Okay, so maybe a little less conquering of the world, a little more conquering of my body. Still, you must admit that a good workout can make you feel like you can do anything.
Hi all, my name is Maegan and I have decided to create a journal to hold myself accountable in a period of time where I'm really changing things up. Here goes!
Stats
Height: 5'8"
Weight: 136
Waist: 28"
Hips: 36"
BF: 19.7%
A little bit of background info: I grew up being very active and was a competitor in many sports, namely figure skating and cheerleading (I'm talking the serious, gynmastics heavy kind). After high school I fell into a cardio/super low calorie rut and got very thin and very "soft." I realized I had lost the muscle tone I had developed through sports and starting using weight machines to build some of it back up. In retrospect my calories were still way too low and I was doing so much cardio it's amazing I gained any muscle mass at all.
Anyway, long story short, I have recently gotten my head on straight, largely thanks to this site, and I am going to begin the NROL4W program. Tomorrow is going to be my first workout, and I think I am going to have a really difficult time doing less cardio and convincing myself the calorie intake is alright, but I am good at planning and have my macros all figured. Since the book says HIIT is alright, I think I may get my fix post-workouts with 15 minutes or so of interval training. I am also pretty into yoga and want to keep my flexibility, the usefulness of which I understand is still a topic of debate, but I like it so I'm going to keep doing some yoga a maybe a little pilates if I feel okay about it. From what I hear of this program's veterans, I might not have the effort left.
Lastly, in terms of goals, my quantitative goals are to lose about 5% body fat. I understand this is not something that is going to come quickly and that perseverance is something I will have to learn here, but I would rather set my goal in terms of body fat than body weight, since I don't think my weight is a bad one at my height if more of it was lean mass. Qualitatively, I want to be able to confidently wear a sports bra to work out at the gym. Most of my fat stays around my midsection, and I have always had lean legs and small hips, so when I feel good enough to show my abs in the weight room, I will have hit a major goal. I finally got a picture up and am going to try to regularly post pictures and stats updates in addition to my workouts.
I think that about covers it! I'm really excited to start tomorrow, and I look forward to seeing some of you around here. Any comments, suggestions or advice would be great.
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Thread: Maegan Conquers the World!
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08-29-2010, 02:48 PM #1
Maegan Conquers the World!
Last edited by Ameinseto; 08-30-2010 at 09:54 AM.
If you aren't willing to work for it, you probably don't deserve it. Victory is paid for in sweat, courage, and preparation, and if you aren't ready to lead or follow you had better be ready to get the hell out of the way.
Journal: http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=127157663&page=22
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08-29-2010, 03:30 PM #2
- Join Date: Feb 2009
- Location: Washington, United States
- Age: 34
- Posts: 2,557
- Rep Power: 4769
*Yay First In*
Congrats on the new journal, and good luck on starting New Rules! I know you'll love it. Trust the book, and all of us here-cuttin back the cardio and upping your lifting WILL get you results! I was skeptical also, but I didnt start seeing real results till I did just that.
Good luck girlie! I'll be readin~Impatience never demanded success~
***Calculate your Calorie/Macro Needs HERE --> http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=156380533 ***
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08-30-2010, 10:37 AM #3
First Day!
No more Barbie 'bells!
And.... I feel like a bit of a wimp. Today is the first workout of A in Stage 1. I guess, if you wanted to quantify it, it would be workout 1A 1. I didn't realize how much harder it would be to do free weights rather than machines! I guess all that talk about stabilizing isn't BS. I think I was about twice as tired after this workout (30 min) than doing twice as much machine weights.
Anyway, I got to the gym pretty early to try and beat most of the manly hulk man men, and succeeded. Sort of. My gym is super busy during the day and much less so early morning and later in the evening. Strange, because you would assume everyone would be at work, right? Wrong. And I was running late. As it turns out, the guys that were there were really nice. Much less intimidating than I expected.
So I warmed up with a short walk and a bit of static stretching, then weights as follows:
Squats
I did two warm up sets instead of one like the book says, because I had no idea how much weight I should be using and thought it would be better to work up. I will probably add some more next time. It wasn't easy, but probably not difficult enough, either.
Warm up set 1: 8 reps with the 45 pound bar
Warm up set 2: 6 reps with 55 pounds
Set 1: 15 reps with 75 pounds
Set 2: 15 reps with 75 pounds
Pushups
Not much of a warm up, but I did want to see if I could actually do a pushup on the floor. I totally surprised myself when I did 5! Yay! I still did my real sets on an incline with my hands on a bench, probably somewhere between 20 and 30 degrees.
Warm up set 1: 5 full pushups
Set 1: 15 BW at incline
Set 2: 15 BW at incline
Seated Rows
I underestimated the weight quite a bit on these for the first set.
Set 1: 15 reps with 45 pounds
Set 2: 15 reps with 60 pounds
Step Ups
Of all things, I thought I would kick butt at these, but apparently I was mistaken. I only used 15 pound dumbbells and still had to break up the last set of 15. It makes me feel a little bit better, at least, to know that the step was very high. My thigh was several inches past the parallel point.
Set 1: 15 reps with 30 pounds
Set 2: 15 reps (really 5-5-5) with 30 pounds
Prone Jackknife
You would think that in a gym as big as mine (I go to an LA Fitness, for those of you who know how huge they are), there would be more than one Swiss ball. Was there? Of course not. Maybe two, if you could the really little one that I definitely would not be able to use. Anyway, these ended up being tuck ups on a captain's chair. I thought about doing reverse crunches like the original NROL uses, but we used to do a ton of tuck ups in gymnastics and I think they're harder.
Set 1: 15 BW reps
Set 2: 15 BW reps
I wonder if I could find something to use to weight these a bit in case I have to sub them in again. I guess I could always bring my bright red ankle weights and look super cool. Ha ha ha...
I have to admit, I felt like such a pansy after doing this workout. It took me just shy of a half an hour, rests included, and I was pretty out of breath by the end, and I'm used to doing about two hours on average, half being machines and half being steady state cardio. I guess it just gets better from here.
