Sunday, March 21, 2010

Legs

Well I trained legs for the first time in 5 weeks yesterday.  I used very light weights on the leg extensions and did single legs.  I haven't done 30 lbs in forever as a regular set.  I was able to do 15 for reps with tight squeezes without any pulling on my groin.  But I could tell my quads were not in the sync with things.  The process that moves forward is the most important thing.  All work after that was single lunges.  Could def tell a difference in my right leg, it is much weaker than the left.  So I am on the right path.  Tried doing the leg press with just 100 lbs on it.  Felt the groin get uncomfortable, so I will be holding off on that movement for a while longer.

Leg extensions 30 lbs 10/12/15/15 each side
Lunges 10 reps each leg 4 sets
Side lunges 2 sets 10 reps
Diagonal lunges 2 sets 10 reps

15 minutes cardio

Sunday 1 hour cardio - 30 minutes stepmill, 30 minutes treadmill (made it to 5.0 mph for the last 12 minutes - progress!)
 5 minutes stretching in between cardio sessions.

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Building a better back

Today was back and triceps day.  I always love training back, it is one of my better body parts.  I was able to hit it pretty hard without any issues of pain in my lower back.  Did two sessions of stretching to make sure I would be able to go at it.  Thirty minutes of cardio done.  If I manage to keep 4.0 mph I can burn ~350 cals per training session on the treadmill, leaving me with less than 1500 cals to cut out of my diet for the week.  Sweet.  And even at 4.0 mph, I don't feel like I even broke a sweet.  Treading lightly with the recovery process as I do not want to be sidelined again for 5 weeks.

Back
Bent over rows
bar 45 lbs 15 reps
95 lbs 11 reps
115 lbs 8 reps
135 lbs 6, 8 reps

Hammer strength lat high pulls palms in
70 lbs each side 10 reps
80 lbs each side 8
90 lbs each side 6

Lat pulldowns to the front
75 lbs 15 reps
105 lbs 15 reps
135 lbs 10 reps

Triceps
Close grip bench
bar 45 lbs 15 reps
95 lbs 3 sets 10 reps

Dips - BW - 3 sets 15 reps

Calves - Standing calf raises  155 lbs 15, 175 lbs 12 x 2

30 minutes cardio on treadmill high speed 4.0 mph.

Looks like I am back in the saddle again!

Well

As depressing as it was I took my measurements, weight and bf%!  I have been on a roller coaster with emotions around my psoas tendonitis injury.  No lower body training until yesterday, which I trained hamstrings very lightly.  It felt so good to be back, to what I know although the weights were not any where close to what I am accustommed to using.  Having an injury with a competitive attitude/personality do not mix.  I threw months of training and cardio out the window b/c I allowed myself to eat what I wanted to b/c heck, I don't officially go back to karate until April.  Didn't think I would start lower body training yet, but my injury is so managable now.  I recovered very quickly.  Still have my moments and days....as my lower back will flare a tad bit, but nothing that stretching doesn't cure.  HOOOOOOOOOORAAAAAYYYYYY!

Right, well on the flip side of that coin, I have average body fat for a female.  I swear all my curves have come back, but they are not the muscle curves I crave!  DANG IT!  LOL!  Part of the process, as I am going to call it.  There are several shows coming up in the late summer/early fall that I am interested in.  It is going to be interesting to see how I am able to kick things back into gear with a new mentality.  Granted, there is a part of me that is scared as my groin issue was no joke.  There were days that walking bothered me and if I was on my feet too long, the pain was there in full effect.  So not to make light of what happened, but also not to use it as an excuse.  This is my come back from everything - perimenopause and psoas tendonitis.  Granted, I have the best Reiki/core massage therapist in the world.  Found the real reason I was having issues with my psoas as it was all the way into my abdominal region.  No wonder I have been so crooked with my shoulders and hips.  But that is ok as my right leg is starting to carry more of the load it is suppose to.

Enough about that.  How about training?  Well, did 30 minutes on the ellipitcall.  Thought I was going to lose my mind, lol!  Can you say bored to death and I had forgotten how it was.  I am hoping I can manage 1 hour of cardio by next week.  Huh, didn't you just get started child!?  Yes, but at this point I will keep 30 minute segments till I feel my body can handle a full hour.  I am so happy to train legs this week, well quads.  I did try a single with 135 lbs on the Smith machine and it hurt my back slightly.  I am sure I will be able to manage it this week.  Feeling good and strong, but being careful.  YEAH!!!!

