Tag Archives: am workouts

March 16, 2012 · 1:41 am

March Challenge: Day 11

Greetings and salutations.I’m not really sure how to begin this post, so I’m just going to jump into it.

I made my 4 a.m. workout today.

The clock in my car.

I started my routine with ab work. The gym had two other people in it. Maybe three. It was nice to walk in the weight room without a lot of people around. I performed some weighted crunches and hanging knee raises, then moved on to do some cardio.

Look how empty it is.

Today I did a combination of running and sprints. I also did the elliptical for 20 minutes, hitting the incline up to 17. My ass is killing me-but in a good way! I did some standing twist with a medicine ball, lunges, leg raises, back extensions and arms raises. I also did more hanging knee raises and walked for another 1.4 miles.

When I left the gym it was still dark out.

That white spec is actually the moon appearing over the gym building.

A lot of people can’t fathom getting up so early to work out, but from my personal experience it isn’t as bad as it sounds. The hardest part is really getting out of bed. I have been forcing myself to go to bed early on the days I have to wake up super early. Going to bed at 1 a.m. and waking up 3 hours later makes no sense. Even if I’m not tired I try to have my PJ’s on by 8:30 or 9 p.m. That way I’m already in the “bed-time spirit”.

I was a little tired when I was at the gym today, but I felt pretty energized by the time I was finished with my workout. It was also nice to know I didn’t have to worry about working out when I got out of work.

Onto the food…

I had a bite of a protein bar with peanut butter before I worked out. Later I had a soy latte, and a kashi crunch bar. I read the back of the label while I was eating it and whoa…not clean, people. Delicious, but not exactly close to the earth. It is high in fiber though, so I gave myself some points for that. Later I had a salad made with mixed greens, avocado, chickpeas, peas, carrots, and tofu. I just ate a gluten free protein bar a few minutes ago. I fairly pleased with what I ate, minus the fact I had no fruit. I also have been forgetting to take my vitamins. Got to make sure I do that. When I take my vitamins and make sure I’m getting all my fruits, veggies and protein my skin and hair look amazing.

How is the challenge going for you?

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March 12, 2012 · 11:52 pm

Making Fitness a Priority/ March Challenge: Day 8

I’m one of those people who needs “me” time. I go through withdrawal if I don’t. While others yearn for free time to spend with family and friends I’ll knock a guy out for the opportunity to have private time. I use it to read or get some writing done. Sometimes I just drive. My alone time is the time I get to reflect, re-energize and reboot. I think we all need “me” time.

That is one of the reasons I like to workout. It’s a guaranteed time of the day where I can roll solo. Sure, people are around me, but like me, they’re in the zone. We’re all at the gym for “me” time. Even when I go to the gym with someone else we usually separate once we get there, interested in doing our own routines.

The gym not only provides something good for my body, but for my mind as well. That’s why I make it a priority. I treat the gym like a second job. It’s okay to call out sick once and awhile, but the rule of thumb should generally be to get your ass there!

Now, the reason I am writing about this is because everyone who is following the March Challenge knows that I’m about to embark on a new gym schedule. Starting tomorrow I’ll be getting up at 4 a.m. just to hit the gym. I don’t like the idea very much, but I like going to the gym at night time even less. In my ideal world I’d be able to hit the gym around 8 or 9 in the morning, but we can’t always have things the way we want. Until then, you got to jump on the Tim Gunn wagon and “make it work”.

I've already laid out my workout gear for tomorrow's sweat session.

I can think of at least five solid reasons why I should sleep till 6 tomorrow, but regardless of how valid they are they still don’t erase the fact I need to exercise. I also need me time. To make sure I don’t back out at the last minute I’ve laid out my clothes, along with my gym gear, and have even packed my purse. My alarm is set, and as I type I’m already in my PJ’s. Being organized and methodical is the only way I’m going to get my healthy living in at this moment.

In other news…

I had a bunch of things to do today and this week. My stomach must be feeling the stress because I wasn’t very hungry today. I had half of a lemon miracle tart from Hail Merry for breakfast, and tonight I forced myself to have a protein fruit smoothie. Seriously, I have no hunger.

Ice, frozen mango chunks and blueberries, and half a banana.

I added a personal size can of 100 percent pineapple juice and 1/2 cup of orange juice (also 100 percent). I also added a scoop of vanilla protein powder.

Mmmm...dinner of champions and those with queasy stomachs.

I turn to smoothies when my life because 1)busy 2)stressful or 3)all of the above. It’s an easy way to get a lot of nutrients with minimal effort.

When I hit the gym today I did some sprints, along with some toning exercises. When I got home an hour ago I did some arm exercises with light weights. Tomorrow I plan to start off with some toning exercises and weights. When I’m done with that I’ll do a little cardio, and then rush home to shower.

How did your challenge day go?

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