The MUTU System Program Review

March 5, 2018 by Leave a Comment

This is not a sponsored review. I purchased the MUTU System Program with my own money and have not been compensated for this post. I highly recommend this program and because I loved it so much I became an affiliate. This means that if you purchase this product from my links I will earn a small commission  Thank you for helping to support this blog and our family.

Several weeks ago my kids asked me to come and jump on the trampoline with them in the backyard. This is something I do occasionally and actually enjoy doing. On this beautiful Arizona breezy afternoon I was showing my kids a few of my cool moves, in reality I was only jumping and attempting to do the splits in the air, when I landed I realized that my pants were slightly damp. Not really thinking anything of it I continued to bounce with childlike abandon and as I did my bladder continued to slowly release itself. I knew then it was time to call it quits when my son asked what had happened to my grey leggings and quickly climbed down the ladder of the trampoline to go inside and change my pants.

And that moment is when I realized that while I had been exercising since giving birth to baby #3 I had also slacked off in recent months on focusing on training my core and pelvic floor muscles. I knew it was time to log back into my MUTU account and refocus my training on these muscle groups. Since I have had success in the past with the MUTU System program I was confident that I could cure my weak and leaky bladder and be able to bounce confidently on the trampoline with my kids again.

When I had originally purchased the program I had bought the online version which gave me access to any future updates. To my surprise the MUTU team had been hard at work creating and updating their already great program. I will go into more detail about the new program below but just know it is awesome and an amazing resource for women wanting to heal their core and pelvic floor.

In case you aren’t familiar with MUTU System here is a a brief look at how I discovered this gem of program and why you should look into too.

CAN I HAVE A FLAT TUMMY AFTER HAVING A BABY? OR AFTER 3 KIDS?

When I was nearing the end of my second pregnancy I started to research how I wanted to strengthen and allow my body to heal after childbirth. I knew going into my second pregnancy that my core just wasn’t the same as at had been since the birth of my first child. Planks in particular really caused me to struggle. I couldn’t figure out why I had this annoying cone shaped bulge in the middle of my torso whenever I would engage my core in planks. It was annoying, especially being a personal trainer and teaching group exercise classes. I wanted answers as to why this was happening and what I could do to stop it.

You can read more about my first experience with MUTU System HERE. But what I learned via MUTU was that I could have a flat tummy again even after 3 kids but only if I retrained my muscles that correct way. Crunches, sit-ups, and various other abdominal exercises weren’t going to give me my flat tummy back because these exercises put increased internal pressure on the abdominal wall. They will never allow you to achieve the tummy you want. No mom wants to have low back pain, an unstable core, a tummy that sticks out, and a pelvic floor that doesn’t work properly. Instead you must focus on adjusting your body’s alignment and stretch and strengthen your muscles to get a strong functioning core and pelvic floor. Enter the MUTU System 12 Week Online Program.

THE PROGRAM

The program contains step-by-step instructions and 20 minute-or-less workouts over 12 easy-to-follow Modules. Plus it’s online so you can watch from home on your computer or TV as well as download to your tablet or smartphone.

MUTU is for women with Diastasis Recti, given birth (both vaginally and via c-section), who’s kids aren’t babies anymore, accidental leakage (like myself), wanting to have a flatter stomach, lose weight, and even for pregnant women.

Every day you perform the 10 minute core training and at least 3 times a week there is a 20 minute workout. Easy peasy. The newly updated version does not use weights like the pervious program did. To be honest I wasn’t sure I how felt about there being no weighted exercises but after doing each workout and core training I can tell you I love the new updated program!

The other great thing about the update is the MUTU Connect community hub in the online portal. There is a dedicated MUTU team member available to help you answer any question you have or direct you to a person who can. After doing the program for two weeks I was a little surprised that there wasn’t more spoken instruction on the workout videos. Being a personal trainer I felt I needed more guidance especially with breathing cues. I went to the hub to write a suggestion to the MUTU team when I saw this…

That message was from Wendy Powell the MUTU program creator. MUTU takes your suggestions seriously and wants to make the program better for you!

THE RESULTS (AFTER 4 WEEKS)

Drumroll please….

Well before I share my before and after let me tell you what I did. I have currently not completed the program in its entirety as designed. But I have done each individual core training and workout intensive. The first week I did CORE 1 everyday and Intensive 1 four days, the second week I did CORE 2 everyday and Intensive 2 four days, and preceded in the same fashion for weeks 3 and 4.

