Making_A_Change’s BodyBlog

Last night I realized that I had made it through the week, kept my workout schedule (had to go most evenings) so, I took today off. Weekend workouts are pretty easy as I get that extra few hours of sleep. Tomorrow will be leg/glute day, Saturday–possibly chest, and Sunday–easy cardio b/c I meet with Billy on Monday. So, I am ‘cheating’, right now on Ritz crackers and goat cheese! Delicious. The diet has been clean and I feel good. I knew something was happening with me a few days ago. I am down to 147.2. It’s odd how you can begin to feel things happening–you know when you feel heavier, holding water, or even feeling leaner.

I just put in a nice sized bb.com order, so Tuesday will be like Christmas–Whey (chocolate and vanilla), Muscle Milk (chocolate and vanilla), and Clif Builder Protein bars (I cut these in half, bag ‘em and keep them in my purse). I can’t believe how my priorities, and thus the allocation of funds, has changed. This used to be shoes or ‘mad money’. Now, I buy protein powder–pretty funny. I usually buy a few things throughout the month. But this month I decided to ‘keep it real’ and get everything that I needed at one time. I bet that SP that I bought is going to last for a while b/c I am too chicken to take a full scoop.

I am loving my new vascularity. When I was lifting yesterday, it was very apparent. Or when I carry things for a while the veins pop out. It’s great!

I got a compliment from one of my 5th grade girls, today. She is rather tall for her age (and strong!), we’re almost eye to eye! She says, "I like how your shoulders go out then come in again". Then we kissed our biceps and did our ‘gun show’ thing. I think she finds it facinating that I go to the gym and try to become more muscular. She saw a picture of me from a couple of years ago and couldn’t believe that I had changed so much, "You had some big ol’ cheeks!"

I didn’t work out this morning. I didn’t set my clock. All this means in an evening workout. That is the ‘rule’. I’ve just made the little one a big bowl of pasta and meat sauce and as soon as husband hits the door, I will go and do about 40 minutes of non-stop triceps. I thought I was going to do back, but we’ll see. I am sore from the pull up that I tried to do. Billy wants me to jump up to the bar and lower myself down, working towards an unassisted pull up. I did two sets of 7 ‘jumping pull-ups’-underhand and overhand. And I am surprisingly sore! From what I understand, this could really help develop my back-awesome!

Update: I worked triceps, abs, and did high reps low/mod weight on the back. It was a productive workout and I felt great: lat pull downs, one-armed seated rows (40#), seated rows (80,90,100 PB), tricep pressdowns (50, 60, 70, 80# PB), one-armed standing cable rows, lat pull over/ crunches, chest flye crunches. I was out in about an hour.

This morning was a mental fight. I finally got out of bed and made it to the gym. My motivation? It wasn’t my body and the promise of muscle. It wasn’t to feel better. It was simply not to workout in the evening. Nothing more. I started off with some bb curls and squat/shoulder press combinations and everything felt heavy. I decided that I was going to do 30 minutes and call it a day. But about 25-30 minutes into the workout, thing began to feel really good. I started to sweat and it felt like my body unlocked and I lifted for over an hour.

I made the mistake of taking SuperPump during my evening workout. Now, I know container says not to take it within 4 hours of going to sleep. And I know that it probably wasn’t a good idea…BUT I figured since I was only taking an 1/2 scoop that I would be able to lift and then sleep it off. NOT. Yes, I had a great workout, but by the time I went to bed I felt like I could still get on a treadmill and run 3 miles or do lunges down the street. The SP is for morning workouts only, then that successive ‘buzz’ can be used during the early part of the day.

I found myself hungry this evening and I wanted something different. I decided to take some tuna in a can season it with lemon pepper, onions, and 2 egg whites. I made two patties and sauteed it then put it over a handful of raw spinach. It was actually good! It is definitely be something I can do quickly and know I am getting my protein in. I just have to watch the sodium.

Tomorrow, I will treat the clock like I do on Monday–it goes off and I just get up.

I decided not to wake up this morning (boo!) so I had to work out this evening. The evening crowd is so different–loud, lots of coordinating outfits, did I mention loud? The gym also seemed extra warm, I guess that was because of all of the people there. So, I couldn’t tell you whether I was sweating like a pig b/c it was hot or b/c of my workout. All of the elliptical machines and treadmills were taken. And the last stair master was broken. I have become accustomed to warming up my entire body, so I was disappointed until I decided to do my 10 minute warm-up on thye versa climber. What a warm-up! My entire body was hot and my glutes were on fire! Good stuff!

