Oops! I forgot to catch you up on this weekend’s posts earlier. So, in case you missed it -

• 5 Minute Tropical Ice Cream
• Jump Around – fun way I spent my Saturday + the FFF Features
• Self-Love Reflection of the Week – Little Letters to the body
• One Month to Live Weekly Review – discussion on loving completely

Today was the big day. I mentioned tearing up early this morning at the thought of Makenzie starting preschool officially today. I cried a bit after dropping her off.

And then…I got home and realized the blessing of extra time to rock out some productivity. I love my little munchkin and thought about her consistently, but I can certainly see the bright side to this whole preschool thing now. Plus, her beaming grin when I picked her up let me know how happy it made her. I can’t argue with that. 🙂

Before dropping Makenzie off at preschool, I decided to keep things as normal as possible for her routine. I didn’t want her noticing me hovering extra and then thinking something was up with this whole preschool thing. That meant hitting the gym for my Monday morning weights session as usual. I did something a little different this morning and incorporated a plethora of stability training into the mix.

I coupled a bunch of exercises together in supersets with one traditional exercise and one stability exercise for the larger muscle groups (legs, chest, back) and a couple stability exercises together for the smaller muscle groups (arms, shoulders, abs).

• Legs: deadlift superset lunge on upside down Bosu
• Back: cable high row superset dumbell pullover on the ball
• Chest: flat dumbbell bench press superset alternating incline press on stability ball
• Shoulders/Biceps: side raises and bicep curls on upside down Bosu
• Triceps/Abs: dips on stability ball, ball crunches

I did three sets of 8 to 12 reps for each superset. It went rather quickly but I really felt the challenge on doing two exercises for the same muscle back to back. Plus, I have recently fallen in love with stability training! I used to think it didn’t add much of an extra challenge or benefit, but it really does. I can feel it work my body in new and different ways. Plus, from my personal training studies, I have learned the large benefits in focusing on stabilization muscles for a broad spectrum of fitness improvements. Gotta love a solid foundation to help better your fitness overall. 🙂

I have recently been loving on the following to add some extra fun in the form of stability or balance training to my workouts:

Doing Moves on an Upside Down Bosu Ball

Doing Alternating Movements (on or off stability ball)

For example: Instead of pressing both arms at once in a shoulder or bench press, do one arm at a time. Training one side at a time can increase the need to balance yourself and it can display if a side is weaker than the other.

Traditional Moves Done on a Stability Ball

Wow. The iPhone takes junky pictures. LOL

Almost any move I would use a bench for I can sub in a stability ball for an added challenge in balance and stability training.

 Staggered Moves

Having one side of the body slightly higher than the other can increase a need for balance. Another example would be doing squats with one leg higher on a step with risers.

I gotta say that I love putting into practice a few of the things I have learned. Hopefully I can stay on track to get certified sometime in November and start up with the online training stuff by the new year. Sometimes I even brain storm ideas of having an end of the year or start of the year (depending on timing) program to host for all of my blogging friends. What a fun way that would be to kick off the new venture! Who would be with me? 😉 Okay…getting ahead of myself. Sorry, but I just can’t wait!

Well, now I must get to making up lost time with my little M before settling in for an exciting night of leftover lasagna straight out of the tupperware and Bachelor Pad viewing. Peter’s Monday night meetings this month will equal high class evenings around here. Ha!

• Do you ever incorporate stability or balance training into your strength training workouts? What ways do you like to do so?
• What things do you tend to do when by your lonesome for the night?

Disclaimer: This post is not meant as advice on how you should train. I simply strive to share my personal fitness journey and some fitness ideas along the way. Use them at your own discretion. 🙂

Another week. Another Monday. Another chance to take on the world. And another stellar strength training workout to get going for the week. Same thing as taking on the world, right? Maybe not, but I still find it a motivating kick-off to my week.

Circuit One

Circuit Two 

Circuit Three

Since I only had strength training on plan for this morning and knew it would only take me around 35 minutes to complete, I opted out of having a small snack beforehand. I came home wanting to gnaw off my arm. This workout awoke the hunger beast, that’s for sure! In fact, it made me want something with more food than my typical oats. I whipped up an odd little combo including an over easy “dippy” egg…

…a grilled swiss cheese and jelly sandwich (if only I had brie!)…

…and a sliced apple. Chomping through all that food left my belly quite content. 🙂

And I’m sure you’re thinking “Okay. Okay. That sounds good, but get on with the progress update already!” Don’t let my mind reading powers scare you. They bring results after all…because here you are – Month 7 Progress!

As always, last month on the left and this month on the right…

As I mentioned in last month’s progress update, I have basically reached my “happy place”. I no longer actively seek to lose more baby weight or make significant progress from month to month. My goals now focus on maintaining my healthy habits and allowing my body to change or progress how it will through half marathon training, regular weights workouts, and everyday active living.

I don’t see huge changes, but I feel perfectly comfortable with that considering I listened to my body – pushing through some tough workouts or taking it easy for a week because I needed the break. All that’s not to say changes didn’t still happen. I gave up the scale so I don’t have progress to report there, but measurements all dropped a smidge.

It just hit me that I have lost almost 24 inches off my body since February. That’s TWO FEET!!! Is that even possible? I think the photos (and tape measurer) say yes…

Even when things don’t seem to happen or when you feel off your game, the body can still do its thing if you care for it overall. I cannot stress enough the importance of consistency in my journey. I give any and all credit for my progress 100% to the desire to honor and respect the body God blessed me with as much as possible on a daily basis. Not a Monday through Friday basis. Not a for six weeks and then move on basis. On a daily basis.

That doesn’t mean each day I strive for perfection…that’s ridiculous and would only end with me in a mental hospital. It means that each day I work to listen to my body and treat it well – with food to nourish, activity to energize, rest to replenish, and love to live well. It’s something every single one of us can do. Take it day by day…and always include love for that body. It deserves it!

• What accomplishments have you seen with consistency in part of your life?
• What is your favorite kind of cheese? Do you even have to ask? Goat! Although I do love me some Swiss on sandwiches.