2012 - A look back of my year in fitness

-I ran in two 5k races, one in the snow setting a personal record .

-Survived the Big Sur marathon with one of my best friends that I've known since I was 12 years old.

-Ran a 10k race in what seemed like 100 degree heat.

 -Completed the Davis Moonlight Half marathon with another one of my best friends.

-Most importantly, in 2012 I learned the importance of eating clean! Over a four month period I was able to lose ten pounds and gain lean muscle all by CONSISTENTLY eating clean and working out. I realized that food is 90% of what your body is going to look like. It doesn't matter how hard you work in the gym, if you don't control what you put on your plate. You can not out train a bad diet. 

EVERYONE and I mean EVERYONE has the potential to make it far and reach their desired fitness goals. The only thing that stands in your way that separates you from those you might think are the perfect body role model is consistency, determination and willingness to want it. Add time and you've got no reason to say you can't make something happen. Don't ever use the word " I can't" because the truth is you can if you want too.

Jacobs Ladder

Jacobs ladder has been at my gym for some time now. I've never really payed any attention to it until recently after someone posted a picture on instagram of the machine, that's when I decided to give jacobs ladder a try.

This machine is up at a 40-degree angle to put the spine in a more neutral position, relieve the back of stress and engage core muscles. You climb up the ladder with your your arms as well as legs. You control the speed. It's not a fast moving piece but the fact you are using every muscle group equals more calories burned!




This would machine would be great to add in a HIIT workout. Climb the ladder for a few minutes, jump off, jumping jacks, back on the ladder, push-ups, ladder, kettle swings. 4-6 rounds! I'm just making the workout up as I type this. lol

If your gym has a jacobs ladder, try it. The machine is very simple to use.

The other pictures in my post are from leg day. After my weight training session I went to the track and completed 400m of walking lunges. I need my bootay to grow!!

Back @ the Gym

After a short break from working out, I finally returned to the gym today. I was up and at em @ 0500. The kids are out of school for winter break so I can only work out either before my husband leaves for work or after he comes home. There is no telling what time he gets off work so I can't depend on him in the evening.

It was great to work out at 5 in the morning though. The gym was empty! I decided to hit the weight room first & afterwards I hit the track for a short run.

I had no intentions of running outside today, then all of a sudden after my weight training session I has this sudden urge to run. I only ran a mile but damn it felt great to hit the pavement (or should I say track?).

Anyway, here's to hoping I can wake up early tomorrow morning for another great workout/run!

Time To Get Back On Track!!

I hope everyone had a great Christmas and enjoyed eating holiday treats without the guilt. Every one is soo worried about what they eat during the holiday season but they should be worried about what they eat year round. Well what's done is done, now it is time to get on track!

Did anyone get presents that were fitness related? My husband bought me an agility ladder (which he failed to realize I already have one, so I'll be returning the ladder), gloves and  a training mat. Thanks babe!!

Merry Christmas

Wishing everyone a blessed and Merry Christmas. I won't be able to post on the blog for the next few days, I will be spending quality time with family and friends. I'll also be enjoying some yummy and unhealthy treats.

Below is a Facebook status from Go Kaleo. Please "like" her page for motivation and inspiration!

The diet industry is deeply invested in leading you to believe that your are fat and sick. As a trainer, I talk with women every day who look me right in the eye and start listing all the things that they believe are wrong with themselves. And I'm looking at them thinking "you're freaking BEAUTIFUL woman! There is NOTHING wrong with you at all. If you only could see what every other human being on this planet can see, you would stop wasting all this energy and time hating imaginary flaws." 

The diet industry plants those thoughts, and waters them with marketing, and before too long you're buying their pills and potions and diet books in the belief that 1. you're flawed, and 2. their pills and potions and diet books will correct those flaws. 

You are not flawed. Not a single one of us, NOT A SINGLE ONE OF US, looks like the models in the magazines and ads. Not even THE MODELS look like the pictures in the magazines. We ALL have lumps and bumps and hairs in crazy places and wrinkles and cellulite and bellies that bulge over our waistbands when we slouch, and no diet book or pill or potion is going to turn you into a photo shopped and professionally lit image on a magazine cover. 