Random side note: I edited my starting body fat percentage in my original post because my scale was acting super wacky. I couldn't get a consistent response from it, and after it had told me everything between 15.5 and 22.8 (all under the same conditions), I decided it was rather unreliable. Lol. Machines, I guess. I can hardly blame it. It only cost like $30. Anyway, I found that there is one at my gym that I tried out, which varied only between 19.5 and 19.7. Since 19.7 is the number I got after being professionally measured a couple of weeks ago, I'm going with that and sticking with this machine instead. Maybe at the end of all of this I will splurge on a DEXA scan. I can already hear the appalled comments of my family after finding out what something like that costs.
I guess now it's time to start eating like a champ, which i still think is going to feel weird. I'm so used to cutting major calories that eating around 2000, which is what I'm aiming for including my protein shake on workout days, is going to be super strange, especially with so many carbs. I think I may do closer to 30/40/30 instead of 40/30/30 like the book suggests, and I would be interested to hear if anyone has any opinions on this. I just feel like 200g of carbs in a 2000 calorie day is a ton, but maybe I'm wrong. Anyway, time to throw down some groceries.
Grrrr..... PROTEIN.If you aren't willing to work for it, you probably don't deserve it. Victory is paid for in sweat, courage, and preparation, and if you aren't ready to lead or follow you had better be ready to get the hell out of the way.
Journal: http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=127157663&page=22
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08-30-2010, 02:41 PM #4
- Join Date: Feb 2009
- Location: Washington, United States
- Age: 34
- Posts: 2,557
- Rep Power: 4769
LOL I'm officially a 'daily reader' of your journal. LOVE IT! Don't even think about feeling like a wimp missy! We all start somewhere, and I'm SOOOO glad you had a good experience in the gym. Its such a relief to realize its so not as scary as we think
Body fat readings off any bioelectrical impedence (sp?) scale are complete crap haha. So don't worry about it being flaky. If you're consistent with it, you can use it to follow a trend, but the numbers may not be accurate. My friend does my bf tests, and though I know he does them incorrectly (ya..I'm SO not 7% bf LOLOL), According to him, I started at 14 which means theres a decline in body fat however you look at it. Definitely let us know how the DEXA goes if you get it! I bounce back and forth between having it done just for giggles
CONGRATS ON DAY 1!!!!! Every day is another day closer to your goals~Impatience never demanded success~
***Calculate your Calorie/Macro Needs HERE --> http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=156380533 ***
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08-30-2010, 06:09 PM #5
Hooray for daily readers! Ha ha. It was a really good feeling to know that it isn't as intimidating as I thought it would be. All the guys I talked to were really nice. Good to know about the scale and that I'm not just going completely insane here with my scale. It's supposed to shoot some sort of electrical feed up you to test your body water content...? I have no clue. I did, however, partially expect an electrical-outlet-poked-with-knife type shock the first time I used it.
I will probably continue to get my BF% tested by one of the trainers at my gym. They seem to do a pretty good job of it. And since the thing they have there seems to be close, at least it will be a good measurement in respect to itself.
Trekking onward!
Even though the day isn't finished, I'm going to log my food now. Most of it I have already eaten and the rest is just me on auto-pilot for the rest of the day. The large (for me) number of calories is keeping me really full, but not quite as weird as I thought it would be. And my macros ended up somewhere in between what Lou recommends and what Kara has on the nutrition math sticky.
Since I don't usually break things up into breakfast/lunch/dinner/snack categories and sort of "graze" throughout the day, I'm just going to be listing things in order on here. Everything is a bit rounded, so sometimes the macros will come fractions short of their corresponding calories, but at least if you're doing the math and are that terribly obsessive compulsive, I can prematurely prepare you for the disappointment that lies ahead:
Chocolate banana protein shake (pre-workout)
282 cal - 4.5 f - 32 c - 28.5 p
Chocolate protein pancakes (post-workout)
255 cal - 3 f - 30 c - 28.5 p
Ezekiel bread grilled cheese with brie and gruyere
405 cal - 21 f - 32 c - 22 p
This ^^^ by the way, is amazing. A little bit of a splurge, but if you have the room it's definitely worth trying. Toast some Ezekiel bread while you caramelize some onions with a small clove of garlic and some Pam. Take the toast out and put on about 1/2 c cheese (I love brie and gruyere, but mozzarella and feta both work really well, too) on top of the first slice, then add onions and top with the second slice. Seer for a few minutes on each side in the pan used to caramelize the onion until the cheese is all melted. Yum! And really easy.
Chicken & a yam
434 cal - 13.2 f - 41.8 c - 35.8 p
Green tea and some various vitamins
Yogurt
110 - 0 f - 20 c - 6 p
Apple & peanut butter
272 cal - 16.2 f - 25.1 c - 8.4 p
Chicken & broccoli
272 - 11.2 f - 6.6 c - 34.7 p
The rounded totals come to 2031 cal - 69.1 f - 187.5 c - 164.9 p
With that, my macros are 36c/33p/31f. It's not quite as many carbs as the NROL4W suggested, but I still think it was a good split.
Now, for anyone who is interested, I want to leave my recipe for chocolate protein pancakes. They are yummy enough to share.
Necessary ingredients
2/3 c liquid egg whites (or 4 egg whites)
1/2 c wheat flour
1 scoop chocolate protein powder
1/4 cup of some kind of milk (I usually use 1% or unsweetened soy)
2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking powder
sweetener to taste
I usually also throw in a pinch of salt and a dash of vanilla for taste. These are optional.
Yummy extras!
