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Lately I’ve noticed many of my fellow gym goers are becoming more and more lazy and disrespectful in the gym.

Let’s lay down some ground rules shall we?

 <——————– (Had to throw this one in there)

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Okay, let’s get serious now:

1. If you get it out, put it back.  Don’t leave dumbbells/barbels/workout mats just lying around.  Your mom doesn’t live here, Clean up after yourself!!

2. Yes, the gym has mirrors- but not for checking yourself out!  Use the mirrors to make sure you are using correct form.

3. Don’t hog the machines!  The gym is not social hour, don’t to talk for 10 minutes in between sets.  Do you set, rest for 60-90 seconds, repeat for desired number of sets and move on.

4. Watch your language!  Okay, so a curse word here and there under your breathe as you are pushing through that last isn’t a big deal- but you don’t need to be dropping the F-Bomb all over the place.

5. During peak workout times be respectful and limit the use of cardio machines to 30 minutes.

6. Wipe down your equipment!  Seriously, no one wants sweaty leftovers

7. Please wear deodorant- We all sweat at the gym, but seriously, if you stink before you even start working out that should be a sign people!

8. Share-  If someone wants to use the same machine- let them work in with you between sets.

Now that I’ve gotten that off my chest- here is a pre-bed recipe:

Casein Protein Bites

2 Scoops Vanilla Casein (Any flavor would work)

2 TBSP All Natural PB

1 TBSP Unsweetened Cocoa Powder

Almond Milk

Mix all dry ingredients together.

Add Almond Milk a little at a time until a dough consistency

Roll into bite-sized balls

Chill in fridge for at least an hour.

This made 6 Casein Bites

QUESTION:

Do you have any pet peeves at the gym?

Any fun plans for the weekend?

Are those potato chips in the cupboard calling out your name?

RESIST for 20 minutes and make a batch of these:

I made mine with the leftover chickpeas from when I made hummus last weekend.

If you use canned chickpeas, make sure to rinse thoroughly.

These are crazy good- the crunch and flavor reminds me of corn nuts only ten times better for you!

Try them, you won’t be sorry!

WORKOUT

I’ll be the first to admit, I wasn’t exactly pumped for my workout yesterday.

I’ve been lifting heavy and doing a 3 days split and basically I’m sore all over.

Despite being tired and sore, I drove across the street and got my workout on. (Yes, I work across the street from my gym )

Back and Triceps (I would have done Back and Bi’s but my biceps were STILL sore from Sunday)

Wide Grip Pull Downs behind the head

Seated Cable Rows

Bent Over Rows

Incline Dumbbell Reverse Flys

Hammer Strength Incline Row

Rope Pulldowns

Skull Crushers superset with

Close Grip Bench

Overhead Dumbbell Extensions

As usuall, when I don’t fell like working out but make myself go, I NEVER regret it.

This quote is so true!

Challenge:

Hold yourself accountable for making it to the gym even when it has been one of those days!

It’s already Wednesday which means it halfway to the weekend! Woo Hoo

Let’s dive right into breakfast this morning cause it’s a good one:

I topped mine with a few frozen strawberries.

The addition of the banana made them extra moist and fluffy!

I was a fan definitely making them again soon!

WORKOUT

Backtracking to last night’s workout- We hit legs again:

Straight Leg Deadlifts

Walking Lunges with Barbell

Seated Leg Curls

Leg Press Superset with Calf Raises

Hip Adductors

Calf Raises

My favorite exercise was the Walking Lunges

We did 4 sets up and down the basketball court & my legs were on fire that last set!

Walking Lunges are a staple in my leg workout routine.  They are a compound workout, which means they work more than one muscle group at the same time.

When doing walking lunges focus on pushing through your heel on the way up.

Also, make sure the front knee isn’t father forward than the front toe as this can put extra stress on the knees.  The front shin should be perpendicular to the ground.

Walking Lunges work your Quads, Hamstrings and Glutes at the same time

Do you incorporate walking lunges into your workout routine?

If so, do you prefer standing or walking lunges?

Your body is most likely used to doing the same thing week in and week out, which means its time for a change.

