Last day of 2011...
I slept in until 8:30 and then went for a 5 mile run. It was my second day of 5+ miles (which I never do), so my body is not happy with me right now. Shocker. We're on vacation so I just have to do what I have to do in terms of activity.
Its been nice to have a few days away from the normal routine and craziness of life, but at the same time I find comfort in structure and like to feel productive. Needless to say, there is little productivity going on with 3 couples under the age of 30 staying at a beach house for 4 days. This is like college...minus the frat parties and walk of shame. We're having a great time and gearing up for tonight's festivities. Yes, I will probably have to take a nap just so I can make it to midnight.
As far as New Years resolutions go I haven't really made one yet,...ha...way to plan Meredith. What are some of your resolutions??
Ok, game time. Here we come 2012!! Enjoy the last day of 2011...
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Counting down...
Tuesday?...Wednesday?...my days are completely screwed up and honestly it feels like one long Monday. I am pretty exhausted and looking forward to our New Years festivities with friends. Although, I do find it ironic that we often spend the first day of the year with a hangover and convinced our heads will explode at any moment. Right,...nothing says Happy New Year like a hurting liver...
Workout today was good even though I wasn't totally all there. I felt a little distracted...I hate that feeling. Anyway, it was leg day. I switched up my leg press today and went on the assisted pull-up machine instead. The only problem was that I had to get death-grip on the thing to keep from shooting in the air every time my knee came up. It was a good change,...more glutes involved...and will probably feel it tomorrow during my sprints.
I measured my quads the other day because I could have sworn they looked bigger. But its the winter-and-everything-looks-bigger-when-pale phenomenon. Not having a tan is about as fun as mono. I don't enjoy it, and I'm sure that everyone who has to look at me doesn't enjoy it either. Some people have beautiful fare skin....I'm not friends with you people during the winter because I just look like I have pneumonia. My point was that my quads have not grown and I was just having "a moment." Sigh of relief...
Tomorrow is back and core and then cardio until Monday...next week I am starting my strength phase, creatine cycle until the end of February. That's the plan if I am doing the June 20th show. Dieting will start February 18th. That day will be here before I know it. Brace yourself...
Ok, time for bed...night!!
Workout today was good even though I wasn't totally all there. I felt a little distracted...I hate that feeling. Anyway, it was leg day. I switched up my leg press today and went on the assisted pull-up machine instead. The only problem was that I had to get death-grip on the thing to keep from shooting in the air every time my knee came up. It was a good change,...more glutes involved...and will probably feel it tomorrow during my sprints.
I measured my quads the other day because I could have sworn they looked bigger. But its the winter-and-everything-looks-bigger-when-pale phenomenon. Not having a tan is about as fun as mono. I don't enjoy it, and I'm sure that everyone who has to look at me doesn't enjoy it either. Some people have beautiful fare skin....I'm not friends with you people during the winter because I just look like I have pneumonia. My point was that my quads have not grown and I was just having "a moment." Sigh of relief...
Tomorrow is back and core and then cardio until Monday...next week I am starting my strength phase, creatine cycle until the end of February. That's the plan if I am doing the June 20th show. Dieting will start February 18th. That day will be here before I know it. Brace yourself...
Ok, time for bed...night!!
Monday, December 26, 2011
Jingled-out...
Its the morning after Christmas and I feel like the holiday train ran me over.
I actually had to set my alarm to wake up at 7:30...haven't done that in a long time. Yesterday was jam-packed with events, eating, opening gifts, repeat. After 13 hours of family I was certain of 2 things...1) The song "It's the Most Wonderful Time of The Year" holds way too much irony, and 2) Therapy is a wise investment. We have a close family and honestly function fairly well together, but 13 hours is 13 hours. Its the extreme opposite of solitary confinement and yet both might make you lose your mind. And actually, our holiday began the night before with a church service and then Christmas with my father-in-law's side of the family.
The church service was great, especially when my husband's family was gathered around the communion table at the front of the church passing around the bread, and I dropped mine on the floor. For the record, the 5 second rule does not apply to the body of Christ. Ryan bumped me, I drop it, my brother-in-law starts laughing, I start laughing,...and we basically managed to ruin any seriousness expected in that moment. It reminded me of my older brother, who, no matter the event, would start laughing at the most inappropriate time possible. Prime example....My mother's aunt passed away a few years ago and we all traveled to the funeral to support my mom. My brother, his wife, me, and a few other distant family members were piled in a pew like sardines. Next thing I know my brother has his head down and is laughing. What is wrong with my family? His shoulders are shaking, which causes mine to shake, and it was a domino effect. It finally got so bad that he had to get up and walk to the back of the church with the screaming babies. There he was, 27 years old...standing at the back of the church with upset babies....not because he was crying...but because he was laughing.
Another moment when my mom probably contemplated beating us.
Anyway, Christmas was great and I absolutely loved watching my niece rip into her gifts. Even though she's young, she quickly new that the huge pile of presents was hers.
One of the highlight gifts was this hat that my younger brother Jordan gave my mom. The obnoxious thing had a button on the side to turn it on and it played music, lit up, and moved back and forth on the top. It was ridiculous and perfect for my mom. She is nuts. Happy and nuts. From the moment everyone walked in, she took this salt shaker bottle filled with bells and was "sprinkling" it over everyone's head saying it was "jingle seasoning." Yes, this is the gene pool I come from. I mean, look at this woman...THIS is the epitome of happy on Christmas:
2nd best gift....as you know my grandpa passed away in May, and well ever since then his stuff has been sorted through, distributed, or sold. Well, except for a few things....
He always wore cut off shorts and a Hawaiian shirt...time of year was irrelevant. So, my parents wrapped up 2 of his classic "outfits" and gave them to my brothers...it was great. The only rule was that you couldn't wear underwear or shoes. Papa never did. So that was the rule.
Ah yes, what a memorable day.
We laughed, cried, ate like we haven't seen food before, opened gifts, and thanked God for so many blessings. It was awesome.
Whew, today will be filled with cleaning, preparing meals for the week, and a chest workout. I've got to "detox" a little bit from all the sugar yesterday. My pancreas is twitching. Actually looking forward to some plain food today.
Ok, that's it for now...hope your Christmas was a blessing and entertaining to say the least :)
Merry Christmas from the Falcon house!
I actually had to set my alarm to wake up at 7:30...haven't done that in a long time. Yesterday was jam-packed with events, eating, opening gifts, repeat. After 13 hours of family I was certain of 2 things...1) The song "It's the Most Wonderful Time of The Year" holds way too much irony, and 2) Therapy is a wise investment. We have a close family and honestly function fairly well together, but 13 hours is 13 hours. Its the extreme opposite of solitary confinement and yet both might make you lose your mind. And actually, our holiday began the night before with a church service and then Christmas with my father-in-law's side of the family.
The church service was great, especially when my husband's family was gathered around the communion table at the front of the church passing around the bread, and I dropped mine on the floor. For the record, the 5 second rule does not apply to the body of Christ. Ryan bumped me, I drop it, my brother-in-law starts laughing, I start laughing,...and we basically managed to ruin any seriousness expected in that moment. It reminded me of my older brother, who, no matter the event, would start laughing at the most inappropriate time possible. Prime example....My mother's aunt passed away a few years ago and we all traveled to the funeral to support my mom. My brother, his wife, me, and a few other distant family members were piled in a pew like sardines. Next thing I know my brother has his head down and is laughing. What is wrong with my family? His shoulders are shaking, which causes mine to shake, and it was a domino effect. It finally got so bad that he had to get up and walk to the back of the church with the screaming babies. There he was, 27 years old...standing at the back of the church with upset babies....not because he was crying...but because he was laughing.
Another moment when my mom probably contemplated beating us.
Anyway, Christmas was great and I absolutely loved watching my niece rip into her gifts. Even though she's young, she quickly new that the huge pile of presents was hers.
He always wore cut off shorts and a Hawaiian shirt...time of year was irrelevant. So, my parents wrapped up 2 of his classic "outfits" and gave them to my brothers...it was great. The only rule was that you couldn't wear underwear or shoes. Papa never did. So that was the rule.
We laughed, cried, ate like we haven't seen food before, opened gifts, and thanked God for so many blessings. It was awesome.
Whew, today will be filled with cleaning, preparing meals for the week, and a chest workout. I've got to "detox" a little bit from all the sugar yesterday. My pancreas is twitching. Actually looking forward to some plain food today.
Ok, that's it for now...hope your Christmas was a blessing and entertaining to say the least :)
Merry Christmas from the Falcon house!
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Baggy like I like it
Tonight, I laugh to keep from crying...or throwing a very large breakable object at the wall. Yes, one of those days.
I say that, but in the big scheme of things it was not horrible by any means...just no down time. There is certainly something to be said for a few quiet moments everyday. The only quiet time I got today was in the bathroom, which, should have been sufficient considering I go more than a pregnant woman with a UTI,...but it wasn't. Mentally, I was operating in 5th gear all day...my God, its still going. I just had a conversation with my cat asking how his day was...like he is going to answer. Truth is, his response would make me angry. "I ate...slept...licked myself...slept...ate..." Ah, worthless animal. Five bucks says I'm cleaning up vomit tomorrow just because I said that.
Aside from a typical hump day, I had a great leg workout. Kelsey was in there for the beginning of it, so it was great to catch up and laugh while I pushed....literally. I did 4 sets of 10-12 on everything. Squats were brutal since I did them after leg press, but I was pleased with 175 the whole time. Since I'm not on a strength phase, I'll take that weight for now. In about 8 weeks though, that's not going to cut it. I finished with some core work and then waddled my way to the shower.
I ran into one of my friends the other day who also competes. We had a great conversation about the year and various shows in the area. But what stood out to me the most was how we both struggle sometimes during the "off" season. Mentally, you just have to brace yourself because you put on some size, you're carrying a little more fat, your pale as a ghost, and honestly feel big as a barn sometimes. Its hard. You just have to keep reminding yourself that its necessary to be stage-ready in a few months...its the only way to get through it without hurting someone. Unfortunately, she rebounded pretty bad after her last show. It happens to competitors if they're not careful to reverse-diet and let their bodies adjust. She'd dieted hard for over 3 months and after her show just wanted to EAT. So she did...and continued to without gradually increasing calories. She regrets it, and I understand why. Her show was early November and she's already up 15+ pounds. Hard lesson to learn, but its happened to many and you pick up and move on.
Speaking of, I had a client ask me today if I've lost weight...HA...I asked him if he was blind. Definitely not. I told him it was because for the first time in 2011 I was not wearing spandex. Partly true.
Well, I can't believe this, but I've got about an hour before bed to do what I want. Woohoo! Honestly, I don't even want to move. I want to sit here and type until I get carpol tunnel. Eh,...I've got Christmas gifts to wrap and other things to take care of before Thursday calls my name.
Have a great night!
I say that, but in the big scheme of things it was not horrible by any means...just no down time. There is certainly something to be said for a few quiet moments everyday. The only quiet time I got today was in the bathroom, which, should have been sufficient considering I go more than a pregnant woman with a UTI,...but it wasn't. Mentally, I was operating in 5th gear all day...my God, its still going. I just had a conversation with my cat asking how his day was...like he is going to answer. Truth is, his response would make me angry. "I ate...slept...licked myself...slept...ate..." Ah, worthless animal. Five bucks says I'm cleaning up vomit tomorrow just because I said that.
Aside from a typical hump day, I had a great leg workout. Kelsey was in there for the beginning of it, so it was great to catch up and laugh while I pushed....literally. I did 4 sets of 10-12 on everything. Squats were brutal since I did them after leg press, but I was pleased with 175 the whole time. Since I'm not on a strength phase, I'll take that weight for now. In about 8 weeks though, that's not going to cut it. I finished with some core work and then waddled my way to the shower.
I ran into one of my friends the other day who also competes. We had a great conversation about the year and various shows in the area. But what stood out to me the most was how we both struggle sometimes during the "off" season. Mentally, you just have to brace yourself because you put on some size, you're carrying a little more fat, your pale as a ghost, and honestly feel big as a barn sometimes. Its hard. You just have to keep reminding yourself that its necessary to be stage-ready in a few months...its the only way to get through it without hurting someone. Unfortunately, she rebounded pretty bad after her last show. It happens to competitors if they're not careful to reverse-diet and let their bodies adjust. She'd dieted hard for over 3 months and after her show just wanted to EAT. So she did...and continued to without gradually increasing calories. She regrets it, and I understand why. Her show was early November and she's already up 15+ pounds. Hard lesson to learn, but its happened to many and you pick up and move on.
Speaking of, I had a client ask me today if I've lost weight...HA...I asked him if he was blind. Definitely not. I told him it was because for the first time in 2011 I was not wearing spandex. Partly true.
Well, I can't believe this, but I've got about an hour before bed to do what I want. Woohoo! Honestly, I don't even want to move. I want to sit here and type until I get carpol tunnel. Eh,...I've got Christmas gifts to wrap and other things to take care of before Thursday calls my name.
Have a great night!
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Staggering Start
Tuesday kicked me in the face.
I was in my coma-like sleep when the alarm went off and I literally fell out of bed and headed to the bathroom to slap on my war paint and get started with my day. My eyes were bloodshot, eyelids were droopy (which should never happen at 28 years old by the way), and my right forearm kept going numb while applying eye shadow. What a positive image, right?!...ha...here we go...
The morning was just one thing into the next. Busy, but good to see college kids back in town. Zimm is back (woohoo) and offering some good energy to the gym...even though I give him and Brian crap for talking in 3rd person like they're in some dramatic Matrix-like movie. Entertaining to watch, even though sometimes I wonder if they even know what they're saying. ;)
Workout today was good. My chest is extremely sore from yesterday, so hitting shoulders hard today was a trip in itself. My mind was a little distracted, but about 20 minutes in I was good to go. Some days you just have to let your body lead. Turn the mind off from everything else, and JUST MOVE. Today was one of those days. I finished with sprints and now have a shooting pain in my rear and is extremely uncomfortable. I can honestly feel it every single step I take with my left foot. Tomorrow I'll have to do some much needed stretching and get on that foam roller like a handy snack and have at it...
Does anyone know what I just said?....Me neither...
I received over 3 pounds in coffee today as Christmas gifts. Fabulous. I will be caffeine drunk until Easter.
Ok, time for bed...I've got other stuff I need to cover, but right now I can hardly think straight and its almost 9:30. My body hates me. Night night.
I was in my coma-like sleep when the alarm went off and I literally fell out of bed and headed to the bathroom to slap on my war paint and get started with my day. My eyes were bloodshot, eyelids were droopy (which should never happen at 28 years old by the way), and my right forearm kept going numb while applying eye shadow. What a positive image, right?!...ha...here we go...
The morning was just one thing into the next. Busy, but good to see college kids back in town. Zimm is back (woohoo) and offering some good energy to the gym...even though I give him and Brian crap for talking in 3rd person like they're in some dramatic Matrix-like movie. Entertaining to watch, even though sometimes I wonder if they even know what they're saying. ;)
Workout today was good. My chest is extremely sore from yesterday, so hitting shoulders hard today was a trip in itself. My mind was a little distracted, but about 20 minutes in I was good to go. Some days you just have to let your body lead. Turn the mind off from everything else, and JUST MOVE. Today was one of those days. I finished with sprints and now have a shooting pain in my rear and is extremely uncomfortable. I can honestly feel it every single step I take with my left foot. Tomorrow I'll have to do some much needed stretching and get on that foam roller like a handy snack and have at it...
Does anyone know what I just said?....Me neither...
I received over 3 pounds in coffee today as Christmas gifts. Fabulous. I will be caffeine drunk until Easter.
Ok, time for bed...I've got other stuff I need to cover, but right now I can hardly think straight and its almost 9:30. My body hates me. Night night.
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Strap in...it's Christmas time!!!
Its Sunday morning and I am finally sitting down to some chicken and sweet potatoes. Honestly, I can eat chicken anytime of day...shocker. I went through a phase right out of college where I was eating tilapia for breakfast. Parents didn't like that too much. Perhaps one more reason they were kindly "nudging" me out the door. I get it. At 23, I wasn't exactly thrilled to be in the basement of my parents house eating fish before 6am either. Eh, I survived,...and can now pay my therapist with the money I saved. There's some serious irony in there...
So I just finished cooking my meals for the week. Yes it takes awhile (about 2 hours for me), and yes the kitchen is a disaster during the process, but I don't have to think about what to eat Monday-Thursday. If you're on the go during the week its the way to go. Little tip there for ya....get on it.
