Cut: Week 6

Macros

I am still not tracking calories or macros. So nothing to report here!

Stats

Last weigh in weight: 62.8 kg

Current weight: 62.1kg
Weight loss: 700g

Supplements

• NLA for Her Shred Her 1x per day first thing in the morning
• Pea Protein Isolate 40-50g per day in my morning shake
• Cellucor C4 Pre Workout 3/4 scoop 3-4x week
• Probiotics 1x per day
• Multivitamin 1x per day
• Fish Oil/Cod Liver Oil 1x per day

Workouts

I have only done one upper body and one lower body weight workout this week along with 3 cardio sessions. I am still feeling weak and struggling to exercise (weights) first thing in the morning, so I am only exercising while my husband is at home or my son is at pre school later in the day, as long as its not too hot.

How am I feeling?

I am still feeling good. I am enjoying not counting calories. I find I am hardly ever hungry, so sometimes I have to remind myself to eat. If I want something sweet I eat it, and find I am satisfied after only eating a little bit. Before when I was counting calories, I would crave sweet stuff all the time and felt very restricted, even though I wasn't 'dieting' as such. The only time I will count calories again is when I am reverse dieting and bulking which I plan to do again over winter.

Cut: Week 5

Macros

I am still not tracking calories or macros. So nothing to report here!

Stats

Last weigh in weight: 63.2 kg

Current weight: 62.8kg
Weight loss: 400g

Supplements

• NLA for Her Shred Her 1x per day first thing in the morning
• Pea Protein Isolate - 50g per day in my morning shake
• Probiotics 1x per day
• Multivitamin 1x per day
• Fish Oil/Cod Liver Oil 1x per day

Workouts

I did one workout the past week which was an upper body weight training workout. I have just been keeping active instead. I am back to workout out this week.

How am I feeling?

I am feeling great.  We spent the weekend away camping and fishing where I ate things like bacon, chocolate, pizza and a ton of freshly baked white bread (so worth it). I am actually quite surprised that I lost weight. I am still enjoying eating intuitively and I am starting to stop counting calories in my head. It feels really bizarre not tracking calories after doing it for so many years. It feels freeing. I'm not sure if thats the right word, but I'm not sure how else to describe it.

Here are some of the meals I ate this week:

Cut: Week 4

Macros

I am currently not tracking calories or macros and am just eating when I'm hungry. I have found that my cravings have almost gone and I am making better food choices. It feels great to have a bit more balance.

Stats

Last weigh in weight: 63.7 kg

Current weight: 63.2kg
Weight loss: 500g

Supplements

• NLA for Her Shred Her 1x per day first thing in the morning
• Pea Protein Isolate - 50g per day in my morning shake
• Probiotics 1x per day
• Multivitamin 1x per day
• Fish Oil/Cod Liver Oil 1x per day

Workouts

I am slowly starting to incorporate weight training back into my routine. Doing an upper/lower split and 1-2 cardio sessions per week.

How am I feeling?

I am starting to feel better, although am still a bit tired. I'm trying to rest as much as possible and fuel my body with healthy food.

Exercise is Making Me Sick

I feel tired.
I feel nauseous.
I feel defeated.

Where do I start with this?

Before Christmas I started to get nausea during exercise roughly 30 minutes in. I of course, didn't listen to my body and continued to get up and 4.30am to exercise, relying on a pre workout to get me through the day and my workouts.

Fast forward to a few weeks ago where I started to get sick. Flu like symptoms, muscle and joint pain, fatigue, nausea, hair falling out, racing heart, headaches. I thought I had come down with a weird flu of some sort. Apparently that wasn't the case. So why was I experiencing these symptoms?

Overtraining.

Me overtraining? I doubted it. I always thought overtraining was something that affected athletes and people who exercised for hours a day. Unfortunately that isn't the case, and because of that, I ignored the symptoms.

What are some of the symptoms of overtraining?

• Increased resting heart rate (greater than 5bpm over normal)
• Decreased muscular strength
• Increased submaximal heart rate
• Inability to complete workouts
• Chronic muscle soreness
• Fatigue
• Headaches
• Increased incidence of injury
• Suppressed immune system
• Absence of menstruation
• Frequent minor infections/colds
• Insomnia
• Heart Palpitations
• Lower Testosterone Levels
• Higher Cortisol Levels
• Loss of appetite

Why do I think I suffered from overtraining?
I don't believe it was the length or amount of time I trained (45 mins 5 days per week) that caused it, but I do believe there were other major factors.
1. Not consuming enough micronutrients (aka nutrient dense food).
2. Taking a pre workout daily that has a range of additives (colourings, artificial sugar).
3. Not getting enough sleep.
4. Not listening to my body when symptoms started.
5. Suppressed immune system from all of the above.

I have been known to not listen to my body (hence how I ended up with golfers elbow that lasted two years). I never thought I would have suffered from overtraining because I technically wasn't 'over training'. I wasn't exercising twice a day or for hours at a time. I wasn't training for a marathon or overexerting myself. I went at my own pace for a moderate amount of time. That to me wasn't over training. Ahhhh how I wished I had done my research a bit earlier.

