Tag Archives: richard simmons

A bedazzled work-out opportunity!

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Happy Wednesday, faithful readers!

It’s been an exciting past few weeks as Alyssa has been accomplishing her goals of receiving her Masters degree in Communications and I’ve been making the moves to pursue my own higher education as well. It’s getting to the point where many students will be closing their text books and shoving their school supplies into their closet to remain untouched until August.  I’ve been dealt the typical college story where all the teachers of my school have all met up and conspired together  to decide what day would be best for EVERYONE to have a major assignment due.  I’ve got a yoga practice to write along with two essays and four tests to accomplish in the next two weeks and am trying my best to get as much writing done as I can now.   One of the more exciting assignments I have to do as my Pilates final is to arrange a ten-minute work out that I’ll teach to the class on May 15th.

We’re allowed to have music…

We’re allowed to wear the cool exercise microphone head set…

Plus we’re allowed to dress up in our spiffiest work-out outfit and we’re encouraged  to bring as much energy as we can to our giant classroom.

I took this as an opportunity to teach my class like one of my work-out heroes, the one and only Richard Simmons.

April's hand full of Richard Simmon's derriere

April’s hand full of Richard Simmon’s derriere

Alyssa introduced me to the wonder of his exercise class at his Slimmon’s Studio in Beverly Hills about two years ago and I had a BLAST sweating my ass off with her and another blogging friend named Alexa to a musical journey through Motown.  That man has got the energy of a child who stole his Mom’s Redbull!  He was bouncing all around his studio screaming motivational yet raunchy lines about how we should be used to our thighs being sore from lifting our legs!  He was hilarious and made working out so much fun!

I’d love to capture that essence of Richard for my work-out to my Pilates class!

So far I’m plotting a 10 minute series of music from that French turntablist group C2C I mentioned a few weeks ago.  They’ve got this awesome high-energy song called “Happy”  that I have a vision of getting my classmates to “dance” along to while doing jumping jacks and bouncing upon our work-out balls. C2C also has songs that have slower parts that increase into a faster pace that I think could be perfect for when I make the class do wall-sits using one leg.

One legged wall sit

Alyssa is getting some DOUBLE CHIN DIARY t-shirts made up for us so I’ll definitely rock that but will have to jazz up my outfit with some glitter.  Maybe I should invest in a bedazzler and make myself some crazy leggings complete with sparkles all over them!

We’re encouraged to use as many Pilates exercises as we can but in my five months, it seems nearly every exercise can be included in a Pilates work-out.

In other news, I successfully made it back down to my “pre-birthday bloating” weight and am a mere pound away from reaching down into my next chunk of ten pounds.  I’ve got less than five weeks until I leave for my Europe vacation and am hoping to get rid of the tiny bit of back fat that remains stuck to my sides.  As much as I want some hot European man to handle my body with loving desire while I’m there, I have to make sure he’s not actually grabbing at my “love handles” in the process.  I’m trying to stay dedicated to my hula hoop because I know that’s one of the best tools I’ve got in whittling the fat that hovers around my waist away.  I might even post a picture to show you guys the before and after of my progress, we’ll see if I’m brave enough.

Do you have any awesome moves that you think I should include in my work-out instruction?

What are your favorite songs to work-out to?

And finally, what do you guys think of us making some work-out videos?   I am going to try to record my routine as a practice for the class but also because I think it could be cool if the Double Chin Diary started a collection of Youtube work-out videos!  Would any of you give our work-outs a try?

Lots of love,

AprilSignatur

The Double Chin Sisters working out with Richard!

The Double Chin Sisters working out with Richard!

 

 

 

Party Off the Pounds

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As most of you know, I have trouble motivating myself to work out. Like tonight. I worked a full, busy day, came home, worked on some homework, went with the husband to drop off a library book, grabbed dinner, stopped at the grocery store, watered the yard, cleaned up the kitchen and then… I knew I had to work out. But I felt lazy. And feeling lazy is such a precursor to blowing off a workout. But then! I remembered one of the awesome birthday gifts I received this weekend.

Personalized Pineapple Cutting Board

It wasn’t my personalized cutting board that Matt got me….

Turtle Fruit Corer

And it wasn’t this awesome turtle shaped fruit cutter that my best buddy Katelyn got me…

Excited much?

It was… Richard Simmons’ Party Off the Pounds DVD! I’ve been wanting a Richard Simmons DVD for awhile, ever since the first time I worked out with him in person. Matt got it for me for my birthday, and it’s perfect for nights like tonight where getting dressed, filling up a water bottle, driving to campus, parking, and going into the rec center to do some cardio just feels like too much work. I was able to prance and dance and sweat in my very own living room, with no cares about if I looked stupid or if I remembered the padlock for the locker. My cats were kind of confused, though.

Anyways, this DVD is no joke. This DVD is a good workout! It’s no P90X or Ass Ripper 10,000 or whatever those fitness DVDs are called, but it’s a good, solid workout. I was sweating thoroughly, but most of all, I was having fun dancing along to hits like “Mickey” and “Hit me with your best shot.” Also? There are fat people in the video, like real, actual fat people – not Hollywood fat people like Christina Aguilera. (Sorry Christina, but everyone says you’re a chubster and we know you’re not. You aint the real thang, girl.)

