PROGRAM #4—MUSCULAR ISOLATION & CIRCUIT TRAINING

** all exercises 3 sets - 20 reps to failure or time noted below
DAY 1. CHEST & QUADS

Flat Push Ups
Step Ups (2 min)

Incline DB Press
Leg Press/Leg Extension
Crunches

Ball Squat Front Raises
Leg Raises
Planks (45 sec)

DAY 2. BACK & HAMS

Wide Lat Pulldowns
Lying Leg Curls

2-Arm DB Rows
Leg Curls on Ball
Leg Raises

Clean & Press
Step Ups with Medicine Ball (2 min)
Planks (45 sec)

DAY 3. SHOULDERS, ARMS & LEGS

Clean & Press
Wall Sit (45 sec)
Floor Crunches

Standing Side Laterals
Leg Extensions
Barbell Curls

Cable Pushdowns
Reverse Crunches
Step Ups (2 min)

This is my new program as provided by my trainer. There are a few edits I want to make. I think the clean and press on Back and Hams day should be changed to dead lifts, and I may take the liberty to mix up the ab exercises a bit more.

Unfortunately I am under the gun to get assignments completed and I haven’t exercised seriously in the past two days. Yesterday I had a physio session which I have to count as exercise, so not completely a rest day but I had to skip the desired cardio session. I did do some yoga before bed which felt really good especially since my hamstrings were starting to tighten from my workout with Mike on Sunday.

Today was a washout - chained to my computer again and fighting a sore throat. I’m not going to get much sleep tonight.

Looks like a good program, why is it so leg centric?

My trainer wants to keep the focus on my legs to keep up on the burn factor - leg muscles being the biggest muscle group in the body.  I have been back sliding a bit recently and can’t wait to attack the next 20 lbs to get them off by my birthday.

Sounds like a pretty cool weight program. You can always do some arm stuff of your own. Do you own any hand weights? You could do some moves when you get up to take a break from your computer. (I hope you do that every 15 minutes or so.)

Program # 5 certainly looks like an intense lower body workout. 45 seconds holding a plank? Gotta try that one myself. Really don’t know how long I hold one.

Doing good!
Josie

Thanks guys.

Emmi - thanks for the reminder to get up often and do a bit of movement - that is the plan I am going to adopt for today - it will help me chunk my work and get the blood flowing so I can keep thinking.  I doubt I will make it out of the house today. 

Josie - I can actually do plank for a full minute now on my elbows and toes.  When I tried it way back in September I could barely do 10 seconds from my knees and elbows, but now that is very easy.  My midsection was one of the first things to get noticibly smaller (to me at least) when I really bagan to workout consistently in January.  I used to do it on my hands and toes because it created too much pressure in my upper chest (breating/ GI track), but now that I am stronger I usually have no problem doing it on the elbows.  It is always a tough exercise though - just have to keep finding ways to increase the challage as I get stronger.  (When I can do push-ups from my toes I know I will have made some real progress.  I still do girlie pushups from my knees.)

OK now to lay out my yoga mats for the day to remind me to do spurts of activity.  Today will be a day of mini workouts.  Maybe a few short walks around the block (takes less than 10 min).

Good stuff Catherine, Emmi’s idea is a good one.

Ditto on Emmi’s comment - great suggestion. Catherine, I’m in the same boat for the next three days tied to sitting on my butt.  Just life getting in the way.  My plan is to get up a bit earlier and getting the workouts done first thing, then the blood is pumping for the whole day.  I know I’m not making it to the gym since I have to be at work each day by 7, but I can do something at work to get everything jump-started.  It’s tough, but it’s just a couple of day and it’s really going to make a difference.

Hang in there, girl.  Looks like a great plan from your trainer.

R2 - D13 Only got my physio session workout in again today. I knew I didn’t have time to make it to the gym so I stayed on the bike for an extra 15 minutes to get a total of 30 minutes. I lowered the resistance after the first 15 because I couldn’t keep going at the normal resistance (very high). Mentally I was ready to quit, but once I took the liberty of loosening the belt I felt better and wish I’d had more time. Dr. W would have let me stay as long as I liked, but I had to have time to go back home, get cleaned up and get to a BBQ the PE head was hosting for all the coaches at the school this past year. I got a nice leaving gift - two gift certificates. One for a manicure and pedicure and another for two training sessions with my personal trainer. Not sure who was responsible for that one, but I bet Bev had something to do with it.

