loracolson’s BodyBlog

A lot of people ask me, "How much cardio do you do?"  If they only knew… I really don’t do that much!  I do 10-20 minutes every other day…Sometimes every 2 days!  Quite a change from my old style of working out…

I have been an athlete my whole life–Ran track in high school and college, played field hockey in high school, played football for my sorority, etc.  (full story on my website www.loracolson.com) I have never been overweight, and have always looked "okay."  I worked out all the time–gym workouts with LOTS and LOTS of slow, boring cardio on the treadmill or…pounding pavement.  My diet was always mostly…horrible.  If I gained a few pounds and wanted to lose weight, I would add more running!  ARGH.  If I had only known!

You don’t have to run, run, run!!!  In fact, I am convinced now that I was short-circuiting any success by doing all the cardio!  I got to a point a  year ago, where I couldn’t lose weight, but I was seriously running my TAIL off–Logging 30 or so miles per week. I did *some* weight training, too.  I was so SO frustrated that for all the time and energy I was putting into losing weight, NOTHING was coming off.  Miraculous, I thought!  That’s when I researched and RESEARCHED to find out how in the world I could be hitting a wall with weight loss when I was eating next to nothing and doing so much cardio!  Well, that’s when I found this different style of working out–Turbulence Training.

The guy who put TT together kept saying, "Quit the slow, boring cardio…" I could NOT believe it.  I really thought that was the way you lose fat/ weight.  I was pretty skeptical.  I decided to try out the workouts and I entered a TT Transformation contest.  It was funny because in the beginning, I woud do the TT workouts…and then I would add a bunch of SLOW, BORING cardio!  Why is it so hard to quit?  No one likes to spend hours pounding on the treadmill!!!!!  AND I don’t have time! 

It took a long time, but now that I have seen how much I have changed my body, I am a recovered cardio addict!  Sheesh!  They need a 12 step for it! 

I have NEVER in my life had the cuts that I have now.  I never had visible abs, and I never had workouts this short with 10-20 minutes of cardio!  It’s pretty amazing to me that you can do this.  I used to workout much harder/ longer, and I looked WORSE!!!

Now when I see people running along the road…I think, OH if they only knew they don’t HAVE to do that!  Some people LIKE to run, and that’s great.  Some people (like me) don’t love it, but do it because they feel like they have to!  I would rather have short workouts and spend more time with my husband and my kids…my horses…I think I would rather do LAUNDRY than run…

I love to help people get out of the cardio mindset.  I even dragged my husband out of it!  He was swimming, and SWIMMING, and SWIMMING…not seeing the changes in his body.  I told him, "If you really want to see CHANGES in your body, try the Turbulence Training and do intervals with your swimming–Not steady-state."  He was reluctant to jump on board, but he’s onboard now, and he looks better than he has ever looked!!!  He is making big progress and I’m so proud of him! He’s swimming less, doing high-intensity intervals on the treadmill for 10 minutes after each TT workout, and he is making SMOKIN’ progress.  LOVE IT.  And, he is so motivated to keep going because of the changes he’s seeing.  Good stuff.

If I can help anyone get off the hamster wheel…I love to do it!  Just check out my "before" and "after" pics!  I was the Queen of Cardio!  There is a better way!  Work smart, not hard.  (Well…work hard, too!)  Work SHORT, not LONG!  You can get ripped with 10-20 minutes of cardio 3 x a week. 

I just finished a tough workout that I made even tougher.  The workout C of the "TT For Buff Dudes and Hot Chicks" is pretty hard and finishes with a tough body-weight circuit.  I cranked the workout and really went after the body-weight intervals.  SO HARD!  The squats…almost did me in.  Then…the pushups and planks…YOW!  Good stuff.  I decided to do an additional 18 minutes of intervals after that–on a level 4 incline.  Tommorrow…easy street (well, at least as far as workouts are concerned! RECOVERY DAY)

This week I’m going to try to really push myself on the intervals–either increasing incline or speed or number of sprints.  I really notice a big difference in the time it takes to lean out when I’m really killin’ the intervals. 

My nutrition has been *pretty* good.  Here’s my downfall–I’m messing up EVERY day on almonds.  I either have to ban them from my diet…or portion out 16 in a small bag.  I usually eat 3-4 big handfuls!!!  Hmmmm….Wonder why I’m not leaning out…? They are such an easy, quick thing to grab…I roast them in the oven until they are crispy crunchy…YUM!  I will see if I can get this addiction under control.  Lol.  I LOVE eating almonds with frozen blueberries.  Maybe I’ll try that and just limit myself OR ELSE!   

