Does this log make my ass look fat?

[AnnetteW]

Originally Posted by nutbar

I've been putting scoops of unflavored whey in my salads

Sorry, but that sounds nasty. I'm shocked at the gross things I'm eating now myself...LOL My oatmeal was like paste yesterday, but I ate it.

[Karen411]

Originally Posted by AnnetteW

Sorry, but that sounds nasty. I'm shocked at the gross things I'm eating now myself...LOL My oatmeal was like paste yesterday, but I ate it.

I totally agree that sounds horrible--salad, great, but goopy salad dressing = .

On the note of oatmeal, I've found the only kind I can tolerate is the instant pre-sweetened (most bad for you) kind. I like the Quaker Weight Control with fiber and protein, but the Kashi stuff is truly awful--probably because it's closer to true oatmeal. I added protein powder to the Kashi stuff to try to make it better and I swallowed every bite, but I wasn't totally sure it was going to stay down either.

[kfisherx]

I don't like any sort of oatmeal either. I also don't get why it is such a touted food. The nutrients aren't that good on it. I use it primarily for cooking now and then and otherwise I'll at Kashi which has much better protein to carb and cal ratios.

[Willie]

My husband cooks (what seems like) a bucket of oatmeal every Sunday and eats it throughout the week... his is generally tasty, though not my style. He puts nf milk, cinnamon, nutmeg, and some walnuts in it.

[nutbar]

I know the whey in salad sounds nasty! I'm not sure what possessed me that day the first time I tried it but I was brave! LOL It is good, though, if you like vinegar & oil-type dressings.

I couldn't make up my mind if I wanted to take a rest week this week or not. Today, I decided to go ahead with the rest week. There is so much crap to be done outside -- hours and hours of big, heavy, sweaty stuff. So I've been out there for hours each day working my butt off, probably getting more of a workout that even NR4W!

Hubby's been bringing home next year's firewood all winter... in big, tree-sized logs and dumping them all over the freaking place, not in one semi-neat pile like sane people would do. Oh, no. Not him. So I've been heaving (literal) tons and tons of logs that weigh from 75 to 500 pounds each. Did I mention we live on a hill? And the logs are down the hill from where they're supposed to be? Uh-huh, yeah. I've done more (and heavier) squats and deadlifts and push-presses in the past 3 days than I've done in all of the workouts this year combined. At least I'm using good form (and cuss words)! No major accidents yet, just a few crushed toes and my hands and forearms cut to shreds. Cake, baby.

I think I'm finding a happy place in my eats now. I'd still rather sit down and have nothing but fresh veggies from the garden all day but I'm certainly beginning to see the payoff of getting more protein and fat in -- more strength and energy (to use towards putting in this year's garden so I can sit in the garden all day and eat veggies ).

My brain just stopped. *thud*

[Natalia]

Ha, Diane, your household chores look a lot like one of Charles Staley's workouts:

[nutbar]

Originally Posted by Natalia

Ha, Diane, your household chores look a lot like one of Charles Staley's workouts:

Dude's a pansy.

/smack talk

[mel]

LOL you are silly, but strong.

Nothing beats real manual work for working out. Now, if you ask me would I choose to move logs up a hill, I would say no, but kudos to you

mel

[nutbar]

Woke up with a sore throat this morning and just feeling kind of off all day. Blech. Kiddo #5 seems like she's getting sick this evening, too. Still, I'm going crazy not doing official workouts so I declared today the end of my rest week and set up for my first Stage 2 workout.

NR4W, Stage 2, Workout A, 1 of 4

Warmup: Finally did the official NR4W warmup routine. (I wasn't impressed.) Then tootled around with a few front squat/push press sets with my wimpy #15 standard bar, trying to get a feel for the movement.

Front squat/push press: 2 x 10 x 45#. Feels light but I'm so paranoid of squats now, I was afraid to go any heavier. I'm definitely suffering from PTSS (post-traumatic squat syndrome).

Step up: 2 x 10 x 30#. My left leg gave out on the last rep of the last set. I'll probably stay at this weight for next time so the left side can play catch-up. It still takes 100% of my attention to keep the nonworking leg lamed but at least I can now.

DB 1-point row: 2 x 10 x 30#. I found these surprisingly easy. So much so that I ended up doing 10 reps each leg before I remembered that we're supposed to divide the 10 reps between legs. Doh! Will definitely increase weight next time.

Static lunge, rear foot elevated: 2 x 10 x 20#. You've GOT to be kidding me. Crap. My form sucked -- couldn't get down as far as I wanted due to tight, twangy things happening in my back thighs. Sheesh.

Push up: 2 x 10, flat on ground. I didn't get very deep on the first set but did good on the second set.

