Falling In Love

We often spend way too much time hating our bodies, doing exercises we hate and eating boring diet food. We create a negative relationship with the journey we are on. I realized that it is important to love the process.  If we learn to accept our bodies, enjoy what we do and eat healthier versions of the food we like then the results will take care of themselves.

I usually have a plan before I hit the gym but lately I have been asking myself "what do you feel like doing today". While I like to have some structure I leave room for what my body desires. Some days I want to focus more on cardio. Other days I want to lift heavy and do minimal cardio. I tend to listen to body and adjust if needed.

Here is what I did today:

Chest/ Triceps and Cardio

20 minute StairMill Intervals
I alternated between taking every step and then skipping a step and working the glutes with kickbacks. I also went upstairs sideways. There were done in 1 minute intervals.

Superset (warm up)
Barbell chest press 30 lbs 3 sets, 12 reps
Lying tricep extensions 30 lbs 3 sets, 12 reps

Incline chest press 3 sets of 12 reps
Incline chest flyes 3 sets of 12 reps
Straight arm pullovers 3 sets of 12 reps
Incline pushups 3 sets of 12 reps
Plank pull ups 3 sets of 12 reps

Superset:
Reverse grip cable tricep extensions 3 sets of 12 reps
Cable overhead extensions 3 sets of 12 reps

Tricep press downs w/ rope attachment 1 set to failure

30 minute Treadmill Intervals
5 minute warm up @ 3.3 mph
20 minutes jogging intervals: 1 minute walk at 3.3 mph, 1 minute jog at 5.0 mph
(3 intervals at 6.0 mph)
5 minute cool down @ 3.3 mph


Food Journal:

Meal 1: egg white and turkey sandwich
Meal 2: turkey Panini and coffee
Meal 3: 2 chicken breast tenders, salad, 1/2 cup popcorn
Meal 4: veggie wrap and a fruit cup (watermelon, pineapple, green grapes)

That sums up my day. I will see you all tomorrow.

P.S. Feel free to comment, ask questions, offer tips and advice if you would like.

Today Was Good Day

In the famous words of Ice Cube"Today was a good day". LOL! I ate well and worked out. I did not have any sweets today except for a small cup of juice. As much as I wanted something I avoided purchasing anything at the store.

I trained my Back today. Here is what I did:

Superset:
Wide lat pulldowns 1 warm up set 12 reps 70 lbs, 1 set 8 reps 85 lbs, 2 sets 8 reps 100 lbs
Narrow reverse grip pulldowns (same as above)

Seat row 3 sets 12 reps 90 lbs

Superset:
Cable pulldowns 3 sets 10 reps 35 lbs
Cable facepulls 3 sets 12 reps 35 lbs

Hyperextension machine 1 warm up set 12 reps 90 lbs, 3 sets 10 reps 110 lbs

Superset:
Hammer strength 1 warm up set 12 reps 35 lbs (each side), 3 sets 10 reps 40 lbs (each side)
Bend over barbell row 3 sets of 12 reps 40 lbs

Treadmill intervals:
5 minute incline intervals (increased incline by 1% every minute until I reached 5% incline)

1 minute walk (no incline) 3.3 mph
1 minute walking lunges 1.2 mph
1 minute walk 3.3 mph
1 minute side lunges (30 seconds each side) 1.2 mph
1 minute walk 3.3 mph
Repeated  3 times

1 minute jog 5 mph
30 second walk 3.3 mph
1 minute jog 5 mph
30 second walk 3.3 mph
1 minute jog 7 mph
30 second pushups
1 minute jog 7 mph
30 second pushups

Cool down walk 2 minutes at 3.0 mph

Food Journal:

Meal 1: smoothie- frozen strawberry, banana, water, Amazing Greens powder

Meal 2: chicken breast and salad, 1 piece of cheese pizza

Meal 3: chicken breast, 1 piece of cheese pizza

Meal 4: chicken breast, salad, 1 small cup juice

Ok! OK! I forgot I had some pizza today. Ops! I wasn't as good as I thought. :) It's okay I am still a work in progress.

Thanks for reading. I will see you tomorrow.

Room For Improvement

I have been a little late on posting my workouts. I have been doing great with my training but not totally great with my eating. That has always been my area of most resistance. I don't want to get too obsessive with everything from the beginning because I am more likely to wear my body down and get burnt out. I am taking it a step at a time. My eating has not been horrible but it definitely needs to be improved ALOT. I have been eating lots of raw salads and lean protein. My carbs have been minimal. The area I struggle with the most is sweets. I love sugar!!! I am working on it though so I am making progress. :)

I am not sure exactly what I did with the my reps and sets so I am just going to share some of what I did.

