Been a bit slack the last few days…life just get’s in the way sometimes doesn’t it?!…So, here is the last 4 days in a nut shell…

Day 6 (Rest)

Ahh…rest day!  To be completely honest it was a good time for it to come.  I ended up having a few glasses of vino last night and surprisingly felt rather rough this morning.  Why is it that as we get older the hangovers get worse?!  I also seem to be finding the harder/more One works out the worse One’s hangovers are…(even only with a few cheeky ones!), horrendous!

Today coincides with the first day of the Olympics, which was brilliant!  Most of the day was spent lazing around watching the Olympian’s “doing the hard work” for me.  Was great!  Although must admit watching all these sporty people on the tele really has made me proper raring to go for the final day of the 1^st week tomorrow….Chest & Tri’s I am coming for ya!

Day 7 (Chest & Tri’s)

YES YES YES YES!!!!  I really feel like I have worked my flat little butt off this morning in Chez Antoniades gym/garage…

Again, completely fasted and fuelled by motivation and determination of bettering last week’s workout in terms of weight, I did it!  Well, for the most part…

All chest exercises and sets were upped to my next available weight, in the majority of cases this was at least 2.5kg/5lbs more per set!  This is a phenomenal achievement for puny lil old me considering sometimes going up by just 1kg tuckers me out.  Being a woman and therefore fairly weak (to be completely honest with you); an increase of just 0.5kg sometimes between set’s see’s me completely failing, even if I’m dropping the reps.

Not going to lie, it wasn’t easy and I didn’t manage to up my weight much in the tricep exercises.  Instead I really focused on my form.

Nick (my husban-y, who’s fault it is I’m doing beast in the first place) and I train together (if you didn’t already know)…in the middle of the tricep kick backs second round I turn to look at him to shout ‘Whatever It Takes’ to see the poor thing look like he was about to crumble.  Seriously, wish I had a camera, was classic!

Feel completely energised and ready for the day…Armed with our Olympic tickets to see Team GB (hopefully) wallop UAE in football at Wembley…whoop whoop!!!

Anyway, am proper chuffed with myself and just beaming!  This mini-beast is going to succeed; come hell or high water!

Day 8 (Legs)

Do you know what?!…I don’t think this workout is ever, ever, ever going to get any easier.  Once again, my legs are numb and shaking like, like….something that shakes a lot!!!

I feel completely spent and I don’t think I could have given anymore.  I managed to up my weight on quite a few things and those Bulgarian lunges are just the devil in disguise I swear to you!  I personally do not think I’m going to be able to go much higher in some of the exercises…I finished on 8 rep weighted squats with 15kg in each hand (with pretty good form), but I think my back and hands would give out if I tried to lift anymore…

Rest of the workout progressed as so, and I think as it was the second time round I was definitely braver and kept pushing myself to beat my weight from last week.  Heaven really knows whether I’m going to be able to increase next week, we’ll just have to see.

BEAST TO THE O…U…T!!!

Day 9 (Back & Bi’s)

Holy friggin’ mackerel!!!!  I do not think my arms have ever looked so pumped and full!  I am not joking my biceps seem to have tripled in size since before heading in this evening.  Me thinks there’s going to be some serious DOM-age in them tomorrow.

Again, I was defo feeling braver than last week and my confidence seems to really be going through the roof with some of these moves.  I’m not massively increasing my weight from one set to the next (e.g. deadlifts; 10kg, 12.5kg, 15kg), but as said above…a little means A LOT to this Mini-Beast!  And, I’m pretty damn proud of myself (*smirks and attempts feebly to sit up straight*)!

Once more, by the time we got to biceps I felt like crying, but Miss Kt Hovoc’s blog rang through my mini-swede and I gritted my teeth and ‘dug deeper’!

So far; I think this has to be my favourite of the build workouts and I cannot wait to do it again!

My review for end of week 1…

Love, love, loving it!  Such a refreshing change from the more cardio based programmes, although must admit I haven’t quite got the hang of only being able to do cardio once a week.  I feel stronger and defo tighter and more toned on my whole body (expect my tummy)…my bum already feels a little higher (although not sure if this is the DOMS playing tricks on me) and I feel my shoulders are starting to get a little shape.  I’m looking forward to how I’ll now feel end of week 2, 3, 4 etc!

I’m still finding the nutrition pretty challenging, although I am getting there.  My ratios are getting better too and I’m hitting between 44-48% carbs.  It’s all about the tweaking and re-assessing me thinks.  Although I am still feeling pretty bloated and feel like I am carrying more weight around the belly….”In The Beast I Trust” and will stick with it until the end of the bulk phase.

Just a few things that I’ve noticed, and wonder if any other fellow Beasts are finding this:

1.  I seem to be extra thirsty…no kidding I cannot stop guzzling water, is anyone else finding this?

2.  It seem’s my grip and forearms are actually giving out before the muscle I am working…is this just a girl thing?  I’ve started wearing some little gloves to help my grip but not sure it’s really helping to much.  Any comments/suggestions would be really useful if anyone has any please?

3.  I am covered in bruises!…I’m fairly clumsy and bruise like a peach.  Just me being a klutz?!

4.  Anyone else feel like bloaty mc-bloaterson?!

Your’s sweat-ely

Mini Beast xx