Spring is Marvelous

April 8, 2013 By Laura

Something about Spring makes life better.

Until the pollen hits.

Last week I was in a bit of a funk. It was rainy and cold, I was tired… but spring arrived just in time for the weekend! I want to carry over this weekend weather high into the week, and Katie’s Marvelous in My Monday link up is my favorite way to focus on the good and start the week out right!

Almost everything involved the outdoors – something I’d forgotten how much I love!

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There’s only one right way to start the weekend – pancakes! I made Heather’s Peanut Butter Cookie pancakes and topped them with a fresh strawberry sauce. My only change to her recipe was to omit the rice flour and reduced the liquid to 1/3 C. They were perfect!

With the spring berries on top, it was like PB&J cookies for breakfast.

Those pancakes fueled the best workout I’d had in DAYS. This week in the gym I had just not been feeling it. I’d be half way through a workout coaxing myself with post-workout foods if I finished.

Not only did I have a great shoulder/glute day in the weight room, but I was feeling so good I decided to run some sprints before heading home. Those sprints are great for the glutes and I could feel it the next day!

After than calorie torch, I made myself a massive Carrot Cake Smoothie… I needed some cool-down fuel because I then met Carol and her puppy for a 6 mile walk in the park!

I don’t know how we walked so long – I was already tired. We just started talking and the time FLEW by!

We parted ways and I headed home for a (much-needed) shower before meeting a friend for dinner.

I don’t know about you, but my #1 favorite thing about spring is patios. Sitting outside with my flip-flops on, a teensy sunburn, and a margarita makes me happy. Simple pleasures.

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Sunday I woke up early (read: before 9am on a weekend) to play softball. We won both games! Our team is undefeated in a men’s league. Hahaha! 🙂

I didn’t have time to make Sunday morning bacon… but my favorite meat-treat still managed to make a cameo.

Sunday is also my grocery store and meal prep day. I hauled my sweaty, dusty self (#sorryimnotsorry) to the farmer’s market and Whole Foods for the weekly stock up. No real diet changes yet, but the competition is coming up fast and next week it will be lock down time.

Despite having bags of groceries from 2 stores, I made it up to my condo in one trip. I saw this on Pinterest, which perfectly captures the moment. Please tell me I’m not the only person who is this stubborn:

I also bought myself flowers. Flowers go a long way in brightening up my week, especially when I work from home. It’s nice to look over and see their natural brightness after staring at a computer screen for hours!

Besides, if I waited for someone else to do it I’d be waiting a looong time. 😉

Another favorite of mine in the warm weather is watermelon. After a long 2 days in the sun, I was happy to have a refreshing watermelon salad… and finally, my Sunday bacon.

Sweet, salty, and a little earthiness from the beets. It’s the perfect spring salad! #strangebutgood

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Watermelon, Beet, & Bacon Salad

1 C watermelon, diced
1/4 C beets, roasted and diced
2 strips crispy bacon
Cilantro, to taste
Freshly ground pepper, to taste

***

My teensy sunburn got worse on Sunday. I forgot that with spring comes the need for sunscreen. #fail

Do you ever buy yourself flowers?

What is your favorite part about spring?

Work It Out: Gym Confessions

April 2, 2013 By Laura

Working out doesn’t mean being perfect.

Sometimes it means going from the gym to work without a shower, or eating 2 pieces of cheesecake at 10pm… not that I would know.

Today’s Work It Out is dedicated to imperfection.

It’s easy to feel like everyone else is eats cleaner, is more disciplined, or is in better shape than you. It’s not true. Try as we might to fight it, we are mere mortals.

I am painfully human. #sorryimnotsorry

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In the spirit of full discolsure and keeping it real, here are a few things I must confess:

1. People talk about how comparison is bad… but I sort of like it. ~~Being the most competitive person I know~~ I enjoy a challenge, so trying to out-lift the dude next to my in the weight room only fuels my fire.

2. I like red wine. A lot. My cheat day includes more than one glass.

3. Sometimes I wear the same outfit to workout 2-3 times without washing it. Sports bras… 4-5 times.

4. If you are hogging the machine while “resting” (a.k.a. playing on your phone reading a magazine, eating a banana), I am fanticizing about beating your ass. then I will walk over and politely ask if I may work in while you ~~screw around~~ rest.

5. I drink a ton of water… so much that I have to pee at least once during my workout. I also can’t make it through the night without getting up to go. It makes me feel like an old lady.

6. In my head I’m 5’6 and completely ripped. In reality… well, I’m 5’3 (on a good day) and slowly building. Reality bites.

