2012-08-11 - Ketchup!; Changes; Disappointment; Blood Donation

So, it's been a while. It's not that I haven't been exercising, or watching what I eat, I've just been... non-bloggy. And my activities have been pretty much mediocre, at best. And, since this is kind of a pain in the buttocks, I've decided to nix the blog-every-workout thing and just do general updates. Mmmkay?

I did kick my weight-lifting up a notch. That happened on/around August 6th.

My cardio has been almost non-existent. My diet has been like, really awesome except for every afternoon at 3 pm, and except for 3 dinners per week and except for 2 lunches per week... Totally unsatisfactory.

Also, I fell off the wagon and started stepping on the scale. Unsurprisingly, my weight hasn't budged, aside from the normal ups and downs. Neither has my BMI, or my bone density, or my body fat percentage. Why do I do this to myself? Admittedly, this supports my point about not getting on the scale. I can see the definition in my muscles. I can lift more, and I can tell that my arms are bigger and my legs are bigger. So how can my scale say I'm the same weight and the same BMI? It must be lying. I'll get a kid or DH to take a picture when we go to the water park next weekend. I swear there's change. Just, not nearly as much as I had dreamed of.

I talked to my trainer about stuff. We'll get together this week, I think. He's super-busy. So am I.

We talked diet. I thought he had some low-carb plan, or something, but it turns out, it's mostly common sense stuff: you need carbs, but not too many; calories aren't bad, you need those, too, but watch the calories from fat; the more processed something is, the worse it is; you need extra protein, because you're building muscle, but eat lean meats; salmon is good for women, as it has more estrogen and it's a lean meat full of the good-for-you fats; sausage is never good; if you have to eat bread, go for whole-grain; white bread is always evil; a surprising number of foods have been fried (that's bad), and have extra sugars added (also bad); enjoy dessert by looking at the pretty pictures on the menu; but there's no need to go all crazy-vegan-paleo. And he wants me to keep a food-log for a week.

We also talked exercise. The weight training and cardio ups your metabolism better than cardio alone. It's been researched and proven - you build the muscles and they help with your metabolism. But you have to keep the metabolism up... which means doing something almost every day. This three-days-a-week thing isn't going to help me that much. My trainer recommends 5. So I need to figure out at least two low-sweat workouts I can cram into my lunch hour. And get serious about this.

Oh, and if you're an athlete thinking of doing double-red-cell blood donation, don't. My routine has taken such a hit. I'm tired all the time, and even two weeks later, I'm only just now getting close to where I was before the donation. I noticed it on the stairs. On Tuesday, I got up all six flights just fine - I was a little out of breath at the top, but that was normal for me. On Wednesday, I was totally gassed and had to stop and rest on the 4th floor landing, and again on the 5th floor landing, and got to my desk panting. Maybe I'll do this again in the summer, since there's a crisis every year at that time, and I'm O-, but certainly not every donation cycle. This is nuts. I saw a blog from a marathoner who views it differently: he's O+ and knows the blood is needed, so is more willing to take the hit on his training, but even he said it'd likely be a few weeks. I'm seeing a lot of pro-donation sites saying that studies have shown no additional side-effects, but all the athlete blogs are saying that the fatigue can be brutal for a week or two.

New weight-training plan looks like this:

Dead Lifts
15 reps @ 40lbs - 10 reps @ 50lbs - 8 reps @ 60lbs

Bent-over Rows (using dumb-bells)
15 reps @ 15lbs - 10 reps at 20 lbs - 8 reps @ 25lbs

Goblet Squats (using one dumb-bell)
15 reps @ 25lbs - 10 reps @ 30lbs - 8 reps @ 35lbs

Medicine Ball Slams (5-kg medicine ball)
12 reps - 12 reps - 12 reps

Straight-leg Dead Lift
15 reps @ 40lbs - 10 reps @ 50lbs - 8 reps @ 60lbs

And then some cardio. At least 20 minutes of good work. I still need ab work. My trainer indicated last we talked that he thought he had given me a core work-out. I think I'll be getting that from him this week.

2012-07-15 - Hot Circuit; Please No Photos

According to Blogger, most of my traffic is from Russia. If any of you Russians need work-out tips, I know a guy, I could maybe introduce you. Call me. We'll do lunch or something.

