yes, i realize that the blogosphere did not come to a screeching halt because i did not blog yesterday. and blogging wasn’t the only thing i DIDN’T do yesterday. what follows is an explanation (read: excuse) of why i didn’t work out (*gasp*). holy camoly, i’m human! up working til about 2am the night before, i was less than motivated to get out of bed to hit the gym by 5:30am, knowing full-well that if i didn’t that there was no more time in my day to workout. i had clients to train at 6:30am and then it was a jam-packed day, beginning to end. so: workout on 3 1/2 hours sleep or get an extra hour of zzz’s? i chose sleep. hey – research shows that if you sleep less, you weigh more; however, i’m not saying it’s ok to log 9 hours of sleep a day and skip the gym. but you know what, sometimes it’s ok. so being the unstructured, spontaneous person i am (ha!), i’m just going to just roll with the punches and do yesterday’s workout (swimming!) on sunday. there goes my no working out on the sabbath! so, after a business coaching event (with wine!) and a glass of wine that was so worth being a little tired this morning…it’s a new day! [and yes, i realize i just used 5 exclamation points in only 3 sentences - i'm very excited apparently]
i kicked the day off with 6am pilates which definitely torched enough calories to burn off both glasses of wine last night. it’s another day of run here and there, work work work…and it feels so good not to have the “looming workout” hanging over my head. my term, for avoiding working out in the morning and putting it off til later in the day. for me, things always come up, so first thing in the morning is a surefire way to fit it in. studies show there’s a 75% greater adherence rate for early birds!
some days you just have to give yourself a break: life happens. the good news is that what you did or didn’t do today won’t define your life (or it doesn’t have to)…your response to it is what will determine your success. case in point: if i was mad at myself for NOT working out and enjoying 2 glasses of wine, odds are i would have mental conversation in my head going something like this: “seriously? you didn’t work out you lazy bum…and THEN you decide to drink a few glasses of wine? see…you failed again! ooo… peanut butter! that will make me feel better…[eat excessive amounts of peanut butter]. ok now i failed again…GREAT!”. and so the cycle ensues: maybe you can relate.
so i suggest being kind to yourself, give yourself a break every now and then, but get back on it the very next day! the awesome thing about being healthy is that we have the opportunity to make different, better choices each day. for example: tonight i’m training a few clients and then off to babysit my girlfriend’s 2-year-old while mommy & daddy have date night. of course we could watch a movie or play inside, but rather i think i’ll take her for a walk in the stroller….or play outside…and move. making that choice sets me up to continue making even better choices. often times it’s not the BIG choices that define your life, but the little ones along the way.
i blame my crossfit workout for starting me off on a scattered start this morning. if you were a fly on the wall watching me at the gym, i probably looked like i couldn’t decided what i wanted to do…run, no let’s lift, oh wait – run again, nah…let’s lift! lumberjack 20 rocked my little bod in a serious way at the crack of dawn. here was the workout, notes of pain in red:
20 deadlifts –> run 400 warmed up with a little jog and hit the deadlifts…run at 7.0, no sweat.
20 kettlebell swings –> run 400m eh, heavier weight than i’m used to at 30# but i nailed it…and upped my run to 7.5. getting warm!
20 overhead squats –> run 400m ok at this point i’m feeling a bit exhausted but still powering through…until…
20 burpees –> run 400m burpees almost killed me…notice the underline and bold here people, understatement. then..what? run? 40 pull-ups –> run 400m oh lovely, double the pull-ups because they’re modified…whoo hoo! but this did give my poor legs a rest!
20 box jumps (24″) –> run 400m um, kill me now. 24″ box jumps…and i’m 5’2″. but heaven forbid i go on a lower box and do 40…heck no!
20 dumbbell squat cleans –> run 400m l e g s d y i n g . . . can’t do more squats. i eek them out and haul it on my last sprint at 8.0
time! (27:40)
so that song-and-dance at the gym set my brain into scatterbrain mode (or i at least choose to blame it on that). it’s been just a crazy week in the world of fitbook and i ask myself every day how in the heck i used to do all this by myself and now i have a very competent team on board! the plan was to get to the office – clarify highest priorities to the team and high-tail it out to FOCUS on high level strategic spreadsheets and stuff. it’s invigoratingly fun, let me tell ya. oh, i got a ton done today, but it looked about like my workout…here, there, no over here, wait go there! i am still dizzy. ever have one of those days? here’s the challenge: focus on what you DID do, not what you DIDN’T because inevitably it will still be there waiting for you. with getting in shape and even in life, it’s the same thing: being hard on yourself holds you back rather than pushing you forward.
but…you can’t be too easy on yourself either right? if that were the case, well we’d all be lazy, overweight, jobless, and unhappy. if you skipped your workout every day and just “went easy on yourself” every time, you’d never reach your goals. and if you indulged in dessert every time you wanted to, well then you’d probably have a muffin top. if you put off important projects at work because you “can’t focus”, you’ll be stressed from the last-minute pressure and underperform.
so today was not the most focused (although i must say lumberjack started my day off awesome – it takes some massive mental energy to push through)…there’s always tomorrow. but if i approach tomorrow with the same strategy as today, i’ll get the same results. you know the saying: “if you do what you’ve always done, you’ll get what you’ve always gotten.” so i’m literally chunking down everything i have to do, kinda like we do in the fitbook. so instead of a goal to lose 12lbs in 12 weeks…it becomes more achievable when you see it as 1lb a week. so my blogging break, while still some form of procrastination, helped me vent a little, make light of my a.d.d., and make the choice to do something different. “operation: chunk it down” starts NOW!
