Baby Mama Got Back

I didn’t realize what I was getting into when I started this list. I had to make myself stop because there are so many bands and songs that I love to listen to when working out. Here they are:
All American Rejects (dirty little secret,move along,it ends tonight)
Beckah Shae (here in this moment,faith hope & love)
Black Eyed Peas (anything)
Carman (who’s in the house)
Dashboard Confessional (hands down)
Default (wasting my time)
Duffy (mercy)
Finger Eleven (paralyzer)
Fireflight (unbreakable,go ahead,forever)
FloRida (jump,available,right round,gotta get it)
FooFighters (entire “no way back” album)
Lady Antebellum (anything)
Little Big Town (good as gone album)
Monday Morning ( wonder of it all)
Mandisa (shackels)
Mary Mary (god in me, get up)
Natasha Bedingfield (pocket full of sunshine)
Nelly (hot in herre)
Nelly Furtado (promiscuous, maneater,powerless,say it right,give it to me)
Our Lady Peace (all for you, do you like it,story about a girl)
Papa Roach (last resort)
P.O.D.
Tenth Avenue North (hold my heart,by your side, times,beloved,you are,hallelujah)
third eye blind (how’s it going to be)
Thousand Foot Krutch (move)
Three Days Grace (anything)
Toby Mac (anything)
10 Years (wasteland)
30 Seconds to Mars (the kill, from yesterday)
As you can see, this list is pretty diverse and it will definitely motivate. Send me some more suggestions. I have a spare bedroom that my husband and I going to use as a work out room and I look forward to going in there and cranking the music up and getting my swell on. Yeah I know, that last comment was kinda corny but that’s gym talk. If you hang out in the gym very long that is how you will start talking. Next will be farting and mirror posing.

More like Ouch!  it’s a baby. Well, on July 20th 2010 at around 1:15pm I delivered a beautiful baby girl. She has blonde hair, I think blue eyes, and she weighed a whopping 6lbs 15oz. My largest baby yet by 1oz. I had an epidural as I did with my other three children, but this time it had absolutely no time to work fully before she was making the trip out of my uterus and into the new world.  Basically, she may have been my  fourth and last child but it was the first time I felt that “pressure” they warn you about. It was intense. Thankfully she came quick because I didn’t think I could push any more. Unfortunately, I pushed so hard that I injured my neck. Yes that’s right, my neck. Weird I know. You would think I would have injured a number of other body parts. This really sucked because the last couple of months of the pregnancy was so limiting for me physically. I was feeling guilty for appearing so fragile to my two year old. Resenting how my husband would phrase things to her like “you can’t play with mommy”. I really hated that. I worried it was going to create some kind of distance between us or something. That was just me being paranoid. Not to mention emotional due to crazy pregnancy hormones. My husband was just trying to take care of me and the baby.

So for the first two weeks of recovery, I was on prescription pain meds just to be able to function. I still have some limitation of movement in my neck but at least I know it is not permanent. I was frightened for a while that it would be months before I felt normal again and then I wondered if I was going to need intervention from a chiropractor. To make things worse, I thought I may not be able to start working out again like I have been looking forward to for so long. Anyways, almost three weeks post birth, I am feeling much like my old self again. I plan on resuming some sort of work out routine very soon. I will keep you posted on what I decide will work best for me right now while I have feedings every 3 hours and a rambunctious toddler running around (remember my previous problem with the monkey, a few posts down).

I really felt handicapped for the past few months now. It has really made me so thankful for my health. I’m already only 10lbs from a weight range that really looks best for me but I think about the people who struggle with so much more weight and definitely a real handicap because weight is within our own will power to change. With this thought, I would really love to encourage anyone out there that may be living with extra weight to just MOVE.  Lol, that reminds me of a song I used to have on my mp3 player I used to love working out to. If you like rock you may be interested in it Move by Thousand Foot Krutch. Back to my thoughts, starting is the hardest part, believe me I know. Even if you work out 10min tomorrow and not again for a month, that is still a start. Don’t be so hard on yourself.  Remember it is a life style change, so it is a change in your mind,body,and spirit.

I guess I’m going to wrap this up by asking for some suggestions in work out music since I myself am starting up again. I think I have the most broad taste in music than anyone I know.

