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Hey hey hey everyone! Happy Monday! I’m feeling hyped for this week! Not only am I ready to kill it at the gym in these baller deconstructed leggings from Carbon38, BUT also my very best friend is getting married this weekend! EEK! She’s the first one of our friend group to get married, so needless to say, we. are. ecstatic.

Anyways, let’s get back to this post…as always, I’ve got my weekly workout routine for y’all! Wahoo! I feel like I could conquer the world in these deconstructed leggings and deconstructed crop tank.  I’ve had my eye on this outfit for quite some time when it was available in black {one size left here!}.  Then, when I saw it was available in this army color, I was sold! It’s something different than my typical all-black-workout look.  It’s also such a pretty outfit for an ‘athleisure’ look, as shown in these photos {I just wore a regular bra above, but for working out, I would throw on this strappy sports bra!}. P.S. this pair of shoes is one of my faves and is available both here & here in various colors!

I usually just dive into my workouts for these posts, but I’ve been receiving some questions about my nutrition, exercises, etc., so I thought I’d answer some of them in this post.  I think what I’m going to do, is write up a completely separate post fully diving into my nutrition — so if you have any specific questions you want answered about what/how/when I eat, please leave them in the comments and I’ll include them in the post!

First of all, I am a supporter of eating clean…when you can.  However, I don’t bend over backwards to make sure every single thing that I eat is clean.  I’ve always been pretty athletic and {what I would like to think} in decent shape.  I have always been active and have always eaten ‘intuitively’, making sure I get all the good stuff into my daily diet, like carbs, protein, and fats.  However, I would eat out quite a bit with my friends and with Andrew — and I would always get a glass of wine or cocktail anywhere I went…because uh, why not?! If I would eat a lot of carbs in the morning, I would cut back in the evening…ya know, that kind of relaxed, yet healthy, mentality.

However, lately, I’ve taken my nutrition pretty seriously. I had decided to meticulously follow my macros and although it kind of gets annoying to track them, I love doing it because I know 100% that I’m providing my body with the proper fuel it needs.  I’ve probably been specifically tracking my macros for a couple of months now {rather than just eyeballing it like I used to}, and I feel energized, full, and strong.

People sometimes ask me if I’m training for something in particular — and no, no I’m not.  I’m just super into fitness as a hobby and as a lifestyle and love feeling strong & healthy.  However, I will say that I have a few goals that I would like to reach for my body just for fun, but that’s about it.

I also have 1 cheat meal a week.  Anddddd it’s usually pretty epic.  I’m talking the works.  Full out meal — maybe it’s a juicy hamburger and fries, or deep dish pizza, or maybe a steak that’s cooked in butter for once ha! Of course, some type of dessert is always included.  Cheat meals actually play a really important role in fat loss, as well as satisfying those cravings without binging {which I’d love to get into in a separate post too}. Andrew also does the same — follows his macros + indulges in a cheat meal.  So, it’s nice when you live a similar lifestyle to your friend or significant other.  It makes the eating ‘healthy’ part easier, and it makes the cheat meal even better.

Also, I receive a lot of emails, asking about certain exercise definitions, what kind of weights I use, how much weight I use, and a bunch of other things.  They are all valid questions, so I may make a little video answering some of those questions or maybe do a snapchat Q&A answering them {username is a_southerndrawl}. If you are ever confused about an exercise that I have listed in these posts or about your form, my suggestion is to go to bodybuilding.com and search for the exercise! They always include a great description of it + photos of it + a video.  It’s a really good resource to have if you’re ever confused about something!

Okay, okay, this post is getting a little bit too long, so I’ll save some other good points for future posts.  Just don’t forget to comment/email with questions that you want answered! I may start sharing more recipes for my meal preps {maybe on some Sundays?}, which are typically adapted from recipes that I’ve found online, but I would love to hear your all’s feedback first! Would you be into it or nah?

Now, go kick some a** this week:

*lift heavy on all days!*

Monday: Legs {Quads, Hamstrings, Glutes, Calves} + HIIT

*superset these in pairs!*

• Weighted Jump Squats with Medicine Ball: 25 jumps, 3 sets
• Narrow Squats on Smith Machine: 6 reps, 3 sets
• Sumo Squats {standing on two benches, and letting weight drop between the benches}: 15 reps, 3 sets
• Leg Extensions: 6 normal, 6 left leg, 6 right leg, 3 sets
• Barbell Hip Thrusts {lying down on bench — heavy}: 8 reps, 3 sets
• Leg Press: 3 pulses then 1 full extension, 5 reps, 3 sets
• Cable Rope Pull Through: 8 reps, 3 sets
• Weighted Curtsy Lunges: 8 reps each side, 3 sets

Tuesday: Shoulders & Abs + HIIT

*Superset these!*

• Arnold Press: 6-8 reps, 3 sets
• Seated Rear Delt Flyes: 6-8 reps, 3 sets
• Alternating Lateral Raise: 8 reps each arm, 5 sets
• Alternating Front Raise: 8 reps each arm, 5 sets 
• Dumbbell Shrugs: 10 reps, 5 sets
• Single Arm Shoulder Press, using Dumbbell: 6 reps each, 5 sets
• Shoulder Press, using Barbell: 6 reps, 5 sets

*Add your favorite routine for ABS! I’ve been loving oblique crunches!

Wednesday: TRX Class, typically focuses on core & glutes

Thursday: Biceps & Back + Low Intensity Cardio

*Superset these!*

• Wide Arm Lat Pull Down: 6 reps, 3 sets
• Dumbbell Hammer Curls: 6 reps, 3 sets
• Underhand Grip Cable Row: 8 reps, 3 sets
• Single Arm Bicep Curls using High Pulley Cable: 8 reps each, 3 sets
• Pull-Ups {assisted or unassisted}: 5 reps then lower the weight of assistance, 5 sets
• Bicep Curl with Weight Plate: 10 reps, 5 sets
• Single Arm Lat Pull Down: 6 reps each, 3 sets
• Barbell Curls:  8 reps {slow on the negative}, 3 sets

Friday: Legs {Mostly Glutes} & Abs + HIIT ….OR optional rest day

• Weighted Step Ups: 8 reps each leg, 3 sets
• Pulsing Sumo Squats:  10 pulses, 3 sets
• Romanian Deadlift: 8 reps, 3 sets
• Kneeling Barbell Thrusts {heavy, but not TOO heavy & squeeze booty at the top}: 8 reps, 3 sets
• Weighted Squats into a Kickback: 12 squats, 6 kickbacks each, 3 sets
• Standing Calf Raises: 10 reps, pausing/squeezing at the top of the rep, 3 sets
• Kickbacks with Cable: 12 reps each leg, 3 sets

*Make sure to add your favorite ab routine at the end!*

Saturday: Chest & Triceps + HIIT

• Chest Press: 6 reps, 5 sets
• Single Arm Tricep Extension: 6 reps each, 5 sets
• Cable Chest Fly: 5-6 reps, 3 sets
• EZ Bar Tricep Extension: 8 reps, 3 sets
• Incline Cable Fly: 8 reps, 3 sets
• Tricep Push-Up {assisted or unassisted}: 12 reps, 5 sets

Sunday: Rest Day

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Breakfast Meal of the Week: Slow Cooker Steel Cut Oats with Apples + Cinnamon

Lunch Meal of the Week: Turkey & Bacon Sandwich with Sriracha Tzatziki Spread

Dinner Meal of the Week: Sweet Potato & Turkey Meatballs with Quinoa