Remember I said that I only compete in Figure, because you have to do all those gymnastics in Fitness, and if I do a flip there has been an accident?  Well, there was a flip this morning, and it was definitely an accident!  I was doing my cardio intervals at the indoor track at Crooked Creek Park near my house.  It’s a nice carpeted track, which is a relief for my knees.  Most of the folks on the track are quite elderly and are walking, with few runners.   So I guess I irritate them thoroughly, because I alternate from jogging to walking lunges to sprinting to jump squats to side lunges, etc etc, so I am always changing pace.  They tend to walk two and three wide, which leaves very little room on the outside of the track where the runners are supposed to stay.  So I am constantly having to dodge and weave around the walkers, and run defensively since they tend not to realize someone may be running up behind them and they are all over the road.   I don’t want to run over someone’s grandmother!

I was on one of my sprint laps, and was running pretty fast, and had to weave through a couple groups of people, and when I came around the last gentleman in a lateral move, the toe of my brand new shoe caught the lovely carpet on the track, and I fell hard.  Fortunately, I landed on my right knee and rolled up over my right shoulder, almost doing a full flip.   The poor little man almost tripped over my sprawling body.  But I just kind of completed the flip and came back up all in one motion, apologizing to the man who almost fell over me.  Other than some carpet burns and a bruised ego, I was just fine and kept right on going.  Very embarrassing though!  I learned then to be sure to pick my feet up for the rest of the session, even though I was quite fatigued. 

Oh, by the way, my leg and knee were amazingly better today!  I am so fortunate to have such excellent practitioners to turn to.  I really appreciate each of them deeply.

Tonight’s back workout was great, although very hard.  But not nearly as hard as one of the exercises on the shoulder workout last night.   I thought that one may actually kill me.   Michael worked out with me tonight and we were both literally dripping sweat–in a back workout.   Never thought I would see that day.  But the high intensity circuit workouts really challenge you and create simultaneous cardio conditioning as well.  And no matter what body part I am working, the Bombshell training always throws in some exercises that work legs too.  So even though we were working back, there were 4 exercises that also hit the legs and booty at the same time.   I wanted legs–they are going to make sure I get legs! 

Tomorrow is really busy, so I will sign off.   But I had to tell you about my little tumble today!  Can’t keep an embarrassing moment a secret, now can I?

Be Defiant! 

Christy

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Today, I started with a Spirulina Smoothie made from 8 oz coconut water, the meat from one Thai coconut, handful of spinach, 1 tbs coconut butter (Artisana–yum!), 1.5 Tbs Spirulina, 1 Tbs raw carob, 1 tsp Elements for Life Blue Green Algae, 1/2 tsp Elements for Life Cordyceps, 1/2 tsp Elements for Life RevitaPhi, and stevia to taste (I used 2 packets), and blended it all up.  Not too bad, but definitely not as tasty as my normal addictive spirulina treats.  Can you tell this is a major superfood smoothie?    I figure I need the superfoods to preserve muscle while cutting the calories, sodium and sugar.

Lunch was broccoli, coconut water and a little pineapple blended into a smoothie.  It was OK, even though I was wishing I could use more pineapple and a banana.  Then it would have been really tasty.  I got really hungry in the afternoon, and ate a LifeForce Cacao bar, which is delicious and fairly low fat, sugar, and sodium.   Next week I won’t be able to do that, though.  I also had a tablespoon of UDO’s oil for pre-workout energy.  I am taking a tablespoon of that every day now.  They did a study where the athletes lost bodyfat and gained muscle by using the oil so that sounds good to me, and the body still needs SOME fats no matter what.

I worked out with intervals tonight, alternating shoulders with high rep leg intervals, like lunges, step-ups and leg extensions.   After the workout, I made a ’savory’ smoothie, which is really more like a soup.  I used a few cherry tomatoes, a few baby carrots, spinach, lovely fresh basil, 1/3 of a red bell pepper, 3 cloves garlic, 2 large celery stalks, 1/2 lemon peeled and tossed in whole, and water.  It was pretty good, actually, but would have been a lot better with some Celtic salt or Nama Shoyu!   

My assessment of my condition is that I am definitely improving in definition.  I can see more abs, and more veins are coming out.   Practicing posing last night, I felt I could definitely see more cuts.   It’s hard to tell, as the lighting differs so much from one place to another.  

