in our "endurance/conditioning run." Yay?

I actually am pretty excited for tomorrow. More for the feeling after the run is over than how the run itself will feel.

I started the SRC online nutrition program this week as well. It's pretty cool, and a lot of fun to play around with. You can create personal meal plans to count calories and make sure you're getting all the nutrition needed for the amount of physical activity you do during a week, or you can pick other perfectly balanced meal plans that have been created by other users. As a student living on campus it's been easier to create my own meal plans.

My muscles are sore, and I can feel the difference in my body since beginning Fall Shape Up, but I am really looking forward to seeing some of the differences as well. I have to keep reminding myself that permanent changes take time to be put in place, and my ultimate goal is that these changes for a more healthy life would be permanent.

So we'll keep taking baby steps. Or... deep lunges around the track.

Sadat - I Have a New Nemesis...

... and her name is Michelle.

Today we worked out for the first time with Blake and Michelle in Sparky's Yard. We did some light lifting in a circuit with Blake. He was very helpful with making sure everyone had proper form and technique for the 3 lifts that we did.

Then we switched to do cardio with Michelle. I knew it was a bad sign when she came into Sparky's Yard while we were stretching with a trash can in her hand. She smiled, and said "This is in case you puke." We went to some outdoor stairs. At the top were 24 weight plates, ranging from 2.5lbs to 10 lbs. We had to run up the stairs, grab a plate, set it on the bottom and repeat. Everyone was able to do this 4 times each. Pretty tiring, since my other nemesis besides Michelle are stairs. We then did some lunges. What is it with these trainers and their passion for lunges? Its like breathing to them. We followed that up with some push ups, bringing back the newly located weight plates to their original location (the top of the steps) some shoulder work, a good ole' "Indian Run", followed by taking the weights back down... again. Thanks Michelle!

Today was easily the most challenging day so far for me. I think thats going to be a common theme from here on out. I am looking forward to it though and hopefully next time around, i will be able to run up the steps EACH time instead of just the first time.

Now if i can just walk down the stairs to go home today...

Sadat - Week Two Begins

First day back this week. Probably shoulda done something active over the weekend besides walking my dog. I was breathing pretty heavy today during Fall Shape Up. Today we did our HEAT exercises. High Energy Athletic Training. And thats exactly what it was. We first did a circuit of push ups, squat jumps, jumping jacks, mountain climbers, lunges, and burpies. We did that for 10 minutes, and of course, it was exhausting.

After we finished that we did some high rep lifting. curls into squats, tricep curls into lunges, curls into military press, inner and outter thigh work. It all hurt, but was fantastic. Whats great about these lifts is that once you feel like you cant lift another rep, the trainer changes the body group, so you have to keep going, because that body group isnt tired yet.

Another thing Ive noticed is that whenever the trainer throws something new at you, you can see the look of nervousness on everyones face like, "I cant do that" "Do we have to do this now?" "water break pleaseeee" but as soon as we start it, everyone gets into it. They push aside those feelings of doubt. And when the trainer asks "hows it going?" or "are you liking this?" everyone always grunts out a "Yes".

I saw Michelle, our trainer for tomorrow as I was going back to my office after the session today, she had a huge smile on her face. I asked her, "what are we doing tomorrow?". She replied "Hahaha, i am not telling you!" I asked, "is it going to hurt?" she replied, "YES". Faaaaaantastic, cant wait for tomorrow.

Tara-Recap of thoughts running through my head from last week

So, I am supposed to be blogging every week, but missed the opportunity to blog on Friday. Which I think has it's blessings. After a weekend of resting, my reflections are a little different of the first week than what they might have been on Friday.

Reflection #1: There was no easing into this program.
-I thought after the testing it would be a week of easing into working out. But, I was wrong. It was cardio galore, no excuses, get your butt in gear! And you know what? I LOVED EVERY MINUTE OF IT! Even though, I told our trainer that I hated her (many times), I thought it was great! No excuses, get your butt in gear, motivate yourself, move it, move it, move it! This is what I needed.

