Workout Update: Lift 4/Beginner Pilates Doubles Day 33

For Day 33 I switched up the Pilates workout. Instead of doing the hips, buns, and thighs workout, I tried the 20-minute express workout. That one is much tougher as there are no modified moves, and it has a much quicker pace, going from move to move without much setup. Then, in Lift-4 it was leg day, and this time it was a 50/50 workout, which meant three rounds of two different exercises, back-to-back, lifting heavy for most of the exercises. Then, three rounds of HIIT cardio doing three different moves, one for a minute, one for 45 seconds, and one for 30 seconds. Then, finishing it off, as always, with three rounds of alternating between two core exercises. The entire workout was very tough because the entire thing, even the core-focused moves, uses your legs. In the resistance portion you are lifting as heavy as possible so by the time you get to the cardio, you are pretty much gassed. Again, the people in the video were having a hard time, so you know it is a good workout.  

Workout Update: Lift 4/Beginner Pilates Doubles Day 32

Day 32 was Fundamentals 2 in Pilates and Shoulders in Lift-4. This time the shoulders workout was an interval workout doing three rounds of three exercises back-to-back, without any rest between the exercises and minimal rest between the sets, then finishing with three rounds of two core exercises. So, even without any cardio, it was very tough.  

Workout Update: Lift 4/Beginner Pilates Doubles Day 31

Day 31 was Fundamentals 1 in Pilates and a recovery day in Lift 4. I ended up doing the foam roller workout and then the pilates workout back-to-back in the evening. I skipped the stretching workout in Lift-4 since the Pilates workout does most of the same types of moves that the stretch workout has. I was pretty busy in the morning so I could not do the usual Pilates in the morning and  Lift-4 in the evening, but I got it done. 

Workout Update: Lift 4/Beginner Pilates Doubles Day 30

Day 30 was Fundamentals 2 in pilates and back and biceps in Lift-4. The back and biceps workout was a circuit workout, doing two blocks of four exercises, back-to-back, with just a few seconds of rest between them for three rounds. Then you do a burnout round of two exercises for three rounds (back extensions and full curls), and then finish with three rounds of cardio.  I am not sure if I like the circuit days better than the 50/50 days. They both have their plusses and minuses (at least when it comes to getting through them), which is probably why the program is set up the way it is. I do like that the workouts do not repeat over and over, even though the exercises that you are doing in the workouts do. That is one thing about the earlier programs from when everything was on DVD, they could get boring after a while, if for no other reason that you watched the same thing over and over and in P90X heard Tony Horton's same corny jokes over and over. Plus, I think the "real-time" workouts keep your body from adjusting as much since each workout is at least slightly different.

Workout Update: Lift 4/Beginner Pilates Doubles Day 29

Day 29 was Fundamentals 1 in Pilates, and the Chest and Triceps workout in Lift-4, which was a 50/50 workout. Since we are now in week 5 of Lift-4, I did try to bump up the amount of weight I was using for the resistance exercises a bit, but since there is so little time between the exercises, for the second and third sets of a couple of them I had to back off on the amount of weight that I used. The HIIT portion of the workout was tough but not as bad as some other weeks, so I do think my stamina is getting better (slowly). Maybe a little faster than my flexibility is. 

Workout Update: Lift 4/Beginner Pilates Doubles Day 28

Day 28 was an off day from Pilates and the recovery workouts for Lift 4. Again, I did them back-to-back, first the stretch workout and then the foam roller workout. I think each of them would be a little better if they were 15-20 minutes long (especially the foam roller workout), although you could just repeat them if you really wanted to. That said, I do feel much looser after I am finished that I do going into the workouts. 

Workout Update: Lift 4/Beginner Pilates Doubles Day 27

For Day 27, I just did Pilates abs and core and took a total rest day from Lift 4. Again, I am seeing very slight progress in my flexibility and the moves are getting a bit easier. But, I do have to take some breaks here and there. I also like the fact that this workout is very short, just 23 minutes, which makes it much easier to get through without feeling pressed for time. 

Workout Update: Lift 4/Beginner Pilates Doubles Day 26

Day 26 was the Hips, Buns, and Thigh workout in Pilates and Leg day in Lift-4, which was another HIIT day. In this one, you do four HIIT moves back-to-back with just enough rest to catch your breath for three rounds. It follows the same 1-minute, 45 seconds, 30 seconds, and 15 seconds format with the easiest move going for a minute and the hardest move going for 15 seconds. After the three rounds, you have two burnout rounds that consist of doing the same four moves for 30 seconds with no rest between them. Then you do three rounds of two core-focused moves to finish the workout. So, it is another workout in which you are going to be gassed at the end, even if you are in great shape.

