We spent the night at my mom’s (G-Ma’s) house this past weekend since we were long overdue for a visit with our crazy toddler. She comes and stays the night at our house almost once a week, but during a weekday so we don’t get a lot of time together.
Avery was a handful, as usual, but she was also sweet and kept us all entertained. The drive isn’t that far to the home where I grew up, but the trip always seems to have us scrambling to get thing done when we get back home.
Then again, here I am writing a blog post, so I guess I’m being a tad contradictory….or I’m up too late. I’ll let you guess which one.
I considered not posting, but after going back to see our previous visits to G-Ma’s house, I felt like sharing pictures to capture Avery’s growth thus far using G-Ma for scale.
2 days after birth
Here they are when Avery was around 5 weeks old.
Here’s February 20th, 2014
The next month, March 2014, Avery shows off her lip curling action.
This weekend, Avery gave G-Ma a thunderous bear hug where she roars and then hugs….obviously, and I happened to catch the act.
It’s bittersweet, seeing how much your kids grow in such a short amount of time, but so wonderful too. I could divulge about our quick trip to G-Ma’s, but seriously, it’s late and I should sleep.
I will say that my wonderful wife laid down to sleep with our wild child and never made it out that night. There was some screaming, but overall, Avery did better than past visits, and gives us hope for the next time we head down there.
Hope you had a great weekend. Anything fun to share?
Disclosure: I was provided a bottle of their pre-workout Legion Athletics Forge supplement at no charge. I was not compensated in any other way and all opinions are my own.
Remember how I committed to following Cory Gregory’s Squat Every Day Program? I’m still going strong and squatting daily, but had to improvise while out of town at the At-Home Dad Convention. All it took was a little creativity and motivation to use the dumbbells in the hotel gym. Sumo squats, goblet squats, and, my favorite leg killer, rear foot elevated split squats.
Once I returned, I got back on track and am currently nearing completion of the program. Once finished, I’ll have gone for more than the 30 consistent squatting days in the program and will be sure to update you then. I’ve already increased my max on front and back squat by 10 pounds, which is great for me!
Since starting the program, I was fortunate enough to have the awesome folks at Legion Athletics agree to send me a bottle of their pre-work supplement, Forge, to use and review.
I’m not a fan of using most supplements since they tend to have a lot of non-functional fillers and most are made from the same place in China then shipped overseas to have a brand label slapped on. But not Legion, they make their high quality supps right here in the U.S.A. with the following standards:
– All ingredients backed by published scientific literature – All dosages at clinically effective levels – No artificial sweeteners, dyes, or unnecessary fillers – No banned substances or analogs of potentially harmful drugs – Good taste – Good value per serving
If you have any supplements in your home, go check the bottle and see if you can check off all of these. Don’t feel bad if not, I did the same thing and failed miserably.
Forge is Legion’s pre-workout supplement made specifically for those who train in a fasted state. It has 3 quality ingredients clinically dosed to work together with 3 goals:
To maximize the amount of fat you lose while training on an empty stomach
To minimize the amount of muscle you lose while training in this state
To help you maintain intensity and focus in your workouts, which can wane when “training on empty”
The 3 ingredients are:
Calcium Beta-hydroxy-beta-Methylbutyrate (HMB) – a metabolite of Leucine which prevents muscle-breakdown and is thought to be roughly 20 times more potent than Leucine in this regard
Citicoline (CDP Choline) – Highly bioavailable source of Choline which provides cognitive benefits.
Yohimbine HCL – A potent fat-burning compound which can significantly increase the amount of fat burned during a workout.
What?! A pre-workout fat-burner without caffeine?! Yep, and that means jitter-free workouts that just make it hard for me to hold heavy weights without, well, jittering. Plus, now I can enjoy a cup or five of coffee without worrying about overdosing on the stimulant.
I could geek out on you and dive into the scientific side of Forge even further, but they have all you need to know on their site, so I highly suggest clicking over there (once you’re done here of course) to learn about how and why they created this wonderful supplement.
What I will do is tell you how much I appreciate having Forge as part of my daily regimen. Squatting every day is not easy, mentally or physically, but Forge helps me clear my mind of negative thoughts and just get to work with whatever squat variation I have for the day. Not to mention how well it enables me to regain focus after having to take an unplanned diaper changing break. At least most of the time…
While I don’t have a need to lose fat, I have noticed my stomach getting a little more definition as well as my skin feeling tighter all over. I have been taking 4 capsules a day which is right between the “First Use” and “Full Dosage” recommendations with my 160 lb frame.
Again, no jitters or any crazy pump, just better mental clarity and feeling recharged and ready to go the next day. I’ve had plenty of days where I was running severely low and not motivated in the slightest sense, but after a couple weeks of taking Forge, that has not been the case.
My workouts last anywhere from 45 minutes to a little over an hour (depending a lot on Avery’s mood and need for diaper changing) and I have yet to feel beat up by the end. In fact, once finished, Avery and I go for a 2+ mile walk and/or run most days.
I still have a bit more to go until the bottle is finished, but I’m sure I’ll be ordering more once it’s out. Actually, Legion has a whole line of supplements I’d love to order. It’s hard to find a company that’s passionate about their products, especially supplements, and I simply love that they don’t go overseas to make their supps.
If you’re just getting into training or have been in the game for a while, consider adding a quality supplement from Legion. They have done their homework on what’s actually effective and put it all together at the right dosage to take the guess work out for us. From pre to post workout and everything in between, you’re sure to find something to give your training a big boost.
Thank you, Legion Team, for allowing me the opportunity to review your Forge supplement! If you ever need another active dad’s review for another product, you know where to find me! 🙂
Do you currently use any supplements in your training routine?
Don’t just take part for the 7 days, you can and should wear your kids year round to reap the numerous bonding and health benefits both you and the kiddos receive. Speaking of health, you can even turn babywearing into exercise. Here’s a video I put together with Avery a long time ago….
I even turned mowing the lawn into a babywearing sprinting workout with her! The possibilities are endless!
Again, celebrate International Babywearing Week this week and ALL YEAR….and the next to keep your kiddos literally and figuratively close to you.
Make sure to follow these hashtags and give a little retweet/like love if you can:
#IBW2015
#citydads
Do you plan on celebrating by wearing your baby?
Do you already wear your baby or are you interested in starting?
An at-home dad on a mission to keep it real when it comes to food, fun, and raising a healthy, happy family.