Weight and Resistance Training - LWL # 240 Jan 30 - Feb 5

Good Morning, LWL :sunny:

Busy, busy weekend :dizzy: I played with recipes. See the new Brownie recipe and Peanut Butter Puff which I'll put in the recipe section later today. Went for a real, outside run- 3 miles. Amazing How much more of the landscape I actually notice. Lots of houses have been repainted, landcaping changed, trees come down, but the hills are still there :devil:

Also saw the move Matador. Excellent. Pierce Brosnan is very un-007 and I like Greg Kinnear.

Long day, actually long week at the gym...and my ds seems to be sick. ugh.

gotta go, have a good one!

Mel

:wave: Hello everyone!

Had a rubbishy food weekend, but am moving on! Spent yesterday cooking lemon chicken (Oh BOY was that gorgeous, just had it for lunch), roasted vegetables and boiled brown rice. That will set me up for the week... No more scrambled eggs on toast every day! Just chicken and veg and rice every day! :rofl:

Spent Saturday in Utrecht and Haarlem and Amsterdam. Bought LOTS of clothes, things are cheaper there and guess what? The shops stock bigger sizes because the people there are generally my size! (Height and weight wise!) :D I found shoes that were US 11 (UK 9) and most "fashion" shops had clothes that were WAY too big for me! Usually I'm lucky to find anything that's not made for children on the continent! There were some lovely arty shops in Utrecht and really independent boutique type places. We had a quick walk to the cathedral since it was about -4C and back to the shops!

I kept DF amused with bus and train rides :yawn: while I caught up on some much needed sleep!

Yesterday I shopped for food (spent an extra £20 on FRUIT AND VEG! :faint: ), cooked and slept. :D

Mel the brownie recipe sounds great, I haven't checked it out yet, but anything that's called a BROWNIE (apart from the young girl guides) sounds good to me!

I've chickened out on my run this lunch time, just not quite feeling rested enough and I do have kickboxing and weights to contend with later on! Bring on the Pepsi!

I'm feeling motivated again after a week or two feeling a bit stuck. BRING ON THE DAY! :hyper:

Hello LWL :wave:

My but I've been a bit of a slacker in posting here, sorry about that :( ... I'll try to be more present because I do love this thread...

The weekend was good... Did some shopping bought some new runners, but dang I think I bought them a half size too big, I'll go back this weekend and exchange them, don't know what I was thinking, or maybe it was the bad salesperson :shrug: Oh well, c'est la vie, I'll just have to go shopping again :devil:...Sunday I had an OK run and lazed the rest of the day doing Sudoku's (Thankyouverymuch 2F for getting me totally addicted to those :mad: :lol: ... Some days I can spend 2 hours in the tub making them!! )


Well I'm off to shower and then to the gym, :yes: some days I shower BEFORE the gym, I know, I KNOW, :yes:

TTFN ... :wave:

:rofl:I like sudoku but I definitely don't have 2 hours to spend on them :p ;)

Did my UBW last night, I'm feeling so much stronger! My bench presses seem so much easier with weights that were too heavy last week, and my bent over barbell row is seriously kicking some butt! I think it's time to change routine this week, but I forgot last night. I will have to get my book out.

Got a good mindset today, I just need to figure out how to keep it till the weekend! Actually, a stay at home weekend is easier than a travelling the world weekend! So for the next few weeks I should be finding it silghtly easier to stick to my plan!

Kickboxing tonight, first outing for my pink gloves :hyper:

You guys are scaring me with the Sudoku. I bought a book to try on our flight out to Las Vegas last Dec. I would have thrown it across the plane but I was afraid they would kick me off (too much watching Airline, huh?), so put it back in my bag and sulked. Oh, then I pulled out the last 6 weeks of People I had bee nsaving and all was well. So, I may not be smart enough to do the puzzles, but I know who wore what when :rofl:

Things are well - I am so "in" for the Feb challenge. I have gained 10 pounds since Sept and I want it (and a few of its friends) gone. I saw the Pulmonary guy yesterday (all is fine - maybe a slight case of exercise-induced asthma to watch) and the nurse said weight gain is common with two of the medications I am on. I saw weight gain is common from eating crap and no cardio. At least I have some control over the food and movement and I am going to do something about them both!

