Howdy peeps!
So, as most of you have come to learn, Mondays and Tuesdays are TERRIBLE! Hate them, but at the end of the day, blogging here with you guys always makes me happy! :) I just feel bad you get very little love on Mondays and Tuesdays.
I got my tests back from my full nutritional analysis and here are the notables:
1. I am hypoglycemic.
2. Deficient in Zinc.
3. Deficient in Alpha-Lipoic Acid.
4. Deficient in Vitamin D.
5. Deficient in Oleic Acid (didn't even know that existed).
6. Deficient in Coenzyme Q10.
The results were very interesting - as I understood it from reading the lab reports, basically they take your blood and remove the nutrient they are testing for and then introduce it to see how it responds. Based on this, they tell you if you are deficient and if you have special needs. The only real surprise for me was the hypoglycemia. But it does make sense for how fuzzy I get and wacked out I get when I don't have food - good to know.
How do I correct?
1. Eat every 2-3 hours - CHECK!
2. Take a Zinc supplement or eat lots of oysters and wheat germ (there is more but those were the two funny ones).
3. Take a supplement - can't get this through a particular food source.
4. Get more sun. Duh.
5. Eat more avocados, use olive oil, canola oil, etc.
6. Take a supplement (note to self, high dosages = diarrhea which leads to FOF syndrome - fear of farting).
All of the things I was deficient in were immune boosters and protectants so the good news is if I can work on some of these deficiencies I can boost the immune system.
Cynthia (a.k.a. Visionquester and man-boob-lover) turned me on to Scott Abel and after perusing his website and reading more and more about his philosophies and credentials, I decided to purchase the Ultimate Figure Program DVD series (yes Jody, I know this drives you crazy - and I promise you this - if you are reading - that I will sell every non used workout DVD and make back double what these new DVD's cost - promise my cherub :)).
The DVD program focuses on MET training which stands for Metabolic Enhancement Training and is basically super intense conditioning and strength workouts all in one which for the 5 day series all focus on different body parts but those specific to what figure competitors need to focus on. Let me tell you it is bad to the bone! And I cannot imagine what my body is going to look like in a month of this training - seriously! I bought it for a number of reasons (my DH, please pay attention here): Scott has a very loyal following and everyone who uses him attests to massive transformations through his high intensity weight lifting and cardio combinations. And the other reason is our gym membership ran out and we are not sure if we are going to renew - we have a great home gym and this is a program built for the home plus our gym is almost a half hour from our house.
Check it out a video of the program:
It is INTENSE! I highly recommend it!
I will give more details on the program in my next post but the idea is to do high intense workouts 5 days a week with a focus on full body function and multi-plane movements. I LOVE IT and I am smoked after every workout. I started on Sunday (see below on weekly recap) and I can't wait to share with you guys where I in two weeks (that would be around May 15th). Can't wait - it VERY similar to Debbie workouts but even harder because of some of the full body core movements used.
Again, more details to follow. Also, see below for my week last week - another great training week.
As for my nutrition, I STILL haven't had time to add back in my food over the last week so I am pulling the link for now. I am staggering my calories for every other day and will also get you more details on that later in the week.
Have a great week everyone!
Jess
Weekly Recap:
Monday:
6 mile trail run - PM Cardio
Biceps/Triceps
Barbell curl - Olympic Bar Only super set with
Overhead French Press - 20lbs 4x12
Hammer curls (20lbs) super set with
Tricep push downs - 70lbs cable rack 4x15
Swiss Ball Preacher Curl (15lb slow reps) super set with
Tricep kick backs (10 lbs slow reps) 4x12
Tuesday:
Planned day off - SORE all over
Wednesday:
HIIT Intervals - 10 minute warm up, 20 minutes HIIT 1:1 intervals plus 10 min warm up and cool down.
Thursday:
Monkey Bar Gym Fit Class
4 sets of 30 seconds on, 30 seconds off super set rounds of the following & then 2 rounds of 40 seconds on, 20 seconds off
Push up burpees (push up and jump up - power)
One legged dynamic hops - 5 each leg until 30 second mark
Around the world - planks with alt arm and leg in air
Medicine ball sit up and reach
In place sprints - high knees and arms pumping
Burned 600 calories in 1hr
Friday:
Monday Bar Gym Body Power Class
Prisoner reps - 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 of the following:
Alternating super sets of Renegade Rows using 40lb kettlebells - lean on kettle bells from a plank position (legs spread) and then row alternate arms - super set with one arm kettle bell chest press with 20lbs
Alternating supersets of Hamstring roll ins on stability ball with box jumps (16 inch box)
Ab roll outs on power wheel
WOW! 400 calories burned
Saturday:
Took day off with the sis - we walked around a bunch in Madison but no real workout.
Sunday:
Day 1 of Ultimate Figure Program (legs emphasis) - HOLY CRAP!
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Monday, April 28, 2008
Would the Real Tony G. Please Stand Up
Dear Visionquester,
You should run for politics because you clearly are an expert at spinning things to your advantage. This poll you have on your website is not representative of Tony Gonzalez. So, in fairness to him and the voting population, I am including pics of him that actually LOOK like him.
This is how he really looks when he is not squinting at the sun:
Here is my boy hanging with his friends:
And your boy looks like this: Does he have a comb??
Now, you can vote on www.visionquester2.blogspot.com for the real hottie.
And I think you just love your guy because he is a chef and you used to watch cooking shows while you worked out. Sad, sad stuff.
Jessica
You should run for politics because you clearly are an expert at spinning things to your advantage. This poll you have on your website is not representative of Tony Gonzalez. So, in fairness to him and the voting population, I am including pics of him that actually LOOK like him.
This is how he really looks when he is not squinting at the sun:
Here is my boy hanging with his friends:
And your boy looks like this: Does he have a comb??
Now, you can vote on www.visionquester2.blogspot.com for the real hottie.
And I think you just love your guy because he is a chef and you used to watch cooking shows while you worked out. Sad, sad stuff.
Jessica
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Monkeying Around with My Sister
Hey all...arrived in Madison to see my sister on Thursday morning. Had a non eventful flight - even packed good food like almonds, a Trio-plex bar, and protein powder. I always find if I can be prepared when traveling, life is so much easier. And drink LOTS of water.
You can see from my workouts on the right that I had another decent week of training and when I arrived here my sister and I went to the Monkey Bar Gym (www.monkeybargym.com) and we did an awesome workout on Thursday and another great workout on Friday. They are really focused on core and body weight exercises for your cardio and for weights, you use kettlebells and a lot of functional equipment - boxes, medicine balls, d-balls, etc. It was great. Reminds me a lot of the workouts Debbie does - but with even more focus on function and core.
Below is a video of Jon Hinds, owner of the MBG, taking you through some KB exercises. Basically, he uses KB's for weights in the gym - they do not have traditional free weights. Really enjoyed my workouts. Lots of fun.
Sorry about my Fit Day log...I have been writing down all my eats - just haven't transfered them over so I am about 5 days behind.
Starting Sunday, I am going to go up to maintenance calories (1800) for two weeks to reset my metabolism. More to come on this - kind of excited about it but the more I read, the more I am understanding how to manipulate the body into fat loss.
Hope you all are having a wonderful weekend! Peace out! :)
Jess
You can see from my workouts on the right that I had another decent week of training and when I arrived here my sister and I went to the Monkey Bar Gym (www.monkeybargym.com) and we did an awesome workout on Thursday and another great workout on Friday. They are really focused on core and body weight exercises for your cardio and for weights, you use kettlebells and a lot of functional equipment - boxes, medicine balls, d-balls, etc. It was great. Reminds me a lot of the workouts Debbie does - but with even more focus on function and core.
Below is a video of Jon Hinds, owner of the MBG, taking you through some KB exercises. Basically, he uses KB's for weights in the gym - they do not have traditional free weights. Really enjoyed my workouts. Lots of fun.
Sorry about my Fit Day log...I have been writing down all my eats - just haven't transfered them over so I am about 5 days behind.
