How I Went from Chubby Party Girl to Strong Fit Girl [In a year!]

 Spring/Summer 2013...

At the ripe age of 21, I was binge drinking, drunk eating, living the life with my friends from Thursday through Sunday. Constantly eating bar food or fast food and more beers than one girl should ever drink on a Sunday afternoon. And it showed.

I was pushing 145lbs, still managing to wear a size 6-7, and not really caring.

Well, then one day, I went to the store to buy more shorts, mid-summer and I fit into a size 9.

WHAT.

I was never a size 9! NEVER. Always  4-6 and happy with that. BUT A 9?! NOOOO. Not cool. That was it. I was done living an unhealthy lifestyle and decided to totally change everything about myself and my habits.

I wasn't obese. Hell, I don't even know if I was really considered overweight. I was just bigger than I used to be and I hated it. I worked out, occasionally, never consistently. That was the difference, consistency. Anyone can start and stop going to the gym or eating healthy, but sticking to it is what makes ALL THE DIFFERENCE.

Fall of 2013...
I started weight training 4-5 days a week, mixing some cardio in-between, and stoped going out as much and drinking as much. I still went out, I still enjoyed myself, I just spent more time at the gym and making healthy (not harmful) decisions.

By December, I was already down about 5 inches on my waist and thighs. I still weighed about 140, but I was definitely putting on muscle. By January, another change occurred. I researched split training, interval training, supplements, and clean eating. I don't even remember the last time I had a pop/soda at this point. Fast food is completely out of the picture, I take daily vitamins, protein is a huge part of my diet, I also invested in other supplements like BCAAS, creatine, and glutamine. I encourage you to do a little research for yourself, figure out what workout/lifting routine would work for you, along with educating yourself on supplements. Bodybuilding.com is a great resource and there's tons and tons of information on the site to help you.

Clean eating really changed everything, not only was I not eating fast food or drinking pop, but eating 'clean' was kind of a total body detox for me. I basically ate lean meats, veggies, and fruits for 4 months. I allowed myself a couple cheat meals a week, but nothing crazy. I cut out breads/pastas/bad carbs (not good carbs like veggies!) and that tightened my body up in no time!

I was still weight training, heavy, 5 days a week. Chest/triceps, Back, Biceps, Shoulders, Legs/Glutes. Abs about twice a week, and cardio for 45 minutes, three times a week.

Currently, I weigh 133lbs, 17% BF. I'm training for a competition in November, where I hope to be around 13% BF and 125 lbs. We'll see though, the scale isn't important to me. The way I feel and the way my clothes fit does. I'm now a size 26 (1/2) in jeans, small in tops, my arms are tight/toned/defined. I don't have love-handles, I am comfortable in my own skin, and I'm damn proud of myself.

I kicked my ass, and you can do it too. You just need to dedicate yourself 110% and stick to it. TRUST THE PROCESS. Nothing will happen overnight. You won't even notice changes in yourself for awhile.. take progress pictures every week or every two weeks. They help SO much. It will help confirm that all your hard work is paying off.

Join a gym, go to the rec, get a personal trainer, DO WHATEVER YOU HAVE TO DO TO GET STARTED. Personal training is an investment in yourself, find a trainer that can help you with form and technique of lifting so you can start weight training the right way.

EVERYONE SHOULD WEIGHT TRAIN. LIFT AND LIFT A LOT. Girls, you're not going to get huge and masculine just because you pick up weights heavier than 5lbs. Weights will transform your body and give you EARNED curves. Weights will trim your waist and grow your ass. Tone your arms and eliminate any jiggle. Lifting weights is literally the BEST thing women can do for themselves. Cardio is good too, 30-45 minutes about 3-4 days a week is great for heart health and increased fat loss. Cardio doesn't and will never give you an ass, or toned arms. Cardio bunnies have the saddest asses I've ever seen, because they think lifting will make them manly. OK. Squats do the booty gooooooooood, girl.  But weight lifting will give you that 'toned' body that every strives for.

If you have any questions, you can ALWAYS email me at askprfctwoman@gmail.com

Get yourself to the weight room, don't be scared. Guys don't mind seeing women who weight train and honestly it's a no judgment zone, just do it for yourself. DO IT NOW.

xoxo

Workout Apparel

I seriously love gym clothes more than regular clothes. They're comfy and just so darn cute. So many stores have their own athletic lines now, and you're not limited to going to a sporting goods store to get decent quality workout clothes without breaking the bank.

