Friday Cardio Blast

So, I have another injury. Minor, but I did something to my left oblique. Pretty painful. Had to cut yesterday's workout plan, (And obviously load up on entirely too many carbs to heal my injury right?,) so i was ITCHING to just give it my ALL and burn off some SERIOUS calories today and get in a solid sweat.


Workout: 
STAIR MONSTER:40 minutes (vomit)
Arc Trainer: 35 minutes (again...stab myself in the eye)


At that point, i was DRIPPING. I HATE cardio, besides running. BUUUUT with my left oblique issue, I couldn't run or do anything that needs lots of core stability.


THEN, after 75 minutes of cardio:


circuit 1: 3 sets 12reps
Tricep pull downs
rear delt pull
seated row
cable lat raise


circuit 2: 1 set 20 reps
cable hamstring curl
cable kickback
stiff leg kickback
lateral cable extension
inner thigh cable extension


WOOOOWWWEEEEE!!!!! Good Workout!!! 
Foam rolled my legs after, stretched a bit, and was out of the gym after about an hour and 40 minutes of sweating..


Came home to this amazing smoothie:
1 scoop sun warrior protein
1 very ripe banana
sprinkle of frozen blueberries
water
lots of ice cubs
splash unsweetened almond milk


Hit the SPOT! 


It was the perfect way to start my weekend, and get back on track! 


TGIF :-) 
xoxo


DONT FORGET TO SUBMIT FOR THE GIVE AWAY!!! YOU HAVE UNTIL TUESDAY NIGHT!!!! 

I'm back, with a gift to YOU!

Hey everyone. So I knooooow I haven't been posting for the past few days...I'm deeply sorry! I swear, I HATE neglecting my blog. But, you'll have to forgive me, because I have a potential GIFT for one lucky blog reader today! 


Nugo Nutrition was kind enough to agree to a giveaway for one of my readers of a box of their protein bars. (12 assorted variety)

Wait, what? I'm sponsoring a PROTEIN BAR giveaway?! 
Here's what you might be thinking:


But Liz, you HATE protein bars and everything about them, don't you? 
Umm, aren't all protein bars just candy in disguise?
Uh, all those protein blends and milk derivatives wreck my digestive system, no thanks...
But there are no good gluten free bars on the market!
Don't you always say it's better to eat solid food?


Here's my response to all of those questions:


I haven't switched over to the dark side, I'm not telling you to eat protein bars on a daily basis, or to get used to eating them for meals and snacks. NuGo bars are the ONE type of bar that I consider to be "okay" in a pinch, and that I actually eat (on an extremely rare occasion I'll admit..) in a pinch, or as a treat. NuGo specializes in making high-quality protein bars that are suitable (and delicious) for many food intolerances. They have a line of VEGAN bars (my go-to), gluten/dairy/soy free (also really good), and use pretty clean ingredients, especially when compared with crap like "Balance" or "zone" or even worse "CLIF" and "Luna" bars...etc. (Don't even get me STARTED on those jumbo 400 calorie Met-Rx cookie dough lumps or Supreme bars that are the length of my forearm...)  Pretty much anyone can find a good match with NuGo Bars. And I'm not kidding when I say that they really do TASTE amazing. I can't speak for every single bar they produce, simply because I haven't tasted them all, and cannot sample any bars that contain nuts (which some do..)


--Here's a chart of their bars, in case you want to find your match and order a sample pack! 


http://store.nugonutrition.com/category/bycategory.html


I know most people aren't as specific with their diet as I am, and probably can't fathom why it would be "unfavorable" to eat a protein bar. That's okay. If you like to eat protein bars, I want you to have the opportunity to try THESE instead of what you're currently eating. A glance at a Nugo bar is typically around 200 calories, 5 grams of fat, 10 grams of protein, 25 grams of carbs, less than 15 grams of sugar.


Anyhow. Here's what I want you to do to prove that you deserve a box of 12 NuGo bars.


---GIVEAWAY TASK:


Tell me 5 things that YOU NEED in an on-the-go snack. Meaning, you forgot your pre-packed tupperware or plastic bag snackie at home, and you're going to be out for a while. You stop at a deli or cafe for a snack. What leads to your ultimate choice? In addition to that, 1 reason why you want to try NuGo bars.


I would tell you what MY 5 things are, but I don't want to give away any ideas. Instead, I'll post my 5 criteria once I've gotten submissions of answers and choose the WINNER. The WINNER will be announced 1 Week from today!! You have until Tuesday, April 3rd to submit your list of 5 things.


How to submit: comment on the blog, message the blog, message me on facebook, message me on twitter ( @lizbrody ) 


Can't wait to read your submissions!!! 
XOXO

Re-Fuel and Re-charge

Remember when I used to talk about these ALL the time? That's one of my protein pancakes, if you couldn't tell. Well, I used to eat those almost every morning for breakfast, adding in certain ingredients for different reasons, sometimes topping off around 400 calories! But guess what? I was still LOSING weight and getting leaner when I ate MORE. Lately, I've been depriving myself a bit too much. Looking back on the majority of what I've been eating the past few weeks, it looks like lots and lots of green things and some proteins...But my busy body needs more FUEL! I cut down my carbs way too much, and need to do some major metabolism boosting.

I always tell people to eat BALANCED: to include carbs, protein, and healthy fats in their diets. Lately, I haven't been following my own advice. The other night, I just had miracle noodles and kale...Thats like zero calories. What the heck! I've also been very stressed lately, and I have the tendency to not eat when I'm stressed out, and work out even harder. This, as you can imagine, leads to running myself into the ground. It leaves me vulnerable, and usually emotional. I'm trying really hard to feed myself the way i TELL OTHERS TO, and to not obsess over every single calorie that's going into my body. It's a constant struggle, but it's necessary for me to be HEALTHY. I hate to make myself count calories, but now I'm going to have to start counting just for a few days to make sure that I eat enough since I burn so many extra calories during my intense workouts also. 