So after 4 weeks here are my before and after images.

My pants also fit better and my size 6 jeans are starting to slip to the point I need to think about investing in a new size. Plus I just feel better. I am taking care of myself and focusing on making sure my insides are healed.

Oh and about the trampoline…I hadn’t bounced for the four weeks I was MUTUing (can I make this a verb?) and wanted to recheck to see if there was any improvement with my bladder leakage. I can safely say that if you want to come over to my house and bounce on the trampoline with me I won’t pee on you now.

GET STARTED TODAY & 15% DISCOUNT CODE

Ready to purchase the online program? The 12 week online program cost is $147. Use use my 15% off discount code: tamara15 for extra savings! Click HERE to get started today!

Go and checkout the MUTU System and use the discount code tamara15 to save on your order.

DISCLAIMER: The information provided on The Workout Mama is for educational purposes only. It is not intended to prescribe, diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. It is your responsibility to educate yourself and address any health or medical needs you may have with your physician. Please seek professional help when needed.

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Filed Under: Fitness, Health, Nutrition, Postpartum, Pregnancy, Products Tagged With: , , , ,

Burn Boot Camp Review

November 8, 2017 by 2 Comments

I recently discovered there is a Burn Boot Camp 10 minutes away from my house. I might have even squealed a little bit as I drove by and noticed the sign on the building. When you have taught group fitness classes and are also a personal trainer/nutrition coach this is what gets you giddy. I immediately came home, went online, and discovered they were offering a 30 day Groupon for $33. With the Groupon purchased I made plans to redeem my voucher the following week.

Burn Boot Camp had been on my radar for years thanks to Julie from Peanut Butter Fingers and also friends in Tennessee who are members. The location that is so close to my house opened last year and once I started my Groupon discovered that several of my friends are members. I am pretty sure this never came up in conversation because I had just had my third baby and exercising was the furthest thing from my mind.

I am on the last days of my Groupon and ready to give my honest review on Burn Boot Camp.

THE WORKOUTS

Burn Boot Camp is a fun and friendly community style gym that offers multiple camp times throughout the week! No workout is ever the same and all fitness levels will easily feel welcomed and encouraged. To give you an idea on what times the classes are held here is the schedule for the Burn Boot Camp I attended in Gilbert, AZ during the duration of my Groupon.

Monday-Friday: 5am, 5:30am, 6:15am, 8:30am, 9:30am, 4:15pm, 5:30pm (COED), 6:15pm (COED)

Saturday: 7am, 8am (COED), 9am (COED)

The majority of the camps are female only but they do offer several class times that are open to men as well. All classes are 45 minutes long except for 5am which is 30 minutes.

Each week the workout schedule rotates so that you are always surprised and challenged. For example here is what two different weeks looked like during my Groupon.

The workouts are either focusing on specific muscle groups or style of workout and paired with one of the numerous protocols or formats that Burn Boot Camp uses. For example, let’s say you show up and it is leg day. The protocol could be anything from a partner workout to self-paced, timed or rep-based, and either circuit, dropset, HITT, or tabata. There is always a warm-up before and finisher after your workout.

Here are a two of the workouts that I have done over the last 30 days. The first workout shown is a Cardio/Speed/Agility Protocol and was self paced. The next one is a Deadlift/Pull-up/Burpee Dropset Workout that was partner based and we rotated through each set until we had both finished before moving on to the next exercise.

WHAT MAKES BURN BOOT CAMP UNIQUE

Community is a huge part of what makes Burn unique. High fives are encouraged during the workout as you are sweating next to your neighbor. I really love the gym rules that are posted on the walls.

Focus Meetings entail you and a trainer sitting down talking about your goals and nutrition. These 15 minute meetings can be scheduled weekly with one of the trainers . I am not really sure how in detail the focus meetings get because I only had two and I am already very mindful of they types of food I put into my body. I think it is a great addition to their membership but can’t speak on the specifics of this feature. At each focus meeting I was weighed and my BMI and measurements were taken. In case you are curious, over the course of the 30 days my weight stayed the same but my BMI went down slightly.

They sell their own brand of protein, which I do not use, but have sampled their energy balls which were amazing! For reference in case you are curious I use this, this, and this brand. Even my kids liked them! The trainers provide the recipes on a white board for members and also post on Instagram and Facebook.

