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T-Tapp Tuesday–Getting Discouraged? Keep It in Perspective!

Tuesday, March 29th, 2011

It happens to all of us.

We start off with some great results from T-Tapp, but then….things seem to slow way down or stop–and we still have a loonnnggg way to go!!!!

As a More-to-Lose, you can especially get discouraged when the inch loss falls off to practically nothing.   It hardly shows yet, and now it’s stopping!

What to do?

Well, first of all, remember that you may need to allow the body to regroup and rebalance.  Secondly, if your metabolism needs healing (and quite frankly, most of ours do!), you also may need to let the body regroup.  I’ve posted this before, but I’ll say it again–this page on Dr. Diana Schwarzbein’s website is worth a read–many times over!  It is about the healing phase and how sometimes things get a bit worse before they get better–but it’s all good if we stick with it!

But is it normal to seemingly slow way down on inch loss?

I guess I can’t say if it’s normal, but it does seem to be common!  Remember I’ve said before you don’t just lose lose lose lose and voila!  You’re at goal!

No, it’s a zig-zag type of pattern, actually.

Proof positive:

Here are my measurements from when I started.  Now, if you didn’t have as great of inch loss to start, let me remind you my son had been born nearly 4 months earlier and all I had lost from having him was 10 lbs.–which I gained back!!!  Not.one.inch.   Not.one.size.  Not.one.pound.

I’m going to post my weight, too, to show you yet again that–weight doesn’t really tell the story!

Week:

1–5 1/2″  175 lbs.

2–4 1/4″   170

3–1 3/4″  173

4–nada  172

5–gains cancelled losses  172

6–1/4″  171

7–1/4″   171

8–1″ (had gains that cancelled some losses)    171

My weight stayed the same for another EIGHT weeks before I finally saw 169!  And yes, it was a slooowww loss all the way along!

So 8 weeks, 13 inches.   Not a lot after those first few weeks.  After these initial 8 weeks, it was 7 weeks before I saw a 2 inch loss in one week again.  And that is pretty typical of my losses.  A few weeks here and there of 4 inch losses, but mostly 1-2 inch losses, with some weeks less than 1 and others–none or gains cancelled losses.

I already knew what I was doing before didn’t work.  I didn’t have time or money to join a class or a gym.  (Nor did I really want to!)   Running and jogging didn’t appeal, and I had been rebounding and jump roping all to no avail already!

What if I had given up in April when I had hardly seen any inch loss since the beginning of March?  Or even given up in March when after my initial inch loss things seemed to fall off?

I would still be a 22W, overweight and have exhausted adrenals!

I share these measurements to show that I do know what it’s like to have great success in the beginning, only to seem to fall off later.   I realize now that my body couldn’t have sustained 4-6 inches of loss every single week until they all came off!

I also want to point out that not all of those wonderful inches came off my torso area where I really wanted them to!   The inch loss there was much slower and now and then I might take an inch off the abs–very rarely though was it over 1/2 inch and many weeks it stayed the same.

Here is some wisdom from Dr. Schwarzbein which may help explain what is happening:

“When you overexercise, you raise adrenaline and cortisol levels. If adrenaline is higher than cortisol, you will use up fat, protein, and sugar biochemicals. If cortisol is higher than adrenaline, you may use up protein and sugar biochemicals, but store more fat around your midsection because cortisol causes a redistribution of fat from your arms and legs to your middle. Either way, you are destorying your metabolism. ”

                                                                                                                    (~The Transition, p. 386)

She is talking about overexercising, but think about it–most of us have extra belly fat and I would venture to say that most of who start as More-to-Lose also have gained weight due to stress.   (Less and Average-to-Lose can have this, too!)

So our arms and legs look great!  But….the belly just sits there!  ::bleh!::

Stress elevates cortisol which stores fat….in the belly area.  If you are overdoing it on exercise, or stressing your body by not eating enough of the protein and good fats you need to build muscle, or you’re not sleeping well (which affects hormones), then you may very well not see inch loss in the place you want to see it the most.

And let’s define “overexercising”.  For some, it’s working out at the gym 2 hours a day plus running plus the treadmill plus….well, you get the idea!  ;)  Those people are actually addicted to exercise just as I’m addicted to sugar!  Exercise releases endorphins or “feel good” hormones, and if they do less than their “routine”, they don’t get that “high”.  If you are in this category, please taper down as quickly as you can–but do taper–do not stop cold!

For others who are adrenal challenged, overexercising could be doing the Basic Workout Plus every day.   The first person I described would do okay on BWO+ daily (taking 1 day off), but the adrenal challenged person would crash.   She may need to try BWO+ every other day, maybe even just 2 days a week.

This is why you’ll often hear from T-Tappers:  “Listen to your body”!   It’s important to cultivate this as most of us have lost touch with that art.   I know it’s hard to figure out if you’re just wimping out on doing your workouts, procrastinating…or if you truly need to take a day off and rest.   

Don’t forget that doing just a few moves still keeps the lymph pumping and is beneficial.  Primary Back Stretch, T-Tapp Twist (at least the stretch) and Hoedowns are considered the Terrific Three.  Some days getting through part of PBS may be all you can handle!

Remember this is a journey–not a marathon!  Very few people really lose it fast and keep it off without damaging their metabolism.   Slow and steady win the race.

One of the ladies on the T-Tapp forums has a signature line quote that really hits it home:

“Focus on the process and the results will come.”

Another ladies’ signature line had this quote, which says the same thing in exercise lingo:

“Just take care of the workout, and the inches will take care of themselves.”

As much as we want to see results…let’s focus on the process–the workouts, the consistency–and the inches certainly will take care of themselves.

