PreContest Preperation Posts

Day 1 of the FCH (FireCrackin’ HOT ) contest!!

It’s for 4 weeks and called the “FireCRACKIN’ HOT Fourth”, because it’s all about getting you HOT for the 4th with a simple plan that contains 4 workout days a week.

This is gonna be fun and just what we need to look FIRE HOT for the 4th!!!

Let’s rock it!!

-Michelle

Sat, 2009/05/30 – 2:20pm — BuffMother

Just wanted you to know we are starting a new contest here in www.therallyroom.com on the 4th of JUNE~ It’s for 4 weeks and I’m gonna call it something like “FireCRACKIN’ HOTBod~ for the 4th”…are you in?

More details are coming soon including:

Detailed 4 week SIMPLE workout plan
Our new RR gallery so you can upload and share your photos securely her in the RR
Videos- from ME!!
beach body prep tips
prizes!!

AND LOTS of MOJO!!!

This is gonna be fun and just what we need to look FIRE HOT for the 4th!!!

To enter simply comment here and stay in tune for more details. This contest offically starts on THURSDAY the 4th!

Let’s rock it!!

-Michelle

Tue, 2009/06/02 – 5:23pm — BuffMother

FCH contest- “On Your Mark” (2 days before starting)…goal setting, thoughts and committment

HI Ladies!!

I am so excited about all the amazing responses we’ve had about the “FireCrackin’ Hot!!” Contest!

At this point we have 33 women who officially entered!!! If you aren’t on the officail list~ please sign up here.

We are going to have so much fun with this!!! I want you to know that I am totally fired up for this contest because I BELIEVE in each you! I know you can see amazing results in Just 4 weeks~ BELIEVE that you can!!

1.Goal Setting~ this starts with the end in mind…what do you want to accomplish? Take an honest look at where you are at and make goals that are attainable, yet challenging. A good place to start is by taking pictures and stats. Once you have that truthful baseline you can asses how you are going to get to your destination. Another key item to keep in mind with goal setting is set an EVENT~ a beach party, a special reunion, a wedding, a photoshoot, a trip…that EVENT will keep you accountable to your goals when things get “tough”.

2. Thoughts~ I like to start contests with the end in mind. Take a peek at the contest’s final entry form an fill some of it out now to get a baseline for where you are in your thought process about the contest. Also, be sure to journal or blog here about what you are thinking- some questions to ask yourself are: where you are at in your health? what you’ve been doing with your time the past few month? are you happy? how have you been eating?, etc…

3. Commitment~ It is important that you decide to stay comitted…don’t allow yourself to QUIT. Even if you miss an entire week of workouts due to a cold, you MUST NOT quit! It’s never too late to start again! The only way anyone ever attains their goals in life is by NOT QUITTING! Decide here and now that you won’t quit!

Some more infomation about the “FCH” contest that will help you set your goals, gather proper THOUGHTS about the contest and stay comittted:

To be eligible to win you must: 1) Encourage others to do their best in the “FireCrakin’ HOT” contest in the Rally Room…try to comment on at least 5 blog posts daily. “The KEY to your motivation is to encourage others!!” 2) Blog often on your personal progress, workouts, thoughts and weekly mini challenges 3) Submit the final submission* form for the “FireCrakin’ Hot” contest (see the bottom of this post.)

Suggested Additional Participation: ~Starting pictures and After pictures are recommended ~Weekly do your best to participate in the “Weekly Mini-challenge”

Judging: A secret panel of 5 judges will pick their top 3 picks for the WINNER based on participation, attitude (does she exude a Fire Crackin’ HOT, 4th of July ready attitude? lol), results, consistency and presentation of final entry. The person with the most “votes” will win and so on for the subsequent places. Any ties will be decided by the hat draw method.

Prizes:

1st- A free customized online training packageby Michelle Berger (Not offered to the public; a $249 value) A free year membership to the RR ($89.95 value) A free Hormonal Timing book by BuffMother! and A free After Baby ABS book. A free BuffMother! Shirt2nd- A free 6 month membership to the RR ($49.95value) A free BuffMother! shirt*Each and every one of you who submits a final entry will have the option to be featured in the Rally Room as a participant in the contest and you will inpspire others with your efforts!! AND REMEMBER…each one of you CAN WIN this Contest~ BELIEVE IT!! Please participate and let’s enjoy the synergy of TEAM BuffMother! working together towards being your best!!! You can have a FireCrakin’ HOT Body!!

We officially “START” on Thrusday…in the meantime, be sure to start by focusing on 2 things:

1- Drinking MORE water- shoot for your bodyweight in ounces daily

2- Do something (a walk, a small weight workout, a bike ride)! Just GET moving more in general.

Thanks again for your excitement about the Contest!!

Let’s rock it!!!

