Kara's Lifting Adventure

[marygrace]

-Couldn't superset the lunges and pushups... gym was WAY crowded... note to self: never go to the gym at 8pm ever again!

Haha, I tried going to the gym later in the day once and thought the exact same thing. Sometimes I would think the gym was crowded in the morning - it was nothing compared to how crazy it gets later on!

Also, AWESOME job on the 40 lb push press!

[Littlemermaidklb]

Holy Moly this workout dang near killed me! Those BSSs are one very humbling exercise!
Warm-up: 5 min on treadmill at 3.5mph, then some side lunges, 10 BW squats, 15 floor crunches, and a little bit of a quad stretch

Deadlifts:
2x10 @ 70lbs

Alt sets:
Bulgarian Split Squats
1x8(e) with 7.5s
1x10(e) with bodyweight
Underhand grip lat pulldown:
1x10 @60lbs
1x10 @65lbs

Alt sets:
Reverse lunges from step with forward reach:
2x10 with 5s
Cuban Snatch thing:
1x10 with 5s
1x10 with 10s

Alt sets:
Ball crunches:
2x10 with 10lb DB long arm version
Reverse Crunch:
2x10 on floor
Lateral flexion, side crunch on ball version:
1x10 each side

Prone Cobra
2x60sec

HIIT:
1min @3.5
1min @7.1
1.5min @ 3.5
1 min @ 7.5
1.5min @ 3.5
1min @ 7.0
2min @ 3.5
1min @ 7.0
2min @ 3.5
1min @ 7.0
2min coldown at 3.5
Total of 15minutes... longest 15 minutes EVER!

Notes:
-I did the deadlifts the way I've been doing them in stage 1... because I never elevated the bar on risers so I was always lower in relation to the bar than I guess I technically should have been. I also forgot to do them wide-grip... does anyone know if there's a reason to do them wide-grip? I don't think it would change anything much...
-I estimated too high on those BSSs for the first set... I should have done BW from the beginning... whew! Those are not fun!
-I could have gone heavier on the UG lat pulldowns.. which surprised me, so I was a tad impressed withmyself
-I'm not sure I did the reverse lunges right... I was pretty wobbly but I think I got the hang of them on the 2nd set, I will try heavier DBs next time
-5s were too light on the Cuban Snatch things, but 10s were too heavy.... I shouldn't have tried to jump that high... I'll use the 7.5s next time
-Ab stuff was fine, I like ab work... didn't feel the side crunches as much as I thought I should... I'll try to find a way to make them harder
-I felt retarded doing those prone cobras! haha. It doesn't look like I'm doing anything and they're definitely not as hard as the planks... maybe I did them wrong, I have to re-check the book
-I think 8 was a little too ambitious for my HIIT last time, so I used 7.5 and 7.0 for my intervals today... I was also prety dang spent by that time so I took it "easy" even though my face was a nice shade of purple when I was done, haha... me and running have never been friends.. I must fix this.

Yesterday's eats were interesting. I felt like I ate well and healthy all day, then when everything was plugged into Fitday I came out with 48% fats, 35% carbs and about 17% protein... not good. But when I woke up today my belly felt flatter than normal... so I found that interesting. I also just had the last little bit of my protein powder so I need to get some ASAP

[SpacecityPaula]

I think you are suppose to be doing the wide Grip snatch deadlifts from a box.

You'll stand on the box and widen your grip and lift from that position.

[stingo]

Try doing the deadlifts from a small platform with the wide grip - you'll be able to feel if there's a difference or not. That extra few inches of ROM makes the exercise more difficult (read: use less weight).

[Littlemermaidklb]

I did use less weight, I think 80 was just a little too high for me... the thing is, I've always had that bigger ROM because my weights are small and so the bar has always been closer to the floor than it's "supposed" to be. Also... my gym has no steps, lol. So I kind of have to keep doing it this way. But I'll try the wide-grip next time, I just forgot today.

[stingo]

Originally Posted by Littlemermaidklb

I did use less weight, I think 80 was just a little too high for me... the thing is, I've always had that bigger ROM because my weights are small and so the bar has always been closer to the floor than it's "supposed" to be. Also... my gym has no steps, lol. So I kind of have to keep doing it this way. But I'll try the wide-grip next time, I just forgot today.

If I remember correctly the wide grip will work your trapezius muscles more.

[climban]

Hey Kara,

Great workout! Wow, seems hard on the legs, isn 't it??? I 'm a bit afraid of those deadlifts from box. I have a hard time doing them completely with good from from the ground now, I seem to lack some flexibility in my hips... And from a box is even harder, I guess...

Your eats are indeed interesting, maybe you do well on more fat? The protein is quite low, but I think it 's always a bit of try and error to see what works for you.

See you!

[LisaS]

wide grip on the DL just gets you a little lower so you have to move the bar a little farther - more work.

[dillytl]

Nice workout, Kara!!!

[marygrace]

That B workout is insane. You did a great job, though! That's so impressive you managed to do a set of the Cuban snatches with 10 lbs, even if you found it too heavy. I tried doing them with 8's and my form was awful. For now, I'm sticking with 5's. I feel like such a wuss!