My calories are still going to come from the healthiest and most wholesome foods though! Grains include ezekiel bread products, oat bran or rolled oats, quinoa

I'll keep the fruits at about 2 servings a day, berries, apples, post-workout banana

Proteins will still be eggwhites (1 yolk a day,), no salt tuna, tofu, protein powder

I will still eat my beloved veggies whenever I want, but they aren't going to be the main focus of each meal like they have been...128 pounds of muscle can't survive on rabbit food! 

My fats come from almond milk, avocado, sunbutter, coconut flour, chia seeds (Tofu has some fats too)

I won't put my calorie plan on here because I don't want anyone thinking they should follow it just because I am. Remember, everyone's body is different, and has different needs. I pay close enough attention to how my body responds to different foods, different levels of fats, carbs, proteins, different workout structure, etc..that I know how to tweak things to fix myself and get on a better track. 

We ALL forget to listen to our bodies sometimes, even me!! So while my training has been better and harder than ever, I'm not completely fulfilling the hard work because my diet isn't properly matched to the intensity I'm training at! If you read my blog ever, you know that's not a recipe for success. A car can't run without fuel , right? 

Always remember to listen to your body.

Feed yourself, and train hard!

*for those of you curious of the recipe for the above photo:

The pancakes:

--1 scoop sun warrior protein

--5 oz liquid eggwhites

--1 big handful spinach

--1 tablespoon coconut flour

The toppings: 

--1 tablespoon natural sunbutter (any nut butter you want)

--blueberry chia jam

----->making chia jam: put frozen berries and 1tb chia seeds and a bit of water in the microwave for 2 minutes, stir, and refrigerate for an hour or so. I made a big portion and just spooned some on top of my pancakes. *single serving size: heat 1/2c frozen berries and 1/2tb chia jam in mic and cool it. it'll be around 70 cals, 8 carbs, 4 g fiber, 2g fat*

SO much to update!!

Sorry I've completely NOT been updating, and I have SO much to update.... 

After pumping up the biceps

Monday was a crazy treadmill cardio session and bicep/tricep workout
Tuesday was my usual leg day, with an additional 1/2 hr of cardio before my hour of leg work
Wednesday (today) was 45 minutes of cardio and pole! 
I've been using the arc trainer on the days that I don't run so that I get WAY more cardio in. There's no reason I shouldn't be doing cardio 5-6 days a week on a regular basis. To get somewhere, it never hurts to burn the extra calories. So, I've been using the arc trainer (the incline elliptical) and keeping the incline at 20 and playing with the resistance. The thing I like about the machine is that you can still work up a good sweat and burn calories without putting pressure on your legs. If I could, I would run 5-6 days a week. But That just doesn't work! I would love to write out all of my workouts and foods for the past 3 days, but I've been dealing with some things and don't really remember everything in detail. 
So I'm going to put some highlights:

--Monday's breakfast: chocolate ice cream. (2 scoops chocolate protein powder, 1tbsp chia seeds, water. Freeze for 45 minutes.) 
--Monday I ran a mile in 7:30! Not my fastest (7:28) but pretty damn good! I ran REALLY HARD and really fast for 35 minutes. 
--Burned 634 calories from my monday workout
--Tuesday I got the Smith machine all to myself. It makes squats SO much more stable, and lets your form correct itself.
--I forced myself through 4 sets of lunges with my back leg up using weight on the smith bar !! I HATE LUNGES! 
--I solidified a favorite post-workout meal combo: 6oz eggwhites w/splenda, 1 mushed up heated banana, and 1/3 scoop chocolate protein powder mixed together. MMMM , had that monday and tuesday.

Tried MIRACLE NOODLES on Monday night. they are made of yam powder and glucomannan (fiber) and have ZERO CALORIES. Yup, ZERO. I cooked em with pea shoots, kale, and tofu.


Wednesday (today) I had a nice 45 minute session on the arc trainer, with some new songs on my cardio playlist, and had a great pole class!


Tomorrow's agenda: 30 minutes cardio and Chest workout
On Thursday's I always need to preserve my legs and muscles so that I can wild out on Friday morning at Barry's Boot Camp! My goal is to press 35s comfortably for my chest presses. As of now, 30s are CAKE for 3 sets of 8-10, but sometimes the 35s seem impossible! I'm going to start with the heavier weights tomorrow and do some damage! Anyone have a favorite chest exercise besides Chest Press? (Bench press isn't much different!) Chest workouts typically consist of Pressing, push-ups, and assisted dips for me. I'm not a huge fan of monster pecs for women either, so maybe that's why I don't murder myself for these workouts. My pecs are sorta hidden under my bra anyway right?! I've been working REALLY REALLY hard in the gym this week. Can't wait for my day off on Saturday.
Summer is coming!!! 
Let's get ready!

Sunday sweats

Today, I'm going to just list a chronological breakdown of what my day was like today (meals and workout)


9:15 late breakfast: 1 cup eggwhites with spinach, 1/2cup oats, coffee
 ---around 11:15 before running to the gym: 2 dates


Workout: Cardio and back 


Cardio: 35 minutes on the arc trainer (inclines between 10-20, heavy resistance) 
I hate that machine!! Its just a blessing for sore legs when you still want to do cardio


Back workout:


Circuit 1: 3 sets 12 reps, increase weight each set, each set followed by 12 pulses *superset*


Stiff arm lat pull down
One arm cable row


Circuit 2: 3 sets 12 reps, increase weight for seated row *superset*


Seated cable row
toe touches on bench w/ 10lb plate
hyperextensions w/10lb plate
decline oblique crunches


Circuit 3: 4 sets 12 reps *superset*


Stiff legged deadlift (45/65lbs)
Bent over barbell row (45/65lbs)
supermans/plank


Circuit 4: 2 sets 15 reps *superset*
bent over row one arm 25/30lbs
renegade row 12.5/15lbs


---Decline bench abs, crunches and hold..2-3 minutes


Circuit 5: 3 sets 10 reps *superset*
Wide grip assisted pullup
assisted dip
decline bench crunch w/twist 


Last but not least:
30 final hyperextensions, no weight
30 plank dips
30 russian twists
1 minute plank


WOOOOOOSH good workout!! 


