Les Mills Combat Week 3

Okay Week 3 - in the beginning I wanted to kill you and now that the week is over I love you again!!

This week was tough for me.  I was tired, my house was a mess, and I really did not feel like getting out of bed at 5am.  It was so cold this week, my nice warm bed felt so much better than getting on my workout clothes and heading downstairs.  I could not imagine what my dedication would be like if I had to leave my house to workout.  I am guessing I would not be in the great shape I am now!!!!  Thankfully I found the strength inside me everyday to get myself out of bed and get my workout in and done.  I did miss Friday but I made up for it on Sunday.  

It still drives me crazy that I battle with myself in the morning.  Every time after I am done my workout I feel a thousand times better than when I don't workout in the morning.  I think clearer, I am nicer, I have more patience, I am more productive, I look better, and seriously I could just continue on and on with all the positives my day is filled with when I get my workout in and done first thing in the morning.  Anyone else have this constant struggle with themselves?  You have the Angel on one shoulder and the devil on the other - Good vs. Evil?  

My goal this week is to get out of bed every day on my first alarm (yes I set more than one alarm - ask my husband he will tell you all about it!) 

Okay, okay enough about my battle of getting up in the morning.  Lets talk about the Fight Les Mills Combats threw at me this week.  

Overall Les Mills Combat is still continuing to challenge me on a daily basis.  I am getting more comfortable with the kicks and punches.  It is all about repetition as Dan and Rach tell me on my DVDs.  I also feel my technique is getting better so that means I am getting better and stronger!!  

Here is what was on the schedule this week:

Monday - Combat 60 Extreme Cardio Fighter

Tuesday - Power Hiit 1 and Inner Warrior Stretch and Strengthen

Wednesday - Combat 60 Extreme Cardio Fighter

Thursday - Power Hiit 1 and Inner Warrior Stretch and Strengthen

Friday - Combat 30 Kick Start and Core Attack

Saturday - Combat 45 Power Kata

Sunday - Rest

Monday - Combat 60  Extreme Cardio Fighter

This was my first day of this program.  I was a bit intimidated by the length of this particular program.  Midway through I was starting to feel fatigued because the trainers really kick some butt in this workout.  The workout includes more interval training, new combinations and holy wow KICKS!!!!

If we are going down, we are going down swinging. That's how we roll in Les Mills Combat - Dan Cohen, Les Mills Combat

and then when you thought it could not get any harder it ends with push ups and crunches. My body was screaming!!

Tuesday and Thursday - 

Power Hiit 1 and Inner Warrior Stretch and Strengthen

So you have seen my reviews before regarding Power Hiit 1 and Inner Warrior Stretch and Strengthen.  Power Hiit 1 continues to challenge me.  I still struggle to keep up with the crew on the burpee segments but I am getting better. I keep repeating to myself Enough is never Enough (as Dan and Rach say) and it really gets me moving and pushing harder.  I will be able to keep up by the end of my Combat journey - guaranteed!!!!

Another guarantee - Burpee Jump Squat I will own you when I am finished!!!!

Wednesday - Combat 60 Extreme Cardio Fighter

This day I found Combat 60 Extreme Cardio fighter even more challenging. Oh my, it kicked my ass!! I was feeling fatigued even before I was half way through this time.  We are talking nonstop punches and kicks! I was kicking all over the place so after this one I really need to watch the kicking tutorial again because I was feeling so fatigued I am sure my form was not at its best. With that being said even though I was feeling fatigued you see the trainers moving along and they look fantastic. I want to look fantastic too darn it - so I pushed a little more and finished with the Oh my Goodness PUSH UPS and CRUNCHES at the end again.  Somehow I forgot about these from Mondays session of Combat 60.   

Friday - Combat 30 Kick Start and Core Attack  (swapped today with Sunday)

Friday I did not do any workout, I used it as my rest day.  Instead I swapped Friday's workout with my originally planned rest day of Sunday.  

Combat 30 is by far one of my favorite programs. It is short, sweet, and just the perfect intensity.  There should be no one that cannot squeeze in at least 30 minutes and this workout is the perfect one to squeeze in.  You get an incredible mix of arms, legs, and abs.   

Core attack is also another favorite program because I have really been trying to focus on my own personal technique to really work my abs.  Well this program does just that for me.  It makes me focus on my technique to really feel the abs working.  It then ends with back work which just feels so wonderful and who knew it is great for strengthening your abs!!!!

Saturday - Combat 45 Power Kata

Power Kata was not my favorite the first time around.  This time however I really enjoyed the workout and that just proves you really need to give certain programs a few tries before you can say yes or no.  It all depends on your mood that day, how your body is feeling, etc.  It really is a challenging workout and one of the trainers says during the program, "Stronger on the Outside, stronger on the inside." This is so true!! By gaining strength in my body I really have been able to become that much of a stronger person. I am letting go of the past and moving on quicker and easier.  

