Inspiration from Alex Zerega
Did I mention how much I LOVE Pinterest??? While browsing through the Fitness boards on there I randomly came across this photo:
After clicking on it, it led me to an article on simplyshredded.com about Pro Fitness Model Alex Zerega and her general workout routine, nutrition plan, and the supplements she takes to get in and stay in tip-top shape. Can I just say how impressed I am that she is not afraid to get in the weight room and tough it out with the rest of the bodybuilders?? Ok, so I don't necessarily want to become a bodybuilder lol (although I have mad respect for the women that do and are), however I'm fascinated with working out to be the strongest that you can be while also maintaining a feminine and sexy form with curves in all the right places! I've never been a fan of skinny and flat, but I've always been a fan of being FIT and STRONG. So basically, this is me trying to say that I'm going to step up my game another notch.
If you continue on to the article, you can read about everything in more detail. But to sum it up, this is what a sample routine looks like:
Monday: Back
Pull Downs: 6 sets, 12 reps
Lat Pull Downs: 6 sets, 12 reps
Straight Arm Pull Downs: 6 sets, 12 reps
Bent Arm Dumbbell Pullover: 6 sets, 12 reps
Bent Over Barbell Row: 6 sets, 12 reps
One Arm Dumbbell Row: 6 sets, 12 reps
Cardio: 30-45 mins. Stairs
Pull Downs: 6 sets, 12 reps
Lat Pull Downs: 6 sets, 12 reps
Straight Arm Pull Downs: 6 sets, 12 reps
Bent Arm Dumbbell Pullover: 6 sets, 12 reps
Bent Over Barbell Row: 6 sets, 12 reps
One Arm Dumbbell Row: 6 sets, 12 reps
Cardio: 30-45 mins. Stairs
Tuesday: Shoulders
Dumbbell Shoulder Press: 6 sets, 12 reps
Side Laterals: 6 sets, 12 reps
Rear Delt Row: 6 sets, 12 reps
Fronts: 6 sets, 12 reps
Core Training
Cardio: 30-45 mins. Stairs
Wednesday: Legs/Glutes
Dumbbell Stiff Legs: 6 sets, 12 reps
Hamstring Laying Leg Curl: 6 sets, 12 reps
Step Ups: 6 sets, 12 reps
Walking Lunges: 6 sets, 12 reps
Hip Extensions: 6 sets, 12 reps
Cable Kick Backs: 6 sets, 12 reps
Cardio: 30-45 mins. Stairs
Thursday: Chest
Incline Chest Press: 6 sets, 12 reps
Cable Chest Press: 6 sets, 12 reps
Around The Worlds: 6 sets, 12 reps
Push Ups: 6 sets, 12 reps
Core Training
Cardio: 30-45 mins. Stairs
Friday: Cardio
Cardio: 30-45 mins. Stairs
Saturday: Full Body Pump
Pump Circuit
Core Training
Cardio: 30-45 mins. Stairs
Sunday: Rest
And while I can't promise to stick to this 100%, I'm definitely going to try substituting most of the options in my diet with the following ideas and eating about 5 small meals a day:
Sample Diet:
Meal 1: (1) scoop Protein powder, (½ – 1) cup Multigrain Oats (measured dry), (1) tbs. Peanut Butter
Meal 2: (7) Egg Whites, mixed Greens
Meal 3: (4-6) oz. Chicken, mixed Greens, (4) oz. Sweet Potato
Meal 4: (4-6) oz. Extra lean Ground Turkey, mixed Greens
Meal 5: (4-6) oz. Tilapia, mixed Greens
"My diet consists of lean proteins such as Chicken, Extra Lean Ground Turkey, Egg Whites, Tilapia and sometimes top Sirloin Steak. I am always sure to eat a lot of Green Vegetables with each meal. My fats often come from foods like Nut Butters, Olive Oil, Avocado and Fish Oils. When I am allowed carbohydrates, I prefer to eat Sweet Potatoes and Multigrain Oatmeal, but I will occasionally use Brown Rice or Black Beans to keep a variety in my diet."
Her supplementation includes:
Fish Oil
Vitamin C
Calcium
Multivitamins
Optimum Nutrition Pro Complex Protein
*NOTE: If you are unsure, contact your doctor prior to participating in any workout, nutrition, or supplementation regimen.
