Music Motivation-

If there's anything that can ruin a workout for me, it would have to be not having music at the gym. Everyone knows that trying to workout without music is like trying to lift without limbs (okay, I admit that might be a bit of an over-exaggeration) but honestly, I think that everyone can relate to this. With hundreds of memes floating around about failed workouts due to forgotten headphones, or low batteries on our phones/mp3 players, workouts without music can be bland, and become a chore. When I have the right music, it has the same effect on me as a preworkout. It gets me pumped, in focus, and I drown out those around me in order to murder my sets. I mix up my workout playlists with different genres of music. Personally, I love listening to all types of music. As long as it has a good beat and is fast paced for the most part, I can get in the groove and work out.

This week's queue:

1) I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor- Arctic Monkeys

2) 23- Mike Will Made It feat. Miley Cyrus, Wiz Khalifa, and Juicy J

3) Pour It Up- Rihanna

4) Trouble- Neon Jungle

5) Thinking About You- Calvin Harris

6) Bulletproof- La Roux

7) Sad Sad City- Ghostland Observatory

8) Baby's On Fire- Die Antwoord

9) Memories- David Guetta feat. Kid Cudi

10) Give It 2 You- Robin Thicke feat. Kendrick Lamar

11) Wild For The Night- A$AP Rocky feat. Skrillex

12) Black Skinhead- Kanye West

13) Ball- T.I. feat. Lil Wayne

14) Dark Horse- Katy Perry feat. Juicy J

15) 212- Azealia Banks feat. Lazy Jay

16) Fireworks- The Whitest Boy Alive

17) Motivation- Kelly Rowland feat. Lil Wayne

18) Gotta Have It- Kanye West and Jay Z

19) Heartbreaker- MSTRKRFT feat. John Legend

20) Tom Ford- Jay Z

21) Bad Girls- M.I.A. 

22) Black and Gold- Sam Sparro

23) Crown On The Ground- Sleigh Bells

24) Sunshine- Rye Rye

25) Opposite Of Adults- Chiddy Bang

26) The Fighter- Gym Class Heroes feat. Ryan Tedder

27) Can I Have It Like That- Pharrell


-J

Catching up with A&J

A:

Wow! What a weekend I have had! As you know I was headed to Ohio on Thursday for the Arnold Expo and it couldn't have possibly been more amazing. I arrived on Thursday and spent the evening watching the men's physique along with women's bikini, fitness and figure prejudging. I spent the first night with Nikki (@pennywakefield) who is such a complete sweetheart.  Friday was spent meeting some my fitspo inspirations such as Jazzy (@jazzythings) Amy (@fitamysuzanne) and the one and only Dana Linn Bailey! Friday evening (which included dinner and a group lifting session) along with the rest of the weekend was spent with Lacey (@faithandfit) Emilia (@emiliafit) Zoe (@zoelivelovelift) and Kim(@pbeechie). Love these girlies! I learned so much from them and had a wonderful time getting to know them. What an experience it was to see Instagram friends turn into real life friends. They are all so supportive and I left feeling 10x more comfortable about my upcoming competition and my current prep. The expo was absolutely amazing, so many muscles in one place! I received samples from all my favorites: Cellucor, Optimum Nutrition, and Quest. I discovered new favorites such as Fitmiss and Perky Jerky. I could go on and on about my weekend and I will expand in other posts. Stay tuned for the weekends expo fashion- what was bought and what everyone was wearing. Also to come is a more in depth look of some supplement brands and samples that I fell in love with!

J:

Okay, so although I am super jealous of Arlene because she got to go to the Arnold Expo and had tons of fun, my week was pretty eventful too as well. I had some great workouts at the beginning of the week burning anywhere from 1600-2800 calories per session. I felt like I had a break through and honestly was getting the most of my workouts. I decided to reward myself with some new gym clothes. By Thursday I realized that I had a lot of homework to finish before my classes on Monday. Thursday night I got a call that I would be starting my new job at OSH on Friday. I spent all weekend at work trying to familiarize myself with the processes and the way things are done. Between that and getting caught up with my school work, I didn't have time to go to the gym all weekend. I woke up today feeling really down about myself, although I had been eating clean for the most part I still felt like I had taken three steps back. The more I thought about the missed opportunities I had at the gym, the more unmotivated I started to feel. Then I saw a quote on Instagram "Don't wait until you've reached your goal to be proud of yourself. Be proud of every step you take toward reaching that goal." I started looking back at old pictures of myself and I looked at myself in the mirror. My body still looked the same as it had 3 days ago, and while I definitely hadn't gained strength or muscle, I hadn't gained any fat either. I took a look at how far I've come and realized that skipping the gym for a few days isn't going to kill me or make me fat again. It just gives me that much more motivation to kill my next workout. I was stuck in class until 10pm but I definitely hit the gym afterwards and was proud of what I accomplished. 

Gym Fashion 101

It's the middle of the week and I know that at least for me this is when my gym outfits tend to start getting a little boring. I tend to wear my "cuter" clothes at the beginning of the week and by the end of the week my outfits start to get a little more bland. I didn't want to fall victim to this so I wanted to show how to keep it cute and fun all week by adding some color in. Nothing gives you more motivation to kill your workout than knowing you look cute doing it.