Due to a parade, it took me close to an hour to get home. I was SO mad because I missed my window for ideal post-workout meal!! FUCK!! I ate it anyway, I needed some fuel in my bod duh


2:15 
--1 cup eggwhites w/1 stevia
--1/2 ezekiel cinnamon raisin english muffin
--banana, heated for 2 mins in the microwave and mushed on the muffin and eggwhites. 


HOLY AMAZINGNESS


3:30 iced coffee


4:45 2 little beets, portion of tofu, raw okra pods
8: 5 oz tuna, 1/3 avocado, 1 yellow pepper, kale, broccoli


Pretty good day huh? 


PS: Check out raw OKRA!!! I googled them , and they're amazing for you! A serving is 1 cup, or 8 pods (around 3 inch pods) .. thats 31cals, close to 4grams of fiber, (7carbs if u include the fiber).. They're used as a holistic remedy for a lot of things, and have lots of health benefits. Go find em at your local store and try them , don't be scared! 


Lets rock the week! 
Xoxo

Smoked Shoulders Saturday

Wooooweeeee, my shoulder workout this morning was intense. I'm just gonna get right into it:
Cardio: Treadmill
37 minutes
1 mile 8:40, run until 10 mins
mins 10-20 alternate walk/sprint 1 minute intervals (fastest sprint 11.3mph!!)
mins 20-30 comfortable running, about 7.0 pace
mins 30-35 run backwards 5.5/side shuffle 4.0


Total: 37 minutes, 4 miles


Shoulders:


Circuit 1: 3 sets 10 reps
cable one arm reverse fly
cable upright row
high rope pull


Circuit 2: 3 sets: 10/8/8 reps
Lat pull down (20/27.5/35 lbs)
---step ups on platform (15 front, 15 lateral step ups)
---toe taps on platform (1 minute after each set)


Circuit 3: 3 sets 10 reps
Seated overhead press (25's!! 4th set drop set 25s/20s/10s)
one arm bent over row 25s, 20s

seated reverse flys 5s, 10s

lateral/frontal raise combo 5s, 10s

Circuit 4: ABS
20 russian twist w. medicine ball x3 sets
v sits w. medicine ball 10 reps x 3 sets
plank dips 20 reps x 3 sets
roll ups w. medicine ball overhead 10 reps x 3sets




hollow abdominal isometric holds..
handstand practice
down dogs


Burned 594 cals!
Burning shoulders all day long!



I celebrated St. Patty's day with LOTS of extra greens! Check this out: Kale, romaine, spinach.. mmmm! 
XOXO!!!

MY INSPIRATIONS

I spend most of my free time browsing fitness and nutrition on the internet. I read articles, blogs, facebook fanpages ALL THE TIME. Why? Because I'm very passionate about this field, and want to know as much as I possibly can about diet and workouts. While some people are stronger in the field of nutrition, some are more motivational, or post more inspiring progress photos, etc. Today I'm going to write about the FOUR blogs I check/STALK regularly. I will post the links to the blogs AFTER you all read the amazing things I've learned from each one! Each of these women have contributed to the way I live and think about fitness and nutrition, and motivate me to KEEP ON , every single day.
In no particular order...
1) Tina. The one and only Fit green goddess. The Fit green goddess blog is essentially what HOOKED me onto this fitness and diet craze. It was the first blog I found that I was really enamored by, and read through every post she had already written, and waited for new updates. Tina happens to work out at the same Equinox gym as me, and thats how I found her blog. But even if I didn't know her, her updates are written with such great detail, and enthusiasm. Fit green goddess DISCIPLINE really rubbed off on me, and allowed me to relate with someone who didn't want to eat at a restaurant because she'd rather prepare what she wanted to eat, how she wanted to eat it. The workout blogs inspired me to add new exercises to my regime, and to get my hands on the dumbbells more frequently. Prior to reading Tina's updates, I was focusing heavily on the treadmill, and using cables...dumbbells....maybe some bicep curls here and there. After reading through Tina's crazy workouts, I started to work body parts that I never knew should be worked before, um--I have Tina to thank for my beautiful shoulders! The fit green goddess diet/lifestyle philosophy also really shaped the way I eat and like to eat. Due to my allergy to milk, and recent intolerance of nuts, my diet was becoming tougher to accommodate. People thought I was crazy or delusional for saying I had "intolerance" to something, opposed to an allergy...but it exists, people ! The fit green goddess blog updates caused me to understand my food intolerance, and to adapt to them , and not to mention--inspire me to eat WAY MORE VEGGIES ! There's so much more I could say about Tina and her blog, but I'll let you check out her blog and find out for yourself :-) 


==> The fit green goddess: fitgreengoddess.blogspot.com 


2) Pauline Nordin--- Fighter Diet


Okay, talk about intensity and dedication. Fitness guru , model, and badass Pauline Nordin has a no-holds-barred attitude about fitness and nutrition. Go hard or go home. Don't have a cheat meal, have a re-feed: a scientific strategy with a goal to boost your metabolism by increasing your calories by 500 from carbs only. What does that mean? Eat 3 bowls of Oatmeal, not a piece of cake. Yup, she's hardcore. Not only did I learn about the value of vegetables and kicking your own ass in the gym from Pauline, but I found comfort in a lot of her posts. As a super lean, super intense female fitness figure, she faces a lot of criticism for her somewhat harsh philosophies. Pauline stresses that you must continue to do what you love, and to ignore people who criticize your passion (often labeled "obsession") for fitness. The Fighter Diet is not about a "healthy lifestyle," its about being the best. Being the leanest, strongest individual you can possibly be. Pauline's immense self-motivation is incredible, and Fighter Diet is a blog I often look to when I'm feeling lazy, sore, or wanting to eat off-plan. Pauline is 5'2 and writes with the voice and strength of a 6'2 drill sergeant. I highly recommend that anyone remotely interested in strength training and keeping an impeccable diet check out her site, she's got a different outlook and voice than any other blog I've read.


