Stairway to.....

I know it has been a few days since I last blogged but I have been rather busy with school and well...the gym. Destroyed legs today and I know that I am  going to feel this tomorrow and probably well into next week. Today was a day of all new leg exercises. Usually, we do your typical weighted squats, weighted lunges, and hamstring machines. Our trainer decided to change things up a bit and introduced us to exercises I have never even seen before. I started as I always do (mild treadmill) for about 20 minutes. We then played around with two thigh machines (4 sets of 30 reps) and then the creativity began. For 5 rounds of 20 reps we did ass workouts and squats until our legs felt like jello. Then to top it all off, 40 grueling minutes on the stairmaster (35 mins at level 8 and 5 mins at level 10). There's just something about leg days that feel soooooo productive :)

Frank!

Chest...Yes!

I'm going to be honest...I have a love/hate relationship with chest workouts. By far my weakest, but at the same time, I feel rather masculine every time I do them...and this is enough to keep me going (lol). All treadmills were being cleaned so I started with mild elliptical for 20 minutes. Then I just played around with a few chest machines my gym offers (5 rounds of 15 about 3 different machines). I then did the traditional bench press (4 rounds 15 reps, then 12, then 10, then 8). Ended the workout with 30 minutes on the dreadful yet very productive stair master (15 minutes at level 7, 10 minutes at level 8, 5 minutes at level 10). I have also decided to do 100 crunches and 50 push ups right before bed :)

Frank!

Killer Legs!

I am still unaware of how I am functioning after what felt like a murderous leg workout. By now you know that I always begin my gym days with a light 20 to 25 min light treadmill walk (using 15% incline and 2.2 speed). Today's focus was legs...I'm normally a leg fan but today..not so much lol. Started out with leg curls (7 rounds of 15 reps) followed by weighted lunges (5 rounds...10 steps) and 20 air squats super sets, and ended with treadmill lunges (5 % incline at 2.7 speed for 7 mins and 3.0 speed for 8 mins).



I've said this before and I'll say it again....my legs feel like legit jello. I know that when I wake up tomorrow, sore will be an understatement.

Frank

Relax and Meditate!

Arms, arms and more arms...and of course cardio too.

We started off the week (Monday and today) doing arms workouts. I love working out my arms because to me, there is nothing worse than flabby arms, you know the ones where someone waves and...yeah, they are still waving about five minutes after they put their hand down. Not cute! After we finished arm workouts I hoped on the stairmaster and completed 45 minutes of level 8, while skipping a step the last 20 minutes. Both yesterday and today I looked like I had jumped into a pool after and I loved it! Oh and let's not forget how I usually start my gym days on the tradmill, 15.0 incline at 3.5 speed for about 45 minutes.

Moving on to today's topic...Rome wasn't built in a day. I have to keep reminding myself that, it's not easy and it is not quick. This is a process and that I need to simply relax and give my 100% everytime, and in time the results will peak through. I am guilty of getting desperate, anxious, depressed and sad about how long it takes to "look great!" I am constantly looking at my progress in the mirror and if you are an OCD person like myself, it will drive you insane! I know I may sound a little crazy, but I have started meditating lately. Every morning before I have my breakfast I meditate in my room and after I come home from the gym I meditate for a second time. So far, so good! I am starting to accept that my body will not be transformed from one day to the next and I need to RE-LAX!.

If your mind runs wild a lot and if you sometimes realize, "Hey, I need to take a chill pill." I suggest you meditate. It's working for me!

<3 Yese

Back at it Monday!

Mondays are my absolute favorite gym days...all about pushing new limits and starting another week off right. Today the focus was arms: bicep curls, push ups, cable curls. 5 rounds of 15 reps increasing each round by 10 pounds for all curls and 3 rounds of 20 push ups each. As always started with a light 25 minute breezy treadmill walk (15% incline and 2.2 speed). Ended today's workout on the stair master...shoot me pleaseeeee! 4o minutes at level 7 and 5 minutes at level 10 for a total of 45 mins (non-stop). Exhausting but absolutely empowering as well!

