Wow - it's been ages since I've started a thread! Quiet weekend here at LWL...
Well, I've started South Beaching - started yesterday, and so am going to cut back on my lifting this week to give myself time to adjust to the lower quantities of food. I'm hungry enough already - don't need hungry muscles adding to my pain!
It was quite a challenge for me to come up with meal ideas that didn't contain any starches at all - one of my solutions was to make a couple of soups to go with my salads at lunch. I think those will be good in helping to fill me up and carry me through until my next "meal". I just need to be careful about my sodium intake though - don't want to be retaining water when I'm supposed to be shedding it!
Well, hello to all you LWL'ers out there - I hope everyone is having an ok Monday and a good week ahead!
Cindy
Almost forgot - Happy Thanksgiving to those of you in Canada!
Hi Cindy, I just found the forum last week and hope it's ok if I join in. I have been lifting on and off for years, but have to really get serious as I am GOING TO BE A GRANDMA (Yayay!, whoopie!) and I want to be able to lift that babe easily, however big it gets. My sister sent me some info on Power of Ten, and I checked it out on the web...also goes by other names Slow Burn, etc. but is basically up for long count, down for long count. You are only supposed to do it once or twice a week...so far I've done it twice, but it seems kind of boring. Have you ever tried it? I started years ago on my own, then lifting with Cathe tapes, went really heavy (for me), then changed and went to light weights, high reps, and honestly don't know what to do or what I like...I like both techniques...can I keep mixing it up? Also started South Beach this weekend. Didn't think of easing up on the lifting at the same time. Hmmm. How often do you lift? and do you lift upper and lower body same days?
Another Susan! Hello!
This week, I'm learning to maintain. I'm going to see if I can hang in around 1900 in and 1900 out (which after I had a walk I realised was really bad math, however) I'm going to see what comes of that in a Five Day Challenge I'm in and reassess on Saturday.
So I need to exercise everyday either weights or cardio. If you don't hear from me, come rapping on my forehead
I'm a (drumroll, please) NEEEWWWWWBIE here! Actually I'm a long-time lurker, gathering lots of great information to plot my fitness strategy. No exercise yet today, I have to leave home each day at 7:00 a.m. to take DD to school. So if I am gonna do this in the morning, I need to actually get up when the clock goes off at 5 instead of zzzzzzz . . . . Tonight doesn't look too good right now, either because we have a Girl Scout troop meeting (I'm co-leader). But there is nothing that says I can't walk at 9:00 tonight, so that's my goal for now.
About me, I live in North Carolina (Hey, y'all), am 48 y/o, have a 13 y/o vegetarian DD (she wears size 1 junior jeans!!) and 15 y/o meat-eating DS (football player) and DH who runs about 5 miles every day. I am the only overweight one in the family (5'6'' and 199 lbs now) and the others like to eat, so I have my challenge laid out for me!
Better go, I'm at work (I sit in front of a computer all day, so I really need to get up and take a lap around the building right now). I'm happy to be a for-real member here!!!
Hi everyone!
I'm back from Old Crow, what an experience! I was going to post the link to my web shots album but it doesn't seem to be working at present. Old Crown is a village in the far North of the Yukon, accesable only by plane. We got to see Carbou hunts and butchering, meet tons of people, AND provide some dental treatment. lol I will post the picture link when its working.
Of course I was excited to get home to my work outs, I went this morning and really had a good one. Unfortunately, I am sitting here wondering if I'm off to the hospital shortly or not. Since my car accident last January, this is the second time I've lost vision in my right eye. I layed down a bit and it mellowed, so I'm waiting to see if the pain comes that did last time. What a piss off! CT scan shows nothing.
Anyhow, hope everyone is having a great Thanksgiving. (Canadians)
Ciao for now,
Tammy
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
Lieke -- I thought of you going into the gym yesterday, hut 1-2-3, hut 1-2-3, like a good gym soldier I went ....
Tammi!!! Get those eyes or something checked!!
Hello Susans!!! WELCOME!! We do luvs newbies !!
I'm back into the swing of things... This week should be more "routine" than has been for the month of September... I made it into the gym yesterday and today did chest yesterday and back today and jogged 3 miles each day... I FEEEEEL good ....
Happy Monday LWL! And Happy Turkey Day to the Canucks
I don't know WHAT I was thinking when I re-arranged my split to do legs on Monday, but I'm going to be real sore for the rest of the week. I did about 20 minutes of balance and plyometric exercises, then hit the heavy stuff. I could barely walk to my car, and training clients in the afternoon was a challenge.
Welcome to all the Susans!
Cindy-Glad to see you back. I did SBD for a while and added a bit more protein. Worked well, except I developed a severe addiction problem with almonds.
Tammy-Sounds like you have a great time in the Great White North! and that's reeeaaaallly North. I hope your doc can figure out what's going on with your eye, losing vision sounds serious.
L2L-Too bad you are a continent away, I think we'd make great training partners. Meg too!
Eats have been good for the last few days. I made what I thought was a HUGE pot of chili with ground turkey breast and black beans and it turns out the rest of the family loves it too I think that may turn into our winter staple.
I need help in the worst way. I am so frustrated, I could scream. I spent most of yesterday cooking (and cleaning house, but I digress). I made a pot of steel cut oats (our first time trying them - even the kids loved it), a pan of brown rice, and refrigerated and froze in 1/2 cup portions, a turkey breast roast with veggies (for dinner last night and throught the week), about 1.25 lb of turkey breast slices, 2 lb of pork loin, a huge pot of stir-fry veggies, and steamed asparagus, broccoli and cauliflower separately. Everything neatly packaged in the refrigerator, ready to go for the week.
First, I got ready for work this morning, put my lunch in my bag (I thought) and off I went. Turns out I put veggies in the bag, and I stuck the pork and rice BACK in the refrigerator. Can you say HUNGRY? Long story, long day, with veggies and an apple. Ugh!
Got home to find out that my youngest son ate the entire 1.25 lb of turkey breast I had cooked. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!!!!! All three of my kids have inhereted the family weight problem, and not a one of them has the slightest clue about portion control. No matter how much I talk, no one listens.
I hate to prepare foods and say "this is mine" and "that is yours". I hate to buy them cheap, inferior foods, but dang! I swear I'm ready to buy them all the Top Ramen and Mac & Cheese they want if they'll leave my lunch alone.
LWL #174 - Week of Oct. 11 - Oct. 17
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Cindy, I'm SO happy to see you back again!
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