That ish is Cray.

Southwest Airlines had some crazy system wide computer outage. I've been trying to fly out of Nola for the last couple of days. I'm glad I got the extra time with my family and I'm super grateful for it.
Today's last meal is a sack of beautiful crawfish. I was so sad to leave it to get to the airport. I almost hoped for another flight delay so that I could eat more.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BILB_oyBUzo/

Measurements 2 - Results!

I'm visiting NOLA and conveniently, there is a Gold's like, 5 min away from my parent's house. It's a new gym, so they are pretty aggressively "welcoming" people and luckily, I have a good amt of personal training sessions left, so I was able to side step that conversation. 
But I was able to get my measurements, so that was good. 

Here are my beginning measurements when I started in WS:
My chest is 34 (before I started working out, I was a 32)
Waist 34 (i feel like this might be big, it doesn't look as wide as my chest, but it's my true waist at the belly button)
Hips 42 (no surprise there)
Thigh - 26 (what my waist was when I was 18)
Arms 14 (starting measurement- 11)
Calves - probably about 16 - always big.

Here's my measurements now:
My BMI was 28% which was good, I haven't been under 30 in a long time.
My fat percent was at 37% - sigh. I will really have to really diet for this bullshit to go down. My trainer here is pretty aggressive, she wants me to get down to 25%. 
Neck: 12.5in
Chest: 36.5in. she did it including the boobs, whereas in WS, under the boob was measured, I think. (I'm currently fitting into a smaller bra, btw)
Shoulder width: 43in ( I wonder what the average is)
Waist: 30.5in (woo! 4 inches smaller!) - Trainer wants my waist to get down to 25inches. I wonder if that's even possible.
Hips: 41in (1 inch smaller!)
Thighs: Left: 23 Right: 23 (3 inches! LOTS SMALLER!)
Calf: L: 15.5 R: 16 (I wonder if my knee thing is making my calf smaller) 
Biceps: L: 11.5 R: 11 (3 inches smaller and way more defined!)

Overall, I'm happy to see some concrete progress! My clothes have been fitting slightly looser, and my waist has become more defined. It was so much work, though. I definitely am going to have to take the mantra of, "nothing tastes as good as not having to do stair intervals feels" 