Next week, I plan to carb deplete Sunday through Wednesday while drinking a lot of water to flush my body of any water-retaining substances, and then slowly carb load until the contest.  This protocol is supposed to shed the water from under the skin which obscures muscle definition, and force the muscles to ’suck up’ the water to make them nicely full and pumped.  I have been studying material from several books and former competitors, and I am attempting to take their suggestions and adapt them to a raw foods protocol.  For example, where they cut carbs by eating a lot of chicken, I plan to eat a lot of leafy greens, spirulina, superfoods, and Sun Warrior protein.   I feel nuts would have too much fat, plus my body doesn’t do well on too many nuts.   I will most likely be a salad-eating fool next week!  (And the savory green smoothies of course.)  For carbs, I plan to sprout some grains like barley and quinoa and use those to carb-load.   On Friday night,  I will eat a special meal to try to get the muscles as full as possible.  The suggested meal is a steak with Heinz 57 sauce for some sodium, so I am thinking I will make my Living burgers, which are kind of like a hamburger and have Nama Shoyu in them, which would do what the 57 would do.   My biggest fear is coming in flat, and retaining too much water. 

I plan to eat a lot of celery and asparagus, as those foods are awesome for diuretic effects.   This is just what I am thinking.  Again, this is an experiment.  If I see something not working, I may call an audible and change the protocol.   And I may find that in the future, I may want to add some nuts and that the ‘good’ fats in nuts don’t react in the body like what we normally ingest as fats.  But, knowing how I have reacted to nuts in the past, I will most likely be avoiding them like the plague for the next week.   But I plan to eat the heck out of a nut-based dessert on Easter Sunday when this contest is over!  I may eat the whole thing–with lots of dates, nuts, fruits, etc.  Maybe I will make my White Chocolate Cheezecake, maybe a Pecan Pie Cheezecake, or maybe something chocolate–who knows?

I have to share these two videos with you.  They were sent to me by a Facebook friend, and they are powerful.  The journalists didn’t pull any punches and they definitely called out some big brand names who are knowingly exposing our most vulnerable babies and toddlers to very harmful chemicals.  And all in the name of a germ-free, clean house……

Part One

Part Two

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DEFY these chemicals and toxins.  Buy holistic, chemical-free cleaners.  And not from big name brand companies, either.  Do not support them in their efforts to ‘look green’ when they are still just profit-crazed toxin-mongers.  Look for the truly organic cleaners from companies who truly care about your children and the earth, while still creating products that clean.  Many of the ones I use actually work a LOT better than the toxic stuff. 

More updates to come!

Be Defiant!

Christy

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Now I don’t know what he weighs and I don’t know if he does either.  The gym we used to go to had one of those doctor’s scales (with the little slide bar) right at the front entrance.  You couldn’t keep him (or anyone else) off that stupid thing.  It seemed that people were drawn there like a  moth to a flame.  Not me.  He had to make me get on it.  I couldn’t care less what a scale says.  All it measures is the pull of gravity.  It doesn’t know if gravity is pulling on fat, muscle, bone, or heavy cross-trainer shoes.  

Pivotal has scales somewhere, but they are the small kind that looks like a bathroom scale.  So now he doesn’t jump on it every day.  And he is making such great progress!   I have never forced him into being totally raw like I am, but he has gravitated more and more to it, and now is really into it.  And it shows!  He is very, very lean.  His little love handles are totally gone, and he has definitely put on muscle.  I am completely biased and have always thought he was totally hot anyway, but he is definitely getting hotter! 

But I digress….back to the shoulder workout.   I will outline the whole thing in a minute, but have to tell you about ‘crybabies’.   A couple BIG guys at the gym were telling me about a great delt developer which is basically an isometric (meaning static, or just holding a weight in one position) exercise.  You stand up with a heavy dumbbell in each hand, and then with arms straight, lift the bells out to the side just about 1/3 of the way up to shoulder level—and hold them in that position for 30 seconds.   That may be the longest 30 seconds ever!   We did 3 of those to burn out at the end of the workout.  I know why they call them ‘crybabies’.  We were crying for the 30 seconds to be over with!

Tonight’s Shoulder Blast:

• Warmup on recumbent bike
• Hammer Strength press, 4 sets, 1 warmup, 3 working sets.  I got 45’s on my last two sets, for 10 & 8 reps.  Yay!
• Smith Machine front presses, 3 sets, 50-60-&60 lbs. with the last set dropping to 50 for a burnout
• Superset of lateral dumbbell raises and Overhead ‘pulses’, 3 sets with 15 lb bells.  The pulses are a limited range of motion press that really keeps the pressure on the lateral deltoid
• Arnold presses, 3 sets, 20 lb bells
• Superset front raises with a 25 lb plate and upright rows with 40-lb bar, 3 sets, 10 reps  both exercises.
• ‘Crybabies’ 3 sets with 25 lb bells.   Ouch!

