Move This - Kiss *This* Goodbye Log

Bigger Stronger Leaner Powerful Women
1

First of all, I’m not even sure I’m in the right section. I am not, so far, a “strong woman.” I’m not afraid to lift heavy and I don’t believe that I will magically turn into a man if I lift more than 20 pounds of anything, but I am currently so out of shape, it’s sad.

I weigh 141.8 pounds.
I’m 35 years old.
I’m taller than 5’5", but not quite 5’6".
Over the course of several years, I have lifted off and on. The only thing I’ve ever been consistent with is my inconsistency. I oscillate like one of those “Cool Breeze” fans. I get all hot to trot on a workout schedule, keep it up for a while and then BAM! Donzo. And I go back to either starving myself (which we all know causes muscle loss, saggy everything. . .shit I’m trying to avoid) or stuffing myself with food. Or I’ll obsess over the food. Last year, I spent six months only eating raw vegetables and fruit. No meat. I lost a lot of weight, but when I crept back into eating like an average (crappy eater) person, the fat came back with a vengeance. So this is where I am right now. It is not where I want to be.

Last week, after seeing pictures of myself at my brother’s wedding, I decided that I needed to start on a program that a) I could stick to; b) didn’t bore the shit out of me and c) didn’t have me in the gym 7 days a week. I found that Wet Wolf article on “Kiss Body Building Workouts Goodbye.”

I just finished my first week of it and I was sore in places that I didn’t know I had. I was stronger than I thought I would be, after being inactive for so long, but I really enjoyed it.

The scale was the same today as it was last Saturday. I was a little disappointed about that, but whatever. It’s only my first week and I did some of the exercises wrong/out of order.

In DAY ONE:
Assisted Chin Ups: 5x5 I can do 2 of them completely unassisted, so for every set, I did 2 unassisted, 3 assisted.

Front Squats: 5x5 20lbs loaded on an EZ curl bar. I might’ve gone heavier, but hadn’t done them in so long, I was a little timid about it.

Standing DB Shoulder Press: 5x5 25lb DB’s. I liked that one.

Single Leg DL: 30lbs DB in each hand. Ouch. I am a wimp. It hurt like hell and my legs were DONE by the last two sets.

In DAY TWO:
I somehow got the order of the exercises wrong. I did the following:

LI DB Press SS w/ Single arm DB Row 9x3 (25lb and 30lb Dbs respectively)
DB Split Squat SS w/ Sumo Deads 9x3 (25lb DBs in each hand and 70lb loaded on an EZ curl bar, respectively.)

Crocs: 9 Room lengths. (DO NOT LIKE THESE. OUCH.)

IN DAY THREE:
Single Leg Squat 20x2: Much to my chagrin, I could not complete 20 in quick succession on each leg. I did 20 then 12. I don’t know what was wrong with me. My legs just gave out. QUESTION FOR ANYONE READING THIS: Would it be better to stop at failure or should I complete the reps regardless of whether I have to stop?
SS w/ Bodyweight Row. Same problem. Could not compete 20 reps!
Steep Angle Push Up 20 x 2 SS w/ Single Leg Bridge 20x2.

ANOTHER QUESTION My sister in law wants me to run a 5K with her in January. So, I decided to run on the days I’m not working out. I know that W.W.'s program says “no non-prescribed cardio,” so does anyone have any thoughts on what I should do about that? I ran 2 miles on Tuesday and 2 on Thursday. I hope that’s ok.

It seems like a lot of work and nothing moved on the scale. My eating isn’t quite on track, however, I can guarantee you that if I did anything, it was UNDER-eat. I did not have any garbage at all last week and what I did eat, I did NOT eat much of. (Believe me, I’m the first to admit it when I eat too much.) I have to put the scale out of my mind this week, though. I really do.

Anyway, today is a rest day for me. It’s hard because I FEEL like going to workout. I really do. But I’m forcing myself to sit tight, do housework, start this log to perhaps make me accountable; to stay on an even keel.

Any thoughts/ideas/answer to my two questions above are appreciated!

2

a) im not a wet wolf fan, so i might not be around here much.

b) i’d stop at failure, and use that as a way to keep track of the progress you make, then finish the reps if you need more sets to do so.

c) if you’re gonna follow a program, follow the program. or, say you’re doing a variation of his program.

hope you find something you can stick to. we like determined bitches up’n eese heer pahts.

3

I also can’t comment on the program not familiar with it. What cardio does it prescribe? Maybe sub in your running and claim a “variation” like CB suggests. Beyond that ANY program that you like and can stick with and won’t injure you is good. So keep it up and keep posting :slight_smile:

4

[quote]CBear84 wrote:
a) im not a wet wolf fan, so i might not be around here much.

