Just for this month, DDT will be on Wednesday, June 20 instead of the 19th–so we’ll all need to wait another day to see what great deals T-Tapp is offering for June! 😉

Wanting to keep the sizzle in your summer workouts?

Trying to fit in T-Tapp around T-Ball?

This might be your answer!

Summer Shape-Up Strategy!

Photo credit

The original “shapewear”!

Girdles, Spanx, Shapewear–all designed to help “cinch you in” and make you look slimmer.

But you don’t need them!

You have a God-given “girdle” of muscles that can naturally cinch you in, support your organs, and still allow you to breathe! 😉

Not quite as pretty, but much more effective–and natural!

The abdominal muscles are so easy to relax and allow to follow the path of least resistance.  I’ve even seen young teen girls who are not activating their abs, and although they might not have any abdominal fat, it’s not just about excess fat storage.  It’s also about joint health.

As we allow our abs to relax, we affect the lower and upper back, hips, knees, ankles, feet, shoulders, arms, neck….everywhere!

When the abs aren’t doing their job, our whole body alignment gets out of kilter, causing a chain reaction of imbalanced muscles, extra weight on joints, and spinal subluxation.   Often it includes a collapsed core and dropping the ribcage, causing internal organs to have less room for optimal function.

One of the first things you can do to reverse this trend and help strengthen the abs is sit up straight!  Keep those ribs up–think of a string pulling your head up to the ceiling, elongating your spine vertically.  But don’t hunch those shoulders!

It’s important, especially for women, that we don’t injure or make things worse when we work on our tummy area.  Traditional sit-ups and crunches are not good if you can’t keep your abs activated, and they are particularly bad for those who have diastasis recti.

 When I first found T-Tapp, I didn’t do much floorwork other than Organs in Place (OIP) and Half Frogs (HFs) with the dvd that came with the book, Fit and Fabulous in Fifteen Minutes.

A year or so later I tried to do floorwork and it was HARD!  I just thought that was normal after 10 term pregnancies and letting myself get out of shape.  I started with Hit the Floor Softer, then tried Hit the Floor.  I couldn’t keep up!  Then I tried LadyBug floor and thought was easy!  I now know that that is not a good sign! :p

As I discovered that I was not activating my abs and that the floor workouts were making my diastasis worse, I stopped all floorwork, except for the OIP and HF moves.

A few years later I took a class with a trainer who had us focus on just a few floor moves.  She as well as other trainers have spoken of “staying in the muscle”.  That basically means to think about what muscle(s) are supposed to be doing the work, and don’t focus on going as far/high/fast as Teresa.  When I did that during the class, my muffin disappeared!

The past few years I’ve not done much floorwork.  The year my mom passed away, I had a hard time being consistent.  Then last year I was training for TWO and MORE, and due to my adrenal fatigue I couldn’t add other workouts.

I’m currently training to certify for Hit the Floor.  Today I did just 4 reps of all the moves, and I focused on staying in the muscle.  I also had to consult my “cheat sheet” a lot to make sure I was doing the right moves at the right time!  And I used a rolled handtowel just below the tailbone to better help me curl the core against the floor.

Just.Four.Reps.

Lots.Of.Stops.

With.A.Towel.

I am amazed that even a few hours after my workout, my abs felt worked in a good way, I was able to keep my core activated and ribs up, and my muffin (that has reappeared due to my continuing metabolic healing) was visibly smaller!

Hit the Floor Combo has Hit the Floor Softer (HTFS) which is a weighted shoe workout.  I never have used weighted shoes!  Regular Skechers are quite enough weight, thankyouverymuch!

HTFS has a little slower pace, and the moves are a bit different than Hit the Floor (HTF), but there are a lot of similarities.

HTF goes faster, and most moves have 10 reps.

I started with HTFS, and later I tackled HTF.  After understanding about staying in the muscle, I decided that I would only do a move as long as I could keep my abs activated. As soon as I lost the activation, that move was done. I reset and got ready for the next one.  There would be some moves where I only got in ONE rep!

I eventually worked up to all ten reps!  Woo-HOO!

After a few years “off”, I’m starting over–well, not quite!  Today I was able to stay activated for all 4 moves!

If you’re ready to “hit the floor” and work on those abs, and you understand it’s more important to stay in the muscle vs. doing all the reps or going as far as Teresa, why not check out the Hit the Floor Combo in the Variety Workouts section today?

Your posture, organs, joints, back and tummy will all thank you!

And when someone asks what brand of shapewear you use–you can say the “natural” one! 😉

Corset photo credit

Is it Monday?!  I didn’t get my review in 🙂 but our company was able to spend another day with us!  Such fun!

