Would it be completely “typical blogger” of me to point out that it’s Monday, and that no one likes Monday?

Yes?

Ok, moving on.

Slim and Sculpt

Today marks the first day of Phase 2 of the Slim and Sculpt program with Carrie of This Fit Chick. This means that as of yesterday, Phase 1 is complete!

Week 4: (weeks 1, 2, and 3 here)

Workouts changed: none. I changed the order of the exercises on Workout C, but that was because of availability of equipment.

Workouts skipped: none.

Workouts added: a 20 minute yoga session.

Phase 1 Review

Overall, I enjoyed this phase. I felt like I was pushing myself through each workout, but I wasn’t completely draining myself to the point where I wasn’t enjoying it anymore. I was getting a significant amount of DOMS for the first couple weeks, and everytime I would go down the stairs back to the locker room at the end of the strength workouts my legs would be shaking – definitely a sign of a great workout!

The intervals/circuit workouts always left me gasping for breath. I’d go into it thinking “Yea! This’ll be easy! I can do 20 minutes!” Cue 20 minutes later and I’m practically crawling off the treadmill. Woman knows how to get a sweat going!

I was weary of the 4 day setup but once I got used to the idea, I thoroughly enjoyed it (I was a one-rest-day-a-week kinda girl). The time off between workouts allowed my muscles to repair and recuperate, and I was able to attack each workout with a vengeance because I felt well rested and recovered.

Strength Changes

Following the program for 4 weeks, I was able to see where I made awesome strength gains.

Some of the ones I was most proud of:

• barbell deadlifts: 100 – 115 pounds.
• bench press: 55 – 60 pounds. 5 pounds in four weeks doesn’t seem like much, but I’ve been stuck at a bench press plateau for a long time now. So I’m ecstatic that I busted through!
• seated rows: 80 –90 pounds. Did not expect my back to be that strong.
• Dumbbell squats: 50 – 70 pounds. And I finished feeling like I could raise the weight again the next time.

Body Changes

I’m saving before/after pics for when I’m completely done the program, but I am keeping track of my measurements.

• Weight: stayed the same. I’m actually hoping to gain a few pounds with the program, so I’ll take no change over my weight going down.
• Shoulders: .2 of an inch broader. Maybe tank top straps will stop sliding down my arms all the time?
• Navel: down almost a full inch smaller. I knew it looked a little flatter but I didn’t expect that. Although I’m all about self-love and accepting one’s body…I have trouble doing that when it comes to my stomach. Everyone has their “problem area” and that would be mine. Clearly, I’m not going to complain that it went down.
• Body fat %: down .3%. The fact that my weight stayed the same but my body fat went down indicates that my plan to gain muscle is working. I love it when stuff works out.
• My legs, arms and hips stayed relatively the same, which is fine. Hopefully with the next phase, I can work on getting my guns a little bigger.

Overall, I’m thrilled with my progress and excited to see what happens with phase 2. Thanks for putting such an awesome program together, Carrie!

(yes, I am a sucker for motivational quotes. All images link to their source).

Yoga

Week 3 of  Courtney’s October yoga challenge!

My goal is to get in two yoga sessions per week. This last week? Umm…a bit of a fail. I got in one 20 minute podcast on Thursday, and had every intention of getting in another one Saturday or Sunday. It did not happen. I guess you can’t win them all, right?

I enjoy yoga, but sometimes I cannot motivate myself enough to do it, even though I know I’ll feel awesome afterwards. I guess I’ll just keep working on it for the coming week!

Dinner

Dinner last night was particularly delicious, so it deserved a mention.

Herb-rubbed salmon, brown rice with Italian seasonings, and steamed broccoli.

And it all came together in about 20 minutes (thanks to quick-cooking rice). I love it when the simplest, tastiest dinners are also the least time consuming.

Enjoy your Monday!

<— Do you like to follow workout plans, or would you rather do your own thing? I need a plan – otherwise I wander around the gym like a lost puppy.

<— Broccoli or cauliflower? I’m partial to broccoli, myself.