Not *Quite* as Bad as the Rehab Cycle...

Today Devon and I friend lifted. Now that the rehab cycle is over, Devon and I are doing a strength cycle with heavy weights again. Since this is the first week, I am 'easing' back in. Like last time, I am doing "Push" muscles with Devon on Mondays, full-body stability-based workout on Wednesdays and "Pull" muscles on Fridays (generally--I am sure it could change).

So, today was a "Push" day:

Legs/Quads:
Seated Leg Extensions: 4 sets x 20reps @ 90 lbs
45° Leg Press: 4 sets x 15reps @ 360 lbs

Chest:
Incline Bench Press: 3 sets x 8reps @ 85 lbs
Assisted Chest Dips: 3 sets x 12reps @ 52, 46, 40 lbs assistance
Flat DB Flyes: 3 sets x 15reps @ 20 lb DBs

Shoulders:
Standing Military Press: 3 sets x 12reps @ 55 lbs
DB Side Raises: 3 sets x 8reps @ 7.5, 10, 12.5 lb DBs
Rear Delt Flyes: 3 sets x 12reps @ 55 lbs

Triceps:
Cable Pushdowns: 4 sets x 10reps @ 32.5 lbs
Bench Dips: 3 sets x 20reps @ BW

I am certain I will feel the effects of this in a bad way tomorrow. But for right now I am doing JUST FINE. :)

Some things I liked:

1. I did the bench press without spotting from Devon. To be clear, he was there--ready!--but did not need to touch the bar once. That's my first time doing that!!! :)
2. My chest is stronger than I think. I totally overshot the assistance on the chest dips and lightened it each set. I will definitely start lower next time! #iamabeast
3. I experienced muscle failure today! During the second set of bench dips, at rep 20, I pushed up, but my body went crashing down to the floor. I shall wear the inevitable bruise on my bottom as a badge of honor!!!!

Also, today was a weigh-in day. I am only down .3 pounds from last week. This is frustrating as I have stuck to my diet and exercise plan without fail. It is not alarming in general to have a low weight loss week, but with my deadline (only a little over 4 weeks away!) I was disappointed. Devon agrees we will lower my caloric intake. He promises to get it to me by tomorrow... I shall wait with bated breath.

Next workout: cardio tomorrow (with Meagan perhaps?????)!!!

Free at Last! From the Rehab Cycle...

I AM DONE WITH THE REHAB CYCLE!!! Free at last! Free at last!!!! No more 25 rep sets. No more 3 second releases. Nope! No more for me! At least not for awhile...

The lifting:

Hack Squats x 2s x 25r @ 180-200lbs (200 lbs)
Seated Leg Curls x 2s x 25r @ 50-60lbs (60 lbs)
Reverse Grip Seated Row x 2s x 25r @ 30-40lbs (40 lbs)
Incline Chest Press x 2s x 25r @ 30-40lbs (30 lbs)
Close Grip Lat Pulldowns x 2s x 25r @ 45-50lbs (45 lbs)
Cable Upright Rows x 2s x 25r @ 20-30lbs (30 lbs)
Seated DB Curls x 1s x 25r @ 10-15lbs (normal curls, not hammer) (15 lb DBs)
Lying BB Triceps Extension x 1s x 25r @ 20-30lbs (20 lbs)

During my final rehab cycle lifting routine, I did some reflecting. Here are my mid-depth thoughts (not so deep, but not all that shallow either):

1. I really enjoy only doing 2 sets. If it is HORRIBLE after the first set, I tell myself: "Only one more set!!!" Won't get to do that in the next cycle I am sure.
2. Jump roping is not fun. Ever.
2a. I lack coordination in general, especially whilst jump roping.
3. I have definitely seen progress. If you recall from my first experience of the rehab cycle, it was bad. A quote: "By rep 15 I want to curl up in a ball and cry. By rep 20 my muscle is on fire. At about rep 24 I am whimpering (literally and audibly). After rep 25 I typically curl into a ball for a few seconds." That was not exaggeration. That actually happened for the first two weeks or so. It wasn't until today I realized that the fire, whimpering and need to curl into a ball was gone. Weight lifting is a tricky thing and you cannot always see tangible results at the speed in which you'd like to--I am quite pleased with this improvement!
4. I am so glad it is over. And quite fearful for what is coming next. ;)

Next workout: lifting with Devon on Monday!

I am Not a Gym Multi-Tasker

Today I spent 45 minutes on the treadmill simulating the death hill. Recall the assignment is 45 minutes, all zone 2, 3 minute intervals from 3.0% to 6.0% to 9.0% to 6.0% to 3.0% to 6.0%...etc...

