February Chat
 

I couldn't think of anything creative, so here we are with just the month to describe the chat.

We haven't been too active on this site for a while, but I'll keep it going and post workouts and talk to myself :lol:

Join in if you'd like.

I said I would post some workouts. Here is what the trainer had me do on Thursday.

1. lay down with a 40 pound sandbag by your head. Grab the bag with 2 hands and lift it over your body and down to the other side of your head. Do that 20 times. Try not to drop it.

2. He tied 3, 45 pound weights to a rope, I walked almost to the end of the rope, and I pulled it forever. Then, turn around and pull it toward you, hand over hand.

3. 10 burpees

4. bear walk

5. forward lunges with 25 pound barbell held overhead, then in front, then in your arms, then behind your head. do 6 lunges in each pose.

Do it all again.

I can definitely feel it.


If no one else posts on this site, I won't maintain it. Someone else can pick it up if they like, of course.

Wow, I'm seriously impressed! Geesh, I was gonna say that I did my stage 5 workout from NROL4W but somehow after reading your post, I feel like such a slacker, lol.

Anyway, I've recently moved up from 20# to 25# DB's on almost every exercise. Hard to believe that almost six months ago I had trouble with 5# DB's. It feels good to increase the weight. I feel like I'm really challenging myself when I do the workouts. I'm loving New Rules too.

Hola chickies! I just got back from the gym. I did some intervals and swiss ball crunches. Nothing too crazy.

When I first started changing my diet/excercise routine i felt like i looked more jiggly and bloated through my middle than usual...this week it is gone! Feels great to see my flat tummy again. Now I just want it to be TIGHT!

Is everyone having a good week??? Hope so! It's Thursday- WOOT! :cheer2:

It's a good Thursday here!
I haven't been lifting as much due to training for a 6.7 mile leg of a relay race. (Still not sure what possessed me to do that, I am so not a runner)

But, in the mean time I am getting some cross training in. I still hate/fear the deadlift but I squatted 115 (I know, weak) yesterday and am up to 55lbs shoulder press and chest press. I backed off the weight on chest press by 20lbs in order to address the imbalances that 6 years of left-arm based martial arts caused. Good news there, looks like I'm getting more balanced and will probably up the weight next week if not next session.

Hi all!
I love deadlifts but hate squats! Isn't it funny!

I've been fairly consistent going to the gym and lifting a couple of times a week.

Today (mmmm, let me remember! I need to keep a notebook!)
leg press
deadlifts with an ez bar (60#)
leg extension
leg curls
pull down
dumbbell rows
rope pressdowns
skull crushers

haha! A little bit of abs: 2 planks, 30 crunches and 3 sets of 6 leg raises. My core is sooooo wimpy! Any creative core workouts?

It's good to see some activity here.

I don't know anything creative about core exercises at all :lol:

My trainer has me do this one exercise that isn't really core, but I feel it and think it's good. Use plate or plates for weights and hold it/them off to your side while doing a side lunge, down by your hip. Then lift the weight up and across your body in front and UP on the other side while moving out of the lunge. Do it 8 times, each side, then do it again.

Fitmom, it's great to move up in weight, isn't it. I think the 25 # db is my limit for most work. I LOVE deadlifts. Overhead presses are a rush too.

I dispised deadlifts lately and LOVE squats...probably because I can squat more ;)

Yep, it sure is. Right now 25# is my limit too but I've stopped comparing myself to people and am in competition with me as everyone's different. In New Rules, this stage has me doing DB single-leg Romanian deadlifts which I love and I'm psyched that I'm performing them with 50# total weight. :D

I'm impressed Fitmom. 25lb dumbbells are pretty heavy to pull in a single leg deadlift.

Midwife: Nice to see you. :wave: What are you currently doing for core stability? This is a nice post from Mike Robertson about the role the core plays in preventing unwanted movement and how to incorporate it into our training beyond the planks. My current go to is the pallof press when I"m in recovery between sets of strength/power sets.

http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_...ore_training_1

Speaking of deadlifts. It's one of my favorite lifts as well. Squats and deads and all their beautiful variations. However, it's going to be a while before I'm pulling any real weight or loading the spine. I'm experiencing sciatica for the first time...not fun. Just a touch, but certainly made for a surprise the first morning it happened. :yikes: I"m managing it with movement, making "space" in the lower spine, yoga, lower back exercises and NSAIDS but it just plain is annoying. So funny...I get over one injury and I'm off to become a guru about another. :rolleyes:

Anyway, just wanted to pop in real quick and give midwife a link to Robertson's article.