One inch at a time (or sometimes 1/4 inch at a time!).

Eventually they add up.

To 178 3/4  inches.

And 8 sizes.

And better health, stamina, energy and well-being.

A better life!

 

Keep on tappin’!  :D

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Workout Wednesday–Ribs UP! The Importance of Shoulder to Hip Alignment

Wednesday, March 23rd, 2011

This is something in T-Tapp that really can’t be focused on too much!

As we focus on different aspects of form, it’s easy to lose something we previously had down.  Kind of like those “get the plates spinning” shows I used to see!  About the time you get them all spinning, this one starts to wobble–fix it, another one wobbles, fix that….well, you get the picture, right?!  ;)

I recently shared how on my video upload to my mentor, I noticed my own shoulder/hip alignment was off–many times over!  That is part of “curling the core” and “ribs up”!

When you are “lifting ribs”, you are lifting your breastbone to the ceiling–which puts your shoulders back in alignment with your hips.  Do this in front of a mirror to check on it.   I have two mirrors in our main bath–one over the double sink that shows down to my mid-thigh, and a decorative mirror that looks like a window on the side wall.   So when I am doing a move–plies, for instance–I can see my front and side views.   I can see right away whether I pitched forward at the “bottom” of the plie, and I can see if my arms are straight up or “cheerleader arms”! 

Mirrors can be great, but so can videos!  You don’t have to be a trainer-in-training or even sending a video in for a trainer to review to benefit from taping yourself!  You can be your own critic—watch the video, and especially watch when your shoulders shift forward out of alignment.  And if that doesn’t “seem” to be happening, watch your bosom—I saw how when I lost the “lifted ribs” my bosom shifted down a bit.  It can be so imperceptible, but just being aware of it can really help you in your workouts!

For now, along with learning to teach it, I’m trying hard to focus on ribs up and curling my core.  Just lifting your ribs gets the ribcage out of the abdominal area, making more room for the organs and keeping them from pushing out into a poochy tummy!  

Ribs up doesn’t just apply to workouts!   Sitting at the computer (um…yeah! I can see you!  :D ), driving, walking, standing….if you focus hard on shoulder/hip alignment during your workout, but the rest of the day slouch, you’re basically sabotaging your good efforts!  At first it’s hard–retraining those muscles to hold your posture–but in the end it is worth it!

How effective is this, really?

Well, I’ve been teaching 2 classes a week for about 3 weeks now.   I do 1-3 workouts the rest of the week on my own (or with my daughters).  I’ve tried to be mindful of this in my workouts/classes, and I’m also seeking to focus on it throughout the day (sometimes very successfully, sometimes…not so much!).

I can tell my “muffin” is getting much smaller, and I am doing basically no floorwork!  I do the Organs in Place (OIP), Half Frogs and Elevators about 5 times a week, but that is it!  So I know the “ribs up” is really helping!

Why not make that your focus this week?  During your workouts, in front of a mirror while doing a few troublesome moves, throughout your day….think “ribs up” and lift your breastbone to the ceiling–and see if it doesn’t make a difference!

You may notice a difference in your tummy….or thighs….or even arms!  Yes, keeping that shoulder/hip alignment is THAT important!

So give it a try, and keep an eye on the results!    Be sure to share in a comment if you start noticing good things happening!  (Or even if you have questions!)

Happy Tappin’!

P.S.  If any of you have particular topics or questions you’d like to see addressed, feel free to comment or e-mail me, and I can address them in future T-Tapp Tuesdays!  (Or, Workout Wednesdays! ;) )

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T-Tapp Tuesday–A bit later….

Tuesday, March 22nd, 2011

Sorry to put you off again….today was piano teaching day, my day got away from me and I haven’t gotten my post ready….so another “Workout Wednesday” post coming tomorrow!  ;)

Thanks for your patience and understanding!

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Workout Wednesday! Skin Sooooo Soft!

Wednesday, March 16th, 2011

I can’t say enough about T-Tapp’s skin brushing and skin products–they work!

 

Considering how many sizes I’ve lost, you’d expect there to be some loose skin hanging around.

There isn’t.

Oh, my tummy looks wrinkly when I “suck it in” and there is some wrinkly skin on my inner thighs,  but when I think how much my body has been stretched, not just by pregnancies but also by gaining weight, it’s really amazing that I don’t need a “tuck” here and there! 

So what did/do I do?

First of all,  I use T-Tapp’s Skin Brush.    I believe it is also sold at Bed, Bath and Beyond.    It has natural tampico bristles and a wooden handle.   When you buy it from T-Tapp, you can also purchase a dvd where Teresa shows you (while she’s clothed!) how to use it, and the dvd has a few extra T-Tapp moves on it, too.  There is also a brochure, showing how to brush (not included with the brush).  There are many free videos out there, too–I know Teresa’s sequence is a little different, but the basic premise is to always brush towards your heart.   I personally feel it’s worth the extra to get the dvd (I thought I had one and realized I had been borrowing a friend’s for a loonnngg time!  Oops! :o )   The brochure is helpful, but I thought the dvd was even better.  There is a package that includes the brush, dvd, brochure, a bottle of Alfalfa, a bottle of Fibertox, a Yes You Can seminar dvd and The Truth About Cellulite audio cds.   All in all, a very good deal!

I would add some dead sea salt to that order, too!   I like using the dead sea salt in a bath, but even better, I like to make “salt masks” with them.  You can certainly use any dead sea salt, but I really like the quality of Teresa’s!  I have used the cheaper salts in my bath, but saved hers for my masks.

How do you make a mask?

