Today was my first workout on my new-to-me home gym in the room I just finished converting from a junk room into a workout room. Yay for order and organization!
Here's today's workout:
Bridge abduction w/xertbue, 2x15, blue tube
Single-leg step-up w/dumbell, 2x15@8
Squat using low-pulley, 2x15@35
Standing leg adduction, 2x15, blue tube
Leg extension, 2x15@25
Active biceps femoris stretch, 2x15@bw
Scapular stabilization using lat pulldown, 2x15@45
Lat pulldown, 2x15@35
Pushups off weight bench, 2x15
Overhead DB press, 2x15@16
Seated DB curl, 2x15@24
Triceps dips off bench, 2x15
I was feeling the glute and hip muscles today. Working out in the new space was great... especially since, inspired by this thread, I downloaded some new music to work out to...
My my, at waterloo napoleon did surrender
Oh yeah, and I have met my destiny in quite a similar way
The history book on the shelf
Is always repeating itself
Waterloo - I was defeated, you won the war
Waterloo - promise to love you for ever more
Waterloo - couldn’t escape if I wanted to
Waterloo - knowing my fate is to be with you
Waterloo - finally facing my waterloo
My my, I tried to hold you back but you were stronger
Oh yeah, and now it seems my only chance is giving up the fight
And how could I ever refuse
I feel like I win when I lose
Waterloo - I was defeated, you won the war
Waterloo - promise to love you for ever more
Waterloo - couldn’t escape if I wanted to
Waterloo - knowing my fate is to be with you
And how could I ever refuse
I feel like I win when I lose
Waterloo - I was defeated, you won the war
Waterloo - promise to love you for ever more
Waterloo - couldn’t escape if I wanted to
Waterloo - knowing my fate is to be with you
Waterloo - finally facing my waterloo
1 hr RPM class (spinning with intervals)
1:40 yoga
Sunday is cardio and yoga day because those are the days the classes are convenient for me at the gym. I thought about doing strength training when I got home, but I ended up doing family stuff. Tomorrow's going to be a busy day, too. I'm hoping to fit a LBWO in in the afternoon.
Today, yoga was very frustrating. We did a lot of lunge-type poses, and I could see and feel my weaknesses more than usual. The yoga rooms are mirrored, and I could see my right ankle collapsing when I was lunged forward on the left leg. I was attentive to keeping my knees straight, but I had to work hard to keep them there. The big toes on my feet don't bend well at all so that limits my range of movement (actually, that's why my ankle collapses -- the problem, I don't think, is my ankle, I think it's that I can't hold my foot straight because of the toes and ball of foot not flexing). The worst part, though, was a pose that's ass to the grass (the yoga instructor said it was good for our sex organs, btw -- I think she meant the internal ones, but here's hoping!) -- my ankles don't bend enough to do that. I was up on tiptoes, and with my stiff toes, I was wobbling all over the place.
I left yoga irritated with my body. That is not the yoga way! Sort of negates the yoga goodness. Strength training has made me aware of my weaknesses, and now I'm seeing them everywhere.
On the upside, I have been FEELING MYSELF, LISA, and am noticing muscle movement where I have never noticed it before, regardless of how thick a layer of fat I've been carrying. Just now I was standing outside with my dog, shifting from foot to foot with my hands on my hips, and I felt muscles in my hips tightening and loosening. Now I have to go to exrx.net and see what muscles they were and what bones they were attached to. I hope that the reason I'm feeling these muscles now is that they're getting bigger and stronger, and not the alternative, that I have been wandering about in an oblivious haze for 40+ years, but either possibility is equally likely.
You may have felt frustrated during yoga class, but awareness is a good thing! Good for you. Learning where your body compensates during movement is the first step to correcting it. You can't fix it if you don't know it's broken!
You talked about your right ankle and stated that your toes don't bend, but you also said you were "on your toes" during that difficult pose and that your "ankles don't bend enough to do that." So continue to pay attention to your ankles and feet. Do some specific stretching for those areas to help you discover exactly what's tight. Calves could possibly be part of the issue, too.
Here's an ankle mobility drill from Bill Hartman. It might be interesting to see how your ankles perform. You can do some of the soft tissue work to find out if you have any trigger points on your calves that might be involved in your lack of ankle mobility. You can also roll a tennis ball (or similar ball) on the sole of your foot to see if you have any tender spots there. YouTube - The FitCast- Ankle Mobility w/ Bill Hartman
I saw this thread while searching for something else today and thought you might be interested. It's a conversation about using unstable surface training and includes a link to Eric Cressey's doctoral study on unstable surface training. I'm not suggesting that you argue with your trainer. I just think you should continue to educate yourself. Unstable Surface Training. And here's more from Jonathan Fass' blog: Balancing Act.