I need to drink more water…stay consistent with meals…KILL THE WORKOUTS! 

So far I’ve lost 6.6 pounds, so I’m on track.  I would like to see more cuts and SOON!   So, that’s where pushing the workouts will help.  I will try to PR with weight, reps and incline with each workout.  Killin’ it this week!  Check back…

Well, I just took some new progress pics today.  I’m not happy with them!  I am starting all over again.  AGAIN!  I get so darn busy that I just have to let go for awhile, and that’s pretty much what I did.  From my good progress picture to the one I took today…I don’t know how many horrible meals I ate, how many beers I drank, and how many workouts I skipped…but it was a lot!  Right around Fair, when the kids were so involved in 4H horse shows, is when I quit the healthy eating/ workouts…cold turkey!  YOW.  That was late June–Almost 2 full months of losing ground.  We were literally working with the horses 10-12 hours a day every day.  CRAZY.

I’m going to take new progress pics each week.  I am hoping to make quicker progress and get more definition this time around.   I want my legs and my abs more defined, and I want to be lean and cut overall.  I’m goin’ after it!  Hopefully I will have some better progress pics next week!!! 

When I look in the mirror, I am not very happy with what I see right now–Fat I’ve allowed to collect over the past couple of months.  I knew what I was doing…Drinking beer, eating HOT WINGS, nachos, tacos…YIKES!!!  I decided to have fun for the last bit of rodeo season, and eat, drink and be merry…!  I knew I was going to enter the next TT body transformation contest, so I was sort of wanting to see exactly how far I could take this thing.  I also wanted other people to see how quickly they can change from puffy and fat to lean and ripped with a good plan in place.  (Somewhat of a social experiment…Lol)  I was "bulking up" for my "before" pics…

Well, I am now on day 7 of my transformation contest.  I have lost 5 pounds, and I’m seeing changes already–not huge, but changes still, and I’m confident that I will be able to get to where I want to be.  I’ve done it before!  (I just have to not look in the mirror for awhile!)

Yesterday’s workout was TT Buff Dudes and Hot Chicks Workout C.  My friend, Carl did the workout before me (He’s doing the same workouts) and said it was too light and he didn’t like it.  After I looked at it, I agreed. I decided to tweak it up a bit.  I don’t like reverse lunges…I have traded out all the unweighted ab exercises (stability ball jackknife, etc) for weighted ab stuff, I also traded out stability ball leg curls for leg curls on my weight bench.  So.  This is what I came up with:

Superset 1 (3 sets)

1A) Squat and Press 12 @ 25 lb

1B) Weighted Crunch 25 @ 30 lb

Superset 2 (3 sets)

1A) Deadlift 15 @ 80 lb (2 40 lb dbs)

2B) Elevated pushups  12 on each arm (one hand up on edge of db for elevation)

Superset 3 (3 sets)

3A) DB Row 15 each @ 30 lb

3B) Leg Curl 12@ 35 lb

*weighted crunch 25 @ 35 lb

*I set a goal for myself to do 1-200 weighted ab exercises each day.  I have found that adding weight is really what gets the cuts!  (of course CLEAN nutrition is most of it) I never saw definition like I wanted before I started crankin’ it with the weight.  I usually do some crunches each morning…50 or so, then I do more later in the day up to 100 or more.

Here’s where it got sticky… The BODY WEIGHT INTERVALS!  Yikes.

1. Bodyweight  Squats (20 seconds, then 10 second hold)  EIGHT ROUNDS!!  (Dying)

2. Pushups (20 seconds, then 10 second hold in top position)  FOUR ROUNDS!! DYING!!!

I couldn’t even get to the last 2 things, which WOULD HAVE BEEN:\

3. Plank and Side Plank (20 second plank, 10 second side plank) EIGHT ROUNDS!

4. Touchdown Lunges and T-Pushups (20 second lunges, 10 seconds T pushups) FOUR ROUNDS!

That bodyweight stuff is HARD, HARD, HARD!  You shake on those bw squats, and trying to do those pushups (which I only did on my knees) is torture after doing the regular, elevated pushups in the weight workout.  So that was 72 "big girl pushups" lol, from the workout, followed by Lord knows how many on my knees in the interval part!  I got to the point I was only getting 10 in in the 20 seconds…then only 5…!!! 

