48 Days Monday Cardio

Even though the beginning of the month hasn't started as of yet, I decided to work towards my new monthly goals starting today.  New goals should always be started on a Monday in my book! As previously discussed I am working to increase my cardio goals so that I will now be doing my same routine but incorporating a minimum of 45 minutes of cardio in my daily work out.  Previously I had always included cardio but hardly went over 30 minutes in a given session.  I am being advised that the StairMaster or interval training might be more beneficial.  What that means for me is when I run on the treadmill, I will do intervals.  The plan is to run around 6.0 for 4 min and work up to 1 minute and a half of sprinting, then run again for 4 min until my 45 min of cardio has been completed.  I think another excellent place to get interval training in is in spin class.  I would be getting an hour of this type of cardio in as well if I opt for a spin class every now and then.  It helps to do classes like that because you have the support of people, loud music, and a fun instructor that goes by the name of Steve. 

Meal Plan

B)Omelet
S)Carrots with tablespoon of hummus
L) Chicken and green beans
S)Cottage Cheese and pineapple
D)Fish and green beans and brown rice
S)Apples and PB

49 Days Sunday Party Planning

Today ended up being a free day even though I hadn't planned for it. Well I knew that I was having a large party and that I was saving my free meal for the party but I had planned on working out at some point in the day but simply ran out of time. Looking back I think I could have made different decisions knowing what I know now, which is I would run out of time. I learned that when and if I have a lot of things to do in a given day I will mandate for myself an early morning workout to ensure I get it done.  As you might recall Sunday is my usual day to work out in the evening time of which I thought I would squeeze a work out some where before or after the party.. Really? What was I thinking?  Well ultimately I now know to plan accordingly for all future party days..

I did allow myself to splurge more than usual on this cheat meal.  OK I ate Nachos, and a chicken BBQ sandwich... OMG.. What have I done?

52 Days- Thursday Food Prep

Enjoying my morning with my family can be just as healthy as spending an hour at the gym.  I speak a lot about rest and recovery but hardly practice it. Speaking as a novice I can only speak from experience.  Experience from yesterday or the day before but experience nonetheless.  What I notice mostly from working out 5-6 days a week is that my body gets so sore and tired that it actually starts sending signals to my brain that mirror flu like symptoms.  I found that this week when I took it a little easier on my body that I felt better and less like I was coming down with a cold.  I also weighed myself and lost 2 more pounds.  This is huge because I felt I was fighting with the scale all month and as it stands now it took one whole month to lose 7-8lbs.  I was super excited to learn that the scale is moving towards the right direction.

This morning since I didn't work out I got a chance to work on my food prep.  I cut up lots of chicken to cook along with steamed a good amount of green beans (my favorite).  You might have noticed that I eat green beans a lot and that is only because I found a veggie that fits with the plan, is easy to prepare, and taste yummy.  I am a fan of sauteed onions so if I have the time I fold in onions to enhance the flavor.  I eat hot sauce on my food to add flavor but eventually I might have to cut it because of the additional salt.  I also like to add a spoon full of hummus or cottage cheese to my lunch to add something extra and usually I am so happy with this...

To learn how prep my foods for the week I looked at many You Tube videos'. In the beginning I spent my time looking at how people prep for 6 meals a day on a consistent basis and found people have their own systems.  For instance people might cook all the meals on Sunday night and place them in baggies or zip loc storage.  I like to make my meals at night and I cook enough for that nights dinner and the next day's lunch... If I know I am going to be somewhere where I can't prep food I try to plan for that.  There are times that I haven't been able to prep meals (3 times in 30 days) so I worked up a plan to get me through the day when and if this happens. (See I have to have a plan for my plan LOL) 

I go to the grocery store and get prepped fruit or veggies or I go to fresh and easy since they have lots of individually wrapped choices on veggies or fruit.. I also have one fast food place that I feel is great for emergencies... Chipotle.. I get a burrito brown with the following. Brown rice, black beans, salsa, lettuce and tomato... (no cheese, no sour cream, no guac.) I think this is a great work around if and when life happens and you have to make a run for the border...

51 Days Wednesday The Scale is Moving!

This week has gotten off to a really good start with the exception that I am very sore... what's new?

