The DL on DOMS

Who hasn't seen a marathoner walking backwards down the stairs? Or gingerly lowered themselves to the toilet after leg day? Maybe you pride yourself on your DOMS (aka Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness) after a hard workout. You may even believe it's a necessary evil for growth and progress. I'm here to tell you that's absolutely untrue.

I've recently been having this argument with Paul. I've been doing leg days twice a week because I really want a squat booty for the pool this summer (and it might help my running, too). The thing is Paul is usually wrecked after leg day. He's gently hoisting himself off the couch by arm power alone while I prance up the stairs and laugh at his pain. So this last leg day Paul appointed himself sadistic coach.

The 'I am going to puke, pass out, or die' face

I went up 20 pounds on leg extensions. I used him as a human squat rack (the Y doesn't have them) so I could squat 40 pounds heavier than I had been without a rack. I doubled the weight I was using for lunges. I PR'ed my leg press and calf raises. All the while Paul pushed me to go harder, squat lower, add more weight. I was CERTAIN that I would be walking like a cowboy the next day. I was wrong.

This discovery caused me to dig deeper into the science behind DOMS and post-exercise soreness. I found an article in the Journal of Experimental Biology where I learned just how wrong 'No Pain, No Gain' is. According to the authors the study was designed to 'test the hypothesis that symptomatic (i.e. detectable) damage is a necessary precursor for muscle remodeling'. In short, they wanted to see if muscle growth can happen without being sore.

PR!

Two groups of college students were tested. The first group was given three weeks of 'training' where they slowly ramped up their exercise. The second group was thrown in with the first on the fourth week with no ramp up. They just had to keep up as best they could. The second group showed higher levels of creatine kinase (an enzyme that is released when muscle is damaged through exercise, injury, etc.) and expressed more soreness and exertion than the first group. So, if more muscle damage means more growth, then the second group should have shown more gains right? Wrong.

Muscle gain and strength increases were equal across both groups. This study went as far as blood work and muscle biopsy to verify these findings! And it wasn't the only study that had similar findings and results. So my takeaway from all of this is that, if you know you're working hard and you're still seeing gains, then a lack of soreness the day after exercise doesn't mean you won't progress. It just means you can get off the toilet and climb the stairs without calling Life Alert! And I call that a win!

LiveFit Trainer: Week 4

It's official! I survived Phase 1 of the LiveFit Trainer! So far I have been extremely impressed with the results. It's not easy trying to eat clean and fit in 5 workouts a week but I've been doing it. I've even gone in blizzards and the polar vortex mess or whatever they're calling it this week.

I wasn't the only crazy at the gym!

 

The results for 4 weeks of training have been outstanding. I never expected to see progress this fast and it's not just noticeable to me. Paul is seeing the changes and I just keep lifting more every time I go to the gym. It's almost unbelievable!

 

I've gone up 50 pounds on leg press alone

 

And physically, the changes are visible and show in my measurements too. So here's where I'm at as of the end of Phase 1!

 

Body Part          Start          Phase 1

Neck                 13.5            13.75

Chest                 33               33

Waist                 28               28

Hips                   38               37.5

Biceps               11               10.5

Thigh                 20               22

Calf                   13.5            14.25

Weight             137             134.5

 

 

And that's all for now! As I move into week 5 I will be adding back more cardio with my weight training. Things are about to get more intense as I move into phase two and I'm really looking forward to seeing what happens as I continue to get stronger!

 

 

 

Live Fit Trainer: Week 3

This week was the first week of the program that I lifted 5 days per week. I also went from 3 sets of 12 reps to 3 sets of 10 reps, which meant going heavier. My extra day consists of a second leg day and I think I'm starting to see some results. So needless to say I am a pretty happy girl this week!

Pretty sure that's a bicep beginning to show

My weight still hasn't changed and I don't want to take new measurements until the end of Phase 1. But what has changed is the weight I'm lifting. Some examples:

Leg Curl:

Week 1 - 50 pounds

Week 3 - 80 pounds

Leg Press:

Week 1 - 112 pounds

Week 2 - 160 pounds

Bicep Curls:

Week 1 - 10 pounds

Week 3 - 20 pounds

So overall, I am thrilled. I know the first few months of a strict program I will see big gains because of neurological changes. Your brain begins to tell your muscles to recruit more fibers for each movement and you make more neuron connections. It really has nothing to do with actually getting stronger but it's the precursor to building the body you want.

Shoulders are beginning to get some definition

I'm also experimenting more with ways to make lean protein and veggies exciting. Thankfully Paul is an amazing cook. Here's one of his recent creations for us:

Spicy Baked Cauliflower (and Tilapia)

Ingredients:

1 Head cauliflower
4 Tbsp. coconut oil, melted
5 Cloves garlic, diced or pressed
Chili powder to taste
Paprika to taste
McCormick Fiesta Lime seasoning to taste

1. Preheat oven to 375* F
2. Cut the cauliflower into small florets and spread in 9x11 baking dish
3. Cover with melted coconut oil, garlic, chili powder, paprika, and fiesta lime seasoning
4. Bake for 30-40 minutes until cauliflower is no longer crunchy

And there you have it. My week 3 progress and a recipe! How are you holding out on your 2014 goals?

Live Fit Trainer: Week 2

This week was absolutely crazy. I did really well sticking to my nutrition plan the first half of the week. However, my new job is fairly demanding at the moment and getting to know a new team of people means happy hours and lunches out. I had soda three times this week, Chinese food one day, and some birthday cake too. So it's no wonder that I'm still sitting at the same weight as last week.

Nailed my leg workout in my INB butterfly top and Altra Delilahs.

