Deadlifts and Diamonds

Hope Everyone had a lovely weekend and a good start to the week. After work, I squeezed in a much needed snack and a power nap before hitting the box.  Here it is Ladies Monday Nite's Crossfit WOD.  warm up/midline: 3x 2 laps 20 ab mat sit ups strength: back squats 1) 10-8-6-4-2 working up each set 2) 3 x 10reps kb dead lifts (70/53) jumping air squats plyo lunges high knee skips broad jumps metcon: 12-9-6 (10 min time cap) thrusters (95/65)rx (115/75)rx+ burpee box jump overs (24/20)rx (30/24)rx+ I'm usually dying after every workout, but this one had me stumped. Hitting the metcon after plyos is no joke so pace yourself ;) 

                                    8AM   I start my days off with a big bowl of oatmeal and muesli. Yummy and filling! Even Jewelz wants some oats!  NOON   Take a trip to Whole Foods Market for their amazing open salad bar with everything from mediterranean couscous to pot roast! I also picked up some Aloe Vera Juice--this stuff is amazing! Its a great way to cleanse the body and balance your PH Levels. 630 WOD  Warm Up : 30 seconds on/off x 3R -high knees to rig/back pedal back -slams (30/15) -push ups Midline : upside down tabata of air squats 20 seconds of holding the bottom of an air squat/10 seconds of squats Strength: Back squats 4 sets of 5 reps at 75% Metcon : 4R4T (15 min time cap) 15 kb swings (53/35) 30 dubz (90 singles) 15 goblet squats 30 ab mat sit ups No dubs for me yet, but I finished 4 rounds! Then died.. 8PM...

Woo hoo! I finally took the next step to 'up' my workout game and get in the best shape of my life--I signed up at Crossfit Redefined! Its a ton of fun and I now I know why there's so many crossfit fanatics out there. To get started, I took their intro classes to meet everyone, learn the lingo, and practice good form for the lifts. After learning the ropes (and yes, literally climbing a rope), I'm prepped and ready to attack these workouts. The workouts are everything you could want from a total workout. They're challenging, ever-changing, and there's a lot of partner work and team camaraderie. After a crossfit workout in a no AC box in Texas heat, I am splayed out flat on the gym floor dying and loving every minute of it. Check out my first WOD:  After a 5 minute warm up of jogging & rowing, we focused on strength with Hang Cleans then onto the partner METCON. For partner work, you split the reps with your partner and switch several times if n...

We're just over the hump and its a great time to review my workouts for the week and share my insights on why I love lifting. 

Summer is in full swing and we are headed straight for bikini season. I am bound and determined to fit into my bikini so its time to break out the GYMBOSS  and gear up for some serious fat blasting, metabolism boosting workouts. I’m focusing on interval training this summer because it works!  A short tabata session is just as effective as an hour long workout It also ignites the after burn effect —allowing you to burn fat for up to 48 hours after your workout.  Most importantly, for the lifters out there, these short intense tabata workouts burn fat while retaining muscle.  Tabata Workout: 20 seconds work // 10 seconds rest // repeat 8 X // 4 minutes     Benefits -burn fat long after your workout       -retain muscle -increase VO2 Max -short and effective  GymBoss Timer— your new bff Now, at first, I thought, “Why do I need a timer when I can use my handy smartphone?”.  Well, I soon lear...

Hump day, pump day, whatever you wanna call it--I hope that you're doing both today. Usually I do a PUMP Day workout, so checkout what I was up to yesterday at Gold's. No good, as usual.. ;)  WARM UP 1/2 mile run with Sprints! 6.0 incline, 7.2 speed 1 minute sprint, 1 minute rest X 5 WEIGHTS  Bicep Curls drop sets starting with 50 lbs.  Hammer Curls Bench Press superset with 15 pushups between each set Incline Bench Press Shoulder Press Bicep Curls sitting  Lateral Shoulder Raises Bent Elbow shoulder flys  Tricep dips and cable pull downs  I just love getting my arms nice and plump after a solid workout--ahh, feeling good. That's all for now! See you next time.  Do tell.... Let me know in the comments below.  What's your favorite arm exercise? 

I love the Plyo 'warm up' here. Its really a short HIIT session and it will torch your legs and leave you gasping for air.  Yessss!   Take a rest afterward, and if you feel good, go for the full leg workout and of course,  the booty burning finisher. Go for toast! Make it Burn!  Toasted Buns Workout 5 minute warm up on treadmill or jumprope Plyo warmup:  30 Jump Squats //1 minute rest //30 jump lunges X 2  Squats :  Alternate between Narrrow and Wide to shorten the rest period and hit the Glutes during the Narrow, then the inner thigh with the Wide Squats. No need for the weird inner thigh machine in this workout! Hamstring Leg Curl  Lunges  Right Leg, then Left repeat 3X Wall Sits holding a dumbbell to workout the arms hold 1 minute X 4  Finisher :  Weighted Glute Bridge, really squeeze! Try 1 legged with 25 lbs. for extra burn.  Go for toast!  Here it ...

