Sunday Recap

Sundays are my favorite for a couple of reasons. I love waking up, popping in my cinnamon roll K-cup, and planning out my weekly events/goals. This has become my routine and I look forward to my Sundays because I LOVE planning! My weeks without a plan are usually messy and I become stressed out, because this tends to make me fall off track with my overall goals.

These are just a few of my past Sunday mornings enjoying my morning cup of coffee. Coffee has become a ritual for me on Sundays, because it is really the only time I drink it. Throughout the week I drink Spark, which is a better option for me because it is sugar free. Whenever I make coffee I add in a splash of almond milk and use a couple packets of Stevia, but other than that I stay away from sugary creamers and refined sugars.

After I sit down with my coffee I get out my journal and make out my weekly checklist. Lists are my go-to when writing out my goals for the week. I make weekly goal checklists and I also find myself making daily to-do lists as well. I love being able to check tasks off my list, because it gives me that feeling of accomplishment. Each item that gets checked off is pushing me closer in the right direction of reaching my goals. As you can see my weekly checklists are not only health and fitness related. I have housework tasks, spiritual and mind goals, lifestyle accomplishments (learning to speak Spanish), and CHRISTMAS reminders as well. All of these tasks make up my day in one way or another so it is nice to see them on there.

I post them up in my room or by my desk where I can see them every day to be reminded of what I need to accomplish. Being able to see your goals right out in front of you will help you stay on track!

Whenever I get myself organized for the week it is usually about the time my local gym opens, so I get ready and I get my workout done for the day. Sundays are ALWAYS leg day and sometimes I throw in cardio depending on how sore I already am. This is another reason why Sundays are my FAVORITE, because working out my legs/booty are the areas I love working out the most. You can ask anyone who knows me that I will chose a grueling leg workout over a chest or arm workout.

What are some of your favorite things to do on Sundays? Let us know in the comments below!

xoxo,

Shelby

FREE Shoulder Workout & Cardio

Shoulder Workout

Superset these two workouts

Lateral Raises & Front Raises (4 sets)

10 pound dumbbells for 12 reps, 5 pound dumbbells for 12 reps.

Shoulder Press (4 sets)

20 pounds for 12 reps.

Upright Rows (4 sets)

12 pounds for 15 reps.

The workout is super short so feel free to add in complimentary lifts that you chose. 

I followed my workout with running 6 laps of stairs. This was a great way to end the day especially after Thanksgiving day :) 

Post Thanksgiving

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! This year I signed up for my very 1st 5k. It was called the Pie Run and it was a blast. My friend and her boyfriend also participated and we all ran it together. I was very proud of myself for only stopping once for a quick second then started back up again and completed the whole thing in 34 minutes.

Here we are before the beginning of the race ready to run. The weather was really nice this year for the run, so I am super excited that it participated. Last year I signed up for this race but the weather was very cold and it snowed, so I decided not to run it.

Here we are after the race. Feeling sweaty, tired, and ready for some Thanksgiving food! The three on the left are friends and co-workers, I am the one in the green, and my friend Trenelle beside me. We all had a lot of fun!

I love spending the holidays with my family, it is my favorite time of the year. We ate some delicious food, laughed, and played around in the gym. 

Having a huge family we have our family gatherings at a local elementary school. It's nice because we usually have a game of knockout going on or something fun. Yesterday we decided scooters and dodgeball was the winning choice of activity. Burned a few calories you could say. I love that my family is also very active, because we always have enough people willing to get a game going. 

After we got done at my families dinner my boyfriend and I decided to do some early Black Friday shopping. We made our way to Best Buy to pick up some items then headed to the mall. Unfortunately they did not have what I wanted to get him but I was able to just order it online. The mall was open earlier than we expected so we got all of our shopping done by 7 o'clock. By that time we were both tired and ready to head home.

As we got back into town we made a trip to my grandparents where my mom was visiting. She had got them a new tv for Christmas and everyone was trying to figure out how to program it. Needless to say we left about an hour later and still couldn't figure it out.

This year was an amazing year and I can't wait to spend more holidays with my loved ones.

Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving with your families and enjoyed the time you all spent together.

Warm wishes,
Shelby

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! There is so much to be thankful for this holiday season. I have been blessed with much greatness this year, and I am for ever grateful for the people and opportunities that have come into my life.

I want to start out saying thank you if you are reading this post! This is the start of a new journey for me, and I can’t wait to share it with you. I am working on something super exciting and I can’t wait to share it with you all.  I hope you will continue to follow me through the process.

As the holidays arrive upon us I want you all to think of your families and friends and tell them how much you appreciate them and how much they mean to you. To me this is one of my favorite parts of the holidays, and that is, family time.

Hope you all enjoy good food on your turkey day!

