Archive for random

What I’ve Been Up To

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It’s been a while since I’ve been an every-day-blogger, and for now, it’s what is working for me. There may be a day when daily blogging is back in my life, but for now I’m on the when-I-feel-like-it train.

I thought I’d pop in for now and let you know what I’m up to these days, so here goes!

Workouts

-Still doin’ it! It’s crazy to think that 9.5 years ago, I stepped into Lifts for the first time and started this crazy, wonderful adventure. I’ve been consistently working out since then and I plan on never stopping.

-My focus has finally shifted to powerlifting. It was something I’d been eyeing for the last 1.5 years and I had started gearing my workouts towards that style, but I finally bit the bullet and started training at a powerlifting gym this past January. I LOVE IT. Not only do I love the fact that I’m getting stronger, but the vibe of a powerlifting gym is just so much different than a regular gym. The focus is very little about aesthetics and very much about strength. You get a break from those who are there “to be seen” and instead get to lift weights with a bunch of like-minded people that also want to be strong AF. It’s quite wonderful. (I still do tons of glute work too, in case you were worried ;-))

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Food

-I’m eating what I want and being mindful of it. I’ve never been happier. I’m not focused on losing weight, I’m in control, and I’m happy with my body. Could I afford to lose 10-15 lbs to be leaner? Sure thing. But it’s not my focus right now. I’m simply focused on eating to fuel my workouts and also enjoying life.

Travel

-I’ve been gone almost every weekend this year! Multiple trips to AZ to see family, Seattle, Park City, Dana Point, and Maui. I’m headed to Kansas City at the end of this month for a strength training seminar and then to Big Bear at the end of June. I guess you could say I’ve got the travel bug!

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Work

-I’m still training clients at 2 different gyms, teaching a weekly boot camp, and working as a business consultant to gyms. The balance is great and I’m so happy that I’m able to work hard and play hard too!

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Oscar

-This is always the first question I’m asked by family and friends. “How’s Oscar?” He is definitely the star of the show and he loves every buy prednisone online of it. This dog makes my life better. He’s the best friend I could ever ask for.

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That’s what’s going on with me! Tell me what’s up with you! Traveling? Working out? I want to hear about it, so comment below!

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Snowed In Workout

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Good morning peeps! In case you’re curious about the title of this post, I am currently NOT snowed in. In fact, it’s been about 75 and sunny here the last few days, but I’ll stop there before someone throws a tomato at me. 😀 (but before you do, there’s a workout at the end of this post that you can do anywhere with ZERO equipment..woot!)

BUT FIRST…let me talk about me haha.

Random Tidbits

-I started training at a powerlifting gym near LAX (Game Time Strength) and it is awe.some. It’s nice to be in an environment like that (I love the old school garage gym feel) and the people there are super cool.

Here’s a video of me doing Bench Press with 105×10 with 3 boards. I’m working my way up and hope to hit a 135lb bench press in the near future!

-In other news, we have our very last Rockstar Fitness™ Boot Camp at Six:02 this Sunday! It’s been such a fun month with these people and I love seeing new faces every week! After this weekend, we’ll be back at IRON Santa Monica every Saturday at 10am.

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-I recently started looking into Masters programs. I guess I’ve been out of school long enough to not remember how much it sucks haha. I’ve been finding that I want to learn more about psychology and more specifically, the dynamics of organizations in regards to psychology. I still have a lot to do before this actually starts (the GRE is 1st on my list, followed by actually applying to schools!), but I’m excited to do this. It wasn’t something I EVER planned on doing, but yet, here I am. Life is funny like that, huh?

-I’m headed to MAUI next week!!! WOOHOO! My awesome boss is taking our team on the trip of a lifetime, and I couldn’t be more excited. I’ve never been to any part of Hawaii, so this will be a whole new experience (if you have any advice on things to do, send them my way)!

-This is also random, but it is on my mind constantly and I can’t stress it enough. For anyone that believes lifting weights and getting exercise is just about the body…oh, how wrong you are. I would actually argue that the affects it has on your life OUTSIDE of the gym is far greater than in the gym. You cannot cheat, you cannot have someone do it for you, you cannot become better without putting in the work, and the list goes on. It builds patience, dedication, character, humbleness, and accountability. It builds the mind, really. Sure, it builds your muscles too, but I’d say that’s just a side effect compared to the impact it has on your life in general.

