My Journal :)

[Tracy M]

Hello ladies, my name is Tracy. I am just begining my journey through FBB and Fitness, I am very excited!! I want to be lean and have nice noticable muscles. Nothing too big, but I still want people to look at me and say wow she must work out!! I have 2 children my youngest is 7 months and he's been in the gym since he was 4 weeks old!! I appreciate any advice you girls give me and really need help to make sure that I am doing the most and best I can to achieve my goals. Thanks for your help in advance!! ;)
I am 24
Height 5'5
Weight 135
Chest 34
Waist 30
Hips 37.5
Thigh 22.5
Calves 13.5
Bicep 10.5


Diet: I am cycling carbs: High, Low, No.
My main source of protein comes from chicken and whey protein. I eat about 5-6 meals a day. I will start posting my daily intake in the next couple of days. I eat alot of oats and egg whites, tuna, natural PB, and veggies. Oh and lets not forget the fish oil! Actually this is pretty much the only variety of food I eat.

My WORKOUT!!!:
Back/ Bicep/ Abs
Legs/Triceps
Chest /Shoulders/Calves


My last 3 workouts:
11/23/04
Bench 65x 8 , 85x 8x 2
Cable Crossovers 20x 10 30x 8
BB Military Press 15x 15, 20x 10
Upright Rows 45x 10 x 2
Bent Over lateral Raises 55x 10x 2
Shrugs 20x 10x 2
Reg Crunch 50
Bicycle 100
Leg Raise 50
Cardio 30 minutes

11/26/04
Squats 70x 10, 90x 12x 2
Leg Press 180x 12, 250x 12, 270x 10
Leg extentions 100x 20, 110x 20
SLDL's, 45x 15, 55x 10
Thigh Machines(inner & outer) I know everyone says this machines sucks but it makes my inner thigh burn and I'm addicted..HELP?

11/27/04
off
11/28/04
BB Row 45x 10, 55x 10
T Bar Row 60x 8x 2
Pull Down 70x 10, 80x 8
Cable curl 50x 10, 60x 8
DB Curls 20x 6x 2
Abs
HIgh Intensity Interval Cardio..NOt "HIIT" b/c my HR moniter is lost at the moment thanks to my husband and I couldn't accuratly watch my HR. So I just ran sprints and jogged repeated this for 12 minutes then about lost my breakfast.

Hope that gives everyone I pretty good jist of where I am and where I need to improve and whatnot. Tommorrow is a cardio or pilates day. Thanks girls.
Can I eat Grits in place of my oats on some days or are they not as nutrious?

[Tracy M]

11/30 Legs
Squat 135x10, 185x6, 225x6 YEAHHH!
Leg Press 180x12, 270x10x 2
Leg Extensions 110x 20x 2
Sldl 45x 2 (just started this, really trying to learn good form)
DB sldl 50x 2

Dec 1
Rest/ Low Carb
Back is feeling pretty rough.

[PcH]

Your squats and leg presses are impressive! Keep up the good work. I'll definitely subscribe to this to see your progress.

[Tracy M]

CARDIO/NO Carb Day!
CAN'T WAIT TO LIFT TOMORROW!!

[Tracy M]

High Carb/ Chest/ Triceps/ abs

bench press 70x 8x 2
incline 45x10x 2
cable crossovers 20x 10 30x 10
cable triceps 60x 8x 2
Db triceps 12x 8x 2
what do you call it when you sit on the end of a bench and lower your butt to the ground and work your triceps? WOW dumb ? I did that until failure twice about 20 each
Reg crunch 100
Bicycle 200
side obli 50 each

Felt Horrible in the gym today. I am soo weak on my upper body and I really need to learn a new workout for this day. I love working out my legs and I hate working my uppper. Any suggestions from anyone who feels kinda the same?

[Emma-Leigh]

bench press 70x 8x 2
incline 45x10x 2
cable crossovers 20x 10 30x 10
cable triceps 60x 8x 2
Db triceps 12x 8x 2
what do you call it when you sit on the end of a bench and lower your butt to the ground and work your triceps? WOW dumb ? I did that until failure twice about 20 each
Reg crunch 100
Bicycle 200
side obli 50 each
Those things are usually called tricep dips ;)

What are you wanting to get out of your chest days? Do you want increased strength? Increased intensity?

Chest is my icky day as well - I can get a great pump from legs, back and shoulder day but for some reason my chests days will be 'blah' unless I really pick up the intensity...

[bscrusher]

i suggest you cut your excercise on chest day down to 1 to 3 lifts, instead of 9.

you will be able to increase the intensity of your lifting by A LOT. you will see a dramatic improvement immediately.

if you can do 8 excercises after bench, your bench workout was worthless and weak.

see an article called, "condensed training" by mike mahler. also read "the one lift workout", and other articles by dan john, these can be found on the t-nation site, and other places.