I chop the salt a bit finer in my mini-chopper.  I know some ladies grind it finer in their coffee grinder, but I don’t have one.    I chop about a tablespoon of salt finer, put it in a cup and take it to my shower.   I usually get everything ready and put it just outside my shower, but if you have a tub/shower combo, you could set it on the edge of that.    I get some aloe vera gel (health food store brand that doesn’t have anything bad in it), and I keep a partial bottle of grapefruit essential oil in my cabinet (I also put a few drops in my water that I drink–yummy!).  I will take a little bit of the salt, add a few drops of grapefruit essential oil to it, then just enough aloe gel to dissolve the salt.   Sometimes I might add a tiny bit of Skin Saver Body “lotion” (which is more of a thick oil).  I slather this on an area (I usually start with my tummy) while standing in the shower.  There are always a few salt crystals that fall, so I like already being in the shower so I don’t make a mess on the floor!   Then I repeat for other areas (my areas are tummy, thighs, buns and forearms, and if I have a little extra, I’ll do tops of my shoulders and the backs of my hands).  Anywhere you have loose skin or cellulite, really. 

I leave that mixture on for 5-20 minutes (usually around 10 minutes).  What do I do during that time?   Pray, stand in T-Tapp stance (60 seconds and you’ll feel the heat!), do Butterflies or other arms moves.  It really seems to go by somewhat quickly!  I’ve also set up the cd player before I get started and listened to a cd (informational, inspirational, or music).

After the time is up, I go ahead and shower as usual.  After drying off, I will usually mix a little Skin Saver Body into my favorite lotion, or with some coconut and almond oil or with shea butter and slather on.  I call it “dessert for the skin”!  Mmm-mmm!   And you smell really nice, too! ;)

Sometimes I add a few drops of the grapefruit oil to my lotion mixture, too. 

I truly credit the masks, salt baths (1/2-1 cup per bath), brushing and alfalfa for keeping my skin elastic, youthful and healthy!

Teresa’s alfalfa is Premium Blended–meaning one field is sprayed with ionic minerals, another is not–just soaks up what God gives it through a normal growing season.  They are then “blended” (hence the name).  Her alfalfa is organic and contains NO stems or seeds.  Sometimes when people have issues taking alfalfa, it’s because they are actually reacting to the stems and seeds.  If you have a legume allergy, you might not be able to take it. 

I confess I thought it was pricey and didn’t think it was worth the difference.  I was taking a good brand, so I decided to take that until it was gone.   Then I bought one bottle of Teresa’s to “try”.  I was hearing how hers was different, and I think I got that bottle on special.   Well!  Let me tell you within the first day I was shedding water like crazy!   I could definitely tell a difference by the time that bottle was gone! 

Since then, I’ve also found it helps tremendously with hormonal balance.  Alfalfa is an adaptive herb in this respect–helping balance whichever hormones need it.  One of my friends was actually able to get off her bioidenticals using Teresa’s Alfalfa!  Another friend has ulceritive colitis and was told she’d need to take a medication that would cost her $900 a month–eek!   She took Teresa’s alfalfa instead and her colitis rarely bothers her now!

I personally feel more balanced hormonally than I did in my 20s!  I have been on bioidenticals, even before T-Tapp, but I feel T-Tapp has balanced my hormones out even more–at 48!   Between the exercise itself and the CRT system, I feel and look better now than I did 20 years ago!!!

I also want to report that two of my daughters who were having issues with their cycles have also found the Premium Blended Alfalfa to help regulate their cycles!  Wish I had had it when I was in my teens!

Let me say that I didn’t start off using everything right away.  I started with the brush.  Then the alfalfa.  Then I read about dead sea salt baths and masks.  I would get things when they went on special for Deep Discount Tuesday or some holiday special.  

Teresa only will carry quality products she believes in.   I’ve found that to be very true!   You can certainly buy the brush at Bed, Bath and Beyond (Yerba Prima is the brand name), find a video on Youtube that is close to what her method is, and even purchase dead sea salts at Wal-Mart.   There’s no problem in that!  But do consider her alfalfa over the other brands.  Many, many people have found hers to be superior–Shaklee has a good one, but you’d have to take 6 to her 1!

Alfalfa feeds the skin–which is important as you’re losing weight/inches/sizes, to help it snap back.   I don’t know that I ever expect my skin to be smooth in my tummy area–I’m just thrilled there is no hanging skin!

I’ve even been told by some people who first meet us that they thought I was  my older daughters’ sister instead of their mother!  Yes, I have good “genes”, but I really think the alfalfa and T-Tapp have helped my skin by feeding and getting the bloodflow to it–giving me that “T-Tapp Glow”!

And the real test?

When my sweet husband was rubbing my arm the other day and said, “Oohhhh!  Soooofffffttt!”  :D

Proof’s in the puddin’!  ;)

Happy Tappin’!

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T-Tapp Tuesday–Coming Tomorrow!

Tuesday, March 15th, 2011

Sorry about the delay–teaching last night, gone most of the morning and early afternoon, and now a dear daughter is finishing up a post she has due tomorrow–and the laptop and I don’t get along well for typing more than a few paragraphs!

 

Stay tuned tomorrow for Workout Wednesday!  ;)  (Gotta keep that alliteration going, you know!  LOL!)

 

 

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T-Tapp Tuesday–The Dreaded Plateau!

Tuesday, March 8th, 2011

First of all,  my apologies to my Fabulous Family Friday readers–I had a post I was working on, the links I wanted to use weren’t working, then my brain just wasn’t putting things together very well….so I am letting it perk and see if I can get my thoughts together better for this Friday!