I am pleased that I did get my workout in. And the goal is to go in the morning and either do cardio (if the bootay is sore) or back and biceps. I did have 3/4 of a scoop of SP. This may be my ‘motivation in a jar’ on those days when I am just not feeling it.

Just when the chest and shoulders were feeling good, Billy decides that he is going to kill ‘em. Oh my gosh, this morning’s workout burned. Chest press, squats to bb shoulder press, step-up to bb shoulder pressers, then alternating punch-like movements with 5# plates (that felt like 20# pounds by the time I did it). We did some abs. Oh, we did a flye movement up to a crunch that was really difficult. I doesn’t seem like we did alot, but the intensity was there. He also had me point my toes and just touch either side of the weight bench, lifting my leg up and over–my balance was shot. He tod me to continue to practice, and I certainly will. Tomorrow, I will do legs and leave the upper body alone.

You are starting to look like one of those body building ladies. Your shoulders are getting bigger. You are looking good. That is what the husband said. He knows how to talk to a lady.

I think I have gained some mass. The scale has been reading 150#. My diet has stayed consistent and so have the workouts, and I am definitely bigger inthe thighs. I have been wearing more of my size 8 pants just so that I don’t have that tightness in the thighs.

Today, is my off day, which usually means that I try to do as much planning as I can. I plan my meals for the next few days and cook. I iron clothes for the week. I need to clean up around here, but that may take a backseat–can’t do everything and won’t even try. I am looking forward to tomorrow’s session with Billy. He said he is feeling better and I can’t wait to see what SP250+PT will look like!

I am now teaching a class until we can find a new teacher at the school. My meal schedule will not be interrupted as long as I stick to the plan that I just created. I actually sat down and figured out when I would be able to get my meals in, and it’s doable as long as I utilize my plastic containers and drink water during the class. It is not a big change, I just have to be a bit more structured.

My chest, shoulders, and triceps are stiff, but not a sore as yesterday. Well, I have to get the little one ready for her Black History program. I’ll probably write more later.

Pulled up the covers. Ow. Reached over to turn the alarm clock off. Ow. Turned over. Ow. My chest and triceps are screamin’–and I love it. Yesterday’s workout was really effective and just the type that I want to push for (for a lifetime) and especially for the next 14 weeks since summer will be here! I feel giddy, I really do. The dresses, the heels, shorts I am ready for it. There is no rushing like in the past only to meet the sun wearing jeans, again.

It felt like a good day for cardio. I ate two pancakes, 1/2 a banana, and drank 12 oz. of waer with a 1/2 scoop SP. I aimed for 40 minutes on the elliptical and did HIIT for my last 10 minutes. I am going to go for 15 minutes next time. After the second or third minute of HIIT my thighs literally felt like they ballooned up. It was odd, cool, but odd. I guess that was the ’skin tearing pump’ that SP promises? Well, half of a pump since I haven’t done a full dose, yet. I followed it up with some deep stretching and breathing. I tried to do abs to no avail, they were shot–which is a good thing. I haven’t had my off day this week, and was planning to take tomorrow off so I can be fresh for Monday. But, I may have an active rest day–something low intensity. We’ll see.

I am off of work today-yeah!- and I had planned to take it easy, take a day off of the gym, do laundry, and lay around. But while putting on some sweats I caught a look at myself in the mirror. And, I felt so proud of myself and got a little pumped up and I am now getting ready to go to the gym for a little cardio and some abs.  I am still blown away by my lower abdominal area–an area that has never been flat is steadily flattening out (it’s flat when I stand up and I’ll take it! LOL!). My upper abs have stopped pooching outward when I crunch or bend over. The quads are becoming more pronounced. My biceps have a small peak after I work them. I no longer look at my body as something to fix, but rather a work in progress. It is exciting to find new excercises and positions that really target different muscle groups.

 I even got the nerve to finally try the SP250. I used 12 oz. of water and just 1/2 a scoop of SP. I have only had 6 oz of water and around 1/4 of the SP and I already feel something. It’s been around 10 minutes that I’ve been nursing this drink. Since it’s my first time, I am following the instructions and had a small meal–1/2 banana and two protein pancakes. So, I am going to leave in around 15 minutes and see how it goes. I’ll be sure to log my results. I have heard so much about SP that I think I was a little scared to try it, but l’m really curious about. I have had the canister in my car for weeks!

Alright,  have managed to drink all of my SP while writing this blog,  and I am going to go to the gym. It is alot later than I normally go, so I will probably park several blocks away for an additional warm-up and to give the supplement time to work.