My one-month point was the 13th. That'd be one month working out (more or less) regularly and eating smarter, and two months no smoking. Since I don't believe in scales, I'm supposed to track with pictures. But frankly, I'm not feeling it. It's not a good-body day. There are times when I'm totally impressed with my own progress, and I feel good about the way I look. Today, I feel fat and weak. So, no pic.

It was hot in the house. I'm hoping that's why this circuit sucked so bad.

Prisoner Squats, 30 reps: Check!
Push-ups, 15 reps: Check!
Jumps, 10 reps: Check!
Push-ups, 15 reps: Check!
Swiss-Ball Leg Curls, 10 reps: Check!
Swiss-Ball Pikes, 10 reps: Check!
Step-Ups, 4-ct, 20 reps: Check!
Chin-ups, 5 reps: Planks, 8-ct, 5
Forward Lunges, 30 reps: Check!
Tucked-elbow push-ups: 6 up, 14 knees
Inverted Rows, 15 reps: 0
Prisoner Squats, 15 reps: Check!
Chin-ups, 5 reps: planks, 8-ct, 3

2012-07-12 - New Yoga Mat

I missed doing them at the gym last night, so I did them in my living room this morning. Even though it wasn't hot yet, it was a good bit warmer (about 78 degrees) than my gym (about 70, most days), and I think between doing it the morning and not having A/C, it made a huge difference. Also, brand-new yoga mats smell bad.

Prisoner Squats, 30 reps: Check!
Push-ups, 15 reps: Check!
Jumps, 10 reps: Check!
Push-ups, 15 reps: 10 up, 5 on my knees
Swiss-Ball Leg Curls, 10 reps: Check!
Swiss-Ball Pikes, 10 reps: Check!
Step-Ups, 4-ct, 20 reps: Check!
Chin-ups, 5 reps: Planks, 8-ct, 5
Forward Lunges, 30 reps: Check!
Tucked-elbow push-ups: 15 up, 5 knees
Inverted Rows, 15 reps: 0
Prisoner Squats, 15 reps: Check!
Chin-ups, 5 reps: planks, 8-ct, 4

2012-07-09 - Post-dated

I did do this workout. I skipped the cardio. It was kinda blah.


Dead Lifts
15 reps @ 30lbs - 10 reps @ 40lbs - 8 reps @ 50lbs

Bent-over Rows (using dumb-bells)
15 reps @ 10lbs - 10 reps at 15 lbs - 8 reps @ 20lbs

Goblet Squats (using one dumb-bell)
15 reps @ 20lbs - 10 reps @ 25lbs - 8 reps @ 30lbs

Medicine Ball Slams (6-lb medicine ball)
15 reps - 15 reps - 15 reps

Straight-leg Dead Lift
15 reps @ 30lbs - 10 reps @ 40lbs - 8 reps @ 50lbs

2012-07-07 - Breaking the Streak; Back to the Start

So, I went ahead with my plan to do my circuit, and was pleasantly surprised both that the heat prior to arriving at the gym (which is, unlike my house, very well air conditioned) did not seem to negatively impact my workout and that contrary to my worries, I've actually made progress on my ability to do my circuit.

I took my husband's advice and instead of refusing to do either chin-ups or drop-downs, I got on the chin-up-assist machine and set it so that I was pulling up a little over 100lbs of my own weight each time. This was way more satisfying than just refusing to do it.

All-in-all, I had an excellent work-out. I should have stayed to do some cardio, or gone through the circuit another time, but it is Saturday.

Now, the only question is, do I rinse off in the shower before putting my swim suit on for some sun-bathing and reading, or do I throw a swimsuit on this sweaty body and rinse off in the hose so I can dry off on my beach towel?

Prisoner Squats, 30 reps: Check!
Push-ups, 15 reps: 10 up, 5 on my knees
Jumps, 10 reps: Check!
Push-ups, 15 reps: 9 up, 5 on my knees
Swiss-Ball Leg Curls, 10 reps: Check!
Swiss-Ball Pikes, 10 reps: Check!
Step-Ups, 4-ct, 20 reps: Check!
Chin-ups, 5 reps: lifting 100lbs on the assist machine, check.
Forward Lunges, 30 reps: Check!
Tucked-elbow push-ups: 15 up, 5 knees
Inverted Rows, 15 reps: 5 chin-ups on the assist machine
Prisoner Squats, 15 reps: Check!
Chin-ups, 5 reps: on the assist machine, check.