It was a hectic week of workouts and I am glad to be taking the day off. Some Sundays I get restless and feel like if I have energy I need to at least do something, but truth is I don't. I need a day of rest to let my body recover and grow...and that's when it happens...when you rest, not during your workouts. So today I plan to rest...and finish shopping. Two of my favorite things. Why can't they fit that in the song somewhere? Right after "girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes" should be "spending some money and sitting on our asses"....apparently no one wanted my input.
Hard to believe Christmas is almost here. The family events began yesterday with brunch and a game of Dirty Santa with my mom's side of the family. That ended up entertaining to say the least. Ironically, my dad opened both of the gifts I brought. My cousin "stole" one of them:...
When in doubt, have your husband sign a jockstrap and then frame it....makes for an excellent gift. The best part was when my 2 year old niece walks up and says "What's that?"....Yeah, explain a jockstrap to a 2 year old in one sentence that mentions absolutely nothing having to do with its actual function. I've got to get used to this whole G-rated life.
Needless to say, we had a blast and kept it semi-clean. I'd like to think I won that game...brought a jockstrap and another borderline-inappropriate gift, and walked away with a Coach purse. Great way to start the week before Christmas.
Ok, time to wrap a few gifts and then finish up some shopping. This week is going to fly by and before I know it I'll be back at another Christmas function "explaining things" to 2 year olds. Don't worry, I go this...
So I just finished cooking my meals for the week. Yes it takes awhile (about 2 hours for me), and yes the kitchen is a disaster during the process, but I don't have to think about what to eat Monday-Thursday. If you're on the go during the week its the way to go. Little tip there for ya....get on it.
It was a hectic week of workouts and I am glad to be taking the day off. Some Sundays I get restless and feel like if I have energy I need to at least do something, but truth is I don't. I need a day of rest to let my body recover and grow...and that's when it happens...when you rest, not during your workouts. So today I plan to rest...and finish shopping. Two of my favorite things. Why can't they fit that in the song somewhere? Right after "girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes" should be "spending some money and sitting on our asses"....apparently no one wanted my input.
Hard to believe Christmas is almost here. The family events began yesterday with brunch and a game of Dirty Santa with my mom's side of the family. That ended up entertaining to say the least. Ironically, my dad opened both of the gifts I brought. My cousin "stole" one of them:...
Needless to say, we had a blast and kept it semi-clean. I'd like to think I won that game...brought a jockstrap and another borderline-inappropriate gift, and walked away with a Coach purse. Great way to start the week before Christmas.
Ok, time to wrap a few gifts and then finish up some shopping. This week is going to fly by and before I know it I'll be back at another Christmas function "explaining things" to 2 year olds. Don't worry, I go this...
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Off day on my day off
You would think that with the day off my body would find sweet rest, lose track of time, and sleep until 10. Ummm....not so much. I was up at 4:30. Part of it was out of habit and part of it was anxiety. Honestly, I didn't know what to do with myself today. Sure, I had a to-do list a mile long, but I felt out of place. It was the most bazaar thing. Yesterday I was so close to just saying to heck with having a day off, and just plan to go in like every other Thursday. Its ridiculous, I know. I don't know how to slow down and relax. I felt like I needed to be at the gym running around. Even though I stayed busy, something was just "off" all day. Perhaps tomorrow will be better...
My leg workout yesterday was great...heavy, and great. I stuck with rep series 12, 10, 8, 6 on most exercises and 10 on isolation moves. I was extremely sore today. My legs needed a break. I did 40 minutes of cardio and then some core today. Tomorrow will be back and sprints, so it was nice to have a lighter workout today. My God, my quads hate me right now.
This is short and sweet...I can hardly keep my eyes open right now. More words tomorrow...
My leg workout yesterday was great...heavy, and great. I stuck with rep series 12, 10, 8, 6 on most exercises and 10 on isolation moves. I was extremely sore today. My legs needed a break. I did 40 minutes of cardio and then some core today. Tomorrow will be back and sprints, so it was nice to have a lighter workout today. My God, my quads hate me right now.
This is short and sweet...I can hardly keep my eyes open right now. More words tomorrow...
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Mo Mahi Mo Problems
Brussel sprouts. I love them. I halve them, spray with olive oil, sprinkle some garlic/sea salt, then bake them for about 40 minutes until the outsides are black/brown. I am eating them right now with some over-priced fish. Yes, I appreciate wild caught and support "all natural" with the best of them, but daggon if I want to spend $3.50 per serving. Guess what? In a few hours it will look the same as my hormone-infested chicken. Its just a more expensive bowel movement.
Today was a great day. It started off a little rough....as I've been taking ibprophen like tic-tacs, but thank God when "feeling nothing" is feeling awesome. In combination with other pains, my left elbow is killing me. Its a constant throbbing pain right where the long head of my tricep attaches...perhaps tendinitis, but honestly I've never had pain like this before for this long. Surprisingly, the only time it does NOT hurt is when I'm lifting. I did one heck of a chest workout Monday, and then shoulders today and nothing, no pain...then about an hour after my workout it was back. Booooo...just annoying.
I was pleased with my weights this week though, and sprinting feels good. The fact that my cardio is over in 20-25 minutes is a-m-a-z-i-n-g. And it just took me about 12 seconds to type out that word. Sad.
I had a client today going on about all the holiday functions and all-you-can-eat gatherings. Ah yes, its that time of year. She said she felt overwhelmed and like she had to eat at all these things even if she didn't want to. Ok, no. You go to a Christmas party to enjoy the fellowship, but no one is holding you down forcing bon-bons down your throat. Its a choice. If you have goals, then don't be afraid to tell others and be open about your health habits. Truth is, they know they shouldn't go for a third helping of cheese dip, but its easier to label it as "obligatory holiday gorging" and head for the bowl. Does that mean you can't enjoy anything at these events? No. But plan ahead. Eat a little something before you go, always have a water in hand, and then set yourself a limit before you hit the door...4 different items, single serving of each. Just an example. That way you are mentally and physically prepared and do not feel completely deprived. Just a thought...
Tomorrow is hump day....and my Friday. I am taking Thursday off to JUST BE. I need a little down time...24 hours will have to do for now. I haven't planned much for that day, which is probably a good thing. Hopefully it will be a quiet day....we'll see...
8:15 and I could sleep RIGHT NOW. I need to wash my hair though...staff picture day tomorrow. We are wearing blue. For the record, I pretty much wear black everyday. Thus, this picture is semi-false....oh for the sake of the team...
Ok, time for a little shut-eye...
Today was a great day. It started off a little rough....as I've been taking ibprophen like tic-tacs, but thank God when "feeling nothing" is feeling awesome. In combination with other pains, my left elbow is killing me. Its a constant throbbing pain right where the long head of my tricep attaches...perhaps tendinitis, but honestly I've never had pain like this before for this long. Surprisingly, the only time it does NOT hurt is when I'm lifting. I did one heck of a chest workout Monday, and then shoulders today and nothing, no pain...then about an hour after my workout it was back. Booooo...just annoying.
I was pleased with my weights this week though, and sprinting feels good. The fact that my cardio is over in 20-25 minutes is a-m-a-z-i-n-g. And it just took me about 12 seconds to type out that word. Sad.
I had a client today going on about all the holiday functions and all-you-can-eat gatherings. Ah yes, its that time of year. She said she felt overwhelmed and like she had to eat at all these things even if she didn't want to. Ok, no. You go to a Christmas party to enjoy the fellowship, but no one is holding you down forcing bon-bons down your throat. Its a choice. If you have goals, then don't be afraid to tell others and be open about your health habits. Truth is, they know they shouldn't go for a third helping of cheese dip, but its easier to label it as "obligatory holiday gorging" and head for the bowl. Does that mean you can't enjoy anything at these events? No. But plan ahead. Eat a little something before you go, always have a water in hand, and then set yourself a limit before you hit the door...4 different items, single serving of each. Just an example. That way you are mentally and physically prepared and do not feel completely deprived. Just a thought...
Tomorrow is hump day....and my Friday. I am taking Thursday off to JUST BE. I need a little down time...24 hours will have to do for now. I haven't planned much for that day, which is probably a good thing. Hopefully it will be a quiet day....we'll see...
8:15 and I could sleep RIGHT NOW. I need to wash my hair though...staff picture day tomorrow. We are wearing blue. For the record, I pretty much wear black everyday. Thus, this picture is semi-false....oh for the sake of the team...
Ok, time for a little shut-eye...
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Choosing Contentment
I don't normally blog on Sunday, but its been several days and I've got a few spare minutes while I down some breakfast.
The past few days have flown by, and the stress level surrounding the holidays is always high for everyone I'm sure. Its the only time of year I can drive by the ABC store in Mebane on a Saturday at 1pm and cars are actually spilling over into the neighboring lot. Even the laid-back Mebane folk are on the verge of a holiday freak-out...
One of my clients said the other day that she feels in charge of everyone's happiness during the holidays...like, if she does not do everything perfectly someone will walk away disappointed and unhappy, which somehow reflects her value as a wife/mother/friend. Ummm....no. I was completely baffled and yet not surprised by this. It saddened me that here's a woman trying to "be the best" and the judges of that are other flawed human beings with their own issues....3 of them being under the age of 16. Are you kidding me?! While I understand why she might have this mindset, its still so burdensome and such a lie. Its not our responsibility to make others happy. Happiness, or rather contentment is a choice. You can be given everything in the world and choose to be unhappy. Likewise, you can be in the worst of circumstances and choose to see the positive.
I left her with a challenge....and honestly something I have to challenge myself with at times...and that was to simply do her best (not seeking perfection), be ok with it, and release herself from any notion that how others respond is a reflection of her value as a person. Food for thought.
Well, workouts were solid this week. Although, I'm ready to get back in my strength phase. Maintaining is kind of boring to me....stupid ADD. At the beginning of the year though, game on. I might take a couple of days off beforehand, just to "get prepared" if you will. Currently, I'm debating about doing a June show and an August show. That's dieting from February to August. Whew...
Ok, time to get the day rolling, have a relaxing Sunday....there's a reason its called the day of rest....use it :)
The past few days have flown by, and the stress level surrounding the holidays is always high for everyone I'm sure. Its the only time of year I can drive by the ABC store in Mebane on a Saturday at 1pm and cars are actually spilling over into the neighboring lot. Even the laid-back Mebane folk are on the verge of a holiday freak-out...
One of my clients said the other day that she feels in charge of everyone's happiness during the holidays...like, if she does not do everything perfectly someone will walk away disappointed and unhappy, which somehow reflects her value as a wife/mother/friend. Ummm....no. I was completely baffled and yet not surprised by this. It saddened me that here's a woman trying to "be the best" and the judges of that are other flawed human beings with their own issues....3 of them being under the age of 16. Are you kidding me?! While I understand why she might have this mindset, its still so burdensome and such a lie. Its not our responsibility to make others happy. Happiness, or rather contentment is a choice. You can be given everything in the world and choose to be unhappy. Likewise, you can be in the worst of circumstances and choose to see the positive.
I left her with a challenge....and honestly something I have to challenge myself with at times...and that was to simply do her best (not seeking perfection), be ok with it, and release herself from any notion that how others respond is a reflection of her value as a person. Food for thought.
Well, workouts were solid this week. Although, I'm ready to get back in my strength phase. Maintaining is kind of boring to me....stupid ADD. At the beginning of the year though, game on. I might take a couple of days off beforehand, just to "get prepared" if you will. Currently, I'm debating about doing a June show and an August show. That's dieting from February to August. Whew...
Ok, time to get the day rolling, have a relaxing Sunday....there's a reason its called the day of rest....use it :)
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
360mg of caffeine...yessss
After a restless night, I started my Wednesday with 4 cups of coffee. You can only imagine how much I was sweating. I was literally wiping sweat from my brow as I was putting on my make-up. I might have to start wearing one of those spray bottles with a fan around my neck. (Only socially acceptable in Disney World and at baseball games), but I may have to break a few rules for the sake of hygiene. Might as well give me a matching fanny pack...
I had a fun morning with clients. It began when a man I train responded to a few of my exercise instructions with "that's what she said"...how do you not laugh at that? Made my morning quite entertaining to say the least. A couple hours later I was working with two women and we started sharing ideas for white-elephant gifts. If you've never played that game at Christmas you need to google it asap. Its always best to do it with funny gifts, and believe me the ideas were flying at 9:30 in the morning. We're playing it with my mom's side of the family for the first time in 2 weeks and between my brothers and I, this will get interesting. Odds are it will leave my mom shaking her head and then later calling me to say "there are moments when I question if my children are truly mine". (I've heard this speech before and that is the basic thesis statement). Anyway, it should be fun.
On to workout stuff. Ah yes, leg day. I started with leg press from a narrow foot position. My quads were on fire and performing 4 sets before back squats is always brutal. I was hurting. It was a hard, but great workout. It always amazes me how deflated I feel after a workout. Glycogen stores are shot, muscles are fatigued, and generally I am mentally drained. Its a weird, awesome feeling. Ha. On some level though, I do like knowing I don't have to run on leg day...mainly because I can hardly move much faster than 3mph. It would be comical to watch if I tried though.
Long rainy day.
I am stuck in the recliner looking at my bowl of cabbage/chicken and not sure I can finish. I am tired and ready to go to bed. Sadly, I may force myself to stay awake for Modern Family...I need to end my day with a good laugh. We all do.
Night folks!
I had a fun morning with clients. It began when a man I train responded to a few of my exercise instructions with "that's what she said"...how do you not laugh at that? Made my morning quite entertaining to say the least. A couple hours later I was working with two women and we started sharing ideas for white-elephant gifts. If you've never played that game at Christmas you need to google it asap. Its always best to do it with funny gifts, and believe me the ideas were flying at 9:30 in the morning. We're playing it with my mom's side of the family for the first time in 2 weeks and between my brothers and I, this will get interesting. Odds are it will leave my mom shaking her head and then later calling me to say "there are moments when I question if my children are truly mine". (I've heard this speech before and that is the basic thesis statement). Anyway, it should be fun.
On to workout stuff. Ah yes, leg day. I started with leg press from a narrow foot position. My quads were on fire and performing 4 sets before back squats is always brutal. I was hurting. It was a hard, but great workout. It always amazes me how deflated I feel after a workout. Glycogen stores are shot, muscles are fatigued, and generally I am mentally drained. Its a weird, awesome feeling. Ha. On some level though, I do like knowing I don't have to run on leg day...mainly because I can hardly move much faster than 3mph. It would be comical to watch if I tried though.
Long rainy day.
I am stuck in the recliner looking at my bowl of cabbage/chicken and not sure I can finish. I am tired and ready to go to bed. Sadly, I may force myself to stay awake for Modern Family...I need to end my day with a good laugh. We all do.
Night folks!
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Cream filled no-no
You would think I'd run out of words by now. Amazing how that never seems to happen.
I am spent. Today was a cloudy, dreary day and my body and mind felt the same. Tuesdays are typically a little more "sane" for me, but today was a little different. I had a lot on my mind...
My workout today was fast, but I got it all in. I only did shoulders, and then finished up with sprints. Having done short, hard sprints yesterday, my legs were tired to say the least. I was very pleased with my shoulder workout though. I love/hate working shoulders. They've always been one of my hardest body parts to grow and see changes, which means I've been working them that much harder....so to actually see and feel changes is great. I love a good shoulder-pump! I'm such a gym rat...
Tomorrow is LEGS baby!...actually, I'm a little excited. It means big, heavy weight and lots of wanting to crawl in the fetal position. Hump day here I come.
So, I had a client today get through about 3/4 of his workout before he sat down and said he wasn't feeling well. I go through my typical series of questions..."is it your head/stomach?"..."have you had anything to eat this morning?"..."what did you eat?". His answer literally made any ounce of sympathy I was going to have (emphasis on the future tense), completely leave my body. He said he had a doughnut from Dunkin Donuts. Ummm...yeah,...that's why your body hates you right now. He said "well I didn't know what to order". Ok, this one is easy. NOTHING. You step away from the counter. Am I wrong to think its pretty simple logic that eating a sugary doughnut just before working out is a bad idea for numerous reasons?! Needless to say he finished his workout. My god, it took him the first 35 minutes to burn that dern thing off...
Before lunch time I struggle to show sympathy,....actually, it pretty much applies all day, but especially for people who show up after eating a doughnut.
A lady asked me today what the best diet soda was. Ok, moment of truth. None of them. They are all chemicals and sweetened with more chemicals that your body simply cannot process. If your brain thinks its sweet, guess what, so does your body. It will respond with the same insulin release as with regular sugar and promote fat storage. Do your body a favor and drink more water.
Ok, its time for some zzzzzz's up in here! Night people,...show up on Wednesday like you mean it!
