Topspin's Journal

[Focus] said:
I guess that's actually not too bad. I don't know why you do the front and lateral raises rather than simply doing a military press though. The pulldown and the row are kind of redundant, as they're the same exercise. Why squats/lunges rather than squats + lunges?[/quote
I thought that the pulldowns were upper back and rows were lower back, though of course I could be wrong. As for squats/lunges vs. squats+lunges, generally for the sake of time, since it seems to me that they're basically the same muscles. Plus I generally like squats better, just as an exercise.

I'll try to figure out a way to incorporate more plyometrics and medicine-ball stuff, but that'll probably have to wait a while before I can come up with a new/modified routine. And I'm still in the process of trying to find this middle ground where I'm healthy, but not restricted.


Anyway, yesterday was a tennis day. Even though I'm kind of sick, it was one of the best days I've had. I lost during match play, but I played extremely well and worked hard. That's what counts, in my book.

Today, I worked out with a new friend. She spotted me on bench and squats, but I felt rushed throughout the entire thing because she didn't do any of the exercises herself, until we ran. Here's what we did:

Bench: 5x5, 70lb
Squats: 5x5, 95lb
Front Raise: 5x5, 10lb
Lateral Raise: 5x5, 10lb
Cardio: 20 min, steady state, elliptical

Somehow, I just don't feel like I worked very hard today, but I still did everything I intended to. Squats felt a little shaky on my back, but I'll try and correct it and/or make a video of it or something, so I can get some more input.
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Another good workout day. I worked out with my friend again, so that was cool.

Lat pulldown: 5x5, 80lbs
Squats: 1x5, 95lbs; 4x5, 115lbs
Bentover row: 5x5, 30lbs
Cardio: 10min rowing machine, 15min bike

Still haven't found time to figure out a new workout, but that'll come eventually. Diet has been okay, but I'm still eating something "unhealthy" at least once a day, today it was ice cream at lunch. Whatever, I think I'll ease into it and just try to keep my calories under 2500 right now, and then eventually get to around 2000 a day.

I'm starting to notice some changes from the training I've been doing, despite bad dieting. I'm obviously stronger than I was before, and I'm noticing that I actually have some muscles now. It's pretty nice.
 
topspin said:
I'm starting to notice some changes from the training I've been doing, despite bad dieting. I'm obviously stronger than I was before, and I'm noticing that I actually have some muscles now. It's pretty nice.
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That's fantastic. :D

I think I've mentioned this before but I wanna say it again: your body doesn't notice that huge a difference between say 80% "clean eating" and 100%. In most cases it doesn't matter enough to stress over it all that much. I notice you beat yourself up a lot for not doing things perfectly. Chillax a little, y'know? You're doing just fine. Aim to keep your calories where they're supposed to be, and try to keep your diet as clean as you can. And consider that "good". Because it is.

Re-engaging stealth mode now. :p
 
Thanks, Focus, appreciate it.

Decent day today, workout as follows...

Dumbbell BP: 30lbs
Forward Raises: 10lbs
Lateral Raises: 10lbs
Squats: 95lbs
Cardio: 20min, elliptical, intervals

I was also reading a fitness magazine today and saw something called the Tabata workout. I think I might try it next time I work out, seeing as a)I have short workouts anyway, b)I've been looking for a new cardio routine and c)stationary bikes are readily available at my school gym.
 
Today's workout...

Bentover Row: 5x5, 30lbs
Lat Pulldown: 5x5, 90lbs
Cardio: Tabata, hard interval @ 12

So obviously, I tried the Tabata today... definitely much harder than I thought it would be. The first interval I made the mistake of setting it all the way to 20 resistance, which was fine for the first, but once I got to the second interval, I couldn't do it at all and had to stop. Then I started all over again and went for 10-12 resistance. I'll try again soon, but I heard that doing it once a month (when done correctly) can be enough, so maybe I'll wait a week or so before trying it again. Obviously, I'll continue to do regular cardio.
 
Haven't updated in a while, but this brings us up to speed:

Tuesday - 3/4/08
Bench: 5x5, 75
Forward Raise: 2x5, 15; 3x5, 10
Lateral Raise: 2x5, 15; 2x5, 10
Lunges: 5x5, 40
Cardio: 5min bike, 15min elliptical

Worked out with my "athletic" friend again, but it wasn't as good. I don't know, she kind of just wanders around the weights, but who knows? She showed me how to do ladders, so hopefully I'll try to do those next time I work out with her.

