Wow! Your pictures look great! You can see some ab definition in them (When I see that in mine, I say to the hubby, "I may not have the six pack yet, but I have the box to put them in!" LOL)
I would think that with camping you would get lots of general exercise. Sounds like you had a good time though, and that's what a vacation is supposed to be, right?
I would think that with camping you would get lots of general exercise. Sounds like you had a good time though, and that's what a vacation is supposed to be, right?
Well, we are lazy campers. When I take a camping vacation with my sons along we always do hike mountain trails for miles. But when it's just the two of us, we tend to take long, lazy, slow walks. Which are fun, too. But my regular life is so active that just having time to sit in a lawn chair and read for hours is a great pleasure. Last week I read two epic westerns I have been wanting to read for years, but never could take the time to do.
Back to the gym! I really enjoyed the first hard workout I've done in two weeks. But by the end, my legs were very, very shaky. I hate that those step ups are in this stage, and paired with static lunges (well, not actually paired with, but in the same workout)! But I'm happy to say that I didn't hate the step ups as much as I did in stage one, so I guess I'm getting better at them. And only 10 reps helps, 15 was murder.
I didn't push myself too much with the weights today, I was trying to get a feel for what I will be able to do.
Front Squat Push Press: 45/10, 45/8
My wrists were really hurting after the FSPPes. I knew I wouldn't be able to do those last two reps in set 2, I was barely able to get the bar all the way up on rep 8. It's very hard to get onto my toes and stay balanced there; after a while, I was just pushing up onto my toes and immediately coming down onto flat feet while holding the bar up. It's hard to know if my form is right on these; I will search out a video. I do know I focused on getting the bar directly overhead, because I remember in another thread it was mentioned not to have the bar out in front of you at the top. I also had to do them very slowly, to coordinate correctly.
Step Ups: 15/10, 15/10 DB 1-pt. Row: 20/10, 20/10
I like the DB 1-pt. rows. I found that it's easier to balance if I don't lock my knee.
I have very shaky knees; I notice it on both of these exercises. On the step ups my knees wobble side to side, and when I tried the Rows with knee locked, I sway a lot. I wonder if there's any other exercise I can do to strengthen the knee sideways.
Static Lunge: 15/10, 15/10
Push Up: F/10, F/10
The lunges are fun the first set through, and kind of tortuous the second. I definitely notice the pain (not injury pain, just working pain) and difficulty when I do the second leg in each set.
Push ups are getting easier. My notes say "almost easy" about the first set, but the last few reps of set two were tiring. Amazing that I can even do twenty push ups in one workout, though. I used to say I hated these, and I couldn't even do 5 of them. I don't think I'm ready to move on to a harder variation, though. Maybe, maybe I'll try T-push ups on the first set next time. . . .I'll see.
I was SO trembly for the planks. It wasn't really hard holding the 60 seconds; what was hard was stopping my whole body trembling. I kept thinking that people must be seeing me do this, shaking like a leaf, and wondering what the hell I am torturing myself for!
The Woodchops, which normally aren't hard for me, were hard simply because of coming last in a long workout. I was very tired by then, and was happy there were only two sets to do. I love getting to the last set of my workout, when I can say to myself "this is the last 10 reps of everything today; you can go home after this!"
All in all, I am very happy with this workout. I can probably go up in weight on the static lunges, the DB rows, and the woodchops, and I might try a little more weight on the first set of FSPPes, perhaps 5 more pounds. But not on set two, I'm sure.
Don't do the FSPP too slow or you will lose the power you are generating with your lower body to PUSH the bar overheard. This thread might help you...there's a video in there, too.
Yes, I have read that thread several times, and I watched that video. It's very helpful, and I will watch it again, since it was several weeks ago I saw it.
I didn't do the thrust up and push slowly, that part was as explosive as I could make it, but once I had the bar overhead, the lowering it and squatting was slow, because I had to concentrate on rolling the bar back onto my fingers, make sure I was balanced and my elbows were up, etc. I think it was more that I don't have the movement ingrained in my proprioception yet. But I think I will end up liking this move a lot once I conquer it.
I might try the EZ curl bar, just to see if it will help with the wrists, as some people say it does. I think we have one that I can add plates to.
