Dumbbell Only Workout Routine: Weeks 3-4

It has been a while since I’ve posted about my new workout routine, so I figured I would share with you what I’ve been doing the last couple of weeks. I already explained in my last post that I am loosely following Jamie Eason’s Live Fit Program from bodybuilding.com. I am using her program for ideas on how to progress, but most of the actual exercises I found from other sources. For weeks 3-4 an extra day of exercise is added for the muscle group/body part you want to work more. For me, that is definitely legs, so I have been working them twice a week now instead of just once. This also means I am working out 5 days a week now instead of  4. This has been kind of difficult because I had to arrange my split so that my off days are on Tuesday and Thursday because I just don’t usually have the time or energy to do anything on those days.

This is my routine for last 2 (or more like 3) weeks. I haven’t really been following the number of reps strictly, but I did try to increase the weight I was using for each exercise, so I usually can’t do much more than 10 anyway. There are still some exercises that I am pitiful at and can barely handle more than 8 pound dumbbells. Mostly I’m referring to my puny triceps! I will be adding some cardio in the mix starting next week, so that should be fun.

The Melt Method

I also wanted to share with you guys a new experience I had today. I took a Melt class this afternoon. What the heck is Melt, you ask? Well, I didn’t have a clue really either until after today, so I will do my best to describe it. Melt stands for Myofascial Energetic Length Technique and it is basically a connective tissue self-treatment. In the class you use tools like foam rollers and balls to work out your connective tissue. Melt helps to improve pain, increase range of motion and mobility, and helps with issues like arthritis and plantar fasciitis. Anyone can benefit from Melt, even if you don’t really have any aches or pains like myself. It is kind of like a massage you give to yourself.

Check out this video that shows some of what we did.

 

Melt was a totally new experience for me, but I really enjoyed it. I will definitely be doing it more and will probably add foam rolling into my stretching routine.

For more details about Melt please visit this website.

Hope you all are having a fabulous weekend. And as always, thanks for reading!

Bows and Arrows,

Ashley

Dumbbell Only Workout Routine

As I have mentioned before I really prefer to workout at home. I had access to a really nice gym all throughout college, but because I have graduated I no longer have that luxury and I don’t want to pay for a gym membership. In the past I did a lot of workout DVD’s and did most of my cardio outside on the trails near my house with my dog Rose. In my last post I told you guys I wanted to start a new workout challenge that was more focused on weight training. I came up with a workout schedule that I really like so far. I wanted to try working out without a DVD to guide me, so I made a schedule for myself by gathering inspiration from a couple different sources. Because I don’t have a gym to go to I started my workout planning by first looking at what equipment I already have so I know what exercises I can/cannot do. Luckily, I have access to my boyfriend’s weights and weight bench in addition to the “girl” hand weights I’ve purchased over the years. We also have an exercise bike! I set everything up in the garage and now we have a designated workout space. Pretty awesome!

Because I only have dumbbells I knew that my workout needed to require minimal equipment. I found this great dumbbell only workout schedule from the Muscle and Strength website that I tweaked a little, but ended up using pretty much all of the exercises in my schedule. I also came across this really great blog post written by a female college athlete about this program she did from Bodybuilding.com called Jamie Eason’s LiveFit Program. The introductory video struck my interest, so I decided I would somewhat follow the LiveFit program too, but by doing different exercises using my own equipment. Jamie’s hatred for tons of cardio is what really won me over, I think! I plan on combining these two sources to create my own workout schedule that will vary every few weeks.

This is the schedule for the first two weeks.

It looks very similar to the 3 day split I found on the muscle and strength website with a few slight differences. I decided to combine chest with biceps (instead of chest/triceps) and back and triceps together (instead of back/biceps). I tried the chest/triceps and back/biceps combination at first and I did not like it, so I changed it. I also gave legs a day to themselves and added a fourth day for shoulders and abs. Demonstrations of all of these exercises can be found on Youtube or the muscle and strength website.