Oh and also. Enjoying a special meal and some pie some extra candy on Christmas is not going to 'ruin all your hard work' or make you gain 15 pounds. I promise. It's ok to relax and enjoy time with your family, and that includes EATING THE FOOD that has been lovingly prepared and offered up in celebration. No guilt. No shame. Promise me that you will ENJOY the next few days with every fiber of your being, and enjoying includes letting go of the shame the diet industry tries to shove down your throat. 

Love and pie to all. ♥

2.6 Mile Virtual Run/Walk for Sandy Hook

Today's run is dedicated to of all the victims at Sandy Hook (including the shooters mom). My prayers are with the families of the victims, law enforcement, first responders and staff of Sandy Hook.

If you would like to download and print a bib click HERE

Facebook event page click HERE

My three gym time pet peeves

There are rules of etiquette everyone should follow at the gym. I'm not going to go over all of them, most are common sense. I do have a few gym pet peeves though. Not many, I go to the gym on base where it's pretty laid back.








My three gym time pet peeves: 

1 - Chit chatting while on equipment: This doesn't happen often but there are times when people hog equipment. They sit and talk with others. I'm only allotted a certain amount of time at the gym, so I can't wait around on people. I don't mind when people do super sets but you wouldn't take as long if you didn't chit chat with others in between sets.

2 - Not whipping your sweat off the equipment: The last thing I want to do is lay in someone else's sweat.

3 - Not putting weights back: Not every one can lift the same amount of weight. I'm 5 foot, 100 and something pounds. I can't take a 100 pound plate off a barbell myself. Come on guys! I don't have a problem asking someone else to take it off for me but it's still annoying. -Another note to this... if I see weights on a barbell or a towel on a piece of equipment, I'll assume that machine is taken by somebody else. Well that isn't always necessarily true. There have been many times when I have eye balled equipment but noticed weights or a towel on it. So I wait and wait and wait for someone to finish using it, only to realize NO one is using the damn thing!

Gym towels. Do you use the gym towels they offer at the gym? I use to. Up until last week. I used the towel to put on the ground so I could do planks. As I put my elbows on the towel, a few inches away from my face, I couldn't help but notice a small curly hair on the towel. You know what kind of curly hair I am talking about! EEEWWWW!!! Never again.

WOD & New read..

Workout of the day = amazing. Seriously, if I didn't have a time limit at the gym, i'd be there all day. I've been learning new things and getting more creative with my workouts lately, working out is just down right for me these days.

I was off to a great start this morning. I woke up on time, made breakfast for the kids (without rushing), I didn't yell once at my children before we had to leave the house, I was at the gym on time, I got a front row parking spot & my husband let me use his dre beats at the gym!

Muscle groups for today: back, biceps & abs. I killed my biceps today. My arms would not stop shaking, I could barely drink out of my water bottle. I love that feeling, such a great workout. I wish I wrote down what exercises, reps, & sets I did, along with the amount of weight used. After abs I did sprint intervals on the treadmill. 4 min warm up, 30 sec sprint, 30 sec walk, repeat sprint-walk till I hit the 22 minute mark on the treadmill.

On to something else. Has anyone read this book? Seems it's the "thing" to read right now. I have seen lots of people post this on their FB or IG accounts about how excited they are to read it. What's the book about anyway? I guess I better put this book on my book list to see what the fuss is about.

Favorite muscle group

I posted the picture to the left on my instagram today. One of my followers asked this:

Just curious...Why do you like legs the best? They are currently my least favorite. Maybe because I do not belong to a gym and don't have access to nice leg equipment.

You do not need to have access to a gym to have a nice figure. There are plenty of body weight exercises you can do on your own to build muscle (if your competing in a fitness competition that's completely different).

I started playing sports at 5 years old. I did gymnastics, soccer, inline speed skating and cheer-leading. Being an athlete growing up I was able to build a lot of muscle in my legs. 

