What a weekend.
I walked into the gym this morning already exhausted. Emotionally, I am beyond drained, but I cannot say that I've faced it alone. The amount of support and encouragement I've received over the last few days has been incredible. Tomorrow will be yet another long day...funeral and burial. Thus, I probably will not write...
I certainly did not feel like I was my best today...which is tough to deal with when you're surrounded by people who fuel off of your own energy and drive. While I felt distracted to some degree, I was still very much aware of my own internal struggles. Needless to say, it was a hard day with an even harder workout. Everything felt heavy.....very heavy. And starting a workout with bodyweight wide-grip pull-ups is kicking yourself in the crotch before a fight. It was brutal....but I pulled my tank-like-rearend up for 4 sets like a mad woman. Back, shoulders, biceps, then sprints....loooong workout to say the least.
Workout:
Wide grip pull-ups 4 x 8
Single arm DB row 4 x 8 each
Seated cable row 4 x 6-8
Seated BB shoulder press 4 x 6-8
Front plate raise 4 x 8
Lateral raise from neutral 4 x 8
Lat bar curls 4 x 8
Straight bar standing curls 4 x 8
Hammer curls 2 x 12
Sprints
My lats and upper back are getting strong as hell. I'm gonna need a new bra....38 A....which I'm sure doesn't exist. And for good reason, no woman was naturally created with lats like bat wings....one good flex and I will be out of this bra faster than a prom-whore. (Prom-whores: girls who slut themselves out only on prom night...thinking that since they are dressed up it somehow makes it less whore-ish. Nope, still slutty.) Anyway, point is that I am truly enjoying the strength gains from this new program design...more strength...more volume...overall good plan.
College kids are starting to roll back in town...always entertaining. Chad and Kelsey returned today...full throttle. It was great to have them in the gym though...I certainly needed the laughs and their enthusiasm.
Well, its late and I've got an extremely full day ahead.....a lot on my mind and just ready to have some closure...
Showing posts with label db raises. Show all posts
Showing posts with label db raises. Show all posts
Monday, May 16, 2011
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....
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....
Monday, April 11, 2011
Scrambled please...
I'm about 1 egg white away from going to the bathroom and laying my own...
12 egg whites today, some tilapia, chicken, and an ungodly amount of asparagus and spinach...welcome to peak week. I feel pretty weak, but mentally on point. Getting through today's workout was tougher than I expected because 20 pounds felt like 30, and 30 felt like 50, and the 35's felt like Aunt Bertha was sitting on my chest. Honestly, the entire experience was not very pleasant, but it is what it is.
I've had many clients/friends ask me how I'm doing today...let's "go there" shall we...
I'm nervous, excited, extremely tired, eager, focused, and dealing with all sorts of thoughts that I haven't quite sorted out just yet. Its been 5 years since I've stood on that particular stage, and I can vividly remember looking at the pictures afterward and being disappointed. I didn't work hard enough...I didn't want it bad enough. I was one place away from qualifying for nationals, and I knew that I didn't deserve that spot. I am bombarded with images from that last show...like it was my moment of "falling off the bike"...and now sometimes I fear going on stage and looking the exact same...not prepared...not to my potential...simply mediocre. Its not logical, I know, because I look so different, and so I acknowledge them and then move on. Because its not about being fearless, but how you respond to that fear that matters. It moves you in one direction or another...towards a greater sense of self and success or towards complacency and the mind-numbing thought of "what if". I saw this quote the other day and it really stuck with me, it said "Whatever you fear, go there." Here I go...
Chest/shoulders/sprints today....this will be my 6th week of sprint work...amazing my knee caps are still intact. Despite the fact that everything felt much heavier than I'd like, it was a good workout. Right now it is maintenance...just getting to Saturday feeling confident, hard, and ready.
Workout:
Incline DB press 4 x 10, drop set on 4th
Flat DB bench 3 x 10
DB flys 4 x 12, drop set on 4th
Push-ups to failure 2x
Seated BB shoulder press/ss lateral raises 4 x 12/15
Seated Arnold press/ss front raise partials 3 x 10/15
Sprints 25 minutes
The latest question in the Falcon house is when to start painting. Originally, I was thinking Thursday night...now I'm thinking Wednesday. I'm extremely pale right now, (I'm pretty sure I glow in the dark when I'm naked),...and so I'm thinking I might need at least 5 coats of paint...which takes F-O-R-E-V-E-R. Hell, we might as well start right now.
