Jenng's Journal

ORIGINAL: jenng
Well, my husband got last minute opening day tickets for the Braves,

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
I hate you

NL Baseball <grrrrrrr> Me want NL baseball!!!!!

AND the Braves, argh!!!!!!!

The pain, THE PAIN!!!!!!

Have fun

Paul

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

Well, I didn't get to go to the game on Tues, I was home on kid duty. But we are in a season ticket pool, so I'll see a few games this season. We were spanked on Tuesday anyway, so that's not fun. And by the Mets...yuck.

Did legs last night and confirmed that it was the leg press last week that aggrivated my hip/back problem. I did ok on squats, just felt a little sore. But after my first set on the LP, I could barely move. Decided to finish the sets with a lower weight and skip SLDLs. Did calves and left. Skipping cardio today, to ice and rest the area. Going to see a chiro on Monday, so my weekend workouts are up in the air. Depends on how I feel.

LEGS 4/7

Warm Up: Squats 80x12, 80x10, 105x6, 115x3

Working Sets:
Squats 145x6, 145x6, 145x6
Leg Press 360x6 (ouch), 270x8, 270x8
Seated Calf Raises 90x10, 90x10, 90x10

Well, I have decided that this hip/back issue is pretty isolated, so I am going to conitnue to work out, just not doing things that I know aggravate it. It is more of a joint inflammation, as opposed to a true muscular back issue, so I don't think I can injure it more by working out. I know what kinds of motions hurt it, so I will try to avoid those. But I am seeing the chiro on Monday, so I will get her opinion, as well.

First, weigh in this weekend - down 1.2 lbs. This BFFM diet seems to be working very well for me. Especially considering my excesive alcohol consumption last Friday, excess calorie consumption on Saturday and the marked lack of cardio this week. Just think what my loss would be if I was good all week!

CHEST/TRICEP - 4/10

BB Flat Bench Press: 45x8, 45x8, 70x5, 70x5, 95x3, 95x3, 95x4
BB Decline Bench: 80x12, 80x12, 80x12
Assisted Dips: 150(assist)x8, x7, x7
Overhead Tricep Extensions: 25x12, 25x12, 25x12

ORIGINAL: jenng
BB Flat Bench Press: 45x8, 45x8, 70x5, 70x5, 95x3, 95x3, 95x4
BB Decline Bench: 80x12, 80x12, 80x12
Assisted Dips: 150(assist)x8, x7, x7
Overhead Tricep Extensions: 25x12, 25x12, 25x12

Why declines? Just curious what you are looking for out of that movement.

Also, I would recommend cutting the Overhead reps down to 8 at the most and up the weight to 30-35.

But looks like you're making some serious gains, keep it up

Paul

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

On the declines, I think we just did declines this week because we had been doing inclines for the last few weeks, and were just changing things up.

Why do you ask? Is there a reason to avoid declines?

My TP and I are doing a specific 9 week bench program, so we are not following MaxOT on chest/tri days. So that is why we are doing higher reps for everything (besides flat bench) on these days, and will be going back to MaxOT style lifting after the 9 weeks. I'm not a fan of higher reps, but I'll go with the flow for a temporary change.

During these 9 weeks, the goal is to increase my bench from 90lbs to 125. It's pretty ambitious, so we'll see. Shooting for 100 next week.

ORIGINAL: jenng
Why do you ask? Is there a reason to avoid declines?

During these 9 weeks, the goal is to increase my bench from 90lbs to 125. It's pretty ambitious, so we'll see. Shooting for 100 next week.

Declines are a good change of pace exercise to be thrown in as a secondary chest exercise but I would not consider them as a 'core' chest exercise.

If you are trying to increase your bench then I would highly recommend incline DB press. Also, don't forget shoulders, especially delts, or triceps. Chest, triceps and shoulders are all involved in the bench press movement.

Maybe consider this as a rotation

1st Chest day
Barbell Flat bench
DB incline bench

2nd Chest day
Barbell incline
DB flat bench

3rd Chest day
DB Incline bench
Barbell flat bench

4th Chest day
DB flat Bench
Barbell Incline

Definately incorporation DBs for both incline and flat bench.

Paul

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

Thanks Paul. We usually do incline DB press and flat bench, and recently have added dips (leaning forward a bit to work chest and tris). Decline is definitely something we add for a change of pace. Although I like them, because I can do them well. Almost as much as I can do on flat bench. (They make me feel strong!)

Today was a big back day for me. I did deadlifts for warm up, tried chin ups (or pulls ups? What is the difference?) and also good mornings. I did more sets that normal, but some of them were learning sets with lighter weight, since I had my TP there to check my form.

I liked warming up with deadlifts. Felt like my whole body was ready for work.

My new goal is to do unassisted chin ups and dips. It may take me a year or two, but I swear, I will do them. Damn weak female upper body!