[/quote]

x2
Well, I’ll follow the log, but definetely not a fan of his.

But welcome to the boards nonetheless.

-Nikki

5

Oh crap. Leave it to me to pick a program no one is fond of! (Could you tell me why you’re not a fan? Either on here or PM is fine. If not, no worries.) I picked the program because it looked like a combination of all of the things I want to achieve - strength, endurance. :frowning: I get thrown off track so easily. Now I’m kind of bummed. Is there another program on here anyone would point me to?

6

Don’t be bummed, what doesn’t work for one doesn’t mean that it won’t work for another.

I have no advice on programs to follow; I know my body and know what works for me and can’t imagine following a generic program. If you’re not aware of what you respond best to, I’ll suggest trying a variety of splits.

Try full body for a while, then upper/lower, then body part splits. See what you like and respond to best, then go from there.

I think doing something like this will keep things interesting for you, and will definetely help you shed some BF, if diet is on track of course.

7

hey lady, i wouldnt trust the guy to train my dog to sit, and the dog already knows how to do that.

whats important here is that you stick to something. anything. even that program.

if you like it, and you’ll stick to it, keep at it!

all of us have programs we like, stick with what you have for now and see what happens later.

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[quote]Nikki9591 wrote:
Don’t be bummed, what doesn’t work for one doesn’t mean that it won’t work for another.

I have no advice on programs to follow; I know my body and know what works for me and can’t imagine following a generic program. If you’re not aware of what you respond best to, I’ll suggest trying a variety of splits.

Try full body for a while, then upper/lower, then body part splits. See what you like and respond to best, then go from there.

I think doing something like this will keep things interesting for you, and will definetely help you shed some BF, if diet is on track of course.[/quote]

Thanks, Niki! I hate to be a wimp, but I can get really neurotic about this stuff and all I do is end up way the hell off track. Since I am nowhere near “in shape,” I think I’ll definitely try the progression of full body, upper/lower then splits. I have a lot of fat to lose, so I’m thinking that anything is probably good at this point. Ha ha ha!

I’m going to poke around the site for some diet advice. I fall apart when it comes to that. I have a really hard time wrapping my mind around 1) the quantity of food so many good looking, strong, healthy women on here seem to get to eat and 2) protein at every meal. But I’m reading up right now and will try to find something I can stick to.

THANKS for the support!

Today is also a “rest” day, per that program. It feels weird not going to the gym. I think yard work will have to do. Won’t the husband be surprised? Ha ha ha!

9

Hi MoveThis. A good book on nutrition and rational eating is New Rules of Lifting for Women. A good site for information on eating for fat loss is Precision Nutrition. Google each of these for more info if you are so inclined.

It really is all about rational eating. Any gym program will work for you at this stage, so obsessing over the details is just procrastination on the hard stuff – getting your head straight about food.

Good luck.

10

food is easy when planned. of course budget plays a role but here is a list of my weekly groceries:

proteins
canned salmon and tune - I buy organic but not everyone does
chicken breast that I individually wrap and freeze for easy portioned meals
cottage cheese - I go 1% - the fat content is debatable
eggs - by the dozen. so easy to hard boil 3-4 of em at a time for quick easy lunches
plain fat free yogourt - again milk products debatable but if you’ve never dieted I wouldn’t suggest anything
super strict to begin with.
milk/soymilk
frozen fish - halibut, rainbow trout, salmon (easy to bake with flavourings in tinfoil)
frozen scallops and shrimp
extra lean ground beef/turkey/chicken

those are the basics. Once in a while I’ll throw in a roast, loin or other cut of meat depending on specials and freshness. I also rely on protein powder for my breakfast meals and quick lunches/snacks when I’m on the road.

fats
fish oils
nuts/nut butters - I have fallen in love with hazelnut butter months ago and I still rave about it.
cheeses
oils - olive oils
coconut oil if you can stomach it

carbs
potatoes/sweat potates/squashes
whole grain/ wild rice
oates - I get quick cook, unflavoured
your milk products like yogourt can fall in this category
quinoa/barley
occasionally whole grain pasta, couscous and whole grain bread - this I eat 1-2 a week tops.

veg/fruit
every week we get a leafy green such as spinach, kale ect… baby spinach is easy to throw in a salad, pasta, or anything else really.
fresh tomatoes and mushrooms
I buy a bag of frozen raspberries and blueberies every week to flavour oatmeal and such
a bag of frozen broccoli heads for a quick easy green
what ever is fresh and in season.

with all of this I just mix and match protein, greens, fats and carbs to get a proper balanced meal.
Hope this gives you a head starts.

best of luck
N

11

Welcome. Wet Wolf is popular over on Figureathlete.com, which is a sister site to this one. Bit of a scary place where the ladies discuss things like sequinned costume, stripper heels and plastic surgery in addition to their pre-contest diets and training. We’re a lot more basic here - most of us aren’t too concerned with getting down to single digit body fat - we just want to be strong and awesome.