So another week in the bag and ready for another week to begin - Week 4 Here I Come!! 

Tomorrow, Monday I am starting of with another dose of Combat 60 Extreme Cardio Fighter!  My goal is to kill it!!!! 

I have my plan in place for the week, I know what I have to do each day, I know what workout needs to be done, and I know what I am eating.  Exercise is important to the healthy life routine but what you eat is even more important.  Do you know what you are eating this week? If I don't have my meal plan done and ready to go for each week I am more likely to make unhealthy decisions.  I make life easier by preparing for the week ahead. I make my meal plan on Sundays, go grocery shopping either Sunday or Monday and then it is all about prepping the food so it is easy to grab and go.  I stay at home with my kids but it is still a challenge to sometimes put meals together even when I am home.  This way if I prep ahead of time it is that much easier, plus it is also convenient for my husband to just grab and go while he is running out the door in the morning.   Here is my meal plan for the week - care to share yours?

If you need help getting started with your own fitness routine or would like more information regarding what I do and how I stay on track or maybe even want to chat about Les Mills Combat - CONTACT ME. I would love to chat and help you get started to living a healthier, happier life.  

Maybe you would even be interested in joining one of my personal challenge groups where a small group of people are all working together to help one another reach their health and fitness goals. 

Here's to another fabulous week - Stay with the Fight my friends.

~Alyson

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Les Mills Combat First two Weeks 1.7.13-1.20.13

Hello LES MILLS COMBAT!!!!!

After two weeks of this program I am in LOVE!! I don't know if my favorite workout program (Chalean Extreme) will get replaced yet or not by this one but all I can say is IT IS GOING TO BE CLOSE!!!!  What I love about this program is the mix of martial arts inspired circuits.  HUH, who knew I would find another interest - Martial Arts!! This area I know very little about but after my first week of Combat I was interested in finding out more.

For now, I am going to stick with my BeachBody Fitness Programs and finish out my commitment of 60 day to Les Mills Combat.


I am following the Ultimate Warrior Hybrid Workout Calendar.  You have three different options to choose from when starting the program, this one I just mentioned, the standard Les Mills Combat 60 day calendar, or the Supreme 60 day calendar.  

Here is what my schedule was suppose to be for Week1:
Monday, Day 1:  Combat 30 Kick Start
Tuesday, Day 2: Power HIIT 1 and Inner Warrior Stretch and Strengthen
Wednesday, Day 3: Combat 30 Kick Start and Core Attack  
Thursday, Day 4: Shock Plyo HIIT 2 and Inner Warrior Stretch and Strengthen
Friday, Day 5: Combat 45 Power Kata
Saturday, Day 6: Warrior 2: Lower Body Lean Out
Sunday: Rest Day

so I mentioned this is what my week was suppose to look like however I messed up the schedule in the beginning of the week and then on Friday I got really sick so I switched Friday as my rest day and Sunday I worked out.  

My actual schedule:

Monday, Day 1:  Combat 30 Kick Start
Tuesday, Day 2: Power HIIT 1 
Wednesday, Day 3: Combat 45 Power Kata
Thursday, Day 4: Shock Plyo HIIT 2 and Inner Warrior Stretch and Strengthen
Friday, Day 5: Rest Day  
Saturday, Day 6: Warrior 2: Lower Body Lean Out and Inner Warrior Stretch and Strengthen
Sunday: Combat 30 Kick Start and Core Attack  

Now so I don't mess up again, I have auto-scheduled my workout program into my teambeachbody.com Wowy SuperGym profile.  So each day all I need to do is log into the supergym and it tells ME what I need to do that day. At 5am I am not always functioning properly, so I am very pleased with the auto-scheduling feature that teambeachbody makes available.

Here is my review:

Combat 30 Kick Start - 

Oh boy, my first program and wow did they give it to me!!!! Squats, punches, and holy kicks!! My legs felt like jelly as did my arms!! Feel the Burn Baby!!!!

My one suggestion is when starting the program you may want to do the workouts without the music option.  I tried it and I couldn't hear the instructors.  Luckily it is a DVD so I was able to stop and restart and choose no music and Voila I could hear everything load and clear!! You can also still hear the music it is just that is it not so loud.  

 Tomorrow you might feel.. SORE. You know what that is??? CHANGE. That is so true we are pushing and changing our bodies and that is a good thing. - Dan Cohen, Les Mills Combat Trainer

Power HIIT 1 - 

The inchworm was one of my favorite moves, the Power Press nearly killed me (I was using 8 pound dumbbells), and then there were the Burpees.  

My goal is to one day be able to keep up with the instructors when they are doing the Burpee circuit.  I am always behind. I pause the DVD just so I can finish my reps!!!!

