The Get on Fire Challenge (and may the odds be ever in your favor)

Maybe I just finished reading The Hunger Games
for the billionth time and maybe I am a teensy obsessed with the TurboFire program so what better way to combine my loves than into a group that I might have wanted to call the Girl on Fire challenge but was worried about violating some sort of copyright law?

But I have an obsession. The Hunger Games series consists of books that I never want to leave. Not because it would be such an awesome place to live but I become so invested in the characters and the story that I want it to go on forever. I want to be able to check back in with Katniss. See if they have built back up District 12. See how her kids are growing up. See how that whole new government thing is working out for everyone. (I also feel this way about the Harry Potter series.) I just can't get them out of my head for months after finishing the books -- no matter how many times I have read them.

I also might have a little bit of a girl crush on Jennifer Lawrence (ok a major girl crush.) I mean how awesome is she?

Between my recent rereading of The Hunger Games trilogy, all the leaks and pictures that are starting to circulate to promote the movie version of Catching Fire this November and the fact that I am in the middle of a workout program called TurboFire it seemed to be screaming for me to start a challenge based on something fire-y (or fire-ish -- Girl on Fire-escque? I don't know but now I totally want to make a shirt that says I am a girl on fire. I told you I am obsessed.)

So here is what I am thinking --

• A 90 day Facebook group dedicated to completing the TurboFire program. I don't care where you get it. Borrow it. Buy it. Whatever. Just commit to doing the program for 90 days. We will support each other and get each other through what I like to call the middle of the program slump where the excitement that propels you the first month has worn off and the end seems so far away. (This is where I struggle the most and what I think is the hardest part!)

**Full disclosure -- I am absolutely in love with this program. It is what you could call my soul mate workout. I feel like it was made for me. It is upbeat, fun and motivating. The music is amazing and it channels the cheerleader I used to be and never want to let go of. You can read more about my love affair with TurboFire and what the actual program is all about here. And you can view a video on the program here.

• We will not only support each other with workouts but with clean eating as well. We will be dedicated to eating healthy foods that will fuel our bodies. We can share recipes and I will provide you with a meal planner and lots of ideas and lists for how to grocery shop and what to buy.

• Clean eating can be hard. It is funny but trying to eat 5-6 times a day can be tricky (and you think it would be easy. More food. Yay!) But I tend to get busy and forget and then over indulge later. I developed a planner page that will help you track your meals and plan your day so this doesn't happen. So not only do you get a weekly meal planner but you get a day planner as well so that nothing can be left to chance. 

• Shakeology -- pretty much everyone at this point knows I love shakeology. It has made a huge difference in my life and my diet. I decided not to make Shakeology a requirement for this group but I highly encourage it. It is one meal I don't have to think about (and when I am super lazy sometimes 2 meals.) And it gives me the nutrition I need to get through the day -- the result of that is more energy and I am less likely to give into my cravings and less prone to stealing an ice cream cone from an unsuspecting child who just happens to be walking past me. 

So when will this start and what is going to happen?

We will start pre-season on September 3rd (the day after Labor Day) -- what is pre-season? That means you have a week to get it together. To start shopping for clean foods to stock your pantry (and get rid of the junk!) To take your measurements (and yes pictures!) and all that stuff everyone loathes doing until you see your before and after pictures side by side and are filled with pride at your accomplishments. 

The actually challenge will start September 9th and 90 days later it will end on December 7th -- I mean who doesn't want to be a On Fire for the holidays (hello - photo ops! I don't know about you but I am sick and tired of hiding from the camera when the holidays roll around. Plus all those relatives you don't see except for at the holidays...you know there is some motivation there.)

And yes -- we will have challenges like Thanksgiving to work around but that is one day (or two or three if you are juggling multiple family commitments like I am) but we will work through it. We will schedule our cheats and talk about the best ways to attend a dinner where no one really cares about your commitment to health and tempts you with pumpkin pie. No biggie. We will totally have this under control. And the reality is, you are always going to have challenges to work around. Maybe not a national holiday but birthdays, when your co workers bring donuts to work, weddings, showers, more birthdays. They are always going to be there. The best thing you can do is educate yourself and understand how your body feels when you are giving it the best possible nutrition. I promise you will start to be pickier about your cheats and how they need to be the best possible indulgence or they are so not worth it. 