[bscrusher]

correction, the article by dan john is called, "the 'one lift a day' program".

[Tracy M]

Thank you guys. My goal for chest is I want to bench my weight and then some. I'll read up on that book. :)

[Emma-Leigh]

Thank you guys. My goal for chest is I want to bench my weight and then some. I'll read up on that book. :)
Right - well if strength is your one and only goal then, for once, I agree with BsCrusher.. You have to follow a strength training protocol...

There are a few strength training programs you can follow - the simplest is to do bench with:
3 to 5 sets,
4 to 6 reps - load at 80 to 100% of your one rep max.
You will need 2-5 min rest between sets!

You will also need a spotter - as you are pushing out such a heavy weight you can get pinned if you are not careful! ;)

You can also try super-slow training (raise for 10, lower for 5, 4-8 reps, 80-90% max), Oxford techniques (were you do 3 sets of 10 reps but start heavy and then drop the weight to a moderate load over the 3 sets) etc etc... But the above is the simplest...

[Tracy M]

Thanks Emma! I will try the first suggestion you gave me. Is it unrealistic to want to gain strentgh on my upper body and lean down on my lower body?
12/05/04
Today was no carb/chest/shoulder/bicep

Natulis Pulldown 90x8, 100x8, 100x6
TBar Row 50x 10, 75x8, 75x 6
Shrugs 50x 20
Shoulder Press DB 20x 8x 2
Chins w/ spot BWx 8
DB Curl 15x 10, 20x 6
Cable Curl 20x 8

NO cardio...haven't felt very good in the gym for 3 days now. Might just take a rest day tomorrow. Or go to a kick boxing class tomorrow.

[bscrusher]

take the rest, and try a simplification of ALL your workouts similar to what i suggested for your bench/chest workout.

you will get better results with shoulder press as part of your bench/chest day workout.

why don't you do deadlifts?

[Tracy M]

take the rest, and try a simplification of ALL your workouts similar to what i suggested for your bench/chest workout.

you will get better results with shoulder press as part of your bench/chest day workout.

why don't you do deadlifts?

I have tried for weeks now to get the proper form. I don't think that I do it correctly. Here is what I do and you can tell me if Iam an idiot or not. I stand with my feet together, I bend down with my knees bent and arch my back and pull the bar up and focus on sqeezing my shoulder blades together, but I never feel it so last time I put on two 10lb weights and then that just seemed as though the bar was difficult to hold, so I used hand straps and then I just got frustrated. I want to see someone do them so I could mimic them and I think the trainers at my gym are fat and stupid and I don't want to ask just a random person to show me so I just left it at that. Do you use alittle momentum when you come up or do you stand completely still? Oh and by the way I do SLDL and they work wonders on my legs so maybe you could compare it to that and tell me what I am doing wrong.

[StlBarbie]

NO cardio...haven't felt very good in the gym for 3 days now. Might just take a rest day tomorrow. Or go to a kick boxing class tomorrow.[/QUOTE]

You have been working so........hard - take a rest day or do something active that you enjoy doing just "for fun"! Keep up the good work! You will have some great results!
Barb

[Tracy M]

Thanks, I hate when I feel like this!!!!

[bscrusher]

I have tried for weeks now to get the proper form. I don't think that I do it correctly. Here is what I do and you can tell me if Iam an idiot or not. I stand with my feet together, I bend down with my knees bent and arch my back and pull the bar up and focus on sqeezing my shoulder blades together, but I never feel it so last time I put on two 10lb weights and then that just seemed as though the bar was difficult to hold, so I used hand straps and then I just got frustrated. I want to see someone do them so I could mimic them and I think the trainers at my gym are fat and stupid and I don't want to ask just a random person to show me so I just left it at that. Do you use alittle momentum when you come up or do you stand completely still? Oh and by the way I do SLDL and they work wonders on my legs so maybe you could compare it to that and tell me what I am doing wrong.

don't do sldls on the same day you do squats.

for regular dl feet are shoulder width or more, they can be way out by the plates if you like.

shins are close to the bar 1 or two inches.

do any kind of dls, except romanians, one at a time, that is, lift it, put it down, shake it out and rest for about 20 - 60 seconds if you are doing mass, 2 - 5 minutes if you are doing strength only.

use an opposing grip, switch back and forth every rep.

always keep your shins vertical, as you descend to pick up the bar, sit back as if you were reaching for a chair with your butt.

that applys to squats as well.

your weight is on your heels.

take a deep breath and hold it as you descend.

as you descend, slowly, you should be increasing the tension in your lower back, abs, glutes, triceps, (to keep your arms straight) and pelvic floor muscles.

don't look at the bar. keep your eyes forward and your chin up. crush the bar with your grip. build tension and slowly squeeze the bar up from the ground, as if you were doing a slow jump. do not try to yank the bar off the floor or use momentum. your arms remain locked straight for the whole lift.

