Day 58

…. Holy Crap… My legs HURT.. 2 days into Phase 3 ( plus teaching a class where I did a whole lot of squats- very DEEP squats)

source

and I have no idea how I’m going to teach class tonight- or what I’m going to teach for that matter.. No worries thought, I had a great day with my friend Meghan! She and I met over 4 years ago during my first teacher training; she is an awesome chick!

    But lets get back to the workout:

EXERCISE	Set #1	Set #2	Set #3
Superset:	XX	XX	XX
Wide-grip Lat Pulldown: 3 sets of 15 reps	85	85	85
Underhand Cable Pulldown: 3 sets of 15 reps	70	70	70
Working Set Active Rest:	XX	XX	XX
One Arm Dumbbell Row: 3 sets of 15 reps, per arm	15	15	15
Exercise Ball Pull-in: 3 sets of 15 reps
Working Set Active Rest:	XX	XX	XX
Seated Cable Row: 3 sets of 15 reps	55	55	55
Jackknife on Bench: 3 sets of 15 reps
Working Set Active Rest:	XX	XX	XX
Bent-Over Barbell Row: 3 sets of 15 reps	30	30	30
Mountain Climber: 3 sets of 20 reps
Superset:	XX	XX	XX
Standing Alternating Dumbbell Curl: 3 sets of 20 reps	15	15	15
Bench Dip: 3 sets of 12 reps
Superset:	XX	XX	XX
Preacher Curl: 3 sets of 12 reps	25	25	25
Narrow Push-Up: 3 sets of 12 reps
Working Set Active Rest:	XX	XX	XX
Triceps Pushdown - rope attachment: 3 sets of 12 reps	20	20	20
Mountain Climber: 3 sets of 20 reps
Working Set Active Rest:	XX	XX	XX
Cable rope overhead triceps extension: 3 sets of 12 reps	15	15	15
Air Bike: 3 sets of 25 reps
Cardio:	XX	XX	XX
30-second sprints on treadmill; Level 8; 30 seconds on/30 off; 30 minutes total		XX	XX

    Today was the first day that we actually did interval running and as we started I felt like it was going to be a cake walk.. WRONG… by minute 16- I was panting like crazy and was that girl pulling my shirt up because I was sweating like a pig (EWW gross) it took all of my will power to keep that shirt on.. source

    I slacked on stretching (and have been all along.. I know, I know… bad Coco) I’m feeling the regret now… Note to self.. Stop being a slacker… 

__________________________________________

What was your workout today?!

Phase 2 in review..

    Phase 2 was fun.. there was some cardio.. there were some new weight training moves… there were some 2 hour workouts.. (ok maybe those got to be a bit much) but overall it was hard work! While I know that the cardio part is good for me, there were days when I really didn’t want to do it and the thought of mindlessly pounding away made me want to scream. But with the exception of a few days where I had to cut cardio short because I had to be at work… I made it happen.. Sometimes it wasn’t more than a fast paced walk- but the way I saw it.. it was better than nothing.. But about halfway through I started to get that motivation to start actually running (or more like jogging because I’m not really a runner) and I started to have a bit more fun with it.. Plus I knew that I was going to have to get ready for intervals in Phase 3. 

     I definitely had days where I felt “thick” like I wasn’t getting any results.. but I had read other peoples reviews and knew that some of them felt the same way. So I just kept my head up and kept trucking along.. (Paula who has been at a weight loss plateau since December and still needs to shed another 40 lbs- has definitely gotten smaller and we keep each other from going nuts about lack of results!) On to the photos! Phase 1 update in case you missed it! :)

 I have personally noticed my hip lines and area seems to be trimming out which makes me SUPER happy- I feel like this is one of my problem areas.

 And while I feel the difference in my legs (they feel like rocks or like a block of wood as Paula would say, lol)  and notice some more tone from mid-thigh down to my knee  I’m hoping that the upper thigh has more results by the end of phase 3.