The Outfit:

Knicker, Tank, Hoodie, Bra, Shoes, Water Bottle, Headband



I started with a pair of pretty simple running knickers which are super cool because the internal drawstring made sure they stayed in place during my run and the side pockets were great to hold my phone while lifting! A little insight about me: I'm a HUGE basketball fan and an even BIGGER New York Knicks fan. I decided to show my team some loyalty and support since we're not doing so hot right now with this uber cute rhinestone tank. Since blue and orange are complementary colors, they really pop out when paired together. We've been having some rainy/overcast weather lately in San Jose so I made sure to bring along a hoodie to keep me warm on my way to the gym and on the way home. Now I've always been picky when it comes to sports bras. I always like my bras to make me feel comfortable and give me enough support while working out. Whether I'm doing yoga, running, or lifting, it's always great to have a bra with good support. This bra is honestly AMAZING. The ruched detailing in the center avoids the uni-boob dilemma (when your sports bras mash your boobs together giving the illusion of only having one breast) and it's got removable padding in case you need the coverage. I finished off my look with a few other pops of the coral/orange color in my shoes, headband, and water bottle.


The Workout:

Since I hadn't worked out legs since Sunday, I decided to hit legs today

Cardio:

30 min stairmaster

15 min elliptical

back squats 10X4

leg extensions 12X3

plie squats with kettle bell 12X3

raised squats with kettle bell 15X3

leg press calf raises 12X3

glute kick backs 10X3 (each leg)

leg press 15X3

cable hip abductions 12X3 (each leg)

Cardio:

Walking lunges on treadmill at 15% incline for 10 mins

So I had started off the morning with a 2.24 mile run before it started pouring on us in San Jose and burned about 230 calories. I ended up making my way to the gym at about 1:30pm. With my new pre-workout I had an insane amount of energy and with the boost of motivation from my cute gym outfit I killed my leg day workout burning 1426 calories in a little less than two hours!!

-J

Food for Fuel

Today we are going to go back to the beginning where my fitness journey began. Whether you're starting off for the first time, trying to get back on track or just looking for new recipes this one is for you. As Jocelyn has stated we are constantly on the go, which can make eating healthy difficult. If you aren't prepared for on-the-go days it will be really hard to stay on track. As they say "Failing to prepare is preparing to fail". And we want everyone to be set up for success. With that said, let's go back to where I first saw success: Green Smoothies. Green smoothies combined with a few runs a week and never setting foot in the gym left me 13 pounds lighter and my mother 20 pounds lighter. Green smoothies are a great way to begin and a perfect way to detox if you've slipped up. Now this recipe will be slightly different as there are so many options and add-in and substitutions you can do. I will give you my go to recipe and then show you ways you can mix up your own.

2 handfuls of spinach
2oz of water
1 apple
1 banana
1 tbsp chia seed
8 Ice cubes

Toss everything into a decent blender and there you go!! I would say that this serves up two servings; I usually drink one glass and take the rest with me in my Isobag. As long as it is refrigerated, it is still delicious later on in the day. Now, I have been drinking these bad boys for over a year now and I am quite accustomed to the taste but here are ways you can make it a little sweeter or just was to tweak it to fit what you have in the fridge. I have tried every item I am suggesting but certain combinations will taste better than others just listen to your stomach. Be cautious not to be adding in too many sweets, fruits are plenty sweet so let's try to keep it simple. Simplicity is key.

Base
- Water
- Almond Milk
- Coconut Water

Greens
- Spinach
- Kale
- Romaine lettuce

Fruit
- Apple
- Banana
- Pineapple
- Berries

Vegetables
- Carrots
-  Cucumber
-  Celery

Add-ins
- Almonds
- Coconut
- Honey
- Protein powder
- Greek Yogurt
- Chia seed
- Flax seed


-A

Catching up with A&J

A:

Another week has passed by, which means I'm one week closer to my competition! Many nights this week were spent filling out forms and setting up appointments for my competition. And boy oh boy does it all really add up. I might have slightly underestimated how much this will all cost but I know it will all be worth it when I step on stage. I have put my heart and soul into training and watching my eating, also just becoming more in tune with my body and how  I feel. That might sound crazy, but to be in tune with yourself is such a wonderful thing. I constantly say that this journey is as much of an emotional one as it is physical. To put trust in the process, to put in the effort day after day even if you don't see changes and to have the self control to stick to your meal plans- these things can really get to you if you let them. So to feel more in tune with myself this week makes me happy and it sets me in the right frame of mind to continue moving forward with prep in a healthy way. I think the gym this week has really helped. Two friends and I had gym dates at least 3 morning this week- and one workout was followed by a protein pancake party! They have really helped to keep my spirits up and get into the right state of mind. On another note, the Arnold Expo is in 3 days! I have been looking forward to this for months! So stay tuned for posts, updates and pictures of the expo!

