Lindsay's Ramblings

I've talked a lot about my nutrition and how I used to have certain "rules" for myself to follow. For example, I could only have carbs around workouts and no carbs at night, I couldn't have "too many" grains, and I had to eat very low carb the day before and after a cheat meal. I truly thought if I didn't adhere to those things that I would gain fat.  It got to the point where I was afraid of every thing I put into my mouth, and I was forcing myself to eat things I really didn't even like! I would rarely have any "treats" or "bad" food throughout the week-only my one weekly treat meal. One day I was talking with the owner of the gym where I work about carb backloading, something he had recently started doing. He gave me the suggestion of adding in carbs later in the day. I was like, "So you mean I can eat a bun on my burger? I can have rice with my ground turkey?" I thought I'd give it a try and just see what woul...

We had the most amazing, gorgeous weekend!  We had been waiting for a weekend like this to go to Red River Gorge, a state park that is a couple hours away from us that we've never been to. It was so pretty! We rode the sky lift up to a natural bridge and then hiked back down.  Of course I had to get a handstand pic-even got Matt in on the shenanigans! ;) Oh maaaan, am I going to miss this warm weather!!!

MONDAY- DEADLIFT DAY I love deadlift day! Met with my trainer for this session since it was speed deads with bands, which I can't do on my own. After deadlifts it was good mornings from pins , which I liked WAY better than regular good mornings. Didn't feel like my back was gonna break in half! Then we did back extensions, and as much as I hate the burn on those, I can feel them soo good in my glutes and hams! Especially when you do them "Bret Contreras"style . They made me so sore the next day. Last was hip thrusts and abs. I was able to get 2 sets of 8 with 205 pretty easily on hip thrusts, even with my glutes, lower back and hams being fried at that point! Finally, he gave me a break from the hanging leg raises this week and let me do reverse crunches instead! Have I ever mentioned how much I hate working abs??  1)Speed deadlifts (55%): 7x1 @135+bands  2)Good mornings from pins: 85x6/95x4x6 3)Back extension: 25x3x12 4a)Hip thrust: 155x8/185x8/205x8/205x8 4b...

I know everyone loves seeing food/meal pics, so I thought I'd share some meals that I've been loving lately! Chicken quesadilla-  I usually have this for a dinner or lunch with a side of fruit or veggies. I use Tam-x-ico's whole wheat tortillas, mozarella cheese, and canned or shredded chicken. Turkey burger with roasted potatoes....and ketchup on everything! This is a pretty typical dinner for me, also with a side of veggies. Because they're good for you, not because I like them. ;) French toast- I make it with Trader Joe's low carb sprouted grain bread, egg whites, and cinnamon. Top with Walden Farm's syrup and two fried eggs and organic turkey bacon on the side. I love breakfast for lunch!  Friday night is burger night! This is grass fed lean beef on a whole wheat thin bun with a velveeta cheese slice(because it's deeelicious), and a side of green beans.  Because October= pumpkin EVERYthing, duh. I've been loving these pumpk...

Well, the more I think about the mock meet last Sunday, the better about it I feel. I'm confident that with 8 more weeks of training, I'll hit that 225 squat, if not more, and that I'll also be able to increase my bench and deadlift as well. Comparing myself to the other girls was what got me down, but I'm reminding myself that this is not about me trying to beat anyone else. Right now, I'm competing with myself. I'm competing with that girl who says, "You're not a powerlifter. You don't belong here. You won't get stronger. You're going to fail." I'm going to prove her wrong. MONDAY- DEADLIFT ACCESSORY I skipped rack pulls and RDLS Monday as advised by my trainer because of the meet the day before. Just did some accessory work for the glutes mostly and then abs. 1)BB Hip thrusts: 135x12/145x3x12 2)Single leg reverse hyper: 70x3x12 3a)Band lateral walks: 3x15 3b)Single leg foot elevated glute bridges: 3x15 4a)Hanging leg...

Here is my philosophy on how to achieve a fit and healthy body: Eat healthy + Lift+ Walk + Sprint + Play Let's break down the formula: EAT HEALTHY I've posted plenty of posts about my nutrition philosophy, but just to sum it up: Eat whole, natural foods the majority of the time: meat, whole grains, fresh produce, and healthy fats. Eat treats in moderation and don't feel guilty about it when you do or let it spiral out of control. Don't restrict food groups unless you truly have a food allergy. Get a well balanced ratio of macronutrients (carbs, protein, fats) by tracking macros if you have to, but don't become obsessive. To lose fat, slightly lower caloric intake and to gain muscle, increase caloric intake. LIFT In my opinion, everyone should lift weights. You don't have to be a powerlifter, but you should be doing some type of strength training, not only to help aid in the fat loss process, but simply for the many physical and mental health benefi...