 But hey.. I have thick legs.. that are short.. so they automatically look bigger anyway.. But I did squat 180lbs this phase!

   This was a weird way for me to show my arms and shoulders.. but I thought it was fun and I always notice how rocking they are when I’m practicing yoga- or should I say that I’m proud of them.. so I don’t sound like I’m super full of myself.. haha..

   Overall I’m super excited with the progress and while it might not be noticeable to others I can see it and feel it! My diet always needs work, but especially the last few weeks I’ve been really trying to eat as clean as I can (Except on Friday when I ate Ice cream as my appetizer to pizza for dinner. hahah ) but I would say that I’m eating 90% clean/10% what I want and I’m happy with that. This is the most balanced I have ever been with my diet and exercise and I am proud of myself for trying to maintain that balance!

“Jumping” into Phase 3, Adderall update, another Interview

EXERCISE	Set #1	Set #2	Set #3
Superset:	XX	XX	XX
Leg Press: 3 sets of 15 reps	180	180	180
Squat Jump: 3 sets of 15 reps
Working Set Active Rest:	XX	XX	XX
Smith Machine Single-leg Split Squat 3 sets of 15 reps, per side	20	20	20
Jump rope: 3 sets of 1 minute
Superset:	XX	XX	XX
Walking Barbell Lunge: 3 sets of 20 reps, 10 steps down, 10 back	50	50	50
Long Jump: 3 sets of 20 reps, 10 jumps down, 10 back
Superset:	XX	XX	XX
Leg Extension: 3 sets of 20 reps	40	40	40
Lateral Bound (side-to-side single leg hops): 3 sets of 20 reps
Smith Machine Squat: 3 sets of 30 reps	90	90	90
Working Set Active Rest:	XX	XX	XX
Standing Calf Raise: 3 sets of 20 reps	bw	bw	bw
Jump rope: 3 sets of 1 minute
Working Set Active Rest:	XX	XX	XX
Calf Press on Leg Press: 3 sets of 20 reps	bw	bw	bw
Jump rope: 3 sets of 1 minute

    I know Spring is coming and everything- but I felt like a fricken bunny jumping around the gym like a goober, lol. Actually I prefer workouts that combine plyo-moves and even though we looked ridiculous pretending to jump rope and doing long jumps in the middle of the gym at 6:30 in the morning I had a lot of laughs and fun with this workout. Don’t get me wrong I was super sweaty and working hard! I have a feeling this is going to be a long week, hah.

    Today is day 3 of Adderall and I haven’t much to report for today besides thirst. the initial jolt that I felt the last few days hasn’t happened.  Day 2 I didn’t have that talkative jabber mouth but I swear the thirstiness and dry mouth got worse! I definitely feel that and the decreased appetite more than anything and this day I felt the “switch- off” around 3pm which the doc said might happen. (Because I’m taking a 12 hr time release version, the way the body metabolizes the medicine is different for everyone.. it might make it through my system more quickly or  slowly so I have to keep track of this… In which case I will then be prescribed the “Instant” release version to take in conjunction with the 12 hr for when the switch-off happens… this is something that I would take when needed)
 
     Ah yes, another interview today at noon. This is the Wellness coach job I was telling you about, so I’m pretty excited! Wish me luck!

Last day of Livefit Phase2, Adderall day 1

       This morning started with a coffee, vitamins, yogurt, and Adderall. I had no idea what this stuff would do to me or what I would feel like, so I was naturally a bit nervous. But I swallowed it down and hiked it to the gym.
     About 20 minutes into our workout I was starting to feel the effects of the meds. I felt dehydrated! I drank double the water during our gym session than normal. I was definitely feeling a little strange and noticed that I was super talkative and speaking extra quickly- but otherwise I felt fine. We finished out week 8 strong and I’m super proud of us! I will do a review soon but until then.. I know I’m feeling strong and sassy!
    After the gym, I came home and showered, made my smoothie and got ready for work. I got there at 9 and got right down to work.. the thirst didn’t stop.. I drank at least 6 bottles of water in the 4 hours I was there-I seriously couldn’t get enough into my body.. my mouth was super dry (and still is) and I’m a bit afraid I’m going to float away!

