The Grocery Store Told Me I’ve Got Badass Muscles.

Last night I quickly popped into the local grocery store to grab a few items in a basket.  I know if I get a cart I will fill it and I was not in need of more than a few things.

That is, until I reached the drink aisle where everything was on sale!  So, I decided to utilize my new guns.

My Badass Muscles

I carried  my basket full of food along with a fridge 12-pack of Diet Dr. Pepper and  a 12 pack case of Diet Peach Snapple Iced Teas.  At first I thought, I need to get a cart to carry all this.  Then I thought, let’s see if I am now strong enough to carry these cases first without assistance.   In the past, there was no way I could handle the weight of these cases along with a basket full of items without dropping everything with rubbery arms.  But last night, man, I carried all those items like He-Man!

Thank you grocery store for inspiring me to keep lifting at the gym!

Also, have you seen this fun gadget for carrying your bags into your home in one trip?!!

This may just have to become a part of my permanent grocery collection.  Reviews are mixed, saying they are not as sturdy as advertised, but I’d give them a try just to try and save my fingers from losing circulation!

Shopping and strengthening = getting things done!

My Saturday 1.5 Hour Gym Visit

This morning I woke up without excessive muscle pain but enough ache to know I did some good work at the gym yesterday!  Yesterday was a lazy overcast day but eventually I was able to drag myself away from my two adorable cuddly cats to get to the gym and burn off some of this anxiety I’ve been feeling lately.  I was unable to get to the gym during the work week, but instead chose to do yoga in the evenings when possible, also hoping to help with this very emotionally exhausting week.  It helped a little, but I am bummed I wasn’t able to make an effort to at least spend a half hour or an hour at the gym at least once for weight training and intense cardio.

Instead of beating myself up about it, I made it a point to get to the gym this weekend for a low impact workout since it’s a new beginning for me as far as resurrecting my gym routine.  For those who may be curious as to what I did this weekend when time was not so much an issue, here is Saturday’s routine.

1. 30 minute elliptical for cardio
2. 30 minute weight machine rotation for strengthening
3. 10 minute ab work for core strengthening and sculpting
4. 20 minute stretching and non-machine strengthening for cool down

ELLIPTICAL

• Ran 25 minutes on level 12 with a 5 minute cool down.
  
• My ultimate goal is 45 minutes 3-4x per day alternating different programs and increasing level tension over time.

WEIGHTS
I normally do 3 sets of 12 reps using low weights that still tired my muscles by the third rep for each exercise listed below, resting a couple of minutes between sets. The amount of weight you decide to start lifting depends on many factors, please ask a trainer at the gym before trying to lift 200 pounds your first, or even second, try.

Click on each image below to be taken to another website for more detailed exercise instructions.

• Back
  

              Rear Deltoid Flies: targets posterior deltoid, secondary rhomboids, trapezius, triceps

             Lower Back Extension: targets lumbar, secondary glutes

• Chest

             Seated Chest Presses: targets pectorials, secondary deltoid and triceps

• Glutes/Legs

             Seated Leg Press: Targets quads, hamstrings, and glutes. Added padded toe raises that targets your calves.

Leg Press

calf lifts

• Shoulders

             Lateral Raise: targets deltoids.

AB WORK

• Main abdominals

1. Basic Crunches: 2 reps of 25, targets all abdominal muscles.
2. Abdominal Leg lifts: 2 reps of 25, targets lower abdominals

   

• Obliques

1. Broom Stick Trunk Twists, 50 twists with 12 lb. bar
2. Side Reaches: 2 sets of 25, lift up engaging your obliques and reach towards your feet from side to side.

STRETCHING AND STRENGTHENING

I love to stretch!  I stretch whenever I can throughout the day, at work, at home, before bed, in the morning.  I’m sure I look completely ridiculous, but the feeling of a good stretch trumps embarrassment by passersby. Stretching at the end of my gym routine is a blissful experience.

• Pigeon stretch: targets glutes, piriformis, and helps loosen tight hips (an ongoing issue of mine).
• Lumbar Extension stretch: targets lumbar spine and abdominals.
• Sitting Side Reach stretch: targets areas of your abs, back, and legs.

• Side Leg Lifts: 25 reps each leg, targets abductor muscles, glutes, and hips.  This is my back to basics Jane Fonda move. 

  

• Cat Stretches: 25 slow reps, targets lower back and abdominals.

mew. :3

photo by James Hamilton