Tonight's Workout (July 25, 2011)

Ok, here is tonight's workout... Legs are gonna hurt tomorrow!!!!

Body squats - 30 second intervals for 3 sets

Lunges - These are little different - take one leg and place it behind you on the steppers, then lunge down as far as you can and hold for 3 seconds - then take hop as your coming back up, then repeat - 30 second intervals for 3 sets.

Don't know what to call these ones, but stand on the stepper (at first Tobe handed me a 50 pound weight, but that was too heavy for me for this) holding the weight in front of you bend down while lowering the weight to the floor and then come back up into standing position.  I had to use a 25 pound weight for this. - 30 second intervals for 3 sets.

Hamstring curls - 30 second intervals for 3 sets

Sumo Squats - wide base, feet pointed out, squat as low as you can, but don't come all the way up stop once your knees are starting to be almost straight, squat back down. Repeat. 30 second intervals for 3 sets.

Yeah, my legs were dead!  They are SO gonna hurt in the morning!  Feel the burn people! Feel the burn!

Something I kind of already knew...

Before last night's workout, I was talking to the trainer that I have been using for the last couple of weeks.  Yes, Braxton is still MIA.  Anyway, I was telling him that I have been at a stand still once again.  I really hate being at a stand still because it is SO frustrating, as I just want this weight off!! Anyhoo, while speaking with him, he asked me two basic questions:

1.) How much protein I eat per day.

2.) How many calories I am eating per day.

I told him that I am only eating about 25-30 grams of protein and about 1100 calories a day.  Then he asked how much I weighed.  When I told him, he said that he wanted to slap me. I gave him a strange look.

He said first of all, for your weight, you need to be eating about 25-30 grams of protein per meal.  Secondly, I see you in the gym almost everyday and you workout with us 3 or 4 times a week.  You are not eating enough.  So, he wants me to give him what I eat for a week so we can figure out where to make changes.  He said, by me eating so little amount of protein, I'm going to be destroying the muscle I have built instead of burning fat.

I really hope this will work and I can boost my weight-loss again!  I really wish I was not allergic to all the foods that I am because that would certainly help me out in getting the nutrients that I need! 

Tonight's Workout (July 18, 2011)

Here is tonight's workout:

- Body Squats - 30 second intervals for 3 sets

- One arm Dead Weight Squats - use a 25 pound dumbell, placing it in one hand, do a squat until the dumbell touches the floor - 30 second interval and then switch hands.  Repeat for 3 sets.

- One leg back lifts - here you are stabilizing yourself on a bench, bending your knee and lifting upward without extending your legs.  This works your glutes and hips - 30 second interval, switch legs and repeat for 3 sets

- Squats again - this time, you have a wide base, point toes outward, hold a 25 pound weight and squat as low as you can.  30 second intervals, and repeat for 3 sets.

Since it was with Tobe - Jumping Jacks between sets

Tonight's Workout (July 13, 2011) - Another Ass Kicking

Here is Tonight's Workout:

- Get into a squat position - holding a 25 pound dumbbell at one end with both hands  swing the dumbbell into a front lateral raise as your coming up - set of 20 for 2 sets

- Free weight chest press - 2o reps for 3 sets

- Free weight shoulder press - 20 reps for 3 sets

- Lat. Pull Down - 20 reps for 3 sets @ 65 pounds

- Chest rows - 20 reps for 2 sets

- Sit-ups for 20 reps

- Lay flat on the ground and come up into a standing position (I'm pretty fast at this one now!!) - set of 10 for 2 sets

- Take Medicine Ball (6 lb. ball) - do a motion where you are gathering a pail of water from a creek and throwing over the opposite shoulder.  So 15 reps on each side.

- Take the same Medicine Ball and throw the ball as hard as you can at the ground.  It has to be hard enough to where it bounces off the floor and then hitting the wall and comes back to you.  This is a good one to get out some aggression for sure! I think I must have done like 30 or 40 throws because he counted to 10 like 1, 1 and 1/10th... etc..

It was a great workout!  Tobe also thought being with a different trainer while Braxton is MIA, will shock my body and help boost my metabolism again.  I will be with Mr. Mark McCain again on Friday for another ass kicking!

Over Coming Fears....

I am beginning to realize that weight-loss is just not about becoming stronger, healthier, or smaller, but it is also about over coming and conquering your fears.  This realization came while I was in my training session with Tobe last night.  When he showed me the exercise in which I was to hold a bar, kneel on a bench, flatten my back out and go down as low as I could and use my hamstrings to pull myself back up, I looked at him in horror!

