Fit N Trim N Healthy N Thin...

this is what im hoping to be!! i never know what to call these things.

so, i've been going to the gym for like a week and a 1/2. im so clueless & cant wait for Friday when i meet with a personal trainer. he's supposed to be good. we'll see. i read BFL, but dammed if i remember anything from it. u dont use it, u lose it, right?

so, prior to going to the gym, i walked everyday. i started small and worked my way up to 2 miles a day. its a breeze for me. i needed, wanted, thirsted for something more because this walk that used to wear me out and give me those little electric shocks in my legs and make me sweat like crazy was now no more strenuous than walking from the couch to the bathroom... or the kitchen. ha.

so, i've just been tinkering around the place basically. i've been going everyday, tho. i've been doing 25-45 minutes (depending on time) of cardio on one of those eliptical machines at like 4mph on level 3. that puts me right in my cardio zone for my target heart rate. (i really should quit smoking)

i've been using some of the machines for strength training, but again... have no frikken clue what the hell im supposed to be doing. i've been doing 1 for inner thighs, one for triceps, and 3 different ab ones. i think the ab ones are the only ones im doing right cuz man do they burn.

one day i did all the machines for all the muscles. man, that was boring as hell and took forever. which is why i've been working on my 3 "problem areas". i like cardio so much more than weights.

so, for the last few days, i've been walking my 2 miles still, but then 'running' 3 miles on that eliptical machine for a total of like 5 miles per day. its still not overwhelming, tho. so, im thinking about maybe taking some classes or something.. i dunno.

hopefully this trainer guy is not a moron who gives the same regimen to every1 and gives me something personalized and helps me to find some fun in it.

prolly wont update again till this weekend sometime and let ya know whats up. i use that bodycomp website... i wish it had an option to print out some exercizes that will meet my needs, kwim? that would be cool.

anyways, glad to be here... hopefully i can learn something from some of ya'lls logs... i started reading some of them, but i was confused. it looked like chemistry or something. ha

i didnt smoke at all this morning before i went to the gym & was able to 'run' 3 miles in under 45 minutes. 15 minute miles is a great feat, but i'd like to cut it back to like 12. im going to start small & stop smoking in the morning & cut down during the day & hopefully wean myself off. i cant just go cold turkey just yet. im hoping to drastically cut down over the next month, tho... from a pack a day to a pack a week & if i can do that, then i'll quit.

i have to cancel my appt with the pt this friday... sucks but im not *too* upset about it to be honest. im gonna do some research and write up my own plan instead. those machines really suck. i think i'd rather use free weights and medicine balls & whatnot. im still gonna see a pt eventually, tho.

2 mile brisk walk outside for 30 mins.

3 mile run at the gym on that elliptical machine in under 40 minutes.

my sister signed up to go to the gym. i didnt even know. i saw her there this morning. for what? she literally weighs 115 pounds and stands 5'5". whats the point? prolly cuz i told her most the guys there are firemen & cops. *sigh* there goes my solice. thank god we work different shifts & i wont see her often. dont get me wrong... i love my sister, but she has no place in a gym... she doesnt need to lose or gain- shes perfect. AND thats my escape. the last thing i want to do when i go to the gym is socialize.

havent gone in a few days because of the holidays, crazy schedules at work, etc. went last night... 2.5 miles in 30 minutes. went this morning... 2 miles in 30 minutes. i REALLY struggled through it this morning too. its crazy how much a few days off sets ya back

aww... my much neglected gym log. im so sorry i have neglected you for so long... anyways, i've quit smoking- 3 weeks ago to the day & im starting to train for BFL tonight. cant wait & will update later with my starting weights & exercizes so i can track for my goal to significantly increase strength within the next 12 weeks.

i did finally meet with a personal trainer. nice guy. very smart guy. gave me alot of great advice... he was a little too hyper for my liking... kinda like speedy gonsalves on steroids. but it was his idea for me to do BFL & i thought it was a great idea. i had read the book many moons ago, but never put any of his principles into practice. but now i am... so, im going to do everything he says to do except take myoplex. im going to take a veggie/vitamen supplement instead.

so, again... to my gym log- im sorry i've neglected you for so long. i am going to try to visit you more. thank you for being there and waiting for me. i have been going to the gym, but havent been logging anything because there was nothing worth logging. all ive been doing is that borin ol ellyptical machine. and i have progressed on that... from 15 min miles to 9 min miles.

anwho- stay tuned.

ok.. heres what i did. i hope this makes sense

chest
dumbell bench press

5lbsx12
10lbsx10
12.5lbsx8
15lbsx6
12.5lbsx12
5lbsx12

i rated myself a 5 on that... i dont think i was doing it right cuz i didnt get much out of it

back
lat pulldowns
25lbsx12
40lbsx10
55lbsx8
70lbsx6
55lbsx12
25lbsx12

rated myself a 7/8 on that... i think i hurt my back, tho... i dont like that machine... i think im gonna use free weights for my back next time

shoulders
dumbell press

5lbsx12
10lbsx10
12.5lbsx8
15lbsx6
12.5lbsx12
5lbsx12

7/8 on this one again- have to pay attention to my form, tho... i got a little shaky toward the end

Biceps
curls

10lbsx12
12.5lbsx10
15lbsx8
17.5lbsx6
15lbsx12
10lbsx12

a 9 on this one! phew- it kicked my a$$... i thought i was gonna be a tough guy- i love bicep curls- piece of cake. ya right lol. next time, im going to either start with 5 pounds and work up to 15 instead of 17.5 OR alternate instead.

