21 Day Fix Bonus Workout Review: Plyo Fix

"The time has come," the Walrus said, "to wrap up the 21 Day Fix reviews."  Yes, we have reached the last review of the 21 Day Fix program--it is time for Plyo Fix!  This workout is included if you purchase the 21 Day Fix program from teambeachbody.  Now, let's jump (pun intended) right into it!

Autumn's Inspirational Quote of the Day:  "You can do anything"
This witch lovely lady is really going to test you on that one today

Equipment:  none (oh, good, another workout with no weights, because that worked out so well the last time...)

Total Workout Time:  31:18

Set up:  6 circuits, 2 exercises each circuit, repeated, 30 seconds per exercise, followed by a 30 second rest

Exercises:
Warm-up (around 3 and a 1/2 minutes):  jog, jumping jacks, windmills (arm circles front and back), over the tops (side lunge and reach overhead to the side right and left), alternating toe taps (legs straight, touch opposite toe); repeat.

Circuit 1:  2 exercises, repeated, 30 seconds each
Squat Jumps:  sink down into squat position and jump straight back up
One-legged Squat Jump-R:  same as a squat jump except you do it on one leg, first round on the right, then on the left.

   

Repeat

Circuit 2:  2 exercises, repeated, 30 seconds each
Tuck Jumps:  feet apart in squat position, sink down into squat and as you come up, pull your knees up to your chest
Frog Jumps:  feet together, toes turned out, fingers reaching towards the floor, jump straight up and sink back down
Repeat

Circuit 3:  2 exercises, repeated, 30 seconds each
Burpee Push-up:  just when you thought burpees couldn't get any more fun...hands down to the ground, jump back into plank, perform a push up, jump knees in, stand or jump up

         

Plyo Push-up:  get down into push-up position, lower down, and as you come up, pop hands up off the floor
Repeat

Circuit 4:  2 exercises, repeated, 30 seconds each  (This is the active recovery set.  So enjoy it, because you never know what's coming next.)
Moguls:  jump to one side and twist hips and knees to the opposite wall, jump to the other side
Skater Jumps:  jump to one side with the opposite leg behind, jump to the other side switching legs
Repeat

Circuit 5:  2 exercises, repeated, 30 seconds each  (What did I tell you?  Now we're back to lunges.)
Jumping Lunges:  one leg forward, the other leg back, drop into a lunge position, then switch legs and continue jumping deep into the lunge position
Jumping Lunges with a Twist:  face one wall with one leg forward, the other leg back and drop into a lunge position.  Now jump, switch legs, and face the other wall.  Form is really crucial with this one, make sure to watch your knees.
Repeat

Circuit 6:  2 exercises, repeated, 30 seconds each
Full Hops:  in a plank position, hop your body to the right and then the left (Autumn does a hop-jump, where she slides one arm and one leg in to meet the other as she hops right and left).

         

Sumo Jumps:  (oy, with the jumping already) in the sumo squat position, with legs wide and toes pointing out, go down into a squat, then jump straight up
Repeat

Cooldown:  just under 3 minutes

Personal Opinions and Difficulty:  Wow, and just like that, you're done!  Yeah, right.  This is one tough workout!  I actually think this program could be in Extreme, it's that hard!  This is my favorite type of workout so I love this one!  Quick, intense bursts of cardio, while also working the major muscle groups (the legs) are a great way to get results fast.  It is a challenging workout, but this is right up my alley!  Plus, with the 30 second rest, it gives you a chance to recover without really dropping the heart rate.  I sub this for Cardio Fix in the regular rotation.
Difficulty: 5/5 Did you notice the word "jump" in just about every move? 
Enjoyment:  5/5 This is a workout in which I love to challenge myself and see if I can push to the next level.
Overall:  5/5  Definitely a fabulous, intense workout to challenge the entire body, cardio and muscles.  If you don't have this workout, you can purchase it separately from the teambeachbody website.  It's a great addition to the program!

21 Day Fix Extreme Day 7 Review: Yoga Fix Extreme

We have made it through week 1 of Extreme!  In keeping with the theme, this yoga is extreme also.  There are some crazy moves like headstands and one arm balances, but there are also people in the cast (including Autumn) who don't do all those advanced moves.  I'm not even sure why they put stuff like that in workout videos, because I don't know who would be able to do those unless you do yoga on your own...but that's just this girl's opinion.  On to the review!

