Thou Shalt Not Fail

Article titled Thou Shalt Not Fail: Ten Commandments for Bodybuilding Success from Status Fitness Magazine.

1.) Thou shalt utilize correct technique.


2.) Thou shalt incorporate cardio when necessary.


3.) Thou shalt consume enough protein.


4.) Thou shalt rest and recover.


5.) Thou shalt supplement wisely.


6.) Thou shalt train with high 
intensity.


7.) Thou shalt think like a champion.


8.) Thou shalt eat like a champion


9.) Thou shalt experiment with different training programs and methods.


10.) Thou shalt become educated on all aspects of training and nutrition.

crossfit du jour

Warm Up:
10 dislocates
10 push ups
10 double unders
10 hip rotations
2 10 sec pigeon pose
10 side 2 side lunges
10 good mornings
10 double unders

Skill:
5-5-5-5-5
deadlift, for 50-80% of 5 rep max

WOD:
"Renegades of Squat"
for total number of reps, X3
1 min front squat
1 min rest
1 min back squat
1 min rest
1 min air squat
1 min rest

Results:
DL: 115
Reps: 189
weight: 65lbs (both front and back squats)

So everyone in the last workout last night was whining about how sore their upper bodies were and written on the board beside the title of this workout were the words "you asked for it!" I couldn't help but laugh. Muscles just on the inside of my hipbone are sore, muscles I didn't know I have, which is a good sign. Going down the stairs to my apartment my legs almost gave out, and after the workout while bending over to put my shoes on, they actually did. Long story short: awesome but deadly workout. I love that I get this kind of burn when in all actuality I was only working out for a total of 9 minutes. Also, I didn't take any pictures like I thought I would, but I did my warm up with my gas mask on. I need to get used to doing challenging things with it on for training this summer so I figure I'll start wearing it in the warm ups and then maybe work up to doing some other things with it on, maybe a run or skipping intervals or something.

I was all grumpy because I have class until 9 tonight when I looked at the course website and realized.. I don't actually have seminar tonight! It's next week! Hoorah! Dishes and homework it is! And maybe some birthday present shopping for hubby.

Hubby is turning the big two - seven on Saturday and I've been trying to figure out what to get him. He said he wanted (TMI) me to get something sexy but I think thats too cliche and is better off as a surprise anyways so I said no. Instead I'm going to surprise him with rock climbing lessons at a local indoor place. He's mentioned a few times that it looks cool and it's something he's wanted to try. I hope he's excited! I also want to find him a really fancy cupcake because he's been trying to eat clean as well but he was a cook for a long time and really appreciates a good dessert. So much to do, so little time!

crossfit du jour

Warm Up:
10 hollow rocks
10 supermans
10 hand release push ups
10 pull ups
10 3 sec squat holds


Strength:
2 times through
30 sec side plank raises
30 sec rest
30 sec side plank raises, other side


WOD:
60 walking lunges
50 OH squats (75 / 45 lbs)
40 slam balls (20 / 16 lbs)
30 push press (75 / 45 lbs)
20 KB crunches (16 / 12 kg)
1.6 km run or row

Results:
Time: 24:16 - a little off, Deb accidentally stopped the clock before I got back but after a minute or so got it back.
Lunges: RX
OH squats: 25lbs
Slam balls: RX
Push Press: RX
KB Crunches: RX
Run: RX

See that? I RXed everything but the OHS. I am so close to an RXed workout I can taste it! (It tastes surprisingly like dark cocoa almond milk... coincidence?) I'm glad I chose to run instead of row even though it was hard and cold. I've had frostbite on my legs so they were pretty sensitive but all is well now. I bailed on one of the overhead squats lol. I find it so hard to keep myself tight esp. when I'm getting tired and I just went down. Like always it seemed like it was in slow motion and on my way down I was thinking "welp.. what do I do with the bar?". I wound up throwing it infront of me, and of course everyone stopped to look and see if I was okay. Embarrassing, but they should know by now that I fall and I always make it back up, LOL. As much as it's from weakness, I'm kind of proud because when I bail I know I literally gave my ALL and that is all I can ask. Hopefully I'll have some surprise pictures for you. Which aren't a surprise anymore so hopefully I come through.

Also I got some comments from people saying they'd like to work out with me.. I'd like to work out with you too! Maybe one day we can set up a challenge where we all do some sort of tabata workout or something that we can do at home without any equipment and post our times, then do it again a few weeks down the line and see if we can improve. I think that'd be a blast.

Pump Up Song: Click Click Boom - Saliva

++++++++++

the only thing standing between you and your goal is that bullshit story you keep telling yourself as to why you can't acheive it. - Jason Belfort

I googled Jason Belfort thinking he'd be some awesome inspirational personal trainer or something. I don't watch Biggest Loser, I'm out of the loop, maybe he got a gig on there. Nope, he is a white collar criminal who spent 22 months in jail. But shit did he get some stuff done before that.

lack of activity destroys the good condition of every human being, while movement and methodical physical exercise save it and preserve it. – Plato

Even Plato knew it, and this was before the days of the CEO, before the majority of the population was sitting at a desk at least 8 hours a day while 'hunting and gathering' lunch from the nearest vending machine.

money is the most envied, but the least enjoyed. Health is the most enjoyed, but the least envied.  - Charles Caleb Colton

I cannot understand the people who get the big house, the fancy car, but don't look after their own bodies. I live in a an apartment in a couples basement. I don't go without but I certainly don't have much either. It doesn't matter. I have love and I have crossfit and I have never felt so good in my life.

the man who can drive himself further once the effort gets painful is the man who will win. – Roger Bannister

