Daylight Savings, Running and Summer is Coming

I don't know about you, but I don't mind losing the extra hour of sleep one bit. I have been waiting for DST to begin, well, since it ended, basically. I swear by the end of the winter, I find myself in a funk with working out...I also tend to have been drinking more with holidays or get-togethers with friends because there just wasn't really much else to do when it's dark outside by 5:30pm. It's all just a recipe for disaster and not keeping sight of my goals. Of course I've worked out throughout winter, but I did let myself get lazy and skip more workouts than I normally would. It just seems to happen every winter. You know what always gets me out of this funk? DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME!

I hit the gym for the first time in weeks this past Saturday. I hate to say that I hadn't been since sometime in early January! Farrah had just been sick for so long, I avoided taking her to the childcare there, which meant I really didn't get to go. I worked out at home instead, but I sure missed the gym. Also with my new job, finding the time for the gym has been tricky, but I plan to squeeze it in Monday thru Thursday around 4pm before I pick up the kids after work. Then of course, I'll continue to go on Saturdays and Sunday after church. Summer is coming and I don't have much time!

I believe having a plan makes all the difference, so I've written out this week's gym routine in advance:

My cardio will get done via running outdoors in the evenings on nice days or Insanity when it rains.

Are you happy DST is finally here? Does it help you with your fitness goals? How do you stay on track?

Legs & Glutes Workout

Well, hello there! Sorry it's been a few weeks since I've blogged here. I think the summer does that to you. Today though, it was back to school for my 3rd grader and this was the day I've been waiting all summer for because I can finally get back in the gym now and have a regular schedule. Farrah is old enough for the childcare there now and since it's right across the street from my son's school, it makes it perfect to head there right after I drop him off in the morning. I am ready to kiss the last of this pregnancy weight goodbye. As of today, I've got 21 lbs to go. I have been pretty good about the clean eating and meal prep though. I did slack on it a little for some social things, but now that I'm back in the gym with a regular schedule, I will be a lot better about sticking to it.

I thought it would be good for me to share my gym routines here periodically with you, in case you should be interested in trying the same, or modifying it to fit your lever {whether that be more novice or more advanced}.

Today, since it was my first day back in the gym in a while, I chose to work my favorite muscle groups - Legs & Glutes. Some people hate "leg day", but it's my favorite. I think it's because on my body, that is the area I feel needs the most work all the time...so I feel super-accomplished when I get through a killer workout on them.

When I've gone to the gym lately, I've been trying some interval training for my cardio rather than my usual 30-min elliptical workout. I'm going to switch it up, but it definitely works up a good sweat. I'll warm up jog on the treadmill for 4-5 min and then sprint at about 85-90% exertion for 1 min and then speed walk/jog for 2 min and repeat that 4-5 times.

The rest of my workout today was as follows:

SUPERSET - each exercise is a total of 3 sets of 15 {doing one set of each exercise and then repeating for 3x}
Step Ups w/Medicine Ball Raise {6-8 lbs} and Back Leg Lift {with non-working leg}
Stationary DB Lunges {5-10 lbs each hand}

Plie Squats w/KB or weight plate {25 lbs} - 3 sets of 15

SUPERSET - first exercise is a total of 3 sets of 15 and second is 3 sets of 25 {doing one set of each exercise and then repeating for 3x}
Stability Ball Leg Curls
Bridges w/Weight Plate {10 lbs}

SUPERSET - each exercise is a total of 3 sets of 25 {doing one set of each exercise and then repeating for 3x}
Hip Adductor
Hip Abductor

Butt Blaster Machine - 3 sets of 15

Leg Press - 3 sets of 12

Stiff Legged Dead Lifts - 3 sets of 12

Hope y'all have a great week...now that summer is over, I think many bloggers will be back on a regular posting schedule, and I plan to be too...I think there were some tumbleweeds rollin' there for a while. Do remember, my main blog is at California to Carolina, if you want to keep up with me there too!

School Back in Session = Gym Back in Session

Finally! Today, I dropped off my now-2nd-grader to his class on this first day of the school year. I have really been looking forward to this day for the last month now. Ever since quitting my early AM shift at the gym, I was not so regular with my workout schedule. It was always...oh, I'll get up at 5am and go...then NOT...or, I'll go after work before picking up the boys...and that only happened sometimes. I was just not my Gym Bunny self...

Now, I have the convenience of a schedule that requires I drop off my son between 7:15-7:30 at school, so I'm able to head directly across the street from his school to my gym at 7:30 and get an hour's workout in before I need to be at work at 9am. This will happen a guaranteed five days a week, my friends. I will literally have no excuse to skip. I feel sooooo much better when I have a regular workout schedule going.

Any of you able to find a better time to workout now that school is in session? Or did it make a difference either way? Or do you even have kids? {They can make scheduling workouts quite difficult!}

Last week, you may have seen my post that contained my current measurements...I was not too satisfied with them...and I am eager to see some results. I've been doing a lot better with clean eating...and now that my workouts are getting back to 5-6 days a week, rather than a staggered 3-4...I know I will feel like my old {better} self in no time.

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