                                            
My appetite is definitely different for sure. Not only do I not feel hungry, I’m completely uninterested in food. I did attempt to eat a few times- a granola bar (I managed a little more than half) a salad (less than half) sushi (I had 4 bites… and pretty much had more water, some tea and a small miso soup) Finally around 6:30pm I was feeling faint and managed to eat 6 eggs whites with a slice of cheese and a couple bites of James’ pizza. It is definitely weird for me to not be able to eat.. usually I eat 6 times a day and I can put away some food! I suppose everything will even itself out..
     But then I crashed.. it was 7pm and it literally felt like someone flipped a switch- and I could actually feel the difference. so weird. Now I just feel exhausted and still want more water. haha..

Adventures in ADHD treatment+ job search and interviews

    Today was finally the day that I have been waiting 3 weeks for ( Back in January I talked to you about my first experience trying to get treatment for ADHD.)  the appointment with Alison- the doctor that Stacy recommended- I went to the address that was on the internet and turns out that it was the wrong place. After 15 minutes of calling her and the other office that she also works at I finally got in touch with her and made it to the correct address for the appointment (she was nice enough to still see me even though it was 30 minutes past my actual appointment time)
    This experience was so much better and different- thankfully! She is very nice and easy to talk to, I spoke with her for 1 1/2 hours and never felt like she was anything more than helpful. We spoke of the different medications and options and I feel 100% comfortable with the path that we have chosen. She was awesome about giving me all of the side effects and what to expects. Basically I will be starting with a very low dose of the stimulant Adderall (10 mg) . I will be keeping tract of how I feel and what it does or doesn’t do to me for 6 days and I will call her next Friday where we will talk everything over and if everything is well we will more than likely double the dose. (since it is best to start slowly with stimulants) She suggested that I cut back on the caffeine as it could induce more of the jittery side effects.  So tomorrow will be day one.. and I will keep you updated.

   I had an interview today at Gold’s Gym for a yoga teacher position. I was excited to tackle the challenge and thought I would fill the position well ( it was for a power yoga class) I was there for 15 minutes- in that time we talked a bit about what the class that was established was like, what they were looking for.. Non-spiritual, fast paced, challenging, etc. and then I gave a teaching demo (which was only 5 minutes long.. and it’s really hard to show what you’ve got in that amount of time BTW) She stopped me in the middle of it and said, "your too harsh and rough- I don’t think you’ll be a good fit here”.. While that is totally fine and I appreciate the honesty, truth is that she said one thing (that gave me the impression that it should be taught a certain way) and then really meant another.
   Hey don’t get me wrong, I’m not offended and I can take the criticism. I know that I’m not going to get every job I apply for and that will not stop me from moving forward full speed! I take this as a learning experience which I was happy to have :)
   I also applied for a wellness coach position and have been searching for jobs pretty much every day.. This girl is sick of being a waitress! And I certainly don’t want to end up like this adorable little lady:
source

Pre and Post workout refuel..

    I ran out of Almond milk a few days back but I still was looking for the creaminess in my smoothies. As I was rummaging through the fridge for another option, I came across the cottage cheese and thought that it could either be awesome or gross. Turns out it was amazing and even adds a bit more protein for my post workout/midmorning meal.. But lets talk about first breakfast.