I literally only wear spandex. Shorts, crops, pants, all spandex. It's comfy, doesn't budge, and shows off my ASSets. Duh, I'm a girl. If I'm gonna sweat and look disgusting let me at least do it in some cute clothing.

Most of my crops/shorts are from Old Navy, Forever 21, and TJ Maxx. Let's get real, Under Armour and Nike are awesome, but damn that shit gets expensive. Plus, I like having stuff that not everyone and their mother has pinned on Pinterest. I've found awesome patterns/prints and deals at stores like Forever 21, Old Navy, and TJ Maxx.  If you don't believe me, check it out for yourself. The quality is there and literally half the cost of Nike pros or Nike crops.

I wear a lot of 'bro tanks' from Skreened.com because they have awesome patterns/sayings/etc. If you didn't know, I have my own shop on Skreened.com! It's www.skreened.com/sheliftsbro There's not a ton of designs yet but I work on them in my spare time. Just in case someone has the same time of humor as me and loves the gym as much as I do, then they can buy and wear the shit out of my stuff!

Forever 21 also has a lot of different cut and style tanks for the gym and I've found a couple with really cool backs, that aren't too yoga-like. It depends which Forever 21 you go to, though. Some locations have more than others, which is annoying, but it's Forever 21 so what more can you ask? That whole store is a nightmare at times.

Sports braaaas. This is something worth investing in, I wear the kind that strap my boobs down and make me look as flat as a board. That's how I like it. I don't like movement, it hurts. Target has a good line of their champion sports bras, reebok has been one of my favorites, and nike has some nice and tight ones too! I don't wear those VS ones that have actual cups because I think those are dumb.

Other stores/brands I've bought from are smaller companies. Most of which I've discovered on instagram! Here are some links to those sites as well, they have limited quantities of their product so if there's something you HAVE TO HAVE, I suggest paying attention to their drop dates or signing up for their mailing lists.

BunzNGunz: https://www.etsy.com/shop/BUNZnGUNZ
My favorite is the F*ck Cardio crop top! I have it in pink. Also, this line is coming out with shorts soon so I'm dying for those!

Flex Till You're Famous (FTYF): http://flex-till-youre-famous.myshopify.com/
I don't have anything from this line...yet. But they're phrases are original and the spandex crops are to die for AND I MUST GET MY HANDS ON THEM. Anyways, check them out!

Rogue Fitness: http://www.roguefitness.com/gear-apparel.php
More of a crossfit/ultimate fighting/ gym equipment brand, but they do have a women's line and I like their use of the American flag.

Flag Nor Fail: http://flagnorfail.com/collections/all
Badass line, made by a badass couple. Need I say more??

Anonymous Talents: http://anonymoustalents.com/
This is the site I got my camo leggings from and they're AWESOME.

Rise Above Fitness: http://riseabovefitnessapparel.bigcartel.com/
Not as much apparel for women as the other sites, but this stuff is badass. Camo and wolves and intimidating gym clothes, sign me up.

It's really not about what you wear, it's about your workout. BUT who doesn't like cool workout apparel?!!? I can't help it. It's an addiction. I'm waiting on a few shipments from the above sites and I can't wait to rock my new gym clothes. Confidence is key.

What are your favorite stores/brands/apparel lines? PLEASE SHARE!
Feel free to email me, tweet @ me, or comment below.

askprfctwoman@gmail.com

xoxo

Updated Leg Day Routine

I LOVE leg day. I love working my legs and sweating so much I look like I just got caught in the rain. Leg day is the one day where I push myself so hard that I can barely walk when I'm leaving the gym. If you want to better your butt, hammys, quads, and calves, I can help! But remember, along with training is healthy eating and not stuffing your face with a cheeseburger and fries after you leave the gym. No, you don't "earn" a greasy meal, you'll literally put just as many cals and fat back in faster than you burned them at the gym. A typical leg day for me lasts an hour- and hour and half, and I burn close to 1,000 calories according to my polar FT4. Anyways, on leg day, I burn the most calories and leave the gym technically crippled. 