Off to Pilates and then to pick up my new car!!

Question for PTs: I have yoga scheduled every Mon and a massage every other Tues with this one PT/therapist at my gym. I used to do a weight session with her on Wed's, too. Anyway, she is always moving or cancelling our appointments. The last yoga instructor I had at this gym was the same way. Hey, I understand that people get sick or travel, but this is ridiculous. I average 2 sessions for every 4 scheduled. I said something in passing yesterday (as she changed my massage appointment AGAIN, and her response was something to the effect of "this is why I had making appointments so far in advance (!) Should I make this an issue with the PT or just roll with it?

Hi LWL,

2F - you inspire me with your enthusiasm !!

Ellenuw - You have to check out what kind of sudokus you bought ... I can generally do the 1*, 2* and 3* ones, but the 4* ones....only in the morning when I have an exceptionally good day !

Ilene - good to see you back in !

I am very tires these days; I have a lot of issues on my plate and maybe just have to keep too many ball in the air. I am upping hours with work, to build endurance, also looking for new positions & doing the interviews for them, filing application for sick -pay (file is about 1 inch thick by now) and apart from that I have trouble with XH who finds me uncooperative and hostile. I wonder where such behaviour could come from ??? I have invited him & his lawyer to make a proposal before I want to sit down with them. Furthermore DS is ill with the flu, and DD will have a test to determine what secondary school type she can join, next week.

But at last I did manage to get some excercise & meditation in: Sunday 1 hour excercise & 45 mins yoga CD, and yesterday a power class and a quicky 10 min meditation.
Now only to get some energy back, maybe I'm coming down with the flu also!

2F - glad you liked Utrecht!

have a great day all,
Rabbit

Hello all I'm home with two sick young ladies. It always seems if one of us catches something that we'll all end up sharing it one way or another. :(

Since I am at home with my daughters I didn't make it to the fitness center to work out. I do plan on walking at least a mile today.

I've noticed a major improvement in my IBS since I've been eating cleaner. I'm not able to tolerate whole wheat anything at this point. :( I'm hoping that changes, but it may not.

Ellen- I've only cancelled on a client twice. I was very sick. I think it's inexcusable. That's what a datebook is for. Does she have young children who are constantly getting sick or having emergencies? That would be the only reason that I could think of to validly cancel or reschedule. My clients. on the other hand, cancel and reschedule all the time. It drives me nuts!

Today was legs for me. Rather uninspired, but done. Slow cardio this afternoon between clients.

Mel

My client cancellation/no show rate is about 25%, which kills me since I only get paid for hours that I actually work. :dizzy: When a client calls a half hour before an appointment and cancels, I'm already there but lose an hour's pay. That's one of the negatives of being a personal trainer.

On the other hand, I was once ten minutes late when a doctor's appointment ran late (and I called the gym to let the client know) and I cancelled one evening of appointments when we had an ice storm. Other than those, I've only rescheduled standing appointments when I've been out-of-town and I gave everyone at least three weeks notice.

Personally, I feel that the way you're being treated is inexcusable, Ellen, and I'd speak up.

Ah yes...my client cancellation/no show rate is about 20%. Unless it's a special circumstance (like the client whose daughter got into an auto accident an hour before her scheduled session) or the first session, I do charge for missed sessions unless I have adequate notice. The gym policy is 24 hours, but I usually don't charge as long as I get enough notice that I'm not left standing at the gym or making an extra trip back there just to discover that my client changed plans. On the other side of the coin, if I cancel on a client with less than 24 hours notice, gym policy says that I owe them a free session.

My uninspired leg session is resulting in sore legs:p

Mel

I had a good workout this morning and increased my squat weight. next week i hope to have the gym trainer spot for me so i can work out my 1 rep max.

does anybody here have any experience with competing in powerlifting? and what was it like ? I am aiming for my first comp about 1/2 way through the year.

