OK, so I'll explain ... we have a large detatched garage, but like many folks, we keep the cars outside and use the garage for storage and tractor-parking. We decided to move our workout equipment to one bay of the garage, and work out there. Eventually, we'd like to actually frame a room, add heating and cooling and carpet, etc. -- make it a nice place to get fit. Until then, I call it the "Garagym".

Today was not a good beginning to my participation in Mischa & Co.'s Fitness Challenge. The disk between my 3rd & 4th vertebrae is bulging (again!), and I'm in a lot of pain. I'm sitting out tonight, but will pick up with walking & weight training that does NOT involve my back muscles come the morrow.

Back is much better -- almost back to normal!!

Today, I walked for 30 minutes on my lunch hour in the beautiful, soft, warm, spring air!!!

Heading down to the Garagym shortly to do some UBWO (seated -- still don't want to strain the back).

Well, maybe not technically -- I was sidelined with the back thing -- but I will be honest, and count my beginning from April 1st!

Pardon my slang, but this weekend sucked out the wazzoo. See my Journal for a detailed description. But it is AMAZING how 40 minutes spent huffing and puffing with weights can make you feel better!! Must be the endorphins!!!

Anyway, I have digested all the wonderful advice and suggestions, and changed my workout plan. For the remainder of the Challenge, this is my workout goal:

UBWO, Su-Tu-Th.
LBWO, Mo-We-Fr.
Walking, 30 minutes each day Su-Fr.
Saturday is a freebie & a day of rest!

I just did my UBWO, which consists of the following (all weights are free weights (dumbbells), and the weight given is the total for all weights used):

<U>Chest</U>
Flat Press - 3 sets of 10, 4lb
Flye - 3 sets of 10, 4lb
Cross-Bench Pullover, 3 sets of 10, 4lb

<U>Shoulders</U>
Side Lateral Raise, 3 sets of 10, 4lb
Front Lateral Raise, 3 sets of 10, 4lb
Alternate Shoulder Press, 3 sets of 10, 4lb
Bent Lateral Raise, 2 sets of 10, 4lb

<U>Biceps</U>
Alternate Curl, 3 sets of 10, 10lb
Simultaneous Curl, 3 sets of 10, 10lb
Alternate Hammer Curl, 3 sets of 10, 10lb

<U>Triceps</U>
Overhead Press, 3 sets of 10, 2lb
Kickback, 3 sets of 10, 2lb
One-Arm Overhead Extension, 3 sets of 10, 2lb

<U>Back</U>
Upright Row, 3 sets of 10, 5lb
Two-Arm Dumbbell Row (seated), 3 sets of 10, 4lb
Double-Arm Reverse Row (seated), 3 sets of 10, 4lb

And yes, in case you're wondering, <B>I do feel it!!!</B> Not the case when I use the machine. And so far, the back feels fine. I "listened" to it, and modified when it seemed to be under strain.

Tomorrow night: LBWO!

Couldn't get on the 'Net last night to record my activity, so I'm a day late!

Last night was LBWO, and I frankly confess that I did NOT get through the whole thing. After several exercises, I had "jelly legs" so badly that I could barely stand up! But, it's not a race -- need to keep that in mind. So, here's what I did last night:

<U>Thighs</U>
Squats, 3 sets of 10, 4 lbs
Side Leg Lifts, 3 sets of 10, 2 lbs
Leg (Hamstring) Curl, 3 sets of 10, 5 lbs
Lunges, 2 sets of 10, 4 lbs

<U>Hips/Buttocks</U>
Standing Butt Squeeze, 2 sets of 10, 4 lbs
Standing Back Leg Extensions, 2 sets of 10, no weights

That's not quite 1/2way through, but I'll do better on Wednesday.

Tonight: UBWO, same as Sunday night, but I'm adding:
Cross Face Extensions, 3 sets of 10, 2 lbs
Seated BAck Laterals, 3 sets of 10, 4 lbs

Now ... off to read the posts!!!

Thanks for the cheer up! I'm feeling like a glum chum!

Anyway hope your challenge is coming along. Do feel any different yet? Must be if you're fantasizing about it!
Hope you're having a great day!

Well, after hearing everyone rave about <I>The Firm</I> videos, I got a jump on payday and bought some. Since tonight is LBWO, I'm going to start with that one, and the 5-Day Ab one. Working out of a book has been all right, and I've certainly felt it, but it's awkward and interrupts the fluidity of movement -- do a rep, look at the book, do 2 more reps, look at the book, etc.

The chick who leads <I>The Firm's</I> workout = regular speed video.

Me, doing <I>The Firm</I> DVD for the first time = slow motion!!!

But I'll get better!

<B>It ain't a race!!!</B>

Good thing it "ain't a race", because I dropped out for a lap or two -- went to the city tonight for dinner, and got back too pooped to do anything -- left my "get up and go" in that last bookstore, I think ...

Time to regroup on this fitness thing.

In the 2 months I've been doing LC, I've done the following fitness activities:

<B>Treadmill</B> -- good aerobics, and I need to start doing that again.
<B>Stationary weight machine</B> -- didn't feel like it was doing anything -- probably because I had no idea what I was doing!
<B>Free weights/Joyce Vedral</B> -- took me 90 minutes for each workout, and I found myself skipping because of that.
<B>Pilates DVD</B> -- this one was obviously meant for someone at a higher level of fitness!
<B><I>The Firm</I> DVD</B> -- I could not keep up. The "instructor" moved very quickly, and I couldn't get my body to turn/switch that fast. So I got frustrated.

So ... yesterday, I took all the DVD's to a store that buys used ones -- and then I took my cash to the bookstore, and bought <I>Body For Life</I>. Nat has posted some really excellent instructions on how to integrate Atkins w/BFL, and I'm going to give it a shot. The biggest commitment I will have to make will be to get up early so I can work out before eating breakfast and going to work; all my workouts thus far have been late in the evening, after dinner. That could be why they have not been as effective as I'd hoped!

When I joined this Forum, I made an inner commitment to complete honesty ... it's hard to come to my Gym Log, and admit that I've flopped around like a flounder when it comes to fitness. It's especially hard to admit that, given that I joined the Mighty Mischa Fitness Challenge () -- I feel like a novice in the company of champions! But I'm not giving up, even if it takes me half of the Challenge period to figure out what works for me.

Today, then, is a "day off" -- a day of planning and reading, of realigning my inner focus and preparing to meet the Fitness Challenge with a new strategy. I will (definitely, not hopefully) have new experiences to report when I come to my Gym Log tomorrow night!

And I woke up with a migraine. Still, I got up and did my best, but the migraine won -- I didn't finish my UBWO.

I'm not going to let it get me, though; I'm going straight into 20MAS tomorrow!!

Pardon me whilst I brush the cobwebs off this log ....

Well. I sure dropped the ball on this one, albeit not intentionally. The last part of last week and the first part of this week, I was held hostage by a nasty stomach bug that kept me in the bathroom a good portion of my day -- add to that the allergy-related migraines, and that equals me, out of commission. I even skipped days reading the posts in the forum, which I never do!

So here's my plan: now that my intestines are calm and my head is better, I'm going to restart BFL on Monday, the 28th. That will give me the weekend to finish resting and get back in the swing of things. Need to edit my profile!