Your fearless leader, Michelle

~~~~~

Final Submission Form for the “FireCrackin’ HOT” Contest:

Name:

Rally Room User Name:

e-mail:

Age:

Number of children:

Ages of children:

What does having a“FireCrackin’ Hot Body” mean to you?

Please summarize your performance in this contest?

Are you happy with the results?

Who encouraged/inspired you the most during this contest?

Please tell me one specific example about how your hormones affected you during the last 4 weeks?

Do you have anything else to add?

Please list your starting stats compared with your finishing stats here:

Please insert your worst EVER picture here (optional):

Please insert ONE starting picture here:

Please insert ONE final picture here:

PLEASE send your submission, along your pictures as an attachment to me via e-mail: michelle@buffmother.com

Thu, 2009/06/04 – 12:30pm — BuffMother

Today’s Date:_________ height:_____________ weight:___________ age:_______

Today’s cycle day-

Please list the following measurements:

Bust (around breasts the biggest part):

Chest- relaxed (just under armpits above breasts with arms down at your sides):

Chest- flexed back and chest (just under armpits with arms down at your sides):

Waist- relaxed (the smallest part):

Waist-sucked in (the smallest part):

Hips (the largest part of your butt):

Shoulders (around the outside of your shoulders with your arms at sides):

Biceps (relaxed at midpoint of upper arm):

Biceps (flexed at midpoint of upper arm):

Thigh-mid (about 8” above knee cap):

Thigh- upper (about 12” above knee cap):

Calf (about 7” below knee joint):

Pictures- Aim to produce photos that will be most comparable with the next set of progress photos you take. Photo are best taken in good lighting (during the day), the same suit on, from the same distances and angles, on a light background and in heels. It is best for you to take following poses all full body*:

1. straight on arms at sides

2. straight on arms up and flexed

3. from behind w/arms at sides

4. behind with arms up flexing biceps

5. from the side

6. model or movie star pose- have fun!

* do them both relaxed and flexed. Have fun and SMILE.

Caliper measurements (*these are the ones I like to track on myself and use to calculate my body fat, for further info on body fat measurements here is a link http://www.linear-software.com/online.html)

*Tricep:

*Thigh:

*Iliac:

Abdomen (I do this one for kicks, since I am an apple):

NOTE~ this is a super detailed STAT list…I like taking a ton because I don’t change much at this point

If you want just a shorter list take these standard 5:

WEIGHT*:
Bust:
Waist:
Hips:
Thigh:

*be sure to note your CYCLE DAY also!!! It makes a BIG difference!

Wed, 2009/06/03 – 10:43pm — BuffMother

It’s almost time!! we start the “FireCrackin’ HOT!!” contest tomorrow and it’s time to get set!! AND Man I am so fired up for all of us to rock it! I am aldo so excited about all the NEW faces who joined the Rally Room this week!!! ~ Please don’t hesitate to ask questions if you need help..I am always avialible by e-mail at michelle@buffmother.com~

At this point we have 56 women who officially entered!!! If you aren’t on the officail list~ please sign up here.

Tonight, I want you to focus on being prepared to succeed tomorrw~ here is a STEP by STEP:

Take a look at the FCH workout Calendar I set up for you and adjust it to you scheduel. The workout plan is SIMPLE …

..It’s 4 weeks of 4 workouts a week with 4 main exercises + 4 others (3 abs + 1 burn-out) per workout Lot’s of 4’s~ LOL!

Notice that at the bottom of the forum post there is a highlited option that says “Printer Friendly Version” Click that and then print it off for your reference!
Then print off “FCH Workout Log” Phase 1 workout log. This details the first 2 weeks of your workout exercises, exercise order, warm up, abs and intervals. The spreadsheet is a handy log that you can take with you to the gym (even your home gym). The log provides you a handy place to record your weights and reps. For example: 3×10 means, 3 sets of 10 repetitions for that exercise. Please note the “Buffing” and “Boosting” intructions and adjusto your hormonal cycle accordingly.
VISIT my Rally Room blog regularly…I will be doing the contest right along with you!! AND I will be detailing information about each workout in my blog. I will also be adding items to the FireCrackin Hot contest BOOK as we go along…so if you are looking for something look there first. AND know that all of us are in this together so if you have a question Please, ASK. The ASK BuffMother! forum is a great place to post your questions…that way EVERYONE benfits from the answers.
Blog about your progress…AND encourage others by commenting on their blogs. The entire reason for the Rally Room’s existance is to give you a place to ENCOURAGE others. A comment with a simple “hi” does wonders to let one of your fellow compeitors know that they are not alone in their desire to be “FireCrakin’ HOT!!” :cheer:

It’s that simple~ 4 steps to being HOT for the 4th!!

Now your are SET~ to GO!!!

I can’t wait to see your “FireCrackin’ HOT” results!!!

Michelle

Mon, 2009/06/01 – 10:40am — BuffMother

FCH Ph 1	Thurs	Friday	Sat	Sun	Monday	Tuesday	Wed
Week 1	Lift Lower Body ABS	Lift Upper Intervals	Off	Active rest- Walk?	Lift Lower Body ABS	Lift Upper Intervals	Off
Week 2	Lift Lower Body ABS	Lift Upper Intervals	Off	Active rest- Walk?	Lift Lower Body ABS	Lift Upper Intervals	Off
FCH Ph 2	Thurs	Friday	Sat	Sun	Monday	Tuesday	Wed
Week 3	Lift Lower Body ABS	Lift Upper Intervals	Off	Active rest- Walk?	Lift Lower Body ABS	Lift Upper Intervals	Off
Week 4	Lift Lower Body ABS	Lift Upper Intervals	Off	Active rest- Walk?	Lift Lower Body ABS	Lift Upper Intervals	Off

Mon, 2009/06/01 – 11:34am — BuffMother

“FCH” Workout Log~Phase 1 ( the first 2 weeks)

Exercise		DATE
	Leg Day		set 1	set2	set 3	set1	set 2	set 3
10 min	Warm up
#1	Squats	lbs.
	3×10(buffing); 3×6 (boosting)	reps.
abs	between sets of squats	2sets
#2	Dead Lifts	lbs.
	3×10(buffing); 3×6 (boosting)	reps
abs	between sets of dead lifts	2sets
#3	Leg Extensions	lbs.
	3×10(buffing); 3×6 (boosting)	reps.
abs	between sets of leg extensions	2sets
#4	Leg Curls	lbs.
	3×10(buffing); 3×6 (boosting)	reps
abs	between sets of leg curls	2sets
BURN	Walking Lunges	lbs.
OUT!	2x30steps	reps.

bonus		lbs.
		reps.
bonus		lbs.
		reps
Exercise		DATE
	Upper body Day		set 1	set2	set 3	set1	set 2	set 3
10 min	Warm up
#1	Bench/Chest Press	lbs.
	3×10(buffing); 3×6 (boosting)	reps.
abs	between sets of bench	2sets
#2	Pull ups	lbs.
	3×10(buffing); 3×6 (boosting)	reps.
abs	between sets of pull ups	2sets
#3	Flys	lbs.
	3×10(buffing); 3×6 (boosting)	reps.
abs	between sets of Flys	2sets
#4	Rows	lbs.
	3×10(buffing); 3×6 (boosting)	reps.
abs	between sets of Rows	2sets
BURN	Push ups
OUT!	2x15reps or failure	reps.

bonus		lbs.
		reps.
bonus		lbs.
		reps.
20 min	INTERVALS

BUFFING PACE- Continual motion, keep hear rate high. Do a set of lifting, a set of abs, a set of lifting, etc…Little to no rest–FAST EXERCISE, but keep it as heavy as you can. Challenge= CHANGE

BOOSTING PACE- More relaxed but heavier. Do a set of lifting, followed by a short set of abs, plus take 1 min of rest, then do your next set of lifting…RECOVER between lifting sets and CHALLENGE yourself to lift heavy!

Abs ideas= knee ups on bench, vacuums, cats/dogs, walking/standing high knees, abs on a ball, crunches, decline cruches, ab machines, etc…

DAILY CONTEST POSTS

DAY 1

Thu, 2009/06/04 – 10:42am — BuffMother

HI!! It’s Day 1 of the 4 weeks…ARE you READY!!

Today’s workout is as follows…I am buffing so I will do 3 sets of 10 of each exercise.

Here is what my workout log looks like filled out~ Below that I’ll detail it for you:

Exercise		DATE
	Leg Day		set 1	set2	set 3
10 min	Warm up		r-bike	squats	stretch
#1	Squats	lbs.	45	55	65
	3×10(buffing); 3×6 (boosting)	reps.	10	10	10
abs	between sets of squats	2sets	crunches	15	15
#2	Dead Lifts	lbs.	55	55	55
	3×10(buffing); 3×6 (boosting)	reps	10	10	10
abs	between sets of dead lifts	2sets	knee ups	25	15
#3	Leg Extensions	lbs.	135	155	155
	3×10(buffing); 3×6 (boosting)	reps.	10	10	10
abs	between sets of leg extensions	2sets	on ball	15	15
#4	Leg Curls	lbs.	75	85	85
	3×10(buffing); 3×6 (boosting)	reps	10	10	10
abs	between sets of leg curls	2sets	cats	5-5sec	5-5sec
BURN	Walking Lunges	lbs.	15#Db’s	15#Db’s
OUT!	2x30steps	reps.	15ea leg	15ea

If the above spreadsheet looks like it’s written in a foreing language to you~ here is a SUPER DETAILED view of the workout from START to FINISH:

Start with a warm up~ I like to do 10 min of the Recumbent bike(r-bike).

EXERCISE #1- Then I head over to where I am going to do my first exercise. SQUATS: I start by doing a warm up set that I don’t count as a real set. No Weight x20 reps and then stretch and maybe do a few more- It’s always good to be “lubed up”. I have just recovered from a bad back injury so I am being VERY careful to ease slowly back into squatting and many other leg exercises. It’ll take me a few months to get back to lifting the weights I was prior to injury. Slow and Steady weight increases are the smartest way to lift

· Set 1 of squats: 45# on my upper back x 10 reps…then move right into doing my abs

· Set 1 of ABS: The ABS exercises are up to you~ I’ll do crunches first: 15 reps slow and controlled….then go right back to squats. Remember “I am buffing”, so I want little rest between sets and I want to keep my heart rate up.

· Set 2 of Squats: 55# on my upper back x 10 reps

· Set 2 of ABS: 15 crunches

· Set 3 of Squats: I feel good so I think I’ll ad another 10 pounds, 65×10

EXERCISE #2– Dead Lifts: I like doing this with a slight bend in my knees lowering the weight slowly while keeping the curve in my lower back—all the movement in my hips.

· Set 1 of Dead lifts: 55# held with one hand over, one hand under x10 reps

· Set 1 of ABS: Knee ups x25 reps

· Set 2 of Dead lifts: 55# held with one hand over, one hand under (alternate which hands from previous set) x10 reps

· Set 2 of ABS: knee upsx15 reps

· Set 3 of DL’s: 55#x10

EXERCISE #3– Leg Extensions- An important tip for women when doing these are to keep your feet flexed up and toes pointed slightly out…if you don’t have access to this machine you can do stationary lunges here instead.

· Set 1 of Leg Extensions: 135×10

· Set 1 of ABS: Full crunches on the ball x15 reps

· Set 2 of Leg Extensions: 135×10

· Set 2 of ABS: on ball x15

· Set 3 of Leg Extensions: 135×10

Exercise #4– Leg Curls…if you don’t have this equipment you can do leg curls with a Ball

· Set 1 of Leg curls: 75×10

· Set 1 of ABS: CATS arch up for 5 secs hold…repeat 5 times

· Set 2 of Leg Curls: 85×10

· Set 2 of ABS: CATS 5-5sec

· Set 3 of Leg Curls: 85×10

BURN OUT EXERCISE! Walking lunges holding dumbbells

· Set 1 of Walking Lunges: 15#DB’sx30 steps (15 each leg)

· REST for about 1-2 min…do some stretching

· Set 2 Walking Lunges: 15’sx15 (same as set 1, just written shorthand)

Then I am done….most leg days I don’t do any extra cardio or intervals. Leg workouts burn a ton of calories and use a ton of energy…to add Cardio on top of the workout unless I am in GREAT shape often makes me too tired to function the rest of the day.

DAY 2

Fri, 2009/06/05 – 12:42pm — BuffMother

Hiddy HO!! I woke up singing this beautiful morning, “”good morning, good morning, good morning it’s time to rise and SHINE!!!!”

Today it’s Day 2 of our FCH and time to attack our UPPER BODY! I bet many of you are sore from your leg workout yesterday and I am too~ mostly in my upper butt/lowe back/hip region.

Day 2-FCH…SUPER detailed: “Upper Body, ABS and Intervals”

Exercise		DATE	6-5
	Upper body Day		set 1	set2	set 3
10 min	Warm up		r-bike	bench press	stretch
#1	Bench/Chest Press	lbs.	95	115	115
	3×10(buffing); 3×6 (boosting)	reps.	10	10	8
abs	between sets of bench	2sets	Knee ups	30	25
#2	Pull ups	lbs.	Under hand	20# assist	inverted
	3×10(buffing); 3×6 (boosting)	reps.	10	10	10
abs	between sets of pull ups	2sets	Old school	60	45
#3	Flys	lbs.	10	10	10
	3×10(buffing); 3×6 (boosting)	reps.
abs	between sets of Flys	2sets	Hanging	20	15
#4	Rows	lbs.	10	10	10
	3×10(buffing); 3×6 (boosting)	reps.	10	10	10
abs	between sets of Rows	2sets	vaccums	3 for 15sec	3 for 15sec
BURN	Push ups		military
OUT!	2x15reps or failure	reps.	20	15+3 knees

Start with a warm up~ I like to do 10 min of the Recumbent bike(r-bike).

EXERCISE #1- BENCH :Then I head over to where I am going to do a little warm up for my first exercise. BENCH or Chest press: I start by doing a warm up set that I don’t count as a real set. Bar x20 reps and then stretch and maybe do a few more reps- It’s always good to be “lubed up”.

· Set 1 of Bench: 95# x 10 reps…then move right into doing my abs

· Set 1 of ABS: The ABS exercises are up to you~ I’ll do knee ups on the bench first: 30 focused in eccentric….then go right back to bench. Remember “I am buffing”, so I want little rest between sets and I want to keep my heart rate up.

· Set 2 of Bench: 115# x 10 reps

· Set 2 of ABS: 25 knee ups- 15 to the front 5 each side

· Set 3 of Bench: 115×8…I died, so I didn’t make 10 reps. BUT that’s okay J

EXERCISE #2– Pull ups: I like doing these a variety of ways… starting with the hardest way first- full body weight. Then assisted and then some inverted ones.

· Set 1 of Pull ups: 10 reps..YAY!! that’s a good number for me!

· Set 1 of ABS: Old School sit ups x60 reps

· Set 2 of Pull ups: 20# assited x10…slow and controlled full stretch lifting my chest to the bar (think Proud Rooster)

· Set 2 of ABS: Old School x45 reps

· Set 3 of pull ups: Inverted x10 reps really focused on biceps—MY PIPES!

Exercise #3– FLYS: you can do them as flat bench, incline or cable

· Set 1 of Flys (incline for me): 30 # dumbbells x10

· Set 1 of ABS: Hanging sit ups x25 reps

· Set 2 of Flys: 35’sx10

· Set 2 of ABS: Hanging sit ups x15 reps

· Set 3 of Flys: 35’sx10

EXERCISE #4– Rows- An important tip when doing these keep your chest lifted and squeeze your should blades together at the end of the movement…if you don’t have access to this machine you can do bent over rows with DB’s or a weight bar.

· Set 1 of Rows: 100×10

· Set 1 of ABS: Vacuums (standing with hands on knees) 3 reps of 15 secs

· Set 2 of Rows: 110×10

· Set 2 of ABS: Vacuums (standing with hands on knees) 3 reps of 15 secs

· Set 3 of Rows: 110×9…I couldn’t do any more than 9.

BURN OUT EXERCISE! Push ups 15 reps or to failure

· Set 1 of Push ups: 20 military style

· REST for about 1-2 min…do some stretching

· Set 1 of Push ups: 15 military style+ 3 on knees~ whew!! That burned!

NOW it’s time for intervals…doing your intervals RIGHT after a lifting workout is a good way to burn extra fat. You’ve used up most of your glucose stores from your lifting so your body is now set to burn more fat for fuel.

Here is a breakdown of my interval run:

I took my time warming up then did 8 intervals all recovery mins were at 7.5 and the incline was at 2% the entire time:

4mins of warm up
9mph for 1 min: 7.5 mph for 1 min- repeated 8 times 🙂
cool down by walking for about 3-4 mins.

Day 3

Fri, 2009/06/05 – 2:10pm — BuffMother

Hello!!

Saturday is FCH contest Day #3 : your first day off!! I know you deserve it and will be extra good this weekend so that you keep your momentum toward your goals. There are only 25 days left until the 4th of July weekend!! A little sacrifice and effort now will reward you with confience, pride and a “FireCrakin’ Hot Body” for the 4th!! Champions are made on the weekend!!!

As we go along through our 4 week program there are 16 days of workouts and 12 days off…On our OFF days I’ll be giving you more information and inpriration that will help you towards SUCCESS.

Today and tomorrow I’ll be posting AB EXERICSE pictures so that you don’t run get bored with your ab exercises and you can whittle your waist effectively!!

GET THAT 6-Pack!!!

-Michelle

DAY 4

Fri, 2009/06/05 – 2:19pm — BuffMother

Good Morning!! It’s Day 4 and another schedueled “day OFF’ for workouts. Tomorrow will be another LEG workout!! PLEASE KEEP THAT IN MIND…what you eat today and do today will affect how effective your leg workout will be. Make sure you eat good nutrients including good carbs to fuel your body to lift powerfully tomorrow!! NUTRITION is very key if you want to have effective workouts.

Let’s have a quick review of our start to the FCH~

Day 1- LEGS/ABS

Day 2- Uppper Body/ABS

Day 3- OFF

Day 4- OFF…Now let’s have a little “chat” about this extra day off. I am at a point in my fitness to where 1 day off in a row is plenty for me to recover. For example today I have good energy, I am not sore and I am chomping at the bit to do a workout. I also know that I am very capable of working out 3 days in a row and will be fine to hit it hard until my next off day on Day 7 (WED) of our contest. Basically what I am saying is that I will be working out today! I don’t need the extra day off~ so I am going to go for a run.

You can feel free to do the same if you’d like…BUT know that if you are still trying to recover from your day 1 & 2 workouts or if you don’t think you can handle 3 days of workouts in a row or if you simple don’t have the time, energy or desire to workout today, DON’t feel any pressure to workout!! Working out more than the 4 days/week is “BONUS” and tottally up to you. I am confident that the 4 workouts/ week I’ve laid out for you will get you GRAND results!!!

Below you will find More AB exercises to help your tummy!!

DAY 5

Mon, 2009/06/08 – 9:04am — BuffMother

It’s Day 5 of the FCH contest, meaning we only have 23 days left until the 4th and time to Kick my SUMMER MOJO into HIGH GEAR!!! On tap for today: test a few more fun “add ons” to the Rally Room, get through my stack of BILLS and have a killer leg workout!

LEGS/ABS workout for today!

I’ve had a few questions about the “at Home” version for this workout~ so here’s a modified one for those of you working out with only DB’s

Squats= DB Squats

Dead Lifts= DB Dead Lifts

Leg Extensions= Stationary Lunges holding DB’s

Leg Curls= Leg Curls using a ball

Walking Lunges= Walking lunges holding DB’s

Hope that helps, Let’s work hard this week~ whoohooo!!!

-Michelle

DAY 6

Tue, 2009/06/09 – 1:32pm — BuffMother

I’d like to take a bit of time today to talk about “Keeping Motivated”…or as I like to call it keeping your MOJO!!!

It is so easy for us to get GUNG HO about our fitness goals for 1, 2 or 3 days and then totally fizzle out…the #1 requirement for being eligible to win this 4 week FCH contest is meant to HELP-you, HELP-yourself stay motivated…If you missed it, here is the requirement from this page:

FCH contest- “On Your Mark” (2 days before starting)

“To be eligible to win you must: 1) Encourage others to do their best in the “FireCrakin’ HOT” contest in the Rally Room…try to comment on at least 5 blog posts daily. “The KEY to your motivation is to encourage others!!” “

MY #1 solution for stayin MOTIVATED … is to take the focus off of me and give energy to someone else.

That’s why the motto of the Rally Room is “The Key to your Motivation is to encourage OTHERS!” Just try it- give a little of your energy to someone else and you will be amazed at the motivation you get in return!! The way to do that here is to COMMENT on other’s blogs. Even just saying a quick “HI” or “AWESOME” does amzing things.

The Sole Purpose of the Rally Room is for you to have a place to GIVE your energy to others through Encouragement, Excitement, Love, Support, Help, Friendship, etc..~ I call it planting “energy seeds”!

The Rally Room is a safe place you can go where the main purpose is to use your gifts to help other women. The power that is released here because of that indescribable!

Everyone brings their own brand of positive energy to the team and they receive an explosion of positive energy in return. You can never out give this team! Many women in the Rally Room have tried every imaginable way to stay motivated. The mainstream fitness gurus have devised numerous methods to keep women motivated. However, the ladies in the Rally Room have discovered the SECRET.

The key to unlocking this mystery, the secret to staying motivated is to forget about yourself long enough to encourage someone else!

That’s right; All you need to do is plant “energy seeds” among the women in the RR in a sincere and genuine way. You will be amazed at what will happen when you make a habit out of doing this. Your motivation to stick to your own goals skyrockets!

Encouraging someone else doesn’t have to be saying only “you can do it.” It can be done in so many other ways. You can find a million ways to use your unique talents and communication skills in the RR to help other women. The sky is the limit and everyone in there will welcome you with open arms. It’s awesome!!

