Renee's newly motivated log

[Renecarol25]

This will be the same stuff I am posting in my weak@ss log over on vf. I still feel really weak since I can't lift as much weight as I used to. But I am definitely going to be more active now that we've switched gyms. I'm thinking upper body 2x a week and lower body 2x a week for now. Some yoga, spinning, aquaaerobics & lots and lots of skating.

abbreviations I use mostly I do free weights with dumbbells these are marked DB and weight is per dumbbell. BB is barbell weight is listed as total for the whole thing. cm is cable machine and m means the standard machine that works that specific body part.

July 11, 2005
DB Flat Bench Press 3 x 10 x 35/40/35#
DB Bicep curls 3 x 10 x 25#
DB Upright Rows 3 x 10 x 20#
DB Shoulder Press 3 x 10 x 20#
DB Shrugs 3 x 10 x 45#
Forearm curls cm 3 x 10 x 55# (my forearms were really feeling weak from the other stuff I did)

followed by an hour of yoga.. did lots of ab work in the yoga class. closer to pilates I think than what I'm used to. I realize I forgot to work my back during my weight session.. will definitely hit my back hard on my next upper body workout.

[Renecarol25]

DB Single Leg Split Squat 3 x 8 x 35#
DB Deadlifts 3 x 5 x 20/35/50# (will need to do much more weight next time)
Standing Hamstring Curls 3 x 10 x 50/60/65#
Leg Press 2 x 10 x 250# m
Calf Press 2 x 10 x 250# m

They were out of the good rental skates in my size so I got a smaller size and they were too tight so I ended up not skating very much.
Renee

[kollision]

Hi there Renecarol.

You have some pretty good strength. Keep on working at it.

[Renecarol25]

Thanks!

So I just got back from my very first SPIN class. It went amazingly well. Kind of like that 20K I ran last year and had only practiced running 5-6 miles beforehand. Surprisingly I ran the whole 20K at a comfortable pace but then had trouble walking for the following week. I think I'm going to have that same problem as I was fine in the class - going strong - but now my legs feel like they are going to go on strike on me or something. Before the class I spent 10 minutes on the stepmill to get my heart rate up. I'd didn't get it up to a running pace but to a fairly fast walk. I won't be skating around tomorrow yelling 'jump' at my daughter like I planned. Hopefully I will be okay to do my upperbody workout while she is practicing.

[robert]

Cool, I still haven't started my training log on here! I will do that soon, thanks or the reminder. I'm also getting interested in finishing my children's books. I get too many things going on and don't finish them...ahh.

Best of luck wtih your training program. How is the new gym working out?

[Renecarol25]

The gym is going great! I feel SO motivated. I'm going to be curling 40# dumbbells again in NO time at all. I know .. I know I should measure my strength in my bench press but I LIKE using dumbbells for bench and I'm not going to be doing anywhere near my barbell PB of 135# with dumbbells anytime soon. So I'm talking about what I can curl! I am on my way to being STRONG again. I'm sick of being weak.

Tonights upperbody workout
DB Incline BenchPress 3 x 8 x 35/40/35#
DB Flat Bench Flyes 3 x 10 x 20#
DB Bicep Curls SA 3 x 8 x 25#
DB Upright Rows 3 x 10 x 20#
DB ShoulderPress 3 x 10 x 20#
DB Shrugs 3 x 10 x 50# (first 2 sets I accidently had one db of 55 without realizing so next time I will do 55s)
Forearm curls cm 3 x 10 x 55/60/55#
Tricep Pressdown cm 3 x 10 x 90/95/90#
Lat Pulldown m 3 x 8 x 70/80/90#
Seated Row m 3 x 10 x 80#

I happened to look in the mirror when I was resting between sets of my forearm curls and my bis were bulging.. like if I had been flexing. Amazing.

[kollision]

The gym is going great! I feel SO motivated. I'm going to be curling 40# dumbbells again in NO time at all. I know .. I know I should measure my strength in my bench press but I LIKE using dumbbells for bench and I'm not going to be doing anywhere near my barbell PB of 135# with dumbbells anytime soon. So I'm talking about what I can curl! I am on my way to being STRONG again. I'm sick of being weak.

Tonights upperbody workout
DB Incline BenchPress 3 x 8 x 35/40/35#
DB Flat Bench Flyes 3 x 10 x 20#
DB Bicep Curls SA 3 x 8 x 25#
DB Upright Rows 3 x 10 x 20#
DB ShoulderPress 3 x 10 x 20#
DB Shrugs 3 x 10 x 50# (first 2 sets I accidently had one db of 55 without realizing so next time I will do 55s)
Forearm curls cm 3 x 10 x 55/60/55#
Tricep Pressdown cm 3 x 10 x 90/95/90#
Lat Pulldown m 3 x 8 x 70/80/90#
Seated Row m 3 x 10 x 80#

I happened to look in the mirror when I was resting between sets of my forearm curls and my bis were bulging.. like if I had been flexing. Amazing.

Wow Rene, I'd be scared to see you in the gym! (runs in fear) hehe but all jokes aside, glad to hear that you are liking your body, thats great!

As for measuring your strength in Bench Press, thats only for Weight Lifting as a sport and hobby. If you are just doing it for the body, don't worry about it (in terms of measuring your strength).

Im also glad to hear that you use DB instead of typical bench press, more muscles are used when you do so.

[Renecarol25]

Did one hour of SPIN class. Much harder than the first class I did.. I really didn't think I'd last the whole hour but somehow I managed and then did my lower body workout.

