@fit_stubonic17

I know I haven't done a blog post about an athlete in a month or so, but I am SO honored to do this blog post. There are very few people in this world that have such an amazing outlook on life! I came across this Instagram page and was instantly inspired. I spent a good portion of my day talking to this athlete and I can genuinely say, he is one of the very few people I have met that is trying to inspire people so much! 

Please meet @fit_stubonic17. Here's what he had to say about his fitness journey "So I am based out of Cherry Hill, New Jersey ... Raised in Southampton, NJ . What motivated me to start  was to make a difference. Make a positive difference to the world and myself.  My life has challenges and I simply want to conquer them.  And also I have fun and feel better doing it!  Rock music 🎶 and feeling good is what keeps me Motivated!!!! My favorite Muscle group to workout is Back but legs are in a close second! Now, what I do to target back are standing dumbbell Rows, LatPull downs ,  back extensions flipping Tires and my personal favorite, Hex Bar deadlifts!!!" 

Patience

Sometimes I astonish myself. I am LITERALLY the most impatient person I know. I wonder how I can stay so consistent and patient in my journey. I've learned that through my journey, when I want something bad enough, even my ugliest habits are staying out of my way. I'm trusting the process more than anything and I'm actually focused on my goals. By the 20th of February, I wanna be down to 134 lbs. that's 4 lbs. I really need to be consistent at tracking my intake. My ultimate goal was to lose half a lb each weak because I want to drop weight and be focused on that, but I'm going dress shopping for a wedding and I want to be slightly toned up before then and I'm going to kick it into high gear. 

Today's workout:

Box squats:

4X10-15 reps

The heavier the weight, the less reps 

Step ups:

4X4-6 reps per leg

Mini circuit:

Barbell lunges:

12 reps per leg

Kettle bell swings:

12 reps 

Sled push:

From one end to another 

Repeat 4 X's

Tire flip superset sprints:

4X14 flips/sprinting to one end and back twice

Cardio:

Jump rope tabata:

23 mins

Can't walk

Have you ever finished a workout and been so damn proud of yourself? That was me today! My legs were dying and I wanted to quit so many times, but I pushed through. I felt like I was going to die! And my legs are still shaking! I am going to try and push myself more and more every single workout!

Today's workout:

Squats:

3X12-15 reps

Leg Press:

3X15 controlled reps

Circuit:

Over head squats:

10 reps

Box jumps:

10 reps

Bulgarian squats:

10 reps per leg

Split squats:

20 reps

Repeat 4 X's no break between workouts

Sumo-squats:

45 lb plate 12 reps

Superset-Sled push:

Repeat 4 X's

Cardio:

Tabata jump rope:

20 mins 

Growth

Growth comes from change. And change causes growth. So I've been trying to change up my workouts cause honestly I'm really just trying to better myself as an athlete. I love getting in the gym and trying new things! I'm always challenging myself. I've learned that in order to see significant change, you must be constantly challenging yourself. I'm trying to push myself. Whether it be crazy new workouts OR it just being adding more weight. I've been feeling sore more often then not and I LOVE it. I feel like my body is changing. I may not be where I want to be, but I will be sooner than later! 

Today's workout:

Lat pulldown:

4X10-12 reps

Face pulls:

4X12-15 reps

Dumbbell rows:

4X12 reps each arm

T-bar row:

4X10-20 reps

Rear Delt machine:

4X12-15 reps

Machine row:

4 X12 reps 

Cardio:

HIIT stairs:

