Bi-Weekly Check-in (5/20)

Since I announced last week that I am not going to compete this summer, I have really been back to focusing on gaining muscle mass and have upped my calories (mostly through carbs) this week.  I know it’s only been a week since the diet change, which is typically not long enough to see much difference, but I am actually down another ½ pound from my previous check-in…  That is very disappointing.

The thing with diet/training changes is you really have to be patient and trust the process – as long as you are not on a time constraint (like an upcoming competition), I typically have my clients follow a plan for 4 week before making any revisions.  The clients that are pressed for time, however, get changes every other week – and even every week depending on how far away their goal date is.

My diet changes have been minimal, adding too many calories to your diet at once can cause excess fat gain, which no one particularly wants… By slowly adding calories in over longer periods of time (similar to reverse dieting) you are able to ensure that most of the weight gain in lean body mass.

My training hasn’t changed, and most likely won’t.  I can achieve most of my goals by simply changing my diet and continuing to lift heavy weight for low to moderate reps.  I always have and probably always will train like a bodybuilder, although over the past 2 years my training has become more functional.  I want to look good, but I also want to be able to perform well.  When I was competing it was all about aesthetics, now it is more about balance.

I do plan to cut back on my cardio a bit – I currently only do 8 minutes 5-6 times a week but I will be dropping that back to 3 days a week.  Because I have a very high metabolism and am an avid lifter, I have to be very leery of the amount of cardio I do when trying to gain weight.  I am a true hard gainer, which is really nice at times, but incredibly frustrating when your goal is to increase muscle mass.

Most of my measurements this time around stayed the same, I did lose ½ an inch around my hips but otherwise I haven’t lost anymore size, which makes me happy!  Hopefully by my next check-in I am stable, at least, if not up a little – I have been consistently losing weight since February and enough is enough!

This week’s measurements:

Calf: 14.5 inches
Quad: 22 inches
Hips: 35 inches
Waist: 26 inches
Forearm: 11 inches
Bicep: 13 inches
Weight: 126.2

Last check-in (5/5):

Fabletics Review

Since I basically live in workout clothes, I am always on the hunt for new places to get cute, affordable, reliable stuff – and I really found a winner with Fabletics! 

In case you are unfamiliar with them, here is some info pulled straight from their website (and for the record, no one asked me to post this, nor was I compensated – I just love their products and wanted to share them with you!):

HOW THE VIP MEMBERSHIP PROGRAM WORKS

VIP MEMBER PERKS

·   Up to 40% OFF retail prices

·   FREE SHIPPING on orders over $49.95

·   Earn VIP REWARDS POINTS!

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SHOP

Browse your personalized picks ready on the 1st of the month. Complete outfits start at just $49.95

SKIP BY THE 5TH

Make a purchase or log into your account to "Skip the Month" by the 5th and you will not be charged. If you do not shop or skip by the 5th, your credit card will be charged $49.95 (1 membership credit) on the 6th until you cancel. Skip as many months as you'd like – you may still shop after skipping the month. Each credit can be redeemed toward 1 outfit - use it to shop anytime.•

CANCEL ANYTIME

You may cancel your membership at any time. To cancel, call our Member Services team at 1-844-Fabletics (1-844-322-5384)

* New members who join the VIP Membership program this month do not have to shop or skip until the following month.

You can also earn points towards free stuff!  You get points simply by placing an order, but also by reviewing your products.  And, you can refer friends to get a $10 credit on your account (which I will get if anyone uses my referral link, so thank you for that!).

This is a great service, they have tons of super cute choices and everything is incredibly reasonably priced – I ordered 3 separate pieces (not an pre-designed outfit), and absolutely loved all 3 items!  I purchased the Aruba  Wrap Top II, Dili Shorts, and Vaasa Sports Bra, as shown below:

First of all the Dili shorts are great – they have a think waistband so they don’t cut in to your sides, although I do roll mine down in the front (it’s a habit I have).  They stay put on your legs and are super comfortable – I love the side cinch that you can use to shorten them a little – and the color is fantastic!