Snowed In Workout

While I may not be in the snow, I know so many of you are! I actually did this workout yesterday morning while my dog ran around the park, so I thought I’d share since I didn’t need any equipment aside from a tabata timer (I just used an app on my phone…there are plenty to choose from, any of them will be fine).

snowedin

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Life is a Bumpy Road

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Good morning!

Hope you’re all having a great start to your day.

How I feel after my workouts.

How I feel after my workouts.

Life Stuff

I’ve always said I’d be truly honest in my posts, and today is no different.

Life is a bumpy road, that’s for sure.

In all honesty, I’ve been in quite a funk lately.

My workouts have been AMAZING

My Operation: Get Lean has been on-par

But other areas of my life have been rough.

I suppose part of it is that I’m in my late 20’s…

and from what I hear..this is what late 20’s people do.

We question life, question ourselves,

question our mission, our direction.

We.question.everything.

  • Is this where I should be living?
  • Is this the job I should be doing?
  • Am I going after my passion?
  • Am I doing enough?
  • Am I doing too much?

And at this point, I still don’t have an answer to any of that.

So I’ve been doing what I KNOW how to do.

Working hard in the gym, and sticking to my personal goals.

Workout Stuff

Okay, enough of the negatives, how about some positives!

-I hit a new PR for DB Push Press: 10 reps w/ 35lb DB’s

IMG_9995-I’ve been working hard on perfecting my deadlift form, and it’s paying off!

IMG_9996-I can see my quads through my pants

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what? you don’t lay on your couch flexing your quads and take photos??

Online Training

I’ve got three awesome people who embarked on a fat loss journey with me this past Monday. They are super stoked and I am too! They’re all tracking their progress, so I’ll be sure to share their results when they finish up the first stage (1 month). (If you’re interested in the next start date, go here)

Food Stuff

I’m going to document an entire day of eats tomorrow since I’ve had many people ask me about it. Stay tuned for that!

My favorite foods this week have been peaches, strawberries, shrimp, and avocado! I also still love my nighttime protein pancake with peanut butter drizzled on top. It’s definitely a great way to end the day!

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Question of the Day

  1. Have you ever felt a bit lost in life? Any tips? Haha
  2. What have you done well this week in regards to fitness?
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Random Updates

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Hey guys!

It’s been a while, so how about some random updates!

-I’m still going strong with my quest to lean out. I sort of feel like I’m on auto-pilot. I think it helps that I really like the food I’m eating and I’m not deprived at all. My post-workout meal includes carbs of my choice, so I’ve been getting creative when I can! For example, this was today’s post workout carb=

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It was soooooo good.

-I’ve been taking the time at least once per week to rollerblade at the beach with Oscar. He’s finally got the hang of it (and doesn’t just try to bite my feet the whole time) and LOVES running down the boardwalk with me.

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-My before-bed protein pancake with peanut butter makes me happy. It’s Quest PB Protein + almond milk, mixed together and cooked on a pan (so simple). Then I add drizzly peanut butter on top. It’s so filling and soooo good.

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-I’m trying to plan my fall travel. So far I have a few days in AZ planned, and looking into a trip to NYC and Chicago as well!

-Workouts lately have been soooo good. I’ve been really pushing myself lately and even got a PR on deadlifts today: 6 reps at 205lbs! I’m feeling really strong and I think part of that is due to fueling myself better (timing my carbs and fats better throughout the day).

IMG_9319Post-workout pump!

 

Other than that, life has been pretty normal! I wish I had something more exciting to say, but I don’t!

I’ll be back later this week with my first progress pics since starting this (eek!) and will also have a workout or two to share.

Question of the Day:

1. What are your travel plans for the rest of the year?

2. I’ve never been to NYC (i know!)….where should I stay and what should I see?

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Hitting Your Workout Groove + Less Serious Stuff

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Hey guys!

We are THISCLOSE to the weekend! Woohoo!

I have a good mix of relaxation, fun and activities planned into my weekend:

-Teaching Boot Camp

-Friend’s Birthday Dinner

-Playing baseball (I joined a men’s wooden bat league!)