25 mins

This Christmas

Ok, well maybe NOT this Christmas, but Dec, 25th 2016, I got myself the best gift EVER! I decided that day, I would focus on  slimming down, BUT never depriving myself again. I has been exactly one month and I'm down 6 lbs. I am honestly so proud of myself! It wasn't easy, but I'm proud I decided to do this for myself! I have been eating foods I love (in moderation) I mean, last night I had ice cream, and I weighed in this morning at 138. It's the greatest feeling EVER! I'm learning to feed my cravings, but not over due it. For women especially, it can be harder to control binge eating and cravings because of our bodies. Which girl can curb cravings around her period? Close to none. It took me so much time to be able to do that! Now I don't worry about overdoing it because I give into my cravings. I'll have a serving size of the chips, a piece of the chocolate, and on days that I burn extra calories I'll even indulge in a full dessert. If this was two years ago, I would have caved after just that little taste. I would have fallen off track and ruined all my hard work. It's honestly easier than you think. If you count out exact servings and monitor your caloric intake you can enjoy the things you love also. I have about a little bit over a month to be down to 130. This summer I'm aiming for a lean 125. Ultimately, my goal is not what the number on the scale says, but I would love to be at 12% body fat.

Today's workout: bicep focused

Cable  straight pull shoulder raise:

4X10-15 reps

Cable curls:

4X12 reps

Seated military press:

4X12-15 reps

Superset barbell curls:

4X10 reps

Drop set dumbbell curl:

20 lbs 10 reps per arm regular curl

17.5 lbs 10 reps per arm hammer curl

15 lbs 12 reps per arm concentration curl

Repeat 3 X's

Cardio:

Elliptical: 26 mins

Whyyyy

I seriously have a problem, I'm not sure if anyone else does this. Because I notice that I'm making progress, it's like psychological, I cannot stop eating the next day. I'm not sure why that happens, but it is beyond frustrating. It's taken me time to ACTUALLY start seeing results like I want, and then I'm right there fucking it up again. That is one thing I truly struggle with. Recognizing I'm making progress and not messing that progress up. It may be just today(I HOPE) but I'm going to try and focusing on being in a deficit by the end of the day. Time to up my protein intake in hopes I'll stay fuller longer. 

Today's workout: 

Cable flys:

4X12-16 reps

Cable tricep extension:

Drop-set 4 weights 6 reps each weight  

4X24(total) reps

Over head extension:

4X12-15 reps

Incline bench press:

Add weight each set

4X10-15 reps

Reverse curl:

4X12-15 reps

Superset:

Dumbbel tricep kickback:

4X12 reps per arm 

Cardio:

Elliptical:

25 mins 

Happy dance

Today's post is a big time celebration for me. I've been on my journey for about three years now and man have I struggled. July of 2016 I hit my lowest weight in a long time at 126, I was training extra hard as I had a 2-weeks mexican beach vacation. I was feeling amazing. On my trip I ended up getting sick, not being able to eat for about 6 full days and lost weight and muscle mass unbelievably. When I got back to the states I decided to take a break from clean eating. For two years STRAIGHT I had been eating ONLY clean. I had no cheat meals, no breaks, no sweets, and frankly I was sick and tired of eating that way; so I stopped. I began slowly adding treats here and there and before I knew it, I was up to 144 lbs. In 5 months, I gained 18 lbs. It was not as noticeable, but I felt it. Starting the last week of December I decided I wanted to change my body again. It's been a little under a month and I'm down about 5 lbs. I'm happier than ever. Because I'm eating what I want, in moderation, I'm lifting heavier than before, AND I'm still cutting weight. I don't think I've ever been this proud of myself when it has come to my fitness journey. I would be happy at 130 lbs, but I'm aiming for 125-128 lbs by June, without having to deprive myself of anything. I've learned to incorporate the foods I love into my daily intake. It's not easy and honestly when I stepped on the scale at 144 last month, I was heart broken. I felt like I back tracked everything I had worked for in the past three years. Now, I'm excited. I feel like I FINALLY have control over my body again and I cannot wait till June. I'm debating on posting pictures of January to June but have not decided yet. It's all about consistency and learning to listen to your body. 

Today's workout:

Barbell lunges:

4X12 reps per leg

Sled push: 

4 sets add 10 lbs per set

Tire flip: superset with sprints

4 sets

Box jumps:

4X10 

Super 

Kettle bell swings

4X20 

Cardio:

Spin bike 25 mins

Sick 🤢

So my blog has been very sluggish and I'm sorry about that, but my personal life has been very hectic. 

