Archive for Weekends

Lots of Sleep + Leg Workout

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Happy Monday friends!

How was everyone’s Halloween? Curious to know how mine was? Well, I’d tell you but I was asleep for it. No joke, I passed out around 8pm and slept clear through 8am the next day. I woke up a few times to rain (yay!!!), but that was it. I felt like a new person, but also really strange. I haven’t slept that much in a LONG time. I guess I really needed it.

Saturday, Charlie and I headed up to the studio to work with one of his clients. They are a prog/metal band and were recording drums. I helped him get set up and get tones. It was a good way to start the day! After trying to satisfy my stomach (omg, SO hungry lately!), I decided to head to the gym for a workout. I was in a different part of town, so I just went to the  local 24 Hour Fitness and got a day pass. It was interesting, to say the least, but it did the job!

24hr(way to follow directions people!)

Saturday night was another early evening. We made one of our favorite dishes, which is our version of Chipotle.

YUMMM!!! Making out version of Chipotle at home on this fabulous Saturday evening. Love the colors and smell of these vibrant veggies!!!After we ate, we started watching Homicide Hunters. I only made it through 1.5 episodes before I passed out on the couch. I must have been really freaking tired. I slept another 9 hours Saturday night!

Sunday morning, I was as fresh as they come. With that much sleep, how could I be anything else?! It made for the perfect combination to do a leg workout:

-4 sets of 15 reps: Kettle Bell Goblet Squats w/ Med. Ball Jump Squats

-3 sets of 10 reps: Barbell Good Mornings w/ Barbell Reverse Lunges

-3 sets of 10 reps: Leg Extensions w/ Supinated Hamstring Curls

-3 sets of 10-12 reps: Barbell Deadlifts

-3 sets of 15 reps: 45* Hypers w/ Jumping Lunges

Looking back through this, no wonder I was so exhausted by the end! Midway through the deadlifts I wanted to throw in the towel, but I pressed on. One of the BEST tricks that I use for myself is to write my workouts out on paper before I start. This way I won’t just quit when I start feeling tired. If I have a plan going into the gym, I’ll always stick to it and won’t quit until I’m done.

Hope everyone’s day is off to a great start! I’ll be back later talking about Pummelo’s and an update on my No Added Sugar/Fake Sugar Challenge!

You can see my other updates here:

No Sugar Day 5

No Sugar Day 7

No Sugar Day 9

Question of the Day:

1. Do you write out your workouts before you head to the gym?

2. What do you do when you’re ready to give up during a workout? Move forward or give up?

 

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My Weekend + Monday Thoughts {not sugar-coated}

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Hey guys!

Anyone else feel like the weekend just slipped right past them? I remember it being Friday and then all the sudden I was waking up to an alarm on Monday.

Friday night Charlie and I took a boxing class at Iron Boxing. Once again, it was a TOUGH class and I was sweating actual 12 mm bullets by the end. (Ok, so maybe I’m over exaggerating. They were more like 9mm. Also, I know nothing about guns, so 12mm might not even make any sense and that’s a-ok with me! :-))

armsMy arms are also looking extra awesome lately. I think boxing is a HUGE part of that. Anytime I’ve done boxing for an extended period of time, my arms start to shape up pretty well. They’re still a work-in-progress, but I’m happy with the changes I’m seeing!

After boxing, we decided to go get massages (genius idea, by the way) and relax for the rest of the night. The massage hurt so good. He definitely got some of my knots out, but I still feel like there are about 4,000 more. Guess I should get another one. 🙂 We spent the rest of the night watching reruns of The Office. Michael Scott for President.

michaelscottSunday, we headed over to a bar to watch the Chief’s win! Go Chiefs! After the antihistamine-meds, we did a back/biceps workout at the gym and I filmed some workout videos for Charlie’s mom.

plankI spent the rest of the day working on my new e-book that’s coming out in a few weeks! It’s completely FREE to download. It is the first of several “Missions” I’ll be releasing. This first is Mission #1: 10 Day Sexy Slimdown. A 10 day plan designed specifically to jump start your body into losing fat & inches + working out! It includes 10 days of workouts, a full 10 day meal plan, a complete shopping list, and a full exercise demonstration guide. I’m so excited to release this to you all!

sexyslimdownRandom Thoughts for your Monday            {not sugar-coated}

I say not sugar-coated because I haven’t had any added sugar in 6 days! Today is Day 7 and I wanted to give you my thoughts so far. It’s only been a week, but the changes are fo’ real.

