NEW YEAR. NEW YOU. HOW TO BECOME A RUNNER
So I went for a run outside for the first time in MONTHS the other day (but now that its 2017 I can say I ran for the first time this year!..HA).
Um and I WANTED TO KILL MYSELF. I felt like I had a tumor taking over the right side of my stomach that was getting ready to explode.
And I work out...like I do HIIT and do cardio on the stair master a few times a week but running outside is a whole other ball game.
The worst part is? I used to play 90-minute soccer games and run the whole game. That was years ago BUT STILL! Then last year when I was living by the beach I got into running again and I noticed myself getting faster. I noticed my legs getting smaller but looking strong and lean and I even noticed my abs and arms toning up.
I started to CRAVE running. I would get off work around 3:30, sit in an hour to an hour and a half of traffic, it would be 90-degrees outside but I would still get home, throw on my shorts and a sports bra and run for my 30 minutes.
Seriously fell in love. I remember I was motived as soon as I read Cameron Diaz's "The Body Book". She explained how she stays in shape and that getting up and running first thing in the morning was part of it.
So, I channeled my inner Cameron Diaz and started running my ass off, or should I say on ;)
Okay so ANYWAYS - enough recap. Moral of the story is that I miss running and I'm trying to get back into it but HOLY SHIT that first run sucked ass.
I guess through this post I want to motivate you to pick up running if that's something that you want to do and remind you that it's not going to be easy but it will be worth it! And I suck right now so that might be motivating for you also! HA.
I want to give you some pointers on what to do as a new runner + I want to show you the app that I use every time I run!!
TIP 1: START SLOW
Meaning, don't be upset if you end up walking, because you should. Don't try to run yourself into the ground. You want to start with some low intensity cardio which could be walking, jogging or hiking. Even going for a run but breaking it up with some walking is good for newbie runners. This will start to build strength for those higher intensity cardio days.
TIP 2: GET SEXY...AND COMFY
I think that when you're picking up a new workout hobby that you donnnn't really want to be doing in the first place, it's important to feel good about the way you look. If I take a while off from something like yoga or cardio for example, I like to run to Marshall's and grab 1-2 new pieces of workout gear.
ALSO - especially when it comes to running you need to invest in some ACTUAL running shoes. This might also motivate you because they can be a little pricey so it will push you to at least get your money's worth.
But since running can be lots of impact you want to make sure you're protecting your joints with the right shoes. Look for something like these nikes with lots of cushion and support.
TIP 3: THIS APP
This running app is called "Run Keeper" and I've been using it for forever. I like it because before I found this app, I would look at my phone every 10 seconds to see how long I've been running for.
I didn't want to just run around a track for a certain amount of miles. I wanted to get in a 30 minute workout of running but I was so over checking to see if it was time to turn around yet.
Also, just by looking at my phone I wasn't able to see if I was making any progress so the whole thing was pretty UN-motivating.
This app allows me to set a timer for 30 minutes PLUS it alerts me when I've been running for 15 minutes so that I know when I need to turn around.
It also tracks my pace, incline and distance then records my personal best record for each.
So even if you're nervous just go out and give these tips a try !! Leave a comment below to let me know if you have any other tips!
5 REASONS WHY YOUR WORKOUTS AREN'T HELPING YOU LOSE WEIGHT.
Well, I think we can all agree that there's pretty much nothing worse than working out 6 times a week and feeling like you look the same way you did on day one. Am I right or am I right?
I think there's something that happens when we start going to the gym or just working out in general that sort of makes us feel so proud and accomplished that we feel like it's a big enough step to make a difference. Sometimes it totally is but sometimes we start to notice that it doesn't really seem to be doing much.
We feel like that since we went to the gym that day, we can still eat whatever we want later or sometimes even more than what we would have if we hadn't hit the gym.
There's a few habits that I'm sure a lot of us do that we need to change if we're looking o actually notice a difference in our physique.
1. WORKING OUT ON AN EMPTY STOMACH.
If we don't go to the gym with at least some healthy carbs in our system then we are setting ourselves up for failure. Our muscles use carbs as energy so if we keep ourselves depleted of that energy then we get fatigued a lot faster and we have a harder time finishing our workout. Kind of defeats the point don't you think?