What now?
I'm still trying to figure this out. I know what I have to do, but I really really don't want to do it, and that is to stop lifting weights and doing any strenuous cardio until I feel better again. Currently the only exercise I can do without feeling sick to my stomach is low intensity cardio, and I mean LOW, keeping my heart rate under 125bpm.

I am going to rely on my resting heart rate to keep track of overtraining, as this is one of the things I noticed first. My resting heart rate usually sits at around 55bpm. It is currently sitting at 70bpm.

I am going to continue to keep my protein intake high to try and prevent muscle loss, focus on getting enough micronutrients, get more sleep and enough rest. In short, I am going to focus on HEALTH.

Stepping away from the weights is going to kill me, but I know it needs to be done. Strength training is my outlet, my me time, a place to relieve stress. Not having that for a while is going to be difficult. And no, cardio just isn't the same.

I know I am not alone in this. I have read tons of forums relating to this issue. Unfortunately I think a lot of people believe in order to overtrain, you have to actually train excessively, and that just isn't the case. I hope that by posting this people will be able to identify the not-so-common symptoms of overtraining and start making a change before they get too far into it like I did.

Don't do what I did. Listen to your body.

What I'm Lovin' Wednesday

1. Fifty Shades of Grey

I have read this book about 5 times already and I cannot wait for the movie to come out tomorrow. I don't think I have ever been this excited for a movie.

2. My Macros + App

This app is awesome, especially if you are a macro tracker.

*not my macros pictured

3. Beats Headphones

I got these for Christmas and I never exercise without them. Best headphones ever!

Vegan Protein Bar Recipe

I have been getting into the habit lately of ordering raw food bars from iHerb in America, but unfortunately the dollar has dropped so low (1 Aussie dollar currently buys 78 US cents), that it is going to be too expensive to order from the USA as I usually would *insert crying face*. So that means that I need to find a substitute that is cheap and still healthy (if you didn't already know, raw food bars, along with every other health food, is quite expensive here in Australia).

I was searching the web the other night and came across a protein bar recipe from one of my favourite vegan recipe sites Oh She Glows, and decided to alter it a bit and try it out. It tasted amazing! It is so quick and easy to make and best of all, its healthy. I hope you enjoy these vegan protein bars as much as I do!

Ingredients
1 cup oat flour (blend rolled oats into a flour)
1/2 cup rice puffs
1/2 cup vegan protein powder (I used chocolate pea protein)
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1/2 cup natural peanut butter
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Method
1. Line an 8-inch square pan with a piece of baking paper. Mix the oat flour, protein powder, rice puffs and salt together in a large bowl.
2. Add in the peanut butter, maple syrup, and vanilla. Stir well to combine. If the mixture is a bit dry, add a splash of non-dairy milk and mix again.
3. Press into pan until smooth. Pop into the freezer.
4. After freezing the bars for about 5-10 minutes, remove from freezer and slice into bars. Store in the freezer for a week or longer in an air-tight freezer bag or container.

Makes 12 bars


This recipe is also listed on my website inspirewomensfitness.com

Cut: Week 2 & 3

Macros

• 1700 calories
• 130g protein
• 160g carbs
• 58g fat

I am currently tracking calories in my head. I am trying to focus more on intuitive eating (eating when I'm hungry and stopping when I'm satisfied). I find this works best for me when I'm trying to lose weight, especially as my calories get lower as it stops the feeling that I'm on a 'diet'. I make sure I get at least 1650 calories per day with a minimum of 100g protein per day (aiming for 130g) which I calculate in my head. I will still be tracking macros a few times per week to make sure I am staying on track. Since I have been counting calories for around 8 years, I am pretty good at knowing how much is in all the foods I eat, which does help.

Stats

Last weigh in weight: 64.7 kg

Current weight: 63.7kg
Weight loss: 1kg
Current Body Fat: 23.7%

Supplements

• Creatine 5g per day mixed in pre/post workout shake
• NLA for Her Shred Her 2x per day
• Pea Protein Isolate - 50g per day in my morning shake
• Probiotics 1x per day
• Multivitamin 1x per day
• Fish Oil/Cod Liver Oil 1x per day

Workouts

I am going to be changing my workouts so an upper/lower split next week, so I am hitting each body part twice per week. I always seem to have the best results with this.

How am I feeling?

Week 2 of my cut went great. The past week however I came down with the flu which has prevented me from exercising this past week. I am starting to feel better although I am now getting a lot of muscle pain in my lower legs which is going to prevent me from exercising until it goes away. Apparently it is a side effect of the B strain of influenza and will go away within a week.

I am missing exercising, but I am just trying to stay as active as possible so have been finding jobs to do around the house. Hopefully next week I will be back into it!