__________________
Lisa Holladay, CSCS
Last edited by Lisa~ : 07-07-2008 at 01:43 PM.
Reason: To add Jonathan's blog post.
Those links were really interesting. First of all, I tried the ankle mobility drill and was surprised that the ankle I thought was the most flexible was by *far* the least flexible. I don't have a tennis ball to do the soft tissue stuff, but I will get one asap and start trying that.
After gasping in horror at my wooden ankles, I did a FBWO, as follows:
Bridge abduction w/xertube, 3x15, blue tube
Single-leg step-up w/dumbell, 2x15@8
Squat using low-pulley, 3x15@35
Standing leg adduction, 3x15, blue tube
Leg extension, 3x15@25
Active biceps femoris stretch, 2x2@bw
Scapular stabilization using lat pulldown, 3x15@35
Lat pulldown, 3x15@55
Seated cable low row on Total Gym, Level 3 setting w/35 weight on bench, 3x15
Chest press on Total Gym, Level 3 setting, 3x15
Chest fly on Total Gym, Level 3, 2x15
Overhead DB press, 3x15@16
Lateral raise w/DBs, 3x15@16
Pull-ups on Total Gym, Level 4, 3x15
And now some random thoughts. I had started this log with the intention of keeping a simple record of my workouts for my own benefit and for the sake of creating accountability. But as I read other people's logs, I enjoyed and learned a lot from the logs that discussed a variety of fitness-related topics. Also, writing down all my thoughts about this experience is helpful to me. So I decided to use this space to record different aspects of my experience as I begin to become a lifter and work on improving my knowledge about nutrition and the effects of exercise on the body. This is partly for the sake of having a record to refer back to, and partly because some time, an overfat, 40+ woman who is starting to feel old before her time, just like I have been up until recently, might start reading this and it will help her with her own progress -- in the same way as reading other logs has helped motivate and inform me.
So -- I have a few types of progress to report.
I saw my doctor yesterday for a twice-yearly blood panel. I have been on cholesterol and BP meds for 6 years. I went off the cholesterol meds 3 months ago and focused on eating a diet heavy on whole foods. Today I had good news -- my cholesterol is okay and I can stay off the meds. Yay! My BP med dosage was cut in half. Yay! I hope to get off that med in a few months, too. All my other blood work was very good. I was thrilled!
I had been a regular exerciser (6-mile walks 3-5xwk, 2xwk yoga, 1-2xwk Jazzercise circuit class w/light weights) before while I had been on the meds (before I stopped exercising and packed on a ton of weight) and nothing much changed, so what is different this time? It's either the diet or the type of exercise that I'm doing. I don't do a lot of cardio anymore -- usually just a spinning class once a week, although I do work with intensity in that class. And I've only been lifting since 6/21 (three weeks!), so I don't think that could have an effect yet. I think the improvement is caused by my diet. Oatmeal is magic!
A note on intensity: This is new for me. I always thought I was working as hard as I could work in exercise classes. I wasn't. What made me aware of the concept of intensity was a comment by my personal trainer and Lisa's comments here in my log about muscle activation. That information has been so useful for me. There is a woman in the spinning class who totally attacks her workout. She puts her war-face on and goes for it. I've been trying to pace myself with her, even though I haven't been able to come close to her pace. Sunday in class, I thought about intensity and muscle activation, and while I didn't keep up with her the whole time, I kept up with her for a lot of it. Next week: spinning class domination? Possible!
After seeing the doctor, I went shopping to replace my jeans, which were falling off, and bought a size smaller than I had been wearing. That was pleasing, although the jeans I bought are still much larger than the size I plan to be wearing in the near-ish future.
Mental changes are also good -- mood is excellent. Not even the usual PMS blues and anxiety. I teach at a few colleges, including one that has a heavy emphasis on athletics so my classes there are packed with athletes. This past year, when my weight had gotten really out of control and I was panting just walking up a flight of steps, I felt really old and fat and frumpy and one-foot-in-the-grave standing in front of a room of vibrant, active young people (with not a single girl bigger than a size 6, ever). Tonight I started my late summer session after having the first half of the summer off, and I felt so much more comfortable. I'm still as big as a house, but now the house is a small cottage instead of a sprawling McMansion. My goal: Brick outhouse.
Well, as a 40+ overly fat woman, I LOVE reading your log! You're a great writer with a wonderful sense of humor!
