Health & Wellness by Lexa's Journal

My mission in life is to not merely survive, but to thrive: and do so with passion, compassion, humor, and style. – Maya Angelou

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An eternal optimist, always wearing a smile. Must haves: sunshine, fitness (jogging, weight training, & CrossFit), reading, good food, writing, music, and fun with family and friends.

  • Try And Triumph

    I did the 9:30 morning crossFit class today. After warm ups, we started with five minutes of butterfly pull up practice.  I didn’t think much of it because I’m accustomed to meeting the bar half way only to fail without a band.

    As usually, I say, what the heck and I give it a try with a lot of UMPH….

    try
    Image courtesy of POPSUGAR Fitness on Pinterest

    Instead of using a box to reach up to the high bar, I jumped up to grab the bar and immediately started my Kipping practice.  Focusing on the movement I practice moving the hips forward, then backward.

    Guess what?  After a dose of inspiration (watching fellow crossFit chicks knock out several butter fly pull ups), I gave an extra umph…

    Whatta you know….

    My chin touched the bar!!!!!

    Oooooh…my….gosh!!  High fives and cartwheels are in order!  Who knew that the kipping would get me up there?  Lol!!  Everyone but me.  🙂

    The rest of the SWOD was:

    3 strict, 3 butterfly, 3 c2b (chest to bar)

    With the assistance of green ban, I completed the 5 rounds above.

    Moving on to today’s WOD.

    WOD:

    15-12-9-6-3

    Hang Snatch 95/65  75/55   65/45

    OHS (Overhead Squat) 95/65   75/55    65/45

    Ring Dips

    My first 15 hang snatches, I did with 55 pounds; however, by the count of 10, I began to compromise my form, so I removed the weight and used only the 35 pound bar. My form improved so I completed the WOD without using weights.

    Also, I knew that I would struggle with the OHS lifting 55 pounds, so I did it the safe and most effective way.

    I completed the ring dips with the assistance of a band but that didn’t stop the sweat from rolling.  As I moved from station to station, the volume of sweat intensified.  Hair, clothes, sneaks, and the floor; all soaked.   I feel disgusting but love the sweat pouring from my body.  Sick right?  You’ve gotta love working out to appreciate these moments.

    Yes, there was a buy out, which was all ab work.  Sorry, I can only remember the name of one: abmat sit ups.  We did two rounds of 25 reps of three different ab exercises.  My abs were on fire the entire time.

    Every day that I awake to see the sun shine, breath in fresh air, move about freely on my own, and spend time with my family is really a good day.  Successfully performing my first butterfly pull up made the day especially good.

    I’m here to say, don’t give up and keep it movin’!  🙂

     

  • What You Should Know About CrossFit

    If you follow Lexa’s Journal, you have read many posts about my workouts of the day (WOD) in crossFit.

    I love the intensity and the rush of CF!  In an hour’s time, you get a total body workout with lots of calories, fat and, if you’re not careful, muscle mass burned. CF also takes the guessing game out of trying to figure out what to do at the gym. Every day is a new and unexpected challenge. Regardless of your fitness level, with the right instruction, consistency, and good nutrition, you will experience positive results.

     

    Some of the more competitive enthusiasts get caught up in finishing the WOD in record time with record weights. Not me… my focus is form and personal growth.

    If you are new to the scene and are thinking about giving it a try, after you get the nod from your doctor, I suggest you to give it a try.

    Before you do, read this helpful article I found on one of my favorite websites, http://livestrong.com    The article provides solid tips on how to safely incorporate crossFit into your fitness regimen.

    Click here to read the link.

    Remember to keep it movin’ today! 🙂

     

     

  • Summer Fitness Fun

    Fitness should not be boring and mundane.  Staying in shape is about having fun and finding creative ways to workout.

    By now, everyone should know to take the stairs instead of elevators or escalators, but it goes further than that.

    Hubby worked today so it was only me and B’Dazzle.  After an hour of football camp, we played in the backyard. Listening to my favorite summer getaway tunes,  Shaggy, Michael Franti & Spearhead, Straight No Chaser, I’m Yours/Somewhere Over The Rainbow, and whatever else Pandora came up with, we left the state.  Ha! Ha!! Metaphorically speaking of course. LOL!

    Complete relaxed and thankful at the same time.
    Completely relaxed and thankful at the same time.

    photo (2)

    We floated in the pool for bit then move to intense water gun and super soaker water fights.  My demise came with bat mitten.  After both of us missing the ball way too many times, we upped the ante.

    These babies did me in with pushups.
    These babies did me in with push ups.

    Whoever missed a “catchable” ball/mitt had to do 10 push ups at the command of the other.  I was certain that my son would be doing more push ups!  Ha!  The joke was on me. His hand-eye coördination is better than he let on.  I found myself kissing the grass doing push ups at his command.

    Up! Down! Up! Down! Don’t come up until I tell you too!

    I stopped counting at 50!!  Lol!  He reminded me that that’s how it’s done in football.

    Me:  I’m mom!

    B’Dazzle:  Oh well, that’s how it’s done in football!!