 The Vaasa Sports Bra is without a doubt my new favorite bra – it is also incredibly comfortable and the bask design is awesome!  I am a sucker for strappy back on sports bras and shirts, so as soon as I saw this on their website I knew I needed it.  It offers just the right amount of support for my training, without making me feel claustrophobic like some sports bras do..

And the Aruba Wrap Top II, OMG!  I am obsessed.  I have worn this thing constantly since I got it and it is becoming my new favorite top for just about any occasion.  I wore it to the NPC Eastern Seaboard last weekend which was the first time I wore it and I got so many compliments!

I remember eyeing this shirt the first time it came up for sale, but I waited too long and it sold out – as soon as I saw it was back I knew I had to jump on the opportunity ASAP.  The fabric is super soft and comfortable, and the fit is amazing.  I haven’t worked out in it yet, but I have basically lived in it everywhere else and love it!

I highly recommend Fabletics as a great source for workout clothes that are so much more – coming from the girl who lives in gym clothes, it’s nice to have cute options that work both in and outside the gym.  If you’re in the mood to do some shopping, be sure to check them out!

You Can't Wait Until You Think You're Ready..

“How do you know you're ready? Let me tell you something... You don't. 

As I'm lying here in the dark, alone in the gym and thinking about the next 18 weeks, I know this... You won't find answers anywhere. It's not written in any book. There's no guide. Nobody's gonna tell you it's time. Only one person will know... You. You just got to want it bad enough. Maybe one day you'll wake up and you'll know today's the day and you start your own journey. Just remember this... Making the decision to venture into the unknown, into uncharted territory—that's the hard part. You get over that, and your future will open up. Destiny will be within your grasp. That doesn't mean things will get any easier. Fuck no, they won't. But just getting to the edge, being able to look over–that's why I'm here.

Listen, you can't wait until you think you're ready. I got news for you—you'll never be ready. You'll never be big enough. You'll never be lean enough. Your lagging parts will never catch up quick enough. So if you waited for that time when you thought you might be ready, you'd never step up. And if you don't step up, you're not in the game. I'm in the game. I'm gonna look and see what's on the other side...”

–Wrath.

I love that quote – from Animal’s 'The Journey'.  It’s a good read for any competitor, but more than that it’s a good read for anyone at all.  It’s about hard work, dedication, motivation – about knowing what your priorities are and sticking to them.  About chasing your dreams and not letting anything stand in your way.

I used to read this over and over when I was competing – I had print-outs hanging on my wall, my fridge, basically everywhere.  But after my last show it fell to the back of my mind and I kind of forgot about it.  I’m not sure what reminded me today, but I’m glad it did.  I am not competing in July, due to a lot of really exciting and at the same time kind of scary life changes that are coming this summer – I’m not really at liberty to say much right now, but I will when I can.

That doesn’t matter though, I’m glad I read this as a non-competitor.  It made me think about a lot, made me remember my passion and my drive.  Life is too short not to chase your dreams – and I urge you all to do the same.

Competitor or not, if you have some free time (it’s not long, I promise) check out The Journey.  Let me know what you think.  What are your biggest, scariest dreams? And are you doing everything in your power to make them come true?

Bi-Weekly Check-in (5/5) and Posing Practice!

I was really eager to do my bi-weekly check in this week, in hopes of finally gaining some weight back after our recent trip to the coast, but alas I am down 3 more pounds...  It's really making me think I should definitely get on stage in July - I am leaning out so effortlessly that I think I could get through a prep without too much stress.

That being said, I started posing again.  No decisions have been made just yet but since competing has been such a constant thought lately I figured I should go with it for now and just see what happens.. No promises, no commitments, just kinda-sorta prepping but not really? Does that even make sense?

This is my third posing session - I spared everyone the first (it was rough), and I posted a brief clip of the second on Instagram, but the third time was definitely the charm!  Please excuse the awful music choice - it was first time making a video and apparently this is the only song I had to choose from - I will fix that before the next one though I promise!

Ok, now that that's out of the way on to my bi-weekly..

