Once Upon A Time (with tiny muscles)

Man, I'm sore. Have I mentioned lately how much I have missed Gym and heart him? I'm sore, and my hubby is probably tired of hearing about it, but I love it! I also started bringing my notebook with me too, so that I could track everything again. Gym kicked my butt and I can't wait for it to happen again! I look forward to it :).



A long time ago I had learned that when you strength train, you should work antagonistic muscles, if you are training often, so that you don't cause too much drama too your muscles. So because I do everything people tell me to (j/k), that means I work chest/tricep one day, back/bicep one day, then legs, then shoulders, and then abs (I'm sure I don't need to do all of those separate days, but I used to go to the gym literally everyday, so that's how I did it back then). I try to give 72 hours in between each muscle group worked, so that I don't hurt myself. It all makes sense in my brain (doesn't say much lol) so I started doing it again, now, just as I did it once upon a time when I used to practically live with Gym. It worked for me then, so here's to hoping it will work again.

once upon a time, I used to be thin with tiny muscles :)

This last Saturday, was Chest/Tricep day. My favorite. I worked so hard, my arms are still sore. I made the mistake of training triceps first, so I wasn't able to get a great chest workout. My triceps were just way too fatigued. I learned my lesson, and switched things up on Sunday, during Back/Bicep day.

Saturday: 1hr 40 mins @ the gym

Start-Precor Elliptical 16 mins, resistance 1, cross ramp 10

- Machine Inclined Chest Press, 3 sets/15 reps, 30lbs (rpe 4-5)
- Chest Press (machine), 3 sets/15 reps, 35lbs (rpe 4-5)
- Tricep Overhead Extension (machine), 3/15, 20lbs (rpe 4-5)
- Seated Peck Deck (machine), 3/10, 20lbs, (rpe 6-7)
- Tricep Pull Down (Free Motion Machine) Supine grip, 3/15, 10lbs (rpe 4)
- Tricep Pull Down (Free Motion Machine) Prone grip, 3/15, 10lbs (rpe 4-5)
- Tricep Pull Down--with bar (machine), 3/10, 20lbs (rpe 4-5/5-6 in the end)

End- 16 mins, Stair Mill, level 5.

calories burned according to HRM: 457
------------------------------------

Sunday: Back/Bicep day, 1 hour

Start- Precor Elliptical 5 mins (ear phones kept falling out--got annoyed and stopped)

- Lat Pull Down (narrow grip), 3/15, 60lbs (RPE 5)
- Lat Pull Down (wide grip), 3/15, 60lbs (RPE 4-5)
- Deltoid Row (lower grip focusing on back), 3/12, 40lbs (rpe 4)
- Bicep Curl (machine), 3/10, 20lbs (rpe 5)
- Erector Spinae machine 3/15-12 (kind of pyramid training w/ weights) 50-80lbs (rpe 3, 3-4, 4-5)
- Arm Curl (overhead/machine) 3/10, 25lbs (rpe 5)
- Seated Bicep Curl (free weights) 10lbs (wrists really hurt doing these):

• hammer curls, 10reps, rpe 4-5
• alt supine, 20 reps, rpe 5
• hammer curls 10 reps, rpe 5 (b/c of wrist)
  

- Bicep Curl, 25lb bar, 3/10, (rpe 4-5)

Calories burned according to HRM: 214

I didn't do a lot of cardio on Sunday, but whatever. I don't care. At least I'm getting to the gym. I figure if I put too many rules on it, that might be a bad thing, at least this early into my new fitness goals/journey. It is all probably more info than anyone would ever want to know, but that's what I did, and how my brain sees the gym, and maybe it will benefit someone one day. These numbers help me to determine what to do each time, and I guess it keeps the gym interesting when there is such great potential for it to not be interesting.

I would love to fit into the pants that I wore once upon a time (yes, I still have them), so I don't care how crazy I look/sound. lol.

Have I mentioned that the Monkey Boy loves gym too? When I don't feel like going, he urges me and says (in his little 3 year old voice), "You exercise at gym today? Let's go to my gym now." How awesome is my 3 year old support system? He doesn't even know how awesome he is for his mama ((heart swell)) (is that a God thing, or what?).

I work the next few days, but plan to hit the gym after work. We will see how that goes though. lol.

Hope y'all had a good weekend and have a great week!

If I can do this (being a fat girl) anyone can do this!

I can do this. I am a star!

God is with us each and every step of the way...

Hi everyone! I hope you didn't think I would be gone for too long. Although I won't be blogging as constantly as I was before (daily) I still plan to check on and share my experiences with diet/exercise and life as a full time working mom/wifey.

Things are not good for us right now, but they could be worse. Totally unrelated to all of the financial problems, we have to move and we have 15 days to do so (such bad timing). Life has been stressful, but I still have a smile on my face, because I know that God is with us each and every step of the way. Money doesn't dictate whether I have a smile on my face, and it shouldn't (maybe at first it's scary but after He calms my heart, I see it is nothing). It's just paper and has no power in His eyes, so why should I give it so much power in mine? I am being completely public about it because I am not ashamed. I didn't do anything wrong. We don't live beyond our means. The state we live in sucks and my hubby's past mistakes haunt us both here (whether he lived beyond his means once upon a time before we got married, doesn't really matter anymore). The judgment against him affects me because I married him. For better or for worse, ya know? The fun part is that this is all new, and it can only get better! Who knows what may be at the end of this dull colored rainbow?

