So I'm in the mood to throw another workout at you.
Wait. TWO workouts.
Yesterday, Wednesday, was cardio.
Today, Thursday, was back and biceps.
Wednesday: The last thing in the world i was in the mood to do was run. but, it was national running day, and i was scheduled to do cardio! who cares my legs were sore from my leg workout the day before?!
I was having major cardio ADD so here's what I did:
1. Stair master. Levels 8-10 for 12 minutes
2. Treadmill. Alternate between walking 4.0 and running 7.0+ til 12 minutes
3. Octane w/arm blaster. pedal forward one min, backward one min. high resistance, 12 minutes.
I was a sweaty mess by the end of that!
Now. Fun part.
TODAY's Workout.
BACK AND BICEPS.
This is the polished and formatted version. Not EXACTLY what I did. close enough
**quick 2-3 minute warmup with 5lb dbells**
Superset 1. Seated bicep curl on incline bench 20lbs / bent over row 25lbs
4 sets, 6-8 reps
Superset 2. Unilateral lat raises 12.5lbs / Bicep curl 50lb barbell
4 sets, 6-8 reps
Set 3. Unilateral Bent over row: 40s/45s/50s
6 sets total. 3-7 rep range *3 reps for 50s*
Set 4. Reverse fly prone on incline bench 10lb dbells
4 sets 10 reps
**work negative rep unilateral bicep curls between sets. 30lb dbells**
Superset 5. Lat pull down/unilateral seated cable row
4 sets. 8-12 rep range
Triset 6. Cable back bicep curl / cable unilateral lat raise / cable unilateral lat pull down
3 sets 8 reps
**FINALE** PULL-UP PRACTICE! Narrow grip and wide grip. Practiced from dead hang, and worked negative reps to get closer to actually doing my pullups!
Now I'll take the liberty to upload a random pic i snapped today because the lighting in the tanning salon was cool:
Aaaand here's another pic I took today. See how one photo can make me look big and muscular, but another one I look like workout barbie?
That's the beauty of creating the physique you want! Small frame, big muscles...that's what i'm going for.
WHAT ARE YOU GOING FOR?
***CHALLENGE*** INCREASE YOUR WEIGHTS BY AN INCREMENT OR TWO TOMORROW.
I love you.
I look forward to the time we spend together every tuesday. You get heavier and tougher each week, but you only motivate me to crush you once again (in the most loving way possible of course.)
I love you. Spending time working with you has done wonders for my glutes, hamstrings, back, and overall gym badass quota. You give lift to my backside, even though its tough to walk after our Tuesday dates.
Um....okay. You guys get it right? Deadlifts are by far my absolute favorite exercise. On each "leg day" I deadlift til the cows come home. All variations.
Here's the deadlifting from today's workout:
Stiff legged deads w/30lb barbell to warmup: 15x3
Single legged deads w/35lb kettlebell 10x3
Hardcore Deads:
95lbs 8x2
115 lbs 8 reps
135 lbs 8 reps
145 lbs 5 reps
DRUMROLL.......155 lbs. remember I couldn't lift it last week?! TODAY:
155 3 reps x 2
BOOM!!! I got it! It was a combination of the Monster pre-workout and my new lifting GLOVES, and alternate grip. Left underhand, right overhand, then switched grip to right underhand, left overhand. I killed it! I wasn't done, duh...
Drop-set....
135lbs 8 reps
95lbs 10 reps
45lbs stiff legs 15 reps
now THATS how you deadlift. more than 10 sets. I WANT RESULTS! No 3x10 bullshit when I'm really trying to make improvements. People say to keep your muscles guessing, yeah. sure. But most importantly, keep your muscles WORKING HARD. If there's gas in the tank, FLOOR it. Thats what I call working to exhaustion. done.
If you can imagine, thats only one part of my leg workouts!
Along with the crazy set volume of deadlifts, I do about 8-12 sets of squat variations, some lunges, weighted hyperextensions, and today i leg pressed.
You get out what you put in.
Do you put in work?
Sunday. Shoulder workout. It was so tough, I couldn't wait to blog it. no fluff in today's post, just a sick workout
--warm up shoulders first (stretch them out, use baby dumbbells to loosen the joints. 3-5 mins)
rest 30secs-1min between each set
1.Seated Shoulder press w/30's.
