windsrprk's aspiring figure competitor training journal

[windsrprk]

Hi everyone! I've done a little posting here and there and figured it was finally time to introduce myself and start a journal. My name is Alicia, I'm 36 years old, and live in the Houston, TX area. I'm not a big person (5'5" with very small frame) but was considered overfat for my size before I started exercising. I started working out about 5.5 years ago. At first I was a cardio bunny and ate one meal per day. Ack! After over a year of that (and eventually going to two meals) I looked into weight training. This made a difference! It took a few more months for me to get my nutrition improved. Once I had that down the real gains started coming. I made nice progress for many months until a job switch caused me to stop lifting for over a year. Now that I have a job I love and a steady schedule, I am back to lifting and have been for the last couple of months. My goal is to gain a good 15 pounds of muscle. Long term goal is to enter a figure competition.

My workout schedule looks like this:

Monday: chest and biceps; Tuesday: legs; Thursday: shoulders, triceps, abs; Friday: back

I typically start with 5 or 6 reps and work my way up to 12. Once I hit 12 reps, I increase the weight, drop the reps, and start over. I'll change the exercises every few weeks but pretty much keep standard exercises like squats, deads, and pullups. Oh, I workout at home and do not have a squat rack or bench press. I make do with what I have though.

Monday: Chest/biceps Warmup: 5 minutes walk on treadmill

DB Press: 4 sets/11 reps/25.5lbs

Superset:
Fly: 4 sets/11 reps/15.5lbs
Reverse-grip Barbell Curl: 3 sets/8 reps/15lbs

Second superset:
Incline DB Press: 3 sets/12 reps/15.5lbs
Hammer Curl: 3 sets/7 reps/15.5lbs

I hit failure on the last set of DB Press. Everything else went smoothly and all in all, was a great workout.

[flyskygirl]

Hi my friend!..glad to see you started your journal! Thats great!
Looks like you had good workout!
Goodjob on the dbpress at 25.5 lbser's!!!


~sky

[justtryn]

Welcome!

[Hibiscus09]

Welcome, Alicia! Nice job on the workout!

[scienceteacher]

Welcome Alicia.

[windsrprk]

Thanks for the welcomes and sky, good to see you here! Today was leg day and it took some Disturbed to get through it. I feel like I want to take a nap now but oops, have to get ready for work! hehe Oh, I want to add that all DB weights include the weight of the handle (adjustable db's). All BB weights are just the weight on the bar since I don't know how much the bar weighs. Its a small curl bar from Oshman's (now Sports Authority) that uses standard plates.

Tuesday: Legs Warmup: 5 minute walk on treadmill

Front Squat: 4 sets/9 reps/40lbs
SLDL: 4 sets/7 reps/75lbs
Sissy Squat: 3 sets/11 reps/10lb plate held to my chest
DB Lunge: 3 sets/9 reps/25.5lbs in each hand
DB Calf Raise: 4 sets/18 reps/25.5lbs in each hand

The front squat went well and the SLDL felt easy! Sissy squats were starting to cause my legs to talk back by the third set. I supersetted the first two sets of the lunge and calf raise and my grip nearly gave out! Finished the last set of lunges separately from the last two sets of calf raises. Oh, I don't have a calf block to stand on and when I do I may find I'll be lowering the weight to account for the broader range of motion. Overall, a good workout...glad its over!

[joed]

Welcome to the journals. Look forward to following your progress.

[Hank1962]

Welcome to the site. Nice solid workouts.

[windsrprk]

Legs are a bit sore after Tuesday's workout. Good thing we have elevators at work! Had a good workout this morning. Here's the breakdown...

Thursday: Shoulders, Triceps, Abs Warmup: 5 minute walk on treadmill

Superset:
BB Standing Military Press: 4 sets/7 reps/25lbs
Tricep Kickback: 4 sets/7 reps/8lb

Superset:
Angled Lateral Raise: 3 sets/6 reps/8lb
Ball Crunches: 4 sets/14 reps/10lb plate held to chest

Superset:
Rear Delt Raise: 4 sets/9 reps/8lbs
BB Lying Tricep Extension - Reverse Grip: 4 sets/7 reps/10lbs

Hanging Leg Raise: 3 sets/6 reps/no weight

I am going to repeat the reps on the hanging leg raise in next week's workout. Its been awhile since I've done these and in the past I cheated a bit and used momentum to complete the reps. No more cheating! I went at a much more deliberate pace and could barely get my knees up to my chest on the last couple of reps. I would like to eventually be able to do them straight-leg style, bringing my feet up to my hands like Pavel T. The rest of the workout went well. Back and forearms on Friday!

