Take care of yourself

Re: Take care of yourself (LiveSTRONG)

I have a feeling my legs are going to hurt in the morning. I did six sets of ball squats with 15-pound dumb bells in my hands. It seemed easier than I expected. I could really feel it, though, after my fourth set. I did 10 reps per set. I will try it with 25-pound dumb bells now that I'm developing the form and so forth. Then I'll have to go shopping. Those big-ass dumb bells are expensive. But I like the solid steel more than the kind that allow you to adjust the plates.

I tried calf raises. I couldn't find a good platform. I considered a phone book. But I thought it would slide too much. So I used a stool. I was a good foot off the ground. I lost my balance a few times and nearly tossed the bar bell once. That's when I gave up on that one. I could do them with a spot or with something closer to the ground. They definitely work. I finished with four sets of leg curls. I was able to curl 65 pounds. That seemed pretty good for my first time. And I could have gone a great deal higher. I will try extensions when I switch things up in six weeks.

 

Re: Take care of yourself (LiveSTRONG)

Further to the biceps discussion:

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/issa74.htm

Your biceps are a small muscle group, why would they need as many exercises, sets and reps as your back? Also keep in mind that any pulling motion, which is involved in just about every back exercise, involves your biceps as well. That means, all told, that you are devoting twice as much attention to your biceps as you are to the large muscles of your back. That much work for a muscle group that wasn't designed for it will eventually lead to overtraining. This is why most people find their arm development takes off when they cut back or even stop training arms completely and concentrate on basic pulling and pushing movements.

 

Re: Take care of yourself (LiveSTRONG)

And if you're doing 6x10 on any exercise, you'll want to read further into that same article and learn something about sets and reps.

 

Re: Take care of yourself (LiveSTRONG)

Today
Crossfit's "Angie" workout. In order, 100 pullups, 100 pushups, 100 situps, 100 squats. I made it in 38:49, pretty close to what I figured would be a 40-minute workout. That many pullups still kick my ass; took me 23 sets to get them done in 21:55. Finished pushups at 28:46 mark, situps at 34:46 mark and squats at 38:49.

My goal for the next time this comes up: 35 minutes.

When this workout had come up a few times in the nearly four months since I've been doing crossfit, I skipped it because I figured there was no way I could do the pullups. It's strange. Now that I pretty much follow the workout of the day to the letter, I'm ... a little jingly-jangly beforehand. Sort of nervous, need to take a leak-like (which I do, as long as there's nobody at the next urinal; then I have to wait). Anyway, it's a weird feeling that lasts up until the moment I begin, and then it vanishes completely as I lose myself in the workout.

I love this shit.

Joe

 

Re: Take care of yourself (LiveSTRONG)

Today
Thrusters, full squat and up, 3 reps each at 65, 75, 85, 95, 105, 115. Missed twice at 125. Got 120 once, then once again.
Deadlifts, 3 reps each at 135, 155, 175, 195, 205, 225. Then I went back down to 135 and tore the scab on my leg on my first rep when the bar's diamond grip scraped it. It bled nicely again, a smaller rivulet of blood running down my leg. Thus ended my day again.

Joe

 

Re: Take care of yourself (LiveSTRONG)

May I share with you my leg workout? I kicked my own damn ass tonight.


All weighted (1) exercises are 4x6, all bodyweight (2) exercises are 4xfatigue. Exercises supersetted.

A1. Oly squats at 185
A2. Switch lunges
B1. Single-leg extension
B2. Side push lunges off Bosu
C1. Good mornings
C2. Drop lunges

I think I'll drive to work tomorrow.

 

Re: Take care of yourself (LiveSTRONG)

I did legs again today. I'm slowly working into it. I'm going to add a little more next week, but I won't be doing a Flash leg work out. That looks painful, and I'm not even sure what some of that stuff entails.

Anyway, I do feel stronger. I can see muscles popping out after just three weeks.

