Woman Up Alina- I’m Gonna Make a Beast Out of You!

[Aliveder]

Hello everybody! Haha reminds me of that Doctor from the Simpsons.

Anyways, onto who I am and why I have decided to do this journal. I will make this very quick and to the point.

I am 24, used to be super fit and after an extreme back injury which landed me in the hospital with two slipped discs and a prescription for ********, I have not worked out. Gotten chubby (by my standards) and very uncomfortable in my own body. When I look at pictures of my old body, I know that I could get it back within a few short months. I have also formed functional scoliosis, where my core and my back have gotten so weak and uneven that my left shoulder is higher than my right. I feel uncomfortable and unhappy all day. Not to mention the extreme pain. This was something that I did not have when I had a strong back.

I used to have a workout partner who held my accountable, so it was very easy for me to go to the gym, have somebody to spot me, push me, challenge me. Now it is just me, all by myself. So I want to chart my progress through this forum. I have been a lurker for years, and not its time to woman up and push myself.

I will be following Kris Gethin’s Muscle Building Program. I love his intensity and it pumps me up. He shows me what success and dedication look like.

I am also vegan, and my nutrition is incredibly important to me. I do not want to rely solely on processed food and plant based protein shakes, but I also don’t want to be stuffing my face with beans/lentils/quinoa till I puke. So I will be posting pictures of what I eat. I am not a pretty cook, but what I do cook is very tasty. Plus food is fuel anyways at this point in time for me. Getting my 155+ grams of protein per day will be hard because I usually eat only about 40 per day, and am a small girl.

All I know is that I am super scared, but I know that I can do this. That I WILL do this.

Wish me luck!

[Aliveder]

So I am sitting in my bed now writing this journal entry, I have an ice pack on my lower back, and have no recollection for the past 6 hours. I cannot feel my arms, legs, or chest. That is what I get for punishing myself. So glad that I did. Can’t wait to curse myself when I wake up stiff and unable to move.

I had the amazing ambition that I will get up at 5am, have my oats/hemp milk/chia seeds/wheat germ breakfast, take my vitamins, pack my bag, take my pre workout and hit the gym by 6am. Yes, a girl can dream. I essentially wanted to do a run through of how I was going to structure my day once school and my internship started again. Where I will be working and going to class from 9:30am-7:00pm. Not to mention the 1.5 hour commute both ways .

I ended up shutting off my alarm in my sleep, and waking up at 10am. Damn you vacation sleep cycle!

Spent my day getting some dental surgery but I knew that I would go and do my legs/chest/triceps today. I paid the crazy money for the gym, I bought the food, the supplements, I watched all of Kris’s videos (obsessed!). I was ready!

My biggest problem was getting over my fear of the gym today. I was so scared that I would walk in and not know what to do, make mistakes, make a fool out of myself. I have not trained in 3 years and I am so scared of injury (hence why I am using an ice pack on my lower back). 3 years ago I DL too much as I was on an ego escapade and ended up dislocating two discs. I was very conscious of it today and I did not hurt it, but I felt it. My core is incredibly weak and so is my back- giving me functional scoliosis.

I ended up having a great time at the gym. I was super surprised at how when I got into my routine I did not care about anybody anymore. I’m lying. There were a few moments where I was walking around like a lost deer. Looking for machines, or a spot to sit. But I did not care about what the other members were thinking. I was the only girl on the weightlifting floor. All the females were on the cardio floor or in the class room doing their zumba class. My weights were super low but I did not care. I was lifting 5 pounds while the guys around me were lifting 150.

There were even some moments where I was looking for the 15 pound dumbbells and could not find them. One of the guys came over and asked me what I was looking for, he was nice enough to help me find them. Then I was so weak that I could need change the incline of the bench, another guy helped me set it up. It was on incredibly friendly terms and made me feel happy and accepted. I mention this because in the past I have had experiences with harassment from some of the guys at the gym. So it was nice not to be stared at. Everybody was feeling their own pump, going after their own goals.

The reason that I did legs/chest/triceps today while in Kris’s program it is split into two day was because I wanted to punish myself a bit. Punish myself for not going on Monday to do legs, instead prolonging it and finding excuses. I ended up throwing up hardcore in the bathroom in the middle of my leg session. I have never in my life felt so lightheaded and sick. Even though I waited 2 hours after finishing my meal, what got me was that I drank too much water with my pre workout. I filled my stomach and I should not have done that.

I completed all my sets and reps and then some. Very proud of myself. I pushed myself. There were a few moments where my demon came out and was saying to just go home, to just give up, its hard, get over it. But then I shooed that hoe away and kept on pushing my body.

I came home, ate, then took a 40 minute rest, ate again, took a long bath, now ice pack and writing to you.