    Each and every morning I wake up at 4:55am, stumble to the kitchen to make coffee, take my vitamins and try to figure out what the heck to have for breakfast. It has to be something fast, clean, and  fill me up just right (like Goldie locks- just full enough to be satisfied/fueled for my workout, but not too full that I want to throw it all up)

Source
 before I hit the treadmill for my warm up at 6. Usually it’s greek yogurt, fruit, and peanut butter or a protein pancake or my current favorite Overnight Oats. Overnight oats give me more time to chill with my morning coffee and husband while fueling me “just right” While it gets me through my workout I’m usually pretty hungry towards the end and ready to make a smoothie. So usually by 8:30am I’ve “eaten” twice. Which means by 10:30-11 am I’m hungry for lunch or a snack (which I’ve been trying to avoid- and try to hold off at least until 11-11:30 for lunch) I think I was confusing that snacky feeling with dehydration. Silly Coco.. I always forget to drink enough water.. Especially when there is coffee around, oops! So along with making my post workout smoothie double as my mid-morning snack I’ve been chugging water like it is my job, and it has been helping!

Now onto my post workout smoothie experiments!

Wednesday morning:
Cheese Cake Shake
1 cup water
1/4 cup 2% cottage cheese
2 tbsp rolled oats
1 tbsp flax seed oil
4 strawberries
1 scoop EAS chocolate whey protein powder
     (This shake is packed with 348 calories, and 31g of protein) So it was really filling.. I added the oats for more staying power and because I skipped out on them pre-workout.

This morning:

Strawberry-n-Cream Smoothie 
1 cup water
1/4 cup 2% cottage cheese
1 tbsp flax seed oil
6 strawberries
1 scoop Isopure zero carb Strawberry protein powder
   (This smoothie has 288 calories and 32g of protein) I really liked this a lot, and considering James doesn’t want me to buy any more protein until this (Isopure) is all gone- I need to continue to find new smoothies that will make me happy :)
…..Reason being.. that if I buy another protein this stuff is going to get shoved to the back of the cabinet, never to be used again.. plus it really isn’t that bad.. I’m just a brat and like EAS chocolate whey better!

What are your pre and post workout meals looking like these days?

Hikes

   I’m just going to cut to the chase.. I was too busy living to post the last few days.. But know that I still went to the gym every day and allowed Jamie Eason’s Livefit trainer kick my ass (though I took Saturday as my rest day and did the last workout of the week Sunday instead) and instead of posting about those workouts.. I’d rather post about what I actually did besides them, ok? Ok!

     Friday night I went out with the girls for Paula’s birthday! We went out for sushi and drinks and then headed to Paula’s cousins bar for more drinks post dinner.. Her cousin was buying us shots and before I knew it I was playing nurse to the birthday girl that got sick before the night was even through! Poor thing! Good thing I’m responsible and wasn’t drinking as much as everyone else so I was able to drive her home and literally push her up her stairs and hand her off to her boyfriend (who was not thrilled that I brought his GF home totally wasted and throwing up everywhere.. but what can you do? it was the girls birthday and I made sure she got home safe.. my job was done!) 

      Saturday morning James and I took the still drunk Paula out for a birthday breakfast.. We came back home and decided to take advantage of the nice weather.. time for a hike in the woods! It’s hunting season so we had to make sure we were decked out in our orange gear.. Hydro was sitting at the door CRYING while James cleaned out the back of his car for the drive.. 

 It was beautiful in the woods.. it was cool- but not too cold.. and the boys had a blast!

 Aww.. Father and son..

.. and we attempted to get all of the boys in one shot.. but Hydro wasn’t hearing it.

 Self-portrait with the small mutt.. I think Hydro was keeping his attention..

As we were coming to the end of the trail we decided to let Hydro swim. an attempt to get Sammy into it as well.. It was really cold water for sure.. and Sammy wanted no part of it.. but I threw him in anyway.. because I’m a jerk- and he was uber muddy.. He was NOT happy. haha
    Hydro was having a blast at usual.. and seems to feel right at home in that water.. But once we got back to the car I could tell he was a little icicle..

           “Daddy, where did you go?"

      Hydro was so cold his little eyeballs were shaking.. we snuggled them and blasted the heat while we drove around for a bit… as you can see they were not feeling photogenic at this time..

   

Day 46- persistence

   Not only did I make it to the gym this morning in much better spirits than yesterday- but the time flew by.. which left me one happy lady. We even got a formal introduction to one of the other regulars at the gym.. Ryan- We are really getting to know everyone! There is something really nice about going to the gym each morning and seeing the same people around- getting head nods and hello’s..