I like having a piece of whole grain toast with grass fed butter in the morning or a banana AT LEAST. Especially if you're going to be having L-Carnitine, BCAA's and Pre Workout (Which I always do and highly suggest:)) then you definitely want to make sure that you have something in your stomach.
I also love doing 1/3 cup of cous cous with 3 egg whites and 1/4 of an avocado to get a good balance of healthy carbs, fats and protein.
2. DOING THE SAME WORKOUT EVERYDAY.
You can be going to the gym 6 times a week but if you're doing the same 30 minute treadmill walk everyday then eventually your body will take a plateau and stop letting go of weight. You want to surprise your body and constantly switch things up. Your workouts should vary throughout the week so that some days you are doing heavy heart beating HIIT workouts while other days your doing longer workouts at a lower intensity.
You can see how I've been scheduling my workouts here.
3. OVEREATING...EVEN IF IT'S HEALTHY.
I don't think you're damaging your health from eating a lot of healthy foods but it might not be helping you in the weight loss department. I can work out everyday but I'm not a body builder or a man for that matter so I don't NEED soooo much food. 6 small meals a day is ideal.
If I workout then come home and have 3 cups of couscous then fruit, then oatmeal and dabble into some greek yogurt...I've already added back on all the calories I just burned + more.
All of those foods ARE healthy for us but if you're feeling super full after each meal then chances are you're eating too much.
Go for a protein shake after a workout or a 3-4 ounce piece of salmon with veggies. Have something else a few hours later...this will happily supply your muscles with what they need to get stronger plus make your metabolism work faster.
4. YOU'RE NOT PLANNING YOUR WORKOUTS.
Compare those days that you walk into the gym knowing what you're doing vs. the days that you walk in and stroll around for a while debating what the hell you're even there for. When I go to the gym with a pre thought out workout I know exactly where I need to go, what I need to grab and how long it's going to take. This motivates me to finish the entire workout in a certain amount of time (usually 30 minutes) and then get on with my day.
When I go to the gym without a plan I walk in...start walking on the treadmill...try to decide if I want to do arms or legs or abs...get bored of the treadmill...go to the stair master...hit about 20 minutes and then want to bounce.
In my mind I count that as a workout for the day but when I look back at it, it was pretty much just a waste of time.
5. YOU'RE COMPARING YOURSELF TO OTHERS.
PLEASE don't do this. I know it can be so hard to avoid but you really need to focus on yourself and where you are at with your personal goals. Someone may be tinnier than you but maybe they are trying to gain weight. Some people are in the gym for the first time in their life and they might look better than you while others are in the gym for the 200th time and may be heavier than you.
It doesn't matter. Their story and journey is for them and you need to write your own. If you continue to focus on other people and compare yourself, it can be extremely discouraging and may even make you just want to give up.
I suggest taking pictures of yourself and keeping your own tab on yourself. Watch how you progress and always make sure that you have short and long term goals for yourself.
Make yourself happy :)
HOW I'M SCHEDULING MY WORKOUTS
So I'm back at my job after our glorious 6 week paid time off annnnnd, I've officially decided I want to work from home for the rest of my life...
I went from waking up and having all day to hit the gym, do computer work, write, clean, RELAX..and now I am at work from 5:00 pm until 2:00 am, 6 nights a week.
Not ideal, BUT I'm happy to be working (I guess. HA, so bitter), and making money before christmas and before my boyfriend and I get our first place together in March!! EEEEEK.
Anyways. I'm not one for excuses and even though i'm freaking exhausted during the day after working so late, I'm still doing my best to eat clean and hit the gym. I don't know about you guys but If I skip the gym or eat unhealthy for days on end, on top of being stressed, and sleepy...I become so...gross feeling, you know?
I feel like I'm not myself, I eat more because I'm thinking that I just might as well since I haven't been to the gym, I start eating the shitty food at work that's filled with oil instead of my healthy snacks...the list goes on.
SO. I'm all about time blocking in order to make time for the things I want to be doing and need to be doing for my health before I have to go spend my time at work. I've noticed that if I don't time block then my day completely goes to waste and next thing you know, I'm on another shift.