My Stats:

Calories Burned: 437 (Treadmill)/463 (HR Monitor)
Time: 46:30
Distance: 2.69 miles
Ending HR: 130

Devon stopped by while I was on the treadmill (because I texted him and asked him to). I asked him some questions, but when he left I realized I forgot to tell him something. When he walked past I flagged him over and told him some good news. He tried to give me a high five...and I slapped him five...but it wasn't that hard. So he requested I do it again, but better. I tried again, but again it was weak. He laughed when I told him that I cannot walk fast on a high incline AND slap him five. Not a gym multi-tasker, this girl.

Next workout: lifting tomorrow!

Lifting Wednesday Was Snowed Out...Lifting Thursday Instead!

I moved my lifting to Thursday this week due to the snow/sleet/ice/hail/thunder/lightening storm last night. Devon told me to do cardio in the morning and lift tonight to make up for the missed day. I shoveled lots of wet heavy snow. Cardio. Done. :)

The lifting:

BB Back Squats x 2s x 25r @ 100lbs
Stiff-Leg Deadlifts x 2s x 25r @ 65lbs
Seated Rope Row x 2s x 25r @ 30-40lbs (40 lbs)
Decline Chest Press - Hammerstrengthx 2s x 25r @ 30-40lbs (20 lbs)
Assisted Chin-ups (Hands facing you) x 2s x 25r @ 100lbs
Rear Delt Flyes x 2s x 25r @ 20-30lbs (30 lbs)
Wall BB Biceps Curls x 1s x 25r @ 30-40lbs (40 lbs--but it was ROUGH)
Cable Triceps Pushdowns x 1s x 25r @ 205-35lbs (35 lbs...Devon actually type 205 there...I will mock him for that later.)

I didn't really feel like lifting today. Maybe it was sleeping in and not going to work until 1pm? Maybe it was my achy back and shoulders from shoveling? Who knows? But I still went strong. Let that be a lesson to all you slackers. :)

Next workout: cardio tomorrow.

P.S. The lack of a food log in the past few posts *is* intentional. No one seemed to notice that I stopped and I really eat the same thing (almost) every third day. If you want it back, speak up!

Cardio Tuesday

Today Devon assigned the Step-Mill for 50 minutes, all in zone 2 (Z2). This was via text. I texted back: Boo. (Appropriately). His response? Z3? Devon's so funny...

My Stats:

Calories Burned: 477.8 (Step-Mill)
Time: 50:00
Distance: 3.53 miles
Floors: 169
Average Pace: 54 steps per minute

Before I got on the step-mill, I ran into Rob--a trainer at the gym who I made a tshirt for (with hopefully a picture in an upcoming post) and has a HUGE EGO--I shall call him HER for Huge Ego Rob. HER likes to call me "baby" and say other borderline inappropriate things (which, of course, I LOVE). Today, HER was asking about his shirt (which I haven't given him yet) and I was explaining how I brought it yesterday but he wasn't there. I did not bring it today. As I was about to leave he said, "Baby, baby. Wait. You can't leave without checking this out." And proceeded to do a bicep curl and admire his own muscle. Wow--see how he got my nickname for him yet??? I backed away quickly and yelled, "I'd stay but your ego is pushing me away!!!" His little friend with him thinks I'm hilarious. :)

Next workout: lifting tomorrow!

Friend-less Lifting Again

Devon was unable to make friend lifting today. Sure, I was sad at first, but there was a BIG positive that came from it: I DID NOT HAVE TO JUMP ROPE DURING DEVON'S SETS!!! Ding-Dong the jump roping is gone!!!!! Also, I arrived 1 1/2 hours later than usual on Mondays (since I wasn't meeting the D-Man) and still finished at the same time. Lifting goes much faster without Devon lifting too and me talking to him (<--notice how I didn't say we were both talking???).

The lifting:

Seated Leg Extension x 2 x 15 @ 50-60lbs (60 lbs)
Lying Leg Curls x 2 x 25 @ 40-50lbs (50 lbs)
Seated High Row - Hammerstrength x 2 x 25 @ 20-30lbs (30 lbs each side)
Seated Inclined Chest Press - Hammerstrength x 2 x 25 @ 20-30lbs (20 lbs each side)
Lat Pulldown - Freemotion x 2 x 25 @ 40-50lbs (40 lbs)
Cable Upright Rows x 2 x 25 @ 15-25lbs (25 lbs)
Cable Biceps Curls x 1 x 25 @ 15-25lbs (use the white cables where the arms move up and down) (20 lbs)
Cable Triceps Kickbacks x 1 x 25 @ 15-25lbs (use the white cables where the arms move up and down) (20 lbs)

And now for some notes/stories:

1) I took it easy on the lat pulldowns because my back is still incredibly sore from Kickboxing Saturday. I'm sorry...did I say 'back'? I *meant* back, shoulders, hips, glutes and forearms. My bad. Can I get an amen, Amy???

