This is definitely not a healthy recipe, but if you’ve been following me long, you know I’ve got a sweet tooth. If I’ve learned anything about my sweet tooth, it’s that if I deprive 100% it turns into a binge monster. What better to enjoy …
Exercise is life up in here. If I miss my workout, I tend to be grumpy, less patient, and if I miss it repetitively I tend to get a little depressed. There’s no secret that I’m a sweaty beast when I work out, my kids …
Week 3 of Me
This week didn’t go 100% as planned but allowing flexibility in my routine has become important. It’s easy for me to become “obsessed” about not missing a workout. But I know that becoming obsessed over my workout results in a lack of satisfaction throughout the rest of my day. It can trigger me to beat myself up for “slacking.” I couldn’t be happier with my growth towards being a little more spontaneous.
Day 15: Total Body
There is nothing like getting outside for a workout. Especially on a day that’s a perfect temperature for a workout. Doing burpees in the damp grass is the perfect prep for a Spartan Race. I made it just past the 10 box jumps and I plan to repeat this “test” in two weeks to see how my speed and endurance has improved.
Day 16: Snow Day
Today was Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, meaning, no school. I was able to go to the mountain with all 3 baby bears.
If there was one thing I could get people who don’t enjoy exercise to do, it would be to find something fun to do. Even if you aren’t doing a workout routine, you are still getting in movement which is good for the body. I’m not actually sore after our day at the mountain but I know my kids are! I’m giving credit to regular squats and squat jumps lately. I workout for that reason, I want to be able to enjoy active living without feeling like I need to take a break to catch my breath.
Day 17: Legs (with a bit of chest)
I ❤️ my new workout toy!
Day 18: Mashup of Stuff
I think dead lifts are probably my most favorite move. I think it’s because I’m sore every time I do them. There’s nothing quite like getting a workout done and waking up the next morning knowing why you’re sore. I’d rather know why I’m aching than ache because I wasn’t active and received an injury because of that.
Day 19: Arms
Preparing for this routine I decided to load up my barbell with 50 lbs. I picked it up and attempted to get a barbel curl done and I couldn’t do it. When I was going to the gym I remember doing curls on the machine with 50 lbs and struggling but getting it done. Then my 15 year old son came in, and picked up the barbell like it was a stick and busted out multiple curls with no problem. Let me tell you, I know that men are built physically stronger, but I am pushing harder than before because I’m not ready for him to be stronger than me yet!
The hardest part of today’s workout was the rest between sets. It’s crucial to get that time in so that your energy restores and you are able to complete the next set.
Day 20: Legs
Running, then adding in some harder workouts is great for endurance training. Running may be tough but putting a harder move between makes it seem almost like a rest time returning to your run. This intern makes your running ability stronger. I’m excited to see how my running times improve adding this technique into my routine.
Day 21: Rest Day
Forcing myself to rest is tough. But I have learned that rest days are necessary for recovery. I think I did more sitting today than I’ve done in a month. I may actually be starting to enjoy it.
I don’t think I could ever get too much soup, it’s one of those things I could eat every day during the cold winter months. I’ve learned so much about the different benefits of eating beans and cabbage, garlic and onions, peas and lentils, and …
Week 2 of Me: I’m learning to love pushing myself past my own expectations again. Boot camp at the gym was such a driving force before because I wanted to compete with whoever it was next to meet busting out push ups too. Having signed …
Procrastinator is my middle name, disorganized is my second middle name…
Ever since I finished my first Spartan Race I wanted more from fitness, like to be able to help people with their fitness goals. Two years later I decided I wanted to be come a personal trainer. I did my research, there were so many online certifications that I wanted to make sure the one I had chosen was a good choice. I went to my old gym and asked what they like. Decided to go with NASM as my school of choice. Bought my fancy learning program and book and stayed dedicated for about two or three weeks before the summer arrived. I then slacked off and it was time for me to take my test. Well, I didn’t pass it and personal training sat on the back burner because I lacked the confidence, motivation, self direction to stick to a study schedule. Finally decided to start studying again and felt confident I would pass and paid for my test. Talk about a blow to my confidence, I failed by 1 point. Again I put it on the back burner. Until now…
I have come to realize that I am a hands on learner, trying to read from a textbook is BORING! Learning the muscle names, which ones are weak vs which ones are strong requires a visual for me. Names are not my strong point, why else do you think I’m super focused on brain health also. I am super thankful for YouTube! Part of my New Years resolution of 2017 was to get my certification done and hitting December 31st was a punch in the gut. It made me realize that no one is going to study for me, if I want to learn it, I need to do it!
Learn it, apply it!