4 Tbsp butter - a nice extra if you want something more moist and can spare the extra calories
4 oz plain or Greek yogurt - makes them extra thick and fluffy and adds some protein if you have some on hand
1/4-1/2 c berries - these can go on top or in the batter
1/4-1/2 c chocolate or carob chips - for something REALLY sweet
Directions
Mix all ingredients together in a medium sized mixing bowl until even. This recipe makes six pancakes if you use a 1/4 measuring cup for your batter scoop. Spray a pan or griddle and heat to medium-high. Spoon 1/4 c of batter onto the heated surface and let it sit until you see bubble start to form at the top. Flip it over and let sit for another 90-120 seconds. Remove and repeat. Enjoy!
If you use just what's under "necessary ingredients" each pancake is about 85 calories with 10g of carbs, 9.5 of protein and 0.5 of fat. Happy baking!If you aren't willing to work for it, you probably don't deserve it. Victory is paid for in sweat, courage, and preparation, and if you aren't ready to lead or follow you had better be ready to get the hell out of the way.
Journal: http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=127157663&page=22
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08-30-2010, 07:46 PM #6
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08-31-2010, 11:19 AM #7
Soincrediblysooooore....
Yeah. DOMS. Gotta love it!
So, my triceps have the hurts, and my traps don't feel great either. You know those abductor machines that "work" your inner thighs? I no longer have any faith in those lying, deceptive little pieces of strategically-colored metal. I used to do those religiously and my inner thighs hurt now more than any other place on my body. Ouch...
So today's activity will be alot of yoga, though I don't think a hundred thousand sun salutations could help me now. Om namah shivaya.....
Besides the soreness, today is going well. I don't feel weird waking up today after eating 2000 calories yesterday which, let's face it, can definitely happen after being used to 1300-1400. Today will be closer to 1700, and probably a bit more protein-heavy. I think I might make some mini-quiches later today if I have the time, and if I do the recipe will be up later.
The September-January fun transformation challenge starts tomorrow for all of you who are participating! I can't wait. I love a little healthy competition. I need to take some before pictures to post on that thread, and I'll put them here as well as a good comparison in a couple of months.
Before I go whip out my mat, this is a fun short sequence for any of you who are into yoga. It's a combination of a couple different ones that my favorite teacher has used, and really easy to do at home, even in a small-ish space. You'll want to do a good warm up first, as it starts in triangle.
Traingle Sequence
Start with feet wide taking up about 2/3 of the space on your mat.
Inhale arms up and exhale into a forward fold.
Extended Triangle
Side Angle
Extended Side Angle
Warrior I
Warrior II
High Lunge
Half Lord of the Fishes
Staff
Boat
Side Plank
Plank
Upward Facing Dog
Downward Facing Dog
Low Lunge
One Legged King Pigeon
High Lunge
Warrior II
Warrior III
Half Moon
Mountain
Repeat on the opposite side.
That's all for now, kids! It's yoga time.If you aren't willing to work for it, you probably don't deserve it. Victory is paid for in sweat, courage, and preparation, and if you aren't ready to lead or follow you had better be ready to get the hell out of the way.
Journal: http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=127157663&page=22
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08-31-2010, 09:09 PM #8
- Join Date: Feb 2009
- Location: Washington, United States
- Age: 34
- Posts: 2,557
- Rep Power: 4769
Haha gotta love the DOMS!!!! Its a reassurance of a job well done Awesome job girl!
Good job on the yoga. So many people forget to add things like that. I really need to get back on top of stretching. Thanks for inspiring me! I have a pass for a free yoga class too, I may just go try it~Impatience never demanded success~
***Calculate your Calorie/Macro Needs HERE --> http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=156380533 ***
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08-31-2010, 10:57 PM #9
Just a quick one for now. I did end up making some quiche-like thing that was more like an omlette biscuit I found on a blog a few months ago. I changed it a bit, but they're really yummy and I'll post the recipe tomorrow.
Anyway, the totals for today are:
1701 cal/63.4 f/142.6 c/144.7 p
The macros are 33/34/33
Jesse, you should definitely head to yoga class! I often don't feel like doing it, but it's the kind of thing I always feel a ton better about afterward.If you aren't willing to work for it, you probably don't deserve it. Victory is paid for in sweat, courage, and preparation, and if you aren't ready to lead or follow you had better be ready to get the hell out of the way.
Journal: http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=127157663&page=22
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09-01-2010, 12:10 PM #10
Ouch.
Still in pain, but now it's pretty much decided to reside strictly in my hamstrings. Everything else feels fine or very close. Hmmm....
Anyway, because of this, I have decided to take another day off before lifting again. I think everything on workout B would be something I could handle except for the lunges. Even the deadlifts would probably be doable, but I tried to do a lunge a few minutes ago with just body weight and decided I would rather give birth to a baby porcupine than do that again. (pause for slightly awkward but sad silence) Alright, it's not that serious. I'm slightly prone to exaggeration. But still.
It sounds like today will be another yoga day, and I will probably go for a walk as well to try to get some blood flowing through the area. Maybe I should just slather myself with Icy Hot and take a nap. Lol.
For now, I'm just going to post the menu for today at 1700 calories and the recipe for the Omelette Biscuits I made yesterday. If, by some miracle, I start feeling better, I might go to the gym. Doubtful.
Green tea & vitamins
2 Omelette biscuits
192 - 14c/16p/8f
Apple & peanut butter
281 - 26c/8p/17f
Chicken black bean soup
314 - 16c/40p/10f
This is really yummy and has a good spicy kick. It's full of fiber and protein, so it's a good quick lunch that keeps you full. I make a bunch of it at a time.
1/2 Ezekiel grilled cheese
203 - 16c/11p/11f
Chocolate banana protein shake
280 - 32c/29p/4f
Garlic beef sirloin with yams & asparagus
376 - 34c/39p/9f
Total: 1747 - 157c/148p/59f
Macros: 36/34/30
I think I may have been too quick to cut calories from what the book considers my "maintenance" level. I am only shooting for about 200 below, but I am already starting to drop some weight (about .8 pounds difference since Sunday) and still sore two days after my workout. I guess I'll have to play around with it? I'll stick with this for a little while longer and decide later if I need to add some more.
On to bigger and b e t t e r things!