Speaking of the kids, Burn Boot Camp does include childcare with it’s membership. Childcare is only offered for specific classes and you do not need to sign up your child in advance. The childcare room is a separate space off the main workout area. I didn’t get any pictures but it was clean, the environment was safe, and there were plenty of toys. My kids came with me several times and didn’t complain at all. They also knew several of the other kids in the childcare room so that helped.

There are a few things that make Burn Boot Camp special in my opinion. The floor. I know this seems like a weird thing to like but Burn Boot Camp has a floating floor made up of 4 ¼ inches of foam. I really did feel that the floor made a huge difference on how much impact my joints were taking on during the more higher intensity exercise. They also do an amazing job at building a positive and encouraging community. Even a newbie to exercising would feel welcome here! The staff does a phenomenal job encouraging and motivating during the workouts and praising you for your efforts. The variety of workouts and equipment makes coming here fun and the 45 minutes are over before you know it. It would be hard to become bored here.

MY THOUGHTS FROM A PERSONAL TRAINERS PERSPECTIVE

As a personal trainer there are just a few things that I want to provide as constructive feedback and also what to be mindful of if you are thinking about trying out Burn Boot Camp. Having had three babies I would personally not recommend trying out Burn until you are 6 months postpartum. Here is one of the core conditioning workouts that I did.

Exercises like the ones shown above will create more internal pressure on your abdominal wall which can cause you to still look pregnant even months or years after given birth. I would recommend making sure that you are fully healed before resuming any exercise program. Abdominal separation can be reduced regardless of how long it has been since you have given birth. You can read my review on the program I used HERE.

During the course of my 30 days they started a FREE month long transformation program to celebrate new ownership, which is awesome! I love when gym’s do this! The class size went from 5-10 to upwards of 25. Again this is great! The only problem I noticed was sometimes the class size was larger then what was conducive to how the warm up, workout, or finisher was designed. In the scheme of things this is not a big deal just something I know I had to take into consideration when teaching larger size classes.

This last one is totally my own preference. I have the TRX Suspension Trainer certification and while the suspension trainers at Burn are made by a different company the height they are mounted at feels so off to me. The floating floor shortens the distance from where the suspension trainer is mounted to your feet and doesn’t put your body in a position that allows for a natural progression of the exercises to be made easier or more challenging. I observed so many girls doing the suspension trainer exercises incorrectly. It took everything within me not to want to go and make suggestions on how to correct.

HOW TO TRY BURN BOOT CAMP AND MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION

Overall I had a very positive experience at the Gilbert Burn Boot Camp and would recommend it if you are looking for motivation and a variety of workouts. I would not recommend if you are in the last trimester of pregnancy or are not at least 6 months postpartum. Be sure to speak up and ask for modifications if you need them because they will be given. With a larger size camp it might be hard for the trainer to spot you right away if an exercise isn’t working for your body so be sure to call them over.

If you are interested in trying Burn Boot Camp here are several ways to get started inexpensively. Right now you can sign up for 30 days for $30. Which is an amazing deal! I am not sure how much longer that deal will be going on so you may want to act fast! If you are a new client there is a FREE 14 day trial that is always available and the childcare is included in the trial. Or you could go the route I did and sign up for the Groupon.

There is a 6 month, 12 month, or 18 month option when signing up for a membership contract. The price ranges from $145 to $125 a month depending on the length of your contract. The longer your contract the less you pay monthly. Burn Boot Camp offers FREE Saturday Camps at 8am and 9am every week and also has a $15 drop in if you want to catch a class once your trial is over. If you have a membership you can go to any Burn Boot Camp nationwide.

There is currently a Burn Boot Camp in Gilbert with locations coming soon in South Chandler and Surprise, AZ. Thanks for reading! Have you ever tried Burn Boot Camp?

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Filed Under: Fitness, Health, Workouts Tagged With: , ,

EverlyWell Breast Milk DHA Test Review

June 5, 2017 by Leave a Comment

I recently had the opportunity to check the levels of DHA in my breast milk from the comfort of my own home. I am sharing my experience using the EverlyWell Breast Milk DHA test kit. Technology is seriously amazing and I think it is great that there are health and wellness tests like this available.

This post was sponsored by EverlyWell through my partnership with Fit Approach. With that said, all opinions and test results are my own. #BeEverlyWell #WhyIBreastFeed

WHAT IS DHA?

