Dean and Nancy, how do I love thee, let me count the ways… 50/10′s, 1500, 20/10×8…

I think it was fabulous of Nancy and Dean to share their momentous day with us, separately?! So, very nice of them to spread their love through our workout today. Did you feel it?

Do you FEEL the Love… NOW?!!

Where do you feel it? Assuming your answer is, ‘ABSolutely’ that you feel their love that is… Our Bootcamp workout was a little like the love story of Dean and Nancy. It’s story time, boys and girls? Here’s goes – Bootcamp Style!

Once upon a time, there was a girl who fell in love with a boy. They ran away and got married. They were Renegades. Rowing up a creek without a paddle, as fast as they could.They lived blissfully happy just Big Daddy and Big Mama. As the KettleBell Swings, Big Baby came along (or several Big Babies). As their family grew and grew, so did their bodies. They became Prisoners, Lunging for a piece of pie. They knew they had to do something, but what?

Then it hit them! The ATOMIC pushup! It was the blast they needed. All around them things stayed the same, they had to make a change. Get strong, get healthy. Was their love strong enough for the  Adduction of healthy foods? Could their love endure the Abduction of the not so healthy foods? They planned, they plotted, they stuck with it everyday.

IT WAS AWESOME! Just like a fire burning out of control… HOT! There were not enough Fire Hydrants to extinguish the flames of their desires. It’s still burning today!

And that’s how Nancy and Dean MAKE IT HAPPEN! Everyday! BOOTCAMP STYLE!

Love Conquers All!  xoxo!

Blog you later.

gretchen

You know what I mean… who is in your corner to pump you up, psyche you up, refresh you and send you back into the melee ring? Everyone needs a motivator. Someone to have your back when you aren’t up to snuff.

Jill and Karl have each other to keep on track, share their goals, and motivate each other. Just look at their results! They are inspirations to us all. Proof that change can happen. Dean and Nancy are another two great examples.

But what about those of us that live with lard butts that don’t see anything wrong with their style of living and eating. I get ‘I’ve been eating this way for 43 years, it works for me, so you can change but don’t expect me to’. Sound relatively familiar? Oh he’s not lazy by any stretch of the word, and his metabolism is to be envied. I really thought when he threw his first kidney stone ever… the size of an apple seed! (HUGE) he would be more amenable to healthier eating… not so much. His idiotic “Doctor” confirmed he didn’t need to ‘change’ his diet. Oh drat…

Well, here’s what a girls to do: find a motivator! Mine is Donna, tonight on the ride to Bootcamp she re-energized me, pumped me up, gave me ideas, we made a plan… lots of plans. I’ve slacked off a bit, lots of changes taking place and my eating has spiraled. One issue at a time, we hashed out the areas that need work. I now have a finance plan, a family chore plan, and an eating plan… so little time, so many plans! Now to implement them… might be a little tricky, but I’ve got DK(Donna) in my K.O. (knock out)corner. The fam will eat what I put in front of them or go hungry, their choice. I have to make a few changes again, make them habits again, and probably will again, and again and again. I’m good with that, always changing. Eventually, it will become natural and there won’t be any thought put into it.

So find someone you can share your goals, help you make a plan, be a sounding board, offer encouragement. You’ll get results!

And remember: “IF MAMA AIN”T HAPPY, AIN”T NO BODY HAPPY!”

blog you later

gretch

The Top of "The Hill" in Winter

Welcome to New England folks… a lil bit snow, scratch that- a bunch of fluffy white snow, don’t blink because now it’s rain, blink again (told you not to), and it’s now ‘back breaking’ heavy wet snow. AH-Yah tha’s New England.

Although Bootcampers are like the mailman, neither rain/snow/sleet or hail, they will deliver. But, the conditions make for messy traveling. Makes happy kids (big kids~ME! included)… and sends Nancy into apolectic  shock having to cancel Bootcamp classes. Whatever will she do with so much free time on her hands? Nancy you can stop laughing now, ‘free time’ … ba-ha-ha!

Good thing today is Wednesday… “wait until tomorrow” Wednesday! No classes, so SNOW SNOW SNOW!I wonder who do we have to write, to schedule snow days on Wednesdays?? Because I’m a little put out that the weather messed up my workout on Tuesday. Had I known when I woke at 4am on Tuesday that it was the only class to be had I would have jumped out of bed… ba-ha-ha! that’s a good one, I don’t care who you are! I have lake property for sale in the desert too if you think I “woke” up at 4am!

