Archive for September 25, 2015

Weekly Update: Workouts, Fat Loss Success, & More!

Happy Friday friends!

First off, thank you for the awesome feedback on the 8 Weeks to a Killer Booty I released last week! That puppy got shared over 80 times on Facebook. I guess people really want a better butt haha.

Screen Shot 2015-09-25 at 1.11.30 PM

HELLO

Anyways, I thought I’d pop in and let you all know that I’m alive and well, just took a little break from blogging.

I’ve been really working on taking breaks and not overwhelming myself, so unfortunately, blogging had to take a back seat.

But that doesn’t mean I haven’t been lifting my little heart out!

How about a little recap from last week…

I was instructed to take a few days off by my coach, since I haven’t done that in, oh, years?

The closest I came to a break was while in Big Bear, except that I hiked, wakeboarded, and paddleboarded my way through the small town. Guess that didn’t really count as a break. =)

WORKOUTS THIS WEEK

Monday: LEG DAY…Deadlifts, Bulgarian Squats, Leg Press, Swiss Ball Leg Curls, Goblet Squats and more!

Tuesday: Upper Body: Barbell Military Press, DB Bench Press, Rows, Lat Pulldowns, and more

Wednesday: CROSSFIT…yep, that’s right. My friend talked me into going to Crossfit with her and it was a lot of fun. Here’s what we did

  • 5 min. EMOM Power Cleans
  • 5 min. EMOM Squat Cleans

11 minute AMRAP

  • 45 Double Unders (i did 135 singles because I can’t do very many unbroken DU’s)
  • 15 KB Swings
  • 5 Hang Clean & Jerks (I did Push Jerks)

IMG_0501

My traps are SOOOOO SORE. I haven’t done any olympic lifting in months and months, so it was like a whole new world for my traps! Haha.

Thursday: Another leg day. This time: Back Squats (was supposed to be front squats but my collar bones were bruised from CrossFit the day before), Hip Thrusts, DB Lunges, Leg Extensions, DB Sumo Squats and some ab work.

Friday: Supposed to be on upper body day, but my body is pretty shot. I’m going to do some at-home yoga (My brain can only handle 30 minutes, so I’ve been doing this Vinyasa flow every now and then. I actually like it too! Who am I?!)

Since I’m missing my upper body day, I’ll be doing it tomorrow instead along with an ab circuit and then will be taking a full rest day on Sunday.

CLIENT UPDATE

I’m so, so proud of my clients Kaspars and Melissa. They both signed up to for my fat loss program and their results over the last 30 days have been amazing! Fat loss success at it’s finest!

They lost a total of 15 inches!!! And Kaspars gained some in the booty!!<==LIFE GOALS

But what really struck me and made my day was this….because THIS is what it’s all about:

“We both see the huge changes in our approach to nutrition. We are much more intentional in our meals. Kaspars packs his lunch everyday, and Melissa works for Wolfgang Puck Catering– so food is always around. Because of the program, she actually takes the time to eat every few hours instead of fasting all day, and feasting in the evening.
Thank you so much for taking us through this. It’s lead to some changes that we intend to keep.
It may sound absurd, but we’ve started treating our bodies like they belong to people we like.” – Kaspars & Melissa Lucey-Grinsberg

MelissaKaspars072014-185

You guys are just awesome. So excited to continue working with you and see where you are in another 30 days. (if you want results like Kaspars & Melissa, email me at [email protected])

OPERATION GET LEAN 

Yes, don’t worry. I’m still kicking butt on my Operation: GET LEAN project (my own fat loss goals). I had about a week and a half set back where my head just wasn’t in the game, and I ALLOWED my excuses to get in the way.

I’ve been practicing taking poor thoughts and turning them into positives. For example:

“Ugh, I can’t eat (insert yummy food here).”

TO

“I can totally eat (insert yummy food here) whenever I want. I’m choosing to work towards fat loss, and more importantly I GET TO do this. I’m not going to eat it right now because it doesn’t support my goals”

It’s been truly life-changing. I don’t ban any foods, as that only contributes to poor eating habits and a poor relationship with food. I eat for my goals, and am still able to eat ice cream, cereal, and all of my other favorites almost every single day.

But I didn’t realize that by having simple negative thoughts like the one above, could be so negative. My awareness of that (thanks to my awesome coach) has led to a big change for me. Of course, I’m always a work in progress, but these simple tactics are helping me to truly transform my body AND mind.

Here is my most recent photo taken about a week ago.

Screen Shot 2015-09-25 at 1.07.52 PM

Next week’s will be even better  now that I’m back on my game! 😀

That’s all I’ve got for now…back soon!

-Lizzy

8 Weeks to a Killer Booty

piclab

It almost never fails when I meet women in the gym: everyone wants a nice butt and great legs.

I’ve always been a big fan of leg/glute workouts. There was a running joke at the gym for a long time where everyone basically thought all I did was work my butt and legs.