EXERCISE	Set #1	Set #2	Set #3	Set #4
Arnold dumbbell press: 4 sets of 8 reps	15	15	15	15
Seated bent over rear delt raise: 4 sets of 8 reps, last set to failure	10	10	10	10
Alternating single-arm Dumbbell press: 4 sets of 8 reps	25	25	25	25
Superset:	XX	XX	XX	XX
Front Dumbbell raises: 4 sets of 8 reps	10	10	10	10
upright rows: 4 sets of 8 reps	15	15	15	15
Side lateral raises: 4 sets of 8 reps, last set is a drop-set	10	10	10	10
Reverse flyes: 4 sets of 8 reps	10	10	10	10
Cardio: 30 minutes medium intensity cardio (running, elliptical, step-mill, etc…)		XX	XX	XX

   I got home and rushed through my post workout routine and went to Starbucks for a coffee.. and was 1/2 hour late to works.. Oops.. I got screamed at first thing- which is fine.. I know I deserved it, but once you yell at me, can’t you just move on? Not my boss.. Nope- she has to be miserable the entire day. The day was a slow one and I was more than happy to get out of there and chill for a while before teaching.
   I had a glass of wine with dinner and was well rested and ready to teach a badass class.

Repeat Offender, Day 44+45

    I drank this smoothie from the other day at least 3 times.. Funny how I just fall into the habit of a food or drink and get stuck there for a while. My body is like, “Hey it’s snack time… I want a smoothie…” “Hey we just worked out.. lets have a smoothie” Either way I’ve drank two smoothies today alone.. I figure I have to give the body what it needs right? Especially after these two workouts:

EXERCISE	Set #1	Set #2	Set #3	Set #4
Narrow stance squats: 2 light sets of 15 reps and 2 heavier sets to failure	100	100	180!	180!
Narrow stance Leg press: 4 sets of 8 reps	180	180	180	180
Barbell Step-ups: 4 sets of 8 reps	40	40	40	40
Walking Barbell "double" lunges (step- down-up-down): 3 sets of 20 reps	30	30	30	XX
Single leg Barbell squats (foot on bench): 4 sets of 8 reps	bw	bw	bw	bw
Leg extensions: 3 sets of 10 reps, last set to failure				XX
Seated calf raise: 3 sets of 20 reps, last set to failure	----	----	-----	XX
Standing calf raise: 3 sets of 20 reps, last set to failure	bw	bw	bw	XX

    My legs were burning- and my knees  (especially my right one) were aching.. I guess I did too much weight with the squats and leg presses. When I taught my class later in the evening I was struggling to keep up and in pain.. Thankfully after a coating of Tiger Balm and some rest it felt a little better this morning . FYI- if you have never used Tiger balm, you need to. This stuff is the most amazing healing balm ever.. Seriously it got me through my swimming years, multitudes of rolled/ busted up ankles and sore muscles..
 

EXERCISE	Set #1	Set #2	Set #3	Set #4
Barbell bench press: 1 warm-up set of 8 reps	20	XX	XX	XX
reverse grip barbell press: 4 sets of 8 reps	20	20	20	20
Superset:	XX	XX	XX	XX
Dumbbell flyes: 4 sets of 8 reps	10	10	10	10
Dumbbell bench press: 4 sets of 8 reps	25	25	25	25
Superset:	XX	XX	XX	XX
Incline Dumbbell press: 4 sets of 8 reps	20	20	20	20
Dips (bench or parallel bars): 4 sets of 8 reps	bw	bw	bw	bw
Cable crossovers: 4 sets of 8 reps	15	20	20	20
Medicine ball or weighted crunches: 3 sets of 25 reps	10	10	10	XX
Hanging leg raises or roman chair: 3 sets of 15 reps				XX
Reverse crunch (on bench): 3 sets of 15 reps				XX
Cardio: 30 minutes medium intensity cardio (running, elliptical, step-mill, etc…)		XX	XX	XX