~~~~

Now on to today’s workout– It’s the same as Day 2, but if you have accesss to only DB’s and an exercise ball…here is the “At Home Version” for you:

DB Chest Press on ball 3×10(buffing); 3×6 (boosting)

ABS between sets of presses

One arm DB LAT rows 3×10(buffing); 3×6 (boosting)

ABS between sets of

DB Flys on ball 3×10(buffing); 3×6 (boosting)

ABS between sets of Flys

Bent over DB Rows

3×10(buffing); 3×6 (boosting)

ABS between sets of rows

Push ups 2x15reps or to failure

Then… Intervals:

20 min is always the goal here is an example for you:

4 min. warm up-marching in place or a short walk around the block

1 min. hard- jump rope

1 min. easy-march

1 min. hard-jump rope

1 min. easy-march

1 min. hard-jump rope

1 min. easy-march

1 min. hard-jump rope

1 min. easy-march

1 min. hard-jump rope

1 min. easy-march

1 min. hard-jump rope

1 min. easy-march

1 min. hard-jump rope

3min. cool down-march or walk again

This is 20 min total: 7 hard min. total

Let’s all focus extra hard on GIVING ENCOURAGEMENT to others, you will reap the rewards!! “GO TEAM” :cheer:

Your Cheerleader,

Michelle

Day 7

Wed, 2009/06/10 – 5:11pm — BuffMother

Hello all on this WORKING HARD WEDNESDAY…I say that because I’ve been working VERY hard today~ Lot’s to do, lots to do!! Good thing it’s our mid-week “off” day!!! :busymama:

It sure looks like many of you have enjoyed a couple really, really good workouts so far this week, are you sore? You need to be sure your diet is supporting your workout. We need to eat and fuel our bodies to perform, Food is FUEL!!!

Have a great day and be sure to check out this week’s “Weekly ?” in the forum!!!

I am off to eat something GOOD!!!

Love ya,

Michelle

p.s.

Here is a bit of info about how I’d like you to approach your realtionship with FOOD:

“The KEY to a successful diet is to make it a

LIFESTYLE.”

Expect a Learning Curve toward LIFESTYLE!!

The key to a successful diet is to make it a LIFESTYLE. As I alway preach regarding diet “Keep It Simple Sweetheart” (KISS)is the best way to do this. My mainfocus on my diet is to keep it simple and doable with my crazy schedule. I nowsimply count my portions as I go through the day. However, when I first was

learning to eat right, planning was a vital part of the learning curve. So get out

your journal and PLAN how you can fit in the proper portions of your diet in

each day. Soon you will be KISSing~

HOW To KISS…

follow these steps in order when making your meal plan for the day:

#1- Plan to Perform

As I mentioned in “Fuel your body to perform,” timing your

main carbohydrate carb (C) portions around workouts will allow you to have strong,

effective and productive workouts.

#2- Proteins and greens

Fill up the rest of your daily meals with proteins (P) and greens (G) then

your left over serving(s) of carbs (C).

#3- Work with your body

Make sure to account for your natural body rhythms. Are you a big morning

eater or the opposite? I am a big evening eater, so I plan for that. I eat light in

the morning and early afternoon because I know I’ll easily get in the rest of my

calories later. Don’t ignore your natural tendencies if you want this to become

a lifestyle vs. a short-term DIET.

#4- Eat often

Shoot to eat every 3-4 hours in order to keep an even energy flow. Remember

the fact that food is FUEL…your body and mind don’t function well on

empty. Shoot for 4-5 meals daily.

#5- Fat can be GOOD

Make sure you are eating enough fat or you will be HUNGRY and be more

tempted to cheat. Fat is also very important for proper hormone production,

prevention of aging and maintenance of energy levels.

#6- Drink water like a fish!

Are you unsatisfied after a meal? Are you a bottomless pit? Oftentimes we

feel this way when we are actually thirsty. Water is also an important transporter

of both nutrients and toxins. Without enough, it is hard for your body

to lose fat. So drink up! To optimize digestion, try to limit water consumption

during your meals. Your main water consumption needs to be between meals,

optimally 30 minutes prior and 30 minutes after meals.

Food Choice TIPS:

Choose natural foods over man-made foods (artificial sweeteners, low fat products, packaged/processed foods, etc). I would rather see youeat “whole fat” items than man-made toxins. They are not worth usingto “save” calories. Instead of helping your weight loss efforts, theywill leave you with toxins in your body. Toxins create all sorts of issuesanging from bloating, muscle aches, digestive issues, swollen glands,cellulite, skin blemishes, etc. Try your best to eliminate them from yourdiet. FLUSH those toxins out!! This is termed eating “CLEAN.”