511 calories later and I was feeling extremely productive and quite proud.

Frank

...Starbucks for the fat girl!

I've been terrible...please forgive me! Listen to me writing as if I was that important lol!

Today I am in total blog mode and I am going to write up a storm on what has happpened the past few days.

To start off, this past Friday with my trainer was pretty good. We focused on my favorite, back and cardio. I did some machines and I could totally see my back muscles coming in. I'm super excited because I live for outfits where I can show off my back :) Then he had me do some lunges (4 sets) and jump straight on to the treadmill for 15.0 incline and 3.5 speed. I felt pretty productive and sweated up a storm, that's always a plus.

Anyways, the main topic of this blog post is to describe my obsession with coffee and tea! I absolutely love it! I blame my Mother. After I graduated high school and got my first job she took me shopping for professional clothing and told me that I was officially an adult and therefore, needed to learn how to drink coffee. So she took me through a McDonald's drive-thru at 10am and ordered me a medium cup of Joe with cream and splenda...it was then that I discovered my great love for coffee. Obviously through the years, I have progressed in the coffee world and have tried many flavors from many different places. And as most people who avidly love coffee, have made Starbucks almost a daily routine! Now, let's not be fooled people...we all know some of those yummy Starbucks drinks are heart attacks with a green straw! You see the 'old' me would have ordered an 'iced grande white chocolate mocha.' I eventually realized I needed to cut down on that back when I started my lifestyle change in 2010, so I edited it to an 'iced grande nonfat white chocolate mocha with no whip cream' and eventually that became a "tall." Then I gradually started decreasing my Starbucks visits to once a week for that amazing "tall iced nonfat white chocolate mocha."

I started researching some of the calories in those drinks and came across the healthiest drinks at Starbucks for you. So, if you just have to make a quick stop at Starbucks for your daily dose of survial here is what I suggest you get:

Notice that my "tall iced nonfat white chocolate mocha with no whip cream" isn't on this list...sigh (that's why I only go once a week if that!) ;)
 <3 Yese

Rough Friday!

So I know I'm promised to supply you all with pictures of my workouts but I keep forgetting! Monday....for sure! As for today's workouts...I am DEAD! I literally feel like every ounce of energy has been sucked out of me. Started out with a pretty light 30 minute cardio walk on the treadmill (15% incline and 2.2 resistance). Back and chest workouts shorty followed and I did 15 reps (5 rounds) of 3 back machines and 10 to 12 reps of bench presses (3 rounds). Also did 30 pull ups and played around with two other chest machines at 15 reps (3 rounds). Exhausted is an understatement! Not sure why, considering I feel like I did a pretty mild workout, but I was completely drained. My arms ache, are still shaking, but as always, never regret going and putting up a fierce fight with my emotions.

I like to take it easy on the weekends and do not workout but always continue my healthy eating habits. My quest for a 6 pack continues but here's my latest picture. Progress baby! Progress!

The Power of YES!

Tuesdays tend to be the most blah days at the gym....NOT TODAY!  I usually do not meet up with my trainer on Tuesdays but he showed up and kicked my ass. We did killer traps workouts that left my arms shaking for over half an hr after our gym session was over. After today, I will be posting pictures of every machine I use to give you all a better understanding of what it is I am actually doing on a daily basis. Upon completing our short but tiresome traps workouts, I spent 30 minutes on the treadmill doing some light cardio. Contrary to what my former bigger self thought, the treadmill has become my biffle! I put it on 15% incline and at 2.5 pace and lunge on it for 15 minutes and follow that up with 15 minutes of brisk walking continuing on the same incline percentage. I'm drained and filled with sweat every time but I am electrified afterwards.

The biggest advice I can give you all is keep the bigger picture implanted into your mind ALWAYS. I take a look at this picture daily as a constant reminder of what my physical goal is. It isn't going to be easy and it sure isn't going to happen over night. As ridiculous as this sounds, I enjoy taking this journey because it is absolutely teaching me what I am capable of accomplishing when I am extremely determined. Victory will be mine and this is only the beginning.

