Giz gets it in gear... finally - Page 2 - JP Fitness Forums

fengshway · 01-11-2008, 06:23 PM

welcome giz, nice job on the squats. way to go after it.

gizmogirl · 01-23-2008, 07:34 PM

It's been a crazy few days. Doubles at work (=12 hr shift), my first Mardi Gras parade (wow, um, adult-oriented was perhaps not descriptive enough), planning a tapas party for Saturday. Lots of cooking to do that day.

Hey ladies.... still plugging away on the squats. I've missed one workout, but since the start of the challenge I've been pretty consistent - my best effort yet! Today I had opening shift, 5:30 am, and when I was done I was so tired... and when I went to workout I realized I had forgotten my workout sheet. So I tried to do what I could remember, but I did give in to tiredness and do the squats on the Freemotion machine. (I know it's not "right", but it's tons easier when I'm tired, 'cause you lean back a little so no balance problems).

I hope all of you are well and pushing through the challenge!!! I'll be back after Saturday to get caught up with everyone!

gizmogirl · 02-04-2008, 11:11 PM

Well, the squats are improving some. I am using either dbs on shoulders or goblet-style as suggested, but not increasing weight until I get some better flexibility.

Regarding the challenge - I am succeeding at consistency, but not at diet. I will add an additional focus on that this month.

Stats:

Jan 7
Height 5'8"
Weight 143#
Rt bicep 11 1/4"
Bust 35 5/8"
Chest 29 3/4"
Waist at bb 30 1/4"
Hips 40 1/2"
Rt thigh 23 3/4"

Feb 3
Wt 145#
Rt bicep 11 5/8" +3/8"
Bust 35 7/8" +1/4"
Chest 31 1/4" +1/2"
Waist 31 1/8" +7/8"
Hips 41 1/16" +9/16"
Rt thigh 24" +1/4"

Clearly, the food portion has gotten out of control. Not that I've ever tried this before... I've always been blessed but now I think closing in on 40 is taking the "easy" part of food away from me.

However, I do feel a little strong - no change in weights for exercises, as I've focused entirely on form. I will stay at Stage 1 an extra two weeks also, to be sure I've form down cold, before I move on. I really don't want to teach myself bad habits in the gym - I've got enough of 'em elsewhere!

Pics:

gizmogirl · 02-04-2008, 11:11 PM

Oh, and here's the original Jan pic for comparison. And now for some sleep before the next parade (I guess tomorrow, er today, are the really, really big ones).

gizmogirl · 02-13-2008, 05:10 PM

I am still working of form. I think 6 years of moving around the country, not really working out much, and having undiagnosed severe anemia (I just thought I was out of shape) have really gotten to me. I am glad to be back in the normal range for iron, but wow, I am still so weak, and I still feel so weak. But working out isn't nearly as exhausting as it used to be a few months ago, so consistency is getting a lot easier.

I've decided to go back a few steps, to the 12 rep workouts and continue to work on form. When I increased the weights for the decreased reps, I lost the corrections I had been making, and I don't want to to practice bad habits that will need to be corrected later... so hopefully this is one step back, two steps forward!

In another step forward, I am going to try tracking food (and calories). Since I know this will already be frustrating to me just in and of itself, I've made an appointment for Friday morning to get my RMR tested. t's the test where you breathe into a tube for 15 minutes. I hope that's reliable. In any case, I will use those numbers and calculate what Cassandra thinks I should be eating from that... my body's been so whacked out the last couple of years I have no idea if my metabolism is fast or slow. I've never managed to count an entire day's calories either, so I could have been vastly over- or under-eating and not know.

nutbar · 02-14-2008, 03:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gizmogirl

I've decided to go back a few steps, to the 12 rep workouts and continue to work on form.

Oh, man. I'd rather gouge my eyes out with greasy sporks than go back to 12 reps and continue Stage 1 any longer!

You get the Tough Chick Award!

gizmogirl · 03-03-2008, 07:23 PM

How did I miss this? I know I've been here since Valentine's (not often, but I have, I think??)

Anyway, thanks, nutbar!!

Still plugging away on Stage 1. I should finish Stage 1 just in time for St. Patty's Day.

As for current progress...

Negatives this month:

**Nothing is visible (no change in measurements or pics), although I have gone down 1 pound.

**I got the RMR testing done, and it gave me 1540 cals... per the book it would be more like 1270... not sure if the breath test was high though, as I just could not relax (the mouth piece on that thing is like a snorkel, but twice the size). But, I've been trying to use about 1400 cals as my RMR. Still really need to reign in the calories - there are times at work when it's really slow, and I go get a coke just to have something to do (plus, a fountain drink is 25 cents for employees). I never used to drink soda, but now I can see why my sister was/is addicted to it. I'd drink plain bubbly water, but they don't have that. But I will conquer the coke. Still need to take time to plan out a good veg diet, maybe three days' worth, that I can rotate through the week.