Yesterday's training - Shoulders and Hamstrings

Overhead BB presses
Warm up - bar 15 reps
65 lbs for 12
95 lbs for 6 x 2
65 lbs 10

Upright rows - Smith machine
95 lbs for 15
115 lbs for 12
135 lbs for 10

Bent over rows w/DB SLDs
27.5 lbs 10/12/15
45 lbs for 10 x 3

Lying leg curls
30 lbs 10
50 lbs 10 x 2

Tabata for calves - 110 lbs seated leg press for 4 minutes

30 minutes cardio on elliptical

Today's task measurements

Shoulders 43 inches
Chest 38 inches
Arms R/L 13/12.75
Waist 30 inches
Abdomen 33 inches
Hips 38 inches
Thighs R/L 21.75/22
Calves R/L 12.75/13

Wt: 165.2 lbs
BF% 25% (YIKES!) Nothing but a THANG!  I got this.

Headed out to train back and triceps.  TTYL.

Monday, February 22, 2010

Mad as a hatter!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8528100.stm

How's this for an eye opener?  Insurance companies want to raise their rates unchecked without question b/c Obama wants healthcare coverage for everyone.  This should outrage people.  But on Thursday, while Pres Obama was releasing this information, guess what the American people were watching - Tiger Woods apologize.  How's that for being interested in what big business is doing here!

We are more interested in watching the dealings of a celebrity than getting on the backs of corporations that are going to put the broomstick even futher.  When people are losing their jobs and not able to afford COBRA coverage, why do insurance companies feel they can just raise their rates to keep a high profit margin.  As it stands, insurance companies bank on 80% of the subscribers paying for the 20% of the subcribers who use the coverage.  That is a statistical and business model fact, that insurance companies use in order to maintain their profit margin.  They don't want national healthcare coverage.  They want to maintain the status quo b/c it means more money in their pockets.  You would think they want more subscribers, but with the current health status of the American public, I can understand why they want to jack up their rates. 

We are not doing anything about our health.  We would rather relie on someone else prescribing a pill than exercising and making lifestyle changes.  How many of you would get a personal trainer and stick with it, if your insurance company paid for it rather than gastric bypass surgery?  Lifestyle changes are hard to do, but the reward is priceless.  Your health and the ability of you taking care of yourself is being stripped away.  You better do something about it.

Saturday, January 30, 2010

Chest and biceps

Got them in today. 

Chest
Incline press - bar 15 x 2, 95 lbs 10, 135 lbs 5, 115 lbs 8
Cable flyes - 40 lbs 12, 50 lbs 10 (machine started sticking), 40 lbs 10 (machine sticking again)
Decline press - 95 lbs 10 x 3 (right shoulder tight on this movement)

Seated bicep curl 30 lb DBs 12 x 3
Cable curls - 60 lbs 15 x 3

Decline abs 25 lb plate 15 x 3

30 minutes ellipitcal cardio.

Scheduled cardio two later this evening.  Time to eat!

Totally forgot to post back and tricep training!

Back
Seated cable rows high - 105 lbs 10 x 4
Hammer strength close grip pulldown - 90 lbs 12, 140 lbs 15, 180 lbs 12 x 2
Lat pulldowns single arm - 80 lbs 12 x 3

Triceps
Overhead extensions - 70 lbs 15 x 3
Tricep kickbacks - 12.5 lb DB 12 ss w/rollouts for abs 3 x 12

Cardio - 90 minutes total for the day

Gotten behind

Really got behind on keeping track of my training.  Glad that didn't translate into a misisng in the gym.

