i have been lurking on this site for awhile now and find it to be most informative. i especially enjoy reading everyone's journals, and have decided to start one of my own to keep myself accountable and hopefully get some feedback and advice.
first, a bit of background about me:
i have been working out for about 3 years now, going through various stages of dedication. i did the body for life program last year and was quite pleased with my results. i gained some muscle and lost some fat, got down to about 19% bf. then i really slacked from about june to january (what was i thinking!)
here are my stats as of today:
i am 5'7 1/2
i weigh 147 lbs right now (i gained about 10 lbs over the winter)
i don't know my bodyfat %
i have been lifting weights with my boyfriend 3 times a week since mid-january
tues - chest/shoulders/tris, thurs - back/bis/abs, fri - legs
and i have been jogging 3x/week for about 30 minutes
i have lost about 4 lbs since i started, but i want to get really serious over the next 12 weeks and hope to lose about 10-12 lbs of fat in that time.
i have been eating clean 5 days a week and do whatever i want on weekends (i know that has definitely interfered with my progress so far).
here is a sample of my diet:
meal 1
1/3 c oats
1/3 c vanilla soymilk
1/2 banana
4 oz eggwhites
1 egg
meal 2
homemade protein bar (got the recipe off this site, i think)
meal 3
1/2 c grilled chicken
1/2 c sweet potato
veggies (usualle steamed, sometimes roasted with olive oil and garlic)
meal 4
1/2 c lf cottage cheese
1/2 c ff yogurt (vanilla or strawberry)
12 almonds
meal 5
(same as meal 3 but usually no sweet potato)
meal6
PWO 1c vanilla soymilk w/ 1 scoop whey protein
if i am hungry between meals, i usually snack on carrots and celery
now that is a typical day, with weekend cheat days ranging between 2500-3500 cals each day (bad girl, i know!!)
i am thinking about trying out carb cycling, and i also have decided to add 2 HIIT cardio sessions into my routine.
just got back from the gym.....having my shake right now.
started a new routine today
chest
bench press
8x55lbs
8x55lbs
7x55lbs
incline db press
10x15lbs
10x20lbs
10x20lbs
incline db flyes
10x5lbs
10x10lbs
10x10lbs
shoulders
arnold db press
10x15lbs
10x15lbs
10x15lbs
db lateral raises
10x5lbs
10x5lbs
10x5lbs
bent-over lateral raises
10x5lbs
10x5lbs
10x5lbs
triceps
cable pushdowns
10x25lbs
10x30lbs
6x30lbs
4x25lbs
overhead extensions
10x20lbs
8x15lbs
8x15lbs
(at this point, my arms were soooo tired)
dips
10xbodyweight
8xbodyweight
i rest for 60 seconds between sets..... total workout took about 50 minutes. i am pretty weak....definitely want to improve my strength, but don't want to sacrifice my form, so i'll just have to be patient.
my car doesn't have power steering, so the drive home was real fun! hahaha. my arms feel like rubber, but i think like this new routine.
oh ya, and i did 20 minutes HIIT on the treadmill this morning before work. alternating between 20 seconds @ 8.5-9.0 and 60 seconds @ 4.2.
tomorrow i have to work all day and then i have nightschool, so i will only be doing cardio in the morning. i am planning on a 3 mile run.... i am a pretty new runner so this usually takes me about 35 minutes.
and i will be trying out this carb cycling thing, so tomorrow will be a super low carb day (for me anyways). diet will look like this:
meal 1
1/4 c oats
1/4 c vanilla soymilk
6oz eggwhites
1 egg
meal 2
homemade protein bar
meal 3
1/2 c grilled chicken
1 1/2 c veggies
1 tbsp sesame dressing
meal 4
1/2 c cottage cheese
1 tbsp sf jam
meal 5
same as meal 3
meal 6
1/2 c cottage cheese
1 tbsp peanut butter
1 tbsp sf jam
You and I have similar goals and I'm only about an inch taller...I'll definitely have to check in and track your progress!
Your diet looks good. Do you have a specific meal you like to eat before or after workouts? I like shakes myself. I'm not a big fan of super-low carb days so I would advise against that strategy. You need carbs to fuel your cardio workouts and promote muscle gain -- I like a 50/30/20 C/P/F ratio.
Your weight split looks good as well. I use a similar one -- how do you feel when you do the weights? Do you do them on machines or do you have a spotter? I like working out with partners because I feel like I lift more.
