Where's the Beach?

Two on Thursday I managed another morning workout today. I did one of the premixes from Cathe's Step Blast . It's always a fun, sweaty workout. I love it when cardio can be fun as well as intense - makes the time go so much faster. I went home for a late lunch and did weights. It was my final day of the 8-week rotation. Can't believe I'm already finished with it! Today was 3 sets or 12 reps done as supersets with the goal of increasing the weights. SS#1 Biceps - Zottoman curls Triceps - Weighted dips SS#2 Legs - Squats Inner thighs - Plie squats SS#3 Chest - Flat bench dumbbell press Back - Underhand dumbbell rows SS#4 Legs - Alternating lunges with pulse Calves - Calf raises SS#5 Shoulders - Upright (dumbbell) rows Shoulders - Rear delt raises So the rotation is officially done. Wow. Now I need to figure out my next lifting rotation. Suggestions? Happy Hour on Thursday??? I'm very glad I was able to get my workouts done earlier as we were meeting some frien...

Morning Run & Noon Lifting Since it's gotten so hot and humid this week, Jason and I opted to go for a run this morning. We got up at about 5:40 then hit the pavement. It was muggy, but at least it wasn't sweltering. The temperature was already at 68 degrees though if that gives you an indication of how warm it is this week. We did a fairly easy run - it was still early and all. It was really nice to just be out moving. I did go home and do my weights at lunch as it was Upper with Plyo. Since I had run, I only did 4 plyo moves. The weights were done in 3 sets of 8 rep as supersets: SS#1 Back - Double-arm rows Biceps - Preacher curls SS#2 Shoulders - Dumbbell shoulder press Triceps - Overhead extension SS#3 Chest - Chest flyes Biceps - Hammer curls Plyo moves: Explosive running man Wide jump ups on step Plie jacks Ski hops It was a pretty good workout. I was able to increase the weights. I did hit failure with the hammer curls on 2 of the sets, but I m...

Sister Day Saturday Well, I must say that my day with my sister was one of the best ever. We had an absolutely fantastic time together. It was much needed and long overdue. We got in some patio lounge time, Target and Whole Foods shopping, then it was on to the pizza. My half was the typical Greek style. Sarah's half was sauteed portobellos, onions, and red and green bell peppers. Both were mighty tasty I must say. We spent the evening just listing to music, chatting, laughing, laughing, and laughing some more. Running and Lifting This morning we got up and went for a run. Sarah is just getting into running, and this was the first time we ever really ran together. We did 2 miles then did 6 rounds of hill repeats. She still said she loved me after it was all said and done too. Unfortunately she did have to get back home. She cleaned up after the run while I made myself some oatmeal. After she left I finally got to my weights (very reluctantly I might add). Today was 3 sets of 18 r...

Step and Weights Jason got up at 5 am to go swim. While it was tempting to just stay in bed, I got my lazy self up and did 3 step combos from Low Impact Circuit's cardio premix plus abs. It was a nice wake-up workout. Not too high in intensity, not too complex in choreography - ideal for 5:30 am. I ended up doing my weights at lunch. I had planned on running some errands then doing weights after work, but changed my mind. Today is the last day of Week 7 from the 8-week rotation. It was 3 sets of 12: Biceps - Zottoman curls Triceps - Weighted dips Quads - Squats Inner thighs - Plie squats Chest - Flat bench dumbbell press Back - Underhand rows Legs - Alternating lunges with pulse Calves - Calf raises (theses I did 3 sets of 20) Shoulders - Upright row Shoulders - Rear delt raise Also added Deadlifts for hamstrings. Next week I get to do it all again, only as a superset! Wednesday Rewind Today happens to be my nephew's birthday (my sister's son). He turns four. It's ...

Weights and Plyo Wow, Monday sure came fast. How'd that happen???? I went to bed pretty early last night (asleep by 9 pm), when my alarm went off at 6:18, I could have easily slept another 2 hours. And yes, I set my alarms at off times. No rhyme or reason. Today I went home and did weights at lunch. It's supposed to be upper body focus with plyo legs. I didn't have time to do a full plyo workout, but did managed to do 5 exercises. Weights were 3 sets of 8 reps: Back - Double-arm dumbbell rows Biceps - Dumbbell preacher curls (these are the bane of my existence) Chest - Flat bench flyes Shoulders - Military press Triceps - Overhead extension Biceps - Hammer curls I did add an extra back exercise - pullovers. Plyo: Wide jumps on 12" step, explosive running man, crossovers with 8#, split jumps After work I did 30 minutes of Cathe's Imax 3 for additional plyo work, then stretched. Accidental Mexican Monday Tonight's Mexican Monday Meal wasn't really plan...