I am spent. Today was a cloudy, dreary day and my body and mind felt the same. Tuesdays are typically a little more "sane" for me, but today was a little different. I had a lot on my mind...
My workout today was fast, but I got it all in. I only did shoulders, and then finished up with sprints. Having done short, hard sprints yesterday, my legs were tired to say the least. I was very pleased with my shoulder workout though. I love/hate working shoulders. They've always been one of my hardest body parts to grow and see changes, which means I've been working them that much harder....so to actually see and feel changes is great. I love a good shoulder-pump! I'm such a gym rat...
Tomorrow is LEGS baby!...actually, I'm a little excited. It means big, heavy weight and lots of wanting to crawl in the fetal position. Hump day here I come.
So, I had a client today get through about 3/4 of his workout before he sat down and said he wasn't feeling well. I go through my typical series of questions..."is it your head/stomach?"..."have you had anything to eat this morning?"..."what did you eat?". His answer literally made any ounce of sympathy I was going to have (emphasis on the future tense), completely leave my body. He said he had a doughnut from Dunkin Donuts. Ummm...yeah,...that's why your body hates you right now. He said "well I didn't know what to order". Ok, this one is easy. NOTHING. You step away from the counter. Am I wrong to think its pretty simple logic that eating a sugary doughnut just before working out is a bad idea for numerous reasons?! Needless to say he finished his workout. My god, it took him the first 35 minutes to burn that dern thing off...
Before lunch time I struggle to show sympathy,....actually, it pretty much applies all day, but especially for people who show up after eating a doughnut.
A lady asked me today what the best diet soda was. Ok, moment of truth. None of them. They are all chemicals and sweetened with more chemicals that your body simply cannot process. If your brain thinks its sweet, guess what, so does your body. It will respond with the same insulin release as with regular sugar and promote fat storage. Do your body a favor and drink more water.
Ok, its time for some zzzzzz's up in here! Night people,...show up on Wednesday like you mean it!
Monday, December 5, 2011
Shut-up and train
Today was a rough start for me.
I simply did not feel mentally and physically ready for today...but who honestly is on a Monday, right? The weekend was good, just busy. I taught hip-hop on Saturday, which was fun and one heck of a workout. I was drenched in sweat by the end and my feet were worn out. I stayed and kept dancing for about 30 more minutes simply because at the start of the new year I'll be teaching 2 classes back to back and just need to get used to it. Believe me, I was ready to sleep or cry or both after that. I needed some rest.
I took Sunday completely off from working out and allowed myself a couple of hours just to sit in the recliner and watch trashy TV for a couple of hours. My guilty pleasure is Real Housewives and now Baseball Wives. Ha....their reality is a joke....but it keeps me entertained. Why they didn't contact me for baseball wives is a mystery. Umm....riiiiiight. Anyway, I was in bed before 9 last night.
Today started with a bang and I was sweating by 6:30am. Story of my life. I had a great morning with clients....even when I had to give my "Ladies-you're-not-going-to-get-huge-by-lifting-a-10-pound-dumbbell!" speech. Ugh. It blows my mind how many women believe that lie, and its probably the most common misconception I have to deal with when it comes to women and fitness. Its like no matter how much scientific evidence I provide and explain, some women think they are somehow the exception to the rule. Yeah,...you're not. Unless you're on roids...so start lifting. Sometimes I just want to shake some sense into them...
My workout today was great. Hard, but great. I had chest/triceps and finished with sprints. For the record, I absolutely love chest flys...whether dumbbell or cable. I feel like my chest will rip open and I love it. I am a sick human being. I get it. Weights were heavy and I was pleased with the day. Tomorrow's workout will be short and a little hectic, but I'll get it in one way or another.
Nothing else too exciting to elaborate on right now. I need to get in bed asap and get ready for Tuesday...night folks!
I simply did not feel mentally and physically ready for today...but who honestly is on a Monday, right? The weekend was good, just busy. I taught hip-hop on Saturday, which was fun and one heck of a workout. I was drenched in sweat by the end and my feet were worn out. I stayed and kept dancing for about 30 more minutes simply because at the start of the new year I'll be teaching 2 classes back to back and just need to get used to it. Believe me, I was ready to sleep or cry or both after that. I needed some rest.
I took Sunday completely off from working out and allowed myself a couple of hours just to sit in the recliner and watch trashy TV for a couple of hours. My guilty pleasure is Real Housewives and now Baseball Wives. Ha....their reality is a joke....but it keeps me entertained. Why they didn't contact me for baseball wives is a mystery. Umm....riiiiiight. Anyway, I was in bed before 9 last night.
Today started with a bang and I was sweating by 6:30am. Story of my life. I had a great morning with clients....even when I had to give my "Ladies-you're-not-going-to-get-huge-by-lifting-a-10-pound-dumbbell!" speech. Ugh. It blows my mind how many women believe that lie, and its probably the most common misconception I have to deal with when it comes to women and fitness. Its like no matter how much scientific evidence I provide and explain, some women think they are somehow the exception to the rule. Yeah,...you're not. Unless you're on roids...so start lifting. Sometimes I just want to shake some sense into them...
My workout today was great. Hard, but great. I had chest/triceps and finished with sprints. For the record, I absolutely love chest flys...whether dumbbell or cable. I feel like my chest will rip open and I love it. I am a sick human being. I get it. Weights were heavy and I was pleased with the day. Tomorrow's workout will be short and a little hectic, but I'll get it in one way or another.
Nothing else too exciting to elaborate on right now. I need to get in bed asap and get ready for Tuesday...night folks!
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Midnight Walker
Ah yes, Thursday.
Apparently, my day began around 2am when I got out of bed, turned on the lamp, walked around for a second, talked a little bit, and then got back in bed. Yeah, sooo, I have no recollection of this....Ryan just told me during dinner. Looks like I'm losing it.
It reminds me of when my little brother used to sleep walk. My mom would get all freaked out, and naturally, my older brother and I found it funny. Well, that was until she found him in the front yard one morning. Actually, its still pretty funny.
My legs are shot.
The leg workout I threw on myself yesterday proved to be pretty darn brutal. And on top of the sprints I did today, getting up and down feels like an athletic event in itself. I did 20 sets worth and went reps of 12, 10, 8, and then 6 on each exercise just to mix things up. Oh I mixed it up alright. I feel semi-crippled at the moment.
Today was back day then short hill sprints. Weights felt great, and even the sprints were bearable. Half the battle is simply being ok with being uncomfortable. Honestly, if you can learn to focus on controlling your breathing while sprinting (and especially during the rest breaks), you'll see and feel a HUGE difference. Driving your heartrate up is going to send your body into a panic-mode as is....so, its important to keep your breathing under control as to not get dizzy, hyperventilate, etc...then of course, if you go too hard too fast, back off. By the end, I was spent. I wanted to just sleep. No such luck. I needed to get to Sam's Club and fight the crowd before my afternoon clients.
Seriously, I get a little fired up going in there. The amount of crap we eat as a nation is unbelievable. And the saddest part is that its considered "normal"....I'M the abnormal one for eating healthy. Crazy. And we're all paying for it. Ugh....
Well, I'm about 5 seconds away from laying my head on this table. Pooped. Have a great night and here's to Friday! :)
Apparently, my day began around 2am when I got out of bed, turned on the lamp, walked around for a second, talked a little bit, and then got back in bed. Yeah, sooo, I have no recollection of this....Ryan just told me during dinner. Looks like I'm losing it.
It reminds me of when my little brother used to sleep walk. My mom would get all freaked out, and naturally, my older brother and I found it funny. Well, that was until she found him in the front yard one morning. Actually, its still pretty funny.
My legs are shot.
The leg workout I threw on myself yesterday proved to be pretty darn brutal. And on top of the sprints I did today, getting up and down feels like an athletic event in itself. I did 20 sets worth and went reps of 12, 10, 8, and then 6 on each exercise just to mix things up. Oh I mixed it up alright. I feel semi-crippled at the moment.
Today was back day then short hill sprints. Weights felt great, and even the sprints were bearable. Half the battle is simply being ok with being uncomfortable. Honestly, if you can learn to focus on controlling your breathing while sprinting (and especially during the rest breaks), you'll see and feel a HUGE difference. Driving your heartrate up is going to send your body into a panic-mode as is....so, its important to keep your breathing under control as to not get dizzy, hyperventilate, etc...then of course, if you go too hard too fast, back off. By the end, I was spent. I wanted to just sleep. No such luck. I needed to get to Sam's Club and fight the crowd before my afternoon clients.
Seriously, I get a little fired up going in there. The amount of crap we eat as a nation is unbelievable. And the saddest part is that its considered "normal"....I'M the abnormal one for eating healthy. Crazy. And we're all paying for it. Ugh....
Well, I'm about 5 seconds away from laying my head on this table. Pooped. Have a great night and here's to Friday! :)
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
1 lap to go...and hurl...
I had a man ask me this afternoon what "fit" looks like for him in 20 years. What a loaded question. That would put him at 64 years old, and I even laughed a little before answering. I laughed because I've worked/work with numerous older men who honestly think they should be able to move like they did when they were 20 and feel just as good. The male ego is a precious and fragile thing ;) Oh I wish that were the case. "Fit" at 64 looks different than at 54...and 44...and 34...you get the picture. I will say though, that starting a workout program in your late fifties feels much different than simply continuing a healthy lifestyle/workout routine that was established many years earlier.
Our bodies get older,...things wear down...that's life. However, that's not to say we can't maximize our mobility and function at every stage in life. Its about challenging ourselves to improve on a daily basis...setting realistic goals and holding obtainable expectations for where we are. Do I expect that man to run a 30 second sprint at 12 mph like he did today in 20 years? No. However, if he's healthy enough to push himself to what he perceives as difficult yet doable, I'll take it.
Oh my, what a day.
It was a hectic morning and I will hit the bed like a sac of bricks tonight. I am pooped. I hit biceps/triceps today and finished with some mid-distance sprints. Ok, for clarification, my mid-distance sprints are anything over 30 seconds. 1 minute sprints are torturous for me and bring back horrible memories of middle/high school when I had to run the 400m. I threw up every time. Every single time. I didn't feel too bad though because one of my teammates could never hold her bladder while running in meets. I don't think I need to go into more detail. You get the picture. By turn 3 she needs toilet paper, and I'm about 14 seconds away from projectile vomit. Neither of us ever got the coaches award...
My weight routine was solid,...12 sets for biceps, 12 for triceps. Today was the second day in a row for sprints. I've been in the mood, what can I say. Honestly, they feel great. I mean, my hamstrings are tight, core is sore, and my feet ache like hell, but other than that its great. Ha. Cardiovascularly, I wasn't as winded as I thought I'd be, and several times I hopped off to check my heartrate to make sure I was getting it high enough. Yup, 192-198...I was fine with that. My recovery was better than I thought it would be as well (considering my recent cardio-boycott). 60 seconds post-sprints it was down to 114. Fine by me. I survived,...I could breathe,...check and check...
Soooo...since I hit chest on Monday and bis/tris today, that means LEGS tomorrow. Double whammie on hump day. Here goes....
I tell ya, after Thanksgiving, its been nice to get back to a routine of clean-eating. I'm probably still retaining water from all the sugar...pancreas pumping out insulin like fro-yo...
Alright then,...much to do in the next hour or so...then bed...ahhh...I can hear it calling already...
Our bodies get older,...things wear down...that's life. However, that's not to say we can't maximize our mobility and function at every stage in life. Its about challenging ourselves to improve on a daily basis...setting realistic goals and holding obtainable expectations for where we are. Do I expect that man to run a 30 second sprint at 12 mph like he did today in 20 years? No. However, if he's healthy enough to push himself to what he perceives as difficult yet doable, I'll take it.
Oh my, what a day.
It was a hectic morning and I will hit the bed like a sac of bricks tonight. I am pooped. I hit biceps/triceps today and finished with some mid-distance sprints. Ok, for clarification, my mid-distance sprints are anything over 30 seconds. 1 minute sprints are torturous for me and bring back horrible memories of middle/high school when I had to run the 400m. I threw up every time. Every single time. I didn't feel too bad though because one of my teammates could never hold her bladder while running in meets. I don't think I need to go into more detail. You get the picture. By turn 3 she needs toilet paper, and I'm about 14 seconds away from projectile vomit. Neither of us ever got the coaches award...
My weight routine was solid,...12 sets for biceps, 12 for triceps. Today was the second day in a row for sprints. I've been in the mood, what can I say. Honestly, they feel great. I mean, my hamstrings are tight, core is sore, and my feet ache like hell, but other than that its great. Ha. Cardiovascularly, I wasn't as winded as I thought I'd be, and several times I hopped off to check my heartrate to make sure I was getting it high enough. Yup, 192-198...I was fine with that. My recovery was better than I thought it would be as well (considering my recent cardio-boycott). 60 seconds post-sprints it was down to 114. Fine by me. I survived,...I could breathe,...check and check...
Soooo...since I hit chest on Monday and bis/tris today, that means LEGS tomorrow. Double whammie on hump day. Here goes....
I tell ya, after Thanksgiving, its been nice to get back to a routine of clean-eating. I'm probably still retaining water from all the sugar...pancreas pumping out insulin like fro-yo...
Alright then,...much to do in the next hour or so...then bed...ahhh...I can hear it calling already...
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Yup, still full...
Raise your hand if you're still in a food coma.
Odd request, being that if you were actually in a coma you could not physically raise your hand....I didn't think through that before I typed it.
Ah yes, here we are. Days after Thanksgiving and I'd be totally fine not seeing corn pudding for another few weeks. We literally ate our way through the day from one family function to another. Don't get me wrong, I paced myself, but by 7pm that night I literally felt sugar drunk. And that was just the start of my night...
Me, my sister-in-law Kelly, and my mom started shopping at 10pm. Yes, we are those people. I was standing in my first check-out line by 10:20 and slowly losing patience...it was going to be a loooong night. By 4:30am I had to lay in the floor at Belk while my mom checked out. I claimed to be holding her spot in line, but truth was that I just wanted a horizontal surface. Ever seen a 5 year old pout? Yeah, that was me...28 years old....at 4:30 in the morning....it was ridiculous.
My shopping trip ended at 7:15 in the morning...I drove home, and was asleep by 7:35.
Let me just say that when I woke up at 11:30, I was not a happy camper. I was a semi-suicidal camper. I honestly don't think my body has fully recovered. I know, I know, I did it to myself...
Here's a few pictures from Thanksgiving:
Me and Miss Haven...
Ryan and Haven...
As far as workouts go, I ran about 5.5 miles on Thanksgiving (and now have shin splints...awesome),...did back and core on Friday...light cardio on Saturday, and 45 minutes moderate intensity today. I'm ready to get back in the gym tomorrow. I feel like a noodle. Chest and perhaps some shoulders....after a long weekend, lack of sleep, and sugar-overload, this should be interesting.
Story of the day...
I'm in Target (where all my drama happens)....I grab my cart and start heading towards the back of the store. Now, I do not leisurely walk through that store. I wheel that cart like I am on a mission and probably violate any sort of woman-and-cart speed limit. The toy aisles are to my right and all of a sudden this boy (probably 7 yrs old or so) darts out in a full sprint and I T-bone him like mac truck. He falls in the floor, his mom is looking at him and I am trying so hard not to laugh. Only I would seriously injure someone with my cart in Target on a Sunday afternoon. Thankfully he was ok....perhaps now he'll look both ways, slow down, and even pack a helmet...
Time to get ready for tomorrow. I've got chicken to chop, a gym bag to pack, and dishes to wash...boooo
Night folks!
Odd request, being that if you were actually in a coma you could not physically raise your hand....I didn't think through that before I typed it.
Ah yes, here we are. Days after Thanksgiving and I'd be totally fine not seeing corn pudding for another few weeks. We literally ate our way through the day from one family function to another. Don't get me wrong, I paced myself, but by 7pm that night I literally felt sugar drunk. And that was just the start of my night...
Me, my sister-in-law Kelly, and my mom started shopping at 10pm. Yes, we are those people. I was standing in my first check-out line by 10:20 and slowly losing patience...it was going to be a loooong night. By 4:30am I had to lay in the floor at Belk while my mom checked out. I claimed to be holding her spot in line, but truth was that I just wanted a horizontal surface. Ever seen a 5 year old pout? Yeah, that was me...28 years old....at 4:30 in the morning....it was ridiculous.
My shopping trip ended at 7:15 in the morning...I drove home, and was asleep by 7:35.
Let me just say that when I woke up at 11:30, I was not a happy camper. I was a semi-suicidal camper. I honestly don't think my body has fully recovered. I know, I know, I did it to myself...