I am on week 2 and so far I am really loving these workouts. I look forward to going in the garage, cranking up the music (Pandora workout stations!) and dancing around like a fool in between sets. And now some dorky selfies….

I am not an expert at designing my own strength training schedule, so if you see something I have left out (or neglected to workout effectively) PLEASE let me know. I will not be offended. I will be back in a week for another update! Thanks for reading!

Bows and Arrows,

Ashley

 

A New Fitness Challenge

Hey guys! So, I have to confess that I am a failure. I gave up on my last little fitness challenge because I realized towards the end that I was not really getting the results I wanted. This realization lead me to thinking about what I was really trying to change about my physique in the first place. I really thought hard about what my fitness goals are. I have always just said to myself, “I just want to be fit and more toned,” but what does that even look like?

To some people that looks like this:

For others that statement may look more like this:
In my opinion all of these women look healthy, beautiful, and “fit” on some level. But, what do they all have in common? The answer, CONFIDENCE! 

Now, I know confidence is a state of mind, but I also think that you are the MOST confident when you feel comfortable in your own skin/body. Not the body that society tells you that you should have, but the body that YOU feel comfortable with. For me, confidence equals feeling strong and feeling strong equals MUSCLES! I’m not talking Ms. Schwarzenegger strong (not that there’s anything wrong with that), but a little muscle makes me feel pretty badass, not gonna lie.

😉

The thing is, I like doing cardio workouts occasionally, but I have always felt the best when doing strength training. BUT, for some reason for years I had it in my head that women can’t train the same as men. I remember discussing weightlifting with my boyfriend some years back and he would always encourage me to try the workouts he did. I would always say no, because I didn’t want to have huge, manly muscles. I just wanted to be “toned” and in my mind that meant tons of cardio and long drawn out total body workout DVDs. Don’t get me wrong, I still love my workout DVDs! Even though I have read many articles in the past that tried to convince me that my fear of becoming Incredible Hulk was unwarranted, I was stubborn. Throughout the past year or so I have spent some time researching exercises, workout programs, and fitness in general. Even though I had heard it many times before, it wasn’t until I read up on testosterone (and physiological differences in men and women) that I started to actually believe it. It has been a long process, but I now know that weight lifting is something I should have been incorporating into my workout routine a long time ago in order to achieve my fitness goals.

I have gotten great results from DVD’s in the past, but I feel like I need to do things differently to see the change I’m looking for. Most DVD’s I have done have focused more so on muscular endurance while never really progressing to muscular hypertrophy (Enlargement of skeletal muscle fibers in response to overcoming force from high volumes of tension). To build noticeable muscles you must put down the 8 pound dumbbells and pick up something a little heavier. Heavier weight and fewer repetitions and you’ll have muscles popping up in no time (well, it will take some time). :-p

So I have decided to switch things up completely and do something out of my comfort zone…no DVD’s, just weights, a weight bench, and my body. I hope you all will follow me on this new little workout challenge. I will continue to post weekly updates about my workouts and progress. My next post will describe what I am doing in detail, so be sure to check back for that. If you want to read more on weight training for women here is an article that breaks it all down for you and is an easy read.

Thanks for reading!

