My Crazy Obsession with the Gym

Got in my first am workout at 6:15 today… lord I don’t know how I managed to be awake. Going to bed at 10 helped!!! This is the first time in years, when I was in college I could do it no problem but in my ripe old age (hehe) it is not as easy.

Bahamas workout 1/60: incline chest on smith, cable flyes, skullcrushers, rope pressdown for tri’s with 1" "pulses" superset, bench hanging oblique crunches w/10lb plate, cable crunches, DB kickbacks, 5min on stairmill and 16 on the elliptical. Gotta go in later and finish the cardio.

I need to get my shoulder looked at soon. I really aggravated it this morning with chest - and it wasn’t even lifting heavy. Maybe today is a freak day for it, but my whole left arm is stiff and it’s difficult to even type with my left hand.

Saw the 3d horror movie - it’s another dumb one (duh), but it makes you really jumpy during the action when he throws his pickaxe or bullets at the screen.

A lot of people are talking about the P90X (not sure if that’s right) program. Don’t know too much about it but I’m intrigued to find more; from what I’ve glanced at that people have, it looks really sound and makes a hugggeeee difference in 3mos… think that’s the timeframe.

Grocery shopping was a PAIN - I don’t know what was making everyone psycho about shopping yesterday, but everywhere I went lines were backed up at least 6 carts deep. I waited at one place 40min just to buy creamer!!! Made me late for a meal… and nobody’s a happy person to be around when they need food. BUT… I was soo happy that they had the 93% ground turkey… I got 4 instead of 2 just in case next weekend that gets all bought up for the superbowl. But I do’nt think turkey is typical fare….

I have exactly 60 days until march when I was luckyyyyy enough to get invited to go to the bahamas! Never been outside of the US so there’s that wonderful passport to get (right). 60 days until beach body shape! Now my butt has to get mega-organized, but I am confident about it and at least it won’t be as challenging as getting stage-ready. YAY!

Today was the best day: LEGS. Wide squats, 1-leg smith press, laying leg press w/ glutes lifted, bench crunches with plate and DB between feet, ab machine, donkey calf raises, quad extns with drop sets and glutes lifted, DB hamstring curls… what else… some random ab and tricep exercises. Didn’t have much time so cardio was only 20min sprint intervals - run 2 min then spring 1min, rinse and repeat 6-7x and jog for 5 to cool down. I have not been doing much cardio at all - or lifting for that matter - but the diet has been spot on and as nic said…. it’s ALL diet.

Finally getting in all of my carbs and protein and veggies…. ok I need to work on the fats…. but WOW, does it make an energy difference. On my 16hr+ days, I really need that. Sunday was legs, had to go light because of my hip pocket being inflamed again…. Monday: abs, HIIT, tri’s and back. Today was shoulders, abs, and glutes inbetween clients. Damn am I getting really, really hungry on the days I train people before work. It’s about 5-6 straight hours of clients… wonder if I should increase my cals at all on these days???

I wish I could have a permanent IV line coming from a cup of dunkin donuts coffee, 24/7. That stuff is legal crack. I must be keeping the one by my work in business, they recognize my car and I don’t even have to order at the drive through anymore. Bad, huh?

They were out of turkey this week so I had to buy chicken… yuck. Going back tomorrow before work to hopefully snag some. My chicken and oatmeal have been accidentally mixing in their containers and it’s such a tasty mistake. It’s not gross!

There’s a kettlebell seminar - like 5 hours - saturday that I want to go to at the local barbell co. I haven’t worked with them in a while and haven’t done much, but what I remember is brutal and just from mimicking the movements with DB’s, really kills. Speaking of which….

I can’t wait to see the 3D slasher flick that is coming or came out. Yes it’s dumb but in 3d? If it makes it scarier, I’m in.

