Archive for March 31, 2014

Workout Plan 3/31 – 4/5 + Why I Work on Sundays

A brand new week and the closing of a month! How has March treated everyone?

Mine was pretty good:

I worked out a lot

I visited family in AZ (Twice!)

The earth in SoCal moved a lot! (got another one on Friday night!)

I watched a lot of Dexter and did other random things

i-hate-mondays

 

Why I Work on Sundays 

For most people, the weekend is a time to relax and catch up on life outside of work. I agree to a certain extent (although I find myself working whenever I’m not being occupied with something else) but also reserve Sunday afternoons for work.

Most of you probably think I’m crazy. Sunday evenings are a time to relax, watch TV, do something fun, etc. I try to squeeze all of that in on Saturdays and Sunday mornings.

Here is why I like to work on Sunday afternoons: 

– It gives me a chance to get ahead. Why put off to tomorrow what I can do today? My Mondays are usually overloaded with meetings and to-dos, so getting a little bit ahead with things that I can do the day before is helpful.

-My phone and e-mail aren’t blowing up. Guys, I carry two cell phones and have about 5 different e-mail addresses. I’m your typical LA girl who’s talking on one cell phone while texting/e-mailing on another. It’s sad and I’m not proud of it, but for now, it’s what I’ve got to do. I love my work and jobs (although sometimes overwhelming and stressful) so for now, I wouldn’t have it any other way. Sunday evenings, my phone is SILENT. No e-mails (not even junk e-mails), no phone calls, and very few text messages. I can work on something and not get sidetracked, pulled away by something more important, or be completely unfocused. There is a zen about being able to work when everything is quiet.

-I feel accomplished and ready for the week ahead. Getting into “work-mode” the night before helps make my Mondays less stressful. It gets my head back in the “hustle” state of mind and allows for Monday morning to be that much less of an “oh my gosh i have 5 million things to do RIGHT NOW” kind of morning.

So there you have it. Working on Sunday afternoons doesn’t make sense for some people that don’t have jobs that require almost 24/7 attention, and it just isn’t for everybody. Some people would rather just start back up on Monday, and that’s totally fine. My brain just can’t handle it and I feel much more sane getting some things done early.

With that said…..

Workout Plan for the Week

Monday: Full Body Workout + Climb

Tuesday: Boxing

Wednesday: HIIT + Climb

Thursday: CrossFit + Full Body Functional

Friday: Climb

Saturday: Full Body Workout OR Hike

Sunday: Rest

What is your fitness plan for the week?

Do you work on the weekends? 

Do you like what you do?

Workout Recap and Weekend Getaway HELP!!

This week has been full of some awesome workouts, so let’s get right to it!

Workout Recap

Monday: I did a 15 minute HIIT on the treadmill. It’s amazing how much 15 minutes can make you sweat and curse. I think they go hand in hand. I also did some bouldering at the rock climbing gym.

I alternated between 6.5 and 9.0 mph on the treadmill and shared my MFT upon completion.

Tuesday: I walked on the treadmill while waiting for Charlie, and then I put us both through some hell

Here’s what we did: 

3 sets of: Squat/Sled/KB Swing combo (this video is old, but this is what it is:)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTuCIGFL1qE

3 sets of: 5 Burpee Pull Ups (with full push up and on a very high bar that required a lot of pulling up!!!) super set with 10 Medicine Ball Thrusters (18 lbs)

3 sets of: 10 Push Press (45 lbs) superset with 5 Ninja Jumps

This workout looked easier on paper than it was. I tend to do that a lot…..

Wednesday: Bouldering. Instead of what I normally do, which is climb hard and take good long breaks, I set out to be there for an hour with minimal breaks. None of my friends could go, so I decided it would be the best use of my time. Damn it was hard! Climbing gives you a pump like nothing else.

Thursday: Boxing. I’m so glad I got back into this. I almost didn’t go because I’ve got a big work project going on, but knew I would feel much better if I did. I was right and left a sweaty, soaking, hot mess. It was glorious.

My plan for today? Crossfit 14.5! I missed 14.4 because I was out of town, so I figure i’ll try this one out. I may have to scale down the thrusters, but we’ll see what happens.

