Kate

Too bad I haven’t worked out since Friday and I’m feeling rather crappy about it. Since I’ve focused on muscles, I’ve not run much (with my knee being slightly sore). I’m looking forward to signing up for some races this fall and just trying to keep eating healthy and not focus on weight so much. I’ve gained a few pounds, but I’m hoping that’s muscle. I have to measure myself in two weeks to see what I’ve done this month. I feel crappy, but I have to just keep my focus on track!

3×12 chest press 50lbs
3×12 chest incline press 15fw
3×12 chest fly 10fw
3×12 bent row bar 30lbs
1×8 triceps kickback 10lbs
2×12 triceps kickback 5lbs
1×8 biceps curl bar 30lbs
3×12 biceps curl bar 20lbs
3×12 biceps alt curl 10fw
3×12 biceps hammer curl 10fw
3×12 triceps overhead press 10fw
3×12 chest pull-up mac 85lb off-set
3×12 triceps dip mac 85lb off-set
3×12 row mac 40lbs
3×12 lat pd 55lbs

Stretch

Logbook Activity

• Type: Strength Training
• Date: 08/15/2008
• Time: 16:00:00
• Total Time: 00:45:00.00

3×24 walking lunges
3×12 squats 10fw
3×12 stiff legged dead lift 10fw
3×12 standing calf raise 10fw
3×12 side bends 10fw
3×8 lat shoulder raise 10fw
3×10 military shoulder press 10fw
3×10 front shoulder raise 10fw
3×20 reverse crunches
3×20 crunches
3×24 alt heel touchers
Push-up Challenge (I re-did day 1)
2, 2, 2, 2, 4 max

Overall, pretty good workout. My knee is feeling a bit stronger, I’ve avoided running and will see how I feel tomorrow. I might just cycle with my upper body workout, instead of running.

While written down it looks like I accomplished a good amount, I feel like it wasn’t enough. I opted to workout at home and outdoors instead of stopping at the gym on the way home from work. I still changed at work, so I had no excuse to skip my workout. The weather was nice and I feel like I’ve only got a few more months of being able to comfortably workout outside, that I miswell take advantage before winter is back!

Logbook Activity

• Type: Strength Training
• Date: 08/14/2008
• Time: 16:00:00
• Total Time: 00:45:00.00

3×12 squats 15fw
3×12 lunges 5fw forward, back, forward
3×12 lat shoulder raise 12fw
3×12 military shoulder press 8fw
3×12 side bends 15fw
3×30 ab heel touchers
3×24 reverse crunches
3×24 ab crunches legs on ball
3×12 quad ext 50, 35, 30
3×12 ham curl 30, 30, 30
3×12 squat w/front shoulder raise 2lb med ball

Good workout… I’m hungry!

Logbook Activity

• Type: Strength Training
• Date: 08/12/2008
• Time: 15:55:00
• Total Time: 00:45:00.00

The Olympics is cramping my style… I have been staying up later to watch live events therefore making myself much more tired in the mornings. I had planned to run this morning, but just slept in a little later before getting up for work. I am really looking forward to Track & Field events to get me motivated to get back to running regularly.

After work I hit the gym for Chest, Back & Arms. I upped the ante by adding a 3rd exercise and 3rd set to my workouts. I also increased the weights on most exercises. I wanted to feel the burn!

3×12 chest press bar 40, 50, 50
3×12 incline chest press bar 30
3×12 incline chest press 15fw
3×10 bent over row bar 40
3×12 biceps curl bar 30
3×12 biceps hammer curl alt 10fw
3×12 alt biceps curl 10fw
3×12 triceps kickback 10fw
3×8 rear delt raise 15fw
3×12 lat pd mac 55
3×12 triceps bar pd mac 25
3×12 triceps rope overhead ext mac 25, 20, 20

I still feel my muscles tingling…

Logbook Activity

• Type: Strength Training
• Date: 08/11/2008
• Time: 16:00:00
• Total Time: 00:40:00.00

2×12 Chest press
2×12 Chest fly
2×12 Bent-over row
2×12 Seated row
3×12 Lat pull-down
2×12 Shoulder lat raise
2×12 Shoulder military press up
2×12 Biceps curls
2×12 Biceps curl bar
2×12 Triceps back extension
2×12 Triceps pull-down straight cable bar
1×12 Triceps overhead press

I didn’t feel this was enough, so I’m going to go up to 3 sets per two exercises per body part next week. I may eventually add 3 exercises per body part as well in the coming weeks. This should be all that I did, plus stretching at the end.

Logbook Activity

• Type: Strength Training
• Date: 08/05/2008
• Time: 16:00:00
• Total Time: 00:30:00.00

I stayed home sick today to rest. I felt guilty about missing my workout so I worked out at home with my weights.

