Workout Schedule 12/1 - 12/7 -

This week will be a recovery week with no ST.

Monday, Wednesday and Friday - 60 min walk,run,elliptical and bike combo followed by core work.

Tuesday and Thursday - 60 min walk,run,elliptical and bike combo followed by lower body work.

Saturday and Sunday - Rest

Circuit Training with cardio intervals.

Today I changed my routine up by adding cardio intervals to my ST routine and lifting lighter weights with higher reps. I have not done cardio intervals with my ST in some time. I was not able to make my intervals as intense as they once were because of my knee but I did increase my speed today up to 6.5 mph. Hopefully with patience and more time I will be back to where I used to be.

Daily goals -
Complete scheduled workout - done.
Drink 20 oz of water before breakfast - done
Stay within my daily caloric range - done
Knee exercises/stretches - done
Drink at least 128 oz of water - done
Take all supplements and vitamins - done
Drink 4 - 5 bags of green/white tea a day - done.


Circuit Training consisting of 5 circuits with Cardio Intervals
Total time - 95 mins
Calories burned - 1,086
AHR -159/83% MHR - 186/97%

Circuit 1 -

Squats with leg raise - 20 reps
Jumping jacks - 20 reps
Boxing hook- 50 reps
Jumping jacks - 20 reps
Squats with leg raise - 20 reps
Spiderman push-ups - 16 reps
BB bent over rows with 56 lb BB - 15 reps
Incline reverse flys with 6.6 lb DBs - 15 reps
Treadmill - 5 min intervals -
1 min - walk warm up 4.0 mph
1min - 5.0 mph
1 min - 5.5 mph
1 min - 5.8 mph
1 min - 5.0 mph

Circuit 2 -

Shoulder press with 19.8 lb DBs - 12 reps
Walking staggered hands push-ups - 10 reps
Two arm bicep curls with 19.8 lb DBs - 15 reps
Reverse flys with resistance bands - 15 reps
Two arm front raise with 11lb DBs - 15 reps
Two arm side raise with 11lb DBs - 15 reps
Elliptical - 2 mins

Circuit 3 -

Cross body punch with 11lb DBs - 60 secs nonstop
One arm horizontal body chop with resistance bands - 15 reps for each side
Wood choppers holding one 17.6 lb DB - 15 reps
Cross body curls with 19.8 lb DBs - 20 reps for each arm
Shoulder press with 19.8 lb DBs - 10 reps
BB bent over rows with 56 lb BB -15 reps
Incline reverse flys with 6.6 lb DBs - 12 reps
Incline BB press with 56 lb BB- 12 reps
Hammer curls with 19.8 lb DBs - 20 reps for each arm
Low pluse lunge - 40 reps for each leg
Elliptical - 2 mins

Circuit 4 -

Laying down tricep extensions with a pair of 19.8 lb DBs - 15 reps
Wide grip lat pulldowns with resistance band -20 reps
BB bent over rows with 56 lb BB - 15 reps
Functional rotations with double front raise with 11 lb DBs - 32 reps
Treadmill - 5 min intervals -
1 min - walk warm up 4.0 mph
1min - 5.0 mph
1 min - 5.5 mph
1 min - 5.8 mph
1 min - 5.0 mph

Circuit 5 -

Wood choppers holding one 17.6 lb DB - 15 reps
Spiderman push-ups - 10 reps
Walking staggered hand push-ups - 10 reps
Two arm overhead extensions with resistance bands - 15 reps
Straight arm pulldowns with resistance bands - 20 reps
Standard 21's with a pair of 19.8 lb DBs - 21 reps
Two arm front raise with 11lb DBs - 10 reps
Two arm side raise with 11lb DBs - 10 reps
Cross body punch with 6.6 lb DBs - 60 secs nonstop
Low pulse lunges - 40 reps for each leg
Double hammer curl/shoulder press/lateral raise/upright row combo with 11lb DBs - 15 reps
Treadmill intervals - 20 mins
5 min warm up walk - 3.5 mph - 4.6 mph
5 mins - 5.0 mph
5 mins - 5.5 - 6.5 mph
5 mins cool down - 4.0 - 3.5 mph


Daily Intake -
Calories consumed - 1,718
Protein - 30%
Fat - 19%
Carbs - 51%

Meal 1 - 20 oz of water. 1/2 cup of oats cooked with 1/2 scoop of protein powder and 1 tbsp of ground flaxseeds and 1/2 cup of frozen strawberries. 5 green tea bags with water.

Meal 2 - 1/2 cup of muesli, 1/2 cup of yogurt, 1/2 apple and 1/2 scoop of protein powder. 40 oz of water.

Meal 3 - 5 oz of grilled chicken breast, bell peppers and onions over raw bok choy with fat free sour cream and picante sauce. 20 oz of water.

Meal 4 - 2 chicken drumsticks, no/little skin with homemade red pepper masala. 20 oz of water.

Meal 5 - 3 cups of popcorn and 1 square of Lindt dark 75% chocolate with black tea and milk.

Meal 6 - 1/2 cup of muesli, 1/2 cup of yogurt, 1/2 apple and 1/2 scoop of protein powder. 40 oz of water.

Knee exercises and ITB stretches....

I posted these because I am recovering from a knee injury. As we live in Russia, I have not seen a doctor as of yet so I am having to perform daily stretches and exercises to help my knee until we find out what the underlying problem is. They have helped a great deal and every day my knee is getting stronger. I now have no pain when I run, and the swelling continues to go down. As of now my runs are only 11 consecutive mins and each week I am increasing my distance my 10% to ensure that I do not re-injure my knee. So far this plan is working well.

I wanted to share these videos I found as there may be others who are suffering from a similar problem as well as have the videos online so that I can refer back to them as needed.

Rest day....

I am one sore little lady! I feel wonderful in that my muscles have been worked hard and I am feeling it!! I was debating whether or not to do my scheduled lower body and core workout but today is after all a holiday back in the states so I figured a day off would not hurt! :) I will be back at it tomorrow. But for today it is a lazy day for sure!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!

Daily goals -
Complete scheduled workout - did not meet goal - took today off.
Drink 20 oz of water before breakfast - done
Stay within my daily caloric range - done
Knee exercises/stretches - done
Drink at least 128 oz of water - done
Take all supplements and vitamins - done
Drink 4 - 5 bags of green/white tea a day - did not meet goal.

Daily Intake -
Calories consumed - 1,681
Protein - 39%
Fat - 22%
Carbs - 39%

Meal 1 - 20 oz of water. 2 eggs, 3 egg whies, 1/2 red bell pepper, 3.5 oz of chicken breast, .70 oz of goat cheese and fresh basil. 2 cup of black tea with milk.

Meal 2 - 1/2 cup of muesli, 1/2 cup of yogurt , 1/2 scoop of protein powder. 40 oz of water.

Meal 3 - 3.5 oz of grilled chicken breast, bell peppers and onions over bok choy with fat free sour cream and picante sauce. 20 oz of water.

Meal 4 - 1/2 cups of oats cooked with 1/2 scoop of protein powder. 20 oz of water.

Meal 5 - 4 oz of grilled tilapia and 1/2 cup of grilled veggies. 40 oz of water.

Meal 6 - 1/2 cup of muesli, 1/2 cup of yogurt, 1/2 scoop of protein powder. 20 oz of water.

Upper body ST with cardio.

"A man can be as great as he wants to be. If you believe in yourself and have the courage, the determination, the dedication, the competitive drive and if you are willing to sacrifice the little things in life and pay the price for the things that are worthwhile, it can be done." - Vince Lombardi

Daily goals -
Complete scheduled workout - done
Drink 20 oz of water before breakfast - done
Stay within my daily caloric range - done
Knee exercises/stretches - done
Drink at least 128 oz of water - done
Take all supplements and vitamins - done
Drink 4 - 5 bags of green/white tea a day - done

Workout 1 - Upper body ST with treadmill walk/run.

BB bicep curls with 56 lb BB -
Set 1 - 10 reps
Set 2 - 8 reps

Standard 21's with 19.8 lb DBs -
Set 1 - 21 reps
Set 2 - 21 reps

Two arm hammer curls with 19.8 lb DBs -
Set 1 - 12 reps
Ser 2 - 12 reps

Alternating cross body curls with 28.2 lb DBs -
Set 1 - 8 reps for each arm
Set 2 - 8 reps for each arm

Seated Arnold press with 19.8 lb DBs -
Set 1 - 10 reps
Set 2 - 10 reps

Seated alternating shoulder press with 19.8 lb DBs -
Set 1 - 10 reps for each arm
Set 2 - 10 reps for each arm

Front/lateral raise combo with 11 lb DBs -
Set 1 - 16 reps
Set 2 - 16 reps

Bent over lateral raise with 11lb DBs -
Set 1 - 8 reps
Set 2 - 8 reps

Standing reverse flys with 30 lb resistance bands -
Set 1 - 12 reps
Set 2 - 12 reps

One arm bent over lateral raise with 40 lb resistance band -
Set 1 - 12 reps for each arm
Set 2 - 12 reps for each arm

Incline reverse DB flys with 6.6 lb DBs -
Set 1 - 12 reps
Set 2 - 12 reps

Straight arm pulldowns with 40 lb resistance band -
Set 1 - 15 reps
Set 2 - 15 reps

Close grip pulldowns with 40 lb resistance band -
Set 1 - 15 reps
Set 2 - 15 reps

Wide grip pulldowns with 40 lb resistance band -
Set 1 - 15 reps
Set 2 - 15 reps

Under hand close grip pulldowns with 40 lb resistance band -
Set 1 - 15 reps
Set 2 - 15 reps

Seated rows with 40 lb resistance band -
Set 1 - 15 reps
Set 2 - 15 reps

Horizontal body chops with resistance band -
Set 1 - 15 reps on each side
Set 2 - 15 reps on each side

Wood choppers with one 28.2 lb DB -
Set 1 - 12 reps
Set 2 - 12 reps

BB bent over rows with 78 lb BB -
Set 1 - 10 reps
Set 2 - 10 reps

BB bent over rows with 56 lb BB -
Set 1 - 15 reps
Set 2 - 15 reps

Seated single arm rows with 40 lb resistance band -
Set 1 - 15 reps for each arm
Set 2 - 15 reps for each arm

Bench Dips -
Set 1 - 25 reps
Set 2 - 25 reps

Two arm laying tricep extension with a pair of 19.8 lb DBs -
Set 1 - 8 reps
Set 2 - 8 reps

One arm overhead tricep extensions with one 19.8 lb DB -
Set 1 - 10 reps for each arm
Set 2 - 10 reps for each arm

Two arm overhead extension with 40 lb resistance band -
Set 1 - 15 reps
Set 2 - 15 reps

Incline DB press with 28.2 lb DBs -
Set 1 - 12 reps
Set 2 - 8 reps

DB flys with 19.8 lb DBs -
Set 1 - 12 reps
Set 2 - 12 reps

Decline push-ups -
Set 1 - 12 reps
Set 2 - 12 reps

BB bench press with 78 lb BB -
Set 1 - 10 reps
Set 2 - 8 reps

BB bench press with 56 lb BB -
Set 1 - 15 reps
Set 2 - 12 reps

Post workout treadmill walk and run high speed 5.8 mph - 32 mins

Total time - 105 mins
Calories burned -1,086
AHR -150/78% MHR - 184/96%


Workout 2 - Yoga stretches with 15 mins on a elliptical.

