I've joined the womens challenge. This is my new journal to keep me honest!
I started weight lifting about nine months ago. I've really seen a change in my body shape and dropping those last few pounds that have clung on since I had my son three years ago. Now I have a new goal. Instead of focusing on losing weight I want a hard body! I'm following the NROLW starting today, already had my first workout.
Workout 2-3x's a week
Since I want to gain muscle I'm skipping cardio until I'm ready to lean out. I will incorporate yoga when I can.
Nutrition I want to gain muscle so I am going to follow the books' recs on caloric intake to maintain and see if I need to adjust going forward. My protein intake will be 1 gram per body weight.
Calories Non workout day: 1626
Calories Workout day: 1858
Goals Wear a bikini next summer
Gain muscle without losing more weight, I do not want to go under 110 lbs. I need to figure out a measurable way to attain this, perhaps heavier body weight with looser fitting clothes.
Become more comfortable in the weight room. I'm getting there!
Hard butt, I want a bottom I can bounce quarters off of, well...not that I would. hahaha!
Pictures soon to come.
My first workout today went well. I had to switch around the two alternating sets due to equipment being used, but no problem. I think it's funny how Lou mentions in the book how women will do exercises to the "T" without changing a thing. That's exactly me! It's nice to read that you can make changes to a workout. Guess I just needed that reminder.
Welcome! We have similar body types and similar goals! Good luck to you in the challenge!
mel
Hi Mel, Thanks! You look fantastic. It'll be nice to read someone else's journey that is similar. Kinda hard to find any friends to do this with me. Sometimes I like to talk about my successes or challenges and it's hard when no one around you "gets" it.
Welcome to the forum and the challenge!
You look great, and if you are new to Alwyn's workouts, you are in for some good work which will definitely change your body the way you want!
Julie
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Life's a Journey ... Enjoy the Ride!
Welcome to the forum and the challenge!
You look great, and if you are new to Alwyn's workouts, you are in for some good work which will definitely change your body the way you want!
Julie
Thanks Julie. It's great to find such a supportive group!
I had planned to try out a yoga class at my gym today as part of my "off/non-workout day" But my knee was feeling a little sore so I decided to listen to my body and give it a break. I'd rather be able to stick to my goal of doing the workout 3x this week and work hard. Tomorrow will be my second workout. I'm sticking to a MWF schedule.
I'm a little sore around the ribs but not too bad. I found the push ups to be the most challenging part of yesterdays workout. Only finished 12 in the second set. I WILL push out all of them before this stage is done...and not feel like fainting.
Sticking to my calorie intake was a little tough today. Even though I'm on maintenance it's still a cut back from my holiday excesses. I needed to get back on the horse anyway so I'm glad this challenge arrived before I slid into my previous bad ways.
Arggggg! I went over my calories last night. I didn't think it would be this hard to eat at maintenance. Wow, I really blew it over the holidays. I didn't do too bad, I was 260 over. I know if I'd just skipped that darn dessert I would have been fine. I'm more mad because it makes me feel like I won't progress, which is where I've been stuck at for the last two months. It's great to have this challenge. It's keeping me accountable. It's the first thing I thought of when I realized I went over. I WANT to finish this challenge. And I WANT to see change.
My second w/o yesterday went good. All the racks were taken up so I did my Deadlift's with 15# dumbbells instead. I really want to start working with barbells. I've always been too intimidated to use them. I need to get over that. I'm surprisingly not sore today. I think this third workout I should up the weight a little and push more. I've been stuck at 30# max weight for far too long.
I started keeping my log like the books says. Up until now I've never done that. I can already see the big benefit to doing this.
I WANT to finish this challenge. And I WANT to see change.
The question is, how badly do you want it? Eating clean 90% of the time is hard work and requires some determination. If it was easy, everyone would do it. That said, today's a new day - make this one count.
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Tom
No "happy hours" makes for a lot of miserable days. - Mahler
It occurred to me that my previous post might be read as being much more severe than I intended. Keep striving toward your goal with consistency, and you'll make the progress you desire.
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Tom
No "happy hours" makes for a lot of miserable days. - Mahler
It occurred to me that my previous post might be read as being much more severe than I intended. Keep striving toward your goal with consistency, and you'll make the progress you desire.
Nope I didn't read it that way at all. You're right I do need to decided how much I want it. ...and it's a LOT!!!!!
I waited until today because I wanted to see how sore I'd be after Friday's workout. Surprising well so far. But I think I'll REALLY feel it tomorrow.
A little background. I started weightlifting in April of 07'. At first I would just use the machines, but the more I read the more I learned that free weights were the way to go. So I moved on to dumbbells. I've kinda been stuck there since. Partly because I didn't have a good routine of my own but mainly because I was intimidated by the weight area. Too chicken to move on to barbells. So I limited myself. And because of that I've not progressed much in strength. But that is all about too change.
I decided to up my weights on Friday so that I can start moving my routine to barbells when called for in the routine. Oh boy could I tell the difference. My glutes were screaming at me during those lunges! But I just keep my goal in mind "tight butt, tight butt!". Yeah, that was some motivation that worked!
I've been very good on my calorie intake for the last couple days. I was struggling the first couple days but think I've settled in too maintenance now.
Here's my 3rd routine from yesterday:
Squats (I used the smith machine, all the racks were taken again *grrr*)
Set 1 40lbs x15, Set 2 40lbs/15
Fourth workout today and I LOVED IT! I'm getting a lot more focused and it feels great. I've upped my weights again on some of the exercises and started doing deadlifts with a barbell instead of the dumbbells I'm used to. Boy, I really need to work on my DL form. I think the broom will be getting a workout on my off days. I didn't hurt myself but I could tell when I slipped out of proper form.
