26 Weeks

Depending on who you ask (but according to me), this is my last week in the 2nd trimester :) I'm sad to be leaving the golden trimester, especially since I know very well what discomforts await me in the 3rd, but I know time is going to fly by and very soon now I'll be holding my little girl in my arms :) I now often find myself daydreaming about the delivery room and those first few hours together.

My workouts are going well (I'm still doing the functional training), but in my heart I'm not a functional fitness type of gal - I'm a bodybuilder, and I find myself itching to get back to my regular workouts. The thing is, my body has been feeling so great since starting this functional training that I don't want to give it up completely either! I'm going to try and make a compromise and incorporate elements of both within the same workout: I'll start with 30 minutes of functional, full-body movements that especially target 2-3 muscle groups, and then I'll finish up with 30 minutes of isolation exercises that'll hit those same muscles. 

As an example, here's what I'm planning for Glute & Shoulder day:

Walking Lunge with Reverse Punch

Plie Squats with Upright Rows

Med Ball Squat Throw

KB Swings/Hip Thrusts

Cross-Over with Side Leg Step-Up/Quadruped Leg Swings

DB Military Press/Front Raise/Side Raise

Cable Reverse Flye

*"/" = Superset or Giant Set

I haven't done any research on this method at all, so we'll see what happens! I also haven't been planning or tracking my reps/sets/weight as this changes with my energy from day-to-day; I pick a weight and go until I'm tired, then increase or decrease the weight depending on how I felt the set went. This is all very much "intuitive training", which I think has a very important place in any program, but is especially important during pregnancy. There are many roads that lead to the same destination; keep your mind open and your goals in sight... you'll get to where you're headed :)

A different kind of belly pic :P Jayden is "drawing our neighbor's cat" while I work on my new workout. The dog is trying very hard not to chase the cat! lol

-Tess

25 Weeks

25 weeks - baby is the size of a cauliflower

Oh wow, approximately 100 days until this little kicker makes her grand debut! The excitement this time around is different than with our first; there seems to be less scrambling and Googling and  cramming of information. All we really "need" to buy for this baby is a box of NB diapers, and all we really need to do is set up the bassinet and pack a hospital bag. It's nice not having to stress too much about making preparations, and instead being able to put all that energy into just being excited to meet her!

FYI, next week's post will be a more information-based post (I'm taking time to gather my sources and thoughts) but this week is purely a personal reflection.

This past week has been a good change of pace. So far my yoga challenge is going so-so.... I've gotten about 5/10 days. Not perfect, but a significant jump from my usual once per two weeks or two months, and I'm happy with that. Remember that progress is not contingent on perfection, but  persistence :) The full-body workouts are kicking my butt in a very good way! It's always amazing to me how just changing the type of workout you do can wake up your body, or reach muscles that have been hard to get to lately. I'm using lighter weights, doing fewer sets per exercise, and spending less total time weight training, but I have been S.O.R.E. all over the place since making the change. Of course muscle soreness isn't the only indicator of a productive workout, but the masochistic lifter in me still really likes it :P

Now that I'm really showing, I'm starting to get more questions and comments from people about the baby and my bump. I won't lie, it's nice that I'm able to share our news with the world without having to actually tell people, lol. I love talking about babies and pregnancy... new life elicits such joy and excitement in just about everybody. But I have noticed that in addition to the usual "Congratulations! Boy or girl? When are you due? Is it your first?" there are two comments that I get from just about everyone: "You're so tiny..." and "you make pregnancy look so easy!" Funny, I still don't really know how to respond to these two statements that sometimes seem to really be (judgmental) questions in disguise.  HOW are you so small? WHY is this easier for you than it was for me?  Sometimes I give the short answer of "Yeah, I'm pretty lucky that way", and sometimes I decide to go with the long answer. The real story. The truth that me being "small" is likely a combination of genetics, fitness, and dumb luck, and that nothing about being an active pregnant mother is EASY. Grocery shopping 2-3 times per week; cooking every meal every day; coordinating schedules and car rides with my husband to make sure he gets to/from work and I can bring our kid to daycare for just a couple hours (an effort in itself!) all so that I can workout at a time other than 4:30am; finding gym outfits that aren't too warm or tight on my belly, and aren't too sexy for my conservative gym (:P); playing with my son even though I'm sore and tired from my workouts; dragging my butt to the gym even though I'm exhausted from growing another human..... not easy, peeps! I also make an effort to ensure my weight gain is gradual and minimal, not only because carrying an additional 50lbs would be tough on my back and legs, but because I'm a competitive athlete and I'm always thinking to my next show prep. But this fight for balance is the story of every fit person, and especially every fit parent. And although it's not easy, I strongly - no, passionately - believe that the alternative of living with chronic fatigue, pain, and illness that comes from a sedentary lifestyle would be far more difficult... especially while pregnant, when it seems like all your body's weaknesses are exacerbated. (Also, I would go crazy - literally CRAZY - if I didn't have my daily dose of "therapy" lol.)

