Summer Tiiiiime = Skin, Skin, Skin

Hey All,

In todays Post:

June Wrap Up
- Bride to Be
- 100 Push Up Update
- Peachtree Road Race Update

What's Coming
- 100 Push Ups Revisited
- the $2 a day healthy diet challenge
- HERS 4 Week Bikini Challenge

June Wrap Up
So it is time to Transition from Spring to Summer and lets take a Look Back at June
Bride to Be: Well top of the list, as of June 13th I am newly engaged. The gentleman in my life sometimes refered to here as my "male workout partner" popped the question at the end of a business trip in Savannah, and he is looking forward to free personal training for life ... I think I can get him at least a reduced fee ;-)
100 Push Up Challenege: I try not to look at this as an epic fail. I like to think of it as more of a speed bump, and every time I repeat it I am getting a little bit closer to over coming it. I will defeat you 100 Push Ups - just you wait , this month is the MONTH!!!
Peachtree Road Race: This year it became a family affair. Me, the finace', my mother, and sister all completed the peachtree road race. My sister is fast for a newbie - she completed in 1:09!!! My mom shave 10 minutes off her practice time. The fiance' took 12 minutes off his previous time. And I gained 3 minutes :-[ . So generally, ok all the time, I am a very competitive person. I run my pace, eat my dust, and I'll see you at the end. But, at the start of the race I had a change of heart, I decided I will run this race with my fiance'. For him this was a great decision it put him at a much quicker pace, and I got to coach him over cardiac hill. For me it felt great to actually be able to run with him (he used to be soooo much faster than me). Then at 10th Street we sprinted it out to the finish-I win, and that was enough for me- this year ;-). Next year I am going for a personal best ! Under 1 hour! besides, I can't let him and my little sister beat me :-D

For JULY
Check in for updates on:

100 Push Ups...Again: This is the Month folks, I know it is, I can feel it in my pectoralis muscles.

$2 a day healthy diet challenge: This is based on a modification of the $1 a day challenge that 2 highschool teachers embarked on. They enetered in to the challenge based on the statistic that impoverished americans have to live off $1 a day and they're recognition that they were spending a large chunk of their income on food. In their plan they actually break down cost by ingredients and only allow themselves to consume a $1 worth of food a day.
So why woul I consider taking a similar challenge, because I have been spending a ridiculous amount of money on food the past 2 months. I stopped preparing food at home and began relying on take out and fast food. Paying an obscene amount of money on salads, steamed veggies, smoothies, and breakfast foods. With my wedding coming I need to start saving as much money as possible and cutting back my nearly $25 a day habit of convenience food would be a HUGE help.
I am going to make my life a lot easier and move up to $2 a day and just multiply that by the remaining days of the month, minus a pre-planned trip to New York for 5 days - so minus $10. My grocery budget is $40 for the month of June. I go grocery shopping tonight for at least half the months food - will post my grocery list and the price break down.
For mor info on the $1 a day challenge check out http://www.dollaradaybook.com/

HERS 4 Week Bikini Challenge: Simple. With my convenience food diet I gained some extra pounds I had not intended to. I figure as long as I am restructuring my diet, i should restructure my workouts too. There are several parties coming in August, and I would like to look like I am a personal trainer - your body can be your best business card. 4 to 8 pounds in 4 weeks should have everything bikini ready I will try to update my progress weekly on this as well.
This workout was featured in the March/April 2010 issues of Hers Muscle & Fitness, for more info on Hers and this workout you can visit: http://www.muscleandfitnesshers.com/

So it should be a very busy very eventful month,

Health and Happiness

L

Bikini Bootcamp

It starts today...okay it should have started yesterday, but Big Mama made such a great Sunday Dinner, and you can not say no to Big Mama.

So Bikini Bootcamp has become a summer tradition.
It is a 4 week, 5 day, high intesity circuit workout schedule, perfect time frame to drop off those last few pounds before swimsuit season.
The workout I choose to use is a modification of Hers Muscle and Fitness Workout Routine from about 2 years ago. But, it is one of the best workouts I've tried: Quick Results and Lasting Strength Gains!

What's great about this workout - diversity!
If you are the type of person who appreciates variety this is a great workout for you.
Most trainers will tell you one of the most effective ways to break a plateau or restructure your body is by revitalizing your routine and overloading your muscle groups.
So 5 Days, 5 Different workouts, each day focusing on 1 or 2 muscle groups:
Chest and Arms, Legs, Shoulders, and Back

What's difficult about this workout - not for BEGINNERS!
The way the program is designed it is a progression from a 2 day workout, to a 3 day workout, to this final 5 day workout. So the 5 day is not for beginners, it is for the experienced strength participant that wants to take there workout to the next level. At least 3 sets of 15 reps.

Draw backs - Time
One of the biggest drawbacks to this workout is the amount of time you have to put in.
The guide says it will take you 30mins and for some of the routines that is true, but if you are utilizing a shared gym facility it can take you 45mins to an hour. At 3 sets of 15 reps this routine can get lengthy.

So what is my goal, I've gotten to a good lean weight prepping for the Peachtree Road Race.
Now i'm looking to add some muscle mass, opting for lower reps and higher resistance, with short cardio intervals mixed in to keep my cardio up.

So I'll be posting weekly updates, and pieces of the routine, so you can get a sneak peak into how I train.

Health and Happiness,

-L-