Simple post workout smoothie tonight was spinach, banana, kiwi, pineapple, L-glutamine, & Sun Warrior Vanilla Protein.

I made a heavenly superfood smoothie for lunch today.  I believe this would be served as breakfast in Nirvana!  1 & 1/2 Tbs Spirulina (of course!), 1 young Thai coconut flesh and water, 2 bananas, 1 tbs carob, 1 tbs raw cacao, 1/2 tsp Cordyceps, 1/2 tsp Blue Green algae, 2 droppers of vanilla liquid stevia–blend until a creamy concoction of pure bliss!

My breakfast green smoothie was awesome as well—-mango-strawberry!   Yum!  With dandelion & laciniato kale, & fresh aloe vera.

I can definitely tell I have dropped some bodyfat.  I can see it in my lower back, particularly.   I have seriously cut back on nuts and fats.  I am not in full precontest deprivation mode yet, and I may not go too drastic.  I am feeling my way through.  If I feel I need to drastically change before the contest then I will change my diet even more.  The contest is April 11th, so I am about 3 weeks out now.  I have upped the cardio a lot too.

I hope you have an awesome day.  Make it a great day!  You can choose to be happy, no matter what, and you will attract good things.  Make a difference in someone’s life today.  Ask yourself, “How can I make a difference today?” and it will change your focus completely, and new opportunities will open for you.  

Be Defiant!

Christy

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My mother is doing very well, and I deeply appreciate all the kind words and well-wishes from many of you.  I am still angry that she had to go through a second surgery, but this one was much less invasive and stressful on her, thank goodness.  They did keep her overnight at the hospital, but just for observation.  She is not able to move her left arm very well.   I had to help her put her rollers in her hair.  Isn’t that something?  She used to put rollers in my hair when I was a little girl, and now it’s my turn.  Things do change, and roles do reverse in time.  (Although when I was little, I had very long hair, and she used to put those pink sponge rollers in my hair and create these l–o–n–g  ’sausage’ curls.  Oh, I hated those uncomfortable pink things that I had to sleep on because it took all night for my hair to dry!) 

It’s amazing how deeply I sleep after a good day on the farm.  It is a lot of hard work, which leaves you tired but gratified.  And it’s so peaceful.  I dreamt very vivid dreams and slept so deeply.  

What did I do while I was there?  Well, we cut fallen trees off our pasture fence, and rebuilt the fence.  We hauled several dump truck loads of awesome composted cow manure to spread on our garden.    (My father just scrapes it up with the front end loader from where the cows feed on hay.  I am talking compost over a foot deep!  No need for fertilizer for sure!)   We tilled up the small vegetable garden, added compost, and planted some beautiful cool-season vegetables–cabbage, kale, chard, broccoli, Romaine lettuce.    We checked the cows several times, since they had some cows getting ready to have baby calves.  We put out big rolls of hay.  We fed chickens, horses, dogs, cats and cows.

Unfortunately, not everything goes well on a farm.  I had the unpleasant duty of having to pull a dead calf from its struggling mother.  She is a very young cow, and went into labor during the night, and couldn’t deliver the calf.  By the time we found her in the morning, she was down, the calf had died, and she needed help to complete the delivery.  It took both my dad and me to pull the calf from her.  It was so sad, and it affected me deeply.  My parents are used to it, as it is not uncommon to happen, but I definitely don’t see that every day, and it is pitiful and heartbreaking.

So did I work out while I was there?  Well, not officially, but I sure got a lot of exercise!   My parents have my dog on the farm, since I am not able to have him where I live, and I went running with him a couple of times.  I love my dog, and I wish I could have him here.  He is so big he just drags me along.  His name is ‘Fury’ and he is a Timberwolf/Artic wolf/Malamute mix:  83% wolf.    He is so cool.  He rides in the back of the pickup truck, and heads really turned when we stopped at the grocery store!    I also got a lot of ‘weight-lifting’ exercise, by hauling brush and limbs, shoveling compost, digging plants, etc.  I definitely think I lost some body fat with all the work, plus I was semi-juice-and-green-smoothie-fasting.  