Once I started weight training at 17, legs became my favorite muscles to work out. I can lift the most amount of weight with my legs more than any other body part on my body. I can press over 100 pounds with my legs, I can't even lift half that with my arms. Ever since I can remember, I've always had strong, lean muscular legs.

I put a lot of work in to my legs over the years. I'm very confident when I step into the gym on leg day, therefore that is why legs are my favorite muscle group to work out.

What is your favorite muscle group to workout? 

Meal Prep

Meal preparation is crucial if you want to live a healthy lifestyle. I love eating clean and being prepared. Prepping my food ahead of time leaves no excuses to eating unhealthy processed foods. If healthy food is there, I won't eat the junk.

I prep my meals for 3-4 days in advance or I'll prep for the entire week. Just depends on my mood at the time.

I separate my meals in containers or small sandwich baggies. I'm a stay home mom so when it's time for me to eat, I take my meal out of the fridge, pop it right in the microwave and within minutes my meal is ready. If I am out and about during the day, I'll put my meals in a cooler and take it with me.

"If you fail to prepare, you prepare to fail".

You may be thinking that preparing your meals for the week will take a lot of time and that it sounds complicating, but it's not that bad. Once you get accustomed to it, it's actually very simple. I don't have a lot of time to cook so my meals tend to be pretty basic. The food I cooked in the picture above, only took about two hours to make. Much of that time is oven time in which I can get other chores done at the same time, (i.e. cleaning).

Here's a step by step process of how I meal prep:

1- Plan meals for the week. I keep a copy on the fridge, just in case I forget to prep. My meal plan will keep me on track. Therefor NO EXCUSES!

2- Grocery Shopping. I write everything down on a list and take with me to the store. I shop mostly on the perimeter of the store because that is where all the whole unprocessed foods are located. The isles have mostly all junk.

Time to prep:

3- Wash & measure meats. I cut my meats in to 3 or 4 oz pieces.

4- Wash veggies

5- Line a baking sheet with foil, put the meats on the baking sheet and throw in oven. (Of course add a little olive oil and seasonings)

6- Veggies also get tossed in the oven on another baking sheet.

7- Same thing with my sweet potatoes, throw in the oven on a baking sheet.

8- Hard boil eggs. When finished peel shells off and put 4-5 eggs in a small zip-lock back in fridge.

9- Divide almonds (measured at 1oz each) into sandwich baggies

10- Once food is cool, divide meat, veggies, and sweet potatoes in containers.

That's it!

Another 5K & Leg Day

My current running goal is to get a PR in the 5k under 23 minutes. If I can run it in 22:59, I don't care I will take it as a PR! I'm starting to fall in love with running all over again. I'm looking forward to marathon training next year.














I lift weights before cardio but today I was in the mood to run first. I actually never run on leg day. The only cardio I do on leg day is the step mill and that's after I lift. Anyways, after my run I headed to the gym but I was exhausted from my run. I wasn't able to lift as heavy and I could barely finish my reps and sets. I'm a little disappointed,  I'll probably add another leg day on Sunday to make up for it.

I stopped using the smith machine for squats and started using just the barbell. Talk about completely different! Using the barbell for squats works all muscles, abs, back and even arms. Just squatting with the bar alone is tough for me and hurts my back. I need to prefect my form before adding heavy weight.

Carrot Cake Protein Bars

Since it is the holiday season I have been craving baked goods. Instead of stuffing my face with crap, I decided to give Jamie Eason's carrot cake protein bars a try. They turned out pretty good, and were super easy to make.  

My husband didn't like them. Ahhh, what does he know? If that man had to choose one thing to eat all day, he'd choose bacon. 

If your interested in the recipe, you can find it by clicking HERE.

Weight Plate Loaded Machines and Fartleks

My gym recently got a whole bunch of new machines. At first I was a little hesitant and didn't like the change then once I went around and tried the weight plate loaded machines, I became hooked. I think I like them more then the cable machines.

Today's workout was great. I love the sense of feeling accomplished after a good workout. My reps and sets varied. I did the normal 12 reps, 4 sets but after 12 reps I would use a lighter weight and do a few more reps. Tried my best to fatigue those muscles. 