I highly encourage you to vary your food choices. For instance, my daily goal for my protein intake is to have one portion of red meat, one ofeggs, one of poultry, one of fish, and one of soy or whey. Variety isneeded both for you mentally and physically. The same thing goes for your carbohydrate, fat and green choices.

Try to limit your protein supplements (powders, bars, etc.) to 1 (at most 2) servings a day; real food is always best.

Day 8

Thu, 2009/06/11 – 12:42pm — BuffMother

FCH…LEGS again!!! Build your FAT FURNACES!!!

See day FCH day 2 and/or day 4 for workout details~

This morning I commented on a blog about slow weight loss and that inspired me to talk more about MUSCLE today:

here is my comment~

“Weight loss is always hard, but I do agree it’s harder with age. Do you know why? HORMONES~ not just the estrogens and progesterone ones, but the ones that are typically thought of as MALE hormones: testosterone and growth hormone. Those are stimulated to be released when you do certain types of exercise= Lifting heavy and intense anaerobic or lactic acid cardio…and also through diet, for example when you go from a fasting state (buffing) to a higher caloric intake (boosting). I know that in my own fitness when I focus on stimulation my body’s “anabolic” hormones, I can get LEAN!!!

Keep working hard and remember to work WITH your hormones and you will see you body respond!

-M”

And here is an EXCERPT from one of my articles about building muscle that BURNS FAT:

How do I go about building muscle?

Muscle in women deteriorates at almost every stage of life. This is why we must weight train!!!!

Weight training rebuilds your lost muscle and therefore rebuilds your metabolism. BuffMother!’s weight training philosophy is based on:

The Basic Big three
Challenge
Change

The Basic Big Three:

What do I mean by the big three? There are 3 larger main muscle groups of the body and my lifting program is centered around them. Metabolism will be affected most if these 3 muscle groups are emphasized since they comprise the majority of the muscle mass on our bodies. The basic big three are your legs, chest and back.

1. Legs (and butt)

Leg muscles are the biggest strongest muscles of our body and in order to have a great metabolism you must not neglect lifting with these potential “fat furnaces”. The vast majority of women don’t realize how strong and powerful their legs can be without getting bulky. I understand that most women have a fear of lifting with their legs because they often carry a higher amount of fat in their legs and therefore fear adding bulk to their lower half through strength training. As women we don’t have the levels of testosterone necessary to build big bulky muscles! So don’t think that if you lift with your legs you will make them significantly bigger. Initially a small amount of muscle growth will occur and before you start loose your fat on top and inside of this muscle, you may notice a slight size increase, but this is temporary. You will soon notice how your legs gain new shape, firmness and a leaner appearance. All of which is caused by these muscles becoming more active and therefore burning more fat!

Let’s talk about the area that all women are concerned about, your butt. It must be dealt with head on. Meaning you must make a huge concentrated effort to reshape the behind that inactivity and age has destroyed. Butts require squats and lunges!!! Lots of them and with weight. No amount of donkey kicks, step-ups, abduction or adduction exercises will do the significant work that must be done in order to reshape your butt. These exercises are great auxiliary ones and are helpful initially and in complementary sense to a leg weight training program, but on their own they will not do much. Legs and butts are strong muscles so in order to change their looks we have to challenge them. This requires using heavier weights and intense contractions.

Most modes of cardio or aerobic exercise utilize the legs. These exercises do great in toning the muscles of the legs that are used during these aerobic sessions. However, they don’t hit all the muscles of the legs and butt and for the most part they don’t build them. Instead they are what we call catabolic. This means they lead to the breakdown of these muscles. For instance look at a marathon runner. They look sickly. They are some of the most aerobically in shape people and they do a lot of working out with their legs, but there muscles are tiny and they have gross butts. So let’s take a lesson from this. Aerobic exercise is very important for health issues, for stress relief, for conditioning the muscles we have, but bad at building muscle! Strong, active leg and butt muscles burn fat!

2. The Chest

I don’t mean your mammary glands. I am talking about your pectorals. The muscles all women need to embrace. I’ve been there. Pregnancy and breast-feeding do nasty things to a woman’s breasts. The looks of a woman’s breast goes beyond the mammary tissue, it lies underneath in the pectoral muscles. Remember what I had said about pregnancy robbing our bodies of muscle. This means the muscle that once lifted our breast now is gone, and it too needs to be rebuilt. If you want to give yourself a natural breast lift, build up your chest! It will not only help those saggy boobs, but also Boost your metabolism! Strong ,active chest muscles burn fat!

3. The Back:

Oh, I forgot about you back there! Most women are absolutely unaware of the huge potential fat burning muscles they have on their back. Our backs are full of muscles. There are tons of them holding our spine, ribs and shoulders in place. These muscles are very important to our health. How often do we hear about back and neck pain? Unfortunately it is rampant. I truly believe that weak back muscles cause much of the pain. Lifting with your back requires proper form and extreme focus on the muscles you are working. Strong, active back muscles burn fat!

Challenging yourself:

Muscles are very smart. If challenged to the limits of their capabilities they realize that they need to rebuild themselves even stronger. Then when faced with that same challenge they will be able to perform at a higher capacity. This is the key to understanding your weight training program.

You must find a way to challenge your muscles. Lifting the same weight every time you perform an exercise will maintain what muscle you have, but not change them. I don’t know many people that like spending an hour in the gym to stay exactly the same. We all crave to improve ourselves. So we must challenge our muscles by lifting weights that are challenging. There is nothing complicated about it. Just make sure you find yourself slightly challenged by your lifting program. Challenge yourself.

Change it up:

Change is good. Your muscles get used to the same thing over and over again. They get bored just like you do. Boredom causes your muscle to not respond just as it causes you to not want to do your boring workout. Don’t be afraid to change:

Try some new exercises
Change the number of sets and reps of your exercises
Increase or decrease your rest time between sets and workouts
Change the order of your exercises

Just remember to keep the basic big three muscle groups as the foundation to your weight training program. Change will help you stay focused and your muscles will keep working hard to burn your fat!!!!

Here are some supplements that I have used in my quest to build fat burning muscles:

l-glutamine, l-lysine, l-tyrosine, creatine, NO2 (AKG) products, CLA, Gamma-O, DHEA, fish oil, St. John’s Wart, caffine, whey protein, casien protein, sugar free Red Bull, Lubriflex, Move Free, Gaba etc. Exactly what I take depends on how I feel, where I am at in my Hormonal Cycle and what I am trying to accomplish within my fitness goals. There is a lot of money wasted on sports supplements that are ineffective, so do your research before purchasing anything.

MUSCLE BURNS FAT!!!!

DAY 9

Fri, 2009/06/12 – 10:12am — BuffMother

I just love, love, love Fridays!!! Today is an exciting day in the Berger home.

2 of my daughters, the twins, are having a “Sock HOP’ at school, so they dressed in cute polkadot dresses, I gave the SIDE PONYTAILS and painted their fingernails.

My other daughter is having a field trip…to the SPANISH CAVES. She told me last night she was going to bring home a bat :hehe:

And my son, is going to Branson for the weekend with his BEST Friend, Max. Max and Gunner have been buddies since they were 4 and today is Max’s 10th Birthday! Gunner is skipping school today so he can go~ aren’t I a good mom, lol?

Anyhow and for me, my excitement lies in getting in a good workout and getting my house clean :busymama:

On tap for this 9th day of the FCH is another upper body workout~ I re-ingnited my desire to lift heavy yesterday from my own post about muscle!! I am excited to build up my fat furnaces!!! AND I am now heading into my Boosting phase~ it’s cycle day 19 for me. So my workouts are now going to be HEAVIER weights for lower reps. 3 sets of 6 and more rest between sets!

BTW- next Thursday we’ll start with the Phase 2 workouts. So you only have 3 workouts left in Phase 1- today’s upper body, monday’s lower body and tuesday’s upper body. Let’s make the most of them!!! :bench:

Let’s all have an AWESOME DAY!! -Michelle

Day 10

Sun, 2009/06/14 – 12:45pm — BuffMother

FCH “rest day”…

If you’ve gotten in your 4 workouts this week, you deserver a rest day. Resting and letting your muscles recover is key to rebuilding your body, metabolism and mind!

have a great day OFF!!

DAY 11

Sun, 2009/06/14 – 12:54pm — BuffMother

Today is Sunday~ and another day off of officail workouts. Today would be a good day for a walk, easy run, a game of tennis, a yoga workout, etc…

You should also take at least 5 mins out of your day to look a the week ahead. We are getting closer to the 4th of July!!! 2.5 weeks are left for you to see results, are you making progress?? what do you need to do this week to keep your mojo going?

What is your plan of ATTACK? POA~mine is to really kick it in regarding my workouts~ I am BOOSTING~ I am going to lift hard, heavy and often!!! I am also going to focus hard on getting in at least 125g’s (because my goal weight is 125) of protein each day!

M-Lower body +ABS T-Upper body +ABS+ Intervals W- OFF~ Th-Lower body +ABS F-Upper body +ABS+ Intervals Sa- “off” day Su- BONUS workout- run

Enjoy your Sunday!

-Michelle

DAY 12

Sun, 2009/06/14 – 2:16pm — BuffMother

I believe in the power of your hormones! I am actually obsessed with HORMONES, lol! HORMONES control EVERYTHING!! I track mine daily, I analyze other’s daily, I research them constantly and I believe hormones can make you fat and have the power to make you thin. This belief is what has led me to build the body that won 5 figure titles the year after having my 3 and 4 children after a c-section and what has keep me buff ever since! This belief is how my client gain GREAT results so very quickly, and this belief is what the HORMONAL TIMING program is all about.

Many of you here in the RR know some about what I am talking about, but for those of you who do not, I encourage you to start by simply tracking your hormonal cycle. Day 1 is the first day of your period. Things you should note daily include your mood, appetite, energy level, motivation level, focus, stress level, strength, soreness, water retention (weight), pain, libido, etc… Even tracking for as little as one month WILL open your eyes to the affects your hormones have on EVERY aspect of your life. As you track for 2 to 3 months patterns will emerge…you will see when you are just “off” or when you are “ON”, when you feel confident and days when you just want to hide in a cave, you will notice what days are GREAT for sex and what days you typically say NO WAY! KNOWING all of these things about yourself will open up a whole new understanding of how to plan your life, allow you to set realistic expectations for yourself on a day by day basis. WE as women are NOT the same on monthly cycle day 5 and cycle day 25! You must realize that!! And account for it in your life, your fitness, your diet and your supplementation.