EDIT: I looked back at the last time I did the circuit, and there is definitely progress there. Last time, I had 4 reds and 2 yellows, so it is getting better.

Also, I think I liked how planks we working not just my arms, like the chin-ups, but also my core and quads. I think instead of the inverted rows, or the assisted chin-ups, I'll add in the planks in their stead. And maybe some light-weight oblique workout. Swiss-Ball obliques? Or maybe something with that 20lb bar-bell...

2012-07-06 - Bad Weekend, Continued

Like the title says, the bad weekend went right through the week. Work-out number one was on Tuesday (should've been Monday), which would dictate that workout number two be on Thursday, but I was sick on Thursday, so, here it is Friday, and I just did workout number two. Workout number three will be tomorrow. Onward and upward for next week.

The knee pain I was having, probably as a result of going too far down on the dead lifts and squats, has lessened - a good sign. Also, I'm once again not feeling this workout as much as I think I should. I'm just not as sore as I think I should be. And I'm a little worried that this weight workout isn't doing as many different things as my circuit was doing. I think tomorrow's workout will be my circuit followed by half an hour on the elliptical.

I totally wanted a cigarette at work this afternoon. It was after lunch. A slow Friday. I had an intellectual problem to solve and I just needed to sit down with a cigarette and think a bit. But I didn't. I sat at my desk, without the sunshine, without the other smokers around me, without a cigarette, and tried to think, instead.

Again, my normal gym doesn't have 2.5lb weights for the bar-bells. So, I had to adjust the amount of weight lifted a bit.

Dead lifts:
15 @ 30 lbs - 10 @ 40 lbs - 8 @ 50 lbs

Bent-over rows (using dumb-bells):
15 reps @ 10 lbs - 10 reps @ 15 lbs - 8 reps @ 20 lbs

Goblet Squats:
15 reps @ 20 lbs - 10 reps @ 25 lbs - 8 reps @ 30 lbs

Medicine Ball slams (6-lb medicine ball):
15 reps - 15 reps - 15 reps

Straight-leg Dead lifts:
15 reps @ 30 lbs - 10 reps @ 40 lbs - 8 reps @ 50 lbs

And 30 minutes on the elliptical. I burned 287 calories (Yay!) and went 2.36 miles with the 1-1 interval program and the upper left at 4.

2012-07-03 - Bad Weekend; Great Workout

So, Friday came and, as usual, I decided to blow off my workout and do it Saturday. And that usually works great, except that Friday night we had a storm that knocked out power through Sunday night. So, I totally missed that workout. And I completely busted my "diet" when we went out to eat two nights in a row because the power was out.

In the mean-time, the only shorts I have are a size too small (or maybe more) and I have to really work to button them, and once I do, I feel awful in them. Not only are they uncomfortable, I feel super-unattractive in them. So, while we were out for dinner, we swung by Marshalls, and I got new shorts, in the size I usually wear these days... Only, I didn't try them on, and they turned out to be just as tight (if not tighter) than my other shorts, which were a size smaller. So did the summer-weight slacks I bought. I wasn't, apparently, feeling bad enough about my body, so I stepped on the scale, which only made me angrier. It was a bad, bad weekend, health-wise.

Monday I was ill and had forgotten to print out my work-out. So I did it yesterday. This week, workouts will be Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. And I better make myself on Saturday! On a happier note, this workout seemed much easier than the first time I did it with my trainer. Maybe because my muscles had time to completely heal up? Maybe because the AC was turned up higher? Who knows?

This was a different gym - one that didn't have 2.5lb weights. So, I had to adjust the amount of weight lifted a bit.

Dead lifts:
15 @ 35 lbs - 10 @ 40 lbs - 8 @ 50 lbs

Bent-over rows (using dumb-bells):
15 reps @ 10 lbs - 10 reps @ 15 lbs - 8 reps @ 20 lbs

Goblet Squats:
15 reps @ 20 lbs - 10 reps @ 25 lbs - 8 reps @ 30 lbs

Medicine Ball slams (6-lb medicine ball):
15 reps - 15 reps - 15 reps

Straight-leg Dead lifts:
15 reps @ 30 lbs - 10 reps @ 40 lbs - 8 reps @ 50 lbs

About 23 Minutes on the elliptical, doing 1-1 intervals. The higher resistance was at 6, the lower resistance was at 2. It said I burned about 203 calories.

