5 Things I've Learned In October

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

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I always liked Halloween. I'll admit, I love it for the candy. Sorry but I'm not sorry. Reese's are freaking delicious.

I always like to reflect on what I have learned at the end of a month. Believe it or not, but each and every month that passes my in my life has some sort of significant meaning. I'm never really the same person I was a month previously. And I am okay with that. Sometimes you just have to roll with the punches. Here's what I discovered throughout October...

1. Never do cleans and deadlifts in the same session. Ever.

I know, some of you weightlifting junkies/experts may yell at me for this. I admit my mistake! I was feeling like I wanted to smash something with this workout. So I did some cleans, and then I was like why not do some deadlifts?! Needless to say the next two days were the most painful days of my life. My butt felt like I had fallen off a cliff and right onto the ground. My back was shrieking with grief whenever I moved. Stick to ONE major lift per workout. Lesson learned.

2. I'm getting a tattoo.

Yes. Maybe some of you mothers are screaming inside at reading this right now. But trust me when I say that I am NOT getting a tattoo because it is the "cool" thing to do. I'm getting it because it has legitmate meaning to the experiences I have been through in life. I'm ambivalent on these four. I seem to be getting mixed reviews on which one to choose:

It's a toss-up. So indecisive...

3. It's okay to not get everything done and instead just take a breather.

From school work to blogging, everything was crashing down on me like a tidal wave, hense my brief hiatus. I used to be so adamant and hell-bent on getting a post up on time but I would just make up posts on the fly without intertwining real feeling into it. If I don't post in a week, the next post you all better expect to be downright amazing (I hope). Sometimes we all just need a mental break and we don't HAVE to finish everything by our perfectionist standards.

4. Cardio is not evil.

Gosh, for so long in my 'muscle-building' mind frame, I shunned cardio like it was the nuts in my trail mix (seriously, does anyone even eat those?! I'm all about dem M&M's...). But honestly, I fully believe that cardio is very beneficial. Sure, if you do too much of it while trying to build muscle, good luck with that. But I've come to realize that cardio is more than just 'fat-burning', it's necessary for one's heart health. I've been slowly losing my endurance and I don't want to. So I've been doing 2-3 sessions of 15-20 minutes of cardio each week and I'm wreaking the benefits. When I do cardio, I eat a bit more to spare the muscle. Honestly, if you keep the calories up while doing cardio, you'll still get the heart benefits. Don't believe the broscience.

You're not really a jackwagon if you don't do cardio. Everyone believes different things. ;) (Source)

5. Life shouldn't be taken for granted.

Okay, so I am the least philosophical or sentimental person I know. I mean really... if you all knew me in real life, you'd think I was the most immature person you've ever met. No shame. But one day this month as I was driving, suddenly a scary thought popped into my head. (Now don't worry guys, I am NOT suicidal!) I thought about how any day, I could die. I could die right now, in this car due to a car accident. Typically death, or anything really, doesn't scare me. But I actually contemplated the thought of me not living anymore and holy cow, it scared the living hell out of me. I have SO much to live for; I have SO many things I want to accomplish. I never appreciated my life like I should have and now I embrace it each and every day. Call me cheesy, but from the moment I wake up, I have a plan to make today memorable. You should too.

I hope EVERYONE has a fantastic Halloween. Eat a piece of candy. I promise it won't kill you. And save the Reese's and Pay Days for me. It would be greatly appreciated. ;)

Questions: What have you learned in October? What's your favorite Halloween memory?

A Little (Blogger) Rant

I've been holding this post back for awhile. But I've thought about it. Do I really care what people think about my opinions? Nope. Not at all. This is my blog, so if I feel the need to say something then I am going to, regardless if I get a lot of backlash about it or not.

Lately, I've been seeing a plethora of bloggers coming across as people trying to 'help' others, when it doesn't seem like they are taking their own advice. I'm definitely NOT saying that I am a perfect blogger and that everyone who reads my posts just loves me. I'm sure someone has come along and thought "Oh great, another freaking 'healthy living' blogger. And she's young. So brainwashed."

First and foremost, I do not consider myself a 'healthy living blogger.' I am a teenage girl, with a lot of opinions, and a passion for fitness. So there's that. If someone thinks that I don't hold true to what I post on here, well, that's their opinion. I don't post about exercises I don't even do, and I don't post meals that I don't actually consume. What the hell is the point of that?

See that box back there? See the weights on the Smith machine? We actually used them for box jumps and a mixture of leg exercises. Shocker.

