smazzon1

If you're worried about your back (and chest) being too horizontal or low, a trick that my trainer taught me is to focus on a high point the wall in front of you. In a way it forces you to raise your chest while you're squatting.

Day 39 Two days off in a row D: Day 40 DB Bench Press: 1 set 25x15. 3 sets 30x11. DB 1 Arm Row: 1 set 25x15/15. 2 sets 30x12/12. 1 set 35x10/10. Tricep Extension: 1 set 20x15. 2 sets 25x12. 1 set 30x10. Goblet Squat: 1 set 30x15. 2 sets 35x12. 1 set 40x10. Bent Knee Raise @ Dip Station: 25. 22. 20. Day 41 ANOTHER day off. I thought the bf and I were going to CrossFit but he had to study for an exam so then I was lazy. Day 42 BB Squat: 1 set 65x15. 2 sets 75x12. 1 set 85x10. Inverted Pull Up: 4 sets 8th tier x 10, 10, 9, 8 DB Kickback: 2 sets 10x15/15. 2 sets 15x10/10. BB Curl: 1 set 20x30. 2 sets 30x20. 1 set 40x8. Plank: 75. 65. 60. Day 43 CrossFit. We did so much an it was such an intense workout. A picture of the board is on my Instagram (smazzon1) it's too long to type down here lol. Day 44 Lat Pull Down: 1 set 45x15. 2 sets 50x12. 1 set 55x10. DB Rainbows: 1 set 5x15. 2 sets 8x12. 1 set 10x10. Incline Sit Up w/ Plates: 1 set 10x15. 2 sets 20x12. 1 set 25x10. BB Lunge: 1 set 20x15/15. 2 sets 30x12/12. 1 set 40x10/10. Plank: R-60. C-60. L-60. I was actually back up to 151.8, but I'm back down to a solid 151. Wanna be back at 150 by next week. Also I started the Personal Trainer post in the Pub (off-topic) forum and Slates was kind enough to post a Living Social deal for a NCAA accredited online class that's on sale for $107. I bought it and am gunna give it a go

Awesome, thank you so much! I bought it cause if I don't think I'd enjoy it I only spent $100, and if I do then I have a cert!

I'd love to check it out! Thanks

For a long time now I've been thinking about becoming certified personal trainer. I work in tv/film so a lot of my work is freelance and temporary, and when I'm not doing that I work part time for a bar association office. It's a very low stress job and I'm thankful to have it, but it pays little and I'm bored out of my mind. Fitness is such a big part of my life and I think I would enjoy being a trainer, especially for children and teens (groups I've already worked with in the past). Has anyone else thought about doing this or is on their way to becoming a PT? I thought about doing it online via ACE, but my local community college has a 5 week summer course that offers hands on experience (plus has it's own AED/CPR class). I thought at the least it's something I could do part time and that I would actually enjoy. The big issue is $$$, but if it's worth it (both mentally and financially) I'm going to do the summer course to try to get certified. I'd love any words of wisdom/advice! Thanks!

Have fun on your trip! That's awesome that you're going for it, I think a lot of people hesitate and eventually lose the chance to do something like that. I'm sure it'll be a great time!

