Hi everyone. Boy oh boy, I don't know what I'd do without you. I haven't been posting, but I have been reading. Every word, every day. You inspire me, instruct me, and give me the giggles. You're an anchor.

We had a great time visiting the Brandywine Valley (you live in a gorgeous area Mel!), but it sure played havoc with my schedule. Today was my first day in the gym in about two weeks, and you know what: my body was positively screaming for exercise. Not food. Not rest. It wanted to move. So, you know me: Captain Overkill here. I probably won't be able to budge tonight. Did lunges and leg presses, and threw in some bent rows and concentration curls. It felt fabulous.

I'm so sorry, but I don't have time to respond to each of you individually. Even with the occasional stumble, it sounds to me like everyone is doing OK, and that's not a bad way to move into fall, eh?

Yoga tomorrow night. Had to miss my class last week because of a late-breaking ceremony. I just hate it when that happens.

Hugs to all.

Robin, I was just thinking about you this morning. I'm glad you enjoyed your visit. What did you do/see? We should have gotten together- hey, you could have gotten in a workout

Today was chest day for me, and since I can't do cardio (aw, too bad my knee is still swollen ) I did about twice the usual lifting. I doubt I'll be able to get out of my clothes myself tonight It was loads of fun to do 2 gym orientations after my workout and demo the pec dec or the bench press machine.

Eats have been clean, but unless I get to a store soon, that's going to be harder and harder. I don't know where my time goes, but I always seem busy. With all the candy in the stores, I'm really trying hard to avoid them, and only shop on a full stomach.

L2L- I think it was the calf raises that killed my knee. I have skinny calves and have been working them as heavily as possible. I guess to the point where some structural part failed before the muscle. They're skinny, but real strong Wish I could say the same for my joints.

Time to go oversee homework, then back to the gym...

Mel

In order to salve my weiner-ism ... I hopped on the elliptical. BFL recommends 20 minutes (I think) so I did 25 and feel much more worthy

Susan B: You *are* worthy, Sista!!

Mel,
My genetics left my Calf-less. I train them daily and have for a long time. I have very strong calves but haven't noticed much growth
In the last year or two I have actually had people say "nice calves"
Completely shocking....
I am thinking " You have GOT to be kidding! Nice compared to what???" but I suppose we are our own worst critics and sometimes don't notice our own progress...
So when nobodys lookin' I take a peek in the mirror, do a little calf flex and think "Really???"


XOXO
L2L

Well i too am in the mode of "I will start tomorrow" I did however go for a walk with my husband last night for an hour and I ate pretty well last night and today. But somewhere between getting off work and supper I made a bad choice for eats. We had fish and chips for supper. I did not however eat the usual amount. funny thing is that my stomach did not like the feeling of it in my belly as soon as it was swallowed. ...good sign I figure. Anyway I am off for the next two days so I will do my cardio again tomorrow and my weights and get the eating back on track asap. I do not have to give up the whole day because of one bad meal....baby steps

well see you all tomorrow

Hummmm, calves are the one muscle I don't need to work on very hard. I've always had good strong legs, especially the calves. I remember at about 16 I was wearing my favorite boots, the ones with the really cool, stylish zippers, not ugly pull-on boots. I flexed my calf mounting my horse and that was the end of that zipper. I got to wear them one time. Back then I was a farm kid who didn't know what fat looked like. Ate "clean" right from the garden, farm grown meats, fresh eggs and milk. The only weight I lifted was bales of hay, buckets of feed and bags of grain. For flexibility we weeded a huge garden and for cardio we shoveled snow or cleaned out the barn.

My Dad didn't believe in "exercising" he believed in hard work. And you learned very young to never mention you were bored around him because he could find something for you to do that would keep you from feeling bored. I can still remember how happy I was when I got married and moved away from home and the calluses on my hands disappeared.

Anyway, that just proves that no matter what we're not going to be happy with what we have.

Jen -- Baby steps for sure! If there is one thing I have learned since posting here at 3FC is that a healthy meal is only 2 hours away!

L2L -- Your workouts kill me too!! But I love them and keep them coming!! I am the one who asked about baby squash in a jar, it's the jar part that I had never heard of them in before...

Robin -- Welcome back, it does feel good to be back in the gym after a break doesn't it?

SusanB aka Weiner { (NOT) kidding of course! } You definitely are worthy!

Today I was off!! Yay for that but I was in the laziest mood and working in slow motion... I didn't sleep very well last night which didn't help at all... But I did go to the gym, did some legs and I wasn't strong at all ... but I plugged away, I hate days like that...

Here's the workout for anyone who wants to see:

Sled Leg press:
220x15,240x12, 260x12,280x12
Squats:
95x12,105x12,115x12,115x12
Hack Squats:
90x12,180x12,180x12,90x15
Step ups:
3 sets of 10 ea/leg with 10#
One legged squats:
no weights on smith machine
Abs and calves...