Part of it also might be that I was nervous for teaching my first T-Tapp classes Friday and last night!   (Both went well!)

So, what about that dreaded word–plateau? 

 

Somewhere along the way we got the idea that when we lose weight/inches/sizes, once we start a “program” (dieting, way of eating, exercising, etc.) that we’ll just lose, lose, lose, lose until we reach our goal!  And live happily ever after!

I don’t know who came up with that, but it is not reality.   I’m sure it probably sells books and exercise programs, though!

The usual scenario, depending on how much we need to lose, is we get excited about the new _____ we’re going to try, and we get off to a great start.  We’re encouraged by the continuing loss.  Sure, we might not get into smaller clothes yet, but we’re headed in the right direction!    We might get into the next size down–woo-hoo!  Excitement!

But then…..it seems things slow down.  What do we do?    We usually cut more calories, change diet plans, exercise more (my body must be adjusting so I need to “change things up”), etc.

The problem is, we need to give our bodies time to regroup–to find balance.  Fat stores hormones as well as toxins, so when you burn off fat, you will have some extra “garbage” to deal with.   

In fact T-Tapp trainer Webra Price-Douglas said just that, about the body rebalancing:

A plateau is just allowing the body to balance, to regroup–to keep the benefits it’s gained.”

 

You can actually sabotage your efforts if you try to “step it up a bit” just because you stalled in inch loss!  

Now there are definitely times we need to re-evaluate where we are and maybe change some things we’re doing.   But please don’t immediately assume as soon as inch loss slows or stops you have to “do something” about it!

I have certainly experienced the truth of the body needing to regroup, balance out and do some inner healing before it showed on the outside.

I started at a 22W.  Yes, I had some impressive losses in the beginning, but remember–I started as a More-to-Lose and so I had just that–more inches to lose!

My losses went like this:

January 2007 to August 2007–lost 4 sizes from a 22W to a 16 Misses

August 2007 to February 2008–lost  over 40 inches but not ONE size!

March 2008–Lost 1 size, down to a 14

April–Lost another size, down to a 12

One YEAR later–down 1 size to a 10

One YEAR later–down 1 size to an 8

So you can see I didn’t lose lose lose lose and hit my goal in a few years.  There were times I needed to let my body heal.  I didn’t gain all that overnight, and I surely wasn’t going to lose it overnight, either!  

And my weight loss has never been a good reflection of what’s going on inside!  :D   Considering I started at around 175 lbs. and now weigh somewhere around 145 (it fluctuates)…well 30 lbs. doesn’t seem to add up to an 8 size loss, now does it?! 

I heard of one lady who was sharing my story with a friend who told her that was impossible–I hope she sends that friend to my blog!  ;)

What if I had stressed about those “plateaus”?    What if I decided I needed to cut calories and add more cardio?

I believe I would have had a big CRASH!

I know from experience that pushing yourself to go “faster, better, farther, higher” can send you into an adrenal tailspin.  I decided in the summer of 2009, after 2 1/2 years of T-Tapp, that I was strong enough to bump things up a bit.  I did a blitz of sorts, and I had bumped things up to a full workout every other day.   Problem was, I decided to “do a few moves” on my off days.  My “few moves” added up to about the same amount of moves in BWO+!  I was doing 6 on off days, BWO+ only has 8!

Now there are some who do “short workouts” on their “off days”.  But I would not advise that for long term, and especially not if you are battling any health challenges (adrenals, thyroid, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, etc.). 

Added to my new “strenuous schedule”, I decided to address my eating and started cutting out snacks.  Problem was, I couldn’t get enough protein in during my meals.  Not enough fuel + overexercising = burnout!

My adrenals crashed–thankfully not a terrible crash, but I had a hard time getting out of bed and functioning for about 3 weeks.  I don’t know if my hormones needed tweaking and added to the crash or the crash made my hormones need tweaking, but I had to have some changes.

Thankfully, I could at least do MORE Chair to keep the lymph pumping and was able to steadily get back to consistency without setting myself back.

I have probably gained a size back since my mom died in May of 2010, because I knew my adrenals took a big hit with her unexpected death.  Maybe I erred too much on the side of caution, but I did not push myself at all.  So I have gained some back.  But that’s okay—I knew when my body was ready, I could get back to consistency and in time, it will come off again.  I’m really not too worried about it. 

I think this is the beauty of T-Tapp–you can lose, you can stall, you can maintain, you can back off—it is truly a workout for real life.     I know many people enjoy watching The Biggest Loser.  I haven’t actually seen it but have heard a lot about it through friends.   I think it’s great these people are trying to do something for themselves, however–in reality, not too many of us can just take some time off our regular lives, hire a personal trainer and chef for a period of time to help us lose.  And even if we could….at some point we have to get back to “real life”–and we can’t sustain that kind of dedication!

For me, T-Tapp is perfect–it works from the inside out, rehabbing as well as reshaping, and it works with real life–the real life of a busy mama!

But we have to be patient, and allow our bodies to heal, and we certainly need to fuel our bodies well (I think you probably have figured out I am not for deprivation dieting! ;) ).  This quote by Dr. Diana Schwarzbein is very important:

It is very important to match your energy input with your energy output.  Any amount of exercise is too much if you are not eating well.  If you do not eat enough food, your adrenaline/cortisol levels  will be higher.  Be careful not to fall into the trap of feeling good when you are using up your biochemicals because of adrenaline and cortisol.  You will feel good initially and even feel stronger because of your higher adrenaline/cortisol levels.  Eventually, however, you will burn out.

 

Inner healing, toning up….these don’t show up on scales or a tape measure!

