Hope everyone had a fun day today!!!
I've had some suggestions to do blog posts about my workout routines (especially arms...thank you to everyone who was so sweet to send me such nice compliments..love you all!!!)
Every year I tend to find that what motivates me to work out hard, is having an inspiration. Usually my inspiration is someone who has the exact body that I crave!!! Even though I LOVE supermodels and how skinny they are. Personally...and I mean personally, my own opinion... is that I don't find people who are rake skinny, very inspiring. I like the "fit look". I like muscle, definition, shape and curves. I don't like "skinny," I think it's unflattering and just plain jane kind of deal. Again, it's my blog and I get to write whatever opinion I want!!! LOL...
Anyhow, this year...my workout inspiration is Jamie Eason. I think her body just ROCKS!!!
Jamie Eason: Quick Stats
Height: 5’2”
Weight: 106 – 112 lbs.
Age: 31
Jamie was a Houston Texans NFL Cheerleader in 2001. Her biggest accomplishments are graduating college with a bachelor’s degree, buying her first home, becoming an Oxygen cover model and winning the title of World’s Fittest Model in 2006.... Sheesh!!!
Something I just LOVE about Jamie is that she is just a real person like all of us. From reading her entries in oxygen magazine and bodybuilding.com, this girl KNOWS how to kick the gym's ass!!
Some of her workout tips include:
- Getting at least 8 hours of sleep a night. People who don't get enough sleep tend to binge eat more, or don't eat enough. To gain lean muscle, it is important to eat the right intake of food that your body requires. That mean... not eating too many cals a day, but also eating enough so that your body isn't in starvation mode....very important people!!!
- Keeping a workout progress journal and calorie counting (which is what I have started to do with my iphone app). Keeping a log journal helps track everything and keeps you motivated. That means, having a seperate food jounal as well as workout journal. Why not be in competition with yourself?
"Growing up I always felt the same pressures that most girls face to be pretty and accepted by my peers. I always struggled with my body image, though I was never really overweight. After my stint as a Texans Cheerleader ended, returning to a fairly sedentary lifestyle and changing to a desk job really took a toll on my body. I gained some weight from poor eating habits and lack of exercise. The cellulite was creeping up, yet I couldn’t find the motivation to get to the gym. It took a breast cancer scare to really wake me up and realize that I was not as healthy as I should be. Thankfully, early detection and a lumpectomy prompted a visit to a nutritionist and ultimately led to my stepping foot back into a gym. It was a struggle at first to stay consistent, but with help from both a nutritionist and trainer, 6 months later, my body had really transformed."
Here is her answer on reasons why people don't work out... EXCUSES!!!
Stop making excuses! There are opportunities to add exercise everywhere. When you run the microwave at home, do some jumping jacks or run in place until the time is up. When given an option at work or in an office building, always take the stairs. Also, do lunges or squats while brushing your teeth and for Pete’s sakes, quit circling the parking lot to get a closer space. Park a reasonable distance away and walk
What is a good way for beginners to get started? Her answer...
Take a buddy with you to show you around the gym, or better yet, pay a trainer for a few weeks until they have shown you 3 to 4 exercises for each major muscle group in the body and you feel confident performing them on your own. Also, buy the latest fitness magazines and really educate yourself on why you are doing each exercise. It will help you squeeze the proper muscles and get the most benefit from your workout.
I think I relate to her so much because her answers are exactly what I would say...Get off your lazy butt and just DO IT!!!! If there is a chance....that I can look like Jamie Eason, I will wake up at the crack of dawn and work my butt off. My motivation isn't for others, although maybe just a teeny tiny bit, but mostly for myself. I wanna go outside and feel HOT!!!!
Here is a taste of her workout schedule: Most of us may not be able to do all of this, but those of us (myself included) who really want to pump some serious iron and get our bodies rockin, I am definitely going to try and take a lot of her exercises each day and incorporate it into my gym days.
