Turbo Fire Workout Review

As I have written, I started Turbo Fire on Chris' first trip out of town since I could not go on my daily 5am runs. I started with the 5 Day Inferno, and I fell in love with it.
The first of June, I dropped the YMCA. Cold Turkey. I loved Zumba. But, I found it fun to go to and a great way to burn extra calories, but I did not see that it sculpted my body at all.
Since the first of the year, I have done several things to get and stay in shape. Chris and I started the year off doing Insanity a second time (he is now doing it a third time). It is a killer workout, and I thought I could do anything while and after doing it. I did see some results, too, but I found myself dreading the workouts. I also felt like I still needed to run along with the workouts, at least for the first 5 weeks. So, it was a huge time commitment, one that I was no longer willing to put in. Keep in mind, some days I was running, doing Insanity, and then going to Zumba. Gees! That is just, well, insane!
We completed Insanity in March and Chris hopped on his career roller coaster in the end of March, still taking us on daily fun rides. Our plans to go on and do the Asylum were put on hold until we could do the workout in its entirety. Considering he is gone for 2 weeks every few weeks, the workout just was not going to happen.
Chris gave me Turbo Fire for Mother's Day. I believe I started it the next day with the Inferno. Since completing the 5 day Inferno, I have gone to running every other day and doing a piece of Turbo Fire every day (taking off the 1-2 times a month that I work an overnight shift. I just want to sleep, for some reason, after staying up all night working. Crazy, right?!).
I have not been following the Turbo Fire Schedule (again, Chalene, the innovator, keeps saying, "follow the schedule." And, I just chose to do it my own way. Bad, I know. I may go through the official schedule come winter, only time will tell).
I get up every at 5:40 and either run then turbo or just go downstairs, fan blasting, and do Turbo Fire. My schedule looks something like this:
Monday Fire 60 (which is a turbo fire workout for 60 minutes. The length of the workout is in the title, which is nice), Tuesday, Fire 45, Hiit 15, Wednesday: 55ez, Thursday Fire 30, Hiit 20, Friday Fire 55ez. Now Chris returned from his trip so I could start working in my running.
Saturday, Run, Core 20 (work 12 hour overnight), Sunday Hiit (high intensity interval training) 30), Monday, Memorial Day, Run 40, Hiit 25, Tuesday, Run, Hiit 20, Wednesday, Fire 55ez, Thursday Hiit 30 Core 20 Friday Fire 45, Saturday 45, Hiit 20, Sunday Run, abs 10; Monday Fire 60, Tuesday Run 40, hiit 20, Wednesday Fire 45, hiit 15, Thursday Run 40, hiit 20, Friday Hiit 30 Turbo 30, Abs 10...
...you get the point. Run with a small hiit or short Turbo and then the next day do a longer Turbo workout. I always workout 1hr total, or at least close to that. My runs are 40 minutes long, approximately, and just under 5 miles (really, I am usually done at 36-37 minutes, but I round up and call it close enough).
I did get somewhat of an injury this week following the ab workout, which is only 10 minutes, and I try to do this 3 times a week. It is a great workout, but it clearly was straining my neck. Chris was doing this portion with me (he does no other turbo with me) when I pulled the right side of my neck. I was practically immobilized on the floor.Chris helped me to my feet and I got through the day with 800mg Motrin every 8 hours. I still have the pain in my neck, but it was not back enough from keeping me from working out today, 2 mornings after the injury. Whew!

I love Turbo Fire and would recommend it to anyone. It is a mix of body combat, Insanity, running, zumba (a little), sculpting your body with the movements, all to music. I am not sick of the workouts and look forward to doing them. I actually am now dreading my morning runs, mostly because I have to contend with the elements (the heat!) and have to find something appropriate to wear outside. I typically wear my sports bra and shorts to do Turbo Fire. Now I am finding I can only wear that to run or I am too hot.

As for nutrition, I have been trying really hard to eat healthier in order to build more muscle and tone up. This is really difficult for me to do! I am back to oatmeal with blueberries for breakfast, almonds at AM stack, generally, lunch with tuna salad or greek yogurt and fruit and veges, dinner with salmon, turkey wrap (my new addiction!) or the rare chicken breast. I am really trying to increase the protein, but since I was a vegetarian for so long...this is really difficult to do. The taste is coming...slowly. But, I will not give up M&Ms, but I am eating plain frozen ones, at the moment. I can not give up chocolate!