Circus Freak

I'm visiting New Orleans for the next few weeks and I'm pretty into taking advantage of the things I can do now that I haven't been able to since I've been away.
#1 - Take a circus arts class.
Right when I started traveling a lot, LA Motion opened up and it offers all kinds of awesome aerial classes. Since I'm in good shape from all my training sessions, I felt that I was ready to take one. I decided to go to the beginner lyra class. The lyra is where you weave yourself in and out of a hoop suspended from the ceiling. It's really beautiful.
I went, not really knowing what to expect and prepared to work out as usual: including drinking a pre-workout drink. It was 7pm and I wanted to be able to focus.
I was worried about my flexibility, I'm at 30% of what I used to be. I had felt it slipping away over the course of the HiiT and weight training, unfortunately. But you gotta start somewhere. I hung in there during the warmup:
running laps around the gym floor, (the springy floor was heaven on my wonky knee), 10 burpees, floor stretches, floor ab work - these are what I think I will remember to do:
lay down > up to pike > down > up to pilates V > down > up reach through wide leg split. That's 1 rep. We did 10.
Downward dog > lift leg up > bring in to nose 10 each leg
hip flexor stretches
lots of loosening up and warming up major joints - hips, neck, back.
Splits.
I CAN STILL DO THE SPLITS.
backbend - hurt my wrists, but otherwise, can still do.
I know that if I hadn't been working out so much before, I would not have made it through the warmup.
Then we got on the hoop to warm up. Hanging shoulder shrugs 10, I was thanking all those shoulder reps right bout now.
But then getting on the hoop.
That playground monkey bar move where you raise your legs up and loop your knees over the bar? I seem to have lost that ability sometime after the 4th grade. I could not make my body do it. Much less do the hamstring pulsing warmup. It's a lot to align and think about, so I did it lying down on the floor so that I could get the idea of it.
Then it was time for a simple sequence on the hoop.
This time, it was a side mount. Hold the top of the hoop, pull myself up, straddle, hook one leg up, straddle the bar, turn and then hook your other leg, and drop down, holding on to the bottom of the hoop with one hand.
This time, I was able to to get up on the hoop this way pretty easily. I was quite excite at this point, and loving my bulky shoulders. I dropped down and while I wasn't very graceful, I had gotten the mechanics of the sequence.
But then the spinning of the hoop. I started getting dizzy. Quickly. So I dropped off, and got my center. After a few minutes, I was ready for another move.
This time, it was the mount that I cannot do into a mermaid. She spotted me up into the hoop, grab the top with one hand, turn outwards and you're basically in a side plank with your ankles behind the hoop and your body is in front of the hoop. Then back to seat, and other side. Again, once I got on the hoop, I was able to do them.
But the spinning. I have no control over the hoop yet, of course. After this, I was REALLY DIZZY. Like, worse than than the drunk room spins.
I laid myself out on the floor to try and regroup. But then I started sweating. This isn't going to be good. I ran to the bathroom and promptly threw up. Twice. No more pre workout for me before lyra class. But I felt better - enough to drive home, anyway. Once I got home, I went straight up to bed and tried to sleep it off. 4am later, I was still dizzy and nauseated and burping up stomach acid.
I probably should have taken into account my ridiculously sensitive motion sickness trigger. I mean, I get sick if I'm in downward dog too long. What made me think I could spin around in a hoop? ARGH.
But, BUT. The good stuff is that I actually felt really strong. One of the things my instructor said to me was, "don't hang from your hands, hang from your shoulders" and I totally could do that. Which is funny, bc I think my shoulders are one of my weaker spots. I always fatigue out halfway through an arms zumba routine.
Anyway, my shoulders.My big bulky shoulders shone today. I could hoist myself up onto the hoop much more easily than I expected.
What I do have to work on are pullups. If I can do pullups, I think I can get up into the hoop from underneath.
And SPLITS. I CAN STILL DO SPLITS. That might be the most exciting part.

The Final.

I got in my last session on Thursday. I was slightly mobile from Kill the Legs the day before, except my hamstrings were crazy sore. I was dreading the stairmaster, as usual.

He upped my warmup to 3min at 8, 3 min at 12. I didn't like it.

started with 20 squat wall balls with 12lb medicine ball - I usually do the 16lb but it wasn't available. It was doable with the 12.  3 rounds in between each tricep

All Tris All the Time.
15 reps wide grip pull downs right into 15 narrow grip. 1 plate and a little plate.
20 leaning over extensions.
20 pull downs
20 cross pulls
all these at least 2xs. I had to go down a plate halfway through and was kinda mad, but my trainer was like, "we did over 40 reps, and your arms are red, so it's ok you're working the muscles"

Back
12 heavy pull downs 50lbs  to 20 half weight
2nd set 12 reps 60lbs and 20 reps 30lbs
12 rows 2 sets heavy

20 squat to shoulder press with 15lbs dumbbells immediately 10 arnold presses
i think we did this 3xs and I may have almost dropped those dumbells on my head.

last. stair intervals.
30 sec each, he controlled it. 8, 12, 9, 14. I felt ok with this. I HAVE CONQUERED THE STAIR INTERVALS

Then I said bye to all my gym staff buddies and it was sad to go. Everyone was super friendly to me and seemed really nice.

As of this posting, though I'm on day 2 and my legs are SO. SORE. I am literally hobbling everywhere. My triceps are so weak that I cannot push down my clothes in my compression bags or roll up my clothes tightly as I am packing. I'm a little worried that I'm too sore, but then again, that was the first time I worked my hamstrings and it's not like he starts me off with super light weights. Hopefully tomorrow I will be a little more mobile.

Kill the Legs

Well, my time in WS is coming to a close. I am going to have my last session tomorrow. I had my session today and it was fucking killer. But it was a pretty good session.

