Jamie Eason Live Fit – Phase 3, Week 2

Week 2

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/jamie-easons-livefit-phase-3.html

Living Fit

    This week I was able to perform mountain climbers much better. I have not been able to do burpees, spider crunches, nor ball pull in exercises. Those burpees hurt my knees. Instead of doing spider crunches and ball pull in’s I did planks because it is more low impact yet produces amazing results. I believe as long as you’re keeping your heart rate up, it really doesn’t matter. You have to make this workout work for you and your body, and modify it as you see fit. Don’t get frustrated if you can’t do 15 reps of kettle ball pushups. Do what you can and don’t give up. If your body is fully exhausted after doing 8 reps, then you should lower your weights.

 

Although I am following a program, I am living a lifestyle of working out. So I don’t make my workouts stressful. Instead I make them a challenge and have fun with them. See what you can do, and journal your abilities. That way, you can look back and say, “Last week I was only able to do 8 reps, this week I’m a try to do 12 reps.” As long as you are sweating, you’re burning calories. I did miss a day of sprints due to not feeling well, but hey it happens to the best of us.

 

On two different occasions this week a lady at the gym asked me if I was personal trainer. I just smiled and told them no and referred them to bodybuilding.com.

 

      I find it helpful to keep a journal of my workouts, my mood, and how I am feeling during this whole process. Thursday of this week, I was not in the mood to workout. I went to the gym, but I did not put my all into it and even skipped a few of the exercises. The next day, I worked arms and did the few exercises I skipped on Thursday. We all have days when we just simply aren’t in the mood to workout, and it has nothing to do with not wanting to reach your goals. Take everything in stride. As long as your diet is in order, a missed workout once in a while will not kill you. You can always make it up the next day.

 

 Although I am losing weight slowly, I am losing weight consistently. When I would lose 3-4lbs a week, I could walk pass a bakery and gain 1lb from the smells alone. Now, I can eat a focaccia roll from The Corner Bakery and not gain a single pound. The muscle that I’ve gained on this program has really helped me keep what weight that I have loss off! So far, I’ve loss 9lbs.

 

Epiphany Moment: This is a LIFESTYLE. Don’t sweat it! Do what you can, as hard as you can, stay positive, educate yourself, and stay in-tuned with your body. If you give up now, you will never reach your weight loss goals.

 

 

 

Jamie Eason Live Fit – Phase 2, Week 4

Week 4

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/jamie-easons-livefit-phase-2.html

Preparing Mentally for Phase 3

                Week 4 of Phase 2 is a continuation of last week. I am lifting heavier weights, and doing more reps. I have gotten much better at doing one legged squats, and lunges. I am also doing the Roman chairs, and reverse crunches with cleaner form. My lower abdominals is the weakest, and most stubborn part of my stomach so I have no choice but to grit teeth and go hard. This is the last week of Phase 2 and I can’t believe the final Phase is almost here.  I’ve already printed the workouts for Phase 3 and looked over them. Now that I have new goals, Phase 3 is going to prepare me for P90X! There is a lot of plyometric type moves performed in Phase 3. I am nervous about looking like an idiot in the gym jump roping, and doing jump squats, but that is another reason I go early in the morning. There are not as many people in the gym early in the morning!

     I have been visualizing myself doing the workouts in Phase 3 and I know I can do it. Every two weeks her workouts change, so I will be doing sprints on the treadmill, and jump roping for two weeks. The last two weeks are where you lean out, and do 30 reps of about 6 exercises as one giant superset for 3 sets. Then finish up with 45 minutes of cardio. I believe I will start carb cycling as well in Phase 3 which is where you eat more carbs on high volume workout days, and less carbs on low volume workout days and rest days. This week I weighed in at 194 pounds. I was hoping to have loss more weight, but I loss 1lb a week while building muscle so I can’t complain. My arms are starting to show my hard work and so is my stomach. I was able to wear a pair of jeans that I wasn’t able to fit prior to starting this program. So far I have loss a total of 7lbs on the Jamie Eason Live Fit program, but I’ve loss even more in inches. I am fitting size 12 jeans tightly but hey, atleast they button! I am nearing the finish line and quality performance is of the essence.

