New Swiss ball challenge!

Today's lifting session went back to high reps.  It is 3 sets of 15 with only 30 seconds of rest.  I couldn't keep the rests between *** sets because of setup time, but otherwise I pretty much did.  I decided not to alternate the barbell close-grip bench presses with the high pulls, because that requires maneuvering the barbell out of the cage and back again.  I definitely wouldn't have hit the rests if I did that.  Since I wasn't alternating, I took 1-1/2 minute rests and foam rolled in that time. 

Instead of the Swiss ball crunch, I subbed planks with arms on the Swiss ball.  Wow.  Just WOW.  Sure, my arms were worn out by then and my ball needs more air, but this were crazy hard.  Instead of the 60 seconds I was shooting for, I did 30s+30s with a 10-15 second pause.  Next time, I think I'll try them on a leg day and find something less arm-intense for arm day.

Hypertrophy I A5

Warm up - from FBB (about 10 minutes, but I hit the wrong button on my Forerunner and didn't record this part)

Dumbbell incline bench press - 3x15 @27.5# each hand

Cable seated row - 3x15 @75#

Dumbell shoulder press - 1x13 @20#, 2x15 @15# each hand

Wide-grip lat pulldown - 1x(7 @77.5# + 8@75#), 1x(10 @75# + 5 @72.5#), 1x15 @72.5#

Barbell close-grip bench press - 3x15 @55#

High pull - 3x15 @55#

Plank with arms on Swiss ball - 3x 30s+30s

Another workout today!

This time it was lifting.  Lifting is nicer in the evening, running is nicer in the morning.  Hmmm....

Well, it was a good lift.  I had just spent 2 hours in front of the computer doing some financial stuff, so my eyes were buggy and I needed a change of pace.  Lifting was a good answer!

Today was a 5x5 routine.  Tough and heavy!  I really got some good gains in, though.  I'm deadlifting well over my weight now.  Woo hoo!

Again, I put so much into the squats and deadlifts, that I can't load up the BSS and step-ups all that much.  Last time the 5x5 came around, I tried to, but had to stop at 3 sets.

I was wearing shorts, so I made liberal use of the Eco-Ball on my legs so I didn't tear them up too badly during the deadlifts.  I still hurt the skin a tad (like a mild rug burn) but not too bad.  I really should wear pants for these.  With this kind of weight, I realize I can't even attempt to hold the bar out a bit.  Also, I wish I would have not used the Lynx grips on the last set.  During the last rep, the one in the right hand shifted a bit because I was having issues with keeping a hold on the Lynx grip.

Hypertrophy I B4

Warm-up - from Female Body Breakthrough (10:29), 3x45# squat

Squat - 1x5 @75#, 3x5 @80#, 1x5 @85#

Deadlift shrug - 1x5 @150#, 3x5 @155@, 1x5 @160#

Bulgarian split squat - 5x5 @15# each hand

Step-ups - 5x5 @10# each hand

Swiss ball rollout - 3x10 (subbed for reverse crunch, stretched arms out farther than last time)

A new fan!

Lasko 3300 - $25 at Wal-Mart

Last night, I got a fan for the basement.  Boy, that makes it so much more bearable.  It's not that it's warm down there, but when I sweat, it just doesn't leave my skin.  The breeze makes all the difference.  It didn't lift the weights for me, though.  I did that.  I can tell.  I'm wiped, or at least my lower body is!  Squats and deadlifts in the same workout is a killer! I can tell my back did a lot of bracing.  After using a good weight (for me) on squats and deads, there wasn't all that much left for BSS or step-ups.  I did planks instead of reverse crunches, making sure to squeeze my glutes.

I've been able to do a chin-up three times now.  Last night I tried and got about an inch from a full one.  This is so exciting!  I've been working on it for over a year now, so I'm so glad to be where I am.  I'm looking forward to getting to the point where I can do a pull-up or multiple chin-ups.  Woo hoo!

I'm getting really close to my goal of the warm-up being 10 minutes.  I can handle 11:30, like today.  The 20 minutes that I started out with was excessive.  If I could memorize the order of the moves, I might make it.  All together, today's workout took 1:12.

Hypertrophy I  B3
Warm up - from Female Body Breakthrough (11:30)

Squat - 4x10 @75# (feeling really good)

Deadlift shrug - 4x10 @145# (pauses during last two sets)

Bulgarian split squat - 4x10 @10# each hand

Step-up - 4x10 @BW (concentrated on form and not using non-working leg to help)

Plank with squeezed buttocks - 3x90s (glad the floor was there to catch me after that last one!)

Every now and then...

... I can get in a workout!  Like this morning.

First off, some news from last night.  I decided to sign up for the Des Moines Half Marathon in October!  I enjoyed the 20k so much and this is, for all intents and purposes, the same effort.  I will have to train again (and actually start running again).  But that should be fun.  I want to do a couple 5ks before then, too.

Now, on to this morning's workout.  I got to my basement (yeah!) for Hypertrophy 1A3.  It is the upperbody half of the workout.  Today, I was musing about the differences between single-sided exercises and barbell exercises.  Both have their benefits.  Single-sided is really tough.  You learn balance and you learn the truth about imbalances, since one side often is weaker.  However, with barbell exercises, you also learn truths about sides.  If you are benching and one side is weaker, the bar doesn't go up straight.  It looks bad and you might bang the safeties if you have them set up.  Not that I would know that!  Ahem...

