Workout of the Day: 01/25 (Back and Shoulders)

Today's workout focused on back's and shoulders again. I did lat pull downs instead of single arm rows this time. 

Shoulders is one of the lesser worked part of my body. But when I do work on it, I feel the strain and DMOS almost as fast as a couple hours later. It makes my shoulders tense, and my head feels heavier on my shoulders. 

But the efforts will pay off when I see it grow ;) 

Barbell rows - 30 lbs 

Lat pulldown - 57 lbs 

Cable row - 57 lbs 

Dumbbell press - 10 lbs 

Dumbbell raise - 10 lbs 

Side lateral raise - 12 lbs 

I suck at taking pictures of my back, but I will try to do that next time I work my back :) 

Have a great weekend! 

Cheers 

xoxo

Workout of the Day: 01/14 + What's in my Gym Bag

What feels even better/ just as great than stepping back into the gym on the first day, is going back the day right after. It marks the beginning of a new stretch, and it shows that I am fully committed.

Today's workout was a chest, tricep, and shoulder circuit - again, inspired by Fitness Barbie Lauren Gleisberg.

Shoulder press - 10 pounds/db 

Bench press - 15 pounds/db

Tricep extension - 20 lbs/arm 

Incline flyes - 10 lbs/db 

Side lateral punches - 8 lbs/db

I've never been a big fan of circuits, mostly because every gym is designed differently and it's so hard to do some of them. ie. One of today's circuit required jump rope, which I cannot do INSIDE my school gym (I must step outside to ensure I don't whip anyone in the face). So when I see circuits on the training plan, the first that comes to mind is - improvise.

Today's workout was great, except for a few things.

1. Someone has apparently stolen the ONLY set of 12 pound hexagonal dumbbells available in the facility - I am forced to either up my sets to 15 or dumb it down to 10 :\

2. I find that I have trouble getting my heart rate up during certain exercises - it never really goes over 140. When I hit the 150's and 160's occasionally, I know that I've been pushing myself.

3. On the very last rep of my last set of shoulder punches, I turned my neck at the wrong angle and I strained my neck - it still hurt's a bit to turn my head! Due to that, I wasn't able to finish the last part of the circuit.

What's In my Gym Bag? 

1. Nike Running Shoes
2. Polar FT4 Heart Rate monitor watch and heart rate monitor strap
3. Headband and bobby pins
4. Headphones
5. Lock
6. Student ID (required for entrance to facility)
7. My phone for some beats!!!!

All of those items you see there (+ my workout clothes) all fit into the tiny little bag underneath it, and it surprisingly all fits into my new lululemon bag, which I also use as a school bag! So really, there's a whooooole lot more of junk that's in my "gym bag/school bag".

Here's a little progress on my arms:

My left arm always looks more toned than the right! 

Wednesdays are always busy busy school days, so I'm going to give myself a rest day and focus on my studies for the evening!

Cheers!
xoxo

Back at the Gym + Inspirational Figures

It felt so good to be back at the gym today! It sucks to fall off the bandwagon so many times, but every time I get back on I'm a stronger person :)

Here is how I looked after 3 weeks of not lifting and enjoying the festive feasts.

Today's workout was inspired by Fitness Barbie Lauren gleisberg's workout.

Lat Pulldowns - 60 lbs 

Reverse grip lat pulldown - 45 lbs 

Seated cable rows - 57 lbs 

Bent over rows - 40 lbs 

My favorite part of the body to work is the backs, so I decided to do a back workout to give myself a good pump to start things off.

The idea of focusing on building one major muscle group for a certain period of time really attracts me, although I don't know if spending extra workout sessions for just one month will show evident change in ex. my back muscles. Definitely something I'll consider though!

On another note, today I am grateful for my #fitfam and my Instagram community. Someone in particular I want to mention is Miss Lauren Gleisberg (who also happened to have released her 12 weeks at home workout ebook, and I supported her by downloading my own copy).

What I was most interested in was hearing Lauren's story. She's such an aspiring person - a truly amazing individual! I am so glad to have came across her Instagram, because I have learned so much from her!

Aside from the health and fitness related topics, she has definitely opened my mind on the outlooks of things - how one sees things. Is your glass half full or half empty? Are you thankful for the things you have, or do you constantly complain about the things you don't have?

One of the reasons I started writing entries about things I feel gratitude for is also because of Lauren - her influential, positive, and vibrant personality makes ME want to be a better person - the better version of myself.

I hope after reading this, you too will take a few minutes of your time to ask yourself: what am I thankful for? What are the things/relationships I have that have really impacted me? What can I do to show others that I appreciate what they do for me?

That's all for tonight!

Cheers!
Xoxo

Ramble of the Evening: Showing Gratitude for the Little Things

I apologize if you've come to my blog today expecting some workout pictures and my routine, but lately I've been trying to focus more on the mental stuff rather than the physical stuff.

So my ramble of the evening begins...