[Littlemermaidklb]

What a day I've had so far!
Well, woke up early to get to my polygraph by 9am... I hate those things more than you can imagine. You could be Mother Teresa and still come out of that thing feeling terrible. Ugh! So I got to the gym and warmed up on the treadmill for a bit, then got to my push-presses. I hadn't even started the exercise yet and this guy comes up to me to "fix my grip" on the bar. Um... hello... all I did was pick it up and start getting it into position... buzz off pal! He's tryin to show me how the grip the thing.. and actually takes it out of my hands! He has an overhand grip, and holds it stright out in front of him. I'm not even sure what he would have done as an exercise with it. I told him that wasn't what I was doing, then had to repeat myself, then he finally went away. I could see him in the mirror smiling/laughing at me while I did the exercise and it made me so damn frustrated! That was supposed to be my warm-up set too (40lb preset bar) but after that and being kind of emotionall run-down already, I just did both work sets at 40. The rest of the workout felt like it went downhill from there.. grrr arg

Front squat/push press:
2x10 with 40lb bar

Step-ups:
2x10 with 10s

1-pt Rows:
2x10 with 15s
(wasn't able to superset... some chick doing a million and a half reverse crunches was hoggin the bench for my step-ups)

Lunge, rear foot elevated:
2x10 with 10s (these were rough today)

Pushups:
2x10 with bar at thigh height. (I swear I will never get better at these, I've been stuck here forEVER!)

Planks:
2x60sec

Chop:
1x10 on the ball with a 15lb weight... probably didnt do these right as it felt awkward as hell, so I did 10 side crunches on each side for the 2nd set. Someone was on the cable, so I had to substitute.

I was going to do HIIT afterwards and just really didn't feel like being there anymore today. Oh well. I'm going home for the weekend and my mom joined a new gym (actually her old gym merged with this one) and she wants me to try a "bodypump" class either tomorrow or sunday with her, so I'll make up for today when I do that since I usually don't workout on weekends.

Ugh, is today over yet??

Have a good weekend everyone!

[LadyNoir]

Originally Posted by Littlemermaidklb

I could see him in the mirror smiling/laughing at me while I did the exercise and it made me so damn frustrated! That was supposed to be my warm-up set too (40lb preset bar) but after that and being kind of emotionall run-down already, I just did both work sets at 40. The rest of the workout felt like it went downhill from there.. grrr arg

Ugh! That's the worst when someone else throws off your whole mind set. Just ugh!

40lbs isn't bad though (I'm only doing half of that). Good for you to push through and finish your workout despite it all.

[kfisherx]

Wow..... I have never had anybody bother me at the gym and I know my form isn't great. You must be a little cutie or maybe I am ugly. Or maybe I look like I would beat the snot out of them if they tried.

[Littlemermaidklb]

Originally Posted by kfisherx

Wow..... I have never had anybody bother me at the gym and I know my form isn't great. You must be a little cutie or maybe I am ugly. Or maybe I look like I would beat the snot out of them if they tried.

HAHA! You are too funny! Believe me, he did approach in a "this is an excuse to hit on you" type of way. He was really just... annoying. And I'm sure no one says anything to you because you would beat on them... you've got some guns in that pic of yours! I'd be scared too, hehe. I'm definitely not an intimidating person so maybe they think they can help little ol' me out, who knows. Usually I don't get people coming up to me because I always have headphones in and I tune everyone else out, gues that didn't discourage thi crazy man, lol.

[marygrace]

was going to do HIIT afterwards and just really didn't feel like being there anymore today. Oh well. I'm going home for the weekend and my mom joined a new gym (actually her old gym merged with this one) and she wants me to try a "bodypump" class either tomorrow or sunday with her, so I'll make up for today when I do that since I usually don't workout on weekends.

Those classes can be really fun sometimes, you should try one out. But don't do it on a lifting day! I tried this once and my lifting was a disaster!

Great workout, btw!

[LoriAnne]

Originally Posted by Littlemermaidklb

What a day I've had so far!
I hadn't even started the exercise yet and this guy comes up to me to "fix my grip" on the bar. Um... hello... all I did was pick it up and start getting it into position... buzz off pal! He's tryin to show me how the grip the thing.. and actually takes it out of my hands! He has an overhand grip, and holds it stright out in front of him. I'm not even sure what he would have done as an exercise with it. I told him that wasn't what I was doing, then had to repeat myself, then he finally went away. I could see him in the mirror smiling/laughing at me while I did the exercise and it made me so damn frustrated! That was supposed to be my warm-up set too (40lb preset bar) but after that and being kind of emotionall run-down already, I just did both work sets at 40. The rest of the workout felt like it went downhill from there.. grrr arg

Ugh, is today over yet??

Don't you just love the men that need to "show you how it's done"? Next time just crack him in the back of the head with the preset bar!

Originally Posted by LadyNoir

Ugh! That's the worst when someone else throws off your whole mind set. Just ugh!

Good for you to push through and finish your workout despite it all.

My thoughts exactly!

Originally Posted by kfisherx

Wow..... I have never had anybody bother me at the gym and I know my form isn't great. You must be a little cutie or maybe I am ugly. Or maybe I look like I would beat the snot out of them if they tried.

Spit coffee onto my screen when I read this reply. You're certainly not ugly--my vote is definitely for you looking like you wouldn't hesitate to take someone who tries to mess with you! Just another benefit of weight training huh? It works as an a$$hole deterrent for all the boneheads at the gym!