If you can easily manage all the reps on the bodyweight exercises you might want to try a more difficult variation of the exercise. Decline or t-pushups for example, or when doing the ball crunches, put your feet on a bosu ball or weight bench.
__________________
Tom
No "happy hours" makes for a lot of miserable days. - Mahler
Widegrip Lat Pulldown
Set 1 55lbs/12
Set 2 55lbs/12
Lunge
Set 1 30lbs/12
Set 2 30lbs/12
Swissball Crunch
Set 1 15lbs/12
Set 2 15lbs/12
My lower back is sore. I think it's from the deadlifts. I might try to switching to the pre-weighted bar and going down to 40lbs. and work on my form.
Other than that it was a good workout. I was a little less focused due to my sore back. It started bothering me more once I got to the weighted crunches.
I did get some good inspiration seeing the lady next to me squatting 135lbs. That was cool.
My lower back is sore. I think it's from the deadlifts. I might try to switching to the pre-weighted bar and going down to 40lbs. and work on my form.
Other than that it was a good workout. I was a little less focused due to my sore back. It started bothering me more once I got to the weighted crunches.
Apart from being able to see your form, I'd say your back is weak and you're pushing it beyond what it is currently capabale of.
I think you got the right idea. Lower the weight, work on form. What I've done in the past was to video my exercise and review after. I'd also post it here for critique. Don't be shy, it's better than a painful injury.
Wow, I can barely get 15 reps with 10 lb dumbbells over my head. And, here you are hoisting 30 lb db's over yours! Wow! I can't imagine ever being able to do that!
Wow, I can barely get 15 reps with 10 lb dumbbells over my head. And, here you are hoisting 30 lb db's over yours! Wow! I can't imagine ever being able to do that!
Opp! well that was the total They were 15 lbs dumbbells. 30 in my dreams
Apart from being able to see your form, I'd say your back is weak and you're pushing it beyond what it is currently capabale of.
I think you got the right idea. Lower the weight, work on form. What I've done in the past was to video my exercise and review after. I'd also post it here for critique. Don't be shy, it's better than a painful injury.
I don't think I'm up to randomly asking strangers at the gym to tape me. Maybe I can try at home.
LN good plan with the deads. Even doing them with just the bar will help you work on form. Keep up the progress!
mel
Thank Mel! The good news is I feel just fine today. So maybe I didn't push it too bad. Either way, I'll back down the weight and work on the form. I wasn't feeling too confident in my form anyway. Better to find out now than when it's too late.
It's nice to get back into the gym. Two days away seems long!
I checked with a trainer at my gym and confirmed the Olympic barbell I'm using is indeed 45lbs.
I'm feeling more taut than when I first started and I have made increases in strength (or at least have begun pushing to my potential). I think I was just treating myself with kid gloves before starting the challenge. I am concerned that about the muscle building portion. Not too sure I see any progress or not. I started the challenge at 112 (and part of that was water weight), dropped to 111.5 in 2 days and have gone back up to 112lbs over the last week. Muscle or flux? I don't know.
I upped my weight on some exercises today. Found that gripping 20lbs dumbbells starts to get hard by the second set. It might be time to invest in some gloves.
Workout A, 4th workout
Squats (upped my weight by 10lbs.)
55lbsx12
55lbsx12
Push up
bwx12
bwx12
Seated row
55lbs/12
55lbs/12
Step up (I upped the weight by 10 lbs, using 20lb dumbbells)
40lbsx12
40lbsx12
I'm in a bit of a funk today. Realized I was eating way over my numbers than I should have on workout days. Perhaps not too bad of a thing since I'm trying to build muscle but it still leaves me disappointed because I thought I was dong everything right. Anyway, got that straightened out.
It also doesn't help that the job hunt has been fruitless so far. So it was a good thing for me to get out of the house today. I took a yoga class at the gym. I think I'll keep that up on my T/Th non workout days. It helps my mood.
Well like you said if your goal is building muscle then yes, you have to eat more. Now that you have a handle on it though you'll be able to manage it that much better.
__________________
Tom
No "happy hours" makes for a lot of miserable days. - Mahler
The worst thing you can do is beat yourself up for a mistake. You caught it, you are fixing it. It will be fine.
I know for me that when other things are not going the way I want them to and something messes up with my workout/eating, i tend to totally fixate on it and sometimes sabotage my progress.
You have done great work so far. It won't stop now. Keep going forward!
The worst thing you can do is beat yourself up for a mistake. You caught it, you are fixing it. It will be fine.
