Before getting into the meat of the post, I thought I would do a little game with you all. This is something we used to do on the first day of classes with advanced Spanish students so everyone could get to know each other. Don't worry - I'll do mine in English. The game is that I'm going to list two "facts". One is true and one is false. You have to pick!

1. I have traveled to more foreign countries than states in the US.
2. Even though I haven't competed in cheerleading or gymnastics in almost 10 years, I can still do a backhandspring.

Suzy Homemaker. That's me today 🙂 I have been a cleaning machine!!! I started off just doing my usual straighten up and get things neat clean, but then it turned into a scrub-a-dub-dub cleaning spree. I scrubbed the cabinets, swept/mopped/scrubbed the downstairs (all wood floors), cleaned out the fridge, scrubbed the toilets (deep breath), vacuumed, dusted, polished - every nook and cranny I could get my hands on. Took basically all day, but look how pretty. 😀

Too bad the homemaker qualities stop there. I don't cook (well, at least). And we're just opting for pizza for dinner tonight which the hubs is in charge of. But I still lived up to my duties as a housewife today 😉

I did have one thing come to me while cleaning, though. I realized that one of the things I love most about my man can also be one of the things that drives me the craziest!! My husband is very very talented at household projects. He has basically redone our ENTIRE house himself. Here's a quick look at his skillz.

Some Befores

In the Process - He did everything from putting up walls, to plumbing, to electric, to tiling...you get the picture.

I handled painting and decorating...even 8+ months preggo!

And Afters

Master Bed Finished

Part of Finished Master Bath

Okay, getting back to my point. Hubs is really really really good at house projects. And I like it because we are able to do lots of cool things to what would have otherwise been a vintage ugly house. You saw the before picture! Plus, it saves us money and I love seeing him passionate about something. Where's the downfall? It can drive me crazy because the list of his projects is never ending. And he will start one thing but not completely finish and move onto the next. So while cleaning like a mad woman today, I was wanting everything to be super neat and organized. Until I come across his "burn pile" in the living room (right hand side of my clean picture). Yea, useful because its getting rid of lots of scraps that were in our basement and garage, but still ugly in the living room. And then the ladder in the corner of the guest bathroom with a nail gun and levels on top of it. And then the pile of filing on the counter. And then the screwdrivers and buckets in our bathroom. And then, and then...you get the picture. He promises me one of these days it won't be so....Home Depot. And while I do appreciate his efforts, I also appreciate cleanliness and order.

Even though, I spent a good part of the day cleaning I did still manage to get in a good workout. I did a Cathe DVD. It's called LowMax and is a low impact step workout. Now, don't be fooled. Low impact does not mean low intensity. At least not in Cathe's world. It was pretty much a full hour of squats and lunges in various forms and combinations. Ouch! I love this workout and never get sick of it. Here's a little clip for you to check out if you're interested.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=REEoNTjPKh0]

The rest of the day will consist of grocery shopping and then hanging out. I know I am hoping to start my next book. I finished the 3rd Kinsey Millhone mystery (C is for Corpse by Sue Grafton) today and it didn't disappoint. I am a bit leery on this next one because it seems it was written more for the teenage crowd based on the description. But it was recommended to me by some of the media specialists from the school I used to teach at and they haven't led me wrong yet. Heck, they're the ones that got me to try Twilight (and consequently got me smitten with Edward hooked). We'll see...review will be coming in the future.

• Are there any qualities in your spouse, significant other, or close friend that you are proud of but drive you bonkers at the same time?
• Do you ever work out at home? What is your favorite at home workout, DVD, or instructor?
• And just for curiosity's sake - Twilight? Love it or hate it??
• Which fun fact is true? #1 ... or ... #2???

First off, yesterday's comments were interesting. It seems like most of us like to plan. I wonder if there is something in the personalities of people who blog that leans toward the organization and planning side? Or maybe we are just all super cool and like to stay on top of things. I like option dos! 😀 And speaking of blogging - check out this awesome giveaway at Be Fit. Be Full.

Today was a day of 'full'. I'm sitting here with a happy and full tummy after some deliciousness such as this...

shredded pork on sandwich thin & peas

I cooked 1/2 a pork tenderloin in the crockpot for 8 hours on low. 2/3 c low sodium beef broth, 1/3 c cider vinegar, 3T brown sugar, 1/3c ketchup, and 1/2 of a bbq pork seasoning packet chilled with the loin in the pot. Made some flavorful yumminess. And of course, you have to top it off with some extra BBQ sauce. 1 Tablespoon is plenty of flavor when you use the good stuff (aka Jack Daniels sauce). And as if that wasn't enough goodness, Peter brought this baby home from work for us to share for dessert.

oh white chocolate macadamia how I love thee

look how big!