I’m excited because I may have finally found a good solution for nights like tonight when the gym just isn’t going to happen. Now I kind of want to check out some more fitness DVDs – anybody got some recommendations for me? And also – could you work out with a fitness DVD, or is just too strange for you? I know some people aren’t into busting a move in their living room, so I’m curious – are workout DVDs a do or a don’t for you? Why or why not?

 

Making Time for Exercise

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Hey everybody! How you doin’ out there? I feel a little distant this week… because school is in FULL BLOWN “GO” mode, and life is just moving along at a crazy pace. Here’s what my schedule was like yesterday: Work from 8 AM – 3:30 PM. Class from 4:00 – 7: 00. Participate in Social Media Panel from 7:00 – 9:00 PM. Eat Dinner at 9:30 PM. Work on homework from 9:30 – 11:00 PM. 11:00 Go to bed.

Thankfully not everyday is as crazy as that, but today was not much better with working from 9:00 – 5:00 PM and then heading right to the hospital for allergy shots from 5:30 – 6:30 PM and then the rest of the evening being spent doing homework. It’s exhausting, right? It’s exhausting and I’ve been slacking about fitness because of it.

Fitness is fun with Richard Simmons! Why can't it be like this every time?!

I work with a wonderful and very funny friend named Jenny. She’s become a Weight Watchers buddy for me, and tonight, a reality check. We were texting back and forth about a Zumba class for $5 that’s offered at my workplace at 7 PM. I normally leave work at 5 PM, so I’ve been hesitant to stay for Zumba because that’s two hours of “home” time I get to have. After I hemmed and hawed and explained why I didn’t want to stay for Zumba, she hit me with this one: “You know you’re going to go home and veg and not exercise! If there’s no time to exercise then you won’t lose weight as fast as you like.”

She’s right. I’m the mayor of excuses village. When it comes to weight loss, I transform into a flubbery, blubbering “But this is why this happened! It’s genetics! It’s because I’m bloated! It’s because my jeans weigh a pound and a half! It’s because I ate that salty soup!”

The reality is that I need to be accountable for the mistakes I make in regards to weight loss, just like I am at work. If I screw up on something at work, I fess up, because usually just admitting your mistake is going to make it better. Like when I got busted in a meeting this week by my colleague as I was doodling hearts and stars all over my legal pad .”Did you get that, Alyssa?” she said, with a bit of sarcasm in her voice. With a straight face, I looked up and said, “Nope. I wasn’t listening. I’m sorry, can you repeat it?” There’s no need to lie because I’m transparent about my actions at work. I’m not perfect. I will never be. I have no problem admitting it. Perfection isn’t the problem, its commitment. It’s willpower. How bad do I want this?

I’m struggling because I am genuinely, honestly busy. I don’t have a lot of free time. But I need to make this a priority, just like I make work and grad school and my husband and my friends and family a priority. How do you fit it all in? We’re all busy, so I can’t keep using it as an excuse. Life is busy. As John Lennon once said, life is what happens when you’re busy making plans.

Do you find lack of time can screw up your eating or fitness habits? What do you do to be prepared? Any hints for a gal like me – short on time but big on hope?

Weekly Weigh In #?

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Hello everybody! Hope you had a great weekend. Yesterday’s stepping on the scale brought more good news, so let’s cut to the chase… I’m down another 2.2 pounds!

 


I’ve noticed the past few weeks that my jeans have been feeling loose, but the biggest surprise was when I put on my striped Tommy Hilfiger sweater. I begged Matt for this sweater last Christmas – it has alternating stripes in shades of gray with an adorable hot pink trim around the wrists and neckline. It’s awesome, and comfortable, and wasn’t cheap. When I got it last Christmas, it hugged my jelly roll around my tummy a little more than I preferred. Yesterday I put it on and it was baggy. BAGGY!! The fabric in the tummy area actually billowed a little bit. I screamed in pleasure. Yup, it’s true. Winning the lottery? Who needs it?! Just give me some baggy clothes and I’m good. (Oh hey, Universe…I didn’t know you read my blog. I’m totally just kidding about that lottery thing. I’d totally love to win the lottery. KThxBai.)

I reflected on my weight loss today for a bit and I’ve come up with a few important things. First of all, I’m stopping when I’m full. As delicious as each handful of buttered popcorn is, the last handful tastes just the same as the first. So why keep cramming it in my mouth when I know 20 minutes later I’ll be clutching my esophagus in pain?

Second thing is, I’m back on the horse, proverbially, in terms of exercise. I got off the horse because I was on vacation, and then I got sick, and then I got lazy. But the horse gave me a swift kick in the ass I needed, and a few boxing classes and a date with Mr. Simmons later, and I’m back in the saddle. Exercise is important. It makes me feel good afterwards, it makes me feel productive, it helps me stress less, and I’m doing it for ME. Not for my work, not for my school, not for my husband, not for my cats. I’m doing it for ME. That’s a good feeling.

