Buck Up

Hi friends

I hope you’re having a lovely week thus far!

Mine started off with a bang and has been pretty darn good.

Yesterday:

I ventured to the gym to get in some quick cardio before training clients and working.  I wanted to go somewhat easy, so ended up doing 30-minutes on the elliptical and 15-minutes on the bike.

Mid-way through the afternoon, Elisa showed up to lift some weights!  It was a perfect break and felt really good to hit it hard.

Here’s what we did:

LOWER BODY BLAST
repeat each circuit three times

1a.  12 Low Cable Squats w/ 130# setting
1b.  25 Squat Jumps

2a.  12 Elevated Front Leg Lunges (each leg) w/ 12.5# dumbbells
2b.  25 Toe Taps (each leg) on high plyo box

3a.  12 Deadlifts w/ 25# dumbbells
3b.  25 Hamstring Curls w/ ball

4.  4 Walking/Jumping Lunge Combo:  2 walking lunges, 3 jumping lunges

5a.  12 Low Cable Glute Extensions w/ 10# setting
5b.  25 Inner Thigh Squeezes (both prone and sitting) with balast ball

It was a great workout and my buns were the perfect amount of sore today

***

I trained a small group then hurried home to walk the dog before heading to my friend Jami’s.

Pre-bachelorette watching party food:

I decided on a “fridge cleanout” salad.  This was an amazing mix and included:

·mixed greens
·garbanzos
·quinoa
·shredded beets
·avocado
·hummus
·drizzle of balsamic

Seriously….SO good.

***

This morning I woke up bright and early for a workout with Lauren.  We started off running because my knee felt okay, but after only a short bit, I was in pain.  She was a great sport and said it’d be okay to walk, so we walked (at a good clip) for about an hour.  Apparently, I shouldn’t have lifted legs yesterday…and likely should take some time off   BOO!

I got back and had some time to make breakfast!

Buckwheat Pancakes
·1/3 cup buckwheat flour
·1 egg
·1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
·pinch of salt
·1/2 tsp. baking soda
·1/4 cup frozen blueberries
·toppings of choice

Preheat griddle pan to 350°.  In a large bowl, combine all ingredients (except blueberries).  Mix until combined.  Drop by 1/4 cup onto griddle pan and top with blueberries.  Cook for 4-5 minutes, or until bubbles form and bottom is golden.  Flip and cook for 2-3 more minutes.  Serve with toppings of choice.

These were filling and quite tasty.  I’ve had a bag of buckwheat flour in my fridge for a while now, and decided to experiment with it!  Buckwheat is actually a gluten-free seed and is super healthy.

Some reported benefits of buckwheat:
~contains 8-essential amino acids
~phosphorous, magnesium, zinc, copper, iron, and manganese
~lowers glucose levels and may be helpful in managing diabetes
~lowers blood pressure and reduces cholesterol
~aids in fertility

It fueled me perfectly for an upper body lifting session!

Upper Body Blast
repeat each circuit three times

1a.  18 Pushups
1b.  12 Pullups

2a.  12 Incline Chest Flyes w/ 17.5# dumbbells
2b.  12 Bent Flyes w/ 15# dumbbells

3a.  12 Low Cable Bicep Curls w/ 10# setting
3b.  15 Double Bench Dips

4a.  12 Low Cable Lateral Raises w/ 5# setting
4a.  12 Upright Rows w/ 35# bar

Core:
25 Reverse Leg Lifts
25 Bicycles
25 Tuck-Ins
25 Side Tuck Ups
1-min Plank

***

Post-workout I headed home to get some work done, eat lunch (repeat of last night’s dinner), and get ready to babysit the adorable Hudson!  It was a near perfect afternoon.

Okay, I have a bunch of stuff to get done around the house!

Have a fantastic night…

*TIP TIME*
Change up your workout!  If you usually do full-body strength training, try a few weeks of upper/lower splits, or vice versa.  If you usually lift on your own, take a weights class.  By keeping things new and exciting, you’ll see better results and avoid burnout!

Question:  Have you done anything new and exciting on the workout front?