I got to do boxing again today!!! I asked for it and he was happy to provide the instruction. This time I had my own gloves that wrap my wrist and protected my knuckles from bruising. They are just gel gloves with open fingers so my hand didn't get so hot. I still got a bit of bruising on my left hand but the right hand is clean. Still it doesn't hurt.
Today we worked a lot more on technique and getting body weight into the punch. It is also completely counter to lifting in that you don't want weight in your heels rather more towards the front. I had to stay a certain distance from the bag in order to get the most "ummpph" in my punch. This time he didn't hold the bag so I had to figure out how to dance around it. My first instinct was to get in close to it but he showed me that I needed to stay back. I did lots of reps and sets of jabbing and jab/crossing. It was fun. Then he had me hold 3 lb weights and hit the thing 300 times. OMG that is so kick ass. It's a fun way to get in shoulder exercise.
Next we did ab workouts and a back/shoulder exercise. The back shoulder exercise was done on a flat bench with 3 lb weights. I lifted the weights straight up from the floor and in front of my head then moved them back behind me keeping them as high as possible and arching my back. We did this 3x10 times.
Ab exercise no.1 was also on the bench only on my back with 5 lb weights. I laid out on the bench with arms extended and then crunched up and touched my hands to my heels and laid back again. This I did 3x20 times. He made me do extras on the last set because they were not all that hard.
Finally in the Captain's or Roman chair 3x15 hanging leg raises but twisted so that I was working obliques.
The last thing he had me do tested my leg and hig/glut strength. He had me on a step and on one leg I had to bend my knee and sit down on my heel while extending my other foot to the ground and come back up. I did well on this until my hips got engaged and then I failed it. He said my quads were strong but my hips were weak. I have to work on these for homework.
Then we went over my food log and he took away my pretzels!!! That bastard. I have like NO cheat foods at all in my log and he takes away the one thing that is empty calories. Man this cleaning up the lifestyle thing sucks some days. He also said I had to increase dark green things and fruits. I complained that those things fill me up and then I can't get in the calories and the protein but he didn't really seem to care about that complaint. He suggested that I suppliment if I have to do that. So it is back to the drawing board with my food log. Each week I seem to tweak it just a little bit tighter on this program.
He told me I had to hit the gym again tonight and get my cardio in.... (sigh...)
Okay so I hit the gym again tonight to do cardio. There was a spin class at 7:15PM and before that a 30 min ab workout. So I joined the ab class. Holy cow that was a killer. I cannot even remember all that we did but you can be sure I will join this one again next week. This has to be good if it hurts that bad.
Next I did a 60 min spin class and sweated to death again. I also won a Christmas raffle. I get to go to the Columbia Sportswear employee store with friends and family and buy stuff for lots off. How cool is that? I am needing a new coat so I will be there with a smile on my face!
Then I went to the gym and did a Personal best on the pull ups. I was able to do this with a 60 lb assist.
1x16
1x10
1x09 (such a wussy. I could not squeeze out that last one to save my life)
All in all 2.5 hours in the gym. I actually feel pretty good too.
One day when I was a younger woman I saw an older woman walking down the street. She had pure white hair and the body of a 20-year old. No it was better than most 20-year old bodies. Her clothes were styling. Her jeans form fitting as well as her shirt. To top it off she wore the smile of a woman who had it all. I remember saying to myself right then and there that one day when my hair is white I too will work to become an inpiration for those who follow me...
LOVE This story!!!!!
catching up in your log!
__________________ It all starts with the mind, but the thoughts, the intention aren't enough. Action needs to come next. Dream it, believe it, plan it, execute it, celebrate it. - Wendy
__________________ It all starts with the mind, but the thoughts, the intention aren't enough. Action needs to come next. Dream it, believe it, plan it, execute it, celebrate it. - Wendy
Thanks for the warm welcome Paula and for reading my silly stories.
Today was session with the trainer. Last one before holidays. He took it easy on me today. It seems that I came down with the virus that has been going around on Sunday and all week I have been pushing through the fever and denying that I was sick. I have also been ultra busy with work and gym and Guitar Practice and I adopted a family for xmas so had to get all the gifts bought and packed for that too. Needless to say sleep has been suffering as well.