   If there was a morning where I wanted to just say “fuck it” and not go to the gym, that would have been today.. My body is wrecked and begging for rest- with these workouts, classes, work and trying to  maintain the house cleaning and chores.. its catching up with me.. and I’m tired. But Paula was going to be waiting for me at the gym and I’m stubborn.. so I figured that even if it was half-assed it would be better than skipping. Thankfully my knee felt pretty good and by the end of the workout I was feeling a bit better.. However I was a zombie all day at work and have been resting since I got home, haha.. I’ll consider it a small victory..

    As for the rest of the night- I have big plans… Running to the grocery store with James, having dinner and making the couch my best friend :) Happy Hump Day!

Snackage, Day 43

Today’s post is brought to you by this amazing smoothie:

(1 scoop EAS chocolate whey protein, 4 frozen strawberries, 1/2 a banana, 1 cup unsweetened almond milk, 1 tbsp flax oil)
    I was feeling like I needed to switch up my smoothie, at least for 1 day… and since I had half of a banana left over from first breakfast (I swear I’m turning into a hobbit with the number of times I eat in a day) I thought I would throw her in there.. I was not disappointed- thats for sure. The banana added tons of thickness and an extra creamy texture, which filled me up after this challenging workout:

EXERCISE	Set #1	Set #2	Set #3	Set #4
Narrow push-ups: 4 sets of 15 reps
Seated triceps press: 4 sets of 8 reps	30	30	25	25
Superset:	XX	XX	XX	XX
Cable one-arm triceps extensions: 3 sets of 8 reps	10	10	10	XX
One-arm reverse grip triceps pushdown: 3 sets of 8 reps	5	5	10	XX
Superset:	XX	XX	XX	XX
Skull-crushers: 3 sets of 8 reps	30	30	30	XX
Close-grip barbell bench press: 3 sets of 8 reps	30	30	30	XX
Incline Dumbbell curls: 4 sets of 8 reps	15	15	15
Alternating Dumbbell curls: 4 sets of 8 reps	20	20	20
Barbell Curl 21s: 2 sets 21 reps	30	30	XX	XX
Stability ball crunches: 3 sets of 25 reps				XX
Jackknifes holding stability ball: 3 sets of 15 reps				XX
Stability Ball reverse crunches (ball between feet): 3 sets of 15 reps				XX
Cardio - 30 minutes medium intensity cardio (running, elliptical, step-mill, etc)		XX	XX	XX

This workout went on FOREVER.. seriously 2 hours in the gym is a bit much.. I start to get antsy and my mind is screaming at me to skip that cardio. Well we stuck it out and it was fine, but I went straight to Starbucks for a super large iced coffee, no ice (yes that means I had 32 ounces of caffeinated goodness which took me the entire morning and early afternoon to finish) 

    I opted to skip swimming today and do all of the house cleaning and errands I could. Now that the house is sparkling, laundry is line drying, and I restocked dog food and some groceries- I was able to focus on putting together something special for James.. I mean it is Valentines day tomorrow after all! (BTW it’s also my momma boy’s birthday tomorrow! The little fury guy is going to be 6, where did the time go?!)   

James and I usually make our cards because we are cheap, but its also more fun and personal that way! I got a collection of quotes off of the internet, wrote them with some pretty colors, and signed it with a personal message.. I also bought him a new leather wallet because the one that he has now needs to be retired, and since he’s a guy and doesn’t care, I had to take matters into my own hands..

And finally I have a little snack to share with you:

Just 3 ingredients, full of protein, super easy and filling (perfect for my pre-class teaching hold over till dinner)

Peanut butter honey dip
-1/2 cup Cottage cheese (I used Daisy 2%)
- 1 tbsp natural peanut butter
-1/2-1 tsp honey
         Smush together and dip some apples in there.. I realize that there is no need for an actual recipe.. but I figured this makes my blog have some bling bling.