I have to get back into the gym tomorrow… I thought about going tonight but the wine at the coaches BBQ foiled that plan. Going to bed early tonight.

What a nice gift, isin’t great to know you are appreciated!

Yeah Catherine!  You’re doing so good!  Keep it up!

Great gift certificates Catherine!  It shows that they really thought of what you would like best.

Wow.. just had the most awesome thunderstorm… can you say scaredy cats??? They are both just a bit freaked out right now. I had fun watching from the safety of the solarium - great light show - and the thunder shook the house!!! I’m glad I made it home before it hit.

Thanks Shawn and Eileen - I really do appreciate the certificate for the training sessions… especially since I am going into a period of more limited income.

Candy - thanks for the boost. I have felt like I have been slacking too much the last few weeks and not doing so well. I have not been consistent with my workouts and life has just been getting in the way, but today I turned over a new leaf and got myself into the gym for the first time this week.

ALERT - Bra talk in next paragraph!!

Today I decided I needed a change of scenery and headed down to the Beaches Library to study. Got several quality hours in. Then I walked 1/2 the Queen St E. strip of shops. I didn’t plan it but there is a Running Room down there and as soon as I saw it I thought of Shawn suggestion to try there for sport bras. (Thanks again for that suggestion Shawn… only guy brave enough to supply suggestions on that topic!!) I was able to get two Champion bras of the same design - one black one white.

After some dinner and some more reading outside on a park bench I headed to the gym and had a terrific workout. Did Shoulder, Arm and Legs workout. 10 min warm up on the elliptical and another 25 min after. I’m so glad I can use the elliptical machines again - the knee straps really do make a difference (for me!). I don’t really like the stationary bike, even less so since the PT makes it so tough!!

Catherine, I’m glad to read that your knee problems are getting better. Your doctor was quite specific with his analysis. I’m still working on my right knee. You might remember that I have the opposite problem. Recently my problem has shifted a bit but the chiro says this is better than what it was.

What nice gift certificates! It’s nice to know that the people you worked with care.

Cathrine, you could also check out Winner’s I get most of my exercise gear there at about 1/2 the price of most retail outlets, Nike training shirts 15$! Sacauny running shoes for 40$! You just can’t beat there prices.

I’ll take a look… sometimes I am suprised at what I can find at Winners… but it is always the luck of the draw, since their merchandise is not consistant.

Just got back form the gym. Went to a different location today because I didn’t make it till early evening and most other locations close at 6:00. I didn’t get to the library till 3 so I thought I’d take advantage of longer hours even if it did mean a bit of a drive to get there.

It was a co-ed only gym and there were many more guys than girls. Most of the girls stuck to the cardio section. I was the only one using the free weights and resistance machines. I was a bit self conscious working with a bunch of muscle bound guys around, but since I didn’t know any of them and will likely never see them again I sucked it up and got real sweaty! I was doing my Chest and Quads Day for the first time. I have not gone over it yet with my trainer and there are a few exercises I have not done before so I was trying to figure them out on my own. After trying Incline DB Press one really buff guy was looking at me strangely and I noticed. I told him it was my first time trying this particular exercise and he gave me a quick demo. I was trying to push the weights forward instead of up over head. I knew it didn’t feel quit right and I only used 10lb dumbbells to start because I knew I didn’t know what I was doing. After doing a set pressing up instead of out I wanted to increase to 15 lbs for my last set, but I couldn’t find a second 15lb dumbbell so I stuck with 10’s and did 10 extra reps instead.


Overall I was not too impressed with this location. It was really messy - weights all over the place… a twisted ankle waiting to happen and the floors needed a good sweep/mop. Of course much better than the school weight room (that I no longer have access to) but for a club with paying members it should be kept up a bit better.

Catherine,
Good job on not letting the big guys intimidate you!

Your weight regime is amazing!!!! Keep it up.

THanks for all the support!!!

Becs

R2 - D16 Cardio Day - 10 min warm-up on the bike then 35 minutes on the elliptical.