You Are Not Tired! --- TurboFire - Day 4

TurboFire, created by fitness expert Chalene Johnson, is an intense cardio kickboxing program that will have you burning the fat from every inch of your body. This is just one of the many programs offered by BeachBody, and is the follow up from the original Turbo Jam.

TurboFire is 12 weeks long and follows a specific plan that has been entirely laid out for you by Chalene Johnson. The motivation behind the program is from her love of music and dance. The combination of the songs and the moves go so well together that you will actually push yourself harder to keep up with the beat.

In addition to the beat that keeps you moving, TurboFire is done in a classroom type setting. According to Johnson, this allows you to play your energy off of the others. If you see someone else pushing harder, you will in return, push yourself harder. The workouts included in this program vary between Fire, Fire EZ, HIIT (high intensity interval training), and of course stretching, toning and core work. There is enough of a variety to ensure you don't get bored.

Johnson also offers a "New to Class" option for her cardio programs. This way, you can learn the moves at a slower pace. This will allow you to be able to push yourself even harder during the workouts. Not to mention, you will be able to learn proper form which will make the workout more effective and lessen the chance of injury.

Exercise and fitness has always been a big part of my life. Unfortunately, that hasn't stopped me from riding the weight loss roller coaster. My weight has always been a bit of a struggle and because of that I have tried numerous fads. Some that have worked, and others that have not. I originally started this journey more than a year ago, but it wasn't until I started P90X with Tony Horton that I even came close to success. Since then, I have lost more than 45 pounds and several inches. In fact, I am almost unrecognizeable. If you want to read about my time with P90X click here or feel free to just jump ahead and see the results on Day 90.

TurboFire is my new journey. With the weight loss from P90X, I got inspired to keep on going. So, that is when I became a BeachBody coach. My motivation: I didn't want to rebound on my weight loss. It also gave me the ability to inspire and encourage others. If you are interested in TurboFire or any of the other BeachBody programs feel free to check out the products by visiting my BeachBody coach page. However, at no time feel pressured. This is my personal journey, and writing about it keeps me accountable.

Today was Fire 30 class. The nice thing is since this was the same class that was done on Day 1, there was no need to struggle through the moves; they were already familiar. Granted, I wouldn't have been struggling through the moves anyway since I have done this workout several times while I was practicing before I started officially.

So I was actually, kind of, just a little, looking forward to this workout. However, this week really is not going as planned. I am so sleepy. I even went to bed early last night. But, this morning when the alarm started ringing at 5, I hit the dismiss button and fell back asleep as I was attempting to get out of bed.

Preferably, since I am doing this workout with my husband, the workouts need to be done in the morning and they have to be done early. (5 a.m. UGH!) That way he can still get to work at a decent time. However, this week has been really difficult getting up early and this morning, it just didn't happen.

So, we postponed it to this evening. For someone so used to getting their workouts done early in the day, waiting was torture!

So, if you thought we ended up skipping the workout, you are wrong. The workout happened, but not until 9 p.m. after our dinner had finally settled. Then, even though it wasn't on the plan, we were super motivated so we added the Tone 30 class as well. What can I say, I enjoy burning calories and after the day was done, (and you add in my run!) I was 6 calories short of burning 1000!

My husband has always been a big supporter of my crazy exercise obsessions. If I wanted a gym membership - he was on board for it; when I bought the Total Gym in a sleep deprived coma - he was only slightly mad; when I told him I wanted a shake weight (which no - I don't have yet!) - he only made fun of me a little bit! He knows that exercise and fitness is a big part of my life and always will be. He is also fully aware of how cranky I get when my weight spirals out of control. As the saying goes... "A happy wife means a happy life!" So, if exercise is what makes me happy, he is onboard with my obsession.

Yet, this round is different. After seeing me lose an excessive amount of weight (and transfer some of what I lost to him!), he has decided it is his time to lose weight. So, he has joined me for TurboFire! Which got me thinking... what are the pros of working out with someone compared to working out by yourself!

• You're always working off someones schedule. That means it has to be planned. If life comes up someone is counting on you to workout. Therefore, you can't be flexible.
• If the other person isn't as motivated as you, it can get irritating.
• A buddy can be distracting to you pushing yourself.
• When it is your husband - it makes it far to easy to push the snooze button for an early morning workout!

• Someone to keep you accountable for your workouts - believe me, if you know you are working out with someone else, you are less likely to skip your workout.
• Makes working out fun.
• Someone else will be just as sore as you are. Misery loves company!!
• If your competitive, you will want to make sure you are working out harder than they are!
• If you are working out with a family member or significant other, it is nice knowing you are both supporting each other to be healthier!

You don't have the support system

No one else to share your pain

No one to push you when you are feeling lazy

No one you can borrow or share equipment with - this means the whole expense is all yours!

You never have to rely on somebody else.

You don't need to wait on somebody else's schedule

You are the one to blame if you don't succeed

You don't have to worry about different strength levels; you only need to compete with yourself.

When it comes to having or not having a workout buddy, I can really go both ways. I don't really feel I need someone to work out with to push me harder. I know that I am competing with myself and my workouts don't change depending on whether someone is there or not.

I really have done both. When I lived in Wisconsin I had a friend that I would meet up with a couple times a week and we would workout together. Afterwards, we would try new and healthy recipes. This was nice. Not only did it give me a chance to hang out with a friend, but it also expanded my taste buds.

When I started P90X, I was doing it by myself and for myself. Therefore, because I was successful on my own, I didn't think I needed a workout buddy. At the beginning of the year, I gained two. Eventually because of my husband's work schedule, it dropped to one. However, he is once again joining me with TurboFire. That made me realize a couple different things: Having a workout buddy that doesn't live with you makes you keep your appointments. Since starting with my husband, I am more likely to hit the snooze button and sleep through the alarm. We are definately not as accountable with our workouts - which is the reason why my workout for today got pushed to this evening. That in itself makes me nervous because it is more likely to get skipped. Yet, having a workout buddy outside of the house can get stressful with such an intense program. That means setting up time that works for two people, living two completely different lives, 7 days a week.

So which do I prefer? It still doesn't matter to me. But, if you mess with my workout you can expect me to be cranky! So feel free to join me - but when I set the time - you better be there!

With the Holiday right around the corner, the workouts will still continue. However, the time to write each day might not be an option with the many barbeques and family gatherings happening this weekend. Therefore, day five, six and seven might all be combined and the series will resume on day eight!

If you would like start from the beginning of my personal journey and learn more about the TurboFire program, click here. If you would like to read about my previous day, click here.

To continue reading about the journey, click here.