When we risk, we often feel good – more fulfilled than when we don’t.
One thing most people agree on is the more we give ourselves fully to an experience, the greater our pleasure in life.We have to let go of a lot of things to do that. We have to let go of being liked, and let go of expecting others to do it too. We have to take responsibility for our own experience. We have to risk moments of standing alone.
Take a leap into the unknown today. You may just find yourself.
Got this in my daily Kabbalah e-mail. I like it.
“The closer you get to succeeding, the stronger your doubt gets.
It’s the self-survival mechanism of your inner opponent. Because once you have all the doubt removed and eradicated from your brain, then whatever you will think, you will achieve. The job of your inner opponent is to challenge you and prevent you from creating fulfillment.
Today, forget the rationale your mind generates non-stop for why you shouldn’t follow through on something. Doubts be damned — just jump in and go for it, no matter what. “
Okay, so after yesterdays awesome WIFL, I pretty much did nothing the rest of the day. Didn’t have to work, and ran a few errands, but that was it. Until it was time for conditioning……
The conditioning class is 1 hour long. We go by the bell, which goes off every 2 minutes, with 30 seconds in between each “set” We did a circuit yesterday. We went through the entire thing, not once, TWICE. NO REST. And if you think the 30 seconds in between is a rest, it’s not because you take that 30 seconds to jog over to the next station and the bell goes off signaling the start before you can even make it there. These were the stations all for 2 minutes straight each:
1. Line Jumps (just jumping side to side over a line, as high as you can go)
2. Bench Dips
3. Twisting Hindu Squats(Jump squat 180 degrees, and back, and forth, and back, and forth, and you get the point.)
4. Planks and Side Planks
5. Pushups across the basketball court
6. Jumping Lunges
7. Mitts (hitting the mitts for 2 minutes straight with all your energy is literally like sucking the life out of someone)
8. SPRINTS
9. Skaters (hard to describe but it works your glutes well!)
10. Wall Balls (Squat and thrust upwards and throw the 12 lb med ball as high as you can on the wall, catch and repeat)
I was seriously sweating like CRAZY. This was so hard, but I left the gym feeling mightttyyy accomplished. Love this class!
This morning I was planning on a run, but my running buddy dipped out, so I decided to hit the arc trainer hard. I really pushed it and did it at Level 10 and I can honestly say i pushed as hard as i could throughout the entire hour. I then met my trainer for…MORE LEGS. Just quads(ha, right “just”) He had me doing hack squats(5 seconds down explode up, then squat down quick and 5 seconds up), leg extensions(toes straight, in, out), more jumping lunges and squats(because i obviously didn’t do enough of them last night), and something else i can’t remember.
All in all, i have gotten in some great workouts the past few days. I start my peak week on Sunday, so i am enjoying my oats and savoring every single bite. The only difference in next week compared to my last peak week is NO ALMOND BUTTER. I have gotten a little to friendly with that stuff and I don’t know if I trust myself anymore. It’s funny how that happens. For a while I was totally fine and would just have a little bit at a time, but now it’s like my treat and 2 TBSP turns into 4 sometimes and it’s getting out of hand.
Off to work, then some errands, then to the casino and out tonight!! 🙂 Going to try for a run tomorrow, depending on how my legs feel, otherwise it will be chest and abs only.
No not that kind of quickie. Get your mind out of the gutter 😉 Or maybe I should get mine out of their first. ANYWHO.
This morning I did a WIFL. It’s kind of like a MILF, except not at all. It stands for Whatever I Feel Like. I woke up this morning to screaming hamstrings. They are STILL extremely sore even after 3 days, lots of glutamine, and 11 hours of sleep last night. So instead of doing chest today, which I didn’t feel like doing, I did a WILF. I did some bicep curls with 20 lbers, lots of abs, some more biceps, and some Complex 1’s. This is something I used to do at my old gym. You take the barbell(45 lbs) and do: 8 straight leg dead lifts, 8 bent over rows, 8 power cleans(instead of starting from the floor, it is just the “catch” portion, so starting at the hips and rotating over), 8 push presses, 8 squats, and 8 good mornings. Did about 3 sets of those. It was honestly a REALLY fun workout. I love weight lifting and going in there and just doing WIFL!
