Jenng's Journal

Thanks Laser. It seems too many of us here are battling injuries. It's not fun.

I went back to the gym today and it felt great. I have a friend visiting and she wants me to show her my workout, so we did chest and triceps today. My back was fine, it didn't really come into play at all. I have been really focusing on stretching it and trying to remember to ice it.

I want to go back tomorrow, and get exercising again, especially since I have been eating like crap this weekend. UGH. We'll see. What's a back WO without DLs?

CHEST/TRICEPS 7/4

Warm Up: DB Incline 20x12, 20x10, 30x6, 35x3

DB Incline 40x6 (x3)
BB Flat Bench 105x6 (x2), 105x5
Assisted (leaning forward) dips: 100(assist)x6, 90x6 (x2)
DB Overhead Tri Press 35x6 (x3)
Overhead Rope Extension 80x6 (x2)
Rope Pull Down 80x6

A back workout without deadlifts is kinda like non-alcoholic beer or decaf coffee. What the point? Oh well, I am trying to baby my back into shape, so I decided to do some lat work and skip the DLs. I am reminded again of how much I hate Lat Pull Downs and how much I suck at them. Once I get my deadlifts back, I might just skip the pull downs all together and just concentrate on the pull ups.

BACK/BICEPS 7/5

Warm Up: Lat Pull Down 60x12, 60x10, 80x6, 90x3

WG Lat Pull Down: 110x6 (x3)
Unweighted Hyperextensions: 12,12
Seated Cable Rows: 120x6 (x2)
Assisted Pull Ups: 100(assist)x6 (x2)
Hammer Curls: 20x6 (x3)
Standing BB Curl: 50x6(x2)
Hammerstrength Seated Curl: 45x5

I am reminded again of how much I hate Lat Pull Downs and how much I suck at them.

Wow...I'm the complete opposite. I hate DL and love Lat Pull Downs. That's the ONLY thing I miss about not going to the gym. I really need to get a Lat station for my bench. I miss that so much.

Keep up the great work!

"Try and fail is the manner of losers. Try and learn is the way of the strong." -- Unknown

[image]http://img376.imageshack.us/img376/8302/opensuse2oi.jpg[/image].

Shoulder Day. Decided to skip cardio yet again, back still a little sore, but also was crunched for time. It has been 5 days of crap eating, with houseguests, eating out, ice cream parlors and no cardio. My last week of the contest has not gone so well. I can only hope that after today, i can kick up some cardio this week and minimize the damage.

SHOULDERS/TRAPS 7/6

Warm Up: DB Shoulder Press 20x12, 20x10, 25x6, 30x3

DB Shoulder Press: 35x6 (x3) - I thought I was ready to move up to 40's, but still really struggle with the 35's, even though I can get my 3 sets of 6 out
Seated BB Mil Press: 80x6 (x2)
DB Lateral Raises: 20x6 (x2)
Reverse Flyes: 90x6 (x2)
Standing Shrug Machine: 230x8 (x2)

First leg day in 2 weeks, and first day back after my lower back strain. I decided to knock 20 lbs off my working weight and see how I felt as I warmed up. My back felt fine, my hip was like broken glass (as usual) for the first 1-2 warm up sets and after that I felt fine. But damn, if 150 didn't seem just as hard as 170 did 2 weeks ago. Stinkin' squats - they're a b*tch no matter what the weight, it seems.

Warm Up: Squats - 45x12 (started using just the bar for one extra warm up set to loosen up tendon in bad hip, seems to be working), 75x12, 75x10, 105x6, 120x3

Squats: 150x6 (x3)
SLDLs: 135x6 (x2) went lower on these today as well
V Squat Machine: 100x6, 150x6 (tried out a spiffy new machine at the gym, felt kinda funky, we'll see if something new is sore tomorrow )
Standing Calf Raises: 175x10 (x2), 175x9...OUCH!

Well, after a nice long week of slacking on cardio, I hope to start a new week today and get my three cardio sessions back in. Wish me luck. It's so freaking hot here, just being outside for 5 minutes saps my energy for the day. Ick. But I am doing a lot of active stuff lately - going to the lake, the pool, walking a lot (I love unemployment ). Just not sustained cardio.

But I like to start my week off with two days of lifting first, before I have to think about cardio, so with that...

CHEST/TRIS 7/10

Warm Up - Bench Press: 55x12, 55x10, 75x6, 85x3

Bench Press: 105x6 (x3) Still trucking along at 105, form is getting better, though.
DB Incline: 40x8, 40x7, 40x6
Lying Overhead Triceps Extension: 42x6 (x3)
Overhead V-Bar Extension: 80x8, 85x7 (x2)

Skipped DLs again this week, still letting my lower back heal. I'm enjoying the assited pull ups, and used a little more assist and did an abbreviated warm up. Made todays workout go a bit quicker, too.

