Pop Pilates DVD First Time Through Review

Workout
For any Community fans... POP POP! :)

So, my first time completing the Pop Pilates/Blogilates DVD workout (~ 1 hour 3 min). I have been avoiding this, actually, since I was sort of afraid, haha. Time to face my fears. I've tried doing the workout a couple of times before, but that was always after having done some intense cardio. Not the greatest idea. Last time I tried, I got to 15 minutes before giving up. My neck just ached so badly (and I had proper form). I also tried the tongue trick - pushing your tongue to the roof of your mouth to alleviate some pain/discomfort in your neck, which helped a little, but it was still excruciating. I just figured the workout was really tough. Which it is. But not as bad as I thought.

I did it today, with no workout beforehand. So much better. So much more approachable/not painful. I didn't feel any discomfort in my neck. Some of the moves were a little difficult, so I had to take some mini-breaks. But I got back into it. I'm hoping to get stronger/more flexible and not have to take breaks. I did try to do all the moves unmodified though. I might be a tad stubborn.

I felt amazing afterwards. I'm going to try to this on the Cardio Recovery Days for more conditioning and strengthening of my muscles. And flexibility. My flexibility has already improved by leaps and bounds since a year ago (when I couldn't even touch my toes). I attribute a lot of this greater flexibility to Cassey's Pop Pilates (youtube workouts). It's amazing to see how far you've come.

Favorite moves: Roll Over, Eagle Crunch, Roll Up, Chest Press, Tricep Scorpians, Half Cobra Pushups, Bottom of the Bowl Stretch, Hip Twists, Singled Legged Spidermans.

I'm also starting to like the Candlestick Dippers. I used to loath them. Mostly because it was harsh on my knees (even with my mat folded in half) and my hips would make an uncomfortable popping noise. However, it doesn't hurt anymore. Well, not in an unusual way, anyway.

Most difficult moves for me: Shoulder Stand, Earthquake, Chest Press (even if it is one of my favorites), Spiderman Pushups.

Afterwards, I ate dinner and wasn't planning on doing the Cardio Recovery (~37 min) at all. But then I did. Push yourself further than you can even imagine, right? Plus, I figured it's semi-yoga-esque, so maybe it'll help me sleep.

Verdict? I really like the set-up of the DVD. I still favor her Youtube videos (since they're short and I can mix-and-match or tack to them onto the end of my Insanity workouts/cardio). But, I still really enjoyed it, and of course - her positive attitude and upbeat/bubbly personality keeps me going.

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Food
Beverages: 2 cups coffee (w/stevia, coconut milk and 1 TB creamer), 1 cup green tea, water, detox tea.
Breakfast: Finished off the leftover blueberry/craisin steel-cut oats. Topped with almond milk and raw pepitas.

Lunch: My sister dropped by to borrow something, and so I shared half of the omelet with her, as it was way to big. And she was eyeing it. Haha. For the whole omelet, I used 1 whole egg w/3 egg whites (saved from the eggs benedict hollaindaise sauce), some salt and pepper for the base. Then I diced 1 whole green bell pepper and 1/2 an onion and sauteed with fresh-squeezed lime and a pepper-blend (Sonoma Salt-Free Blend from Omaha Steaks) in coconut oil (1/2 tsp). Then I topped the omelet with a little bit of grated raw white cheddar. She actually just told me was going to take a bite. And then she moved half of it to her plate, lol.

Dinner: While dropping by, my sister also dropped off a huge thing of tofu she had cooked on the stovetop. Apparently she thought it would go to waste and knew I would eat it.
So, I had tofu and made some dipping sauce (some reduced sodium soy sauce, a little bit of sesame oil and a little bit of sriracha sauce for a kick). I also had a baked sweet potato on the side and roasted green beans.

Snack: Cantaloupe

I'm thinking of starting to lay off the cheese, haha. It's a bit of a weakness. I try to use only a little bit, but still. Or maybe the next time I go to Trader Joe's or a health food store, I'll look into their vegan cheeses.
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I'm soaking some raw cashews to make some cashew coffee creamer tomorrow. I will let you know how it goes. ;) Unless it's a huge disaster. Ha. Just kidding. I'll still let you know. If it works out, I might start making my own almond milk.

Love always,
Marie