This is my theme for the year. I’m being my own guinea pig and designing my own workout routines. The best part of doing this is I can give myself real feedback. I’ll know what is working or isn’t working for my goals. Only downside is that everyone’s goals aren’t the same. That just means I’ll need to study a bit more on those possible clients in the book (or YouTube.)
My proposed schedule.
Unofficial Day 1:
Um hello! I loved this workout! I got to use equipment that I haven’t busted out in a long time. Although I was aiming for a 20 minute sweat session and ended up with around 30 minutes. Doing the Bosu Skip Lunge showed me the importance of balance, my right leg was oddly less balanced than my left.
Day 2:
My back is definitely weak. I decided to stack Chest & Back day as more strength targeted for that reason. In hindsight I would probably change out the handstand holds to something a little more active. Also, when I decide to use the handstand hold again, I’d reduce hold times because that was pretty impossible for me to hold for 30 seconds the first time, let alone the 3rd as a beginner.
Day 3:
Somehow I did the math wrong on this and thought 1 round would be good. Realized at the 10 minute mark it needed to be doubled. I love circuit style workouts because you get a break after each move. One thing that could be improved was there was no time to transition to the next move.
Day 4:
Today’s workout was 22 Minute Hard Corps inspired. Mountain squats were on my mind and I couldn’t remember what they were called so I flipped through the videos to find them, and a few other moves too. That move looks so simple but it is tough!
Day 5:
Arms… my least favorite workout. I of course made sure to include burpees, Spartan Prep. Arms felt like jello!
I was fully expecting this workout to leave my arms sore but they weren’t, which tells me I should have used heavier weights with this style of workout.
Day 6:
Dead lifts, they are my jam! Cleans, not so much. Definitely something that needs work, form wise. The 30 seconds on and 10 seconds off was perfect for using the jump rope and resistance bands, made the transition much smoother. To make the burn more with the lunges, I might try not alternating legs, do left leg first round, right leg second, then alternate on the 3rd round next time.
Day 7:
Rest day, yay!!!
What I learned?
This is fun! It’s amazing what can be done when I put my mind to it. I’m excited to see how next week goes, and yes, I’ll be sharing that progress here too. I hope you enjoy the process as much as I am.
Yup, it’s that time again. Goal setting, new commitments, lifestyle changes. Hooray!!!Go big or go home right?!? Nope. Let me tell you why… (Unless you are that one in a million.) Change is hard! Change is even harder when you try to pile on 20 …
My family loves burger night. Have you ever had the Morning Star Farms Roasted Garlic and Quinoa burger patties? Those are my favorite pre-made burgers. I try to avoid soy where I can because my body doesn’t seem to like it much. I’m so glad …
Troy decided to watch “What the Health?” again this weekend and it got me thinking about our diet. I was actually cooking while he was watching it but my ears were perked the whole time. I’ve been preparing vegan food in our house for almost 2 years now. The first year we ate a lot of the fake processed Tofurky meats, in an effort to replace what we’d removed. It was a good stepping stone for us. This last year has been a lot of trial and error, and some wins of course! The point is that we all have to start somewhere.
✨ The meals should be varied. The same dishes, prepared in the same way, should not appear on the table meal after meal and day after day. The meals are eaten with greater relish, and the system is better nourished, when the food is varied.✨ Ministry of Healing
I’ll be the first to admit that I could eat the same thing almost everyday and never tire. The hubs on the other hand, gets tired of something if he’s had it twice in two weeks. Because I have allowed myself to get into the “same stuff all the time” rut, and also slid into an “eat something sugary every day” habit at the same time, I decided it was time for a change.
Hello, Binder Full of Goodness!
I made up this binder way before I became vegan. I clipped recipes from the newspaper, restaurant magazines, recipes friends have shared, and even printed some off from the internet. After digging through and eliminating all the pot roasts, I mean how many recipes did I really need for that? I narrowed it down to the recipes I could make vegan, a big ol’ thank you to the experience I’ve gained in the last two years!
I wanted to share with you one of the recipes I tried this weekend. Too good not to share, I tweaked it a bit but wish I could give credit to whoever created the original!
Aztec Squash Soup
Yum, Yum, Yum
I enjoyed this soup the first time, and as left overs the second time I ate it. I’m sure I’ll enjoy it when I take out the portion I froze for a later day too. Above I mentioned I’d share with you my favorite vegan broth, but I actually have two. The one on the left is probably my most favorite but I wanted to share a tip that I got for the other one. I used McKay’s for today’s recipe but it also works out really well as a topping for popcorn with a little bit of nutritional yeast. So good! Please be sure to subscribe to get notified when I share new recipes!
I remember eating the pumpkin seeds after carving pumpkins every year as a kid. When my kids were little, I had tried making them a few times with no success. I think the problem was that I kept using oil. After hunting through recipes, I …