SO to start, I warm up with lunges.

I do alternating lunges or walking lunges if space permits, I hold a 45lb plate in front of my BUT feel free to start out with a 25 lb plate or 10lb dumbbells (held at your sides) if you haven't really done legs before. Use enough weight to feel the burn but not too much where you can't complete a set.

I'll do 20 lunges (10 on each leg)

rest for 30

20 lunges (10 on each leg)

rest for 30

20 lunges (10 on each leg)

Then I go and grab a 40-45 lb dumbbell (again, go lighter if you're not ready for the heavy weight but at least use 15lb dumbbell) and do sumo squats. They look silly but you'll feel them! I do 3 sets of 10. and I go as low as I can! See pic below..... I usually hold my dumbbell up near my chest so I can go lower with the squats.

Then I head over to the smith machine! I stay here for a while doing a few different exercises. Some people don't believe in using the smith machine for leg work but I like it for certain exercises especially when I don't have a spotter. 

The smith machine squat: looks like this

For exact directions on how to do this squat without hurting yourself, please read this:

http://www.bodybuilding.com/exercises/detail/view/name/smith-machine-squat

I usually do 4 sets of 10 with 70 to 90lbs on

Another smith machine squat is the split squat, which is done with a bench behind you and similar to a Bulgarian squat.. again go here for exact directions because I don't want any of your killing yourselves. 

http://www.bodybuilding.com/exercises/detail/view/name/smith-single-leg-split-squat

Some people don't like the smith machine so if you don't, don't do these exercises. Plain and simple.

Now I venture over to a rack and motorboat it. JK. Time to squat. 

The barbell squat, probably my favorite and most challenging exercise. How do you think I got such a great ass? It wasn't doing lame "30 day squat challenges" from pinterest I'll tell you that much. It's from plain old barbell squats, ass to the grass, adding weights, and grunting my way back up.

However, squats are not to be taken lightly, they require proper form and usually a spotter. Again, please refer to this site for proper form and technique, I'm not certified and I don't want you to have back or knee problems. http://www.bodybuilding.com/exercises/detail/view/name/barbell-squat

I do 4 sets of 10, starting with 50 lbs, then 70, then 70 again and then 90.

(this weight is added to the barbell, so two 25lb plates, then 35lb plates, etc)

If I don't have a spotter, it really depends on how I feel that day. 

Then I do front squats!

This form is pretty tricky to master and I highly suggest just starting off with the bar to establish technique and proper form. But it's a good squat variation to work your whole leg.

There's two main grips to use while doing this exercise, which can be found at these links

http://www.bodybuilding.com/exercises/detail/view/name/front-barbell-squat

http://www.bodybuilding.com/exercises/detail/view/name/front-squat-clean-grip

I do 4 sets of 10 of these, starting with the bar and gradually adding weight. But as stated before, if you're beginning, start light for proper technique and form.

Time for straight leg dead lifts!

This can be done with either dumbbells or a barbel

As many of the other leg exercises, I do 4 sets of 10

usually started with 50lbs, then 70lbs, 90lbs, then max out at 140

The leg press machine is great
 because you can do it many ways and work your legs pretty damn well. 

I start with a wide stand on this machine, and 135lbs on each side for ten reps then I do the same with a narrow stance, for ten reps.It's really all about what you can do and what you can work yourself up to, don't try pressing more weight than you can handle without the proper form. I lower the weight and continue doing 10 reps of each. Once I get to one plate on each side, I do one legged presses, along with frog leg presses, where only my heels are on the machine and my toes point outwards. You can also do calf raises while on this machine!

I also do random things like donkey kicks on the smith machine, donkey calf raises on the smith machine, wall sits, good mornings, seated calf raises, standing calf rasies, the abductor and adductor machines, hamstring curls, walking on treadmill with steep incline, stairmaster on tip toes, etc.

This is just the basics of my leg workout! I always like to change it up once in awhile 

xoxo

Let's Get Lean!

So, I've been working out pretty steadily for the past 6 months but my diet as always been up and down and all around. Some days I'd eat really well and then the next day I'd binge on beer and fried foods. Not so good for my body. Well, it happens. Now that summer is closer than you may realize, I'm ready to have the body I know I deserve. I'm not going to let my time at the gym go to waste any more. 

