I got miserably sick over the weekend accompanied by some major reminders of how important it is to take care of your body. Although there are times when the spread of germs is inevitable (especially during flu season), it's still best to take every precaution to reduce your chances of sickness as much as possible. 

When I was living in dorms and constantly traveling with the team, there was always one time of year when something would go around on our team. Be it the flu or a cold, once one girl got it, it was hard to keep all the rest of us completely immune.

Be sure to drink plenty of water. Staying hydrated is necessary in general as water flushes many toxins out of your body. Your body is about 60% water as it helps digestion, the circulation of nutrients, the absorption of nutrients, and more. It's recommended that each person drink about 8 glasses per day. Of course if you're really active, you'll definitely need to increase this amount to make up for additional fluids your body is losing during activity.

Get plenty of rest. Sleep was definitely something that was difficult to come by in college. And it still is! But it's so so crucial to get a good night's sleep (at least 8 hours) for your mental and physical health. Your body needs to rest and recover to make sure your immune system is strong enough to fight bacteria and diseases. Much of your body's repairing takes place during sleep as well, such as muscle repair. It's the time your body refuels and repairs to make sure it's well enough to keep you health! So don't overlook it. Rest up. <3

And on that note, I'm off to bed. :) Goodnight blogging world xoxo

Your Body

So perfect! Who's ready to lift??

Slip Ups

There are going to be plenty of times when you have a slip up. You have some dessert you shouldn't have, you skip a workout, you go for that second serving of mashed potatoes... it happens! Anyone can fall off track but don't let one bad decision turn into a bad habit. Don't give up on yourself and all that you've invested into improving yourself just because of one slip up. So you had a couple cookies, don't just say, "Oh well," and eat the entire box. Get back on track as soon as possible!

Every second is a chance to start making yourself better. Don't take it for granted. <3

Taking the First Step

It seems like in most things in life, the hardest step to take is always the first. People are often so overwhelmed by a large task or end goal they have in mind that it intimates them to ever begin what could be a life-changing journey. Even when I was training and in a daily routine of conditioning and lifting, there were days when it was such a mental battle for me to take the first step of my shuttle run, lift the weight for my first set, or run the first sprint in a set of "until coach says stop." But after beginning, it's all downhill. I was/am always the type to finish what I start, so once I took that first step, there was no turning back. Everything is so much easier once you will yourself to just do it.

"You don't have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great." <3

"Improve Every Day"

Something Coach would tell us all the time is, "Improve Every Day." 

Goals, especially big ones, can take a lot of time and dedication to achieve. Instead of focusing on how much longer you have to go or what large changes will need to take place, just focus on whether or not you're making an improvement every day. Big or small, improvement is improvement and it means you're one step closer to your goal! Remember that changes with your body can take time (about 4 weeks) to notice. You'll notice them first but it will take other people even longer to notice. Being healthy and fit is a lifestyle, I can't reiterate that enough, so be patient and know that you might have to take a lot of small steps to get there (and some backwards at times!). If you can do one small thing to make yourself a better YOU each day, that'll all add up quickly to help you he happier and healthier on the inside and out. Okay, enough corny inspiration. :P Stay positive and embrace the little things.

Goodnight, all! xoxo <3

1.21.13

"If a man achieves victory over this body, who in the world can exercise power over him? He who rules himself rules over the whole world." <3

Alcohol and Fitness

One thing that's an absolute no-go when it comes to getting healthy, is alcohol consumption. In college, there's a social scene that everyone wants to be in and experience, but when it came to getting serious about competition, I wouldn't be drinking -- 48-hour rule or not! Alcohol really doesn't do anything to help your body and, in fact, it does a lot to hurt it and unravel a lot of time and effort you put into getting fit and healthy. Check the effects of alcohol below!