7. I’m a loner in the gym. Unless I’m with my trainer, I want to be left to my own devices and move at my own pace. Until I need a spot.

8. I always wear mascara and a little eyeshadow to the gym. Always.

yeah, yeah…

9. Sometimes if I’m going straight from work to the gym (or vice versa) I wear a sports bra and black workout pants to work for a faster change.

10. On my heaviest set… a fart has been known to slip out.

***

Unrelated confession: I wish Bacon Mouthwash hadn’t been an April Fool’s joke.

Confess! What are you guilty of?

What is your gym etiquette pet peeve?

Work It Out: From Running to Lifting

March 26, 2013 By Laura

Competing is not for the faint of heart.

Or for those who dislike asparagus.

Body building requires a lot of hard work and discipline. I love the weights – that part doesn’t seem like work to me (most days).

The diet… well, those few weeks leading up to a competition get a little rough. You probably didn’t want to be near me the last week because I was ~~a total bitch~~ tired of chicken and asparagus.

This post isn’t about asparagus. Today’s Work It Out is a guest post from a friend and fellow comptitior. Jennifer trains at my gym, House of Payne.

We competed together in the NPC Jen Hendershott Big Shott Bodybuilding Classic last year (Jenn in Physique and myself in Figure). She was such a great friend – calming my beginner nerves and raising a margarita toast to out successes post-competion.

Jennifer, Christina, Steve (our trainer), Devy, and Me

Jenn is a big inspiration. Like me, she’s a former runner. The muscle she’s gained in the ~7 months I’ve known her is absolutely incredible.

Below is the story of her transformation. I hope it inspires you – even if you aren’t interested in competing, it’s a great reminder that we can do anything we want to, if we want to badly enough.

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Close to 2 Decades of Fitness

The year is 1994 and I sign up for my first jogging class at Gainesville State College. Little did I know at the time what my fitness future would hold. I had an amazing coach who shared his passion of fitness with me. He gradually took us, beginners, and taught us how to build up stamina and endurance in running. Through the class, I developed a liking to running. I’ll never forget how I felt when I completed running 2 miles without stopping. My coach told me if you can run 2 miles, then you can run 6 miles. Well, I kept on running. I even thought I was “Forrest.” Forrest Gump, that is.

I ran all the way through college, 3 pregnancies, and into mid 30’s. Then all of a sudden, I realized my body had massively changed. I was fat. I was flabby in a lot of areas. I couldn’t eat the junk that I ate in my 20’s and look good. I felt as if my muscle tissue was a lot less than it was in the previous years.

I took a huge leap and decided to change my eating and my training. I always loved the way girls looked in Muscle & Fitness Magazine. I wanted that look. I wanted biceps and a 6-pack. So I started weight training at home. I started out with a beginner set of barbells and a pull-up bar.

I trained 1 year at home and starting transforming my body gradually. I mainly did strength training 4 days a week and 2 days of cardio. But I wanted to do more and continue to transform my body. So I hired a personal trainer. Also at that 1 year mark, my pursuits became a little different. At first, I just wanted to get fit and lose some weight. Gradually as I transformed my body and learned more about weight training and its results, I decided to enter a figure contest.

So I entered my first figure competition. I will be real honest, my first time out I was not even close to the top 5. However, that first competition set me on fire to compete. This was the best thing to happen. I went into that competition thinking that I was going to win. Oh Yes! However, I left that competition and decided I was going to put in the time and build some serious muscle. I was going to be a competitive figure athlete.

For the next 3 years, I studied and researched training methods. I also hired a nutritionist/coach who monitors all of my food and helps develop my training splits. He has developed a plan to help me build lean muscle mass in the off-season and he knows how to turn me into a lean competitor for the stage.

I have competed in 4 figure competitions since 2010. However, in November of 2012, I stepped on stage as a physique competitor and placed 3^rd in the competition, which qualified me for the national stage.

Physique is a new division in the body building world. This division is for women that have a little more muscle than figure. The Physique division also requires a routine that enables you to present your physique and display your muscles in a way that figure girls don’t get to do. I absolutely adore it. I love being on stage and the center of attention. I especially love showing off my hard work that I have done in the gym and through my nutrition.

As I write this, I am in prep for Team Universe in July 2013. This is my first national show. I am giving my 110% to this competition. I still have the same fire in my soul as I did with my first competition. I love the structure, workouts, and the discipline required for competing. Every time I do a show I feel as if I learn something new about myself. I have also learned in order for you to succeed, you must step out of your comfort zone and push a little bit harder.

