Baby Beast: fit log January 2016

As I said I would, one blog post a month will be reserved for a fitness update. Mainly these posts are summaries for me to keep track of my personal gains, but perhaps my successes and failures will also inspire/motivate others like me who are eager to sculpt the temple God gave them.

December 2015 I was full of blazing excitement to challenge myself physically in a whole new way. I hoped to find a resolution that was not destructive when it came to dealing with stress and anxiety. Full of zeal I was and a positive result I did find. Baby Beast: fit log December 2015 explains how I started in full. For one month I did planks along with abs, glutes, and of course lifting. Who doesn’t love a girl that can toss around some weights? I do agree that strong is the new sexy. A challenge it was, but I knew that going in. Getting the chiseled body I desire won’t come easy, nothing worth having ever does.

Personal notes for January 2016:

• January 7th, marks 31 days of training!
• January 9th, never felt so strong and weak at the same time. DOMS every third day? (Delayed onset of muscle soreness).
• January 10th, moved up in weight with shoulders (8lbs to 10lbs) feeling more fatigued during. Felt like an uphill climb, could be fighting a cold.
• January 11th, finally got 180s plank after three failed attempts that were around 1m 20s each (multiple attempts). Previous plank record was 2m and 30s. Try and try again! Also, successfully completed 300 workout (300 reps for abs).
• January 12th, planked 180s 2 days in a row! I was able to lift both those days with a cold! No excuses. Push through. Feeling proud!
• January 28th, not sure why I broke a sweat on a lift day.
• January 31st, did not do workout.

January 2016 summarized:

• Same routines as December. Lifting (8-10 reps) 3-4 days a week, still working on a proper schedule to hit all the muscle groups twice/week.
• Plank challenge, 300 ab routine (from the movie) and also, 30 day butt challenge. Click here to see the routines in full.
• Fortunately, I did not injure myself or strain any muscles this month since I have a better idea of what my body can handle and how hard I should kick my own butt.
• Unfortunately, I was sick for 10 days and lost 4.5lbs which, for someone like me, a small white female who has yet to break 100lbs losing any weight is terrible. If anything I’d like to pack on 10lbs or so.
• Stupidly, when I was ill, I did my butt challenge program twice. I just couldn’t handle not doing a single physical thing for over a week. I say stupidly because white blood cells are what normally protect muscles but when the immunity is down they leave to fight off the sickness, so I was working muscles that were weaker than normal and unable to build back up properly.
• Vitamins and fillers: another big step forward I made last month was knowing vitamins and supplements better than I ever have. Turns out they are not really necessary! It’s best to eat clean-instead of dieting-and closest to the ground meaning, natural/home grown. The body gets what it needs from the right foods, even protein happens without red meat! For those still on the fence about whether or not to give up vitamins/supplements just make sure you know the quality of what you’re buying and avoid anything with fillers. Take cocaine for example; the best high happens with the purest form of white girl, not something that’s been cut with other additives. Weird analogy for a health and fitness article but I am actually a white girl so I’d say it works.
• Poor sleep. Catching some z’s is still a major struggle bus for me. It’s rare that I fall asleep before 3 AM. Sleepy time tea doesn’t really work for me and my body gets used to things quickly.I do try over-the-counter sleep aids (Zquil and Unisom-not together and not with alcohol) but those are either a hit or miss.

Current Baby Beast status; Bigger, Badder, Stronger:

February 7th, 2016 was my two month anniversary for strength training! I am beyond ecstatic that I’ve made a commitment to something for more than a couple weeks. Being in the gym has made me more responsible, disciplined, and hardworking. What I value most though is how drastic of a mood elevator just one workout is, it’s amazing. Stress and sorrow aren’t really burdens for me anymore. Endorphins are a powerful thing friends.

Something I think that is very important to note is that back in December 2015 my motives for getting buff n stuff were selfish and a desperate attempt for me to be able to control something is my rickety life. As a woman of faith most things I do are motivated by Christ and during that 10 day period of suffering and sickness back in January God in His own weird way, showed me that I need to keep an eye on my pride, after all that didn’t go to well for Lucifer did it? Bottom line of what I learned is that when I was down for the count and up to absolutely nothing, God was up to something, as He always is. My new philosophy is that even though it is my body, I believe it is God’s temple and I can’t do anything apart from Him and He is my strength. Faith and fitness – Philippians 4:13