Michael and I worked chest and triceps last night, and tonight I worked shoulders by myself, and boy did I bust out a great workout!  I didn’t feel like working out, but once I got started I was very strong and felt great!

Chest and triceps;

• Warmup on chest press machine, 4 sets increasing weights, but high reps
• Close-grip incline bench press with dumbbells, 20-lb bells, 8 reps, 3 sets
• Smith machine incline wide-grip bench press, 50 lbs, 15 reps, 3 sets
• Dumbbell incline flyes, 25-lb bells, 12 reps, 3 sets
• Tricep dip machine, 3 sets, increasing weights/decreasing reps
• Reverse-grip isolateral tricep cable pressdowns, 3 sets, 15lbs, 12 reps

Shoulder Workout (includes cardio high-intensity intervals):

• Warmup by rebounding for 10 minutes
• Hammer Strength shoulder press, warmup with 25 lbs each side, then 3 sets with 35 lbs each side, 12, 12 and 10 reps
• Between those presses, I did high box jumps, 12 reps per set
• Seated Arnold dumbbell presses, 3 sets, 10, 10 and 8 reps, 20-lb bells
• Between the Arnold presses, I did step-ups and lateral plyometric jumps on a bench
• Superset of lateral dumbbell raises with concentrated overhead presses (small range of motion)
• Bodyweight Squats and step-ups between sets
• Giant set of Smith machine front presses with 50 lbs, front raises with a 25-lb plate, and upright rows with a 40-lb bar; 3 giant sets to failure on each exercise.  No cardio needed between these sets! 
• Finished with recumbent bike for extra cardio and then to cool down

As I mentioned before, I have been on a semi-fast or maybe a ‘cleanse’ would be a better term.  I have cut down a bit on my sweet fruits and started using more vegetables, especially for juicing.  My typical juice is carrot, apple, lemon, celery, and ginger.   My smoothies have had fewer bananas and a higher percentage of greens.  I have also made some ’savory’ green smoothies, using tomatoes, carrots, cucumber, celery, greens, garlic and onions–kind of a Christy-substitute for V8.  (Which has the same antioxidants as ketchup, by the way.  NOT a healthy alternative!)

Post-workout smoothies are still very similar, though.  It’s important to get the quick-absorbing carbs, so I am still using the same general recipes.  Tonight’s smoothie was pineapple, banana, spinach, with Sun Warrior and L-glutamine.  Last night’s was apple, banana, spinach, with cinnamon, Sun Warrior, L-glutamine, honey, and parsley.

I started taking Vitamin D3 today.  I listened to the latest CD by Dr. Mercola, interviewing Dr. Cannell, who is a renowned expert on Vitamin D.  According to him, it is NOT a vitamin, but a steroid pro-hormone that affects over 2000 human genes, as well as enhancing athletic performance and muscle growth.  Sounded good to me!   I went and bought some today.  He says that unless you are a lifeguard, we all are deficient, and need at least 5000 IU per day.  The potential of Vitamin D is amazing, including preventing cancers, and even possibly treating cancers and autism.   Please research Dr. Cannell and Vitamin D online.  It is fascinating and truly breakthrough work he is doing.    http://www.vitamindcouncil.org/

Until next time, keep misbehaving and Be Defiant!

Christy

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Abominable Snow-Kitty

Fiercely Raw!

I saw these on a Facebook application tonight, and had to share them with you!   I just loved that they had ‘Raw’ in them, plus the cute kitties.  I am a kitty freak, for sure.  I love cats, especially Jukebox, my big fat white kitty. 

I had the privilege today of meeting an awesome gentleman named Curtis Bryant, who placed seventh in the 202 class of the 2008 Mr. Olympia bodybuilding contest.  For those who don’t follow bodybuilding, that is the Super Bowl of bodybuilding.   Curtis is extremely impressive in his well-balanced and muscular physique (with shoulders for DAYS), but even more impressive in his humble, laid-back demeanor and vast knowledge of human physiology and training.  We talked for a long time about bodybuilding and nutrition, and I made him his first-ever green smoothie!  He just recently moved to South Carolina.  Welcome, Curtis!  Here’s a pic of Curtis competing in the Mr. Olympia:

Curtis Bryant, Mr. Olympia competition

I tell you, I was feeling rough this morning with very little energy.  I decided that I needed to do some serious cardio to help flush out the last of this nasty detox and to hopefully gain some energy.  So I dragged myself on to an elliptical machine, turned on some seriously motivating rock & roll on my iPod, and busted out over 15 minutes of high-intensity intervals, with 60-90 second recovery intervals in between.  Then I went on to a shoulder workout, and jumped rope at high speed in between each set.  By the end of the workout I felt great, and definitely was able to purge some of the sinus drainage.   Ever since, I have been having no problems breathing and felt energized the rest of the day.

