Windy Day!

Right now I should be on a plane to Dallas for work. Let me stop there. As of 6:30pm last night, I should have been on a plane at 8:40 this morning. Then my boss gave me the option to sleep in and smartly....I took it! We planned on flying out at about 1pm for market. However, the wind has decided otherwise. Most of the flights today have been canceled due to wind which is highly unusual for this area. I'm still waiting to see if we will leave tonight or tomorrow. So in essence, I've gotten a "free" day off! Hooray!

In other news, I've gotten back into the gym. After almost a 2 month hiatus, going back hurt. All of my favorite classes like BodyStep and BodyAttack are at times that are impossible to make. So, I made myself get on the elliptical and lift on my own, just like I did back in the day. Some of you may remember that. I found that I lost a lot of strength and endurance. It's going to be a rough road getting back, but I'm up for the challenge.

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Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution

Did anyone get a chance to see that show? I forgot it was on and forgot to set the DVR. Fortunately, I was able to catch a piece of it online. It looks so informative and I hope that it gives the general public a wake-up call in regards to what they put in their mouth. So much of our food is over-processed and packed with crap. I think if people really knew what they were putting in their bodies, they would think twice. You can see the first episode HERE but there are a few commercials. The second half of the episode is also on that page. I hope that everyone finds this show interesting. Although I am nowhere near perfect in my eating habits, I like to arm myself with as much knowledge as possible. What do you think?

It's on Fridays on ABC at 8 Central time. 

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New Workout!

So here's the new line-up for the new year. I'm following a heavy/medium/light format. The first exercise will be at a very heavy weight and I'll do 4-6 reps, resting 2-4 minutes between each rep. The next exercise will be at a medium weight where I'll do 8-12 reps, resting 60-90 seconds between each rep. The last exercise will be done at a lighter weight and I'll do 15-20 reps, resting about 30 seconds between reps. This is going to be a toughie workout, but I'm going to get through it! So, here goes:

Day 1:

• Squats using the Smith machine (loaded 80lbs on the bar)
• Lunges using 20 lb Dumbbells
• Stiff-legged deadlifts using 60lb bar
• Seated calf raises, loading 90lbs (this will probably go up, though)

Tuesday:

• BodyAttack class

Day 2:

    Chest:

• Bench Press, 65lbs (2-10lb plates loaded onto 45lb bar)
• Incline Bench Press using 20lb dumbbells
• Flat bench flyes using 10lb dumbbells 

    Back:

• Bent over barbell raise using 60lb barbell (am going to try out 70lb barbell)
• Cable rows loading 80lbs
• Lat pulldown loading 55lbs

Day 3:
   
     Biceps:

• Barbell curl using 40lb barbell (I would LOVE to do the 50, but I'm not there yet)
• Cable curl set to 25lbs (may be able to increase to 30lbs)
• Concentration curl using 12.5lb dumbbell

     Triceps:

• Lying triceps extension using 15lb dumbbells
• Triceps kickback using 10lb dumbbells (may go to 12.5lbs)
• Triceps cable pressdown set to 25lbs

Day 4:

     Shoulders:

• Shoulder presses using 20lb dumbbells
• Lateral raises using 15lb dumbbells
• Rear delt raises using 10lb dumbbells (might up it to 12.5lb)

I had a rough week this week and got sick on Friday, so my schedule didn't go as I planned. I got it all in, though! The one thing you'll notice that's missing is abs. I didn't do any this week since I was thrown off my schedule, but I'll update that when I figure out what/when I'll do it. The reason I didn't give specific days is because things happen! I was so sore after my BodyAttack class (which followed the killer legs workout) that I needed to take Wednesday off. I was miserably sick with allergies on Friday, so I stayed in as well. That wasn't my plan, but I still was able to finish my workout schedule by working out on Saturday and Sunday. The plan now is to take Wednesdays and Sundays off, but I won't be stressed if I get things done on the "wrong" day.

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BodyAttack

One of my goals this year was to work on some endurance through some Gold's Gym classes. I can blast through a half hour or more on the elliptical, but not necessarily through other types of cardio. I decided to try out the BodyAttack class they offered. I was afraid it would be too much punching and kicking, but it wasn't like that at all. It had some moves from their BodyStep class (I took it a couple years ago) plus some kicking. There was also a little running, high knees and even some push-ups. After a tough legs workout on Monday, the squatting in BodyAttack nearly killed me. But the music was good and the instructor was fun! I was pretty tired afterward (and looked a bit like a lobster) so I didn't lift weights as I had planned. However, I think I'll keep trying this out. I definitely felt very out of sync with the rest of the class. I tend to pick up dance moves slowly. Plus, I have to admit that being a head taller than the ENTIRE class can make you feel like you look dorky. Sometimes, gyms should cover up their mirrors. This was one of those times! That aside, I'm still going to try it again. But not until next week when my legs have fully recovered! Til then, I'll be stretching! :)