My mind was also "full" today. My morning Bible reading really got me thinking. I've been asked previously what I am currently reading in my daily Bible time. Well, I am signed up for two plans that get emailed to me through the BiblePlan website. Seriously, how easy to get updates through email? Keeps me on top of things since I spend too much time on enjoy the computer. Recently, my plan has me reading a few chapters each day from the books Acts and Exodus. Today I really started pondering (picture me with my hand on my chin thinking hard - ha!). In Acts, Paul is constantly traveling to surrounding areas to proclaim the love of Christ to as many people as he can. Even though he knows he will be persecuted, stoned, imprisoned, and almost killed over and over and over again. Yikes! I couldn't handle that! But he endures. Hmm? Perhaps I shouldn't complain about oh, the doctor office taking flipping FOREVER today (M had her 15 month checkup and all is well :)). Perspective. Gotta have perspective. Because I don't want to end up like the Egyptians in Exodus who refused to trust and believe in God and ended up with rivers of blood, dead animals & family members, and tons and tons of bugs surrounding me. Eww. Faith = good. Trying to do things my own way & ignore God = not gonna work for me in the long run. Got it God! You spoke loud and clear to me today. Moving on now...

Lastly, I was "full" today with another awesome full body workout! I love love love full body workouts. They have so many benefits. What is a full body training split? It's where you work all of the large muscle groups in one workout. So instead of doing biceps & triceps one day, legs one day, and chest & back one day, you are able to get almost every muscle in one workout. Here are some benefits I have found with full body training:

• Ability to work each muscle more than once per week without over-training. With a well set-up program you can work out legs, chest, back, etc 2-3 times per week. This can help you make progress quicker.
• Greater calorie burn per workout. Think about it? When do you feel more beat? After some squats  or after doing some bicep curls? Full body workouts have you working out the larger muscle groups (legs, back, chest) throughout the workout, which will keep the calorie burn high. Also, with full body workouts it is easier to set up supersets and giant sets (exercises done back to back) which keeps you moving. Which = more burn than sitting around for a couple minutes between sets.
• Never ending options for routines. When you are doing only 1-2 moves per body part in each workout, there are endless options and ways to mix and match routines. For example: You might still do the same 4 or 5 back moves throughout the week, but it can be split up differently each week with a full body plan instead of being the same moves every week on your back day.  Added bonus - when you mix things up in your routine regularly, your body doesn't adapt as much so you continue to see progress.
• Less time in the gym. Full body workouts usually focus on larger, compound movements. Like bench presses and pull-ups versus overhead extensions and curls. When you do the big moves, there isn't a need to do as many of the smaller moves because those muscles are already worked in the big stuff. Like, you will work your triceps during a bench press and your biceps during a pull-up or row. And like the supersets I mentioned above. Those help cut down on time too, because you can hop from one exercise to the next. AND you only have to do weights 2-3 times per week.

Some things I keep in mind for a full body workout - don't overload and do too many exercises. Usually one exercise per body part is sufficient. Try to vary the exercises from workout to workout. Incorporate more compound moves and large muscle group exercises (back, legs, chest) and less accessory or isolation work (bis, tris, some machines).

These are some setups I have used for fullbody with each line being a superset and subbing in different moves:

Setup One

Legs/Chest

Legs/Back

Shoulders/Bicep/Tricep

Setup Two

Legs/Back

Legs/Chest

Isolation Legs (hamstring curls or leg extensions usually) / Chest OR Back (switch off each workout)

Shoulders/Bicep OR Tricep (switch off each workout)

Disclaimer: Even though I hope to one day be one, I am not a certified trainer. These are simply ideas and things I enjoy in my workout plans. Always do what works for you and consult a trainer or doctor to see if something is right for you and your goals. I simply enjoy sharing what works for me. With that being said, here was my specific workout I did today.

• Warmup on Elliptical 10 min
• Squat 4 sets & Machine Low Row Back 4 sets
• Incline BB Bench 4 sets & DB Bicep Concentration Curl 2 sets & DB Rear Delt Raise 2 sets
• Walking Lunges 3 sets & Side Cable Shoulder Raise 3 sets
• Straightarm Pulldowns 2 sets & Back Extensions 2 sets
• Incline Walk on Treadmill 20 min
• Stretch

In this workout I incorporated a larger muscle group in each superset in order to keep my workout challenging. The exercises being grouped together helped my workout go quickly. I had an extra back move and a bicep exercise in this workout. In the next one it will be a chest and tricep to keep the balance. Once again, I am not a trainer and this is just a setup that works well for me.

So there was my full day. 🙂

• Do you lift weights? What workout splits do you enjoy? Or do you prefer to just use gym classes for your weights?