Tuesday's Workout + Lunges

Last night's workout was more fun than normal. I got to do cardio with my cousin!!! I don't normally workout with anyone, so this was really nice. I didn't realize how fast the time flies when you're gabbing away. I was still tired and sore from Monday night's 200 lunge mania. Here's what I did.

Abs: (3 sets of 25)
crunches
obliques
leg lifts

Treadmill: 30 min. run

Lunges:
walking lunge
10lbs x 50 (per leg)
(during that time I also added in a reverse lunge and an angeled stationary lunge)

Tonight is weight training. I've been thinking about this, and I think I'm ready to bring it up to 4 sets. (heavy sets). My eats were good today all the way up until the afternoon, when I completely messed it up by eating a danish. I've been eating carbs today because I've been feeling a little "empty" not sure why. So I allowed myself this cheat day. Tomorrow, it's back to business. Clearly I can't take a cheat day right now without going overboard.

Although, I HAVE managed to avoid the stupid candy dish that I pass about ten thousand times / day. :) YAY for one little victory! Read More!

Monday's workout + LUNGES!!

I was so amped to take on the lunge challenge last night, that it didn't dawn on me that I actually did DOUBLE the requirement (did 200 instead of 100) until I was well on my way home, driving down the road...Seriously, am I really THAT bad at math!? I'm an artist and all, but c'mon now...So here's yesterdays breakdown. By the way, I actually had to make other arrangements for dinner, because I knew that once my butt hit the couch, it would not get up again. No use in risking it, I've had a great track record these past few weeks, and I wasn't about to put a dent in it! The solution: Just KEEP DRIVING STRAIGHT TO THE GYM! I'm so glad I did, because I was totally NOT in the mood to workout last night.

warm up 10 min. elliptical (no numb toes or cramping - HOORAY!)

Bench Press (machine)
110lbs x 8
120lbs x 8
130lbs x 8

Squats (w/ dumbbells)
15lbs x 10
17.5lbs x 10
20lbs x 10

Bent Over Row (with barbell)
30lbs x 8
35lbs x 8
40lbs x 8 - hard!

Shoulder Press
15lbs x 8
17.5lbs x 8
20lbs x 8

Deadlift (with barbell)
40lbs x 8
50lbx x 8
60lbs x 8 - was getting a little heavy

Lunges (each leg)
15lbs x 25
0 x 25
0 x 25
10lbs x 25

Abs
Crunches
3 sets of 25

Obliques
3 sets of 25

Leg Lifts
3 sets of 25

Overall it was a great workout. I could've squatted heavier, but I wanted to go easy since this was the first time I'd attempted to do so many lunges at once. Really, the soreness is UNREAL today. But I will prevail. I will do another 100 tonight!! (after my run) Read More!

Great Run on Sat. / Yoga on Sun.

I wasn't planning on doing anything else past Friday, but I guess with all this movement, I haven't really been able to stop! So, the family and I packed up the car (along with another little buddy for my step-son) and headed to Santa Cruz. I had a FANTASTIC run along the coast! I didn't realize that I actually cranked out about 4.5 miles. I started the run listening to my itrain marathon training mp3, then realized after 20 min. that I wasn't ready for that yet. Although the sprints were really good for me...I need to start doing those again. After that, I switched to my own music for about 15 min. Then, I just wanted to hear the ocean waves crashing. So for the rest of my run, I just listened to the surf. It was divine. What wasn't so divine was dodging so many people. Apparently I wasn't the only one who thought a little jaunt along the coast was a magnificent idea. Below are some pictures I took a little while after my run.

(total run time 49 min) - I did a slow 11 min / mile run.

(above photo W. Cliff Dr. looking north)

(above photo W. Cliff Dr. looking west)

Sunday, I decided that I was too stiff and took a Yoga class for the first time in a very long time. It felt really good to give my body the stretching it deserved. Sunday also happened to be the day that I feel off the no-carb wagon and indulged. I'm okay with it though, I've worked really hard last week. This week, I'll be more disciplined.

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Friday's always a kicker -Workout Detailed

So, it's the end of the week. I'm pooped. Now, that is (after my workout) This new workout circuit that I'm doing is fewer reps. I'm so used to doing high reps, that I'm stuck scratching my head..thinking...."well, I can't lift that little amount of weight, if I'm only doing 6 reps." So in a way, its kind of genius, because it really forces me to focus on my form, and to go heavier. A lot heavier. I think it's going to push me up to that next level of lifting. That's my wish..

