Water Makes You Pee, FYI

Apparently when you start drinking water on the reg, you have to pee a lot...

This post is far from insightful, and I'm digressing from my usual rant that involves a barbell, and either epic success or failure on that front. Instead, let's chat a bit about nutrition, and how water factors in to it.

I'm on a bit of a mission right now, working to sustain solid workout habits, and working to both establish and maintain solid eating habits. Pretty much anyone who pays attention will have observed that I drink what is known as no water. Coffee is pretty standard. Throw in the occasional tea. Water on it's own? Nah. That being said, apparently it's helpful to be fully hydrated. Who knew?! And it's nothing new for me to get chirped endlessly by my friends (specifically Ty & Ky, the "Y" twins) about how little water I drink. In all fairness, they're totally correct, and as such, I feel the need to make a big deal about this shift and give myself a proverbial pat on the back, whilst giving them the proverbial middle finger.

You've likely picked up on the fact that I've been making a concerted effort to drink a lot of water. How much exactly, you ask? I have no fucking clue. Enough that I have to piss constantly. How on earth do people do this? Everywhere I go, I'm on the lookout for a washroom. It's the most annoying thing ever. At this very moment, as I type, my bladder feels like it's going to explode. I legitimately could pee my pants on the sofa, obvs something that Kyla Gagnon would do, for sure.

(At least drinking all the water will make me look even more youthful...hard to imagine, I know...)

I suppose the reason I'm writing about this is that I feel as though it's symptomatic of me making the appropriate changes, and that makes me feel good. It's kind of amazing that feeling as though I may end up peeing my pants as a grown woman is indicative of improving my health, but hey, I can work with that. Maybe once I achieve international superstardom for my weight-lifting prowess, I can also snag a contract with Depends. I can see it now, some amazing marketing extravaganza that combines the latest & greatest in adult diapers with my ridiculously impressive snatch. I'll let you decide if you'd like to have a bit of fun with me discussing adult diapers & snatch at the same time :)

Anyway, that's my latest fitness revelation. Drinking water is part of helping out my body, and keeping it ready for all the lifts I plan on smashing over the next while, and apparently the byproduct of that is existing in a perpetual state of having to urinate. Probs going to have at least one incident, I can feel it already. And by "feel it," I'm referencing feeling like I'm going to piss my pants. Fuck my life...

Token water photo #drinkwater #whatever #peepants

Shit Yeah!!!

Every trainer has different tells when it comes to being stoked for their clients. Mine is pretty consistent. As soon as you hear, "shit yeah!!!" you know you've done something right, and today was a "shit yeah" kind of day!

I know my last post talked about what a lazy fuck I've been lately, but there has been the intermittent workout mixed in, and with that has come a bit of frustration. My frustration has been specific to my clean & jerk, or my lack thereof. Well, my lack thereof when it comes to clean & jerking 105lbs. It's been my nemesis. It goes a little something like this. I clean & jerk 75lbs. I clean & jerk 85lbs. I clean & jerk 95lbs. I don't clean & jerk 105lbs. I try one more time. I don't clean & jerk 105lbs. Actually, not even cleaning 105lbs throughout this disastrous sequence of events. And maybe it doesn't sound like that big of a deal, but it has been legitimately fucking with my head. I over-analyze my technique, I get scared while I'm pulling the bar, and I feel like a giant fucking loser every single time the bar isn't resting on my shoulders. Moral of the story, it hasn't been playing out in an ideal fashion.

Today, I did a partner session, with Zeus torturing me and one of my fave people, NDG (I feel like nicknames are a version of anonymity!). I'm a fan of working out with NDG - she works hard and she's strong, and I always feel motivated around her. She also got me on to this tank top from lululemon that I'm pretty obsessed with, so extra points for that! Anyhow, so we got things going with some warm-up stretches that were oddly tiring and humbling, and then got into some barbell work, culminating in the almighty clean & jerk!!!

Apparently crushing a workout brings out my 4:20 eyes... #highonlife

What happened next, you ask?

I did some work at 85lbs. And I did some work at 95lbs. And it was feeling pretty good. So Zeus had me go to 100lbs. And we had success. Promising, right? I get the barbell racked to 105lbs., and crushed my first attempt at 105lbs., right? Not so much.