(Obviously that wasn’t true)

I will admit, though, I LOVE working legs and glutes. Because of this, I’ve experimented a LOT. I’ve learned from the best of the best, and I’ve been practicing for 8 years (officially last month!). As a trainer, I get to experiment with my clients, too! They love (and hate) it. Since I can’t reach all of you, I wanted to put something out there that you could use to build the legs and butt you’ve always wanted.

8 Weeks to a Killer Booty & Gorgeous Legs

The exercises (click on the exercise for a video demonstration):

  1. Deadlifts
  2. Back Squats
  3. Hip Thrusts
  4. Bulgarian Squats

Here’s what to do:

You can do this program for as long as you want, but I’d suggest taking a de-load week every 8-10 weeks (depending on you and what you/your body needs). You’ll work your legs 3 times per week and I would suggest doing upper body 2 times per week. For example, you could perform legs on M/W/F and do upper body on Tuesdays and Saturdays. Choose weights that allow you to perform the recommended reps. If you can get through the set easily, you need to up the weights. If you can’t get to the minimum number of reps, you’ll need to go lighter.

The goal is to increase your weights every week. For example, if on Day 1 of Week 1 you get your deadlifts up to 135lbs, on Day 1 of Week 2 you’ll try to get 140lbs. Do this for each exercise/day.

Day 1:

Deadlifts: Perform 5 sets of 4-6 reps

Back Squats: Perform 3 sets of 10-12 reps

Bulgarian Squats: Perform 3 sets of 12-15 reps

Day 2:

Hip Thrusts: Perform 5 sets of 4-6 reps

Deadlifts: Perform 3 sets of 10-12 reps

Back Squats: Perform 3 sets of 12-15 reps

Day 3:

Back Squats: Perform 5 sets of 4-6 reps

Bulgarian Squats: Perform 3 sets of 10-12 reps

Hip Thrusts: Perform 3 sets of 15-20 reps

You can also add in any of the following at the end of a workout. I recommend picking 2 exercises and doing 2 sets of each for 20-30 reps as a “burn-out”:

Banded Lateral Walks

Banded Hip Abduction

-Banded Duck Walks

45 Hyperextensions (can be done with or without weight)

Swiss Ball Hip Adduction

Kneeling Hip Thrusts

 

As always, check with a doctor before beginning any new exercise program. If you have questions, feel free to leave a comment below!

 

On Output and How it Relates to Stress in Your Life

Hi friends,

I’d like to talk a little bit about output. It has been a hot topic in my life lately,

and it dawned on me that it may be something others experience as well.

When talking about health and fitness (as I do quite often here), I often talk about workouts, eating healthy, getting enough sleep, etc.

Of course, those are very important.

But mental health is also important. And workouts + what you’re eating are only a small piece of how you feel each day.

The Culprit

We all have “stuff”. I actually had a great conversation with my coach, Erik, about this today. He said “Life-stressors are a constant from adulthood to grave. You either control stress or stress controls you.”

He’s absolutely right.

And for the last year or so, I’ve let stress control me.

Work stress,

family stress,

relationship stress,

personal stress,

it’s all stress. And I’ve let it control me.

It’s been the reason (read: excuse) for all of my personal and professional goals that have gone awry.

That isn’t because the stress did it. It’s because I LET the stress do it. And possibly that I allowed TOO MUCH stress into my life, without getting rid of some of it along the way.

From the exterior, I have a really awesome life. And from the interior, maybe I should be able to recognize that more.

Here’s what it looks like from the outside:

  • I wear workout clothes all day every day (yep, even to work)
  • I have a cute, hilarious puppy
  • I’m in a solid relationship
  • I have an apartment in LA just a few miles from the beach
  • I work from home most of the time, and when I do “go to work” it’s usually on my own clock
  • I work out every day
  • I eat well
  • I make good money
  • I have a wonderful family that I get to see fairly often

Seems like a pretty badass life right?

But nobody sees what goes on in my head.

Here’s what it looks like from my point of view:

  • I work 1 full time job, and 4 part time jobs (yup, 4)
  • I’m constantly pulled in 5 different directions (see above)
  • On top of that, I have a relationship and dog to spend time with (which I LOVE, but fitting it in can be tricky at times)
  • I have my own personal goals in regards to workouts and my physical appearance
  • I have professional goals in terms of this blog and other business ventures
  • When I fail or don’t live up to what I set for any of the above, I feel pressure and guilt
  • Pressure, pressure, guilt, pressure, guilt.

And where does that leave me? Well to sum it up, I feel like a boiled chicken breast. Bland, soft, empty of all flavor.

I only have so much output, and I continue tapping out the supply day in and day out. I can’t get through the line of people waiting outside my door, so to speak. So eventually, I shut the door. And the week ends.