Sometimes we're so busy and stressed, we get carried away and forget about the little things. While on campus studying on a Friday night, I went to get myself a latte at the Starbucks. Something as simple as the barista commenting on my make up and saying "I really like you're eyeliner, it's really cute!" easily made my day. It's these little gestures/comments that can make people's days. I know it sure made mine!

I walked away feeling happier and more cheerful, and it made me want to "pass on the good deed" of making someone feel happier/ helping someone out. On my way back to my study area, I bumped into two random strangers would looked puzzled and lost. I kindly approached them, asked where they were heading and if they needed directions, and directed them towards the right direction. The guy left with a big smile on his face and said "Thank you, I really appreciate that".

It kinda makes you think "hey! I'm putting faith back into humanity!", or maybe something like that.

I've also spent some time over the past weekend thinking about the different things I want my future to consist of, in terms of my career and my fitness related issues (personal training, running my blog, starting a business of some sort, etc).

It frustrates me that I want to do so many of those things right now, yet I need to focus my time on school and need to build my way up there. That being said, it only makes me want to work harder to do better, and achieve the many other things I also want to achieve. It's by doing that step, that will allow me to take another step towards my other fitness and business related goals.

So here's to the start of a new semester, of the continuation of motivation, concentration, dedication, and hard work on both my studies and my personal health and fitness levels.

(It's cold in my house hehe)

Cheers!
xoxo

Selina :)

New Year, New Me!

Hello fellow readers!
I'm very very sorry for the lack of updates the past couple weeks - I needed time off to spend with my friends and family, and I also needed time to myself to think about things.

The past few weeks I haven't done much weight lifting, and my diet hasn't been consistent. I felt like I've basically fallen off track. But every time I encounter these "falling off track's", I learn more about myself, what I really want (my goals), and what I need to do to reach those goals.

1. New goals of the year
When I think about what I want to accomplish in 2014, a lot of things run through my mind. After a couple weeks of having time to myself, I've realized that there are many things I would like to change and improve on - in terms of my health, my diet, my lifestyle, and a few things about my own personality traits.
I would like to work on my patience levels, and express my gratitude for many things on by writing it down or sharing it on the web with you guys.
Here's a recap of other NRY I posted last time:

2. Continuing to work hard in school
I am very happy with my results from last semester. It feels so good to know that all the hard work has finally started to pay off. I'm finally getting one step closer to being accepted into my program to become a registered dietitian :D
The holidays have made me kinda lazy, but I'm excited to start school again. School is what keeps me on track! I have a set schedule, I know where I have to be at what time, and I can allocate my other activities such as workout sessions, family dinners, and studying time around class times.

3. I have decided to follow some bodybuilding.com workouts for the next few weeks to kick start the new year workout sessions. I enjoy planning my own workouts, but I feel that I'm lacking some surprise elements in them. Hopefully changing up my workout plans ever so often will keep things exciting for me :)

4. Being more active on my blog
I remember when the school year first started, I had a set day where I would blog once a week. Slowly along the way I started slipping and didn't post on the day I wanted to and it became once every couple weeks. This year, I am going to make it my goal to post my workout routine on my blog EVERY TIME. Since I'm aiming to workout 3 times a week, expect to see a few posts every week ! :)

I'll post some "progress" pics in a couple days to show you guys and myself where I am right now. There probably isn't much progress anymore from all this crazy non-sense holiday eating.

Cheers!
xoxo

Selina :)

Weekly Article: Which Should I do First: Cardio or Weights?

Which Should I do First: Cardio or Weights? 

When it comes to exercise, females tend to be under the illusion that lifting weights will make them grow bulky muscles, and that cardio is the only way to lose weight. However, that is not the case. 

Females naturally do not have the same testosterone levels as men do, so it’s almost near impossible to build huge muscles like the ones you see on male bodybuilders. That means when you consistently lift weights and eat a clean and balanced diet, you will build lean muscle on your body and work your way towards getting those curves that almost all ladies desire.  

Moving off the treadmill and towards the dumbbell rack can actually do you more benefit that you may have realized. Weight lifting bears many benefits. Building lean muscle to achieve those sexy looking curves, increasing bone strength and density, and increasing your metabolism are just a few of the many benefits. Lean muscle helps raise your metabolism and burns more calories than fat while resting.

For the female audience who’s main goal is weight loss, the treadmill is a good option to start with. Unfortunately, simply sticking to the treadmill may not allow you to achieve weight loss in the long run. When your body becomes familiar and comfortable with your workout routine, your body and the numbers on the scale start to a plateau.

On the other hand, for the female audience who are trying to achieve the sexy curves look, the answer is obvious - lift those weights! Consistently lifting weights will help your body strengthen it’s muscles while slowly burning fat stores for energy.  

So the answer is both! Do both! When you combine a mixture of weight lifting and cardio, you can maximize the results of your workouts! Utilize the treadmill or elliptical to burn calories, but also use the dumbbells and barbells to strengthen your muscles.

When you’ve got less body fat to keep your muscles from hiding, you will then appear more toned with the right curves at the right places! Combine that with a motivation, dedication, and a healthy balanced diet, and you will be on your way to the new, sexier you in a matter of months! 

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