Less Is More

[barnetjs]

Background - 29 (almost 30) year old female - 5'-0" tall - weight as of this morning 111.4. I have been working out for about 5 years and playing around with what works best for my body. What I do know is that high volume work does not work for me. It makes me bloat up and have serious digestion issues. What does seem to work is plenty of rest inbetween workout sessions. About 3 months ago I dumped weights almost completley and dropped tons of cardio- worked on destressing my life and the weight that I had been at and steadily increasing all while busting my buttfinally started to come off after I dumped all of these things. My diet is great and the old work out plan was very sound but just did not work for me. I started a new workout this week and I am going to journal my days.


My current goal is to enjoy my fitness lifestyle and not become over obsessive about everything. I would like to possibly drop just a bit more body fat but overall I am in pretty good shape. I have def muscle defination and veins.


I superset all of my exercises as I am also looking to keep my heartrate up and keep my cardio at 2 days a week.


Monday was Legs & Arms


Deadlift -70#x12, 70#x12, 70#x10 Super Set Leg Ext 75#x10,75#x10, 75#x10


SideLunges 50#x10, x10, x10 Super SetGoodMornings 30#x12,x12,x12


Decline Dumbbell French 15#x10x2 Super SetPushups 20,20 (drop set 10 more - then to girl push ups 15 more)


Close Grip BB Curls 30#x10x2 Super Set Machine Preacher 25#x10x2


Tuesday - Cardio and Abs


Abs- Circuit Style 4 Sets all 16-20 reps


Leg Raise w/ Hip up, Ball Pike, Machine Crunch, Side Twists


Myworkoutpartner and I got sandwiched between two old men that like to talk our ear off so after 20 min of running we jumped on the ellipticalfor 25 min - total 45 min


Wednesday - OFF DAY


Thurday - today will be Chest Back Shoulders - I will post tomorrow.





My typical diet - Weight workout days


7am- 2 protein pancakes, 1 Activia Yog


9:30am- Oats, Blackberries, Bluberries, Strawberries, 1/2 Scoop PP


12pm- Chicken Breast, Spin Salad no dressing, Asparagus


3pm- Preworkout- small fruit


6pm- Post workout - small fruit, 2 protein pancakes


7:30pm- Chicken Breast, Spin Saladno dressing, Broccoli


9pm- 1/2 Cup Cott Cheese, 1/4 Cup Soynuts





Tyical diet non workout days


7am- 1 protein pancake


9am- yog w/ allof the same fruit as I put in oatmeal and 1/2scoop PP


12pm- Chicken, Spin Salad, Asparagus


4pm- Protein pancakes


7:30pm- Chicken Breast, Spin Saladno dressing, Broccoli


9pm- 1/2 Cup Cott Cheese, 1/4 Cup Soynuts


The weekends are pretty much the same.

[antihero]

nice log, i hope you keep it updated.

[barnetjs]

Thanks - I will - better than any of the other ones :O)

[RoaringMad Mac]

Yeah, Joey was telling me the other day about this. good luck.

[barnetjs]

Thursday - Chest Back Shoulders


WarmUp - 2 Min Walk - 10 Min Jog


Dumbbell Deadlifts - 15#x12 x3 Super Set Close Grip Pull Downs 40#x10x3 drop 30#x10


Dips (7) unassist- (5) 16# off weight, (6) unassist (6) 16# off, (0) unassist (5) 16# off (7) 40#off drop (10) 50# off Super Set Incline Chest Press 15#x12x3


Reverse Stiff Arm (kind of like a kickback but stiff arms) 8#x10 Super Set Arnold Press 15#x3 drop 10#x12


Leg Press Calf Raise 160#x12, 140#x12, 90#x12 (not including Sled) Super Set Seated Calf Raise - 70#x12,x12,x12


Diet


7am- Protein Pancake, Activia Yog


10am- Oats, 1/2 PP, Blue & Raspberries and Strawberries


12:30- Chicken Breast, Spin Salad, Asparagus


4pm - Pre Workout- 1/2 Pear


5:45pm- Post - 1/2 Pear, 2 Protein Pancakes


7pm- Chicken Breast, Spin Salad, Broc


9pm- 1/2 Cup Cott, 1/2 PP, Soynuts

[antihero]

nice workout, keep it up..