BB Squat 3 x 8 x 135#
DB Deadlifts 3 x 5 x 35/50/65#
Standing Hamstring Curls cm 3 x 10 x 55/60/65#
Calf Press 3 x 10 x 250#
DB Single Leg Split Squat 1 x 8 x 30# (wanted to do three sets but was just exhausted by this point gave out at 4 reps of my second set and called it a day)

[robert]

I want to try a Spinning class some time. It looks like so much fun! It also looks like a really tough workout.

When I worked for Celebrity Cruises, a bunch of the employees (mostly fitness people, dancers, and some youth supervisors) would do spinning classes after hours, when the gym was closed to the regular guests. I'd be in there doing my weight training and watch them sweat and grit their teeth. I was tempted to hop on a bike but never did.

How do you like it?

I think I'll try it soon. I'm getting pumped about cycling as well because of the Tour de France going on and after watching my friend compete in a Triathlon, some guys had bodybuilding type quads!

[Renecarol25]

Like I said so far so good. The first class was much easier than I was expecting.. so I suspect I may have had a bit of beginner's luck. The second class was much much harder and I'm betting from now on they will be that way. I guess I will get used to the new schedule. Two days of upperbody, two days of lower body and two days of spin plus whatever swimming and skating I do. I'm already feeling an improvement in my overall health /fitness. Plus I am getting to share some of my knowledge of body sculpting with others. And I have a friend at work who asked me about being vegetarian.. so I gave him a copy of Why Vegan and Vegan Starter Pack. And I am going to go through my books and see what I have that I can loan. I'm thinking "Diet for a New America" and maybe "sexual politics of meat" but that may not be appropriate to give a man. Or maybe I've given too much? what do you think? I'm not used to people asking me why i'm veg*n.. I pretty much keep to myself about my beliefs and stuff.

[Renecarol25]

Today is a fine example of why this log is called my 'weak@ss log' on the other board. I decided to do a 4 day split push pull workout. Since my daughter is having a sleepover tomorrow I did Day A & B together tonight. I'll do C on Thursday and D on Saturday. I really struggled a lot with it. I did B day first and A day second. I only did 2 sets of some exercises to compensate for doing two days worth and I skipped a couple of exercises. Enough background...

Day B Torso Push
DB Flat Bench 3 x 10 x 40#
DB Incline Bench 2 x 8 x 35#
DB Decline Flyes 2 x 10 x 20#
DB Decline Bench 2 x 10 x 25# (the further in my workout the weaker my chest seemed to be)
DB ShoulderPress 2 x 10 x 20#
DB Front Raises 2 x 10 x 10#

Day A Torso Pull
Lat Pull 3 x 8 x 90#
DB Upright Row 3 x 8 x 20#
DB Lateral Raises 2 x 8 x 15#
DB Shrugs 3 x 10 x 55#
DB LyingIncline Row 2 x 10 x 20/25#
DB LyingIncline Lateral Raise 2 x 10 x 10#
Seated Row m 3 x 8 x 80#

[Renecarol25]

Just spin class today. I'm thinking of doing 1 1/2 spin classes on Wednesdays.

[Renecarol25]

workout done Friday the 22nd instead of Thursday the 21st. I got new skates and skated Thursday for 1.5 hours instead of lifting. I'm going to skate and do my legs & arms push workout today.. decided not to do Spin this morning and slept in.

Legs and Arms Pull

DB SLDL 3 x 5 x 35/50/65# (65s felt very heavy)
DB SA Bicep Curls 3 x 8 x 25#
Standing Leg Curls 3 x 10 x 55/60/65#
Hip Abduction 2 x 10 x 30#
DB Preacher Curls 3 x 8 x 25#
Decline Situps 3 x 20
Cable Reverse Curls cm 3 x 10 x 60#
Kneeling Crunch cm 3 x 15 x 80/90/100#
DB Wrist Curls 3 x 10 x 12# (try 15s next time)
DB Reverse Wrist Curls 3 x 10 x 8# (try 10s next time)
DB Side Bends 3 x 10 x 35#

[Renecarol25]

Squat 3 x 8 x 135#
Single Leg Split Squat 3 x 8 x 30#
Leg Press m 2 x 10 x 250#
Calf Press m 2 x 10 x 250#
Hip Adduction 2 x 10 x 35#

(did part of the workout I ended up skipping on saturday today didn't do tris as I didn't want that affecting my benches tomorrow)

Lat Pull 3 x 10 x 90#
DB Upright Row 3 x 10 x 20#
DB Lateral Raises 3 x 10 x 12#
DB Shrugs 3 x 10 x 55#
DB Lying Incline Row 2 x 10 x 20#
DB Lying Lateral Raise 2 x 10 x 12#
Seated Row m 3 x 10 x 80#

Was going to do a spin class today but all the bikes were taken.. but my lifting was tough enough on me no way I could've done it after a spin class.

[robert]

Cool Renee,

Your consistent training and updates helps motivate me to get to the gym. My "life" has been so busy lately that I've missed many many workouts. I'll be chatting with Kollision or Topher and they'll ask, "how was training today" and I am usually like "too tired to get to the gym, work and other personal/work related things keep coming up.

I used to take on even more back in Arizona and Utah and still managed good consistent workouts, but then again, I lived very close to the gym, now I'm a little ways away and don't have consistent transporation. I'll get things figured out soon and I don have some weights at home so I gotta get by butt back in gear.

Thanks for keeping a journal consistently. I plan on doing the same, listing all my workouts so everyone can help keep me consistent in the gym.

Great work too, by the way.

Robert