Total time - 20 mins
Calories burned - 205
AHR -150/78% MHR - 170/89%

Totals for the day -
Time - 125 mins
Calories burned - 1,291

Daily Intake -
Calories consumed - 2,044
Fat - 12%
Carbs - 43%
Protein - 45%

Meal 1 - 1/2 cup of oats, 1/2 apple cooked with 1/4 cup of yogurt, 2 tbsp of ground flaxseeds, 1 scoop of protein powder and 4 egg whites. 40 oz of water with 5 green tea bags.

Meal 2 - 1.5 cups of milk, 1.5 scoop of protein powder and 1/2 cup frozen strawberries. 20 oz of water

Meal 3 - 5 oz of grilled chicken breast grilled with bell peppers and onions over raw bok choy with fat free sour cream and picante sauce. 20 oz of water.

Meal 4 - 1/2 cup of muesli, 1/2 cup of yogurt, 1/2 apple, 1/2 scoop of protein powder.

Meal 4 - 7 oz of tilapia. 20 oz of water.

Meal 5 - 1/2 cup of muesli, 1/2 cup of yogurt, 1/2 apple, 1/2 scoop of protein powder. 40 oz of water. 2 cups of red ginger tea with lemon.

Lower body core work with cardio.

“Never neglect the little things. Never skimp on that extra effort, that additional few minutes, that soft word of praise or thanks, that delivery of the very best that you can do. It does not matter what others think, it is of prime importance, however, what you think about you. You can never do your best, which should always be your trademark, if you are cutting corners and shirking responsibilities. You are special. Act it. Never neglect the little things.” Og Mandino

Today was a success in every way. I reached all of my goals, I worked hard and I can rest tonight in knowing that I did my best and as a result, I am another day closer to reaching my ultimate dream!! Remember that today is a gift, a blessing another chance to make a difference - make it count!! Work hard, reach high!!

Daily goals -
Complete scheduled workout - done
Drink 20 oz of water before breakfast - done
Stay within my daily caloric range - done
Knee exercises/stretches - done
Drink at least 128 oz of water - done
Take all supplements and vitamins - done
Drink 4 - 5 bags of green/white tea a day - done

Workout 1 - 45 min walk before breakfast - high speed walking 4.6 mph and 11 mins of running high speed 5.5 mph. With post walk stretch.

Total time - 48:11 mins
Calories burned - 305
AHR -118/61% MHR - 173/90%

Workout 2 - Lower body work with core. Warm up - Cathe Drill Max DVD -

Prisoner Squats -
3 sets of 20 reps

V squeezes on balance ball -
3 sets of 20 reps

Lateral skaters -
3 sets of 20 reps

Standing Fire-hydrants -
3 sets of 20 reps for each leg.

Squatting Firewalkers/Crab walk with resistance band -
3 sets of 50 reps

Balance ball leg curls -
3 sets of 15 reps

Mountain climbers -
3 sets of 20 reps

Low pulse lunges -
3 sets of 15 reps for each leg

Balance ball plank roll outs (elbows on ball in plank position to roll out ) -
3 sets of 15 reps

Side to side crunch with both legs raised holding one 17.6 lb DB -
3 sets of 20 reps

Balance ball roll outs on knees -
3 sets of 15 reps

Cross body mountain climbers -
3 sets of 20 reps

Balance ball plank crunches( elbows on bench and feet on ball- pull knees to chest) -
3 sets of 15 reps

Diagonal chops with squat holding one 17.6 lb DB -
3 sets of 15 reps for each side.

Horizontal chops with resistance bands -
3 sets of 15 reps

Balance ball exchange -
3 sets of 15 reps

Standing oblique crunch with leg raise -
3 sets of 20 reps for each side

Total time - 56:12 mins
Calories burned - 535
AHR - 144/75% MHR - 176/92%

Total time for the day - 104 mins
Total Calories burned - 840


Daily Intake -
Calories burned - 1,746
Fat - 20%
Carbs - 40%
Protein - 39%

Meal 1 - 1/2 cup of muesli, 1/2 apple, 1/2 cup of yogurt, 1/4 scoop of protein powder and 2 tbsp of ground flaxseeds. 3 egg whites scrambled with 1 egg. 40 oz of water with 5 bags of green tea.

Meal 2 - 3.5 oz of grilled chicken with bell peppers and onions over lettuce with fat free sour cream and picante sauce. 20 oz of water.

Meal 3 - 1 scoop of protein powder, 8 oz of water and 1/2 scoop of frozen strawberries.

Meal 4 - 7 oz of grilled tilapia and 1 sweet potato. 40 oz of water.

Meal 5 - 1/2 cup of muesli, 1/2 apple, 1/2 cup of yogurt, 1/4 scoop of protein powder. 20 oz of water.

Meal 6 - 2.5 cups of popcorn. 1 cup of milk, 1/2 scoop of protein powder. 2 cups of red ginger tea with lemon and 1 square of Lindt 75% dark chocolate.

Upper body ST with my first run since my knee injury!

Today was awesome! I lifted hard, and I ran for the first time in weeks since my knee injury! I could not help myself today. I felt as if I was going to burst if I did not run, I miss it so much. I only ran for 11 mins with a high speed of 5.5 mph, so I kept it slow and steady but I was so excited to be running and best of all - without pain! Hopefully tomorrow I can do this again and slowly increase my time as long as the swelling keeps down and I am pain free.

Daily goals -
Drink 20 oz of water before breakfast - done
Complete workout - done
Stay within caloric range for the day - done
Knee exercises/ stretches - done
Ice knee at least 4 times a day - done
Take all supplements and vitamins - done


Upper body ST with walking intervals - Warm up 10 mins - Cathe Drill max -


Chest/Back supersets -


Superset 1 - DB Flys/WideGrip Pulldowns -

DB flys - 3 sets of 10 reps with 19.8 lb. DBs
Wide grip Pulldowns with 40lb P90X bands - 3 sets of 10 reps


Superset 2 - Decline push-ups/Straight arm pulldowns -

Decline push-ups - 3 sets of 10 reps
Straight arm pulldowns with 40lb. P90X band - 3 sets of 10 reps


Superset 3 - DB Press/ One arm rows -

DB Press - 3 sets of 12 reps with 31lb DBs
One arm rows - 3 sets of 12 reps with 31lb DBs


Superset 4 - Wide-fly push-ups/BB bent over rows -

Wide fly push-ups - 3 sets of 10 reps
BB bent over rows - 3 sets of 10 reps with 78 lb BB


Shoulders/Rear delt supersets -


Superset 1 - Military Press/ Rear flys on balance ball -

Military Press - 3 sets of 10 reps with 19.8 lb DBs
Rear flys on balance ball - 3 sets of 12 reps with 6.6 lb DBs


Superset 2 - Front and Side raise combo/ Bent over flys -

Front and Side raise combo - 3 sets of 16 reps -
Set 1 - 16 reps with 11 lb DBs
Set 2 - 16 reps with 6.6 lb DBs
Set 3 - 16 reps with 6.6 lb DBs

Bent over flys - 3 sets of 8 reps
Set 1 - 8 reps with 11 lb DBs
Set 2 - 8 reps with 6.6 lb DBs
Set 3 - 8 reps with 6.6 lb DBs


Superset 3 - Scapular retractions/Upright rows -

Scapular retractions - 3 sets of 10 reps with 40lb P90X bands.
Upright rows - 3 sets of 8 reps with a pair of 19.8 lb DBs


Bicep/Triceps superset -


Superset 1 - BB curls/Two arm tricep pulldowns -

BB curls - 3 sets total with 56 lb BB
Set 1 and 2 - 8 reps and Set 3 - 6 reps

Two arm tricep pulldowns - 3 sets of 15 reps with 40lb P90X bands


Superset 2 - Static curls/Balance ball dips -

Static curls - 3 sets of 10 reps for each arm with 19.8 lb DBs
Balance ball dips - hands on the ball - 3 sets of 10 reps


Superset 3 - Bicep curls/ Two arm laying tricep extensions -

Alternating Bicep curls - 3 sets total -
Set 1 - 8 reps for each arm with 31 lb DBs
Set 2 - 8 reps for each arm with 25.5 lb DBs
Set 3 - 10 reps with each arm with 19.8 lb DBs

Two arm laying down tricep extensions - 3 sets of 10 reps with a pair of 19.8 lb DBs


Post ST walk on tread for 15 mins high speed 4.5 mph and 11 min run high speed 5.5 mph - 26 mins total

Total time - 99.19 mins
Calories burned - 1,060
AHR - 153/80% MHR - 192/100%

Daily Intake -
Calories consumed - 1,844
Fat - 16%
Protein - 39%
Carbs - 45%

Meal 1 - 1/2 cup of oatbran/oatmeal cooked with 1/4 cup of milk, 1/2 scoop of protein powder and 3 egg whites. 20 oz of water with white tea.

Meal 2 - 3.5 oz of grilled chicken breast with bell peppers and onions over lettuce and picante sauce and fat free sour cream. 20 oz of water with 4 bags of green tea.