Normally I would be in my Barbell Strength class with Michelle B. but she is out of town so the alternative is a very opposite instructor... I decided to opt out of the class and just do my own thing in hopes that next week things will return back to normal.  I keep focused on my goals and work hard on each and every exercise.   As I work my arms Bi's and Tri's I recall that in a matter of days I will be presenting my 30 day before and after pictures to all of you readers... Yes I am very nervous but instead try to use this info as motivation to work longer and harder so that my outcome is something I can be really proud of.   I weighed myself after my work out and realize I have officially lost 8lbs in the month of July.  I am very proud and happy the scale seems to be on my side and is finally moving into the right direction.

54 days Tuesday

After Sunday night and Monday morning's work out I was very much over worked.  My body aches in just about everyplace it can and yet I am scheduled to arrive at the gym and do a full routine.  Last week when this happened I decided to take the day off but later regretted it when I needed a day off later in the week.  After everything said I decided to just go and make today a cardio day and I think that was the best thing I could have done.  I got to the gym and worked the Octane machine for only 30 minutes and felt lose enough to walk down the stairs without my crutches... j/k but really that is how sore I am.  I would take the elevator if I could but I might lose my athlete card so I will just crawl it out...

Meal plan
B)Banana
S)Apples
L (Chicken and Rice
S) Veggies
D)Salmon and Veggies

55 Days Monday Walking the Walk.

They say it takes only 21 days to make a habit and here I am, living a new lifestyle before my thirtieth day.  I can hardly believe it myself and I can honestly say I have enjoyed every minute of it so far.  People who are around me know that I live and breath health.  I love to promote it, talk about it, primarily because I now live it and want those around me to live it too.  I have come to learn that every one's journey looks differently from how my journey looks.  I do hope to shower my loved ones and those peering in my day to day via Face Book or my blog with inspiration through my journey. I hope to remind all that if you just take the first step and continue to do that, you will find that eventually you will find yourself walking the walk and not just talking the talk.

Work Out

Barbell Strength class of which one of my good friends joined me for class which was an absolute treat.  We also had a sub in for the teacher (kind of disappointing since Michelle B is the reason I enjoy the class so much) so you could say I have a new routine this week.  I always applaud change especially in the realm of exercise.  Muscles thrive most when they are confused.  If you stick with the same routine for too long the body gets use to that work out and no longer responds... Once my class was over I did the Octane elliptical for 34 min.

Meal Plan

B)Egg Veggie omelet (only veggies) no cheese
S)Fruit Cup (strawberries, pineapple  and a handful of blue berries)
L)Chicken and green beans
S) Cottage cheese and pineapple
D) Fish and Green Beans
S) Protein Shake

56 days Sunday Who is Food?

The purpose of food has evidently lost its once clearly identified purpose with so many people.  Prior to embarking on my very own fitness journey food meant something different than it means to me now.  Then it was something I did that was similar to a pastime or activity vs. for its primary purpose of nourishment.  I know this was the case because of the foods I chose and the way I took them in my body.  I never really gave any thought to the type of food I was eating or of the timing of it.  I didn't give any thought to the foods prep or the outcome of eating whatever I ate.  The sustenance of the food never came to mind but more so the enjoyment that would come from it. In the end I developed a very unhealthy view of foods which lead to weight problems.

I was reading a really interesting blog post Movement of the mind blog entitled Who is Food of which the blog discussed how we as people have relationships with our food.  What stood out to me was that the problem is so deeply rooted that solutions to the problem seem even farther fetched than the original problem. I think this issue is more common than most want to accept.  In fact many people who over eat find that it usually stems from their past or from some unidentifiable source in their past.  Regardless it is important to shine light on the issue and become aware.  It is important to remind ourselves what food is for and how choosing the right foods can energize and promote health vs. disease and lethargy. 

I would like to offer a few key suggestions in regards to eating that have helped me make fitness a way of life:

• Eating 5-6 smaller meals every 2-3 hours vs. 2-3 meals hours apart
• Eat lean protein and veggies for lunch and dinner
• Don't avoid carbs but educate yourself on the good carbs that promote health
• Drink enough water (try this little trick  )
• Avoid processed sugars and as much boxed foods as you can
• Always eat breakfast

My work out today included legs and abs.  I worked every muscle in my legs until I could no longer stand...

