Holy MIA!

Well, hello there!

Obviously, I have been a little MIA for a while now.  I was in a funk, for sure.  My brown spotting continued, lightly, for most of the past few weeks.  It was a tough pill for me to swallow, honestly.  I wanted so badly for it to stop so that I could feel normal and enjoy my pregnancy.  I wanted so badly to workout again and posting workouts that I couldn't do pushed my mind into a space I didn't like.  So, I took a break.

I had to wait almost 5 weeks for my third ultrasound (7w5d to 12w0d).  Last time, my baby died when it measured around 8 weeks, but I was around 9 weeks (it measured 6 days behind at my first ultrasound).  The fact that I had to wait so long and I knew that my last baby passed during that time was hard.  Add the spotting and I'm sure you can understand my general state of mind.  The only thing that I will say is that despite the constant "what-ifs" that kept plaguing my mind, I did feel much better about this pregnancy overall.  I was much sicker, I felt more tired, and I just felt more positive overall.  Still, the thoughts loomed in the background.

My 12 week appointment was 2 days ago.  12 weeks to the day.  My NT scan.  My first abdominal ultrasound.  I definitely stopped breathing as she searched for the baby and she noticed my fear.  She quickly said, "there's the baby and there's the heartbeat."  I cried.  It was amazing.  Nothing like the indistinguishable blob we saw weeks before.  It has a little nose, mouth, hands, and feet.  She wiggled my belly to make it turn the way she needed it to and we watched the little feet kick.  It was incredible.  I never thought I'd get here.

We will get the final results of the blood test next week, but the initial ultrasound looked good and we are super thankful.  I plan on getting back into my workouts next week when I reach the second trimester.  They will definitely be a far cry from my old workouts, but as long as I am moving again, I'll be a happy girl!

Updates!

Well, today was the big day! Viability scan #2! I am 7 weeks, 5 days. Baby measured 7 weeks, 1 day with a heartbeat of 159! One thing my husband and I both noticed right away was how much bigger the gestational sac is this time. Compared to my first pregnancy, it's a world of difference. The sac in my first was small and somewhat irregular. I remember seeing other people's ultrasounds and being worried about how little space it looked like the baby had, but they didn't say anything about it during the scan, so I figured it was okay. I should have trusted my gut, I guess. This time, the sac is nice and round and baby has lots of room to grow. Hoping this is a good sign. Definitely makes me feel more at ease, though. They did spot a small SCH, which could explain my spotting. They didn't seem concerned about that, thankfully. My next appointment is in 2 weeks and it will be my first visit with the doctor.

As far as working out, I haven't been. I've been so scared. Although, I did do a 20 minute prenatal yoga session yesterday though. Didn't think I'd like it, but I'd probably do it again.  For everyone else that CAN workout,, here's my workout of the day:

5 rounds:

15 kb swings (35 lb)
15 butlers
15 butterfly sit ups

Pooped!

3 more days until my second ultrasound! Already nervous! The good news is, my symptoms definitely ramped up this week. I've been incredibly tired lately. Like, don't want to do anything but lay in bed, can't muster up the energy to clean my house, just leave me here to sleep tired. Also, WAY more nauseous since I hit week 7. Only threw up once, though. But no food sounds good and I constantly feel bleh. But, if this means a healthy pregnancy, I'll take all the symptoms!

Trying to get myself together enough to go for a walk today. Trying is the key word there, haha!

If you're up for a workout, here's my idea for today:

10 rounds

5 push up
10 box jumps or alternating step ups
15 butterfly sit ups
20 air squats

Oh, hey

Obviously, I've been a little MIA.  I haven't been doing any workouts.  My spotting has been pretty consistent over the past few days, except for today.  Just as before, it only happens when I go to the bathroom and it is very light pink/brownish.  This is, according to Dr. Google, considered somewhat "normal," but it's still incredibly scary when you lost your last pregnancy.  I've been walking around my lake in place of any workouts and will probably continue to do so until my appointment next Tuesday, at least.

Obviously, I'm a little upset because I really wanted to be able continue on with what I was doing before, but it's really just not worth the "what-ifs" if something does go wrong.  I know I would beat myself up for doing too much and not listening to my body.  Hopefully, everything is okay and I can start doing more stuff again during the second trimester.

Anyway, here's my workout idea for today:

5 rounds-

5 burpees
10 box jumps or alternating step ups <--- use a coffee table or your couch if you don't have a box to jump on!
15 hand release push ups
20 air squats
25 lunges (per leg)

Let's Try This Again

I decided to start back up with WODs again today.  Went to bed feeling awful, woke up feeling queasy, but not quite as terrible.  Spotting seems to have let up for now, so what better time to start again, right?!

I wanted to do something that sounded manageable and would get me moving.  Just walking is definitely not enough for my body.  My back was starting to get like stiff and ache from lack of movement.  I felt this this workout hit all the major muscle groups without being too much for my ever-spotting cervix.  Where's the eye roll emoji when you need it??

So, here's what I did:

3 rounds-

10 hand release push ups
20 butterfly sit ups
30 air squats
20 lunges (10 per leg)
80 jumping jacks
60 second wall sit

I finished in 18:45, which is slower than I thought it would take, but.. pregnancy. :P

Happy Friday!

Well, I'm still taking a break from WODs.  My spotting has stopped, but I want to give it one more day just to be sure.  I've been doing walks around my lake to keep somewhat active, but it's definitely not the same.

I'm not gonna lie- I was getting pretty nervous the past two days.  My boobs were still sore, but I felt good otherwise.  Not really as tired and no nausea at all during the day.  Last time that happened, the baby had died and I didn't know it yet.  However, the burning stomach came back today before lunch and hasn't let up yet.  Who knew I'd ever welcome feeling crappy??

Anyway, here's a WOD idea for today, if you're up for it-

21 minute AMRAP (as many rounds as possible)

7 burpees
21 air squats
7 butterfly sit ups

Ultrasound Updates!

Our ultrasound went well today. According to the tech, I'm 5 weeks, 5 days. Baby measured 5 weeks, 4 days. We didn't see a heartbeat (we didn't really expect to anyway), but we did see a gestational sac and yolk sac in all the right places. She said she didn't see any blood that would explain my spotting, which is also good news. They scheduled me for a follow up ultrasound in 2 weeks. By then, we should be able to see a baby with a heartbeat!

I had a little more spotting last night and this morning, so I will be taking it easy on the workout front for a little bit again. When we got home from our appointment, we took the dogs for a walk around the lake. That will count as my WOD for today!

One More Day!

Tomorrow is the big day!  Our first ultrasound!  I will be 5 weeks, 6 days.  I know it's early and that we probably won't see much.  I don't really expect to see a heartbeat because I know that usually happens in week 6.  All I can do is hope that baby is where it's supposed to be and is measuring correctly.

I don't feel as nervous as I thought I would feel, which is nice.  After my miscarriage, I really struggled with whether or not I would be ready to try again after my first cycle.  One day, my husband and I had a frank discussion and I told him how I was feeling.  I was worried that my miscarriage would make me worry about every little thing.  If we didn't get pregnant the first month, would I feel like something was wrong with me?  If and when I did get pregnant again, would I be able to enjoy it?  Would I just feel like I was just constantly waiting for bad news again?  It was the first time I really said it out loud.  I was scared.  After we talked, I had a revelation of sorts.  When will I ever feel ready?  The truth is, I don't think I would have ever felt like I was ready.  My insecurities and worries are always going to be there.  My innocence was robbed.  I know what it feels like to lose a baby.  But.. I also know I survived it and that was important to remember, too.  So, we tried again as soon as we could and here we are today. :)

In other news, I have been feeling super nauseous at least once a day since I hit 5 weeks.  As I write this, my stomach is a burny, unhappy mess.  If nausea is any indication of a happy, healthy baby though, I'm more than willing to deal with the nausea every day.

As far as working out, I managed a 2.5 mile walk today around our lake.  If I can get my butt in gear by the end of the day, I also plan on doing the following:

10 rounds-

10 burpees
10 butterfly sit ups

Updates to come, tomorrow after my ultrasound!

Hello, Pregnancy Symptoms!

Really trying to keep up with working out over here, but it's been tough.  Today marks 5 weeks, 3 days pregnant and I've already had a bunch of symptoms that I never had last time.  First of all, I'm pooped as soon as I wake up.  I keep waking up at 2-3 AM and am WIDE awake, so I'm sure that doesn't help any.  That whole bit I can deal with, though.  

However, two nights ago, I started getting this intense burning sensation in my stomach, which is what usually happens when I'm going to throw up.  I laid in bed for about an hour and it eventually subsided.  I thought maybe I had just eaten too much for dinner or just eaten too fast.  However, yesterday, it came back with a vengeance and lasted ALL day.  So, I did what I could yesterday.  I took a 2 mile walk around my lake and called it a day.