Starting Sunday, I am going to go up to maintenance calories (1800) for two weeks to reset my metabolism. More to come on this - kind of excited about it but the more I read, the more I am understanding how to manipulate the body into fat loss.
Hope you all are having a wonderful weekend! Peace out! :)
Jess
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Vlogcap and Definition of Insanity :)
Happy Hump Day Everyone! I am posting this vlog even though I recorded it on Sunday night and it is kind of late. :)
AND I must tell you my hubby recorded it and thought half way through he would focus in on my tatas. Funny for him, but not so much for me and those of you watching who have no interest in my tatas. Plus because I knew he was messing around I was a little distracted. I am going to have to MacGuyver some type of stand up thing for the video camera so I can do it myself. :)
Definition of insanity: doing the same thing over and over and expecting the same results.
I don't take my diet serious enough or approach it scientifically enough and I spend WAY too much time thinking and not enough doing. More to come on that whole topic. :)
Enjoy. I need to spice these up with something interesting and new...any ideas? :)
My weekly recap:
Monday:
Back and Biceps
Pull ups (assisted 3x6)
Chin ups (assisted 3x8)
Bent over barbell rows (4x8 at 60lbs)
Wide grip pull downs (4x8 at 80lbs)
Barbell curls (4x8 at 50lbs)
Twisting curls (4x10 at 20lbs)
Wide, elbows in curls (3x12 at 15lbs)
Preacher curls on ball (3x8 at 15lbs)
Tuesday;
Cardio - PM
Quarter mile repeats - sprint a quarter, walk a quarter 10 sprinting quarters - 55 minute total workout
Chest and triceps after cardio
Supersets of the following (repeated 4x)
Round 1:
Dumbbell chest press on ball (4x12 at 20lb each)
Close grip tricep push ups (4x10)
French press (4x12 at 20lbs)
Regular push ups (4x20)
Round 2:
Skull crushers (4x12 at 30lbs) immediately to close grip chest press to failure
Dumbbell unilateral kickback (4x15lbs)
Push ups (4x20)
Wednesday:
Planned day off (two long 20 minute doggie walks)
Thursday:
5 mile run - 9 minute pace
Friday:
Shoulders and Total Body Strength
Supersets 4x Through
Round1:
Deadlifts - 15 @ 100lbs
Overhead barbell press 10 55lbs
Crunches w/KB on ball 20 reps
Upright barbell row 12 @ 55lbs
Round 2:
Side Laterals - 15 @ 15lbs
W Presses - 8 @ 20lbs
Front Raises 15 @ 10lbs
Bent Over Rear Flyes - 15 @ 10lbs
KB Swings 20 w/20lb KB
SL Deadlifts 15 @ 55lbs
Saturday:
Run 5k
Back (had planned back and bis but ran out of time)
Supersets 4x through:
Round 1:
Pull ups, assisted - 10x
Bent over ball bell row (70lbs)-15x
KB swings, 15x w/20lbs
Round 2:
Pull ups, assisted - 10x
Reverse pull ups, body weight 10x
Pull overs on swiss ball with 20lb KB (this was tough!)
Sunday:
45 mile, 2.5 hour bike ride -WHOA!
Have a great day everyone!
AND I must tell you my hubby recorded it and thought half way through he would focus in on my tatas. Funny for him, but not so much for me and those of you watching who have no interest in my tatas. Plus because I knew he was messing around I was a little distracted. I am going to have to MacGuyver some type of stand up thing for the video camera so I can do it myself. :)
Definition of insanity: doing the same thing over and over and expecting the same results.
I don't take my diet serious enough or approach it scientifically enough and I spend WAY too much time thinking and not enough doing. More to come on that whole topic. :)
Enjoy. I need to spice these up with something interesting and new...any ideas? :)
My weekly recap:
Monday:
Back and Biceps
Pull ups (assisted 3x6)
Chin ups (assisted 3x8)
Bent over barbell rows (4x8 at 60lbs)
Wide grip pull downs (4x8 at 80lbs)
Barbell curls (4x8 at 50lbs)
Twisting curls (4x10 at 20lbs)
Wide, elbows in curls (3x12 at 15lbs)
Preacher curls on ball (3x8 at 15lbs)
Tuesday;
Cardio - PM
Quarter mile repeats - sprint a quarter, walk a quarter 10 sprinting quarters - 55 minute total workout
Chest and triceps after cardio
Supersets of the following (repeated 4x)
Round 1:
Dumbbell chest press on ball (4x12 at 20lb each)
Close grip tricep push ups (4x10)
French press (4x12 at 20lbs)
Regular push ups (4x20)
Round 2:
Skull crushers (4x12 at 30lbs) immediately to close grip chest press to failure
Dumbbell unilateral kickback (4x15lbs)
Push ups (4x20)
Wednesday:
Planned day off (two long 20 minute doggie walks)
Thursday:
5 mile run - 9 minute pace
Friday:
Shoulders and Total Body Strength
Supersets 4x Through
Round1:
Deadlifts - 15 @ 100lbs
Overhead barbell press 10 55lbs
Crunches w/KB on ball 20 reps
Upright barbell row 12 @ 55lbs
Round 2:
Side Laterals - 15 @ 15lbs
W Presses - 8 @ 20lbs
Front Raises 15 @ 10lbs
Bent Over Rear Flyes - 15 @ 10lbs
KB Swings 20 w/20lb KB
SL Deadlifts 15 @ 55lbs
Saturday:
Run 5k
Back (had planned back and bis but ran out of time)
Supersets 4x through:
Round 1:
Pull ups, assisted - 10x
Bent over ball bell row (70lbs)-15x
KB swings, 15x w/20lbs
Round 2:
Pull ups, assisted - 10x
Reverse pull ups, body weight 10x
Pull overs on swiss ball with 20lb KB (this was tough!)
Sunday:
45 mile, 2.5 hour bike ride -WHOA!
Have a great day everyone!
Saturday, April 19, 2008
First 5K In a LOOOOOOOOOOOOOONG Time
Just finished my first 5k in a long, long time. And since my running has SUCKED I was happy to pull off a 25:15. My hubby did AWESOME and finished 21:23!!! He is such a fantastic athlete - so proud. I also had the pleasure of running side by side with my friend Amber who has only done one other 5k and did great! Congrats Amber - you are awesome! The course also started on a hill and ended on a hill and had lots of other hills in between. :) The speed work I did this week and just general training had to help...and I was out there with my DH who I know was happy to see me cross the finish line. :) It felt good to dig deep.
I worked shoulders last night - I have decided that if me and the DH stay home at night I will put in some kind of lifting/MET training workout. I need to utilize my time better and make sure to get a good pump every day. Friday was CRAZY at work. My eats were awful. I didn't even have time to pee!! To pee people!! Which was pretty funny because like every half hour I said I gotta go to the bathroom and never did. :) But it was ok because I was so slammed I never went to fill up my water bottle.
And here is how awesome I ate on Friday (insert HUGE sarcastic tone here)...had my shake, had a 1/2 cup of Fiber one with protein milk and then didn't have anything else but two bites of a Trioplex bar and a mini Reese's PB cup until 6pm when I had an apple and some chicken breast on the way home. Then I had a turkey burger and rice cake post workout and downed a little protein before bed. But overall, bad timing and bad overall food consumption.
I am still updating my food log - hoping it is interesting to someone out there. :)
My vlogging has been terrible - I gotta apologize. I promise one this weekend. :)
Have a great weekend everyone!!
Jess
I worked shoulders last night - I have decided that if me and the DH stay home at night I will put in some kind of lifting/MET training workout. I need to utilize my time better and make sure to get a good pump every day. Friday was CRAZY at work. My eats were awful. I didn't even have time to pee!! To pee people!! Which was pretty funny because like every half hour I said I gotta go to the bathroom and never did. :) But it was ok because I was so slammed I never went to fill up my water bottle.