Trusylver -- :welcome3: We LUVS newbies! But by the sounds of it you are not a newbie to the training world... Congrats on the upcoming comp, that's very cool, but unfortunatly I have no wise advise for you...

I didn't workout today :( too icy to run double :(:(... Yesterday was an uneventful leg day for me too, I worked out with DS... I really dislike working out with him, he's such a smart a** 17 yr old, but I really try to be patient, HONEST!! I do not have sore legs either, I really hate when I don't have sore legs after a workout :mad:...

:wave: I ended up teaching kickboxing last night, so no pink gloves for me! :cry: Hopefully they'll come out tomorrow night.

5K run planned for lunch time. I'm going to do it, no excuses. I'm feeling groovy today!

Eating mega mega mega clean! I've had one "processed carb" portion all week and that was an oatcake! However, today I have snuck in a pita bread (wholewheat of course) before my lunchtime run.

Might be off to the cinema tonight, will have to get my weights done first! :D

Beatlesfan - have we said :welcome3: to you? You are welcome! Bad luck about the bug you've all got. Rest, warmth and fruit and veg, that's my prescription.

rabbit - you've got a lot on, my dear! Pace yourself and have a nice cup of tea from time to time.

Ellen - to my way of thinking, having a massage therapist who makes you feel tense before you even start is counter-productive!

This Fab Feb Challenge is a fab idea! It made me go out yesterday and seek 'active rest'. 30 mins brisk walking including a *very* steep hill. I remember that being able to walk up it without stopping for a breather was one of my aims last summer. And yesterday I did it! And another result was that my legs (which freeze slowly from the feet upwards when I'm at work - long story about the office) defrosted!

I'm being disciplined about turning off the light at night too. The aim is not to be wrecked the following day. Or to look wrecked. Any ideas about getting rid of very black marks under the eyes?

Have a good day, everyone!

:rofl: If anyone has any black eye tips let me know! I've been in bed before 10pm every night this week... I still look like dead girl walking! - As pale as thy smock Desdemona!

- As pale as thy smock Desdemona!

I love that Bard! He just knows about things.

Thanks for all your input on the PT issue. Glad to know I am not wrapped too tight. Well, I am, but not about this anyay. I am really trying to change from a Type A to at Type B. I had really thought I was down to an A-, but I need to give this some more thought ;) I spoke to her last night and we are going to try to move some things around and fit better into both our schedules. I'll see how this works, but, in the words of Stephen Colbert, "she's on notice".

This Feb challenge has been a real treat for me. Thanks for getting me back on track. I know I am not where I was before (and up 10 pounds since Sep), but I am comfortable in accepting where I am today and working to be healthier tomorrow. This morning I have been on the treadmill and walked 2 miles in just under 32 min. It is a start - I plan on upping a half mile a week and varying intensity. I am looking forward to my "long walks" outside as the weather improves. I also got back to my Vinyasa yoga session Mon and plan on lifting Fri. I hope to get to 2 Hatha yoga sessions between today, tomorrow and Sun. I need to watch the fatigue and start back at my pace. I was so worried before about how to exercise with MS that I let most of it go. Silly me. But I am back - clean eats, 35-40 min of cardio a day, 2 full body workouts (Vinyasa and lifting) and as much yoga as I can take. I'd like to up the cardio to about 45 min and then start playing with intensities and variety again. I keep reminding myself, this is a journey and I have learned so much. I am still learning. I gained before but I will stop myself this time and take care of it now. One step at a time ...

Hi LWL,

Wednesday...Rest and recreation!

I had a very good job interview yesterday, from what i can gather they are very willing to have me around. So that makes 2 places to choose from...very difficult decision. One is a continuation of work I did for the past 10 years, with contact with my old colleagues (& the job that sent me into burnout) , in the same building as XH, in a business that is not flourishing, but working at system level ehich I like alot and am quite good at. The other one is reviving what I did 10 years to go, learn about a new product, in a business with growth opportunities, in fairly new work circumstances. Away from the old team, the burnout conditions, and XH, and also new. So scary ?

