Working Out

3-15-09 Workout

/ Varza / Leave a comment

Just a quick post on my workout for today. It was nice cause the gym was really empty and quiet so I was able to not worry about other people being around me and could really focus on getting thru the workout quickly and efficently.

Yesturday, I was going to try and make it to the gym but didn’t. Got there but realized when I was dressing that I forgot my shirt to workout in. Instead I went home and worked on my paper for school. But I made it to the gym today and when I was getting ready I had not just one but TWO shirts with me today.

Todays workout is brought to you by my trainer – he put it together for me over breakfast. Basically one movie per body part.

Warm Up
15mins – Treadmill, Incline Intervals, 3.5mph
Stretching

Workout: basically the workout goes as one of each of the toning, then abs then the cardio… rest then start again at the beginning. Took about 10minutes per round.

5 sets of 10 for each of the following –
(legs) 40# – Squat on Smith Machine
(back) 70# – Hammer Strength ISO-Frontal Pull down
(chest) 40# – Hammer Strength ISO-Decline Press
(arms) 20# – Triceps Extension

5 sets of ab workout – 25 each set
3 sets of bicycles
1 set of double crunches
1 set of jack knifes w/ 5# medicine ball

5 of the following – 1 done at the end of each round
3m – Row Machine

Cool Down
10m – Random Inclines, Treadmill, 3.5mph

I am sore all over and tired but I feel great! Even better… during my cool down I was watching ESB on the tv and it was my fav scene and personally what I think is the most romantic scene in the history of movies.

So, I am definatly not giving up. I am blaming my PMS… yes, my PMS for my insanity this week. I am noticing a bit of a weirdness on my hip though, I think that comes from the injury I had to my hip earlier. I’m going to show it to my trainer and see what he thinks.

More Workouts and Fears…

/ Varza / 2 Comments

Okay, so I know I didn’t post my last few workouts but things have been a bit crazy health wise. Seems like my body is wanting for me to not complete this mission and I had a horrible disappointment when we did my body fat measurements and found out I went 0.8% in the last three months. I am suppose to be going DOWN not UP! So it will soon be time for a complete overhaul of my workouts…

Its even sadder since I have increased my cardio in the past few months even though there have been struggles with side stitches, cramps, pulled muscles, etc. So, obviously I am not getting the best workout I need to. And a complete and total frustration I might add. I did spend a good portion of my Wednesday even in tears and fighting my desire to just quit. I’m not going to but its hard not to. There is a very loud voice in my head that seems to want me to find reasons to fail and screaming very very loudly for me to to do just that.

I have been posting on my 300 boards about this and one of my wonderful friends over there linked me to an article about muscle catabolism… when you have more negative than positive agents working in your system. Seeing as I haven’t been sleeping well for the last few months and my stress levels are uber high with being constantly on the go… my brain is working against me in so many ways.

I spoke with my trainer – well texted cause I was crying and couldn’t talk. We will be sitting down and making a workout program for me to follow to get the best workout possible. I am tired of failing at things in life – seriously failing. I have failed in pretty much every way you can imagine but I do not want to fail in this one.

Its hard though because there are a lot of workouts I want to do but I don’t because I either don’t want to look foolish in front of complete strangers, am afraid to do them alone because I don’t know what I am doing or am unsure of myself. Next to my sense of failure this sense of just being unsure is excruciating. I don’t like asking for help and I should, I just don’t. This is something I have had to deal with my entire life. I just need to maybe write on something “Fortune Favors the Bold” and just realize, I’m not the only one out there feeling this way. Seriously, some workout magazine needs to do an article on overcoming your fears at the gym. Its hard.

So, I will no longer be doing 15 reps but more sets at 12 reps each, and 3 or 2 sets where I need to. Here are my workouts from the last few days (please not that the use of a number w m behind it is minutes, not miles and my way of recording is 2 x 12 @ 60# – is 2 sets of 12 reps at 60 pounds. If I adjust the weight during my sets I don’t put a # there at all…)

3.10.09 Workout:
16m – intervals, 1m walk, 1m run
had to stop and stretch my hip, it killing me like crazy right now. As is my knee.
15m – walking, 3.5, incline 3

