Can you sprint with your back the way it is?
If so sprints will do wonder for your thighs, though frankly I imagine you are being far more critical of their appearance than is strictly warranted. Such is the way of many women.
Yes I can sprint, at least as far as my back is concerned - just waiting to see how the ankle pans out before I resume doing that. I certainly mean to add sprints back in (I was sprinting before I went on holiday in June - things have gone a bit haywire since I returned).
Regarding the thighs, I am very critical of them but then I’ve always felt that there’s a great disparity between lower and upper body. I would naturally be pear-shaped if I’d never lifted a weight - the fact I’ve been lifting since 20 has broadened out my back and shoulders so that’s not the case. However, I do store all my fat below the waist and have always had inner thigh fat and cellulite. As a result I almost always keep my thighs covered. I just don’t like having that stuff on display to the world.
Seriously Cal, every time I check in on you your upper w/os improve immensely. And yes, when lifts get easier its a total PR - at least in my book. Getting stronger is getting stronger, no two ways about it.
I’ve seen your legs missy and they’re long and gorgeous, but I hear ya, we always want to make improvements…
I don’t like using machines, but maybe they might work for you. There was a TN article recently I think that said something about using machines as a good thing, especially when you have injuries and what not. Also…and bear with me…you can try Jane Fonda/Pilates/dancer type stuff - high rep, muscle fatigue exercises a la buns of steel…eh?
damn Cal. your lower body issue is my upper body issue. you are probably being too hard on yourself and now that i think of it, i oughtta slap you for not appreciating your killer upper body. that new avi rocks… but trust me, i get the torment of not being able to get the whole package dialed in.
better to celebrate the awesomeness of the good stuff and just keep pushing forward with the rest. i know they get a bad rap, but are seated leg extensions that horrible? they burn the F*** out of my legs when done high volume…i did them for years before i got into squatting and would like to think they helped my quads which are decent.
yay for your chins and nice rows there, too! and super big woot for the 146!!
I really, really wanted to train yesterday but my blood sugar was really low when I woke up, so I decided to rest up and eat some fucking carbs for a change. Now normally I use a carb up as an excuse to eat a load of shit I shouldn’t, but yesterday I just added some quinoa (which has been untouched in the cupboard for at least a year) to my two meals.
So that was a victory of sorts. I’m not only watching my weight (so to speak) but I’m also watching money, so I can’t afford to be having mega Ben & Jerry’s binges.
I still felt a bit wibbly this morning but mostly because I put off training until after 10am, so it’s my own fault. (I don’t eat before the gym. Ever).
Military Press
(Warm up: 10 x bar)
9 x 30kg (no change)
I really wanted to go for 10 but once I’d done rep 9, I knew that I could have started another rep but I wouldn’t have finished it. Not without a lot of a back stress anyway - which I’m obviously trying to avoid.
Chins x 5 (no change)
Again, no difference. I told myself I was going to get six today but after the fifth it was pretty clear that it wasn’t going to happen. Still, I’ve not long moved up to 5 reps so I can’t expect miracles.
Decline Push-ups (shoulder-width hand spacing) x 19 (+1)
I went for 20 but my arms gave out and I fell on my face again. (Well, OK. Not quite my face - I rolled enough to get a shoulder under me). Still, another rep. If I get 20, I’m going to have to add another riser.
Chins x 4 (no change)
I only just moved up to 4 on my second set of chins last time I trained so I wasn’t expecting to better it this time. Not going backwards is good.
28kg Dumbell Rows x 8 (+1)
It was my forearms that gave out, but the whole damn exercise is tiring!
High incline dumbell bench press: 18kg x 8 (+2kg)
Moved up a weight. It felt OK.
Pull-ups x 2 (no change)
Overhand grip again. Tired by this point.
50kg Pulldowns x 10 (+1)
The last rep was a bit ropey but I was damned if I wasn’t going to better last time.
Decline sit-ups with 2kg dumbell x 10 (no change)
Fuck these are hard.
Weighted hyperextensions (18kg) x 10 (+1)
Got another rep this time. These are tough. I turned around after and did 20 reverse hypers, then a lot of stretching. No TGUs today - last time I tweaked my sprained ankle doing them and I want to avoid that since it’s just over a week to the 10K.
Went home and cooked a broccoli and bacon omelette in mah skillet.
Masch had a GREAT idea about the Jane Fonda leg routine!! 
Hey, at least it’s SOMEthing!
bacon… seriously Cal that looks like a long workout to me and yet you always manage to improve on some lifts. I don’t get the not eating before gym. I can jog in the am without eating but forget lifting.
It looks long but I only do one set per exercise. On days when I’m less tired I can do it in under 40 minutes. Today…a bit longer.
i vote for straps, as long as you dont neglect grip work in general.
you could hang from the pullup bar to work on your grip, and either stretch your back or do leg raises. 3 birds one stone.
^ Hmm…that’s not a bad idea actually. I should do that.
Training is looking great Cal!