1. I don’t feel so bloated and full. I think Splenda & Aspartame were the real culprit here. As I mentioned, I used to have 2 Splendas in my coffee (and about 2 coffees per day) + 1-2 diet soda cans with dinner. Since giving that up, I don’t feel like I get so full and my stomach feels better overall.

2. My head seems clearer. Again, I think the fake sugars were the problem. I feel much more level-headed.

3. I don’t feel the extremes of fullness and hunger as much. This sort of ties in with #1, but I feel like in addition to not feeling super full, I never feel super hungry either. Sure, if I don’t eat all day like I accidentally did last Thursday, I get HANGRY, but I don’t feel like I get so “starving” in between meals like I used to.

4. I’m drinking way more water. I drink it all day long and all evening long. The only other beverage I’ve been drinking is coffee (sans-fake sugar) and Kombucha (it has pure lemon & raspberry juice, but no added sugar).

5. I feel determined. This could just be because I’m in a good place with my workouts and nutrition, and therefore feel more determined, but I do think that giving up some of the toxins in my life has helped me to be more motivated.

So that’s how I’m feeling so far! Things are getting easier as the days go on. Saturday was tough because I did really want something with sugar in it (besides fruit), but I persevered and it went away. (Imagine that.)

I will keep updating you guys on the No Added Sugar Challenge that Charlie and I are doing. I’m so excited to see what 30 days of this does, seeing as just 6 has already been eye-opening. I’ll have Charlie check in with a post this week as well so you guys can see what changes he is noticing.

Take care guys!

Questions of the Day

1. Have you ever given up added sugar?

2. Do you use fake sugars on the regular? If so, how often?

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Santa Monica Wellness Festival & SKYDIVING {VIDEO}

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Good morning!

Hope your Tuesday is off to a good start. You guys saw a glimpse into my weekend….I think I’m still recovering!

It was such a blast surprising Charlie with his family coming to town. He had NO idea they were coming and I came up with a secret plan to get him to stay home from work that day. We had a ton of fun this weekend (if you missed it, you can see our photos here), and getting back into work-mode was tough!

20141019-201059-72659861.jpgSanta Monica Wellness Festival

In the midst of family fun, I was part of the workout demo crew for two different trainers competing in the Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce ‘Got Trainer?’ competition this past Saturday! It took place at the Santa Monica Wellness Festival that had a TON of vendors offering all kinds of fitness/health related items & information. I walked around for a bit and even ended up doing a bunch of pushups because I lost a challenge at one of the booths.

At around 1:30pm, it came time for the Trainer Challenge. There were 8 personal trainers competing in the challenge, and I was part of the demo for 2 of them. The segments were 5 minutes each, and of course, the two trainers I was working with went back-to-back. I basically did plyometrics, boxing, and other various exercises for 10 minutes straight. Thank goodness for adrenaline!! We didn’t win, but was SO much fun…I think I belong on a stage…working out. Is there a job like that? If not, I might have to make one…

The Iron Fitness crew.

The Iron Fitness crew.

iFly Indoor Skydiving

Speaking of jobs, unbeknownst to me, Universal City Walk has had an iFly Indoor Skydiving facility that nobody bothered to tell me about. (how rude! you’ll see why this relates to jobs later..)

Charlie’s sister got tickets to go try it, and I decided I needed to do it with them. The verdict? SOOOOO MUCHHHHHH FUNNNNN!!!!!!!

20141019-201013-72613962.jpgHere’s video of my experience…..the ending might be the funniest thing you watch today.

HAHA! Walking through that was SO HARD for me. Once I started laughing at myself, I couldn’t stop and moving was out of the question. Clearly.

Apparently when you get a job with them, you “have” to learn how to do a bunch of tricks and do a certain # of training hours. I’m thinking a career change is in order. I can sky dive for a job?!?!

This was my first time doing any form of skydiving, and I’m definitely looking into doing the real thing now. I HIGHLY recommend doing this if you’re ever in the Los Angeles area (or anywhere else that offers this).

Anyways, it’s back to work for me. Later today, I’ll have a post up about the 30 day No Sugar Added Challenge I’m doing….details coming soon!

Question of the Day

Have you ever gone indoor OR real skydiving? Do you love it?!

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My Weekend {pictures} + Leg Workout w/ Plyometrics

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Happy Monday peeps!

