[quote name='MightySlacker']I was just hopping on here to congratulate you on finishing. Good job! I assume you were on hard intensity, I looked at workout 36 for me on hard and it's 50 minutes, 38 exercises and 550 calories burned. I'm on medium, but its still 45:00/34/479. I imagine the calorie number will go down as my weight gets updated. Still not looking forward to it.
Can you tell us a little bit about your "progress" since you've started the game? Not sure if you've had any weight goals, but can you notice improvements in endurance, strength, flexibility? I'll be measuring myself tomorrow at my 2 month marker, and I should finish phase 1 tomorrow as well, so I'll have a few things to share (besides hating mountain climbers).
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Thanks man! Yes, I was doing the 9-week program on hard intensity, but given my weight is ~140lbs my calories burned will vary compared to others that weigh more/less.
Mentally, it was a bit frustrating from the standpoint that they do a really good job of ratcheting up the intensity of the workouts over time so you don't plateau, but the result is that you often wonder if you are making progress because the workouts never feel like they are getting easier. And I always felt like my legs weren't up to the demands of the various lunges and squats...one damn set after another until my leg muscles were screaming blobs of jelly. It just never got easier. I fully recognize the value of keeping the workouts tough, but it's hard to see your progress when it is always taking you to and past your limits (other than it takes longer to get to those limits). Main point is that "the program" is a good one that keeps things challenging for your body throughout the 9 weeks and doesn't give you any "here's a easy workout" rewards.
That said, I know my overall conditioning has improved and while my weight has only dropped 3 or 4 pounds, I have no doubt that I've lost more pounds of fat than this would indicate because I've also increased muscle mass. I've also lost enough fat around my belly/waist area that I am definitely noticing my pants are looser than before and I've even started pulling my belt in another notch, which is a rewarding feeling. I also feel stronger and healthier...more "ready to get up and go". In the early workouts I was much more sore after each workout, but that eased off a bit where I always knew I had worked out the day before but was no longer in any actual pain from the soreness, so that probably indicates improved conditioning.
Motivated by some of your previous posts, I also started watching my diet a bit more closely and I think that's had a positive impact on my fat-loss results, so thanks for sharing your comments.
One thing I recently noticed on those much hated Mountain Climbers...I kept feeling like my butt was bouncing up and down more than it should (based on what they show you) so I changed my technique a bit and found that if I put more of my weight over my hands then my legs were able to pump back and forth more quickly/easily, kind of like floating pistons, without my butt moving up and down. I'm not sure if that's the "more proper" technique or not, and I can't say it made me hate them any less, but it did seem like it was more proper compared to what I see them doing on screen.
I didn't set any big goals for myself because my main goal was to start working out this year and to keep up a regular workout schedule indefinitely rather than pushing hard towards aggressive goals, getting burned out, taking and extended break and the losing everything I gained. The 9-week program on hard difficulty ended up being harder than I had expected, but now that it is over I'm glad I did it and know what to expect the next time I do it. But if you are looking to be on a long-term workout schedule longer than 9-weeks, I might recommend to others that aren't sure where to start that they start with the medium/low intensity workout first before doing it at the hard level so you don't get too burnt out at the beginning. But if you've already started, just do your best and stick it out
I start the Quick Start workout tomorrow, so I'm curious to see how hard/easy it feels compared to what I just finished.
[quote name='Serpentor']Thanks for the sensors tip DarkonJohn, I'll keep it in mind. Wow, finished the program already? Some dedications! Now go for the platinum and post when you got it
Put some pressure on those of us still working toward it...[/QUOTE]
I started on Jan 1 (New Year's Resolution I guess) and since I changed my schedule from MWFS to SMTW (resulting in 6 workout days in a row last week) I finished up the program a few days earlier than expected.
I'm not sure about getting the platinum trophy, but it might happen if I keep going the rest of the year. I plan to keep on a regular workout schedule (3 - 4 times a week), but there's a chance I may spend some time with the EA Sports Active 1 (and the extra disk with more exercise programs they released) since I never finished those before and the variety might keep things interesting for me.
I do have a second set of sensors for my wife, so at least I'll get that trophy when she gets back from a business trip ;-)
( Should have bought a second set from TRU when it was $20... Damn it!
yes!