As I said, I am down 3 pounds and lost a little bit of size around my calves, quads, and biceps.  Losing size around my quads is really upsetting to me, since I work so hard to try to gain size there.  I guess I really need to start looking at my training and figure out what I can change to hopefully see some results - but then again if I do decide to get on stage I guess the gains will have to wait!  Decisions, decisions...

This week's measurements:
Calf: 14.5 inches
Quad: 22 inches
Hips: 35.5 inches
Waist: 26 inches
Forearm: 11 inches
Bicep: 13 inches
Weight: 126.8

Last check-in (4/20):

What I ate... (Sunday 5/3)

I'm back for another round of WIAW!  Thanks, as always, for hosting, Jenn Laura!

Yesterday (Sunday) was a random day of eating for me, everything started off pretty normal with my usual egg white pizza and some peanut butter oatmeal...

Recycled picture, but you get the idea..

I've had a lot of people ask me what I do with my yolks since I only buy whole eggs - they go to the dogs!  Egg yolks are full of nutrients and are great for their coats - plus they are a cheap way to bump up the calorie count of their dry food, and they absolutely love them!  Lily is still on a diet so she only gets 2, but Miss Bella desperately needs to gain some weight so she gets the rest!

 I spent the next few hours doing my weekly meal prep and doing some chores around the house (my usual Sunday routine - super exciting!).  My next meal is where things got weird - in preparation for an epic leg day, I had some Ben & Jerry's PB Half Baked and 2 scoops of Cellucor whey protein. And by 'some' Ben & Jerry's I mean the whole pint, obviously...  This is a limited edition flavor and is my current favorite - I hope they keep it around!

Pre-workout meal of champions!

I drank some C4 about an hour after my pre-workout feast and headed to the gym for a 2 hour leg day!  I guess between the C4, ice cream, and it having been well over a week since I had a quality leg lift I was just ready to go in there and kill it!

I followed my lift with 2 more scoops of Cellucor Whey (unpictured) to try to keep my muscles fed and provide them with the protein necessary to recover properly.  I love Cellucor's products - they have been a favorite of mine for years! If you want to try some for yourself, you can use code NBLYFIT at checkout (only through Cellucor's website) for 25% off your entire order!  The code never expires, so feel free to use it as often as you'd like!  Plus, if you give them your email address you will also get free shipping - that's tough to beat!

I went home and had some work to do on the computer, and enjoyed an Isopure drink while I hammered out some inventories - these are pretty expensive so I don't drink them often, but after all that ice cream earlier my appetite wasn't quite back yet, and I knew I needed some more protein so this worked out perfectly!  This has no fat or carbs - and no weird stuff in it - just protein!  The flavor is really good too and it doesn't weigh you down like some protein shakes can.

A couple hours later I finally got hungry again - I made a dinner consisting of brown rice, peas, chicken, and goat cheese, eaten tupperware style.

Hi, Lil!

And thats it - thanks to proper planning and utilizing IIFYM, my daily total was only 3014 calories (98 fat, 241 carbs, 274 protein) - not too shabby considering almost 1200 of those calories came from ice cream!  Hopefully it will help me gain some weight (spoiler alert - it didn't).  Check back tomorrow for a bi-weekly update and a sneak peak of my most recent posing practice (it's been almost 2 years since I've had posing practice - it was... interesting.).

What I ate... (Tuesday, 4/14)

Since my WIAW posts are usually WIAS(Saturday or Sunday), I figured I’d do one today showing my meals on a weekday instead – typically my weekday eats are the same all week – the only thing that will change is the post workout meal (depending if it is a day off or not) and my dinner.  I like keeping my weeks structured because it makes my life easier (less thought = easier in my world) and by keeping my meals a little “cleaner” during the week, I can afford to slide a little more on weekends without suffering too many consequences.