This is actually something that bothers me a lot. I think it's crazy that society today is so lazy that people think that an exercise hurting means they should stop. It reminds me of the movie wall-e. Are you injured, or are you hurt? Because they are two different things, and one is imperative for success. I used to leave crossfit thinking 'oh man I can't wait for the day that it stops hurting' and now I embrace the pain, because I know that when my muscles have time to rest and heal themselves that pain will turn into strength that I didn't have before.

leave all the afternoon for exercise and recreation, which are as necessary as reading. I will rather say more necessary because health is worth more than learning. – Thomas Jefferson

I personally love this quote, only because I think people put way to much emphasis on a secondary education nowadays (specifically university). I feel like I was kinda duped into it but I blame no one but myself, because I should have thought for myself. There is almost a stigma - you have to go to university to succeed! Not trade school or college, because God forbid you learn a useful skill. I loved the book World War Z for this because it explored just how f*cked our society would be if we had to fight for our own survival, because now a days a huge percentage of the population are CEOs or Music Appreciation Whatevers, bullshit titles that don't translate into any sort of functional skills outside of capitalism and specifically the model that we've created. Yes, I'm whining and I also just tried to use World War Z as a credible source.. But come on, its a sick book.

crossfit du jour

Warm Up:
3x
6 shuffle + burpee
5 wall squat + hold
10 dislocates + good mornings
5 toes to bar

Skill:
10-1-1-1-1-1
bench press for one rep max

WOD:
AMRAP 8 min
10 bench press (60% max)
10 atomic sit ups (14lb)
2 min rest
AMRAP 8 min
10 squats (holding 25lb plate)
10 pull ups ( I used the black band, RX would be no band)

Results:
BP 1 rep max: 85lbs
1st AMRAP: 6 rounds + 5 BP w/ 50lb bench and 14lb atomic sit up
2nd AMRAP: 4 rounds + 10 squats + 5 pull ups w/ 25lb plate and black band


I got to partner with D. on the bench presses which was nice. She is really fit so it was cool watching her go and it was our first time partnering together. She was very nice and encouraging.

Wanted to say thanks to everyone who commented on my last post. The consensus seems to be the same, a cheat is not only okay but actually probably a pretty good idea. There was lots of thought put into each comment and I'd say they are def. worth checking out if you're interested in the subject and have a minute! (check out their blogs too because they are all great writers and interesting people :D )

Pump Up Song: Hot Action Cop - Going Down On It

*While looking for the video to post here I realized I have the non-explicit version, and the explicit version is f*cking filthy! LOL! I posted the cleaner one here.

forgive me blogger, for I have sinned

I was really iffy on wether or not I would even post this, but after some time to think it through I figured what the hell. It's my blog and hiding the truth isn't going to change it.

I have been eating 100% paleo / clean for a little over a month now. The gains have been astronomical and since late December I have lost 12lbs (142 - 130) while still gaining muscle. The changes in my body are insane. While exercise has a lot to do with it, clean eating has been the moving force behind everything.

With the obligatory positive intro in place, it is now time to get to the nitty gritty.
Lately I have been craving some of my old favorites like MAD. I felt like if I didn't figure something in, I was going to give up and go back to my old habits. My solution is one many of you will scoff at - a 3 day cheat.

I chose to space my cheat over such a long time period because there were a lot of foods that I'd been craving and I wanted to satisfy all my itches (I know, not really reasonable) and I wanted to make sure that I was doing it in the healthiest way possible as opposed to one uber binge-fest (I have issues with binge eating and hope it is something I never do again).

Friday:
Throughout the day, I had a granola bar, 5 junior mints and kraft dinner.

Saturday:
Throughout the day I had hawaiian pizza, a chocolate chip muffin and an ice cap.

Sunday:
Throughout the day I had bread and butter, a poutine, and a cream egg.

Although I don't track, I did this weekend and kept in my calories each day. I made sure that everything I ate that wasn't a specific cheat that I had allowed myself was extremely high quality.

I exercised Friday and Sunday, but needed to keep at least one weekend rest day.

My findings:
Things taste different now, not as good as I remember (although many still yummy) and not as satisfying. Especially with the ice cap I had a HUGE energy burst - often resulting in me behaving like a buffoon in public - and then a massive carby crash. After each thing I got a little nauseaus, and especially the pizza almost made me vomit.

I will report at the end of the week on wether this was a good idea that curbed my cravings or not, and wether it had a large negative effect on my weight and fitness.

Although the paleo challenge I'm in is still on, when it ends on March 5th I think I will introduce a cheat meal once per week so that I don't feel the need to do something as drastic and likely damaging as what I did this weekend was.

What Worked:
- spreading out the 'cheats' to avoid a binge
- consuming high quality foods for everything aside from the cheats
- exercising: I feel this helped offset the carb crash just a little bit

What Didn't Work:
- eating so much garbage in a short time has me feeling a little sick
- doing it while still being in the paleo competition, lol
- one of the main authors on the paleo diet says that you can see the benefits of paleo by eating 100% paleo 80% of the time. I think cutting out everything is a great plan, but being the weak-willed woman I am it is important to have more foresight than I had in this past month.

Another thing:
Hubby and I weren't supposed to see each other this weekend. He got back from the field late Friday and the weather was so bad I asked him not to come down. But then Saturday while on my way to the school library to do some work, I turned right instead of left. Then left instead of right. And soon I was on my way to his town. 4 hours later I was there with little more than a couple of school books. I have a key to his room so I hid in a corner and asked him to go to his room and see if he could find something I left there. Scared the poop out of him - was awesome. It was nice to do something spontaneous and see the look on his face when I got there. It made me feel so special to see how happy I could make him, and I made him feel special as well by surprising him by doing a four hour drive just so we could spend 24 hours together. Well worth it. I look forward to next weekend (he'll be turning the big 2-7!) and we'll be able to spend the whole thing together.

what do you think of the cheat weekend - good or bad? what would you change? is it possible to eat 100% clean 100% of the time?