ever have one of those days that’s so crazy that you’re running around in circles looking for your cell phone…and it’s in your hand? like you know you need to just stop and take a deep breath, but you don’t have time? that was my day. [warning: if you are a working mother of 3 who happens to still fit in a workout, cook 3 meals a day, and volunteers daily at your local soup kitchen, you may become perturbed reading what i see to be a busy day.]
for efficiencies’ sake…we bullet point:
5:00am roll-out of bed wondering why anyone would be up when it’s still so dark out
5:30am hit the gym for what was supposed to be bench press + a 5k row. problem: no rowing machine at this gym i went to. hop on stepmill for 30m – problem solved. abs, foam rolling, done.
6:30am train 2 new clients, one of which ended up puking; i still have not learned to take joy in this – i truly feel bad (but they still loved me!)
8:30am coffee stop (important part of my day) – pdm, 1/2 dark roast, 1/2 vanilla with real cream…mmmm.
8:45am at the office to work on business plan, financials, forecasts…overwhelmed by such complexity, i resort to just getting a new cup of coffee every hour. catch-up on email, prep our target re-order, put out fires, get ready for our fitbook PINK launch next week, finalize press releases, work, work, work. seriously? oh wait, what business plan? forecast what? oops.
12:00pm lunch meeting at cpk with potential new distributor partner. tell me how many zone/block friendly meals you think there are at cpk! my order: the hummus & veggie plate with a side of grilled chicken, pass on pita bread. check please!
1:30pm coffee break #2 for mid-afternoon caffeination at starbucks. then had to run back to the gym – i forgot my fitbook there this morning (heaven forbid!)
2:00pm focus, ang. really? you have a meeting at 2pm tomorrow to go over all this with your board. buckle down.
2:05pm oooo….let’s play on facebook & twitter! oh wait, no. oh dear – better turn our attention to opensky with orders pouring in after fitbook’s debut.
5:30pm leave the office wondering where the past 3 hours went – i was busy the whole time and didn’t make a dent in what “needed” to get done. yet, somehow it all seems to need to get done, now. problem: prioritization! (well, that and focus)
6:30pmSMARTY event in corona del mar with luxe link founder kalika nacion yap who also happens to own a web design firm (citrus studios) and a brazilian waxing salon in honolulu. did i mention this serial entrepreneur also has a husband, 2 little ones, and is on the board of 3 entrepreneur organizations? leaving inspired, fired up, and humbled, i am NOW in the zone to finally focus. one of the big take aways: “don’t think about it, just do it.” (thanks for your advice, inspiration, and a much-needed kick-in-the-pants!)
9:30pm blog…because it’s my therapy, honestly.
9:45pm close facebook, twitter, and all other applications with the exception of word & excel. in the zone, yeah that’s me in like 4 minutes. it may be an all nighter, but then again, that’s what entrepreneurs do.
if you ever have one of those days where you can’t fit it all in, remember that you’re not alone. in fact, sometimes, you have to say no (i’m still learning how to do this). and sometimes things don’t go as planned (no rower this morning…cpk for lunch instead of my zone-friendly brown-bag i’d packed). slowly, but surely i’m learning to roll with the punches. on the agenda tomorrow: workout is lumberjack 20 at 5:30am.
i head into the gym today already somewhat intimidated to do “fran”…apparently it’s brutal. to remind you: it’s 21 thrusters (front squat w/barbell followed by overhead press), 21 pull-ups, 15 thrusters, 15 pull-ups, 9 thrusters, 9 pull-ups. and who do i run into on the way into the gym? oh! my trainer jeff who was having a meeting with another crossfit trainer, tien. lovely surprise, right? i thought so. she’s a sweetheart…i was stoked to tell her about my 28-day challenge, blah, blah, blah. that was until she (sweetly) burst my bubble. jeff asked how i was going to do the pull-ups for fran (either assisted or jumping) and i said assisted – like i’d done on “murph” last week. she’s like “well, you’re doing double then, right?”. huh? double? whatchu talkin’ bout? she said that she was taught in classic crossfit that if you modify anything, for example doing assisted pull-ups instead of un-assisted, you have to do double. let’s just say she knocked me right off my high horse. so what began as an intimidation of fran turned immediately to downright fear.
i sauntered into the gym and got started. for the thrusters i did the 45# barbell which i thought was going to be pretty easy – until about rep 6. at rep 15 i had to wait and catch my breath for about 10 seconds and was questioning whether or not i was going to pass out (seriously). after the dizziness went away, i knocked out the last 6 and headed for the dreaded pull-up machine. talk about motivation to be able to do pull-ups un-assisted! i asked jeff if i could just do 3…rest, 3…rest, and do that til i got 21 but he said you lose the whole point of the exercise, hence the doubling up. so somehow i knocked out 42 pull-ups but i did have to stop about every 15 or so. it was brutal. but no resting – back to the thrusters. i thought 15 would be easy(er) than the 21, but see i hadn’t just done 42 pull-ups right before. there was some crazy mental game going on because i just stared at the bar for a minute like it was my worst enemy. i won though. i did 8…sat the bar down, rested maybe 10 seconds…then pulled out the last 7. 30 more pull-ups, check. then jeff came and rooted me on for my last set, which at this point i really didn’t know how i’d get ‘er done but with him watching me somehow i get this extra burst of energy (it might be called ego-boost). i didn’t have to stop on the 9, but the last 2 were super sloooowwww. then he wanted me to hustle off to the pull-ups, as though i was racing the clock (which i was) but i was taking every little second to rest, knowing what lie ahead. 18 pull-ups…non-stop (if i remember right, i think i almost stopped breathing). all that fun little workout in 11 minutes and 7 seconds. oh, fran.