Pauline Nordin==> www.fighterdiet.com


3) Vani-- Food Babe


So, I found Food Babe via Tina's facebook page. I started following Food Babe on facebook, and then bookmarked her blog. She's all about organic food, and eating the most organic, natural diet possible. She has a far different diet than I do, and LIVES on greens. Reading her blog and checking out her food pics always gets me craving a green juice! The main thing I've achieved from following Food Babe updates is an immense appreciation for vegetables and whole foods. There will always be the part of me that will say, "Uh, you know how many carbs are in that green juice?" But then the Food Babe in the back of my head says "Um theyre GREEN VEGGIES!!" The anti-oxidants and enzymes in different kinds of fruits and veggies are SO GOOD for our bodies, and the Food Babe updates always remind me of that. Food Babe is super into vegan recipes, and inspired me to like baking and cooking treats occasionally. Can you believe I made a coconut ice cream cake over Thanksgiving? The cake was made with bananas, dates, and whole wheat flour as main ingredients, pretty good right? For the record, the cake was INSANELY delicious. I ate it with NO concern for calories...that doesn't happen very often :-) So check out the Food Babe for awesome updates and articles about natural foods and the absolute wildness that the FDA approves for supermarket shelves.
Vani, the food babe==> www.thefoodbabe.com 


4) Kasey, "Powercakes"
This is the most recent blog I came across, and absolutely love! Kasey is close to my age, and blogs about fitness and nutrition like I do, but has these little creations called "Powercakes", becoming kinda famous in their own right! They're like the protein pancakes I've been making, but they're baked, and really look like cakes! Kasey always emphasizes eating clean, and BALANCED. Kasey updates twitter all the time with pictures of her meals, which i LOVE, because it gives me inspiration for my next meal. Usually, her pictures look exactly like my meals, so I can definitely relate. The greatest thing I've learned from following Kasey's updates is the importance of taking a deep breath, and appreciating your hard work. Every monday, the powercakes blog does "mirrorless monday," a day where you dont stare at your muscle cuts (or lack thereof) and critique and nitpick your physique...instead, you reassure yourself that you are STRONG, or that you have made great progress. In other words, you remind yourself what you are proud of, instead of what you wish you saw in the mirror. That mindset comes in realllly handy sometimes, often not on Mondays. Some days, when I'm not feeling my leanest, I really think about that whole mirrorless monday concept and say, "you know what, you pressed 35lbs today. good job." I HIGHLY suggest everyone check out Kasey's blog for some fun recipes and enthusiastic updates!! 
Kasey "powercakes" ==> powercakes.net ( on twitter, @powercakes) 


That's where BODY BY LIZ finds extra motivation and inspiration!! 

SPRING TIME !!

Even though its only March 15th, the weather has been absolutely GORGEOUS in New York, and I think (hope) it's safe to kiss winter goodbye. With Spring here, the days are getting longer, and SUMMER SUN is going to be here before we know it. Don't wait until you realize last summer's shorts don't fit you. Don't wait until your friend invites you to the beach and you realize you look like a whale in your bikini. For me, everyday I need to be bikini ready. No, not because I spend my days at the beach, but because I like to keep myself in beach shape all year round. Some people like to put on a few pounds over winter, or eat more due to seasonal depression/cold weather, etc. Well, before you all start complaining that you don't have enough time to get your body beach ready, I'm telling you to START NOW!! 
--Bikini Bod workout schedule
--Get your butt to the gym 6 days a week, take one "rest" day.
--Split those 6 days like this: 5 cardio sessions, 5 weight training sessions, 1 do whatever the heck you want day. (I like to use the "do whatever you want" day if I'm too sore to follow my initial workout plan, or maybe to just do a 4 mile run, or do some conditioning. Its more of the "no pressure" mindset that I think is important to give yourself at least once a week.)
-----A note on the "rest" day: If you're training super hard , you NEED this day. Don't do a yoga class. Don't do some light cardio just because you can. REST your muscles. They need the extra time to rebuild so that you can rip them to shreds again the upcoming week.


Now, this is totally optional, but if you want a SAMPLE layout of how to split your cardio/strength.. and avoid going to the gym twice a day...here's where I would start for the first 2-3 weeks


Day 1: work shoulders+back, follow with 30-45 minutes steady-state cardio (INTENSE THOUGH)
Day 2: 30 minutes HIIT cardio, Train biceps and triceps
Day 3: do whatever you want
Day 4: 20 minutes of near-death intensity cardio, train legs (think glutes/hams/quads)
Day 5: Train chest and extra abs, follow with 45-60 minutes steady state cardio
Day 6: Train weakest area, Heavy weight, entirely burn the muscles, follow with 30 minutes of almost death cardio
Day 7:REST YOUR BODY ! 


See, this is simply ONE example of the ONE MILLION ways you could plan a week of working out. And if you plan seven days ahead, you really cant predict how your body is going to respond, so you might need to tailor throughout the week. One thing I didn't put in the plan is ABS ... because you should be hitting them throughout your workouts , anywhere from 4-6 days a week. See how a plan like this works after 2 weeks or so, and then make some changes accordingly. If you have lots of fat to lose, you might need more cardio, or use that "do whatever you want" option to put some cardio in. Cardio is a super vague term also, if you're a runner, you're probably going to run. If you're an elliptical queen...PLEASE up the ante. Keep the incline above 10 at all times and push the resistance. I used the elliptical today because my legs were SHOT from my leg workout yesterday, and spent an hour on the damn machine between levels 10-20. On sore legs. Uhh..if that's not some motivation for you little cardio bunnies...


Anyway, embrace SPRING, and get yourself a HOT string bikini (or speedo, for you men reading this...) for the beach! If you live on the East Coast, you have at least 3 months, so use every second!! Follow my blog for diet tips and fitness tips as usual :-) 






While I'm not trying to get in beach shape...I am trying to drop a looooot of weight for something else... so let's do it together! 


