fitness

Update Schmupt-date

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I could give you some “oh man it’s been forever..I’m really going to get better about this blog” bullshit.  But I won’t.

I could tell you all the amazing things that have happened to me, my family and friends over the last year.  But I won’t.

I could tell you all the hardships, failures and seemingly motivational “only way to go but up” happenings of last year.  But I won’t.

Nope.  Moving forward I’m just going to post what’s up currently.

If ya like it, give it a “like” and a follow.  

If you REALLY like it, share this blog, baby.

If you don’t, well. fine.  don’t blame me. You read it.

and now…the musings of a Powerlifting Mom who babbles on the radio for a living in 3…..2……..

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Naked And Afraid – The Before Photos

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Tonight I did something that was at the highest level of anxiety, pit in the stomach, REAL.

I finally got up the courage to take the #BeforePic.

Mentally, we see ourselves so different than the camera does. Subconsciously, I think our brains leave out the dimples, bumps and flaws. Our brains delude us into thinking our 3 Bedroom figure is a studio apartment and we never really get that feeling of what our true canvas looks like.

Tonight I did. Tonight I cried.

I was hit with a harsh reality that I deep down knew existed. If I’m really going to be successful…If I’m going to transform myself to the way, in my heart I feel I need to be, then it needs to be done 100%. These photos were sent to two of my closest fitness friends. Friends who I know won’t judge and will help motivate me. Most of all, they will keep me accountable to the results I’m striving for. This was the single hardest thing I’ve done. I allowed someone else into my reality.

Well, it’s time to change that reality. It’s time to be the woman I know is hiding behind the curtain of bad decisions, eating habits and laziness that shrouds my body. Time to let the Strong Beast that’s inside this skin, out.

Seeing yourself through the lens…is terrifyingly enlightening.

The Rollga – What is It? How Can I Get One? Why you NEED one!

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RollgaMultipleWhat? Yes, I said Rollga.  It’s basically the way to take Foam Rolling to an entirely new level of Awesome.  I have tried foam rolling to help out my always too tight hamstrings and more, but always end up in a lot of pain afterwards.

Enter..ROLLGA.

The Rollga is a Contoured Foam Roller.  From Softer to Firm, there is a Rollga for every body shape, size and age.  I have had numerous issues with low back and my Si Joint for years, and this bad boy has become my best friend.

Rollga is a cross-directional foam roller designed to stabilize the hips, align the back, and increase range-of-motion. The Rollga foam roller is ideal for muscle recovery, fascial health, and functional restoration of movement. Ordinary foam rollers cause discomfort and pain due to the unfitting design. This groovy foam roller is designed and contoured to fit your body and reach trigger points that are difficult to reach with an ordinary roller.

Our entire body is consumed with connective tissue called, Fascia. Just like anything in our body, connective tissue degenerates and breaks down over time. The degeneration of fascia can be accelerated with repetitive overuse, stress or injury. Rollga is a high-quality foam roller that brings regeneration to damaged tissue, by influencing circulation of oxygen-rich blood flow. Rollga will prevent fascia from becoming unhealthy. By restoring your fascia, you will restore your mobility.

Rollga’s Key Features

  • Protects the Spine, Hips, Shins, & Achilles
  • Cross-Directionally Targets Trigger Points
  • Naturally Restores Fascia Lubrication
  • Restoration of Movement
  • Stimulates Oxygen-Rich Blood Flow for Healing
  • Omni-Directional Force Reduces Fascial Fuzz
  • The Only Targeted Joint Relief Roller
  • All the Benefits of a Flat/Bumpy Roller & More
  • And Gets Fast Results in Less Time ( PER!OD )
    (Courtesy of Rollga.com)

BrookRollgaI am also excited to announce that I am officially an Elite Ambassador for Rollga! This means I can help you start your Rollga journey with a discount and free shipping!!

Just use the code Elite17 at checkout at www.Rollga.com for a $5 discount and Free Shipping in the US!

Recovery from my recent SI Injury has been so much faster with my Rollga Sidekick! I’ve had it with me every step of the way! It’s has helped me reach muscles and blast fascia in spots that are usually really uncomfortable to reach with traditional Foam Rollers.