Here is the recipe for my omelette biscuits. There are recipes all over the internet for things like this, but this is the one I have found I like the most. These things are probably about the easiest snacks you can have on hand. They are a good source of protein, easy to store and you can eat them hot or cold. Yum..
Ingredients
2/3 c flour
4 eggs
2 egg whites (or 1/3 c liquid egg whites)
1/2 of any cheeses you like (I use 1/4 c parmesan and 1/4 c cheddar)
1/4 c cottage cheese
3/4 c raw veggies (I use 1/2 c broccoli and 1/4 c onion)
1 tsp baking powder
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and mix everything together in a medium sized mixing bowl. Take out a muffin tin and spray Pam in each space. Distribute the mix evenly between 10-12 muffins, depending on how large you want them to be. I make 10 with this recipe, and each one ends up with 96 calories, 7 grams of carbs, 8 of protein and 4 of fat. Cook the muffins at 400 degrees for 26-28 minutes or until the top is toasty brown and a tester toothpick comes out unscathed. Enjoy!If you aren't willing to work for it, you probably don't deserve it. Victory is paid for in sweat, courage, and preparation, and if you aren't ready to lead or follow you had better be ready to get the hell out of the way.
Journal: http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=127157663&page=22
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09-02-2010, 02:43 PM #11
Today is much, much better.
Yay! I was afraid I would be in some eternal state of soreness. It isn't completely gone, but it went away enough that I was able to do 60 lunges, albeit with a wimpy weight. Baby steps...
My gym hitting today consisted of Stage 1 workout B number 1. Does anyone else think this is incredibly code-like and slightly hilarious? It could just be me. I have an off-beat sense of humor sometimes.
The good news is that I am, much faster than I anticipated, getting over my fear of the weight room. There is some sort of peace in knowing that everyone there is a little too wrapped up in themselves to care what you're doing. And again, with the Swiss ball. None. Of course not. I mean, why would there be? It could be a secret blessing in disguise type thing, though, because I think I much prefer the substitutes. Today I did some negative sit ups, which I will have to either weight or increase the decline on for next time. I think this workout went a little faster than last time, and I wasn't quite as tired. This may or may not have something to do with the fact that I went easy on my legs in a futile attempt to keep them from attacking my pain receptors again.
There was about a 10 minute warm up walk to get my legs feeling a bit better and then weights.
Deadlift
One warm up set, and the rest normal. My lower back must be kind of weak, because my form was good from what I could tell and, even though my legs weren't too tired by the end, my lower back definitely was.
Warm up set: 8 reps with the bar
Set 1: 15 reps with 65 pounds
Set 2: 15 reps with 65 pounds
DB Shoulder Press
Ouch. My form was being compromised by the end of this second set, but 5 pounds would have been way to easy. Hopefully next time will be slightly better.
Set 1: 15 reps with 16 pounds
Set 2: 15 reps with 16 pounds
WG Lat Pulldown
Set 1: 15 reps with 50 pounds
Set 2: 15 reps with 45 pounds
Lunge
I wanted to go easy here, so I used my 8 pound dumbbells from the shoulder presses instead of larger ones. My legs were still a little sore, so I didn't want to go too hard.
Set 1: 15 reps with 16 pounds
Set 2: 15 reps with 16 pounds
Negative Situp
Subbed in, but still a little easy. I will probably increase the decline next time.
Set 1: 15 reps at level 3/5 with BW
Set 2: 15 reps at level 3/5 with BW
All done! I don't feel quite as wimpy as last time, and hopefully my legs will allow me to walk tomorrow. Ha ha. I do wonder if there is something I can be doing that will keep them from being so sore the next day. Maybe I should do a few minutes of walking to cool down afterward, but I have no idea whether or not the idea of lactic acid and cooling down is BS.
My weight seems to be dropping, despite the fact that I am eating more than I have since I was in high school. I don't know if this is a good or a bad sign, but I've decided to wait it out a little bit longer. A lot of people I have talked to about this program and weight lifting in general, including an excerpt from the book, have said to expect some swelling and water weight type occurrences to happen. I was prepared to deal with some bloated-ness at the beginning, so this has been a surprise. Today's menu will include about 2000 calories, plus my boyfriend and I have company from Denver coming in this weekend and I'm sure we won't be as nutritionally focused while they're here as we usually are.
On the upside, I am feeling somewhat harder than I was. I must be turning into a BEAST! Ha ha ha... I seem to be unable to turn off my expectations off. 'Till next time! Or, you know. Later today.If you aren't willing to work for it, you probably don't deserve it. Victory is paid for in sweat, courage, and preparation, and if you aren't ready to lead or follow you had better be ready to get the hell out of the way.
Journal: http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=127157663&page=22
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09-02-2010, 02:47 PM #12
- Join Date: Feb 2009
- Location: Washington, United States
- Age: 34
- Posts: 2,557
- Rep Power: 4769
way to go girl! And definitely just stick to things for awhile to see how things are when the initial ups and downs mellow out.
Rawr! Maegan the beast I like it
Have fun with your company!~Impatience never demanded success~
***Calculate your Calorie/Macro Needs HERE --> http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=156380533 ***
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09-02-2010, 02:56 PM #13
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09-02-2010, 07:38 PM #14
Thanks Jesse! You are about the best cheerleader ever.
April, you should definitely try them. I just ate the last of mine today and I'm going to make another batch tomorrow to last me through the weekend. They are a perfect breakfast when I don't really feel like anything special or cooking. Also, I read some of your blog and I love your mad playlist. Very similar to what I listen to when I'm training.
So, since I was here last, I have been furiously cleaning my house in preparation for our friends to be here tomorrow night. You know how you swore to yourself that you would never become your mother? That no matter what people say, you would never in a million years be like her because all she ever does is nag, nag, nag?!
You were wrong.