And here is how awesome I ate on Friday (insert HUGE sarcastic tone here)...had my shake, had a 1/2 cup of Fiber one with protein milk and then didn't have anything else but two bites of a Trioplex bar and a mini Reese's PB cup until 6pm when I had an apple and some chicken breast on the way home. Then I had a turkey burger and rice cake post workout and downed a little protein before bed. But overall, bad timing and bad overall food consumption.
I am still updating my food log - hoping it is interesting to someone out there. :)
My vlogging has been terrible - I gotta apologize. I promise one this weekend. :)
Have a great weekend everyone!!
Jess
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Carb Up - UGH!
Hope everyone out there in a$$ kicking fitness land is having a great week!! I am having an awesome training week and my eats have also been more consistent and higher calorie (in a good way) than normal.
I mentioned a couple posts ago that I wanted to start focusing more on my diet. So, looking at my fit day log, my macros have been 40% protein, 30% fat and 30% carbs and around 1300 calories per day (check out my public food log if you are interested). Today was a high calorie/high carb day (every 4 days I am gonna carb up) and so for my last meal of the day I ate all of this:
I took the last few days off from lifting b/c my upper body is smoked from lifting so heavy Monday and Tuesday. Tomorrow morning it is shoulders and then tomorrow afternoon/night I am going to hit back and biceps again. Ran tonight with the hubby - my legs are smoked. Running a 5k on Saturday morning so I am off of the running until Sat morning. Just praying some of my carbs last till then! :)
Would love to hear in comments how many of you use a refeed, cheat day or cheat meal as part of your diet and how it works for you!
Have a happy Friday!!
Jess
I mentioned a couple posts ago that I wanted to start focusing more on my diet. So, looking at my fit day log, my macros have been 40% protein, 30% fat and 30% carbs and around 1300 calories per day (check out my public food log if you are interested). Today was a high calorie/high carb day (every 4 days I am gonna carb up) and so for my last meal of the day I ate all of this:
- 5 oz sweet potato
- 4 oz banana
- 3/4 cup oats
- 1 cup bell pepper
- 1 TBS butter
I took the last few days off from lifting b/c my upper body is smoked from lifting so heavy Monday and Tuesday. Tomorrow morning it is shoulders and then tomorrow afternoon/night I am going to hit back and biceps again. Ran tonight with the hubby - my legs are smoked. Running a 5k on Saturday morning so I am off of the running until Sat morning. Just praying some of my carbs last till then! :)
Would love to hear in comments how many of you use a refeed, cheat day or cheat meal as part of your diet and how it works for you!
Have a happy Friday!!
Jess
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Freedom
This is a quickie guys...happy Tuesday! :)
Had a GREAT workout tonight with the hubby. We went to the park and did quarter mile sprints alternating with walk/jog - 10 total sprints (ouch) for a total of 55 minute workout. WOW. My legs are screaming!!
And even though I was smoked and tired, when I got home I busted out a chest/triceps workout. And let me tell you how amazing it feels! Incredible. :) And I feel great! So for those of you reading this THINKING about IF you are going to workout - just do it. You will be glad you did.
The Freedom I speak of above is the freedom I feel of NOT getting on the scale every day. It is in front of my toilet so every time I use the bathroom I look at it. Now I don't worry about stepping on it, I KNOW I am working hard and I am excited to step on it - in 28 DAYS! :) And in the meantime I will work hard and know I am acheiving my goals.
Check out my food log (link on right)....I am trying to pick up my calories. Need to add another meal for sure...I am at 5 right now.
Be free...don't be a slave to any pair of jeans or scale or number. Love yourself. The rest will follow.
Jess
Had a GREAT workout tonight with the hubby. We went to the park and did quarter mile sprints alternating with walk/jog - 10 total sprints (ouch) for a total of 55 minute workout. WOW. My legs are screaming!!
And even though I was smoked and tired, when I got home I busted out a chest/triceps workout. And let me tell you how amazing it feels! Incredible. :) And I feel great! So for those of you reading this THINKING about IF you are going to workout - just do it. You will be glad you did.
The Freedom I speak of above is the freedom I feel of NOT getting on the scale every day. It is in front of my toilet so every time I use the bathroom I look at it. Now I don't worry about stepping on it, I KNOW I am working hard and I am excited to step on it - in 28 DAYS! :) And in the meantime I will work hard and know I am acheiving my goals.
Check out my food log (link on right)....I am trying to pick up my calories. Need to add another meal for sure...I am at 5 right now.
Be free...don't be a slave to any pair of jeans or scale or number. Love yourself. The rest will follow.
Jess
Monday, April 14, 2008
Food Goodies
I hope everyone is having a glorious start to the week...I am still feeling great! And not too sore from the 7 mile run yesterday. Yeah!!!
Good news!!! Wal-Mart is now selling Oikos Greek Yogurt. It is AWESOME! My cherub, this post is for you....you said it was blog worthy! :)
This stuff is amazing! Really. Check out the breakdown:
Calories: 130
Fat: 0
Carbs: 9 (sugars)
Protein: 22g
Do you see that ladies????? 130 glorious creamy custard calories and 22 grams of protein. If you are like me, you didn't eat yogurt much b/c it was low protein and high sugar or when I did eat it, I would mix protein it...no need with this yummines. This stuff has 9 grams of lactose sugar and tons of great natural goodies like live active cultures. And you can get it at your local Wal-Mart in the yogurt section - but, let me warn you, they don't carry a lot so find out when they get their deliveries and buy all you can!! What can you do with this goodness? 1. Use it in your shakes. 2. Make dip - it is plain so you can add ranch for a yummy dip. 3. Add vanilla and splenda and sliced strawberries. 4. Use it in cheesecake (I am going to make a cheesecake this weekend and will let you know how it goes).
I love hummus. Like LOVE it. But, what is the best thing to eat hummus with? Chips, of course. Chips not so good for what I am trying to achieve so here is what I did:
Jessica's Pepperoni Chips
Turn oven to 425
17 Turkey Pepperoni slices
Spread slices out on cookie sheet and cook for 10-12 minutes or until crispy
Let cool and use like chips
The pepperoni slices have 70 calories in 17 pepperonis and 10 grams of protein - 3.5 grams of fat. :) Dip those bad dads in the hummus and you have a fairly healthy snack. High sodium and you have to be careful not to eat too much of the hummus but I was in heaven.
Happy Monday everyone!
If you haven't checked out Cynthia's HILARIOUS vlog today, check it. GOOD STUFF! Get ready to laugh.
Me
P.S. Was gonna take tonight off from working out but I said to myself: "Self - you are NOT going to get ripped taking a night off" so I worked out. And I feel great. My biceps are blowed up!
Good news!!! Wal-Mart is now selling Oikos Greek Yogurt. It is AWESOME! My cherub, this post is for you....you said it was blog worthy! :)
This stuff is amazing! Really. Check out the breakdown:
Calories: 130
Fat: 0
Carbs: 9 (sugars)
Protein: 22g
Do you see that ladies????? 130 glorious creamy custard calories and 22 grams of protein. If you are like me, you didn't eat yogurt much b/c it was low protein and high sugar or when I did eat it, I would mix protein it...no need with this yummines. This stuff has 9 grams of lactose sugar and tons of great natural goodies like live active cultures. And you can get it at your local Wal-Mart in the yogurt section - but, let me warn you, they don't carry a lot so find out when they get their deliveries and buy all you can!! What can you do with this goodness? 1. Use it in your shakes. 2. Make dip - it is plain so you can add ranch for a yummy dip. 3. Add vanilla and splenda and sliced strawberries. 4. Use it in cheesecake (I am going to make a cheesecake this weekend and will let you know how it goes).
I love hummus. Like LOVE it. But, what is the best thing to eat hummus with? Chips, of course. Chips not so good for what I am trying to achieve so here is what I did:
Jessica's Pepperoni Chips
Turn oven to 425
17 Turkey Pepperoni slices
Spread slices out on cookie sheet and cook for 10-12 minutes or until crispy
Let cool and use like chips
The pepperoni slices have 70 calories in 17 pepperonis and 10 grams of protein - 3.5 grams of fat. :) Dip those bad dads in the hummus and you have a fairly healthy snack. High sodium and you have to be careful not to eat too much of the hummus but I was in heaven.