Let’s be patient with ourselves and not stress out over a “plateau”–it really isn’t a bad thing, after all!

Happy Tappin’!

A few threads you  might find interesting:

The Tape Measure Doesn’t Tell the Whole Story!

Results of T-Tapp that You Just Can’t Measure!

A Plateau Is *Not* Always a Bad Thing!  (Similar content to this post)

 

 

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T-Tapp Tuesday–A PBS Special!

Tuesday, March 1st, 2011

I was going to post about plateaus, but I thought I’d post about where I was and what I was doing last weekend!

PBS (Public Broadcasting, not Primary Back Stretch!) decided to film a documentary on T-Tapp. I was one of many chosen to be a part of the filming! Each of us was interviewed and then we participated as the “audience” for Teresa teaching a workout, doing 10 sets of Hoedowns (I think I did 8–the cameramen were filming someone behind me and if I did the Hoedown I would have bopped them! ;) )

I have to preface this by saying–I haven’t flown in 15 years! I was not fond of the idea, and tried to talk dh into making it an “anniversary weekend” and driving down! It was only 22 hours! :D

Thankfully my dear friend Rhonda was also chosen, and she has flown more than me (but is also nervous about it). I drove down to Indianapolis the night before to stay at her house so I wouldn’t have to leave at 4 in the morning!

We got through security with no problems (God had a sweet “angel” TSA agent there who comforted us!), and boarded the little plane. We had a bit of turbulence on the way to Cleveland, where we had a 2 hour layover. It wasn’t too bad! Had a little lunch and then boarded a much bigger plane for the 2 1/2 hour trip to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.

After we got in we just stayed in our room and chatted a bit, then went down for some supper. There was an absolutely wonderful “totally decadent chocolate torte” which was yummy!

There was a “meet and greet” later where we intermingled with other T-Tappers “chosen” by PBS for this special. Lisa Moretti gave us some hints for our interviews–several of the ladies had already been interviewed Thursday.

Up early the next morning (I’ve been memorizing Matthew 6:33 and I woke up at 6:33 a.m. both Friday and Saturday!) and we boarded a bus to take us all over to the station. It was a “hurry up and wait” day, but I was fine with that! It gave us all time to sit and visit while waiting! ;)

The staff there at the station provided a breakfast of fresh fruit, croissants, bagels, cream cheese and various pastries. I ate just a little bit until after my interview. I really wasn’t as nervous as I thought I would be–Lisa did my interview, and I’m sure it helped to have someone I already knew do that!

Lunch was also provided–chicken, black beans and rice, salad and plantains. Another yum!

After lunch we waited some more ;) and several of the trainers worked with us to warm up and get ready for the workout portion of the filming. Then we went into a smaller-than-you’d-think studio, where they arranged us by height and color of our outfits so we didn’t clash nor have too many pinks in a row! Teresa was amazing as always–no matter how many times I hear her, I always learn something! I felt a bit odd without my trusty notebook with me to take notes!

The crew wanted to get some footage of us doing Hoedowns, so we did a “Hoedown Showdown” of sorts, for SIX minutes! (That translates into about 10 Hoedowns, in case you wanted to know!) Sweet Edwina is having knee surgery soon, so she did hers in a chair! She is such a trooper (and an absolutely delightful lady!). She was the one the cameramen were filming so I could get a “break” from a few Hoedowns! HaHa!

The next item on the agenda was to film us sitting and listening to Mary Shomon (thyroid patient advocate) share her talk. I always learn something each time I hear her, too! She did a great job.! Teresa followed her giving a mini “Yes You Can” type talk. After that we were done!

I heard many comments by the cameramen, crew, and even the producers that we did great–no one needed a second take! Charlotte Siems said it well–we are all passionate about T-Tapp, and T-Tapp itself helps us be confident and comfortable with who we are.

As we came out of the station building, I saw this gorgeous Florida sunset–just had to snap a picture!

That evening Teresa had arranged a catered dinner for us–oh, yummy some more! Good thing we did those Hoedowns! I had salad, salmon, mashed potatoes and raspberry white chocolate cheesecake!!!

Lisa had a surprise for Teresa! During the morning of “waiting” she had a small scrapbook and asked us each to write a note to Teresa, leaving space for a picture. It was lovely and Teresa was defnintely surprised! (I’m sorry that none of my pictures of that occasion turned out very well–all are a bit fuzzy!)

And of course, here is Berei–beautiful at 83 years young! We all want to grow up to be like Berei!!!

The next morning we got to sleep in…except my inner “alarm” awoke again at 6:33. I had a wonderful almond granola parfait for breakfast. It was huge! I ate most of it, but couldn’t finish it all!

We all met upstairs in a small ballroom for a Master Class with Teresa–her thank you to us for coming! We really enjoyed this time with her, and as usual, I took several pages of notes! There are many workouts “in the works”, Senior Fit among them. That one should come out soon! Teresa’s father recently passed away, so she’s had other things on her mind than finishing dvd production.

After the Master Class we all stood around and talked–then found out the restaurant was closing at 2:00!!! We hurried down there and sat together and had lunch….and lots of talking, stories, laughing, sharing. It was wonderful! We finally got out around 5:00–the poor restaurant crew needed to get ready for their supper rush! :)

One of the ladies lives in northern Florida and had driven down, so a few of us went with her down to the beach. I had seen the gulf side, and of course had seen the Atlantic at Cape Hatteras last fall in North Carolina, but it was neat to see the Atlantic coast from Florida!

We walked along the beach for a bit, picking up a few shells and some sand for “souvenirs”. Then the sun was setting and I saw these trees beautifully silhouetted against the sky.

