Monday, June 30, 2014

Football Field Workout

Just in time for summer, here is a workout that you can take outside.

I have been posting about doing field workouts in my week of workouts posts! Here is an example of one.

 
Do you like to workout outside?
 
Natalie

Thursday, June 26, 2014

My Life Lately: More Iron, Less Yoga, and NEW PANTS!

I haven't updated you guys on my general life in a while. I figured it was time!

Where to even start? 2014 has already brought a ton of changes, mostly for the better.


  • To start things off, I am so happy to have become best friends with Abby from Yes To Yummy over the past year. I just returned home from an AMAZING trip with her! Besides the fact that she is a constant motivation for me to be creative in the kitchen, she is one of the most caring, loving, giving, and intelligent people I have ever met. I am blessed beyond belief to have her in my life. How awesome would it be if we could go to college together in the future!


  • A while back I posted about starting to count macros. Well... let's just say that's out the window now. Not that I think it couldn't have worked. But I tried it for about three weeks, and while I found it new and interesting, I also became enlightened. I have been counting calories for years. I am only 16! This... I'm sorry, but it is NO WAY to live.

I train hard. And honestly, I have little desire to ever eat something that I would consider processed, fake, or filled with man-made who knows what. So as long as I am eating healthy and pushing myself in the gym, why on earth do I need to count calories (at least at this time in my life)? I want to focus again on eating mindfully, and hopefully that will provide my mind and body with peace.


This was taken back in December! 

  • This past year especially, I have cut way back on yoga. I almost say this with regret, because I love yoga and still hope to be able to teach one day. But right now, my heart is in weight lifting. 
I have never been so thrilled to go to sleep, knowing that when I wake up I have an hour to myself... I have never been a competitive person with others, and power lifting/weight training is ALL about personal competition (which I love!) 

I am proud to be able to SHAPE MY BODY the way I have always wanted it to look. It's a mental game for sure, but it is worth every tear and drop of sweat shed. Some teenage girls want makeup and boys...all I want is lifting gloves and a barbell across my back. It's fun to be the only girl in the weight room at times!


 

HUGE thanks to the girls Carrie, Tara, and Staci for motivating me to lift heavy, eat more, and not be afraid of "getting bulky:" (because thats not gonna happen!!) I may not know you personally, but following your blog posts and advice make me feel as if your a friend. I really hope this doesn't make me sound like a giant creeper. 
 
You've probably noticed my increase in lifting if you've been reading my Week of Workouts posts. I have for sure seen improvement since starting this past December when I got a gym membership. I plan to keep you guys updated with any other achievements I make fitness wise. 


 
  • Speaking of weight training... I now have grown a butt. Six months of squats, deadlifts, and other heavy work has given me a behind that I never have had! Lol. 
In celebration of my new butt, I have cleaned out my closet and gotten new pants... actually, new clothes!

Okay, well, maybe I was *forced* to do this because none of my clothes fit correctly anymore...

  • I am still working on healing my gut, but am more lenient. I think this (getting rid of food stress) has helped ALOT. 
I recently read a post on Marks Daily Apple that made a ton of sense. It talked about a study that was done that proved people's bodies will react differently to food according to how they think about the food. It makes sense! If I THINK my body will feel bad eating something, it probably will.

I still sprout my beans and such, but I am in cooperating more non sprouted beans and have had no nasty reactions. I also eat quality Greek yogurt a occasionally with (USUALLY) no awful side effects.

  • I get to DRIVE legally soon! Lol. I get my drivers license in a month!! 

What have you been up to lately?

Natalie 

Wednesday, June 25, 2014

WOW Linkup 6/25/14






Hostess: 

Diatta Harris
Femme Fitale Fit Club
Sheila Simmons
The Frugal Exerciser

Cohost:
Jenn

Sheila Simmons
The Frugal Exerciser
Amanda


 


Last week I did not have any links to posts or videos because I was heading to catch a flight to visit my best friend Abby! A blog post will come soon.

Posts and Videos Im Loving


THIS video, an AWESOME collaboration with some of my favorite fitness Youtubers, including Nick Wright, Bob from Olympus Iron, Matty Fusaro, and more.

10 Mistakes Women Make With Diets... this ain't some magazine article! Nope, none of that broscience, typical bologna. Love this one.  