2012-06-27 - Changes (Ow)

So, the first thing my trainer did for me was hand me a circuit work-out. This was at work, during a break. He showed me and another lady some of the exercises, recommended a web-site, and gave me the basic circuit. He's been periodically checking-up on my progress since then.

Last night we had our first gym meeting. He gave me the weight-training work-out below, and showed me how to lift. He helped me select weights and watched me go through it all, to make sure I kept good form so I didn't hurt my back.


And we started talking about diet. I had previously refused to change my diet. I'm kinda going back on that. We'll see how far back I go.


20 minutes of cardio. I'll probably do sprints or hop on the elliptical.

Dead Lifts
15 reps @ 35lbs - 10 reps @ 40lbs - 8 reps @ 45lbs

Bent-over Rows (using dumb-bells)
15 reps @ 10lbs - 10 reps at 15 lbs - 8 reps @ 20lbs

Goblet Squats (using one dumb-bell)
15 reps @ 20lbs - 10 reps @ 25lbs - 8 reps @ 30lbs

Medicine Ball Slams (6-lb medicine ball)
15 reps - 15 reps - 15 reps

Straight-leg Dead Lift - I'm not going all the way down. Mine is, start standing, fold until wrists and knees are parallel, straighten, keeping back straight and bar-bell close to legs throughout.
15 reps @ 35lbs - 10 reps @ 40lbs - 8 reps @ 45lbs

2012-06-25 - More Heat; Arm Progress; Rearranging

Once again, I was totally not feeling this workout. It was hot. It was Monday. I went to work today at a different location than I normally do. I couldn't find the gym at that place. I was tired. And it was hot.

I did re-arrange the circuit to mix the arms a little more evenly throughout the work-out, but I stayed with the same stuff that I usually do. Arms are still lagging, but are getting better, as evidenced by more push-ups on my toes and fewer on my knees.

Prisoner Squats, 30 - Check!
Push-ups, 20 - 10 up, 10 knees
Jumps, 10 - Check!
Push-ups, 10 [make-up] -All up! Check!
Swiss-ball leg curls, 10 - Check!
Pull-ups/Chin-ups, 5 - 8-ct planks instead, 5
Swiss-ball Pikes, 10 - Check!
Step-ups, 20 - Check!
Tucked-elbow push-ups, 20 - 6 up, 14 knees
Lunges, 30 - Check!
Inverted rows, 15 - 8-ct planks instead, 4
Prisoner Squats, 15 - Check!
Chin-ups, 5 - 4-ct Overhead arm claps, 20

2012-06-24 - Heat & Humor

Prisoner Squats, 30 - Check!
Push-ups, 30 - 10 up, 10 on knees
Jumps, 10 - Check!
(push-ups - 4 up, 6 on knees)
Swiss-ball Leg Curls, 10 - Check!
Swiss-ball Pikes, 10 - Check!
8-ct steps, 20 - Check!
Pull-ups/Chin-ups, 5 - 8-ct Planks, 5
Lunges, 30 - Check!
Tucked-elbow Push-ups, 20 - 2 up, 8 on knees
Inverted rows, 15 - 8-ct planks, 5
Prisoner Squats, 15 - Check!
Chin-ups, 5 - No.
(4-ct Mountain-Climbers - 10)


Okay, so I had talked to Kevin, my trainer, and explained that my arms just weren't progressing like my legs. That I was getting all the leg stuff, and the vast majority of the legs-&-abs stuff, but the arm stuff was all behind. I wasn't successful on any of it. He recommended repeating the circuit, to further challenge legs, doing what I could with arms.

I didn't do that today, as I could tell that I was having a hard time with the heat (no AC in my house, where I did my work-out), but I'll do that tomorrow. It was odd: I just felt weaker than normal as I began my workout. I thought maybe it was laziness at first, especially since I wasn't feeling this work-out, but I think it was the heat.

We also talked about breaking up the push-ups, which I did on the first set, and about adding push-ups in on my off-days. I'll add that to my to-do list.

