Ever since the Best Body Boot Camp I followed for several weeks ended back in April, I’ve been on the lookout for a new challenge.
I love making up my workouts on the fly and doing whatever I want at the gym, but that feeling typically lasts for a few weeks before I start getting restless and want more structure and a legitimate goal or challenge.
Usually this is when I’ll start training for a half marathon, but I am loving more strength-based workouts lately and wanted to find a challenge that aligned with this preference.
I’ve read a lot about Jamie Eason’s LiveFit Trainer, a free 12-week program with workouts that seem to be based upon solid strength training. It looked right up my alley.
Last night, I examined the program and printed out the first week of workouts, planning to tackle the first one at the gym this morning.
The first workout focused on chest and tricep exercises. I completed three sets of 12 repetitions of six different exercises and have a feeling I’m going to be really sore tomorrow.
When I’ve strength trained on my own in the past, I usually did three sets of 15 repetitions, but lowering the reps to 12 and grabbing heavier weights added a whole new challenge. I loved it!!!
Pushing myself during strength training is oddly fun for me. I like feeling like I’m working my muscles. Feeling strong is the jam!
Breakfast
The LiveFit program also comes with a meal plan which I’m not really planning on following, though I may use it for inspiration for some of my meals and snacks.
Today’s breakfast wasn’t on the meal plan, but it was delicious!
I topped two whole wheat Van’s waffles with a thick smear of Reginald’s Apple Sin homemade peanut butter.
The company sent me three mini sample jars of their nut butters to try and every single one is fantastic. (The Cashew Nilla is my favorite.) Each flavor I’ve tried hasn’t included any kind of sweetener, but they were all still incredibly flavorful and mouthwatering.
I added a drizzle of honey and a sprinkle of chia seeds on top of the peanut butter before inhaling both waffles with a mug of hot coffee.
Great breakfast!
Boutique Twenty Two Giveaway Winner
The winner of the beautiful ribbon necklace from Sunday’s giveaway is…
Congratulations! Please email me at pbfingers@gmail.com with your mailing address so we can get the necklace to you ASAP!
Question of the Afternoon
- Have you ever tried a workout program that lasted several weeks (P90X, LiveFit, Tone It Up, Body For Life, etc.)? What did you think?
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LiveFit is great! Phase 3 was my favorite however, the workouts were about 90 minutes + but they kicked my butt!
Reginalds is the best! They’re a local company (for me) and their nut butters are the only ones I buy since I usually make my own.
I tried P90x but ended up totally hating it- I know that the results are great but I couldn’t stand working out in front of the TV, and many of the workouts were SO long!
Question – is the LiveFit program really FREE or do you wind up having to buy things? Just curious. Thank you.
as far as i know, it’s free! i’m not planning on paying for anything and you can access all the workouts and meal plans on the website without paying for anything.
thank you! great to know!
I’m on week 12 of livefit and I have absolutely loved it. The workouts keep changing so it has kept me interested the entire time and I definitely have put on solid muscle. I love it! I’m planning on even going back to phase two after I’m completely done to continue with the heavy lifting. Good luck with it!
Thanks for sharing this workout plan. Do you have any suggestions for good strength training workout plans?
I’ve tried P90X, Turbo Fire, Tone It Up and ChaLean Extreme. ChaLean Extreme was my favorite! It’s strength training that focuses on heavy weights, but going SLOW and doing fewer reps. Kind of sounds similar to LiveFit. I made it through the ENTIRE 90 days and got great results!
I’ve never heard of ChaLean Extreme! Sounds interesting!
I really liked it! It’s through Beachbody (Same people who do P90X, etc.) so it’s a little pricey, but totally worth it. There were 11 different videos, so it totally kept me interested for the entire 90 days, and the workouts were only 30 minutes, so it was easy to fit into a busy schedule.
I finished ChaLean Extreme a few weeks ago and I loved it too! Chalene is so motivating and I definitely put on some muscle!