triceps
extensions

5lbsx12
10lbsx10
12.5lbsx8
15lbsx6
12.5lbsx12
5lbsx12

i didnt rate myself on this one while i was there, but id guess a 5... the extentions are boring... im going to do pushdowns with that rope thing next time intstead.

overall, pretty good workout. little disappointing that i didnt really work up a sweat, tho. tomorrows going to be my 20 minute powercardio day. im looking forward to the

some stupid chicks from shapeworks were there today doing free body composition analysis' so i had them do me...

theyre analysis stated that my target weight should be 155. ha. based on what i wonder. they should have put those stickies on my a$$ instead of my foot and hand and they would have seen how fat i really am. i am hardly 3 pounds overweight. more like 23.

and they put me at a 24% bf%, which is on the high end of normal... every other analysis says im overweight & closer to 30.

anyways, the whole point is they were trying to sell me protien shakes and bars and whatnot since im supposed to only eat 1200 calories to lose weight & 121 grams of protien to retain muscle. whatever. ill just eat eggs thankyouverymuch

ok, so, i just fitdayd for fun... cuz i dont do it everyday anymore cuz i was too obsessive over it b4... & today i had..

714 calories
31g of fat
54 carbs
10 fiber
55 protien

and that includes a sf hot cocoa i had. sheesh. not enough. tomorrow, im increasing that load by 1 egg, 1 snack size cottage cheese, and a big ol slice of cantelope... oh and some misc. veggies too. crap... i need more protien than that. and more calories too. more eggs i guess. thats doable i like eggs. so, i'll increase my 2-a-day eggs to like 4-a-day atleast.

good day overall, tho.

and not that this has anything to do with anything, but i got 100 on my final quiz at school

did my 20 minute power aerobics last night. 2 miles in 20 minutes at a highest resistance of 15. i sweatted my a$$ off. i wonder if its better to run faster or use more resistance. hmm

Hey Jem -

Glad to see you're doing a proper lifting programme - and don't worry if you don't sweat much doing your lifting, especially at the beginning. You need to make sure your form is good and build up your stabilizers. You'll be sweating before long, don't you worry.

And I like free-weights better than machines, too, for almost everything.

me too. its much better. i feel like i have much more control and am getting a fuller workout. 1/2 those machines dont even feel like you're doing anything. the sad part is, they have over 250 of those machines and 2 racks of free weights. and like 4 benches. *sigh* im gonna complain i think. not that i think it will make any difference... but the good thing is that most people use the machines & not the weights. poor souls. what a waste of time. i do like the leg press, tho- i cant wait to use it tonight

anyways, thanks for stopping by built.

I actually like the leg press. It's one of the few machines I do.

Keep up the good work!

quads
leg presses

50x12
70x10
90x8
110x6
90x12

leg extensions
55x12

ok, i think im too fat to do leg presses properly. my fat gets in the way and im unable to get my knees to my chest... or maybe i had the seat wrong, i dunno, but i felt much more resistance on the leg extensions, therefore, i think im going to do those instead. kinda disapointing, but gotta go with what works

hamstrings
lying leg curls

30x12
40x10
50x8
65x6
50x12

straight-leg dead lifts
10x12
(actually 10 in each hand, does that count as 20? i didnt think of that monday when i did my ubwo... im going to just use the single as a count so its easier to remember which weights i used)

anyways, i wont be doing deadlifts anymore anytime soon. i dont do them right... they hurt my back more than my hamstrings. the lying leg curls were ok excepts that i curl my toes when i do it. weird. i have to make an effort not to do that.

calves
seated calf raises

50x12
70x10
90x8
110x6
90x12
50x12

this was decent...

i did all my ab reps too if u can believe that- i cant. i hate hate HATE crunches. i have never ever ever been able to do them right- ever. but i actually did 60 of them- just like i was supposed to & i did pretty damn good at it too. i used that ball like dave (the pt) told me too and i did have a little neck strain, but not bad... much better than ive done in the past. i could actually feel my ab muscles working and i think using the ball will actually help and will work for me. watch out now

overall, the workout was a little disappointing. i gave myself a 5-7 rating. not the worst, but not what i had hoped for. but hey- im gonna give myself a break... it is afterall my 1st lbwo.

learn from it & improve is all i can do

u know they have a private womens section at the gym... its great. but i was thinking today how great it will be once i beef up a bit and really know what im doing to strut myself over to the general section where all the guys hang out and show them a thing or 2. its really stupid how like 1 guy is lifting, his friend is spotting him and 2 of his friends are standing there watching while 2 of their friends are talking on their cell phones.

did my 20 minute "HIIT" but it wasnt in the best conditions because i ate my free meal today... a few days early i guess. it was pretty gross. i havent eaten fast food since last year. it made me feel fat(ter). i never missed fast food, but ever since i started doing bfl & knew i had a free meal coming to me, i couldnt get it out of my head until i ate it- so, i did. i feel better now- emotionally, that is. physically, i feel like blah. but oh well

im gonna do my ubwo & my HIIT tomorrow

oh and im gonna get one of those balls for at home tomorrow too.

OH MY!!! How familiar is this scene for me . In our - residential - gym during football season we have DOZEN guys simply watching tv, not even FAKING any workout (while sitting on the machines, so nobody can use them). Young husbands leaving wives, kids at home with an " I am going to the gym for a good workout ". Our gym is free, so it is definitely cheaper than a "sport bar" .

You are doing great !!!

Cheers:
Eva