What are your Valentines day plans?
Do you make or buy your significant other a gift?

6 weeks down, 6 to go.

… Ok, I’ve left you hanging the last few days. Truth is, I have been fighting a cold and feeling a bit burnt out… Every workout felt like a struggle but I made it through.. I’m a bit disappointed that I only made it to the pool one time again this week- especially since I really wanted to make it at least twice. So when Friday came around and I woke up with the stuffy head and nose I was determined to make it to the gym and the pool. Well I finished my workout at the gym, had my smoothie and even got my suit on.. and then I went searching for a swim workout- but then I passed out..

  I’m talking mid online search I fell asleep!
 
 So as much as I wanted to push myself to get to the pool I decided my body was telling me it needed rest more. I stayed in bed trying to nap for a few hours and then grabbed a coffee with Paula instead.  After she head out to the doctors office I went to the bookstore to read through some books for free and waste some time: 

   I’ve looked through these books before and while there is some great info in there I’m pretty excited that there is going to be a vegetarian version coming out soon- that one I might actually buy.. Or at least get from the library and photocopy :) Being vegetarian and attempting to eat clean has been a bit challenging.. I’ve been living on greek yogurt, eggs and cottage cheese.. I don’t eat beans and only have tofu every once in a while because they make my body very upset.. So it will be good to get some different recipes or at least some different ideas to move into rotation.

     This morning was the LAST workout of week 6.. I couldn’t have been more happy about it.. We started an hour later than usual since it is Saturday after all- and were done in an hour.. Ahh.. sigh of relief that tomorrow is a rest day.. Unfortunately it is also a work day- so there won’t be as much rest as I would have hoped for.. however after work we are going to a Providence Bruins Hockey game! Since I’ve never been to a hockey game before I’m pretty excited!

Legs and Eggs (Day 38)

.. Getting out of bed this morning was a task, no joke.. Every single part of my body was stiff and unwilling to move. I felt like the tin man in need of some oil … No matter- this girl has to get moving because I need time to get some coffee in my body and some food before this:

EXERCISE	Set #1	Set #2	Set #3	Set #4
Leg extensions: 2 warm-up sets with lighter weight for 30 reps	30lbs	--->	XX	XX
Wide stance barbell squat: 2 lighter sets of 15 reps, 2 heavier sets to failure	90 lbs	---- >	X1160X	--->X
Leg press: 4 sets of 8 reps	150	160	170	180
Walking Barbell Lunges: 3 sets of 20 reps	50	----->	----->	XX
Barbell Step-ups: 3 sets of 10 reps	40	--->	--->	XX
Plie Dumbbell squat: 3 sets of 15 reps	25	--->	--->	XX

    I’m not kidding when I say I couldn’t be happier than to skip out of cario today.. Thank the gods that  legs= no cardio! But I did have to sling eggs today- and it was busy.. so it was kind of like cardio anyway..

 I think I was the tin man this morning is that I finally went slacklining after months of “slacking” I went to see my counselor Stacy and since every single time I leave there I feel worse- I have started to make it a tradition to either go for a walk, sit by the water or just chill out for a bit afterwards before returning back to everyday life. Yesterday was a tough session and I decided that I would go to the park and sit by the water. It was about 45 outside, but it was sunny enough to feel warm. Maybe it was the rush of Vitamin D I got from sitting out there for a bit or maybe it was that there were perfect trees from which I could set up.. Either way as I was sitting there it struck me to get off my butt and start slacklining.

Just like riding a bike.. even though it was freezing with no shoes and windy as hell it totally made me feel amazing.. and now a new tradition will be born. Having no feeling in my toes or nose for half an hour afterwards didn’t matter.. getting on the line again made me so happy- and it also made me miss my fellow Yogaslackers- and feel like I need to start teaching slacklining again.. soon.  (Photos above from an Off the Mat workshop in the Delaware Water Gap this past fall)  As soon as the weather breaks for good.. this girl is getting out there to spread the word! Have you ever been slacklining?!