Picking up Steam

Things have been moving along quite nicely on the work out front. I'm not making any huge leaps and bounds nor am I seeing results (grrrrrrr) but I am being consistent. I got pretty down on myself the other day bc I was comparing a before/after shot of my back and arms that I thought was 3 months time. It literally had NO change. I was pretty peeved. For all the lat and back and shoulder work I've been doing, I was expecting something, ANYthing to slow my back rolls down. Nada. I flew into a self-deprecating rage and pouted for a while. A day went by and I realized upon closer examination, that it only been two months. Whew. I know better not to expect dramatic change in only 8 weeks of lifting especially if I'm not working out 6x a week. On good weeks I do, but most of the time it's 4-5, bc a body needs rest.

I've definitely noticed gains in strength (90 lb lat pull down, assisted pull up and tricep dip) and I can do real push ups, not on my knees. My rows are up to 75lbs and I can leg press up to 200lbs. Baby beast mode in full effect. I need to lose the fluff though.

This past week I decided to cut the carbs out of my lunches for most of the week (no rice/quinoa or sweet potatoes). I also decided to not do any weights due to some back/shoulder pain and muscle twitching. The area needed a rest and I listened. My last hard workout was Sunday the 30th. I actually worked out on Thanksgiving, took Friday off, hit the gym running on Saturday and scheduled a massage for Sunday. It did wonders.

Mon and Tue were straight up 45 minutes of cardio, hello StairMaster you bitch. I'm up to 15 minutes on that sucker, but balance out the rest with intervals on the bike or elliptical. I also had to wait for clearance for any high impact activity due to a cyst on my left ovary. I was ready to become a hell mouth if my body was about to throw another curve at me, but thankfully this week all systems seem normal according to my doctor. Monday I had a follow up chiro appointment and I'll be back in 3 weeks for my final check up post car accident. I took last night as a rest day too, but tonight, I run. I climb. I lift.

I enjoyed some protein for breakfast (egg, chicken and veggies) and had the last of my protein carrot muffins for a mid morning snack. It's FREEZING here so I did not make the gym in the morning like I wanted. I am aiming for 2-a-days next week though. I'm excited to see if any of my leg work has affected my running.

In terms of supplements I'm kicking up the glutamine, still throwing in protein whenever I can (hello double meat Subway turkey on wheat) and drinking tons of water. I rediscovered cottage cheese again, a long forbidden treat (dairy!) but with pineapple it's amazing. I was down about a pound this week, but we'll see what happens when I start lifting again. I'm only going to do a few movements (squat variation, horizontal push/pull and a back extension) since I don't believe in overworking anything. Some simple weights will help me maintain my muscle but for the next few weeks, 45 min will be devoted to cardio at least 4-5x a week. I think my body can handle it now.

It's a long freaking journey this time around. I'm a few years older, my body has been through the wringer, but damnit, I'm going to have an ass that won't quit and rockin bod as I approach my late 30s. If I can still squat on a toilet when I'm 80, even better.

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