I guess I have something to work toward…Finishing those brutal timed intervals!  Since I couldn’t do them all, I finished my workout with 18 minutes of intervals on the treadmill.  I did not add incline (which I usually try to do) since I tortured myself so completely already… Here’s what my interval workout looked like:

I did each level listed for one minute, so minute by minute it was: 3, 4, 4, 5, 8, 3, 8, 3, 8, 3, 8, 3, 8, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3 (18 minutes total with 5 high level sprints, running at  

Today I’ll go back to the BDHC workout A–Another TOUGH one.  All of the TT workouts have an "A," "B," and "C" –3 different parts to the workout so every other day you are doing a different part of the workout.  Then you start it over.  At the end of 4 weeks, you pick a different workout for the next 4, and so on. 

In my recent blogs, I’ve shown you the whole BDHC workout.  So…That’s what I’m up to for the next 3 weeks! 

For the record, after this 12 weeks is over, no more "experimentation" with packing on the fat and shredding it…!  I might take a bit of time off, but no more of this rodeo "free-fall" stuff!!! (Besides, It gets boring eating Milk Duds all the time.  You need some variety)

WOW!  I thought I was busy this summer with rodeo and horse shows…School started Wednesday, and for those of you who don’t know…I homeschool my four kids–ages 6, 8, 10, and 12.  We had a rocky start on Wednesday, blowing the dust off the math books, (is it possible to forget EVERYTHING?), jump start the brains again, etc. 

I got a workout in on Wed, and it was a GOOD one.  So good, as a matter of fact, that I could NOT walk Wed afternoon and could barely CRAWL yesterday!!!  (See my last blog for the actual workout)

After a full day of school, I got my workout in, then…went to the rodeo to do my 2nd to last barrel race of the season.  You should have seen me trying to get on and off of my horse.  If I was sore then, multiply it by 100 and you have how sore I was yesterday!! 

I am happy to report that my nutrition has been on track, and I did NOT have a beer at the rodeo.  Quite possibly a season record.  For some reason beer and rodeo just seem to go.

I’m slowly figuring out how to fit everything in.  I have to get up somewhere around 4-5am, plan out all four kids’ lessons for the day, set up the books in stacks for each kid so they don’t wander around aimlessly saying, "Can’t find my history book…"  I make breakfast after we do Bible, and I read history to the kids while they eat.  Then…we just work on getting through the rest of the subjects.  I work with 1 while the others work on independent stuff, then we switch, etc…That being said, there are usually 3-4 kids all saying, "Mom?  Mom?  Mom?  Mom?" 

During all the chaos, the puppy has to be watched like a hawk or she’ll eat the couch or poop on the carpet! 

Anyway.  I am STILL in the game, I got a great workout in Wed, had a recovery day Thurs, and had another great workout in today.  It *can* be done!  Phew. 

Don’t ask me what my house looks like right now…

My workout today was another TT workout "Buff Dudes and Hot Chicks Workout B (I change it a little from it’s "original format."  I don’t have a pullup bar near my workout room, so I do pushups instead of pullups.  I don’t like shrugs so I do upright rows.  And…Since I already did pushups, I sub out the pushups at the end of the workout and do tricep dips.  Here’s what I did today–3 supersets each:

Superset 1:

Pushups (12 reps) and Bench Press (12 reps @ 25lb)

Superset 2:

Chest supported row (12 reps @ 25lb) and DB Incline Press (10 reps @ 25lb)

Superset 3:

DB 1-arm shoulder press (12 reps @ 15 lb) and Upright row (12 reps w/ 12lb DBs)

Superset 4:

DB curl (12 reps @ 20 lb) and Tricep Dips (25 reps)

I also did 50 weighted crunches with a 35 lb DB, so far…Hopefully I will get in 50 more for a total of 100 for the day.  We’ll see…! 

After the weight workout, I did a 10 minute interval workout.  You walk at a level 3 for 30 sec, then to to 5 for 30 seconds, then 8, 3, 8, 3, (Total of 8 sprints at the level 8 speed)  Then, I just walk til I have been on the treadmill 15 minutes total.  I did the intervals today at a level 3 incline, and the end got HARD.  Good stuff.

The kids are all taking a break right now, I’m sitting here typing away…later on is a barbeque in honor of some rodeo friends who are getting married.  I won’t be able to eat or drink anything there probably!!  SHOOT!

Just glad I got most everything in today!!  It’s going to be a process of getting everyting mapped out strategically.  I think next week might be easier.  Hopefully! 

