(no subject)
Mar. 28th, 2007 08:47 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jianantonicI've been given a new assignment at work, and I knew it was a big deal at first, but after a meeting yesterday, I see it is in fact a much bigger deal even than I had thought. But this is good. It's writing stuff, and that is definitely what I want to be doing, so I am pleased. (You mean Meg likes to write? Seriously?!) So right now I'm in the process of pumping myself up to do the writing I need to do today. Blogging is the first step in the pumping up process. See? I'm being productive.
Anyhow, I got more and more sore as the day went on, and almost let myself not go to the gym, but then I realized that I'm less than two weeks away from the end of the body transformation challenge. There are three categories one can win: total weight lost (won't be me - I'm down a good bit, but some folks started this thing out with a lot more weight to lose); total inches lost (depending on who else is in the contest, I may actually stand a chance here. I'm down something like six inches on my waist, and quite a few on my butt and thighs, though I don't know the exact measurements right now); and most visible change. My trainer thinks I can win the visible change category. I'm not getting my hopes up, but that would be cool. Anyway since I'm in the home stretch, I'm not going to slack off.
I went to the gym right after work and started an upper body workout. The whole time I was there, I was thinking how the hell am I going to do cardio? I'm too sore. But just as I was nearing the end of my weight training, Jen came to where I was working with another client, and just knowing she was observing me pushed me harder and gave me a second wind. I wrapped up my resistance training and headed over to the treadmills. I ran 7 minutes, walked 3, ran 6, walked 4, ran 5, walked 5. After the first 7 minutes, I didn't think I'd be able to run at all for the rest of the time, but that's what good music is for. There was only one point in that whole 30 minutes where I questioned my ability to finish, but I made it through and felt great when I was done. I had been able to ignore my soreness while working out, but as soon as I got home, I was creaking like an old chair. I'm better today though.
Some noticeable progress: I have some muscles that are starting to pop, which is awesome. I can't help but flex in front of the mirror in the bathroom. I am much better at pushups now. Lunges aren't as terrible for me as they once were. My abs are getting really hard. I have more endurance now. I bought another new pair of pants last night, one more size down. I still sweat and smell like a pig.
Some goals I have: I want to be able to do pullups. I'm still kinda far from this goal, I think.![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
kixeldorado, how do you train to get better at these? Lat pulldowns? Bicep curls? Pushups? Please advise. I want to be able to run. I can run on a treadmill for about 15 minutes tops before I have to slow it down. I want to be able to run in the Turkey Trot this Thanksgiving - it's a 5K cross country run. I can keep a good pace on an elliptical for 45 minutes, but running is still just a little too demanding for me. I want to get better. I want to be able to go for runs with my new sister-in-law, who is a casual runner. I want to become a good biker. I want to be able to bike the 3.3 miles to and from work without getting too sweaty and nasty before the day begins. This would be easier if the roads were flat, but there are two huge hills on that stretch of road.
So that's my fitness roundup for the day. Today at work I'm interviewing college kids to be my intern this summer, and after work I'm playing tennis with Ahren, weather permitting.
Peace.
Anyhow, I got more and more sore as the day went on, and almost let myself not go to the gym, but then I realized that I'm less than two weeks away from the end of the body transformation challenge. There are three categories one can win: total weight lost (won't be me - I'm down a good bit, but some folks started this thing out with a lot more weight to lose); total inches lost (depending on who else is in the contest, I may actually stand a chance here. I'm down something like six inches on my waist, and quite a few on my butt and thighs, though I don't know the exact measurements right now); and most visible change. My trainer thinks I can win the visible change category. I'm not getting my hopes up, but that would be cool. Anyway since I'm in the home stretch, I'm not going to slack off.
I went to the gym right after work and started an upper body workout. The whole time I was there, I was thinking how the hell am I going to do cardio? I'm too sore. But just as I was nearing the end of my weight training, Jen came to where I was working with another client, and just knowing she was observing me pushed me harder and gave me a second wind. I wrapped up my resistance training and headed over to the treadmills. I ran 7 minutes, walked 3, ran 6, walked 4, ran 5, walked 5. After the first 7 minutes, I didn't think I'd be able to run at all for the rest of the time, but that's what good music is for. There was only one point in that whole 30 minutes where I questioned my ability to finish, but I made it through and felt great when I was done. I had been able to ignore my soreness while working out, but as soon as I got home, I was creaking like an old chair. I'm better today though.
