Livingloca’s Hot Bodyblog

Chatting with a friend made me realize how much fun I’m having in my workouts.  I’m not talking about socializing… although I get that in at the gym too!  Completely focusing and working towards your goal can totally make the change you are looking for.

 I really challenged myself yesterday…. worked on my shoulders (MY FAVORITE!!) and felt the burn, felt the weakness too, but kept pushing harder and harder.  I had to stand in front of my bff, Strongforgood, interrupting her workout, making her take out her earplugs so she could see my accomplishment.  I stood straight, arms to the sides, and flexed… omg.  The cuts in my shoulders… that sweet shoulder cap that is looking better each week.  We died laughing that I had to tap her for her to see with her own eyes!! LOL!!!!  We are total nutheads.  Of course… she later came by and tapped me and showed me her vein popping from her shoulder as well… Love that we can entertain and amuse ourselves!!!! WE ARE FUN GALS!!!!!!!! lol.  We laughed and laughed and laughed some more until we cried!!!!!!!!  (we should see a doctor about our giggling spells… what are we?? 16? )lol. 

 Ok… so my shoulder workout was intense… No chitty chatt, I kept it going and could totally feel my shoulders tight and a little pain.  That’s good.  That’s hard work that will pay off!   Today I worked out triceps and chest.  I can tell you tomorrow… I may not be able to lift up my toothbrush.  ha ha.  But its all good and each day of a hard workout gets you closer to ……. ahhhhhhhhhhh  a better, fitter, tighter body! lol. 

 And did I mention cardio??  Doesn’t look like fun and sometimes it isn’t, until you hit that 20 min marker… then all of a sudden a great song pops up on my Ipod and VROOOOOOOOOM!!  Gotta sprint… gotta get moving!  Then from there… its just flying and coasting with it.  45 mins later… looking like a wet rat (yeah… women do sweat and we look good doing it! LOL) I’ve accomplished a babystep towards seeing the cuts in my abs a little better and getting those glutes a little tighter!

Keep it going and keep it strong! 

Keep training hard because its paying off!

Hello Summer… here we all come!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ever had one of the best weeks…. Ever????  Well I did!  I have been busting my tail off the last several weeks and it is TOTALLY PAYING OFF!!!  I broke my plateau last week, dropping 2 pounds.  Continued with my enthusiasm and this week dropped 3 pounds.  WOW!!!! Incredible progress! My training has been phenomenal this week.  I have been completely focused, training intensely and have met goals!!!  And NOTHING has stood in my way! 

In the last two weeks I have on an average of 4 days a week, done a second session of cardio (usually running for 30-40 minutes) and have COMPLETELY eaten clean.  Heck, I was eating every 2-3 hours and at the end of those hours I was HUNGRY!!  I thought something crazy was up…. but speaking to the competition trainer of a friend of mine, he said that means I am leaning out.  I told him "GET OUT!!"  lol.  He asked what my diet was… I told him.  He said it was right on.   Then I showed him my bodyspace pics on my phone.  He looked at them and said "oh shit".  ha ha.  Then he said "let me see ‘em" which he was talking about me lifting my shirt and showing him my abs.   I showed him and yes, it was enough to shut him up

So… as I told my girlfriends, I am surprised I have limbs left, because as much as I have been eating, I have been hungry in between meals enough that I would have eaten my arms off!! lol.. 

I have 2 weeks till June arrives… I have a birthday coming up June 5th and will be on a sandy beach enjoying it in my tiny new green bikini I just bought.  I will be frolicking in the waves in a freshly, tight body.  Damn!  lol!!!

I will continue my strict clean eating (only because it feels sooooo good and well, because its what I’m used to).  Anything else would feel icky.  The cool thing about it is that clean eating doesn’t feel restrictive to me.  Probably does to most.  It is solid, nutritional eating that benefits my body.  I do LOVE my cheat meals (had one tonite!)  Most people who are not fit or do not watch their diet will think it is a fanatic thing.  "Ooooh you eat what??"  they may say.  Ok, whatever.  Go ahead and eat your pizza and pasta and have those Dr. Peppers with your meal.  Yes, enjoy the spinach artichoke dip swimming in mayonnaise or have that cheesey dip with your chips.  It’s all a choice.  Wanna eat that stuff and look like you do??? Or do you want to eat healthier, cleaner and be fit and tight???  It’s all a choice.  You have to decide.