2) I've never used the Hammerstrength Incline Press but I knew kind of where it was. When I got to that region of Man-Land there were two machines that looked kind of identical--one was labeled "Incline Press" and the other "Chest Press". If you go back and look, Devon assigned me to use the "Inclined Chest Press"...so which one is it?!?! After some pensive staring, I opted to use the "Incline Press". Mid-set another trainer, Jay, brought a client to the "Chest Press" and said to him, "Now you'll do incline presses." Uh oh. Am I using the wrong machine??? In between sets, I asked Jay which was the incline press. He said they were both the same. REALLY, LIFETIME?!!? Why label identical machines differently!?!?!? You're killing me, Lifetime Fitness in Columbia. Killing me.

3) This officially marked the end of the second week of carb-cycling. I completely forgot to mention that I lost SIX pounds the first week!!!! I was so excited!!!! This week I lost another TWO!!! 8 pounds in two weeks...cannot complain!!! :)

Next workout: cardio tomorrow of some sort.

Food Log: High Carb Day
Breakfast: 2 egg sandwiches (each contained one multigrain sandwich thin, one fried egg and one slice canadian bacon), coffee
Snack: 2 servings greek yogurt, 3 tsp. peanut butter, 1 cup pineapple
Lunch: 5 oz. teryaki pork loin, 1 cup green beans, 18 almonds
Snack (a.k.a. lunch 2): meatwich! (2 slices 12 grain bread, 5 oz ham lunch meat and 3 tsp mayonnaise), apple
Dinner: 5 oz. teryaki pork loin, 1 1/2 cup pineapple, 18 almonds

Off Day Food Log

Food Log: Very Low Carb Day
Breakfast: egg white omelet (4 egg whites, green & red peppers and two slices canadian bacon), coffee
Snack: 2 servings greek yogurt, 3 tsp. peanut butter
Lunch: 5 oz. teryaki pork loin, 1 cup green beans, 18 almonds
Snack (a.k.a. lunch 2): breadless meatwich! (5 oz turkey lunch meat)
Dinner: 5 oz. turkey meatballs, 18 almonds, 3 of Awesome Holly Holly's kale chips

So, what are AH²KCs (Awesome Holly Holly's Kale Chips) you may ask? They are interesting. They may be a Weight Watcher's recipe, I am not sure. But basically you take chip-sized pieces of kale. Drizzle them with olive oil. Season appropriately (salt, barbeque, garden seasonings, salt & vinegar--bleh!, or whatever flavor chip you want!). Bake in the oven somewhere around "300°, 310° or 315°..whatever" for around 20 minutes. Easy peasy, lemon breezy. :)

Erin's assessment of kale chips: Interesting texture--a bit different than real chips, but still a touch crunchy. Salt Kale Chips taste quite similar to potato chips. The kale pieces get stuck in your teeth and your good friend Holly has to tell you so you don't embarrass yourself in front of the other football fans. Overall: Good--I may make these and eat them!

Amy: "I Haven't Vomited Yet."

Amy and I had a kickboxing session with Devon today and it was tough!

The session consisted of:

1) Warm-Up
Jumping Jacks
Prisoner Squats
Stair Runs

2) Cross & Jab Work
Kneeing Work (unsure what you call it officially)
Core: Bicycles

3) Hook & Upper Cut Work
Core: Planks

4) Roundhouse Kick Work
Core: Clamshell Crunches

5) Cool-Down
Weird yoga-esque balance thingy-doo

When Amy wasn't covering her face, Devon told her to "protect the pretty." I, naturally, took offense to this as he didn't tell me to do that. Burn. :)

Also, Amy and I were both having a bit of trouble with the whole lie-down-for-core-work-then-immediately-get-up-for-punching/kicking-drills. I am not sure if it blood pressure or what, but I'd get a little dizzy for a second. Amy was too and during a water break, Devon was asking her if she was okay. She replied (like a rock star): "I haven't vomited and I haven't passed out yet, so let's keep going." Hard Core Liz was nearby and burst into laughter, as did Devon. And me. :) I love Amy!

Anyways, all in all it was a GREAT workout. Although near the beginning, one of the rotational punches (I think the hook) messed up my left hip flexor. I stretched it during every water break and at the end. It's not HORRIBLE pain, but it doesn't feel good either. Hopefully it will be gone by tomorrow (<--you see that positive thinking???).

Tomorrow is a rest day! Although I may do hot yoga...gonna see how I feel in the morning. :)

Food Log: Low Carb Day
Breakfast: 1 egg sandwich (containing one multigrain sandwich thin, two fried eggs and two slices canadian bacon), coffee
Snack: 3 string cheeses, 3 tsp. peanut butter, pear
Lunch: 5 oz. turkey meatballs, 1 cup green peppers, 18 almonds
(These next two haven't happened yet, but will)
Snack (a.k.a. lunch 2): meatwich! (1 slice 12 grain bread, 5 oz turkey lunch meat and 3 tsp mayonnaise), apple
Dinner: 5 oz turkey meatballs, 18 almonds OR something similar if I go out to dinner

Very Boring Lifting Friday

To my blog readers who could care less about the fitness specifics and read for my funny stories: My apologies. I got nothing today.

