3 Years + What I Know about Weight Lifting

Good morning, bloggers!

First and foremost, it is our 3 year anniversary of dating today! We're headed out tonight after work to celebrate after running a wedding errand. The past few years have really flown by and I am so thankful that God brought him into my life as my best friend and the man I love. It's hard to believe that we'll be married next week!

Fitness Fanatics

Seeing that I haven't done a fitness post in quite awhile, I've decided to churn one out this morning. Looking for some tips to stay true to your workout? Click here for my other fitness post.

I used to be a fitness fanatic--working out 6 days a week with the majority of my time spent on the cardio side of things. Long story short, things have changed and now I work out 3-4 times a week at a higher intensity. Why, you ask? Because there is more to life than working out. Some nights I just like to come home and sit on the couch rather than swipe a membership card and devote an hour and a half to the elliptical while playing the same episode of Wheel of Fortune for the second time. Believe me, it's not fun when you already know the answers...

What I Know about Weight Lifting

I recently signed up for a couple of sessions with a personal trainer at my gym. I gave this decision a lot of thought and I am so glad that I did it. Working with my trainer taught me new things about lifting, cardio, and nutrition. He helped me customize a plan just for me that would meet my needs and give me the best results.

When he asked about my goal for working out, I presented these things:

• I don't want to lose weight
• Lean muscle gain was my ultimate goal
• Learning how to use the free weights properly was a high priority
• I already get more than enough cardio in on my own

He did a great job of taking my criteria and combining it into a fitness plan that focused on gaining muscle without losing weight in the process.

Cardio

I learned that strength training ultimately is your best choice when you're looking to gain muscle. If you need to lose weight, it is important to do a lot of cardio in your routines, but if you do too much and are not looking to lose weight, it can cut down on the amount of muscle that your body builds. Sometimes weight loss is necessary in order to see muscle, too.

Protein

When I used to slave away on the treadmill each day, I built a lot of endurance but never really saw any results. My weight stayed the same and I didn't gain much muscle. Working in the strength training department and really upping my protein intake helped my body build lean muscle faster.

Consistency

Change doesn't happen overnight. It's important to switch up your workouts so that your body doesn't plateau at one point and then stop gaining muscle. You need to challenge your body--forcing it to adapt, recover, and rebuild--resulting in you becoming STRONGER. It is also important to take rest days so that your muscle tears can heal before you work them again. I like to switch up my strength training for this very reason. Arms and chest one day, legs, back, and abs another. I also switch up between strength circuits, free weights, and the cable machines.

Circuits

Circuits are generally done with lighter weights with more repetitions. I used to think that these were bogus workouts and that they were a waste of time. Ha, was I ever wrong...these things kick my butt. I am usually drenched in sweat by the time that I complete all of these. Circuits are a great way to switch up your routine from getting too boring and to make sure you hit a variety of muscle groups.

So, what exactly does a strength training circuit look like? Here is just one of the workouts that I complete 2-3 times each week:

Circuit 1

Pushups with taps - 3 x 30

Squat to Row - 3 x 30

Side to side weighted lunges - 3 x 30

Circuit 2

Squat to press - 3 x 30

Ab rollers - 3 x 30

Chest presses 3 x 30

Circuit 3

Deadlifts - 3 x 15

Lateral raises 3 x 15 

Lying leg lifts 3 x 30

Circuit 4

Band walking - 3 x 30

Shoulder rotators - 3 x 15

Lat pull down - 3 x 10

I usually wrap this routine up with 20-30 minutes of light cardio before heading home to refuel with a protein shake. You generally have a 45 minute window after a workout to refuel so that your muscles get what they need. On days that I'm in a time pinch or if I'm headed somewhere after the gym, I'll pack a protein shake (powder, then just add water and shake) or Power Bar in my gym bag to make sure I get something within that window of time.

That being said, I also must share some of the strange things I've seen at the gym--seriously, I can't be the only one who thinks these behaviors are odd:

On Appearance

• Polos and khaki shorts (are we going golfing after our treadmill session?)
• White yoga pants and bright-colored underwear
• Complete sweat suits while running on the treadmill for an hour (how do you not sweat to death?)
• Flip flops while walking at an incline
• Perfectly straightened hair and tons of makeup...at 5:30am
• Mesh shirts and pushup bras
• Pants that are two sizes too small (how is that comfortable to move around in?)
• Denim anything
• Knee-high socks 
• Button-down shirts