For bodyfat, pictures aren't going to help us much...do you have a measuring tape? There's a bunch of different websites you can use to track your body measurements and get a fairly accurate BF composition. I'd advise investing in a set of decent bodyfat calipers or one of the other high-speed digital toys people rave about on these boards. :-)
as for the weights, i usually workout with my boyfriend so he is my spotter....but sometimes due to scheduling differences, we can't workout together. i definitely prefer to have him there because then i can really push my limits. last night he wasn't there, so i had to stop 1 short on the benchpress. if he were there i would've squeezed one more out, or atleast done a negative rep, but i did the best i could considering.
i hear what you are saying about the low carb deal. but i have heard alot of good things about carb cycling, so i thought i'd give it a try. i will only be doing 2 super-low carb days a week (on non-lifting days). i am going to test it out for about a month, and see how it goes.
this morning's run went well.
3.10 miles in 34 minutes. treadmill running is so boring for me, but a decent cd makes all the difference. this morning it was snoop dogg's greatest hits!! and i found out he is coming to town at the end of may, yipee! that should be a fun show.
anyways, eating as planned so far and feeling great.
well this morning i was a little sleepy, so i hit snooze once, which meant that i arrived at the gym at 5:36am intead of 5:30am (that's when it opens). remind me not to do that again! i had planned on doing my HIIT on the treadmill, but by the time i got there, every treadmill was occupied!! so i had a slight change of plans. i guess it's a good thing to mix it up a bit anyways, so i did 30 minutes on the bike at level 10 - hills setting. i dunno, somehow i just don't feel like i get as good a workout sitting down. it was alright i guess, but i think i may try to do a short HIIT session (maybe about 15 minutes) on the treadmill tonight after back, bi's and abs.
eating today is going well so far, i think. feeling pretty good.
MEAL 1
1/3 C oats w/ 1/2 banana
1/3 C vanilla soymilk
4 oz eggwhites
1 whole egg
MEAL 2
homemade protein bar
MEAL 3
1/2 C grilled chicken
1/3 C sweet potato
1 C broccolli
MEAL 4
1/2 C cottage cheese
1/2 C ff yogurt
12 almonds
i am going to costco after work. i have never been there, so i am pretty excited. (ya, i know, i am a dork! lol) can't wait to see all the deals to be had. i hear their chicken breasts are super cheap. i am gonna stock up on all sorts of goodies (healthy, of course)
will have meals 5 and 6 later.... meal 5 before the gym, meal 6 after.
so costco was pretty cool. i bought some glutamine for a reasonable price, and i got a huge box of kashi go lean crunch cereal for my high carb days....yum. i have never taken glutamine before. i hope it helps me get some muscles. i don't know too much about it, but i would love to hear some people's opinions on it.....is it a good addition, or a waste of money?
anyways, i am feeling really frustrated and discouraged right now! i wish the results could come faster....it's so hard to stay dedicated when the changes seem to be happening so slowly, if at all. how do you guys do it? what gets you through these low days?
i feel like a big fat lump right now..... i wish i could be lean right now, argh!!
anyhow, enough with the rant. sorry.
MEAL 5
1/2 C chicken
2 C raw veggies
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
WORKOUT
BACK, BI'S & 15 minutes HIIT
lat pulldown 3x10 - 60#
cable rows 3x10 - 50#
bent-over db rows 3x10 - 15#
EZ-bar curls 2x10 - bar + 10#
1x10 - bar + 15#
incline db curls 3x10 - 10#
hammer curls 3x10 - 10#
then i did 15 minutes HIIT
i feel like such a weakling... you're probably laughing at my piddly weights. i wanna be strong and lean.
my boyfriend just took some pictures of me and i am gonna try to put them up so you guys can see where i am and help me figure out some realistic goals.
today is one of my high carb days...yay!! i didn't sleep very well last night, i dreamt about the gym....yikes! i have a tendency to obsess over whatever i am really into at the moment. i really hope this doesn't happen with my working out though. last year, i went a little crazy on fitday, and eventually had to quit cold turkey because it was taking over. i would run to the computer after any little thing that touched my lips. so now i just kinda wing it, but i think i have a pretty good grasp on what my body needs.
here's what i did toay
5:30 am i ran 3.15 miles in 35 minutes and later tonight is LEG day.....
