17 Days Left Thursday -

Today is the end of my work week and the beginning of a very deserved vacation. One that will require many hours of sitting next to the pool, sleeping in, and catching up on movies I have neglected.  While on vacation I always view this as an opportunity to spend more time on my work out vs. less.  I never think of vacation as time away from the gym but rather time dedicated to the gym.    It is a great place to work hard and play hard.  I like to mix in  a little pool and tan time with cardio and weight lifting and that is what works for me.

I have incorporated more running for the cardio segment of my work out because I am scheduled to run my 5k of this season September 23rd.


Meal plan 

8am cottage cheese strawberries mixed with yogurt
11am (sweet tomatoes) salad and chili
2pm cottage cheese and peaches
5pm Spagetti

19 Days Wednesday

Decided to take off from Barbell Class today because I can feel my body is very tight.  Tonight is a great opportunity to run which ultimately helps loosen me up anyway.  I

20 Days- Ways to Stay Accountable

After working out for many months you begin to see many of the benefits and changes in your body that result from the hard work.  Once I started to reach that point I used that energy and those changes to fuel me to keep going, but prior to that point I had to build my own accountability.   The plan or strategy that I used to keep me accountable was my blog and my 90 day challenge.  I decided that if I had to write about working out daily, or take pictures of myself throughout the process I would keep up with the exercise and meal plan. This is the initial way I  kept myself accountable.

Prior to starting this 90 days challenge I had been on many diets and had tried many work out programs.  One of the first obstacles I was able to overcome was changing my outlook.  I had to come to grips with the fact that weight loss done right takes time.  In the past if I had not seen changes within a  few weeks from my start date I would have surely quit and moved on to the next thing.  This time around I decided this was a lifestyle and over time if I just kept eating right and working out I would see results... Secondly, I created a very strong network through mentors (my work out trainer, my husband, my work out buddies) so that I would have the support to get it done.  I created my own inspiration by finding people who had conquered the same goals I was attempting so deep down it built encouragement in me and I knew I could do the same. Finally, I just decided to stick with it.  Many times staying accountable is simple about the decision.  I didn't waiver back and forth indecisively as to whether or not this was right for me.  I started June 15th and haven't looked back.  I have since learned after going so far that my journey is longer than I had originally anticipated but none the less I am always going to be half way there vs. just starting....

STS Workout with Kelly (6:am)

TRX Machine (pull ups)
Step Ups with 20lbs weight 15 each leg
Single Arm Barbell Jammer 45lbs bar 15x per arm  click here for example
Plank variation (up downs in plank position) 10 each arm

Cardio - running 3k in the park tonight

Meal Plan

10am Oatmeal
12pm turkey & cheese and crackers with water
4pm apples and pb
6pm chicken and broccoli

21 Days Left Monday

I have been MIA for a little over 2 weeks as far as my blog so forgive me if you were worried.  I had an interview process I had to prepare for and unfortunately had little time for much else.  Over the last few weeks I did continue my workout routine and eating regimen with the exception of a few mishaps.  I had little time to prep meals or schedule meals and can say that I did my best with what I had.  I didn't miss any work outs but cut my cardio in half. 

Starting back strong this Monday I am officially in run season.  I have one scheduled run in September and will start training for that run as early as tonight or tomorrow night.  Today I began my morning with Barbell Strength as I always do.  I woke up late so had to return home for meal prep and to get ready for work.  I do feel like I am in need of a vacation but will have to tough through this time time period as this coming weekend will have 5 days off to enjoy and relax... Or what I mean is work hard and run fast... LOL

Meal plan

7am Banana
9am Oatmeal
11am Chicken with green beans
1pm Apple w/PB
2pm Almonds and water
5pm Strawberries
7pm Chicken and broccoli

Goal- drink more water

35 Days Left Sunday

Spent my day in doors even though I would have rather been near a pool with a Rita in my hand! Working out and eating healthy can be challenging in more ways than one.   No drinking, no fast food, no no no... I can only say that once I hit my goals it will all be worth it.  To keep myself motivated I spend time becoming a visionary.  I think about what my body will look like once I hit my goals.  I do my best to stay motivated by the changes I see and I wouldn't want to mess up my progress of what I have accomplished so far.  The hard part is behind me.  I have successfully moved into a new lifestyle.  I am almost 60 days down and roughly 30+ days I will be at the end of my 90 day transformation.  What I have learned is that the real work will start at that point. 