Train Hard and You will be Amazed at Your Results!

XOXO

***

Follow Jennifer’s journey on Facebook and Instagram, and be sure to check out her blog!

Did anyone try last week’s Super Slow technique?

Would/have you ever considered competing?

Work It Out: Super Slow

March 19, 2013 By Laura

Going slowly is hard for me.

I may be the most impatient person alive.

In the past I’ve focused the Work It Out series on changing up how you perform the exercise. All-new workouts are great, but that’s not your only option for continuing to make progress and ensuring you don’t plateau.

You can get an incredible burn from moves you’ve been doing for months! All you need to do is take one of your existing routines and apply a new approach.

Here are some of my favorite ways to shake up moves you’re probably already familiar with:

Today I have one more to add. You can thank my trainer for reminding me of this little ~~gym~~ gem…

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Super Slow Sets

Were you wondering where the patience part from the beginning of the post would come in? I am one who prefers to go hard throughout a workout. Slowing it down is sometimes more of a challenge for me than performing the actual slow set!

What are they?

Slow sets are all about control and contraction. To perform these, you will want to use a lighter weight than normal. You will be doing the same number of reps as you usually, do but your muscles are under strain for a much longer time due to a slower cadence.

You will be completing each rep using a 1-2-3 count. Remember grade school when you counted 1 Mississippi, 2 Mississippi, 3 Mississippi? Do that on the way up.

The idea is that going super slow allows more blood to flow to the targeted muscle. It uses slow-twitch muscle fibers, which are normally missed during faster lifting (that hits fast-twitch muscle fibers). This results in strength gains.

Where do I use Super Slow Reps?

Super Slow Sets can be applied to most exercises. A good starting point for any of these is doing 3 sets of 8-10 reps.

Here are a few of my love-to-hate-them favorites. Click the links below for a written explanation of each move.

Leg Press

Never, ever lock your knees while doing these!

Standing Bicep Cable Curls

This also works well with dumbbell curls.

Lat Pulldowns

Try these with both wide and close grips!

Assisted Pull Up Machine

If you can do these unassisted… I am truly impressed. Please send video.

Close Hand Push-Ups

To make these easier, spread your feet wider or simply go “girl” push-ups (on your knees).

Warning: When you first start using super slow sets (or any new technique), don’t be surprised if you are more sore the day after. This is a result of the neuromuscular adaptations in the body, which usually create the greatest degree of muscular soreness.

This is not something you want to apply to every workout you do. These, like the others listed, are meant to be done for a short period of time to help boost you through a plateau.

***The Disclaimer: I’m not a certified professional anything. Use common sense. If it hurts, stop. You will see results, but only if you are consistent, relentless, and patient. ***

***

I’m back down to 4 rather than 5 sets this week. It’s like heaven. I’ll never complain about 4 again!

Did anyone try last week’s Chest and Bicep workout?

Have you ever hit a plateau? How did you get through it?

Work It Out: Chest & Biceps

March 12, 2013 By Laura

Chest and Bicep day is my favorite.

My trainer says this means I’m like a guy. Whatever.

A few weeks ago I posted about working out away from home. I am a consultant, which means I travel a fairly often. You guys have seen they way I pack days and days of meals for the road. It takes effort, but it – like most things – becomes habit and gets SO much easier.

Workouts are a little harder. It is a habit, but you never know what the hotel gym situation will be. In my last post, I talked about learning to be flexibly inflexible. My daily workout is a habit – one that I am inflexible about breaking.

Flexibility is also important. Those hotel gyms are 95% of the time pretty sparse. I have to be able to change my planned workout to fit the situation.

The previous hotel workout was a back and tricep day re-created in a gym equip only with free weights, a bench, and a stability ball.but got a few requests for the chest and bicep workout. Ask and you shall receive! 🙂

Simple to do with minimal equipment, the following workout was done in that same small hotel gym.

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For each exercise, do 3 sets of 10-12 reps. If you are lifting heavy, do 4 sets of 6-10 reps. Click the links below for a written explanation of each move.

If you realllly want to shake it up and shock your body, do what I’m doing right now: 5 sets of 12. You. Will. Die. (Please don’t do this if you aren’t already lifting a lot – no need to actually die.) 😉

Chest

Flat Bench Press

Incline Bench Press with a twist

As you press up, twist the wrist so that at the top of the movement the palms are facing away from the body. If this causes discomfort, simply leave the twist out.