LOVING all these song lyrics... boy, don't they bring me back LOL! How about this one:
She comes down from Yellow Mountain
On a dark, flat land she rides
On a pony she named Wildfire
With a whirlwind by her side
On a cold Nebraska night
Oh, they say she died one winter
When there came a killing frost
And the pony she named Wildfire
Busted down its stall
In a blizzard he was lost
She ran calling Wildfire [x3]
By the dark of the moon I planted
But there came an early snow
There's been a hoot-owl howling by my window now
For six nights in a row
She's coming for me, I know
And on Wildfire we're both gonna go
We'll be riding Wildfire [x3]
On Wildfire we're gonna ride
Gonna leave sodbustin' behind
Get these hard times right on out of our minds
Riding Wildfire
Congrats on the jeans... isn't that a great feeling??? Brick outhouse.
The one thing that struck me in reading the past entries is that you you were eating 1000 cal AND working out. Yikes! That's just wrong.
"As far as (healthy) eating, either do it, or don't. Same issues repeated over and over is just insanity. We either commit to the endeavor or pay lip-service to it. This is the hardest part of the whole process, and it needs to be practiced more than the actual physical training. It's mind training." ~ Matt Thorne
"The reason that most people fail instead of succeed is that they trade what they want most for what they want at the moment."
I really love it when people want to learn. You'll succeed because you're taking the right steps.
Quote:
First of all, I tried the ankle mobility drill and was surprised that the ankle I thought was the most flexible was by *far* the least flexible. I don't have a tennis ball to do the soft tissue stuff, but I will get one asap and start trying that.
Informative, isn't it! I actually like this ankle soft tissue work demonstrated Tony Gentilcore and described by Eric Cressey better than what Bill was doing in that video. I can feel it better. It's still with a tennis ball, but on the floor so you can put more pressure on your calves. But keep doing the ankle mobility drills (the knee to the wall stuff) that Bill showed.
Quote:
After gasping in horror at my wooden ankles, I did a FBWO, as follows:
Chest press on Total Gym, Level 3 setting, 3x15
Chest fly on Total Gym, Level 3, 2x15
That workout was better when you did push-ups to the bench instead of the chest press. Why the change?
Quote:
I have been on cholesterol and BP meds for 6 years. I went off the cholesterol meds 3 months ago and focused on eating a diet heavy on whole foods. Today I had good news -- my cholesterol is okay and I can stay off the meds. Yay! My BP med dosage was cut in half. Yay! I hope to get off that med in a few months, too. All my other blood work was very good. I was thrilled!
I think the improvement is caused by my diet. Oatmeal is magic!
Congratulations on ditching and reducing the meds! That's a great accomplishment! Like you suspected, cholesterol is mostly affected by diet. Adding fiber like oats, beans, and fibrous veggies makes the biggest difference.
Quote:
I went shopping to replace my jeans, which were falling off, and bought a size smaller than I had been wearing.
Tonight I started my late summer session after having the first half of the summer off, and I felt so much more comfortable.
Congrats on the smaller jeans! Small successes inspire continued success. It's great to focus on them. It's a great feeling to be more comfortable in your own body, and to learn that you can do more than you ever thought you could. Keep up the great work!
I ditched the push-ups because the trainer's program had me doing the chest flies (I think he called them delt flies) and the chest press (Icarian chest press), so I was trying to replicate his workout using the equipment I had at home (Total Gym and big Weider cable machine). Your comment, Lisa, about the quality of the exercises swayed me to go back to the push-ups and tricep dips today, which I had preferred. Moving the bench back and forth and resetting the cables is a pain in the ass in such a small room, plus I like bodyweight exercises because tough bastards do bodyweight exercises and I want to be a tough bastard. If there's a nuclear apocalypse, I plan to kill my neighbors with my bare hands and eat them.
Today's workout:
Bridge abductions, 3x15, blue xertube
Step-ups, 1x15 on 15" step w/13-lb DB, 1x15 on stair w/8-lb DB
Squats using low pulley, 3x15@40 (use of cable machine to correct form problem of leaning too far forward)
Standing leg abductions using low pulley, 1x15@0, 2x15@5
Standing leg adductions, 2x15 w/blue xertube
Leg extensions, 3x15@30
Active biceps femoris stretch, 1x15@bw
Scapular stabilization using lat pulldown, 1x15@35, 2x15@40
Lat pulldown, 3x15@55
Seated cable low row, 3x15@40
Push-ups off bench, 2x15
Overhead DB press, 3x15@26
Bicep curls on low pulley, 1x15@15
Alternating seated bicep DB curls, 3x15@26
Tricep dips off bench, 2x15@bw
Dead hang from pull-up bar, 4 sec, 2 sec, 1 sec
I missed Friday's workout because life happened. That is such a crappy excuse. I wasn't going to work out today either, because I was busy all day, but tonight it occurred to me that there is nothing stopping me from working out at night. So I did. It was okay -- I think it would be better to do it closer to bedtime so I could go right to sleep afterwards.