so this whole double thing was brutal today, but do you realize what this means for “angie” on friday? ( angie is 100 pull-ups, 100 push-ups, 100 sit-ups, 100 squats…NO partitioning). that means 200 pull-ups…and at the rate i went today we’re looking at maybe 15max per set. i should send a memo to my office thursday night that if i don’t show up on friday to work i’m probably lying either underneath the assisted pull-up machine or just collapsed in a push-up position somewhere.
nice seeing you today tien, really!
have i mentioned how much i’m loving the zone/block? somebody in pilates this weekend even asked if i’d lost weight. probably because i’m just not all poofy from eating (as many) grains, sugars & processed foods…but i may have shed a few lb’s, or more like oz’s. who knows…i only weigh every few weeks or so. which REMINDS me that i forgot to shout out my starting stats for our 28-day challenge – and my goal! you know how BIG i am on goal-setting. so as of monday (9/19) i weighed in at a whoppin’ 112.8# (joking) – but that’s not the shocking part. my body fat is 22%!!! ah the joys of feeling skinny-fat. ok, not really, but it’s frustrating to see my body fat in the twenties after hovering around 15-17% for the past 10 years and going super-low (10%) during the competition. however, that my friends, is the joys of NOT working out. caused mostly by breaking my tailbone, i was unable to do a LOT of things (specifically strength training) without major pain. and my biggest fear was that it would never heal 100%. but i’m at like 95% and ready to rock this little bod back to the 15% range. my goal for this 30-day period is to keep my weight the same actually and lower my body fat below 20%. if the next 3 weeks are anything like this past one, and i continue to love this zone/block nutrition plan as much as i do: i’m golden.
wanna read more on it? it’s really not that complex! i found this great article on livestrong.com - and click on the links at the right for more info on it. and again, i prefer to call it the zone/block not the zone diet…that’s a four-letter word in my world. it’s a lifestyle people, not a four-week fix!
join me tomorrow for a 5k row!
(assuming i will be able to crawl out of bed)
now time to get some zzz’s so my poor, little, sore musles can GROW!
angela
did you know that we don’t HAVE to rest on sundays? yeah, it’s news to me too. i always thought the Big Guy (yes, as in God) meant for us to rest on sundays, well because He kinda says so in the bible. i never questioned that, nor was i ever very good at following it either though, i might add. my pastor explained that it doesn’t have to be sunday. it may be saturday, heck it could be tuesday, for all He cares. the day doesn’t matter as much as the action (or in this case, non-action really). God’s pretty clear about this: that we should take a day of rest to recover from working hard all week long – rest our mind, our bodies (yes!), and take time to focus on the important things in life: friends, family, recuperating, and doing nothing at all. no time for a rest day? try it. what i’ve found is that taking that day completely rejuvenates my mind so i’m refreshed for the week ahead. same for my body: my muscles have to have time to recover so they can grow – and so i can mentally prepare for the week’s workouts ahead. speaking of which, this is what we have to look forward to this week:
monday: * front squats 3 rep max – 3 sets of 3 reps, maxing out or “failing” on that last 3 reps. trainer note: jeff can you explain the science behind doing the 5 rep max in week 1, 3 rep max in week 2, and 1 rep max in week 3? crossfit style. * “fran” (which i’ve heard of but never attempted…yet!) – circuit thrusters & pull-ups for time doing a 21-15-9 split. so, 21 thrusters, 21 pull-ups, 15 thrusters, 15 pull-ups, 9 thrusters, 9 pull-ups…done! watch this video on thrusters…watch that form!
tuesday: * bench press 3 rep max, so 3 sets of 3 * 5k on rowing machine
wednesday: * “lumberjack” (heaven have mercy on me now – this looks ridiculous!!)
20 deadlifts –> run 400m
20 kettlebell swings –> run 400m
20 overhead squats –> run 400m
20 burpees –> run 400m
20 pull-ups –> run 400m
20 box jumps (24″) –> run 400m
20 dumbbell squat cleans –> run 400m
thursday * deadlift 3 rep max, 3 sets of 3 reps * swim 30 minutes (don’t have access to a pool? run, spin…move!)
friday * “angie”: 100 pull-ups, 100 push-ups, 100 sit-ups, 100 squats…NO partitioning, meaning you have to complete all reps of an exercise till you move onto the next. i have a feeling this might be torture! yes, i have an affinity for this one given that it’s my crossfit namesake, however those that know me past high school as “angie mader” know i just prefer “ang” or angela”. thank you. and by the looks of this workout, i may not like this chica after doing it!
saturday *pilates class (1-hour) * 3 rep max overhead press, so 3 sets of 3 reps
sunday * REST!
