Day 19 THE HOME STRETCH...

SO HERE WE ARE ON DAY 19! THIS IS THE HOME STRETCH, WHAT WE DO IN THESE LAST FEW DAYS WILL REALLY DETERMINE HOW OUR CHALLENGE ENDS UP...

YOU SEE YOU HAVE PUT 19 DAYS OF HARD WORK IN. YOU HAVE CLEANED UP YOUR DIET, EVEN IF IT IS JUST A LITTLE BIT. MOST OF YOU HAVE ADDED SOME SORT OF EXERCISE TO YOUR DAILY LIVES!

AND FROM WHAT I HAVE SEEN MOST OF ALL OF US HAVE HAD VERY GOOD RESULTS SO FAR! 

BUT LET ME BE THE FIRST TO TELL THIS VERY IMPORTANT AND DISTURBING FACT:

WHAT YOU ACCOMPLISHED IN 19 DAYS CAN ALL BE TAKEN AWAY IN ABOUT 3 DAYS OF REALLY BAD EATING AND NO EXERCISE!

THAT IS THE TRUTH AND IT SUCKS!! WE HAVE TO BUST OUR ASSES FOR THE SOME RESULTS, WHICH THEN TURN INTO OUR LARGE RESULTS BUT IT TAKES ABSOLUTELY NO EFFORT AT ALL TO LOSE ALL THE RESULTS...

YOU CAN BE HAPPY WITH WHERE YOU ARE AT AND WHERE YOU HAVE GOTTEN AND JUST STOP NOW. BUT THEN WHAT? 

I WILL TELL YOU WHAT HAPPENS, IT ALL COMES BACK! THE WEIGHT YOU LOST, THE INCHES THAT YOU SHEDDED, THE BLOATED FEELING EVERYDAY, THE FATIGUE, IT ALL COMES BACK! AND THE NEXT TIME IT IS EVEN THAT MUCH HARDER TO GET RID OF...

SO I SAY THIS, KEEP PUSHING FORWARD. KEEP STRIVING FOR PROGRESS, EVEN IF IT IS SLOW PROGRESS. DO NOT STRIVE FOR PERFECTION FOR IT IS NOT ATTAINABLE. 

THIS IS THE HOME STRETCH, SO YES PLEASE ENJOY YOUR JOURNEY. TAKE PRIDE IN WHAT YOU HAVE ACCOMPLISHED TO THIS POINT BUT DO  NOT GIVE UP!!

THIS MORNING I GOT MY SON AND DAUGHTER UP FOR SCHOOL. MY DAUGHTER ACTUALLY STAYED IN HER BED ALL NIGHT, SO THAT IS A POSITIVE. NOW SHE DID NOT FALL ASLEEP EXACTLY WHEN WE WANTED HER TO, BUT WE ARE WINNING ONE BATTLE AT A TIME...

AFTER TAKING THEM TO SCHOOL I HEADED OVER TO THE GYM TO START MY NEW STRENGTH PROGRAM WHICH IS A 5X5 PROGRAM

THIS TYPE OF PROGRAM IS KNOWN FOR ITS STRENGTH BUILDING AND FAT LOSS RESULTS. THIS DOES NOT MEAN I AM FINISHED WITH CROSSFIT, OH NO!! I WILL DO A CROSSFIT WOD AFTER MY STRENGTH WORKOUT. TODAY LOOKED LIKE THIS:

5X5 FRONT SQUATS @185#

5X5 BENCH PRESS @135#

5X5 BARBELL ROWS @95#

EACH WORKOUT I WILL ADD 5#S TO THE BARBELL. IF THERE COMES A TIME AND THAT TIME WILL COME, I CANNOT MAKE THE LIFTS, I GET ONE MORE CHANCE THE NEXT WORKOUT. IF I STILL CANNOT MAKE THE LIFTS I MUST REDUCE THE WEIGHT BY 20% AND THEN CONTINUE. THIS REALLY IS GREAT AT BUILDING STRENGTH

AFTER THAT STRENGTH WORKOUT I HIT A 10 MINUTE AMRAP WHICH LOOKED LIKE THIS:

10 MINUTES OF 

3 PULL UPS

5 SHOULDER TO OVERHEAD 115#

50 SINGLE UNDER JUMP ROPES

I WAS FEELING REALLY STRONG AFTER THAT WORKOUT, TIRED BUT STRONG!

SO I GRABBED THE BIG BEAST, THE 80# KETTLEBELL AND DECIDED TO CLEAN AND PRESS IT FOR REPS!

I DID 3 SET OF 3 REPS ON BOTH THE LEFT AND RIGHT ARM...NICE!!

I WILL BE REDUCING MY CALORIE INTAKE THESE LAST FEW DAYS AND INCREASING MY WATER INTAKE.  I AM REALLY ONLY DRINKING MY MEAL REPLACEMENT SHAKES FROM ADVOCARE FOR MY MEALS AND EVERY NOW AND THEN I WILL ADD IN A BAGEL WITH CREAM CHEESE WHEN I FEEL I NEED MORE ENERGY.

 I KNOW THAT I SAID I WAS NOT INTERESTED IN WINNING THIS CHALLENGE THIS TIME AROUND, BUT AS I SIT IN 2ND PLACE RIGHT NOW IT WOULD BE FOOLISH OF ME TO NOT TRY AND WIN. THAT IT IS JUST THE COMPETITIVE STREAK IN ME I GUESS...

STAY LOW AND STAY SAFE - TALK TOMORROW