Be proud, but never satisfied.

Woah! It has been a long week =) I have officially added a Thursday night boot camp into my weekly schedule!! So I will keep this short and to the point.... I think =P

Tuesday: 

It was my first boot camp without Steph or Lela there! Charlene took care of business and this workout kickeeeeed my arse! My hamstrings were burnnnning until Saturday!! 

Wednesday:

We did negative pullups, running on incline, barbell squats (SCARY!), laying face down hamstring curls on the bench, deadlifts, anddddd I don't remember the last one. shit! Rows maybe =/ I wasn't nearly as sore as the first small group. Sadly! I think that's the most intense muscle soreness I have felt in my whole life. But I want to top it! =P

Thursday:

I LOVED Thursday bootcamp! I'm so glad I added this one in =P 

Saturday:

Michelle came, so I was distracted and forgot to take a picture!! Boo! But as soon as I remembered that I forgot I tried to make a note of what we did =P 

It might not be in the right order and I might have missed something.. but here it is!

And this is my new meal obsession!

White corn tortillas baked. Chicken with lemon pepper, normal pepper, garlic powder, and goya. Avocado. And cilantro! YUM!! I've eaten this three times in the past week! I love!! 

And here are my developing abs!

Yeah whatever... they are coming! I see them in there!!! I will get it!! 

Oh yeah! Friday I went to get my wedding dress alterations... and it wouldn't even stay up =/ 

The lady told me that it would cost a ton to take it in that much, so she ordered me a whole new dress!!! In a size 2!!! She wanted to get a 0, but it wouldn't have come in on time. And I told her that was way too much pressure anyhow!! Talk about an amazing feeling!! I was nervous and I am going to be cutting it very close and have to pay for rush alterations now... but I was so so happy!! That dress fit like a glove and was even a little rough to sit in when I got it innnn January or February! A size 2!!!! Woohoooooo!!! 

Okay, I'm too tired to think of more. =)

-N.

Make yourself proud.!

This has been a great week!! =) (Well, last week since I was too tired to add pictures last night and now I'm posting this on Monday)

Tuesday I went to bootcamp early and had my measurements done! I was very pleased with the result! 

5/14/2013 Measurements:

Right Arm - 9 1/2 in.

Right Thigh - 17 1/4 in.

Waist - 24 3/4 in.

Hips - 33 3/4 in.

Body Fat - 22.7%

As a reminder, this is an improvement from my previous measurements (!!), which were:

4/9/2013 Measurements:

Right Arm - 9 1/2 in.

Right Thigh - 16 3/4 in.

Waist - 25 in.

Hips - 34 1/4 in.

Body Far - 25.7%

So my arm measurement stayed the same as far as inches... but the body fat measurement on it was less... which means my wing is shrinking! =P My thigh grew 1/2 inch! Yay for muscle! My waist shrunk 1/4 inch. It finally looks like my "donut" is going away (the little circle of fat I've always had around my belly button area!) My hips shrunk 1/2 inch. So my butt is probably shrinking.. but in a good way =P (sorry baby.. haha) ANNNNND my body fat went down 3%! Steph said people typically only lose about 1.5% in that amount of time. I was so very happy when I heard my number. 3 does not sound very big.. but I was more than satisfied with this result! This was my first huge "proud moment"! 

So Tuesday's workout was good. 

The fourth station was running! We ran a lap around the building and then a lap up and down the stairs and continued this for ten minutes. I loved it. I don't know why I love the stairs so much, but I feel like I could do it forever. Maybe just because it's new and it keeps me thinking rather than mindlessly running in a circle! I thought I was going to crack my head open doing frog push-ups. And Lela just looked like an angel demonstrating them! They are hardddd! My shoulders need work! 