Anyway we discussed a few nutrition questions that I had. Then he put me on the treadmill and got me warmed into a nice jog. He had me do that for some time while he analysed my gait. He found that my right foot tended to go outside. He suggested that I go down the street sometime soon and get new shoes for running. There is a store that takes video of your stride and recommends shoes based on that video. So I will get to do that on my vacation sometime.
After that he had me do a push up prone position and the put out one hand and opposite leg and hold for 2 seconds and then switch. I did those for 20 and then switched and did v-ups x 20 and then mountain climbers x 40. Then I was allowed to rest. I did this times 3 sets. During my sets of these he gave me my rules for this upcoming vacation. I am not permitted to run faster than a 4.5 on the treadmill and not very long distance. Then he discussed my eating and how I had to eat 1400 cals a day at a minium. Then he starts laughing and says that he sits in the gym all day, (day after day) and tells people that they have to run more and eat less.... Now here is Karla with the exact opposite instructions.
After this he taught me the basics of the deadlift. I am inspired by Mahler's love of this and asked him to teach me them. I figured it would be a good thing to help my hamstring heal. He wasn't very happy about it but said he would teach me the safe way to do it and I had to promise to not go out and do a locked knee (Roman) way with heavy weights. So I did 3x20 of these with 30 lb db. I also did some step ups onto a weight bench. This was just to load my hamstring. He made me promise to email him in 2 days to let him know what my hammie feels like after this one.
Then we did more nutritional talking and he weighed me and took my body fat and it turns out that I weigh almost the same by dropped body fat by a lot. I was 31% 3 weeks ago and 25% now. He says I dropped 7.5 lb of fat. I believe him because the pants I just bought are already too big for me. How cool is that?
After this he taught me the basics of the deadlift. I am inspired by Mahler's love of this and asked him to teach me them. I figured it would be a good thing to help my hamstring heal. He wasn't very happy about it but said he would teach me the safe way to do it and I had to promise to not go out and do a locked knee (Roman) way with heavy weights. So I did 3x20 of these with 30 lb db. I also did some step ups onto a weight bench. This was just to load my hamstring. He made me promise to email him in 2 days to let him know what my hammie feels like after this one.
Ha, ha. I love it. I bet he was shocked when you asked him. I have given my reasons for my preference for the deadlift in my log recently. It is, for me at any rate, an essential lift. I never understand why trainers shy away from the deadlift. At least he is right in starting you out gradually. From my personal experience, the main things that have enhanced my positive experience with the deadlift have been a long period of developing core and posterior chain.
__________________ In Fitness & Friendship, MAHLER
______________________________ __________________________ There is no light at the end of the tunnel. You carry the light with you.
Ha, ha. I love it. I bet he was shocked when you asked him. I have given my reasons for my preference for the deadlift in my log recently. It is, for me at any rate, an essential lift. I never understand why trainers shy away from the deadlift. At least he is right in starting you out gradually. From my personal experience, the main things that have enhanced my positive experience with the deadlift have been a long period of developing core and posterior chain.
Actually he was sort of shocked now that you mention it. I am too new at this game to know that trainers shy away from it but his reaction when I told him I wanted to learn deadlifts and squats was of shock. He asked me what I was reading first. Then he asked me if my intention was to become a lifter afterwhich he said I wasn't built for lifting if that was my intention. I told him I had no intention but that some of the people I converse with on a forum post their lift results and I wanted to see what that was about. Besides I read that it was a great hamstring exercise anyway. He said that it is a hamstring blow exercise if not done correctly. I responded that he ought then to make sure I do it correctly and don't go about learning it on my own in the gym. I am so evil. He won't let me do the Roman type yet but I can work on that if I find value in the exercise.
Whew!!!! I made it through this week and thus starts 11 days of holiday vacation for me. That means that I will get the chance now to post more to the board and catch up with all of your logs. Besides that reason this break is very needed as I have somehow managed to contract the WGA (what's going around) virus. I actually contracted it originally on Sunday last week. I had a sore throat and fever for a few days which moved into my sinuses and is now going to my chest. Ughhh.... I did not take any time off from work or the gym or any of my other responsibilities so needless to say I am wiped out right now.
Even so I still wanted to go to the gym tonight on my way home from work. I am so motivated today. When I got out of the shower this morning and was doing my hair I looked down and saw my obliques!!! I could see them coming from my sides and running down into my pelvis area. I had NEVER been able to see these before not even when I weighed 20 lbs less. I then noticed a new definition in my shoulder and back. I am seeing that 7.5 lbs of muscle I guess. How cool is that and amazing too!?