I'm thinking I might get a new asshole with this one ;)

exercise

I'm going to have to stop posting this crossfit du jour bull - poop. It is taking up far to much space and I imagine anyone who follows me is only a hair away from clicking the unfollow button because I'm always blowing up their feed.

With the said I'm going to - and I'm sure we've all heard or said this before - do one last one!

Thurs:
Normally my rest day, went to badminton with dad again and played at least 6 games. So fun and I'm going to have to look for a pick up league around my school.

Fri:
Drove in the worst weather of the year 2 hours to get to crossfit, was no dissapointed.

Warm Up:
X2
10 dislocates
10 pull ups
10 step ups on a box equal to or higher than your hip
30 single unders

Skill:
max push ups

WOD:
AMRAP
10 push press
10 KBS
10 box jumps

Results:
PP: 45 lbs
KBS: 12kg
box jump: 20 inches
Rounds: 9 + 5PP
Max Push Ups: 19

last night

My dad plays badminton. He was a champ in his day and trains champs. Ya I'm bragging a little and you can hold it against me but I'm proud of him. I'm at my parents house for weds-thurs-fri during my reading break ( those days chosen because they won't interfere with my crossfit sched. how depressing). Dad was going to badminton last night and I asked if I could join. We spent about two and a half hours there playing games (obv. there were also rests). I lost a lot of my junior high badminton skills but my newfound fitness made the whole thing a lot easier and I did get a couple of good shots in. It was really nice being able to move around the court for the entirety of a game without getting tired or giving up. It was really nice being able to clear it from the back end of my side to the back end of the opponents side. It was really nice hanging out with my dad and his friends (although we both agree, this one guy was a dick. He told me my school/degree/job are all worthless and I should switch to his sons everything. I can tell you right now the majority will tell you his sons shit is all worthless so.. nanananana). But yes, overall great night and it was something functional where I can compare my before and after and it was great

I realized I'm on this fitness journey not to look a certain way (although that is an added benefit). I want to be more effective. I want to be strong. I want to be able to physically do all of the things that people, especially men, have told me I can't do. I want to hear the naysayers, and then not only prove them wrong but do better than they themselves can.

why do you do this?

crossfit du jour

Warm Up:
15 double unders
10 push ups
10 squats
15 double unders
10 instep lunges
10 pull ups
15 double unders
10 dislocates
10 I don't remembers

Skill:
3 x row 500m, interspersed through workout, looking for new PR
I did before warm up, after warm up, and at end of class

WOD:
70% max dead lift
Every minute, on the minute, for 12 minutes, do:
2 dead lifts
7 burpees

Results:
Dead Lift: 130lb 
Burpees: Modified
completed all 12 rounds
Row: best was 2:09, same as my old PR

I used the black band (2nd lowest) doing the pull ups in the warm up. I can only crank out about five before my hands give out (I can do a couple more if I'm wearing gloves). It was kind of cool, though, because my limitation is the pain in my hands, not my ability to get to the bar, so I wound up pulling to hard on the first one and I liked it so I finished off the pull ups as chest-to-bars.

yeah, more crossfit stuff

Crossfit or Seizure?

The description of this video says "why you should never talk to a crossfitter at the gym". I have no idea why or what this is and it's a little vulgar but I laughed pretty hard and thought I'd share it.

Where Crossfit Can Take You

Anybody Can Do Anything

A huge part of crossfit is scaling the workout to your own ability. To date I haven't used the prescribed weight in a workout. This video shows an amazing young woman who demonstrates that not only can anyone crossfit, anyone can do anything they set their mind too.

Anyone Can Crossfit

Talks about scaling, the atmosphere, benefits, and probably more stuff that I like about crossfit. I don't know I'm starting to get tired, it's late.

My take on all of this?

First off, I didn't realize it was law to use some crappy loud song in your crossfit video.. Just joking! Second off, my definition of crossfit is a little shorter than most of these videos. To me, crossfit is ordinary people doing extraordinary things. At my gym there are men and women who went from obese to a level of fitness on par with the best people in these videos in a year or two. No magic pills, no surgery, just commitment and hard work, that I think is fostered in the crossfit community. I love crossfit. Do crossfit, don't, but I'd feel guilty if I didn't try my best to share the one thing that got me fitness after a lifetime of searching!

crossfit du jour

Warm Up:
3x
10 body rows
10 supermans
10 sit ups
10 instep lunges
10 squats

Skill:
5 sets of three, searching for 3 rep max back squat
worked in partners and mine has a marathon this weekend so didn't want to push it, we only got to 95lbs. Was challenging so it's okay.

WOD:
Get as far as you can in 12 minutes:
25 Kettlebell swings
25 Box jump
5 modified muscle ups
1 bear walk

20 KBS
20 box jump
4 mod muscle up
1 bear walk

15 KBS
15 box jump
3 mod muscle up
1 bear walk

10 KBS
10 box jump
2 mod muscle up
1 bear walk

5 kbs
5 box jump
1 mod muscle up
1 bear walk

Results:
kettlebell: 12kg
box jump: 17 inches (there weren't enough boxes for everyone. I add a 45lb weight but didn't want to stack two on the box, still a little nervous after my fall the other night.)
Rounds: finished WOD

workout du jour

Crossfit was closed for Family Day today so I had to go to the school gym and do my own thing *pouty face*

Warm Up:
500 m row + typical crossfit style warm up

Workout:
100 walking lunges (50 per leg)
push ups: 15 - 15 - 11 - 12
suspended dips: 9 - 7 - 8 - 6
dumbell rows: 4X10 at 17.5lbs
thrusters: 3 x 10 at 40lbs
Stationary bike HIIT: 15 rounds of 30 sec max effort 30 sec rest
Pull ups were interspered throughout the workout, doing one or two between most exercises, for a total of 15.