#RollgaHealth #RollgaFitness #Ambassador #Discount

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Who is this #FitFam?

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Imagine you walk up to a wall…and just start talking.  You talk about everything from your macros for the day to how much weight you just pulled and how many times you’ve already pooped today.  You are deep in the heart of fitness talk…and the wall?  Is your husband.

He has no clue.  He doesn’t care to have a clue.  He just stares blankly until you mention a word that resembles something he understands and cares about. This takes awhile.  Finally he hears the word “dinner” and takes his cue, “YES! Dinner! What’s for Dinner?!” and walks..eh em BOLTS away.

humpfh.

Enter The #FitFam.


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You’ve probably seen fitness posts that include a million hashtags. #Fitness #CleanEating #SWOLmates #WeightLoss #Gains #DoYouEvenLiftBro and of course #FitFam.  Each of those little hashtags represent a connection to an entire world of people who REALLY DO want to talk about your protein poops and post workout pump!  People who find inspiration in your successes and will help you through your struggles.  They are your #FitFam..Your Fitness Family.

These are the people that get genuinely psyched when you succeed.  The people that will offer you any and all advice, shoulders to cry on and squat racks to spot on.  The outpouring of amazing support from my #Fitfam has been unreal. The best part?  Whether you know it or not, you start using those hashtags, and it will make you discoverable.  You too will be motivating and inspiring others in your own unique way.

img_6594-e1500474037479.pngI want to give a shout out to the people that have made such an amazingly positive impact on my journey so far..most of which, I’ve never met, let alone spoken to over the phone.

Ben – St. Cloud.
Ben is one of my original trainers turned Mestie. Man. Bestie.  He and I can literally talk about anything.  Fitness talks are pretty much nothing but passion for the pump. Ben is now an Officer in the U.S. Army and our chats are mostly via Facetime and Text.

Chris – NYC
Chris is a 30-something dad that has been through an amazing journey of his own and is now Power lifting.  He is always good for an extra kick in my ass to get the job done and has already shared so much of his knowledge and experience with me.  I also love watching the videos he sends me of his young daughter that he is teaching to lift. Chris inspires me daily.

Mollie – St. Cloud
Mollie and I actually work together.  We both have a similar mindset for what/where we want to go on this fitness journey and at the same time, the understanding of the grueling demands that radio can have on our fitness schedules and more.  She inspires me with her fearless approach to this journey.  Mollie’s focus in her transformation is Cross-Fit.

Jason – Milwaukee
Jason is a Physical Therapist who travels and is one of the most positive lights on fitness social media.  He’s like a shot of Inspirational Adrenaline in the ass.  He even offers some advice when needed.  He is the one that helped me find my love for KT Tape.

Robin – Iowa
Robin is a student, the mother of Batman the cat and always has the most fun snapchats to watch.  Whether we are showing off our current post workout pics or encouraging each other to get up and do the workout anyway, she’s been fantastic for me.

Vinny – Nashville
Vinny, aka Bigg Vinny has been through some amazing transformations including his appearance on NBC’s The Biggest Loser.  From weight loss to now Power Lifting, Vinny and his wife have always been there when I have questions or just need my butt kicked on the road.

Stephanie – St. Cloud
I work with Stephanie as well. We talk Clean Eating All. The. Time.  She is a great resource for a more holistic approach to fitness and nutrition. Steph’s fitness choice at the moment is Barre and Barre Fusion.

Bodyspace/Instagram Fitfam
I have a profile on Bodyspace and the outpouring of support is amazing.  Special shout outs to:
Stephanie Sanzo / StephFitMum- Austrailia
Kristi Youngdahl / kyoungdahl – Minnesota
Chris McGann – Roanoke,US
Todd Morris – Camp Douglas, US
RedRiverRogue – Florence, US
Jaye – Pearl Harbor, US

There are so many others that I could list, but it would take forever and It’s Leg Day Bitchachos.

Don’t forget to look beyond the wall in front of you, there are always like-minded people looking to share stories, inspiration and more with you.  You just have to seek them out.

Good Luck, FitFam! xoxo

So Much to Catch Up On..Grab a Protein Shake.

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Alright seriously. Where do I even start?

