Motivation Monday

Happy Monday Guys!!!

So this Monday was a difficult one for me. I had a hard time getting started and really just wanted to lay in bed today, so I didn't get to do yoga this morning which was disappointing to me...but I'll live ;-)

So why do I think that I felt this way? Well over the weekend I wasn't very focused on my diet. I didn't eat my meals when I should have, I ate foods that I shouldn't have...but you know what? I'm human...it happens. I took the way I felt today and I was determined to be focused on the gym and my meals!

So to get me back in the mood I did my favorite workout...SHOULDERS :-)

WOD:
1. Military Press (front) superset Barbell Curls (4x12-15)
2. Military Press (back) (3x10-15)
3. Front/Lateral Raise (10 each) superset Reverse Curl (3x10)
4. Upright Row (3x12-15)
5. Arnold Press superset Dumbbell Curls (4x12-15)
6. Shoulder Circles (burnout)

Trust me when I say this is killer. Try to go as heavy as you can...OBVIOUSLY using PROPER form and doing FULL reps. If you can only do 10 reps that's fine...just make sure they are good solid reps!

You should feel it in your shoulders by the end!! Cap your workout off with some cardio. I did a few medium level sprints (8.0x10) and then 10ish minutes of an incline walk. Felt pretty good...would give myself a solid 8.

Hope all of you had a great Monday! And come back for more workouts, recipes, and fitness motivations.

Meal Preppin' :-)

It's that time again people...meal prep time!! WooHOOOOOO!!!!!!

So when I meal prep I typically make breakfast, lunch, and snacks. So on the meal for this week:
     1. Egg Muffins w/Whole Wheat Toast
     2. CrockPot Chicken w/BBQ Sauce (Sugar Free)
     3. Chia Wrap w/Cajun Style Turkey
Everyday I have a variety of veggies (cucumbers, sweet peppers, tomatoes, celery, etc.) and a green apple. I like to have whole natural snacks during the day...and fruits and veggies are the best options!!!

-Egg Muffins: I previously posted about these...seriously the easiest things to make...pick your toppings and go!

-CrockPot Chicken - I recently started using the crockpot to make all my chicken. It keeps it tender and makes it super yummy. I add a onions, bell peppers, and some celery in there for seasoning. After it is cooked I can use it for anything. I use some of it for lunches (this week with BBQ sauce) but I love using it in soups for din din!
     **along with the chicken I made mashed cauliflower and green beans. I know you're jealous...because seriously it is delish!

-Chia Wrap w/Cajun Style Turkey - I found these wonderful chia wraps in the grocery that are only 12 grams of carbs!! Woohoo!! I find a low salt, low fat turkey deli meat. I wrap it up with some avocado and lettuce...seriously, DELISH! I usually add the mixed veggies for this meal. This is the meal I usually eat around 3-3:30 as my pre-workout meal.

So today I started meal prepping at 5:30pm and ended at about 8:30. Took a little bit longer because I had to make some egg muffins for the man friend :-P But It generally very easy and very fast. I use cooking and trying new things as a stress reliever. I like to find recipes that I can make healthy.

Eating healthy is NOT boring, it is NOT bland, it is NOT time consuming....seriously get it together people and do your meal prepping! Find a day and time that suits you and make it an appointment with yourself. I use Sunday evenings as my meal prep time. I have worked Sundays, I have babysat on Sundays, I have been sick on Sundays...but I STILL MEAL PREP. If you want to achieve your goals you have to put in the effort!!

-I'll post the workouts for the week later. Have a great start to the week guys!!!!

