47 Days to Go

Good Morning, Happy Monday. I hope everyone had a great weekend!

I go back to work Wednesday so trying to enjoy these next two days as much as possible. Even though I’ve been off work and constantly busy, it was one of those things where I feel like I accomplished nothing. I mean really my life these past 6 weeks has been: meal prep, gym, shower, eat, squeeze in some sleep, repeat. Sort of like my normal life, just taken up a notch to the extreme!

I’m 47 days away from show date and I tell you it has been a roller coaster of emotions so far. Some days I’m up and think “I will be ready in 7 weeks”, then other days I think “I’m not even close”. The first few weeks were probably the hardest on me because it was hard to picture the end goal. I would cry daily. Not because I was hungry, but because I wasn’t sure I could do it. I was tired and cranky and work was stressing me out so much. Some days it was a full mental breakdown. As the weeks have gone by things have been a touch less demanding on me, even though I’ve probably picked up the intensity of my workouts even more. I still do have break downs, believe me, I think EVERY ONE does during this process, but I let it out, suck it up, and then a few minutes later I get my act together.

I’m sharing this with you guys because I want you to see all sides of prep. A lot of people just talk about the basic things: diet and exercise. It’s the mind that others leave out. For instance right now I am absolutely craving the biggest Starbucks soy latte they make. I would love nothing more than to take a walk outside, across the parking lot, and strut into that Starbucks, but my mind won’t let me. And even if it did, later on I’d feel so darn GUILTY for wasting precious food calories and getting a bloated belly as the result of it. Come April 13th that venti will be in my hand!

Yesterday was another leg day for me. I did a little bit on the stair master and spin bike but wanted to hit legs hard. They are FINALLY starting to pop a little.

And here are some progress pictures from yesterday morning.

And straight on from the day before.

Every one looks better on an angle of course, that’s why the bikini pose is the way it is. I have to say I see this on instagram CONSTANTLY. All fitness poses from the side, yet you never see the front of people!

When I look at these I realize I’ve come so far in such a short period.

How can anyone want to quit after looking at the two? I know if I ever had THE mental breakdown of all break downs and decided to quit I’d be so sorry. I just have to keep pushing, the goal is in sight!

I mixed up legs yesterday and tried to cover a little of everything. I did put on clothes by the way 😉

Here was what I did:

• Hack squats, 90 lbs, 12 reps x 4 sets. In between each set- 12 calf raises.
• Straight leg dead lift but with a wide grip on the bar, 60 lbs, 12 reps x 4 sets. In between each set- oblique standing crunches with a 15 lb weight. Same elbow to same knee x 12 reps each side (I placed the other hand on a seat for balance) .
• Very narrow stance squats holding 15 lb weights, 12 reps x 4 sets. In between each set- 20 alternating curtsy lunges holding weights
• Standing hamstring curl 40-50 lbs, 8 reps x 4 sets each leg
• Plie squats holding 35 lb weight, 12 reps x 4 sets. In between each set- alternating leg lifts from a plank position, balancing elbows on a bench, 12 reps.
• Smith machine calf raises, 105 lbs, 12 reps x 3 sets. In between each set- 5 curtsy lunges each leg
• I finished with leg lift box squats holding a 30 lb kettle bell. One foot goes on a small box, the other on the ground. Holding the kettle bell, squat down and up. As you come up the leg on the floor raises up doing a small lateral lift. IT BURNS GOOD! 8 reps each side x 2 sets. Heart rate really goes up if you use a heavy kettle bell! 
• As a cool down, 12 unweighted walking lunges x 3 sets

I tried to hit the quads, hamstrings, calves, glutes, and hips a bit. A nice little mix of everything!

And check out the awesome nails I’m rocking lately! These are shellac and done exactly as I asked 🙂 Big shout out to Pam, you are awesome.

Don’t you just love the barbell? And of course the paw prints for Phoebs!

She was tired this weekend 😉

Today is bicep day and abs for me. I keep saying I need to hit abs and then I throw in a few exercises and never commit actual time to the muscle group. I think I will START with abs so I’m more likely to do it. I just prefer standing ab exercises over mat work. I have some searching to do before I go to the gym.

Have a great Monday!

XOXO With a Cherry On Top,

-Minnie