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Shoulder Workout:

• Overhead Dumbbell Presses, 3 sets, 27.5 lb bells, 12, 10 & 10 reps
• Dumbbell Lateral Raises, 3 sets with 17.5 lb bells, alternating arms for 12 reps, and then supersetting with Overhead Dumbbell Pulses, with 20 lb bells (Pulses are small limited range of  motion presses that really burn out the delts)
• Cable lateral raises, 10 lbs, 10 reps.  These kill me.  I don’t know why cables are so hard for me.
• Cybex isolateral press machine, close grip, 3 sets with 50 lbs & 12 reps, supersetted with the Dip Pushdown machine, 90 lbs 3 sets of 10 reps.

My post-workout smoothie was apple, pineapple & banana with Sun Warrior vanilla protein, coconut water, cinnamon, spinach & parsley.   RAWkin’! 

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Tomorrow is my niece Haven’s 6th birthday.  I had a field day today and went way overboard.  I found the coolest shop called Justice for Girls, and they have all kinds of really radical clothes, like Hannah Montana would wear for a concert.  Well, Haven is a huge Hannah Montana fan, so I figured I would dress her like her idol.  I lost my mind.  I wanted to buy everything in the store.  I also wanted to sneak into a back room and see if I could squeeze into some of the outfits!  WHY don’t they make cool clothes like that for big girls??  I got her a really cute full skirt with a tulle underskirt and sequin swirls, plus the matching cami and shrug, and then I brought out the big guns and went all out on the most adorable outfit:  Hot pink Rock & Roll shirt, with Zebra skirt & matching zebra fingerless gloves, black leggings, demin vest, hot pink sequin hat, pink & zebra flip flops and to finish it off, a cool cuff bracelet–zebra & hot pink of course.  I love it!  And she will too.

My sister will just die.  She is very classy and conservative, unlike her crazy sister who secretly wants to be a rock star.  (If I just had this little thing called talent……….)  We have always been diametric opposites, but I love my sister so dearly and always considered her to be one of my best friends.   She is 3 years younger than me.  Anyway, Haven will love the wild outfit, but my sister will probably smack me for turning her child into a miniature Nickelodeon rock star.  But that’s what birthdays are for!   To do something or buy something special and out of the ordinary.  They all say Haven takes more after me anyway—the little diva! 

I had such a blast today.  I love shopping for gifts for my family. 

And since I am going to Georgia for the weekend, I may not have computer access to post anything.  We will see.  MY big 40th birthday is next Saturday!  So my family is combining my birthday with Haven’s.  And since I will be in the land of food that is not on my raw vegan diet, I spent some time tonight making some awesome food to take with us so I can eat.   I also always haul my Blend Tec with me, and make green smoothies for everyone while we are visiting.  I made a delicious Mock Meat Loaf, and some really incredible Raw BBQ sauce.  I have some Thai coleslaw also.  And for my birthday cake, so I can have one, I made an incredible White Chocolate Strawberry Cheezecake by Vanessa Sherwood.  Holy Moly!  I was digging every last smidgen out of the blender and licking the spatula!  That may be the best dessert I have made yet.  I certainly won’t be deprived of an amazing cake at my own birthday party!

One week until the BIG FOUR – OH!

Be Defiant!   Eat better cake–that’s good for you!

Christy

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Great quote today I saw on a website. No credit was given for who said it, but it is so true that I wanted to share it. Character is what really counts, and is the only thing that creates longevity of success.

Remember a few days ago when I was so proud I had completed a fast? Well, I think the fast worked. I am apparently in a full-blown detox now. I started feeling badly on Saturday, and by Sunday my throat was really sore and my head was stuffy. I know I should have fasted then, because fasting is by far the quickest way to get rid of an illness. But I didn’t. I kept right on eating, although I was loading up on citrus fruits and antioxidants.

I was feeling a little better Monday, and worked out. Then yesterday, I got stuck at a re-inspection of a house that had NO heat on, and it was snowing and freezing cold. We were there for over two hours. The inspector’s hands were so cold he was having a hard time writing. I was wearing very cute pointy-toed, high-heeled boots, which were definitely only for show. My feet got so cold it hurt to walk. I was miserably cold by the time we got out of there. I didn’t get to work out yesterday, between working at the Living Well Cafe, watching history at the Inauguration, and the long inspection that lasted far longer than I anticipated.   And I had to get back to the Cafe for the evening shift.

