New Perspective(s)...

Saturday, February 27th, 2016 I gained a new perspective on my diet and future eating habits. Me, Vanessa, and Meagan paid Lil (but not so little) Tim French a visit. Although he's a regular "send off" when it comes to meeting me at the gym, he gave me some really good advice regarding my food intake and how to schedule my 4 day meal rotation. He also gave me some much needed advice regarding supplementing (basic things I need to have), as well as things I might want to veer away from. The entire conversation gave me a new enlightening perspective on how to approach meal planning that makes what I thought to be the worst thing in the world, less daunting.

So... Now that I have this information, I will be using it starting today. Since my new training schedule and WORK!!! plan starts tomorrow I may as well implement the eating plan immediately. The way I will be planning and scheduling my meals going forward has relieved me of most of the stress I have been feeling over the last 15 days (since I received the results of my allergy testing). So, I'm quite excited right now!!!

Yesterday also was a GREAT day in the gym training with Meagan. We got it in for over 3.5 hours and it felt good. We started out with over an hour worth of rope, followed by some vicious pad WORK!!!, followed by more rope, followed by more pad WORK!!! It was  great cardio session and we both were able to get in some double under which I have never been able to do! Meagan took them to a completely new level, but I would expect nothing less than that! This girl is determined. Period. I'm sitting here this morning analyzing how my body feels and I have to say my arms got a great workout from working the pads with Meagan as she is all about power. Even her jab is ridiculously hard (which expends a ton of energy but she's working on managing that), but that right hand could be deadly. Today, we will get in some sparring. I wish there were more young females in this area interested in the sport. I LOVE seeing girls gain that sense of self and confidence as they progress in their skill. It's just really amazing to witness. GIRL POWER!!!

This week I have midterms at school, so my social media time will be little to none. I should probably keep it that way going forward, but it is the only I tend to communicate with many individuals, and for many reasons. I too am guilty of being bad at "real life" or "old school" communication as text and social media are so convenient. However, I sometimes wonder who would bother to keep in touch with me if I were no longer "online." That may be an interesting experiment for me to conduct and at some point in the near future I will.

I have been considering some making some other major changes in my existence as well. Nothing I care to share at this point but just some things that I should do to make my days, months, and years (God willing) flow more smoothly. I'm truly loving life right now and it has nothing to do with anyone or any thing in particular, it's the collection of blessings that God provides me daily. I'm a thinker and there are a million times during my day in which I just smile and think to myself "I LOVE LIFE, thank you GOD!" Shoot, sometimes I say it out loud.  And this love of life is not dependent on anything but me and GOD. Don't get me wrong, I love the people in my life beyond words but my happiness is not contingent upon ANY one person; except me. In my life, I feel that I am at a point that is beyond great. If I were to die today, know that I LOVED how I LIVED... the VERY best way I could at every point in life in which I arrived, with the purest of intentions.Luv.

High, highs and low, lows...

This week has been beyond interesting. It's been filled with a ton of highs and a couple lows, however I will focus on the highs and briefly share the perceived "lows." :-)


To keep up with DFC (the fitness crew I belong to, except they are all in the city), I align my training with theirs so that when we do train together we are on the same page. Well, this week was the week to test numbers on certain movements in preparation for a new plan beginning on Monday. I'm really excited about the new plan and had a great week in the gym number wise. I had a beautiful back day, a totally awesome leg day, and in my opinion, a kind of crappy chest day.


Let me get the chest day fails out of the way. For the last month or so, I have been keeping the weight relatively light and performing a high number of reps. Well, yesyerday I expected to be able to bench press way more than I was able to. I hit 135lbs 1x! My first attempt was a fail. I couldn't get it up, but I immediately did it again and got it. I as so upset and expected to be able to at least get 3-5 reps. I had just benched 120lbs 8s's! WTF!!!  Okay, I'm done with the negatives.

This week I had a very emotional moment in the gym while doing deadlifts. So, not too long ago I could only pull 225lbs 1x and on Monday I pulled it 10x's!!! I was too stoked and had to fight back tears while standing there! I ended up pulling 255lbs that day and I was beyond satisfied.
Leg day was good too! I got up 155lbs with the A2G squats for 10 but reverted back to my powerlifting squat (sumo) for higher weight and ended up squatting 165 and 170 5x's and 175, 180 and 185 3x's. I stopped there because I had no one to spot me and plus I had been at the rack for well over an hour. My legs are really starting to feel it but I love it!