[windsrprk]

Today's workout was a mixed bag of ups and downs. I had to drop the weight on my deadlifts. I'm not sure what happened but it feels like a step backwards, that's for sure! I was using 70lbs and had to reduce it to 55lbs. Ugh. Remember, this is just the weight on the bar since I don't know what this little bar weighs. The major high though was hitting a personal best on pullups...8 reps! For the longest time I have been stuck at 7 reps on the first set. Getting the extra rep in there made me smile!

Friday: Back, Forearms Warmup: 5 minute walk on treadmill

Deadlift: 4 sets/6 reps/55lbs

Pullups: 1 set/8 reps/no weight PERSONAL BEST!
1 set/7 reps/no weight
1 set/5 reps/no weight

DB Row: 4 sets/7 reps/25.5lbs
Barbell Pullover: 3 sets/10 reps/30lbs
BB Wrist Curls: 4 sets/17 reps/30lbs

The rows and pullovers went great! The wrist curls killed as always and the last set was so brutal this time around that I had to use rest/pause to get through it!

[Hank1962]

Nice workout!! Don't worry about the drop in weight sometimes it takes your body longer to recover. Just think that you are building muscle during those times and your body is resting.

[windsrprk]

The weekend went by in a blur! I was offered overtime at work and jumped at the chance to make some extra $$$. Spent 9 hours at work on Saturday then hit Walmart afterwards. In addition to a ton of stuff, I bought a pair of 25lb plates -- yay! I'll hit Sports Authority soon to get a standard size straight bar. Need a plate tree too. Hello, Santa? hehe

Spent 12 hours at work on Sunday. Whew! I managed to get enough sleep, thank goodness. Today's workout was challenging but I attribute it more to increased weight on one exercise and hitting the top of my rep range on another.

Monday: Chest/biceps Warmup: 5 minute walk on treadmill

DB Press: 3 sets/12 reps/25.5lbs
1 set/11 reps/25.5lbs

My chest gave out on the last set and my arms went limp! I'll repeat these reps for next week and aim for 12 in all four sets.

Superset:
Fly: 4 sets/12 reps/15.5lbs
Reverse-grip Barbell Curl: 3 sets/9 reps/15lbs

This superset felt awesome!

Incline DB Press: 3 sets/7 reps/20.5lbs

Hammer Curl: 3 sets/8 reps/15.5lbs

Last two exercises felt challenging but were doable. I would rate this workout as okay.

[Hank1962]

Nice work!! Did you still have time to sleep this weekend? Don't forget to get some rest. You need to recover if you want to build muscle.

[joed]

Originally Posted by windsrprk

...Need a plate tree too. Hello, Santa?...

In the newspaper this wkend I saw an ad for 1300 lbs of weights with a couple of bars, a bench, etc. for $165. If I didn't belong to a gym I'd have scooped them up. Probably being sold by someone who lost interest or by his wife as part of the divorce settlement. hehe.

[windsrprk]

I got enough sleep last night but I do believe my sleep suffered a bit on Friday night (work's Christmas party) and Saturday night (overtime, went to the barn to drop off my horse's food, and then Walmart). My original intention was to work an extra two hours tonight. Because tomorrow is leg day I scrapped those plans and will go to bed early. Given the choice between more money or an excellent workout, I have to go with the workout.

joed - What an awesome deal! I bet you are right...someone lost interest or an evil ex is clearing out the basement! I need a deal like that but it has to specifically include the Ironmaster Superbench. hehe

[windsrprk]

Monday was like Christmas! Went to Sports Authority and bought myself a present...a 72" standard straight barbell. I also bought a V handle so when I put T-Bar rows back into my workout regime, I have the handle to use. When I got home my bodybuilding.com order was on the porch. Woo! In addition to the usual supplements, I ordered a box of Myoplex Lite for the extra calories. It is the Chocolate Lover's variety pack and I'm looking forward to trying it out! Ok, on to the workout...