Happy Monday everyone!
If you haven't checked out Cynthia's HILARIOUS vlog today, check it. GOOD STUFF! Get ready to laugh.
Me
P.S. Was gonna take tonight off from working out but I said to myself: "Self - you are NOT going to get ripped taking a night off" so I worked out. And I feel great. My biceps are blowed up!
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Runnin' for Love, Blog Changes and Weekly Recap
Happy Sunday all! What a great day to give some gratitude for all we have in our lives, eh? I am so thankful to be feeling better. Truly, this is the longest stretch I have felt this good. I feel like my body has been replaced by a new, improved version.
Today my hubby wanted to us to run together and let me tell you - it was less than ideal conditions. Some of those were personal for me and the others were the fact that it is 36 degrees and VERY windy and I had REALLY wanted to workout with Amber. But, as I posted yesterday, it was really important for me to get some running in with my DH. It is important to him and ultimately brings us closer. To make it worse, after we had gotten much too far from home to turn around, I realized I left my trail shoes. So all I had to run the 7 miles in mud from all the rain we have gotten lately was my Merrell Primo Chill's (the BEST shoe on the planet - if you don't have yet, you MUST get: Merrell Primo Chill or Chill Encore Shoes) or my black Nike gym shoes that are built more for fashion and I guarantee in a pinch maybe they THOUGHT they could be used from running but definitely not trail running. Anyway, I did it anyway. :) Black shoes and all. Seven miles of glorious running with my hubby. It was tough but I got through it. Hamstrings were screaming from yesterday.
Couple things on blog updates:
Below is my weekly recap...and let me just say, my workout yesterday was brutal. I may do bi's tris tonight but might also just take the day off from lifting. I am NOT going to post average calories and macros b/c of the food poisoning episode. I had a couple of 500 calorie days because of not keeping anything down or in me :) but My Fit Day log is up to date.
Monday:
Off (I had FOF syndrome - fear of farting from the food poisoning - I will let you guess why I was fearful) LOL
Tuesday:
Off - Continued FOF
Wednesday:
Shoulders
Press
Lat raise
Front raise
Reverse flye
Thursday:
Turbulence Training Hybrid (two workouts together)
Seated underhand row (3x6) ss w/
Incline dumbbell press (3x12)
Barbell row (3x8) ss w/
Standing shoulder press (3x10)
Snatch grip deadlift (3x8) ss w/
Sideplank - each side 30 seconds x 5
Good mornings (3x8) ss w/
Forward lunge (3x10) ss/
Bicep curls (3x8 alternating)
Intervals - 20 minutes
Friday:
Chest
Flat bench 3x10
Incline 3x10
Flye 3x12
Saturday:
AM: Shoulders + Cardio
Arnold Presses 4x12 @20lb db SS w/Lateral Raises 4x15 @15lb db
Upright Row 4x12 @70lbs bb SS w/Front Raise 4x15 @30lb bb
30 minutes low intensity cardio on bike
PM: MET/Cardio - KILLER WORKOUT!
6 Rounds of the Following:
2 minute run @ 8 min mile
20 squats smith machine w/70lbs
Kettle Bell swings - 1minute
Crunches
1 minute rest
6 rounds of the Following:
12 Romanian deadlifts - 70lb barbell
20 Push ups
Sunday:
7 mile trail run
Have a great night everyone and I did write down my plan of action yesterday (down to my diet - which I never spend enough time planning) and will share with you guys in a VLOG soon. :)
Jess
Today my hubby wanted to us to run together and let me tell you - it was less than ideal conditions. Some of those were personal for me and the others were the fact that it is 36 degrees and VERY windy and I had REALLY wanted to workout with Amber. But, as I posted yesterday, it was really important for me to get some running in with my DH. It is important to him and ultimately brings us closer. To make it worse, after we had gotten much too far from home to turn around, I realized I left my trail shoes. So all I had to run the 7 miles in mud from all the rain we have gotten lately was my Merrell Primo Chill's (the BEST shoe on the planet - if you don't have yet, you MUST get: Merrell Primo Chill or Chill Encore Shoes) or my black Nike gym shoes that are built more for fashion and I guarantee in a pinch maybe they THOUGHT they could be used from running but definitely not trail running. Anyway, I did it anyway. :) Black shoes and all. Seven miles of glorious running with my hubby. It was tough but I got through it. Hamstrings were screaming from yesterday.
Couple things on blog updates:
- On the far right, I have a tip of the week. I may try to do tip of the day but also would rather under promise and over deliver. :)
- ALL the way at the bottom I have a shake of the week.
- Also, I have labels not all on my posts and their categories are on the right hand menu so you can look through and pull up all of my recipe posts, all my Debbie/Amber workouts, you get the idea. :)
Below is my weekly recap...and let me just say, my workout yesterday was brutal. I may do bi's tris tonight but might also just take the day off from lifting. I am NOT going to post average calories and macros b/c of the food poisoning episode. I had a couple of 500 calorie days because of not keeping anything down or in me :) but My Fit Day log is up to date.
Monday:
Off (I had FOF syndrome - fear of farting from the food poisoning - I will let you guess why I was fearful) LOL
Tuesday:
Off - Continued FOF
Wednesday:
Shoulders
Press
Lat raise
Front raise
Reverse flye
Thursday:
Turbulence Training Hybrid (two workouts together)
Seated underhand row (3x6) ss w/
Incline dumbbell press (3x12)
Barbell row (3x8) ss w/
Standing shoulder press (3x10)
Snatch grip deadlift (3x8) ss w/
Sideplank - each side 30 seconds x 5
Good mornings (3x8) ss w/
Forward lunge (3x10) ss/
Bicep curls (3x8 alternating)
Intervals - 20 minutes
Friday:
Chest
Flat bench 3x10
Incline 3x10
Flye 3x12
Saturday:
AM: Shoulders + Cardio
Arnold Presses 4x12 @20lb db SS w/Lateral Raises 4x15 @15lb db
Upright Row 4x12 @70lbs bb SS w/Front Raise 4x15 @30lb bb
30 minutes low intensity cardio on bike
PM: MET/Cardio - KILLER WORKOUT!
6 Rounds of the Following:
2 minute run @ 8 min mile
20 squats smith machine w/70lbs
Kettle Bell swings - 1minute
Crunches
1 minute rest
6 rounds of the Following:
12 Romanian deadlifts - 70lb barbell
20 Push ups
Sunday:
7 mile trail run
Have a great night everyone and I did write down my plan of action yesterday (down to my diet - which I never spend enough time planning) and will share with you guys in a VLOG soon. :)
Jess
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Gettin' Scientific
I realized the other day that I need to get scientific....plan out my workouts, my diet, my progression, map it out, track it. I know, basic but apparently during my kind-of-depression late-on-set-post-workout-blues, I forgot those basics.
I am not in love with the Turbulence Training workouts - FOR ME. There, I said it. I think they are a little too short for what I enjoy intensity wise. Now, does that mean I don't like how core and overall strength based they are -absolutely not. I think they are awesome for that and for someone newer to lifting, it is a good start. But now that I am back to being me, I have to be honest that I don't think it is the right fit to be the ONLY part of my training. Fair? (BTW, I revised that a little bit from my first post - not sure I was being fair to TT).
On Thursday last week I spent a lot of time thinking through what I did during contest prep last time b/c it worked. :) And here is what I came up with:
1. Lunch workouts work for me. While I can't get uber (one of my favorite words ever) sweaty and spend two hours at the gym, I love my lunch time posse and I love the feeling of going back to the office with my biceps/triceps/back/chest/shoulders blown up. I am lucky enough that my gym is literally 7 minutes from the office so it is easy for me to get there, workout and be back to my office in an hour and 15 minutes. Need to get back to those. Also, the lunch time workouts have triple benefits:
3. Food prep on Sundays. My DH pointed this out to me the other day about how I would do all this food prep on Sundays - cook a whole bunch of fish, a whole bunch of burgers, chicken, etc. I do food prep every day in the AM but that takes up more time. So food prep on Sundays and then be ready to go for the week.
