Nothing like trying on clothes to remind a person how far they have to
go. Add to that the trauma of bathing suit shopping and, well, let's
just say a lil mojito is my friend. And no, I wasn't seriously
considering that little bikini on the wall.
The mirrors of the hotel's gym were a wake up call this morning too. I
love working out outside & away from other people but I can see some
advantage to working out with the feedback of mirrors on occasion. You
know, I feel strong & fit so I don't see myself as chubby as I am.
Occasionally, a mirror is a necessary reality check. (: The RV is
relatively mirror-free.:)

On an impromptu vacation. Despite all appearances, we do not ride the
short bus:). More later friends.

Reason 10,942 to love summer...
:)

Workout Logs.

Wednesday, July 15, 2008
Off--162.5#
Everyone takes a different approach to workout logs. Some people don't use them at all. Others document not only every rep and plan, but also every other detail in their lives, in them. Some use good old-fashioned paper and pen. Others have moved on to some electronic form of record keeping. As with anything, there is value to all of these approaches--even no log at all.

Some people feel so intimidated and/or restricted by a workout log that if they felt like they had to keep one to "workout properly" they wouldn't do it at all. So, for them, that approach is perfectly valid. I, however, tend to fall more in the category of people who keep their workout log together with my record of life in general. I log the day, my weight that day, whether or not I work, and my workout every day. If a workout is particularly good or bad or has a pertinent feature, I write that down. If something in my life is bothering me or is just wonderful, I write about that. And I make general notes about my nutrition. About once a month or so, I write my measurements in a different color. PR's get special indicators, and changes in the program get notes. I have referenced my log quite a bit here lately, going through it to plan my workouts and when I need to advance myself to the next level. Doing that rather than depending on waiting for a point when my body felt as if I needed to move on, has led me to make advances lately in my lifting capabilities that I'm not sure I would have made otherwise. And by looking back, I've also been able to see just how far I have come strength-wise. I have also been able to track my weight and measurements to confirm what I felt was stagnation and compare what I was doing this time last year when I was a little lighter to what I am doing now. Because I have not detailed my nutrition but only given a general overlay, however, I am having some difficulty tracking exactly how that has played in without overlaying the paper log with my online food log. As a result, I am rethinking to some degree that way of keeping the info. Certainly, the personal notes in my log are not something everyone would feel comfortable doing. I believe, though, that they are crucial to the process. Life is not a vaccuum. Each aspect of our lives in intricately related to all of the other aspects, and to ignore the link would be unwise. And as I have reviewed what is going on in my life at any given point, I have been able to learn something about how it has affected everything else. Hindsight is 20/20, you know.

Another large value to a workout log is the ability to show it to a trainer or appropriately educated friend. Despite the clarity that time can provide an individual, we are still approaching any topic with our own biases. Fresh eyes can often find patterns and issues that we might overlook. Here, I suspect, many would balk at sharing a log with personal notes, and for good reason, I suppose. I have contemplated just this thing and decided that the benefits would outweigh the risks if I decided to have someone take a look.

I've been loving my workout log here lately. Some would call it a journal, and I suppose it is. The people at work think I'm crazy for writing in it as much as I do. It is tattered from being well-loved, warped from workouts in the rain, dirty from lying on the ground and smudged from sweaty hands. And it is worth every second spent.

TODAY NO WORKOUT

YESTERDAY...NO WORKOUT

MONDAY'S WORKOUT:
3 5-rung ladders of
black and purple band-assisted pullups/elevated pushups.
After each rung, I did 1/1 partial pistols counterbalanced with the 12kg.
30 Challenge Burpees in 3' 46"

SUNDAY: NO WORKOUT

I'm consoling myself, saying my week lately is starting on Wednesday. So I took Sunday and Tuesday off last week, and this week will be Wednesday and Sunday. LOL

Consistency

Saturday, July 11, 2009
Off, 162#

Progress can often be about trial and error. Ideally, we lay out plans, follow them, review progress or lack thereof, and adjust our actions accordingly. Last Monday was a splurge day for me, earned for a week of closely following my plan. I had my splurge meal, trying not to overdo it, and moved on to my second week of the plan. Monday, before my splurge, I was at 161 pounds, 1.5 pounds lost for the week of good work--pretty much what I want. Upon awakening Tuesday morning, I was at 163.5 pounds. I didn't even eat 2 and a half pounds of food total on Monday--despite the splurge. What the heck?! So in the following days I have fought to work my way back down to that 161. Well, first, I got hacked off and ate waffles for my big meal on Tuesday, thinking the whole venture was pointless regardless, but then I started to fight my way back down. I have talked before about how angry I sometimes get at the injustice I feel that I gain weight so easily, and sometimes, I still feel that anger brewing. Certainly when I stepped on the scale Tuesday, it began to rear its ugly head. I have to remind myself, though, that I have been given gifts and advantages in other areas. After reminding myself of just that a couple of times, I checked my attitude and decided that one week of consistency was good for forming good habits, but at least 2 were going to be necessary to make any serious progress. (I huff a little here as I realize that "serious progress" consists of maintaining a friggin' 1.5 pound weight loss.) So as we all know consistency is key, but the depth and breadth of the consistency necessary to see progress is different for each and every person and different from one point in our lives to another.

