Pregnancy Week 38: Stepdown Snatches

Another Tuesday and I'm still pregnant! I was noticing with my MIL that because Asher came at 37.5 weeks, we act like Baby #2 will come along any day now, even though I am 1.5 weeks away from my due date still. Well, that day is not yet here, so I decided to try out snatches while I could. This morning's workout took me a while to get started since I had been experiencing intermittent mild contractions overnight and even though I was not currently having any contractions, I wasn't sure if I should even be doing any activity "just in case". I picked up the 8 kg (18 pounds) and did a few snatches. At this weight, it was light enough not to be very taxing aerobically or strength-wise, but enough to help me go through the functional movements that are so important to healthy movement and this exercise itself.

Activity:
KB snatches
20/20/10/10 (8 kg) R/L alternating with 15/15/15/15 R/L (10 kg) x 5, for 600 total snatches. This felt great during and afterwards!

Breakfast:
Vitamix drink (1 C coconut milk, 2 handfuls organic baby spinach, 4 Tbsp organic ground flaxseed, 2 Tbsp chia seed, 1/2 C blueberries)

Lunch:
Homemade chicken soup with carrots and dates
Handful Organic dark chocolate chips

First Dinner:
Chicken (from lunch) with stir-fried Chayote squash, celery salt

Second Dinner (10:30 p.m., I got hungry!):
Leftover stirfried chicken with Chayote squash in celery salt

Fluid:
6 cups water

Pregnancy Week 37: Good ol' KB snatches!

I wasn't sure I'd be able to pull off snatches today, since my pelvis is becoming increasingly loose as this pregnancy continues. I am thankful for that, as it will make birthing much easier, but have to be mindful of my early morning activities (when I feel my pelvis is most lax). This morning, I entertained the idea of doing military presses or jerks to avoid engaging my pelvis too much. I picked up the 10 kg and did a few practice snatches, and everything felt fine....so, I went with it and did my Tuesday snatch workout!

Activity:
KB snatches (10 kg)
20/20/10/10 R/L alternating with 15/15/15/15 R/L for 5 cycles equaling 600 total snatches

Breakfast (didn't have an appetite):
3 bites of slow cooker beef cooked with coconut milk, garlic, onion, carrot, celery, curry, ginger
3/4 banana
1 plum

Lunch:
3 sunnyside up Omega 3 eggs with sauteed spinach and 1/2 avocado, 2 spoonfuls Organic salsa
2 GF paleo Chocolate chip raisin scones
8 ounces Monavie w/ glucosamine

Snack:
2 handfuls Organic Dark Chocolate chips

In the late evening, I started feeling crappy. Took a short nap. Laid down for a little while longer...finally, decided it wasn't going to change, so I got up and played with Asher, gave him a bath, helped him get to bed. Still feel hot, nauseated. Didn't really have an appetite, but decided I should eat something:

Dinner:
Bowl of slow cooker beef with carrots and celery with 2 handfuls organic baby spinach, wilted
8 ounces Monavie w/ glucosamine

Fluid:
7 cups water

Pregnancy Week 36: 9 mo Tuesday snatches

My favorite day of the week is here again; I always look forward to Tuesdays because of the weekly snatch workout. Today's workout went by much faster, perhaps because the movement felt so great that I inadvertently increased my cadence. I don't know how many more Tuesdays I will have before the little one arrives, so I recorded a short video of part of one round of snatches just to remember... (In the video, I am doing a set of 20/20/10/10 R/L at about halfway through my workout.)




Activity:
KB snatches (10kg)
15/15/15/15 R/L alternating with 20/20/10/10 R/L for 5 rounds, totaling 600 snatches

Breakfast (we still haven't gone grocery shopping, so the randomness continues...):
2 sunnyside up Omega 3 eggs with 1/2 avocado
1 banana
1 GF paleo chocolate chip raisin scone

Lunch (we have no leafy greens! Those who know me know that I live and breathe leafy greens like spinach and kale! What to do?!):

"Tuna salad": 1/2 can light tuna, 1/2 avocado, 3 stalks celery, 1/4 yellow bell pepper, 2 packets of mustard
1 kiwi

Snack:
1 GF paleo Chocolate chip raisin scone

Dinner:
Chipotle salad: Greens, Carnitas, salsa, guacamole

Fluid:
7 cups water

Pregnancy Week 35: Tuesday Snatches

Here we are again, a wonderful Tuesday, and my favorite workout of the week! Still feels good throughout the entire movement.