Post SP Workout: Instead of cardio I ended up doing chest, shoulders, and threw some one-legged standing squats and regular squats at the end. Then ran for 2 miles @ 6.3 mph.  Once I got to the gym I couldn’t imagine staying on one machine, I just had to move! The workout went something like this:

SS1: bb press w/ wrist rotation (40#), 3×15; db flye+press (15#), 3×15, 12, 10

SS2: tricep push up to stand; seated shoulder press w/ one leg up, 3×12, 10, 10

SS3: tricep dips, 3×8; squat to one armed shoulder press (25#) 3:12, 8, 8

SS4: cable triceps with rope attachment, 3 sets of the following reps (30#x15, 40#x10, 50#x10; straight to overhead press 50#x10); overhead crunch (15#x20+)

SS5: one-legged squats and regular squats until it burned, didn’t count

Cardio: 15 minutes @ 6.3 mph (2 miles)

 It’s hard to say whether or not it was the SP b/c I only did 1/2 a dose. I will prbably do 1/2 scoop for the weekend and then going to 3/4 scoop for a few weeks, and then a full scoop. I’ll take it slow and make sure there aren’t any adverse affects.

Once I got home I was famished. I made a realy good egg-white omelet with onions, red peppers, and spinach. It was beautiful and so good! I imagine that I will be eating again soon, too.

I did alot of plyometrics and abs today. I feel like the legs are finally back to normal. Billy was there with his other client. He looked alot better and said that he had plenty of time to cook up something new for me–wonder what that means! But I am excited about it. I got to talk to him briefly on his way out about being sore for almost a week. He was pleased. He said that that my body has gotten used to the high reps/low weights and the change shocked my body–a good thing. So, my ’swollen thighs’ are not my imagination, the tore then the heck up! LOL! He said, "You wanted to build muscle, right? We are going to round out those shoulders, build up your legs…" All I could do was go into a daydream state and imagine my awesome, shiny body glistening in the sun this summer. Oh yes, the family is going to spend many a weekend at the water park and the men better hurry up and buy their wife beaters, now, because I am buying the whole lot! I am wearing them everywhere!

I am thoroughly enjoying my ‘vacation’ this week. I am working two days and am working shortened days. I have been able to get extra sleep and it has been wonderful! You don’t realize how much sleep you are really missing until you actually get an opportunity to do it. My daughter and I have been reveling in our nap times. She has also taken to ‘coaching’ the husband in sit-ups and bicep curls. I think there  may be a trainer/coach in there. She has great form the only thing she has to work on are her motivational speeches–Daddy, you have a big tummy, do one more!!

I made brownies last night. I only had 1/2 of the 3/4 cup of cocoa powder than I needed for the recipe so I substituted Muscle Milk. The brownie’s consistency was like an undercooked brownie–fudgy and soft. I liked it. Husband immediately said-Uh. Did you put protein powder in this? He didn’t care for it too much. But I thought it was pretty good. And it’s not like I substituted anything else.

 Well, me and my ‘massive’ thighs are going to do some work.

I woke up and took note of what wasn’t sore and decided to hit those parts–glutes, hamstrings, and triceps. I did my one-legged presses which had my butt burnin’, but that darned pukey feeling returned! So, I’ll admit that I took it easier than I had planned. I am going to have to eat more on leg/butt days period. On a positive note, I found a position that really helped me stabilize myself and target my glutes. I put my non-working leg on the seat and if forces me to really push with the other. I was also wearing running shorts (you know the kind with the hiiii-iiigh slits on the side?) b/c they were the last clean pair of shorts. And I was self-consicous becuase my butt cheeks were clearly visible. I kept adjusting myself and felt a little uncomfortable. Note to self: don’t wear running shorts on leg day. I did some ham curls, worked the triceps, and did lots of ab work. I unexpectedly ended up running for 1/2 hour (3 miles) @ 6.3 mph. I had a comfortable stride, felt light, and just went with it. It felt good to get a stretch on the glutes, too. Hopefully, they are sore tomorrow!

In the meantime, pay day can’t come quickly enough. My bb.com cart is full of goodies: Low fat Muscle Milks, Optimum protein powders, cytolean, mmmm I can’t wait! I am still trying to choke down my 5 pounds of Optimum banana flavor. It’s just gross. There is nothing that I can do to it–it’s just a bad flavor. Bleech.

My legs are still sort of swollen from last Monday. Could that be? I know b/c my pants are a little tighter in the thighs and not the waist. Hm…