First try...fail. Second and third...fail. Fourth? Fucking victory. After taking a moment, as per Zeus' genius instruction, I pulled out a clean - not the prettiest clean - but a clean. And then I got set and smashed a legit jerk. How did I know it was legit? Cuz all I could hear was, "shit yeah!!!" And I was stoooooked! I'm still stoked, as I write this little tale of complete dominance! When I had a shower after training, no joke, I found myself grinning while reliving it in my head. And it was really great having such a supportive crew around me for it, to act like something that might seem inconsequential to many, was the most important things that had happened, if just for a moment. That moment was important, too, because the remainder of the workout made me contemplate suicide. In a good way, of course...

I guess I just wanted to follow up on a post of feeling like a lethargic ass with a post about feeling legit. Today was a good day. It was a "shit yeah!!!" kind of day... Something worth celebrating.

The Aftermath

It's January & Apparently I Think It's Still Christmas...

I suppose my writing of late is a pretty good reflection of my recent fitness habits, as well...

It's funny, people talk about how the holidays can really set you back. Perhaps I was never aware of it because I've never been someone who leads a somewhat healthy lifestyle until the past year and a bit. In all honesty, this was my first Christmas that coincided with a genuinely serious commitment to lifestyle habits, although based on the last few weeks, one could easily question that commitment. In a nut shell, Christmas seems to have brought me the gift that keeps on giving - gluttonous lethargy!

In all honesty, I don't know if blaming it on the holiday season really makes sense. I don't know if I needed a turkey dinner to be my excuse for acting lazy and eating shitty food. And it sure as hell isn't still Christmas time, and the struggle continues. Coinciding with Christmas was a family visit, bringing my parents and brother here for a visit. Paul & I did some partner training, and the result seems be a rediscovered interest in his own health and fitness, a catalyst that seems to have gained momentum, as he's maintaining a great workout regiment, c/o Zeus, and eating strict Paleo with wicked success. My parents also seem to have used our time together to reinforce their continued efforts to evolve their own habits, and they send me little updates regarding their eating habits, and how things are going. Keeping this in mind, it's pretty clear that the holidays don't need to be an excuse to go downhill. In fact, the opposite seems to be happening for the rest of my family (#biofam, not #fitfam), and I don't see why it should be any different for me. And when it is, the fallout is dangerous...

See, when I'm lazy or undisciplined, it's not just the physical results that feel like a punishment. The mental side is a fucking nightmare. I feel like such a loser when I don't have the basic willpower to sustain my supposedly established eating habits, eating habits that are crucial to achieving my health-related goals. And going to lift and then finding that I'm not as strong as I feel like I should be, or my technique doesn't feel right, or I can't clean what I know I should be able to...it all feels disgusting, largely due to the fact that deep down, I know that my habits are creating these problems. There's no great mystery, it's basic cause and effect.

Once upon a time, I used to exercise...

I guess I'm just writing this because I need to make a change, and I'd feel like an even bigger dumb ass if I wrote this and then did nothing. One could also argue that I could be a bit more forgiving of myself, but I find that to be a dangerous line to walk - kindness is important, but so are boundaries, boundaries that come with some form of consequence when you cross them. All of this being said, I'm looking forward to creating an environment of structure over the next week, because while I'd like to think a more general approach would work, it hasn't been working lately. So I'm going to sort my shit out, set some specific goals, work with my people, and be a less lazy, less complacent version of myself.

I know it's cheesy but in all honesty, getting back on track seems like a way better gift to myself than anything I got for Christmas.

Health, Fitness & Holiday Recipes

So in the spirit of fitness/health blogs and FB pages sharing different options for modified cookies, cakes, drinks, and treats, I wanted to chime in with this amazing version of "Holiday Egg Nog" for all of you! I know that we're all looking for recipes that make us feel good & are also delicious!

With this one, it's super simple:
1. Go to your local grocery store.
2. Buy some egg nog. Make sure it has lots of fat in it.
3. Return to your home & pour it into a glass.
4. You have the option of adding cinnamon and/or tasty alcohol.
5. Drink it.

And guess what? It'll taste like what it's supposed to taste like - egg nog...#merrychristmas

I Mustache You Some Questions

Sooooo this is a little different from my usual complaining/ranting/bragging/chirping approach! The lovely Robyn Baldwin threw this my way, in the spirit of all things blog - "I Mustache You Some Questions." Be prepared for some riveting info... #mindblown 

1. Four names that people call me, other than my real name:

• Kolida - token last name moniker
• Rink Dink - I literally don't know how to explain the origins of this one. Okay, yeah, I do. Serinki became Serink became Rink became Rink Dink (c/o a Darth & Kelsey O'Face, shocker)
• Bean - another intellectual evolution. Serena became Serene became Bean. Or something like that.
• SK - initials will get you every time. There is also the occasional SAK variation, usually from my padre.

