Thursday, September 21, 2006
Week 7
This has been a strange week. My Endocrine system is definitely not quite right yet. Starting last Friday, I was feeling very down and lethargic. Had a couple major crying jags and found myself sitting around in my P.J.'s thinking "what's the point". Exercised anyway and felt better when I was done.
I've had a lot to do, been cleaning out my garage. My goal is to finish out my 3rd bay and make it a home gym. Weights, Cardio machines, and a Heavy bag for punching. There's a lot of junk that has to go first. Because of this, I haven't done weights at all this week, but there has been plenty of heavy lifting in the garage. I have, however, found time to run, yes run!, on Monday and Tuesday. Took yesterday off because I could tell my muscles and feet needed a day to recover. Today and tomorrow I will go again. I'm probably doing about 2 miles and how it hurts! What took me 3 years to build in my body, evaporated in the last 6 months. Seems really unfair, but who are you going to argue with? At points when I think that I can't take one more step or control my breathing any longer, I picture myself in my size 4 shorts and pants that fit just a short time ago, and I find the strength to go just a little farther.
I've hit a plateau of sorts. My measurements haven't changed since last week and the weight, well it is what it is. I keep telling myself, that when I went through this process before (3 years ago), I hit a plateau at the same point. The thing that got me past it was jogging, really bumping up the cardio intensity, so I'm doing it again. I am going to have blood drawn today just to see if there's something else holding me back.
Decided to lay off the squats and lunges until my body gets acclimated to the running. My left knee was starting to bother me a little anyway. I tend to favor my right, so the left gets a lot of abuse.
Here's what I plan to do today and tomorrow and will probably carry it over into next week.
Will increase the reps rather than the weight. Mostly because I haven't gotten to Sports Authority to buy 20#Dbs. Am starting wide arm push-ups to try to simulate the action of bench pressing as I don't have a bench.
Alternating military Press: 15reps @ 15#'s
30 sec of low angle flutter kicks
Upright rows: 15reps @ 30#
20 Oblique crossovers
Seated Bicept curls: 15reps @ 15#
20 Oblique crossovers (other side)
20 wide arm push-ups (slow and controlled)
30 crunches
Double hand overhead Tricept press: 15reps @ 10#
20 pelvic tilt style crunches
3 cycles then 30 minute jog.
I've had a lot to do, been cleaning out my garage. My goal is to finish out my 3rd bay and make it a home gym. Weights, Cardio machines, and a Heavy bag for punching. There's a lot of junk that has to go first. Because of this, I haven't done weights at all this week, but there has been plenty of heavy lifting in the garage. I have, however, found time to run, yes run!, on Monday and Tuesday. Took yesterday off because I could tell my muscles and feet needed a day to recover. Today and tomorrow I will go again. I'm probably doing about 2 miles and how it hurts! What took me 3 years to build in my body, evaporated in the last 6 months. Seems really unfair, but who are you going to argue with? At points when I think that I can't take one more step or control my breathing any longer, I picture myself in my size 4 shorts and pants that fit just a short time ago, and I find the strength to go just a little farther.
I've hit a plateau of sorts. My measurements haven't changed since last week and the weight, well it is what it is. I keep telling myself, that when I went through this process before (3 years ago), I hit a plateau at the same point. The thing that got me past it was jogging, really bumping up the cardio intensity, so I'm doing it again. I am going to have blood drawn today just to see if there's something else holding me back.
Decided to lay off the squats and lunges until my body gets acclimated to the running. My left knee was starting to bother me a little anyway. I tend to favor my right, so the left gets a lot of abuse.
Here's what I plan to do today and tomorrow and will probably carry it over into next week.
Will increase the reps rather than the weight. Mostly because I haven't gotten to Sports Authority to buy 20#Dbs. Am starting wide arm push-ups to try to simulate the action of bench pressing as I don't have a bench.
Alternating military Press: 15reps @ 15#'s
30 sec of low angle flutter kicks
Upright rows: 15reps @ 30#
20 Oblique crossovers
Seated Bicept curls: 15reps @ 15#
20 Oblique crossovers (other side)
20 wide arm push-ups (slow and controlled)
30 crunches
Double hand overhead Tricept press: 15reps @ 10#
20 pelvic tilt style crunches
3 cycles then 30 minute jog.
Thursday, September 14, 2006
Weeks 5 & 6
The Common Cold is a terrible thing.
Last week, I was laid low by this common viral infection. Due to an inherent weakness of mine, I still have my tonsils, I was miserable and unable to swallow without pain for about 6 days. This is was a good and bad thing at once. Bad, because it hurt, dammit! Good, because I didn't eat much while it lasted, especially during a time when most of what I was doing was laying around reading or sleeping.
Everything is pretty much back to normal now, but because of the break in the workout routine, Week 6 is a repeat of Week 4. The Cold did indeed effect my physical performance. Monday's workout was difficult. I only got through 2 cycles before I had to stop and the cardio section was only 30 minutes. Thank goodness, yesterday's workout was as specified.
Another thing of note. I noticed yesterday that Vitamin supplements should not be taken until 4 hours after taking Synthroid. I'm assuming this is because it makes the uptake of the hormone less effective. Well, guess what I've been doing? Have changed vitamin time to lunch. Hopefully this change will speed things up even more.
Measurements since Week 4
Waist: -2cm
Hips: -2.5cm
Upper Thigh: -1cm
Weight: somewhere around 142.
Last week, I was laid low by this common viral infection. Due to an inherent weakness of mine, I still have my tonsils, I was miserable and unable to swallow without pain for about 6 days. This is was a good and bad thing at once. Bad, because it hurt, dammit! Good, because I didn't eat much while it lasted, especially during a time when most of what I was doing was laying around reading or sleeping.
Everything is pretty much back to normal now, but because of the break in the workout routine, Week 6 is a repeat of Week 4. The Cold did indeed effect my physical performance. Monday's workout was difficult. I only got through 2 cycles before I had to stop and the cardio section was only 30 minutes. Thank goodness, yesterday's workout was as specified.
Another thing of note. I noticed yesterday that Vitamin supplements should not be taken until 4 hours after taking Synthroid. I'm assuming this is because it makes the uptake of the hormone less effective. Well, guess what I've been doing? Have changed vitamin time to lunch. Hopefully this change will speed things up even more.
Measurements since Week 4
Waist: -2cm
Hips: -2.5cm
Upper Thigh: -1cm
Weight: somewhere around 142.