my “sabbath” or rest day is usually saturday (from a work perspective). i work late friday nights and by saturday i’m spent, taking that day to piddle around the house, do laundry, read a book…blog. whatever i feel like. that usually lasts into sunday when i saunter into church fully rested, leave restored, and usually head right to a coffee shop to work. however, sunday is almost ALWAYS the day i take off from workouts…it gives my body time to recover before monday! what’s your routine? what works for you?
so enjoy thineself this glorious weekend and take a moment to relax, rejuvenate, and join me as we hit the ground running into week TWO of this 28-day crossfit kickstart!
oh, HELL(en)! that was yesterday’s workout, or more accurately it’s called “helen”. a crossfit concoction of:
400m sprint
21 kettlebell swings (on the heavy side; i did 25#)
12 pull-ups
super cute kettlebell necklace from fashletics!
repeat for a total of 3 sets…for time. ah yes, of course! time: 14:17. i worked out at my 24 hour club so it posed a small problem in that the assisted pull-up machine was on the other side of the gym from the weights. so i admit that i stopped my watch for moving between locations; ideally it would all be close together. problem #2: no kettlebells! poor planning, ang. not a biggie though, i managed to grab a 25# dumbbell by the end and swing it kettlebell style and it worked just fine. my whole body was achin’ from my rowing the day before so even though it was only 14m (& 17s), i was dying by the end. although no where NEAR as torturous as “murph”. after feeling pretty good about knockin’ that one outta the park i sauntered over to the squat rack for some deadlifts. as i approached i had vivid flashbacks to my deadlift workout only 4 days earlier with jeff. slowing down, and seriously considering doing a 180 to high-tail it outta there, i again realized that i’d have to blog that i didn’t complete something, not to mention scribble it out in my fitbook! with my back being a little sore, i lowered the weight a bit and did my 5 rep max deadlifts, so 5 sets of 5 starting at 40# and maxing at 80#. 30 minutes in the gym: done!
today’s workout: (ah) pilates. i happily popped out of bed looking forward to a limb-lengthening session on the reformer, which my body was craving after 4 days of kickstarting it (after idling on low for about 5 months)! my oh-so-pregnant (and cute) pilates instructor, and dear friend, erica had a different plan…which did not include the word “relaxing”. with my legs, back, shoulders, and yes, even core aching from this week’s workouts, there was no mercy on her part (which i love). let’s just say my legs were quivering through most of the exercises, my push-ups were on the verge of pathetic, and core? yeah, i may not be able to roll out of bed tomorrow if my little abdominals don’t get some major r&r today. i so earned my coffee afterward.
the zone/block plan is spot on people…here’s a glimpse into my meals yesterday so you can keep grasping what this zone/block plan is all about. again, i’m on a 10-block plan…and i’ll indicate below what each meal is:
pre-workout: 1/2 protein shake with 1/4c milk, 1/4c water & 1/2 scoop protein powder (1 block) breakfast: 1/3c oatmeal with 1/2c milk, 1/2c strawberries, 1tbsp walnuts; coffee w/2tbsp cream (2 blocks) snack: 1/4c cottage cheese, 1/2 orange, 6 nuts (1 block) lunch: baby spinach & tomato salad with 3oz ground turkey, 2tbsp avocado & 1tbsp galeo’s dressing (2 blocks) snack: hardboiled egg, 1/2 orange, 5 nuts (1 block) dinner: 1 egg, 1/4c beans, 1oz cheese, corn tortilla (2 blocks) not an ideal dinner in that i should have had lots of veggies instead of the corn tortila, but i worked really really late and this was easy to make really quick and run back to the office…better than grabbing drive-thru right? snack: 1/4c greek yogurt with 1/2c frozen pineapple sprinked w/peanuts (1 block) disclaimer: i fully intended on having my treat meal last night, however i got off work too late and golden spoon was closed (tragic) so i made this homemade fro-yo instead!
2 things:
i’m SO getting me a mini golden spoon and curling up on the couch in this overcast cloudy weather to watch a chick-flick tonight - i earned it after this workout week of wonderfulness – not to mention being a good girl and doing my work all day today (except a blogging break and random words-with-friends gameplay).
do you know what tomorrow is? yes, it’s sunday…but that means REST DAY. jeff said to chill. maybe i’ll walk my doggy or do some stretching, but honestly i need to rest my body for monday’s torture.
check back tomorrow for week 2′s workouts! now, back to work…business planning, forecasting, budgeting, & cash flowin’…oh yay! xoxo
angela
i must say i was a bit confused today…and shame on me, i questioned my trainer. today was supposed to be an easy day after murph, oh murph. did you read about murph? you must read about murph. i digress. (ok, but not first without telling you what utter pain i’m in today….i just wanna get in one little whimper before i move on; i earned it.)
