I've gotten my diet back on track, and I'm about 3 weeks in to a new split - 3 distinct upper body workout days, each with an area of focus, and 2 lower days, one hamstring focused, one quad focused, both hit calves and glutes. It's too soon to say how effective it's been, but I'm enjoying it. The basic outline of the upper days is two "big" lifts (bench press, push press, bent row, etc.) followed by a handful of smaller exercises. Leg day is the same, one has front squats and deads, the other has traditional squats and stiff leg deads. I kind of like having my dead lifts on leg day, as opposed to part of back day.
What I should be doing right now is studying for a nutrition exam on protein. I love that class, and I'm so happy about that, because it kind of reaffirms my decision to go back to school. For my big psychology paper, I choose the topic related to recruiting and organizational behavior. I figured it would be easier, given my background. I have a degree in Labor Relations, I'm PHR certified (still, not for too much longer), and I worked in HR for four years. It did make it easier, and the whole thing, writing it, was an exercise in gratitude. Yes, organizational behavior is still interesting to me, and I do enjoy the theoretical side of human resources. (Practical not so much.) I was amazed at the amount of information I retained from college, but it also reminded me of how happy I am to have the opportunity to go back and pursue something that I'm genuinely passionate about.
We got a new dishwasher, and it's pretty awesome. The fact that I'm excited about household appliances makes me feel so old and boring. I was just telling my best friend that four years ago, I owned one pair of tennis shoes (that I never wore) and maybe one pair of yoga pants. Now I have a sneaker obsession and way more gym clothes than "grown up" clothes. No more cigarettes, booze, crazy late nights... I barely remember being that person. Grateful for that, too.
Within the last month, I've had 5 different people, strangers, come up to me and ask me if I was getting ready for a competition. Which, to me, is the highest compliment. Like, ever. No, nope. No contest. Then they always ask why. I typically quip back with something about liking food too much and just let it go. But that stuck with me... why not? And I know. The answer is twofold. A) the diet, being that strict, and the cardio commitment... I don't know if that's a good idea for me, given my background. And the fact that I am insanely busy right now. And B) I like my legs the way they are and I KNOW I'd have to build my quads to successfully compete. And I don't wanna. But still, I love that question, because it means I must be doing something right. And I met a really nice girl at my gym that is getting ready for the Lakewood show coming up this month. My trainer buddy is doing that show too, and hopefully I will be there.
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| Sixpack bag, finally. |
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| It's hard to tell in this tiny picture, but I need to stop scraping my collar bone doing squats. |
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| These are pre workout gummies, I'll post more about these later. |
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| Seriously, this thing is the best. |
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| New workout gear courtesy of the best boyfriend ever. |
So, yeah, that's about it. It's sunny outside, which is so refreshing, I can not wait for spring! Take care!
