a_welch503 WORKOUT JOURNAL

[.V.]

09-05-2004

Legs/Back

Pull Ups..................4x10
Squats.................170x4x8
Deadlifts..............170x4x8
Calf Raises............170x4x8
Bent Over Row..........125x4x8

Got my reps up on squats, deadlifts, calf raises, bent over row. Will increase weight next time. On squats, deads, calf raises, I will be doing 175. My body weight. It will probably get harder from here. #7 and #8 on set 3 and set 4 was pretty hard to get up. Barely made it up with good form. Bent over row will go to 130. Good workout today. No gripes like last chest/shoulders day.

[.V.]

09-06-2004

Chest / Shoulders

Military Press.............85x3x8, 85x1x6
Upright Row.........................95x4x6
Bench Press.......................125x4x6
B Flyes..............................90x4x6
Shrugs/Back.......................170x4x8
Shrugs/Front......................170x4x8

My hamstrings are sure sore from yesterday's deadlifts. My quads are getting really hard, not big, but hard. The back of my legs are still a little soft, but improving - no cottage cheese back there anymore. I noticed in the mirror that my sad little lats are improving too. Of course any visible lats is an improvement. I've never had that at all before, must be the pullups or the bent over rows.

Today there was only a slight improvement in the military press. Repeated same as last time on upright row - will repeat at least one more time. Did the 4x6 on the bench press. Need to repeat this at least once more to build more strength before trying to up the reps. Repeated the same workout on the butterflyes 80 pounds is too light - like a toy - 90 is almost too heavy - it will take a few more times to get the strenght up here. The machine has no 5 pound increases possible. Good increase on the shrugs reps. Raise the weight next time. It will be soooo cool to be able to shrug my own body weight. My grip isn't improving though. On the first 6, no problem at all, but on rep #7 it starts to loosen, on rep # 8 the first knuckle is all that is holding the weight. I should probably get some straps but I want to keep lifting without them as long as possible in hopes of building some more grip.

One totally awesome thing happened today - I don't post my cardio or my martial arts workout because it is the same old thing over and over, but I was outside at my little home gym and a wasp got after me. My backfist strike was fast enough to kill it without getting stung. Before, I couldn't even come close to a wasp - just big old slow bumble bees. In HS, martial arts was to keep me from getting beat up by the band (kidding), now self defense against insects - I must be getting old and boring.

[.V.]

I am putting this in because I hope to be increasing my dumbell curl to 50 pounds in the next month or so - if my left arm cooperates, I will discuss that when I post today's workout in the next little box.



This is one of the adjustable dumbells that I use. Right now I am using 40 pounds and get a pretty good curl with it with a good contraction and full range of motion. That is 70 lb for crunches btw in the pic btw. Today, when I was loading it for my crunches I noticed how much space the 25 lb plates take up. Can you get a decent curl with plates that size on it, or when I am ready to increase the weight will I need to start buying dumbells. The idea with the adjustable ones was to not have to buy dumbells - just buy more plates as needed.

[.V.]

09-07-2004

Arms/Abs

Here is what I did today:

BB Curls............................90x4x6
Skull Crushers......................80x4x7
DB Curls................40x4x6 R, 40x4x8 L
Tate Press..........................36x4x6
Crunches............................70x4x6
Tricep Pressdown....................70x4x8

Goals Met: Crunches - increased weight.


New Goals:
Increase reps on - BB curls, Skull Crushers
Increase Weight on - Tricep Pressdown

I think I could increase the reps on the tate press next time, but I will do 4x6 once more to get a little more strenght and stability before increasing.

Today the left arm failed about 1/2 way up on the 6th rep so I had to support the elbow with my right hand and give a "1 finger spot" to finish. So I did 2 extra reps that way to help it catch up with my right arm. Then I can move on as soon as it does.

[Andrea]

Have you tried crunches on a stability ball??

[.V.]

Andrea, no I haven't. I don't have one. There is no gym in this town and I work out on my back porch.

[Andrea]

You can buy one at Wal-mart for about $12. You can really feel the burn when doing crunches on one. Klinger, MrsRiley, and Brat all use one too, I believe.

[SurfinAmy]

Hey, great job on the DB curls, 40 lb'rs! Thumbs up! Also, congrats on Squat Weight and DL's, shrugs too.....I don't like the idea of straps either, but there are some exercises where I could use them...
Well, I was going to tell you that my brother uses the 25lb plates on the DB curls and gets a good burn from it...Also, you could try doing it reverse grip. Well, I don't know about you, but I can't curl as much that way. At least it would be one way to get a good burn with smaller plates on there....

-Amy

[.V.]

