My Diary

Tom are you looking at your watch while you're planking the whole time? Have someone else keep the time and just go as long as you can. put your head down and close your eyes so there aren't distractions and visualize something of strength, something motivating to keep your mind off of it and breath deeply and relax your upper body. Only fall when you are shaking beyond control and see how far you get! I bet you'd be amazed. We did this once and I went 5 minutes using the technique above. Before that I'd only done a minute at a time. I was so sore the next day, and it felt awesome!
 
sparrow said:
Tom are you looking at your watch while you're planking the whole time? Have someone else keep the time and just go as long as you can. put your head down and close your eyes so there aren't distractions and visualize something of strength, something motivating to keep your mind off of it and breath deeply and relax your upper body. Only fall when you are shaking beyond control and see how far you get! I bet you'd be amazed. We did this once and I went 5 minutes using the technique above. Before that I'd only done a minute at a time. I was so sore the next day, and it felt awesome!
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Thanks Katie - I'd thought about that, in a vague, uncommitted way, but your putting it into writing will have me take action on it. I think my problem with it is breathing - almost kind of feels like it's hard to breathe, or that I might toss my cookies. Not sure why. Thanks for the suggestion - I'll ask someone at the gym to time my next set of planks (most likely tomorrow).
 
Stingo,

I just took a little time to browse through your thread. NICE WORK! I've got a couple of questions, just out of curiosity:

1. How are you doing with your blood sugars and cholesterol. Are you off all your meds?

2. What is your bodyweight now?


You have immediately become a huge motivation for me. I'm in the process of losing right around 50 lbs and thought that was a behemoth battle. But, it looks like you've done an absolutely incredible job. It makes my journey look like a walk in the park. Thanks for keeping us up to date on everything. Take care, Greg
 
GT2003 said:
Stingo,

I just took a little time to browse through your thread. NICE WORK! I've got a couple of questions, just out of curiosity:

1. How are you doing with your blood sugars and cholesterol. Are you off all your meds?

2. What is your bodyweight now?


You have immediately become a huge motivation for me. I'm in the process of losing right around 50 lbs and thought that was a behemoth battle. But, it looks like you've done an absolutely incredible job. It makes my journey look like a walk in the park. Thanks for keeping us up to date on everything. Take care, Greg
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Thanks Greg - though everyone has their own journey to make. There will always be someone further along than you, in which case you can learn from them, and there will always be someone not as far along as you are, in which case you can help/teach them. To answer your questions:

1. I don't know the exact numbers, but I'm guessing I'm doing well since the last bloodwork I had done (around Christmas came back fine). My doctor and I agree that I should be able to get off all the meds I'm on (except for one, which treats a hereditary problem, not a weight related problem) once I get leaner.

2. I honestly don't know as my weight's gone between 230 and 240 so often I just stopped stepping on the scale, preferring to go by how my clothes fit.
 
Personal Trainer Program 1, Workout 14

All weights are per hand unless otherwise noted. 30 sec rest between exercises, except the complex.

A: Dumbbell Complex 2x8@30
A1 Power Clean, Squat and Press
A2 Pushup
A3 Row

B: Stairs 3 flights x 4

C: Plank 30 sec, 45 sec, 2 minutes (1:30, 30)

D: Renegade Rows 1x7@15, 1x6@15 (each side, +1 rep first set)

F: Lat Pulldown/Shoulder Press 2x12@80/30 (+form)

G: Saxon Side Bend 2x8@15

H: Medicine Ball Lift 2x12@12

I: Pullups 1x12@-235, 1x10@-235 (+ 2 reps first set)
Notes:

A: Dumbbell Complex - I was sluggish today doing these. I was thinking if the rest of the workout was going to be like these, it's gonna be a hard road today.

B: Stairs - Railings = psychological crutch = bad. Stop it.

C: Plank - Getting closer to breaking that psychological barrier on this one. I hope to break through soon.

D: Renegade Rows - Actually managed to eke out another rep of these in the first set.

E: Lat Pulldown/Shoulder Press - Cheated on the very first rep on the left side, but caught myself for the others.

F: Saxon Side Bend - Form felt better today, so again I'm optimistic...

G: Medicine Ball Lift - These were better too - not as much of a launch as an start to begin the exercise. Still need circular motion though.

H: Pullups - 2x12 on the first set today, and 2x10 on the second. Very happy with this because I increased the first set by two reps AND proved that 10 on the second wasn't a fluke.

Overall - As I said above, it was a very slow start today, but I got it done. My stomach was bothering me so I took my sweet time getting changed, warmed up etc in the hopes that I'd be able to deal with it before working out. Thankfully I could, and though I started slow I finished off well. I'm happy with my performance, and am looking forward to the personal training session on Friday.
 
Personal Training Program, Workout 15

All weights are per hand unless otherwise noted. 30 sec rest between exercises, except the complex.