Warm wishes,

Shelby

Chest Workout

Today was chest day for my workout, and I wanted to share with you all what it consisted of.

WOD

Bench Press (5 sets)
Warm up of 10 reps (chose comfortable weight)
I did 75 lbs for 8 reps

Chest Flys (4 sets)
I used 12 lb dumbbells and did 12 reps

Chest Press Machine (4 sets)
37.5 lbs for 12 reps

Cable Flys (4 sets)
Not sure how much weight but used the 3rd notch.
12 reps

 Superset Tricep push downs & Tricep kickbacks (5 sets)
Used a straight bar attachment for cable machine and the cable wire
Tricep push downs used 5th notch and did 12 reps then went to cable wire set it for lowest weight and did isolation moves. One arm did 12 reps then switched to other arm and did the same.

Tricep Push Downs w/ rope attachement (4 sets)
Used 4th notch and did 12 reps

Lying Overhead Extensions (4 sets)
This exercise works chest muscles. I chose a 15 lb dumbbell for this exercise. Lie down on flat bench, position dumbbell over chest and extend arms straight over you head and then bring them back to your chest. *Hint* When you do this move squeeze your chest together when coming back to center.
Do 12 reps for 4 sets

Overhead Tricep Extensions (4 sets)
I chose two 10 lb dumbbells and did 12 reps.

Hope you all enjoy this workout! I know I did and my triceps were on FIRE! Lookout for more FREE workouts! 

How To Chose A Workout Plan

When researching for a workout plan it can be challenging, because many of us are unsure where to even begin. 

First, I want to share with you a few things that went through my head when I started getting back into the gym. These are common questions/thoughts I had when trying to find the most effective workout plan for myself. I want you to remember everyones bodies act differently, so finding the right plan for you is crucial in getting the results you want. Important note when starting a plan is to make sure you are staying consistent, because it will take time! 

 #1: How often should I be doing cardio?

This is a common question you should be asking yourself, because YES cardio is highly effective in helping you lose weight, but it may not always be the most effective way as our bodies will finally hit a plateau. All I have to say on this topic is do your research to figure out which type of cardio is better for you. Two types of cardio workouts you may find are HITT workouts and Steady-State cardio. These can be used interchangeably as well. My tip to you is find a plan you enjoy doing and stick with it!

My favorite is Kayla Itsines Bikini Body Guides. 

These are designed to blast away fat while building lean muscle, and the best part about them is they only take 28 minutes. 

#2: Which is better heavy lifting or light weight training?

Okay this is where your personal goals come into play. Which will bring me to my next question you should ask yourself.

#3: Where do I see myself in 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, and a year from now?

Here you really need to figure out what you are trying to achieve. In 3 months are you looking to drop 10 pounds, drop a couple of dress sizes, etc...I think you get the picture. Set your goals high! Don't be afraid to fail. If you fail thats okay, because at least you failed trying! Get back up and keep pushing on. Never give up on what you are setting out to accomplish, because eventually you will start crushing your goals.

#4: Now Which is better heavy lifting or light weight training?

Lifting heavy will help you lose body fat, while building up strong muscles. Light weight training is for muscular endurance. Doing high repetitions will give your muscles a defined look. So now you have to determine what you want. Again doing your research is also important, because all body types react different.

Here is just a quick example of the type of training you will see with different muscle groups. 

Legs often receive heavy lifting meaning you will do fewer repetitions with heavier weight. Often 4 or 5 sets are also done when working on this muscle group. 

Arms can receive either type of training. If you are looking to build strong muscular arms you will want to do heavy lifting, and if you want more sculpted lean arms you'll find light weight training is your best option. These workouts have higher repetitions with a lighter weight. Depending on the plan you may see 3 to 4 sets per workout. 

Moving on...once you have your goals set post them by your computer or in a place where you will see it daily. Having them out in front of you they will always be a constant reminder of what you are working towards. 

My Story

If there was one secret in the health and fitness world I think they should tell you this!

 "Go the extra mile, it's never crowded."

Looking back on my own fitness journey there were so many times I wanted to quit and throw in the towel, but something in the back of my mind kept saying "think of why you started!"

Here I am about to begin my story of how I've stayed consistent with my fitness journey. I will be the first to tell you this journey has not been an easy one. There have been many times I've had to pick myself back up and continue to push towards my goals. 

It all started on Halloween of 2012, where I found myself the heaviest I have ever been in my life, and the sad thing was I didn't even realize it. As I was scrolling through my camera I found the picture on the left. This was a huge eye opener for me. I cried in disbelief that I let myself go and had gained so much weight. 

In high school I was active in volleyball and tennis, so weight was not something I worried about. I had always been comfortable with my body. The freshman 15 hit me along with another 25 pounds by Halloween of my sophomore year. I gained 40 pounds in two years and I was determined to get that weight off! 