*whimper*
ok, so back to today. here was the plan: 5 rep max on bench press, which is just doing 5 sets of 5 and increasing each set so that the last set of 5 is nearly impossible. crossfit is about going to failure – pushing your muscles so hard that you can’t possibly do any more. funny thing about that is that you MUST FAIL for your muscles to grow. kinda like in life right? (side note: great book by john c. maxwell “failing forward”!). ok, so set 1 started at 55# and i increased it 10# each set until i got to 95# on my last set, which fortunately i’d asked a guy to spot me; i so failed. i think i did 3 by myself, 4 was a toss-up, but rep 5 was more like a bicep curl for my spotter. ok so that took like 10 minutes.
onto my rowing! the plan was to do 4 sets of 500m rows on the rowing machine with a 2 minute rest in between each set. i started rowing, and rowing, and rowing….and sidenote, it’s quite boring especially when you forget your ipod. at the first 500m i wasn’t even that tired so i skipped my break and thought i’d just push through and same after 1000m. so i just figured i’d go straight through and do the entire 2000m at once. done: 11:21. is that all? is my workout over? ah, if you listened to your trainer it would be, but no i decided that 11 minutes and 21 seconds was not long enough to be in the gym…so i hopped on and did another 2000m! only later to find out that he wanted me to have a quick, easy workout because tomorrow’s “helen” is going to be brutal. oh well, i didn’t die and i’m proud that i pushed myself, but it’s also important to listen to your body and after murph i wasn’t listening because it didn’t have very nice things to say at all. so i just pushed onward.
day 4 of this whole zone/block thing and the consesus is so far that i LOVE it. i always look at my plate like “that’s it?” but because it’s so high protein & high (healthy) fat, it keeps you full on less food! however, i will say that the snacks are usually more than i eat for snacks so really you’re just portioning out your food more equally throughout the day. so here was my nutrition du jour:
breakfast: 1 egg, 1/4c black beans, 1oz cheese, 1tbsp avocado, corn tortilla note: yes it looks like i’ve eaten the same thing everyday, but it’s SO good! however yesterday, since i had a protein shake before my workout i DID have 1/3c oats, 1/2c milk, 1/2 banana, 1tbsp walnuts + sprinkled it with cinnamon. just in case you want an option that’s not so egg/bean/avocado-ey. snack: 1/2 pear, string cheese, 5 walnuts lunch: brown rice tortilla with spinach, avocado & 3oz turkey snack: protein shake made with 1c milk (pre-workout) dinner: sautted spinach + asparagus with 3oz shrimp pan-fried in coconut oil (mmmm!) snack: orange + 1/4c cottage cheese
at first you think the zone/block way of eating is complicated but it’s honestly SO easy! you have protein, fat, and carbs at each meal…period. you include more on the protein side, make sure there’s always a healthy fat (but keep quantities low…remember that fat has 9 calories per gram whereas protein/carbs has 4 calories per gram so you may only need 5 nuts, or 2tbsp avocado, or a dollop of coconut oil to get in your fats). here’s what i’ve loved about this: it makes me think about WHAT i’m eating and why, versus “what sounds good?”. it seems to take the emotion out of eating (and for all you emo-eaters out there, i know you can relate!). the other thing i love is that because it does take some thinking ahead, i actually write out my meals for the day ahead in my fitbook, prep my lunch & snacks the night before, and then the next day it’s like clockwork!
in closing i’ll say this about today: have you ever had one of those days where so many things you’ve been thinking about and praying for fall into place all in one day? yeah i had one of those days. in fact, i just looked up to heaven (ya know, because that’s the only way God hears you right?) and laughed because He didn’t just answer in a little way, it was so blatantly BIG that He was almost making this statement like: “see little girl, who are you to think you’re in control?” so often we spend so much energy & time focusing on one area of life that we pour our hearts & prayers into, only to wake up and realize that it wasn’t that God wasn’t listening; He was just waiting for us to pray the right prayer.
holy #$%*&! (that’s how you spell “murph” when you’re frustrated in case you were wondering. c’mon people – it’s pg here!) let me introduce you to this lil’ fellar of a crossfit workout that will seriously rock your world…
[warning: this workout is not for the weak-hearted, it will take all you've got just to get through it - mentally & physically]
1 mile run
100 pull-ups
200 push-ups
300 squats
1 mile run
(all for time, meaning haul a**)
my beloved friend & trainer jeff warned me, but did i listen or even heed his warning? oh no, not me. so i happily sip my 1/2 protein shake at 6am, saunter into the gym and hop on the treadmill like i own it. (um, i do now that my tailbone is better – well, that and good drugs) i warm up with my 1-mile…check. off to the assisted pull-ups (yes, you can do assisted as long as you set it to a weight that’s still tough!). i toss my towel down and own the space because i knew i was just going to rock it for the next 40 minutes or so. note: jeff told me that “murph” can be partitioned, meaning you can be strategic on how to finish it, so my “strategy” going in was 10 pull-ups, 20 push-ups, and 30 squats….repeat and do it 10 times. set 1, cake. 2, check… 3, slowing d o w n…. “wait – must revisit strategy!” by set 4 my push-ups were what we were slowing me down…i’d get to 10, 11,…12…13…ugh! so i decided to change it up so set 4 was now 10 pull-ups, 10 push-ups, 30 squats (to let my arms rest), then back to my last 10 pushups. brilliant!
so set 4 was great – a newfound arrogance that yes, i in fact was not only strong enough but smart enough to conquer “murph”. set 5, check…set 6…done, set 7…wait, why did i have a protein shake before this workout? let’s just say my stomach was anything but settled at that point and this is coming from someone that doesn’t get sick during workouts. luckily i muscled through (literally) and by set 8 i could see the finish line with the time still at a decent pace so i hit the homestretch trying to eek out a good time to impress jeff (who did this in 37 flat, by the way). last set…DONE, yay! all i had to do was just run a quick mile and be done, right? oh yeah, 300 squats later i was anything but ready to hit the treadmill but more than anything my tank top was drenched and i was spent. that treadmill that i “owned” just a half-hour before was just mocking me by it’s mere existance. so i manned up, hopped on and did intervals to try and recover as much as possible but get the time down. possibly the longest mile i’ve ever ran, however i was one proud girl when i hopped off the sides and clocked my time at 44:41. i have no clue if that’s good or bad, but it’s DONE.
