Friday is finally here!

This was a very fast week, but a week where I am exceptionally glad that it is Friday! The main reason why is because I am going to the Renaissance Festival tomorrow which is one of my favorite events of the year. Here are a few photos from last year and I plan on reliving every wonderful moment. This does however mean I am going to eat like a pig all day tomorrow. I went to the gym today in anticipation, but I probably could have worked harder. It is difficult to go to the gym right after work on a Friday. I am missing my normal chest/shoulder/triceps day so I did it today. I did a complete half-assed job though. Then I ran, but only a mile. Yesterday I ran 3 miles and did some abs. Well not all weeks can be spectacular.

I am doing this run on March 16. My company is paying for our registration fee which is awesome. I haven't done any sort of event since November (El Tour de Tucson) so I have been feeling the itch for a race of some sort. Not that I ever care much about time for anything, I just like finishing these events and getting a T-shirt.

Oh My Leg Day.

I am EXHAUSTED! Leg day was rough...a little more rough than usual. I blame dead lifting. Here's the workout:

Leg Day

1. Squats: 4 sets, max weight 155 lbs.
2. Dead Lifts: 3 sets, max weight 105 lbs.
3. Hack Squats: 3 sets, 100 lbs.
4. Single Leg Press: 3 sets, 160 lbs
5. Calf press (on same machine as single leg press): Don't remember weight
6. 20 minutes on stationary bike, pushing hard.

I will need to remember to stretch so my hamstrings don't tighten up terribly, even though they will anyways.

My diet has been bad still and I need to fix it soon. I have an idea for dinner which should be okay. I'm going to use this recipe and modify it slightly. Or a lot...we'll see what ingredients I have around. All I know is garlic + everything = amazing.

On another note I am so ready for summer and warmth. Okay, I live in Southern Arizona and it is 72 degrees today, but I am yearning for some 90 degree weather by a pool. I'll probably take my dog for a walk since it is so nice out. Also I could use the sun.

I'm busy cramming rice cakes in my mouth. I love love love the white cheddar ones :)

I am obsessed!

I Wear Makeup at the Gym

Yes, I am an annoying person that wears makeup at the gym. Not a lot, not foundation, but mascara and sometimes eye shadow. I don't care if it gets sweated off, I like to look normal at least when I arrive. This leads to me talk about my day of bench pressing. I despise bench pressing because it is so hard and I feel it's completely unnecessary, but I do it because the person I work out with does it. Anyways, today an old man complimented me on my bench press, "for a woman." Bench pressing makes me feel like Robin from "How I Met Your Mother" in the episode where they all go to the gym. So I wear my makeup to counteract that feeling. I wear makeup during leg day too, because I can squat 150ish lbs and that feels manly. I don't like feeling manly. I was able to do 5 unassisted dips today (which I do at the end of the workout which I will list below) so that was good.

Chest/Shoulder/Triceps Day:

1. Bench Press: warm up set with just the bar. Then 3 sets of 10, ending at 95 lbs (I only got 7).
2. Chest Press: 1 set of 10, 25 lbs. 2 sets of 10 with 30 lbs.
3. Some shoulder crap: Flexion, abduction, bent over fly...I don't know what to call any of it, but I don't like it.
4. Flys supine on a ball: 3 sets of 10. Used the machine and don't remember weight.
5. Military Press: 20 lbs each hand, 3 sets of 10.
6. Skull Crushers: The bar thing with 15lbs added to each side. I don't know what the bar weights (it's not the big 45 lbs one). 3 sets of 10.
7. Triceps with the rope: 3 sets of 10.
8: Dips: 5 unassisted, set of 12 assisted with 40 lbs, set of 10 assisted with 30 pounds. Burn out set, only got six.

Also we started with abs. Also I ran 1.5 miles before we started all that. Saturday and Sunday I am at the gym for awhile. There's a good deal of procrastination going on and also I have a gym buddy that day so we switch off and it takes longer. I like my Saturday routine. Oh and my biceps are starting to show more. They are little, but that line is starting. Woot! Next goal, get abs like this girl below haha. Not going to happen, I eat a crap diet.

Why Are Titles So Hard?!

This week has been rough. Work has been so chaotic and busy. I like busy, I really do, but I feel this week I have been stretched too thin. I have still made it to the gym regularly. I've had no energy. With work being so busy I haven't had a chance to eat lunch all week. I'm still drinking my protein shake in the morning, but then having no food until the evening has just drained me. BUT now it is Friday and the week is over and hurray!! I have no serious plans this weekend aside from the gym. Tomorrow is my least favorite day; it is chest/shoulder/triceps day and I dislike it so much because I am so bad at it. Then Sunday is leg day and if you ever need motivation to do legs, here you go:




I need to go to the grocery store and try to get some easy foods that I can eat really fast so I don't die or crash out anymore.

Some day I am going to start taking pictures to see how my body is changing between now and my wedding, but at the moment I just ate a bunch of chips and salsa so that is not going to happen now. I did weight myself today and I am at a weight I am happy with. My weight has not changed overly much in recent months; it's been within 140-144 lbs and I am comfortable there. I would like to go down a little lower so I have been starting to run some more recently. I am pleased because back in May my weight was 151 and that was just too much (I'm 5'8" so it's not terrible, but I like to be lower). I would like to be down to 135 in a little while. The problem with gaining muscle is you don't necessarily lose weight, however, I like how my body is looking. I definitely need to improve my diet though. Someday I may start taking photos to document.

My muscles are ALIVE!

So I don't like starting out new blogs, but I have some fitness goals that I have been working on for the past few months and I want a place to document my progress because I have been making some awesome progress. Let's start from the semi beginning; I've done some triathlons, lots of cycling, but have recently (well in the past 4 months) have started doing some decent strength training.

Today was a leg day and I LOVE leg day! It's hard, yes, but vastly preferable to chest/shoulder/triceps day which kills me.

Leg Workout

1. Squats-4 sets. Warm up set was bar only. Sets were #115, #125, #135, #145.
2. Deadlifts - 3 sets; first 2 were 95 lbs, last set was 105 lbs.
3. Hack Squats- 3 sets, all at 180 lbs.
4. Single leg press on a machine I call the pelvis crusher since it is above you and tried to kill me once. 90 lbs at the end, 3 sets.
5. Calf raises-3 sets plus burnout at the end, 155lbs (my highest yet)
6. 20 minutes of intense cardio on the bike at the end

Then I went to Wildflower with my mom and it was delicious.

In addition to strength training I have been trying to increase my cardio to drop some extraneous flab. I have a wedding to get ready for after all! In all seriousness, weight loss is  not my goal. My goal is to get stronger and more cut. I know for a fact my diet needs work, but I have been working on getting better recently. I have added a protein smoothie to my morning routine (a vast improvement over eating nothing for breakfast) and I have already noticed such a difference in my energy levels and workouts. I am high energy anyways, but the protein smoothie has helped a lot. I also had the flu twice this year so recovering from both of those was slow going, but now I feel better than ever and am on par with my previous weights for everything. My next goal is to continue to add miles to my run. I am finally back at 3 miles after being sick for a month (which ended on me being on strong antibiotics). Anyhoo, this is where I am at. I am going to go try to stretch my hamstrings since deadlifts make it so I can't walk the next day!