My life was about to change for the better, and I was doing something about my weight for ME and only ME. No one was going to stop me at this point. This is where I had found AdvoCare through a friend and saw how amazing she had transformed her body in just 90 days. I wanted what she had, so without ever trying a single product, I dove head first into purchasing my first 24 Day Challenge. 

I followed the plan as suggested and did not incorporate exercise until I got my meals in check. Going from eating burger and fries, pizza, and pasta to chicken and veggies along with other healthy choices I had a real adjustment to get use to. 

So I bet you are all are wondering how did this 24 Day Challenge workout for me...

I was beaming with confidence by day 24! I had lost a total of 10 pounds and 10 inches in 24 days and was so excited, because I had found a program that was meant for me. My soulmate you could say because I live by this system today. It has set the foundation for me to reach my goals, and all I have to do is stay consistent and stick to the plan. 

After completing the challenge I knew I had to share it with anyone and everyone, because I knew there would be someone out there just like me. Today I've coached many challengers who all have seen incredible results with this program. 

So fast forward to my fitness journey today I have lost a total of 25 pounds and have kept it off. I've gained self-confidence and want to help others reach their highest potential. I live and breath for this lifestyle and I want to motivate others to reach their goals as well. 

You can follow me on Instagram @shelbyrenee9210 to see some of my food creations and workouts I do. I like the concept of Instagram, so I use it more than any other social media platform. So feel free to follow me to be inspired or motivated to get started. 

Along the way of losing weight I discovered that I am obsessed with weight lifting, and seeing how my body reacts to the process has been the most rewarding part. 

Going back to the one secret in the health and fitness world,

 "Go the extra mile, it's never crowded."

Whenever you feel like quitting mid-workout or you're out on a run and just want to walk your way back, stop for a second and engrain this quote in your mind. "Go the extra mile, it's never crowded." It has helped me push through some of the most brutal workouts I've ever put myself through. When you start to change your mindset and think positively you'll be surprised what you can do. 

With that note I want to send you all off with some positive words. If you tell yourself "I can, I will" I have no doubt in my mind that you will succeed with your goals. 

Rain, Rain, Go Away

The day started out super shitty not going to lie, but it started to turn around finally mid-day. To just give you a glimpse of how my morning started I was awaken by lightening that nearly missed my house at 2 in the morning. After all the excitement settled down I finally dosed back off for what seemed like 30 minutes, until my alarm started going off. Woke up, got dressed and ready for work then headed off to my job. The rain had stopped as I left the house, so no need for my rain coat right?! WRONG! So WRONG! You will see why I wished I had my rain coat...

I make a quick trip to the store to get my boyfriend and I chocolate milk and all the had was Nesquick. I am not a fan of this kind but I purchased it anyways and left. My next stop was to hit up the gas station and get our banana nut muffins. While I'm inside I decide to look to see if they had any other kind of chocolate milk, at this point I had just spent 7 dollars on four chocolate milks! 

So I have got my four milks and two muffins and I make my way to work when I have to make a flipping detour because of a mile long train.  As I am a few minutes from work I get a text from my boyfriend saying he needs a ride.  I was already freaking out because I thought I was going to be late because of the train. Now I had to make another detour through town to go pick him up. He then sends me a text saying "f it, I'll go for it" then I proceed to say "dare devil".  From this point I thought he was heading to work like he said, until I get a phone call saying "Come pick me up." So I throw my car in reverse and do some fast and furious moves and cross two lanes of traffic. I seriously don't know what the hell I was thinking. Let me remind you it's raining pretty good at this point! He gets in the car and tells me as he goes to turn on his windshield wipers it makes one pass through then the next time it wipes away the rain all he sees is a tiny wiper. His windshield wiper snapped in two! All I could do is laugh, because we clearly were not having good mornings.

His luck was just about to get worse and so was mine! We make it to work, park, get the milk and muffins, open the doors to step out and it down pours.  Seriously?! Like I'm talking it was slightly raining and as soon as one foot is out the door, BAM let's take another shower! (This is where my raincoat would have been helpful!) I was just shocked that this was happening. Let me also tell you that we happened to park a flipping mile away, so we were doomed. At this point I just said screw it. I wasn't running with my milk and muffins and also to just jump in puddles and get even more soaked. My boyfriend, Jesus (hay-zeus) :) was frustrated at this point. Then he realized he left his glasses in his truck, which was sitting at the Speedway where we left it.

Yep people were starring as we walked in like "omgsh it's really raining huh?" I was so cold and still drenched an hour later. It was almost 8:30, time for our first break, and I told Jesus that I just wanted to go home. He looked at me with the same thought, and he was freaking out that his truck might be towed away. So we decided talked to our boss to let him know the situation, and we are on our way to get him a new wiper. Thankfully there was no more rain at this point!
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