I wanted to make this kind of a “day in the life” post too – I love reading other about other people’s days so maybe someone out there wants to read about mine? Maybe? Well, here it is anyway:

5:30 AM wake-up call!  I actually set 2 alarms prior to this (5 and 5:15) but 5:30 is usually the winner – sometimes 5:45 if I’m feeling really risky.  I get up and get ready for my day – wash my face, get dressed, straighten my hair, grab my meals from the fridge (thank God for Sunday meal prep – I could never prep my meals everyday – kudos if you do though!), and wake the Princess up to go out before I leave for the day.

If she had a choice, she would not move from this bed for 23 hours out of the day...

 6:30 AM out the door.  It takes me about an hour to get to work, so I have to be out the door no later than 6:30…

7:30 AM arrive at work - turn on my computer, dread opening my emails, and get on with my day.

8:30 AM breakfast!  During the week I don’t eat breakfast first thing in the morning, I usually don’t have an appetite at 5:30 or the patience to make food – 8:30 is a good time for me, gives me a chance to fully wake up and actually get hungry before I force down a meal.  Breakfast during the week is not typical: tuna, brown rice, and peas – with Roasted Red Pepper Italian Dressing.

Noon  lunch!  My second meal of the day is broccoli, more brown rice, chicken, and Roasted Red Pepper Italian Dressing (I love that stuff).

2 PM  we usually try to take a walk sometime around 2 – we walk for half an hour or so around the site – it is a great break after having been in the office for 6 ½ hours already, and from spending most of that time sitting in front of a computer.

3:30 PM my third meal of the day is my pre-workout meal, eaten about 2 hours before I will start lifting.  Chicken, sweet potatoes, parmesan cheese, topped with Sriracha sauce – this is my absolute favorite meal of the day.

4 PM leave work, head to the gym.  I have another hour drive ahead of me, so I won’t get to the gym until right about 5.  I drink my pre-workout on the way, usually around 4:45.

5 PM arrive at the gym – change into my workout clothes, and lift!  Yesterday was shoulders and some ab work – my workout lasted about an hour and a half and immediately after I was done I drank my post-workout shake: Cellucor Corperformance Whey & pure Dextrose Powder.

Dextrose (aka glucose) is a simple sugar that is easily and quickly absorbed by the body, making it a great post workout choice – it helps to replenish glucose lost during exercise so that your muscles can recover and GROW.

7 PM I am finally home!  I hang out with John and Lily for a few minutes before I run upstairs to shower – then I either spend the next couple hours doing chores, or lounging around with my man and the princess.  Last night in particular I spent most of my time making sure John was OK – he came down with the flu and it hit him pretty hard, poor guy :(

Around 9:30 PM I eat my final meal of the day – eggs!  I love having breakfast foods for dinner, and dinner foods for breakfast – is that weird?  My last meal of the day varies during the week and will usually be something I make for John and I, but anytime he isn’t hungry (like last night, since he was sick) or if he is working, I make myself eggs for dinner.  I love this meal so much!  6 egg whites, 2 whole eggs, cheddar cheese, sugar free ketchup, toast, spray butter, and jelly.

And that’s a “day in the life” and WIAW - for yesterday.  I really enjoy doing reading these from other people, and I think they’re fun to do myself, so look forward to seeing them a couple times a month!  Thanks again for hosting, Jenn!

Oh, and before I go (if you follow me on IG or Twitter you probably already saw this), this happened a few days ago... And MAY lead to more things happening, in 12ish weeks...

Thoughts on Alcohol

Black & Blue Margarita - Longhorn Steakhouse

That pretty little thing above was my dinner last night - well, scratch that - 2 of them were my dinner last night.  And coming in at a whopping 410 calories EACH (820 total), they just barely 'fit my macros'.  Actually, I take that back, they didn't fit my macros at all, because my macros don't account for alcohol.  And that's what I'd like to discuss today...

People want to lose weight, and get in really great shape - they know they need to watch what they eat and exercise more, but what many of them fail to realize is they also have to watch what they drink.  And I'm not just talking about alcohol here - but sugary soft drinks, fancy flavored coffees, even things you would typically consider healthy like juices.  The problem with liquid calories is more often than not you drink them, but they do not leave you feeling satiated - so you end up getting a bunch of extra calories from your beverage choices, that really aren't doing you any good.