Alrighty so my workouts need to be short and sweet as I'm sure your guys' do to. I need to get the most out of my workout in the 30 minutes I have to be at the gym and I need to go in there knowing what I'm doing. If I don't, then I just end up unmotivated, walking on the treadmill and sitting in the sauna. You feel me?
If you need ideas on quick, efficient workouts then check out my blog about how to make your own HIIT workouts!
My workout schedule I have set up right now goes like this:
MONDAY: LEGS
TUESDAY: HIIT
WEDNESDAY: ARMS
THURSDAY: STEADY STATE CARDIO (45 MINUTES)
FRIDAY: ABS
SATURDAY: STEADY STATE CARDIO
SUNDAY: ACTIVE REST (WALK OR HIKE)
Each day is only 30 minutes long!! Except for Thursday's when I do steady state cardio I try to stay for 45 minutes.
Also Tuesday's are pretty simple. I do 10-15 minutes of HIIT cardio (meaning high intensity interval training) and then I stretch in the sauna for 15 minutes.
When I do HIITT cardio I sprint for 30 seconds then rest for 30 seconds. I always walk at speed 3.0 for my "rest" and the sprinting pace depends on how long I'm doing intervals for. If i'm doing them for 15 minutes then I try to make my sprinting speed 8.5 and if I'm only doing intervals for 10 minutes, then I make my running speed 10.0.
That kind of kills so I might just stand on the sides of the treadmill during my "rest" rather than walk at speed 3.0.
I love this though because these HIIT exercises TORCH calories and SERIOUSLY get your metabolism going, so don't be surprised if you're a bit hungrier than normal later on in the day! (Remember to eat 6 small meals a day to keep your metabolism going!).
One of these days I'll have a fitness guide for you guys to follow so that your totally set up but for now, try following a schedule similar to this ESPECIALLY if you're always on a time crunch so that you can keep your body and mind in check.
LOVE YOU!
XOXO C.
HOW TO CREATE A HIIT WORKOUT
"Running late is my cardio". HA. I couldn't agree more.
Sometimes I find that my most effective workouts are when I'm short on time. If I know I only have 30 minutes to workout that really means that I ONLY HAVE 30 MINUTES.
That means there's no time to drive to the gym and I'm probably working out in my pajamas.
BUT luckily 30 minutes is the perfect amount of time for a sweaty HIIT workout.
H I I T = HIGH INTENSITY INTERVAL TRAINING
This is the kind of thing that allows you to burn MORE calories in LESS time and as long as you know a couple different variations, you can do a HIIT workout everyday in 30 minutes or less and see some crazy ass results.
Basically the point of a HIIT workout it to keep your heart rate up most of the time. That's the HIGH INTENSITY PART.
You want to make sure that you're pairing something that gets your heart rate up with something a little less intense, this is the INTERVAL part.
Then just make sure you have enough exercises to last you about 27-30 minutes and you're golden!
Here's my technique for making a HIIT workout:
+ Pick 8 exercises
+ Make 4 of them HIGH INTENSITY
+ Make the other 4 LOW INTENSITY
+ Then combine them into 2 circuits
EXAMPLE:
CIRCUIT 1 CIRCUIT 2
- Low intensity - High Intensity
- High Intensity - Low Intensity
- High intensity - High Intensity
- Low intensity - Low Intensity
Pretty easy right? Now you just obviously need some examples of what is high intensity and what is low intensity.
When you think high intensity think about anything that is going to get your heart rate UP.
I always think of anything that's going to make me RUN or JUMP.
Use these for some high intensity options:
(Reps are based on fitness level. Beginner -> Extreme. I find that 15-20 reps is plenty for me right now).
- Jump Squats (10-30)
- Jump Lunges (10-30)
- Burpees (10-30)
- Commandos (10-30)
- Pop Squats (10-30)
- Mountain Climbers (10-60)
- Mountain Climbers x 4 + 1 Push up ( 10 times)
- Jump Rope (1-5 minutes)
- Run Outside (1-5 minutes)
LOW INTENSITY OPTIONS:
(Should still keep your heart rate up, just not as high as it would be if you were running or jumping continuously).
