[sportmom]

Originally Posted by Mel

Fran- Have you looked at the thermometer lately? It IS cold! I never noticed that, but I do notice that I'm a lot colder all the time at my current weight than I was 60 pounds ago. And on a high carb day, I'm boiling, but a low carb day has me all bundled up.

Yeah, but here it's been cold for a week already. Last nite was the first time it Bothered me that way, to where I couldn't even sleep. I've had the flannels on for a week, etc.

Interesting tho about your high carb/low carb days and your thermal heat level.

[kaw]

Evening, everyone!

I've mostly been lurking for the past, oh, while, but I have to chime up to share new of a new bench PR. Only fellow lifters understand how much work goes into one of these things, and my "in person" lifter friend moved away this fall.

Without further ado: I benched 3x140, in the third set (1st two were 7@135 and 5@135). I thought it would just wipe me out for other chest/tri excercises, but it must have had the opposite effect, because I also managed a PR on dips -- BW + 25 lbs. Now, if only I could make progress on squats and scales...

53 days until I leave for Hawaii. I'm looking forward to it, of course, but I feel a bit bad about taking a vacation like this in the current economy, when so many people are struggling or nervous about their jobs/houses. A bit: we've made plenty of tradeoffs elsewhere in our lives ... plus our tickets are nonrefundable.)

Be strong,
Kim

[WaterRat]

Mel and Fran on being cold where you are! It was 16 this morning, and now it's snowing - again - the real small flakes, and lots of them, looks almost like rain, but they're snowflakes. Good thing I've got an appt to get my snow tires on in the morning!

But I need to stoping whining about winter cold and dark already. There's just too much time to go to start now - you'll all kick me out!

Tonight is the first night I've been home all week, and I intend to either read or catch up on some TV. On that note, I'm off to make some dinner.

Whoops, meant to tell you Kim, that your vacation may keep some service related folks employed a little longer - you're doing your part for the Hawaiian economy.

[Mel]

Whoa! KAW! 140 is fantastic!!! and heavy.....

I have the most ridiculous injury that is making lifting difficult: I sprained my thumb. Or I have arthritis in my thumb joint In any case, holding heavy dumbbells is painful.

Out into the cold

Mel

[Lydia227]

Originally Posted by Mel

and did a short yoga video while dinner cooked.
Mel

I honestly had to look at this twice and match it back up with your name on the thread because I couldn't believe you would actually OWN a yoga video much less use one and before dinner too. ~whew~ Okay. I'm all done ribbing you. Your using it for a great reason, flexibility. It took me a while to find a place for it in my program. My focus for so long had been cardio and strength. Once I understood the importance of flexibility :light: (especially in my hips) to my lifting and running I made time for the yoga.

Kaw: on your PR of 140. That is just fantastic! And please do not feel guilty about your trip. You are doing your part to keep the economy moving by doing what you would normally do.

Fran: I've noticed the freezing experience correlates more with an evening workout. This summer I would need to shower after my ashtanga yoga class (7:30 to 9:00pm) and then wear my winter jammies just to warm up again. Wacko that I am I actually looked forward to this.

Oh, and yes. I am still sick Mel. I just made an appointment for Monday to get it checked out. It's morphing into a head cold but the stiff neck is still there and it's been going on for three weeks which is too long. My eating is a little heavier in the carbs than I usually do but I think maybe I'm burning a lot of it off trying to fight this because there has been no scale gain. Oh well, the good news is it's keeping me down enough to get a lot of reading done.

[nelie]

I imagine Mel doing yoga while bench pressing a donkey (or something like that)

I need to do some yoga although I have been doing good with my stretches. I saw the physical therapist this morning and he thinks I'm progressing with my flexibility but says STRETCH, STRETCH and then STRETCH some more.

[EofAZ]

My GF (from NV) and I are planning on a meet-up for some girl time while DH is hunting this fall. One of the places we considered was Payson, AZ up in the pines because it might be cool enough there to burn a fireplace. We chickened out and selected Lake Havasu instead because neither of us have much current experience of driving in snow and didn’t want to risk getting into trouble. (we’ve both lived in the desert for about 20 years) It is supposed to get up to 88 hear today. So I took lunch at 10:30 and got my cardio in BEFORE it reached 88.

So, I’ve got my cardio done for today, did my 1B workout last night. Shocked myself on how little I could lift. I intentionally went light just to get back in the groove figuring I would repeat 1A and 1B again next week with what I r-e-a-l-l-y thought I could lift. Well I certainly over estimated my strength and had to push myself to get it done. The things I thought I would struggle with (jack knife) I did much better then expected. The things I figured I could do a lot more but would start with something easy to just limber up (dead lifts) I was shocked at how little I could lift. Regardless it still felt awesome to hear the weights clanking around and felt so incredible when I got finished.

[Tomato]

Hiya ladies!

I think you will have to give me some spanking - obviously my muscles are made of jello (and I thought I have been working hard lifting weights???)
I am still trying to decide if I will upgrade my gym membership so that I can go to a different gym at lunch time (you would all laugh, although brand new it is very tiny and it was obviously dumbed down for the little ladies - a few recumbent bikes, 3 TMs, 3 ellipticals, 3 stairmasters and I think maybe 5 Nautilus machines and a tiny yoga studio).

Anyway, so I went yesterday and since my hip continues to be a problem, I decided to get on the elliptical. I have been never on the elliptical for more than 8 minutes (I use it for warm ups prior to lifing weights at my reg. gym). So yesterday, I went for the hill climb and I set it for 30 minutes. Geez!! My arms feel like rag doll arms today - I could barely lift up my mug with coffee heehehehe.

