I had a long power workout today, with low reps (3-6) and long rests. Pretty much the opposite of the other day's high rep, low rest adventure. Lifts were generally the same weight as the last power workout (last Sunday), but up one or two reps. Except pullups. I seem to be regressing on pullups, which is odd because I'm a bit lighter and pullups is generally one of those exercises where even a 2-3 pound loss helps me eke out another rep. Maybe it's just where I put pullups in the workout, but it's definitely something to watch.
Hope all of you had a great weekend. I'm a football fan without a team, so I'm enjoying the games without getting all stressed about who wins. It's quite relaxing, actually. Especially because I can watch from *inside*, with a hot cup of tea in hand. The fans in Chicago looked very, very cold!
Kim: Out of ego, I almost always do my pullups first thing. I would agree that it's probably where you attempted your pullups during your workout.
I had a similar experience last week with my pushups. I completed an entire upper body, three sets, 8-12 and scaled the weight down 5lbs on all exercises. I attempted a final set of pushups that ended with a humiliating fail after five. In fact, I was so wigged out about it, I did them the next day first thing just to make sure I still could! So yes... same here...something to watch. I think in my case though I'm still healing the bicep tendons in both arms. Two steps forward, one step back.
Anyway, the quad tendon is doing a lot better and I'm beginning to do leg training again. However THIS TIME, I'm staying with bodyweight or very light additional weight for the next four weeks just to be sure.
Since I'm having trouble with the biceps tendons I think I'm going to switch to functional and stability training for these next four weeks as well. It's been a while since I've done balance work and it will ensure that I won't lift anything heavier than a twenty for a while.
Kim - I have lost my ability to do a pull up completely. At my highest point I couldn't do many, but now I'm back down to fail now all the time. I imagine your pullup placement in the workout could be impacting it.
Lydia - your plan for the next few weeks sounds good, be careful there!
I did my db circuit yesterday and am not as debilitated as I was last time, so I'm figuring that is some progress!
Well, I didn't hurt my quad tendon, but my right quad has been sore for 5 days. I told the trainer I had to favor it today and he reached down and found exactly where the knot was. I just about cried it hurt so much, so I'm being friendly with the foam roller now.
CF workouts have been good. This past weekend, 2 of our members competed in a competition so yesterday we did 2 rounds of one of the days. It was L-sits, pullups, overhead squats, and 500m row. Then we did deadlifts and jump rope (I can only do singles so far).
Today is a crazy workout of as many thrusters in 6 minutes as you can BUT you have to do 4 pullups (for women) prior to doing your thrusters. Then we do a 2000m row.
Alena, I notice that you are in Ontario. I lived in Toronto for 34 years then moved back home to Texas one year ago.
Rhonda
Hi Rhonda,
Yes, I am about 100 km from Toronto. My BF keeps saying he would like to live in Texas later on in life but I argue with him saying it's too hot there and it's full of rattlesnakes. (At least that's my perception of Texas).
For some strange reason, I cannot access 3FC at home. I am planning to change my Internet service provider anyway, I just need to kick myself and do it. So I only read by little bits and pieces at work.
I went to a spinning class today - 40 minutes of spinning and then 15 minutes of abs.
Oh yeah, Texas can be blistering hot and totally run over with rattlesnakes. Copperheads, too. And, don't forget the tarantulas, black widow spiders and the brown recluse. It's a wild place, and that's not even talking about the people! One thing that I enjoyed about Ontario was the few number of critters that stung or bit with intent to kill.
My right quad is still painful but the roller is helping of course. The work I did on my adductors yesterday has taken my mind off of the quads for a while. How in the devil do you use a foam roller on the adductors, and can it be put in print?
Nelie, I haven't seen any of the critters I mentioned in 40 years. Well, maybe I saw a baby rattler last spring when hiking in west Texas. I have never seen a brown recluse. I've been told that the fire ants are eating them
No! No she isn't Nelie. I have no plans to EVER go there now. I HATE SNAKES! They move so fast and without legs! Now, talk about some strong cores! Sorry.
Still plugging away here. Today was another high rep, low rest workout on low carbs. Lots of fun. The goal is to deplete the glycogen stores in the muscles so that the next couple of days of cardio -- and, more significantly from a caloric standpoint, daily living -- have to take the energy from fat. Then it's back to high(er) carbs to replenish the glycogen stores in time for a period of high weight, low rep workouts and rest days to rebuild muscle.
This type of structured training / diet (developed by Lyle McDonald) is not for the faint of heart or stout of waist. Nor is it a long-term "lifestyle" change of the sort we typically talk about here on 3fc. But, I thought I'd try it out for 6 weeks or so, as a way to break past the spinning-my-wheels feeling I've been experiencing in the gym. If nothing else, I've learned an enormous amount about the cellular and hormonal processes behind fat loss and muscle growth from Lyle McDonald's site, which I highly recommend if you have a science geek side. (Just to give you an idea, his site has a 7-article series on protein alone ... and he doesn't sell protein powders.)
Kim: Best of luck with that. Perhaps knowing EXACTLY what is going on when you are eating/not eating certain carbs helps with following through? I agree it can't be something you just jump into.
I am a bit of a science geek so thanks for the suggestion. Considering the snow here NOVA this morning I have time to take it in.
No gym this morning but shoveling the driveway is on the to-do list. it's a long drive....
good day everyone!
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