So I implore you to start to chart NOW!! And ladies that don’t have monthly periods~ if you have ovaries you still have a cycle~ chart your symptoms and you will “see” when your hormones are being nice and when they are being naughty 👿

On to today~ Woohoo only 17 days left of our contest!! And I am totally impressed with so many of YOUR Workouts!! YOU ROCK!!!

Today is another LEG WORKOUT~ LET’s work it hard!! It’s the last Leg workotu in PHASE 1…On Thursday the workout will change. So give this one your all!!

and don’t forget to start tracking your HORMONES!!

Your soon to be FireCrackin’ HOT friend,

xoxo~ Michelle

DAY 13

Tue, 2009/06/16 – 3:31pm — BuffMother

Day 13- FCH “Upper Body/Interval day”–why intervals ROCK!! (June 16th)

Quality over Quantity

You DO NOT have to spend much time working out to get results. If you

work hard, even 11 minutes can make a big impact. HOURS of cardio are often

a waste of time. Choose the most effective exercises and PUSH your body.

Focus on your BIG MUSCLES (Legs, Back and Chest) and on using BIG MOVEMENTS.

If you focus on HIGH quality exercise and keep active in life, you

don’t need much quantity.

Quality over Quantity is why…

I recommend doing most cardio in the form of interval training. A simple 2O-minute interval workout will provide optimal results in minimal time. It’s perfect for those

of us who have no time or desire to spend hours doing cardio.

Science has proven that interval training gives the following results:

1. INCREASES FITNESS- Interval training increases overall fitness (both Aerobic

and Anaerobic capacity) and efficiency of cardiac and lung function.

2. BURNS CALORIES- Interval training increases energy production (increased

metabolic rate) for up to 72 hours after a single session.

3. BURNS FAT-Interval training increases your body’s efficiency of using fat

for fuel (you will burn the fat off your butt and gut!)

4. INCREASE CONTRACTION-Interval training increases ability of muscle contraction

(great news for being able to build a great metabolism and move with

controlled ease).

5. BOOSTS BRAIN FUNCTION- Interval training causes an increase in mental

sharpness and clarity.

Interval Training “BuffMotherobics!” VS. Cardio – low intensity steady aerobics

Stimulating and Quick (20 min.)	Boring and Lengthy (45-60 min.)
In the long term and short term increases your metabolism (Anabolic “Building up”)	In the long term decreases metabolism (Catabolic “Tearing down”)
Energizing- increases energy output for up to 48 hours	Energy Drain – uses up your extra energy stores
Less wear and tear on joints and muscles due to shorter duration and less volume	Leads to wear and tear on joints and muscles resulting in injuries
Increases muscle building/sparing hormone levels following session	Does not raise muscle building hormone levels
The best method for lowering body fat	Not the best method of lowering your body fat

I choose intense BuffMotherobics! over traditional cardio for the following

reasons:

• Time- I am busy and don’t feel I can commit more than 20 mins to my

cardio.

•Results- I get better and faster results from a focused, 20-min session of

BuffMotherobics! than traditional long duration steady cardio. It energizes

me versus draining me.

• Fun factor- time goes by faster when I play “games” with myself during

my session. Moving from one speed to another often adds a dimension

that keeps me from being bored.

• Injury Prevention-I have had “overuse” injuries and joint pain in the

past from running too far, too long and too often. POUNDING adds up

on joints. I like intervals because in 20 mins only so much pounding

can happen and I can get great results with as little as 3 sessions a week.

It is short and sweet, allowing my joints to rest the other 23 hours and

40 mins of the day.

Day 14

Tue, 2009/06/16 – 12:36pm — BuffMother

– FCH “off”–halfway point~ BE RELENTLESS!!!

I’ve said it in the past and I’ll say it again~ I love the thoughts feelings and attitude that the word RELENTLESS brings to my soul!!! It’s the halfway point of our 4 week contest~ time to get relenteless!!!

Let’s all chant “relentless”, “Relentless”, “RELENTLESS!!!!!” to ourselves as we “kickit-in” towards our goals :cheer:

(Julie’s Relentless Ending Post: Sun, 2006/04/09 – 1:06am — JulieinCA

Well today was the end of the relentless challenge. I celebrated by going to favorite restaurant and having choices I ususally pass on….like french bread, wine, rigatotni Bolonase, well, you get the picture…my stomach feels like it’s totally bloated…not used to all that food.

I posted pics…still need to take measurements. I did weigh myself this morning and I was up by a pound an a half…instead of loosing the pounds that I wanted.ugh..I’m praying that it was muscle.

I think that what I learned through the relentless challenge is that I really need to start paying even more attention to my food. I leanred a lot about my diet….changes that I need to make as I posted my eats to the group. I learned to set more goals for myself…tiny ones. I learned that anything is possible if you set you mind to it.

I’ve decided that I’m going to get a trainer to help me toward my goal.

The competition that I want to compete in is July 8th….exactly 3 mos from today. I’m gonna do my best and see where it takes me.

You only live once…..SO, I’m going for it!! God willing that is 🙂 I pray that I stay healthy for my journey.

Tomorrow I’ll get measruements.

Have a great night Buff Ladies 🙂 )

DAY 15

Tue, 2009/06/16 – 12:37pm — BuffMother

Day 15- FCH PHASE 2 begins with “LEGS”!!! challenge=change~!

Well today is our first day of phase 2 for our FCH~ and if you look at the workout, the exercises are basically the same just in BACKWARDS order!! It’s amazing how doing a workout backward from time to time really creates some nice results. Typically though it’s best to do the BIGGEST exercises first, but for these 2 weeks we’ll switch it up! I call it “PRE-exhausting” your muscles 🙂

FUN, FUN!!!

Here are the details~ and as always you can find all of this info in the FCH book here

“FCH” Workout Log~Phase 2 ( the second 2 weeks)

FCH Ph 2	Thurs	Friday	Sat	Sun	Monday	Tuesday	Wed
Week 3	June 18 Lift Lower Body ABS	June 19 Lift Upper Intervals	June 20 Off	June 21 Active rest- Walk?	June 22 Lift Lower Body ABS	June 23 Lift Upper Intervals	June 24 Off or extra cardio
Week 4	June 25 Lift Lower Body ABS	June 26 Lift Upper Intervals	June 27 Off	June 28 Active rest- Walk?	June 29 Lift Lower Body ABS	June 30 Lift Upper Intervals	July 1st Off or extra cardio
PARTY TIME!!! (Bonus Days)	THURS July 2^nd Lift Lower Body ABS	FRIDAY July 3^rd Lift Upper Intervals	SAT July 4th	SUN July 5th

Exercise		DATE
	Leg Day		set 1	set2	set 3
10 min	Warm up
Pre-	Walking Lunges	lbs.
Exhaust	2x30steps	reps.
abs	between sets of lunges	2sets
#1	Leg Curls	lbs.
	3×10(buffing); 3×6 (boosting)	reps
abs	between sets of leg curls	2sets
#2	Leg Extensions	lbs.
	3×10(buffing); 3×6 (boosting)	reps.
abs	between sets of leg extension	2sets
#3	Dead Lifts	lbs.
	3×10(buffing); 3×6 (boosting)	reps
abs	between sets of dead lifts	2sets
#4	Squats	lbs.
	3×10(buffing); 3×6 (boosting)	reps.

As we head into the final 2 weeks prior to the 4th~ REMEMBER:

Challenge=Change

Our bodies are master adapters. The more we challenge them the more they

change to accommodate those demands. The good news about this is that if

you continually challenge yourself, your body will change. The bad news is

that if you don’t continually challenge it, it will stop changing and may even

regress.

There are 5 main ways to change workouts to cause them to be

more challenging:

Intensity How hard are you pushing? Do you push yourself to the MAX

each workout? Do you only ever “go through the motions”—social exerciser?

Do you vary your intensity to get different results? Do you like to

take your time? Do you like to “get it done”?

Frequency How often do you work out? How often do you lift each body

part? How often do you do intervals? How often do you do other fitness

activities?

Duration How long do you workout at a time? How long are your lifting sessions?

How long are your intervals? How much other time do you devote

to fitness activities?

Mode What type of activities do you do? Do you cross train? Are you training

for a certain sport? What lifts do you do for each body part?

Rest intervals How many “rest” days do you take? How much time between

each lifting set/exercise do you do? How much time between hard intervals

do you “rest”? How much time do you “rest” each day? Do you purposely

take time to “de-stress”?

“The path of least resistance leads to a poor reflection in the mirror.”

DAY 16

Thu, 2009/06/18 – 4:31pm — BuffMother

Day 16- FRIDAY’s workout! and It’s Friendly Friday today~ so do your best to be extra charming, outgoing and FRIENDLY!! :hugs:

I got to do this workout with my son today~ he was such a trooper and so funny!! He had a hard time wtih the bicycle sit ups so I taught him by moving his legs and singing “The Wheels on the Bus- go round and round” …it brought back some GREAT memories!

Exercise		DATE
	Upper body Day		set 1	set2	set 3
10 min	Warm up
Pre-	Push ups		PPU	PPU
Exhaust	2x15reps or failure	reps.	15	15
abs	between sets of Push ups	2sets	old school x15	old school x15
#1	Rows	lbs.	25’s	30’s	30’s
	3×10(buffing); 3×6 (boosting)	reps.	6	8	10
abs	between sets of Rows	2sets	bicyles x30	bicyles x30
#2	Flys on ball	lbs.	25’s	25’s	25’s
	3×10(buffing); 3×6 (boosting)	reps.	8	8	10
abs	between sets of Flys	2sets	ball crunch x20	ball crunch x20
#3	Pull ups- inverted	lbs.	under	under	over
	3×10(buffing); 3×6 (boosting)	reps.	10	10	10
abs	between sets of Pull ups	2sets	high knees x15	high knees x15
#4	Bench/Chest Press	lbs.	95	95	115;95
	3×10(buffing); 3×6 (boosting)	reps.	10	10	4;6
	extra abs- leg raises		15	15

DAY 17

Sat, 2009/06/20 – 6:22pm — BuffMother

Hey Ya’ll I am excited!!! I am getting all sorts of stuff accomplished on my website and soon I will once again have the time to take on personal training clients!!! My “sold out’ status has been up way too long!! I am very exctied about it…my goal is to start August 1st!

Today is Day 17 of our Fire CRACKIN’ HOT contest~ I can’t believe that it’s gone by so fast!!!

today is an officail DAY off~ so enjoy it!!

I had to “make up” a leg workout today….here’s how it went:

warm up 7mins on the Expresso*** r-bike at the gym;***Has anyone tried one of these before? they are an interactive/vidoe game like bike that you steer with handles and watch as you ride up and down hills on various courses against other riders. It’s really cool!