I challenge you all to do a WIFL! Let me know how it goes 🙂 It is good to have a plan, but sometimes it is good to just lift your heart out 🙂 I’m a dork, I know this. 🙂
I did have something else to say, but I totally can’t remember now. I hate when that happens! Anyways, i definitely fell asleep at 7:30pm last night…woke up briefly to the LOUD thunder and wind(love me some monsoons!) at around 3am, but fell right back asleep and woke up at 6:30am. My body wanted SLEEP.
Oh I remember what I wanted to say. My new mantra. I think it was Michelle, but i’m not sure who posted it on their blog (sorry) But now, whenever I am struggling mentally(which has been happening lately) I repeat this in my head. “Two choices: give up, or don’t give up.” I always choose the latter. This makes it very easy because i don’t have any other factors involved. It’s either DO IT or DON’T. I am choosing to NOT GIVE UP 🙂
Have a good day kiddos!
you will not regret reading these.
funniest. shit. ever.
http://www.27bslash6.com/strata.html
Sorry about the MIA-ness guys!! I have no excuse other than, I’ve just been too lazy to write. I have been reading though and will get to commenting soon enough!
After my fun weekend, yesterday was pretty mundane. I worked out in the morning (3.15 mile run on the treadmill, 31 sets of glutes/hams, and 45 minutes of incline walking) and then ran errands and the day really flew by. Before I knew it, it was time for some boxing at Club SAR. This class was an instructional class and I learned many new things about my form, etc. I also learned this: Shadow Boxing is Hilarious. I don’t know that I will ever do it without feeling a little bit crazy, or ever watch someone do it without thinking that they are a little bit crazy, but ya gotta do it! 🙂
Yesterday’s calories were a bit high, but it’s all good. I probably still had somewhat of a deficit, or at least broke even, so I’m not worried too much about it. I have 11 days until competition I believe!! Down to the nitty gritty. I am kind of freaking out because I need to work on my posing more, figure out which bottoms I will be wearing, and get the rest of my costume for my themed sportswear. Ahh! I had a nightmare about not being ready for the competition last night, but money has been tight and so has time, so it’s been hard to piece it all together! I have posing with the girls tomorrow, so my goal is to have everything ready by Friday, and then just pose, pose pose until I am all posed out. Getting excited though!
Today I had my normal boxing class at the gym, then hit the weights for Shoulders/Biceps..good workout, not the best, but those days happen, and then did 45 minutes of treadmill..mixed it up with running, incline walking, backwards incline walking, etc. I am going to work in a little bit and doing another boxing conditioning class tonight at 6pm. I finally got my own gloves too!! Look at these beauties!! :):) Have a great day!
I don’t have too much time, but I have lots of pictures to share!!! Last night I went out with my friend Maggie, my sister, her boyfriend Corey, and one of his friends. We also met up with my old trainer Bret, who is still a really close friend of mine. We went to this bar Gilligin’s in Oldtown Scottsdale. It is such a fun bar, I highly reccomend it if you are ever in the area! i will let the pics do the talking. I was sober, and had more fun than I have had in a while! 🙂
Jesse, Corey(sister’s bf of 5 years), Maggie, Me, Bret
Me, my sister Rachel, Maggie, Corey
This is Chewy. He is a bartender at Gilligin’s and he’s my bud. I let him smack my ass and he gives my friends free drinks haha
If you haven’t already, read this post so you know what I am talking about 🙂
It is SO hard to think of just ONE Pirate King/Queen. There are SO many influential people in my life. These people keep me motivated in different ways.
I will name a few, in no particular order.