Bows and Arrows,

Ashley

Long Lost Fitness Diaries Update

Hey guys! I bet you thought I had given up on completing this little fitness challenge. Well, I haven’t, but I did get a little off track the last couple of weeks. I finished week 8 and half of week 9 and then my schedule got all crazy and I have been struggling to workout period. You may have read in my last WIAW post that I got a new job. I actually feel like a big kid adult now about half the time because I get to dress up and look all professional 3-4 days a week, but then I’m back to my tomboy self the rest of the days making delicious coffee beverages. This new job has been great, don’t get me wrong, but it has greatly interfered with my precious workout time. You guys know how important it is to me to exercise regularly (well, maybe you don’t, but I’m telling you it is) so I have spent the past few days devising a new workout schedule that will work with my busier work schedule. No one told me how exhausting sitting at a desk could be by the way. What is up with that? I have also discovered that I would much rather get up at the crack of dawn (4:30am) and get home at a decent time, rather than going in later (by later I mean 9:30) and getting home MAYBE right before sunset. Okay, now I just sound like a complainer pants. Anyway, the point is on most days now I cannot come home and take a quick nap to re-energize before a nice long afternoon workout. Instead I have to come home, cook/eat dinner, clean up, and then basically it’s almost time for bed. Um, being an adult sucks! Some of you are probably thinking “wah wah, cry me a river…wait until you have kids!”….and you are probably right, I’m pathetic. In my defense, I am making it work. I’m still in the adjusting period though so give me a little break, okay!

So, here’s the plan! I am doing week 10 this week, so that means I have 3 weeks left until I am finished. I will post picture updates when I am completely finished, because I am sure I have regressed some from my break and there is not really any change in inches/muscle to report. I’ll be back Sunday or Monday to report how my week went and to explain my workout schedule in detail. Lastly, here is a nice little picture I found on Pinterest (of course) that I like and it goes along with Rachel Cosgrove’s philosophy of “ditching the scale”. I have not weighed myself since starting this program, but I recently went to the doctor and they, of course, weighed me. I gained weight! When I first saw the number I had some negative thoughts, not gonna lie. But, then I stopped being silly and realized that I do weigh more because I have more muscle. It doesn’t mean I’m getting fat! I’m okay with that number going up if it means I’m getting stronger. It’s just hard not to be obsessed with the number on the scale or the number on your pants. But, in reality, none of these numbers define how healthy you are or how good you feel!

Bows and Arrows,

Ashley

The Fitness Diaries: Week 6

Hello again! I’m back for my weekly fitness update and it may actually go up on the right day this time. Shocking, I know. It was a really good week of working out. I made out my workout schedule for this past week and I successfully completed every workout that I set out to complete! I also did a lot of walking with Rose this week, plus a little jogging. We walked/ran around 15 miles total for the week. I think I actually tired her out for once. I am tracking my walking/running distances now with the Nike plus Ipod thing. You know that little thingy you put in your Nike shoes. It seems to work pretty well. I have now completed 2 weeks of the second phase (6 weeks total) of the Drop Two Sizes DVD’s. The second phase is similar to the first, but some of the exercises are a little more challenging and utilize heavier weights and fewer repetitions. These workouts definitely make me feel like I’m working hard and using my time efficiently. Both strength workouts in this phase are challenging, but “Strength 2” is the most challenging in my opinion. I think that is mostly due to the fact that the workout starts off with “alternating clean to squat thrusts” and they pretty much suck. It gets your heart pumping and the sweat flowing pretty quickly.

No fun!

Because I ended the last update on Wednesday (Feb. 19th) I decided to start week 6 on the following Monday so I could get back into a better schedule. Here is what my workout schedule looked like starting with Thursday, February 20th.

Workout Schedule

Week 6:

Thursday(2/20): Rest

Friday: Time metabolic (technically this was the last workout for week 5)

Saturday: Rest

Sunday: Run/walk with Rose (~3.5 miles)

Monday: Strength 1 and a ~5.5 mile walk with Lynda, Rose, and Gabi (her doggy)

Tuesday: Walk with Rose (~3.2 miles)

Wednesday: Strength 2 and a ~2.5 mile walk with Lynda, Rose, and Gabi.

Thursday: Walk with Rose (~2.5 miles)

Friday: Strength 1

Saturday: Complex Metabolic workout

Sunday (today): Rest

Love this new tank top and leggings I picked up recently from Target. hehe

So, that’s my workouts for last week. I’m still really happy with this program and am motivated to keep going to finish it. I am about half way through, so that is exciting! I also wanted to mention that I have also been eating a lot “cleaner” lately. I mentioned in the last update that I was going to try to clean up my already sensible diet even more by using some of the meal plan suggestions from the Drop Two Sizes book. I did give myself a lot more freedom on the weekends, of course, but I did really well on all the other days. I ate some delicious veggie pizza from Marcos one night and I also had a bit of a chocolate craving/meltdown/emergency situation one night that resulted in my eating some chocolate covered pretzels… and okay maybe a Reese’s peanut butter cup too.

