My Quest to Build Muscle and Banish Fat
 

OK, I give in. I'll start putting my workouts online instead of just keeping them on my spreadsheets. I started CKD yesterday and here is my first depleting circuit training workout:

Mar. 15, 2002
(Yes, Julius Caesar died on this day and I almost did, too)

1' between exercises and 5' between circuits
20 reps for circuit 1, then 15 for circuits 2 and 3

Sumo squats - #1 60 lbs; #2,3 40 lbs
Incline DB Bench Press - 30 lbs (not quite hard enough, but 40 is the next step up and that was too much. Will increase reps on this next time.)
Vertical Row M - 55 lbs
Straight Leg Deadlifts - 60 lbs
Arnold Press - 30 lbs
Wide Grip Pulldown - 60 lbs
1 Legged Calf Raises (bent knee) - 30 lbs
Triceps Kickbacks - 10 lbs
Concentration Curls - #1,2 12 lbs
Biceps Curls - #3 12 lbs
Abs: Bicycle Crunches, Knee Ups - 20 reps each time
Side Bridges - 20 seconds each side

Took about 1 hr 20 minutes to complete, but I don't think I can do it much faster than that. Should I do less weight and faster reps?

Mar. 18, 2002

Started Ripped Fuel today - half dose (1 capsule) 3 times/day

AM Cardio - empty stomach, RF
21 MAS HIIT on the elliptical, level 5 - 10 (2 minute cool down)

PM UBWO
(Weight is per dumbbell)

Incline Dumbbell Bench Press
12 x 20
10 x 25 (have to combine 2 dumbbells to do this and it hurts thumbs! Not doing it anymore)
8 x 30
6 x 30
12 x 23 (this combo is OK b/c the 3 is light)
Incline Flyes
12 x 15

Arnold Press
12 x 12
10 x 13
8 x 15 (should have started with 10, then 12. Too much weight/reps too soon for R shoulder. RS became painful, so I stopped at about 5 reps before it failed. Continued rest of sets with L arm only.)
6 x 20
12 x 15
Side Raises
5 x 10, 7 x 8 (switched weights to finish set. this is really hard after the Arnold Presses. Shoulders fail at much lower weights than when I start with side raises and finish with a different superset. Will alternate front and side raises next week and finish with the Arnold.)

Dumbbell Rows - no problems here
12 x 20
10 x 25 (doesn't hurt with this grip)
8 x 30
6 x 35
12 x 30
Vertical Row (machine)
12 x 70

Triceps Kickbacks
12 x 8
10 x 10
8 x 12
6 x 15
12 x 12
Seated Overhead Extension (both arms together)
12 x 20

Seated Biceps Curls
12 x 10
10 x 12
8 x 15
6 x 20
12 x 15
Concentration Curls
12 x 12

Aside from hurting my shoulder, the workout was good. I think I just over did it on my old, injured muscle. It didn't hurt during any of the other sets, so I'm pretty sure it was isolated to the deltoids I worked with the Arnold Press. It's only a little sore today, so it should be fine by the circuit on Friday.

Mar. 19, 2002
 

AM Cardio - 23 minutes elliptical

empty stomach, RF
2 minute warm up, level 5
mostly at level 8 (very difficult, but I kept pace at ca. 160 steps/minute)
did 1:30 at level 7, 130 steps/min and then resumed 8
1 min cool down, level 6 - then continued cool down on short walk back to the car

PM LBWO w/Abs
(Will fill in tonight)

Mar. 19, 2002 - LBWO & Abs
 

Stretched 4-5 minutes

(Weight is per dumbbell)
BFL Pyramid w/Superset: x12, x10, x8, x6, x12, x12
Sumo Squats w/dumbbells: 15, 20, 30, 35, 30
Leg Extension Machine : 100 lbs. - this is too hard; stopped for 5 seconds after #10 to rest and then completed. Go back to 90.

BFL Pyramid w/Superset: x12, x10, x8, x6, x12, x12
Stiff Leg Deadlifts : 15, 20, 30, 35, 30
Seated Leg Curl Machine : 90 lbs.

(One dumbbell only)
x20, x15, x15
1 leg calf raises , bent knee: 12, 20, 30
(Two dumbbells)
Angle out raises : x20, 30
Angle in raises : x20, 30 - really felt the burn with these extended sets. Think I've finally figured out how to max my calves, or at least really feel it.