Reflection #2: It hurt more before.
-I was definitely sore throughout the week, but it is a different sore than before. Before last week, I would wake up and my back, neck, and legs would hurt (and no, I didn't exercise before this). Maybe it is my bed (yes, I need to get a new one), but I think it is from being overweight and the pressure on those parts of the body when I sleep. I actually felt good when I woke up last week (even though I was a little sore), those areas hurt less. It could be because I was focusing on the other parts hurting. In any case, I felt better in the morning than I had felt in a long time. This program is worth the pain I go through for an hour each day.

Reflection #3: I sleep better.
-Monday-Thursday night, I slept the best I have slept in about a year. I have some small cases of insomnia where I get up in the middle of the night and watch TV or I ponder things for about an hour. I slept right through. I didn't realize that the physical activity is what made me sleep better until I saw this quick news special on insomnia and exercise is one of the cures for it. I guess I am proof of that.

Reflection #4: I need to eat better.
-I know that another fellow blogger went cold turkey last Monday and added a diet as well to Fall Shape Up. I am not a cold turkey type person, but am committed to eating better. I am going to start with my lunch choices every day and bring something healthy to eat and munch on all day. Once I conquer this area, I am going to work on the dinners.

Reflection #5: I want to do more things.
-On Friday, I found myself a little bummed that we were not working out today. I brought my workout clothes just in case I wanted to work out and even went the next step of telling someone I brought clothes and to come find me when he works out, but I failed to do it. I fell into the old thought patterns of making excuses of why I can't work out. Fall Shape Up is great because I have to work out Mon-Thurs and have co-workers who will get onto me if I do not. So, I am putting in my schedule now, that on Friday, I will at least get 30 minutes of cardio in.

That's it for now, more to follow.
Toodles.

Daryl Week 1/Disappointment

Well we are one week in and I've now had to momentarily drop out. I had surgery on my thumb on Thursday and this ruled out any possibility of physical activity for a two week period, this will be a significant hindrance to the Shape-Up routine, especially since it is mainly predicated on consistency. I hope I will have no further complications and will be able to rejoin the group on October 5, it will be interesting to see how people have improved in that amount of time.

The three days I were able to attend were good and heavily cardio based. I am a person looking to build muscle and doubt that this routine will help with that. But it should at the very least give me a much stronger core and help with endurance. The first day was a testing day, so we could watch our improvement over the weeks. There was a 1.3 mile run which I was able to finish in 9:48; not terrible but I would say a good goal for me would be to run 3.1 miles in under 19:00 minutes, something I have not done since high school. But a good starting point. We also did a push up and sit up test. These tests see how many you can get in over a one minute time period, I was gassed by the 0:45 second mark on both, so there is definite room for improvement here as well. Finally they weighed us. I came in at 175. I would actually like to weigh around 180, but there is a definite need to reproportion the weight. My legs hurt from the run for the next day, I need to get in better shape.

Day two we went to Sparky's Yard and did some cross training and weights. A lot of it focused on stretching and I realized that while I have been a fairly active person, I concentrate very little on stretching. After this day I couldn't tell if I was sore from the work out or the stretching. We also did some lifting today. Dumbell bent and upright rows as well as shoulder press and bench press. My first set I was a little more ambitious than I should have been. Zack (the trainer) said to grab a weight we thought we could lift 20 times, so I did - not realizing we would be lifting this weight for nearly a minute and a half. This was the first of the excersises I was unable to complete in the Shape up, but there have been more since. I dropped down to a more reasonable weight the next time and things were still very challenging.

Cardio Day. Run as many laps as you can for half an hour. By the way laps include not just the SRC track, but a little jaunt over to WP Carey's fourth floor. I was proud that I never stopped to walk and at the very end of the work out Zack came to run the last quarter mile with me, he's faster than I am. You know how horses get to running to fast and just have to pull up and lay on the ground? That is how I felt when I had finished the end of that run. Then we stretched out and that was the day. Challenging for sure. I also find I don't get into work until 8:15, but well we finish on time I always continue to sweat for the next 20 minutes after the workout, gross I know, and need to cool down before I am able to shower. I am already feeling more confident about my endurance, but we will see how much worse things get after two weeks of no physical activity.

