We’re a fun group at HCC, no doubt. If you follow us on Twitter you know that we often get together for a lot of activities like laser tag and basketball but more often our Outlook calendars include items like “Champagne Toast,” “Pot Luck,” and “Shamrock Shakes” and twice weekly we get emails with the subject “Cookies in the Large Kitchen.”
It’s a hard place to work. :)
We strive to be fun but we also want to be healthy. While many of us go to the gym daily (cough cough..me) many of us don’t. We’re all big readers, sure, but how many calories do you burn reading Franzen? (ok, maybe a lot). So when we knew Tommy Europe had a book coming out we thought, “what better way to promote the book then by taking the challenge ourselves?”
Bad idea.
After participating in a Tommy bootcamp in January I can tell you honestly, this stuff works. The adrenaline high after each workout is well worth the pain. The results are well worth the dedication and now 15 of my co-workers are going to take the challenge to get fit (or MORE fit) in just 30 days. Won’t you join them?
The HarperCollins Canada Bikini contest is not far away after all…
-Cory
Follow me on Twitter @corybeatty
Meet the teams…
Team Unicorns
(It’s possible some of us have revisited Sweet Valley High recently)
We’re not big talkers (cough, cough Jason) or fitness fanatics (looking at you, Meghan), but we know we’ll be in the challenge to the bitter victorious end… mainly because our team includes The 10-Pound Shred’s sales director, editor, publicist and marketing coordinator and we’d answer to Tommy directly if we fall off the fitness wagon.
Meet the Unicorns:
Michael: I joined the challenge to try and get motivated for spring. I’m looking to improve my cardio, lose some weight, and increase my vertical jump (for basketball). Specific Goals: lose 10 pounds; increase vertical jump by three inches.
Kate: I’m participating because I’d like to boost my energy and my strength. I know the workout pretty well from editing the book, and I know it’s going to push me to my limits—in a good way. Specific Goals: lose five inches; do three sets of ten proper push-ups without fainting or barfing.
Laura (the captain): Mainly I want to fit into the jeans I wore when I started at HarperCollins a mere 6 months ago. I’d also like to stay in them, so I’m looking for the Tommy Europe Challenge to help me kick-start a healthier lifestyle… one that includes less granola (it’s a real addiction for me!). Specific Goals: lose 10 pounds; hold a 4-minute plank.
Jessica: I’m participating because I’m a joiner, a sucker for peer pressure, and want to feel a bit more fit and a bit lighter. Plus, I want to get into a proper routine of working out, not just lugging my gym back to the office with me with hopes of going! Specific Goals: lose 10 pounds; do two sets of ten push-ups.
Team “Not Shredding”
I’m cal
ling us Team “Not Shredding” because we’re not aiming on losing ten pounds – in fact, one of us is aiming to gain a couple instead! But we’ve caught the Tommy Europe Fever and have been inspired by Tommy and his book to make some fitness goals of our own (and to prove that The 10-Pound Shred is really for everybody!).
Meet Team Not Shredding:
Meghan (the captain): I’m doing the Tommy Europe challenge to help shake up my work-out routine. My biggest stumbling block right now is that I’m doing too much of the same thing – which is spinning, spinning, and more spinning. My goal for the challenge is twofold. First, I’d like to make the commitment to work out four days a week. Second, I’d like to have one of those workouts each week be something completely different than I normally do. I love The 10-Pound Shred because it’s filled with exercises that are new to me, so this is a great opportunity for me to get off the bike and try something different! Goal: Change it up!
Justin: I’m joining the Tommy Europe challenge because Yoga feels kind of girly. I know I’m going to get a lot of flak for that statement but I was a rough-and-tumble kid who played a lot sports so Yoga is not exactly compatible with my personality. My goal is not to lose weight (if I lost weight I’d disappear) but to get into a good groove and feel healthy again. Office work has made this goal difficult so I’m hoping that by sticking to Tommy’s routine, I might become the tank I was last year. Actually, I was probably more like a Prius but whatever. Goal: Gain a few pounds and increase flexibility.
Team Shake Weight
Meet Team
Shake Weight:
Carolyn: You don’t need a goal of losing 10 pounds to follow Tommy’s plan. In fact, I’ve renamed this challenge The Lazy Shred. My goal is to use Tommy’s guide to get off my butt and get moving. The back copy of 10-Pound Shred sums up my goals to a tee: Feel lighter, be stronger, have more energy and fit effortlessly into that pair of jeans.
Brad (under Tommy’s right foot): I like to think I’m an active, healthy person, just very uneducated. I go to the gym 3-4 times a week and just bounce around lifting things at random. I’m excited for Tommy to teach me some efficient routines and exercises I can use beyond the 30 day shred.
Jennifer (giddy in the middle): With a young child at home, it’s hard to find the time and energy for exercise. I miss it! I know Tommy Europe is going to motivate me and inspire me to get out there with fun and challenging routines that I can fit into my schedule.
Jason (the team captain, struggling under Tommy’s left foot): I think I’m in decent shape; I play hockey, basketball, volleyball, and soccer. But, I could stand to improve myself some more as well. What I really want out of this is to improve my diet and balance out my exercises and if anyone can help me with this, Tommy Europe can! Bring it on!
Team Charidy
I don’t know how it happened (perhaps it’s my intrinsic leadership qualities shining through – she said sarcastically), but I’ve somehow managed to be leading the largest group in the HCC Tommy Europe Challenge. And among the 6 of us, we have a wide berth when it comes to our goals.
Meet Team Charidy:
My team members are: Shannon, Melissa, Rosalyn, Brad, Rob, and me, Charidy (@charidy). Some of us simply want to lose weight – Rob, Brad, Rosalyn and I all want to lose 10-15 pounds. Some of us are looking forward to increasing our strength – Rosalyn, Shannon and I both want to be able to do 10 “REAL non-girlie” push-ups. Melissa wants to do the push-ups AND hold the dreaded plank for 3 minutes.
But mostly, we all want this challenge to help kick our butts into gear by working out every day. We’re a pretty fit team already: Melissa’s a dancer, Shannon and I have sweat through MANY a spin class together, Rosalyn’s a Goodlife class fanatic, Brad’s an enthusiastic cyclist and Rob’s a tennis fiend…but we all feel that we could take our fitness levels up a notch. Or 3.
So here starts week 1 for Team Charidy. We aim for aches and strive for sweat.
Well, what do you think? Want to do the challenge with us? (C’mon, it’ll be FUN!) Let us know in the comments, follow along on twitter #10lbShred, and start reading The 10-Pound Shred today.