The good news is I saw my endocrinologist yesterday and my thyroid levels look great!  Super happy about that!  Last time, I didn't realize I was supposed to be getting them checked so early on.  By the time I did get them checked, I was 7 weeks and they were all way off.  I attribute that to my miscarriage, and I want to make sure I'm doing everything right this time.

Anyway, so far this morning, my stomach is okay.  I'm going to see how I feel after eating something and try to make it to the gym.  I'd really like to get some lifting in and do a template day.  This is the plan for today:

Medium grip bench press 3 x 55 lbs

Seated DB shoulder press 3 x 20 lb DBs

Assisted dips 3 sets

Barbell bent row 3 x 70 lbs

Barbell face pull 3 x 25 lbs

Lying leg curl 3 x 50 lbs

Back squat 3 x 115 lbs

Slant board sit-up 4 x 30 lbs

If that doesn't work out, my plan is to attempt the following at home:

5 rounds

20 air squats

10 burpees

20 butterfly sit-ups

Summer!

Happy first day of summer!!  And last day of work for me!  So incredibly ready for a few weeks off after a super crappy year.  Thankful for time to recharge my batteries and grow this little poppy seed into an apple (per BabyCenter's baby sizing, haha)!

I decided to do some supersets today and boooooy can I tell I'm pregnant again.  Getting out of breath at the drop of the hat!  Never ceases to amaze me how that happens.  For that reason, I tried to take it slow today.  I wear a FitBit now, so I was watching my heart rate.  If it got too high, I took a little break to let it come back down.  There were 3 supersets total.  I completed the first in total, took a 60 second break, completed the second, took a 60 second break (that turned into more of a 2 min break because it took longer to get my heart rate down), and then completed the third.  

Here's what I did:

Superset #1

5 rounds-

10 goblet squats (35 lb kettlebell)

10 burpees

Superset #2

5 rounds-

10 goblet lunges (5 per leg, 35 lb kettlebell)

10 kettlebell swings (35 lb)

Superset #3

5 rounds-

10 alternating single leg step ups (on a coffee table)

30 second plank

I finished all 3 supersets in 23:13, including breaks.

This Eggo is Officially Preggo Again!

Wooooo!  The relief I feel is AMAZING!

I went and got my blood work done on Saturday and yesterday (Monday).  They called me last night with my Saturday results: hCG- 325 and progesterone- 20.4!  I was happy with those numbers, especially the progesterone because I have no idea what my levels were in my last pregnancy/miscarriage.  I've realized, with miscarriage, there's always a little devil on your shoulder.  "Was your progesterone level too low last time?  Did your low thyroid levels cause your miscarriage?  Did you work out too hard?  Did you drink too much caffeine?"  It's a LOT.

Anyway, the happiness I felt from the results was pretty momentary before the devil started talking to me again.  "Are your levels going to double like they should?  What if they don't?  You should prepare yourself for another miscarriage."  I've been worrying all day.  Finally, I got the call I was waiting for- my hCG more than doubled and was 812!!  When I got off the phone, I broke down and I cried in my kitchen.  No joke.

Bonus!  I think since the doctor could hear the fear in my voice (and since I was spotting last week), I get to go for my first "dating scan" in a week.  Thankfully, the spotting seems to have resolved itself.  I am hoping it was just a delayed showing of implantation bleeding, as it happened around the time my period should have started.

So, given all of this good news, I decided to resume my workouts today.  Here's what I did today:

30 kettlebell swings (35 lb) <-- go up/down in weight as needed
2 min bike (medium resistance) <-- could substitute with 2 min row or run as well!
30 hand release push ups
2 min bike
30 shoulder to overhead with kettlebell (35 lbs)
2 min bike
30 hand release push ups
2 min bike
30 kettlebell swings

I finished in 18:32!  :)

Early Updates

Well, I'm still having some slight spotting when I go to the bathroom, so I'm going to keep this weekend pretty low key.  I'm going to forgo working out and try to take it easy.  Luckily, I'm done with work for the summer in a few days, so I'll be able to relax and focus on taking care of myself.

The good news is my pregnancy tests (confession: I'm a POAS addict) are definitely getting darker as the days progress, which makes me feel a lot better.  I was really worried that this was a chemical pregnancy.  I called my doctor to set up my first appointment and mentioned the spotting.  They sent me for blood tests today and Monday to make sure that my progesterone levels are okay and hCG is doubling normally.  At this point, I can just hope and pray that everything is progressing as it should and I'll see later this week.

I feel extremely tired.  Way more tired than I felt with my last pregnancy, which I'm hoping is a good sign.  I went to bed before the sun went down yesterday and I probably will again tonight.  Although, I have also been WIDE awake at 3 AM the past few nights, so I'm sure that's contributing to how I feel.  My boobs are also starting to get bigger and feel slightly sore.  Again, all good signs, I think.

Anyway, here's my WOD idea for the day:

Warm up-

EMOM (every minute on the minute) for 10 minutes

20 mountain climbers
20 plank jacks
10 tricep dips (on coffee table)

WOD-

AMRAP (as many rounds as possible) in 15 minutes-

5 burpees
10 air squats
5 burpees
10 butterfly sit ups
5 burpees
10 lunges (each leg)

Taking a Short Break

Well, just as I start feeling good about working out again, something pops up, as usual!!  This is a "something" that I am more than willing to take a little break from working out for though..

A positive test!!  I can't believe it!  

Since I just went through the miscarriage and all that goes with it, I have decided to take a short break from working out to let my body do it's thing.  So far, the tests are faint and I have had a little pink spotting in the mornings, which is, of course, concerning to me.  I'm worried about a chemical pregnancy or early miscarriage.  I'd rather be safe this time and feel like I did everything possible to give this little bean the best shot.  I'll still be posting workouts that I WOULD be doing, but I won't be doing them myself for a little while.  I'm going to stick with walking around my lake for now and hope for the best because that's all I can do at this point.

So, here's today's WOD idea-

10 rounds:

10 air squats
10 push ups
10 butterfly sit ups
10 dips (using a coffee table)

Mash Up Day!

Decided to do a little bit of everything today.  I wanted to do some slower lifting, but also wanted to do a WOD and get my heart rate up for an extended period of time.  I decided to throw the lifting into my warm up and follow up with a WOD-type workout.  For the WOD, I put in a row, but you could also supplement with a run or bike.  Also, I decided to change up the walking lunge and do some weighted and some unweighted.  Overall, it was a great workout!  Happy Saturday!

Warm up:

10 minute EMOM (every minute on the minute)

Power clean
Push press
Front squat
Thruster

I did 45 lbs minute 1, 65 lbs minutes 2-3, and 75 lbs for the remainder

WOD:

5 rounds

250 m row <-- you could also do a 200 m or 1/8 mile run
20 butterfly sit ups
20 hand release push ups
20 walking lunge (on rounds 1, 3, and 5 I added a 25 lb plate and made it an overhead walking lunge)

Time- 24:55

Back to Lifting!

I have this BEAUTIFUL Friday off again.  While it was still nice and cool in the morning, I decided to go to the gym and see how my hips would fare if I tried lifting heavy again.  I warmed up with the sumo deadlifts, since I think that's what bothered it last time.  I figured if it didn't feel right, I'd do a rowing/upper body workout instead.  Luckily, it felt pretty good.  I moved slower than usual through the reps and made sure my form was reallyyyy on point.  And now, here I sit on my back deck, soaking in the sun and warm weather, pain free! :)

This is week 1, day 1 of my second set of templates.  I'm using the 10 rep maxes that I found 2 weeks ago to figure out my weights.  Here's what I did:

Sumo deadlift 3 x 12 (115 lbs)
Leg press 3 x 12 (160 lbs)
DB walking lunge 2 x 22 (11 per leg) with 30 lbs DBs
High bar good mornings 3 x 15 (55 lbs)
Standing DB shoulder press 3 x 12 (20 lb DBs)
Parallel pulldowns 3 x 12 (70 lbs)
DB upright row 3 x 12 (20 lb DBs)
V-up 4 x 12 (20 lb DB)

Thursday 21-15-9

Today, I wanted to be out of breath and sweaty, but without taking up a whole chunk of my night.  Sooo I came up with this little guy.

In CrossFit, we do a lot of 21-15-9 rep schemes.  Basically, it means that you finish 21 of each movement, then do 15 of each, then 9 of each, and you're done.  It's a nice workout because you know you're going down in reps each round.  However, sometimes, coaches get a little diabolical and make you go back up in reps.  That's what I decided to do to myself tonight because.. it's fun to torture yourself, you know?

As I've said before, I only have kettlebells at my house, so I have to get crafty with my workouts.  If you don't have a kettlebell, you can use a DB (or heavy purse, bag of rocks, or whatever you have that's decently heavy and can swing) in terms of a KB swing.  I didn't have a box to do step-ups on, so I used my coffee table (NOTE: I tested the stability of the table before I started.  Be careful whatever you use isn't going to flip over when you put your weight on it).  You could also use your couch or something similarly sturdy/tall (my table was about 20" tall, I'd say).