Here are the facts:

BB Lunges - Smith Machine x 2 x 15 (each leg) @ 50lbs
Seated Leg Curls x 2 x 25 @ 50lbs (50 lbs first set, 60 lbs second set)
T-Bar Row x 2 x 25 @ 25lbs
Seated Chest Press - Free Motion x 2 x 25 @ 25-30lbs (30 lbs)
Bi-angular Lat Pulldown x 2 x 25 @ 40ish lbs (Devon is crazy. This is what I do for full strength, normal sets. Rehab sets should be cut nearly in half. I did 27.5 lbs.)
Seated Shoulder Press - Free Motion x 2 x 25 @ 15-25lbs (25 lbs)
Seated DB Hammer Curls x 1 x 25 @ 15lbs or whatever weight you did last time (12.5 lb DBs.)
Seated Machine Triceps Press x 1 x 25 @ 50-75lbs (75 lbs. Boom.)

I don't really have a good story. My apologies once again. However, tomorrow Devon is giving me and Amy a kickboxing lesson. I have high hopes for hilarity. :)

Food Log: High Carb Day
Breakfast: 2 egg sandwiches (each contained one multigrain sandwich thin, one fried egg and one slice canadian bacon), coffee
Snack: 3 string cheeses, 3 tsp. peanut butter, pear
Lunch: 5 oz. turkey meatballs, 1 cup green beans, 18 almonds
Snack (a.k.a. lunch 2): meatwich! (2 slices 12 grain bread, 5 oz ham lunch meat and 3 tsp mayonnaise), apple
Dinner: protein shake with fruit, skim milk and protein powder

Elliptical Thursday

Today Devon assigned:

Elliptical, Z2, elevation 5 to 20 every 3 minutes

My Stats:

Calories Burned: 552.9 (Elliptical)/462 (HR Monitor -- started this 42 seconds late)
Total Time: 45:00
Distance: 3.91 miles
Strides: 6534
Ending HR: 130

I spoke with Devon before I worked out. I lost 6-7 pounds the first week of carb cycling. This made me very happy. I've gained three pounds the first three days of this week. You've all seen my food logs--no cheating for me. Devon is not concerned until the end of the week (which will be Monday) because it's natural for people's weight to fluctuate. I know this to be true, but 3 pounds?!?! Yucky. I will trust Devon...for now.

Food log: Very Low Carb Day
Breakfast: egg white omelet (4 egg whites, green & red peppers and two slices canadian bacon), coffee
Snack: 3 string cheeses, 3 tsp. peanut butter
Lunch: 5 oz. turkey meatballs, 1 cup green peppers, 18 almonds
Snack (a.k.a. lunch 2): breadless meatwich! (5 oz ham lunch meat)
Dinner: 5 oz. chicken salad

Excited for carbs and lifting tomorrow!

Almost Forgotten Food Log

Whoops! Almost forgot!

Food Log: Low Carb Day
Breakfast: 1 egg sandwich (containing one multigrain sandwich thin, two fried eggs and two slices canadian bacon), coffee
Snack: 3 string cheeses, 3 tsp. peanut butter, pineapple
Lunch: 5 oz. shredded pork, 1 cup green peppers, 18 almonds
Snack (a.k.a. lunch 2): meatwich! (1 slice 12 grain bread, 5 oz turkey lunch meat and 3 tsp mayonnaise), apple
Dinner: protein shake with fruit, skim milk and protein powder

Apparently I Prance

Today was a lifting Wednesday. When I arrived at the gym, I saw Devon in the LifeCafe. Here's the deal: If the man wants a break and doesn't want to talk to clients, he should take it somewhere I can't find him. That's all I'm saying. So, I got changed into my gym clothes, then went to the LifeCafe to chat with Devon for a small bit. I had some business to attend to.

When I entered the cafe, I started walking toward his table and his head was down looking at his phone, so he didn't see me. My inclination in situations such as these is to make an entrance that is noticeable. So, without even giving it much thought I sped up, put a little pep in my step and gave a little hop into the chair across from Devon. What I did not realize is that Hard Core Liz was right behind me. She came over laughing and said: "Of course you pranced to Devon's table." Yes, HCL, what else would I do???

My lifting:

Squat Press x 2 x 25 @ 270lbs
Lying Leg Curls x 2 x 25 @ 40lbs
Seated Row (Neutral Grip) x 2 x 25 @ 40lbs
Flat BB Bench Press x 2 x 25 @ 45lbs
Lat Pulldown x 2 x 25 @ 40lbs
Seated Shoulder Press x 2 x 25 @ 25lbs
Wall BB Biceps Curls x 1 x 25 @ 20lbs
Cable BB Triceps Pushdowns x 1 x 25 @ 22.5lbs

Next workout: cardio tomorrow.