Wednesday was small group at Steph & Lela's home gym! There were six of us this time! We did running on incline, negative pull-ups, laying down dumbbell fly things, incline bench, some bar about our head press thing, and a big barbell had weights on it and we bent over and pulled it up with one of the grip things... Holy shit I am bad at explaining and remember the names of things. Whatever.. it hurt my shoulder/chest area a lot! All of it! I felt really weak and my proud moment from the night before kind of diminished! I always try to remember not to get down on myself for not being able to do something or for having to do a light weight. But it's hard to accept, because I want to be better so bad! I will get there! That is the point of all of this.. to be better and stronger than the old me =)

Thursday Jennie went to the gym with me. She was only able to make it one of the days this week! We did leg stuff since small group was focused on upper body the day before!! I always tell Jennie about how hard it is for me not to weigh myself.. But I let her weigh me. I stood backwards on the scale and she wasn't allowed to tell me my number, but she did tell me that it was less than the 117 I was before! It is driving me even more crazy now that I know that it is less. I really did think that I would weigh more since I feel like my muscles are growing in proportion to my fat lose and everyone always says muscles weigh more than fat! Less than two weeks until I can look at the scale! =P I think I am just going to make it a once a month thing after that and see how it goes! 

Saturday's bootcamp was pretty awesome!

 It was snowing so we didn't do any running. It felt like it only lasted like 25 minutes! I was shocked when I realized I was on my last station! I think that is a good sign though! I felt really good after=)

Saturday evening I bought and put up a pull-up bar! Every time I see it I picture myself not being able to pull myself up and it makes me even more determined! Practice makes perfect and now I can and will practice every day! It's directly across from my bedroom doorway so it is constantly staring back at me. =P

This week I also bought some weights! Once they are all in my house I will add a picture! They are in my garage right now, but I want to bring them in so that I can lift in front of a mirror and work on my form! Mirrors are a huge help for me!! 

Nutrition has still been good! I would like to work on not eating after dinner. I find myself with a lot of calories left to consume toward the end of the day and I would like to steer away from this a little more. I think that I just get scared that I am going to go over, so I don't space stuff out quite right. I do eat every two to three hours, typically. I don't know! I will work on it! =) I have been noticing a difference in my face, which is where I tend to notice weight gains first. I figured since that is the case I would notice weight loses here last. Pleasant surprise! =) 

I am just all around happy! I feel like a lot of mine and Savier's conversations revolve around fitness and nutrition now, but I like it! He is such an amazing supporter! I am also so proud of all of his accomplishments! You would never know by looking at him that I used to have to practically drag him to the gym in Oman.. after three months of him REFUSING to go with me after work! I'm glad I got him to join half way through, though! Better late than never =P I can't wait until we can work out together... in approximately 54 days <3. 

This coming week I will be adding Thursday night bootcamp also! Yikes! So my Figarelle schedule will be Tuesday-Bootcamp, Wednesday-Small Group, Thursday-Bootcamp, Saturday-Bootcamp! I am excited!! 74 more days until I am wearing a beautiful white dress and my entire world is wrapping me in his arms in front of everyone we love! 

Short term goal: By the time I leave Alaska (July 6th), I would like to be at 19% body fat or lower.! =) 

Go Nikki, Go!!!

Biceps don't grow on trees. =)

Last Tuesday I forgot to take a picture of the workout, but I sent Savier a text telling him what we did right after so that I wouldn't forget! It didn't fit on one screen shot, but I'm too lazy to retype it all!

Tuesday was good! Very good! =)
On Wednesday I had my first small group session at Steph & Lela's home gym. There was five of us. Oh. My. God. It was rough.. but amazing! We did negative pull-ups, deadlifts, rows, incline run, stability ball hamstring curls, and some crazy thing for hamstrings, glutes, and lower back. I was dripppppping sweat. and when I left I literally could barely lift my arms high enough to hold my steering wheel. I hurt so bad.. but felt so amazing! Even the muscles in my hands hurt. I don't even know how to accurately explain what I was feeling. The only time I can remember my muscles feeling the way they did that night was after I did 43 pushups in a minute for my PT test in March. I have a lot of work to do.. and I wish that I could just make it all happen immediately.. but working toward my goals is very rewarding.
On Thursday PT was actually pretty intense.. and I had an awesome lunch workout! I did legs... because my arms were still dead =) I wrote down the workout.. but it's sitting on my desk at work =/ oops! On Friday is when the pain really set in from Wednesday! My biceps were on fire and it hurt to move!
Saturday's boot camp was good!