A: Dumbbell Complex 2x8@30

A1: Power Clean, Squat and Press
A2: Pushup
A3: Row

B: Stairs 3 flights x 4

C: Plank 30 sec, 45 sec, 2 minutes

D: Renegade Rows 1x7@15, 1x7@15 (each side, +1 rep 2nd set)

F: Lat Pulldown/Shoulder Press 2x12@80/30 (+form)

G: Saxon Side Bend 2x8@15

H: Standing Medicine Ball Lift 2x12@12

I: Pullups 2x12@-235(+ 2 reps second set)

Notes:

A: Dumbbell Complex - Sluggish again, but not as sluggish as before.

B: Stairs - This was tough, but that's most likely because I'm using my legs better in the complex.

C: Plank - Started doing planks about 45 secs after the stairs, but I was able to nail the two minute plank with a 30 sec rest leading up to it. Good times.

D: Renegade Rows - Actually managed to eke out the other rep in the 2nd set.

E: Lat Pulldown/Shoulder Press - This seems to be locked at 2x12@80/30 due mainly to my shoulders not wanting to go higher in reps or weight.

F: Saxon Side Bend - Form felt better today, so again I'm optimistic...

G: Medicine Ball Lift - Had to do these from the floor because both benches were being used. Still felt like a decent workout.

H: Pullups - I think this was 2x12 but I'm not sure, since I didn't have my log sheet with me. Ah well, even if it wasn't it's something to aspire to next time.

Overall - Didn't want to do this workout again in favor of something different but I'm glad I got it done. The big surprise was the plank though - not sure why, but it felt really dialed in today. Also probably why I was able to pull off another rep of the renegade rows. Great start to the weekend. (And to help it along, happy hour now! )
 
Personal Training Session

A Swiss Ball Plank 2 warmups, 1 set 30 secs

B1 Pullups AMRAP, 10, 8, 7
B2 Bosu Shoulder Press AMRAP, 3x20@12

C DB Squat to DB Snatch 2x10@25, 1x10@30

D Renegade Row w/Pushup AMRAP 1x7@15, 2x5@15 (1 rep = both sides)

E Step-Ups (on Bench) 1x20, 1x15, 1x10

Swiss Ball Plank - We kicked it up a notch today. My feet were on a bosu ball (on the dome side), and my forearms were on a stability ball. Tim (my trainer) held the ball for me so I wouldn't fall right off.

Pullups - I'm so glad I added these to my regular workout, as I'm a bit more comfortable with doing them at the Y too. Still, it seems I wasn't getting full extension, which Tim pointed out to me, so will be on the lookout for that in the future.

Bosu Shoulder Press - Another abdominal worker... sitting on the bosu ball with legs straight but not touching the floor, doing shoulder presses.

DB Squat to DB Snatch - My first snatch! Joy! I was glad to be taught this one as I'd heard about it but never attempted it.

Renegade Rows - Not much to tell here, but for a cute aside... While I was doing my first set of these, a woman and her little girl (age 5 to 7?) came to the workout area. I had just finished my set, and Tim pointed over to the little girl who had these tiny (neon green) weights set up, and she started to do renegade rows, with the pushup. After doing one set each side, she went back to put the dumbbells away only to come back with larger purple dumbbells to knock out a few more reps. lol I had to smile, even though I was in the midst of the 2nd set, especially when Tim began to encourage her.

Step-ups - Dang these were hard, I'd've preferred the stairs (who would've thought I'd be saying that...?), since at least there I could alternate legs. Here though, I did 20 on the left, then 20 on the right etc. I'm not sure how my form was, but Tim didn't mention anything, so I can only assume I was good.

Overall - A very good workout. As always when I train with Tim, it's challenging, but not impossible, and I do feel worked out by the end. He's going to give me a new workout on Friday - which will be what I do on the days I don't see him.
 
shellsy21 said:
Thanks Christi! Thats whyI put it up there for INSPIRATION!!!! I was hawt not to long ago :D

Sweet Tom! I didn't catch that before! What do you like about having one the most? Direction,accountability,motivation???
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I think I like the variety the most - it's been a learning experience as I'm doing stuff I'd not tried before, like olympic lifting and pullups and other exercises. Accountability hasn't really been an issue for me - I train regardless of having a trainer or not. Actually the social aspect is a draw for me - having someone to ask about things about your program and different modifications is great too. Almost as good as having a good training partner, but not quite, since I only train with my trainer once a week. Hopefully this answers your question. :)
 
Rest Week

In view of the fact I'll be getting a new program from Tim on Friday, I think I'll take off from lifting for this week to give my body a chance to heal up/recover from the previous two months of work. It'd work out about the same anyhow since I trained with him today, so Wednesday would be the only lifting day. Now to figure out what to do on Monday and Wednesday.
 
Write a novel, make a quilt, develop your own manifesto.

The possibilities are endless.

Enjoy your rest!
 
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