• Alcohol has lots of empty calories and provides no nutritional value
• Not only does alcohol not contain any nutrients of its own, but it can impair your body's ability to absorb nutrients and vitamins from the food you eat. Alcohol irritates your gastrointestinal tract, and can damage your body's ability to absorb nutrients, vitamins and minerals from the food you eat.
• Maintaining adequate blood sugar levels is one of the key functions of your metabolism, but when you drink alcohol, maintaining healthy blood sugar levels is one of the first elements of metabolism to be shoved aside.
• Alcohol slows your metabolism.
• Alcohol impairs protein synthesis, interfering with your ability to grow and maintain muscles.
• It impairs your judgement, making you likely to binge eat or grab unhealthy options you wouldn't otherwise have.

Those are just a few reasons, but there are plenty of other bits of information online outlining the effects of alcohol on your body and health. It's always good to do your research and know exactly what you're doing to your body. This isn't to say that I never drink, I just limit my consumption. And when I do drink, it's a healthier option like a glass of wine, or something more pure and natural. Healthy alternatives are key. <3

Work For It

You don't get it by staring
You don't get it by wishing
You don't get it by drooling
You don't get it by hoping
You don't get it easy
You get it by getting off your ass, working for it, every second of every day for the rest of your LIFE. <3

Sticking to your resolutions

I love seeing amazing transformations! I know it's extremely hard to get a tight and toned physique back after having a baby so I think this is such an inspiring picture. Since we're halfway through January, and getting close to that time when people start slowly trickling away from the gym and their fitness resolutions, I wanted to write a post with some tips on how to stick to your resolutions!

1. Stay Positive. Getting in shape is definitely a process. And remember, you're making a lifestyle change. It's something that's going to take time. There will be bumps along the road, but don't let that deter you or make you give up completely. If you have a bad meal, or a bad day, that's okay. You're human! Just don't let that turn into a bad week so you get pulled back into an unhealthy lifestyle.
2. Take Baby Steps. Make small goals that are attainable for you. Instead of a yearly resolution, think of weekly resolutions. Create small goals that you know you can reach by a certain time so you're more likely to stick to them.
3. Stay Committed. You first need to ask yourself whether or not a healthy lifestyle is something you really want. Remember why you made the commitment in the first place and stick with it. This kind of relates to #1, but be patient and keep your eye on the prize. You'll get there!
4. Mix Things Up. If you're new to weights and working out, maybe you're bored. Try doing different exercises and activities, changing up the weight or reps... something to keep your mind and body guessing.
5. Get Support. Work with a friend or family member to help keep you on track. Exercising with someone can be motivating and help keep you on track. But be sure it's someone who will push you and hold you to your word of getting in shape!

Fighting Overeating

"EXERCISE to be fit not skinny, EAT to nourish your body, and always IGNORE the haters, doubters & unhealthy examples that were once feeding you. YOU are worth more than you realize."

A great quote to remember! It's important to remember what your body needs, not necessarily what your mind or stomach wants at any one point in time. A lot of people, myself included, tend to overeat due to boredom, social surroundings, mindless eating, emotions, or mistaking hunger for some other need we actually have like thirst or energy. Ask yourself if your body is really hungry. Do you have a physiological need for food and energy? If you just ate recently and still feel like you want some food, try waiting for 20 minutes or drinking a glass of water and then see if you still feel the same way. Likewise, the need for sleep can be misconstrued as the need for food which is why it's important to sleep and be well-rested!

If you're bored or feeling emotional, try working out instead of eating. Working out releases endorphines that naturally make you feel better -- physically and emotionally. ;) Going for a walk and getting some fresh air always helps me when I've been in the office for a long day (which is most unfortunately). I'll walk outside my building or to the water fountain just to rejuvenate myself a bit. 

Other little tips to do are to keep healthy snacks around you so you don't reach for anything unhealthy that just happens to be more convenient. Drink plenty of water to stay hydrated. Eat every so often so you're never starving. Only take small portions so you're never reaching into a bag/box with no sense of how much you've eaten. Ask yourself how you'll feel in a few minutes or hours after eating whatever it is you're thinking of eating. Make healthy choices that your body will thank you for now and in the future. Our biggest battles in and out of the gym are often with our minds but we have to realize we're strong enough to overcome them. <3

Leg Day #2

I'm not gonna lie, my legs are still a little sore from my leg workout on Tuesday. Clearly I didn't recover as properly as I should have.