Hey there! You look amazing! Great workouts, too. I had trouble with fs/pp at first too. My wrists still hurt, but it gets better. I try to stretch them as much as possible.
I've also noticed with the FSPP that my left shoulder gets a pain in it afterwards. I can feel it when I lift my elbow up, out to the side, or rotate the arm, so it's the rotator cuff area. Right is fine, so I wonder if I'm doing something funky with my left arm position during the lift.
Back to work yesterday and today after my vacation. It was ok; not very busy either day, so not too stressful.
Did some cardio tonight, intervals on the elliptical machine at the apartment gym (old, not good machine). I warmed up at level 2, then did one minute intervals by upping the level to 10 and speeding up. Hard to get a steady speed on that machine, so my intervals went something like this: mph high 8-low 9; high 9-low 10, high 10-low 11, high 11-low 12, high 12-low 13, high 13-low 14 mph.
It wasn't precise, and there is no heart rate monitor on the machine, but I sure was sweating at the end. Then I did a set of pushups (10), rested 5 minutes, did steady cardio for 15 minutes, then did 20 more pushups, stretched, and went home. I'm amazed I can even do 20 pushups at once; it wasn't that long ago I couldn't do 3!
Even though B is much longer than A, I like it better. Except for the wide grip deadlift from box. That I hate.
Wide Grip Deadlift from Box: 80/10, 80/10
Hate these; they are so much harder than CDLs. I feel like I'm going to lose my grip every time I lift. Something about the wide grip is so uncomfortable and uncoordinated for me. Second set was near impossible last few reps, but I did manage to finish without dropping the bar.
Bulgarian Split Squat: 25/10, 25/10 Underhand Lat Pulldown: 90/10, 90/10
I like the BSS, used a 25 lb. plate. Only trouble with these is my foot tends to cramp up when I have it top down on the bench. Trying to figure out how these are different from static lunges with rear foot elevated, other than higher back foot. I think the BSS works the front leg more and the statics work both legs.
I can see why chin ups are so hard when I try the lat pulldowns. No way would I be able to lift my body weight. (Yet )
Reverse lunge from box w/ forward reach: 15/10, 15/10
DB Prone Cuban Snatch: 5/10, 8/10
I LOVE the reverse lunges. I don't know why, but they are so satisfying. Sort of like a backward step up with a lower step. I can feel my posterior chain working so much more on these than step ups, and I can do it without cheating off back leg. First set was actually one 15lb DB and one 12, because I didn't realize I got two different weights. Only noticed it on second set, and fixed it.
I used a 10 lb. DB for ball crunches, long lever hold. Hard.
Reverse crunches on floor; think I'll try the incline variation next time.
For the lateral flexion, I did the first 10 reps just upper body flex, then second 10 upper body and leg together; it's a weird move, but I could feel it for sure.
I like doing these core exercises after the hard work in the first part of the workout. It's a nice break between workout and HIIT.
HIIT: one minute sprints with 2 minute walk between: 6.5, 7.0, 7.5, 8.0, 8.5
This was very hard after the workout. I could not have done one more sprint interval, no way. On the bright side, I felt only very slight shin pain. Will take another week or so off running and do next HIIT on something else. Maybe the stairmaster, I HATE that machine. . . .
Jeez; if you can't do it, Jane, then I'm scared to try, since I'm nowhere near as strong as you are! Your workouts amaze me.
And btw, what about that bf% guess you were going to give me?
Good Lord! My upper body is weak, weak, weak!!! It was just too much for me....at the time I was doing Power Training and trying to do the 100PU plan on my off days. Just couldn't keep up.
And, no way on the BF estimation.....totally not my area of expertise!! Sorry if I gave the impression that *I* could estimate! Not!!
I admit that if I were going to try it I'd probably be more likely to do it while NOT doing something else (or at least dropping any push-ups from whatever plan). I think someone around here did it... maybe Celeste? Like you, I figured it was Jane.
Ok, Jane; I saw your workouts, and you are bench pressing 80 lbs! There's no way I could do that! I haven't reached them in NROLFW yet, but last time I did DB presses I think I used 20 lb. DBs. So, half what you are pressing. You are not weak!
