Shaping Up...

If you are not familiar with Jericho McDuffie, you will be soon enough. So far I've yet to find a format she is not fabulous at. I know you will all want to know what kinds of things both Jericho & Josef do to keep in shape. Well, Jericho loves to dance. She teaches & presents BodyJam for Les Mills and every Sunday she goes to NYC and takes dance lessons - just because she loves it!

Josef is now doing a class called Fight Circuit - which my husband and I took a few weeks ago. If you want to shock your system and kick your butt in 60 minutes, you must go to the South Hampton Gym on a Saturday morning at 9:30 and take this class. You have to sign up and they only accept 12 people. It's INCREDIBLE. I've been incorporating a lot of the moves into my training schedule. There are about 10 circuits total that are 6 minutes long and you work in groups of 4. You do everything from hit the heavy bag to running through an agility ladder to doing uppercuts and jabs with a band - and as you are doing each circuit Josef is in your face pushing you to go harder. I have never sweat so much in my life.

Incorporating circuit training at least once a week is a excellent way to add a shock challenge to your routine. What I've also found while training for Cardio Kickbox Challenge is that it is REALLY important to take one day and work on flexibility. I do the entire Yoga Solutions DVD at least once a week and I can tell you I am really seeing a difference in my balance, overall strength and flexibility. Another important thing to remember is to stay hydrated, take at least one day to rest every week and get enough sleep so your muscles can repair!

He's Back!!!

The fight's not over yet! Josef is back for one more round. Is he tough enough to hang with the girls this time?

CARDIO KICKBOX CHALLENGE

We're in a fight to the finish, but there are no losers. It's all about results and everyone wins! You want intensity? You'll find it in Cardio Kickbox Challenge. Push yourself beyond what you think you can do with plyometrics and kickboxing drills choreographed specifically to the music.

You won't find any grapevines or confusing choreography here. Cardio Kickbox Challenge is pure kickboxing, pure intensity, pure fun.

Don't want to jump? You have complete control. Tracey, Josef, and Jericho will show you level changes. You can stay with level 1 and get a tough workout without ever leaving the ground.

Ready to go airborne? Level 2 is for you. Unleash your inner warrior!

Are you up to the challenge?

Cardio Kickbox Challenge starring Tracey Staehle, Josef Matthews, and Jericho McDuffie. Coming late 2009.

Presenting...

Jericho McDuffie!



Jericho is teaming up with Tracey to bring you a high energy, fat-blasting cardio workout that will super charge your stamina for maximum results.



Jericho has been working in the fitness industry for the past ten years. She is a NASM certified personal trainer, a Les Mills BODYCOMBAT and BODYJAM presenter, and she holds additional certifications through ACE, AFFA, IM=X Pilates, Apex, and GRAVITY®.

In her spare time, Jericho enjoys traveling, dancing, snowboarding, visiting the beach…



AND FLYING!

Get ready! Tracey has a lot of action in store for you. One more thing - Jericho is bringing someone with her to co-star in the workout. We think you'll really be happy!

Are You Ready for Tracey's Next Workout?

Here is one of the co-stars of Tracey's upcoming DVD. Keep watching to learn more details about her, Tracey's other co-star, and of course...the workout. Tracey can't wait to bring you this workout. They've been choreographing and rehearsing and it's getting closer! You're going to love this!

On My Way to Rehearsal

We're headed to rehearse for my next DVD. Watch for more details starting tomorrow!

Fit and Strong Pre and Post Natal Workout - Sneak Peek

Fit and Strong is two workouts on one DVD...and then some! Tracey created it in circuits so you have options. If you're short on time or energy, just do one circuit. There are some "extras" too. Here is a breakdown:

PRENATAL WORKOUT:
Warm up to cool down is 58 minutes (that is including both the w/u & c/d)

Warm up totals 5 minutes exactly
Cool down stretch is 5 1/2 minutes total

Workout Format:
Circuit #1 - 18 minutes long
Back, Chest, Shoulders
Equipment Used round 1: light weights (2 & 5 lb Dumb Bells), Band, Stability Ball, Bench,
Back Rows with Dumb Bells and then with Exercise Band
Reverse Flys on Stability Ball using light dumb bell (2 lb)
Reverse Flys on Bench
Incline Chest Press on Stability Ball using 5 lb Dumb Bells
Incline Chest Press on the Bench using 5 lb Dumb Bells
Push Ups
Over Head Shoulder Press on Stability Ball with 3 lb Dumb Bells
Straight Arm Lateral & Front Raise with 3 lb Dumb Bells
Triceps Kickbacks - 3 ways with 2 lb Dumb Bells

Upper Body Stretch/Hydration - 1 minute

Circuit #2 - Legs - 19 minutes
Squats no weight
Squats on Stability Ball no weight
Plie Squats - no weight
Stationary Lunges with Band (adding biceps curl)
Front, Side & Back Lunges
Standing Inner & Outer Thigh Exercises with Band
Side Lying Inner & Outer Thigh Exercise on floor with no weight
Hamstring & Glute Exercises on All Fours - no weight

Low Back Stretch/Hydration - 1 1/2 minutes

Core - 7 minutes
Side Oblique Crunches
Incline Stability Ball Crunches
Stability Ball Planks
Side Lying Floor Planks