I ran 3 miles after lifting wights. My time is improving. I wanted my run to go by fast so I added a few fartleks. 

For those who don't know what fartleks are, they are basically an unstructured method of interval training. Instead of keeping the same pace through the whole workout, you sprint, then jog, then sprint again whenever you fee like it. You can customize fartleks to how you feel. If you feel sluggish, limit the number of sprints you do, and take more time to recover. If you feel great, run the sprints hard, and sprint again maybe when you don’t feel totally recovered. One good way to run this workout is to pick out objects ahead of you, like a telephone pole and sprint from that pole to the next and then jog. One reason that fartleks are so popular is that it is so flexible.

Pre-Work Out Drink & Running

When I woke up this morning I felt like I hadn't slept at all. I may have gotten 5 hours of sleep if that. I don't know why I can't sleep these days. Oh yeah, I take naps during the day. Nap(S) plural. I seriously need to stop that. 

My day started at 6am with the usual, eggs & green tea. At 9 am I headed to the gym for my workout. I don't always use a pre-work out drink but I needed the extra boost this morning. Currently I'm using Muscle Pharm Assualt. It did what I needed it to do. I was at the gym knocking out reps with no problems. Today was shoulder day, and I know for a fact they will be sore tomorrow! 

*Tip: Add a little bit of ice to MP Assualt, it helps take away the chalky taste. The colder water you use, the better it tastes.

After my workout at the gym I went on a 3 mile run with a friend. She was kind enough to stop every few minutes with me. I'm trying to get back into running but these things take time. My legs are fine when I run but I am having a hard time breathing. I'll get use to it eventually. We had a good run. Thank goodness for no rain, although we did run against the wind for about a mile. 

Today's Workout: Shoulders, Abs, & 3 miler

Shoulder press 12-15 reps, 4 sets

Seated rear delt raise (immediately to push-ups) 12 reps, 4 sets

Arnold press 12 reps, 4 sets

Front plate raise 12-15 reps, 4 sets

Leg raises 20 reps 

Planks hold until failure

Cable pull downs 12-16

Ab routine, repeat x4

Run 13 races in 2013 Challenge

Are you looking for a running challenge in 2013?

I've slowly been turning away from running lately. Lifting weights and HIIT have been my "thing" to do these days but I sure do miss a good run. I need a new challenge so I have decided to join a fellow bloggers Run 13 races in 2013 challenge. I will be running in a variety of distances, 5k, 10k, half and full marathons. Towards the end of December I will post my 2013 race schedule. Wish me luck!

If your interested in the challenge, click HERE for full details.

When did Magazines get so darn expensive?

It was a rainy day here in the Puget Sound today. After a long day of cleaning house, taking care of the kids and cooking, I was finally able to relax on the couch and read the latest Oxygen magazine. I need to stop procrastinating and get a subscription already. I've purchased this magazine every month for the last 20 months. It costs $5.99 per issue! I have spent $120 over the last year and a half purchasing Oxygen. That doesn't even include my Runners World and Muscle and Hers Fitness magazines. When did magazines get soo darn expensive?!?!

Today's Workout: Leg Day

Leg press (followed immediately with 30 sec of squat jumps) 25 reps, 3 sets
Step-ups with DB 15 reps, 3 sets
Walking lunges with DB 25 reps, 3 sets
Leg extensions (drop sets of 10,10,10) 10,10,10 reps, 3 sets
Hamstring curls 25 reps, 3 sets
Stiff-legged deadlifts 15 reps, (followed  immediately with calf raises till failure) 3 sets

Step Mill- 15 Minutes (changed speed levels every other minute)

It was nice while it lasted

The Puget Sound is back to it's rainy season. Yesterday I was able to run outdoors with a friend. I haven't run in what seems like forever so I had to take a few walking breaks yesterday. I had planned on going running outdoors today but I wasn't in the mood. I need to adapt to the cold weather, but we can save that for another day.