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Legs workout

I had changed my workout from the last time I posted, but I got bored with it quickly. I got my new issue of Oxygen magazine in few weeks ago and decided to give their legs workout a try for the next 8 weeks. It's a twice a week leg workout. They gave a sample workout series for the week and I'm trying to follow that. I just finished my third week and it's been a great workout! I'm doing 3 sets of each exercise. Here's the breakdown:

Monday - Leg Workout #1

• Front Lunge/other lunge variations using 30lb curl bar, 12-15 reps per leg
• Medicine ball squat using 10lb medicine ball, 15 reps
• Froggy kick, 10-12 reps
• Bridge with ball between knees using ~6lb ball?, 12-15 reps
• Lying medicine ball extension using ~5-6lb ball, 12-15 reps

Tuesday - Back & Chest (all are 12-15 reps)

• Incline dumbbell press, 15-20lb dumbbells
  
• Flat bench fly, 12.5-15lb dumbbells
• Seated cable row, 55-70lbs
• Lat pulldown, 55-65lbs
• Cardio: 45 minutes

Wednesday - Biceps, Triceps & Abs (all are 12-15 reps)

• Seated incline curl, 15-20lbs dumbbells
• Preacher curl, 30lb curl bar
• Skullcrushers, 20-30lb curl bar
• Overhead cable extension, 30lbs loaded onto cable machine
• Plank & side planks (hold for 30 seconds to 1 minute)
• Cardio: 60 minutes

Thursday - OFF!

Friday - Leg Workout #2

• Cable squat (think I loaded 65lbs), 12-15 reps
  
• Leg press, loaded 140lbs (will probably up it), 12 - 15 reps
  
• Cable kickback, couldn't find the ankle strap so I had to use the glute machine - loaded 70lbs, 15 reps per leg
• Lying leg curl, loaded 35lbs, 12-15 reps per leg
• One-legged bridge, 10-12 reps per leg

Saturday - Shoulders & Abs

• Side lateral raise, 12.5-15lb dumbbells
  
• Dumbbell press, 12.5-15lb dumbbells
  
• Leg lifts with medicine ball in hands, 10lb medicine ball
  
• Side lifts w/weight plate, using 25lb weight plate
  
• Cardio: 60 minutes
  

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Workouts

I switched up my weight workouts a long time ago, but I forgot to post it. I'm having trouble finding motivation to go to the gym every single day now, so I think it's time to switch the formula up. I'm going to try to work on that this weekend so that I can start anew on Monday.

So, this is what I've been doing lately. My old Mondays have become the new Wednesdays and the old Wednesdays are now the new Fridays. For the most part, the weights stay the same when I moved days. I think the only exception are my new Fridays. Sometimes I can't pull off 70lbs on the lat pulldowns, so I drop the weight to somewhere between 60 and 65 to get through a full set of 12-15 reps. The other thing is the bicep curls using the EZ bar. I can't always get through that many sets using the 40lb bar, but I try to do as many as possible.

The new Mondays go as follows:

• Quadriceps - Squats with 50lb loaded onto the 45lb bar.
  
• Hamstrings - Stiff legged dead lifts using a 60lb bar.
• Calves - Standing calf raises. Loaded 180lb onto the machine.
  
• Chest - Bench press using 25lb dumbbells
• Back - Bent barbell row using 50lb bar
• Shoulders - Rear delt raises using 12.5lb dumbbells
• Biceps - Preacher curls using 40lb bar
• Triceps - Triceps pushdown. Loaded 40lb onto a cable pulley machine.

(If you want to see my progress, here's the old Fridays to compare.)

The preacher curls are KILLER! I don't always make it through the complete set, but I get close. It's a tough one!

I think that I may be overtraining somewhat because sometimes I get very tired. Everything I read says that's probably a sign. Although I do see improvements in my body, I think it needs a new routine to function better. I'll update it as soon as I get it figured out!

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Friday Workout

Today was an easy day, which means I can lift until 3 sets of 12-15 reps exhausts me. After 30 minutes of cardio, I did this set:

• Quadriceps - Squats with 20lb loaded onto the 45lb bar. (I may add to this later)
• Hamstrings - Stiff legged dead lifts using a 50lb bar.
• Calves - Standing calf raises. Loaded 160lb onto the machine.
• Chest - Bench press using 20lb dumbbells
• Back - Bent barbell row using 40lb bar
• Shoulders - Rear delt raises using 10lb dumbbells
• Biceps - Preacher curls using 30lb bar
• Triceps - Triceps pushdown. Loaded 30lb onto a cable pulley machine.