Cut: Week 1

Macros

This week

• 1767 calories
• 180g carbs
• 129g protein
• 59g fat

Stats

Last weeks weight: 65.4 kg

Current weight: 64.7 kg
Weight loss: 700g

Supplements

• Quadralean Fat Burner 3 tablets 2x per day
• Creatine 5g per day mixed in pre/post workout shake
• *ProSupps Mr Hyde Pre Workout before training
• Glutamine 2 tablets post workout
• Probiotics 1x per day
• Multivitamin 1x per day
• Fish Oil/Cod Liver Oil 1x per day

*Tried this pre workout for the first time and it was VERY potent. I thought I was going to have a heart attack - not even kidding. It gave me heart palpitations, jitters and dizziness. I had to drive up town and didn't feel safe doing so. I will not be taking this again. Way too many stimulants or my liking. I will be taking a break from all pre workouts for at least the next month.

Workouts

Monday 19th Jan: Shoulders & Triceps
1. Barbell Overhead Press 4 x 8-10
2. 20-15-10-5-10-15-20
Dumbbell Overhead Press
Dumbbell Upright Row
Dumbbell Lateral Raise
3. Plate Front Raise 4 x 10
4. High Pulley Cable Row 4 x 10
5. Triceps Push Down 4 x 20, 15, 12, 10
6. Single Arm Triceps Push Down 4 x 10

15 minutes cardio: walk/jog

Tuesday 20th Jan: Legs
1. Squats 3 x 6-10
2a. Smith Machine Single Leg Lunges 3 x 8
2b. Single Leg Leg Extensions 3 x 8
3a. Stiff Leg Deadlift 3 x 10
3b. Lying Hamstring Curl 3 x 12
4. Lying Hip Thrusts 3 x 10 with 10 second hold

Wednesday 21st Jan: Rest

How am I feeling and where are the rest of my workouts?

Unfortunately the workouts completed from Wednesday to Sunday were all over the place and a real struggle. I am pretty sure I am suffering from overtraining - strength loss, fatigue, low appetite, tiredness, increased heart rate etc. I really haven't taken any time off or had any 'deload' weeks like I should have and I think it has finally caught up with me. As crappy as it is, I am going to take next week as an active rest week - no weights, just low intensity walks; as much as it pains me to do so, I need to listen to my body. My macros will be adjusted to 1600-1700 calories for the next week.

Update

I'm sorry for the lack of last week and this weeks update! I ended up taking a week off two weeks ago due to very low iron. I had no energy or motivation to exercise and just wanted to sleep all day. I managed to maintain my weight, I picked up some liquid iron and got back into it this past week (although not 100%). I will be back to blogging my cut/workouts this week.

Workouts have been shorter and I have been getting terrible nausea about 25 minutes into my workouts and I am not sure why. My hunger has still been through the roof, so I am trying to drink as much water as possible and chew gum to help. Calories are at around 1700-1800 and I am exercising 40-60 minutes 5 days per week.

Maintenance Week before Cut

Macros

This week

• 1900-2300 calories (40/30/30 split)

Stats

Last weeks weight: 65.4 kg

Current weight: 64.5 kg
Weight Lost: 0.9kg (2lbs)

Supplements

• Quadralean Fat Burner 3 tablets 2x per day
• Creatine 5g per day mixed in pre/post workout shake
• Cellucor C4 Pre Workout before training
• Glutamine 2 tablets post workout
• Probiotics 1x per day
• Multivitamin 1x per day
• Fish Oil/Cod Liver Oil 1x per day

Workouts

Sunday 28th Dec: Lower Body

1. Deep Squats

20kg warm up sets

50kg x 4

60kg x 3

70kg x 2

50kg x 12

2. Sumo Deadlifts
3. Barbell Step Ups

4. Cable Kickbacks 4 x 10-12 at 7kg

5. Lying Leg Curl 4 x 10 at 15kg

6. Seated Leg Extension 3 x 10 at 40kg

Monday 29th Dec: Upper Body
1. Assisted Pull Ups 4 x 8

2. Overhead Barbell Press

12 x 20kg

10 x 23kg

8 x 25kg

3. Reverse Grip Lat Pull Down 4 x 12 at 32kg

4. Shoulder Bombs 3 x 8 at 7.5lbs

5. Straight Bar Triceps Push Down 4 x 12-15 at 12kg

6. Hammer Curl 4 x 10-12 at 12kg

Tuesday 30th Dec: Abs & Cardio
4x10-12
1. Upside Down Hanging Crunch
2. Hanging Leg Raise
3. Stability Ball Knee Tucks/Pike
4. Bottoms Up
30 minute low intensity treadmill walk

Wednesday 31st Dec: Rest

Thursday 1st Jan: Lower Body
1a. Pulse Squats 3 x 10
1b. Step Ups 3 x 20
2. Lying Leg Curl 3 x 15
3. Leg Extensions 3 x 15

Friday 2nd Jan: Rest

Saturday 3rd Jan: Back & Shoulders
3 x 8
1. Wide Grip Lat Pull Down
2. Barbell Overhead Press
3. Reverse Grip Lat Pull Down
4. Shoulder Bombs
5. Standing High Pulley Row

Sunday 4th Jan: Rest

How am I feeling?