Once Upon A time, on a February day in 2017, The Pretty Princess with a High Body Fat Percentage Met a dashing Prince.  His name was Brian.  He was Blonde, Blue-Eyed and probably talked more than she.  There was something about this Prince that was different.  He just seemed to GET that Pretty Princess.

Prince Brian reached for the Pretty Princess and said, “Come with Me if you want to live..diabetic Free”.  So the Pretty Princess with the High Body Fat Percentage did.  She did squats, deadlifts and skull crushers with Prince Brian and so began the not-so-fairytale known as…

KICKIN’ ASS & TAKIN’ NAMES

I’ve come to the conclusion, that trainers are like shoes..or boyfriends…not all of them them fit YOU.  It’s not just about skill set, it’s about schedule, personalities and camaraderie.  Brian is just that for me.  He’s super psyched about fitness, lifting and since he’s full time, he’s always got a spot for me.  I’ve started to use the Bodyspace App as well (https://bodyspace.bodybuilding.com/) with the Kris Gethin’ 12 Week Program for my days without B-Man (as I affectionately call him)

This round of fitness has not only been productive by way of successful weigh-in’s, but more so about educating me on my body and how it really works, responds and grows.

I’m not looking for the scale to decrease.  I’m looking for my strength to increase, my Body Fat Percentage to Decrease and with that I know that the weight will follow suit.  It’s been a very different approach and so far, it’s been amazing.

Top PR’s Thus Far:

  • Hamstring Curl 200lbs (full sets)
  • Lat Pulldown  100lbs (full sets)
  • Reverse Grip Seated Pulldown 100lbs (full sets)
  • Quad/Leg Extension 125lbs (full sets)
  • Skull Crushers 45lbs (full sets)
  • Tri Pulldown (rope)  45lbs (full sets)
  • Bicep Curl (cable) 105 lbs (3 reps)

Babs’ Top 5 Fitness Observations this week:

  1.  Quiet Gyms are creepy.
    When the gym has ZERO overhead music, it’s creepy AF.  I’m all gruntin’ like an old man in the john after Thanksgiving Dinner, and that shit is echoing. Stop the damned Silence.  Let a Girl Grunt in peace and loud shitty Top 40 Music PLEASE.
  2. No Photos in the Locker Room.  
    Let’s be real.  We’re going to take our pics there.  That’s where we feel the pump. That’s where we feel the most fantastic.  And trust me. The last thing I need is anyone else’s cellulite in my pic.  If you see me takin’ a pic..don’t worry.  You’re NOT in it.
  3. No Child Left Behind….at the gym.
    Seriously.  I had a first hand experience where “trainers”…I will use this term lightly..one was wearing bedroom slipper for cripes sake….you know what..screw that…They are Officially FRAINERS..FAKE TRAINERS.  They are there with all these young kids IN the weights and they say..ok go.  wait what?This is where small mushroom clouds poof out my ears.

    These kids are told to do all these exercises…and THEY ARE DOING THEM WRONG.  Such bad form it’s making MY back hurt!  I bite my lip, til it bleeds, and pump out an extra set of angry skull crushers.  STOP the Insanity! Teach them the correct way from the beginning.

  4. I smell.
    Yup. I Smell.  And look disastrous.  And. I. LOVE. IT.  When I see pretty pretties on the elliptical texting their BFFs about the hot guy over there lifting the weight thingy’s…I want to walk over Slap the Phone outta their hands and scream..GET YOUR ASS TO WORK!But we all know this would just mean running mascara for them and a lawsuit for me.
  5. Nothing Tastes as Good As…
    ANYTHING after a big workout.  You could give me a SHOE and I’d EAT it after a big lift day.  I get why when you’re hoping for muscle gains, you’re eating enough to feed an entire hockey team.  BUT…it’s clean..because why would would I eat crap after a killer workout.  That would be like putting ketchup on a decadent chocolate cake.  Don’t do that. If you do, feel much shame.
  6. BONUS
    KT Tape is your Friend. Seriously.