Cheers to spring! 
xoxoxo

LA: Day 4

Monday in LA:
-woke up, made oats with egg whites, and had some grapes
-headed to the gym, hopped on the treadmill. I really didn't have a game plan for Monday. I knew my legs felt ready to run, and then, I got so motivated by the girl in front of me who stayed on her treadmill for an hour...so I kept running. Then, I had been on around 35 minutes, and a guy hopped on the treadmill next to me and started running fast, so I felt his energy. The guy on the other side of him had been on his treadmill almost as long as I had been on, so I just kept going. I figured, why not?! I had to work out for at least an hour and fifteen minutes because Victor was teaching. I ended up staying on the treadmill until it STOPPED after an hour! Ran almost 7 full miles, with some incline work and a couple of minutes walking. WOOOOOOO. 
Then, I went to the mat, grabbed a resistance band and a medicine ball and did some leg raises with the band, and some ab work. Almost 700 calories burned! I stretched, foam rolled, and went down to get a shake. Decided to try something different:
-Banana, strawberry, almond milk, vegan protein==body by liz bliss. A drink that pretty HAS to taste good! I felt so sick after my workout, and had to force myself to drink the shake. If you work out intensely, you probably know the feeling. The last thing you want to do after a long or exhausting cardio session is EAT...but you have to refuel! 
Once we got home, I decided I was going to get myself up to North Hollywood for Shirlene's Pumps class. That meant:
walk 2+ miles to the subway station, walk from subway to dance studio (about 5-6 minute walk)


 Took the dance class, it was AMAZING...worth the foot travel, then went home on the subway, and caught a cab back to the house. I was gone from 4-9, all for a one hour dance class. But it was worth it, and it's not like i had anything else important to do! 
I made tuna with avocado over spinach and sprouts, and had baby carrots, snap peas, and dried cherries while watching housewives of atlanta. Talk about a good day! It was so nice to SIT on the couch an REST my legs! 

LA: Day 3!

Sunday in LA: Sunday was great! Went to the gym in the morning as usual, had a GREAT workout focusing on biceps/triceps and deadlifts (burned almost 600 calories!), got my shake from the Earth bar cafe:
Blueberry Bliss: (without almond butter, almond milk instead of hemp milk)
-1 banana
-1/3cup frozen blueberries
-unsweetened vanilla almond milk
-vegan protein


MAKE IT...such a good post-workout fix


then, hung out around the house, walked for a Starbucks later on...
Sunday night, Victor and Chris had some friends over for dinner, and they brought their son Zachary to play with Coco. Victor cooked an amazing healthy meal for dinner:
-Steamed broccoli
-A salad of kale leaves with tomatoes and cucumbers and lemon and olive oil dressing
-long grain wild rice cooked in vegetable broth
--he also made shrimp and steak, but i just threw a can of tuna over my dinner.
It was SO good! I don't remember the last time I ate rice of any sort...I had about one spoonful, but it was so good!
After their friends left, we all watched this new reality TV show called the Shah's of Sunset...omg its on bravo, quite ridiculous.
I went to bed nice and early Sunday night, because I had a lot planned for Monday.

La La Land: DAY 2!

I was SO sleepy last night, I fell asleep before 9pm LA time, and woke up to Victor and Coco singing around 7, but didn't really get up until 7:30. 10 hours got me back on track! 
Made myself rolled oats (didn't even measure, it was roughly 8 big tablespoons...I was shooting for a generous 1/2cup. But i don't care, I'm on vacation!) Made eggwhites with a splenda packet, but i didn't measure those either, and i made a tiny eggwhite..oh well. The oats hit the spot anyhow. It was almost 8 at that point and Victor said, "Soo, we're gonna be at the gym from like...8:45 until 12.." WOO! 3 hours in the gym, fine by me! I kept myself occupied. It just so happened that DICE was teaching his yoga class from 930-1045.. how perfect. I don't really do yoga anymore, but Dice's class is really athletic, and he's just the best teacher I've ever taken. If you ever happen to be at West Hollywood Equinox .. or Santa Monica.. you NEED to check for his name on the schedule. Tell him I sent you! I started to lift a little bit before yoga, then set up my mat and loosened up my hamstrings. After yoga, I hit the treadmill for 10 minutes just to amp myself up for some shoulders and back workout.. I'm on vacation and SO not in the mood to type out my super regimented format right now so here's an abbreviated version:


Treadmill: 
10 mins 1.10 miles (hips a little sore from runyon i think!)


Shoulders/back
Lat raises
Reverse Flies
Bent over rows
overhead presses
Renegade rows w/pushup
bent arm lat raises
threw in some bicep curls for fun
planks 
plank dips


The gym started to get SO crowded.. I definitely worked out with some celebrities...but I don't know who the heck they are.


12 pm--Post-workout: SHAKE!! It was called the "blueberry bliss"
-banana, blueberries, hemp milk, vegan protein .. it was SO good, and so filling I almost couldn't finish it.
When we got back to the house, I decided to LAY OUT in my white bikini at the pool (no pic, sorry!)
Lunch: I wanted to pay some tribute to LA with my meal, and since avocado and sprouts are soo popular here, and i happen to LOVE them, I used them with my meal.
This time around, I made the mistake of making too much eggwhites, I didn't think I'd be able to finish. Of course, I did though.


Lunch:
2 slices ezekiel
1/2 small avocado (spread on the ezekiel)
handful of radish and bean sprouts (on top of the avocado)
handful of spinach (for the eggwhites)
egg whites
sugar snap peas
baby carrots (ate them while i was cooking..woops they missed the photo op!) 


I ate that out at the pool. NOTE: Yeah, thats definitely a solid lunch, but i ALWAYS eat stuff like that. Do NOT be afraid to EAT! If you don't fuel your body, guess what will? your beloved muscle tissue. yup. we don't want that.


Fast forward to 4:30 and I was getting hungry, and TIRED.. no caffeine does that to me.. so I decided I'd take a stroll to Starbucks (like a 10 minute walk)
I had a little green apple, and walked for my iced coffee! 

I'm drinking it right now :) 
I'm having so much fun here, I really need to live here one day. 
Happy Saturday :) 
XOXOX 

I'm in LA!!