I think that the FBWOs are probably not the best for me. They take a lot of time. The LB section goes by pretty quick, except for the step-ups, which I hate because they really highlight my weaknesses (I know that's good, but it's not fun), and then when I get to the UB section, I'm bored. I feel like with the UPWO, I'm either not lifting heavy enough weight or I'm lifting too much and losing form. I think my form is bad to begin with. The reason I'm doing both sections together for a FBWO is that, since I don't like the UBWO much, I'm not likely to go into the workout room to do it all by itself. But once I'm in there for the LBWO and I've gotten all sweaty, I figure I might as well keep going and get it all over with.
The reason I'm doing UB and LB is because this is the program my trainer recommended to correct my weaknesses so I can do better when I move to the compound lifts. I recognize that he has a point. I'm just impatient.
I feel like I'm not working hard enough. I've totally slacked on the cardio -- just one RPM spinning class a week. I'm still losing weight at a reasonable rate, which encourages me to skip cardio. I don't particularly dislike cardio, but I have to go the gym to do it, which requires planning. I missed a FBWO on Friday and almost missed today, for no real reason at all. The exercise habit is not something I've learned to love yet... it's not about the process for me, it's about the results. But if I could learn to love the process, I'd be better off.
I know I have to just keep trying to achieve my goals. Like the guy in this song:
Always alone never with a herd
Prettiest mare Ive ever seen
Youll have to take my word
Im gonna catch that horse if I can
And when I do Ill give her my brand
Well I was up on stony ridge after this chestnut mare
Id been chasin her for weeks
Oh, Id catch a glimpse of her every once in a while
Takin her meal, or bathin
A fine lady
This one day I happened to be real close to her
I saw her standin over there
So I snuck up to her nice and easy
And I got my rope out
And I flung it in the air
Im gonna catch that horse if I can
And when I do Ill give her my brand
And well be friends for life
Shell be just like a wife
Im gonna catch that horse if I can
Well I got her, and Im pullin on her, shes pullin back
Like a mule goin up a ladder
I take this chance and I jump up on her
Damned if I dont land right on top of her
Well she takes off, runnin up on to that ridge
Higher than Ive ever been before
Shes runnin along just fine, till she stops
Something spooked her
Its a sidewinder, all coiled and ready to strike
She doesnt know what to do for a second
But then she jumps off the edge
Me holding on
Above the clouds
Higher than eagles were gliding
Suspended in the sky
Over the moon
Straight for the sun we were riding
My eyes were filled with light
Behind us black walls
Below us a bottomless canyon
Floating with no sound
Gulls far below
Seemed to be suddenly rising
Exploding all around
Im gonna catch that horse if I can
And when I do Ill give her my brand
And well be friends for life
Shell be just like a wife
Im gonna catch that horse if I can
And we were falling down this crevice, about a mile down
Id say! I look down and I see this red thing below us
Its our reflection in a little pool of water
About six feet wide, and one foot deep
And were comin up real fast
Crawling down right through it
We hit and we splashed it dry
Thats when I lost my hold and she got away
But Im gonna try to get her again some day
Im gonna catch that horse if I can
And when I do Ill give her my brand
And well be friends for life
Shell be just like a wife
Im gonna catch that horse
Im gonna catch that horse
Im gonna catch that horse if I can
Im gonna catch that horse if I can
First, let me say that you should stick with this trainer and do what he wants you to do. I wouldn't use a balance board, but it's just another tool and one he's comfortable using. I would agree that improving balance is an appropriate goal. "Getting all those stabilizer muscles to fire so that you are more functional when moving" is something I'd be working to achieve too, just with different methods.
Like you, I'm not a huge fan of balance boards. But I used to train with a guy named Kim Goss (editor Bigger, Faster, Stronger, editor MM2K, writer with Siff and Poliquin, strength coach for the Air Force Academy back in the 90's when their offensive line was so good) and he'd occasionally pull out the balance board when he wanted to work on something specific. And all I know is that he knows a lot more than I do so if he thinks something like that is good in certain circumstances, I'll defer to his superior experience.
the trainer's program had me doing the chest flies (I think he called them delt flies)
Just curious, and I could be totally wrong - but delt flyes are usually for the rear of the shoulder (done bent over, arms start in front of body and go out to the sides), whereas chest flyes are done for the chest (pecs) and involve bringing the arms together in front. Kinda opposite moves... if you are doing delt flyes, you aren't hitting chest... ???