4 sets
7,7,6,5 reps
--follow with negative reps w/35's. 3 reps per arm
2. Upright row w/50lb barbell, then 40lb
4 sets
8,8,*40*,10,10 reps
3. Bent arm lateral raise w/15s
4 sets
10,10,8,8 reps
4.**superset** bent over reverse fly 15s, front raise 15s.
2 sets 10 reps
grab 12.5s
2 sets 10 reps
5. Push presses w/50lb barbell
4 sets
10,8,8,6 reps
6. Unilateral lat raise 15s/12.5s/10s/7.5s
4 sets
10 reps each set
7. **Triset**
rear delt cable crossover
bent over reverse cable fly
cable upright row
3 sets 10 reps
Shoulders were ON FIRE!!!! Different format for my workout than usual. Went heavy and HARD !!
And.... they were a bit sore from doing THIS the night before..
Who wants to get hot?!
these just SKIM the surface of what I THINK (and do) to maintain a hot body!! For me, it's important to look as good as possible in ALL SEASONS...but I understand some people want that "summer body." Well, its JUNE! Your time is NOW. Even though its already hot, Summer is really going to "start" soon. That July 4th weekend is but 4 weeks away. Do you know how much you can do to benefit yourself and the way you look on the beach in that time?! A LOT. Here's 8 rules for keeping a hot body all summer. Not in any particular order.
1) Drink lots of water: This is pretty self-explanatory. With the hotter temperatures, you better drink EVEN more to combat the extra sweating and elevated risk of dehydration. A nice lil fit tip is to put lots of ice cubes in your water, because drinking ICE COLD water is said to increase your metabolism (marginally, but hey...every bit helps.)
2) Get out in the sun: Having a nice tan has a flattering effect on muscle definition, and can make you look slimmer, and probably feel more confident about yourself at the pool or on the beach. Not to mention, I find that if I lay out, go swimming, etc.. I don't get hungry NEARLY as often! Sunshine is one of my favorite appetite suppressants...maybe it's just me.
3) Watch your carbs: Yup. I went there. Healthy poolside snacking is tricky. Fruit is not always the answer. Just because all the fruits look so ripe and vibrant, doesn't mean its okay to eat a whole watermelon and put 2 cups of fresh berries next to every meal you eat. Treat yourself to a super ripe piece of fruit once a day, or 1-2 servings of perfect berries. Not the whole container of blueberries from costco. (my downfall last summer) Cold sliced cucumbers and celery sticks are perfect, and the water content really fills you up.
4) Drink unsweetened iced coffee: Whether you choose caffeinated or decaf, iced coffee is a great , refreshing treat during the summer weather, and will curb hunger or cravings. My personal favorite is Starbucks. But you really cant go wrong with plain old iced coffee! Avoid milk. A tiny bit of skim, almond, or coconut milk is fine. Coffee is also a good diuretic....(oops i went there)
5) Wear form fitting clothes: I know all of those super blousy, flowy, looking tops and tunics are "in" for the season, but make sure you buy some summer clothes with structure and fit. Wear tight pants to a barbecue, you won't eat as much (i promise. lol) Pastel and neon skinny jeans are adorable, and will make you look FAT if you don't keep your booty working hard! Fit tip: buy your clothes snug rather than loose. You'll want to shed more weight so that the clothes feel super comfortable.
6) Enjoy the hot weather with friends: Make plans with your friends/family to go for a walk when its super hot out, or a bike ride. Go to the beach, and walk in the sand, not the hard sand next to the water, unless your feet get too hot! Walking on the beach is a sick workout, and is a good way to get an even tan if you hate laying on your stomach like I do.
7) WORK OUT: This should go without saying, but keep your workout routine! Sure, spice it up, run on the beach, hills in your neighborhood or park, run outdoors. Make sure you keep your strength training regimen though! Go to the gym very early or late at night, when you aren't wishing to be in the sun. If you have a beach day or weekend planned, plan your workouts accordingly. If you're like me, you workout on vacation, regardless. If not, kick your butt before you go away!
8) ENJOY THE WEATHER: Seriously. This is so important. I find that a positive mood is one of the absolute best tools for sticking to a healthy lifestyle and really enjoying it. If you're genuinely happy about the sunshine and the heat, you'll be less likely to overstress or get depressed over small issues at work, or with friends. Enjoy the season, it's short!