Cool Down:
Layed on mat and listened to Dust in the Wind. <- was awesome.
Then about 10 minutes of stretches.

All in all a great workout. I felt great after and was really proud of everything I had accomplished. I have NO REASON to think this, but I felt like everyone was looking ta me like 'whoa that chicks STRONG, look man shes doing pull ups and weights and stuff!'. Better than the usual stressing that people are judging me for being weak. I don't know when that changed, must have been recently. It really wasn't that long ago that I avoided certain exercises or the gym altogether because I feared what people were thinking..

Spring Chick Week 8

Thats crazy how fast the time is flying

Last Week: 130.8

1. go to crossfit 5 times
2. focus on portion control fifty fifty.
3. TV goes on only for my scheduled shows RE: Walking Dead, Gossip Girl, Glee, Jersey Shore. Thats four hours and four hours only.  Didn't wind up watching the walking dead so watched pretty little liars instead, which I forgot to include here. Once hubby got here for the weekend the TV was on a little more, but to be honest not that much which was nice.
4. Do something other than crossfit, be it a run / yoga / weights. On Wedns. in addition to crossfit I did 20 min of speed drills and a 5k ruck march with about 30lbs.
5. Finish Soviet paper by Saturday Faaaaaaaaail

Last weeks Mini Challenge: Use smaller plates / utensils.  This went really well

This Week: 130.6lbs  -.2

1. go to crossfit 4 times, do two other workouts
2. finish soviet paper, begin middle easter and armoured warfare papers
3. begin studying for middle easteren midterm
4. take fish oil + vitamins every day
5. drink one cup of green tea a day
6. drink a decent amount of water each day

This weeks mini challenge: Challenge a friend. This won't really happen because this is my reading week so except for crossfit I'll be locked away alone in my apartment doing school work. Thursday is set aside to visit my parents so I may ask mom or dad to go to the gym with me, but mom has been doing min half hour elliptical twice a day and dad is literally an athlete so I won't exactly be changing anything. Besides, all throughout the normal school week I'm inviting people out to crossfit, and I even leant out my (139$) p90x videos.

How was the 7th week...: Was alright. Could have seen more success.

Did you remain sweets free...: No. for the first time since early Jan. I had a sweet. It was a coconut macaroon, a sweet because it was made with honey. It was soo good.

How were your workouts? Workouts were awesome, most specifically Cindy on Friday.

How was your water consumption? Alright. It's never as good as many of the ladies I see through the SCC though so I'm inspired to get it up.

What do you think of the mini challenges?  I love the mini challenges.

What did you do for yourself that was fun? Shopping and seeing Hubby

As for my loss, or lack-there-of. I think there could be two causes. I worked out hard this week so I'd say it's either muscle weight offsetting fat lass weight, or I'm plateauing because as of starting paleo I've been shying away from any sort of food tracking. Making everything homemade is almost impossible to track on MFP but maybe I'll begin just writing things down so I can look and see what needs to change. I don't know. This weekend i had a couple of cheats, a coconut macroon that was paleo but had honey which is questionable,  and a paleo recipe for cinamin buns. It doesn't matter if I'm using whole foods, I still need to eat right. Trying to break through the barrier to the 120s is going to take everything I got. Hubby will be in the field this week so very little contact, plus I prob. won't see him next weekend. It's very sad but when he's gone its easier to accomplish these things because I can kind of just act like a robot I guess.. It's just me and emptyness in the apartment, no lovely little texts, so you just go.

Do you have an easy and reliable method of tracking? Do you think it is an important part of weight loss, even with clean eating? If anyone could share their meal plans or give me advice on how to make one of my own it'd be greatly appreciated.

workout du jour(s)

Forgot to post it last night so I'm going to combine the two posts.

Friday
Warm up:
2 samsons 10 second hold, 10 sit ups, 10 ring dips, 10 body rows, 10 instep lunges, 2 'push knee out's w/ 10 second hold

Workout:
Cindy
AMRAP (As Many Rounds As Possible)
20 min of
5 pull ups
10 push ups
15 squats

Results:
10 rounds + 5 pull ups + 2 push ups

I used a black band on the pull ups. I was going to use purple but another girl working on her pull ups that night talked me down. We had both gotten three full bandless pull ups that night. She used red and I wonder if I could have / should have. Probably. Oh well. I RXed the push ups, so in 20 minutes I did: 55 black band pull ups, 102 proper push ups, 150 squats. I am very happy with Cindy.

Saturday
Group workout

5 stations, 5 team mates
1) wall balls
2) dumbell cleans
3) row for calories
4) box jumps
5) kettlebell swings

3 rounds, first 21 reps, second 15 reps, third 9 reps

everyone will be at a station doing their designated move, once each team member has completed the number of reps (cal for rowing) everyone switches to the next station until all three rounds are finished.