If I really want something, I usually eat it. I’m not going to beat myself up over it, and neither should you guys. There are times when I have eaten junk food out of boredom or sadness, but that is a different story and I am certainly not encouraging anyone to do that. But, if you focus on making sure that the majority of your food is healthy and doing your body good, then there is no reason why you cant eat something a little not-so-healthy every now and then. I aim for a diet that is 75-90% “healthy.” I’m not perfect and I’m not trying to be. I want to be fit and healthy, but I still want some Bojangles every now and then, okay. Is that too much to ask?!  😛

I hope you guys enjoyed my update and my rambling. I’ll be back next Sunday for another fun update. As always, thanks for reading.

Bows and Arrows,

Ashley

 

The Fitness Diaries: Weeks 4-5

I am officially failing at doing weekly updates! And today is not Sunday, but I figured I would go ahead and post this anyway. I have completed almost 5 weeks of the Drop Two Sizes program, so I wanted to give you all a more in-depth update this time since I am about 1/3 of the way done with the whole program. After the slack week 3 I tried to pick up my workouts a bit more and get back on track.

Workout Schedule

Week 4:

Tuesday (2/4): Run/walk/jog with Rose (not sure how far it was, I should really get a pedometer)

Wednesday: Strength 1

Thursday: Rest day

Friday: Strength 2

Saturday: Run/walk/jog with Rose

Sunday: Nothing

Monday: Nothing again

Week 5:

Tuesday (2/11): Strength 1

Wednesday: Countdown Metabolic (this was the last workout from Phase 1 of the program)

Thursday: Rest day

Friday: Strength 2 (Phase 2)

Saturday: Rest/lazy day

Sunday: Rest again

Monday: Strength 1 (Phase 2)

Tuesday: Long walk with Rose

Wednesday (today): Strength 2 (Phase 2)

Rose and I stopped to pose for a picture on our walk.

I have technically not completed all of the week 5 workouts yet because I kept getting off schedule and taking too many rest days here and there. I feel like I am getting pretty good results with the program so far. I was slightly disappointed when I took measurements and everything was just about exactly the same as the first time I measured a little over 4 weeks ago. I may not have lost any inches yet, but I can tell I am toning up some. I also definitely feel stronger and can see a bit more muscle definition in certain areas. I don’t think any of these changes would be apparent to anyone else looking at me, but that is usually the case. What is that quote I always see on Pinterest in the Fitness category about noticing your body changing? Something like: “It takes 4 weeks for you to notice a change, 8 weeks for your friends and family to notice, and 12 weeks for everyone else to notice”. There may be some truth to that.

I really want to get into the best shape of my life and I know that a key component to that is the food I’m eating. I have a pretty decent diet as is, but it is not perfect and I probably allow myself to over-indulge a little bit too much sometimes. The way I eat now allows me to maintain my current weight, but I’m not sure it will allow me to reach my fitness goals…especially not if I’m trying to get some nice abdominal muscles! We’ve all heard it before. Abs are made in the kitchen! Sure, I could probably keep myself pretty slim and somewhat fit by keeping my same diet, but I really want to see what my body is capable of. So, I decided to clean up my diet some more and be a little more strict about the foods I allow myself to eat. When it comes to eating healthy I absolutely have to write out a plan for the coming week or I will just completely fail and end up at Bojangles. I was sitting down to write out my meal plan last weekend and I remembered that there is a Drop Two Sizes book that includes meal plans. I’m not sure why I didn’t remember this until recently, but I went to Barnes and Noble and grabbed a copy. I really like this book, guys! Rachel Cosgrove teamed up with a registered dietitian who designed the meal plans. I like the meal plan because it is simple and not overwhelming or unrealistic to follow. I gathered ideas from the meal plans and wrote out my own meal plan and grocery list. I will probably go into greater detail about my meal plans in a later post. If you guys are interested in the book, it is sold online and in stores and is even available as an e-book. No matter what your fitness/weight loss goals are I think this book is a great motivational tool.