I am truly beginning to see changes in almost every area of my body so my motivation is on fleek! Over the next 6-8 weeks my goal it lift heavy, gain strength, and make some muscles pop!

Tonight... BOXING!!! I have another boxer who's fighting his first fight tomorrow night!! I'm excited as usual about this! I'll keep you posted on how it goes!

Luv!

Gains, Plans, & Success!!!

I feel that today was a very successful day in the gym. Because I will be following a different lifting protocol beginning March 1, I have to figure out where my numbers are for certain lifts this week. So far, I'm off to a good start.

A while back, I think it was May 2014, I was deadlifting pretty frequently. I think the only two exercises I was performing were deadlifts and squats (with weights anyways as we did all sorts of craziness at MGG). My PR for deadlifts was 315 and soon after that I tore my gastrocnemius and lost a great majority of my gains. Well today, I maxed out at 255lbs on the deadlift. That's cool for now but I really won't be satisfied until I get that 315, AGAIN. The one thing that almost had me in tears this morning while deadlifting is that I hit 225lbs 10x's! I have never done that. I have ALWAYS only been able to get 2 or 3 reps out of 225lbs. So, today was a HUGE success for me. I know many won't understand that but I truly value EVERYTHING no matter how small those things may seem!!!

I think it was in November of last year 2015, 3reFit and I completed a back day together and I missed a 225lbs deadlift attempt. I shook off my disappointment and went right back at it and got it up, ONCE. Since January 1st, my goal has been to increase my endurance and focus only on lifting moderate weight (not super heavy the way I like it) and increasing the reps (15-20). Today is the very first time I have attempted to go heavy and I'm happy with the results this initial plan has produced. My crew (DFC) will begin a new plan soon that will likely increase that 255lbs I hit today significantly, so I'm super excited!!!                                                                                              

  

The stress levels are running kind of high today with work and school as my time will soon be even more limited due to a 1 year practicum I will have to start. My only concern is that my gym time will suffer (Work... Whatever! LOL!) That may not be the case as I have not even met with the site to negotiate my time, so... I'm praying for the best outcomes. Regardless, I WILL NOT SACRIFICE MY TIME SPENT IN THE GYM. PERIOD!

This Friday I will go back to the doctor to be measured after 12days of the new food protocol, so we shall see what's up with that. :-) I can tell that water retention is down so I'm pleased with that. I just need to hear "you have gained xx amount in muscle and lost xx amount in fat mass." All that other stuff I could care less about.

Well I'll keep you posted. TTFN!
Kim

PHUCK AVERAGE!!!

This past week has been CRAZY for me. As you know, last Friday I found out that I have a ton of food sensitivities and allergies so I've had to modify my diet tremendously. I have also had difficulties getting all the calories and protein I need as well, but I'm starting to get the hang of what I need to do to continue meeting my fitness goals. Nutrition is just so important and if the formula is not on point, you will stall out. No worries though, I'm flexible, adaptable, and determined. Ooooohhh SNAP!!!

Haha!  You will all soon understand what that's about. Anyhoo... There have been so many different things happening in my life. I have been reminded time and time again by many that I AM BY NO MEANS AVERAGE, NORMAL, or PREDICTABLE. They are correct. And to be honest, I don't aspire to be any of those things. WHY? I go with the stream of positive energy that continuously flows around me. Seriously. I may APPEAR flighty, distracted, or whimsical but I'm also far from those things as well. I KNOW EXACTLY WHAT I AM DOING AND I AM MUCH LESS ABOUT TALKING AND MORE ABOUT GETTING ishT DONE!!!

However, lately I have been receiving so much criticism from individuals that used to be #teamkim! Being called extreme or told that this or that method does not or won't work when it comes to fitness. And this comes from someone that might benefit from working out with me  Honestly, no disrespect. But I really think that if you can't apply something to yourself, refrain from trying to give me advise  when what I am doing is working. When you have people that softly hate on you, you're doing something right. Everybody can't like you or something is wrong. Now... moving away from the negativity...

More exciting than ever..... HOODIES!!! Many people have text, inboxed me, or approached me about the hoodies I wear in the gym. Well, I copied 3reFit with wearing the hoodies in the gym to stay warm while training. I have also been called an "Habitual Deviator" and "Uniquely Designed" which inspired the last two hoodies. I have a ton of ideas that are likely to be seen on a hoodie very soon! I'll keep you posted and no I don't have any for sell for the last time!!! Hang tight!!!