4, Keep a paper log of food, workouts, mood, weight, etc. I haven't found a system I like yet online and while it is super easy for me to blog, fit day online is kind of a pain. But when I keep a paper log, for some reason I can do it better. I have a great log that I use that tracks all kinds of stuff.
Another thing: My DH loves to run races. He loves me to run races with him. I need to do more running and speed work (which will also help the booty) so I can run with him. It is the little things that will make him a happier hubby.
Oh, and meet my personal hero....I official have a girl crush on her. Which by the way is not a lesbo crush - I also have a girl crush on Jennifer Garner cause I used to watch Alias and she is also a bad a$$. But regardless, Noel C is amazing. Definitely girl crush which means I have a INCREDIBLE amount of admiration for her and love her body. Can you say BAD A$$? Look at her friggin shoulders: WHOA!
Today I write out the plan. I will share as I go. I'm back. It feels good.
Jess
I am not in love with the Turbulence Training workouts - FOR ME. There, I said it. I think they are a little too short for what I enjoy intensity wise. Now, does that mean I don't like how core and overall strength based they are -absolutely not. I think they are awesome for that and for someone newer to lifting, it is a good start. But now that I am back to being me, I have to be honest that I don't think it is the right fit to be the ONLY part of my training. Fair? (BTW, I revised that a little bit from my first post - not sure I was being fair to TT).
On Thursday last week I spent a lot of time thinking through what I did during contest prep last time b/c it worked. :) And here is what I came up with:
1. Lunch workouts work for me. While I can't get uber (one of my favorite words ever) sweaty and spend two hours at the gym, I love my lunch time posse and I love the feeling of going back to the office with my biceps/triceps/back/chest/shoulders blown up. I am lucky enough that my gym is literally 7 minutes from the office so it is easy for me to get there, workout and be back to my office in an hour and 15 minutes. Need to get back to those. Also, the lunch time workouts have triple benefits:
- Workout.
- Eat clean.
- Don't spend any money.
3. Food prep on Sundays. My DH pointed this out to me the other day about how I would do all this food prep on Sundays - cook a whole bunch of fish, a whole bunch of burgers, chicken, etc. I do food prep every day in the AM but that takes up more time. So food prep on Sundays and then be ready to go for the week.
4, Keep a paper log of food, workouts, mood, weight, etc. I haven't found a system I like yet online and while it is super easy for me to blog, fit day online is kind of a pain. But when I keep a paper log, for some reason I can do it better. I have a great log that I use that tracks all kinds of stuff.
Another thing: My DH loves to run races. He loves me to run races with him. I need to do more running and speed work (which will also help the booty) so I can run with him. It is the little things that will make him a happier hubby.
Oh, and meet my personal hero....I official have a girl crush on her. Which by the way is not a lesbo crush - I also have a girl crush on Jennifer Garner cause I used to watch Alias and she is also a bad a$$. But regardless, Noel C is amazing. Definitely girl crush which means I have a INCREDIBLE amount of admiration for her and love her body. Can you say BAD A$$? Look at her friggin shoulders: WHOA!
Today I write out the plan. I will share as I go. I'm back. It feels good.
Jess
Thursday, April 10, 2008
My Mojo is BACK!!!
Ok guys, the old video - the one from this morning and the one before that - not me.
Something clicked today. Snapped. About mid way through the day I was joking and laughing and having fun at work and my throat didn't hurt and I didn't have any sinus pressure and I didn't have any stomach ailments and I was being silly and all of the things that make me ME and I realized....
I am BACK.
I don't want to say I was depressed but let me tell you, I was something. And who can blame me??? Sick eight times in six months would get to anyone! Seriously. So finally today I KNEW that it was all behind me. I was watching my vlog from this morning and was like: WHO IS THIS GIRL???
So, let me reintroduce myself... :) And you get to meet my dog Pablo (thanks to the video stylings of my hubby.
P.S. Jody (DH) already told me that I apologized too much. Sorry for that. :) Whoa, I just apologized again. :) Hee hee.
P.P.S. I have all kinds of kick a$$ ideas for my blog now - like shakes of the week and workouts if you have 20 minutes, 30 minutes, 45 minutes, etc. I AM FIRED UP.
P.P.P.S. I took off the other vlog. Sorry, it's just not me.
Something clicked today. Snapped. About mid way through the day I was joking and laughing and having fun at work and my throat didn't hurt and I didn't have any sinus pressure and I didn't have any stomach ailments and I was being silly and all of the things that make me ME and I realized....
I am BACK.
I don't want to say I was depressed but let me tell you, I was something. And who can blame me??? Sick eight times in six months would get to anyone! Seriously. So finally today I KNEW that it was all behind me. I was watching my vlog from this morning and was like: WHO IS THIS GIRL???
So, let me reintroduce myself... :) And you get to meet my dog Pablo (thanks to the video stylings of my hubby.
P.S. Jody (DH) already told me that I apologized too much. Sorry for that. :) Whoa, I just apologized again. :) Hee hee.
P.P.S. I have all kinds of kick a$$ ideas for my blog now - like shakes of the week and workouts if you have 20 minutes, 30 minutes, 45 minutes, etc. I AM FIRED UP.
P.P.P.S. I took off the other vlog. Sorry, it's just not me.
First Vlog w/New Camera (Had Issues)
Hey guys!
It's my first Vlog with the new camera! Thanks Krissa cause it ROCKS the house! Although it is about 2 minutes shorter than it should have been b/c I guess the memory on the camera itself is SUPER tiny and we are going to have to buy a memory card. I was just chatting away, his stop and apparently it had stopped long before that.
I just woke up so apologies for the bed head and the no make up. WHOA! But ladies, this is how we roll - this is who we are and if we can't do a vlog with no make up here, what's the point?? :) And quite frankly, it is kind of boring - I promise more Superstar personality next time. It is like I am giving a work presentation or something. SNOOZE!
I gotta tell you guys my mood is SO much better and even though this food poisoning thing is getting me DOWN because I feel queasy all the time, I am so glad to feel better and be in better spirits. WOO HOO! Thanks to all of you guys for telling me to snap out of it! :) More later have a great day!
Oh, and the rest of my vlog had these major points that were cut off:
It's my first Vlog with the new camera! Thanks Krissa cause it ROCKS the house! Although it is about 2 minutes shorter than it should have been b/c I guess the memory on the camera itself is SUPER tiny and we are going to have to buy a memory card. I was just chatting away, his stop and apparently it had stopped long before that.
I just woke up so apologies for the bed head and the no make up. WHOA! But ladies, this is how we roll - this is who we are and if we can't do a vlog with no make up here, what's the point?? :) And quite frankly, it is kind of boring - I promise more Superstar personality next time. It is like I am giving a work presentation or something. SNOOZE!
I gotta tell you guys my mood is SO much better and even though this food poisoning thing is getting me DOWN because I feel queasy all the time, I am so glad to feel better and be in better spirits. WOO HOO! Thanks to all of you guys for telling me to snap out of it! :) More later have a great day!
Oh, and the rest of my vlog had these major points that were cut off:
- Cynthia - props to you for the bad a$$ website! Love it!
- I am going to Vlog this weekend and have DH video me doing some cool moves I learned from Debbie for you guys.
- Hitting the gym today for a workout and cardio - cross fingers I will keep enough food down to get something accomplished.
- Will update my Fit Day log - been pretty much nothing followed by nothing. :)
- HAVE A GREAT WEEK!
Monday, April 7, 2008
Doc Results & Lost 1.5lbs
Happy Monday everyone!