You might be wondering why anyone would care to check the levels of DHA in their breast milk in the first place. DHA is an omega fatty acid that aids in the brain and nervous system development of children and is crucial in the first years of your child’s life. It is estimated that 75% of Americans are deficient in DHA. 

DHA is not only crucial for your baby but it is also important for you! DHA stands for docosahexaenoic acid and is commonly referred to as omega-3. DHA along with EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) promote a healthy immune response that are behind the relief of many chronic conditions but is too often inhibited by poor nutrition.

THE BENEFITS OF OMEGA-3S

  • Supports heart function
  • Promotes positive mood and well being
  • Maintains fluid and flexible eye cells and tissue
  • Promotes joint mobility and flexibility
  • Nourishes skin, hair, and nails
  • Protects against free radicals
  • Supports the immune system

Despite the great health benefits of omegas, individuals around the world suffer from omega–3 deficiency and one that is counted as the 8th leading cause of preventable death in the US, among dietary, lifestyle, and metabolic risk factors.1 Americans have the lowest intake of omega-3 essential fatty acids of any developed country.

RISKS OF CONSUMING TOO LITTLE OMEGA-3S

  • Inflammation (sometimes severe)
  • Higher risk for heart disease and high cholesterol
  • Digestive disorders
  • Allergies
  • Arthritis
  • Joint and muscle pain
  • Mental disorders like depression
  • Poor brain development
  • Cognitive decline

TAKING THE EVERLYWELL BREAST MILK DHA TEST

This test is simple and can be done at home! The results are emailed to you and you can share them with your doctor. The kit arrived in my mailbox within three days of ordering it online and the directions were very easy to follow.

The breast milk sample needed to be taken in the morning and before any supplementation of DHA was consumed. I am currently taking this Ultimate Omega from Nordic Natural daily and made sure to wait to take my supplements until after I collected the sample.

Sample collection was very easy and required only a drop or two of breast milk on the test paper. I was then able to package everything back inside the box that was shipped to me and easily applied the included shipping label on the package. Super easy.

Once it was mailed back I received an email that let me know my sample had been received and I could expect my results in 5 days.

THE RESULTS

5 days later I had an email waiting for me in my inbox letting me know that my results were ready. It really doesn’t get any easier.

The website is easy to navigate and the results were presented in a clear and concise way. I appreciated how I could track the entire status of my order from when it shipped to when my results were ready.

I learned that my DHA levels are above average and in the optimal range. This means that what I am doing I need to keep doing. In addition to supplementing with omega-3s here are 3 things I consume weekly with high amounts of DHA:

  • Chia Seeds: 2,457 milligrams in 1 tablespoon (61 percent DV)
  • Flaxseeds (ground): 1,597 milligrams in 1 tablespoon (39 percent DV)
  • Sardines: 1,363 milligrams in 1 can/3.75 ounces (34 percent DV)

I am thankful to have had the ability to breastfed all three of my babies. It was a pleasure to write this review and I am thankful for the opportunity. It is nice knowing that what I am feeding myself is also nourishing my six month old. Recommended Reading: My Breastfeeding Story (Caden), Pumping, Dumping, Freezing Breast Milk and Bottle Feeding, and Jesse’s Birth Story.

I am seriously amazed at how God made our bodies! Being able to breastfeed my babies has been such a gift. And just for fun here are some interesting facts about breastfeeding. Breastfeeding helps mama heal faster in the postpartum. The hormones released when you breastfeed make your uterus contract back to its pre-pregnancy size. Also, in case you were curious, the more babies you have had the stronger your uterus will contract during those first few days of breastfeeding your newborn. You’re probably a righty. The majority of moms (75%) produce more milk in their right breast, whether they are right or left handed.

EverlyWell is the exclusive provider of this test directly to consumers in the United States. Visit EverlyWell to get your own kit and use code: WOM15 for 15% off your order. (Code only good for Breast Milk DHA Kit)

PS…EverlyWell offers a wide range of home health tests ranging from food sensitivity, male and female hormone, metabolism, fertility, vitamin d, and more!

1Danaei G, et al. The Preventable Causes of Death in the United States: Comparative Risk Assessment of Dietary, Lifestyle, and Metabolic Risk Factors. PLoS Med 2009;6(4)

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Filed Under: After Baby, Health, Postpartum Tagged With: , , ,
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