I find out today if we are having a boy or girl. I’m so excited. Also, I can’t express enough how anxious I am for the baby to arrive. Yes I am ready to meet this new person but, even more so, I am ready to not be pregnant any more. I have this itch to  teach (instruct aerobics) again.  There is a lot of work I need to do on myself first. Basically, I have been pregnant for the last three years. Previously, I always taught kind of reluctantly, to fill a need in the aerobics department. This time it is different. After all this time away from it I realize how much I love it. I’m good at it. It is so wonderful to find  that “thing” that you are passionate about.

With this realization, there is a lot of work to do. I want and need to re-cert myself and  get the professional certifications required to be able to present myself to people as competent and knowledgeable. It can be pricey to pursue these certifications on your own (A.C.E.)

I guess you could say I am a health and fitness geek. I soak up everything on the subject. But even if you just enjoy working out and you are a stay at home mom like myself, teaching aerobics in some form is a great way to express your individuality and maintain a hobby that is just for you. It is so easy to feel like you sort of lose yourself when you do not work outside of the home. If you already frequent  a gym especially like a YMCA since they are a non-profit facility and may be in need of volunteers, you may be able to get a basic certification at their expense. This is how I got started. Don’t think you can’t do it because you are shy and reserved either. That was me. I am relatively reserved and definitely prefer to be in the back row. As a matter of fact, when I participate in other instructors classes I always take the back row still  to this day. But, I’m different when it is my class and I’m all by myself out front. I know I have to be heard and that forces me to speak loudly and your own music is energizing too. Maybe I should give myself a stage name like Beyonce did (Sasha Fierce). LOL. Believe me, I am just kidding. But if you have any ideas…

This is the last post I may write for a while. I have decided to throw the budget out-the-window and join a gym. Besides, my husband has a membership so I think I will just have to budget one for me too. My health is important enough to find a way and I ‘m just no good on my own. It is an investment I am making for my mind as well as my body; I need something for myself.

Now, the reason I say I might not write for awhile, is because I don’t think I need to worry about toning and experiments and all while I’m pregos. All I want is an elliptical machine and some quiet time. I just don’t know if I will have anything to comment on, BUT, you never know what may strike me as interesting enough to tell about. A trip to the locker room can sometimes throw you a little scandalous story that is good for years and that is a “ladies” locker room. I know first hand from the years I spent working at a gym to know the Men’s locker rooms are unparallel in controversy.

Anyhoo, the preliminary due date is July 22. Seven months from now if all goes well.And then, consistency here I come. I’m taking control and kicking “transition” out. I want to feel good about myself again and settle in to the rest of my life.

So I’m doing the whole work-out at home thing right now; we are trying to cut out any unnecessary expenses, and my two year old thinks this is some sort of new game I’m trying to play with her. I get about two modified push-ups in before she jumps on my back forcing  me into a fixed “down” position. I am modifying my movement for a reason, weakness. 23lbs added to my back at the point I’m at right now is not aiding my workout. Do I even need to mention, when I do squats & lunges, is an invitation to run in and out, or sometimes STOP right between my legs? Of course, she is laughing hysterically as was I the first couple of times. Not any more.

I know I know, you say, why don’t you work out during nap time? Well, I don’t because remember, I am hopelessly addicted to routine and the routine I grew accustomed to was the gym 3-5 days a week and having no little ones to contend with. Also, I like to have eaten a certain amount of time before I workout or be ready to take in some protein right after a workout. I realize this is a bit stubborn and nit-picky and I suppose I will have to compromise, but does a girl have to sacrifice everything for our little monkeys.

Well, I really need to figure this out because we are adding another monkey to our tree. He/she should arrive sometime in September, I think. So really I am doing a little experiment, since I never reclaimed my previous physique (oh I got back down to pre-baby weight, but I’m talking about strength & tone) I am now trying to see if I can get toned during pregnancy, safely.

Today  is lower body. We’ll see how many lunges I get in dedicated to exercising before it becomes monkey business.

Lol. That is how I feel right now. Like I need to introduce myself all over again. Update: We have moved to Florida (where I’m from); we had absolutely no jobs in place before doing so, so we are staying with family just long enough to get our feet planted but any amount of time doing that is too long. However, what this means for my workouts is, it is non-existent right now. A month before we left Bristol, I was so busy tieing up loose ends that my workouts suffered. Now, staying with family, it is just a little weird doing squats in the living room while others are watching T.V. I am starving for a routine again. I choose to look on the bright side. I like having goals so, if I have to start all over again fitness wise, I have plenty of goals to work toward.
I haven’t posted any Blogs lately because frankly, I have been in a funk over not being able to workout exactly how I like to. I am really excited today and feel like I have taken a huge step toward getting out of that funk just by sitting down and writing this update. I know now that I am closer to adjusting to the changes I must make. Like a lot of people, I do not like changes but I think I adjust well, and since they are a part of life, I will embrace them.
By the way, things are going great down here. I am looking forward to taking advantage of what Florida has to offer as far as out-door family entertainment. One thing that is high on our list, is to enjoy the Pinellas Trail. It is a bike trail that extends miles and is right up our ally of what sounds like fun. Im afraid we can only ride if it has been sunny all week seeing how my husband is convinced there are alligators in any and all bodies of water even puddles.
I love you baby.