Plyo WOD

Happy Thursday everyone!!! I have been nursing a left hamstring sprain and I thought I could stretch it out...but I have decided that I should actually taken some time away from the weights (only for legs) (and only like 1 week) ;-)

So today I thought it would be fun to do a little Plyo workout. Plyometrics are exercises that use only body weight but you do them quickly and get that heart rate up!! So here's my leg Plyo workout:

1. Box Squats - start on box, jump down and squat low. Your butt should be close to touching the box. 

2. Walking Lunges - find spot A and spot B....lunge there and back.

3. Kickback - on a box or on the floor.

4. Step ups - make sure to switch legs!

5. Burpee Squats - do a modified burpee and instead of coming up and jumping you are going to go into a jump squat.

6. Burpee Lunge - same as above except lunge (both legs)

7. Box side to sides

8. Mountain climbers ( box or no box)

9. Toe taps

If you are unsure how to do an exercise I tried to put some of them into a video on Instagram that you can check out. I have a link at the top of the page! :-)

Do each of these 3 times with 10-15 reps. Try to do as many as you can do...get that heart rate up!!!!

I followed this workout with some sprints. I literally almost died during my workout....but in a good way :-)

FitCassie's Five Favorite Things

So last night I was thinking about all the things that I use that help me stay on track with food, fitness, life in general. With the holidays coming up I thought I would pass along my favorite things that you could put on your wish list or get for that special someone! :-)

1. Jawbone - this is a handy little tracking device that I have been using for a little over a month. The reason that I like it so much is that it tracks your sleep as well as steps. It calculates about how many calories you burn which is a HUGE help when trying to lose weight. Its light weight and doesn't get in the way when I work out. I also like that it has a large range of exercises that you can add to your day (yoga, weights, cross training, run, elliptical, etc.). If you every wanted a starter tracking device I would highly suggest this one.

 

2. Six Pack Bag - if you don't already have a meal bag I highly suggest looking at one. They are great for keeping you focused on eating all your meals. I know that with work and kids it can be hard to stay on track but having a nifty bag helps keep your mind organized as far as food. I have two 6 pack bags that I absolutely love. I recently got the Renee Tote to bring to work and no one is the wiser that its actually a huge lunch box!! I have another bag that I use for trips to store lots of food. There are a couple companies that have good bag at various different prices. I have always been super impressed with 6 pack bag and that's the company I would recommend!

3. Muscle Relief Bubble Bath - recovery is one of the over looked parts of fitness. This goes for sleep as well as stretching and various others ways of taking care of yourself. One of my routines is to whiten my teeth and do an avocado mask weekly. I also recently found this bubble bath at CVS for muscle recovery. It has peppermint and eucalyptus that helps soothe sore muscles. I like to use this after a heavy day of lifting not only is it physically relaxing it is also mentally relaxing. You have to give yourself time to recover if you want to make serious gains ;-)

4. Yoga Starter Kit - I recently started doing yoga. I started because of friend of mine said it would help with stretching and flexibility. One of the best things that you can do for yourself and to get stronger is to make the muscle more flexible and this comes from stretching. Yoga is a great way to do this as well as get mentally centered. I am not very good at it yet...but I am trying! I got a starter kit from Gaiam and it came with a mat, a block, a strap, and a beginners DVD. This was super helpful and now I have started branching out to other yoga videos and books.

5. Foam Roller- this is also an important tool for muscle recovery. A foam roller is designed to help push lactic acid out of the muscles as well as give a gentle massage in order to soothe soreness. There are different types of foam rollers, some are more firm and some have different grooves to hit muscles differently. I have a small one and it is great! I use it on my legs, back, and shoulders mostly. I find it helpful to use it on areas that I can't reach or that tend to get sore faster. They come in a variety of different lengths and colors!

***Bonus: Wish List Items***

So here are a couple things that I have put on my wish list for the holidays. These are super neat items that will definitely help me stay focused in the gym!

1. Wireless Beats Headphones - I have a pair of Beats and I think they are amazing. One draw back - the cord. I am constantly fooling with it and it is constantly getting twisted. I know this is not the end all be all of my workout...but is definitely something that I would like to add to my workout attire! :-)

2. FlipBelt - When I first started working out I would use an arm strap to hold my phone. I started to notice that it was causing problems when doing upper body exercises, so I stopped using it. I think started tucking my phone into my waist band (multiple things went wrong with this idea). Then I had a friend buy me a belt from Forever 21. I have since lost that belt :-( but I was reading a fitness magazine and came across a new belt! It is the FlipBelt....and it looks AWESOME!!! It can hold your key (great for outdoor runners) as well as your phone. It comes in a variety of colors and seems lie flat against your abdomen. I would love one of these for Christmas!! :-)

Well I hope you liked my list of fitness inspire 5 favorite things. Have a great day, and kill it in the gym!!! :-)

Yummy Egg Muffins :-)

Happy Monday!!!

