Archive for Author fitlizzio

Work Hard Play Hard

Wowza I’m exhausted today!!

Yesterday was a looooong day. It started with a Back Workout at the gym:

Wide Grip Lat Pulldowns

Close Grip Seated Row

T-Rope

One Arm Row

I kept it simple, since this was my second back workout of the week. Monday’s back workout was mediocre at best, so I wanted to hit it again. I feel redeemed 🙂

I ran a few errands and got my TRUCK WASHED(this happens 2-3 times per year, so it’s kind of a big event ;-)) and then headed to Pinnacle Peak to RUN the mountain. This was my first time ever running it, but a trainer at my gym was going and invited me. It was actually much easier than I thought, but still a great cardio workout. There was some downhill running, which I don’t really condone since it can be really hard on your knees, but I made sure to use my feet as shock absorbers as much as possible. My knees feel fine, so I think I did okay. I worked and closed the gym last night and pretty much passed out as soon as I got home.

Boot camp

Today’s boot camp was tough. We warmed up with 3 sets of: 5 bleachers, squats on the way down, “plyometrics”(I use that term loosely because although some of the things we do are plyos, some of them aren’t i.e. pushups, dips, etc. ) in between and then a run through(you run up and down each set of stairs and then around the bleachers.) We did this 3 times and THEN hit the track for the rest of the boot camp. Tough stuff, but I feel awesome now.

Worky work

I’m not at work at the supplement store all day. I’m working 9-5 today, 12-6 tomorrow at the gym, then opening the gym at 4am on Monday. I can’t wait to take a nap Monday afternoon. Wednesday I’m heading out with my roommate to LA(she’s moving!! :-() and then flying from there to San Francisco for the weekend. Working hard so I can play hard 🙂

Have a great weekend!

Riking

My phone went off at 5 o clock this morning and woke me up. When I’m up, I’m up and I headed to the kitch for some breakfast. I was STARVING so I got right to it. Egg whites, spinach, red cabbage and hot sauce + rolled oats, cinnamon and stevia. Separately, obviously, but totally delicious. I eat this pretty much every morning and never get sick of it.

Today was supposed to be a cardio only day, but my back workout on Monday was really lame and I feel like lifting today, so back it is. Afterwards, I’m going riking. Running and hiking. I’m usually not a fan of running a hiking trail because of sprained ankles, broken legs, broken faces, etc. but this is a very easy flat “hike” so it will be more like a trail run. I’m game!

After that I’m headed to work for a few hours and then coming home to sleep. I know, I know, my life is so exciting.

I don’t have much else going on. I posted a new article on the FitGems Nation blog. You can check it out here.

Other than that, I’ll leave you with this….

11.5 Weeks Out

Jello!

Time is flying! I think I say that everyday, but it’s da troof 😉

I’m at work and just finished cardio. I do 30 minutes on leg days because, let’s face it, leg days rock my world. A.K.A Take all of my energy and leave me wanting to nap all day.

My plan for today’s workout is Quad Focus and Plyometrics:

Full Squats, Hack Squats, Bulgarian Split Squats, Single Leg Leg Press, Leg Extensions, Box Jumps, Switch Jumps, Up and Overs, and the SLED.

As daunting as they are, I LOVE leg workouts. No joke, I get nervous before leg workouts. I think it is because for one, I know it’s going to be really really hard. If I don’t go balls to the walls on leg day, I am disappointed afterwards, so I always make sure I put in all my effort no matter how worn out I’m feeling. I think that I get nervous when box jumps are on the list because I’m afraid I’m going to miss and fall flat on my face, but that’s besides the point. The box is about 2.5 feet tall and if I don’t pay attention, I know I’m gonna eat it big time.

Today is also a LAKE DAY 🙂 I’m a very spoiled girl and have not one, but TWO friends with wakeboard boats. My tan lines are definitely making a come-back……



Other than that, life is good. I’m done with school until June(summer school) and just enjoying my prep and working hard.

Everybody’s Working for the Weekend

….except me!!

How goes it? Normally I work 6-7 days a week. Granted, some days are shorter than others, but I rarely have an entire day off. Having two days off in a row is huge, and them being a Saturday and Sunday is basically unheard of!!! But that’s exactly what happened, and I’m not complaining.

Saturday I hit up bootcamp early in the morning. It was a seriously TOUGH boot camp this week, and it actually made me sore. That hasn’t happened in a while. I had the pleasure of meeting the lovely Ana there as well! We had a lot of fun, and even got a workout in on Sunday together as well. The usual glute/ham workout with Sprints. I didn’t even do as many sprints as normal, and my quads were completely dead by the end. I love that feeling. I’m sure that the boot camp on Saturday pre-exhausted my quads and that probably had something to do with it, but it was still a great workout.