Some noticeable progress: I have some muscles that are starting to pop, which is awesome. I can't help but flex in front of the mirror in the bathroom. I am much better at pushups now. Lunges aren't as terrible for me as they once were. My abs are getting really hard. I have more endurance now. I bought another new pair of pants last night, one more size down. I still sweat and smell like a pig.
Some goals I have: I want to be able to do pullups. I'm still kinda far from this goal, I think.
kixeldorado, how do you train to get better at these? Lat pulldowns? Bicep curls? Pushups? Please advise. I want to be able to run. I can run on a treadmill for about 15 minutes tops before I have to slow it down. I want to be able to run in the Turkey Trot this Thanksgiving - it's a 5K cross country run. I can keep a good pace on an elliptical for 45 minutes, but running is still just a little too demanding for me. I want to get better. I want to be able to go for runs with my new sister-in-law, who is a casual runner. I want to become a good biker. I want to be able to bike the 3.3 miles to and from work without getting too sweaty and nasty before the day begins. This would be easier if the roads were flat, but there are two huge hills on that stretch of road.So that's my fitness roundup for the day. Today at work I'm interviewing college kids to be my intern this summer, and after work I'm playing tennis with Ahren, weather permitting.
Peace.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2007-03-28 02:03 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-03-28 05:09 pm (UTC)Lat raises - hold a weight in each hand, and raise your arms up from your side, then back down.
Bicep curls, Skullcrushers (tricep lifts - so named because if you drop a 40lb dumbbell on your head...well, you get the idea...)
Tricep dips
Lat pulldowns
and the low row - where you sit, and pull the weight/handle toward you. I think you've mentioned this one before, so you know the one...
and of course, pullups. Once you're able to do them, the more you do it, the better at it you'll get, the more you'll work those muscles and the more you'll be able to do.
As for the 5k - you can do it.
Here's my story...I started working out in February 2005. My goal was to run a 3k by the end of the summer. Well, no one ever holds 3ks, so I was out of luck. So I ended up doing a 5k that October. I did have to walk for a minute or two in the middle, but I ran a very good portion of it.
Last year, I was able to run the whole thing.
I'm not incredibly speedy, I got passed by other runners, but I finished and wasn't dead last, and that was the most important thing to me. :O) Nonstop running, it took me around 29 minutes.
If you can do the elliptical for 45 minutes, you're on a damn good start. :) And if you can go 15 on the treadmill, you're about halfway there.
What I do, I run throughout the year. I never really go any more than 3 miles at a time, just because. I probably could, but I don't. Mostly it's either a mile and a half around the park, or I do 2 on the treadmill at the gym, or sometimes I go out to walnut creek and do the 5k course from the race.
Build up slowly. The treadmill I use shows 1/4 mile laps. So if I'm "training" for a run, then I start out one week at say, 4 laps. Then the next week I add another lap. Then the next week another, until I get to the 12 laps for the 3 miles/5k. And treadmill running and ground running are WAY different. You're going to find that ground running takes more out of you than the 'mill. But on the treadmill you don't get to see trees and squirrels and rivers and birds and run up hills and fall down (which I think is fun, but I'm kind of crazy sometimes...)
Yes, good music does help this process a lot. :)
Anyway, I have no doubt you can do it.
no subject
Date: 2007-03-28 05:10 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-03-28 05:27 pm (UTC)Thanks for the tips. I pretty much do all the exercises you've mentioned, so I'll just keep plugging away and hopefully it'll come to me eventually. My trainer also gave me one to try, but I hate doing it because I feel like a jackass...but I'll share it with you if it's something you'd like to try:
She has me use a tall box and jump up to a chinup position on the pullup bar, then lower myself down as slowly as possible (which isn't that slow, which is why I feel like a doof), and repeat for 15 reps. After the first couple, I can't really hold myself up well at all and I'm basically just jumping up and down, feeling like a fool. I haven't tried these in a while, though - maybe I have more control now.