Pauline's There and Back Again Log

[foodfromafar]

Hello, everyone! Yesterday (3/25/08) was Day 1 of Stage 1 for me using what I had at home. I'm trying to figure out all the acronyms and abbreviations to do my log. I imagine I will get the hang of it eventually. You can teach an old dog new tricks...like joining a gym at 48! Wonders never cease...

Workout A-1 Stage 1

Squat 2 sets: 6/15 and 6/15
Push-up Var. #1 2 sets: 15 15
Dumbbells Bent Over Rows 2 sets: 3/15 5/15
Step-up 2 sets: 5/15 5/15
Prone Jackknife 2 sets: 6+2 8
What is the deal with the jackknife? It is tough and I hate my head hanging upside down! This is the one exercise I'm a little intimidated to try at the gym. Did I say I was a klutz already? I showed my 26 year old daughter the picture of it and she mumbled something about mom and a face plant...!! I think I will be quite entertaining to the younger set at the gym, but I don't care! I am determined to be all that I can be!

OK, tomorrow for my first day at the gym, I will be doing Workout B-1 Stage 1. Here is my plan.

Deadlift - will probably try 55 lbs and see what that feels like...
Dumbbell Shoulder Press - will start at 8
Wide-Grip Lat Pulldown - will start at 30
Lunge - will start at 8
Swiss Ball Crunch - will hope to not fall off the ball...

I would appreciate thoughts on these as starting points. I figured I would do a trial one of each thing with the weight indicated to see how it feels to me. If I think I can do the reps at that weight, I'll go for it.

I have to go back and read the book about the warm up part again. I usually do cardio and then STing. I may just do that tomorrow at the gym...cardio to warm everything up for a mile or so and then hit STing...

[Faraz421]

Hey!

The work outs look pretty comprehensive, although i dont understand the notations of 3/15 3/15 and so on? Try out weights for the new lifts, you want to get comfortable with the excercises and develop form or tweak it every step up the way. Better gains come from doing them right and not just going heavy, but dont sell your self short, make sure its a challenge!

And dont worry about the swiss ball crunches, 3 years of highschool sports couldnt make me stable on those things. I just concentrate on keeping the core flexed to maintain stability and move slowly haha.

Best of luck with the program and log and welcome to the forums.

[DanceDiva]

Looks like you have everything set-up except 1 thing: put a link to your log in your signature. That way when a person reads one of your posts and wants to get to know you better, she/he can quickly find your log.

1. Click the link Quick Link in the menu above, and click on "edit signature".
2. In the text box, type in "My Log Title", or whatever you want the link to show up as.
3. Highlight the "My Log Title", and push the hyperlink edit button (looks like a world with a chain in front). It's under the white smiley face.
4. A window will pop up, asking you to enter the url. Now, paste in this log's url -- here's your log link with an -new-post added to the url. This will take your visitors to the last place in your log they were reading so they don't have to scroll for it (remove all spaces):
   h t t p://forums.jpfitness.com/train ing-log/31311-paulines-there-back-again-log-new-post.html
5. Save the signature.

Here's what it will look like:

Pauline's Log

Looks like you are on your way. I've been feeling crappy (and crabby) this evening otherwise I'd post a proper welcome. I'll be back.

Tracey

[foodfromafar]

3/15 means I used 3# dumbbells for 15 reps. I thought that was how it said to write it in the book, but I'm still learning...

[Libellula]

I love your log title. I'm such a Tolkien freak

[beach_plums]

Welcome!

We've all got our own little ways of writing out what we've done. Find a way that works best for you--something that you'll understand/reconginze when you come back to you logs to track your progress or just figure out where to start with your next workout.

Anything done on the ball takes a bit of concentration and practice. I've been using a ball for years now (I even sit on one at work instead of a regular chair), but I still fall off every now and then when doing a crunch or jackknife. They're tough! Hang in there.

[foodfromafar]

Thanks, Tracey! I figured it out with your great instructions! Hope you feel better today!

[DDRdiva]

Welcome! I'm starting NROLW this week, and I'm also in my forties. That ball work is harder than it looks - I can never get it to roll without sliding.

[UConnJulie]

Love the daffodils in your avi!

Regarding the weights you are starting with ... you have to do what you are comfortable with, but give yourself some credit!! The upper back muscles are large, and a gallon of milk weighs just over 8 lbs. So doing rows with 3 lbs or 5 lbs is in all liklihood too light. Pick something a little heavier than you think you are comfortable with. When you bang out your reps with it, you'll feel soooooo good! If you feel better (ie more safe) starting at lower weights, keep in mind that you want to increase them every workout ... especially as the reps drop (fewer reps means technically you should be able to do more weight).

Keep it up!!

[Faraz421]

haha, its not you its me!
im out of the loop like whoa and need to enroll in some abbreviations classes my self.
Keep it up though, its all about challenging your self bit by bit!

[realcdn]

I have lots of problems with the ball, but I am finding that I'm getting better at it. So, yes, it will get better.

[foodfromafar]

3/27/08 Workout B-1 Stage 1

I warmed up with 12 minutes on the treadmill and then the warm up exercises in NROLFW.

Deadlift
Set 1 65#/10 + 4 reps (This was actually a mistake...duh, you cannot add 10#
on each end of a 45# bar and get 55#!)
Set 2 55#/15 reps

Dumbbell Shoulder Press - Set 1 5#/15 reps - started with 10 too hard...
Wide-Grip Lat Pulldown - Set 1 30#/15 reps

Dumbbell Shoulder Press - Set 2 5#/15 reps
Wide-Grip Lat Pulldown - Set 2 40#/15 reps

Lunge - Set 1 5#/10 reps
Swiss Ball Crunch - Set 1 8 reps - this was actually a lot easier than I thought!