Tuesday: Legs Warmup: 7 minutes walk on treadmill

Front Squat: 4 sets/10 reps/40lbs

Superset:
SLDL: 4 sets/8 reps/75lbs
DB Calf Raise: 4 sets/20 reps/25.5lbs in each hand

Sissy Squat: 3 sets/12 reps/10lb plate held to my chest
DB Lunge: 3 sets/10 reps/25.5lbs in each hand

It worked much better to put the calf raise with the SLDL. Grip strength was not an issue. The only reason I have to superset something is time. I'll keep it like this since it worked well. The sissy squat felt like nothing!! Funny how last week my quads were talking to me during that exercise. Had to rest between legs during the last two sets of lunges. This was more due to the temperature more than anything else. Even with a/c and a fan, I was dying and had to rest to cool off before continuing. Heat wave in December!

[windsrprk]

Realized I don't have much in the way of stats here. When I bought the new barbell I got out the scale to see how much it weighed. I was shocked to find I was 112lbs. Eeek!!! At my "most muscular" I was 118lbs. I am guessing that my body fat is 16%. I'm disturbed at the low weight and am on a mission to add mass!

[windsrprk]

EXCELLENT WORKOUT!!! There isn't anything to complain about with today's program. I'm smiling!

Thursday: Shoulders, Triceps, Abs Warmup: 5 minute walk on treadmill

Superset:
BB Standing Military Press: 4 sets/8 reps/25lbs
Tricep Kickback: 4 sets/8 reps/8lbs

I borrowed a tip from BlondeAmazon's journal regarding the kickback. At the end of the rep, lift the arm a couple more inches. Oww!!

Superset:
Angled Lateral Raise: 3 sets/7 reps/8lbs
Ball Crunches: 4 sets/16 reps/10lb plate held to chest

Superset:
Rear Delt Raise: 4 sets/10 reps/8lbs
BB Lying Tricep Extension - Reverse Grip: 4 sets/8 reps/10lbs

Hanging Leg Raise: 3 sets/6 reps/no weight

Repeated reps from last week on this exercise. Went very well!

[Hibiscus09]

Originally Posted by windsrprk

Realized I don't have much in the way of stats here. When I bought the new barbell I got out the scale to see how much it weighed. I was shocked to find I was 112lbs. Eeek!!! At my "most muscular" I was 118lbs. I am guessing that my body fat is 16%. I'm disturbed at the low weight and am on a mission to add mass!

Well, you have a great bodyfat %!! When I contest prepped, I dropped to 114 or 115lbs -- I can't remember which. Anyhoo, I weigh 125lbs right now at 18.something% bodyfat. I want to see 13% bodyfat for spring.

You're doing great with your workouts! Congrats on the new Oly bar!

[windsrprk]

Thanks for the props Hibiscus! I wish you well on your way to reaching 13% bodyfat for springtime. That will be awesome!

[windsrprk]

Had a different schedule for work today due to the holiday weekend. We all worked from 8am to 1pm. It was great getting to leave the office while it is still daylight! I saved my workout for this afternoon and it went well. A couple of things kept it from being a really great workout. I'll explain below.

Friday: Back, Forearms Warmup: 6 minute walk on treadmill

Deadlift: 4 sets/7 reps/55lbs

I dropped my chest ever so slightly and eww...felt a slight twinge in my lower back. I kept strict form throughout the rest and got them done just fine.

Pullups: 1 set/9 reps/no weight Used V handle over the bar (first time to try this) and woohoo! Another personal best!
1 set/5 reps/no weight Palms in on the pullup bar.
1 set/4 reps/no weight Palms out on the pullup bar.

Last week I did a total of 20 reps. This week was only 18. I'm disappointed at the drop in reps. This is the first time I mixed up the techniques though. Sure enjoyed using the V handle over the pullup bar!

DB Row: 4 sets/8 reps/25.5lbs
Barbell Pullover: 3 sets/11 reps/30lbs
BB Wrist Curls: 4 sets/10 reps/35lbs

These last three exercises went VERY well! I enjoyed the increased weight on the wrist curls.