Results:
18:06

I fudged the first round of the dumbell cleans because I wasn't 100% on the move, which shaved some time off of my teams score and I feel bad about that. But its all in good fun and was a great team WOD.

advice and tragedy

One of the members of my crossfit gym has been gone for quite a while. He was expecting / recently had a baby so it didn't seem like a big surprise. It turns out that while his child was being born, his wife had a seizure and they found a large brain tumor. It has since been removed and she is undergoing chemo in a hospital about 5 or 6 hours from home. With the commute, the newborn, etc. etc. they are having some troubles and an appeal has been made through the gym for help. They eat paleo so tonight I'm going to try and make a big freezable jug of chili and some other things for them. I'm trying to think of other ways I can help, though. So far I've been leaning towards offering to clean their home / do laundry / dishes etc. Please, if anyone has any sort of advice or thoughts on ways I could help this family, I'd really appreciate it. I've never suffered through something like this and I just don't know what to do.

workouts du jour

HIIT:
2.75K
21:51
30 sec sprint 2 min walk

Push Ups:
6 - 4 - 4 - 5

Ruck March:
5k
52:34
38lb ruck

Crossfit:
warm up 10X
1 squat, 2 lunges, 1 push up, 2 instep lunges, 1 inch worm

WOD:
7 rounds for time
10 double wall balls
300m farmers walk
30 double unders
300m farmers walk


Results:
Time: 36:90
Wallball: 14lb
Farmers Walk: 16kg


I'm thoroughly zonked, my legs are still sore from my mishap yesterday, but it's okay because tomorrow is my rest day and I'm taking full advantage. One of the girls at crossfit is an avid runner, she's training for a 100 MILE race in September. I asked her a little bit about HIIT and she said that if you jog instead of walk the 2 min portion you'll recover faster but it is a little harder to train yourself to do this. Something interesting to consider in the future.

Pump Up Song: Samuel L. Jackson - Hot Action Cop

Benefits of Strength Training

In this post I'll give my take on the importance of strength training. No, I'm not a doctor or a personal trainer. Nor am I super fit. This is just going to be my opinion.

These are all benefits that I have personally seen, although I haven't included my own personal experiences here. If you care, and lets be honest you probably don't and thats totally okay, you can ask me about my personal experiences with any of these things and I'll reply. But like I said, you probably don't care, and I am 100% cool with that.

Benefits of Strength Training

Strength training can increase bone density. Studies have been done both on the effect of strength training increasing bone density and the effect of a lack of strength training decreasing bone density. Especially in older people, brittle bones can cause numerous health problems. Although you can take calcium supplements, alone they are not nearly as effective as supplements and strength training together.

Building muscle is a result of strength training. Even when at rest, muscle burns more calories than fat. I admit here and now that the difference to your metabolism caused by one pound of fat vs one pound of muscle isn't huge, but we aren't talking a 1:1 ration here. Gain lots of muscle, lose lots of fat, and you can have a significant impact on the rate that your body burns calories.

Strength training can help to prevent injuries. By training muscles that you may not have otherwise, you will be less susceptible to injuring them. Also, problems or soreness prior to beginning a strength training regimen (i.e. bad back) don't necessarily mean that you should be babying the area (don't listen to my opinion on this one, talk to a doctor, obviously!). Often these issues stem from a pre existing weakness and making that part stronger can help or even get rid of the problem.

The 'toned' look. In order to look toned (muscle definition) you have to make your muscles grow and get rid of that layer of fat sitting over top of them. In order to make your muscles grow, you have to do resistance training in a way that will put stress on the tissue and cause it to tear and grow. High rep / light weight won't put this needed stress of the muscle. Cardio won't tone anything but the muscles you're using (probably your legs) and it won't work in the way you're hoping. Women are built differently then men, and working out using challenging weights will NOT cause you to bulk up like a bodybuilder. Those men and women spend hours daily on their physique and eat an incredibly healthy diet (and lets face it, many need to take steroids) to get that look. You will not get that look doing your average strength training workout 2-3 times a week.

Studies have shown that strength training can help fight depression. Wether it is the release of endorphins that comes with doing an exercise or the extra energy that you will have from doing a fitness routine, there are undeniable benefits. It is worth pointing out that cardio can also help to negate problems like depression.

People Who Say Stuff Better Than Me:

Skinny Fat

Who/What/Where/When/Why of how women can and have gotten the ideal, fit look through training, esp. strength training. Very, very good.

Benefits of HIIT over LISS
Why you should be doing high intensity interval training cardio as opposed to low intensity steady state cardio, including why the later isn't nearly as effective at shedding fat.

SimplyShredded.com Archives of Plateau Busting
Mostly targeted at weightlifting plateaus i.e. being unable to break into a higher weight. Even though it's not targeted towards weight loss plateaus it is still very relevant.

Female Body Builders
Why they look the way they do during competitions, how this look is not a 24/7 thing, and why you will never get that big (unless you want to quit your job and devote all of the time you spent there to the gym)

crossfit du jour (with a twist)

Warm Up:
reaching stretches
x2 45 seconds

• skip
• right arm kettlebell swings
• left arm kettlebell swings
• skip
• rest 

WOD:

4 rounds for time

15 hang cleans (35lbs)

15 push ups

15 box jumps (21 inches)

Results:

???

Story Time:

Doing WOD, everythings fine, I'm almost done the box jumps of round three. And then I EAT IT. I crashed so hard on the box, I destroyed my shins. I was howling in pain, it sucked. Needless to say I didn't finish the WOD. But as I was driving away, I said f*ck that. I went back, set up, and did my last round. Not the same as doing them all in a row. But I didn't quit. Call me a quitter, I dare you!

Pump Up Song: The Quitter - NOFX

Now, time to reward myself with some Glee :)

a day of loving YOU

This is being hosted by Cyn over at The Chunky Goddess so if you're interested in participating head on over, check it out, make your own post, and then link up so I can check all of you out!