Anyway, without further ado:

21-15-9-15-21

Burpees
KB swings (35 lbs)
Alternating single leg box step-ups <--- alternating meaning I did left, right, left, etc. and started each round with the opposite foot

Mini WOD

Feeling tired today.  I haven't been sleeping well at all.  I wasn't going to do any workout, but then I came across this one on Pinterest and decided to give it a try.  The goal is to move as quickly as possible through the movements:

40-30-20-10 (complete 40 air squats, then 40 sit ups, etc.)

Air squats
Butterfly sit ups

After each set of sit ups, complete 10 hand release push ups.

Enjoy :)

Sunday!

My hips are feeling much better today.  Just a little left over soreness, but nothing terrible.  I decided to keep it pretty light again today so as not to irritate them again.  I chose a WOD that I actually did before and really liked.  I did this one back in February- not long before I found out I was pregnant, actually.  This workout sticks in my mind because it was the first time I thought to myself, "why am I so out of breath?"  Once I realized I was pregnant, it made sense.  This time, I thought it would maybe be a little easier, but it's definitely still a hard one.  I was drenched in sweat by the end.  Change the weight as necessary-

4 rounds:

500 m row <-- if your gym/home doesn't have a rower, you could also run 400 m (1/4 mile) or use a stationary bike for about 2 min
10 renegade rows with push up (15 lb DBs)
10 DB full body crunch(15 lb DB)
10 DB thrusters (15 lb DBs)

This took me a total of 24:10.  After yesterday's mostly upper body workout (and I went kayaking later in the day!), my arms/shoulders were smoked.

Back to the gym!

I decided to go to the gym today and do whatever my body was comfortable with.  I needed to finish my 10 rep maxes, which were mostly upper body anyway.  Anything that was lower body I either didn't do my maxes for or just didn't do the movement at all.  I decided to add some pause back squats to my warm up to open up my hips.  Also, they are one of my favorite movements ever!  Basically, it's a back squat, but you descend slowly (like a 2-3 count to the hole) and then hold it in the hole for a few seconds (I usually do anywhere from 3-10 seconds, depending on the weight) before coming back up at normal speed.  LOVE, LOVE, LOVE them!  They are a great movement to open up your hips and make sure your form is right the whole time.

Anyway, here's what I ended up doing/10 rep maxing out at today.  Tomorrow, I will be doing a WOD-style gym workout:

Warm up-

500 m row
10 m forward/backward inch worm with 10 sec hold in plank
5x5 pause back squats at ascending weights (I did 65, 95, 115, 115, 115)

10 rep maxes (weight at which I could do 10 reps)-

Barbell face pull = 30 lbs
Assisted underhand pull ups = 13 on assist (70 lbs) <--- NOTE: this makes me so mad, but it's a side effect of my spinal cord injury last year.  I lost SO much strength in my arms. :(
Slant board sit up = 35 lbs
2-arm DB row = 30 lb DBs
Cable face pull = 60 lbs
DB hammer curl = 20 lb DBs
Seated DB shoulder press = 25 lb DBs
Barbell walking lunge (20 total lunges) = 55 lbs
Seated leg curl = 70 lbs

FriYAY

Happy Friday!

Yesterday was an active rest day.  I took my kayak out on the lake after work for around 45 minutes.  I LOVE kayaking.  It's such a good upper body workout, but so fun that I don't feel like I'm working out.

I have the day off today, so I took a nice 2 mile walk around our lake this morning.  I will also probably be taking my kayak out later today.  It has been so rainy and cold here lately.  I'm excited to finally have a few nice, warm days to enjoy the lake.

This isn't quite as "active" as my usual workouts, and that's intentional.  My hips are still bothering me.  Especially my right side.  I want to keep moving, but I don't want to do anything that's going to prolong the pain.  I figured a walk was a good way to do that today.  Always important to listen to your body and even when your mind says "Go! Go! Go!"

Hump day

Happy Wednesday!  Tomorrow is my Friday at work and I am sooo excited for another long weekend!

Still a little sore in the hips today.  The biggest issue right now is when I go from sitting for a little while to standing/walking.  Once I'm up and moving it's not as bad.  So I decided on another day of easy-on-the-hip home WODs.  I did two shorter workouts and took a short rest in between (less than 5 min).  Here's what I did:

Workout 1 (this took me about 12:30)

3 rounds:

100 jumping jacks
20 hand release push ups
15 jumps squats
10 v-ups

Workout 2 (I finished 3 rounds + 15 burpees)

10 minute AMRAP (as many rounds as possible)

20 air squats
15 burpees
10 hollow rocks

Old lady hips WOD

My hips were better today than yesterday, but still pretty painful.  I tried my best to hide the old lady walk at work though.  Short steps.. short, little baaaaby steps!  I'm trying not to take any ibuprofen or anything like that because we're not exactly trying to prevent getting pregnant again and I don't want to have anything to worry about if we get another surprise.

I wanted to do something that would stretch out my hips and get me moving, but nothing so crazy that I'd feel worse tomorrow.  I tried out a few jump squats and those felt good, so I came up with this-

Warm up:

1 min high plank
30 sec elbow plank
30 sec elbow plank with left leg lifted
30 sec elbow plank with right leg lifted
30 sec left side plank
30 sec right side plank
30 sec high plank
1 min elbow plank

Workout:

21-15-9-15-21 (do 21 of all movements, then 15, then 9, etc.)

Jump squats
Hand release push ups
Butterfly sit ups

Can't catch a break!

Ughhhhhhhhhhh.. yet another setback.  So frustrating! :(

Something that I did yesterday irritated my SI joint.  I have really hypermobile joints- always have- and it usually centers around my hips.  Sometimes, I randomly do something that makes my hips just ache and then I end up walking like an old lady.  Yesterday was apparently one of those days.  It was probably the sumo deadlifts because that's not a movement I do very often.

Unfortunately, that means that I had to take today off.  Hopefully, it resolves quickly and I can get back to doing something tomorrow.  Probably just a home WOD, if anything.  I'll hold off on finishing out my 10 rep maxes until I feel like I'm totally back to normal and then start my next cycle from there.

10 rep max testing

As I said yesterday, today was a 10 rep max testing day.  Basically, I tested out weights for a bunch of different movements to see how much weight I could do 10 times (no more, no less) with good form.  Since I have 3 days worth of movements to get through (8 movements per day), I decided to split testing up into 2 days so that I don't overdo anything.  Also, I want my numbers to accurately reflect my capabilities and I was afraid I'd be too tired towards the end to give my best effort.  Additionally, I chose to just "guess" at some of the movements because I kind of know where I'm at already, based on the past cycles I've completed.

This is actually the first time I've tested my 10 rep maxes for these templates.  The first time I did this program (it's a 19 week program) was in October and I had just been cleared to start working out after my neck surgery.  I just wanted to get my body back into lifting and didn't want to go crazy, so I just went super light on all the weights.  Then, when I started my second round of the program, I was still pregnant, so I didn't max out then either.  Needless to say, I was actually pretty excited to see where I'm at currently!

So, here's what I did today and what my 10 rep maxes were.  Obviously, I worked up to these numbers, so I did a lot of reps today!

Sumo deadlift- 135 lbs
Leg press- 190 lbs
Standing DB shoulder press- 22.5 lb DBs
Parallel grip pulldowns- 80 lbs
DB upright row- 25 lb DBs
V-up- 25 lbs
Medium grip bench press- 65 lbs
Barbell bent row- 85 lbs
Lying leg curl- 60 lbs

Not bad, overall.  Pretty happy with my progress, considering I'm coming up on my 1 year neck surgery anniversary in 2 weeks!  I have another 10-ish movements to test tomorrow.  Hopefully I'm not too sore, haha!

Template Day

Today, I finally dragged my lazy butt to the gym!  Woo!  I decided to finish out this cycle of my templates today.  The cycles that I do are 5 weeks, but week 5 is a "deload" week, which means the weights are much lighter.  Today, I finished the last day of week 4, so I should be deloading after this.  However, since I have taken too long to complete this cycle and I took a lot of days off this week, I'm just going to move on to the next cycle.  Tomorrow, I will be doing my 10 rep maxes for the next cycle and starting the cycle on Monday.

Today was a lot of upper body work, which I have come to really enjoy.  Upper body is definitely my weakness.  I am FAR stronger in my lower body.  When I did CrossFit, I didn't really try to strengthen my upper body that much.  Obviously, I'd do WODs with upper body movements, but I didn't do anything on my own time to get better, which I really regret.  The great thing about these templates is that they force me to work on my upper body strength and I've really seen a huge change. I was definitely weak in my lats and shoulders.  I had so much trouble with lat raises (even with 5 lbs!) in the beginning.  Today, I did 10 lbs and felt really strong with the movement.  Grow, little baby lats, grow!!