Okay, in all fairness, my mother is a wonderful human being. She was a single parent for most of my life and I am the oldest of four children, all of whom she raised to be terrifically level-headed people if I do say so myself. That being said, my mother is a neat freak. Not germaphobic, like the type that has to sanitize everything all the time, but she goes completely bonkers at the first sight of clutter. Now, I am certainly not this way. I am more parts germaphobe and fewer parts neat freak. I'm actually slightly to the messy side of average. Still, she would always have an extra-large sized panic attack when we were having company over, even close friends that wouldn't care. What have I been doing all day? Cleaning the house so it looks good for our best friends that won't care. Yep. Step one of child-to-mom transformation: Complete.
Anyway, not much more time so I'm just going to post my totals for the day. I am having some wine with dinner, though. Yum...
Total: 1998 - 183c/155p/66f
Macros: 37/31/30
If you're thinking that your kindergarden teacher failed you, she didn't. Those numbers do not, in fact, add up to 100, but that's because of the wine.Last edited by Ameinseto; 09-02-2010 at 07:57 PM.
If you aren't willing to work for it, you probably don't deserve it. Victory is paid for in sweat, courage, and preparation, and if you aren't ready to lead or follow you had better be ready to get the hell out of the way.
Journal: http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=127157663&page=22
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09-03-2010, 10:35 AM #15
Busy, busy, busy.
Today will be a short little blip, since I have school work to get done and a bunch of cooking to do before our friends get here later today. It is currently T minus 8 hours. Time to get started...
I had to think of something our friends would also eat for dinner that I could incorporate into my macros today. They aren't picky eaters, but they aren't exactly the nutrient-focused folks that my boyfriend and I are. I doubt they're used to eating baked chicken with yams and broccoli for dinner, as is one of our staples.
Anyway, here's today's menu:
Chocolate banana protein shake & toast (I was feeling a little sick when I woke up)
396 - 44c/33p/9f
Green tea & vitamins
I should note here that I am about 100% better at taking my vitamins daily when I have to write them down.
Apple & peanut butter
264 - 25c/8p/17f
3 Omelette muffins
288 - 21c/24p/12f
Pistachio protein shake
240 - 8c/36p/8f
Chicken and dumplings with broccoli
507 - 55c/40p/14f
Total: 1694 - 156c/141p/59f
Macros: 37/33/30
Now, I usually hate to rely on protein shakes as a way to get my protein in for the day, but for this weekend I'm not going to worry about it. I would rather make sure I get my protein in than have to count anything while we're eating out all day, which I know I won't do.
Tomorrow will be workout A 2 (hopefully), and I'm going to try and make a post. Lord knows I'll probably be up several hours before everyone else, anyway. I'm not as sore today as I expected to be. Hardly any soreness at all, actually, in my legs. My lower back and traps, though, are definitely feeling the pain from those deadlifts and shoulder presses. Later today I'm going to try and fit in some yoga, but it's more likely that I will end up doing some static stretching in the kitchen while I'm waiting for something to cook. Ha ha.If you aren't willing to work for it, you probably don't deserve it. Victory is paid for in sweat, courage, and preparation, and if you aren't ready to lead or follow you had better be ready to get the hell out of the way.
Journal: http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=127157663&page=22
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09-04-2010, 10:14 PM #16
- Join Date: Feb 2009
- Location: Washington, United States
- Age: 34
- Posts: 2,557
- Rep Power: 4769
Hey girlie- Hope you're feeln better now. I totally understand busy-I agree with you, don't fret about using the shakes. That should be the least of your worries m'dear Can't wait to hear how your fun time with friends was! I'm sure they loved what you made.
*happy workout wishes*~Impatience never demanded success~
***Calculate your Calorie/Macro Needs HERE --> http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=156380533 ***
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09-07-2010, 10:25 AM #17
Labor Day is over!
And the friends left early this morning. They have ALOT of driving to do from here to Denver, but they're troopers. Anyway, I sat around for a while playing guitar after they hit the road and hubby left for school, and then eventually decided to get to the gym. This week is going to amount to some makeup for all of the calorie counting I definitely didn't do this weekend. I had wine and cheesecake and pasta and cream sauce and cocktails and now I'm going to have a protein shake. Ha ha. Gotta get myself on track.
I did also, however, have a workout while they were here. Saturday I did the second workout A in Stage 1, and the last one with 15 reps, so this is workout B. I should also note that, while I think I may be holding a little water weight due to the time of the month and the fact that I wasn't drinking as much water over the weekend as I usually do, I am generally the same as I was before these three and a half days of eating whatever I felt like. My abs are still starting to come through, slowly but surely.
So here we go:
Deadlift
I am still not loving these that much. I tried to go up on the weight but after the first set I had to take some off. I don't know if my form is bad or if I am just expecting my body to lift an unreasonable amount of weight or what, but my lower back muscles are REALLY tired after these and my legs hardly feel the threat of a challenge.
Warm up set: 8 reps with the bar
Set 1: 15 reps with 70 pounds
Set 2: 15 reps with 65 pounds
DB Shoulder Press
Yay for these! Last time I could barely make it with 8 pound dumbbells through two sets of 15 and this time was much easier. Still difficult, but no problems with form at the end.
Set 1: 15 reps with 16 pounds
Set 2: 15 reps with 16 pounds
WG Lat Pulldown
These went up a little bit in weight this time.
Set 1: 15 reps with 50 pounds
Set 2: 15 reps with 50 pounds
Lunges
I went heavier on these since my hamstrings weren't sore today. I probably should have used heavier dumbbells, so next time with the lower reps I will skip to 15s.
Set 1: 15 reps with 20 pounds
Set 2: 15 reps with 20 pounds
Negative Situp
These I will probably increase next time, too. I changed the incline to make it steeper than last time, but next time I'm going to do this level with a medicine ball.
Set 1: 15 reps at level 4/5 with BW
Set 2: 15 reps at level 4/5 with BW
I guess that's all for now! I'll post a menu later, assuming this paper doesn't kick my butt. I have about 25 pages total that need to be written, plus about 4 various little mini-essays for other classes and some dense reading. Remember lower level classes where there was no real work until 4 or 5 weeks in? What ever happened to that...?If you aren't willing to work for it, you probably don't deserve it. Victory is paid for in sweat, courage, and preparation, and if you aren't ready to lead or follow you had better be ready to get the hell out of the way.