3.11.09 Workout:

Warm Up
12m – Elliptical Crossramp, Crosttrainer, Resistance 6
Stretching

Workout
20 @ 40 – ISO Lat Chest Press
10 @ 60 – ISO Lat Chest Press
12 @ 50 – ISO Lat Chest Press
15 @ 40 – ISO Lat Chest Press
20 @ 30 – ISO Lat Chest Press
2 x 12 – Kettle bell raise with dumbbell, right arm
2 x 12 – Kettle bell raise with dumbbell, left arm
15 – push ups on knees at incline
10 – push ups on knees on floor
3 x 12 @ 15 – bicep curls
3 x 12 @ 30 – tricep curls
1 x 15 @ 10 – bicep curl
1 x 15 @ 15 – bicep curl
2 x 20 – Jack knives with 5# medicine ball

that was it… my shoulder gave on me during the push ups on the floor. no cardio either because my hip, knees and calves were still hurting from yesterday.

3.12.09 Workout:

Warm Up
11m – Elliptical Crossramp, Interval, Resistance 8
lots and lots and lots and lots of stretching

Toning – each pair I went back and forth with one set with one then a set on the other, back and forth
4x 12 @ 60# – Seated Row
4 x 12 @ 35# – Chest Press

3 x 12 @ 70# – Lat Pulls
2 x 12 @ 25# – Lat Raises

25 – Stability Ball Crunches

4 x 12 @ 95/100/95/90 – Seated Leg Press, Feet placed high to get a more back of the leg workout
3 x 12 @ 75/80/75/70 – Seated Calf Press (this one hurt like the dickens but I wanted to get SOME leg work in today)

75 – Stability Ball Crunches (15 w/ 5# medicine ball)

20 – Incline Mason Twists w/ 5# Medicine Ball

That is it. It is Friday and Fridays are my days off from working out. I am going out for the evening and hope to relax some before heading into work tomorrow morning.

3-9-09 Workout

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I am going to start posting some of my workouts – maybe not all but when I can remember to post them 😀

Thanks everyone! I am going to see if I can take one of the PT classes at my school or one of the PE classes next semseter.

Todays workout – went fast. Even if I didn’t workout since Thursday, I still have a ton of homework to do before wednesday. But still got about an hour in.

Warm Up
5mins – Elliptical Crossramp, Glute Trainer, Resistance 10
Stretching

Workout
3 x 20 @ 120/125/115 – Hip Abductions
3 x 20 @ 120/125/115 – Hip Adductions
3 x 15 @ 90/95/85 – Leg Press
3 x 15 @ 75 – Calf Machine
5mins – Treadmill, 3.5mph, incline intervals 2/10
3 x 12 @ 60 – Leg Curls
3 x 12 @ 60 – Leg Extensions

Cardio
23mins – Treadmill Intervals, 2mins walk (3.5mph/incline 2), 1mins run (5.1mph/no incline)

Estimated Calorie Burn: 820

Basically ran until the bones on the back of my knees started to hurt. Then stopped.

If you are wondering why I slipped in a 5m cardio in the middle of my toning, there is a method to my madness. Basically cardio burn. It helps get my heart rate up in the middle of my workout to burn those calories. Especially when I am using the machines only that day. Mixing it in like that also helps spread my cardio out during an entire workout instead of just at the end or the beginning.

And it keeps going and going…

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… and going. Its been awhile since my last post about my weight loss. With all my emotional crap with being single and all that other fun crap, its hard to remember that part of why I started this blog was to talk about my weight loss.

So, basically, it is still going. I have lost around 40 some lbs and while I have about 80 more to go, I am pretty happy. Frustrated because it isn’t going fast enough but happy that it is going.

My problem has basically been – I start to loose the weigh, go down a few lbs then spend several weeks swinging back up a few lbs then back down then back up and back down and then loose a few more then start all over again.

Its mainly my diet. I haven’t been as good as I probably should for months now. I am tired of it, a bit, but the big thing is late night snacking. I get extremely lonely at night with no one to talk to and I get bored. I get bored – I eat like crazy. I have been trying to not eat but its hard.  I am not sure what to do… and in truth, I don’t want to workout at 11pm right before I go to bed. And I can only eat so much fruits and veggies without turning my stomach contents into liquid.

I don’t have the time I want to be able to make the yummy smoothie-protein shakes I used to. Plus all that fruit costs an arm and a leg. Money is an option, and I would rather pay my bills then not and buy a truck load of fruits.