-Laying by the pool

Good Workouts and Hitting your Workout Groove

I’ve been getting in some really great workouts lately and it reminded me of the ups and downs that come with fitness. You go through times where you just have it in you to push really hard, hit new PR’s, and see great results. Then you have times where you are unmotivated, barely getting through your workouts, and just feeling kind of BLAH. These times can last anywhere from a few days to a few weeks. It isn’t a perfect cycle and it goes in waves. I’m currently on a HIGH with workouts and have been really crushing it in the gym! I took a week off when I was in Big Bear and can’t help but think that giving myself a break from the gym was the exact motivation and rest my body needed to start hitting it hard again. Finding your groove isn’t easy and isn’t always something you can wrap your head around. It’s easy to workout when you’re feeling motivated, and extremely difficult when you’re not. The important thing to keep in mind is to stay consistent and push through no matter what you’re feeling that day. This isn’t to say that some days are better taken as a rest day, because there are definitely times like that, but I’m talking about the mindset. If your head is what’s getting in the way, you have to push past it. You have to keep on keepin’ on and KNOW that if you’re in a rut, at some point it will turn around. It’s part of the process and learning to love and trust the process is a HUGE thing that has taken me YEARS to learn. I used to hear it and even repeat it to myself, but I didn’t truly believe or understand it. These days, I do. I get it. I’ve been training for 8 years straight now (hard to believe!) and it amazes me that I just keep learning more and more about myself, training, the body, and how they all work together and sometimes against each other. This is sort of a brain dump, but I couldn’t help but think about it today. So what should you take away from this?

If you’re having a bad/off day, week, or even MONTH, don’t get discouraged. YOU ARE NORMAL. Everyone goes through it. Bodybuilders, gymnasts, athletes, you name it. No matter how much someone seems into their sport, there are times where you just don’t feel like you’re able to push and give 100%, and that’s OK. What’s important is that you stay in the game. You give what you can that day, and you trust in the process. The good days WILL come back.

(drops mic, walks off stage)

Less Serious Stuff

-I posted this photo on Instagram last night….Oscar is going Hollywood on me….

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-If anyone tries to bring you down, just send them this photo

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-Does anyone else’s dog sit on their lap like a human? Oscar is so odd.

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Look at where his feet are!

-I went to Ross the other day and bought a bunch of tank tops for like $6 each. This is one of them. Love keppra online shopping!

IMG_9094Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Question of the Day

1. Are you currently in a high or low with your workout routine?

2. Are you obsessed with your pet like I am?

 

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10 Random Things This Week

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Hey guys!

Hope your day is treating you well. I had my wisdom teeth out yesterday, and am actually not in too much pain. I wasn’t sure if I’d be up and about today, but it turns out I’m feeling pretty good. I was feeling a little cabin fever yesterday, even though I was only at home for a few hours. I guess when it feels like I can’t go anywhere, it makes me want to leave!

I thought it’d be fun to share 10 random things this week, so here goes!

1. I had never been put under before until yesterday when I got my wisdom teeth out. I was definitely nervous, but it was super easy. The best part: the videos that were taken of me right after I woke up. Apparently I also Face Timed everyone in my family and they are now wishing they could have recorded those!

2. I made this delicious smoothie this morning since I can’t really eat much solid food. It was SO GOOD. I posted the recipe on my instagram.

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3. I’m going to Big Bear in 2 weeks and I’m SO excited. Here are a few photos from last year. This year we’re going for 5 days instead of 2. I can’t wait to wakeboard, hike, and enjoy the fresh mountain air!

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4. My brother and dad are coming out to visit me for Father’s Day weekend. I love visiting them, but it’s also really nice when they come to visit me! I can’t wait to hang out with them at the beach!

Hanging with my little big bro!!!

5. I decided to take Oscar to the dog park for 15 minutes yesterday before my surgery. It had rained a bit the day before, and Oscar found a puddle of mud to play in.

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Needless to say, I had to take him straight to the pet store to get him a bath after this because there was no WAY I was bringing him into the house. Puppies!

6. I already mapped out my next workout challenge (it’s 30 days this time). I’m going to start it right after I get back from Big Bear. I’ll share it with you guys in the next few weeks!

7. I’ve been using Gnarly Nutrition’s Chiseled Chocolate Grass-Fed Whey and am LOVING it. It tastes delicious and is really good quality. I first got to try it at BLEND Retreat, and the folks at Gnarly were kind enough to send me a full tub of it. I’m definitely going to continue buying this! I can’t wait to start cooking with it as well.

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8. I ate a glazed donut the other day and it was SOOOOO good. Haha. I haven’t had donuts in a while, but it looked good the other day. Since then, I decided that I think I need to eat them more often. #iifym #donutstopme

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9. I saw these two memes in my Facebook feed the other day and had to save them. I love these!

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10. Random picture of Oscar’s cute face…..because puppies.

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Things I’m Loving Lately, Workouts, and a Survey!

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Woahhh! Long time no see, guys. Sorry for going MIA there for a few days. Life is BUSY right now and I’m just trying to ride the wave.