This morning I hopped on the 7:30am flight from JFK to LAX, you don't even know how excited I was! I printed my boarding pass at home, so getting through security was no big deal. Once in my terminal, you know I was determined to find the BEST airport goodies to bring on the flight. (I do NOT do 7 hours of traveling on an empty stomach!) Here's what I decided on:
-XLARGE DECAF coffee from DD : But here's the annoying part. I had to BUY an entire "very vanilla" silk soy juice box because DD does NOT have soy milk!!! I used maybe 1 or 2 ounces of the carton that cost freakin $3...oh well. One day the world will be kinder to us dairy-free people.
-$5 bag of snap peas (not a huge bag either. airport prices. health is worth it!)
-an apple

-i said GOODIES, right?! Well, I was absolutely THRILLED to find NUGO VEGAN PROTEIN BARS in the terminal food spot! I NEVER eat these anymore, but decided I could definitely rationalize it for travel purposes. I picked the dark chocolate pretzel one. HOLY CRAP. I need to re-create those flavors in the form of oats. There were little specs of sea salt on the actual chocolate part of the bar, and the brown rice protein crisps in the center tasted like pretzels because of it. Oh baby, if you want a treat... That is definitely the way to go. 200 cals, 5 grams of fat, 10g protein, 15 sugars....WAY more satisfying than a hershey bar or a couple of chocolate covered pretzels *which always contain MILK FAT...ew* I'm not saying these should be an every day fix, but wow. I am telling you to TRY ONE because they're that good. 
Anyway, besides the 2 small children kicking and screaming behind my seat the entire flight (ahem, MIDDLE seat...) and the fact I kept jumping over the kid sitting next to me so I could go to the bathroom, walk around, get extra water bottles from the cart at the back of the plane ( I can't sit still at ALL..) I had a great flight. Landed early, got a STARBUCKS, got my bag, and waited for Victor! It was HOT and 80 degrees! I was enjoying every minute of it. After running some errands with him, we decided we'd spend the rest of the hours of sunshine at RUNYON canyon. *does happy dance*
The parking gods were on our side today too, we got a sick parking spot, walked up to the canyon, and went our separate ways. I had to complete my first loop quicker than I had planned because i was DYING to get a water bottle at the bottom of the canyon entrance. I was thirsty and dizzy. I booked it down the loop, got my water, and walked all the way back UP the intense incline pavement for some more loops around the canyon. I did LOTS of running, I even ran up most of the stairs (they're a bitch.) Victor and I passed each other a couple of times, both running around with no shirts on , on a mission. We met up 90 minutes later. Checked the heart rate monitor. 832 calories! WHOA!!




I had pretty much my first meal of the day after that: 2 slices ezekiel bread, 1 can of tuna, 1/2avocado, and lots of baby carrots and snap peas. Usually, I wouldn't have fat after a workout, but I'm on VACATION so I really don't care. My body needed some SERIOUS FUEL. I'm still sort of on New York time, So it's like I've been awake for 19 hours, with pretty little food and a crazy workout. I'm only out here until Tuesday, so I need to make the most of EVERY DAY!! I'll have a great day of rest on Wednesday after my red-eye flight back to New York.


My vacation diet day 1:
7am: decaf coffee w/soy
plane-- 8am nugo bar, couple hours later snap peas, couple hours later apple
10:15 LA TIME (1:15ny) iced coffee w/soy
1:00 LA time 1 egg, 3 whites, banana
1:50-3:30 RUNYON. 
5pm: 2 slices ezekiel, 1 can light tuna, 1/2 avocado, baby carrots, snap peas
6pm: small green apple, some grapes


So nice to Relax! I plan on having my eggwhites and oats in the morning before going to the gym... and maybe a shake from equinox after my workout .. 
I'll be keeping you updated!! 
XOXOXO 

Obsessed with IMAGE

I've been thinking a LOT lately...
everything I'm interested tends to revolve around LOOKS. As a dancer and fitness obsessee, everyone around me is always trying to look better (ie: dancers want to be more snatched, wanna book more jobs, same thing with fitness. every blogger or competitor wants to be leaner, more muscular, have a nicer butt, eat cleaner than the next.) 
Here I am right in the middle of it. One minute I feel super lean, happy with the progress I'm making...then I sign onto facebook and see that the girls winning Ameteur and Pro Bikini at the past Weekend's Arnold look way different than me. While I'm tempted to say they look "better" than me, I'm not going to say that. Sure, they're leaner. They likely broke down their bodies for the weeks and months leading up to that contest just to look paper-thin and muscular on stage. But that degree of intensity isn't supposed to last 365 days a year, so they say. They have an "off-season," in which they probably eat and train closer to how I do...some might train harder than me, others might slack a bit. 
Where am I going with this ? Well , at the moment, I'm not preparing to step on stage in the world's most revealing sparkly bikini. That's next year. But there's something INSIDE of me that makes me PUSH PUSH PUSH beyond my own mental limits, and I Get so FRUSTRATED when I'm so sore that it hurts to walk, haven't eaten a single carb before 12pm...it makes me want to kick myself sometimes! But, then I remember, I'm always pursuing the better version of me. Yeah, okay I'm small, I have nice muscle tone, my bicep veins pop out when i lift. It's all good. But due to my CRAZINESS, it's not good enough. I often look at way too many pictures of women I want to look like, and forget to appreciate my own progress. Building a physique is a journey, painful and beautiful at the same time. I love the foods I eat, I adore my workouts (besides the squats, maybe,) and my heart rate monitor and ipod are some of the best company i could ask for. 
You know what I want YOU to take away from reading this? Even if you spend tons of time looking at photos of people you want to look like, or abs you need, and reading the latest exercises and post-workout secrets for shredded abs...make sure doing such MOTIVATES you. Don't let it discourage you. Did you follow a workout plan from a fitness magazine because the model had an incredible physique? You finished it, put all your effort into it, AND made the suggested post-workout shake afterwards? GREAT. Oh, you looked in the mirror after you workout and didn't see a ripped midsection? Well, what the heck. It doesn't work that way!! We (I) need to remember, this is a JOURNEY and a lifestyle. Changing your body doesn't happen overnight. When we pull back from crazy fit-monster mode, we know this. But sometimes the DRIVE takes over LOGIC and you run yourself into the ground. I come to this realization every once in a while. It often comes at a point where I'm uncomfortably sore, my digestive system is breaking down because I eat too much freakin' spinach *seriously, I need to tone it down,* and I've been looking at TOO MANY bikini and figure competition pictures. How will I overcome this and re-charge? I'll take a day off from the gym, not eat a THING until my body cries hunger, and just relax. The next day (This time, will be en route to LA to spend 5 days with an AMAZING fitness inspiration, VICTOR SELF! ) 

--Can't wait to do some GREAT blogging in California, and give you guys a taste of Runyon Canyon, The LA Dance scene, and West Hollywood Equinox.
This blog was very therapeutic for me to write, and if you read the entire thing, THANK YOU. 