Sunday's Workout:  Yoga Fix Extreme

Autumn's Inspirational Quote: "You get back what you put in"

Time: 30:36

Just like Yoga Fix, this workout is broken up into different sections.  I'll just tell you the overview of the moves so you have some idea what you're going to be doing.

Mountain Pose:  standing as straight at you can, and breathe.
Sun Salutations (3):  raise arms up, swan dive down, raise up into flat back, hands down and step or jump into plank, chaturanga (sliding tricep push up), push into up dog, move back into down dog, jump or step feet forward, move into flat back, swan dive up, bring arms back down to sides.
Chair Pose:  bend down into squat, keeping knees together, arms up by your ears, move into vinyasa (tricep into up dog, down dog), back into chair pose, and close with sun salutation.

Leg Stretch:  in plank, push your hands into the ground and stretch your right leg as high up to the ceiling as you can, then pull in and come to standing.
Warrior 1:  stand with your feet apart in lunge position, back foot turned out rather than facing front, hips forward, arms out to your sides.
Humble Warrior:  standing in Warrior 1, reach your arms behind your lower back and interlock your fingers, reaching back as far as you can and stretching your chest.
Runner's Lunge:  both hands on the floor, right leg forward, left leg back, stretching apart as far as you can; bend elbows and bring right shoulder under your knee.  You can do the advanced move here, called Arm Balance, where you balance one leg on your elbow and lift both legs up off the ground.  Yup. ...
Go through Vinyasa and repeat on other leg.

Warrior 2:  same as Warrior 1, but turn your upper body and arms should face the front and back of the room.
Extended Angle:  like right angle, where you bend forward to rest front elbow on your front knee, but this time go to the floor and stretch the other arm to the ceiling.  You can also wrap this:  pull your hands behind your leg that is bend and interlock fingers.
Half Moon:  come up onto right leg and twist your hips so they face the corner of the room, lifting back leg off the floor, one arm to the ground, the other leg straight out. 

 This is where the advanced group does something called Bird of Paradise, which is standing on one leg and keeping the other leg out straight and wrapping your hands around the leg that's out straight (which is really up by your head)...um, yeah...I stick with half moon and wobble around the whole time while doing that.
Go into Vinyasa and repeat on the other leg.

Flip the Dog:  in plank position, lift your right leg up and swing it around your back so it's on the floor and your chest is facing the ceiling, with your hand reaching back behind your head; flip back into plank.

    

 Crescent Pose:  standing in a modified lunge, both feet facing forward, right knee bend, back leg straight, reach your arms up to the sky.
Warrior 3:  push forward onto one foot and stretch arms in front of you.
Standing Split:  come down to the floor with your hands and kick your left leg as high up into the air as you can.
Runner's Lunge:  come down into position, with right knee bend and left leg back as far as you can go.
Quad Stretch:  put back knee down and reach back with one or both hands to pull your foot into your back.

 Go into Vinyasa and repeat on other leg.

Balance Pose:  lift your knee up to hip height, stretch your leg out in the front, then grab your big toe and pull your foot to the right side, keeping your leg straight; pull leg back to the front, bend knee, drop to the ground.  Repeat on other leg.
Royal Dancer:  this pose is kind of cool to me:  stand tall, grab your right foot with your hand and lean forward, opposite hand up to the sky; think of kicking your foot into your hand so you can feel the stretch.  Repeat on other leg.

 Forward Fold:  bend at the hips, keeping your back flat, interlace fingers around your big toes, lift up your feet and move your hands under your feet so you're standing on them, lift flat back up and down.
Crow:  bend your elbows and bring your knees to rest on your elbows.  Here you can lift up your feet and balance on your elbows or go into handstand........................

 Go through Vinyasa.

Cat/Cow: round your back up to look like a scared cat, then push your chest into the floor and lift your head up.
Bird Dog Pull:  lift right up and left leg at the same time and bring them together at your chest, repeat other side.
Child's Pose:  bend your knees and lay back onto your quads, stretching your lower back, keeping knees slightly apart.
Bridge:  on your back, push your hips up and keep your hands at your sides.
Bridge or Wheel:  repeat bridge, or you can go into a Wheel:  put hands by your head and push up like you're doing a back bend (I can hold this for about 2 seconds)

Ball:  bring your knees into your chest in a ball.
Happy Cow Twist:  cross on leg over the other and lightly pull your heels towards your body, then bring one leg over the other and twist across, getting a stretch for the back, repeat on the other side.
Savasana:  corpse pose:  laying flat, every muscle relaxed, hands out by your sides.
Cross Legs:  sit up, cross your legs, put your hands on your knees, close your eyes, namaste.