Step-Mill Tuesday

I usually exercise with my girlz on Tuesdays, but not today. Amy has piano lessons to teach and Meagan has a meeting at work. So Devon assigned me cardio at the gym. 50 minutes on the step-mill all zone 2.

Here are my stats:

Calories Burned: 480.8 (Step-Mill)
Time: 50:00
Distance: 3.50 miles
Floors: 168
Average Pace: 153 steps per minute

After my workout I ran into my #1 fan Lynn. She had a 6pm session with her trainer--who never showed! Oops!

Next workout: lifting tomorrow.

Food Log: High Carb Day
Breakfast: 2 egg sandwiches (each contained one multigrain sandwich thin, one fried egg and one slice canadian bacon), coffee
Snack: 1 1/4 cup cottage cheese, 3 tsp. peanut butter, 1 cup pineapple
Lunch: 5 oz. pork loin roast, 1 cup green beans, 18 almonds
Snack (a.k.a. lunch 2): meatwich! (2 slices 12 grain bread, 5 oz turkey lunch meat and 3 tsp mayonnaise), apple
Dinner: 5 oz turkey meatballs, 18 almonds, 1 1/2 cup pineapple

Cardio Makes Devon Mean

So, I have some GREAT news! The rehab cycle we are currently in only lasts 4 weeks!!! Yes, adoring fans, I only have ONE MORE JUMP-ROPING SESSION from...you know...where the sun never shines. :) As I told Devon at the end of our lifting, I only have 14 jump rope segments left. And yes, next week I will be counting them down. Each. And. Every. One.

Also, I learned that Devon gets really mean where he does cardio. Today, in particular, he threatened physical harm on me twice. And I should mention that he didn't have his 'I'm-so-funny' smile on...

The lifting (all 2 sets, 25 reps each, each rep has a 3-4 second return, the arms ([b|tr]iceps) are one set only each; jump-roped between in each set):

Seated Leg Extensions: 55 lbs
BB Deadlifts: Olympic Bar (45 lbs)
Seated Machine Row: 40 lbs
Pec Decks: 50 lbs
Close Grip Lat Pulldowns: 40 lbs
Rear Delt Flyes: 30 lbs
Cable Rope Curls: 22.5 lbs *one set only
Cable Rope Pushdowns: 22.5 lbs *one set only

On the deadlifts, I wasn;t sure if the bar was too light. On Friday I did a 50 lb bar and my arms were quickly wrecked, so Devon and I agreed 45 was good. Well, it was a bit too light. I was able to get through the sets without much agony, which just isn't right for the rehab cycle. I was so not-in-agony, I actually had an entire conversation with another trainer while deadlifting. I even commented on rep 25 that the weight must have been too light--Devon was right. This upset Devon greatly who was nearing a heart-attack while jump roping. When he finished, he propped himself against the weight rack and said the following:

I...can barely...breathe...right now. *gasp for air* But someday...I am going to...beat you to a pulp. *gasp for air* Because I...can't...form a complete...sentence. And you...are lifting light weight...and running your mouth...to Rob. (At this point, his breathing has steadied.) So, here is what I am going to do. I am going to beat you to a pulp. Then, I'm gonna brush you off, take you to lunch, make sure you are okay--at which point, I will beat you to a pulp all over again.

Wow, Devon. So angry. That does not sound like it would be very much fun. Well....except for the part that Devon takes me out to lunch!!!! Hmmm...is it worth it? ... I need to think on this.

The second Devon-is-mean-when-doing-cardio story was during the seated machine rows. At this point, Devon and I were quarreling (why is not important and we reconciled at the lat pulldowns, so all is good) so when I finished my set, I did not drop the weights somewhat noisily as I normally do to alert Devon to the fact that my set is complete and he can stop jump roping. No, I set the weight down as quietly as possible and took my time moving off of the seat. When Devon noticed he saw my face (I should note that I have no poker face whatsoever and so it had a goofy grin plastered on it) and got so mad. The following conversation happened:

Angry ABD: You think you're cute, don't you?
Innocent Me: I'm adorable.
Angry ABD: You'd better bring a mouthpiece to our session Saturday.
Innocent Me: A mouthpiece.
Angry ABD: Yes. A mouthpiece.
Innocent Me: (thinks for a minute) Because you are going to punch me in the face?
Angry ABD: Twice. (In a slightly different tone) Officer, it was an *accident*.
Innocent Me: GASP!

Devon gets so grumpy when his heart rate goes above zone 1. I'm sure he's all talk. Mostly.

Next workout: cardio tomorrow.

