Under the weight

Being under the weight might just be one of the best places on earth for me... being in California a close second. I look back at the last year and I think to myself "wow" how the hell did I make it out alive! Without going into detail lets just say I let go of a lot of anger, cried a lot, screamed some... well, a lot and then said fuck it! Yep pretty much just like that too. Fuck it!

Fast forward to today..... progress report time! I sit today at 162lbs and still fit in my size 4! Muscle weight is a beautiful thing. :) I'd like to maintain that till January and then I will start contest diet to drop body fat and really hit it hard for May. The support from my co-workers and friends has been amazing! Since you are long over due for a post I've got a couple of workouts and numbers for you! Enjoy!

Chest & Bi
Decline bench (2 warm up sets and 1 working set)
10-12 reps 65lbs
10-12 reps 95lbs
6-8 reps 115lbs

Incline DB press (1 warm up set and 1 working set)
10-12 reps 25lbs
6-8 reps 45lbs

Flat DB fly (1 warm up set and 1 working set)
10-12 reps 25lbs
6-8 reps 35lbs

Concentration curls (1 warm up set and 1 working set)
10-12 reps 20lbs
6-8 reps 30lbs

Straight bar curl (1 working set)
6-8 reps 50lbs

Shoulders and Tri's
Military DB press
10-12 reps 30lbs
8-10 reps 35lbs
6-8 reps 45lbs

Side lat raise
10-12 r 20lbs
8-10 r 27.5lbs

Low pulley delt raise
6-8 25lbs

Rev DB fly
10-12r 20lbs
8-10r 30lbs

Pushdowns
10-12r 100lbs
10-12r 150lbs

Mind over Matter.....

Thank you Adam and Eve for eating the apple and you Pandora... didn't you have a lock on that box of yours?!? I mean really, seriously.... ugh!! I can imagine what it would be like to live in bliss, total ignorance to body image, bad carbs and whether or not the stone in my ring is real. Truthfully none of that matters to me now but it did! Thank you mom for pounding into my head the stupid little phase "what will people think?" See I have learned a lot in my journey to find who I really am. Partly because of my wonderful husband, and partly because I stopped worrying about what people would think!! Now this doesn't mean I went all rogue and gave a big middle finger to the world... it just means that I started to be happy being me. This translates to my workout as well. Ya see before I was worried about what I looked like while in the gym, were people looking at me, did they think I looked stupid, what if I didn't know how to do something.... oh the list goes on! I see many people like this. Afraid to walk into the gym because of fear of what people would think. People that cover themselves up or hide because they don't feel comfortable in their own skin. Once I was no longer worried about this my workouts and my intensity increase 100%. I am pushing myself harder than I ever have and it feels great! I am getting it done and so can you. Don't let someone tell you you can't and most importantly don't let anyone tell you you should be something or someone you are not. I say don't hide but change their minds and you might be surprised at how you feel.
In Good Health,
Rebecca


Mondays workout (DC training and FST-7 combined) DISCLAIMER: this program is for advanced weight lifters!!! We have affectionately renamed this training to WTFWIT!

Incline Smith Machine
8-5-3 @ 135lbs followed by a 1min stretch

Cable Cross Over
7x8 @  plate 3 (this is the number of plates on a cybex cco cant remember the weight...its weird on those)

Smith Machine Shoulder Press
8-5-3 @135lbs followed by a 1min stretch

Lat Raise machine
7x8 @50lbs

Tuesdays workout again DC with FST-7

Close Grip Bench
8-5-3 @ 95lbs 1min stretch

Overhead cable ext.
7x8 @ plate 7 (again not sure the weight...it's weird LOL)

Close grip pull downs
8-5-3 @ 100lbs 1min stretch

Cable pull over
7x8 @ plate 7

2 sets of dips

learning curve....