MEAL 1
2/3 C kashi go lean crunch cereal
1/2 C vanilla soymilk
4 oz eggwhites
1 egg
MEAL 2
homemade protein bar
MEAL 3
2/3 C maui chicken breast
1/2 C brown rice
1/2 C broccolli
1 med. apple w/ 1 tbsp peanut butter
MEAL 4
1/3 C lf cottage cheese
1/2 C ff yogurt
12 almonds
(that's what i've had so far.....the next 2 meals should be as follows)
MEAL 5
1/2 C maui chicken
1 1/2 C raw veggies
1 med apple w/ 1 tbsp almond butter
MEAL 6
1 C vanilla soymilk
1 scoop whey
handful of kashi cereal
i didn't end up doing LEG'S last night. our gym closes early on friday nights, so we usually have to be there by 7:30 to get a good workout in. but i took a little nap after dinner (i was feeling pretty exhausted) and when 7:30 rolled around, i just couldn't muster up the energy, so bf gave me the night off. he said i needed the rest, so i will do legs today instead. originally i had planned to rest all weekend, but i reaaly needed it last night, so no biggie.
I just wanted to say I think you are doing just fine. You are working hard and your diet looks clean (watch those weekends though!). It just takes time. Your pics look great, and you know if you have reached your goals before then you can do it again. Also remember that you need to progam in some rest days or else you will over train.
Keep up the good work.
A
My old journal 'Pilgrim's Progress' [url]http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=461738[/url]
My Scottish 'Stone-Lifting' thread [url]http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=454558[/url]
'For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.' 2 Timothy 1.7
'And Joshua said unto them...take ye up every man of you a stone upon his shoulder.' Joshua 4:5
thanks for the responses... i was beginning to worry that i would not get any feedback.
Pilgrim, i have sundays off as my scheduled rest/cheat day. i am pretty good about taking my rest day, because by the time it rolls around, i really need the rest. i know my weekends have been pretty bad lately, but i am going to really try to fix that.
i just did legs
SQUATS - 3 sets (8x95# bb)
BULGARIAN SPLIT SQUATS - 2 sets (8x15# db) then 1 set 9x10# db
SLDL 3 sets (10x EZ bar+70#)
SEATED HAM CURL 3 sets (8x60#)
STANDING CALF RAISES 3 sets (15 x 75#)
then i rode the bike at a leisurely pace for 30 minutes to stretch out my leg muscles, because it seems to take me atleast 3 days to recover from my leg workouts.
diet looks like this so far (keep in mind, saturdays are a little less strict than the rest of the week)
Hey Angie, i sent u a PM, and i think your diet and workouts are very well planned. Keep up the good work, dont get too hard on yourself. The bodyfat is a part of you, and how can you love yourself truly if you cant embrace yourself as u are, and dont worry, with your plan, you will make your goals of havin less BF a reality, but love yourself as u are too..cause its all u!! Train Hard, Eat Clean and Love yourself!!
Tam
"I was always looking outside myself for strength and confidence, but it comes from within. It is there all the time. " by Anna Freud
"You have to have confidence in your ability, and then be tough enough to follow through." by Rosalynn Carter
My second home: [url]www.groundnpound.org[/url]
My third home: [url]http://www.chinookarabians.com/phpBB2/index.php[/url]
Hon, you look gorgeous. Really, as clean as you're eating (watch the cheat meals though!) and as strong as your workouts look, you'll be wear you want to be in no time.
Speaking of, where DO you want to be? You want to be about 10 pounds lighter, correct? I think you're doing fantastic...do you have a specific day you weigh yourself?
If you're interested in knowing your bodyfat, there's a couple of ways you can go about it. The best way would be to go to a local university or gym or whatever and see if you can get a pro to do it. Hydrostatic weighing is the best. Otherwise, get yourself one of those nifty little bodyfat scales or, more low-tech, a tape measure. Do-it-yourself bodyfat measures are less accurate, but what they CAN help you do is track the LOSS. I like keeping track of my key measurements, too...like my rear end. Everytime I lose a centimeter I do a happy dance in my room. ;-)
IM me anytime if you want to chat. I'm totally here for anything you need.
Your pics look just fine. I mean you definitly fall in the class of the better then average crowd on body appearance. I think all your body needs is a good tune up and tightening. Some of that can be cured by a simple week or two of tanning sessions. I would say 10-15 lbs and you would be unmistakably gorgeous. Do you do any eliptical/stairclimber cardio? That may help with your legs more then anything. Just keep switching between forwards and backwards so it works different parts of your legs/ butt.