Before we left the beach, Margaret had written T-Tapp in the sand! It was dark, so it doesn’t show up as well with the flash, but I think you can make it out!

Rhonda and I left early Sunday morning (which also happened to be my 28th wedding anniversary!). I saw this gorgeous sunrise through the trees as I left the hotel.

Wish I could have been at the beach to see the sunrise!

It was a very fun time, and I’m so grateful to have been a part of it! Hope you have enjoyed this glimpse into my weekend!

Keep on Tappin’!

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T-Tapp Tuesday–The Third Key to the Proven Formula for Success

Tuesday, February 22nd, 2011

First an apology–I had intended to post about Math on the Level again yesterday, but…well…life happened!  ;)

I will try to get that in with this Friday’s post.   Sorry if you were waiting with baited breath!    Also, for some reason, their website is still on the blink.  I may take some pics of my books so you can at least see what it looks like!

Here is Cathy Duffy’s review of MOTL.  I’m not sure I’d use the word “demanding” as she did (she stated that it is a “demanding program for parents to use”).  I mean, yes, it takes some time, but quite frankly, even the “easiest” of math programs I’ve used took some time!

Okay, onto the third key to the proven success formula for T-Tapp!

Form can sometimes be tough to focus on.  You might think you’re doing pretty good, and then you decide to become a T-Tapp trainer and need to video yourself teaching a class.  When you watch the video, you wonder why on earth you ever thought you could be a trainer!!!  :o

Seriously, we all can improve on form.  And even though we know what to do as “veteran” tappers, we can “lose the core” if we’re not keeping an eye on it (whether in a mirror or on a video!).

Isometric contractions can be equally elusive sometimes.  We try to make sure we’re pushing through mud, no wimpy noodle arms, no wasted movements.   But there are just times we can’t seem to keep it all activated!

But in all honesty, this last key is probably the easiest and yet hardest to implement—

C-O-N-S-I-S-T-E-N-C-Y!!!

 

It is so easy to let “life” come in and the tyrrany of the urgent to take over.   It happens to all of us, but the hard part is to carve that time back out once the crisis is over.

And yet, this is the key that will yield results.  Because if your form as top notch and you are activated to the max, but you only do that sporadically, it won’t really do you much good.

We all know the story of the turtle and the hare.  Nowhere is this more evident than in T-Tapp!  Many women, wanting to get the most out of it they can, start out of the chute all gung-ho!  They do a 14 day Total Workout Bootcamp, and then launch into their routine.   Maybe at first they get some encouraging results.  But then, maybe a month or two into it, some places seem to stall or maybe they seem to notice their belly/thighs/buns/(fill in the blank) are not moving as fast as they’d like.  So they look into another workout or “targeting” an area with a move like Diva Derriere or Awesome Legs.   Then maybe add a little of this or a little of that.  Before you know it, they are doing 30 minutes or more every day and then wonder why inch loss stalls!

I’ll be posting about the dreaded plateau next week, but for now, let me encourage you to start off slowly and surely.   Many people skimp on the Instructionals because they want to get to the workout!  I mean, who wants to stand there and “hold position” while Teresa talks and talks and talks?!

But what we don’t realize is that “holding position” while Teresa teaches us a lot about form helps to establish neurokinetic connections and that will help with future inch loss–no kidding!

The Instructionals are not just about learning the moves.  They help train your muscles to hold the isometric contractions that are so key to T-Tapp. 

So what should a newbie (or returning T-Tapper or one who maybe..ahem…was a little too gung-ho to start) do?

Go back to the Instructionals!

I honestly think the MORE Instructional is just top notch! The slower pace really helps you get form.  But Instructional 1 and 2 from BWO+ and TWO are both good, too.   If you’re currently a T-Tapper and it’s been at least 4 weeks since you’ve done a bootcamp, why not pop the Instructionals in for 4 days?  Take 2 days off, and then figure out a routine you can stick with consistently.

If you’re brand spanking new to T-Tapp, stick with Instructional 1 for at least a week if not two (you can take 1 day off per week if you like).  You want to get to the point you know exactly what Teresa is going to say next!  :)

So what is a “doable” workout routine?

There’s a whole post on the forums about full vs. short workouts.  A basic rule of thumb is anything over 30 minutes is a full workout.  There are exceptions both ways!  For example, many of the Tempos are 30 minutes or just under (Tempo Arms, Tempo Lower Body standing or floor, Tempo Torso) as well as LadyBug standing or floor.  BUT, those are all advanced level workouts either due to greater muscle activation or the tempo (or both!), so they are considered a full workout and should not be done daily.  Hit the Floor Softer (HTFS), although 40 minutes, is still considered a short workout.

Another trap we often fall into (I say “we” because I did just this!) is to add “just a few moves” to your daily workout.  For example, a year and a half ago I was doing LadyBug Standing workout every other day (EOD).  I decided to do “a few moves” on my “off days”.  Donna on the 6 Weeks to a New You Thread pointed out that I had 6 “extra moves” and BWO+ was only 8!  I was, in effect, doing a full workouts EOD and then a “short” workout on my “off days”.  Now, there are some that do this for a challenge or short period of time, but added to that I was trying a new eating program that was cutting out my snacks…and I crashed!  I wasn’t eating enough protein throughout the day, especially for this strenuous of a schedule, so my adrenals said, “Enough!”

It’s always fine to do Primary Back Stretch on off days as well as Organs in Place.  But beyond that, really evaluate how much “extra” you are doing.  Many of us like to do Hoedowns after meals to help with blood sugar or just burn glucose.   But even then we can be overdoing it if we add 3 Hoedowns plus a workout plus two or three “extra” moves….you get the idea!