We did:

4x 100

4x 50(shuffle to sprint)

4 x 10

1x 100 backwards running

Afterwards I hit up the Diamondbacks game with my friend Brian. The game was pretty slow at first, but I still love baseball games. I’ve been going and sitting in the same seats since I was 9 years old, so I have a lot of memories there. There are still a lot of the same workers there from when they D-bax first started, and it’s funny to them because I was a little 9 year old girl when they met me, and here I am still coming to the games at 22. Being at the games makes me want to play again, so I’m thinking I’m gonna go play catch or something today since I get off work at 8am and basically have nothing to do the rest of the day haha.

I have tomorrow off work as well,and I’m trying to decide where I want to go. I think a day trip is in order 😉

I just finished my cardio and it’s time to lift! Back and bicepticals! Later dudes 🙂

Just for Fun

It’s 5AM on a Saturday and I’m getting ready for boot camp. I stole this from my equally goofy friend April. Here we go….

Closed.  But not really for any reason other than it annoys me if it’s open.

2. Do you take the shampoos and conditioner bottles from hotels? 

No because it takes at least 20 of those little shampoo and conditioner bottles to even cover my mop.

3. Do you sleep with your sheets tucked in or out? 

I.Hate.Sheets. I get tangled in them. The fitted sheet and a blanket is all i want.

4. Would you rather be attacked by a bear or a swarm of bees? 

Hmm those both sound good. Tough choice. I’m gonna go with a) Bear only because that’s what Dwight would do. When tough questions arise I often ask myself WWDD?

5. Do you have freckles? 

Not really

6. What is your biggest pet peeve? 

BAD FORM. I literally have to bite my tongue and distract myself. Also when people that I’m not related to say things like “Mom is going to give me her leftovers” It is YOUR mom, not mine! Don’t ask people..i’m nuts.

7. Have you ever peed in the woods? 

duh! 

8. Do you ever dance if there’s no music playing?

Yes. I also sing when there’s no music playing. Sometimes I even play my air guitar when there’s no music playing. What?

9. Do you chew your pens and pencils?

No.

10. Is it okay for guys to wear pink? 

Guys wear pink to get attention. So no.

11. What do you dip a chicken nugget in? 

We can pretend that my roasted chicken breast is a chicken nugget. If that’s the case, then mustard or hot sauce.

12. What is your favorite food? 

I eat egg whites and hot sauce at least twice a day. But something that is not on my prep diet? either cookies or ice cream. Or both. 😀 

13. What movies could you watch over and over and still love? 

There are hundreds, literally. Freddy Got Fingered, Just Friends, Stealing Harvard, any chris farley movie, most adam sandler movies, boondock saints, ………

14. Were you ever a boy/girl scout? 

i was a girl scout for about 10 seconds in kindergarten before i decided i was over it. That’s actually how most things in my life are. If I stick with it longer than a minute, it’s a good sign 😉

15. Would you ever strip or pose nude in a magazine? 

Nope

16. Can you change the oil on a car? 

Nope, but i can do it on a dirt bike. Does that count?

17. Ever gotten a speeding ticket? 

Let me re-phrase this: Have I ever not gotten a speeding ticket? I believe once a cop DID let me go. But I have an embarassing amount of tickets….all for different things I should add….

18. Ever ran out of gas? 

No, but it’s almost like a game to me to see just how far I can drive with my empty light on. Either that or I’m just broke and I don’t have a choice 🙂

19. Are you lazy? 

In some ways, I am the most lazy active person I’ve ever met. But at the same time, i can’t STAND to be bored. Even for 5 minutes. It puts me in a bad mood.  

20. When you were a kid, what did you dress up as for Halloween? 

Lots of things. I also dressed up for halloween year round.  

21. How many languages can you speak?

Two and a fourth . English,  sarcasm and a smidgen of spanish.

22. Who is better…Leno or Letterman?

Leno.

23. Do you sing in the car? 

Always. I actually have full out sets in the car. I just need a passenger to bring me water when my vocals start to give out.

24. Ever eat a pierogi? 

Actually no.

25. First concert? 

Dave Matthews Band

Prep Update and Fun!

Hey!

I’m becoming an “every-other-day-but-sometimes-even-longer-than-that” kinda blogger. Life has just been extremely busy lately! I’m happy and things are going well, so I can’t complain, but I feel like time is just FLYING.