I will have you know I did go to the 6:15AM on Monday!

I was telling Barbara that I’ve been circulating all the classes lately. One thing sticks out in my mind… each class has really great people! Is it coincidence? I think not. I even give kudos to Dan the Man, my smack talking partner, for sharing his kettle bell with me. Truce was called for the hour, but, it’s ON again! (wink wink nudge nudge Dan)

Thanks 6:15 for a great time!

I’ve now hit all the Epsom time zones and one of the Concords. I’ve got a couple more classes in Concord to party crash. Those might be a little more difficult to get to, schedule-wise but we’ll see… I’ve yet to meet CJ and I just know he just cannot wait to meet me!

Nothing beats a Bootcamp workout, it’s a special kind of people!

Bring on the SNOW… around the Bootcamp classes please!

blog you later.

gretchen

The Get Fit NH Bootcamp finisher… is supposed to finish you! Both last nights and tonights Finishers were not for the faint. Of course by the end, the lack of oxygen to the brain may have made you faint! It’s always a good class and entertaining at Bootcamp when someone ‘boots’ (their dinner) though Just kidding!

No really, one of the girls tonight was aggravated after the finisher. She is frustrated that she cannot make it through the finishers. That’s ok! it means you’ve worked to your capacity. Those of you Newbies, shouldn’t be ‘breezing’ through the finishers… and really even us ‘seasoned’ shouldn’t be having an easy time of it. If we are… we aren’t working hard enough, or fast enough. Yesterdays planks/plank jacks/pushup holds/pushup jacks, should have had you feeling it in your abs and legs today… ‘yes Cindy-Lou Who, there really is a muscle there’. Todays jumping jacks/squat thrusts/ calf bounces/ star jumps/more jumping jacks, was a sucking wind, leg burner the first time through. The second time, was the feel your heart in your throat, quivering- you thought you were going skiing tomorrow, can’t feel my legs finisher.

While talking to Kathy, she did everything right. She was able to make it through the first round, but had to stop half way through the second, caught her breathe, and finished the rest of it. The key there is to rest a couple of seconds and get right back into it and finish!

But, that’s how we should attack the whole workout, not just the finisher. Dean and Nancy will always tell you not to push past or through the pain but, to take a 5 second breather and then go back at it. Or they will tell you to do a different variation of the exercise, especially if there is pain. Every exercise has low, medium, and high impact variations. It’s up to you to determine which is best for you. I am the Queen of Variation… you will notice an array of colored bands at my feet, or several different weights and kettlebells surrounding me.Variety is the spice of life, and I’m all about spice! I push myself… so like a demented demon, I start with heavy weights/bands until the muscles quiver, then knock it back a notch depending how long the timing and how many reps. Sometimes I knock it back a couple of notches, tonight in fact. I started overhead presses with 35′s, then 30′s, then 25′s… come on, 40 seconds doesn’t sound like a long time til you are pressing it over your head repeatedly. Not to mention the threat of dropping a 35 pound weight on my noodle, didn’t appeal to me. How do you know if you need to knock it back? If you’re really struggling and your form is wavering, knock it back. If Dean or Nancy say ‘go lighter’, then, do it. Otherwise, you atleast gotta try increasing the load or you aren’t doing YOU any favors. Incase you’re new to this concept… it is all about YOU!

Ok, it’s time for this Extreme Queen of Variation to get off her soapbox now. Go Big or Go Home!

Blog you later.

gretchen

SO… my day starts with a text, “IT’S A GOOD ONE”… really? it’s only 7:15AM, it’s way too early to tell. Except DK isn’t talking about the day in general, nope it’s in regards to Booty! Just so you know, “it’s a good one” translates to it’s a sweaty, kick your booty, Bootcamp Workout. For DK it also means, no Kettle Bells, which makes her happy (but not me!- just saying Dean and Nancy).

“T-Minus, 10 hours and 15 minutes” to ponder what ‘it’s a good one’ really means… since my muscles feel tight and a little sore from Tuesdays “Death Row” workout; the combination of DeadLifts and TRX Rows = Death Row! and PopEye arms after he hits the spinach… I’m feeling a little trepidation for the upcoming workout. Except, Bootcamp has become so ingrained like tying your shoes, brushing your teeth, or putting on your favorite jeans (because they fit now!), you just go… it’s what you do. The only thinking I have to do (Hey, be nice!)… is what class am I going to Bless with my presence?!