Of course I'm still going to be keeping up with my HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training) to keep things challenging. They are my favorite type of workouts because they are SUPER effective and require only a small amount of time to do (but this is what makes them so much harder). If you have any questions about HIIT, I'm your girl! :) And to conclude this rather lengthy article... I encourage all my ladies out there to work to be the strongest that you can be! Don't be afraid to pick up slightly heavier weights if you're in your living room. Or if you're at the gym, hit the weight room! YOU are in control. Don't let anything or anyone intimidate you for becoming the absolute BEST that you can be! xoxo
How are you doing?? Hope you've been successful with sticking to your goals of eating better and working out more! If you're desperate for a little motivation, Pinterest is an AMAZING resource for fitness/healthy eating inspiration. Everything from healthy recipes, snacks, workouts, you name it... it's there! Follow my Fitness Inspiration and Healthy Eating boards here
In the meantime, here's some stuff I found straight off of Pinterest to help keep your mind focused and inspired. KEEP GOING! :)
Hey guys! Just wanted to share one more workout I will be adding to my own this week. This arm circuit by Tone It Up! (I LOVE these girls if you couldn't tell) is great if you want to get your arms toned and ready for tank top season!! I recommend you don't go over 5-7 lb weights. For me, I'm choosing to stick with 5 lbs for now. The reason for this is because I personally just want toned arms, not huge guns ;) If YOU want huge guns, go with heavier weights. Since we are doing so many repetitions of each move, lighter weights will still get the job done. Remember:
Lean muscle = lighter weights, more repetitions
Bulky muscle = heavier weights, less repetitions
Good luck and push yourselves this week!
P.S. I'm planning on filming a video in the VERY near future, but I'm unsure of what that workout should be!!! So, if you have any workout in particular that you want me to film for my first, let me know! Pilates? Power yoga? Full-body circuits? I want to know what YOU want to see! So tell me :)
Here's the arm circuit video!
If you're wondering which Bodyrock workout, Ab circuit, and 20 min SHREDmill workout I am referring to, I included all of the info and links below:
To see the full Bodyrock article, click here
To see the full Tone It Up article, click here
I did already post this SHREDmill workout from Tone It Up! in my previous post, but here it is again just to round out all three:
My goal: Lose 10 lbs and tone up by June 1st! But how?
Each week I'll be posting a workout schedule and nutrition plan for the next 7 days. At the end of every week I'll be checking in via video or journal entry to give an update about how successful I was with sticking to my plan. It's as simple as that!
NOTE: 10 lbs by June 1st equals about 3.5 lbs a month. If this doesn't sound like a lot to you, think about it. You need to set REASONABLE goals for yourself. In order to make any long-term changes, the change must be slow and consistent. Your body needs to learn not to crave certain things anymore, and if this is your first time seriously working out you are probably going to gain a few pounds in the beginning (don't freak, this is muscle weight!). This is not a short-term goal, this is my plan to kick-start a better lifestyle. Although I already do my best to be healthy, there is always room for improvement. Want to join me? Feel free to follow along and create your own workout schedules and meal plans. If you need help with yours just let me know. Let's do this TOGETHER! The better and more supportive our community, the stronger we'll be!
Here's my plan for week 1!
P.S. If you're sick of boring cardio routines, try out this 20 min SHREDmill cardio workout from Tone It Up! Remember not to stick to the same workouts everyday, MIX IT UP! This will constantly challenge your body and prevent boredom :) Good luck with Week 1!!!
Active in 2012!
I decided to write down my goals for 2012 when it comes to trying new things and challenging my body. Here’s what I came up with:
1. Run a few 5K marathons
2. Try CrossFit
3. Indoor rockclimbing
6. Boxing training
7. Compete in a triathlon
8. Do an unsupported headstand/handstand
9. Climb a rope
10. Long distance cycling for a charity
These are not listed in any particular order. Also, I’m starting low with a 5k simply because I am not the best runner so I need to work up from there. And with climbing a rope, my upper body strength is not my strongest ability so I know it will be challenging.
And that’s it! 10 things I want to cross off my list to get active in 2012! What are your fitness goals for this year???
1. Run a few 5K marathons
4. Run a 10k marathon
5. Outdoor rock climbing
These are not listed in any particular order. Also, I’m starting low with a 5k simply because I am not the best runner so I need to work up from there. And with climbing a rope, my upper body strength is not my strongest ability so I know it will be challenging.
And that’s it! 10 things I want to cross off my list to get active in 2012! What are your fitness goals for this year???
New Year, New Goals
We are finally in 2012! Excited? It's really hard to make resolutions like "lose 30 lbs in 2 months" or "do 2 hours of cardio everyday." I mean let's face it, these goals are just unrealistic especially when you are a busy person with lots to get done! Instead, I thought it would be fun to make my fitness resolutions a little more realistic, specific, and share them with you all. Here they are!
- Drink at least 8 glasses/bottles of water daily and consume healthier teas. I already stay away from soda as much as I can but I have an addiction to sweet tea. This needs to stop!
- Limit dessert/chocolate to a small portion only once a day. I have a really bad sweet tooth that screws everything up. I don't want to get rid of it entirely because we all know that isn't going to happen, but I want to consume less and less until I don't crave it so badly anymore and eat it less often.
- Eat more small (healthy) meals a day rather than 3 large ones. This is to speed up my metabolism and help me feel more energized throughout the day. I got off track with my Eat Clean Diet and I need to get my nose back into that back PRONTO!