Hmmm, not really sure how to end this blog post as I was a bit all over the place in this one :P Thanks for listening to my random thoughts and following me along this up-and-down ride that is pregnancy and motherhood. OH, I know, I have a quote to leave you with:

"A man become a father the moment his child is born; a woman becomes a mother the moment her child is conceived."

-Tess

24 Weeks

Yup, I've officially "popped" :)

I've said it before and I'll say it again: one of the greatest benefits of being healthy and active is the relationship and understanding you build with your own body.  Under normal circumstances, I'm able to pinpoint any trouble spots in my body, figure out (somewhat accurately) what I did wrong, and then develop a suitable action plan for recovery. The problem with pregnancy is that there's a whole new component to your body that you are not in control of - or sometimes even aware of.  For me, relinquishing some control over my body is the part that I'm most frustrated by, but the process I'm most in awe of.

Last week, a few odd things happened:

1) I lost almost all interest in going to the gym

2) My usual recovery time of 1-3 days per body part was dragged out to 4-6!

3) I got SUPER tired and nauseous for no apparent reason for a couple days (though, my mother suggested that this was probably due to baby having a little growth spurt.  Makes total sense. Leave it to the woman who's had 7 pregnancies to know what's up with my body lol).

Still, what these things signaled to me was that it was time to change up my gym routine; not just a simple change of exercises... a complete overhaul!

At the centre of my new program is a 90-day yoga challenge, which should absolutely help with my recovery time. Some days will be in-studio, but most will be at home, and I'm committing to at least 45 minutes per session. I'm also moving into a functional style training program.  I find after a few months of training all my body parts separately that my body starts to feel disconnected - like it's not operating cohesively. This functional phase will have lots of full-body movements, which totally revs the metabolism, but more importantly will generate some interest in workouts again. *Part of the reason trainers recommend changing your program every few weeks/months isn't just to make you pay them more money... it's to ensure you don't lose interest in, and thus bail on, your workouts.*

Some of the exercises I did this week and will be doing for the next month or two include:

-KB swings

-KB windmills

-Med ball throws and slams

-Walking lunges with front kicks

-Walking plie squats with side kicks

-Single-leg squats and deadlifts

-Shadow boxing, katas, and weapon training (if my gym will allow me to bring in weapons lol)

-Battle ropes

-Burpee chinups

-Inverted rows

-Renegade rows with pushups

-Cable wood chops

-Cable squat & strike

-Cable power punch

-Cable pull-throughs 

-Bear crawl

-Clean & snatch (light weight)

-Split jerk (light weight)

-Dynamic prone plank

-Planks and any kind of plank variation you can think of!

-Box lateral shuffle

-Frog jumps

-Box jumps (low box)

Please note that this is simply my own personal list of exercises, not an exercise prescription for pregnant women. If you'd like more information about functional exercises during pregnancy, I HIGHLY recommend this website/article which is full of practical, helpful, reliable information for preconception, pregnancy, and postpartum. It is absolutely worth a very thorough read-through.

http://www.getfitforbirth.com/functional-fitness-for-pregnancy-interview-question-2-of-7-top-functional-exercises-during-each-trimester/

Don't forget your kegels and pelvic tilts, ladies! 

-Tess

21 Weeks & A Ramble About My Nutrition

Disclaimer: this post is quite the ramble! If you’re set on reading the whole thing, I suggest you find yourself a comfortable chair :)  But first.... bump pics! (Yes, I realize I am wearing the exact same outfit, and yes it is a complete coincidence, lol.) 