Anyway my "break" (I say that like Ross does on Friends--"we were on a break!) didn't last long. I think instead of calling it a break, I just needed to slow down for a few days and get my priorities together. Family is a priority. I just couldn't stay away from my cabana boy aka exercise for too long, no matter how hard I tried. I spent all year, last year committing to it and fitting it into my life, so it's too hard to just let go of it that easily.

I thought of exercise constantly (the "what to do" not the "ugh, I have to do") but it felt good to not have to do it for 2 days. Anyway this is what I have been up to:

Friday and Saturday were like the complete rest days--I didn't do much, typical everyday stuff including some heavy cleaning and I wore my pedometer out of curiosity on Saturday.

Saturday: 5656 steps
Sunday: 16,000 steps exactly! (work)
Monday: 15,485 steps (work)
Tuesday: 15,395 steps (work)
Wednesday: 32 Wii Fit minutes
Thursday: 33 minutes of just Wii Boxing (love it!)

Today: 13 minutes of just Wii Boxing and some of Turbo Jam Cardio Party (25 minutes)

I will be doing a lot of walking looking at apartments and such again today, so I'll update my pedometer reading (3865 steps--not as much as I thought it would be).

I think when things slow down after moving and the lawyers, I am going to start doing the photo/measurements, because it was a good source of measurement, from where I have been, to where I am going. It is a pain in the butt to do, but TOTALLY motivating and rewarding!

Oh! I almost forgot. Totally caved on the sugar thing, but if you know me, it was inevitable. I think it's something I really need to take baby steps with, to make sure it sticks, the way I did it with exercise. A big problem w/ it is, if I say I can't have it, I want it even more and seek it out. If it's allowed, I don't care so much lol (I guess it's that 3 year old in me). I have gone 15 days w/out soda of any kind and drink a ton of water again. I forgot how great that feels.

My son's 3rd birthday is on Sunday! I can't believe how big he is getting. My birthday is the Saturday after that. Oye.

Hope you all are well! Thank you for all of your wonderful comments and well wishes. You guys are awesome!

I can do this. I am a star.

Day 362 (day 5 / week 51)

Tuesday, December 29, 2009

I really am grateful for sparkpeople. For all of the tools it has given me, including the fitness tracker (which I am super grateful for now), nutrition tracker and all of the other bells and whistles that comes along w/ the free membership. I still can't believe it's FREE! If you haven't joined already, you should just poke around. It's free and has been a huge blessing in helping me with my 2009 resolution. I have learned so much, and there is SO MUCH support there out there in sparky land.

Anyway, I walked 1.5 miles in 25 minutes (getting better) and did some sissor kicks. I really need to start utilizing the quickfire challenges again, so I guess I will make that a goal for 2010 as well. I know it seems like I have been mentioning a lot of goals for 2010 but all they really are are just guidelines for me I guess...things that I know will help me to achieve my 2010 resolution--730 days of exercise (in a row) as well as some other stuff.

I have more goals in mind, some that I have been pushing away since they popped into my mind, but I keep going back to "no, that's ridiculous" because I really don't want to do it. It's not about want. It's about need. I need to do them, and I still keep saying "naw, not gonna happen." I was watching Joyce Meyer this morning, and she was talking about faith (my favorite subject). I was thinking about faith and my resolutions, and I decided to follow through w/ those goals, because plain and simple, faith without action is dead (James 2:17). She didn't say this, but it was one of those things that God put into my heart as I was listening to her, and I just have to do it. He will help me through it (if I let Him). Watching her put me in the place to "do what I gotta do," "make it count," and recieve His word.

I can totally do this. I AM a star!

Day 326 (day 4 / week 46)

Man, I thought Sunday was a hard day. Today was worse, but I got in 15,065 steps. That's 7.13 miles! I transferred patients, took the stairs and did all the same workday stuff that I do.

The stairs are becoming easier, and I am noticing squeezing and stretching is becoming easier thanks to yoga. Gotta love yoga.

God also blessed me. Lately I haven't been praying like I used to. I used to pray for all things. When I needed help, and when I didn't. I forget that I ALWAYS need help. Work is so stressful and hard, that I always just thank God for helping me, but I never ask Him for help, or invite Him along with my day.

I did today, and I got on time. That is huge. Today was a lot busier (the step count shows it!) and I finished early. I needed this. My supervisors are not happy that I have had to stay late to finish. I asked, "what can I do to fix it?" I was told, "you are a smart girl. You will figure it out." (biggest cop out answer ever.) I honestly have no idea how to fix it. I gave up, left it in His hands, and I finished. On time. I honestly don't know what I did differently today to finish early, but it was all Him. Same pod (the section that I work on)... mostly the same nurses... same patients...He helped me. He had to have. Nothing else makes sense. What a blessing.

One more day left. I pray He is there with me again, helping me. He will. God is faithful.

Make tomorrow count! It's gonna be the end of the week before you know it! You know what that means, right? Black Friday. Don't wait until then to get the walking in! You'll be glad you didn't!

I can do this. I am a star.