I went back to doing some cardio to start my workout and then finished with a number of legs exercises. I like to do cardio before lifting to get it out of the way. Somehow I feel my legs can still push through weights after cardio but I can't get through cardio after weights. I know some people prefer doing their workout in the reverse order. I've looked to see if one is more beneficial than the other and I have yet to find anything conclusive but I'll be sure to post it if I do. :)

Here's everything I did today:

30 min. HIIT on the Spinner
5 min. HIIT on the Stair Master (I felt like hopping on for a bit so I just went with it :P)
(1 min. Plank | 15 Push Ups) x3
Bulgarian Split Squats 3x15 each leg
Lunges with dumbbells 3x15
(Jump Squats with dumbbell | Arnold Press) 3x15
Dead Lifts 3x15
Back Squats 4x12
Leg Extensions 15, 15, 12

To be honest, I don't really have a set leg routine that I do each time. There are sooo many leg exercises that I do, I like to mix it up depending on how I'm feeling that day. Either tomorrow or Sunday, I'll probably do a hamstring and glutes workout. I like to do something leg-related every day just because your leg muscles are your biggest muscles and you burn so much by using them. Resting your muscles at least 48 hours is definitely necessary for recovery but I'll still do some sort of cardio (bike, stairs, or treadmill) to work them -- I count that as a leg workout. :)

I hope everyone had a great week! I know I'm looking forward to a relaxing weekend. Have a great weekend. <3

The Greatest Pleasure

I've heard so many times that you should never compare yourself to other people, but I honestly don't think doing so is such a bad thing. When I was competing, I always told people my main motivation was my opponent. Knowing people want me to fail or are training to be better than me is what I used to drive me to work harder, proving to them that I was stronger, faster, and more dedicated to improving than they were. (Can you tell I'm competitive?) Work harder to give yourself the satisfaction of knowing you gave it your all, confident that you got that much better from the effort you put into your workout.

"The greatest pleasure in life is in doing what others say you cannot do." <3

Leg Day

Yesterday was a leg day and I am SO sore today! I haven't done a workout solely dedicated to legs in awhile (I usually mix in cardio and split up leg days to about three leg workouts/week) and I am definitely feeling the burn today. I added a couple of exercises and changed up a few things so I'm really excited to see the difference it makes. 

Find my full leg workout below. I guarantee you'll be sore!

Leg Press 3x15
One-Legged Sideways Leg Press 3x15 (on each leg)
Hip Adductors 3x15
Hip Abductors 3x15
Leg Extensions 3x15
Back Squats 15, 12, 12
Squats with Dumbbells 3x15
Leg Curls 3x15

I mixed in some core yesterday too and that was all I had time for. There are other hamstring and glute exercises I decided to save for tomorrow so I just focused more on quads and hips. Try to push yourself to do as much weight as possible while not sacrificing correct form for each exercise. Also practicing full range of motion will help you get the best results. There are so many little muscles to work around and behind the major ones that we often forget about but they're just as important! I hope you guys are as sore as I am after this workout! <3

Staying Engaged to Stay Fit

To be honest, I know a lot of people can get bored with their workout, including myself! Mentally, and physiologically, it's actually ideal to mix up your workouts. If you're bored with a workout, you're more likely to stop working out in full. Keep your workouts fun by incorporating different kinds of activities, sets, reps, etc...

For cardio, you can use any of the machines that most gyms have (treadmill, elliptical, bike, stair master, etc...) or you can do an outdoor activity, do circuit training, play a sport, go for a hike... anything to get your body moving and your heart pumping! Keep it fun.

To be honest, there are times when I get bored so I have to find a way to switch up my workout. I'll alter the times of the intervals I do, swap out some exercises in my intervals, mix weights and cardio to do quick supersets with minimal rest time...things like that. And chances are, if your mind is bored, so is your body. You want your body to constantly be working and guessing what it has to do next. 