Plan

Act according to plan.

Review progress.

Adjust the plan.

To remind myself of the short-term benefits, here's a pic of this week's prize for a week of sound work, a pair of polarized Monster Pups:
And for 6 weeks of sound work (which started over on Wednesday because I had the crappy Tuesday waffles)... I think this is the pen I want.
TODAY'S WORKOUT:
5 rounds of...
20kg C&PP 3/3, 16kg C&P 2/2
(I was able to do 2 strict 20kg C&P's on rounds 1 & 2 on the left and on round 1 on the right. The rest of the rounds were with a strict press only on the first rep of the round.)
6 Elevated Pushups
20kg walking lunge x 10
double 20kg deadlifts x 7
plank x 30 sec
...note the increase in reps on the pushups and the deads.

20kg tabata swings

30 Challenge burpees in 4'12"

YESTERDAY'S WORKOUT:
16kg Essentials
rest
5 minutes of snatches=72reps
rest
Swing 50sec
Rest 30 sec ...16kg for 12 rounds
...I spent this 16 minutes truly practicing my swing, focusing carefully on form.
30 Challenge burpees in 4'45"

THURSDAY'S WORKOUT:
Black and purple band-assisted pullups/elevated pushups in 3, 5 rung ladders
Partial Pistols counterbalanced with 12kg-1/1 after each rung

30 Challenge Burpees in 4'37"

WEDNESDAY'S WORKOUT:
16kg Essentials
Rest
5 min of 16kg snatches=68
Rest 30 Challenge Burpees.
This was not a particularly strong workout from the beginning.

TUESDAY NO WORKOUT.

Some Movies to Watch and Think About

If you have a chance, watch these movies and let me know what you think. The possibility they represent (albeit dramatically) is interesting.

Wall-E
Equilibrium
Gattaca

EXPELLED: No Intelligence Allowed If you haven't seen this, you REALLY need to.

...And if you' re not a Netflix member yet, consider it now. The hubby and I recently joined after a couple years of resistance. What we will save on late fees and buying DVD versions of TV shows alone will pay for the membership 5 times over.

Monday, July 6, 2009
off--161#

TODAY'S WORKOUT: 5 rounds of ..
20kg C&P R/L, 20kg C&PP 2R/2L, 16kg C&P 2R/2L
5 Elevated Perfect Pushups
10 20kg walking lunges
double 20kg Deads x 5
Plank x 30sec
Rest x 3 min
***I took more rest than usual today because everything was just frikkin heavy today. I was just not feeling very strong. I got it finished, though.

30 Challenge Burpees in 5'35"

YESTERDAY: Off day, no workout.

SATURDAY'S WORKOUT:
5 4-rung ladders of black and purple band assisted pullups/perfect elevated pushups.
During 3 of those ladders, I did 12kg counterbalanced partial pistols 1/1 after each rung.
During the last 2 ladders, I subsituted 30 sec of plank.
***it's time to increase the intensity here. Next week will be 3 5-rung ladders.
20kg tabata swings
30 Challenge Burpees.

FRIDAY'S WORKOUT:
16kg Essentials
5min of snatches=78
16 min of...
16kg swing x 50sec
rest x 25 sec
30 Challenge Burpees

Today completed a week of sticking to the Warrior Diet, so today was a splurge day,and first chance I get, I'll be going to Gainesville to get my prize. :)

Things That Make Me Smile From the Inside Out.

Thursday, July 2, 2009
Work--162#
107+ degrees heat index

Because we all need to focus on this sort of thing more often...
Five things that make me smile--first from my heart then outward. And I made the rule for myself that none of them could be the ones I think about being so grateful for every single moment of every single day.
1. Watching my puppy-dog canter. I think she must have had all the puppy stolen from her before we got her. She doesn't really know how to play, but sometimes she tries, and when she does, she canters...with her big golden ears flopping and a crooked doggy grin. She is beautiful, and I love her SO much.
2. A good,cold, ripe watermelon...with some salt.
3. Hot, muggy nights.
4. Clear, starry nights as seen through the sillhouette of the pine trees.
5. A brisk, solid acceleration all the way from 1st gear to 5th (or sixth if I'm in the Focus). Pedal to the floor and open road ahead.

WORKOUT:
5 rounds of...
20kg C&P x 1 R/L, 20kg C&PP x 2 R/L, 16kg C&P x 2 R/L (I added another 20kg C&PP)
5 Perfect Elevated Pushups
10 20kg Walking Lunges
5 double 20kg Deads.
30 sec of Plank
Rest 2 min.

20kg Tabata Swing

30 Challenge Burpees in 5 min 10 sec.

YESTERDAY'S WORKOUT:
16kg Essentials

21 min of...
30 sec jumproap
50sec rest
30 sec 20kg swing
50 sec rest

At first, this seems like a lot of rest, and I start thinking,"Maybe I"ll drop the rest interval." Then, as the 20 minutes progess, I need every bit of that recovery. :)