Got my doc results today and good news....everything checked out normal! The only thing that was off was my white blood cell count and they said that was normal as I was fighting strep throat. They DO want me to come in next month and get the CBC again just to check the white blood cells and make sure they have dropped back to normal levels.
I am pumped to know that there isn't anything medically wrong so now my 8 times in 6 months could be a few things:
1. Mold in my house or at my office.
2. Bad immune system.
So next steps are to get the house checked out just in case. We had a HUGE water leak in the attic/roof when we first moved in last year so the mold thing is a possibility and can affect your health. I know, sounds WACKY but my good friend Angela (who is an environmental inspector) told me these are very real problems.
I lost 1.5 lbs but not for the reason you think! Got food poisoning (mild but still not fun) on Saturday night and have been struggling with tummy issues the last two days. So, as Cynthia said - "you pooped 1.5 lbs" :) I ate a little bit today and hopefully will feel like working out tomorrow. Had no energy today.
I will vlog tomorrow so check back! :) Video camera is charged and ready to go!
Jess
Got my doc results today and good news....everything checked out normal! The only thing that was off was my white blood cell count and they said that was normal as I was fighting strep throat. They DO want me to come in next month and get the CBC again just to check the white blood cells and make sure they have dropped back to normal levels.
I am pumped to know that there isn't anything medically wrong so now my 8 times in 6 months could be a few things:
1. Mold in my house or at my office.
2. Bad immune system.
So next steps are to get the house checked out just in case. We had a HUGE water leak in the attic/roof when we first moved in last year so the mold thing is a possibility and can affect your health. I know, sounds WACKY but my good friend Angela (who is an environmental inspector) told me these are very real problems.
I lost 1.5 lbs but not for the reason you think! Got food poisoning (mild but still not fun) on Saturday night and have been struggling with tummy issues the last two days. So, as Cynthia said - "you pooped 1.5 lbs" :) I ate a little bit today and hopefully will feel like working out tomorrow. Had no energy today.
I will vlog tomorrow so check back! :) Video camera is charged and ready to go!
Jess
Sunday, April 6, 2008
Props to Hubby, Weekly Recap and Revised Goal Measurement (thanks EM!)
First and foremost, I have to give mad props to my hubby who ran a half marathon today in 1:48minutes. A full 3 minutes under his time for last year! Congrats babe! You're awesome! I'm so proud of you!
All right guys...had a pretty good week...below is a summary:
Monday:
Off - fasted in AM before blood tests
Tuesday:
Back and Bi's
Pull ups - wide grip, assisted
Seated row pulley (was pumped I could still pull 100lbs on this)
Reverse pull ups on smith rack
Standing bicep curls with straight bar
Reverse curls
Twisting seated curls
Wednesday:
Shoulders
Overhead press
Lateral raises
Front raises
Reverse flye
Thursday:
First Turbulence Workout=
Warm up (bw squats, core planks, push ups, rows - 10reps, 2sets)
Chest press super set w/bent over row
Reverse pull downs super set w/reverse flye
Close grip chest press super set w/incline bicep curls super set w/face pulls
23 minutes of intervals - 5 minute warm up w/1:1 intervals 7 times through w/5 minute cool down
Friday:
Legs w/Olympic bar (no additional weight) on all exercises - did the following 4 times through with no rest in between:
Squats - 25 reps
Split squats - 15 reps each leg
Straight leg deadlift - 20 reps
Side lunge - 15 reps each leg
Bike for 20 minutes immediately after
Saturday:
Turbulence Training - Workout 2
Split squat w/6 inch raise, super set w/romanian deadlift -3x8
Reverse lunge super set w/elevated push up
Bicycle sit ups (3x30) super set w/jackknifes on ball (3x15)
Wasn't supposed to do intervals but jogged five minutes to a hill by my house and did 6 hill repeats
Sunday:
Ran the lake with my doggie who got VERY tired half way through and I had to walk most of way. Poor little fella. But I still got in a good 70 minutes of steady state. And ENJOYED the sunshine. :))
Overall, food for the week went like this (you can check out details at my fit day log by clicking on link on right):
1377 average calories - I am gonna go to 1500 b/c of small food items I might not have written down
On average, macro breakdown went like this for p/c/f: 43%/24%/32% (I had 1% for a glass of wine). I have found that I am very carb sensitive but I am also wondering if I am not seeing results perhaps I need make some changes to my food intake. I definitely know I need to increase my fresh veggies. But I definitely need to do more experimenting. Maybe a carb up day or two during the week.
My legs are officially over trained from leg intervals, light legs Friday night, TT legs on Saturday and my run today. Need to lay off of them for a few days and let them recover.
Will weigh in tomorrow morning although I have to tell you....my scale has been saying the same weight for like the last 6 days so I think it may be off (weighs me the same no matter morning, noon or night within the tenth of a pound). Although I will use weight as a measurement tool, I will be more so focused on body fat and inches. My dear friend Em reminded me that it is about body comp and not about weight. So wise she is (sorry, watching Star Wars and had to break out some yoda talk).
Peace out all and a WONDERFUL Sunday night you have I hope. :)) Hee hee.
This is going to be an awesome week - I just know it! :)
Jess
P.S. Always open to comments/suggestions on workouts and nutrition.
All right guys...had a pretty good week...below is a summary:
Monday:
Off - fasted in AM before blood tests
Tuesday:
Back and Bi's
Pull ups - wide grip, assisted
Seated row pulley (was pumped I could still pull 100lbs on this)
Reverse pull ups on smith rack
Standing bicep curls with straight bar
Reverse curls
Twisting seated curls
Wednesday:
Shoulders
Overhead press
Lateral raises
Front raises
Reverse flye
Thursday:
First Turbulence Workout=
Warm up (bw squats, core planks, push ups, rows - 10reps, 2sets)
Chest press super set w/bent over row
Reverse pull downs super set w/reverse flye
Close grip chest press super set w/incline bicep curls super set w/face pulls
23 minutes of intervals - 5 minute warm up w/1:1 intervals 7 times through w/5 minute cool down
Friday:
Legs w/Olympic bar (no additional weight) on all exercises - did the following 4 times through with no rest in between:
Squats - 25 reps
Split squats - 15 reps each leg
Straight leg deadlift - 20 reps
Side lunge - 15 reps each leg
Bike for 20 minutes immediately after
Saturday:
Turbulence Training - Workout 2
Split squat w/6 inch raise, super set w/romanian deadlift -3x8
Reverse lunge super set w/elevated push up
Bicycle sit ups (3x30) super set w/jackknifes on ball (3x15)
Wasn't supposed to do intervals but jogged five minutes to a hill by my house and did 6 hill repeats
Sunday:
Ran the lake with my doggie who got VERY tired half way through and I had to walk most of way. Poor little fella. But I still got in a good 70 minutes of steady state. And ENJOYED the sunshine. :))
Overall, food for the week went like this (you can check out details at my fit day log by clicking on link on right):
1377 average calories - I am gonna go to 1500 b/c of small food items I might not have written down
On average, macro breakdown went like this for p/c/f: 43%/24%/32% (I had 1% for a glass of wine). I have found that I am very carb sensitive but I am also wondering if I am not seeing results perhaps I need make some changes to my food intake. I definitely know I need to increase my fresh veggies. But I definitely need to do more experimenting. Maybe a carb up day or two during the week.
My legs are officially over trained from leg intervals, light legs Friday night, TT legs on Saturday and my run today. Need to lay off of them for a few days and let them recover.
Will weigh in tomorrow morning although I have to tell you....my scale has been saying the same weight for like the last 6 days so I think it may be off (weighs me the same no matter morning, noon or night within the tenth of a pound). Although I will use weight as a measurement tool, I will be more so focused on body fat and inches. My dear friend Em reminded me that it is about body comp and not about weight. So wise she is (sorry, watching Star Wars and had to break out some yoda talk).
Peace out all and a WONDERFUL Sunday night you have I hope. :)) Hee hee.
This is going to be an awesome week - I just know it! :)
Jess
P.S. Always open to comments/suggestions on workouts and nutrition.