Work Out

Cardio 45 min on StairMaster

Shoulders, Tris, Quads 3x 15 reps each

1. Seated shoulder press 12.5lbs

2. db lateral raises ss. db front raises alternating arms 7.5lbs (very tough) 

3. straight bar tricep press downs 15lbs, 20lbs, 25lbs (3rd set)

4. bent over db kick backs ss. bench tricep dips 7.5lbs -plus 15 bench dips

5. Incline leg press 90lbs

6. db sumo squats ss. jump squats 10lbs kettle bell 

7. db walking lunges ss. alternating jump lunges (only did 2 sets then argued with hubby cause I wouldn't do 3 lol)

8. leg extensions 45lbs

9. bicycle abs - 3x (4 slow, 10 fast)

36 Days Saturday It's a date!

Today has been a thrill-less day.  I stayed in all day just relaxing and taking it easy which is always needed with my lifestyle.  I planned my day and knew I would be spending a good amount of time at the gym tonight since both Saturday and Sunday I have a routine to complete.

About 5pm I finally got my lazy bones up and got dressed and hubby and I went out to the mall.  We spent time looking for school clothes and odds n ends.  By odds n ends I mean two amazing pair of sandals... What else would I mean? Anyway around 8pm we headed to the gym to do our workout together.  Jason was very hard on me and as always held me accountable to do every rep with perfect form with the highest weight possible.  We got to the gym well passed my normal bed time so I didn't get a chance to do my cardio so I will have to make it up tomorrow.

Meals

7am 1 slice of turkey bacon and eggs with beans
9am protein shake
11am chicken salad
1pm fruit salad
3pm protein bar and water
10pm Steak with onions and broccoli


Exercise

                          Back, Chest, Hams

1. Seated lat pull down wide grip 40lbs

2. . bent over db row 12.5lbs

3. seated low row 30lbs on each side

4. incline bench db chest press ss. db push  ups with good form to failure 12.5lbs then I did 5,6,7 push ups on each set. 7 was on my last set. Perfect form hubby said. He was impressed and proud of me. Said I'm really getting strong. 

5. seated hamstring curl 60lbs

6. prone hamstring curl - both legs raise bar, lower bar w/ 1 leg alternating 30lbs( very difficult for me) he pushed me the whole way on that exercise

7. single leg db dead lift ss. step ups w/ db 12.5lbs

8. plank holds - 3 front plank, 3 each side. 30 sec each hold 

37 Days Friday STS Total Body Workout

Now that my new schedule is in place I am feeling more prepared and organized which thus far has produced a more effective workout week for me.  I feel like I have a renewed purpose and am always very excited to do my work outs or cardio. My schedule for Friday's are pretty simple.  I need to do 45 min of cardio (either stairmaster or interval running) but I did throw in some eliptical today.  I go to work after gym time for a few hours until my PT session with Kelly at STS.  My sessions are for 45 min of which I got the following done:

Training

3 part movement exercise (lunge, bi-cep curl, squat)

60 vibrating machine while doing squats

20 sit ups on bosu ball while holding a 10lb weight overhead

Tricept Extensions with 6lbs weight

Dips

Bicept curls with the bar

45 min Cardio 

Meal Plan

7am Eggs with Beans

8am Protein Shake

10am Banana 2 slices of oranges

I ate free meal - dinner

38 Days Thursday Interval Running

Today was suppose to be my day off from the gym all together but I cheated myself out of my cardio yesterday.  I absolutely despise going to the gym after work and I left my music in my car yesterday at the gym so I just had the hardest time running.  I should have just exercised on the elliptical but I was being stubborn and told myself I would have to run at the park while Jason did BC or to truck myself all the way back to the gym after work... I did none of the above so I gave up my day off and did my cardio.  I didn't hit my goal of 3 miles which should have been super easy only did 2 miles of interval training.

Interval Running is when you intermittently run at a consistent speed (slower than you would normally run) then run fast for about a minute.  I started with 6.0 on the TM then went up to 7.0 then 7.5 for 90 seconds. Ultimately there are a few reasons I believe interval running is beneficial for me.  1) I hope to build up my speed for my upcoming race next month. 2) Interval Running is said to burn more fat after multiple sessions. 3) Helps my lung capacity or VO2 Max

Click here for more info on -Interval Running

Top Ten Reasons for Interval Running

1. Reduces boredom
2. Increases post-exercise energy usage
3. Stimulates our respiratory, cardiovascular, and nervous system to a greater degree
4. Increases the activity of enzymes involved in fat burning
5. Burns fat and more calories
6. Causes a greater increase in VO2max (aerobic capacity)
7. Better time Efficiency
8. Results in increased amounts of circulating growth Hormone
9. Makes use of both aerobic and anaerobic muscle fibres
10. Increased Fat Loss

39 Days Wednesday Barbell Strength

Woke up at 4:10am and tried to wake up but just couldn't get out of bed.  Ended up finally getting out of bed at 4:30am.  Got dressed, packed my lunch and snacks and headed out the house at 5:05am.  Made it to my Barbell strength class of which I was to sore to do much... I pushed through on the leg work out(sqats and lunges) but sat and watched everyone on the shoulder press set. I can hardly sign my name much less pick up a bar with weights on each side and guide it over my head and face... NO I DON'T THINK SO... I LIKE MY FACE TOO MUCH.