At Stanford, we would do intervals, supersets, and different speed and conditioning workouts every week. They'd be geared towards the same goal, but would be tweaked in some small way so our muscles and fitness levels never plateaued. Keep your exercises varied (actual workout, time you do them, interval times, amount of weight, supersets, etc...) and fun so you stay engaged and enjoying your workouts. <3

Eating Clean

Brown rice, salmon, and asparagus

Wheat toast, apples with cinnamon, and egg whites and chicken breast

Brown rice, avocado, grilled chicken breast, and broccoli

A lot of people think that if they add exercise to their daily routine, that gives them the liberty to eat whatever they want. It still works down to losing weight at the end of the day doesn't it? Not necessarily. Clean eating is just as important (if not more) as exercise for a healthy and fit body. You want to feed good, natural foods to refuel and build your body. It's difficult to cut some of those cravings at first and lose the junk food, but it's SO worth it! And you'll feel so much better about yourself once you start consistently eating clean, I promise!

For optimum metabolism, it's best to eat small meals every 2.5-3 hours. The photos above are great examples of portion sizes and nutrient distributions. A balanced amount of good, complex carbs, protein, and fiber is essential. Brown rice, quinoa, sweet potatoes, and any other grains are great examples of good carbs. Try to keep your protein as lean as possible if you're a meat lover. Chicken breast, turkey, fish, or tofu are great options. And of course, fruits and veggies are a must!

When cooking, try to use as few ingredients as possible, and even with seasonings, it's important to keep them clean. I 100% stay away from butter in my cooking. A little olive oil does just the trick. A lot of salt also leads to bloating making it another thing to limit in your cooking. Of course I use a little salt, but again, I limit it. There are plenty of seasonings you can use to make your food flavorful and delicious. It's definitely an adjustment swapping some things in your diet, but honestly, you'll learn to love the foods that are good for you to the point where you won't crave those salty, fatty foods anymore. But when it comes to sweets, that still an urge I have to fight. :P

"Do unto your body as you want your body to do unto you."

CLEAN EATING AND CRAVING CONTROL

• Eat small meals every 2.5-3 hours, about 6 meals/day
• Drink LOTS of water
• Stay away from sugary or alcoholic drinks
• Meals should have a balanced amount of good carbs, protein, and fiber. And of course good fats (olive oil, nuts, fish, etc...) are an essential part of a diet as well
• Try and keep your foods as natural as possible
• When shopping at the grocery store, the less ingredients a product has, the better
• Don't grocery shop while hungry

• Remember: Eating Clean and having a healthy diet is just as important as exercise for a healthy lifestyle! Your body is something to be nourished so make sure you're feeding it things that are good for it. You only have ONE body! Take care of it. <3

Believing in Yourself

"Believe in yourself, even when no one else does." <3

Doing You

Maybe health and fitness have become obsessions of mine but I surely don't perceive that as a bad thing! Names like "gym rat" aren't a bad thing in my book at all! I love being fit and taking care of my body and anything anyone else says definitely shouldn't influence that. 

Not a ton of my friends of family members work out as much as I do so I often get asked, "Why do you have to work out so much?" "Why don't you splurge on that food?" and others of the like. It's not that I have to work out, it's that I get to. Some people may not understand your goals or lifestyle, but that's fine. You know in your heart what you desire most and what you want to work hard to achieve, so keep at it! A fit lifestyle is definitely something you have to dedicate yourself to and the most important people in your life will be supportive of that. Keep working hard to achieve your goals and don't let any negativity from someone else or your own mind get in the way. <3

No Pain, No Gain

When you're doing reps and your muscles start hurting and burning towards the end of your sets, don't give up! That's when your muscles are working the most and those reps are usually the most important! In order for your muscles to grow, they need to be pushed to the max, literally tearing your muscle fibers so more muscle can grow in during repair and make your muscles bigger and stronger. 