The eating...okay, this has been out of control this week. This "no bread" rule has spun off into something totally mind boggling to me. I've transitioned my ridiculous love affair with all things carb-related to sugar related. I mean really...This has to stop..I think I'm starting to see my problem...I am going to start breaking up my meals. I eat three pretty large meals regularly. In fact too regularly. I think I'm eating too much..I've eaten smaller meals in the past and have proven to myself that it is possible to lose weight with diet modifications alone...But that's not going to be my approach. I think what I'll start doing is breaking up each of my three meals in half. Although there is something comforting and warming about having a nice full belly. The way I look at it is....If there are movie stars, singers, and famous people that can do this..Well, so can I. Dorky, I know. But they're doing something right..At least some of them. (not of the drug-taking kind)

Here's what I did tonight. I hit the weights harder than normal because again, it was that whole mental "only 6 reps" thing going through my mind..

10 min. elliptical warm up. (that weird cramping thing happened again, this time at the end of my warmup..not sure why this keeps happening)

Deadlifts (with barbell)

35lbs x 6 (warm up set)

40lbs x 6

50lbs x 6

60lbs x 6

Incline Dumbbell Press

20lbs x 8

22.5lbs x 8

25lbs x 8 - I thought I was going to drop the dumbbells at this point. But this little guy next to me kept grabbing heavier weights..Competitive, I know...its my ego lifting acting up. I WASN'T going to be shown up by some little man...

Barbell Row

20lbs x 8 (warm up set)

25lbs x 8

30lbs x 8

35lbs x 8 - these bad boys kicked my butt, they're a lot harder than they look!

Smith Press Machine Squats

50lbs x 6

70lbs x 6

80lbs x 6

0 x 10 - ghost squats (no weight squats all the way to the ground) I don't know why, but this last ghost set feels really good at the end of squatting kinda heavy..

Dumbbell Shrugs

15lbs x 10

17.5lbs x 10

20lbs x 10 - I felt ridiculous doing these, they look really dumb...

Hip Abduction Machine (inner thighs)

90lbs x 8

110lbs x 8

130lbs x 8

Abs - Crunches (with medicine ball)

4lbs x 25

6lbs x 25

8lbs x 25

Abs - Obliques

4lbs x 20

6lbs x 20

8lbs x 20

Leg lifts (on chair thingy)

0 x 25

0 x 25

0 x 25

By the last set of abs, I was ready to keel over and die. It was a great workout. After recovering for a bit, I even mozied on down to the cardio room. Call me crazy, but I considered taking a class after all this...Which leads me to believe, that 1. I'm either totally insane, or 2. I might not be going heavy enough....

Ok..Time to map out tomorrow's trail run. I've downloaded the latest Grace Lazenby (sp?) ipod workout for Livestrong. I hope I can make it through a 45 min. run, it's been a while since I've run for that long.

Read More!

Oh yeah...one more thing....

Not sure if anyone else has ever experienced this...but my toes went numb tonight during my workout...First the left, then the right. I'm here thinkin. Maybe I just drank too much and the infinite amount of water pressing down on my bladder might be affecting the nerves in my spine? Okay. So I'm no med student, but I still can't figure out what the hell might cause my toes to go numb?! Too much arch support...Is there such thing? Don't know. Any answers welcome!

(Below are the shoes I've been wearing)

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Strange Cardio Night

Tonight was a strange cardio night at the gym. I expected more out of it than I actually got. I guess I'm just horribly out of touch with my cardiovascular abilities these days. I did this:

20 min. on the stair stepper - which I bounced around between level 13 and level 8. Eventually dropping it down to 8 because I was cramping.

20 min. on Elliptical (cross trainer) - I don't normally count this as my cardio, I usually just do warmups on this machine. I prefer to run, but it was really warm out this evening so I decided to keep the workout indoors. And honestly, after my cramping incident on the stair stepper, I decided to take things down a notch.