21 weeks - baby #2

21 weeks - baby #1

Ok, so I haven’t talked too much about my pregnancy diet yet because, well, I’m not really following any sort of “diet” per se.  I don’t give myself too many rules while I’m pregnant, and I actually find that this helps me to control my cravings better.  I’m the type of person who, if I’m told I’m not allowed to have a certain food, I’ll binge on it, lol. I really struggled with my eating for my first two fitness competitions, and it wasn’t until I was pregnant with my first baby that I started to change my relationship with food: I told myself at the beginning of my pregnancy that I could indulge in any strong cravings I would have, with the only stipulation being that I had to nourish my baby with predominantly healthy foods. Now, in the back of my mind, I also had the intention of doing a fitness show soon after the baby was born, and as a result I found myself simply not wanting to indulge too much because I knew the more weight I gained during pregnancy, the harder and longer I would have to diet afterwards.  I also knew that I would be having more kids down the road, and that I would have plenty more chances to indulge in the future.  By framing it like that in my mind – in knowing that this piece of pizza staring me in the face right now would not be my last chance to ever have another slice of pizza again, I didn’t feel so desperate to eat it. And once that desperation was removed, I was able to think logically: do I really want pizza, or do I just need something salty? Can I replace it with something healthier, like smoked salmon? Am I thirsty? Am I tired? Have I eaten healthfully enough today that I can afford to eat this pizza? If those answers all lined up and I found that I still did want that slice of pizza, well then I ate it! And I never felt guilty. I felt heartburn, but not guilt, lol. And if there was a day that I over-indulged some, then guess what, there’s always tomorrow to do better (although the trick there is to actually follow through and eat better the next day!).

I do have some general guidelines that I like to follow, not just during pregnancy but always:

-eat 20-30g of protein with every major meal, and try to incorporate at least 10g with snacks

-minimum 3 servings of veggies per day, and 1 serving fruit

-one serving nuts/seeds daily

-at least one of my carbs should come from an unprocessed source, like rice, quinoa, oatmeal, sweet potatoes, or beans

-don’t start the day with sugary foods 

-drink lots of water!

Typical breakfast: oatmeal with raisins, almonds and maple syrup, egg whites with mushrooms, and a big ole coffee! Not too different from non-pregnancy, except there's more food on the plate. And not too different from competition diet except.... there's WAY more food on the plate! lol

Aside from that, all’s fair. I don’t monitor my calories at all, but I do respect my appetite (not doing so usually has terrible consequences for me: excess hunger leads to nausea, and overeating leads to serious heartburn), and thankfully I do have a pretty firm grasp on portion sizes. Some of my favourite meals and snacks lately are:

-smoked salmon on crackers

-hot chocolate (made with real cocoa powder, NOT the stuff from the box)

-home-made Egg McMuffins

-grits with butter and turkey bacon

-veggie straws

-freezies (hey, I’m pregnant in Florida in the summer… I need me some freezies!)

-raw carrots

-ants on a log

-steak!

-home-made sweet potato fries

-scrambled eggs with mushrooms

-granola bars (store bought or home-made)

As you can see, not too many veggies on that list :S Outside of pregnancy I try not to “drink my calories” too often, but during pregnancy whey protein shakes and powdered greens drinks become staples as I sometimes (ok, often) just can’t choke down my baked fish, or bring myself to eat a salad.

I’ve also purposely kept away from mentioning my pregnancy weight gain as I think talking about the numbers freaks people out more than it helps. In the end, the only people your weight gain is relevant to are you, your baby, and your doctor.  Most experts will say that a healthy weight gain for women of a normal starting BMI is 25-35lbs; some people gain more despite all their best efforts, and some people gain less with no effort at all. The most beautiful and scary thing about pregnancy is the lack of control you have over your body, and that includes how it chooses to put on weight – not just how much, but where! My personal feeling on the issue is this: if you are eating NUTRITIOUSLY and are exercising to the best of your abilities, then “que sera, sera!” If your weight gain (or lack thereof) becomes a concern, your doctor will bring it up and the two of you can discuss an appropriate weight management plan.

Oh, and for those of you who missed it (and have managed to get to the end of this post), we are having a girl!