Positives:

**Dropped 1 pound (even though it's near TOM).

**I feel much stronger, even though I haven't allowed myself to up the weights too much yet. I found an article by Mike Robertson about "Force Couples" the other day. It made soooooo much sense; I think I'll be re-adjusting just a little because I know I have imbalances that I need to continue straightening out.

**Wednesday for the first time, I did ATG squats, with a weight in my hands (goblet-style). It was only 12.5 pounds, but I went all the way down and all the way up - no "resting" at the bottom; I do I know that's bad - without falling over or feeling as if I was going to tear a muscle. Actually I did 12, 12, 10 of them! So I think it was good for me to take a couple of steps backward, so that my forward will be more productive.

**My life is getting crazy - I will be starting full time at the gym soon. The market I volunteer at wants to my hire me part-time (right now they get 3 hours a week; they're hoping to get me some 20 hours but I don't think I can give that to them), my in-laws are coming to visit, DH wants attention, I'm learning racquetball, will start kickball soon, in two weeks I will be taking 4 SilverSneakers seminars towards becoming a SilverSneakers instructor, I'm still studying - very slowly - for the NSCA personal training certification. I suppose that's what I get for trying to get back in shape, make a 180* career change, and get used to a new city all at once. But, after all that, the positive is that I am maintaining the workout schedule! I'm so used to doing for others and not me that that's never happened before.

nutbar · 03-03-2008, 09:07 PM

I loved the "Force Couples" article, too. I just read it this past week.

Congrats on the squats!! I'm still working on my form -- using the BW squats in my warmups and the front squats in stage 2 -- hoping I'll be good to go again when we get back to back squats.

gizmogirl · 03-04-2008, 01:49 PM

I thought article was very enlightening - really helped understand some things I wasn't getting even in my NSCA study materials (you know, how another way of explaining something helps).

I'm glad the front squats are working for you. I haven't tried those yet. I don't really know how to lift weight up. Even when I use a bar, I hold it at my knees like deadlifts - I know this is bad, but I was so busy working on postural alignment I didn't want to add learning to hoist the weight too, and conk myself in the head. For stage 2 I will move on and learn this though.

Have you tried the back squats recently? Any luck? I know your thread on form really helped me.

nutbar · 03-04-2008, 02:14 PM

I've tried to not mess with too many back squats now that I'm out of Stage 1 (you know how bad form can reinforce itself sometimes if you keep trying to push it? I needed the break from the repetitive bad motions.) but I did go over and try a few light (55#) reps just now to see. LOL My form is still not solid but, I think, acceptable. I've been doing lots of prisoner squats, Y squats, and of course front squats these days and I've been using every one of the reps to further work on my form. My quads just feel so weak compared to the rest of me so that doesn't really help the situation. Bleh. I'm trying to push very hard on anything that involves my quads, figuring it will help with the squats.

Lookie here. I've rambled.

Quote:

Originally Posted by gizmogirl

I don't really know how to lift weight up.

What exactly do you mean by that? Getting it into position to start the exercise or for the actual thrusting portion of each rep?

gizmogirl · 03-06-2008, 08:31 PM

I've been doing some wall sits to build up my quads a little, 'cause to me they feel very weak in comparison to my hamstrings too. Not sure why, because I read that most women have weak hammies and stronger quads. Ah well, gotta deal with what you have.

I'm glad your form is improving. It gives me hope for myself!

As far as lifting the weight - I mean getting the bar from the rack/ground, where ever it starts, to your back/traps or shoulders to actually do the squat. (I think this is called a clean?)

I tried yesterday to squat with the bar again, and held it at my knees. Threw me off form, still, and I had to revert to goblet style.

nutbar · 03-07-2008, 10:45 PM

I can't remember right now whether you work out at home or a gym but, where ever it is, do you have a rack or cage? If so, that's how it gets up there -- just duck under and position. If you don't workout where there's a rack or cage, can you get someone to help? Before hubby built my rack, I toyed with using a chest-high dresser. I'd set the weight on one end on the dresser, hold the other end up, and then squirm myself into position. Of course, that wasn't with heavier weights. I'd have had to position two dressers for that, with one on each end. Also, down in the NR4W forum, I think it was Aoife gave an idea for something she had done to take the place of a rack. I'm a search dummy or I'd find that thread for you -- you might want to send her a message asking her the details on it. If I'm not remembering correctly, though, forget I said that. LOL