as the bar ascends past your lower thighs, snap the hips forward into a mechanical rest position. exhale a little air out, do not relax tension more than a little, inhale deeply, hold it, put your butt back and let the bar descend at a natural speed, don't look down, don't try to slow it down, also do not let up tension, epecially in your grip. keep your grip tight and your arms locked straight for a second after the plates touch the ground.

don't use straps or gloves.

don't look in a mirror.

don't use a belt.

do not wear big puffy, cushiony shoes. lift barefoot or in socks or the thinnest footwear you can find. chuck taylors are great.

that goes for all lifting.

i suggest you put down sdls for a bit, and concentrate on the dl and the squat. once you have mastered these you will get A LOT MORE out of your sldls.

it's a bi*ch trying to learn squats and dls at the gym isn't it? that's because nobody does them. if those "trainers" did them, they wouldn't be so fat.

[krankyprincess]

what is the reasoning behind lifting in thin-soled shoes? Does it make a big difference?

[bscrusher]

it makes a HUGE difference.

there are special nerves in your hands and feet that sense pressure. your nervous system reacts to this pressure by increasing tension in appropriate muscles. if there are cushiony materials between your feet and the floor, the timing of this system gets messed up.

try lifting barefoot. you will FEEL that huge difference.

[Tracy M]

BSCrusher,I wrote down your directions and I will work on my form b/c I like doing Dl and SLDL's. I am worried I'll cut off my toes if I don't wear shoes to the gym, that would be the day I accidently dropped a plate on my foot. J/k :)

12-6-04
leg day/high carb
Squats 185x6x2,225x7, 275 for 2 partial reps.
Leg Press 270x10x 2
Leg Extensions 120x20x2
Sldl 50x10x2
Lunges db25lbx16x2 This was probably too much but I wanted to see how I liked doing this exercise. If I did lunges would I drop leg press?
No cardio..I'm making myself do things b/c I don't want to over train and get burned out.


12-7-04

cardio /low carb
30 minutes on the tredmill.
I bought buffalo meat today, the nutrition on that meat is great. Hope it tastes good!!!

[bscrusher]

you can do it tracy! drop everything except squats and calf press!

you will be surprised at the acceleration of your progress.

[Tracy M]

Thanks Bscrusher

[Tracy M]

Well, Here I am. What does everyone think so far. Remember I am 7 months out from my pregnancy. Thanks

[gotoguy]

Just wanted to say WTG!!!! You must have one happy MR. Tracy M. HA! Keep it up you will def be reaching whatever your ultimate goal is.

[Tracy M]

11.10.04
Still not feeling all pumped up for the gym. Its really startin to piss me off.

DL-45x10 ,85x10 Still workin on my form. Today It felt better than ever though (thanks bscrusher)
T Bar 70x8x2
Natilus 100x8, 110x8
Db Curl 15x10x2
Incline db curl 15x10x2 First time I ever did these LOVED Them

Did some abs with the ball.
I hate being so not motivated. Might take 7 days off, what do you ladies do? I've been on this lag for about a week now! Realistically I am so addicted to the gym I couldn't even bare taking 7 days off, what should I do.

[Tracy M]

12-12-04
chest

bench press 55x6, 75x6x2
incline 65x6 yuck i hate this
peck deck 30x10 40x10
incline db curl 15x10x2
tricep cable 60x10x2

I am going to go to the gym tomorrow and really try to get pumped up and get back in my GET FIT mode!!!

[Tracy M]

12/13
I am back!!! That was such a rut!! Today I went to my gym and did a rep reebok class and followed it with an hour of pilates and I left feeling great!!!

[Beast17]

your off to a great start tracy:-D. hope i can give you good advice for the future to help you polish up everything. i might be 18...but im mighty.lol.

[Tracy M]

today i started my mass building rountine with squats going kinda lite to feel things out

squats 10x10 using 100lbs

I'll start over in a couple of days didn't really feel like I accomplished my goal today.

[Tracy M]

My new workout for the next couple weeks

Sunday: Low carb/ REST
Monday:High carb/ Heavy Leg/Light Back/biceps
Tuesday:low Carb/Light chest/shoulders/Triceps
Wed.:No carb/ Cardio/abs
Thursday:High Carb/Heavy Chest/shoulders
Friday:Low Carb/Light Legs/Heavy Back
Saturady: No carb/Cardio/Abs

I know that this is a lot but I am going to try and gain some strength.

Unfortunately, We have 10inches of snow and by the morning we should have 15-20 that means I can't workout. I can proudly admit I am not the best of drivers in the snow!!! :)

[Gator]

careful out there Trace..
take a day off if need be..we need u in one piece
and enjoy the rest !!!!!

Gaotr