Meal 3 - 1.5 cups of milk, 1.5 scoops of protein powder and 1/2 cup of frozen strawberries. 20 oz of water.

Meal 4 - 1/2 cup of muesli, 1 tbsp. of protein powder, 1/2 cup of yogurt, 2 tbsp of ground flaxseeds and 1/2 apple. 20 oz of water.

Meal 5 - 1 small sweet potato, 3.5 oz of grilled tilapia. 1/2 apple with 2 tsp. of almond butter. 40 oz of water.

Meal 6 -3.5 oz of chicken breast with bell peppers and onions over lettuce and fat free sour cream and picante sauce. 2 cups of decaf red ginger tea with lemon. 20 oz of water.

Meal 7 - Late night snack of popcorn - 3 cups and 40 oz of water.

Oh how I love thee cheat days!

What can I say, I am human! Each week I stay pretty strict on my diet for 5-6 days, then comes the FUN! Pasta, bread and cheese! Yesterday was my cheat day and it was glorious! I did rather well actually for a cheat day and loved every second of it!

Today I am not going to be as strict as normal so we will call this my mini cheat day number 2! I think I deserve it and I know my metabolism with love it as soon as I go back to my low calorie day tomorrow. For those wondering I cycle my calories so that I have 6 days a week that are low or within the lower range of my allowance. Then 1 day a week I go for a higher range, well above my daily allowance. It works well for me and I have seen great results doing this.

For those of you just starting out on your weight loss journey I think it is important to remember that you need to allow your self meals or treats that you can look forward to. This is after all a lifetime commitment. Have in your mind a restaurant or a favorite dish that you want to indulge in and set a date for it. Everyone is different but for me it works well. Now as with anything in life remember moderation is key! A cheat day does not mean you can take a gallon of cookies and cream ice cream and just devour the whole thing! Never forget that you always have control as to how much you are going to consume, even on days where you are splurging.

I was SO excited yesterday as we went to Metro, similar to Sams and Costco in the states. Every once and awhile you can find some great fresh veggies and yesterday I hit the jack pot!! Fresh broccoli, zucchini and basil. I was also happy to see that they had sweet potatoes, tuna steaks, as well as tilapia!! I bought 4 bags of frozen tilapia! When it is in you better stock up! So now for this week I have such a great variety to choose from. It is funny the things we get excited about over here!

Looking ahead to next week I am pumped! I was reading through my Turbulence Training this weekend and I have found some more great ideas for exercises to fit into my program! I also browsed through some youtube videos of various workout routines. I am always looking for new moves to spice up my routine! Working out in the same place inside of your house for 3 years can sometimes get dull and repetitive! I have said this before my heaven help me the day I step foot in a gym back in the states, I will never want to leave!! I really will be like a kid in a candy store!

My knee is consistently doing better each day. The swelling is going down and my stability is better than ever. I am hoping that after the end of this week I can start to run again. Starting off slowly of course, but just to run period, regardless of the speed will be so great,I miss it so much.

Hope everyone has a blessed weekend and you reach all of your goals!! Keep pressing on!!

Workout Schedule - 11/24 - 11/30

Monday 11/24 -

AM - 45 min walk before breakfast.
PM - Upper body circuit

Tuesday 11/25 -

AM - 45 min walk before breakfast
PM - Lower body circuit and core work.

Wednesday 11/26 -

AM - 45 min walk before breakfast
PM - Upper body circuit

Thursday - 11/27 - Happy Thanksgiving!

AM - 45 min walk before breakfast
PM - Lower body circuit and core work

Friday - 11/28 -

AM - 45 min walk before breakfast
PM - Upper body circuit

Saturday - 11/29 -

Day off

Sunday - 11/30 -

Day off

Daily Intake - 11/22-
Calories consumed - 2,279 - High calorie day.
Protein - 21%
Fat - 38%
Carbs - 41%

Meal 1 - 1/2 cup of muesli and 1/2 cup of milk.

Meal 2 - Stuffed eggplant with garlic, tomatoes, cucumber and onions (a dish served at our favorite restaurant here. It is a Uzbeck restaurant and oh so yummy!) 2 skewers - a mix of chicken, beef, pork and lamb kebabs, side of bread and a cappuccino

Meal 3 - 1.5 slices of whole grain bread with goat cheese! My all time favorite thing!!

Meal 4 - 1/2 of mixed oats cereal (processed) with 1/2 cup of milk

Meal 5 - Whole wheat pasta with grilled chicken breast in pesto sauce with mixed berry yogurt for dessert and a piece of 75% dark chocolate.

Daily Intake - 11/23 -
Calories consumed - 1,510
Protein - 37%
Fat - 25%
Carbs - 38%

Meal 1 - 1/2 cup of muesli, 1/2 cup of yogurt, 1/2 apple and 1 tbsp of ground flaxseeds. 32 oz of water with 3 green tea bags.

Meal 2 - 1/4 serving of whole wheat pasta and grilled chicken pesto. 40 oz of water.

Meal 4- 1.5 scoops of protein powder, 1/2 cup of frozen blackberries and 1.5 cups of milk. 20 oz of water.

Meal 5 - Fajita salad - 5 oz of grilled chicken breast with bell peppers and onions grilled with olive oil and served with lettuce, fat free sour cream and picante sauce. 40 oz of water.

Meal 5 - 2.5 cups of popcorn and 2 squares of Lindt Ecuador dark chocolate 75% with decaf black tea with lemon.

Turbulence Training push-up variations...

Try these! For the first time I tried a new one, the walking staggered hand push-ups yesterday and I can tell you I am feeling it today! Great stuff!!! If you have not checked out Turbulence Training do so, it is wonderful. Click here to find out more.

Upper body circuit...

I lifted well today. I did one of my circuit workouts and once again it proved to be a great way to burn calories while lifting! Today was longer than some of my other circuits as I was having to change the weights of my DBs so that took a bit of time, but it also gave me a small rest between muscle groups so it worked well.  I finished the workout with a 10 min walk on the treadmill, I was aiming for 20 mins but I could feel my body was starting to fatigue and I needed to get my post workout shake in and fast!! 

I am pleased with how my program is shaping up despite the fact that I still can not run on the treadmill because of my knee. I am getting some great workouts in and I am seeing a difference in the mirror as well as with the measuring tape! That is encouraging! I just need to stay on course, and allow my knee to heal then I can get back to all those wonderful intervals and runs that I miss so much. 

I am looking forward to this weekend, it is my weekly free or cheat meal! Yea! I am really strict with my diet 6 days out of the week so I allow myself one day to indulge - but not too much!  For me my cheat day usually includes more oats and yogurt throughout the day which I love, sushi for lunch or dinner or soba noodles and of course my favorite treat goat cheese and whole grain bread!  For my sweet tooth I like to add dark chocolate, 85%!!  

Tomorrows workout will be leg work with some core and a walk. Hope everyone has a great day and a wonderful, productive weekend! Work hard, reach high! 

Full Body Circuit with post workout walk on treadmill. Warm up - Cathe Drill max dvd - warm up set only. 

Push-ups - 3 sets of 10 reps - 90 reps total -

Close Grip push-up 

Spiderman push-up - (regular push-up then take one knee to the elbow on each side) 

Walking staggered hands push-up - ( one hand down low at chest level and the other staggered high above shoulders, then push down and come up then crawl forward into the next position and push down...repeat for 5 reps back and forward for a total of 10 reps)

DB flys -  4 sets alternating reps and weights - 

Set 1 and 2 - 15 reps with 19.8 lb DBs 

Set 3 and 4 - 8 reps with 25.5 lb DBs 

DB Key Press -  

3 sets of 10 reps with 25.5 lb DBs 

Standing DB shoulder press -

3 sets of 8 reps with 19.8 lb DBs.

DB upright rows - 

3 sets of 8 reps with a pair of 19.8 lb DBs 

Scapular retractions with resistance bands - 

3 sets of 12 reps 

Rear delt flys on balance ball - 

3 sets of 8 reps with 11 lb DBs 

One arm DB front raise - 

Set 1 - 8 reps with each arm with one 19.8 lb DB 

Set 2 - 10 reps with each arm with one 17.6 lb DB 

Set 3 - 15 reps with each arm with one 11 lb DB

One arm DB side raise - 

Set 1 - 10 reps with each arm with one 19.8 lb DB 

Set 2 - 12 reps with each arm with one 17.6 lb DB

Set 3 - 20 reps with each arm with one 11 lb DB

Laying down two arm tricep extensions and one legged bench dips - 3 double sets - 

Set 1 - 10 reps with a pair of 19.8 lb DBs, followed by 15 dips 

Set 2 - 8 reps with a pair of 19.8 lb DBs, followed by 15 dips 

Set 3 - 10 reps with a pair of 19.8 lb DBs, followed by 15 dips

Standing bicep BB curl - 

3 sets of 8 reps with 56 lb BB. 

Alternating bicep curls - 

2 sets of 16 reps (8 reps for each arm) with 31 lb DBs 

Alternating hammer curls - 

Set 1 - 12 reps ( 6 reps for each arm) with 31 lb DBs. 

Set 2 - 16 reps ( 8 reps each arm) with 25.5 lb DBs 

One arm DB rows - 

3 sets of 8 reps for each arm with one 47 lb DB

Bent over BB rows - 

Set 1 - 10 reps with 100 lb BB

Set 2 - 10 reps with 78 lb BB

Set 3 - 10 reps with 78 lb BB

Total time -  93 mins 

Calories burned - 917 

AHR - 146/76% MHR - 179/93%

Daily Goals - 

Drink 20 oz of water before breakfast - done 

Take all supplements and vitamins - done 

Stay within caloric range for the day - done 

Ice my knee at least 4 times a day - done 

Knee stretches/exercises - done 

Daily Intake - 

Calories consumed - 1,758

Protein - 35%

Fat - 19%

Carbs - 46%

Meal 1 - 1 cups of oats/muesli mix, 1/2 cup of yogurt, 1/2 apple, 1 tbsp. of ground flaxseeds. 3 bags of green tea with water and milk.  20 oz of water. 

Meal 2 - 1 scoop of protein powder, 8 oz of water, 1/2 cup of frozen strawberries. 

