Squat
For some reason I was dreading these but they went ok
2 x 8 @ 40kg (88lbs)
1 x 8 @ 42.5kg (93.7lbs)
Push up
3 x 8 elbows close to body Seated row
3 x 8 @ 11 (the stack goes up to 14)
Step-ups
3 x 8 @ 2x12kg (2x26.5lbs) Prone jackknife
Can't believe I did 15 reps each time without stopping!
3 x 15
+ 1 chin-up
This workout seemed to go quite quickly and although it was really hard, I think it was my most enjoyable 'A' Workout so far.
Then I did HIIT:
3 mins @ 8kph (5mph)
1 min @ 12kph (7.5mph), 2 mins @ 5kph (3mph)
1 min @ 12.5kph (7.7mph), 2 mins @ 5kph (3mph)
1 min @ 13kph (8mph), 2 mins @ 5kph (3mph)
1 min @ 12.5kph (7.7mph), 2 mins @ 5kph (3mph)
1 min @ 13kph (8mph), 2 mins cooldown
Quote:
The crunches do make me feel a bit ill. Only one more workout with them in.
I read through the other stages and saw all the swiss ball crunches dotted throughout. I better get used to them!
Just looking back through old NROLFW posts and came across this, posted by Lisa~ :
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lisa~
I also like this analogy: Blowing one meal (or one day) is like having a flat tire. You wouldn't get out of the car, look at the flat and say, "Oh hell, I'm ruined, I might as well slash the other three and forget about driving at all." No, you'd fix the tire, get back in the car and drive on. You'd be late, but you'll still get there. So don't "slash your other tires." Just make the next meal be exactly what it was supposed to be. Continue on.
The past few days my food has gone a bit haywire so I needed to read this.
Well, this was the complete opposite of A8. I feel like my last workout of Stage One just fizzled out.
Deadlift
1 x 8 @ 42.5kg (93.7lbs)
2 x 8 @ 45kg (99lbs)
Dumbbell shoulder press
3 x 8 @ 2x10kg(2x22lbs) Wide grip lat pulldown
3 x 8 @ 31.5kg (69.5lbs)
Well, this is where the workout went downhill. I can't remember if my lower back twinged before deadlifts or during (maybe 45kg was too much?) but I couldn't do lunges holding DBs without my back feeling uncomfortable so I hummed and hawed and decided to do the dreaded crunches instead. They do make me feel ill, perhaps I haven't got my breathing right. And I alternated with some bodyweight lunges.
Lunges
3 x 8 @ bw Swiss ball crunches 1 x 15 with arms above head
2 x 15 with hands behind ears
+ 1 chin-up
I didn't feel worked out or sweaty and it was too late to do any HIIT (although I think my back would have protested) because my train was delayed getting me to the gym.
Anyway, only the AMRAP workouts left now. I'll definitely do some good HIIT sessions after them.
Food-wise, Monday and Tuesday were pretty poor. Dinner on Monday was 3 slices of toast with PB&J. Oh dear. The past 2 days have been much better though and my appetite seems to have diminished so I didn't manage to get to 2000 cals yesterday (workout day) which I think contributed to my unsuccessful workout. I've decided to keep workout days at 2000 cals but the rest of the days I'm going to reduce cals. I had a rough unofficial measuring session last night and nothing's changed but I seem to have put on weight recently.
Today is a first for me. 34% carbs (135g), 34% protein (137g), 32% fat (56g) @ 1600cals. Let's see if I manage it!
Well, this was disappointing, not that I expected to have super-strength. I felt good all day, ate enough food, was looking forward to the gym, then I get on the train to go there and I had no enegy and felt a bit blah. Anyway:
Squat 25 reps @ 30kg (66lbs) - (I think I did these too quickly) Push up
20 reps @ 30% Seated row
25 reps @ level 8 Step ups (these nearly did me in!)
Left leg - 30 reps @ 2x6kg (2x13lbs)
Right leg - 35 reps @ 2x6kg (2x13lbs) Prone jackknife
17 reps
Really wanted to do HIIT afterwards but I had zero energy. I blame the step ups.
I had enough energy to do HIIT today:
3 mins @ 8kph (5mph)
1 min @ 12kph (7.5mph), 2 mins @ 5kph (3mph)
1 min @ 12.5kph (7.7mph), 2 mins @ 5kph (3mph)
1 min @ 12.5kph (7.7mph), 2 mins @ 5kph (3mph)
1 min @ 13kph (8mph), 2 mins @ 5kph (3mph)
1 min @ 13kph (8mph), 2 mins cooldown
I brought my book into the gym for the first time and went through the exercises I'm not familiar with or just need to practice, in Stage 2.
