The Joys of Weight Training....

Lifting weights has been key in transforming my physical, mental, and spiritual self. Lifting has helped me to know that I can do ANYTHING I choose and put my mind to. It has also taught me patience. I didn't get out of shape over night so I won't reach my goals overnight either, but I get closer to them everyday. For those of you who are either scared of lifting or thinks it will cause you to bulk up, you have to understand that weight training is the key to physical fitness. Women you won't bulk up! That is a myth. Men you will bulk up, but that's usually what you usually want anyways!

 :-)  Do your research and get it started!!! Don't let any more time pass before you pick up some weights!!! Just Do It!!!!

I Love Working Out!!!

Today was the best day ever!!! I enjoyed being back at the deadlift rack!!! I didn't max out but got 240 up and it felt good. I worked my back something fierce today and I'm sure I will feel it tomorrow! The only thing I am missing is some cardio in my life, but that will come. Getting ready for my July challenge... Are you???

Tomorrow is THE Day!

Tomorrow I anticipate getting lifting clearance from the surgeon. Well he better give me clearance if he knows what's good for him! Haha! I am so very tired of not lifting that it's really starting to bother me. So, wish me well tomorrow and I will let you all know what he says. 

I Really Miss Running....

This upcoming Saturday will make 4 weeks since I tore my calf muscle and strained my Achilles' tendon. At the gym today one of the guys that I see every morning asks me how long it will be before I can run again, which made me think. It will probably be anothe 4 long weeks before I can get on a treadmill. I probably will not be able to run right away either. I'm hoping I can lose the boot next week and start gaining some muscle in my legs again. Oh well, I suppose I should just focus on the here and now and continue improving my upper body for now.

You Have to Dig Deep!!!

Getting into the right frame of mind to get fit can be very difficult. Most times we focus on what we have to give up vs. what we have to gain by making lifestyle changes. I still struggle with this at times due to my tendency to eat junk when experiencing high stress and and at other times (you know what I'm talking about). However, even at those times it's okay to satisfy those craving. What you don't want is for there to be more of those times than not. So skills to cope to keep you on track is needed and that's when you have to dig deep. You have to recall where you are and where you want to be, what you have gained and what you hve to lose, and how far you have come. Even if you fail one moment, you don't have to the next. We all have things that motivate us and we have to use those things to keep us on track. You can do this. Not sure what the challenge for next month will be, but no matter what we will all grow and change from it.

Time to Rest

I have had some really bad shoulder pain lately and I am going to take the weekend off from working out. Since I hurt my leg I have only been able to do upper body workouts which I think is taking its toll on my shoulder. I will continue to post daily if my FB app doesn't cause me issues. :-) 

Motivation....

This morning when I got to the gym, I noticed that my two lifting buddies were not there. Thought they may just be running behind but after stalling my bench press by doing a couple of the machines, I knew they weren't coming. Both have struggled this week with getting in the gym and staying motivated. At first, I was kind of disappointed. Then I thought to myself, they can't be your motivation, you have to be your own. So I began to think about how far I have come and how far I have to go and I got the job done. It was a great and super intense workout! There is absolutely nothing anyone can do to get MY job done. I have to do that myself and I will not be stopped!!!

Determination is Key!

I know most if us struggle with staying motivated and focused on our fitness goals. There usually comes a time in which you say I have to do this, and you do. However, how hard you push yourself is an art form. You don't want to push yourself to injury but you don't want to undertrain either. So, a good rule is to do one more. If you have a specific number of reps that you can get through just as your muscles begin to burn, crank out one more. Challenging your body is the key to building strength and muscle. Also, if you can do 12-15 reps then ADD MORE WEIGHT!!!! Light weight is for beginners, the injured, or those who are deloading but normally lift very heavy. 

I plan on writing more about how you know if you're lifting the correct amount if weight. Hang in there! 

No Way Around It!

I would love it if I could gain muscle and endurance, lose weight, and be fit without doing anything but monitoring my diet. However, that is not how this works. Granted what you eat is essential to all those things but so is exercise. Both cardio and weight training. Without weight training you will lose muscle; which you do not want to happen. The benefits to getting that heart rate up with cardio and weight training are endless. You don't have to be a gymoholic, but you do have to be dedicated and persistent to get results. It doesn't take long before you start to feel and see the results. If you do only all cardio or only all weight lifting, you're missing out and cheating yourself, your body, and overall health. Get fit and improve your overall functioning by incorporating eating clean, performing at least 30 mins of cardio and 30 mins weight training, 4 times weekly. Your body will thank you. 