Just curious, and I could be totally wrong - but delt flyes are usually for the rear of the shoulder (done bent over, arms start in front of body and go out to the sides), whereas chest flyes are done for the chest (pecs) and involve bringing the arms together in front. Kinda opposite moves... if you are doing delt flyes, you aren't hitting chest... ???
Well, you've got three deltoid muscles and flyes will hit the front/anterior delts. So maybe he's calling it a delt fly because he thinks that's the prime mover or something (it isn't.)
But the nominclature is all screwed up. If you raise the weights like that bending forward so that it hits the rear delts, they're usually called a Rear Lateral Raise of one form or another. If you do a fly, well, it's a fly.
So... let's give the trainer the benefit of the doubt and just chalk it up to a brain fart.
Well, you've got three deltoid muscles and flyes will hit the front/anterior delts. So maybe he's calling it a delt fly because he thinks that's the prime mover or something (it isn't.)
But the nominclature is all screwed up. If you raise the weights like that bending forward so that it hits the rear delts, they're usually called a Rear Lateral Raise of one form or another. If you do a fly, well, it's a fly.
So... let's give the trainer the benefit of the doubt and just chalk it up to a brain fart.
I got confused by the naming... I've heard a rear-delt lateral raise called a rear-delt fly... was trying to figure out if he was actually having her do a chest flye or rear delt flye or ???
The fly in question is done on a machine. I start sitting with my hands in front of me on the handles and move them to the side with my arms locked, like a giant arm-locked clapping movement. He wants me to feel it in my scapulars (?) -- the middle of my back. He has me doing a lot of stuff for scapular stabilization. He said it is to improve my posture.
The fly in question is done on a machine. I start sitting with my hands in front of me on the handles and move them to the side with my arms locked, like a giant arm-locked clapping movement. He wants me to feel it in my scapulars (?) -- the middle of my back. He has me doing a lot of stuff for scapular stabilization. He said it is to improve my posture.
So you're not working chest at all on that move... just so you know - pushups would not duplicate anything that rear delt move is working... they are the "opposite" as far as which muscles are worked.
So you're not working chest at all on that move... just so you know - pushups would not duplicate anything that rear delt move is working... they are the "opposite" as far as which muscles are worked.
Oi vey. It's a good thing I do go to a trainer, because clearly I cannot be trusted on my own.
Here is today's workout:
I tried just doing the lower body stuff. I screwed up and went backwards on some of the weights and reps -- I have trouble keeping track of what I'm doing, even though I have it all written down. It only took about an hour and it didn't feel like torture toward the end. I'm energized instead of drained, which is good because I have a ton of work to do this week and I need to stay focused. Tomorrow, I'll just do the upper body stuff and see how that goes.
Bridge abductions, 3x15, blue xertube
Step-ups, 1x15 on 15" step w/10-lb DB
Squats using low pulley, 2x15@40, 1x15@45 (use of cable machine to correct form problem of leaning too far forward)
Standing leg adductions using low pulley, 2x15@0, 1x15@5
Leg extensions, 3x15@20
Active biceps femoris stretch, 1x15@bw
Deadhang from pull-up bar, 6 sec, 4 sec, 6 sec
Well I just had a very pleasant time reading through your log. You had a couple of just brilliant phrases. These were my favorite:
Quote:
onight I started my late summer session after having the first half of the summer off, and I felt so much more comfortable. I'm still as big as a house, but now the house is a small cottage instead of a sprawling McMansion. My goal: Brick outhouse.
before you know it, we'll all be singing "She's a Brick...HOOOOUse"
and
Quote:
I like bodyweight exercises because tough bastards do bodyweight exercises and I want to be a tough bastard. If there's a nuclear apocalypse, I plan to kill my neighbors with my bare hands and eat them.
That imagery is pretty much priceless. Truly gives me a great picture in my head. I think I want to be a tough bastard too!
Thanks for the great read, and I'm stoked about all the positive progress you have made, especially the dumping of the meds and the ability to feel you muscles fire. Keep up the fantabulous work!
Well, my plans to do just UB one day and LB the next didn't quite work out. I skipped the UB yesterday and ended doing a FBWO today. So I was right -- I'm not likely to go into the workout room to just do the workout that I don't enjoy.