Loving Myself

Learning to love myself has been a long and hard journey, and some days I think that I may not have even reached the finish line. Physical activity has made me feel better about myself in ways I'd never imagined. I am strong. I am capable. I am worth all of the hard work in my efforts to be the best me possible. I can be or do anything. I can make myself powerful.

How I Do It

The first step in loving myself for real came last year, when I cut all of my 'best friends' out of my life. They were constantly partying and pressuring me to do the same, and indulging in hurtful habits like gossip and lying and backstabbing. I had a constant knot in my stomach for fear that I would be the next target, and when one day I was, instead of rolling over and playing dead I said f*ck 'em and left, never looked back. I have stopped drinking, because I did it in the first place because of peer pressure and now I only listen to what I want. I work very hard very often to achieve my goals, through crossfit, healthy eating, attending school, etc. I only keep loving people in my social life, and I feel much better off without all kinds of 'fake friends'.

Not Loving Myself Enough

was a problem that I used to have. I previously had an eating disorder and would torture my body because I didn't love myself or the world that I was living in. When first starting on my journey towards getting fit, people would watch me struggle and call me pathetic, say they would never want to be by my side in an emergency. They purposely made me suffer, all the while indulging the prettier girls who were, in reality, just as unfit as me. These days are in the past, but often when I want to give up on a workout I think of them, telling me I'm pathetic as I give my all, and I'm filled with a violent new energy. They can't make me feel bad about myself anymore, but I hope one day I can make them feel bad. <- Thats really immature but true lol.

a before picture of sorts

This is me, immediately following basic, in the best shape of my life. I want to get back to this, and then get better. 

Looking for a comparison photo at my heaviest, considering taking a picture now but doubt it'll happen.

crossfit du jour

Warm Up:
X2
2 samsons, 20 sec hold
10 dislocates
10 overhead squats
10 GHD sit ups
10 superman
10 pull ups

WOD:
2 rounds for time of
5-4-3-2-1
burpees
pullups (2 red bands)
2 min rest
kettlebell swings (12kg)
box jumps (21 inches)
2 min rest
slamball (16)
touch-n-go 50m (there and back)
2 min rest

Results:
Time 26:10

Loved this one.

Pump Up Song: The Good Soldier - Nine Inch Nails

Spring Chick Week 7

Last Week

Weight: 132  

1. go to crossfit 5 times, do at least one cardio workout, one push up workout, one deadlift workout
2. take vitamins every single day
3. Spend more time at school doing work
4. Eat nothing but Paleo Feb 4. - Mar 4
5. incorporate at least one run into my workout

Last weeks Mini Challenge: all water, all week. Chocolate silk is my 'treat' when I've been eating clean, so my efforts on this one didn't even last the night. Oops.

2/6 . Not the greatest on sticking to my goals. Time to change them and make them more realistic.

This Week: 131.4 lbs 130.8     -.6lbs 1.2 lbs
***EDIT: Scale said 130.8 when I stepped on before my shower, and I like that number much better so I'm subbing it in!

1. go to crossfit 5 times
2. focus on portion control
3. TV goes on only for my scheduled shows RE: Walking Dead, Gossip Girl, Glee, Jersey Shore. Thats four hours and four hours only.
4. Do something other than crossfit, be it a run / yoga / weights.
5. Finish Soviet paper by Saturday

This weeks Mini Challenge: Use smaller plates / utensils. I tend to do this anyways, less work on washing the dishes, so hopefully I'll be able to stick to this one.

So I've been eating Paleo for a week and truth be told its going alright. Not many cravings for grains (I've been doing semi paleo for quite a while and I think those were dealt with in the first few weeks). I feel much better. More effective. This past week I've hit 3 PRs (2 full pull ups, 195lb deadlift, 1 rope climb) and as much as it seems like a coincidence it's probably not. Eating clean is probably making all of the difference.

I haven't been focusing on portions at ALL though and a couple of times I overate, a LOT. The small loss this week tells me that eating clean is all find and dandy, but if I'm not working out a lot I don't need that food and I need to cut back. You can still get fat off of too much good food. Blah.

crossfit du jour

Warm Up:

500m row

10 dislocates

10 overhead squats

10 pull ups

10 dumbell push press (15lbs)

10 burpees

10 GHD sit ups

1 rope climb

Skill:

Work on goal (my goal: 10 full pull ups)

WOD:

Isabelle

30 power snatches (RX for women 85lbs)

Results:

Time: 3:19

Weight: 45lbs

My time indicates that I needed to use a much higher weight. When working out what my weight should be, I went straight from 45 to 55lbs and couldn't get it up. I didn't try again, didn't try adding 10 or 5lbs instead. That was a mistake.

Talking to my trainer today she suggested 3 days on, one off, two on each week. I know I said I'd stick out the daily WOD just last post, but I think professional opinion rules over my own here. I can still do my own workouts on off days and post crossfit. The only thing that kills me is that I HATE the days that I don't crossfit, I feel unaccomplished and restless. Maybe after a couple of weeks Deb will re-evaluate and tell me I should come daily (please oh please!)

Lastly, you saw that right. Todays warmup included a rope climb. I didn't make it the first time, but did the second time I tried. New achievement! I was wearing shorts and coming down was AWFUL, haha, but still worth it.

Pump Up Song: Home - Mumford and Sons

Not really all that pumpy, but its beautiful and I've been listening to it non stop since I heard it, so I thought I'd share. Any of you listen to Mumford and Suns regularly? Any suggestions on songs I might like?

Reasons to be Fit

Because I haven't posted any in a while, and because I'm too lazy to come up with a legit post of my own, today we will be featuring several

Reasons To Be Fit!