I know I may be in the minority but I LOVE Mondays. I try to view Monday's as a brand new start. It's a chance to start fresh and try again. I don't always stick to my diet or workout like I should but Monday is a brand new day to try it all again. Some people dread Monday's because its the beginning of the week...but why would you want to start your week off with negativity?!?! I choose to be positive and I believe that helps me throughout the week.

Today I started my week with meditation and some yoga stretching. It's a pretty big pain to wake up 30 minutes early and get moving...but it is so rewarding. I feel more energized and positive throughout my day. I highly suggest that you guys do something that helps you get up and at em' in the morning! It could be doing crossword and drinking coffee, eating breakfast at home, meditating outside, etc.

So last night I made some egg muffins just to have something new for the mornings. It also was helpful because I didn't have to make my normal egg white scramble. It was super quick and tasted delish!

Southwest Egg Muffins

-10 egg whites
-5 whole eggs
-1 jalapeno
-1/2 white onion
-4 strips Canadian bacon (can sub with turkey bacon)
-fiesta cheese - optional

1. Cut up onion and jalapeno, set aside
2. Crack eggs and beat until yolks have been broken.
3. Spoon egg mixture into muffin tin (if needed spray with Pam before). Fill up only 10 muffins.
4. Add onion/jalapeno/Canadian bacon mix with egg.
5. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes. Sides of muffin should be lightly browned.
6. Add cheese if desired for 2 minutes while in oven.

-Let egg muffins cool for 5 minutes and then remove from the pan.

***Enjoy***

New Week...New Goals

Good Monday Everyone!!

I hope you guys have been doing well! I know I didn't get to post a lot last week (crazy busy week at work :-/). But I wanted to start this week on a good note. So today I am going to write about how I am working on getting ready for my next competition prep.

Now, first thing is to set a goal. I am about 130 pounds. I want to be 126-127ish by the end of the year. This is not a vanity thing. For a competition most people are between 122-105 for my height group. Last year I was about 120-121 the day of. I want to start at 127 because I believe that is a good healthy weight to build muscle and lose fat.

Second, last time I prepped for a competition I was green...I had NO idea what I was getting myself into. I was moody on low carb days, tired, and at times uninterested and unfocused. I believe that I can combat this by learning how to focus and center and I am going to do this by learning mediation and yoga.

Lastly, how does this apply to my life right now you ask?!? Well this week I am going to focus on getting my diet straight, do yoga every morning, and kick a$$ in the gym!

-So here is the workout for the week. You can print this out and use it in the gym. I will explain the exercise when I do a post. If I don't do a post and you have a question about an exercise email me, @ thefitcassie@gmail.com.

-Pyramid: Start light, work your way up to the heaviest weight that you can go to for 8 reps. I typically will do 1 set - 15 reps, 2 set - 12 reps, 3 set - 10 reps, 4 set - 8 reps.

-Hold: For these exercises hold the exercise for 20-30 secs. For example - pushdowns are on the schedule today, at the bottom hold it there to challenge the muscle. Make sure you have good form!

WOD:
1. Bench Press - you can do this with barbell or on Smith Machine/Free Weights.
2. Bent Tricep Extension - for this move get the lightest barbell you can find. Put the weight behind you legs, bend at the waist, weight should be below your butt. Lift weight up until your arms are parallel to the floor.
3. Close Grip Press - take barbell and put your hands close together. I usually like to make it where my thumbs touch.
4. Pushup - you can do regular pushups or tricep pushups.
5. Cable Reverse Grip Raise - Take straight bar at the cables. Put the pulley at the bottom. Place hands with palms up. Raise hands up while keeping arms straight. You want to feel it in the space between your chest and armpit.

Hopefully I will be able to post a video on Instagram. Have a great week guys!!