This weekend actually felt quite long (not that I’m complaining), so I feel good and refreshed coming into this week. Here’s some of the fun I had:

Saturday, I took a boxing class in the morning. It was quite the sweat session! There were 3 instructors bringing the pain for an hour. Even though it was tough, I had a blast. Can’t wait for tomorrow night’s class!

photo 1

After we showered up, I decided to get a my hair blown out before we headed to a music festival. It wasn’t a fancy festival or anything, but I just didn’t feel like doing my hair. -_-

Guys…I’m SUPER lazy with my hair. I either let it air dry or put it up in a top knot. I have SO much hair and it’s wavy/frizzy, so it can be a pain in the ass. stop-any-disease, once my hair was all done and pretty, and since I knew I’d actually be wearing NPC (normal-people-clothes) instead of gym clothes, I decided to do my makeup too! (Call it a national holiday! Alert the press!)

photo 2

We then headed out to the Eagle Rock Music Festival. It had promise, but ended up being somewhat of a fail. The vibe was really cool and very family-oriented, but the music was just meh. There were a LOT of DJ’s (not my thing…and I can’t understand what is entertaining about watching someone stand in one place pushing buttons on a laptop and turning discs….but I digress) and the only decent bands were playing in acoustically untreated buildings = muddy musical mess. We did see one latino band that was totally not my style of music, but TOTALLY GOOD. Had we known what the rest of our options were, we definitely would have stayed and watched them longer.

People standing around watching a DJ....I DON'T GET IT. WHAT IS THERE TO SEE?!

People standing around watching a DJ….I DON’T GET IT. WHAT IS THERE TO SEE?!

Sunday, we headed to the batting cages to hit some balls. As many of you know, I played on the guys’ baseball team growing up, so I love getting chances to play! Happy to know, I’ve still got it!

We watched a little bit of the Chiefs game, and then I headed to the sauna gym for a workout. We’re going through a major heatwave (…didn’t I move from AZ to get away from that?!), so the temps have been quite ridiculous. Like, 97 in Santa Monica ridiculous!

Leg Day Insanity

4 sets of

Superset #1: Barbell Squats at (95lbs x 15) w/ Medicine Ball Jump Squats (10lbs x 15)

3 sets of

Superset #2: Leg Extensions (50lbs x 15) w/ Supinated Hamstring Curls (50lbs x 15)

3 sets of

Superset #3: Barbell Walking Lunges (50lbs x 12 per leg) w/ Split Squat Jumps (bodyweight x 10 per side)

2 sets of

Superset #4: (1 leg at a time!!!) DB Step Up (20lbs x 10) w/ Step Up Jumps (bodyweight x 10)

I may or may not have walked out of the gym looking like I just jumped off a horse. As always, check with a doc before starting any new exercise routine. Use weights you’re comfortable with. I posted mine for reference, but you should do what is best for YOU.

Hope you guys have a great rest of your day! I’ll be back tomorrow with some more workouts for the week.

Be sure to check out my Ask Me Anything post and leave a comment with any questions you may have! I’ll be answering them all this week on the blog!

Question of the Day

1. What is the weather like in your part of the world? Still summer-like? Fall? Winter-y?

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Weekend Relaxation

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Good morning!

I started my day off with 20 minutes on the stairmill (per Monday usual) and a COFFEE. I love my coffee everyday, but it’s extra special on Mondays. 🙂

Weekend Fun

This weekend was really awesome. Friday night, my friend and I went to get full body reflexology massages. It was only $25 and was INCREDIBLE. It was definitely the type of massage that made you clench your teeth at times, but it was also super relaxing. They focused a lot on the feet, which was both painful and extremely ticklish! I have the most ticklish feet on the planet, so I had to take a lot of deep breaths to prevent myself from kicking my masseuse in the face.

Saturday morning, Charlie and I got up and hit the gym. He’s actually letting me put him on a training program (:-D!!!!!!) so he’ll be working out with me 3-4 times per week. We did the same back/biceps workout I did last week. It’s a scorcher!

4 sets of Pull Ups (as many as you can do on your own)

3 Supersets of T-Bar Row & DB Bicep Curls (10-12 reps of each)

3 Supersets of Banded Chin Ups & Rope Hammer Curls (6-8 chin ups & 12-15 hammer curls)

Afterwards, he went to the studio to get some work done while I chilled out at home. When he got back, we went to see No Good Deed

11179696_800I rate it an 8/10. The suspense was awesome and kept me entertained throughout, but it was a little predictable. There were definitely some twists and turns that surprised me, though! I say, go see it!