Like I said. This skims the surface. But I hope you learned something new or found some insight from this post. Ready, set, GO get HOT for bikini/beach bod weather! If you are already hot, enjoy it, and rock that body with PRIDE on the beach or at the pool. Take pics, let the haters suck down a beer and be jealous of your 6 pack. Its not YOUR fault that you look better than them!
Alright alright. Friday. TGIF. Cardio on the agenda. No excitement whatsoever about that. But, Saturday is rest day, so I couldn't wait to finish a tough workout.
All morning I tried to plan my hour of cardio. First I was like , hm my legs are so sore, but I have to run a little. Then I was like maybe I can handle the stair master. Then I was like oh hell I'm just gonna suck it up and sprint my world away for 30 minutes then chill on the elliptical. Well.
I finally got my running shoes on, double sports bra (oh, the joy of being a girl with a sprinting agenda) popped my monster, and drove to the gym. I get to my treadmill, ready to rock. I decided I was going to work my triceps and run. Here was my plan:
Run mile. Tricep circuit. Run mile, faster. Tricep circuit. Run mile, fastest. Triceps +abs
Got on my treadmill, warmed up.
Can't hear my ipod in my ear buds.
What the HECK...
My headphones BROKE!!!
I don't think i've EVER endured the pain of working out, let alone RUNNING without my music to motivate me. Well. I did the unthinkable. I ran.
FASTER than I have been. by FAR!!! I just wanted to KILL the cardio.
Finished a mile in 8:01. Wooo baby!!! Then, I walked a minute, and jogged a minute. Minutes 10-20 I alternated sprinting 9.0+/walking 4.0. Then, I finished up running. When I hit 3 miles, I walked it out until 30 minutes.
For the record, the music they play in the gym is NOT loud enough to motivate anyone, and its ridiculously LAME music..except for when the one Jay-z song comes on the morning loop.
Then, I spent 30 minutes burning out my triceps, and did chest presses just to give my tris a slight break. Also did some decline ab work.
1hr 10 mins. 502 cals. Boom!!! Had a sick workout WITHOUT music. Didn't even think it was possible!!
Its the power of the mind, people. It's an amazing thing.
post-workout AMAZING re-fuel:
8oz eggwhites
3/4scoop sunwarrior protein vanilla
1tb PB2
1/3 banana
blended and cooked in a pan, 2 big pancakes!
You better believe I'm buying headphones tomorrow!!! 2 pairs!!
Alright. Last week i was posting a lot about how SORE i was feeling. for WAY too long after my workouts, especially legs. SO. I decided i HAD to get a hold on this issue, simply because I was in pain!
Here's what i DIDNT DO:
go to vitamin shoppe and buy every supplement that could help combat muscle soreness
stop working out entirely
suck it up and cry my joints to sleep at night after working out
Okay. you get the point.
I had to re-evaluate. Since my diet was not the culprit here, since my carbohydrate intake wasn't reduced or anything, I had to figure out how to make things better with my training and recovery. I decided that i NEEDED to force myself to do more foam rolling and stretching at HOME as well. So, Instead of doing cardio and weights during pretty much every workout, I switched my routine. I alternate between cardio DAYS and strength DAYS. I started this on Saturday:
Saturday--the track workout i blogged about (heavy cardio)
Sunday--Heavy shoulder workout with some chest incorporated
Monday--40 minutes of intervals on the treadmill, 20 minutes elliptical +ab work
Tuesday--Heavy Leg training
Wednesday--30 minutes stair master, 30 minutes elliptical, *new*killer ab exercise+pushups at the end.
It's been working GREAT. I'm able to really KILL my cardio and do more running because my legs aren't worn out! And who would have thought I'd be able to stomach the STAIR monster the day after a LEG workout?! Well, here's what i changed about post-leg workout. I foam rolled and stretched after my workout. But it didn't stop after I left the gym. Yesterday as the day went on, if my hamstrings and quads were tensing up, I got down and STRETCHED them out! I also did more foam rolling to break up the tension in the muscles. It's amazing what the extra care can do!
Another plus of this new regimen? My legs are looking REALLY lean! It's the running and leg work coming together! Depending how I feel, I might switch up my routine AGAIN in a week or so to incorporate 20 minutes of HIIT treadmill sprints 3x a week after working out, and do a 4-5 mile run once a week.