I reluctantly drove past the gym and am in bed right now. I also cleared my books tomorrow and plan on a sleep in. If I feel rested by tomorrow afternoon I will head to the gym again. Tonight I will devise a workout for that time and then I will devise more workouts because I will have lots of time to workout over the next days!!! Yipee. Perhaps I will experiment a bit with deadlifts.
Thanks to all of you for your encouragement. It is a big motivator!!
Thanks for the well wishes alas it was not meant to be. I stayed up most the night hacking with the blasted thing now in my chest. I finally got into some form of slumber around 6:00AM and woke up again at 2:00 PM. I got up and made a protein drink which totally wiped me out. A friend came over at 4:30 and brought a movie so I watched it with her. I started to feel markedly better during that movie. I could finally smell again (my little schnauzer needs a bath) and I could just feel the strength coming back strong.
I was able to get dressed and go out and shovel for the horses and throw hay. I feel strong again though not quite 100% yet. I just did 15 pushups. While I was sick I made a goal to myself to do 100 pushups every day that I am on vacation. Of course not all at once but every chance I get I will drop and give myself 10 or 15 or whatever number I can manage. If I do this and keep hitting the assist machine at the gym I will be able to do a bw pull-up before I know it. I got 15 in tonight so far and am going to drop soon and do 15 more.
Thanks Victoria.... Today is a new day and I am going to be able to get in a workout! Yipee! I will try to not push it too hard though.
Tina... I have always had lean upper body and amazingly strong shoulders and pecs area. My legs are also muscled very nicely. I always felt that I could do body building with ease.
All my fat is stored in my mid section. That is why liposuction was so intriguing to me. It would spot reduce the one problem area that I have. But I will try it this way first. Even so it is still a shock to me that my body fat is so high given the rest of my body. I have learned that this exactly the area where people who starve themselves tend to store fat so it makes sense I guess. I am still in denial about it though and trying to learn about it a bit more so that it does make some sense...
Had an awesome gym workout today. Being sick is partially mind over matter.
Did 5 min treadmill jog for warm up
Circut hamstring exercise with 60 second rest between the circut
hip abductor type 1 - 3x15 110lb
hip abductor type 2 - 3x15 110lb
prone leg curl - 3x15 60lb tempo 1 3 1
Circut ab (rest = 60 seconds)
stretch crunch on the half ball 3x15 (finally starting to look good with these)
Swedish pike ups 3x10
Roman chair hanging leg raise - 1x25
Circut upper body
DB incline press 3x15 20 lbs
bicep curl 3x15 12.5 lbs
Then I did a nice slow 12 min miles 3.55 mile jog. I am not allowed to run yet and not allowed to train in the cold weather so this was what I settled for today. My trainer assures me that soon I will be on the road again. I am starting to really like the strength training thing though so it is all good.
I still have a lot of pushups to do today before I go to bed.
Happy holidays to all of you too!! I hope your days are as wonderful as mine so far!
Xmas eve marked a major milestone in my workouts. I did my 100 pushups throughout the day and I did 25 of them in one set (this is up from 15 max before). My friend who was watching said that I did not go down far enough though. I remember in the Army we always went to where our chest was 5 or so inches from the ground. He touches his chest to the ground when he does his. Does anyone know what is the correct way?
Besides this I went to the gym with my other buddy today and he showed me how to do some different barbell exercises. I am thinking I will do some of them tomorrow (xmas day) as I have a bit of free time in between events. After which I did a tiny bit of a workout and then 30 min on the Eliptical.
Hamstring sets (60 second rest after each set)
Hip abductor 1 - 3x15 (110 lb)
Hip abductor 2 - 3x15 (110 lb)
prone leg curl 3x15 (70 lb)
Upper body set (60 second rest after each set)
assisted pulls (50 lb) 1x10, 1x10, 1x6
pushups 3x10
I did the other 70 pushups back at the farm throughout the rest of the evening.
Merry Christmas, Karla! Give all the horses a Christmas smooch on the nose for me!
I gave all of them extra lovies this evening. On xmas day I always spend some amount of time grooming the little fellows. There is something kind of xmasy about that for me.