Journal: http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=127157663&page=22
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09-07-2010, 04:20 PM #18
- Join Date: Feb 2009
- Location: Washington, United States
- Age: 34
- Posts: 2,557
- Rep Power: 4769
Gotta love essays and papers and all that jazz! Glad you had fun with your friends, sounds like you had some lovely yums!
Way to go with the workouts! It's fabulous that you're able to add a little weight on several things. Keep it up!~Impatience never demanded success~
***Calculate your Calorie/Macro Needs HERE --> http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=156380533 ***
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09-08-2010, 12:11 PM #19
I have no DOMS. Weird, right...? Hopefully this means I am just getting stronger. Last workout B I used the same weight (16 pounds total) and my traps were killing me the next day. Today they're fine. Ditto with my lower back. I feel like there can only be one logical conclusion:
I am pretty much a rockstar.
Ha ha ha... I clearly have an insecurity problem. Anyway, today will be some yoga while I try to simultaneously finish the school work that I should have done yesterday but didn't because I was too busy busting around town doing God knows what.
Non-workout related: I just got the new Sara Bareilles album and I am beside myself with listening-to-it-over-and-over-and-over-itis. I literally haven't listening to the radio since I was about 15, so I have no idea if it is on there at all, but if you haven't heard it you certainly should. I am not a pop liking person, but lyrically she is great, plus she writes all of her own stuff and plays all of her own piano parts (even live), which is a lot more than I can say for most of the autotuned idiots most people are into these days. And just to throw another name in there, Iron & Wine should be heard by anyone who doesn't already know about him. Boy With a Coin is especially good, and the video is even better.
Next -
Actually, that may have been it for now. Ha ha. Catch you kidos later.If you aren't willing to work for it, you probably don't deserve it. Victory is paid for in sweat, courage, and preparation, and if you aren't ready to lead or follow you had better be ready to get the hell out of the way.
Journal: http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=127157663&page=22
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09-08-2010, 04:35 PM #20
So, getting back on track from the weekend has been strangely difficult. It's weird how you get into this groove of cooking things at home and after three and a half days of eating out every meal but breakfast it is suddenly no where to be found. Curious...
To fix this, I have decided that tomorrow I will create and/or elaborate a new recipe to kick myself back into gear, because today has been pitiful. I just don't feel like cooking, so I'm not really eating anything, but for the rest of the day I am forcing food upon myself, even if it is in the form of protein powder.
Still no yoga to speak of as of now. I have been working furiously at my computer doing some crazy school work while attempting to also look up the real estate and private school markets in Virginia Beach. "Why?" you may ask. And that would be a legitimate question, considering I live in Arizona. Because my friend and I (who are both in long-term-I'm-going-to-marry-him-soon relationships with two men who have been best friends since kindergarden) have decided we're going to drag our boys to Virginia Beach. There is an ocean (we were both raised on a beach) and enough snow in the winter to ski (they were both raised in the mountains). Of course, this is purely hypothetical considering neither couple intends to move within the next year, but she has maniacally inserted this idea into my brain and I am already looking at private school curricula for our non-existant children. I think it's safe to say I have been working more tentatively than furiously. That being said, I need a break so I can formatively set myself back on track after this post. Wish me luck.
This is what today looks like:
Green tea & vitamins
Apple & peanut butter
3 Omelette muffins
Pistachio protein shake
Ezekiel bread grilled cheese
Chocolate peanut butter protein shake
Chicken, broccoli & wine (YUM)
Totals: 1736 - 127c/142p/66f
Macros: 30/33/34
A little higher on the fat and lower on the carbs than usual, but I'm alright with it. Also, again, they don't add up to 100 because of the wine, in case anyone doubts my mad multiplication skills. Lol.
And, I'm off to see the wizard, or whatever they say in that movie. They totally wrecked the original story anyway. (Mini rant) Same with Alice & Wonderland. And The Scarlet Letter. And The Handmaid's Tale. And Rebecca, for that matter, but I'll let that one slide because I like Hitchcock.
Okay, done. Apologies for that. Word vomit can be an unstoppable force sometimes.If you aren't willing to work for it, you probably don't deserve it. Victory is paid for in sweat, courage, and preparation, and if you aren't ready to lead or follow you had better be ready to get the hell out of the way.
Journal: http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=127157663&page=22
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09-09-2010, 05:48 PM #21
Panic attack!
There have been some really weird things going on around here today, and my stress levels are about a 13 on a scale of 1 to psycho. Anyway, today was my third workout A in Stage 1, which means I was doing 2 reps of 12 instead of 15 this time and for the next three workouts.
I am starting to feel super buff! My boyfriend keeps making fun of me, but I think secretly he's impressed. He just doesn't know it yet. Side note: I am watching Fool's Gold while I type this and Matthew McConaughey has some serious triceps. Like woah. I know, crappy rom-com. But still.
Squats
I added 5 pounds to these from last time, but it should have been more. Next time I'm putting 25s on and doing 95 pounds. That's half way to the big kid plates!
Warm up set 1: 10 reps with 45 pounds
Warm up set 2: 10 reps with 65 pounds
Set 1: 12 reps with 85 pounds
Set 2: 12 reps with 85 pounds
Pushups
My second set was completely on the ground! Woo! Next time I'm going to do both sets that way.
Set 1: 12 reps with BW at an incline
Set 2: 12 reps with BW
Seated rows
These went up on the second set as well, but it was REALLY difficult. They only go up in 15 pound increments, so I have to deal with that.
Set 1: 12 reps with 60 pounds
Set 2: 12 reps with 75 pounds
Step ups
I nearly doubled the weight on these because my legs weren't sore at all the day after my last workout A. Maybe this will do the trick. I'll probably still increase it again next time.