Anyway, I’m hoping that I will see even more results by being a little more strict with my diet. I am by no means saying that I am going to count calories or restrict my food intake drastically. My goal is NOT to lose weight, but only to tone up and gain muscle mass/definition.

Okay, so as promised here are my picture updates. I don’t think there is much of a difference, but I also probably could have worked a little harder than I did. That’s okay, there’s plenty of time!  To compare it to the beginning click here.

Sorry, these are not the best quality. My boyfriend is not a photographer, nor does he try very hard to get these “perfect” for me. :-p Also, I do own other workout clothes, but I thought I would keep it as similar as the first time as I could. I didn’t include the measurements this time because like I mentioned earlier nothing really changed.

Thanks for reading ALL of this if you did! If you have any questions/feedback I would love to “hear” from you in the comments. I’ll be back in a week or so for another update.

*I am not affiliated with Drop Two Sizes or Women’s Health in any way…although I wouldn’t mind it 😉

Bows and Arrows,

Ashley

The Fitness Diaries: Week 3

Well, this is a day late, but yesterday I was busy doing tons of laundry and then I watched the Super Bowl, of course, and that left no time for the bloggity. I guess I was just keeping with the theme of failure this week because overall week 3 was definitely a failure. In my defense, it was a busier than usual week for me, but I still could have done better than I did. I was considering doing week 3 over again, but instead I think I’ll just keep moving forward. I don’t want to feel like I’m not progressing in the program. I did manage to get in 3 workouts since last Monday. Better than nothing!

Workout Schedule

Week 3:

Monday: Timed Metabolic (cardio workout)

Tuesday: Nothing

Wednesday: Strength 2

Thursday: Nothing

Friday: Nothing again

Saturday: Nothing..again (I worked and then rode in the car with Lynda Lou for over 6 hours to pick up her dog child…long story short, I had an excuse lol)

Sunday: Nothing, yet again (it was a busy day/week okay!)

Monday (Today): Strength 2

So, no week 3 did not go so well, but I’m not going to worry about it. I am going to continue on to week 4 and work extra hard. As I mentioned last week, I want to describe the strength workouts I am doing so that you guys can do them or add them to your own workout routine if you’d like to. Most of the exercises in this DVD program are basic, easy-to-follow moves and it’s pretty straight forward. There’s no difficult choreography to memorize or anything too complicated. Personally, I like that in a workout. Because I did the Strength 2 workout this week (and failed to do strength 1) I will share with you some of the workouts I did in that routine.

Strength 2 Workout

The strength 2 workout is 38 minutes long, but with the warm-up it ends up being a total of 52 minutes.

This workout starts off with core work. Some of the exercises done are side planks with rotation and active leg lowering. The rest of the workout consists of all kinds of fun? exercises like pushups, dead lifts, lunges, and step ups.  All of the exercises are repeated once during this phase of the program and are anywhere from 8-15 repetitions.  Many of the exercises incorporate weights. I have been using 10 lb. hand weights and will gradually increase that as the number of repetitions decreases in later phases of the program. I really appreciate the adequate rest time that is given in between difficult exercises on this DVD. You are given between 45 seconds-1 minute to rest in between. Sometimes it is “active rest,” but it still allows you plenty of time to recover before attempting the next set. The workout ends with what is called a “finisher.” This is basically your chance to make sure you are exhausted and have done all that you can. 😛 The “finisher” is either mountain climbers, lunges, or squats. You just do as many repetitions as you can in a certain amount of time.