2. Four jobs I have had: 

• Manager of a Panago #trythatonforsize #possiblywhyiendedupneedingatrainer
• GAP Sales Associate - I lasted maybe 2 months...
• Restaurant & Bar Business Manager - seriously, wayyyyyy more fun than it sounds
• Present-day Realtor Extraordinaire!!! (and basically a personal trainer, but you all knew that...)

3. Four movies I have watched more than once:

• The Switch
• Step Brothers
• Old School
• Talk To Her (foreign film, what's up now?!)

4. Two Books I recommend:

• The Quotable Douchebag
• Half The Sky

5. Four places I have lived: Brace yourselves for a slew of luxury destinations...

• Victoria, BC
• McBride, BC
• Duncan, BC
• Prince George, BC

6. Four Places I have been:

• Cambodia
• Mexico
• England
• Seattle (special in my heart because of Bieta)

7. Four places I would rather be right now:

• Back in Cambodia with the most amazing group of people, continuing the biggest laughs ever had
• Reading endless books on a big, comfy couch with endless pizza being served to me
• Shopping, eating & drinking in New York with my two besties
• Cooking dinner for my favourite people

8. Four things I don’t eat:

• Things that aren't meat
• Liver
• Hazelnuts
• Tripe (the fact that it's an option is just screwed up...) - I also just noticed that I have 2 technically meat items on my list but they're like the incestuous cousins of meat so they don't count.

9. Four of my favourite foods:

• Brazilian BBQ (newfound obsession that pinpoints my love of meat)
• Ice Cream
• Pizza
• Any combination of eggs & hollandaise sauce

10. Four TV Shows I watch:

• Scandal
• The Mindy Project
• How To Get Away With Murder
• Parks & Recreation #treatyoself

11. Four things I am looking forward to next year:

• Greece & Turkey with Kyla!!!
• Yvette & Nick's glorious wedding
• Selling all the houses
• Racking up some legit squats & deadlifts & bench presses

12. Four things I am always saying:

• Eat a dick
• Legitimately 
• Aggressive/ly
• Get fucked

13. Tag 4 people

Kyla Gagnon - Inside Out Fitness Victoria

Rebecca McKinty - Bliss Nutrition

Zeus - Zeke Cabell Personal Training

Darcy Turenne - Filmmaker Extraordinaire

Because this photo always makes me smile, and hopefully this post will make you smile...

Sibling Smash Sessions

Apart from the initial complaint about the weather that will follow this intro, this post is pretty much just a bunch of happy!

So I'm in Edmonton currently, where it is cold as fuck, and I'm visiting my baby brother. One of the things that has been kind of awesome about getting into the gym is that it's added to the dynamic of what my bro & I share with each other. We've always been pretty close, at least from the time he stopped being an annoying shit head, so basically 16 onwards, and I know that I'm lucky to call him my friend. That being said, he's always been an athlete and pretty much always been in shape. And for the most part, not just "in shape," but more so legit fit. Hmmm...legit fit. #legitfit - new hashtag!!! But yeah, Paul has had a longstanding relationship with the gym and weights and being impressively fit. And obviously that's a newer thing for me, so it's kind of fun to come here and incorporate the gym into our sibling bonding.

On that note, Paul brought me to his gym yesterday afternoon for us to train together. Just an aside, dressing for the gym is a giant fucking pain in the ass when it's -20 outside, in case you were wondering. The first thing that happened was that I gained a true appreciation for how much I enjoy my own gym at home - shout out to Quadra Fitness! Paul and his gf have memberships at GoodLife, mostly due to the location and their lifestyle needs, and it is essentially the breeding grounds for Douche Fest 2014. Granted, we are in Alberta, but holy shit, steroids abound! I'm surprised there wasn't an on-site needle exchange. There were a lot of dudes that I wanted to take pictures of, just to send them to my #fitfam and be like, "did you know people like this exist?!" I had two faves, one being the guy who had every inch of his body covered in Under Armour that was more than likely purchased in the petite children's section. C'mon, just a little bit tighter...squeeze in there, you can do it! Oh, so you wanna do shrugs? Over and over? Awesome. Pretty sure someone had sewn him into the outfit because I think it would have been physically impossible to put it on in a conventional fashion. My other source of entertainment/terror was this super tall guy who was actually kind of hot but had decided that a muscle tank with straps that were a centimetre thin and hung down so that the neckline of the tank began at his abs (dead serious, not an ounce of exaggeration). He was basically wearing a reverse crop top. And yeah, I know that I'm being super judgie, but I'm fine with it.