Here are 8 ways to push through that plateau and start seeing those gains you’ve been looking for:

1. Incorporate Drop Sets into your workout:  A drop set is where you extend your set after failure by lowering the weight you are using to a lower number and resume lifting. Once you hit failure again, you lower the weight again. This repeats until you get the desired number of reps you want.

2. Start using Supersets: Supersets is taking two exercises and doing them back to back without rest. They can be for the same muscle group or opposing muscle groups, like biceps and triceps.  This will help increase the intensity of your workout.

3. Get a Workout Partner: A consistent workout partner will not only be a motivator and keep you accountable, they will be able to spot you with those last few reps to promote growth.

4. Change your Rep Range:  Are you always doing 3 sets of 10 reps?  Trying changing to 4 sets of 6-8 reps or try the 10×10 method.

5. Rest Time:  Do you ever find yourself chatting and allowing yourself too much of a rest between sets?  Aim for 60-90 seconds rest between sets

6. Change Exercises: If you’re doing the same exercises every time you lift, start thinking outside the box.  Try different variations of lifts, like the Clean and Press instead of Seated Press and Front Squats instead of Back Squats.

7. Recovery: There’s a chance you may be over training in the gym.  Give yourself 3 or four days of and then get back to it.  That just might be what your body needs!

8. EAT:  If you’re lifting heavy but not eating enough, you’re not going to see the gains that you want.  Increase your food intake by 50% for the next few weeks.

Remember to be patient, Rome wasn’t built in a day and neither is your physique.

Have you ever hit a workout plateau?

What did you do to get past it?

*I get to start my day off with all my energetic 2 year olds at church- They make getting up early on a Sunday worth every second!  I hope I bring as much joy into their lives as they do mine

*I get to workout with Darrell- He’s an excellent spotter & motivator

*We have time to walk our puppies- AKA the cutest dogs around

*I have extra time for food prep

*Lastly, there is always some catch up on Words/Hangin/Scramble with friends time too!

WORKOUT

Sunday workouts are my favorites as the gym is practically empty = no wait time= one happy gal!

Back and Biceps was the name of the game:

Pullups

Hammer Strength Single Arm Row

Close Grip Pulldowns

Straight Arm Lat Pulldowns

Dumbbell Reverse Fly

Dumbbell Spider Curls

Wall Curls- bottom half

Reverse Curls superset with Hyperextensions

Great Workout!  My biceps are already sore this morning <3 that feeling!

Since it was about 64 degrees yesterday we HAD to take the pups on a walk to the park:

<3

I bet you can’t guess who picked out all her accessories…..

SOME WEEKEND EATS:

If you’re like me and didn’t get to go, you can watch it live here.

And yes, if you wondering, The Arnold is named after the Terminator himself.

After cleaning all morning, lunch came together like this:

Here is the hummus recipe:

Hummus is great as a spread in place of mayo or to use as a dip for veggies- it’s so versatile!

QUESTION:

Do you get to go to the Arnold this year? If so, is there anyone you’re dying to meet?
– I would like to meet Nicole Wilkins, she has an amazing physique!

What is your favorite way to enjoy hummus?

Good Morning and Happy Friday!

I am soooo glad its Friday- this week went by way to slow for me…..but on a brighter note, lets highlight an awesome workout from last night!

Does anyone else Love Leg Day at the gym?

I always look forward to leg day since this is the day I feel I always really challenge myself

Last night’s workout had my legs burnin’ all over!

FEEL THE BURN LEG WORKOUT:

Smith Machine Squats- 3 sets 8-10 reps

One Leg Squats holding plates- 3 sets 10 reps each leg

Seated Leg Curls 3 sets 7-8 reps

Standing Leg Curls 3 sets 7-8 reps

Leg Press 3 sets 8 reps- drop set at the end.  The drop set was the real kicker:

You do as many reps as you can with feet placed high, then drop your feet to the middle and do as many reps as you can.

Immediately take 1 plate off each side and repeat with feet high and then low.

Drop down 1 more plate and repeat.  At this point I only had 2 plates on there, but OH MY GOSH my legs were on FIRE!