Hope everyone’s workouts are going STRONG and you’re keeping the nutrition clean!   You CAN get it all in, it’s just a matter of really organizing.  You have to plan it out!  Sometimes I can do it pretty well, and other times…I’m a MESS! 

I had a great workout today–I LOVE this workout–"TT For Buff Dudes and Hot Chicks."  It is a killer workout with 3 different workouts for 3 different days. (Mon, Wed, Fri)  

A lot of people have been asking me what Turbulence Training is…It’s a style of training that incorporates high intensity intervals and whole body multi-joint weight workouts.  You work hard, but short.  No slow, boring cardio…No boring machine circuits.  The workouts are intense, but only take about 45 minutes and you only workout 3 days a week (unless you want to do more, which I usually do!) so I thought I would show you my workout I did today. 

TT is all super sets.  Here is BDHC Workout A:

1A) Walking Lunge

1B) Weighted Crunch (It’s supposed to be stab. ball ab crunch, but I need WEIGHT for the abs stuff)

2A) Bulgarian Split Squat

2B) 1 leg stability ball leg curl

3A) Multi-calf raise

3B) Plank with arms on ball (60 seconds)

4A) Stability ball rollout

4B) X-Body Mountain Climbers

It’s a tough workout–I did 4 super sets.  THEN…you do a 10 minute interval workout.  You run for 30 seconds each interval.  Start at a level 3 for 30, then 4 for 30, then 5 for 30, then 8,3,8,3,8,3 and so on for 10 minutes.  I added incline–it makes a tough (short) interval workout!  Good stuff! 

I’ve done a good job so far with nutrition.  Meals so far have been:

Egg white and veggie omelette–broccoli, spinach, red onions, fresh jalapeno, tomatoes

Nonfat yogurt with lowfat granola

Handful of oven roasted almonds

Dinner will be grilled chicken, wild rice, and a green salad with a bunch of veggies.

After dinner snack might be apple and cheese stick

That’s my day!  Day 2 of TT body transformation contest!  So far, so good!

I just finished my first workout for day 1 of my 12-week body transformation contest.  I had a good workout…didn’t really CRANK it, since it was just my first day.  I don’t want to be immobilized tomorrow…lol.  I did my TT interval workout with no incline this time, but next workout I’ll try to get some incline going.  Today for my workout, I did some random TT stuff–squat and press, pushups, abs exercises (weighted crunches)…Tomorrow I will probably do TT for Buff Dudes and Hot Chicks or TT2K4.  Haven’t decided yet.

I’m excited to get this contest going and start seeing some BIG changes.  I started a body group Team TT, and if anyone wants to join us, the more the merrier!  We are going to SHRED and get amazing results together. 

I took my before pics today and did measurements.  My fitness and measurements…took a bit of a hit after summer, kids’ activities, and rodeo season…So I have some work to do.  My weight went up, and more than I would even like to admit!  I’m not too worried, though.  I have absolute confidence in Turbulence Training, so I know I can clean it up in a hurry!  I’ve done it before…so here we go again! 

I’m going to lock onto great nutrition.  I mostly eat like the Abs Diet by David Zinczenko.  Today I had a tomato and arugula 1/2 sandwich on whole wheat bread and some lunch meat turkey on the side after my workout.  Also had lots of water and vitamins: A multi vit, fish oil, flaxseed oil, Resveratrol.  For dinner, I’m going to grill some chicken and steam broccoli.  I’ll also have a small green salad with tomatoes, red onion, feta cheese.  I’ll be drinking lots of water and green tea throughout the day each day.  No more milk duds for me!  Lol.  AND no more beer!  Those days are over!  Hahaha. No, seriously. 

Just wanted to let all my bodybuilding.com friends–

If anyone wants to try out TT, they are having a special trial offer–just $4.95 to try out the program for 21 days.  If you like it, great, keep it and pay the remaining $30 dollars (It’s usually $35) and if you don’t, just cancel.   You can order it off of my website, and if you do they send me a few bucks.  My website is www.loracolson.com.  Just go to the section on My Training or workouts, program reviews, etc.  The stuff works, and it’s how I got to where I am today.  Check out before and after pics, and progress pics. 

If you are going to do the program or the body transformation contest, let me know!!!  I would love have a bunch of us do it together!!  I can help people get started or answer questions, cheer you on, etc. 

I’m excited to have a phenomenal transformation after another 12 weeks!  WOO! 

I’m taking my "before" pics Monday, August 31.  I’ve been planning menus and thinking of which workout I want to start with.  Join me!!