That WORK!!! is the BIZNESS!!!

One last thing before I end this randomness. I was so very pleased to get a text from Meagan Maupin asking me to coach her for the Golden Gloves this year. I told her I would LOVE that!!! She will be spending the weekend with me next week so that we can get some training in and I'm super excited. One thing I know for sure is, I have a ton of people in my life that are beyond AMAZING and you guys have no idea how happy I am about that. Every night I thank GOD for all the great people and experiences that I've encountered thus far on my journey. I love you guys for real. That being said, I pray that you all have a fantastic evening (or day should you be reading this well after it's posted). Remember to find a way to give your gifts away! You are a blessing!

~Kim

I'm DEAD!!! LBVS

Okay, so the Queen of positivity is experiencing some negative emotions around her FitJourney. I received the results from my allergy testing this morning and my day has been filled with anxiety provoking thoughts.

I workout hard! However, my numbers for muscle, fat mass, and water are always all over the place. So, I was referred for food sensitivity and allergy testing as I retain between 6 and 9 pounds of water every time I go to the doctor and measure. Plus, sometimes I just feel tired and can't really understand why. Well my results have cleared it all up for me.


Those who know me, will feel my pain once you view the items on the list of foods I am to eliminate from my diet.

I eat A LOT of everything on the list of foods I am to eliminate. Peanut Butter is MY ishT!!!! You just do not understand, I put it on EVERYTHING!!! Eggs and peanut butter! Chicken and peanut butter! Spinach and peanut butter! Fruit and peanut butter! Peanut butter and peanut butter!!!
This is going to be a tough transition.


I was provided with a shopping list of approved foods. This list is not as long as the list of foods to exclude. However, come Sunday I will come to terms with this, shop from that list, and meal plan for the week. This will only be as hard as I make it.

I will probably be offline for the next few days as I really need to wrap my head around this eating thing. You see, I went from not eating enough to eating way more, to being told I again have to limit what I eat...AGAIN!  So... I have to calculate just what and how much of what I have to eat to sustain my current WORK!!! And, as many of you know, when you make changes to your diet, your body has to adjust and that can be pretty ugly in the beginning.


Alright, I will be back on Monday after my first day of the new plan. Pray for me!!!


Kim

Day 11 Randomness...

Many of you know that I have committed to working out every day for the month of February. I have to say that it is going well outside of people and things (school, family, friends) needing my time. I will always prioritize to make sure my friends and family are cool, but school? I've been slippin'. Well... I typically get all A's but lately I've been procrastinating in getting my work done. I feel I work best under pressure but for the last two weeks I've been really cutting it close. Added pressure is about to begin as I have to take the Personal Training test, AGAIN (long story),  prior to April 8th but I really need to study. Regardless, I will get it all done.

Just know that this post might appear to be a bunch of randomness, and you would be right. Today's post is to just clear my brain of some stuff and everything is fair game. 

It's day 11m CHEST DAY. I had a great session....alone. I know that lately I've been trippin' about having a lifting partner and I think because of the commitment of no days off I'm more focused on it. I really DO NOT NEED anyone to lift. Period. I would LIKE to have a steady lifting partner. For motivation, critique, and so on. I would probably benefit from someone more experienced than myself, but anyone that has the will to WORK!!! hard would be welcomed to join me. Until then, I will continue doing exactly what it is I've been doing. 

Sunday will be my SUPER MEAL PREP DAY!!! I will plan ever eating aspect of my days over a week's time. I'm kind of excited about this! I'll write about how it went. 

For Friday an Saturday, I will focus on cardio and stretching. I'm supposed to do yoga but I'm not sure if I will. I want to spar and hit the pads however... That's probably not going to happen. So, I will focus on getting a ridiculous sweat on. 

Well that's all I have for today. I'm at work and need to prepare to get out of here so that I can prepare for tomorrow morning's WORK!!! Cardio, Cardio, Cardio!!!

Until next time...

In Search Of....

Today was BACK DAY!!! I was up and at it early this morning and spent 3 hours in the gym. It felt really good until that drive to the city for school. It's like I hit a brick wall! I think I was nodding in class (well I was catching myself) and I'm continuing to struggle now that I'm at work. Who knows.