The result? Today I am tired, but I feel good.

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Wednesday workout

After Monday's lunges, my booty was sore! That must mean that I did some good. Today's workout is my medium day, which means I lift enough to exhaust my muscles after 9-12 rep, whatever I can get to. I do 3 sets of each exercise after 30 minutes of cardio.

• Quadriceps - Leg Press with 180lbs loaded onto machine
• Hamstrings - Hamstring curls with 75lbs loaded onto machine
• Calves - 135lb loaded onto Seated calve machine
• Chest - Incline chest press using 20lb dumbbells
• Back - Lat pulldowns, loaded 70lbs
• Shoulders - Dumbbell press using 15lb dumbbells
• Biceps - Bicep curls using 40lb EZ Curl Bar
• Triceps - Lying tricep extension using 12.5lb dumbbells

This was actually my old Monday hard workout. Check out what I was lifting on my hard day in January! See the improvement? I could hardly believe it myself!

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Monday Workout

I finally switched routines after doing the same one for a few months. I should really be switching them up every 4 to 6 weeks, but I just got a little lazy. I had a great workout today and I could really see improvement. I can lift so much more than I could last year. It's so encouraging! I mentioned before that I like weight-lifting more than cardio and today was no exception! I started out my routine with 30 minutes of cardio on the elliptical. Monday is my heavy day, so I did this weight routine using 6-9 reps (whatever I could squeeze out):

• Quadriceps - squats using 30lb loaded onto the Smith machine. I may increase this later.
• Hamstrings - 110lb loaded onto the seated hamstring machine
• Inner/Outer thighs - Hip Adductor/Abductor - 210lbs for adduction (I maxed that sucker out!!!) and 125lb for abductor (I may drop that, not sure yet) on the scissor machine
  
• Calves - 250lb on the Rotary calve machine
• Chest - Flat back flyes using 15lb dumbbells
• Back - Loaded 80lbs on the seated cable- pull machine
• Shoulders - Shoulder extensions using 15lb dumbbells
• Biceps - Reclined bicep curls using 20lb dumbbells
• Triceps - Overhead tricep extension using a cable and loaded 40lbs
• Abs - Hanging leg raises

That made me tired just typing that out! Yikes! I'll post my other workouts each day....good luck to you all, my sisters in iron! (That's what Tosca Reno says)

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Rock on!

I did my new run/bike workout today again. And it went great! I started with a 1 1/2 mile bike (about 6 minutes) and ran a full mile, no stopping (11 1/2 minutes at a 5.2 mi/hr pace). I followed that up with a 5 minute bike (about 1 1/4 mile) then ran 7 minutes. I walked 2 more minutes, then rounded out the mile to finish it in 12 1/2 minutes (5mi/hr pace). I think I could have gone longer than 7 minutes, but I didn't want to overdo it for the last mile. I promised myself that I couldn't take a break before the 1/2 mile mark. I did another 5 minute bike and then had to go fill my water bottle. I sweat a LOT. Especially in hot, humid weather. Oh wait, that's all year long. Finally, the last mile. By now, I'm soaked all the way through. I'm tired. I'm hot.

But I pressed on.

I started running at a 5 mi/hr pace and I felt good. Tired, but not too worn out. Not like Tuesday.

So I ran.

And I ran.

And I finally decided that I should take a break at 9 minutes in. Now I'm kicking myself for not just finishing the whole mile! I walked for 1 1/2 minutes, then finished out the mile for a total of about 12 1/2 minutes again. And when I was done, I wasn't completely exhausted. I felt tired yet energized. Does that make sense? During that last mile, I think I felt what some runners felt: good. They get into their pace and they feel like they can keep going for miles. I felt a glimpse of that. I know it's there inside of me, but I just have to reach for it!

After I finished, I stretched out and thought, "How am I going to get through Muddy Buddy without my iPod?" Seriously, I love it so much and it keeps me going. But I love it too much to get it dirty and possibly kill it. Oh well. I guess maybe following other runners will have to motivate me. Remember people, the goal is to finish and not come in last!

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Tried out running & biking together......