I honestly do not see the point of posting something that doesn't uphold in one's own life. It seems to me that some bloggers only post this 'fluff' on their blog to make them seem 'inspirational' and 'educated' in health and fitness, when in reality, it doesn't even seem like they read their own posts. 

There's a reason why I try to keep my blog primarily centered around fitness. I don't like writing about food, because I know that, especially these days, food is a difficult subject for some people. For this reason, I have deleted my recipes tab. I just see no utility for it. 

If you're going to talk about mental health, the importance of proper nutrition, getting rest days, WHATEVER, then you better make sure you practice what you preach. Sometimes, I kid you not, I read a blog post and this is what my face looks like after reading it:

Thank you, Jackie Chan, for this perfect facial expression. (Source)

It bothers me. Do I probably sound really mean and unappreciative right now? Yes. But I'm not trying to be 'mean,' I'm trying to be honest. What only adds fuel to the fire is when people comment on someone's blog who is clearly unhealthy and supports them for it, rather then telling them straight up that they have a problem, or just blatantly NOT COMMENTING at all so that they don't feed the ego and disordered thinking of the blogger. 

If you think I have disordered thoughts, comment away. I'm not going to bash you or block you, I am going to respect your opinion and act accordingly. I don't want to sound disordered, but I am not concerned about whether people on here like me or not. If you don't like my content, you don't have to read my blog. It's really that simple.

Sorry for the little rant, but this has been bottled up for quite some time now. If you disagree, then TELL ME! I love to hear a vast array of different perspectives. Go for it.

Questions: Do you feel the same way as me? If you could change anything about the blogging world, what would it be and why?

Quest Bar Review

I have a review. This is honestly my favorite review to date. Quest bars have seriously become the most popular protein bars on the market due to their all natural ingredients and superior taste. Each Quest bar is made from quality ingredients; you won't find the crappy fake ingredients found in regular protein bars in a Quest bar. I love this. Each bar has the base of ingredients of whey protein isolate, IMO fiber (derived from plants), either almonds/peanuts/cashews, lo han guo (a natural sugar alternative), sea salt, and erythritol (a sugar alcohol). Although there typically is sucralose, an artificial sweetener, the Quest bar is by far the best protein bar on the market. I am not kidding.

I enjoyed receiving all these samples to review. I'd first like to commend the Quest bar team for being SO prompt. Within a DAY of e-mails of doing a review, I received the Quest bars. And every time I sent an e-mail, I got a prompt response not even 10 minutes after the e-mail was sent. Now that is quality customer service. Props to you guys!

I received a total of eleven flavors... wowza!

Seeing this on my doorstep instantly turns me into Flash as I race to grab it and tear it open.

Here are my thoughts...

Chocolate Peanut Butter: 8/10

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I love love love peanut butter, so my expectations for anything peanut butter-flavored is super high. This bar tasted good, although the peanut butter taste didn't wow me as much as I wanted it to. I could still eat these all day, everyday though and wouldn't mind having it again!

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Chocolate Brownie: 10/10

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Oh. My. Goodness. This bar legit tasted like an ACTUAL brownie. I'm not one of those people that makes protein pancakes/waffles/brownies/cookies/etc. and claims OMG it tastes identical to the real stuff! Nope. But this protein bar tasted like a moist, fudgy brownie of my dreams. It was so so good.

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Mixed Berry Bliss: 7/10

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I'm not really a fruit-flavored kind of person. I'd much rather something peanut butter-y. This was a good flavor, don't get me wrong, but it's not a flavor I would kill for it it was the last one on the shelf in GNC. It tastes like berries but didn't blow me away.

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PB&J: 6/10

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This one was a little disappointing. Like I said, if peanut butter is involved, it's gotta be really good. This didn't taste like a PB&J to me. It wasn't awful, but I was so excited to try this flavor and the turnout wasn't as good as I wanted it to be.

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Cinnamon Roll: 8/10

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Tastes very much cinnamon-y. Maybe not quite a real, gooey cinnamon roll but pretty close. This is the flavor I have enjoyed most frequently and there's a good reason why it's so popular--it's delicious!

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Strawberry Cheesecake: 7/10

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A lot of people put a lot of hype on this flavor. I get it--there's a healthy alternative to strawberry cheesecake! It was yummy but I didn't get the cheesecake feeling of it. That's just me. It was still absolutely scrumptious however and I would definitely buy it again.