This weekend: 

Even though I was out of town last weekend, I feel like going out of town again! I love to travel and do little weekend trips, but haven’t been taking them lately. I made it a goal to change that. I’m leaving tonight and still don’t know where I’m going.

Should I go to: 

1. Santa Barbara

2. Solvang

3. Dana Point

Help me decide! Leave me your choice in the comments, por  favor. 🙂

9 Random Things & My First Thought

Why not 10? Because I guess I’m just not that random this week. 😀

I had a nice trip to Arizona this past weekend and am just now catching up on life……And Dexter.

My First Thought™ movement

GUYS!! I started something new this week. It’s my way of painting a picture of the REALITY of working out…all in good fun.

I call this “My First Thought.” I posted about it here on Facebook.

Basically, you post the first thought that comes to your head after you finish your workout. Before you have a chance to catch your breath.

Today, MFT was “FUCK 15 min. HIIT!!!!!” Sorry for the language, but it’s the truth!!!!

Tag yours on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram with #myfirstthought

Moving on…

I thought I’d mix it up a bit today and tell you 9 random things that have been swirling around in this little brain of mine. Without further adieu…

1. I LOVE DEXTER. I understand, I’m about 8 years late to the party, but this show is AWESOME!! I can’t watch it alone because it scares me haha. Also because Charlie would kill me if I watched it without him.

dexter4

2. Nothing beats an Arizona sunset. I know I live in beautiful Santa Monica and we get some gorgeous skies and weather, but there is something about a painted desert sky. The evenings in Arizona smell different and feel different. It’s hard to describe really, but I do miss them!

3. My hands are a WRECK. Between metformin-online, weight lifting, pull ups, and more, my hands are just completely torn up. Any tips for this? I need the callouses to protect my hands while climbing, but I’m not sure how to keep the callouses smoother???

4. I have a slight obsession with grapes. It is not uncommon for me to buy a bag of grapes and eat most of the bag in one sitting. Grapes are like crack to me. It’s a problem I’m not ready to deal with yet, so save your interventions!!! Charlie may or may not have found a rotten grape under the couch today……wasn’t me!!!

Oh hey there....;-)

Oh hey there….;-)

5. I haven’t done steady state cardio in months (aside from 2 or 3 hikes.) I did 25 minutes walking on the treadmill the other day, but it was slow and I was doing it because I had time to kill and didn’t want to sit. Why did I ever do so much cardio? I’m leaner and I don’t have to do boring workouts. It’s pretty awesome. Not that there’s anything wrong with cardio, it just wasn’t doing it for me. I like the occasional run, but I’d rather throw heavy weights around and climb on walls. 😀

Hello shoulder!

Hello shoulder!

6. I’ve been boxing recently and I am so glad to be back doing it! I used to take a boxing class twice a week for at least a year. Actually, if you read the blog in the beginning, you may even remember that! I loved it SO much, but just didn’t continue it when I moved to Santa Monica. I started a few weeks ago and it feels really good to hit the mitts again!

7. I finally started grinding my own coffee beans. It makes a HUGE difference in the taste! I guess my dad was right all of these years. He has me grinding a special concoction of two different types of beans. It’s magical and makes early mornings much more bearable. I’m also spending less money on my beloved coffee from my favorite coffee shop. I still go! But not 2-3 times per day. :-0

8. This room. I want to decorate my room like this!! I just might make a few trips to Home Goods this weekend…..

Does the dog come with it?!

Does the dog come with it?!

9. The Selfie song!! OMG. It is so annoying…but…i have to admit…..every time that damn song came on this weekend, my little brother and I would start dancing in the car. We also danced to the YMCA in the car, but that’s besides the point….

LOL!!

LOL!! 

Tell me two random things about you!

Leg Workout + Kettlebells

Hey friends! Hope your Tuesday is off to a great start!

Monday morning, me and several million of my friends woke up to a good shake here in Southern California. It was definitely the biggest earthquake I’ve ever felt, but by no means was it bad compared to the devastations that have happened around the world. I woke up from the jolt and in trying to wake up my boyfriend, accidentally punched him in the face. Luckily that was the only injury that took place. (Sorry babe! ;-))

The best part of the earthquake was definitely this…..

Makes me laugh every time! Thank you Captain Obvious! We all felt it!

Anyways, moving on!

