Good morning. Well, my back doesn't feel quite like you shoulders did yesterday. But the top of my butt feels great! I guess I need to find a lat bar.
Today? Legs? Abs? I know I can get a good 'leg next morning ache/burn' but abs ??? I dunno, I work them pretty hard sometimes ... maybe I'll have to settle for legs.

Good morning everyone! I'm happy to report that I'm back on track with my lifting - I took a week off for numerous lame excuse reasons, but I forced myself to get back there yesterday. Funny, my cardio continued while I stayed away from the weights - not usually the case with me.

Trying to figure out when today's cardio will be - I had to get on a conference call at 7am this morning, and now I've already had coffee and breakfast, so I can't do it now.... I'm definitely a morning person when it comes to cardio - need to wait at least 2 hours after eating a meal to do it.

I'm really thinking that my plan for getting more cardio into my weeks is to do it every week-day morning, and then lift at lunch time or thereabouts. We have the gym at work, which makes that possible. I might be a little sweaty afterwards, some days, but they'll just have to put up with me! That way I can have my relaxing weekend mornings and still get in all the cardio I need!

2Fru - probably too late, but good luck and congratulations today with the wedding! Hope your weather was a bit better than here - cold and rainy! I'm sure it was all wonderful, you looked beautiful and a good time had by all. Send photos when you are back and get a chance!

Pat - hope you are feeling better soon. Have you ever tried Airborne? I swear by it - I lived with DF with a horrible cold for 3 weeks, and by taking Airborn morning and night, I didn't catch it! Simply amazing! I love the stuff - pink grapefruit is my favorite.

Liza - congrats on the size 16's! I'm working my way back there myself. I can get into them, but they're uncomfortable in the waist, the 16W's are much more comfy. But, I plan to be back into the regular 16 soon too!

Nelie - look at the bright side about your weight - at least the number didn't go up! Sometimes maintaining is the best we can manage, and that's a good thing!

SusanB - definitely share a photo of that gal when you find it.

I'm afraid I have more working to do this weekend - I'm the functional expert on some new software we are launching in the Americas Tuesday, and things aren't going so well right now :( Guess my weekend will be a bit of a bust....
Cindy

Hi LWL,

I'm BAAACK!!! I've been MIA for the best part of last week, and I 've just caught up with all the posts...WOW, everybody has been busy busy busy!

Robin - thanks for the encouraging words in re: the pool & the other obstacles in my life

Brides to B: Good luck with the weddings !

Pat - I hope your cold is getting better!

I spend the last few days in paris...on business. They told me afterwards that they had doubted if the expertise they needed was available, and I have been secretly gloating at the evaluation sheets they filled in... I got 9.5 points out of 10 on the rating for "expertise". Furthermore, I found my way from the hotel to the firm with a map!!! I am very pleased with myself for that. Hurray for me! Lets conclude to say that the food was divine, as always, the french guys looked good... and I find that again I have acted sucessfully. Good for my self esteem.

Now for a weekend of rest & relaxation. I am looking forward to sleeping in tomorrow, having a nice bath with lots of bath foam (just treated myself to a new bottle to celebrate the sucessfull trip) and doning my fitnessball & yoga DVD tomorrow.

have a great weekend,
rabbit

Wow, what a difference 5 pounds can make. So yesterday I went up by 5 lbs on my dumbbells for my lbwo - just the ones I hold while I squat and plie, right? Youwza's - it worked. IT's that good pain you all like to talk about so much, and not soreness. Right there in the little divide between where your leg and tush meet. That and the upper back thighs. NICE! :cp:

I'm so excited!! I may be getting an elliptical before the year is out! DF and I went to Dick's sporting goods today and we were looking at the ellipticals. A couple months ago, we went to Sears and looked at the ellipticals and it was quite pathetic. Today I found a good solid elliptical under $2k. It is the Sole e35. http://www.soletreadmills.com/detail...pe=ellipticals

DF tried it and he liked it a lot. I did some research online and the reviews look good as well as an awesome warranty. I've been wanting an elliptical for a long time and it may happen!

Ok now back to real exercise. I ordered one of the original Firm workouts, which used to kick my butt in high school. I did it for the first time this morning since I bought it and it was great. The 80s outfits and makeup was fun to watch plus realizing that I'm more fit than I was back then. It was an hour long workout.

One thing I noticed about the Firm workouts is they like upright rows. I know those are bad for your shoulder so I don't lift them higher than my breast and I may end up substituting them entirely one day.

Nelie - let me put a plug in for my NordicTrack elliptical. Mine is the CX1055, and what I like about it the most is that your feet do not straddle the front supports - there is a ramp in the middle with both foot places, and the supports are on the outside of that. Supposedly that is better for women, as our legs don't tend to be "bowed" as men's are. Just something to think about. I think mine was about the same price as this. I've had it since January, and although I've really only been using it a lot for the past 2 months, I really like it!

One of the things I like best about it is the built-in fan - I get SO hot while working out, that I have a clip-on fan I use for the ellipticals at the gym!
Cindy

Nelie, we bought one this spring at Dick's for about $800 and it's a pretty good machine. It's the EC350, but can't remember the brand without going downstairs to look which ain't happenin right now! :)

I did an hour on the treadmill this morning with my LEAD LEGS. What is it about increasing your weights that makes your muscles stiff as boards. I was soooo unflexible this morning when I tried to stretch after the treadmill - worse than my usual flexibility. It's like as the muscles tear and repair they are also very very tight and stiff. No brainer to most of you, but lifting my stone encased legs on the treadmill for an hour was really hard!

With regard to HRbabe's five extra pounds ... amen. And for me? sticking with it a little longer. I had to put my lifting stuff in a room where I could be alone. Downstairs, it's too easy to wander off and do something else after 10 or 15 minutes.
I'm not sure what the college boy is going to say if he needs to sleep in his room here any time soon :) Tiptoe thru the dumbells ....

I'm going to walk to church in a few minutes and I'm sure my legs are gonna let me know I did good yesterday.