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Peanut Butter Supreme: 8/10

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Once again, a peanut butter-flavored one. It had to be good. This was definitely really good, no denying it, but I would've loved it a bit more probably if I lathered more peanut butter on it. ;) I would definitely get this flavor again. No doubt.

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Lemon Cream Pie: 8/10

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Ahh, I really did feel like I was consuming a lemon cream pie with this one. It was very good and considering I am far from a lemon-loving person, this surprised me. Absolutely delicious.

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Apple Pie: 7/10

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I didn't love this one enough to give rave reviews about it. It was okay to me: nothing super special but it wasn't horrible. I may surpass this flavor in the future, but it's definitely worth trying.

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Coconut Cashew: 10/10

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One word to describe this flavor: incredible. This flavor was amazing. I absolutely loved the coconut component, and I adore cashews so it was definitely a winning combination. I can't wait to get my hands on this flavor again.

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Vanilla Almond Crunch: 15/10

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Did you like how I saved the best for last? I honestly expected for one of the peanut butter-infused flavors to be my favorite. WRONG. I also thought that this flavor was going to be really bland and boring, and that I wasn't going to be impressed. WRONG. This flavor was totally and completely insane. I could eat this protein bar all.the.time, it was THAT good. I was so depressed when I took the last bite. It was a bittersweet moment. Excuse me as I go order 100 boxes of this flavor...

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I highly recommend you try a Quest bar. No other protein bar will EVER live up to them, I promise. They are natural and delicious. I can't wait to get more! 

Thank you to Quest Bar for allowing me to write this review. All opinions were my own and I was not compensated. 

Questions: Have you ever had a Quest bar? What's your favorite flavor?

The Cheat Meal Controversy

Hey guys! Back again!

I actually put a lot of thought into this post, so I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it!

So... that dreaded (and sometimes welcomed) term "cheat meal"... well, it's no secret that I don't like it. The term 'cheat' has a negative connotation attached to it. When someone 'cheats' on their spouse, it's  a bad thing. When someone 'cheats' on an exam, it's a bad thing. So why does 'cheating' on your diet have to be a bad thing? It doesn't.

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If I had a penny for every time I heard a girl (or a guy, to be realistic) say, "OMG so I had a little bite of this really fatty pizza last night. I'm going to die and get FAT," let's be honest, I'd be one rich son of a gun. 

I am so sorry, but I can't help but do some major eye-rolling at this. It's quite frankly annoying. God forbid you eat something you enjoy once in awhile, and automatically that's a bad thing? I don't think so. If you've been going really hard on your diet throughout the week, have been consistent with your workouts, and want a treat then why the heck not?! Some say it may totally destroy your progress but it honestly depends on the individual. It truly does.

And no, I don't consider a 'cheat' something like a cup of frozen yogurt or a few bites of dark chocolate. And for goodness sake, let's call it a treat from now on, okay? Personally, although fro-yo has added sugar and whatever, I still think it's a 'safe' food used as a treat but it's really not. Unless you get like 5 swirls of fro-yo with every topping imaginable on it, not just FRUIT and raw nuts, I may consider it. And dark chocolate?! REALLY?! Dark chocolate has many health benefits. Why is that a treat?!

Now hear me out, I understand this concept is very different when circumstances do not permit. For example, bodybuilding competitors absolutely must adhere to a diet plan and not divert from that to get that completely shredded body on stage. And some people have serious food allergies (darn you, gluten and dairy!) that prevents them from going out to Panda Express and eating orange chicken and chow mein noodles to their hearts desire. I understand this.

Chady Dunmore has TWO cheat meals a week because it works for her. (Source)

But to the normal individual, why is it so bad that you want to go out to a restaurant one night a week, have a big meal of whatever, and get back on the bandwagon the next day? It's not a crime. Depending on the person, it's not going to explode all of your fitness goals. In fact, I find that it's both physically and most importantly psychologically freeing.

Just remember where you are in your fitness journey. If you have quite a few pounds to lose, than you may not want to go overboard on the treats. If you're in really good shape, eat a bowl of pasta! Seriously, douse that plate in marinara sauce. Do it. 

The other night, THIS was my treat meal, except I wasn't even thinking about it being a 'treat meal.' In my mind, all food I consume is a meal, whether I am eating raw veggies or a brownie. It's food. Some may be 'better' for you, some may not be. So what. 

Cracker Barrel buttermilk pancakes with butter, pure maple syrup, and BACON. Nom. I also had some (unpictured) pumpkin custard with pumpkin whipped cream and a gingersnap cookie. TO. DIE. FOR.