Frank :)

"Felt" defeated, but then...

Today I woke up and of course the first thing I did was jump on the scale. I am not suppose to weigh myself everyday, but let's be real...I'm obsessed and it's a terrible habit! In my defense, I have tuned it down to twice a week. The first one being whenever I get the crazy urge during the weekday and my "official" weigh in is on Sunday mornings.

This is week six that I have been with my trainer and I've lost 16 lbs as of this past Saturday. Back to the weigh in today, as I eargerly jumped on the scale I honestly expected to have lost at least one more pound from Saturday, but that wasn't the case. I had gained 3 lbs and if you personally know me, then you can only imagine how absolutely dramatic I was over it. I felt as though I was cheated, as though I was being sabatoged...I felt defeated! I could not believe my eyes. I weighed myself three times to make sure the scale wasn't going buck wild, and it wasn't. It read the same number every time. Which means that my glorious 16 lbs brought me down to only -13 lbs. As deflated as I felt I knew I only had to work harder and push myself even more...I had to let my trainer know what the deal was.

While at the gym (Cardio day) I discussed with my trainer what had happened, he was shocked...he later turned to my cousin and asked him, "Hey, is she on her period by any chance?" Frank replied, "Yes!" He then said "perfect, that's the problem...I'm not worried lol." Umm...hello...earth to Yese...why did I not put two and two together??? Geez, sometimes I'm just seriously over myself! Point is, feeling defeated only last as long as you keep dwelling on it.

Anyways, Since today was a cardio day I'll share what I focused on and what I worked on:

Treadmill: 40 minutes at a 15 incline and 3.3 speed.

Burned: 560 calories.

Stairmaster: 45 minutes at level 8

Burned: 690 calories.

<3 Yese

Yese's Intro!

I've always wanted to do this, write a blog! I've always felt like I have a lot to say.

My name is Yesenia, but I sure hope no one calls me that. I feel like it's to mature for me, so I go by 'Yese.' Ive always struggled with my weight. I would go up and down on the scale, it wasn't until I hit my heaviest and felt my ugliest half way through 2010 that I realized I had to do something about it and I did!
I lost 50lbs all on my own, but of course for me that wasn't enough. After I lost the weight (year later) I had plateued. I did not gain any weight, but I didnt lose any either. After a year of being at the same weight and looking the same, I decided to get a personal trainer, someone who I felt had a great amount of knwledge in the fitness world and would be able to push my body to it's limits. Not only did I tell him of my new goals of hoping to drop another 40 pounds but to build muscle as well...oh, and let's not forget that I also need to look good in a white bikini! Yup, this all needs to happen by December.
So, this is where I am at now. On my journey to make over my body, establish high self esteem and take over the fitness world!!!

Follow my fierce cousin, Frank and I on our road to ultimate success ;)

<3 Yese

An Introduction!

Hi, my name is Frank Judd and I have recently become obsessed with anything/everything fitness related. My obsession with fitness began as a normal weight loss goal...the goal was to be skinny. After losing 48 pounds in 6 months I quickly realized that skinny just wasn't enough; I want to be FIT...like total 6 pack; and I'm not stopping until this goal is attained. After a year and a half of gyming it and 5 months of crossfit, my goal seemed to get further and further away. I thought I was doing enough and the simple fact was: I wasn't! So I have taken it a step further this time; I have hired a bodybuilder to basically help me build the body I want.

This is why I have decided to start this blog. I will be chronicling all the highs and lows and welcome you to my journey. I will also be posting detailed information on all the food, exercises, supplements, and anything else involved in the process. It is no surprise that finding the perfect gym partner is key and I have the luxury of working out with someone just as motivated as I am...my cousin Yesenia. I hope that you use this blog as motivation for yourselves and know that no one is every alone in this. Education is key!