My internet is acting horrible right now. I live so far out in the country that there is no cable or DSL. My only option is Satellite. Today we had snow storms and that always makes the SAT connection flaky. But the snow was beautiful and the fact that it happened on Xmas day is amazing. We get snow maybe 3 times a year here. It never actually hangs around too long and today was no exception.
I did my 100 pushups again today. I am able to do 25 at a time now so it is easy to get them in. After I did my 100 I made sure to do another set but this time going lower to the ground. I also did a 5.25 mile walk in the snow with my schnauzer. He hates the wet and cold but loves to walk. He was miserably happy the whole time.
I gave all of them extra lovies this evening. On xmas day I always spend some amount of time grooming the little fellows. There is something kind of xmasy about that for me.
We went to the barn yesterday morning. Just had to give all the horsies a Christmas treat and smooch. Wouldn't be Christmas without it. Your pushups are really improving, Karla! Great job!!!
__________________
On Krista mistressing the chin-up, "It's amazing", said one gym source, "considering that for months she just hung there like a dead fish."
I crashed yesterday... Not really sure what it was about but I just had no energy and I slept for over 12 hours last night. I suspect it is the tail end of this bug that I got or a combination of that and too much working out. In any case all I did yesterday was my 100 pushups.
After getting 12 hours of sleep, I woke up, practiced my guitar and then headed to the gym. I had an incredible workout. Yesterday I went to the shoe store my trainer told me to go to and bought a pair of running shoes. It was really cool because they had a treadmill there and a camera and they filmed you running for about 10 seconds and then you could watch the playback of that. The player had a great freeze frame and you could get stills of your foot hitting and the angles of everything. I discovered in watching myself run in barefeet that my R foot hits on the inside of the heel and then goes outward towards my toes. My trainer saw this when he analysed my gait the other day. It was cool for me to see this. I ran in my old shoes and saw the same thing. I tried on about 5 differnt pair of neutral shoes and on the 5th pair I saw my feet landing squarely and almost perfectly in fact. I bought that pair. Today I did interval training. I ran 4 miles at a 1.0 incline on the treadmill. I ran for 3 min at 12:30 mile and 2 min at 9:00 mile. This is the same run that injured me last time. Tonight I did it just fine!!! I don't know if it was just the shoes because I have been really working the hamstrings but I bet it didn't hurt to have them.
Okay so onto the log
100 pushups (all throughout the day)
hamstring
hip abductor outward (40lb) 3x15
hip abductor inward (40lb) 3x15
leg pull (40 lb) 3x15
glute ham raises 3x10 (with 12lb medicine ball)
quads
100 bw squats
lunges with 8lb medicine ball (twist) 50
upper body
assisted (40lb) pulls 1x10, 1x8, 1x6 (I am getting closer to bw)
pushups 3x10
upper body
db overhead press (15lb) 3x15
bicep curl (15 lb) 1x15, 1x10, 1x8
bent over row (25lb) 3x15 (I don't know if I did this right or not)
Okay so I am probably more insane than most. I ended up pushing it and crashing pretty good last week. This caused me to really dig into my nutrition and also to consider that taking some time off might do me well. I really appreciate all the help you have all given me on this matter.
I wasn't quite able to take a week off as perscribed but I did manage 2 full days. On Sunday this week I woke up and I had all my energy back. This was exactly 2 weeks from the time I first came down with that virus that happens to last about 2 weeks. Hmmmm.... I felt so good that I decided to go to the gym and do cardio as that comes very easy to me. I ended up doing a nice 5 mile run on that day. I just felt too good to stop. I was worried how I would feel the next day but the next day I felt great again. So I rested!!! (See how the old dog learns new tricks?)
Today I did another fun run and this time I did 3 miles in interavals. The cool thing about this isn't just that my virus is gone but also that all this running is not bothering the hamstring!!! I think I have finally pushed beyond the danger phase with this injury.
I have not touched the weights yet and am waiting until Thrs when I see my trainer before I go back into anything like that. For now the cardio seems to be working for me and is keeping me in the game without crashing me out.
On the nutrition front I have decided to try a protein, carb, fat diet in the 35, 45, 20 range for a little while. So far it is working great. I also learned a very bad thing for an under-eater to do is to eat more than 350 cals in one meal. Today I did right around 500 cals in one meal and it made me feel stuffed all day. It was really hard to eat. I did not quite get my cals in today but am still working on increasing them very slowly.
Linear Mode
