Sunday, March 14, 2010

Working on My Fitness

Oh weekend!  I love weekends.  How about you?  It didn't help that the weather was absolutely gorgeous!  It makes me want summer to be here already.  My hubby and I dated each other all weekend.  We called it one giant date since we hung out together the whole time minus an hour or so when we separated do do our own thing at the gym!  Some may call us sick, but I think it's fun always having a buddy to hang out with!

Workouts
While I'm waiting for my pictures to load with the food, I realize that I haven't talked about my new workout schedule too much around here.  Yep, I've been working it out and it's been about two weeks into my new badass lifting routine.  As I mentioned earlier, I have been a cardio queen for much of my life, including the last year.  I was trying to get all toned and stuff for my wedding and now that I don't have the pressure of 1,000 pictures and being the center of attention of 100 of my closest friends, I decided to shift my focus and work on getting totally yoked.  As a disclaimer, I don't build muscle very easily.  In fact, it's taken me about four years to get any tone on my arms.  My goal has always been fat loss, but I'm experimenting to see what happens!  As another disclaimer, I'm no expert (duh) and am not under the guidance of any fitness professional.

Anyhoo, here is a sample week:
Sunday: Legs day- around 4 exercises including lunges, squats, leg press, donkey kicks, and various machines.  I try to use my own body weight mostly because I store most of my mass in my lower body.  I hate legs because I usually can't walk up the stairs for the next 3 days.  Legs day is also coupled with about 30 minutes of cardio.

Monday: Chest and Triceps- I do 4 exercises for chest including different kinds of press and do a combo of machines/bar/dumbells/cables.  Sometimes I burn out with pushups.  For tris I do 3-4 exercises including dips and also combine machines and cables.  I love doing chest.  I hate doing tris because they hurt!  I mix this with 30-35 minutes of intervals on the treadmill/stairmill/elliptical.


Tuesday/Wednesday: Back and Biceps- Again, 4 exercises for back (my favorite!!) including lat pulls, upright rows, assisted pullups, and a combo of another machine.  I follow this up with 3 bi exercises, again doing a combo of dumbell curls, machines, and cables.  One of these days is usually a rest day and I also throw in 30-35 minutes of cardio intervals


Thursday: Cardio I usually do about 45 or 50 minutes of steady cardio.  Last week I did walk/run intervals on the dreadmill and it was fun!

Friday: Now that I don't have class on Friday nights, it's either shoulders by themselves (4 exercises), shoulders and abs, or more cardio.  Sometimes I work out by eating chocolate at home.

Saturday: Rest day!  Weekend rest days almost always include walks or bike rides when it's warm out

Thoughts: So far I've been having a fairly good time adding lifting to my routine.  I usually do it by myself because hubby is usually on his own schedule and I get too impatient waiting for machines.  I can almost always find a substitute and since I have a loose idea of the muscle group I want to work that day, I don't throw a roid rage if I can't get to my machine.  I was a little anxious about cutting the cardio and have an impulse to do it longer, but I have found my heart rate to be high enough while I lift.  I also don't take breaks to speak to my buddies about protein powder or pick up on unsuspecting gym folks, so I feel like I'm still working hard.  I also try to do as heavy as I can and have been able to increase weights so far.  Whether related to lifting weights, or lifting cookies (I am still having about one treat per day), I am up about two pounds.  I have not noticed a large increase in appetite, but I will give my routine another couple of weeks before I change it up!

Now that I'm pooped and all of a sudden tired from the time change, I leave you with a couple of highlights:
Sunshine filled latte and OIAJ!
Leftover whole wheat pasta with chicken, veggies and extra spicy pickles:
New favorite snack:  Cheese, apple and crackers:
Questions for you: Have you tried anything new in your workout routine?  Fitness divas, feel free to give me constructive ideas!
A couple of fabulous bloggers have recently posted every single food they ate...Is this something you would want to see from me?

16 comments:

Jessica @ How Sweet said...

That is awesome that you are lifting more, girl!

Anna @ Newlywed, Newly Veg said...

Wow-- looks like an awesome fitness routine! Get it, girl!

Anonymous said...

Love the fitness routine!

lizzy said...

Hey Girlie!! I think your routine sounds GREAT!!...it's the right routine if it's something YOU enjoy, and something you will do! :) I hope you have a fabulous monday chica! xoxo!

Mo Diva said...

Look at you being all divaliscious!

You and hubs are too cute1

Katie ♥ said...

Hey love!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It rained here all weekend : p

Yay for sunshine over on the west coast!!

Girl you are working out hardcore!! I love it !! I love that you showed what you do everyday too!!! I think your workout plan is great and might just have to do it!!!

So cute you and Mike had a huge Date weekend!! I love seeing love!!! Mike and I were around eachother all weekend as well : )

love you girl! Happy Monday!! Ughhhh dont like Mondays : p

Anonymous said...

i would love to see all hte food you eat in a day- i think it is great to see good role models like you eating an adequate amount & reallyfueling yourself properly. The workout routine sounds great. When i used to work out for field hockeyi 'd follow a simliar schedule on off season
Monday was chest
Wednesday was back/shoulders
Thursday was legs
Saturday was arms/biceps/triceps
(i did a little cardio each day and a lot of caridio tues & saturday) sunday for resting!

xoxxoox
shelley

Naomi(Onefitfoodie) said...

i ALWAYS throw in new exercises or new routines to my workouts, some days ill do HIIT for cardio, others ill do steady state depending how I feel! I love doing full body weight trianing for the most part and coumpond movements to hit lots of muscles groups all in one workout!

Andrea@CeleryITCity said...

that routine sounds amazing, I've only done weights/lifting once and I was so sore for the next few days I felt discouraged!
happy monday!!

Gabriela said...

I'm a cardio queen too, and as much as I wish I loved weight lifting, it's just not my thing! I try to get some strength in a few days a week, though! Spicy pickles with dinner sounds delish :)

Beth @ DiningAndDishing said...

I'm with you on the lifting! I'm really trying to step it up lately since I tend to be a bit of a cardio queen. Your plan sounds great so I might try to follow along!

Mari said...

I feel so bad for the next guy I date because I will always think "what would mike do?". I seriously want what you two have!

I am really impressed with your new workout routine! I think you are going to see great results!

and btw thanks for rubbing it in! We had RAIN all damn weekend!

Mom on the Run said...

What a great workout schedule! I wish I knew more about workouts to plan something like that.

The time change is killing me. I have been dragging all day.

Jolene - EverydayFoodie said...

That sounds like a great workout schedule! I need to work on strength training.

Katie said...

That looks like a great routine! I have been throwing in some of jillian's circuit training one a week and I always feel it the next day.

As for posting every morsel you eat, I personally am not really a fan of that. Unless it's a cool recipe or something or a great new product!

Anonymous said...

ive been doign more lifting too! i LOVE how i feel after!