A common question I receive is what you should eat before and after workouts. Well, the answer is, it's different depending on your goals, but I think most people would do well with a carb and protein source both before and after a workout. What I've found that works well for me is eating a carb source and whey protein a couple hours before my workout, and carb and whey protein immediately post workout, then a real meal a couple hours later. To be more specific, with my goal being to build muscle and get stronger, here's what I have: 90 minutes to 2 hours pre-workout I have a scoop of protein powder with 1/2 cup oats and a spoonful of peanut butter. Intra-workout I drink a scoop of bcaas(Amino Build), and then post workout I have a high sugar, fast digesting carb source(about 30-40 grams) with a protein shake. Then about 2 hours later I have a "real" meal of protein, carbs, and fats-almost always eggs and potatoes. I've been doing this for 6-7 years now, an...

MONDAY- DEADLIFT DAY Monday I met with my trainer for deadlift day. We did deficit speed pulls but without bands this time. After that we did pause deadlifts , which I had never done before. The way we did it, it's basically a deadlift, but instead of lowering all the way down to the ground, you stop a couple inches below the knee and pause for a second before pulling back up. Almost like an RDL but with a little more knee bend. It was hard! Hoping to work on my sticking point strength. We also did band hip thrusts for the first time, which I really LOVED! Great booty burn, especially after the single leg reverse hypers ! Too bad they are a pain to set up and I don't have access to bands at the gym where I train. :( I struggled through the stupid hanging knee raises again, this time using the straps, which I think actually made it harder! 1)Deficit speed deadlifts: 145x7x1 2)Pause deadlifts: 175x3x5 3)Single leg reverse hyper: 70x3x12 4)Band hip thrusts: 4x15 5a)Hanging...

1)I have a mock meet coming up this Sunday...and I'm nervous! I actually had a dream about it the other night, and I dreamt that I couldn't even squat 135-ha! I'm a little scared about being in front of everyone, people I don't know, or messing up and looking stupid. But I know it'll be good practice for the real meet. These came in the mail today...sooo things are getting pretty serious! 2)I had the opportunity to do an interview with Fitzala.com recently-check it out! http://fitzala.com/blog/interview-lindsay-cappotelli/ 3)One of the many things I love about Fall is chili! I had a craving for it the other day, so I had to make a run to the store to stock up on ingredients. It turned out so yummy and definitely hit the spot! Had to have it with some pb2 on a rice cake on the side... because you just gotta have pb with with chili! The thing I love about chili is that is that you almost can't mess it up, for people who aren't great cooks, like m...

"Hold everything earthly with a loose hand, but grasp eternal things with a death-like grip."  -Charles Spurgeon

Saturday was our annual family trip to the pumpkin patch! I was so happy to get to see Celeste. :) We had a good time, but it was so cold and windy! Last year I remember I was wearing shorts/ :/ Fall is officially here to stay! My big little brother! Don't  know when he got so tall! Uncle Jesse and Celeste at the pumpkin patch So glad Mindy came this year! So cute! It was a cold wagon ride! Too much cuteness right here! She is so adorable. Freezing at the pumpkin patch! And the tradition continues! Every year I look forward to getting the hot and fresh pumpkin donuts that are made right there in front of you. They are sooooooo good! I have no self control with these and probably ate more than I should have. ;) Oh well! Love me some donuts!

MONDAY DEADLIFT DAY Well, Monday was a bit frustrating. I haven't done heavy deadlifts(with the exception of rack pulls) in 4 weeks, and in this workout I was supposed to work up to a heavy single. I got up to 225 pulling sumo and couldn't get it. After pouting for a few minutes, I decided to go up and pull conventional and got 235. It felt heavier than it should, BUT I wasn't able to pull that a month ago. I'm not going to get discouraged, but it is frustrating! It makes me go back to thinking maybe I'm just the strongest I'll ever be. I've been at the same weight for so long, but I'm not gonna give up! I  at least know what I do wrong on sumo, so maybe I can work on fixing that or I'll just pull conventional for the meet. I also think I may have done too many warm up sets-should've made bigger jumps in weight. The rest of the workout was great though. Hip thrusts feel really good and hanging leg raises were even slightly easier this week! ...