Hey everyone! It's Ashley from
The Teacher's Treasure Chest! Can we say
Thank Goodness for Spring Break?!?!?!I was able to go to the gym in the morning today and I tell you what..it was the best feeling ever! The gym was empty and I really could get everything in I wanted to. I had the best workout! Can we just have Spring Break forever?!?!?!
One of the things I hear ALL the time "To lose fat, you only need to do cardio". While cardio is necessary in any fat loss program, weights are just as important. Lifting weights burns calories long after you leave the gym. Trust me, I was
scared to death to pick up a real free weight. Before I started this journey, I only used machines to work out. I had no clue what to do with a free weight. Now, I get kinda of cranky when I
don't use weights! You don't want to be around me on an all cardio day! I'm no fun!
My favorite weight lifting exercise is hannnnnnds down the *squat*. I squat two days a week. One day a week I use heavy weights. This is my favorite day of the week! I love breaking new records. I rotate between front squats and back squats. While front squats are a little bit more difficult for me, I still enjoy them. They are a new challenge for me to overcome...and I love a challenge. On the second squat day (usually about 3-4 days after my heavy squat day) I do low weight but more reps.Squats are a great exercise for a variety of muscles and that's why I love them so much. No workout is complete without squats! Check out what WebMD says about squats
HERE
The next thing my girlfriends tell me ALL the time.."Are you worried you will be bulky like a man?" The easy answer to that is NO I am not worried. Women do not have the ability on their own (without supplements) to create that kind of muscle mass. The more muscle you have, the more calories you will burn. Here is article that is really a must read from Shape Magazine:
reasons-why-you-should-lift-heavier-weights
The truth is a complete work out routine will include both cardio and weights. I do cardio 6 days a week. Three days a week, I also include some sort of weight training. Not always heavy weight, though. It's important to keep a balance of heavy and light weight.
Now, onto my progress. When I started this journey, I was at 35.6% Body Fat. I am now at 23% BF and am striving to get under 20%. I still have a ways to go. The closer I get, the slower it comes off. But each week I am losing BF so I can't complain that much! I feel like I am almost to the finish line and can start "maintaining" instead of losing.
Here's my progress in pictures:
Till Next Time :)
Ashley
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