Jenng's Journal

Do you think that the type of cardio I have been doing could be adding too much to the quads - jogging pretty intensely 2 times per week, plus elliptical sprints 1x/week?

Hey Jenn! If you find that running is too much on the joints you can switch things up...the elliptical is safe as there's no real impact on the joints...I try to limit my running to 2x week and I'm not running at an all out pace all the time either...I love running...but have learnt that running and squatting are two totally different respects for me. So if I'm gonna be running hard one week, then I'm not gonna be doing a heavy intense leg routine that week...i'll still train legs, but I'll go lighter and higher reps...because running is high impact on the body and the muscles of your legs as well...no need to hit them hard twice......so maybe try that...if you hit the treadmill/pavement fast and furiously adjust your leg workouts accordingly....it really is a learning process...what your body can and will not respond to....

Thanks Shera. That gives me something to think about. I may go down to jogging once a week and make sure it is well placed away from leg day.

I used straps today for DLs. I felt like a badass bodybuilder, but I am sure there were people at the gym posting on their respective message boards about their pick for gym dork of the week (Some chick using straps and only lifting 155 lbs) Not sure how much they helped, as I really couldn't get used to them. But it gave me confidence to up my DL. And my wrists don't hurt as bad as they did after my last back workout. Time will tell.

BACK/BICEPS 5/3

Warm Up: Deadlifts 80x12, 80x10, 105x6, 130x3

Working Sets:
Deadlift 155x6, 155x6, 155x6
Bent Over Rows 75x6, 75x6
Lat Pull Down 120x5, 120x5
Hyperextensions 25x12, 25x12
DB Curls 30x6, 30x4
BB Curls 50x6, 50x6
Hammer Curls 20x6, 20x6

Nothing like hard core cardio to burn off a bad mood. Coming off of a looong weekend of unsuccessful potty training, I was not happy this morning to be throwing in the towel and sending my son off to school in a diaper again. So I dropped him off, headed to the gym and ran my heart out. Thanks to the friendly endorphins, I am now ready to take on the day and may refrain from throttling my son and/or husband.

Treadmill - 30 mins
430 calories
2.4 miles
1 mile = 10:16 (How low can I go? I keep shaving seconds off that time. Pretty darn cool!)
Hill, with 1 min of jogging at the max incline, taking my HR to 94% UGH
Cool Down

Here's the cool part I noticed today. In January, when I started this running thing, I would have to cool down to around 3.0 MPH and 0 incline to get my heart rate back in the 130's. Now I notice that my HR drops down to the 130's at 4.0 MPH and while still at a slight incline. And I have to hit 6.6 MPH to get my HR above 170 and it used to take much, much less than that. It's really neat seeing a visual representation of how my heart is getting healthier.

Last workout here before vacation. I seem to be trying to fight off a cold, and feel kinda icky. Not sick, just pre-sick. I'm hoping the immune system wins this battle so I can go have a great vacation. But it did make for a groggy kind of workout. I stuck with the exact same workout as last week, as I was not feeling very creative today either.

SHOULDERS 5/4

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

Working Sets:
DB Presses 35x5, 35x5, 35x5 (these were hard!)
Smith Press 90x5, 90x6 (no spotter available)
DB Lateral Raises 15x10, 15x8
Reverse Flyes 82.5x6, 82.5x6
Standing Shurg Machine 180x8, 180x8, 180x8

Keep up the work and have fun on that vacation. When you come back all rested and tan, then maybe you will finally posts those pics you have been dreading.

Laser

Showing up is half the battle.

My Bowling Business!!! H & E Bowling Supply
http://www.hebowlingsupply.com

Current Max Weights:
Bench 325
Squat 550
Deadlift 505

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

Well, knocked out one workout on vacation. If I don't die of old age before this page loads (I hate dial up - yes I am really roughing it) I will post my workout. Let's just not talk about food....mmmm, Cinco De Mayo....

Oh and I was also roughing it at my friends gym. I miss my Golds. They had no pad for the bar, so I did without for my squats and was surprised that it was not as hard as I expected. I got to show my friend how to lift heavy, I think she liked it. Yay, another convert!

LEGS 5/6

Warm Up: Squats 12x80, 10x80, 6x115, 3x135

Working Sets:
Squats 155x6x3
Leg Press 180x6x2 (I went light on these, as they are what hurt my SI joint when I went heavy - but friend wanted to try them)
SLDLs 135x6, 155x6x2
Calf Press 250x12x12
Seated Calf Raises 90x12

Your legs are getting strong! Those are some very respectable numbers.

About the pad, I found that once used to squating it felt better without the pad. I think initially I was placing the bar in the wrong place, so it hurt. Now that my form is better, no pad for me.

Keep working it.

Laser

Showing up is half the battle.