You said everything goes better when you have a good cd. What do you listen to? If its a variety cd who all is on it? Sometimes the music you listen to has an effect whether or not you add weight on your additional sets, cruise or push yourself on cardio or try to get additional reps on each exercise.
i can't thank you guys enough for the responses, i need all the encouragement i can get right now! when i come online and see a response, i get so excited....it's nice to know we're not alone in this, you know.
cardioking, as far as music, i listen to all sorts of different stuff. i only listen to music when i am doing cardio though. and i know what you mean about the music sometimes giving that extra burst of energy. every time i hear that song from outkast, "so fresh, so clean" it makes me run harder. :-)
anyways, last night i did all my abwork while i was watching a dvd.
PLANK
3 sets @ 30 seconds
CRUNCHES
3 sets 15
LEG LIFTS
3 sets 15
then i did a bunch of stretches, just dorkin' around mainly, but i noticed my legs aren't as sore as they usually are after leg day. i wonder if that is from the stretching, bike ride or the glutamine. whatever the reason, i am glad the soreness has lessened. tomorrow morning's run should be much better without the leg soreness.
well today was my scheduled cheat/rest day. eating was as follows:
MEAL 1
1/2 c kashi go lean crunch cereal
1/4 c vanilla soymilk
1 med apple
1/2 C cottage cheese
1 tbsp almond butter
2 low fat cinnamon cookies
MEAL 4 (my boyfriend took me out for anniversary dinner - 8 months!!)
1 california roll (6pcs)
1 spicy tuna roll (6pcs)
yakitori chicken (2 small skewers teriyaki chicken)
and for dessert........ :-)
1/2 C coffee haagen daas ice cream, 1 small banana, 1/8 C crushed walnuts
that's it so far!
i think that is pretty good for me for a cheat day.... i am proud of myself. do you guys think these kind of cheats are gonna screw me up, or are they reasonable?
well my run this morning was great! i always find monday's run the easiest, most likely because of the high carbs on sunday. i did 3.20 miles in 35 minutes. the batteries in my cd player died about halfway through, but that didn't even phase me...i just kept on truckin'. :-)
today is supposed to be my really low carb day...how's this?
2/3 C chicken + 1 1/2 C vegetables stewed in tomato sauce (after eating this, i realized tomato sauce has quite a bit of carbs, oh well, too late now)
MEAL 4
1/2 c cottage cheese
1 tbsp sf jam
MEAL 5
1/2 c chicken
1-2 c raw veggies w/ 1 tbsp sesame dressing
MEAL 6
1/2 c cottage cheese
1 tbsp almond butter
1 tbsp sf jam
i may do some yoga tonight, depending on how i feel later. my legs are still not feeling as sore as usual, so i'm guessing the glutamine is helping with that.
tomorrow, instead of HIIT, i was thinking i may do 30 minutes on the stairmill like cardioking suggested. i really need something to get these legs looking better. i was just looking at my pics again, and i think my upper body is ok but my lower body definitely needs some major work!! arg!!
today is supposed to be my really low carb day...how's this?
Do you journal in FitDay? If not, it would help determine what your nutrient macros are. FitDay can be a little off, but it will give you a good idea.
i really need something to get these legs looking better. i was just looking at my pics again, and i think my upper body is ok but my lower body definitely needs some major work!! arg!!
Heavy squats, Romanian deadlifts, and stepups or lunges will help with your legs. Also, walking on a high incline will help. My legs are nice, but my upperbody SUCKS! All of those exercises is what I do for my quads and hams, and it has helped immensely.
WannaBeModel,
i used to use fitday, but i got so obsessed with it that i decided not to use it anymore. but i think i have a pretty good idea of my macronutrient %'s based on my previous experience with fitday. i just don't wanna go there again. but if you see something in my diet that seems way off, please feel free to comment.
well, i didn't do any yoga last night. i decided to clean up the house instead. plus i wasn't really sore at all and that's usually the main reason i do yoga.
this morning i did 1 hour moderate intesity cardio. 30 minutes on the hill setting of the treadmill and 30 minutes hill setting on the bike.
today was a crappy day. i had a headache and was grumpy all day and then to top it off, as i was leaving work, i noticed i had a completely flat tire....in the pouring rain! luckily one of the nice guys at my work saw this and offered to change my tire. but of course today was the day i decided i didn't need a jacket, so there i soaking wet in the pouring rain assisting with the tire swap. oh well, i was just glad he was there to help...it coulda been much worse.
MEAL 1
1/3 c oats w/ 1/2 small banana + 1/3 c vanilla soymilk
6 oz eggwhites + 1 whole egg
MEAL 2
homemade protein bar
1 med apple
MEAL 3
2/3 c chicken w/ veggies in tomato sauce (leftovers)
10 almonds
MEAL 4
1/2 c lf cottage cheese
1/2 c ff yogurt
5 almonds
MEAL 5
2/3 c chicken w/ 1 1/2 c steamed green beans
tonight will be chest/shoulder/tri's. i'll post my workout later.