So for those of you that know my dad you could say that I was in fact born with some DNA to be physically fit..... I attended a fitness trade show a few years ago and during one of the seminars I heard the doctors talk about muscle fiber. What's the big deal about muscle fiber you ask?? Well let me tell you in a nut shell. You have fast twitch and slow twitch muscle fibers. More fast twitch, you get a sprinter. More slow, you get a marathon runner. What they were getting at was the greats in either case were born that way..... great! Well as far as the amount of specific type of muscle fiber they have. With that said, while God did in fact seem to give them a gift of greatness he didn't completely hand them the Gold in their sport. They had to develop what was given to them, work hard to maintain it, feed their vessel with the proper nutrients and be dedicated and driven toward their dream, their goal, their victory. Lets consider the "taboo" of my chosen sport. The misconception is that all body builders take steroids to look like they do. Most think it is the magic formula for growth. NO NO NO! While yes some my use them and there are the same amount that don't, it still takes a hell of a lot of time and dedication to look that way. The building blocks were given to them through DNA but it will never change the fact that whether they do or don't, those athletes are still very disciplined. My point... there is NO magic pill!! As a personal trainer I see this every day. People think that I am the magic pill, that the 2 or 3 hours a week they spend with me is going to be enough. Think of me as the DNA, your building block.... YOU have to do the real work, you have to want it, believe in yourself and go out and get it. Work hard for it, make the conscious choice to choose the right thing. Stay positive, start slow and remember no goal is a bad goal!
In Good Health,
Rebecca

Today was Shoulders and Bi's
Here is what I did

shoulder warm up exercises for the rotator 2 sets

DB shoulder press
3x8 @ 40lbs

Super set  Front Lat raises/Plate raises
3x8 @25lbs/35lbs

Side Lat raises
3x6 @ 15lbs

Seated DB curls
1x12 @ 20lbs
2x12 @ 30lbs

Spider curls
3x16 @ 20lbs

Preacher curls
1x4 @ 75lbs
2x8 @ 45lbs

Cable hammer curls
3x8 @ 25 lbs

Getting it done.....

Disclaimer: In my last post I was in NO way making fun of anyone. My point was to show how aggrivated I am that people are actually disgusted that I am training to do a body building show. I don't get being disgusted for someone being healthy. Nor do I get being made fun of for it. I know it isn't for everyone and that's fine. I'm not pushing people to do what I'm doing. Yeah I hear the "oh are ya 200lbs yet?" or the "LOL because buldging muscles are sexy" comments. Keep them coming because that just pushes me all the more! Anyway enough of that. I am putting the haters behind me and continuing along my path.

Today I sit at 153lbs, 5'9 and 15% body fat and just incase you were wondering I am still a size 4-6 in my pants! Thats called MUSCLE growth (remember muscle weighs more than fat :)). My calories are still around 3200 a day so yes I am eating... every two hours! :) I drink at least 1 gallon of H2O a day and I'm hitting it hard in the gym and forcing myself to up my weights..... it's the only way to build those muscles :). I am really focusing on each part making sure that when I cut everything comes in nice and defined.

Todays workout was shoulders....

Military bar press
2x10 @ 95lbs
1x6 @  115lbs
1x6 @ 125lbs
1x10 @ 125lbs

Front lat  db raises super set plate raises followed by a drop set....(killer)
3x6 @ 25lbs/ 3x6 @ 35lbs
Drop set went down by 5lbs to the end :)

Side lat raises super set bent side lat raises again followed by a drop set to end.... (equally killer)
3x6 @ 20lbs/ 3x6 @ 25lbs

Shrugs Front/back
3x14/14 @ 75lbs

we ended with a ton of calfs on the bench.... it was around 150 reps with 125lbs on the bench :)

Just remember.... don't expect to walk into the gym and be able to lift the heaviest weight you can find... start with a light weight! If it is really easy you can continue to add in 5lb increments until you find a good weight to start with. Most places should have someone there you can ask for help if you are unsure! Ask them! That is what they are there for and nobody will think less of you for asking for help! :) Got to start somewhere right?

In Good Health
Rebecca

You mean like you are going to get big muscles........