It was a pretty small group, which is always nice.. but the smaller it is the more "surprises" we get in between! One person was late so we started out with 20 burpees. The surprises were good ones though! When we ran around the building we ran up the stairs, along the balcony, and back down the other side! I like stairs =) I was a pool of sweat again on this day =P 

My photo to Savier when I was leaving! hahaah. silly. but this explains exactly how I was feeling!

My nutrition situation was good=) I have been very successful with not eating s'mores. My s'mores protein powder in hot water has been a perfect replacement for my addiction to s'mores and my love for hot chocolate! <3

I didn't get measurements last week... but I will this week! =))

Here's to another week of killing my arms that are already killing me =P

Fighting for my dream body!

Happy May!! I feel like time has been going by so quickly since I have gotten myself into this new routine! I only have nine weeks left in Alaska, which is VERY exciting! I can't wait to be back with Savier and MaKayla and finally start our lives together.. but I am going to miss the Figarelle Fitness clan so so much! I don't think it is even realistic to think that I could find such an amazing program with such inspirational coaches anywhere else. They are like a hidden gem.... which is why it took me so long to find them apparently!!  Savier is totally on board to make our garage in South Carolina into a gym though so we can have at home boot camp sessions! I am trying to get as many tools for later as possible from Steph! Starting this Wednesday I am doing the small group weight training classes with her and five other women! I am very very excited about this! I have to send her five goals/reasons why I want to do this, so I will think of them at the end of this and include them in this week's blog! I have been seeing some pretty big improvements in my arms! I feel a little obsessed with it =P I look at my biceps a lot.. and make Savier look too ;) (love you babe!).

So Tuesday's bootcamp!!! It was quite interesting.. I had an orthodontist appointment right before it and had my gums removed/reshaped.. with a laser. My mouth was very numb... but we also removed a wart on my hand with the laser. Long story... funny.. once in a lifetime, crazy event! BUT.. I had numbing anesthetic stuff injected into my hand before so I could not feel my middle, ring, or pinky fingers on my left hand until the following morning! While means that bootcamp was a little scary. I wasn't sure if I would be able to pick up weight or do anything with my left hand. It ended up going a little better than I had expected. The only thing that was a little iffy was front squats! Charlene didn't want me to pick up the bar with a nonfunctional hand! haha. anyway.. everything else was good! And I got a Figarelle Fitness sweatshirt.. its lovely=) I will have to take a photo in it and post it! 

Jennie started going to the gym with me this week! I've still been going every week day during lunch. She saw me there on Wednesday and we were talking in the locker room and she asked if she could start coming with me! So she did on Thursday and Friday. I am really proud of her and so happy to help her! 

On Thursday we did some legs and ab work! I wrote down our workout so that it was a little more organized since I figured it would take a little more time with both of us doing each and me showing her how to perform each before she started! I used to always write down my workouts and I don't know why I stopped.! I am going to get back in the habit of it and keep a log so I know what works and what doesn't!

Thursday's Workout

Kettlebell Squat Press

Kettlebell Swings

Front Squat

Dumbbell Deadlifts

Hamstring Curl (on ball)

Medicine Ball Reach-up Toe Touch

Bottoms Up/Leg Lift-Hip Thrust

Leg Lifts on Parallel Bars

Bosu Ball Toe Touch Crunches

So I don't know what some of this stuff is actually called! But I either try to identify it on bodybuilding.com or I make something up that will help me remember =)

Friday was upper body/arms!