Procrastination I'm glad most of you all seemed to appreciate the post about why it's important to take a rest day. I know that my rest day certainly helped me get through today's super high rep weight day. The thought of the reps alone made me want to take another rest day to be quite honest. I happily procrastinated this morning. I started off making steel cut oats with cinnamon apples and peanut butter. Then we hit Target, Home Depot, and the new local food market I mentioned a few weeks ago. We just needed a few produce restocks like more spinach (locally grown), bell peppers, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, and blueberries. Also snagged some giant portobellos. Can't wait to eat those. Out of Control Reps I finally couldn't procrastinate any longer (well, I could have of course), so I got to it. Today was 3 sets of 18 reps of the following: Chest - Incline dumbbell press Back - Pullovers Quads - Squats Calves - Calf raises Biceps - Dumbbell curls Triceps - ...

Double Workout Jason got up for swim this morning at 5 am, so I decided to get my lazy rear out of bed and get my cardio done. I did Shock Cardio Athletic Step . It's a fun workout, but maybe a little over zealous for a 5 am workout when I'm not fully awake.It did give me a nice morning boost of energy at least. I did my weight workout at lunch today. It's actually the last workout for Week 6 of the 8-week rotation. It was 2 sets of 12 reps done as supersets increasing weights. SS#1 Shoulders - Upright rows (with dumbbells) Biceps - Alternating bicep curls SS#2 Quads - Squats Inner thigh - Alternating plie squats SS#3 Chest - Incline dumbbell chest press Back - Underhand row (dumbbells) SS#4 Legs - Static lunges Triceps - Overhead triceps extension I also added calf raises. It was a good workout that gave me a nice extra boost of energy. Too bad it ended around 2 pm ;-) Stir Fry Dinner tonight was an easy veggie stir fry. We had lots of fresh veggies...

Upper + Plyo  Today was another cold, dreary day here. Where has summer gone? I ended up not going into work actually. Since the race, I have been battling sinus issues and trying to keep it out of my chest. My lungs still feel really shredded up too. I've been taking sinus meds, but they don't seem to be doing their job. I did decide to go ahead with my planned workout. It's upper plus plyo. The upper part was 2 sets of 8 reps done as supersets: SS#1 Chest - Incline flyes Back - Pullovers (goofed though and it should have been double arm rows) SS#2  Shoulders - Military press Triceps - Lying dumbbell extensions Plyo: Crossovers with 10# and Wide jump ups on 12" step SS#3  Biceps - Incline curls Biceps - Hammer curls Plyo: Explosive running man on 12" step I also did Shock Cardio HIIT Pyramid to complete the plyo part of this workout. It was quite close to a puke factor workout mostly because my sinuses and asthma issues. Definitely made if ...

Race Recap I love that you guys take the time to share a fun fact or two as well. I love getting to know you better! Now, about that race...The weather couldn't have been much better. It was cloudy, which meant it was cooler. The wind did kick up unfortunately. That felt great at the end of the race, but made for a few long, hard stretches running into it. We got to the race site right at 6 pm to pick up our packets and goody bags. I forgot to take pics of the bags - but they were recyclable bags from Whole Foods. They will get tons of use in our household. Here are a pre-race picture of my sister and me. Isn't she too cute! We warmed up with an easy run then a few drills just to get the legs moving and nerves out. The race started at 7 pm on the dot. I knew what I needed to hit at each mile marker. Mile 1 I hit at 7:20, I was feeling great but that was just too fast for me; I knew it but kept going. I was feeling great, like flying. It's really the best I've felt run...

Weights The sun is coming up earlier, and I am finding myself mostly awake right at 6 am these past few days. If this trend keeps up, I'm thinking early morning runs will be on the books soon, especially with summer temps. I did my weight workout at lunch today. It was 2 sets of 12 reps. Shoulders - Upright rows (with dumbbells) Biceps Alternating bicep curls Quads - Squats Inner thigh - Alternating plie squats Chest - Incline dumbbell chest press Back - Underhand row (dumbbells) Legs - Static lunges Triceps - Overhead triceps extension I also added 2/12 for calves and a set of 21's for biceps just because I'm nuts. I must say that I love how quickly I build strength with this rotation. I was able to maintain heavier weights for these higher reps. Either that or I was just having a nice, strong day ;-) After work I did end up doing Low Impact Circuit - Cardio Premix (1st 3 combos) plus abs. I also stretched for a while and tried rolling out my hams on a tennis ball.  ...