Everyone who has been reaching out lately and asking me personal questions (there have been LOTS of you lately!) Thank you. You guys reassure me that I'm meant to do this for a reason. There's a purpose for my blogging, beyond my passion and self-motivation to do so. The only thing I love more than my own pursuit of fitness and health, is encouraging others with their own pursuit. I thank you for letting me share my knowledge and philosophies with you. 

"Pain is Weakness leaving the body!"

"Pain is Weakness leaving the body" 
"Sweat is your fat crying" 
These are both terms that I absolutely LOVE. I heard them first from friend and amazing Barry's instructor Keoni Hudoba, and they have stuck with me during EVERY workout! 


I want to talk about PAIN and WEAKNESS today. Everyone has strengths. Those same people have weaknesses too. Not only in the gym, but in life. Some people are organized, some would lose their head if it weren't attached by their neck. Some people can cope with emotional hardship, while others let emotion take over them, and lose themselves in wallow and self-destruction.  


But, I do fitness. So let's talk about your physical weaknesses. I'll start. My absolute weakness is leg and glute training. If someone asked if I'd rather run for my life for 2 hours, or squat for an hour...I'd be running for my life. I LOVE training my upper body, I could do core exercises ALL DAY.. but when it comes to these GLUTES and LEGS...I have to force myself. I used to avoid them, and just throw in a set of suitcase squats or barbell deadlifts here and there. But then, I realized my butt didn't look how I wanted. Most people would accept the fact that their butt must be sacrificed in order to improve their running. NOT ME!!! Yes, I have a weakness. But I'm willing to put in the effort to CHANGE it. Every damn Tuesday, I drag my booty to the gym, and just work with the leg press and squat rack. Minimal to zero cardio, just leg training. I hate every squat with more than 65 pounds. But I do them over and over and over again until I can barely stand straight because I want to turn my WEAKNESS into STRENGTH. I want to be just as proud of my backside as I am of my nice shoulders, obliques, biceps, etc. And THAT is why I torture myself every Tuesday. 


After waking up at 6:30AM to sit in class from 8 until 1:45, do you think I want to have my hardest workout of the week!? No. I do it because I'm determined to change, and the feeling once I'm done is amazing. Once I finish my brutal Tuesday workout, I feel accomplished, and ready to just sit down and dream about my booty growing with each minute (A girl can dream, right?) The only thing I DO love about  my leg workouts is deadlifts. I've always had a strong deadlift, and I love how they engage my whole upper body as well. Squats, well...they just suck. Lunges too. In my opinion. 


Some people would say they LOVE training their legs, and would just do that if they could. It might pain them to look at their flabby arms, or ugly stomach. They have the ability to change it too!! Some elite athletes HATE cardio. They still do it 6 times a week with more intensity than most "cardio enthusiasts." If you want a physique, or you want to get stronger, dreaming aint gonna get you there. Just like anything else in life, you cant expect to just be given something. You need to act, and GET IT. Want a nice ass? Get your butt to the squat rack. Grab some dumbbells, do suitcase squats. Put your leg behind you on a bench and lunge it out until you fall over. It's the only way to get results. 
Tuesday workouts make me want to CRY, GIVE UP, EAT. I always push through. 3 to 4 sets is just a WARM-UP on leg day. If I can do it more than 4 to 5 reps, I add weight. Drop-sets. Non-stop. It's like an hour of inferno. 


I LOVE IT. 
There is no feeling more rewarding than pushing yourself past a limit you didn't know existed.
Change your weakness into strength.
MAKE THE FAT BURST OUT INTO TEARS!


That's what I have to say on this lovely Tuesday.
Wow my booty hurts!


XOXO

DIE(t) !!

If you follow my blogs or read them pretty often, you know I really cut back (sorta went on a "diet" on Friday.) Until JUST NOW, I followed EVERY SINGLE MEAL, DID NOT SNACK AT ALL, ETC. However, I just broke my diet (GASP!) Wanna know what I did? Well, after burning 631 calories during my 75 minute workout today, i came back to my dorm (2:30pm) and had my post-workout meal i had planned. (1.5scoop chocolate protein, small banana, 1/2c WHEAT bran.) I was supposed to eat my mini-dinner at 5ish. (1/2can tuna, 1/2 small avocado, 1 pepper, 2 baby cucumbers)
Well, I ended up working on a homework assingment until 6ish, and was STARVING. SO...I had my planned mini-dinner...plus a whole bag of snap peas. 

Whatever. I don't care, 4 extra servings of vegetables! My error today was that i should have had more in my system this morning, as i only had vegan protein and 1cup frozen blueberries for breakfast, and a scaled down version of a typical pre-workout meal. Like I said, they're freakin vegetables. They're not gonna stick to me !! So, there's my dramatic cheat. 3 days of dieting perfection...I don't believe in being HUNGRY. So, EAT! For dinner I have 1/2can tuna, other 1/2 the avocado, 1/2 bag of spinach, and 2 peppers on the agenda. I'll probably make that a whole bag of spinach to be extra daring! Don't want to be hungry! When on a specific/limited/restricted (whatever the heck you wanna call it) diet, you still should be HAPPY .. and your stomach shouldn't be growling. Always keep the metabolism going. So hey, an extra 140 calories from some freakin green vegetables? I'm really not gonna sweat it. I'm just mad the bag of snap peas is GONE and I can't have any tomorrow :-( 
My tummy is very happy now anyway. 