Why It's Important to buy organic, non GMO tofu. So true! I am a HUGE advocate for sustainable, organic farming.

I always love seeing everything Elise has on her menu!


Don't forget to link up with us!!



Monday, June 23, 2014

Week of Workouts #23

Check out last weeks workouts here.

So this week was filled with fun!! I went to visit my best friend Abby (from Yes to Yummy) for the first time EVER! We had SUCH a blast!! I am going to write a whole blog post dedicated to the trip (and the food) so stay tuned!

Monday
Pretty tricky leg day today! I was still SUPER sore from burpees with John.

squat: warm up, 95x5, 95x4-5
deadlift 125x5, 125x5

Some accessories lifts like lunges, single leg deadlifts

Tuesday
Met up with friends again for an awesome workout at the football field.

It included sprints, burpees, various crawls and... CAR PUSHING.



Wednesday

I had to catch my plane to see Abby at 930, and I knew I would be sitting down for a few hours. I kinda mixed it up!

bench press: 50#x6x3 sets
Front squat: 65#x533-4 set
DB row: 25#x6, 30#x6x2set
Shoulder press: 20#x6x3set
Pullback: 45-50#x6x3 set
Leg ext: 3x10 90#?
Ended with some ab work and DB snatches


Thursday


Abby and I got to fit in an AWESOME HIIT workout today!!

35 sec on, 25 sec butt kicks eachx 5 rounds

Burpees with tuck jump
Snatch right side (I used 25#)
Jump lunges/db swings
Snatch left side
Competition burpees
High knees


Friday
Lots of walking around the beautiful NYC!

Saturday
More NYC walking ;)

Sunday
Abby and I went for a long walk around her neighborhood (great weather and such pretty greenery!)

Then after I got off the plane, I went to the gym for a quick 30 minute workout with battle ropes and some biceps.

Tuesday, June 17, 2014

WOW Linkup 6/18/14






Hostess: 

Diatta Harris
Femme Fitale Fit Club
Sheila Simmons
The Frugal Exerciser

Cohost:
Jenn

Sheila Simmons
The Frugal Exerciser
Amanda

 



Don't forget to link up with us!




Get Fit OUTSIDE This Summer

As you know from my recent Week Of Workouts, I have begun to take some of my workouts outside now that the warmer weather is here!
 
 
I think that it is so important to change up your routine every once in a while to keep yourself motivated and to make things interesting.
 
Usually I work out in the gym (or at home), almost always alone. The past week when my friend John invited me for sprints and other hellish cardio outside at a football field, I was so excited!
 
Seriously... just the smallest changes to your exercise schedule can make a HUGE difference. Besides the fact that your body becomes used to the same routine, switching things up is the only way to stay sane and to stay consistent with a fitness lifestyle.
 
Now that summer is rolling in for my American readers... it is the perfect time to get active outside! Go for some sprints at the track, walk your dog around the neighborhood, or meet up with some friends to swim!
 
Today I have a special guest post from DogVacay, bringing you a great workout idea for this summer.
 

Try out the workout and let me know in comments what you thought!

How do you stay fit in summer?

Natlalie

Sunday, June 15, 2014

My Week Of Workouts #22

Check out last weeks workouts here.

Monday
Back squats 85# MR10 (I completed all 10)
5x3 85#
Deadlift variation (I chose snatch grip. OMG so not doing these again.) 3x8 105#

Optional work:
Back lunge to kick back 3x12 ES 30#
Single leg DL 3x10 ES 30#

Walking lunges with 30# total

Leg curl 3x10 50#

Tuesday

Bench press: 45#x10,8 55x8
db row: 20#x10 25#x8,8
Standing DB overhead press: 15#DBSx10, 20#DBSx8,6
Assisted pull ups (I used a chair): 10,8,6

Single arm chest flies ES: 3x10 10# SS with 10 incline pushups
Tbar row: 1x10 75#, 3x8 80#

Ended with ab work



Wednesday
2 way jump squat 35 sec
side lunge 35 sec
x28 total rounds
(as found on Loving Fit)

3 rounds
10 side lung 20# ES
10 jump lunge 20#

2 rounds:
10 single leg assisted squat ES
10 jump hops

1 round:
10 BSL ES 20#
10 Step ups ES

Thursday
CAN I JUST TAKE A MOMENT TO SAY THAT I CAN NOT WALK. WOW.