57 Days Saturday Arizona Figuire Competition

NPC or National Physique Committee is an amateur bodybuilding organization that sanctions various bodybuilding competitions across the US.  Miles Productions  is a promoter who host NPC shows locally of which I went to my very first show today.  I have to say I didn't really know what to expect from this venue since I have never been to anything like this.  I can say that the event was very much professional or classy and is something I can see myself participating in at some point.  It appears that the shows happen a few times a year and from the posted schedule the next one will be in November.

As I consider participating in this event in November the sobering thought crosses my mind of how much work is involved.  I know because of the level of commitment I have given so far.  I deduce that somehow despite all of the hard work that perhaps I am only giving about 1/2 of what it will take to get ready for something like this and that truly scares me. 

There are so many questions I had during this show, like what class would I be in (light weight, middle weight, heavy weight) which apparently is determined by weight.  I guess I would be deemed a novice since I have never placed before but more than likely I think bikini might be the best place to start.  I left very motivated and ready to train harder, faster, and tougher.  I think its a pretty cool thing to strut your stuff like these ladies did.  It took a lot of hard work, dedication not to mention sacrifice.  I say sign me up!

Winners

                                              Bikini               Fitness                    Figure

http://www.npcmilesproductions.com/

58 Days Fit Friday

Woke up very sore but no time to wine and complain.. It's go time so I must push through the pain and get myself up and to the gym.  I somehow make it to my Friday Fit class and push through.  The class is with my Barbell Strength instructor Michelle B and is a lower paced class.  Exercises are controlled and deliberate vs. plyometrics based.  We are using the stability ball and weights and are doing exercises like push ups while balancing on the ball then doing knee tucks in between sets.  She had us using the ball for squats and stretches.  I felt familiar with many of the moves she instructed us to do.  It felt very much like a slower version of P90x.  I enjoyed the class and got a great core, and endurance training from the class.

Meals
B)Oatmeal
S) Almonds
L) Chicken Salad
S) Protein Bar
D) Chicken and Broccoli

59 Days Thursday

Today was not a good day. I was not feeling well at all. Lets move on. I did on the other hand purchase my figure competition tickets for this Saturday's show.  Can't wait to see what all the hype is all about.

60 Days Wednesday Alarm Clock

Woke up at 4am..which irritated me because I prefer to wake up at 4:15am... Yes I know its only a 15 min difference but 15 minutes is 15 minutes.  I asked my husband to set the alarm for 4:15am and he did one of those.. OK honey I will, and didn't change a thing on his alarm clock... Why am I so peeved you ask?  When I wake up at 4:15am I know to just get up and get dressed... When I wake up at 4am I tell myself that I can sleep for 15 min but end up over sleeping and then I am late... All because he won't just change the clock to 4:15am.. Can you see why I am so upset?

I ended up getting up at 4:40am rushing to get to my 5:30am Barbell Strength class.  As always the class is so enjoyable.  Afterwards I spoke with my instructor Michelle to get more info on a Friday class she teaches.  The rest of my day was very productive.  Its amazing how sharp your mind becomes when you are giving it what it needs.  I do this in two ways, primarily by the food I eat and by keeping my heart active.  I also contribute great sleep and a calmness of spirit to my exercise and diet.

Meal Plan
B)Protein Shake
S) Veggie Omelet
L) Carrots Broccoli and Celery
S) Almonds with Apples and PB
D) Fish and Brussels Sprouts
S)Protein Bar

61 Days Tuesday - Rest and Recovery

Any informed athlete knows that proper rest and recovery is beneficial for more than body aches and pain.  Recovery itself is the process in which the body needs time to repair and strengthen itself in between work outs.  If a person endures continuous training and never allows for real recovery then the body can actually grow weaker.

Another way I allow for recovery is working out different muscle groups.  I might work my back and chest on Monday then the next day I work totally different muscle groups like legs and abs.  It is important to give 1-2 days of recovery for each muscle group and once I have worked all my muscles during that week I usually focus on cardio. 

Regardless of what we do, when we do it, or how it's done it is just important to stay motivated while doing it.  Reading about fitness, looking at motivating pictures, or glancing at those skinny jeans are great ways to keep your mind on the prize.