By the weekend, I just want to relax. I just want to shut everything off. I still see the line (aka the constant problem solving and “work” that goes on in my head), but I’ve got permission to ignore it, because it is the weekend.

By Sunday? I start to meltdown. Because Sunday means Monday is tomorrow.

And that means the 23849023 responsibilities I have are going to be waiting in line again. They won’t go away, they just wait in line until I get to them. The longer they wait, the louder and more rambunctious they get. Some of this loudness is caused by me, and the self-pressure I put on myself. Some of it is actually from those around me asking when, when, when. Do this, do this, do this.

And then I wonder why I’m burned out.

Can you relate?

Starting the Solution

My doctor made a very good point to me as well. She said “you can’t steal energy”. I asked her what she meant, and she said “if you drink a coffee, take a supplement, or drink an energy drink, you’re only stealing that energy from later in the day. You’re not gaining energy”. She is right. And since I tend to think about things a lot, I related this to my daily life.

To my output.

I only have 24 hours in a day.

I should sleep for at least 8 of those

Workout for 1 of them

Be with family for at least 2 of them

This leaves me with 13 hours.

13 hours to:

  • get work done from 4 part time jobs and 1 full time job.
  • Drive to and from some of these part time jobs
  • Eat
  • Smell the damn roses
  • Feed Oscar, take him outside, take him to the park so he can run.
  • work on my personal and professional goals
  • do something for FUN

I’m essentially trying to “steal output” and I can see clearly now why it’s not working.

I can’t add 2 hours (or 6 or 8 for that matter) into my day. I will only be stealing them from another part of the day.

And so I must make choices.

Where is my output best used?

What type of output do I most enjoy?

How much of it should be spent on each of these activities?

And so I start to create my Venn diagram:

-what makes me happy

-what am I good at

-what makes me $$$

good-to-great

And over the next few weeks, I will start to fill in this Venn diagram.

Because life is too short to be exhausted and mentally stressed.

And while stress will only rule it if you let it, sometimes change is necessary to stop it in it’s tracks.

This is where I’m stepping in.

Question of the Day

  1. When life gets tough, what do you do? How do you handle your stress?
  2. Have you ever felt that your output level was higher than your body/brain could handle?

 

Workout & Survey

A new month begins!

IMG_0149

Oscar is stoked about it.

This year has flown by, but don’t they all?

Yesterday was a leg day and I’m definitely feeling it today. Here’s what I did:

IMG_0151

  • Deadlifts – 5 sets; finished with 185×6  as my last set
  • Leg Press – 4 sets
  • Bulgarian Squats – 3 sets w/ 25 lb DB’s
  • Swiss Ball Leg Curls – 3 sets
  • Leg Extensions – 3 sets
  • Goblet Squats – 3 sets w/ 50lb DB

This has been my favorite post-workout meal lately. I was really having a hard time choking down a protein shake after my workout, but oddly enough, using LESS almond milk and making it into a “pudding” makes it totally palatable. Funny how that whole texture thing works.

IMG_0143

This or That Survey

I saw this on Lindsay’s blog and had to steal it! Can’t pass up a good survey!

Chocolate or Vanilla?

I think vanilla wins here. I do like chocolate, but usually choose vanilla. I guess it really depends on what it is!

Innie or Outtie?

Outtie

Hot, Hot Summer or Snowy Winter?

Hot summer for sure!!! I don’t do well in the cold at all.

Save or Spend?

I am a saver for sure. I spend money on food and that’s about it.

Elliptical or Treadmill?

Hmm…neither really, but if I had to choose: treadmill.

Banana or Apple?

Applesssss!!!!!! I love pink lady and honeycrisp the best, but jazz is right up there with them.

Morning or Night?

It totally depends. I think night is probably the right answer for me, but at the same time, I do love something about an early, crisp morning.

Love or Money?

Love. But money is also pretty necessary in this world.

Lip Balm or Lipstick?

Lip balm. I almost never wear lipstick. I’m actually not sure I own more than one, and I’ve worn it MAYBE one time.

Butt or Boobs?

Butt for sure. And I’m not just saying that because i have no boobs. Good butts are awesome!

Alone or with others?

Totally depends. Sometimes i’d definitely rather be alone. Other times, i want people around.

Coffee or Tea?

COFFEE.

Straight or Curly?

Curly is more fun…but straight is easier. My hair is wavy and doesn’t like to hold a curl, so this is what I get when I actually try to curl it.

IMG_0121

Three squares or graze all day?

Grazeeeeeee. I love to snack.

Right handed or left handed?

Right, usually. I have some weird things I do totally left-handed and I attribute that to my left-handed father.

Beach or Mountains?

Lake. But if I had to choose? Man, i don’t know. i live close to a beach and don’t go too often. Mountains are really pretty. I’m going to stick with lake.

IMG_8762

Mac or PC?

MAC.

Shy or Outgoing?

Depends. Usually outgoing, but sometimes I get awkwardly shy.