I don’t know if the cold is what did it, but my sinuses are in an uproar. They are draining like crazy. I used to think that these types of symptoms were the problem, and should be suppressed. Which is what everyone does–they take all kinds of medicine to get rid of the mucus, phlegm and drainage.   That’s a mistake, and short-circuits the body’s natural defenses, creating a vicious cycle.  Now I know that those ’symptoms’ are actually the body’s perfect immune system doing its job. The drainage is what gets rid of the toxin, virus, or threat to the immune system. So now I know not to interrupt the process. I also know I am supposed to rest and fast, and I am not able to do either one of those. I need to stay up all night to get all I need to do done!

But even though I now understand what is happening, it still doesn’t make it better. It stinks. I haven’t had a ‘cold’ in a couple of years now, and most of my detox symptoms have been digestion-related, or manifesting through skin breakouts. This is the first time I have had the bad drainage. Yuck. I don’t like it. But I know something is being purged out of me. I want it gone quickly!

I did still manage to work out tonight, and Michael and I did fairly heavy shoulders. On my sets of front delt raises, all the 15-lb dumbbells were taken, and all that was available was 17.5 lbs. I thought they would be way too heavy, since 15 is a challenge, but I was able to get 3 sets of 8 reps, with decent form. I wouldn’t have done that if I hadn’t been forced to challenge myself and defy my perceived limitations. So that was a good lesson!

Shoulder workout:

• Warmup on recumbent bike
• Light warmup on overhead press machine—20 reps, then 15, then 2 heavier sets of 8
• Military press on Smith machine; 3 sets, 50 lbs 10 slow reps, 60 lbs, 8 reps then drop to 50 for 4 more, repeat last set
• Upright barbell rows, 50 lbs, 3 sets of 12
• Lateral raises, 15 lb dumbbells, 3 sets of 12 each arm
• Front raises, 17.5 lb bells, 3 sets of 8 each arm
• Finishing set of lateral raises with 10-lb barbell plates, 3 sets of 10 reps

So overall, it wasn’t too bad of a workout, even though it’s hard to breathe.   

Sorry to cut it short, but I have got to get some work done and get some rest.  I have a lot to do before my class I am teaching on Saturday.  I am THRILLED at the response.  I was hoping for 20 participants, and we are up around 35 already!  Wow!  I have miles to go before I sleep……

Defying Detoxing….

Christy

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Yesterday, by the time I got to the  gym, I was worn out and pretty unmotivated to work out.  After an intense medical massage and chiropractic adjustment on my very painful neck, I had a bit of a headache and felt very lethargic.  I was supposed to meet Michael at Pivotal so I dragged myself down there, and then got a message from him that he was detained and couldn’t make it.  I expressed my ‘un-motivated-ness’ to my friend, who told me that I should go home and get some rest.  I thought about it for a while, and decided that my goal was too important, and I could at least get in a little cardio or something not too stressful.  Since I was there already, I went ahead and changed clothes, clipped on the iPod and headed for an elliptical machine. 

I swear, that iPod is magic.  It’s the greatest thing ever.  Music is so powerful!  Within just a few minutes of warming up on the elliptical and listening to hard-rocking inspirational music, I started to feel really good.  I picked up my pace, and then “The Final Countdown” by Europe came on and something inside me just blossomed into a passion for working out and meeting my goals.  I hopped off the machine and headed to the weight floor and ended up busting out a really tough shoulder workout.  So, thanks to the power of REVOLUTIONS, a burning desire to achieve my goals, and the greatest Christmas gift in the world (thank you for my iPod Honey!), my lethargy and un-motivation morphed into intense positive energy and helped me take another step in the right direction.  A valuable day in the countdown to competition could have been wasted, but ended up being an excellent stepping stone.

I cannot recommend enough putting the music that fires you up and inspires you on some sort of player that you can take along to the gym, on your runs, home workouts, or even just doing housework.  With the iPod I can completely control my environment and literally feed positive messages and awesome music directly into my ears.  I am continually amazed at the powerful effect this has.  I just read that there was a study done on powerlifters and their max lifts were significantly higher when they were listening to music.  Maybe you get fired up with oldies, classical, jazz, whatever.  For me, I get lost in the 80’s!  A little Pat Benetar, Def Leppard, Guns N Roses, Bonnie Tyler, Journey, Quiet Riot, Ratt, Cinderella, Skid Row and Survivor is all I need to get into the Zone!