Squat:
MR 90# (11 reps)
10x3 80#

Deadlift: (after having problems with snatch grip, I tried pause deadlifts.)
3x8 85#

Front squat:
1x5 45# 3x3 65#

BSL 50# TOTAL 3x10 ES

Friday

30 minutes of yoga in the AM

Bench press: 45#x10,8 55x8
db row: 20#x10 25#x8,8
Standing DB overhead press: 15#DBSx10, 20#DBSx8,6
Pull downs: 10,8,6 50#

Single arm chest flies ES: 3x10 (high, mid, low) 10#/10#/5#
Tbar row: 1x12 70#, 1x10 85# 2x8 90#?

Saturday
I met up with my friend John this morning and he put me through hell.

Let me tell you a bit about John... besides the fact he's totally sweet and awesome, he is a great trainer! He actually came to me a little over a year ago wanting to gain muscle, so I guess we kind of help each other out training wise !



At the football field:

1 Suicide
Spiderman crawl down
Monkey crawl back
Burpees ALL THE WAY DOWN THE FIELD

Sunday
I don't know why I love to torture myself. Lol! I met up with John and another friend again, for another suicide, monkey crawls and spider crawls. This time we also did bear crawls and high knees.

Bench press: 45#x10,8 55x8
db row: 20#x10 25#x8,8
Standing DB overhead press: 15#DBSx10, 20#DBSx8,6
Pull downs: 10,8,6 50#


What did you do to work out?

Natalie

Friday, June 13, 2014

FitCon 2014

A few weekends ago, Saturday was FANTASTIC. Not only did I get to go to the Scarborough Renaissance festival, but I started my day out by going to FitCon 2014 in Waxahachie! 

I actually found out about the event just two days before, by watching this video by Nick Wright.


I truly am blessed that I got to go. I met some of the most humble and intelligent people in the fitness industry (specifically YouTube, lol).

So here is a quick recap with pictures of how things went!




Nick Wright and his girlfriend were the first people I got to meet. They came in from Long Island and I'm so happy to have met them! Both are super friendly. I felt so tiny next to Nick... look at those arms!!



Bob from OlympusIron was very nice and full of energy. He also captured a quick video of us so maybe it will be uploaded to his page if he reviews FitCon.




Of course, Quest Bars had a booth out there and they were snapping pictures of people with their product. The ingredients list isn't exactly my favorite, but compared to other bars out there, these guys win.



Standing in line (yes, a LINE!) to meet I found myself behind Joe from Health4Thought. I talked to him for abit and got to snap a picture.




After waiting a few minutes, I got to meet Chris Jones from Physiques of Greatness!! I tried to be cool and take a flexing picture with him, but I think he kinda beat me. Super funny guy. He lives in Fort Worth so maybe Ill run into him again some time.




Blondie Builder and JPFitness... aka the cutest fitness couple on Youtube!!



The last guys I got to meet were all the way from the UK... The Terrible Twins! They are so, so sweet! If these guys came in from another country, who knows what is in store for next year.

I was dissapointed that I didn't get to meet Furious Pete or Jonnie Candito, but hopefully they will be out there next year!

Who are your favorite fitness icons or Youtubers?
Did you make it to FitCon or will you go next year?

Natalie

Wednesday, June 11, 2014

WOW Linkup 6/11/14







Hostess: 

Diatta Harris
Femme Fitale Fit Club
Sheila Simmons
The Frugal Exerciser

Cohost:

Jenn


Sheila Simmons
The Frugal Exerciser
Amanda



Posts and Videos Im Loving

I can't wait to see more footage from Jonnie's meet.

13 Food People Think Are Healthy, But Are Actually Terrible For You... My friend Marc showed me this post the other day. I love reading Huffington Post!

Changes In My Training .. I just adore Tara! Her change is phenomenal.

An awesome recipe from Gigi, using clams !!

Don't forget to link up with us!!



Tuesday, June 10, 2014

Candito Strength Program Week 1

Hey guys! As you know, I recently started Jonnie Candito's 6 Week Strength Program.

So far so good! Here is the video of my week one update.


Sunday, June 8, 2014

Week Of Workouts #21

Check out the last Week Of Workouts here.

As you guys know from Monday's post, I recently started Jonnie Candito's 6 Week Strength Program. So basically I am following his workouts and adding in some cardio, yoga, and bodyweight training on days that I am not scheduled to lift.