And it worked pretty well! I started off biking for 1 mile which took about 4 minutes. I used the random function and set it to level 4....I don't want to kill myself on the first day. Then, I hopped on the treadmill and ran one mile. I ran at a 5.0 miles per hour setting and it took me 12 minutes. This part went really well, but I was definitely ready for the "bike break" at the end of the mile. I again got on the bike (4 minutes) and hopped back on the treadmill. This time, I ran about 5 minutes, walked for 2 1/2, then ran the rest of the mile (about 12 1/2 minutes). Bike again (4 minutes) then treadmill. By now, I'm tired. I ran about 4 minutes, walked for 2, ran 3 and finally, walked for 1. My last mile was about 3/4 of a mile, but that's okay. I did 46 minutes of cardio! Holy moly! I'll do the next round on Thursday.

No wonder I'm freaking starving this afternoon!

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Updates

I've been told that I need to update my blog a little more often because some people need something to read at work. It's been quiet on the home front lately because Jason has been out of town off and on for the past 3 weeks. When he's gone, I don't bother to cook for myself. (For shame!) I usually just fix something fast and read or watch TV. Nothing too special here.

I know I've lagged on the C25K updates as well. For weeks 5 & 6, I never got to do the Day 3 long runs. One weekend we were out of town and the other weekend we had to be somewhere early. I thought I'd just make up for them last week during Week 7. All three days of Week 7 consisted of a. 5-minute walk, a 25-minute run and a 5-minute cool down. For some reason, my body just wants to poop out at about a mile (or 12 minutes for me). I started this program so that I could do the Muddy Buddy race in Austin, but even that's not a consecutive 3-mile run. Since I have to alternate biking and running, I think I will start doing this in the gym this week. It will be a tough workout, but it will also be more realistic! My shins were really hurting, so a break from running 3 days a week was welcome. They are feeling much better, but not perfect. Oh well. I guess I'm not perfect after all. (Big surprise, right?)

Even though I've kind of ditched the C25K program, I'm not disappointed with myself. I can run farther than I ever could before which is really what I aimed for. Rather than focus on the failure, I will refocus my energy on weights. I really, really like lifting weights (MUCH more than cardio!!) and have really seen a difference in my body over the past few months. My legs have much more muscle now and even Jason agreed. He actually told me that he thought my cellulite had diminished and that my butt had lifted a little. He didn't want to tell me this at all because then it would mean he agrees that I have cellulite, but I thought this was great news! The hard work is paying off finally! My thighs and lower abdomen is where I carry all my extra weight, so it's nice to see that I'm making a dent. I've been on a pretty rough 3-day full-body weight routine for a while. I think I've gained 5-10 pounds of muscle which is awesome! My plan is to switch up the routine next week. If anyone is interested, I'll post the workouts so that you can follow along. After Muddy Buddy, I may try some spinning classes, too.

Other than my running failure/weight training success, not too much has gone on. I went to a bachelorette party last weekend and I'll post some pics when I get them. I also plan to try a new recipe this week which I'll post as well. I hope everyone has had a productive week. Keep on keepin' on!

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I'm sore!

This week, I decided to change up my workout routine. I usually work out 5 days a week, with 2 days each of arm and leg lifting. I usually just do some cardio on my "free" weekday. Now, I'm doing 3 total body workout days, with 2 "free" days of just cardio. I don't work out on the weekends. I pulled the new routine from Oxygen magazine. So, here's what I did yesterday:

Cardio: 30 minutes on an elliptical machine

Legs:

• Leg press - loaded 13olbs on the machine
• Hamstring curls - loaded 50lbs (I can lift more, but it causes undue pain in the next days)
• Seated calf machine - loaded 90lbs

Arms:

• Chest: Incline dumbbell press, using 15lb dumbbells
• Back: Lat pulldown, loaded 55lbs
• Shoulders: Dumbbell press, used 12.5 dumbbells
• Biceps: Barbell curl, using 30lb barbell
• Triceps: Lying triceps extension, used 12.5lbs, then dropped to 10lb dumbbells
  

Abs: Roman chair

By the time I got to the triceps, my arms were jelly. I thought I could get away with 12.5lbs, but I was so tired that I moved back down to 10lbs and still couldn't get out full sets of 15 reps. I thought I wouldn't be too sore, but my arms are pretty tired.

The only problem with this workout is that it's long. I try not to let more than 1 minute go in-between sets, so that I can speed the time up. I also need to change up my cardio. I'm always on the elliptical, because I really don't like anything else. I've tried running, but I don't enjoy it.

Not. One. Bit.

But, I guess I could give it another go-round. I just can't seem to go very far before I have to take a break to walk. I think I'll try this a little next week when I've gone through a full new workout week. I don't want to overdo it.

Tomorrow brings another grueling total-body workout. I'll be working the same body parts as above, but using different exercises. The exercises will be different on Monday, Wednesday and Friday so that I can build more muscle and speed up my metabolism. I guess I'm starting to get paranoid about getting older.

Maybe this turning 30 thing is really getting to me after all.

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