Yesterday, I did a doozy of a workout. It was a mixture of legs and back with a hint of some kettle bell action. I LOVE kettle bells. They are so versatile. They take some time to get used to, and it is helpful to have someone who knows what they’re doing show you the ropes (errr…bells). Once you DO learn how to use them, they can be used for just about anything.

Here’s what I did Monday:

The Workout

The Workout

For the squats, I did sets of 15, 12, 10, 8, and 6, increasing the weight each set. I worked my way up to 115 pounds.

For the pull ups, I did sets of 5, 5, 3, and then switched to chin ups and did 3 and 3.

For the rest of the exercises, I did sets of 10-12 reps of each. 

I used 12kg for the one arm KB Snatches and 16kg for the KB Swings

This workout definitely kicked my butt! Loved that I went from a slower paced heavy lift, to a faster pace burnout. Had  a good sweat going by the end!

Here’s my plan for the rest of the week: 

Tuesday: Boxing and Bouldering

Wednesday: HIIT and Bouldering

Thursday: CrossFit and a Functional Workout

Friday: Rest

Saturday: Hike

Sunday: Rest

I’m traveling to Phoenix once again this weekend, so my workouts Friday – Sunday will be whatever I can get in. I will, of course, have to make a visit to my old stomping grounds (aka the Mecca of Scottsdale). I’m planning on resting on Friday and Sunday, but if I decide to drive back Monday, I’ll probably move my rest day to Monday.

Do you use Kettle Bells?

If you have, what are your favorite Kettle Bell exercises?

If you haven’t, would you like some videos to help you learn?

Pictures Lately

Hey guys!!!

I promise I’m still alive. I’ll have some blog posts for you this week. Life has been busy!!

Here are some pics from lately:

New coffee beans to grind in my new coffee grinder!! Yummy!
20140316-163708.jpg

My 14.3 face! LOL! I got through 96 reps RXed. I’m still sore!
20140316-163715.jpg

More 14.3. Great group at Crossfit High Voltage in Burbank!
20140316-163728.jpg

Spent some time at the beach last weekend. It’s been mid-80’s this week! (Sorry east coasters and mid-westerners)
20140316-163744.jpg

Feeding my latest addiction. 😀
20140316-163813.jpg

What is your ideal weekend like?

Vacation Help and Random AZ Photos

It’s that time of the year where the hype of New Year’s is over, spring is upon us (although here in L.A. I’m pretty sure spring is still sprung from last year) and everyone is starting to think about vacations. Is it just me?!

Dana Point circa....2007?

Dana Point circa….2007?

My birthday is on Monday. My birthday was always around Spring Break when I was in school, so maybe that’s why I think of vacations. Who knows! Regardless, I was thinking about where I want to go on my next vacation. I do light traveling throughout the year, but sometime this year, I want to take a REAL vacation. Like, longer than a weekend and not to my hometown. I feel like there are SO many places that I want to go, so it’s been hard to narrow it down. Thoughts so far: Seattle, Cabo San Lucas (been there but want to go back), Alaska, Washington D.C/New York, or Chicago (I have family there). HELP ME PICK  A VACATION SPOT!

Okay, moving on...this week has been a whirlwind. I drove back to L.A. from Phoenix on Tuesday. I was actually making AMAZING time until I hit this

Lovely Los Angeles Traffic

Lovely Los Angeles Traffic

I definitely knew I was home…

Tuesday’s workout at my old stomping grounds was awessssooommmmmeee. I did some heavy squats, push-ups with dumbbells and a rotation, chin-ups, walking lunges with a barbell, kettlebell swings, and snatches. My glutes are definitely feeling the soreness from it! I always like to kick my ass (literally) right before a long car ride. It makes it easier to sit in a car for 6 hours.

Other random pictures from my trip back to AZ

Lux Cafe Central

Lux Cafe Central

Tuesday morning we stopped by Lux Cafe in Phoenix. My dad is always going on about it, so I finally tried it. The verdict? In the words of Chris Farley…It.. was… AWESOME! The coffee was realllly good and the egg white sandwich I got was even better! I devoured it in .9384 seconds as seen below.

Twas an egg sandwich from heaven

Twas an egg sandwich from heaven

It had fire roasted tomatoes, egg whites, and cheese on an english muffin. Best egg sandwich of my life right there. Worst looking photo of my life right there. Balance, people.