J:

So this week has been full of excitements, firsts, and accomplishments. Excitement came to me in the form of having a few training sessions with my friends. I was more than eager to go to the gym and help them out by giving them a few tips and helping them get the most out of their workouts. My first this week was trying out protein pancakes!! I took Arlene's protein waffle recipe and tweaked it a little and cooked up some super yummy strawberry protein pancakes. I'm definitely going to be making those a lot more in the future! Also I discovered that adding a dash of cinnamon powder to the batter is AMAZING. Finally my accomplishment was in running. Anyone who has met me knows that I absolutely loathe running. Even that is an understatement, but running five 5k's this year was one of the New Year's goals that I set for myself so I've been trying to run 5k every week. Well this week I managed to run 5.5 miles in 45 minutes meaning that I finally got my mile under the 8 minute average!! I was so ecstatic about that. With all the positive energy from this week I cannot wait to see what this next week will bring us!

Double Days

So I have never really mentioned it but I work part time at Athleta as well as my full time gig at Orchard Supply Hardware. If y'all don't know, Athleta is a brand owned by Gap Inc. and they sell performance wear for women. I cannot say enough how great it is to work for a brand that represents women and is all for female empowerment. After all, their motto is, "Power to the she" Athleta provide superior quality garments made for women BY women. Enough with the Athleta praises. Seeing as I work for the brand, a lot of the workout gear that I wear will be Athleta gear. That being said, the product I am highlighting this week will be the Athleta fast track tank.

Product Spotlight: Athleta Fast Track Tank

Fast Track Tank

The Athleta Fast Track Tank is my pick for this week because it's a super basic tank that is comfortable beyond belief due to its seamless construction. The polyester, nylon, spandex blend makes the tank lightweight and also gives it wicking properties that will be sure to keep you dry while you work out. The tank has silicone gripping dots on the hem to make sure that it stays in place during higher impact activities such as running or lifting weights. Although I'd have to say that the coolest feature about this tank is that the fabric is made with silver salts which are naturally anti-microbial and combat odors and bacteria.

Gym Style:

Knicker, Jacket, Watch, Shoes (Similar), Blender Bottle, Lifting Gloves

I decided to go on a run today as well as hit the gym so I knew that I was going to want some bottoms that were going to stay put while running as well as lifting. Seeing as it was a nice day out I settled on a shorter length knicker. This knicker is awesome because it includes an internal drawstring and side pockets to keep your phone and/or keys!! I also chose this lightweight jacket that was perfect to throw on after the gym. I topped off my gym look with my Nike running shoes and my Polar fitness tracker which I absolutely LOVE!!! Of course, what's a girl to do without some lifting gloves to prevent blisters and a blender bottle to mix up her bcaa's?

Casual Style:

Jeans, Cardigan, Shoes, Watch

I had a lunch date today so I needed something cute to wear but comfortable and casual. I paired up my tank with some skinny jeans and a light cardigan. Believe it or not, I've had these jeans since high school and they finally fit again!! That explains the tears at the knee... I threw on my crocheted Toms and a simple watch and was out the door.

-J

Gym Fashion 101

1. Life is too short to wear boring gym clothes. HAVE FUN WITH IT. You don't need to wear all black as if you are going to a funeral for your fat. The gym is my favorite place to rock the brightest of colors, funny tanks, and bad ass leggings. Don't let the guys have all the fun wearing their muscle tanks!

Tanks: Etsy, Nike, Etsy, Nike, Athleta

2. Don't wear makeup any where you are going to sweat. This means foundation is out, along with blush, and eyebrows are also going to have to go. It won't look cute when it starts to streak down your face, it will look sloppy. Bottom line: if you aren't sweating, you need to work harder, but that's a whole different issue. Having make up on while working out clogs your pores. You are out there trying to get a hot body, don't let your skin suffer just to look cute for the first 5 minutes of your workout.


3. Make sure your leggings aren't see through. There are certain workouts where your butt will be up and out for everyone to see. Make sure that when the material stretches out on exercises, such as squats or glute kickbacks, everyone isn't getting a glimpse of your cheetah print thong.

Tights: Under Armour, Athleta, Etsy, Lululemon, Nike

4. Dress appropriately. Now while you'd think this doesn't need to be stated, trust me when I say it does. Again, I know we want to look cute, but we are about to do some serious damage in the gym. Lifting weights, running, jumping, using machines; these things make us work and feel uncomfortable enough. You don't want to have to keep tugging at your tank top, continually pulling up your pants/shorts while running (or keep pulling them down if you decide wearing booty shorts is appropriate) and you most definitely don't want to have to keep adjusting your sports bra because it's not giving you the support that you need.

5. Accessorize!! Now there aren't many ways to accessorize when going to the gym. A few ideas would be headbands, colored headphones, shoes, wristbands/sport watches, a cute water bottle, (Jocelyn and I both have one that says Chug Life) even cute lifting gloves/belts could be an accessory that can show style

Headbands: Athleta, Sparkly Soul, Under Armour, Nike, Forever 21

Headphones: Frends, Amazon.com, Urbanears, Skullcandy, Beats

Running Shoes: Puma, Nike, Asics, New Balance, Nike

Water Bottles: Sigg, Vapur, Kor, Victoria's Secret, Nalgene

-A