That is all I have to report for this week. I will talk about the Strength 1 workout next week and it will also be my 4 week update with new pictures and measurements! Ahh! I’m going to have to work hard this week to make up for last week. Hope you all have a fabulous week. Thanks for reading!

Bows and Arrows,

Ashley

The Fitness Diaries: Weeks 1-2

Hello! I’m back for my Sunday fitness update. I kind of dropped the ball for last Sunday’s update. I was having a bad day and didn’t want my negativity to rub off on the post so I just decided to skip it. I hope you’ll forgive me!

So, I’m feeling pretty good because I have successfully completed 2 weeks of consistent working out. I have been following the Drop Two Sizes DVD program and also walking and running on almost every other day. For me the hardest part of keeping a workout routine is actually starting a routine and staying committed to it.  After a while it starts to become just another part of your day, but in the beginning it may really feel like a chore. Now that I already have 2 weeks behind me, I’m feeling much more motivated to continue. Before I get into the details of what I’ve been doing the past two weeks I wanted to briefly talk about my thoughts on fitness and working out. If you don’t care so much about this part, you can skip over it, but I just wanted to share.

Becoming more physically fit and living a healthy lifestyle is just that- a lifestyle change. It is not accomplished by some magic pill or by a certain special workout program. Losing weight and getting fit is all about dedication and repetition. There are so MANY ways you can achieve your fitness goals, but your motivation and dedication will be the determining factor in your success. How often you workout is much more important than how you workout. But, obviously you want your workouts to complement your fitness goals. If you want to gain muscle mass you’re not going to just cardio all day everyday. My point is, I don’t want you guys to think that because I am doing this DVD program I am promoting it as being better than any other workout. Because that is not the case at all.  I think people should do what works for them, whether that is going to the gym or working out at home/outside with your own equipment.  Personally, I get very distracted by other people at the gym and it causes me to lose focus.  In a way I view my workout time as personal “me time.” I feel most focused when I am alone or outside in an open space. Sure, I could just do sets of exercises on my own instead of following a person on a DVD, but I like the variety and encouragement that you get from a DVD. Anyway, if you happen to like working out to a DVD like me then great because this is an in-depth review of one. And if you don’t particularly enjoy working out to a DVD that’s okay too, because I’ll be sharing other workouts and also just showing how being consistent (with pretty much any workout) will give you results.

My Workout Schedule

Week 1:

Monday: Strength 2

Tuesday: Short walk with Rose (~1 mile)

Wednesday: Rest (I was sore and I worked all day!)

Thursday: Strength 1

Friday: Run/walk with Rose (~2 miles)

Saturday: Strength 2

Sunday: Rest again

Week 2:

Monday: Rest..again. I was supposed to do a “Timed Metabolic” workout from the DVD, but I just couldn’t bring myself to do it. I was really worn out from week 1. I was also really regretting that workout hiatus that happened around the holidays at this point.

Tuesday: Strength 1

Wednesday: Short walk with Rose (~1 mile)

Thursday: Strength 2

Friday: Run/walk with Rose (~2 miles)

Saturday: Strength 1

Sunday: Rest (again I was supposed to do a “Countdown Metabolic” workout from the DVD, but it didn’t happen)

It seems like I have a hard time getting motivated to workout on Sunday and Monday, so I’m going to have to try a little harder next week! Instead of working out today I went to TJ Maxx and bought a sports bra and a Nike tank top. That’s at least workout related, right. Haha!

So far, I feel like I am getting pretty good results with the workouts. Obviously there has not been any drastic changes in anything yet, but I can tell that I’m getting stronger and my legs, shoulders, and arms seem to be toning up some already. Two more weeks and Phase 1 of the DVD program will be over and I will have completed 4 weeks of workouts. I plan on doing updated measurements and pictures at the end of week 4, so that should be interesting to see. Hopefully, there will be some noticeable changes…*fingers crossed*! Until then, be sure to check back next Sunday for my weekly workouts and a brief description of some of the workouts I’ve been doing.  Lastly, what are some things you guys do to get motivated to workout on the days when you’re not feeling motivated? Leave me some comments! 🙂 Thanks for reading.

