Unconventional

It's 2am and I couldn't sleep. I have a million things going through my mind for some reason. I'm usually a GREAT sleeper. I can shut my brain off at night until that alarm goes off at 3/3:30. But since it came knocking a little earlier today, I figured I'd get up and write the post that I said I'd write last night. I've been slacking you guys. I have not been managing my time well when it comes to getting these posts written and I apologize for that. But here it is. Finally!

I wanted to share with you some strategies for working out in unconventional spaces. The two things that it really comes down to are simple. Make good use of your own body weight and be creative with the space you have and the objects surrounding you!

You can do so many things with just your body weight. There are a lot of people out there who will tell you that you can't give yourself a good workout without equipment. That's simply not true. I've given many clients and myself plenty of killer workouts with minimal to absolutely no equipment. You don't have to be pouring sweat and breathing like you just ran a marathon to have given yourself a good workout. It's all about what your goal is. A flexibility workout will be completely different than a straight up strength based lifting or cardio session, but it is JUST as effective and can be just as challenging! It's just challenging in a different way. There are also certain flexibility moves that will keep your heart rate up in the 80 percentile if you place them strategically in the middle of heavy lifting or HIIT session as active rest. This is a good way to utilize your breaks for improving flexibility and overall mobility!

Here are some of my favorite "go to" body weight movements:

1) Hand walkout w/ or w/o push up (Strength/Flexibility)
2) Pike Push Up (Strength/ Flexibility)
3) Spiderman Pushup (Strength/Flexibility)
4) Sumo Alternating "Air Row" (Strength/Core Stabilization)
           * This would normally be done with weights, but it has benefits w/o them too!!!!
5) Jump Squat (Strength/Power)
6) Double or Single Leg Leap (Forward, Lateral, or Diagonal) -- (Strength/Power/Balance)
7) High Knees
8) Yoga Plex (Flexibility)
9) Lunges (Strength/Flexibility)
           * Lunge Variations: forward, reverse, lateral, and diagonal.
           * You can also alternate legs opposed to doing all reps one side, then moving to the other.
10) Single Leg Airplane (Balance/Flexibility)
11) Siderman Complex (Balance/Flexibility)
12) Leg Whip (Strength/Flexibility)
13) Reverse Lung w/ Knee Raise & Torso Twist (Strength/Flexibility/Balance)
            * Twist toward the knee that you bring up
14) Dead Bug - Isometric hold or w/ arm and leg extensions
            * This will bullet proof your lower back and over all core if done correctly!
15) Hollow Body Holds (An advanced progression of the dead bug)
16) Reverse Crunch
17) Hip Switches
18) Supine Oblique "Side Bends"
19) High or Low Plank
20) Body Saw (Core/Shoulder Strength)
21) X Plank (Core Stabilization/Balance)
22) Russian Twist

Note: I tried posting links to demo videos for all of these exercises, but I couldn't get them to work. I'll figure this out soon! Until then, you can find them on youtube. Please leave any questions you may have in the comment section and I'd be happy to answer them for you! :)

Now if you are in a hotel room, there are A LOT of things that you can use for a workout. You just have to think outside of the box! For example, your bed can be used in the same way as a bosu ball is used for balance. Stand on the bed and do some single leg airplanes or makes some dumbbells by throwing some of your belongings in a pillow case and do some single leg curls and or overhead presses! You can make them as heavy or light as you want. Also, almost every hotel room has a chair with wheels! This can be used as an "ab wheel." It's obviously higher off of the ground than a real ab wheel, so for some it will be less challenging, BUT it still does the trick. Just fatigue yourself with a few of the exercises I listed above before hand, then do as many reps as you can get with the new ab chair you just created! It can also be used as the stability ball during stability ball hamstring curls (which is one of the BEST exercises for your hamstrings in my opinion). See you guys, you just have to think OUT SIDE OF THE BOX. You have everything you need just about anywhere you go. I will elaborate on this more either today or tomorrow, but that's all the time I have for now. It's time to get this day rolling, aka, time to go make me some breakfast!!!