Food Logs:

Yesterday: Low Carb Day
Breakfast: 1 egg sandwich (containing one multigrain sandwich thin, two fried eggs and two slices canadian bacon), coffee
Snack: 1 1/4 cup cottage cheese, 3 tsp. peanut butter, pear
Lunch: 5 oz.pork, 1 cup green beans, 18 almonds
Snack (a.k.a. lunch 2): meatwich! (1 slice 12 grain bread, 5 oz ham and 3 tsp mayonnaise), apple
Dinner: 5 oz. chicken, 18 almonds

Today: Very Low Carb Day
Breakfast: egg white omelet (5 egg whites, green & red peppers and one slice canadian bacon), coffee
Snack: 1 1/4 cup cottage cheese, 3 tsp. peanut butter
Lunch: 5 oz. pork, 1 cup green beans, 18 almonds
Snack (a.k.a. lunch 2): breadless meatwich! (5 oz turkey lunch meat)
Dinner: beef chili

Uphill Battle Cardio

I've decided to rename "Pyramid Cardio" to "Uphill Battle Cardio" thanks to the graph from STB. Because it is all uphill, all the time. And this is what Devon assigned for me today. The exact assignment:

Cardio Treadmill 45 minutes (Z2, start at 3% incline and pyramid the incline from 3% to 6% to 9% and back down every three minutes)

Here are my stats:

Calories Burned: 478 (Treadmill)
Time: 52:15
Distance: 2.94 miles
Ending HR: 118

It felt good to do this cardio. I was in a great mood from talking to my friend, Filly, for the first time in waaaaaaay too many months, I have been eating healthy fro a few days now and I kept thinking that when it was over I got to come home and eat Lunch 2: the meatwich! (I love the meatwich.) My muscles were pretty sore from this horribly painful rehab lifting cycle--but I am confident that it is good for me. If nothing else, it is always good to switch up what you are making your body do, but additionally it is improving my muscular endurance. This is a good thing.

(Almost Complete) Food Log: High Carb Day
Breakfast: 2 egg sandwiches (each contained one multigrain sandwich thin, one fried egg and one slice canadian bacon), coffee
Snack: 2 servings of greek yogurt (plain), 3 tsp. peanut butter, pear
Lunch: 5 oz. turkey cutlets, 1 cup green beans, 18 almonds
Snack (a.k.a. lunch 2): meatwich! (2 slices 12 grain bread, 5 oz turkey lunch meat and 3 tsp mayonnaise), apple
Dinner (will be): 5 oz pork loin roast, 18 almonds

Tomorrow is a glorious rest day. :)

Lifting Friday & My First Very Low Carb Day

Today was another painful lifting day. Not digging this rehab cycle--but I do see the value so I like it in theory, just not in practice. :)

The Lifting:

Seated Leg Press x 2s x 25r @ 175lbs
Olympic Style Deadlifts x 2s x 25r @ 50lbs (same motion as a squat, use the Free Motion Machine)
Reverse Grip Seated Row x 2s x 25r @ 30-40lbs (40 lbs)
Assisted Dips for Chest x 2s x 25r @ 100lbs
Close-Grip Lat Pulldowns x 2s x 25r @ 40lbs
Rear Delt Flyes x 2s x 25r @ 20-30lbs (30 lbs)
Standing Cable Curls x 1s x 25r @ 10-15lbs (10 lbs each side)
Machine Triceps Press x 1s x 25r @ 50lbs

For some reason, my arms were mush today--starting with the first upper body exercise (seated rows). I was about to type that I wasn't sure why, but suddenly I have a theory. You see, I could not do deadlifts on the smith machine because it has these stopper things. I have no idea why Devon assigned it--unless I am missing something, which is entirely possible. So, I was confused and went to ask Devon what he was talking about. But as I approached the training desk I noticed Devon as speaking with a client. I may....pester....Devon a lot, but I never mess with other people's paid Devon time. So I did not know what to do!!! Then I saw my new(ish) friend I met a few weeks ago. He is a very big-muscled man. I assumed he knew his weight-lifting stuff and so I asked him. Well, I more talked it out at him. I told him that I thought Devon was silly for assigning me something that cannot be done. I said, Devon doesn't know what he's talking about. Muscley man was quick to defend Devon as being more knowledgeable than himself. I came to the conclusion that I would just used a 50 lb barbell. Then asked him if I could hurt myself and quickly answered, probably not. Then I flashed my adorable, weight-lifter-in-distress smile. He laughed. I told him that if I started yelling out in pain I'd expect him to save me. He quickly claimed that he in no way told me what to do and would assume zero responsibility if I hurt myself. I would say "burn", but he had a big-muscley and cute smile as he said it. :)

Oh! I did the deadlifts with the 50lb barbell and didn't hurt myself, but do wonder if holding the bar for the 50 slow reps made my arms mush for the rest of the session. Maybe... Maybe not. In any case, I survived.

Food Log: Very Low Carb Day
Breakfast: egg white omelet (6 egg whites, green & red peppers and one slice canadian bacon), coffee
Snack: 2 servings of greek yogurt (plain), 3 tsp. peanut butter
Lunch: chili from red, hot & blue!!!
Snack (a.k.a. lunch 2): breadless meatwich! (5 oz turkey lunch meat and 3 tsp mayonnaise)
Dinner: 5 oz chicken salad

Note: I love carb-cycling! It turns out I love eating meat and fat. Didn't even miss my carbs today. But am excited for High Carb Day tomorrow!!!!!

