The day Gio and I started this program, we also started on a popular MMA fighter diet. Every morning we have delicious scrambled egg whites, while lunch and dinner both consist of the same ingredients, but we always switch up the way we prepare them.
- 1/2 cup of egg whites - 4 ounces of chicken
- 1/2 of a tomato - 1/4 cup of shredded mozzerella
- 1/4 of an onion - 2 handfuls of spinach
- 1 handful of spinach - 1/2 of a tomato
- 2 slices of turkey bacon - 2 slices of dill pickle
- 1 apple
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Throughout this first 36 day cycle, I will be covering all of the following classes in detail by focusing on one for each blog post that I do. During this cycle, the workout schedule remains the same every week and all classes are over an hour:
1. CrossTrain and HardCORE
2. Cardio
3. Strength and HardCORE
4. Yin
5. Detox and HardCORE
6. Vitality
7. Mountain Pose Series
2. Cardio
3. Strength and HardCORE
4. Yin
5. Detox and HardCORE
6. Vitality
7. Mountain Pose Series
During these first two weeks, these classes unexpectedly kicked both of our butts and had us sweating like crazy which really gave us a reality check. Our balance was way off and our hip flexors were a lot tighter than we expected. There were many new poses that we were introduced to. Some I could do, some I couldn't. Some Gio could do, and some he couldn't. We were surprised to find that even some of the most basic poses were causing us some trouble. For example:
- Downward-Facing Dog, also known as Adho Mukha Svanasana, is a yoga pose where a lot is happening at once. Your arms are rotating, you're supporting and releasing your neck, shifting your weight back. Essentially, you are creating strength, flexibility, extension and stability all at the same time. This pose is sort of like the home base of all of these classes. It is where you check in with your body before and after each class, and is also incorporated into many sequences throughout the classes. Both of us could not believe how difficult it was to hold such a basic position for more than a minute.
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Here are some challenging yoga poses that we excelled and/or struggled with over the past two weeks:
- This is the Reclining Half Hero Pose, also known as Ardha Supta Virasana. This is a stretch that I love and was able to do right off the bat. You can see how I am able to lay my back completely on the floor while Gio is still a few inches off of the ground. Gio had a more difficult time with it and realized just how tight his quads actually are.
- Here is a Side Plank Pose, also known as Vasisthasana, which is all about the obliques and core. This is a pose that Gio was able to do right away, but struggled somewhat with keeping his arms in line and straight. For me, I was able to keep my arms straight and in line, but holding myself up in this pose was extremely difficult. I had to stick to the alternative shown above by putting my knee down on the mat until build enough strength to do the pose correctly.
- The last comparison I will make is of the Backbend Pose, also known as Urdhva Dhanurasana. This pose is something I had no idea I could do. I just went for it and actually did it, even though I couldn't hold it for very long. This pose stretches the chest, lungs, and spine, strengthens the arms, and stimulates the thyroid gland. Gio could not yet get up there and opted for an alternative pose.
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Our Favorites
After getting through all of the classes twice in the past two weeks, we both agree that our favorite class by far is Yin yoga. Most of the other classes are much more intense so by the time we reached this class, it gave us the perfect, calm stretch for our recovering, sore and achey muscles. Here is a video which allows you to peak into what the Yin yoga class is like:
Instructor Travis Eliot likes to refer to this class as the fountain of youth. It targets the joints, ligaments, and connective tissues of the body. Distributed amongst the connective tissue of the body is hyaluronan. Increased hyularonan is scientifically proven to make a person more supple while also subjecting that person to less inflammation. This class offers the perfect complement to all of the physically challenging yoga classes we have been practicing all week, but still pushes you to your limits by holding long, deep, and sustained yoga poses anywhere from 3 - 6 minutes. As Travis says, "The longer you hold, the deeper you heal, and the better you're going to feel."
Our favorite yoga pose that we have experienced throughout these first two weeks is this amazing spinal twist:
- This yoga pose is called a Reclined Spinal Twist, also known as Supta Matsyendrasana. We do this stretch at the end of every class. Not only does this pose provide an incredible stretch, but it also cracks our spines which leaves us feeling great after class. There are endless benefits of this pose. It stretches your shoulders, spine, back muscles, and glutes, massages the back, hips, and abdominal organs, strengthens abs, tones the waistline, helps remove toxins and hydrate spinal disks, lengthens, relaxes, and realigns the spine, opens the hips and chest, relieves and strengthens the lower back, improves digestion and blood circulation, and much more. Doing this incredible pose at the end of a yoga class even helps to restore equilibrium in the nervous system.
All in all, these two weeks were filled with a lot of sweat, patience and dedication from the both of us. By doing The Ultimate Yogi workout and sticking as near to my diet as possible, I am proud to say I have lost some weight. After week one, I had lost 3 pounds and upon completion of week two, I had lost 2 more pounds totaling a weight loss of 5 pounds! We are just at the beginning of our journey, but we can't wait to reap all of the benefits that this program is providing for us.
~ Who needs the gym when I have my body and my yoga mat? ~
