Last night, after holding off for a few months, Neal and I joined Gold’s Gym!  Although I had been content not having a gym membership this past year, I have reached a point where rejoining a gym was necessary.

Gold's Gym Rockville

After my football tryouts last weekend I was eager, motivated, and driven to get back into the weight room.  Over the past year I have worked on my strength in other ways, doing at home workouts, Crossfit, and Jillian Michael’s Body Revolution.  Although I loved those workouts and how they’ve helped to tone and shape my body, I need a weight room in order to increase my strength.

Neal and Ashley

Thanks to genetics, I have always been a strong girl.  Why fighting with my brothers my parents always use to yell, “YOU DO NOT KNOW YOUR OWN STRENGTH ASHLEY!”.  I have always had big muscles and a “large frame” but it wasn’t until my junior year of high school when I learned to used that strength to my advantage.  My junior year I joined my high school’s powerlifting team and began to compete.

My senior year I won the state powerlifting championship, squatting 400 pounds, benching 200 pounds, and deadlifting 395 pounds.  Although I didn’t continue competitive powerlifting in college, my training helped prepare me to be a better discus and hammer thrower (which I threw in college).

Texas Powerlifting State Champion

Since graduating from college in 2006 I have lifted weights in waves.  I will get into a good routine with a weightlifting program and then try something else out when I get bored.  That cycle has gone on for 6 years now, but with my hope of playing football on the horizon I want nothing more than to lift heavy, to get stronger, and to rekindle my love and drive for the weight room.

Thankfully it doesn’t take a whole lot to rekindle that love, but joining a gym was the first step!

Gold's Gym Rockville

I am also thrilled that Neal joined the gym with me, as in the past I’ve been the only one with a gym membership.  It has already been a blast heading down to the gym together, doing cardio, and then lifting weights.

Neal

This morning I woke up at 5AM, took Theodore out, and then headed down to the gym for a strength workout.

Ashley

I first did 20 minutes on the elliptical and then headed over to the free weights to work on my upper body and lower body.  I know many people focus on either upper or lower body in one day, but I think it’s important to work the entire body each day in moderation.  No need to burn yourself out or risk injuring yourself.

Gold's Gym Rockville

This morning I did the following:

Bench Press: 5 sets of 10 reps (45 pounds x 1, 65 pounds x 2, and 95 pounds x 2)

Chest Fly: 3 sets of 12 (15 pound dumbbells)

Kettlebell Single Arm Snatch: 2 sets of 10 (10 pounds)

Sit-Ups: 3 sets of 15

Calf Raises: 3 sets of 25 (leg press machine weight plus 180 pounds)

Biceps Curls: 3 sets of 12 (15 pound dumbbells)

Strong Calves

It was a great first “free weight” workout since joining the gym and I’m looking forward to all of my future workouts at Gold’s Gym.

Ashley

Next step… Creating a weight lifting program….

Filed under: Weight Lifting • Working Out

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