Tobe saw the look on my face and told me that I could do this. I told him that the bar I was using for stability was going to slip and I would fall flat on my face while doing this.  He tried to give me encouragement, by telling me that it wouldn't move.   I was SO terrified that I was shaking the entire first set.  My face was probably as white as a ghost while performing this exercise too!  

After the first set, my heart was pounding so fast and I was shaking, but then a funny thing happened.  I was all of the sudden over come with an emotion of accomplishment and satisfaction.  It was strange that these emotions all of the sudden just over came me.  The next two sets were such a walk in a park after the first one. 

Tobe was very pleased and told me that the reason he had me do that type of exercise was to push me out of my comfort zone.  Then he said, when I realized it was one that was going to terrify you, I wanted you to do it even more because it gave you an opportunity to over come a fear.

After giving this some thought, I realize that over coming a small fear like this, builds on your inner strength.  All the small things that I have done during this last year and half, have made me realize that not only am I becoming stronger physically but, I'm also becoming stronger mentally.  Throughout my entire life, I never knew that I had this inner strength.

Tonight's Workout (July 12, 2011) - Ass was successfully kicked....

Here is tonight's workout:

- Body Squats - 30 second intervals - 3 sets


- Standing Incline leg press - alternating legs - lowering your leg to the floor and using your other leg to push yourself backup, then do the same thing with the other leg - 30 second intervals - 3 sets

- Get into a low squat and then pivot to the right in a half circle, then pivot back to center and side kick.  Then you repeat going the opposite direction.  This is counted as one set.  Repeat this for 3 sets at 30 second intervals.

- Here you are on kneeling on one of the machine benches (we used the lateral pull down machine) and face the opposite way.  Tobe took the lat. pull down bar and made me use it as a stabilizer.  Then he had me flatten out my back and lower myself as far as I could go, then using my hamstrings to pull myself backup. - 30 second intervals for 3 sets.

- He then had me do toe taps, which is basically alternating your feet and touching the step up bench.

- Then it was stair run time. Holding a 25 pound weight above my head, run up the stairs, drop weight, come down the stairs, run back up the stairs, pick up weight and run down stairs, drop weight, run back up stairs, run back down stairs.   This was ONE set - had to do this for 3 sets!

Tonight was almost a puking night!

Tonight's Workout (July 1, 2011) - A BRUTAL one!!

Okay, since Braxton went out of town at the last minute and Tobe was completely booked I had to use another trainer.  I'm always apprehensive of using other trainers because they don't know what I have been doing or what I'm capable of doing.  This was the same thing when I had to start using Braxton and then again when I had to use Tobe one time.  Good thing is, I liked  his style and he pushed me.  So, I will be using him again if I need to in the future.

Here is what he had me do:

Alternating lunges with a 20 pound weight in each hand - set of 20.

Body squats with a 10 pound weight in each hand, but as you come up from your squat you do a military press - set of 20.

Tricep kick backs with 10 pound weights in each hand - set of 20

Medicine Ball - take a 6 pound medicine ball and do a motion like you are filling a bucket of water from a lake and then tossing it over your shoulder - set of 15 on each side.

Plank position with elbows on the floor and then bring yourself into a push-up position.  Alternating which hand you bring yourself up into the push-up - set of 20

Hip bridges while alternating your legs - so your on your back, with one leg extended and one bent at the knee.  Then you raise your hip upward. then switch legs.  - set of 20

Reverse Crunches - here you elevate your legs 6 inches off the ground and bend your knees back and forth - set of 20

Return to Alternating lunges - set of 20

Chest press with 15 pound weights in each hand - set of 20

Bent over rows with 15 pound weights in each hand - set of 20

Return to squats - set of 20

Lunges - one set is length of gym and back

Leg press - 2 sets of 20

Return to Plank position exercise - set of 10

Return to Hip Bridges - set of 20

Medicine ball throws - here you take the medicine ball and while using your abs to twist throw the ball to your partner - set of 20 on each side.

Medicine ball sit-ups - take the medicine ball and lay flat on your back and the ball over your head. As your coming up in sit-up position throw the ball to your partner.  Your partner will throw the ball back to you as your going back down. - repeat motion for set of 20.

This is the end of my workout tonight! All I got to say is it was another BRUTAL one and I liked it! I will for sure use him again!  I felt the burn tonight for sure!