BodyBuilding.com Review

Happy Friday Peeps! Yes, it's Friday and I'm blogging ON Friday! Before I get into today's topic I want to say a shout out to my girl Lynda! She's following her dreams and making them a reality!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LA LA LYNDA! Stay true to yourself. You amaze me each and every day. I loves ya girl!!

Well, today, I want to introduce you to one of my favorite sites:

http://www.bodybuilding.com.

No, I don't want to become some extreme body builder. This site has something for everyone - whether you want to lose weight, gain weight or become an extreme body builder.

One of my favorite features is the Exercise Database. In fact, this is what initially brought me to the site. I was researching different weight lifting exercises and the proper way to perform them. The best part is the site isn't just for men, they have a tonne of information geared towards women.

This screenshot is only about half the info on this page.

When you select the exercise you want to learn about you can select either Male or Female. It then starts off with a video to show you how to perform the exercise and gives you details about the type of exercise, which muscles it works and much more. Below this are photos of the exercise being done followed by written detailed instructions. They also give alternate exercises for the same muscle group. This has been my best friend! There have been workouts I was trying to follow but some of the exercises I was unable to do. With the BodyBuilding.com exercise database I was able to find an alternate exercise that worked the same muscle group just as effectively. You don't have to be a member of the site to use this feature.

Now I'll show you some of the feature of being a member - the Dashboard. This is where you can set a Fit Status, your Motivation Level, upload Progress Pictures, and see your Progress. There is a section to keep track of your lifting stats as well. I'm still just getting know the membership side of this site. I've been trying to utilize the site more so there's a lot more then I'm touching on. I really enjoy using the Motivation Level. Yesterday I went from a 5 to a 9 because I forced myself to workout when I didn't feel like it, in the end I felt great because I did workout.

BodyBuilding.com is so extensive they've separated it into 4 main groups. The Store which is pretty self explanatory. The SuperSite which includes the exercise database, workout routines and body transformation stories. BodySpace is the members section that provides tools and an online community to help you with your journey. The Forums which I haven't really used yet. 

There is on more section I wanted to mention from the SuperSite. This is where I've done a lot of my research to find the right plan for me. There is a section specifically for women with an extensive selection of articles for training, nutrition, supplements and more. They have complete programs to follow and provide you with a workout, nutrition and supplement plan. 

The best part about BodyBuilding.com is that these are real people who've put these programs to the test. A lot of them have been where I am today and now they are personal trainers or just sharing their personal experience. 

If you'd like to check out my personal page on the site please go to:

http://bodyspace.bodybuilding.com/QueeneElle/

It's easy to find inspiration here and I highly recommend using BodyBuilding.com! 

Plan of Action

Good Morning. I know I'm late with this post. I did start out on Friday to write an entry, but I decided with a New Year I needed a new blog design. So, I spent most of the day playing around with the look and feel. I had a more serious blue sophisticated style and quickly realized it just wasn't "Me".  

I do hope you like this new design. I tried to make it fun and to reflect me in blog form. Before you ask...No, I don't think I'm a decorative pillow. ;)

After the design was complete I knew what I wanted to write about but I wasn't ready. I told you last week my "resolution" is to stop procrastinating. Well, I worked out once last week and realized I need a good solid work out plan. The one I was using previously was a good stepping stone to getting back into working out, but I want More out of my work outs. 

It took me a blog re-design, a couple of days of gathering information, a whole lot of printing, hemming my jogging pants and an evening fixing up my weight room. Okay saying weight room sounds like I have this fancy place to work out when it's really my laundry room with my weight stuff in it, but hey I work with what I've got. 

I'm really pleased with my overall plan and how I've got everything set up. So, pleased I had to take pictures to show you:

I know it looks a little stalkerish but I assure you these are all exercises printed from Bodybuilding.com

This is my cardio plan 

My stack of weights

My weight bench and running shoes

As for my plan itself, I'll pretty much be following the 12-Week Body for Life Schedule. I'll be weight training 3 times per week and on alternate days do cardio also 3 times per week with Sunday as my rest day. I'm going to use High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT).

Wish me luck I'm officially starting today after work! I must say I'm excited about hitting the weights again. I really do enjoy working out. See you all Friday!

Happy 2011

Image by Leorex via Flickr

It's a new year and a new start to blogging. So, instead of "trying" to blog daily I've decided to blog weekly. Every Friday/Saturday I will blog and then go from there.

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!

The new year always brings with it the idea of change. To finally lose that weight or get out of debt. To change the things we know we need to change but for whatever reason we haven't been able to.

I'd like to lose weight. I'd like to get out of debt. However, this year...my real New Year's Resolution is to Stop Procrastinating. If I'm being honest with myself and my readers...my one big fault isn't that I eat too much or spend too much money. (Yes, I do those things too) It's that I always put things off, whether the task is big or small I procrastinate - big time.

