FOCUS T25 - WEEK 5 - Week of 11/18/2013

MONDAY - NOVEMBER 18, 2013 - Core Cardio

This is my first Beta workout. I knew it was going to be harder than the Alpha phase, but I wasn't sure how much harder. First of all, I burned more calories and had a higher Average Heart Rate than any of the Alpha workouts. But it really wasn't that bad. There weren't a lot of coordination moves, so I was able to go harder, rather than watching what they were doing. I actually enjoyed most of it. I'm anxious to see if the rest of the Beta Phase is the same.

Time: 25 minutes; Calories Burned: 325; Avg Heart Rate: 138; Max Heart Rate: 158.


TUESDAY - NOVEMBER 19, 2013 - Speed 2.0

Non-stop moving. The moves were simple, so I liked it. A lot. I thought I'd burned more calories than I did.

Time: 25 minutes; Calories Burned: 298; Avg Heart Rate: 133; Max Heart Rate: 152.


WEDNESDAY - NOVEMBER 20, 2013 - Rip't Circuit

I have to admit I was afraid of this one going into it. I was imagining it being harder than Alpha's Total Body Circuit, I was pretty sure there were weights involved, and even the name scared me a bit. Turned out it wasn't so bad. I used 15 lb weights with no problems, and got through most of the other moves OK, including the 4 count pushups during the last few minutes. I liked the fact that each exercise was one minute long. That's the first time in this program I noticed that happening. So far, I'm liking the Beta phase. On the bad side, I'm starting to slip on the good eating again. I was a bit bummed by the weight increase from last week, so I've lost a bit of motivation there. After trying to find the cause, I realized I'd eaten a ton of almonds last week, using them as a "healthy" snack. I think I overdid it.

Time: 25 minutes; Calories Burned: 275; Avg Heart Rate: 126; Max Heart Rate: 160.


THURSDAY - NOVEMBER 21, 2013 - Stretch

Don't know what's wrong with me. I got home, exhausted from work. Took a nap. Got up to do my Stretch workout, but decided to watch a bit of the Sabres game with a little bit of ice cream. It was good, so I kept eating it. Stupid me. I felt the heaviness in me during a Stretch workout! I didn't even stretch real well. I need to get over this. (I will.)

Time:  25 minutes: Calories Burned: 138; Avg Heart Rate: 95; Max Heart Rate: 110.


FRIDAY - NOVEMBER 22, 2012 - Dynamic Core

I wasn't sure what to expect on this one. The Beta workouts haven't been as bad as I'd anticipated, and this one followed suit. The moves for the first 20 minutes were relatively simple, and I wondered if it was doing anything to my core. The last five minutes were a bit tougher, especially the last minute. When I was done I could feel my abs were tight, and about a half hour later, they were actually a bit sore. So something was working.

Time: 25 minutes; Calories Burned: 216; Avg Heart Rate: 112; Max Heart Rate: 147.


SATURDAY - NOVEMBER 23, 2013 - Upper Focus

I was a bit worried about this one, because upper body strength isn't my forte. I was expecting a lot of pushups. Turns out there were only two sets of those. There was a lot of core and cardio moves that had little to do with upper body. I used 15lbs on the numerous weight moves, and didn't have too many problems there. The only place I really slowed down was on the burpee to pushup moves. For some reason, my feet were slipping on the carpet when I went back, and it was tough getting back up quickly.

Time: 25 minutes: Calories Burned: 266; Avg Heart Rate: 124; Max Heart Rate: 151.


SUNDAY - NOVEMBER 24, 2013 - Rest


SUNDAY WEIGH IN
Weight: 194.0 (-1.2 lbs)
Body Fat: 21.2% (-0.1%)

I'm happy with the drops, but I really didn't eat all that well this week.


THOUGHTS FOR THE WEEK

This was my first week with the Beta workouts. I didn't find them that much tougher than the Alpha workouts, and I actually liked them better because there weren't a lot of moves that required a ton of coordination. Overall I was pleased.