Wednesday - 1 hour cardio, 1 hour karate

Thursday - 530am cardio - 1 hour - it sucked wind like a mug!  30 min stepmill, 10 min ellipitical (yes, i punked out) 20 minutes treadmill

Quads - Smith machine squats - 135 lbs 10, 185 lbs 10, 225 lbs 7 x 2 (hadn't reached that weight since before my perimenopause diagnosis)  thought my strength was gone. granted i used to squat that for 15 reps and could do 285 lbs for 10, but i think my body is coming back to what i know!
Single leg lunges Smith machine - 135 lbs 12, 155 lbs 12, 185 lbs 10
Leg press - 495 lbs 15, 675 lbs 12!, 765 lbs 8!  again heaviest i have gone sine october of last year!

Friday 1 hour cardio - ZONKED!  no chest training.  gotta get glutamine and branch chains in me now that i have stepped up things.  can feel my recovery for prep is not there and this is only the beginning.

Well off to the races.  Gotta get chest and biceps in along with 30 min of cardio.  Then this evening 1 hour of cardio.  Stick with the plan and things happen!

Thursday, January 21, 2010

Shoulders and Hammies

Yesterday I hit my favorite and least favorite body parts.  Love hamstrings, never had to do much in order to improve and grow them.  Shoulders on the other hand, feel like I need to stuff something under the muscle in order to have that classic X factor in them to compliment my quads.  They were a little tight from training back the day before, but I managed to put them through a different set of paces yesterday.  It was nice really focusing on the medial head of my shoulders and working to bring out the tapper.  I have such LONG muscles, I swear it is going to take an act of magic to bring them to the level where I want them.  Gotta go back to heavy duty lifting on every movement.  Cleans w/heavy uprights are in the future.  And it never fails when I train shoulders at the dojo we do a million pushups.  They kill my shoulders tremendously and it is hard to focus when you feel the beating you put on them earlier that day.

Shoulders

Rear delt machine - 50 lbs 20 reps
                              70 lbs 15 x 2
                              70 lbs for 10, then 40 lbs for each side for 10

Seated lateral raises - pinkies up
                                 15 lbs 10, single arm 15 lbs 10
                                 10 lbs 15, single arm 10 lbs 15
                                 15 lbs 15, single arm 15 lbs 12
                                 10 lbs 15, single arm 10 lbs 15
                                 15 lbs 10, single arm 15 lbs 10
                                 10 lbs 15 reps - all this was done in superset fashion w/rest between 10 lb and 15 lb

Leg curls
             Single leg 30 lbs, 40 lbs, 50 lbs 10 reps each x 2
 
Abs - rollouts balance ball 12 reps x 3

1 hour cardio done

1 hour karate training
            

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Back and triceps

Yesterday I managed my 90 minutes of cardio in along with hitting back and triceps.  Energy level felt good.  Cardio still feels hit or miss to me.  Not exactly sure why that is going on.  So, going to re-evaluate it.  Just don't want to feel like I am on the treadmill going nowhere.  When I drink my coffee, things really feel like I can go forever.  But don't want to rely on caffeine to get through workouts, esp with the fibromyalgia pains I get in my legs and lower back.  This perimenopause is something to manage.  I know for certain I can manage it as I wouldn't have been given the task of it.

Back:

One arm rows - 50 lbs 10, 60 lbs 10, 70 lbs 8, 80 lbs 6, 65 lbs 10
Hammer strength pull downs - 45 lb plate 12, 70 lbs 8, 90 lbs 6 (reverse grip)
High seated cable rows - 90 lbs 12 x 2, 105 lbs 12

Superset overhead extensions w/bench dips - 10/10 (40 lbs for extensions, then 50 lbs x 2)

Calves - 180 lb toe presses 5 sets 10 reps each leg

Friday, January 15, 2010

Re-thinking things

I sit and ponder my comp plans along with everything I am doing for 2010. Things are moving quickly and not quickly. My body has done several things this year:

1) I have added more muscle to shoulders (YEAH!)
2) Obliques are more developed thanks to lots of training
3) I have entered perimenopause - genetically pre-determined (wasn't expecting this one)

We lost my grandmother this past Thanksgiving and I took it really hard. So all during xmas, I didn't train, and the symptoms from perimeno was kicking my butt. January rolled around and my energy finally came back and I was able to get back on track with training. Felt good. Right now I am getting busier and busier by the week, so not sure how to juggle all that I am doing with keeping a tight focus on comp training. Going to re-eval some things this weekend and see if I can work my magic.

TTYL - QUADS today with the beast. Hope I survive.