here’s the thing: anybody can do this workout…if the pull-ups are too hard, use an appropriate weight on the assisted pull-up machine at your gym (i was at 85# just for reference). push-ups a bit too hard or tough to keep good form? do modified pushups on your knees or incline push-ups. or try paritioning it differently…whatever works for you. but if you’re sitting there thinking you can’t do it, then you probably won’t try it and well, then you’re right – you can’t. or won’t. there’s this saying that lululemon has as part of their mantra that i love (pictured at right) and it reminds me that if we’re too comfortable, whether it be in our workouts, career, relationships, or life in general, then we’re not growing. so whether it be trying “murph” or conquering some other “impossible” task in your life that scares you, go ahead and do it anyway. you just might surprise yourself!
feeling brave? continue on this 28-day crossfit kickstart…check out day 1 for this week’s workouts and the nutrition plan!
now, go get ‘em – go scare yourself.
so here’s something random. i’m out the other night having random conversation with people who i barely know, and this guy says to me: “don’t be so hard on yourself.” not that odd, right? correct, had it not been the fourth time i’d heard it all week. it really made me step back and think that if a person who doesn’t even knows me picks up on this apparent “aura” i have that it must be more serious than i’d thought! operation: self-reflection begins. this will be an exploration and rather than air my woes on the blogosphere (which i have been known to do), i’d just like to challenge you to do the same thing. if you’re joining me on this 28-day kickstart, odds are you’re either a little off track or completely off the map. regardless, the point is now that you’re making the choice to do something about it and if anything, know that if the founder of a company created to help others ‘live life fit’ has challenges, well then don’t feel so bad about yourself if you do too. we’re human, for heaven’s sake.
here’s the challenge for you: what did you do good today? no, don’t focus on what you didn’t do. what did you do great? how did you impress yourself today? and if you’re not in the habit of going above & beyond even in small little ways, you should try it; it does wonders for your self-esteem. case in point: i went to my friend’s house to go swimming & as i was walking to the pool (after he bailed on swimming laps with me) i seriously thought to myself “if i just sat in the jacuzzi for a half-hour, and came back wet, he wouldn’t know the difference!”. it was cold out (ok cold being 70, but still!), my back and legs are killing me from yesterday’s torture workout, and well, i just didn’t feel like it. but i did it anyway, and honestly only because i knew that i had to write this blankety-blank post (start a blog…really, even if no one reads it, it works!). my goal was to 25 laps in 30 minutes…and i got to 25 and i just got an itch to do 5 more…impress myself, go the extra mile (ok, 5 laps). what did you do today to go the extra mile? let’s focus on that instead of what didn’t go right. remember: positivity breeds success.
zone/block eating day 2: feeling great! not sure if it’s the food or if it’s the water that i’m loggin’ like a pro, but i felt great. i’m really not eating that much food but it feels like it because literally you eat every 3 hours, which i used to do anyway, but the portions are smaller. i’m finding that *gasp* i won’t starve! so here’s what today looked like just to give you an idea…try it!
breakfast: 1 scrambled egg, 1/4c black beans, 1oz cheese, 1tbsp avocado served w/1 corn tortilla (2 blocks) yes, the same as yesterday but it’s so good…see my pic? it really tastes better than this pic depicts. get it?! de”pic”ts! (ok i may need to eat i’m getting dilerious) snack: 1/2c watermelon, 1/4c cottage cheese, 3 cashews (1 block) lunch: brown rice tortilla packed with baby spinach, 2tbsp avocado as spread, and 3oz turkey breast meat (2 blocks) snack: 1 hard boiled egg, 3 olives, 1/2 apple (1 block) dinner: 2 small zucchini’s sautted in olive oil with 2oz ground turkey, sprinkled w/parmesean (2 blocks)
so i’m on the 10-block plan (read here for more info on zone/block) and i have 2 blocks left but i’m not hungry. perhaps i’ll enjoy an orange for dessert. (never thought i’d say that!). honestly this nutrition plan is NOT that far off from how i eat anyway, but i’m loving the higher fat which has honestly (i wouldn’t lie) really helped with sugar-cravings. ok, now ask me about that one come friday-night-golden-spoon-and-chick-flick-night!
are you in for the next 28 days? i challenge you to think about one GREAT thing you did today and leave it in the comments. do it!
angela
seriously, is this my umpteenth blog post announcing my new-found dedication to my fitness? if you’re new to my blog you will learn quickly that if anything, i’m very real. so here’s the deal: i’ve been SO off lately. like if we were shooting bb guns in the backyard like we did when we were kids, i would be missing the target altogether. or better yet, if you were out there with me you might wanna duck because i’m that far off target. ok, i might be exaagerating slightly, but i’m sure you can relate to the fact that when it’s YOU and YOUR health, being OFF is a downer. no it doesn’t always mean you gain 10lbs or you’re eating horrible all the time or skipping the gym altogether (or maybe it does) – the point is, your focus is somewhere else completely and your results are a direction reflection of that.