Emotional Eating.....Ugh!!!

We have all been there! I was there yesterday! Eating foods that I know will slow my progress and keep me from reaching my goals. One advantage that some individuals have over others is their workout regimen. Eating bad foods and working out is bad. Eating bad foods and not working out is deadly. So, yesterday about 5 fun size milky ways, some hot stuff popcorn, and a piece of key lime pie! Omg, that pie was the bomb!!!! Oh yeah and I had some Pringles. I count calories daily and yesterday I went over my daily allowance by like 10 calories. That would have been 410 calories had I not put in an hour worth of weight training and 200 push-ups. The thing is, developing an exercise routine that become habit/lifestyle, can save you on those poor diet/cheat days. You are entitled to those every now and again, but make them few and far in between. Emotional eating can kill your goals and your spirit, so utilize working out to combat those feeling or boredom that tends to plague us all every once in a while. Hang in there! 

I Will Not Quit!!!

Today was a challenge for me. I didn't go to the gym and ate a little bit of junk. I did get my 200 push-ups in but not being able to run has got me down a bit. I was going through my pics and came across the one used for this post and realized I have to stop focusing on what I can't do and get what I can do done! So, for at least the next 2 weeks I will have to continue focusing on my upper body. My arms are showing improvement and my bench press is building to a respectable weight. Lol! That is all. 

Don't Talk About It, Make It Happen!

I am one that usually does what I say I'm going to do. That doesn't mean I am immediately successful at it, but I will keep at it until I get it right. I have cheated myself for years with losing weight then gaining it back, not knowing I was doing more harm than good. Plus, it's not an easy task. However, you owe it to yourself and others to strive constantly to take care of your body. Most of us know what we need to do, now we must get out of our own way and make it happen! You have to get started and now is the time. 

I Got 99 Problems but a BENCH ain't one!

Today was my first day back in the gym and I killed my upper body workout. The push-ups have greatly improved my push, so I will continue those even after the June challenge is up. Today I maxed at 135lbs. That may not seem like a lot but it was to me before my injury and today it was not as hard as it has been. Plus I only had one leg for leverage. When I'm able to use my right leg, I will be able to ad more weight. So, my goal is to be bench pressing 150 or better by the end of the month. I think I can do it! You guys have no idea how great it feels to be back! 

My Worst Enemy.......Me.

Since I have not been able to lift weights or run I have had so many negative thoughts go through my mind. I actually have to check myself. The leg injury has set me back greatly. I have been out of the gym for 10 days now and I know I have lost some of the gains I worked so hard for. I have cut my calories dramatically to prevent weight gain and that really isn't the answer either. So, I have to dig deep and find some motivation. I think I will get dropped off at Monster Garage Gym after school today. I need to get some wisdom from my lifting buddies. I'll let you know how it goes.

Dry Skin Brushing Benefits

Dry Skin Brushing: 7 Key Benefits

Your skin is a complex system made up of nerves, glands, and cell layers that, when healthy, serves as a buffer that helps protect your body from extreme temperatures and chemicals.

It also produces antibacterial substances to protect you from infection and enables your body to produce vitamin D when exposed to the sun. Your skin even contains densely packed nerve cells that act as messengers to your brain, making your skin a crucial part of your interactions with the world around you.

Another crucial role your skin plays is supporting optimal detoxification. But if your skin is overrun with toxins or dead skin cells, it will not be able to eliminate wastes from your body efficiently.

This is where dry skin brushing can be invaluable, not only in brushing off dead skin cells but also in activating waste removal via your lymph nodes. Beyond this, dry skin brushing offers multiple benefits including:

1. Stimulate Your Lymphatic System

In your body, your lymphatic system is the system responsible for eliminating cellular waste products. Hundreds of miles of lymphatic tubules allow waste to be collected from your tissues and transported to your blood for elimination, a process referred to as lymphatic drainage.

When your lymphatic system is not working properly, waste and toxins can build up and make you sick. Lymphatic congestion is a major factor leading to inflammation and disease. By stimulating your lymphatic system and helping it release toxins, dry skin brushing is a powerful detoxification aid.