[Chi_town]

MERRY CHISTMAS

[windsrprk]

I hope everyone is having a safe, happy Christmas! Is it time to eat yet?

Had a good workout today. Here goes...

Monday: Chest/biceps Warmup: 5 minute walk on treadmill

DB Press: 4 sets/12 reps/25.5lbs

I made it through all four sets this time. Yay! The last set was still challenging but I feel like I can go ahead and increase the weight for next week.

Superset:
Fly: 4 sets/6 reps/18lbs
Reverse-grip Barbell Curl: 3 sets/10 reps/15lbs

OMG, both of these exercises felt so good!

Incline DB Press: 3 sets/8 reps/20.5lbs

Hammer Curl: 3 sets/9 reps/15.5lbs

The incline DB press went very well. The last two reps of the last set of hammer curls were tough on my left arm...showing its weakness! Overall, a good workout.

Been back on ZMA for a week now. The sleep I get at night is so solid now. I used to do this half-wake-up thing during the night. Not anymore. I love this stuff!

[windsrprk]

My office does not return to work until tomorrow so I used the morning to take advantage of the after-Christmas sale at Macy's. The place was a madhouse! Lots of good deals though and it didn't take long to burn through my gift card. Came home and had a quick snack before jumping into my leg workout.

Tuesday: Legs Warmup: 5 minute walk on treadmill

Front Squat: 4 sets/5 reps/50lbs

Superset:
SLDL: 4 sets/9 reps/75lbs
DB Calf Raise: 4 sets/22 reps/25.5lbs in each hand

DB Walking Lunge: 3 sets/11 reps/25.5lbs in each hand

Sissy Squat: 3 sets/5 reps/15lbs of weight held to chest

I cannot tell you how exciting it was to have a 25lb plate at either side of my head during the front squats! I decided to bump up the weight and drop the reps even though I had not yet hit 12 reps on that exercise. It was worth it!!

The SLDL and calves went very well. I could feel my grip being tested this week but I ignored it and carried on. Decided to do walking lunges instead of stationary lunges. I figured I better put these in front of the sissy squat and I'm glad I did! My quads were groaning so I rested two minutes between sets instead of one minute. The sissy squat felt like nothing after the agony of those lunges! I usually have very minor doms after a leg workout. Uh, something tells me that won't be the case this week.

[flyskygirl]

good leg workout my friend!!!

I need to get past these holidays and get more sleep to get back in the gym myself!!!
keep it up!!!!

I had to laugh at the avatar sig..."the quiet type" YA RIGHT LOL...your real funny LOL

talk atcha later...
shoulders next?

~sky

[windsrprk]

Originally Posted by flyskygirl

I had to laugh at the avatar sig..."the quiet type" YA RIGHT LOL...your real funny LOL

Haha! It means I mostly read on the forums and don't post much. Yeah, yeah, those who know me in person (like you) know I'm not so quiet!

Ok, I pushed my workout to this evening due to going into work a little bit early. For the second week in a row I have had an excellent Thursday workout! Woo!!

Thursday: Shoulders, Triceps, Abs Warmup: 5 minute walk on treadmill

Superset:
BB Standing Military Press: 4 sets/9 reps/25lbs
Tricep Kickback: 4 sets/9 reps/8lbs

Superset:
DB Raise: 3 sets/6 reps/15.5lbs
Ball Crunches: 4 sets/18 reps/10lb plate held to chest

Giant Set:
Rear Delt Raise: 4 sets/11 reps/8lbs
BB Lying Tricep Extension - Reverse Grip: 4 sets/9 reps/10lbs
Hanging Leg Raise: 3 sets/7 reps/no weight


I dropped the angled lateral raise (also called lean-away laterals) and opted to try the DB raise (db's come straight up beside your body towards armpits). I felt this exercise more in the middle of my back than in my delts. I will give it another shot next week before deciding if I'm going to keep this one in the routine. Back and forearms tomorrow!

[windsrprk]

Friday: Back, Forearms Warmup: 5 minute walk on treadmill

Deadlift: 4 sets/8 reps/55lbs

These were fabulous! No issues with form and the weight felt easy. I am going to stay with a 5-8 rep range on this exercise which means next week = increased weight.