Plank: Don't even ask. I did get 2 x 60 seconds but it sure wasn't all at once and I was more interested in calling Mr. Cosgrove very naughty names than writing down what combination of seconds it took me. My longest was 30 seconds all at once, though. These hurt my back so cussably bad, right at waist level.

Cable horizontal wood chop: 2 x 10 x 80# on the BowFlex. (I so wish I had a regular weighted cable machine.) What muscles are these supposed to target, as in where should we feel these? I'm having to rig my BowFlex to get the right length of handle, etc, so want to make sure I have it right. I also have to hold down the BF with my closest foot because it slides across the floor if I put too much oomph in my pull. So I end up feeling it all over my core, plus my butt and legs. But, I can't fully extend my arms for the full ROM (need more BF rigging) so I'm probably not working as much arms/upper back as I could be.

HIIT: Started warming up on the elliptical but my legs were burning from the step-ups and lunges so switched over to the treadmill after the first minute or two. Set the treadmill to a max incline (10) and warmed up for a minute at 3 mph, then went 1 minute at 7 mph, then 90 seconds at 3 mph, then back up to 7 mph for 30 seconds and then poofed. I just completely bonked.

Notes:

I started off listening to "Men in Tights" but "The Asshole Song" was the only thing that got me through the static lunges and planks. Mixed in some Leon Redbone just to balance it all out.

Got my order from TrueProtein, sweetened with Stevia. I seem to be handling Stevia just fine so that's very cool. It all still tastes like crap, though.

[LoriAnne]

Originally Posted by nutbar

Notes:

I started off listening to "Men in Tights" but "The Asshole Song" was the only thing that got me through the static lunges and planks. Mixed in some Leon Redbone just to balance it all out.

Got my order from TrueProtein, sweetened with Stevia. I seem to be handling Stevia just fine so that's very cool. It all still tastes like crap, though.

Okay, I only deleted the majority of your original message so these 2 combined wouldn't eat up a lot of space, but I've got 3 things to say:
#1-The Horizontal Wood Chop is a tough one for me too. My weight machine doesn't have cable at mid-level, so I'm stuck doing the "alternate version" , a.k.a. ghetto version on the ball. No matter what, I also can't identify what and where I'm supposed to be feeling, hence the switch to side planks.
#2-I have a client with back issues that has a hell of a time with planks. She finds that doing a static "Boat Pose" gives her a nice static contraction and is friendly to her back. Doesn't give you quite the same feeling of OH my God, I'm going to vomit!, but a good alternative nonetheless.
#3-I'm calling my cable company and telling them I no longer need Comedy Central because I have your log to read and make me laugh like a fool. You crack me up--AND you are strong like a drunk Irishman to boot! (and that's damn strong.)

[nutbar]

Originally Posted by LoriAnne

#1-The Horizontal Wood Chop is a tough one for me too. My weight machine doesn't have cable at mid-level, so I'm stuck doing the "alternate version" , a.k.a. ghetto version on the ball. No matter what, I also can't identify what and where I'm supposed to be feeling, hence the switch to side planks.

If we're supposed to feel this in our obliques, oh, man, I hit it right! I'm feeling it today!

Originally Posted by LoriAnne

#2-I have a client with back issues that has a hell of a time with planks. She finds that doing a static "Boat Pose" gives her a nice static contraction and is friendly to her back. Doesn't give you quite the same feeling of OH my God, I'm going to vomit!, but a good alternative nonetheless.

The boat pose looks cool. I just tried it an no problems with it at all. However, if the planks give me hell, it makes me want to give them hell right back until I overcome whatever the issue. But, boy, my spine was just burning so bad at the back of my waist. Oy! I think I'll post about this down below to get some input for ways of addressing whatever my weakness is.

[nutbar]

Originally Posted by LoriAnne

like a drunk Irishman to boot! (and that's damn strong.)

What a coincidence! I AM a drunk Irishman!

[Natalia]

Originally Posted by nutbar

DB 1-point row: 2 x 10 x 30#. I found these surprisingly easy. So much so that I ended up doing 10 reps each leg before I remembered that we're supposed to divide the 10 reps between legs. Doh! Will definitely increase weight next time.

So did I 5 reps per leg???? Are you sure?

[Littlemermaidklb]

I LOVE the asshole song! hahaha. Too funny that that's what you work out too. I need to make some random playlists because I just listen to the same few cds on my ipod all the time... I switch between Slipknot, Beyonce, and Crossfade, haha... random I know. Sometimes I put on the Rocky song and go all out :-)

[nutbar]

Originally Posted by Natalia

So did I 5 reps per leg???? Are you sure?

Page 205 in the book, it says, "Do half the repetitions, then switch legs and finish set." For other one-legged exercises, it always says something like, "Finish all your repetitions, then repeat the set with your opposite leg." See page 176 for an example of that.

Did I interpret it wrong?

[Willie]