Samantha K Schmidt

When you think of bodybuilding you might think of Arnold Schwarzenegger. When you think of women bodybuilding you probably think of something like this: This look isn't for everyone and the stereotype tends to keep most women away from this level of fitness, but bodybuilding isn't all about ultra tans and outrageously large physiques. It's about creating a lean, strong body. So if you are reading to get stronger, here are a few tips. Find a Plan I suggest a plan made specifically for women. Male training programs don't take into account the natural limitations of the female body. That's why I like this plan by Jamie Eason. It's a plan for women designed by one. Customize Your Plan Don't be afraid to adjust the routine and exercises. I couldn't do more than 10 push-ups when I first started working out so I switched the push ups for a bench press until I gained some strength. Sometimes I'd even combine all my arm workouts into one day ...

Today I signed up for the Princess Half Marathon! This will actually be my second half marathon, but last year I ran this baby for the first time and man was that an achievement. A half marathon is a huge commitment, so before you register here are some things to consider: What's your pace? You should be running at least a 15 minute mile in order to finish. I seriously suggest having a 5k under your belt before committing to a half marathon. It will give you some race experience and give you an estimate of your finish time. Do you have the time? Training for a race is a serious time commitment. My training program is 19 weeks long, but if this is your first half you may want to train a bit longer. That means 3 times a week for 6 or more months. Find a running buddy to keep you motivated and plan runs even when you're on vacation. Do you have the money? Maybe you aren't running a Disney race (which is pricey but totally worth it), but the cost of any race can still b...

It seems like everyone get's fitness crazy over the summer months, obsessed with getting the perfect bikini bod. Well if you are a fitness junkie and you're not using MyFitnessPal... what are you using? MyFitnessPal boasts 50 million users that have lost weight using their app, but it's not a weight loss plan. It's an all in one accountability app and it all starts with your personal profile. It starts with a few easy questions which the app uses to set your daily nutritional goals including calories, protein, and carbohydrates. You can also customize these goals. For example if you are diabetic you can adjust the amount of sugar you are allowed to intake each day. The next step is to log your daily input and output. MyFitnessPal's inventory contains foods from every brand and nearly every restaurant, and if you can't find it you can always add it yourself. You can also save your favorite meals to add them easily later. You can also log all of your da...

I hope you all had a fabulous 4th of July weekend. If you read Friday's post you know my weekend consisted of the 48 hour cleanse . I will say that overall the cleanse was successful, but dreadful. Friday we went to Fresh Market and prepared all of the weekend meals. Here is a breakdown of what we ate. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are the same for the 2 days. Breakfast: Quinoa with Prunes *this wasn't as dreadful as it could've been, but by day two I was not having those prunes. Lunch: Blueberry Smoothie *probably the most delicious of the cleanse meals Dinner: Vegetable Broth *plain tasting, but not terrible (except for the cabbage smell seeping through your pores afterward) Snack: Kale Smoothie, Pineapple/Pomegranate Drink, and Vegetables *our ninja didn't cut it for blending the kale it was grainy and gross, pineapple drink was okay, and I couldn't eat enough carrots to get full The cleanse does it's job. It cleanses your liver, kidney, and...

Today is Fourth of July and if you are like the majority of the American population you are going to eat (and drink) way too much. Saturday morning you'll probably be having some serious regrets. Well don't fret. I found a 48 hour cleanse that will put you back on track. I went on a mini-vaca this week and after only two days I had gained 4 pounds! (I blame it on the sangria.) Needless to say I was feeling pretty awful and wanted to find a way to clean out all the awful things I had ingested. So I found a cleanse that I knew I could stick to and if you are doubting the efficiency it's Dr. Oz approved. The 48 Hour Cleanse Here you will find a shopping list as well as recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks. I already prepped my meals and snapped a few pictures of the final products. Breakfast Lunch Dinner Don't forget to come back Monday for an update.

After I graduated college I went through a really rough time. I couldn't find a job. I broke up with my boyfriend of 2 years, and all my friends seemed to have abandoned me. I was going through a serious bout of depression. After taking some photos for an audition one day, something hit me. It was like a smack in the face. Something I had been ignoring for the past 3 years. I had gained more than 30 pounds. My BMI teetering on the edge of overweight. After months of moping around, my eyes had finally opened. I knew that if I didn't get my life on track my genetics would kick in and I would be stuck with the plagues of my family: obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure. So I decided to change my life entirely. I won't say I lost weight in a completely healthy way, but I can say that over the past few years I have found a middle ground between obsessive overeating and obsessive under eating. Today I have a pretty healthy lifestyle, and I thought I would sh...

Last week I posted all about my vegan adventures. Although it has been a difficult journey I have learned so much along the way. Today I thought I would share some easy vegan meals with you. I don't have a lot of time to cook so many of these are straight from the frozen food aisle. If that's not your thing you may want to consider cooking your meals ahead of time. Many people cook all of their weekly meals on Sunday. However, if you aren't a big cook (or if you just aren't very good at it, like me) these meals will be your easy way out. Breakfast: Oatmeal with peanut butter and brown sugar Cereal and soy milk Breakfast smoothie with strawberries, peanut butter, soy milk or yogurt, and protein powder Snacks: Clif bar Carrots Banana Pita chips and hummus Lunch: PB&J or try an AB&J (almond butter and jelly) Gardein Chick'n Sliders (my current favorite) Tofu and Spinach Ravioli (I can't think of the brand that I usually get, but it...

Eight months ago, I made the decision to become pescetarian. It was a decision, that for me, was a long time coming. Although I'd always enjoyed biting into a chicken sandwich I hated the sight of a whole chicken. I had trouble cooking meat for dinner, and absolutely refused  to eat any meat that truly resembled the animal. I was an oddity in my family. I grew up with hunters. I'd even seen deer slain right before my eyes. I consistently came up with excuses on Thanksgiving as to why I wasn't eating meat carved from the carcass of a turkey. Finally, after a few days of research I made the switch. I did it for many reasons. First, the reasons aforementioned. I was never a big meat eater anyway and hated the sight of raw meat. Second, economical reasons. One of the most shocking things that I read was that if all of the grain that went to livestock in this country actually went to feeding our hungry, no one would be hungry! Yea, seriously. Okay maybe it's all propagand...