I’m getting organized and ready to enter another TT Transformation contest.  It starts Aug. 31, so…Almost time for "before" pics.  This time around, I’m doing it with my friend, Theresa, so we can kick each other’s butts and motivate each other. 

I am such an all or nothing girl…I have been slammed this summer…Lots of rodeo and kid stuff.  I haven’t been working out like I want or eating like I should.  Rodeo’s almost over but it gives me a chance to throw myself back in to the workouts and focused nutrition.  I’m excited to start working toward big progress again.  For some reason, doing the TT contest REALLY motivated me last time!  TT is how I got all my results…from flab-puffy, to ripped and lean–6-pack abs.  I’m goint to try to be on the ball and post new progress pics each week.

I am going to start up my training/ nutrition log again, get my "motivation pics" (from people on this site!!), and plan out what workout I’m going to start with.  I’m going to start planning healthy snacks/ meals, and organize my day around getting up early and getting a great workout in first thing.

I might have a couple more friends who join in with me to help spur me on.  I need the spurring…! 

No more junky food, beer, workout-free days!!  Back to work!  WOO HOO! 

If anyone wants to jump in with us on the contest…let me know!  You can find info on the Turbulence Training on my website–www.loracolson.com.  If you want to try out TT, you can get a trial membership right now–21 days for $4.95!  You can either stay with it or quit after the 21 days.  If you decide to try it, order if from my website, I get a bit of commission.   Thanks, and let me know if you’re in!  I love having more people to keep me motivated.  Keeps it more fun! 

Lora

Summer is always a really busy time for our family, and a really tough time to figure out healthy meals, good workouts…In Jackson Hole, summer is SHORT, so you try to pack in a zillion fun things while the sun is shining!  We spend our summers mostly on the horses, competing in the JH Rodeo, and Teton Barrel Racing Assoc, Fair Horse Shows, Horse 4H, etc…Add to that, river rafting, kayaking, swimming, bike riding, hiking, ETC!  Last summer, I completely blew it on good nutrition…We went out to dinner all the time, drank beer all the time, ate fast food–YUCK.  It’s hard because we are so busy, the last thing I want to do is plan food and cook…!  We are on the run!

I started out doing kind of the same program this summer…Tail gates at the rodeo–barbequing hotdogs/ hamburgers, eating chips, drinking beer…Then I had a little chat with myself.  I don’t want to squeeze into my clothes and have fat oozing out of my jeans.  I have tried to turn it around!

So…I took ahold of my nutrition, and I’ve been making time for morning workouts before taking off for whatever busy day we have going.  I am doing pretty well with nutrition–Big improvement…Especially from last summer’s meal plan! 

This year, I am really trying to plan ahead with the food and pack healthy snacks and meals.  So far, so good!  Last night for dinner at the rodeo, I brought a salad with spinach, mixed greens, red onions, black beans, feta cheese, roasted red peppers, and kalamata olives.  I put a little olive oil and vinegar in the bottom of a tupperware, throw all the salad stuff in, and put it in the cooler.  When I’m ready to eat, I just shake it up!  Works great. 

Right now, I have 2 whole chickens in the crockpot–with no liquid, no spices–JUST the chicken.  This is the BEST trick in the book.  You cook all day and then you have the best, tender-juicy chicken!  I eat some, and freeze the rest in individual freezer bags.  I pull them out and use for salad, burritos, wraps…you name it.  Tonight, I’ll have a nice chicken salad at the rodeo.  (My kids and husband will barbeque–hamburgers and hotdogs!  LOL)

I’m trying to plan ahead and be really organized and prepared so I don’t have to mess up and eat JUNK.  Here are some of the snacks I’ve been throwing in the car, saddle bag, trailer cooler:

Raw almonds (I roast them in the oven at 400 for 10 minutes to get them crunchy), Clementines

Apple, 2 Slices of reduced fat Swiss Cheese

Lowfat yogurt with lowfat granola

Salad–mixed greens, feta, kalamata, avocado, red onion, black beans, broccoli, etc…

Turkey sandwich on whole wheat–romaine lettuce, tomato, avocado, roasted red pepper

Raw broccoli, hummus

Jalapeno beef jerkey, raw broccoli

I am learning that I can eat nutritious food EVEN DURING RODEO SEASON!!!  You don’t have to be a pig and eat greasy fast food and drink beer all night.  Cowgirls can eat salad.  LOL.

I’m trying to KEEP IT CLEAN!