Personal Opinions and Difficulty:  Comparing this to Yoga Fix, it is definitely more intense and Autumn pushes you a little more with both the stretches and the difficulty.  I am not a fan of yoga (I know you didn't know that already) so I wouldn't have enjoyed this anyway but some of the moves are so difficult that I get frustrated.  I don't even try the craziness of arm balance or headstand, but if you can do that, have at it!  Yoga is a beautiful thing, just not for me.
Difficulty: 4/5 Even some of the more basic poses, such as quad stretch and Royal Dancer are a bit more difficult.  You definitely have to have balance or you will be face to the floor.
Enjoyment:  3/5  Back to the yoga...I like to do a workout on what would be "rest day" because I like to keep my schedule consistent, but I would prefer to do an active stretch or something more like Pulse from Insanity instead.
Overall:  4/5 Gets the job done, challenges balance, the body, and the mind.  If you enjoy yoga, I think you'll love this workout.

Quick and Easy Lunch: Salad with Tuna

This is yet another very simple, quick dish that you could have for lunch or dinner.  You can easily change the protein from tuna to whatever you'd like:  hard-boiled egg, chicken, steak.  Plus, you can make the salad your own by adding in whatever vegetables you like and have around!

Salad with Tuna

1 serving

Ingredients

4 oz. canned tuna (solid white in water)

2-3 large lettuce leaves, torn into small pieces (you could also use spinach or other greens)

1/4 c cucumber

1/4 c bell pepper

1/4 c beets

3-4 pepperoncini

balsamic or red wine vinegar for dressing

Put everything together in a bowl and eat!  I serve with 1 c of fruit to have a complete balanced meal.

Quick and Easy Lunch: Egg Salad Sandwich

I love making hard-boiled eggs on Sunday and eating them throughout the week in a variety of ways:  on a salad, as a snack, or to make egg salad, like in this recipe.  You can add another slice of bread; this recipe will make an open-faced sandwich.

Egg Salad Sandwich

1 serving

Sorry for the half-eaten sandwich--I realized I hadn't taken a picture until after I started eating!

 Ingredients

2 hard-boiled eggs*

2 t light mayo

1/2 t Dijon mustard

1/2 t dried parsley (or 1 T fresh)

dash paprika

black pepper, to taste

1 slice whole-wheat bread

 lettuce and tomato

Put eggs into a bowl and chop up with a fork.  Add remaining ingredients to eggs and mix to combine.  Top bread with lettuce and tomato, as desired, and then top with egg salad.  Serve with carrot, cucumber, or bell pepper slices and fruit for a full meal.

*To cook hard-boiled eggs, put as many eggs as you wish in to a pot that is large enough to hold the eggs and cover them completely with water.  Turn the burner on high and bring the water to a boil.  As soon as the water begins to boil, turn off the burner and move the pot off the heat.  Let sit in hot water for about 9-10 minutes.  Drain water off of the eggs and put immediately into a cold water bath.  It is best if eggs can cool completely before peeling.  Keep eggs, in the shell, in the water bath until ready to use.  

21 Day Fix Extreme Day 6 Review: Dirty 30 Extreme

Saturday already??  Wow, we're almost through the first week!  Time to get dirty again and boy, oh, boy, she is not messing around with this one.  Let's get going!

Saturday's Workout:  Dirty 30 Extreme

Autumn's Inspirational Quote of the Day:  "Don't stop when you're tired, stop when you're done"
Keep this in mind when she's trying to kill you.

Equipment:  2 sets of weights (light and heavy)

Total Workout Time:  31:33

Set up:  3 circuits, 2 exercises each circuit, repeated, 1 minute per exercise, Bonus Round (oh, goody)

One thing I will mention before we get started with this is that although there are only 2 moves per circuit, instead of doing one leg the first round and then other leg the second round, we go both legs, then repeat.  

Exercises:
Warm-up (about 1 and a half minutes):  jog, step back right and left, roll shoulders back, roll shoulders front, side lunge right and left, front lunge with a twist right and left, alternating kick and touch your toe.