For me, it's natural to want to eat 'healthy' on the daily, however I was out and about with my family and we wanted pancakes... so we went. I didn't freak out about how 'fat' I would get. I enjoyed my time with my family, laughed my booty off, and went home. Didn't feel the need to do 'extra cardio', didn't have an urge to go to the gym ASAP. I had a happy tummy and I was ready to hit the hay. 

My point is, 'bad' foods are not an absolute no-no. There is a time and place for them. Perhaps not everyday, but once in awhile. Don't restrict yourself from your favorite foods because you believe your fit lifestyle forbids it. It doesn't. And even if you have food allergies or whatnot, there are so many great gluten free, dairy free, nut free, everything-causing-allergies free foods out there, like CAKE. Nom. :)

I know some people may sound off on this, and some may quite possibly disagree with me. But I'm not going to sugar-coat my opinion to please everyone. YOU DON'T HAVE TO EAT CLEAN 100%. That is my advice for the day. ;) Have a great day and week!

Questions: What's your opinion on 'cheat meals'? Agree or disagree? 

I'm Back With... Progress!

Hey guys! Long time no talk. I have a reason for this, so bear with me.

This week has been especially hectic with school and family priorities, so I apologize for my little blogging hiatus. Secondly, I feel like my posts were becoming less emotional for me. Each and every post that I write, I want the reader to literally feel the passion in my words, and lately I haven’t felt as if I have been putting too much emotion into my posts. Call me cliché or whatever it is, but I don’t want to type something just for the sake of getting a post up.

With that being said, I am going to make a cognizant effort to get more posts up on here, but I’ll be blatantly honest and say that when I genuinely am just not feeling a post and don’t post for 2-3 days, do not worry for I have not died. Just taking a breather and recharging; that’s all. 

I decided after my brief explanation, now would be a really good time to detail the progress I have made during these weeks since my last progress post. All I have to say is that I honestly feel like each and every time I hit the gym, I am getting better, stronger, and more confident. It’s an indescribable feeling and it’s the equivalent of being on cloud 9 for me.

Compared to where I was about a year ago, I have drastically changed. My arms are so much bigger now. I love it! 

Picture courtesy of my fantastic trainer A.K.A. second mother!

My legs have always been and will most likely always be my source of pain. I am not like most women where all that junk goes to that big ‘ol trunk. My legs are naturally super skinny and it takes a lot of butt kicking in the gym to get them to show any definition. However, they have changed immensely. Sometimes I’ll have people come up to me and ask me what that ‘lump’ hanging over my knee is. Well, that would be my quad muscle… thank you very much! To know that others are seeing the changes as well really brightens my day.

My partner in crime and I snapping pics in the gym. Love her. <3

On top of some serious development in my legs and my arms, I have made a lot of progress in other parts as well. Let’s be honest: I’ve never had big boobs and never will. Sorry guys. But after copious chest workouts and continuously piling on more weight, I have that awesome line down my chest. Some people say it may look ‘manly,’ but to me it just exemplifies all of my hard work. For a girl who started out barely being able to bench press 30 pounds, this is huge for me.

Also, my back has made some serious progress. I cannot look at my back in the mirror anymore without gawking at all the muscles that are starting to stick out like a sore thumb. It gives me a sense of pride and accomplishment. I feel so proud that this is MY body: I have molded it into my dream physique and I continue to do so. I love how Erin Stern compares her body to a canvas; she’s the artist and can sculpt it however way she wants. I completely agree.

Lastly, my abs… Well, I am proud to say that after a long time of neglecting them, I have finally made a noticeable effort in working on the core section of my body. I’ve been doing plenty of TRX exercises, yoga, pilates, and others to challenge my core and increase its strength. I am long and lean, so my ab structure is that direct six pack.

Although I really like the look of compact abs like the ones that shorter women have (A.K.A. my BEAST of a trainer), I’m proud of where my abs are and hopefully I may be able to have Andreia Brazier’s wonderful abs someday, since my ab structure is very similar to hers. One can only hope, right?

Andreia Brazier abs (source) vs. Ava Cowan abs (source)

With increasing my cardio, I’ve seen more ab definition and surprisingly less amounts of stress levels. I always thought that hitting the iron was great for my stress levels but I have found that doing some cardio and getting my heart rate elevated has done wonders. I was able to discover where my body was comfortable at in terms of cardio. I was getting too lean doing two HIIT sessions (20 minutes each) per week so I cut it down to one 20-minute HIIT session and one 20 minute steady state cardio session. I am still relatively lean but I am still able to build more muscle on this foundation.

