Wednesday, April 24, 2013

30 Day Challenge


I have been doing the 30 day squat challenge! It has been amazing. I am really feeling the burn! I have been kind of cheating. I split the number for each day between plea squats and regular squats. Sometimes I even throw in a few lunges. 


Plea squats target the inner thighs. You can also lift up to your toe on your left or right side to target the area. Make sure you only do one side at a time and have the same number of reps on each side. 


These are deep keen squats. The goal of a deep knee squat is to get your butt below your knees. If you are not following the proper form you more than likely will feel it in your knees. These squats will give you the best results.

Do you add weight? The USDA recommends that Americans get at least 2 days a week of strength training. Weight barring exercise can be done with body weight but once you have master body weight squats it is a good idea to more on to weights. You can use hand weights, body bars, or even kettle bells to ad weight. I am currently squatting 40 lbs. with a body bar. No more than 15 reps per set. I try to do about 10 sets per workout. If you are trying yo bulk up do a heavier weight with less reps, but if you are looking for lean muscles do a smaller weight with more reps. 

Remember to stretch your thighs after your workout. For your muscles to grow long and lean you want to make sure that you have a good stretch after all workouts especially when you are working such a specific area. 

An ab challenge is on the horizons for May! Get ready summer! 
-Liv   

Thursday, April 18, 2013

New dinning room table


Our retro table just is not doing it anymore! We have an old laminate wood table with chrome legs that are duck taped together at the top. So I thought it was time for a new table, but tables are really expensive so I thought I might make one. Here is my inspiration!


I want to build a bench for one side! I like this one, but I want a back on mine. And I love the light colored upholstered chairs with it. So I am going to do both.


Here is my beautiful wood it is black or dark walnut. I am think I am just going to seal it because the wood is pretty. But I want to have a dark table so we will have to see how it looks after the top is put together and I condition it.


There are my legs the short ones are for the bench and the long ones for the table.Duh! I go them from www.hairpinlegs.com/ . It was super easy to order from them and they have tons of styles! I hate choices. Right now they are raw steel which will rust so I may need to spray them black or clear.

 

I have picked out these chairs from IKEA. They have a dark brown/black base with a brown/natural cover which is great because you can change the cover! Check them out at Henriksdal chair from Ikea!

I am so excited about this new project! I am not that great with wood work so I am getting some help. I will be so happy to throw that old table away. And share the finished product!
-Liv

Whats going on?? Why no posts?

Well I have been extremely busy and my focus has been on work, school and become super healthy! So I have not had a lot of time for sewing. I guess I could cut out sleeping but I really really like sleep. So I thought it might be easier to post about what I am doing rather than just projects I have going.

So I wanted to show you how crazy my life! This is a picture of my desk today. I know crazy, but thankfully school is almost over for the semester. Summer is on its way and maybe I can turn back into the beach bum I have always been!



I have been working hard to finish my first graduate class at East Carolina University. I have taken other classes since I graduated from College APP State '10, but this one is the start of my graduate program, MS Family and Consumer Sciences Secondary Education. I will take the GRE this summer and apply for grad school in March. Wish me luck! I am powering through this literary review with muller! Non-fat yogurt with caramelized almonds! So good, but it is 200 calories as my fitness pal reminds me. Naked Protein granola and coffee are of course important to keep me focused. 


I am back at it! Running and workout got me through college, but as an adult I have found little time to do anything other than eat, sleep, or work. I have been working through this and I will be posting some workout/nutrition stuff, because thats whats going on with me right now. My sewing machine is feeling a little neglected. Maybe I can pull it out durning the summer?


As summer approaches I have been spending a lot of time with family. Mainly because I live at the beach, my family loves the beach, and they just need a reason to come down as often as they want. I constantly remind them that it get cold here too! This is us on the newish Jennette's Research Pier. It is so cool to see the wind turbines, and other sources of wave energy they have been able to harness. This pier was built by the aquarium so it has several huge tanks with fish in them!

Hope you enjoy some of the new stuff I post! 
-Liv