How to Eat Out and About

So one of the major things that people deal with when starting a new LIFESTYLE (I don't use the word diet) is how to incorporate it into everyday life. So here are some tips that I use to stay on track and have fun!

Going to a Friends:
1. Try to eat whole foods. I like to load my plate with veggies and fruits. SKIP the dips!!
2. Remember PORTION control. It's ok to have macaroni and cheese but no one should have 1 pound of macaroni!
3. Eat a little something before hand. If you don't know what is going to be at the party, it may be safer to have something before so you don't feel starving and over eat at the party.
4. Stay away from sodas and high calorie drinks. I like to just have water when at parties, don't waste calories on liquids.
5. Think before you act, sometimes looking at a food you can know if its good or bad. Just remember to think.

At a Restaurant:
1. If you know where you are going check out the menu before you go, this way you can make sure that you stay on track and don't get side tracked when you see some of the yummy things on the menu. If you don't know where you are going, feel free to take your time looking. Don't rush!
2. Ask to get no butter, salt, oil. Restaurants load stuff up with oils and butter, they can usually make it without that stuff so ask them!
3. Drink a whole glass of water before ordering. This is a tactic that will help later. Water will start to fill your stomach up and by the time you have your food you won't be as hungry.
4. SKIP the appetizers. Most of these are loaded with calories and usually take away from the main course.
5. When in doubt go back to basics. When I don't know what to eat I always go back to chicken or fish and steamed veggies. I know its not glamorous but it keeps me (and you) on track.
6. Remember that restaurants have SUPER large portions. One thing that I do is cut everything in half. Take the rest home and eat it later.

Following these rules will help you stay focused. Remember if you do over eat...or have one to many brownies don't beat yourself up. Just refocus and get back on the grind!

For example - tonight I had a dinner party that I went to at a local restaurant. I was looking at the menu and was thinking about getting some fettuccine alfredo, BUT instead I got some blackened chicken which sweet potato succotash. I passed on the appetizer and drank plenty of water. Was it easy? Not the entire time (I really wanted dessert :-P) but right now I feel pretty good and I don't feel any guilt about eating out. Stay focused...promise the discomfort of passing on junk food will pass!


Have a great week ya'll!!

Lean Legs WOD

Hey Guys!!

Hope everyone has been having a great week. This week has been crazy so I haven't been able to post yet. But...like I promised I am going to try to post at least 3 times! So today is going to be short and to the point.

So today is a leg workout. Now, everyone wants nice lean sculpted legs (and of course a big booty :-P ). But remember you want to make sure you work all leg muscles. You want to make sure to hit your quads, hamstrings, and glutes.

So here is your WOD...

1. Sumo Squats - with dumbbell (5x15)
2. Leg Extensions superset Leg Curls (4x15/12)
3. Donkey Kicks superset Fire Hydrants (4x15)
4. Lunges (5x10) - with dumbbells or barbell

--Cardio-- Elliptical Sprints. Do an easy level for two minutes, then increase to a higher level for two minutes, repeat until you can't go anymore!


This is sure to get those glutes a burnin!!!!! If you do the workout tag my on Instagram (@fitcassie_88) and make sure to check the Instagram for info on how to do exercise and special little features ;-)

Goals Goals Goals

Hello everyone!

So yesterday I said that in the month of November we should all set goals. So some facts about goals (I'm going to go all social worker here ;-) ).

1. Writing down goals help commit it to memory. Writing it down also makes it more "real". Write the goal down and put it somewhere that you look everyday that way you can always be reminded of what you are doing.

2. Set specific goals. You want to be as specific as you can be when you write the goal down. Don't allow for any (or as few) loop holes as you can. I promise that at least once during your time you will want to give up, you will want to fore go the whole thing, and creating subconscious loop holes allow you to feel less guilt. For example: "I want to lose weight" - good goal nothing wrong with that...BUT how much weight? in what time frame? what are you going to do to lose weight - not eat, exercise, get plastic surgery??? A better way of setting this goal would be: "I want to lose 25 pounds in 3 months by going to the gym 4-5 times a week, doing at least 15 minutes of cardio each day, eating healthy, whole, natural foods, with one cheat meal a week." This goal is much more specific, you can measure the goal as you progress through the month. You know what you have to do to achieve the goal and you know what not to do.