Until next time :)

SLASH!!!!

If there is one thing that I've learned, it's that you can't just sit back and wait for things to happen in your life. You have to be proactive. Good things don't come looking for you. You have to put in the work. Great things take time and persistence. They take the eagerness to succeed and the drive to make shit happen. There will be times that you have to step outside of your comfort zone and dig deeper than you have ever had to dig before. You won't always like it. Hell, you'll probably hate it at times. It may scare the shit out of you; but as I've said before, if your dreams don't scare you, they aren't big enough. You may find yourself hanging on for dear life at one point or another. It's going to be hard, but it's also going to be worth it. Do whatever it takes to make yourself happy.

(S) SMILE. 

When you're happy you put off positive vibes and you SMILE more. This is probably one of the most important things you can do in my opinion. Smiles are contagious you guys. Smile as much as you possibly can. I'm not saying walk around with a fake smile on your face. I'm saying make the changes in your life that put a real smile on your face. When I see a 100% genuine smile; whether it be from a complete stranger, a good friend, or a family member, I can't help but to smile right back. And it ALWAYS leaves a warm and fuzzy feeling inside of me. This, in my opinion, is the best feeling in the world. And everyone should get to experience it.

(L) LISTEN. 

You have to start making an effort to surround yourself with positive people. This is going to put you in the position to start making changes. Why? Because you'll feed off of the positive energy. Positive people are successful people. And I'm not just talking about financially successful. I'm talking about emotionally successful. They know how to see the good in most situations. Once you find people like this, LISTEN to their story. I mean really listen. Find out what it is that made them the way that they are. If you let people in on a deeper level, I guarantee that you'll find something inspiring in them. Use this as fuel for your own fire.

(A) ACT.

There comes a time when we all have to be a little selfish in order to keep ourselves happy. I am the most important thing in my life right now. I've had multiple people ask me if I'm dating anyone yet. The answer I give is always the same. "Myself." I've been working my ass off and putting myself first for the past 9 months and I've seen nothing but good things come of it. I don't plan to change that anytime soon. I've learned to listen to my heart and ACT on those feelings. I know who I am and what I'm capable of. And I plan to keep being the best version of myself and helping others do the same though sharing my insight, thoughts, opinions, feelings, and experiences.

(S) SHARE.

Don't just listen to other's stories, SHARE yours with them! You may not see it yet, but I can guarantee you that to someone else, what you've overcome in your life is inspiring. Let your experiences be someone else's fuel to better themselves.

(H) HELP.

No matter how successful you become in life, always remember where you came from. Stay humble. Remember the times that you struggled. Remember the times that other people in your life dropped everything in order to lend you a helping hand. And most importantly, remember all the people out there who are still going through struggles. Don't ignore them. HELP them. It's your turn to lend the hand. Use your success and the other resources you've gained to make a difference in other people's lives. If you do this, then you're doing it right.

SLASH the world.

Until next time.
:)

Wake Up With PURPOSE.

The ones who truly make an impact on the world are those who can't wait to get out in it!

So many people claim that they "don't have time" to prep meals for the week to keep them from eating crap. They also "don't have time" to get some sort of workout in each day. But they manage to have time to watch 3 hours of TV each night (yes, I'm rolling my eyes). I'm not going to lie to you, I used to be one of those people! Then I woke the hell up and realized that I have so much more to give to this world. I made a promise to myself that I would no longer waste another minute of my life being lazy. I know who I am now. I know what my purpose is and I know damn well what my passion is!