I have spent the better part of 15 years training myself and training others. My goal from the beginning was to promote health and well being. To be a teacher and a guide. Mostly because exercise helped me overcome the pain of neck surgery, rehab after a car accident, my body back after 3 kids and the fight to say, "Thyroid cancer, YOU HAVE NOTHING ON ME!!" So after all of this I guess I am still so shocked to hear the question "why do you want to look like that?" Well... because I can! 

Why is it more socially acceptable to go to the bar every weekend, eat fast food every night while being fat and lazy on the couch watching football?? More than half of the individuals my age  look 10 years older than they actually are. Could someone please tell me where the rules are that say women should get married, have a family and then never care about the way they look ever again?? Forget the bra burning feminist crap, shave your arm pits and be strong and sexy...Ooooo what a concept. 

The truth is being healthy is hard. The amount of discipline it takes makes me tired just thinking about it. But there it is, the big secret revealed. Wake up and smell the angioplasty!! You have to want it. You cant think about it, you cant take a pill to make it all go away! This isn't the Matrix where you get the choice of the red or the blue! Come on people.... childhood obesity is a NATIONAL SECURITY RISK!! To think, FAT could bring us down. Not nerve agents or the atomic bomb but fat, out of shape kids that wont be able to pass the fitness test to even get into the military. Im shocked and you should be to. 

So to answer the question of the hour yes, I am going to get big muscles. Thats my choice and I am happy with it. I am proud of it because I know the discipline it takes to do what I am doing. So to the haters, the ones that laugh and crack the jokes about muscles not being sexy on a woman, I ask you this, "How healthy are you???" I bring it to the gym every day!

Tip of the day:

Put your workout in your calendar like you would your hair appointment!

My workout today:

Legs

Leg press

w/u 2x16 @190lbs

Leg extension

2x10 @170lbs 

Squats

2x10 @135lbs

1x10 @200lbs

1x10 @225lbs

Leg extension/leg curl super set

3x to failure 

@90/90lbs

@120/150lbs

@170/190lbs

Freak blaster

3x10

Calfs

3x30 @90lbs

Sorry....the cheerleaders are over there, this area is for the players!

Okay, so I don't look at my "assets"  or lack there of as rule breakers for playing the game. If you are already lost, let me be more blunt. Yes I have tits....well kinda anyway LOL. For the slower followers I'm saying I don't have big boobs but at least because of my DNA I do in fact have what men so affectionately call tits and thanks to these God given multi functional mounds nicely placed on top of my Pectoralis Major muscle I am some how disqualified for playing the game. Because I am a girl I am not aloud to build muscle? What? Here is the problem I have with that. Apparently my options are skinny with big boobs (this seems to be the more popular option with the men) or fat (less appealing option). Why cant I be in the middle? Beautiful sculpted muscles?? Hmmmm! Can anyone tell me why it is socially not acceptable for a woman to build muscle? Should I really be sentenced to a life of work, eat, sleep repeated over the course of a week, continuing until I die? Why is muscle on a man sexy yet not on a woman? This is straight BS! A good amount of people ask me...."why would you want to look like that?" My response..."look like what exactly?" secretly I'd like to think they are just pissed I'm so dedicated and focused. I get that it's not for everyone but you wouldn't walk up to a fat person and ask them the same question would you?! See my point? Now to be fair not everyone is a hater,  I do have a ton of people (both men and women) supporting my journey. To this group, thank you!! Your support is awesome and If I can inspire someone to be healthier then I have done my job! :) Im not pushing anyone to drink the koolaid (its just pre workout stuff anyway) LOL my drive is for my goal and my goal alone. Whatever your goal is I hope you forge ahead and leave the haters behind! As for me you can find me in the players section!

Tip of the day: this tip is for the soda drinkers....if you drink multiple sodas a day try substituting a water in place of one of your sodas a day. Gradually increase until water is the only thing you are drinking in your day :) this will help you lose weight and feel better!


