I wasn't really into it today. I had intended to go up in weights on the squats today, but I miscalculated. Now I see why my trainer was suggesting to me to write it the way he did.
I did go up in weights on the step ups. Which should I do next on those, increase the weight or increase the height of the step? Opinions?
Oh, also, I was going to ask if any of you guys wear weight lifting gloves of some kind. Holding the barbells tires my hands out quicker than my legs, if that makes sense, and the surface of the barbells kind of scratches my hands a bit (I know... I'm a wimp). Would gloves help?
One of my husband's old grad school friends visited today with her new baby (she lives about 2 hours away, so this is the first time we've seen the baby). We had some very delicious Indian food, and now I've got to try to figure out how to count up the calories for it. It's a little mom & pop place, so no NI available.
Off to catch up on some other logs now, if my kids will continue to not be killing each other for a few more minutes!
Yup - what Lisa said - once your form is good, get the step nice and high before adding (any) more weight...
Whatever method of notation works best for you is the best way to write it. Most people here write it the same way (just note the total weight of bar + weights) but it REALLY doesn't matter, as long as you know what you've done and how much to progress it!
I think I've got the form on the step ups right. In the book it's kind of confusing because it says to 'lower your nonworking leg to the starting position' and it sounds like that means to bring it to the floor. But the way I was taught to do step ups (a million years ago) was to just brush the floor with the nonworking leg, so I hope that's right.
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Whatever method of notation works best for you is the best way to write it. Most people here write it the same way (just note the total weight of bar + weights) but it REALLY doesn't matter, as long as you know what you've done and how much to progress it!
Yep, I think what I'll do is keep up with the weight in my notebook as bar+plates on one side, and then convert it at home for posting in my online log. So at the gym it will be easier to see what plates I need to add.
Yep, I think what I'll do is keep up with the weight in my notebook as bar+plates on one side, and then convert it at home for posting in my online log. So at the gym it will be easier to see what plates I need to add.
I'm doing it the reverse way.. at home I'm deciding what total weight I'm going to use and then calculate the weight of the disks that are needed to 'get there' . If I turn really theoretical (seldomly do so, but have just done one for SO), I'd round off to the nearest disk I have at my disposal.
The real PITA is knowing in advance what barbell I'm going to use as one gym has 7.5 , 15kg & 20kg barbells, while the other one has various fixed wts & 18kg barbells..
you might be surrpised... a lot of so-called 20kg Oly barbells are really only 18kg! Maybe because they were in imperial weights to begin with ? Yep.. 40lbs = 18.1kg! That's outright maddening actually...
I don't use gloves but I use straps for heavy lifting. Most of the folks on here will advise not to use anything so that your hand and arm strength make gains too. Personally, I do a combination. I'll do all my sets at bw and under without and then as I move up over 135lbs on any given lift, I'll use straps.
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The BIGGER I get the smaller you look
I found some previous threads about gloves, and you are right most people seem to think they are not so good. I guess I will just get callouses.
I worked out with the trainer for the last time today. I think he wanted to kill me. I didn't keep up with what exactly we did. He wrote it all down, but I forgot to copy it after I was done. As far as I can remember these are the exercises and weights. All the pull up/chin up stuff and leg lift stuff was tough for me. Oh, and the planks with leg lifts. Whoa, I felt like a big wimp! Oh, and I decided to add a little extra information for myself. E= easy, M= medium, H= Hard, H+ = REALLY hard. Anyway, here it is:
I worked out with the trainer for the last time today. I think he wanted to kill me. I didn't keep up with what exactly we did. He wrote it all down, but I forgot to copy it after I was done. As far as I can remember these are the exercises and weights.
He would totally definitely kill me then. I can't follow a program because... I don't know. I just go in each time and try to work harder than last time with the principles that I know.
Eventually I'll need to follow a plan. Until then, it's just playtime!!!
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Originally Posted by Lost Dog
Plus, my desire to remain stunningly attractive outweighs the call of the cheesecake. mostly...
I liked training with him because he threw in something different every time. I think that's what's bumming me about the book. It's the same exercises for what? 6 weeks, or 8? Then you get to do some new ones, but also for ~4 weeks in a row, and always in the same order, etc... Bleh. I may not be cut out to follow programs in books.
Anyway, I am already sore today, which bodes badly. If I have 1st day soreness, how bad is the 2nd day soreness going to be?!?
Hi Leigh! Thanks for posting in my log. You are looking awesome and inspirational. I am going to buy the NROL book tonight and check it out. My trainer has me working with mostly free weights. He says you get a better workout that way because you are always using your core muscles as well.
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Moondust The older I get, the older old gets.
