Kara, it will go better next time. For the step-ups, you can always go slower than your norm and work on the muscle contraction if you have to use the lower steps when big burly men are hogging the equipment. And, you can put your hands on the steps/benches to do your push-ups rather than the bar at the Smith machine if you have to. I like Natalia's and Tom's solutions, too, but thought I'd try to help you out in the meantime .
lol thanks guys! It would be great to eventually get stronger and not have to be the weak little girl in the "men's territory" lol. Every time I go in there I feel their eyes I know they're thinking "What the heck is SHE doing here?"
And thanks for the step-up advice Karen. I still hate those things. It was easier to have better form doing them at a lower step with some added weight and I could definitely feel them working. My legs were all trembly today, just an overal blah day. I wish there was an intermediate height step I could use, but no such luck in this small gym.
And Stingo, I have no idea what he was doing while wasting my time, lol. The bar was loaded with the big wheels, but I don't even know if I saw it move most of the time I was there. He was talkin to his buddies a lot. I might have asked if I could use it if he wasn't so darn intimiidating.... unfortunately for me my gym is kind of in a mini-ghetto, so he probably had a gun in his waistband, lol.
Oh well... hopefully next time will better... If I can learn to wake myself up a little earlier hopefully the gorilla won't be there...
Sorry to hear you didn't have a stellar workout today - it happens to all of us!
Think of it this way - YOU did a workout, while most of the rest of the world did NOT! Even if it was a crappy workout - it was a workout, and for that you should be proud!!!
Just a random tid-bit that made me excited yesterday...... when I plugged all my food into fitday, the macros came out to 33%, 33%, 33%.... how crazy is that?! Random I know... but hey, whatever floats your boat right?
Just a random tid-bit that made me excited yesterday...... when I plugged all my food into fitday, the macros came out to 33%, 33%, 33%.... how crazy is that?! Random I know... but hey, whatever floats your boat right?
Well I had a heck of a time getting motivated today since I was in lab from 8:30 this morning... but I got there! Here's workout 6B Deadlifts
1x10 @65lbs
1x10 @75lbs (total accident... I thought I made it 70)
1x10 @80lbs
Superset of DB shuolder presses and Lat pulldowns DB presses:
3x10 with 15s
Lat Pulldowns
3x10 @ 65lbs
Superset of Lunges and Ball crunches Lunges:
3x10 with 12.5s
Ball Crunches
3x10 longarm with 10lb DB
-I totally surprised myself with the deadlifts today. I accidentally added 5s to each end instead of 2.5s and did the set and when I went to up it by another 5lbs total I realized what I did and thought..."Dang! I'm impressed!"
-The DB presses stayed at the same weigth as last time, I might up them next tem since I'll be doing less reps, but we'll see.
-Lat pulldown was rough, I used 65lbs for all 3 sets for the 1st time, but ti went pretty well
-I don't like lunges at all... I must do them wrong because I feel it in the quad of the non-working leg and my balance isn't very good. I've done "walking lunges" before and never had that problem so maybe I will change to doing them that way. I feel like I use too much momentum going back and forth like this.
-Ball crunches.. this long-arm thing is rough at the end of a workout! But manageable... I think I'll stay at this weight.. maybe up it slightly next time when I go down in reps.
-I totally surprised myself with the deadlifts today. I accidentally added 5s to each end instead of 2.5s and did the set and when I went to up it by another 5lbs total I realized what I did and thought..."Dang! I'm impressed!"
Good for you, K! And you put identical weight on both ends. My friend's husband wasn't paying attention and put different weight on her bar (for barbell chest press). When she tried pushing it up all the plates from one side came crashing on the floor
Good for you, K! And you put identical weight on both ends. My friend's husband wasn't paying attention and put different weight on her bar (for barbell chest press). When she tried pushing it up all the plates from one side came crashing on the floor
Oh goodness! That's terrible! lol.
Remebered another reason to be proud of myself today.... I resisted birthday cake at work! Go Me!!!!
Good for you, K! And you put identical weight on both ends. My friend's husband wasn't paying attention and put different weight on her bar (for barbell chest press). When she tried pushing it up all the plates from one side came crashing on the floor
And that's how a guy at my gym injured himself for 6 months and came very close to injuring those of us in the path of the crashing plates! This guy was howling in tears and pain and had to go to the ER (which, luckily, is part of my gym. The trainer at the gym really gave him a talking to about using the safety clip thingies.
Oh my goodness Jane, that's terrible!
Thanks Tracey and Ginger!! Always much appreciated!!!!
I'm workin out with the bf on Saturday, so he'll be able to check my form... I think my form on squats on deads isn't as good as it could or should be, so hopefully I'll be able to lift even heavier after this :-)
Well I had a heck of a time getting motivated today since I was in lab from 8:30 this morning... but I got there! Here's workout 6B Deadlifts
1x10 @65lbs
1x10 @75lbs (total accident... I thought I made it 70)
1x10 @80lbs
-I totally surprised myself with the deadlifts today. I accidentally added 5s to each end instead of 2.5s and did the set and when I went to up it by another 5lbs total I realized what I did and thought..."Dang! I'm impressed!"