I was very tired yesterday, so luckily today is my day off. Yesterday I managed to put in a 10 min meditation session, today I did 20 mins bike, a power lesson, and a 20 min meditation. I feel still very tired, but at least the chaos inside my head is lessening.

Ellenuw - I agree with Silverbirch that it does not sound right that the gym gives you stress instead of relieving it. If this is a policy of your gym, is there a way out ?

have a great day all,
rabbit

Ooooh new job new job! Not old XH job :no: Make a great clean break and a lovely fresh start! :D

Ellen - I'm glad you are feeling more positive and you're learning to take things slowly. I know it's frustrating not being able to do the things you're used to... Like eating a whole packet of biscuits! :rofl: And I would tell the PTs where to go and remind them who's paying their wages!!!

I just ran 4.6km in 36 mins.. And when I say ran, I mean run with little walks but that was only when I had stitches needling me and when I thought I might see my meal #2 again! :rofl: I'm aiming for a 30 minute 5K so that's the next big goal! ;)

Welcome Trusylver :wave: My one attempt at a powerlifting comp resulted in a disqualification on the first lift :rofl: because I arched my hips during a bench press. I trained for another last spring and semi-destroyed my shoulder a week before the comp. This year, I am entered in a Bench Press comp in March, but I have such bad tendonitis from overtraining in general, and one glorious lift of 145 pounds that was almost worth the pain, that I've barely been able to handle 30 pound dumbbells let alone a bar. I doubt I'll be there. That's the sum total of my experience :)

What I can tell you is that your goal of 12.5% body fat is probably not going to make you a real powerful power lifter.... Despite what I'd like to look like, the times when I've been strongest as a percentage of body weight, my body fat has been at least 20%.

Mel

Good workout today. Time to change things round a bit now, though. I tried out the iPod with my super-duper behind-the-neck earphones. I got through 30 mins of intervals on the treadmill effortlessly. I love the spoken word.

rabbit - surely the old job, etc would have you following old behaviour patterns (and associated misery) but the new job (even if it is associated with 10 years ago) gives an opportunity to set up new, positive, lovely patterns! And it's got growth potential so that means a more secure financial future for you perhaps. A bit nerve-racking perhaps but worth it. Go for it! You can do it!

Mel i am in the process of re evaluating my goals at the moment because i am having a hard time reducing the BF% but still would like it down some more but i don't have it tested again for another 3 weeks but my strength is building up well, in the squat last session i done 4 sets of 10 at 60kg (132 lb) but i don't know how high i can lift at the moment which is why i am going to work out my 1 rep max hopefully on monday. My training program has been focussed on building strength for rugby up untill now but my next program will have a purely powerlifting focus. my weakest lift is the bench press.

not a beginner to weight training but definately a beginner to powerlifting :wl:

Everyone here was feeling better so everyone made it to school, and I got my workout in!

Meg - I would like to thank-you agan for pushing me in the right direction with my cardio times. I am now up to 30 minutes of cardio after I do the circuit. :D

I am in desperate need of new tennis shoes so hopefully I can make it to the mall this weekend to pick some up. That and I want my hair cut... short. I know my face will stick out like a pimple, but I need something wash

Enough boring, mindless dribble from me. Party on! :carrot:

Bah! I was right. I was coming down with some crud. :tantrum: All my exercise has been "running" between the couch and bathroom. :( The only good thing is I'm certainly not eating junk - not eating much but liquids in fact. :lol: Hopefully I'll be better tomorrow and can resume my so-called normal life.

Don't know if you all see it on the news, but we've got a volcano erupting south of here. It's not bothering life where I live, but it has in the past couple days caused 36 flights to and from Alaska to the "lower 48" to be cancelled. DH is supposed to fly home on Sat - from Boston to Chicago to Anchorage. Hopefully things will be backed off by there. It's still a code Red today though.

Oooh Pat - volcanoes! How exciting (but in a dangerous way ;) ) and just think of all that exercise you're getting between couch and bathroom! :lol3: Hope you're feeling better!