BACK/BICEPS 7/11

Warm Up: Assisted Pull Ups 120(assist)x12

Assisted Pull Ups 100(assist)x6 (x2), 100x5 (wide grip, oy, these were hard)
Seated Cable Rows 130x6 (x3)
T-Bar Rows 70x6, 70x7, 70x8 (using a new contraption that I am not sure if I liked)
Good Mornings 95x6 (x3)
DB Curls 25x8, 25x7, 25x6
BB Curls 50x6 (x3)

Nice T-Bars and curls there, Jenn!!!!!


Take care of that hip. Are you doing some stretches also to help keep it loose? And icing it down? Those are very important.

Paul

A friend helps you move, a true friend helps you move bodies.

Yes, I have been stretching like a fiend lately. I realized that my lack of stretching has made my hamstrings and lower back very tight (and I always used to pride myself for my flexibility). So I stretch constantly now during my rest between sets.

Today, I did cardio with no pain. OK, let's qualify that. No lower back pain during and after the running (so far). But my knees are about to buckle on me anytime I get near a stairway. OUCH!

I went in today after no cardio for almost 2 weeks, with a plan to just run 1 mile. Well, I ended up doing the whole 2 miles and the hill, and was very happy with myself. And I feel great mentally today. I just wish my knees didn't feel so bad.

CARDIO - TREADMILL 7/12

Warm UP: 2 min at 4.0 mph
2 mile = 22 mins
10 min hill at 4.2 mph
5 min cool down

Total distance = 3.2 miles
Total Calories = 520(!)

Whew, the gym was crowded today. I haven't seen it that bad since January. Not sure I like working out at 5pm.

SHOULDERS/ABS/CARDIO 7/13

Warm Up: DB Press 20x12, 20x10, 30x6, 35x3

(I debated trying the 40's, since I have been doing 3 sets of 6 with the 35's for some time now, but they were both taken, so I wussed out and stuck with the 35's. But I am trying to add a few more reps, so one of these days, I will feel strong enough to move up)

DB Press 35x8, 35x7, 35x7
Standing Mil BB Press 75x6, 75x5
DB Lateral Raises 20x6, 20x6
Rear Extensions (backwards on incline bench) 10x6 (x3) Boy I felt like a wuss getting those 10 lbs DBs but these are hard!

Cable Crunches 120x12 (x3)
Hanging Leg Raises 12,12
Incline Crunches 9 (darn, a treadmill opened up, so I missed that last set...)

Treadmill - 18 mins, 1.5 miles
2 min warm up
1 mile = 11 mins
5 min cool down

Aw man. Just when I thought I was getting better. I felt no pain in my lower back/hip after a long running cardio session on Monday. So I decided to go for the short session yesterday and just woke up stiff and hurting. GRRRR. Guess I'll skip my planned cardio for today (legs are normally Weds, but moving that to tomorrow this week) and see if I can get my 3rd cardio session in on Friday.

I'm never gonna loose these last 20 lbs if I keep having an appetite like a damn bodybuilder but can't do cardio!

GRRRR.

Do you sleep with a pillow between your knees? I know when my hips start getting cranky, I do that for a while and it usually helps.

-30-

In six months, what will your t-shirt say?

My training journal: Sweating with the toadies
My scattered thoughts: The Bramble

Do you sleep with a pillow between your knees? I know when my hips start getting cranky, I do that for a while and it usually helps.

Oh most definitely, I have the king of all body pillows. But still have been waking up with a sore hip every morning, except the morning after my hard cardio, when I expected it. Go figure. I rested Weds. Had a fine night of legs tonight and will do my hated sprints on the elliptical machine tomorrow. I have been stretching like crazy and really concentrating on my hips, hams and lower back...it seems to be helping.

Did the same WO as last week, since it made my legs so sore I could barely walk. And it seemed to hit areas of my legs that are not usually sore - must have been that funky new V Squat machine.

LEGS 7/15

Warm Up: Squats - 45x12 (just the bar as an extra warm up for the bad hip), 80x12, 80x10, 110x6, 130x3

Squats: 160x6 (x3)
SLDLs: 135x6, 145x6
V Squat Machine: 160x6 (x2)
Standing Calf Raises: 175x10 (x2), 175x9

Just don't let up on the stretching when things start to feel 'normal' again. Sounds like you might have a chronic problem so you need to stay on top of it to keep it happy.

Paul

A friend helps you move, a true friend helps you move bodies.

How has the weight loss been going? I see the gains with the muscle, I wonder if that muscle growth has slowed your weight loss?

I saw that as I was picking the weight up heavy that my weight leveled off. Hell, since I have been away the last month or so I gained 10 pounds back.

Keep workin' it.

Showing up is half the battle.

My Bowling Business!!! H & E Bowling Supply
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Current Max Weights:
Bench 325
Squat 550
Deadlift 505

My goal is to get to 1400 total for the 3 lifts