Day 33 DB Bench Press: 1 set 25x15. 3 sets 30x10. DB 1 Arm Row: 1 set 25x15/15. 2 sets 30x12/12. 1 set 35x10/10. DB Step Up: 1 set 10x15/15. 2 sets 15x12/12. 1 set 20x10/10. DB Tricep Kickback: 2 sets 10x15/15. 2 sets 15x10/10. 45 Degree Hyperextension: 3 sets 10x8. Plank: 70 secs. 60 secs. 60 secs. Day 34 Nerd Fitness Modified BW Workout, 3 Cycles: 20 BW Squats 10 Push Ups 20 Lunges w/ 5lb DB 10 Bench Dips 30 Sec Planks 30 Jumping Jacks Day 35 BB Squat: 1 set 65x15. 2 sets 75x12. 1 set 85x10. Inverted Pull Up: 4 sets 8 (8th tier) Inverted Sit Up w/ BB: 2 sets 20x15. 2 sets 30x10. DB Calf Raise: 2 sets 5x30. 2 sets 10x30. DB Front and Side Raise: 4 sets 5x10/10. Day 36 CrossFit WOD: Warm Up: 800m run, 2 RFQ 10 BB Power Clean & 45 sec Chin Up Ring Hold & 10 BB Push Jerk Endurance: 10x100m spirnts (rest 60 sec) Main: 9 Min Ascending Lader (3, 6, 9, 12, etc) Power Clean+Jerk (55lbs) & Ring Rows (got to 12 for both) Cool Down: 200m walk Day 37 Deadlift: 1 set 60x15. 2 sets 70x12. 1 set 80x10 (gunna start using 45BB plus plates soon) DB Snatch: 1 set 10x15/15. 2 sets 15x12/12. 1 set 20x8/8. Bench Dip: 4 sets 12. KB Swings: 2 sets 12kgx15. 2 sets 16kgx10. 2 Min Plank Cycle: 3 sets R45-C30-L45. Day 38 Day off, had a baby shower. And yesterday was the first time that I've eaten so much junk/finger food (plus a donut and pasta) that I got really sick last night. My body isn't used to that stuff anymore haha. I did a weigh in on Friday and I was back up to 151 which stinks. And with the shower I'm hoping that I at least stay there. Gunna do another weight in on Monday and Friday. I hate that if I have a bad day or two it really affects me, cause I'm eating pretty well and am keeping up with MyFitness Pal everyday.

Looks like you're making great progress so far! Good luck! I never liked the taste of coffee and gave up soda in high school, and since then I've been able to get a solid 7-8 hours sleep and feel great the next day. What helps me go to sleep is to either read a book, listen to a relaxing album, or concentrate on my breathing. I remember in a psych class learning that you shouldn't exercise 3 hours before bed and to try to avoid any kind of screen. I read on my computer sometimes before bed but reading a physical books make me much more tired.

Day 28 Still felt sick so I didn't life. The next few days I had pretty bad pain in my left arm and shoulder. Day 29 CrossFit WOD 5 Min Plank Cycle: 30 sec straight arm, 30 sec half arm, 30 sec right side, 30 sec left side, repeat 15x50 meter sprints 50 Air Squats 40 Burpees 30 BB Snatches (25lbs) Day 30 DB Curl, Press, & Negative: 2 sets 15x15, 2 sets 20x8. Seated Tricep Extension: 1 set 20x15. 2 sets 25x12. 1 set 30x10. Assisted Band Pull Up: 4 sets 2 DB Lunge: 4 sets 10x12/12. Day 31 Fountain House 1 in 4 5K! 3 miles in 29 mins Day 32 Day off! Recent weigh in and I'm now at 150! Woohoo! I'm gunna try to be under by next week or the week after. I'm really excited!

Day 24 2.04 mile run in 20:33 Day 25 Happy Easter! Relaxed in the Poconos Day 26 DB Bench Press: 1 set 25x15. 3 sets 30x12, 9, 8. DB Tricep Kickback: 2 sets 10x12/12. 2 sets 15x8/8. Barbell Squat: 1 set 55x15. 1 set 65x15. 1 set 75x10. and then a dude took my squat rack sooo Goblet Squat: 1 set 35x15. Inverted Pull Up; 2 sets 10 (8th tier). 2 sets 5 (7th tier). Bent Leg Raise @ Dip Station: 25. 22. 18. Plank: 1 min Center. 1 min Right. 1 min Left. Day 27 I was supposed to go to CrossFit with the bf but I think I have a sinus infection. I even had to leave work early because I felt so exhausted. Hopefully I feel better by tomorrow.