Circuit 1:  2 exercises, repeated, 1 minute each
Half Moon Cutsy-R:  start with feet apart, holding weights in front of your thighs, step back with right foot and go down into lunge (make sure you bring your foot way over but don't turn your hips) and raise your hands over your head in a half circle (hence the name half moon).  Make sure to go pretty light with your weights for this move because your shoulders will be on fiya.

    

Half Moon Cutsy-L: repeat move with the other leg going back.
Squat Press: hold your weights by your shoulders and keep feet shoulder width apart, go down into a squat and as you come up, push weights above your head.
Repeat

Circuit 2:  2 exercises, repeated, 1 minute each
Push-up Row: get in a push-up position, abs tight, back flat, and hold a weight in your right hand, lower down into a push up, press back up and as you do, pull the weight up into your chest.  Repeat and bring up left arm this time.
Sword Pull Lunge-R:  holding one weight, lunge to the right, keeping your left leg straight and bring the weight down towards your right toe, as you come up, step the feet together and raise the weight up over your head while you exhale, keeping your core tight.

    

Sword Pull Lunge-L:  repeat lunge and pull on other leg.
Repeat
Circuit 3:  2 exercises, repeated, 1 minute each
Squat Row-R: holding weights, go into a one-legged squat and lower weights towards your toes, stand back up to start position and row weights up to your chest, keeping your elbows out and high.

  

Squat Row-L:  repeat move on opposite leg.
Lunge Row Curl-R: hold weights at your side and go into a lunge, row your weights up and into your chest, contracting your back.  Step out of the lunge, bring your knee up and curl weights in towards your shoulders.

    

    

Lunge Row Curl-L:  repeat move on opposite leg.
Repeat

Bonus Round:
Okay, this one...I'm not really sure what Autumn was smoking when she came up with this one.  I'm not going to lie--I serioussssssllllllly struggle with this one every.  single.  time.  Choose light weights and you can keep your knee down if you're off balance (or just wobble around swearing with sweat dripping in my eyes like I do).
1 minute:  get into a plank position, holding a weight in your left arm, lift your left arm and right leg up and out, pull your elbow and knee in towards your chest for 30 seconds, then switch arms and legs.

Cooldown:  just under 2 minutes

Personal Opinions and Difficulty:  I just looooove how deceiving this workout is.  Seems like 3 circuits are going to be so easy--nope!  This is a tough workout that will have your muscles worn out and your heart rate up. 
Difficulty: 5/5  Another tough one.  A lot of these moves rely on balance as well as core strength.
Enjoyment:  5/5  I really like this one!  Different moves that you don't see in a lot of workouts and a good combination of moves so it doesn't drag or get boring or repetitive.
Overall:  5/5  Definitely challenging, even frustrating at times (especially with that last damn move!), but works the whole body and is a great overall workout!

21 Day Fix Extreme Day 5 Review: Cardio Fix Extreme

Autumn is back with another cardio workout, but this time she is bringing weights to the party!  Oh, yes, cardio with weights.  She ain't playin' around!

Friday's Workout:  Cardio Fix Extreme

Autumn's Inspirational Quote:  "Replace excuses with effort"

Equipment: a set of light and medium weights

Total Workout Time:  31:18

Set up:  4 circuits, 3 exercises each circuit, repeated, 1 minute per strength exercise, 30 seconds per cardio exercise

This workout is set up as follows:  you'll do 2 exercises, either cardio or cardio with weights, for a minute each, then you'll do a high-intensity cardio move for 30 seconds, then repeat the entire circuit.

Exercises:
Warm-up (1:26):  jog, step back right and left, roll shoulders back, roll shoulders front, side lunge right and left, front lunge with a twist right and left, alternating kick and touch your toe.

Circuit 1:  3 exercises, repeated, 1 minute x2, 30 seconds
Low High Squat-R: start with feet together, holding one weight, step out into squat and bring the weight down towards your toes, then "shuffle" to the left (hop your legs together and then the left leg out), lifting the weight overhead.

         

Plank Kicks:  in plank position, alternate kicking yourself in the butt with your heel quickly.

         

Run in Place:  go as fast as you can, pumping your arms.
Repeat, this time doing the Low High Squat on the left leg

Circuit 2:  3 exercises, repeated, 1 minute x2, 30 seconds
Jack Press Jump: holding weights, bend down into a squat position and as you stand up, push the weights over your head and jack the feet out and land in squat position.  Whew, this is a killer!