Pirate King: Steve, my boxing instructor. This guy knows how to push my limits. When I’m doing 200 mountain climbers and I don’t think I can do any more, he will jump down on the floor next to me and start pounding them out with me. When I feel as though I just can’t hit any harder, he tells me to hit harder, and miraculously, as if the skies open up above me and the angel’s start singing, I hit harder. I see him twice a week, but his motivation and belief in me is with me all the time.
Pirate King: Dae, my trainer. Dae is another person who has made me see just how hard I can push myself. He hands me weights that I would never even think twice about looking at, let alone lifting, and somehow, I lift them. Not only has he taught me new exercises, new ways of training, and different ways to tweak my physique, but he has taught me how to dig deep. I mean, truly, dig deep. Find my inner power and go for one more rep, go for that heavier weight. I thought I pushed my limits before, but through training with me, I realized how much more I am capable of.
Pirate Queen: Bloggy friend, Melissa. This girl motivates me to do my best and push through the hardest obstacles. The comments I receive from her are always uplifting and also reading through the accomplishments that she has done, the battles she has faced, and the way she has overcome them, always gives me the jolt I need when I’m feeling out of whack. This girl rocks!
Pirate King/Queen: Old man at my gym Wayne, and Woman at my gym Kris: These two people motivate me in a very different day. I see Wayne(probably about 75 years old) at the gym EVERY DAY. Not only that, but this man is battling brain cancer. He has had surgeries, therapies, etc., yet STILL manages to get to the gym and work out almost every single day. If that isn’t enough, he is the NICEST man I have ever met. He is always cheerful, makes sure to say good morning to me EVERY DAY. All while dealing with cancer, tumors, therapy, medicine, etc. That is a true hero. Kris is a fellow boxer. I have mentioned her on the blog before. Her husband is dying of pancreatic cancer, and yet she is able to still make it to the gym quite often. In the last few weeks she hasn’t been as much, but her husband is literally on his death bed. When she gets to boxing class, this girl can HIT. She is a tough cookie and NOTHING stops this mama from sweatin’ and kicking ass! She also has 3 children to take care of. And still makes it to the gym to take care of her body, her mind, her soul. She is such a nice woman and always cheers me on in our boxing class. Another true hero.
There are so many others in my life that motivate me and keep me going. My dad, my friends, fellow gym go-ers who tell me that I inspire them. It is such an amazing thing to hear from someone. These are people you see everyday that are working out too. It really is great to know there are so many people around us cheering us on, even when we don’t know it.
I am in this for the long haul, because I love it, I crave it, and in all honesty I need it. I thrive off of competing against myself. To get better, stronger, fitter, faster, smarter, happier, healthier, more giving, more helpful. The life I lead has and continues to make me grow EVERY DAY. With every fall and failure, to every step of success and milestone. I have become a better person in ALL aspects of my life through training. Although to an outsider, the effects of the gym might just be “getting in better shape”, many don’t realize that it really can help you succeed in every other way imaginable. Your career, your family, your health, your children. Keep up the good work everyone.
Who inspires/motivates you?
Forgot to post about my weigh-in earlier. I had made a point to weigh myself on the 7th(today), the 15th, and then the 21st(day before comp.)
Well I am happy to say I am right where I should be. Weighed in at 130 even. This is perfect, because during peak week last time I dropped about 5-7 pounds(mostly water weight) and weighed in at about 123 on comp. day.
I don’t want to jinx myself, but now that my bloat is all gone, I honestly think that my legs are going to come in better than last time 🙂
Staying strong and loving comp. prep right now. I KNEW my hormones were messing with my head. I KNEW i wasn’t just being lazy(well I was, because i was falling for my “hormone cravings”) but at least Iknow WHY i was feeling that way.
I feel absolutely great and i’m so thankful for all of you who have been so supportive!!! Still haven’t napped. I tried to, but i just can’t fall asleep UGHH. Going to go try again…