[barnetjs]

I decided to have my hubby take my measurments since this is the beginning of my current workout program - although "less is more" has been the theme for several months, I have not had a "plan" and now I do. I have my measurments from 8/29/05 recordered - although this was not the biggestI got during my bloating issues with high volume work - it is still a good comparison and much improvement (if only I had let him measure me - about 5 months ago when I was at my biggest point - the results would be even better, but oh well)


8/29/05


Weight - 116.9


Arms- L 10.25, R 10.25


Waist- just below belly button- 31.5


Hips - 33.75


Quad- R 20 L 20


6/24/06


Weight 109.4


Arms- L- 10.25, R10.25


Waist- same spot- 29.5


Hips - 33


Quad- R 20.25, L20.25





So overall - same size arms - 1.75" lost in waist, .75" lost hips - increase quads by .25". Now as my quads are easy to grow and they don't need to be any bigger - this workout I started has virtually no quad work - other than leg extensions and what ever I get just using my legs in general with the exercises, ie - lunges hit the quads some- I push through the back of my legs so most emphasis is on the rear but the quad does come into play- so this will hopefully still work the muscle but not invite to much growth. Edited by: barnetjs

[barnetjs]

I did forget to post Friday


Walk - 2min- Jog/Run 40min Cool down walk 3 min


Supposed to do abs but the sky was falling so had to skip it before the power went out in the gym.


Sat & Sun - Rest

[barnetjs]

Monday - Legs and Arms - 1st real week


Warm Up - Jog 10 Min


Deadlifts 75#x3 SuperSet Leg Extensions 70#x2, 55#x1 drop 30#


Lunges 50#x3 SuperSet Good Mornings 30#x3


Decline French Curls 12#x2 SuperSet Pushups- 16, 12 drop 10, 5 drop 6,2


GloseGrip BB Curls 30#x2 SuperSet Machine Preacher 30#x1,20#x1


I am going to have to start using the squat rack for my lunges because doing a clean and press with the 50# BB to get it behind my head is KILLING ME :O)

[barnetjs]

Tuesday-Abs and Cardio


Had to skip abs as I was running late from work - Cardio - 2min walk - 40 min run- 3 min cool down

[barnetjs]

Wednesday - Off Day - No Exercise

[barnetjs]

Thursday - Chest/Back/Shoulders


Warm Up - 10 Min Jog


There were some stupid kids using / playing with the pull down so I had to change up my order of things.


Dips - 10 unassist, 7 unassist 5with assist, 1 unassist 9 assist drop 10 alot of assist :o) SS Incline Press 20#x3


DB Dead Lifts - 20#x3 SS CG Pull Downs - 50#x3 drop 30#


Reverse Stiff Arm- 8#x3 SS Arnolds 15#x3 drop 10#


Leg Press Calf- 160 (no sled) x3 SS Seated Calf- 75#x3

[barnetjs]

Monday - Legs, Arms- Start Week 3 (working sets)


Went to the gym early since I was off Monday and Tuesday - it was harder than normal because I am used to doing it in the afternoon


Warm up Jog - 10 min


Deadlift 80#3 SS Leg Extensions - 70#x3 drop 30#


Side Lunges 50#x3 SS Good Mornings - 30#x3


Decline DB French Curls 12#x2 SS Pushups 20, 16 drop 10 girl, rest 5 & 5 girl


Glose Grip BB Curls- 30#x2 SS Preacher Machine 30#x2 (turning arms inward as come up to getgreat concentration on the peak)

[barnetjs]

Tuesday - Abs & Cardio


Early time again - so of course tougher than in the afternoon


Ab Circuit -


Ball Pike, Machine Crunch, Laying Leg Raise w/ Hips up, torso twists x3


Ran for 20 min - Elliptical 20 min.