So my numbers for the day:

• Leg Press- 
4x12- 115 pounds

• Split Squats-
 3x12- 10 pounds

• Hack Squat- 3x12- 15 pounds


• Stiff-Legged Barbell Deadlift- 4x12- 40 pounds


• Lying Leg Curls- 
5x12- 97 pounds

• Seated Calf Raise- 4x12- 60 pounds


• Standing Calf Raises- 
4x12- 95 pounds

• Bent-Knee Hip Raise-
4x12

• Decline Reverse Crunch
-4x12

• Incline Dumbbell Press- 
4x12- 15 pounds

• Dumbbell Bench Press- 
4x12- 12 pounds

• Incline Dumbbell Flyes- 4x12- 12 pounds


• Weighted Dip- 3x12- 80 pounds

• Triceps Pushdown- 
3x20- 10 pounds

• Bent-Over Cable Triceps Extension- 
3x12- 5 pounds

• Close-Grip Barbell Bench Press-
4x12- bar

• Cardio
15-minute intervals: 3 min. easy, 1 min. hard



My biggest problem of the day was eating. Since I am vegan I have to count my calories and be extra stringent with my macros. It is very easy to depend on just processed food or shakes. I did not intake my full carb amount, and am glad that I didn’t. I know I will be kicking myself in the long run, but my stomach was so full and I kept wanting to throw up throughout the day because I ate too much. My body is not used to this, and did not take the shock to the system very well. I will hit my requirements tomorrow!

Anyways, my head is doing me in. I will be sleeping like a log tonight. Wish me luck on waking up tomorrow morning!

[Aliveder]

On New Years Eve, I cooked, prepared for that evening’s festivities, and of course I went to the gym. I was genuinely surprised at how many people were there, still coming in right before it was to close at 6pm. I was surprised, but delighted to see so many motivated people around me.

I worked downstairs in the class area, because I was only working my delts and abs. I ended up using 10 pound dumbells- quite proud of myself actually! I remember only being able to go up to 15 pounds, but then again shoulders were never my strong point. I plan on changing that!

I was minding my own business, listening to music, enjoying my intra workout drink and concentrating on my form when I see this guy staring at me. On my rest period he comes up to me and stares at me in a very creepy way. This was our exchange:

Dude: So what exercise are you doing?
Me: oh, um I am doing Cuban Presses.
Dude: Oh, never heard of those.
Me: Okay, how can I help you?
Dude: I want to help you get better :creepy stare and licking lips:
Me: I dont understand, what do you want from me?
Dude: Ooo you are feisty!
Me: :confused as hell look: :wondering if he would call a guy feisty:
Dude: :walks away:

I ended up looking at him as he walked away and it said “Personal Trainer” on the back of his shirt. I felt very appalled. First off, he has to stop being so creepy, licking lips and using words such as feisty. I doubt he would ever call a guy that word or approach them as he did me. Then he needs to work on his sales pitch. I was literally confused to what he wanted, I could not imagine a PT coming up and selling his services in such a manner. But whatever. Made me feel uncomfortable and kind of dampened my mood.

But I went on with my exercises. I was just finishing up my front barbell raise when they announced that they were closing and I had only enough time to run downstairs and change. I did not get to do 3 of the workouts or my cardio at the gym. I just ended up running home, with my super sore legs and all. I am glad that I did because my legs have gotten so stiff that I had trouble getting down my 3 flight walkout.

So I failed, and I am upset, especially since it was only my 2nd day. But I am happy to say that I was already exhausted and failing early on during my last set on the Front Barbell Raise. I most definitely feel the burn this morning upon waking. This will only make me push myself on my next shoulder day. I will destroy my shoulders and abs.


Cuban Press
4x12 reps- 10 pounds
Side Lateral Raise
4x12 reps- 10 pounds
Front Barbell Raise
3x10- 10 pounds
Bent-Over Rear Delt Raise
4 sets of 8-12 reps FAILED TO DO
Decline Weighted Sit-Up
4 sets of 8-12 reps FAILED TO DO
Barbell Rollout
4 sets of 8-12 reps FAILED TO DO
Cardio
15-minute intervals: 3 min. easy, 1 min. hard

[Aliveder]

Oh I forgot to post a fun picture of my Shopping bags and what I cooked!

-All the shopping bags I got from Amazon Fresh- great service and fast delivery. A huge help when I leave my house at 8am and get home at 9pm.
-My Beyond Meat chicken and mustard, with my Vegan Red Beans and rice soup, super yummy!
-My Roasted Pepper and Sweet Potato Salad
-My Roasted Pepper and Sweet Potato Salad with my Tofurky Sausages