Things I’m Loving Lately

–Track Workouts.

THISCLOSE to looking like when I run. WINNING. One of my 50m sprints this morning.It’s more of a love/hate. They absolutely kill me, but I’ve been getting up every Monday morning and heading out to the track for a workout. It’s nice to get out in the sun and wake myself up with sprints and bleachers. My go-to right now is:

4 x 100 meter sprints

4 x 50 meter sprints

10 bleachers

My legs shake so much when I’m finished that I have trouble pushing the gas and brake. Good thing I only live 2 blocks away. 🙂

–This healthy chicken salad I made

This Chicken Salad was sooooo easy to make and sooooo delicious!!! Makes 4 Servings 2 cans White meat chicken in water 3 celery stalks 3 slices of red onion 1 small box raisins 2 dollops of Fage 0% Greek Yogurt Mash the chicken, chop the veggies, add the raisins and mix together. Then add the greek yogurt and mix it in. I added fresh cracked pepper as well. ENJOY!!

It’s SO simple to make, and absolutely delicious. Here’s the recipe (makes 3-4 servings):

  • 2 cans white meat chicken in water
  • 3 celery stalks, chopped
  • 1 small box of raisins
  • 3-4 slices of red onion, chopped
  • 2 dollops of plain greek yogurt (I use Fage 0%)
  • salt & pepper to taste

Mash up the chicken, and then add the rest of the dry ingredients. Mix it up, and then add the greek yogurt. Mash it all up again, and you’re DONE. It takes about 5-10 minutes to make this and then you have it on hand for a quick, healthy snack or part of a meal.

–Working out at home using workouts straight from my ebook (not released yet)

COMING SOON + FitLizzio Presents Rockstar Fitness "Tour Edition" ~ Fitness for the Touring MusicianGreat way to get sweaty in 20 minutes with no equipment!

–National Puppy day…and basically every day that I get to hang out with this guyNational puppy day.Workout Schedule

Here’s what my week looks like:

Monday: Track Workout + Back Workout

Tuesday: At Home Workout from the Rockstar Fitness™ ebook

Wednesday: Legs

Thursday: Conditioning + Shoulders/Chest

Friday: Rest

Saturday: Track Workout

Sunday: Hike

Fun Survey

I saw this on Carrots n’ Cake and thought it would be fun to do here as well.

Can you eat what you want or do you have to watch it?

I have to watch it if I want to lose weight. I can maintain pretty easily.

Do you want kids?

Maybe? I don’t know?

What are your favorite ways to pamper yourself?

I love getting acu massages!

Besides wine, do you have a go-to drink?

I don’t drink wine, but anyone that knows me knows that Kombucha is my JAM (specifically Trilogy!)

Do you have any health regrets?

No…I’ve learned from every step of my journey and I’m thankful for that.

Are you a yoga person?

NO.

What workout move do you loathe?

Bulgarian squats. i love/hate them. They are great, but they suck.

When do you feel sexy?

After a workout

When do you feel your absolute happiest?

When I’m snuggling with my pup.

Q’s

1. What’s your favorite way to pamper yourself?
2. Are you a yoga person?
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Friday the 13th, Conditioning, and a Birthday!

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Good morning, friends!

Is it just me or have there been a LOT of Friday the 13th’s lately? Maybe I’m just noticing them more? Anyways, I kind of like it. 🙂

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This morning I rolled out of bed to do some conditioning. It is sooo hard for me to get out of bed to workout these days. I can’t believe I used to work out at 5am every day! I’m sure if I tried, I could get back in that routine, but I actually really like my afternoon/evening weight lifting sessions too! Ah, getting older.

My Birthday

Speaking of getting older, I celebrated my 27th birthday on Tuesday. It was actually one of the best birthdays I’ve had in a while. I have the best friends, family, boyfriend and co-workers anyone could ask for. They made me feel super special!

IMG_7120I had to work on my birthday, but I took a break to get a great back workout in, too!

  • Pull Ups
  • T-Bar Rows
  • Cable Rows
  • Straight Arm Pulldowns
  • Close Grip Pulldowns

Birthday pull-ups! Kinda sloppy, but I'm working on getting these bad boys more strict. 3 sets of 4 today.It’s funny how simple things become much more fulfilling as you get older. I couldn’t think of a single gift I wanted this year, but just wanted to spend my day with the people (and furry creatures) I love, doing what I love…and I got just that!

IMG_7162I didn’t even get mad that Oscar tried to steal my balloon. 😉

Anyways, back to today.