So for this workout you need barbells or dumbbells.  You can also do the workout without any weights but it will be far more intense if you use weights - so GET WEIGHTS!!!!

What is HIIT?  It is High Intensity Interval Training.  You workout hard and fast and it pays off throughout the day by burning calories continuously.  Some term it as the "after burn" and wow on these HIIT days I am starving!!

You bought this workout to work hard. You knew it would be a challenge so now do the work. Again anything good in life is not easy. You have to work hard. You bought the workout so make the most of it! - Dan Cohen

Combat 45 Power Kata - 

I see the Light alright, HOLY KICKS!!!! 

The combinations in this one take some time to get but luckily again you can pause, rewind, and do it again if need be.  Love that convenience with the At Home Workout Programs!!!!  So we got punches, kicks, and knees and a whole lot of sweat!! 

Shock Plyo HIIT 2 and Inner Warrior Stretch and Strengthen

Wow, after this workout I could not feel my legs!!! This workout was a lot of fun but oh my do you work!!  One of the key components of this program is that the instructors are always switching things up so you don't get bored.  They give you just enough time to catch your breath and then they hit you with MORE!!!! 

Jumping, squats, lunges, push ups, plank, and oh my favorite - BURPEES!!!!

The Inner Warrior Stretch and Strengthen was also on the schedule for today. This is your just as the title states - Stretching.  You are barefoot and you really get to take the time to re-energize your body.  You can literally feel your body lengthening and becoming stronger in this workout.

Lower Body Lean Out and Inner Warrior Stretch and Strengthen
Again another day when I could not feel my legs, butt, or anything in my lower body following this workout.  I can usually walk up my steps at home no problem, however after this day I had to take it a little slower than normal.  Don't get me wrong I am not complaining one bit!! I love this workout!!!!

Combat 30 Kick Start and Core Attack  

Combat 30 I already told you about from Day 1 so nothing new as far as what to expect.  I am sure you know the more you do something the easier it is suppose to get, right?? Well let me tell you first hand, this workout did not get any easier today.  If anything it was harder because my body is so stinkin sore from the previous week.  Regardless I pushed PLAY, worked through my muscle soreness, and got in a killer workout.  

and then there came Core Attack - this was all floor work and oh my does it work the abs!!!! It was the evening following this workout and I wasn't sure if I was having stomach pains or if I was feeling the effects of this workout.  I had those same pains and more the next day and it was all in my core area.  Although this was the first program in the schedule to directly target your Core, Les Mills Combat in each and every one of its days is working your core. If I don't have a rock hard midsection by the end of this program I will be shocked.  Oh that is right there is more to working your core in order to get that six pack.  

Week 2:

Monday, Day 1:  Combat 60 Extreme Cardio Fighter
Tuesday, Day 2: Power HIIT 1 and Inner Warrior Stretch and Strengthen
Wednesday, Day 3: Combat 30 Kick Start and Core Attack  
Thursday, Day 4: Power HIIT 1 and Inner Warrior Stretch and Strengthen
Friday, Day 5: Combat 45 Power Kata
Saturday, Day 6: Warrior 1 Upper Body Blow Out 
Sunday: Rest Day

The only new programs this week were as follows:

Combat 60 Extreme Cardio Fighter
Some of the same moves from Combat 30 and Combat 45 pop up in this one. It does have some of its own combinations too.  Don't worry, Dan and Rach will make your body hurt after this one is over and done!!  It is one of the longer workouts but it is not a full 60 minutes.  I was worried I would not get the full workout in but thankfully I did.  

Warrior 1 Upper Body Blow Out 

My arms were screaming!! I was screaming for a water break!! I started with 8 pound weights and I had to go down to my 3 pounders.  I could NOT lift my arms anymore with the 8 pounders.  Even though this workout is called upper body blow out you still get some lower body and abs mixed in.  Again, one of the things that I love about this program is you are using so many muscles at the same time and you don't even realize it.  

Overall I am very impressed with this Program and I have to add I love Dan and Rachael's accents.  I could listen to them all day long!! I also love that it is a man and woman who are the normal leads for this program.  It is like a sharing of POWER!!  

Always remember, Enough is NEVER Enough...Les Mills Combat Power HIIT 1

Today I started Week 3 and I am still loving this program!! Be sure to check back from my reviews for the next few weeks.  

If you are interested in learning more about this program, MESSAGE ME!  

Become a member for free of the best accountability team out there - teambeachbody!! CLICK HERE for your free membership and this will make me your Coach!!   We can get fit and healthy together!!!!

If you want to order this program go HERE or better yet save money, get healthier, and pair the program with Shakeology, The Healthiest Meal of the day - go HERE.

~Alyson
alysonhorcher@gmail.com
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