I am seeing results, too! I am seeing my arms toned and, do I say, defined. I am seeing my upper ab muscles (those lower ones have to be there somewhere, right?!). My weight has maintained, but that is what the goal is. With that said, I had a friend ask how much weight I had lost...so I am clearly looking leaner. But, I am a pound or 2 away from where I always am. So far, I am happy with the results, the high impact intensity of the workouts and how fun the workouts are.

Here is a video I found of someone doing a short section of the Fire 45 Class (one that I like doing alone with the Hiit 20). It is a fun one, but I find all of them to be fun. And, I am starting to see results. Now...watch and want to work out!
Turbo Fire Video Example

I know, in this outfit again. It was clean and ready to go to my parents house (where this was taken).

Abdominal view: After having pizza for dinner (and take note that I am STILL wearing my pedometer!).

I have arm muscles somewhere.

Turbo Fire 5 Day Inferno

As part of my Mother's Day present, Chris gave me Turbo Fire, another beachbody high intensity interval training program from Chalene Johnson. You see, I can not run outside while Chris is gone, obviously. Last time I treadmilled it (YUCK!), and went to the YMCA for nearly all the zumba classes. This time, I did not want to treadmill it, and I had decided to restart Insanity until Turbo Fire.

Turbo Fire has a 90 day program set, but it also included a 5 day Inferno Plan. Sounds crazy, right? Really, it was a lot of fun! I started on Monday and finished this morning, trying to follow the meal plans, kind of. For me, that was huge! I eat randomly and love to snack.

The meals consisted of a rounded diet of fruits, veges and protein for good sources (chicken, fish, peanut butter, cottage cheese, etc). The fruits and veges were no problem as that is typically about all I eat. Now, the protein, that was a different story. 

Day 1: Turbo 55, stretch 10
I started the work out at 6am. I ran out of time for the stretch. Thought the work out was fun. It so helped me to have gone to a body combat class before as well as zumba. The music and workout is fun, but a workout. Both good things!
I had egg beaters for breakfast. I bought the southwestern version accidentally, but they turned out to be no so bad. I do not find egg beaters lasting through the day. Good thing there is a morning snack! For lunch I had a tuna salad. I have not eaten tuna since I was maybe 10 years old. Funny, I loved it. I had no idea tuna was such a good source of protein. Smells horrible, but it tastes pretty good mixed into the salad with lo cal dressing. For dinner is when I added in the cottage cheese. I liked that, too, not eating it since I was prego. I had a headache come bedtime, probably because my body wanted chocolate and a diet coke. :)

Day 2 Fire 45/Hiit 20/stretch 10

So ran out of time today! I got up earlier (5:40 AM) and Addison was already awake! Seriously, go back to bed! I was tired this AM, but the work out was still fun. I love the moves. I see Insanity and Zumba a little (but not much). I look forward to the next day's workout. With Insanity, I dreaded the next day's workout, but I looked forward to the results. Insanity works after all. I really like the fast pace of the Hiit classes, with the 1 minute "drill" with a 1 minute rest, continue. So far so good.

I had egg beaters again for breakfast. I bought a snack mix with cranberries, almonds, raisins and dark chocolate. YUMMY!! So recommend this mix!! (Walmart: Ann's House antioxidant blend). It is SO GOOD! Okay, it is not on the plan, but seriously, I can not give up all chocolate for a week. That is just crazy, or maybe I would just go crazy. Anyway, lunch was turkey on a wheat with flax seed tortilla with a ton of mixed greens and a splash of Italian. Again, I would have never eaten this is the plan did not call for it. But, it was so good!! Asher even ate it! For dinner we had the salmon marinated in teriyaki sauce cooked on the George Forman Grill (which I rarely, if ever, use!). Wow...Salmon is so good! 

Day 3 Fire 55ez/stretch 10
I was so tired this morning. I can't seem to get to bed at night, then I can't sleep alone, and then I have to get up so dang early to do this. I always get up early to run, but I sleep earlier at night. Ugh...sleepy. I got through it. It was a touch long work out. I find the stretch to be a waste of time.
Breakfast, more eggs. I am not following the breakfast plan...just eating eggs. I am adjusting, but I SO MISS MY OATMEAL. Would putting eggs in oatmeal be weird?! :) Sounds gross...so I don't do it. I eat more greek yogurt than I care to eat during the day due to lack of time to fix anything. Dinner was a mcdonalds chicken wrap, clearly not on the plan. I did not think the chicken snacker was that bad, but it is McDs. Oh well, it had protein in it, right? Too bad McDs did not agree with my stomach...or was it all these EGGS?