Plus what makes this even better is there is an awesome promotion going on featuring TurboFire this month. So you have 10 more days to take advantage of this deal. What it does for you is it bundles the TurboFire workout with a 30 day supply of Shakeology - normally this bundle is a discount in and of itself, however this month it is discounted even more. (Check out the how you can save with a challenge pack here. )

Send me a message or an email scyobe@gmail.com for more info or to get enrolled! 

OMG where have you been my whole life! (and why Turbofire might be the best thing I discovered this summer.)

Have you ever had one of those moments? When you were all why the hell haven't I tried this yet? How have I lived 32 years without knowing this exists? I had that ahhah moment about a month ago with almond butter and this is just blowing that moment out of the water.

After some shipping kerfuffles, my Turbofire challenge pack finally arrived. And I thought I was happy
with the Insanity program when I started that. Hah! This is full of dancing and punching and energy and real music. Like Bobby Brown, Wild Cherry, Salt-n-Pepa and The Sugar Hill Gang. There is even some funkified Tina Turner and Kool and the Gang.

As my daughter would say, "what!" (and yes in a Lil' Jon fashion.)

I can't even handle the fact that the music not only rocks but it motivates me to keep going and keeps my energy way up. When I was struggling to get through all the Shawn T yelling at me and jumping stuff, it took everything in me to get geared up for just a few more suicide drills. Go, go, go! With this, I don't even have to think about it. The music starts to pick up and I am singing and jamming along and bam, workout is over and I am ready for more. (and not laying on the floor feeling like I died - although that does have a time and a place. Sometimes laying on the floor with nothing left feels awesome.)

For a girl who always tries to blast music and trick her brain into working out by pretending to choreograph in her head, this may be a perfect fit. I hope I am in love with this forever and ever. (I now think I understand what people mean when they talk about their soul mate workout!) Chalene Johnson is the trainer behind this program and she is just as upbeat as the music. She pushes you to keep going not by yelling at you like a drill sergeant but by telling you things like "You aren't tired!" and "You will believe whatever you tell yourself so tell yourself you can do this."

And any workout that encourages me to shake it as part of my exercise is already at the top of my awesome-sauce list.

So a little more about the program itself --

It is a 90 day program (which with the way I do things means it will probably turn into a 120 day program.)

There is a calendar that gives you exactly what to do every day for the 90 days.

It is cardio focused with kick boxing drills choreographed to pretty great music. Lots of punching, kicking, turning (using that core in a standing position) and using your legs (lunging and squatting) while you punch.

There are two strength building classes incorporated during month 2. For those you need a lower resistance band (included in the base kit) and a resistance band (or dumbbells - which I prefer. The resistance bands and I just do not get along.) I also picked up a pair of weighted gloves this month and added those to my workout. I can totally tell there is more definition from my shoulders from adding them. Yay!

It incorporates HIIT training (which means High Intensity Interval Training.) She asks you to go hard - as hard as you can - for a about a minute. These are spaced throughout the classes and there are classes built out of HIIT (and they are short - whoo hoo! Like 15 minutes short!) but mostly they are sprinkled throughout. There is some jumping but always a modifier so if you can't jump or are working up to that point, there is an option.)

Chalene always talks about how it is your class. And it is up to you to make it your class - whether that means working even harder to get all you can out of it or having to modify because you are coming off an injury or working toward getting stronger. I love this mentality and the thinking about my results being what I get out of these 30 or 45 or 55 minutes is totally up to me and what I make of it.

I am currently working through month 2 of this program and still love it. I am at a place where I am missing weight training (I think the 2 days of strength training on the schedule throughout month 2 have me itching for more) so I am looking forward to adding Chalene Extreme (a weight training based program) to TurboFire once I complete my 90 days.  And I am also excited to update this when I am finished to see if I am still so in love with this program (and of course my results!)



And the big news.... Throughout the entire month of August, Turbofire is discounted when bundled with Shakeology (you can read more about shakeo here.) But is is a super awesome deal (and I am really jealous it wasn't around when I ordered my copy!)

If you are interested in trying TurboFire or have any questions give me a shout. You can message me on Facebook or send me an email at scyobe@gmail.com