    He took great pride in standing over me counting.  So while he got to shout orders at mom, I got some exercise in too.  Lol! Had a blast with him out back.

    photo 1 (1) copy
    Enjoying a bag of Doritos.  Yuck!

    Think fun and don’t take it so serious.

    Speaking of fun, today I made one my favorite summer cocktails.

    photo 2 (1)
    I know the glass could have been nicer, but I needed a cup that would be stable while floating in the pool.

    Mango Smoothie

    1 cup of frozen mango
    2 shots of Tequila
    2 shots of Grand Mariner
    splash of sweet and sour
    1/2 cup or so of crushed ice

    Combine ingredients in a smoothie cup.  Blend and serve in your favorite glass. Garnish with a strawberry and enjoy!

    This is not a low-calorie drink, but I’m human and occasionally treat myself.  I floated in the pool while enjoying my frozen treat.

    I hope you enjoyed your day.

    Thanks for stopping by!

  • In Chill Mode

    It’s official, I’m in summer mode!  All the winter snows days made for a late start to my summer.  The patio is only half decorated with flowers, but at this point, I’m saying to heck with the flowers and am going to enjoy my yard as it is.

    Summer 2014
    Summer 2014

    It’s July 28th and today is my first time in the pool this year.  Hubby blew up some floats that I bought at the end of last summer.  I think I like this float.  It has a built-in pillow.

    My plan today was to workout at the gym (back day) then run the Ocean City Bridge. Guess what?  Lol!  I did neither because I slept just a little past 9:30 this morning and decided to make it a rest day.  Besides, my biceps and legs are still sore from the last two workouts; the rest will do my body good. We took B’Dazzle to his football conditioning class and now I’m relaxing in the back yard.

    Tomorrow I will hit the weights.

    Enjoy the day!

  • Friday’s WOD

     

    Obsession, commitment or both? Just wondering.
    Obsession, commitment or both? Just wondering.

    Daniel

    50 Pull-ups
    400 meter run
    21 Thrusters 95/65
    800 meter run
    21 Thrusters 95/65
    400 meter run
    50 Pull-ups

    Refreshing! Now that I am on my summer break, I get to do the morning WOD’s.

    With 15 minutes to spare, I dropped B’Dazzle off at camp at 8.15 a.m and made it to the 8:30 a.m. CrossFit class.

    The morning clouds were disappointing because hubby and I had plans to hit the beach. Surprisingly the sun appeared about half way through the WOD and I became more energized.

    My thrusters are getting better. I completed the thrusters lifting 55 pounds, focusing on form. I did well and broke them down into sets of 10.

    Pull-ups were deadly!! I rotated between the blue and green bands but was disappointed that I did not complete more with the blue band. I finished and that’s what matters.

    After completing the workout, I left the floor to retrieve my belongings and to cool down. Someone yelled,

    “You missed the buyout!”

    Oh wow! I had no idea. Silly me. Quickly I picked up a kettlebell and began my sit-ups, Russian twists and two other grueling ab exercises. I finished half way before a group picture and the start of the next class.

    20140627-153425-56065303.jpg

    Today’s WOD was the perfect start to a summer weekend.

    What’s next? What else but the beach at the Jersey Shore.

    First beach day of summer 2014; Ocean City, NJ
    First beach day of summer 2014; Ocean City, NJ
    Cooling it with hubby under the umbrella. Summer 2014
    Cooling it with hubby under the umbrella. Summer 2014

    Happy Friday and enjoy your weekend.

     

  • Healthy Lunch Tip

    Who says that a quick-lunch cannot be healthy?  Look at my colorful plate!!!

    Image

    What’s on the plate?  LO’s!  Leftovers.

    A leftover grilled plain sweet potato.  High in potassium, about 448 mg, low in calories, 1 cup, about 114 calories, low in sugar, 6 mg, and considered a healthier carb.

    Leftover grilled bourbon and brown sugar flavored chicken breast. The chicken breast is lean, but the bourbon & brown sugar seasoning, made it a little less.  In moderation, it’s okay.

    A ginormous hand full of UNCOOKED USDA Certified Organic  50/50 Mix of baby spinach & spring mix blend. If you keep baby spinach or a blend of green veggies like this on hand, you’ll never have to stress over the unavailability of cooked veggies.  Tossing them in the microwave for two minutes with a little pan drippings is perfect.

    Image

    Everything on the plate was taken directly from the fridge.  I simply heated the plate two minutes in the microwave.  After the two minutes, I tried not to wolf it down too quickly, but it was good and…. HEALTHY!

    Remember, your food choices should compliment your fitness regimen.  For the best results, they must work together.

    After B’Dazzle’s one hour-long football conditioning camp, I could have eaten out. But, dining out usually mean less healthier food choices.  I knew I had a bunch of leftovers in the fridge, so I made the smarter choice.

    If you’re seeking a healthier lifestyle, remember the choice is all yours.

    I’m out back coolin it at the pool with B’Dazzle.  It is raining and he is in the pool!  He’s already wet, so why let the rain spoil our afternoon.  Kids love to play in the rain.  So do I!

    Enjoy the day!   Smooches!