Meal 3 - 1 cup of milk, 1.5 scoop of protein powder and 1/2 cup of frozen strawberries. 

Meal 4 - 1 cup of white bean soup with a side of asparagus and broccoli. 40 oz of water. 

Meal 5 -  2 eggs and 1 egg white scrambled. 40 oz of water. 

Meal 6 - 2.5 cups of popcorn. 3 cups of decaf black tea with milk. 20 oz of water. 

 

Turbulence Training Bodyweight 1000 -

This kind of stuff makes me happy! I love these of workouts, so effective and so much fun!!! 

Another Cathe Clip!!

I cannot wait for STS to be released!! In the mean time here is another clip. This one is from the bonus leg routine from mesocycle 1 -

Taking the day off...

I woke up this morning and did not feel my usual self. Not sure if I am about to get sick or I am just tired, either way, I am taking today off. Today I had scheduled core work and a walk so I will have to make it up tomorrow. Despite the fact that I took today off, I still met all my goals! 

Daily goals - 

Drink 20 oz of water before breakfast - done 

Take all supplements and vitamins - done 

Knee exercises and stretches  - done 

Ice at least 4 times throughout the day - done 

Stay within caloric range for the day - done  

Daily Intake - 

Calories consumed - 1,249

Protein -  38%

Fat -  28%

Carbs -  34%

Meal 1 -  20 oz of water. 3/4 cup of muesli, 1/2 cup of yogurt, 1/2 apple and 1 tbsp of ground flaxseeds.  2 cups of black tea with milk. 

Meal 2 - 5 egg whites scrambled with 1/2 cup of grilled veggies, and 3.5 oz of ground chicken breast. 40 oz of water. 

Meal 3 - 2 eggs scrambled with 1/2 cup of chopped mushrooms. 20 oz of water.  2 cups of decaf black tea with lemon

Meal 4 - 3.5 oz of ground chicken, garlic and mushrooms stuffed in a red bell pepper. 20 oz of water. 

Meal 5 - 1.5 scoops of protein powder, 1/2 cup of frozen strawberries and 8 oz of water. 20 oz of water. 

P90x Chest, Shoulders and Triceps

Today was great. I lifted well, I feel wonderful and the swelling of my knee is going down. I did not do my morning cardio today as I did not want to over do a good thing. I wanted to give my knee a rest so that I could continue walking this week without injury.  This was my last P90X workout for awhile as I am going to switch up my weight training for a few weeks, as I do from time to time. I am going back to doing a circuit format on Friday, then after about 2 - 3 weeks I will go back to P90X.  

P90X Chest, Shoulders and Triceps - 

• Slow motion 3 in 1 push-ups -  20 reps 
  
• In and out shoulder flys - 16 reps with 11 lb DBs 
  
• Chair dips with one leg - 23 reps 
  
• Plange push-ups - 10 reps 
  
• Pike Press push-ups - 12 reps 
  
• Side tri-rise - 10 reps with each arm. 
  
• Floor fly push-ups - 16 reps 
  
• Scarecrow - 10 reps with 11 lb DBs 
  
• Two arm overhead tricep extension - 8 reps with 19.8 lb DBs in each hand. 
  
• Two twitch speed push-ups -  16 reps 
  
• Y overhead shoulder press - 8 reps with 19.8 lb DBs 
  
• Lying down two arm tricep extension - 10 reps with 19.8 lb DBs in each hand. 
  
• Side to side push-ups - 10 reps 
  
• Pour flys - 15 reps with 6.6 lb DBs 
  
• One arm side leaning tricep extensions - 8 reps for each arm with one 19.8 lb DB
  
• One arm push-ups - 13 reps on knees. 
  
• Weighted circles - 15 reps with 11 lb. DBs and 25 reps with 6.6 lb DBs 
  
• Throw the bomb - 10 reps for each arm with  one 19.8 lb DB
  
• Clap/plyo push-ups - 1  clap push up standard then 12 clap/plyo's on knees
  
• Slo-mo-throw - 10 reps with 11lb DBs 
  
• One arm front to back tricep extensions - 10 reps for each arm with one 19.8 lb DB. 
  
• Balance push-ups/T- push-ups - 20 reps 
  
• Fly-row-overhead press combo - 8 reps with 19.8 lb DBs, then 8 reps with 11lb DBs 
  
• Lying down DB cross body blows - 16 reps with 19.8 lb DBs, then 20 reps with 11 lb DBs
  

Total time - 49.39 mins 

Calories burned - 436

AHR - 138/72%  MHR - 181/94%

Daily goals - 

Drink at least 20 oz of water before breakfast - done 

Take all supplements and vitamins - done 

Stay within caloric range for the day - done 

Drink at least 128 oz of water throughout the day - done 

Knee stretches/ice knee at least 4 times during the day - done 

Daily Intake - 

Calories consumed - 1,444

Protein - 30%

Fat - 12%

Carbs - 58%

Meal 1 - 1/4 cup of muesli, 3 egg whites, 1/4 scoop of protein powder made into a protein pancake and topped with 3 tbsp of yogurt and 1 tbsp of strawberry jam. 2 cups of black tea with milk and 4o oz of water. 

Meal 2 - 1/2 cup of muesli, 1/2 cup of yogurt and 1/2 apple with 1 tbsp of ground flaxseeds. 20 oz of water. 

Meal 3 - 1 cup of milk, 1/2 cup of frozen strawberries and 1.5 scoop of protein powder. 40 oz of water.  

Meal 4 - 1 cup of Arrowhead Mills bear mush, 1/2 cup of milk, 3 tsp. of fruit sweetener. 40 oz of water.  2 cups of black tea with lemon. 

New Cathe Clip of STS

Morning walk with core work...

After yesterdays walk I am so happy to report that my knee is doing well. The swelling has gone down and my mobility is better than ever! I kept the walk short this morning to ensure that I did not over do it. It has only been 2 days of walking now but I am super excited about the possibility of getting back to running maybe in a few weeks.  I am not going to push it though, a friend wrote me and put it best, what is 2 or 3 months off from running in the long run! I need to pace myself to ensure that I am start back strong! 

It looks as though our stay here in Siberia is going to be extended until the end of January, possibly February.  I am going to try and make the most of this time in order to get myself ready for my races coming up back home. I am going to have to start the year off slower than I wanted to but I need to work on crossing the finish line strong and not injured, then working on speed can follow! This is a journey that does not end after one race, it is one I want to continue for life! 

Hope everyone's day is wonderful!! Keep pressing on!! 

Morning walk on treadmill followed by core work - 

High speed on treadmill- 4.4 mph walk - 35 mins 

P90X Ab Ripper X 

Cathe Butts and Guts Ab work - part with 11 lb DB

Additional Core work - 

Planks to T-planks, 

Diagonal and horizontal body chops with resistance bands

Standing fire-hydrants with oblique crunch

Windmills, side to side twist and standing cross oblique crunches holding 10 kg plate (22 lbs) 

Balance ball work - prone jackknifes, roll outs and V glut squeezes. 

Total time - 73 mins 

Calories burned - 503

AHR - 122/64%  MHR - 161/84%

Daily goals - 

Drink at least 20 oz of water before breakfast - done 

Take all supplements and vitamins - done 

Drink at least 128 0z of water throughout the day - done 

Knee stretches and ice knee at least 4 times a day - done 

Stay within caloric range for the day - done 

Daily Intake - 

Calories consumed -  1,401

Protein - 29%

Fat - 27%

Carbs -  44%

Meal 1 - 20 oz of water before breakfast. 1/2 cup of muesli, 1/2 cup of yogurt with 1 tbsp. of ground flaxseeds and 1/2 apple. 1 cup of black tea with milk. 

Meal 2 - 1/2 cup of oats, 3 egg whites, 1/2 scoop of protein powder mixed into a protein pancake topped with 1 tbsp of maple syrup and 3 tbsp. of yogurt. 20 oz water. 

Meal 3 - 1/2 cup of homemade ground chicken chili, 1 sweet potato. 40 oz of water. 

Meal 4 - 1 egg, 4 egg whites scrambled with 1/2 cup of grilled veggies and 3.5 oz of ground chicken. 40 oz of water.  1 serving of  homemade pumpkin custard (egg whites, pumpkin and honey.)

Meal 5 - 3 cups of decaf black tea with lemon. 2.5 cups of popcorn.

P90X Back and Biceps with morning walk.

Today was my first big day back on the treadmill!! I walked slowly at a 3.0 mph to warm up and slowly over the course of 55 mins increased my speed to walking at 4.3 mph. My knee feels good I iced it right after I walked so I am hoping that tonight it continues not to swell. If all goes well I will do this again tomorrow and hopefully every day this week. I am doing to take it day by day and see how my knee feels but I am SO excited right now to be back doing at least some kind of cardio!! 

My ST workout today was by far my hardest ever. My arms really do feel as if they are going to fall off!! It was great, but I am having to fight for the last 3 reps or so, I mean really fight for it! I am still getting used to the 8 -10 rep range, so I am constantly having to change the weights of my DBs to try and get the exact weight I need to maximize lifting as much as possible. Towards the end of the workout my arms started burn in a way that I have not felt in so long. My bicep muscles where absolutely drained! As I was fatigued, my form started to break and I really had to focus on staying strong with my form to the end. This is something I need to work on next time. Also I need to remember to breathe! Why do we want to hold our breath when we are lifting heavy? :)

I am so proud of myself today. I was able to walk this morning, my knee is slowly getting better and I had a great ST session. Today I can rest in knowing that I did all that I could to take myself another step closer towards meeting my goals! 

Daily goals - 

Drink 20 oz of water before breakfast - done 

Take all supplements and vitamins - done 

Stay within caloric range of the day - done 

Drink at least 128oz of water throughout the day - done 

Knee exercises/stretches and ice knee at least 4 times a day - done 

Workout 1 - Morning walk before breakfast. 

Total time - 55.21 mins 

Calories burned - 365

AHR - 121/63%  MHR -  155/81%

Workout 2 - P90X Back and Biceps. 

Total time - 66.53 mins

Calories burned - 638

AHR -144/75%  MHR -  182/95%

P90X Back and Biceps - 

• Wide front rack pull-ups - 8 reps 
  
• Lawnmowers (one arm bent over rows) - 8 reps for each arm with one 48 lb DB. 
  