My leg workout

Leg press
2x20 2plates (1 plate = 45lbs)
1x20 4plates
1x15 6plates
1x15 8plates
1x14 10plates

Squats
3x15 2plates (a$$ to the grass all reps!)

Leg extensions
Single leg and double leg super set
3x20 120lbs for both

Leg curls
Single/double super set
3x15 90lbs

Freak blasters
Doubles 2x15 to the floor and back....ouch
Singles 2x 10

Inner thigh
3x20 90lbs

Go Hard or Go Home!

Week one of contest prep is done....only 17 more weeks to bulk followed by 18 weeks of cutting.  I am shooting for a 1 pound gain a week so that when I cut I can make weight. Going for the mid weight 125-140lbs...I should be around the 125lb mark when done. Here is what my meals right now look like....

Meal 1
4 egg whites
1 whole egg
6 oz steak
1/2 cup oats

Meal 2
10 oz steak
5 oz yam

Meal 3
10 oz Tilapia
1 cup cooked rice

Meal 4
10 oz Chicken
8 oz potato

Meal 5
1 can Tuna
5 oz yam

Meal 6
10 oz chicken
5 oz yam

2 Tbsp PB

Cal = 3488
Protein = 399.76 grams
Carbs = 240.29 grams
Fat = 95.51 grams

Did shoulders today....


warm up
seated shoulder 2x10x40lbs

Military smith press
1x8x95lbs
2x10x75lbs

DB press
3x10x30lbs

Side lat
3x10x25lbs

rear delt
3x10x65lbs

Cable side lat
3x10x15lbs

shrugs
2x20x80lbs

Getting it done thanks to the support of my trainer and chef!! Eric you are amazing. Thank you!

still here!

Ok, so I have so missed my posting! To recap, I had picked a show in WV in September, got laid off in April, got an AMAZING job two weeks later in California, sold EVERYthing (except the clothes) and drove to our new home and life.....wow WTF for sure! For those of you that know me this probably isn't much of a shock. With that said my game had to change on the fly. Prep is a little hard driving from point A to point B and spending way tooooooo long in a car. Side note: if you never have to drive through Texas.....DONT!

So here I am, beautiful views, beautiful weather and if I may say a freaking amazing job. Yes I have had to pinch myself several times just to make sure this is actually my life....ummm yeah!

Back to the goal! Yes I still have one, just in a different state and at a different time. I have changed things up a bit because I now know that I need to add some more bulk. My diet from the beginning of my post still stands I have just added a little bit more to it as I am not in a cutting phase right now. Workouts are every day adding the cardio on Monday. I will know next week the official date for the show and post so you can keep me in check. Until then enjoy my leg day......


Leg Press
2x30 @ 90lbs
3x30 @ 120lbs
(nice slow controlled reps)

Leg extensions
1x35 @ 50lbs
1x35 @ 75lbs
3x25 @ 90lbs

Squats
2x20 @ 85lbs
2x20 @ 105lbs

Freak Blasters
3x20!

Ok, so it's been a while....but trust me I have not been out of the game. I have been hitting the gym and the job market getting it done and keeping it real. I do not let circumstance stand in my way of a goal. When I started this journey I was 19% body fat  and weighed 150lbs. For a 34 yr old women this is still in the excellent rang...to date I am 14% body fat and weigh 137lbs. I feel great, I look good and I have tones of energy. I eat 6 times a day so I am not starving myself.....trust me I eat and you have to if you want to gain muscle. A good combination of diet and exercise will do you a world of good.

Tip of the day....just because something says "DIET" does NOT mean it will help you lose weight. Diet soda is just as bad for you as regular soda.

