Month: January 2013

Inspiring others

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I never thought I’d be a mentor or role model for anyone, in any sense of the word. It had been a long time since I’d striven toward everything, and I’m the type of person that keeps my ambitions private. I don’t like being accountable for myself or my desires because someone might call me out. The past few years of my life I’ve made great strides. I’ve taken ownership of my actions and failures, successes and dreams. I’ve created this blog, talked about my struggles and triumphs with friends (and strangers). And slowly, but surely, I’ve become exactly who I want to be. Today a good friend asked me for help. She told me she joined a gym, and that she hasn’t been going more than one day a week. She knows she can do more, and was wondering if (since she has a lack of support at home) I would text her periodically to help keep her accountable and on track. She said she knew I was busy but that she knew she …

My first 5k!

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I had never entertained the idea of any distance running. I favor sprinting in my cardio because it keeps me busy, focused, and never do I get too short of breath for too long. Truth be told, the idea of RUNNING more than a mile scared me to death. Oh I don’t know why. Runners made it seem like such an occasion (with races and training). Would I be fast enough or let everyone down? Would I injure myself because I’ve never ever [not never] been a runner or an athlete? The very idea raised a lot of anxiety and reluctance for me, so I avoided it. I found myself staring at myself in the mirror the whole time; my treadmill was about three feet from the mirror, so that was easy. It really helped me focus, seeing my body move, it became a measure for me. I didn’t look exhausted, so I must not be. I ran the entire 26 minutes it took, at an incline of 2.0. I acknowledge that running on a …

Level Up! Unlocking leg strength and the mysteries of the weight room.

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So, do I even lift? I’ve never lifted “heavy” until now. The majority of my progress and success in the weight room I’ve accomplished using relatively light weights, the right tempo, and 10-12 reps. Cautious by nature, and often lacking a reliABLE gym partner, I’ve avoided trying any exercise or weight that might require the spotter I don’t have. The last thing I need is a barbell to the head. Recently, I’ve stepped away from the fixed barbells and Smith machine into the great unknown…the squat rack. Now to you hardcore testosterone messing crazies, I realize this is a no brainer. Lift the weight, repeat, chest bump, repeat. But for me, this transition took major ballz. Not only am I attempting something for the first time, but I have no spotter, and the squat rack is a place that everyone (even noobz) watches! So I set up, head down, trying to avoid onlookers gaze. I set the weight to be 135 lb. I got under the bar, and alas, I could lift the damn thing! …

LA Fitness- Macy’s Plaza (Bally’s)

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Now how I rate a gym could be a little unconventional, but it’s different for everyone. I’ll be rating gyms based upon: 1 Accessibility 1 Cardio equipment ratio to weights 1 Level of business 1 Group X 1 Employee interaction 1 What “type” of people are there 1 How many times I get hit on with headphones in 1 Layout I immediately had a bad taste in my mouth the second the elevator opened and revealed a mall. I mean I knew it was near a mall, but inside?! Already ugh on location; I don’t even give a shit if you validate, I’m going to have to walk my swampy-workout-ass back out of this mall, and that’s awkward as hell, so no thank you. (0) I think it’s important to mention, while my boyfriend and I were still waiting for an elevator down to the gym (which took way too long) I had a tingle of suspicion and moved my purse from the front seat of his car to the trunk. So once you go …

LA Fitness- Pasadena

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When you think of gyms in southern California a few things might come to mind: bronze, muscle bound bodies; unattainable physiques; plastic people, with a passion for fitness you can’t wrap your head around. In my brief experience in LA, you may be correct in thinking this, save the Pasadena location… Two immediate conclusions I’ve made about the city of Pasadena based on this particular gym are: There are no young people in Pasadena. There seem to be many “differently abled” people and senior citizens. Now how I rate a gym could be a little unconventional, but it’s different for everyone. I’ll be rating gyms based upon: 1 Accessibility 1 Cardio equipment ratio to weights 1 Level of business 1 Group X 1 Employee interaction 1 What “type” of people are there 1 How many times I get hit on with headphones in 1 Layout Accessibility at Pasadena was alright. Very easy to find, Part of a business park (there’s a parking garage). I was able to have my parking validated, but the front desk …

2013: Lean, mean, and ultra clean

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Goodbye 2012! What a journey! This past year had been full of personal failures and triumphs for me. I accomplished many things I never expected to be able to do; whether the road block was a physical limitation, a mental one, or luck of the draw. I got in great shape at the beginning of 2012, following a great program (Jamie Eason’s 12 week LIVEFIT trainer) off bodybuilding.com. I fell off track around April for many reasons. I think once I got results I wanted I assumed (naively) that I was set. Among the other reasons were the 18 units I was taking to complete my degree and the late nights I was working (until four am) trying to get into bartending. A basically a huge lack of motivation kept me from making extra efforts to stick to my plan, and so I watched my hard earned definition vanish, steadily. I did succeed in quitting smoking, but it was a long road, one that only ended recently. This was also a factor in packing on …