At the moment, a friend and I are looking at my workouts and trying to reorganize them into something more. Something more then just a basic workout where I can get the best possible response from my body. Its not easy because I want to tone and loose fat. So I have to make sure I don’t over do it on the weight machines.

I am finding help from some magazines, my trainer and an on-line workout/costuming group. The magazine I am recommending is “Oxygen“. I have read quite a few different ones but this one seems to be really about getting healthy and working out. Women’s Health has relationship, fashion and sex advice. Oxygen is all about the workout and nutrition. Plus, it is really nice that on their covers are professional athletes not an actress who has great abs. While I am sure their workouts are great – I would rather see someone who does it for a living giving me their advice. Personally, i don’t want to read about the personal lives of a celebrity – that isn’t what I want out of my fitness magazine.  But maybe its just me?

So after almost a year of doing this, its time to look at my past workouts and reevaluate – and set a new goal. And not just a weight loss goal but something that will be a goal I have to focus on to gain a change. I have one in mind but I am superstitious and don’t want to talk about it just yet.

I am also coming up on the last few months of my golds gym membership and have to decide if I am going to stay there or move to another gym. I found out that Defined Fitness has a student discount membership – its still more expensive then Golds by about 17 bucks but there is the added advantage of their pool. Which would mean I won’t have to trek it on down to the local public pool where there are swim teams and kids jumping on me. Which is a total advantage. Now that it is warming up again and my old swim suit fits again – its time to head back and in truth, adding it up: Defined Fitness is cheaper then going to Golds and going to the public pool.

One draw back is that they are only in New Mexico – if I were to go somewhere else, I am stuck with no gym to go to. Meh, I will figure it out as we get closer to my close date.

But I wanted to give some of my latest stats –

Chest: original-52″,  now 44″
Neck: original-16″,  now 13.8″
Waist: original-49″, now 35″
Hips: original-53.5″, now 44″
Biceps: original-14.5″,15″, now (L)11.5″ ,(R)11.5″
Forearms: original-11″,12″,  now (L) 8.5″,(R) 8.75″
Thighs: original-30″,32,  now (L) 22.”,(R) 22.”
Calves: original-18″,18″,  now (L) 15″,(R) 15″

Like I said its a long process but I am working hard at it…

Weight Loss Woes

/ Varza / 3 Comments

I am damned sexy and any man would be lucky to have me! I know its true, you know its true… so why don’t guys figure that out until its too late? Seriously, they do. Damn them all! lol…

But none of that today. Today is just a general post about my working out and possibly some school stuff, since that started this week.

I have been working on losing weight for about 8 months now and it has been a hard ass struggle so far. On average I should be able to lose about 2 lbs a week, I am averaging about 5lbs per month. On the whole I have lost about 40lbs and mky weight just struggles and struggles to come off and it is a bit tiring. Its hard to like yourself when you hear how fast people are loosing weight and how easy it is for them. Hence, why I have stopped watching infomercials. Those things can be killer on your self-esteem. I lost 40lbs in 8 weeks!

I know I have lost weight and dress, shirt and pants sizes. I am down about 3 sizes now, maybe 4. I work my ass off at the gym each time I go. Okay maybe 98% of the time I go but I am starting to get frustrated. I do ab work every time I see no real changes there. It looks in the same shape. I work and it hurts but in the morning or a few hours there is no pain. So, the question is – am I working out hard enough. How can I know?

I know my trainer has been pushing me and says I am doing great but I don’t feel that way. If I had done as well as I could I would be under 200# by now. Is it because I am not starving myself with my diet. Eating small portions and not always getting the salad at dinner and order a hamburger cause that is what I am hungry for. I refuse to do that and maybe that is my problem. I satisfy my cravings. Now, I don’t go gung how and eat an entire container of ice cream in a siting. Heck I haven’t had ice cream in over a month.  And its not easy but I do it. I don’t eat as many carbs as I want but I still eat like a normal non-dieting person. Not alot, I stay within my calorie margin I believe and watch what I put into my mouth. I eat a lot of salads.

Why won’t I crash diet? Well, basically I want to be able to continue to eat normal and still loose weight. So that when I get to my goal I will be able to eat a normal diet and not gain it all back. Its hard and yes, it is meaning slower results but I am looking in the long run. I have done weight watchers and Jenny Craig but I have failed on both of them. Big time and ended up gaining all the weight back plus more in the end.

