A Typical Day in the Life of Ashley

Thought I'd take you along with me through today's nutrition and exercise schedule. I'm currently working on building muscle, so my program may be different from yours. Make sure you have goals in mind when you start on a program in order to achieve the results you want (build muscle, lose fat, lose inches etc.).

I'm currently consuming about 2,000 calories a day--muscle needs more calories for growth, therefore, my consumption is about 200 calories higher than usual. I'm also doing less cardio in my training schedule in order to feed my muscles.

TIP: Get a heart rate monitor and track how many calories you are burning in a single workout. This is very important because lets say you burn 1,000 calories--you need to properly replenish those carbohydrates in order for your body to burn fat instead of the muscle you just worked so hard to build. You have to feed your body...PLEASE DO NOT BE AFRAID TO EAT.

I always see people, especially women busting their butts on the cardio equipment and not eating properly. Trust me, you will not lose fat if you starve your body--you'll actually store more fat. Our bodies are mapped out for survival and anything under 1,200 calories a day puts your body in preservation mode, which also slows down your metabolism.

Speaking of busting your butts--I see people update their status (yes I'm talking about Facebook) saying, "Wow, I just spent three hours working out!" Are you kidding me!? An hour of  hard effort on the weight floor is plenty. Make sure you're getting in good quality, slow reps--focus on the muscle.

Also, don't be afraid to hit the weight floor! Lift heavy until your body has reached complete fatigue--NO ladies, this will not make you bulky. What it will do is give you a toned physique I'm sure you're looking for as well as make you more metabolic turning you into a "fat burning machine!" Find a good balance between cardio and weight training. If you have any questions, feel free to post a comment below or add me on Facebook!

Monday

5:45 a.m.

• Leg Day! 
• Squats, increasing weight each set x4
• Super set hamstring leg curls on exercise ball with holster pull-downs for quads x4
• Walking lunges w/ 15lb. kettle bells x4
• Standing calve raises w/ 20 lb weight x4

Right now, I'm not doing cardio on days I lift. Weight training for me is Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and I do cardio Monday, Wednesday and Saturday. I usually do the stepmill (HIIT training) for 20-40 minutes.

7:00 a.m.

• 1 scoop protein
• apple

9:30 a.m.

• 1/2 c. oatmeal
• 6 egg whites
• 1 TBS all natural organic peanut butter

12:00 p.m.

• 4 oz. boneless, skinless grilled chicken breast
• 4 oz. sweet potato
• 2 c. fresh green beans

3:00 p.m.

• 4 eggwhites
• low carb wheat tortilla
• 1 TBS mustard
• 11 almonds

6:00 p.m.

• 4 oz. boneless, skinless chicken breast
• 2 c. fresh green beans
• lightly salted rice cake w/ 1 TBS sugar free jelly

8:30 p.m.

• 1 c. cottage cheese
• 1 TBS all natural organic peanut butter

Again, don't hesitate to ask me questions! Add me on Facebook or follow me on Twitter @Healthy Hunny. Enjoy the rest of your night!!