Alright, I've gotta cook dinner for the hubby....he's getting velveeta shells and cheese with ground turkey...that dish is like fatty-sex-goodness in your mouth. Why do I let him eat that? Because if he had to eat the eggs and asparagus that I just ate, the fine line of domestic violence might be crossed.
Have a wonderful night!! Moving forward....always moving forward...
12 egg whites today, some tilapia, chicken, and an ungodly amount of asparagus and spinach...welcome to peak week. I feel pretty weak, but mentally on point. Getting through today's workout was tougher than I expected because 20 pounds felt like 30, and 30 felt like 50, and the 35's felt like Aunt Bertha was sitting on my chest. Honestly, the entire experience was not very pleasant, but it is what it is.
I've had many clients/friends ask me how I'm doing today...let's "go there" shall we...
I'm nervous, excited, extremely tired, eager, focused, and dealing with all sorts of thoughts that I haven't quite sorted out just yet. Its been 5 years since I've stood on that particular stage, and I can vividly remember looking at the pictures afterward and being disappointed. I didn't work hard enough...I didn't want it bad enough. I was one place away from qualifying for nationals, and I knew that I didn't deserve that spot. I am bombarded with images from that last show...like it was my moment of "falling off the bike"...and now sometimes I fear going on stage and looking the exact same...not prepared...not to my potential...simply mediocre. Its not logical, I know, because I look so different, and so I acknowledge them and then move on. Because its not about being fearless, but how you respond to that fear that matters. It moves you in one direction or another...towards a greater sense of self and success or towards complacency and the mind-numbing thought of "what if". I saw this quote the other day and it really stuck with me, it said "Whatever you fear, go there." Here I go...
Chest/shoulders/sprints today....this will be my 6th week of sprint work...amazing my knee caps are still intact. Despite the fact that everything felt much heavier than I'd like, it was a good workout. Right now it is maintenance...just getting to Saturday feeling confident, hard, and ready.
Workout:
Incline DB press 4 x 10, drop set on 4th
Flat DB bench 3 x 10
DB flys 4 x 12, drop set on 4th
Push-ups to failure 2x
Seated BB shoulder press/ss lateral raises 4 x 12/15
Seated Arnold press/ss front raise partials 3 x 10/15
Sprints 25 minutes
The latest question in the Falcon house is when to start painting. Originally, I was thinking Thursday night...now I'm thinking Wednesday. I'm extremely pale right now, (I'm pretty sure I glow in the dark when I'm naked),...and so I'm thinking I might need at least 5 coats of paint...which takes F-O-R-E-V-E-R. Hell, we might as well start right now.
Alright, I've gotta cook dinner for the hubby....he's getting velveeta shells and cheese with ground turkey...that dish is like fatty-sex-goodness in your mouth. Why do I let him eat that? Because if he had to eat the eggs and asparagus that I just ate, the fine line of domestic violence might be crossed.
Have a wonderful night!! Moving forward....always moving forward...
Monday, March 14, 2011
I got a feel'n...
Back to the work week.
It was a stressful start to the week...as my backup alarm went off 7 minutes late. Yeah, yeah 7 minutes...but because I am a CHRONICALLY scheduled person, I nearly flipped out. I don't think I calmed down until I got off the highway...I even caught myself yelling at a man only going 82 in the fast lane...which, apparently to me at 5:15 in the morning was too slow. Not even 6am and I was already being ridiculous...
I had trouble falling asleep last night...tossing and turning until 11:30...meaning that I only got 5 hours of sleep. Its amazing I didn't go nuts on anyone before 10am. Ready or not, I had a big workout coming...had to grab it by the horns and ride like a champ. Chest, shoulders, and sprints. I felt strong throughout my lifts, but the sprints were harder than I expected...probably because I couldn't feel my arms, and my legs were in complete rebellion of any type of running. How is that different than any other day, I don't know. Shoulder workout was just plain brutal after lifting chest. At one point I finished a set of lateral raises, dropped the weights, and just said "I hate you!"...haha...what a freak show. As if the weights A) had any control over moving themselves or inducing pain independent of ME , or B) could even hear me or remotely care what I thought at that moment. I'm slowly losing my mind.
Workout:
Flat DB bench press 4 x 10
DB flys 4 x 10
Incline DB press 4 x 10
Standing BB shoulder press 4 x 12
Seated bent arm lateral raises (10x)/ss lateral raises (8-10x) 4x
Front DB raises 4 x 15
Treadmill sprints 30 minutes
My strength has maintained pretty well, but much of it has simply been mind over matter. I am definitely more tired, especially from all the cardio, but it is what it is.
Today I was on a serious mission. I had to bump up my water intake. Its one of those things that can easily lag if I'm not careful...well, not today my friends. I'm sitting at roughly 115 oz of water for the day and my bladder is about to explode. After 8am it was pretty comical how often I had to go, so I started to keep count. A little over 12 hours at the gym today...27 trips to the bathroom. I wish I were kidding. I tell any guy with prostate issues to beat that. By round 15 I wanted a diaper. Good thing Brian isn't a tree-hugger because I killed some toilet paper today...oh wait... For those of you who don't know Brian, he would recycle his poo if he could. Which is fine and the world needs those people, just don't yell at me for not wearing recycled t-shirts....I recycle my beer cans...you're welcome.
On to a more serious part of my day.
I had a client come to me today after taking some time off. She was pretty upset and said that she simply lacked motivation. She felt as if she'd "fallen off the wagon" and just kept beating herself up over it. The truth is that she is an incredibly athletic woman, great runner, and strong....but somewhere along the way she got discouraged. I was totally caught off guard when she said she just felt like a failure in the gym because she struggled with the weights and felt like everything was hard. For a moment I was actually relieved....I just never put 2 and 2 together. She just had a total misconception of "success" and "failure" in the gym. I explained that struggling, yet completing a set with good form, is a GOOD thing...it needs to be hard, challenging, and push you to new limits. And as you get stronger, faster, more conditioned...guess what?...you make it harder. THAT is succeeding in the gym. Because you're ultimately competing against yourself...your weaknesses, and complacency we often find in our strengths simply because they are our strengths.
And as far as lack of motivation? Sometimes you just got to DO. Feelings come and go. Heck, if we only did what we felt like doing all the time, we'd drink more, go to church less, and probably be fired from our jobs for giving people a piece of our mind. Sometimes action will breed the feeling. Its a delicate balance....mentally we push ourselves physically,...and physically we boost ourselves mentally....back and forth. I think the key is knowing that everyday will be a little different and we have to adjust accordingly, yet approach it with the same confidence in our ability to be better than we were the day before. And the truth is, we are able.
Alright folks, I've written a book and my arthritis is screaming....early bedtime and then on to Tuesday...
Face tomorrow boldly!
It was a stressful start to the week...as my backup alarm went off 7 minutes late. Yeah, yeah 7 minutes...but because I am a CHRONICALLY scheduled person, I nearly flipped out. I don't think I calmed down until I got off the highway...I even caught myself yelling at a man only going 82 in the fast lane...which, apparently to me at 5:15 in the morning was too slow. Not even 6am and I was already being ridiculous...
I had trouble falling asleep last night...tossing and turning until 11:30...meaning that I only got 5 hours of sleep. Its amazing I didn't go nuts on anyone before 10am. Ready or not, I had a big workout coming...had to grab it by the horns and ride like a champ. Chest, shoulders, and sprints. I felt strong throughout my lifts, but the sprints were harder than I expected...probably because I couldn't feel my arms, and my legs were in complete rebellion of any type of running. How is that different than any other day, I don't know. Shoulder workout was just plain brutal after lifting chest. At one point I finished a set of lateral raises, dropped the weights, and just said "I hate you!"...haha...what a freak show. As if the weights A) had any control over moving themselves or inducing pain independent of ME , or B) could even hear me or remotely care what I thought at that moment. I'm slowly losing my mind.
Workout:
Flat DB bench press 4 x 10
DB flys 4 x 10
Incline DB press 4 x 10
Standing BB shoulder press 4 x 12
Seated bent arm lateral raises (10x)/ss lateral raises (8-10x) 4x
Front DB raises 4 x 15
Treadmill sprints 30 minutes
My strength has maintained pretty well, but much of it has simply been mind over matter. I am definitely more tired, especially from all the cardio, but it is what it is.
Today I was on a serious mission. I had to bump up my water intake. Its one of those things that can easily lag if I'm not careful...well, not today my friends. I'm sitting at roughly 115 oz of water for the day and my bladder is about to explode. After 8am it was pretty comical how often I had to go, so I started to keep count. A little over 12 hours at the gym today...27 trips to the bathroom. I wish I were kidding. I tell any guy with prostate issues to beat that. By round 15 I wanted a diaper. Good thing Brian isn't a tree-hugger because I killed some toilet paper today...oh wait... For those of you who don't know Brian, he would recycle his poo if he could. Which is fine and the world needs those people, just don't yell at me for not wearing recycled t-shirts....I recycle my beer cans...you're welcome.