What’s the last thing you’ve done for yourself lately, be it a manicure, a nap, a beer, or losing weight?

Slimmin’ with Simmons

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My sister’s visit to Los Angeles meant many things – but among the most important was that we exercise with Richard Simmons! Richard offers classes to the public for $12 at his Beverly Hills Slimmons Studio. The theme on Saturday was MoTown, and as we grooved to “I heard it through the grape vine” and “Twist and Shout”, Richard proved to be his usual enigmatic self and flitted around in his spangled, sequined top.

Richard, Me and April - We're homies!

After a couple of weeks of not exercising slacking off, I was ready for the worst. And while prancing around for an hour and a half was not the EASIEST thing, it was fun, and at the end my body was painfully sore but grateful for a good workout.

Halfway through the class my sister got called out to dance in the circle with Richard! It was fun to see her getting her groove on with Simmons and his famous ‘fro.

One thing I love about Richard Simmons is that he BELIEVES what he’s teaching. While he’s screaming his dirty jokes and simultaneous words of praise, you know he’s doing it for you. He’s not doing it for the paycheck, he’s not doing it for his ego. He’s doing it because he genuinely cares about your health and wants you to be the best you can be. I did my normal boxing class last night, and while it was a good workout, it was just nowhere near as FUN as class with Richard is. Exercise that’s fun is so much more easy to do! If only I could go twice a week!

What do you think – if you came to Los Angeles, would you want to sweat with Richard Simmons?

Sweatin’ it, Simmons Style

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When I found out that Richard Simmons teaches classes at his studio, Slimmons in Beverly Hills, that are open to the public for $12, I knew I had to go. Not only would it be a great blog post and an excellent workout, but it would fulfill a dream of my grandmother’s, as she always loved his buoyant personality, dolfin shorts and puffy fro of reddish-brown curls. I was lucky enough to be accompanied on this journey by my friends Merrie and Hilda, two lovely ladies whom I work with and work out with! In addition, some wonderful blogger ladies and gents like All The Weigh, The Curvy Nerd, Finishing the Hat and Keep It Up David were there, too! (They’re regulars!)

Me, Richard and Hilda. Yes, he's eating her hair!

As soon as Richard came in, that Southern sense of hospitality kicked in. He flitted around the room like a butterfly, greeting everybody with hugs and kisses. I was wearing pigtails and he walked right up to me, gave my pigtails a gentle yank, and embraced me in a big hug. It was surreal. (Hilda is blessed with a lovely svelte figure – Richard told her he’d eaten ribs bigger than her! LOL)

As the music kicked in, Richard screamed that it was Beatles night! His tank top bedazzled with colorful busts of Ringo and Paul should have clued me in, but I was psyched as techno versions of “Hello” blared through the speakers. The first few songs were SO FUN, as Richard bounced around the room shouting praise and encouragement as we marched and kicked and squatted. I had a big goofy smile on my face at the silliness of it all – me, in Los Angeles, a girl from the suburbs of Chicago, working out with a major fitness star, Richard Simmons! I also was mildly star-struck when I learned I was working out next to Ellen Degeneres’ Mom, another regular.

We proceeded to bounce and jump and jiggle through an hour of cardio. Near the end, Richard created a huge circle and started picking sets of two to go in the middle of the circle and do the moves with him. Merrie and I were “summoned by Simmons” and laughed as we did arm thrusts, knee kicks and other moves in front of 50 people, alongside Richard Simmons. (Rumor has it he posts videos online – as soon as I see it I’ll share!)

After cardio, we did thirty minutes of weights and then sit ups and push-ups. I was quite proud of how well I kept up through out the class. Other than the usual disorientation about following aerobic patterns, I used five pound weights for all the reps and didn’t need to take any breaks. I remember distinctly thinking, “Yes! Finally! All this exercise is catching up with me!” It as an awesome workout – I was drenched!

Check out his Beatles shirt!

The cool thing about Richard Simmons is that he’s not just a “personality”. You can tell in his classes that he’s the real deal, and he honest to God cares about what he’s doing and teaching. When I worked out alongside him in the circle, he looked me square in the eye as we trotted across the studio, and he had this passionate intensity coming directly from his pupils – the kind of self-confidence and drive that looks at you dead-center and says “This is all me, and it’s AWESOME.” He’s also freakin’ hilarious and had many dirty quips and jokes. I think what I really liked about his class was that it took the SERIOUSNESS out of exercise. Exercise is serious business, and I get it, just like being obese – but I’ve always been the type of person to try and find something to laugh about, to have fun with, which is where this blog’s name came from. It’s all about taking something difficult or hard and learning to find the light side, and Richard does that so well.

He graciously stuck around after class to take pictures, and when it was my turn to pose with him, he again yanked my pigtails and said “Well, aren’t you just the cutest thing?” I have to admit – that was cool to hear from a celebrity, albeit someone as effervescent and sparkly as Richard Simmons.

I can’t wait to go back, and Merrie and I are thinking we’ll try and make it a monthly goal to trek to Slimmons and sweat it out with Simmons. Now – Next time, who’s coming with me?