- Weighted Step Ups (10-30 reps, 5-20 pounds)
- Push Ups (15-30)
- Squats (15-30)
- Abs Bicycles (20-50)
- Scissor Kicks (20-50)
- Crunches (15-50)
- Leg Lifts with hip raise (10-30)
- Walking Lunges (12-20 on each side)
- Medicine Ball Squat and Press (15-25)
- Triceps Dips (15-30)
- Straight Leg Sit Ups (15-30)
- Raised Reverse Lunges (10-20 each leg)
- Weighted Wide Squats (15-30)
So notice how the high intensity workouts involve JUMPING or RUNNING or FULL BODY MOTIONS where as the LOWER intensity workouts are more PUSHING or STEPPING.
If you're making a HIIT workout for your very first time then maybe try the lower number of reps but still give it everything you've got!
I tend to do appx 15 reps of each move.
SO IN ORDER TO MAKE THIS LAST ABOUT 30 MINUTES YOU NEED TO DO THE FIRST CIRCUIT TWICE, AND THEN MOVE ON TO THE SECOND CIRCUIT AND MAKE SURE YOU COMPLETE THAT ONE TWICE AS WELL.
Start incorporating a HIIT workout into your weekly routine 3 times a week.
This is what my schedule looks like:
Monday: Steady Cardio for 30 minutes
Tuesday: HIIT WORKOUT
Wednesday: Steady Cardio for 30 minutes
Thursday: HIIT CARDIO + A HIIT Workout
Friday: Steady cardio for 30 minutes
Saturday: HIIT WORKOUT
Sunday: Hike
Create one, try it, and then let me know how it goes for you! Challenge yourself and don't be afraid to pick the running outside option or the burpees. I swear i'm doing like 90 burpees a week right now and my arms and abs are toning up fast!!
xoxo
MY MORNING PRE WORKOUT MUST HAVES
About time I do this right?? I'm realizing that a lot of you guys are more into working out than I thought SO i'm trying to add a lot more info for you to the Let's Get Physical Section.
So if you guys follow me on SNAP (chelseyrose) you know I'm kind of obsessed with all of these products.
I literally won't go to the gym until I finish this little routine because I 100% feel the difference in my workout when I don't have it compared to when I do.
When I don't have it my workout is ehhh pretty good.
When I DO have these little workout boosters my workout is AMAZING.
I'm sweating off all my regrets, I'm in a competition with myself, I'm focused, and I'm KILLING IT.
(The other day at them gym WHILE I HAD MY HEADPHONES IN, this guy stops me to tell me how focused I looked while I was working out....COOOOOOL STORY GUY, thank you for CLEARLY ruining that.)
I just can't stand when guys stop to talk to you while you have headphones in. I mean come on.
Anyways.
This morning gym prep takes about mm 7 minutes total? And it's such a game changer and SO obtainable so I feel like I need to share.
Here's the plan:
1. Green Things First
1. As soon as I wake up, I go downstairs and make my Green Drink.
+++ 24 Ounces of Alkaline Water
+++ 1 Lemon, Juiced
+++ 4-5 ice cubes
+++ 1 Scoop of MRM Global Greens
This re hydrates me, starts my digestive system, starts my metabolism and starts cleansing my body. AND i've actually replaced my coffee with this. Not intentionally, BUT I started to realize that after I drink this I have energy.
2. Eat a Piece of Fruit
If you guy's saw my last post on pears, you would know why I'm SERIOUSLY OBSESSED with pears right now.
I make sure that I have SOMETHING in my stomach before taking my pre workout supplements even though I'm not hungry until after the gym.
It's way better on your stomach if you have something in there, trust me.
I used to take it on an empty stomach and it was AWFUL. So just eat something. Even if it's 4 spoon fulls of cold left over quinoa, I don't care.
3. Pre-Workout & L-Carnetine
Ah, my two best friends. What's up. I first have a cap full of L-Carnetine and then I have my pre workout with alkaline water in a short glass because although it's not bad tasting, I don't really want to just sip on it.
WHY L-CARNITINE?
In the most simplest terms...L-Carnitine allows your body to transport your fat into the mitochondria (remember science class? That's the power house of the cell). Once the fat is there, your body will start using it to FUEL you, so now you are using your body's fat storages as energy.