I was afraid that I'd be sluggish and tired bc I scheduled it for 3:30pm, and I slept good all day. Like till 2pm good. I didn't want to get up. But I took my preworkout, ate a banana, and hoped for the best.

I got there a little early and bought another workout drink and begrudgingly got on the stairmaster. 4min at 8, 2min at 12. I had to stop halfway thru for a slug of water and really just a rest. I'll never get good at this.

Then he put out a 20, kettlebell, a bosu ball, and a 25 kettlebell. His trainer buddy who's always training when we are put out a 50 as a joke. My trainer decided to work it in.
20 kettlebell swings, 20 seconds of mountain climbers balancing on the upside down bosu ball, 20 kb swings of the heavier kettlebell and the bonus10 deadlifts with the 50. Then back through with the kettlbell swings, and 30 sec of mountain climbers.This was a really good circuit. I hated so many reps, but it was a good mix. I think I had to go through it 3xs  - twice back to back, and once after doing weights.
When I get the self discipline, I'd do this.

Leg day
leg raises on the machine 10 reps each leg, up the weight, 15 reps both legs. With threat of burpees if I stop. 3 rounds.
Deadlifts with a 45 kettlebell in each had. 12 reps, 3 rounds. the kettlebell handles were almost too big for my hand to grip. I did good on these.
Hamstring ...things. Basically bending over, straight legged while pulling heavy weights. 12 reps? 3 rounds.
Step ups. I FUCKING HATE THESE. 10 each leg. 2 rounds.
Wall sits. on the bosu ball. 30 seconds. I swear, I felt all the sweat pop out of my pores all at once at the 20 sec mark.
Second round of wall sits I had to hold a medium sized plate straight out for 30 secs. I wanted to die.
Just when I was about to say, "I'll take these over the stair intervals" he says, "hey, we have just enough time for stairs!" die. diiiiie.
I think he shaved off 30 sec. at 30 sec each, it was 8 > 12 > 9> 14 > 8
Surprisingly, I did not feel like dying. I almost thought that I could have probably gone another 30 sec.

And, as I was leaving, I saw him set up the same circuit for his next session, a girl that was most definitely half my age. If i can do the same circuit as a girl that young, I feel pretty fucking ok with myself.

I scheduled a session for tomorrow. Here's to death.

Last week in the WS

So the last two weeks of my project, my schedule flipped. I got put on the overnight shift. Normally, I wouldn't mind, but this time I had a bit of an episode because I knew that would screw up my workouts. Such is my life.
But I had to take on the mindset that working out is part of my regular day, no matter what.
I managed to get in a zumba class on Monday afternoon. I was very pleased that I got that one in, and I made it a point to go every day that week.

This week is different. I was exhausted and couldn't seem to get enough sleep to flip to days. I cancelled my session today even though I moved it to 1:30pm. I couldn't even get out of bed.

I dragged out of bed to get some food and thought that I had to get to a zumba class at least. Plus, I want to make sure I can say bye and thanks to my instructor. I downed some preworkout and headed over.

That preworkout kicked in like whoa, and I had a really fun class. Also, my knee was feeling good, and I was able to do a lot of the moves. So yay for that.

Tomorrow and Thursday are my last gym sessions. I should probably do all my packing up of this apartment bc I likely will not be able to walk around after this.

I'll try to remember to take my measurements again so I can see if theres' been any progress made.

In between the sessions

Since I'm using this as my platform to journal my workouts, I am going to note that I've been able to make some zumba classes in addition to the sessions.
Luckily, I found a women's gym like 2 blocks from my regular gym that has a bazillion zumba classes every day. They gave me a deal where I could pay a lump sum for unlimited classes, since I was only going to be here for a few weeks. How nice! That's some women to women business right there. (reminder: glowing review on foursquare)
Unfortunately, my knee has been acting up again, and I have to take it to low impact during the classes. But getting in something is better than nothing, right?

I really enjoy this women's gym, it's super nice, the floor is perfect, and they have some weight machines amongst all the cardio equipment. I really feel lucky that I found it and was able to go to all the classes.