Lets face it. We live in a world where you can be hailed as a fitness guru if you do a half an hour of medium intensity cardio a week because the majority of people aren't doing anything. I don't want to be considered 'fit' because everyone around me is unfit. I don't want to be average. I want to be extraordinary.

Every morning I wake up and go to crossfit, except Tuesdays and Fridays and Sundays, when I have either a late class or a rest day. And the entire time, until I get to that next class, that next 'hit', I'm restless, my knees are jiggling, I want it. Because no matter how big or small the weight, throwing it around feels great. Challenging myself feels great.

I bought this shirt just the other day. No big long story behind this one :)

Doing basic with the army, especially during PT (physical training) the first few weeks recruits are falling behind and you hear "I can't Sergeant!" . I felt this way for a while but I was truly terrified of my staff (no I didn't have any good reason to be). My cardio is poor, so I began to fall out around the end of a brisk 5k run. The sarge was yelling for me to get back in ranks, and that fear pushed me, and I ran and I made it and then I passed out. That day I learned that if your body hasn't quit on you yet, if you're conscious, then I can't really just means I don't want too.

I've lost about 10 pounds since I began eating healthier back in December and I love seeing my legs in shorts. Embarrassing to admit, they're still a wee bit chunky, but the muscles and the power are so clearly visible. I even check myself out when I'm in jeans - again embarrassing to admit.

Since upping my crossfit workouts over the last couple of weeks I've managed to wake up nearly every day with at least a little bit of soreness. That is excellent. That feels like accomplishment.

Self explanatory. And yes, I will loudly and proudly answer CROSSFIT.

crossfit du jour

I chose this picture in honor of one of the girls at my gym who is a couple of months pregnant now. It hasn't slowed her down at all and just today she was working on her goal of bandless pullups, which I think is pretty bad ass. Excuses? Nah.

Warm Up:
10 dislocates, 4 samsons w/ 10 second hold, 10 back extensions w/ GHD, 10 modified handstand push ups, 10 knees to chest, 10 sumo deadlift high pull w/ kettlebell, 5 rounds of 30 second squat hold 30 second rest.

W.O.D.:
AMRAP
3 x 6 minute rounds, 2 minute rest between each
Each round, 1 350m row
As many rounds of 10 push presses, 10 jumping squats, 10 overhead situps as possible in time remaining until break.





Results:
7 rounds
Push Press: 35/45 lbs
Over head situps: 10lb barbells

I went into this WOD with the intention of taking it easy, a kind of break, as I'm now doing 5-6 days consecutive crossfit. I've taken it easy a couple of days in a row now, though, and may have to reevaluate wether this is working. I'll give it at least another week to see if maybe I should take weds of thurs off. I don't wanna. Anyways, although I went light my trainer asked if I wanted to bump it up a little for the final round. I figured ya, it's not going to kill me to add 10lbs and leave a little more sweat behind than I would have. The weight was still relatively easy and I was able to power through them.

Tomorrow is a go hard or go home day (really they all should be, I have to figure out my strategy). It's benchmark Friday, and we'll be doing one of the girls. Crossfit has a bunch of workouts that are universal throughout all CF gyms, the heroes and the girls. They all have their own name i.e. Fran = 21-15-9 thrusters and pull ups, Helen = 400m run, 21 kettlebell swings 12 pull ups. These are the workouts where you can gauge how far you've come. You can compare yourself to other athletes (esp. Fran) or see how much time you've dropped from the last time you did the WOD. I like benchmark Fridays. All of the pain, sweat and laundry soap seems to make sense on benchmark Fridays.

Pump Up Song: Yes - LMFAO

crossfit du jour

Warm Up:
2 sampson stretches, 10 second hold
10 dislocates
10 overhead squats
10 medicine ball side to sides
10 weighted good mornings
10 pull ups
10 dips

Skill:
Power Clean (practice, find WOD weight)

W.O.D.
7 rounds for time (cut off 30 min)
15 kettlebell swings (12kg)
15 power cleans (55lbs)
15 box jumps (16 inches)
Results
Cut off at five rounds

This was a toughy. I think the weight was a little high for me but there were a bunch of newbies today so all of the lighter bars were taken and I REALLY wanted to get my 35 off the floor for the power cleans. My form was decent the whole way through so even though I didn't finish, I challenged myself with weight and 'kept it together'. Listed are the weights/height I used, not RX. When I start actually RXing some of the workouts, I'll start including the RX and what I did, haha.
And no, I didn't look nearly as majestic as the women in the picture while doing my box jumps.

Rock - I Am Rock

food for thought

This is a forward floating around amongst the group at my gym doing the paleo challenge. Feel free to skip over if you're not interested, it's a long one. But it touts the advantages of paleo better than I ever could ("uh... it's like.. it's like our ancestors food, man!")

10 Reasons to Go Grain Free
But they’re good for you!” “But they reduce heart disease!” “But they have fiber!”
Here’s a little food for thought: there’s no vitamin or mineral you can get from grain that you can’t get in better quantities elsewhere. So let’s take a look:

Why You Should Go Grain-free


1. If you can get it from grain, you can get it elsewhere.
The big heroes of most grains’ nutrient profile are dietary fiber and B vitamins. Take heed, every grain is different and different grains offer different nutrient profiles. Yet, one thing remains constant: if you can find the nutrient in grain, you can find the nutrient in better quantities in other foods. For example, 100 grams of whole wheat flour contains 44 mcg of folate; however, a 100-gram portion of lamb liver will give you 400 mcg of folate and a 100-gram portion of yard long beans will give you a whopping 658 mcg per 100-gram portion. Similarly with the B Vitamins niacin and thiamin, while a 100-gram whole wheat flour contains 30% of the RDA for niacin and 32% of the RDA for thiamin, you can find these nutrients in higher quantities in other foods – namely flaxseeds and sesame seeds. Whole grains are often touted as health foods for their fiber content, but you can find dietary fiber in better quantities in other, more nutrient-dense foods. For example: 100 grams of cooked brown rice offers up 1.8 grams of dietary fiber; by contrast, a 100-gram serving of cooked collard greens offers 2.8 grams; 100 grams of raw fireweed contains a whopping 11 grams of dietary fiber and even green peas contain about 5 grams of fiber per serving.