Today was good. I felt strong and relatively good on form. My bridges are higher and more stable. It's that activation thing! Although I didn't do every exercise perfectly, I feel that I've come a long way with this set of exercises. My rest periods have shortened and I'm not wiped out after the FBWO. Actually, I felt great when I was done.
I've been seeing the trainer every 4 weeks to get a new program; the next time I'll see him is in 2 weeks. My goal is to straighten out my imbalances and then go on to NROLW, which the trainer knows, but I don't see how it's in his employer's interest for him to finally say, "I have no more programs for you! Go squat freely and independently!" His last email to me said that he wishes we could work together more frequently. I was sort befuddled by that. Because of the $75 or because I am in such bad shape that I really need the extra help? Cuz I know it's not that I'm so much fun to work with. Bastard never laughs at my jokes.
I feel like I have such messed-up biomechanics in my hips, legs, and feet that it would take years to get to a point that I could do perfect squats and lunges. But I figure that I'm not the only person out there with the sorts of imbalances and weaknesses that I have, and a lot of them have to be doing the sort of fitness programs that they want. So I don't really have a good sense of how much I'm supposed to improve before I'm 'ready' for NROLW or any other program.
I have a close friend who runs marathons. Now she's training for her first ultramarathon. She's the only person I know who is a real athlete, and she's been a big inspiration to me. She's always dealing with problems with her feet, knees, and hips. Some of them are caused by the training and some of them were pre-existing. So if she can train for Badwater with all her problems, shouldn't I be able to squat? That seems like a pretty modest goal. If I start squatting without coming close to 90 degrees at first, won't I get better at it as I do it more? Are stiff ankles a reason to avoid squatting? Because that is what I perceive to be the biggest problem I'm having right now. I could be wrong about that, of course. I think we have already established that I have no idea how the human body moves. I'm like an alien dropped into a human carcass with no user's manual.
On a different note, last night in class I was wearing the jeans I bought 8 days ago and I realized that they were hanging off me. The legs were baggy and the crotch was hanging down a few inches too low. Either they stretched out a hell of a lot in just about 8 hours of wear, or... could my body be changing that much that fast? I haven't been measuring regularly and I don't trust my own measurements anyway because I don't think I'm measuring in the same places consistently. Maybe it's that thing that a lot of women say about how they got bigger in the hips and thighs when they first started lifting and then got smaller. My hip measurement is definitely down a half-inch since two weeks ago. Hips were the one place I hadn't lost inches when the trainer measured me at the end of June.
So anyway, today I dug into a stack of jeans that I haven't worn for two years and found a pair that fit pretty well. And by 'pretty well', I mean I could zip them up and still breath. Progress! I am actually pretty surprised that I could fit into those jeans at all at the weight I am now -- the last time I wore them, I was at least 15 lbs lighter than I am now... but I wasn't lifting, either.
I also started weighing my food. So far, there's only been one surprise -- the scoop that comes with the protein powder I buy does not hold a full serving. So I've been getting fewer calories and less protein than I thought. I'm putting that out here because I know a lot of people are thinking about weighing their food. If you're on the border, this might help you make a decision.
Now to the nitty gritty -- today's workout:
Bridge abductions, 3x15, blue xertube + 5-lb Yorkie who has discovered that bridges are a prime opportunity to stand on my chest and lick my nose
Step-ups, 1x15,1x5 on 15" step w/8-lb DB
Wobble board, 60 sec
Squats using low pulley, 3x15@60 (use of cable machine to correct form problem of leaning too far forward)
Ankle mobility, 1x5 against wall (as per Lisa's 1st link)
Standing leg adductions, 3x15 w/blue xertube
Foam roll, hams, IT band
Tennis ball roll, calves, feet
Leg extensions, 3x15@30
Active isolated biceps femoris stretch, 1x15
Piriformis stretch
Calf stretch
Scapular stabilization using lat pulldown, 1x15@40, 2x15@50
Lat pulldown, 3x15@70
Seated cable low row, 3x15@40
Push-ups off bench, 3x10
Overhead DB press, 3x15@26
Alternating seated bicep DB curls, 2x15@16
Tricep dips off bench, 2x15@bw
Pull-ups, 1x3, barely moved upwards at all, but I did move
Assorted arm, core stretches
Woohoo on the jeans... I've noticed the same thing as I've lost weight... that clothes I didn't expect to fit into yet actually fit me at higher weights because of the difference in the shape of my body with the lifting. Always a good thing!
So you trainer is $75 for one session? I can see why you would only work with him every 4 weeks.... I guess I've got it pretty good b/c my trainer only charges $45. I only work with him once a month too, but I'm taking a break right now while doing OPT.