I try to do at least 12 reps during each set of most exercises. The first few when you still feel comfortable are just to fatigue your muscles, but you'll see the most results if you push past the pain of the last few. Learn to love the burn. 

One thing Coach would always tell us was, "Get comfortable being uncomfortable." I think about that quote a lot because I feel like it applies to a lot of things in life...but it undoubtedly pertains to weights and lifting. Get yourself out of your comfort zone and push yourself past your limits. You'll be amazed by what your body can accomplish if your mind doesn't give up. "Limitations only exist if you let them." <3

Major Muscle Workouts

I was doing back squats at the gym tonight when one of my friends gave me a tip on how to really maximize my results. I was a little taken aback at first because I haven't had someone critique my lifting or form in SO long, but after a couple of minutes, I was really glad he mentioned it to me. He was a basketball player in college who trained with multiple college trainers. We talk about training often and it's always fun to share and learn new lifting tips. He suggested I try squatting down a few inches further to get better results with my hamstrings and glutes. Even if you have to lighten the load, make sure you're lifting properly and never sacrificing form for weight. That will always give you better results and help avoid any injuries!

There are some leg exercises that I think are crucial to seeing desirable results. For me, those include squats, lunges, and dead lifts. Again, making sure you're performing these exercises safely and correctly is key. There are so many little muscles underneath the major ones, you want to make sure you're doing everything to hit them all.

Here are a few things to keep in mind:

• Use weights you can manage while tightening technique
• Avoid injury - if it's hurting (not just muscle soreness), you're likely doing something wrong and need to make an adjustment
• Exercise at full range of motion
• Still make sure you have enough weight - find the right amount you can manage while still pushing yourself. You should feel fatigued by your last set
• Be sure to give your muscles at least 48 hours to recover before training them again
• Push yourself and don't take long breaks between sets

Small changes can make a BIG difference! I'm excited to switch up my squatting a bit and see how it affects my legs. :) Who knows, maybe I'll switch it up with other workouts too! It's always good to keep your muscles guessing! Happy lifting!

Roses and Resolutions

Watching the sunset on Huntington Beach Pier

Santa Monica <3

The Rose Bowl Rally at LA Live on New Year's Eve

After one of my AM workouts :P

Rose Bowl Stadium! Go Card!

Hi guys! I've been away in LA for awhile so sorry for being MIA. Happy New Year! I can't believe it's already 2013!

I went down to Los Angeles for the New Year and the Rose Bowl! Stanford played against Wisconsin and won 20-14! Go Card. ;) It was so much fun getting away and taking part in so many events. With that said, I still had to try and get some workouts in! I woke up early on two of four mornings to hit the hotel gym and workout as much as possible before exploring and enjoying LA. I started with some treadmill intervals on both days and finished with legs on one day, and back and bis on the other. Even with limited space and limited weights, there were still plenty of things to do. I always try to do workouts that target big muscle groups or multiple muscle groups for maximum calories burned. Squats, lunges, and Bulgarian split squats are leg exercises I love that really help tone your legs. And none of them involve a machine -- just some weights. :) I hold dumbbells in both hands to also work on grip strength (we used to wear vests in college). I also do multiple sets of pushups every day since they're such a great full-body workout, especially targeting core strength which is very important.

I know it can definitely be hard to get a quality workout in when on the road or traveling, but doing any little bit counts. We did a lot of walking on some days so I didn't feel as  bad for not working out. When you're on vacation, enjoy yourself. It's okay to take a couple of days off. If you really are itching to workout but you don't have a gym you can use, make a circuit for yourself. There are plenty of body-weight exercises to do: push ups, shuttles, burpies, squats, squat jumps, lunges, split squat jumps, etc...

I just got back home today and didn't have time to hit the gym (I'm also exhausted) but I'll be back in it tomorrow! My New Year's resolution is to really SHRED and get myself fit. Seeing my side walls is an ultimate goal of mine! I feel like so many people make health and fitness related resolutions. What's yours? What are you going to do to make sure you stick to it?

Happy New Year!