-Tess

20 Weeks - Halfway Point!

Wow, officially half way through this pregnancy! And fittingly, I started feeling really “pregnant” this week; I busted out all my old maternity stuff (clothes, body pillow, belly band), my belly button is sore, I’m getting full faster (which is kind of a nice built-in weight gain controller ;) but then if I do eat too much I get heartburn. Dangit!) I'm also starting to get looks from strangers - you know, the “is she pregnant, or did she eat too much?” looks.  I’m really considering buying some of these shirts:

 

My workouts are still going strong, though I have made a few modifications lately:

1) Any exercises that use free weights overhead are now very light and in a high rep range (Ex.: Bench Press, Shoulder Press, Chest Flyes, Overhead Dumbbell Tricep Extension).  As my center of gravity is shifting and my core is getting weaker, there's an increasing chance of dropping the weights unsafely and injuring either myself of the baby. I still have these exercises in my program, but am being very cautious when I go through the movements.

2) It’s becoming less and less comfortable to do abdominal exercises, especially ones that bring my knees to my chest.  But that’s ok, because I can still do other exercises for the same muscles! Here are some substitute exercises:

Was doing -- Now doing

Reverse Crunches -- Partial Crunches and Planks

Oblique Crunches and Bicycles -- Side planks

Hanging Leg Raises -- Lying Leg Raises (single and double leg)

I’ve also been incorporating vacuums to help combat Diastasis Recti (separation between the right and left sides of the rectus abdominis muscle). NOTE: If you are experiencing, or are recovering from Diastasis Recti, then consider staying away from planks and crunches, as they can exacerbate the problem. More on that in a future blog post.

3) Have I mentioned that I have completely eliminated any exercise that has me lying on my stomach? They haven’t been comfortable for me for a few weeks now. But again, there are still lots of options:

Was doing -- Now doing

Supermans -- Hyperextensions on the apparatus, light or no weight

Bench-supported Rear Delt Flyes -- Cable or Dumbbell Rear Delt Flyes

Reverse Hyperextensions (on a bench or on a ball) -- Cable Glute Kickbacks

I can still fit into those machines that have the front of your body pressed against a pad, like Rear Delt Flyes on the Pec Deck, Hammer Strength High Rows, and Butt Blaster machines, though it’s just a matter of time (and size) before those become uncomfortable too.

********

Aside from that, everything is business as usual. My energy is still good thanks to all the sleep I'm still getting, I haven't been having any aches or pains (except the ones caused by the workouts!), and doc says we're both healthy as can be :) Let's bring on the second half of this pregnancy!!

20 Weeks

Baby is the size of a banana :)

 -Tess

19 Weeks

19 weeks
Weight gain so far: 9lbs

I did something crazy this week.  All you moms out there are going to think I'm completely nuts for doing it. I SLEPT. Every night this week I got between 7-9 hours of sleep (some nights I even got 10!) And it wasn't in 3 hour blocks either - it was solid, mostly uninterrupted (hey, I'm preggers, I gotta pee) blocks of sleep.  And I. Feel. Amazing.

The two weeks leading up to last I was averaging about 5 hours per night, and my body sent me numerous not-so-subtle signals that this was definitely not "ok". So I - not wanting to start a fight with a body that could most definitely kick my butt - took heed and made a solid effort to get to bed at a reasonable time. I missed some tv shows, I missed out on some "husband/wife" time, and some chores got left until morning. And if I didn't get enough sleep before my morning workout rolled around, I skipped it and slept some more. Yep, it was that serious.

We mustn't underestimate the importance of sleep - not when we're pregnant, not when we're active, and especially not when we're pregnant AND active.  Sleep:
-Helps your muscles recover
-"Poor sleep and depression were both associated with increased risk for birth complications... including low birth weight and pre-term birth"    
--> http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/sleep-newzzz/201308/poor-sleep-in-pregnancy-can-lead-complications-birth
-Plays a critical role in immune health
-Reduces inflammation in the body
-Reduces cortisol (stress hormone) levels --> http://www.parentingscience.com/Stress-hormones-during-pregnancy.html
-Suppresses thyroid hormone (primary regulator for BMR/metabolism) --> http://www.askmen.com/sports/bodybuilding_300/394_working-out-and-sleep.html
-Your body releases the highest levels of growth hormone when you're at rest

Translation: when you're rested you'll have an easier time losing or maintaining weight, and you decrease your chances of birth complications.