case in point: i’ve been entirely distracted lately by my booming little business (yay fitbook’s in target nationwide!), my busted booty (which threw me into a funk), and silly things that take up way too much time like boys (oh, boys!). all those things combined have taken my focus off the one thing that keeps me sane and happy: being healthy! but i’m not going to get too hard on myself (i’m only human). instead i’m choosing to just realign…again. one of my favorite quotes is:
“it doesn’t matter how many times you fall down, it’s how many times you get up that counts.”
so what’s different this time? well, this time i’m reaching out for a little help by enlisting my good friend and stellar personal trainer mr. jeff norcross (pictured at right, and yes ladies, he’s single) to create a workout program to kick my booty into next week. my next success strategy is to create an accountability system by meant cracking open a new fitbook – great timing with it being 13 weeks until 2012, which means i’ll be ready to take a week break come new years! finally, i looked back at what’s worked in the past and when i saw the most success is when i was blogging through it (i.e. the competition). partially because there was accountability and support, but mostly because it was therapeutic and i was able to reflect…really take out my thoughts on the keyboard versus dipping my spoon in the peanut butter jar.
so with this renewed mindset (and a good supply of anti-inflammatories from mexico for the tailbone) i am geared up and ready to go. follow me (and play along if you want) as i go through a 28-day kickstart program…a great way to reset, wherever you are!
the workout
not one to ever be that interested in crossfit, i became interested when jeff, who is probably one of the best trainers i know recently got obsessed (understatement) with it. now crossfit certified, he explained to me the science behind it and we even did a friendly little challenge (um, i beat him)…check it out.
after seeing how crossfit could take my fitness too the next level, i knew i might get addicted. give me anything where i have to compete for time or reps? i’m in. SO, even though it was tough to not have my workouts planned with bis/tris on monday, chest/shoulders on tuesday, legs on thursday, and back/abs on friday with 30-45m cardio 6 days (yes, i have control issues), i decided to let him do his thing. surprisingly, this plan still integrates what i LOVE (swimming, running on the sand, core workouts, spinning)…we just weave them in where it makes sense with the crossfit strength workouts. so take it from this non-crossfitter, i’m down to try this because it’s new and frankly that’s what i need right now. one more workout doing 3 sets of 12 and i might as well just shoot myself in the foot with that bb gun (joking, mom!). i’ll give you the workouts each week, so come back, but here’s week 1:
monday:
*practice front squats 5 rep max, so do 5 sets of 5, increasing the weight with each set so on the last set you “max out” – watch this video for front squat form (the purpose of doing these “practice” sets is to warm you up, but also to work on form…but trust me they are tiring!)
*”diane” (if you’re not familiar with crossfit, all the workout are named after girls…oh, you will come to despise “the girls”)
do 21 barbell deadlifts, 21 pike push-ups (jeff you need to post a vid of this!)…then do 15 deadlifts, 15 pushups, 9 deadlifts, 9 pushups…all for time.
(mine is 6:01 and holy camoly, killed me…if this isn’t cardio then i don’t know what is. my heart rate was through the roof!)
tuesday *practice bench press 5 rep max, do sets of 5, increasing the weight with each set so on the last set you “max out”
*swim or jog or do any “monostructural” (as they call it in crossfit) cardio for 30m
wednesday *”murph” (another cool thing – they’ve started naming new workouts after soldiers who have given their lives for our country in war)
1 mile run, 100 pullups, 200 pushups, 300 squats, 1 mile run
you can “partition this meaning, you can run a mile, do 10 pullups, 20 pushups, 30 squats, and then repeat that 10 times, then finsih with a mile…or break it up however you want. rumor has it this takes jeff about 45m so i’m looking at a good hour. oh joy. (girls…you can do assisted pullups on the machine and pushups on your knees if you need to!)
thursday *”practice” deadlift 5 rep max, do 5 sets of 5 reps increasing the weight with each set so on the last set you “max out”
*rowing machine (they love to row in crossfit – total body cardio): do 4 sets of 500m of rowing with 2min rest in between
friday *pilates (yay!)…so i love my pilates class, but for you this might be yoga, spin or whatever. just get in an hour of movement
*”helen” (i know, right? i thought pilates was enough!)
400m run, 21 kettle bell swings (about 30lbs), 12 pullups; repeat 3 times
saturday *”practice” overhead barbell press 5 rep max, do 5 sets of 5 reps increasing the weight with each set so on the last set you “max out”
*core workout for 30m (so planks, medicine ball twists, walk-outs, leg lifts, you-name-it, spend a good 30m on your core!)
sunday *off day! (i tried to argue this one because i’m all or nothing so i wanted to do something and i got told that i will need the rest to prepare for monday’s torture. i shall listen)
the nutrition i do not (repeat), do not do diets. and crossfitters follow what they call the “zone/block” plan, not to be confused with paleo which basically excludes grains and i for one don’t subscribe to anything that cuts out something all together, all the time. so i was intrigued by this zone/block concept which is basically the populare “zone diet” that you’ve heard of before. what i found is that i eat like this already – it’s basic common sense, clean eating with a focus on protein and lots of veggies. what i like about it though is that it scales back the grains and increases fats which i’ve already seen leaves me feeling less hungry! (repeat after me: “fat doesn’t make you fat, sugar makes you fat!”) without going into too much detail, basically you eat a balance of 40% protein 30% carbs (mostly from veggies) and 30% (healthy) fat at each meal…but to make it easier to understand you use this “block” system. this blog i found explains it best if you’re interested! so i’m following a 10 block plan which means i’ll have 5 meals a day, 2 blocks per meal…and what i’m honestly loving is i’m back to being mindful with my food…not impulsive and just whatever sounds good! this makes you think a little and plan ahead. in fact, i planned my meals in my fitbook the night before which is SUPER easy if you just keep the meal plan and block guide handy – it spells it out for you! the idea: eat this way about 80-90% of the time…you’re human, but don’t let that 10% slip to 20…slip to 30, you get the picture!