Daryl

Amy - End of the first week

Wednesdays are listed as long cardio days for this program, and yesterday was definitely that. We jogged around the SRC track, and at the SW corner of the track sprinted to the business school, up the stairs to the 4th floor, back to the track, and then back to a jog. We did this for 30 minutes, or until exhaustion.

I pushed myself pretty hard and felt amazing afterward (if you count sore quads as part of that amazing). It was just great to go through my day feeling like I had accomplished something big at the beginning of it. In general I'm really liking these morning workouts. I would never consistently get up in the morning by myself, but the motivation of having a set time is helping me get into a pattern. Hopefully after this program is over I'll be able to continue that pattern on my own.

Today we had more of a recovery day from yesterday than a hard workout, although I was still sweating afterward. I'm excited for the weekend and a trip to Flagstaff with my family that I have planned. Maybe I'll run up a mountain, or a pine tree so that I don't die in our workout on Monday :)

Sadat- Week One - Done

So week one is over and done with here. And here is the run down.

* My legs went from feeling great on Monday, to terrible Tuesday, to silly putty Wednesday , to ehh not so bad Thursday.
* I switched my diet from eating whatever I want to a portioned controlled, 5 - 6 small meal a day diet since Monday. Going cold turkey on a diet is never any funny. But so far, i havent slipped up on it.
* Went from drinking a gallon of Ice tea probably every 2-3 days to only water, 2 cups per meal.
*I have lost 4 pounds so far. I know its mainly water weight, but I havent weighed this much in over a year and a half. So that is encouraging.
* Working out with 10 other people is great, because you dont want to give up when you normally would.
* I like the different types of workouts we are doing, because i would never do them on my own.
* I look forward to this everyday so far.
* I am terrified of whatever Michelle, our Asst. Director of Fitness, is going to do to us next week for her workout with us.
* Lifting to exhaustion hurts like hell, but feels great afterwards.
* I am still sore.
* Now the weekends coming and i gotta make sure i do something to be active during that time.

On to next week....

Amy - Two workouts in!

It's Tuesday night and it's been a long couple of days with my normal school/work schedule. Added to that are sore muscles from Fall Shape Up, but it's the good kind of sore.

Monday morning we completed some assessments, including running a little over a mile, one minute of push-ups, and one minute of crunches. I was fairly happy with what I could do and I'm really looking forward to our second assessment to see just how far I've come.

This morning we spent an hour in Sparky's Yard, which reminded me of summer camp with it's big tent and dried leaves in the corners. We did a variety of drills; running, jogging, burpies (birpies? berpies? Anyway you spell it, it comes out h-e-l-l), weights, circuit training, etc. I love the whole body aspect of the work-out. I usually focus on jogging, with a few push-ups and sit-ups almost as an afterthought, but today was great. I was sweating and working muscles all over my body.

We're keeping a food diary for two days now to be handed in to our trainer on Thursday morning. It's made me think twice about eating a few things. Do I really want to have to tell my trainer I ate three cookies? Shame is a motivator. :)

I looked over our syllabus for the first time tonight and got pretty excited about it. In just a couple of weeks we'll be running A Mountain? There's some ASU fitness spirit for you. Bring it, Sparky, I'll race you to the top.

Sadat - Day Two

So today was tougher than yesterday. We were in Sparky's Yard and did some lifting and running. For strength exercises we used a low weight to do dead lifts, then bicep curls, then a squat into a military press,... for a minute and a half. Needless to say, it burned. As soon as we finished, we did weighted lunges for the length of Sparkys Yard. We then ran the path way between Sparkys yard and the East Turnstile exit 5 times back and forth. Now let me tell you, I have walked that path a million times. But today, it felt like it was the size of a football field. Maybe it was the heat, maybe it was because my legs felt like jell-o, but it went slow. We then did the whole thing again, went up stairs did some crunches, push ups bridges and squats followed by 6 minutes on the ellipticals and some core exercises. By the end, I was a sweaty mess, but I loved every minute of it.
I typically dont ever do this type of training. Its always been either lifting or cardio, never really done it one after the other. But i like it. I think this will help me to be more athletic, which i do want. Overall, it was a long work out, it kicked my butt and i look forward to more of it tomorrow.

Sadat: Big Surprise. Found out I am not a Runner.