Tomorrow is just cardio - b/c today was long, tomorrow night I’m going out, and Thurs I ahve to be at the gym again at 6. Sheesh. At least I have some vacation days coming up at the Lab, they are all "mental health" days (hehe) so I get at least 1 random vacation day each month plus holidays to not go in. Score! I can sleep and take an evening cycle class or train at night instead or actually do something with people.

Oh what a week! I feel like I got nothing accomplished, esp. fitness-wise, except for lots of work and a wedding. 51 hours at the lab plus training… I’m spent. Not much sleep either. Just got back from bridesmaid-ing it at a wedding, waiting for my redline to kick in so I can hit the gym quick… had to be at the salon at 7am plus it was 52F in the church - their heating broke wednesday. Not fun in a strapless dress. I love my hairstyle but it’s completely not gym-appropriate… I hope it doesn’t get ruined, such a girl - I don’t wanna take it down yet!

Tonight’s probably just some cardio and abs, nothing worth writing home about. I need to pick out another goal, something to get me in the gym even on my 16+ hour days. I need to actually force myself to sit down tomorrow and figure out a workout schedule that works around my AM training days, those are what really mess me up.

This is a big happy for me. After 2 months without… I finally have a new ipod and DAMN does it help. I forgot how much music can pump you up…

Going strong with training clients before work. It’s not fun waking up at 4am… but once I get going with people in there, I have the best time in the world with them. Guess I’m doing something right because I’m completely booked up straight into the middle of Feb… I’ve been told a couple times how people are saying really good things about me in there and people are changing over to me… so it makes me smile and makes the early wakings/long days totally worth it.

A couple cancelled on me this AM due to snow (not much but whatever) so I got in a quick leg day and cardio. I like being under the gun to get lifting in - I can’t do as many exercises but I train more intensely - supersets, plyo between sets… just constantly moving. Ha, I was so happy to have my Ipod back that I was singing along to it and near-dancing on the stairmill. If I didn’t have anyone to train next, I would have been fully into it and gotten sweatier.

Dieting is going well, but I keep forgetting to add in the fats and wakeup hungry. It can be so ‘unglamorous’ - eating cold food, chowing it down as fast as possible, eating it bland… but that’s just how it is.

I need to finish up legs tonight: deep squats, leg extns, 1-leg extn on smith, and some more cardio. I can’t waaiiitttt for 8pm.

What a week so far. 11.5 hours at work, that’s just wrongggg. Some things just take time and preparation, especially if they’re new unfortunately. Oddly I wasn’t too tired afterwards and could have actually worked out… but my gym is no longer 24hrs…. my thumb got a workout instead.. trying to find brainless TV at 1am.

My shoulders are the slowest to gain size on my  body. I’m debating going back to doing crossfit workouts a couple times a week; I did them for a while about a year ago and my shoulders/chest responded crazy well. I don’t know if my left shoulder can handle it too much though… it’s gotten a little worse during my last show.

Happily, diet is 80% of the process, and even though my workouts haven’t been as consistent as I wanted, I’m still getting much leaner especially in the abs/quads. Shopping for jeans sucks. I get the whole "gap-y waist" problem. To fit my legs and butt, I have to get a size 7 or 9, but my waist fits a 3. Ugh. Se7en jeans does a good job since they’re ultra-ultra-low waist if you have this problem, but they retail around $90 I think…. can’t really load up on them.

Today should be fairly easy at work so I will will will be lifting later. Back, abs, and triceps. If I would be allowed to, I’d leave work for 2 hours in the middle to hit the gym and make up the time later in the day.

It’s been since the summer that I’ve worked out during the busy 5-7ish time when everyone gets out of work. Went in yesterday then… holy crap… I think the only unoccupied spaces were the leg press and a flat bench. Didn’t raelly have my heart set on lifting anything in particular - I knew chest and tri’s were out of the question, and a lot of the back equipment was being hogged too. Ended up just doing some pullups, high rows, plate loaded shoulder presses, cable lateral raises, skullcrushers, v-bar press, scapular retractions, DB bench crunches, a bunch of hanging leg raises, cable woodchops and serratus crunches, leg extensions, REAL squats (it was nice to squat, I haven’t done it in forever), overhead press drop sets… I guess I made out OK. Even got in 3mi of running… that seems to be my mileage sticking point, it’s too cold for me to run outside - and it’s dark - once spring comes it’ll be easier to do longer outside. But I am learning to love running. I am hurting today though, everything but my quads and chest are sooorrreee.

