Hi Guys,
We dumped our old server so we'll have a few days of no net (NO!!!!!) but I'm at work right now so I can post.
I got my car back and my husband (he works at Boeing, has for 15 years) is up for a new job with more $$$. I have renewed optimism! Thank you all for your understanding. It isn't like me to be a party pooper
SusanB: (I think it was you that asked???) what the numbers mean in the posted workouts. To answer
80X25X22X18X14
Means :I lifted 80 pounds for 25 reps then rested and did 22 reps then rested and did 18 reps and finally finished my last set at 14 reps.
Or alternately it might read:
80X25X22X18 65X22X16X12
Which would mean the same thing except you'll notice I dropped the weight on my 4th set to 65 pounds and continued with 3 more sets. Sometimes I drop the weight 'during' a set. Which means when I can't do another rep I immediately drop the weight and continue. I would record that in my journal (or on here) like this
BB curls 70X10X8X4 drop to 50X6 (in my journal, I actually draw a down arrow to indicate a drop as opposed to writing "drop to") that means on my third set I could only get a 4 reps so I dropped the 70# BB, I quickly grab the 50# BB and crank out another 6 reps without resting. This is called a "drop set" or since I only dropped the weight once a "mini drop' or "single drop" sometimes you drop the weight several times to completely exhaust the muscle. "Triple drops" are very common amongst BodyBuilders. If you are just beginning to lift and your not going very heavy, there usually isn't a lot of 'room' to drop the weight but as you get stronger, it is a wonderful technique to try. Note:If I rested before dropping the weight I wouldn't draw the arrow because it isn't really a drop set, that would be a new set with a lighter weight.
'Superset Leg Curls and Leg extensions' (for one example) means:
I did a set of Leg Extensions and then ,without rest ,immediatley did a set of Leg Curls. I post one excersise and then the other but if it says I did a 'superset' for those two excersises, it means I went back and forth between them. It is common to Superset excersises for the same bodypart to exhaust the muscle (like DB curls and BB curls for biceps) You can also Superset opposing muscle groups (I do this a lot with my training) Like Biceps and Triceps, Quads and Hams or Chest and Back...
I don't usually record my warm up sets in here (maybe I have once or twice....) but that is where I am doing my very first excersise for that body part, that day.
Like if I am training my Chest that day and I am planning on doing Bench Presses. I am planning on 4 sets of Flat, 4 sets of Inlcine and 4 sets of Decline. Whichever excersise I start with (usualy flat for me) I will do a warm up set or a few, depending n the body part. With chest I often do a 2 or 3 warm up sets before I get to my heavy weight( sometimes referred to as 'working weight' )so I might write it like this
Flat BB bench BarX25 90X15 110X15 140X8X7
So my working weight is 140 but to avoid injury and make sure the muscle is adequately warm I "work up" to that weight. If you were to warm up with 2 or 3 ascending (gradually heavier) sets and then drop down 2 or 3 times. This could then be referred to as a pyramid set or "pyramidding" EX: BarX25 90X15 110X15 140X8X7 110X14 90X12 BarX18
so we can see that I did a set with the bar for 25 reps, rested ,then increased to 90 and did 15, rested, went to 110 for 15, rested, went to 140 for 2 sets (8 and 7 reps ea), went to 110 for 14, to 90 for 12,then stripped the Bar and lifted to failure. Now to get really confusing.... when you are coming down the other side of this pyramid, you can either A- not rest at all between drops in weight (so your finishing with a continuous drop set (or triple drop) or you can B- rest briefly. but to rest in the usual fashion deafeats the purpose of dropping the weight and makes it uneccessary. In other words, if I am going to rest for a long time, I may as well stay at 140#
Many People beleive in Pyramidding and use this training technique regularly. I do a lot of drop sets but I don't ascend the weight usually, except to warm up the muscle on my first excersise. Like with my chest I would have gone onto the Incline or Decline and went right to my working weight since my chest is already warm and ready to go. I still might finish with a drop of some sort but I wouldn't warm up again.
I often train my lateral delts (side shoulders) with triple drops. I will line up my DB's like this 15's,12's and 8's. I will do as many lateral raises as I can with the 15's, IMMEDIATLY grab the 12's and go til I fail then immediately grab the 8's and train to failure. This wouldn't be good for someone just starting as you can very easily overtrain the delts in a newbie, but if you have been at it for awhile and your recovery is good, this technique can give you permanent shoulder pads
OK, I obviously get started and can't quit. I apologize if I went on too long or over-explained. Sometimes once I get going......Blah, Blah...
Gotta go... have an appointment
XOXO
L2L
) 
Cindy, I'm SO happy to see you back again!
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