• Standard 21's - 21 reps with 42.7 lb BB. 
  
• One arm cross body curls - 8 reps with each arm with 31.3 lb DBs. 
  
• Switch grip rack pull-ups - 8 reps 
  
• Elbows out lawnmowers (one arm rows with elbow out to side) - 10 reps with each arm with one 37 lb DB. 
  
• Standing bicep curl - 15 reps with 42.7 BB. 
  
• Bent over one arm concentration curls - 12 reps with each arm with 17.6 lb DBs 
  
• Corn Cob rack Pull-up - 6 reps 
  
• Reverse grip bent over rows - 15 reps with 65 lb BB. 
  
• Two arm open curls - 12 reps with 25.5lb DBs 
  
• Static arm curl - 16 reps with 25.5 lb DBs 
  
• Towel rack pull-ups - 6 reps
  
• Congdon locomotive - 40 reps with 25.5 lb DBs 
  
• Crouching Cohen curl - replaced this with standard curls with BB - 15 reps with 42.7 lb BB.  
  
• One arm corkscrew curl - 10 reps with each arm with 25.5 lb DBs 
  
• Rack chin-ups - 6 reps 
  
• Seated bent over back fly - 23 reps with 11 lb DBs
  
• Two arm Curl up/hammer down - 6 reps with 31.3 lb DBs then, 10 reps with 25.5 lb DBs. 
  
• Two arm hammer curls - 8 reps with 25.5 lb DBs 
  
• Max rep rack pull-ups - 8 reps 
  
• Supermans - 5 reps with 10 sec. hold. 
  
• Two arm in and out hammer curls - 8 reps with 25.5 lb DBs 
  
• Strip-set curls -  4 sets total - 
• Set 1 - 8 reps with 42.7 lb BB 
• Set 2 - 8 reps wtih 42.7 lb BB
  
• Set 3 - 8 reps of two arm curls with 25.5 lb DBs 
  
• Set 4 - 8 reps with 42.7 lb BB. 
  

Totals for the day - 

Time -  121.74 mins 

Calories burned - 1,003

Daily Intake - 

Calories consumed - 1,636

Protein - 31%

Fat - 19%

Carbs - 50%

Meal 1 - 20 oz of water before breakfast. 1 cup of milk, 1/2 cup of frozen blueberries, 1 scoop of protein powder. 1/2 cup of muesli and 2 egg whites cooked into a pancake with 1.33 tbsp. of strawberry jam. 1 cup of black tea with milk. 

Meal 2 -  1 serving of pumpkin custard (egg whites, pumpkin and honey) and 20 oz of water. 

Meal 3 - 1 scoop of protein powder, 8 oz of water and 1/2 cup of frozen strawberries. 20 oz of water. 

Meal 4 - 1.5 servings of homemade ground chicken chili with adobo peppers in chipotle sauce. 40 oz of water. 

Meal 5 - 1/2 cup of muesli, 1/2 cup of yogurt and 1/2 apple. 1 scoop of protein powder with 8 oz of water and 1/2 cup of strawberries. 20 oz of water.  

Workout Schedule 11/17 - 11/23

Monday - Morning walk, as much as knee allows followed by P90X Back and Biceps. 

Tuesday - Morning walk, as much as knee allows followed by Core Combo - P90X Core synergistics, Cathe Core max, Baron Baptiste Yoga with Ab Ripper X and Cathe Butts and Guts, floor core work. 

Wednesday -  Morning walk, as much as knee allows followed by P90X Chest, Shoulders and Triceps. 

Thursday -  Morning walk as much as knee allows followed by 30 min of Yoga X. 

Friday - Morning walk, as much as knee allows followed by Core Combo - P90X Core synergistics, Cathe Core max, Baron Baptiste Yoga with Ab Ripper X and Cathe Butts and Guts, floor core work and a light full body strength training circuit. 

Saturday/Sunday - Day off or Stretch X 

Day off...

Today I enjoyed a lazy wonderful day off with my husband! Sunday as usual is my day off from logging so I will be back on Monday ready for another great week of workouts! Have a great weekend! 

Daily Goals - 

Drink at least 20 oz of water before breakfast - done 

Take all supplements and vitamins - done 

Drink at least 128 oz of water - done 

Stay within caloric range for the day - done 

Ice knee 4-5 times - done 

Knee stretches - not all done 

Daily Intake - 

Calories Consumed - 1,354

Protein - 17%

Fat - 25%

Carbs - 57%

Meal 1 -  20 oz of water. 1/2 cup of muesli, 1/2 apple with 1 tbsp of fruit sweetener and 1/4 cup of plain yogurt and 1 tbsp. of ground flaxseeds. 1 egg scrambled with 2 egg whites, 1 piece of wheat bread with 1 tsp. of mayo and side of ketchup. 1 cup of black tea with skim milk. 

Meal 2 -  1.5 cup of homemade chicken and brown rice soup and .o5 oz of goat cheese with 1/4 piece of bread. 20 oz of water. 

Meal 3 -  1/2 cup of muesli, 1/2 apple, 1/2 cup of low fat yogurt and 1 tbsp. of ground flaxseeds. 

Meal 4 - 1.25 serving of homemade pumpkin custard (egg whites, honey, skim milk and canned pumpkin with allspice and cinnamon.) 20 oz of water. 

Meal 6 - 2.5 cups of popcorn with 20 oz of water. 2 cups of decaf black tea with lemon. 

Super light cardio and lower body toning.

Well today was my first day back on the treadmill. It was only for 15 mins and the highest speed was 3.5 mph at a 3% incline. My knee did well with this pace. The back of my knee started to hurt just for a bit, so I backed off of the incline. Most of the time I kept it flat or at an 1% incline.  Along with my walk I did a some punching and jabbing from Kenpo X (no kicks or twist)  and then did the lower body portion of Cathe's Butts and Guts dvd with ankle weights. This was great, it really gave me a good leg workout which was much needed as I have not been doing any leg work because of my knee. 

 I did not burn hardly any calories today, I could not get my HR up. I even used my weighted hand gloves walking and during Kenpo but I just could not get my heart to really start pumping and burning those calories.  It is ok, at least I got out there and was able to walk!! That is a blessing for me as I was so worried it would be so long before I could hit the treadmill again. I am icing my knee as we speak and so far it feels ok. I will do another 15 mins of walking tomorrow along with some Yoga  and maybe if the swelling continues to go down I can increase my time on the treadmill to 20 mins by Monday, if not, then I will rest my knee a bit longer.  

Part of Kenpo X with 15 min treadmill walk followed by Cathe Butts and Guts floor work - 

Total time -  62 mins 

Calories burned -  175

AHR - 90/47%  MHR - 122/64%

Daily Goals - 

Drink 20 oz of water before breakfast - done

Take all supplements and vitamins - done 

Drink at least 128 oz of water - done 

Stay within daily caloric range - done 

Ice knee 4 to 5 times a day - done 

Knee stretches - done 

Daily Intake - 

Calories consumed - 1,216 - 

Protein - 34%

Fat - 17%

Carbs - 49% 

Meal 1 - 20 oz of water. 5 egg whites scrambled with 1/2 cup of shredded chicken breast and 1/2 cup of grilled vegetables. Side of ketchup and 1 cup of Chi tea with skim milk.  

Meal 2 - 1 cup of homemade Chicken and brown rice soup. 1 cup of decaf black tea with lemon. 20 oz of water. 

Meal 3 - 1/2 scoop of protein powder, 1/2 cup of frozen strawberries and 1/2 cup of muesli cooked. 20 oz of water. 

Meal 5 -  3.5 oz of grilled chicken breast with 2 tbsp of red curry paste, garlic and onions sautéed with 1 cup of cabbage and 1 cup of broccoli. 20 oz of water.  

Meal 6 - 1/2 cup of muesli, 1/2 apple and 1/4 cup of plain yogurt with 1 tsp. of fruit sweetener. 20 oz of water. 

Meal 7 - Late night movie snack! :) 2 cups of decaf black tea with lemon. 2 cups of popcorn.

P90X Chest and Back with Abs...

Another great day of P90X! My arms are shaking! I feel good, as if I really got a killer workout in. I am really starting to miss my runs and the rush I get from cardio, but I have to say that my heavier weights gave me quite a rush today! I added some weight to my DBs for my one arm rows, so it is now 48lbs. I needed a weight that was heavy enough for 8-10 reps and where the last 3 reps I am fighting for it while maintaining form. It was wonderful, it burned - in a good way of course and sent my HR way up! That is one sure way to get your heart pumping....lift heavy!! I also changed another set of DBs to where I had a middle weight for DB flys and curls, 20.5 lbs. So now I have the 17.6, 20.5 and 28.2 lb DBs which gives me a wide range. This worked well for me today with my flys. It gave me a good challenge and a much needed burn.

I did a warm up before P90x that really worked me hard. It was great to get some lifting in before the push ups and pull ups started! Those really wear you down! I finished today with the ever so awesome ab ripper x! In the end I was exhausted, but I was SO proud that I once again pushed it and made the most of this time. My knee is doing so much better today, again the swelling as gone down, but I still need to give it a few more days of rest before starting up my walks/runs again. I think tomorrow I am going to try Kenpo and see how that works. Kicking does not seems to give me any problems, unlike plyo, so maybe it will work well. I may also try to do the leg conditioning at the end of Cathe's Kick max dvd. That always gives me such a good burn in the legs!

Hope everyone has a fabulous day!! Work hard, Reach high!!!