I know I haven't blogged in a few months, it's another thing I keep putting off. A lot has happened during this time, but I'll give you the short version. I was sliding back down into depression and I didn't want to go down that road again. Do you ever get tired of being "sick and tired"? I know I do and I'm tired of not really living and enjoying my life. I took steps to get out of the funk I was in and also to prevent the Seasonal Depression I usually suffer from. I'm happy to announce that it's January 1, 2011 and I'm not in my usual Winter Blues! I am a blessed woman with a great life. That's not to say my life is perfect, but it's really good and I'm really lucky.

Most of the problems I do have stem from procrastination. If I don't put off cleaning the kitchen I'm more likely to make a good wholesome meal. If I put it off we're either ordering out or finding something super quick and easy to make which is most likely not in the healthy category.

Keeping my resolution in mind I started preparing yesterday. With the help of my wonderful husband, Ben, we completely re-organized and cleaned the house. We moved my office, I rearranged our bedroom, the kitchen floor was finally scrubbed! It was a lot of work in one day, but we finished and still had time to bath the kids and get them to bed and enjoy a nice quiet New Year's Eve together. I made it to midnight for the first time in years. I tried to text my friends at midnight but I guess everyone else had the same idea. This morning I was woken before 7 am but that was ok. My house was clean and it's so relaxing to wake up to a clean, organized house.

I truly believe our environment reflects how we feel inside. When I'm down in the dumps the house is completely disorganized with stuff everywhere. If you're in the grips of depression today please I urge you I know how hard it is but get up and organize your life. I guarantee you'll feel loads better and if you don't feel better then reach out to a friend, a stranger or even message me. But talk to someone. Vent. Lay it all out. Get it out. Just don't sit in your despair - alone.

Someone cares.

You are not alone.

Someone loves you.

You need to let people know you're suffering so they can help. Maybe they can't fix your problems, but just having someone to talk to can make all the difference in the world. Let me tell you a story:

This woman was going through a very rough time. She called to cancel her dinner plans because she wouldn't be very good company for the holidays. Her friend sensed something else was going on so she said she was coming over. The woman didn't want company, she wanted to be alone, but her friend wouldn't listen. She drove over to her house at 9:30 at night and stayed until the wee hours of the morning. Did she have other things to do, yes, but she didn't care. Her friend needed someone. She knew if left alone the woman would go through all the negative things in her life and that bitter cycle would bring her down deeper and deeper. Instead she was able to cry and laugh and get it all out. She went for dinner the next night. She was a joy to be around, she met new people and had a great time. Her holidays were so much brighter by one act of kindness. 

Sometimes the best gift of all is giving someone YOUR time! 

With that, I say - Happy New Year! May you all be blessed in 2011 and all the years to come. What's your New Year's Resolution?

Kick A$$!!

Image via Wikipedia

Holla Peeps! Here I am! Did you miss me again? I know, I know..it's been two weeks since my last post. I have good news though! I haven't given up.

The motivation thing totally struck a chord with me and I haven't been relying on motivation. I've been dragging my butt to my homemade gym and working out.Out of the last 27 days I have worked out 14 of those days! As most of my loyal followers know this is HUGE for me! I tend to do well for a few days and then let something get in the way. Not this time. I'm still at it and just in time too, winter is around the corner. I think I'll do well this winter since I'm already setup with my workouts.

Most of my workouts are from 20-40 minutes depending on the day. I've got 4 workouts that I do regularly - two upper body and two lower body. I discovered a different way of doing cardio at home without a machine. I'm currently only doing about 10 minutes of cardio per workout and I do plan to increase that time but for now that 10 minutes is kicking my behind. I've narrowed it down to a circuit of 4 exercises - toe taps (20), froggy jumps (10), wall push-ups (20) and jump squats (10). I'm trying to add a fourth set of the circuit but I'm not there yet. I'm heaving by the end of my circuit. I then immediately go into my weight training.

I've hurt myself a few times trying to get my routine down. I've discarded a few exercises which just aren't for me...like step jumping jacks....such a bad idea! Let's just say I lack landing control which leads to some major pain!

This month I've been focused on exercise and just getting it done. I'm so pleased to report that it's working for me. Now, I have to concentrate on calories. While I have been tracking my calories I haven't been very diligent with remaining within my daily calories.

I'm not sure if I mentioned it in my last post, but I had a run in with my PMDD this month. So, over the course of the last month's birth control pill pack I missed four pills. Let me tell you I discovered how vital that little pill is to my sanity. I went back to my crazy PMDD self for 2 weeks, all because I missed four pills. I make sure I take my purse with me everywhere I go now. At least I can say lesson learned, birth control is vital to my sanity and quality of life.