Tonight I hit the Concord 5:30pm! I wanted to be a ‘Dean Groupie’, and I knew it’d drive him nuts to see me follow him … ok, so I had to work late and was in Concord. HOLY SCHNICKIES SCOOBIE! there were 27 peops in class!! Good thing the room is huge… I could giggle and get away with not listening while Dean was at the other end. Of course I busted myself by asking  why we weren’t Naked Getup-ing the other side- DOH! I think Dean needs a groovy headset that gets broadcasted through the speakers (just saying, cuz you know I can’t shut up). I have a little trouble listening… what?! Did you say something??

Lets see, “Its a good one” equates to TABATA THURSDAY! = thighs humming with 1 leg TRX squats; my scapula muscles binding up on Flying T’s (such a small movement with a Killer result). Or maybe it was the Green band, purple band, wish I had grabbed the red band chest presses. Or maybe, just maybe, it was the ‘lets get the gluteous maximus, gluteous medius, and gluteous minimus firing’ with the X band walks and let me tell you it took ALL the glutes to walk, and ALL the glutes were on FIRE!

Just when you think it’s safe to hobble outside, you are sucked into the Finisher Vortex! Pick your passion?! Mountain Climbers… ah- thank you, no! Squat Thrusts… maybe, no! OR the BURPEE CLUB! Now your talking… and won’t be walking… Oh I saw the Smack Talk on Facebook tonight! Concord brings the Burpee, brought it, and neutralized it like an antacid!

Thanks Concord!! Good night!!!

Blog you later!

gretchen

As we see a New Year emerging, this girl is purging! (No worries there will be no attempt at a poem.)

This week we’re cleaning out the basement and what should I find but, my mothers diet books, weight watchers charts, calculators, pedometers etc. etc. I was brought up in a house that had no sugary cereals, ice cream, no snacky chips or cookies. We were a meat,potatoes, veggies and salad family. All ‘well balanced’ and yet my mom was always trying to lose weight, it was always one diet or another.

The missing key? Exercise!

It was pretty obsolete in my house. I was the only ‘jock’ in the house, grateful for those high school sports or I would have been an oompa loompa. Oh, we had the Sweating to the Oldies & Jane Fonda, still in their wrappers. I found and purged those too. Or how about a gym membership-hah! that’s funny. Exercise was taboo. If I wanted junk food, I had to go to my friends house, I was there a lot! Of course I had to walk or bike to their house for my fix of junk food. I was a chubby kid, or maybe I just had skinny friends…

As we continue our decluttering of the cellar, I SPY… uh oh, history repeating itself; I found my weight watchers charts, books etc. As I look at the stuff, I think ugh! I was 20 pounds lighter B.C. (before children) than I am now. I stopped the program when I was pregnant. Looking at the daily food logs, I lived on carrots, pretzels and whoopie pies! Really!!??? What was I thinking?? It didn’t matter as long as I was losing weight, and staying within the allotted ‘points’. Into the trash it all went. That way of thinking was so wrong.

This past year has been monumental! Just look at the fantastic accomplishment both Jill and Karl made over the year! Combined they lost 165 pounds of fat, through team work, healthier eating, and exercise!

Thursday Jill, Lori and I were talking about how many pants sizes we’ve all dropped over the past 6 months. 2,3,4 sizes… we were laughing cuz some of us were busting out of the big size but refused to move up a size before we started doing Bootcamp. It’s been a very significant experience to be able to walk into a store that caters to ‘normal size’ and ‘miniscule size’ clothes and be able to outfit ourselves – pure euphoria! Those of you that have never had to just window shop and fantasize, won’t understand. You won’t understand the overwhelming satisfaction to throw out our ‘fat clothes’ because we are smaller now and never want that reminder of being that big. We ended up with the giggles before the ‘Reindeer Games’ workout put an end to that! (Good one Dean & Nancy!)

Unlike Jill and Karl who started Bootcamp with the goal to lose weight one year ago, I’m a two year seasoned Bootcamper for other reasons. My reason for starting was to occupy my mind from the fact my father was dying of cancer and to keep from turning to food for comfort, like I did when my mother died of cancer (45 pounds of comfort). I will be forever indebted to DK for persuading me to try  Bootcamp.