Activity:
KB snatches (10 kg)

15/15/15/15 R/L alternated with
20/20/10/10 R/L

completed 5 sets of each for a total of 600 snatches

Breakfast:
2 sunnyside up Omega 3 eggs with 1 handful spinach, 1 roma tomato, 1/2 avocado

Morning snack:
1/2 C roasted mixed nuts

Lunch:
Medium Spinach salad with cucumbers and red peppers, balsamic vinegar & olive oil
7 strawberries
1 banana

Dinner:
Pork with squash, stir fried with sea salt & pepper
Chinese baby bokchoy
3 pieces See's candies Dark Cal Brittle (my favorite!)
Handful Organic Thompson's Raisins

Fluid:
7 cups water

Pregnancy Week 34: Snatches, How I Love Thee

For the 34th time this pregnancy, I have done a snatch workout on Tuesday. It was lovely. Pregnancy insomnia hit again last night, so I was up early and figured I might as well start my workout!

Activity:
KB snatches with 10 kg, alternating 15/15/15/15 R/L with 20/20/10/10 R/L for 5 cycles each (10 cycles total, 600 snatches total). Felt great!

Breakfast:
Large bowl of Vitamix drink (1 C cultured coconut milk with probiotics, 1.5 handfuls organic baby spinach, 2 kiwis, 1 orange, 2 bananas, 6 Tbsp organic ground flaxseed)
6 ounces Goat Milk Kefir blueberry pomegranate flavor
1 GF paleo chocolate chip raisin scone

Lunch:
Paleo Chicken with broccoli and mushroom medley
Garden salad with cucumbers, balsamic vinegar & olive oil

First Dinner:
Bowl of paleo Fish soup (Wild rockfish, kale, coconut milk, chicken broth, basil, curry)
Handful Organic thompsons raisins
6 ounces Goat milk kefir

Second Dinner:
Small bowl of paleo fish soup

Snack:
2 GF paleo chocolte chip raisin scones (fresh from the oven!)

Fluid:
7 cups water

Pregnancy Week 33: Tuesday Snatches (yay)!

It was with great eagerness that I set my alarm last night so I would have enough time to get my snatch workout finished this morning. As usual, I was awake from 3:30 until about 5 a.m.; just not able to fall asleep! Anyway, the workout was great fun, can't wait to do it again next week! :)

Activity:
KB snatches (10 kg)
15/15/15/15 x 5 (R/L) alternated with 20/20/10/10 x 5 (R/L) = 600 snatches

The last two sets of the 15/15 and the 20/20 I did without setting the KB down. I was having a little bit of trouble with pinched callouses on my L hand, so I did as many reps as I could on the L before switching to the R (I did the normal reps on the R, which felt really great), and just continued on the L until I was finished with 60 snatches.

At my midwife appointment, I weighed in at 120.0 pounds. I was sure with all the glutenous, comfort eating we did in SC that I would have gained a few pounds. That, and the baby growing, of course. Well, my belly is definitely getting bigger, so we know the baby's growing even if my weight isn't increasing...

Breakfast:
2 sunnyside up Omega 3 eggs with 1/2 avocado
3/4 banana
1 orange

Lunch:
1.5 bowls paleo beef stew with carrots and celery, ginger
Medium bowl of salad using Romaine lettuce, green bell peppers, tomatoes, carrots; balsamic vinegar and olive oil
2 pieces "Aplets and Cotlets"
1/2 handful roasted mixed nuts

Dinner:
1 bowl slow cooker paleo "Italian Pot Roast" (from Primal Blueprint cookbook)
2 GF paleo Chocolate chip scones
Cheat dessert (mini): 1/2 of a slice of chocolate cake from The Olive Garden
Handful Thompsons raisins

Fluid:
5 cups water

Pregnancy Week 32: Tuesday KB snatches!

It took a while to get started this morning....but I ended up having a great workout!

Activity:
KB snatches (10 kg) = 600 total snatches
15/15/15/15 x 5 (R/L) = 300
20/20/10/10 x 5 (R/L) = 300

I ended up doing 4 cycles of the 15/15/15/15 before I thought about mixing up the intensity...then, I had too much fun doing the 20/20/10/10 sets that I finished all 5 cycles before going back to the 15/15! I found that if I really pulled my free arm back during the back swing, I got a better hip hinge and therefore, felt like I just had to stand up and the KB floated overhead. What a fun movement KB snatches are!