MEAL 6 (PWO)
1/2 c vanilla soymilk w/ 1/2 small banana
1 scoop whey
1 tsp glutamine
WannaBeModel,
i used to use fitday, but i got so obsessed with it that i decided not to use it anymore. but i think i have a pretty good idea of my macronutrient %'s based on my previous experience with fitday. i just don't wanna go there again. but if you see something in my diet that seems way off, please feel free to comment.
Me too!!! I use it, obsessed once again. If you don't want to go there, don't. Don't make yourself unnecessarily compulsive. Your daily diets look good, anyway.
today was a crappy day. i had a headache and was grumpy all day and then to top it off, as i was leaving work, i noticed i had a completely flat tire....in the pouring rain! luckily one of the nice guys at my work saw this and offered to change my tire. but of course today was the day i decided i didn't need a jacket, so there i soaking wet in the pouring rain assisting with the tire swap. oh well, i was just glad he was there to help...it coulda been much worse.
Sorry to hear this...tomorrow will be better! Heck, today may be getting better!
Is it possible that you move your workouts a little? You shouldn't do back and legs back to back, especially since you are doing deadlifts.
Is today a moderate carb day? If so, you need some preworkout carbs. Your diet is looking pretty good! You've always got interesting meals. Keep it up!! You are doing a great job!
Sorry I haven't checked in in awhile, I got busy all of a sudden. Life intrudes sometimes. :-)
I want to second that your diet is looking great. You're a total rockstar. Some suggestions on your workouts:
For legs: SQUATS. Squats squats squats. Squats are king, they are probably the greatest leg exercises known to man. Lunges are a close second. If I were you, this is what I would do:
Squats: 2 warmup sets, 4 working sets. Slightly lower than 90 degrees.
Plie Squats: 3-4 working sets (I do these on the smith machine, some people prefer to do them with a dumbbell...it's really up to you)
Lunges: Front or side or reverse or 45 degree. So versatile. 3-4 sets.
Step Ups: On a bench, bodyweight or with a light bar or dumbbell. These are the best for your butt. I swear by them. The bench should be about knee height. You can either do them from the front or from the side, depending on what muscle you want to torture. :-)
Calves: 1 exercise, pick your poison. 3-4 sets.
For cardio: This is my personal favorite treadmill exercise for moderate cardio days. It takes about an hour to do, but it's wonderful, you get a bit of endurance, some conditioning for your legs with hill-walking, and a bit of speed work.
20 minutes, steady state, flat -- first five @ 6 to warm up, bump up the speed every two minutes after that until you get to something comfortable. You should still be able to say the pledge.
10 minutes walking at an incline -- start at 6 degrees, bump it up a half degree every minute.
10 minutes, steady state, flat -- start at 6.5, bump up the speed every two minutes.
5 minutes walking at an incline -- start at 7 degrees, etc.
5 minutes, steady state, flat
5 minutes walking at an incline
5 minutes, steady state, flat -- start hard, lower the speed every minute to cool down.
Walk for 3-5 minutes at the end to cool down.
I just threw in the speed suggestions, you use whatever is comfortable for you -- if you go faster, major kudos. I credit this workout with getting my endurance to where it is today. It has an added benefit of keeping my brain engaged while I'm on the treadmill, which keeps my legs from convincing the rest of me that I'm "too tired for cardio today".
Sorry to hear this...tomorrow will be better! Heck, today may be getting better!
Thanks...
Originally Posted by WannaBeModel
Is it possible that you move your workouts a little? You shouldn't do back and legs back to back, especially since you are doing deadlifts.
i was just thinking about this too. it would be smarter, i know. i am not doing deadlifts right now though, just straight-legged deadlifts, so it's not too bad. but i will be done my night class next wednesday, so i will be switching to mon/wed/fridays.
in a few weeks, i want to switch up my whole routine anyways....gotta keep things fresh. i will want something that really focusses (sp?) on my legs, like maybe splitting up quads and hammies....i dunno. there's so much out there to confuse me further!! lol.
Originally Posted by WannaBeModel
Is today a moderate carb day? If so, you need some preworkout carbs. Your diet is looking pretty good! You've always got interesting meals. Keep it up!! You are doing a great job!
ya, today was moderate carbs. i had the yogurt/cc at 3 pm and dinner at 6:00....maybe i should switch those around for optimum pre-workout meals?