There are several power lifters here and most people do (or have at least tried) 5/3/1 and other less baroque training regimes.

One thing I will say is the most effective training plan is the one you can stick to. If you are finding Wet Wolf’s programme fun and effective, then by all means give it a whirl. You’ll probably want to change it up at some point in the future but as it’s going well for you at the moment, then stick with it for 4-6 weeks and see how you feel after.

Regarding running, I run, usually no more than twice a week and often, just once, due to time restraints. I generally run 10Ks. As you’re still building up to a 5K, I’d suggest twice a week with rest in between. Running is hard on the joints - try to go off road (parks/trails) if possible. (If you are running on treadmills, it is not the same as outdoors - at all. Your hamstrings work a lot less because you are travelling on a moving belt rather than using your muscles to pull you forward on unmoving ground. You are also missing out on irregular surfaces and wind resistance, not to mention getting some fresh air). Stretch a lot, particularly hip flexors and calves, and invest in a foam roller to roll your ilio-tibial band and vastus medialis. Also, look into POSE technique. My knees thanked me a lot once I learned to stop landing on my heels. Best of luck.

12

Wow! Thanks for all of the information and all of the replies, folks! You have no idea how much I really do appreciate it. I’m feeling really good and really excited about all of this. And yeah - sequined bikinis and surgery scare me. I just want to be as strong and as lean as I can. I mean, I just want to be ridiculously fit and to get myself kicked out of the club at my office called “Desk Jockeys Who Whine About Their Lazy Asses Getting Fat and Aging.”

One of the ladies at my office was like “I don’t want work out as hard as you’re working out right now,” and then proceeded to tell me that women our age (She’s only a year or two older than me 36 or 37.) can’t make decent changes in our bodies. For some reason, that really set me on fire. I was like “Oh eff no. I’m not going down THAT hole with you, lady. Hell no.”

“Bit of a scary place where the ladies discuss things like sequinned costume, stripper heels and plastic surgery in addition to their pre-contest diets and training. We’re a lot more basic here - most of us aren’t too concerned with getting down to single digit body fat - we just want to be strong and awesome.”

Thanks for your thoughts on that, Cal. I wondered if I should move this log over to that site instead, but I am really susceptible to picking up on other people’s neurosis. Low self esteem or something hormonal or whatever, but if someone’s talking about getting down to 7% bodyfat, then I start wondering if I’m doing something wrong because I’M not 7% body fat. I think it would throw me off track. I know that the stronger and more athletic I get, the less of a neurotic freak I’ll be. I know that. I’ve done that before. I’ve accomplished things that I once thought were impossible and I tell ya, it felt GREAT.

So yeah, I do want to have a lower BF% than what I have now, I don’t want to wig out over it. Like you said, I just want to be strong and awesome!

Thanks for the information on the running. I hate treadmills and have been running out doors on sidewalks, gravel and grass. My husband has a foam roller and said he’d be THRILLED to teach me how to use it, too! I’ll look in to POSE and let you know.

Thanks again for all of the input, folks! VERY much appreciated!

13

You’re more than welcome. Quite a few of us are over 35 (and over 40 for that matter) and you’re correct - it’s utter crap that you can’t change your physique beyond a certain age. You can change it at any age. It gets a bit harder, granted, and if you’re sedentary at work, it’s likely you’ll have quite a few postural issues (tight hip flexors from sitting, mild kyphosis and protracted shoulder blades from hunching over a computer all day) that need correcting as, if you start loading up a body that’s misaligned, you’re heading for an injury or three. I can tell you that from bitter experience. Definitely worth reading some of the articles on this site - do a search on “Neanderthal No More” and Eric Cressey’s “Shoulder Savers” and you’ll find a wealth of useful info on how not to bust yourself up.

14

I’ll jump on board with the ‘bullshit’ call of not being able to change your body over 30. I’m almost 46 and started training 3 years ago and competing 2 years ago. My body is better than when I was 20 (except for baby stretch marks). What you may find changes even more than your body, is your perception of what a good looking body is. For a long time, I tried to get skinny and succeeded. However, it was a let down to realise that the body that looked best wasn’t skinny; I got the hard, tight body I wanted by eating more and lifting. Now I get excited when I see my ass is bigger and my thighs are thicker.