Abs: 2 sets
Bicycle Crunches: x40
Knee Ups: x 30
Side Bridges: 30 seconds each side
Center Crunches: x30

Stomach vacuums

Right foot sore after workout (has been cramping lately).

Mar. 20, 2002
 

AM Cardio 23 minutes - elliptical
2 minute warm up, 18 minutes at level 7 or 8 (mostly 8), but steps/min down to about 140 and then cool down. Really noticing what affect the lack of carbs has on my ability to maintain my pace - stamina seems to be decreasing with each day. Can't wait to see what the next carb up brings for Monday.

Also, found out that my foot pain is probably plantar fascitis (sp?) and I just happen to have an appt. w/ Dr. Roy tomorrow for my back so I'll try to get him to throw in some acupuncture for my foot.

Foot and back pain--ugh!! I can sympathize. I have had 2 major/1 minor surgeries on my knees and a broken foot. My lower body is all screwed up! :D :D

Hope the doc takes care of you! Your workouts look GREAT!

Linda

Linda - Thanks for your commiseration and for checking out my workouts! Sounds like you have tall basketball player knee syndrome, at least that's how I always think of it. (My 6'7" fiancee is always worried about his knees!) I hope the surgeries were successful, your recuperation full, and your knees and foot are much better now.

As for me, being a short, compact softball girl, until now my lower body has been mostly intact. Only exception: I sprained my right ankle in a fastpitch tournament when I was 12, and (in my all-knowing 12-year-old opinion) decided the best thing to do was just tape it, take some ibuprofen and play four more games. Yeah, that worked :rolleyes: - it still hurts when it gets cold. Then, I broke my right shoulder a couple of years later and shredded my deltoids pretty well in the process. 2 surgeries later(although no more college fastpitch future) it turned out much better than the docs ever thought it would be, but still easy to overwork. My back - who knows? It's not bad, just needs a little adjustment now and then. OK, enough about my faulty body parts.

AM Cardio 24 minutes
2 min warm up, 20 min at 7 130-140 steps/min, 2 min cool down
Getting up for the cardio makes me feel like a trooper, but as the week goes on the urge to loaf gets stronger. Not sure if I really have less energy or if it's just my "I hate cardio" mindset coming out.

LOL Tall b-ball player syndrome! Thanks for your well wishes. I am recovered from all my injuries. All happened while at college and yes, playing ball. The surgeries repaired the torn ligaments in my knees. I think I will always have dull pain in them though. I can tell when the weather is going to change--they let me know!

Your fiance is 6'7"?? WOW! I checked your profile and there is quite a height difference there. I use to get so mad when I saw short ladies with tall guys....I would say, Save the tall ones for us!! :D Dan is 6'3" and he is the shortest guy I've dated, the tallest being 6'6" so you have got me beat!!!

Hope working out is going well!!!
Linda

Mar. 22, 2002 - Depletion Circuitq
 

OK, doc banned me from bench and military presses (including Arnold's) after I strained my shoulder on Monday. Also advised my to start doing bent over shoulder raises with dumbbells and only use 1-3 lbs on the right and 8-10 on the left. I'm getting a little lopsided and need to build up the left more to compensate for the funky way my muscles are attached on the right.

Also, was a little pressed for time today, but wanted to make sure I was good and whipped after the workout. I decided to do the sets with no rest and then just take 1' active rest (stomach vacuums) and 1' total rest between circuits. (I should note that I took a dose of Pepto before the workout because my stomach was already feeling a little weird.) That may have been too much. I didn't really feel nauseated, but could feel acid and bile(?) rising in my throat any time I bent over (kick backs were bad!) by the second circuit. I had to cut the abs out of the third circuit because I was pretty sure they'd make me vomit. I felt really awful until I'd managed to drink a quart of Gatorade, and then I was fine.

