heh, thanks. I'll have to wait on that though. I'm doing TNT and cottage cheese is out for the moment. I did bookmark your cottage cheese recipe link (in another thread) for the future though! I LOVE cottage cheese.
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"If 'toning' is the goal, strength is the method." ~ Mark Rippetoe
Phase 2, B4 - Last workout of stage 2!
AAAAAAND, i was a PR queen tonight! I really pushed myself to get a PR on as many exercises as I could tonight.
Wide-grip deadlift from box
10 @115
10 @115
Need chalk. My hands kept sliding toward the center of the bar. Did an alternate grip on the 2nd set, and that helped.
Bulgarian split squat
10 @17.5e
10 @17.5e
I feel like a dumbass because after the workout, I realized I was supposed to be doing these holding a plate at my chest, not dumbbells in each hand. Duh. Oh well. They were still hard. So I get to count these as 2x10 @35, right?
Underhand-grip lat pulldown 10 @90
6 @90, 4@80
Couldn't quite hack the 90 pounds on the 2nd set. My ass was coming up off the bench, so I knew the weight was too heavy.
Reverse lunge from box w/forward reach
10 @12.5e
10 @12.5e
Felt pretty pukey about halfway through that 2nd set. Burps set in. YUCK.
Do you find that doing the HIIT the day after the workout makes it better/easier for you? I have been doing HIIT after my workout but feel so jellyfished out that I almost puke by the end of the workout and was thinking of working out m-f doing HIIT 2x instead of 3x with the workouts.
Thanks stingo. My lats are pretty sore today, but it's a "hurts so good" kind of soreness. I was tempted to wuss out on my workout because I was just feeling rather down/sad, but reminded myself that half-assing a workout is a waste of my time and effort. So to cheer myself up I tried to set a PR on every exercise.
I'm looking forward to stage 3, which I'm starting monday.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Libellula
Do you find that doing the HIIT the day after the workout makes it better/easier for you?
No, not really. I was just getting hungry and wanted to hurry it up. Usually, the intervals after my workouts are actually pretty decent because I'm already pumped up & give them my all. If I'm going in cold, it's harder for me on my first interval, simply because I'm just not all fully warmed up yet (I'm usually fine after the first one though).
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"If 'toning' is the goal, strength is the method." ~ Mark Rippetoe
The boyfriend's out of town for several days... so what does a bored gal do on a friday night (after cleaning, doing dishes, and wiping out the refrigerator produce drawers, of course)
It doesn't look as good as I hoped it would, but it doesn't look bad! My right trapezoid looks bigger than the left, but it could be the lighting. Don't mind the bra strap marks.
Sometimes I feel like my arms are never going to get un-fat.
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"If 'toning' is the goal, strength is the method." ~ Mark Rippetoe
Yeah, you're probably right re: the angle. As for the gal on the cover - not quite! Someday though My biceps still seem pathetically small, and I still have too much body fat. It's going down, though, which is good.
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"If 'toning' is the goal, strength is the method." ~ Mark Rippetoe
Kicking ass in style of course - can't kick ass without jewelry on.
My bf's sister and I walked a 5k this morning. It was cold out (35F) but we had a good time. Came in dead last, but I wasn't there to race. She's on a mission to lose weight this year, so this was our "kickoff" of sorts.
It was a lot of fun - there were a couple of women right in front of us whom we chatted with for a bit. And we yakked away the whole time, mostly about changing her diet and developing a routine. It felt really good to walk - my thighs are all tight now... had a good time!
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"If 'toning' is the goal, strength is the method." ~ Mark Rippetoe
Yesterday:
Breakfast - scrambled eggs with onion, bell pepper, and bacon
Lunch - 2 sausages (100 cals each) and some yummy low-carb spicy ketchup
Snack - string cheese
Dinner - 4oz KC strip steak with about 2 cups of steamed broccoli (with butter, salt, pepper, and lemon juice). and a beer (Mothership Wit in all its wonder, glory, and splendor)
Snack - babybel cheese round
Today:
Breakfast: flax muffin with sugar-free maple syrup (I know, I know, sugar alcohols. I was really craving french toast, though, so I let myself have this)
Snack: 1/2oz almonds
Lunch: flax-crusted chicken breast
Snack: 1/2oz almonds & 1 string cheese
Pre- & Post-workout shakes
Dinner: Salad greens topped with mushrooms and pork short ribs, with a Romano vinaigrette dressing
I'll probably have a snack here in a bit... I haven't had very many vegetables today, in fact I didn't eat much at all today which is not a good thing. There's some leftover broccoli in the fridge I think I'll munch on.