Today's Workout: Back & Biceps

Cable rows (close grip, focused bring it to chest and lower abs) 12 reps, 4 sets

Cable arm pull-downs, super-set w/ lat pull-downs 12 reps, 4 sets

DB rows 12-15 reps, 4 sets

Cable bicep curls 10-12 reps, 4 sets

Isolate bicep curls 8-10 reps, 4 sets

21's 4 sets

HIIT- 25 minutes treadmill

5 min warm up 

30 sec sprints

30 second rest

3- 1 min sprints

1 min rest

last 5 minutes run at 7.0

After my work out I treated my 4 year old to Mcdonalds for lunch. What the heck, I had some Mcdonalds too. My only fitness goals at the moment is to maintain weight. I'm going to enjoy the holidays this year and indulge a little bit. As long as I eat clean 75% of the time, I should be alright.

My bum knee...

In my last blog post I mentioned I wouldn't run until after I bought new running shoes. Well, I lied and did sprint intervals on the treadmill last Thursday. I ended up pulling a tendon or something in my knee due to lack of warming up (at least that's why I think it happened). My warm up only consisted of a 4 minute walk and 1 minute jog, then I thought I'd be a badass and run at a sprint of 10.5mph. I did 30 second sprint, 30 second rest for a total of 20 minutes. I felt like I could of ran faster than 10.5. My knee felt fine on the treadmill but as soon as I got home and walked up the stairs or bent down, my knee started to hurt.

Hopefully I can speed the healing process by applying the R.I.C.E technique because there is a 10k I would like to run on Thanksgiving day and beat my PR. 

Rest the knee. As much as possible, try to avoid putting weight on your knee.

Ice your knee to reduce pain and swelling. Do it for 20-30 minutes every 3-4 hours for 2-3 days, or until the pain is gone.

Compress your knee. Use an elastic bandage, straps, or sleeves to give your knee extra support.

Elevate your knee on a pillow when you're sitting or lying down.

My favorite bicep exercise

Oct 24, 2012 Workout: Back, Legs & Cardio

Back:

DB one arm rows, immediately to bent over barbell rows 10 Reps, 4 Sets

Back extensions with weighted plate

Cable rows 12 Reps, 4 Sets

Lat pulldowns 12 Reps, 4 Sets

Straight arm pulldowns 12 Reps, 4 Sets

Biceps:

DB curls drop sets

Cable curls 12 Reps, 4 Sets

Hammer curls 8 Reps, 4 Sets

Barbell 21's 4 Sets

I discovered the barbell 21 exercise over the summer. It's by far my favorite bicep exercise. It might look easy but it's not!

My plan for cardio was to do HIIT on the treadmill but all the treadmills were being used at the gym. I ran a few laps around the track before going back inside the gym to finish off my cardio. My knee has been bothering me lately. I am way overdue for new shoes. Running in worn-out shoes is one of the most common causes of running injuries. A good rule of thumb is to change your shoes every 300 to 400 miles. Well I am way past that amount. I'm going to hold off on running until I can get a new pair of shoes next week. 

Cardio:

3 Rounds

Lateral step overs (fast), 1 minute

10 burpess

Lateral step overs (fast), 1 minute

10 pushups

Lateral step overs (fast), 1 minute

10 DB thrusters 

Lateral step overs (fast), 1 minute

I'm in need of NEW shoes!

Pumpkin Pie Spice & a 5K

.

Tis the season of pumpkins! Someone suggested adding pumpkin pie spice to my protein pancakes and that's just what I did this morning. I recommend if your tired of the same ole thing. You can add it in to your oatmeal too!

I was able to beat the rain this morning and knock out a 5k run before I went to the gym. I want a pr of under 23 in the 5k. I'd like to focus on negative splits, which I almost was able to do in this last run but the hills kept that from happening (but I was close). 

5K Split Times

Mile 1 - 8:48

Mile 2 - 7:55

Mile 3 - 8:08

After my run I headed to the gym and worked legs. I hurt my hip flexor in the beginning of my workout so I kept the rest of my work out pretty easy. 