"As far as (healthy) eating, either do it, or don't. Same issues repeated over and over is just insanity. We either commit to the endeavor or pay lip-service to it. This is the hardest part of the whole process, and it needs to be practiced more than the actual physical training. It's mind training." ~ Matt Thorne
"The reason that most people fail instead of succeed is that they trade what they want most for what they want at the moment."
Yes, he's $75/hr, but he actually spends about 90 minutes with me, plus he has come to the sessions with most of the new program prepared, so he's working additional time outside of the session, and he encourages me to email him questions. But once a month is as much as I'm willing to spend.
I'm finding that being healthy is an expensive proposition. In addition to my huge food bills and gym memberships, I'm always finding new things that I absolutely must have. Foam rollers, ab rollers, the used gym equipment that I bought, the low-end Total Gym that I bought before I knew about lifting, stability ball, xertube, new cheap carpet for the workout room, oly bar, weights, on and on. None of these items were expensive by themselves, but altogether, it's a big outlay. Also, when I got back on the track to weight loss in March, I signed an annual contract with a Curves rip-off place, which I quickly outgrew, so two months later I joined a real gym with another annual contract. So if I add up everything I've spent or agreed to spend, it's about $2K. Not counting groceries -- they are $100-150 week for me alone.
I just shrug about the money, though. If someone had said to me, "Hey, pony up $2k and in about a year, you'll look and feel great," I would have written a check on the spot. I don't even feel bad about the contract with the Curves rip-off place because that's what it took to get me off the couch, so it's worth it.
Speaking of expenses, a main reason that I packed on the weight in the first place was because I had a financial setback and I was afraid to spend money. So I started buying cheap food -- frozen chicken nuggets, pasta, Steak-Umms, and a lot of bread. I believe that I get into bad carb sprirals -- once I start eating a lot of bad carbs, I only want bad carbs. So even after my money situation gelled, I didn't want turkey and veggies -- I wanted mac and cheese. It took me a good bunch of months to face the damage I'd done and to take action.
I knew what to do. I've done it before. I've been fighting the same 70 or so lbs for years now -- up and down, up and down. So I know how to control my nutrition and stick to exercise. But it takes a real drive to to change habits. Last time I was on a downward trend, I obsessed about my diet and exercise all the time. I had a lot of time on my hands that year, so I made weight loss my primary activity. Every day was planned around exercise, grocery shopping, and food prep. That is a big mental drain if you have other things going on in your life. This past time that I ballooned into obesity, I had a lot of things going on -- I was starting a new career, my apartment building was condemned and I had to move, then the new apartment building was sold and I had to move, then I bought my own place, and so on. It was a two-year shitstorm. I couldn't summon up the energy to face my body issues, even though dealing with obesity and painful knees and horrible clothes and self-loathing every day was really a lot harder than just biting the bullet and making changes.
What made the penny drop this time was a conversation with a friend (the marathon runner I mentioned above). She's always going on adventurous vacations that involve zip-lines across cloud forest canyons, burro rides over mountains, deep sea fishing, and pretty much anything else that involves wearing hardly any clothing. She's always asking me to come with her and I'm always envisioning the vacay photos of my friend in her tiny white bikini and me in a huge tee-shirt and e-z fit jeans. God, no.
During this conversation that I'm talking about, it was like a light bulb went on -- I used to do all those same things, and I want to do them again. My fat is keeping me from living my life.
I envisioned 30 or 40 more years of sitting on the couch watching TV and getting fatter and fatter -- I can totally picture myself becoming sideshow-freak fat. That is absolutely within my range of possibilities. So I told my friend that I'll go scuba with her on Bonaire at Xmas and then I drove to the Curves rip-off place and signed a contract. Boom, just like that -- everything fell into place and it's been an easy progression since then.
Like a lot of people who've struggled with their weight, I'm obsessed with other people's weight. I look at women I pass in the street and compare myself to them. Before, I'd see a really obese, really unhealthy-looking woman and I'd think, "Oh my God, that's the road I'm going down." And by 'going down', I mean, 'already there'. Now I see those women and I think, "THANK GOD that is not the direction I'm heading anymore."
As of today, I've lost about 27 lbs. I still have a long way to go, but wow, what a difference 27 lbs makes. I feel like a woman again, instead of big genderless blob of suet.
Congrats on the 27 pounds... you've got the ball rolling now! I hear you on the $$... it is expensive to eat healthy and go to the gym, etc..... frustrates the heck out of me that you can buy freakin' Little Debbies for $1 and yet healthy stuff costs so much more... grrrr.