Warm up:

500 m row (2:00 pace)
10 m inch worm forward/backward with 10 sec hold in plank

Lifting:

Vertical pull: Parallel pull ups 3x9

Horizontal pull: Underhand EZ row (50 lbs) 3x17

Rear/medial delt: DB side lateral raise (10 lb DBs) 3x11

Bicep: DB twist curl (15 lb DBs) 2x15

Vertical push: Seated barbell shoulder press (50 lbs) 3x11

Quads: Barbell walking lunge (55 lbs) 3x20

Hamstrings: 45 degree back raise (20 lb) 3x12
Abs: Hanging leg raise 4x7

LAZY

So.. obviously, I've been on a little self-imposed break this week.  Work was really busy and by the time I got home, I had zero motivation to do anything.  The struggle!  Thankfully, I am off today and it's a 4 day weekend for me, so I plan on working out every day.  I started "spring cleaning" my house this morning, so I decided to skip the gym and do a home wod.  I still wanted to incorporate some weights, so I decided to do a kettlebell-based workout.    Here's what I came up with (modify the weights as necessary!):

2 rounds-

15 KB swings
15 KB upright rows
15 KB plie squat
15 KB contralateral RDL (both sides)
15 one arm KB row (both sides)
15 KB contralateral Bulgarian split squats (both sides)
60 second high plank hold

THEN

10 rounds-

Superman & banana alternating tabata holds (20 seconds on, 10 seconds rest)

I used this website for my tabata timer and set it to 10 cycles with 10 seconds to prepare (clock should be set for 5:10 when you start).

Busy Sunday

This is going to be a belated post.  Yesterday was crazy and I didn't get a chance to post.  It was such a gorgeous day here, so we got a lot done.

I started the day off nice and early at the gym.  Followed it up with grocery shopping- my normal routine.  Then, once I got home, hubs and I went crazy on our yard.  We just moved in about a year ago and this is our first spring here.  The shrubs are out of control.  So, we trimmed everything, pulled out a few bushes, mulched everything, etc.  It looks GREAT now.  So amazing what a little work can do for your curb appeal.  Afterwards, we took our canoe out on the lake and did a little fishing.  Ended the day grilling some dinner and enjoying the back deck.  Bring on summer!!

Anyway, yesterday was my first time back in the gym in 2 WEEKS!! Crazy!  And I could tell.  I felt super weak today on my lifts.  Here's what I did:

Horizontal push: Push ups 2x16
Vertical push: Inclined DB press 3x6 (30 lb DBs)
Tricep: Barbell seated tricep extension 2x9 (30 lb barbell)
Horizontal pull: 1-arm dumbbell row 2x12 (30 lb DB)
Rear/medial delts: Barbell upright row 2x15 (50 lb barbell)
Hamstrings: Lying leg curl 2x16 (55 lb)
Quads: High bar back squat 2x12 (120 lb)
Abs: Slant board sit up 3x16 (holding 20 lb ball)

Circuit Saturday

Happy Saturday!  I've got a bunch to do today, so I decided to stay home and do a circuit workout instead of heading to the gym.

Here's what I did:

Circuit 1

10 burpees
15 jump squats
10 air squats
15 push ups
10 KB thruster (35 lb KB)
15 butterfly sit up

Circuit 2

40 mountain climbers
15 tricep dips (using a coffee table)
15 push ups
30 butterfly sit ups
20 heel touches
20 up up down downs

Rest 30 sec-1 min between circuits.  Complete circuit 1, then circuit 2, then circuit 1 again, and circuit 2 again.

It took me 19:32 to finish all 4 circuits.  I took probably around 40 seconds rest between rounds, so I was averaging around 3.5-4.5 minutes per round.  Circuit 1 definitely took me less time than circuit 2, though.

All-in-all, a really good, quick, full body workout!  Enjoy! :)

Back.. Kinda

I am FINALLY to the point where I feel almost normal.  Still have a very annoying, lingering cough, but I have my voice back and all of my other symptoms are gone.  I wanted to do something today to get back into my routine, but I didn't want to do anything that would throw me into a coughing fit.

So...

Original workout:

100 air squats
90 butterfly sit-ups
80 alternating lunges
70 burpees
60 second plank
50 mountain climbers
40 push ups
30 hollow rocks
20 jump squats
10 hand release push ups

My modification:

Normally, I would do this as a chipper-style workout.  In other words, you don't move on to the next movement until I have finished all of the reps (100 air squats, then 90 sit-ups, etc.).  However, since 70 burpees sounded like a cough-fest, I decided to change it to 5 rounds with the same total number of reps.  Therefore, my workout looked like this-

5 rounds

20 air squats
18 butterfly sit-ups
16 alternating lunges
14 burpees
10 mountain climbers
8 push ups
6 hollow rocks
4 jump squats
2 hand release push ups

THEN

60 second plank

I timed myself today and it took me just under 24 minutes to complete, so that's around 4-5 minutes per round.  I feel like I split this up pretty well, all things considered.  I didn't really have to take any breaks, except for a few quick ones on push ups because my arms were tired from the mountain climber/burpee combo right before.  No coughing fits.  The only real issue was that it's 95 degrees here today and we don't have the air on in the house, so I was sweating like I just jumped out of a pool afterwards.  Sweat the sick out, right?!

**Miscarriage/lady problems warning: In other news, aunt flo FINALLY decided make a comeback yesterday, just one day short of 5 weeks post-D&C!!! This is the first time I think I've ever been excited for THAT, but I'm just so happy to feel like I'm finally back to "normal" and not stuck in some weird gray area.

Have a good weekend, friends! :)

I Got Bronchitis!

Number of days since I've had a voice: 6.

As the weekend progress, my fever went down, but my cough got worse and I started to feel like I was breathing through a straw.  I started having panic attacks at night because I'd wake up and feel like I couldn't catch my breath.  So, I went back yesterday.  They said I started with the flu and now have bronchitis, so they gave me more pills to take.  What can I say?  When I do something, I do it big.  :)

Feeling somewhat better today, but I still have a REALLY bad cough (and no voice).  I am HOPING that I can get back into the gym on Thursday.  I think that's a realistic goal, given the sloooow dissipation of my symptoms.

Anyway, I would have done a home wod today, so here was the plan:

For time-

KB swing (35 lb)/Burpees

20/2
18/4
16/6
14/8
12/10
10/12
8/14
6/16
4/18
2/20

Start with 20 kb swings and 2 burpees.  Follow the sequence until you reach 2 kb swings and 20 burpees.  For an added challenge, go back up from the bottom (2/20 --> 20/2)!

Yep.. Still Sick

Well, whatever I caught is a rough one.  I went to the doctor yesterday and it wasn't much help.  They did a strep test and the flu test, but I came up negative for both.  However, because of my symptoms and fever, they still gave me Tamiflu to take.  They said it might just be a strain of the flu that isn't recognized by the test.  Hopefully it starts to help soon.

So, going to the gym this weekend isn't going to happen.  I had planned to do one day of templates and one day of HIIT.  Here is what I had planned for today:

Warm up-

EMOM (every minute on the minute) for 12 minutes

Odd minutes-
10 kb swings (35 lbs)
5 push ups

Even minutes-
10 thruster (55 lbs)

Workout-

21-15-9 (complete 21 OHS, 21 burpees, 15 OHS, etc.)
Overhead squats (65 lbs)
Burpees

Out of commission

Ugh.  So I haven't posted in a few days for a lot of reasons.  When I got home from the gym on Sunday and went to take a shower, I slipped stepping in and really messed up some muscles in my side/back.  It was really bad Sunday and Monday.  It started to improve Tuesday, so I figured I'd give it a few days off and get back to the gym today.  Then, yesterday, I came down with the mother of all flus and am still feeling awful today.  My throat is on fire, my chest is so congested, my voice is gone, and I have a fever that just won't break.  I have not been this sick in a LONG time.  So frustrating!

Anyway, since I can't work out, these are the workouts that I had PLANNED to do this week:

10 rounds for time-

10 air squats
10 push ups
10 butterfly sit-ups
10 dips (using a coffee table or something similar)

5 rounds for time-

15 kb swings (35 lb kb)
15 burpees
15 butterfly sit-ups

Plus one day of my templates.  I'll be catching up this weekend, hopefully!

Sunday Mash Up

Today, I decided to do a CrossFit style workout.

The warm up is to get your body ready for the movements in the workout.  It's intentionally slow and, honestly, a little boring, haha.  If you feel like you need more, feel free to extend it out to 15 or even 20 minutes.  You could even add more weight if you wanted.  The main goal is to keep your form the entire time.

