Get moving!!!!

Ok so I'm posting two workouts; yesterday's and today's.

Yesterday's workout: shoulders
Smith machine military press-3x10
SUPERSET-(upright dumbbell rows & standing barbell military press -3x10)
Incline bench front dumbbell delt raises-3x10
Rear delt barbell flyes-3x10
Lateral raises -3x10
Rear delt raises -3x10

Today's workout: Legs

Warm up- leg extensions 2 sets of 30
Wide stance barbell squat ( 2 lighter sets of 15 reps, 2 heavier sets of 15 reps)
Barbell step ups-3x10
Standing calf raises- 3x20
Lying leg curls-3x15
Abductor machine-3x20
Leg press (legs close)-3x20
Leg press (wide stance)- 3x20

Didn't do cardio. First week back to the weights in a while and I want to get my muscles used to being abused! Will resume cardio next week. Have to activate those fast twitch fibers to really build muscle!

Today's workout: Arms
Playlist: Watch the throne
Superset: [barbell curl 3x10 and overhead cable curl 3x10]
Alternate hammer curl -3x10
Bench dips -3x15
Cable hammer curls w/rope attachment-3x10
Skull crushers-3x10
Seated triceps press-3x10
Triceps push down w/rope attachment -3x10

On days that are lighter (usually any days I do upper body workouts) always hit about 20-40 minutes of cardio..no need to plug hours away on cardio; it begins to become counterproductive to building muscle. Always have a carb and protein at every meal as protein helps rebuild muscle that has been broken down by weight lifting.

This morning's breakfast: my usual bowl of oatmeal w/ cinnamon and one scoop of GNC's Extreme 60 Amp protein
I also take CLA, an essential amino acid, twice a day to help aid in weight loss.

Post workout: apple and almonds

Checkout bodybuilding.com to look up any workouts that you're not sure about.

Fitness fact for the day: Summer is here! While you definitely keep it moving in the summer, make sure you hydrate! Wear light colored clothes when you exercise outside and make sure that you replenish fluids that have been lost. If you plan to workout regularly outdoors, keep a running tab of your weight and if you are losing a lot of water, get plenty of fluids and work indoors until water loss has subsided. You don't want to become dehydrated because you could put yourself at risk for heat exhaustion.

Get up, get moving, and get fit!!!

What motivates you to change?

So I had to be real with myself about a few things...I tend to stress about things and feel as though I'm not doing enough when that couldn't be further from the truth. I pack my plate full of responsibilities and get upset with myself for being overwhelmed. I feel like I should just be able to handle it. Sometimes I engage in behaviors that are counterproductive maybe as a mechanism to protect my own ego from from being bruised when I "fail" to meet these ridiculously high expectations of myself. This in turn can affect your motivation, especially when your motivation rest extrinsically, or outside of yourself. A lot of people place their "successes" on external things and focus less on the intrinsic, or internal, motivation process variables. Behavior works this way no matter what it is. How you act in relationships, getting that new promotion at work, even how you go about obtaining fitness. Most persons look at goals they have set, no matter how unrealistic, and feel defeated if they can't reach a predetermined level of success. We are all guilty of it. True behavior change happens when that tangible goal of finding a man/woman, getting that new position, or losing those pounds doesn't determine success but rather how you feel inside. You focus on how much you have gained in your pursuit of your goal. You internalize the process and make it apart of your daily routine ( making daily affirmations to better yourself, putting 110% in on the job, or making better food choices that push you towards a healthier lifestyle). I could get into the method of how behavior is shaped, but I assume your here looking for fitness tips. So here's my tidbits for today: (1)Set realistic goals. Look at your current lifestyle and commit to making small changes in your eating habits. When you set goals too high, it affects your self-efficacy. That is, your belief of actual accomplishment is affected. (2) Determine what "success" is for you. Don't follow the masses and let them decide what is the best mode of transportation to your weight goals. (3) Look at every bit of progress as a step closer to your goal. Don't look at it in terms of how much or how far you have to go but instead of how far you have come.(4) Be REAL with yourself!!! You can't expect to lose weight by having "cheat meals" everyday!! Don't expect to lose 30 pounds in one month and keep it off!! Behavior change is a gradual process and no one gets it right on the first try. Maybe not even the 2nd. But the goal should be to take a little bit away from each attempt and build towards making it better. (5) And finally, realize that it takes time. It took time to accumulate 10, 20, 40 pounds! It's going to take time to take it off!!

A body renewed!

So every now and again I like to give my body what I call "jump start" by going through a week (or more) natural detoxification. Generally, the foods I consume are no different than what I consume on a daily basis, except that I do not allow myself junk food (i.e. chips, cookies, etc.), chicken or fish. I do not consume red meat as a personal preference at all. So basically, my meals go like this: Breakfast- oatmeal, fruit, water; foods high in fiber as a rule of thumb=tons of veggies (spinach, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, green beans, baked yams, etc), fruit; Lunch= spinach salad topped with veggies( green peppers, red peppers, broccoli, red onions), with a oil based dressing; Dinner= usually just veggies (maybe a baked yam or sweet potato and a green veggie). I flush with tons of water and supplement flushing with drinking several cups of green tea a day. As gross as it may sound, your body reacts instantly by removing large amounts of waste from your body; prepare to frequent the bathroom. I usually go for a week, but sometimes I push it to two weeks as I can sustain on a predominately veggie diet because I love vegetables. You should be mindful however, that long periods without the consumption of protein can have deleterious effects on your body and you should be sure to check with your physician before deciding to engage in detoxification. I supplement with protein shakes if I exceed the one week period as I generally engage in alot of weight training exercises. Once I have completed detoxing, I add the chicken and fish (at which point I am usually craving fish) and carry on in my normal eating regimen. It is similar to "spring cleaning" in that sometimes you have to take inventory of what you have been collecting (eating) and clean house from all the things that is causing clutter and that you don't need.