With that being said, I'm going to jump right into it. I think this year, my body is going to go through some ridiculous changes. I'm planning on staying as focused as possible because I have some big plans for the fitness aspect of my life. I don't really want to give a lot away, but all I will say is, just stay tuned. 

Right now, I'm extremely sick. I have not gotten sick for like 3 years now and honestly this sucks. I have been trying to go about my normal life even though I am sniffling and my body aches. I actually went through a typical Saturday. Trained full body for an hour, cycling for an hour, I came home cleaned the house, took an hour bath, and then passed out for like 3 hours. I've been pumping myself with vitamin C, gargling salt water, and trying to stay hydrated but honestly, I feel like hell. Tomorrow I'm gonna hit the sauna and try and sweat it out. With me luck. 

Today was a typical Saturday, workout wise. I did the circuit room for an hour and the cycled. 

Growth Season

Ok y'all! I'm honestly trying my best to cut down, but it's really hard. For someone who works in an office an dis always sitting, it can be even harder. I truly believe everything is mind over matter. I always tell myself that I have done this before and that I can do it again. It's not easy and I am NOWHERE near where I want to be. I'm truly just trying to "grow" as an athlete. And by grow I don't mean muscle wise, I'm talking about just in general, I want to all around be better in and outside of the gym.  Meal wise, training wise, and even to get my mind right. You honestly cannot succeed if your mindset is off. And I feel like that's what I'm struggling with the most. I can't stay focused for the life of me. I've been doing this for 3 years now and it is no easier than it was on day one. I understand my body a lot more, I know how to do things to get the results I want, but I'm still struggling. It's really hard to get back on track and focus like I was 6-7 months ago because I've been so freely eating and not so fixated on counting calories and macros and such. Today I'm going to actually try and do that to just see exactly what I'm looking at. 

Today's workout:

Deadlift:

5X8-15

Squats AMRAP:

4X exhaustion 

Cable kick backs:

3X10-12 reps per leg

Duck walk:

6 sets

Sled push:

3 Sets with adding weight each set

Tire slips super sprints:

4 sets 

Cardio:

Spin bike 20 mins

1Up

So I got some samples from 1Up nutrition and as I go through them, I'm going to be periodically reviewing them. So today I used the pro-pump for women in the key-lime ice flavor. Flavor wise it was pretty spot on. It was sour, which I actually liked. Through out my workout, I felt the pump in my bicep and shoulder and it was amazing! 

For today, well, last night I tried there women's beauty dream, and I was out. I do track my sleep and it showed that last night I slept longer than I have been. 

Because I forgot to post my blog yesterday, I have incorporated it into two sections today. I'm sorry for being so spacey on my blog. I'm going to try my absolute best to hit a post everyday and if I can't every other day. 

GROWTH

I know my blogs haven't been the best, but I am truly trying to figure out what everyone wants to read and follow. I'm going through suggestions so please bare with me. I'm currently at a place in my journey where I'm trying to put as much muscle on my body as possible. I'm pushing myself with weights as much as I possibly can. I'm pushing through the pain and the burn, I want to feel and see the changes in my body as much as I possibly can. 

Today's workout:

Flat bench press machine:

4X12-15 reps

Incline bench press machine:

4X12-15 reps

Reverse curls:

4X12 reps or heavy weight

Tricep extensions:

4X15 reps 

Cable flyers: superset

4X12-15 reps

Set5: burnout set

Super: tricep kick back

4X12 reps per arms

Set 5: burnout set 

Cardio:

Elliptical 30 mins

Change

So today I pushed it to a different limit! Honestly I'm loving the way I'm pushing myself! I didn't ever imagine I would be in the gym training this hard. I'm having a totally "proud of myself" moment.  3 years ago when I first started getting into the gym, I would look at women who trained the way I am training now, and I wished I could do that. I focused, and I did it. I'm pushing myself with every single workout I'm hitting. My goal is to be the best version of myself this year in all aspects and I'm not quitting till I do it. 

