My First IFT Class!

Hey guys!

Since I finished up my Intro to Barbell class last week, which was a prerequisite to the IFT (Intense Functional Training) classes offered here, I decided to go to IFT tonight. And let's just say I completely had my butt kicked in that super awesome I'm not gonna be able to walk tomorrow kinda way.

I've been told that these IFT classes are very similar to CrossFit - and if they are, let's just say that I will be hitting up CrossFit in my hometown this summer! There's two types of IFT classes here - just plain IFT and IFT barbell. Tonight I took the plain IFT class but I'm planning on hitting up the IFT barbell class on Thursday.

Anyway, back to today's workout! We started out with a few laps around the gym, and then we used these little balls and did some myofascial release exercises. After that we did some jumping jacks, hip thrusters, bodyweight squats, and pushups, before starting the actual workout.

Today's warmup:
1. TRX Rows
2. Vertical Jumps (sideways next to a wall, trying to hit higher each time)
3. Push-ups*
4. Flutter kicks

*side note: it is SO HARD to do push-ups with proper form. it's crazy that i've been doing them wrong for my whole life, but doing them so you actually work your chest is so hard. i could only get through 3-4 at a time before having to take a break. 

Once we finished the warmup, I was already a little out of breath and sweaty! And then came the killer WOD.

We did 4 stations of 3 minute AMRAPs
1. Sit-ups and slamballs (alternate 10 reps each until time is up)
2. Pull ups and jumping lunges (7 reps each)
3. Burpee Broad Jump w/ wall ball
4. Medicine ball side tosses and agility square (which was just 4 cones set up that you had to go around once, changing direction quickly)

The killers were the burpee broad jumps and the pull-ups. I did my pull-ups with the Level 2 resistance band and my arms were shaking so much by the end. I can't imagine doing pull-ups without a band right now - but that is one of my goals for the end of the year!

After the WOD we did a round of tabata abs (v-ups, superman, cherry pickers, and something else that I can't remember) and by the time we finished that I was laying on my mat completely wiped. Whoever said that short workouts aren't effective is lying. This one hurt more than any workout I've done in quite awhile!

And you can bet I'll be there next class ready for more. This girl can't turn down a challenge!

Even though my butt really, really hurts.

have you ever taken an IFT class or something similar?

An Amazing Weekend.

I had one of the best weekends! My parents flew down to visit and I have been looking forward to seeing them for so long!!

They came and picked my brother and I up on Friday afternoon and as soon as I saw my parents I launched myself at them and tackled them in hugs. I had tears of happiness coming down my face because I was so overjoyed to see them.

REUNITED<3

Although this weekend was Parents' Weekend and a lot of families did the planned events for the weekend, my family decided to do our own thing and just spend quality time together. And I'm so happy we did!

After my parents picked us up, we went and got our afternoon coffee and then stopped at Whole Foods to pick up dinner. I saved a lot of errands to run this weekend (because a. running errands is a LOT easier when you have a car, and b. grocery shopping with my mom is one of my favorite things to do) - and my mom said that she would buy my usual groceries. I usually pay for them with my own money so needless to say this made me so excited!

I got some of my groceries (see the loot at the end of the post!) and picked steamed broccoli, tomatoes baked with cheese, and roasted potatoes for my dinner (forgot to snap a pic) since all of those things are really hard to find in the dining hall. The rest of my family got salads to go with the pizza that we ordered!

After dinner we just talked and caught up and then I crashed hard in the beautiful big fluffy hotel bed. It. was. glorious.

Saturday morning I slept in and then worked out with my momma! That was one of the things I missed like crazy- that and having someone to show off all my hard work to! haha :)

After showering up I had an amazing breakfast- all things I can't have in the dining hall yet again. Fresh raspberries (!!!!), chobani, and ciabatta bread with almond butter.

Once I finished eating my mom and I headed out to the mall where we got chair massages, went shopping, and got Subway for lunch (fyi their chopped chicken salad is really good!).

Then we met up with my dad and brother to go see Flight - it was a pretty good movie although I prefer happy feel-good movies. And then I GOT FROYO!

I got peach, tart, and coconut yogurts with raspberries, cheesecake, cookie dough, m&ms, almonds, and coconut shreds.

Before dinner we had a hotel hair-cutting session (cracks me up everytime) and then my mom and I did a little more shopping before we got seated at BJ's. The restaurant is right in the mall that our hotel is close to so it worked out perfectly! I didn't snap any photos because the lighting was so bad, but in the end it didn't matter anyway because I didn't end up eating the steak I ordered. Long story short they lost my order somewhere along the way and then tried to act like they hadn't messed anything up and served me a medium-rare steak (barely cooked on the outside) when I'd ordered medium-well done. Since we'd already waited so long for our food we just asked them to take it off the check instead of making me another one. So I just ate the veggies that came on the side and some of my brother's fries and then... froyo happened for the second time in one day! #noshame

After dinner my brother opened his birthday presents (he's turning 20 tomorrow!) and then my mom and I watched the first two episodes of Nashville - I'm officially hooked. That show is so good!

This morning after another workout with my mom, my parents dropped us back off on campus. It was so hard to say goodbye - I tried to hold myself together but I just couldn't. I'm so close with my parents and being away from them has been one of the hardest things about coming to college. But how lucky am I to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard?<3

To pick myself back up, I got a pumpkin spice latte and then set to work getting unpacked and putting all my food away.

please disregard the fluffy pillow pet and the computer - there's not much space to take photos in a dorm room! haha:)

The loot: honey pretzel twists, bulk cinnamon raisin granola, dry roasted edamame and goji berries, roasted almonds, Barney Butter (!!), dark chocolate chunks, a dark chocolate bar, whole wheat tortillas, string cheese, baggies of trail mix (my mom brought them from home),  greek yogurt, fresh raspberries, bars, and a box of candy corn and other halloween goodies.

Needless to say I'm one happy girl right now!

The rest of the afternoon has consisted of lots of laundry-doing and after I publish this post I'm going to get to work on all my homework and studying that has yet to get done.

what was a highlight of your weekend? 
ever had froyo twice in one day? 

I haven't died!

hey guys! sorry for being so MIA recently.. i was spending a LOT of quality time with my chemistry and calc books. i just had my chem midterm today and my calc midterm yesterday - i think both went fairly well (i reallllyyy hope they did!) which is a huge load off of my shoulders.

i also just decided that i am going on fall retreat with my christian group this weekend (AHHH! so stoked!) which means that i will be busting my butt to get all of my work done before & after this weekend - especially since parent's weekend is the following weekend! so i apologize in advance if i'm MIA for a little while longer.

promise i'll be back soon with more exciting posts ahead! :)