Jenng's Journal

I try not to lean forward, but occasionally I find myself doing just that. Squats are very, very hard for me. So much to think of during the motion. I always try to adjust my form when I catch myself though.

Todays cardio nearly killed me. I could barely make it through all 10 of my 30/30 sprints, cutting a few short at 25 secs. Whats 5 more seconds, you ask? Apparently a lot, because I could not continue for 5 more measly seconds. And though I didn't think I could finish the workout, I did and now feel great.

I also tried to do abs afterwards but was just not motivated. I did 3 sets of 10 incline crunches. Tried the ab machine and could not make it work. Briefly thought about doing cable crunches and just decided to leave. I am terrible about abs. (Ain't gonna be seeing them anytime soon anyway...)

CARDIO 5/13

Elliptical Machine = 30 mins
Calories >400 (somehow the machine got turned off, so my stats were skewed)

5 min w/u
5 30/30 sprints
2 min recovery
3 25/35 spints
3 min recovery
2 30/30 sprints
5 min hill
5 min cool down

Stupid weak upper body. Give me deadlifts any day over this blasted bench press. I feel so damn weak when I bench press. ARGH!

I was supposed to go for 120 today, but due to last weeks performance, I stuck with 115. I was not able to get 3 sets of 3 at that weight still. So I'll be sticking with that for one more week of this little program we are doing and then its back to MaxOT after a week off.

I mean, I am happy that I have added around 25 lbs in 8 weeks to my bench. I was struggling with 90 (for 4-6 reps) when we started this. So at least I am making gains. I just hate that my Upper Body lags so far behind my Lower Body. OK, I'm done whining now.

CHEST/TRIS 5/15

BB Flat Bench: 45x8, 45x8, 85x5, 85x5, 115x2.5, 115x3, 115x2
BB Incline: 75x10, 75x8, 75x9
Assisted Dips: 120(assist)x6, 120x6, 120x6
Overhead DB Tricep Extension: 25x10, 25x10
Triceps Pushdown: 80x10, 80x10

Man I love deadlifts. I feel like I can conquer the world after a good set of DLs. (Ok maybe after a shake, a nice meal and a couple hours of rest, too) It is such a great feeling to work your whole body like that. Although I think I pushed it a little hard today, since by the time I got to bi's, my arms were toast.

BACK/BICEPS 5/16

Warm Up: Deadlifts 80x12, 80x10, 115x6, 135x3 (tried using the shrug bar for the DLs for this last w/u set and it was quite awkward)

Working Sets:

Deadlifts 160x6x3
BB Bent Over Row 80x6, 85x6
WG Lat Pull Down 120x5x2
Hyperextensions 35x12x2

Hammer Curls 20x6x2
DB Curls 25x6x2
BB Curls 50x6, 50x5

TRICEP pushdown 80x10, 80x10 ---

Wow.. I don't know if I'm doing the same tricep pushdowns you are. But that looks veryyy unproportional. BB Bench press 115x2, tricep pushdown 80x10!? Even though my bench is much higher than yours my tricep pushdowns are at like 70...

O.G.K. - Over Grown Kid

I did them on the cable thing (whats the proper term?), with a small black bar as the attachment. Starting up near my face, pushing down all the way, leaning forward a bit. Like this. Is this the same as what you do?

I am pretty sure I was using proper form, as I had my TP with me (and he has no problem nagging me if I have bad form )

Lol yeah it is the same kind I do
Here is what I can think of:
- Your triceps are really strong (stronger than mine) and somehow your bench is not proportional to it like your holding it too wide or something.
- I do remember once when I was at an actual gym instead of my schools's weight room. The tricep pushdown seemed to be easier there than at school. Maybe my schools is strange/messed up? Or..
- i suck

O.G.K. - Over Grown Kid

OG - I can't imagine that my tris are stronger than anything else, since I really struggle at the bottom of the bench press, which feels like a lot of tricep to me. Maybe your weights are messed up? What do you lift for other tricep exercises?