Today was an off day. I’ve been up since 4am to train clients before work… then, of course, today had to be a 9hr day at my "real" job. Wish training could be my real job, but they hardly pay anything. It’s just fun. I’m starting to lean out even more, if I can keep sticking to it another 2 weeks I think that abs "V" will be back, muscles are also starting to look rounder even though it feels like I am still lifting "baby" weights compared to a few months ago.

My favorite workout tip ever - because it works: don’t train abs alone, superset them with other bodyparts instead of resting between (i.e.) sets of chest or legs. You will notice a biiiig difference training this way.

Today was also an "off" diet day. I’ve been superlow carb (my diet is maybe 30-40g a day max)… but the early morning, no sleep, and loooooong day made me cave: 2 turkey burger pattys, a bagel, and a roast beef sub and a salad. I was ravenous, it felt like literally eat or fall asleep or chew my arm off, normally I’m OK being a little hungry but NOT when I’m tired. Tomorrow is back, abs, tri’s and maybe some legs and running, so the carbs will at least get put to good use.

I am rambling.

So no chest and cardio yesterday, Sunday got turned inside-out… for a good reason. I’d make it up tonight, but Mondays seem to be the traditional chest day for most, and I’ll be in at the "busy time" instead of later since I got to work 1st shift. Maybe… quads/shoulders/tri’s/abs. I am starving, all I had since waking was coffee, 2 turkey patties, 1/2C oatmeal and 2 scoops protein. I missed 1/4C corn, a large salad w dressing, and 1C veggies. That’s my job for ya.

As for the subject line.. going for a 3rd tattoo in a few weeks with some friends… and decided on getting my back piece finished - except it will be visible and not on my  back. On my back is one wing and an orchid by my favorite Nouveau artist, I always said I’d get the other wing on once I "proved" or accomplished what the first wing meant to me - the reason behind it. And damn, I got it done this past year. I thought it would have been years! So amidst all the crap of the past year, and especially last several months, I met my end of the bargain with my tattoo… which is really good since it will be on me forever….. and now I’m really happy to put on its "other half" to signify its completion or whatever. It might sound stupid, but it was a big deal to me, and meant a lot.

Had a first date. Haven’t had one of those in 17 months! Almost forgot what dating was, haha.

My training schedule is open starting tomorrow, have to call and find out how early I need to be there. Waking up early sucks, but I looovvee the people I train and getting in there and having fun with them.

What else… lost fat, getting size and definition back, can’t wait to go in and lift tonight and see people I never get to see. I really, really want to eat more right now.. haha… but I’m hoping some coffee and Redline will suppress it.

I know what people mean now, when they say that they can "feel" it in their injured bodypart when it’s cold / damp / rainy, etc. Originally went into the gym last night for legs but on the first set of squats, my hip felt like it was going to snap at any minute - never had a squat hurt like that or be so weak. So it was switched to back & tri’s… which aggravated my left shoulder that’s apparently rotated weird according to my nutritionist. I should be less stubborn and get them looked at again.

Extremely great news, my paperwork went through and I’m back into training. Had to go up yesterda to open my schedule, do the w2 thing and more paperwork. We had so much fun goofing off at the gym yesterday. Then - of course - I had to go buy more athletic clothes with Em.

Ran out of garlic powder so I broke down and used some salt. I haven’t used salt in months, before my sept. show. I would salt everythinggg. It was pathetic. Now, I suppose because I’m so unused to it, even a tiny smidgen makes me lose definition and hold water.

ttyl