Today, however, I just want to briefly touch on alcohol and not all the rest, because alcohol seems to be a pretty hot topic especially for all the 20-somethings (and 30, 40, 50-somethings).  So, do you have to stop drinking to get healthy?

Yes.

And no.

I drink very rarely - those 2 margaritas were unplanned (and absolutely incredible) - before that the last time I drank alcohol was on my birthday - and I only had 4 beers over the course of the entire day.  Prior to my birthday? Well, I honestly don't remember - maybe New Years? Or Thanksgiving? Whenever it was, my point is I don't drink often.  And when I'm prepping for a show - I don't drink at all.  I know people that do, but personally if I am limiting my calories I would prefer to get the few I'm allowed to have as FOOD than liquid.  I like food, a lot.  Offseason I allow myself some drinks here and there - and I don't see anything wrong with it.  So I do allow my clients to do the same - I think it should be limited though - alcohol is dangerous for a whole slew of reasons I won't go into on here and therefore should not be treated lightly.

In the world of flexible dieting, macro-nutrients are key - and knowing your specific macro breakdowns is necessary.  So for those macro-counters (and those who are just curious) a little summary:

1 gram of fat = 9 calories

1 gram of carbohydrates = 4 calories

1 gram of protein = 4 calories

1 gram of alcohol = 7 calories.

As you can see, each gram of alcohol has nearly twice the calories of a gram of fat or protein - the problem is all of these calories are empty, alcohol has NO nutritional value.  To make matters worse, alcohol actually slows your metabolism - when you drink alcohol, your body makes it the top priority, working to process it before any other macro-nutrient.  When you drink alcohol, your liver process the alcohol first which can lead to a build up of fatty acids (leftover from whatever other calories you may have consumed) which can lead to weight gain.  Not only that, but drinking is proven to lower inhibitions, which can lead to diet sabotage when, after that second or third drink, unhealthy food becomes much more difficult to turn down.

If you enjoy drinking, that is completely fine and a choice that is for you to make personally, but if you are really serious about not only losing weight, but getting healthy - you may want to think those drinks through.  If you are interested in reading more on the topic, this is a fantastic article that I would highly recommend: http://www.builtlean.com/2012/11/26/alcohol-weight-loss/

Bi-Weekly Check-in 4/8/15

Time for another bi-weekly check-in!

I have actually lost weight, again... My overall calories haven't changed in the past 2 weeks, which most likely means my metabolism is still speeding up (something I have been actively working on for a few years now).  That is GREAT news, but also means that I need to adjust and compensate if I want to continue to add size.  I lost 1/4 inch on my quads, and 1/2 an inch around my ass - not cool. Those are 2 areas I have been working REALLY hard to gain some size on.

My strategy for the next 2 weeks is going to be more food - I am adding straight dextrose (a form of sugar) to my post workout shake - and I'm going to try to add more carbs in to other meals as well.  My protein and fat intake is already high, so I don't think I really need to add anything there.  But carbs are muscles best friends!  Carbs will keep them full and growing!

Also, I am going to cut back on cardio (again).. I don't do much as it is, only 8 minutes a few days a week, but I do tend to lift at a fairly quick pace which keeps my heart rate elevated and leads to burning more calories than lifting at a generally slower pace.  So, I need to start taking a little more rest between sets and possibly cutting back the supersets a little.

With those changes, we'll see where I'm at in 2 weeks and go from there.  This is why I think check-ins are so important, no matter what your goal is, they give you a chance to see how you are progressing and change your approach if necessary.  I think 2 weeks is a fair amount of time to use as a check point - weighing and measuring yourself more often than that can be counter productive (depending on your goals - once a week is good for those in contest prep or those looking to drop significant amounts of fat).  I have to note that I DO weigh myself, but I don't really use that number to determine my progress - I use the pictures and the measurements for that because weight only tells part of the story.