The good news is I did get all my workouts in again and I went up in weight on my leg press and leg extension. I did substitute some moves again when I didn't have the equipment but overall I nailed the workouts! I also got some bonus points for moving the rest of my stuff into my new place and then remodeling the dining room.

 Before

 

After

So since my week two update is pretty boring how about I share some awesome news?!

I'm returning as an Altra Zero Drop ambassador for 2014! AND Altra has dropped the new Olympus. It's max cushioning in a zero drop shoe with the same foot shaped toe box you love. I can't wait to get my hands on a pair ASAP!




INKnBURN is debuting new designs for 2014. Check out these new additions to the lineup! I am so stoked for the Drifting Petals pullover! Don't forget to use code 'saratoldme' for 15% off when you create an account. (There's no spam!)

 

So there it is! My first week in a new job. Finished moving. Remodeled a room. Did all four of my workouts. Failed at my nutrition plan. Overall I will take it and refocus on doing better for week 3!

 

 

 

 

 

LiveFit Trainer Week 1

Today marks the end of my first week of the LiveFit trainer. Obviously there aren't any huge changes to report but I thought a little update might help with motivation (mine and yours!) as we make our way further into the new year.

I made it through all of the workouts for week 1 with a few modifications. The gym was closed New Year's Eve and New Year's Day (isn't that when they get all their new memberships?!) so I made due with home workouts using bands and body weight exercises for chest and triceps day. I was at Paul's house on back and bicep day so we used his gym, which is fairly limited, and did our best. Leg day and shoulder/ab day both happened at my YMCA and the only thing I had to substitute for was seated calf raises because the Y doesn't have the equipment. And yes, I have been sore from head to toe all week. I love it!

Using my toddler for squats

 

As for the nutrition, I have been doing really well in my own opinion. I cheated with some wine and champagne on New Year's Eve but I saved the calories in my plan so the only damage was the shift in my macros. I had some popcorn and fruit snacks with the kids one day. And I have had Starbucks coffee twice this week but I stuck to a tall and made it a 'skinny' version of my usual order.

A 'skinny' treat

My typical day consists of lots of eggs, chicken, and fish. I get unlimited veggies so Birds Eye Steamfresh bags are my best friend right now. I only get a single serving of starch with each meal so rice cakes and sweet potatoes make up most of my carbs.

As Honest Toddler calls these, Sadness Patties!

I figured I'd be getting bored or sick of this by now but I really don't mind it. I feel more alert and I'm sleeping better (my Fitbit says my sleep efficiency is at 99%). The only thing I really miss is cardio and that will be coming back soon. I may begin to add a few miles warm up pre-lifting in week two. I know I won't get optimal muscle gain but I also have a 5k and 50k that I'm registered for!

I've also improved my overall habits. I upgraded to a 40 oz water bottle to aid with hydration. My Fitbit is motivating me to move more. (I still can't get 5 full lights without cardio!) My grocery bill has actually gone down now that I buy produce, meat, and a small amount of other things and then do an entire week of food prep in a day. Eating out has also become a thing of the past for the most part. The one time I was out for a meal I had a salad with oil and vinegar and then ate my protein and starch when I got home.

40 ounces of awesome!

 

There's really no physical changes to report yet other than being sore. I was up 0.5 pounds when I weighed in today which I expected. Inflammation, better hydration, and being stuffed full of fish and veggies will all add some weight. All in all, I'm excited to keep trying to improve as I go and see what happens over the next few weeks.

 

 

 

How are your goals coming so far this year? Do you have any tips for avoiding temptations?

Planning Ahead

It's a new year and the resolutions are rolling in. We're all either setting goals publicly or bragging about our lack thereof. I've seen it all. "I'm going to run more miles." "I'm going to lose X pounds." "I'm going to do everything everyone else says they're going to do for two weeks then give up and get fat." Blah, blah, blah...

Not me. Not this year. (credit: survivingcollege.com)

I really don't care what you call it: Dreams, resolutions, goals, an action plan....  We all have things we want to accomplish. I've decided on my goals for the coming year and I want to share them here. For accountability, or for inspiration, or for me to laugh at later when life throws me a curve ball and everything I write today goes out the window (again).

Maybe you've heard of Jamie Eason and her LiveFit Trainer. Maybe you haven't. It's a popular (and free program) on Bodybuilding.com designed by one of the top fitness models in the world. It includes exercise plans and nutrition guidelines as well as supplementation advice. It's supposed to be able to transform a normal or average person to fairly fantastic in just 12 weeks.

I've spent the last five years focused purely on running. If I did weights it was to improve my power. If I did plyo it was to improve my speed. If I changed my diet it was to try to reach a 'racing weight'. Everything has been completely centered around running and racing for the last half decade and I'm a little burnt out. So I thought I would try something new and decided this was it.

It's always about the run... and the clock

Don't get me wrong. I'm not giving up running. I'm still going to try to stay in 5k to half marathon shape. And I'm still going to try to walk/jog my way through the 50k I'm signed up for. I'm just not going to make running the center of my world for at least the next 12 weeks.

So on to the embarrassing fun stuff. Where am I starting off on this grand journey?

 

 

Stats:
Neck - 13.5"
Chest - 33"
Waist - 28"
Hips - 38"
Bicep - 11"
Thigh - 20"
Calf - 13.5"
Weight - 137 lbs.

I'd love to get another BodPod reading done before I get too far into this journey but I'm just not sure it will happen. Hopefully the pictures and measurements along the way will show my progress (or lack thereof) just as well.

So I hope you'll follow along and maybe even commit to your own life changing journey. And maybe, just maybe I won't have spaghetti noodle arms by 2015....