Leg press no weight…just for more warm up 15reps single leg 6 reps x4 sets alteranting legs no rest between sets

walking lunges 30# bar on back x15 40# bar on back x15

leg extensions 90×10- quit these, the shin pad was messed up on the machine, OUCH!

leg curls- bent over singles 50×10 60x6x2sets

Sit ups between sets 30; 20

calves 90x10x2sets

Smith lunges 50x10x4sets

hip adductioins 40×20 50×20 knee ups 3sets of 20

Squats 45×15…just 1 set, my back was being a bit weird. Better safe than sorry

Dead Lifts 45x5stiff legged+10conventional x 2sets

ran 6 mins slow…just for a little cool down

Now tonight we are watching the TUF finals!! Go DIEGO!!

DAY 18 -None

DAY 19

Mon, 2009/06/22 – 11:51am — BuffMother

Day 19~ FCH…Plan to Succeed!!

That’s my plan! I am going to have a killer next 10 days and I will reach my goal for this contest!!! Today, I’m planing to get my photoshoot schedueled for July 1…so that’ll turn up my RELENTLESSNESS 🙂

My POA for the final 10 days of the contest looks like this:

Mon-Day 19~FCH legs/abs/extra cardio…c-day 2 Tues- Day 20~FCHupper body/abs/intervals(run outside)…c-day 3 Wed- Day 21~FCHOFF (errand day and KIDS activity day- the park?) Thurs-Day 22~FCHSTART BUFFING!! legs/abs/extra cardio…c-day 5 Fri- Day 23~FCHupper body/abs/intervals(sprintsoutside)…c-day 6 Sat- Day 24~FCHlong cardio day…I’ll shoot for 40mins total (10warm up; 20intervals; 10 cool down) Sun- Day 25~FCH off…but start photoshoot prep

Mon-Day 26~FCH…photo prep…LEGS/ABS/extra cardio Tue-Day 27~FCH…photo prep…Upper body/abs/intervals Wed-Day 28~FCH…photoshoot; measurements; write up final entry

Let’s all plan to kick it hard this week~ you will see great results if you work it!!

DAYS 20 & 21

Wed, 2009/06/24 – 8:07pm — BuffMother

I did a SWITCH-A -ROO with my workouts for the past 2 days~

My plan was: Tues- Day 20~FCHupper body/abs/intervals(run outside)…c-day 3 Wed- Day 21~FCHOFF (errand day and KIDS activity day- the park?)

But since I spent 18hours straight working on my webiste yesterday I didn’t get in a workout~ I did have a little walk around the block with the family before the kids went to bed…it was nice! So I made up for it today with a GREAT workout!!!!!!!!!

Upper body/ABS/Intervals/extra cardio

Warm up- raced on the Expresso bike for 5:30 mins

Push ups 15x2sets

Seated rows 80×15 90x8x2 100×8 knee ups between sets- 2 sets of 20 (10 front; 5 ea side)

Assisted pull ups 30×10 20×8 20×8 roman chair knee ups- 20repsx2sets

Incline flys 35’sx7x3sets ab machine between 2 sets until boredom

Bench Press 45×15 warm uo 95×10 105x8x2sets

Crunches and leg raises between sets

Intervals on the tredmill- 8 hard mins total

18 extra mins on the r-bike at the end I was good and sweaty!…I should sleep good tonight!!

Hope you sleep good too,

Michelle

DAY 22

Sat, 2009/06/27 – 2:11pm — BuffMother

HEY!! I’ve completed half of my workout for the day~ FASTED HILL Sprints!! 4 total plus another 10 mins of running in the HEAT! After that I did some stretching and ate some filet, green beans and red pepper! YUMMY!!

Now I am getting ready to go on a date with my littlest lady, LAYLA~ we’ll go to the store and maybe Cold Stone Creamery (I’ve never been there before!)

After I get back I’ll do my upperbody workout…

Here’s the photo shoot prep for the last 4 days of the FCH contest!!!

FCH

Photoshoot – 4 day prep

Sat	Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday
PREP	-Cut your carbs to only 2. -Eat very salty foods. And if you find this to be a problem, drink a couple of cups of chicken bouillon. It is very important that you have a salt overload on this day	-No carbs, protein veggies and fat only -NO SALT Put a coat of tanner on b4 bed- Banana Boat tanner with bronzer in it is the best!	-No Carbs -NO Salt -No gas causing foods -Take a water pill(diruex) B4 bed and -no water after 8(time so you have 12-16 hours without water b4 shoot) -Put another coat of Tanner on	Photoshoot day -NO Workout -Do your measurments and stats in the am -you can have a cup of coffee -No water or carbs until after the shoot -Put another coat of tanner on -Do your hair -Over do your make up make sure you have some that will make your face a little tanner looking. What I use is a face bronzer, and 1 shade darker makeup for photoshoots. You may want to practice with this before hand. Have fun!! Bring music (have a glass of wine) Afterward Eat and drink a lot!!!	Eat, drink, and if You want begin the 4ht of July PARTY! J With your FIRE Crackin’ HOT Body!

DAY 23- None

DAY 24

Thu, 2012/11/29 – 1:51pm — BuffMother

Well HELLO!!

This morning I went on a fasted run~I planned on doing a basic out an back of 3 miles total….well not even half way through I felt like cutting it short. Over and over again I had to talk myself into going the entire way…my thoughts of YOU kept me going!! THANK YOU!

Yesterday was a “active” rest day for me…I had a fun day! I cleaned in the morning, sun bathed in the early afternoon while listening to a few good Biblical messages on my Iphone, went for a couple little bike rides around the block with my DD Tia, then I messed around in my flower bed: weeding, transplanting, watering, etc…, then my DH and I played some “redneck golf’, and some1 on 1 basketball, then we painted a couple walls in the front room of our house and I finished off my day watching “under the tuscan sun”

It was a good day!

My POA for this week is to get a ton of work done before the 4th!!

M-run (done!), pay bills, work T- legs, laundry W- run and upper body Th-photos, stats, final entry for contest…I am doing them on Thursday because I want to workout on Wednesday F-Legs Sa-run Su-off

Hope that thinking of me can help you get through your workout as much as thinking of you helped me! Thanks again!!

-Michelle

DAY 25

Wed, 2009/07/01 – 4:45pm — BuffMother

We LOVE, love, LOVE the 4th of July around our house~ here in ARKANSAS it is legal to shoot fireworks year round and we’ve already started shooting them off the past 2 nights. FUN STUFF!!!

So my 4th of July party has already started~ whoohoo!!! I am also so very fired up because of all the GREAT FireCrackin’ success we’ve had here in the RR!!! I posted a final entry submission guideline in the forum~ Please fill it out and send to me if you want to be eligible to win the contest prizes!!!

The past 2 days my back/butt has really bothered me, but NOT anymore!! I got into see my chiro and he said my sacrum was “out”…I already feel better!!! I ran on Monday and then yesterday opted to do upper body instead of legs to give my back a rest….I am sore from my Upper Body workout~ here it is:

push ups 20, 10with ppu, 10 with ppu

Incline Flys 30’sx8,7,8

knee ups on roman chair- 2 sets of 20

Seated Rows 4 sets of ? (can’t remember weights) Biceps machine between sets 3 sets of ? (can’t remember weights)

Lat pulls 100x10x3sets

knee ups on bench- 2sets

Bench 45x20x2sets 95×10 105×8

Ab roller- 3 sets

Bicep curls- seated with db’s 20’sx10 alternating arms x3sets Ab glide machine- 2 sets

Yesterday….Before I left for my workout I posted a fun ? on facebook:

Michelle Berger Heading to the gym…my workout will be upper body today~ I feel like working my biceps today, which is weird for me (I usually hate bicep exercises)~ “Welcome to the GUN SHOW!!!!!!!!”……What’s your favorite body part to workout?

You, Andrea Gordon and Lori Worden like this.

Andrea Gordon and Lori Worden like this.

Kathy Prucha Kloewer at 4:37pm June 30

We’re a lot alike…hate biceps, love legs!

Marc Devine at 4:37pm June 30

sholders and legs

Nicolas DaExplorer Applyrs at 4:41pm June 30

SHOULDERS!!

Nancy Delano Bachus at 4:42pm June 30

butt

Caroline McMillan at 4:42pm June 30

arms & chest (hate legs)

Stephanie Marshall Steerman at 4:44pm June 30

Legs!

Lori Worden at 4:47pm June 30

abs!!

Sue Domaille at 4:53pm June 30

arms, Biceps especially, Hate legs!

Tonia Goodman at 5:04pm June 30

back bi’s and shoulders!!!!

Erinn Horn Whitehead at 5:06pm June 30

Delts!!

Marta Carlson Wilson at 5:12pm June 30

back.

Itamar Gel at 5:15pm June 30

chest

Maurice Downes at 5:18pm June 30

chest, back, shoulders

Jenny Skeel Earnest at 5:19pm June 30

Legs. ♥

Shelley Lyons Flanagan at 5:23pm June 30

gluteus maximus

Lisa DeLasho at 5:29pm June 30

Legs & glutes – love those squats!

Joseph Elenz at 5:57pm June 30

Chest

Kerry Dillon at 6:19pm June 30

Definintely arms, especially triceps, I HATE Squats and Lunges

Heather Wehmeyer Schott at 6:38pm June 30

love legs- highly dislike tricep work.

Wendy Ginn at 6:52pm June 30

Delts for me.

Karla Mohtashemi-Reese at 6:54pm June 30

Shoulders – bi – tri but strained tendon means no upper body for a week! Bummer!!

Joy Knowlton-Hodoway Alleyne at 6:55pm June 30

I love working biceps..watching themm pop up and the vein I developed on one of them..Makes me feel good about myself~

Andrea Gordon at 9:25pm June 30

Arms= quickest area I c change

Trina Franks at 9:43pm June 30

Hate legs LOVE biceps… But have to do legs!! lol

Julie Laughery at 11:58pm June 30

Upperbody!

Jamie Moskin Linnehan at 8:30am July 1

Abs!!

Janienne DeLuca Kaczor at 10:11am July 1

Love it all!

Michelle Berger at 11:24am July 1

I just realized I didn’t tell you mine~ mine is Legs- they are the key to my metabolism!!!

Heather Walker Papini and Nikki Harley like this.

Report

Nikki Harley at 5:00pm June 30

arms and shoulders, mostly uper body! lol

Report

Nicole Cockrill-Bravo at 6:04pm June 30

Arms & shoulders…Legs are awful – which explains why I don’t have fabulous legs!