Most importantly, I think two different ladies were flirting with me today at the grocery store. That hasn't happened in, oh, about nine years. The last time it happened, I bagged the bitch. Speaking of my dear wife, I should join her in snooze land. Happy Wednesdays to all. It's my day off, but I'm going on a three-hour indoor bike ride. It might be split into three separate hours. But it will be done. It must be done. Thursday is a big day for me. Stay tuned.

 

Re: Take care of yourself (LiveSTRONG)

I'm pretty sure that's the lyrics in that new Usher song haha

 

Re: Take care of yourself (LiveSTRONG)

Pullups are killing me with four days in the last five days at the gym. From weighted, to 100 during "Angie," to the weighted yesterday, to today's bitch of a workout. Christ, my right forearm and inside of my elbow are ragged completely out. Both hands, too. Anyway.

Yesterday, burpees (10), dips (5), 15-pound weighted pullups (5), five rounds in 13:33. Pullups went 5, 5, 4 (1 regular), 1 (4 regular), 5 regular.
Hanging L: 0:52, 0:35, 0:34, 0:33, 0:30.
Run 1 mile in 7:18. Started at 8.5 mph for first tenth, down to 8.0 from there to a half-mile, then 0.1 mph faster each tenth. For the last 0.06 or so, I was at 9.0 mph. Ugh.

Today, 65-pound thruster (10), pullups (10, but I scaled down to 6), as many rounds as possible in 20 minutes. I did 10 rounds. Shitski.
Knees to elbows, four rounds of 10.
Kettleball swings (45-pounder), walking lunges, jump rope double unders, 21-15-9 in 8:20. And my left leg is gouged up from the shitty jump ropes they have at the gym, the ones with the short plastic links.

Thanks be that tomorrow is a rest day. I need it.

Joe

 

Re: Take care of yourself (LiveSTRONG)

Friday's workout:
"Murph"

For time:
1 mile Run
100 Pull-ups
200 Push-ups
300 Squats
1 mile Run

In memory of Navy Lieutenant Michael Murphy, 29, of Patchogue, N.Y., who was killed in Afghanistan June 28th, 2005.

Dear god. Wish me luck. Jones and buckweaver can split my books if I don't make it out alive. They can leg wrestle for my car.

 

Re: Take care of yourself (LiveSTRONG)

Your car, Joe? You might have to explain that a little more.

My Friday featured Arnold press, bent-over dumb bell rows, lateral raises, shrugs and a suggested lower back exercise where I hold 25 pounds to my midsection, bend 90 degrees and come back up.

I think I did four sets of each. This is as close as I've come to a full back workout. It's not perfect, but I'm making little changes every week. I've been cautious with my back because it's not a part of the body I want to lose use of.

I'm still feeling good, and I hit my big goal. A few people learned in PMs that I'm extremely overweight. I was skinny as a young tot. In grade school, my weight shot up. I got lots of exercise as a kid, but I was never thin. I think it was partly my diet and partly genetics. My mom and sister have the same weight issues. The exercise helped to keep the weight down. But I never got thin because I didn't eat many fruit or veggies, and I probably had portions that were much too large.

My weight was 210 in college. It went up to 240 and back down to 195 after college. When I met my wife, I was at about 235. By the time we got married a year later, I was pushing 280. After college, exercise became non-existant. Two knees injuries made it rough. I had to stop running, and I actually injured both knees in the same year. We celebrate our 10th anniversary in two weeks. I don't think I've been under 300 since that first year. So it's been nine years. But it's over. I started this thing last December at about 350. I lost 20-25 and gained most of it back over Christmas break. Now I've lost 50-plus. I'm at 299, and I'm on my way to 175.

Thanks for the encouragement. This place and the biggest loosers thread have helped a lot.

 

Re: Take care of yourself (LiveSTRONG)

1998 Mustang Cobra, convertible, 77,XXX miles. Jones got a ride in Minneapolis.