Tag Archive for abs

12 Weeks…

LOL, I just re-read that title and realized that people might think I’m pregnant. I’M NOT.

Now, that we got that awkwardness out of the way….

Most people that know me well, know I’ve been through some ups and downs in my fitness journey. I went from competing in the NPC Bikini division, to spiraling into an eating disorder and gaining a bunch of weight, to finding my peace with food and leveling out at a healthy and good weight for myself. I’m not shredded, and I’m not even necessarily lean, but I’ve got definition, strength, and I’m happy with my body. I lost weight after recovering from my eating disorder and I’ve been able to maintain the same weight for about 2 years now without much thought or effort. I eat healthy foods 90% of the time, not caring much about how many grams of protein, carbs, or fat that I’m eating. I make sure to eat a well-rounded diet, I look good, and I’m happy.

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But I also know what I’m capable of and what I feel like on the inside. The person inside of me is a beast. If you’ve ever worked out with me, you get it. I work really hard in the gym and don’t ever give up. I’ve been working out consistently for 7.5 years with my longest break being maybe 3-4 days. In good times and bad, the gym has always been there for me. But you may not be able to tell that from the outside!

Now, I’m ready to step it up and show myself what I’m made of once again. I’ve harnessed the help of Sohee Walsh (if you don’t know who she is, you should find out because she’s awesome) to get me down to the lean machine I want to be. I want abs again and I’m ready to have them back.

Oh hello there.

I don’t miss the no boobs part!

I chose Sohee because she went down the exact same rabbit-hole that I did. She gets it.

Questions:

Could I do this on my own? Of course I could. But when you do something yourself, your own thoughts can persuade you into different directions. I know that I do better when I have someone else telling me what to do.

Am I going to do a crazy clean-eating diet that I did when I was getting ready to compete? No. I’m not. I’ll be counting macros (proteins, fats, carbs) and still allowing myself to eat what I want when it fits into my day and I’m craving them.

What will be the hardest part for me? Not eating as much fruit. I love my fruit. Seriously, it is my candy. I eat a rainbow of fruit every day. Fruit isn’t bad, but the amount of fruit I eat equates to lots of sugar and carbs. I’ll still be eating fruit, but not all-day-err-day like I do now. 🙂

So why am I telling the world this? Because as much as I HATE the thought of telling the world my goals and potentially failing and having the world laugh at me, I know that accountability is a real thing that works. Plus, doesn’t everybody like to watch someone else’s health and fitness journey? You’ve all been watching my journey in the gym for a while now, so it’s time to take the other side into play.

I’ll be sharing my successes, struggles, meals, and thoughts. I’ll be sharing my workouts and things I’m learning along the way. Sometimes, I might cry out for help when  I want to throw the towel in, but I’m going to do this for real. I’ve signed up for 12 weeks with Sohee, and I’m excited to see what my body is made of in those 12 weeks.

Thanks for following along on my journey and keeping me accountable….let’s go!!!

Day 9: No Sugar Challenge Update {w/ Progress Pictures!} + Funny Dog Costumes

Hey guys!

Happy *almost* Halloween!! I’m probably not dressing up this year (I haven’t in a few years), but I always love seeing all of the funny costumes people come up with (especially for their dogs and babies)! These are some of my favorites:

Dogs-Carrying-Box Top-Paw-Basketball-Player-Costume-for-VznIvT-DogsS2 Khloe-Kardashian-Dog-Costumes 100-silliest-pet-halloween-costumes-large-msg-134764278367 animalhlwn1Haha!!!! There are SO many more…but I’ll stop there.

Workouts: Week of Oct. 27th

Monday: Sprints + 20 min. HIIT on Stairmill + Legs

Tuesday: Shoulders + Abs

Wednesday: Chest/Triceps + Sprints

Thursday: Boxing (or possibly a rest day)

Friday: Sprints + Legs

Saturday: Rest

Sunday: Hike?

As you can see, I’ve recently started doing sprints at the track a few days a week! I started doing it to support my friend who’s competing, but I’ve been loving it and plan to keep it up. We keep it short and sweet while we’re there. We sprint the italia-meds (100 yds) and walk the curves. We have been doing about 3 laps each time, which equates to 6 sprints.

No Added Sugar Challenge Update

Today is officially Day 10! We’re 1/3 of the way there! Here’s how it’s going:

Feel: I feel good. I’m a bit more tired lately, but I think that has more to do with my workouts than with the challenge. I definitely feel more clear-headed.

Cravings: At first, the cravings for diet soda were really strong in the evenings, which is when I would usually drink it. I think it had more to do with the habit than anything else. That has gone away for the most part and I don’t really miss diet soda. I’ve definitely been wanting “something” lately and can’t pinpoint what it is. I guess just being able to have a bite of something sweet or having Maple Almond Butter instead of plain is something I didn’t realize I would miss, but totally do! Overall, I’m handling it fine. I’m eating better than I have in a long time, and fruit is tiding me over when I’m craving something extra.