Here's a few pictures from Thanksgiving:
Me and Miss Haven...
As far as workouts go, I ran about 5.5 miles on Thanksgiving (and now have shin splints...awesome),...did back and core on Friday...light cardio on Saturday, and 45 minutes moderate intensity today. I'm ready to get back in the gym tomorrow. I feel like a noodle. Chest and perhaps some shoulders....after a long weekend, lack of sleep, and sugar-overload, this should be interesting.
Story of the day...
I'm in Target (where all my drama happens)....I grab my cart and start heading towards the back of the store. Now, I do not leisurely walk through that store. I wheel that cart like I am on a mission and probably violate any sort of woman-and-cart speed limit. The toy aisles are to my right and all of a sudden this boy (probably 7 yrs old or so) darts out in a full sprint and I T-bone him like mac truck. He falls in the floor, his mom is looking at him and I am trying so hard not to laugh. Only I would seriously injure someone with my cart in Target on a Sunday afternoon. Thankfully he was ok....perhaps now he'll look both ways, slow down, and even pack a helmet...
Time to get ready for tomorrow. I've got chicken to chop, a gym bag to pack, and dishes to wash...boooo
Night folks!
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Food prep and brownie-blowout
Just started cooking for Thanksgiving and as I ripped open the brownie mix it exploded all over me and the floor. Aaaaand, here we go. I've got 4 more things to make, and if this is any indication of how its going to go I'm in trouble.
Today was a short work day, but certainly felt long enough. It was a busy morning as Brian and I ran around like chickens with our heads cut off...needless to say I was sweating profusely. I've got to seriously do something about that. Honestly, if I had the means to get botox shots in my sweat glands I would do it in a heartbeat. I remember taking acrobatics when I was younger and being the only person wearing my jazz shoes so my sweaty feet would not slip on the mats. "How'd you bust your hip Meredith?"..."Oh, ya know...just doing a cartwheel with sweaty feet"....ridiculous. All that to say it was a hectic, sweaty morning....
Then Zimm stopped in for a little welcome-home-from-college workout...great to see him! We got to catch up for a bit which was great. Speaking in his typical "tour" lingo, his seems to be rolling along nicely as he navigates junior year of college.
Workout today was solid. I tried this pre-workout supplement that Brian bought and dear lord was I sweating. Not sure what the caffeine content was, but I had cold sweats and felt slightly nauseous. Ha. I was able to keep the weights heavy though, so at that point I didn't really care how I felt. It was shoulders and biceps today, and I am really digging the partial pull-ups on the rings for biceps. Neutral position, a little 10 pounder hanging from the waist, then only pulling up to 90 degrees in the elbow...LOVE IT! You might think that only pulling up halfway would be easier...ha, not so much. Get your back out of the pull and then watch those biceps work baby! Good lord I get way too excited over this stuff...
Ok,...Thanksgiving...
When I honestly think about it, we have soooo much to be grateful for on a daily basis. Sadly, we usually let them slip into the back of our minds until we sometimes lose sight of the vary things that bring us contentment, joy, and satisfaction in life. Here's my list of things I'm thankful for this year (and yes I will probably leave out some)...
* my basic needs are met everyday with no worry
* the opportunity to do what I love everyday
* the various personalities I get to work with...especially the ones who push me professionally
* friends who are honest, hold me accountable, and love me with all my flaws
* energy to get through 24 hours at a time
* family who are supportive, crazy, and keep my therapist in business
* OCD....it keeps me chronically on time, clean, and more organized than any one human being should be
* adversity
* peanut butter and 2-ply toilet paper (duh)
Oh and the list could go on...
Whew...ok, brownies are done and Ryan and begging for one...ummm, not going to happen. Poor kid is going to do a number on his intestines tomorrow,...the brownie can wait.
Have a lovely Thanksgiving,...keep your blessings in mind, especially when a family member finishes off the last roll and you're ready to put them in a choke hold. I totally understand...
:) Niiiight!
Today was a short work day, but certainly felt long enough. It was a busy morning as Brian and I ran around like chickens with our heads cut off...needless to say I was sweating profusely. I've got to seriously do something about that. Honestly, if I had the means to get botox shots in my sweat glands I would do it in a heartbeat. I remember taking acrobatics when I was younger and being the only person wearing my jazz shoes so my sweaty feet would not slip on the mats. "How'd you bust your hip Meredith?"..."Oh, ya know...just doing a cartwheel with sweaty feet"....ridiculous. All that to say it was a hectic, sweaty morning....
Then Zimm stopped in for a little welcome-home-from-college workout...great to see him! We got to catch up for a bit which was great. Speaking in his typical "tour" lingo, his seems to be rolling along nicely as he navigates junior year of college.
Workout today was solid. I tried this pre-workout supplement that Brian bought and dear lord was I sweating. Not sure what the caffeine content was, but I had cold sweats and felt slightly nauseous. Ha. I was able to keep the weights heavy though, so at that point I didn't really care how I felt. It was shoulders and biceps today, and I am really digging the partial pull-ups on the rings for biceps. Neutral position, a little 10 pounder hanging from the waist, then only pulling up to 90 degrees in the elbow...LOVE IT! You might think that only pulling up halfway would be easier...ha, not so much. Get your back out of the pull and then watch those biceps work baby! Good lord I get way too excited over this stuff...
Ok,...Thanksgiving...
When I honestly think about it, we have soooo much to be grateful for on a daily basis. Sadly, we usually let them slip into the back of our minds until we sometimes lose sight of the vary things that bring us contentment, joy, and satisfaction in life. Here's my list of things I'm thankful for this year (and yes I will probably leave out some)...
* my basic needs are met everyday with no worry
* the opportunity to do what I love everyday
* the various personalities I get to work with...especially the ones who push me professionally
* friends who are honest, hold me accountable, and love me with all my flaws
* energy to get through 24 hours at a time
* family who are supportive, crazy, and keep my therapist in business
* OCD....it keeps me chronically on time, clean, and more organized than any one human being should be
* adversity
* peanut butter and 2-ply toilet paper (duh)
Oh and the list could go on...
Whew...ok, brownies are done and Ryan and begging for one...ummm, not going to happen. Poor kid is going to do a number on his intestines tomorrow,...the brownie can wait.
Have a lovely Thanksgiving,...keep your blessings in mind, especially when a family member finishes off the last roll and you're ready to put them in a choke hold. I totally understand...
:) Niiiight!
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Feeling the fluff
"Do you ever have days when you just feel fat?" ...our pilates instructor asked me this today, and caught me off guard a little. I laughed...YES! The answer from every single female is YES when it comes to that question.
I used to get so hung up on days when I felt like that. It would completely effect my entire day and all my interactions with those around me. Now, I just try to shrug it off and realize that its just a feeling...they come and go, and tomorrow may be different. BUT, its definitely an inconvenient feeling 48 hours before Thanksgiving...100% I will feel fat that day. Just being honest.
Today was a good day. I had a good 'ol leg workout, and I swear I just did them....or at least it felt that way. I switched up my order of exercises a little bit today and went hard on leg press to start. Leg press before squats is like running a marathon before the marathon. My legs were on fire. Overall, I felt good about my workout, and finished with some calf work. I can pretty much predict a midnight cramp-session. I spent a few minute on the roller to help with any tightness, but after today's onslaught, I'll be walking like a cowboy tomorrow.
Speaking of tomorrow, I've got a hectic morning, and then I'm taking 1/2 the day off before Thanksgiving festivities. And by festivities I mean driving all over God's creation to different family events to then stuff my face. Who's with me?!
I have several food items to cook/bake tomorrow afternoon, so I'll be busy in the kitchen all afternoon. I sound like Martha...geez. Somewhere in all that I will squeeze in my workout and regain some sanity...
Well, time to clean up and then hit the bed. I'm extremely tired and the longer I sit here the less likely I am to actually get up. Don't doubt my ability to sleep sitting straight up....I mastered that a long time ago...
Night!
I used to get so hung up on days when I felt like that. It would completely effect my entire day and all my interactions with those around me. Now, I just try to shrug it off and realize that its just a feeling...they come and go, and tomorrow may be different. BUT, its definitely an inconvenient feeling 48 hours before Thanksgiving...100% I will feel fat that day. Just being honest.
Today was a good day. I had a good 'ol leg workout, and I swear I just did them....or at least it felt that way. I switched up my order of exercises a little bit today and went hard on leg press to start. Leg press before squats is like running a marathon before the marathon. My legs were on fire. Overall, I felt good about my workout, and finished with some calf work. I can pretty much predict a midnight cramp-session. I spent a few minute on the roller to help with any tightness, but after today's onslaught, I'll be walking like a cowboy tomorrow.
Speaking of tomorrow, I've got a hectic morning, and then I'm taking 1/2 the day off before Thanksgiving festivities. And by festivities I mean driving all over God's creation to different family events to then stuff my face. Who's with me?!
I have several food items to cook/bake tomorrow afternoon, so I'll be busy in the kitchen all afternoon. I sound like Martha...geez. Somewhere in all that I will squeeze in my workout and regain some sanity...
Well, time to clean up and then hit the bed. I'm extremely tired and the longer I sit here the less likely I am to actually get up. Don't doubt my ability to sleep sitting straight up....I mastered that a long time ago...
Night!
Monday, November 21, 2011
Stretchy pants and corn pudding
Monday!!
You would think that after a nap and going to bed at 8:15 last night that I'd be well rested....ha, not exactly the case today.
Everything felt heavy and I was more tired than I anticipated. Not sure if it was possible to overdose on B-12, but by 11am I was willing to give it a try.
I was coming off of a busy weekend, but a great weekend. I started off my Saturday morning with some cardio at our fitness center here in the neighborhood. 18 minutes into my jog and the treadmill nearly blew up. Just completely stopped. I was pressing buttons, unplugging things, hitting things,...no luck. I was forced to do the unthinkable...finish on the eliptical. For the record, my quads HATE the eliptical. I can put that thing on level 4 and be wanting my mama after 5 minutes. For 25 minutes I thought I was going to go nuts. I'm serious. I was breathing like an asthma patient and my feet were literally going numb. What a horrible mental image...and sounds so pathetic...I get it. But at 6am on Saturday morning, it was my reality.
Later that day we went to the Elon/Appalachian football game, so I was stroking it in cornhole by noon. Ok, sort of an exaggeration...our boards are pretty slick, so I was actually struggling to put some back spin on the stupid bags to keep them on the board. I analyzed this way too much, but you get the idea. We had a great time, but I was pretty pooped after that. How did we do that in college??
Me and my brothers tailgating...
Yesterday was my much-needed day off. I could hardly keep my eyes open and was pretty much forced into a nap by 3pm. I didn't fight it. As I said, in bed by 8:15 like a classic 75 year old....way to go me.
Today was a good day...great time with clients and many laughs. Mondays demand laughter. My workout was pretty solid, but I was struggling to keep the weight heavy. I wasn't as focused as I would have liked, so I had to just plow through the workout without considering how tired I was. I'm looking forward to another strength phase and a creatine cycle. Thanksgiving Day should probably be my jump-start to it all....I mean, my God I will practically be in a food-coma by 4pm. Do I splurge on Thanksgiving? Uh....yeeeaaahh. I strap on my stretchy pants and attack my plate like Agustus in the chocolate factory and pray my pancreas doesn't explode.
Then, its back on track Friday morning. Not going to lie, I feel pretty miserable that night and drink pepto like water, but its only once a year...
Whew, ok, time for bed. Its almost 9...living on the edge here in Mebane...
Night folks :)
You would think that after a nap and going to bed at 8:15 last night that I'd be well rested....ha, not exactly the case today.
Everything felt heavy and I was more tired than I anticipated. Not sure if it was possible to overdose on B-12, but by 11am I was willing to give it a try.
I was coming off of a busy weekend, but a great weekend. I started off my Saturday morning with some cardio at our fitness center here in the neighborhood. 18 minutes into my jog and the treadmill nearly blew up. Just completely stopped. I was pressing buttons, unplugging things, hitting things,...no luck. I was forced to do the unthinkable...finish on the eliptical. For the record, my quads HATE the eliptical. I can put that thing on level 4 and be wanting my mama after 5 minutes. For 25 minutes I thought I was going to go nuts. I'm serious. I was breathing like an asthma patient and my feet were literally going numb. What a horrible mental image...and sounds so pathetic...I get it. But at 6am on Saturday morning, it was my reality.
Later that day we went to the Elon/Appalachian football game, so I was stroking it in cornhole by noon. Ok, sort of an exaggeration...our boards are pretty slick, so I was actually struggling to put some back spin on the stupid bags to keep them on the board. I analyzed this way too much, but you get the idea. We had a great time, but I was pretty pooped after that. How did we do that in college??
Me and my brothers tailgating...
Yesterday was my much-needed day off. I could hardly keep my eyes open and was pretty much forced into a nap by 3pm. I didn't fight it. As I said, in bed by 8:15 like a classic 75 year old....way to go me.
Today was a good day...great time with clients and many laughs. Mondays demand laughter. My workout was pretty solid, but I was struggling to keep the weight heavy. I wasn't as focused as I would have liked, so I had to just plow through the workout without considering how tired I was. I'm looking forward to another strength phase and a creatine cycle. Thanksgiving Day should probably be my jump-start to it all....I mean, my God I will practically be in a food-coma by 4pm. Do I splurge on Thanksgiving? Uh....yeeeaaahh. I strap on my stretchy pants and attack my plate like Agustus in the chocolate factory and pray my pancreas doesn't explode.
Then, its back on track Friday morning. Not going to lie, I feel pretty miserable that night and drink pepto like water, but its only once a year...
Whew, ok, time for bed. Its almost 9...living on the edge here in Mebane...
Night folks :)
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Food for thought
I am stuck in the recliner.
I came home from a long day at the gym and crashed. Making any kind of dinner seemed like way too much effort, so I literally grabbed the container of cooked chicken breast from the fridge, reached for one with my bare hands (since getting a fork required 8 extra steps), and downed it like a cave woman. "Dinner time" was approximately 3 minutes long. Now here I am...
Today was a good day, but I was certainly tired by the end of it. My upper body is beyond sore, which made today's back work out interesting. Pulling this tank up on wide grip pull-ups is heavy enough without feeling sore...today it was just a tad more brutal. I did 19 sets of back exercises before calling it a day. 20 minutes of cardio...you know me, don't want to over do it ;)
I'm fairly certain that the 20 minutes I did yesterday came back to haunt me this morning. At 4am I woke up to a calf-spasm so bad I nearly punched Ryan. All I could do was curse, jump out of bed, and hobble around the room like I was involved in my own cage fight. It was horrible. It happened 3 times in 5 minutes before I just decided to get up and get on with my day.
I thought of my dad. He gets them all the time. When I lived at home right out of college my room was in the basement directly under their room (yes, I was that kid)....anyway, we used to always joke that if there were ever "noises" coming from upstairs it was either mom/dad or just dad limping around with a muscle cramp. Ehh, they all sounded the same.....disturbing....
On to other topics (thank God)...
Great day with clients. Helped a guy make just a couple of diet adjustments last week and he lost 7 pounds in 10 days. Wake up call buddy! What did he do? Simply started eating breakfast, switched from cream to skim milk in his coffee, and packed a lunch instead of eating out at work. Simple, simple. I'll never forget this one trainer at a conference I go to each year....he said he always had people coming up to him asking diet questions like there was some big secret to losing weight. Well, apparently this one woman kept on and on about it and he finally said "You know the difference in an apple and a _____ing piece of pizza?!...Well there ya go." I laughed. It was true.
Not to say making those changes is easy, but some small changes can make a huge difference.
Oh man, I am exhausted. Friday awaits. I've got shoulders and core tomorrow and might grab a nap in there somewhere....which, I am way more excited about than I should be. Have a great night and here's to another day :)
I came home from a long day at the gym and crashed. Making any kind of dinner seemed like way too much effort, so I literally grabbed the container of cooked chicken breast from the fridge, reached for one with my bare hands (since getting a fork required 8 extra steps), and downed it like a cave woman. "Dinner time" was approximately 3 minutes long. Now here I am...
Today was a good day, but I was certainly tired by the end of it. My upper body is beyond sore, which made today's back work out interesting. Pulling this tank up on wide grip pull-ups is heavy enough without feeling sore...today it was just a tad more brutal. I did 19 sets of back exercises before calling it a day. 20 minutes of cardio...you know me, don't want to over do it ;)
I'm fairly certain that the 20 minutes I did yesterday came back to haunt me this morning. At 4am I woke up to a calf-spasm so bad I nearly punched Ryan. All I could do was curse, jump out of bed, and hobble around the room like I was involved in my own cage fight. It was horrible. It happened 3 times in 5 minutes before I just decided to get up and get on with my day.