   

Back Lunge Kick-R:  holding weights at your side, feet together, step back into a lunge with the right leg, as you bring the leg forward, kick it out front, then drop back into lunge.
High Knees:  bring your knees up as high as you can to your waist and tilt your pelvis forward, tapping your knee with your hand and contracting your core.
Repeat, this time doing the Back Lunge Kick on the left leg

Circuit 3:  3 exercises, repeated, 1 minute x2, 30 seconds
Sumo Squat Curl: start with feet together, weights by your sides and bend into a narrow squat (feet together), then step out into a wide sumo lunge and curl weights up to your shoulders, then back in to squat and bring weights back down to sides.
Fast Feet:  this is what I would call a football run:  stand with your feet wider than hip width and come up on the balls of your feet and move them as fast as you can in a stationary position.
Jumping Jacks:  light and easy, a nice break from the intense moves we've been doing.
Repeat

Circuit 4:  3 exercises, repeated, 1 minute x2, 30 seconds
Clean Lunge Jump-R:  start in a squat position and bend down, bringing the weight towards your right ankle, then jump back into a lunge and "clean" the weight up by turning your forearm up and kind of flip your wrist.

    

Shuffle Burpee: shuffle two times to the right, then jump back into a burpee and back up, then two shuffles to the left and another burpee.
Twisted Skater:  we've done these before--holding weights, step leg back and pull one weight up to your chest, then switch legs and go to the other side and switch weights.
Repeat

Cooldown:  just over 2 minutes

Personal Opinions and Difficulty:  This is a very tough workout that works every body part and keeps your heart rate up the entire time.  I think this workout is especially challenging with the addition of the weights.  Don't go too heavy here because you're going to be worn out very quickly.  It's always better to drop the weight and have good form than lift heavy and sacrifice form.
Difficulty: 5/5  This is a heart-pumping workout that is extremely difficult.  The moves themselves are tough, but the pace is fast, and with the cardio intervals, your heart rate will stay sky high.
Enjoyment:  5/5  Cardio is my thing and I love the addition of the weights!  Plus, the quick cardio bursts in between circuits adds a little extra challenge!
Overall:  5/5 Great workout that gets the job done!

Quick and Easy Breakfast: Pancakes with Fruit Syrup

Good morning!  Breakfast has some of the best foods, doesn't it?  Pancakes, French toast, waffles, omelets, doughnuts and pastries, oh my!  It can be very easy to get off track before we even start our day.  I love this recipe because it is easy and delicious and you can whip this up and have it throughout the week.

This recipe is from Jillian Michaels's cookbook Master Your Metabolism.  This cookbook is full of amazing recipes.  Unlike Fixate, though, some of these recipes can take a little longer to make, can be more complicated, and some of them include some rare and odd ingredients.  However, there are many of them that are simple and quick!  This recipe takes a little more time because you have to soak the oaks; I recommend doing that first and then you can do everything else while you wait (you may even be able to soak them overnight, but I haven't tried that, so I can't say for sure)!  I also cut this recipe in half, that's why you'll see some strange measurements and I also altered the flour (originally there were two different kinds).

Pancakes with Fruit Syrup

3 servings (3 pancakes each)

Ingredients

1 c berries

1/4 c maple syrup

1/2 c almond milk

1/2 c plain yogurt

 1/4 c rolled oats

3/4 c +  2 t whole-wheat flour

1/4 t baking powder

1/4 t baking soda

1/2 t cinnamon

1/8 t salt

1 egg

1 T honey, agave or maple syrup

1/2 T coconut oil, melted and cooled

1/2 t vanilla extract

Combine berries and syrup in a pan and bring to boil; let simmer until thickened slightly.  Combine almond milk, yogurt, and oats in a bowl and let sit for 15 minutes to soften oats.  Meanwhile, mix dry ingredients (flour through salt) together in a bowl.  In a separate bowl, whisk together the syrup (or honey or agave), egg, and coconut oil.  Pour egg mixture into the oat mixture, then add the egg mixture into the flour mixture and mix just enough to combine.

Heat pan over medium heat and spray with non-stick cooking spray (or you could use coconut oil).  Put a large tablespoon of batter onto pan and cook 1 to 2 minutes on each side.  Continue to cook pancakes until all batter is gone.  Top 3 pancakes with fruit syrup.