Leg Day

Step Ups w/ DB 16 reps, immediately to 20 squat jumps, 4 Sets

Stiff Legged Deadlift w/ BB 12 reps, immediately to 20 squat jumps, 4 Sets

Barbell Squats 

 Leg Press

New Goal for the 5K & 10K

I've set new goals for myself. Running goals!! Over the summer the only type of running I did was interval training. My priorities are going to change a little bit, I'm still going to weight train but I'd like to add more running back into my life. So my new goal is to set a personal record in the 5K and 10k distances.

New Goals:

5K : Under 23 minutes

10K: Under 54 minutes

How am I going to accomplishing these goals? Well I haven't put a training plan together yet although I do have an idea of what it's going to be:

Interval training (once a week)

Tempo run (once a week)

Hills (once a week)

Eating clean (all day every day)

Strength training (three times a week)

Plymotrics (once or twice a week)

My "Transformation"

When I say my "transformation", I use the term loosely because I didn't really didn't have a lot of body fat to lose. When my husband left for his summer deployment this year, I set some goals to eat healthy and work out hard to keep myself busy. It just so happened I lost a few pounds and gained some lean muscle along the way. 

Was it easy? Heck no. Temptation was everywhere. It still is. We live in a society where we are surrounded by unhealthy food choices. We are constantly bombarded by tempting treats.  

The secrets for success are really no secrets at all: hard work, dedication, commitment and sacrifice. Anything short of that is a compromise, and you're only cheating yourself. In the end what it comes down to is; how bad do you really want it and are you willing to do what it takes to accomplish your goals. 

Over a four month period, this is how my "transformation" went down: 

I kept a journal of everything I ate. 

I measured and prepared meals.

I ate 5 to 6 small meals every 2 1/2 to three hours. 

My meals consisted of: 

Protein (fish, chicken, extra lean ground turkey or egg whites), green veggies, and complex carbs (Yams, brown rice, or rice cakes). 

Healthy fats such as almonds, avocados, peanut butter, olive oil. 

Fruit and shit load of green veggies! 

To drink, I had green tea and I would have a gallon of water everyday. 

I did have a cheat meal once a week, and there was a time frame where I would only allow myself a cheat meal once every two weeks. I'm not gonna lie, I did have a soda from time to time. :) 

My Workouts:

I worked out 6 times a week. They weren't half assed workouts either. When I worked out, I would go all out. I went above and beyond my comfort zone. My focus was on HIIT (High intensity interval training) and weight lifting. 

For the first month of my journey I went to the gym Monday, Wednesday and Friday. My schedule looked like this:

Monday- Legs, Glutes, Abs & HIIT 

Tuesday- Bodyweight exercises

Wednesday- Biceps, Back, Abs & HIIT 

Thursday- Shoulders

Friday- Chest, Triceps, Abs & HIIT 

Saturday- Full bodyweight exercises

Sunday- Rest

Months two and three I was in California visiting family where I didn't have gym access so I did a lot interval training. I ran sprints on the track, ran up and down stairs, I ran HILLS. In between intervals I would immediately do bodyweight exercises (push ups, squats, lunges, burpees etc.), and I took very little rest in between sets. 

There ya have it, that's how my "transformation" happened. Now the hard part is maintaining this lifestyle. I'm not as strict with my workouts and diet now but I do eat healthy. It's a lifestyle that I have adapted to and would like to keep it for the rest of my life. 

I live the fit life not only for myself but for my children. Just think how many lives, how many generations even, one mom can affect by taking care of herself by healthy eating and exercising. Every time I run in a race, the look on their faces are priceless. As if they look up to me and are proud of me. It makes all my hard work, worth it.

Fitness is a lifestyle that is consistent day in and day out - not something that is thrown off to the side when the going gets tough. Before you make an excuse of why you can't, stop and remember those who succeed to find a way so that they can. Be strong, stay consistent, push through the bad times and you will emerge stronger than ever! (That goes for anything in life).

Pumpkin Tea Plus a Good Read, Run!

Pumpkin everything is at Trader Joes. Pumpkin cheesecake, pumpkin pancake mix, pumpkin bread mix, pumpkin tea, pumpkin chai latte, even pumpkin ICE CREAM! Pumpkins are everywhere :)  I was eyeballing the chai latte but the sugar content is a little high so I opted for the pumpkin tea. I like it, I'll have to stock up before they stop selling it.