Keeping this in mind, your routine needs to be something you can realistically sustain considering your time constraints and your stamina/health. 

Here are examples of workout routines I have been able to sustain with my busy life as a homeschooling mama of many:

MORE 4-6 days per week

 

BWO+ alternated with SATI 4-6 days per week

 

Variations of BWO+ (the BWO+ portion of LadyBug, Tempos as well as Basic Tempo),  4-6 days per week

 

Total Workout, broken up over 2-3 days, with maybe SATI or HTF thrown in once (not on the same days as TWO portions!)

 

When I say 4-6 times weekly, that means some weeks it’s 4 days, some 5, and some 6.   I had seasons where I could do 6 workouts a week, but they usually didn’t last long.   Five workouts a week is a reasonable goal.  You can either take weekends completely off or take Sundays off and a day in the middle of the week (maybe Wednesday) where you only do the Terrific Three:  PBS, T-Tapp Twist (or at least the stretch and pulses) and a Hoedown.

My ultimate goal is to do 1 full workout, 1 stepping workout, 1 floor workout and 1-2 short workouts a week.  Here is an sample, with choices in the parentheses:

M-TWO (Tempos, LadyBug)

T- SATI (SITTM–over 2 days, Broom–just 1 Broom workout after the Warm-Up)

W-PBS, TTT, HD

Th-HTF (HTFS, Critter Crunch Floor, Critter Crunch 2, Tempo Lower Body Floor, LadyBug Floor)

F-BWO+ (variations from LadyBug or Tempos, Basic Tempo, MORE)

S-PBS, TTT, HD (or another short workout)

S-Off

Variations using just the MORE workout would be:

M-MORE (the workout)

T-PBS then MORE Chair

W-MORE

Th-PBS then MORE Broom

F-MORE

S-PBS then MORE Step Away

S-Off

 

If you’re pretty fit and no real health problems (including no adrenal issues), you may want to do full workouts EOD.  If you choose to do that, do not, I repeat:  do not start adding in workouts on off days all the time or lots of extra moves.  On a full workout day, the only extra moves you should add in are Organs in Place and maybe a Hoedown or two.   If you decide to do a challenge adding in a few moves (such as the Torso Trimmer) do it for only ten days and don’t do other “extra moves”.    It is better to apply your max to form and isometric contractions than to keep adding in more moves to hopefully target an area!

Remember, too, that a “full workout” can be a combination of shorter workouts, such as:

BWO+ and HTF

BWO+ and SATI

MORE plus the three short workouts Chair, Broom and Step Away

Always, always take at least one day off, unless you’re in a longer bootcamp.  That will also be a future post–short vs. long bootcamps!

The bottom line in consistency is finding what works for you.  I love to come up with workout routines, and sometimes they work out, sometimes they don’t.  It helps during those times to have a “default plan” to fall back on.  This is also what I do when I stand before the video cabinet and think, “So many workouts–I don’t know which to do!”  :D

My default workout is MORE.  I can talk myself into MORE pretty easily, so that’s it for me.  For someone else it may be BWO+ or SATI.  Or just the Terrific Three (PBS, TTT and HD).  Some days I tell myself “you only have to do PBS”!  But often I find myself doing all of BWO+!  ;)   If you’re having a day when plies just tire you out thinking about them, lace up your shoes and do BWO+ without them.  Yes, you can skip moves!  Just always do them in order–don’t do Oil Wells and then come back and do Jazz Twist.   The sequence is important!   I often will cut reps on some moves that seem to be a monster looming at me–that way I slay the monster but don’t wear myself out on a less-than-optimal day! 

So remember, there are three keys to the proven formula for success in T-Tapp:

1. Proper Form (to your best ability at this time)

2. Isometric Conraction (your max)

3. Consistency

All three are important legs of the program.  But taking away that third one leaves the other two utterly worthless if your quest is to lose inches and gain health.

Here’s to more consistency!

Happy Tappin’!

If you don’t know all the T-Tapp acronyms, here is a thread listing them all.

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T-Tapp Tuesday–Second Key for the Proven Formula for Success

Tuesday, February 15th, 2011

Isometric contraction.  Going to your max.

You hear that a lot in T-Tapp, but what does it mean? 

Well, at the risk of plagiarizing ;) I’m going to quote extensively from a post by Dan Wiley or “Dantheman” as he is known on the forums:

“Isometric Contractions: Really, what does that mean? How do you implement an Isometric Contraction? I believe this is the most misunderstood and under utilized aspect of the formula. Lets use the a real life experience that we all have encounter. You have a new jar of pickles and you want to open the lid. If you are right handed, you pick-up the jar with your left hand, right hand covers the lid and you begin to twist the lid to open. But it does not move. So, you try again but this time you are determined to get that lid off. Your left hand tightens around the base of the jar with fingers securely holding the jar in a stationary position. The right hand covers the lid with your finger grasping the edge of the lid, both left and right wrist are locked in a straight alignment with forearm and hand (isn’t that Interesting) and you begin to apply pressure in opposing directions with the left and right hand. The lid is still not moving so you apply even more strength (the fingers, wrist and forearm muscles are fully activated at this point). The Lid is still not releasing. So again, you setup and being applying pressure and maybe you lock your arms into position and engage the shoulders, lats and core muscles and the Lid finally releases. All that for a pickle!

“But the learning here is not now bad you wanted a pickle, it’s what is and how to apply Isometric Contractions. In this case the Isometric Contract is the activation of the muscles and pressure applied up to the point that that the lid released with the opposition of the twisting motion of the left and right hands.