Oh, and did I mention I burned 631 cals during my workout today!? 
Here's how:


I hit the treadmill super hard, as usual. Similar to yesterday's workout, but ran faster, sometimes running 7.5 up a 5% incline for a minute. spent 30 minutes busting my ass, included 5 cycles of running backwards at 5.5speed followed by minutes of 8.5 running. Spent 5 minutes walking fast to cool down.


Treadmill stats:
--35 minutes, 3.75 miles


THEN i hit the cables for a quick tricep/shoulder superset:


Circuit 1: 3 sets x 12-15 reps
-Tricep rope pull down
-High rope delt pull
-Stiff arm rope pull down (upper tricep/upper back)


Circuit 2: 3 sets , reps until failure 
Bicep curls 40lb dumbbell
bent arm lateral raise
stiff arm lateral raise
side crunch off hyperextension machine


Circuit 3:drop set bicep curls (40lb dbell/ 30 lb/ 20lb )
Drop set lat raises (10lb/8lb dbells)


Circuit 4: 3 sets x 10-12 reps
Dbell chest press 30's, 35's
Dbell one arm bent over row 25's, 30's
Overhead tricep extension 15lb dbell
Toe touches on bench
Teasers on bench


--Did some tricep pushups and held a few forearm planks to finish


--done in 1 hr and 15 mins, 631 cals burned.
Foam rolled, stretched, outta there in less than 90 minutes!! 


More than 5 hours later, and my arms still HURT..it's hard to bend them to type and text because they're pumped UP!! 


PS: Know what kept me motivated to SQUEEZE out those extra reps today while using heavy weights? I've been reading TONS of fitness articles lately, and i read one recently that said something like this: "The last few reps, the ones when you feel like you can't do anymore ... that's when new muscles are built." Those aren't the exact words, but it was a quote by the man himself, ARNOLD Schwarzeneggar. The Arnold Sports festival (Major bodybuilding convention/contest) was this weekend, and I saw SO much coverage on twitter and facebook. I decided, I will be THERE next year...ON STAGE!! (Hopefully!) More about this to come... But I'm pretty sure I want to DO IT! 


GOOD TUESDAY RIGHT?! 


Thought so. Even after a bag of snap peas. :-O


XOXO

Sunday: 50 minute blast

11:15 AM on a Sunday morning and here I am DONE with my workout and post-workout meal (my favorite chocolate banana bowl.. recipe at bottom)


I wanted to blast out a short but effective workout this morning, mainly cardio. 1 circuit after just to fire up my upper back and abs


Treadmill:
min 1: 5.5mph jog - 0%incline
min 2: 6.5mph run - 4% incline
min 3: 7.0mph run - 2% incline
min 4: 9.0 sprint - 0% incline
(repeat mins 1-4), run 6.0 until 1 mile


I hit 1 mile just before 9:30, and then RAN to hit 2 miles in just under 17:30 (0% incline)


From 18-20 minutes, I ran at a comfortable 6.5-7.0 at 0% incline to get ready for more intervals and inclines 


min 20-27: steady 2% incline, ran between 6.5-8.0 (hit 3 miles in 26 minutes)
min 26-30: 0% incline, ran (7.5)
min 30-35: 10% incline, walk FAST 4.5
1 min cooldown: walk 0% incline 3.5


The incline work kicked my BUTT !! 


Circuit blast: 15 reps x 2 sets
Seated rear delt row
Seated low row
Seated one arm row w/ torso twist
toe touches on bench w/12lb medicine ball
russian twists on bench w/ 12lb medicine ball 


Total: 50 minutes
Calories burned: 486
Heart rat max: 186 (WOOO!!!)


After i worked out, I foam rolled, did 1 set of ab exercises, and stretched for 10 minutes. Definitely put me over 500 cals.
In and out of the gym in an HOUR! perfect for a Sunday


Post-workout chocolate banana bowl
--1 scoop vegan chocolate protein
--1 small banana
--1/4c oat bran


directions: heat the oat bran and banana together (2-3mins microwave)
take it out, mush the banana around with a spoon or fork to blend it with the oat bran
add 1scoop protein, and just enough water to mix the powder in. The oats will absorb more water as you continue to stir, so just add liquid conservatively until its the consistency you like. YUM. 


purpose of each ingredient:
--banana: high glycemic index carb, aka fast-digesting, will get into your muscles faster to repair post-workout
--vegan chocolate protein: I'm entirely milk-intolerant, and can't use WHEY protein...which I would recommend to anyone who is NOT milk-intolerant because of its fast-releasing protein complex. Whey is a dairy-derived protein powder, and is FAST-ACTING (like high glycemic index/ simple carbohydrates,) and therefore is said to be more effective for post-workout, since there is a short window of time (no more than 45 minutes) to replenish your body to assist in muscle repair. The protein also counteracts a spike in blood sugar that could possibly be caused by a high glycemic index carb. However, this isn't likely with something like bananas because they do contain fiber, which stabilizes blood sugar.
--1/4c oat bran: a serving of oat bran is 1/3c, but since the primary post-workout carbs are coming from the banana, i cut the serving down, especially during this "diet" phase I'm in. Oat-bran is a complex carbohydrate, contains 7g protein and 6g fiber per serving. It is slow-digesting, and keeps you fuller, for a longer period of time, because it takes longer to digest. I put this in my post-workout meal to make it a complete meal that keeps me full for about 3 hours. The 2 hour time period after a workout is the best time to get carb intake because your metabolism is elevated, and is working to repair the muscle stress and tear from the workout.


The reason there's no PHOTO of my amazing banana chocolate creation, is because it just looks like weird brown oat bran. not exactly enticing. 
Don't like bananas? Other good high GI post-workout fruits include: pineapple, mangoes, dried fruits like raisins. Find one you like! 


Happy Sunday ! 
xoxo