On Behaviors

• Riding the elliptical for 5 minutes and then leaving (that's all they did?)
• Bringing 3 books to read while on the machines
• Staring at the same magazine page during your entire run (literally staring...not "oops, forgot to flip the page")
• Sweating like a banshee and not wiping down the machine afterwards
• Sniffling every. three. seconds.
• Not wearing deodorant
• Drying, straightening, or curling your hair in the nude
• Sitting on the locker room benches without anything on (another reason why I don't put my bag on the bench!)
• Drinking protein shakes while working out 
• Extreme grunting/yelling/cursing while lifting
• Singing along to your headphones while you run

Photo Challenge Day 9: Faceless self portrait

This photo represents a lot about me: first of all, it has my name in the background, and on top of those boxes is my first half marathon medal. Cups from my favorite coffee shop house my markers, since coloring/drawing is another hobby of mine. Front and center is a delicious homemade iced coffee, next to my MacBook Pro, where all of the design magic happens. 

Off to go deal with my hair! See ya!

What are you favorite routines to complete at the gym?

Any strange behaviors that you've witnessed?

What are your current fitness goals?

Simple Summer Days

Alright guys, I'm back! Work has been crazy lately--early mornings and crazy deadlines have been keeping me pretty tied up! These photos are from a couple of weekends ago when I stayed at my my parents' house over the 4th of July! 

While browsing through these tonight, the majority of them screamed "summer" to me and I thought I'd give you a glimpse of a summer weekend at home looks like.

Coffee, berries, toast with almond butter, and the morning paper out on the deck before the heat sets in

Anyone else love the Dear Abby's?... Most of them are so dumb but  that's never stopped me from reading them!

Swinging at the park with my mom before we went for a walk around the lake

We practiced our sprints!

Duckie family!

Cooling off with a fresh fruit smoothie after our run

A juicy peach mixed with mint from the garden

Something that I always look forward to about staying at my parents' house is the fact that life slows down--even if it is just for a weekend. When I'm at my place during the week, the days whiz by so quickly as I bounce from work to the gym to the grocery store to running errands, etc. When I head out of town, I remember how wonderful it is to wake up without an alarm clock. To savor coffee rather than slam it down before running out the door. To ease into the day and embrace it...

After all, that's what life is all about. Not deadlines, traffic jams, and multitasking.

What screams "summer" to you?

Do you ever mix herbs with fruit? 

Favorite berry? 

Wisconsin Weekend

Hi!

I feel a little out of my element blogging in the evening but wanted to get these pictures up tonight. Kaaren and I had a great time up at the cabin for a girl's weekend filled with fun and relaxation. We agreed upon one rule for the weekend: no talking about work. We lasted until about Saturday night when we started chatting about office-related things, but nonetheless, it was a perfect weekend.

We both skipped out of work early on Friday in attempt to make it to the cabin before dark. She picked me up and we were on the road by 4pm--with limited traffic interruptions. First stop: crossing the state line over to Wisconsin to drop off her dog at the parental's for the weekend!

After meeting her parents and dropping Wally off, we were back on the road--en route to a girl's getaway weekend.

I'd like some extra arm muscles for Christmas

Upon arriving at the cabin, we celebrated with some chocolate wine! We kicked back with our glasses while chatting over a game of cribbage.

After awhile, we both decided to hit the hay since we were wiped from the work week and long car ride. It took us around 4 hours to reach the cabin, but the time actually passed pretty quickly as we chatted the miles away.

The next morning, I woke up much earlier than Kaaren (I'm quite the early bird!) so I figured I would take advantage of a beautiful morning on the front deck. With a good book and a cup of coffee in hand, I watched the sun rise and the summer breeze ripple through the lake in front of me.

About 15 minutes into my book, something caught my eye. When I looked up, a family of deer was passing through the yard right in front of me! There was even a little fawn with a cute spotted coat!

After Kaaren woke up, she suggested that we run down the road and grab some delicious scones that she and her family love. We both chose raspberry white chocolate scones and they were delicious!

We spent the majority of the morning reading on the deck before heading inside to prep some lunch. We enjoyed turkey sandwiches out on the deck and watching the cute little ducks that swam by.

After lunch, we both agreed that we felt like taking a nap. After retreating to our separate rooms, I listened to my iPod for a bit before conking out for a good two hours.

My room for the weekend

When I awoke, there was a note on my door from Kaaren--telling me to head outside as she had a kayak waiting for me. I hurried outside to join her for a kayak ride on the lake; after awhile, she discovered a little path hidden on the shore that allowed us to portage to the larger neighboring lake!

We had so much fun cruising through the water on our bright little boats--it sure is an upper body workout, though! Whew!