I know for me that when other things are not going the way I want them to and something messes up with my workout/eating, i tend to totally fixate on it and sometimes sabotage my progress.
You have done great work so far. It won't stop now. Keep going forward!
mel
Hi Mel, You and I must think the same way. I really wanted to sabotage my diet last night. Funny, I never thought of it that way but that's exactly what it is, sabotage.
Thanks for the kind words. It helped. I went to bed without ruining my diet and slept a good nine hours.
Well like you said if your goal is building muscle then yes, you have to eat more. Now that you have a handle on it though you'll be able to manage it that much better.
Just don't get caught in the all or nothing mode of thinking that seems to rear its head when we start something new. Wanting to succeed at what you're doing is natural, but it's counterproductive when it leads you to punish yourself for mistakes, perceived or otherwise. Making a mistake is perfectly fine and natural (and expected probably), provided that you learn from it, and that you don't make the same mistake again. That said - good luck with your deadlifts.
__________________
Tom
No "happy hours" makes for a lot of miserable days. - Mahler
Another good workout today with a little progress. I scaled back on my deadlifts by 5 lbs to work on my form. I used an ez curl barbell stacked on a couple plates. Anyone know whether using an ez curl barbell vs. a standard matters? It seemed a little harder but I was also lifting from the floor for the first time. I can definitely feel it in my hams and just a little in my glutes. My lower back feels worked but not sore.
Upped the weight on my lunges. Holy Cow! I was sucking wind like it was going out of style. I'm gonna feel it tomorrow.
I also scaled back on weight on swiss ball crunches to work on form. Did only body weight but felt it a LOT more in my abs than in the past. Now I know I'm doing them right!
Stage 1
Workout B, workout #4
Dynamic Warm up and glute activation
Deadlifts (went down 5 lbs to work on form)
Set 1 40lbs/12
Set 2 40lbs/12
DB Shoulder Press
Set 1 15lbs/12
Set 2 15lbs/12
Widegrip Lat Pulldown
Set 1 55lbs/12
Set 2 55lbs/12
Lunge (went up by 10 lbs.)
Set 1 40lbs/12
Set 2 40lbs/12
Swissball Crunch - hands behind head (went back to bw to work on form)
Set 1 bw/12
Set 2 bw/12
Another good workout today with a little progress. I scaled back on my deadlifts by 5 lbs to work on my form. I used an ez curl barbell stacked on a couple plates. Anyone know whether using an ez curl barbell vs. a standard matters? It seemed a little harder but I was also lifting from the floor for the first time. I can definitely feel it in my hams and just a little in my glutes. My lower back feels worked but not sore.
Upped the weight on my lunges. Holy Cow! I was sucking wind like it was going out of style. I'm gonna feel it tomorrow.
I also scaled back on weight on swiss ball crunches to work on form. Did only body weight but felt it a LOT more in my abs than in the past. Now I know I'm doing them right!
Stage 1
Workout B, workout #4
Dynamic Warm up and glute activation
Deadlifts (went down 5 lbs to work on form)
Set 1 40lbs/12
Set 2 40lbs/12
DB Shoulder Press
Set 1 15lbs/12
Set 2 15lbs/12
Widegrip Lat Pulldown
Set 1 55lbs/12
Set 2 55lbs/12
Lunge (went up by 10 lbs.)
Set 1 40lbs/12
Set 2 40lbs/12
Swissball Crunch - hands behind head (went back to bw to work on form)
Set 1 bw/12
Set 2 bw/12
Cool down/stretch
No wonder you were sucking wind after those lunges!! LOL! I doubt I could CARRY 40 lb db's very far!! Let along lunge with them. I would be sucking wind on the floor, instead!
No wonder you were sucking wind after those lunges!! LOL! I doubt I could CARRY 40 lb db's very far!! Let along lunge with them. I would be sucking wind on the floor, instead!
Hehehe no they were 20 lbs DB each. Still, a heck of a lot for me! whew!!
I don't have much to post today. Went to bed feeling pretty good but I did have to us a little icy hot cream on my left knee, ham and glute. hahaha! Feeling just fine now. Skipped yoga today, well I wasn't awake enough.
I think I'm going to blow up my stability ball and sit on it while at the computer.
It's cool and a little rainy today, ok well for southern California It's making me want to eat comfort food. OH NO! Instead I'm having a homemade NF chai latte with splenda, only 47 cals. Mmmmm!
They were 15 lbs dumbbells. 30 in my dreams 
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