I thought of my dad. He gets them all the time. When I lived at home right out of college my room was in the basement directly under their room (yes, I was that kid)....anyway, we used to always joke that if there were ever "noises" coming from upstairs it was either mom/dad or just dad limping around with a muscle cramp. Ehh, they all sounded the same.....disturbing....
On to other topics (thank God)...
Great day with clients. Helped a guy make just a couple of diet adjustments last week and he lost 7 pounds in 10 days. Wake up call buddy! What did he do? Simply started eating breakfast, switched from cream to skim milk in his coffee, and packed a lunch instead of eating out at work. Simple, simple. I'll never forget this one trainer at a conference I go to each year....he said he always had people coming up to him asking diet questions like there was some big secret to losing weight. Well, apparently this one woman kept on and on about it and he finally said "You know the difference in an apple and a _____ing piece of pizza?!...Well there ya go." I laughed. It was true.
Not to say making those changes is easy, but some small changes can make a huge difference.
Oh man, I am exhausted. Friday awaits. I've got shoulders and core tomorrow and might grab a nap in there somewhere....which, I am way more excited about than I should be. Have a great night and here's to another day :)
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Heavy lids
There are some days when its tempting to simply give in to your body's desire to "take it easy" and push only hard enough through the workout to break a sweat. Today was one of those days. I sat down for a few minutes before my workout and was fighting to stay awake. All I wanted to do was throw my head down on the desk and sleep. Just thinking about a leg workout made me tired. I had a choice at that point. Give in to how I felt in that moment and allow myself to just go through the motions, or challenge myself even more than if I felt great.
I chose the latter.
I can't explain it,...sometimes my decisions do not appear to make any sense....ha...
I bumped up the weight in squats and hamstring curls...moved leg press later in the workout and to a narrow foot position to make it harder...and topped it off with a superset of weighted lunges and kettlebell swings. I thought I was going to throw up. I would be lying if I said that I wanted to do that last set of kettlebell swings...my heartrate was 192. It was one of the hardest leg workouts I've had in a long time. BUT, it was an amazing feeling to push through mental and physical barriers this morning...even just general fatigue. Don't get me wrong, I was glad it was over an hour and 20 minutes later...my quads could not take much more to be honest. But it was such a reminder to me that we sell ourselves short way too often. We are physically and mentally capable of so much, and yet often give ourselves permission to perform at 50% and pat ourselves on the back. We have more,...but we have to demand it of ourselves. Your 100% may not be the best, but the point is that its all you have. Give it.
Overall, it was a great day. Yes, I was pretty tired by 3pm, but rebounded better than on some other days. Tonight I'll probably pass out after dinner. I'm pooped. Tomorrow will be a normal hectic hump day....gotta love hump day. I'm going to hit some bicep/tricep and if my legs can actually operate, some cardio. Ehh...we'll see.
My cat is currently laying spread eagle on the floor with his paws in the air and his head cocked back. It looks like a feline crime scene. He is out of control.
Well, its after 8 and I can hardly keep my eyes open. Have a great night folks and remember to demand more tomorrow!! Happy lifting...
I chose the latter.
I can't explain it,...sometimes my decisions do not appear to make any sense....ha...
I bumped up the weight in squats and hamstring curls...moved leg press later in the workout and to a narrow foot position to make it harder...and topped it off with a superset of weighted lunges and kettlebell swings. I thought I was going to throw up. I would be lying if I said that I wanted to do that last set of kettlebell swings...my heartrate was 192. It was one of the hardest leg workouts I've had in a long time. BUT, it was an amazing feeling to push through mental and physical barriers this morning...even just general fatigue. Don't get me wrong, I was glad it was over an hour and 20 minutes later...my quads could not take much more to be honest. But it was such a reminder to me that we sell ourselves short way too often. We are physically and mentally capable of so much, and yet often give ourselves permission to perform at 50% and pat ourselves on the back. We have more,...but we have to demand it of ourselves. Your 100% may not be the best, but the point is that its all you have. Give it.
Overall, it was a great day. Yes, I was pretty tired by 3pm, but rebounded better than on some other days. Tonight I'll probably pass out after dinner. I'm pooped. Tomorrow will be a normal hectic hump day....gotta love hump day. I'm going to hit some bicep/tricep and if my legs can actually operate, some cardio. Ehh...we'll see.
My cat is currently laying spread eagle on the floor with his paws in the air and his head cocked back. It looks like a feline crime scene. He is out of control.
Well, its after 8 and I can hardly keep my eyes open. Have a great night folks and remember to demand more tomorrow!! Happy lifting...
Monday, November 14, 2011
Ready to rock
Monday came and went.
The day flew by and now here I am in a cabbage-coma and almost ready for bed. Yes, I'm still on my cabbage kick....my intestines are not too thrilled.
Weekend was good. I taught hip-hop on Saturday and was completely drained afterward. I had to take a nap around 3:00 before my husband and I went out on a sushi extravaganza. It was intense and I'm pretty sure the amount of raw fish and rice I ate should be outlawed. Oh but it was so good.
Sunday was my day off, thank God, which marked day 7 of no running...so I napped....again. I was pooped. I almost slept in church because the guest speaker went 20 minutes over. Everyone with ADD and lunch plans were near about going nuts, I'm over there fiddling with my hair, Grandpa was nodding off,...it was quite the scene. All that to say, I got some rest on the official day of rest.
I was ready to rock and roll today though. I felt pretty darn good. Workout was awesome....I had chest, shoulders, and then finished with 25 minutes of cardio....just enough not to drive me nuts. I felt strong, but would like to see my strength increase. I'm thinking that a creatine cycle is soon in my future....yeeeaaahhh...
Ok, its about that time. I'm starting to doze and still need to unpack and repack my gym bag...ugh....I hear my bed calling...
Niiiigghhhtt!!
The day flew by and now here I am in a cabbage-coma and almost ready for bed. Yes, I'm still on my cabbage kick....my intestines are not too thrilled.
Weekend was good. I taught hip-hop on Saturday and was completely drained afterward. I had to take a nap around 3:00 before my husband and I went out on a sushi extravaganza. It was intense and I'm pretty sure the amount of raw fish and rice I ate should be outlawed. Oh but it was so good.
Sunday was my day off, thank God, which marked day 7 of no running...so I napped....again. I was pooped. I almost slept in church because the guest speaker went 20 minutes over. Everyone with ADD and lunch plans were near about going nuts, I'm over there fiddling with my hair, Grandpa was nodding off,...it was quite the scene. All that to say, I got some rest on the official day of rest.
I was ready to rock and roll today though. I felt pretty darn good. Workout was awesome....I had chest, shoulders, and then finished with 25 minutes of cardio....just enough not to drive me nuts. I felt strong, but would like to see my strength increase. I'm thinking that a creatine cycle is soon in my future....yeeeaaahhh...
Ok, its about that time. I'm starting to doze and still need to unpack and repack my gym bag...ugh....I hear my bed calling...
Niiiigghhhtt!!
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Cabbage revenge
Its 2:30 and I have about 45 minutes of down-time before my next client. TJ Maxx is just across the street and calling my name like caffeine at 5am, and yet here I am practicing restraint. Truth is, I honestly do not want to move. My legs are killing me. Even while training clients this morning I've been on the foam roller...back and forth...back and forth...sweating and wanting to curse the whole time. My right hamstring is the worst. Its been throbbing all morning. Blah...enough of that...onward we go.
Had an interesting conversation with a woman this morning about "pushing through" and mentally being tuned-in while working out. She kept losing focus and getting distracted by things she simply could not change right there in the gym. Personally, I believe women struggle with this more than men. We tend to multi-task throughout the day like its a competition with ourselves to see how much we can think about, do, and plan-to-do at one time. We make it an Olympic sport. Its a horrible habit that truly robs us of living in the moment. And from a workout standpoint, the mind-muscle connection is CRITICAL. Going through the motions is pointless and leaves you feeling disconnected. Moreover, bringing all the "outside" issues into your workout time places all those things above yourself,...instead of owning that hour and allowing you to be the center focus. Its your time to experience challenge and struggle, but also the beauty of accomplishment and strength.
Yes, briefly putting aside the burdens of everyday life as a mother, wife, friend, employee, etc can be hard, but the fact is that we cannot be great at any of those roles if we do not first believe we are worth the time to take care of ourselves.
Here's a little strategy I use when I start to think I always need to be busy and not allow any "me" time...
I tell myself "I can do that later....or think about that in 3 hours..." Sounds silly, but what it does is 2-fold: It acknowledges that what I intend to get done or think about is still important (instead of completely disregarding it), and also it "gives me permission" to relax or unwind for a few hours without feeling guilty because I've already told myself I can do the other stuff later. Ironically, when the time comes for me to think about or do those other things later, I realize they were not that big of a deal to begin with and my "need" to accomplish them as quickly as possible was an overreaction. Funny how that happens. Oh the joys of OCD...
Hope that helps some of you...meanwhile, others of you are already making your list for tomorrow. Ha, I totally get it.
Workout today was great. No, I didn't do any cardio. Day 4 baby. I still do not miss it. Honestly, many competitors do ZERO cardio in the off season to focus on building muscle and simply recovering from months of dieting. When I was at my absolute leanest, I was ~11% bodyfat and doing cardio only twice a week for 30-40 minutes. That sounds like my kind of plan. HOWEVER, my diet was to the T and extremely strict. Not an ounce of alcohol in 18 months....and this was during college. Does anyone still do that? It should almost be outlawed. I made plenty of friends...it was a permanent DD situation. They all still owe me...big time...
Anyway, I did 16 sets worth of chest exercises and finished up with some core work. My chest is raw right now....but taking my mind off of my legs. Core work was decent, but due to the fact that I've eaten 2 heads of cabbage in the past 4 days, I'm a little bloated. Ok, a lot of bloated. I love it, but apparently the feeling is not mutual. Tonight I'll have to go with squash...
Whew, ok time to get back to work...its been a rainy, but great day thus far. Remember, FOCUS, be in the moment, and realize its your time!!
Had an interesting conversation with a woman this morning about "pushing through" and mentally being tuned-in while working out. She kept losing focus and getting distracted by things she simply could not change right there in the gym. Personally, I believe women struggle with this more than men. We tend to multi-task throughout the day like its a competition with ourselves to see how much we can think about, do, and plan-to-do at one time. We make it an Olympic sport. Its a horrible habit that truly robs us of living in the moment. And from a workout standpoint, the mind-muscle connection is CRITICAL. Going through the motions is pointless and leaves you feeling disconnected. Moreover, bringing all the "outside" issues into your workout time places all those things above yourself,...instead of owning that hour and allowing you to be the center focus. Its your time to experience challenge and struggle, but also the beauty of accomplishment and strength.
Yes, briefly putting aside the burdens of everyday life as a mother, wife, friend, employee, etc can be hard, but the fact is that we cannot be great at any of those roles if we do not first believe we are worth the time to take care of ourselves.
Here's a little strategy I use when I start to think I always need to be busy and not allow any "me" time...
I tell myself "I can do that later....or think about that in 3 hours..." Sounds silly, but what it does is 2-fold: It acknowledges that what I intend to get done or think about is still important (instead of completely disregarding it), and also it "gives me permission" to relax or unwind for a few hours without feeling guilty because I've already told myself I can do the other stuff later. Ironically, when the time comes for me to think about or do those other things later, I realize they were not that big of a deal to begin with and my "need" to accomplish them as quickly as possible was an overreaction. Funny how that happens. Oh the joys of OCD...
Hope that helps some of you...meanwhile, others of you are already making your list for tomorrow. Ha, I totally get it.
Workout today was great. No, I didn't do any cardio. Day 4 baby. I still do not miss it. Honestly, many competitors do ZERO cardio in the off season to focus on building muscle and simply recovering from months of dieting. When I was at my absolute leanest, I was ~11% bodyfat and doing cardio only twice a week for 30-40 minutes. That sounds like my kind of plan. HOWEVER, my diet was to the T and extremely strict. Not an ounce of alcohol in 18 months....and this was during college. Does anyone still do that? It should almost be outlawed. I made plenty of friends...it was a permanent DD situation. They all still owe me...big time...
Anyway, I did 16 sets worth of chest exercises and finished up with some core work. My chest is raw right now....but taking my mind off of my legs. Core work was decent, but due to the fact that I've eaten 2 heads of cabbage in the past 4 days, I'm a little bloated. Ok, a lot of bloated. I love it, but apparently the feeling is not mutual. Tonight I'll have to go with squash...
Whew, ok time to get back to work...its been a rainy, but great day thus far. Remember, FOCUS, be in the moment, and realize its your time!!
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
45 days...
Its said that absence makes the heart grow fonder. Well, I'm testing that theory on cardio. Day 3 of straight meat-head workouts with no cardio. I mentally (and probably physically) need a break from it. Today, there was simply no time, which, I was completely ok with. And truth is, if I know that keeping my diet completely clean does not strap me to doing extra cardio, I can resist.
I trained biceps/triceps like a champ and then hit the shower for the quickest scrub-down ever, before getting ready for my afternoon clients. Not sure I really cleaned anything, but isn't it funny how even if we simply stand under running water for more than 2 seconds we feel like we've accomplished some form of sanitation. Nice try.
Today was a good hump day.
I was more tired than I thought I'd be, considering that I got a solid 7 hours of sleep last night. I threw down some B-12 around 8am and I was ready to roll.
Soooo....they've posted the 2012 competition schedule and right now I'm leaning towards an August show. That would put me beginning to diet around April,...doable. The other one I'd plan for is in June. Everything is still up in the air, but I'd like to have a final decision by Christmas. 45 days for you slackers. I am a Christmas freak, so yes, I count the days....from May on. A little nuts, yes, but it gets me going.
Ok, time to get ready for bed. Chest and core tomorrow. Cardio? Ehhh...that's up for debate :)
Night!
I trained biceps/triceps like a champ and then hit the shower for the quickest scrub-down ever, before getting ready for my afternoon clients. Not sure I really cleaned anything, but isn't it funny how even if we simply stand under running water for more than 2 seconds we feel like we've accomplished some form of sanitation. Nice try.
Today was a good hump day.
I was more tired than I thought I'd be, considering that I got a solid 7 hours of sleep last night. I threw down some B-12 around 8am and I was ready to roll.
Soooo....they've posted the 2012 competition schedule and right now I'm leaning towards an August show. That would put me beginning to diet around April,...doable. The other one I'd plan for is in June. Everything is still up in the air, but I'd like to have a final decision by Christmas. 45 days for you slackers. I am a Christmas freak, so yes, I count the days....from May on. A little nuts, yes, but it gets me going.
Ok, time to get ready for bed. Chest and core tomorrow. Cardio? Ehhh...that's up for debate :)
Night!
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
3 years
Quick post.
Its after 9 and I am hardly coherent enough to form sentences. This whole daylight-savings thing is completely throwing me off. I'm all about supporting farmers, but when its 6pm and I feel like its 11pm,...not a good thing.
Workouts have been good this week so far, but I'm on my anti-cardio kick. I'm pretty sure its because I haven't really taken a day off in about 11 days and my body is exhausted. I can push through a weight workout, but asking me to hop on a treadmill for 45 minutes right now is like requesting a major organ. Just not going to happen. Today was leg day....enough said. I need sleep and some down time.
Oh, and today is our 3 year anniversary. Ryan was looking through our wedding book and said "wow babe, you were so small....your traps were like a 4th of the size they are now!".......The man certainly has a way with words. And this is why I love him.
Three years ago on our honeymoon:
Its after 9 and I am hardly coherent enough to form sentences. This whole daylight-savings thing is completely throwing me off. I'm all about supporting farmers, but when its 6pm and I feel like its 11pm,...not a good thing.
Workouts have been good this week so far, but I'm on my anti-cardio kick. I'm pretty sure its because I haven't really taken a day off in about 11 days and my body is exhausted. I can push through a weight workout, but asking me to hop on a treadmill for 45 minutes right now is like requesting a major organ. Just not going to happen. Today was leg day....enough said. I need sleep and some down time.
Oh, and today is our 3 year anniversary. Ryan was looking through our wedding book and said "wow babe, you were so small....your traps were like a 4th of the size they are now!".......The man certainly has a way with words. And this is why I love him.
Three years ago on our honeymoon:
Saturday, November 5, 2011
Decking my halls...