Here are 2 workouts I have just done on 2 different days....enjoy :) d

Bi's and Tri's 
Cable curls 1x18 @ 25lbs warm up
1x18 @ 35lbs
2x18 @ 40lbs
1x25 @ 20lbs

Barbell curls
4x18 @ 35lbs

EZ bar preacher curls
3x18 @ 30lbs

Hammer curls
3x10 @ 15lbs

High cable curls
2x10 @ 30lbs
2x18 @ 20lbs

Tri push downs
1x18 @ 120lbs
3x18 @ 110lbs

Tri DB kick backs
3x18 @ 10lbs

bench dips
3x failure

Abs
45min cardio


Legs 
Leg press 1x20 warm up @ 155lbs
2x9 super set narrow/wide @ 265lbs
2x18 @ 265lbs

Seated leg curls
1x18 @ 120lbs
2x18 @ 125lbs
1x18 @ 130lbs

lunges 2x10 @ 90lbs

Leg extensions
2x18 @ 95lbs
2x20 @ 85lbs

Abs
30 min cardio

Had my appointment with the ortho today and got good news. Diagnosis Biceps Tendonitis, he gave me a cortisone shot, gave me some gel to put on it told me to ice after workouts and to use the toddler weights for a couple of days.....got two solid workouts in and I'm feeling good for the most part all that matters is that I'm getting it done! Enjoy the workouts and enjoy the rest of the week.


#1
Cardio 30 min 
Seated Cable pulls 1x18 warm up @ 60lbs 
4x18 @ 100lbs  


Straight bar bent rows 1x10 @ 40lbs (kinda felt it in the shoulder) 
4x18 @ 30lbs 

Dead Lifts  
4x18 @ 115lbs 

Calf raises on smith machine 1x20 @ 70lbs 1x25 @ 70lbs 2x20 @ 120lbs  


#2 Cardio 
30min 
Cable curls 1x18 warm up @ 25lbs 
1x18 @ 35lbs 2x18 @ 40lbs 1x25 @ 20lbs  


High Cable curls  
2x18 @ 30lbs 2x18 @ 20lbs

Tri push downs 
1x18 @ 90lbs 3x18 @ 100lbs  

bench dips 2x failure  

Pilates and insanity abs 20 min

A little thing I like to call LIFE.

Sorry to keep you all at the edge of your chair waiting with child like anticipation for a new post......well, in my head that's how it is anyway. Let's see, where to start? As with any journey you alway come to a bump in the road called LIFE. Well that bump for me turned out to be somewhat of an earthquake that swallowed  the road I was on. For two weeks I have been nursing a shoulder injury that has kept me from doing any type of upper body weights. It has been advised by my very good friend, member of my adopted family and very own Physical Therapist (He has mad skills!) that I see an Ortho. UGH I like to live in a little land I call DENIAL!! So to keep up with something I have been hitting the cardio and busting major abs and leg workouts. Earthquake number two came in the form of a "pink slip" or as they called it being "laid off due to the economy. On a positive note I'll have all the time in the world to workout and I hear Urban Active has great stuff. Thinking of the two a day workout thing like my friend Angie (she is a power lifter also with mad skills). Oh the possibilities are endless!

So today I put the big girl pants on and I move forward. God has shoved me out of the nest and is screaming FLY!! So fly I will do.....to the gym! 

I guess my point is, life happens. Not everything goes as plans all the time. It is ok if you don't get the workout in right when you wanted or that your kid is sick or you got called to a meeting...etc. What matters is that you "adapt and overcome". Baby steps are the right steps to a healthy you. But find a way to get it done. You will feel better in the end. Last night I did my pilates mat work to the sounds of American Idol :)  remember you don't "need" a gym to be healthy. It can be done at home! 

In Good Health!

137lbs this morning!

My hard work is paying off. Yes it takes time, yes it takes work, yes you have to make the decision to not eat the donut or the cookie or drink the 2 liter of soda a day....I choose water, I choose chicken. I CHOOSE. Every day we have choices and every day I hear the excuse from someone that they don't have time to make good choices. Hmmmm this puzzles me. Yes I get it we are all busy. I work 50+ hours a week, maintain my house and take care of my kids and still find time to not only make good decision for myself but for my family as well. It can be done I promise and you too can make the choice to be healthy. Keep in mind dropping all bad habits cold turkey is NOT realistic. That's how you fail. Slowly start to cut things out or substitute the good for the bad. Baby steps turn into big steps and soon it becomes a habit!