My intentions afterwards was to get some cardio in but I was thrown off because I left my phone/music in my car so I couldn't run like I wanted (only did 10 min).  My goal was to do interval training on the treadmill for 45 min.  I will just have to go after work or try to run in the park while Jason teaches boot camp tonight. Not looking forward to that but perhaps it will give me the boost I need to start running again outside.  It was this time last year that I started running at night at the same park (Alta Vista) so perhaps I can give it a try tonight. Not sure how far I will get on the interval part but again I will try...

Meal Plan
8am Egg omelet with veggies
10am Fruit Parfait
1pm celery and PB

http://www.scottstrainingsystems.com/index.php

Day 1 of PT with Kelly at STS definitely exceeded my expectations.  I woke up excited but nervous since I didn't really know what to expect. When I got there I was met at the door promptly by a very pretty Kelly Abraham who walked me to the back and started taking me through my personal stats and very pleasant small talk. 

The gym at STS is very different from what I expected. I am use to going to a large gym that has been designed for the masses. Scotts is small and yet eclectic in some fashion because everything (machines and weights) are all in one room and yet it felt very sectioned into parts. It gave me a feeling as if I had my very own space to work out.  Kelly trained a fitness competitor and myself  together for the duration of the time with the following exercises.

Total Body Exercise (3 sets)
2 min warm up on TM
Bench Step Ups 12lbs weight 15 each leg
TRX pull upsWhat is suspension training?
Push Ups on a bar
Squatts with bands

Abs
while on the bosu ball using a overhead weight -sit ups

Meal Plan
6-7am Banana
8am Eggs with beans
10am Apple and PB
12Chili
3pmTurkey and String Cheese
7pm Protein Shake

Goal- Drink more water take supplements more consistantly

41 Days Monday Back To The Grind

Today is my first day of my new training plan that I am developing in conjunction with STS or http://www.scottstrainingsystems.com/.  I am making several adjustments to my eating and work out plan.  I am excited to say that my personal research and hard work has gotten me this far and while I continue to work hard I am hoping that the professional help from STS will take me the rest of the way.

Woke up at 4:40am got dressed and rushed over to Lifetime to do my Barbell Strength class with Michelle B.  Class was absolutely extraordinary! I missed it so much.  Classes were canceled all last week because she was out of town.  It threw my entire week of exercise off and caused me to lose momentum.  I mostly did cardio and piddled while at the gym.  I had so many other things going on in my life as well that I really feel like the whole week set me back.  I am proud that I kept up with my eating but hardly tracked like I was suppose to since I didn't keep up with blogging.



Exercise- Barbell Strength Class and 40 min of stair master

Meal Plan

7am-Banana
8:30am Oatmeal
11am-Sante Fe Salad w/chicken breast and avocado
1:45-17 almonds & apple and bottle of water
3pm Shrimp Cocktail
6pm Chicken and green beans

45 Day's Thursday Reset Button

In over a week I have encountered many changing thoughts about where I want my fitness to take me. As my body changes it seems like my ideals and goals change with it. I decided that after 45 days of working alone that it is finally time to hire a company to help me with my fitness goals and I decided today that the company would be Scott Training Systems.  While at the gym earlier this week I got a great tip from Chris Flores (a member of my gym) that this company has a very different approach to training. They are very focused on each individuals personal goals and would work with me to meet mine.  Mainly, it seems like what I need to take me to the next level so I have an appointment with Scott Keppel tomorrow. I will keep you posted on what I decide to do.


As far as working out I did not work out today!

46 Days- Wednesday Race Season

Racing in 5,8,10k's is where its at... It's all about the challenge.  I would say this time last year in August is when I began my initial racing career with good friend Jay Bonner.  Both green when it came to running so we started with a very highly recommended training guide called Couch to 5k.  We both had never ran before and started with running a little over a minute at a time with a 30 second break in between until we built our legs and lungs up to endure 3 miles of running.  Our first race was the Annual Laveen 5k which was minutes from Jay's house.  We practiced 4-5 days a week at Alta Vista park driving our self round and round that circular path until we got ourselves up to 3 miles.  To be honest I knew Jay was a much stronger racer/runner than me because she would push herself to run without water, or through extra laps without stopping.  She even would push herself to run faster while I was just trying to get myself adjusted to the 8 laps (3 miles) I was suppose to do in a matter of days at the 5k. At the time of the race I believe I had never ran more than 2 miles until race day.  I pushed myself as hard as I could and only stopped 1x which was to get water. Time was just over 29 minutes.  Jay's time was around 25minutes.

Now that its August I can see runners starting to come out to practice in the park, or in neighborhoods practicing for their next race.  I have booked my first race for this season.  The first race I am running is gonna be the same race I started with last year just for nostalgic reasons which will be Saturday 23th at 6:30am.  We will officially start training together September 5th so for now I will just work on interval training at my gym on the treadmill.




4th Annual Laveen 5k
Betty Fairfax Highscool
8225 S. 59th Ave
Laveen, AZ