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Showing posts from May, 2010

Chicken, Broccoli and Peppers...OH MY!

What a great Sunday! RiverPointe to get my praise on! Got a little work done. Soaked up a few rays in the backyard (sweatin' bullets!)...and got a little cardio and a "hammy" workout in this evening. Just whipped up a little "stir-fry" Yuuuuuummmm!! 8 oz cooked chicken breast, cubed 1/4 sliced red onion 1 sliced yellow bell pepper 6 oz fresh broccoli 1 clove chopped fresh garlic Olive Oil cooking spray Skillet over Medium-High heat - Spray pan with Olive Oil cooking spray. Saute onion, bell pepper & broccoli & garlic. (use cooking spray to keep ingredients from sticking, if needed). Add chicken, give pan a few flips to get all ingredients mixed well. Remove from heat and cover. Let simmer/steam until chicken is hot. *Note: broccoli will be crisp. Salt & Pepper lightly. Yields: 2 servings.

"DOMS" - Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness

Call me cRaZy ...but I ♥ the feeling of sore muscles after a workout! Typically day two is the most sore for me, but after my leg workout yesterday...ooooooh, baby!! I'm feelin' it! Delayed onset muscle soreness occurs when the muscle is performing an eccentric or a lengthening contraction. The mild muscle strain creates microscopic damage to the muscle fibers. Scientists believe this damage, coupled with the inflammation that accompanies these tears, causes the pain. "The aches and pains should be minor," says Carol Torgan, an exercise physiologist and fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine, "and are simply indications that muscles are adapting to your fitness regimen." You're growing stronger and conditioning your muscles to be better able to perform! So keep up the hard work and FEEL the progress! The Workout Warm-up: Leg Extensions (55 LBS x 20 reps) * Leg Extensions: 90 LBS x 15 reps x 3 sets *Squats: 115 LBS x 15 reps x 4 sets Super-

Save the Knees!

1. Take the Time to Warm-Up: Don't jump right into heavy sets. Always warm-up with lighter weight, high-reps (20 - 30 reps) of Leg Extensions or Leg Presses. 2. Don't Lock-Out Your Knees: When performing a leg press or leg extension movement like squats or seated leg press, do not fully lock-out your knees. Locking your knee joint transfers all of the weight from the muscle to the joint. The result is un-needed stress on the knee that can lead to injury. By not fully locking your knees - you will keep the tension on the muscle and you will experience a more intense set at your current weight. If you are unable to complete your set without locking your knees, the weight is too heavy and must be lowered. *The only exception to this rule is with seated leg extensions and stiff-legged deadlifts. 3. Learn To Squat With Proper Form: So many people squat on the balls of their feet - instead of their heels. Do not let your knees come forward as you descend. Stick your butt out, and

Love Shoulder Day...Calves...not so much...

Had a great workout @ 24 today! I'm focusing on rounding out my shoulders a bit more for my upcoming figure competition. So its critical that I hit each section on my shoulders/deltoids: Anterior (front), Medial (middle) and Posterior (rear). Here's the workout: WARM-UP ...the usual... * Shoulder Press : 70 LBS x 15 reps x 2 sets, 90 LBS x 15 reps x 2 sets * Front Barbell Raises : 30 LBS x 15 reps x 4 sets * Super-set - Lateral Raises + Leaning Lateral Raises Lateral Raises : 15 LBS x 15 reps x 3 sets Leaning Lateral Raises : 15 LBS x 15 reps x 3 sets * Up-right Rows : 45 LBS "C" bar x 15 reps x 3 sets Calves * Seated Calve Raises : 90 LBS x 20 reps x 1 set, Drop-set (10 LBS drops) 20 reps x 4 sets * Standing Calve Raises : 135 LBS x 15 reps x 3 sets, 90 LBS to failure **Had to restore my iPhone to default and haven't reinstalled my Pandora Radio yet...good thing I had my workout partner to keep me motivated!! :)

Was Monday National Cardio Day?

Unofficially, maybe? I didn't get the memo, but OMG! Not a single peice of cardio equipment open at the gym and there must have been ten members waiting for a machine to free up. Well...ROCK ON!!! The word is out! FIT IS FABULOUS!! So I skipped cardio yesterday... bummer! But had an incredible Back & Biceps workout !! Back *Pull-ups: 3 sets of 10 reps *Lat Pull Down: 3 sets x 75 LBS x 15 reps *Cable Rows: 1 set x 60 LBS x 15 reps, 2 sets x 75 LBS x 15 reps *Hammer Strenght Isolated Row: 2 sets x (2) 35 LBS x 15 reps, 1 set x (2) 45 LBS x 15 reps *Bent-over Row with Barbell: 4 sets x 40 LBS x 20 reps *Roman Chair Back Extensions: 3 sets of 20 reps, alternating with oblique isolation Biceps *Single Arm Concentration Curls: 3 sets x 17.5 LBS x 15 reps (BURN, BABY, BURN!) *Single Arms Hammer Curls: 3 sets x 17.5 LBS x 15 reps *21's: 3 sets x 30 LBS

METROFLEX - HTOWN!