Bows and Arrows,

Ashley

The Fitness Diaries: Introduction

Hey guys! I am so excited to introduce this new series of posts I will be doing!  Now that the holidays are officially over it is time that I get my butt back in gear and start working out regularly again. I took a two month hiatus because well, it just always happens to me around the holidays. I went from working out at least 3 times a week to doing basically nothing 😦 There was just so much going on and as much as I enjoy the feeling of satisfaction I get after a good workout, I can also enjoy being lazy just as much sometimes.  But, in reality working out makes me happy and when I’m not working out I’m a less happy and less confident person. And that’s just no good! So, to motivate myself, and you guys, I have decided to do “fitness diaries” to share with you all my workouts and my progress and results. I don’t know if I have mentioned this before, but I actually prefer working out at home or outside over going to the gym. My love for at home workouts has lead to my acquiring a pretty large collection of workout DVD’s. Trying out new workout DVD programs has kind of become a fun little hobby of mine.  Part of what I hope to accomplish through these posts is to provide reviews on some of the DVD’s that I own by completing the programs and tracking my progress and experience with them. For my first review/fitness diary I have decided to do my most recently purchased DVD program combined with stationary biking, jogging, walking and whatever else I feel like doing.

The Program: Drop Two Sizes

Description: The program is 12 weeks long. There are 6 DVD’s broken up into phases (1,2, and 3). Each week consists of alternating strength workouts (3 per week) and one metabolic workout (1 per week). This program focuses more on strength training. The program also emphasizes the importance of ignoring the number on the scale and looking at how your clothes fit as a better indicator of progress. Click here for more details about this program.

So, I completed 4 weeks of this program a while back before the holidays and I really enjoyed it. Even after only 4 weeks I noticed my biceps, back, shoulders, and legs shaping up, although sadly most of that is gone now and my biceps are looking puny again.  I can’t wait to see the results after 12 weeks! To accurately track my progress I decided to take body measurements. I also took some really awkward photographs that I should be embarrassed to put on the internet, but I’m doing it anyway! 😛 I did not weigh myself because I don’t own a scale and I try VERY hard not to worry about that number and focus more on how I look and feel. Plus, this workout program is really all about “ditching the scale” anyway. I know I am at a healthy weight for my height and age, so it’s not really important for me to pay close attention to the number on the scale.

My Starting Measurements (1/12):

Waist: 26.5 inches

Hips: 37.5 inches

Thigh (R): ~22 inches

Thigh (L): ~22 inches

Upper arm (R): ~10 inches

Upper arm (L): ~10 inches

Sorta flexing? I dunno…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My right little bicep. Yes, that’s a big scar on my arm. I was a clumsy child.

My left little bicep. Yeah, look at those stretch marks..proof that I am a yoyo exerciser

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So, I know it’s hard to really tell what my body looks like, but I was not about to make it even more awkward and take bikini pictures, so this will have to do. Sorry to disappoint you. haha! I kid, I kid. Today is technically Day 2, because I did the first strength workout yesterday. Today I worked for 8 hours on my feet (hey, that counts!) and then took my dog for a 20 minute walk. Tomorrow will be Day 3, another strength exercise. I plan on posting once a week, on Sundays, to update you all on how the previous week went. I will also be describing the DVD workouts in greater detail, while also explaining any other workouts I do that are not a part of the Drop Two Sizes Program. When I complete this DVD program I would love to try out a new one and track my progress and results for you guys again. If you have any suggestions for at-home workouts (DVD’s or otherwise) please leave them for me in the comments.

If you read all of that I am really impressed! I promise every week will not be this long, so please keep an eye out for my Sunday updates. If you have any questions, comments, and/or encouragement I would love to hear from you! Thanks for reading 🙂

Bows and Arrows,

Ashley