Lindsay's Ramblings

It's been a while since I've done a rambling post! Have you missed it? Well, as I mentioned, this week I decided to take some days off from the gym. I knew it was needed when I didn't miss it or have the desire to even go to the gym! I took Sunday-Tuesday off completely. And it really helped-my appetite came back strong and my body just felt better. On those days I just walked and did some very easy mobility stuff and foam rolling. Wednesday I did a light gym workout between training sessions, and tomorrow I just plan on maybe doing some sled drags at home. As far as my gym workouts went, Wednesday I did light zercher squats, pushups, face pulls, single leg hip thrusts, band walks, and pullaparts. Nothing heavy, nothing intense. Today was just mobility again, and tomorrow I may do a full body workout at home or the gym, depending on what I feel like. I ate exactly the same--no cutting back on calories or carbs at any meal. And I didn't gain a single pound. So if y...

Marginal progress is like drops in the bucket.  Initially it may seem like it will take forever, but that bucket fills up over time, so stick with it!  Health and fitness isn't a 21 day fix, a 3 day cleanse or a radical carb starvation session and then you go back to the way things were. It is a lifelong quest, a refining process over time.  -James Wilson

Monday Quads Squats didn't feel too hot today...but I still tried to go heavy anyway, of course. I think my depth was questionable on my heaviest set and my hip flexor was still bothering me. Everything else was fine, but I was soooo sore in my glutes and adductors for the next three days! Maybe swapping squat and deadlift day this week wasn't such a good idea after all! 1)Squats: 155x4/175x4/184x4/175x6/165x8 2)Front squats: 105x8/115x8/105x10 3)Barbell walking lunges: 70x3x8 4)Leg press: 4x12 5a)1 leg hip thrust: 3x12 5b)Band clams: 3x20 6)Leg extension: 1x30 (rest pause set) *Skipped upper body Tuesday because my ql and low back was super tight* Wednesday Hamstrings My glutes were so sore for this workout! Deadlifts actually didn't feel too bad though. It was the back extensions that were hardest to do, so I just dropped the weight on those. 1)Deadlifts: 205x3x3/Paused: 155x2x5 2)Glute ham raise: 20x8/7/8 3)Back extensions: 35x3x12 4)Lying leg curls: 3...

This picture used to totally describe my mindset. Okay, maybe not that extreme, but you get the point. I have seen this picture in the past and thought, 'Yes! So true!' My mindset has always been that you should never be satisfied-there is always something to improve, to tweak, to make bigger, to make smaller, or whatever. In fact, I've spent YEARS doing just that. But lately my mindset has changed. My prayer now is that I will be satisfied.  Satisfied= contented; pleased. Satisfied...even with a little more belly fat. Satisfied....even with puny little calves. Satisfied...even if I never have a big booty. Satisfied....even with a flat chest without "enhancements". Because you know what? None of those things really even matter, and I don't want to waste my life chasing after something that doesn't matter to God! When I stand before God one day to give an account of what I did with the health He gave me, I don't want to just say, "We...

Don't you just love summertime?

I'm going to try this out for a week and see if I like it: Monday-deadlift and hamstring/glute day Tuesday-upper body heavy day Wednesday-squat and quad/glute day Friday-upper body light day Saturday-Hip thrust and glute day I'm not sure I'll like the 5 days a week thing. I like looking forward to my workouts, and I've found that 4 days is perfect for me. It keeps me excited about going to the gym having those three rest days, and not feeling burnt out. But on Tuesdays I'm already at the gym in the mornings for work anyways, so I figure I'll give it a try for a little while. Next week I may swap the deadlift and squat day. I didn't think through deadlifts being two days before squats...probably not a great idea, even though it was fine this week. Monday I decided to do block pulls this week since I haven't done them in a while. I worked up to 205, which felt pretty darn heavy. Block pulls have always been hard for me since it's right where...

No food is a 'cheat'.  Not fruit, not cookies, not ice cream, not anything. Unless you have a medical need not to eat certain things,  it's fine to include food s you like.  Balance, moderation, appropriate calories, adequate protein, move your body - that sounds so much less sensational than a diet that demonizes foods but throws you a bone by allowing occasional 'cheats'. Being controlled by arbitrary rules breeds resentment, and that's not sustainable.  What is sustainable? Balance, moderation, appropriate calories, adequate protein, move your body. -Amber Rogers

I often get asked about protein supplements, mostly regarding whether they should be drinking protein shakes, and if so, what kind and when is the best time to have them? First of all I have to say, you don't HAVE to supplement your diet with protein powder. Protein shakes are just to be used as a  supplement to a healthy diet that consists mostly of of real, whole foods. Chicken, turkey, eggs, dairy, and fish should be your main sources of protein. With that being said, I am a big fan of protein shakes. I usually have 2 (and even sometimes three) shakes a day. Here are just a few reasons why I think it can be beneficial to include protein shakes into your diet: *Help meet your daily Protein Requirements Whether your goal is to build muscle or lose fat, protein is key. I try to get my clients to make all of their meals revolve around a protein source. The thing is, some people just have a hard time eating the amount of meat it requires to reach their daily protein g...

MONDAY  UPPER BODY+GLUTES This workout was just two heavy upper body lifts with ring pullups and pull-aparts thrown in to balance out all the pushing. Clean and jerks were fun-I really like working on those!  I kept bench a little lighter this week. It felt okay, but still not super strong. Of course, doing push jerks before-hand and pullups between sets could be part of the reason! After that I did 4 rounds of a glute circuit, which I really liked.  1)Clean and jerk practice: 115x4x2 2a)Bench press: 95x8/105x6/6/6/5 2b)Ring pullups: 4x8 3)Pullaparts: 20/20/25/25 *Glute finisher: Single leg foot elevated glute bridge x12 Cable pull-throughs x15 Seated band abductions x20 4 x WEDNESDAY LOWER BODY I really liked this leg workout for some reason! I kept squats a little lighter for a few sets of 6.That last set of 10 with 155 though...basically cardio!  My breathing sucks! I really felt like deadliftng heavy, so I decided to do those after squats. I worke...

1)I got to see Celeste this week! :)   I can't believe how fast she is growing. In just the month since I've last seen her, she is talking so much more! I know I always say it, but she is just the cutest thing everrrr!  2)I LOVE to read! Ever since I can remember, I've had a love for books. I can think back to my childhood and still remember all of my favorite books and how I would read them over and over again. I remember how much I LOVED going to the library to look for books to read...and that hasn't changed! I'm still not a Kindle person-I need to have a real book in my hands! Recently I read The Husband's Secret and Calling Me Home, and I really enjoyed both of them. Have you read any good books lately? 3)Guess what?  Tomorrow is National Donut Day!  I usually don't get into these national "whatever" days, but I mean, it's donuts....and I really LOOOOOVE donuts. And yeah, Krispy Kreme is giving out free donuts...