Working Out

I've started working out again! I know, I know. I haven't talked about working out in a very long time but that's because it's been a very long time!

Trying to make a long story short. Before I moved, I had a gym membership to a gym close to my house that I used faithfully. I've never been afraid to work out and I would work out alone, on a consistent basis. I kept myself motivated with pictures of the end result in my mind! Transitioning to DC was rough in the gym department. We don't have a gym at my job and there were no gyms in close proximity to my house or job making the search even more difficult!

Now that I've begun working out again, I'm trying to create a steady routine. I started working out for about three weeks straight until I got my hair straightened. That put an immediate halt to any progress I'd made. I always stop working out when I get my hair straightened. What wants to spend $50-100 to get a hairdo only to sweat it out within days?!  I know I don't, but this time was different. As the weeks went on, I noticed all the muscles I gained had disappeared. The initial gains are the quickest to come and I had some serious gains I was very proud of. I have this thing called 'skinny girl complex' (where I'll do anything in my power NOT to be skinny or frail, but that's another story for another time) so when I saw all my gains disappear, I knew something had to give!

The weekend before my next hair appointment I decided to get back in the gym. The kicker is I was getting my hair straightened again at the next appointment, but I was going to figure that out when the time came. I decided to keep working out, straight hair and all. I compromised with myself by deciding to only exercise my legs while my hair is straight instead of my whole body. No need to sweat my hair out working on something like arms or back, right?! LOL!! BUT, like I knew it would, my hair severely puffed up at the roots. Working out is just reason #2 why a sew-in is ideal for the summer.

What I'll be doing here is documenting my progress. I'll report the workouts I've done for the time period (most likely once a month) by naming the workout along with the max weight and max number of reps I accomplished for the time period. With that said, here's what I've done so far!

• flat bench press: 65 pounds, 4 times
• super set (skull crushers & tricep extensions): 5 pounds, 20 times & 15 times
• squats (w/ bar): 105 pounds, 1 time (I hurt my knee a while back, so I didn't wanna push myself too hard, just wanted to see if I could do it)
• straight leg dead lift: 95 pounds, 12 times
• lunges: 70 pounds, 12 lunges
• burnout squats (w/o bar): 10 pounds, 15 times
• backward curls: 5 pounds, 20 times
• rack pull: 135 pounds, 8 times
• pull-up (assisted): bodyweight, 8 times
• 90 degree rows: 55 pounds, 8 times
• rows: 50 pounds, 10 times
• single arm rows: 25 pounds, 10 times
• shrugs: 70 pounds, 10 times

I'm also finally getting into the hang of drinking protein shakes as a supplement to my workouts. If I'm going to be drinking protein, I at least want it to taste good! I'm tweaking some recipes I've found now so be on the lookout for recipes! If you remember this post, things have changed a bit since then. I completed my "diet" by losing six pounds. When I got that weight off, my 'skinny girl complex' kicked in so I stopped being as concerned with my numbers. I think I do a good enough job of keeping an eye on what I eat and I'm eating healthier overall. When it gets to the point where I'm trying to manipulate my body (by bulking/cutting weight) then I can always start that routine again! We'll see how my current routine goes this summer, so keep an eye out!

Pain (and puffy roots) are only temporary! LOL

Do you consider your hair when working out? How do you avoid "sweating out" hairstyles?


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