I'm not going by a strict workout plan or diet or anything like that. What I am doing is:

-cutting out dairy

-cutting out fast foods
-cutting out pastas/breads/etc (bad carbs)

-no more alcohol (for awhile)

-increasing water intake

-started taking creatine

-increased the amount of BCAAs I consume
(before, during, after workouts)
-Protein shakes 3 times a day 

-take daily vitamins & fish oil

I will be eating "clean" there are a million websites that claim to be clean and tell you what to eat and what not to eat, but I'm keeping my diet very very simple. Lean meats, veggies, egg whites, fruits. No pastas, which I already miss and haven't even fully cut them out yet.  I will be including quinoa in my diet because its's a damn super food! Kind of like a brown rice but not and is pretty high in protein! I'm going to keep my workouts the same, high intensity, high weights, and do cardio 4-5 times a week and abs 4-5 times a week as well. For those of you who think clean eating is foreign and have no idea where to start, read below! Also, here is a site with shopping lists and recipes for beginning a clean eating lifestyle: http://www.thegraciouspantry.com/clean-eating/ 

This is from "Eating Clean For Dummies"

• Eat whole foods: Whole foods are foods that haven’t been tampered with, in the lab or the manufacturing plant. The foods you eat on this plan are straight from the farm: whole fruits and vegetables, whole grains, grass-fed and free-range meats, low fat dairy products, unsalted nuts, and seeds.
• Avoid processed foods: Processed foods are any food that has a label. A label means that more than one ingredient was used to make that food. You don’t have to eliminate all processed foods (like whole grain pasta or natural cheeses), but if you can’t pronounce an ingredient on a label, don’t put that food in your shopping basket.
• Eliminate refined sugar. Refined sugar provides nothing but calories. Other sweeteners can be used, but with all the good foods you add to your diet, refined sugar really has very little place in the eating clean plan.
• Eat five or six small meals a day. By eating smaller meals throughout the day you can help rev up your metabolism and reduce the chance that you’ll eat some Funyuns rather than that whole grain cracker with nut butter and strawberries. You never get so hungry on this plan that you’ll feel deprived or feel the need to cheat.
• Cook your own meals. Instead of buying meals in a box, cook meals from scratch. That’s not as hard as it sounds! Clean, whole foods need little preparation beyond chopping and sautéing to make satisfying, delicious meals your family will love.
• Combine protein with carbs. When you do snack or eat a meal, make sure that meal is balanced. For the most satisfaction from your diet, and so you’ll be less tempted to eat junk food, combine protein with carbs or carbs and fat. This simple act will fuel your body and quash hunger pangs.

On the days I have been clean eating, I've noticed how much better I feel overall. More energy, less tired, more motivated, less bloated, it's great! Sure I'm going to miss some of my favorite foods but this is just to kick start my metabolism and get rid of some fat pounds I've been wanting to see disappear. 

Cardio, okay nobody actually enjoys cardio. And if you do claim to like cardio, you probably shouldn't even bother reading this because this is for those of you who lift heavy to look good and are looking to shred those last few pounds. Cardio has it's benefits, however, it doesn't have the power of squats to build a round ass, and it certainly doesn't have any precedent over weights when it comes to anything. 

Cardio is good for those who are overweight and need to lose poundage before dedicating themselves to a lifting routine. Running is good for those who want to train for marathons and races. Running is not good for those of you who want a sculpted body, neither is the elliptical or crosstrainer. Cardio machines should be used as a supplemental training tool ALONG with weight training.

Cardio queens are notorious for 

flat asses and soft appearance.

Just sayin'

So when trying to cut fat, cardio comes in handy, go hard on the elliptical, crosstrainer, whatever with some resistance for about a half hour. Work your way up, but high intensity cardio training is the way to go to burn fat and maintain muscle. 

Also, DRINK LOTS OF WATER. More water than ever before, track it if you have to! During this blog alone I finished two 17 oz water bottles. I usually drink water out of my 28oz shakers (bodybuilding.com, GNC, amazon) or my camelbak eddy water bottle! (can be found at Target, sports authority, Dick's, etc) I always always always have water on me.