I know that when you're a mom, or when you're expecting, it can be damn near impossible some nights to get a solid sleep. And honestly, I don't have any "tricks" for all you hard-working, busy Mamas out there to get more of it. Heck, you're probably so chronically fatigued that you've completely forgotten what feeling "rested" is like.... am I right? So just consider this a reminder that sleep, if you can manage to get more of it, is so so so important and it feels so so so sooooooooo good. Personally, I felt a surge of energy after the third night of sleeping, my workouts were the most intense they've been in weeks, and I even managed to cut my caffeine intake in half. HALF! I had more energy to play with my son, and my pregnancy discomforts were lessened. It was absolutely worth postponing that "must-see" tv show (which was being recorded anyways), or late-night Facebooking, or putting aside my preconceptions that going to bed at 8:30 was super lame and that I should stay up until 10:30 instead...... oh, the excuses.

JUST GO TO BED!



Seriously.  Like, now.

16-18 Weeks

Hey-o!

I know, it's been a few weeks since I last posted - very sorry about that.  I had my mom, aunt, and in-laws all come to visit for 10 days and though it was a very laid-back visit, I also spent as much of my spare time with them as possible.

16 weeks

18 weeks

A day after I posted my last update (so around the 15 week mark) I sustained a hip injury; this is a recurring injury for me so was not at all pregnancy-induced, but it absolutely had the potential to be worsened by pregnancy with changes such as widening hips and loosening ligaments taking place. The injury was so bad that it was difficult to walk for the first week (my poor dog didn't get out much), but I'm almost back to 100% now. As a result of the injury, I backed right off training my legs for almost two weeks, though I did manage to train my upper body by hobbling around the gym to various (seated) exercise machines. More importantly, I started each workout with a VERY thorough warmup, then finished each session with a ton of stretching.

That brings me to the main focus of today's post, which is the importance of stretching your hips on days you are training your lower body. By stretching before and after your workouts, you increase your range of motion (ROM) which translates into better lifts as you're able to recruit more muscle fibres at the bottom of each movement. You also lubricate your joints, helping them to absorb and recover from the demands you put on them throughout your workout.  And finally, you increase blood flow to and from the muscles you are working, which helps to reduce muscle soreness.

Specifically stretching your hips is especially important during pregnancy: as your belly gets bigger and heavier it will pull the front of your body forward. Your back will respond by tilting your hips forward (anterior pelvic tilt), thus tightening your hip flexors. By keeping those hip flexors nice and loose, you help your body keep its correct posture which in turn helps to alleviate lower back pain and sciatic nerve pain (two really big complaints during pregnancy!). It also helps loosen up your hips in preparation for the childbirth ahead.

For warmup, you want to stick to dynamic stretches - controlled movements that take you through a full range of motion (ROM). Why dynamic? Because at this point (before a workout) you are just trying to prepare your muscles for the work ahead - the actual "stretching" of the muscle will be done afterwards, when your muscles are nice and warm.  A few dynamic hip stretches I really like are:

Spider-Man Reach
Start in a pushup position, with a neutral spine and hands under shoulders. Bring your right foot forward and plant it just outside of your right hand. Keeping your right arm inside your right leg, lift your left hand up towards the ceiling to open your chest. Hold briefly, then lower your hand and return to starting position. Repeat on the left side.

Squat-to-Stand
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and toes pointed slightly out. Fold forward at the hips and touch the ground or grab your toes, keeping your legs as straight as possible. Bend your knees and lower your hips into a full squat, keeping your back flat and neck neutral. Your knees should be outside your arms. Reverse the movement to return to the starting position.  You can also add a little back bend at the top to really maximize the movement :)



Leg Swings
With your left hand on a wall, stand on your right foot and swing your left leg backward and forward as far as it will comfortably go. Do 10 swings then change sides.  You can also face the wall and do a side-to-side motion.

Knee-to-chest Stretch/Psoas March
Lie on your back and draw your left knee toward your chest.  Pull it closer with both hands as far as it will comfortably go. Release the leg and lower. Repeat on right side.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OfiSDQ5AGXw


For cool down you can go to your static stretches - a stationary stretch that you hold for 30+ seconds. This is a good time for static stretches as your muscles are all warmed up, and will be very receptive to lengthening. Here are a few gems:

Butterfly
Sit up tall with the soles of your feet pressed together, knees naturally falling to the side. Grasp your feet with your hands. Keeping your core engaged, fold forward from your hips (not your upper back). You can deepen the stretch by pulling your feet closer in towards your body.