Breakfast:
1 banana
1 Ruby grapefruit
2 GF paleo Chocolate scones

Lunch:
Steamed broccoli and Red Pepper & Spinach sausage
1 GF paleo Chocolate scone

Snack:
1 honeycrisp apple

Dinner:
Modified paleo GF "fish sticks" (ran out of almond flour): wild-caught Rockfish dipped in egg, 2 filets
Large bowl of Roasted seasoned brussels sprouts
2 squares of Hershey's Pure dark chocolate
4 ounces Mona-vie w/ glucosamine

Fluid:
7 cups water

Pregnancy Week 31: KB Snatches

We got back last night and we have both been itching to bond with our kettlebells after 8 days away. I got my wish this morning and enjoyed every minute of it!

Activity:
High volume snatches with 10 kg, 15/15/15/15 R/L x 10 = 600 snatches

Breakfast (since we got back really late last night, we haven't restocked our fridge and have very little food available):
1/4 avocado
1 slice honeycrisp apple
Handful cashews

Lunch:
Large romaine lettuce salad with 1/2 green bell pepper, 1 tomato, 1 fuji apple, balsamic vinegar & olive oil
3 chewy fruit confections ("Aplets & Cotlets" a made-in-the-Northwest candy)

Dinner:
Costco Rotisserie Chicken breast
1 C steamed broccoli with celery salt
3 GF paleo Cranberry Walnut Chocolate chip cookies
2 spoons of Adam's Coldstone ice cream (we're not quite back to full paleo)

Fluid:
6 cups water

Pregnancy Week 30: Tuesday KB Snatches!

Yay, I have been looking forward to this workout all week! I used the 10 kg for today's session....felt Great!

Activity:
High volume KB snatches 10 kg, 15/15/15/15 R/L x 10 = 600 snatches

Breakfast:
1 Bowl of sauteed brussels sprouts seasoned with garlic powder, dried dill, sea salt and pepper
2 GF paleo Cranberry Walnut cookies

Lunch:
1 large bowl of Vitamix drink (1 C coconut milk, 5 stalks kale, 1 honeycrisp apple, 2 kiwi, 6 Tbsp ground organic flaxseed, 2 Tbsp chia seed)

Dinner (leftover "mish-mash"):
Roasted red pepper and spinach sausage with leftover broccoli and red cabbage, leftover brussels sprouts
1 pear

Fluid:
7 cups water

Pregnancy Week 29: Tuesday Snatches

I decided to use the 10 kg for the entire snatch session today. I played around with repetitions since I really wasn't feeling "it" with doing anything this morning! Third trimester fatigue is really getting me, I guess.

Activity:
KB snatches (10 kg)
15/15/15/15 (R/L) x 3
10/10/10/10 (R/L) x 6
420 total snatches

While both cycles were a cardio challenge, completing snatches in sets of 10 made me feel less like crawling back into bed. These days, I'll take what I can!

Breakfast:
Large bowl of Vitamix drink (1 C coconut milk, 5 stalks kale, 1 honeycrisp apple, 2 carrots, 6 Tbsp organic ground flaxseed, 2 Tbsp chia seed)

Lunch:
Extra large Spinach salad w/ 1/2 red bell pepper, 1/2 cucumber, 1/2 tomato, 1/2 avocado. Balsamic vinegar & olive oil
3/4 Mini slice cheesecake (yes, this was a cheat dessert!! I was at my parents' house today, and my dad bought these two mini slices of cheesecake in anticipation of my birthday on Thursday (I mentioned I wanted Cheesecake Factory dessert instead of birthday cake), and was so excited about them and proud of himself, that I decided to try it. It was good! And I didn't feel bloated or tired afterwards. I also didn't feel hungry for many many hours after that huge salad and the dessert.

Dinner:
Bowl of Paleo chili (we ran out of tomatoes, so it was chili without tomatoes!) with kale, carrots and mushroom medley added, 1/4 avocado as garnish.

Fluid:
6 cups water

Pregnancy Week 28: Tuesday Snatches with a twist

Today was the perfect day to start using the 10 kg we got a couple weeks ago! When I exercise shortly after I get up in the morning, my SI joint still bothers me a bit. After I get warmed up, I have no discomfort. However, my snatch session was this morning, so, using the 10 kg was really perfect for me today.

Activity:
High volume snatches, alternating heavy and light KB
12 kg (15/15/10/10/5/5 R/L)
10 kg (15/15/15/15 R/L)

Repeat for 5 cycles, 600 total snatches

Breakfast:
Large bowl Vitamix (1 C coconut milk, 6 stalks kale, 1 honeycrisp apple, 2 med carrots, 2 bananas, 1 kiwi, 6 Tbsp organic ground flaxseed, 2 Tbsp chia seed)
Handful roasted cashews
4 ounces Mona-vie w/ glucosamine

Snack:
2 GF paleo cranberry walnut chocolate chip cookies

Lunch:
2 sunnyside up Omega-3 eggs w/ 1/2 avocado
8 ounces Mona-vie w/ glucosamine
2 squares Ghirardelli Intense Dark chocolate (72%)

Dinner:
Large bowl of Salmon chowder w/ kale added (Primal cookbook)
Bowl of Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Pregnancy Week 27: Tuesday snatches!