The workout itself took me about 14:15.  I do most of my gym workouts at my local gym, which has a very small "X-Fit" section (turf, rubber plates, a rig, etc.).  However, the only time I really needed extra space for this workout was for the walking lunges, so it's totally doable at ANY gym.  If you don't have the room for walking lunges, you could also just do alternating overhead lunges without the walking.  Also, I did hang power cleans, but you could change it to be regular power cleans, if you'd like, for a little extra challenge.  Overall, it was a great, full body burner and I was definitely out of breath at the end!  Enjoy!

Warm up:

10 min EMOM (every minute on the minute)-

1 power clean
1 push press
1 front squat
1 thruster

Minutes 1-5 with just barbell (45 lbs), minutes 6-8 use 55 lbs, minutes 9-10 use 65 lbs.  Complete all work at the top of each minute and rest during the time left in that minute.

WOD:

10 toes to bar
20 thrusters (65 lbs)
20 butterfly sit-ups
20 hang power cleans (65 lbs)
40 overhead walking lunges (25 lbs)
20 hang power cleans (65 lbs)
20 butterfly sit-ups
20 thruster (65 lbs)
10 toes to bar

Saturday Strength

Happy Saturday!  Today was another template/strength day.  Finally feeling pretty back to normal this week.  My hormone levels are normalizing again.  I've lost the baby bloat and my face doesn't look like a 14 year old girl's anymore.  I've taken a few pregnancy tests and they're almost negative.  Still waiting for my first post-D&C period, but I'm sure it will come soon enough (and who really misses THAT anyway?!).

Anyway, here's the workout for today-

Warm up:

500 m row
10 m forward inch worm with 10 sec plank hold
10 m backward inch worm with 10 sec plank hold

Lifting:

Deadlift: Deadlift (115 lbs) 2x14
Quads: Leg press (100 lbs) 2x21
Quads: DB walking lunge (30 lb DBs) 2x20
Hamstrings: Seated leg curl (55 lbs) 2x15
Vertical push: Standing DB shoulder press (15 lb DBs) 2x17
Vertical pull: Narrow grip pull down (60 lbs) 2x15
Rear/medial delts: Cable upright row (60 lbs) 2x15
Abs: Hanging knee raise 3x10

May the 4th (be with you)

Another template day!  Feeling the Thursday struggle today, but got my butt into the gym and got this this done.

NOTE: weights can be increased/decreased based on ability.  Do whatever you are able to do around the same rep range with good form.  Also, rest between sets, but not TOO much.  I usually take anywhere from 30 sec-1 min.  Basically, once my heart rate goes back to normal, I start again.

Vertical pull: Parallel pull ups 3x9

Horizontal pull: Underhand EZ row (50 lbs) 3x15

Rear/medial delt: DB side lateral raise (10 lb DBs) 3x10

Bicep: DB twist curl (15 lb DBs) 2x14

Vertical push: Seated barbell shoulder press (50 lbs) 3x11

Quads: Barbell walking lunge (50 lbs) 3x20

Hamstrings: 45 degree back raise (20 lb) 3x12
Abs: Hanging leg raise 4x6

100 Burpee WOD

You read that headline right!  100 burpees!  Who doesn't LOVE burpees?! :P

The good news is it isn't just 100 straight burpees.  They're broken up into 10 much more manageable sets of 10 with some other goodies mixed in.  It took me around 15-20 minutes to complete (I didn't look at the clock when I started.. whoops!).

10 burpees <-- can be jump or step back burpees and chest-to-floor or plank burpees
20 side lunges (10 per side)
10 burpees
20 plank taps (10 per side)
10 burpees
10 air squats
10 burpees
20 spider lunges (10 per side)
10 burpees
10 push ups <-- can be modified to elevated push ups or knee push ups
10 burpees
20 bicycle crunches (10 per side)
10 burpees
20 mountain climbers (10 per side)
10 burpees
20 russian twists (10 per side) <-- you can add weight here if you'd like!
10 burpees
10 v-ups 
10 burpees
10 walkouts <-- you can add a push up here if you'd like!

Superset Sunday

Today, I decided to do some supersetting!  I was introduced to the idea of supersets when I was in physical therapy.  In January of 2016, I found out I had a severely herniated C5-6 disc that resulted in a spinal cord injury.

I had had symptoms and pain since high school (fun fact: cheerleading IS apparently dangerous, kids!), but never realized the actual problem.  I had x-rays and nothing ever came up on those (another fun fact: herniated discs only show up on MRIs!).  So, I just always assumed I did too much at the gym or just pulled a muscle or whatever.  One day, I went to a chiropractor and the adjustment caused the herniated disc to poke my spinal cord, which resulted in a spinal cord injury.  One MRI and lots of doctors appointments eventually left me with only one real option- ACDF surgery (in other words, the disc was removed and I'm now bionic!).  I had my surgery in June of 2016 and was allowed to resume working out again in October.  After all that time off (I was only allowed to walk and wore a collar for 8 weeks), it has been a slooooow crawl back.  I'm still no where near where I was, physically, but I'm trying and that's all that really matters.

Anyway, for those 6 months between the spinal cord injury and surgery, I had to stop CrossFit and I started going to physical therapy.  They knew my love for lifting and HIIT-based workouts, so that's how they structured my sessions.  They took all overhead lifts away from me, obviously, but would let me still do cleans, deadlifts, and dumbbell work.  They used supersets for their workouts, and I really enjoyed them.  So, I decided to bring them back today with a little mashup of my own!

NOTE: I did 6 rounds of each superset, but you can do 3-6.  Each superset should be completed quickly and with as little rest as possible between movements.  You can rest as needed between supersets.  Also, feel free to increase or decrease the weights as needed.  Choose a weight that is challenging, but not so challenging that you are completely done after each set.  As a point of reference, I am probably doing somewhere around 50% of my 1RM for deadlift and back squat.

Superset 1-

6 deadlift (120 lbs)
40 second plank

Superset 2-

10 back squat (95 lbs)
20 second right plank
20 second left plank

Superset 3-

10 push ups
10 inverted bodyweight rows

I followed this up with some clean and snatch work.  Nothing crazy.  Just wanted to do a little extra credit.  :)

Saturday :) :)

Happy Saturday!! Today is a BEAUTIFUL day here.  So excited to catch up on all my housework and not have to go work.  Days like today make me so excited for summer.  Also, they make me wish I could hit the lottery and not have to work anymore! 😜

I went to the gym bright and early this morning and here's what I did:

Warm up-

500 m row
10 m forward inch worm with 10 sec plank hold
10 m backward inch worm with 10 sec plank hold

Lifting-

Horizontal push: Push ups 2x15
Vertical push: Inclined DB press 2x9 (25 lb DBs)
Tricep: Barbell seated tricep extension 2x9 (25 lb barbell)
Horizontal pull: 1-arm dumbbell row 2x20 (25 lb DB)
Rear/medial delts: Barbell upright row 2x14 (50 lb barbell)
Hamstrings: Lying leg curl 2x15 (55 lb)
Quads: High bar back squat 2x12 (120 lb)
Abs: Slant board sit up 3x15 (holding 20 lb ball)

Long week = home workout

This week has been CRAZY busy for me at work.  I am totally pooped.  I really wanted to go to the gym, but hubs is working late tonight and I have buttholes for dogs.  Well, really just the younger one.  He gets destructive when we're gone too much.  Didn't feel like leaving and coming home to a destroyed couch (again...).

So, home workout it is!  I decided to try one I did a few weeks ago to compare pregnant vs. not pregnant (but out of shape because I have taken off way more than normal) Alyssa.  I definitely did this one in less time this time, but it was still not as easy as it looks.  Disclaimer: this workout is a little hard on the wrists because it is a lot of plank-based movements.  If you have wrist wraps, I would suggest wearing them.  Additionally, you could change up the rep/round count as I have outlined below.  It's the same amount of work either way, so do whatever works for you!

2 rounds of 25 reps each movement 
OR 5 rounds 10 reps each movement 
OR 10 rounds of 5 reps each movement-

Mountain climbers
Air squats
Push ups
Burpees
Left side lunge
Right side lunge
Right side plank crunch
Left side plank crunch
Jumping jacks
Plank shoulder taps

Strength Day

Feeling pretty good today.  Some very slight bleeding left over, but overall feeling pretty much back to normal.  The bloating in my stomach is going away now.  The only symptom that I really have left of my pregnancy is HORRIBLE breakouts on my face.  Usually, I have really clear skin.  This is bad, and I'm mostly attributing it to crazy hormonal changes.  Hopefully, it subsides soon.

Anyway, it feels amazing to lift again.  I know I didn't take that much time off, but it feels like a year ago.  It's nice to get back to normal.  Since I was feeling pretty good, I decided to bring abdominal movements back today.  This is week 3, day 1 of my templates:

Deadlift: Deadlift (115 lbs) 2x13
Quads: Leg press (100 lbs) 2x20
Quads: DB walking lunge (25 lb DBs) 2x20
Hamstrings: Seated leg curl (60 lbs) 2x14
Vertical push: Standing DB shoulder press (15 lb DBs) 2x15
Vertical pull: Narrow grip pull down (60 lbs) 2x13
Rear/medial delts: Cable upright row (60 lbs) 2x13
Abs: Hanging knee raise 3x10

AND I'M BACK!