Last week, starting with the Plyos and Leg workout I posted earlier, has been the week of new workouts!  During a 4 day trip to Chicago for my brother's graduation, I did my best to stick with healthy frequent meals, but to be honest, I definitely had my fair share of deep dish pizza. I feel like I am back to square one right now as far as earning my 6 pack, but going to Chicago and eating a deep dish pizza at Gino's East was oh so freakin' worth it!! Mmmmmm, damn that was an awesome cheat meal. The crust was so sweet--almost like pastry and loaded with fresh sauce and piles of meat. :)  So, its back to the gym for me and now I am hitting my workouts hard and tweaking my routine to reach my next level of fitness. Everyday, I still prep my meals for the day and bring healthy snacks to work to stay fueled and ready for an intense weight training session at night.  I weight train 5 days a week again and may switch to 3 days of weight training and 2 plyos...

After looking for exercise and workout ideas online, I came back to bodybuilding.com to browse their extensive workout library. I stumbled across a new workout program by Erin Stern's Elite Body 4 Week Trainer and immediately resonated with her training approach as she incorporates plyos, super-sets, short rest periods, and emphasizes the mind-body connection. She is a track athlete and a two-time Ms. Olympia and her training program will push you to your limits.  Having a written workout is a huge help to me during training and keeps me focused when I want to wander from one machine to the next. Use this plan to inspire and design your training plan, or use it as is. Training sheets for all 4 weeks are on the site.  Why should you add plyos into your leg workout?  The idea is, polymetrics develop power by focusing on speed and force. If you i ncrease your power, you'll improve your performance. Warming up with plyos stimulates the fast twitch muscle f...

It's always a beautiful day to hit the track. I decided to finally ditch the treadmill and test out my sprints. I have to say, I don't think I've ever actually tried to sprint on a track. I've run stairs, hit the treadmill on an incline, but no real sprints. Honestly, its exhilarating! Exhausting yes, but I felt more powerful and faster than ever. I surprised myself this week and I liked it ;) Best part was, after my workout, my baby and our puppy joined me at the track.  Check it out, here's what I did:  Warm Up run 2 laps, run faster 3rd lap Sprints Walk 100 meters or 1/2 lap Sprint 100 meters Repeat 4X Catch your breath and continue Jump Lunges  lunge right, jump up, switch legs, land in a left lunge Pop Squats   narrow squat low, jump up, really push up, and land in a low squat or you can do my favorite: lunges across the field :)  Until next time, keep that booty moving ya'll!! 

Saturday Morning Bike Rides What a gorgeous weekend! Saturday morning Andrew and I loaded up our road bikes and headed to downtown Houston to ride the Bayou Trails. The trails wind around the water way for miles with paths for runners, cyclists, groups of walkers and parents with strollers to explore with a lovely view of the skyline. I tend to throw the hammer down on a ride and I managed to go for it a few times, but I think I might have to save that for another time. I'm sure I surprised a few runners on the narrower trails, but I couldn't help myself. After a long ride, we cruised over to an open field where the city was hosting a a small Picnic in the Park with Badminton, hoola hoops, bag toss, live music, and a few food vendors.  Not a bad start to the Weekend.  Surprise honey!  Still excited from our ride, we headed to Petsmart for their adoption Saturdays to meet our new dog Marley! We immediately fell in love with him--just look at that face! He'...

                          I hope you all are having a lovely Good Friday! Tonite I'm continuing my new job celebration at the Rooftop Lounge in Houston for a much needed date night with my man set to some bouncy and bass driven house music. Woot! I love me some good, happy, deep and soulful house.  Can't wait to dance it out. This weekend will be especially tempting for those of us on a clean eating diet, especially if you plan on hitting up Easter brunch. This would be a great time to share your goals with your family and friends so they can help keep you accountable and most importantly set some time aside to prep some healthy snacks. Keep your eye on the prize. Eat the eggs all you want, just take it easy on the cadbury eggs and waffles at Easter Brunch ;) You'll thank yourself later.  Check out today's workout below. Set some time aside for yourself this weekend and get moving! What ...