I used to be obsessed with seeing my abs and muscles in the mirror, but now I can look in the mirror after getting out of the shower or whatnot and seeing my abs more defined than ever before. I feel as if this is because by eliminating the pressure to have these ‘perfect abs,’ my body is not always so wired and stressed and therefore I don’t bloat as much. Even after eating a huge meal, my abs are still there and I now know that as long as I keep working hard, they will always be there. I just have to trust the process and not be so engulfed in having them.

Finally, my diet has not really changed. I never get too into detail on the workings of my diet on here, but I’m still eating enough to fuel muscle growth but not gain weight too rapidly. I eat like a horse on leg days, but I am almost positive this is the same for everyone, and it’s good that I am getting extra nutrients on leg day to fuel the growth and improvement that I still want to see in them.

Phew, that was quite a post if I do say so myself. Well, I am back for the time being! 

Questions: Did you miss me? How is your own progress in whatever aspect of your life that is applicable coming along?

Get Your Motivation Back

Sometimes I lose my motivation. We all do! And that doesn't mean you should just quit entirely. This can be applied to many aspects in life, but this is a fitness blog, so I am obviously going to compare this to being in the gym!

If you do the same thing week after week after week how do you NOT get bored?! You'll start seeing a stalling of progress as well, which is NOT the goal. Typically, I cannot go longer than 3-4 weeks before a certain workout or training method bores me to tears and I need to shake things up.

I have compiled a few things that you can do to change things in your training regimen. Give it a try if you need to spice things up and get that motivation back. :)

1. Try supersets, trisets, and/or giant sets

A superset is where you perform an exercise and immediately upon completion of that exercise, you follow it up with another exercise. A triset involves three back-to-back exercises, and a giant sit includes 4+. This is a good way to make your workouts quick and efficient while also getting your heart rate up, so that you get the cardiovascular benefits as well. Sometimes taking 1-3 minute rest periods after doing an exercise can get monotonous so try these out!

2. Split up your muscle groups in different ways.

For example, do you often devote one day entirely for arms? Instead, try pairing back with biceps and chest with triceps. This will shake things up a bit and keep it more surprising. You can also perhaps do shoulders with triceps, and chest with back.

3. Try a few tricks in your training to exhaust your muscles.

For example, try doing 24s! Laura has an excellent post describing this training method here. You could also try going hardcore and doing the 100 reps method, where you perform a few sets and on the last set, you perform 100 reps. Also, try doing dropsets and pyramids! Dropsets are where you perform an exercise for a certain number of reps and then immediately drop the weight and push for more reps. Pyramids are where you can either add weight after each set, or drop it.

4. Mix up your rep ranges and number of sets.

If you always do 12-15 reps, try going heavier and doing 8-10 reps. Or, go even heavier and try the 1-5 rep range. This is a big one for me personally because I have finally started experimenting with my one rep max on certain exercises. It gives your bored muscles a new stimulus to grow. On the other hand, if you always go really heavy, try doing more reps to shock your muscles. Also, think about changing how many sets you do. If you always do 3 sets of an exercise, try adding more volume and doing 8.

5. Give yourself a complete rest, like a deload week.

Oh no. I said it... the dreaded deload week. Yes, sometimes we lose our motivation simply because our muscles are just screaming for a BREAK. Sometimes you just need to take a week or so off just to recover and allow your muscles to calm down. I know that for all of us gymrats, this seems traumatic because we love our beloved iron, but the iron isn't going anywhere and neither is your progress so take a week off, relax, breathe, and by the time you hit the gym again, you'll smash those weights right into the ground. I plan on taking a deload week very soon myself!

6. Try adding a different style of training to your routine.
If you do a typical bodybuilding split, you can easily add one or two days of different training types to keep yourself from getting bored. Try things like CrossFit, yoga, pilates, exercise classes, biking, etc. You never know how much you will like it!

7. Use different equipment.
Always use dumbbells for your shoulder presses? Try the barbells for the military press. Always use machines for exercises such as bicep curls and bench press? Try using free weights, like dumbbells, barbells, and the Olympic bar. Try using the cables, which keep constant tension on the muscle. Or try mixing in machines just to mix things up a bit!

There you have it. No one wants to lose their motivation. Just switch things up. It seems so simple but apparently it isn't when acted upon. Have a great day everyone!