Aside from some laughs via the side show, going to this gym was also a mental challenge for me. As much as I can chirp certain people at the gym, the reality is I find other gyms to be pretty intimidating, and yeah, buddy was in the world's tightest outfit but he's also pretty jacked, and it's easy to worry about whether I look like I know what I'm doing, or if someone sees me and thinks my snatch looks like it needs tweaking (to be clear, my other snatch does NOT need tweaking, it's basically perfect). And in a gym like that, where people are mostly engaged in traditional body building or cardio, do I look super out of place doing snatches and cleans? Being painfully candid, it can be a serious struggle to train in a gym that isn't my own. Fortunately, my bro kind of took the lead with regard to setting us up, and that helped me feel less lost or out of place. He asked what we were doing (apparently we were partner training, which was pretty cool, since I'm so bad ass now), and got us set up where we needed to be.

Little Bro getting ready to crush...

Once things got going, it was pretty sweet. We worked in and out, squatting to warm up (aka: our "warmie," in hockey lingo - the bro is a hockey boy), and it was fun. Once we were into our squat sets, I ended up hitting a personal best for 3 reps, which was kind of awesome. And even more awesome because it can be such a mind-fuck for me being somewhere that I feel self-conscious or out of place. A while back, I honestly don't know if I could have even done my program in an environment like that, just because it's so different from what literally every other person was doing. At one point Paul asked if I knew how to spot him while he was squatting because he was getting all serious and show off-y...I looked at him and was like, "Fuck, no, have you met me?!" As if I know anything about spotting or whatever other shit you're supposed to know. I'm just happy I know what obliques are...yep, add another muscle to my impressive knowledge base! I'm basically a kinesiologist at this point.

I know this is basically just a lengthy story about a workout, but it was actually a pretty awesome session for me. It was really great to have my brother utilizing my program and giving me props for my own successes and improvements. It was also good to be reminded that I'm not reinventing the wheel, as much as I feel like I am sometimes, and that he's been at this a looooooong time, and cleans aren't a novel concept to him. On top of it all, I was stoked that my insecurity didn't push itself to the forefront and instead, took a backseat while I focused on getting sweaty AND smashing some personal bests, no big deal. Guess it's time for that proverbial pat on the back, hey?

I've got a few more days here in this hellish climate, so a few more workouts will ensue. But before I hit the gym again, I'm off to the Nike store to see if I can find myself a reverse crop top and the world's tightest pants. Afterall, when in Rome...

Meet The Fitness Village: Kyla Gagnon

So I've talked about my village and how much it keeps me on track. And since I'm going to be consistently referencing my #fitfam and all of the wonderful & pain-inducing ways they support me, I figured I should start by introducing them to you. There are a few of them, and my gratitude to every single one of these amazing people is overwhelming and often doesn't seem like enough. Making changes in the realm of exercise and diet has impacted me in a way that invigorates me, and has shown me a version of life that I genuinely have never been privy to, and without my village, none of it would be possible. There are two individuals have gone above and beyond what any person could expect, and we'll start with one of them today...Kyla Gagnon.

Me & Mayor Gagnon

I guess you could say that Kyla is the mayor of my village. I was originally introduced to her when my dearest friend Taylor (I always say Kyla is my wife and Taylor is my husband) bought me some personal training sessions with her as a gift, knowing that I needed some help when it came to the gym, and knowing that she was an incredible personal trainer. Trust me, if you think I'm a rookie now, you have no clue how little I knew back then. Fast-forward 7 years, and Kyla has become my other half. We've lived together for 6 of those years and to be honest, she is so much more to me than a personal trainer - she is pretty much my other half. I could literally gush about her forever, about how much fun we have together, how hard we laugh, how hilarious we know (think?) we are, buuuut you could probably just follow me on Instagram and you'd get the idea pretty quickly! Instead, I'd rather explain why she's the mayor of my village.