Thursday - 3/6/08

I went running outside with two of my friends, but it was a big mistake - they're not as fit as I was, and once we reached our destination (about a mile in distance) we stopped and then they couldn't run back. Worst, it took forever so I didn't have time to hit the weights. It was fun, but I don't know if I'd do it again.

Today

Dumbbell Bench: 5x5, 30
Forward Raise: 5x5, 12.5
Lateral Raise: 5x5, 12.5
Lunges: 5x5, 40
Cardio: Tabata, hard interval @ 15

So I tried the Tabata thing again. I don't think I'm going hard enough yet but I figure I'll work up to it, especially after I completely died last time after the first interval. Hopefully I'll get better.

Tomorrow, I'm hitting with my tennis coach for an hour so I'll have some extra exercise, but I'll still work out. In retrospect, I think I should have just done a FBW today, but whatever.
 
I was in New York from last Wednesday to this Sunday night, so I didn't do any workouts, but the Tuesday before that I attempted a full body adaptation of my workout. I'm not going to bother posting it, because I already have it logged in my own personal journal.

However, I'm going to be changing my routine, as I said a quite a while ago. Since I'm now on spring break, I'll be working out every day and playing tennis at the club four times this week, plus any extra playing I'll do over the weekend. Most importantly, I have a tournament next week on Friday, so I want to work extra hard to get my game up to par. My new routine is posted here: http://training.fitness.com/weight-training/new-routine-plyometrics-32017.html

Notably, I've moved the cardio to the beginning of the workout and eliminated the shoulder work. I'm really proud of my shoulders, but they're starting to get too big and the fact that flexing my right trap yields a pretty sizable muscle is freaking me out a little. (I know it's a female thing, but since I'm already 5'9'', I don't want to be bigger and stronger than most guys.)

I'm also going to be abandoning FitDay for a while. I think the more I think about food, the more I eat, and that's not a good thing. We'll see how this new experiment works.
 
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Tried one of these workouts today, definitely a lot more cardio than usual and I only touched iron for the bench, but it was still pretty interesting and I spent a total of 2 hrs in the gym, which is fine 'cause I'm on break.

20 min elliptical intervals
14 min Tabata (4 min of actual intervals)
Bicycles: 3x20
Medicine Ball Crunch: 3x10
DB Bench: 5x5 @ 30
Knee Raises: 3x10
20 min steady state cycling

I initially tried to do straight leg raises, but my quads cramped up so badly that I had to stop, stretch them out, and then just do knee raises instead.
 
Man, I'm getting inconsistent with these workout postings. Anyway, yesterday was:

20 min intervals
14 min Tabata
Lat pulldowns: 5x5, 90lb
Bentover row: 5x5, 30lb
Star jumps: 2x10
20 min steady state

And then today was:

20 min intervals
14 min Tabata
DB Bench: 5x5, 30lb
Bicycles: 3x20
Stability Ball Crunch: 3x15
20 min steady state

Instead of doing the knee raises, I tried the medicine-ball-throw but I don't think that it worked too well, so I'll try to find some other exercise to rip apart my obliques. Or I'll just practice more. I was pretty proud of my effort on the Tabata today, I think I really did well.
 
3/24/08

Lat pulldown: 5x5, 90
Bentover row: 5x5, 30
Star jumps: 2x15
Cardio: 20 min intervals

This was also a tennis day, and incidentally we did some real conditioning. Lunges down three courts and back, wall sits, and sprints. Fun. I decided I'm going to incorporate more lunges in my routine, though. I think I want to start getting away from using weights and more towards bodyweight/plyometric or something.

3/25/08

DB Bench: 5x5, 30
Bicycles: 3x20
Stb. Ball Crunch: 3x20
Knee Raises: 3x10
Cardio: 20min intervals

Played tennis again, since I'm on spring break.

3/26/08

Lat pulldown: 5x5, 90
Bentover row: 5x5, 30
Lunges: 2x basketball court length

I didn't do much because I decided to do this workout right before tennis, since I was sick of taking two showers a day. I really need to up my weights on the lat pulldown and row. Probably only one, but we'll see next time I'm in the gym.

---

I didn't work out yesterday and I'm not going to work out today, because I have a tennis tournament tonight and I want to be at the top of my game. I'll post how it goes :D
 
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