I used to not understand how people worked out fasted…but now I doesn’t bother me at all - still trying to figure out if it makes a difference in terms of lifting heavy tho…
I had a bit of a walk this afternoon to loosten up and distract myself from wanting to go buy and scoff a bag of brazil nuts (successful). Was sad to see only one Egyptian gosling left, and that was being bullied by swans. I guess either the pikes or the swans are killing them. The black ducks also have fewer ducklings than last time I saw them. For what is basically a duck pond in London, it has a hell of a cruel ecosystem.
Very odd workout today - very hit and miss. I didn’t exercise yesterday and I carbed up a bit (quinoa at breakfast, baked potato later and some nuts and raisins), so was expecting to get a good workout today. Guess it doesn’t always follow.
Military Press
(Warm up: 10 x bar)
9 x 30kg (still no change)
Getting bloody frustrated with this. Even the ninth rep was a struggle today. What gives?
Chins x 5 (no change)
Like the MP, seemed harder than last time, but I got the reps.
Decline Push-ups (shoulder-width hand spacing) x 20 (+1)
OK, a +1. Phew.
Chins x 3 (-1)
OK, WTF?
28kg Dumbell Rows x 8 (Right, no change); x 9 (Left, +1)
Still not understanding why I’m stronger on the left, but whatever.
High incline dumbell bench press: 18kg x 6 (-2!!)
Again, I was nonplussed by my backsliding on this, but then I noticed the bench was one incline notch higher than last week, so that probably accounts for it. It was a different bench, too, with a seat that doesn’t adjust with the incline so I felt like I was sliding forward. Not goood.
Pull-ups x 2 (no change)
Overhand grip again.
50kg Pulldowns x 12 (+2)
I was so pissed off at the chins and dumbell press that I attacked this one with a lot of aggression and got my full set. Time to move up to 55kg.
Decline sit-ups with 2kg dumbell x 12 (+2)
OK, finally. Now I can move up to the second smallest dumbell in the gym. Hooray.
Weighted hyperextensions (18kg) x 10 (no change)
Ugh.
Did some windmills with the 14kg dumbells between the pulldowns and sit-ups. These were solid.
Then (after some stretching) it was weigh time. Now I was actually feeling pretty good - my midsection looks tighter but then again it could be the new bottoms I was wearing (purchased at Walmart in the US, no less) were particularly flattering. And…2lb gain. Up to 10st 8lbs (148lbs). I am going to put this one down to glycogen from yesterday’s carbs, because I don’t look any fatter than last time.
Going to have some breakfast now.
Oh yeah, I’m definitely going to go with the glycogen on the +2 lbs! In fact, I’m not surprised that the chins and pullups seemed harder too for the same reason. You’re muscles are full and you’re heavier, which is technically good! Just not for attempting to pull your body over a bar - hahah!
I’ve actually been trying to pay close attention to this since I’m a fan of the carb up. So now I try not to carb up on upper body day and just stick to carbing up when I DL and squat. I don’t even like carbing up for running anymore - makes me feel like my legs are heavy. Interesting! I think you’re info corroborates with mine…
But you did lots of good stuff in there - hit and miss is great IMO! You can’t get everything every time.
For your military press stall, maybe bright the weight up, the reps down, and do sets across?
That’s good advice, Masch - usually I carb up on a Saturday, after training, and run on a Sunday, so that works out OK. Obviously carbing up before doing pull-ups is not such a good move, heh.
Owlie - yeah, I’ll have to change something up, but perhaps I just need to be more patient - only three weeks ago I was getting 9 reps with 27.5 so I’ve progressed since then. Can’t expect to make progress constantly and in a linear fashion. I’ll have a think.
Cal, maybe try eating like me…aka like a complete fatass.
You know, cookies everyday. carbs all the time.
that sort of thing.
p.s. im completely kidding.
Yeah…that wouldn’t be such a great idea, Mel. I put on fat very easily and it mostly goes below the waist. It’s not a good look.
I must be fucking insane because I just ran for nearly two hours and between nine and a half and ten miles. The run was pretty much the same as the previous long one where I sprained my ankle - only this time I added Wandsworth Common onto the end. So it starts with Tooting Common, then I run to Clapham Common and around that, then to Wandsworth Common and then home. I’ve named this run the “Three Common Death Run” because that’s pretty much how I felt towards the end.
Up to Clapham Common was fine. I started getting a bit thirsty then (it wasn’t hot - it’s a cooler day, quite grey, although very mild) but once I arrived at Wandsworth Common I thought, what the fuck, there’s still fuel in the tank, let’s do it. And then regretted it a bit because my hams and calves were tying up and I began suffering a bit.
But I got it done.
The run made me realise a couple of things. My heart and lungs can pretty much carry on at that level for hours. My legs, not so much. And if I have any aspirations to running further (say, a half marathon) I’m going to need a portable water bottle.
I’m dead tired now - figure I’ll flop in front of the telly for the rest of the day. I’ve a load of good shit recorded and am going to enjoy it.
Wow, good for you for running that much! I have such troubles with running. My lungs are the first thing to go, either their capacity is too low or my asthma kicks in. I wish it didn’t, then I could run farther and longer, aiding in my diet phases.
Be careful with your ankles!