I TOTALLY feel this while I'm working out, plus i've noticed that it kinda suppressus my appetite which can be some what beneficial for anyone that over eats compared to what they burn.
Mainly though, I love the energy it gives me.
WHY PRE WORKOUT?
Girl do you want to sweat or nah? Haha, this pre workout is just such a great little tool to get some pep in your step first thing in the morning and it makes me sweat like crazy. I can't go to the gym without it.
By the end of my workout I'm drenched.
4. ATP?
According to breakingmuscle.com, ATP is one of the major players in the human body when it comes to energy, and my guess is...we could all use as much energy as we can get.
ATP is something that our bodies produce naturally and it is responsible for our exertion of energy. So throw a punch, or jump in the air and throw out a thank you to ATP.
BUT, throw out punches for 5 minutes straight or jump 30 times in a row and you're going to deplete your storage of ATP.
Taking ATP supplements helps us get thru those last couple of reps on say a round of 20 jump squats.
SO, since i've been focusing on a lot of HIIT workouts lately in order to burn fat efficiently and quickly, I've been doing a lot of jumping and a higher amount of reps so this has been GOLD for me.
Ready for the BEST news of all?
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Amazing, right? All you need to do is enter my code CHELSEY (make sure it's with a Y)... at checkout !
Just head to their website, (linked here) and shop away for almost half off!
xoxo Have fun!
Q&A WITH TRAINER VERONICA PRINCE
Getting advice is my JAM.
And I know that physical fitness is something that a lot of you are passionate about so I wanted to link up with my good friend Miss Veronica Prince and just ask her a fewww questions about the whole working out thing.
I personally do some kind of exercise about 5 times a week but that doesn't mean that every now and then while I'm busting my ass on the stair master I don't think to myself...is this realllly helping me?
You know what I mean? And then you start to wonder...is this building my legs up or is this toning them down? Is there even a difference? So while everyone else is sweating their life off and thinking about their ass, I'm over there thinking about if what I'm doing is even working.
SO.
Let's get into the questions ay??
Okay.
1.
ME: Okay so the first question that comes into my mind that I feel like I get asked A LOT is how can girls slim down/ tone up/ their legs?
VERONICA: So it kind of depends. You have to determine if your legs are MUSCULAR and you want them a little less "bulky" or if they are big and "soft".
If they are muscular and you want to tone them down, then you are going to want to do HIIT workouts. HIIT = high intensity interval training. So an example of this would be jump squats and jump lunges.
I would do 4 sets of 15-20 reps. Another type of HIIT is sprinting intervals so I suggest getting on the treadmill and sprinting with 90% effort for 30 seconds then taking a break for 30 seconds. Do this for a total of 15 minutes.
Also!!! Jump roping is GREAT for the legs whether you're wanting to tone up or slim down!
2.
ME: Amazing! Okay so what do you suggest as an ideal week of working out? I personally do 3 HIIT workouts, 2 days of steady cardio for about 30-45 minutes and 2 days of interval sprints. Sound good?
VERONICA: Yes that sounds perfect! So this is what I suggest BECAUSE this way you are always surprising you body and burning a TON of calories.
- 4 x's a week = RESISTANCE TRAINING. This means just using something a little bit more than your body weight so try incorporating a medicine ball, resistance bands, or light weights.
- On these days also do 10 minutes of interval sprints.
- 2 days a week do 30 minutes of steady cardio
- The last day you should so some kind of active rest so try going for a walk or a hike for 30-45 minutes.
3.
ME: What would you say to someone that feels like they are killing it in the gym but they stopped seeing results?
VERONICA: I would tell that person that they definitely need to check their water intake. Water is a huge reason why some people hold on to weight.
ME: YES! I totally understand that. When I was right out of high school and started to work out on my own, I noticed that after two weeks of drinking a gallon of water a day my love handles SERIOUSLY shrunk. It was amazing.
VERONICA: Yeah it really really helps! When it comes down to it, your results are going to come from what you're feeding your body. If you're eating more than your burning then you will maintain or gain, if you are burning more than you are eating then you will lose weight.
