Terracotta Returns!

[terracotta]

I was a very active member of bodybuilding.com a few years ago, and I both learned a lot from people here, and helped people (including starting http://www.hotnfit.com ) - but most importantly, I got great support. So I've come back to start a journal again because I feel like I need that community support. I have 2 girls, ages 4 and (almost) 2, and work full time in web development. My time gets swallowed up rapidly and I don't work out enough - but I'm trying to push back against the urge to "relax" at the end of the day because I know how great I feel after I exercise (even if it sometimes is at 11pm).

I'm 5'4, 113 lbs 31-26-36, probably around 20% body fat - I have a small build. My nutrition is pretty good - I try to eat to maintain my weight. Since I had somewhat of a long hiatus from weightlifting, I am in newbie-gains phase, and I am not eating in surplus to gain muscle/strength. My goal is to gain a modest amount of muscle (maybe 5 lbs), get my butt higher, and strengthen my abs. I do cardio because I spend almost all of my day sitting, and I need it.

I have an awesome home gym - 525 Bowflex dumbbells (5 to 52.5 lb dumbbells in seconds), an incline bench, a squat rack, barbells, shorter adjustable dumbbells, and an elliptical trainer.

My Exercise Plan is as follows (and it is set up this way based on trial and error - how well I feel I worked out my body etc.. so very personal):

Day 1 Weights:
10 minute elliptical
DB Front Squats SS. DB Bicep Curls
DB SLDL SS. DB Kickbacks
DB Lunges SS. Concentration Curls

Day 2 - Abdominals

Day 3 - elliptical -20 minutes

Day 4 Weights:
10 minute elliptical
BB Conventional Deadlifts SS. DB Chest Press
BB Back Squats SS. Shoulder Press
DB Bent Row SS. Glute Bridges

Day 5 - Abdominals

Day 6 - 20 min elliptical

Day 7 - OFF

__________________________________________________ ________________
** when I list weights for dumbbells, that is for one dumbbell, so x2 to get the weight. I also always do warmup sets, but not necessarily record them.

My last workout was:

Saturday June 22nd
DB Front Squats 20# 10,10,8
SS. DB Bicep curls 12.5#6 10# 8,8
DB SLDL 22.5# 12,15
SS. DB Kickbacks 12.5# 6, 13# 8 (switched to shorter dumbbells)
DB Lunges 17.5# 8,8
SS. Concentration Curls 13# 8,8

[terracotta]

Monday June 24th
20 minutes elliptical

Tuesday June 25th
10 minutes elliptical
conventional deadlifts 80#6 85#7,7 (overhand grip) 90#5,5 (mixed grip)
back squats 55 # 6,6,6
db chest press 15# 12,12
db bent row (2 arm) 15#8,8
db shoulder press 10#8,8
glute bridges with 5 sec hold at top - 20,20

[SophieM]

Hey. I remember you! Welcome back and congrats on the little one!

Will follow along.

[terracotta]

hi Sophie!

Today's workout:

Saturday June 29th
BB front squats 45#8,8,8
DB bicep curls 13#8,8,8
bb SLDL 45#15,15,15
db 2 arm lying tricep extension 13# 15,15,15
db lunges 17.5#8 15#10,10
concentration curls 13#10,8,8

with the exercises supersetted in pairs.

I can finally do the front squat and sldl at 45#, so I switched to the barbell for these because I like their barbell versions better. This workout routine is my first time supersetting legs with arms, and I find it works really well, I don't find myself cooling down between sets, and while my legs have a bit of a rest, my heart rate does not go all the way down.