MONDAY: Back: (increase weight on each set)
Pull-ups 5 X 5 (slow and controlled)
Single Arm Dumbbell Rows 3 X 10
T-bar Row 3 X 10
Seated Rows Close-Grip 3 X 10
Lat Pull-downs 3 X 10
CARDIO: warm-up at 3.5 MPH for 3 - 5 minutes, 20 minutes of sprints at level 9, 30 seconds on and 30 seconds of rest
TUESDAY: Shoulders: (increase weight on each set)
Seated Dumbbell Press 3 X 10
Side Lateral Dumbbell Raises 3 X 10, last set is a drop set (ex. 15 lbs. for 10 reps, 12 lbs. for 10 reps, and 10 lbs. for 10 reps)
Seated Rear Delt Flyes on Machine 3 X 10, superset with front barbell raises 3 X 10
Dropset of Lateral Raises with Cables 3 X 10
CARDIO: 40 minutes on stepmill at level 8
WEDNESDAY: Legs: (Quads & Calves)
Seated Leg Extensions 1 X 20 (light), 3 X 10, last set a drop set
Smith Machine Squats (narrow stance) 3 X 15, or last set to failure
Leg Press (feet in center of platform) 3 X 15, or last set to failure
Walking Barbbell Lunges, superset with adducter machine 3 X 20, progressively increase weight
Standing Calf Raises 3 X 20
Seated Calf Raises 3 X 15 (pause at the top)
CARDIO: 1 mile run
THURSDAY: CARDIO of Choice for 40 - 60 minutes
FRIDAY: Arms, Chest & Abs: (with active rests, works best with a partner)
Seated Incline Dumbell Press 2 X 10, followed immediately by alternating dumbbell curls 2 X 10, and finally incline dumbbell flyes 2 X 10 (all performed in succession)
*immediately begin jumping rope while partner performs the same routine (about 2 minutes) and then repeat the above exchanging alternating dumbbell curls with skull crushers or dips 2 X 10 (so 4 sets in all)
Cable Flyes 2 X 10, followed immediately by cable bicep curls using straight bar 2 X 10
*immediately begin mountain climbers while partner peforms same routine (about 50 mountain climbers) and then repeat the above exchanging cable curls with cable tricep pushdowns 2 X 10 (so 4 sets in all)
Roman Chair Leg Raises 3 X 10
Alternating Bicycle Crunches 3 X 25
SATURDAY: Legs: (Hams, Glutes & Calves)
Seated Leg Curls 1 X 20 (light), 3 x 10, last set a drop set
Smith Machine Squats (wide leg stance) 3 X 15, or last set to failure
Leg Press (feet high on platform) 3 X 15, or last set to failure
Stiff-legged Deadlift 3 X 15, or last set to failure
Lying Leg Curl 3 X 10, last set to failure
Seated Calf Raises 3 X 10 with pauses at the top, superset with calf presses on the leg press machine 3 X 20
CARDIO: 1 mile run
SUNDAY: REST (The best day ever!!!!!)
If you want to visit Jamie's Bodybuilding page, click here. She offers fitness and nutrition tips, exercises and smart shopping meal plans to get you eating properly etc. If you want to read her entire interview, click here
One thing that really keeps me motivated as well is buying Oxygen magazines and getting rid of JUNK food in my house. BF and I try to motivate each other so that helps. Making friends with people at your gym also helps. That's how I met my bestie girl, Amanda....and I love her!!! She also motivates me galore, so we are trying to help each other beat the gym DOWN!!! lol
Anyhow, Ms. Jamie Eason is definitely my inspirational girl these days. If she can do it...I can do it!!!!
What are your inspirations? Comment below and tell me. Having inspirations helps keep you rockin in the gym. Even if you kick yourself up from the couch and go for a walk, do some random push ups and lunges, that helps too. Just get movin!!!!!
Love you all and have a happy, pumpin workout night!!! P.S Go airbrushing too, it will help define those muscles even more, plus.. you will look and feel like the perfect 10!!!
xoxo
Mel