S.T.A.R.V.I.N.G… I am not going to lie, decreasing my calories from around 2400 per day (bulking) to around 2000 has been HARD. The first few days I was still taking Halotropin (testosterone booster) and ended up eating well over 2300 calories as I was just so hungry. I stopped the Halotropin on New Years Day which helped with the hunger.

I also decided to take a week off exercising last week due to fatigue and it did seem to help. I do see the most improvement in muscle gain when using an upper body/lower body/core 5 day split working each body part twice per week, but I don’t think I will be able to continue to lift this way while cutting. This type of split requires a lot of energy on my behalf making me constantly hungry and a bit tired – throw in a lower calorie intake and I can see I will get burnt out pretty quickly.



I have done about 60 minutes cardio all up the past 6 weeks. I am currently doing around 20-30 minutes per week if I feel like it. If not, it doesn’t matter. I am keeping cardio to a minimum as I want to retain as much muscle as possible. Cardio is only used to help increase your calorie deficit and since I already have a calorie deficit with food and high intensity weight training, cardio isn’t necessary. It all comes down to calories in vs calories out. So long as you are eating less calories than you are consuming then cardio isn’t necessary. Over the next 12 weeks I will only be doing cardio if I feel like it, not because I have to. 

Plan for next week

I think I will probably start back next week with a 5 day split (Shoulders / Back / Arms & Abs / Legs x 2). I plan to keep my calories at 1900-2000. For reference my maintenance is around 2200 calories. I plan to cut calories slowly and will be keeping my calories as high as possible while cutting. Once I finish cutting in April, I will reverse diet to maintenance and into another bulk for 3 months. I always struggle with cutting as I HATE being hungry all the time. The next 12 weeks will definitely be a struggle!

Goals for 2015

Since we are now heading into 2015, I thought it might be a good idea to write down my top 10 goals and things that I want to accomplish this year (fitness and non-fitness related)

.

1. Gain strength in all exercises and continue to increase weight lifted each week.

2. Squat 100kg.

3. Overhead Press 35kg.

4. Continue to focus on building up my core strength.

5. Go to bed earlier and work on getting more sleep (7-8 hours a night).

6. Educate myself more on nutrition and increase the micronutrients in my diet.

7. Spend less time on social media, specifically Facebook (which I have been doing for the past few months already).

8. Save $10,000 for our USA trip next year.

9. Plan our first around Australia road trip.

10. Read 2 self-improvement books.



As you may have noticed, I have not put anything like ‘lose 5kg’ or ‘get to 16% body fat’ as a goal that I want to achieve. The reason for this is because, while that is great, I need to focus on goals that aren’t purely vanity-focused. Now I am not saying that you shouldn’t have a vanity-focused goal, but I have tried and failed with this many times before. Only working towards a certain number just does not work for ME. It is not enough to hold me accountable and keep me on track.

Focusing on my health and strength has allowed me to have a goal that I can really work towards each day for an extended period of time. Before when I would reach a weight loss goal I would celebrate that I had reached it and then I would fall back into bad eating and not exercising. Having strength gains and health as a goal makes it easier for me to stick to as a lifestyle. The weight loss aspect is just a bonus!

Bulk - Week 3

Macros

This week

• 2300 calories
• 261g carbs
• 150g protein
• 73g fat

Stats

Last weeks weight: 64.1kg

Current weight: 64.5kg

Supplements

• Halotropin Testosterone Booster 1 tablet 2-3x per day
• Creatine 5g per day mixed in pre/post workout shake
• Cellucor C4 Pre Workout before training
• Glutamine 2 tablets post workout
• Probiotics 1x per day
• Multivitamin 1x per day
• Fish Oil/Cod Liver Oil 1x per day

Workouts

Monday 15th Dec: Rest

Tuesday 16th Dec: Lower Body
1. Box Squats 5 x 10
2. Smith Machine Leg Press 4 x 10
3. Cable Romanian Deadlift 4 x 10
4. Leg Extensions 5 x 10

Wednesday 17th Dec: Upper Body
1. Pull Ups 4 x 8
2. Overhead Barbell Press 4 x 10
3. Neutral Grip Pull Down 4 x 10
4. Dumbbell Lateral Raise into Front Raise 4 x 8
5a. Triceps Dips 4 x 8
5b. Cable Hammer Curl 4 x 10

Thursday 18th Dec: Rest

Friday 19th Dec: Lower Body
1. Box Squats 4 x 10
2. Smith Machine Reverse Lunges 4 x 8
3. Cable Romanian Deadlift 4 x 10
4. Leg Extension 6 x 10 (10 sec rest between sets)
5. Lying Hamstring Curl 5 x 10 (10 seconds rest between sets)

Saturday 20th Dec: Abs
1. Bottoms Up on Smith Machine 3 x 12
2. Kneeling Landmine 180 3 x 12
3. Cable Crunch 4 x 12
4. Hanging Leg Raise 4 x 10
5. Cable Oblique Crunch 3 x 12
6. Standing Ab Crunch with 10kg Plate 4 x 12

Sunday 21st Dec: Upper Body
1. Dumbbell Overhead Press 4 x 8-10
2. Standing High Pulley Row 4 x 12
3. Shoulder Bombs 4 x 8
4. Seated Row 4 x 12
5a. Triceps Push Down 4 x 12
5b. Dumbbell Biceps Curl 4 x 12

How am I feeling?