Kneeling Stretch
From a lunge position, lower your back knee onto a padded mat (for comfort). Your back shin and foot should be resting on the mat while your front leg is bent at a 90 degree angle. Shift your weight forward until you feel a stretch in the front of your back thigh and hip.  Hold, then repeat on other side. 

Happy Baby Pose
Lying on your back, hug your knees to your chest.  You can grab the soles of the feet, ankles, or back of the legs - whichever is most comfortable. Open your feet so that they are above your knees, then pull the knees towards the floor alongside your chest.  Keep your head and shoulders on the floor.

Here is a vide of me demonstrating the Spider-Man Reach and the Squat-to-Stand.

And here is another great site that lists some good hip flexor stretches and provides videos for each:
http://www.fitbodyhq.com/fitness/12-great-stretches-for-tight-hip-flexors/

Stay happy and healthy!

15 weeks

It's amazing to me how two pregnancies can be so different from one another. Aside from feeling much more pregnant earlier this time (which, apparently, is to be expected with second/third/fourth.... pregnancies), and feeling the baby move 6 weeks earlier (yay!) my body is just reacting differently.

Nails: this time are brittle and breaking, last time were long and strong
Skin: constant breakouts vs. beautifully clear
Breasts: bigger and more sensitive
Body fat: accumulating in my hips and thighs vs. moved away from my hips and into my arms
Weight gain: ok, I've only actually gained about 2-3 more pounds than last time.
Muscle loss: practically no muscle loss so far! We'll see how the rest of the pregnancy goes, but with baby #1 I had lost about 7lbs of lean muscle by the time I delivered. This probably explains why my weight gain has been greater this time, too.

Please excuse the hair - we had just gotten back from the beach. Also excuse the blatant posing....
as any of my girlfriends will attest, I literally cannot help myself.

Ok, onto the good stuff: Workouts.

I felt so strong this week - I was almost lifting my regular weights. I've been on my current program for about 4 weeks now, so my body is likely adapting to the routine. Which means one thing: it's time to change it up! Although pregnancy is not a time to be increasing the intensity of your workouts, there are lots of other variables you can play with to make sure your body isn't adapting and you keep moving in the direction of results.

-Change the order of your exercises: instead of doing lunges then pushups, do pushups then lunges. Simple, but it keeps the body guessing.

-Change the type of cardio you do: treadmill, stationary bike, elliptical, outdoor walks/runs, swimming, stair climber..... You hit different muscles with every piece of equipment, so change it up!

-Increase or decrease the number of sets and reps you do: Having said that, this is not the time to be lifting SUPER heavy (for safety reasons), so stay out of that 2-6 rep range.

-Change your resistance equipment: As you become more pregnant, your joints will get looser and your centre of gravity will shift. For this reason, I would recommend moving away from free-weights and instead towards machines, which are safer. But don't worry - the change in equipment will hit your muscles differently, thus challenging them in a new way :)

-Change the exercises you are doing: Again, unless you are an advanced lifter, this is not the time to start experimenting with new exercises.  But do switch up the ones you're already familiar with. Like pull-ups instead of pull-downs, or glute bridges instead of glute kickbacks.

-Change your split: If you usually pair back with biceps, try pairing it with chest instead. Or do legs and triceps one day - why not?  Or how about doing full-body workouts for a while? The sky is the limit when it comes to splits!


So this week I'll be changing my split, moving away from the full-body circuits (See ya, circuits! It was fun..... sort of) and back to a more standard 4-day split, keeping in that one day of just cardio/yoga.

Keep on challenging yourselves, ladies! These phenomenal bodies of ours are designed to grow babies AND still keep doing our regular activities. Pregnancy does not make us weaker - it's a celebration of our true STRENGTH!