[terracotta]

Sunday June 30th
10 min elliptical
legs straight up crunch 3 sets
reverse crunch 3 sets
bicycle crunch 2 sets
plank 2 sets

Tuesday July 2nd
Deadlifts 95# 5,5 75# 7,7
BB bench press 45# 8,8,9
bb back squats 45#8 55# 8,9,8 ** lowered the weight to ensure I was going deep enough
db shouldre press 12.5# 7,7,7
db bent row (1 arm) 17.5# 8,8,8
glute bridges - 2 sets of 15 with 5 sec hold at top

Measurements saturday July 6th
Main:
Weight 115.3 lbs
chest 31.5
Waist 26 3/8
butt 36.75

Other:
R thigh - 21
L thigh - 20.75
bicep flexed - 10.75
calf 12.25

Comments - waist is creeping up a bit (those squats and deadlifts make me feel starving the next day), but my butt grew well, so it isn't so bad.. butt looks much better than even a month ago. My plan is to do a quick (ie. 1-2 month) diet once my waist reaches 27 inches. Unfortunately, I gain fat on my waist easily, and the smallest my waist has ever been is 25.75 (when I was 108 lbs), so I have a large waist for my frame to start with.

I'm going to be doing my other full body workout tonight.. my 4 year old went to bed at 11 last night unfortunately and I didn't do my workout. No excuses tonight!

[SophieM]

You're waist and hips are in proportion so I wouldn't worry about your waist.

[terracotta]

thanks Sophie.. yes I know I need to be less concerned. My husband keeps telling me to listen to my own advice (ie. it is glycogen gain). On a positive note, I went looking for a bikini today, and had to get an x-small from a store that only sells to tweens/teens.. so I'm definitely smaller than I feel at times, but I'm feeling great right now.

Okay, today's workout:

Saturday July 6th
Back squats atg 55#10 60#10 65# 8,7,8
sldl 55# 10,8,8
db lunges 15#8,8
db bicep curls 15#6,8
db lying tricep ext (1 arm) 10# 8,8

comments - I had a great workout, managed to get the kids to bed "early" (as in before 9), and had lots of stamina for it or maybe that was from the sugar from the homemade chocolate chip cookies I had (omg totally my weakness, but I don't make them often). Managed to raise my atg squat weight and do 3 sets! very happy about that.

[SophieM]

Before 9 is relatively early, and it gave you enough time to get in a good workout. Though I don't doubt the chocolate chip cookies helped some. Cookies always help!

[terracotta]

Monday July 8th
15 min elliptical

Tuesday July 9th
Deadlifts 75# 8 85#6,6,6,5
db flat bench press 2.5#8,8,6
db bent row 20#8,8,8
bb back squats 55#8,8
db shoulder press 12.5# 8,6

11pm workout again.. didn't want to do the workout, but I feel great after.

[carbonmade78]

Hey welcome back! Mad props for fitting the workout in - that's awesome

[terracotta]

Thursday July 11th
18 min elliptical, 100 calories

Friday July 12th
no workout, date with husband


Sunday July 13th
Abs - Leg lifts 3 sets, 15 reps
Squats - 45# 5 55#8 65# 10 70# 6,6,4 - okay so this was very heavy and felt awesome.. love the adrenaline from lifting heavy
SLDL 55# 15 60 #8 - period cramping started during the sldl.. very annoying but pushed through it
Pendlay row (heavy singles) 60# 8,8

Comments - great workout considering the cramping midworkout, raised my weights, got a lot done.. took a bunch of supps preworkout so that probably was part of it - bb.com's preworkout product scream (1/2 scoop), bb.com's amino energy (1 scoop), 1/2 scoop bb.com creatine, and 16 oz water in a blender bottle shaker.

[terracotta]

Hey welcome back! Mad props for fitting the workout in - that's awesome

hi! Thanks for stopping in. I never want to do workouts that late, have to force myself to start, but feel great once I do.

[terracotta]

Unfortunately I hurt my shoulder doing some standing ab exercises with an exercise video on monday, and I've had to take some time off to let it heal. I had a bad shoulder injury 10 years ago, and I'm susceptible to reinjuring the area. It feels like it is improving, but I know lift weights will make it worse. I have been going swimming (with the kids) and doing some elliptical with higher resistance. Hopefully I can at least do leg exercises again in a week or two.

So I won't be journalling until I can do weightlifting again.. but will definitely be back once I can.

[SophieM]

Hope you have a speedy recovery!

[mariplay2004]

Hello, I hope your feeling better from your shoulder injury.
I just had a baby on May 3rd 2013. I just finished reading your last journal very inspiring I have 20lbs left to lose. (I lost all my baby weight already but I started overweight ..fit but overweight)

I will be following your journal !!!