My daughter, who is 10, watched me do the circuit, keeping track of which exercised were next and how many I had to do, and then asked if I could guide her through the circuit. So I did. She's pretty dang strong. It was funny to see her try the Swiss-ball pikes - she's short enough that the Swiss-ball is a pretty decent challenge. And it's hilarious watching someone else get the hang of the step-ups: Left up, right up, right dow- Left down, right down, left- Right up, left up, left- Right down, left down...

Vindication and Goals: Some Really Good Reasons to Break Up With Your Scale

When I started noticing weight gain, I started refusing to get on a scale.

Not that I was ever fond of them. Up three pounds, down two, up one, down two, up three, down one... Is there really a point to doing it more often than monthly?

At first, I justified this with a flippant, "I refuse to tie my self-worth to an arbitrary number." And then I started really thinking about that stance. I decided, as stances go, it's really not a bad one. Is 74 better than 79? My [skinny] kids brag about how much they weigh, as it's a mark of how much they've grown. Is 223 better than 212? It is if you're a weight-lifter. This obsession with numbers is dumb.

Even so, someone pointed out that BMI is a good tool for measuring how fat you are. Which is a good thing to know if you're trying to be less fat. And that number is found... on my scale. Right after my weight is displayed. I was seriously considering a quick peek at my BMI; my sureness in my stance was shaken. After all, I am trying to be less fat. And measuring how much fat I am would be a good way to mark progress. But I was dragging my heels. It was just another number, right?

Then I saw a blog which someone pinned on Pinterest, in which the author gives Ten Rules For Fat Girls. Besides talking generally about not hating your body, she makes several comments about scales and numbers, even going so far as to renounce focusing on BMIs.

It got me to thinking about goals. I use them at work, I use them in other parts of my life. Shouldn't I set myself some SMART goals for my health plan?

• S - Weight loss. Be stronger, with a toned body. Be a non-smoker. Have a healthy, active lifestyle. Be able to wear the clothes in my closet and wear them well.
• M - Goal is reached when I fit into my clothes again. When I've gone a year without smoking. When I see pictures taken of me and don't hate them all.
• A - We're talking dropping a dress size or so. It won't be immediate, but I know I can do this. I was a non-smoker before, and I know I can be again. I'm not trying to be a movie-star - just a healthier version of me.
• R - This is going to require three days a week in the gym OR doing something really exercisey. Like soccer for an hour or more. And since this is a lifestyle change, that's going to mean, pretty much forever. Ooof.
• T - Hmm. Well, forever for the smoking, obviously. For the other bits, I'm thinking, by the holidays.

2012-06-20

I remembered to print my circuit. :)

I am noticing that my goals with legs are going fine, but my arms are a consistent failure. Those 10 chin-ups I'm supposed to do are never gonna happen.

So, here's a compare & contrast, color-coded and all:

Prisoner Squats, 30 - Check
Push-ups, 30 - 7 up, 13 on my knees
Jumps, 10 - Check
Swiss-ball leg curls, 10 - Check
Swiss-Ball Pikes, 10 - seven
8-ct steps, 20 - Check (these are the same as the other steps, I just mis-counted: L up, R up, L down, R down, R up, L up, R down, L down = 8. Not 4.)
Pull-ups/Chin-ups, 5 - Inverse rows, 5
Forward Lunges, 30 - Check
Tucked-elbow Push-ups, 20 - 15 on knees
Inverted Rows, 15 - 8-ct Planks, 5
Prisoner Squats, 15 - Check!
Chin-ups - No. Flat refusal.

As of today, I talked to my trainer about breaking up arms. I think we agreed to stick with it as it is, but since my legs are doing fine, to start repeating the circuit - so, for the second go-round, I'll likely do some knee push-ups, instead of whatever arm-madness was prescribed.

2012-06-18

I have got to remember to print out my circuit as part of packing my gym bag. Otherwise, I forget what I'm supposed to do, and end up trucking a pile of post-its to the gym.

This is what I ended up doing:
Prisoner Squats, 30
Push-ups, 5 up, 15 on my knees
Lunges, 30
Inverse rows, 4 - My bar was pretty low (hehehe!) and I think that may have made it harder. I'll try it with the bar higher next time
Swiss ball pikes, 5
Jumps, 10
Steps, 30
Tucked-elbow push-ups, 3 up, 7 on my knees
Swiss-ball leg curls, 20
8-ct planks, 5 up
Lunges, 15
Swiss-ball Pikes, 4

I've been really good about taking the stairs to work. I work on the 6th floor, and I'm not stopping for breath on my way up, though I'm still plenty winded when I get there.