Today's workout:

Box squats:

4X10-12 reps

Leg press:

5X15 

Duck walk:

5 sets of heavy weight

Barbell lunges:

4X12 reps per leg 

Sled push:

5 sets

Tire flip:

4 sets

Super set:

Sprints:

4 sets 

Cardio:

Cycling: 

25 mins

Moov Now

Ok so I'm gonna do a mid-point review on my Moov tracker, as I've used most of the functions on it. For the most part, it's pretty damn accurate on tracking calories and such. The thing I HATE about it is, it'll track calories on a time basis. Meaning it won't tell me how many calories I burned in a workout UNLESS I'm using one of heir functions. That drives me mad as I like to know how many calories I burn in the course of a workout, but have to wait till the next day to see how many calories I burned. When tracking food and wanting to slip a snack in, I really can't. For someone who is trying to lose fat, that's not so bad, as it keeps me more focused. Today I used the cycling coach as I did a cycling class and it was amazing! It coached me through the ENTIRE hour workout. It's amazing!

Workout:
Full body circuit: 1 hour
Cycling: 1 hour

Shakey legs

Have you ever trained so hard your ENTIRE body shakes? Well that ACTUALLY happened to me this morning. I trained legs so hard, they were spasming! I was trying to end my leg day with lunges and it was so hard for me to do so!! I feel like I'm making legitimate progress at this point in my journey as I'm growing and losing weight at the same time. 

Today's workout:

Stiff leg dead lifts 

4X10-12

Box Squats:

4X12-15

Mini circuit:

Kettle bell goblet squats:

15 reps

Kettle bell swing: 

12 reps

Sled push:

Sprint

Repeat 4 X's

Box jumps:

4X8

Lunges:

3X10 reps per leg

Cardio: 

Spin bike 20 mins 

New You

Before I get started on today's blog post, I wanna ask you all what you wanna SEE or have me WRITE about, yes I will take suggestions and make videos. I'm trying to take my blog and journey to an entirely different level and I'm ask YOU what you would like to see?!

So today I'm going to talk about the whole "new year, new me" that everyone talks about, PLUS I'm going to give you tips on how you can drag that attitude out long term. 

It's no secret, I used to be that person who would always talk about change. Changing my life, my attitude, my eating habits, and my laziness. It took me YEARS to actually do it. 

Growing up, I was the fatter sibling. My oldest sister weight 80 lbs, my other sister was a size 2, my brother was a soccer player, and then there was the tubby younger sibling (if you haven't guessed, that's me). 

Every Monday, every first of the month, every new year, I said that was my day. But for about 3-4 years it was bullshit. When I was at my heaviest (165-170lbs) I was eating every hour on the hour, but it was unhealthy foods. Initially I gained a ton of weight as my hormones started to change in my pre-teen years and it stuck. I found myself HATING the way I looked and it brought my self esteem down, my mood down, and my entire outlook on life was pretty much shot. Dramatic, right? Well not necessarily, you can't be happy in life when you aren't happy with yourself. So one summer morning I was up early and threw on some runners and I ran till I couldn't run anymore, and then I walked, then ran again. And so it started. I had no idea what I was starting that day, my eating habits didn't change and even though I was being more active I was struggling. So one day I decided I wouldn't drink soda, a week later I ran a little longer. Periodically I began removing my unhealthy habits and tracking my progress in running. By the end of that summer I was down 20 lbs and I felt GREAT. Since that day I've kept pushing forward. Eventually I got a gym membership and boy was I lost. I started researching workouts and how to correctly train them and it helped. Then I purchased my first workout guide for women and I worshipped that book. I read it front to back non stop. From there I've developed my own training style. I love lifting heavy weights, but I also like to sweat and get my heart rate pumping. Over the time I got down to about 123 lbs though I have put some back on, I still feel amazing. 