Yup, i have to agree with everyone else, ur diet is right on, and ur workouts look great. I do agree not to do legs and back on consecutive days, but other than that, Paichka is right on with the exercise suggestions.
Keep up the great work!! Your goin to see results for sure!
"I was always looking outside myself for strength and confidence, but it comes from within. It is there all the time. " by Anna Freud
"You have to have confidence in your ability, and then be tough enough to follow through." by Rosalynn Carter
My second home: [url]www.groundnpound.org[/url]
My third home: [url]http://www.chinookarabians.com/phpBB2/index.php[/url]
thanks for all the suggestions. i have been going real heavy with the squats and SLDL, and as much as i hate lunges, they are to be creditted for the positive changes i have seen in my bum! ;-) i used to have the flattest bum, and when i started doing walking lunges, suddenly, BAM, i had a bump back there!! hehe. the only problem i have been having recently is that i know my lunges can go heavier, but my arms can't handle the weight. i have been doing them in the squat rack with a bar, like squats so i can go heavier, but i miss my walking lunges.
what do you guys think about the bulgarian split squat? is this a worthwhile move for me, or not so much?
Originally Posted by Paichka
Step Ups: On a bench, bodyweight or with a light bar or dumbbell. These are the best for your butt. I swear by them. The bench should be about knee height. You can either do them from the front or from the side, depending on what muscle you want to torture. :-)
i would love to add these to my program , but i can't for the life of me seem to do these right. it just feels so awkward, almost dangerous! i wish i could have someone check my form and let me know what i am doing wrong.
Sunny, thanks so much for taking the time to write out that cardio routine.... sounds good. maybe i'll try it on a saturday, when i have more time in the morning. weekdays i usually only get enough time to squeeze 30 minutes in.
oh ya, i guess i should post today's workout.
CHEST/ SHOULDERS/TRIS
BENCH PRESS
9 x 60#
6 x 60# (then i had to drop the weight to finish the set)
4 x 55#
9 x 55#
INCLINE DB PRESS
3 sets 8 x 20#
INCLINE FLYES
3 sets 8 x 15#
SHOULDER PRESS
3 sets 8 x 15#
SIDE RAISES
3 sets 10 x 8#
BENT-OVER LATERAL RAISES
3 sets 10 x 8#
CABLE PUSHDOWNS
10 x 30#
6 x 30# (then i had to drop the weight to finish the set)
4 x 25#
10 x 25#
OVERHEAD EXTENSIONS
3 sets 10 x 12#
DIPS
3 sets Bodyweight x 10
as you can see, i was a little over-eager with trying to up my weights. i had to drop them down halfway through, but i figured it was worth a try.... you never know, right. i just want to be sure my workouts are always progressing and i am always pushing myself.... don't want to get lazy.
Hey Angie-
Your workout looks great...and don't be afraid of going heavy on your bench press! I usually do a few warm-up sets with higher reps/lower weights then I do 3 set of 6-8 reps. This has worked great for me! Good luck!
the only problem i have been having recently is that i know my lunges can go heavier, but my arms can't handle the weight. i have been doing them in the squat rack with a bar, like squats so i can go heavier, but i miss my walking lunges.
Get straps...they really help. I'm not telling my walking lunge weight, but I will say that without straps I get major bruises on my wrists from the weights slipping. The straps help immensely. So, get straps and go heavier! I'm like you...my rump gets nice and round and high with walking lunges. It's a love/hate relationship.
as you can see, i was a little over-eager with trying to up my weights. i had to drop them down halfway through, but i figured it was worth a try.... you never know, right. i just want to be sure my workouts are always progressing and i am always pushing myself.... don't want to get lazy.
I don't think you are over eager, I think you are busting your butt to do better and that is VERY admirable. School, work, gym. You do it all! Pat yourself on the back for working hard.
You could incorporate drop sets into your routine, which is pretty much what you are doing now. It helps increase strength. Go with an ULTRA heavy weight until you fail, drop down 5 lbs and lift until you fail, drop down 5 lbs and lift until you fail. Sounds like you like torture, and I think you would love this!
Oh yea, on the preworkout meal. Yogurt probably isn't enough. Can you stir some oats into that yogurt? That would really make it a good preworkout meal.
Last edited by WannaBeModel; 04-06-2005 at 06:26 AM.
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angiecat's journey to greatness
I'm like you...my rump gets nice and round and high with walking lunges. It's a love/hate relationship.
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