Saturday morning and I just finished bringing down all the Christmas decorations from the attic. I would have done it last week but the person in my neighborhood with a 9 foot inflatable pumpkin in their front yard sort of put a damper on my Christmas spirit. Actually, it was probably more my entire spirit and not just the Christmas aspect. Nothing huge and inflatable should go in your yard. Sorry, I can't take you seriously with a carnival going on in front of your house. And not sure which is more depressing, that they actually like it, or that they spent over 5 bucks for it...
Ironically, I love Christmas lights. My neighbor puts up lights that blink and play music....drives my OCD a little nuts, but he's living the Christmas dream. Rock on baby, rock on...
Pretty pumped about class this morning. I'm teaching hip-hop in a couple of hours...by far my favorite class to teach (outside of pure meat-head weight training). Its fun, edgy, and makes me feel like I'm in college again,...well,...sort of. I certainly was not dancing like that at 10 in the morning. Got to draw the line somewhere.
Workouts this week were pretty solid. I've been extremely sore since I did a little different split then normal just trying to mix things up. Here's what it looked like:
M - Back/Shoulders
T - Quads/Biceps (Strength)/Tris
W - HIIT
Th - Chest/Biceps (Hypertrophy)
F - Hamstrings, glutes/Shoulders
I hit shoulders and biceps twice because I really need to work on my proportion. I have "good sized" legs (nice way of putting it), so I need a balance up top to create more of a V-taper so my legs do not appear too big for my frame. Work in progress...always...
My cardio today will definitely come from teaching the class and then I'll probably grab a quick jog tomorrow at some point. Today is all about some hip-hop and Christmas...interesting combination, but I like to think that if it really is the most wonderful time of the year, shaking-what-your-mama-gave-ya totally fits in...
Have a great weekend :) Ready to roll Monday!!
Ironically, I love Christmas lights. My neighbor puts up lights that blink and play music....drives my OCD a little nuts, but he's living the Christmas dream. Rock on baby, rock on...
Pretty pumped about class this morning. I'm teaching hip-hop in a couple of hours...by far my favorite class to teach (outside of pure meat-head weight training). Its fun, edgy, and makes me feel like I'm in college again,...well,...sort of. I certainly was not dancing like that at 10 in the morning. Got to draw the line somewhere.
Workouts this week were pretty solid. I've been extremely sore since I did a little different split then normal just trying to mix things up. Here's what it looked like:
M - Back/Shoulders
T - Quads/Biceps (Strength)/Tris
W - HIIT
Th - Chest/Biceps (Hypertrophy)
F - Hamstrings, glutes/Shoulders
I hit shoulders and biceps twice because I really need to work on my proportion. I have "good sized" legs (nice way of putting it), so I need a balance up top to create more of a V-taper so my legs do not appear too big for my frame. Work in progress...always...
My cardio today will definitely come from teaching the class and then I'll probably grab a quick jog tomorrow at some point. Today is all about some hip-hop and Christmas...interesting combination, but I like to think that if it really is the most wonderful time of the year, shaking-what-your-mama-gave-ya totally fits in...
Have a great weekend :) Ready to roll Monday!!
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
...can't feel my lats...
November 2nd....so hard to believe.
Before I know it I'll be wrapping gifts and trying to keep Oscar from eating the ribbon. Idiot thinks its grass. Oh, its not...but comes out the other end looking exactly like it did going down. Hope none of you are eating right now. Just another perk to owning a cat...
Work was great today. Although, I had one incident that bothered me.
I finished up an initial evaluation with a female high school athlete and was going over her stats with her. 5'9" and 145 pounds with an appropriate body fat to be considered "active and fit". When I told her that I was happy with her weight (considering her height), she said "really?...because my mom says I weigh too much." I literally wanted to smack the mom...or at least give her the "Next-time-you-get-a-thought-just-let-it-go" look. Here's a young girl thinking that she's "overweight" because of some ignorant mother whose expertise is clearly not in this field. For the record, 5'9" and 145 lbs. with an athletic build is completely acceptable. She must have thought my 5'4" 130lb. frame was a tank....
I was just blown away and honestly felt sorry for the girl. I hope that as we work together she begins to see what "healthy" and "athletic" really looks like...
As far as my workout goes, it was time to sprint baby. Its been WEEKS since I've gone all out on sprints and I just felt the urge today. I started off with a good warm-up and then cranked it on some flat sprints for 20 minutes. The heartrate was up and my hamstrings were pulling. What surprised me the most though was how much my feet were cramping. Perhaps just from the actual pounding, but it was pretty intense by the end. I finished with 20 more minutes of walking at incline 13. I was pretty much done after that. I spent about 10 minutes on the foam roller....where I continued to curse and sweat profusely (pretty much my life in a nutshell), but I needed it. I am still unable to put all my weight on my quads on that thing. The pain literally makes me want to throw up. Not kidding.
Sooo....tomorrow will be chest and perhaps some core work. My body is ridiculously sore from the last 2 days workouts. If its possible to drown in lactic acid, I just might. Enough whining...
Well, its about that time...night peeps!
Before I know it I'll be wrapping gifts and trying to keep Oscar from eating the ribbon. Idiot thinks its grass. Oh, its not...but comes out the other end looking exactly like it did going down. Hope none of you are eating right now. Just another perk to owning a cat...
Work was great today. Although, I had one incident that bothered me.
I finished up an initial evaluation with a female high school athlete and was going over her stats with her. 5'9" and 145 pounds with an appropriate body fat to be considered "active and fit". When I told her that I was happy with her weight (considering her height), she said "really?...because my mom says I weigh too much." I literally wanted to smack the mom...or at least give her the "Next-time-you-get-a-thought-just-let-it-go" look. Here's a young girl thinking that she's "overweight" because of some ignorant mother whose expertise is clearly not in this field. For the record, 5'9" and 145 lbs. with an athletic build is completely acceptable. She must have thought my 5'4" 130lb. frame was a tank....
I was just blown away and honestly felt sorry for the girl. I hope that as we work together she begins to see what "healthy" and "athletic" really looks like...
As far as my workout goes, it was time to sprint baby. Its been WEEKS since I've gone all out on sprints and I just felt the urge today. I started off with a good warm-up and then cranked it on some flat sprints for 20 minutes. The heartrate was up and my hamstrings were pulling. What surprised me the most though was how much my feet were cramping. Perhaps just from the actual pounding, but it was pretty intense by the end. I finished with 20 more minutes of walking at incline 13. I was pretty much done after that. I spent about 10 minutes on the foam roller....where I continued to curse and sweat profusely (pretty much my life in a nutshell), but I needed it. I am still unable to put all my weight on my quads on that thing. The pain literally makes me want to throw up. Not kidding.
Sooo....tomorrow will be chest and perhaps some core work. My body is ridiculously sore from the last 2 days workouts. If its possible to drown in lactic acid, I just might. Enough whining...
Well, its about that time...night peeps!
Monday, October 31, 2011
Spooky...
Aaannnnddd here we are.
Monday,....Halloween.
I had all intentions of dressing up today for work, but my dad completely screwed up all my plans. Seriously. I was going to where his polyester coaching shorts from 1986, some tube socks, and even rock a whistle all day...(which, would have been taken away from me in about 3 seconds). BUT, apparently, my mom took them to goodwill. So somewhere there is a man rocking some yellow indestructible coaching shorts. He's the man and totally doesn't know it.
Whew, what a weekend. I had my conference in Myrtle Beach, and honestly enjoyed every minute...well, except for watching the World Series alone in my hotel room yelling obscenities at the TV as the Rangers blew it. Let's not get into that one. Nonetheless, it was energizing and I learned a ton. One thing that I really caught my attention was the most recent research on weight/health as it pertains to your lifestyle. Ultimately, you are fighting a much harder battle if you are sedentary for the majority of your day. They haven't determined the exact amount of time, but they do know that you need to stand up and move for a least 1 minute every 30 minutes to remotely counter-act things that are going on at the cellular level that are promoting fat storage/fat gain. Crazy, but we truly were made to move.
I thought about this today as I was at work. From 5:30 to 6pm I sat down for a total of 10 minutes (to and from Target in the car). BUT, I do remember when I first started training, and standing for only 4 hours was tough. Now I run around like I'm on speed...can you imagine....
Let's talk workout.
I mixed things up a little today/this week. I did back and shoulders today, then finished with 45 minutes of cardio. My back was s-h-o-t afterwards....but it was a great feeling. I haven't lifted like that in months, so it was a nice change. I was even able to stretch a little afterward (which I desperately need). Should have seen me in a sports/yoga class I took this weekend. That crazy woman wanted us to stand on our heads, stretch our hamstrings against the wall like we were a human pretzel, and there I was struggling to even sit cross-legged for the warm-up. It was me and this 250+ pound bodybuilder in the back of the room taking turns laughing at each other. Honestly, we looked ridiculous. All that to say, I realized pretty darn quick how badly I need to stretch....wake up call...
Ok, mama is tired...time for some shut-eye...
Niiiiight!
Monday,....Halloween.
I had all intentions of dressing up today for work, but my dad completely screwed up all my plans. Seriously. I was going to where his polyester coaching shorts from 1986, some tube socks, and even rock a whistle all day...(which, would have been taken away from me in about 3 seconds). BUT, apparently, my mom took them to goodwill. So somewhere there is a man rocking some yellow indestructible coaching shorts. He's the man and totally doesn't know it.
Whew, what a weekend. I had my conference in Myrtle Beach, and honestly enjoyed every minute...well, except for watching the World Series alone in my hotel room yelling obscenities at the TV as the Rangers blew it. Let's not get into that one. Nonetheless, it was energizing and I learned a ton. One thing that I really caught my attention was the most recent research on weight/health as it pertains to your lifestyle. Ultimately, you are fighting a much harder battle if you are sedentary for the majority of your day. They haven't determined the exact amount of time, but they do know that you need to stand up and move for a least 1 minute every 30 minutes to remotely counter-act things that are going on at the cellular level that are promoting fat storage/fat gain. Crazy, but we truly were made to move.
I thought about this today as I was at work. From 5:30 to 6pm I sat down for a total of 10 minutes (to and from Target in the car). BUT, I do remember when I first started training, and standing for only 4 hours was tough. Now I run around like I'm on speed...can you imagine....
Let's talk workout.
I mixed things up a little today/this week. I did back and shoulders today, then finished with 45 minutes of cardio. My back was s-h-o-t afterwards....but it was a great feeling. I haven't lifted like that in months, so it was a nice change. I was even able to stretch a little afterward (which I desperately need). Should have seen me in a sports/yoga class I took this weekend. That crazy woman wanted us to stand on our heads, stretch our hamstrings against the wall like we were a human pretzel, and there I was struggling to even sit cross-legged for the warm-up. It was me and this 250+ pound bodybuilder in the back of the room taking turns laughing at each other. Honestly, we looked ridiculous. All that to say, I realized pretty darn quick how badly I need to stretch....wake up call...
Ok, mama is tired...time for some shut-eye...
Niiiiight!
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Mirror, Mirror, on the wall...
It's after 8 and I need to be packing for my trip tomorrow. Yet, here I sit...scarfing down the last of my chicken/squash/cottage cheese concoction. When in doubt, throw cottage cheese on it....or peanut butter. Whatever food you mention, there's a 95% chance I've put one of these on it...and liked it.
It was a busy, but good day. I was able to get an extra 45 minutes of sleep, which was absolutely amazing. I scared the crap out of myself when I looked in the mirror this morning. Ever wake up, take a glance, and truly wonder if you actually drank in your sleep? Yeah, one of those mornings. But the train moves on.
I had a wonderful day with clients. This sounds slightly nuts, but sometimes I get chills watching someone move with genuine, God-given athletic ability. Fluid movement, complete body-awareness...its awesome. Honestly, there are some things you simply cannot teach. Yes, every body is trainable, BUT some people just seem to move with grace and make it appear effortless. Very cool.
As far as my training goes, I just had cardio today. My hamstrings were killing me from straight leg deadlifts yesterday, so 5 miles on the treadmill felt like 10. I stretched for about 3 minutes afterward and had to get a quick shower before my next clients. Tomorrow is upper body and then I'll be at a conference Friday/Saturday, so my exercise will be an ungodly amount of workshops. Its great though...gets me fired up and ready to return to the gym on my meathead-high or something. Monday clients should probably prepare themselves. Oh oh, AND Monday is Halloween....which, I'm still planning to dress up for, IF my dad comes through on an item of clothing I need. Yes, I still wear my father's clothes. Is that odd?...
Ok, time to clean up the kitchen,...wash my hair...then hit the bed. My hair has been pulled back under a thick headband all day, all gross and sweaty, so it currently looks like I have a mullet. Nope, that's not hairspray, that's sweat....sometimes I disgust myself.
Have a wonderful night folks....attack your Thursday :)
It was a busy, but good day. I was able to get an extra 45 minutes of sleep, which was absolutely amazing. I scared the crap out of myself when I looked in the mirror this morning. Ever wake up, take a glance, and truly wonder if you actually drank in your sleep? Yeah, one of those mornings. But the train moves on.
I had a wonderful day with clients. This sounds slightly nuts, but sometimes I get chills watching someone move with genuine, God-given athletic ability. Fluid movement, complete body-awareness...its awesome. Honestly, there are some things you simply cannot teach. Yes, every body is trainable, BUT some people just seem to move with grace and make it appear effortless. Very cool.
As far as my training goes, I just had cardio today. My hamstrings were killing me from straight leg deadlifts yesterday, so 5 miles on the treadmill felt like 10. I stretched for about 3 minutes afterward and had to get a quick shower before my next clients. Tomorrow is upper body and then I'll be at a conference Friday/Saturday, so my exercise will be an ungodly amount of workshops. Its great though...gets me fired up and ready to return to the gym on my meathead-high or something. Monday clients should probably prepare themselves. Oh oh, AND Monday is Halloween....which, I'm still planning to dress up for, IF my dad comes through on an item of clothing I need. Yes, I still wear my father's clothes. Is that odd?...
Ok, time to clean up the kitchen,...wash my hair...then hit the bed. My hair has been pulled back under a thick headband all day, all gross and sweaty, so it currently looks like I have a mullet. Nope, that's not hairspray, that's sweat....sometimes I disgust myself.
Have a wonderful night folks....attack your Thursday :)
Monday, October 24, 2011
Down for the count...
Today I manged to survive off of 3 1/2 hours of sleep. That's right,...coming from someone who is religiously in bed by 9:30, this was a mini-nightmare. I tossed and turned with an upset stomach from 10 until 1am. When the alarm went off at 4:20 I nearly threw it across the room. I was more angry than any human should experience so early in the morning. What a way to start the week...
By the time I had to workout, my stomach was feeling better, but my heartrate was up and my eyes were watering from being so tired. Yes, everything felt heavy. Especially pull-ups....like hauling a tank...a huge ass tank. Overall, I was ok with the weights and here's what I did for upper body:
Incline DB press 4 x 8
Wide grip pull-ups 4 x 8
DB flys 4 x 8
Bent over BB row 4 x 8
BB shoulder press (drop-set) 4 x 8/8
NG pull-downs/ss BB curls 4 x 10/10
DB lateral raises (drop set) 4 x 8/8
Alternating hammer curls 4 x 10 each
40 minutes cardio
Now I'm sitting here staring at dirty dishes and a pile of unopened mail like its Mt. Everest. I had cabbage tonight.....which, might prove to be a dumb decision...we'll see. What a long day....a good day,...but a long day. I have a feeling that my ability to function without a heavy dose of caffeine and/or prozac tomorrow is questionable. I've got legs/core, which, I've got to pound out pretty hard since I won't lift legs on Friday. I've got a conference this weekend....meathead convention...that I am extremely pumped about! So much spandex.....home sweet home.
Ok, time for bed. I am pooped. If I don't sleep tonight....actually, lets not even entertain that thought....
Happy Monday...night!
By the time I had to workout, my stomach was feeling better, but my heartrate was up and my eyes were watering from being so tired. Yes, everything felt heavy. Especially pull-ups....like hauling a tank...a huge ass tank. Overall, I was ok with the weights and here's what I did for upper body:
Incline DB press 4 x 8
Wide grip pull-ups 4 x 8
DB flys 4 x 8
Bent over BB row 4 x 8
BB shoulder press (drop-set) 4 x 8/8
NG pull-downs/ss BB curls 4 x 10/10
DB lateral raises (drop set) 4 x 8/8
Alternating hammer curls 4 x 10 each
40 minutes cardio
Now I'm sitting here staring at dirty dishes and a pile of unopened mail like its Mt. Everest. I had cabbage tonight.....which, might prove to be a dumb decision...we'll see. What a long day....a good day,...but a long day. I have a feeling that my ability to function without a heavy dose of caffeine and/or prozac tomorrow is questionable. I've got legs/core, which, I've got to pound out pretty hard since I won't lift legs on Friday. I've got a conference this weekend....meathead convention...that I am extremely pumped about! So much spandex.....home sweet home.