ME: I feel like this is why girls starve themselves sometimes though and then they can't even make it thru a workout because they don't have enough energy. WE NEED TO EAT NUTRITIOUS FOODS!
VERONICA: Oh totally. Yeah we NEED food to workout. I would also tell someone that if they're not seeing results that you DON'T need to go buy every supplement on the planet. Really the only supplements I suggest are Protein and BCAA's. (Branch chain Amino Acids).
4.
ME: What do the BCAA's do for us?
VERONICA: Basically Amino Acids are the building blocks of protein so it leads to greater muscle gain and it helps maintain lean muscles. This also promotes fat burning which can lead to weight loss AND they help replenish muscles after a workout so you're not as sore!
5.
ME: Okay amazing!! Yeah I remember my trainer had me drinking those like all day every day when I was training for a fitness competition. Speaking of hardcore fitness training, what are your thoughts when girls say they are afraid to lift heavy weights because they don't want to bulk up?
VERONICA: So....it takes body builders A LONNNNNNG time, a TON of work and a BUNCH of weight to look that way. Us lifting heavy a few times a week isn't going to magically turn us into that. Not to mention that those body builders are usually on some kind of growth hormone, testosterone and steroids..
Heavy lifting is ESSENTIAL for us and has so many great benefits. The higher percentage of muscle mass that we have the faster our metabolism is working all day long, even when we're at rest. This is because muscle is harder to maintain than fat so your body has to burn more energy to keep it!
When lifting heavy the idea is that you're toning right? So when you say that you want to TONE you're basically saying that you want to lose body fat and build some muscle.
Next time you do a heavy workout, do 6-12 reps with the last 2-3 reps being pretty hard for you to finish, and rest for 60-90 seconds in between sets.
TRAIN SMARTER, NOT HARDER.
ACHIEVE THE SAME SUCCESS IN LESS TIME IN THE WEIGHT ROOM RATHER THAN RUNNING.
6.
ME: Yeah honestly, I see AMAZING results when I lift heavy, especially ass workouts ;) haha, okay! Next question. I LOVE LOVE LOVE fasted cardio, what are your thoughts?
VERONICA: It's great because it revs your metabolism for the rest of the day! I definitely don't suggest weight training first thing in the morning because you need more fuel for that but fasted cardio is great. Something like the bike or the stair master.
7.
ME: Okay, what are some of your favorite pre and post workout snacks? You want to have carbs before a workout for fuel and protein after to rebuild muscles, right?
VERONICA: Yeah Ideally! I like to have 1/2 a sweet potato, quinoa, oatmeal or an apple or banana with almond butter before a workout. Afterwards I like to have a protein smoothie or salmon :)
8.
ME: One last question...I feel like girls ask me this question a lot which is why I've focused on it so much with my 8 Tips to a Flat Tummy Newsletter...Girls always want to know how they can loose the belly, get abs, and just tone their core. I have always noticed that I get the best results from WHAT I EAT, but I'm interested in asking you on what your thoughts are on this from the perspective of a trainer.
VERONICA: You NEED to focus on your diet. Core strength exercises can help, like planking and leg raises but honestly the core starts to peek through after a clean diet and just working out in general. Whenever you start consistently burning calories from cardio, weight training, and other workouts, the overall calorie burn will result in weight loss from your mid section.
ME: Good to know!! Yeah that's why I made the 8 tummy tips because I feel like with just a few habit changes, you'll really start to notice that bloat goes away and your abs peak though. Everyone HAS abs, their just hidden!
If you want to sign up for my 8 tummy tips just leave your info below!!
Follow Veronica on Instagram @VERONICA.PRINCE
7 HABITS OF A FIT GIRL - Shamira West
Want to be a fit girl? Well, there are some things you need to put in practice first. Not all fit girls do the same thing. We all have our own routines, favorite workouts and meals. However, there are something’s we all have in common. Here are 7 habits of a fit girl:
1. She meal preps every week – Fit girls love to be prepared and have healthy food on hand at all times.
2. She never skips a Monday – Fit girls love getting the week started with a sweat session. It sets a positive tone for the rest of the week.
