X-Train Fit: Arms

I like this workout.  It is a basic arms workout and it makes sure to get every muscle in the arms and shoulders some work. From the back of the DVD. XTF Arms "Focuses on building lean and defined arms as well as toned shoulders." There are 13 exercises you do 2 times through.  The second time through there are some variations on the exercises. The workout is 49 minutes and includes a warm-up and a cool down.  Some of the exercises included are Hammer Curl, Military Press, Push-ups, Front Raise, Tricep Kick Back and Side Bicep Curl.  With this workout I used 5-8 pound dumbbells.  On some of the exercises I felt I could go up to 10, but there are a lot of reps.  So, I wanted to play it safe.   X-Train Fit

Seattle Art Museum: The Listening Room

My family and I were recently in Seattle and we went to the Seattle Art Museum http://www.seattleartmuseum.org/default.asp .  One thing my husband made sure I saw was the work of American Installation Artist Theaster Gates http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theaster_Gates in The Listening Room.  Mr Gates purchased the remaining collection of vinyl records from the now closed Dr. Wax Records.  Dr. Wax  http://www.soultracks.com/story-dr-wax-farewell  had been a Chicago institution for decades.  In 2010 it closed it's doors to the Hyde Park store.  In the Listening Room you are able to listen to some of the collection.  In the program it says that "One goal of the project is to encourage discussions about hard truths through music and other charged material."  Also, there is a deejay performing live on first Thursdays and Sundays. Check it out if you are going to be in Seattle. It runs through July 1, 2012. http://www.seattleartmuseum.org/exhibit/exhibitDetail.asp?eventID=21506

X-TrainFit Chest & Back

Now I've been doing X-TrainFit http://www.amazon.com/X-TrainFit-At-Home-Workout-Complete/dp/B004ODAVZ8 for about 4 weeks now. Today I'm going to write about the Chest & Back DVD. Chest & Back "sculpts the upper-torso into the physique you have always wanted."  This DVD is a basic chest and back workout.  The exercises included are push-ups, Superman, chest fly, back fly, chest press, right and left are row, right and left arm staggered push-ups and a lat pull down.  These exercises are done three times through with small variations during the second and third time. The equipment you need for this workout is very little.  All you need are dumbbells, resistance band and a ball.  I like that you can do this workout with resistance bands so you can take the workout with you on the road. I also like that during the second and third time through she does vary the exercises a bit. Stephanie does talk a lot during the workouts and some other reviewers I've read have said that it turns them off.  I just think that's her personality.  She likes to tease the other people in the video by saying they are not working out hard enough.  I just tune that out.  I did like one line she said about exercising.  "It's not the quantity, but the quality of what you can do."

Valentine's Day Gifts

Valentine's Day is fast approaching. If you are getting anxious and nervous because you haven't got that special person a gift yet here are some solutions from Justine Santaniello lifestyle expert. She was featured on WGN's Midday News. My favorite was the Body Shop gift box. Here's the link to the clip http://www.wgntv.com/news/middaynews/stylefiles/wgntv-midday-fix-justine-santaniello-valentines-day-gifts-under-25-dollars,0,2087458.story. You can follow Justine on Twitter https://twitter.com/#!/jnsantaniello

X-TrainFit Circuit Burnout

I was really excited when I saw the name of this DVD. Circuit Burnout sounds like something that would be really challenging and possibly kill me. It's described as " a body sculpting routine that provides a full-body workout using a combination of cardio and toning to get maximum results." And it's 80 minutes! Yes! That's for me! I start the workout and it starts with a warm up. What I do like about this workout system compared to Supreme 90 is that they don't use the same warm up for each DVD. Also, the people working out with Stephanie look like ordinary people not models. Basically, this workout is very basic. It has squats, planks, thrusts, lunges etc. The same things you can find in any other workout and she has you doing the same things over and over again. I would find myself self saying 'What, we're doing this again?' With no variation in the movements. If you are a beginner and haven't really done as many workout DVDs as I have then you would find this one challenging. I do like some things about X-Train Fit. Compared to Supreme 90 the packaging is excellent. My Supreme 90 packaging started falling apart very soon after getting it. Stephanie Oram provides you with a training guide that shows what muscles each exercise targets. The best foods to eat. How to measure yourself and calculate your BMI. Also, charts to list what you did, how many reps and what weight you used. Everything was thought out very thoroughly. I just wish this workout was more challenging.