I have been getting really bad nausea during my workouts this week, especially when training legs. I think it could possibly be due to not drinking enough water the day prior to training (I always train in the morning). I am going to try upping my water intake to see if that helps.

In regards to fat gain, I am definitely starting to notice that I am gaining some fat. It doesn't bother me as I start cutting in a few weeks, but I can definitely notice it, especially in my lower body.

I am still taking my testosterone booster, and I am still loving it. I haven't slept this good in a long time. I fall asleep within 10 minutes and am out cold the whole night. The only downside is that you can feel a bit groggy when you wake up in the morning.

Plan for next week

Next week is the last week of my bulk before I start to slowly cut calories into a fat loss deficit, and of course it's Christmas where I will be enjoying lots of oysters kilpatrick and cheesecake - and no macros will be tracked.

I am excited for 2015 to see how much I can change my body. Every year for the past 6 years, I have vowed that I will be 'in shape for summer' and every year I have weighed and looked the same ha! The problem was that that was my main motivator, and it just wasn't enough to keep going with it. I would eat clean and exercise for 8 weeks then stop for 4, rinse and repeat. This time I have been going at it consistently for almost 6 months now, and that is because my motivation changed. My motivation now is to see how much I can lift, increase my strength and see how far I can push myself.

Bulk - Week 2

Macros

This week

• 2300 calories
• 258g carbs
• 146g protein
• 76g fat

Stats

Starting weight: 63kg

Current weight: 64.1kg

Supplements

• Halotropin Testosterone Booster 1 tablet 2-3x per day
• Creatine 5g per day mixed in pre/post workout shake
• Cellucor C4 Pre Workout before training
• Glutamine 2 tablets post workout
• Probiotics 1x per day
• Multivitamin 1x per day
• Fish Oil/Cod Liver Oil 1x per day

Workouts

Monday 10th Dec: Rest

Tuesday 9th Dec: Upper Body

All exercises are 4 x 8-10 reps with 90 seconds rest between sets.

1. Assisted Band Pull Ups (2 x 6) *

2. Wide Grip Lat Pull Down

3. Barbell Overhead Press

4. T Bar Row
5. Single Arm Linear Jammer
6a. Triceps Push Down
6b. Cable Rope Hammer Curl

* I injured my elbow badly two years ago doing chin ups and I haven't done them since. I still suffer with pain in my elbow if I lift over 45kg with my arms. Due to this I am easing slowly back into pull ups.

Wednesday 10th Dec: Rest - Sick

Thursday 11th Dec: Rest - Sick

Friday 12th Dec: Sick

Saturday 13th Dec: Lower Body
All exercises are 3 sets of 8-10 reps
1. Squats
2. Romanian Deadlift
3. Walking Lunges
4. Leg Extension
5. Lying Leg Curl
6. Seated Calf Raise

Sunday 14th Dec: Upper Body
1. Band Assisted Pull Ups  3 x 6
2. Reverse Grip Lat Pull Down  4 x 12
3. Barbell Overhead Press  4 x 12
4a. Single Arm Dumbbell Lateral Raise  4 x 8
4b. Single Arm Dumbbell Front Raise  4 x 8
5. Straight Arm Pull Down  3 x 10
6a. Triceps Push Down
6b. Cable Biceps Curl

How am I feeling?

I am still feeling great. I think I may have overdone it a bit last week and I wasn't feeling very good half way through my Monday upper body workout, so I decided to take a few days off until the muscle soreness, aches and sore chest/cough went away.

My weight is up 1kg since I started increasing calories 4 weeks ago, which is about on schedule.
I have 3 weeks left of my mini bulk until I start cutting for my friends wedding at the end of March.   My cutting phase will last 10 weeks. Then I will ease into a 3 month bulk starting the beginning of April.

I definitely feel like the testosterone booster [Halotropin] is making a difference. I have been sleeping like a baby and I am seeing some gains being made. Creatine on the other hand is going to take some getting used to. The 'pump' that it gives you feels very strange - like your muscles are going to burst. Definitely not a feeling I'm used to.

I love bulking, but the further into my bulk I go, I can see why people can struggle with it. It's definitely not fun feeling 'fluffier' than usual. You feel a bit chubby and your clothes don't fit as well as they used to. It's not something that bothers me enough to struggle with it - but I can definitely see why girls would.