Front squat/ push press should be interesting with the 20kg (44lb) bar! The squat part is ok but on the push part, the bar went up but out, forcing me off balance especially as I was up on my toes. One point DB row was ok, nearly crushed my hand trying to set up the widegrip deadlift off a box (all my own stupid fault) but I think I'll be ok with it. The cuban snatch will require quite light weights to begin with, plus that move really squished my chest! Geez, that doesn't normally happen, I'm not a 'big' girl!
Anyway, 2 days to prepare myself for those front squat/push presses! I've printed out my Stage 2 workout sheets (thanks NewDawn!)
Did my measurements yesterday. In the past 6 weeks, I've gone from:
121.25lbs to 122.25lbs (+ 1lb)
23% to 23.8% body fat (.8%)
I've not been controlled at all with my diet and in the past week my weight has probably averaged at 124lbs (I don't understand how it got down to 122 but I'm glad it did!)
I plan on reducing my calories a bit. Not much for workout days but maybe a couple hundred for non-workout days because I really am quite sedentary on those days, and just see how it goes.
Measurements with the tape all stayed the same apart from:
Right arm = 10.5" (+0.5)
Left arm = 11" (+0.5)
Waist = 26" (-0.5)
Right thigh = 21.25" (+0.25)
Right calf = 13.5" (+0.5)
I have noticed a difference in my arms though, when I flex: 27th April 2009 6th June 2009
Sounds like you're doing great! In stage 2 we used a lighter (and shorter) bar for the front squat push press, the ones the guys in our gym use for their bicep curls. A much nicer way to start and to get the techniques now.
We only have 2 oly bars and an EZ bar at our gym but we did have some Body Pump bars around a while ago which I tried the front squat/press with but they've disappeared. I'll have to ask where they are. I think I tried the move with about 17.5kg and it was fine. I'll have to ask where they are. Must just be that little bit of extra weight and the length of the bar that I'm having trouble with.
They rearranged the gym recently and got a squat rack (yay!) and I think maybe the Body Pump plates didn't really have a home so went back in the studio.
They rearranged the gym recently and got a squat rack (yay!) and I think maybe the Body Pump plates didn't really have a home so went back in the studio.
That's the most beautiful thing I've heard in awhile.
__________________ No Magic Pill (the log)
My Movember page (yes, I'm slacking on pictures)
Well, I was just looking through the FAQ in the NROLFW thread and found this:
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lisa~
EZ-curl bars...They're great for this movement. Play around a bit with hand placement and you'll find that for the push press you can put the base of your palm (that meaty spot at the top of your ulna, on the side away from your thumb) right on the outermost bent portion of the bar. It actually makes the wrist angle a bit more comfortable. The bends will be horizontal, rather than vertical like they would be during a biceps curl. I hope that makes sense.
so this means I thankfully don't need to find the Body Pump bar and plates.
I've decided to get back to running. I need to incorporate some cardio into my routine and I do enjoy running, most the time! Thinking of a Tuesday 5K run (30 min) and a longer run on Saturday. So Monday and Thursday will be my rest days.
I was reading Runner's World and it's funny to read that it's all about carbs - carbs,carbs,carbs! Just as I'm trying to reduce my carb intake. It does worry me a little that I need carbs to run but I'm not increasing them! I'm just about adjusting to having less.
This week I'm trying to reduce my calories and this has really made it obvious how many superfluous foods are in my diet. I've been all over the place macro-wise but the protein is still up near 30%.
6 weeks til the wedding I'm going to. Haven't bought my outfit yet but I really wanted to show off my shoulders (despite my upper arms being blighted by keratosis pilaris - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keratosis_pilaris) but I'm not sure they'll be as 'shapely' as I would like them to be. Actually, in 6 weeks I'll be in Stage 3 so who knows what gains I'll have made by then! Think poistive!
Speaking of thinking positive, I had to say it to my mother this morning as she is having car trouble. A couple of weeks ago she woke up to find that someone had jumped on her car roof resulting in her having to have the whole roof replaced (with her having to contribute £180 on top of the insurance cover) and her car insurance premiums being raised. She goes today to the garage to drop the car off and collect the courtesy car which she then drove into a fence resulting in a scratch and a dent. She found out that this will be another insurance claim! All because some moron thought it would be fun to climb/jump on her car.
reducing your calories in the same week as you start running again? Be careful! Then again, six weeks to your wedding, it'd probably be living on the treadmill and eating nothing but multivitamins and fish oil by now
Congratulations tho! We do expect a picture of the dress in 6 weeks from now
It's not my wedding, it's my friends! But I would like to post a picture of me in a nice outfit rather than in my underwear and PJs!
I'm reducing cals this week, probably starting up running next Tuesday. Maybe on running days I'll do 45c/30p/25f for that extra boost and try to stick to 40/30/30 on all other days.