Day 4 Thursday 45 class, hiit 20, stretch 10
Starting to get the choreography some (yes, you need to know that!). My arms are burning as I am a weakling on the upper body. I wish I would have taken a before picture because I swear my arms are more defined already. Is it the upper cuts? :) Still love those Hiit classes. Those are fun, sweaty, stuff.
More eggs (getting used to them), followed by more protein in wraps. Love the wraps now. Who knew? Chris would die if he saw I was eating actual meat. This NEVER happens.

Day 5 Fire 55/stretch 10
Today felt good. I am getting it and getting good at it. I still look forward to turboing in the mornings. Turbo may be my new drug. :) It was fun to do the first 5 days. Today I knew it was the end of the inferno, so just finish this last day!

I was planning on cancelling my YMCA membership for a month now (as I refuse to stick my 3 kids in Ycare while I work out...although I may regret this if Chris leaves again), but I cancelled today. Asher and I went to Zumba on Monday (yes, after doing Turbo Fire) and he cried when I took him to YCare. They did not seem to notice or care that he was upset. I stayed for 15 minutes until he got better. He was having fun when I picked him up, but I can tell he really hates it. That was the last straw. Funny, when I cancelled, the lady at the desk said nothing to me. Just, "fill this out," asking me to complete the cancel me form. Anyway, my zumba teacher is 8 months pregnant and due to move away any day now. My time was up, although I was still sad as I cancelled and drove away. I liked going. I met a lot of new people in my zumba class. I will miss them.

More Eggs, now a habit. I'm still looking forward to my oatmeal. I had another tuna salad today to finish up what I had left. Mixed greens sure do not last long. That stinks! I had more greek yogurt (something I will never get used to), my lovely snack mix that may also be a new addiction (could this replace my almond m&ms? um...maybe). For dinner the kids made their own pizza while I had a silly wrap. I love the wrap, but would have preferred pizza. It is a Friday tradition afterall. Next week...

My weight stayed essentially the same (although I can say I gained muscle and lost fat, right? Also, I added calories to the plan as I did not want to lose weight). I can eat a ton or nothing and I always weigh the same. I gained weight with Insanity as I gained muscle mass...but it was soon gone (bc I lost the muscle I would assume). I feel I look different, at least in the upper body, even after 5 days. If you google the Inferno plan, the before and afters just do not seem possible after 5 days. I mean really...this is not the Biggest Loser workout or something. Anyway, I just feel more toned all over. That is really what I was striving for anyway. So, no matter what the scale says, I feel better. That is all that is important.

All in all, so far so good. I would recommend the first 5 days. The meal plan is a good one, but I had to add calories because 1100-1200 was not enough (although I DO NOT count calories and typically never look at that because I find it takes all the fun out of eating anything). I probably eat 1100 calories in almond m&ms a day! :) 

The plan, I will continue turbo fire come Monday. Shoot, I may even continue after Chris comes home, until he is ready for the next extreme Shawn T workout. This weekend I am going to try out a couple of the other ones just to get familiar with them before I am scheduled to do them. This workout is so fun, I can't wait to get going with it!

As for the nutrition guide, I will try and follow her nutrition guide, just not the 5 day menu and I will eat what I want. It is not a diet, but a substitution plan, so they say. I am to trade unhealthy foods that I eat now with choices higher up on the tiered ladder. I AM going back to my oatmeal maybe every other day. I love it and it lasts me all morning. Egg beaters made my hungry! I would have to eat the whole box to get full, I think. Anyway, I see oatmeal is listed on her tier 2 (whatever that means), which is the happy tier. Yes, oatmeal makes me happy! And, it says to try to stick to tiers 1,2...so that works! Yeah!! Happy Dance.

I guess I better save my energy so I can go all Turbo Fire tomorrow!

For more Turbo fire posts...see here:
1. Turbo Fire Review
2. Turbo Fire, The Fire Continues