I woke up this morning and decided that today would be the day that I officially hit the reset button.  I still have a little bleeding, but I want to get back to normal.  

While I probably should have started with something a little more cardio-based, I really missed just lifting.  So, I decided to continue on with my templates at the lighter weights I was using before for this week.  It worked out really well because the day that I had left off at was a mostly upper body workout.  I think I'm going to try to avoid abdominal and pelvic-based movements for another week or so.  I just want to be sure that everything heals normally and that I don't overdo it.

Next week, I want to redo my 10 rep maxes and restart the templates.  Then, I will do the templates 3x a week and also add in 1-2 days of cardio/HIIT workouts.

So, today's workout:

Vertical pull: Parallel pull ups 3x9

Horizontal pull: Underhand EZ row (45 lbs) 3x15

Rear/medial delt: DB side lateral raise (10 lb DBs) 3x14

Bicep: DB twist curl (15 lb DBs) 2x13

Vertical push: Seated barbell shoulder press (45 lbs) 3x11

Quads: Barbell walking lunge (45 lbs) 3x20

Hamstrings: 45 degree back raise (20 lb) 3x12

It's over

Well.. I had my D&C on Friday.  I was so worried about it beforehand.  I've had to have a few surgeries before and have never been as nervous as I was for this one.  I think it was just because I had no idea what to expect.  Honestly, I never even heard of a D&C until a few months ago when someone else I know had to have one.  When I found out the baby was gone, I initially told my doctor that I wanted to miscarry naturally, even though she advised against it due to the fact that I had no bleeding or cramping and the baby was measuring 8 weeks.  She said that she was worried that I would end up bleeding too much and need an emergency D&C.  After doing some research, I decided that the surgery would be the easiest option on my body and my mind.  I have to say, I am SO happy with my decision.  I can't imagine passing our baby on my own into the toilet.  Not only that, but at almost 11 weeks, my body still hadn't recognized that the baby was gone.  Who knows how much longer it would have taken for me to start miscarrying naturally.

Anyway, this will be my last post about my miscarriage.  I don't want to dwell on it anymore.  In a few days (once I stop bleeding and the bloat goes away), I will start working out again and posting my workouts.  I'm also going to be revamping my website this weekend and adding a section for my DIY house projects.  Stay tuned! :)

The waiting game

So, it's been a week since I posted.  I haven't really worked out since my last workout entry and I wasn't really sure what to post otherwise.  I've taken lots of walks around our lake this week, but I haven't made myself go to the gym.  I'm not sure why, honestly.  As far as what is going on, I'm waiting to have my D&C procedure.  That will happen on Friday.

How do I feel a week later?  I feel pretty normal, actually.  It's a little weird to know that there's a dead baby inside me that my body hasn't recognized, but I'm not really upset anymore.  Basically, in this scenario, I just got really unlucky.  Based on the statistics online, the chance of losing the baby after you hear the heartbeat is 1-2%.  The chance of having a missed miscarriage is 1%.  I fall under both of those categories.  I could dwell on this fact and I could feel really bad for myself and I could sit in my house and cry all day.. but I don't want to.  I don't see the point.  I don't see what that would do for me other than make me depressed.  Would I have liked to still be pregnant?  Absolutely.  But I'm not, and I can't dwell on the what-ifs.

I think, in life, people have two ways of handling situations (with a little gray area, of course).  They either lose or build a layer when faced with a less than ideal situation.  People that lose layers are "feelers".  They wear their hardships on their sleeves.  They are extremely compassionate to other people, but also allow their own feelings to get the best of them.  They are "weak," for lack of a better term, in the sense that they fall apart sometimes and need to lean on others for support.  Then, there are the builders.  With each hardship in life, they put up a wall.  They lack compassion and are extremely logical in the way they deal with their pain.  They seem to have it all together even in the toughest of times, but they are just good at internalizing their pain.  They don't rely on others to help them get through tough times.  Neither is the correct way to deal with situations because both have their pros and cons.  However, I choose to build a layer.  I let each bad situation I'm dealt in life harden me because I don't want to fall apart.  However, I also don't let a lot of people in to help me when I need it the most, and that is my downfall.  Maybe this was meant to teach me something about myself.

I feel like the only thing that I can do is move forward and realize what I have learned from this situation.  Prior to being pregnant, I never thought that I would even be able to GET pregnant.  I don't know why; that's just always how I felt.  So, the fact that it happened at all and happened so fast is a huge positive.  As I've said before, I'm a very logical person and I always said, "If I ever had a miscarriage, I don't think I'd be upset.  I would know something was wrong with the baby."  While that's partially true (I do still think that), this situation has taught me to be compassionate in a way that I didn't know how to be before.  I understand the shock, disbelief, and sadness associated with miscarriage.  These are just a few things that I can be grateful for in this situation.

I may or may not update after my D&C.  We will see how I feel.  After that, I'm not sure how long it will be until I can go back to working out, so I may be taking some time off from posting.  I will be back eventually though with my daily workouts.  I might not be a mama (I will always be a dog mama though, so the name will stay!), but I will always be a lifter. :)

No more heartbeat...

Well, I wish I could say this post was good news.  Unfortunately, at my second ultrasound, there was no heartbeat.  It seems as though the baby stopped growing this past weekend.  They said that this was more than likely due to some sort of chromosomal abnormality.  I know this.  I have been telling my husband this was always a possibility since we found out we were pregnant.  Miscarriage has always loomed in the back of my mind.  I know that the chance of it is so high.  However, I also know that the chance of miscarriage after seeing the heartbeat was only 1-2%.  I guess I just happen to fall into that unlucky percentage.

Pre-pregnancy, when I heard that other women had had a miscarriage, I would always think, "If I have a miscarriage, I won't be upset.  I'll know the baby wasn't healthy and my body was doing it's job."  And, logically, I do think that.  Still, I surprised myself by how upset this all has made me.  I have been crying on and off for the past two days.

This has really made me reflect on my feelings.  I wouldn't describe what I feel as sad, per se.  I am sad, but not for myself.  I'm sad for my husband.  I saw him cry for the first time since our wedding yesterday.  I'm sad for our parents.  We just told them all last week, out of excitement.  I always said I wouldn't tell anyone until I was 12 weeks, but I broke that rule after we heard the heartbeat.  My dad went through cancer treatments all last year and finally got a clean bill of health.  I wanted to give them good news; something to look forward to.  Yet, here I am, not even a week later, adding on to the pile of shit they have had to deal with over the past year.  Why didn't I wait?

This brings me to my next feeling- anger.  I'm angry at myself, first and foremost.  I KNEW I should have waited to tell them, but I let my excitement get the better of me.  Then I get angry that this is happening to me.  Haven't I dealt with enough this past year?  No, stop it.  That's a selfish way to think.  Lots of people deal with a lot more than you.  Angry, jealous, annoyed, sad, selfish, envious.  I feel it all.  I'm so surprised by these emotions.

Why isn't this something more people talk about?  Why do I not know what is "normal" to feel?  Why is this something that you're just supposed to suffer with in silence?  Why do I feel weird taking off work?  I haven't taken off work, actually, because I don't know what to say.  I'm not physically sick.  I'm heart sick.  I don't want anyone to know what I'm feeling because I don't want them to tell me the very same thing I would have told anyone else in my situation: "Well, it wasn't meant to be"  or "Something must have been wrong with the baby" or "I'm sure you'll have a happy, healthy baby next time."  It doesn't help.  Nothing helps.

But that doesn't mean we shouldn't talk about it.  I want to express how I feel.  I don't want to keep it in.  I want to be sad and for people to understand why I'm sad.  I want someone to come to me if and when this happens to them because they KNOW I went through it.  I want to be a shoulder.  I want to be that person that says it's okay to be sad, angry, jealous, etc., etc.  That they NEED to feel these feelings and reflect.  That it's good for the soul to get it all out.

And so, in a matter of 48 hours, I feel like I have gone through every emotion in the book and have come to some sort of acceptance of what is happening.  I will be scheduling my D&C for next week in hopes that I can move on from this quickly and begin to heal.  Maybe I'll be a mom one day and maybe I won't.  I have to accept that this is something that is out of my control and whatever is supposed to happen, will.  I can't beat myself up anymore.