But what I would really like to do is go to the doctors and see if there is anything medically that needs attention. I have a feeling I may have a disorder that is part of the reason I gained weight (other then the major snacking and crap eating) as fast as I did and part of why its coming off slowly.

I trust my trainer. He knows what I eat and he doesn’t think I am doing anything wrong. He sees what I eat when I go out to dinner and usually gives me an okay on certain foods. Yes, I do text him when I am out from time to time to discuss my options. He is a good trainer and friend.

So where am I now? Well, heavier then I want to be but getting there. I don’t want to take an entire year from now to loose the last 70lbs to my goal. So what do I need to do? not change my diet… but increase my cardio during my workouts. Not take a day off of cardio just because I am tired and don’t want to even if I have time, like I did last night. But go ahead and do it.

Why won’t I diet more? Well, I like food. I like to eat out. I don’t like to deprive myself of things that bring me joy in life when I can adjust a little – like going protein style on a really goodd burger instead of not having the burger at all? Not having fries but having a salad and stealing one from my friends plate during dinner if I feel the need for one.

Am I succeeding, yes? Yes I am and in my own long ass hard way. I am stubborn what can I say and it seems that my body took up my mentality. 😀

A Struggle and A Win….

/ Varza / 1 Comment

The past two to three weeks have been a struggle for me in working out lately. My knees were crapping out on me, my wrist was to the point where I could put no pressure on it and I was burning out from going to the gym. In truth, I wanted to increase my cardio but I just couldn’t push myself any further. I tried doing a kickboxing class at the gym and ended up not being able to workout for almost a week. Worked out one day and then bam, down and out for another couple of days.

And I was burning out because the pounds weren’t disappearing like they should have. I was still only loosing an average of a pound a week. Which was pissing me off. I wanted to swim. I needed to swim. I needed to feel the cool water wrapped around my body as I glided thru it. And finally! I finally fit back into a swim suit that I had on hand. So, I broke down spent the $3 bucks to go to the local pool and within the past couple of weeks I have lost almost 10lbs. 10lbs! In just over two weeks! It is insane I know but in truth, my body feels sleeker and more lean and damned sexy!

Yes, I said sexy. I actually like looking in the mirror. I forgot how much swimming inpacted how I felt. Even going to the gym and dieting hasn’t made me feel this way in over several months. So, I take that as a win. A very big win… for me since for so long I have hated my body and felt disgusting. Definatly not sexy and beautiful.

 I look forward to going to the pool and even the gym now. In which, this week I meet with another new trainer. l’sigh… yep another one.

But its time to go and tomorrow is another day at the pool.

Goals and whatnot…

/ Varza / 4 Comments

So, things have gotten a bit better since I last posted. I did not walk away, in truth, I have too much going on in my life that is 100x’s more important then people bitching about stupid crap. Now back to my real life, where I pretty much happy. I say pretty much because we all have bad days… right?

Things are going well on my diet/lifestyle change. I think I am still loosing weight and I know I am shrinking. How, you ask? Well, my workout pants that I have been using were a XXL but the other day I went and picked up another pair. But, accidently I picked up an XL instead of an XXL, they fit really well. As well as my XXL did when I picked them up over a month ago. I am very happy with that. How can I not be? I went to the movies last night and noticed that my hips didn’t hit the sides of the seat. I realized they hadn’t in the past few weeks but I didn’t think about it then. Last night, having gotten up several times for the bathroom and snacks, before the movie started, I did. Even after I treated myself to a scoop of Double Fudge Chocolate Ice Cream, hey we have to treat ourselves from time to time. Right? Or we go crazy!!!

But, I have been thinking of my end goals, when I hit my final weight goal – which is 150lbs, if my body will do it. What will I give myself. Well, after thinking about it I think I will do what I have been wanting to do for the last 5 – 8 years but haven’t because of my weight. A beautiful tattoo on my right back shoulder. I have the design in mind but it will be a bit more original then walking into the store and saying – hey, I want that. And it is possible I will cover up a really bad tat I have on my inner hip. With what? I haven’t a clue. Maybe a spartan sheild from 300 since it has a special place in my heart for my weight loss.

My other goal – to make a costume I have been wanting to do for the past few years but there was no way in hell I would ever be able to pull it off unless I was in shape. More on that when it gets time to start on it.

Today has been a good day so far… about 3 hours left in work and then I can go home and workout then work on some projects I have been pushing off for the past few weeks while I go to the gym.