Next workout: pyramid cardio tomorrow.

Step-Mill Thursday

Today was a Step-Mill Thursday. I did 50 minutes in zone 2. I didn't wear my heart rate monitor, so I guesstimated my zones. I tried to push it more than usual, so if anything I was in zones 2 and 3. Which is fine by me.

The Stats:

Calories Burned: 476.7 (Step-Mill)
Time: 50:00
Distance: 3.39 miles
Floors: 162
Average Pace: 52 steps per minute

Also, there has been a request for a food log during the carb-cycling. It may be boring and repetitive, but maybe not.

Yesterday, 12 January 2011: High Carb Day
Breakfast: 2 egg sandwiches (each contained one multigrain sandwich thin, one fried egg and one slice canadian bacon), coffee
Snack: 2 servings of greek yogurt (plain), 3 tsp. peanut butter, pear
Lunch: 5 oz. turkey cutlets, 1 cup green beans, 18 almonds
Snack (a.k.a. lunch 2): meatwich! (2 slices 12 grain bread, 5 oz ham and 3 tsp mayonnaise), apple
Dinner: protein shake with fruit, skim milk and protein powder

Today: Low Carb Day
Breakfast: 1 egg sandwich (containing one multigrain sandwich thin, two fried eggs and two slices canadian bacon), coffee
Snack: 2 servings of greek yogurt (plain), 3 tsp. peanut butter, pear
Lunch: 5 oz. turkey cutlets, 1 cup green beans, 18 almonds
Snack (a.k.a. lunch 2): meatwich! (1 slice 12 grain bread, 5 oz ham and 3 tsp mayonnaise), apple
Dinner: protein shake with fruit, skim milk and protein powder

Next workout: lifting tomorrow.

Lifting Wednesday & Carb-Cycling Day 1

Today I didn't particularly feel like lifting. But I did it all. And I didn't cheese out on the weights. I did attempt to negotiate out of pull-ups with Devon, but he was not budging. Jerkface. He did allow me to increase the assistance. Semi-Jerkface.

The lifting (all 2 sets, 25 slow reps each):

Hack Squats x 2s x 25r @ 160lbs
Pull-Throughs x 2s x 25r @ 30-35lbs (32.5 lbs, 35 lbs)
Seated Row (Neutral Grip) x 2s x 25r @ 30-40lbs (40 lbs)
Seated Machine Flyes / Pec-Decks x 2s x 25r @ 30-40lbs (40 lbs)
Assisted Pull-ups x 2s x 25r @ 100lbs (115 lbs)
Seated Shoulder Press (Neutral Grip) x 2s x 25r @ 20-30lbs (30 lbs)
Seated Inclined DB Curls x 1s x 25r @ 10-15lbs (12.5 lb DBs) *only one set
Reverse Grip Triceps Pushdowns x 1s x 25r @ 15-20lbs (20 lbs) *only one set

These slow reps hurt so bad! I talked Devon into letting me have 150 lbs assistance on the pull-ups. I got on the machine and actually had to *push* down to get the platform to lower. That's not right. So I manned up and increased the weight. Twice. And ended up with only 115 lbs assistance. Which was challenging, so that is a good thing.

Also, today I started the carb-cycling diet. My officemate put a brownie on my desk when I went to lunch. I got back and saw it and exclaimed, "WHO DID THIS?!?! WHO PUT THIS BROWNIE HERE?!?!?" And she fearfully replied that she did because she wanted to make sure I got one if I wanted one. I felt so bad for freaking out, she was just trying to be nice. I thanked her for her thoughts and told her to take it back. :) I'm back in the zone...

Carb-cycling involves a high carb day, a low carb day and a very low carb day. You just repeat that every three days. Today was the high carb day. I feel like I ate a lot of food. I guess I have to to sustain though to the very low carb day. My favorite meal? Afternoon snack (a.k.a. Lunch 2) is a meatwich!!! A sandwich with FIVE OUNCES of lunch meat and a little bit of mayonnaise. YUM!!!!

Next workout: cardio tomorrow (on my first low carb day...).

Annnnnnd....I'm Back!

Let's just get this out of the way: I know you missed me like crazy. It's cool. You're only human, but I am back.

I was geeking it up in New Orleans!!! It was super fun!!! And I even exercised a little...

I lifted Wednesday, 6 January in the hotel gym (all 2 sets, 25 reps except arms):

Seated Leg Extensions: 50 lbs
Lying Leg Curls: 40 lbs
Seated Row: 30 lbs
Incline Chest Press: 30 lbs
Reverse Grip Lat Pulldowns: 40 lbs
Seated DB Front Raises: 5 lb DBs
Seated DB Hammer Curls: 10 lb DBs *one set only
Lying DB Triceps Extensions: 5 lb DBs *one set only

My friend, Jess, joined me for shoulders, biceps and triceps. Jess is strong. :)

Thursday morning, Jess and I swam in the outdoor heated pool. Nice in the water--stinking freezing out of it!!! I swam for ~30 minutes with some down time for instruction from Jess on my freestyle stroke.