Warm up - (not part of P90X) -

Incline DB press - 2 sets of 12 reps with 20.5 lb DBs

Incline DB flys - 2 sets of 8 reps with 20.5 lb DBs

Bench press - 2 sets of 12 reps with 56.4 lb BB

Barbell pullovers - 2 sets of 8 reps with 56.4 lb BB

P90X Chest and Back with Ab Ripper X -

Standard Military push-ups -

Set 1 - 22 reps

Set 2 - 20 reps

Wide front pull-ups -

Set 1 - 10 reps

Set 2 - 7 reps

Military Close grip push-ups -

Set 1 - 15 reps

Set 2 - 18 reps

Reverse grip chin-ups -

Set 1 - 6 reps

Set 2 - 6 reps

Wide-fly military push-ups -

Set 1 - 17 reps

Set 2 - 18 reps

Close grip overhead pull-ups -

Set 1 - 7 reps

Set 2 - 7 reps

Decline military push-ups -

Set 1 - 18 reps

Set 2 - 15 reps

Heavy pants ( bent over rows, I use a barbell) -

Set 1 - 20 reps with 56.4 lb BB

Set 2 - 15 reps with 56.4 lb BB

Diamond military push-ups -

Set 1 - 15 reps

Set 2 - 10 reps

Lawnmowers ( bent over one arm rows) -

Set 1 - 10 reps for each arm with one 48lb DB

Set 2 - 8 reps for each arm with one 48 lb DB

Dive-bomber push -ups ( also known as Hindu push ups)-

Set 1 - 13 reps

Set 2 - 12 reps

Back flys -

Set 1 - 20 reps with 11 lb DBs

Set 2 - 22 reps with 11 lb DBs

Ab Ripper X - total reps - 315 reps

In and outs - 25 reps

Seated bicycle - 50 reps

Seated crunchy frog - 20 reps

Crossed leg/wide leg sit up - 25 reps

Fifer scissor - 25 reps

Hip rock and raise - 20 reps

Pulse-up/heels to heaven - 16 reps

Roll-up/V-up combo - 25 reps

Oblique V-up - 25 reps

Leg climb - 34 reps

Mason twist - side to side twist - 50 reps

Total time for the day - 67 mins

Calories burned - 583

AHR - 136/71% MHR - 174/91%

Push-ups - 193 reps

Daily Goals -

Drink 20 oz of water before breakfast - done

Take all supplements and vitamins - done
Drink at least 128 oz of water - done

Stay within calorie range for the day - done

Do knee exercises and at least 20 mins of yoga - knee exercises - done /yoga - no

Ice knee 4-5 times a day - done

Daily Intake -

Calories consumed - 1,483

Protein - 27%

Fat - 21%

Carbs - 52%

Meal 1 - 20 oz of water before meal. 2 Buckwheat pancakes with 4 tbsp of low fat yogurt, 1 tbsp of strawberry jam and 1 cup of black tea.

Meal 2 - 1 cup of homemade Chicken and brown rice soup. 20 oz of water.

Meal 3 - 1 scoop of protein powder. 1 cup of skim milk and 1/2 cup of frozen strawberries. 40 oz of water.

Meal 4 - 1/2 cup of oatbran, 1/2 apple, 1/2 cup of low fat yogurt and 1 tbsp of ground flax seeds.

Meal 5 - 1/2 cup of muesli, 1/2 cup of skim milk. 3 egg whites scrambled with 1 egg. 20 oz of water.

Oh so yummy healthy winter recipes!

Here are a few wonderful dishes from Foodfit.com -

Moroccan Chicken Stew

Honey Roasted Chicken with Rosemary and Dijon

Barley, Mushroom and Winter Squash Risotto

Butternut Squash Soup with Carmelized Onions and Apples

Rest day but all goals where met!!

No ST today, just stretching and part of P90X Yoga X DVD. I did not burn hardly anything but at least I reached my goals for the day! My knee is doing better, the swelling has gone down some and I am in less pain. Tomorrow it is back to ST with P90X - Chest and Back followed by ABX. I am going to use my new heavier weights so I am excited to see how I lift with them. It is always hard when you step out of your comfort zone, but I will never advance if I keep lifting the same weights over and over. It will be so much fun when I am back in the US and can go to a gym. I just keep thinking about all of the variety that awaits me!

As far as my plan for my cardio, I am hoping that maybe by the end of this week I can start up again. I will have to start by walking and will stay clear of all high impact stuff...no plyo....but I have a good feeling that I am on the road to recovery and I will be back running in no time! I wanted to say a BIG thank you to everyone for your emails, comments and support for me during this time. Your encouragment as definately lifted my spirits and it keeps me focused, thanks so much!

P90x - Yoga X and knee exercises-
Total time - 31.37
Calories burned - 136
AHR - 102/53% MHR - 146/76%

Daily goals -
Drink water first before eating in the morning - done - 20oz.
Take all of my supplements and vitamins - done
Stay within calorie range for the day - done
Drink 128 oz. of water - done - 136 oz
Do all of my stretches for my knee plus at least 20 min of yoga - done

Daily Intake -
Calories consumed - 1,653
Protein - 35%
Fat - 19%
Carbs - 46%

Meal 1 - 20 oz of water before meal. 1 egg yolk, 3 egg whites scrambled with 1/2 cup of shredded chicken breast. 3 bags of Chi tea with water.

Meal 2 - 1/2 oatbran, 1/2 apple with 1/2 cup of low fat yogurt and 20 oz of water.

Meal 3 - 1 scoop of protein powder, 8 oz of water and 1/2 cup of frozen strawberries. 1/2 apple and 2 tsp. of almond butter and 2 bags of black tea. 40 oz of water

Meal 4 - 1 can of tuna, small amount of chopped onion, 1/2 apple mixed with 1/4 cup of plain yogurt and cabbage wedges. 40 oz of water.

Meal 5 - 1 cup of homemade chicken and brown rice soup.

Meal 6 - 1/2 cup of low fat yogurt, 1/2 cup of oatbran, 1/2 of frozen strawberries. 2 cups of Smart pop popcorn and 8 oz of water.

Time to increase my weights......

I am limited as to the types of DBs and options I have here, but I want to start increasing my weight as I have been lifting the same amount for some time now. I added weights to one of my dumbbells as well as my Barbell today which will change my rep range but that is what I need, to kick things up a notch! My goal will be to stay with in 10-12 rep range for my heavier weights and 15 -20 reps for my lighter days.

All of my weights are in kilos as we are over in Russia so the weight in pound may seem a bit odd. I never really watched the details of my lifting in terms of weights down to the .3 or .5 but now that I am trying to increase my strength I will start logging more accurately. Not sure how I will do with my new weights but it is going to be exciting to see what changes take places as a result!! I need to focus on my lifting as my knee is out and I can not do my normal cardio routines. So for now I will make the most of this time as my knee heals and really work on getting lean through lifting!!

3 kg DBs - 6.6 lbs
5 kg DBs - 11 lbs
8 kg DBs - 17.6 lbs
12.8 kg DBs - 28.2 lbs - new weight - increased weight from 25 lb which is what I was lifting before.
One 16.6 kg Dumbell - 36.5 lbs - new weight
One 25.6 kg Barbell - 56.4 lbs - new weight

P90X Shoulders and Arms with Ab ripper X -

Today was another success. All goals were met and I had a wonderful ST workout!

P90X Shoulders and Arms -

Standing alternating shoulder press -
Set 1 - 6 reps with each arm with 25 lb DBs
Set 2 - 7 reps with each arm with 17 lb DBs

In and out bicep curls (two arm curls, with two DBs, one rep in and one outward) -
Set 1 - 20 reps with 17 lb DBs
Set 2 - 15 reps with 17 lb DBs

Two arm tricep kickbacks -
Set 1 - 15 reps with 11 lb DBs
Set 2 - 15 reps with 11 lb DBs

Deep swimmers press (Start low and come up to bicep curl then straight up to overhead press.)
Set 1 - 12 reps with 17 lb DBs
Set 2 - 15 reps with 17 lb DBs

Full supination concentration curl ( curl, then rotate curl towards chest and squeeze at top) -
Set 1 - 10 reps with each arm with 25 lb DBs
Set 2 - 10 reps with each arm with 25 lb DBs

Chair Dips -
Set 1 - 21 reps
Set 2 - 25 reps

Upright rows -
Set 1 - 12 reps with 17lb DBs
Set 2 - 12 reps with 17 lb DBs

Static arm curl ( two arm curls - hold one arm in curl position while you curl the opposite arm 4 reps then switch, always holding one arm in a static hold while lifting the opposite arm.).
Set 1 - 24 reps - 6 sets of 4 count with 17 lb DBs
Set 2 - 24 reps - 6 sets of 4 count with 17 lb DBs

Flip grip twist tricep kickback ( two grips - one palms up then reverse to palms down)
Set 1 - 15 reps with red P90X resistance band.
Set 2 - 12 reps with red P90X resistance band.

Seated two angle shoulder fly( first angle upright fly, then second bend over fly)
Set 1 - 16 reps with 17 lb DBs
Set 2 - 16 reps with 11 lb DBs

Crouching Cohen curl ( crouch down and place two DBs between knees, two arm curl)
Set 1 - 12 reps with 17 lb DBs
Set 2 - 12 reps with 17 lb DBs

Lying down tricep extensions -
Set 1 - 15 reps with 17 lb DBs
Set 2 - 15 reps with 17 lb DBs

In and out straight arm shoulder flys -
Set 1 - 16 reps with 11 lb DBs
Set 2 - 16 reps with 11 lb DBs

Congdon curls ( two arm bicep curls - standard curl up then hammer curl down).
Set 1 - 15 reps with 17 lb DBs
Set 2 - 15 reps with 17 lb DBs

Side tri raise ( lay on side then with one arm push up then lower body)
Set 1 - 15 reps for each arm
Set 2 - 20 reps for each arm

Core work - Ab ripper X - Total reps - 307

In and outs - 25 reps
Seated bicycle - 50 reps
Seated crunchy frog - 25 reps
Crossed leg sit up - 20 reps
Fifer scissor - 20 reps
Hip rock and raise - 22 reps
Pulse up - heels to heaven - 18 reps
Roll ups/ V combo - 22 reps
Oblique V ups - 25 reps
Leg climb - 30 reps
Mason/side to side twist with legs up - 50 reps

Total time - 66.15 mins
Calories burned - 544
AHR -133/69% MHR - 171/89%

Daily goals -
Drink water first before eating in the morning - done 32oz
Complete my ST workout with core - done
Ice my knee 4-5 times - done
Take all my supplements and vitamins - done
Finish all my water for the day - 128 oz - done
Stay within calorie range for the day - done
Do all of my stretches for my knee plus at least 20 min of yoga - done 30 mins total. I did not wear my HRM during the yoga, so calories burned were only from P90X.