I worked in the Living Well Cafe all day today, except for a small real estate detour where I looked at a really cool house that I will be putting on the market shortly.  It is one of the most artistic homes I have ever seen.  I can’t wait to do the virtual tour on this one!  My photographer will have a field day with it.   During the slow time just after lunch, I rocked a tough back routine.  The last few workouts I have done I have been on my own, so I have been doing intense cardio intervals between sets.  I like that for two reasons:  One:  it helps me burn fat without sacrificing muscle mass, and Two: I can’t sit still for 60 seconds anyway so I have to be doing something.  I can already tell a difference in my bodyfat percentage.

I also think the detox diet last week, starting with the fasting, has really helped me lose some bodyfat as well.  I have dramatically cut back on the amount of nuts I have been consuming, as well as most other fats.  The only fats I am eating right now are avocados, coconut oil and flesh, and just a tiny amount of olive oil and certain nuts.  Smoothies and salads are the main staples of my diet right now.

Shoulder workout:

• Warmup on elliptical machine
• Overhead presses at squat rack, with rest pauses, 3 sets to failure.  I set the arms of the squat rack to be at the bottom of my press move, then I press the bar up and lower it slowly until it rests on the rack, pause and explode it back up.   I started with 55 pounds and worked up to 75.   I literally couldn’t get the last rep up on each set, so I held it as long as I could for the isometric work.
• Between each press set, I did 15-20 bench jumps and 50 revolutions with a jump rope
• One-armed Kettlebell swing presses.  These left bruises on my forearms!  But I really felt them and they kept my heart rate up.  I would squat down and swing the bell between my legs and then stand up while pulling it up to shoulder level, and then pressing it all the way up.  3 sets of 12, each arm. 
• Dumbbell lateral raises, 15 lb bells, 12 reps
• Bench step-ups between lateral sets
• Front raises, holding a 25-lb plate with both hands and pressing it up in front of me, 3 sets 12 reps
• Ab bicycles between sets

Back Workout:

• Warmup on two different cardio machines
• Body weight pull ups, 3 sets wide grip—I got 10 my first two sets!!!  Yay!!  First time I have achieved that.  My third set was only 6, but I am getting there!   Then I did 2 sets with a neutral grip to failure (5 to 6), utilizing a rest-pause on the last few.
• Some wonderful person had brought a recumbent bike over next to the squat racks where I do my pullups, so I rode 6-second intervals on the bike between pullup sets
• Bodyweight reverse rows on the Smith Machine.  This is where I set the bar about 4 feet above the ground, hang under it with my feet way out so that I am almost horizontal, and pull up to the bar in a rowing motion.  These really hit the middle back!  3 sets, 15, 12, & 12
• Between sets, I did very deep squats on the adjacent Smith Machine, both for cardio and also for extra leg work.  I only used about 75% of my max weight and focused more on the movement and squatting as deep as possible.
• One armed Dumbbell Rows, 50-lb bell, 3 sets of 8 reps each, no rest between sets just switching arms back and forth
• Reverse flyes on the fly machine.  3 sets to initial failure, then dropped weight and went to failure again for burnout
• Stiff-armed pushdowns on cable machine to finish.  3 sets of 25-30 lbs.

My post-workout smoothie was awesome today.  I took a young Thai coconut, used the water and flesh, and added a pear, banana, Vanilla Sun Warrior protein, laciniato kale & cinnamon.  Yum.  My dinner smoothie was an experiment that went well:   Flat-leaved Italian parsley, pear, apple, banana, coconut water,  and an avocado.  That was really creamy and delicious.

It’s time I head off to bed.  I can’t grow without adequate rest and recovery!  Until next time, be defiant and rock those revolutions!  Defy lethargy!  Even if you don’t feel like it, push yourself and use music or what ever else motivates you, and you will find that you can get into the flow even though you felt unmotivated before.   Love and blessings to you all!

Be Defiant!

Christy

2008 brought serious chemicalization for many people, myself included.   So many people have lost their jobs, their incomes, their homes, and their confidence.  We all feel deeply compassionate towards those who are suffering, and feel immensely grateful for what we still have.  No matter what happens or how bad it gets, look for the gift.  There is a gift in every circumstance.  Maybe losing a job will finally force someone to take the leap on opening their own business, or go back to school for an advanced degree.   Sometimes it is impossible to see the gift until years later.    In the middle of the storm, it’s hard to see the big picture when one is struggling just to survive. 