These are so different and awkward feeling still, but I like them. I used the empty BB, and I still am finding it hard to get the bar into position for the squat. It's not too heavy, but getting my wrists and elbows set up is hard. And the squat and press is okay, but I still have to lower the bar from overhead very slowly, and consciously roll it onto my fingers again to get it set up for the next rep. Hopefully they will get easier. The second set I was getting tired, and the ninth rep was difficult, and on the tenth I just couldn't get my arms straightened. Almost, but not quite, hence 9.5 reps, not 10.
Step Ups: 17.5/10, 17.5/10
DB 1pt. Row: 25/10, 25/10
Step ups getting easier! I used the bench instead of my usual plyo box, and it was challenging by virtue of the squishiness of the bench; less stable underfoot and harder to balance. But I didn't have as much trouble with them this time.
LOVE the DB rows! I was going to use 22.5 lb DBs, but they were in use, so instead of waiting, I just used 25s and found it good.
I like the elevated foot lunges much better than the regular lunges, not sure why.
I did all the pushups as T-style! I was so proud of myself. I saw a woman at the gym last Tuesday doing T's with 10 lb. DBs, and was awed. I decided I would try body weight T's, since I can do 10 floor pushups without trouble now. The T's were actually fun, and maybe even made the set easier, because the rotation gives a break to the up/down movement.
Plank: 60s x 2
Cable Horiz. Woodchop: 17.5/10, 17.5/10
I feel I should be able to woodchop more weight, but the machine I use seems plenty heavy at 17.5, maybe because by the end of the workout I am dead tired.
Planks found me really trembly again, but the second set was better than the first, go figure.
My boys are supposed to be flying home tomorrow morning, but my mom just called and said my younger son has an earache, and she's taking him to the ER (it's midnight on the east coast), and if he has a bad infection the doctor might advise not to fly for risk of rupturing the eardrum. So now I have to wait up for her to call and update me on his status. Poor kid, he's 8, and has suffered from ear infections since an infant. But in the last 5 years they have been very occasional. Just bad luck he came down with one the night before his transcontinental flight. Hopefully if he can't fly, the airline will allow us to change his flight for no charge, if he has a doctor's note. I miss that boy, and his brother too. I enjoyed my 5 weeks alone with quiet and neatness, but I was looking forward to them coming home tomorrow.
Glad he got back on his expected flight. I was going to tell you that doctor's note or not that the airline was likely going to hit you with a change fee. They're not often the most forgiving people. Much better that he ended on his scheduled flight.
I've never tried any Lean Cuisine at all. I might give it a try, though I really tend to like the full flavor, full fat versions of foods. I think I'd rather allow myself the real thing every once in a while than a dietary-modified food more often.
Been reading some of Lyle McDonald's articles about muscle gain. I think I have reached the point in fat loss where I have lost enough to start a bulk cycle, judging by my own perception of how I look, and also hubby's comments that "I think you've lost enough weight; you don't want to get too thin." Wish I could get more of that stubborn upper thigh/hip fat off, but oh well.
So, onto analyzing my intake/output for the last two months I have been tracking, to find out how high my intake surplus should be. A quick analysis tonight gave me these preliminary results: average intake just over 2000 calories. I have been losing weight on this. GWF report average calorie expenditure is 2208, but this is only since July 3, when I started wearing the device, and skips the week I was on vacation since I didn't wear it much. But I think this is fairly accurate, since I have lost weight the last two months.
Lyle's suggestion for muscle gain is 16-18 cal/lb body weight. The high end of this puts me at 2178 calories. Obviously not enough for me. I think I'll try around 2400 to start, and see what I get. I think I'll bulk until I'm around 128-130 lbs. and then see where I am in terms of body fat. Then cut again to lose the fat. That's 7-9 pounds of gain, since I'm at 121 now. Maybe that's unrealistic, but I've never done this before, so I have to play it by ear.
Still.....it wasn't the same.
So now I have to wait up for her to call and update me on his status. Poor kid, he's 8, and has suffered from ear infections since an infant. But in the last 5 years they have been very occasional. Just bad luck he came down with one the night before his transcontinental flight. Hopefully if he can't fly, the airline will allow us to change his flight for no charge, if he has a doctor's note. I miss that boy, and his brother too. 
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