Daily Intake -
Calories consumed - 1,670
Protein - 39%
Fat - 17%
Carbs - 44%

Meal 1 - One buckwheat pancake with 3 tsp. of groud flax seeds, 3 tbsp of low fat yogurt, 1 tbsp of strawberry jam. 3 egg whites scrambled with 1.75 oz of chicken breast. 1 cup of Chi tea and 32 oz of water.

Meal 2 - 3.5 oz of roasted chicken with 1/2 cup of roasted veggies. 1/2 cup of apple juice and 32 oz of water.

Meal 3 - 1 cup of skim milk, 1/2 cup of frozen strawberries and 1 scoop of protein powder and 32 oz of water.

Meal 4 - 1 sweet potato. 1 cup of homemade chicken and brown rice soup. 32 oz of water.

Meal 5 - 1/2 cup of low fat yogurt and 1/2 cup of oatbran.

Meal 6 - 1 scoop of protein powder and water.

A journey of a thousand miles begins with one step....

I found some wonderful motivational thoughts this morning and it could not have come at a better time for me. This is the method that I am trying to follow - breaking up problems into smaller parts, handling them each, one at a time therefore I am not overwhelmed.I realized yesterday that I can be successful each and every day during this time while my knee heals. I can set goals for the day and do what I can to reach them.

Goals can be as big or as small as you wish, they are yours to set and yours to reach. So I urge each of you to take a look at areas of your life where you can set small goals to reach at the end of each day. We all have a choice what we will do with each 24 hours that are given to us. If we do not have a plan, time will pass us by. I want to wake up each day with a mission. Some days the mission will be smaller than others but my goal will be to never stop reaching until I complete my task no matter how small it may be.

Today my goals are -

Drink water first before eating in the morning - done 32oz
Complete my ST workout with core
Ice my knee 4-5 times
Take all my supplements and vitamins
Finish all my water for the day - 128 oz
Stay within calorie range for the day
Do all of my stretches for my knee plus at least 20 min of yoga

Make something amazing happen today for yourself! What can you accomplish today? You will never find out if you do not at least try!!

Today is a gift - let's get out there and make it count!

Success is a determined action away –

Foolish people with all their other thoughts, have this one too.
They are always getting ready to live, but never living.

Your success will start when you begin to pursue it.
To reach your goal or to attain success, you don't need to knowall the answers in advance.

You just need to have a clear idea of what your goal is.
Don't procrastinate when faced with difficult problems.
Break your problems into parts, and handle one part at a time.

Develop tendencies toward taking action.
You can make something happen right now.

Divide your big plan into small steps and take that first step right away. Everyone who got where they are had to begin where they were. Your big opportunity is where you are right now.

A journey of a thousand miles begins with one step. Take it.

Copyright 2008 www.yourdailymotivation.com

A good day...

Winter is here! Yesterday we awoke to a windchill of -1F(-18C), I love it!! We are enjoying a week of snow and cold temps that are sure to put anyone in a holiday mood! Since we will not be home for Christmas and we will be packing soon, my husband and I put up our Christmas tree this weekend. So we are starting the holidays early you could say. A part of me is sad that we will not be in the US to celebrate Christmas, but I know we will be home before too long.

As far as my knee, I slipped on the ice this weekend. I did not fall down, but I did manage to aggravate my knee somewhat so we bought a brace for me to wear. I am hoping it will provide me more support as I walk around on the icy roads as well as during my workouts. I took today off to give my knee a bit more rest, and hopfully the rest will pay off. I did manage however to meet all my other goals. So today was a success after all!!

Daily Intake - 11/10 -
Calories Consumed - 1,547
Protein - 29%
Fat - 51%
Carbs - 20%

Daily Goals -
Morning water first before eating - done
Vitamins - done
Water - done -128 oz
Stretches for knee - done
Icing knee 4 times a day - done
Joint fuel, omegas - done

Meal 1 - 3/4 oats mixture cooked with 1/2 scoop of protein powder, 1/2 apple and 1/4 cup of low fat yogurt. 1/2 cup of milk and 3 cups of black tea and water - 32 oz

Meal 2 - 1/2 can of tuna mixed with 2 tbsp. of plain yogurt, cabbage wedges, 1 tbsp. of hummus, 1 tomato with .5 tbsp. of Newmans own light dressing. Water - 32 oz

Meal 3 - 1 scoop of Alive protein powder, 1/2 cup of frozen strawberries and water.

Meal 4 - 1/4 garlic and herb roasted chicken - no skin. 1 cup of roasted veggies ( red bell peppers, onions, eggplant and asparagus roasted with olive oil, herbs and garlic). 1 sweet potato. 32 oz of water.

Meal 5- 1/2 cup of yogurt, 1/2 cup of oatbran, 1/2 cup of strawberries and the last 32 oz of water for the day.

I am not giving up.

I am sitting here once again with ice on my knee thinking about all the great possibilities that are going to be soon before me and I cannot help but feel a bit frustrated. I feel as if I am trying so hard to make all of my dreams come true and yet I cannot start anything and take action as I am here in Siberia. I want to run and race, I want to train and see where it leads me. I can do all of these things soon but in the here and now I have to be patient and know that what I do today will prepare me for my someday! I want to train hard as I have in the past, but I have this never ending knee that is driving me mad. Today it is doing ok, but last night it swelled up quite a bit.

I feel as if my journals are becoming an injury report or the bummed knee chronicles instead of what they used to be, a celebration of my weight loss. If I really stop and think about it, a part of me gets frustrated and depressed, feeling as if I will never conquer this problem once and for all. It would be so much easier if I was in the US and I could just make an appointment with a doctor, then I could move on, but that is not the case and so I must deal with it and move on.

So now I have two choices, I can sit and sulk in the fact that I am not able to run as long as I used to, I cannot go as fast and I will most likely need to adjust my goals for the first half of 09 as a result, or I can adjust my plan and go with the flow. Ok, so I may have to run slower or heaven forbid even walk some. Is this the end of the world? Goodness no!

Life and its unpredictable journey is going to be filled with all kinds of twist and turns, ups and downs, and so I choose to make the most of where I am in my own journey, injuries and all. I cannot help but think once again of the man outside of my building who has no legs. I remember running past him so many times and wondering how he feels when he sees me. What would he give to be able to run or walk just one more time and here I am complaining because I may have to slow my pace down for my upcoming half marathon. Does it make me any less of a champion if I cross that finish line 10 or 15 mins behind what I had planned for? Or am I still a champion because I made the most of out the days I was blessed with and reached for all that I could. I am having to come to grips with the fact that where I want to be someday and where I am now are worlds apart. That does not mean that I cannot get there, it will just take some time and with this will come great success and I am sure many defeats. I need to always remember the old Chinese proverb –

“Be not afraid of going slowly; be afraid only of standing still.”

Now, I have to decide what it is that I can control and what I cannot. Every victory first starts with a plan. And so I am reviewing my whole entire workout schedule and looking at where I can improve to make the most of this time. My abs are not strained, my biceps are perfectly fine and my shoulders are as strong as ever. So let’s take a closer look at the pros and cons, the good and the bad, the right and the wrong, and try to figure out a solution that will be lasting and will help get me back in shape for my races soon to come.

Things that I cannot control at this time -

1. My knee is hurt.
2. I do not have access to the doctors in the states.

Things that I can control at this time -

1. The pace and duration of my runs
2. My strength training and core workouts
3. Increasing my yoga and Pilates workouts
4. Taking time to ice my knee more
5. Anti-inflammatory meds and joint fuel, omega’s etc…
6. Taking time to do specific stretching for ITB etc…
7. Continuing to watch my diet and log all of my meals
8. Water, water and more water
9. Getting back to the basics – long slow cardio, watch my intervals
10. Stay clear of all plyo and lower body work such as lunges

So I can see that there are far more things that I CAN control than that I can not. So it is now up to me to take control, stop the sad pity party and get to work. Things happen, deal with it and move on and some day when I do cross that finish line it will be worth it!!

My goal for the next 4 weeks is to follow the 10 points I listed. I am reshaping my program to fix each one into my daily routine. There was a time when I first started out and I could not run. So I increased the length of time on the treadmill and I walked. Something must have been working because I lost so much weight and I have kept it off. Now my fitness level is far different that it was before so I am going to need to be creative but I know it will work.

Lower impact cardio options for knee recovery –

1. Fast walking on the tread.
2. Walking with intervals
3. Walking with intervals while carrying DBs
4. Intervals on tread during ST circuits
5. Slow jogging intervals – maybe nothing more than 6.0 – 6.5 mph depending on the condition of my knee.
6. The low impact option of Turbo Jam
7. Kenpo X – P90X

Here is a sample of my new workout plan –

Monday –
AM – 60 mins cardio.
PM – Full body ST with core work – ABX/ Cathe Core Max/BG

Tuesday - 60 mins cardio followed by 30 mins of Yoga X

Wednesday –
AM - 60 mins cardio.
PM – Full body ST with core work – ABX/Cathe Core Max/BG

Thursday – 60 mins cardio followed by 30 mins of Yoga X

Friday -
AM - 60 mins cardio.
PM – Full body ST with core work – ABX/Cathe Core Max/BG

Saturday/Sunday – Rest or Stretch X

So that is the plan. Will it help? Only time will tell. All I can do is continue to be consistent in my efforts and give each and every workout 110% of all that is in me. If there is one thing that I know for sure, it is….

“In the course of achieving anything, nothing is more important than persistence”.

And so now, I press on.

A few quotes I want to remember when times get rough....

“Many of life's failures are experienced by people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.” Thomas Edison

“I find the great thing in this world is not so much where we stand, as in what direction we are moving.” Oliver Wendell Holmes

“Success is the sum of small efforts - repeated day in and day out.” Robert Collier

“Be not afraid of going slowly; be afraid only of standing still.” Chinese Proverb

“Don't let the fear of the time it will take to accomplish something stand in the way of your doing it. The time will pass anyway; we might just as well put that passing time to the best possible use.” Earl Nightingale

"Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising up every time we fail.” Ralph Waldo Emerson

Another step closer!!