 

Day 3 of 21 – First Workout & Random Acts of Swearing

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Whew. Day 3. Helloooo Day 3.  Today was my first session with my new trainer, Tyler.  When I walked into the gym, I saw my Mestie, Ben.  We hugged, high-fived and warmed up together on the treadmill.  Ok, let’s clarify that.  I warmed up. He took a break from lifting weights the size of me.

Tyler, much like Ben, is all about form.  I love this.  Bad Form = not just potential injuries, but the possibility of being “that guy”.  You know..the dude that everyone looks at like, “What in the hell is he doing?” Note: you don’t want to be that guy.

Bent over Row, Lunges, Leg Lifts.  Sounds pretty easy right?  Well, tell that to my legs.  I have the most restless legs in the world tonight.  Stairs and I are fighting and I’m purchasing a parachute on Amazon Prime for my free falls to the toilet seat.  Oh Leg Day, you son-of-a-bitch..you ol’ sailor you…I LOVE YOU.

Words cannot express how great I feel after a workout like that.  My form was on point. Tyler mentioned on more than one occasion that he was excited to see I was not just practicing good form, but that I was strong.

Strong is what I want to be.  Not skinny, not great in a bathing suit.  I just want to be Strong, Healthy and Fit.
I made a new recipe tonight, Egg Roll in a Bowl.  Pretty much all the good stuff from the inside of an egg roll.  Find the Recipe here

Tomorrow’s goal?  Power through another session, especially if it’s upper body. I’m gettin’ my hair did…so this girl won’t have to even try to wash her own!  Oh, and drink more water.  This one is big.

I’m off to bed, swearing with every step down the stairs as if calling my legs dirty names will make them hurt less.  Nope.  Magnesium will though.  (yes I supplement)

Day 2 of 21 – Dead Man’s Breath and New Kicks

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Today is Day 2 of 21.  More mindful of myself, my choices and my goals, my snotty.  yup. snotty.  The dreadful fall cold has found it’s way to me.  Thankfully, I’m not totally Hallmark Movie Channel snotty, just enough to give me a tired voice and throat and probably dead man’s breath.

My days are so compartmentalized. I find myself running out of time for certain tasks.  Which leads to me working from home.  I’m ok with this, except when I have the Season Opener of #TheWalkingDead to watch…eh em..to CRY over.  Good Gravy it was almost as bad as #TheRedWedding in Game of Thrones.  Don’t want to spoil anything for you..but no one on the cast is drinking Glenn Livet these days…cuz..Glenn..no Live-et. #TooSoon?

 

After work, I picked up Timothy and headed over to The Endurunce Shop for some new kicks.  Boy oh Boy, these puppies are gonna make me at least LOOK fast. lol.  My ass hurts from the mere 8 squats I did yesterday during my Fitness eval and tomorrow will be my first real session.  I plan to cuss at least 42 times in less than 30 mins tomorrow…if I don’t meet that goal, it will probably be made good when I got to sit down anywhere after my workout.

I actually moved other appointments around in my calendar today to accommodate my Gym Sessions. This is big step.  Normally, everything else comes first.  I didn’t mention why things needed to be moved around, I just did.  and that’s ok.

I smoked/grilled up some Chicken, packed the containers and am ready to take on tomorrow.

#Goalis105 #CleanEating #21DayChallenge

Day 1 of 21: Introduction & Snickers

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Today is day 1 of 21.  The first day of a new challenge I’m committing myself to.  One of my mesties aka Man Besties has decided to Jump out of Planes as an Army Ranger, so he will no longer be able to make me sweat so hard I pass out.  Before you go and think..bow chicka wow wow…I’m talking about weight lifting.

Over the past few months, my schedule and his just didn’t match up. So now, I have more than 50 paid for training sessions to use and abuse.

Today I met with a new trainer, a new challenge and a new set of laughs.  I forgot how much I love to challenge my body.  I love my time at the gym and I’m excited to crush some PR’s. I’ll be hittin’ the racks 3x/week and I’m pretty pumped about it.

I see a lot of squats, deadlifts, crushed goals and inner happiness in the future.

So, here I sit, excited for a new challenge as I sit here watching Supernatural on Netflix and eating a Halloween Snickers and a Diet Coke.  Yes. Yes, I journaled it.  Yes I’m ashamed. wait. nope. Nope, I’m not.  #nomnomnom #EatASnickers

Labor Day is PREP Day..and Leg Day..and I need a Nap already day.