2012-06-16

So, I was just wondering:
How many victims of personal training fantasize about causing physical pain to their physical trainer? Not that I'm not grateful. I am. I just hope it hurt him when he started.

The best part of the workout:
My marathon-running DH did the 30 prisoner squats with me and exclaimed, "Why would you do that? It just hurts!"

I think I need to add some abs to this, other than the leg-lifts. Something more purely abs.

The routine:
Prisoner Squats, 30
Push-ups, 20 - 14 were on my knees
Jumps, 10
Wall-bridge, 10
Swiss ball Pikes, without the Swiss ball, 10
8-ct Step-ups, 20
Inverse Rows, 15 on my butt
Lunges, 30
Tucked-elbow Push-Ups, 15 on my knees
Inverse rows, 15, on my butt
Prisoner Squats, 15
Leg-lifts, 10-digit phone number

First Circuit and More

This is what I'm aiming for every work-out. The plan is, when I master this, we'll tweak to add more stuff, make it harder, etc. I'm so not even close. I can't even do ONE chin-up, much less 10 in one work-out.

Circuit

Prisoner Squats, 30 reps
Push-ups, 30 reps
Jumps, 10 reps
Swiss-Ball Leg Curls, 10 reps
Swiss-Ball Pikes, 10 reps
Step-ups, 4-ct, 20 reps
Pull-ups or Chin-ups, 5 reps
Forward Lunges, 30 reps
Tucked Elbow Push-ups, 20 reps
Inverted Rows, 15 reps
Prisoner Squats, 15 reps
Chin-ups, 5 reps

Alternates & Add-ins

Leg-lifts, but write, or draw your phone number instead of up-&-down (abs & core)
Wall-bridge, hold for two or three deep breaths, 10 reps
Threading - make a bridge, lift left foot and right hand, slide left foot under right leg as you start to turn over
Six-step? Like, the one from break dancing?

2012-06-13 - Before

I've started this post about three times in my head. There's just no good beginning. No beginning I'd be proud to look back on later, when it comes to health.

Actually, this was taken after the
half-season of soccer,
but it's pretty close to "before"
when you get down to it.

Starting-point

Without getting too nit-picky about dates and times and all, four weeks ago, I was a smoker. I played soccer for 45-90 minutes once a week. I probably weighed over 190 lbs (I pretty much refuse to do scales. That said, someone tricked me into getting onto one a couple months ago, and it was over 190. I don't remember how much over, just that it was over).

Progress

I quit smoking on Mother's day (May 13) this year. That Sunday was my first full day without cigarettes, though I was smoking no more than two of my little girly cigars per day for a while, though, now, I haven't had one of those in about a week or so. My top reasons for quitting were the cost (about $8.50 a pack up here) and vanity (teeth, skin, breath, odor, etc). So far, I've been good. David quit with me, so that's been a huge help. It's almost impossible to quit if one partner still smokes.

As of Monday, I gave up elevators (I work on the 6th floor!) and started working out, using a circuit a friend designed for me. My work-out days are Monday, Wednesday and Friday. The schedule this week got all hairy, and I was too sore to move yesterday, so I actually am doing Monday, Thursday, and Saturday this week. Next week is looking better in terms of sticking to schedule, though I plan to be a little lenient: so long as I'm hitting three times a week, that's acceptable, if not preferable.

The Routine

The circuit I did Monday:
Prisoner Squats, 30 reps
Push-ups, 20 reps (on my knees)
Jumps, 10 reps (harder than it sounds, deep knee-bend and then SO HIGH!)
Swiss Ball Leg curls, 20 reps
4-ct step-ups, 20 reps
Drop-downs, 4 (like a chin-up, but you start at the top and try to lower yourself slowly).
4-ct Forward Lunge, 30 reps
Tucked-elbow push-ups, 15 reps
Leg-lifts, 15 reps
Prisoner Squats, 15 reps
4-ct Planks, 5 reps (from elbows to hands and back down, like step-ups)