Overall I'm pretty impressed with myself today
Great Job!! Sometimes a little "accident" can be a good thing! Sounds like you are staying consistent with your workouts AND your food!! Your workouts look fantastic!
The other day I was doing shoulder presses and my left arm was so weak. I had picked up a 25 with the left hand and a 20 with the right. Of course, once I fixed it I realized I had actually done presses with a 25....damn cool I say.
You look gorgeous btw, a body I would love to have. I tend to forget that I can't compare myself with someone only 21 years old (I'm 44, 3 babies, surgeries, life, etc.) There are a lot of women at the gym I go to, but they are mostly younger. I feel out of place, not for being "the weak female" but for being my age. I can't wait till I'm fit and buff AND my age, and they go, "damn, I hope I look like her when I'm older."
I tend to forget that I can't compare myself with someone only 21 years old (I'm 44, 3 babies, surgeries, life, etc.) There are a lot of women at the gym I go to, but they are mostly younger. I feel out of place, not for being "the weak female" but for being my age. I can't wait till I'm fit and buff AND my age, and they go, "damn, I hope I look like her when I'm older."
Hehe, no one's here to compare.... if that were the case I would have taken one look at Natalia's biceps, or Mel's abs and said "I'm never gonna look like that so why bother?" LOL! I think you should be very proud of where you are in your life, 44 with 3 kids, getting through surgeries... all that is stuff to be proud of. I'm sure those youger girls give you a lot of credit for being there. And if not then who cares? Because if they're anything like the girls I see at my gym, they're only there to wear their Victorias Secret sweatpants with "PINK" printed on their ass, look pretty, and check out the roid-raging men in corner with no necks.
Moral of the story: you're doing awesome and you should be very proud of yourself and your accomplishents, in life and in the gym
Hehe, no one's here to compare.... if that were the case I would have taken one look at Natalia's biceps, or Mel's abs and said "I'm never gonna look like that so why bother?" LOL! I think you should be very proud of where you are in your life, 44 with 3 kids, getting through surgeries... all that is stuff to be proud of. I'm sure those youger girls give you a lot of credit for being there. And if not then who cares? Because if they're anything like the girls I see at my gym, they're only there to wear their Victorias Secret sweatpants with "PINK" printed on their ass, look pretty, and check out the roid-raging men in corner with no necks.
Moral of the story: you're doing awesome and you should be very proud of yourself and your accomplishents, in life and in the gym
VERY well put, Kara!!!! I had to crack up at the Victoria Secret sweats!!!
Haha, ok... but you're lifting something heavy! The girls I'm talking about walk on the treadmill for about 45 minutes while talking and people watching... then if they're really feeling adventurous they'll do some crunches, lol :-)
Haha, ok... but you're lifting something heavy! The girls I'm talking about walk on the treadmill for about 45 minutes while talking and people watching... then if they're really feeling adventurous they'll do some crunches, lol :-)
But you are right about one thing....I don't wear the ones with the 'butt graphics' out in public.
Today's workout went pretty well. First time doing 3 sets of 8. Squats:
1x8 @ 60
1x8 @ 65
1x8 @ 70 (up from 60lbs last time)
Superset of Pushups and seated rows Pushups:
1x8 at crotch height (meant to set it lower but it was a different rack than I was used to)
2x8 at mid-thigh height
Seated rows:
3x8 @ 60
Superset of Step-ups and Jack-knives Step-ups:
3x8 on ~10" step with 8lb DBs
Jack-knives:
2x12 @BW, pike version
1x6 @BW, pike version (balance was gone by the end...)
Then since I worked out with my bf/trainer (lol) we worked on my deadlift form using 65lbs. I think I finally understand how to do these... I just need to focus on using my glutes and concentrating on not using my back.... when I stop hard-core focusing, my form slacks. Also, since I can't prop the bar up on anything I'm working with the bar a lot closer to the ground than if I was using the "big wheels" (which I swear I will do someday!)
Notes:
-Squats were pretty good, not great, but not bad. Had to use a foam roll thing on the bar though because it was hurting my back.
-Was able to use 60 for all the sets of the seated rows which is an improvement
I'll post nutrition stuff later... I am in need of food and a shower
Because if they're anything like the girls I see at my gym, they're only there to wear their Victorias Secret sweatpants with "PINK" printed on their ass, look pretty, and check out the roid-raging men in corner with no necks.
I wear Victoria's Secret sweats, too, but like Natalia, there is no way you'd ever see me in public with writing (or other graphics) on my butt .
Nice workouts, too. Balancing the ball and getting your backside in the air for those pikes is really hard!
So on a topic completely unrelated to fitness.....
My bf threw me a surprise birthday party last night with all of my friends that I haven't seen in sooo long! It was perfect! People drove well over 3 hours to come and I had no freakin idea! I know no one else cares, but I was really excited :-D