Today, I just returned from a half hour core class (on the ball) and one full hour of Zumba. I am totally Zumba'd out!!!!
Another half hour of core planned for tomorrow and I will attack the weights afterwards.

Wishing you all a lovely weekend.

[Mel]

I ran into an old friend at the gym this morning and she talked me and my workout partner into doing 1/2 her Zumba class after we finished lifting. I am a klutz! It was fun. She is a tiny Brazilian bombshell and all I could think of was that it would have been a lot more fun after one of the mohitos she served the last time I was at a party at her house!

Lydia- I actually do own a yoga video, but is is too basic even for me. I discovered that we get Exercise TV On Demand and there are all sorts of things on there!

Mel

[WaterRat]

Morning from the frozen north. It's actually a very pretty day - as long as you're sitting inside a nice warm house! I have a pot of veggie soup going and will let it simmer on the wood stove all day. I've been doing way too much stress eating (and like Mel I find it really doesn't help!) so I'm trying to get some foods ahead that will let me eat when I need to without the calories/fat/etc. of the junk that hangs around work.

My swimming classes ended last Wed, and won't begin again til January. In the meantime I'm hoping to swim 2-3 times a week to build up some endurance there, plus get back to NROLW on a regular basis. I think that getting my arms especially stronger will also help with swimming. It's sooo much easier on my knees (except for getting out - I have to swim over to the little kid stairs, on the reglular pool ladders I have to lift my body weight onto my knee with my knee at chest level - so not happening!) I have a regular checkup with my PC doc next Thurs. I'm going to ask him if he can write a therapy scrip or if I need to go back to the orthopedic guy (and spend the bucks for an office visit - they know how bad my knee is, but want to see you in person "just in case.").

[jamsk8r]

Kim, that is an amazing lift on your BP! Very cool!

Lydia, thanks for the suggestion on the BB rollouts. I think I'll give that a try at home first, just in case I fall on my face, lol!

No cardio for me this morning, but I'll do legs around lunchtime. I've been sticking to my workout plan this week, but I think I need to tweak the plan a little, because by afternoon, I'm ready for a nap, which isn't an option. I've been doing lifting then cardio right after in the early morning, then a protein shake breakfast. I work the pulling dogs after, then home to get chores/work/homeschool going. I've been doing okay until early afternoon, then I just run out of steam. I'm thinking maybe if I split the cardio and lifting, maybe a workout early afternoon or before lunch would give me the boost I need to make it through the afternoon..? I figure it's worth a try.

[Lydia227]

Dogs?! Pulling dogs...you really are a busy woman.

[Tomato]

Lydia,

The clip about the BB rollouts reminded me that I have this exercise gizmo:

Of course I used it a few times when I got it (years ago) and then happily forgot about it. It took me a while to find it (I moved to this house 3 years ago and I had no idea where it was hiding). It is very effective. You do 5 rollouts and the next your day your abs are screaming (of course, assuming that you are a couch potato that does not exercise at all). I will have to start using it.

Ladies, I have to tell you that today, for the first time I had to give up. I was about half way into my core class when I realized that every muscle of mine quivers. I guess the last couple of days I worked my harder than I had thought I did. I finished the class and then I moved onto doing weights, but after 20 minutes I simply called it quits. It was pointless to continue. I think I need some rest.

Otherwise, I am drooling with excitement - I found very reasonable sneakers for Zumba at Payless. Very flexible sole with hardly any traction, I can't wait to test them out.

[sportmom]

Well, I had a good weekend. Actually got up early Saturday (ok, not dreadfully, but a change for me) to do cardio before taking dd to swim practice. How absolutely weird for it to be 9 am and be totally done with my cardio. I kept thinking about it all day and reminding myself that nope, I was good there, check!

Today was a fbwo and cardio after. I felt strong today - yeah! Slump, or whatever, over. Personally, I think it must be the chocolate milk! I mean, really, it could be making me stronger, it's not just the recovery portion! I'm sold. I added in my balance ball roll outs today, with my body off the ground. I added them but stayed on the ground last time. I got 10 done without totally rolling off - it was fun. The worst was just getting calf cramps from trying to dig into the ball to keep from rolling. I'll keep working on it.

I think I'm looking younger in the mirror. I feel like I've already taken 10 years off my face. WIshful thinking to be sure, but it's an amazing thing that an all-day flush of color to the cheeks and natural tendency to smile more bc you feel "right" in the head, can do for your face value.

OK, I'll go spread my endorphins somewhere else now.

[Lydia227]

Originally Posted by sportmom

I think I'm looking younger in the mirror. I feel like I've already taken 10 years off my face. WIshful thinking to be sure, but it's an amazing thing that an all-day flush of color to the cheeks and natural tendency to smile more bc you feel "right" in the head, can do for your face value. OK, I'll go spread my endorphins somewhere else now.

That feeling. Wow.

Tomato: That looks like a fun toy. I've been thinking about getting an ab wheel to use at home. Just haven't gotten around to it. It sounds like you are wearing yourself out. Good idea to listen to your body and make modifications. I always find that my workouts will show a slight decline just before the symptoms of a cold sets in. Still, it always surprises me.

Speaking of which, bah. I'm still sick. And it's not even the kind that you just have a runny nose. I'm actually bone weary fatigued with this thing. I'm heading in for a doc appointment. Hopefully he can send me home with some drugs but if its just a garden variety virus I may just have to hang in there with my lemon water, tissues and naps: (The anti workout)^: