Showing posts with label BB curls. Show all posts
Showing posts with label BB curls. Show all posts

Monday, May 9, 2011

Hold my hair please...

At 12am this morning I wasn't quite sure I'd make it through the day.  I was hovered over the toilet spewing what was left of my dinner...lunch...breakfast...I think I may have even passed a major organ.  I had some milk last night, which I think was the culprit.  I'm now convinced that once I left the boob-feeding 27 years ago, milk is no longer necessary... I was cursing lactose.

Overall, it was a great and crazy weekend.  I was able to relax by the pool for a little bit, clean, and then enjoy a "normal" meal at a local restaurant.  I had salmon, veggies, a slice of bread, and a couple glasses of wine.  Ah yes, it went down like sweet sweet goodness.  And then there was Mother's Day...running all over God's creation to be with family, and ending the day at the hospital.  Niece #2 arrived yesterday at Duke...so there was certainly much to celebrate on the 5th floor. It was BYOB.  Bring Your Own Breast-milk.  I could hardly contain myself in that room, and there I was crying more than the infant....and I didn't have the excuse that I was hungry or crapped myself.  Ok, maybe the first...
What an amazing day.

So, I took yesterday completely off from any type of training, and I could tell from the moment I woke up that I seriously needed it.  Today was back to the grind.  I had back, biceps, shoulders, and finished with sprints.  I kept the weights the same from last week on everything except for shoulder press.  My arms were shot, so I had to drop the weight.  Boooo

Workout:
Wide grip pull-ups 4 x 6-8
Seated cable row 4 x 6-8
Single arm lat pull-down 4 x 6 each
Narrow grip pull-down (trap emphasis) 3 x 6-8
Seated BB shoulder press 4 x 6-8
Bent arm lateral raises 4 x 6-8
Front plate raises 4 x 6-8
EZ bar curls 4 x 6-8
Single arm horizontal cable curl 4 x 6-8 each
Sprints

Sprints got pretty rough today.  My traps were cramping so badly that I started feeling pain up the back of my neck and into my head.  The absolute only time it wouldn't throb was when I was actually sprinting...so for 10 seconds I had relief....10 measly seconds.  Blah....glad its over.

Tomorrow is a lighter leg day, heavy chest, core, and cardio. 
Time to peel some eggs....then hopefully a vomit-free night....

Thursday, May 5, 2011

Tacos and Margaritas

Thursday night...The Office...egg whites and turkey...and a dose of of quiet.  Life is good.  Which reminds me...ever seen those t-shirts that say "Life is Crap."?  Finally, someone got a sense of humor about those things.  My guess is that the creator of that slogan had a different one to begin with, presented it to the company, and the original word was soon replaced with "crap."  We appreciate the honesty though, and even with the word change, we get the point....thank you.

An extra hour of sleep proved to be absolutely amazing.  I think I was pretty much in a comma all night.  Well, until I woke up at 2am to use the bathroom.  It was one of those middle-of-the-night bathroom trips when you finally go you realize that if you'd waited any longer the odds of wetting the bed were pretty darn high.  Which should never happen after the age of 7........sober.  Anyway, it was a great night's sleep and then on to my day...pretty low-key, awesome workout, and many fun moments with clients.

The highlight of my day was probably when I shared with one of my ladies about my first gyno experience.  The story came up because when she climbed in the leg press machine I couldn't help but make a joke about going to the gyno (let's be honest, the position of the machine just begs for ridiculous comments).  You get in that machine and its like the dreaded words are hanging above you... "Ok, now please scoot to the edge of the table and place your feet in the stirrups."  Guys don't understand this, but I can't imagine its the same as "turn your head and cough".  They grab themselves all the time, so whats one more person?  Anyway, the story is a classic, which I can't exactly share on here, but needless to say it was comical.  She laughed and laughed and my day was complete at that point.   You never know what someone is going through before they walk through those doors, but a figure a little humor can go a long way...

Let's talk workout.
I had back and biceps today with reps 12-15 on most lifts.  I was originally going to hit shoulders today, but they are still sore from Monday's workout.  Seriously, its absurd.  Biceps are definitely stronger, but I'm still struggling with getting as hard of a contraction on my left side as my right.  Details.