Monday
Squat warmup, then 4x6 85#
Deadlift (forgot warmup) 2x6 115#

Optional movements:
Back lunge to kickback 30# 12 ESx3
Regular, Narrow, Wide (each 1x) x 8 Leg press 300#
Leg ext 115# 3x10

My legs have grown so much.

Tuesday
Chest Press 30#,40#,45#,45#, 10,10,8,6
Single arm DB row 20#20#25#30#, 10,10,8,6
DB shoulder press (these were tough!!) 20# DBS: 10-11,9,7-8,6-8
TRX pull ups: 12,12,10,8
T bar row 75#: 8 repsx3
Lateral fly 15# DB 8 repsx3

Ended with 10 minutes battle ropes

Wednesday

A circuit from Loving Fit:

2 way squat jump ES
side lunge ES
35 secondsx25

10 side lunges ES x3 20#
15 squats 20# x3

DB swings 20# 2x15
Single leg squats (holding on to wall): 2x10 ES

20 each buttkickback, side raise, circles ES

Walking lunges

Ab work



Thursday
Chest Press 30#,40#,45#,45#, 10,10,8,6
Single arm DB row 20#20#25#30#, 10,10,8,6
DB shoulder press (these were tough!!) 20# DBS: 10-11,9,7-8,6-8

TRX pull ups: 12,12,10,8
T bar row: 1x10 75#, 2x8 77.5#
Chest fly single arm: 3x8 ES 10#

Ended with treadmill sprints and double unders.

Friday
Squat warmup, then 4x6 85#

Deadlift (forgot warmup) 2x6 115#

Optional movements:

Bulgarian lunges 3x10 ES 50# total
back ext 10# 3x10

Leg ext: 3x8-10, 115#,120,120

Saturday
Chest Press 30#,40#,45#,45#, 10,10,8,6
Single arm DB row 20#20#25#30#, 10,10,8,6
DB shoulder press 2x12 15# DBS, 10,8 20# DBS

smith bar pull ups: 12,12,10,8
leaning shoulder raise: 3x10 ES 15#
Chest fly single arm: 3x8 ES 10#

Ended with treadmill sprints and double unders.


Sunday
Today was a bit of a rest day, I did 20 minutes of yoga and went on a 20-25 minute walk. I also had rehearsals (Im in a musical!) that involved some light dancing.

Friday, June 6, 2014

Lifting Weight Turned Me Into A Man

Yes, you guys. It's true. All this intense training has morphed my once female body into that of a MAN.

You have been reading all about my training these past few months. I've been deadlifting, squatting, pressing (and now benching!) for awhile.

Heck, I even do mud runs!

I guess the proof is in the pudding folks. All the bro-science believers, all the cardio bunnies spending hours flipping through magazines on the treadmill... they were right all along! 


Just look at that. Way to muscular, boxy, and thick for a female.

Lol guys. JK.

I'm writing this post to assure EVERYONE that, no...

LIFTING HEAVY WEIGHTS DOES NOT MAKE A FEMALE BULKY.

OR MANLY.

OR UNFEMININE.

Since starting my weight training journey, I have had MANY people try to tell me to stop going to the gym. Why?

"You're going to hurt yourself."
"You'll stunt your growth."
"You'll mess up your back."

But most of all...

"You are going to look like a man."



It's usually difficult to try and convince people otherwise. I've learned to simply shake my head and thank them for their advice.

But I think for the rest of us... we can agree that anything could be farther from the truth.

I will write a post soon about the benefits of weight lifting for females!

Do you lift weights? Why?
Have you ever been told/told someone that a girl will get bulky?

Natalie

Wednesday, June 4, 2014

WOW Linkup 6-3-14







Hostess: 

Diatta Harris
Femme Fitale Fit Club
Sheila Simmons
The Frugal Exerciser

Cohost:

Jenn


Sheila Simmons
The Frugal Exerciser
Amanda


Posts and Videos I've Been Loving


Tim's review of Candito's Strength program convinced me to give it a go.

Gluten Free Beef Empanadas from Yes To Yummy!

Gigi is giving away a super cute bag for you next farmers market trip!

Diatta interviewed a man with an inspiring weight loss story.


Follow out WOW Linkup Pinterest!

Don't forget to link up with us!



VGN