2. Exfoliation

Dry skin brushing removes dead dry skin, improving appearance, clearing your clogged pores, and allowing your skin to "breathe."

3. Increase Circulation

When you dry brush your skin, it increases circulation to your skin, which encourages the elimination of metabolic waste.

4. Reduce Cellulite

Dry skin brushing may help to soften hard fat deposits below the skin while distributing fat deposits more evenly. This may help to diminish the appearance of cellulite.

Dry brushing is also said to help reduce cellulite by removing toxins that may break down connective tissue.

"When we'd heard dry skin brushing was an effective method for reducing cellulite, we knew we had to include it in our anti-cellulite road test. Sure enough, it was indeed one of the more successful ways to smooth away less-than-perfect spots on your legs."

5. Stress Relief

The act of dry brushing has been described as meditative (especially if you do it in a quiet space) and may reduce muscle tension, calm your mind, and relieve stress. Many compare it to a light whole-body massage.

6. Improve Digestion and Kidney Function

Dry skin brushing may go even deeper, helping to support your digestion and organ function. According to one skin care and spa expert:

"…many naturopathic doctors use dry brushing to help with bloating because massaging the lymph nodes helps the body shed excess water and toxins. One of the immediate effects of dry brushing is smoother skin, but it can also help improve digestion, kidney function, and more."

7. It's Invigorating

Many people become "addicted" to dry skin brushing (in a good way) because it simply feels so good. Along with glowing and tighter skin, regular dry skin brushers report feeling invigorated after a quick session.

Setbacks.....

Setbacks in fitness are bound to happen, but it doesn't mean you have to stop moving towards your fitness goals. Adjustments to your routine may be needed to stay on track and to maintain your gains. It has been one week since I hurt my leg. I have adjusted my routine by doing 125-200 push-ups a day and cut my caloric intake since overall I am less active. Tomorrow I will be setting up my weights and will start lifting. As long as you don't stop, getting pass your hurdle should not be devistating to you overall fitness gains. My running will suffer for sure but I will just work my way back up when I am able to run again. 

I Must Go!!!

It has been very hard for me not to be in the gym this week because of my leg injury. However, if I have to crutch my way to the gym on Monday I will! I am not able to drive but I will not let that stop me. My doctor said I can do any upper body workouts, so I'm gonna take this down time to improve my bench and build my back and lats. This will improve my deadlift when I am able to lift again. So, my mission this weekend is to find a motivated individual to pick me up and go to the gym with me at 5am during the week. I will not be stopped! 

Fitness Warrior!!!

There are so many people out there doing the June 3500 push-up challenge that told me they couldn't do 1 push up, and most of them are doing hundreds of push-ups a day! Your body will do whatever your mind tells it to do. Once you get over the fear of the challenge you have no option but to succeed! Anything more than what you could do before is success. If you go from doing 1/2 push up to a full push-up; you're a success story. The key is to push yourself! Push yourself knowing that results are on the way. Push yourself to get past fears and doubt about your abilities! Push yourself because it is the only way to reach your goals! Of it were easy, everyone would be doing it. You're doing it because you are a fitness warrior! You've got this! 

I'm Inspired!

So many people have joined my June 3500 push-up challenge that it makes me emotional. My sister and cousins who are out of state, my daughter and friends and people that I don't even know have made the choice to get fit! That's amazing! They are all inspirations to me and keep me going. Thank you! 

Fitness Journey Pitfall....

It's day two of the push-up challenge and I'm trying to stay ahead of the game by doing 120 push-ups a day. With my leg being injured, I'm trying to do whatever I can to continue building muscles. I will keep working out all other body parts as much as I can. I despise being home bound and laid up in the bed (turnt down...) lol! I won't be for long. I'm going to make a speedy recovery and get back to full physical activity. 

Injured, but Not Out!

Okay so most know that I injured my lower leg area in a couple different places yesterday. However, I did not allow it to keep me from meeting my push-up commitment. In fact, since my lower half is out, I will focus on getting my upper body in better shape. I can't allow this to keep me down too long. I really need a workout partner now. Someone to spot me and push my limits. I guess I will have to do that for myself. I will keep you posted on what the surgeon says about my leg tomorrow. Keep motivated and keep going!