Anyhoo... BACK DAY was a success! Deadlifts are my first lifting love. When I first started lifting, I was focused on lifting heavy and I got up to deadlifting 315lbs.  I then tore my gastrocnemius which put me out for a long time and I lost all my gains. Although I like being able to lift heavy, my focus now is on losing fat mass and developing lean muscle. I was graciously reminded today that my goals are SUPER important! Therefore I am going to REALLY start focusing on my goals and doing what I need to do in the gym to meet those goals. Yes, I GO HARD in the gym but I probably need to streamline and focus more intently on a FitPlan that is more aligned with assisting me in meeting my goals.





I know one thing that I HATE is not having a consistent and serious lifting partner. I was reminded of this by an old gym friend that is now in Thailand. We used GET IT IN daily! Not having a consistent lifting partner is one of the reasons I joined the Powerlifting Gym a couple of years ago. However, the hours of that gym are very odd. Actually, the hours for most independent gyms where I would have the opportunity to work out with others have hours that will not align with my school and work schedule. So, I'm a little bit stressed about this, but I can't let it stall me out. I don't have time for self-pity or anything infringing on my PEACE. On that note...

I'm going to revamp my plan over the remainder of this week with a little help from my friend 3reFit (He doesn't know this yet, but I can always depend on him to come to my FitRescue even though he says I'm an HABITUAL DEVIATOR). I will begin implementing the plan on Sunday and it will be a complete success. :-)  Until then... I am in search of an individual(s) that can fit my lift schedule and are SERIOUS and CONSISTANT!

Until an ACCEPTABLE and CONSISTENT lifting partner(s) is found, I will continue putting in that WORK!!! AS USUAL!!!

No Limits! Period.

I'm very pleased to say that today's gym session was awesome!!! Besides the fact of it being leg day, I got to workout with my old original lifting partner and squat coach Gary G. 

So as you know, I've so craved working on my A2G squats, well today I not only worked on them, I killed them beeches! Lol! I started out light and worked up to 135lbs. I can't honestly tell you how many squats I did today but I don't know if I will be able to walk in two days. We shall see! 

So, initially Gary and I argued about my hip flexibility. I haven't lifted with him in a long time so... He was telling me that I was not flexible enough in the hips to do A2G squats and I argued that I was! 

No one can tell me about me and what I am capable of. I make it a point to have great hip and ankle flexibility specifically for squatting. Granted, I usually perform a power lifting squat but I still work on hip and ankle flexibility as both are important for other movements. Long story short is that doing A2G with weight takes some work when you are used to doing something else. Therefore my confidence with doing them with weight was low, as I never want to have to drop the weights. 

So after performing A2G's and going past parrallel with light weight we started adding weight. The more I squated the more confident I was and ultimately was able to squat, pause and stand the heck up!!! So, going forward I am only squatting A2G and including the pause at the bottom. When I can do a set of 15 with the pause without a problem, I will add weight and start again. 

I was able to complete my entire leg routine, minus lunges, and was in the gym a little over 3 hours. Most of that time was spent  squating. 

I honestly feel that nothing is impossible and Gary was truly my motivation today! When someone tells me that I can't do something, I make it my business to show them differently. I HAVE NO LIMITATIONS and if I ever decide to have any, I will be the one to create them!!!

That is all. 

PHENOM DAY IN THE GYM!!!

Today was a fantastic day in my most favorite place; the gym! There are a couple of reasons why, so let me explain.

Reason number 1: Pre workout-  I've known about pre-workout forever. However, I have never tried it before today and I am mad at everyone who truly knew its power and kept it from me or did not fully explain what it would do. LOL!  I felt like a gazillion bucks and feel that it gave me some extra GO!!! My cheeks, eyebrows, arms, and tongue were tingling but it wasn't bad and I only had 1 scoop with more water than was intended (first time jitters).

Reason number 2: Jerome Brantley and Sylvia Flores were both in the gym with me and Jerome killed us with an awesome workout. We also hit the pads and worked on my defense a bit. I haven't had that type of intense workout without weights in a great while (since Jerome's last fight). One thing that I really love about Jerome is that he does not accept ANY excuses at all!  He does not want to hear what you can't do and will call you on your BS. I don't even try anymore but Sylvia... HAHA!!! She will learn!!! She started out by trying to get out of doing push-ups, and if you haven't done them in decades they are hard, well she ended up doing 10 which is SUCCESS!!!

Reason 3: Saw Jen again in the gym today (she's the one that turned me on to the pre-workout) and she gave me a scoop of her pre-workout and was excited for me once I told her I was feeling it. LOL!! She's like the pre-pusher!