I'm back from my road trip! It was fun but because of the drastic change in weather I have pretty bad allergies. But let me catch up on my week first: Day 17 (Mar 27) Inverted Pull Up: 2 sets of 12 (8th tier). 2 sets of 6 (7th tier). Leg Press: 1 set 90x15. 1 set 140x15. 1 set 160x12. 1 set 180x10. DB Calf Raise: 2 sets 5x30. 2 sets 10x30. Incline Sit Up w/ BB Press: 2 sets 20x15. 2 sets 30x10. DB Seated Tricep Extension: 1 set 20x15. 2 sets 25x12. 1 set 30x10. 2 Min Plank Cycle: 3 sets R-45 C-30 L-45. Day 18 (Mar 28) Nike Training - "Tighten and Tone" for 15 minutes Day 19 (Mar 29) 20 Min Treadmill: 3.5 speed 20 Min Eliptical: IDK speed just slow First day in Savannah and it was cold out so my sister and I just walked off our dinner in the gym Day 20 (Mar 30) DB Curl, Press, & Negative: 1 set 10x15. 2 sets 15x12. 1 set 20x10. DB Lunge: 1 set 10x12/12. 2 sets 15x10/10. 1 set 20x10/10. DB Front and Side Raise: 2 sets 5x10/10. 2 sets 10x8/8. DB Bulgarian Squat: 1 set 5x12/12. 2 sets 10x10/10. 1 set 15x10/10. 10 Minutes Treadmill - 3.0 speed Day 20 & 21 (Mar 31 and Apr 1) Lots of walking because it was so beautiful out: Tuesday: 16,430 steps Wednesday: 12,266 steps Day 22 (Apr 2) No working out. My sister and I drove 12 hours back home so I pretty much went to sleep when I got to the house. Day 23 (Today) Modified Nerd Fitness Beginner BW Workout (3 Cycles) 20 BW Squats 10 Push Ups 20 Lunges w/ 5lb DB 10 Bench Dips 30 Sec Plank 30 Jumping Jacks My allergies really hit me today so I only did 3 cycles instead of 4 or 5 In terms of eating, I think I did better than I normally would have, but I don't think I lost any weight. I'm a little upset, but I was on vacation and still tried to move around and eat as healthy as I could. I'm doing a weigh in on Monday and I'm hoping I'm at 152 or below.

Day 16 Nike Training: High Intensity Cardio "Slim Effect" for 30 Minutes Lots of squats and jumping Had a good day with food till dinner. I dropped my sister off at my parents' house and mom made pasta and meatballs. I didn't have too much, but I still went 86 calories over my daily goal and 31 grams over my carb goal. Blah. Tomorrow I'm going to a funeral (relative of a family friend). I should still get my workout done in the morning before I go. I've been really frustrated with domestic issues and I'm stressing over the job I interviewed for on Tuesday. It would be seriously amazing if I got it because A. It would be my first full-time, permanent job instead of the freelance stuff I've been doing and B. It would be so nice to have the money. If I get the job I'm going to sign up for Camp Fitness if there are still spots open

Sorry to hear about girl troubles. I hope it works out. This is going to sound odd but what kind of cheese do you use in your omelettes? I try to make one at least once a week and I use 3 eggs plus onions and asparagus/bell peppers, and I'll eat it with 3 strips of bacon and some fruit. I normally cut out cheese but sometimes it'd be nice to have that delicious flavor in there, I'm just not sure what kind of buy that isn't full of chemicals.

First off, that's a pretty impressive Goku pic you got there. Good luck with your fitness goals! I use Nike Plus for running. It's free, tracks your distance, and records run times. While it doesn't track your steps, I think it's a great way to train for a 5k/10k. Plus it calculates the approximate calories you've burned and averages out your pace. If you have the Nike Fuel Band the app syncs with that so you would know your step count, but if you're looking to train then I wouldn't spend the money on it (besides the fact that the FitBit is probably a lot better). Don't know if you were planning on upgrading to an iPhone, but the new IOS update includes the app "Health" that automatically tracks your steps without having to open it.