(Seriously, though, follow me on IG - @serenaastrid)

I don't really even know where to begin. I suppose what it really comes down to is that for 7 years, Kyla has never given up on me. She has watched me be super strict with diet and exercise, and watched me be lazy and eat junk food. She has listened to me pledge my dedication to getting fit, and then watched me not show up at the gym, regardless of my proclamations. She's been subjected to complaints about my body over and over again, even though she also knows I haven't been doing anything to make it better. And in spite of all of the inconsistency and the failures and the empty commitments, she has been my cheerleader. And when I actually made changes that stuck, she cheered even louder. She's been there to offer advice and resources. She's made my fucking breakfast for 6 years, just to make sure I have a healthy start to my day. And this might all sound like good ol' friendship, but it goes so far beyond that. It would have been so fair for her to have given up by now. I've been the queen of empty promises, and considering her line of work is helping people be stronger and healthier, I can't imagine how frustrating it's been watching me stop and start for so long. And yet, she's always been there, and has always seen the potential for me to be happier and healthier.

Kyla is there for the good and the bad. And trust me, when it comes to relearning how to live in a healthy way, there can be a lot of bad. The reason that so many people struggle with obesity and fitness is that it's really fucking hard to develop and sustain the right habits. I can personally attest to this, and Kyla is so incredible when it comes to having my back. She's also willing to call me on my shit, and while that might sound like not the hugest deal, it is. I'm stubborn and defiant. And it's not easy to tell someone to make the healthy choice with food, to remind them that each time DOES count, to be willing to bear the brunt of someone who feels weak and doesn't want to push through cravings. It's not fun being "the bad guy," and I can think of more than one occasion where Kyla hasn't let me rationalize eating shit "just this one time," and I cannot thank her enough for being brave enough and caring enough to step up, when she knows I'm going to be snarky and indignant, mostly because I know she's right. I owe her for all of the times she has pestered me about going to the gym when I'm feeling lazy, because she's right. She's right every single time. And it's often a thankless task, being in her shoes, and she still takes it on, and I don't know where I'd be without her.

She has trained me countless times, written out workouts for me countless times, usually with an Americano as the most compensation she gets. She also supports me when I make changes in my training, because she doesn't care if it's her programming or not, as long as it's working for me. Or maybe she does care, and just keeps it to herself. Either way, she puts my progress (note I did not say #gains) before everything else, because she's just that kind of person and trainer. She's constantly telling me how proud she is, and she makes me want to be better. Granted, it doesn't hurt that she's a smoke show who takes amazing care of her own body, and is constantly striving to be stronger and healthier herself. No big deal...

The Village Mayor is ALSO the Village Smoke Show

In all honesty, I haven't even scratched the surface. Kyla is there for all of it. She reminds me on a daily basis that effort is a necessity. We go on vacation, we train. We have a night out, we train the next day. We go out to eat, she orders protein and vegetables. Well, maybe not always. But usually. And it's impossible to not want to be like her, because she's inspiring and wonderful. There's so much more to her than her physical self, but that in and of itself is the product of her commitment and dedication to being a living example of discipline and ethic. And she tries so hard to do whatever she thinks might help me. If I'm craving something sweet at night, she'll make some random concoction that fits in with my diet but still does the trick. If I can't think of what to do at the gym, she'll text me a workout on the spot, even if she has a client. When I try types of training that differ from her own programming, she focuses solely on my excitement and the potential benefits. She never brings ego to the table but instead, does whatever she can to be there for me. She is always watching me out of the corner of her eye so that she can compliment me on my training, even when she has a client. I guess the best way to summarize it is that she makes me feel supported. All the time. In every way. And that's pretty much all a person needs.

So, yeah. Those reasons, and a million more, are why Kyla Gagnon is the mayor of my village. Like I said, there are some other key people and you'll hear about them soon enough, but Ky is the person who has led the pack. I could easily have become annoying or frustrating (which I likely am at times) but she has never, ever given up on me, and my desire to be better has been allowed to grow because of her. She somehow had the patience to wait for me to connect with whatever it is inside of me that wants more for myself, and I'm so grateful that she had the ability to see it within me, and to wait for me to catch up to her insight. I know I have a lot of work yet to do and knowing I have her on my side makes it much less daunting.

If you find yourself building your own fitness village, make sure you get the right mayor. Just stay the fuck away from mine - she's busy... (Well, not TOO busy - click here  if you need a little training help, whether it's boot camp, partner training, or online programs)