Using It - November 12 to 18

[Shadow]

Morning, all :). I think this week will be more endurance/circuit workouts as I continue to learn all my new dvds.

What does everyone else have lined up for the wekk?

[Mitra]

It's the usual for me :D.

I noticed during today's yoga that my shoulders were really sore (the ones that run along the top of your shoulder into the curve of the neck). I think it's because I got carried away with my farmers market purchases yesterday, then had to carry it all around town because I needed to call in a couple of other shops. It must be a good sign that I can walk around for half an hour or more, carrying bags heavy enough to make my shoulder muscles ache without getting even a twinge in my lower back :cool:.

I'd quite like to do something that's heavier resistance than yoga once or twice a week, but I'm not sure how to work it in. If it's only one, then I can do it at the end and have a rest day or two afterwards, but I don't want to reduce the number of times I do yoga, because consistency in that is important, and it's not just about muscle training. But if I do heavy work, then it's hard to do the yoga the next day when my muscles are still aching. Maybe it's best to stick with just the one extra session (Slow Burn or something else that uses weight, like the Use It workout I did last week).

[LisaS]

did the 3x15 Upper Body series tonight -
upped the weights a little everywhere except the Mil Presses and Rows - my lower cable is out of commission and so had to sub prone incl. db rows for the seated rows and I couldn't do those with the same weight. Still, managed 15 reps and couldn't really have done another (in that set) so the intensity was comparable.

[LisaS]

for weekly plans - UB Su & We, LB Mo & Fri - something HIIT-ish We AM (hahaha like that'll happen). TThSa will work on mobility. I plan to do a longer AM with dogs most mornings (MTTF?) if I can haul myself out of bed.

[Ottawa]

Sunday: 50 Crunches, 30 minutes heavier hand weights, 10 minutes leg lifts with weights
Monday: Treadmill to a movie (45 minutes)
Tuesday: Day Off
Wednesday: Weights Class at work
Thurs: ?
Fri: Day Off
Saturday: ?

[banshee]

Well, I'm still sick. :mad:

Last week obviously ended up a bust - only the one day of exercise before I got sick. At this point I'm pretty sure I'm over the flu and that I've come down with something else that will require drugs to cure. In the past I've had a history of getting bronchitis or pneumonia every time I caught a bad cold. This doesn't feel like bronchitis. I sure hope it isn't pneumonia! The last time I had that, I ended up in the hospital under an oxygen tent! :eek:

Anyway, I'm off to the doctor's today to try and get this taken care of. I'm hoping to get in at least a light workout today, as I'm not feeling as weak as I have been, unless the doc says it's something contagious. I feel like I can at least do some light walking if nothing else. I'm so stir crazy at this point, I need to do something! I guess if I'm contagious, I could work out on my TotalGym, but I really really want to get out of the house. :rolleyes:

It sounds like everyone else is doing great - Mitra - congrats on the long shopping day - I would count that as a major success! Randy, your reports of your hiking/camping outings are so impressive. I love nature, but could never do all that you do because of my allergies/asthma!

[daisy]

Tuesday -

Ran for one hour on treadmill - 7km

Rest of week includes 2 more 1 hour running sessions, plus 2 weight sessions planned..... Really concentrating on building up the running just now though....

daisy xx

[banshee]

Doctor confirmed pneumonia diagnosis. It was an interesting visit, though. He heard the congestion/infection in my left lung and sent me off for chest x-rays. Then he was amazed because the x-rays didn't show the solid mass of infection he was expecting. I, of course, can't read an x-ray to save my life, but he said I had some speckling, or webbing, or some such, but not the solid white area he thought he'd see considering what he was hearing.

All I could think was that maybe I'm "healthier" even when I'm sick than "normal" people! :eek: Or that while there was enough bacteria to make me feel sick, it couldn't build up too much because I wasn't feeding it enough "sugar" to grow strong! :p

Anyway, I'm on antibiotics, and hubby convinced me to wait a couple days before exercising since my lungs are compromised at the moment. Of course, yesterday while I was at home I was so bored that I decided to do some furniture rearranging. :rolleyes: I was quite pleased to be able to lift bookcases and cabinets without any trouble at all except for height issues. :D In the old days, I would have counted it as my exercise for the day!

Anyway, today is the start back on the exercise wagon, with my personal training session tonight. I'm going to shoot for at least 2 days this week, 3 if I feel up to it. I'm still not feeling 100%, so I don't want to push it too hard until the antibiotics have a chance to do their work.

[Mitra]

Mary, I hope you feel better soon. Do take it easy while you recover. I know it's frustrating, but it really isn't good to overdo it when you're ill. Even Shadow will let you have a sick note ;).

[banshee]

I exercised last night! Yippee!!! :D

My trainer had me use slightly lower weights, and I didn't try to push quite as hard for failure as I usually do. I just knew if I did I would end up with a monster headache, so I basically tried to work until one rep before that last really hard rep. I felt good after, tired but not wiped out, so I don't think I overdid it. Yesterday was also the first day in over a week that I've had any sort of appetite, so I think the antibiotics are finally kicking in.

