Tricep and Bicep Workout

Hey Guys!!

Hope everything is going well for each and everyone of you! I wanted to let you all know that I have recently started pinning some of my stuff on Pinterest. I have pinned some workouts that I like as well as some other randomness. I hope that you will check it out and let me know what you think!

On to fitness!! Yesterday's workout was Triceps and Biceps. I have talked about this before, but when working out you want to switch muscles during the workout in order to give the muscle some reprieve. For example, you do leg extensions (quad) and then do a leg curl (hamstring). This gives the muscle times to shuttle blood and other nutrients to the muscle to help start the repair process. If you work quad muscle after quad muscle you will never allow time for the muscle to repair, therefore stunting progress.

For arms I have worked it out many different ways. The bicep has two heads and the tricep has three heads, so when I am only working out one of these groups I typically switch between the two or three heads of the muscle. So, sometimes I do back and biceps, when I do this I switch between back and bicep head one, back, bicep head two, etc. Yesterday I switched between bicep and tricep. Whichever way you run the workout is a-ok!

SO (finally!!) here is the workout from yesterday. It should ONLY take 1 hour. Really push yourself to complete in 1 hour.

1. Bicep Curl (dumbbell) w/Kickback (4x10)
-Really focus on the movement here. Go SLOW and create that muscle memory. You don't have to go heavy, but make sure that when you are doing the curl that you feel the bicep contracting and extending, squeeze the tricep when you are doing kickbacks, I promise you will feel it in the morning!
2. 21's w/Bench Dip (3x12)
3. Hammer Curl w/Overhead Extension
-This exercise can be done with dumbbells or on the cable machine. I used the cable machine so that I could really push myself.

Have fun guys! Keep me posted if you do the workout!

Shoulder and Glute WOD

Hey guys!!

I know it has been a while, but life has been so crazy!

So I have decided to start prepping for Bayou Muscle bikini npc contest that will happen in April. So in order to keep myself more sane I am (hopefully) start blogging more workouts and recipes! So here is todays workout, enjoy!

1. Shoulder Press (4x15, 12, 10, 8) w/ Speed Skaters (15 each side)

• You can do shoulder press with free weights, barbell, or smith machine. I suggest doing whatever you feel most comfortable with. I like to use the smith machine because I can increase the weight and not worry so much about dropping it :-P

2. Leg Press (5x 15, 12, 10, 8, 8) w/ Pop Squats (10)

• A pop squat is where you go into a regular squat (bodyweight) and "pop" into a narrow squat (bringing feet almost touching). Remember to go low, and this movement should be pretty quick and fluid. I love this move because it gets the heart rate up!

3. One Legged Leg Curl (4x12, 10, 10, 8) w/ Jumping Lunges (10)

• For the one legged leg curl use whatever machine you have available. I have been using the extension machine lately because it forces me to use more glute and hamstring during this motion. I tend to use to much of my quad when I do it on the seated hamstring machine. If you have a lying leg curl, that would be my suggestion!

4. Leg Extensions (4x 15, 12, 9, 9) w/ Jumping Jacks (30)

• Leg extensions - I put it in multiples of 3 (wide, regular, and narrow). Doing extensions in this three forms forces you to use different areas of the quad. Remember you quad is made of four muscles (who would have thought right?!?!!) so you want to target each. 

5. Arnold Press (5x10) w/ Shoulder Circles (10)

• I have a video on Instagram of shoulder circles. Basically, start with a lighter weight palms out resting near your legs (you should be standing), bring the weight up in a circle, weight will touch at the top above your head. Go through this motion slowly. This will target all of the shoulder and it will be quite a workout believe me!

I followed this AMAZING workout with 10 minutes on the elliptical. Should take between 45-65 minutes. Try to keep the pace high (keep heart rate elevated therefore burning more calories) If you have to rest, do it for 15-30 seconds between each set. 

(If you aren't already, take a gander at Instagram and give me a follow @fitcassie_88)

Let's Get Ready!!

Hey!! Hope you had a great weekend!

With the holiday coming up this week it is important to set yourself up for success NOT failure. This starts with a realistic plan for the week.

For this week I am going to set up a meal plan (based on Jim Stoppani's Shortcut to Shred diet) and then follow the same workout regimen that I did last week. Here are some helpful tips to start your week.

Meal Plan - .75-1 gram of protein, .5 gram of fat, .5-1 gram of carbohydrate.

Workout Regimen - pick 1-2 main body parts, create 2-3 exercises per body part. Instead of rest do a cardio exercise in between sets. It doesn't have to be anything crazy like sprints but just something to keep your heart rate up, like jumping jacks.

This is going to be my week:

Breakfast - 2 egg muffins (see previous post), 1/4 cup of oatmeal, 1/2 apple

Snack 1 - 1/4 cup of nonfat greek yogurt, 1 tbs of peanut butter, a couple chocolate chips (taste like cookie dough :-) )

Lunch - 4 oz of steak tips, asparagus, a small salad

Snack 2 - 1/4 cup of meat sauce (turkey ground meat), spaghetti squash, cabbage

Dinner - 4 oz of lean protein, 1 small sweet potato, broccoli


Workout - 5-6 days

1. Remember Christmas is this week. You will have to plan around this, there are a couple things you can do, (1) this can be one of your rest days. (2) you can do a body weight workout at home. (3) you could go for a run...if thats your thing (yikes :-P).

2. Plan your workouts. Most people do not want to workout to hard around the holidays but this is the time that you need to push yourself. Do those extra 10-15 minutes, push yourself on weight, etc. This will help you feel better when you are eating a little more this week :-)

Here is my week:

Monday - Chest, Triceps, Abs

Tuesday - Shoulders, Legs

Wednesday - Back, Biceps

Thursday - rest

Friday - Chest, Triceps, Abs

Saturday - Shoulders, Legs

Sunday - Back, Biceps

For the exact workout that i will be doing this week check out the shortcut to shred on bodybuilding.com...its an amazing workout.

I will try to be better this week with posting workouts and videos. So check back :-)

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!!