Meal Plan
B) Oatmeal
S)Almonds
L) Chicken Breast green beans and Quinoa
S)Protein Bar
D) Chicken with green beans
S) Apples with PB

62 Days Monday Legs and Abs - Big Rocks

Sometimes life can hand us situations that are challenging to deal with but when working out is part of your lifestyle you simply have to work hard to fit it in.  I find the way to make this happen is to make working out one of my big rocks.

For those who haven't heard of the concept of big rocks, let me take a second to explain.  In life we can always come up with excuses or reasons  why we don't do things i.e. exercise, spending time with our kids, accomplishing goals.. So we must go a step further to plan them, we must actually put them in our schedule so that we do them.  How do we do that? That's where big rocks come from.  Big rocks are the major things you want to get done in your week. As you can see we can only have a few big rocks because the glass or our life can only fit some many things, so there is definitely a priority to the matter.. (since we only have 24 hours in a day).

What is usually recommended is to schedule the big rocks first, and then the sand (or other small projects or everything else we do in our week) will get done as life allows.  If we try to do it the other way around (put the sand in the glass first) then the big rocks will not fit in the glass or your major things in life you want to do will likely not get done. 

Big Rocks Explanation

Meal Plan
B) Protein Shake w/ supplements
S) Oatmeal with Egg whites
L) Chicken green beans and side of cottage cheese
S) Apples and PB
D) Salmon green beans and yam
S) Protein Shake



Workout
Today I did my barbell strength class.  Michelle changed the class starting a new routine.  We did many of the same things in a new way.  This month the class will be focused on a lot of hand weights.  When we got the the dips my arms almost fell off. Thank goodness she offered options for those of us who are working up to the level of some of these mini body builders...

63 Days Sunday Monsoon

Sunday work outs are often my favorite for multiple reasons.  First and foremost I like to spend a few hours laying out at the pool at Lifetime.  Anyone who knows me personally can attest to the bragging I do about this pool.  There is only one way to describe it: Water park! The pool has a slopping entrance so you can lay out in the water as you tan.  It reminds me of the beach minus the sand.  Tanning in AZ can be pretty difficult with the heat being so extreme but if you are sun bathing in water it helps to temper the heat a bit. 

Once I finish tanning or just relaxing in the water I usually go inside and relax in the sauna or the steam room.  This does much for my mind and body.  Around 6pm its now time to work out and at this point the gym is very empty.  This means I can spend a few hours working machines that usually are taken through the week.  I get to spend up to an hour doing cardio then I will work two major muscle groups very thoroughly.  By the time I am finished I am totally in a great mind set.  I say all this to say that this Sunday we had a storm so my pool time and relax time was expunged due to the big ole ha boob that came in town.  Oh well I did still get to work out for over an hour.  I worked my legs and did some cardio.  I threw in a little core work as well. 

64 Days Saturday Total Conditioning

Yesterday my maintenance light came on in my car so I had to schedule an appointment first thing this morning to get my oiled changed.  This arrangement worked out great because at the same time we got the oil changed I got to run across the street to my gym and catch a total conditioning class.  The class totally kicked my butt, however it didn't help that I was late because of the whole (dropping off the car off) which made it so that I couldn't set up for my class properly. Despite the chaos, I had no other choice but to get my weights, mat, step up and bands ready to go.

This class was slightly different from last time because of the new instructor.  She is the regular instructor and was out on the last class of which I can't complain because that first instructor was no joke.  This one is at least workable.  

Meal Plan 

B) Protein Shake

S) Apple 

L) Turkey Wrap

S)

D)

S)

65 Days Friday Rest Day

After one whole day of rest I thought I would be ready to work out again but to my surprise I was still in need of recovery.  I thought it might be best to spend my morning making a healthy lunch and great snacks so I could be prepared for my day.  

66 Days Thursday - Weight Gain

Today is my day off from working out and it could not have come sooner.  Every part of my body screams for recovery.  Undergoing this 90 day journey no doubt will become a way of life however I thought it might be helpful to journal some of the set backs, self discovery, or plain outright distractions that I felt  during the process just in case it might help someone who is experiencing the same issues as they undergo their own personal journey.