Workout Update: Lift 4/Beginner Pilates Doubles Day 25

Day 25 was Fundamentals 2 in Pilates and Shoulders in Lift-4. I actually really like Fundamentals 2, even though it is the harder of two Fundamentals workouts. It is getting easier as time goes on, but as I have said in prior posts, my hips, hamstrings, and back are all very tight, so a lot of the moves are extremely hard for me, and I get almost no range of motion. But, I can tell that it is making my core stronger, especially when I get to the core exercises in Lift-4.

Speaking of Lift-4, today's workout was shoulders, and it was an intervals workout. So that means, three blocks, with each block having two resistance exercises and then a 30-second HIIT exercise. And, of course, you do each round three times. Then you finish with three rounds of two different core exercises. The workout goes very quickly, mostly because you get very little break time between the individual exercises or between the rounds.    

Workout Update: Lift 4/Beginner Pilates Doubles Day 24

Day 24 was the rest day in Lift-4, so I did the two recovery workouts in the morning, and then I did Fundamentals 1 again in Pilates for the evening workout. I can feel the flexibility in my back and hamstrings getting a little better (very slowly) as time goes on. I still have very, very tight hips, hamstrings, and low back, so all of those forward fold moves are tough as hell, but I am getting through it.

Workout Update: Lift 4/Beginner Pilates Doubles Day 23

Day 23 was fundamentals 2 in pilates and back and biceps in Lift-4. The pilates workout again is a little easier each time I do a workout, although there are definitely some exercises that I can barely do, like the side double leg lifts. And stretching forward is still very much a challenge.

The back and biceps workout in Lift-4 was another 50/50 workout, with three circuits of lifting, each lasting three rounds, then three rounds of HIIT cardio, cycling through three cardio exercises for 1 minute, 45 seconds, and 30 seconds, and three rounds of two different core exercises. Both the lifting portion and the cardio portion were very hard today. There are not really any new exercises, it is just doing them back-to-back with little to no rest in between is tough, even for the very fit people in the videos. And, it does not take living a lot of weight to get tired. You can easily, especially if you are a beginner or are getting back in shape, get by using 10 to 25-pound dumbells, depending on the particular exercise. 

Workout Update: Lift 4/Beginner Pilates Doubles Day 22

Day 22 was a return to Fundamentals 1 in pilates. I decided that instead of just doing the three weeks over again, I am going to do what I think would have been a better setup for the program. That is two weeks of the fundamentals workouts, and then two weeks of the core workouts. That will take me to the end of the first round of Lift-4, at which point I will reassess what I want to do. 

The Lift-4 workout was the chest and triceps workout. This week it is a circuit workout in which you do two blocks of four resistance exercises that alternate between chest and triceps exercises, doing three rounds of each block. Then you have a burnout block in which you do wide push-ups for 30 seconds and then triceps push-ups for 30 seconds, repeating for three rounds. Then you finish with three rounds of two core exercises that you do back-to-back for 30 seconds. This is a very rough workout that will have your muscles very fatigued at the end. You keep the same amount of weight on the resistance exercises that you used last week because you are doing the exercises with no rest between them. 

Workout Update: Lift 4/Beginner Pilates Doubles Day 21

Day 21 was a rest day from pilates and was the recovery workout from Lift-4. So, I did the flexibility workout first, followed by the foam roller workout, for a total of about 20 minutes of flexibility work.  While I would be fine if either or both of the workouts were a little longer, like 15 minutes each, by the end of the foam roller workout I do feel pretty good. 

Workout Update: Lift 4/Beginner Pilates Doubles Day 20

Day 20 was the end of the three-week cycle of beginner pilates, doing the abs and core-focused workout. I am going to restart the program tomorrow, going back to fundamentals 1, and essentially redo the three weeks. And then for the final 2 weeks of Lift-4, I will alternate between the various pilates workouts, adding in the shorter routines here and there. I did not do the Lift-4 recovery workouts on Saturday. I just took a break altogether since the pilates workout had a lot of hamstring, hip, and back flexibility work in it anyway. 