-Tess

14 weeks

Happy Father's Day to my husband - the best dad a kid (or wife) could ask for :)  

Well this week certainly came with its own set of challenges: first of all, I've been fighting a head cold all week which has been a little bit draining. Second of all it has been h-o-t HOT here in Pensacola, meaning I've had to walk the dog and baby as soon as I get home from the gym before it gets unbearably hot out. I get up at 4:30am for my workouts, so by 7:00am I kind of just want to crawl back into bed... not take a long sweaty dog walk, lol. But all that being said, I only missed one cardio session and one walk this week. Actually, I always find working out while I've got a cold makes me feel so much better and speeds up the recovery process.

The changes I implemented since last week worked beautifully - no pains or strains this week :) This is what my workouts looked like:

Upper Body
Lat Pulldowns
Hammer Strength Chest Press
Seated Cable Row/Dumbbell Bicep Curls
Incline DB Chest Flyes/DB Tricep Kickbacks
Dumbbell Reverse Flyes
Dumbbell Front Raises

Full Body 1
Deadlifts/Pushups
Pullups/Plie Squat
Bent-over BB Row/Walking Lunges
Upright Rows/Plank

Lower Body
Donkey Kicks
Single-leg Leg Press (*instead of squat)
Single-leg Deadlifts
Cable Pull-Throughs
Kneeling Cable Crunches
Reverse Crunches/Single Lying Leg Raise

Full Body 2 (circuits on TRX)
Pushups
Split Squat (*on bench)
Single-arm Row
Single-leg Squat

Face-Pulls
Hamstring Curls
Plank (*instead of Pike)

Note: "/" indicates a superset. In general, I stick to about 3-4 sets and 8-15 reps, depending on how I'm feeling.


You may have noticed that I'm still doing some crunches in my routine. I was actually able to incorporate crunches all throughout my last pregnancy, albeit with a much restricted range of motion. I haven't been feeling any kind of discomfort when I do them, so I'll keep them in as long as possible (I'm one of those crazy people who LOVES to train abs!!)  I've always done my ab exercises very slowly (there are too many people speeding through ab exercises, using momentum, shoulders, hips, and neck muscle to get them through the movement.... very little actual abdominal recruitment going on) and now more than ever I keep my movements very controlled and go VERY slowly, keeping my mind very connected to the muscles and what's going on.

As I mentioned, I do also limit my range of motion:

Reverse Crunches - Usually I would bring my knees much closer to my forehead to hit a bit of upper abs as well, but now I am just bringing them to about the same place as this woman. I still get the lower ab contraction but don't squish my belly ;) 

Kneeling Cable Crunches - Typically you would bring your elbows down and in with this exercise, but I am just bringing my elbows to the ground (going nice and slow) and stopping there, making sure to pause and really squeeze at the bottom.

13 weeks

Phew! Finally, the second trimester!

Our 13 week old jellybean <3

Thankfully my first trimester wasn't too bad at all, but it's still nice to be out of the "danger zone", be able to announce the pregnancy to all our family and friends, and of course get some energy back :)

The second trimester made a definitive entrance this week as for the first time I experienced some strains in my lower abdominal muscles from exercises that usually don't cause me any problems.  Because I've been feeling kind of bloated lately (blame hormones, heat, and a slight weight gain) I decided to switch to a full-body circuit-type workout for most of the week, but still focussing on just upper and lower body once per week... because too many circuits make Tess an grumpy-ish girl :P

Day 1 - Full body circuit
Day 2 - Upper body
Day 3 - Cardio + yoga/karate
Day 4 - Rest
Day 5 - Full body circuit (TRX)
Day 6 - Lower body

The three exercises that caused discomfort this week were all exercises that demanded a lot of core strength. Obviously this is my body telling me "Hey, your uterus is getting kind of big btw!" so I have taken note and will adjust accordingly.

-Squats - I'll try widening my stance (to allow for my bigger belly), lowering the weight, and being extra strict on my form and see if that changes anything.  If not, it may be time to switch over to the leg press machine.
-Single-leg squats (with TRX) - I'll try these using a bench instead of the TRX (which demands an extra element of balance) and see how my core feels after that.
-Pike (TRX) - I'll switch to regular planks and plank variations from now on.

Overall my energy was good, though it always takes me a week or so to get back into the swing of circuits.

I also did a slow jog this week, stopping every 5 minutes or so to assess how I was feeling, and everything felt fine! That's great news as I now live near the ocean and morning beachfront runs are a real treat to wake up to :)

13 weeks