Workout:
Lat pull-down 3 x 12
Close grip pull-back 3 x 12
BB row (12x)/ss hyperentensions (12x)
Rear flys 3 x 15
Lat bar curls 3 x 12
Alternating incline curls 3 x 10-12 each
EZ bar curl partials 3 x 15

Cinco de Mayo.  Wonder how many margaritas were consumed today......my guess is not enough.  We all act like we need a reason to drink...umm...don't think we do.  People seem to do it just fine without one.  But cheers anyway!

Alright, long day, time for bed.....cleaning, workout, and planting some flowers await tomorrow.  Oh don't get too excited to think that I might have a green thumb.  I've committed house-plant-homicide many a time.

Night folks!

Monday, April 25, 2011

It was only just a dreeaaammm!!

Dear Lord, did anyone else come down off an extreme Easter-induced-sugar-high that left you wanting to bang your head against the wall by 7am?  Just me?  Awesome...

It was a rough start to the day.  I didn't get enough sleep last night...as I unfortunately got hooked on an episode of the Real Housewives of Orange County.  Yes, I watch that crap.  You're never smarter after watching that show...only keenly aware of just how small your breasts are.  Thank you ladies, because I needed to be reminded that C is the new B, D is the new C, and A cups are for an 8 year old with a dream.  Your twins are huge, we get it...

SO anyway, after little sleep, and indulging in some Easter candy this weekend, today was a loonnngg day.  I was pretty pumped about changing my lifting routine though.  Today I did back, biceps, and shoulders...very heavy, for reps of 6-8.  I want to try to hit almost every muscle group twice a week, one heavy/power day, and one lighter day....by lighter I mean reps of 12ish.  However, I will still only have 1 day of leg training since I am still sprinting.  I loved lifting heavy today, and 6 reps is great for my ADD...by rep 6 I am bored and ready to move on.  Ha.  So it worked out great.  Oh, and I was also able to go harder on my sprints today.  My left leg is still hurting a little, but not nearly as bad as last week.  Onward I roll...

Workout:
Wide grip pull-up 4 x 6
Seated cable row 4 x 6-8
Single arm lat pull-down 4 x 6 each
Seated BB shoulder press 4 x 6
Bent arm lateral raises 4 x 6-8
Standing EZ bar curls 4 x 6-8
Alternating DB curls 4 x 6 each
Sprints

Awesome workout, very spent by the end.  Tomorrow will be legs and core...can't wait.

Getting back in gear this past week was tough....there's always sort of a "let down" after a big event...tired, mentally and physically, and just this sense of "ok, now what?"  By Friday of last week I was ready for some rest and refocus.  This week will be better.

Not much to elaborate on today...its late and I need to get in bed asap.  If I have another morning like this morning I might have even less sympathy in the gym than I already do....very sobering thought for a lot of people...

Night!

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Man down...

I honestly do not know where to begin...I am pretty amazed that its only a couple of days away from show time.  My brain is on overload and my body is practically breathing a sigh of relief.  After my workout this morning I laid down on the floor and just recapped the last 4 months...every workout, every God awful sprint, every moment I wanted to scream, cry, curse, or all of the above.  Amidst all the random thoughts, I was able to lay there confident in my training/preparation...and that was enough.  My sprints were hard today...very hard.  My legs are exhausted and ready for a few days break.  I've sprinted for 6 weeks straight...something I honestly haven't done since high school.  And then it was for doing something stupid like mooning people on the bus....this time around I haven't even dropped my pants and I'm running like I'm in trouble with the law.  Wrong on so many levels...

Workout:
Wide grip pull-up 3 x 10-12
Seated cable row 3 x 12
Single arm lat pull-down 3 x 10 each
BB row 3 x 12
Rear flys 3 x 15
EZ bar curls 4 x 10-12
Alternating DB curls 3 x 10 each
Bicep pull-down with lat bar 3 x 10-12
Sprints 25 minutes

Overall my day was pretty long...cramming clients in so I could take tomorrow off.  I thought I would start painting tonight, however its after 9 and I'm tired and haven't done any of the pre-paint preparations...so it looks like I will be up painting my ass at 6am tomorrow morning...literally.  I can do pretty much anything with a few cups of coffee under my belt.  My prime is from 7 to 8:30 in the morning...after that, its all downhill...which explains so much.