Todays workout was not groundbreaking but it did however bring me another step closer to meeting my goal!! I feel good and my knee seems to be ok so far. I am continuing to take the dreaded ice baths along with icing my knee twice a night. Hopefully all the effort will pay off!! I ran well today and again increased my intervals, so I am assuming that my knee is getting stronger and soon I will be back to my long runs. I made it through a few of Cathe's Cardio Drills with my knee with the exception of the jacks in one of the drills. The plyo jacks were fine,but for some reason the standard "jumping" jacks were giving me problems with my knee so I just kept doing the plyo jacks (a jack with a plyo squat).

60 mins cardio - 30 mins of Cathe Warm up and various cardio drills from her Drill Max DVD and walking warm up at 4.0 mph along with a 30 min non stop run with intervals of 7.0 mph and 8.5 mph with recovery at 5.5 mph - 6.2 mph.

Total time - 60.22 mins
Calories burned - 631
AHR - 152/79% MHR - 192/100%

Totals for the week - 2 days- W,TH
Time - 169.22
Calories burned - 1,759

Daily Intake - 11/6
Calories Consumed - 1,702
Protein - 29%
Fat - 13%
Carbs - 58%

Meal 1 - 1 egg yolk, 3 egg whites scrambled. 1/2 oat mixture, 1/2 low fat yogurt and 1/2 apple with 1 tbsp. of ground flax seeds. 2 cups of black tea.

Meal 2 - 1 cup of homemade Plov (brown rice, zucchini, carrots, onions, bell pepper, mushrooms and chicken breast grilled with garlic, olive oil and plov seasoning) and water.

Meal 3 - 1 scoop of protein powder with water and 1/2 cup of frozen strawberries

Meal 4 - 2 cups of homemade pinto beans with chipotle peppers in an adobo sauce and 2 pieces of homemade cornbread (using Arrowhead Mills Organic whole grain corn meal, egg whites and 1 tbsp. of olive oil).

Meal 5 - 1/2 cup of oats mixture, 1/2 apple and 1/2 cup of low fat yogurt.

Meal 6 - 1 scoop of protein powder with water and 1/2 cup of frozen strawberries.

Wonderful Wednesday...

Today was amazing! I worked hard and I feel great!! It was snowing today so my first instinct was to curl up and read a book, instead I made the most of this day and really pushed it! My weight training was awesome! I did all of my lifting in a circuit format which is very fast paced, moving from one set to another, working opposite muscle groups in each set. It really makes for a great burn in every way! My heart rate was consistently high throughout the entire workout and I can tell you as I type this that my arms are feeling this workout for sure!!

I miss working out with P90X but I enjoy making up these fun ST workouts!! I write out before hand what it is that I want to do then keep the sheet close by so that if I need to add changes I can do so. Sometimes I do more than planned and other days I can not lift as much as I wanted. Regardless, it is a set format in which I can easily follow and quickly from one set to another. I also line up my DBs so that I can transition from one move to another quickly. Again, the goal is to keep your HR up as you lift. Trust me - it works!!

Workout 1 - 32 min run with intervals,warm up 4.0 mph/2% incline to a high speed of 8.0 mph.

Total time - 32 mins
Calories Burned - 339
AHR - 152/79% MHR- 210/109%*
*HRM must have gone crazy for a second, or I was really working it at 8.0 mph :)

Workout 2 - Full body ST circuit with treadmill intervals. Warm up - Cathe Butts and Guts warm up with treadmill walk - 10 mins.

Chest and Tricep circuit - repeat for a total of 2 sets

Wide fly military push up -10 reps
Laying down tricep extensions - 15 reps with 17 lb DBs
DB flys - 15 reps with 17 lb DBs
Close grip military push ups - 10 reps
DB press - 15 reps with 17 lb DBs
Laying down tricep extensions - 15 reps with 17 DBs
Wide fly military push ups - 10 reps
DB flys - 15 reps with 17 lb DBs
DB press - 15 reps with 17 lb DBs
Close grip military push ups - 10 reps
Bench Dips - 15 reps

Rest for about 1-2 mins, then repeat entire set again! When done with the second set, get on tread for a 2 min interval - 3.7 mph @15% incline.

Bicep and Shoulder circuit - repeat for a total of 2 sets

Squat with bicep curl - 15 reps with 17 lb DBs
Squat with shoulder press - 15 reps with 17 lb DBs
Alternating hammer curls - 40 reps with 17 lb DBs
Two arm front shoulder raise - 10 reps with 17 lb DBs
Two arm side shoulder raise - 10 reps with 17 lb DBs
Standard bicep 21's - 21 reps with 17 lb DBs
Alternating standing shoulder press - 20 reps with 17 lb DBs

Rest for about 1-2 mins, then repeat entire set again!

Back and Glut circuit - repeat for a total of 2 sets

One arm DB rows - 12 reps for each arm with one 35 lb DB
One arm horizontal body chops with resistance band - 20 chops for each side
V glut squeezes on balance ball - 20 reps
Supermans - 20 reps
One arm DB rows - 12 reps for each arm with one 35 lb DB
Firehydrants - 50 reps for each leg

Rest for about 1-2 mins, then repeat entire set again! When finished with the second set get on tread for a cool down and interval set.

2 mins at 3.7 mph and 15% incline
2 mins at 3.7 mph and 10% incline
2 mins at 3.7 mph and 5% incline
2 mins at 3.7 mph and 0% incline and then stretch.

Total time - 77:04 mins
Calories burned - 789
AHR - 150/78% MHR - 179/93%
Pushups - 80 reps

Totals for the day -
Time - 109 mins
Calories burned - 1,128

Daily Intake - 11/5 -
Calories Consumed - 1,928
Protein - 32%
Fat - 18%
Carbs - 50%

Meal 1 - 5 egg whites scrambled with 3.5 oz of Chicken breast and 1/2 cup of brown rice. 2 cups of black and chi tea.

Meal 2 - 1/2 cup of oat mixture, 1/2 apple. 1/2 cup of low fat yogurt and 2 tbsp of ground flax seeds.

Meal 3 - 1/2 cup of homemade Plov - (brown rice, zucchini, carrots, onions, bell pepper, mushrooms and chicken breast grilled with garlic, olive oil and plov seasoning.) 1 tomato and 1 cucumber with 1 tbsp of Newmans light dressing. 1/2 apple with 1 tsp. of almond butter.

Meal 4 - 1/2 cup of frozen strawberries with 1 scoop of protein powder, 1 cup of milk.

Meal 5 - 1 cup of Plov and 1/2 cup of frozen strawberries. 1 scoop of protein powder and water.

Meal 6 - 1/2 cup of oat mixture, 1/2 cup of low fat yogurt and 1/2 apple.

Weekend Workout Results

Here are the results of my workout on Saturday - ST Boot Camp Circuit with tread intervals - 

Warm up - 10 min - 4.0 mph walk then slow jog at 5.0 - 5.5 mph 

Chest circuit followed by tread interval -  Complete circuit without stopping! If you need to you can pause during the set, you can do so, but do not put down the weights. Lay on the floor and perform the first set of push ups then flip over and start the DB flys. When done with your flys immediately start the DB press then when done flip back around and do the final 10 push ups, then go to the treadmill and start the first interval. 

Incline push ups - 10 reps 

DB Chest fly -  15 reps with 17 lb DBs 

DB Chest press - 15 reps with 17 lb DBs 

Incline push ups - 10 reps 

Treadmill interval  - 30 sec walk warm up 4.0 mph, then 1:30 sec at 7.0 mph.

Plyo squats with Shoulder Press and Bicep curls - 2 sets 

Set 1 - Squat with bicep curl -  8 reps with 11 lb DBs then Pulse reps with shoulder press - 4 reps with 11 lb DBs 

Set 2 -  Squat with bicep curl -  8 reps with 17 lb DBs then Pluse reps with shoulder press - 4 reps with 17 lb DBs 

Functional Rotations with double front shoulder raise followed by treadmill intervals -  2 sets - 

Set 1 -  16 reps with 11 lb DBs 

Set 2 - 32 reps with 6.6 lb DBs followed by Treadmill intervals - 30 sec warm up walk at 4.0 mph, then 1:30 sec at 7.0 mph 

Scapular retractions with red P90X  resistance band - 5 sets then push up set - 

Set 1 -20 full reps 

Sets 2,3 and 4 - 7 pulse reps followed by Push up Set - 12 reps of Dive bomber push ups and 12 reps of Spiderman push ups. 

Bicep curls - 2 sets 

Set 1 -  20 reps with 25 lb DBs 

Set 2 -  40 reps with 17lb DBs 

Triceps -  Laying down tricep extensions and dips superset to burnout then last treadmill interval  - 50 reps with 11 lb DBs then 3 sets of 12 reps of bench dips, then 5 min treadmill interval - 

1 min 4.o mph walk

1 min 6.0 mph  

1 min 7.0 mph

1 min 6.0 mph 

1 min cool down 4.0 mph 

Totals for the day - 

Time -  45:10 mins 

Calories burned - 467

AHR - 150/78% MHR - 186/97%

Loving life and ready to get back to work!

Today is the last day of this amazing 4 day weekend we have had!! I spent the past 4 days relaxing with my husband and dear friends but I did manage to get a workout in on Saturday. I took Sunday, Monday and Tuesday off. What can I say, it was nice to have a break! :) I was a good girl though, I ate well and did not indulge in too many treats!! :) 

I am refreshed and ready to get going this week with some killer workouts! I miss desperately my super long 2-3 hour workout days that preceded my knee injury, but I understand the need to heal and recover properly.  I also need to remember that going all out each and every day will most of the time do more harm then good.  So I am going to stick to the Intermediate running plan that I followed last week.  

This weekend I was able to increase my intervals to 7.0 mph on the tread.  I have not ran intervals at that pace for some time as I have been trying to slow it down for my knee. I am hoping to increase the intervals this week to 7.5 - 8.0 mph but as always I will have to listen to my body and see if I can push it without overextending myself. 

So now after the relaxing weekend it is time to get back to business! Here is my plan for the rest of this week - 

• Wednesday November 5th -  Full body ST with elliptical/tread intervals 
  
• Thursday November 6th - 30 min slow run on the tread. 
  
• Friday November 7th - Full body ST with elliptical/tread intervals 
  
• Saturday November 8th - 30 min slow run on the tread. 
  
• Sunday November 9th - Day off