Stretch - 5 1/2 minutes

Question & Answer with APRN Midwife Melanie Melowcowsky - 7 minutes

POSTNATAL WORKOUTTotal running time is 1 hour and 11 minutes

Warm up is 5 minutes
Cool down is 7 1/2 minutes

Circuit #1 - back, biceps, legs - 14 minutes
Deadlift - Cathe Body Bar 14 lbs
Squatting Bicep curls - 5 lbs Dumb Bells
Low Lunge with Back Row - 5 lb Dumb Bells
Wall Squats
REPEAT Circuit using different equipment just Dumb Bells (5 lbs)
Deadlift with Dumb Bells - 5 lbs
Squatting Biceps Curl - 5 lb
Low Lunge with Back Row - 5 lbs
Wall Squats

Circuit #2 - Total Body - 23 minutes
Squat with Bicep Curl into OH Press
Knee lift w a ball twist (using Cathe 5 lb fitness ball)
Side lunge with a ball twist (using Cathe 5 lb fitness ball)
Squat with anterior and lateral raise (5 lb Cathe dumb bell)
Plies with Arm Circles (no weights)
REPEAT
Squat with Bicep Curl into OH Press
Knee lift w a ball twist (using Cathe 5 lb fitness ball)
Side lunge with a ball twist (using Cathe 5 lb fitness ball)
Squat with anterior and lateral raise (5 lb Cathe dumb bell)
Plies with Arm Circles (no weights)

water break

Circuit #3 - Abs & Upper Body 15 minutes
Abs prep
Chest Press with a Torso Lift (on floor with 5 lb dumb bell)
Chest Fly with Glute Squeeze (on floor with 5 lb dumb bell)
Triceps Extension (on floor with 5 lb dumb bell)
Pushups (regular)
Military pushup
REPEAT using different equipment
Chest Press with a Torso Lift (on Stability Ball with 5 lb dumb bell)
Chest Fly with Glute Squeeze (on Stability Ball with 5 lb dumb bell)
Triceps Extension (on Stability Ball with 5 lb dumb bell)
Pushups (regular)
Military pushups

Circuit #4 - Shoulders, Glutes, Core - 16 minutes
Superman doing just upper body (no equipment)
Superman doing just lower body (no equipment)
Full Superman doing both upper & lower body (no equipment)
Twisting Plank (no equipment)
Hamstring Curls (prone position, no weights)
Side Lying Rotator Cuff & Outer Thigh Raise (using pink 2 lb Cathe Fitness Ball)
Supine Inner Thigh Squeeze (no weight)
REPEAT
Superman doing just upper body (using pink 2 lb Cathe Fitness Ball)
Superman doing just lower body (no equipment)
Full Superman doing both upper & lower body (using pink 2 lb Cathe Fitness Ball)
Twisting Plank (no equipment)
Hamstring Curls (prone position, no weights)
Side Lying Rotator Cuff & Outer Thigh Raise using pink 2 lb Cathe Fitness Ball
Supine Inner Thigh Squeeze (no weight)

Cool down - 6 minutes

Post Baby Shape Up

These are some pictures from my "surprise 40th" birthday party last Saturday!

After a few weeks of really training hard to get ready for my next workout, I am finally starting to see results!

Being a brand new mother, I had no gauge for how my body would respond to post baby. Having a c-section set me back a little bit but I tried to be patient and do a little bit every day. I filmed my Post Natal workout at 6 weeks post delivery and you will see a noticeable difference in my body at 6 weeks post natal and now. I thought just because my doctor gave me the green light to resume my workouts, I was going to be able to jump right back to it! Not quite the case! I thought I'd start with Zumba because it was lower impact and not as intense on the cardio front. I found myself getting really winded, I was very sore and my joints ached horribly, my hips especially! This was discouraging but I realized I was doing too much and needed to scale back and give my body a chance to really heal. I listened to my body and did my best to stay active in a reasonable way, if something hurt, I'd back off, but I never stopped working out, I just adjusted my routine to fit how my body felt. Being sleep deprived didn't help me either, my body was physically exhausted and I was trying to take it back to a place it used to be when it was strong and well rested. As the time passed and Scarlett grew, I noticed I was not as sore and could squat down and pick up her "binky" without hyperventilating! Each week I started to feel better and better and now 20 weeks later I feel great! I'm still not where I need to be, but I'm getting there and am determined to stay with it and do my best.

Some things I did that helped me stay on track; I kept at it regardless of how long I could workout or how much I could do, I did what I could, I made the necessary changes to my diet, when I felt my body getting stronger I amped up my workouts - increasing the intensity, duration and varied my routines. This was key - I changed up my workouts on a regular basis to keep my body guessing and it helped, plus it cut back on the boredom!

I am 5 months post baby and I am finally feeling like me again. My ab strength is back 95% and my endurance is back 95% - this took some time. I am just now able to do plyo jump tucks, air jacks and butt kicks. You may see one or more of these in my next workout! I still have a ways to go, but I definitely see a light at the end of the tunnel. Each week I feel stronger and leaner. So, please be patient with yourselves and don't give up! If what you are doing is not giving you results, try something new, push a little harder, I know that is no fun, but I know you can do it!