Decline Bench Press

Stability Ball Pullovers…

…superset with push ups

Biceps

Prone Incline Curls

These can also be done over a stability ball.

Alternating Bicep Curls

If you aren’t doing these with heavy weight, try them while standing on one leg for an added challenge.

Hammer Curls

To change it up, try doing these as alternating curls, or cross-body.

Reverse Curls

***As usual, here’s the disclaimer: I’m not a certified professional anything. Be smart. Don’t hurt yourself. Don’t expect to have Jamie Eason arms the day after. I work out all the time and I still don’t have her arms. ~~Dammit.~~**

***

Yesterday I did a back and tricep day. Every back exercise was superset with horizontal pull ups. By the end I’d done 240 of them. I’m surprised I’m able to type right now. LOL!

Did anyone try a new supplement after last week’s post?

Have you ever combined Chest and Biceps? I know it’s more traditional to do Back and Bis, but I’m loving this method!

Work It Out with Supplements

March 5, 2013 By Laura

Until I was in high school, I couldn’t swallow a pill.

My dad once threw a pill down my throat. Seriously.

Today I take a massive line up of vitamins and supplements… and I still have to think about it before I swallow them. My method now is to put water in my mouth first so that the pill sort of floats. That way I can trick myself into thinking I’m just swallowing water.

But this post isn’t about working around your gag reflex. It’s about one of the most-asked questions I get: What supplements do you/should I take? Work It Out with supplements!

This post is JUST about non-vitamin supplements. I also take my vitamins, but I think that’s less interesting. Let me know if I’m wrong.

I believe that supplementation plays in important role in athletes/health enthusiasts. The questions I get surround what supplements one can take to help maintain energy, reach fitness goals (i.e. build muscle), and maintain healthier lifestyles. Below is what I’ve learned on my journey as a figure competitor.

NOTE: This is simply what I have learned and experienced through personal research. NOTHING will replace hard work and a good diet.

Each day I take the following supplements:

1. Glutamine

This is part of my morning “cocktail.” I mix a teaspoon with my BCAAs, apple cider vinegar, and 16 oz of water to begin each day.

Why?

Glutamine is an amino acid that is produced in the highest quantity by your body. It is a non-essential amino acid, so it can be produced naturally by the body through other amino acids. Glutamine specifically aids in the development of the glucose that provides the body with energy. It helps maintain muscle mass and aids the recovery from training. Intensive athletic training can deplete glutamine levels when muscles are being worked, so glutamine supplements are effective in replenishing glutamine levels for athletes who train hard.

2. Aminos

Since this pic, I started using Optimum Nutrition’s BCAAs in my morning cocktail. I credit these for eliminating my morning coffee urges. And their orange flavor ROCKS!

Why?

After protein is ingested it breaks down into amino acids. Amino acids are known as the building blocks of proteins and are responsible for the development of your body’s enzymes, including those responsible for digestion. Amino acids also help in the repair and growth of muscles when taken in conjunction with your workout (see BCAAs below for more on that).

3. CLA (with green tea extract)

I also take one of these first thing in the morning, and another mid-afternoon. The directions indicate that you can take up to 4 per day; however, keep in mind that these instructions are often written with the average sized male in mind. A small female probably doesn’t need so much, so I take half.

Why?

CLA stands for conjugated linoleic acid. It is a type of trans fatty acid; however, CLA is not considered a “bad” trans fat. It assists in the metabolism of stored body fat for fuel and preventing the metabolism from slowing down while in the case of decrease calorie intake. Some studies have also found that taking CLA in conjunction with weight training leads to increased lean muscle development. CLA can be obtained through diet; meat and dairy products have the highest concentration of CLA. It has the added benefit of helping to prevent certain cancers and heart disease.

4. BCAAs

I love my Aminos to start the day; however, they do have some unnatural flavors, and it’s not always convenient to take with me to the gym. Instead I take a BCAA pill immediately following a workout, along with 20g of protein in the form of whey protein powder.

Why?

Taken after a workout, Aminos feed and repair muscles. Choosing the right amino acid will depend on your fitness goals. I take BCAAs. BCAAs are metabolized in the muscle, not the liver, like other Amino Acids. They contain isoleucine, leucine, and valine, which are thought to be THE most important amino acids for muscle tissue growth and preservation. The human body can’t manufacture BCAAs on their own, and being active places excess demand on our BCAA needs. This is why supplementing with BCAAs is important.