9 weeks, 3 days

My doctor called today and said she just got a chance to look at my ultrasound.  Unfortunately, she says she sees a hematoma (not sure if she is referring to an SCH or something else).  I already had my first OB appointment scheduled for this Wednesday night, so now I have to go for a second ultrasound tomorrow morning.  They will compare this one to the first to monitor the size of the baby and the hematoma.  I don't/haven't had any bleeding and the heartbeat was strong at my last appointment.  However, the baby was measuring 6 days behind at my first ultrasound, so I guess that's why they are being more cautious.  Hopefully everything looks okay tomorrow and she's happy with the baby's progress on Wednesday.  Until then, I've decided to cool it on the workouts.  I will be taking a little break until I speak with the doctor about what's safe and what's not.  Have a good week!

9 weeks, 2 days

I took off yesterday because I felt like straight garbage.  I did go for a 2.5 mile walk with my husband and dogs, but that was about it for my workout.

I went to bed early and woke up feeling GREAT today.  Still a little stuffy, but fine otherwise.  This is the first time in a few weeks I've felt like I had energy again.  I went grocery shopping, did a bunch of laundry, cleaned the house, AND went to the gym.  Today made me realize just how tired this pregnancy has made me.  It's so crazy what a change in hormones can do!

Anyway, here's today's workout-

Lifting:

Deadlift: Deadlift (110 lbs) 2x12
Quads: Leg press (90 lbs) 2x17
Quads: DB walking lunge (25 lb DBs) 2x20
Hamstrings: Seated leg curl (40 lbs) 2x13
Vertical push: Standing DB shoulder press (15 lb DBs) 2x14
Vertical pull: Narrow grip pulldown (60 lbs) 2x12
Rear/medial delts: Cable upright row (60 lbs) 2x12

I'd also like to note that I decided to take out most ab movements a little earlier than I had originally planned.  I thought I would be phasing them out closer to 12-13 weeks.  However, for the past 1-2 weeks, I've been noticing some weird pulling feelings on my sides.  It seems like it's one of the ligaments that attach from my pelvis to my ribs.  I'm sure it's normal, but since I feel it, I decided to play it safe.  I will be substituting ab movements with plank-type movements from now on.  Always important to listen to your body and do what you're comfortable with!!

8 weeks, 7 days

I ended up skipping the gym on Thursday because I finally caught my husband's sinus cold that I have been trying to avoid all week.  I wanted to give myself a day to rest.  Not that it helped much- I still can't breathe today!  Since I'm pregnant, I'm just sucking it up and not taking anything.  I do have my Neti Pot, which I LOVE, and that's helping a bit.  Thank goodness for that invention!!  Sick preggo's dream!

Anyway, I took it slow at the gym today.  Nothing about this workout was all that strenuous, so it was a good one for a sick day.

Warm up:

500 m easy row
10 m inch worm forward (with 10 sec hold in plank and hamstring stretch)
10 m inch worm backwards (with 10 sec hold in plank and hamstring stretch)

Lifting:

Vertical pull: Parallel pull ups 3x6
Horizontal pull: Underhand EZ row 2x13 (45 lbs)
Rear/medial delts: DB side lateral raise 2x13 (10 lb DBs)
Biceps: DB twist curl 2x13 (15 lb DBs)
Vertical push: Seated barbell shoulder press 2x11 (45 lbs)
Quads: Barbell walking lunge 2x20 (45 lbs on back)
Hamstrings: 45 degree back raise 2x12 (20 lb DB)
Horizontal push: Push ups 3x10

8 weeks, 5 days

First ultrasound today!! I was so nervous all day.  I was making myself feel sick!  Everything looked great though.  The baby is nestled safely in the right spot and is measuring 7 weeks, 5 days.  So, it's little behind in growth, technically, but nothing alarming.  I wasn't tracking my ovulation or anything like that.  Heartbeat was 165!  My OB appointment is next week, which is when I'll get to meet one of my doctors and do some more tests.  For now, just happy to know that everything looks good.  Hopefully it stays that way! :)

8 weeks, 4 days

Well, my PLAN was to do this workout yesterday and then go to the gym to lift today, but I ended up getting tied up after work and got home super late.  Soo I ended up pushing this to today and I'll lift on Thursday.

My first ultrasound is tomorrow night and I am SO incredibly nervous.  I hardly slept at all last night and I'm sure I won't tonight either.  Hoping everything looks good and the little alien that is taking over my body is growing like it's supposed to!  💓💗

Anyway, today's workout:

2 rounds of 25 reps each movement-

Mountain climbers
Air squats
Push ups
Burpees
Left side lunge
Right side lunge
Right side plank crunch
Left side plank crunch
Jumping jacks
Plank shoulder taps

This was way harder than I thought it would be in my head.  It's 500 reps total, so I'm not really sure what about it screamed "easy day" to me.  Then again, when you now get winded going up a flight of stairs, I guess it's to be expected.  This took me a little over 20 minutes.  I wasn't keeping time, but I know around when I started/stopped.  I took very few breaks and transitioned quickly between movements.  I wasn't speeding through the movements because I was trying to control my breath most of the time.  All-in-all a good, quick, full body workout!

8 weeks

I actually made it to the gym today!  It's a miracle!! 👍👍👍

I'm going to be honest- I definitely thought it was going to be easier to workout during the first trimester.  I thought I would maybe have modify a few things and that would be it.  I wasn't prepared for the fatigue.  Although, I don't really know if I would call what I am experiencing "fatigue" because, honestly, I'm not really that tired.  I've never been one to nap, and I haven't needed to this entire time.  I'm not tired.  I'd call this pregnancy symptom "laziness" instead.  My body just doesn't want to get up and do what my mind is telling it to.  Also, when I do workout, I feel like I've gained 50 lbs and get out of breath as soon as I start.  I've been told I'll get my energy back in the second trimester.  Regardless, I'll keep pushing myself to make sure that I stay as healthy and active as possible throughout.

Warm up:

500 m row (easy pace)

Lifting:

Horizontal push: Push ups 2x11
Vertical push: Inclined DB press 2x10 (25 lb DBs)
Tricep: Barbell seated tricep extension 2x10 (25 lb barbell)
Horizontal pull: 1-arm dumbbell row 2x13 (25 lb DB)
Rear/medial delts: Barbell upright row 2x12 (45 lb barbell)
Hamstrings: Lying leg curl 2x12 (50 lb)
Quads: High bar squat 2x11 (110lb)
Abs: 1 min plank hold x3 with 1 min rest in between

7 weeks, 6 days

Oh, man!  I feel like a broken record lately, but HOLY LACK OF MOTIVATION!  I just want to sit on my couch and do nothing as soon as I get home from work!  I am tired and I feel like a big, bloated whale.  I haven't had an ultrasound yet (next week!!!), but I feel way bigger than I thought I would at this point.  Apparently, I am NOT going to be one of those girls that you can't tell is pregnant until 6 months... womp womp!  :(

Thankfully, I was able to muster up some motivation to do a little something tonight.  Couldn't get my butt to the gym, but this was better than nothing...

Warm up:

Tabata (20 seconds work, 10 seconds rest)-

2 rounds-

Jumping jacks
Air squats
Jump rope (pretending like I have a rope, in my case)
Mountain climbers
Push ups
Butt kicks
Butterfly sit-ups

Workout:

4 rounds-

10 goblet squats
10 goblet thrusters
10 kb swings
10 push ups

I used a 35 lb kettlebell for the workout and I could not believe how out of breath I was!  I ended up taking way more breaks than I thought I would need to.  I timed myself just for kicks.  I didn't really care about my time, but I finished in 11:56.

7 weeks, 3 days

Home WOD today!

I decided to try out my husband's stationary bike for a warm up.  I cranked the resistance up and set the timer for 5 minutes.  I haven't biked in a while and WOW will I be doing that once it gets warm out!  I forgot what a good cardio workout it is.

Anyway, today's workout was pretty short, sweet, and to the point:

Warm up

5 minutes stationary bike at high resistance <--- (You could also substitute with rowing, assault bike, etc.)

WOD

15 minute AMRAP (as many rounds as possible)

5 burpees
10 air squats
5 burpees
10 butterfly sit-ups
5 burpees
10 lunges (5 each leg)

I got through 6 rounds + 3 burpees.  I did step back/forward burpees with a push up instead of jumping so that I could control the push up portion more and protect the belly.  Not that there's a bump to protect right now- I just don't really want to throw myself on the floor like I would have done pre-pregnancy.   Eventually, I will remove the push up portion or do an inclined push up instead of touching my chest to the floor.

7 weeks

Oh, man.  Getting myself to the gym today was not easy.  The fatigue has been real this week and I've also been dealing with bouts of intermittent nausea/queasiness.  Thankfully, nothing worse than that, but it definitely adds to my lack of desire to go workout even more.

Anyway, today I restarted my 19 week lifting templates.  It is 3 days a week and includes both upper and lower body work.  I don't control the number of sets; I just pick the movement, put my 10 rep max into the provided box, and the file calculates my weights/set/rep scheme each day.