Lunge - Set 2 BW/10 reps
Swiss Ball Crunch - Set 2 8 reps - could have done more!

A trainer came over and helped with the form for the overhead press. I think I'm going to sign up for a free session and ask if they can guide me with the specific exercises in NROLFW. She also told me that I could get a training package for as little as $30 a month. The other gym I did a trial with had $250 a month as a minimum package. I may see if I can work with someone as needed to help with form issues. I don't want to be stupid. I photocopied the pages of the exercises and put them into a notebook I carry with me to refer to, but I can only get so much from a still picture and words. Are there video demos anywhere?

[missjane]

For the crunches, make sure you are situated on the ball correctly and stretching back on the ball and the only using your abs to crunch up slowly. Make sure you aren't using your upper body and head for any momentum or that you aren't using the ball itself for any momentum (ie letting it roll). If you put your hands over your head and keep your arms glued to your head and don't use them at all to pull you up, this will also be challenging. I promise you that crunches done slowly, deliberately, and correctly are a great core exercise.

[foodfromafar]

Thanks for the tips, Jane! From what you said, I definitely think I was doing them correctly. I think my core is pretty strong from previous strength training I've been doing. I really liked doing crunches on the ball. It felt a lot more comfortable to me than crunches on the floor. The ball didn't budge either backward or forward or side to side. I was quite impressed with myself and the ability to not wobble all over the place. It was so solid feeling... I'm a little concerned about the deadlifts and lunges, though. I'm thinking I'll just use the bar alone (45# is plenty for right now) and body weight for lunges until I get less wobbly feeling.

[foodfromafar]

This is my plan for tomorrow's workout. I am a little sore today not incapacitatingly sore, but sore... Bought some EAS Premium Protein at Costco until I get a more natural (less processed) high protein plan in place.

Workout A-2 Stage 1 Plan for 3/29

Squat 2 sets: 45/15 and 45/15
I will try the squat with the bar, but I don't know if I'll manage.
Plan B Dumbbell Squat 2 sets: 5/15 and 10/15
Push-up Var. #2 2 sets: 15 15
Dumbbells Bent Over Rows 2 sets: 3/15 5/15
Step-up 2 sets: 5/15 10/15
Prone Jackknife 2 sets: 8 8

[foodfromafar]

3/29/08 Stage 1 Workout A-2

Dumbbell Squat 2 sets: 10/15 and 15/15
(the bar was too much so I used dumbbells. I did 30#, so 45# isn't far off!!)
Push-up Set 1
Var. #1 15 reps
Seated Row Set 1 30#/15
Push-up Set 2
Var. #2 15 reps
Step-up Set 1 10#/15
Prone Jackknife Set 1 8 attempts to do a balanced plank on the ball!
Step-up Set 2 15#/15
Prone Jackknife Set 2 6 more attempts to do a balanced plank on the ball and 2-3 attempted jackknife!!

[foodfromafar]

OK, I made it through another workout. It wasn't without its challenges and chuckles, though.

Today I asked a young guy at the desk if he would show me the correct form for deadlifts. He said sure. As we were walking to the free weights area, he said, "Uh...can I ask you something?"
"Sure," I said.
"Why do you want to do deadlifts?"
I whipped up my notebook and showed him the book jacket which I had folded in half and stuck in the front cover.

"Hmmm, Lift Like a Man; Look Like a Goddess,"he said, "OK, I get it," with a huge smile.

It was quite funny. He showed me how to use a thing called the Smith machine and worked me through a warm up with 20# added, then 40#. My final set was 10 reps with 60#. I don't think my form was perfect because there is a little spot in my left lower back that is feeling it. But I think it was better overall than last time. He said if I used free weights it would be like adding a 5# and 10# to the barbell. (Is this correct?) I don't know if I'm cut out for deadlifts, though. Would much rather pick up my grandbaby!! Ha!

Here's today's summary:
3/31 Stage One B-2

Deadlifts with the crazy Smith machine thing - what do you guys think of that machine?
Set 1 20# + 20#/10
Set 2 30# + 30#/10

Overhead Shoulder Press
Set 1 5#/15
Set 2 10#/15

Wide Lat Pulldown
Set 1 40#/15
Set 2 50#/15
Another chuckle: When I first sat down, I thought the machine was on 30+10. I stood up to pull the bar down (too short to reach it sitting down) and I was hanging in mid-air trying to get the bar down. Apparently it was on 50+10!! 50# is easy for me to pull down, but I have a hard time staying in my seat. It wants to lift me out of my seat!!

Lunges
Set 1 BW/15
Set 2 5#/4 then dropped the weights and finished BW/11.

Swiss Ball Crunches - OK, when I was getting into position on the ball to do the crunches, I felt this twinge in my left abdomen. It was kind of like a charley horse feeling. I stopped immediately and stretched. Decided to do floor crunches because I wasn't sure what was up with the ball ones.
Set 1 15 crunches
Set 2 15 crunches with arms out and up

I'm beginning to wonder if I'm pushing my 98 lb self too hard. I'm not worried about gaining, but at 5/2" with a tiny frame, there just isn't a whole lot there to work with. I'm basically the size of the average 12 year old. Is there a percentage of your body weight that you should be able to lift or anything like that to guide me a bit?

Any help or insight would be appreciated. Thanks!!