Sunday morning, we grabbed some coffee and drove down to Main Street in search of breakfast. We ended up at Firehouse, which is one of my favorites! It’s an old firehouse-turned-restaurant, and also happens to be right next to Gold’s Gym (a.k.a The Mecca). 4815559804_c44e96337b_bTheir menu has tons of options for bodybuilders and fitness freaks alike. I ended up getting what I always get, the Turkey Scramble. It’s just egg whites, ground turkey, tomatoes, and cilantro, but it’s SO SO good! I didn’t snap a photo, but it’s definitely worth re-creating at home!

After running some errands, we ended up at the park to play catch! This is something that we try to do whenever we can, as we both grew up playing baseball and we can keep up with eachother! Baseball (not softball) was MY sport…I played year round throughout my childhood and into my high school years. I was really good at it and had it been acceptable for a girl to play on my high school baseball team (Yes, I tried out and I was the last cut and was unofficially told it was because I was a girl), who knows where I would’ve ended up! They called me “The Vacuum” at first base for a reason! 😉

gloves

2014-04-20 16.00.47

Anyways, that was a really long-winded way of saying that I still love baseball and it has a really special place in my heart. The fact that I can go play ball with my man and he can keep up (and even show me up at times) makes me really happy.

The rest of our Sunday was spent watching movies and napping. It was GLORIOUS. We don’t do that very often, so it was nice to just go in and out of sleep on the couch for hours.

Workouts for the Week

Monday: 20 min. Stairmill + Chest/Triceps

Tuesday: Boxing

Wednesday: Legs

Thursday: Shoulders/Abs + Boxing

Friday: Back/Biceps

Saturday: Boxing

Sunday: Active Rest

You’ll notice there aren’t any planned rest days, but I will definitely take one if I feel like I need it. I always listen to my body and a shitty workout doesn’t do anybody any good.

Hope your Monday is off to a great start!

Question of the day

1. What was your main hobby growing up? (could be sport, arts, etc.)

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Labor Day + Boxing + Workouts + Homicide Hunter!!

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This post is going to be alllllll over the place. I haven’t blogged in a week and I have so much to say! LOL

Let’s start with Labor Day Weekend. It was such a great 3 days! Charlie and I did a good mix of relaxing, eating, and staying active. We ate Burger Lounge twice (my favorite turkey burger and fries EVER),

photo 3and watched about 500 episodes of Homicide Hunter.

photo 2OMG, have you seen this show? It is AMAZING. Lt. Joe Kenda is seriously THE MAN. I feel like I would admit to a murder I didn’t commit if I had to be interrogated by him. I can’t stop watching this show.

We also got in a great hike and a fun workout at the gym. The video below shows one of the most ridiculous combos I do. It doesn’t look that bad, but it literally kills me every time. It’s 3 pull ups, 3 push ups, 2 pull ups, 2 push ups, 1 pull up, 1 push up. That’s one set. This is my third. -_-

This week was busy  (and short!), so I did a lot of catching up on Tuesday, after not working on Monday. I love 3 day weekends, but the pile of work that ends up on my plate by Tuesday is a bit overwhelming. Here’s what my workouts were like this week:

Weekly Workouts 9/1-9/5/14

Sunday: Legs

Monday: Evening hike

Tuesday: 20 min. Stairmill + Shoulder/Chest Workout

Wednesday: Rest

Thursday: Full Body Circuit (for a commercial we filmed) + Boxing

Friday: Legs

Saturday: Possibly a hike?

Sunday: Rest or active recovery

Last night, I took a boxing class again. I took a break from boxing for a bit after I got a weird knot in my back. We have some new instructors at Iron Boxing now, so I decided to jump in again. IT WAS AMAZING. I literally sweated out everything in my body. At one point while I was hitting the mitts, I almost thought I was going to pass out. I was giving EVERYTHING I had and pushed myself to the limit. It was incredible and I cannot WAIT to go back. These new instructors are THE REAL DEAL!

IMG_6221

I’m gearing up for another great weekend of relaxing and spending time with some friends! (Oh, and obviously binge watching Homicide Hunter….)

Questions of the day:

Have you ever seen Homicide Hunter? (isn’t it the best?!!?!)

What is your favorite way to sweat?

 

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AMAZING Big Bear Weekend in Photos

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Wakeboarding!!!!

Wakeboarding!!!!

Panoramic View of our 7 mile hike in Big Bear!

Panoramic View of our 7 mile hike in Big Bear!

The Alpine Slide!

