Fitness Is FUN!

[Lordmuppet]

5 Dec 2011 - Mon Argh, I HAD that 205 lbs squat! The bar wasn't *perfectly* centered on my back and it started tipping to the left just a little about halfway out of the hole, but as soon as I tried to straighten out it killed my drive and I failed!. Ooooh, I hate that, I was so "yeah, I got it" in my head but then I didn't have it.

do you have a tendency to push off more from one foot than the other?

[Frostfire]

Lordmuppet: not that I notice, but I wouldn't be surprised. That is sort-of why I started doing pistol squats as part of my warm-up. I thought it would be good prehab and its been great for working on balance and stretching out my ankle that lost flexibility last year when I sprained it badly. I used to "wiggle" when I squatted years ago (my butt would go from side to side ever so slightly) so I try to focus on going straight up.

13 Dec. 2011 Tues
*5 min warm-up on recumbant bike

Bench: 10 x bar, 10 x 75 lbs, 10 x 95 lbs, 8 x 105 lbs, 5 x 115 lbs, 3 x 115 lbs

Machine Dips: 10 x 150 lbs, 8 x 165 lbs, 5 x 165 lbs

Good session. My boyfriend got laid off (boo) so he's started going to the gym with me on Tuesdays, so I actaully have a spotter (yay). But I still need goals!!! What is there besides local competitions that I can work for? I kinda have the goal of beating some PB's, but I'd love to have something more to work towards. Any thoughts?

[Lordmuppet]

Lordmuppet: not that I notice, but I wouldn't be surprised. That is sort-of why I started doing pistol squats as part of my warm-up. I thought it would be good prehab and its been great for working on balance and stretching out my ankle that lost flexibility last year when I sprained it badly. I used to "wiggle" when I squatted years ago (my butt would go from side to side ever so slightly) so I try to focus on going straight up.

13 Dec. 2011 Tues
*5 min warm-up on recumbant bike

Bench: 10 x bar, 10 x 75 lbs, 10 x 95 lbs, 8 x 105 lbs, 5 x 115 lbs, 3 x 115 lbs

Machine Dips: 10 x 150 lbs, 8 x 165 lbs, 5 x 165 lbs

Good session. My boyfriend got laid off (boo) so he's started going to the gym with me on Tuesdays, so I actaully have a spotter (yay). But I still need goals!!! What is there besides local competitions that I can work for? I kinda have the goal of beating some PB's, but I'd love to have something more to work towards. Any thoughts?

how about chin up/pull up comp here, or the high reps squat comp?

[Frostfire]

how about chin up/pull up comp here, or the high reps squat comp?

Even when I was climbing like crazy my chins have never been more than a handful (like 5 is my max) and *shudder* high rep squats make me want to curl into the fetal position and rock back and forth while crying. , but not bad suggestions

Oh, and I got new lifting shoes

[thestoatyone]

Benchmark lifts? Like 3 plates each side for the dead/2 a side for squat maybe?

Edit:

Actually, looks like you've already hit them!

Maybe 3 plates a side for squat/4 a side for deadlift then?

[Frostfire]

Stoaty - not bad goals at all, I don't think I could do 2 plates for squatting right now!

16 Dec. 2011 - Friday
*5 minute warm-up on an eliptical

Bench: 10 x bar, 10 x 75 lbs, 10 x 95 lbs, 5 x 105 lbs, 5 x 115 lbs, 3 x 120 lbs, 1 x 125 lbs

HS Low Row: 3 x 10 x 90 lbs

Lats: 3 x 10 x 80 lbs

Not a bad day, but the real fun was on Saturday at the Ching Sanctuary. Started out pretty normal and I had some fun and did a lot of work hauling a bunch of ~80 lbs bags around. But then, later that day when I went to feed the horses I noticed that the morning people had used up the last bale of alfalfa on the ground level. I climbed up to the top of the stack (with a ladder) and by myself I was able to push one of the half-ton bales over to the ground! Took like 10 minutes and it took every muscle in my body. Hooray for functional strength! I was totally wiped out after that effort and SO sore all Sunday.

If anyone is wondering what that looks like, here's the hay guy stacking them in the very same hay barn:

[Frostfire]

19 Dec. 2011 - Mon
*5 min warm-up on eliptical

Squat: 10 x pistol, 10 x 135 lbs, 6 x 165 lbs, 4 x 185 lbs, 3 x 195 lbs, 2 x 205 lbs

SLDL: 3 x 10 x 135 lbs

Hip Abd: 3 x 10 x 100 lbs
Hip Add: 3 x 10 x 100 lbs

Donkey Calf: 3 x 10 x 135 lbs

No energy today, but that could be a result of the weekend's fun. Pulled off a squat double at 205 lbs anyway, sweet .

[Rach]

Congrats on the squat double at 205lb !
Hay shifting v impressive!