   It's Monday and its time to kick off the week with a solid HIIT session. I had a full rest day yesterday of lounging, cooking, reading, playing pictionary, and watching movies. I love a lazy Sunday to relax and rejuvenate and prep myself for the week ahead. Now that I'm fully revitalized, I'm ready to own this day and make this an awesome week. Here's my Monday morning HIIT.  Enjoy, and stay fit my friends :)  

Good Morning, my lovelies! Its the start of a lovely weekend and a great day to.... yes, run stairs! After so much time spent at the gym and a solid rest day yesterday, I decided to head out of my front door and down the street to the High School soccer fields to explore. At first, I hesitated and thought, "Its Saturday, maybe I should just take 2 rest days??" but in the end, my body actually craves these workouts, especially an all out exhausting stair run.  Yes, its true, I do crave a good stair run and a hard workout. There is no better way to earn your rest and burn off some energy (and increase your energy too) than to run stair sprints outside. The feeling of accomplishment and elevated energy is definitely a craving worth indulging in!!  Forget the fleeting sugar cravings and fixations. Your body is craving a good sweaty workout to shake off the dust and put the wind in your sails.  Always put your health first, once you do that and once you ...

Happy Wednesday! Any day of the week is a great day to throw squats into your workout. Lately, I've been doing weighted squats on the Smith Machine 3-4 times a week into my routine for a full body workout. Its a great way to get your heart rate up and hit the abs, back, and legs. Throw some of these babies into your next workout and feel the difference--with good form of course. Whether your freestyling squats with a barbell, on the smith machine, or balancing on a BOSU Ball go for the burn. If you need a little extra motivation just pull up this image in your mind for some extra thrust:

I hope everyone had a badass Sunday. Last nite's cheat meal was a perfect mid-rare ribeye with margaritas and it was a feast! I felt like a ravenous lion devouring my well deserved bloody steak and it was oh so sweet--just what my body ordered.   I'm happy to say I am fully recovered today and ready for more! This morning, even after a nite of drinks and margaritas, got up and headed for the gym only to find it didn't open until 10?!! Come on Golds, you're killin' me here.   When the doors finally opened, the other gym rats and I rushed in. I downed a healthy scoop of my preworkout ACG3,  the smoothest most delicious pre workout around, and started my Sunday Funday. Here's the workout below. Just a few weeks ago, this workout had my legs painfully tight and cramped up for days. It was painful just to get out of bed. Now, after that initial body slam, I can recover much faster and be sore while avoiding total immobility. I spent a solid 2 hours in th...

Its an absolutely gorgeous Saturday, a perfect rest day for all the hard work I put in last week. I've been hitting the gym for 2 hours each day and I feel amazing. Right now I'm hurting and sore, but I'll be ready for more by Monday. I usually don't do big cheat meals, but I may have to splurge on a margarita and a ribeye steak at tonight's BBQ. Totally earned it. Rest day is the only day I get to splurge and style my hair (since it takes so long and I know it will just get ruined after a workout) so I'm feeling extra fabulous today. Here's a recap of some of the workouts I did the past week. I love doing super-sets. The exercises marked super-sets are done back to back, no rest except to switch exercises. If you can't complete the last rep at the same weight, just lower the weight and complete the set. This really keeps the heart rate up, hits the muscles in a new way, and makes the most of your precious gym time. Check it out: Even Jewel...

After a full day of jamming music and packing up my apartment for the big Houston move, I took a break to hit up Gold's for a Les Mills BodyPUMP class. Its a great high energy full body workout and it will definitely leave you sweaty, sore, and feeling amazing. Its been a few months since I've gone and I feel much stronger since my last class. My pushups and squats are stronger and more powerful now. When the instructor mentioned we would be doing tricep pushups I think I did a little victory fist pump-- Yesss Pushups! The only way to get better at pushups? Do more pushups! First, you'll hate it, then you'll crave it. :)

\ Happy St. Patty's Day! Its a beautiful day to run stairs right? Riiiight?  I mean, what else would you be doing? Apparently, you'd be flashed by a leprechaun, that's what, and probably much worse. Nobody has time to be flashed by a leprechaun. Here's a suggestion. Run stairs! I woke up Monday with an urge to run--specifically, to do stair sprints. I wanted to run stairs to completely exhaust myself and empty the tank and finally fulfill this nagging feeling I have had. I felt like my little inner child was tugging at me saying, "can we run stairs today please? Its so nice out, and you had a rest day yesterday, can we please". No kid in their right mind would ask to run stairs, but today it seems like playing outside is more of a rare privilege than an expectation--so of course I gave in. Monday was an absolutely gorgeous day and perfect for an outdoor workout at Mt. Bonnell in Austin, TX (with a later workout at the Golds Gym downtown). If you don...

Happy Monday Ya'll!   I hope you had a lovely weekend and you're as pumped as I am for today's workout. I absolutely could not wait to get to the gym today. After visualizing my workout and jamming to my girl Tina Turner and Beyonce, I nearly tripped over myself to get out the door with protien shaker, banana, and playlist in hand.  This is a solid leg workout for you. Its challenging and hits all areas of the leg. I definitely felt shakey and a bit giraffe-legged once I hit the weights so I threw in some pushups and pullups to let my legs recover a bit. Check it out:  But wait a second honey, we're just gettin' started! Finish off with this Tina Turner Leg Routine and Shake a tail featha!