Let’s just say my legs are already sore and its only day one!

Giving Back

At the beginning of every year my husband and I write down our goals for the year on a whiteboard on the fridge.

This year, the first this I wrote down was “Volunteer More”

Can you believe its March already?

Last night it was back to the grind at the gym & I had an awesome arm workout!

A new lift I added in this week- the dumbbell wall curls.

Wall curls are great as they make you have perfect form- no cheating!

DINNER

Dinner last night came together in a snap!  I’ve been craving a tuna salad all week- here’s what went into the mix:

Bright

Fresh

Crisp

It totally hit the spot!

Recently I’ve heard a lot of questions about sodium: How much do we need, why do we need it, and how to avoid it?

SODIUM:

Sodium is needed to:

Help maintain fluid levels in our body

Help transmit nerve impulses and

Help contract and relax our muscles
Since sodium helps us retain water- if you levels are too low you may find yourself making extra trips to the restroom throughout the day.

On the flip side, however, is where you can get into trouble.  The extra retained water can start to build up in your blood making it that much more difficult for your body to move the blood through the blood vessels which increases pressure on your arteries = Not a good thing!
Studies show the average adult consumes over 3400 mg of sodium per day……. that is WAY over the recommended amount of 2300 mg.  (less is always better)

How much is 2300 mg you ask? 1 TBSP of salt= 2300 mg of sodium?

Surprised?

Don’t be!  About 75% of the sodium in our diets are already added to our foods by manufacturers. Unless you are eating a diet with mostly fresh unprocessed foods, your sodium intake is most likely higher than it should be.

How to control your sodium intake:

Read the labels!  You might be surprised to know how much sodium is in the foods you eat.  For example, an oat bagel has a little over 500 mg of sodium, and soy sauce has around 1,000 mg of sodium.  Thats almost half a days worth right there- YIKES!  Some ingredients that indicate sodium are Baking Soda and Powder, MSG, Sodium Alginate and Sodium Nitrate.
Here are some foods high in sodium to watch out for:

-Salty & Smoked Meats and Fish: Lunch Meat, Bacon, Ham, Sausage, Sardines,  Smoked Salmon

-Foods in a brine: Pickles, Olives

-Junk Food/Snacks: Potato Chips, Pretzels, Popcorn, Salted Nuts

-Condiments: Salad Dressings, Soy Sauce, Barbeque Sauce, Worcestershire sauce, Ketchup

-Canned Items: Soups, Beans, Broths
Low sodium diet tips:
Eat more fresh fruits and veggies

Use herbs and spices to season food instead of salt or Mrs. Dash Seasonings ** Pantry Staple for me

Always opt for the low sodium option when offered

Leave salt out of recipes (besides baking- this can really affect the taste)

Make your own soups and pasta/rice sauces

Buy beans in a bag- not a can

You might want to think twice next time before asking “Please pass the salt”

QUESTION:
Do you watch your sodium intake or have you never really thought about it?

What are some of your favorite ways to add flavor without salt?

Do you ever take a day off from the Gym AND the Kitchen?

I usually don’t, but last night was an exception- and a great one at that!

My family and I got to go on a Horse Drawn Sleigh Ride in the mountains last night courtesy of Bogus Creek Outfitters.

My family and I enjoyed a 20 minute sleigh ride enjoying the beautiful views:

We arrive at a little dinner cabin where we were greeted with a warm wood burning stove and hot chocolate ( I enjoyed some sugar-free cider).

Everyone brought their own dinner and enjoyed each other’s company.  I spent most of my time outside with the horses or by the fire since it was only about 20 degrees outside——-BBBBUUURRRR

Check out the gorgeous horses:

They said the biggest one weighs 1600 lbs- No wonder they don’t get cold in the snow!

This was such an amazing experience and I am so blessed to have shared it with my family!  This would also make an excellent date night for anyone who lives in the Boise area!

Even though I had an amazing time last night, you better believe I’m itchin’ to get to the gym today!

Can 5:00 come any faster please?

QUESTION?

Do you ever take a day of from working out and/or cooking and baking?

Have you ever done anything like this sleigh ride before?