Lindsay's Ramblings

Something I have realized from being a trainer for 8 years, is that there will  ALWAYS  be an excuse to not eat healthy.  In the summer, it's all the cookouts and drinking all weekend at the lake, so you say you'll start eating better when summer is over.Then there are the multiple holidays and family gatherings in the fall and winter, so you decide to wait until the New Year for a "fresh start". Then maybe you actually do well for a few weeks in January, until some other event comes up-a concert, a birthday party, a wedding, a vacation, etc. But you know what? That's life. If you always wait until the absolute "perfect" conditions to start eating healthy and exercising,   it's never going to happen .   You'll just continue the cycle of eating well for a few weeks or months, until something comes up that throws you off track again and causes you go back to your bad habits. What ends up happening is that you actually only eat well...

MONDAY UPPER+GLUTES I'm going to change my program up a little, but this week was more of an experimentation week to see what I want to do.I decided to stick with jerks and then push presses on Monday. Then I did eccentric focused pullups, which were really hard! They fatigued my forearms a lot more, and I also used thicker handles. Next, I tried something new and supersetted farmer's walks and chest presses, which was also very taxing on the grip. I fnished up with glutes and some abs.The dragonflies were crazy hard this week, I guess because I haven't done them in forever! 1)Clean and jerk: 115x3/120x3/120x3/ Push press: 105x3x5 2)Eccentric focused pullups: 10x6/5/4/4/ 0x5(did one muscle up before every set of pullups) 3a)DB chest press: 40x6/45x5/50x6/50x5 3b)Farmer's walks: 1 arm: 45x30 seconds/ 2 arms: 45x30seconds/45x30/50x30 Glutes: 4a)Seated abductions: 30/30/25/25 4b)Reverse hypers: 70x3x15 5)Dragonflies: 3x6 WEDNESDAY LOWER BODY Weights felt prett...

I thought I'd share with you all what my dinners normally look like on a weekly basis.  I have gotten into a schedule to where I pretty much know what I'm going to have on each day of the week, which really helps me. I think it's a great idea to have your meals somewhat planned out, rather than just "winging" it. I have found that it's just one less thing to worry about, and it also helps me to know what meats to buy and cook up ahead of time when I know what meals I'm going to make. It also helps to have some variety, so you don't get burnt out on eating chicken and broccoli every single night. Ga-Ross!There are so many options out there-you don't have to eat the same thing every day! My dinners always consist of a protein source, a vegetable(but not always!), and a carb source, all of which are interchangeable. Protein is usually chicken, turkey, or beef. The carb source could be rice, a whole wheat wrap, corn, or potatoes. Yup, I eat lo...

MONDAY UPPER(AT HOME) 1)Handstand pushups: 7/7/5/5+1 2a)Pullaparts: 3x15 2b)1 arm DB row: 25x3x12 3)Pushups: 2x12 4a)Band goblet squat: 20x3x12 4b)Band walks: 3x12-14 4c)Single leg hip thrust: 3x12 WEDNESDAY LOWER(AT HOME) 1)Goblet squats: 3x12 2a)DB RDL: 3x12 2b)Band clams: 2x20 3a)Sliding leg curls: 2x10 3b)Seated band abductions: 2x30 4a)Single leg foot elevated glute bridge: 3x12 4b)Plank variations 5)Bear crawls: 2x forward and backwards Tire drags/sprints x8 sets,  alternating reverse drags and forward drag sprints FRIDAY UPPER (GYM) 1)Ring pullups: 3x8 2)Bench press: 85x2x5 3a)DB floor press: 30x3x10 3b)1 arm low cable row: 10/8/8 4a)DB overhead press: 8/10/10 4b)Alternating DB curl: 3x8 5a)Lsit: 3x15 seconds 5b)Rear delt raise: 2x15 6)Sled rope pulls x6 sets 7)TRX pikes: 15/14/12 SATURDAY LOWER(GYM) 1)Zercher squats: 75x3x8 2)Back squats:95x 2x8 3)Single leg press: 3x8 4a)Leg curls: 15/14/14 ...

Happy Friday! I hope you've all enjoyed your week! It's been a gorgeous week here in Kentucky. I have to say, I do love this time of year when finally the humidity is not awful and you can actually enjoy being outside again! Here are few of my favorite things of the week: So I love my occasional pieces of dark chocolate, but I am absolutely loving the kind with almonds. Sooo good. Sometimes you just need chocolate, and this hits the spot!  It was a little cool over the weekend-the perfect weather for a hike! I know that Matt will only go on hikes with me when it's cool, so I have to take advantage of those days! We went to a local park for a short hike and then just relaxed and enjoyed the peace and quiet by the lake. One of my favorite things is to be outside in nature! With the cooler weather, I'm kind of getting more into Fall, even though I'll definitely miss Summer. I LOVE candles, especially the fall scents. This Glade pumpkin one I just b...