Logbook Activity

• Type: Strength Training
• Date: 08/01/2008
• Time: 11:00:00
• Total Time: 00:40:00.00

I am really happy about my new workout routine where I do four split-days a week and I’m starting out with 2 exercises per body part with 2 sets each. Sometimes I do more, depending on how I feel. The size of the weights are not important to share (whether it’s heavy weight/low rep or low weight/high rep) because everyone can do something different. After a few weeks, I’ll increase to 3 sets and so on. Eventually I’ll add in more isolation exercises, but that’s not my focus right now.

This workout works for me, because it takes the pressure off of writing everything down while I am in the gym and coming up with extensive routines ahead of time (this way I can concentrate on my workout more). I keep a written log of my workouts afterward. I show up with the body parts to work in my mind, then select the exercises for each. I am able to change it up to keep myself interested. I feel less pressure to stick with an exercise that I chose when not in the gym (from a book, etc…) where I find it just doesn’t work for me and be forced to do it for 4-6weeks.

This is working well for me. My legs haven’t been this sore in a long time even on my other routines the past two months. Two days later they are still a very healthy kind of sore! While some here or in my regular life may think I’m not doing enough, all workout routines are different. I also don’t post everything in detail as to what I do, because I have written logs for that. What I do know is that I’ve got things working well for me, which for every person that’s a different routine, exercise, etc…

You can learn from what others do, but in the end you have to figure out what works best for you. Some people exercise to extremes and believe that’s the only way to be the best, others workout more moderately and feel they’ve found the holy grail to exercise and yet some even achieve winning results in the least amount of work (which is appalling to those exercise extremists)! All bodies are different. I’m finding what works for me and hopefully you know what works for you or will soon!
On another note… I’m sick with some sort of cold. I got sick over the weekend and thought I would shake it off. I haven’t been feeling well and each day it’s been a little worse. Today I’m going home sick to rest after a morning meeting. Hopefully I can shake this feeling before the start of next week so I can enjoy my workouts.

2 exercises @ 2 x 12 ~ on each body part (i.e. legs - squats, lunges~shoulder presses~crunches~etc…)

Going to see Batman: The Dark Knight after this workout!

Logbook Activity

• Type: Strength Training
• Date: 07/29/2008
• Time: 16:15:00
• Total Time: 00:30:00.00

Chest, Back, Biceps, Triceps = 2 exercises each body part, 2 sets, 12 reps

I decided not to bring my log sheet and instead just worked out without writing down every little thing. Since I haven’t worked out hard in awhile, I’ve decided to take a step back and start with a basic plan before getting crazy. I think I got a little too crazy with my plan a few weeks ago… you know me, I always put the pressure on!

I need to create a good base and feel comfortable with my workouts without doing so many isolation exercises. Overall good strength is my goal and concentrating on the correct nutrition is my second goal.

I have read many other blogs and transformations into figure competitions where they don’t write down everything, but have a general idea of their workout plan in their mind. Heck, one woman (who looks awesome by the way) just shows up to the gym daily and does her abs and another body part! I would love to just be able to show up and just do what I feel like, but maintaining a good balance throughout my body.

So, I’m sticking with a two-day split of Chest/Back/Arms and Legs/Shoulders/Abs - where I do 2 exercises per body part and 2 sets each. Within this, I’ll try to go more combination exercises (i.e. squats, presses, etc…) instead of just isolation (curls, leg extension, etc…) This way I can change up the exercises as I see fit. I felt it was getting too complicated mentally to keep making log sheets and spending so much time writing down this and that, when I know what I need to do.

Today’s workout was a welcome one, I felt so much better after. I got sick over the weekend at my moms, which I’m starting to think was from my poor eating over the weekend. I felt like crap! Today, so far a great day and I feel so much healthier.

Logbook Activity

• Type: Strength Training
• Date: 07/28/2008
• Time: 16:15:00
• Total Time: 00:30:00.00

What a workout! I skipped my Wednesday night lower body workout, so I combined both days yesterday. It wasn’t easy, but I made it through.

This week has been a little off in my workouts and eating. I think I’ve skipped/pushed back two workouts, which led me to a long weight session yesterday. If I didn’t do that, I’d be shot for the week. Today, no clothes to hit the gym after work, but I’m hoping for sunshine and a nice bike ride with Bambi later. I’m sure she’ll like it!

Next week I need to keep working on adding more cardio to my routine, as well as not giving in to the ease of just eating like everyone else. I did well last week doing 1/2 hour cardio in 15 minute spurts before/after lifting. That helped me get my cardio in without feeling bored. I think I’ve come to like lifting (some days, not all) because it takes constant thought. I haven’t run much and worry about the monotony. I do miss the solitude of a good run… maybe I’ll bike and run later?

My mind has just been a garbled confused mess lately. Nothing major happening, but some things juggling around in my head. I haven’t felt like I have time to sit with my thoughts. I’ve got to work on more YOGA this and next week too.

So… what isn’t there for me to work on?

I’m always a work in progress and I’m okay with that.

Logbook Activity

• Type: Strength Training
• Date: 07/17/2008
• Time: 12:00:00
• Total Time: 1:20:00.00