Plan for next week

• Keep my calories and macros the same
• Do two upper body, two lower body and one ab workout with reps between 8-12.
• Drink 3+ litres of water per day
• Add more vegetables to my diet

Bulk - Week 1

Macros

This week

• 2300 calories
• 258g carbs
• 146g protein
• 76g fat

Supplements

• Halotropin Testosterone Booster 1 tablet 2x per day
• Creatine 5g per day mixed in pre/post workout shake
• Cellucor C4 Pre Workout before training
• Glutamine 2 tablets post workout
• Probiotics 1x per day
• Multivitamin 1x per day
• Fish Oil/Cod Liver Oil 1x per day

Workouts

Saturday 29 Nov: Legs

*Pre exhaust quads*

1. Leg Extension 4 x 8

2. Single Leg Extension 4 x 8

3. Barbell Full Squat

4. Barbell Walking Lunges

5a. Lying Hamstring Curls

5b. Barbell Deadliest

Sunday 30 Nov: Shoulders

All exercises are 4 x 6-8 reps with a 1/1/3 tempo

1. Overhead Barbell Press

2. Single Arm Linear Jammer

3a. Lying Cable Upright Row

3b. Front Plate Raise

4a. Cable Lateral Raise

4b. Bent Over Cable Fly

Monday 1st Dec: Rest

Tuesday 2nd Dec: Legs
Squats 5x6
Smith Machine Leg Press 5x8 superset with 5x8 pulses
Walking Lunges 3x16
Leg Extension 4x8 with drop set on last set

Wednesday 3rd Dec: Back
All exercises are 4x6-8 with 1.5-2 mins rest between sets
1. Wide Grip Lat Pull Down
2. Neutral Grip Lat Pull Down
3. Single Arm Wide Grip Pull Down
4. Bent Over Single Arm Barbell Row
5a. Straight Arm Rope Pull Down
5b. Band Pull Aparts

Thursday 4th Dec: Abs
All exercises are 4 sets of 8-12 reps
1. Kneeling Landmine 180
2. Standing Cable Crunch
3. Hanging Leg Raise
4. Stability Ball Knee Tuck

Friday 5th Dec: Rest

Saturday 6th Dec: Hamstrings
All exercises are 4 sets of 6-8 reps
1. Deadlift
2. Romanian Deadlift
3. Cable Pull Through
4. Lying Leg Curls

Sunday 7th Dec: Shoulders/Arms
1. Overhead Barbell Press
2. Kneeling Single Arm Linear Jammer
3. Cable Lateral Raise
4a. High Cable Pull
4b. Plate Front Raise
5a. Triceps Dips
5b. Dumbbell Biceps Curl

How am I feeling?

I am feeling great! I am loving eating all the extra food and I love that my lifts are getting stronger. I found that for the first 5 days when I would take my testosterone booster in the afternoon/evening, it would make me pretty drowsy, but when I took it before working out in the morning, it had the opposite effect - I could lift heavier and longer. Thankfully the drowsiness went after a few days and now I don't notice any side effects (except more energy and strength when taken before exercise).

I know a lot of people talk about really struggling with putting on weight and not being as 'lean' while bulking but I have to say I haven't experienced that yet. Yeah sure I have a bit more fat than I usually would, but I know I need to bulk in order to gain muscle so it doesn't really bother me. Plus, this girl loves her food. Next week I plan to keep my macros the same and keep an eye on how my weight changes.

Home Gym Set Up

I have had a few people ask me about my home gym - what's in it, what does it look like, how much have we spent on everything etc. So since I have just recently tidied it up, I thought I would take some photos of it. Keep in mind, we did not purchase everything at once - we have slowly added equipment over the last 6 years. My husband and I worked out that we would be paying $500 a year each to go to a local gym, so why not use that money to buy our own equipment that we can use at any time.

At the beginning of this year we built a 9x7 metre shed down the back of our block, half of which is our home gym, the other half houses our camper trailer.

I think my first purchase was the SelectTech Dumbbells which cost me around $380 back in 2009. These things are awesome and it beats having a bunch of dumbbells lying around. These were difficult to come by here in Australia and the only place that sold them was eBay. I still use them for nearly every workout.

The barbell and bumper plates are my husbands, and to be honest I did not want to buy them as I thought they were way too expensive - but now I use them more than he does. I think all up for the bar and the bumper plates it cost around $800. The bumper plates come in 0.5kg, 1kg, 1.5kg, 2kg, 2.5kg, 5kg, 10kg, 15kg and 20kg.

I also have a few stability balls, an agility ladder, boxing gloves, mits, rings, foam roller, TRX and a few other bits and pieces stowed away in a box in the corner. The squat rack/cable pulley is also my husbands purchase. We got it from Gym & Fitness two years ago for around $450.

I bought my smith machine off a man who lives on the Central Coast for $250. We got the leg extension/bench from a local man for $50. We also have a sled that my husband made, but I forgot to snap a picture of it!

I would love to get a boxing bag, more cable attachments, ropes and some medicine balls to add to the collection - maybe next year.

There you have it - that is pretty much all the fitness gear that we own (aside from DVD's). I am forever thankful that I am able to exercise from home and that we took the time to save and set it up. One of our big future goals was to have our own home gym and I am so grateful that we made that goal a reality.