Set 1: 12 reps with 40 pounds
Set 2: 12 reps with 40 pounds
Pike ups
Tuck ups were getting too easy even with 15 reps, so I decided to use pikes instead (legs straight). Later I may actually take my dorky red ankle weights when the reps get lower.
Set 1: 12 reps with BW
Set 2: 12 reps with BW
So, it looks like I actually increased everything! Yay! It's weird how few workouts it takes, but I guess it probably has something to do with the fact that I'm eating so much more than I used to be.
Alright, time to face the stress again. Ahhh... Ha ha. At least my phone is working now.If you aren't willing to work for it, you probably don't deserve it. Victory is paid for in sweat, courage, and preparation, and if you aren't ready to lead or follow you had better be ready to get the hell out of the way.
Journal: http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=127157663&page=22
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09-09-2010, 09:54 PM #22
- Join Date: Feb 2009
- Location: Washington, United States
- Age: 34
- Posts: 2,557
- Rep Power: 4769
Great workout! You'll be benchin ur bf in no time :-P LOL
Hopefully the workout helped a *little* with the stress levels? Maybe not, but I hope all is ok
LOL Matthew Mc.C was the ONE guy my ex admitted was 'hot' for a guy hahahaha. Too funny.~Impatience never demanded success~
***Calculate your Calorie/Macro Needs HERE --> http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=156380533 ***
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09-10-2010, 12:28 AM #23
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09-10-2010, 12:38 AM #24
- Join Date: Apr 2008
- Location: San Diego, California, United States
- Age: 38
- Posts: 10,102
- Rep Power: 67352
Keep up the good work - looks like you've got it down!
~~~2011 Mens First place winner of the ERGOGENIX QBM Transformation Challenge~~~
^^^^^EXTREME PULL-UPS CREW^^^^^30 Reps Crew^^^
Marathon time = 03:26:32 - average pace 07:53
Half Iron Man - 6hrs 14 min ( with no training )
LeadMan 125k - 8hrs 21mins
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09-10-2010, 01:24 PM #25
Thanks! I'm getting there.
UPDATES
Phone: Working.
Stress: Dealt with.
Soreness: Nonexistent.
Paper: Imminent.
Cooking Habits: Nowhere to be found.
Phone and stress are off the plate, thank God. I still have to make a couple of phone calls today, but nothing huge. I am one of those freak out people who turns into the Tazmanian Devil whenever something like this happens.
Why am I not sore? This time last week I could still feel my hamstrings from Monday's workout. Now? Nothing. Hmmm... On the upside, my legs are pretty rock hard, so they are definitely changing, but I guess I'm just not using enough weight still. I'm going to have grip issues with those step ups if they get much heavier. I have little hands and the 20 pound dumbbells at my gym are pretty big.
School. Sigh... I am a really good time manager. No joke. When I am busy I amaze myself with how much I can get done. But when I'm not busy, like this, I just put if off and put it off. I'm determined to get at least 75% of it done today. Hopefully...
I still don't feel like cooking. This is bad for me. I end up not eating and then having to shove a bunch of calories down my throat toward the end of the day to get all my macros in. What I really need is just a little team of healthy chef-type robots to cook everything for me in huge quantities so I don't have to worry about it anymore. Maybe I can get the bf to make them for me. What are engineers good for if not making chef robots, right? Ha ha...
On a lighter note, the weather is getting beautiful. It's finally cooling down a bit down here in almost-Mexico where everything is a desert. Now, where I moved from last (Denver, Colorado), there is probably snow on the not-incredibly-far-future horizon. Can't say I miss it. It's cold and wet and forces you to cover up anything warm enough in your closet that still resembles fashion. You can't really even wear a cute coat, because once the winter really starts it's too cold for anything but a freakin' parka. So I'm enjoying the sunshine and 80 degree weather. I'll be hanging out by a pool while my friends from high school and college trek through a blizzard. Muahahahahaaa....
Apologies. That note turned out to be a little less light than I had originally intended.
Halloween is close! My friend and I are going to be pinup girls and our boyfriends are going to be John Milner style greasers. This is full on my favorite holiday of the year. I wish there were more girls in my group of friends so we could ambush the boys into costume parties throughout the year.
I think that concludes my rant of randomness.If you aren't willing to work for it, you probably don't deserve it. Victory is paid for in sweat, courage, and preparation, and if you aren't ready to lead or follow you had better be ready to get the hell out of the way.
Journal: http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=127157663&page=22
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09-11-2010, 02:41 PM #26
Backwards day!
I got to the gym later than I intended because we stayed up so late last night. I don't think I've ever been there around noonish on a Saturday, and I'm positive I never want to again. It was so busy! Geez. Now I know why they have all that equipment. I thought about leaving and going back later, but I still have that stupid paper to write (bummer), so I stuck it out. I did, however, end up doing things completely backwards, though, in order to keep my rest times around 60 seconds each.
Today was the first 2x12 workout B in Stage 1, and also the first day I figured out how to use my legs in a deadlift. Ha ha. It's crazy how a couple of inches can make all the difference when it comes to form, but it totally does. Anyway, I was excited about those.
Lunge
I used 15 pound dumbbells this time instead of 12s, and I still could have probably used 20s. But that may just be because these came before my deadlifts on backwards day.
Set 1: 12 reps with 30 pounds
Set 2: 12 reps with 30 pounds
Decline Situp
I didn't increase the incline on these this time, but I did hold a medicine ball and go very s l o w l y...
Set 1: 12 reps at level 4/5 with 8 pounds
Set 2: 12 reps at level 4/5 with 10 pounds
DB Shoulder Press
Woo! Moved from 8s to 10s. My form wasn't great by the end of the second set, by I was still super proud.
Set 1: 12 reps with 20 pounds
Set 2: 12 reps with 20 pounds
WG Lat Pulldown
These increased on the second set, which was still pretty tough.