Report

Julia Seyferth Smith at 6:15pm June 30

Legs and butt

Report

Stephanie Nathaniel Durango at 7:44pm June 30

back & chest 🙂

Report

Heather Walker Papini at 7:20am July 1

My Abs!

Report

Holly Lanz-Campbell at 10:06am July 1

Abs and calves!

It was very interesting to hear all the response and diverse answers….

Today’s question is our Weekly ?– I posted this on facebook when I was at the chiro office~ and had some interesting responses:

Michelle Berger is at the chiro~ keeping my back healthy! Do you believe in chiropractics?

You, Thomas Kemper, Denise Buddie Stettler, Phil McCrakin and 4 others like this.

Thomas Kemper, Denise Buddie Stettler, Phil McCrakin and 4 others like this.

Angela Renner at 11:24am July 1

never been to one! It would probably do me a world of good!

Bruce Ace Wayne at 11:24am July 1

Yea can you refer me to one pls!!!

Hope Jones at 11:29am July 1

i don’t believe in chiropractors because I’m in insurance defense and the majority of bogus lawsuits their ‘primary care physician’ is a a chiropractor per the personal injury attorney. I had a minor accident years ago where someone pulled out in front of me, I hit the ditch but I was okay. Got called by a chiropractor telling me I was hurt worse than my regular medical doctor could or would ever be able to tell. Not all chiropractors are “dishonest”, but….. 🙂 I steer clear of them.

Christina Williams Routon at 11:32am July 1

I love my chiropractor! Now some of the things they do, like the electrical stimulation and stuff like that, I think is bogus, but I love the adjustments.

Karla Mohtashemi-Reese at 11:35am July 1

Definitely! If you have had a bad experience with one, find another one! I am sure that some of you have had bad experiences with medical doctors, but do not steer clear of them.

Melissa Feldhaus at 11:38am July 1

Love our chiro!!

Rhonda Bryant at 11:38am July 1

They are the best!! Keeps one healthy as every nerve at one point or another goes through the spinal column.

Jennifer Lawrence at 11:41am July 1

yup…they’re great!

Brenda Hall Herrod at 11:49am July 1

IDK…Never been to one but have TWO awesome Chiro friends that I would strongly recommend…I think you know who they are! Not very convenient for you though! I think it depends upon your ailment… Try a different one or MD if it’s not helpin you! 🙂

Kathy Prucha Kloewer at 11:55am July 1

You know I DO!!

Bill VB at 11:55am July 1

I got all the time, I have the best one of all 😉 Massage therapist doesn’t hurt either 😉

Kq Smith at 11:56am July 1

YES!!!! SNAP CRACKLE POP!!!!

Denise Buddie Stettler at 12:18pm July 1

of course!! can’t live (long) without one…

Thomas Kemper at 12:18pm July 1

I guess, i am ONE!!! hahahah.

Caroline McMillan at 12:56pm July 1

Yup I do. As with all professions there are good and iffy! I myself have only had good expriences, Chiro coupled with massage is very benificial.

Carole Ingram at 1:22pm July 1

Yes, I certainly do! It helped me get more “regular” several years ago … My monthly cycle was always between 30 to 40 days, with chiropractic care, I was 31 days on the dot! Wasn’t quite 28 days but it definitely help my mind stay more at ease! *LOL*

Lisa Berkeley Hughes at 2:37pm July 1

LOVE em…..has kept my 5 year old off ALL antibiotics and she now has a VERY strong immune system!!! She started going when she was very smalllllll just a couple months old!! 😉

So what’s your opinion, do you believe in Chiropractic care? Please answer here in our weekly ? forum~

have a fun party time!!!

-Michelle

DAY 26

Thu, 2009/07/02 – 3:21pm — BuffMother

HI!! I just got back from Runnin’!! I went around the block 4 times and then did 5 sprints infront of my house~ it was good!!!

Fyi the way I do my sprints are as follows;

start with a very good warm up- today was about 15mins of running
run very hard on my toes, high knees, using good form and really using my arms- for about 20 seconds= SPRINT (fire hydrant to fire hydrant)
then walk back to the starting point-NOTE- It’s about 2- 3 mins walking recovery for each 20 second sprint.
and then sprint again.

Yesterday I got in a decent, yet a bit wimpy leg workout~ EVERY workout counts though!! It went kinda like this:

Warm up 16mins on the r-bike

Leg press about 4-5 of high rep sets with some calves and stretching between

roman chair knee ups

Hip adduction- 2 sets

Leg extension- one leg at a time

smith lunges- 4 setsx10 reps with 50#

knee ups on bench- 3 sets

Dead lifts- 4sets really light

Squats -2 sets with just the bar

Then I took the kids into the pool area and let them play for a bit~ we came home to Daddy grilling and lighting off some fireworks!!! Summer is so fun!!!

Today my plan was to take stats, measurments, pics, etc this morning, but I was bloated big time from ovulation and muscle soreness~ I was up 3 pounds from yesterday! so I’ll do them tomorrow am instead~ which will be 1 week until my professional photoshoot!!! :photo:

Time to be “Relentless!!”

here is my FCH~ final thoughs/entry form~ You can get yours here-

Final Submission Form for the “FireCrackin’ HOT” Contest:

Name: Michelle Berger

Rally Room User Name: BuffMother

e-mail:michelle@buffmother.com

Age:34

Number of children:4

Ages of children:9,7,6,6

What does having a“FireCrackin’ Hot Body” mean to you?

It means to be able to walk around my house, my front yard, my backyard…basically everywhere with a bikini on and care less about it! I don’t want to have to feel like my butt or belly are unsighly and covered with fat. I also want to feel that the shape of my body is better than it was a teen. I want to be symmetrical and BEAUTIFUL!

Please summarize your performance in this contest?

I did well…not as well as I had hoped especailly in the diet area, but I consistenly got in 4-5 workouts a week. I also got back into spriniting!! I love the results from running FAST!

Are you happy with the results?

I am happy with my results, I feel that I was able to maintain and even make progress with a rather lax diet and lax workout routine. I have been to the gym fewer times this month than any other month this year…it’s been a good break to do more at home workout and more running outside.

Who encouraged/inspired you the most during this contest?

As always everyone who posts in the rally room inspires me!! But If I had to pick out a few individuals…I was VERY inspired by 2 of our newer members: Helen and Renda, I love their excitement to get after the contest and see some good changes in just 4 weeks. I was also very, very impressed with Daphne! She worked hard and got great results in the contest because of it! Way to go ladies, you are so inspirational!!!

Please tell me one specific example about how your hormones affected you during the last 4 weeks?

I just realized this month that I don’t ovulate at the same time each month. Being that I alternate ovaries with each cycle, my ovulation also alternates. Last month I ovulated around cycle day 15 and this month it was cycle day 10-11. I need to track my ovulation because I don’t like being suprised by the mini-pms issues it causes me! For instance this week from my ovulation I had a zit out break, more back pain, and cramps! PLUS 3# of waterweight overnight!

Do you have anything else to add?

As always I am looking forward to contiuning to see results…doing this questionaire has PUMPED me up to make some goals for July! I really enjoy having some challenge to keep me on track to continued success!!

the following items are coming tomorrow~

Please list your starting stats compared with your finishing stats here:

Please insert your worst EVER picture here (optional):

Please insert ONE starting picture here:

Please insert ONE final picture here:

DAY 27 – None

DAY 28

Wed, 2009/07/01 – 1:20pm — BuffMother

Final Submission Form for the “FireCrackin’ HOT” Contest:

Name:

Rally Room User Name:

e-mail:

Age:

Number of children:

Ages of children:

What does having a“FireCrackin’ Hot Body” mean to you?

Please summarize your performance in this contest?

Are you happy with the results?

Who encouraged/inspired you the most during this contest?

Please tell me one specific example about how your hormones affected you during the last 4 weeks?

Do you have anything else to add?

Please list your starting stats compared with your finishing stats here:

Please insert your worst EVER picture here (optional):

Please insert ONE starting picture here:

Please insert ONE final picture here:

PLEASE send your submission, along your pictures as an attachment to me via e-mail: michelle@buffmother.com

FINAL STATS

Sun, 2009/07/05 – 12:14pm — BuffMother

Here are my starting and ending stats for the FCH contest~


Date CD (cycle day)	5/29/09 CD5	7/3/09 CD13
			Weight	125.6	127
			Bust	R37; F40	R36; F39
Chest relaxed	33.5	33.5
Chest flexed	36.5	38
waist relaxed	27	26
Waist sucked in	25.5	25
Hips	34.5	35.5
Shoulders	40	41
Biceps	R9.5;F11.25	R9.5;F11
Thigh-mid	19	18.5
Thigh- high	20	21.5
Calf	13	13 and 1/8
Ab calliper	5
Illiace calliper	3
Thigh calliper	7
Tri caliper	5

I can’t seem to get the formatting to work right on here for some reason?? sorry about that~

but anyhow my stats show some nice muscle gain and fat loss~ I can tell too that I’ve been able to lift with my legs again. I’ve regained a bit of my butt and leg muscles and even added an 1/8 of an inch to my calf (thanks to my sprints!!)

I didn’t take my caliper mesurements, maybe I’ll get those done this week~ on Friday before my photoshoot.

BLOG POSTS DURING THE FCH CONTEST

(blogs that weren’t part of the FCH contest book)

Make your POA!!!

Sun, 2009/06/07 – 6:38pm — BuffMother

Today’s the day to make your plan of attack for this upcoming week…ARE your READY?! Here’s my POA: M-Legs/Abs T- Upper body/Abs/Intervals W-off Th-Legs/Abs F-Upper body/Abs/Intervals Sa-off Su-OFF…my birthday!!!

what is your’s?? post it to your blog so you hold yourself in check~ Let’s have a stellar week!! -Michelle

Birthday thoughts~ 33 is over!

Sun, 2009/06/14 – 2:07pm — BuffMother

Hey!! I am 34 years old today~ yay!!! I plan on making it a GREAT year, my best ever FOR SURE!

And I am Glad 33 is OVER! It has been a turbulent past year filled with lots of HOPE, LOTS of GREAT things, but also LOTS of diappointments. I’m glad it’s over! NO LOOKING BACK! this next year is going to ROCK!!!!

It’s always fun for me to read through past posts I’ve made~ cool reminders of the days gone by, lol!