Friday: Rest Day

Here is what I did on Saturday:

Legs:
20 minutes Stairmill

Superset:
Barbell squats 3x12, 70 lbs plus bar
Box jumps 3x10

Leg press 3x12, 270 lbs
Single leg press 3x12 (each leg) 90 lbs
Leg extension 3x12, 70 lbs
Leg curls 3x12, 50 lbs
Hip adductor 3x20, 220 lbs


Here is what I did on Sunday:

Bicep/ Triceps:

20 minute Stationary Bike

Barbell curls 20 reps 20 lbs, 15 reps 30 lbs, 10 reps 40 lbs
Incline curls 3x12, 15 lbs
Cable wide curls 3x12, 1 sets 5 lbs, 2 sets 10 lbs
Cable hammer curls w/ rope attachment 3x12
Tricep cable extensions w/ rope attachment 3x12
Reverse grip tricep cable extensions 3x12

20 minutes Elliptical
20 minutes Stationary Bike


Monday: Rest Day

Food:
Meal 1- egg whites, oats w/ banana, almond milk, drizzle of agave
thin slice of bagel with cream cheese
Meal 2- 4 oz chicken breast, salad, 1/4 cup red mashed potatoes
Starbucks Carmel Macchiato w/ soy milk
Meal 3- 4 oz chicken breast, salad, 7.5 fl oz Hansen Mandarin Soda
1 small handful of popcorn

As you can see I am not completely bad but there are areas that need improvement. I didn't need to add agave to my oats, eat the bagel with cream cheese, drink a Starbucks or drink a soda. Hey, I am a work in progress so I will be kind to myself. :) This journey is a marathon NOT a sprint.

Thanks for reading. See you in a few days!!!

Keeping It Going

I am still struggling with getting my nutrition down but my workouts have been great. Even though it's "that time" of the month I am pushing and giving all I have to my training. My nutrition will fall into place soon. For now I am staying positive and keeping it going.

Here is what I did Wednesday:

Back/ Biceps (all sets to failure)

5 minutes Elliptical

Reverse grip lat pull downs 3 warm up sets and 3 sets of 12 reps
Bent over row 3 sets of 12 reps
Wide lat pull downs 3 sets of 12 reps

Superset:
Straight arm cable pull downs 3 sets of 12 reps
Face pulls 3 sets of 12 reps

Barbell curls 2 warm up sets, 3 sets of 12 reps
Alternating bicep curls 3 sets of 12 reps
Cable curls 3 sets of 12 reps

10 minutes bike


Here is what I did Thursday:

Shoulders/ Calves

20 minutes stationary bike

Military press 2 warm up sets, 3 sets of 12 reps

Supersets:
Lateral raises 3 sets of 12 reps
BB Upright row 3 sets of 12 reps

Cable front raises 3 sets of 12 reps
Bent over cable rear delt raises 3 sets of 12 reps (each side)

BB standing calve raises 3 sets of 20 reps

5 minutes rowing machine
20 minutes StairMill intervals

Thank you for reading my blog posts. I will see you all tomorrow.

Rough Start

My intention was to start my program strong on Monday but my body was feeling otherwise. I was exhausted, achy and had some hot flashes. I was also craving sugar. Yay! You ladies know what that means. I managed to get myself to the gym on Tuesday night and did my complete workout. I didn't eat wonderfully but avoided overindulging in sugar. I did have a few dark chocolate covered almonds.

Here is what Tuesdays workout looked like:

Chest/ Triceps/ Cardio

20 minutes Elliptical

DB chest press 3 warm up sets 12 reps, 3 sets to failure in 6-10 reps
Incline bench chest flyes 2 sets to failure in 8-15 reps
Straight arm pull overs 2 sets to failure in 10-12 reps

Superset:
Barbell tricep extensions 3 sets to failure 10-12 reps
Narrow chest press 3 sets to failure

Rope extensions 3 sets to failure in 10-12 reps
Reverse grip single arm extensions 3 sets to failure in 10-12 reps

20 minutes Stationary Bike


Some of you might be wondering what SETS TO FAILURE are. This is a set in which you reach a point of muscle fatigue....you can no longer crank out another rep. In this case I am picking a weight that is challenging enough to fail at the indicated amount of reps. It is important to perform these exercises with perfect form and in a controlled manner. This helps work the muscle effectively.