Ok, time for bed. I am pooped. If I don't sleep tonight....actually, lets not even entertain that thought....
Happy Monday...night!
Friday, October 21, 2011
ALL*STAR
Its Friday morning...8:30am and all my plans of sleeping in were terminated when I woke up at 4:35,...then 5:15,...then 5:40,...at 6:02 I said screw it and got up. My internal clock has turrets.
So basically, I've already vacuumed, scrubbed the bathrooms, dusted, done 2 loads of laundry, cleaned the hardwood floors, and baked muffins for a friend. Sorry Martha, you have nothing on me right now. I am on an OCD roll...this may all come crashing down by noon...
What a week.
I am honestly drained and need a quiet day to catch up. My plans are to see how long I can go without a conversation...yes, that's how tired I am. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely LOVE working with people and would not trade my career for the world, but its exhausting and I have weeks when I know I've got to recharge a bit. This is one of those weeks. My workouts have been great and am actually looking forward to my jog tomorrow. Yes, I said it...look for the rapture...
It's mainly because the weather is unbelievable right now. You can't beat a fall day in NC. Today I'll do legs and core up here at our neighborhood fitness center. It's small and doesn't have a lot of heavy weights, so I'll have to bombard my legs with supersets and tri-sets "and bears oh my!" Ok, lack of sleep is officially getting to me when I whip out jokes like that. I just disappointed myself...ha...
So anyway, that is the plan for today.
And, here's the last thing I need to share....and this is when being a shoe-whore makes for a great aunt...
I ordered these for my oldest niece and they came in yesterday:
My best friend says I have a problem. This is when I choose not to listen to my best friend and live in denial. I like it here...they know me here...
Oh me...time to organize the tupperware cabinet. God I need a life...
Have a wonderful Friday and weekend :)
So basically, I've already vacuumed, scrubbed the bathrooms, dusted, done 2 loads of laundry, cleaned the hardwood floors, and baked muffins for a friend. Sorry Martha, you have nothing on me right now. I am on an OCD roll...this may all come crashing down by noon...
What a week.
I am honestly drained and need a quiet day to catch up. My plans are to see how long I can go without a conversation...yes, that's how tired I am. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely LOVE working with people and would not trade my career for the world, but its exhausting and I have weeks when I know I've got to recharge a bit. This is one of those weeks. My workouts have been great and am actually looking forward to my jog tomorrow. Yes, I said it...look for the rapture...
It's mainly because the weather is unbelievable right now. You can't beat a fall day in NC. Today I'll do legs and core up here at our neighborhood fitness center. It's small and doesn't have a lot of heavy weights, so I'll have to bombard my legs with supersets and tri-sets "and bears oh my!" Ok, lack of sleep is officially getting to me when I whip out jokes like that. I just disappointed myself...ha...
So anyway, that is the plan for today.
And, here's the last thing I need to share....and this is when being a shoe-whore makes for a great aunt...
I ordered these for my oldest niece and they came in yesterday:
My best friend says I have a problem. This is when I choose not to listen to my best friend and live in denial. I like it here...they know me here...
Oh me...time to organize the tupperware cabinet. God I need a life...
Have a wonderful Friday and weekend :)
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Like a rock...
Hump day, you win.
Perhaps the longest hump day ever.....ok fine, slightly dramatic, but it was a long day. Rainy, gray, just one of those days that makes you appreciate nice weather.
As far as training, all I had was cardio today. 5 mile run and I was done. I spent a few minutes stretching (much needed), and then just wanted to sleep in the shower....not logical, I get it. But there is already a darn seat in there, which, who honestly uses those under the age of 72? I just feel awkward sitting in the shower....like I'm going to read a book and enjoy a coffee or something. Get in, get out. I am a 5 minute shower person....maybe 7 if I break the head off the razor and can't seem to get the thing back on...leaving me with one shaved leg (happened twice last week). In that case, I fidget with it for approximately 20 seconds and spend the other minute-40 saying things that no one would appreciate because I am alone in the shower cursing at a dysfunctional razor. Boooo....
Boy was that a tangent.
Anyway, great day with clients....many laughs and many looks of momentary-detest...I get it, its ok. Tomorrow looks to be a good day. Typical Thursday, finishing by 7pm, then home for some dinner and Jersey Shore. I should feel bad that I watch it,...and yet I don't...eh...
Oh, a lady in the grocery store called me "small but firm and sturdy" today. It made me laugh. She basically could have been describing me,...a boat,....a statue,....a stool,....or a bedpost. I personally like the word "solid"....like a boulder or something. Ha. I take no offense, it was a sweet compliment and made my day.
Have a great night!
Perhaps the longest hump day ever.....ok fine, slightly dramatic, but it was a long day. Rainy, gray, just one of those days that makes you appreciate nice weather.
As far as training, all I had was cardio today. 5 mile run and I was done. I spent a few minutes stretching (much needed), and then just wanted to sleep in the shower....not logical, I get it. But there is already a darn seat in there, which, who honestly uses those under the age of 72? I just feel awkward sitting in the shower....like I'm going to read a book and enjoy a coffee or something. Get in, get out. I am a 5 minute shower person....maybe 7 if I break the head off the razor and can't seem to get the thing back on...leaving me with one shaved leg (happened twice last week). In that case, I fidget with it for approximately 20 seconds and spend the other minute-40 saying things that no one would appreciate because I am alone in the shower cursing at a dysfunctional razor. Boooo....
Boy was that a tangent.
Anyway, great day with clients....many laughs and many looks of momentary-detest...I get it, its ok. Tomorrow looks to be a good day. Typical Thursday, finishing by 7pm, then home for some dinner and Jersey Shore. I should feel bad that I watch it,...and yet I don't...eh...
Oh, a lady in the grocery store called me "small but firm and sturdy" today. It made me laugh. She basically could have been describing me,...a boat,....a statue,....a stool,....or a bedpost. I personally like the word "solid"....like a boulder or something. Ha. I take no offense, it was a sweet compliment and made my day.
Have a great night!
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
10 years later, mooning is still funny...
Whew...Tuesday night, finally able to breath a little bit.
Ever since last Monday its been one thing after another, through the weekend, and into this week. All good stuff, just busy.
I had my high school reunion this weekend. There were way too many stories told that began with "Hey Meredith, remember that time you...".....actually, I tried to forget. But thank you for reminding me of when I did something stupid 10 years ago...
Honestly though, we all had a great time, BUT....I have not stayed up until 3am in a loooonngg time and I felt like death on Sunday. Those are the moments I am reminded that my body loves going to bed at 9pm and am perfectly fine with a mediocre social life. Nodding off in church was icing on the cake...especially when you're sitting next to your 93 year old grandpa who can't hear a darn thing but still manages to stay awake. I was pretty much worthless that day.
Despite lack of sleep, I've had great workouts the last two days. Here was my Monday workout:
Lat pull down 4 x 8
Incline DB press 4 x 8
SA pull-down 4 x 8each
DB flys/ss push-ups 4 x 8-10 each
BB shoulder press 4 x 8
Bicep pull-down 4 x 10-12
Lateral DB raises 4 x 10-12
Alternating DB curls 4 x 10 each
Overhead rope extension 4 x 10-12
Finished with 45 minute jog
My hamstrings were still sore today from straight leg deadlifts that I did on Friday, so my leg workout today was slightly painful. Weights stayed high though, so I can't complain.
I am stuffed. I'm sitting here looking at the rest of my dinner with absolutely no desire to finish. I went a little nuts on the squash.....too excited to use my julienne peeler. That freaky little cutter rocks my texture-obsessed world right now. I've cut myself twice...in the past 3 days. Sad. I think I've been eating the same dinner now for 4 weeks because of that thing. Don't judge me...I have my ways.
Ok, clean-up time...then bed. I am excited about sleep...and I realize that made me sound like I have no life at all. Its fine, I get it. Have a lovely night folks,...here we come hump day!
Ever since last Monday its been one thing after another, through the weekend, and into this week. All good stuff, just busy.
I had my high school reunion this weekend. There were way too many stories told that began with "Hey Meredith, remember that time you...".....actually, I tried to forget. But thank you for reminding me of when I did something stupid 10 years ago...
Honestly though, we all had a great time, BUT....I have not stayed up until 3am in a loooonngg time and I felt like death on Sunday. Those are the moments I am reminded that my body loves going to bed at 9pm and am perfectly fine with a mediocre social life. Nodding off in church was icing on the cake...especially when you're sitting next to your 93 year old grandpa who can't hear a darn thing but still manages to stay awake. I was pretty much worthless that day.
Despite lack of sleep, I've had great workouts the last two days. Here was my Monday workout:
Lat pull down 4 x 8
Incline DB press 4 x 8
SA pull-down 4 x 8each
DB flys/ss push-ups 4 x 8-10 each
BB shoulder press 4 x 8
Bicep pull-down 4 x 10-12
Lateral DB raises 4 x 10-12
Alternating DB curls 4 x 10 each
Overhead rope extension 4 x 10-12
Finished with 45 minute jog
My hamstrings were still sore today from straight leg deadlifts that I did on Friday, so my leg workout today was slightly painful. Weights stayed high though, so I can't complain.
I am stuffed. I'm sitting here looking at the rest of my dinner with absolutely no desire to finish. I went a little nuts on the squash.....too excited to use my julienne peeler. That freaky little cutter rocks my texture-obsessed world right now. I've cut myself twice...in the past 3 days. Sad. I think I've been eating the same dinner now for 4 weeks because of that thing. Don't judge me...I have my ways.
Ok, clean-up time...then bed. I am excited about sleep...and I realize that made me sound like I have no life at all. Its fine, I get it. Have a lovely night folks,...here we come hump day!
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
The next 24 hours
Rainy day...
Its amazing how your body just wants to sleep, preferably in fetal position, when its gross outside. I probably could have crawled back in bed at any given point during the day...one of those days...
Workout was great. It was leg/core day....I squatted until I thought I might bleed. 5 sets of 8 to start off the workout. But honestly, I felt strong through the entire thing. I finished with 35 minutes of cardio...mixing incline walking, jogging, and the elliptical. I needed a little variety...
Random thoughts...
Today I was struck by this whole notion of will power. Where does it stem from and why does it seem like some people "have more" when it comes to fitness/nutrition. And, is it more about ignoring natural tendencies/desires or focusing solely on the end goal to the point that distractions are not even in our peripheral vision? And where is the line in practicing adequate will power to resist those things that cause you to stray while also giving yourself permission to achieve excellence but not this intangible notion of perfection? A client once said "striving for perfection is dehumanizing." I couldn't agree more. There is no such thing...a mere self-constructed and often inaccurate measure of success that leaves everything short of it deemed as failure. Sounds extreme and ridiculous and yet we do it all the time....
Perhaps I don't have any answers to this random side-note, but I'll leave you with this...
Perfection implies a destination, a tangible end....but there is no end here.How about we shift our focus from the will power we think we need to achieve our distorted idea of our "perfect selves" and simply practice the discipline it takes to get up everyday and approach the next 24 hours as small opportunities to improve. Change the focus to one positive, offensive decision at a time....each a step...equally important....leading to a better, healthier, more-aware self.
On that note, have a great night :)
Its amazing how your body just wants to sleep, preferably in fetal position, when its gross outside. I probably could have crawled back in bed at any given point during the day...one of those days...
Workout was great. It was leg/core day....I squatted until I thought I might bleed. 5 sets of 8 to start off the workout. But honestly, I felt strong through the entire thing. I finished with 35 minutes of cardio...mixing incline walking, jogging, and the elliptical. I needed a little variety...
Random thoughts...
Today I was struck by this whole notion of will power. Where does it stem from and why does it seem like some people "have more" when it comes to fitness/nutrition. And, is it more about ignoring natural tendencies/desires or focusing solely on the end goal to the point that distractions are not even in our peripheral vision? And where is the line in practicing adequate will power to resist those things that cause you to stray while also giving yourself permission to achieve excellence but not this intangible notion of perfection? A client once said "striving for perfection is dehumanizing." I couldn't agree more. There is no such thing...a mere self-constructed and often inaccurate measure of success that leaves everything short of it deemed as failure. Sounds extreme and ridiculous and yet we do it all the time....
Perhaps I don't have any answers to this random side-note, but I'll leave you with this...
Perfection implies a destination, a tangible end....but there is no end here.How about we shift our focus from the will power we think we need to achieve our distorted idea of our "perfect selves" and simply practice the discipline it takes to get up everyday and approach the next 24 hours as small opportunities to improve. Change the focus to one positive, offensive decision at a time....each a step...equally important....leading to a better, healthier, more-aware self.
On that note, have a great night :)
Monday, October 10, 2011
Freckled
Back from the beach and trying hard to rock some-what-of-a-tan in October. I excitedly wore shorts today to work...and will proceed to do that until my color fades and I return to my deathly-white hue once again. Someone told me today that I "look better with some color"...that's the nice way of saying from fall to spring you look horrible. Thank you...I will work on that :)
The beach was great...we were by far the youngest people there. Average age had to have been 73. Needless to say, if a wet t-shirt contest broke out we were out of there....although, I think I might be able to win this one....hmmm...
Anyway, it was a whirlwind trip but much needed. To be honest, I can only "vacate" for so long...actually, about 3 days and then I'm ready to return to my normal schedule. Damn OCD.
Back to the grind today. Workout felt great...started off a little slow, but kept my numbers up and I was pleased by the end. I switched back to an upper/lower split. I never thought I'd like it as much as I do, but it sent my strength through the roof and I honestly felt like my upper body had enough time to recover. So, I'm keeping all major strength moves (presses, pull-ups, rows) around 8 reps, and isolation movements (curls, tricep extensions, DB raises) around 12-15 reps. I finished with 45 minutes of cardio...4 mile run and then a hike up an incline to finish out the rest. Right hamstring was screaming bloody murder by the end...ridiculous.
Had a new client today tell me that his old trainer said oatmeal was bad and he should not eat it. I nearly cursed out loud and messed my pants at the same time...which would have been perfect timing and some serious talent. Honestly, I couldn't believe it. Oatmeal? Really?! Poor guy was so carb deprived he was eying my arm like a doughnut hole. Needless to say, we cleared that up pretty quick. He will probably drool in his bowl tomorrow morning....goal achieved...
Oh man,...time for some sleep. Happy Columbus Day...whatever that entails...shopping, no school,...that seems to be how we roll when it comes to holidays. Gear up for Tuesday :)
The beach was great...we were by far the youngest people there. Average age had to have been 73. Needless to say, if a wet t-shirt contest broke out we were out of there....although, I think I might be able to win this one....hmmm...
Anyway, it was a whirlwind trip but much needed. To be honest, I can only "vacate" for so long...actually, about 3 days and then I'm ready to return to my normal schedule. Damn OCD.
Back to the grind today. Workout felt great...started off a little slow, but kept my numbers up and I was pleased by the end. I switched back to an upper/lower split. I never thought I'd like it as much as I do, but it sent my strength through the roof and I honestly felt like my upper body had enough time to recover. So, I'm keeping all major strength moves (presses, pull-ups, rows) around 8 reps, and isolation movements (curls, tricep extensions, DB raises) around 12-15 reps. I finished with 45 minutes of cardio...4 mile run and then a hike up an incline to finish out the rest. Right hamstring was screaming bloody murder by the end...ridiculous.
Had a new client today tell me that his old trainer said oatmeal was bad and he should not eat it. I nearly cursed out loud and messed my pants at the same time...which would have been perfect timing and some serious talent. Honestly, I couldn't believe it. Oatmeal? Really?! Poor guy was so carb deprived he was eying my arm like a doughnut hole. Needless to say, we cleared that up pretty quick. He will probably drool in his bowl tomorrow morning....goal achieved...
Oh man,...time for some sleep. Happy Columbus Day...whatever that entails...shopping, no school,...that seems to be how we roll when it comes to holidays. Gear up for Tuesday :)
Friday, October 7, 2011
Sandy bottoms
Made it to the beach...
I slept 9 hours last night...practically in a coma.
Got up, ran 5 miles, just finished some breakfast and am ready to hit the beach. I'm lathered up in a whopping 4spf sunscreen (mom would not be proud), but I've got 48 hours to return to NC not looking like a someone with polio. Here we go...
Honestly, I am more than ready to REST. My body is fatigued, my mind is fatigued,...there seems to be a trend. My strength over the last couple of weeks has been ok, but not where I'd like it. It has not been consistent. Not good. Hopefully these couple of days will be restful and get me roll'n for next week.
