Lindsay's Ramblings

MONDAY FULL BODY Bench press didn't feel great this week, so I just did 3x3 with 115lbs and a couple back off sets at 105. Pullups felt strong though, so I  decided to go a little heavier. I used a chain around my waist this time since a 30lb dumbbell is about the limit for what I can hold with my legs. That was pretty fun! Next was hip thrusts, and I decided to do sets of 8 today instead of pyramid sets. Worked up to 205 and really felt the booty burn on those this week! Then it was lunges and band walks, and farmer's walks. 1)Bench press: 115x3x3/105x6/105x5 2)Weighted neutral grip pullups: 20x5/25x3/35x4/3/3/0x8(wide grip) 3)Hip thrusts: 135x10/155x8/185x8/205x8/205x8/185x12 4a)Reverse single leg deficit lunge: 22.5x3x10 4b)Band walks: 3x10-12 /leg 5a)Pull-aparts: 3x20 5b)Farmer's walks: 70lbs x 4 x35 seconds 6)Stir the pot plank: 2x40 seconds WEDNESDAY LOWER BODY Squat day went great this week! This week I just wanted to see what I could do with 185. I ...

Yeah, I don't know if that's a thing, but I'm goin' with it!  * A good haircut* I go waaaay too long in between cuts, and my hair was in desperate need of something different. So I finally got it trimmed and got more layers put in, and I love it! :) *Donuts* So I have driven by this donut shop near my house like millions of times...never knowing that it's like one of the best donut places in Louisville, what?? I decided to check out their website one day and saw that they have 30 different donut varieties, and I knew I had to check this place out! I was not disappointed. We tried a toffee, funky monkey, banana cream pie, caramel nut, and oreo cheesecake. They were all amazing but the caramel nut was my favorite. Can't wait to go back! Yes, donuts make me very happy. :) *Spring weather* Even though it's going to be pretty cool the next few days, we've had some really warm, sunny days lately.Yesterday was an absolutely ...

 Being healthy shouldn’t stress you out, overwhelm you, or make you feel bad about yourself. It shouldn't be about constantly chasing lower body fat, better glutes, tougher workouts, or some state of “perfection.” It shouldn't mean your happiness is o n hold until you reach certain goals. Being healthy should make your life better and, eventually, easier. It should build you up, reduce your stress, and enhance the rest of your life. It should make you appreciate your body for the amazing things it’s capable of doing, not just the way it looks. It should make you and your life more awesome. -Nia Shanks  http://greatist.com/connect/you-are-not-your-diet?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=opengraph&utm_campaign=you-are-not-your-diet

MONDAY FULL BODY Bench felt pretty good today. Wanted to see what I could get with 115 and was able to get 3 sets of 4. Next week I'll go for 5! Heavy pullups felt good again this week-I love doing them heavy! Managed a set of 5 with a 30lb dumbbell. After that was hip thrusts, which felt good despite my hamstrings being sore from Saturday and my hip flexors being kind of tight. Worked up to 205 for 8, then a back off set at 185 for 12. Finished up with lunges, this time with a deficit and then band walks, abs, and farmer's walks. Skipped calves because my ankles kind of hurt. 1)Bench press: 95x5/105x5/115x4/4/4 2)Pullups(neutral grip): 20x5/25x5/30x5/4/4 3)Hip thrusts: 135x12/155x10/185x8/205x8/185x12 4a)Single leg reverse deficit lunge: 20x10/22.5x2x10 4b)Lateral band walks: 3x10 5s)Ab wheel (negatives) 3x10 5b)Farmer's walks: 70lbs x 4 x 35 seconds WEDNESDAY LOWER BODY Had a great squat day! Worked up to 2 sets of 6 with 175, then a couple back off sets. They...

It's been a while since I've done a weekend recap, because, well, winters are boring!! This was the first weekend we've had in a long time where we were able to finally get outside and enjoy some amazing weather. It was much needed!! Saturday was our anniversary, so we went out to dinner that night after church. We went to our fave- Cheddars! Cuz we're just so fancy like that! But I just absolutely love their chicken dijon dish-it's soooo good. There's my cute date! I love this man! So lucky to have him. I'm so thankful for the marriage we have. It's not always rainbows and butterflies, but most of the time, it's pretty darn good. I couldn't be happier with the life that we have. So blessed and thankful! I couldn't not share the dessert we had. We even ordered two-there is no sharing desserts with us! This has always been a fave of mine-the famous monster cookie! I hadn't had it in so long! It's a fresh bake...