Tip of the day: If you are a soda drinker, substitute 1 of your sodas for a water or carry a water bottle around with you so it reminds you to drink water throughout the day!

Leg day

Leg extensions
1x15 @ 30lbs
1x15 @ 60lbs
2x15 @ 90lbs
1x15 @ 100lbs

Freak Blasters
3x20

Leg press
4x15 @ 280lbs

Inner/Outer thigh
3x15 @ 90lbs

3.5 mile run

30 min Pilates reformer
20 min Pilates mat
20 min insanity abs

For all the HATERS and the "I have a million excuses why I can't" groups!

This post is for all of those people and you know who you are. I like to call them the "I can't" group. This group will find EVERY excuse in the book to justify why they are over weight and out of shape. Lets face it we are all a little over worked right?? Hell, even Obama finds time to workout! I challenge any human out there that thinks their schedule of daily events is more hectic than the President of the United States. While Kate Goslin might make a good argument not even she can say "I can't". She found a way to make money, look like a fool and workout all at the same time! Wow if only I had the media on my side.....hmmmmmm Ok, back to us normal folks. Let me break my day down for you *please note, not everyone has to go to these extremes but lets face it WORK is involved.* My day starts at 430am and goes non stop until my kids go to be at 8pm. Why you ask....because I am a mom, work full time and only get so many hours in one day. I make my meals the night before and everything is ready to go to the office with me in the morning. Skipping a meal is bad! My blackberry goes everywhere with me as my schedule is booked every hour so you'll want to pay attention to this part it's key.....PUT YOUR WORKOUT IN YOUR CALENDAR AS ONE OF YOUR APPOINTMENTS!!!! Ladies would you miss a hair appointment? The answer to this is NO. So I ask you this, if your hair is important enough that even the most deadliest of natural disasters wouldn't keep you from making it to the salon why isn't your body? I guess while you're in the hospital having test after test run and at the doctors every other months for antibiotic they'll all say "Man her hair looks great"! P.S. you may not use the I can't leave the office to go to the gym excuse here....if you are a gym member you have before or after work and if you aren't a gym member you have outside, home, or even at work during a break. 

I was at a health screening for work last week and I had a women tell me that she was over weight because she couldn't walk on the treadmill anymore because her knees hurt. I told her to use a recumbent bike instead which is less impact on the knees. She said "I can't" (shocker I know) because that would hurt her tail bone. I apologize in advance if my next statement offends anyone but in the back of my head I was thinking look lady your butt is plenty big enough that it should provide some cushion. Don't worry I kept that comment in my inside voice. My point is people there IS ALWAYS a way you can modify ANYTHING to make it appropriate for the age and fitness level while spending no money at all. And because I am 200% sure of this comment if you think I am wrong and I can't give you a solution to your problem I will train you for free for a month! So bring it because I got your solutions. Just think of me as the magic pill 90% of Americans are so desperately seeking.

At home workout tip of the day....Basic: wash your floors with a rag instead of a mop. You can pad knees for comfort, after a small section of floor do some push ups they can be on your knees "girl" push ups or regular it's up to you
More advanced: wash your floors with a rag while holding a plank position and moving around the area

Set a goal, make it attainable and make it smart! Baby steps are steps toward a healthy you!


My workouts have looked like this.....
Weight this morning was 139lbs

Friday I did 45min of TRX, 20min of Pilates reformer and 30min of cardio on EFX
Saturday I did 5hours of Pilates at a training.....every muscle in my body is aware today :D
Today I rested!

Two days in one post :)

Good Morning....

So I have been taking a much needed rest the past few days. Got my leg workout in on Friday and did back yesterday. I weighed in at 139lbs. I use the same scale every morning just after I use the rest room and before I eat anything!

Fridays leg workout.....