There’s still room at my “Birthday Bash” Clinic in Ft. Wayne this weekend!

Celebrating Fifty, Fit and Fabulous in Ft. Wayne!

Be sure to wear purple and/or red to be part of a drawing for 5 different T-Tapp products throughout the day!  It’s my birthday but I’m giving out the gifts!

Hope to see you there!

Sorry to postpone this!  I’m expecting a T-Tapper and her family any time now and thought I’d have time to get a review written, but I got home later than I had planned.  I’ll still be featuring a T-Tapp product–look for it by Monday! (Lots of graduation open houses this weekend!  LOL!)

I have been a fan of body brushing since my start in T-Tapp.  I truly credit brushing, salt masks, and the alfalfa for not having loose, hanging skin!

This week I want to feature a relatively new product, the Bass Face Brush.  I just got one this last winter.  I started using it right away.   I will say that I was a bit worried to use it under my eyes–having had acne as a teen back in the dark ages when they did everything possible to suck all the oil out of your skin (all kinds of nasty topical stuff, plus tetracycline! :p ), the skin under my eyes really suffered from all that “treatment”.

I very gingerly brushed under my eyes and decided if it seemed worse or no better in two weeks, I would stop.  Imagine my delight and surprise to see it was improving!  I now brush one to two times daily.  I see improvements not only in the skin elasticity, but also in my skin tone.  I am naturally pale and I feel the brushing is helping my complexion–which makes sense!  After all, brushing is good for circulation! 🙂

I also brush the backs of my hands from time to time throughout the day with the face brush.   I remember Teresa talking of an actress (whose name escapes me–I’m not good on keeping up!) who kept a brush in her purse and whipped it out to brush her face and hands when she had to wait around–and Teresa said she has amazing skin!

I don’t want to be obsessed with trying to look younger, but I do want to take care of myself and not age before my time!  I love face brushing because it is so quick, easy to do, and yields results without a huge time or money investment.

The brush has a nice wood handle and natural bristles.  If you have the T-Tapp body brush, the bristles are softer yet firm enough to help exfoliate the skin.

Here is a post on the forums with directions on how to use the face brush.

And click here to find the brush in the store (this takes you to the skin care products page–the Bass Face Brush is second in the top row).

Happy brushing–make your skin happy! 😉

To all who served, who are serving now…

To all who gave the ultimate sacrifice….

To all the families who have had or have loved ones serving…

 THANK YOU!

Photo credit

I thought I would try something new–Feature Friday!  I know there are so many workouts and products in the T-Tapp store that you can get overwhelmed!

For my first feature, I want to talk about Teresa’s Premium Blended Alfalfa.   This is an amazing product!  I was taking another name brand alfalfa when I started T-Tapp.  I finished it, then purchased the Premium Blended Alfalfla.

WOW!

I shed water like crazy for a few days, and within weeks could tell a difference in my skin.   Then I started noticing less PMS type symptoms when my cycles returned (I had a 4 month old son when I started T-Tapp!)

A few years later I was having just a really blue day the day before my cycle was due.  A friend of mine, who got completely off her bioidentical hormones using Teresa’s alfalfa, suggested I up my dosage right before my cycle was due.  That was the key!  I also have two daughters who normalized their cycles through taking the Premium Blended Alfalfa.  One had too short cycles, and one had too long–and the alfalfa helped both!

I had acne as a teen and into my 20s and even 30s, so there was some scarring.  It had gotten better over the years, but sometimes it was still noticeable to me.   After taking the alfalfa for a year, plus being consistent with T-Tapp, my skin was absolutely glowing!  I get compliments all the time about looking much younger than I am–partly good genetics, partly eating overall healthy, but the alfalfa is the “icing on the cake”!

Alfalfa feeds the skin, which helps it become more healthy.  Added to skin brushing and dead sea salt masks, it helps the skin tighten even when losing lots of inches.  I’ve lost 12+ inches off my abs, and although they are not perfect, (nor do I expect them to be), it is amazing to have no loose, hanging skin there!

There have been questions on the forums about alfalfa being a phytoestrogen.  Teresa calls it adaptogenic.  It acts upon the pituitary and if your estrogen is low, it will help raise it, and if too high, it will help to lower it.  Here is a great post by Teresa: Is Alfalfa a Phytoestrogen?

Teresa’s alfalfa has no stems, seeds or sprouts.  Often when someone reacts to alfalfa it is because of the stems or seeds, and many have found they can take Teresa’s alfalfa!  A true legume allergy would be the only reason to not take it.