I wish each of you a blessed and prosperous 2009.  Focus on what you want.  Keep concentrating on your desires.  Thoughts become things.  It all starts in our thoughts.  I have mentioned the TUT Notes from the Universe before that I receive by email every day.  

Enjoy this incredible recent passage:

You are life’s prayer of becoming and its answer.  The first light at the dawn of eternity, drawn from the ether, so that the Universe might know its depths, discover its heights, and frolic in endless seas of blessed emotion.

A pioneer into illusion, an adventurer into the unknown, and a lifter of veils. Courageous, heroic and exalted by billions in the unseen.

To give beyond reason. To care beyond hope. To love without limit. To reach, stretch, and dream, in spite of your fears. These are the hallmarks of divinity – traits of the immortal – your badges of honor. Wear them with a pride as great as the unspeakable pride we feel for you.

Your light has illuminated darkened paths, your gaze has lifted broken spirits, and already your life has changed the destiny of all who will ever follow.

__________________________ 

Pretty powerful stuff, huh?   No matter who you are, you touch lives.  Some more than others.  But we all touch other people’s lives and change those lives, for better or worse.  That’s a pretty awesome responsibility, and I always want to be a positive, loving influence to all I meet.  Perfect?  No.  Not hardly.  Bad days happen.  Slip ups happen.  Harsh words are spoken in an unguarded moment.  But if every day we all strive to be a little better than the day before, before long the tiny incremental changes will add up to massive sweeping joyful rejuvenation of our very souls. 

Nothing is more radiant than love.  Pure love in our hearts is impossible to contain.  It will break through the tiniest of cracks like the brilliant rays of the sun, and shine its beautiful golden glow on all we encounter.   Love is contagious.  It spreads from soul to soul.  And the more it is given, the more it returns to envelop the giver.  Love is infinite–you cannot give it all away.  No matter how much love you give, the love in your heart expands and multiplies so that there is more than ever before.

Blessings, love and light to you in 2009.  May you emerge as the butterfly into a beautiful and brilliant new form, spread your delicate wings, and learn to flit about on the wind in joyful abandon.  Enjoy the ride.  Treasure the moment.  Seize the day.

__________________________________________

Today was back day.  I didn’t have a chance to work out at all yesterday, because I had a wonderful family in from out of town who looked at many properties on Lake Murray.   And then I had my hair done.  Four hours later…no chance to make the gym before I had to be at my dear friend’s birthday party.  Yes, it takes at least three to four hours to cut, highlight and style my hair.  That’s why I only do it a couple of times a year.  I am not a salon girl.  I love my stylist, but I hate the long process and chemical smells in salons.  I always have a headache afterwards.  But I do have to tame this mane occasionally.  And yes, it is all natural curl.  I do highlight it because it is such a dark blonde, but otherwise it is all natural and a lot of it!

Today I managed to bust out a really great back workout.   I am enjoying my new iPod, and am amazed at the difference that having strategically chosen songs in my ears makes in my energy and strength during my workout.  It’s about time I joined the 21st century!

Back Workout:

• Pullups, body weight, 6 sets to failure, using different hand grips.  Wide,  neutral, and reverse grips.
• Dumbbell rows, 50 lb bells, 12 reps, 3 sets
• Pullup assist machine, close grip, 3 sets of 10 reps
• Hammer Row Machine, 3 sets, starting with 45 on each side and working up to 60 on each side
• One armed dumbbell rear delt flyes, 15 lb bell, 12 reps each arm
• Reverse grip bar curls, 20 lbs, 3 sets, supersetted with:
• Dumbbell curls, 15 lbs, 3 sets

In a couple of days, many people will be making New Year’s Resolutions.  I challenge you to defy the Status Quo.  Dare to be different.  Resolutions are weak.  Make New Year’s REVOLUTIONS!  Intensely burn with the desire to achieve the changes that you want down deep in your core.  Think long and hard about WHY you want to change and WHAT you really want.  The WHY has got to be so big that it crowds out doubt, fatigue, obstacles, fear and apathy.  Keep your eyes on your WHYS.   Revolutionize your life and grab what you really want.  Be Defiant.  Misbehave.  Dance to a different beat.  And don’t let anybody else tell you what you ’should’ want.  Go for it.  Whatever it is. 

It’s time to revolt. 

Be Defiant!

Christy