Today was Day one of Fall Shape Up. We completed baseline testing today in four areas. Weight, Pushups, situps, and a one mile run. When I heard this is what we were doing, i was a little nervous about the run. I have not ran in years. I am not good at it. I am the Detroit Lions of running. If N'Sync was the boy band of running, I'd be Joey Fatone. But, before i started this thing, i told myself i would not quit on anything or do anything half a**ed. So, today we got on the treadmill, I put that sucker on 6 MPH's and did the mile in 9:47. Not, bad considering I thought I would do it in over 12 minutes. I am also pretty happy that I didn't stop once to get water, walk, or anything. My shin splints flared up, but I had Guns N' Roses "Welcome to the Jungle" playing on my head phones, so I was alright. After that, we did the push ups and i was done at 46 again. Next, we did sit ups, full sit ups this time. Well at least now I know what I have to beat by December. looking forward to some circuit training in Sparkys Yard tomorrow.

Everyone in the group seems to be there for the same reason, to better themselves. I look forward to getting to know all of them more and motivating each other.

Alright back to the grind. Talk to you all soon.

Wesley-Shaping Up So I Don't Fall Down

So begins a new aspect of my life. I am Wesley and I need to get into better shape. Luckily, I have been provided with an opportunity to do just that. As an employee at the SRC I was chosen to participate in the Fall Shape Up.

I have been involved with sports and physical exercise all my life. Even so, this will be the first time that I will have such a physically demanding schedule. For the next 12 weeks I will be training 4 days out of the 7 with a group of others who wanted to get into the best shape of their lives. This will be demanding not only because I'm not in the greatest shape, but I will also be participating in intramurals and ice hockey at the same time.

What I am hoping to get from this program is to gain back the physical standards that I used to have and then exceed them. 3 years ago I was involved in an accident that left me unable to participate in any physical activity. It is only recently that I have been able to resume a full regimen of sports and working out. Trying to do it on my own has not been productive. That and all the Cokes I drink and junk food I eat. With this program I plan on being transformed into the lean, mean, fighting machine known as Snipes.

It all begins this coming Monday. I am really looking forward to the challenge of accomplishing my goals, meeting new people, and hopefully inspiring people that have had an injury like my own. Inspiring them that its possible to not only return to the level of fitness before the injury, but recovery and exceed the peak at which you once were.

Amy - The Change begins!

I'm a student employee with the SRC and I work at the admin desk. I study music therapy here at ASU, and I'm very excited to start Fall Shape Up next week.

It's weird to think that a major life change begins on Monday! I am a fairly healthy person and on average I exercise a couple of times a week. The reason I signed up for this program, however, is that I feel like I keep hitting a wall in the area of health and fitness. I will be very proactive about working out for a couple of weeks, and then go several weeks without doing much of anything. Or I will eat healthy and enjoy moderate portion sizes, and then I will fall out of that rhythm until guilt sets in. I also feel as though I will work hard either in the area of nutrition or fitness (rarely do I focus on them at the same time), and then I'll reach a point where I am almost satisfied with how I look and feel. Then I start to backslide instead of working harder to lose that last six to ten pounds.

I'm super pumped for Fall Shape Up to be that extra motivation I need to go the extra mile (literally) for great fitness! I'm excited to share the process with you blog readers out there as well :)

I had my first assessment today and it went well. I was really nervous showing up because I didn't know what to expect. It was intimidating wondering if there would be one thousand other people in the room watching while I stepped on the scale. But then again, I guess this blog is a little bit like a thousand people watching our whole "get in shape" processes. I'm nervous about this whole thing, but my excitement is weighing out my nervousness. We'll see how I feel on Monday after the first work-out!

I'm not someone who would qualify for Biggest Loser or other extreme fitness programs out there. So I think this will be a great experiment in what happens to a pretty normal person who makes a big change.

Sonia's fall shape up thoughts

I am very nervous as I began this Fall Shape Up program AND writing on this Blog. I dont like to share my insecurities and it seems that this opportunity is bring this forth and stressing me out. I am looking forward to Monday and not sure if I will be able to move the next day but will go forth. I think once I get comfortable with this work-out program and blogging, I will be able to share more.
Wish me luck,
Sonia

Tara's thoughts before the Fall Shape Up starts

So, a little about myself.