My first year, my goal was to maintain my sanity, have an outlet for the grief, and to keep my chubbiness to a minimum. My second year or this past year, has been more focus on the chubbiness and looking at being healthy overall. I’m living proof you cannot do one (exercise) without the other (eating healthy) and expect to lose weight. It wasn’t until our summer challenge that it clicked, but it just didn’t stick. I’m maintaining the weight loss but,  find myself sliding into old habits. It’s seeing the accomplishments of not only Jill and Karl but so many others that have me once again (smacking myself up side the head) ready to set another goal for the up coming year.

I can tell you I may be 20 pounds heavier than 11 years ago B.C., but I sure am stronger, more energized, and so much more knowledgeable about fueling my body with the right kinds of foods than I was back then. Now if I can get my brain and mouth on board, I have a goal for the new year. See you in the ‘normal size’ stores!

Happy New Year everyone!

Blog you later.

gretchen

My brain is still set on Bootcamp time. Today, I am figuring out what needs must be met before I can slip off to Bootcamp. I’m wondering with the snow how long it’ll take me to drive home from work… then it hits me, it’s recovery week. That means no Bootcamp! But, I need to be in a high speed wobble to function…

It seems that without my Bootcamp outlet, I am a tad crabby. I know, hard to believe, but true.

Don’t get me wrong, I am still juggling everyones schedules and running all over the place, figuring where everyone is going tomorrow, meetings this week, and dinner planning. The only thing missing is ‘me time’. It’s funny how that little time frame I get for myself becomes obsolete so quickly. I wonder how I even managed to fit it in.

Of course we all know why I carve out a little Bootcamp time, it makes me a better mother and a better wife. Everyone needs a little “me time” for focus and clarity. I choose to spend my ‘me time’ at Bootcamp it’s all encompassing, mind, body, spirit. As they say, “if mama ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy!” and in our house, its true.

So, my boys have to deal with their cantankerous mother for the rest of the week and come Monday at 7p, I’ll be right as rain (or snow as the case may be). Then I will be a happy camper… Bootcamper that is.

Blog you later.

gretchen

So it’s Tuesday morning at 4:30am and my hubs attempts to wake me… ‘are you going to Bootcamp?’ he asks as he dodges my right hook. I grunt, he walks away. I lay there thinking who really cares if I blow it off and sleep (3 hours of sleep, does not make for a full nights rest). But, I told Nancy and she’s expecting me or maybe not; I blogged that I would go… dang that accountability! I roll out of bed and into the car, as I’m driving (IN THE DARK), not a creature was stirring (THEY ARE IN BED!… SLEEPING!). I’m thinking this is not natural, my stomach hurts, its cold… no really this is painful!

I enter the gym and grunt hello, cuz I can’t form coherent thoughts and make my muscles coordinate at the same time. It’s one or the other, talk or walk, cannot do both at the moment. Of course my inner child is screaming “WAKE UP! WAKE UP! WAKE UP!” I purposely wore my favorite t-shirt ‘embarassing my children, one more service I offer’… only I placed duck tape (yes, it does have 1,001 uses) over ‘children’ and wrote “Brother in Law”, who is one of those morning peops. See… I can crack myself up even at 5am! (I’m laughing inside because it takes to much energy, remember NOT a morning person!) I make Garfield look like a pussycat- hahaha! see even at 11pm I crack myself up.

So, where was I?

oh yeah, trying to get a rise out of my brother in law. Here’s Your Sign…well, Nancy found humor in it. My brother in law just said ‘I’m used to you now’, humpfh… after 14yrs of marraige to his brother, my brother in law has lost that lovin’ feelin’, I’m wounded, really… I guess the only thing to do is the workout. Did I mention it’s 5AM!? Oh yes, the workout, now I remember, I am in physical pain and mentally still in bed and am here to workout… Here’s your sign Gretch, here is your sign… Two exercises, 40sec on/20sec rest 5times- first set is medicine ball pushups and TRX rows, I’m on autopilot now. There’s only two exercises to remember I can manage that at 5am. Around the 3rd round my arms are firing, my abs are experiencing a whole new kind of pain (it’s a good pain, so I tell myself) I can feel the sleep-eez fading away and the endorphins kicking in. Which was a good thing because the 2nd set was Top 1/2 Get ups and DeadLifts. I needed my wits so I didn’t drop the kettle bell on my noggin. Plus, my glutteous Minimus, Medius, and Maximus were all ready to party with the 70 lbs kettle bell. Not one to miss a party, I was happy to attend. With the muscles fully awake, the mind followed. It was a great workout, one I’m still feeling today. Wednesdays are known as the ‘hang-over’… gives new meaning to the term ‘hang-over’ doesn’t it?