It is also anti-inflammatory.  Teresa talks about this in the thread above.  I have also noticed when I get out of the routine of taking my alfalfa, that my lower back and hip joint “talk” to me. :p  A friend of mine, Rhonda, had ulcerative colitis and her doctor was going to put her on medication that would cost $900 per month!  She found the Premium Blended Alfalfa took care of it—and much more inexpensively! (And her skin is beautiful, too, by the way!  You can watch her testimonial here!)

Teresa goes to great lengths to get and transport this product while keeping its purity.  Here are a few threads where I posted my notes from the Safety Harbor Retreat in 2010 (there are a few other products reviewed in each, but alfalfa is the first in one of them and the last in the other!):

Safety Harbor 2010 Product Seminar

Safety Harbor 2010 Cellulite Control

How much to take?  When I restarted after a period of time of being off of it, I started with 3-4 daily, then worked up to my regular dose of 9.  Different ways to tell how much is by how you feel (inflammation going down), less PMS, less or no hot flashes, better skin.

The forms have a wealth of knowledge on the Premium Blended Alfalfa, so if you’re visiting there you can type it in and read for quite awhile! 😉

There’s also great info on it at the T-Tapp Store!  Why not try it out for yourself?  Better skin, balanced hormones, less inflammation–sounds like a winning combination to me!

Note:  I realized I forgot to post the link to Rhonda’s testimonial–it is now fixed! 🙂

A clarification!

You do NOT have to be 50 to sign up for this clinic!

Celebrating Fifty, Fit and FABULOUS in Ft. Wayne!

I named it thusly because on Father’s Day *I* will turn 50, and I thought hey! What better way to celebrate than with T-Tappers!    And since I like alliteration so well….. 😉

Had a few people think this was only for those qualifying for the Red Hat Society!  No, you can come no matter WHAT your age!

But I will be in purple.  And I might just have some red, too!  🙂

Photo credit

It happens so easily, so subtly.

You have great focus on form.  You are pouring sweat and really getting a lot out of your workouts.  You see the tape measure start moving in the right direction, or your clothes are fitting a bit more loosely.  You feel amazing!

Ah, progress!

Things are going along smoothly, and you are feeling fantastic.  But slowly, nearly unnoticed, an enemy is sneaking in the back door.

It’s called “The Path of Least Resistance”.

It happens to us with our supplements or good eating routines.  We get into a good groove and feel better.  Then after awhile, we back off a bit.  Maybe we’re tried of swallowing so many capsules. Maybe we go on vacation and get out of our routine.  Maybe we’re tired of making sure our meals are balanced.

In T-Tapp, it’s a straightening knee here.  A collapsed ribs issue there.  Maybe we even get to the point we don’t realize we’re not really curling our core as much as we used to.

Vigilance is required to hold onto conquered ground in any area, even in our workouts!

This is why trainers often suggest revisiting the Instructionals–the extra focus on form and holding position, along with a slower pace (especially if you use MORE Instructional or Total Workout Super Slow!) helps you detect the ways the enemy has creeped into the camp.

Other helps are:

Mirrors.  A mirror or a window glass where you can see yourself is great.  Many times we find our knees aren’t bent as much as we think they are.  Or our flat back isn’t so flat!

Videos.  Yes, we don’t like them any more than we do pictures 😉 but videos can be a great way to see what you’re really doing away from the mirror.  Having a trainer review it is great, but you can see obvious form issues just watching it yourself.

Skype sessions. Many trainers offer Skype sessions.  The benefit of Skype over video review is you have instant feedback!  Plus, if you don’t understand something, the trainer can demonstrate for you.  It’s the next best thing to an in-person session!  (No, I don’t offer Skype sessions yet–I need a little more experience under my belt! 😉 )

In person sessions or clinics.  Obviously this is the best!  A trainer can get hands-on and really help you understand what you need to be feeling or help tweak your form.  Or show you where you have become a bit easy on yourself.

You don’t have to spend a penny–you can use the mirror or video yourself for your own review.  Have a friend who also T-Tapps spot you for obvious things like straightening the knees (especially on one-legged flamingo moves!) or losing your core.

The path of least resistance creeps in on the best of us!  I noticed in pictures from my recent clinics that I am leaning back a bit!  So even I need to focus on really tightening my core. 😉

You don’t have to be paranoid!  Simply do a form check from time to time–just because you had it great once doesn’t mean it will magically stay that way! 😉

Remember–vigilance!  You don’t want to give up those hard earned losses just because you let this enemy creep in unchallenged!  If it’s been awhile since you did the Instructionals, why not take 4 days to do them and see if you don’t get an a-ha or two?!

And you might make friends with your mirror and video camera, too!

Believe me, they will become your best friends and guards against the enemy of “path of least resistance”!

Photo credits:
sign
toy soldiers