Body: I’m wayyyy less bloated and less hungry. I didn’t realize how much fake sugars were affecting me, but as I said in my last update, the extremes of hunger and fullness aren’t as extreme. Sure, I get super hungry, but it’s different. I also don’t get as full because I think my body is better able to tell when I’m truly full as opposed to just craving more.

Progress: (I’m taking photos as I go through this challenge to see what happens. I’m not changing my diet at all aside from cutting out added sugar and fake sugars, so I wanted to see what effect that would have on me.)

I can definitely see the changes between Day 1 and Day 9. I’m excited to see what I look like on Day 30!

day1 day9Well, that’s all I’ve got for now! I hope everyone has a Happy Halloween! Eat some candy for me please!!!!!! :'(

Questions of the Day:

1. Do you incorporate sprints into your workouts?

2. Do you take in fake sugars? If so, in what form?

 

 

Full Body Attack Workout + Video!

It’s THURSDAY….which means it’s almost FRIDAY….and that means the weekend is almost upon us. Can you tell I’m excited?

This week has been weird. I feel a little off and the pressure seems to be “on”. I know it will pass, but it’s definitely brought out the introvert in me. Hopefully all my friends and co-workers won’t hate me for being so stand-offish this week. 😀

Yesterday, I had a small window to workout and decided to make the most of it. I wrote the workout down and immediately knew it was going to be really tough and I wouldn’t be getting much rest (due to my time constraint). I went into my “mode” and just worked through it. Here’s what I did:

Full Body Attach - Untitled Page

This workout was tough! If you want to try it with some modifications, just leave a comment. 🙂

In other news, I may have mentioned that one of the trainers at my gym is entered into a competition to be Santa Monica’s Best Personal Trainer! We have a competition on October 18th, and I’m one of the people she’s training. We took some video the other day as a sneak-peek of what we’re doing. Video is below!

Well, that’s all I’ve got for today. Stay tuned Friday for the answers to my Ask Me Anything post! There’s still time to get some of your questions in. (And thank you to those that e-mailed me your questions! I’ll be answering those as well! :-))

Manic Monday & Back Workout!

Woahhhhhhhh. Somehow when I woke up on Monday, I just knew it was going to be “one of those days.” I even took the proper precautions and got my HIIT done in the morning so that I’d be better prepared for a shit storm. It didn’t turn out to be as bad as I thought, but to say it was stressful would be an understatement. A 12 hour Monday is a lot to take in when you still have four more days in the week! Oh well, hopefully I got the hard stuff out of the way.

This little girl definitely helped cheer things up. Isn’t she the cutest?

Even still, I was able to get in a pretty good back/biceps/abs workout. I threw in the abs just because. I rarely do abs (usually only when someone tricks me into it) but thought it would be good to start doing them here and there. 😀 I use and engage my abs during basically every exercise I do, which is why I don’t typically do specific exercises for them, but it certainly is something I should do more of!

This was short and sweet, just the way I like it. I SOOO prefer to do supersets and work my ass off for 30-40 minutes as opposed to longer workouts with long rest periods. Of course, when I’m lifting heavier, I need the longer rests, but if I’m doing slightly higher reps, screw the rest time! I’m too impatient! Here’s what I did:

Back/Bis/Ab Workout

Superset #1: (bw=bodyweight)

Chin Ups:

Set 1 – bw x 5, Set 2 – bw x 4, Set 3 – bw x 4

Hanging Leg Raise

Set 1 – bw x 12, Set 2 – bw x 12, Set 3 – bw x 12

Superset #2:

Lat Pulldown (double pulley)

Set 1 – 35 x 15, Set 2 – 35 x 15, Set 3 – 35 x 15

EZ Bar Curl

Set 1 – 40 x 12, Set 2 – 40 x 12, Set 3 – 40 x 10

Superset #3:

One Arm Cable Row (using seated row cable)

Set 1 – 25 x 15, Set 2 – 25 x 15, Set 3 – 25 x 15

DB Hammer Curl

Set 1 – 15 x 15, Set 2 – 17.5 x 10, Set 3 – 17.5 x 10

Finisher:

Opposite Hand to Foot Full Sit Ups

Set 1- bw x 20, Set 2 – bw x 20

This workout was good! The chin ups always get me. I was surprised that I did 5 in a row! I haven’t done them in a few weeks and was worried I wouldn’t be able to do them at all. 😀

pull up pic

(Me doing pull ups a few months ago)

I’m planning on hitting legs today, and specifically deadlifting. I feel like I’ve been focusing on squats a TON lately (because I’m trying to get better at them) and I’ve neglected the deadlifts a bit.

I just have to say, while I’ve been squatting for years, a few months ago I decided to focus on going heavier with better form. I always shied away from heavy squats because I wasn’t good at them, and many moons ago, I sort of injured my back by going too heavy too soon. I was new to lifting and just didn’t give myself ample time to work up to heavier weights. It kind of freaked me out a bit and so I just kept my weights fairly light and never went too heavy throughout the years. I wanted to start working on heavier weights and really just decided to start from the beginning. I started with the weight I was comfortable with and just practiced. Each time I’d do squats, I’d add a little bit more weight. I wouldn’t go any heavier until I was hitting below parallel and in good form. Once I mastered that weight, I’d up the weights just a touch more. I’ve been doing this for the last few months and HOLY COW my butt has lifted! I started noticing it a few weeks ago and it’s pretty awesome. I’m able to go heavier than I have in years, I squat below parallel, and my butt is looking amazing. Who’da thought?