4-7

Measurements from yesterday (4-7):
Calf:  14.5 inches
Quad: 22.5 inches
Hips: 35.5 inches
Waist: 26.5 inches
Forearm:  11 inches
Bicep: 13.25 inches
Weight: 131

Previous check-in:

3-24

What I ate ... (Sunday 3-29)

I haven’t done one of these in a few weeks, so I thought I’d share my meals from yesterday (3-29).   I trained legs, so I proceeded to eat pretty much everything in sight – hey, you have to EAT to GROW!

For my first meal I had one of my favorite go-to breakfasts: egg whites, parmesan cheese, oatmeal, and peanut butter!  Nothing against whole eggs AT ALL, in fact, I eat them almost everyday, but I usually stick to just the whites when I’m putting peanut butter in my oatmeal to even out the fat a little :-)

Recycled picture, but you get the idea...

After breakfast I had some time to kill before I hit the gym, so I did my usual Sunday Meal Prep..

I also tried a new way to season my crockpot chicken – with Mrs. Dash Chicken seasoning!  I was actually out of the Italian Dressing seasoning I usually use and really didn’t want to go back to Kroger, so I improvised and it turned out great, I’ll definitely be doing this more often!

 After my breakfast digested a little, and my meal prep for the week was done – I headed to the gym for leg day!  Easily my favorite day of the week…

After my lift I had some Hot Fudge Sundae Pop Tarts (amazing) and a serving of whey protein – like I’ve mentioned before, I always follow a leg workout with Pop Tarts, they are my (not so) secret weapon!

I actually did eat both Pop Tarts - one obviously didn't make the picture because it was already being devoured...

I went home after the gym and did some cleaning/hanging out with this little diva while John was at work.. On a side note – Lily just weighed in at 75 pounds on Saturday – she has put on 6 pounds in roughly 2 months – looks like I found a new client…

Who's fat? Me? I'm not fat!

I tried a new-to-me Bertolli frozen dinner a couple hours after the gym, we like to have these occasionally for taste and convenience – the only problem is, they really don’t make enough to feed both of us.  I ate the whole thing!  Meals for 2? 2 what? Babies???  It was absolutely delicious though :-)

To finish out my day I had a PBJ and 2 servings of whey protein – simple and delicious.  Sometimes there is really nothing better than a classic PBJ!  I ate this while I watched the Season Finale of Walking Dead – OMG – does anyone else watch?!  I need to talk to people about it!! I am not going to make it until the next season starts!

It may not look all that pretty, but it definitely hit the spot!

**Linking up with the QUEEN of WIAW posts today (for my first time) - thanks Jenn for hosting!!**

Sample Shoulder (and Ab) Workout

I have decided to leave off the weights I use in my workouts from now on – I think it will do you all more good to just see the workouts and exercises for what they are, without the specific weights I used for each set.  I can always go back to including them if you prefer, but to me it feels more organic this way and easier to customize for all of you – I want you to focus on actually incorporating these exercises without worrying if you are using the same weights I did.  It doesn’t matter how much you are lifting, just that you ARE lifting and that you are using a weight that challenges you, while still being able to keep good form!

This was the workout I did Tuesday night for shoulders and abs – I usually train abs 1-2 times a week and focus mostly on strengthening my whole core – not just doing countless amounts of crunches.  All the crunches in the world won’t compensate for a poor diet and training routine – sorry!

I started with standing dumbbell lateral raises to warm-up: 4 sets of 12

Superset Seated Dumbbell Military Press & Toes to Bar:
Press: 1 warm-up set of 10, 4 working sets of 8
Toes to bar: 4 sets of 10

Superset Standing Cable Face Pulls & Standing Dumbbell Front Raises:
Face Pulls: 5 sets of 8
Front Raises: 4 sets of 8 (each side)

Superset Standing Barbell Military Press & Hanging Leg Raises:
Press: 1 warm-up set of 16, 4 working sets of 10 **When I do these, I alternate each rep in front of my head and behind my head – if you want to try this please make sure you use a significantly lower weight than you would for standard barbell military presses!
Raises: 4 sets of 15