Questions: Have you ever lost your mojo? How did you recover it? Do you have any other tips that I could add?

Hi, I'm Optimistic!

Happy Colombus Day! I'm just happy that I don't have to go to school today. Let's be real.

Anyways, I haven't posted since Friday... wow. This weekend was kind of just needed to decompress from everything and breathe. I'm glad I took a break, a short one at that.

To be honest, though, I've been in a slump lately. I'm really good at plastering a smile on my face and pretending to be happy when inside I'm just not feeling it. Now I'm not complaining because I am so privileged to live the life that I live. But lately I've been feeling kind of down and there are a few things I can probably pinpoint to understand why I've been feeling this way.

I understand there is so much to be happy about in life, and yet we all focus on the negatives because we want to improve them. There are some things one simply cannot change, and I have come to understand this. I try to make the best out of my circumstances because what's the point of forcing myself to be sad about a situation that isn't just going to get up and disappear? I'd rather be optimistic and do my best to power through the tough times. It makes me a stronger person in the end.

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Gosh, that sounds so cliche. I'm not a fan of cliches, but it really is true. I always try to divert from the actual problem and ignore it until it blows up right in my face. I need to understand that it's better to deal with a negative situation head-on and upfront right away rather than let it fester and gradually become worse. 

I also am usually the one that gives other people advice rather than take the advice myself. It's really weird for me to confide in someone else because the roles are usually reversed. I love listening to people and trying to help them because I truly believe that it's not worth it to be sad. But I need to let that sink in my own brain and confide in others as well. It's a work in progress, for sure. 

Everyone has their own ways of dealing with their problems. For me, I usually lace up the sneaks, and since I'm always in gym clothes anyways, I head over to the gym and pound the iron. It's my drug of choice, and man is it effective.

I'm looking up today and remaining optimistic. I have my whole future ahead of me. :)

Questions: How do you fight sad feelings? What advice can you give me?

Fitness Friday #3: Conditioning Exercises

This is my 100th post. Woo! It's been so exciting writing this blog, and I can't be more than thankful for all of the feedback and support I have received. A big thank you goes out to each and every single on of you who reads these posts. You guys rock!

For my third Fitness Friday, I am going to highlight some conditioning exercises that are great to change up any 'boring' workout routine. Many of these tactics are used in military training--how fun is that?!

These conditioning exercises get the heart rate elevated while also building strength. Now that's a win/win situation if you ask me. So, let's get to it!

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1. Battle Rope Pulls

These involve attaching a heavy weight to the end of a battle rope. Using a straight back and squatting down, keeping the core nice and tight, pull the heavy weight towards you. Then, when you pull the weight towards you, pick it up and do a Farmer's Walk back to starting position. Repeat. Kettlebells are easy to attach to the battle ropes because you can just tie the end right to the handle.

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2. Prowler Pushes

If you have a prowler in your gym, considers yourself lucky because most don't have them! You will put plates on these according to how heavy you want it. There are two handles to grab onto as you push the prowler along a path to a certain destination. You will use all of your strength to get that heavy prowler to your destination!

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3. Sledgehammer Tire Slams

You will have a big tire and a sledgehammer... sounds like fun right?! You know those games at amusement parks where you get the heavy hammer and you have to hit the target as hard as you physically can to get it to hit the bell at the top? This is just like that. Using all your might, slam that baby down on the tire and show it who is boss.

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4. Battle Rope Swings

These are different from the pulls in that you will loop the ropes around an object so you have the two handles of the ropes in your two hands. With that, you will swing the ropes up and down, side-to-side, or doing figure 8's with all your strength. Not only does this get your heart rate up, but it also is an upper body plyometric exercise that builds explosive power in your arms.

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5. Medicine Ball Slams

I love these. These will also build explosive power in the upper body while also working your core, when done right. Standing with feet slightly shoulder-width apart, take the medicine ball and with a straight and form core, slam it down to the floor with every ounce of your strength. I use the medicine balls that don't bounce back up because a) I don't want to get smacked in the face, and b) when you get the slam balls that don't bounce back and stay to the floor, you work harder to squat down and pick the ball back up only to slam it down again. Have fun with these!

There are many more conditioning exercises outside of the 'norm' but these are a few of my favorites. Try incorporating these moves into your workouts if you want to try something a little different to spice up your routine. They will help you shed fat and build strength, not to mention they are F-U-N! 

I have no school today (yay parent/teacher conferences!) so my plan for today is to get up, go to the gym for a leg workout, and see where the rest of the day takes me. Have a great day everyone! TGIF!