2. Grains aren’t good for your gut.
Intestinal health is critical to your overall health. If you’re gut isn’t healthy, you can’t absorb nutrients from the foods you eat. If you can’t absorb nutrients from the foods you eat, your body is malnourished and is more prone to disease. Grains are associated with a condition called leaky gut syndrome. Tiny particles of grains, when ingested, can slip through the intestinal walls causing an immune response. With your immune system excessively taxed by constantly attacking these out-of-place particles of grain, it cannot effectively fight against true threats like pathogens.


3.  You may be gluten-intolerant.
If you’re white, there’s a good chance that you’re gluten-intolerant to some degree. Current research estimates that about 1% of the population suffers from celiac disease, an auto-immune condition related to the ingestion of gluten-containing grains like wheat and barley; however, some researchers on celiac disease and gluten intolerance estimate that 30% to 40% of people of European descent are gluten-intolerant to some degree. That’s a lot of people who are regularly consuming a food that makes them sick. 


4. Grains cause inflammation.
Due to a high starch content, grains are inflammatory foods. The more refined the grain, the more inflammatory it is. For example, unbleached white flour is more inflammatory than whole grain flour; however, whole grains are still moderately inflammatory foods and certainly more inflammatory than other foods like fresh vegetables and wholesome fats. Chronic inflammation is linked to a myriad of degenerative, modern diseases including arthritis, allergies, asthma, cardiovascular disease, bone loss, emotional imbalance and even cancer. Unbleached white flour earns an inflammation factor of -421 or strongly inflammatory on NutritionData.com while whole wheat flour earns an inflammation factor of -247 or moderately inflammatory. Similarly, whole cooked millet earns an inflammation factor of -150 and cooked brown rice earns an inflammation factor of -143 – also moderately inflammatory.

5. Grains are fairly new on the scene.
While still a traditional food, grains are, nonetheless, the new kids on the block. Prior to the advent of agriculture, humans relied on hunting and gathering for their foods. They foraged for wild greens, berries, fruits and other plants. They hunted wild animals. They fished for wild fish. They didn’t plant a garden, or grow any amber waves of grain or, for that matter, drink dairy from domesticated animals since there simply wasn’t any domesticated animals. Humans survived like this from the development of the appearance of the first homo sapiens sapiens about 47,000 years ago to the advent of agriculture some 10 – 12,000 years ago. So, for the better part of human existence grains did not comprise any notable portion of the human diet. In essence, what has become the bulk of our modern diet was missing from the diet of our prehistoric ancestors.

6. Grains aren’t good for your joints.
Due to their inflammatory nature, grains – even whole grains – are linked to joint pain and arthritis. Grain’s amino acid composition mirrors that of the soft tissue in your joints. Because both synovial tissue and grains are chemically similar, your body has difficulty differentiating between the two. So, when your immune cells get all hot and bothered by inflammation caused by grain and begin to attack it as a foreign invader, they also begin to attack the soft tissue in your joint – leading to pain, autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis and, of course, more inflammation.


7. Poorly Prepared Grains prevent mineral absorption.
When improperly prepared as they most often are, grains can inhibit vitamin and mineral absorption. Grains contain substances like phytic acid which binds up minerals and prevents proper absorption. Essentially, though your diet might be rich in iron, calcium and other vital nutrients if you eat improperly prepared grain, you’re not fully absorbing nutrients from the foods you eat. However, please note that souring, sprouting and soaking grains neutralizes phytates and renders the nutrients in grain more absorbable.


8. Grains are bad for your teeth.
Due to those high levels of phytates in grain, grain is linked to dental decay. With high levels of mineral-blocking phytic acid coupled with low mineral absorption rates and plenty of starches for bacteria to feed on, grain contributes to dental decay. Anthropological records of our pre-agricultural ancestors indicate very little to no tooth decay; however, that changed after the dawn of agriculture. Indeed, some anthropologists use the presence of tooth decay is an indicator of an agricultural society.


9. Grains aren’t good for your skin either.
Grains have a very high carbohydrate content, and while the carbohydrates in grain are complex they are still broken down into sugars nonetheless. These sugars instruct your body to produce more insulin and insulin-like growth factor (IFG-1). Elevated insulin levels lead to a cascading hormonal response and these hormones activate the sebum-producing glands in your skin – encouraging them to produce more oil. IFG-1 is also linked with the increased production of keratinocytes which also contribute to acne.


10. Eating grain makes you crave grain.
You know how the smell of bread creates a longing in you – a yearning for a slice, slathered with butter and maybe jam. Or consider a plate of cookies set in front of you – so delicious – and you can’t just have one? Foods rich in carbohydrates give you quick energy, but that energy wears off just as quickly as it came. Since grains break down into sugar, they create a rise in insulin levels when those levels fall you crave more grains and, thus, the vicious cycle continues.

Of course, if you’re not quite ready to give up grains in their entirety, take care to make sure you eat the best quality grains prepared for optimal nourishment. Choose organic grains and make sure you eat them sprouted, soaked or soured.