so, i have a surprise for you…i’m going to start posting pics to my blog again. i seemed to some reason get a TON of hits on my site the days i posted pictures. i’m sure it had nothing to do with me posing in my sparkly pink bikini right? ok, so not that exciting this time around, i’m going to just post a pic of one of my meals each day and give you an idea of day’s meals to help you see how easy it is! here was today: breakfast: 1 egg scrambled with 1/4c black beans, 1 oz cheese, topped with 1tbsp avocado, served with 1 corn tortilla (see…grains!) my first thought was, “wow…that is like the tiniest breakfast ever.” surprisingly, i was full and it lasted me til 11:30! snack: 1/2c watermelon, string cheese, 5 cashews lunch: big bowl of spinach with tomatoes, 3oz ground turkey, 2 tbsp avocado & 1 tbsp light dressing i was supposed to eat 1/2 brown rice tortilla too but i forgot it but wasn’t hungry without it which amazed me!snack: 1/4c skim milk, 1/4c unsweetened almond milk, 1 scoop protein powder, 5 cashews pre-workout….mmmmmm! dinner: 2oz canned tuna mixed with 1tbsp light canola mayo, 2 small diced persian cucumbers & baby tomatoes pictured at right…very filling and actually didn’t want a snack later, quite possibly because my fingers & brain were busy blogging; another nice byproduct of blogging.
the water oh, the water. honestly, i preach it…i so don’t do it. the only time i was ever good at drinking water was during the competition training because kim threatened me with my life. ah, but i found a solution (thanks to my dad when i was home!). i found these little crystal light PURE packets which are made with truvia, only 15calories and i used 1 in my 1L (mmm…grape!) smartwater bottle. i was downing my water like a pro today, 1L in by lunch! which, of course started a nice debate on the facebook page: is it worse to drink water with additives (i.e. crystal light) but drink more water OR drink pure water au naturel but not drink enough of it? if you have an opinion, share it here! i for one am proud of myself as i sit here blogging the night away with only 1/3 of my 2nd liter to go…flashbacks run through my mind of “blogging & water-logging” my way through the competition. oh, those were the (starving) days!
so 1731 words later, that is where i’m at and odds are a few of you are right there with me (if you made it to the end of the blog post, that is). whether you’re perplexed at how you either fell off the wagon again, or how you just can’t seem to find the motivation to get back in the saddle, trust me – you’re not alone. the beauty lies in that each and every day we have a choice to start over. so what better day than today to kickstart your body and mind? join me (and jeff!) on this 28-day journey!
yesterday. what follows is an explanation (read: excuse) of why i didn’t work out (*gasp*). holy camoly, i’m human! up working til about 2am the night before, i was less than motivated to get out of bed to hit the gym by 5:30am, knowing full-well that if i didn’t that there was no more time in my day to workout. i had clients to train at 6:30am and then it was a jam-packed day, beginning to end. so: workout on 3 1/2 hours sleep or get an extra hour of zzz’s? i chose sleep. hey – research shows that if you sleep less, you weigh more; however, i’m not saying it’s ok to log 9 hours of sleep a day and skip the gym. but you know what, sometimes it’s ok. so being the unstructured, spontaneous person i am (ha!), i’m just going to just roll with the punches and do yesterday’s workout (swimming!) on sunday. there goes my no working out on the sabbath! so, after a business coaching event (with wine!) and a glass of wine that was so worth being a little tired this morning…it’s a new day! [and yes, i realize i just used 5 exclamation points in only 3 sentences - i'm very excited apparently]
at rep 15 i had to wait and catch my breath for about 10 seconds and was questioning whether or not i was going to pass out (seriously). after the dizziness went away, i knocked out the last 6 and headed for the dreaded pull-up machine. talk about motivation to be able to do pull-ups un-assisted! i asked jeff if i could just do 3…rest, 3…rest, and do that til i got 21 but he said you lose the whole point of the exercise, hence the doubling up. so somehow i knocked out 42 pull-ups but i did have to stop about every 15 or so. it was brutal. but no resting – back to the thrusters. i thought 15 would be easy(er) than the 21, but see i hadn’t just done 42 pull-ups right before. there was some crazy mental game going on because i just stared at the bar for a minute like it was my worst enemy. i won though. i did 8…sat the bar down, rested maybe 10 seconds…then pulled out the last 7. 30 more pull-ups, check. then jeff came and rooted me on for my last set, which at this point i really didn’t know how i’d get ‘er done but with him watching me somehow i get this extra burst of energy (it might be called ego-boost). i didn’t have to stop on the 9, but the last 2 were super sloooowwww. then he wanted me to hustle off to the pull-ups, as though i was racing the clock (which i was) but i was taking every little second to rest, knowing what lie ahead. 18 pull-ups…non-stop (if i remember right, i think i almost stopped breathing). all that fun little workout in 11 minutes and 7 seconds. oh, fran.