On this 29 day, NO REST gym commitment I feel I am off to a great start! I have increased my food intake (as I was not eating enough to sustain my body and the gym WORK I do), I'm getting in more protein, I'm on a new quest to get rid of this last bit of body fat that I have, and I'm learning about supplements that are going to help me have more effective workouts. Best thing is, I'm feeling GREAT and I'm feeling supported. Can't ask for much more.

TTFN!

Leg Game On Fiya!!!

So, today I had a great day in the gym. Last week I mentioned a girl that convinced me to practice A2G (Ass to Grass) squats. Well, she and I are officially gym friends. Today was her leg day too and we chopped it up quite a bit today while squatting. She's a 19 year old college freshman, loves to lift, and has massive leg power. Today, I spotter her heavy squats and she ended up maxing out at 235lbs which is impressive. She lacked confidence and was going to stop at 220lbs but the Monster Garage Kim came out and convinced her she could life that $h*t, add 2.5 and 5lbs at a time. She did it! Oh by the way, her name is Jen.

After she was done I continued to squat (without a spotter) and decided not to attempt the 225lbs without one. So alone, I ended up squatting 190lbs 2x! I am completely happy about that!!! I squatted more today than I have in a long time. I mean I worked by way up to the 190lbs by squatting reps of 10, adding weight after each set. I lost count but I'm sure I did close (if not more than) 200 squats. After I was done with the 190lbs I lightened the load to 135lbs and did 2 more sets, then did about 5 sets of 10 at 115lbs. AFTER THAT, I practiced my front squats with 95lbs and my A2G squats with the bar. So I know I did  more than 200 squats today. My legs felt so pumped. Because I was pressed for time and my legs were like jello, I didn't get to the lunges, leg press, or calf exercises, but I did get in leg extensions and hami curls. I spent 3 hours in the gym today and nearly 2 of those hours was spent at the squat rack. I'm sure I will be paralyzed tomorrow... That's a good look!  Hahaha!

For Friday and Saturday of this week, I will be boxing. I hit the pads with Jerome day before yesterday after my workout and it felt good. I will start sparring with him next week and then when my girl Meagan comes down to spend the weekend I will spar with her as well. March I will probably call in some other great female boxers that I know to spar with me. I want as much sparring as possible before April and definitely before May. I still have not made the final decision as to whether I will be fighting May 6th, but I'm preparing as though I am (because I probably will). LOL! Soon I will post pics of the custom boxing outfit that someone has offered to make and send me for this fight. I have to make sure it USA Boxing compliant. Ugh...

Other than having a BEAUTIFUL LEG DAY and getting my boxing training in order, all is great! The support I need is finally forming and I'm feeling good about it. Jerome has agreed to work with me on a regular basis and I will also be utilizing Rita F. (Hall of Fame female boxer/Boxing Trainer) when I can get to her gym. I'm so excited about that.


Well, that's all the good news I have for now. However, I only expect for more to come. :-)

A Good Day.

I've got to say today was a good day!!! My daughter is back in the gym, I killed my led day WORK, and there were no negative energies presented that I could not quickly dismiss. Great day; period. 

My squat game is coming along great! I can't even tell you how happy I am with my progress. I am seeing my a$$ get tighter, higher, and more round! What more could I ask for? Lol! My lunges are way better than when I first started as well! I'm just happy with the direction my for game is taking me. My passion for this FitLife is more than what I ever imagined it would be. Hopefully soon I will be able to make the gym a more prominent piece of my day. Pray with me on that one! 

Along with my leg game being the ishT, my FitHoodie Collection is getting some play time as well. I have recently developed a love for cool gym hoodies and socks with the rubber things on the bottom. See, I deadlift and squat in my bare feet so the socks makes that raiser. The hooie obsession was inspired by 3reFit, who is infamous for being hooded and toweled while getting that WORK! I am now known for the hooded look in the gyms that I frequent. I'm starting to get questions as to where I got these hoodies bit I'm not telling! I work hard to get hoodies that are odd and I'm not ready to look up and see a chick or dude working out next to me in the same ishT!!! This is my attempt to remain Uniquely Undefinable, as I have been told! Yep! 

That's one of my next FitHoodies! No joke!

Well I have to get my behind out of the bed and prepare my days meals. I've got a full day until late afternoon so I must end here! 

Now, go forth and be good to yourselves, kind to others, and thank God for the many amazing blessings he has provided you! 

Luv