Food was so so there are some chocolate Haloween candies that I found that need to be better hidden...

That's it for my day... I do work tomorrow...I will try to make it to the gym even though I have 2:15 appointment...

TTFN

Laura, when it hits 50 below I'll probly stay in bed. lol

L2L- I do calves twice a week to total failure...falling down failure...and have managed to put on about 1/2" in 3 years. If I stop lifting for 2 weeks, it's gone Everywhere else, I can put on muscle like crazy, but it must be genetics. I do the whole stack on the donkey calf machine (@400 lbs) and do standing raises with 180 on the Smith machine and a board, and NADA for results. They're very defined, but very...small. With my current knee problem, I guess they are going to shrink again

Tomorrow I'm going for a knee xray, a mammogram (oh joy) and a dexa scan. I'll be glowing by noon!

Mel

Morning Guys

Last night
Bi's, Tri's, forearms, calves, abs

Db Curls Superset w/ single arm overhead DB French press
Db Curls 25'sX10ea 30'sX9ea 35'sX8eaX6ea
Single Overhead French Presses 20#X13eaX12X10ea
Superset Babrbell Curls and Lying Nose Crushers w/ EZ bar
BB curls 60#X9X9X8
Nose Crushers 60#X12X12X12 (finished each set w/ several close grip bench reps)
Overhead Cable Curls 55 (ea side) X14X14X14
Vertical Dips w/ bodyweight 17,14,14
Barbell wrist curls 40#X13X11X9
Hanging leg Raises 18,16,15
Donkey Calf Raises 360X28X25X22X16

No time to log Food, but I give it the usual 'B' Still not 100% there and on the tommorow plan.

Mel,
Calves are very much genetic. Absolutley. EofaZ has genetic calves, obviously. I have come to the conclusion that there are several categories with regards to genetics. Hardgainers who gain slow (all of this is referriing to one, some or all bodyparts) Hardgainers who DON'T gain. Easy Gainers who get muscular very quickly and those who are muscular just from being alive. I am in the slow gain category, but fortunately not the no gain category. My calves have grown about 1+" in 10 years so while I am not a genetic freak when it comes to my calves I have come a long way since I am not very big anyway. On the other hand I had lats almost overnight and my back is by far my best bodypart and the one I get the most comments on. My back and my arms. My lower body is much slower to get there. Non-bodybuilders think my legs are 'buff' but in the world of bodybuilding and especially competitions I struggle with my upper/ lower body symmetry. It has gotten much , much better but it is something I must stay on top of.
We all have our strenghts and struggles. hence my ode to LEG DAY!!!!

XOXO
L2L

Legs day, legs day ... I love legs day! I had a fabulous work out today. I can't imagine what the fella thought who drove past while I was lunge walking in the driveway!
As many of you know, my computer is at the top of the stairs. I just got up here and logged in to 3fc when the phone rang. I jumped up and almost fell back down. I proceeded a little more carefully after that
It feels great! I love legs day.

This is the second time that I've gotten sick since I started eating better and exercise. Now I am positive that eating better and exercising has increased my immune system. Normally, I'd be sick for a couple weeks. Sunday, I felt like I was dying. Monday, I felt bad, yesterday I felt bad but improving and today I feel 90% ok. Today, I plan to go to the gym after a 3 day break and doing CHEST!!!! one of my favs. Although I don't expect to be 100%, but I do expect to do decently.

LAURA - Interesting idea about the Aikido class. I don't take one myself, mostly because of scheduling problems, but would love to.

L2L - I was reading your workout routine, interesting how you use a Bench Platform for the isolation, I have been using 2 or 3 mats stacked up, it works well and I am really stable. I am mostly doing both at the same time, though have done them while in my office one one leg at a time, just wrapping the other foot aroudn the calf, gets the blood circulating. I remember that baby food trick from a while ago.

SUSAN B - You are not a weiner, you are on your way up in the pounds. You may be surprised how fast you increase the weights once it starts to take off.

Rest day today, up late between working and the Red Sox, then up to start two crockpots of speghetti sauce and 8 dozen cookies so far for the school pasta dinner tomorrow night. I shall be having roast beef and salad before I go up to the school, it is much easier for me to control myself if I don't deal with the food at the event, just baking my little heart out for those kids. (I think it might be better if I just wrote a check, though I had the very smallest of cookie dough smidgen).

I plan on hitting the cardio tomorrow morning, I like the BFL routine, of increasing speed and then slowing down and then increasing again. I do feel like I do more work in those 20 minutes than slogging away for 45 or 60 minutes. I am going to hit the sauna on the way out. My back is sore and I want some deep relaxation.

Nelie? I'm worried about you. (yes I'm someone's mama) What is sick? Maybe if you tell us what's happening we might be able to help. In the very least we might have some holistic tips you could try.
I just don't like anybody to feel unwell ... oh wait ... then I wouldn't have a job ... I'll have think on that.