[rixatrix]

Workout B7 - 8x3
Deadlifts - 85/85/95* (up from 75!)
Shoulder press - 22.5s
WG Lat pulldown - 80/80/80**
Lunges (static - twisted my knee last time) - 17.5s
12 Hanging leg lifts, 2 sets rev. crunches (12, 15) My swiss ball was gone. =o(

I have a lot of stories from the gym today.

*I asked this volunteer trainer guy who helps people with exercises to help me with my deadlift. I've been doing "Stiff-legged deadlifts" aka Romanian deadlifts. I wanted to learn how to do a "regular" aka bent-knee deadlift. He showed me, but man, could that guy talk! Took him like fifteen minutes of blabbing. I'm a quick study. And generally hate authority, so even though I asked him to explain, I just sat there squirming while he treated me like a toddler. But now I know!

**This big, beefy biker-looking guy - you know the type...orange bandanna, barrel chest, super-baritone voice - saw me doing the wide-grip lat pulldowns, and asked me, "You're lifting 80 lbs? I train guys who can't lift that much." And I was just like, "Man, your boys need to beef it up." He was amused. He was all, "Good for you." And I was just like, "Thanks for noticing little ol' me." Because really, 80 lbs on a lat pulldown? That's nothing if I want to do a chin up. But score one for the women.

Also, all the swiss balls were mysteriously missing this morning. So I suffered through a set of hanging leg lifts, then decided I would puke up my banana if I kept up at that pace. No, I'm kidding. I'm sure my banana was long digested by then. I did a couple sets of reverse crunches, and man, could I feel em. But still, I was all excited with my 15lb dumbbell to do some more swiss ball crunches.

I'm feeling REALLY good despite not seeing the scale go down. Well, it is going down because I just started cutting calories this week. I dropped a couple pounds of water yesterday, which I'm thankful for. And it's a few days before my lady time, so I'm probably still holding water...which could mean that once this bloat clears out, I'll net a fat loss by the end of the week.

My postworkout shake is my new favorite thing. I'm using Strawberry Designer Whey. Yummy! Just like being a kid again. Only it keeps me from hobbling around like a jackass the day after weight lifting.

I've been drinking a lot of tea. I used to have a sugar-free vanilla latte every day...which isn't too bad, but that's 100 calories in milk I can easily replace with pretty much 0 calories in tea. And I'm not going to lie, I keep dark chocolate in my desk at work. But I still maintain a square a day after lunch (50 cals) is ten times better than having a sweet tooth that sabotages me later in the day. And yes, I can stick to a square a day. I divert with my stash of tea. Earl Grey Lavender. Mmm.

I'm so on an endorphin high right now.