Cardio day - cardio sucks. Cardio sucks worse when the batteries in your MP3 player are dead. Ugh. Every minute just dragged by....But in 15 minutes I get to leave and have a massage - so hopefully all aches and pains will go away. Thanks Marc for the idea! Happy belated mothers day to myself. :)

CARDIO 5/17

30 mins Treadmill
2.4 miles
420 cals
1 mi = 10:25

2 min w/u
1.25 mi jog
incline hill
1 min killer jog at max incline
cool down

That 1 min of jogging at 15% incline is so darn hard! So in addition to my goal of trying to increase my jogging to 2 miles, I also want to try to increase that minute to 2 minutes. (Caveat = must do so without allowing heart to explode from beating too hard/fast...)

hmm.. for lying tricep extension I haven't done these in a long while but I think it used to be around like 80-90.

O.G.K. - Over Grown Kid

ORIGINAL: OG123

TRICEP pushdown 80x10, 80x10 ---

Wow.. I don't know if I'm doing the same tricep pushdowns you are. But that looks veryyy unproportional. BB Bench press 115x2, tricep pushdown 80x10!? Even though my bench is much higher than yours my tricep pushdowns are at like 70...

Not that strange. At the gym downtown I do pushdowns with 110, but when I use the same equipment (double cable machine) at my YMCA, I'm almost racking it at 180 to get the same level of effort. Depends on the machine and how it's set up.

Paul

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

there's a lot of factors in determining the weight too, because some cables and attachments have different weights.

"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].

whew*

O.G.K. - Over Grown Kid

OG - I think they are right. I can do around 35 lbs for the overhead tri ext, which is more consistent with my other lifts and yours as well. So don't fret!

Today I did shoulders and was motivated by my buddy pwolf and decided to run a mile afterwards (since shoulder day is not as taxing on me as my other WOs). I also decided to try to compete with my buddy pwolf and attempt to run my mile in 10 mins. Normally I work my speed up from 5.0 to around 6.4. Today I bumped it straight up to 6.0 and went for it. Needless to say, I am not quite up for a whole mile at 6.0. But I got my cardio in and will hit 3 days this week (instead of my goal of 5, oh well).

SHOULDERS/TRAPS/CARDIO 5/18

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

DB Press 35x6, 35x6, 35x5
BB Mil Press 75x5, 75x5, 75x5
DB Side Raises 20x6, 20x5, 20x5 (I finally moved up to the 20's!)
Standing Shrug Machine 180x6, 180x8, 180x8

Cardio = 16 mins Treadmill
1 mile = 10:30

Wow, I am currently feeling the weirdest thing ever. My right arm is kinda numb, like it has been sprayed with novcaine or something and my right thumb is numb and feels like I hit it with a hammer. After my first warm up set (with like 20 lbs) of the overhead squat, I felt this and it has not gone away. I am guessing I pinched a nerve or something with the shoulder movement, but I don't feel any pain. Just this weird numbness. If it is still here tomorrow, I will be calling someone (chiro, Dr, not sure).

Anway, I almost cancelled my WO today because I am tired (sick kid was up all night) and my hip has been hurting. But I really wanted to try the overhead squats and knew it would not be super heavy. So I went. And I am wiped out.

I thought we were going to replace the regular squats with the OH squats, but TP still wanted to do some regular squats. Next time, I think we should warm up and do the regular squats and then do a few sets of the OH squats. Going from the OH squats to heavy squats was kind of a jolt, and the warming up with light weights for the OH squats was kind of a waste of time and energy. Just my humble thoughts after today.

NOTE, I used the bars and weights from the fitness room for warm ups and they were in kilos. I am too tired right now to look up kilos to lbs. I know it is 2.2 to 1, but I cant remember which way. And I have no idea of the bar weight, but it was very light.

LEGS 5/19

Warm Up: Overhead Squats 10kgx12, 10kgx10, 15kgx6, 20kgx3

Working Sets:
Overhead Squats 45x6, 55x6, 55x3 (I fell down)
Squats 160x6, 160x6
SLDL 160x6, 160x6
Hack Squat Machine 110x6, 110x6
45 degree calf press 270x12, 270x10, 270x10

I know it is 2.2 to 1, but I cant remember which way.

Up....my plates state the kg's and the lb's. I'm pretty sure the 5lb plate says it's 2.3kg.

"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].

Thanks Slayer, I thought that is what it would be. I was shooting for 20/30/40 lbs for warm ups, so I guess I got close.

No cardio today. My son has strep throat and now I feel a little soreness in my throat and my glands in my neck are swollen. It is impossible not to swap bodily fluids with a sick kid who always wants to "share mama's drink," so I am sure I am trying to get strep too. I am popping echinacea and vit C and might just go take a nap to give my immune system all the help it needs to fight this off.