My eating was all over the place. I didn't do horrible but definitely not as clean and structured as I wanted to. I will get it right..no worries. :)

Let's Get This Party Started

I have decided to document my workouts and food journal with you over the next 12 weeks. I logged my daily activity when I first started my journey a few years ago and found it to be very successful. It helped keep me accountable because I couldn't lie about what I did and didn't do. It also helps to have a reference point to look at as this journey unfolds.

I will be documenting my progress with pictures, body measurements and body fat percentages. I will not be documenting my weight because I don't feel that is a great indicator of progress. I also don't want to become obsessed with my weight because I know how it messes with my mind. I once had a very unhealthy addiction to the scale and I don't want to create that again. I will post updated pics and stats every 2 weeks.

Like I mentioned I will be posting my daily workouts and meals but in no way do I recommend anyone to follow what I am doing. I am adjusting my workouts to my fitness level and my meals to my body's requirements. Everyone is different so always consult a medical professional before starting your own fitness journey.

My first set of progress pics will be taken tomorrow morning before I eat anything to have a more accurate depiction of my starting point. Below is a breakdown of what my first week of workouts and meals will look like. I am excited to get started but even more excited to bring you all along with me.

Ready?!? Let's get this party started.

Week 1

Training Session:

Monday: Legs

Tuesday: Chest/Triceps

Wednesday: Back/Biceps

Thursday: Rest Day

Friday: Shoulders/ Calves/ Abs

Saturday: Legs

Sunday: Rest Day

40 minutes of cardio will also be a part of each training session.


Meal Plan:

Meal 1:
protein
carbs

Meal 2:
protein
carbs

Meal 3:
protein
carbs
veggies

Meal 4:
protein
carbs
veggies

Meal 5:
protein
carbs
veggies

Meal 6:
protein
veggies

Post workout: protein shake

This 12 week transformation program focuses heavily on weight training and clean eating. The first phase is about building muscle so keep in mind you will see minimal amounts of cardio. Yes! you see carbs. These muscles need fuel to perform. The key is to eat the right kind of carbs. We will get into that as this program unfolds. I will also be taking vitamins, drinking green juice and drinking 1 gallon of water per day.

Please keep in mind like I mentioned above this is suited to my fitness level and caloric needs. Do not use this as a guide to start your own journey. You must consult a professional to help you create your own custom program.

Thanks for reading. See you all tomorrow.

<3 Monica

My Evolution

Evolution: the process of growth and development; unfolding.

 

The word EVOLUTION dropped into my spirit a few days ago. I wasn't sure of the complete meaning of it until I took a look back at where I have came from. For those of you familiar with my story you know I have had a long journey of challenges. I don't feel the desire to share all the details because I have moved past that part of my life. From childhood abuse to an adulterous marriage I have pretty much experienced my share of pain.

I know I wouldn't be who I am today without those parts of my life. They helped me develop and grow as a person. They helped mold me into the woman I am today. My daughter reminded me of this today. She said mom "we wouldn't be who we are today if we wouldn't have experienced the things we did. You wouldn't be as loving".

Though I could have hardened my heart I chose to surrender it and allow myself to evolve. Many of us chose to hide behind our pain. We chose to live it day in a day out. We hold onto past experiences and write the story of our future with the pen of our past.  We stay stuck and never fully evolve into the person God designed us to be.

We were created to be so much more than our past. We were created to walk in abundance and prosperity NOT pain and lack. There is an abundance of love, peace and joy for those that move past fear and into faith. This is where I am today. I am moving forward. I am choosing to let go of the pain of my past and fully walk in my calling.

How does this relate to my fitness journey? Well for years I have hid myself from the world. I thought I didn't deserve to be happy and free. I was so identified with what had happened to me that I stayed stuck in the shadows of it. I have spent years wishing, hoping and dreaming but never fully believing that I can achieve success in my life.

While I have overcame several challenges in my life....I have yet to conquer myself. I have yet to rise to the physical challenge of transforming my body. I have met certain goals but never reached my desired destination. Why? I believe it's because I find a certain sense of comfort in the old me. Until you are uncomfortable with being comfortable you will never move from the place you are in. You must be tired of being sick and tired. Your desire to change must be greater than your fear of change. I have feared change because change is uncertain. Change challenges you to move into an unfamiliar territory. It requires you to ditch the anchor and set a new course.

This is me releasing the anchor and RISING TO THE PHYSICAL CHALLENGE. I desire to feel powerful in every way. It's time to fully EVOLVE into the person God designed me to be. I invite you to join me along this journey.

Please feel free to leave comments here on my blog or on my Facebook page. Your love and support is always appreciated. You are welcome to share my posts if you feel someone would benefit from them. Thank you for taking the time to read my post. I look forward to starting this journey and seeing what God has in store.

<3 Monica