"Get to the gym worshipping.  Train worshipping.  Leave worshipping.  What about our workouts will last 100 years from now?  A couple that come to mind:   1) Our conversations with God and   2) the love we have for His children. So smile. Invite someone to church.  Shake hands. Offer spots. Pray for someone.  Ask someone to pray for you.  Love more than you lift.  Spend your "me time" on His terms." - PrayFit

MONDAY UPPER BODY I had a busy day Monday, so I only had about 40-ish minutes to train. I decided to do a quick upper body superset of push presses and pullups until I got to 45-50 reps of each. I did as many reps as I could fast and smooth before moving on to the next exercise. I stopped when the reps began to slow down and did NOT go to failure. It took me about 20 minutes to complete. I tried to keep the rest to around 30 seconds, but I'm sure there were a few times I went longer than that. ;) Since I had more time after that, I did some swings and glute stuff and then abs to finish. It was fun to switch things up a bit! Push press(95lbs)-8/6/6/5/5/5/5/5 =45 Pullups(wide grip)-7/7/7/76/5/narrow grip:6/6/6+1=50 Then: Band walks 2x12/Seated abductions: 2x20 KB swings: 50x15 Pullaparts: x20 4 rounds Reverse crunches w/8lb weight: x15/12/12/10 WEDNESDAY LOWER BODY I decided to try doing deadlifts before front squats today...yeah, bad idea. Front squats don't fatig...

1)Start your day with gratitude. To set the tone for the day, start your day with positive thoughts. The first thing I do in when I wake up in the morning is thank God for giving me another day. As you go throughout the morning, thank Him for the home you have to live in, the warm bed you have to sleep in, the food you have to eat, and just for His love and His presence in your life. 2)Go to the gym. I don't care if you are in the mood, or whether or not you"feel like it", once you get moving, I can guarantee that your mood will follow. You'll release some endorphins, relieve some stress, and feel energized for the rest of the day. I promise, you will never regret a workout! 3)Get outside. There's just something about going for a brisk walk in the fresh air. I've found it to be an instant energy booster and mood enhancer for me. Even if it's just 5 minutes, make it a point to do something outside every day: sit out on your deck and read for a ...

I hope everyone had a wonderful Labor Day weekend!  I got to see Celeste 3 days, which made me so happy. :)  We met up at my grandma's house Thursday. Friday we went out to dinner for my brother's birthday. I ordered honey dijon chicken with no cheese, with mashed potatoes and green beans. This is how I order "healthy" at a restaurant. Seriously. I only ate a few bites of the bacon, though. ;) Because who wants to eat plain chicken and broccoli when you go out?  Saturday was a pool day because it's been blazing hot here. We had dinner at home and then went out for ice cream at Cold Stone Creamery later. I got sweet cream ice cream with fudge, caramel, Reese's, and brownie pieces mixed in. It was pretty awesome. Yesterday was our annual Labor Day "Family Palooza" at my church, so I went with Mindy and Celeste. It was unbearably hot, but we still had a fun time! I just love hanging out with this little girl so mu...

UPPER BODY  Jerks felt good today. I was able to pretty easily get 130 for two singles, which was the weight I failed at a few weeks back, even though I've done that weight before. I think failing at 135 just freaked me out. Muscle ups are getting easier again too, now that I've been doing them every week. I don't know if they really serve much purpose, but they're just fun to be able to do! 1)Clean and jerk: 95x3/115x2/125x1/130x1/130x1 2)Strict press: 85x4/80x6/75x6 3)Muscle ups: 5 singles 4)Weighted neutral grip pullups: 25x4/30x4/35x3/35x3/Wide grip: 0x6/6/4 5a)DB incline chest press: 40x8/45x8/45x7/40x8 5b)Hanging leg raise: 10/9/9/8 Glute circuit: Seated abductions 2x30/band walks: 2x15 Back extensions 30x4x12 Pullaparts: 4x20 WEDNESDAY LOWER BODY  My knee is still bruised and a little swollen, but it didn't affect anything except glute ham raises. I just had to adjust my positioning a bit on those. This week I added 5 lbs to front squats for s...

I'm super excited to announce that I am now a Compete Every Day Ambassador! I'm a huge fan of their message and what this company is all about. Here is a little blurb from their website, just to give you an idea of what they're all about: "Competing every day isn’t about what you do in the gym or a workout. It’s about taking control of your life and refusing to let fear hinder you from the goals you seek to accomplish and the people you desire to adventure through life alongside. It’s about finding the strength within to face the unknown, the courage to stare fear in the eye, and the determination to find a way to move forward. Every single day you live on this earth." Along with a great message, they have super cute workout clothes! Check them out and use the code "FIT4LIFE" to receive 10% your purchase.