We also made a pit stop at See’s candy. My dad’s girlfriend introduced me to their Butterscotch lollipops this weekend. Let’s just say it’s a new addiction. The bright side is that they are only 80 calories and take about 30 minutes to eat just one. Therefore, I deem them the PERFECT treat.

Samples? Yes, please!

Samples? Yes, please!

I’ve been working like crazy since I got back and haven’t had a ton of time to blog, but I AM planning on shooting some videos for the blog in the next week….so I ask you this…

What would you like to see in my fitness videos?

Specific Exercises? Full Workouts? Certain body part focused workouts? How To’s on form?

Let me know in the comments please!!

 

Gotta Tabata

The title of this post highlights the thoughts in my head yesterday morning. I woke up and decided to get my workout done right away so I could get started on some work and not worry about it. I had a lot of things to do, and knew I needed to get my workout out of the way early. At some point in this conversation in my head (don’t act like you don’t do this!!) I said, “Well, I guess I gotta tabata!” And then I laughed to myself like a dork.

Since I was up in the mountains yesterday, I knew my workout would be done indoors. Totally fine by me! Sometimes my bodyweight-only workouts get me sweating more than the ones at the gym! Not belonging to a gym is NO excuse.

So what is Tabata? Well, it’s debatable. HOWEVER, the widely known version of Tabata in the fitness world goes like this:

1. Pick any exercises you want!

2. Find a Tabata timer like the one here.

3. Typical settings should give you 20 seconds of work, 10 seconds of rest, and 8 cycles. (Of course you can do more of less cycles if you’d like and you can add and subtract time as well, but this is the standard).

4. GET IT!

Here’s what I did. Since each cycle takes exactly 4 minutes, this workout took me just 20 minutes to do. And it kicked my bootayyy! I encourage you to try this! Use these exercises, or any exercises of your choosing!

gottatabata

 

**Always check with a doctor before starting a new fitness program

Questions of the Day:

Have you ever Tabata’d? What do you think of it?

 

Workout Plan + Weekend Pics

Traveling always makes me lose track of the days and times. This weekend, I was in Arizona spending time with my family. I’m here until Tuesday, but I’m feeling like I have no sense of anything! Strange how that is.

Thursday was spent driving, so I took it as a rest day and left it at that. By Friday, I was itching for a workout. I didn’t have much time, so I created my own workout in my dad’s living room.

5 Rounds of: 

-10 Squats

-5 Push Ups

-10 Jump Squats

-15 V-Ups

-10 Jumping Lunges

Afterwards, I did 3 sets of:

-15 Wide Stance Squats (holding my laptop bag filled with cans of beans as a weight!!)

-10 Burpees

This workout took me about 15 or 20 minutes and was the perfect heart rate boost/sweat sesh. You really can get a great workout ANYWHERE!

On Saturday morning, the boyfriend and I headed to the gym for a workout. We did a mixture of Deadlifts, Pull Ups, Glute Kicks on the Reverse Hyper, and DB Military Press. We finished off with a burner using the sled. It was pretty killer and we were both WIPED afterwards.

Workout Plan for the Week: 

Monday: Home Workout (Probably similar to what I did Friday)

Tuesday: Full Body Workout at the gym

Wednesday: CrossFit + Rock Climbing

Thursday: Heavy Lift + Boxing

Friday: 15 min. HIIT + Rock Climbing

Saturday: CrossFit

Sunday: Hike

This is tentative and likely will fluctuate a little bit, but it’s where I’m starting.

And for your viewing pleasure, some photos from the last few days!

AZ Sunrise

AZ Sunrise

 

 

My little bro and I :-)

My little bro and I 🙂

Country Car on a Country Road

Country Car on a Country Road

 

Beautiful Mountain Scenery

Beautiful Mountain Scenery

 

My babe and I in the mountains!

My babe and I in the mountains!

Feeling thankful this weekend for the people in my life. Life is a crazy road and lately it has been testing me, but I’m just taking things one day at a time and making sure I take care of myself. Eating healthy, working out, working hard, and enjoying the moments.

Question of the Day: 

What are you MOST thankful for?

What are some ways you “slow it down” when you’re feeling overwhelmed?