3. Be honest with yourself. You don't want to set a goal to high that you will not achieve and then be disappointed. Set realistic and achievable goals. Know that weight loss can be tricky and losing on gain pounds is not necessarily the best way to monitor health and fitness. You can set long term and short term goals, that will help you stay more realistic.

Ok so here are some of the things I am going to work on this "No Fat November" :-)

1. Write in blog at least 3 times a week. Include such things as workouts, nutrition information, or recipes.

2. Only get on the scale on Tuesdays. I have a huge problem with getting on the scale too often. YIKES! It can ruin my mood completely. I want to focus on how I feel and how my clothes are fitting.

3. Stick to nutrition plan 90%. I am going to set a plan on Sunday (I'll try to share it with you guys) and then stick to it during the week and allow for 1 cheat meal and 1 cheat dessert. (I have a tendency to overdo it...so hopefully this will help me reign it in a little).

 

WOD:

1. Squats (5 sets, 15-10 reps)

2. Leg Extensions superset Calve Raises (5 sets, 15-10 reps)

3. Leg Curl superset Glute Bridges (5 sets, 15-10 reps)

4. Lunges (5 sets, 15-10 reps)

CARDIO:

--On leg day I like to do cardio that helps relax my legs. The ellipical and the bike are great ways to help move the lactic acid out of your legs. 

--Check out my Instagram for more leg day fun :-)

Hey Everyone!

I hope you all had a great weekend! With the holidays coming up I want to focus on staying focused during this time. Remember we all want to have a good time, and no one wants you to not enjoy the holidays. Having cake, pie, stuffing, etc is ok in portions, but its important to stay focused on health and goals. During this time I try to enjoy the things that I like to eat (sweets, sweets, sweets) but I also continue to go to the gym and eat my normal food 90% of the time. Don't let all your hard work go to waste!!

So this is what I am purposing..."No Fat November". This is a plan that is relatively simple and will help us all stay focused. I will be the first to admit that since I got back from vacation it has been hard to stay focused. I want this to be the time of year that I complete my goals and get focused for my future fitness goals.

What I also think is important is that we set goals that are not directly related to the gym. Maybe its eating better, maybe its focusing more at work. I think that it is important to focus on health and wellness, but that does not just incorporate the gym and nutrition. It also includes your mental health and physical well being. So think about something that would help your overall health. This month I am going to try (please bare with me on this) to let you know about the workouts I am doing, as well as food. If ever in doubt, check out my Instagram page, I definitley get more stuff going there.

Here is my workout for today:

-Back and Biceps

1. Seated Row superset Dumbbell Curls (4 sets, 15-10 reps)

2. Dumbbell Row superset 21's (see description below) (3 sets, 15-10 reps)

3. Lat Pulldown superset Hammer Curl (dumbbells or cables) (3 sets, 15-10 reps)

4. Push-up superset Burpee Curl (5 sets, 10 reps)

-Cardio: 30-45 Minutes - Interval Training.

--Descriptions:

1. Dumbbell curls can be done in a variety of different ways. I like to start with my palms facing my outer thighs, and while bring the weight up I turn my wrists to face the ceiling. You can also start with your wrists facing away from you and bring them straight up with no pivot.

2. 21's - using a barbell, 7 full curls, 7 curls where you stop at 90 degrees, 7 curls from 90 degrees to 45 degrees. See my Instagram for a video example.

3. Lat Pulldown's can use a variety of different bars. Make sure which ever bar you are using that you pull with your lats. At times when the weight gets heavier people tend to want to use their arms to help...don't do that. You also want to make sure that your back stays straight during the motion, don't use momentum to bring the weight down either.

4. Burpee Curl - do a modified burpee, when you come up to standing position, instead of jumping you are going to curl. Make sure the weight is relatively light this exercise is very challenging.

Happy Lifting guys! :-)