5. Creatine

Creatine powder can be somewhat controversial. I decided to try it out because I was having trouble gaining. This, combined with some diet adjustments and intensified workouts, has made a HUGE difference for me in the past month. I’m actually visibly GAINING! 🙂

Why?

Creatine is used to produce adenosine triphosphate (ATP) – a molecule responsible for providing energy to your muscles. With more energy, you can train harder, producing greater results. It can also help your body to recover faster so that your next workout is fresher. About 2 grams of natural creatine is produced in your liver, kidneys and pancreas everyday. You also get creatine in your diet via meat or fish (which may make it especially beneficial for non-meat eaters). When taking creatine supplements people will typically report gaining a 2-4 pounds of weight immediately; however, the initial gain is water weight. Subsequent gains are muscle due to the increase in the workload you can handle. It can positively affect your cardiovascular exercise as well. Creatine helps increase the amount of aerobic activity you can do before getting winded, so you will be able to exercise longer and more intensely.

Some studies have found creatine enhanced athletic performance and increased strength. There are reports that creatine has caused dehydration, and in some cases there have been reports of side effects like irregular heartbeat and cramping. As with the benefits, these side effects have not specifically been proven to be a direct result of taking creatine. There are a lot of articles on creatine – both promoting and warning against. I strongly advise you to do your own research before deciding to use creatine.

***Disclaimer: This post contain Amazon affiliate links. If you order through them, I get a teensy kickback… it helps me run the blog, so thank you if you order anything! And I do actually order all of this from Amazon.***

[Tweet “Here’s the low down on the supplements to take to support your workout!”]

***

Good news on the lower body/glute front! I put on my jeans today and they were almost uncomfortably tight in the legs. Never thought I’d be so excited about that… 😉

What supplements do you take?

Did anyone try last week’s incline workout for the glutes?

My Figure Delay + WIAW

February 20, 2013 By Laura

Knowing when to hold off is important.

But I really hate it.

Yesterday I did a leg session with my trainer (I am walking like a granny today). I was going to do my next figure competition in March, just 4 weeks from now. We talked about my progress and decided to delay .

This is why:

My upper body has filled out a lot. Shoulders are wider, back more developed… he actually said my upper body is competition-ready now. BUT do you see my butt? It’s not catching up. ~~Why, oh why doesn’t chocolate cake go straight to my butt and legs?~~

So we made the call to hold off until May to give me more time to grow so that I can present better in a couple more months. We’ll be going super heavy, making some TBD diet changes, and focusing more on my rear. The diets changes I had made (mostly more fat) have been good, but the gains haven’t been quite to the point we need.

I’m disappointed. My bum bums me out… but I know my trainer is right. 🙁

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In happier news, I finally have a WIAW post where I got to eat at home! I don’t really mind being on the road, but not eating out of a baggie is a welcome change.

Check out my 7 home-cooked meals below, and then click here to head over to Jenn @ Peas and Crayons to get to see how others dined this week!

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Meal 1:

I’m still loving my morning cocktail (apple cider vinegar, water, Glutamine, and Fitmixer Aminos).

30 mins later I made my new favorite breakfast: toasted Ezekial English muffin with some warmed no-salt deli turkey, nutritional yeast sauce, and a runny egg. I ate it with a side of sweet lime. Sweet lime = Strange But Good.

Savory Nooch Sauce

1 T nutritional yeast
Apple cider vinegar
Cumin
Cayenne
Liquid smoke
Pinch of xanthan gum (to thicken)

Meal 2:

I really love having salmon with fruit for meal 2. Today I ate it with my sweet lime, raw pepitas (pumpkin seeds), basil, and a little cayenne. Sweet lime really is amazing – like a mild orange.

Meal 3:

Lunch was post-workout, so it was a Carrot Cake Whey creation. This is one of my go-tos. I love carrots.

Carrot Cake Whey

1 scoop vanilla whey protein
1 carrot, grated
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/4 C greek yogurt
1/4 C raw oatmeal
Enough water to mix

Then I decided I deserved a little treat – kombucha! I drank it in the car with the moon roof open. I’m loving being home where it’s 60 degrees and sunny by lunch! I re-set my HRM post-workout to catch the leg day after-burn. 125 cals in the hour following my workout!

Meal 4:

After talking to my trainer, we are going to be looking at keeping the fats high. This way I can shovel in more calories without being too stuffed to want to eat (which is what happened when we tried to drastically increase carbs). This is the fun part! I made bison burgers… cooked with bacon.

The bottle in the background is Robbie’s sugar-free, low-sodium BBQ sauce I found at Whole Foods. I’d made my own before my first competition, but when I saw this I had to try it. I like mine better, but this wasn’t bad!