I've been on the weight rollercoaster myself more than once. I lost about 50 pounds back in 1993, then slowly put it back on between marriage and children, plus about 30 more. Ugh. What finally got me to wake up was impending surgery for plantar fasciitis... I did NOT want to deal with that, and thankfully I was able to avoid it just by losing weight. I hear you on being obsessed with other peoples' weight, too.... I'm constantly comparing myself to other people. I hope that at some point I'll just be happy with being where I am and not worry so much about that crap. Life's too short, kwim?
"As far as (healthy) eating, either do it, or don't. Same issues repeated over and over is just insanity. We either commit to the endeavor or pay lip-service to it. This is the hardest part of the whole process, and it needs to be practiced more than the actual physical training. It's mind training." ~ Matt Thorne
"The reason that most people fail instead of succeed is that they trade what they want most for what they want at the moment."
I used to enter a room and the first thing I'd do was check to make sure there was at least ONE person (preferably a woman) in the room who was fatter than me. I hated being the fattest one there... I am SO glad I don't have to feel that way anymore... It's so freeing.
I used to enter a room and the first thing I'd do was check to make sure there was at least ONE person (preferably a woman) in the room who was fatter than me. I hated being the fattest one there... I am SO glad I don't have to feel that way anymore... It's so freeing.
OMG I would totally do that too! I still find myself doing it sometimes... like when we were at a water park last weekend I was still somewhat self-conscious, but once I saw what some people were wearing... YOWZA. I felt much better ROFL!
"As far as (healthy) eating, either do it, or don't. Same issues repeated over and over is just insanity. We either commit to the endeavor or pay lip-service to it. This is the hardest part of the whole process, and it needs to be practiced more than the actual physical training. It's mind training." ~ Matt Thorne
"The reason that most people fail instead of succeed is that they trade what they want most for what they want at the moment."
I was in Spain one year, and I was the fattest person in the country.
Seriously, in 6 weeks I only saw one other person who was anywhere near my size.
A year or so later, I was there again after having lost 70 lbs. Wow, what a difference. Not in the people, in me. I was so much more outgoing, because I wasn't embarrassed and self-conscious.
The best moment of that trip was when I was walking through an arch and an old man coming toward me stopped, swept off his hat, bowed, and said, "Bellisima!"
Today's workout started out great, but I got tired fast. I keep forgetting to eat before working out, and that really seems to make a difference. By the time I was done, I was starving.
Today's big improvement was pull-ups. I couldn't move myself more than a fraction of an inch earlier this week. Today I actually moved about 3 inches, plus I could do more of them. If I can master pull-ups and push-ups, I may consider Crossfit in 2009. That's probably a fantasy, though -- I don't even have the spine to sign up for a women's boot camp so far.
I didn't up any weights today, but I added a set to most of the exercises. I cut a set off the step-ups because I was doing them so badly. I lose my balance. These are modified step-ups -- step up, raise trailing leg to a 90 degree bend while also raising an 8-lb weight from waist to overhead. I have bad duck-toes, which the trainer has given me a lot of exercises and stretches to correct -- and when I try to keep my feet straight on single-leg exercises, I lose my balance. With toes out, I'm fine.
The idea of fixing my duck toes fascinates me. When I was a kid, I hated the way I walked. Then I read that Judy Blume book about the girl with scoliosis and I wondered if my mother would consider strapping me into a metal brace for a decade or so to fix them, and then I decided I could live with my waddle.
The idea that I can fix my gait with just exercise and stretches is amazing to me. I don't know if I'm seeing improvement yet. I can walk straight without discomfort now, but I have to focus on putting my feet down right to make that happen.
Bridge abductions, 4x15, blue xertube
Step-ups, 1x5 on 15" step w/8-lb DB
Wobble board, 60 sec
Single-leg stand on wobble board, 2 min
Ankle mobility, 1x5 against wall + soft tissue work- tennis ball roll, calves, feet (as per Lisa's 1st link)
Squats using low pulley, 4x15@60 (use of cable machine to correct form problem of leaning too far forward)
Standing leg adductions, 4x15 w/blue xertube
Foam roll, hams, IT band
Active isolated biceps femoris stretch, 1x15
Piriformis stretch
Calf stretch
Pull-ups, 1x6, 2x10 -moved a few inches, whoooo!
Seated cable low row, 4x15@40
Push-ups off bench, 3x5
Tricep dips off bench, 3x5
Assorted arm, core stretches
I think a change from the annoying songs is in order, so here's a haiku:
Glamazonia
You are my destination
Watch out, tough bitches!
You're a great writer with a wonderful sense of humor! 
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