Workout was basic total body - pushups, bench press, low rows, leg press, leg extensions, assisted pullups, leg curls, shoulder press, bicep curls, tricep extensions, and reaching ab curls. Only two new exercises - the trainer wanted me to try what he called a Romanian dead lift to stretch my hamstrings, but he had forgotten that I'm already so flexible that I could bend over until the bar was touching the floor without feeling any stretch. :rolleyes: :p He also had me try a different lower ab exercise. I'm not sure what it's called.

You lie down with your partner standing at your head and hold on to his ankles for support. Then you do leg raises, and at the top of the rise, he pushes them back down and you have to stop them before they hit the floor and then raise them again. My trainer was rather amazed that I was able to do 20 reps on the first try. He said that's a sign that my core is pretty strong. :cool: He also said next time he'll try challenging me by pushing my legs off-center on some reps to work the obliques as well. :eek:

[daisy]

Mary - i'm glad you are feeling better enough to exercise, just take it easy but wtg :D

Thursday -

ran for one hour on treadmill, upped intensity a bit and did 7.28km

daisy xx

[daisy]

Friday -

crosstrainer/1 hour/fatburn/level 14
stairmaster/30mins/fatburn/level 8

oblique stretches - 22.5kg - 3 x 20 each side
pulldowns - 30kg - 3 x 12
chest press 8kg freeweights - 3 x 12
fly's - 6kg - 3 x 12
triceps - 6kg freeweight - 2 x 12
biceps - 6kg freeweights - 2 x 12

sit ups with 5kg medicine ball - 2 x 50
ab crunches - 2 x 50

daisy xx

[banshee]

I'm still taking it easy this week, so no exercise yesterday or today. I'm going to try and do a "regular" workout Saturday, making 2 times for this week - which is 100% better than last week! :D

But I just had to share this with everyone. During my session on Wednesday, my trainer made a comment that he could see definition in my arms and shoulders. At the time I was doing bicep curls, and was looking in the mirror to make sure my form was good. I was thinking, "Hmmm... I don't know what he thinks he's seeing, but I sure don't see any 'definition'!" :confused: I've been able to see my biceps for a while, but that's about it.

But then last night, I happened to look in the mirror as I was getting undressed. I was wearing a tank with spaghetti straps, and I suddenly thought "Oh my god! My shoulders are huge!" :eek: Then I realized that the position my arms were in from pulling off my shirt was unconsciously mimicking a body-builders pose. I pulled my shoulders back, and sure enough they looked normal again. I curled them forward, and suddenly I had all these bumps and angles on my arms that I've never seen before, and the curve of my shoulders up to my neck suddenly looked huge! :lol: Then I pulled up the top so I could suck in my belly, and realized that (from the waist up at least) I look pretty darn fit!

I knew that tensing the muscles caused them to "bulge", but I hadn't ever had the experience of seeing things "bulge" just from holding a position without tensing the muscles! On one hand I had that same excitement that I remember from when I first lost enough weight to feel my hipbones. On the other hand, I had this sudden feeling of "Oh no! That doesn't look very feminine!" I'm trying to ignore the last voice, because I know a rather large part of that is just that I'm not used to seeing myself this way! :rolleyes: :p Now if only I could get my legs and butt to look that good! :o

[daisy]

I don't know if my muscles bulge :rolleyes: but i have noticed that i have very square (if still small) shoulders now so i look a bit better in sleeveless tops:D

Saturday -

Ran for one hour on treadmill, 7.5km distance covered and NO gym buddy to yap away to lol so i'm feeling i accomplished a small personal goal today cos i proved i can do it on my own:D

happy weekend all

love daisy xx

[daisy]

Sunday -

1 hour crosstrainer/fatburn/level 10

sit ups with 5kg medicine ball - 2 x 50
chest press on fitball - 7kg - 3 x 15
squats with fitball - 4kg - 3 x 15
reverse fly - 19kg - 3 x 15
pulldowns - 25kg - 3 x 15
tricep pulldowns - 20kg - 3 x 15
tricep stretches - 20kg - 3 x 15
hammercurls - 5kg - 3 x 15
hip abductors (outer) 55kg - 3 x 15
hip abductors (inner) 65kg - 3 x 15
leg press for calf stretches - 43kg - 2 x 20

daisy xx

[banshee]

Well, I did my usual full bore Saturday exercise. 75 minutes of weight lifting and 45 minutes of stretching. I kept to the same weight for most exercises, but did lower the weights a little for about half of them to make sure I didn't overdo it. Man was I tired afterwards! It was a good workout! I'm a bit sore today, but not bad, except for my abdominals, which are really sore. Guess they got more of a workout than I thought I was giving them! And my knee finally seems to be at a point where I can do a full leg workout. I usually only did a couple leg exercises, but this time I was able to do 6 different ones and no twinges from the knee.

The only consequence I had from last week's illness was the need to use my inhaler halfway through the workout. My lungs are still a bit messed up, and I was having trouble catching my breath. But after using the inhaler I felt great and was able to finish.