Well, tomorrows another party… Bootcamp party that is. My husband asked me tonite “am I getting you up at 4:30am for Bootcamp”… BAH! HA! HA!! I think he secretly likes to dodge my right hook… Here’s your sign…

Alas, I think I will join my 6pm party peops. No matter what time you hit Bootcamp… no time? make the time… Join the Bootcamp Party!

Blog you later!

gretchen

Change… change is good right?? Change is hard. Change is an adjustment. You just have to plot your course and figure out a plan of action. Plan… now where have I heard that before?? Duh, Bootcamp, plan to attend, plan your meals, plan plan plan and make it happen. I just gotta find the time.

So, some of you may have heard… I’m employed, fulltime, finished my schooling, was in the right place at the right time and voila! It’s back to work after a 10 year hiatus. If you consider a ‘stay at home mom’ a hiatus… more like an overworked, un-appreciated, and definitely underpaid sebatical. It’s the most fulfilling ‘job’ I’ve ever had, and one I’m not pleased to have to concede and turn over to my husband, Mr.Mom. However, life hands you challenges and my family has had its share over the last couple of years. Double income has become a necessity now. So I’m now joining the ranks that most of you have been doing. Juggling family, home, job, and Bootcamp. How do you do it?

It’s going to take a little trial and error for a while to see where Bootcamp fits in around the schedules of the fam. One slot open is the 5am Bootcamp… have I mentioned I’m not exactly a morning person (unless of course I haven’t been to bed yet). It’s already 12:30 and I’m planning to hit the morning class?… then work, dinner, and then the Boys Christmas concert? It should be an interesting day.

Mike is not looking forward to waking me up in the morning. He says (I think he’s fibbing), I wake up swinging at his head and then I’m grumpy… me?! grumpy??!! say it isn’t so… notice I didn’t refute the ‘swinging at his head’… Want to place a wager on whether I will be “up and at ‘em” with the 5am Crew or still snoozing??  Did I tell you, his brother is at 5am Bootcamp and he’s another morning person… I may be swinging at his head too. (Love you Matty)

The plan… to Make it Happen! Find the time…

Blog you later!

gretchen

Get Your Mind Out Of This!!!

Dean mentioned on Monday that it was an easy day following Saturdays ‘Are you kidding me’ workout… are you kidding me? (oh right, that was Saturday). Ok so on the board it looks easy with just a couple of exercises. I guess you could wimp out and go easy. Except of course if you went to the 6p class! There is no ‘easy’. I’m noticing the girls are no longer picking up little weights, they are bringin’ it. Guess what, it’s actually showing too. There is a lot of muscle definition going on and amazingly Dean and Nancy were right! (we should listen to them more often Bigger weights does not mean big, hulking, bulging muscles, it’s tone and definition. And the boys?… well they’re just boys with weights… I like to test their macho-ism by standing with them and using ‘their’ weights. I can’t wait for the day that all the girls take up their space and their weights – hee hee hee.

Of course there are a few girls cursing me right now because I pushed them to ‘go big or go home’. I just hope they are as sore as I am And that was just Monday.

Tuesday was more of the same… written on the board were just a few exercises and seemed easy enough. Again, I’m with the 6p class and again, they don’t do easy! Look! a new warmup (makes for Happy Bootcampers). How fun! How… uh… naughty?! Hmm… ‘naked get ups’?  Hey, I’m not the only twisted mind heading down the road of ‘ill-repute’ (Mom-ism). We had a few giggles over that one, speculating…

Little did I know, overhead reverse lunges, bentover ‘T’ spines, cook hip lifts (legs are humming), reach-roll-lifts, and finally half naked getups (gee, I don’t know why we were heading down ’that’ road); would leave us breathless, sweating and our legs screaming… and our clothes stayed on! Ok, that’s as naughty as I get… “Our warm up is your workout” – well you aren’t kidding with this Spicy Routine!!

On to the actual workout; yes there was more… TRX’s to goblet squats; Kettle bell swings to pushups. Arms, legs, core all screaming by the end. As long as you didn’t take the easy way out. Just to be sure, lets finish it with planks! yup … bring it! brought it!! See you tomorrow…

Blog you later

gretchen