I'm 33, married, and the mother of an adorable 9 month old little girl named Zoe. I am about 40-50 lbs over my ideal healthy weight and the fat mainly lies in my belly (no, the tire around my belly is not part of the outfit). All the weight I gained from my pregnancy, I lost in 8 weeks after I had her, but I have slowly (or quickly) gained about 30 lbs since then and have really tried to deny it by wearing baggy clothes, making jokes about my weight, or covering up the embaressment by just eating more.

As for weight-loss techniques, I have tried almost all of them. Weight watchers was the most successful, but that taught me how to fast for a day before each weigh in and then gorge myself that night after the weigh-in (not healthy). I tried Atkins but that was gross eating all that meat. I even did Phen-fen back in the day. About two years ago, I stopped eating red meat and joined a "Commit to get fit" group and lost about 20 lbs and felt really good. But, got pregnant and so anything with the word exercise was thrown out the window with the alcohol and fish I couldn't eat or drink.

I am also an ex-college athlete and know what I need to do, but just don't have the motivation. I don't really enjoy excersing, probably because it was a job for me in college (lifiting weights, running, and practicing EVERYDAY). But, I do welcome the discipline I miss from those years of my life.

This Fall Shape Up opportunity is a great thing eventhough I might look like I am not enjoying myself or will complain often. I know that if I am committed to it, this could change my lifestyle (which would be awesome). I know I am not going to be able to get out of doing this because I have 3 other people that I work with doing this, and they will get onto me if I give up. So, here I go, it starts on Monday, so I might reward myself this weekend and go and buy a new work-out outfit.

Toodles,
Tara

Sadat - Pre Fall Shape Up

A little bit about me; I am a 26 year old male. I work as Program Coordinator at the SRC. I am out of shape. Ive always struggled with staying in shape and being healthy. Only once in my life have I ever felt completely fit. That was back in my sophomore year of college. I buckled down, followed a strict work out and diet regimen, and was very motivated. I went from weighing 215 leaving freshmen year in college, to weighing 168 before college started up again. Then college started, and fitness went out the window and partying took over again. I gained everything back.

Since then, I haven't been motivated at all to do much. I've tried to get back into working out again, but could never keep it routine and I had other commitments including work and school. This past summer is probably the most motivated I have been in recent years. I have lost 11lbs and feeling a little bit better. But, there's a ton more for me to work on, and I am excited to get started.

Next week I begin Fall Shape Up. I have never worked with a personal trainer before, but I am looking forward to see what they have to offer. I feel like I know more about fitness and working out than the Average Joe, but there is always something to learn.

I did my assessment today and actually felt pretty good about it. Thought I was going to do alot worse than I did. My blood pressure was good, my VO2Max needs help, got 71 sit ups in a minute, and 46 push ups in before exhaustion. Hopefully, I will improve on all of them by December.

My goals are to lose between 20-30lbs, lose a few inches on the belt, lose fat and gain lean muscle. I do not want to add any more size to my muscles. I am hoping to be more athletic, flexible and overall live a more healthy life.

Check in next week for an update.

Daryl Pre-Shape Up

In two weeks I begin my Fall Shape Up Program. Couldn't be looking more forward to it. I have been working out on my own over the summer, but just hit the wall. My goal has been to add muscle and lose some belly fat. The muscle was coming along, but in the last two weeks I have actually lost some strength and weight (about 7 pounds), which is a bit discouraging, because weight loss is not a goal of mine.
I am hoping I will be able to learn some ways to avoid these types of set backs and also to see additional progress once the Shape Up begins. I am skeptical, but definitely worth the chance to see what happens.
I am also a little apprehensive about the cardio portion of the shape up and in particular the initial testing. Usually this is a strength of mine, but I have sustained an hand injury which has forced me to not play any basketball for the last three weeks. Basketball has been my cardio for years, I have played multiple times a week. It occurred to me that I have not substituted any activity for basketball since I have been hurt. So anything involving running should be difficult.
I am most interested to see the ways a trainer will go about getting me to my goals, compared to the route I have taken on my own. I'm excited.