SB glad you're having a good workout time! I rocked on my 5K-ish run yesterday and really whooped the weights last night!

Trusylver, hope you figure out some goals soon

Beatlesfan, glad everyone went to school!

Mel, chill out and let that tendonitis heal, Superwoman ;)

Everyone else :wave: :goodvibes:

Went to see Munich last night, sent me off to sleep nicely! It was a bit long, but at least it got me out of the house! :rofl: Double kickboxing today :D the pink gloves WILL come out to play! :hyper:

Got a stoopid meeting this morning that usually drags on for 3 hours! I'll have to take food with me! :lol:

Hi LWL,

2F, Silverbirch - thanks for the advice on the new job issue. I agree that the new job is a total break with the past, so it is adventurous, has promise to break with past non-productive patterns of behaviour...and it is also SCARY!!!

I'm on a bit of an emotional rollercoaster this week, so I've upped the meds again and I'm forcing myself to take rest, and do my meditation excercises.

Pat - pity about the vulcano! I hope all gets well and you'll have your husband home as planned, and that you're illness is over soon!
Have a great day all,
Rabbit

rabbit - I, too, am in agreement that you should seriously look at the new adventure job. I am not quite sure what you mean by "10 years ago". Are they behind from a technology or information standpoint and you can hel them move forward, or this is something you did 10 years ago and you could do it in your sleep as change is very slow in that particular industry?

Sorry to be MIA - I am in another fatigue cycle and pretty much sleep walking through my day. Luckily, I go to the MS Specialist on Mon and if nothing else, maybe he will prescribe something for the fatigue. So, eats are clean and mindset and listening are good, but no workouts for a bit. On the other hand, that means I'm listening, right?

Totally unrelated: I am currently reading "Ella in Europe" by Michael Konik - a charming book about a man and his dog and their adventures in Europe. I highly recommend it. As I am spending so much time lying down I decided to treat myself to a library visit and get "feel good" rather than "good for me" books. A little NSV luxury - treat myself with books instead of food.

Have a great weekend, LWL

Good morning, LWL. Feeling some better. Now just weary and kind "puny." :lol: Back at work though. Hate wasting my leave to be sick.

Rabbit - I too would seriously consider the "new" job. Just working in the same building as XH would be stressful to me! You're making great strides!

Ellen, books are always a treat. Some days I just pinch myself that my job is to spend time - and other people's money - buying them for everyone to enjoy. :) Good for you listening to your body. Hope the doc can help with the fatigue.

2F - yay for 36 minutes running. I've not done any this week, so I may repeat week 1. We'll see how it goes. I'm feeling the need for some exercise though.

The volcano has been quiet - sssshhh - for a few days now. Hopefully DH will make it home tomorrow night. Just had an email from my sister - she and DH had lunch today and caught up on all the news. Also learned last night that my BIL (DH's brother) broke his leg yesterday. :eek: A clean simple break, but he's an active guy with a physical job (kitchen cabinet maker) so it'll be hard for him - and harder for his wife! :rofl:

Well that's week 3 of the BFL challenge nearly over and i'm still enjoying it.
Loving the weights but not so much the cardio!! :o

Still on the lookout for different foods.Tried Mel's protein bars (the only drawback was everyone else kept pinching them):D

Have got Meg's protein bar recipe in the freezer just now as that makes it a bit easier to handle.(my son tried some and it was so chewy he couldn't talk for at least 10 minutes. So i'll definitely be making that again) :lol:

Have a great weekend folks :wave:

:rofl: OK, I finally got it! I really couldn't figure out why someone was interested in pinching my protein bars! They aren't squishy, wiggly, springy.....

The cardio wil kind of grow on you when you see good results. At least doing BFL-style, it's over quickly!

Mel

Hi all - glad to see the foru back. Pat - hope DH got home.

Planning on a low-key, give in to my body and rest day. Tomorrow I go see the MS Specialist. I admit I am a little scared and have pinned a lot of expectations on this guy. Hope I have something positive to report after ...

