Favorite Day of the Week.... Friday

It is finally Friday! I thought it would be the perfect day to share some of my favorite fitness products, whether that be clothing, accessories, or the gizmos and gadgets that I use to get me through the day. I absolutely adore cute gym clothes that no one else has. I like to find deals at Marshalls or TJ Maxx on tank tops, sports bras, and training tights that no one else will be wearing because yes I have shown up at the gym wearing my cute top from Target to have 4, yes 4!, other girls wearing the same one. There is absolutely nothing wrong with this but I like to be different! :) So here it is folks, my list of favorites!

• Versa Gripps- I like to feel the iron in my hands. I like when I have a callous from a grueling back workout. I get excited when I chalk up my hands before I attempt my pull-ups. But I also like knowing that the heavy weight I am about to pull is not going anywhere. I love my Versa Gripps and use them frequently! They come in all sizes and a couple different colors. They can be found here: Gripps.
  
   
• Jawbone UP 24- Curiosity killed the cat...just joking! But I am a curious person and I always want to know how active I am throughout the day, from the gym to work to cleaning the house. I monitor my activity as well as my sleep by my Jawbone UP 24. It is similar to the Nike Fuel Band or the FitBit but what I like about it is that I can simply open the app on my phone and it syncs wirelessly with my band revealing the amount of time I have been active, the longest time I was idle and even monitors how long I was in light sleep compared to deep sleep. 
  
   

• Foam Roller- I love to hate this thing. I pack my mini one around to in the back seat of my car so I know I always have it. I take it on road trips, especially long ones and I even have two more at home (one upstairs and one downstairs) to ensure I use it. When you lift weights, you tear muscle fibers and the outter covering (called the Fascia) can sometimes become adhered to the muscle itself (I will go more in depth on this at another time). These "trigger spots" can be quite painful and my legs have a tendency to feel mighty cruddy when I do not take the time to roll and stretch, especially since I am doing 2-3 heavy leg sessions a week. 
  

• Lululemon Pants- THESE ARE MY ABSOLUTE FAVORITE PANTS! Yes that is me shouting because I love them so much. They cost an arm and a leg (not really but kinda) however they fit really good, are very comfortable, can be dressed up :) and everyone that I have ever seen in these pants looks fantastic! The material very durable and if you do not dry them, they last for a very long time. I utilize gift cards and the outlet store or Ebay to score sweet deals on these suckers. 
  

• Smart Shaker- I love my Smart Shaker and I recently saw that they were selling them at Costco!! Woot woot! They are awesome for putting pre- and post-workout supplements in them especially when you are on the go like me, and pack all your stuff the night before or the morning of. I put my pre-workout powder in the main shaker compartment, my pre-workout pills in the next compartment and my post-workout powder in the last compartment. It fits perfectly in my gym bag, it cuts down on plastic baggie use (what I happened to do before) and it fits just the right amount of liquid in the shaker cup. 
  

Learning To Be...

My last post (deciding to step back from a show I committed to) took a toll on my emotionally. I am a type-A, somewhat OCD perfectionist that likes to win (what a combo huh?). This can work in my favor, example being grad school, but also work against me…perfect example…my previous post. When I commit to something, especially a show, I give it my all from the beginning. If you have followed my journey from day one, this probably comes as no surprise, so you can imagine the aftermath of stepping away from a commitment. I have cried, yelled, and laughed, felt extremely relieved yet felt overwhelmed with guilt on multiple occasions. I consider this a “learning curve”, a test of my ability to change my mind, move forward, and never look back.

Change is hard. Some people really enjoy continuous change in their daily lives, while some, like yours truly, do not welcome change so much. I like my routine, I like knowing what is happening, I like planning, and I like being in control (which makes me sound really really terrible and boring but I’m NOT). So this is what I told myself when I stepped aside from doing that show, “Put your big girl pants on, hold your head high, and don’t look back”. Guess what? Who gives a sh*t if I did that show or not besides me? Absolutely NO ONE. I put the pressure on myself. It is all crap I put in my own head. Crap that has beat me down, bullied me, and made me want to give up. But I am better than all the belittling self-talk.

Enough of the babble already! Get to the gym! J

J

Quick Update

Hey Y'all! I am still writing this blog but have also started another blog found RIGHT OVER HERE. This has been a great thing for me so I can share my passion and knowledge about health, fitness and new research in this constantly changing profession. Please continue to follow my journey in the gym AS WELL AS my life in the health and fitness industry!

Ciao for now,

J