Loretta's Gym Log
 

Well, I left DAY 2 of Body RX at the gym, so I don't remember the data... Here's day 1 from yesterday:

Chest Press:
40 40 100 120 130
will start next time at 46 and then 130

Incline Press:
30 30 70 70 70
BARELY finished 6 reps last set. Not sure what to do next time. I guess 30 and 80? Don't know if I could do even 4 at 80.

Chest Fly:
30 30 50 50 50
Could do only 5 reps that last set. I guess do the same next time and focus more on better control?

Dumbell Curl
8 8 20 20 20
Did all 6 reps with right hand, but did 5, then 4, then only 3 with left hand. Gotta figure out what to do in this case. Next time, definitely stick with 20 for left hand, but up to 10 & 25 in right.

Preacher Curl
30 30 30
The lightest pre-made set was 30 pounds. Certainly not a warmup amount. I barely made the last 6 reps, so I'm sticking with it until I see more improvement. (MAYBE 30 30 40 next time?)

Today's workout was definitely harder. With chest and biceps worked yesterday and very tired today, they were strained by today's workout. That doesn't seem right, but I'll keep with the book.

-- Loretta

My two bits.
 

Hello. Good to see you working hard in the gym. Just a word of advice, if you dont mind.

I notice you mentioned using different weight for each arm when doing dumbbell curls. I highly recommend against this. Just stick it out until your left becomes as strong as the right. You don't want to become lopsided. More importantly you risk injury and back strain.

Always use the same weight in each hand, leg, etc. Unless you're rehabbing a bodypart and under the guidance of a professional.

Just be patient. Your left will catch up eventually.

Also, don't be too concerned with bumping up your weight so quickly. Slow and steady. Get to the point where you feel confident with the weight you are using, keeping with strict movements, then move up. It's great you want to max out. But you have to start slowly. Otherwise you end up injured, and having to stay out of the gym. Believe me . . . I'm talking from experience here. :)

Good luck Loretta !

Cycle 1 week 1 day 2
 

This was done yesterday:

Lat Pull-Down
40 40 80 80 80
This definitely needs to go up. maybe 40 and 90 or 100

Seated Row machine: (boy...I need workout gloves!)
40 40 90 90 90
Made all 6 reps... needs to go up. 40/40/90/100/100?

Wide-Grip Row machine:
40 40 90 90 90
Again, made all 6 - need to do 40/40/90/100/100

Tricep Push-Down Machine
25 25 60 70 70
Needs to go up to 30 30 80 80 80

Tricep Extension (free weights 'cause I couldn't even start on the lowest setting of the machine!)
8 8 12 10 10
Need to start lighter, then maybe there'll be hope with the 12's:
5 5 12 12 12 (fits better with the 40% 40% 100% 100% 100%)

Boy am I feeling it today!
-- Loretta

Cycle 1 Week 1 Day 3
 

Okey Dokey...

Leg Press Machine
(all these numbers are the weights I added...don't know how much a blank machine already is...)
90 90 140 140 160 (all 6 reps)
Next time, make it make more sense:
70 70 160 160 160

Leg Extension Machine:
40 40 100 100 110 (all 6 reps)
next time, make it
44 44 110 110 110

Leg Curl Machine:
30 30 60 60 60 (all 6 reps)
next time:
30 30 60 70 70

Standing Calf Raise machine (did better than I thought)
20 20 60 80 100 (no problem)
Next time:
40 40 100 100 100 and see if that can be completed

Donkey Calf Raise (looked different than the one in book, but had the same name)
40 40 100 160 200 (and still no problem)
Next time:
80 80 200 200 200 (and see if that can be completed)

yahoo!
Loving the weights!
Loving the NO cardio!
:-)

(will never be able to long-term wake up early just for cardio...blech!)
-- Loretta

Hello there
 

Your work out look great. So how do you like it? I love it, I do not know why I ever stop doing it. I was playing around with exersices today(I work out at home and only have free weights) I do not like the goodmornings. They are done by locking knees and puting weight on shoulders(like you may with a squat) then you bend at the waist till you are parallel with the floor then back to standing straight. They wher not comfy to do at all. I did do the dead lifts, theyare not too bad.

SO which exercises do you like best?


Well got to run, Till later Lynn

Cycle 1 Week 1 DAY 4
 

Pretty good, strong workout. I look forward to lifting more and more as the weeks go by (but not to the continued soreness...and I cannot afford the 4 or 5 grams of glucosamine or whatever it is...to help ward it off)

Shoulder PRess
30 30 70 80 90 - no problem
Next time:
40 40 100 100 100

Seated Lat Raise (Free weights)
5 5 12 12 12
Could only do 5 sets of 12, so this was the right weights
Next time:
SAME!

Rear Deltoid Machine (this one wasn't much fun)
30 20 40 40 40 - did finish all 6
Next time:
20 20 50 50 50

Forward Crunch (didn't read directions, so did 2 warm up sets...will drop that next time)
20 14 40 40 40
Next time:
50 50 50

Reverse Crunch (ouch! This is where I'm lacking muscle!)
10 12 14
Next time:
11 13 15

The end! I did all this yesterday. Tomorrow is back to DAY 1 of 2nd week wahoo!
-- Loretta

Cycle 1 Week 2 DAY 1
 

WOW! Felt much more confident this time around. PRobably partly because I wasn't wondering if I was doing things right or the right exercises. Partly because I knew better what weights to start at.