MONDAY (Bench/hip thrust day) Bench felt okay today. Decided to not push the weight but just do multiple sets of 5 at about 75-85% of my max. I've been doing them with my hands out a bit wider, and that's definitely harder for me. Pullups felt great. I wanted to go heavy, and was able to get 3 sets of 4 holding a 30lb dumbbell between my legs. That was fun!Then I moved on to hip thrusts, lunges, and band walks for the lower body. Hip thrusts felt good today . I did them pyramid style, working up to 205 for 6, then dropping the weight and doing another higher rep set. Not going for  max weight on these, but really focusing on using and feeling it in my glutes. 1a)Bench press: 95x5/105x4x5 1b)Pullups: 20x5/25x4/30x4/4/4 2)Hip thrusts: 135x12/165x10/195x8/206x6/155x12 3a)Reverse single leg lunge: 22.5x3x10 3b)Lateral band walks : 3x12 4a)Calf raises: (smith machine) 4x15-20 5b)Ab wheel rollouts: 3x8 to wall, 1x15 on knees Farmer's walks w/dumbbells: 6...

"Focus on other fulfilling aspects of your life that have nothing to do with how you look.    Friends, family, church, work, other hobbies, volunteering, teaching– find the bigger purpose in your life.    Because the truth is there is SO MUCH MORE to life than what your body looks like. And if your biggest focus in life is how your body looks, you’re truly missing out on all the joys life has to offer." -Erin Riley

So what I've decided to do to work on building up my legs is to cut back on upper body exercises on Monday and add in a few exercises to hit the legs and glutes. I used Bret's powerlifting program as a guideline in  this article , with a few changes to fit my lifting schedule.  Mondays I'll just be doing bench and pullups, a single leg exercise for quads, and then back extensions and lateral band walks for the glutes. Right now I'm just experimenting to see what will or won't make me sore on Mondays, since I do want to be recovered for squats on Wednesday. I wanted to keep my squat day on Wednesday since I've found that's what works best for me. Mondays I just don't feel I have the energy to squat heavy! So I'll try this out for a month and see how it goes, and then adjust as needed.  I also sent Bret a message about his thoughts, and he gave me some great feedback. (And he's pretty awesome for responding!!) He suggeste...

Sometimes I get SO annoyed by the fitness world that I seriously can't stand it and want no part of it. The constant obsessing about being on the "perfect" nutrition or training plan. Everyone  always trying outdo someone else, showing off their abs with daily mirror selfies that they got by eating nothing but chicken and asparagus. "IIFYM"ers freaking out about going over 3 grams on their macros. It's just craziness. Actually, it's sad. I think everyone needs to take a chill pill and stop obsessing over their looks so much and worrying about gaining an ounce of fat or not being able to see their abs every day. For what, so you can show it off on Instagram? It's so dumb. Calorie counting and macro obsessing is no way to live life. Stressing about food constantly and striving for the perfect, super ripped body all the time is just crazy. There's so much more to life than that . In the end, it's not even going to matter! Th...

Eating... These banana bread English muffins! One of my favorite post workout snacks is an English muffin with cinnamon cream cheese and and banana slices. And these waffles! I finally used up all my pumpkin ones and bought a box of these the other day-I had forgotten how much I love this flavor! They're  SO good. Definitely will be adding them to my lunches more often. Reading... I just finished The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult and LOVED it. Now I'm reading Girl On The Train by Paula Hawkins, and I'm really enjoying it. With being cooped up in the house because of the stupid weather, having a good book to read is crucial! Have you read any good books lately?     Loving... These blog posts: http://maddymoon.com/breaking-mold-perfection/ http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/5-best-bodyspace-leg-workouts-for-women.html   (only because I'm in this one!) http://www.eattoperform.com/2015/02/21/10-signs-youre-becoming-awesome-fit-girl-sheri-...