Army of Me

Bigger Stronger Leaner Powerful Women
1

Hi everyone.

I’ve been lurking and have wanted to start a log for awhile and almost started one over on the sister site but I like the atmosphere and comaraderie over here a lot better. I’m hoping that by keeping a log here, I will push myself harder to get stronger. I think all of you are really strong and I’m a bit intimidated…but that might be just what I need. : )

I’m 45 (I turn 46 next month), married, with a 6 yr. old daughter. It wasn’t until I had my daughter and I weighed in at 200 lbs. (I’m 5’ 4") that I really got serious about working out and losing that baby weight. First with a bodybuilding-type workout and then I got into Stronglifts 5x5 and discovered squatting and deadlifting. Then, I got hooked on pushing myself on heavier weights.

I’m 125 lbs. and I’m currently on the Anabolic Diet which I love. I’m still trying to structure my workouts around it by trying to lift in the beginning part of the week when I’m coming off my refeed and doing cardio and lighter weights at the end of the week when my I’m carb-depleted.

My short-term goals:

To squat 150 lbs. for 1x5 (I’m currently at 135). Long-term: 195 lbs.
To deadlift 200 lbs. for 1x5 (I’m currently at 175) Long-term: 250 lbs.
To bench 100 lbs. for 1x5 (I’m at 5x5x85 - I’m so weak at bench-it has always been my weakest area) The bench is a big one for me. Even by doing the 5x5 program, I just barely hit 90 lbs. after a year. Long-term: 135 lbs. Geez, is that even possible?? I’d like to think it’s in the realm of possibility. : )

I think I’ve rambled enough and will post workouts later on.

2

Hi Whysper, welcome to PW :slight_smile:

You’re hella gawgeous and strong, you fit right in.

Looking forward to following your workouts, and anything is in the realm of possibility

3

Welcome Whysper ! You’ve done well in the weightloss division, congrats ! Short / mid 40’s, you’re a fit for some us around these parts for sure.

All is possible, I just bet by the end of the year, you’ll be upping those #'s too…

4

Hello and welcome :slight_smile: Looking forward to following along!

5

welcome to the dark side.

6

Welcome, you’ll be killing those short-term numbers in no time!

7

Thanks everyone for the warm welcome and encouragement.

Here are my workouts for this week so far (including today):

Monday, 3/14

Squat: 3x4x125, 1x4x130, 2x5x135
Leg Press: 1x10x270, 1x10x320, 1x10x360
Single Leg press: (each leg): 3x8x180
Overhead Press: 5x5x60
Straight leg deadlift: 1x10x95, 2x10x100
Bradford Press: 3x8x30
Leg Curl: 4 sets of 6, working up to final set of 1x4x90
Leg Ext: 4 sets of 6, working up to final set of 1x5x90
Calf Raise: 1x10x105, 1x10x120, 1x10x135

Tuesday, 3/15

Cardio: 33 minutes - Not the smartest move since this depletes glycogen stores and I should have done this later in the week. Oh well, live and learn.

Wednesday, 3/16

Deadlift (conventional): 1x4x135, 1x4x145, 1x3x155, 1x2x165, 1x3x170, 1x3x175, 1x2x155, 1x8x135
Bench: 1x4x80, 5x5x85
Lat Pull-down: 1x6x90, 2x5x100, 1x4x110, 1x8x90
Skull Crushers: 1x10x40, 2x10x45
Barbell Curls: 2x10x40, 1x8x40

Thursday: 3/17

Squat: Sets of 3-4 at 115, 125, 130 to 2x3x135, then I dropped the weight to 115 to do 3x5x115
Leg Press: 4x10x360
Split Squats: 3x10x95 (each leg)
Weighted Decline Crunches: 3x10 with 10 lb. weight
Leg Curl (pump set): 3x8x50, 20 sec. rest between sets
Leg Ext. (pump set): 3x8x55, 20 sec. rest between sets

  • Today’s workout was tough and squats were dismal, at best. I am either carb-depleted already or I just suck at squats. Admittedly, I don’t really like squats but I like what they do for my butt and so I do them. It was probably good to drop the weight and work on form. As a side note, I felt like a tough girl today squatting more than the guy doing his quarter squats on the smith machine next to me. : ) And I was only at 115 lbs!

On the playlist: Carfax Abbey, A Perfect Circle, Lacuna Coil and KISS.

8

Welcome!
Looks like you got some good work going on here!

Lacuna Coil has be getting a fair bit of play time on my iPod too.
I’ve never heard of Carfax Abbey, listening to them right now on myspace. Epic sounding - I like!

9

I’ve always been intrigued with the AD…how long have you been on it?

great progress, and great goals!!

10

Welcome! There are quite a few of us 40-somethings around.

And another California girl - excellent!

11

The title of this log caught my eye. I imagine you will surpass those goals in a short amount of time. Get after it and do the damn thing! Welcome.

12

Welcome to powerful women.