Friday's Workout

Tricep Extension (dumbbell behing head)

Dumbbell Upright Row

Dumbbell Bench Press

Tricep Dumbbell Kickback

Hammer Curls

Overhead Shoulder Press

Bent Over Dumbbell Row

Seater Bent Over Rear Delt Raises

Saturday was good! I am absolutely feeling it!!! I seriously feel like I'm partially crippled! Here it is!

All of the high knees were suppose to be laps around the building, but it was snowing and slippery and gross out =(! This workout was rough! At the end we had a plank off. I lasted just over two minutes... I was SO exhausted from the previous hour though that I was absolutely satisfied with that!!

Needless to say... today I hurt!  I foam rolled my entire body after watching a video that Steph posted for us about foam rolling! 

"You should be using the foam roller everyday. Here are 13 exercises you need to include in your daily mobility work. Your mobility/flexibility is JUST as important as strength training, cardio, and a healthy diet. If you neglect it, you will ultimately suck at moving, in general. 

If you have chronically achy knees, instead of taking a pill of ANY kind (glucosamine or Ibuprofin), get on your foam roll and mash your quads, IT bands, hamstrings and calves. Every single day. Shoulder pain? Foam roll the lats and back, every single day. There's no excuse for lack of mobility/flexibility when you have tools and resources like this. " http://youtu.be/KE5na0zvVMg

It felt amazing.. I should probably do it again before I go to sleep! 

My nutrition has been much better! Yesterday my levels were absolutely perfect without the whole entering it before I eat it process! I was so excited!! I increased the protein category by 5%! Steph said to consume .8g of protein per pound of current body weight or 1g per pound of goal weight. I still have not weighed myself (impressive!!) so if I go off of the 117 pounds that I was before I stopped weighing myself that is 93.6g... and I was already at 90. Estimating my goal weight to be about 110 (?!?!).. I figured I would go in the middle. So my protein level is currently set to 100g per day! I have been having a ton of fun putting new meals together and making new things! I made a spinach lasagna this week and portobello Mushroom "pizza"! 

Here are a few more things I have been eating...

I always send Savier pictures.. he gets jealous ;) haha. 

Alright.. while I am on a photo kick.... here are some progress photos... I think it has been about a month since I posted the last ones. According to my own measurements I have lost 1/4 inch off of my thigh, 1/4 inch from around my butt area, 1/4 inch from waist, 3/4 from bust?!?!, 1/4 inch from arm. I know measuring myself isn't the most accurate.. but I like to keep track. I will get my four week measurements this week from Steph=) okay.. pictures!

The ball is in my room like I said it would be!! ;)

And I suck at taking pictures of my back!

The jeans felt good though! =))

Alright... so I guess it is time to come up with five strength training goals!

1. I want to be able to bench press my body weight. When I was at the gym on Friday I saw a "bench your weight" contest going on and I thought it was pretty awesome! There was only one girl there and I think that it is important for more women to get involved with stuff like that to inspire and motivate others!

2. Like my last set of goals.. I want to do a pull-up! I think I will increase it to three for this set of goals! I still have not tried to do one.. but I know that it is within reach!

3. Perfect form! I don't care if it takes me doing half of the weight that I thought I would be able to do... I want to focus on doing things properly before I work on piling on the weight!

4. Another repeat.. get rid of my wings!! I think that they are shrinking.. but they still exist. My tricep muscles are very weak and I would like to get some definition there! Wedding arms, Wedding arms! =)

5. Decrease my body fat percentage to 12%. I know that this one takes more than strength training.. but I am ready for it! 

BONUS. 

=) for real though... these women look amazing. I want that! All of it!! 

I guess I should think these goals through a little more and come up with a little better of a list for Steph! I'll work on that tomorrow during my day off=P

My motivation of the week (other than the above!)... 

xox.