Set 1: 12 reps with 50 pounds
Set 2: 12 reps with 60 pounds
Deadlift
I did a warm up set, which I realized half way in I didn't need because I was obviously already warmed up. I'm just used to these going first. But it was useful, because it helped me get my form change down before I put more weight on.
Warm up set: 8 reps with 45 pounds
Set 1: 12 reps with 65 pounds
Set 2: 12 reps with 65 pounds
After all of this I did a little tiny bit of HIIT, which ended up only being two rounds. So I laughed at myself, stretched and left. I just wanted to see what I could do with the energy I had left, especially since I haven't been sore lately.
I have to say, at the risk of ruining my false mask of modesty, I am super proud of myself. Even just over the past couple of weeks, which I know is a short amount of time, especially within a 6 month plan, I have increased alot. At least, it feels like alot. I am starting to see all kinds of little changes, mostly my body getting alot harder with some lines peeking out that haven't been there since I was competing in sports.
I'm really glad I found this form and, though it, this book and the lifestyle that comes with it. Otherwise, I may have been forever trekking on the treadmill hoping to lose those last 3 pounds. So here's to eating more food and lifting more weight! Time for me to have a protein shake.
That rhymes a little, right...?If you aren't willing to work for it, you probably don't deserve it. Victory is paid for in sweat, courage, and preparation, and if you aren't ready to lead or follow you had better be ready to get the hell out of the way.
Journal: http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=127157663&page=22
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09-13-2010, 02:16 PM #27
So cloooose....
I can't wait until Halloween is here! My family definitely thinks I'm nuts, and my friends probably feel the same, but Halloween is my favorite day of the year. I start planning costumes around my birthday, which is early July.
I know, I know. It's a little crazy, but costumes are my favorite. I have to theme my house parties and revolve most of my going out clothes around a certain decade just to tide myself over. Also, by starting in July I always have something sweet to wear, instead of those super lame spandex things that you buy for $120 and the local revolving holiday store.
Now onto workout related things! I've started to eat more because, even though I'm definitely tacking on weights to several things almost every time I go to the gym, my weight seems to be drifting down steadily. I've upped each day about 250 calories just to see how it goes for a couple of weeks.
Squats
I finally broke 100! Yay! I'm going for 105 on both sets next time. I felt really hilarious putting on those dinky 2.5 pound baby weights next to the 25s I already had on there. Ha ha.
Warm up set: 8 reps with 65 pounds
Set 1: 12 reps with 95 pounds
Set 2: 12 reps with 100 pounds
Pushups
Both sets on the floor!
Set 1: 12 reps with BW
Set 2: 12 reps with BW
Seated Rows
I was really surprised how much easier 75 felt on these. Last time my second set was 75 and it was not easy.
Set 1: 12 reps with 75 pounds
Set 2: 12 reps with 75 pounds
Step Ups
I grabbed 25 dumbbells this time instead of the 20s I used last time and, at the risk of sounding incredibly girly, those things are hard to hold! I think my grip was half the problem, but these were really broken up into 4 sets of six. I did try to keep the rest super minimal in between what was supposed to be each set of twelve.
Set 1: 12 reps with 50 pounds
Set 2: 12 reps with 50 pounds
Pike ups
Nothing exciting to report here, except that I pulled my own headphones out of my ears with my legs. Lol.
Set 1: 12 reps with BW
Set 2: 12 reps with BW
And I am now incredibly tired. The opera music currently resonating from my computer isn't helping anything, either, except maybe getting me to take a nap. At least it's teaching me some Italian, right?
Time for some school work and some French study. And a chocolate banana protein shake. Yum. I really never get sick of those. They're like candy. Maybe I should start sneaking them into the movies....If you aren't willing to work for it, you probably don't deserve it. Victory is paid for in sweat, courage, and preparation, and if you aren't ready to lead or follow you had better be ready to get the hell out of the way.
Journal: http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=127157663&page=22
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09-13-2010, 03:01 PM #28
- Join Date: Feb 2009
- Location: Washington, United States
- Age: 34
- Posts: 2,557
- Rep Power: 4769
Hey girl! Wow I can't believe I missed so many days XD. Sorry!
First and foremost
HALLOWEEN IS AWESOME
Aside from the fact my birthday is the week before, Halloween is my fave holiday too! I love absolutely everything about it
Workouts are lookin strong, you SHOULD be proud! Way to go upping those weights. I'm glad you found us here as well. This site literally changed everything for me, which sounds silly, but its true!
Glad to hear that your stress is down. Enjoy that lovely weather!~Impatience never demanded success~
***Calculate your Calorie/Macro Needs HERE --> http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=156380533 ***
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09-13-2010, 03:22 PM #29
Isn't it?! I love Halloween more than should be legally allowed. It's even more fun when it's on like a Tuesday, because there will be Halloween parties on that Tuesday, Friday and Saturday. That means triple costumes!
Thanks for the motivation, Jesse. You're right, this website does change your mindset alot. Even just the fact that I'm on here several times a day keeps my thinking on track.
I am pretty surprised at the weights, too. I'm sure I was starting a little low due to tentativeness at the beginning, but even things that felt really hard two and a half weeks ago I could easily do way more reps of now. Gotta love quantitative proof!If you aren't willing to work for it, you probably don't deserve it. Victory is paid for in sweat, courage, and preparation, and if you aren't ready to lead or follow you had better be ready to get the hell out of the way.
Journal: http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=127157663&page=22
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09-13-2010, 05:46 PM #30
Random update:
I have finally decided to really get back on the French train again. Learning a language is such a pain. Ha ha. But it's something I really want to do, and I've decided to hold myself accountable to three hour long sessions of study a week (I have Rosetta Stone) similar to what I do with lifting. So I may occasionally post something about that here, as it will keep me on track the same way this forum keeps me on track with fitness.
That is all.If you aren't willing to work for it, you probably don't deserve it. Victory is paid for in sweat, courage, and preparation, and if you aren't ready to lead or follow you had better be ready to get the hell out of the way.
Journal: http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=127157663&page=22
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