- Ok, so I lied. I'm going to squeeze in just one seemingly unrealistic goal that seems too tough to conquer... Hit the gym/workout 5 days a week. I don't care what anyone says, THIS IS POSSIBLE. My last quarter of my undergrad education starts next week (Tuesdays and Thursdays) with my earliest class being at 10am, about 40 minutes away from my house. Instead of taking forever to wake up and get ready in the morning my resolution is to force myself out of bed and to the gym before school, even if it's for just 30 minutes as long as it consists of high intensity exercise. My latest class finishes on these same days at 3:50pm which makes it totally easy for me to hit the gym after school if I failed to do so in the morning. Can I just say how thankful I am to have such an easy schedule for the next 10 weeks?!?! Compared to last year, it's going to be such a breeze getting back to my ideal fitness goal. I'm also going to use this time to get myself ready for bikini season. By the time my final quarter at CSUSB is over it will be spring break!!! Let the countdown begin.
- To break this down a little further, my go-to cardio will consist of jogging, sprints, spinning classes, kickboxing, and high intensity intervals with weights and just bodyweight. I want to challenge my body and make it stronger by not sticking to the same routine for too long. To balance this intenseness out I'm going to continue with Pilates and yoga, of course ;)
- TIP: What I like to do is to get my Victoria's Secret bikini during winter so that I have something to work towards. Use a TAPE MEASURE to keep track of how many inches you lose, not a scale. Scales can easily get us off track because we become more concerned with the number on the scale rather than the muscle we are building to shed off those inches around our waist!)
- And for my last and final goal, I want to get in better shape and eat healthier with my boyfriend. When you're in a relationship you eat together, A LOT. We've decided to promise each other that we will make healthier "date night" choices and be each others' support when we feel too lazy to exercise. "The couple that gets healthy together... stays together." Ok, so that might not be how it goes but you get the point ;)
Aaaannd, that's about it. I know I made this post way too wordy and potentially boring for some of you, but I hope I helped get that itch started in a few of you to get up and make healthier choices!
This is YOUR year.
Challenge yourself.
Pilates Playlist Numero Uno!
For those of you that attended my Pilates class last month, THANK YOU TREMENDOUSLY!!! I appreciate the support so much. My second month is getting ready to start this upcoming Thursday, January 5th from 7:00-8:00pm at Lime Street Community Center in Hesperia. Same place, same time, but DIFFERENT MUSIC AND ROUTINE! Are you ready to push yourself a little harder??? I added just a little more cardio and some slightly more advanced moves, so this new routine is sure to help you with your weight loss New Years' Resolutions :) I can't wait to see what you all think! Remember, if you would like to register monthly and not have to worry about paying the walk-in fee each time you come, you can register in-person or online at hesperiaparks.com (search under classes and look for "Power Pilates"). You can also sign up monthly with me before or after each class (I can only accept cash payments). If that does not work for you, walk-ins are always welcome at $4.00 per class session. Don't forget to bring a mat, and in case you do forget I always have a couple extra on hand. HOPE TO SEE YOU ALL THERE!
Until then, I thought it would be neat to post last month's playlist for all the music I used in that routine. If you were able to memorize most of it (I know some of you have), download this playlist and work out at home! Also, stay tuned because I may or may not be posting a video for last month's routine on here in the near future :)
Here you go!
1. Who's That Chick? - David Guetta feat. Rihanna
2. Moves Like Jagger - Maroon 5
3. Last Friday Night (TGIF) - Katy Perry
4. Pumped Up Kicks - Foster the People
5. Blow - Ke$ha
6. Little Bad Girl - David Guetta feat. Taio Cruz and Ludacris
7. Stereo Hearts - Gym Class Heroes
8. You Make Me Feel... - Cobra Starship
9. We Found Love - Rihanna
10. Where Them Girls At - David Guetta feat. Flo Rida and Nicki Minaj
11. Rock n Roll - Skrillex
12. Sexy and I Know It - LMFAO
13. Please Don't Go - Mike Posner
14. You and I - Lady Gaga
Until then, I thought it would be neat to post last month's playlist for all the music I used in that routine. If you were able to memorize most of it (I know some of you have), download this playlist and work out at home! Also, stay tuned because I may or may not be posting a video for last month's routine on here in the near future :)
Here you go!
1. Who's That Chick? - David Guetta feat. Rihanna
2. Moves Like Jagger - Maroon 5
3. Last Friday Night (TGIF) - Katy Perry
4. Pumped Up Kicks - Foster the People
5. Blow - Ke$ha
6. Little Bad Girl - David Guetta feat. Taio Cruz and Ludacris
7. Stereo Hearts - Gym Class Heroes
8. You Make Me Feel... - Cobra Starship
9. We Found Love - Rihanna
10. Where Them Girls At - David Guetta feat. Flo Rida and Nicki Minaj
11. Rock n Roll - Skrillex
12. Sexy and I Know It - LMFAO
13. Please Don't Go - Mike Posner
14. You and I - Lady Gaga
The 20/20 Workout
Hey guys!! I'm not sure if you know about Cassey Ho but she has an amazing YouTube channel with tons of great cardio and Pilates workout videos. I came across this one and will definitely be trying it out tonight. If you want to seriously blast some fat and tone your body, give the 20/20 workout a try!
Good luck!!! :)
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