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Things have been really up and down over the past  few months.  From festivals just about every weekend the first 2/3 of the summer, to big changes at work, the least I can tell you is that I’m tired and have been for more than a month.

Getting up and going gets tougher and tougher the longer and longer you wait.  I always asked myself how people got into their situations of being confined to a couch and living a lifestyle that is a one-way ticket to heartattack-ville.  Well, if they are anything like me, they might have just allowed themselves to ride the trolley right down the path of lazy. Then got lost and didn’t even remember where they were going originally.

I’ve learned a lot in the last few months about myself and how a simple daily outlook can change our paths for the better.  I had a coworker who would tell me the two following statements:

 

  1.  “Did you Die?”  Ok. When you’re upset about something, NO ONE wants to hear this. We want to clang pots and pans together, march around like a one-man band screaming “pay attention to me, agree with me!”  Well, 9 times out of 10, we DIDN’T die.  We ARE overreacting AND we just learned a solid lesson in the act of “choosing our battles”.  This statement has helped me to take the emotion out of so many of the situations where passion outweighs our brains at first.  Solid advice, bro.
  2. “Don’t let ONE negative thing, unravel your ENTIRE day.”  Simple Right? Well, not always.  Sometimes, we don’t even see ourselves on the red eye to “Negative Nancyville”.   Remembering this concept has helped me to cope with the really bad, and really focus on the joy of the day.  Sometimes, it’s just looking at the horizon and noticing how beautiful the colors are and taking it in.  The little positive things add up to a lot if you let them!

Whew..that bit of philosophy out of the way, I’m trying to dive back into the amazing world of fitness, meal planning and me-time.  Three things that add up to amazing positivity in my life.  And three things that ..well, when one went down in flames..I would say F it to the other two.  (see above Trolley to Lazy Land)

So after a killer BACK workout last night and Leg Day in the books today thanks to my Mestie (man bestie for the layman), Ben, I’m off to a sore and yet successful start.  I have a killer treadmill in my basement that calls to me to get off my arse and use it.  I have the skills to create the culinary version of love and awesome in the kitchen. So now..what’s holding me back?  Me.  …well it WAS me..two days ago..and the 30 days before that…and before that.  It’s not about never having to restart…I think it’s about restarting as soon as you can and only resting…not quitting.  big difference there.

I wanted to share one of the recipes I’ve created for this week.  It is also saved in MyFitnessPal account  and it’s slightly adjusted from the original recipe I found on Pinterest.

 

Happy Noshing!

xo Babs

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Baked Raspberry Oatmeal

9 Ingredients / 8 servings

  • 3 cup (40g dry), Old Fashioned Oats
  • 2 tsp, Baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon, Salt
  • 1 cup(s), Organic Sucanat
  • 1.00 cup, 1% Milk
  • 1 tsp(s), Vanilla extract
  • 2 large, Egg
  • 1 Packet, No Sugar Added Applesauce
  • 1 cup, Raspberries – Raw
    Mix Oats, Baking Powder, Salt together. Then mix in wet ingredients. Finally Fold in the berries and bake in an 8×8 Square pan (spray with Non-Stick first) for up to 35mins at 350 or until nice and golden brown. Serve warm.
Nutrition Facts
Servings 8.0
Amount Per Serving
calories 264
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 4 g 6 %
Saturated Fat 1 g 6 %
Monounsaturated Fat 1 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1 g
Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 49 mg 16 %
Sodium 354 mg 15 %
Potassium 41 mg 1 %
Total Carbohydrate 51 g 17 %
Dietary Fiber 4 g 16 %
Sugars 29 g
Protein 8 g 16 %
Vitamin A 4 %
Vitamin C 8 %
Calcium 10 %
Iron 9 %
* The Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet, so your values may change depending on your calorie needs. The values here may not be 100% accurate because the recipes have not been professionally evaluated nor have they been evaluated by the U.S. FDA.

Food Porn – Tuesday Lunch Edition

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Grilled Italian Chicken with shaved fresh Parmesan & fresh basil on 100% Whole Wheat Toast (420 Calories)