Lydia227: The single-leg deadlift has improved my balance too. I gotta say to that all the squatting, lunging and deadlifting has done wonders for my backside too, lol. A nice side effect. :D I had a touch of sciatica when I was pregnant with my youngest back in 2005, not fun at all. I feel your pain. :( Hopefully, it gets better soon.

Lydia, I hope your sciatica improves. I've had it before but all the lifting has been good for it. Thanks for the link.

Yes, those SLD are really good, and I find them very challenging. I use 2, 20# dbs.

I did 30 minutes of agility training with my trainer yesterday. Now, that was different and not easy. I think I need to do more; it will help my tap dancing :dancer:

Tejas, I just recently moved up to the 25# db's with the SLD. 40# is still a lot of weight to pull! It really challenges your balance which I love.

I've been using my kettlebell which is 25# (used to have a 7# one but then realized I should/can be lifting heavier) for some of the interval work that's written into the NROL4W and I love it. I do 100 swings at the end of the workout in the form of 5 sets of 20 reps with 30 seconds of rest b/t sets. It's killer but in a good way!

Hola chickies!

I am starting to get the same post-workout high with lifting that I do with cardio! This makes me so happy because at first I wasn't getting this at all!

I can't believe that I did 12 "man style" pushups today! That is huge for me. I've never done that before.

Hope all of you are having fabulous weekends! I am SO excited that I have tomorrow off in observence of President's Day! I keep forgetting that our office is closed and every time I remember I get so excited- it's the little things lol!

I've been adding KBs back into my routine also. I was doing them then developed a pain in my upper right hamstring that really slowed me down. I recently did 20 with 25# and 20 with the 35#, for 40. I'll work on moving that up. 100 with the 25# sounds good.

I can get up to 15 "real" push ups, but it is a serious challenge. !0 is more my speed, and I'm actually rather proud of that...not too shabby for a 66 year old woman.

I cannot do a pull-up and would like to be able to do that, just for the heck of it. For the moment, I use the pull-up assist machine.

tejas- That's AWESOME for a 66 year old woman! You rock! :cheer2:

Gosh golly, thanks! :o

I just 5 sets of 20 KB swings @ 25#......not too hard. I'll add that into the routines.

Tejas - pull ups are hard! I'm down to 40lbs assist but getting past that has been a real pain. As to push ups. 10 is awesome, I wish I could do 10 good ones, but it's more like 7 for me right now.

I had a good upper body lift day on Saturday, had to hold off on lower body due to Sunday's 6 mile training run. Finally back up to 60lbs bench press without my right side giving way. Maybe there is a light at the end of the imbalance tunnel!

Tejas: Age is just a number as you've proven. :) Pushups are really hard. I never used to be able to do one full pushup about six months ago. Now I can execute 15 full ones and I've moved onto decline ones to challenge myself. The 100 KB's are killer but in a good way! I doubt I could swing a 35 lb. KB just yet as the 25# one is very challenging still. The swings have helped my butt too, lol.

I get that too and I usually feel like I could tackle anything after lifting! And 12 pushups is great! Awesome! :carrot:

I did a series of exercises--squats, lunges, swings, get ups, etc. with a 30 pound sand bag for 30 minutes with the trainer, then 30 minutes on the elliptical at 85% of MHR, ending with 2 sets of 15 KB swings with the 35# KB.

From the box, I have a weakness on the right side doing chest presses..55 pounds are my limit. The weakness is from an old neck injury, but it has greatly improved with lifting weights.

I have noticed in this stage (5) of NROL4W, that my non-dominant side which is my left-side, has finally, finally caught up with my right-side in terms of strength.

I used to have trouble with bi-lateral moves as my left-side fatigued more easily because I was weak. Even in areas of balance, it's much improved.

My grip has improved because of the weight training too. Functional, real-life strength is so important. It's not just about aesthetics, you know?

Appearance is a consequence of fitness.

Hi ladies! How is everyone doing??

I am almost done with NROL4W Phase 1. I am not overly thrilled with the looks of phase 2 as there are several exercises that involve a step bench that are not easy to come by at my gym...hubby says he will find one for me :)

Does anyone want to work with me to write a "Myths about Weight Lifting" sticky to go on this page? I can explain that muscles only come in one shape so many times before I'll start to lose my mind...