Superset Peck Deck Rear Delt Flys & BW Dips:
Flys: 4 sets of 10, plus a drop set at the end from the heaviest weight I used to the lightest on the stack
Dips: 5 sets of 10

Superset Hammerstrength Shoulder Press & Front Plate Raises:
Press: 4 sets of 10
Raises: 4 sets of 10-12

Drop-set Dumbbell Lateral Raises:
“Run the rack” for these – I do 3 big drop sets (I will use the weights I use for this because it’s easier to explain): I started with 25’s for 10, then immediately dropped to 20’s for 8, then 15’s for 8, 10’s for 8, and 5’s for as many as possible.  I did that twice, and for my third set I skipped the 25’s and started with 20’s for 10, 15’s for 10, 10’s for 10, and 5’s until I thought my shoulders were going to fall off :-)

Superset Handstand Push-ups (against a wall) & Sprints:
I did 4 sets of 8 handstand push-ups (I am obsessed with handstand everything right now) and ran sprints in between each for some cardio.

And that’s it – I think this lasted about an hour and 15 minutes maybe an hour and a half – the sprints/handstand push-ups at the end took the longest – I needed a LOT of recovery time between sets – my cardio isn’t exactly the greatest…   I tend to do most of my workout at a pretty fast pace, but I do allow more rest time for the big moves (like my presses) so that I can use a heavier weight and still get the amount of reps I aim for.

If you ever have any questions about any of the workouts I post – please let me know!  I would be happy to clarify anything for you :-)

And a picture, because the idea of doing an entire blog post without a single picture kind of freaks me out…

Bi-Weekly Check-in 3/25/15

I think this is a really important check-in, because I took my measurements 2 days after my birthday – for my birthday I counted/logged NOTHING, ate/drank whatever I wanted, and didn’t work out.  I have also continued to have a slice of that amazing ice cream cake every night since my birthday  - and guess what? I didn’t gain a million pounds!  Actually, for my bi-weekly I LOST 2 pounds.  Just goes to show that if you work hard and focus on healthy eating and training hard a majority of the time, you can afford some treats here and there without losing all your progress!

I think I actually benefited from all the carbs Saturday – check out that post-birthday pump!

Measurements are as follows:

Calf:  14.5 inches
Quad: 22.75 inches
Hips: 36 inches
Waist: 26.5 inches
Forearm:  11 inches
Bicep: 13.5 inches
Weight: 132.6

I know some people think it’s a little overkill to take measurements every 2 weeks, especially when someone is offseason and not prepping for a show or actively trying to gain/lose substantial weight for any other number of reasons.. I like it though, even though I am not seeing much change it is a chance for me to critique my diet and training and see if maybe I need to rework something.  It helps me to (hopefully) avoid plateaus and to stay accountable.  I may not be actively in show prep, but that doesn’t mean much to me, I still strive to the best I can be.

I like to do this too because I want to let you all know that even if you aren’t seeing changes from one day to the next – over time you will.  And it’s espceially nice after a celebratory weekend like this one to be able to check-in and know that a day of no fitness didn’t kill me – in the past I would have had a panic attack about eating (and drinking BEER), and would have at least had to go do a crazy workout before hand, but this year I didn’t, and guess what?

I'm still here.

I'm still strong.

I'm still healthy.

And I still look pretty good :-)

Fitness is weird, it can take over your life in a good way or a bad way – it is up to you which way it goes.  It can drive you crazy if you let it, or in can improve your life substantially.  I know there was a time in my life where I let it drive me crazy, but since I have really began to learn more about myself and my body – and the fitness world in general – it has finally started to really improve my life.  Don’t let fitness control your life – let it compliment your life!

(Late) Bi-weekly check-in and a REVIEW!

I want to share a review with you today of my new absolute FAVORITE pre-workout: Megawatt HD by 1^st Phorm!  (And no, I was not compensated for or even asked to do this review – I bought this product with my own hard earned cash and fell in love, so I wanted to share it with you!)