I've enjoyed mixing up my lifting over the last 2 weeks...hitting every muscle group twice, but I may go back to an upper/lower split in a couple of weeks. I just don't like hitting some sort of upper body 4 days per week. Even though its different muscle groups, my grip gets weak and I just don't think I'm maximizing my strength/energy. Every body is different...
Ok, time to pack the beach bag (and cooler), and hit the beach. The plan = sleep...moan....sleep...turn over....moan....sleep....you get the point.
Happy Friday folks :)
I slept 9 hours last night...practically in a coma.
Got up, ran 5 miles, just finished some breakfast and am ready to hit the beach. I'm lathered up in a whopping 4spf sunscreen (mom would not be proud), but I've got 48 hours to return to NC not looking like a someone with polio. Here we go...
Honestly, I am more than ready to REST. My body is fatigued, my mind is fatigued,...there seems to be a trend. My strength over the last couple of weeks has been ok, but not where I'd like it. It has not been consistent. Not good. Hopefully these couple of days will be restful and get me roll'n for next week.
I've enjoyed mixing up my lifting over the last 2 weeks...hitting every muscle group twice, but I may go back to an upper/lower split in a couple of weeks. I just don't like hitting some sort of upper body 4 days per week. Even though its different muscle groups, my grip gets weak and I just don't think I'm maximizing my strength/energy. Every body is different...
Ok, time to pack the beach bag (and cooler), and hit the beach. The plan = sleep...moan....sleep...turn over....moan....sleep....you get the point.
Happy Friday folks :)
Monday, October 3, 2011
Meat me
Monday mornings always come with a rude awakening. There's no way around it. One minute you are drifting off to sleep and truly excited about some shut-eye, and what seems like 5 minutes later the alarm is screaming at you. Mine screams. I literally fell out of bed and stumbled my way to the bathroom to get ready for the day. Next thing I knew I was at work and rolling.
I was pretty pumped about wearing a hoodie today. My God I love a good hoodie. And its finally not 95 degrees outside so I rocked it like it was my job......it sort of is.
The day flowed well, but I was DONE after my workout. I had back, delts, and biceps today, and finished with a 4.5 mile jog. Strength felt good, and I will be extremely surprised if my shoulders are not ridiculously sore tomorrow. I've got to switch my lifting up a little this week since I am heading to the beach on Thursday afternoon....yes, a mini-vacation. Much needed. Honestly though, without a tan, I'm not so sure how the whole on-the-beach-in-a-bikini thing will go. My coloring (lack there of) should be a crime right now. Nonetheless, I will role with it and enjoy the extra vitamin D.
Had an interesting conversation with a client today about being vegetarian/vegan/carnivore. Every body is different and has different demands,...however, you cannot honestly convince me that a vegan diet is the way to go. To completely eliminate entire food groups that are nutritionally packed is extreme and actually makes you more susceptible to deficiencies. Moreover, I cannot imagine trying to get 180-190g of protein a day WITHOUT having eggs, meat, or fish as an option. And no, I don't count beans. My bowels would explode before I hit 180g. Just thinking about it makes me slightly angry. I am perfectly fine eating animals....I'll let you know when I start feeling bad about it.
Well, on that note, I just finished my squash/CHICKEN concoction and the dishes will not clean themselves unfortunately. Clean up and then bedtime. Here we come Tuesday!...
I was pretty pumped about wearing a hoodie today. My God I love a good hoodie. And its finally not 95 degrees outside so I rocked it like it was my job......it sort of is.
The day flowed well, but I was DONE after my workout. I had back, delts, and biceps today, and finished with a 4.5 mile jog. Strength felt good, and I will be extremely surprised if my shoulders are not ridiculously sore tomorrow. I've got to switch my lifting up a little this week since I am heading to the beach on Thursday afternoon....yes, a mini-vacation. Much needed. Honestly though, without a tan, I'm not so sure how the whole on-the-beach-in-a-bikini thing will go. My coloring (lack there of) should be a crime right now. Nonetheless, I will role with it and enjoy the extra vitamin D.
Had an interesting conversation with a client today about being vegetarian/vegan/carnivore. Every body is different and has different demands,...however, you cannot honestly convince me that a vegan diet is the way to go. To completely eliminate entire food groups that are nutritionally packed is extreme and actually makes you more susceptible to deficiencies. Moreover, I cannot imagine trying to get 180-190g of protein a day WITHOUT having eggs, meat, or fish as an option. And no, I don't count beans. My bowels would explode before I hit 180g. Just thinking about it makes me slightly angry. I am perfectly fine eating animals....I'll let you know when I start feeling bad about it.
Well, on that note, I just finished my squash/CHICKEN concoction and the dishes will not clean themselves unfortunately. Clean up and then bedtime. Here we come Tuesday!...
Friday, September 30, 2011
Scrub it
Friday morning and I was awaken from a coma at 6:08am when the alarm went off. I was scheduled to go in for a client this morning, who ended up getting caught up at the hospital (for work) and had to cancel. So here I am...already blogging and cleaning stuff by 8am. Ridiculous. While I was excited to go into work, I certainly could use the extra moments to get caught up on some things. Like laundry. I've managed to wear dirty workout clothes a couple of times over the past 2 weeks, which, I will not deny is disgusting considering how much I sweat. And as you cringe, I have no doubt that there is something pretty gross that you do as well....I just happen to admit mine to America over the internet.
Workouts this week have been great. I'm keeping everything 10-12 reps, but the weight is heavier and more manageable than last week. Feels good. I changed my workout split just a little:
Monday: back/delts/bi
Tuesday: legs/chest/tri
Wednesday: cardio
Thursday: back/delts (more emph)/bi
Friday: leg (ham emph)/chest/tri
I like hitting each body part twice a week, and I've kept legs shy of failure so that I can get in all my running without feeling like I'm about to die on the treadmill. Its going well, and my jogs are starting to go by a little faster (thank God!). The next 4-5 weeks will go like this, and then I'll switch it up again. Got to keep the body guessing...
Started back with my oatmeal in the morning. It still looks like vomit with my egg white chunks in it, but I figure I'm saving my digestive system a step if I go ahead and put it in the form it will soon take in my gut. Only kidding,...but sort of true. If you haven't tried peanut butter in your oatmeal you are missing out in life. You are depriving yourself. You have not yet arrived. (This is my attempt to get you to throw in that nutty-goodness and get with the program). Life's too short to eat plain oatmeal.
Ah yes, back to cleaning and then getting my workout in...
Have an awesome weekend folks!!!
Workouts this week have been great. I'm keeping everything 10-12 reps, but the weight is heavier and more manageable than last week. Feels good. I changed my workout split just a little:
Monday: back/delts/bi
Tuesday: legs/chest/tri
Wednesday: cardio
Thursday: back/delts (more emph)/bi
Friday: leg (ham emph)/chest/tri
I like hitting each body part twice a week, and I've kept legs shy of failure so that I can get in all my running without feeling like I'm about to die on the treadmill. Its going well, and my jogs are starting to go by a little faster (thank God!). The next 4-5 weeks will go like this, and then I'll switch it up again. Got to keep the body guessing...
Started back with my oatmeal in the morning. It still looks like vomit with my egg white chunks in it, but I figure I'm saving my digestive system a step if I go ahead and put it in the form it will soon take in my gut. Only kidding,...but sort of true. If you haven't tried peanut butter in your oatmeal you are missing out in life. You are depriving yourself. You have not yet arrived. (This is my attempt to get you to throw in that nutty-goodness and get with the program). Life's too short to eat plain oatmeal.
Ah yes, back to cleaning and then getting my workout in...
Have an awesome weekend folks!!!
Monday, September 26, 2011
Opening doors
Monday,...here I am.
Coming off of an eventful weekend, the alarm went off a little too early this morning. I finished the week with a bout with the pilates reformer machine...Anna nearly killed me. My inner thighs were raw and I was caught in a couple of positions that I'm pretty sure are only acceptable in the hospital...while giving birth...
I needed the stretching though, and an extra day away from the weights was a good thing. I felt stronger today and ready for anything...well, sort of....
I jacked the weights back up and went for reps of 10-12 on all major strength movements (rows, WG pull-ups, shoulder press,...), and then went 12-15 reps on all isolation moves (DB curls, lateral raises,...). I finished the day with a 4.25 mile jog and then gladly hit the shower. I was pleased with the workout and am surprisingly looking forward to leg day tomorrow. Eh,....I take it back,...I totally take it back...
Had an awesome day with clients. One client in particular had an incredible victory this weekend. She won her age group in a local 5k, and had a PR. This was huge for her.....this came from a woman who used to be 90 pounds heavier and not even be able to walk a mile. So proud of her. But what's even more exciting is watching her start to genuinely believe that she is capable of more. More than what she used to do. More than what others may have thought was possible. More than she believed was achievable just a few months ago. Awesome. It made my day to say the least.
Other big shout out....I went to watch Tyler play soccer last Thursday night. The AAA state champs versus the AAAA state champs. Intense game, T had a critical PK....nailed it...they walked away with a win by 1 goal. Awesome job...and some sick foot skills....all that running made me tired and made me appreciate the measly 4 miles I ran today. To be honest, soccer might be my nightmare....running back and forth for 90 minutes and telling me I can't touch the damn ball with my hands. I was done at the "running" part. Hard to believe I was the catcher on the softball team, right?! Ha....yeah right....all I had to do was squat and talk crap to the batter. Check and check.
Well, I better head to bed...long day awaits.
Keep moving...always up :)
Coming off of an eventful weekend, the alarm went off a little too early this morning. I finished the week with a bout with the pilates reformer machine...Anna nearly killed me. My inner thighs were raw and I was caught in a couple of positions that I'm pretty sure are only acceptable in the hospital...while giving birth...
I needed the stretching though, and an extra day away from the weights was a good thing. I felt stronger today and ready for anything...well, sort of....
I jacked the weights back up and went for reps of 10-12 on all major strength movements (rows, WG pull-ups, shoulder press,...), and then went 12-15 reps on all isolation moves (DB curls, lateral raises,...). I finished the day with a 4.25 mile jog and then gladly hit the shower. I was pleased with the workout and am surprisingly looking forward to leg day tomorrow. Eh,....I take it back,...I totally take it back...
Had an awesome day with clients. One client in particular had an incredible victory this weekend. She won her age group in a local 5k, and had a PR. This was huge for her.....this came from a woman who used to be 90 pounds heavier and not even be able to walk a mile. So proud of her. But what's even more exciting is watching her start to genuinely believe that she is capable of more. More than what she used to do. More than what others may have thought was possible. More than she believed was achievable just a few months ago. Awesome. It made my day to say the least.
Other big shout out....I went to watch Tyler play soccer last Thursday night. The AAA state champs versus the AAAA state champs. Intense game, T had a critical PK....nailed it...they walked away with a win by 1 goal. Awesome job...and some sick foot skills....all that running made me tired and made me appreciate the measly 4 miles I ran today. To be honest, soccer might be my nightmare....running back and forth for 90 minutes and telling me I can't touch the damn ball with my hands. I was done at the "running" part. Hard to believe I was the catcher on the softball team, right?! Ha....yeah right....all I had to do was squat and talk crap to the batter. Check and check.
Well, I better head to bed...long day awaits.
Keep moving...always up :)
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Need a break
Its been a week since my last post, and I feel like the days are absolutely flying by. I've been in 5th gear for the past couple of weeks and am ready to hibernate for like a month. I just simply have not had any type of balance lately, and combined with a lack of sleep and you got yourself a hot mess...
Training is going well, although I know I need to take a few days off. My strength is down, and coming off of 7 solid weeks of power/strength phase, I am in much need of rest....sooo hard for me to take a break from the weight room though. This week I started back at 10-12 reps, 12-15 on legs, and am taking a break from sprints. Everything is sore. I am sucking wind through each set because I cut my rest time down to 40 seconds between sets (I've been doing 90-120 seconds to maximize strength gains over the last few weeks). So the decrease in rest time has been a punch to the gut...
Overall, I was pleased with my gains....here are a couple of my PR's for reps of 4-6:
Flat DB bench press - 55lb dumbbells
Squats - 220lbs
Leg press - 510lbs (thought I might lose bladder control at this point)
Weighted WG pull-ups - bodyweight,+ 15lbs
Incline DB press - 50lb dumbbells
I'll take it for now...
It was eye opening to me to see just how far I could push myself...5 more pounds...10 more pounds...one more rep. I would literally say "just one more" to myself, curse, and then shoot for one more rep...such a weird, angry cycle....ha. But honestly, my body is extremely tired at this point. 7 weeks of that and I was looking forward to increasing the reps this week. Ugh....still debating whether or not to lift on Thursday/Friday. ONLY doing cardio makes me a little nauseous thinking about it...
Ok, I've got to get in bed...more to come later...
Training is going well, although I know I need to take a few days off. My strength is down, and coming off of 7 solid weeks of power/strength phase, I am in much need of rest....sooo hard for me to take a break from the weight room though. This week I started back at 10-12 reps, 12-15 on legs, and am taking a break from sprints. Everything is sore. I am sucking wind through each set because I cut my rest time down to 40 seconds between sets (I've been doing 90-120 seconds to maximize strength gains over the last few weeks). So the decrease in rest time has been a punch to the gut...
Overall, I was pleased with my gains....here are a couple of my PR's for reps of 4-6:
Flat DB bench press - 55lb dumbbells
Squats - 220lbs
Leg press - 510lbs (thought I might lose bladder control at this point)
Weighted WG pull-ups - bodyweight,+ 15lbs
Incline DB press - 50lb dumbbells
I'll take it for now...
It was eye opening to me to see just how far I could push myself...5 more pounds...10 more pounds...one more rep. I would literally say "just one more" to myself, curse, and then shoot for one more rep...such a weird, angry cycle....ha. But honestly, my body is extremely tired at this point. 7 weeks of that and I was looking forward to increasing the reps this week. Ugh....still debating whether or not to lift on Thursday/Friday. ONLY doing cardio makes me a little nauseous thinking about it...
Ok, I've got to get in bed...more to come later...
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Pick it up just to put it down...
It's been almost a week, and honestly, I am just busy.
My body is tired, my mind is tired,...yadda yadda, I know.
Its week 3 for me in the 4-6 rep range and it seems like I always hit this wall on week 3...everything feels a lot heavier than it did the week before, and I am struggling to finish my workouts. No doubt that my strength has gone through the roof, but the past 2 days of lifting felt out of sync. I finished today's leg workout with 30 minutes of cardio. For the record, jogging 3 miles after squatting 220 pounds is a kick to the quads, crotch, and pretty much everywhere else. It took me a solid 15 minutes before I found any kind of rhythm...and even after that every step was heavy. Overall, I was pleased with my weights and just glad to get it over with to be honest. I wasn't feeling it today, but some days are like that...push through...
Its been a good week thus far...just a little tired and in need of some down time. I was able to have some on September 11th because I was basically glued to the TV watching documentaries about the horrible act 10 years ago. One minute I was crying, and the next minute I was just angry at the world. I was having my own little bipolar experience right there in my living room...ridiculous. Anyway, I think that day just left me emotionally and mentally drained...not the most optimal way to start a work week.
This will have to be short...I need to get to bed because 4:30 will come way too early and next thing you know I'll be throwing my alarm on the floor and muttering obscenities. I like to think that I'm not the only person who wakes up that way...
Night folks!!
My body is tired, my mind is tired,...yadda yadda, I know.
Its week 3 for me in the 4-6 rep range and it seems like I always hit this wall on week 3...everything feels a lot heavier than it did the week before, and I am struggling to finish my workouts. No doubt that my strength has gone through the roof, but the past 2 days of lifting felt out of sync. I finished today's leg workout with 30 minutes of cardio. For the record, jogging 3 miles after squatting 220 pounds is a kick to the quads, crotch, and pretty much everywhere else. It took me a solid 15 minutes before I found any kind of rhythm...and even after that every step was heavy. Overall, I was pleased with my weights and just glad to get it over with to be honest. I wasn't feeling it today, but some days are like that...push through...
Its been a good week thus far...just a little tired and in need of some down time. I was able to have some on September 11th because I was basically glued to the TV watching documentaries about the horrible act 10 years ago. One minute I was crying, and the next minute I was just angry at the world. I was having my own little bipolar experience right there in my living room...ridiculous. Anyway, I think that day just left me emotionally and mentally drained...not the most optimal way to start a work week.
This will have to be short...I need to get to bed because 4:30 will come way too early and next thing you know I'll be throwing my alarm on the floor and muttering obscenities. I like to think that I'm not the only person who wakes up that way...
Night folks!!
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