Afterwards, we headed back to the deck for a drink and some magazine reading. Did I mention that the whole goal of this trip was to relax?! We found some of this in the fridge and oh my goodness, it is my new favorite thing ever. It was so delicious and refreshing! I'm kind of a wimp when it comes to drinks and typically only like things that taste like spiked Kool-Aid--making this sangria right up my alley!

Soon enough, it was time to break out the grill! We prepped some chicken and veggie kebabs and I let Kaaren take the honors of grill master (mainly because grills freak me out!)

She brought along a great marinade--it was something along the lines of asian sesame ginger and wow was it good! It added a nice, tangy kick to the chicken. We both liked the grilled onions the best--they got super sweet upon grilling!

As our kebabs finished cooking, it started to sprinkle! We enjoyed our dinner inside and topped things off later on with a s'more roasted over the stovetop due to the drizzly weather outside. We also popped in a dvd before calling it a night! I loved how many summer activities we packed into the first day!

I'll recap the second day either tomorrow or Wednesday -- catch ya soon!

Favorite thing to grill?
Scones: fan or not?
What is your favorite board game?

Back in Town

Hello all!

I returned home late on Monday night and scrambled around doing laundry and packing a lunch before heading to bed to start the work week. I love having that extra day off during holiday weekends--and as an added bonus, it is a 4 day week. Score!

I had a wonderful time this weekend celebrating the 4th of July with family and friends! It is rare that I get to see so many familiar faces in one weekend. It was so great to spend time with my sister and brother-in-law, my parents, my friend Kaaren, and Andy! I've got a crazy sunburn all over my body due to lots of pool and water park time, but it was totally worth it!

Over the weekend, I took a ton of photos, so you'll be seeing those pop up on the blog throughout the next few days.

Holiday Weekend
Let's recap a bit, shall we?

First of all, on Friday morning, I was packing up to head out of town and ended up running a bit late heading out the door. In the rush, I realized as soon as I pulled into the office that I forgot half of my lunch at home in the fridge. All I had for the day was a dry salad (the dressing and extra veggies were tucked into my lunch box) and a container of berries to last me 8 hours. Yikes!

Luckily the owner of the company that I work for came to the rescue with an office pizza party which allowed me to snag some extra salad toppings and a coworker let me use some of her salad dressing that she keeps in the office fridge. Mid-afternoon, I started to get kind of hungry and luckily had some clif bars and fruit snacks stashed away in my snack drawer of my desk!

After work, I headed down to my sister and brother-in-law's place for the evening. We randomly hit up Sam's Club for some food and then ventured in the storm back to their place for dinner, a movie, and a huge bowl of ice cream to top off the evening.

(source)

We ended up renting Beastly and yikes, the acting was horrible! It started out really slow and only got a little better as it went on. We were able to laugh about it  and we all agreed that it wasn't that great. Oh well, you win some and you lose some.

After spending the evening with them, I headed to my parent's house where I would spend the night. I went to bed in my childhood bedroom excited to wake up to hot coffee and time with my mom. I'll recap that tomorrow...

How was your 4th of July? 
Favorite red white and blue concoction? I love strawberries and blueberries topped with whipped cream!
Worst movie you've seen lately?

Warm Weather Wandering

Hi!

Just to preface my summer, Andy and I go on a lot of walks, so you can expect to see a lot of these recapped on the blog. Don't worry, we don't follow the same route each time. We switch it up by walking around our neighborhoods, around the lake, and once in awhile, a new location.

Last night after work, I headed over to his place for dinner. We started the night out with breakfast for dinner while playing chinese checkers and watching Wheel of Fortune. I then proceeded to consume 3 popsicles over the course of the evening. What can I say? I just love those things.

Afterwards, we headed outside for a stroll around his neighborhood. We both brought our cameras just in case, and about 10 minutes into the walk, I was glad that we did! There were so many neat things to see and capture with our cameras as we walked through neighborhoods and parks.

The setting sun was hitting the flowers and plants in the perfect way--lighting them up without washing them out with its rays.

This plant wanted to escape the garden!

While we were walking down a street of houses, this guy caught our eye. Andy said it was a snapping turtle! We stayed back pretty far but that did not stop us from taking pictures of this turtle crossing the street. He was huge and moved very slowly!

After about an hour, we headed back home for another popsicle while we chose our domain name for our wedding website.

I left Andy a picture on his driveway before I left. 

Off to shower and grab breakfast before heading out the door! Catch you tomorrow!

Favorite board game? 
What is your all-time favorite flower?