Yes, I know that sometimes an extra hour or two of sleep sounds great when you're exhausted in the morning from a long night of sitting on your ass watching TV (thick sarcasm) Hey, I have an idea! GO TO BED AN HOUR OUR TWO EARLIER and skip the TV. Genius. I know. Get your ass up the FIRST time your alarm goes off, immediately eat a balanced breakfast, then head to the gym and get your endorphins pumping so you're ready to take on your day with vengeance. Wake up with purpose and start your day with a grateful heart. We aren't guaranteed tomorrow, so we need to do great things with the time that we have! Take the steps to make your life what you want it to be. If you want the tables to turn, turn them the f*** over! You are the one that has to make the changes. If you are excited about what you're doing each day, it will show in every aspect of your life. Your self-esteem will increase, your energy level will be higher, your attitude will be positive, and your productivity level will be through the roof. Start doing the things that you love and everything will come full circle. I promise!

Set goals that make you want to jump out of bed in the morning.

I can honestly say that I'm EXCITED to get up between 3:00 and 3:30 each morning. I have a set plan for how each day is going to go, and they always start with three of my favorite things: Roscoe kisses, a good breakfast, and a good workout :) The routine I've created for myself is strict, But I love it. It's what keeps me on track with the goals (short and long term) that I have set for myself. It keeps me honest, humble, healthy, and motivated. And at the end of the day, I can't wait to go to bed. Sometimes it's simply because I'm starving, but usually it's because I'm excited for what the next day has in store for me! I'm so high on life right now that nothing can stop me. This is how we should all strive to feel about life. The world would be a much better place!

Sometimes a new goal is exactly what we need to make a fresh start. It's like hitting the reset button on life. It isn't abnormal for someone to find themselves at a stand still here and there. Things can get stagnant. You just have to quickly recognize when this happens and do something about it. Be proactive with your life! This is where goals come in. They give us something to work toward and an end result to look forward to! If you aren't working for something, you aren't living up to your full potential. I don't know about you, but I was put on this earth to do more than just pay bills and die! Think about it.

Past goals that I set for myself and completed have put me in the position to change lives for a living. It doesn't get much better than this you guys :) Like I've said before, it wasn't always like this. I've had to work my ass off and make HUGE changes in my life to get to where I am. There was a time when I was NOT happy with my life. But looking back, I wouldn't change a thing. Every experience, good and bad, has made me the person that I am today. And I really LOVE that person. I'm going to end this post with a little something that I came across today. It sums it up beautifully :)

Until next time :)

First Posing Session

I had my first posing practice with Aaron last night and it was a definite success! We did body composition for the second time. I'm down 3% body fat and 6.5 pounds in the last 4 weeks. Very happy with those results! When I first walked into the posing room, I didn't really know what to expect. Let's just say that I'm not a huge fan of looking at myself in the mirror. It's so awkward. And flexing is a whole new ball game for me. For those of you who know me, you know that I'm bashful when it comes to this. I won't flex for ANYONE. Just one more reason why this show is going to be a HUGE challenge for me. I felt like a big fool at first, but I started to get it slowly, but surely. There are a lot of little things to think about when it comes to each pose. And who would have known holding a pose would be so exhausting! I could tell that my back was tight when I started to cramp up a little while doing my lat spread pose (which is really HARD by the way). This showed me that it's definitely going to take some practice before I'm able to hold these poses comfortably for the amount of time that I need to.

We went over 6 different poses.  It felt like 60. I took notes and tried to remember as much as I possibly could. Tonight will be my first practice session on my own. I'm excited! I hope I remember all the details we talked about yesterday. I know it will just take time. I'll get it! Aaron took pictures of me in each pose so I would have something to refer back to if I get stuck. He also wrote down a few notes for me.

It was definitely a lot of information to take in; and there is a lot more that will be thrown at me in the next few weeks, but I'm definitely excited. The challenge of learning and perfecting these movements is calling my name. I have 14 weeks to prepare, which makes me feel a lot better. Starting early with the poses is extremely important because as a competitor, if you don't have them down, you're score in the show will be docked and you won't do well. Like I said, it's extremely exhausting to hold these poses and if you don't condition yourself to do so, you'll find yourself going flat during your time on the stage. When this happens the judges are no longer able to see your muscles pop in the way that they need to in order to give you a high score.