[barnetjs]

Wednesday - off day

[barnetjs]

Thursday- Chest/back/Shoulders


DB Deadlifts- 25#x3 ss CG Underhand Pull Downs 50#x3 drop 30#


Dips- 10 unassist, 7unassist,4 unassist drop lots of assist ss Incline DB Bench - 20#x3


Arnolds- 15#x3 drop 10# ss Reverse Stiff Arm- 5#x3


Leg Press Calf Raise- 140# x3 - no SS with Seated Calf- someone was one it and had tons of weight on it. We slacked :)

[barnetjs]

Ok So Friday- Cardio and Abs


Ran 40 min- did AB circuit


Sunday - Pilates Video


Monday


Well I decided to go ahead and take this week as my "down week"- I woke up feeling very "fatigued" and having some stomach issues - the plan was to take this next week - butI am trying to really start to listen to my body and what it needs NOT what I can suck up and manage. It works out well anyway because I have to pick my son up from Camp this week and now I have a DR appt on Friday for my stomache issues. I will start to lift again next week - as for my down week the plan is Monday nothing - Tuesday light Cardio - Wed nothing - Thursday - Nothing - Friday light cardio. This should allow for plenty of rest time but still get my blood going!

[barnetjs]

Tuesday -


Was all ready to go do my run - pulled out my gym bag - no shorts! So went home and stretched a bunch. I am still a bit "fatigued" so it was prob a blessing anyway.

[barnetjs]

So I have not been keeping up with my journal because I have not been working out. I have alot of stomach and digestion issues that flare up when I workout to much. There is a brain gut theroy that describes the complex conversation that your CNS (central nervous system) and your ENS (bowel's nervous system) have with one another. When your CNS is taxed (which is what happens when you work out hard) it has a hard time having this conversation and things can get screwed up, as is my case. So last week I took off and my weight went back down from 115 to 113 - now it is back at 112 and by the end of this week I believe it will be back at 110. It is so crazy that I "bloat up" and put on weight when I work out to hard - BUT if your system is screwed up I suppose that happens. So I will start to workout again next week - prob go another 4 weeks and start this crazy cycle all over again - fun fun!

[barnetjs]

Took the kiddo to the gym to go ahead and and play around with his new work out. I did it with him so although the weight was nothing- I prob did 100 squats, dead lifts, military presses and SLDL - most of them only body weight but a few times with the skinny bar we have at the gym. The kiddo thinks his new workout will be fun so we will see. He starts it not next week (baseball camp next week) but the week after that. Last year he did only body weight exercises - this year we are going to "start" introducing him to very very light weight compound exercises. He will be getting more of a Hiit type cardio once a week and longer steady start cardio once a week. His hiit will be base running - we bought a base and will set it up the same distance as it is from home plate and he will work on sprinitng from home plate to first base - including his lead etc. He will also do non weighted and weighted bat swings. This is all for another conversation but back on point - so we went did a few things - then walked on the treadmill for 15 min - jogged for 10- then walked it back out 5 for total of 30 min. Felt good to move around a bit.

[barnetjs]

So I am not keeping up with this to well - but my stomach is still having issues so workouts have been nill.


Thursday I felt like I needed to do something in the weight area - so I played around a bit with some lighter weights and a circuit - just to move around a bit and play with my head.


Total Body Circuit - 3 times


Pushups- 20,16,15


Deadlifts- 50#x10, x10, x10


Incline Chest Press Dumbbells - 12#x10, x10, x10


Arnold Press- 10#x10, x10, x10


Incline DB Curl- 10#x10, x10, x10


Leg Ext - 50#x10, x10, x10


Glose Grip Underhand Pull Downs - 50#x10, x10, x10





So I should have not done the chest press cause my pushups (wider) worked chest - and I should have put my pulldowns in place of it - maybe stuck some calves in there but it was effective - Some DOMSFriday and since I have not lifted in about two weeks a good mental break. My intention was to go in and run for about 30 min - after I did this circuit I decided I had put my body through enough "stress" so I walked for about 30 min.


For those who don't know - any type of stress on MY body causes my digestive system to lock up so I have to be careful.


Friday - did nothing came home


Today - Saturday - my hubby and I will go to the highschool track and I will walk and run while he runs and does sprints. It is nice we get out there about 7:30 - not to hot at all!

[barnetjs]

By the way - the pushups are real not girl pushups!


I will also do ab circuit this Saturday morning before we head to the track.