“So how do you apply Isometric Contractions in you T-Tapp Workouts? You build pressure or muscle tension to resist the workout move in the opposing direction. Again by example: In PBS arms; the movement of the arms should be not just to pump them backwards and let them come freely back to the body. It should be that you are applying pressure in the opposing direction.”

Isometric contraction is what I would call a “controlled movement”–in T-Tapp you never, and I mean never let momentum carry a move!   It’s easy to do, especially if you’re focused on one aspect of form, but there are no resting or easy moves except the water breaks!  LOL!

A good visual is a video I did of what I called “Donna Arms“.  At the 2009 Safety Harbor Retreat, trainer Donna Wilson (who has beautiful arms!) showed me some moves.  Although they are not “T-Tapp moves”, they are T-Tapp related due to the muscle activation.  Then our man Dan took it up a notch, so I did a short video of his tips, too–although he later told me that the arm swings actually could be a bit looser in this instance!  :)  (Click here for that video.)

You can see in the videos how I am creating resistance with my own muscles.  I’m not just pumping my arms through the air, I am pretending like I am moving through thick, wet mud.  Or in the Dantheman version, I am pushing back just as if the wall were still there.

In Primary Back Stretch, when you go over into a flat back, you’re there with your thumbs in your “thumb holders” (just above the hip bones in the back part of the buns), elbows up to activate the lats and arms.  Now, before you try to straighten your right leg, for instance, you will push down with your right thumb, as if that arm and thumb are trying to keep your buns and leg from moving!  Then you gradually push that leg back–it may not even get anywhere near straight (mine rarely do), and your abs are pushing your buns against that thumb as if trying to push up.   You are applying pressure as if the muscles are fighting each other–or, as our friend Dan would say–opposing each other.

In Teresa’s words, you are “using your body as the machine–to create its own weight resistance wth muscle movement.”

Here is a quote from Fit and Fabulous in Fifteen Minutes:

“Most traditional exercises are isotonic, meaning they work only part of the muscle instead of the full length of the muscle.  To see what I mean, stop reading for a second and do a traditional biceps curl.  As you tighten your muscles when you curl up and again when you uncurl, you feel it in the middle of the biceps, right?  That’s an example of an  isotonic exercise.  Adding hand weights to a biceps curl is what enables muscle fibers to shorten and thicken, which is what creates the traditional bulging biceps.

 

“Now do a T-Tapp biceps curl.  Place your fist on your shoulder and bring you elbow up to shoulder level, making sure the elbow is behind the ear.  Keep pushing your elbow back to be in alignment with your shoulder.  Now tighten as you curl and uncurl, but don’t drop the elbow. In addition to the biceps, can you feel the triceps, underneath?  Can you also feel the deltoid muscles (or delts, shoulder muscles) , as well as the latissimus dorsi (lats, the lateral muscles of the back) and the trapezius (traps, or back muscles)?  That’s the T-Tapp difference!  You’re working five to seven muscles, full fiber, from the shoulder to the elbow, instead of one muscle just from the elbow to the belly of the muscle.  And that’s why in addition to building long, lean, scultped, muscles, you never have to do more than eight repetitions of any T-Tapp exercise to get results.”

 

~Teresa Tapp, Fit and Fabulous in Fifteen Minutes, pp. 18-19

Chest press is another good example of isometric contraction.  If you go to the link above for Fit and Fabulous at Amazon, there is a video clip below we on the forums call “Amazon Arms”.  :)   In that video she demonstrates the chest press.  By keeping elbows up to shoulder level and pressing in as if you were pushing through thick mud, both on the ins and the outs, you create muscle resistance.  Or isometric contractions.

That is why T-Tapp is mindful movement.  And why there is no music!  You really need to have your mind engaged in this workout to make sure you are doing your best at keeping muscles activated!

Going to your max is just that–your max.   Too many people think they need to go as fast and as far as Teresa (whom we lovingly call Mrs. Gumby!).    If you have to sacrifice form to execute a move, you need to not go down/over/back as far and just push to your max ability.  You also want to push to challenge yourself but not to hurt yourself!   It’s easy to think you need to give it a one-two umph push on a move, and then you forgot to keep elbow(s) up and hurt your back…I’ve had two friends do just that!

As you progress on your T-Tapp journey, your muscles will get stronger and so will your resistance!  That’s why you never need more than 8 reps with T-Tapp to get results or maintain! 

Your max in flexibility and muscle activation might not be much at the beginning, but trust me, if you practice the third key to success, consistency, you will improve at both flexibility and activation.   I know, because I’ve experienced it first hand!

The goal isn’t to mimic Teresa in flexibility and how far she can reach, go down, go back, etc., but to mimic good form to your best ability, and if you can’t go as far, apply as much muscle activation that you can at this point in time!

  

So remember–

Key #1:  Proper form as best you are able at this point

Key #2: Muscle activation (isometric contraction) to your best ability–to your personal max right now.  And realize it will change and progress! 

Until next week, Happy Tappin’!  ;)

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P.S. Quote on Importance of Details (in T-Tapp)

Wednesday, February 9th, 2011

Doing my “assignment” of reading all the posts by Teresa on the forums (yeah, that will take a little while! LOL!), I came across this gem–and it sums up why what all I said yesterday about setting up the T-Tapp stance is important!

“T-Tapp is a progressive journey for the body. Always go to your own personal best and your body will respond.  Skipping or not working details in sequence alter your body’s ability to achieve optimal results.”                                                 

 

~Teresa Tapp

 

Nowhere is that more important than the T-Tapp stance!  So take the time to set it up right, and take breaks to make sure you’re keeping it right!

Happy Tappin’!

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