Questions: Do you use some of these conditioning exercises? What other ones do you like?

Good Carbs, Bad Carbs

Today is picture day. I am not photogenic. Therefore, today will not be a good day. I'd say that's dome good deductive reasoning, wouldn't you?!

I have so much going on and just not enough time to get what I want done. There needs to be more time in the day! But alas, there's a measly 24, so I need to prioritize correctly...

AnYwAyS... so guess what the month of October is?! It's all about eating the good carbs that fuel our bodies and our brains and don't make them crash within an hour, A.K.A. your bad carbs. Last month, Tosca Reno had a challenge to strike sugar. How did everyone do? Just because the challenge is over does not mean that you have to stop following through!

Back to the carbs...

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Here is a list of GOOD complex carbs that fuel you and don't make you feel tired and lethargic after eating them: any and every vegetable, fruit (these are actually more simple, but most fruits contain a lot of vitamins and minerals so eat accordingly), oats, brown rice, basmati rice, wild rice, quinoa, amaranth, sorghum, barley, millet, plain popcorn, etc. Some of these you may have never even heard of, but hey try them out! 

Stay AWAY from any processed foods with SUGAR like Twinkies, processed brownies/chips/cookies/cakes, ice cream, soda, bagels, pretzels, etc. These are made with refined carbs that are bad news. Why? Because they are simple carbs and are digested very quickly by the body, which gives you no lasting energy and makes you want to pass out with exhaustion an hour after eating them. Ever have that 2:30 feeling where you just want to sleep? Check what you ate earlier in the day. I guarantee you weren't feeding your body the best carbs to keep you alert and focused.

By choosing the RIGHT carbs, you will have lasting energy and you will be able to do things more efficiently. This is because glucose, coming from carbs, is the main energy source for the brain. So by consuming the right carbs, you brain will operate to the best of its abilities and stay focused. Often, any bodybuilding competitors who reduce their intake of carbs will complain of feeling "out of it" because their brain has a lack of glucose and it needs to pull its energy elsewhere, and not as efficiently. Erin Stern, during competition prep, always has to remind herself that when she may lose her phone, she might have to check the fridge because she is so carb depleted that she forgets she puts it in there! (By the way, congrats to Erin for winning Ms. Figure Olympia 2012! I LOVE her!) 

I just had to put this one here. She looks INCREDIBLE. I look up to this woman! (Source)

There is that common fear of carbs everywhere. I've heard some girls my age who are trying to "lose weight" complain that they "can't eat that" because it has too many "carbs." Oh puh-lease. Let me get this out there: Carbs are not your enemy. Carbs are FRIENDLY. With that being said, the RIGHT carbs are freindly, when eaten in the right amounts. Overloading on even the good carbs is not good. Too much of ANYTHING is not good.

So, you may be asking yourself If carbs are 'good' then how come competitors and people trying to shed weight always cut their carb intake? Simple. When you cut your carb intake, you lose a lot of water weight since consuming carbs may hold water. The competitors do it because they want to look as shredded as possible on stage, and by getting all the excess water out, they are able to achieve that shredded look that they cannot maintain year-round. They even CARB LOAD right before going on stage since carbs will 'puff up' the muscles making them look fuller. These competitors aren't cutting carbs to stay THAT shredded for a long period of time--it's really not possible. Anybody claiming that they are cutting carbs for good really doesn't know what they are talking about. Cutting carbs will temporarily cause you to shed water weight, but the minute you consume carbs again, the water weight will come back on. This is why many competitors gain a few pounds back after competition when they slowly reintroduce water and carbs back into their diets.

In my opinion, although carbs are not a 'necessary' macronutrient, everybody needs them in various amounts. Could you imagine never eating carbs and always feeling airheaded, not remembering where you are and what you are doing because your brain is not being fed glucose? I couldn't, and I don't want to. Some people need more carbs than others, i.e. very active people like runners, cyclists, weightlifters, people trying to gain MUSCLE (yes, carbs are necessary for this) etc. Teenagers especially need to eat GOOD carbs to grow to their fullest potential. Some people don't need as many carbs, like those are not active and those that cannot handle them well. Yes, some people rely better on fat for energy than carbs, and most of these people follow the Paleo diet, but that's a blog post for another time. Basically, we all need carbs in some way. Cutting them out permanently is ridiculous and obviously not sustainable.