You remind me a lot of myself when I started; only a bit shorter :slight_smile:

I got hooked on heavy lifting with the strong lifts 5x5 as well, am 46 with kids and didn’t start till I was 42. It has made a huge difference in my life and how I feel about myself.

This early in the game, I think you’ll be surprised at how quickly you lifts will move up.

Amazing work on the weight loss too. Congratulations. How are you finding the diet? Now that you have dropped so much weight, is there any reason you’re continuing with it? I don’t know much about it.

13

Hi Whysper–just catching up and stopping in. Welcome.

14

Thank you everyone for stopping by.

Last Stand - yeah, I love all those goth-metal bands with the opera-sounding female lead singers. Not sure how to describe it properly. I guess in Belgium or Germany they have a female goth-metal festival every year - would love to go someday.

MIM and Ouroboro - In a nutshell: I actually lost all my post-pregnancy weight before I started Stronglifts by doing lots of cardio and a bodybuilding split 6 days a week. I got so burnt out and then I started Stronglifts about 3 years ago and did that for a year. Then, for many reasons, stopped going to the gym for about a year.

I gained weight and didn’t like myself very much so I got an online trainer which got me back into the gym and I fell in love all over again with lifting. But, my trainer had me doing carb-cycling, low calories on cardio days, circuit training and I just kept failing at my diet (carb binges) and I kept wanting to push myself on the weights.

Which brings me to today when I said “screw it” and I started doing things my way which includes the Anabolic Diet. I love it. I eat high fat and protein during the week, less than 30 grams of carbs a day (I eat LOTS of spinach and broccoli for my carbs). One day on the weekend, I eat mostly carbs - whatever I want: fruit, cereal, oats, potato, granola bars, etc. I actually get a buzz from the onslaught of carbs but a lot of people get lethargic and sleepy. Then the next day I start the high fat/protien all over again.

I haven’t lost any weight with it but then I’m not eating for it. I have found that my energy level (and mood) are much more stable, carb cravings completely went away, and my lifts are going up quickly. It works for me even though I’m still tweaking it to get the most out of my lifting since at the end of the week, I’m pretty carb-depleted and can’t lift worth a damn. Come Monday, though, I am back on it and usually all my lifts go up as if the previous week’s lack of strength never happened.

Powerpuff- Where in California are you? I’m in Northern California, East Bay.

Beast - Thank you and I will definitely get after it!

Nadia - Hi and thanks for the welcome.

Onto my workout:

Friday, March 18

Lat pull-down, supinated grip: 1x10x80, 1x10x90, 1x8x100, 2x5x110, 1x6x100
DB Incline Press: 1x8x25, 1x8x30, 2x6x35
Pendlay BB Row: 1x8x65, 1x8x75, 2x7x80
OHP: 1x10x45, 1x8x50, 2x8x55
DB One-Arm Row: 1x8x40, 2x8x45, 1x6x50
Lateral Raises, drop sets at 15 lbs and 12.5 lbs.
Push-ups, feet elevated: 3x10
Drop sets for Tricep Pushdowns, Cable curls, and BB curls.

Today, I knew I would be weaker than usual so I just pushed myself on the weights to really deplete my glycogen stores. Tomorrow is carb-up day and I want to earn my carbs. I dropped the weight and kept rest periods short between sets.

On the playlist: Trapt, 32 Leaves, Gothminister and more Carfax Abbey.

15

I failed at carb cycling. Carbs beget carbs for me…Then again, Im kinda an all or nothing type anyway.

The AD kinda sounds like a nice maintainence way of eating if you are the carb intolerant type(which I am)

How close do you pay attention to calories, macros, etc?

16

I always thought I was a carb person and couldn’t live without my carbs. But, since doing the AD I have discovered that I function very well on less than 30g of carbs a day. I’m just finishing up week 7 of being on the diet.

I did an induction phase of 12 days and kept track of my macros: 60% fat/35% protein/5% carbs. Then on carb ups I do 60% carbs/25% fat/15% protein. I did 18kcal x bw, basically just eating when I felt hungry. Now, I don’t really keep track of calories or macros too closely, except for carbs. Although I do a day here and there of macro counting to be sure I’m still doing it right.

I have gained 3 lbs. so far on the diet but I’m okay with that and I can’t tell that my clothes feel any different. I like that I’ve gotten stronger while being on it and the way of eating fits me better. I mean, how can you not love a diet that lets you eat eggs, bacon and cheese every day? : )

17

Awesome workout, strong Pendlays.

It’s awesome you found something you enjoy and works for you, that’s most important.

18

Well, unfortunately I’m in So Cal. Orange County. If you get in your car and hit the grapevine you’ll be here in about 7 hours. Dang it. I thought we might get a California Coven going.

19

you were smart enough to pursue what you love and ditch the trainer. Self-education is a big step in this game. Lift the weights, increase your self esteem, find moderation in your diet.

moderation has helped me ditch the binge eating.

welcome
N

20

That festival sounds awesome! You must listen to Within Temptation then? They were then band that got me into the genre. I picked up their new album recently. It’s pretty epic.

Way to push on that last workout!