The moral of the story? SQUAT. HEAVY. A LOT.

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Anyways, that’s all I’ve got. I’m getting ready to crack away at Tuesday’s to-do list and then get my legs-a-movin’! Have a wonderful Tuesday friends!

Monday Food Diary + Abs Pic

Another Monday in the books. Glad I got that one out of the way! It was a good, but busy one! (aren’t they always?)

Workouts

On the workout front, I got my 20 minutes of HIIT on the stairmill in + a bouldering session at Rockreation. I got WORKED at Rockreation. I didn’t take many breaks and was completely sweaty by the end….and I was only there for about 35 minutes! Such a fun sport. I’m so glad I was introduced to it years ago and re-introduced since I’ve been back here in LA.

 

Food Diary Monday, 6/24/14

On the food front, I journaled what I ate yesterday for you guys. I’ll be honest, my breakfast isn’t anything to be proud of. I forgot to make breakfast and this was my best option with the time I had.

Breakfast:

Americano w/ Nonfat Milk

Nugo Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Bar

Snack:

Americano w/ Nonfat Milk

Lunch:

Paleo Beef Burger (Ground beef, guacamole, lettuce, tomato, ketchup)

Side of fresh fruit

Snack:

Quest Cookies n Cream Bar

Dinner:

Salmon, Avocado, & Brown Rice Sushi (the perfect ratio of protein, fat, carbs)

Mango Slices

Grapes

I realize that I’m a really weird eater, by the way. I eat a lot of fruit. And could easily eat a bag of grapes in one sitting (and often do). I need to be better about my breakfast and morning snack options (Coffee really doesn’t count! Just a busy morning). It’s helpful to look back at a day and see what I’m missing. I could definitely use some veggies, hello! I’ll double up today at lunch. 😉 (Maybe I’ll even take photos of my food one of these days! Haha…i’ll try…)

Here’s what my abs looked like after dinner last night. I’m going to try to take a few each week to see the changes. I’ll also try to take one in the morning before I’ve eaten or drank anything. The difference is quite large…

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I’ll be heading down to ABA this evening for a Boxing class. I love boxing and ABA is definitely is the best sweat in Los Angeles. You don’t leave ANYTHING when you take those classes. It’s awesome.

Trying to get a bunch of work done early in the week so that I can jet out early on Friday and head home to hang with my family. I don’t like the 6 hour drive, but I miss them and want to hang with my cute little nephew, sister, brother, dad, and some friends.

Seriously?! Look at him!!!

Seriously?! Look at him!!!

Questions for the Day:

1. What meal is the hardest for you to stay on track with?

(Mine is breakfast just because I’m always rushing out the door. )

2. Have you ever journaled your food? Did it help you?

 

 

Workout Plan + Weekend Pics

Traveling always makes me lose track of the days and times. This weekend, I was in Arizona spending time with my family. I’m here until Tuesday, but I’m feeling like I have no sense of anything! Strange how that is.

Thursday was spent driving, so I took it as a rest day and left it at that. By Friday, I was itching for a workout. I didn’t have much time, so I created my own workout in my dad’s living room.

5 Rounds of: 

-10 Squats

-5 Push Ups

-10 Jump Squats

-15 V-Ups

-10 Jumping Lunges

Afterwards, I did 3 sets of:

-15 Wide Stance Squats (holding my laptop bag filled with cans of beans as a weight!!)

-10 Burpees

This workout took me about 15 or 20 minutes and was the perfect heart rate boost/sweat sesh. You really can get a great workout ANYWHERE!

On Saturday morning, the boyfriend and I headed to the gym for a workout. We did a mixture of Deadlifts, Pull Ups, Glute Kicks on the Reverse Hyper, and DB Military Press. We finished off with a burner using the sled. It was pretty killer and we were both WIPED afterwards.

Workout Plan for the Week: 

Monday: Home Workout (Probably similar to what I did Friday)

Tuesday: Full Body Workout at the gym

Wednesday: CrossFit + Rock Climbing

Thursday: Heavy Lift + Boxing

Friday: 15 min. HIIT + Rock Climbing

Saturday: CrossFit

Sunday: Hike

This is tentative and likely will fluctuate a little bit, but it’s where I’m starting.

And for your viewing pleasure, some photos from the last few days!

AZ Sunrise

AZ Sunrise

 

 

My little bro and I :-)

My little bro and I 🙂

Country Car on a Country Road

Country Car on a Country Road

 

Beautiful Mountain Scenery

Beautiful Mountain Scenery

 

My babe and I in the mountains!

My babe and I in the mountains!

Feeling thankful this weekend for the people in my life. Life is a crazy road and lately it has been testing me, but I’m just taking things one day at a time and making sure I take care of myself. Eating healthy, working out, working hard, and enjoying the moments.

Question of the Day: 

What are you MOST thankful for?

What are some ways you “slow it down” when you’re feeling overwhelmed?