Making Short Workouts Effective, Part 1a p.s.

In case you didn't read Casey's comment, here is part of it:

"Taking the less is more approach with T-Tapp you can focus on pushing your form as best you can for a 15-20 minute routine in order to get the most out of the workout. Rushing through a longer workout with sloppy form doesn't benefit you much. It's best to focus on doing the best you can with your form on each exercise, even if that means less repetitions at your own pace. Taking that route will get your body stronger faster so that you can do more each time you exercise."

My thoughts exactly!  No "break moves," no spaghetti arms, no straight knees--you get the picture.  Sure, it's a lot to think about, it's hard, it makes me huff and puff, I feel uncoordinated, waaaahhh! :-)  But in what other workout system do you get so much for so little investment of time?  I stand amazed when I read about people going to a gym two hours a day, six days a week.  Power to ya.  But it wouldn't work for me, period.  I'll spare you the details of what I've got to do this week, but suffice it to say, uh, I'm busy.  So I'll take 15 minutes of isometric, comprehensive compound muscle movement and go on my merry way.

Making Short Workouts Effective, Part Ia

Elizabeth asked these questions and I'll answer them in a series of posts.  Stay tuned for the next episode of *background music rises* Renew You...*commercial break*  (thanks, Elizabeth, for sparing me the effort of thinking up new topics!)

Q:  Could you share more about what you did that really made those short workouts so effective?

A:  There were a combination of things I did to help make short workouts effective.  First of all, I actually DID the short workouts.  :-)  Not just once or twice a week, but pretty much every other day, at least 4-6 times a week (6x week during harder efforts for a season, like the 60-Day Challenge, 4x week during regularly scheduled life, especially during the holidays).  I believe that long workouts EOD would give faster results overall, but only if done in good form.  In other words, flopping quickly through the Total Workout in an effort to speed up inch loss would *possibly* give less results than a mindful, muscle-activated short workout.  I say *possibly* because it would depend on overall form, fitness level, etc.


I became a student of T-Tapp.  I am "an inquiring mind who wants to know" so my search for information was probably more intense than the average person.  Many people are not the type to read everything they can find on a subject.  However, even the most casual learner can scribble a question about form on a post-it note as they work out and look it up on the forum later using the "search" function or study the move in Fit and Fabulous.  I read and posted on the forum almost every day, so that knowledge base built up.  Of course reading a form tip and applying a form tip are two different things, and you have to DO the workout to apply the form tweak (see above).

I have more to say on this, so there will be a sequel to this question.  In the meantime I must cook supper for twelve.  On the menu for tonight:  refried beans, tortilla chips, salad, taco meat, cheese and sour cream for a Mexican buffet.

Short Workouts Revisited

Okay, girls, let's get down and dirty.  Yes, I got the vast majority of my results with short workouts.  Usually 15-20 minutes, up to 30 minutes.  (But I think interspersing seasons of long workouts a couple of times a week was important, too).  The promise of "15 minutes" is what drew me to T-Tapp in the first place.  "15 minutes" kept me going through busy days.  I would think "anybody can do 15 minutes."  And of course it was a little more than 15 minutes by the time I changed clothes and brushed, but still, no more than 25 minutes.  Okay, so we've established the fact that I did "15 minutes" a lot.

But does that mean it was easy?  Did I not sweat?  Did I flop through and jump in the shower?  No, no, no, my dears.  I groaned.  I dripped.  I researched form.  I pushed myself.  I worked HARD in that 15 minutes.  True confession:  More than once, when I was still really, really overweight (like 100 pounds), in the middle of the workout I sat down on the edge of the bed and cried a little bit because it was hard.  Then I stood up, pulled up my socks and pushed *play* again. 

So yes, 15 minutes.  Fifteen efficient, effective minutes.  But easy?  Not exactly.  Worth it?  Most definitely.

Enter the January Jumpstart Challenge!

Calling all T-Tappers--no matter how long you've been Tapping! The January Jumpstart Challenge begins this Friday, January 15:  January Jumpstart Challenge

I entered the 2007 and 2008 60-Day Challenges and they were instrumental in helping me reach my goal.  These contests were motivating and gave me an extra push to work harder for a season.  I saw real changes in my body and the effects continued in the weeks and months afterward.  And of course winning a category was absolutely fabulous!  Remember, you can't win if you don't enter.  The prize for this challenge is even more amazing than the Safety Harbor Retreat because of the chance to receive personal attention from Teresa Tapp in a smaller group.  The resort and spa is the ultimate pampering experience, and it's the best girlfriend time you'll ever spend because T-Tappers are so encouraging and friendly.  Take advantage of this opportunity to commit to consistency that will improve your body and your health.  GO FOR IT!!