Eaten with cucumber slices and some unpictured hummus

Meal 5-7:

That’s not a typo – this was like 3 meals in one. I had dinner at Lure with local bloggers and friends, Beth and Amy. I love these girls – we laughed through the entire meal.

When we sat down we were gifted with a giant punch bowl from the owner. It was some sort of apple cider and rum concoction, and it was absolutely fabulous. ~~We must be getting old, because we actually couldn’t finish it all.~~

For my app I ordered brussels. It’s actually a side item, but it sounded so good. Roasted brussels with grapes, pumpkin seeds, and lemon aioli. I loved the flavor together, but the aioli was so rich that I only finished half (it was a HUGE serving!). There was some (unpictured) sesame bread involved too.

Dinner was a delicious grilled Arctic Char fillet coated in berbere spice served with young carrots and farro verde. I almost licked my plate… but saved a little room for dessert. A chocolate and peanut butter mousse cake. It was so good I forgot to take a pic until we’d eaten all but 2 bites of the slice. Bad blogger.

***

The protein count for the day: 150.1g. I think… you never know with restaurant meals. Either way, I sufficiently refueled after a brutal leg day.

Have you ever had to take a step back to perform even better in the long run?

Do you enjoy traditionally savory foods with a pop of sweet from fruit? It’s a favorite Strange But Good in my kitchen!

Work It Out Away From Home

February 19, 2013 By Laura

Everyone likes a routine.

I love change, but not when it interferes with my workout.

In my job I have to travel a good amount. Airports, hotels, and packing ridiculous amount of food don’t really bother me. What DOES get under my skin is trying to fit a good workout in, and having to do it in a hotel gym.

After long days in conference rooms and meal times being thrown off, it’s sometimes hard to motive to leave the hotel room for a workout. Then there’s the problem of having to figure out how to work it out in a small hotel gym ~~next to some stinky dude practicing karate kicks~~.

I’ve learned to be flexibly inflexible. I’m NOT flexible in that I refuse to skip my workout. Being sedentary all day is all the more reason TO workout. The flexibility comes in with my routine. I have to change-up my planned workout and adapt to the situation.

Many of my workouts require squat racks, simpler machines, and barbells. The gym on my last couple of trips had only free weights, a bench, and a stability ball.

I managed to adapt 2 shoulder/glute days, 1 chest/bicep day, and 1 back/tricep day. The back and tricep workout was the hardest for me to create, but it also was my favorite! I get a lot of questions about my workouts, so I wanted to share this one with you today. Simple to do with minimal equipment!

For each exercise, do 3 sets of 10-12 reps. If you are lifting heavy, do 4 sets of 6-10 reps. Click the links below for a written explanation of each move.

If you need an added challenge, consider incorporating active recovery between each set. Tina wrote a great post on active recovery options here. My favorite are jumping jacks!

Back

One Arm Rows

Dumbbell Clean and Press

Prone Reverse Flys

(can be done on a ball or a flat bench)

Bent Over Two Arm Rows

(I did these as fulls and partials)

Standing Dumbbell Upright Rows

Triceps

Single Arm Nose Busters

Two Arm Overhead Extension

Bench Dips…

superset with Diamond Push-ups

One Arm Kickbacks

***As usual, here’s the disclaimer: I’m not a professional. Use common sense and don’t actually bust your nose doing Nose Busters. And if you do mess up your pretty face, don’t sue me. Please.**

***

No equipment? Try one of my Top 5 Favorite Tabata-Style Workouts!

Has anyone else been working on the rump after last week’s post?

Do you workout while you’re traveling? Running is a great way to see a city… when it’s not snowing.

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Spring is Marvelous

Watermelon, Beet, & Bacon Salad

Work It Out: Gym Confessions

In the spirit of full discolsure and keeping it real, here are a few things I must confess:

Work It Out: From Running to Lifting

Close to 2 Decades of Fitness

Work It Out: Super Slow

Super Slow Sets

What are they?

Where do I use Super Slow Reps?

Work It Out: Chest & Biceps

Chest

Biceps

Work It Out with Supplements

1. Glutamine

2. Aminos

3. CLA (with green tea extract)

4. BCAAs

5. Creatine

My Figure Delay + WIAW

Meal 1:

Savory Nooch Sauce

Meal 2:

Meal 3:

Carrot Cake Whey

Meal 4:

Meal 5-7:

Work It Out Away From Home

Back

Triceps

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