I absolutely LOVE chalean extreme!! vidoes are not too long, they are challenging, results are great, and Chalene is incredibly motivating!
I’m on my last week of Body For Life. I didn’t follow the eating portion of it completely but I was fully on board with the workouts! Loved it and definitely felt challenged with each workout! It involves 3 days strength and 3 days HIIT cardio. After doing it, I’ve developed a new found love for weights!
Doing B4L a few years ago was when I began my love affair for weights too! And their 20 min cardio plan is my go-to when I’m feeling uninspired for the day’s workout.
I once did the 30 day Shred every day for 30 days and saw really good results. Lost about 8 lbs and toned up. My husband tried P90X but for some reason it REALLY hurt his feet so he had to stop.
Are going to follow the program, so no cardio for phase one or just use it to help structure workouts?
i’m planning on just using it as inspiration for my workouts. i’m not necessarily planning to follow it 100 percent, but if i like them a lot, i might. today i did the workout for day one exactly how it’s detailed on their website but we’ll see how it goes!
I am following the strength plans but not skipping on cardio. I don’t want to lose my endurance for running.
What did you think of the meal plan? whew. That is a lot of meat.
yeah, i don’t think i’ll be skipping cardio completely either. 🙂 the meal plan is definitely protein heavy! it also eliminates cheese… noooooo!
I do Tone It Up and absolutely LOVE it! You can make the workouts simple or super hard (increasing weight, reps, circuits, etc.). I also love that you do the workouts at home or in the gym!
I can’t wait to check out that LiveFit trainer. I wanted to try P90X, but it looks so tough!
You are going to love it!! I just started week 11 today and I’m already sad that it’s coming to an end 😉 It has changed the way I work out. I used to do random classes/ workouts 5x a week and often found myself sore and overworked. (I.e. doing body pump 3x a week wasn’t good for me- especially if I did it two days in a row). The way she trains you is smart- all muscles get adequate rest so you’re not overtraining. (You will still be sore, but by the time you hit that muscle group again, you’ll have recovered – if that makes sense!).
Oh and I didn’t do the meal plan either…much too crazy, however it does give good ideas. Try her pumpkin protein bars. I’ve been making double batches and my fiance and I cannot get enough!!!
i saw the recipe for those bars on the site! they sound delicious!
I think I’ve told you before that I LOVE Insanity workouts (by Beach Body, same company as P90X). Each DVD for month one has 3 circuits and each DVD for month two has 4 circuits. They are all really challenging and you follow the calendar to switch up the DVDs. It’s the best cardio workout I’ve ever gotten!
I like to do the workouts from there sometimes too. They are tough and I work hard to challege myself when I am doing them. Sometime I want to follow through on all 12 weeks, the diet, the no cardio for the first part, etc. But right now I am so focused on marathons and running that I am afraid to give it up!
I’m currently doing the livefit program =D But I pushed myself too much and tore my shoulder muscle…oops 🙁 So I’m currently taking a break until it heals.
i bought vans waffles and actually had one this morning… not a fan 🙁
bummer! they’re my favorite! a lot of people like the kashi waffles – maybe those would be a better option?
thanks for the response julie 🙂 i think i will try those, thanks for the suggestion! the peanut butter looks scrumptious though! 🙂
I just bought some of that apple peanut butter too!!! I actually met the creator himself, since he’s from Richmond 🙂 He was selling them at the farmer’s market near my house! He’s super nice!
I am doing this program right now and am in the last 2 weeks of phase 2. I love it!
Because I really have never lifted before, I was going to try some of the exercises to begin doing, not following strictly but just giving me a place to build some strength.
I started the livefit trainer program and pretty much only followed weeks 1-4 because after that they had you doing less cardio which at the time I couldn’t do because I was training for a half marathon at the same time. I liked the beginning stages of the program a lot and will probably try to do the whole program at some point.