My upper right trap is killing me.  I have to complain about it right now because its been throbbing since 6am and pulling so hard through my neck that I've had a headache off and on all day.  Stupid traps...between that and my post-waxing-trama, my body is cursing me.  Thankfully tomorrow will only be a light circuit workout.  Light workout?  What the heck is that?...

Well, I am drained.  I will have more to write tomorrow I'm sure.  After a nail appointment and being naked with my mom and a paint brush, I'm sure I'll have stories.  2 days out...here we go...

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

I dare you...

I think I met my word limit today by about 4pm.  There's honestly no telling how much oxygen I use talking to people on any given day....which is probably why I leave work and truly want QUIET for a little while.  Its a good thing I don't have kids...I'd be slipping those jokers Nyquil after lunch...

I honestly wasn't sure how my workout would go, or my sprints actually, because my hamstrings are one giant knot at the moment.  Seriously, its like a small gerbil is hiding under the skin right behind my knees.  When I bent over to demonstrate a deadlift this morning, I was pretty certain they would either snap or I would curse so loud I'd lose my hearing.  Sometimes I want to fake being deaf...mainly around holiday events though...

So I made it through my workout...biceps/triceps, and then some sprints.  It really wasn't horrible, just tired from 3 days of lifting and being on my feet.  My arms are looking pretty good I think...definitely bigger than before, and shoulders are rounding out nicely.  Rear delts are in full force (one thing the judges look for right off the bat when it comes to muscularity).  I'm still not working my triceps too hard...they are out of control as it is...an ego all their own.  Sprints went well...this white girl has gotten faster...watch out.  I find it hard sometimes getting the perfect balance of blasting my legs without sucking wind to the point I can't recover fast enough to then do my next sprint in time...and vice versa.  So today I got my heartrate up pretty quickly at about 75% speed with little rest time between sprints.  Then, once I got my heartrate to 192-198 I cranked up the speed and increased my rest time.  I was exhausted after 25 minutes.  All in all, good workout day.

Workout:
Lying lat bar curls 3 x 10-12
EZ bar curls 3 x 10
Alternating incline curls 3 x 8 each
Single arm horizontal cable curl 2 x failure each arm
Tricep press-down on dip machine 3 x 12-15
Rope press-down 3 x 12-15
Single arm tricep extension 3 x 12 each
Sprints 25 minutes

Switching gears here for a minute...

My day started off with a truly empowering conversation with one of my clients...it was about inspiration/motivation.  Ironically, it is the very topic I've been thinking about a lot lately and woke up a couple of weeks ago in the middle of the night to jot down random thoughts/ideas.  We went back and forth about how important it is to be more aware of ourselves...our goals...our potential...and our own desire to be "great" in whatever capacity that entails(since we are all given different gifts and abilities).  Its so true...we often fall victim to meeting the expectations of others, society, and/or the mediocre and "safe" expectations we place on ourselves....as if to dream bigger than where we are is a crime.  I've wrestled with this very subject for a few weeks now, and here's a glimpse into my mind for a second...yeah, brace yourself...

I started thinking about how we idolize so many other people...famous people, parents, coaches, athletes...and we even come to the point where we are emotionally dependent on their success/achievements, as if it directly affects our loyalty to them and our barometer of inspiration we receive from them.  We forget they are, in fact, human, and thus struggle in their own form and fashion as well.  (Its easier for me to think of all of this from an athletic/fitness standpoint simply because of my career and athletic background.)  So all of this led me to a deeper thought....why is motivation and inspiration a mere FEELING to us?  Why do we often say "I feel motivated" or "I don't feel motivated"??  If its such a powerful driving force, to the point that we emotionally invest part of ourselves into the life of another in search of something greater than ourselves, why is it confined to something as wavering as a feeling?  Should it not be a mindset...a choice...to daily pursue the things that will take us one step closer to a goal?  Here's what I think...the will to pursue greatness (in whatever capacity) breeds the work necessary to get there, which breeds small successes along the way, which breeds motivation to keep going, which breeds the will to continue when its tough...and the cycle continues on and on.  But you say, "what if I don't have a goal?" or "I don't think I can do_______ or achieve _______."  So here's the kicker...and perhaps the greatest challenge some of us will ever face...