15

Hey, I’m 56, and didn’t start lifting until I was over 50. I didn’t want to be a skinny old lady with brittle bones and jiggly arm fat. Now I can carry a week’s work of groceries, plus the 24 rack of bottled water from my car all in one trip. And the only thing that jiggles in my tank tops are my boobs.

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What/who is Wet Wolf?

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HA! I LOVE the fact that some of you folks are in your 40’s and 50’s and look the way you do. I would love to stick your pics in her face and say “Take that!” But I won’t. I’ll let her wallow in her misery. It’s where she wants to be anyway. (shrug)

Ourorboro, you are so spot on with the change in the perception of what looks good. Once upon a time, I wanted to look like Calista Flockhart. That was a long, long, long, long time ago when I was married to a man who wanted me to be THAT skinny, but have giant boobs. I’m not married to that guy anymore. I’m married to a guy who likes me to look one way and one way only: HAPPY/HEALTHY.

Yo Momma! I loved your response in that I’m down with the not wanting to be a skinny old lady! In the town that I live in, TONS of the older women look like pinched-face John Singer Sargent paintings - bony arms, bony hips, bad posture (they lead with the hips). They’re all angles and clavicle. . .which admittedly looks kind of awesome when you’re 20 (if you’re into that), but that stuff doesn’t age well.

WhiteK - Wet Wolf is the author of some articles and workout programs that I found somewhere on line. I thought it was this website, but I now realize that it was on something called Figureathlete.com, which is probably where I should have started this blog, but I’m glad that I didn’t. I’m reading a lot on the board and I’m digging it!

TONIGHT’S WORKOUT
Assisted Pull Ups: 5x5 (Two per set were unassisted) SS w/ Front Squats: 5x5; 20 lbs loaded onto an EZ curl bar. *NOTE: Will go heavier next time.

Standing DB Shoulder Press: 5x5 (First two sets were w/ 30lb DB’s; last three were w/ 25) SS w/
Single Leg Deadlift: 5x5 (30lbs DBs in each hand for the first three sets, 25’s for the last two. Ouch. I know. I’m a wimp! Ha ha ha!)

Ab Wheel (That lawnmower looking wheel with handles?) 5x5 (OUCH. THAT FKING HURT.)

And that’s it. On paper, it doesn’t look like all that much, but I really was shaking like a leaf when I was done!

18

Yeah, I second what Ouroboro and Yo Momma said. I’m 45. You can definitely change your body with drive and determination.

19

Lots of smart, determined ladies here. Use them.

The only thing I would add is that getting the diet sorted out is more than 50% of the battle of losing fat and adding muscle. If your current diet is poor, then it is probably 80%. Beware of the low fat but high sugar trap.

Good luck.

20

Giterdone, you’re right about the diet stuff. I really do need to get my diet sorted out. I’ve read TOO much friggin information and I’m overloaded. Eat this, don’t eat that. Every meal has to have a protien + a carb; DON’T eat proteins and starches together. Eat before 6:00. Eat every three hours. Eat 6 times a day. Eat 3 times a day. AIYEEEEEEEEEEEE!

Like, do I really need to freaking eat 6 times a day? I mean, can’t I just drink a shake here and there throughout the day and then eat a huge-ass-mo-fo dinner? I only ask that because I am virtually NOT hungry all day. I eat anyway because it’s breakfast time or lunch time or whatever, but for whatever reason, no matter what I eat, I start getting hungry around 4:00 or 5:00 in the afternoon. Could I feasibly save all of my calories / macros up for that meal and just chow down?

On a “good” day I:
Wake up.
Drink a glass of water.
Drink a glass of juiced kale, celery, lettuce and lemon.
Eat a breakfast that usually consists of one of these things: a shake, some fruit + a protien, a yogurt.
Eat lunch that consists of a protien + a veg or a protien + a carb.
Workout
Eat dinner that consists of protien, veg and starch.
Shower.
Go to sleep.

But sometimes, I wake up, don’t make my juice, don’t eat breakfast, eat a Greek Salad for lunch and then eat dinner.

I’ll get it sorted out, I know. I don’t meant to whine. I’m looking into the New Rules book suggested above and might try that to see if that works for me. I wish someone would just make, like, food cubes, for days when I don’t feel like eating!

“SuperBody presents the optimum in cutting edge nutrition with FOOOOD CUUUUUBES!”