Pullups: 1 set/10 reps/no weight V handle over the bar. Second week in a row...another personal best!
1 set/4 reps/no weight Palms in on the pullup bar.
1 set/3 reps/no weight Palms out on the pullup bar.

Another drop in total reps from last week. This time I'm not so concerned because the deadlifts went so well.

DB Row: 4 sets/9 reps/25.5lbs
Barbell Pullover: 3 sets/12 reps/30lbs
BB Wrist Curls: 4 sets/12 reps/35lbs

These three exercises went very, very well. Next week I drop the reps and increase the weight on the pullover. Hope everyone has a good weekend!

[windsrprk]

Happy New Year to everyone!! Mine wasn't too exciting. Had no plans so I did some overtime and laundry. Woo. Saturday was the big night as I went out to see Chuck beat the snot out of Tito...YEAH BABY!! And was Forrest crying?? What was up with that? Anyway, today was chest/biceps and it was a good workout.

Monday: Chest/biceps Warmup: 5 minute walk on treadmill

DB Press: 4 sets/6 reps/28lbs

Superset:
Fly: 4 sets/7 reps/18lbs
Reverse-grip Barbell Curl: 3 sets/11 reps/15lbs

Incline DB Press: 3 sets/9 reps/20.5lbs

Hammer Curl: 2 sets/10 reps/15.5lbs
1 set/8 reps/15.5lbs

Wow, both arms just gave up after the 8th rep! I will repeat 10 reps next week to see if I can get all three sets done. Overall, I'm pleased with the workout. Off to do more overtime today. Hope you have a great day!

[windsrprk]

Well, thanks to working overtime on Monday and then cooking a few day's worth of food when I got home, I got to bed late Monday night. I set the alarm for 7am and was in no condition to get up for a leg workout. Got up at 8am with the decision that legs would be done tonight. The wait was all good...excellent session this evening!!

Tuesday: Legs Warmup: 5 minute walk on treadmill

Front Squat: 4 sets/6 reps/50lbs

SLDL: 4 sets/10 reps/75lbs These felt so good!

DB Lunge: 3 sets/5 reps/28lbs in each hand

Sissy Squat: 3 sets/6 reps/15lbs of weight held to chest

DB Calf Raise: 4 sets/10 reps/28lbs in each hand

Because I did not have time constraints for the evening I did not superset any exercise. I sure do enjoy the lower rep range but know I have to go a little higher to push myself.

For those who are curious, I'm taking advantage of the available overtime $$ so I can correct something that bodybuilding won't change. I have a receding chin and I hate it! My earliest recollection that I wanted to fix it was when I was 12 years old. Now that my body is coming along it is time to take care of what I see as a problem. I have had plenty of people tell me I don't need the surgery but this is one of those things I'm doing for me. I also just started wearing my glasses full-time (usually wear contacts) so my eyes can breathe and return to normal. I plan to have Lasik done this year as well. I can't wait!

[windsrprk]

Well, after having two excellent Thursday workouts in a row, I had an okay workout this morning. I got everything done but wasn't overly impressed with anything. Hmm...

Thursday: Shoulders, Triceps, Abs Warmup: 5 minute walk on treadmill

Superset:
BB Standing Military Press: 4 sets/10 reps/25lbs
Tricep Kickback: 4 sets/10 reps/8lbs

Superset:
DB Raise: 3 sets/7 reps/8lbs
Ball Crunches: 4 sets/20 reps/10lb plate held to chest

I felt the DB raise in the shoulders today so I will be keeping this exercise in the routine.

Giant Set:
Rear Delt Raise: 4 sets/12 reps/8lbs
BB Lying Tricep Extension - Reverse Grip: 4 sets/10 reps/10lbs
Hanging Leg Raise: 3 sets/8 reps/no weight

I will drop the reps and increase the weight on both the rear delt raise and the lying tricep extension. It occurred to me this morning that the tricep exercise really didn't feel very hard so instead of going to 12 reps it is time to change the weight. I will repeat the reps on the hanging leg raise because I couldn't get my knees to consistently come high enough to my chest.