Workout Update: Lift 4/Beginner Pilates Doubles Day 19

Day 19 was the Hips, Buns, and Thighs workout for Pilates and legs in Lift-4. The Pilates workout was a little easier than last week's, but not by much. The Lift-4 workout was another 50/50 workout doing three rounds of three different supersets, then doing three rounds of three cardio moves, then two core moves for three rounds. The HIIT cardio portion was definitely harder than the resistance portion, especially by the third round of the cardio. It was another workout that was hard even for the people in the video to get through, so I do not feel bad for having to pause and catch my breath a couple of times.

Workout Update: Lift 4/Beginner Pilates Doubles Day 18

Day 18 was Burn 2 for Pilates and Shoulder Intervals for Lift-4. The Pilates workout was again a little easier than when I did it earlier in the week, but not much. The shoulder workout mostly repeats the moves from the first two weeks, just adding one different move. There are again three blocks that you do for three rounds. There are two resistance moves back-to-back with no rest and then a HITT cardio move that you do for 30 seconds. After you get through the three blocks you do the core block which again alternates two core-focused moves, each of which you do for 30 seconds, and repeats for three rounds. This is, again, a very tough, but overall good workout. I bumped up all my weights a little from last week, and the cardio is getting a bit easier. 

Workout Update: Lift 4/Beginner Pilates Doubles Day 17

Day 17 was Burn 1 in Pilates and the recovery day for Lift-4. Burn 1 was a bit easier this time than it was on Sunday, but there are a few parts that are still very challenging. Some, because I am just not that flexible, and others because it does actually give you a good burn, especially in your abs. I am still a little bit sore from the first two Lift-4 workouts of the week, so the recovery day was definitely welcome.  

Workout Update: Lift 4/Beginner Pilates Doubles Day 16

Day 16 was Burn 2 in Pilates and Back and Biceps in Lift-4. Burn 2 is a little shorter than Burn 1, at just 30 minutes, but it is also a little bit harder. Still doable, but again some of the moves border on Intermediate to Advanced as opposed to beginner to intermediate.

The Lift 4 workout, it is another circuit workout so there is no HITT cardio. You do two quad blocks, doing four exercises, alternating back, biceps, back, and biceps. You do three rounds of each block. Then there are three rounds of burnout circuit in which you do back extensions (like the Superman from P90x, but keeping your feet on the floor) for 30 seconds and biceps curls for 30 seconds back-to-back with no rest between them.  Then, as is the case in all the workouts, you finish with three rounds of alternating core exercises and stretching. So, it is another workout that, even without cardio, gets your heart rate up, and has you struggling at the end. Even the people in the video, all of whom are in very good shape, are gassed by the end of it. 

Workout Update: Lift 4/Beginner Pilates Doubles Day 15

Day 15 was my rest day from Pilates since I did Burn 1 yesterday because of my work schedule today. So, the only workout was Lift-4's week 3 chest and triceps workout. This was another 50/50 workout doing lifting first and then HIIT cardio second. In the lifting portion, the first block is two sets of chest exercises (presses and flys) back-to-back for three rounds. Then in the next block, you do a chest move (rotating presses) and a triceps move (kickbacks) for three rounds. In the last block, you do two triceps exercises (skull crushers and triceps push-ups).  Once you do all that you do three rounds of cardio, each with three moves that you do for 1 minute (180-degree squats), 45 seconds (soccer juggle), and 30 seconds (jumping lunges), respectively. Then you finish with three rounds of alternated core exercises (weighted crunches and side crunches). The workout is tough because you should be upping the amount of weight you are using from the first two weeks, and doing triceps push-ups at the end when your chest and triceps are totally worn out, his hard as hell. 

Workout Update: Lift 4/Beginner Pilates Doubles Day 14

For Day 14, the schedule was a rest day for Pilates and a recovery day for Lift-4. However, tomorrow morning I have work commitments that are very close in time to when I would be finishing the Pilates workout, so I did Burn 1 today so I do not have to rush tomorrow, especially since it is a 40-minute workout. This basically keeps building on moves from the flow and fundamentals workouts, with a couple of the moves being what I would describe as intermediate or advanced intermediate. Basically, the kind of things you would get in a regular class. For the most part, Lisa does break down the moves before you actually do them, but there are a couple of moves for which she uses the demo move as the first rep in the set of 8 or 10 reps so if you are watching her you may start out a rep behind her. The workout is challenging, and I definitely had to pause a couple of times, but it is not impossible. 

For Lift-4 I just did the flexibility workout and skipped the foam rolling. So, I ultimately did the same number of workouts as I normally would have today, just modified things a bit. I will be back on the regular schedule on Tuesday.