For the past couple of days, I've felt like my tummy has become larger (baby is growing, yay!) and have wondered if today would be the day I stopped snatching the 12 kg and started using the 10 kg...I practiced a couple times and found that if I did two things: emphasized the hip hinge by really sitting back, and moved my arm laterally towards my thigh on the downswing, I could avoid compressing the belly and yet load my hips to give more explosive power for the overhead portion of the movement. What a fun workout!

In the afternoon, I went to a Myofascial Release session for bodywork to prepare my fascial system for labor, delivery and beyond. Prevention is always the best choice, and preparing my body and mind through physical exercise, manual techniques, visualization/awareness will help with not just pregnancy and birth, but overall function and quality of life. Obviously, there are occasions when preparation and/or prevention is not an option; however, with the mindset of striving for healthy choices and actions during daily activities, the likelihood increases that we will be as prepared as possible to meet any challenge!

Activity:
Snatches 15/15/15/15 L/R x 10 = 600

Breakfast:
2 sunnyside up Omega 3 eggs w/ 1/2 avocado

Lunch:
1 large bowl Vitamix (1.5 C coconut milk, 5 stalks kale, 2 bananas, 1 honeycrisp apple, 1 kiwi, 4 slices fresh pineapple, 6 Tbsp golden ground flaxseed, 2 Tbsp chia seed)
1 Lindor milk chocolate ball
1/2 C sauteed string beans w/ bacon
1/4 C sauteed broccoli

Snack:
2 gluten free paleo cranberry walnut chocolate chip cookies

Dinner:
1 Turkey drumstick
1 Fuyu persimmon
8 ounces Monavie w/ glucosamine

Fluid:
9 ounces water

Pregnancy Week 26: Tuesday snatches!

Ahhhh, Tuesday...I look forward to Tuesday's workout even if I don't get any sleep! (I won't go into detail about my hypotheses regarding my dogs' behavior when they are being crated overnight (ours get exceptionally muddy in our soggy yard) versus when they have free range over the house....when they are crated, it seems like they have to go out for urgent #1 or #2 throughout the night.....which is preceded by whining and crying and pawing at their crate gates.....) Enough about them; back to me!

Activity:
KB snatches (12 kg)!! 15/15/15/15 L/R x 10 = 600 snatches
I did these in front of a space heater in our garage gym and my toes were still frozen when I finished...

I wait for the day when this workout will leave me low on energy throughout the day. When that time comes, or when the volume of snatches becomes uncomfortable during the workout, I will make changes. My current thoughts are either to continue with the 12 kg but decrease the volume, or go to the 10 kg and maintain volume. Obviously, there are other options that I can pursue, but that time has not yet come since I've felt great all day so far.

Breakfast:
2 sunnyside up Omega-3 eggs w/ 1/2 avocado
3 slices of gluten free paleo Cranberry Pecan bread
2 ounces Monavie w/glucosamine

Lunch:
Spinach salad w/ 1 tomato, 1/2 avocado, 1/2 can light tuna, balsamic vinegar and olive oil
3 squares of Hershey's dark chocolate

Dinner:
Fish patty cakes (from The Primal Cookbook by Mark Sisson) using salmon and tuna
Steamed broccoli w/ celery salt
6 ounces Monavie w/glucosamine
3 squares Hershey's dark chocolate

Fluid:
5 cups water.....not enough!

Pregnancy Week 25: Tuesday Snatches

Tuesday is my favorite day, mostly because I get to start it off with a nice snatch workout!

Activity:
KB snatches (12 kg) 15/15/15/15 alternating with 15/15/10/10/5/5 R/L x 10 = 600 snatches; 40 min

I really focused on technique, especially sitting back and hiking the KB, and a crisp hip and knee extension with the overhead lockout. The KB seemed to just float up if I did these two elements well. After this workout, I felt great all day!

Breakfast:
2 sunnyside up omega-3 eggs with 1/2 avocado
cantalope

Lunch:
Beef stew with carrots, celery, dates, salt, pepper
1/2 Fuyu persimmon

Dinner:
4-5 small beef patties (organic ground beef) w/green and yellow onion, celery, garlic powder
steamed broccoli with celery salt
1 kiwi

Fluid: 5 cups water