There are 2 pet ducks at the Pleasure Point Marina. They let you pet them and are seriously the cutest!

There are 2 pet ducks at the Pleasure Point Marina. They let you pet them and are seriously the cutest!

Charlie & I at the Alpine Slide in Big Bear!

Charlie & I at the Alpine Slide in Big Bear!

Another gorgeous hiking view.

Another gorgeous hiking view.

Intense hiking faces!

Intense hiking faces!

Climbing a big rock.

Harry, we've reached the top!

Harry, we’ve reached the top!

Charlie & I after a sweaty Sunday workout!

Now…..how do I convince Charlie that we need to move to Big Bear??? (seriously….)

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Workouts for the Week + BIG BEAR!

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Woohoo, we’re halfway through the week! It feels good. I don’t know about you guys, but I’m still pretty bummed about the passing of Robin Williams. I was fortunate enough to meet the guy, and he was just as nice and funny as he is in his movies. I don’t usually get this way when a celebrity passes away, but for some reason I think Robin Williams’ death has hit a lot of people much harder than usual.

Circa....2008?

Circa….2008?

Aside from that, this week has been pretty good. I did a tough workout on Monday and then did a tough leg workout Tuesday. Today I plan on bouldering and maybe just foam rolling. My body is kind of…..toast.

I am heading to Big Bear Lake with my man tomorrow for a few days of relaxation, hiking, and WAKEBOARDING!!! So my fitness will all be outdoors towards the end of the week.

Here’s my week:

Monday: Shoulders & Chest + KB Burpees (video below)

Tuesday: Legs & Plyos (Squats, Squat Jumps, Walking Lunges, KB Goblet Squats w/ Rotation, Jumping Lunges)

Wednesday: Bouldering + Foam Roll & Stretch

Thursday: Hiking in Big Bear

Friday: WAKEBOARDING!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (my favorite thing on the planet if you couldn’t tell)

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Hope everyone has a great rest of the week! I’ll be back next week with some photos, recipes, and more workouts!!

 

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Whirlwind Weekend + a Hotel Workout!

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Hey people!! How’s it hangin’?!

It’s a lovely Monday and once again, going to be a busy one. I’m cool with that, though. I had a fantastic weekend, and I’m ready to get back to work and my regular routine!

Thursday night, Charlie and I flew to Tucson, AZ for the weekend for the  Audio Pot Luck Con. It was an intimate gathering of audio engineers and audio companies, and we had a blast! So many great people and tons of geekiness going on. Just the way I like it.

photo 5

I finally got my Eegee’s too!

1/2 Strawberry, 1/2 Lemon

1/2 Strawberry, 1/2 Lemon

Friday morning, I got up to do a workout before heading over to the trade show. It kind of kicked my ass. The hotel had a decent gym, too, which was refreshing!

Hotel Gym Workout

Superset #1: 3 Sets

10 DB Curl to Shoulder Press (15lb DB’s)

10 Burpees

Superset #2: 3 Sets

10 DB Lateral Raise (10lb DB’s)

10 DB Alternating Front Raise (10lb DB’s)

10 DB Rear Delt Raise (10lb DB’s)

Superset #3: 3 Sets (Killer Finisher)

Ladder down 3-2-1

Pull Ups & Push Ups

(3 pull ups, 3 pushups, then 2 pull ups, 2 pushups, then 1 pull up, 1 push up = 1 set)

photo 1

After not getting much sleep over the past few weeks, we made up for it and slept in on Saturday! It felt good to not have to be up for something and to not have my mental alarm clock wake me up.

We spent Saturday at the convention and even tried to duck out in the afternoon to hang by the pool. I’m not even kidding, the MOMENT we got to the pool, it started pouring rain. Whomp whomp.

photo 3(you can’t tell it was raining here, but I assure you, it was.)

We ended up just going out for sushi and hanging out for the rest of the evening. We had an early flight (read: 4am wake up call) on Sunday morning, so we didn’t want to be out too, too late.

We got up Sunday at the crack of dawn, called our Uber driver friend who woke up especially for us, and hit the road for the airport. It was a quick flight and I was exhausted by the time we landed in LA. As soon as we got back to our apartment, I literally dropped my bags by the front door and crawled into bed. I ended up sleeping until 1pm. It was glorious.

I finished out my Sunday with a leg workout and some work. I feel refreshed after a great weekend and ready to take on the week!

1. Do weekends away make you less stressed or more stressed for the coming week?

2. What was your favorite thing you did this weekend?

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