Remember to eat the GOOD carbs, and fuel that body! #ipromise (for more about the #ipromise challenge, click here) that for the month of October, the majority of my carbs will come from the GOOD sources. Yes, I do have days when I want a cup of frozen yogurt the size of my head, but I have those in moderation and enjoy those moments. Are you joining in?!

Question: Do you eat the right carbs? How does your body feel when you don't put quality carbs in your body?

Back To Cardio

Hello everyone. Happy October!

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Happy Marvelous Monday!

(Thanks Katie for hosting!)

Well, I'm starting to incorporate more cardio into my routine.

But don't fret! Before anyone freaks out, I'm not doing cardio every day. Since I am at a good weight that I want to be at, I got the okay to start doing some cardio and get the heart pumping. 

I used to do cardio religiously, but I think every girl does before they develop their love for the iron. This was most definitely the case for me. Eventually, though, I become so engrossed in building muscle that I started to believe in that "broscience" that states that one trying to build muscle should never, ever do any sort of cardio.

Broscience. Be right back, laughing too hard. (Source)

This has some truth to an extent. Obviously, if you're doing cardio 5-6x per week and trying to pack on muscle, good luck with that. It's not happening. But if once or twice a week you want to get in a good sweat session while also building muscle, I don't see anything wrong with it whatsoever.

Here's the catch: during these cardio sessions, I don't mean doing an hour of steady state cardio on the elliptical. There may be a time and place for that but not in a muscle-building training program. What I mean is anywhere between 10-30 minutes of HIIT, or high intensity interval training. (If you don't know what that is, click here.) These are highly demanding and I probably wouldn't recommend doing them right after a super intense lifting session. Maybe after a light one, but not a heavy one.

HIIT can actually help you build muscle, if NOT overdone and only done in your best interests. Every body is different: some people respond better to HIIT and are able to build muscle doing it occasionally, while others may notice that they are losing muscle mass, in which case you should A) see how long and intense your HIIT sessions are and then readjust and B) remember that maybe it's just not the best for you building  muscle. And hey, that's okay!

I love this HIIT workout from Electra at Vanilla Bean Lean! (Source)

If you want to build muscle in your legs, I would incorporate plyometrics into your HIIT sessions. When done right, plyos help improve your fast-twitch muscle fibers in your leg, giving you those quadzillas!

Now, before I get anyone attacking me about how this is preposterous, let me just say that if you are underweight and trying to gain in general, please realize that you need to focus on solely gaining weight and abstaining from cardio.

Even if you are underweight and trying to build muscle, you really don't need to be doing HIIT workouts, or any excessive cardio period. 

Well, going back to my personal training, I am adding in two HIIT session per week that are short and sweet. These are subject to change, but typically one will be 20 minutes of intervals on the stairmaster, and 12-20 minutes of intervals involving exercises such as burpees, box jumps, medicine ball slams, lunge jumps, jump squats, etc. 

I really LOATHE cardio now and anyone who has been reading this blog for awhile knows this. But I do think it is important. It improves your heart health which in turn can help you lift heavier and it helps you recover from severe DOMS after a heavy lifting session. Please read this article if you want a great explanation as to why cardio has its time and place.

From that article, I love the quote "If you are seeing all the gains you want in the gym and looking lean and mean, but, you get winded walking up the stairs in your house, there is need for a change." That is SO true. Don't forget to keep your endurance in check and your heart in fighting shape!

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And don't forget, you can incorporate cardio into your rendezvous with the weights: add supersets, trisets, and/or giant sets. After finishing an exercise immediately go to the next exercise and whatever you do, keep that heart rate up! You could also do active rests, like after you finish a weight exercise, during your rest period, jump rope! You don't HAVE to include a cardio aspect into your weights, but for people short on time, this is a great way to get the best of both worlds.

I hope this post was informative. I know I blabbed for awhile. But here's a brief summation of my main points:

1. Don't follow the broscience that if you are trying to build muscle, cardio is forbidden. HIIT may actually increase your gains and help you lift heavier by improving your heart.

2. Don't overdo the HIIT, because too much of anything is not a good thing. If you need to gain weight in general and not muscle, focus on eating more and not doing cardio.

3. Cardio in general will improve the functioning of your heart.With heart disease being the biggest killer these days, this is important. Keep it healthy and strong.

Have a great day. :)

Questions: What's your opinion on cardio? Do you love it or hate it? What's your favorite form?

***Please note that I do NOT in any way claim to know everything about cardio. Please consult with your doctor before you jump to any conclusions. Thank you.***