Such is life!

It has been quite awhile since I have posted anything on here. But life does have a way of interfering with goals. I started a new job at the end of May and more or less didn't see the inside of a gym for about 5 months or so. With 45-60 min commute to work each way and now staying in the town I work in during the weeks, I have to establish new habits. I am still not where I use to be. I have managed to gain back about 20 lbs, but with my sister being diabetic (I stay with her family) I will be attempting to help her with her diet which in turn may help me with maintain focus on my own.

Increasing weights

Ok, so my brief lapse in health does not seem to have affected my strength much....just my motivation. I am in the process of increasing my weights in my sets. So far, the increase is in my lats pulldown, straight arm pulldown, low row, bent bar bicep curl, but the other exercise are so slow in coming. Monday I will see what increases I can make in chest, shoulders, and tris. The following day I have legs.

Back on the road

Well the flu lasted 3 days, took a full day off once the body aches were gone. Did two days of full body exercises and one day of cardio. Now back on the normal routine.
I do have to say I went to do chest/shoulders/tri today and got distracted by an unexpected gym goer and ended up doing chest/shoulders/bi. What can I say it was bound to happen. Sooooo I will end up not getting a tri workout for one cycle, not an issue since it is once of my stronger body parts, next to my legs of course.
I even got an earlier cardio session in. I have been feeling a lil on the plumper side lately, so I figure extra cardio my help that.

bound to happen

Well, it has been awhile but I came down with the flu just as I got in the swing with my workouts and actually began doing the max weights without assistance. I will spend the next several days doing lite full body workouts and cardio to ease my body back into the workout and get back into my routine on Monday. I like keeping my workouts days set so that it doesn't require much brain power to remember what I am doing. I also have the bodyparts setup on certain days to accomodate my rather strange work schedule.

Weeks workout

Ok so we at about 17 weeks and a couple of days out from competition and I stepped on the scale and I am at minus 2 lbs. My trainer (Bob) says my weight can fluctuate 7 lbs....wow never knew that, so not getting really excited about the loss. Can't take my body fat measurements cause I keep getting an Error message. Will try to switch out batteries and see if it changes.
The workouts are progressing, added the explosive movement to the first exercise and definitely feel the challenge and the impact on the other exercises it has. Already increased the alt db bi curl and maxing at 40 lbs...wow! Gonna try doing 50 lb db chest press without assist. I think I have built enough strength to manage. Gonna switch my upright rows to something else...shoulders are hurting from the movement....my husband (a chiropractor) said the exercise can cause shoulder issues and impingement problems....he is right. If I incorporate upright rows back later it will be dumbbells. The exercises continue to be a challenge which I am happy about. Really need the focus and concentrate demanded by them.

Ok so sunday are suppose to be my day off but since I haven't been able to get my cardio in, I did 1 hour of cardio and abs. I will be hitting the gym twice a day now to get the cardio in on a separate visit. That will leave my energies for the actual workout. I am also incorporating an explosive movement on the first exercise for the major muscle groups (chest, back and legs), the reason behind this is to force my body to release more testosterone. The explosive movements I will be doing are (chest) angeled push off push up on a flat bench supersetted with my flat bench press; number of reps will be equal to the reps I am doing but no less than 6, (legs) squat jumps with the plate loaded leg press, (back) assisted pullups with lat pulldowns starting at 3 min for the pull ups. My workouts are already difficult but this lends a little needed variation to the exercises. These exercises definitely have me wiped out but then....that the way I like it!

Workout week

Ok, so the daily logging of info got away from me. This is high maintenance stuff. With 3 young children and one adult child, its a challenge to be on the computer with enough brain stamina to do more than play solitare while the dinner is cooking.
So my workouts are done on a 3 day split, so I do 3 days, 3 days and then the way it works out I take Sunday off but I actually get 2 1/2 days off. On Saturday I workout in the morning but won't be back in the gym til Monday evening, but it only feels like I take one day off in my mind. Scary place to be. I do about chest/shoulder/tris, legs, and then back/bis/calves. I do about 3 exercises per body part (tris and bis only 2 now but increasing to 3 this next week). My sets are descending in reps (10,8,6,4,2) and increasing the wt as the rep decreases; but then for the last set I do 20 reps at half the weight I did the 2 rep set...clear?
So here is a sample of what my workouts look like; some of the exercises the 2 rep set looks a little different depending on if I can find someone to assist.
Chest/shoulders/tris
* assist needed
Incline bb press 45/10; 65/8; 85/6; 105/4; 125/2*; 65/20
Flat bench db press 20/10; 27.5/8; 35/6; 42.5/4; 50/2; 25/20
Crossover 10/10; 15/8; 20/6; 25/4; 30/2; 15/20
Shoulder press mach 20/10; 30/8; 40/6; 50/4; 60/2; 30/20
Lateral raise mach 30/10; 40/8; 50/6; 60/4; 70/2; 35/20
Upright row (bent bar) 35/10; 45/8; 55/6; 65/4; 75/2; 35/20
French press 35/10; 40/8; 45/6; 50/4; 55/2; 35/20
Tricep pressdown 70/10; 90/8; 110/6; 130/4; 150/2; 70/20

Legs
* assist needed #isolate work to working leg only
Leg Press 180/10; 225/8; 270/6; 315/4; 360/2; 180/20
Smith Squat 20/10; 40/8; 60/6; 80/4; 100/2; 50/20
Leg Ext 70/10; 90/8; 110/6; 130/4; 150/2; 75/20
Seated leg curls 50/10; 70/8; 90/6; 110/4; 130/2; 65/20
Smith Lunges 0/10#; 20/8; 40/6; 60/4; 80/2; 40/20
Stiff legged deadlifts 45/10; 55/8; 65/6; 75/4; 85/2; 45/20

Back/bis/calves
*assist needed
Wide lat pulldown 90/10; 105/8; 120/6; 135/4; 150/2; 75/20
Straight arm pulldown 50/10; 70/8; 90/6; 110/4; 130/2; 60/20
1-arm bo row 30/10; 35/8; 40/6; 45/4; 50/2; 25/20
Seated cable row 75/10; 90/8; 105/6; 120/4; 135/2; 60/20
Hyperextension (plates) 10/10; 25/8; 35/6; 45/4; 55/2; 25/20
EZ bar curl 35/10; 40/8; 45/6; 50/4; 55/2; 35/20
Alt bicep curl 10/10; 20/8; 25/6; 30/4; 35/2; 17.5/20
Seated calf press 45/10; 70/8; 95/6; 120/4; 145/2; 70/20
Calf extension 80/10; 100/8; 120/6; 140/4; 160/2; 80/20