Competition Prep Update

 Saturday marks 12 weeks out! I can’t believe how fast this is flying by. I am feeling SO good and my body is responding really well. It’s actually pretty crazy how fast I’m dropping weight. I am extremely happy with the muscle I put on. My upper body/abs especially are starting to really lean up and guess who finally has shoulders!!!!! I knew I built them, but unveiling them is so much fun. I have had no desire to have any type of cheats because watching the layers peel off and seeing the results of my hard-work is better than ANY food could ever be.

Training is going really well too. I’m doing slightly higher reps(12-15, as opposed to 10-12) and keeping my cardio pretty constant. The only thing I need to work on is scheduling rest days. I like to workout during the week days just because it feels right. Saturdays I like to do boot camp, and Sundays are my FAVORITE: Sprint Days. So with that said, I have to force myself to schedule in a rest day or else my body is going to turn on me.

I’m pretty sure I’m going to post some progress pictures on Saturday and every 2 weeks until my show. We will see though. I also kind of want to post them at 12 weeks out and then leave everyone hanging until the week of the show 😉 I’m mean, I know. We shall see!!!

Fun

Life is treating me well right now. In the past week I’ve been to California, the beach, dirt biking and to the lake. I know it doesn’t sound like I do much but vacation, but really, I wake up at the crack of dawn(3-4am) and I work at the gym early in the morning or in the afternoons, with writing work, school, and other freelance work in between. Plus I don’t miss my workouts, so although i’m definitely having a blast, I’m working my ass off too. I never stop moving and it’s tiring. I will say this, there were years of my life where I didn’t do much. I would put off vacations, put off doing fun things because I had “a lot to do.” I really did. I was going to school full time and working an office job 35 hours a week. I never made it out to the lake two summers in a row because I was working or in class. In the last year(basically since I started competing) I realized along the way that life is too short to be too busy to have fun. There are wayts to fit it in. Whether it is going for a hike on a break, or going on a 24 hour trip somewhere closeby just to get away, it is good for the soul. It doesn’t mean you have to spend money either. I am as broke as they come(I paid for groceries with nickels and dimes a few weeks ago. True story.) but it’s worth it to me. I’d rather be broke and having a lot of fun then being “too busy.” Just like there is always time to fit in your workouts, there is always time to fit in your fun. Don’t put off the fun for too long, you’re missing out.

Supplement Talk Part 1

Hey guys! Happy Star Wars Day!! Haha, i heard that on the radio today. I’ve never actually seen Star Wars, but I’m celebrating anyways. Join me? 😉

I get a lot of questions from friends, fellow gym members, and readers about supplements. Most of the questions involve the NEED to take certain supplements. Without them, you couldn’t possibly get the results that you want, right? Well, no. Not at all, actually.

Supplements are just that: supplements. Let’s break it down:

sup·ple·ment (spl-mnt)

n. 1. Something added to complete a thing, make up for a deficiency, or extend or strengthen the whole.
A supplement is something used in ADDITION to the most important pieces of your program. It is the icing on the cake, not the batter.
 
There are literally THOUSANDS MILLIONS of different supplements. Natural supplements, artificial supplements, plant and fruit extracts, vitamins, minerals, food derivatives, YOU NAME IT. I guarantee that for any thing you can think of, someone has made a “necessary” supplement to help, treat, cure, fix, screw up blah blah blah you get the point.
The amount of supplements on the market are enough to make you dizzy. I should know, I could open up a store with the amount of supplements in my kitchen, b ut that’s beside the point. The true point is that first of all, we don’t know the safety of most of these supplements. Very few studies are done on supplements and the FDA does not regulate them, so you can pretty much put anything in a bottle and say what you want about it. There are quality supplements and there are definitely things that can help you acheive your goals, but they are NOT NECESSARY.
What is necessary?
A clean diet(diet meaning the way you eat, not a “diet”), an active lifestyle(activity level is different for every single individual based on goals, age, desires, health etc. ) and a healthy mind. That one is probably the most important piece. The rest of it follows when your mind is in a good place.
The next time someone tells you that you HAVE to take a certain supplement in order to acheive your next goal, come back to this post. Like I said, supplements CAN help and sometimes it is the boost that pushes you forward a little bit, but without a solid foundation, those supplements aren’t going to do a thing. Set your foundation, then you can start peaking into the supplement world, but until then. EAT  CLEAN AND WORK HARD 🙂

Cali!

Hey guys!

I’m sitting at my older brothers apartment in Santa Monica. Just cleaned the kitchen and getting ready for bed. I am SO lame!!! Haha. Ohhh well.

We got in late last night and I crashed out immediately. I slept horribly for some reason, but woke up before 6am as usual. Emily(roomie) and I got up and ate and headed to Iron to workout. Got a great shoulder/tri/ab workout in followed by 50 minutes of cardio on the treadmill.