I just bought the Les Mills Pump to do at home. I thought of you bc you don’t have access to BP at your new gym…..you should really look into it I love it bc I can only get to a BP class once a week at my gym.
I did Jillian Michael’s 30 Day Shred this past March (just the workouts, not the meal plan). I saw some pretty good results, and liked having something to follow every day. I’d say the only negative was the program didn’t have any rest days…30 days straight through. So much laundry!!
Julie- just wanted to say love your website and small details like external links popping up in a new tab makes me very happy 🙂 so i dont have to keep pressing the back button like on other blogs! xoxo.
ha! i love that you noticed that because it was always a HUGE pet peeve of mine, too! i am a big fan of windows opening in new tabs. 🙂
Ditto to the new tabs!
Haha, I LOVE this about your blog too!
I’ve been following the LiveFit trainer for a while now, although I admit I do add in at least 15 minutes of cardio and some additional ab workouts. But so far I love it! I can definitely tell I’m getting stronger and I agree that she does a great job of hitting every muscle group, but working in adequate rest. This is the only program that I have kept up with consistently.
I made it through week 10 of LiveFit before having to stop… I learned a lot of new exercises but finding an hour and a half, if not more, to do the workouts got to be too much for my schedule. Nevermind 6 days a week. I was losing focus on things at work because I “had” to get home for that day’s workout.
I thought about doing live fit, but I think I’d miss the freedom of doing whatever I felt like!
I did all 9 weeks of Insanity (through the Beachbody people) and LOVED it. The workouts were just the right length (never more than an hour) and were great for both cardio and strength training (though it’s all body weight exercise). It seriously kicked my butt, and I lost weight but, more importantly, toned up and felt healthier than I had in a long time. I still incorporate the workouts into my weekly routine, but now I do maybe 1-2 a week and then lift, run, or do other circuits on my other workout days. I’ve been interested in trying the LiveFit workouts too–might have to give them a try now!
I have never tried any of the programs, but P90X is on my list of things to buy once I drop some pounds first. I’d like to use it to tone up after I lose the weight.
This LiveFit sounds really intriguing though! I may have to check into it.
I’ve started P90X a few times and gotten about halfway through each time. The problem always is convenience… it’s very time-consuming and I travel a lot, so you feel like a failure when you take even a day off! My boyfriend and I both toned up a lot, but, you can’t bring a pull-up bar and weights with you on a trip. The bands don’t work as well. I’ll definitely check this out! Thanks!
how random, i started the LiveFit trainer today too!! except I did the “no no” and went straight to Phase 2 so that I didn’t have to give up cardio. I know she swears by starting Phase 1 or else you won’t build up the muscle tone she’s looking for, but incorporating more strength in general is my overall goal, so I’m using her trainer as a guide! good luck!!
I’ve been thinking about starting Jamie Eason’s Livefit trainer for a month or so, but the idea of giving up cardio completely scares me! I know that it is for a reason, and in the end it all evens itself out, but I’m worried about the bulk up in the middle part!! I’ll be interested to see what you think, and maybe I’ll consider starting it next month.
I tried the Insanity workout for about a week, but I couldn’t stick to something where I had to do basically the same thing every day.
I’m actually going to start LiveFit in a couple weeks! I’m super excited to really build a lot of new muscle. I do have a question for those who’ve done it though…I know she says to do 60% – 80% of your max weight for the reps. I’m not sure what my 1-time max weights are anymore, did you go through and figure those out before you started?
I did the first 2 phases of Live Fit and while I liked it, it ended up being too time consuming for me. I am a mom of two and I just do not have 1.5 hours to spend at the gym. I need to be in and out!!! I did develop some good muscle mass but I prefer circuit style strength training so I do workouts from The Get In Shape Girl and LOVE them!!
i feel like i may have done something wrong! did the workouts during the first week take a while? i felt like the entire workout today didn’t even take me 45 minutes. maybe i need to revisit the workouts!