If you are looking at setting up a home gym, I recommend shopping around - you can find a lot of second hand fitness equipment in excellent condition for a fraction of what it would cost in the shops. Take your time and add things as you can afford it.

Hopefully this gave you some ideas for your home gym. Feel free to message me or comment below if you have any questions!

Birth Control and Weight Loss

There is a lot of controversy regarding weight loss/fat loss and birth control. Many doctors will argue that birth control has no effect on weight or body composition, but birth control users seem to think otherwise. If you have been unsuccessful in losing weight or body fat no matter how hard you have tried, your birth control may very well be the culprit.

Let’s look at birth control a little more closely. There are two main types of birth control – estrogen-based and progestin-only. These two types of birth control can come in the form of a pill, ring, patch, injection, rod or IUD. Hormonal birth control works by stopping the ovaries from releasing an egg each month (preventing ovulation) and by making the environment unfit to implant an egg properly, making your body think that you are in fact pregnant. Since your body now thinks that you are pregnant, it prepares itself by storing what? That’s right, extra fat. Excess fat from birth control is usually stored in your lower body (hips & butt) and in your triceps.

Doctors and scientists argue that birth control does not make you gain weight or excess body fat, but that the pill increases your appetite and cravings therefore you eat more food which contributes to weight gain.

If you are someone who is serious about eating clean, gaining muscle mass and shedding body fat, but you are struggling to make improvements, your birth control may be to blame. A recent study was done on the effects of birth control and lean muscle mass. The study showed that women that took hormonal birth control gained 60% less muscle mass over a 10 week period than women who did not take birth control. You can find the study here.

Hormonal birth control is no doubt one of the best ways to prevent pregnancy, and there are good and bad side effects that come with it. Some of the negative side effects include acne, tiredness, breast tenderness, weight gain, breakthrough bleeding and spotting between periods, nausea and vomiting, changes in your eyes that make it more difficult to wear contact lenses, bloating, headaches, decreased libido, depression or other emotional changes, migraines, breast lumps, high blood pressure (hypertension), high cholesterol, blood clots, heart attack, stroke, liver damage, gallstones and jaundice. The benefits of hormonal birth control are reduced cancer risk, acne prevention, reduction in abdominal pain and PMS symptoms, regular menstrual cycles and decreased endometriosis symptoms.

Some people can lose weight very easily while on birth control without any problem, and some struggle tremendously. It all comes down to the individual and their body. What works for one person may not work for another. For me it is a huge struggle to lose body fat, especially from my belly and lower body, even while maintaining a calorie deficit and exercising. It is very very difficult for me to get below 60kg without cutting calories too low (under 1500 per day). I have read a lot that people say that birth control doesn't affect weight loss, but unfortunately for some of us it does.

If you are on the pill and you are finding weight gain a problem, then talk to your doctor about swapping to a lower dose pill, or try another form of hormonal contraception. If you want to skip the hormones all together, maybe give a non-hormonal contraceptive a try, like the copper IUD. At the end of the day it all comes down to your body and how your body responds to hormones.

I would love to hear your experience, has birth control made a difference in your weight?

Maintenance Week

Macros
7 days this week:

• 180-220g carbs
• 145g protein
• 60-70g fat
• 2000-2300 calories

Workouts This Week

Day 1: Legs with Hamstring/Glute Focus
1. Sumo Deadlift | 4 x 8
2a. Romanian Deadlift | 4 x 8
2b. Floor Glute-Ham Raise | 4 x 6-8
3. Cable Pull Through | 4 x 8
4. Single Leg Lying Hamstring Curl | 4 x 8
5a. Single Leg Hip Thrust 3 x 8
5b. Cable Kickback | 3 x 8

Day 2: Back & Abs
All back exercises are 4 sets of 6-8 reps.
1a. Wide Grip Lat Pull Down
1b. Seated Row
2a. Single Arm Pull Down
2b. Single Arm Cable Row
3a. Straight Arm Pull Down
3b. Bent Over Fly

Abs
1a. Landmine 180 | 4 x 12
1b. Stability Ball Knee Tucks | 3 x 12

Day 3: Rest

Day 4: Shoulders & Abs
All exercises are 4 sets of 6-8 reps
1. Barbell Military Press
2. Single Arm Linear Jammer
3. Cable Lateral Raise
4a. Cable Upright Row
4b. Cable Front Raise

Abs
1a. Stability Ball Knee Tucks | 4 x 10-12
1b. Cable Crunch | 4 x 10-12

Day 5: Legs with Quad Focus
All exercises are 4 sets of 6-8 reps.

1. Deep Squats
2a. Wide Smith Machine Squats
2b. Narrow Smith Machine Squats
3a. Walking Lunges
3b. Seated Leg Extensions
4. Single Leg Leg Extensions
5. Cable Leg Abduction


Day 6: Rest

Day 7: Rest
I spent the day out working with my husband laying cable and shovelling dirt followed by 3 hours of housework, so I didn't bother doing an arm workout on top of it.