Here’s what I did for my conditioning:

KB Clean & Snatch Combo (4 sets of 8 reps each)

Barbell Complex (4 sets)

I’ll have a full post on barbell complexes in the next week. They are a GREAT way to get the heart rate up without having to do standard cardio. Stay tuned!

I’ve got a bunch of work to do today (it seems to just keep piling on), and then I’m headed to the studio tonight to set up for an all-day session tomorrow. It should be fun!

I’m really looking forward to Sunday to just relax a bit. I’m hoping to get a hike and/or leg workout in and then just lounge around the rest of the day. Sounds like a perfect day to me! 🙂

In the works…

-I’ve got a few ebooks I’m working on at the moment that I can’t wait to release! Details to come soon!

Q: Do you hate the #13? Love it?

I love it!! I guess that’s the “metal” in me. 🙂

 

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HIIT On! and a Thought for Today…

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Hey from AZ!

I flew in super early yesterday morning and it all just feels like a whirlwind. My first stop was here:

Obvious first stop upon arriving to AZ. COFFEE TIME!!!They make their almond milk fresh here and it is SO SO good. I get my usual stop-acne-meds (americano with steamed almond milk), and it never disappoints. Just wish they had this in Cali!!

I spent most of the day yesterday working, got to see some family and friends, did a leg workout, and then slept like a baby last night. You know when your entire day feels like two days combined? Yeah, it was like that.

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This morning I headed back to the gym to get a quick HIIT session in before I started working for the day.

In case you want to try it, here it is:

HIIT ON Workout

It was pretty brutal for me today, but I could also tell I was extra tired. This brings me to my thought for the day.

Something to Think About:

There are some days that I get in the gym and I’m just ON. The workout is fun, I feel strong, good, and everything just seems to fall into place. Then there are days where I just flat out feel like dog shit. I don’t want to move, everything feels heavier, and it just sucks. I used to beat myself up about it and feel like I was weak or just not trained enough, but luckily these days I’ve found a way past that.

Instead of feeling bad about myself for it, I now just accept what the day will be. Just like this morning, when I feel weak, tired, or just off, I do the best that I can for that day and know that everyday won’t always be like that. I don’t feel bummed out for not being able to do what I did the week before or even a few days before, I just remember that there are days like this and I have to push myself to TODAY’S limits. Reminding myself of that has helped me immensely with the brain game factor of training (which is a biggggggg part of training).

Question for the day:

1. When you have off days, what do you do about it?

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Friday Rambling

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First of all, thank you guys SO MUCH for your support on my post the other day. I got so many messages and Facebook comments about it. It helps to know I have a team behind me that’s cheering for me! Now I just gotta do the work and not embarrass myself…. 😀

Wednesday, I got a really great Leg & Back workout in. I started with heavy hip thrusts and did 3 sets at 275 lbs. I got 5 reps, 3 reps, and 3 reps respectively, which is a new PR for me. Previously, I could only get 3 reps at 275, so my first set broke a record! I’m getting really strong and absolutely loving it.

Today:

I started my morning with a continental (an american with steamed milk added. I opt for almond milk), an apple, and this messy deliciousness:
Spicy Italian chicken sausage, mexican cheese, 1egg over-easy, and Oscar. Doesn't look pretty, but it sure does taste good!It doesn’t look pretty, but it tastes good! Spicy Italian Chicken Sausage, mexican cheese, and an over-easy egg on top. I cracked the egg yolk and devoured this in about 15 seconds.

I’ve got some work to do and a few meetings today, and then I’ll be hitting the gym for another leg workout. I’ll be doing:

  • Squats (heavy)
  • Hip Thrusts(moderate)
  • Deadlifts (light)
  • Back Extensions (light)
  • Banded Hip Abduction (light)
  • Leg Extensions (moderate)
  • Hamstring Curls (moderate)

Oddly enough, I’m trying to build out my quads a bit. My butt is THERE, but my quads aren’t quite where I want them, so I’m trying to hit them a little harder than usual.

 

Tonight’s plan?

-Make a yummy dinner

-Watch Friends

-Do puzzles on my favorite app: Jigsaw Puzzle (if you’re a nerd, have an iPad, and love puzzles THIS APP IS FOR YOU. I’m obsessed)

-Hang out with this guy

How you doin

Tongue’s out, guns out!

I’ll be heading to a baby shower tomorrow and then the LA Fit Expo on Sunday! I’ll be sure to snap some photos. 🙂

Have a great weekend people!

 

 

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