Time to move my training log from the privacy of my spiral journal to this forum. It’s probably safer here, really: no lies, no excuses, no room for self-delusion.
(Warning! Gross imagery follows.)
As I cut up two roasting chickens today and then scooped the solidified fat from the pan, I tried not to think about my own chicken fat, globby, lumpy, and visible through my skin. At my worst, I turn my own stomach much like the solid chicken fat does. At my best, I forgive myself and look at what is delicious about me. (Lame!)
Up/down, up/down, up/down. There. Twenty years explained. Got motivated in 2007 and lost 30 pounds of fat (lifting medium, cardio and eating clean) and then gained most of it back over next 2 years (eating junk and drinking too much) At last annual gyn exam in Sept dr. tactfully said my protruding belly was partially due to a hormone thing so I had a three month no-baby belly and there was nothing I could do about it until estrogen stopped feeding my little problem. Nothing I can do? Partially due to? I was beginning to understand … went home and got busy.
Last four months of kicking my own ass went like this(thank you, Kimba, for encouragement to step out into the daylight):
5’2" 139 lbs to 127 lbs losing roughly…
Bust 3 1/2 in.
Waist 3 3/4 in.
Belly B 4 1/2 in.
Hips 2 1/4 in.
Thighs 1 1/4 in.
Bicep gained 1/2 in. …same strategy: medium lifting, intervals, better eating (still enjoy wine so improvement comes very slowly-looks like a lack of dedication, smells like a lack of dedication, could it be a lack of dedication?)
Working at home using dumbbells, bands, treadmill. Just about exhausted every combination of weights and it’s time to start going back to the gym. (I’m a pretty lazy homebody.) Went back to NROLW and am halfway through Stage 1. Trying to stay with it-tend to get distracted and do something different. Met 16 week goal for fat loss and inches. Exceeded it really. (Reduced BFP from 34% to 27% per lockonfitness. “Low” for my age but that only means at 52 I’m expected to have all kinds of extra visceral fat. That just makes me hungry!
Goals: next 4 months
Reduce BFP by 2%
Go to the gym!
Stop using DB’s for everything and start using BB for squats, good mornings, deadlifts.
Switch from band to machine for lat pulldowns
Do 5 real pushups (worked my way from dressor down to 2nd step)
Continue to increase strength slowly - not sure what I’m capable of
Do one pull-up (not doing assisted or anything now)
Rest right (see below-Glute-Leg circuit done too close to lifting days?)
This week looked like:
Sun & Wed - Glute-Leg Circuit - Katie Cole with Bret Contreras
Mon & Tues - NROLW
MON Deadlift w/ DB 30’s x10x3
Shoulder Pr w/ DB 18’s x 8 x 3 (I have to combine a 12 and a 6 DB to get 18 lbs)
Lat Pulldown Band looped over treadmill 15 x 4
Lunges - (clock) 12 DB - 8 reps each direction x 3 sets
Swiss Ball Crunch 12 DB x25x3
Reverse Crunches BW x 25 x 3
30 mins HIIT + 15 mins steady jog/walk
TUES Squat (switched to single leg last 2 sessions) 30 DB x10 x 3
Push-up 2nd step 6 x 3 (last week 3rd step 12 x 3)
Bent Over Row 22 DB’s x10 x 3 (combine 12 and 10 lb DB’s)(switched from band-seated rows)
Step-ups (2nd step) 18 DB’s x 12 x 2
Prone jackknife ball BW x 12 x 2
(added) Sumo squats 30 DB 15 x 2
(added) Upright Rows 16 DB’s x 8 x 2
HIIT 30 mins + 15 steady walk
Last week - NROLW per above 4 workouts plus Rachel Cosgrove’s Metabolic Circuit 2 x.
Ready for the onslaught. (Oh, please, oh, please, let there be an onslaught.)
you know i’ve got nothing but love for you all over 40…and now we have a lady over 50…awesomeness! did i hear you like the fermented variety of grapes? let the oenophiles unite and prove you can have your vino and get lean too.