On to a more serious part of my day.
I had a client come to me today after taking some time off. She was pretty upset and said that she simply lacked motivation. She felt as if she'd "fallen off the wagon" and just kept beating herself up over it. The truth is that she is an incredibly athletic woman, great runner, and strong....but somewhere along the way she got discouraged. I was totally caught off guard when she said she just felt like a failure in the gym because she struggled with the weights and felt like everything was hard. For a moment I was actually relieved....I just never put 2 and 2 together. She just had a total misconception of "success" and "failure" in the gym. I explained that struggling, yet completing a set with good form, is a GOOD thing...it needs to be hard, challenging, and push you to new limits. And as you get stronger, faster, more conditioned...guess what?...you make it harder. THAT is succeeding in the gym. Because you're ultimately competing against yourself...your weaknesses, and complacency we often find in our strengths simply because they are our strengths.
And as far as lack of motivation? Sometimes you just got to DO. Feelings come and go. Heck, if we only did what we felt like doing all the time, we'd drink more, go to church less, and probably be fired from our jobs for giving people a piece of our mind. Sometimes action will breed the feeling. Its a delicate balance....mentally we push ourselves physically,...and physically we boost ourselves mentally....back and forth. I think the key is knowing that everyday will be a little different and we have to adjust accordingly, yet approach it with the same confidence in our ability to be better than we were the day before. And the truth is, we are able.
Alright folks, I've written a book and my arthritis is screaming....early bedtime and then on to Tuesday...
Face tomorrow boldly!
Monday, December 13, 2010
Be about the business
A good weekend...busy, but good. The holidays are hectic to begin with, and couple that with dieting, long days, and lack of sleep and you've got yourself an anxiety attack waiting to happen. I took Saturday off and then walked on an incline yesterday morning for 40 minutes. I felt good once I was done, and was ready to get on with my day. Sometimes the weekends are a nice mental break from the intensity of the gym. Its easy to get consumed while competing, so to relax for a couple of days is a treat. Speaking of treats, it looks like I'll be able to enjoy Christmas dinner. I planned my diet accordingly, and I can use that night as kind of a "refeed" of sorts. Not to say I will go completely overboard, but to be able to eat a little bit of homemade corn pudding and sweet potato casserole will be nice. I will no doubt have a sugar-hangover as I do every year the day after Christmas.... My pancreas usually hates me that day...
Great workout today. Shoulders, biceps, and core....stuck with sets of 12 and struggled every set. My right wrist is still really bothering me, but I refuse to do anything about it unless it swells, bleeds, or just stops working all together. No crying wolf just yet. Overall it was an awesome workout and I feel satisfied with my weights and form. Taking my lateral raises above 90* has been amazing...the burn is enough to make me want my mama.
Workout:
BB shoulder press 3 x 12
Seated arnold press 3 x 12
Lateral DB raises 3 x 12
Front DB raises 3 x 12
Alternating DB curls 3 x 10 each arm
Cable curls with the lat bar 3 x 12
Alternating hammer curls on incline 2 x failure
Crunches on BOSU 4 x 15
Leg lifts 3 x 12
Extremely tired right now...but I get to eat in about 20 minutes...then its back in gear for the afternoon. I've never looked so forward to fish and rice as I do right now. YUMMMM. Here's to one workout closer to stage-ready...
Great workout today. Shoulders, biceps, and core....stuck with sets of 12 and struggled every set. My right wrist is still really bothering me, but I refuse to do anything about it unless it swells, bleeds, or just stops working all together. No crying wolf just yet. Overall it was an awesome workout and I feel satisfied with my weights and form. Taking my lateral raises above 90* has been amazing...the burn is enough to make me want my mama.
Workout:
BB shoulder press 3 x 12
Seated arnold press 3 x 12
Lateral DB raises 3 x 12
Front DB raises 3 x 12
Alternating DB curls 3 x 10 each arm
Cable curls with the lat bar 3 x 12
Alternating hammer curls on incline 2 x failure
Crunches on BOSU 4 x 15
Leg lifts 3 x 12
Extremely tired right now...but I get to eat in about 20 minutes...then its back in gear for the afternoon. I've never looked so forward to fish and rice as I do right now. YUMMMM. Here's to one workout closer to stage-ready...
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