BACK/BICEPS 4/11

Warm Up: Deadlifts 55x12, 55x10, 85x6, 115x3

Working Sets:
Deadlifts 135x6, 135x6, 135x6
Seated Cable Row 140x6, 140x6, 140x6
Assisted Pull Ups 150(assist)x6, 140x5, 140x5

Bent Over Row 45x6, 55x6, 55x6
Good Mornings 45x6, 45x6 - these last 2 were more learning form, not MaxOT weight for me

DB Curls 25x6, 25x6, 25x5
Hammer Strength Curl Machine 45x6, 45x6, 45x5

Lets not talk about diet today. Southern cooking, and lots of it. Luckily there were a few veggies there that were not fried. But the ham was so yummy. I did avoid dessert, only because I was so stuffed that I could not even think about more food. I'm off to try to log something for today into fitday.

It's Easter.. you are allowed to cheat. I think...

Marc C. David
Support DB! Buy your supplements at Supplements101.com

Took yesterday off, went to see the chiro. She started working on my SI joint and gave me the ok to exercise. Just need to avoid the leg press, since that pushing motion is what aggravates the injury. I'm going to skip legs altogether this week, just to give it a break, and also because my TP and I are having scheduling issues.

SHOULDERS/TRAPS 4/13

Warm Up: DB Presses 15x12, 15x10, 20x6, 25x3

Working Sets:
DB Presses 30x6, 30x6, 30x6 (with the twist at the top)
BB Mil Press 70x5, 70x6, 70x6
BB Front Raises 30x6, 30x6, 30x9 (added a few more reps since it was a little light)
Shrugs 135x8, 135x12, 135x12
Rev Fly 75x6, 75x6

With skipping legs and moving chest around this week, I am going to take this opportunity to get back on track with my cardio. I have been slacking terribly on that, so I will post here for accountability. THE PLAN: HIIT Cardio Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Three days in a row - I need it!

Crappy workout today. My TP and I can't get together on Saturday, our normal chest day, and since we are in the midst of this 9 week program, we decided to skip legs this week and do chest tonight. Chest after shoulders is not a good idea. And apparently, chest on 5 days rest is not good for me either. My left side was particularly weak, as many of my lifts were lopsided. I just felt like I didn't get to 100% on anything tonight. Just one of those nights, I guess.

CHEST/TRIS 4/14

BB Flat Bench: 45x8, 45x8, 75x5, 75x5, 100x3, 100x3, 100x3 - but hey, I finally made it to triple digits!
BB Incline Bench: 75x10, 75x8, 75x8

BB Tricep Overhead Ext: 25x10, 25x12, 25x10
Tricep Rope Pulldown: 60x12, 60x10, 60x8

I RAN A MILE!!!

Ok, so it may not sound like a big deal to most of you, but I have never run a whole mile in my life. A year ago, I was lucky to drag my panting, huffing self two blocks to the neighborhood park. Even in high school when I was thin, I barely survived those stupid fit tests we had to take in PE (and that was just running the straights and walking the curves on the track...)

I had been slacking on cardio and have not done it in 10 days. (shame on me) Normally I run 3 min intervals with 1 min walking rests in between. I decided to try for a whole mile today and did it. In 11:45.

Now I wonder how long it will take me to get to 2 miles? He he. That's why bodybuilding is the perfect sport for me. I love to compete with myself.

CARDIO/ABS 4/15

Treadmill
2 min warm up
1 mile = 11:45
Increasing incline hill, then cool down
30 mins total - 400 cals

Cable Crunches 110x12, 110x12, 110x12
Incline Crunches 3 sets of 12
Hanging Leg Raises 3 sets of 12

Congrats!!!!! I remeber how I felt when I could actually do pullups without a counterweight, it's a great feeling!

That's awesome! That's one of my goals too. To run a mile that is. Congrats, and good luck reaching 2 miles!

"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].

Just a quick check in to say I lost another lb this week. Down to 213.4.

My first reaction is to think "Well, if I had gotten more cardio in...If had not indulged at Easter...then I might have lost more."

But you know what? This is about living life. And if my injury keeps me from doing cardio, or I enjoy some great food at Easter, or even have a (gasp) full sugar ice cream with my son...and can still loose weight, that is great.

A wise poster once said:

If I can't cut loose here for four days and eventually make up for it in the gym, then I'm just wasting my time in the gym. Life should be based on rigor, with occasional fits of luxury because, as we all know, all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.

Thanks WDBinABQ. I read that quote when you posted it and it has stuck with me since then.

ORIGINAL: jenng

Just a quick check in to say I lost another lb this week. Down to 213.4.

My first reaction is to think "Well, if I had gotten more cardio in...If had not indulged at Easter...then I might have lost more."

But you know what? This is about living life. And if my injury keeps me from doing cardio, or I enjoy some great food at Easter, or even have a (gasp) full sugar ice cream with my son...and can still loose weight, that is great.

Bingo!!!
I'll never be under 15% BF but I can live with that, it's knowing that I can indulge and be able to maintain my weight or even put a bit more effort in and lose what little I may gain that REALLY is the reward for all this effort.

I'm still around 280 and know that I can lose more and will but still, I'd rather be here and be able to endulge occasionally guilt free (or at least guilt reduced).

It's a long trip to the destination, detours are OK, as long as you get back on the highway and continue the trip

Paul

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