Stronger: Week 4

If you read last weeks post you know that my program called a deload week this week. A deload week is designed to give your body a “working” rest as a way to allow your body to heal and rebuild during your strength journey. The Beautiful Badass program I’m following instructed me to drop back to 70% of my Week 3 weights.

However, I wasn’t a total newbie to lifting when I started this program and I actually dropped back my weights at the start, so I felt it was OK to skip my deload week and press on. A part of this was being greedy and wanting to continue the satisfaction of lifting heavier each week. I was aware that I could be pushing too hard and decided to drop back if I felt I was doing too much.

Stronger: Week 1

My official Beautiful Badass Beginner’s (BBB) program start date was June 11, 2012. My goal is to post an update each Monday about the week before. So I’m only a few days behind with this first post. Go back to my first post if you want to know more about my plan.

I’m following Nia Shanks’s 3 days a week strength training program as close as possible with a few (approved) variances. I’ll also be throwing in Zumba twice a week and Boot Camp once a week because I love those classes. Wait! Did I just say I loved boot camp? Wow. Also Sunday will be my only free day, so any day that doesn’t include a workout or a class I’ll be doing hill sprints (highly recommended by Nia – hill sprints that is, not one day of rest) or taking a brisk walk. Whelp, that’s the plan.

Stronger not Smaller (per se)

You might remember I blogged a while back about how great 2012 was treating me. I discussed four of my 2012 goals and the progress I had made with each of them. One goal was to lose 15 pounds by April, I lost 12! I didn’t reach my goal but I was determined not to be discouraged. I set another goal to get down to 145 lbs. by my birthday, but that didn’t quite happen either. Again, I was only a few pounds off around 148. I just can’t seem to stay active and eat right around my birthday. The lure of cake and laziness is too strong for me to fight. Anyway, right after my birthday I said I was going to jump right back on track and hit my goal (145 lbs.) by July 13th (as I have a trip planned for that weekend). If you couldn’t tell I love goals, as a self-aware procrastinator they are necessary.

Even though I had been making progress, I realized I needed a new approach – a new outlook, if you will. You see I, like most women, have always been focused on cardio, cardio, cardio! I mean I did some “lifting” in my Body Works/Body Sculpting group gym classes and when I have hired a trainer in the past I’ve used the weight machines. So I know that having strong muscles is important. However, I had previously fell victim to the idea of low weight, high reps being the key to “toning”. Isn’t that what they who they hell are they anyway always tell women?