Despite pitfalls in training that may come from week to week, you have to overcome them and focus.  Can’t get to a certain mileage mark in your running?  Don’t let it keep you from trying harder.  Want to run faster?  Longer?  Keep it in your mind that you CAN do it.   Do you want a six-pack?  Yes… it can be done.  But you have to WANT IT.  YOU HAVE TO WANT IT SO BAD YOU CAN TASTE IT.  That is what I can’t understand.  People that want to be fit but yet continue to eat garbage EVERY DAY.  They whine about not being able to lose it, but won’t make the changes to do it.

 Hit the pavement, get to running, lifting weights and get moving!!! LOL!!!  Maybe most don’t have the exhuberance or enthusiasm as I do.  ha ha.  I have friends that gawk at the fact that I get up at 4:45 am to go workout.  Well… it’s my choice and it works for me.  If you want to make a total change in your diet, body and workout routine, you have to make up your mind and dedicate yourself to it.  No wishy-washiness.  You say you’re gonna do it??? THEN DO IT.  No ifs, ands or buts allowed.  People show a weakness when they can’t follow thru when they say they’re going to do something.  That’s my theory, anyway….

Continue in your quest!  If you don’t start now, it will only prolong the time to get to your goal and what better time is better than now??? LOL!!!

Keep training hard and keep it fun!!!

:)

I’ve received numerous pm’s/requests on how to achieve some saaaaweet abs.  I can totally tell you that I did not expect to be able to have a nice mid-section.  I thought that only the few, genetically-gifted could get a six-pack.  I still have a way to go, but as I have told others, I worked on them while I still had lots of fluff in the middle but figured one day that fluff would vanish and those sweet babies would *shine*!  That is exactly what has occurred.  If you can clean up your eating, that layer of fat will diminish and those abs will pop out nicely.  (that means cardio too). Lol.

I have to give credit to Hacksquat though, with impeccable abs, who told me all he did was use a 25lb plate doing crunches.  Wow.  I started doing that and then added a few others.  The idea is, of course, like any other muscle that you want to build, you have to give it weight resistance, weight training.  Abs are muscles that if you want them to stand out, they, like any other muscle, need to grow.  They will pop nicely if that mid-section layer of fat is diminished!   

It is alot of work, not necessarily from a working out standpoint, but the eating/diet is crucial.  If you eat cheeseburgers and of course for many who work, those lunches can get in the way.  Making wise choices in your nutrition will give you those rock hard, (I call them dinner plate) abs.

The few exercises that I really devote time to are on my workout plan.

 Keep training hard….. because those dinner plate abs are waiting to come out this Summer

My saying… "It’s the delicious taste of progress to keep you striving for more!"  This is so true! 

Wow.  Incredibly awesome.  In the last few weeks of my pushing it hard at the gym and tweaking my meals, I have made some incredible changes.  My mid-section leaned out a bit more and yes, my new picture shows it.  I look at the pic and still am shocked it is me.  A friend asked if I really look like that (after seeing my pic).  I admit, the sun/lighting allows the cuts to look deeper, but yes, that’s me.    This is the goal I have been waiting for and it’s arrived at the right time — just before my Summer beach trips!

I’m just a few weeks away from the final stages of my goal — lean out the sides of my quads, get my mid-section a tiny bit tighter and of course, get those glutes firmer and higher.  I am totally happy with the progress and changes that have occurred.  I have achieved the strong, sculpted body I’ve wanted and it has taken 2 years.  No one said it would be easy.  But it is soooo much fun doing it!  ;)

Thanks for the pm’s you’ve sent and the sweet compliments and encouraging words! This gal isn’t done yet!

 ps.  For those that have asked… yes, diet is crucial at developing your abs.  Staying on top of your eating will allow those results to happen.  This is true in the last several weeks that I have really fine-tuned my eating and workout routine. 

 Keep training hard and keep it intense!