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"If 'toning' is the goal, strength is the method." ~ Mark Rippetoe
your breakfast today looks fantastically tasty! We had homemade wheat rolls for breakfast on the way out to the opening day festivities. I am really impressed with your workouts, I don't know what I'm going to do when I come to the matrix.
Barbell Romanian Deadlift/Bent-Over Row
6 @65
6 @75
5.5 @75
Partial single-leg squat
6 @bw
6 @bw
6 @bw
Wide-grip lat pulldown
5 @70 (yeah, a little overachieving there...)
6 @60
6 @60
Back extension (prone cobra as replacement) I didn't want to do so many prone cobras since we also do them at the end of this workout, so I did a prone cobra and squeezed my arms back as tight as they could go, squeezed my glutes tight, and held it for 5 seconds. Did that 6 times. 3 sets. Going to look into other suitable alternatives.
YTWL Good lord. I don't like these!
6 @5e
6 @5e
6 @5e (by this last set, I was ready to just use the weight of my hands - it was all I could do to get my full ROM in this set, egads)
Swiss ball crunch
6 w/10lb plate overhead
6 w/10lb plate overhead
6 w/10lb plate overhead 15 lb dumbbell overhead next time!
Hip flexion
6 incline reverse crunch
2 x 6 prone jackknife - got my ass up in the air after bringing my feet up, w00t
Lateral flexion
3 x 6 swiss-ball side crunch these were fun
Prone Cobra 3 x 90 seconds
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"If 'toning' is the goal, strength is the method." ~ Mark Rippetoe
The company I work for buys lunch for everyone Mon - Thurs. It's usually stuff like pizza, sandwiches, BBQ, burgers, chinese food... LOTS of unhealthy stuff like potato salad, macaroni salad, cold cuts or burgers on white bread, white rice, cookies, brownies, white rolls, etc.
So, I typically don't opt for the meals & bring my own lunches during the week. Every week, someone says something. Sometimes it's "ooh your lunch looks really good" but most of the time it's "oh there's the healthy food again!"
I'm sitting here in the cafe area on my floor & 3 women are talking about food and yoga. One woman said to the other woman, "why do you always eat healthy food?" What kind of a question is that? So then the woman started explaining that she wants to be healthy and fit and likes to eat good food. So then the other 2 women started asking her about what she eats (and she responded that she eats mostly lean meats & vegetables) and were criticizing her for it. Weird thing to do, and rather rude.
Wednesday at work, lunch was a fajita bar. I actually did eat the lunch this time; I just had the salad and the fajita meat with cheese on it. One of my coworkers (one who's always asking me about my meals but in a more curious than critical way) asked me why I didn't take a tortilla. I told him that it's refined and that my body will convert it to sugar pretty quickly and I didn't want to do that to myself. So then he started telling me that it's made from grains and that grains are good for me, so it was probably OK to eat.
It got me thinking about when Atkins was really popular and I was pretty anti-Atkins without having ever read much about it. I thought I just knew everything about nutrition and what was good or bad for you. Saturated fat = bad, grains = good. Right?
I've learned so much this year and still have a long way to go. Amazing how much there is to learn about nutrition, and how much what we "know" has been dictated by government agendas, programs and funding.
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"If 'toning' is the goal, strength is the method." ~ Mark Rippetoe
It's funny, but I was thinking about trying to make tortillas the other day. I saw a recipe that had cut down on the fat content. It was a mix of white flour and wheat flour. I've bought whole wheat tortillas, but I suspect they aren't much better than the regular ones. The package is gone, otherwise I'd just go look. I had such good luck with the bread I made last week, substituting blender-pulverized oats for the flour. I did add a little wheat gluten which I had in the house.
I'm thinking on Saturday or Sunday I might have a shot at reduced fat oatmeal flour/wheat flour tortillas. Although they might end up horribly bad since I've never even made regular ones.