WHAT IF, instead of always looking to and depending on another flawed human being for some sort of "jump start" to inspire us, we dared to consider our own potential....dared to think beyond our parents' expectations, our coaches/boss' expectations, and for a moment fearlessly glimpse at who we could be with the talents and abilities given us.  Now why can't THAT person be our inspiration and motivation to move forward?!  Why can't we wake up each morning with a distinct picture of where we're headed and maintain focus?  How much more confident and driven we'd be if we truly believed with all our being that we are more capable.  The truth is 97% of us are scared....we're scared because to imagine that person is to confront who we are in this moment...
Well folks, to walk on water your first step has to be out of the boat...

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

16 left turns

One of the longest weeks ever.
I wasn't as tired as yesterday, but by 2pm could have fallen asleep standing straight up.  I might have and just not remembered.  I kind of blackout during that time of day...the most sober, non-eventful blackout of my life. 

After yesterday's workout I needed a little redemption-day.  I felt stronger, mentally prepared, and just ready to attack today's work.  Wednesdays are usually a little easier lifting-wise, simply because I only have biceps and triceps.  Even though my arms were completely raw after 45 minutes, I don't hit big, compound movements like on chest or back day.  So, I'm not as worn out....however, I did have sprints after that.  The last thing I wanted to do was get on the treadmill, so I headed to the track. 

I haven't been on the track since college....and I was quickly reminded why it was so painful....and why I gave it up to party.  I wish I were kidding about that, but anyway...
I did a warm-up lap and then ran 16 100m sprints...well, at about 85%.  I ran the curves, jogged and walked the strait-aways for 2 miles.  I gave myself 20 seconds max to run the curves and averaged about 18 seconds...by the end my legs were shot.  My hamstrings are cramping right now, and going to the bathroom is ridiculously painful....gotta figure out how to do it standing up...

Workout:
Lying lat bar curls 4 x 10
Alternating incline curls 3 x 10 each
Standing EZbar curls 3 x 10-12
Rope press-down 3 x 15
Bench dips 3 x 12-15
Tricep extensions 3 x 12
Sprints 25 mins

Glad to be done, and pleased with the day.

So, there is seriously a show on tv right now called "Should I smoke dope?".... This woman gives this whole spill about wanting to "experiment" to see what would happen if she smoked on and off for a month straight.  For the sake of science, right?  And just as you're almost convinced this could be legitimate, her kids run screaming in the background.  It all makes sense now.  Her kids are driving her nuts and getting high seems more appealing than time-out.  I get it.  Way to go mom...

I could write more but its 9:40 and I just finished cooking tilapia and asparagus.  My kitchen smells like a fish market right now, the sink is full of dirty dishes, and I need to be in bed.  Big day to come...

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Unwinding

I started the day off tired, and ended it tired.  I was able to sleep in a extra hour, but then hit some treadmill sprints at 6:30.  For the record, I can function and work at 6:30, but going all out on the treadmill pre-coffee is a cruel form of punishment.  It took me about 15 minutes to get in some sort of rhythm, but it was never a walk in the park.  Sprints wear me out, and knowing I still had to lift a few hours later made my hump day that much longer....30 minutes of sprints and my humper was busted...

I had biceps and triceps today...my arms are ridiculous right now.  I decided to break out the tape measure...hahaha...boy was that funny.  My arms are over 2" bigger than they were a little over a year ago...I should be arrested for these guns.  Slightly dramatic, but I've seriously had to get rid of several shirts in my closet.  When you physically get stuck in a an article of clothing, its not a good sign.  I was busting out....and not from the front....

 I kept weights heavy on my biceps, and bumped up my reps on my triceps...if my triceps grow anymore I might cry...well, flex and take a picture to scare my kids one day, then cry...

Workout:
Lying lat bar curls 4 x 10
EZ bar curls 4 x 12
Single arm cable curl (horizontal position) 3 x 10 each arm
Tricep press on dip machine 4 x 12-15
Single arm tricep extension on cable 3 x 12 each arm
Rope press-down 3 x 12-15
Treadmill sprints 30 minutes

It's almost 9:00 and I've got to clean dishes, prepare my meals for tomorrow, and unpack/repack my gym bag.  Ugh...long week.  It was short today, but I think I exceeded my word limit for the day.  Can you imagine if there were such a thing?  Some people would be mute by 10am...thank God.

Alright people...here's to another hump day....enjoy some rest...be ready to go hard tomorrow....