My Bowling Business!!! H & E Bowling Supply
http://www.hebowlingsupply.com

Current Max Weights:
Bench 325
Squat 550
Deadlift 505

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

Well, got 2 out of 3 workouts in on vacation so far. I am pretty excited about that. I took my friends Golds membership card and went in as her today, while she entertained my son at the bookstore. So I did not get to subject her to my shoulder routine. But hopefully she'll be deadlifting with me tomorrow.

I love the Golds gym in Pasadena - there were all kinds of women lifting heavy! There was even a woman squatting 135! And another doing DB Inline Bench Press. And another doing DB Shoulder Press. Yeah, I am a freak, but there are never women doing these things at my gym. And amazingly enough, none of them looked like She-Men. They all looked perfectly tone and thin and had great arms. It's almost enough to want to move back here.

SHOULDERS 5/8

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

Working Sets:
DB Press 35x6, 35x5, 35x5
BB Press 70x6, 70x6
DB Lateral Raises 15x10, 15x10
Reverse Flyes 90x6, 90x5

Woohoo. Got 3 out of 3 lifting days in on vacation. I am excited about that. Now I just need to kick in some serious cardio when I get back. I have eaten so much junk this week. UGH. Will be posting contest stats on Weds.

I subjected my friend to my back/bi routine. She is having a hard time making the adjustment from high rep to heavy lifting. She was walking around as she did her bicep curls, because I guess that is what they do in the "strength" class she takes. I told her that if she can walk around, then she is not lifting heavy enough. Not sure if that is true, but it seemed to make sense to me.

I kept my deads the same as last week, for some reason I just didn't feel like going for a new high at a strange gym. I want to be home in my comfort zone for that. Getting better at using those blasted straps. I think they helped more than they hindered me this week.

BACK/BICEPS 5/9

Warm Up: Deadlifts 80x12, 80x10, 105x6, 130x3

Working Sets:
Deadlifts 155x6x3
WG Lat Pull Down 110x6, 120x6
T Bar Rows 70x6, 70x6
Hyperextensions 25x12x2
DB Curls 30x5, 30x4, 30x4
BB Curls 50x6, 50x6, 50x5

I told her that if she can walk around, then she is not lifting heavy enough. Not sure if that is true, but it seemed to make sense to me.

UHHHHH....yeah. She might want to think about adding a few more extra lbs if she can walk and curl at the same time. It might build strength in her legs, but IMHO I need to concentrate when I do my workouts. I need to feel the muscle. Walking would do nothing for me. I don't even know if it would bulid ANY strength at all! That's what SQUATS are for! LOL




Then again, I'm one of those people who can't walk and chew gum at the same time!

"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].

Nice to be back in my home gym. Although the Golds in Pasadena had a few cool things that my Golds didn't have, there is nothing like being in your comfort zone. I'm like Norm at Cheers, the guy who signed me up greets me by name when I come in and he even noticed I got my hair cut. Too funny. Think I spend too much time there?

CHEST/TRIS 5/11

BB Bench Press 45x8, 45x8, 80x5, 80x5, 115x3, 115x2(?), 115x2(?) - Those last two attempts at 115 were not pretty. I will probably stick with that weight next week, and not move up to 120.
DB Incline 30x10, 30x10, 30x9
DB Overhead Tricep Ext 25x10, 25x10, 25x12
Triceps V bar Pushdown 80x12, 80x12
Triceps Rope Pull Down 70x8

Note to self - don't take a week off of cardio again. UGH. I was dying today. I even backed off the intensity and was still drenched in sweat and aching everywhere.

Today is a double up day with jogging this morning and legs tonight. I am interested to see how my squats are affected, even with around 10 hours between.

CARDIO 5/12
2 min warm up
1 mile = 10:40
Total Distance = 2.33 miles
Total Time = 30:00
Calories = 430

Nice.

I like the 115 for bench. You should hit the 125 sooner than you thought.

Laser

Showing up is half the battle.

My Bowling Business!!! H & E Bowling Supply
http://www.hebowlingsupply.com

Current Max Weights:
Bench 325
Squat 550
Deadlift 505

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

Workout Part 2 - LEGS 5/12

Warm Up: Squats 80x12, 80x10, 115x6, 135x3

Working Sets:
Squats 160x6, 160x6, 160x6
SLDLs 160x6, 160x6, 160x6
Seated Leg Press 275x6, 275x6
Calf Press 270x10, 270x11, 270x11

My hip is killing me. I am trying to get it worked on by my chiro. She was rotating my hip joint around and there was one spot that she hit and it hurt like HELL every time! My first warm up set of squats was excrutiating, but by my working sets, I was ok. But my form needs some work. I definitely need to work on getting lower at these high weights.

But I am going for a massage on Monday, so hopefully that will help with all these damn aches and pains.

My hip is killing me. I am trying to get it worked on by my chiro. She was rotating my hip joint around and there was one spot that she hit and it hurt like HELL every time! My first warm up set of squats was excrutiating, but by my working sets, I was ok. But my form needs some work. I definitely need to work on getting lower at these high weights.

Are you leaning forward too much during the squats? That can put a bit more strain on the hips than if you're more upright.

-30-

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

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