Also, today was monumental in the sense that I *almost* drank a full gallon of water! Now this may sound elementary to most of you, but to me it was a big thing. I have about a 1/4 left to drink. I'm not sure if it's safe to finish off this gallon at 10:35pm. I really don't want to be up all night. *Note to self...do not drink almost a full gallon and attempt to attend "back to school night!" I had my poor hubby looking at me like I was neurotic after every bell, I was looking for the loo. Ya..best to practice this water chugging thing in the comforts of my own home thank-you-very-much.

Tomorrow, I will tackle the following:

• I will make breakfast at home (as I've been doing everyday this week so far!)
• I will opt for salad during lunch/ or stir fry sans the rice
• I will AVOID the candy dish at work...(this sounds dumb, but Halloween time is my demise, and I have to draw on every disciplinary reserve I have to avoid eating candy)
• I will not have change with me, so the vending machine is out of the question.
• I will have another great strength-training workout. (third this week)
• I will have a plan of attack for Saturday's cardio bonanza.
• I will be HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY, because it's finally FRIDAY!!!!

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I ♥ Weight Traning / Wednesday's Workout

In lieu of SSS I had to revamp my workout. I have this newbie workout that's a bit on the beginner's side of the spectrum, but I had to get back to the basics. I need to shine in all my weight training badness. In actuality I really needed to scale it back a bit. I was doing full body workouts three times a week and was starting to burn myself out a bit. This new workout schedule I think will be better suited to my schedule, while giving me the best possible workout during the hour to hour and a half I have to spare. I may make modifications to it over the course of the next week or two, but at least it's a good starting off point...So, pull up a chair..Here we go..

Leg Press
70lbs x 8
90lbs x 8
110lbs x 8

Overhead Tricep Ext (dumbbells)
20lbs x 8
22.5lbs x 8
30lbs x 8

Lat. pull downs
70lbs x 8
80lbs x 8
80lbs x 8 - this last set was HARD.

Calf Raises
30lbs x 8
40lbs x 8
50lbs x 8

Shoulder Raises
18lbs x 8
17.5lbs x 8
20lbs x 8

Dumbbell Curls
12.5lbs x 10
15lbs x 10 (I LOVE that the 15lbs feels light now!)
17.5lbs x 10

Leg Ext.
90lbs x 8
110lbs x 8
130lbs x 8 (call me crazy, but I think I am starting to see something here)

Lying Leg Curls
40lbs x 8
45lbs x 8
50lbs x 8

Abs
(crunches on incline bench)
3 sets of 25 reps

(Obliques)
3 sets of 20 reps

(leg lifts on decline bench)
3 sets of 25 reps

There you have it! I am going to do some cardio today. The eating has been insane. I can't figure out if it's stress, the increased workouts, or pregnancy? It could very well be none of the above, and I just need to get a grip on my eating...I'll save that post for another day. I'll update the blog tonight with my cardio workout. Oh yeah, I want to add, that last night, when I did all these exercises, I was totally not in the mood to workout. And I'm so glad that I did!!! Read More!

Weight Training and Pregnancy??

So, in preperation to conceive (we're hoping to sometime soon) I've stumbled on the age old adage regarding working out and the inability to conceive. My family swears by it. I'm not sure what to believe. I've heard of marathon runners that conceived while prepping for their big run. So why should I be so concerned about this? My husband and I have been trying for 9 months with very little luck. I'm just going to continue my workouts and maybe scale back on the runs a bit. It just saddens me that I am still so confused about this kind of stuff...I know you have to have an optimal amount of bodyfat to conceieve (which I do!) but am I making myself barren?

I need to look into this further....

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Update: To any pregnant mommies out there, I've just stumbled onto a page that was super helpful. check it out...http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/pregnancy.htm

also...

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/simone3.htm

lastly...I picked up this bad boy yesterday. I was so excited to get it at the very good price of "FREE" that I felt like running around the neighborhood with my dog in it. Ok..probably not a good idea since he's a full size Boxer :)







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Weight Training

Last night, I had a really good workout. I'm trying to narrow down what sort of circuit or strength training program I want to stick to. I didn't do a full three days this week, since I'm traveling. Its been a little challenging balancing the work / life stuff. The diet hasn't quite fallen into place like I'd hoped. Next week, I'll be back on track. Although this week has been an enlightening departure from my normal way of eating. I need to get back to my normal ways. With SSS kicking into gear, and the "no bread rule" this week. I'm looking forward to the challenge!

But here's what I did last night.