Pose: Back Double Bicep

One thing that I can see being a challenge are the vacuums that I'll have to maintain during certain poses. Holding air in your chest while flexing AND breathing is harder than it sounds. Holy crap. I've known from the beginning that I'm going to have to work my ass off for this, but yesterday put this whole posing thing into perspective. I have my work cut out for me! It's not just flexing in front of a mirror. It is an art. There is a specific technique behind it. I can honestly say that I have a new admiration and respect for all competitors who have mastered the art of posing because it is NOT easy! My next session is March 7th and I'm already looking forward to it. My goal for that session is to be able to run through all 6 poses we went through yesterday with little to no corrections from Aaron :) Wish me luck!

Until Next time (which hopefully won't be as long as it was last time)

:)

The Struggle Is Real

It's Friday, and I'm definitely ready for the beautiful weekend that's in store for us here in Minnesota! The weather has been insanely warm here lately. I love it. I'm a Minnesota transplant, so I honestly could not care less about skiing and hockey. Yep, I said it! This is something that I would NOT say out loud around most Minnesotans. Hockey is insanely important to the people of this state. It's a bit crazy. But anyway, back to the reason why all those skiers and hockey players haven't been real thrilled lately. It's going to be damn near 60 DEGREES and it's February! I'll be busting out the grill and patio furniture with a giant smile on my face. It will be nice to relax on the deck while I grill a bunch of meat for my client's and I's meals for next week. MUCH better than being stuck inside for 6 hours doing it!!! The last few days have been a big rough so I'm looking forward to the sun and relaxation.

I endured my lowest carb day thus far on Wednesday. I was sitting at 25g.  I was feeling pretty damn good after two days at 50g. My busy day to day, work, and extremely strict sleep schedules have made all the difference! But Wednesday was a different story. With the lack of carbs, I proceeded to fill the void with fibrous carbs, aka, a lot of broccoli in attempt to make myself feel full. What I failed to think about was what consuming this much fiber will do to a person. Let's just say I was now not only very hungry, but my stomach felt like an over inflated balloon. The air needed to be released!!! I was so miserable that I ended up going to bed at 6:45 that night. This was the best decision I had made all day.

I woke up the next morning with a splitting headache and my stomach screaming at me, but once I got up and got my favorite long awaited oats, peanut butter, and protien powered mixture into my system I began to feel a little better, but I still just wasn't 100% with it. Even with the extra sleep I could be described with two words. Hot mess. My 5am Thursday morning can attest to this. She handled me very well though. I think she actually started to feel a little sorry for me. Haha! We're close, so I felt no need to hide my struggles from her. Sometimes I feel that's necessary to show my clients that I struggle too. I'm not super human! I'm straight up human, just like them. Things don't come easy for me either. I have to make sacrifice and work extremely hard to achieve my goals as well. My hope is that when they see this in action, it will help put a little extra fire in their eyes. I want them to be inspired.

Up until Wednesday things had been going really well apart from my weigh in last week. I was up .4 pounds, which wasn't ideal, but it was just a minor set back. And if you read my previous post, you know exactly how I feel about those! Aaron adjusted my macros for this week and I crushed them. They crushed me a little bit as well, but I still won!!! I weighed in at 151.6 yesterday morning. BOOM! Right back on track. I get to enjoy one more high carb day today, then it's back to the dreaded depletion days. I'm hoping to be down around 148 at next week's weigh in. It's looking like my 8 week goal of 146 may come a little early and I couldn't be more proud. Happy Friday you guys.

Until next time!