Leg press super set narrow/wide 3x15 @ 185lbs
Calf raises 2x30 @ 185lbs
Leg extensions 2x25 @ 55lbs
Freak blasters 2x20
Inner thigh 2x25 @ 90lbs
Outer thigh 2x25 @ 90lbs

Yesterdays Back workout......

Lat pull downs 2x12 @ 80lbs 2x12 @ 70lbs
Cable rows 4x16 @ 120lbs
Bent barbell rows 4x8 @ 65lbs
Dead lifts 3x10 @ 105lbs (wanted to do more but had some guy staring at my ass the whole time so I stopped because the alternative was punching him!!)
Shrugs 2x30 @ 20lbs


Time to step up my game in the the gym. Next week I will increase the intensity and cardio. I will also be checking my bf to see if it has changed. Going to get a chest and tri workout in today!

Tip for the day....Drink lots of water!  Your muscles are made up of 70% water! When you are dehydrated you can have symptoms of....
Fatigue
Digestive discomfort
Headaches
Constipation
Anger

Enjoy!!

Just a little Bi's

Morning weight for Wednesday.....142lbs

Cable curls 3x15 @ 40lbs
High cable curls 2x15 @ 30lbs
Machine preacher curls 3x15 @ 30lbs
Incline DB curls 3x15 @ 10lbs

30 min of cardio to follow..

I was planning on getting more in but the gym was packed. I was happy with what I got. Im really starting to notice things changing and my goal before I start to cut for the show is to get to 12% body fat. I body is ready it's just getting the mind to follow along.........

shoulders and tri's

Good Morning! Well it's an "aware" morning I should say....when you lift this should be expected..."awareness" that is. Good awareness is ok several days after a workout. Your body knows what is "bad" awareness and what is "good" awareness. For those of you that are lost right now the word awareness is used in place of "pain"....because if you use that word it just puts a bad image in your head and nobody needs that. So on with awareness! Keep in mind that if you are just starting your awareness level will be higher than someone like me that has been doing it for a long time...but yes I too still have awareness and I love it!! Today I am aware of my shoulders :) it's a little hard getting a shirt on this morning but hey I'm working and making changes so I will deal with it! I was 142lbs this morning and here is my Monday workout....I took yesterday off to rest :)

Front DB raises (2 sets of warm ups with light weight)
3x20 @ 15lbs

Side DB raises
3x15 @ 20lbs

Barbell Military press
3x10 @ 65lbs

Cable side lateral
2x10 @ 10lbs

Cable Up right rows
2x20 @ 50lbs

Cable tri push downs
3x20 @ 90lbs

High cable tri's
1x20 @ 40lbs
1x30 @ 40lbs


Supplements taken......
EAA
Flex
Pak
Glutamine
Omega

Food eaten is the diet from the first post. Please feel free to ask any questions! Enjoy!!

I'm up!

4:30am wake up call and it's spring break so why am I up again??? Oh that's right because I have a goal and working toward a goal means I get my morning out of the way before all of the kids get up :) so yep I'm up and it's 4:30!!

I do what I do every morning and check the scale... 145lbs today. I am up 3 pounds because 1. I am sick and 2. I am a GIRL (do I need to explain more??) This is OK! Now I'm ready for my morning. Took my EAA and I am ready for some fasted cardio (that means I do my 30min. cardio before I eat) followed by some insanity ab work. Oh yeah! Mid morning I will get in some more cardio at the gym and then this afternoon I will get my arm workout in. Going to talk to my trainer to see where things are and see if I need to change up my game. I will post my workout this evening so check back.

For those of you out there that are wondering what I did yesterday. Family, fun, food, Easter candy and all......yes, I ate a meal with my family that consist of turkey, salad, green beans and potatoes followed by some strawberry short cake complete with whipped cream!! (side note....my 3 pound gain was not from this :)) Closer to my show date that would have been a different story and I would have passed now it's back to business today!

Cardio here I come........

Being sick, losing weight and eating!