First of all I feel absolutely great as I enter into 20+ days of this process.  I am in awe that I was able to institute a daily regimine as abstemious as this one and keep up with it with such discipline. Initially the difficulty started with the elements of the plan,  which is setting a time that I would be able to get to the gym daily for up to 2 hours.  The plan has to work with my work schedule since I unfortunately have to work 40 hours, while allowing me to take care of my husband and family.  The second issue is food.  The primary obstacle for many to live an abstemious lifestyle is finding time to prep meals daily/weekly. This was and is the single hardest part of doing this whole program.  Anyone can get to the gym daily but planning, purchasing, and prepping meals (6 daily to be exact) is the real challenge. I will spend a whole other post explaining how to make success out of meal prep..

The last issue which is key is keeping motivation and drive.  One of the ways to get motivation is usually through weight loss or visual results.  I got one of these but didn't get the other.  Initially I lost a few pounds but within a week or two gained it right back.  Here I am at day 22 and I have only lost inches and have gained muscle (yes muscles I can see). I am trying not to lose motivation and ultimately I know that if I keep going that I will see the results that I want.

67 day Wednesday

Today's blog is short and sweet.  I went to barbell strength class at 5:30am.  I was tired all day! I decided I needed a break so I wont blog again until Friday.

I ate like I normally do!

See you on Friday.

68 Days Tues Kick Boxing Jam

As I continue to adjust to getting back to my old sleep pattern prior to vacation I overslept again and missed my Tuesday morning regimen.  This puts me at the gym again in the evening time with all the other work out people who are rushing home to steal some family time prior to getting some shut eye.  Tonight I worked out with a buddy at Kick Boxing Jam session through a crazily crowded room as we kicked, while upper cutting our neighbor.

After class was over I did a very quick work out on shoulders and chest. 

Chest Burpees (just 10)

Barbell Bench Press

Push Ups 3 sets of 10 with planks in between each set

Shoulders

Cross Body Cable Raises

Shoulder Press

Meal Plan 

B) protein shake

S)oatmeal with blue berries

L) Chicken breast w/green beans and brown rice

S) blue Berries & apples with PB

D)Chicken and green beans 

69 Days Monday Stairmaster Fever

Today was one of those days that was hard for me to wake up.  Coming off my vacation made it hard to get back into my sleep rhythm so I ended up going to bed after 11pm which made it impossible to wake up at 4am.  Moving on to plan B which is to do an evening workout.  There is always an upside to an evening work out because everyone wants to work out in the evening so finding a partner is easy.  I say that because if I compare that to finding a partner in the am, its next to impossible. I had a partner for one class at 5am and never again so evenings are usually better for my friends.

Today at the gym I planned to do two classes  back to back which were Fit and Zumba for cardio but as I mentioned earlier everyone and their mother like to work out in the evening so you have to practically share one matt in a class to fit.  I was totally discouraged! Once my partner arrived at the gym and 7pm came around people slowly started to clear out.  We worked our legs, arms, core, and did 20 of the hardest StairMaster minutes I have ever done.

One of my goals for this 90 day challenge is to get to the point of being able to do the StairMaster for 60 minutes.  I definitely have my work cut out for me because 20 minutes was all I could stand today with a level of 7.

Meal Plan


B)Eggs with veggies
S) cottage cheese & blue berries
L)Black beans  and rice (with lettuce and tomato)
S)Protein Bar
D) Chicken green beans and brown rice
S) Protein Shake (with supplements after my work out)

70 Days Sunday - Day With Moms

Today is the last day of my vacation/weekend and I am almost sad my relaxation has to end.  Everything I wanted to do I got to do so nothing has been lost with the exception that I wished I would have been able to spend more time with my family vs. being a great task master getting 1000 things checked off of my list.  To make some last stitch effort to rectify this mistake I decided to invite my mom into my gym world with me on this Sunday.  I was thinking as I explained  to my mom how boring sitting at the gym would be  while her daughter runs around working out for hours would be I was sure she would reject the offer in seconds but to my surprise she said Yes before I could get the entire question out....

Really mom you want to hang out with me and she said Yes... Then I realized I am a mom 2 and nothing would have made me happier when my son was younger  than to be just invited to go with my son even if it meant I was bored so I guess my mom would be no different.

