warm up: 2 mile walk to school/gym

gym:

• Core Press - 3x15 (5s)
• Bicycles - 3x30e
• Back Extensions - 3x12
• Butterfly Bridges + Chest Press - 1x15(5s), 2x15(10s) didn’t really like these
• DB Kickbacks - 3x12 (15s)
• Skullcrushers - 3x12(30)
• DB Chest Press - 3x12(22.5s)
• Chest Flies - 3x12(12)
• Tricep Cable Pushdowns - 1x12(40), 2x12(45), 1x12(40)

note to self: do not carry home groceries on tricep day

• Dive Bombers - 3x15
• Back Extensions - 3x12
• 3-Way Hanging Crunch - 4x6
• Standing Calf Raise - 1x20(140), 2x20(160), 1x10(140)
• Slider Squats - 3x12
• Side Squats + Medicine Ball Shoulder Raise - 1x10/8/6(8)
• BB Squats - 1x4(95), 3x4(75) - I can’t wait to improve on these. I’m going to have to do these before other leg exercises because I was already pretty sore.
• DB Walking Lunges - 3x10e(20s)

My legs were shaking every time I walked down a set of stairs.

About a year and a half ago I didn’t even realize I had gained weight until I noticed my pants weren’t fitting anymore. I was oblivious to the point of thinking the clothes were shrinking, rather than me getting bigger. I went through a long period of wearing mostly dresses and skirts because I was so ashamed I had let myself get bigger, and thought buying new pants was accepting my weight gain instead of dedicating myself to fitting into them again. Eventually though, I did buy new pants and it wasn’t the size 3 on the tag that made me feel bad, it was the fact that all my other pants were too tight to even get all the way up my legs, let alone buttoned.

Since then I was unhappy with myself and trying to change things for the better, but I wasn’t giving it the dedication it needed. Then, after this last winter break, I decided enough was enough, and I kicked things into high gear. Now I eat clean, go to the gym three times a week, run twice a week, and walk the two miles to and from school whenever I have the time.

The result? I feel good about myself, my body is defined, I am so much stronger, and as of yesterday, I can now fit into my 25 inch waist pants that I feared I’d never wear again. I have twice as many jeans, a bunch more skirts, dresses, and shorts, and so much pride for my hard work. I assumed that if I ever fit into my pants again it would bring tears to my eyes. Instead I felt a hardening of determination to continue to improve.

So I’d been think the bar on the bench press machine was only 45 pounds, but today I realized it is 118. Do you know what that means?

Today I leg pressed 268 pounds.

made my first protein shake!

• chocolate muscle milk
• mixed berries (strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries)
• non-fat vanilla yogurt
• milk

delicious!