Friday, Saturday and Sunday I did nothing fitness-related. I worked my butt off. And had some good fun with good friends. And enjoyed the local fare. :) All in all a great week!!!!

Today was friend lifting with Devon! I asked him if he missed me. He said yes. I asked him if he noticed that I didn't bother him with any texts while I was gone. He laughed, said he DID notice and was even worried about me due to the silence. :)

The lifting (same thing: 2 sets, 25 reps, 4 seconds each rep, jumping rope in between sets):

SM Box Squats: 85 lbs
Seated Leg Curls: 60 lbs
Seated Machine Row (Neutral Grip): 40 lbs
Seated Incline Press: 20 lbs
Reverse Grip Lat Pulldowns: 35 lbs
Cable Upright Row: 17.5 lbs
Seated DB Hammer Curls: 10 lb DBs *one set only
Machine Triceps Extensions: 30 lbs *one set only

I also learned (by observing Devon's set) that I was doing the 4 seconds completely wrong. I was doing 4 seconds to pull/push the weight and going faster letting the weight go back. I was supposed to be doing the opposite. Example: on the lat pulldown machine, do the initial pull down at medium speed and take 4 seconds to bring the pulldown bar back up. The way I was doing it is harder. Awesome. It still stinks the right way...just a little less. :)

I'm so happy to be back! But need to get some catch up sleep. :)

New Lifting Cycle Today! Immense Pain Tomorrow.

Devon switched up our lifting today to a rehab cycle. He claims it is for several reasons (one even benefits me!):

1) He has several ongoing injuries--always good to rehab them.
2) It is a great way to start the new year!
3) He said a bunch of stuff I forget about it being good for my weight loss goals. Seriously, it made sense at the time, but my mind and body are mush now.

He actually said #3 first. Which I appreciated. He considered his lifting buddy and her goals while choosing his next routine. That was thoughtful.

Now, let me tell you about the REHAB CYCLE. It sounds so lovely. When I hear 'rehab cycle' I think, give your muscles workouts that help them recover and rebuild stronger. The spa of workouts if you will. The equivalent of terry cloth robes and cucumbers for your tired eyes.

Nope. Not even close. It is AWFUL. Horrible. Painful. I will point out the positives and the negatives.

Only 2 sets of each exercise: positive.
25 reps each set: negative.
Each rep is slow, 4 seconds to be precise: negative.

Ok. So at this point, we are doing 2 sets, 25 slow and miserable and painful reps each. By rep 15 I want to curl up in a ball and cry. By rep 20 my muscle is on fire. At about rep 24 I am whimpering (literally and audibly). After rep 25 I typically curl into a ball for a few seconds.

Wow! That sounds awful! Oh, but I am not done. The REHAB CYCLE likes active recovery. So, rather then resting while Devon enjoys the misery, I jump rope during his entire set. Of 25 slow reps.

Jump roping: negative.

We are at 3 negative, 1 positive. Oh wait, the benefits to your body (+1) and the feeling of intense accomplishment when finished (+1) make it a wash. ::sigh:: Fiiiiiiine.

Here is what we did (all 2 sets, 25 reps each except biceps & triceps--those were one set each):

Squat Press: 360 lbs
Lying Leg Curls: 40 lbs
Seated Row (Precor): 30 lbs
SM Bench Press: 45 lbs
Lat Pulldown: 40 lbs
Seated SM Shoulder Press: 35 lbs
BB Bicep Curls: 20 lb BB *1 set only
Cable Triceps Pushdowns: 25 lbs *1 set only

The weights are all considerably lighter than normal because I did TWENTY-FIVE slow, miserable, 4 second long reps each set.

I am in a world of pain. I think it is good pain. Walking hurts. And it doesn't *just* hurt. I walked the length of the gym and back to get a print-out about an hour after my workout and wasn't sure my legs were going to function the last 25 or so feet. Moving my arms hurts. While raising my arm over my head while stretching it went almost completely numb. I think it was a coping mechanism my body used to stop the pain, personally. :)

Next workout: cardio with my girlz tomorrow. If I can walk.

First 2011 Cardio!

Elliptical: 50 minutes, all zone 2, intervals = {3 minutes @ ramp 5, 2 minutes @ ramp 20}

My Stats:

Calories Burned: 576.5 (Elliptical)
Time: 52:00
Strides: 7433
Ending HR: 133

The gym wasn't too packed yet with the New Year's Resolutioners. As Amanda's neighbor told her last year:

I wish I could tell them: "It's okay. I know you don't want to be here. Go home. Relax. Drink some hot chocolate, like we both know you want to."

Tomorrow is a rest day, but I will be doing Bikram Yoga again!