Since I know I'm pregnant this time around, I lowered my 10 rep max on a few movements, just to be safe.  The weights I will be using are generally anywhere from 50-80% of my maxes and I am totally not against lowering the weights even more if I'm just not feeling it that day.  As I said before, my plan is to do what I'm comfortable with and what my body tells me is okay.  I am also taking my time between sets and making sure I keep my heart rate under control.

Today's workout:

Warm up-

500 m easy row
10 m inch worm forward (with 10 sec hold in plank)
10 m inch worm backward (with 10 sec hold in plank and hamstring stretch)

Lifting-

Deadlift: Deadlift (105 lbs) 2x10
Quads: Leg press (90 lbs) 2x10
Quads: DB walking lunge (25 lb DBs) 2x20
Hamstrings: Seated leg curl (40 lbs) 2x12
Vertical push: Standing DB shoulder press (15 lb DBs) 2x12
Vertical pull: Narrow grip pull down (35 lbs) 2x12
Rear/medial delts: Cable upright row (50 lbs) 2x12
Abs: Hanging knee raise 3x10

6 weeks, 6 days

I would love to say I made it to the gym today, but that just didn't happen.  I am TIRED this week.  I know working out would probably help and give me a little more energy, but I am just riding the struggle bus today.  I can't get myself up off the couch.

Sooo I thought I'd just share some useful information instead.  There is a lot of different information about what is safe and what isn't during pregnancy, especially when it comes to working out the abdominals.  I plan on keeping most of my ab workouts pretty much the same as what I did pre-pregnancy until the end of my first trimester.  However, I know some moms don't feel comfortable with this and cut them out a lot early.

The bottom line is, strong abs support proper posture, which can decrease the amount of strain on your lower back during pregnancy, and will help you to recover more quickly after birth.  If you don't feel comfortable doing the normal ab workouts (crunches, sit-ups, etc.), what else is there to do??

I did a little researching and this website has a lot of good information.  Not only does it give examples of pregnancy-safe abdominal movements, but it also discusses diastasis recti and explains how to check for it (so you know when it's time to avoid certain movements that could make it worse).  Obviously, if have any concerns, always discuss with your medical professional and listen to their guidance.  They know your specific situation better than anyone on the internet and can help you to do what is best for you and your baby.  I just believe it's important to be as informed as possible.  :)

New workout coming Saturday morning!  (7 weeks!!!!)

6 weeks, 4 days

Today, we got hit with a blizzard.  Pro: no work!!!!  WOO!!  Con: my gym is closed and we're housebound.  So, today's workout is a home WOD!  The only equipment that I have at my house is my husband's stationary bike and some kettlebells.  Eventually, especially once the baby comes, I'd like to get a few more things so that I have more options.  For now, I'll make do with what I have...

Circuit 1:

3 rounds-

20 one arm kettlebell row (10 per arm- see movement here)
20 one arm kettlebell swings (10 per arm- see movement here)
10 goblet thrusters (see movement here)

I used a 35 lb kettlebell.  I rested as needed in between movements (dependent on my heart rate, anywhere from 0-20 sec), but finished each movement without splitting up reps.  Use a weight that allows you to do the same.

REST  1-2 MINUTES

Circuit 2:

2 rounds-

30 jumping jacks
45 second wall sit
30 mountain climbers (15 each leg)
20 jump squats
12 push ups
20 lunges (10 per leg)
1 minute plank
20 crunches

Again, my goal was to do each movement without a break and only rest as needed between movements.  It's amazing how out of breath you can get cooking up a human!

Enjoy!! :)

6 weeks, 2 days

Another "deload" day.. BLAH!  I upped the weights a little bit to keep myself interested.  I also added a little extra WOD at the end so that the day didn't feel like a complete waste.

By the way, if you ever look at any of the movements I list and are like, "whaaaaaat?!" remember- Google is your friend!  You can quickly learn how to do all of these movements SAFELY and PROPERLY by watching the millions of videos posted.  NOTE: obviously, pick one from a credible source.  If you want to check that you're doing it right, take a video of yourself doing the movement and check your form!  Just because it's something that you never did before doesn't mean you can't learn how to do it!  Try them out!

Warm up:
500 m row (easy pace)
10 m inch worm forward (with 10 sec plank hold)
10 m inch worm backward (with 10 sec plank hold)

Lifting:
Pull ups 2x5
Barbell bent over row 2x10 (45 lbs)
Dumbbell upright row 2x5 (25 lb DBs)
Barbell curl 2x5 (35 lbs)
Seated dumbbell shoulder press 2x5 (25 lb DBs)
Back squat 2x7 (95 lbs)
Lying leg curl 2x5 (50 lbs)
V-up 2x5 (14 lb ball)

Extra credit:
10 push up, 1 air squat
9 push up, 2 air squat
8 push up, 3 air squat
7 push up, 4 air squat
6 push up, 5 air squat
5 push up, 6 air squat
4 push up, 7 air squat
3 push up, 8 air squat
2 push up, 9 air squat
1 push up, 10 air squat

6 weeks

Today I actually went TO the gym.  Woo!  This whole week I've been staying home and doing either body weight or kettlebell workouts. 

I have been following a 19 week strength program that is 3 days a week.  This is the last week and it is called a "deload" week, which means all of my weights, sets, and reps are SUPER low to let my body have a week off.  I get the importance, but it's also BORING, which is why I haven't wanted to go this week.  Today, I decided to stop making excuses and just go get it done already.  I decided to add some rowing to make myself feel better about the lack of volume...

Warm up:
500 m row (easy pace)
10 m inch worm forward (with 10 sec hold in plank)
10 m inch worm backward (with 10 sec hold in plank)

Lifting:
Bench (70 lb) 2 x 5
Inclined dumbbell press (20 lb DBs) 2 x 5
Dips 2 x 5
Row to chest (65 lbs) 2 x 5
Dumbbell rear lat raise (10 lb DBs) 2 x 5
45 degree back raise (20 lbs) 2 x 5
Dumbbell walking lunge (35 lb DBs) 10 x 2
Slant board sit-up (holding 25 lb plate) 2 x 5

Cardio:
500 m row (fast pace)

5 weeks, 7 days

I got home from work late today and didn't feel like dragging my butt to the gym.  So, HOME WOD IT IS! :)  

I wanted a mix of cardio, upper body, and abs.  This one was pretty quick, but good!

5 rounds:

10 push ups
15 air squats
20 mountain climbers
25 jumping jacks
30 second plank

I took very little, if any, rest between movements and rounds.  If I had dumbbells at home, I probably would have added some weight to the squats.  But I got my heart rate up, so I guess that all that really matters :)

5 weeks, 6 days

20 min AMRAP (as many rounds as possible in 20 minutes)

10 goblet squats 
15 kettlebell swings
20 butterfly sit ups

I used a 35 lb kettlebell and was shooting for 1 round every 2 minutes.  I came pretty close.  I finished 9 rounds + 3 sit ups.

A little background...

As a preface, I have been working out/lifting/CrossFitting since 2012.  It has become a huge part of my life and is not something that I was willing to give up just because I was about to become a mom.  In my mind, fit moms = happy, healthy babies.  You may disagree, and that's fine, but keep your negative comments to yourself. :)

ANYWAY...

Since I found out I was pregnant, I have been searching for information on what's safe as far as working out and what's not.  Let me tell you, it is HARD to find any information.  Most doctors will tell you that you can continue doing whatever you were doing before you got pregnant, with some slight modification as the pregnancy progresses.  Okay, but they're not really specific about lifting.  Can I continue back squatting heavy?  Should I be at, like, 50% of my max?  80%?  Take it day-by-day?  WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN, BASIL?  (Austin Powers reference?  No?  Sorry.)  

Most of the information that I did find was very outdated and did not seem to apply to me.  Lift no more than 25 lbs?!?!?!  Is this real life?  Who can go 40 weeks without lifting more than 25 lbs?  Don't let your heart rate go over 140 bpm??  I'm pretty sure that's easier said than done.  That would basically mean most of my workouts are out.  Okay, let's trying searching something else.. *types "CrossFit pregnant" into Google*....

BOOM!  Tons of images and articles of moms lifting heavy and looking SUPER pregnant.  However, most of these also have tons of "Google Doctors" also explaining why this is "so selfish" or "so dangerous for the baby!!!!!"  So, what's a soon-to-be mama to think?

After lots of researching and asking other fit mamas what they thought, here's what I came up with/feel comfortable following:

First Trimester

Pretty standard workouts (very little modification), no maxing out on lifts, staying at about 70-80% of max lifts, passing the "talk test" during workouts, taking it day-by-day, listening to my body, not really working out for time anymore

Second Trimester

Same as above, but with some added modification (ab workout variation- plank, no box jumps- step ups, no benching- inclined bench, raised push ups, modifying based on belly)

Third Trimester

COMPLETELY based on how I feel, taking down intensity to prep for baby :)