T-Tapp for a Busy Season

Much has happened in my life since my last post. My first grandchild was born (welcome to little Henry Judah on November 14!) and due to some complications I immediately flew to California to help my daughter and her husband. I spent two weeks in California and got home the day after Thanksgiving. In the midst of the busy-ness of the holiday season, my daughter and son-in-law decided to move back to Oklahoma to be near family with their new little son. They are staying with us until they get on their feet and we are enjoying taking turns holding month-old Henry!

It's always a little disconcerting for me (and my family) when I am gone for a length of time. For me there is an adjustment period when returning home to my busy household. Even though my family keeps the house up while I'm gone, there are always things to catch up on and rearrange to my liking, not to mention the necessity of cuddling up the little ones, talking to the older ones, and spending time with my man. My family even decorated for Christmas while I was gone (a first!) but I needed to finish the project and tweak here and there. Adding three household members was a project in itself with cleaning and rearranging. Let's just say I've been unusually busy.

I admit it's been a struggle to keep up with workouts. Time is definitely an issue but let's face it--we usually make time to do what we want to do. So part of the struggle is mental as my list gets longer and longer and my mind is spinning with to-do's. But the reality is that when I skip too many workouts I start feeling rotten--sluggish, creaky, tired and flabby. What to do?

Short workouts to the rescue! Basic Workout Plus, MORE and TappCore are my go-to workouts for stressful busy seasons of life. The year I was losing weight I got in 4 short workouts a week and still lost inches through the holidays. Now that I'm in maintenance, three short workouts are enough. I'll take advantage of New Year's motivation to ramp it up a bit in January, but for now I am thankful for an efficient, effective workout that keeps me feeling and looking good in (literally) just minutes a week!

Those Fabulous Forums

From the very beginning of my weight/inch loss journey, I was active on the T-Tapp forums. At first I was the excited newbie, reporting every inch lost and every new change I noted. Then I was the question asker, as my knees got sore or I wondered about the nuance of a move. Meanwhile I did searches on topics, printing some for my notebook (see an older post about the notebook). Eventually I moved on to answer questions here and there or give a little *gulp* advice of my own. But the absolute benefit of the forum was the accountability and encouragement it offered.

I got to know other T-Tappers who understood exactly what I meant when I spoke "Tapplandia" language. You know, BWO+, PBS, back fat, third butt cheek--all those mysterious acronyms and body parts we didn't know we had. I really felt like they cared when I was discouraged and they were happy for me when I lost a size. I actually read a bit before my morning workout, to get motivated and *in the mood* for T-Tapp. The trick was to read a BIT, not get lost in posting and reading for hours (and then feel like it counted for a workout, lol)!

Someone once asked me how I had to time to stay on the forum all day. Excuse me? I pop in here and there throughout the day, but seldom have time to s-t-a-y on for a length of time. But now that a new chat feature will be enabled, ahh, the temptation!

The Power of Success Stories

This morning I watched "Meet the Team" on my trusty old Basic Workout Plus DVD. It brought tears to my eyes, just like it did the other 20 times I've watched it. Today I watched it for some motivation to work out, as I'm recovering from a virus and am struggling to find energy. It did the trick.

Before I ever did a T-Tapp workout, the success stories motivated and encouraged me. I pored over the book, looking at the photos and reading the stories. I lurked on the T-Tapp website, reading old 60-Day Challenge and Testimonial Tuesday stories.

I bought the "Lost 100 Pounds" issue of People magazine and studied the photos and stories. I was particularly fascinated by the changes in people's faces when they lost weight. Being of American Indian descent, extra weight made my face round so I hoped to find my cheekbones again (I did). I cut out those pages and stapled them together and re-read them occasionally as I lost weight.

The "real people" success stories gave me hope and helped me set goals. Carol Severson, another homeschooling mom. Michelle Barbuto, mom of 6 (have you seen the woman's abs in her latest photos???!!!). Even Lani Muelrath, already gorgeous fitness diva, whose thighs shrunk from athletic ballerina to slender graceful T-Tapper.

Never underestimate the power of envisioning YOUR success story by surrounding yourself with the success stories of others!