OK, all that loveliness aside - here is my workout:
15 reps each set, abs/calves 20; 2 min break between circuits

Leg Extensions, singles: 30, 40, 40
Machine Flyes: 35
Vertical Row: 50
Leg curls, singles: 30, (deadlifts 60), 40
Bent shoulder raises: 8/3 (L/R)
Lat Pull: 50
Angled out calf raises on floor: 60
Triceps Kickbacks: 10
Biceps Curls: 12
Bicycle Crunches, Knee ups: 20 ea., 2 sets only
Side bridges: 20 secs. ea, 2 sets only

Time: about an hour

Mar. 25, 2002
 

AM Cardio 25 min., abs on Ripped FuelWanted to get a little ab work in since I shorted them in the circuit training.

elliptical: 2 min warm up, two 10 minutes intervals at level 8 - 150-60 steps/min with 1 minute at level 6 between, 2 min cool down. 285 calories

Abs, 2 sets:
bicycle crunches - 40
knee ups - 20
side bridges - 25 secs each side

Feel really good! What an invigorating workout. :thup:

March 21, 2002
 

UBWO - Body for Life sets: 12, 10, 8, 6, 12 superset 12

Machine Flyes - 35, 40, 45, 50, 45
Dumbbell Flyes - 30

Lateral Dumbbell Raises - (R arm 3 lbs ea set)
- 5, 8, 10, 12, 10
Shrugs - 15 (R arm 3 lbs ea set) - Not going to do shrugs with R side any more

Dumbbell Rows - 20, 23, 30, 35, 30
Vertical Row - 70

Triceps Kickbacks - 8, 10, 12, 15, 12
Bench Dips - 7? Not sure what happened today, but that was failure, baby. Could not do another. I was going lower than I normally do - maybe I'm not being such a wimp anymore and it's harder :)

Biceps Curls - 10, 12, 15, 20 (only assisted rep 6 on L arm), 15
Concentration Curls - 12
Still hard to finish those with 12 lbs. Not moving weight up any time soon.

I feel like such a buff monster when I curl those 20 lb. dumbbells :agree:

plantar fascitis
 

Love your new picture!

I will be watching your workouts as I am in the last four weeks of BFL.

I have plantar fascitis too. It is painful and never goes away fully. Don't jog or any other impact cardio, it makes it worse. The only things that worked for me are stretching my heels and feet in the a.m., ice, and anti-imflam. drugs. I have had this for about 15 years (pre weight gain too) and got this after I broke my foot doing aerobics.

Let me know if you find anything that helps yours. I find that my calve exercises always make it more sore the next day too.

Mar. 26, 2002 - AM Cardio
 

AM Cardio - elliptical 27 min.
2 min. warm up, 2 intervals at level 8 140-150 steps/min, 30 sec. at level 6 between intervals, 2 min. cool down
296 cals (Just using this number as a guide to how hard I worked on the machine :) )

Shoulders and chest feeling it this morning. Think that was the problem with the bench dips: I was using more of my shoulders and pecs than usual. It feels like I was doing pushups!

Have decided I am immune to L-glutamine. It doesn't seem to make any difference whether I take it or not (even up to 20g a day). If I change my workout, I am going to be sore. Granted, I'm not too sore today, but the change to my UBWO was small. When I added deadlifts and then sumo squats to my LBWO, my legs were incredibly sore for two days after each workout, L-glut. be damned. More power to those of you without L-glut. resistance :)

Mar. 26, 2002 - LBWO
 

Late afternoon

BFL set: 12, 10, 8, 6, 12, superset 12
Sumo squats - 30, 40, 60, 70, 60
Seated Leg Extension - 90 (no rest stops today!)
Time to add more weight to the sumo squats. Probably need new, better gloves because I'm having trouble gripping the heavier dumbbells.

BFL set: 12, 10, 8, 6, 12, superset 12
Standing deadlifts - 30, 40, 60, 70, 60
Seated Leg Curls - 90 (right knee started to hurt around rep 6, but I stretched it briefly and continued and it seemed fine)
Is this pain from too much weight?

1 set: 20, 15, 15
Single leg calf raises, feet flat on floor - 12, 20, 30
Superset: 20 reps each
Angled out raises - 60
Angled in raises - 60

Abs - 3 sets
Bicycle Crunches - 20
Knee ups - 15 (Dr. Roy told me to scale these back and increase reps more gradually than I have been doing)
Side bridges - 30 sec each (seriously thought I might die - these are soooooo hard!)
Center crunches - 20 (very slowly, inhale and exhale each time)

woo-hoo
 

Dani, you are a workout machine! LOL. Seriously, your workouts look good. Sorry I haven't popped in sooner. I'll keep checking in on you ...