No, you did it right! The first phase is awesome, especially the first couple weeks. I was in and out in under 30-40 minutes. I just couldn’t commit to phase 3 because it became too time consuming.
I stopped after week 10 for the same reason. I was getting up at 5:30am, coming home at 8-8:30pm and then forcing myself to do LiveFit for an hour and a half, sometimes more. It just got to be WAY too much!
I did Jillian Micheal’s 30 day shred and it made a HUGE difference for me! I lost a few pounds and added a lot of muscle definition, without looking too masculine. She focuses on creating a “V” taper by enhancing the upper body to give the illusion of a smaller waist.
I’ve been following the tone it up plan for a little while and I really like it! I have had knee problems in the past, and tone it up is very customizable, so my knees don’t get beat up as they would in other plans. 🙂
apple peanut butter!? now that is a new and fabulous combo that needs to pick up 😉
Have you tried any of the PB Craze peanut butter? The Cookie Jar is amazing!
I am actually doing that program right now, I have two weeks left. The intensity of phase three is significantly harder than anything I’ve ever done, but I love it. It comes down to high intensity cardio and carb cycling. This program starts out pretty easy, but by phase three you will see that it takes a lot of self control and self motivation. Also, you will look like the mad woman at the gym! I had a guy tell me that I made him feel lazy! Haha. It’s an awesome program, but you have to be strict on the diet portion the whole way through if you want to see results.
I love regimented workout programs that tell me exactly what I need to do each day. I did Insanity – the whole 60 days! – and it was hard (insane), but the results were fantastic and it made me feel SO strong!
LiveFit workouts only take up to 90 minutes or sometimes even up to 1 hour 45 minutes (way too long!) during phase 2 and 3 workouts. That was the only downside for me, other than that – I loved the strength focused workouts. It’s definitely a commitment if you want to follow it because the workouts are so structured.
Did you add cardio to the weights portion today? I think if you want to use it as inspiration for the strength portion of it, phase 1 builds the foundation.
Oh my goodness, what I small world! Jamie Eason is actually engaged to my church’s worship leader! I knew she was a fitness buff, but I figured it was just in the state of Texas 😛 Best of luck with her program!!!
I’ve looked at the LiveFit program but I am too weirded out by the fact that there is no cardio for the 1st two weeks. Some people might benefit from it but my body with seriously balloon up.
I think I might have to give this whole livefit thing a go! Is there any cardio or do you just have to do weights on it?
Ah I did LiveFit and I hated it! In a few weeks, your workout will last 1.5 hours or more depending on how fast you move and how much gym traffic you are facing. The program is great for some, but my body needs cardio- I gained 7 pounds during LiveFit and loosely followed the meal plan, but still ate very well. I definitely won’t do something like this ever again! I will be curious to see your results after the 12 weeks!
I just looked it up and it looks awesome. I think i’ll join you 🙂 I’m planning on doing workout one today!
I really want to try those Van’s waffles! I’m guessing you’re a fan, since I’ve seen them on the blog a few times. They look yummy!
I did the first 2 phases and definitely liked it. My results were just ok but it really got me in the habit of weight training in body-splits. I actually recently became bored with my workout routine so I hired an online trainer to set up a 6-week workout (and nutrition) plan. I’m pumped to have something tailored just for me!
I followed the Live Fit trainer workout plan last winter. Overall, I liked it. Phase 1 was sort of boring I thought, but that is when the focus is building muscle and strength. I liked Phase 2 and 3 better since the included performing more combinations of exercises and plyometrics. I can’t say I got awesome results because I didn’t follow the diet or anything. But I definitely got stronger. Are you going to follow doing no cardio in Phase 1?
I LOVED the livefit trainer!!! You have to try the turkey meatloaf muffins! Amazing!
I’ve heard some good things about that program, I definitely don’t think I could follow the diet plan though. Not enough calories for me!I definitely am looking into increasing my strength training this week though, so I may try out a couple of her workouts. Why not, its free