Weights and Step Today was a return back to a normal rep number for me - 2 sets of 8 reps. So that means HEAVY. No skimping or it's just not worth it when you're only doing 2 sets. I actually thought that I was wrong and that it should have been 3 sets, but nope, that's what the rotation called for. Chest - Incline flyes Back - Double arm rows Shoulders - Military press Triceps - Lying dumbbell extensions Biceps - Incline curls Biceps - Hammer curls It was supposed to be paired with plyo work, but I thought Jason and I might be running after work. So I only did 3 plyo exercises using a 12" step. In the end, we didn't run today. Jason sort of changed up his weight days, so tonight he was lifting. I was a little disappointed as it was a really pretty day. It's getting harder and harder for me to want to do cardio indoors. I really didn't feel up to plyo to be honest, laziness taking hold, but I did opt for a an intense step workout that is made up of a sh...

Pizza Friday Last we made pizza (surprise huh?) and tried a new vegan "cheese" Daiya . I have heard that it's the best out there in terms of vegan cheeses. The last time we were at Whole Foods, I noticed that they had the "cheddar" flavor. I almost picked it up, but held off. When I stopped by after work yesterday, however, they had "mozzarella" flavor. Knowing I'd be making pizza, I just couldn't pass it up. It did melt much better than the last faux cheese I bought, and the flavor was really great. It tasted more like an aged mozzarella, so it was very flavorful. We will definitely be buying this brand now. I can't wait to try the cheddar flavor now. Jason will be very happy to be able to add "cheese" to his eggs, wraps, and such (dairy allergy). Oh, and thank you for sharing some fun facts about yourselves yesterday. I really enjoyed reading them! Super Reps This morning I took my time getting to the workout and made some...

My How You've Grown It's so true that time flies when you're having fun. And time has flown by with my blogging. Exactly 6 months ago I published my first official blog post: Let Me Introduce the Blog . I don't want to make a whole post of my 6 month anniversary, but I thought it might be fun to reintroduce myself and do just a brief recap: "About Me" So what's up with the title? My husband jokes with me about my biceps since I started working out. I protest saying you can't see them unless I flex. His response: Where's the Beach [flex] The Beach is This Way. So my blog is about getting fit, staying fit, and hitting the beach! My goal is to inspire others to workout and get into shape. I am also passionate about food. I am vegetarian, but I love to cook and try out new recipes. One goal is to show that just because a recipe is vegetarian or vegan, doesn't mean that a meat-eater won't enjoy it. It's far more than lettuce and sprout...

Unmotivated on Monday I had the hardest time peeling myself out of bed this morning. Jason got up to go swim at 5 am and there was just no way I was getting up. I fell back to sleep almost immediately in fact. I feel like I'm getting a cold or allergy crud so maybe that's the reason for the sluggishness. Today was supposed to be Upper + Plyo. The upper body exercises were done as supersets of 4 sets of 8 reps. SS#1 Chest - Flat bench flyes (supposed to have been incline but I goofed) Back - Dumbbell pullover SS#2 Shoulder - Arnold press Shoulder - Lateral raises SS#3 Biceps - Incline curls Triceps - Overhead extension SS#4 Split squats (added this in lieu of plyo, see reason below) Donkey kicks (with 8# DB) Early on in the day, I knew that I wasn't feeling just super energized. I wanted to go ahead and get the weights done before I somehow actually talked myself out of them entirely. Yes, I was seriously feeling that unmotivated. I sort of made a deal with myself, do ...

No Surprise - Pizza Friday Well, it should come as no surprise that Friday's dinner was indeed pizza. It's just so easy to get the dough started while we play a few rounds of pool and relax a bit. In other words, it really is an easy dinner. As per the norm, I stuck with the Greek-style toppings for my half. Jason's half was sauteed green and red bell peppers, yellow onion, and soyrizzo with a Mexican blend 2% cheese. Sorry, I totally failed at taking pictures. But, if you're really needing a pizza picture fix, you can go back to previous Saturday posts ;-) Supersets and Kickboxing This morning I let myself be lazy. I actually slept in until 9am! That may as well be noon in my book. Of course, it was dark and rainy, so that helped...helped with the laziness I should say. I made steel cut oats with ground flax seed, cinnamon apples and peanut butter for Jason and myself. It's such a filling breakfast that I, of course, had to let it settle before I could start my wo...

Wednesday Follow Up I wanted to thank everyone for their comments and insights regarding yesterday's posts. I don't think you have to be a Type A personality to feel the pressure to always be perfect, to always do better than you did before, etc. I hope that you took my lighten up challenge and would love to hear what you did and how it worked for you. I will say that posting early sans dinner photos and choosing to do a simple, easy dinner made for a very relaxed evening. I did get a little crazy and cut the sweet potatoes into rounds rather than fry-shaped. LOL. A simple dinner was made much more special by dining outside without any distractions. It made for pleasant conversation and somehow dinner seemed much more than just veggie burgers and sweet potatoes. Now, I hope you all don't get the wrong impression about posting and including recipes, photos, and recaps. I LOVE writing my blog posts, taking photos, choosing the ones to include, etc. Anyone who blogs knows, h...