It's all about change! Finding out what works best is a continual process, and you need to remain in tune with your body, and remember to SWITCH things up to observe the impact on your body's function and appearance.
One saying that does NOT apply to reaching your fitness goals: "If it ain't broke don't fix it." Well, if you never try to fix it, you might never realize something was broken in the first place, right?
This morning, as i was deep in thought while eating my oats, i thought of a brilliant quote. Yes, i'm owning this quote.
"Dedication will get you much further than desire."
QUOTE ME ON THAT, THANKS!
Here are pics from before my workout this morning:
Wow. let me just tell all of you have freakin HAPPY i am lately...thanks to this outstanding sunshine!! I'm still managing to eat my oats in the morning...I don't know if i can part ways with them, even though I probably will soon. Today, I headed out to the gym around 11 with carbs and caffeine in my system, juiced up for leg day. I finished about 1/3 of my monster can on the way to the gym. I drive a VW bug convertible, so just driving to the gym with the top down, music blasting, sun on my shoulders , really psyches me up for my workout.
When I got to the gym, I didn't have any plan for my workout, AS USUAL! I just knew I wanted to DEADLIFT .. a lot. So, I warmed up my legs (which were a little tight and sore from my running yesterday,) on the recumbent bike for 10 minutes. That got me pretty sweaty!
Then, BOTH squat racks were taken, So I improvised until someone left. I do so many warmup exercises that I don't really count as "sets" per say. I just do them to get ready to squat and deadlift heavy weight.
Some of my warmups today included:
Good mornings w/40lb barbell
stiff leg deads w/40lb barbell
single leg deads w/35lb kettlebell
plie squats w/35lb kettlebell
reverse lunges holding 35lb kettlebell
sumo deads holding 35 lb kettlebell
overhead squats
super wide stance plie squats
reverse lunges w/10lb plate overhead
After all those fun warmups, BOOM...squat rack available. It wasn't the one I wanted, because you cannot DEADLIFT with a full range of motion inside of it, because there are these dumb bars on the sides which are almost as high as my knees! Most stupid people in the gym use that range of motion for deadlifts...just like the client who was being trained by her trainer before I could use it. So, I took the barbell OUT of the rack and put it on the floor, where I like to pick it up from. Loading plates onto a bar on the floor is so damn irritating when you're working out alone, especially once fatigue sets in. Sliding 25 and 45 pound plates around is much easier when the bar is elevated.
Oh well. Put a little extra work into my workout.
Oh, beloved deadlifts. Here's the work:
65lbs 10 reps
85 lbs 10 reps
105 lbs 8 reps x2
125 lbs 8,6,5
then...slid of all the 25lb and 10lb plates i had put on, and switched to the 45lb plates
135lbs 8 reps. WHAT!
135 didn't feel super heavy today! So, I got excited. I decided to throw in another set to make sure it wasn't just good luck.
135lbs 5 reps.
Then, I was feeling so good, I thought .. hey, 155?
155lbs failure. I don't know why, I tried to get it off the floor. I was nervous because my nails are WAY too long and were messing up my grip to begin with. I tried twice, I couldn't do it. SOOO....
145lbs 4 reps, 3 reps
Not too bad!!
I unloaded the bar, and did some stiff leggeds just because im crazy. Then I decided to do some squats. Didn't get super heavy.
65lbs 12 reps
85 lbs 12 reps
105 lbs 10 reps
125lbs 8 reps, 6 reps
Then I just did 2sets of 10, super slow and controlled ham/glute extensions
I also worked on pull-ups today. Narrow grip and wide grip. I can pretty much do a narrow grip if i give the slightest hop. Wide grip are beastly, and I've been working on negative reps to increase my progress. So I'll kinda hop up to the bar and lower down as slowly as i can. I'm determined!
Post-workout meal:
6oz eggwhites w/spinach
snap peas,2 steamed baby beets
YUM!
What am I doing right now at 5:15pm? Drinking this:
Venti decaf BLACK iced coffee with sugarfree hazelnut
LOVE MY STARBUCKS! I like to have my decaf coffee in the afternoon because it keeps me from unwanted snacking and eating too much
BONUS:
Here's a pic of my um...rear assets...PROGRESS! Remember operation booty? Well, she's still in full swing, and always will be...but i think I'm getting much better at it :)