Friday, April 4, 2008
Failed Experiment and Sphere of Influence
My 100% Turbulence Training experiment is officially over. Aw come on, I gave it a good 24 hours! :) I am not giving up on my April experiment, just modifying it slightly. :) And it isn't for the reason you think - and technically I am still a petri dish.
First off, I took measurements yesterday and before pictures and I am going to try really hard (C, this is thanks to you) to use positive self talk in this post because I had an epiphany of sorts last night. That said - here is the one negative thing I will say: the pictures I took last night were the most motivating thing I could have done - I was shocked and disgusted with how far I have let my body go during this last five to six months. WOW, talk about eye opening. and although they are terrible (too terrible to post) - I just didn't really think things were as bad as they are...even after looking at my stats and knowing those were high - the pics did me in. I promise I will post the entire before pics at the end of my 30 day experiment. For now, I am just posting my belly button. :) I could always tell I was losing weight based on how my belly button ring fit.
June 07 (left) vs. April 08 (right)
As you can see, there is a HUGE difference.
The good news is I made a decision last night: I am getting to 16% body fat. I know how hard I will have to work - I have done it before. I know what I must do. Something clicked last night and now, it's on.
My DH knows that when I set my mind to something - watch out. Here is an example: when I told him I was going to compete in December of 06, he literally laughed - he didn't mean it mean, he just knows people who have competed before and knows the will power and dilligence required and was skeptical I would do it. But I did. I looked back in my fit day log and here is how my weight decreased after setting my goal:
12/18/06: 127
1/2/06: 124.5
1/15/07: 123.5
3/12/07: 122
So over four months I dropped 5 lb but more than that I changed my body comp significantly going from 23% to 17% so my lean mass increased too. Looking back over my weight log last night gave me lots of confidence that I know what to do to make this happen.
And my attitude is the first thing that has to change. I have to love my body and appreciate it while doing everything in my sphere of influence to change it.
As for Turbulence Training, I am going to continue to do the program however I am going to add in a few more cardio interval sessions and perhaps even some regular 30minute post weight training workouts. I may even add in a shoulder workout and a straight leg workout a couple days a week. See last nights workout for more info on how I modify.
Here are my stats as of 4/3/08:
Weight: 127.8
BF: 21.6% (based on hand held)
Lean body mass: 100.2
Fat lbs: 27.6
Waist: 27
Hips: 37.5
Bicep: 10.75
Thigh: 22
30 days from Thursday will be my goal date and review. I think in 30 days I can lose 4-5 lbs however that won't get me to goal so I look for the month of May to be the completion of that goal. It will take lots of hard work but I am up for it! And I will be tracking my good in my online journal.
In this month's Women's Health there is an article called: "Head Strong" and it is all about your mind and its power when you workout. C-this is for you from your out of body experiment post:
"When you work out harder than you're used to, your brain thinks, We have no data on whether an extra set of deadlifts will damage her body. I better make her pretty uncomfortable by reducing electrical output to the muscles so she'll quit this nonsense....But you can recalibrate your brain to chill - whether you're strength training or trying to shave a few minutes off your half-marathon pace. The key is to train it to think 'been there, done that'. "
Pretty interesting stuff eh??
Have a great weekend guys!
Jess
P.S. I had my company meeting on Friday morning (8 to 12) and the doc called to talk results when I was in the meeting and their office closes at noon on Friday so I will have to wait till Monday.
P.P.S. Look for a VLOG this weekend - our video camera arrived yesterday.
First off, I took measurements yesterday and before pictures and I am going to try really hard (C, this is thanks to you) to use positive self talk in this post because I had an epiphany of sorts last night. That said - here is the one negative thing I will say: the pictures I took last night were the most motivating thing I could have done - I was shocked and disgusted with how far I have let my body go during this last five to six months. WOW, talk about eye opening. and although they are terrible (too terrible to post) - I just didn't really think things were as bad as they are...even after looking at my stats and knowing those were high - the pics did me in. I promise I will post the entire before pics at the end of my 30 day experiment. For now, I am just posting my belly button. :) I could always tell I was losing weight based on how my belly button ring fit.
June 07 (left) vs. April 08 (right)
As you can see, there is a HUGE difference.
The good news is I made a decision last night: I am getting to 16% body fat. I know how hard I will have to work - I have done it before. I know what I must do. Something clicked last night and now, it's on.
My DH knows that when I set my mind to something - watch out. Here is an example: when I told him I was going to compete in December of 06, he literally laughed - he didn't mean it mean, he just knows people who have competed before and knows the will power and dilligence required and was skeptical I would do it. But I did. I looked back in my fit day log and here is how my weight decreased after setting my goal:
12/18/06: 127
1/2/06: 124.5
1/15/07: 123.5
3/12/07: 122
So over four months I dropped 5 lb but more than that I changed my body comp significantly going from 23% to 17% so my lean mass increased too. Looking back over my weight log last night gave me lots of confidence that I know what to do to make this happen.
And my attitude is the first thing that has to change. I have to love my body and appreciate it while doing everything in my sphere of influence to change it.
As for Turbulence Training, I am going to continue to do the program however I am going to add in a few more cardio interval sessions and perhaps even some regular 30minute post weight training workouts. I may even add in a shoulder workout and a straight leg workout a couple days a week. See last nights workout for more info on how I modify.
Here are my stats as of 4/3/08:
Weight: 127.8
BF: 21.6% (based on hand held)
Lean body mass: 100.2
Fat lbs: 27.6
Waist: 27
Hips: 37.5
Bicep: 10.75
Thigh: 22
30 days from Thursday will be my goal date and review. I think in 30 days I can lose 4-5 lbs however that won't get me to goal so I look for the month of May to be the completion of that goal. It will take lots of hard work but I am up for it! And I will be tracking my good in my online journal.
In this month's Women's Health there is an article called: "Head Strong" and it is all about your mind and its power when you workout. C-this is for you from your out of body experiment post:
"When you work out harder than you're used to, your brain thinks, We have no data on whether an extra set of deadlifts will damage her body. I better make her pretty uncomfortable by reducing electrical output to the muscles so she'll quit this nonsense....But you can recalibrate your brain to chill - whether you're strength training or trying to shave a few minutes off your half-marathon pace. The key is to train it to think 'been there, done that'. "
Pretty interesting stuff eh??
Have a great weekend guys!
Jess
P.S. I had my company meeting on Friday morning (8 to 12) and the doc called to talk results when I was in the meeting and their office closes at noon on Friday so I will have to wait till Monday.
P.P.S. Look for a VLOG this weekend - our video camera arrived yesterday.
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Pics and Stats in AM
Too tired tonight...will do in the morning! :)
Jess
P.S. Did my first Turbulence Training workout tonight - awesome. Although maybe it was just awesome to workout.
Jess
P.S. Did my first Turbulence Training workout tonight - awesome. Although maybe it was just awesome to workout.
Me as A Petri Dish
I realized after having near bouts of narcolepsy on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday that Prednisone (took for the laryngitis) makes me very, very sleepy. Not sure why - just does. I am finally feeling like I have energy again. And overall, I am feeling better. Tired of not feeling good and moving on!
I am a BIG time noodler (thinker). Not that everyone else isn't a thinker too but I am always thinking about how to do this better/differently, etc. Most of my thinking lately has been around/about my health and getting back into a routine - any routine. :) Last night, I started reviewing my notebooks, programs, journals, etc. of workouts/nutrition and made a decision to follow in the footsteps of the great Cynthia Herndon and do an experiment on myself for the month of April. While this is partially contingent upon learning what the doc says from the test results, for the most part it won't have anything to do with those results unless they tell me I am dying. :) I know, I know - bad joke.
One of the programs I reviewed last night was a 30 day maximum fat loss Turbulence Training program I had downloaded it about 6 months ago. It requires four days a week for training and 2-3 additional days of HIIT (can also be added to the four days). The concept is non-competing supersets of a variety of different exercises followed by a 20-30 minute HIIT session. Turbulence Training has a variety of programs - regular, women specific, mass building (I will do this one next if the fat loss one passes my experiment) and the 30 day max fat loss (my April experiment).