Jamie Eason Live Fit – Phase 2, Week 3

Week 3

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/jamie-easons-livefit-phase-2.html

Re-Focusing My Goals

               The Live Fit program is awesome, and is always challenging me. This week we have upped the ante again by increasing the number of sets, sticking to a calorie range based on the workout and my goal weight, and I am increasing the weight that I am lifting. Since my caloric intake is based on my goal weight, I am only weighing myself weekly just to see what the scale says. However I’m not discouraged if I only lose 1lb or so because that’s 1lb that I will never gain back.

I am starting to appreciate the inches loss over the weight loss. I am noticing that I look smaller, and that my clothes are fitting me better, while the scale is only creeping slowly down toward my goal. I am starting to think that I will probably reach my aesthetic goal before my weight/scale goal. So my focus is not on the scale so much, even though deep down inside I am hoping to lose more weight soon.

I have re-focused my goals. Up to this point my goal has been to get down to 140lbs, and enter a bikini contest sometime next year. The Live Fit program has really helped improved my overall strength and endurance. I am able to perform single leg squats with better form, and jack-knife crunches slightly better. Now that I am more than half way through the program, I am definitely looking ahead, and ready to take my journey to the next level.

After I finish the Live Fit program, I am going to do P90X. So my new goals are to complete the Live Fit program, and then move right into P90X. After the P90X program my goal is to do another fitness program. By the time I complete my goals, I should be ready to get a personal trainer, and start getting ready for my bikini contest. I am not setting any limitations on myself.

 

Epiphany Moment: While sitting in Atlanta traffic I had this epiphany. Many people never reach their goals in life because they set too many limitations on themselves. No matter your dream, no matter how big, visualize yourself doing whatever it is you want to do. Then pray about it. Then research the necessary steps you need to take to accomplish your goal. After you’ve done your homework, get moving towards your dream. Do whatever you have to do to make it happen, and make excuses on behalf of your goal and never against it. Understand that it won’t be easy because there are people around you that don’t want to see you happy. You will have to push through negativity, and convince yourself that you are a champion. Recognize that each accomplishment you’ve made towards your goal is a sign that your dream really is your destiny. Make sure to let no person or circumstance convince you otherwise. Be tough, be confident, and set no limits.

Jamie Eason Live Fit – Phase 2, Week 2

Week 2

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/jamie-easons-livefit-phase-2.html

Fighting Frustrations

         I am starting to get a grasp on why I have been so frustrated since starting Phase 2 of the Live Fit program. I cannot perform many of the exercises with as clean of a form as I would like. As much as I would like to lift heavier and increase my strength, I just can’t do it right now without losing form. Some of the exercises I can barely do at all. For instance, those jack-knife crunches! Those have to be the worst abdominal exercises Jamie Eason could have chosen for her program. Pull-ups? I can barely do those either. Push-ups? Can’t stand them! So when I saw I had to do side-to-side pushups I was like, “What the hell?” I must stick with this program because these are the exercises that I never did prior to starting the program, and I am sure they will be preparing me for Phase 3. I can’t let the fact that I can barely do them make me quit the whole program. I have to keep trying, and do what number of reps I can. The program isn’t strict. I make it flexible according to my abilities.

                I love clean eating so that is far from my issue with this program. The problem is sometimes I hate going to the gym to workout. I really despise feeling sore all the time and limping around, and barely being able to do my hair because my arms are sore. I am always stretching too so that is not the problem. I stretch during my workout, I stretch when I stand in lines, I stretch at my desk at work, I stretch after using the bathroom, and I am still always sore. Maybe I’m just having a moment! I drink those protein shakes right after my workout which helps but it does not eliminate the soreness completely. I am fighting through being frustrated at not being able to perform some of the exercises with cleaner form. Next week I start calorie counting, and really start burning fat so I’m going to enjoy this week before the fire really gets turned up. Aside from all the frustrations, I’m now half-way through the program and I feel good about what I’ve accomplished thus far. I’ve lost an additional pound which means I’ve lost 6lbs total on the program.

Epiphany Moment: Your rest is just as much of a priority as working out, eating clean, and supplementation. I definitely notice a major difference in my performance when I am well rested. I highly recommend anyone reading this to make sleep a priority.