I liked training with him because he threw in something different every time. I think that's what's bumming me about the book. It's the same exercises for what? 6 weeks, or 8? Then you get to do some new ones, but also for ~4 weeks in a row, and always in the same order, etc... Bleh. I may not be cut out to follow programs in books.
No, I'm not either. Consistency bores me too. I either don't want to do that one, I'm bored, someone's in my way, or whatever. I want to say it probably doesn't matter but you probably can't make the best gains without consistently working the same muscles in the same way but harder. I bet though, that you can still make some pretty good improvements changing it up all the time as long as you're working all the muscles.
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Originally Posted by Lost Dog
Plus, my desire to remain stunningly attractive outweighs the call of the cheesecake. mostly...
Hi Leigh! Thanks for posting in my log. You are looking awesome and inspirational. I am going to buy the NROL book tonight and check it out. My trainer has me working with mostly free weights. He says you get a better workout that way because you are always using your core muscles as well.
Thanks! Yep, pretty much everything I've read states that working with free weights is more efficient than isolating muscles.
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Originally Posted by Gen
No, I'm not either. Consistency bores me too. I either don't want to do that one, I'm bored, someone's in my way, or whatever. I want to say it probably doesn't matter but you probably can't make the best gains without consistently working the same muscles in the same way but harder. I bet though, that you can still make some pretty good improvements changing it up all the time as long as you're working all the muscles.
Many people train chaotically at first, mixing up what is worked from one session to the next. It does keep it interesting and fun. It is hard to track progress though since you may not be repeating often enough to track changes. That's not to say you won't get more fit or stronger.
At some point though you may start to develop goals other than "working out". You want to see if you can get better at the exercises and really gain some strength. When you start having something specific like that in mind (as vague as it is), then you'll find that a program and plan are beneficial. Your focus changes to viewing lifting as a hobby or sport and you train so that you can see and appreciate the changes from workout to workout (and you can make cool graphs and do lots of math stuff with weights and total volume).
That's not to say you can't find a program that gives you a little more variety than NROL4W (though A/B splits are pretty common). At this point you might prefer a program with say 6 core/main exercises arranged in an A/B pattern with the option for 2-4 more each workout that are more "choose your own adventure" metabolic circuits or assistance exercises or even finishers like complexes.
\ I think that's what's bumming me about the book. It's the same exercises for what? 6 weeks, or 8? Then you get to do some new ones, but also for ~4 weeks in a row, and always in the same order, etc... Bleh. I may not be cut out to follow programs in books.
I think it's wicked important to know yourself and your preferences. There are so many ways to work out and enjoy ourselves. It's not always important to be shooting for a specific goal, IMO.
I don't know about you, but to get good at anything , you have to practice it.. OFTEN! How can someone expect to improve when all parameters change all the time.. this means that you have to do the same exercises in a similar order for a while before changing up.
The way I have trained & gotten my best performance (most weight lifted) I would do the same exercise 3 out of 4 workouts but in varying loads/intensities. To 'grease the groove' so to say. To me that is not boring at all.
Lyle wrote an article the other day about how perfection requires 10000 hrs of practice .
I don't know about you, but to get good at anything , you have to practice it.. OFTEN! How can someone expect to improve when all parameters change all the time.. this means that you have to do the same exercises in a similar order for a while before changing up.
The way I have trained & gotten my best performance (most weight lifted) I would do the same exercise 3 out of 4 workouts but in varying loads/intensities. To 'grease the groove' so to say. To me that is not boring at all.
Lyle wrote an article the other day about how perfection requires 10000 hrs of practice .
Thanks Espi. I skimmed over them. I will read in more detail later. The articles beg the question though... do I really need to become an expert at weight lifting to get benefits?
I didn't understand the last article. What kind of 'power' are they talking about. Is this some sort of mystical thing, or is there some sort of actual physics behind what they are saying?
There is no mystical power. It's just a tongue-in-cheek article referring to the rituals that athletes swear by. It's all in your head, but if it works for ya, it works. Kind of like the placebo affect. But, no....nothing mystical.
Oh, okay, I get it. I read through it so quickly I missed the tongue in cheek part.
It reminds me of working in the lab. We'd develop some silly rituals when performing certain experiments. Such as, when doing a PCR we'd have to wear the same pair of shoes, or fix our hair a certain way to avoid contamination.
I love the power article! Jason always puts plates on face-in, and now I wonder if he's doing it for a reason (versus habit or easier to pull off that way)... he is pretty OCD, so... hmmmmm...
Oh, I forgot... Today was racquetball Sunday. I burned in the neighborhood of 525 cals. I just started AF though, and I was feeling really grumpy and sloooooowwww. My husband felt really manly slamming his serves at me as hard as he could. This did not improve my mood.
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