Warm up: Elliptical for 10 min.
(3 sets of total -> weight x reps)

Squats (on smith press machine)
20lbs x 15
40lbs x 15
50lbs x 12

Chest Press (on machine)
45lbs x 15
55lbs x 15
65lbs x 15

Inner Thigh Press (machine) - not sure if this is the correct name
70lbs x 15
90lbs x 15
110lbs x 15

Triceps (on machine)
60lbs x 15
70lbs x 15
80lbs x 15

Leg Extensions
72lbs x 15
82lbs x 12
92lbs x 10

Dumbbell Shoulder Raise (lateral)
7.5lbs x 15
10lbs x 12
12.5lbs x 10

Dumbbell Shoulder Raise (front)
7.5lbs x 15
10lbs x 12
12.5lbs x 10

Bicep Curls
7.5lbs x 15
10lbs x 15
12.5lbs x 15

Tricep Dips (on bench)
body weight only x 15
body weight only x 15
body weight only x 15

Chin Ups (on Gravitron machine - weight was constant 90lbs. very hard still)
90lbs x 10
90lbs x 10
90lbs x 10

Exercise Ball Crunch
body weight only x 25
body weight only x 25
body weight only x 25

Exercise Ball Crunches Obliques
body weight only x 20
body weight only x 20
body weight only x 20

Hanging Leg Raises
body weight only x 25
body weight only x 25
body weight only x 25 Read More!

vacation = rest?

This week, I'm in fabulous CO. Just outside of Boulder. I have been here for two days. The first day, I found my way to a gym, and successfully pressed through a tough workout. My body was tired from a long weekend and very little sleep. Since then, I've managed to sleep 8-10 hours per night! I can't remember the last time I slept so much! I'm visiting a very dear friend who's husband is out of town. She and her daughter are the sweetest. The baby is 5 months old, and so adorable. It just reinforces my desire to be a mother. But this is giving me the first hand look at how demanding that role can actually be. I can see that I am in transition. I'm wanting to be a mother, and yet, I want to bust out with my most rockin' body ever..Still..Not that that's a bad thing. I'm just preoccupied with myself these days.

I'm working remotely, so the duties of work still beckon. Gladly, they're minimal this week. Lots of quiet time. Thank God!

I haven't been doing any hardcore cardio or anything, just leisurely walks in the morning. Hour walks actually. It's nice. Tonight I will strength train. I think I need to modify my workout. My back feels a little overworked. I've been focusing a lot on my legs / lower body and lower back. I need to look around and figure out if I'm on the right track. I may update this once I find something that looks appealing.

Over and out. Read More!

Why is it so hard to workout on Fridays?

It's Friday. It's 4:02pm...I'm sitting at my desk looking at my keys longingly. Home...the thought of it makes my heart sing. Home for a few days before I HAVE to turn this computer back on for an indefinite amount of time. Who am I kidding, I'll find something I have to work on tomorrow, I'm sure..See, I just did it..I forgot to send something to a client...It doesn't look like I'm going anywhere anytime soon.

Then again...that's why I'm here. I'm trying to amp myself up to go to the gym. Ordinarily, I love working out, but on Fridays, I just seem to struggle. Next week, I'll be in Boulder. Thankfully, I've located a gym near where I'll be working! I'm so excited to check out a new place. Sometimes it's nice to switch things up a little.

I think I've just figured out why I run out of juice by the end of the week. I'm just tired...what a concept. It's like I don't give myself the permission to conk out when needed. I remember when I studied abroad, daytime naps were a must. Of course that was in Italy, everyone did that!

Okay..Here I go..I'm attempting to get out of Dodge early! Wish me luck. Read More!

SSS = Super Star Success

After much change in these past few months, I've learned a bit about myself.

1. I have a dairy allergy = migraines / headaches
2. I seem to have a gluten intolerance, but eat it in moderation = digestive issues
3. Its been easier than I expected to make these changes!
4. I forgot how much I love to workout!
5. I've gotten sucked up in the "sugar vacuum." And desperately need to find my way out. :\

So, I try to go easy on the gluten, zero dairy, and I'm trying to cut soy out of my diet too. I've been reading that it interferes with your endocrine system when trying to conceive, and we all know that's been a 9 month uphill battle! All this to cleanse the temple. My weight is still way higher than I'm comfortable with, but its safe to say that I'm making strides towards change. I decided to embark on a 40 session weight training bonanza. This also includes 26 cardio sessions. It all happen to fall inline with the buffmother.com SSS contest, so more positive reinforcement, what more could I ask for!? This is basically a 10 week contest to try and get into the best shape ever - prizes for winners permitting. It will be a push, but I'm pretty confident about it. I still need to take some "before" photos, which I don't love, because they sort of depress me. But I know later, I will be glad that I did.