I bought a lawnmower at home depot and put it (in a box) on the cart myself and pushed it out of the store. I got it out to my car and lifted it into the trunk (using proper form of course). No go. I have a hatchback, and the box was just too big to fit in there. So, I pulled the box out of the trunk & put it back on the cart.
So, I thought I'd get it into the back seat. Since I have a 3-door, the side doors swing open very wide and I can get some pretty big boxes in my car. Well, that was a no-go as well. It just wouldn't fit, even though I got it about halfway in. Pulled the box out & back onto the cart.
Then I thought I'd push the front passenger seat all the way back, recline the seat back, and put the lawnmower box on there. Got it a little ways in and it wouldn't go all the way in. Pulled the box out again, put it back on the cart.
By this time I'm not feeling so strong anymore. I'm getting tired. And about 4 men have walked past, asking me if I need help. I'LL BE DAMNED IF I'M A DAMSEL IN DISTRESS!
Finally, I decide to take the lawnmower out of the box & put it on the back seat in pieces. I open the box and the lawnmower is one piece - the handle is just folded in a couple of places to fit into the box. So that idea wasn't that great either. But, it was the only way I was going to get that sucker home.
At this time, a female HD employee asks me if I want help. I say no, and she calls some guy over to help anyway. He takes the lawnmower out of the box & puts it right in the back seat. Pshh.
I tell you what, there is no WAY I could have lifted that lawnmower box (maybe 50 pounds?) by myself before I started this program. And it wasn't even a struggle to do it. I thought that was pretty damn awesome and I felt so proud of myself, even if I wasn't the one who finally got the lawnmower in the car.
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"If 'toning' is the goal, strength is the method." ~ Mark Rippetoe
We weigh, measure, and take pictures tomorrow. I'm feeling encouraged. I feel like TNT is working, that I'm learning a lot about how my body responds to different foods, and that I can control what my body does and how it looks. No longer do I feel like I'm a slave to my body and my feelings like I'm "the fat girl". I look and feel good in my clothes and I feel strong. It's a major mental shift for me and I'm enjoying it a lot.
That said, the bf and I were chatting this morning and I think once we're done with TNT we're going to do precision nutrition... can't wait!
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"If 'toning' is the goal, strength is the method." ~ Mark Rippetoe
So here we go. Comparing Feb 8th (about 2 weeks into stage 1) to March 8th to April 6th (middle of stage 3).
My face is getting leaner, and the little > < thing on my abdomen is getting narrower. YEAH! I didn't think that was getting smaller at all, but alas... it is. Someday, eventually, it will go away. My lower abdomen is flatter, too.
Leaner abdomen and my shoulders are getting more defined. I gotta remember to look up next time - stupid double chin!
Getting more definition in my back, especially around my waist, and my thighs are a bit leaner.
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"If 'toning' is the goal, strength is the method." ~ Mark Rippetoe
Your pics look great! I think you have made significant progress. In the side shot its amazing how much leaner and more defined your upper arms look. It looks like TNT is working great!
BTW that is awesome about the lawnmower. I know what you mean - I hate asking men to help with stuff like that.
I've been looking at a number of the progress pictures today and the one thing that stands out is how much progress you've made in such a small amount of time. The pictures look great.
Thanks ladies! I'm really happy with the progress and try not to talk too much about how much I like lifting weights :p I'm afraid my friends & coworkers are going to get sick of talking to me. I've lost 10 net pounds in the past 3 months, and figure I have about 10 more to go to meet my goals. I think. At least 10 pounds of fat, anyway. I may not see 10 fewer pounds on the scale when all is said & done.
My right shoulder is sore today and I considered not working out today, but I figured I'd give it a shot and see how it goes. Surprisingly, it didn't bother me at all, and my YTWL was better than it was last time (better ROM). Go figure. Workout log to come...
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"If 'toning' is the goal, strength is the method." ~ Mark Rippetoe
Today: Stage 3, Workout B2
(yeah, i forgot to log workout A2, oops)
Barbell Romanian Deadlift/Bent-Over Row Worked on form today and reduced weight by 10lbs from last time. Did the concentric parts a bit more explosively, and the eccentric part smoothly and slowly.
6 @65
6 @65
6 @65
Partial single-leg squat It's easier for me to do these with my arms out in front of me with elbows bent. Otherwise, my balance goes out the window.