Since one of my challenges over the last few months has been the length of time required to workout - TT offers a solution in that the time required is much smaller than my normal "perception" of how much time I need to workout. The reason I want to do this as an experiment is b/ c I am skeptical that my body comp changes will be as drastic as they claim they can be with such little time commitment. Or at least a time commitment I perceive as light. The experiment will be: what changes can I make to my body comp in 30 days with a 4 day training program (strength) and two to three interval training sessions. Ultimately my goal would be to achieve 16% BF since that has been my most recent goal however I think I am at 21% now and that may be unrealistic. Thoughts?
My fellow bloggers - has anyone out there DONE the TT program?
Thoughts? Feedback?
I will post before pics tonight along with body comp and measurements of key body parts and you can follow along with me. I will start the program tonight. I am really just looking for something to kick me in the butt and get me re-motivated!! :) Cynthia - you prompted me for this one...:)
AND the video camera gets here TOMORROW so watch out!
Peace out guys and have a happy Thursday!
Jess
I am a BIG time noodler (thinker). Not that everyone else isn't a thinker too but I am always thinking about how to do this better/differently, etc. Most of my thinking lately has been around/about my health and getting back into a routine - any routine. :) Last night, I started reviewing my notebooks, programs, journals, etc. of workouts/nutrition and made a decision to follow in the footsteps of the great Cynthia Herndon and do an experiment on myself for the month of April. While this is partially contingent upon learning what the doc says from the test results, for the most part it won't have anything to do with those results unless they tell me I am dying. :) I know, I know - bad joke.
One of the programs I reviewed last night was a 30 day maximum fat loss Turbulence Training program I had downloaded it about 6 months ago. It requires four days a week for training and 2-3 additional days of HIIT (can also be added to the four days). The concept is non-competing supersets of a variety of different exercises followed by a 20-30 minute HIIT session. Turbulence Training has a variety of programs - regular, women specific, mass building (I will do this one next if the fat loss one passes my experiment) and the 30 day max fat loss (my April experiment).
Since one of my challenges over the last few months has been the length of time required to workout - TT offers a solution in that the time required is much smaller than my normal "perception" of how much time I need to workout. The reason I want to do this as an experiment is b/ c I am skeptical that my body comp changes will be as drastic as they claim they can be with such little time commitment. Or at least a time commitment I perceive as light. The experiment will be: what changes can I make to my body comp in 30 days with a 4 day training program (strength) and two to three interval training sessions. Ultimately my goal would be to achieve 16% BF since that has been my most recent goal however I think I am at 21% now and that may be unrealistic. Thoughts?
My fellow bloggers - has anyone out there DONE the TT program?
Thoughts? Feedback?
I will post before pics tonight along with body comp and measurements of key body parts and you can follow along with me. I will start the program tonight. I am really just looking for something to kick me in the butt and get me re-motivated!! :) Cynthia - you prompted me for this one...:)
AND the video camera gets here TOMORROW so watch out!
Peace out guys and have a happy Thursday!
Jess
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Doc and Gym - HAPPY BIRTHDAY Cynthia!
Happy Tuesday everyone!
Couple updates for you...
Went to the doc yesterday (man, these last two days have been so long at work I can't believe it was just yesterday that I went) and they drew about 7 or 8 vials of blood (literally - no joke) and they are testing me for everything: mono, hepatitis, hypothyroidism, anemia (although my blood was gushing out of there so she didn't think it was that) and whatever else they can try. I feel a little paranoid getting tested for all this stuff but at the same time I KNOW MYSELF and I know this isn't normal for me to be sick this much. I would much rather eliminate things that could be wrong. Otherwise I would just spend a lot of time wondering.
My energy has been low the last few days - I think the prednisone he has me on makes me very sleepy. It has been hard to get up and I get really tired in the afternoon which I normally never get tired. But overall I feel 10x better - voice is back and my sore throat is gone. YAYY!
The doc is also running my blood work through for a complete nutritional analysis which will tell me if I have any nutrient deficiencies. Plus it will give me the scoop on my metabolism and glucose sensitivity. Why everyone wouldn't want to do this, I don't know, again, we take better care of our cars than we do of our own bodies. Here is the chart of what they test for:
Cool huh? That will take 3 weeks to get those results but how awesome will it be to know how much of each of those vitamins and minerals my body needs?
Has anyone else done this type of testing?
And I totally April Fooled my DH today and told him the doc called with results from the test and that I was preggers. Kept him going for about 5 minutes. Good times. Funny stuff.
I also went to the gym over lunch today for the first time in a looooong time and I was so happy to go back. I love working out over lunch. It is such a great break in the day and you feel so good! I even decided that although I can't get all sweaty and red faced cause I have to go back to work, I can do that at home at night and still focus on upper body at the gym. So, leave my night time workouts for legs/plyos and cardio and the day for lifting. Love it. Smart.
And finally, HAPPY BIRTHDAY Cynthia who also made a HUGE announcement that she will be competing this year! Congrats! We are all behind you!
Check it out at: www.visionquester2.blogspot.com
Hope everyone is having a good week so far!
Jess
Couple updates for you...
Went to the doc yesterday (man, these last two days have been so long at work I can't believe it was just yesterday that I went) and they drew about 7 or 8 vials of blood (literally - no joke) and they are testing me for everything: mono, hepatitis, hypothyroidism, anemia (although my blood was gushing out of there so she didn't think it was that) and whatever else they can try. I feel a little paranoid getting tested for all this stuff but at the same time I KNOW MYSELF and I know this isn't normal for me to be sick this much. I would much rather eliminate things that could be wrong. Otherwise I would just spend a lot of time wondering.
My energy has been low the last few days - I think the prednisone he has me on makes me very sleepy. It has been hard to get up and I get really tired in the afternoon which I normally never get tired. But overall I feel 10x better - voice is back and my sore throat is gone. YAYY!
The doc is also running my blood work through for a complete nutritional analysis which will tell me if I have any nutrient deficiencies. Plus it will give me the scoop on my metabolism and glucose sensitivity. Why everyone wouldn't want to do this, I don't know, again, we take better care of our cars than we do of our own bodies. Here is the chart of what they test for:
Vitamins | Minerals | Amino Acids | Antioxidants | Carbohydrate Metabolism, Fatty Acids & Metabolites |
| Vitamin A | Calcium | Asparagine | Coenzyme Q10 | Lipoic Acid |
| Vitamin B1 | Magnesium | Carnitine | Glutathione | Oleic Acid |
| Vitamin B2 | Selenium | Glutamine | Cysteine | Choline |
| Vitamin B3 | Zinc | Serine | Spectrox™ (Total Antioxidant Function) | Inositol |
| Vitamin B6 | Fructose Sensitivity | |||
| Vitamin B12 | Glucose/Insulin Metabolism | |||
| Biotin | ||||
| Folate | ||||
| Pantothenate | ||||
| Vitamin D | ||||
| Vitamin E |
Cool huh? That will take 3 weeks to get those results but how awesome will it be to know how much of each of those vitamins and minerals my body needs?
Has anyone else done this type of testing?
And I totally April Fooled my DH today and told him the doc called with results from the test and that I was preggers. Kept him going for about 5 minutes. Good times. Funny stuff.
I also went to the gym over lunch today for the first time in a looooong time and I was so happy to go back. I love working out over lunch. It is such a great break in the day and you feel so good! I even decided that although I can't get all sweaty and red faced cause I have to go back to work, I can do that at home at night and still focus on upper body at the gym. So, leave my night time workouts for legs/plyos and cardio and the day for lifting. Love it. Smart.
And finally, HAPPY BIRTHDAY Cynthia who also made a HUGE announcement that she will be competing this year! Congrats! We are all behind you!
Check it out at: www.visionquester2.blogspot.com
Hope everyone is having a good week so far!
Jess
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