If you're gonna talk the talk...walk the walk...

 Funny how no one informed me that walking the walk was THIS hard!! Now that were getting down to the nitty, gritty, final 4 weeks... the workouts that seemed sooo easy several weeks ago now seem daunting once carbs fell by the wayside. I miss them. A lot. I can safely assume that those closest to me miss me having them as well...high five for you guys being such troopers! :) Now that sodium is cut, artificial sweeteners are cut, wheat is cut...all my favorite "treats" (which btw...you would have to be good and brainwashed to think that a protein shake left in the freezer too long is a cheat treat) are also long gone. I always thought before i ventured into the world of bikini competing that i would do anything to get a body like the pros! I am quickly biting my words. Buuuut since I'm in too far to turn back now, here is what my week looks like in the muscle factory!

Monday:                                                                 
AM Cardio: 45 minutes  (low intensity)
PM Strength Training
PM Cardio: 45 min

Tuesday:
*45 minute (circuit training)Boot Camp
PM Strength Training


and now added to the repertoire: posing practice!! way harder than it looks!

 PM Cardio 30 min
*45 min Zumba (cardio)
Late PM Cardio: 30 min

Wednesday:
*60 min TKB (cardio)
PM Strength Training
PM Cardio: 40 min
*60 min Cardio Dance Party (cardio)

Thursday:
AM Cardio: 45 min
PM Strength Training
PM Cardio: 45 min

Friday:
*60 min Zumba (cardio)
PM Strength Training
PM Cardio: 30 min
*60 min Cardio Dance Party (cardio)

Saturday:
*60 min Bootcamp
PM Strength Training
PM Cardio: 45 min

Sunday:
sleeeeeeeep :)


   For cardio i have been semi-obsessed with the elliptical lately... due to the limitations my attention span places upon the amount of the time i can spend on any given machine...i switch it up a lot between the elliptical, the stepmill, the treadmill and i looove H.I.I.T.( high intensity interval training) i prefer to jump rope next to a treadmill for a few minutes then jump on it and walk at an incline. I am also lucky enough to have a significant other that introduced to me to the business end of hardcore the first time i ran treadmill sprints with him. For the record,---running intervals on the treadmill SUCK. The thing i love about H.I.I.T is that you're in and out with your metabolism  fired up in 20 minutes or less. A typical interval session is a quick warm up, walking at a quick pace (4.0ish) for 2 minutes then running to the point your legs fall off (typically a 10.0) for about a minute. Repeat till your time is up OR your legs give out and you face plant on the belt and become Daniel Tosh's newest Web Redemption.  Whichever comes first.The first time we ran sprints together i was sprinting at a laughable 7.0. After a lot of (encouraging) trash talk i eventually bumped my speed up slowly till i am now running sprints at a 10.5 (most times at least).  The trick with cardio is finding what you like...or at least what you can tolerate. My days in the gym are looooong but so far they are proving to be worth it! Note that any workout with an asterisk (*) is a class that i teach at 24 Hour Fitness...feel free to come get a beatdown from me for free!!