I'm thinking of a skirt and top. Can get more wear out of them than a dress. The wedding is in the southwest of England and I imagine that by the middle of July the weather should be a touch warmer.
Maybe this skirt - the models legs are really long, mine aren't (nor are mine this tanned), so it won't be this short on me and I'll have heels on to lengthen my legs
I hope it looks good on and that NROLFW will have whipped my legs into better shape by then! Front squat/push presses tomorrow should help them along!
By the way, loving your new avi. Reading all about foam rolling has made me curious. We have some foam rollers at our gym but I saw some pics of people using them and I wasn't sure I wanted to do that in public!
I love the skirt. Very nice, though that model's legs are so skinny. Funny how suspicious I get when I don't see any quad or hamstring definition, LOL. I look forward to see a photo of you wearing it (or something equivalent)!
Just popping this in here from Pips log so that I have a reference for how to drain quark. Interesting, huh?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Espi
To get the quark tastier strain it over a coffee filter..
Get one of those old-fashioned plastic coffee filter holders, put a paper filter inside.. fill it up with the Quark (or yoghurt or cottage cheese) and strain it overnight.
Result is not so acid and esp yoghurt takes on a wonderful consistency that's a glory to eat.. this is why so many pay big $$$ for Greek yoghurt that comes strained, not knowing how easy-peasy it is to do this on your own.
Try it.. and be amazed at the difference in taste.
Well, I tried to do the front squat push/press with the EZ bar but I hurt my right wrist. For some reason, when you have to move the position of the bar (from fingers to palm), it was fine with my left hand but not my right. Anyway, I went and tried it with the Oly bar and it was better but obviously my wrist still hurt so not great. Anyway, I gave it a go. Didn't really enjoy it but I blame the sore wrist. Front squat push/press 1 x 7 @ 20kg (44lbs)
1 x 6 @ 20kg (44lbs)
Step ups Never before have I concentrated so hard on an exercise. I think I wore my self out just trying to get the technique right. I think I managed to do them properly (on most reps).
2 x 10 @ 2x6kg (2x13lbs)
I finished Stage One using 2x12kg! Ha! What a joke! One point DB row
Well, I did 10 reps on each leg then went home and read the book and it said half reps on one leg, half on the other. Doh!
2 x 10 @ 2x6kg (2x13lbs)
For the 2nd set I wanted to increase my weights but the 8s and 10s were being used and the 12s were too much.
Static lunge, with foot raised
2 x 10 @ 2x10kg (2x22lbs) - down from 12s in Stage One
I always feel my gym shoes are a bit funny in the toe and when doing these my raised right foot got sore because of the shoes. My right side wasn't having a good workout last night! Push up
2 x 10
Plank
As these were for 60 seconds I did them at 45˚. Surprisingly hard! I've done these on the floor before but only for 30 secs.
2 x 60 sec Wood chop 1 x 10 @ level 3-
1 x 10 @ level 3+
Our cable machine has this little knob on the weights were you can choose a weight plate then dial it one way to make it a little lighter (-) then the other way to make it a little heavier (+).
I've done these before but with the stirrup attachement rather than the rope. Would it make any diference if I used the stirrup? I found the rope a bit awkward.
Well, I can feel it today especially in my back (upper and mid) and in the glutes and thighs. Lots of leg work and balancing!
Food has been a bit all over the place this week but today I am back on track. I'm doing 1600 cals on non-workout days and today my (planned) calories are bang on 1600 with ratios at 41c/33p/26f (168g/136g/46g).
The front squat pp is pretty painful for the wrists yes... I wonder if it might not be better to use dumbbells. It might compensate for the natural pronation of women's arms.. but I'm just thinking out loud here
I initially thought no to DBs but it could work. Can't work out if balancing would be easier or not. I don't think the Oly bar hurts (just after using the EZ bar it did) but I'll try out DBs on Friday.
The wrist discomfort is part of the learning curve as your mobility increases. However, there's nothing wrong with using DBs--just set them on your front shoulders as you would if doing a regular squat with DBs in a neutral grip. The only thing is that DBs will eventually limit your strength gains unless you can bro-curl 50lb-ers
__________________ No Magic Pill (the log)
My Movember page (yes, I'm slacking on pictures)
I'm quite pleased with my food the past few days. I feel like I'm grilling lots of veggie burgers and sausages though! Need to think of more meals to make these into. And thank god for quark - loving that stuff.
Food today:
1892 calories
39c/32p/29f (185g/155g/61g)
This includes a custard doughnut that I wouldn't even think of having (well, of course I would but I shouldn't) but my Mum bought them (yes, them, two in a box) as a treat and she looked quite hurt when I said, yeah, maybe I'll have half on Saturday. Anyway, I love them so I worked one into my food today and still hit my macros. I do plan to work really hard at the gym tonight.