Afterwards, we got coffee, came home and ate, and I took a 3 hour nap. Life of the party?? I think so.

Anyways, just thought I’d drop in to say I’m alive. A lot of really great things are going on for me and I couldn’t be more excited.

Along with Fit Gems Nation, I will be writing a monthly blog for Xyience. I’m SUPER excited because they happen to be the makers of that energy drink I’ve been obsessed with! I am capping those at 1 per day because of my caffeine sensitivity, but I just don’t have any desire to give them up right now. They taste good and give me a huge dose of energy, so for now, I’m keeping them 🙂 Keep a look out for my articles. I’ll post a link when it’s up 🙂

I’m 13 weeks out from USA’s tomorrow! Things are going really well. Time is flying and I’m really excited about the next few weeks especially. I can really tell my body is changing and I can also feel that it is about to change a lot more. If you’ve been through a prep, you know what I mean. You can just tell when your body is going to start dropping, and I feel that coming!

Anyways, I’m gonna get to bed. I’ve got an early morning workout and a comedy show to go to tomorrow! Speaking of comedy shows, I’ve got something up my sleeve. I’ll update you soon 😉

If you haven’t checked it out yet, read my post at FitGems Nation here.

Early Mornings

So I’ve picked up a few of the opening shifts at the gym. I did it for two reasons: I can workout on my shift and technically that means I’m getting paid to work out, and because I feel bad that our manager has to open the gym(meaning wake up at 3:15am) every day during the week.

Early Monday Workout

I hopped out of bed at a whopping 3:15am today, and dragged my ass into the kitchen to cook some breakfast for after my cardio. I don’t prefer to do empty stomach cardio, but I also don’t like eating that freakin’ early in the morning.

I got to the gym to find people waiting for me to open it. They are nutz I’m tellin ya. It was 4:15 am when I got there…Crazy people.

I did the normal opening duties and headed to the stepmill for a 50 minute sesh. I had my iPod on and it actually went by pretty quickly. That early in the morning, sometimes I think I’m still half asleep while I’m doing the cardio and don’t really remember much of it.

Afterwards, I head to the front desk to eat my food: egg whites with spinach and red cabbage, and rolled oats. Lurvely.

I let that digest and then hit up shoulders!

Shoulder Boulders

-Push Press s.s. w/ Upright Row

-DB Arnold Press s.s w/ DB Lateral Raise

-Cable Front Raise s.s. w/ DB Rear Delt Raise

Twas a hard one. I’m really noticing my shoulders popping out and my upper body is leaning out really well. My stomach is also leaning out and my abs are starting to make an appearance again. I missed those babies. In a few more weeks, maybe I’ll get ballsy and post some progress pics.

I’m currently a little under 14 weeks out and feeling really great. My coach thinks I’m right on target, and of course we are going to kick things up even more come 12 weeks out, but for now, the weight is falling off and I’m happy with the way things are going.

I’m heading to LA yet again this weekend with the roomie and can’t wait!! The gym we train at when we’re there is down the street from where we’re staying, so we can walk, which is perfect. I think i actually may be going to the lake Thursday before I leave for california too…might be a little bit of a crazy day..but I can’ t pass up the lake! It’s my favorite place in the world! 🙂

Buyer Beware

 

I was learning about how supplement companies are able to market their products and how they get their ingredients. Basically, companies see that “X” is the hot new product on the market. Hot product=pricey, and as long as there is a “dusting” of that product in their ingredient list, they are able to put it on their Proprietary Blend. Beware of proprietary blends!! You don’t know how much of a product is in there, and it could be so minute that it wouldn’t do anything=Waste O’ Money. I’m not saying that all companies do this and it also doesn’t mean that all proprietary blends are bullshit….all I am saying is buyer:beware.

With that said, not ALL companies are like that. One company in particular is quite the opposite and makes sure that their products are made with quality ingredients AND with the consumer’s health in mind. This equates to heavy testing and trials before being put on the market. I spoke with the owners directly and got a really great vibe about their goals and dedication to what they are all about. Smith-Bryant Labs makes some really great products and if you’d like to try them out, right now Promo code: Lean will get you 50% of the LEAN product and Promo code: Rush will get you 25% off the RUSH product.

*I am not a doctor and you need to check with a doctor before taking any type of supplements. No matter how well tested, any supplement can have an adverse effect on someone. We are all different and different products will affect each person differently. Just like food allergies, not everything agrees with people. I am also not saying that you NEED to take supplements. Some people prefer to take them when they are having trouble pushing through a plateau, and others don’t feel comfortable taking them and that is PERFECTLY OK. Again supplements are there to SUPPLEMENT, they are not a cure-all and you have to exercise and eat well to get great results.

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