Into LiveFit Week 3:: Make your breakfast work for you!

This Saturday marked the start of my third week of LiveFit training. I'm happy to report that all is going well and I'm really excited at the increase in intensity with the weight training. This program is introducing me to some exercises that I really didn't do much of on my own, which was one of the main reasons I wanted to do this.

I always find that switching up a workout routine to be fun because it forces me to think differently. I like feeling new types of muscle soreness because it let's me know I'm using my body in new ways!

This week means I'll be adding one more day at the gym (an extra leg day). It's my hardest day, but that also make it the most rewarding. I've tried to also stay on top of my stretching as much as possible to prevent any injuries. My quads are naturally insanely tight, which can make squats and lunges more taxing if I don't!

I'm happy to report that my eating is also on track. I'm find myself really enjoying my Sundays of dancing and cooking in the kitchen. Preparing all my food at once is only time consuming for a little bit compared to not having to cook for a whole week and I'm loving it.  Today I put on 80's music and just sang and dance my whole way through. I've made it a bit of a game for myself one could argue another mini workout seeing as how much I was dancing around!

I found that my desire for sweets has once again rapidly diminished even under periods of stress. I'm not tempted in the least for chocolate, which I must say is rewarding all on it's own.

I did buy some new non-stick skillets which are really rocking my world. I just broke down and got some new ones and it's really help decrease my clean up time and the amount of oil I use when cooking. I've only ever cooked with extra virgin olive oil, which is great for you in moderation, it's just nice to know that now a little goes a much longer way since it's not seeping into the metal pan.

My discovery thus far with eating has really been with breakfast. I've always eaten breakfast, but now doing it much earlier is helping me through my workouts. Getting up just that little bit earlier for my yummy egg white and spinach omelet has been completely worth it. I make sure I give myself enough time to eat and digest a little and I don't get so fatigue during my morning gym time. Also I'm still eating a little bit once I get back home to replace what I've burned. It's usually when I have my banana and a little bit more protein. I really do feel my body absorbing it and it's quite a refreshing feeling.

I cannot stress how important it is to eat a solid protein breakfast. At rest your body is fasting, using up everything while you sleep. Empty belly means no energy! I usually eat about 5 egg whites before I workout now and it's helped so much.

Also I have a new love of quart sized egg whites only cartons, so much easier then separating the yolks out every morning <3

Bulky Schmulky - Ladies have no fear!

bulk·y

adj. bulk·i·er, bulk·i·est

1. Having considerable bulk; massive.

2. Of large size for its weight: a bulky knit.

3. Clumsy to manage; unwieldy.

 

I can't even begin to tell you know much this word drives me crazy. How much I hear women express concern and fear with this word in relation to lifting weights.

Today I'm going to set some misconceptions straight solely based on personal experience.

I'll admit I'm pretty unconventional for a woman. I don't like shoe shopping, getting my nails done and dumbbells do not scare me. This doesn't mean I'm a total butch either. I love feeling feminine and sexy, and having someone tell me how beautiful I am. I mean what women doesn't. To me curves as that defining point of womanliness.

This is why I never understood the draw to runway models, ever. They are sticks. Tall straight lines, which really doesn't define a sexy woman at all, at least not to me. When most women think about losing weight, they look at some of the most sickly definitions of women out there.

So what is the bizarre conception that picking up a dumbbell is going to make you look like Arnold Schwarzenegger?

 

First off men are larger then women hence they have to eat a much larger quantity of food. Men who are serious bodybuilders have to eat an insane amounts of food to keep those muscles not to mention are in the gym most of their waking life. When they aren't working out they are eating or sleeping, are you that way?

I know many women who don't think about working out in this way. I'm not sure what they signify as "tone". A tone lean body is one that has an ideal body fat percentage for that person's height. The reason you see muscle definition is because of lack of body fat. The way you lose fat is to build muscle. Eating right and exercising are all a part of that. It's why eating protein is important, it makes you feel fuller longer and fuels your muscles.

I've done nothing but shrink my body size by lifting weights. I've gotten smaller not larger, in every single part of my body and I'm stronger then I've ever been! We all want to be smaller, leaner and more compact. That' muscle. Fat makes you big, it takes up more space, hence making you, in essence, more bulky.

So when women ask me about lifting weights I always ask them if I look bulky. I weight train at my max least 3 days a week by myself, not counting what I do in Terri's A.R.T Bootcamp sessions which are an amazing combination of intense cardio and weight training.

 

Sure your muscles get what's called "a pump" after you finish lifting with them, but all it is is blood rushing to your muscles. You just worked them hard after all! Once you rest it goes away and you're left with your normal muscles again.

The combination of great cardio along with challenging weightlifting sessions keeps my body working hard in all areas. Cardio for training my endurance, heart and burning excess calories and weightlifting for developing muscles so I look tone and become stronger. It also keeps me from getting insanely bored. If all I did was run on a treadmill I'd give up my workout regimen too.

So to all the ladies out there, the next time you go to the gym don't be afraid of the weight racks. Look at that as another key to reaching your body's potential. It feels immensely empowering to know your inner strength.

If you're new to weights and afraid that you could hurt yourself, start small. You don't have to kill yourself. Don't be afraid to ask the staff at your gym about form and technique, they should be educated enough to help you. Also a great website that I use to understand certain types of lifting is Exercise & Muscle Directory it not only breaks the body down by parts, exercises and machine usage, it's a great website all around to educated yourself about the body and different types of training and exercise.

I hopes this puts some of your minds at ease about weights. I'm not a pro, I don't do competition and I don't look like a man! If anything I've gained a much more pleasing feminine shape from lifting. I'm sure my boyfriend would be willing to testify :)

A New Love for Leg Day

I've haven't always loved days that I train lower body. It's by far the most difficult and has the largest muscle groups which in my case means tons of soreness.

In general I like feeling sore the day after a workout, it's a nice reminder that my body is repairing and I know I've gotten a decent workout. However, I also like walking. Being a resident of NYC means it's something I do a lot every day. So when I can't walk or go up and down steps with ease, it's a pain just to get around.

I also use to dislike leg day because I sit at a desk for most of my week. It's terrible and makes me very stiff; which in turn just makes me feel old and cranky. However my research and discovery of powder amino acids & L-glutamine tabs has turned me into a lower body workout lover. It's helped me leaps and bounds with on set muscle soreness and made so I'm regular sore and not walking like someone who has ridden a horse for 3 days.

I'm appreciating the connection I feel with the ground, sounds strange, but doing squats is so satisfying now I wish I didn't have to wait for muscle repair to do them. I enjoy cardio on the stair machine and as hard as walking lunges and step-ups are I'm actual get excited about them.

Here is what my workout was today, what are your favs on leg day?

• Super set (3 sets of):
  Squats 75lbs/12reps  *  Barbell Deadlift 70lbs/12reps  * Step-ups (each leg) 30lbs/12reps

• Super set (3 sets of):
  Cable leg raise 31lbs/12reps  *  Cable Abduct 18.75lbs/12reps  *  Cable Adduct 18.75lbs/12reps

• Leg Extension Machine (3 Sets) 50lbs/12reps

• Leg Curl Machine (3sets) 35lbs/12reps

• Super set (3 sets of):
  Bridge 25lb/25reps  *  Plié Squat 20lbs/20reps  *  Lunge (each leg) 30lbs/12reps

• End workout with 20mins of cardio on stair machine.