My blog from last year’s b-day~ http://therallyroom.com/node/30746

My recap of my 33rd b-day~ http://therallyroom.com/node/30763

My 32nd B-day~ http://therallyroom.com/node/16847

and PICTURES

Anyhow~ as I sad NO LOOKIN’ BACK!

Today I’ve been just sitting in my room~ reflecting, drinking coffee and listening to the rain outside. The kids and Daddy are “prepping” the rest of the house and I “think” baking me a cake. They’ve told me to stay in my room until they are finished~ It’s almost 1:00 so wonder how much longer before we get the PARTY STARTED!!??

3 of my goals this year:

1- RECORDING MEMORIES~ taking more photos/videos of my family, doing more photoshoots, making videos. Life is flying by fast and I want to be sure that I don’t forget these fun times!!

2- Get OUT more~ I’ve been becoming more and more of a homebody and I think It’s time to change that! I need to GO! Go out to eat, the mall, the movies, to baseball games, to the lake, to the hiking trails, and even to the gym…I need to GET OUT THERE!! I also want to travel with my family more~ a trip to Branson, KC, Tulsa or Dallas would be fun and not too far away 🙂

3- Connect with my Savior~ I have been rather LACK when it comes to my Sprituality. I need to get it BACK! I love how I feel and how my life is BLESSED when I lean on Jesus Chist! I’m going to be sure to go to church each week ~starting next week!

I’ve got more goals and expect to make more as the year rolls along…For today, my goal is to be happy and ENJOY this wonderful day. “this is the day that the LORD has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it!!”

Love you all!!

Your sister in Christ, Michelle

I feel so PROUD!!

Tue, 2009/06/16 – 3:14pm — BuffMother

This is the last week of school for my kids…(they go to “year-round”)

And I FEEL SO PROUD!!

The twins are having their “Kindergarden Graduation/Celebration tonight” and then the rest of the week is filled with parties and field days for all 4 of them. Thursday is their last day of 3rd grade, 1st grade , and Kindergarden!!!

I also feel proud about all the GREAT progress You all are having in reaching your fitness goals!!! I LOVE IT!!!

Let’s keep rockin’ the next 2+ weeks so that on the 4th we’ll be able to

STRUT our STUFF!!!

My Butt Hurts!!

Tue, 2009/06/23 – 6:52pm — BuffMother

My Butt Hurts!! I’ve been sitting on it all day trying to get my website fixed. Just so you know we’ve made the new Rally Room registration system live, but it has a few bugs….sorry about that! PLEASE e-mail me with any questions or concerns so that I can “fix” the issues. We will get it working smoothly soon!!

Anyhow, I had a super dooper leg workout yesterday and that has added to my butt pain, lol! I LOVE IT!!

I am pushing today’s upper body workout to tomorrow~ but I may go running yet this evening??

Hope you are rockin’ it!!! Your gonna be so FIRE CRAKIN HOT!!!

Love ya,

Michelle

I didn’t cut my run short…Thanks to you!!!

Mon, 2009/06/29 – 12:06pm — BuffMother

Well HELLO!!

Yesterday was a “active” rest day for me…I had a fun day! I cleaned in the morning, sun bathed in the early afternoon while listening to a few good Biblical messages on my Iphone, went for a couple little bike rides :biking: around the block with my DD Tia, then I messed around in my flower bed: weeding, transplanting, watering, etc…, then my DH and I played some “redneck golf’, and some1 on 1 basketball :bball: , then we painted a couple walls in the front room of our house and I finished off my day watching “under the tuscan sun”

It was a good day!

My POA for this week is to get a ton of work done before the 4th!!

Hope that thinking of me can help you get through your workout as much as thinking of you helped me! Thanks again!!

-Michelle

Day 26 Runnin’! (plus my FireCrakin’ Hot final thoughts)

Thu, 2009/07/02 – 3:21pm — BuffMother

HI!! I just got back from Runnin’!! I went around the block 4 times and then did 5 sprints infront of my house~ it was good!!!

Fyi the way I do my sprints are as follows;

start with a very good warm up- today was about 15mins of running
run very hard on my toes, high knees, using good form and really using my arms- for about 20 seconds= SPRINT (fire hydrant to fire hydrant)
then walk back to the starting point-NOTE- It’s about 2- 3 mins walking recovery for each 20 second sprint.
and then sprint again.

Yesterday I got in a decent, yet a bit wimpy leg workout~ EVERY workout counts though!! It went kinda like this:

Warm up 16mins on the r-bike

Leg press about 4-5 of high rep sets with some calves and stretching between

roman chair knee ups

Hip adduction- 2 sets

Leg extension- one leg at a time

smith lunges- 4 setsx10 reps with 50#

knee ups on bench- 3 sets

Dead lifts- 4sets really light

Squats -2 sets with just the bar

Then I took the kids into the pool area and let them play for a bit~ we came home to Daddy grilling and lighting off some fireworks!!! Summer is so fun!!!

Time to be “Relentless!!”

here is my FCH~ final thoughs/entry form~ You can get yours here-

Final Submission Form for the “FireCrackin’ HOT” Contest:

Name: Michelle Berger

Rally Room User Name: BuffMother

e-mail:michelle@buffmother.com

Age:34

Number of children:4

Ages of children:9,7,6,6

What does having a“FireCrackin’ Hot Body” mean to you?

Please summarize your performance in this contest?

I did well…not as well as I had hoped especailly in the diet area, but I consistenly got in 4-5 workouts a week. I also got back into spriniting!! I love the results from running FAST!

Are you happy with the results?

Who encouraged/inspired you the most during this contest?

Please tell me one specific example about how your hormones affected you during the last 4 weeks?

Do you have anything else to add?

the following items are coming tomorrow~

Please list your starting stats compared with your finishing stats here:

Please insert your worst EVER picture here (optional):

Please insert ONE starting picture here:

Please insert ONE final picture here:

half year resoulutions!!

Fri, 2009/07/03 – 2:04pm — BuffMother

Yesterday I was inspired to make some goals for myself…the year is half done and I need to “accomplish” more these next 6 months to make this year a success!! I’ve broken down my goals into 4 categories~ fitness, work, family and spirit….

July Goals
Week of	fitness	work	family	spirit
July 6th	3 day split buffing hard; photo prep- sprint 2x’s a week	Videos,Website, Photoshoot Friday- chore time at 3pm daily	go to trails, library and berry picking with kids; UFC on Saturday	listen to JM podcasts during workouts
July 13th	3 day split BIG time boosting- eat up;increase my sprints to 8 reps- sprint 2x’s a week	Website store project; videos;chore time at 3pm daily	VBS for kids!! Gunner b-day!!	VBS, Church, read “reduce me to love”
July 20th	3 day split BIG time boosting- eat up;sprint 2x’s a week	video; scheduel august photo shoot;chore time at 3pm daily	Have some fun- zoo, pool, lake, etc…	Kids book of devotions daily
July 27th	buffing hard again…increase my sprints to 10reps; sprint 2x’s a week	decide on fall travel;chore time at 3pm daily	make plans for anniversary next month; football registration for fall; back to school prep	Read Joel Osteen’s book

Splitting it up like that may just make it harder, lol~

Overall my fitness goal is to start working out on a 3 days split again…lifting 6 days a week. I plan to finish off this buffing phase really hard and then BOOST really hard! I need to rev up my metabolism again and boosting with extra supplements and calories seems to do that nicely. I also want to continue to increase my sprinting. By the end of the month I want to get up to 10 sprints/session at least once a week. I want to do sprints twice a week total.

Workwise, my goal is to keep on improving my website and add a bunch of new video content. I’d like to shoot video at least 4 days a week~ Tues- Friday would be good for that. I’m also foing to keep up with everyone in the Rally Room and continue to keep adding new good content to it too.

Family wise…it’s Summer vacation here and another B-day is just a few days away… Gunner is going to be 10!! We’ve been trying to have a daily ‘chore” time which are rewarded with set fun activities with the kids. It’s been fun, yet challenging to have them home these past few weeks. A local church has a VBS during the morning on the week of the 13th…the kids love that VBS and so do I! having some free time is nice 🙂

Spirtiually, I need to keep growing and keep connected to my God…I love listiening to messages on my iphon and reading good books. I think if I have a set plan to do something specific each week it’ll help me continue to grow in my realtionship with Jesus.

I am heading to the gym now to do a back, sh, bicep workout~ then I’ll be back to take my FCH pics and stats.

-Michelle

p.s. here is a little video taken on my b-day…I was just testing the editing of it and upload and thought you may think it’s a little fun to see 😉

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EMTtQYcePB4

Comments

comments

PreContest Preperation Posts

..It’s 4 weeks of 4 workouts a week with 4 main exercises + 4 others (3 abs + 1 burn-out) per workout Lot’s of 4’s~ LOL!

Now your are SET~ to GO!!!

DAILY CONTEST POSTS

DAY 1

DAY 2

Hiddy HO!! I woke up singing this beautiful morning, “”good morning, good morning, good morning it’s time to rise and SHINE!!!!”

Day 3

Hello!!

DAY 4

DAY 5

DAY 6

Day 7

Day 8

DAY 9

Day 10

DAY 11

DAY 12

DAY 13

Day 14

DAY 15

DAY 16

Thu, 2009/06/18 – 4:31pm — BuffMother

DAY 17

Sat, 2009/06/20 – 6:22pm — BuffMother

DAY 18 -None

DAY 19

Mon, 2009/06/22 – 11:51am — BuffMother

DAYS 20 & 21

Wed, 2009/06/24 – 8:07pm — BuffMother

DAY 22

Sat, 2009/06/27 – 2:11pm — BuffMother

DAY 23- None

DAY 24

Thu, 2012/11/29 – 1:51pm — BuffMother

DAY 25

Wed, 2009/07/01 – 4:45pm — BuffMother

Michelle Berger Heading to the gym…my workout will be upper body today~ I feel like working my biceps today, which is weird for me (I usually hate bicep exercises)~ “Welcome to the GUN SHOW!!!!!!!!”……What’s your favorite body part to workout?

DAY 26

Thu, 2009/07/02 – 3:21pm — BuffMother

Time to be “Relentless!!”

DAY 27 – None

DAY 28

Wed, 2009/07/01 – 1:20pm — BuffMother

FINAL STATS

BLOG POSTS DURING THE FCH CONTEST

Make your POA!!!

Birthday thoughts~ 33 is over!

I feel so PROUD!!

My Butt Hurts!!

I didn’t cut my run short…Thanks to you!!!

Day 26 Runnin’! (plus my FireCrakin’ Hot final thoughts)

Time to be “Relentless!!”

half year resoulutions!!

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