Back in April I ran the Big Sur marathon and I was lucky to meet Dean Karnazes at the expo. I bought his book Run which he autographed for me :) I've never read any of his books before I met Dean but I was well aware who he is; Mr. Ultra Marathon man! (In case you didn't know) Fast forward to now, I am finally reading the book Run that I bought at the expo. It's filled with 26.2 short running stories of Deans. I'm a little inspired by this book. It almost makes me wanna run in an ultra marathon. HAHAHA yeah right. I can barely finish a marathon, I can't imagine running in an ultra marathon. This book is a good read. I love reading books about running.

Pre Workout Drink: Assualt vs 1MR

I started using a pre work out drink to get a little bit more UMPH in my workouts. I tried the 1mr first, it's what my husband uses. He has it in the blue raspberry flavor. I could not for life of me finish this drink. It was nasty. I only took a few sips, I tried to force myself to drink it but I felt like I was going to puke! Ughhh yuck! The few sips I did take packed a punch in my workout. It makes me wonder how my workout would of went if I finished the whole drink. 

I heard good reviews about Muscle Pharm's Assault pre workout drink. It was on sale at the Navy Exchange so I bought the flavor fruit punch. I only used a half a scoop, I was worried it would taste as bad as 1MR. I finished the drink, tasted a little chalky but it was decent. I killed my workout after I took it so that's a plus! Next time I'll try a whole scoop.

I'm not sure if it was because I took a pre workout drink or not but my workout today went very well. I worked out my legs, abs and did sprints on the treadmill. When I came home I had to recover by sitting on the couch for an hour (or two). I should've filled up on carbs to get me through the rest of the day but I haven't prepped my meals yet and I've been lazy (aside from working out). 

Oct 15 2012 Workout: Legs, Abs HIIT

Legs:

Calf raises 20 Reps, 4 Sets (Superset w/) Bodyweight calf raises till failure

Bulgarian Squats 12 Reps, 4 Sets (Superset w/) Body weight wide stance squats till failure

Hack Squats 16 Reps, 4 Sets

Step over squats 1 Minute, immediately to DB Squats 12 Reps, immediately to Hop squats (together stance, then outer stance) 30 Seconds 4 Sets

ABS:

Leg raises 16 Reps, immediately to Russian twists till failure, immediately to plank till failure. 4 Sets

Cable crunchs 12-16 Reps, 4 Sets

HIIT:

Treadmill, 2 min walk, 30 Second Sprints @ 9.0, hop off rest 30 seconds, Total of 23 minutes. I threw three or four 1 minute sprints @ 9.0.

Fall

Fall is here! I'm excited to run outdoors in the cooler temps and witness fall foliage. Along with the season change comes all the pumpkin recipes. If you are a Pumpkin Spice Latte fan from Starbucks, please be aware of it's nutritional value before you drink it.

For a 16 oz. Pumpkin Spice Latte with 2% Milk and Whipped Cream:

Calories: 380

Calories from fat: 120

Total fat: 13g

Total Carb: 51g

Total Sugar: 49g

Protein: 14g

49g of SUGAR! No bueno :(

I am excited for pumpkin recipes. Pumpkin protein bars, Pumpkin protein pancakes, & Pumpkin Cheese cake!! 

10/01/2012 Work Out: LEG DAY!!

Leg Press (followed immediately with 30 sec of Jump Squats) 

12 Reps, 4 Sets

Step Ups w/ DB 20 Reps (each leg), 4 Sets

Forward Lunges w/ DB 16 Reps (each leg) 4 Sets

Leg Extensions 12 Reps, 4 Sets

Hamstring Curls ( Slow during negatives) 10-12 Reps, 4 Sets

HIIT on treadmill

5 Minute Warm Up

10x's of 30 seconds at 8% incline, speed of 9.0 mph with 30 sec rest.

5x's of incline at 10%, speed at 9.0 mph (30 seconds on and 30 seconds off).

My legs are sore already. I hope I'll be able to walk tomorrow.

