Week 3 down, 1 more to go!

With the heat, came the humidity. It was supposed to rain all week, but rather than the sweet relief of cooling rain, it's just been hot, thick and sticky. it seems like the humidity is particularly bad this year. However, it's probably just the fact that this time, the past 2 years in a row, I was enjoying a beautiful Washington State summer. Despite the predicted rain, and the actual humidity I managed to get 6 Jillian workouts in, in week 3 as well as average 17,000 steps per day!

Level 3 of Ripped in 30, like all the other levels, starts off with a warm-up. However, this in't an "ease our way into things" sort of warm-up. It's more a "pedal to the floor" sort of warm-up! Rather than the usual dynamic stretching exercises, level 3 begins with cardio and strength focused dynamic stretching.

Level 3 didn't just step it up for the warm-up. Even though weights are only used in less than 1/2 of the strength training workouts, Jillian really pushes you with her body weight exercises. The first circuit really killed my quads and hamstrings. Bear crawl (a crawl forward on your hands and toes with your knees and inch from the ground) followed by duck walk, is no joke!

I'm pretty good at core and leg strength, but significantly weaker in my arms and shoulders. It's as if someone whispered "torture her" into Jillian's ear because the strength training in circuit 3 pounds your shoulders with no remorse. 

In the end, I feel like I finished week 3 strong 'Ripped in 30' wise... but I struggled in other areas. I ended last week pretty resolute about focusing more time on flexibility. I started off the week doing just that, by trying to get at least 2 flexibility stretching routines in per day. However, towards the end of the week I was skipping the flexibility workouts. I need to get back into it for week 4! 

Not part of my July challenge specifically, but just a general change I've been trying to make is working on my diet. In week 3, I also slipped a little diet-wise. I definitely ate too much dessert, and too much in general during week 3. I'll definitely focus on that for week 4 as well!

Sweating so good!

Shoulders!

A definite victory this week is that I fit back into some bras that I had grown out of. I definitely did not want to buy new bras! So expensive! 

Next week I'm flying back to America for a visit! My next update will probably be made from the airport! I'm working on finalizing my August challenges now, which will be focused on workouts and health habits you can do while traveling!

And finally, some pictures of Bilbo who has started cuddling with my weights!

Until next week!