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)