Here are 3 things, that I've been asked to journal about...

1- When were you at your peak physical condition?
Do you remember how great you felt both mentally and physically?

Answer:
My peak physical condition occurred about 6 years ago. When I was about 26. I was about 30lbs lighter than what I weigh now, and my muscle tone was definitely visible. I was more thin than muscular, but I felt so great. It was the first time in my life that I was ever able to fit into a size 1 in jeans. I was a svelt 110 - 114 lbs. I miss those days. Mentally...it was something of a battle, I had family members (I'm from an Italian family) hollering about how I'd gotten too thin. I had friends, worried that I had some sort of eating disorder. But actually I was in the best shape of my life! I could've eaten better, I pretty much ate very little, because of my living circumstances..But emotionally / mentally, I was sort of cornered into thinking that something was wrong with me. It was my husband (then boyfriend) that was my cheerleader. It was with his help that I devised a workout / diet plan. I weight trained religiously about three days a week. I did cardio 2-3 times / week. That was when I discovered my love for running. I've fallen off the boat, and I think now, I can see why.


2- What do you have to change about your current habits to attain results like that again?

Answer:
First and foremost, I need to change how I deal with stress. I also need to stop relying on sugar and crappy food for quick fixes and emotional outlets. I've devised a weight training / cardio plan that I've already started implementing. It's nice to be over the hump of extreme soreness (after not having worked out for so long - with such intensity) I still get sore, but its a good sore. Now I'm actually looking forward to my visits to the gym. I love running, so the trail is always beckoning to me. :)

I seem to take out my stress on myself, and its really starting to show. I've had to stash away all my small clothes, buy bigger clothes, get off the pill and try to plan a pregnancy...which we all know is just a disaster waiting to happen, - given my current state of mind, unless I get into better shape soon. (Coincidentally, the pill I was on had a diuretic in it, similar to caffeine, which I've also given up) So I think I'm carrying around a bit more water weight than normal. Perhaps, I should start focusing on bringing small snacks, and comfortable shoes to take a walk when things get too hectic around here. I could sit on an stability ball, and take quick mini-breaks. Also, I need to get rid of all my change so I don't raid the break room vending machine, when I have a chocolate fit. (I don't eat artificial sweetners either) so the only sugar I plan to have is the natural kind that is already in fruit. I will need to blog more, to find an actual vent for my frustrations... And of course start journaling my workouts / diet.

I think the turning point for me was just this week, when I sat down and looked at my quads. Which, I've hated doing these past few years, because I haven't been able to see past the cellulite. But just this week, I felt a little bump in my quad, just above my knee. It wasn't huge, but it was my muscle just starting to peek through. (I've been weight training for a few weeks, so I'm cheating a little on the SSS.)This tiny little bump made me soar! I couldn't believe I could actually "feel" the fruits of my labor! After all these lunges, squats, leg extensions, "something" was showing!

3- What is your #1 goal for the next 10 weeks? What are the "solutions" you must
stay focused upon in order to attain that goal?

Answer:
My goal for the next 10 weeks is going to be consistency, and discipline. To not only commit to my plan, but be accountable for all my actions. I am going to dig deeper than I ever have to find that fine balance between discipline and restraint. I will still continue trying to conceive, but will put less emphasis on it. (I need to take the mania out of baby-making). My solution will be to come to work equipped with healthy food and snacks, and have my fitness gear (shoes, etc) already packed in my trunk for after work sessions. (This I already do - religiously!) And try to stay in the right frame of mind. Rome wasn't built in a day, so I can't expect perfection in just a few short weeks. I should expect progress, and a good foundational platform.

My plan B, for (if) we get preggers, will be to continue on with the healthy eating / workouts. I want to try and workout throughout my pregnancy for as long as I can, of course within reason. So until I physically CAN'T do the workouts anymore, I will keep pushing for as long and hard as I can.

That's the plan, and I'm stickin to it! Read More!