Ellen - I'll be thinking of you. :hug: Knowledge is power, remember.

Mel - that's right: to pinch = to steal!

I've been doing very badly recently. Since I started the Fab Feb challenge, actually. Not sure how connected it is, though, as I've also been in a TOM vortex. Off to London at crack of dawn tomorrow (Monday) so perhaps a change will be as good as a rest, and I'll start doing better again.

i am feeling great today, i went for a 1 rep max at the gym this morning for the squat, managed 90kg (198.4) 3 times but got stuck on 95kg at the bottom of the lift but i am happy that i now know where my current limits are :)

Howdy! A snowy Sunday here in the far north, but at least the thermometer is above zero (F) again! Actually it was up to 30 (that's 0 or so C) earlier today, now about 20. So it was 50 degrees warmer than when I got up Fri morning! Wow!

Felt much better yesterday, and went to the gym. Did a short stint on the :tread: and then a 1.5 hour racquetball class/clinic. It was really fun. The guy was enjoying have 6 women to teach instead of all guys. We did a fair amount of hitting the ball, and he had us playing short matches by the end. I've got a long way to go, but at least I have a grasp on the basics now!

DH arrived home about 2 am today, and is very glad to be here. Both his planes were late - of course - and the taxi driver (to where his car was parked) didn't speak English, but no matter, our little family is complete once again. :) Today has been a "chores around the house" kinda of day, which is necessary. I've got a faux-Indian chicken dish going for dinner. I've not tried it before, but it sounds really good. Basically it's brown rice with chicken, veggies and seasonings.

hi LWL,

Pat - glad to hear DH got back safe & sound
Silverbirch -Oooh! of to the big city again ? I hope you have a good time
Ellen - I'm thinking of you. I hope this guy meets expectations.

Well, I had a turbulent week & a turbulent weekend! Friday I had another job interview, which went OK. So it now looks like I have 4 possibilities:
1. stay where I am and get kicked out at the end of the year
2. Go to a job that is similar, with a lot of contact with the old team in the building where XH works
3. Got to a new field & new surroundings, using the skills I learned 10 yrs ago.
4. Go to a related field, where I can use both what I did 10 years ago and what I learned in the past 10 years, also away from the old team and XH.

I feel quite flattered with the last 2 options, because these guys literally said that talent in the field where I worked before is exceptionally scarce, especially coupled to the stuff I did in the last 10 years. The last one more or less started with the question "What do you look for in a job"?, thinks he can accomodate me doing a lot of work from home etc, and does not mind that I was burnt out for such a long time.

Weekend wise I was in trouble with XH again: I was emotionally exhausted from previous stuff, and when he came to fetch the kids on saturday I asked him if he agreed to the final division of goods that I had emailed. This was a spreadsheet that he had compiled, and where I had divided the short list that we had under discussion. Since I got more stuff than he did, I alotted him the entire list except for my son's PC and monitor and the printer. XH began about the bed and the bottles of wine and spirits in the cellar, which were alotted to me on the list that he sent. Mind you, the bed was expensive but it is 9 years old, and we are talking about opened bottles of spirits. I totally went to pieces, I started crying and I could not stop. I asked what he wanted, and he said nothing, he agreed to the division. So I have no idea why he brought this up at all, but I could not stop crying. According to the kids, XH says that he cannot say anything to me because he feels that everything he says is wrong to me. I do not know, he might be right. Anyway, I packed all the bottles of wine and all the bottles of spirits on sunday morning, and put in half of the storage rack, and delivered it to his present house. The kids were surprised, and I had a cup of coffee there. XH thinks I brought the stuff over to make up, but I actually did not want the stuff in the house anymore.

Anyway, it is a new week. Tonight I will go to power class again with my friend, and we'll also go to the gym together next wednesday morning.
And I plan to buy myself a book at amazon, to reward myself for getting through such a horrible week. A friend gave me some good advice which I'm planning to follow. She said than in communication with XH I only have to use one sentence: I'll be happy to get a proposal from your lawyer.

have a great day all,
rabbit