The Upper Body Cardio Countdown Workout

Don't forget to tune in online and watch the Olympia!!! Be inspired!!! Find it HERE!! 

I had to workout at home yesterday. Most of the time (for me) home work outs tend to get boring. I decided to switch things up a little bit and try another bloggers workout.

The upper body cardio countdown workout via pojo fitness. I enjoyed this work out, my abs are sore! I will continue to use the upper body cardio countdown workout in my routine. Thanks Liz for sharing!!

                 the upper body cardio countdown workout

set 1 & 3 you will do...

10 pushups

9 dips

8 pushups

7 dips

6 pushups

5 dips

4 pushups

3 dips

2 pushups

10 dips

1 minute burpees 

set 2...

10 dips

9 pushups

8 dips

7 pushups

6 dips

5 pushups

4 dips

3 pushups

2 dips

10 pushups

1 minute burpees

set 3...

repeat set 1

1 minute burpees to finish

Back:
DB Rows 16 Reps 3 Sets
Pullups (Assisted) 10 Reps 3 Sets
BB Bent Over Rows 12 Reps 3 Sets
Biceps:
DB Curls 12 Reps 3 Sets
Hammer Curls 12 Reps 3 Sets
BB Curls 8 Reps 3 Sets
Triceps:
DB Kickbacks 12 Reps 3 Sets
Overhead Extensions 12 Reps 3 Sets
Dips (Body weight) 20 Reps 3 Sets
Shoulders:
DB Press 16 Reps 3 Sets
DB Side Raises 12 Reps 3 Sets
Plate Front Raises 12 Reps 3 Sets

6 Pack Fitness Bag!!

I am very EXCITED for my husband. He is now a 6 pack fitness bag (Durus 500) owner!! With this bag, NO more excuses are allowed!

It is all about convenience and this bag is IT!! With this bag you can easily transport an entire day’s worth of healthy foods, whether you are dieting to lose weight or are a body builder on a strict meal plan.

The Durus 500 comes with 5 meal containers and 2 gel packs. There are two outer pockets that has room for your water bottle, shaker bottle, fruit and silverware. The top compartment has space for your supplements, vitamins and protein bars. Amazing isn't it! I can't wait to get one for myself! I want the smaller pink and grey version!

At the gym today I was pressed for time so I said screw cardio, lift WEIGHTS! I've been home from the gym for the last hour and my arms are still shaking. They are going to be sore tomorrow. 

Protein Pancakes

Every morning I start my day with protein pancakes. There are several variations on how to make these but here is how I make mine. For the time being anyway. Once we the cooler weather arrives I'll be making protein pumpkin pancakes. 

Simple Protein Pancakes :

4 Egg Whites

1/3 Cup of Oats

1 Scoop of Protein Powder

1/4 Cup of Blueberries

& Cinnamon to taste!

Directions: Mix all ingredients together and cook on stove just like a pancake!

Leg Day & Meal Prep

Today's preparation equals tomorrow's success! I have roasted green beans, 3oz chicken breast, half a cup of brown rice! This will only last till mid afternoon Wed. So I'll need to prep again soon.

I have my water and fruit ready. Can't forget about my green tea.

Today's Leg Day Workout:

*Run* to gym 1.37 miles. 

*Deadlifts* 4 Sets, 8-12 Reps

*Box Squats* (Smith Machine) 4 Sets, 12 Reps

*Kick Backs* 4 Sets, 12 Reps (Last Set = Pulses)

*Calf Raises* 4 Sets, 16-20 Reps Super set W/ 

*Body Weight Calf Raises* Until Failure

*Leg Press* 4 Sets, 12 Reps

*Leg Curls* 4 Sets, 10-12 Reps (Pulses Last Set)

*Leg Extensions* 4 Sets, 10-12 Reps (Pulses Last Set)  

*Run* Home 1.4 miles

Post Work Out Meal...Carbs :)

Sunday

Another 6 miler in the books!! I'm ecstatic the weekend is over. It is time to get back into a routine and back to eating clean. I've been eating semi clean the past week but I want to get stricter with it and lift some damn weights. Running is great and all but running doesn't shape and form my body like strength training does.