3. She always has a bottle of water with her - Fit girls love staying hydrated.
4. She lifts heavy, boxes, does yoga & boot camp style training – Fit girls love mixing it up & challenging themselves. It’s fun that way!
5. She eats small, but often - Eating throughout the day makes you less tempted by the monster-size buckets of popcorn and supersize fries and drink containers that include double servings.
6. She makes sleep a priority – Fit girls love their rest. It is the only way they have the energy to go hard in the gym.
7. She believes in balance - Fit Girls know that extreme diets, extreme working out and a rigid schedule are not sustainable. They opt for a sensible lifestyle by building in habitual wellness practices for a healthy life.
What are some habits you have that makes you a Fit Girl?
TIPS FOR TONING
Okay I don't want to scare you of but at the same time, let's just jump to the point, shall we?
in order to start toning you’re going to want to start lifting heavy weights, don’t be scared, you’re not going to turn into a man haha, it takes A LOT of work to do that and our bodies aren’t the same as men.
I lift heavy often for my legs and booty because, well, i want toned legs and a big booty! DUH. For my arms I tend to lift lighter weights because I just want to maintain what I have, i don’t want to make the muscles there much bigger.
In order to build muscle we also need to FEED our muscles! We need to make sure we are giving them the proper nutrients before and after working out.Before a workout I eat COMPLEX CARBS! Something like oatmeal, sweet potatoes, or ezekiel bread to FUEL my muscles and then AFTER I workout I need to FEED my muscles protein so that they can rebuild! This is either a protein shake, tuna, tofu, egg whites, or beans with avocado.
The heaviest I’m doing right now for legs is about 85 for the leg press, and then i’ll do lunges, squats, and dead lifts with a 30 lb barbell.
You should start much less than me then work your way up!!
Embrace the soreness :) Or catch this blog on how to actually help seriously avoid being super effing sore.
HOW TO WANT TO RUN
I’m someone that pretty much loves everything. I don’t like to be in a bad mood, I like to try basically anything and everything blah blah blah.
But ever since I stopped playing soccer I have not even sort of been a fan of running outside. For the longest time I hated it because I thought it was boring. That’s basically the only reason actually. I preferred to be on the same elliptical every day for 30 minutes rather than somewhere outside but the problem with that was that that also got boring. Surprise surprise.
But, just like with anything else in life, I believe that things are what you make them and you can adjust your mind to like or not like something in an instant. I knew that running would allow me to lose the weight I was hanging on to AND FAST so first I told myself over and over again that I LOVE running outside…!
From there I made sure that I had music on my phone so that my internet wouldn’t give out on Pandora in the middle of my run and make me want to kill myself, and I downloaded a free running app. After the self-convincing all I had to do was make it more exciting to me than watching paint dry.
I did this a few ways.
I put together a few playlists that made me zone out and set a good pace for me so that I wouldn’t really think about how hard I was pushing myself.
If I needed to get in 30 minutes of cardio I would set my running app to let me know when I had been running for 15 minutes then I would know when to turn around. This way I could go the same way back to where I started and know that I had hit 30 minutes. This took out the annoying aspect of having to continue glancing at the time and it also gave me the freedom to run wherever I wanted rather than saying “I’m going to run to the pier and back” and then only thinking about how far away the pier is the ennttiireee timmmeee.
If I only had 20 minutes to run I would do intervals to get the most out of my time. I would set my running app to let me know when I had hit 10 minutes and then I would turn around and do the same drills back. I would usually do something along the lines of jogging an easy pace and counting to 45 steps. Then, I would SPRINT but I would count at the same pace I was when I was jogging, but only count to 12. Make Sense? Again, this way you don’t have to keep looking at the clock and you know that you just keep doing it until you hear your running app that its been 10 minutes, then turn around!
Also, LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION! Change it up. Sometimes I hit the ground running from the first step I take out of my apartment, other times ill drive to a random neighborhood in Santa Monica and just see where I end up. This usually leads me to different bridges, overpasses, stairs and pathways (Q the fun, ex out the boring)
Just some tips for running if you think you can’t or if you find it to be too boring! Now I actually really do love running outside, I’ve slimmed down and my playlists are on point ;)
Let me know how it goes!