What is my plan for next week?
I am going to be increasing my calories and moving into a lean bulk. Since I maintained my weight this week I am assuming my maintenance is around 2000-2100ish calories. I will eat at a surplus on workout days (2300) and will eat at maintenance on rest days. Depending on my weight next week, I may increase my calories on workout days to 2300. My aim is to gain lean muscle while minimising fat gain. My weight goal is to gain around 250-500g (0.5-1lb) per week.

I will also be dropping the Quadralean and adding the testosterone booster/hormone regulator 'Halotropin' to my supplement stack which should arrive on Tuesday. Being on the contraceptive pill for 8 years has had a huge impact on my hormones and testosterone levels which makes it difficult to gain muscle and lose fat (I have also been getting terrible headaches from the pill as well). Losing fat and gaining muscle is not impossible to do on the pill, it just takes a very long time and my body does everything it can to hold on to fat due to the high oestrogen levels. Anyways that is a whole different topic that I will cover in another post. I am excited to give my body a break from synthetic hormones and see how it responds with the extra testosterone.

Week of Workouts

Macros
6 x per week:

• 175g carbs
• 130g protein
• 58g fat
• 1760 calories

1 x per week:

• 260 carbs
• 115 protein
• 50 fat
• 1950 calories

Workouts

Please note: You may be able to lift more than me, or you may not be able to lift as much. Just lift as much as YOU can in order to reach failure within the given rep amount.
I won't be listing what weight I use for each exercise every week - this is just for personal reference so I can work on still increasing my weights each week.

Day 1: Leg Circuit
Since I have been struggling with low iron, I was only able to do a 25 minute weight workout before running out of energy. I followed this up with a 25 minute walk on the treadmill. Heart rate between 140-150bpm.

1. Overhead Plate Squat | 2 x 12 | 10kg
2. Plate Squat | 2 x 12 | 10kg
3. Leg Extension | 4 x 12 | 20kg
4a. Sumo Deadlift | 4 x 12 | 30kg superset
4b. Lying Hamstring Curl | 4 x 12 | 15kg
5. Walking Lunges | 3 x 16 | bodyweight

Day 2: Shoulders & Abs
All shoulder exercises are 4 sets of 6-8 reps.
All ab exercises are 4 sets of 8-12 reps.

1. Barbell Overhead Press | 20kg
2. Smith Machine Press | 20kg
Giant Set
3a. Lateral Raise | 12.5lb dumbbells
3b. Upright Row | 15kg
3c. Front Plate Raise | 10kg

Abs
1a. Hanging Leg Raise
1b. Cable Crunch | 15kg
1c. Landmine 180 | 5kg added to the end of a 20kg barbell

Cardio: 15 minute LISS walk

Day 3: Rest

Day 4: Back
1. Wide Grip Lat Pull Down | 4 x 8 | 25kg
2. Seated Row | 4 x 8 | 27.5kg
3a. Single Arm Long Bar Row | 4 x 8 | 22.5kg
3b. Single Arm Pull Down | 4 x 6-8 | 5kg
4a. Bent over fly | 4 x 8 | 10lb dumbbells
4b. Band Pull Aparts | 4 x 8

Day 5: Legs
1. Squats
1 x 12 at 20kg (warm up set)
2 x 6 at 50kg
2 x 8 at 40kg

2. Sumo Deadlift | 4 x 8 | 40kg
3. Leg Extension | 4 x 8 | 30kg with drop set on last set
4. Barbell Hip Thrust | 4 x 8 | 30kg
5a. Cable Romanian Deadlift | 4 x 8 | 15kg
5b. Lying Hamstring Curl | 4 x 8 | 15kg

10 minute walk

Day 6: Arms & Abs
1a. Tricep Push Ups | 4 x 8
1b. Dumbbell Biceps Curl | 4 x 8 | 12.5lbs
2a. Triceps Dips | 4 x 8
2b. Cable Hammer Curl | 4 x 8 | 10kg
3a. Triceps Pushdown | 4 x 8 | 10kg
3b. Single Arm Cable Biceps Curl | 4 x 6-8 | 5kg

Abs
1a. Plate Crunch | 4 x 10 | 10kg plate
1b. Bench Jumps | 4 x 12
2. Hanging Leg Raise | 4 x 8

15 minutes cardio between sets

Day 7: Rest


Some of the food I ate this week

What is my plan for next week?
I have decided next week to eat at maintenance and then ease into a 6 week bulk followed by a 10-12 week cut. I really need to gain some muscle, increase my metabolism and try to increase my calorie intake so I don't have to cut on too low calories. I have been in a deficit for so long - it's time to change it up!

Chicken & Shrimp Quesadillas with Tomato Avocado Salsa

Colourful Summer Salad

We had dinner at my sister and brother in laws last night and my brother in law (who just happens to be a chef) made this yummy salad. It was so good, perfect for summer (and easy!) that I made it this morning to eat over the next few days.