My routine at the gym on Sundays is fairly fun! It always starts out with laying out for a few hours listening to a book while laying out in the pool.  Drinking tons of water while soaking up vitamin D.  For me there is nothing better to do.  About 6pm I wrap it up and head into the gym.  I parked my mom in the lobby with her favorite book and the TV remote and hit the Elliptical (of which my friend Jay swears by the machine) for 31 mins to warm up.

Today I worked my Back and Biceps.

Exercises I did were as follows:

Bicep Curls (20lbs reps 8 x 3)
Back Extensions 95lbs 3x12
Seated and Standing Hammer Curls 17.5lbs 3x8
Lat Pull Down 50lbs 10x3
Lower Back Rows 50lbs 10x3
Barbell Preacher Curls 20lbs Bar 10 30lbs 2 sets x10

Abs 60 crunches

71 Days- Saturday

Woke up late with somewhere to go so I missed my opportunity to go to the gym.  After walking excuse me limping around this morning I slowly realized that the super sets I did yesterday would soon catch up to me.  All I have to say is two words for you to understand~ and those words are Hack Squat! Yes Jason loaded me up with 90lbs of free weight on the bar and today I am through.  I feel so silly since during the workout I kept saying that  it didn't really seem like we were doing much at all or as much as I am use to.  I did 5 major exercises all lower reps with double the weight that I was use to.  Ah Yeah.. I might need to borrow someones wheel chair to go to the gym on Sunday.... The only other time I have been this sore is after my first week of P90X last year... I believe I went out and purchased a case of Epsom salt then and that might need to be repeated again.

As far as my meals-today is my free day to eat one meal that I don't have to record.  I went to a celebration in Tucson to witness my nephew get baptized.  Afterwards we went to dinner of which I ate    what I wanted.

B) Oatmeal
S) Apples with PB
L) Chicken and quinoa
S) Protein Bar
D) Free Meal

72 Days and Biting Friday -Scorpion Alarm Clock

One of my greatest fears happened at 1:20am in my bed this morning.  I was bit twice by a barq scorpion! To add insult to injury he then bit my husband on his foot.  Needless to say we didn't get much sleep last night with the back to back calls to poison control and since my back throbbed all night from the bites I felt horrible at the time I was suppose to be at the gym.   Fortunately I have the day off so I had time to sleep in and recover.  Although I feel a little sore from the bites this morning I have decided that I am still able to work out.  Yes I am a trooper and I know this.  Nothing will stand in between me and my goals, not even a little scorpion.

Meal Plan

B) Steak & Egg (don't you think I deserve it since I got bit by a scorpion?)
S) Protein Shake ( protein, fruit, almond milk, and glutamine)
L) Salmon and green beans
S) Tuna and Pineapple's slices
D) Sweet potato and Fish
S) Protein Bar

Work Out- Legs           


Squatts
Weighted Lunges
Leg Press
Hack Squats
Leg extension
Leg Curls
Lunges

Abs
Crunches
Side to side obliques
Weighted sit ups




Cardio
Rubber Pit

73 Days Thursday Listening to my body

Woke up incredibly sore from yesterday's work out regimes.  Never before have I been sore in my calf muscles and my shoulders.  It is an unusual feeling of soreness and yet I still feel good.  All in all with boot camp and total conditioning yesterday I did roughly 70 push ups.  (Granted I can only do 7 boy push ups at one given spurt).  I joked with several of my friends all morning long that I was so sore that I was afraid I couldn't lift a balloon (with the helium) much less with out. I decided to let today be my day off from the gym to allow my body to heal.



Mean plan

B) Protein Shake (with supplements)
S) Turkey with hummus
L) Salmon with green beans and couscous
S) Protein bar
D) Turkey and green beans

74 Days and Counting Wednesday

Each day as I recount all of my day's activities so that I can write this blog the one thought that I always come back to is that the clock is ticking.  Every time I write the daily stamp of 74, 73, 72... days left I realize that despite seeming like 90 days is far away, time seems to be moving rather fast.  I am currently in my 3rd week of my first month and am realizing that 90 days will come and go. I try to focus on what my body will look like after this time passes. Despite how long this process seems to be taking makes no difference, but it is the light at the end of the tunnel that I continue to keep my eyes on.