Out of time, so here is the workout for today.  It was much easier to hold 60 second rests.  I even got in a bit of foam rolling during that time.  I like the 10 reps a lot better than 15, too.  With warmup and a little foam rolling at the end it took 1:13.

Hypertrophy 1A3
Warm up - Female Body Breakthrough warm up (11:41)

Dumbbell incline bench press - 3x10 @25# each hand, 1x10 @27.5# each hand

Cable seated row - 3x10 @75#, 1x10 @77.5#

Dumbbell shoulder press - 4x10 @20# each hand

Wide-grip lat pulldown - 4x10 @85# (last two sets had a pause in the middle... I was getting dizzy, even though I was on my knees!)

Barbell close-grip bench press - 3x10 @55#, 1x10 @60#

High pull - 3x10 @55#, 1x10 @60# (still don't like alternating these with the bb bench press, since it is so awkward to get the bar out of the cage so often)

Swiss-ball rollout - 3x15 (subbed for Swiss-ball crunch)

Lifting metal and lumber!

There has been so much going on lately that I haven't had as much regular exercise.  That's ok because I've been doing useful work with my fitness.  Last night we put the first 5 trusses on the roof of our shed.  The end one was pretty heavy.  I'm just glad it didn't fall on my head!

This morning I got up to lift.  I felt good, but the workout didn't go all that well.  I was so sweaty and hot and I kept feeling light-headed.  I even told myself to "suck it up" a couple times.  So, after a while I went to body weight rather than stopping all together.  I still burned over 630 calories, though.  I REALLY need to get a fan.

Hypertrophy 1B2

Warm-up - FBB (13:17)

Squat - 2x15 @55#, 1x15 @60#

Deadlift shrug - 3x15@135#

Bulgarian split squat - 1x15 @20#each hand, 2x15 @BW

Step-up  - 3x15@BW

Plank - 3x90sec (subbed for reverse crunch, my legs were shaking on these!)

Back to the "gym"!

My basement gym, that is!
After a week of working on the shed and busy weekends, I finally got in a lifting session this morning.  It felt great.  It was a higher rep session.  It never ceases to amaze me how different a low rep session differs from a high-rep session.  I definitely felt "the burn" today.  It's not just changing the weights, it's also a mental difference.  I came close to hitting a lot of the 30 seconds rests.  I see "30 seconds" as a goal, but not a very attainable one.  It simply takes longer than that to get from exercise to exercise and record my progress in my log.  My heartrate didn't get really high, but I still burned in the neighborhood of 550 calories in around an hour.

Hypertrophy 1A2 (3 sets of 15, 30 secs rests)

Warm up - from FBB (15 minutes)

Dumbbell incline bench press - 1x(12 @30#ea, 3 @25#ea), 2x15 @25#ea

Cable seated row - 1x(10 @75#,  5 @70#), 2x15 @70#

Dumbbell shoulder press - 3x15 @15#ea

Wide-grip lat pulldown - 3x15 @75#

Barbell close-grip bench press - 3x15 @50#

High pull - 3x15 @50#

Swiss ball rollout - 3x15 (subbed for Swiss-ball crunch)

A change-up is needed

Not much time to post because my workout took too long this morning!
I got downstairs for Hypertrophy I B1, but the squats alternating with deadlift shrugs aren't going to happen.  I'm going to have to do straight sets from here on out.  It was taking me 2-3 minutes to do the set-up between the two.  I might be able to get that down to 1:30 at the very least.  The next workouts have rests of 30s and 60s.  Since I was runing out of time, I cut the sets on the BSS and step-up.  I did hit highs for squats and deads, which was nice.  I subbed planks (done upstairs while getting breakfast ready) for the reverse crunches.  The lifting dook about 1:08, having cut out two rounds of the second alternating sets.

H1B1

Warm-ups - FBB warm up (17:43), squats - 3x45#, 3x55#, 3x65#, DLs - 3x115#

Squat - 3x5 @75#, 2x5 @80#

Deadlift shrug - 1x5 @155#, 2x5 @145#, 2x5 @150# (could not use Lynx grips)

Bulgarian split squat - 3x5 @30# each hand

Step-up - 3x5 @25# each hand

Plank - 1x60s, 2x90s

Starting Hypertrophy I

Today was the beginning of my next lifting phase.  I'm doing Hypertrophy I from New Rules of Lifting.  It was strange doing only 5 reps.  Also, I didn't care much for the alternating set of bench press and high pull both needing the barbell.  Otherwise, it was a great workout.  I started with the warm up from Female Body Breadthrough, which took 20 minutes.  I hope with practice the time for that will come down.  The lifting part took me 1:12.  I used the 90 second breaks to foam roll.  That worked out really well.  I subbed the Swiss ball rollout from FBB for the Swiss crunches.

H1A1

Dumbbell incline bench press - 5x5 @25# each hand

Cable seated row - 5x5 @90#

Dumbbell shoulder press - 5x5 @25# each hand

Wide-grip lat pulldown - 5x5 @ 90#

Barbell close-grip bench press - 1x5 @ 45#, 1x5 @50#, 3x5 @60#

High pull - 1x5 @45#, 4x5 @60#

Swiss ball rollout (from FBB) - 3x15