Day 14 CrossFit! Movement and Mobility Class: 1 set: 10 Chest Throws 10 Overhead Throws 3 Inch Worms 3 sets: 20 sec Superman 20 sec Iron Man 20 sec Ring Hold 5 sets: Barbell Bench 7x35 (super light omg) DB Curls 8x10 (super light again) 10 Hollow Rocks (I held my position for 2-3 sec) 30 sec arm stretch 1 set: Rope Climb (inverted for me) 30 Kettle Bell Swings (8 kg?) 20 Push Ups 20 KB Lunges Robe Climb Day 15 Lat Pull Down: 1 set 40x15. 1 set 45x15. 2 sets 50x10. Rainbows: 1 set 5x15. 2 sets 8x12. 1 set 10x10. Barbell Squat: 1 set 55x15. 2 sets 65x12. 1 set 75x10. Inverted Pull Up (7th tier): 8. 6. 6. 5. Weighted Hip Raise: 2 sets 25x12. 2 sets 35x12. Plank: Right-60 sec. Center-70 sec. Left-60 sec. Not happy with how I've eaten the past two days. Yesterday I had fries (which I normally don't eat) and today the bf and I went to the Cheesecake Factory because we had a $50 giftcard. I actually did pretty well; got skinnylicious shrimp tacos and only had a bit of the appetizers and cheesecake, but it was still too much calorie wise. For the rest of the week I'll be disciplined, and I'm trying not to get too hung over it because I've been pretty good the past two weeks. I had an interview yesterday for a great job so I wanted to treat myself after CrossFit. Today's lunch situation was not ideal; worked an event and had a third of a chicken caesar wrap because I was hungry, and then ate another third of a ham sandwich a few hours later. Would have rather eaten my packed lunch but I plan on eating that+the third taco tomorrow.

Echoing what Raincloak and JMitch said. There has to be other medication that doesn't required to be taken every 2-4 hours. I cannot imagine how that is good for children or practical, I would definitely make an appointment with your doctor to talk about alternatives. If you want to back to sleep quickly, I have a few tricks: 1. Listen to a relaxing album. If I want a nap or have trouble sleeping, I listen to The Tallest Man On Earth album "The Wild Hunt" or the album "Grace" by Jeff Buckley. Usually halfway through the album I'm asleep. Obviously what you might find relaxing could be different from mine, so check out Spotify or iTunes for what you find relaxing. Spa/meditation playlists work as well. 2. Concentrate on your breathing and count as you inhale and exhale. Sometimes I'm thinking about a million different things I have to do and this slows down the brain. 3. Reading a book, although this may be difficult because you sleep with your wife and don't want to wake her up.

Day 12 Sunday means day off! Had a relaxing day with the bf and my family. Day 13 DB Bench Press: 1 set 25x15. 1 set 30x10. 2 sets 30x8. DB 1 Arm Row: 1 set 25x15 (each arm). 2 sets 30x12. 1 set 35x10. DB Step Up: 1 set 10x15 (each leg). 2 sets 15x12. 1 set 20x10. DB Curl & Press + Slow Negative: 1 set 10x15. 2 sets 15x12. 1 set 20x10. Dip Station Bent Leg: 22. 18. 16. Plank: 63. 50. 50. Weigh In: 151.8 Did not have a good day of planks, but I probably should have done a different core workout after the dip station. I'm seeing improvement on my bench press and one arm rows which is good. I dunno if I'll ever go back to pressing with a barbell because of a cyst that's on my left wrist. It won't technically cause damage if I use it but it hurts like hell and makes presses w/ barbells and push ups very difficult. I actually just started doing push ups again and I can only do 5 before going halfway because it's been so long since I've done them. Happy that I'm still losing weight, but I think I could have lost another half a pound. I did eat homemade pasta and meatballs the night before so that easily could have impacted the scale. I'm leaving on a roadtrip on Saturday so I'll do my next weigh in on Friday instead of next Monday.

Good luck! It seems like you have a solid plan for this, and your workouts look really cool (especially sparring)! I'm currently doing 1300 calories a day to lose weight, but same as you I'll bump it back up when I've hit my goal and want to maintain. Definitely take it all a day at a time and keep taking pics and stats

You're doing a great job so far! I got my boyfriend to sign up with me (I've done it before) because CrossFit was (and is!) so much fun.