Tips to sticking it through:

• Make yourself accountable
• Focus on the long term goal
• Do NOT deprive yourself, because you will have a breaking point and will binge
• Be proud of yourself
• Have mini goals to reach the big picture
• Track your eating, once you see it, you'll change what you eat 
• Eat EXACT serving sizes of the unhealthy foods
• Find a motivated gym partner
• If you fail for a day, week, or month find your way back 
• Ask for advice

Consistency

Ok, so I'm coasting at about 135 lbs right now. It feels good because a few months ago, I was at 142 lbs. I have been pretty consistent and it is the BEST feeling ever. Because I'm not depriving myself, BUT I am  still seeing change. I've also been able to push myself with the weights. This week I upped my bench AND my curl weight. It feels good. This next leg day (Friday) I'll actually be trying some different things. Today I trained Bi's and Shoulders. 

Today's workout:

Smith machine shoulder press

4X10-12

Superset with

Barbell curl drop set:

40 lbs 6reps

30 lbs 8 reps

Repeat 4 X's

Cable shoulder raises:

4X12

Cable curl drop set:

70 lbs 5 reps

60 lbs 5 reps

50 lbs 5 reps

Repeat 4 X's

Hercules curls:

3X12

Single arm dumbbell press: 

4x 10 reps per arm

Super set with:

Hammer curls:

4X10 

Cardio:

Elliptical stepper:

35 mins

Moov Now

So I'm actually going to be giving a review of this new fitness tracker I'm trying out. So far, I actually like it. I'm using the Moov Now and it is supposed to track calories burned, sleep, and even coach form. So far it's pretty amazing, except for the fact that I couldn't figure it out at first. Another awesome thing so far is that there is no charging. There is a battery and it lasts for six months. Another thing I LOVE is it's water proof. I don't have to constantly worry about washing my hands or taking it off in the shower. So for the next few weeks I'll be periodically giving a check in on how I like or dislike it. 

Legs!

It's not secret I train legs 10 X's as hard as any body part. I am naturally heavier toward the bottom end and I feel that I am able to with stand tougher workouts. I train legs twice a week, every week, with no exceptions. Today I was my second day of legs this week and honestly, I feel as if I'm not only going to be sore, but I'm going to struggle walking. 

Today's workout:

Squats:

4 sets 10-15 reps each set add weight

Set 5: lighter weight for 12 pause reps

Dead lift:

4 sets with increasing weight each set

8-10 reps

Weighted step-up: superset with

3 sets 10 reps per leg

Box jumps:

3 sets 10 reps

Kettle bell squats: superset with

40 lbs 15 reps

Sled push:

Add weight each set

Repeat 5 X's

Cardio:

Cycling bike for 30 mins 

Back Attack

Today's blog is going to be a like pat on the back toward myself. I'm honestly so excited because I had such a KILLER back workout today. I haven't really posted about my own workouts in a while and I'm honestly seeing SO much progress

Today's workout:

Lat pushdown 

Sets 1-3: 15 reps heavy weight

Set 4: drop 10 lbs burn out

Lat pull down:

Set 1-3: 12 reps heavy weight

Set 4: Drop 10 lbs and burn out

Cable bent over row:

Sets 1-2: moderate weight 15 reps

Set 3: add 10 lbs 12 reps

Set 4: add 10 lbs 10 reps

V-bar pull down:

Sets 1-3: 15 reps heavy weight

Set 4: drop 10 lbs burn out

Single arm cable row:

10 reps per arm start with moderate weight add 5 lbs per set

4 sets total

T-bar row:

Set 1: 65 lbs 15 reps

Set 2: 75 lbs 15 reps

Set 3-5: 85 lbs 12 reps

Assisted pull ups: super set push up

6 sets 6 reps (pull ups)

6 sets 10 reps (push ups)

Cardio:

Elliptical stepper 35 mins