I think these two quotes kind of work together…

The only difference between a rut and a grave is their dimensions.
– Anonymous

If you don’t like something, change it; if you can’t change it, change the way you think about it.
– Mary Engelbreit

I really felt the need to add before I post any more of my personal workouts, that the weight I mention in my routines are NOT the weights I started with. Below you will find a rough list of exercises and the weights I believe I used when I first began strength training.

Back:  seated row 30 lbs  if I used dumbbells it may have been 12lbs.

Triceps & Biceps: anywhere from 5-10 lbs dumbbells.

Chest:  if I used a bar, it would have had No extra weight on it. The bar itself weighs 35-45 lbs.

Legs: leg press I used anywhere from 10-25 lbs weights each side, walking lunges start out with No weights ( you have your body weight) and if after a couple lengths you feel you could easily have held dumbbells then start w/ 10 lbs.

Above anything, just listen to your body. If you do 10 reps of something and after the tenth rep you feel like you could have went on forever, then you need to increase your weight. You should have to push through the last couple of reps. Always stretch afterwards to stretch those muscles you worked back out. During strength training, they tighten up into balls and you want to keep them flexible to prevent future injuries.

If  you do a considerably intense lower body work out, it is close to a cardiovascular workout as well because your legs are the largest muscle group in your body with your Back following in second. As a women, I love doing legs and I am just now starting to recognize the old shape coming back. Have I done anything different?  Yes. I am getting more serious.  Working out each muscle group twice a week really helps. All I know it does, is it keeps that “pump” in your muscles. I have noticed in the last week my Bum lifting.  Hallelujah!

Here is what I do:

Leg press (free weight room):  1-2 sets w/ two 45 lb weights, follow up w/ 2-3 more sets adding a 10 lbs weight to each side. sets of 10-12.

Squats:  using the smith machine  3 of 10  25-35 lbs weights each side

Walking Lunges:  down a hallway, 2 round trips  12-15 lbs dumbbells

Hip Hinge: using a 60 lb bar 3 of 10

Leg extensions: free weights or machine. This is an exercise for definition not growth so go lighter on the weights. Too much weight can put strain on your knees. It does mine. 3 of 10-15

Leg Curls:  follow same instruction for extensions. Sometimes I change it up & workout my hamstrings on the “negative” which means you use a weight you can curl UP fast and then let DROP back down very slowly. This is also a good example how to change up an exercise to keep your muscles guessing to avoid that plateauing.  3 of 10-15.

Sometimes I’ll add in a machine that is very spot specific like those machines that target the outer &  inner thighs. Just remember, the leg press, squats, and lunges are hitting those areas. Unfortunately, we have no control over where our bodies tighten and tone more or first.

I forgot to mention, I only rest about 30-60 seconds between each set and move on to the next exercise immediately. I get bored and I like to be in and out quick.

Whew, this was tough. I like to go home and have protein shake after this one.

Back:

lat pull down  3 sets of 10  80 lbs

seated row       3 of 10 60 lbs

bent over row 1 arm w/dumbbell  3 of 10  15 lbs

Triceps:

alternating kick backs w/dumbbell  3 of 10  10-12 lbs

extensions  on machine 20-30 lbs  3 of 10

finished up with some basic crunches on a ball, about 3 sets of 15-20.

I also used the Smith machine w/the rope attachment. You stand on your knees hold the rope close to body or around your neck & crunch forward lowering your head to the floor. I dont know what these are called but if you ask a fitness attendent at your gym, they will know.  3 of 15  110 lbs.

No cardio today.

So, today is Saturday, Im not planning on working out and I have already eaten three slices of really greasy pizza.  I am going to start posting my daily workouts on here. I dont know if  I should do a weekly re-cap, or post them as I work out. If anybody is out there  and is following my blog, I would love your input on this.

Besides the fact that I have thrown watching my calorie intake out the window today, I did get my hair done and am looking HOT.  So, Im good.