The lesson that I get from this is that goals are simply the result of something that effort was directed and the daily effort of eating right and exercise are bringing me closer and closer to my goals.  I love the saying by Brian Thomas Littrell that says shoot for the moon and even if you miss it you will land on the stars.  What that says to me is shoot for something high and even if I get in the best shape of my life, improve my health, and can bench press 100 lbs I will have gained much more than I would have by not shooting for anything.  The moral of this story is create fitness goals today!

My goals 
-a weigh 135lbs
-decrease my body fat
-change my diet
-become and active person
-sculpt my body into figure competition size
-inspire others along the way

Exercise today was one of the hardest days I have experienced thus far.  I did a class at Lifetime gym called Total Conditioning and it was plyometrics based so the entire class was one big burpee slash push up while you hold your hands behind your head.  I was a sweaty mess and probably not very coherent for a few hours afterwards but I made it through and now its something I can aspire to get better at each week.  I did the class at 7am and will be going to boot camp (if the rain lets up) this evening.

Meal Plan
(post work out I had a protein bar )
B) Protein Shake (with supplements)
S) Carrots & Hummus
L) Salmon served over Quinoa and green beans
S) Almonds
D)Chicken and Green beans
S) Protein Shake

75 Days Left Tuesday Kick Boxing Jam

Some days just don't go like we planned so I am learning to roll with the punches.  I didn't get to go to the gym and missed my morning routine due to some unexpected occurrence so I had to make up cardio time at the gym by doing a Kick Box Jam class after work.  I was a little sceptical but ultimately enjoyed myself tremendously in the class.  I was nice and sweaty while learning how to do a mean upper cut.  I learned that its OK to get off from your schedule just as long as I work on putting immediate plans to remedy the change.

What I learned is that I found a class that I enjoyed much more than some of the cardio I had been doing on a regular basis.

76th Day Monday Barbell Strength

Woke up ontime 4:15am got out of bed and got off to the gym about 5am.  Got ready for my Barbell Strength with Michelle B first thing.  I thought since this is the second week taking this class it is now time to increase my weights so I did. The class goes very fast (no break at all between sets) but I am including examples of what we do per class.  I am missing one excercise (I think) but hopefully you get the general idea. The last part of the class if ab work and streching.  I left the class and did a little cardio.


Thighs
Barbell Squatt Example click here                                    
Weighted Squats Example click here

Dumbell Reverse Lunge click here
Barbell Reverse Lunge click here

Biceps
Barbell Curls Example click here
Dumbell Curls Example click here

Shoulder
Barbell Shoulder Press click here
Dumbell Shoulder Press click here

Back/ Chest
Barbell Deadlifts Example click here
Standing Dumbell Flyesclick here

Meal Plan
B) Protein Shake
S) 2 HB eggs and Oatmeal
L) Chicken and Veggies plus brown rice
S) Carrots and hummus
D) Salmon and Quinoa plus veggie
S) Protein Bar

77th Day- Sunday Total Body Work Out

Sunday is such an ideal day to be at the gym.  Usually this is the day families spend time together so the gym is usually like a ghost town (6-8pm).  My plan is always to capitalize on this wide open space and really focus on doing exercises that I might not be able to do (due to time, space, unused equipment)so this is the day I choose to do my longest workout- total body workout.  I start that process always with running my 3.24 miles followed by an intense Ab/Core work out.  Next I fluctuate back and forth between legs, arms, back & chest. I am starting my third week and I can definitely feel myself getting stronger.

Total Body

abs

Crunch Twist

Jackknifes

Weighted Sit Ups

Planks (60 seconds) 

Butterfly Kicks

            

Leg press 95/115/130 x 12              

Standing calf 70lbs

Back extensions

Bench dips

Pull downs

Curls 12.5/15lbs

Ab core

Leg extension 45/60-12

Seated leg curl 60lbs3x12                    

Standing calf 70lbs

Back extensions

Bench dips

Pull downs- Wide Grip

Curls 12.5/15lbs

Ab core

Leg extension 45/60-12

Seated leg curl 60lbs3x12

Barbell Curls 30lbs 

Lying Leg Curls 50lbs