Amanda's Stay Fit Journal

[ajarvis]

Thanks! If I can get a spotter I want to try BB bench press at 100 next week. Maybe 105.

I've been wanting to do chin ups for a while, now I just have to add to it next week.

[.V.]

Originally Posted by ajarvis

I've been wanting to do chin ups for a while, now I just have to add to it next week.

That first good one is the hardest. Just do what you can and they will get easier. When I first started pullups, I couldn't even do one. Started with 1/2 then 1, then 2, 3 and so on...

[gcs118]

And now you're piling that weight on the pull ups Andy! Amanda that looks like a great workout...I hope you nail that 100 lb bench press!

[.V.]

Originally Posted by gcs118

And now you're piling that weight on the pull ups Andy! Amanda that looks like a great workout...I hope you nail that 100 lb bench press!

And so will Amanda - with patience and persistance. Just don't give up on them because they are hard - they get easier with each one you do.

[ajarvis]

Thanks guys! I'm going to be trying with every upper body workout til' I get them I think I'm going to start with the chin ups then go to pull ups. I can't do a pull up right now at all!

[Zoetastic]

I have never done a pull up in my entire life. I haven't done a chin up either! lol!

Maybe that will be one of my new goals. What are the best exercises for training for it?

p.s. I'm way behind you in weigts Amanda, but If you can get yourself to do a pull up, I d@mn sure am gonna try You're a great motivator!

[ajarvis]

Thanks Zoe! There's no question to me that you can do a pull up if you work for it. You're a hard worker, and dedicated.

[.V.]

To you both - lat pulldowns are a big help on training to do pull ups. Just work your way up to body weight with the lat pulls and next thing you know - you are doing pull ups. One thing that helped me learn to do them was to go to the park and while my kid played, I would do assisted pullups - using my toes on the ground on the rings thatn they had for the kids to climb across. When I could pull myself partway up without an assist, I pulled as far as I could then would static hang for as long as I could.

Keep up the good work ladies - strong pullups = a strong back = a stronger and fitter person.

Now if I could just learn to run like Amanda does.

[ajarvis]

I haven't done lat pulldowns in a while. I can't always feel it in my back so I stopped, but if it's the quickest method I'll go back. Is it good to do both pull downs and rows? I've been doing rows where you have one knee on the bench and do rows with one arm at a time.

Oh, and running is just like getting a pull up. Keep at it little by little and all of a sudden you'll be a runner

[.V.]

I do pull ups AND bent over BB rows. In my opinion, the cable row or the BB bent over row is more effective than the one arm DB row - but does have more risk of injury if you are not careful with the form. Really, anything that works the lats is going to help you toward getting pull ups. I've found that for me anyway, the pullups and the BB rows compliment each other. Some people say that doing one arm DB rows are a waste of time, but in my opinion - no time that a muscle is being worked is wasted. Some ways might be more efficient than others, but still - if the muscle is being worked, it is getting stronger. Even the cable rows help if you have the equipment to do them with - and without the risk of injury that doing BB rows has with it.

[gcs118]

Originally Posted by ajarvis

I haven't done lat pulldowns in a while. I can't always feel it in my back so I stopped, but if it's the quickest method I'll go back. Is it good to do both pull downs and rows? I've been doing rows where you have one knee on the bench and do rows with one arm at a time.

Firehawk tells me rows are like squats...the more the better. I'm going to be doing BB BORs and lat pulldowns or pull ups in my back workouts.

[ajarvis]

If BB rows are more efficient then I'll switch! I've been thinking about it for a while anyways because of the fact your standing I thought it would be better since you would be utilizing more muscles.

[midgetcop]

Are you looking to train towards pullups?

Just a question though: what are the difference between pullups and chinups?

[ajarvis]

Thursday May 12th

Lower Body

Seated Leg Curl:
-84lbs 12 reps
-96lbs 10 reps 2 sets

Smith Machine Squats:
-105lbs 12 reps
-155lbs 8 reps
-175lbs 5 reps
-185lbs 5 reps
-165lbs 5 reps
**I DO NOT like this machine at all. To get started you have to roll the pins back, and it constantly feels like it's going to roll off your back. Plus I didn't like the feeling when squatting. It was almost like I had to lean back into the weight a bit to be in proper position!! I gave up. I wanted to at least try 185lbs on it to see if I could do it at parallel, but I wasn't comfortable going that low because of how the weight was sitting on my back.

Smith Machine Deadlifts:
-105lbs 10 reps
-125lbs 8 reps 2 sets
**Oddly enough I liked the deadlifts on here. Maybe I kept my form better then when I use a barbell. I don't know but my back doesn't feel strained at all.

Squats:
-145lbs 10 reps
-145lbs 8 reps 2 sets
**The squat rack freed up after I did deadlifts so I did three sets going just below parallel.

Chinups:
2 reps, rest, 2 reps
I tried a lat pull up only got a couple inches up lol. So then I started from the top and held it for about 10 sec. that was as long as I could hold it!!

[ajarvis]

Yea I'm trying to be able to do pullups again. As far as I know the difference between pullups and chinups is with pullups you have a wide grip so it uses more of your lats, while chinups your hands are closer together and it uses more biceps.