Chest Press Machine:
46 46 130 130 130 - finished
Next time:
56 56 140 140 140

Incline Press Machine
30 30 70 70 70 - finished
Next time:
30 30 80 80 80

Chest Fly Machine (still not fond of this one)
20 20 50 50 50 - finished
Next time:
20 20 60 60 60

Dumbbell Curl (FREE)
8 8 20 20 20
[6 6 4 5 4 reps] - held back by weak left hand. Right hand could have finished easily
Next time:
same (until left hand can catch up)

Preacher Curl (free)
bar bar 30 30 30 (don't know weight of bar only) - finished
Next time:
bar bar 40 40 40 (this will be tough)

That's all folks!

I'm thinking of taking a break between this day and DAY 2 - since both are upper body. So I'll head in Wed, THurs, Friday this week for days 2, 3, and 4.

-- Loretta

Looking Good
 

Your work outs are looking good. I can see the gain already(in weight increase that is). You are doing great. Talk to ya soon. I too think I may be back on wed. We will see how sore Iam tonight. I think every inch of me hurts. I love it. Talk to ya Wed. Lynn

Not as sore as I expected...
 

I decided not to do DAY 2 today (immediately following DAY 1) because it's upper body as well, and I thought it might take away from my abilities.

Turns out I'm not terribly sore at all today. Does the soreness lessen over time or is it a sign that I could have gone harder?

Back to the gym tomorrow morning!
-- Loretta

Cycle 1 Week 2 DAY 2 (done last night)
 

Workout felt great.
Love working on the back, 'cause I really don't like how it looks, so I hope to see great improvements there...BAck and abs!

Lat Pull-Down Machine
40 40 90 90 90
6 6 6 5 4
Next week: same

Seated Row Machine
40 40 90 90 90
6 6 6 6 6
Next week:
40 40 100 100 100

Wide-Grip Row Machine
40 40 90 90 90
6 6 6 6 6 barely!
Next week:
40 40 100 100 100 (hope to make 4 reps!)

Tricep Pushdown Machine:
30 30 75 75 75
6 6 6 6 6
Next time:
30 30 80 80 80

SWITCH: Instead of using free weights (just don't feel confident), I switched to -
Overhead TRicep Extention Machine:
20 20 20 30
6 6 6 6
Next time:
20 20 40 40 40

that's all!
-- Loretta

Cycle 1 Week 2 DAY 3
 

Did this one this morning. Changed quite a number of things.
I'm dropping Leg Extension and Leg Curl machines for Cycle 1. Will bring those more isolated machines back during Cycle 2.

So here's what I did:

SQUATs:
bar bar 50 60 70 (don't know how much bar weighs)
6 6 6 6 6
Next time:
bar bar 70 70 70

LEG PRESS Machine (like 1st exercise in week 1)
70 70 160 160 160
6 6 6 6 6
Next time:
70 70 170 170 170

GLUTE ISOLATOR (really like the burn of this one!)
10 10 40 50 50
6 6 6 6 6
Next time:
20 20 60 60 60

Standing Calf Raise
40 40 100 100 100
6 6 6 6 6
Next time:
40 40 120 120 120

Donkey Calf Raise Machine:
80 80 200 200 200
6 6 6 6 6
NExt time:
90 90 220 220 220

Felt great!
-- Loretta

Looking good
 

Your work outs are looking strong. Iam glade that there is someone else in the same week as me. Iam not lifting as heavy as you, I do mine with free weights so I think it is harder to get to the heavier weight. I will get there.

U are doing great. Keep it up and you will see goal in no time. Talk to ya later, Lynn

Cycle 1 Week 2 DAY 4
 

Whew!
Made it to the end of week #2!

I woke up at 6am (with only about 6.5 hours sleep) and had a headache. So I laid back down. Luckily the headache kept me from falling back asleep, so I figured I might as well get up...take Advil... and head to the gym 'cause I'd kick myself if I didn't.

So I made it, and the headache was gone by the time I was out at the first exercise.

Shoulder Press:
40 40 100 100 100
6 6 6 6 6
Next time:
44 44 110 110 110

Seated Lat Raise FREE (I really hate this one)
5 5 12 12 12
6 6 6 5 5
Next time (same)

Rear Deltoid Machine (not fond of this one either)
20 20 50 50 50
6 6 6 4 5
Next time: (same)

Forward Crunch (again...dislike!)
50 40 40
Next time:
50 45 40

Reverse Crunch Bench (ouch! HATING this one!)
15 13 11
Next time:
16 14 12

The End!
-- Loretta

Cycle 1 Week 3 DAY 1
 

Yea! I made it to week 3. This is kinda impressive for me.
1 week at a time!

CHEST PRESS:
56 56 140 140 140
6 6 6 6 6
Next time:
60 60 150 150 150

INCLINE PRESS
The plates were stuck. I had it set to 80, but was doing 90:
30 30 90 90 90
6 6 6 6 6
Next time:
40 40 100 100 100

CHEST FLY (don't care for this one)
20 20 60 60 60
6 6 6 5 6
Next time: get all 6's (do the same)

DUMBBELL CURL (the left arm is holding me back from advancing!)
8 8 20 20 20
6 6 5 6 5
Next time: do the same until left arm can catch up!

PREACHER CURL.
bar bar 30 30 30
6 6 6 6 6
I couldn't lift the 40 to even start. But 30 is too easy. Don't know what to do here.

That's all folks!
-- Loretta

Loretta...
 

I love the preacher curl. Can you do just 35 instead of 40. I know on my free weights I have 2.5lbs weights so I can go up 5lbs at a time if I need to.

Wow 140 on chest press, i wish I had machines sometimes.You are doing great. We will look like Hotties before we know it, LOL.

well need to eat again. Talk to ya soon
Lynn