[Frostfire]

Thanks Rach

21 Dec. 2011 - Wed
*5 min. warm-up on eliptical

Bench: 10 x bar, 10 x 75 lbs, 10 x 95 lbs, 8 x 105 lbs, 7 x 105 lbs, 6 x 105 lbs

Machine Dips: 10 x 150 lbs, 8 x 165 lbs, 8 x 165 lbs

Tri Press: 7 x 40 lbs, 8 x 40 lbs, 8 x 40 lbs

Was a day late for this workout (try to get it done Tuesdays) because I was out transporting a rescue cat - she needed a dental and a shave! Turned out to be a terrible experience, the vet charged double what I had paid last year and refused to shave her because its winter! She's an indoor cat with long hair and terrible mats that were pulling on her skin amoung other problems. Had to shave her myself when I got home and that was not pretty . Oh well, I just need a new vet now!

[Anton]

that is excellent squatting!! although i wish we had the same meausuring system...its such a pain alwyas having to convert lbs and kgs and vice versa!!!

[vegan hal]

i bet you were good an itchy after wrestling with the hay too. unless you had long sleeves on. good work! we just re-loaded our barn with some hay too this week. but our bales are regular horse square size. easier to manage.

great job on the squat PB Frosty! and nice new lifting shoes!

sorry to hear about the kitty shave deal. that's weird that they wouldn't do it being that she's an indoor cat. Shaving critters isn't much fun. i can;t imagine cats being too cooperative.

[Frostfire]

Anton: I dedicate this posting to you, all numbers in both lbs and kgs

Vegan Hal: I had on some solid winter-wear carharts, a couple jackets, ski mask, hat, gloves, etc on so the only thing that got itchy was my neck where it got under the ski mask . It was only about 20F/-7C out at the time! And I miss smaller hay bales, we will get them in the summer but rely on the big half-tonners in the winter. *sigh*

The kitty shave deal sucked big! Its sad, but she is declawed (rescued that way, we'd never do that to a cat) and I was sadly very grateful for it when I was shaving her myself! She also only has ~4 teeth left, that helped too

27 Dec. 2011- Tues
*5 min warm-up

Squat: 10 x pistol, 12 x 135lbs/61kg, 6 x 165lbs/75kg, 5 x 185lbs/84kg, 4 x 195lbs/89kg, 1 x 210lbs/95kg

SLDL: 3 x 10 x 135lbs/61kg

Hip Abd: 3 x 10 x 100lbs/45kg
Hip Add: 3 x 10 x 100lbs/45kg

Donkey Calf: 12 x 135lbs/61kg, 12 x 135lbs/61kg, 6 x 135lbs/61kg

Great workout, felt solid, but my shouler is knocking bench out for a minute. Didn't do it at the end of last week, either. Stupid shoulder, who needs 'em.

[Frostfire]

28 Dec. 2011 - Wed
*warm-up included 25 min. walk from work to gym

Bench: 10 x bar, 10 x 65 lbs, 10 x 85 lbs, 10 x 95 lbs, 10 x 95 lbs, 10 x 95 lbs

Cable Tri Press: 3 x 10 x 40 lbs

Yup, shoulder hurt, but not so bad as to do nothing. Just did what I generally consider warm-up weights although the volume was kicking my butt. This was last night, this morning I woke up and every joint from the waist up seems like its frozen in place and hurts . Didn't even take the puppies for their morning walk around the block, just put them in the back yard for a few minutes. I spent the extra time from not walking trying to get dressed and ready for work! I think today's gym excersion will consist of sitting in the hot tub

[Lordmuppet]

how about chin up/pull up comp here, or the high reps squat comp?

Even when I was climbing like crazy my chins have never been more than a handful (like 5 is my max) and *shudder* high rep squats make me want to curl into the fetal position and rock back and forth while crying. , but not bad suggestions

Oh, and I got new lifting shoes

ha! I also have those shoes. I use them for deadlifting, used them for squats before i got my blue shiny ones.

They are non sweat shop aren't they? That's always nice

[Frostfire]

Hey Lordmuppet, yup, they are non-sweat shop! That is why I was so excited to get them and threw out my old pair that was not so ethical AND I'd been using since 2005. They were ready to go . . .

3 Jan. 2012 - Tues
*5 min. warmup - eliptical

Squat: 10 x pistol, 10 x 135 lbs
5 x 5 x 155 lbs

Leg Curl: 3 x 10 x 40 lbs - one leg at a time
Leg Ext: 3 x 10 x 45 lbs - one leg at a time

Hip Add: 3 x 10 x 100 lbs
Hip Abd: 3 x 10 x 100 lbs

Donkey Calf: 12 x 120 lbs, 12 x 120 lbs, 10 x 120 lbs

If I were dishonest, I'd tell you that I have this well thought-out plan for a 6-8 week 5x5 routine for squat where I'll go up 5 pounds each week until I crap out or I hit 8 weeks. But to be honest I was super unmotivated at the gym today and after my warm-up my head just wasn't in the game. I racked up 155 pounds and after 5 reps I just gave up! Well, being darned disappointed in myself I decided to make lemonade out of these lemons and turned it into a 5x5 workout that I will probably continue for 6-8 weeks.

New routine also made me inclined to change-up my hamstring work for a bit and I'll be doing leg curls for the duration of this, focusing on one leg at a time for muscle balance.