I can't curl that much yet anyway, but we gotta have a goal.

[.V.]

09-09-2004

Legs / Back

Pull Ups.........3x10, 1x12
Squats..............175x4x6
Deadlifts...........175x4x6
Calf Raises.........175x4x6
Bent Over Row.......175x4x6

Goals met:
Increased weight: Squats, Deadlifts, Calf Raises, Bent Over Row.
Increasing reps: Pull ups

New Goal:
Increase Reps: Squats, Deadlifts, Calf Raises, Bent Over Row, Pull Ups.

I can't believe it, I can finally squat and deadlift my body weight. Of course I had to lose almost half my body weight to be able to do it. Is that cheating?

I'm not one to post diet, because I usually eat pretty much the same thing - boring, but consistant. This has been the key to my fat loss. Since I seem to have stopped burning fat - my abdomen is looking a little softer to me. Even thought the tape measure says I am still burning a very little bit. I posted my diet in a question thread and the concensus is that I may be eating too much. I changed it a little. Here is the difference. Note that portion sizes are smaller. Anyone knowledgeable about controlled carbohydrate dieting - please feel free to comment, complain, flame, or offer opinions in any way you choose.

Here is what I have eaten so far today:
Breakfast (preworkout)
2 eggs (whole).
Cal: 140
Pro: 12
Fat: 8
Carb: 2

Postworkout
1 egg (whole).
Cal: 70
Pro: 6
Fat: 8
Carb: 2

Here is what I will eat the rest of the day:
Lunch
Chicken Breast, boneless/skinless - 1
Salad
Cal: 182
Pro: 34
Fat: 3
Carb: 3

Snack
Protein Bar
Cal: 220
Pro: 20
Fat: 10
Carb: 22 - only 3 net

Supper
4 oz sirloin tip roast
Broccoli 2 servings
Cal: 322
Pro: 38
Fat: 18
Carb: 3

Totals
Cal: 980
Pro: 114
Fat: 43
Carb: 12

[Andrea]

Roast is always yummy! Do you have dressing with the salad? Do you have protein shakes?

[MrsRiley]

I don't think I saw your diet thread but I'd say your carbs and cals are a lil low considering you are lifting weights. I think something this low carb is more for someone who doesn't workout regularly if I'm not mistaken. Maybe even just add a fruit or veggie to meal 1 + 2?? I've been guilty of dropping my cals too low too and I know sometimes you feel like you're eating alot more than you really are but 980cals seems way too low especially for a guy.

[.V.]

Andrea, I love the roast and have it twice a week. I also made my own lower carb gravy that I put on it - only a couple of tbsp though. I was eating 1 tbsp of sugar free, 0g carb 1000 island or ranch dressing on the salad, but not right now. Still gotta cut. I would post some pics to show you why, but it's just still way too gross.

Mrs. Riley, I know, I didn't realize it was that low until I added it all up. But, it is hard to eat much more than that. I was eating another chicken breast in the am and post workout. But the fat burning stopped and I had to cut something out. I dont know what to do. I don't want my calories to be too low, but I need to burn that last bit of fat so I can start bulking a little. Two less pieces of chicken a day is the only real change. The veggies are interchangeable. I will have a salad one time, broccoli the next, asparagus another time, then some spinach, sometimes green beans. At least 2 servings twice a day. Before I was eating at least 3 servings twice a day. I have to be careful about carbohydrate intake - I am carb intolerant. Until I learned this a year ago I ate way too many carbs - supposedly healthy ones - whole grains, oatmeal, grits, all kinds of beans...the stuff I taught people to eat for the last 15 years as an American Heart Association instructor. Then, one day I realized I weighed 300 pounds and could not pick my fat butt up off the floor. As I reduced my carbs, the abdominal pain, cramps, gas, and diarrhea that I lived with every day of my life all went away.

[MrsRiley]

really? well everyone is different so if such low carbs is working for you then by all means stick with it!!
what has helped me (and I can actually SEE the progress) is zigzagging so that if I have a couple low cal days in a row I go ahead and have a higher cal day to keep my metabolism up and then go back to the lower cals. cuz I too have a hard time eating so much every single day.

[.V.]

MrsRiley, I do miss the bread, potatoes, oatmeal, and pinto beans though. Pinto beans and cornbread with a big slice of onion is just about my favorite meal. Sigh...looks longingly at the kitchen.

Oh, I forgot, Andrea, yes I do sometimes use protein shakes, but the good ones that have no sugar and only 1 gram of carbs per shake are hard to find and pretty expensive. So I get what I can find. Sometimes I use the bars, sometimes the shakes, usually - just food.