First and foremost – daylight savings time has officially kicked my ass this week – like, all week.  Don’t get me wrong – I love the longer days, but because I start my day at 5 AM and am on the road by 6:30 – my mornings all week have been spent in total darkness, which really messes with me for some reason.  By the time I get off work and finally make it to the gym, I am beat.  My workouts all week have really suffered – until I found Megawatt HD!  I got it in the mail yesterday and took it before I went to train back, and let me tell you – I was immediately impressed.  For the first time this week I had a really amazing workout – I had energy and focus and endurance – I swear I could’ve lifted for 2 hours!  I successfully destroyed my back day and even had the energy after my lift to do some cardio (who am I?!).

From their website:
MegaWatt HD™ has been specifically formulated to boost energy levels and dial in your mental focus during training. MegaWatt HD will take your workouts to the next level by enhancing muscle endurance and vasodilation! Our uncompromising and extremely powerful pre-workout is unlike anything that has ever touched your lips. We took our time with this formula because we weren’t looking to just make another pre-workout … we focused on creating the BEST pre-workout! Period.

MegaWatt HD isn’t just a flavored powder filled with a bunch of stimulants to get you all jacked up before you hit the gym. We wanted to deliver something that would improve muscular endurance as well as something so powerful, you’ll never want to stop training. We would Never Settle® for anything less… and neither should you!

We started MegaWatt HD with research-proven micronized creatine monohydrate to boost ATP production, strength, and overall endurance. Secondly, we added in a potent dose of beta alanine to reduce lactic acid build up and decrease muscle fatigue so you can train longer and harder in the gym. Then we stacked in the Intracellular VoluMax Blend™ to boost blood flow as well as maximize oxygen and nutrient delivery to the muscle cells for powerful muscle contractions and skin-tearing pumps. This potent base takes your precious time in the gym to the next level and keeps your body from ever wanting to quit.

The mind is more powerful than the body when it comes to training intensity.  The final evolution was developing the Neurostatic Matrix™. This is the most potent and unheard of blend of powerful nootropics currently on the market today. MegaWatt HD is designed to keep your mind not just focused, but absolutely dialed-in and blasting through the pain while keeping energy levels at their peak. With MegaWatt HD’s dynamic mix of mental focus and ever lasting energy you will never want to give up.

The taste is phenomenal (I got Juicy Watermelon), and it doesn’t take long to kick in which is great for me because I hate to wait on a pre-workout that takes FOREVER to finally kick in.  I felt focused, strong, and ready to kick ass, without feeling overly jittery or weird at all.  And there was no crash at all – just a slow, easy come down without me really even noticing.  Not to mention, I was still able to fall asleep at a regular time after taking it – since I train so late in the day that is always a concern of mine, and a lot of pre-workouts on the market make it really hard for me to sleep even 5-6 hours after taking it – not this though, I slept like a baby!

My only complaint (let’s be real, not everything can be perfect) is the serving size – ¾ of a scoop.  As in, NOT a whole scoop.  I’ve seen this before in other products and have never really understood it – why not just make a smaller scoop to accommodate a serving size?  Either way – make sure to read labels, please – for reasons like this!  It states not to exceed 1 ½ scoops in a day, again, read labels – I know plenty of people (myself included) that takes 2 scoops of pre-workout occasionally – you really need to be careful with this one since 2 servings is NOT 2 scoops.  This is especially important to people that are caffeine sensitive as there is a pretty potent dose in Megawatt HD.  Seriously though, that is my only complaint – otherwise I am absolutely smitten, as I have been with every 1^st Phorm product I have ever used.

And before I go, I just realized I missed my bi-weekly check-in post (see – I told you this week has kicked my ass!) – I won’t bore you with everything BUT I did take measurements and snapped some progress pics last night, so I wanted to share them real quick.  One of these days I will get my act together!

Calf:  15 inches
Quad: 23 inches
Hips: 36 inches
Waist: 27 inches
Forearm:  11 inches
Bicep: 13.5 inches
Weight: 134
Height (since some of you have been asking): 5’2

And some progress pictures:

3-12

2-24

2-10