By far the weighted lunges are the hardest thing I'm doing. 15 each leg so I'm alternating back and fourth for 30 *akkkkkk!* My legs are so wobbly by the last 5-10 of each set.
Sticking to my maintenance calorie numbers is working. Weight from this week to last has not budged 111.5lbs. I know it takes time to build muscle. I just don't want it going in the wrong direction, down.
I also checked in with a gym trainer and got my body fat % today. All they had was a hand held Omron BF Analyzer. Taking into account what everyone has said about them being inaccurate I'm guessing this is off by about 3%. It said my BF was 18.6%. At least I can use it for a base line towards my goals. But it would be nice to get calipers and try to learn 7 point. The trainer also asked what program I was following. I told him about NROLW, which it turned out he already knew about.
Here's my workout for today.
Stage 1
Workout B #2
Deadlift
Set 1 40lbs/15
Set 2 40lbs/15
DB Shoulder Press
Set 1 20lbs/15
Set 2 20lbs/15
Widegrip Lat Pulldown
Set 1 45lbs/15
Set 2 45lbs/15
Good! I'm not eating 100% clean, don't plan too. I'd say it's closer to 75% clean. I did make the Adobo Rubbed Pork (from the Eat Clean book) last night. YUM!!! Very good! My husband loved it (and he rarely eats pork). I just added a wheat tortilla with my meal to up the carbs and cals.
I'm so used to eating under maintenance when I'm I'm tracking all this so it's a little strange to find myself with x number of calories I still need to eat. Not that I'm complaining.
Good! I'm not eating 100% clean, don't plan too. I'd say it's closer to 75% clean. I did make the Adobo Rubbed Pork (from the Eat Clean book) last night. YUM!!! Very good! My husband loved it (and he rarely eats pork). I just added a wheat tortilla with my meal to up the carbs and cals.
I'm so used to eating under maintenance when I'm I'm tracking all this so it's a little strange to find myself with x number of calories I still need to eat. Not that I'm complaining.
Cool - just wondered since in almost the first post in your log you mentioned having dessert.
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Tom
No "happy hours" makes for a lot of miserable days. - Mahler
Feeling more sore this week than last. Upping the weights seems to have worked. I did 40lbs deadlifts yesterday (at least I think that's how much those bars weigh with out weights on them). My back feels tired but that's all and I feel more sore in my butt. Good sign!
I took a yoga class today. That really worked out the soreness, helped a lot.
I haven't mentioned that I'm currently unemployed. I'm another causality of the mortgage meltdown. My office closed last month. Boo! On the bright side I can now live a life of leisure (at least pretend to) and go to yoga classes in the middle of the day. I always wondered who these people were that could take off in the middle of the day for a yoga class. They're all jobless they have to be.
I also treated myself to some new gym clothes. Target was having a sale, good excuse in my book. I've been wearing the same two pairs of gym pants for a couple years. err yeah. Granted, they fit better now.
Here's my eats so far today:
B: 2 scrambled egg, Ezekiel raisin bread with whipped cream cheese and green tea
(yoga)
L: Eating Right Chicken enchilada & rice meal, plus I added two oz of grilled chicken, pico de gallo & 1/4 c black beans
S: 1/2 LF cottage cheese, carrot sticks and chai tea with nf milk and splenda
Wow! Today's workout was great. I went in feeling a little weak in one knee so wanted to keep the squats on the conservative side. I've been using dumbbells for months and just recently switched to the smith machine until I could work my way up to the Olympic barbell. I know the smith is supposed to be bad and I have felt sore in the knees when I use it. So today I decided it was time to move on to the Olympic barbell. I can't believe it, it was easier than the smith machine even at a higher weight. Using the barbell was more of a natural move and my knees didn't hurt at all. I'm never going to look at a smith machine again. Good riddance.
Here's what I ate today:
B: egg burrito (2 eggs, salsa, black beans wheat tortilla), blackberries, green tea
(workout)
S: strawberry banana protein shake
L: chicken breast on whole wheat with tomatillo sauce and avocado, a cookie
D: pita pizza (1/2 pita, 1.5 oz mozzarella, veggies, sauce) 1/2 C cottage cheese, salad w/ 1T flax oil
S: protein shake
I upped my weights on the all exercise except the bodyweight ones.
Great workouts! It looks like you are really making progress, especially leaving the smith machine behind. My boyfriend got me an olympic bar and weight set for Christmas and I love it. It just feels so good to lift the big weights.
Sorry about your job, but I know what you are saying about getting to go to the yoga class in the middle of the day. I have to honestly say that my 9 months of unemployment was the happiest time of my life. Of course, I was charging my groceries on my credit card which I am still trying to pay off today. But I wasn't too stressed and I got to do tons of things I like to do.
Great workouts! It looks like you are really making progress, especially leaving the smith machine behind. My boyfriend got me an olympic bar and weight set for Christmas and I love it. It just feels so good to lift the big weights.
Sorry about your job, but I know what you are saying about getting to go to the yoga class in the middle of the day. I have to honestly say that my 9 months of unemployment was the happiest time of my life. Of course, I was charging my groceries on my credit card which I am still trying to pay off today. But I wasn't too stressed and I got to do tons of things I like to do.
Leah
Thanks Leah. I hate to say it, but I'm really enjoying having the time off.
LadyNoir's NROLW
I'm following the NROLW starting today, already had my first workout.
But I just keep my goal in mind "tight butt, tight butt!". Yeah, that was some motivation that worked!
I did 40lbs deadlifts yesterday (at least I think that's how much those bars weigh with out weights on them). My back feels tired but that's all and I feel more sore in my butt. Good sign!
But I wasn't too stressed and I got to do tons of things I like to do.
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