6 @5e
6 @5e
6 @5e
Wide-grip lat pulldown
6 @60
6 @60
6 @70
Reverse Back extension Used a weight bench and swiss ball per Lisa~'s recommendation and loved these.
3 sets of 6
YTWL Again, worked on form. Got a better ROM compared to last time and focused on explosive concentric movement and slow, smooth eccentric movement.
6 @5e
6 @5e
6 @5e
Swiss ball crunch SORE SORE abs today. Did the first set and wanted to cry. Reduced weight and tried not to think about the pain. :p
6 w/10lb plate overhead
6 w/5lb plate overhead
6 w/5lb plate overhead
Hip flexion
6 incline reverse crunch
2 x 6 reverse crunch (on floor - again, really sore abs)
Lateral flexion
3 x 6 swiss-ball side crunch these were fun
Prone Cobra 3 x 90 seconds
Extra: Bench Press (trying to learn form & increase weight in preparation for my competition)
5 @65
4 @65
4 @75
3 @75
__________________
"If 'toning' is the goal, strength is the method." ~ Mark Rippetoe
yesterday, we treated ourselves to IHOP.
B: I had half a ham & cheese omelet & most of 3 or 4 strips of bacon.
L: about a cup of cold chicken. not much, since we had a big breakfast around 10.
S: string cheese, about 1/2oz of dark chocolate (87% cocoa)
D: bunless cheeseburgers & steamed broccoli with butter
S: 4 low-carb macaroons - yeah, I pigged out.
today:
B: the other half of my omelet & a coffee
S: 1/2 oz almonds
L: salad from price chopper's salad bar - mixed lettuces, broccoli, alfalfa sprouts, mushrooms, feta, diced ham, diced hard boiled egg, and about 2 Tbsp of ranch.
S: string cheese & 1/2 oz almonds
D: collard greens & steak. MMMM
S: 3 macaroons. all gone, boo!
Still likely need to up the veggies, but not doing so poorly really. I'm still enjoying TNT and don't really miss stuff that I would eat on a low-fat/low-cal diet. I miss stuff like cookies and cookie dough, croissants, taro chips, crispy hot fries at the pub... stuff I'd miss no matter what kind of health-oriented diet I was doing.
There are some days I just want to pig out and eat a whole pizza or a bowl of chocolate chip cookie dough, but I know I wouldn't get even halfway into either one before I started to feel sick.
I used to do that with fish & chips at the pub - I would know I'd feel ill afterwards, but I'd order & eat it anyway, and then I'd feel sick and say to myself, "WHY did I do that?!!"... and then a month later, do it all over again.
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"If 'toning' is the goal, strength is the method." ~ Mark Rippetoe
I flew to the Chicago area today, for an onsite with a client (hospital). I work out tomorrow. I'm in a Fairfield Inn, and apparently the Residence Inn next door has olympic weights. I'm curious to check them out for my workout (stage 3, A3) tomorrow.
Today I ate:
Breakfast: 3 strips bacon, 1 egg
Snack: giant coffee at dunkin donuts with 3 packets of splenda (oh the donuts looked sooooooo delicious...)
Lunch: gross hospital cafeteria iceberg lettuce salad and half a gross hamburger patty. GROSS GROSS GROSS. I wish we hadn't worked through lunch today so we could eat normal food.
Snack: NO SNACK ... I left my almonds in the car, damn it. Already packed them in my laptop bag for tomorrow. Won't make that mistake again!
Dinner: there was a pub across the street from the hospital, so I had a bacon cheeseburger (no bun, no condiments) and mixed vegetables. And a beer - for a little podunk town, the pub had a great beer selection! I got to have a Three Floyds Alpha King Pale Ale. So delicious. Maybe tomorrow I can convince my coworkers to go there again and I'll have the Three Floyds Robert the Bruce.
Snack: vitamins, ZMA, and almonds. :p
Watched Biggest Loser today - Ali's lost 99 pounds! She is my hero(ine). Her arms are so strong and feminine... just the way I want mine to look. Soon, soon!
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"If 'toning' is the goal, strength is the method." ~ Mark Rippetoe
He takes the lawnmower out of the box & puts it right in the back seat. Pshh.
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