Be Courageous With Your Story

We all have a story to tell. We all have a purpose for being here. This purpose is the very reason why we were put on this earth. Our story is the process of finding that purpose. I took me 31 years to get to the point in my life that I am at right now. I've finally reached the point where I feel like I'm truly making a difference in the lives of others on a daily basis. This is what truly makes me happy. Do you want to know what makes it even better? I'm doing it 100% on my own. This is something that I never thought I'd be able to do. I've always had someone by my side to help me along when I got stuck. But this time it's different. I have me, and only me, to rely on. Independence is empowering.

I was in a pretty rough spot not long ago and if you would have told me that I'd bounce back as quickly and fiercely as I did, I would have laughed in your face. I had no idea which way was up or down. I didn't know how I was going to pay rent or take care of my dog. There was a point when I thought I was going to have to move back to IL, which is the absolute last thing that I wanted to do. I didn't want to give up. I've done that way too many times in the past. I wanted to stand my ground and prove to myself that I had the fight in me. I wasn't going to run away with my tail between my legs this time. The greatest things in life often stem from the worst situations. It was time for me to woman up. I came to the realization that I'd be a much happier, stronger, more wise, driven, and disciplined version of myself once I was able to move forward, and guess what. I was right. 

Be Courageous With Your Story

I want everyone reading this to know that even though we may have never met, that I am proud of you for overcoming the obstacles that you've faced in your life. And if you're currently working your way through something, stay strong. Believe in yourself and your abilities to dig deep. You have the strength inside of you. You may have to search for it, but it is there. I promise. I truly believe that we'll never find ourselves in a situation that we can't get ourselves out of. If we look at things from a different perspective and treat crappy situations as opportunities to grow, we'll be unstoppable. 

I know it's hard to believe in something that you can't see. Sometimes we just have to leave things up to chance and take risks. Nothing is out of reach. I've taken A LOT of risks in the last three and a half years of my life and I can honestly say that I wouldn't change a damn thing. I know I made all the right moves. It took me longer than I had planned, but I'm right where I'm supposed to be, and I'm doing exactly what I'm supposed to be doing. I'm slowly becoming the person I was meant to be. Watch out world!

Use your struggles to fuel this fire that we call LOVE. Turn something unfortunate into something great. Share your story with others. You never know who you're going to inspire. People need other people; whether it be for physical touch, a simple smile, or encouraging words. You have the ability to change lives simply by being you. You just have to show compassion and empathy. Work your ass off and care about people, even if they are complete strangers. Hell, ESPECIALLY if they are complete strangers. We have a heart for something. Use it for something good. Be selfless. Two hands can make a difference, but a heart can change the world. 

Go do something great! :)

Until next time.

The Seminar

I'll start this post of by admitting something to you. I did my weekly client meal prep today, but that's not all folks. I did it all while singing at the top of my lungs (yes, with the windows open because it was over 40 degrees here) to every song that came on my iPod. One that I was extra excited to hear was Chris Brown's oldie, but goodie, Crawl. I love hearing songs that I haven't heard in awhile! Especially the ones that I played on repeat when I first heard them. Anyway, that's how I spent this lovely February day! Woot! Woot! Good vibes all around on this sunny Sunday! :) Now, on to the topic of conversation. I'm going to make this one short and sweet, but I'll expand on it tomorrow simply because I'm beat!!

I attended a posing seminar yesterday afternoon that my coach put on. It was held on the exact stage that I'll be stepping on in 15 weeks!!! Yeah. Shit just got real. It got me super psyched and terrified me simultaneously, but it was a lot of fun to be surrounded by people who are as passionate about this sport as I am. It was even more nice to be around other people who were also whipping out their tupperware full of food because it was time to eat meal number 4 at 1pm! It's exactly what I talked about in a previous post. I didn't feel like I stood out. I fit right in :) Something that would have made me feel completely out of place (eating from a tupperware bowl smack dab in the middle of a seminar) around any other group of people, was now seen as normal (Sigh). I was in my perfect world!

I met some great people who have gone through the same struggles that I'm going through now, and I'm excited to meet more and learn as much as I can about this amazing sport.

Until tomorrow!
:)