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.