Talk about HARD CORE ...Hit hams and triceps on Saturday @ Houston's own MetroFlex! A/C is for babies ! LOL. Get ready to SWEAT if you think about hitting MetroFlex. I'm not talking a "glow" or "perspiration"...I'm talking you look like you just jumped into the swimming pool with your clothes on. Bring a sweat towel! You're gonna need it! I love the atmosphere! The music is loud, it's okay to slam the weights...as the guys like to say..."It's okay to be strong here!" When you're deadlifting over 400 LBS it's hard to "set" the weights down without a sounds. Go ahead! UNLEASH THE BEAST! You want to make some changes in your physique...spend a few hours a week in this place WITHOUT lifting a weight and you'll looks 10 LBS of water-weight in no time. Special thanks to Ryan Wendt for his generosity! The Workout * Glute Buster (L♥VE this machine!) *Roman Chair Back Extensions with concentration on glutes and hamst

cArDiO, CaRdIo...

Happy Friday!! I'm trying to step my cardio back up. Since I have brought my weight/body fat back up from my competition in April I have been feeling sluggish and bloated . It's more than just "filling back out". I think my body is trying to tell me that it's having a hard time processing all the protein I've been ingesting. I've read about fasting for a day or two to give my digestive system a rest... increasing my fiber intake ... Dieter's Tea ...It's just so hard for me NOT TO EAT! I have bought the Dieter's Tea and I used it for six days. I will say that I could tell a difference, but it is not recommended for use more than ten days . It's been a week so I'll resume the regimen tonight. I have also increased my fiber with Oat Bran, spinach and broccoli . The only thing left to try is the fast...but I will most likely have to skip the weights on those days. :( And tomorrow we are hitting HAMS !! So I may begin my fast on Sunday... I&

Some Shoulder Action...

What a great day! I started with a run outside...but I need some new running shoes. No, seriously! It's not just an excuse to go shopping!! (wink). But honestly, a good pair of running shoes make all the difference! Nevermind the designer workout attire...just give me some "kicks" and my Pandora Radio and I'm good to go ! I hit shoulders and calves today. Typically I give my calves a little more love than I did today, but my tender tootsies were holding me back. Rest assured... tomorrow I will make-up for my slacking today! Here's what shoulders looked like: Warm-Up that Rotator: Internal/External Rotation (5 lbs dumbbells x 15 reps x 3 sets) Super-set: Seated Front Raises & Single-arm Posterior Flys *Seated Front Raises (15 lbs x 15 reps x 4 sets) *Single-arm Posterior Flys (12 lbs x 15 reps x 4 sets) Super-set: Shoulder Press on Smith Machine & Leaning Single-arm Lateral Raises *Shoulder Press on Smith Machine (40 lbs x 20 reps x 3 sets) *Leaning Sin

Cauliflower "Mashed Potatoes" Yummy Yummy in my Tummy!"

Today was LEG DAY !! Legs are my weakness. I used to dread working out legs, but I have a newly found motivation that pushes me to hit legs HARD CORE ! In order to achieve my personal goals I have to be pushed beyond my limits. Having never had a consist ant workout partner, this has always been a challenge for me, but we must remember that "when we cheat we are only cheating ourselves" . I workout legs twice a week. The first part of the week I concentrate on Quads and the second part - Hamstrings and Glutes. Today's Leg Routine * Warm-up: Leg Extensions (45 lbs x 15 reps) * Super Set: Leg Extensions & Leg Press Extensions 75 lbs x 15 reps x 4 sets) Leg Press (200 lbs x 15 reps x 3 set / 270 lbs x 15 reps x 1 set) *Single-leg Lunges on Smith Machine (70 lbs x 15 reps x 3 sets) * Super Set : Hack Squat & Walking Lunges Hack Squat (90 lbs x 15 reps x 3 sets) Walking Lunges (Two 25 lbs dumbbells x 24 reps x 3 sets) * Single-leg Stiff-leg Deadlift (15 lbs

Back & Biceps

I began my day with the usual 5:00 a.m. cup of coffee (sweetened with Splenda and a splash of Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk - YUM)...check my email and I was off to visit the stairclimber for one of our 45 minute "dates". Today was a low-intensity cardio day. My speed was constant @ level 18. Worked up a great sweat! I've put in about five hours with clients...still much business to be handled before the day is up...but now it's time to give the muscles some love. I'm working Back and Biceps today. I start with back typically and always with my pull-up since they take the most energy to execute. Pull-ups (3 sets of 10) Lat pull-downs (75 lbs x 4 sets) Cable Rows (60 - 75 lbs x 4 sets) Single-arm bent over row with dumbbells (27.5 lbs x 4 sets) Bent-over row with barbell (40 lbs x 4 sets) Then it's on to BICEPS! Preacher curls (15 lbs x 4 sets) Cable curls (20 lbs x 4 sets) 21's (25 lbs x 3 sets) Meals have been on point today...Lord knows that's my w