Get Tough, Get Toned, Get TRACY!

**Update 7/28/12:  I had the luxury of testing out a Metamorphasis workout and WOW such a lovely smooth flow that actually incorporated active movements with the floor workout, unlike the boot camp. I would love to be doing it daily-tough, but fun and goes by quickly!  Do it to your own playlist and you're SET!  Anxiously anticipating her pregnancy workout for the future!**

Sure, she's revered by Miss Gwyneth P, but is she worth all the hype??  In one word:  YES... if you make the most of it.

The Tracy Anderson Method is something I haven't visited in awhile, and shame on me!  Once my son got close to a year old, I joined an awesome workout group for mommies AND babies for the social aspect for us both (more on this later!!), and when the cooler weather and new year arrived, I went back to my tried and true home elliptical with some yoga (both classes and Bethenny's Skinnygirl Workout DVD to mix it up) in hope for some downtime and encourage a year of zen and health.  Recently, though, I found myself wanting to throw something else in the mix so I (as well as my body) wouldn't bore of the routine, and so I'd be nice and fit for the upcoming warmer seasons!  The Tracy Anderson Method, or TAM, was a staple in my life-especially to help my body bounce back after giving birth, and Tracy's empire has grown so much in the last year that they offer even more now-I believe everyone can benefit from it-and most importantly, make it their OWN.

Tracy's story is an interesting one.  She was an aspiring ballerina competing against so many tiny dancers, one of which she was not.  She got turned down from many jobs due to her "thickness" and inability to achieve her best body after trying every exercise and diet she could get her hands on while keeping her energy up simultaneously.  She poured a decade of research into her aspirations, and realized that most of us simply aren't working the CORRECT muscle groups, nor are we eating what we should be.  I appreciate her unique approach and especially her clean eating ideals-more on both below.

I started small-I got the Post-Pregnancy Workout DVD (she has this version I tried as well as an updated version that is much pricier, but I imagine more effective) after giving birth, and was anxious to try it after the typical 6-week recovery time frame.  While my beautiful preemie boy brought sleepless nights of eating about every hour, I still forced myself to make this a priority-as long as I was somewhat rested to safely do the exercises.  The nice thing about them is that they're mainly floor exercises, and based on very unique toning principles of using your own body weight to repeat working the SMALL muscles in your body, rather than the usual large muscles when weight lifting, running, etc.  This is the whole basis of the TAM.  And this is why I wasn't scared off by the first DVD-it was user friendly, and while I definitely felt it to be challenging using new muscles, I wasn't so sore and broken-down that I had to take days off in between either.

Since I enjoyed this so much, I then took the next step and bought her 30-Day Method book (which came with an instructional DVD) when I was feeling a little stronger and rested.  This upped it a notch!  Not only does it have more challenging floor exercises, but it also comes with a cardio dance routine.  The book in itself is worth it-packed with her theories, studies, basis, background, floor move descriptions, AND lots of healthy amazing recipes!  It's called the 30-day Method because she wants you to do just that-pretty much put yourself in a boot camp for 30 days using her strict floor exercise reps, cardio dance, and diet-she guarantees results!  Did I strictly make the 30-days to her liking??  Um, no.  I tried at first, believe me I did, but I ultimately had to make it my own-as we should with everything health-wise.  I didn't end up with her ripped cellulite-free dancer body, but I did feel stronger, more toned, and cleaner in the end.  Here's a break-down of the 3 main components and my take on each:

1. MUSCLE DESIGN WORK:  This was by far my favorite part-the floor, sometimes standing, work to tone your muscles rather than repeatedly break down the LARGE muscles and build bulk in the same places while ignoring others.  The moves also changed every 10 days.  You start with a set and build the reps as the 10 days go on, and just when you're getting used to those moves, they change!  These are said to create a smaller body structure, keep your muscles alert, and burn fat away.  P.S. Ouch!  At first you will feel sore-but it's a great sore...
2. CARDIO:  The next component is a high-intensity cardio dance workout that raises your heart rate to complement the muscle work and burn even more fat while keeping your heart healthy.  She believes that repetitive cardio, such as spinning and running, only bulks certain muscles, and that dance aerobics classes can be too stop-and-go to keep your heart rate up.  You start with the routine for about 10 minutes and work up to 60 minutes throughout the 30 days, depending on your fitness level.  OK, I love to dance (not well, but I still love it), but I still struggled with this aspect.  She's dressed in a really funky outfit, you'll be totally humiliated doing it in front of others (although I made my son smile), and the music is a bit lame.  However, once I loosened up a bit, took her suggestion and started making my own playlists and blasting my pod, and realized how much I was truly sweating and how much fun I was having after each session, I felt much better about it-definitely let yourself go AND use your own music!  If this is totally not your thing, I think other means of cardio are still sufficient as long as you mix them up and incorporate her dancing once in awhile.  She would dispute this and say you won't get the same results in the 30-day method, and I believe that, but you need to do what you're most comfortable with.
3. MENU PLAN:  Ah, my Golden Child-healthy foods!  Her goals are foods high in nutrients and fiber that minimize bloat-ultimately very clean eating that kick-starts your metabolism and burns fat.  So, I saunter off excitedly to the grocery store... and spend about double of what I normally would-which is a lot already!  Her ingredients are very specific, and sometimes hard to find.  She lays out both a vegetarian and non-vegetarian 25-day meal plan to be followed by a 5-day cleanse at the end that consists of mainly juices and purees (think baby foods!).  I really loved the specific instructions and recipes-and most were truly yummy, however I was a breastfeeding mama at the time, and the calorie limits weren't working for me.  I had to incorporate some more calories, and due to budget/time constraints, had to substitute ingredients sometimes.  Ultimately, though, if you basically follow her guidelines and start to get a feel of what she encourages and what she doesn't, you'll start getting used to eating cleaner and healthier, which is a great thing in itself.  And if you DO choose to be gung-ho and follow this exactly (pre-wedding, perhaps??), I have NO DOUBT you'll shed the pounds tremendously and get that energy way up!

As I mentioned, she has expanded her product line dramatically since these have been out, all the while researching more, and coming up with more specific plans for certain body types.  Her latest DVD's are the Metamorphosis, Metamorphosis Continuity enrollment, and she also now has a Performance Shake to drink.  These are all dramatically pricier than the original DVD's I mentioned in detail, but they also offer a lot more, and I have no doubt that they would do wonders for your body if you put in the time.  I recommend trying the DVD's and book mentioned first to get a feel for her method, but if you have the funds-go for the goods!!  I hope to in the future:)  I am anxious to revisit her 30-day method again... I will probably do the floor exercises and some recipes for sure.  For those expecting a little one, I'd recommend subbing the dancing for walking or an indoor machine to monitor your heart rate (keep under 140), doing all floor exercises but the abs, and staying away from her tuna recipes.  Otherwise, I think it's a great tool for everyone... As always, thanks so much for reading-it's been too long!  Stay Chic, Stay Healthy;)