Day 9 I woke up too late for a workout and then took a long nap after work haha. I had healthy meals throughout the day so I was fine. Day 10 Barbell Squat: 1 set 45x15. 1 set 55x15. 1 set 65x12. 1 set 75x10. Inverted Pull Up: 12. 10. 10. 9. DB Snatch: 2 sets 15x15 (each arm). 2 sets 20x10 (each arm). Lunge w/ DB Hammer Curl: 2 sets 10x12 (each leg). 2 sets 15x10 (each leg). Russian Twist w/ Medicine Ball: 2 sets 6x30. 2 sets 8x20. 1 Min Side Plank Cycle: 3 sets 30/30 (R/L) Glad I got my workout in the morning because as soon as I left the gym it started snowing and didn't end till later that night. Day 11 Nike Training: High Intensity Cardio - Body Surge (30 Minutes) I had one big meal (eggs with veggies plus bacon, glass of OJ, my protein shake, and two chicken rolls from Taco Bell courtesy of the bf lol). I then had to drive to the airport and pick up my mom, and when I got home I had a little snack. I found out that the classes that we got on Groupon for Crossfit are on Mon, Weds, and Fri which are normally my lifting days so I'll make those Tues, Thurs, and Sat for a little bit. If I go to the gym tomorrow I'll do my weigh in then.

Day 8 Lat Pull Down: 1 set of 40x15. 2 sets of 45x12. 1 set of 50x10. KB Swings: 2 sets of 12kg x 12. 2 sets 16kg x 10. DB Standing Calf Raise: 1 set BW x 25. 2 sets of 5x25. 1 set 8x20. Seated Bench Dip: 2 sets of 15. 2 sets of 12. Ball Pass Crunch: 3 sets of 12. Yoga Ball Plank: 30. 25. 20. I don't know if I was using the ball wrong but man planks on a ball are so freaking hard. I bought a Groupon for mobility classes at my local CrossFit. I think if my bf and I join that I'll go with their 2x week schedule price so I can still go to my gym 3 days a week (which is financially possible since Retro Fitness is only $20 a month!). Did well on MyFitness Pal today. Only "bad" thing I ate was the disgusting Panera Chicken Chipotle sandwich (half) when I could have had crock pot pork So I went over my daily sodium intake by 353 mg and cholesterol by 34 mg, which isn't terrible. Luckily I had a really good breakfast and lunch so it didn't throw my day off.

Day 7 Went on a 2 mile run with my boyfriend. This is the first time in 2015 that I've gone running outside and I felt really good! I could have done another mile or two but my boyfriend was pretty pooped (he's just starting to workout again and this was his first run in 4-5 months). We're gunna try a CrossFit Groupon for a little while. Our local gym is easy to get to and the owner seems really chill and honest (said that CrossFit is super commercialized since it started 10 years ago and hates it). I hit my calorie goal super early today :/ This is going to sound weird but I never realized how many calories are in angel hair. I've been sticking to a modified Paleo diet and rarely eat breads and pasta, and I had some today just cause they were leftovers. Again, didn't have a lot and I made shrimp to go with it. With my run my "left over" calories went up, but now I know better. Gotta stick to meats and veggies! To anyone reading: Happy St. Patrick's Day! Sliante!

Best of luck to your goals! I'm in the same boat with snacking; until recently I didn't realize how many calories I was taking in by snacking too much. Your pre-made snacks sound yummy

Day 4 and Day 5 No workouts, but I danced quite a bit at a wedding on Saturday. I stayed within MyFitnesss Pal caloric and nutritional goals though so I kept it healthy Day 6 DB Bench Press: 25 x 15,15. 30x10, 8. DB 1 Arm Row: 25 x 15/15, 15/15. 30 x 10/10, 10/10. DB Curl: 10 x 20/20, 20/20. 15 x 12/12, 12/12. Lunch w/ DB: 10 x 15/15, 15/15. 15 x 12/12, 12/12. Bent Leg Dip Station: 20, 18, 15. Plank: 62, 61, 50 Weigh In: 152.2! Note: When DB is in the workout description, the weight represents one DB (so I'm really pressing 50 and 60 for today). I don't think I made that clear in my original post. It seems silly but I'm really happy about being at that weight. I haven't been able to get below 154 in so long. I hope by the end of the month to be at 150 but I gotta stay disciplined in order for it to happen. I also think my original weight of 156 was an over-estimate, but I constantly fluctuated between 154 and 156. Unrelated to fitness: I heard back from a job I applied to last week. I'm scheduling an interview and I hope it goes well.