I am human and I do get sick. Shocker I know! LOL But sick I am and I had a very light day in the gym yesterday and that is OK.  I am still working towards a goal which is being on a stage having muscle definition judged. I work hard and am very focused but that doesn't mean that I too don't have bad days in the gym. It happens to the best of us. So don't beat yourself up if you get sick or have a bad workout. With that said, it is hard work for anyone trying to drop body fat so you want to make sure you don't get comfortable saying..."well I'm tired so I'm going to skip today"! I am tired every day and if I used that excuse I'd never go to the gym. Yes, sometimes I don't want to eat but that is the worst thing for my body to skip a meal.  You have to EAT and you have to WORKOUT! You are not going to lose weight and body fat by starving yourself or by buying over marketed CRAP that tells you to drink 3 shakes a day and only eat one meal! Correction, you will lose weight that way because you are not giving your body anything healthy and you are STARVING yourself (which is bad bad bad) and you will gain EVERYTHING back when you stop!! So, with this blog my goal is that you walk away with the knowledge that eating 5 GOOD small meals a day along with your workouts will help you lose weight the right way! On a side note losing weight does not always mean that the scale goes down because as you gain muscle it weighs more than fat. I tell my clients to go off of how their clothes fit.

Rule #1 for workouts: Put your workout in your calendar like you do your hair appointment or doctors appointment. You don't miss those and if you treat it like that you wont miss your workout either.

Rule #1 for eating: Plan all 5 of your meals the night before. I put mine in 5 separate take along containers. :) that way no matter where I am I have my meal ready to go!

Because I am sick and not feeling the best my workout looked like this yesterday....but remember I still got something in. (Rule of thumb anything from the chest up sickness wise it's ok to workout just go a little light,  anything from the stomach down sickness wise skip the workout)

Chest day:

Machine Press
2x20 warm up sets 55lbs

DB incline
1x20 @ 25lbs
1x15 @ 25lbs
1x20 @ 20lbs
1x15 @ 15lbs

Pec flys
3x20 @ 50lbs

and that was it.

Please let me know if you have any questions!!

Leg day my favorite!!!

Yes I love leg day over all other body part days. They have always been my strongest body part which is maybe why I like training them so much. And yes I do love the pain of not being able to walk down the steps the next day and I truly believe that sitting at that point is over rated!!!

Here is what todays workout looked like (note no cardio is done on leg day)

Leg extensions
1 set 50 reps @ 30lbs
1 set 50 reps @ 40lbs
1 set 25 reps @ 50lbs

Leg Press
1 set 50 reps @ 170lbs
2 sets 25 reps @ 260lbs

Squats on Smith Machine
2 sets 20 reps @ 70lbs

Seated leg curls
2 sets 20 reps @ 60lbs

Calf raises
3 sets 15 reps @ 90lbs
1 set 50 reps standing no weight calf raises

Pilates abs to finish

I'll let you know if I can walk two days from now.....

Starting stats

Ok, so here I go! Going to put it all out there so you can see my progress like the 25,000 members of the forum I am on. So.....here are the before pictures. http://boyerfitnessjourney.shutterfly.com/pictures/8 these pictures were taken 3/19/2010 with my stats looking like this....

Age 34
5'9
150 lbs
19% Body Fat

My supplement are (Animal is the sup company)

Pak (vitamins)
EAA (essential amino acids)
Flex (for joint)
Omegas
Glutamine

and closer to the show I will add Cuts. Again, every thing that I take comes from Animal! Awesome company!

My diet (please note that this is not for everyone and that I am working with a trainer)

Meal 1: 3 whole eggs, 1/4 cup oatmeal
Meal 2: 3oz chicken, 4oz yam
Meal 3: 3oz chicken, 1/2 cup brown rice
Meal 4: 3oz chicken, 4oz yam
Meal 5: 3oz white fish w/ greens and only cucumbers

1 gallon of H2O a day
30 min. fasted cardio 5 days a week on top of my workouts.

Today I am at 142lbs and I will check the body fat next week.