Actually, I think I will be working hard. Stage 2/B1 - look like lots of do (I've got my book again because I can see myself getting very confused and not doing things properly) plus HIIT. Plan on a little run tomorrow early evening, I think. Just to see if I can remember how to run outside.
Well, I worked hard at the gym and got home to find that my parents had eaten the doughnuts. I won't type what I thought of them!
Anyway, I was at the gym for 1.5 hours! What was I doing?!
Stage Two, Workout A1
Wide drip DL from box
Seemed to take forever to set this upbut it was the first time. 1 x 6 @ 40kg (88lbs) grip failed
1 x 10 @ 35kg (77lbs)
Bulgarian split squat
2 x 10 @ 8kg (17.6lbs) medicine ball Underhand grip lat pulldown 1 x 10 @ 25kg (55lbs)
1 x 10 @ 31.5kg (69.5lbs)
Reverse lunge from box with forward reach
Can go heavier next time - I quite liked these. 2 x 10 @ 2x4kg (2x9lbs)
Dumbbell prone Cuban snatch
We only have one adjustable bench and it was being used when I went back. Tried to do the move on a swiss ball but it wasn't working. Think I strained one side of my neck doing these too.
1 x 10 @ 4kg (2x9lbs)
Swiss ball crunch 2 x 10 with hands at ears Reverse crunch
2 x 10 Lateral flexion 2 x 10 - Hanna Flexion 1
Now, I found the lateral flexion very strange. I tried #2 but decided to do #1. I could feel it in my outer thigh. Is this right? I head a search and found these threads. Seems I'm not the first to be confused. I'm going to look in the appendix as suggested to see what was written.
Well, I pretty much liked all of these exercises but I don't really like the lying down stuff at the end. Reverse crunches were ok and I didn't even fill ill after the swiss ball crunches! But I did keep them easy. Anyway, quicker all round next time, stick to the proper rest times.
Finished with 15 mins HIIT:
1 min @ 8kph, 2 min @ 9kph
1 min @ 12.5kph, 2 min @ 5kph
1 min @ 12.5kph, 2 min @ 5kph
1 min @ 13kph, 2 min @ 5kph
1 min @ 13kph, 1 min @ 5kph, 1 min @ 4kph
On other matters, I bought the skirt I posted a picture of a few days ago. Now I just need shoes, a top and a bag! I'm not good at buying whole outfits...
Well, I worked hard at the gym and got home to find that my parents had eaten the doughnuts. I won't type what I thought of them!
Haha, they did you a favor! Get some nutritious carbs in you instead
Quote:
Originally Posted by poppypixie
Wide drip DL from box
Seemed to take forever to set this upbut it was the first time. 1 x 6 @ 40kg (88lbs) grip failed
Have you experimented with mixed grip yet? Where your stong hand has your palm facing backward and your weak hand has your palm facing forward? It really helps on those grip issues (and your grip will get stronger as you keep lifting).
Quote:
Originally Posted by poppypixie
Dumbbell prone Cuban snatch
We only have one adjustable bench and it was being used when I went back. Tried to do the move on a swiss ball but it wasn't working. Think I strained one side of my neck doing these too.
1 x 10 @ 4kg (2x9lbs)
4kg is a lot! This isn't a proper 'look at me lift lots of weight' exercise, more of a shoulder health one. I'd focus on the movement and grab a weight that doesn't hurt. Creative thinking on the swiss ball! If the benches are taken, I usually just bend over to the right angle and accept the fact that I look like an idiot
Yeah, I know I was saved from the doughnut but I was really looking forward to it!
I was thinking of the mixed grip. I'll give it a go next time.
2x4kg seemed ok when I did it. Ok, I'll try a lighter weight next time. I can't take the credit for the ball idea - I read it somewhere here, although I am impressed that I remembered it!
Today, my shoulders, upper back and triceps feel used. After workout A, it was my glutes.
Really didn't fancy a run today so I'll wait until Monday or Tuesday. It's a bit hot here today too.
Yeah, I know I was saved from the doughnut but I was really looking forward to it!
Ah yes, that's the worst. I remember as a kid my mom would send me off to school and promised to make pancakes for dinner. Then in the evening we'd be out of eggs and we'd have to get chinese takeout or something. I would be the angriest 6-year old in all of western-europe
The past 2 days have been much better though and my appetite seems to have diminished so I didn't manage to get to 2000 cals yesterday (workout day) which I think contributed to my unsuccessful workout. I've decided to keep workout days at 2000 cals but the rest of the days I'm going to reduce cals. I had a rough unofficial measuring session last night and nothing's changed but I seem to have put on weight recently.
Thinking of a Tuesday 5K run (30 min) and a longer run on Saturday. So Monday and Thursday will be my rest days.
Linear Mode
